DISCLAIMER: I don't them. I wish I had a clever way of saying this, but I really don't. I don't own them or anything to do with them. Did I mention I don't own them?
SPOILERS: Pretty much everything so far. But I think we should assume that Buffy never died. Joyce, however, has.
FEEDBACK: Yes please. I don't have a fancy way of saying it. Please, send me feedback, OK? Do you want me to grovel? Do you?
This is in response to a challenge posted by Victoria on the BA_Fluff mailing list. The challenge is thus:
The idea:
Buffy is turned into a little child (three or four years old).
The Sunnydale gang try to turn her back to an adult but fail.
They bring her to Angel.
Has to have:
1) Angel interviewing a nanny for little Buffy and losing his tamper.
2) Angel bringing Little Buffy to Kate's police station and losing her there. He panics.
3) Little Buffy not willing to let go of Spike and driving Angel up the wall.
4) A puppy.
5) Little Buffy being dramatic.
6) Theatre
7) Nursery
8) Angel has to take Little Buffy to a doctor.
9) Little Buffy and Angel shopping.
Up to you:
Everything else.
The people in this fan fiction, the place, the rating....
Victoria.

Buffy sat, idly chewing the end of her pen, wishing that sometime soon, the class would be over and she would be free to go back to her room and sleep. Since coming back to college, she had found it increasingly boring and frustrating. However hard she tried, she couldn't escape the fact that now she had to be a substitute parent to Dawn, and she felt now that sitting in a class about Mediaeval France was not the best use of her time. Finally, the class was over and Willow nudged her friend.

"Time to go, Buffy."

"At last!" Buffy grabbed her stuff and began walking swiftly from the lecture hall. Willow ran to catch up with her.

"Buffy, what's the matter?"

"What am I doing here?" Buffy asked her. "I shouldn't be here, I should be collecting Dawn from school, making her dinner, nagging her about homework! I shouldn't be sitting here learning stuff I really don't need!" Willow took Buffy's arm gently.

"I know it's hard. But you can't stop your life because of all that's happened. You have to still be Buffy. Not just Big Sister."

"I don't want to be Big Sister! I don't want to be mommy, I want to be Buffy! I want to be a little kid again so I don't have to worry about anything anymore!" She railed angrily.

"I want to be little Buffy, the Buffy that didn't see the world as a horrible, dark, demon infested place!" She said, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Willow led her down the hall.

"I know you do. I want that sometimes too. But we grow up. That's how the world works. And you're right, it does suck."

"I wish I could be a little kid again." Buffy said, so stubbornly, you could see exactly what Little Buffy had once looked like.

The Sorcerer's apprentice giggled with glee as he ran across the lawns of UC Sunnydale. He made his way into a old building and down into the basement.

"Master! I have it!"

"You have found the Slayer's weakness?"

"Yes! She wants to be a child."

"What?" The Sorcerer stood, rising to his full height of seven feet. "That's not a weakness!"

"No master, but she wished for it! We could make her into a small child. How could she mount a defence against us if she's four years old?" The apprentice said, hoping that his master would like the idea. Either that or he was about to be thrown against a wall again.

"I like it!" The Sorcerer said, laughing a deep, evil laugh. "We'll do it tonight as she sleeps."

Buffy finally slid into bed at half past two. The Sorcerer and his apprentice were not in the best of moods, having waited outside her home for hours. Sleep itself came easily to the exhausted slayer, and the Sorcerer began his wicked deed.

The sun was already shining when Dawn woke up the next morning. She was surprised that Buffy hadn't yet come into her room to wake up her up and moan at her about being so slow. Wondering if something was wrong, she knocked on Buffy's door. She got no answer, so cautiously opened the door.

"Buffy?" Buffy?" The curtains were drawn tightly across the windows, and it was dark in the room. Dawn could just about make out Buffy's sleeping form in the bed, and so went over to the windows, throwing the curtains open.

"Go away!" A petulant voice called from the bed. Dawn turned.

"Buffy, wake up!" She said. Buffy sat up. Dawn screamed. Buffy screamed.

"What happened?" Willow asked. She was staying at the Summers House, and heard Dawn's scream. Then, Willow stopped dead in her tracks.

"What the...." She trailed off. Lying in Buffy's bed was a little girl, no more than four years old.

"Where's mommy?" She asked, yawning.

"Mommy?"

"Mommy. Mommy always makes Buffy breakfast." She said.

"You're Buffy?" Dawn asked. Buffy nodded, her dark blonde hair bobbing up and down. Willow looked closely at the girl. It really was Buffy. Anyone who knew Buffy at all could see that. Her eyes were the same: impatient, fiery, daring anyone to cross her.

"Well Buffy..." What was Willow going to say about her mother? "Mommy isn't here at the moment, but I'm going to look after you, OK?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Willow. I'm your friend. Don't you remember me?" Willow kicked herself. Buffy was four again, of course she didn't remember Willow.

"Willow?" Buffy asked. Willow nodded. "Does my mommy like you?"

"Yes, she does. This is Dawn." Willow said, "Your mommy likes her as well."

"Hi Buffy," Dawn said, playing along with Willow.

"Now, we need to get you dressed." Willow said.

"No! Buffy wants to stay in bed." She said. Willow sighed. This really was going to be hard work.

"We have some of Buffy's old clothes up in the attic. I'll go get something." Dawn said. Willow smiled gratefully.

Everyone turned up at Buffy's house after Willow's rather frantic phone calls. Giles was first, as you might expect, slowed down slightly by the books he was carrying.

"Who are you?" Buffy called. Dawn had found her one entire outfit, but little else that would fit four year old Buffy.

"Hello... Buffy. I'm Giles." He said, smiling at the little girl, who was sat watching re-runs of cartoons she liked. She nodded, accepting the man, who followed Willow into the kitchen.

"How long has she been like this?" He asked.

"Dawn went into her room this morning and found her. She was fine last night, I saw her just before she went to bed."

"This is most curious."

"The thing is Giles, yesterday Buffy was talking about how she wanted to be a child again."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Most interesting. We'll have a lot of research to do." The doorbell rang.

"And that's the research party." Willow said, going to let Xander, Anya and Tara into the house.

"Hey Buff!" Xander said, as if Buffy had always been four. He sat with her, and within seconds, had the little girl cackling with laughter.

But time began to pass, the sun set, and the Scooby Gang found itself running up against brick walls. They couldn't find a single thing that could possibly do this.

"Giles!" Willow said. "What if someone's done this to make it easier to... Kill her?"

"It's certainly a possibility. Or perhaps not to kill her, but to keep her out of action while they do... Whatever it is they want to do."

"She's in danger?" Xander whispered so the girl didn't hear.

"I should say so." Giles said.

"What are we going to do?" Willow said, her brow furrowing in thought.

"I don't think she should stay in Sunnydale. Too many people know where she lives, where she can be found."

"Where can she go?" Anya asked.

"Los Angeles." Willow said firmly. From the looks of the assembled party, she continued.

"Come on! What choice do we have? Nobody round here really knows Angel, or where he can be found now. And he can protect her. Not only that, but he will protect her."

"Fine." Giles nodded a little reluctantly. Xander agreed with a great deal more reluctance.

"Xander, she's four years old. She's not going to be all over Angel." Willow pointed out.

"You call Angel then. I have to arrange for transportation." Giles said.

"What?"

Spike's car screeched to a halt outside the Summers house, narrowly missing the mailbox. He got out smirking.

"So, you Scoobies need my help?" He said. They were standing on the porch waiting.

"Hi Spike." Dawn called. Spike winked at her.

"Hey nibblet." He approached. Just then, a little blonde girl came tearing out of the house, laughing manically.

"Buffy?" Spike asked, a mixture of humour and curiosity in his voice.

"Buffy," Giles called. She paid no attention. "Buffy!" He called sternly. She still ignored him, but continued to run around.

"Xander, I told you not to give her Coke to drink." He glared at the boy.

"Sorry. She only had a little sip of mine." He said.

"Spike, we need you to take Buffy to Angel in LA."

"What?"

"We don't know what caused Buffy to become her four year old self, and until we find out who did it, why they did it and how we can reverse it, she's not safe." Giles said solemnly. Spike nodded, knowing now was not the time to ask for financial terms.

"Sure. Buffy," He called in his curious cockney accent. She turned to him immediately.

"Are you Spike?" She asked. He nodded, smirking.

"And how do you know that?" He asked, kneeling to her level.

"Xander told me all about you. How you have silly hair. And you do." She reached up and ruffled his peroxide blonde hair. Spike looked annoyed, but looked into the laughing girl's face and had to laugh himself.

"Is this OK, Spike?" Willow asked. "We wouldn't have asked, but... We really don't know what to do."

"Don't worry, Red. I'll look after her on the way to LA." Spike said, his face honest and serious for once. "Regardless of what you think I am, I wouldn't let anyone hurt Baby Slayer now, would I?" Spike stood up and took Buffy's hand.

"Wanna come on a road-trip, little Buff?" The girl giggled.

"You have a funny voice too."

"No Buff, it's not funny, it's cool." Spike corrected.

"Cool?"

"That's right." He said, opening the back door of his car for her. He got into the driver's seat and leaned round to fasten her seatbelt.

"You have a funny car."

"Yes, I do." Spike smiled. If she was going to be like this all the way to Los Angeles, he wasn't sure he could stand it. At least she couldn't hit him very hard now.

"Ow!" Spike cried out. "Buffy, how many times have I told you? Don't hit Spike when he's driving, OK?"

"Spikey! I wanna go to the bathroom!" She yelled in his ear. He growled at her, but instead of being scared, she merely giggled.

"Spikey growled at me!" She shouted. "Buffy want to go to the bathroom!" Spike growled again, but exited the freeway and found a Burger King.

"Come on Buff, let's go." He held her hand securely as he took her inside. He took her as far as the door to the female restroom.

"OK then Buff." He said. She didn't move. "You need help?" He asked, praying that the answer would be no. Instead, Buffy nodded.

"Mommy says I got to learn buttons, but I can't do it." She pouted, annoyed at herself. So Spike took her inside and undid the buttons on her dress.

"OK?" Buffy nodded and thankfully went into the stall on her own. A short time later she emerged, but found herself too short to reach the sink. Spike turned on the tap and lifted her up so she could wash her hands. Then, he redid the buttons on her dress, and led her outside.

"Can I have something to eat, Spikey?"

"What do you want?"

"The thing with the toy!" She said, her face lighting up. "I want a toy!"

"Fine." Spike turned to the young man at the counter and placed an order. He hated handing over money, but was becoming strangely fond of the little girl.

Spike finally pulled up outside the Hyperion Hotel two and a half hours after leaving Buffy's house, thanks to numerous toilet stops. When he opened the door for Buffy, several empty food and drink cartons fell out.

"Is this it?" Buffy asked. She bent her neck back to see to the top of the building.

"It's awful big." She said.

"I know. Bit much if you ask me. What do you say we go inside, Buff?" Spike suggested, knowing that Angel and his crew would be waiting. She looked a little apprehensive.

"I don't know." She said. "I want to go home." She looked like she might cry, a little intimidated by the rather large building looming over her. Spike knelt down to look her directly in the eye.

"Buffy?" He asked gently. "Do you like me?" She nodded. "Do you trust me?" She nodded again.

"Good. I promise you that inside is someone who can look after you."

"Mommy?" She perked up. Spike's heart fell. No, it wouldn't ever be her mother again.

"No, not mummy."

"Who?"

"Someone who cares about you lots and lots." He told her. "OK? Why don't we just go inside." He looked at her scared face. "If you still don't like it, I'll see what I can do. Maybe you can come home with me." He hoped she'd stay with Angel. He opened the door and led her inside.

"Angel?" He called out into the empty lobby. From Angel's office a woman emerged.

"Cordelia."

"Spike." She nodded, almost cordial. Buffy looked up and saw one of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen in her short life.

"Hello Buffy." Cordelia said. Willow had explained on the phone that Buffy was now her four year old self, and Cordelia had very little problem accepting that. Damn, she'd spent too long living a weird life.

"Hello," Buffy said shyly, still holding Spike's hand tightly.

"I'm Cordelia." Cordelia smiled gently at her. A moment later, two men emerged from the office. They were huge! Buffy was a little frightened.

"This is Wesley and Gunn." Cordelia told her. They both smiled and waved at her. The one with dark skin winked at her, and if she hadn't been so scared, she would have laughed. Then, another man came out of the room. He was tall and commanding. Buffy's heart began to beat wildly and she gripped Spike's hand even tighter. He squeezed it back and she looked up. He smiled and winked at her.

"Hello Buffy." The man said. He had a deep voice, not entirely unfamiliar to her. But he was so much bigger than her, he towered over her. Not even her daddy was as big as this man.

"H... Hello." She managed. He smiled. Suddenly she felt less scared. This man had a nice smile.

"Did Spike take care of you on the way here?" The man asked. Buffy merely nodded shyly. He smiled again.

"Thank you Spike." Angel said. Spike nodded, kneeling down to speak to Buffy.

"I have to go home now, OK?" He told her gently. Her eyes filled with fear. "Don't worry Buffy, Angel's going to look after you. Aren't you, Angel?" Angel nodded.

"I don't want to stay here. Can I go home with you?"

"Don't you want to stay here with Angel and Cordelia?" Spike asked. Buffy shook her head.

"No. I want to go with you."

"Why?"

"Because you're funny." Spike smiled.

"Angel can be funny." He smirked at Angel. "It's just not always intentional. Tell you what, I'll come and see you soon, OK?" Buffy nodded. Spike stood up and nodded to Angel.

"That's OK, right?"

"Sure Spike." Angel nodded. Then he knelt down to speak to Little Buffy.

His heart flipped a little. She did look terrified. At least it wasn't twenty year old Buffy in four year old Buffy's body. That would be weird. And he knew Buffy wouldn't be pleased.

"Are you tired, Buffy?" He asked. She certainly looked it. She yawned and nodded.

"Well, why don't we take you to your room?"

"OK."

"Bye Buffy." Spike said as Angel began to lead her away.

"Spikey! I don't want Spikey to go!" She said loudly. Angel glared at Spike, who was trying valiantly not to smirk triumphantly. She might be only four right now, but she'd just picked him instead of Angel.

"Buff, you need to stay here. Remember what I told you? Angel's going to look after you much better than I could." That was true, Spike realised. Buffy broke away from Angel to run and attach herself to Spike.

"You'll come back soon? Promise?" She looked up at him with her big Buffy eyes.

"Yeah, I promise." He smiled. "But only if you're a good girl and go with Angel now." Buffy nodded.

"OK." She relaxed her grip on Spike. On impulse, Spike hugged the little girl tightly.

"You'll be OK, I promise." He whispered to her, before releasing her and leaving swiftly, before the girl had a chance to object again.

Buffy looked around at her surroundings. Perhaps it wasn't so bad. She realised that the room was awfully pretty, with big red sofas. She yawned.

"Why don't we take you up to bed, Buffy?" Angel said, realising how ridiculous that sounded. Where there many things in the world he'd rather do than take Buffy to her bed? When she was grown up, of course. Now she was just a tired little girl that Angel needed to protect.

"Is it very far away?"

"No, Buffy, it isn't." Angel smiled sweetly at her. Buffy took the hand he offered and allowed the big, slightly intimidating man with the nice smile take her up the stairs.

"If Angel doesn't end up in therapy after this, I know I will." Cordelia said to Wes and Gunn as soon as Angel and Buffy were out of sight.

"Will you tell me a story?" Buffy asked. She had changed into the pair of pyjamas Dawn had found in the attic. Angel reminded himself that he needed to get the little girl some clothes tomorrow.

"What kind of story?"

"A bedtime story. A fairy story." She said.

"Oh, I'm not sure I know any fairy stories." Angel said. Buffy looked horrified.

"You must know fairy stories! Everybody knows fairy stories!"

"What kind of stories?"

"Cinderelly! And, and..." Buffy tried to remember some. "Snow White and the dwarf... And..."

"I know a story about a princess." Angel offered.

"Yeah! Tell me a story all about a princess."

"All right then. Are you comfortable?" He asked her. She nodded.

"OK. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess."

"This is a good story." She commented.

"This princess was the most beautiful girl in all the land. She had long blonde hair and pretty hazel eyes."

"What was her name?" Buffy interrupted again.

"Her name? She was called Princess Buffy."

"That's my name! I'm Buffy!"

"I know." Angel smiled at her. "And Princess Buffy lived in a big castle."

"With her mommy?" Buffy asked. Angel nodded.

"With her mommy. And then one day, a prince came along, asking for her hand in marriage."

"He only wanted to marry her hand?" Buffy asked. "That doesn't sound right."

"No, Buffy," Angel laughed. "He wanted to marry all of her, but he had to ask first."

"Oh."

"But the Princess said no."

"Why?"

"Well, because she thought that the prince only wanted to marry her because she was a princess."

"Oh."

"And the princess was in love with someone else."

"Really? Who?"

"Well, there was another prince, much more handsome than the other prince, and she was in love with him."

"What did he look like?"

"He had dark hair and..." Angel faltered. How should he know what fairytale princes looked like?

"Big brown eyes?" Buffy asked.

"And big brown eyes." Angel agreed.

"Was he tall?"

"Yes, he was tall."

"And could he ride horses?"

"Yes, he could ride horses."

"Was he in love with the princess?"

"He was more in love with the princess than anyone else in the whole world."

"The whole, wide world?" Buffy's eyes widened.

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"Well, the other prince challenged the handsome prince to a duel."

"A duel?"

"A sword fight."

"Oh. Did the handsome prince win?"

"Well, the other prince was very good at sword fighting." Angel paused dramatically.

"But not as good as the handsome prince." He said. Buffy heaved a sigh of relief.

"That's good." She said.

"And do you know what?"

"What?"

"The prince and the princess lived happily ever after." He told her. Buffy beamed.

"That's a good story." She said, sliding down and settling her head down onto the pillow.

"Go to sleep now." He said softly. "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight Angel." She said, feeling safer than she had since Spike left her here. He wasn't scary after all. He switched the light off, but didn't leave the room until he was sure that she was sleeping. When he was sure, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead and then went downstairs.

"Angel?" Cordelia asked sleepily from her position on the sofa.

"Cordelia, why are you still here? Why didn't you go home?" He asked.

"I wondered if you needed me to get anything for Baby Buffy." She said, businesslike. Angel smiled slightly.

"You think she's cute." He said. Cordelia glared. "You do! You think she's the sweetest little girl you've ever met."

"I do not! She's still Buffy." Cordelia said. Angel waited for a moment. "Fine! I think she's adorable. Especially when she didn't want Spike to leave." She finished. Angel's smile left his face.

"He probably fed her junk food and sugary drinks." Angel said.

"Probably. But she didn't seem to mind." Cordelia said. "Spike seemed positively brother-like."

"He did, didn't he. Wonder what that was about?" Angel mused.

"She needs clothes. Willow said that they only had that dress and her pyjamas left. And you know, who would keep their clothes from when they were little?"

"I bet you did." Angel said. Cordelia's cheeks flushed red slightly.

"Only my very special dresses." She said haughtily. Angel waited again, looking directly into her eyes.

"Fine! I made my mother keep my Snoopy t-shirt even after I outgrew it. What's with the third degree?" Angel laughed at her. Then Cordelia did something one might imagine to be un-Cordelia. She laughed too.

"We'll go and get her clothes tomorrow morning." Angel told her.

"You? In daylight? That's not a great idea." Cordelia pointed out.

"I was thinking that we'd go to some indoor shops." Angel told her. "If we use underground parking garages and I avoid direct sunlight, it should be OK."

"Are you sure? I don't want you turning into extra-crispy Angel."

"Neither do I. I checked the weather reports for tomorrow anyway. Very overcast all day."

"That helps too." Cordelia said. She got up and took her bag. "Will you be OK with her for tonight?" Angel nodded.

"Call if you need anything." Cordelia said.

"Sure."

"I'll bring some breakfast stuff for her. You don't have anything she'd want to eat. Unless Giles forgot to mention that Little Buffy is a vampire."

"I hope she isn't." Angel said.

"Me too. Night Angel."

"Night Cordy." He watched her leave and borrow his car to get home. Then, he turned, went up the stairs to bed. He suspected tomorrow was going to be a rather long day.

"Angel! Angel!" A voice called loudly, penetrating the thick fog of sleep that had descended over him. He opened his eyes to find a small child bouncing on the end of his bed. Now he really wished he'd had enough energy last night to put on his pyjamas.

"Buffy? What are you doing up already?"

"It's time to go! Cordelia came and woke me up. She helped me with my buttons." Buffy said.

"Did she tell you to wake me up?" He asked. Buffy nodded eagerly. He was going to kill Cordelia.

"Why don't you go downstairs and tell her I'm awake and I'll be down in a minute?"

"Kay!" Buffy jumped down off his bed and ran out of the room. He fell back down onto his bed. After a moment, he found the energy to get up, shower and get dressed. Then, he made his way downstairs, to find Cordelia and Buffy both eating bowls of cereal.

"Morning Angel," Cordelia smiled innocently. He merely glared.

"Morning Angel!" Buffy echoed. He smiled at her.

"Good morning Buffy."

"You took more than a minute." She said. Angel sat down.

"I'm sorry. It took me longer than I thought."

"Did you have buttons?" She asked. Angel looked at her quizzically. Cordelia filled him in.

"Buffy can't do buttons yet. But she's getting better at it." She said.

"No, I didn't have trouble with my buttons." Angel said. "I had to wait for hot water in the shower." Now it was Cordelia's turn to look sheepish.

"Sorry. Mine's broken."

"Cordy says we're going to the shops today." Buffy told Angel.

"That's right."

"Are we going to the toy shop?"

"Maybe if Buffy's a good girl." Cordelia told her. She smiled up at Cordelia sweetly, who returned the smile.

"What's the weather like?" He asked Cordelia.

"Overcast all day. Rain intermittently. No sun at all. Lucky you." She took her empty bowl and Buffy's nearly empty bowl and put them aside.

"Wes and Gunn will be here later. They'll deal with the..." She looked at Buffy, who was engrossed in playing with Angel's car keys. "The client from yesterday."

Angel nodded, understanding.

"Time to go, Buffy." Angel told her. She slid off her chair and took Cordelia's hand.

The mall was crowded with shoppers trying to avoid the abysmal weather outside. As he always did, Angel felt uncomfortable around large numbers of people. Their first stop was a children's clothing store.

"Hi! How may I help you this morning?" An overly perky sales assistant appeared in front of Angel.

"Uh, yes..." He seemed a little lost.

"We need clothes. Lots of clothes." Cordelia chimed in. "For her." The assistant, whose nametag said CHARLENE, looked at Buffy.

"Oh! Isn't she beautiful! How old is she?"

"Four." Angel said, somewhat put off by Charlene.

"You must be so proud of her." She said.

"Oh, we're not her parents." Cordelia said quickly.

"You're not?" Charlene's interest was piqued.

"She's my niece." Angel improvised. "She had to come stay with us at the last minute and didn't bring any clothes. We need clothes." He said in a firm but polite voice. Charlene nodded and disappeared for a moment. Angel sat down in a chair next to a rack of party dresses.

"Angel tired?" Buffy asked. He nodded. She went over and settled herself into his lap. A strange feeling came over Angel, one he had never really felt before. Contentment. This was right, in some strange way. But before he had time to contemplate that thought more, Charlene returned with another assistant and several racks of clothing.

"Might I ask about..."

"Money?" Angel asked, a little shortly. "Not a problem. She needs clothes." How many times did he have to say it? He noticed Charlene's eyes light up at the 'Not a problem' as she mentally calculated her commission.

"Well, we've got lots of things here that are as pretty as her," She said.

"I doubt that." Angel said. Buffy looked up at him.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" She asked.

"No. I think you're beautiful." Angel smiled down at her. She gave him a beautiful smile in return and put her little arms around his neck.

"Aren't you two just the cutest?" Cordelia said from her position scrutinising the clothes with her expert eye.

"Buffy, you need to come and try some of these on." Cordelia told her. Reluctantly, Buffy peeled herself off Angel and went over to her.

"Cordy?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want anything with buttons." Cordelia laughed.

"OK."

An hour and a half later, the three emerged from the store, Cordelia and Buffy holding hands, swinging their arms and laughing loudly. Behind them Angel walked, laden with bags, slightly concerned that the sun might come out at any time. Fortunately the mall was almost devoid of natural light. They walked along, talking, joking, laughing. Then, Angel looked ahead and groaned inwardly. The next shop was JAKE'S PET STORE. What chance was there of Buffy not finding at least one animal too cute to pass up?

"Look! Look!" Buffy bounced up and down, pointing at the pets in the window. "Puppy!" She said. Angel groaned again. It had to be a puppy. Of course. He was momentarily reminded of the time he nailed a puppy to....

"Angel!" Cordelia said sharply. He turned to look at her.

"What?"

"There is no way on this earth that we're getting Buffy a puppy." She said. "I am not cleaning up after a little dog." She insisted.

"Come on Buffy," Angel said, taking her hand and trying to pull her away from the window.

"No!" She yelled stubbornly, not moving. "Puppy!"

"Buffy," Angel said in a low, warning voice. She stood her ground. He moved to look right into her face.

"How about we think about it before we get a puppy? They take so much work."

"I can do it." She said. Angel almost laughed at the vision of four year old Buffy looking after a puppy.

"We'll think about it." Angel said. It was only partly a lie. He had thought about it, briefly. The answer, of course, was still no.

Fortunately, Buffy's attention was suddenly stolen from the puppy in the window by a loud little boy, screaming at the top of his lungs. She looked in interest at the boy, who was in the full throes of a tantrum. Smiling slyly, she opened her mouth. But before she could make a sound.

"Don't even think about it young lady." Cordelia told her. She shut her mouth. Then, she noticed another shop. MR. P.F. GORDON'S TOYS, the shop front declared.

"Toys!" She bounced up and down again, pulling suddenly on Angel's arm. He lurched forward, following Buffy into the crowded, noisy shop.

"Look!" Buffy said, suitably awed by the huge shop. It had three stories and was decorated like an old fashioned toy shop.

"Barbie!" She declared, pulling Angel in the direction of the pink section.

"Isn't she a little young for these?" Angel asked Cordelia, when confronted by the shelves and shelves of blonde dentists, pilots, hairdressers, rock stars and beach babes.

"Well, the box says not for children under 3. Maybe you could get her one."

"Cordelia, why am I buying so much stuff? She's going..." He lowered his voice. "She's going to be twenty years old again soon."

"Yeah, but we don't know when. Giles did say it could be weeks. Unless of course, you want to entertain a four year old all by yourself."

"Fine." Angel said, a little annoyed. Buffy was trying valiantly to reach a particular Barbie. She had it by the bottom corner, and if she pulled it anymore she'd bring an entire shelf of Christmas Greetings Barbie tumbling down onto herself. Angel moved to stop her.

"Don't do that Buffy, you'll hurt yourself. Which one do you want?" She pointed, and he pulled down a Princess Barbie.

"This one?" She nodded eagerly.

"She needs clothes too, right Buff?" Cordelia said, pulling several packages of Barbie clothes down from the shelf and into the cart she was pushing.

"And a prince." Buffy said, pointing to the Prince Ken. Angel got it down for her.

"Is that all?"

"Well, I had an idea." Cordelia said.

They were standing in the middle of the largest collection of stuffed toys Angel had ever seen in his life. They were here for a puppy. Cordelia had told Buffy that this kind were even better than the real thing. Buffy had believed her and was now in the middle of choosing her perfect stuffed animal.

"This one!" She said holding up a pink pig.

"That's not a puppy, Buffy. That's a piglet." Cordelia pointed out.

"I want this one." Buffy said, bottom lip quivering. Angel stepped in.

"You want this pig?" He asked. She nodded. He smiled.

"What are you going to call him?" He asked her. She brightened immeasurably.

"I don't know!" She said.

"Why don't we put him in the cart while you think?" Cordelia asked. Buffy shook her head, not willing to let go of her new friend. Angel looked down at her. How strange that she should pick an almost exact replica of her beloved Mr. Gordo. They continued through the shop directly to the checkout, where Angel ended handing over more money than he wanted to.

"Shall we go home now?" Angel suggested. Buffy nodded tiredly.

"Look, Angel!" Cordelia said suddenly. The mall cinema was showing Disney's Cinderella that very afternoon. Now it seemed that Cordelia was the child, bouncing up and down.

"Come on Angel, we should take Buffy! Come on, it'll be fun." She said. Angel nodded. He didn't need any extra persuasion for the good clean fun of Cinderella and her mouse friends.

They emerged from the movie theatre some time later, all three of them cheered considerably. Buffy was singing Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo rather loudly (and badly) and several people turned to frown, but on seeing the happy little girl smiled instead. Angel secured Buffy in the back of his car, waited for Cordelia to get in and then drove them all back to the hotel.

"Did you have a nice day, Buffy?" Cordelia asked. The little girl nodded earnestly.

"Yes!" She told her, still clutching her stuffed pig. Indeed, Buffy hadn't let go of it since she was given it. Even at the toy store she had held onto it firmly, not letting Angel take it from her long enough to give it to the woman at the checkout.

"Do you have a name for him yet?" Cordelia sat down with Buffy while Angel brought in all the bags of shopping.

"Mr Gordo." Buffy said. Angel stopped.

"Why did you call him that?"

"That was the name of the toy place." Buffy said. "Is it a good name?" She asked anxiously.

"Yes, it's a good name." Angel told her. "How about we take you upstairs to bed?"

"No, I don't wanna go to sleep." Stubborn Little Buffy was back.

"Maybe you want to take a bath?" Cordelia suggested. Buffy shook her head emphatically.

"No! Don't wanna bath." She said. She was getting crankier by the minute, a clear sign that she was tired.

"Bath or bed?" Angel said. "One or the other."

"Bed." Buffy said reluctantly.

"OK." Angel picked her right up off the floor, and she giggled as he tucked her under his arm like a parcel. He took her upstairs and helped her get ready for bed. For each second that passed, he hoped that when Buffy was back to normal, she didn't remember any of this. If she did, she'd probably die of embarrassment. Finally, she was ready.

"OK?" Angel asked, handing her Mr. Gordo. She nodded, yawning sleepily.

"Story?" She asked. He began telling her a story remarkably similar to the story the night before, but she was so tired she was asleep before he got to the part about the handsome prince.

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