DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. There is some subtext in this story. If this kind of stuff is not legal where you live, if you're under 18 or if you don't like the notion of two women being in love, then you should find something else to read. This story is the sequel to Growing Up.

Strange New World
By Kristjan Brezovnik

The next morning, Buffy and Faith woke up early as usual. They dressed up and then went downstairs, hand in hand.

"Morning, Mom," Faith said when they entered the kitchen.

"Morning, Mom," Buffy said.

"Morning, girls," Joyce said with a smile. "You're early."

"We are?"

"Well, Dawn certainly sleeps longer."

"Oh."

"Hungry?"

Buffy nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"What would you… Oh. Take a seat and I'll make something."

"Okay."

The girls sat down and Joyce started preparing breakfast.

"Today, we're going to take care of the paperwork," she told them.

"Paperwork?" Faith asked.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'll explain everything later. And when we're done with that, we'll go shopping."

"Shopping?"

"Yes, for your clothes. And Dawn needs stuff for school."

The girls' eyes lit up.

"School?" Buffy said. "Mommy told us about school. She said people learn stuff there."

Joyce smiled.

"Yes."

"Dawn goes to school?" Faith asked.

"Yes."

"Can we go too?"

Joyce frowned, thinking.

"I don't know. Not the regular school, anyway. I'll have to see about special programs. And in the meantime, you can look at Dawn's old school books."

"Okay."

After breakfast, they went to the living room and Joyce turned on the TV.

"What's that?" Faith asked, wide-eyed.

"It's a TV. A television."

"What's it for?"

Joyce thought for a moment.

"Entertainment. And news." She switched to MTV. "There are many channels."

"What's that?" Buffy asked when she heard music.

Joyce smiled.

"That's music."

"Wow. It's nice."

"Here, this is the remote control," she said and gave it to Faith, who was closer. "With these two buttons you control the volume, loudness. And with these two you can move from channel to channel. Or, if you know the number, you can simply type in the number with these ten. You do know numbers, right?"

Faith nodded.

"Uh-huh. Can I change the channel?"

"Sure. And turn down the volume. The lower button."

Faith turned down the volume a bit and then changed the channel.

"Wow," Buffy said. "How many channels are there?"

Joyce smiled.

"A lot."

Faith changed the channel again and frowned.

"What's this?" she asked when she saw a cartoon.

"It's a cartoon."

"What's that?"

"They're drawn characters. Unlike in a movie where there are live characters."

"What's a movie?" Buffy asked.

Joyce smiled again.

"You'll see. You'll know by the fact that people won't look into the camera."

"Oh."

"Have fun."

Joyce left and the girls sat on the sofa to watch TV.

"Switch back to music," Buffy said.

"Can't we watch cartoons?" Faith said.

"Okay. But I wanna watch music too."

"Okay."

After Dawn got up and had breakfast, they all went to take care of the paperwork. It took them several hours and they were all a bit tired after they were done, but Joyce decided to take them shopping anyway.

They were in the middle of clothes shopping for Buffy and Faith when Willow and her friends came by.

"Hi, Dawn. Hi, Mrs Summers," Willow said.

"Hello, Willow," Joyce said.

"Hi," Dawn said, staring at Xander, who was ogling Buffy and Faith.

"Shopping?" Willow asked.

"Yes, for Buffy and Faith," Joyce said. "They're my daughters."

"I didn't know you had three daughters," Willow said, surprised.

Joyce smiled.

"Me neither. I just found out a couple of days ago and they arrived yesterday. They've been living on an island for twelve years."

"Oh."

"They're lesbians," Dawn added.

"Oh," Willow said, startled, and blushed.

Joyce shook her head.

"Buffy, Faith, these are Willow, Xander, Oz and Cordelia," she introduced them. "Willow sometimes watches Dawn when I'm not home."

"Oh."

"You picked those clothes?" Cordelia asked, eyeing the clothes.

"Yes," Joyce said.

Cordelia shook her head.

"They so don't match. And that is so last year."

Joyce smiled, amused.

"Then why don't you advise them," she suggested. "If you have the time."

Cordelia's eyes lit up.

"I do."

"Eh…" Xander started.

"Shut up," Cordelia whispered, not wanting to pass up the opportunity.

"Okay," Joyce said. "Just make sure not to go past five hundred dollars. I'll come back later to pay."

Cordelia's face turned into one big smile.

"Okay."

Joyce looked at Buffy and Faith.

"Girls, Cordelia will help you pick your clothes. Dawn and me will go get stuff for her and then we'll come back. Will you be alright?"

The girls nodded.

"Yes," Buffy said.

"Okay." Joyce looked at Dawn. "Come, honey, let's get your stuff now."

Dawn made a face and followed Joyce away.

"Come, girls," Cordelia said.

"What about us?" Xander asked.

"Go do some… manly stuff," Cordelia suggested.

"Manly stuff?"

"Yes. You know, play some video games or something," Cordelia said and guided Buffy, Faith and Willow away.

"So, you lived on an island?" Willow said as they followed Cordelia.

"Uh-huh," Faith said.

"All alone?"

"No. We lived with Mommy, but she died six years ago."

"Mommy?" Willow said, startled. "I thought Mrs Summers was your mother."

"Oh. Eh, my… mother. Mrs Summers is Buffy's mother."

"Oh. So you're not sisters."

Faith frowned and looked at Buffy, who was equally started.

"Eh, I don't know."

"We were raised by Mommy and now Mom is taking care of us," Buffy said.

"Oh," Willow said. "So you are sisters, in a way."

"Okay."

"They're girlfriends," Cordelia said, glancing at them.

"What?" Willow said, startled.

"Girlfriends," Cordelia said. "Do I have to spell it out?"

"You mean… You mean, as in… as in…"

"Lesbians, yes. Dawn mentioned it?"

"Oh," Willow said, blushing.

"Let's do the underwear first," Cordelia decided. "What size is your bra?"

"What's a bra?" Faith asked.

Cordelia looked at her, startled. Then she looked at the breasts.

"Never mind," she decided, "you don't really need it."

"So, em, how do you like Sunnydale?" Willow asked, having recovered from finding out that Buffy and Faith were a couple.

"It's… different," Buffy said. "There are so many new things here."

"And Mom said that perhaps we can go to school," Faith said, excited.

Willow smiled at her.

"You like school?"

Faith shrugged.

"I don't know, I've never been to one. But Mommy taught us a lot and we'd like to learn more."

"Oh. I can help you, if you want," Willow offered.

"Really?" Buffy said, excited.

"Sure. I can come over and we can find out what you know and what you need to learn."

Buffy smiled.

"Okay."

Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"Nerds."

"What's that?" Faith asked.

"Someone who likes to learn," Willow said.

"Oh."

"Ooh! We're going to the Bronze tonight. You can come along."

"What's the Bronze?" Buffy asked.

"A club."

"What's that?"

Willow frowned, thinking.

"It's a place where people gather to have fun."

"Oh. We'll ask Mom."

"Are we going to shop or talk?" Cordelia asked, annoyed.

"So, did you get everything?" Joyce asked when she and Dawn returned.

"Boy, did we get everything," Willow said quietly.

"Yes, Mrs Summers," Cordelia said.

"You like the clothes?" Joyce asked Buffy and Faith.

The girls nodded.

"Uh-huh," Buffy said. "They're very pretty."

Joyce smiled.

"Good."

"Wow," Dawn said enviously when she saw the clothes. "You never buy me that many clothes."

Joyce looked at her.

"You got more clothes than they do together, honey," she said and Dawn pouted. "Okay, go pick something," she then said and Dawn's eyes lit up. "Not too expensive!" Joyce called after Dawn when she ran off. Then she looked at Buffy and Faith. "Why don't you wait here and I'll go pay for this."

"Okay," Faith said and Joyce left with the clothes.

"Are you sure we need that many clothes?" Buffy asked Cordelia.

"Trust me, you'll never have enough clothes," Cordelia said.

Buffy frowned.

"We did fine with just two dresses. We had one for everyday work and one for special occasions."

"You wore the same dress for, like, all your lives?" Cordelia asked, shocked.

"Yes."

"It's not like they needed more," Willow said, smiling.

Then Dawn came running back with a shirt.

"She's fast," Willow said.

"Nice choice," Cordelia approved. "She has style."

They waited to Joyce to pay for the clothes.

"Well, you sure emptied the budget," Joyce said when all the clothes were paid for.

"That's what budgets are for," Cordelia said, and Joyce smiled.

"Yes." She looked at Buffy and Faith. "Want to go for ice cream?"

"What's that?" Faith asked.

"You'll see. Come. You too," she told Willow and Cordelia.

They went to a café and Xander and Oz joined them, having noticed that they were done with shopping. They ordered and Joyce ordered for Buffy and Faith.

"Mmm, this is delicious," Buffy said, excited, when she tasted the ice cream.

"This tastes just like cocoa nut," Faith said, her eyes wide.

"Which one?"

"The white one. No, the darker one."

Buffy tasted and her eyes went wide.

"Yes," she agreed.

"That's because it is cocoa nut," Joyce said, smiling.

"Really?"

Joyce nodded.

"Yes. The brown one is chocolate, the pink one is strawberry and the white one is lemon."

"I like strawberry," Buffy said.

"Me too," Faith agreed. "And chocolate."

Buffy tasted it.

"Mhm, it's good."

"Then you'll be pleased to know that there are many more tastes," Joyce said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yes. You can try others some other time."

"Okay."

When they got home, Joyce helped Buffy and Faith put their new clothes away, and Dawn put her school stuff away.

"Oh, girls, I bought you this," Joyce said as she reached into the last bag. "A new diary."

Buffy's and Faith's eyes went wide.

"Really?" Buffy said.

"Yes. It would be much easier to write in here than in the old one."

"Thank you," Faith said as she and Buffy took a closer look.

"Thank you," Buffy said.

"I also brought you some pencils and pens to write with."

"Wow!" Faith said.

Joyce smiled.

"Have fun," she said and left.

"Let's tell Mommy and Daddy about our day," Buffy said when she was gone.

"Yes," Faith agreed.

Outside, Joyce stopped and listened, curious.

Faith took the pictures of her mother and of Mr Summers and put them on the floor. Then they sat down.

"Hi, Mommy," Faith said.

"Hi, Mommy. Hi, Daddy," Buffy said. "You're not going to believe what we did today. We watched TV and we listened to music and we watched cartoons. And then Mom took us to take care of…" She looked at Faith. "What's the word?"

"Bureaucracy?"

"Yes." Buffy looked back at the photo. "And then we went shopping. We met some friends of Dawn and they showed us what was, eh, fashionable."

"And we ate ice cream," Faith said.

"Yes. There are so many different tastes. One tastes just like cocoa nut. And Mom said we can try other tastes too."

"And Mom said we might go to school. Willow, that's one of Dawn's friends, she said she'll help us."

"And Dawn's nice too."

"Yes, and Mom too."

"There are so many strange and wonderful things here." She paused for a moment. "We still miss you."

"Yes," Faith agreed. She looked at Buffy. "Let's write into our diary."

Buffy smiled.

"The new one?"

Faith nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay."

"What are they doing?" Dawn asked when she came out of her room and saw Joyce stand by her sisters' room, eavesdropping.

Joyce looked at her with a smile.

"Talking to Mrs Spencer."

Dawn frowned.

"But she's dead."

"I know, but to them she's still around."

Dawn quietly listened for a few moments.

"They're weird," she then said.

Joyce smiled again.

"Not weird… innocent."

Dawn frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything is new to them. They've been surrounded by caring people most of their lives and they forgot what it means to be… evil."

"Oh."

"They're not familiar with violence and they probably forgot most of what had happened on the ship."

"I guess."

"Come, let's go," Joyce said when she heard that Buffy and Faith wanted to write in their new diary.

"This sucks," Dawn grumbled as they walked away.

"What?" Joyce asked.

"They get everything."

Joyce smiled.

"You already have all those things, honey."

Dawn made a face.

"I know, it's just… I wanna be the baby."

Joyce chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"You are the baby, honey, you always will be, but right now Buffy and Faith need our help, our guidance." She smiled. "You get to play the big sister sometimes."

Dawn looked at her, thinking.

"I do?"

"Yes. You know things that they still need to learn and you can teach them."

Dawn thought about it and then smiled.

"Okay."

Joyce smiled.

"So, you put everything away?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"I'm gonna watch TV now."

"Okay."

Dawn went downstairs.

Joyce stopped at the top of the stairs, thinking, and then went to her bedroom.

"Girls?" she said when she came to Buffy's and Faith's room ten minutes later, and knocked.

"Yes?" Faith called.

Joyce opened the door and peeked inside.

"Can I come in?"

Faith nodded.

"Uh-huh."

Joyce smiled and entered.

"Look what I found," she said and went to the table. "These are the pictures of Buffy when she was little and of her daddy," she said as she put the photo album on the table. "And Dawn's." She looked at Faith. "I'll see if I can get the pictures of your mommy and daddy."

Faith smiled.

"Okay," she said and looked at the pictures. "Is that Buffy?"

Joyce looked and smiled.

"Yes, when she was still a baby."

"She's so cute," Faith gushed, and Buffy blushed.

"Daddy," Buffy said when she saw a photo of her father.

"Yes," Joyce said and sighed. "Why don't you take a look at it."

"Okay," Faith said as she and Buffy stared at the pictures.

Joyce stared at them for a few moments and then left.

In the afternoon, they got a visitor.

"Rupert!" Joyce said with a smile.

"Hello, Joyce," Rupert Giles said and they kissed. "They're home?"

"Oh yes. Come." They went to the living room, where the girls were watching TV. "Girls?" The girls looked at her. "This is Rupert Giles, my fiancé."

"Hello," Giles said.

"What's a fiancé?" Buffy asked.

"When he and Mom marry, he'll become, like, our dad," Dawn explained.

"Oh."

"Yes," Joyce confirmed.

Buffy and Faith looked at one another and smiled.

"I like the idea, we'll have a… a dad."

"Yes," Faith said, liking the idea as well.

Joyce smiled.

"Rupert, those are Buffy and Faith. Buffy is the blonde and Faith is the brunette."

"Hello," Giles said again.

"Hi," Buffy said.

"Hi," Faith said.

"When are you getting married?"

Joyce blushed and glanced at Giles, who blushed a bit as well.

"Eh, we haven't set the date yet."

"Were you and Daddy married?" Buffy asked Joyce.

"Yes," Joyce said.

"What about my mommy and daddy?" Faith asked.

"Yes, I believe they were."

"Can we get married too?" Faith asked, and Buffy looked at her with a big smile.

Joyce blushed again.

"Eh, I'm afraid not."

The girls' faces fell.

"Why not?" Buffy asked.

"Well, you're both girls."

Buffy frowned.

"So?"

"Well, marriage between people of the same sex is not allowed. Yet."

"Why not?"

Joyce shrugged.

"I don't know, honey."

"But they could, em, have an unofficial ceremony," Giles suggested. "They're allowed."

They girls' eyes went wide.

"Really?" Faith said, excited.

"Yes."

Faith looked at Buffy.

"We can have a ceremony," Buffy said.

"Yes." Faith frowned and looked at Giles. "What does it look like?"

"Well, eh, pretty much like marriage, except it's not legally valid."

"Huh?"

"It's not pub… It's not accepted by the state," Joyce explained.

"Oh."

Joyce smiled.

"Don't worry, you're in no hurry. You'll see what our ceremony will look like and you'll help me, and then you can decide for yourselves."

The girls smiled.

"Okay," Buffy said.

"We'll be in the kitchen," Joyce said and led Giles away.

Faith looked at Dawn.

"Is he a nice person?"

Dawn shrugged.

"He's okay, I like him. And he cares about Mom and me."

"Good."

In the evening, after dinner, Willow, Oz, Cordelia and Xander came to pick up Buffy and Faith so they would go to the Bronze.

"Why can't I go?" Dawn said and pouted.

"Because you're too young."

"I'm almost thirteen," Dawn protested.

"Almost. And when you are thirteen, I'll consider letting you go with them."

"Okay," Dawn said and smiled.

"Consider," Joyce repeated. She looked at Buffy and Faith. "Here," she said and took a couple of bills from her pocket.

"Money?" Faith said.

"Yes, this is your allowance."

"What's that?"

Joyce thought for a moment.

"Well, it's the money I'll give you every month for, you know, for you to spend when you go out with your friends."

"Oh."

Buffy quickly counted it.

"Forty… dollars?"

"Yes, each."

"I only get twenty," Dawn protested.

"That's because you don't go out that much yet." Joyce smiled. "You'll get more when you need it."

"Oh. Okay."

"What about the money we got from Mommy?" Buffy asked.

"Oh you can use it as well, honey."

"Oh. Okay. Thank you."

"Thank you," Faith said.

Joyce smiled.

"Have fun, girls."

"We'll watch out for them," Willow said, smiling.

"Thank you," Joyce said.

"Wow," Buffy said when they entered the Bronze.

"Why is the music so loud?" Faith asked Xander.

Xander shrugged.

"I don't know, it's a club, the music's always loud."

"Oh."

"This way," Willow said and led the way to an empty table.

"What will you have?" a waitress asked as she came along.

"I'll have a Fanta Pink," Xander said.

"Diet Coke," Willow said.

"Sparkling water," Cordelia said.

"Pepsi," Oz said.

Buffy and Faith looked at one another, confused, not knowing the drinks.

"Eh, water?" Faith said.

"Flat or sparkling?" the waitress asked.

Faith frowned.

"Eh, ordinary?"

"Okay. You?"

Buffy shrugged.

"The same."

The waitress wrote it down and left.

"Why did she want to know what we will be drinking?" Faith asked.

"So she could bring it to us," Willow said. "She's a waitress."

"Oh."

"What are they doing?" Buffy asked and pointed at the dancers.

"They? Dancing," Xander said.

"Dancing?" Buffy said and glanced at him. "What's that for?"

Xander frowned.

"I don't know, to have fun."

"Oh."

"They enjoy it?" Faith asked.

"Yes."

Buffy and Faith stared at the dancers for a few moments.

"How do they dance? I mean, are there any, eh, rules?" Buffy then asked.

"Well, no, not really," Willow said. "I mean, there are dances that have rules, but in clubs like these, there are no rules, you just move to the beat, like them."

"Oh."

The waitress returned with their drinks and served them.

"Thank you," Faith said.

"Thank you," Buffy said.

The others said nothing.

"Can we dance too?" Faith asked after the waitress was gone.

"Sure," Xander said.

Faith looked at Buffy.

"Want to dance?"

Buffy smiled.

"Okay." She looked at Willow. "So we just move like they do?"

Willow smiled.

"Yes." She looked at Oz. "Let's join them."

"Cordy?" Xander asked.

Cordelia sighed.

"If I must."

They all went to the dance floor. Willow, Oz, Cordelia and Xander started to dance, and Buffy and Faith observed them for a few moments before they started to imitate them.

"Hello, girls," Joyce said when Buffy and Faith came home. "How was it?"

"It was great!" Buffy said, excited.

"We danced," Faith said.

"Yes. And we paid for our drinks."

Joyce smiled.

"Good." She looked at Willow and Oz, who were standing in the doorway. "Thank you."

"No problem," Willow said. "If you need me to babysit them, just let me know."

"I will. Thank you. Good night."

"Good night."

Willow and Oz left and Joyce closed the door.

"Why would she sit on a baby?" Faith asked, puzzled.

"Huh?" Joyce said, startled.

"Why would she sit on a baby?"

Joyce frowned for a moment.

"Oh!" She smiled. "No, she wouldn't sit on a baby. To babysit means to watch a baby or a young child, to sit beside a baby. Or you two in this case, since you're inexperienced in the ways of civilization."

"Oh. Oh, Willow said she'll come over tomorrow afternoon and teach us."

"Really?"

Faith nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"We need to take a shower now," Buffy said.

"Sure, you know how."

"Yes."

"Where do wash the sweaty clothes?" Faith asked.

"Oh, just put the clothes in the laundry basket."

"What's that?"

"Come, I'll show you," Joyce said and led the way to the bathroom. "See, that's a laundry basket," she said and pointed at the laundry basket.

"What's it for?"

"For dirty laundry."

"What's laundry?"

"Dirty clothes. Or clothes that have just been washed. You put the dirty laundry in that basket and when there's enough of it, I put it in the washing machine. That machine over there."

"Oh. So you don't wash the clothes every day?"

"No. You change panties every day, and socks, and you change everything else when you feel it's sweaty. Usually every two days. You change your pajamas every week."

"Oh. Okay. Will you show us how the washing machine works?"

Joyce smiled.

"Sure."

Faith smiled.

"Cool." She frowned. "Did I use that right?"

"What?"

"The word. Cool."

"Oh. Yes. It means great."

"Thought so."

"Ooh!" Buffy suddenly remembered. "Mom, will you buy us, eh, watches?"

"Oh, right. Yes, I will. We'll go buy them together."

Buffy smiled.

"Cool."

Joyce smiled as well.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Okay."

"Let's tell Mommy and Daddy about our day," Buffy said when they came back to their room after showering.

"Okay," Faith agreed.

They sat down in front of the pictures.

"Hi, Mommy," Faith said.

"Hi, Mommy. Hi, Daddy," Buffy said. "We had a great day today."

"We danced!" Faith said, excited.

"Uh-huh. And we paid for our own drinks. Mom gave us, eh…"

"Allowance," Faith helped her out.

"Yes. And she said she'll give us some money every month."

"Ooh! And Mr Giles came, he's Mom's, eh…"

"Fiancé," Buffy helped her out.

"Uh-huh. And Dawn said he'll become our dad when they get married." She smiled a bit. "We both like the idea."

"And Mom said that we can have our own ceremony too," Buffy said. Then her face fell a little. "But she said it won't be, em, accepted by people."

"Yet," Faith added and Buffy looked at her, surprised.

"Yet?"

"That's what she said."

"Oh. So someday people might accept it?"

"I think so."

"Buffy smiled.

"Cool," she said and Faith smiled as well. She yawned. "Let's go to sleep."

"Okay."

They put the pictures away and then went to bed.

"Night, Faith," Buffy said as she cuddled up to Faith.

"Night, Buffy."

"Do you hear it?" Buffy asked the next day when she and Faith woke up.

"What?" Faith asked and listened.

"The… noise. It's so different than on our island. I mean, there was just the sound of the ocean and the birds. Here, it's… I don't know, so many different things."

"Yes," Faith agreed.

"What?" Buffy asked when she saw Faith frown.

"I was just thinking about how we'll shave."

"Oh." Buffy frowned. "We can ask Mom. I mean, I'm sure she has to shave too."

"Okay." Faith yawned. "Do you want to get up?"

Buffy thought about it for a moment.

"No, let's just lie for a while, I mean, we don't have anything to do."

"Okay." Faith smiled. "Want me to lick you?"

Buffy's eyes went wide and she nodded.

"Uh-huh."

Ten minutes later, Dawn burst in.

"Guys, wake… Ugh! Gross!" she said when she said Faith licking Buffy's pussy.

Buffy and Faith looked at her, startled.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"She's… licking you… down there," Dawn said, making a face.

"Yes. So?" Buffy said, puzzled.

"It's disgusting," Dawn said and left. "Stupid lesbo sisters," she muttered.

Buffy and Faith looked at one another.

"Why is she upset?" Buffy asked.

Faith shrugged.

"I don't know." She smiled. "Want me to keep licking you until you have an orgasm?"

Buffy smiled back and shook her head.

"No. I wanna know why Dawn is upset."

"Oh."

"Let's get dressed."

"Okay."

"Morning, girls," Joyce said when she met Buffy and Faith on the stairs.

"Morning, Mom," Buffy said.

"Morning, Mom," Faith said. "Why is Dawn upset?"

Joyce blushed a bit.

"Well, she has never seen people make love before, much less two girls. Not to mention that you're her sisters." She frowned when she realized how that sounded. She shook her head. "Anyway, you should be more discreet."

"What?"

"Discreet." Joyce thought for a moment. "Subtle."

"Subtle?" Buffy asked.

Joyce thought again.

"Private."

"Oh. But we were. We were in our room and the door was closed."

Joyce smiled.

"I know, but you should lock the door as well. Just in case, you know, if Dawn decides to burst in without knocking first."

"Oh. Okay."

"Good. Now come, breakfast is waiting and then we'll go to the zoo."

"What's that?" Faith asked.

"It's a place where animals are kept so people can see them."

Faith frowned.

"Why?"

"Because they're from all over the world."

"Oh."

Joyce smiled.

"Don't worry, you'll like it."

"Mom, what is that?" Faith asked as they passed the park and she saw the carrousel.

"It's a carrousel."

"What does it do?"

"Well, you sit on it and it spins around. Look, another ride is just starting."

"Looks like fun," Buffy said after watching the carrousel spin for a few moments. "Can we go?"

Joyce hesitated for a moment.

"Okay, but just once," she said, and Buffy and Faith smiled, excited. "Come."

They went to the carrousel and Joyce bought four tickets.

"Okay, pick your seat and then hold on like you saw the other children do," Joyce instructed them after the carrousel stopped.

"Okay," Faith said.

They all sat and the carrousel soon started to move. Buffy and Faith were both very excited and they laughed. Joyce quietly observed them, smiling.

"Wow! That was great," Buffy declared when they got off.

"Can we go again sometime?" Faith asked.

Joyce smiled at them.

"Yes, of course. Come, let's move on."

"Okay."

"Mom, why are the animals in, eh, those funny buildings?" Faith asked as they walked through the zoo.

"So they don't run away or hurt the visitors," Joyce explained.

"Oh."

"And the funny buildings are cages."

"Why did they bring them here?" Buffy asked.

"So people could see them."

"Why can't the people go to where the animals live to see them?"

"Because it's cheaper for people to visit them in the zoo."

"But can't they see them on pictures? Or on TV?" Faith asked.

"Yes, but it's not the same as seeing a real live animal."

"But they're not happy," Buffy said and pointed at a cage of lions.

"I know," Joyce said. "But the caretakers take a very good care of them. And they have no predators here."

"What's a predator?"

"A hunter, someone who hunts animals for food."

"Oh."

"Buffy, look!" Faith suddenly said, excited, and pointed at the giraffe enclosure.

"Wow," Buffy said, her eyes wide. "Why do they have such long necks?" she asked Joyce.

"So they can reach the leaves on high trees."

"Oh."

"They're called giraffes."

"They're so big."

"Maybe we should show them Jurassic Park," Dawn suggested, "then they'd see what's really big."

Joyce smiled at her.

"Sure, why not?"

"Can we go closer?" Faith asked.

"Yes, of course."

Buffy and Faith practically ran to the giraffe enclosure, and Joyce and Dawn slowly followed them.

After a tour of the zoo, they went to the beach.

"Why are there so many people here?" Faith asked when they got there.

"Because it's a beach. People like to come here so they can swim and tan."

"Tan?"

Joyce frowned.

"Well, get their skin darker. See how dark your skin is compared to mine?"

Buffy and Faith looked at their arms and then at Joyce's and Dawn.

"Yes."

"Why do people want to get their skin darker?" Buffy asked.

Joyce smiled.

"Because they consider it pretty."

"Oh."

"Can we go into the water?" Faith asked.

"Not with these clothes."

"We can take them off."

Joyce blushed a bit.

"I'm sure. But people don't exactly look kindly on nudists here."

"What's a nudist?" Buffy asked.

"Someone who swims and tans naked," Joyce explained.

"Oh." Buffy frowned. "So how do they swim?"

"They have swimsuits," Joyce said. "See that man? He has a swimsuit. It looks like short pants, but they're of a different material."

"Oh."

"And that woman over there? She has a swimsuit too. A one piece swimsuit. That woman behind her has a two-piece swimsuit, a bikini. They're from a special material too."

"So we need swimsuits to swim?" Faith asked.

"Yes. We'll buy them on the way home. And watches too. And school stuff."

Faith smiled.

"Okay."

"What are they doing?" Buffy asked and pointed at a group of children who were playing with a ball.

"They're playing," Joyce said.

"Oh."

"What's that round thing?" Faith asked.

"A ball. We have one at home. Somewhere. Dawn?"

"I think it's in the basement," Dawn said.

"We'll look for it."

"Can we fish?" Buffy asked.

"I think so, but you can buy fish at a fish market."

"Oh."

"Can we go home now, Mom?" Dawn asked. "I'm kinda beat."

"Yes, of course. Buffy? Faith?"

"Okay," Faith said.

"Then let's go." She looked at Dawn. "Can we go buy swimsuits and other stuff for your sisters?"

"Yeah, okay," Dawn agreed.

"Then let's go."

"Why do you always do that?" Faith asked when they got home.

"What?" Joyce asked, startled, and looked at her.

"That," Faith said and pointed at the lock.

Joyce looked at the lock.

"This?" she asked and locked and unlocked the door.

"Yes."

"I lock the door when we all leave and I have to unlock it when we come back." She pulled out the key. "This is a key and that's a lock," she said and pointed at the lock. "Each lock needs a different key." She put the key back in and locked the door. "The door is now locked." She unlocked it. "And now it's unlocked," she said and took the key out.

"Why do you need to lock the door?" Buffy asked.

"So that somebody doesn't break in and steal something."

"Steal?"

"Take away things without asking."

"Why would anyone take something away?"

Joyce smiled.

"Some because they are poor, some are just greedy."

"Greedy?"

"Poor?" Faith asked.

"Come, let's go inside," Joyce said and entered. When they were all inside, she closed the door. "You are familiar with money, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, you need a certain amount to be able to buy things. If you don't have enough or just barely enough, it means you're poor. And greedy… When you have enough money but want more of it. Or of something else."

"Why would you want more?" Buffy asked, puzzled.

Joyce smiled and shrugged.

"I don't know, honey. They're just greedy, I guess."

"Oh."

"Why don't you go upstairs and put your things away and I'll make lunch."

"Okay."

Buffy and Faith hurried upstairs, and Dawn slowly went after them.

In the evening, before Faith and Buffy went to bed, they talked to Mrs Spencer and Mr Summers. They both wore large t-shirts and Faith also panties.

"Hi, Mommy," Faith said.

"Hi, Daddy," Buffy said.

"We had a great day today. We, eh, rode a carrousel and it was so much fun."

"Yes, and Mom said we could go again."

"Yes. And then we went to the zoo. It was kinda nice, except all the animals were locked up in, eh, cages and they were not happy. But it was okay and we saw lions and elephants and monkeys and…"

"And giraffes!"

"Yes. Their necks are so long."

"Yes."

"And then we went to the beach. We wanted to swim, but Mom said we needed swimsuits."

"And she bought them for us, but we haven't swam yet."

"And she bought us watches and school stuff too," Faith added.

"Yes. And when we came home, we played with a ball and it was fun. And in the afternoon, Willow came and taught us about stuff."

"Yes, like, ma… mathematics?" Faith said and looked at Buffy, uncertain.

"Yes," Buffy said. "And history and biology. It was fun."

"Yes. She's coming again tomorrow and she's gonna teach us some more."

"And Mom said maybe we could go to school too."

"Yes." Faith sighed. "We miss you."

"Yes," Buffy agreed. "But Mom is nice and Dawn too and we have friends."

"Yes. And learning about new stuff is fun too."

"Uh-huh."

They were quiet for a few moments.

"Night, Mommy," Faith then said.

"Night, Mommy. Night, Daddy," Buffy said.

They got up, put the photos away and took off their t-shirts. They lay in the bed and Faith turned off the light. Buffy cuddled up to her and Faith put her arm around Buffy.

"Night, Faith," Buffy said.

"Night, Buffy."

Then they slowly drifted off to sleep, both happy.

The End