DISCLAIMER: I own none, Joss owns all.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: *does a snoopy dance*  A quick update, aren't you all proud?  Your reviews nudged me off my butt and made me want to give this fic my attention, so here you go.

Oh, and to answer some reviews:

Tariq: Don't worry, Wes will have his moments where the tough side shown in later seasons is revealed; however, this is set in Season One, so the majority of the time, Wes will act as he did in season one… not the prat he was in Buffy season three, but struggling to come to terms with his "roguish side," while still being academic.  But definitely do not worry, because when the kiddos get to Sunnydale, they'll have bigger fish to fry than Wes, and by that time, Wes will have some authority with them.

Also, for now at least, this story is completely ship neutral.  I can't speak for later on, but I do not see relationships playing a big part in this fic.

Spana, you rock my world for all of those reviews on all of those stories, same goes for all of you others who are reading multiple fics at once… makes writing multiple fics worth it.

Anyway, onto the story…

THROWBACK: Chapter Four

            Wesley took a deep breath, his thoughts racing as he wondered how in the world he had gotten himself into this mess.  It was dire, worse in fact than any apocalypse he had ever faced.  The stakes were incredibly high, the enemy fierce.

            Quite honestly, it was all Cordelia's fault.  After he'd spent a full day working on the reversal spell, which was still incomplete, she'd suckered him into watching the two little hellions.  He refused to refer to them as children.  Surely human children couldn't be that much trouble, that incredibly heinously behaved.

            That raised an interesting question in Wesley's mind.  Were the two, in fact human?  Neither had any memories of the lives they'd lived as adults, so it was logical that they would not have retained their powers, and yet there were moments when Wes had his doubts.

            Now was one such moment.  He'd made the mistake of trying to take the terrible twosome to a reasonable sit-down dinner.  Thus far, Liam and Faith had thoroughly thwarted his attempts at civil conversation with supernatural efficiency.

            "Liam, your food goes in your mouth, not in Faith's hair," Wes said, trying to push back the pounding headache.

            "Says you," Liam replied, borrowing the phrase from Faith.  "Pu--"

            Wes cut Angel off before he could finish his statement.  "Don't even think about it," he said darkly, looking around the restaurant.  Liam grinned good naturedly at Wes but said nothing.

            Faith sat quietly, ferociously eating her food.  Her table manners were atrocious; she always ate as if each bite were her last, but at least she wasn't trying to tear off the table leg and beat someone over the head with it.  Wes kept his expression blank, lest he give the children any ideas.

            Finishing her food, Faith looked around the restaurant, surveying her territory.  "They don't have a playground," she commented, looking fairly disgruntled.  "What kind of eating place doesn't have a playground?" 

            "The kind that doesn't have golden arches," Wes replied, trying to eat his own food, but distracted when Liam picked up and began examining his knife.

            Wes stuck his hand out.  "Give me the knife, Liam," Wes said.

            Liam said nothing, he simply continued gazing at the knife, an contemplative look on his face.

            "Give me the knife, Liam," Faith said, her little voice bossy.  Liam, grinning charmingly at Wes the entire time, handed the knife to Faith.  Faith, her wide eyes innocent as always, sent a cheerful grin in Wesley's general direction.

            "Give me the knife, Faith," Wes said, trying to sound stern.  He held out his hand.  Faith looked at Liam and nudged him in the side.  Finally, the little boy caught on.

            "Give me the knife, Faith," Liam said.  Faith handed him the knife.  They both looked at Wesley and broke into helpless giggles.

            Wes put his hands on his temples.  He was going to quite simply kill Cordelia for leaving him alone with little monsters one and two.

            "Give me the knife, Liam," Faith said, her voice rising a little.  Liam handed the knife over.

            "Give me the knife, Faith," he said, practically shouting.  By this time, the two children were both giggling fiercely, and the entire restaurant was watching them.  Several other parents with young children sent Wesley disapproving looks.

            "That's enough," Wes hissed in a whisper.  The children looked at him solemnly.

            "That's enough," Faith echoed in a hiss.

            "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Liam bellowed.  The two children giggled, and Wes was caught halfway in between smiling at their antics and boring a hole in his own head with his salad fork.  Those two were completely impossible.  Who would have thought Angel and Faith had been such mischievous little children?  Right now, brood boy was giggle boy, and the rogue slayer was wearing pigtails and smiling broadly. 

            Wesley sighed.  "I think it's time for us to go," he said, motioning for the check. 

            "I think it's time for us to go," Faith told Liam seriously.

            "I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO GO!" Liam yelled for the whole restaurant to hear.  Wesley rubbed his temples.  The children were obviously having a wonderful time.  At least they'd put down the knife.  Thank goodness for small favors.  Then again, Wes was having trouble actually locating the knife.  He sighed and decided to leave well enough alone.

            Wesley paid the check and then walked out the door, the two children following in his wake and repeating every word he said.

            "That was fun," Faith said, almost breathless with excitement.  Wesley looked down at her, surprised.  The child took such pleasure in the smallest things.  One would almost wager that she'd never sat down in a restaurant before. 

            "I'm glad you had fun," Wes told Faith.  It was dark outside by now, and both of the children were in high spirits.  Wes groaned inwardly.  He'd never get the two of them to sleep now. 

            A moment later, three vampires came around the side of the building.  They immediately spotted the British man and the two four-year-old children, all of whom they marked immediately as easy prey.

            "Look," one said.  "It's dinner."

            The other simply started towards them.

            "Oh dear," Wesley said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out several stakes and a small knife.

            "Oh dear," Faith told Liam, still grinning.

            "OH DEAR," Liam yelled at the top of his lungs.  The vampires looked at him very strangely.

            Wesley pushed the children behind him and watched as two more vampires rounded the corner.  He muttered an expletive, his eyes darkening.  First Faith and then Liam joyfully echoed the expletive.  Faith had never heard anyone use that combination of words before. 

            Behind Wes, the two children wiggled and giggled, and the vampires slowly advanced.

TBC… up next, the vampires find out that their prey isn't quite so easy as they thought (fighting Wes for you, shahid and tariq, and fighting little ones for all of our fluffy goodness)…Then preschool and Sunnydale, and lots more goodness on the way.

Please review for a quick update!