DISCLAIMER: They all belong to Joss.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another quick update.  Gosh, I'm on a roll. 

Aggle, sorry about the TBC notices.  Since it can sometimes take me a long time in between updates, I like to let people know what's on the horizon, so they can make suggestions or requests, but I'll try to vague them up a little bit.

E-beth, of course you rock my world.  Do not feel unloved.

THROWBACK: Chapter Five

            Of the five vampires, the shortest appeared to be the spokesman.  "Look at the big one," he sneered.  "It's going to fight us with its little sticks."

            The five vampires laughed.

            "Stick and stones may break my bones…" Faith began to recite behind Wesley.  He shushed her.

            "Let the little girl speak," the vampire commanded.  "I like food that talks."

            Faith pushed her way in front of Wes.

            "What's your name, sweetheart?" the vamp asked.

            Faith stared at him, and her stomach clenched with something she didn't understand.  There was something wrong with this man, something very wrong.  He didn't feel right.

            "Cat got your tongue?" another vampire drawled, closing in on them.

            "What was that about sticks and stones?" the first vampire asked mockingly.  Faith stood on her tiptoes and grabbed two stakes from Wesley's arms.  She handed one of them to Liam, who was now standing beside her, looking cheerfully up at the vamps, bits of food still stuck to his cheeks.

            "Sticks and stones may break my bones," Faith said calmly, "but I will kick your ass."

            Wesley just about choked on his tongue at the little girl's words.  She didn't know what she was up against. 

            "KICK YOUR ASS!" Liam yelled, still playing the game he and Faith had been playing earlier and absolutely tickled that Wesley wasn't scolding them for their language.

Bracing himself for a fight, Wes stepped in front of the children.

            The lead vampire turned to the others.  "We don't eat until the man is dead," he instructed.  "I want the little girl alive."

            With those words, all of the vamps roared into action.  Two of them went for Wesley at once, and the former watcher surprised them by dodging both of their blows, and neatly thrusting a stake into the chest of one of the vampires.

            He exploded into dust, and Faith wrinkled her nose, clearly deep in thought.

            The second vamp was not so easily taken, and he knocked Wes back several feet.  Looking at the children for a moment, Wesley's heart jumped into his throat when he realized that a vampire had a hold of Liam.

            A little girl's scream filled the air, as the lead vampire approached Faith and grabbed her by her pigtails.  For a moment, the girl's eyes glossed over, and she looked through the vamp.

            In one swift movement, Wesley blocked the vamp's punch and dusted him with the other hand.  He lunged toward the children, but the fifth vamp caught him by surprise, wrapping his arms tightly around Wesley's neck, choking him slowly and painfully.  The remaining weapons fell from Wesley's hands as he gasped for air and struggled against the powerful arms that held him.

            Faith's eyes widened, as she fumbled with the stake in her hands.  She didn't know why, but she knew what to do with it, and she surprised the vamp when she kicked out with her left foot, sending him flying to the ground. 

            Faith grinned.  "Fun-fun," she said, her voice violent and child-like at the same time, her dark pigtails swinging back and forth.

            Meanwhile, the vampire had knocked Liam's stake out of his hands and to the ground.  At a loss for what to do, Liam pulled something shiny from his pants pocket: the knife from earlier at the dinner table.

            As he struggled against the vampire, Wesley couldn't help but think that Liam was a little devil to have snuck the knife out of the restaurant.  Those children were really something else.

            Liam bent his knees, and the vampire that was lunging for him missed, grabbing air.  Moving quickly, Liam stabbed the knife through the vampire's foot with great force, pinning the foot firmly to the ground.  The vamp roared in pain and fury.

            Seeing Wesley in trouble, Faith moved quickly.  Picking up one of the stakes, she ran over to the vampire, pig tails swinging behind her.  Jumping up in the air, she took aim and stabbed the vampire in the back of the chest.  He exploded into dust, just as Wesley managed to twist out of his grasp. 

            Wes stared at the child, amazed.  How had she retained her slayer powers when she'd returned to childhood?

            Turning her attention back to Liam, Faith took in air quickly when she saw the lead vampire backhand the little boy to the ground.  Wes clenched his jaw and moved fearlessly forward, placing himself in between Liam and the vampire, even though Wes knew quite well that he was weaponless.

            Before either the vamp or Wesley could move, a small blur wearing a blur shirt and with dark pigtails hurtled by, knocking the vampire to the ground.  Wesley watched open mouthed as the child began beating the vampire viciously, furiously.

            "Don't.  You.  Ever.  Hit.  My.  Liam," the little girl said, her hits very literally tearing the vampire apart.  "Don't hit him.  Don't hit him.  Don't hit him."  Her cries became an inhuman-sounding mantra.

            Wesley intervened, reaching in to pull Faith off of the vamp and stake him.

            On the ground behind him, the little girl hadn't stopped fighting or talking. 

            "Don't hit.  Don't hit.  Don't hit," she said fiercely, over and over again, punching the hard ground with her fists, her voice catching in the back of the throat and her hands starting to bleed.  She looked like a wild animal: beautiful and out of control.

            Wesley walked over to her and grabbed her from behind, holding her firmly even when she began fighting against him.

            "Shhhhh," he hushed the child, struggling to contain her manic movements.  "It's all right, Faith.  It's over, luv."

            Faith stopped moving for a moment, and Wes tightened his grip.  She looked at him, her eyes still glassed over with the memories she had been lost in.

            "Don't hit," she said simply.

            Wes looked at her, his heart breaking for the small, angry child.  "I won't," he said, wondering why he had never seen the same heartbreaking angriness in the woman.

            "Don't worry, Faith," Liam said, picking himself up off of the ground.  "Me and Wes and you are all fine.  Everything's okay."  Liam looked around and grinned boyishly.

            He looked up at Wesley, completely unfazed by his brush with the undead.  "Can we do that again?" he asked.

            "No," Wes said firmly.

            "No fair," Faith said, recovering a bit, but still snuggled tight in Wesley's arms.

            "You never let us do anything fun," Liam complained.  He scuffed his feet in the floor.  "I bet Cordelia would let us play battle again."  Liam looked up at Wesley to see if his ploy was working.  It was not.

            Settling Faith on his hip, Wes held a hand down to Liam.  "Let's go home," he said.  "You can ask Cordelia when we get there."

            Faith laid her head on Wesley's shoulder.  "Wesley," she said softly. 

            "Yes, luv?" he asked, not able to tear the image of her beating her hands bloody first on the vampire and then on the ground.

            "You never answered my question," Faith said.

            "Which question?" Wesley asked.

            Liam grinned.  He knew exactly which question Faith was talking about.  "Are you Cordy's bi-"

            Wesley cut him off.  "Language," he hissed at Liam, "and no, I am not."

            "Oh," Liam said looking thoughtful.

            Faith said nothing.  She'd fallen fast asleep.

            As they walked to the car, Liam sang to himself under his breath.  "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I can kick your ass."

            Wesley grinned.  After all, the little verse did have a nice sound to it.

TBC… sunnydale, preschool, and more on the horizon.

PLEASE REVIEW!