Title: Hot To Cold
Author: Crazy_Girl_Mary
Email: crazy_girl_mary@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: They’re all Joss’ and probably some other people but hey I’m a rebel so I play if I want damn it! Also, the lyrics are Sheryl Crow, and well I can play with them too!
Summary: Faith is finally released from prison and Lilah, suddenly a giving person, sets her up in a beautiful house clear across the country with all the amenities she can stand. The only catch is that Faith has to stay away from Angel, but gripped with immense need she finds him on her front door and tears and tequila ensue. Complete.
Pairings: Faith/Angel… or is it Faith/Angelus?
Category: angst and suspense I suppose.
Spoilers: No real spoilers, I mean I don’t know the eps, and if you know Faith is in jail then you’re pretty much good, if not well then… sorry.
Rating: Some parts are NC-17, and the rest are pretty much boring filler material, no, nonsense, it’s very crucial plot information, (cough) um, which can be totally skipped over to get to the good stuff!
Author’s Comments: I finally have a website! Isn’t that exciting! I know I’m excited and I’ll be even more excited if you email me with your changes and reviews.

“Will it be me?” she suddenly asks, her voice quiet and almost shaking. I grin. She knows what I want and she’s considering it. Good. I wonder what she wants to hear. What will make her happy to hear? I don’t really care though; I don’t want to make her happy. The truth. “Yes,” I answer firmly and lay my bare chest lightly against her to feel her warmth and heat while I still can. “You’ll be you, the ultimate you, with even more strength, and no inhibitions. You’ll do all the things even you held back from when you were bad. You’ll have anything, anyone you want. You’ll be my Queen, and together we’ll rule the world.”

Her eyes glazed over with concentration as I spoke, like she is picturing herself in the future we will share together. I wish she would smile or frown but her expression is emotionless. She will give in. I’m resolved. I will rule her.

I have so much to offer
If you just be nice
If you do what I say
Don’t make me say it twice

I don’t answer. I won’t give him the satisfaction and confidence just yet. He’s such a snob. Will I really be able to spend the rest of eternity with him? I look over his face and then down at his chiseled chest, abs, and arms. I remember how he feels inside me. Oh yes, eternity could be pleasant with him. What am I thinking?! I have to snap out of it. I have to hold him off somehow until Buffy and Giles can get here. They’re so far away. They’ll never get here in time. How can I stall him?

I smile deeply and lean up to lap at his lips and cheek. “How bout we have a go at it one more time before?” I ask hungrily. I really do want him, no need to fake that. Then maybe afterwards I’ll have a chance to make a break for it.

Do you mind if I just
Run my hand up thus
Come on just my hand
You got to understand
I’m gonna be your man

I’m not stupid. I know how she plays. But the lust in her eyes is unmistakable. She wants me just as badly as I want her. Shit, is that possible? I slowly unfasten her arms and shoulders while staring into her deep brown eyes. Her arms quickly wrap around my neck and she pulls herself up to me as best she can. “My feet Angelus,” she moans in my ear, “My feet.” Oh fuck, her moans could make a man crazy. I slowly crawl down her body, kissing a trail and when I reach the start of her pretty panties. I pull them down and reveal her to my eyes. I need to see, I need to know.

I smile richly. She wants me just as bad. That’s evident. My hands fumble for her ankles and I untie the rope. The pieces fall down and her legs shoot up and wrap around my waist. Her hands latch into my hair and pull my lips to hers. The furious kiss is back, and if I were capable, I would be completely in love. How can she do these things to me? I won’t need to worry for very long. Soon she’ll be mine forever.

Wrapping her legs around me has her panties inching back up towards her ass. I pull her off and she lies down and looks anxiously into my eyes. Instead of teasing her again by inching them down I rip them right off of her and throw them to the side. Her arms and legs are around me again and I laugh into her attacking kiss.

I pull her off and run into the living room. I wonder if she’ll follow me. I don’t want her to. I run over to the large entertainment center. I turn on the radio and smile at the hard punk rock that is lightly pouring out. I turn it to the max volume and the sound reverberating shakes the doors and massive windows in their hinges. I run back into the kitchen and she’s still on the counter. Her eyes are closed, her hands are running all over her own body, and her back is arching against them. One hand is tangled in her hair and the other is running over her nipples, then her smooth belly.

*Back to the original format, I hope it’s not confusing I just thought it made that last section a little I dunno, better.*

He approaches soundlessly as her hand nears the point between her legs. He smiles and places his own hand over hers. He watches her face. She smiles toothily, but doesn’t open her eyes. He leads her fingers to the soft folds then presses some inside and feels the warmth and wetness drench hers and then his own. His middle finger moves between two of her much smaller, and moves inside her. She moans softly and presses up against him.

She knows she should let him foreplay all he wants, but she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to stand that. The desire for his body is like a thirst she’ll never be able to quench and she’s not sure she wants to. She knows she’s strong, but fuck, his big strong finger feels so good, but she only wants more, now. She bites her tongue to keep from telling him that as he begins to thrust in and out. The longer she keeps him from getting his, the better. No matter how many times she tells herself that, she knows her body is still in control. And her body includes her mouth, which is crying out to him. His thumb is rubbing the spot no man has ever thought to care about before him. The spot that controls a woman, the spot only a man in love, or a tongue would concentrate on. A spot she’s had touched once before, by him.

There’s that cliff again. But she has the parachute, and she cuts it off and ties the rope to a nearby tree. A tornado suddenly rolls in and picks her up off her feet. She’s being pulled into the swirling air, but the tree anchors her. She looks down and the wind rushing about her is keeping her from falling. It’s suddenly gone, and she falls. The rope breaks. Fucking cheap ass rope. Fucking tornado. Fucking beautiful man.

He suddenly feels her body shivering around his hand. Oh Fuck! That face. The clenched jaw and eyes, the tongue that darts out to lick her suddenly dry lips, and the smile she struggles to keep inside. Her face at these moments is perfect. He wants to see her like this for eternity, and he knows he will. He continues thrusting his finger in and out of her. Soon her uneven motions turn into wild thrashing and her body can no longer take the pressure. He slows his rhythm then stops altogether, pulling his hand away from her. He absentmindedly wipes away her juices on his pants as he stares at her beautiful face. He’ll be able to stare at her for eternity if all goes as planned but he feels the need to just stare and nothing else.

Suddenly he is kneeling over top of her on the counter. His arms are at the side of her head and his knees are on either side of her. She can’t feel him but senses him and her eyes flutter open to meet his lustful gaze. Those evil brown eyes could make her do anything and luckily her eyes want the same thing as his and are happy to oblige by staring deep into each other. She wondered if the souled version of her lover could ever have the same feelings for her, lust, passion, love, hate, ultimate longing. She knows the answer is no. Angel’s heart belongs to Buffy and that’s why Faith knows she is destined to be with Angelus, and at that moment it doesn’t bother her at all.

After what seemed like hours of intense eye-studying Faith wrapped her arms around him and pulled his beautiful body down on top of hers. The crushing of his muscular chest on her breasts is almost unbearable but completely comfortable. His mouth is at her neck sucking and lightly kneading with his blunt teeth.

She gasps as his face pulls up to look into her eyes again and she sees the face of the monster inside. “Are you ready?” he asks and his voice is strangely kind and caring.

“No,” she quickly answers trying to lightly push him off of her, “I wanna eat my last meal and see my last sunset,” she answers quickly. ‘Nice one Faith’ she thinks to herself and he moves off of her and allows her to jump of the counter, his beauty returned.

She opens the refrigerator and grabs a beer, “You want?” she asks holding up another. He shakes his head and saunters to the bar grabbing a bottle of tequila, no surprise there. She didn’t even know there was that much over there. She hadn’t been doing much drinking since she got there and she wasn’t one to drink tequila all by herself.

Standing there opening the beer she came face to face with a feeling she had been too preoccupied to remember, pain. Her whole body ached from previous assaults. She wondered if she was made to be hurt and battered. The ugly truth was this small engagement had been the most romantic and sensual encounter of her life. She took a seat on the stool, completely exhausted, no longer caring if she was completely open to his eyes. She couldn’t deny knowing how much he wanted her and that excited her despite her fatigue.

She watched the bottle meet his lips and the movement in his beautiful neck as it coaxed the liquid down. He shocked her when he pulled the bottle away and smiling asked her, “Didn’t you want to eat something?”

Shit. He knew it was an excuse. She stood, opened the freezer, grabbed a pint of vanilla and chocolate ice cream and came back to the counter. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and threw the lid in the trash and began to eat. She couldn’t help but notice he was watching her eat just as closely as she was watching him drink. They sat in silence watching each other until Faith’s ice cream was gone. She threw the garbage away and saw her clothes on the floor. She bent over and began dressing.

“I’ll have to go outside to see the sunset you know?” she asked.

Angelus was still holding the bottle as he came around to her. “Yeah,” he said, “Well, you better hurry the sun is almost down.”

She was surprised he wasn’t giving her a hard time. She had finished dressing and was pulling on her boots. God, she hurt! She didn’t know if she was going to be able to get away but she knew she had to try. She knew she had to try because if she stayed with him any longer she wouldn’t be able to fight off the sensation that she would never belong anywhere else. She walked over to the coat rack and grabbed a big black wool overcoat she had found in the closet and had been using. It was comfortable and warm and she needed that right now. She smiled at him like she loved him more then life itself and thought maybe she wasn’t fooling anyone but herself as she closed the door and stepped out into the snow. It was no longer swirling but the cold was bitter.

She knew she had to hurry the sun was almost down, a bright snow flecked blurry half-ball of orange off in the distance. She dug in the bottom of her pockets as she trudged along through the knee-deep snow. As she neared the garage door she found her key ring in her pocket. She stuck the key in and quickly opened the door. Snow caved in to the garage and she wondered if she would even be able to get the truck out. She went inside and closed and locked the door behind her. She had to hurry. She ran to the door leading to the house, shaking the snow off as she went and locked the locks so he wouldn’t be able to come in. Then she got in the truck and it started easily, a veteran to the cold temperature of the New York mountains. If she had a God she would be praying as she carefully watched the white abyss in her rearview for any signs of him. There was nothing so she backed out and speed dangerously through the deep snow and ice until she got to the road.

She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her cell phone out of the glove compartment. She dialed the operator and called Giles’ shop back. Anya answered and informed her Giles, Buffy, Willow, and Xander were on a plane to New York at the moment and she said they were going to call her as soon as their plane landed and she would give them Faith’s cell phone number. Faith’s mood improved slightly when she discovered Buffy was still alive but she didn’t know if she would still feel that way when they were reunited.

Down the road she saw an abandoned car that was completely covered with snow only a mile from her road and she was pretty sure it was Angelus’s. She stopped the truck and braved the cold again to pop the back tires of his car. She opened the doors and looked inside but she didn’t find any signs of him, which meant he had probably stolen it recently and the owner was probably dead. She popped the trunk hoping that there were no frozen bloody bodies inside and was happy to find a large box and amp was taking up all the trunk space. She closed the trunk and got back in her truck. Just because there was no body in the trunk definitely didn’t mean he hadn’t introduced anyone to their own gruesome deaths to obtain it.

By the time she got to the nearest motel it was an hour into the night and she hadn’t gotten a call from Buffy or Giles. She got a room and told the desk clerk that if a strange man by chance came looking for her she wasn’t here. He seemed decidedly curious but said he would be happy to meet her request. She doubted that if he came looking for her he would be in the mood to spare the man or anyone else in his path if he said she wasn’t there or not.

She went into the room and sat on the bed not knowing what else to do. Knowing only that her truck needed a break and so did she. She took her coat off and turned the TV on. The newscaster said the blizzard was winding down. She looked out at the again swirling snow and clicked the television off. What the hell did they know anyway? She laid back on the bed with her cell phone still in her grip and closed her eyes knowing she would never be able to sleep with the images of Angelus’s demon and the feeling of his lips on hers.

The phone suddenly began to sing and she quickly fumbled to answer it knowing it had to be Buffy. “Yeah?” she asked frantically, “Are you here yet?”

“How was your sunset lover?” the once again menacing voice asked on the other line. She looked back at her phone and saw it read HOME. He was still at the house. That was good.

“It wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” she said.

“I have to tell you I thought you had surrendered to me.” His voice was so happy; he had to have something up his sleeve. Were the others there already? Were they hurt? What did he know that she didn’t? “I’m glad you still have some fight left, inner turmoil is so sexy on you.”

“Yeah well you know me, all fight, no play.”

“No,” he disagreed and she could hear his smile, “You play just fine.” She didn’t answer, didn’t have the energy for banter. “So what’s this ‘Are you here yet?’ shit?” he mocked. “You’re not really waiting for SuperBuffy and the gang are you?” he asked.

“Maybe,” she answered.

“If you weren’t so tired from all that fuckin’ you would be able to fight me yourself. Like Slayer like Slayer I must say.” He was having so much fun and she wanted to drive right up there and kill him but knew she didn’t stand a chance in her condition and that’s just what he wanted her to do.

“Yeah, and when Buffy gets here I think we’ll agree on something for the first time ever.”

“What’s that love?” he asked.

“That you need to die once and for all, and if that means sending Angel with you then so be it.” She hung up the phone before he could answer. Then she dialed the direct number to Lilah Morgan’s office. She had never needed to use it before but she wanted to know if the bitch sent her away without warning her about Angelus on purpose. Well she was pretty sure that was what had happened but if Lilah owned up to it she wanted to give her hell, shit she wanted to give anyone hell at the moment.

“Hello? Wolfram & Hart,” a cheerful male voice answered on the other line after the fifth ring.

“Yeah, is Lilah there?” Faith asked somewhat confused.

“No,” the voice said just as cheerfully, “She’s been terminated… needless to say she no longer works here.”

Faith registered the information. Lilah was dead? “Terminated how?” she asked.

“I’m sorry I can not disclose that information Faith.”

“How do you know who I am?!” she asked, now even more pissed off. “Was it Angelus?!” she asked, “Did he kill Lilah?!”

“I can’t answer that question.” She couldn’t believe the voice was so cheerful she hated lawyers and she had the burning urge to find him and rip his throat out.

“Whatever asshole,” she said hanging up the phone. She didn’t have the time for this. She wanted a shower but couldn’t stand the idea of putting dirty clothes back on her clean body. She had done enough of that in the past. She went out to the truck and got the blanket thrown over the back of the seat to wrap around her before she got in the motel bed. It would keep her warmer and protect her from any nasty things left behind on the sheets. She turned the light off and took one last glance at her watch, which read 9:07 PM. She closed her eyes and thought of how much her body ached until she fell hard into sleep.

There was incessant ringing, she was sure of that. She just didn’t know what planet she was on. She fumbled for the telephone, “Hello?” she asked groggily.

“Wake up Faith,” the female voice answered back.

Faith looked around the room, it was still dark and she was sweating. “Who the fuck is this?” she asked.

“Who the fuck do you think it is?” the voice asked, and then answered before she had a chance to reply, “It’s Buffy. Where are you? We got a car we’ll come and get you.”

“Shit Buffy I’m sorry, it’s been a while,” Faith answered sheepishly.

“Yeah,” Buffy answered sarcastically, “I’m driving in circles here Faith. You think you could save the emotional reunion and give me some directions?”

“Yeah, but it’s good that you’re not dead you know?” Faith said quickly. Buffy narrowly avoided a smart comment pointing out that Faith had tried repeatedly to show she didn’t think it was so good. “Um where are you?” Faith asked trying to rub her eyes and forehead awake.

“We’re about an hour from the airport, on 155 coming towards you.”

“Okay,” Faith answered trying her best to picture the veining roads and highways in her mind when she barely left the house to drive them. She eventually got out the directions that would bring Buffy and the gang to her motel, just short of two hours weather permitting from her house.

When they arrived at the motel Faith had checked out and was waiting just inside the lobby doors. She saw a big van pulling into the driveway, the wheels crunching through the ice and snow and knew it had to be the vehicle they described. She didn’t think it could be funnier looking. It had once been bright red but now had rusting spots all over, and brand new sparkling neon purple doors.

The tweed clad Englishman at the wheel looked as though he had never driven in his life. His hands were firmly gripping the steering wheel and his face was tinted green. The other inhabitants were also a jolly green hue beneath the see of macramé scarves and shearling coats. Faith knew the ice slicked mountain roads could be torture in her truck she could only imagine trying to navigate that whale.

She quickly got in her truck and began to lead them to the only diner (or only establishment of any kind besides a 7-11 convenience store) that was open 24 hours in the area. The food wasn’t good and the coffee tasted like sludge but at least it was warm and they would be able to sit down for a while and formulate a plan.

The brightly lit diner was filled with bruised art deco furniture that wasn’t reminiscent of the 50’s but was purchased in the fifties and it showed. The vinyl booths were faded and filled with rips and cracks and cigarette burns although Dolores the waitress mentioned with a decaying grin between puffs that there was no smoking. Faith took her coat off and hung it on the rack inside the door and was followed by the others.

Dolores didn’t bother to show them to a table and Faith was already leading them to a dimly lit booth all the way in the back. The weathered old waitress was sitting at a large breakfast bar flipping through a newspaper with a small black and white television propped before her. She looked to be over fifty and her faded blue dress, stained apron, and worn shoes showed she had been working there for quite some time. Faith walked over to the counter and made small talk as she was handed a tray holding a pot of hot coffee, four mugs, some cream, sugar, and then a bottle of Southern Comfort. As she was speaking to Dolores she nodded to the back. “Hey Tony?” she called loudly.

Soon a brawny young man with a stained white shirt straining over his hard body, some facial hair growing in, and a great big smile emerged from the kitchen. He smiled and gave Faith a huge bear hug that lifted her feet temporarily off the ground, and they made small talk as he gave her a few cigarettes and Faith ordered their food. With her smokes and drinks she happily went back to the table.

Buffy was frowning at the Southern Comfort as Faith took a few quick swigs and offered it to everyone else. Faith was glad she was trying her best to be civil, and she knew the drinking probably made them all nervous but she couldn’t help it, she needed something to take the edge and the pain away. She lit the first cigarette with shaking hands that didn’t go unnoticed by the others and offered one to Giles who didn’t look at the others before quickly taking it.

They sat in silence for a moment and Xander began to pour the coffee. Then Buffy made the first move. “So what happened?” she asked. “How did he lose his soul?” Faith had been dreading this question, “I’m not sure,” she answered. She figured she had better just tell them the truth because it would be better if she gave Buffy a heads up before she went in there and heard what happened from Angelus. “I mean, I answered the door and he was there. Shocked the shit out of me, he was the last one I expected to see, you know.” Her eyes drifted out of focus and off to that time not long ago when she had opened the door to Angel. A smile crossed her lips but she quickly filled it with another surprisingly sobering swig. “He looked so sad, it was so… sad to see him like that… and he sat down and started to cry, I mean he was crying horrible and he told me he had been looking for me because he had needed my help and that he didn’t need it anymore.” She blinked and looked straight into Buffy’s eyes trying to analyze what she thought so far with no luck. “He said you were dead Buff.”

They looked shocked at the news but not as shocked as Faith had expected. Xander was surprisingly quiet for him and Faith attributed that to his disliking for her but for a man known for his sarcasm and pessimism it was a little unnerving. She wanted to be angry and his comments always gave her a reason. When he finally spoke it was out of concern, “So could that mean that he plans on killing you Buff?”

“Continue please Faith,” Giles said stubbing out his smoke and swirling his spoon in his untouched coffee.

“He was crying so hard and he was so upset and he just cried on my shoulder and…” Faith looked at Buffy fearful of her reaction.

“So you saw that as the Go sign and took advantage of him full well knowing what would happen?” Buffy asked anger in her tone, but not nearly the usual dose, the dose Faith had expected. Faith was even more surprised; Buffy must have caught a few anger management classes.

“Just listen please,” Faith requested, and when they nodded she continued. “He made the first move and when it was over he was fine and still there you know. I knew that Angel would never jeopardize losing his soul again. He moved away from you Buffy because he couldn’t risk it happening again. He wouldn’t come all the way across the country to risk it with me.”

The others seemed to be considering this but Willow stopped sipping her coffee and looked wide-eyed at the others. “But Angelus would!” she said loudly. Buffy and Xander looked shaken, “But why?” he asked. “Why wouldn’t he come back and try to kill us? I mean Buffy sent him to hell and he’s obsessed with her. Why would he come after you Faith? And if he didn’t lose his soul with you how did he?”

Buffy had to struggle to keep from crying she didn’t know what was worse, that Angel would cry with Faith or that Angelus would completely ignore her and go after Faith. Either way what did that say about her? Could she be replaced that easily?

“I don’t know,” Faith said. She guessed she would save the rest for later or let them hear it from Angelus because she couldn’t bear to tell them. They all looked shocked.

“So what happened after that? How did you get out?” Giles asked.

“He knew I realized and he told me that he had enjoyed hurting Buffy like he did so much he wanted to do it again. He said he wanted to change me but he wouldn’t do it until I asked him too. He was going to torture me. I was so off my game, I mean I hadn’t fought in so long. I had been working out but he really beat my ass.” She took another swig of the liquor then gave it to Dolores after she had placed their plates on the table.

They each had a glass of orange juice, and a plate of two pancakes, two eggs, and two strips of bacon. “It’s the only thing that’s good here,” she said after thanking Dolores. They began fixing their food and Giles urged Faith to continue so she told them how she had pretended to give into Angelus and how she had lied, carefully avoiding the naked on the counter part. She knew Angelus wouldn’t be so careful. She could imagine the glee in his face as he spitefully told them what had happened.

“So how do you know he hasn’t left?” Willow asked.

“When I was at the motel he called my cell phone, and the number is only stored on my house phone and on the caller ID on the cell phone it said the call was coming from home. So hopefully he’s still there, I mean I trashed his car how else is he going to get out of there?” She looked at her watch, 2:27 AM. “The sun is coming up in about four hours so it’s not like he’s going to go wondering around. I think we should wait until then to go in.”




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