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.

They finished their meals and sat in the quiet while Faith drew a layout of the place and explained how the curtains were electronic and could only be moved by the remote control. “Odds are he’s destroyed it. So it will be completely dark in there and he’ll have the upper hand. I don’t have any stakes or anything really in the house, but there is a hunting store down the street. We can get stakes and launchers and all kinds of stuff but we’ll have to break in and I have the cash I’ll just leave it and my phone number.” The others agreed and Dolores said they had some blankets in the back if they wanted to get a few hours sleep. The four out-of-towners cuddled up together in the blankets and closed their eyes but didn’t sleep.

They listened as Faith continued to drink and smoke with the two employees and watched infomercials. They were playing a card game when an almost inaudible ringing came from near the door. The three turned to the sound but the four who were further back in the room didn’t seem to hear it. Faith stood and quickly ran over to the coat rack, dug her cell phone out of her pocket and answered it. “Hello?” she asked.

“That’s more like it,” Angelus answered cheerfully, “Where are you?”

“Close.”

“You know where I am?” he asked happily and Faith was terrified of the answer. Had he left? Was he driving around town looking for them? Was he right outside? She heard the sound of soft splashing in the background, “I’m in the bathtub waiting for you lover.” She couldn’t help the memories that floated over her body and knew that’s what he wanted to solicit and she hated him even more for it. It seemed the more she hated him the more attracted she was to him and she was tearing herself up about it. She imagined him bathing in the hot water and candlelight all wet and sexy with the phone in one hand and something a little more obscene in the other.

“Is she there yet?” Angelus asked suddenly.

“Who?” Faith asked.

“Don’t be stupid, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Giles too?”

“Yeah.”

“And Willow?”

“No.” Faith said it suddenly as if hoping they would have some kind of surprise factor but he knew right away she was lying.

He chuckled, “Please, they wouldn’t go anywhere without their powerful witch. I always knew she would be great; too bad she’s a lesbian. I’m not the type of guy who goes for that sort of thing. Xander too I guess, like he’s going to do anything but get himself killed.” Faith didn’t reply, and there was a long moment of silence. She turned back to the table to see Buffy was sitting up and staring at her. She mouthed the question Faith knew was coming, ‘Is it him?’ and she nodded.

“Do you know why Angel agreed to trick you?” he suddenly asked.

The event he was referring to, happened so very long ago, and the question was so random that if she hadn’t thought of it everyday since she wouldn’t have known what he was talking about and been able to answer so quickly. “Yeah, because Buffy asked him to.”

“No.” His voice was stern. “As you know there are many differences about Angel and I, one being that when he was in charge I was always inside, stirring and fighting, waiting to break free of him. When I did, he’s gone. He’s not inside of me. There’s no goodness inside anywhere… just me.”

“Yeah right, is there a point?” she snapped not wanting to be reminded that Angel was gone and probably would be forever.

“He agreed to trick you to get you out of the way because you scared him. Every time he saw you and every time he smelled you, I did, and I struggled harder then ever to get free. I wanted you so badly and he knew it. We both knew you were bad news but only one of us was mad about it. I won’t lie to you, Angel was still stuck up on Buffy but when he tasted you, we tasted you, and after that even he wanted a piece. But you know him; he wouldn’t risk setting me free. Since then I’ve been waiting for you.”

Faith couldn’t believe his story. Angel had wanted her? Angelus had wanted her from the moment he saw her? Next to Buffy she couldn’t imagine it. It was hard for her to accept that all those times she had talked to Angel, Angelus was inside begging to break free and take her, or that Angel had wanted her.

“Nothing to say?” he asked suddenly. Faith glanced over at the others who were folding up the blankets and the clock, which had changed two hours.

“Yeah… bye.” She hung up the phone. “By the time we get there it will be light out and he’s still there.”

“What did he say?” Willow asked timidly.

“Oh you know, the usual ‘Hello lover, How should I kill you all?’ shit,” Faith lied.

“We better get going,” Xander said putting on his coat and passing the others theirs.

Angelus wondered how the Scoobies were treating his girl. Were they lying to her again? He hoped so because then when he turned her she would really be angry, and anger was an art form. The way she tortured Wesley, damn, she had talent, and a few hundred years learning everything he knew, they would be perfect together, they would be unstoppable. His plan was to completely destroy the watcher’s council. He heard rumors that they had a list of all the Potential Slayers. One day he would get the list and they would kill them before they got dangerous and never have to worry about a pain in the ass Slayer again. They would be together forever until the world ended. He couldn’t imagine anything more perfect, then the dark Slayer and the most evil vampire that ever lived. Yeah, that would be nice.

He pulled the plug from the drain in the massive tub and stepped out. It just wasn’t the same without her. He would kill the Slayer and her pals. He would drain their blood, drop by glorious drop, enough to fill that tub and when Faith turned they would go for a little dip and feast and fuck like animals in her slaughter. He smiled giddily in his thoughts and dried himself off. He had to get dressed they would be here shortly and he wanted everything to be ready.

Faith stopped just short of the step to the porch. She was far from eager to be inside her once inviting home despite the biting cold. The night wind had the snow swirling so thickly around them it had taken them almost twice as long as usual to get to where they were now. She took a deep breath and stepped under the semi-shelter of the porch. She watched as the rest came up too and they began to shake the snow quickly from their coats, hats, and boots. Faith knew the sun would be up any minute but it was almost impossible to see anything through the thick flurries, light or dark.

“So? What do you think?” Buffy asked.

Faith looked up not knowing whether the question had been directed towards her or not. “I think we should just go in. He knows we’re here by now anyway.”

“I think just the two of us should go in,” Buffy then added.

“I don’t think so!” Willow protested and Xander was looking equally obstinate.

“We didn’t come all this way to wait outside!” he said loudly.

“Well there’s no point in fighting,” Giles said, “Buffy I doubt anyone is willing to separate at all even if it is seemingly out of harms way.” Buffy nodded. She didn’t want to worry about whether or not everyone else was okay. It was bad enough Faith could barely handle herself. Faith put her hand on the doorknob and gave it a quick harsh tug. It flew open on the wind and cast a small triangle of light onto the dark floor, and beyond that was complete blackness. Faith entered first, followed by Buffy, then Xander, Giles, and Willow, who closed the door behind them. They quickly took off their coats and Xander turned on a small key chain flashlight that didn’t really help but made him feel better about himself.

Faith knew there was a distance of hard wood floor before the carpet and the living room began, that was free of any furniture. She looked around for anything but darkness. She didn’t see any light, or flames in the direction of the fireplace or even shadows. This was bad. This was really bad.

Suddenly she felt her feet slip out from under her and the next second she was on her back desperately trying to suck in breath. She was vaguely aware that Buffy was next to her making the same desperate inhaling noises. When she had finally caught her breath her hands went down to the floor and felt the moist sticky substance that had caused them both to slip. For a quick moment she was sure it was blood but she knew there was no one around for miles for him to kill. She brought her hands up to her nose and then cautiously to her mouth. It was chocolate sauce; she always had some in the cabinet.

“Oh that’s mature,” she said angrily, and as she stood up felt Xander’s light fall upon her face. No one else said anything. She knew their only chance of finding him was to turn on some lights. She was almost positive he had figured out how to stop them, but she had to try. She grabbed Xander’s hand and began to lead him with the light to the bathroom where the lights were bright and might shine far into the living room for some relieve, if they worked.

She was surprised how quickly she found the small doorknob, which she turned and pushed the door slowly open. Was he in here? She remembered he had been in the bathtub when she had talked to him on the phone. As the air shifted she realized that the room was still filled with rose flavored steam. She felt unwelcome excitement well up in her body. She felt around on the wall for the light switch and when she switched it on the sudden light surprised her. She blinked quickly to adjust her eyes, made sure the room was clear, and then turned to the others. Buffy, Willow, and Xander were behind her. She looked further out into the room until the darkness began to swallow her sight but she didn’t see Giles anywhere.

“Giles?” Buffy called out frantic yet low. “Shit.”

They looked at each other, some on the verge of tears, others stoically aggravated and afraid. Faith grabbed their hands and pulled them inside the bathroom then locked the door. Buffy looked as though she would lose control of her sanity at any moment.

“We’ll find Giles, don’t worry,” she said, trying her best to sound comforting, and knowing she was never any good at it.

Suddenly a loud booming filled the house and shook the walls. “What the hell is that?” Xander asked bracing himself.

Faith listened as the heavy beats echoed off the tile walls, “That’s the sound system.”

“He doesn’t want us to hear him,” Buffy said.

“I don’t like this at all,” Willow said. “I can do an illumination spell to light the room.”

“No,” Buffy said. “You have to get someplace quiet to start the soul restoration.”

“What?” Xander and Faith shouted in unison.

“We’re doing the spell, and he’s getting his soul back.”

“Oh great, cause that’s been so successful in the past huh?” Xander commented sarcastically. “I mean, by now, he’s about even on the killed em’, saved em’ scale, he earned a few more massacres. Who knows how many people he killed before he got here!”

“Shut up Xander!” Buffy screamed, “He’s getting his goddamned soul back and you’re crying won’t keep it from happening. So shut the fuck up!” Xander shut his mouth, but he didn’t look like he was done arguing the matter. Faith looked over at Willow who was leaning against the wall, silent tears running down her pale cheeks.

Faith put a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Hey, don’t worry, we’ll get Giles back safely, and you’ll get Angel’s soul back, and everything will be fine.” Willow nodded, but she didn’t look any more comfortable in the situation. Faith knew her words were meaningless. Everyone knew if Giles was alive he was probably far from fine, and as for Angel if he did get his soul back it was definite that he wouldn’t think he earned a few massacres. He would be completely heartbroken.

“Where can Willow go to do the spell?” Buffy asked Faith.

“She can go in the office, it’s the next room,” Faith suggested.

“Okay, Xander you stay with her,” Buffy said. Faith unlocked the door and slowly opened it. The light cast a sickly yellow cone into the living room, but it did little to illuminate the space. Faith and Buffy instructed the small party to hold hands and slide against the wall to the office, Faith leading and Buffy last. When they got into the office Willow began to set up the things she needed for the spell on the meditation table and Buffy and Faith helped move all the other furniture in front of the door.

“Faith and I are going to get Giles,” Buffy said. “Xander, barricade the door with the furniture when we leave and no matter what you hear or don’t hear, don’t move anything away from that door and don’t stop the spell.”

“I’m ready,” Willow said, and Xander nodded that he agreed so Faith and Willow stepped out of the room with the small dimming pocket flashlight and shut the door behind them. The pounding music would prevent them from hearing his approach, and the vibrating bass pretty much would prevent them from sensing him as well. They wouldn’t know he was there until he did something. He had to make the first move.

Faith kept her hand on Buffy’s shoulder as they crept along. “He probably has Giles upstairs,” Faith said, “it will be impossible for us to get up there in the dark.”

“Figures,” Buffy mumbled back as they slunk aimlessly along, “We’ll have to drawl him out somehow.”

“Too bad our vamp is too much of a coward!” Faith screamed after the words left Buffy’s mouth, “I could really use a good beating, give or take!”

Buffy waited for any reply, or movement anywhere but there was none. “We have to turn the radio off Faith,” she screamed. “Faith? Faith?!”

Angelus grabbed Faith around the throat and pulled her away from the other Slayer noiselessly. “Really? And here I thought you had had enough,” he screamed close to her ear but she could barely hear him over the noise.

She kicked and flailed to try and get Buffy’s attention but it was no use. He held her throat in one hand and her mouth with the other, and her feet only dragged on the floor and produced small kicks even she couldn’t hear over the loud music. He dragged her farther away and when her head felt five times bigger and she thought it would surely burst into a million gory pieces he brought her into the closet and carefully shut the door. Then he slammed her against the back of the door and held her body up with his own. Next and most importantly he released her throat and she started panting in breaths, her head shrinking back to size.

“So,” he started, and she could feel his lips grazing her cheek as he spoke, “I assume Red is off somewhere trying to restore my soul huh?”

“Not if I can help it!” Faith retorted dizzily.

“No,” he returned quickly, his lips so close to hers without touching he was practically speaking into her mouth. “You like me this way don’t you lover?”

“I’d like you much better a pile of dust,” the prisoner spat back.

“Well here I am,” he said stepping away from her with a laugh in his voice, “dust me.” Faith punched him hard in the face and kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back slightly but could still see her, which he knew she couldn’t do to him. She lacked the night vision of vampires and he smiled as she stood still trying to determine his location on pure instinct. “Harder then it sounds?” he asked.

Quicker then he could’ve anticipated she had a wooden hanger off the hook, broke it in half on her leg and jabbed it straight towards his heart. “Not really,” she muttered as he stepped back and fell over whatever was behind him.

“I’m still dust free,” he said from next to her, and she jabbed out again and jammed the hanger into the wall. The closet was too small for combat and she hoped Buffy found them soon, or Willow completed the spell soon.

Faith let her whole body still and tried to focus completely on hearing or sensing him and suddenly the headache inducing pounding music stopped. Buffy had found the radio somehow. That meant she was still all the way across the room, but all Faith had to do was scream and Buffy would find them.

“The closet!” Faith screamed. Not that Buffy knew where the closet was, or could see it in all the darkness, but at least she could find it by sound. No sooner had the words escaped her lips, Angelus had punched her as hard as he could in the jaw. She stumbled back into the door and he slammed into her. Her previously injured ribs came back with a vengeance. Then he brought his knee up into her stomach and she slid down the door in pain. He was such a fucking asshole! He wasn’t hitting her anymore, she realized.

The door behind her back slammed open and pushed her a few feet as Buffy used all her strength the push it open. Shortly after that an eerily strong light filled the room. “Let him go!” Buffy screamed.

Faith’s eyes adjusted and she looked up to see Giles tied to a chair. Blood was pouring from several wounds in his chest and abdomen. Angelus was stooping behind him with a knife to his throat. “Nah,” he answered, “or at least not until you get the witch to stop her spell, cause Buff… I’m not leaving here with a soul.”

“Then you’re not leaving here,” Buffy answered.

“I’m sensing some serious conviction Buff,” Angelus said, then stabbed Giles roughly in the shoulder, “too bad.” The knife was quickly returned to his throat and the victims screams were suppressed by a gag and duct tape. “Why don’t you just give it up Slayer? I mean... I know Faith likes me better this way, and I’m sure you would too. Hey! We could make a threesome of it!”

The Slayers just scowled. “What do you want?” Faith asked, “We’ll give it to you, just let him go.”

“And here I thought I was making that clear,” Angelus said malevolently and quickly stabbed Giles again.

“You want a threesome?” Faith asked.

Angelus chuckled, “If only it were that easy for you.”

“Okay,” Buffy said urgently. “I’ll get Willow and bring her here so you know she’s not doing the spell, then you’ll let Giles go?”

“Deal,” Angelus said mocking sincerity.

Buffy slipped quickly out the door and Faith stood there watching Angelus unsurely.

“So what do you think lover?” Angelus asked, “Will we both make it out of here?”

“I doubt it,” Faith said after a short time, “When they manage to save the day, Buffy will think of some way to make this all my fault.”

“And say that happens, and they do victoriously save the day, you don’t think my saintlier self will stick up for you? You don’t think he’ll save you? He’s known for it by now.”

Faith took a step closer, “I doubt it. He’ll be to busy with the frightening idea that maybe I knew what I was doing all along.”

“Frightening?” he asked, a laugh in his voice. “He’s seen all the horrors I’ve dragged him through and then some, you’re awfully arrogant to think that your corrupt little mind would chill him.”

“What do you really want?” Faith asked suddenly changing the subject.

Angelus looked amused, “Why doll are you planning to offer yourself to me?”

“If I thought you wanted me, I wouldn’t have asked you,” she snapped back.

“I think you should give credit where credit’s do,” he replied. “It’s easy for you to hate yourself when you lower everything you’ve done to a bare minimum, I mean, you’re no saint, I’ve seen your destruction, and been incredibly turned on by it too, but that’s not the point… You have done a lot of good, disgusted as I am by it. If you keep measuring yourself on Buffy’s holy scale, you’ll never be happy with yourself.”

“So you want to lecture and psychoanalysis me?” Faith snapped, “And here I thought I got enough of that in jail.”

“Apparently not if bedding brutal murderers is your idea of wholesome.”

“I never said it was wholesome,” Faith snapped and then grunted a short laugh, “I never even said it was a goodtime.”

“You didn’t need to say it baby, it was written all over your face,” he shot back, “three times!” When Faith didn’t answer he grinned and continued, “Gee, what’s keeping our young heroine anyway?” he pulled Giles tape off. “Maybe she needs a little incentive hmm?” with that he stabbed Giles roughly again and his brutal screams filled the closet and beyond. Faith started towards Giles, unsure of what she could do but she hadn’t made a half step when her enemy put the knife back up to his throat threateningly.

Angelus laughed maniacally and returned the tape, giving the room an abrupt and unnatural silence where there should be more then echoed screams. “I sure hope she hasn’t left you two to fend for yourselves, I know how pleased that would make you both.”

“No such luck,” Buffy replied quickly opening the closet door. Willow and Xander flanked her.

“Well,” Angelus said happily, “Now it’s a party, minus the food and drink, but I believe there’s some beers in the fridge, and I’m waiting for the right moment for sustenance.”

“Let him go Angelus! We made a deal!” Buffy screamed.

“Buuufffff!” Angelus drawled, “Do I look like the type to make deals with the enemy?”

The knife had been returned to Giles’ throat and the tape over his mouth was no longer sticky enough to hold after it had been removed and replaced a few times. His breath was raged and blood was running from the corner of his mouth. “Go and save yourselves! Don’t worry about me!” Giles pleaded. The look in his eyes revealed that he knew it was a lost cause; his Slayer would never leave a victim or a battle.

“What Angelus?” Buffy said, “I’m asking you what you want. What can I give you or get you that will assure that Giles, Xander, Willow, and Faith leave this house alive?”

“Buff,” he said happily, “You never did understand, I told you once before that not everything was about you. You think you can offer yourself up for all these lives? I don’t want to trade, I want to kill all of you, and I want to continue to kill for years to come and the only way I’ll be able to do that is if all of you are dead. And you know what?” he asked menacingly shoving the knife into Giles’ chest, “That’s just grand with me!”

Faith didn’t even know she was moving. Angelus was grinning and returning the knife back to his victims’ throat perhaps for the final assault to emphasize his words. She moved quicker then she ever had in her life, her feet touched the ground once between her and her target then her hands shot for him and her body followed her like an arrow to a bull’s-eye. The knife she had found in Xander’s pocket without him knowing buried in her target and they landed in a heap behind Giles’ with clothing showering down on them.

Faith could hear the following things as if in a dream. Buffy grabbed Giles, chair and all, and moved him out into the main room. “Get him out of here!” she screamed.

Faith looked down at the clear face of her lover, pained yet smiling, “Too bad it wasn’t a wooden stake,” he said lightly referring to the small pocketknife in his heart and when he was done talking a trickle of black blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

Faith couldn’t smile, couldn’t even move. She tried to get up but everything felt frozen. “What happened?” she asked and heard herself as though under the surface of a pool with the scene playing out just above the water. She felt her eyes watering.

“I believe we stabbed each other,” Angelus muttered still smiling. “Although I’m sure you’re much worse for the wear then I.”

Faith tried to stand; when she bent her knees underneath her so she was mounted over him it felt like they were barely attached. She clenched her teeth and eyes and held his arm down while she slowly pulled herself off his blade. While she was pulling it out of the hole it created Angelus turned his wrist slowly with a smile on his face and her eyes shot open in pain as the knife cut more of her flesh.

Once the knife was out of her she rolled off of him and to the floor to see Buffy standing above them. Her face was pale white. “Don’t worry Buff,” she said smiling somehow, “I’ll be fine. Just make sure he doesn’t stab me again would ya?” That was the last she could remember. First the room went dark black and then she lost feeling everywhere else and then she couldn’t hear anything anymore not even her own breaths in her head. She was dead.




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