Title: Keep Me Cold
Author: Crazy_Girl_Mary
Email: crazy_girl_mary@yahoo.com
Feedback: It's a beautiful thing! So email me already damnit!
Disclaimer: They’re all Joss’ and probably some other people but hey I’m a rebel so I play if I want damn it!
Summary: Sequel to Hot to Cold. Faith has turned against the Scoobies and after giving into Angelus he made her a vampire. They obtained the list of Potential Slayers and slaughter will begin but sooner or later they'll end up in Sunnydale. This fic coincides with The First problem on Buffy so I guess it's an Alternate Universe. Uncomplete! I'll be posting new sections as I write them.
Pairings: Faith/Angelus so far.
Category: angst and suspense I suppose.
Spoilers: Spoilers for the episodes where The First is in Sunnydale. No Angel spoilers. Sorry people I don't know the episodes so just read it.
Rating: NC-17 for graphic torture and sexuality.
Author’s Comments: Hey guys! Check me out! I'm so on top of that request for the sequel! This fic is dedicated to Jezzie who supported me, and told me the things I needed to hear and pushed me to make a sequel. I’m having a ball writing it and I don’t know that I would’ve without her requests. Also thank you for all the feedback and requests. When people email me and tell me how I really can grasp the character of Angelus or describe the way his eyes roam over a tortured body makes me feel like I might just be doing this right and I may just have a grip on this whole writing thing. Also thanks in advance to anyone who may feel the urge to email me because I suck. Please do! I love it. I wanna know why I suck or what sucks.

More Sunnydale...


Faith enjoyed each step her feet took on the cool sidewalk as she made her way to the slayer’s house. “Thought we could patrol some,” she said after Buffy answered her knocking.

Buffy looked around outside, “Why don’t you come in for a minute?”

Faith looked around also, but she seemed to be looking for something a little more definite and Buffy was almost afraid to find out what. It seemed Faith had always brought some kind of trouble with her to Sunnydale and the last thing Buffy and the potentials and everyone else needed was more trouble. She stepped back inside the doorway to allow Faith in then she closed the door behind her.

Faith bit back a smile at all the somber little faces gathered around the living room, apparently she had interrupted a meeting. She noticed right away who was missing, the dark haired girl who thought she was already the chosen one. Willow had red circles around her eyes, telltale signs that the two had been lovers. Funny, she never imaged Will for the cradle robbing type. “What’s up?” she asked looking back to Buffy.

“We’re short a potential, Kennedy,” Buffy said, looking all business but Faith could see the tint of fear in her eyes.

“Well what are we all doing sitting around?” Faith asked, “Let’s go find her.”

“We can’t just go running out into the woods and look for her. She could be anywhere, and we have no idea what’s taken her,” Buffy said.

“No idea?” a potential called out, “The First!”

“Maybe not, there are all kinds of other problems now… she could’ve just run off herself,” even as Buffy said it she knew it wasn’t likely.

“You know she didn’t,” Willow said solemnly from across the room where Dawn and Xander were flanking her and rubbing her back at intervals.

“Well fuck this sitting around shit B!” Faith said angrily, “Let’s get out there and find her before it’s too late!”

The girls all nodded and murmured consent. “Wait,” Buffy said as they all started to stand up, “Let’s think about this.”

“What’s there to think about?” Faith asked and Buffy could see she definitely had the popular vote.

“Maybe just the two of us should go?” Buffy asked. She thought she saw the hints of a smile on Faith’s lips, like she was shocked and happy that Buffy would want to do something with just her, even if it was something seemingly dangerous.

“I’ll stay with the girls, keep ‘em safe,” Spike said from his leaning position against the doorjamb.

Buffy nodded to him and grabbed her duster from the coat tree by the door. “We’ll be back with her Will,” she said to the redhead who was on the edge of distraught. She nodded solemnly back and that was all Buffy needed to push her out the door and on her way. Her and Faith made their way quickly to the closest and largest graveyard Sunnydale had to offer.

“Kennedy!” Buffy screamed frantically.

“Don’t you think that might drawl a crowd?” Faith asked.

“Like who?” Buffy snapped, “There’s no one left in town but us, the whole goddamned place is falling apart and I can’t keep track of all these girls!”

“Calm down B,” Faith tried to comfort her without being to mushy, “I came to help you.”

“Thanks,” Buffy answered. Faith noticed she seemed so different, so flimsy, or was it just that she didn’t care anymore? “I just… I’m sorry I snapped, we just really have to find her.”

They were walking through the rows of headstones and mausoleums, looking for what exactly, Buffy didn’t know. “We should go to the high school,” she said after a while. “That’s where all the bad energy with The First is coming from and all.”

“Hey, you’re running this show B, I just brought a little extra brawn.” Buffy managed to crack a smile at this as Faith followed her out of the night’s third graveyard and back onto the street.

“Nice place,” Faith mentioned lightly as they entered the main hallway of the new Sunnydale High. It was still littered with debris from the riots. The walls were covered with foul, obscene graffiti. “Gotta admit, I liked the old place better, even after you guys torched it.”

She followed Buffy down the hallway to the dark basement stairs. “Do you really think she’ll be down there?” Faith asked. “We are looking for the girl right?”

Buffy didn’t answer, only motioned with her finger for silence and Faith obeyed. Her vampire senses kicked in, telling her there was a strong human at the bottom of the steps, but it wasn’t a little potential, not even the strongest of them all, Faith was sure of that.

Buffy led the way down the steps and ahead of them through the darkness Faith saw a large metal door but no guard. She turned quickly to meet the man’s tackle. She grabbed his stake wielding hand just shy of her vulnerable chest and felt the wall slam against her back.

“Wood!” Buffy yelled. He looked over at her, not loosening his grip on Faith at all, “She’s with me!”

When he looked back at Faith she was smiling seductively at him. “It’s cool Buff, I like it rough every now and then.”

“Only every now and then?” he asked taking a step back to eye her up cautiously.

“Can’t argue with that one now can I?” Faith said winking at him.

Buffy stared at the two of them. “Calm down B, we’re just making acquaintance is all,” Faith said with a smile extending her had to the man who refused to take it and earned himself a sassy blow kiss. Then she looked to the door Buffy was currently opening, “Didn’t know a high school basement needed such adequate security, then again this is Sunnydale.”

Faith followed Buffy inside and she felt the man walk in behind her, closer then she would normally consent. She looked around the room, it seemed like a normal enough room to be situated underneath a high school except for the big seal in the middle of the ground. “What is this?” Faith asked walking closer to the seal. She was about to nudge it with her foot when both Buffy and Wood grabbed her and pulled her away. “It’s a door to some horrible Hell, what else is new right?” Buffy asked.

Faith’s eyes flickered gold as she eyed the door. Did Angelus know about this? Was he hiding it from her? He had always been the open-the-hell-gate-end-the-world kinda guy. Is that the real reason he had wanted to come here? Because so far he hadn’t proved that it was to get back at Buffy. She turned back to Buffy, “I don’t see the girl anywhere down here so whaddya say we get out of here?”

Buffy glared at her, “Faith this is serious, this is the apocalypse… again.”

“Yeah I see that Buff but standing around here giving me the 411 and introducing me to the creepy night crawlers–,“ she gestured at Wood, “can wait for a time when there’s not a missing girl, can’t it?”

Buffy looked at Wood who seemed slightly offended at the comment, then to Faith. “This is important Faith. This means the death of all of us not just one girl.”

“I’m getting that B,” she said quickly, “but the girl is what we should be worrying about now… I mean Jesus when did you go all Stone Cold?”

Buffy glared at her, but she knew what Faith was saying was true. “Let’s head back to the house,” she said sullenly and Faith followed her back just as sullenly. It was still early in the night, she kept assuring herself, and there was still plenty of time to hurt her lover, or try to for that matter.

Angelus lurked just at the tree line of the Summer’s backyard watching the kitchen window intently waiting for the perfect moment. He waited until the kitchen was completely empty and he could hear the voices of his potential enemies, namely Willow and Spike out in the living room before making his move. He pushed open the back door, sure to make no telltale noises that would bring the cavalry running from all directions. Then he hefted the body in his arms up and laid her out on her back on the beautiful white tile counter, watching the blood follow the lines of the grout immediately.

He dipped his fingers along her wounds and coated them then turned to the pristine white wall, a perfect canvas behind him. He used his fingers to write a message to Buffy then kissed the girl lightly on the head and went quietly out the door.

He was at the tree line and waiting by the time Spike’s vampire nose drew him to the kitchen. He ran over to the girl and wrapped his arm around her neck, lifting her head into his arms. He checked for a pulse and not finding one he slammed his fist down on the counter so hard a few tiles broke in his wake. So melodramatic anymore, Angelus thought with a smile. Spike turned and saw the scrawled message before opening the back door, “I know you’re out there you bastard!” he screamed, “Why don’t you come out and face me?”

“All in good time boy,” Angelus said from the dark trees and Spike knew he wouldn’t be there by the time he followed the scent but he followed anyway.

He could hear the screams as the body was discovered but he kept following, running with all of his energy, wanting nothing more then to see the face of the man he knew he was chasing, to have proof that he was right. He came into a clearing and Angelus was leaning casually against a tree before him. “Well, now you caught me, did you consider what would happen when you did?” he asked.

Buffy could hear the screams inside the house… hear the panic. She pushed her way past the girls into the kitchen where Willow was sobbing over Kennedy’s body. Dawn and Xander were crying too and trying to comfort their dear friend. Buffy felt Faith right on her back. Buffy ran up to the body. “Shit,” she mumbled under her breath, “where did you find her?” she asked Xander.

“Right here,” Faith said lightly, Buffy followed her gaze to the message on the wall, “with love,” she let the words roll gently off of her tongue. Her brain kicked into action, “I know this one! We have to get her to the hospital now!”

“She doesn’t have a pulse!” Willow screamed, “She’s dead!”

“Trust me,” Faith said she looked at Buffy and for the first time in her life she felt truly excepted and trusted… ironic wasn’t it?

Buffy nodded and grabbed the girl’s body from the counter carrying her out to the car. Xander drove like a crazy person and it was only when they got to the hospital that they remembered the town was deserted and therefore the hospital was too.

“Fuck!” Faith screamed taking the girls body into her arms. “I really don’t wanna do this!”

“Do what?” Buffy asked following her down the hallway. They had left Dawn and the rest of the girls home alone hoping that Spike would get back to keep an eye on them.

Faith didn’t answer as she pushed open the operating room doors. She laid the girl on the table, “Faith what the fuck are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m gonna need your help,” she said rolling over the paddles. “I’ve seen this done a million times before, this is how he’s been playing since you last saw him.”

“Him who?” Buffy asked urgently, “What are you talking about?”

Willow and Xander were staring in horror as Faith ripped the girls shirt off. “She’s still alive, he’s given her a chemical to make her pulse stop, it’s an enchanted chemical so you’ve probably heard of it Will.”

Willow looked down at Kennedy unsure of what was happening, “If we’re too late she won’t wake up,” Willow mumbled.

“I have to shock her first,” Faith said, “Just incase it’s starting to kill her.” With that she started the paddles and shocked the little body. Then she threw the paddles away. She looked around the room urgently. “We have to pump her stomach,” Faith said. Buffy didn’t know how to do it but after Faith gathered the equipment she knew she could pretty much follow the younger girl’s lead.

After they inserted the tube into Kennedy’s lifeless stomach a green ooze and vapor started to leak out immediately. “God, he’s used a lot… sometimes he likes them to lie still.”

Her voice sounded hollow like she had seen horrors one should never have to experience, and Buffy knew she had seen her own so she knew the sound a broken woman’s voice made. Buffy marveled at the skill she used in removing the thick liquid, her assisting only by holding the tube straight and occasionally pushing on the girls stomach. Finally when no more green liquid would issue from the end of the tube she leaned forward and sucked on the tube with all her strength drawling forth the last of the poison from Kennedy’s stomach and into her own mouth. She spit the foul liquid onto the floor.

She pulled the tube quickly and carefully out and the girl let out a week cough and started to spasm on the table. “She’s having a seizure,” Faith said lightly steadying herself on the table, “you have to just let her ride it out and make sure she doesn’t hurt herself or anything,” her voice was coming slow, “then you can take us home, and don’t worry about me, it was only a little bit so I’ll be fine in no time.” With that she fainted and Buffy was barely able to catch her before she hit the ground.

Spike eyed Angelus miserably, “What are you doing back here anyway?” he asked, “Last I heard you were dust in the wind.”

“Come now Will, you know me as well as anyone, what am I doing back here?” he asked from his seat before Spike, who was shackled to the walls of the mansion basement.

“You came to claim Buffy again,” Spike stated.

“Close,” Angelus said, “I’ve moved on to bigger and better things, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna flirt with the past every now and then.”

“Faith…”

“Yeah,” Angelus replied with an evil smile, “You know me… never had much of a thing for blondes…” he ran his hand through the younger vampires bleached hair, “and the stuff she does would make you blush boy.”

“Oh I’ve been blushing a lot lately… no thanks to your Slayer though.”

“Do tell.”

Spike smiled amidst his blood soaked face, “It’s private.”

Angelus roared furiously and started beating him over and over again until his front was spotted and splattered with the younger vampire’s blood and still Spike smiled.

Faith opened her eyes. She looked around to see if she was alone before she sat up. “Hello?” she called. The lights were on in the living room and she was on the couch. “Buffy?” she asked.

Buffy came walking in slowly, “You feeling okay?” she asked as she sat down on the couch next to Faith.

“Yeah, fine, a lot better then Kennedy must be feeling.”

Buffy nodded but her face was solemn, “Why didn’t you tell me Faith?” she asked. “Why did you lie to me?”

Faith eye’s got darker and she looked down at her boots in shame. “I couldn’t… I just couldn’t ask you for help again, couldn’t come fuck up your life even more then it is with all this crap. I thought I could handle him myself, I don’t know why because it’s been so long and I haven’t been able to.”

“Why didn’t you kill him?” she asked.

“I lied about the visions. I didn’t really see anything, I just couldn’t imagine bringing Angel back. He would be heart broken that Angelus had taken over again, and I knew it could happen again. I didn’t want you to have to kill him so I used the visions to get rid of you guys so I could kill him myself,” Faith sighed.

Buffy bit back the sarcastic response pointing out that obviously it hadn’t worked.

“He got loose… he told me if I called you and told you it was over he would never want to bother you, he said he didn’t want you chasing him, he wanted me.”

“So you agreed?” Buffy asked, “and you’ve been chasing him ever since all because you didn’t want him to bother me?”

“I should’ve known he would come here sooner or later,” Faith groaned. Buffy stood up. “Let’s go out into the kitchen… there’s a few people who want to see you.”

Faith followed her, a little dizzy from the drug. When she entered the kitchen she saw Kennedy sitting at the counter sipping hot tea and Willow and Xander were around her. Faith figured it was late because everyone else was asleep.

“He knew you would save me,” Kennedy said lightly when she saw Faith enter the room, “he told me to tell you ‘no matter how hard you search for your heart you’ll never find what I’ve taken from you, never find what’s rightfully mine’.” Her eyes began to water slightly and she swirled her spoon in her mug “he made me say it over and over again until there was no way I could forget it…” she trailed of lightly. Willow rubbed her back soothingly.

Faith shuddered and looked around the room to see what reactions that brought. She was surprised when Willow took her hand, “Thank you,” she said gently.

Faith pulled her hand away, “I did nothing but allow him the opportunity,” she said harshly, “I’ll take no credit for anything but her harm.” With that she stormed from the room and grabbed up her coat on the way out. She stumbled slightly on the porch and grabbed the banister for support. She heard Buffy come out behind her and close the door.

“Where are you going Faith?” she asked.

Faith stood up straight. “I’m going to go give him what’s rightfully his,” she said pulling a stake from her jacket pocket. “Please turn around and go back to the house, let me finish this.”

“You can finish it, but I’m coming to make sure you do.”

Faith glanced over at her. Buffy imaged she had done enough emotional sharing for one night and that silence was all she desired. They walked quickly through the streets and it didn’t take Buffy long to realize they were going to the mansion. Faith obviously thought he was there.

She walked determinedly up the broken sidewalk to the big door, which was never locked. She pushed it open and the stone scrapped the stone floor loudly alerting anyone inside but Buffy doubted he would cower or run. That would be the mistake to take him to his death once and for all.

Faith suddenly turned to Buffy, “Do you trust me?” she asked and her eyelids were barely able to hold back the tears brimming there.

“Yes Faith, I trust you,” Buffy said slowly, staring into the girl’s eyes. “I always have, not always for the better, but I trust you now just as always.” Buffy looked beyond her into the mansion, “We’re going to find him, and kill him together.”

“And after that?” Faith asked suddenly, “What happens after that? I become one of the group and have everyone thinking I’m a killer or dangerous?”

“No one will think that Faith. You saved Kennedy’s life, and now we’re going to kill Angelus…” Buffy smiled, “You’ve proven yourself after your faults just like everyone else and that’s what they’ll see. If you want you can stay with me and help me forever. We’ll be a team again Faith.”

Buffy looked into the eyes of the slayer sister she had always wanted. She had always wanted Faith to be as vulnerable as everyone else around her, to need her and love her unconditionally, yet be strong enough to fight at her side and she didn’t care how selfish that made her. Faith smiled and a single tear ran down her cheek.

“That’s so good to know B!” she screamed suddenly before slamming Buffy in the head with the butt of the stake.

Buffy saw black then felt the ground rise up and collide with her knees painfully. She opened her eyes and saw Faith cocking her head so it was parallel with the floor. Buffy knew there must be an awful lot of blood because it was running into her eyes and she had to close them… then there was blackness.