Title: Turning the Screw: Something Hot
Author: Lowdeen
Disclaimer: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, and Mutant Enemy. The story contains love between two women, so if such things offend you, don't read it and upset yourself.
Author's Notes: Takes place several years or months in the future--whatever. (Totally inspired by Anne's "As Vampiresses" series)
Rating: R

Hot.

Sweaty, sticky, humid hot.

The air conditioner was busted and no amount of pounding on its plastic surface would get it working again. She'd been sitting in the suffocating heat all night and didn't really want to stick it out for the day, especially when the noon sun would make the room into a baking furnace. She put on some frayed shorts that had seen better times and a t-shirt she'd bought at a tourist stand in New Mexico. Walking out into the baking heat, she could almost feel her blood starting to boil.

"Hey," she yelled at the guy at the front desk, "the air conditioner in room 207 still isn't working."

The guy just shrugged at her, more interested in reading the paper in front of him than making a note of any customer complaints. And if Buffy Summers weren't swimming in her own sweat, she might have let it pass and continued walking. Instead, she walked over and, grabbing hold of the front of his shirt, she lifted him up over the counter and repeated again, "The air conditioner in room 207 isn't working."

She didn't care how it looked or if the guy was going to kick her out for this but there was no way she was going to spend another minute in that living inferno.

"Fuck, I'll get it fixed," he said. "Just let me down."

Opening her hands, she let him fall back onto his feet and left without another word. She really hadn't wanted to do that. It just cheapened everything when she had to use her powers to intimidate a desk clerk. It wasn't even ten o'clock yet and it looked like today was going to be another scorcher. She wiped a hand across her brow and hoped that she could go back to California in the next few days. Not like it'd be a winter wonderland there but at least her apartment had an air conditioner that worked.

She should have gone back two days ago after she'd gotten rid of that vamp's nest but she'd gotten wind of another big gathering that was set to happen soon. She just hoped it'd happen before she melted in this heat.

****

A Vampire Slayer---couldn't be called The Vampire Slayer anymore cause there were two now. Two girls to stand against every vampire and demon fate chose to throw at them. Didn't really seem like a fair fight sometimes. Especially when the odds were five to one like they were now. Buffy had found the gathering. Half of the fang gang had turned tail and run when she'd busted through the door of the crypt. Her reputation must have preceded her. The other half chose to stay and fight. Hence the unfair numbers.

But she was used to unfair numbers by now. Being the oldest surviving slayer, you get a lot of practice in.

Picking up a wrench on the floor as she flipped over the outstretched arms of one vamp, she swung it with savage force across the face of another who wasn't quick enough to duck. One down...temporarily at least. Four more. Heaving the wrench at another vamp, she didn't even wait for it to impact before whipping out a stake and turning around to ram it into the guy she'd just flipped over. Her motion was stopped by a hand that was just quick enough to come up and make a block. Just saved himself from getting dusted.

He took his luck even further by trying to backhand her across the face but she caught his arm, quickly stepping behind him and plunging the stake home, automatically knowing exactly where the heart was located. Two down. Three more. The dust obscured her vision for a few seconds as it floated down around her. It was enough of a disadvantage that she missed the kick that connected with her abdomen, driving her a few steps back before she regained her balance.

The same vamp aimed another kick at her head but the slayer ducked, sweeping the legs out of the female vampire and finishing her off as she laid momentarily helpless on the ground. Three down. Two more.

Something jumped onto her back, managing to knock the stake from her grasp. Gathering herself, she used her legs, uncoiling them with explosive power to propel both of them backwards. The grip on her body didn't loosen so she threw her head violently back, connecting with the punk's face. She went for her everpresent knife, pulling it from the sheath attached to her waist and turned, using it to slash the vamp's neck at the same time kicking behind her cause she'd caught sight of the one she'd thrown the wrench at fast approaching. The knife flashed in her hand again as she brought it forward, into one vamp's heart. Four down. One more.

She whipped the knife around and narrowly missed cutting into the last one. Moving aggressively forward, she kicked at his knee, buckling him under his own weight and then moved swiftly behind him, bringing the knife under his chin and slicing him open from ear to ear. She did it with so much force that it nearly managed to slice its head clear off of its body. Five down.

She stepped back, allowing the body to crumple to the floor. Surveying the room, she walked over to the first vamp she'd wacked who was just starting to come to. Before he could even focus his eyes, she'd turned him into a pile of dust. None left.

She took a breath, once again aware of the fact that the thin material of the shirt she had on was sticking to her skin and that the suffocating air within the crypt was making it hard to breathe. Why did vamps always have to choose the worst places to meet? For once, she'd like one of these gatherings to take place in a penthouse apartment or something.

Emerging into the night, she brushed some more undead dust from her body, making a face at how icky the whole situation was.

"You still jonesing for a nonfat yogurt after a good slay?" The question caught her off balance for a split second before she automatically moved into a defensive position, all the time silently berating herself for having let her guard down. "What's the matter B? Not happy to see me?"

Faith sat on a tombstone with a wide mocking smile on her face waiting for the blonde to answer her. She didn't look much different from the last time she'd unexpectedly turned up, clad in a white tank top and black jeans. She didn't act much different either as she raked her eyes up and down Buffy's body with reckless abandon.

Buffy felt her skin start to crawl and resisted the temptation to cross her arms over her chest. Instead, she slipped her knife out again, never taking her own eyes off of Faith. "If I knew you were going to be around, I would've bought Mr. Pointy with me."

"I'm glad you find me so special," she said with a laugh, jumping down lightly onto the ground. "Cause I sure find you special." Licking her lips, she watched with amusement as Buffy's body tensed at her lasvicious gesture.

"So are you going to talk my ear off or are we going to fight?" She didn't wait for a response, running at Faith, hoping to catch the other girl by surprise.

****

Five by five. Faith was definitely feeling her motto these days. And why wouldn't she? Life was good. And once she turned Buffy, life would be doubly good. The thing that the golden little slayer didn't get was how good it felt to lose all your inhibitions and to strip off all that morality bullshit so that you didn't feel guilty over every little kill. The freedom to do whatever you liked without that fucking voice inside your head to tell you it was wrong. It was exhilarating.

And Faith felt the need to share it with her fellow slayer cause they were the Chosen Two---a team to rival the best in history. Never mind that there was already another snot nosed slayer running around, trying to fill her shoes. Never mind that Buffy and her hadn't actually worked as a team for years now. Never mind that Buffy hated her and had since she'd hijacked her body that one time. Cause the only thing that mattered was that they belonged together. She believed it and, in a few minutes, she'd make Buffy believe it as well.

****

Faith was fast. Faster than she ever was. It probably had something to do with the demon blood mixing with slayer blood. Who knows? It wasn't like this kind of thing happened before...at least not according to the Council. The simple fact was that she was quicker than Buffy had expected and being surprised in battle was never a good thing. Especially if she also managed to sidestep your attack and grab your arm, twisting it behind your back as you committed yourself too soon as happened to Buffy.

Faith used one hand to trap the slayer's arm between their bodies while the other hand snaked its way around the front of Buffy's neck. The knife lay uselessly on the floor where it'd been dropped, tauntingly close yet just barely out of reach.

"You'll thank me later B," Faith promised soothingly, tightening her grip in anticipation of what was about to happen.

Buffy struggled, trying to break free but there was no give in the hold. There was nothing she could do and she was scared shitless because she knew Faith didn't just want to kill her. "No! Don't!" She cried as she felt the points of two fangs slipping into the soft flesh of her neck. And as she felt her blood draining out of her body, she silently wept for the girl she used to be and the soul she was about to lose.

****

Turning the Screw: Something Sweet