A/N: Okay I know it's been ages so don't flame me because I'm finally updating. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Willow was the one who found her, worried when she hadn't come back in from outside. When she spotted the prone Slayer on the ground she called for Giles not even bothering to make sure he had heard her before racing to kneel next to Faith. The dark Slayer's body was shaking and a thin sheen of sweat coated her face and neck, Willow's eyes widened when she noticed the bite marks on her neck. The wound was red and raised and the witch hastily pressed her hands to it to staunch the flow of blood that was flowing from the wound.
"Willow, goodness what happened?" Giles asked kneeling down next to the witch.
"Vampire," Willow said indicating the neck wound she was holding, "but I'm thinking it was no normal vamp because well there's whole body shivers involved."
"Let's get her inside in case whoever it was comes back," Giles said scooping Faith up in his arms and hurriedly taking her inside, Willow's hand still firmly pressed against the brunette's neck.
Dawn greeted them in the living room with the first aid kit shrugging off their surprised looks.
"Willow's tone sounded more like a oh my god someone's bleeding to death than a I've just bought myself a shiny new crystal," she said, "what happened to her?" she asked as Giles gently put the unconscious Slayer down on the living room couch looking very much like when she had first returned.
"Normal vamp bites don't usually end with fevers do they?" Willow asked her free hand resting on Faith's forehead.
"Not usually no," Giles said a worried frown crossing his features as he wiped the bite wound with antiseptic.
They worked in silence for a couple of minutes, Giles cleaning and dressing the wound whilst Willow used a damp cloth Dawn had retrieved from the kitchen to try and cool Faith's face and neck.
"She hasn't actually lost all that much blood which is a relief but the fever is some cause for concern," Giles said as Faith groaned.
"You don't think it could be unrelated?" Dawn asked from where she was perched on the arm of the couch.
"It would be an unfortunate coincidence if it weren't," Giles reasoned.
"What can we do?" Willow asked.
"What we always do I suppose. Willow if you wouldn't mind using your computer to research any vampires that do more than simply bite their victims and Dawn and I will use my books," Giles replied.
"What about Faith?" Dawn asked.
"Well her heartbeat is steady and she is breathing fine so we will have to monitor her, make sure her fever doesn't get any worse and perhaps get in contact with Buffy and bring her back to the house with the girls if this thing is out there I'd rather we know what it was before they have to confront it," Giles said.
"Buffy should have her cell on her so I'll call her," Dawn said hopping off the couch and heading towards the kitchen.
"Giles should we be worried about this?" Willow asked when Dawn had left the room.
"If I said I wasn't concerned it would be a lie," Giles said looking down at Faith's shivering body.
"She's not going to turn is she? I mean should we be getting with the beheading which I'm not for because I'm actually starting to like Faith but I'm thinking Slayer Vampire is probably gonna cause all sorts of badness," Willow asked nervously.
"Well she's not dead so I would say not but not knowing what bit her and what effects that is going to have is what worries me," Giles said.
"Buffy's on her way," Dawn said coming back into the room, "Okay point me at the books and call me Watcher junior."
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When Buffy burst through the front door ten minutes later with Potentials in tow they still hadn't made any headway with the research. The frantic blonde Slayer ignored their greetings and rushed to kneel next to her counterpart on the couch taking in her pale and sweaty brow before turning to face her Watcher.
"What happened?" she asked as the Potentials crowded round the doorway.
"She came downstairs and went outside, I called out to her but she didn't reply. I got worried when she didn't come back in so I went out to see what she was doing and found her pretty much looking like that except she also had a bleeding neck wound," Willow said hurriedly.
"Vampire?" Buffy asked.
"We think so although we are yet to ascertain why the bite would have this effect on her," Giles said looking up from his book.
"Is she going to be okay?" one of the Potentials piped up from where they were all looking on apprehensively.
"Of course, Faith is indestructible it would take much more than a vampire bite to bring her down," Willow laughed nervously flicking a glance to the prone Slayer.
"Why don't you guys head on down to the basement and hang with Andrew," Buffy said earning her groans from the Potentials, "Now none of that I think he's getting his Star Trek on which gets him all kinds of excited and wow that sentence ended up way more dirty that I had intended," she flushed as the Potentials headed towards the basement amidst protesting grumbles.
Faith's groan pulled her attention back to the couch and the blonde Slayer grabbed hold of the other girl's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Faith, Faith can you hear me? Faith it's me B, can you open your eyes for me?" she said and was rewarded when the brunette dragged her eyes open.
"B?" she rasped.
"Yeah it's me," Buffy replied.
"No, don't, get, get away from me," Faith whimpered struggling to sit up on the couch pulling her hand from Buffy's grasp.
"Faith what's the matter it's me Buffy," Buffy asked confused at the pure terror shining through Faith's eyes.
"Y-you did, g-get away from me," Faith managed to get up from the couch and began to back away from Buffy and towards where Willow was sitting.
"Faith, I'm not going to hurt you," Buffy said edging towards the quickly retreating Slayer.
"No, no, no stay away," Faith whimpered continuing to back away only to trip and end up sprawled on Willow's lap who elicited a surprised squeal.
"Faith what's wrong? What did I do?" Buffy asked as Willow held the struggling Slayer still. Under normal circumstances the witch would have been no match for the brunette but her panic and vampire bite had seriously drained her strength.
"I-I trusted you B," Faith said sounding completely heartbroken and Buffy stopped trying to get any closer, "You said I would be s-safe b-but you lead me right to it."
"Right to what Faith? What was it that bit you?" Giles asked hoping they could get anything that would help them.
"Was a vampire, like I never seen before, it it bit me, poisoned" Faith panted beads of sweat rolling down into her eyes.
"Faith it wasn't Buffy she only just got back from patrol ten minutes ago," Willow said.
"No, s-she was B, her face, voice it was B," Faith gasped grabbing at her stomach.
"Faith do you remember everything we told you before I left for patrol, about the First?" Buffy asked edging closer to the brunette who was leaning increasingly heavier against the witch she was sitting on.
"Y-you said dead people, it can only be dead people, B's not dead," Faith groaned.
"But I was, I've died twice Faith remember, the First it can take my shape, it wasn't me. You have to believe that I would never do anything to hurt you," Buffy said kneeling down next to where Faith and Willow were sitting.
"Wasn't you," Faith repeated, "wasn't B," she said as her eyes rolled back in her head and her entire body slumped back against Willow.
"Giles we need to figure this out now," Buffy said turning to her Watcher once she was sure Faith was breathing, "You need to tell me what did this so I can go out and make with the head chopping."
"She said poison right, I mean I wasn't the only one who heard poison," Dawn said looking around the room.
"She did mention poison," Giles said leaning down to check Faith's pulse.
"Well that's good then that must narrow it down a lot. Although don't tell Spike and Angel that vampires can have poison fangs or they're going to get all kinds of jealous," Dawn smirked.
"It's not enough that the First has to torment her day and night he now sends his buddies to poison her," Buffy sighed.
"She'll be alright, we will figure this out," Giles said straightening up and placing a hand on both his Slayer's shoulders, "we always do."
"Right okay. Dawn get Kennedy, Vi and Rhona from downstairs they can help with the research. Giles book me because I'm feeling the need to hit something and I'm less likely to get with the punching if I'm helping," Buffy said standing as well, her Slayer mask well in place.
"Uh Buff think you can help me out. Starting to lose all sorts of feeling in my legs," Willow said.
"What? Oh sorry yeah Will," Buffy said apologetically gently taking Faith in her arms and placing her back on the couch.
"What's happening to you huh?" she asked softly stroking back the hair that had fallen across the younger Slayer's face. She grabbed a damp washcloth from the coffee table and wiped Faith's face and neck, the brunette's cheeks were flushed from the fever that was coursing through her body. The cloth caught on the edge of the bandage that was on Faith's neck and Buffy peeled it back slowly to take a look at the wound.
"Oh god, Giles," she said whipping around to face her Watcher, "we have to do something about this."
The older man came to have a look and his eyes widened when he saw the wound. The tissue around the edge of the puncture wounds had blackened; looking almost like it had been burnt. The veins that surrounded the wound were black and spreading like a spider's web inching their way out from the bite mark.
"The venom is making its way through her system," Giles said softly lightly fingering the wound.
"Why? What's it going to do to her?" Buffy asked hurriedly.
"I don't know, until we can figure out what it was that bit her we're in the dark," Giles sighed rubbing his forehead.
"Well let's step into the light, turn on the full beams, light a fire, whatever, let's just get out of the dark," Buffy said crossing her arms across her chest, "I am sick of this, the First wants to mess with my people well I'm going to mess with his right back. I'm going out and I'm bringing us back a new house guest, only short term so don't worry about finding bed space, we're getting answers," she said sparing a last glance at Faith before stalking towards the door and slamming it behind her.
"You couldn't have stopped her even if you tried," Willow said placing a hand on Giles' shoulder.
"Oh I am more than aware of that," Giles said looking worriedly at the door and then turning his concerned gaze to his other Slayer.
"She still respects your judgement and all just didn't want you to waste your breath trying to persuade her not to go," Dawn piped up.
"Thank you Dawn, that is most reassuring," Giles said sarcastically.
"Just trying to help," the teen shrugged.
"Yes well be helpful and pick up a book. I believe it would well serve our interests if we had some answers by the time Buffy came back."