California Trippin'

Disclaimer-I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Dark Angel, only the parts that I make up in this story.

Summary-This is a crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Max, Alec, Jondy, and Krit leave Seattle in need of a vacation. Everything has blown over with the transgenics and familiars. The virus between Max and Logan is cured but they aren't together. The transgenics are free to roam around without the hate groups and so they decide to go to California, where Buffy and the gang are dealing with the First.

Chapter Three-New Allies

"You're a what?" Xander asked.

"Transgenic," Krit repeated. Xander still looked dumbfounded.

"And a transgenic is..." Willow waved her hand for them to continue.

"A genetically enhanced killing machine created by a bunch of bored government lab geeks who decided they like to play god," Max recited. A beat passed.

"But you're not evil?" Buffy questioned.

"Nope," Alec answered. Jondy and Max gave him a look. "Okay well they sent the older transgenics on mission that sometimes resulted in killing someone...but I didn't actually know any better."

"What do you mean you didn't know better?" Spike asked. Off their questioning looks he added, "I mean, didn't you all go on this 'missions'?"

"Nope," Alec replied and gestured to the others. "These three and nine others got out when they were kids. They were pretty much the only ones who realized what was going on." He flung his arm around Max. "But this little girlie here came back with Krit, Syl, and Zack to blow up the DNA lab."

"DNA lab?" Andrew interrupted, obviously interested.

"Yeah, it's where they whipped up embryos and put 'em in surrogates," Alec answered.

"Awesome," Andrew breathed. Xander shot him a look before he could say anything else.

"So you blew it up, then what?" Buffy prodded.

"My brother and I got captured," Max explained. "I got shot in the heart, died, Zack shot himself in the head, donated his heart to me, I lived, Zack became a universal donor, still alive but with like, no memory." A minute passed.

"How could he survive a shot to the head?" Spike asked, bewildered.

"Oh, we have accelerated healing abilities," Jondy replied. Buffy and Spike exchanged a look.

"We do too," Buffy said.

"Lemme guess," Max began, smiling. "You're 'the slayer'?"

"Yeah...how'd you know?" Buffy asked, obviously surprised. Max scoffed.

"That vampire kept talking about one and since you didn't seem surprised to see one go 'poof' I figured, hey, why not?"

"You didn't seem surprised either luv," Spike pointed out. Max grinned.

"Please, it scared the hell out of me. I didn't even mean to knock his head off. Guess you vamps have fragile heads, huh?" Spike looked shocked. "What? I have excellent hearing too remember?"

"And your heart ain't beating dude," Jondy added.

"And yet you're not scared?" Willow asked. The transgenics shook their heads.

"So long as he doesn't start trying to sink his teeth into my neck, it's all good," Max said. "But there was that moment back at the cemetery where you lunged at me. I think I handled that pretty well though, don't ya think?" Xander looked pleased at Spike's obvious discomfort.

"What did you do to dead boy? Throw him? Punch him? Kick him? Please let the story have a 'flying' ending," he grinned. Spike rolled his eyes.

"Shut up whelp," he growled.

"Make me Captain Peroxide," Xander retorted.

"Could cut the sexual tension in here with a knife," Jondy stage-whispered to Max. She tried to hide her laugh but a giggle slipped out.

"Oi! There's nothing sexual going on here!" Spike cried out, eyes wide. Xander looked equally disturbed. More giggles.

"So what's a slayer?" Alec asked Buffy, eager to change the subject. She was also trying to hide her laughs and was welcome to the new topic.

"In every generation, a slayer is born. She alone will stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness," she recited with faux-drama. "Also known as the Chosen One. Basically I'm a super girl with super powers who wasn't supposed to live passed my 18th birthday."

"Wow, that sounds kinda like Max. 'Cept for the not living past her 18th birthday, obviously," Alec commented.

"Oh yeah," Krit remembered. "There was a prophecy of sorts about a year and a half ago about a 'chosen one' or something. It turned out Max's blood would save the world from these guys called familiars who wanted to poison all the humans. She actually basically stopped it before it happened though. But the creepy part was that the prophecy popped up on her skin when she was a Crash, talking with Alec. Logan translated them and it came out something like..."

"When the shroud of death covers the earth, the one whose power is hidden will deliver the helpless," Max finished. Spike stared at her.

"Bugger. I hate prophecies. They always have to be vague. Never tell you straight up what's gonna happen," he commented. Buffy frowned slightly.

"How come I didn't know about this? Isn't it supposed to be my job to save the world?" she questioned.

"Maybe you wouldn't have been able to do anything so no one told you," Willow offered.

"Oh that's comforting," Buffy mumbled.

"Well it's over now. I don't think I'll be playing any major roles in any upcoming apocalypses. The world saving is all yours," Max replied.

"Sorry I didn't mean to come off as..." Buffy began. Max waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

"No biggie Buffy. It's all good. I know you been saving the world a lot longer. I think it was just a one-time gig for me," she smiled reassuringly. Buffy smiled weakly back.

"So who's Logan?" Spike asked, trying to look casual.

"To quote what you said earlier, 'an old poof of a boyfriend'," Alec answered before Max could. She shot him an angry look. "Except he actually is old."

"Not as old as you probably are but still old," Krit added. Max rolled her eyes.

"So you like the old ones, huh?" Dawn joined the conversation. "Buffy likes 'em too. She's dated two vampires." Buffy glared at her.

"I don't think these people are interested in my love life," she replied.

"Actually what she just said sounded very interesting," Alec commented. Buffy glanced at him. "You've dated two vampires?"

"Wow," Jondy simply said.

"Well Angel had a soul..." Buffy tried to explain.

"But I didn't," Spike added. Max looked surprised.

"You two dated?"

"More like they had secret bunny sex," Dawn replied.

"Bunnies? What bunnies?" Anya asked, obviously worried.

"Can we change the subject please?" Buffy pleaded, blushing a bright red.

"Well, what else do you want to know about us?" Krit asked.

"How are you able to blur like you did back at the graveyard?" Buffy questioned.

"Little helpful gift from Manticore," Max answered. "We can also jump really high and all that."

"Cat DNA," Jondy explained.

"Whoa," Xander said, eyes wide.

"And why are you all so pretty?" Anya asked suddenly.

"Another helpful gift," Alec replied, smirking.

"Of course, there are some drawbacks," Krit added, glancing at Jondy and Max. "About three times a year..."

"We get really hyper, nothing special, just act crazy like that," Max interrupted quickly and then laughed nervously. She and Jondy glared at Krit.

"I don't think they need to hear about our cycles," Jondy whispered under her breath to him before poking his side. Spike turned his head to the side, eyebrows furrowed. He obviously heard it and Max smiled weakly. He just smirked back.

"But you transgenics are good right?" Anya asked. They nodded. "Are you gonna help us fight the First Evil?" They looked at each other, slightly uncomfortable.

"Um, we dunno..." Max replied, fidgeting.

"It's okay. We didn't mean to put you on the spot like that," Buffy said, giving Anya a pointed look.

"But it would be incredibly helpful," Willow added.

"Could always use more super-heroes," Spike smirked. Max opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted when the front door opened. Giles and Wood entered the room.

"I've been looking for you Buffy, where were you?" Giles asked.

"Patrolling," Buffy answered. "Why?" Giles held up a small box.

"I think we should try this sooner rather than later," he replied.

"What's in the box?" Alec questioned.

"A Prokaryote stone that will..." he suddenly realized who he was talking to. "Who are you?" He glanced around the living room. "And who are these other people?"

"Oh, Giles, Wood, this is Alec, Max, Krit, and Jondy," Buffy explained, pointing to each person. "They're new in town."

"Are they potentials?" Wood asked. Spike scoffed.

"Far from it, mate. They're transgenics."

"And a transgenic is...what exactly?" Wood asked.

"Good people who have super powers and are going to help us in this war," Anya explained cheerfully. Giles looked bewildered.

"Are you sure?" he finally found his voice.

"Not quite sure on this whole 'helping with the war thing' but it does sound better than sitting in a hotel room all day watching tv," Jondy commented.

"I'll explain everything to you later," Buffy said to Giles. "But right now I'd like to know what this Prokky-yogurt thing is supposed to do."

"Prokaryote stone," Giles explained tiredly. "It should help with Spike's trigger situation."

"What situation?" Max asked.

"Spike used to have a chip in his head that would shock him if he hurt any living person. The First was somehow able to manipulate him so he could kill people without setting the chip off. But he couldn't remember ever doing anything like that. He'd only get a few flashes," Buffy replied.

"Right. Makes sense," The transgenics chorused.

"So how does this thing work?" Spike asked.

Basement...

"This Prokaryote stone will move within your mind to reveal the root of the trigger's power," Giles explained. "Hopefully, once you understand what is setting you off, you can break it's hold on you."

"Hopefully?" Max questioned. "You mean it might not work?"

"The stone is just a catalyst. The rest is up to Spike," Giles gestured to the chained up vampire.

"And how do you expect to get that hunk of rubble in my cranium?" Spike asked. Giles smiled slightly.

"Willow?" he held the stone out to her as she read from a large book.

"I'm not sure my pronunciation is right but...Kun'ati belek sup'sion. Bok'vata im kele'beshus. Ek'vota mor'osh boota'ke."

The stone began to look alive as it turned to liquid. Giles held the box up to Spike, who recoiled.

"Oh bollocks," he muttered as the liquid stone began to crawl onto his cheek and up into his eye. "Ow. Oh, ow!"

"What the hell is happening to him?" Max asked as she and Buffy ran to his side.

"Spike, are you alright?" Buffy questioned.

"How are we supposed to know if this thing's doing it's job?" Max began. Spike was suddenly distracted by a orange light and seemed to be looking into a far off place. "Guess that's how..."

Victorian Parlor (Spike's past)...

What the bloody hell is this...Spike thought as he looked off into another world. A man was reading to an old woman that was sitting in front of him, needle pointing. Wait...oh bollocks. Did I have to look like such a poofter back then?

"Yet her smell, it doth linger, painting pictures in my mind. Her eyes, balls of honey. Angel's harps her laugh. Oh, lark. Grant a sign if crook'd be Cupid's shaft. Hark, the lark, her name it hath spake. 'Cecily' it discharges from twixt its wee beak," William recited a familiar poem. The old woman clapped proudly.

Is that my mum? Spike thought, bewildered.

"It's magnificent. I wonder though, this Cecily whom you write so often...Would that be the Underwood's eldest daughter?" his mother inquired. William shrugged and looked down, blushing.

"Uh, no, no. I do not presume," he stammered.

"She's a lovely girl. You shouldn't be alone. You need a woman in your life," his mother pointed out. William looked up at her, smiling slightly.

"I have a woman in my life," he replied.

Bloody hell...

His mother suddenly had a coughing fit. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief as William handed her a glass of water. When she took the handkerchief away from her mouth to drink, there was blood on it.

"Should I send for Doctor Gull?" William asked, face full of concern. His mother shook her head.

"I'll be alright, it's passed. Just sit with me a while, will you?" William sat on the floor, leaning against her knee as she started needle pointing again and began to sing to him. "Early one morning, just as the sun was shining, I heard a maid sing in the valley below. 'Oh don't deceive me, oh never leave me. How could you use a poor maiden so?'" William closed his eyes as he listened to her sing.

Basement (present)...

Spike opened his eyes. They turned yellow as he vamped out with rage.

"Shit," Max muttered as he grabbed Buffy by the neck and threw her across the room into the washer and dryer. He then turned to Max and shoved her away. He growled and tried to lunge at the others but was restrained by the chains. He turned back to the cot and threw it across the room into Dawn. She shrieked as she hit the ground.

"Dawn!" Willow cried out, running to her side.

Spike suddenly reared back, like he was having a mild seizure. The stone came out of his eye and fell to the ground, solid again. He turned back to his human face and stared at the others.

"Is he okay now?" Max asked from across the room, still on the floor. He turned to look at her, shock at what he'd done shown in his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Willow, take Dawn upstairs. You guys too," Buffy pointed to Anya, Andrew, and Xander. "Check on the potentials."

"I think we'll go with you..." Jondy and Krit chorused as they followed the others. A beat of silence followed the slam of the basement door. Only Buffy, Max, Alec, Giles, Wood, and Spike remained.

"Well, that was interesting to see," Alec commented as he leaned against the railing. Max shot him a warning look.

"Can we take these sodding things off me now?" Spike gestured to the chains. "I'm fine."

"Don't you think you should take a little time to calm down?" Buffy questioned, arms crossed.

"I am calm," Spike replied. Then he turned to Giles. "This stone of yours is out right? Did it's job? I'm de-triggered right?"

"What do you remember about the song?" Giles asked, ignoring Spike's questions. He looked away before answering.

"Oh, yeah, the song. It's called 'Early One Morning'. Old folk ditty."

"Does it mean anything to you?" Wood asked.

"Nothing," Spike replied quickly. "It's just, uh, my mum. She used to sing it to me, when I was a baby." He smirked.

"And...?" Giles prodded.

"No 'and'. That's it. Look, shouldn't you go check on Dawnie? I clocked the niblet pretty fierce," Spike said to Buffy.

"She'll be fine. She's tough."

"Right, that's why she's whining up there while Willow tries to clean her up," Max replied. Buffy looked at her questioningly. "I can hear it." Spike smiled slightly at her.

"You can hear it?" Wood asked suddenly. Max nodded.

"Super hearing comes in the transgenic package," Alec explained.

"Would now be the time to explain to you about that?" Buffy asked Giles. He shook his head and glared at Spike.

"We have more pressing matters right now," he said. Spike just returned his glare.

Upstairs...

"Doesn't look like anything's broken," Willow said as the phone began to ring. Andrew went to answer it.

"Did you use some kinda magic x-ray?" Dawn asked.

"No, that's just what people usually say," Willow answered. Dawn pouted.

"So Spike's trigger has been active this whole time?" Kennedy suddenly asked. Willow shrugged.

"How can Buffy take this for granted? I mean, he lives in our house, we train with him," Rona complained.

"Chill out girl. I'm sure they're down there right now figuring out a way to fix it," Jondy replied. Rona and Kennedy suddenly looked at her and Krit.

"Who are you?" Kennedy asked.

"Jondy and Krit, meet two of our potentials Rona and Kennedy," Xander introduced them. Kennedy was about to say something when Andrew held out the phone to Willow.

"Um...there's someone on the phone for you. Fred from LA. The guy sounds kinda effeminate," he explained with a confused look on his face.

Basement...

"Spike, what is it about your mother?" Giles questioned again.

"I don't know. I got along fine with her. She was a nice lady," Spike replied.

"Well there has to be more than that."

"Well there bloody well isn't!" Spike shouted angrily. Max and Alec winced at the loud noise. Buffy sighed and began to walk over to him.

"What are you doing?" Giles asked.

"I'm unchaining him," she explained. "This is pointless. He doesn't know anything. Your stupid stone didn't work."

"It would help if he were a little more cooperative. He's blocking whatever's flooding his consciousness. He's endangering us all," Giles argued.

"So the trigger still works?" Alec asked.

"Much as ever," Giles replied in disgust.

Willow walked down the stairs. "Uh, Buffy? I just got a phone call. I'm gonna have to take off for a while. Maybe a day or two," she explained.

"Is everything alright?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about. I'll give you the full scoop later."

"Just hurry back."

"Will do," Willow replied and headed back up the stairs. Buffy walked over to Spike and began to unchain him.

"Think about what you're doing, Buffy," Giles said.

"I have," Buffy replied curtly. She finished unchaining him and walked by Max and Alec, motioning for them to follow.

"Buffy..." Giles began.

"Don't," she ordered, walking right by him and up the stairs. Giles sighed and began to follow them but Wood stopped him.

"Mr. Giles...you got a minute?" he asked.

"What's on your mind?"

"Same thing that's on yours," Wood replied, looking up the stairs.

"Spike."

"If that trigger's still working, then the First must be just waiting for the right time to use it. It's obvious that whatever it's planning, Spike is supposed to play an important role in that. Something needs to be done."

"Buffy wouldn't allow it."

"Wouldn't she listen to her watcher?"

"You don't seem to have much of an idea of the watcher-slayer dynamic."

"Matter of fact, I was raised by a watcher. Bernard Crowley. Took me in after my mother was killed."

"Crowley. New York based watcher..." Giles looked at Wood carefully. "You're Nikki Wood's son." Wood nodded. "Spike killed your mother."

"He's an instrument of evil. He'll be our undoing in this fight. Something needs to be done. You know I'm right."

"What exactly are you proposing to do?"

"I just need you to keep Buffy away for a few hours."

A/N-I'm starting to get more into the actual Buffy time line. It will of course be slightly different since Max, Alec, Jondy, and Krit are there. Please review! ;o)

Sigma1-Thanks a lot. It's hard to do but I'm glad it's been turning out good enough to read ;o)

Angel Of Darkness231-I'll do my best ;o)

ontheDL-Thanks for your support ;o) I'm glad these long chapters aren't boring...

Sky Angel-Thanks. I'm glad you like the story so much ;o)

LadyV77-She did notice he didn't, as I explained in this chapter but she didn't bother to say anything since he didn't seem like a bad vampire.

Alexandra Bruderlin-I have thought about it enough that I know that will be one of the pairings at the end of this fic. I'm glad the characters are actually in character. I'm always worried I might mess something up.

kim-I think they would be too since they are genetically enhanced soldiers and all that. I'm a M/A fan too but I wanted to try something different for this story.

anon-That does sound like interesting pairings but for this story it'll be at least Jondy and Krit for sure. And most likely Alec and Buffy, that hasn't been decided yet.