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 Four-Trigger Happy
Max stared up at the stars, unconsciously rubbing her arms to get rid of the slight cold. She seemed to be so lost in thought, Spike almost didn't want to disturb her. He began to walk back into the house.
"You're already out here so you might as well stay," She said suddenly and turned to face him, smirking. "Spike."
"Forgot you had that special enhanced hearing," he replied sheepishly as he came to sit next to her on the steps. She laughed.
"Please, even a regular human could hear you breathing back there," she glanced at him. "And aren't you a vampire? Why do you breathe?"
"Habit," he said. Max nodded in understanding. A beat of comfortable silence passed. "Sorry about earlier."
"No problem," Max replied quickly. Spike glanced at her.
"You sure?"
"Spike, it wasn't your fault. Some trigger thing inside your head. You want me to blame someone? Sorry to disappoint, but it won't be you," she answered.
"I'm still sorry," he repeated. Max grinned.
"Thanks." Another moment passed.
"So you were made by the government?" Spike broke the silence. Max nodded. "They like to fiddle with things don't they?" She scoffed.
"Yeah, they do. Guess we have that in common. Both things that the government 'fiddled' with," she commented. Spike turned to face her. "I mean..."
"You're not a thing," he said softly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you that," she replied in the same tone. He scoffed.
"At least you're human," he retorted. Max smiled slightly.
"Yeah, that's why I can jump 2 stories, throw my opponent 100 feet, kill someone with a toothpick, go into heat 3 times a year..." her eyes suddenly went wide as she realized what she just said and glanced worriedly at Spike. He smirked.
"All helpful qualities luv," he replied. Max laughed and swatted his arm.
"Hey, I thought you weren't going to find a replacement punching bag?"
Max and Spike turned around to see Alec standing in the doorway.
"Aw, don't worry Alec. You're the only person in the world that holds that place in my heart," Max teased as she stood up. Spike's eyes snapped to look at her but she didn't notice.
"More like your fists..." Alec muttered. Max scoffed and punched his shoulder. "See?"
"Don't be such a baby."
"I'm not being a baby."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not.
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"Glad you agree," Max grinned as she headed into the house. Alec scowled after her while Spike laughed softly.
"Lemme guess. Another childish argument between Alec and Max, right?" Krit asked when they walked into the living room.
"They do that a lot?" Spike questioned as he leaned against the doorway. Jondy and Krit nodded, smiling.
"Ever since they first met," Jondy added. Max and Alec glanced quickly at each other. Buffy noticed the exchange.
"And how was that?" she asked innocently.
"You wanna tell the story or should I?" Krit asked.
"You can tell it as long as you don't make it sound dirty," Max answered. Spike's eyes widened slightly at that comment. Krit grinned.
"Well, after Max, Zack, Syl, and I blew up the DNA lab, Max and Zack were captured, as you already know. So Manticore could no longer just create soldiers the scientific way. They had to do it the natural way," he gave everyone a pointed look, receiving an 'ew' face from Dawn. Max and Alec rolled their eyes.
"I said not to make it sound dirty."
"I'm not," Krit argued. "So guess who got paired off?"
"I've got a wild guess," Spike muttered. Max glanced at him but didn't say anything.
"Alec didn't make a very good first impression," Krit continued. "He's the clone of our dead crazy-gone-murdering brother you see. It startled Max but after hearing Alec's designation she knew it couldn't be him. Alec shoved his foot down his mouth when he started insulting us 09ers. To make matters worse, he suddenly takes his shirt off and explains that he and Max are supposed to 'copulate' every night until she gets pregnant." Spike's eyes widened even more.
"Ew," Dawn commented.
"Of course, I didn't want to do anything as gross as touch Alec no matter how hot he looked without a shirt," Max joked. Spike, Alec, and Buffy shot her surprised looks. "It's called a joke guys. Look it up."
"Says you," Alec retorted, smirking. Max rolled her eyes.
"Would you like to tell the final part of the story?" she gave him a pointed look. His face flushed slightly and he shook his head. Max smirked. "As some of you have already guessed, the only way I would touch Alec is if it was if it involved punching and/or kicking. Which is what I did. Kicked him across the room and said..." she poked Alec's side for him to finish the story.
"'That's the only physical contact you and I are going to have'," he recited in a monotone. Max grinned in satisfaction. Buffy frowned suddenly.
"Wait...you said earlier that you gave Alec a nickname. But Krit said all he had was a designation?" she questioned. Max nodded in confirmation. "So that means you actually did name him 'Alec'?"
"Yup. My other choice was Dick but I just couldn't torture him like that," Max replied with faux sincerity as she ruffled Alec's hair. Spike frowned slightly at the exchange.
Giles entered the room. "Buffy, might I have a word?"
"Have a sentence even," she used a familiar joke. Giles smiled slightly.
"Yes...quite," he replied as he led her into the kitchen.
"Well, it'll be morning in about 5 hours...better get to sleep," Dawn commented.
"You guys are tired?" Jondy asked the others. Everyone except Max and Spike nodded.
"Aren't you?" Kennedy asked before stifling a yawn. Jondy and Max exchanged a look.
"We have shark DNA," Max explained. "We can stay awake for like 3 days if we wanted to."
"That'll be helpful in our battle against evil," Anya replied.
"So you are gonna help us?" Dawn asked with a hopeful smile. The transgenics looked at each other.
"I guess so," Alec answered with a shrug.
"Once more with a little less feeling," Xander quipped. Max cleared her throat.
"We'd be happy to help you. Alec's just being an ass," she shot him a look. He just rolled his eyes.
"Are you gonna stay here?" Dawn asked. Just then Buffy and Giles walked back into the room. "Can they?" Buffy gave her a questioning look.
"You're gonna have to help me with that one. I only just caught the ending," she replied.
"Dawnie wants to know if the transgenics can stay here instead of the hotel," Xander informed her.
"It's okay, we don't want to impose too much," Max said hurriedly.
"It's fine," Buffy replied. "I'm sure we can make more room."
"Seriously, we don't need to stay here. Our hotel room isn't actually that bad, really," Max continued. Spike rolled his eyes.
"Stop refusing the offer. It'll be more convenient this way," he said.
"How so?" Jondy asked.
"You can help the little 'bits train," he answered.
"And where do you sleep?" Max questioned with an eyebrow raised.
"He sleeps in the basement," Buffy replied.
"Any potentials sleeping down there?" Krit asked. Spike shook his head.
"Then that'll be our place," Alec confirmed. Kennedy rolled her eyes.
"Can't stand being in the same room with a bunch of potentially powerful girls?" she guessed. Jondy scoffed.
"Please, that's almost like heaven for him," she joked and then took a second look at the potentials. "But I think you're a little underage for me to talk about that." Kennedy's expression changed to a defiant one.
"I'll have you know..." she began but stopped when she realized Jondy wasn't paying attention to her. She sighed angrily and sat back down on the couch.
"Hey guys," Buffy got their attention. "Giles and I are going out for a while. Slayer business stuff. We'll be back soon."
As people began to file out of the room and set out their sleeping bags, Wood approached Spike.
"Hey, I'd like to get a few things from my home and I'd like your help. Are you busy?" he asked. Spike shrugged.
"Not really. It won't take long will it?" Wood shook his head. "Good, cause I can't stay out too early or I might become a little dusty." He walked over to Max who was putting on her jacket. "Where you going?"
"Jondy and I are going back to the hotel to get our stuff," she looked back and forth between Spike and Wood. "You going with the principal?" He nodded. Max took note of Wood's rigid posture and slightly hostile looks towards Spike. "Be careful." She winked and then left with Jondy following.
Spike smiled slightly and turned back to Wood. "Ready?"
Hotel...
"Why are you so antsy to get outta here?" Jondy questioned Max, who was pacing around the room after she finished packing.
"I don't know. I just got this weird feeling. I can't describe it," Max replied with a worried look on her face.
"Well I can tell it's something important. You've got your 'world is ending' face. Any idea what's causing this 'feeling'?"
"I don't know...I think it has something to do with Spike, though," she bit her lip. Jondy smirked.
"Oh, it's that kinda feeling." Max sent her a look.
"I am not having those feelings toward Spike," she replied indignantly. Jondy rolled her eyes.
"I'm guessing 'we're not like that' is going to become popular again," she teased. Max sighed.
"Can we just focus on the worrying feelings and not on the fuzzy feelings I may or may not have for a vampire?"
"But the worrying feeling isn't as fun..." Jondy pretended to pout. Max sent her another look. "Fine, fine. What will help you stop worrying?"
"Let's just hurry back..."
Wood's Workshop...
"You live in a garage?" Spike questioned as he and Wood entered the darkened room.
"This is just a work room. Kind of like my sanctuary," Wood replied as he moved to flip on the lights.
"A hard day's principaling got you down, need a place to cut loose, let your hair down-so to speak," Spike said just before the light illuminated the room. Every square each of the walls was covered with wooden crosses. "What the bloody hell is this?"
"I already told you. It's my sanctuary. We live on the hellmouth, you can never be too careful. Just stay away from the walls and you'll do okay." Wood headed over to his computer.
"Bit much isn't it?" Wood didn't answer. "What's your story? Why'd you decide to help out and fight the good fight?"
"No story really. Just trying to make a difference. How bout you?"
"Not much for self reflection."
"Makes sense," Wood commented as he began typing on the computer and taking off his shirt. "You seem like the guy who just careens through life, oblivious to the damage he's doing to everyone around him."
"That a fact?"
Wood reached into a drawer and strapped on some fighting paraphernalia to his arms. "I know more about you than you think. You see, I've been looking for you for a very long time." He turned to face Spike. "Ever since you killed my mother. The slayer."
"So that's it? Brought me here to kill me?"
"No, I wanna kill the monster who took my mother from me," Wood replied before turning back to his computer and clicking the mouse. Early One Morning began to play. Spike tried to fight his reaction, but the demon overtook him. He let out a loud roar as he changed to vampire facade. "There he is."
Out on the streets...
Max and Jondy were heading back to Buffy's house. They suddenly stopped walking as a loud roar reached their sensitive ears. They exchanged glances.
"What the hell was that?" Jondy asked. Max's expression suddenly changed to one of worry.
"It's Spike," her voice was low. Jondy looked at her in confusion.
"How can you tell?"
"I just know." Before Jondy could say anything else, Max took off in a blur.
Wood's Workshop...
Wood repeatedly punched Spike in the face. Spike just growled back. "That's right dog, fight back." He didn't. Wood picked him up and slammed his face against the wall. Smoke began to rise as the crosses scorched Spike's flesh. Wood pulled him away and hurled him across the room. He crashed into a shelf that collapsed on him as he hit the ground. Wood stalked over to him. "Hurts doesn't it?" He accented every point with a punch to Spike's face. "Is this what it felt like? When you beat the life out of her? Toyed with her? When you snapped her neck?!"
Spike's Flashback...
"You want to run don't you?" his mother taunted. "You finally got your wish didn't you? Sank your teeth into me? An eternal kiss."
William shook his head. "No, I only wanted to make you better," he said, close to tears.
"I loved you. But not like this." His mother moved to kiss him.
"Exactly like this. What you've always wanted." William shoved her away, knocking her down.
"No!" he cried out. His mother transformed into vampire facade and swung her cane at him. He grabbed it and snapped it in two.
"There, there precious. It will only hurt for a moment."
"I'm sorry."
End Flashback...
Wood was about to stake Spike but stopped when he heard him say those words. "What did you say?"
"I'm sorry."
Flashback...
William shoved the wooden cane shaft into his mother's heart. Her vampire face melted away and stared at him in shock before turning to dust.
End Flashback...
Spike reached up and stopped Wood from staking him. He kicked him away.
"You think sorry's going to fix what you've done?" Wood yelled.
"I wasn't talking to you," Spike replied as he punched him. "I don't give a piss about your mum. She was a slayer. I was a vampire. That's how the game is played."
"You took my childhood. You took her away. She was all I had. She was my world." He tried to punch Spike but he just pushed him off.
"And you weren't hers. Doesn't that piss you off?" Wood spun and tried to kick Spike. Spike knocked him down and grabbed his leg. "I know slayers." He hurled Wood into the wall. "They always fight alone. The rest of us be damned. Your mother was no different." He kneeled in front of Wood. "See, like you, I loved my mum. So much I turned her into a vampire. Said some nasty things to me after that. Been weighing on me for a while. But thanks to you, I've realized something. Unlike you, I had a mother who loved me back. My mother loved me with all her heart. I was her world." He got up and turned Early One Morning back on, unfazed. "Thanks, doc. I got my free will back. I'm not under the First's control or anyone else's."
Just then, Max swung open the door. Spike and Wood both looked at her.
"What the hell is going on?" she asked angrily, eyes blazing. Spike smirked.
"Just letting ol' Robin here know that I'm grateful for his help," he replied. Buffy ran into the room, her face appeared tear-streaked but she wasn't crying.
"Oh my god..." she breathed when she saw Wood.
"I let him live. On account that I killed his mother," Spike began, ignoring the looks of shock from both females. "He even so much as looks at me funny again...I'll kill him." He walked out of the room. Buffy motioned for Max to follow him. She complied and Buffy walked over to help Wood.
"Spike!" Max caught up with him on the street. "What the hell was that back there? You killed Wood's mom?" Her face was flushed, eyes still blazing but her expression was more shocked and worried than annoyed.
"His mum was a slayer. Killed her back when I didn't have a soul," Spike explained. Max didn't say anything and they both stopped walking. "What? No cries of hatred? No fists go flying?" he looked at her expectantly. Her eyes narrowed.
"What kind of person do you think I am?" she asked angrily. "You just said it was backwhen you didn't have a soul. Don't give me that 'hatred' crap."
"What makes you think that I'm any different than that vampire without a soul? You don't know me," Spike retorted in the same tone. "I may be doing some good now but that doesn't change what've I've done in the past." Max scoffed.
"When was the last time you killed someone with free will?" she countered. Spike didn't answer. "Thought so. Look, I don't know what your problem is, but obviously someone's been stuffing your bleached head with some pretty screwed up ideas on what makes a person bad or good. You may have been evil for 100 plus years but that doesn't change anything. You're 'good' now right? That's what counts. Don't be ragging on yourself for something you did a long time ago. And don't expect me to blame you or hate you. I've done some things I'm not proud of either. None of which probably compare to what you've been through, I'm sure. But I know what good is. And whether you want to actually completely accept it or not...you're it." She made her last point by lightly poking his chest. She then turned around and walked away, leaving a very surprised vampire to ponder what she just said. Neither noticed another blonde standing in the shadows, obviously shocked as well.
A/N-This chapter turned out a little different than I expected but I hope you guys like it...Review please!
LadyV77-Yeah, Faith will be coming back too. Eventually I'll explain why Syl isn't there. She was in my other fic but I wanted to try writing Jondy.
Sky Angel-Oops...I missed that when I was editing. Thanks for pointing it out. It's fixed now ;o)
RavynJensen-I love writing and I have a lot of free time on my hands lately. I don't think she really deserves him either, which is why the pairing between them might change. If enough people feel strongly against it then it definitely will change.
cora-There will definitely be Max/Spike pairing. I never really thought Buffy and him should be together since she had just been so mean to him...
ontheDL-Since she is kinda obsessed with saving the world (as it is her job) I figured that would be the thing she'd say.
Angel Of Darkness231-I'm glad you enjoyed it ;o)