Los Angeles Livin'

Disclaimer-Anything that you recognize isn't mine.

Summary-Sequel to California Trippin'. Crossover with Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Spike was dusted during the battle with the First. Still grieving over him, Max joined Buffy, Dawn, Giles, Andrew, Faith, and Alec in going to live in Europe. But when they receive news of a slayer in desperate need of help and send Max and Andrew to check it out in LA, they encounter someone they thought they'd never see again.

Pairings-Max/Spike, Faith/Alec, Fred/Wesley, Buffy/Angel. There will probably be more pairings as the story goes on.

Chapter Two

Angel and the others were still going over plans in the conference room, minus Spike and Andrew.

"Maybe Spike was right," Angel began. "Maybe we should just go out there and look for her."

"And do what, exactly? Kill her? What's happening isn't her fault," Fred replied as she typed something on her lap top computer. Gunn was flipping through files.

"She's non compos mentis. Not that it'll matter when she's staking you through the heart," he added. Angel rolled his eyes.

"All right, look, we know that she's been sighted at these locations since her escape. Tactical's doin' a non-engagement sweep, but they'll have to cover at least 60 blocks," he explained.

"That'll take days, if we're lucky," Fred commented.

"We have to narrow it down. Witnesses said she was looking for something. We have to find out what."

"Why not start at the source?" Lorne suggested.

"The asylum?" Wesley asked. Lorne shook his head.

"No. Where this all started for her. She was abducted from home, right?"

"That was over 15 years ago," Angel reminded.

"Houses have long memories, Angel cakes," Lorne replied. "You just gotta know how to get them to talk." Angel sighed.

"Fine. Set it up. But let's get Andrew in on this, see if he knows...anything."

"Um...he's not here. I think he went after Spike," Fred told him. Angel growled in frustration.

Docks...

Spike was walking down an alley by the docks when he suddenly stopped and looked to his side.

"Right. We can play cat and mouse all night," he said before pulling Andrew by the lapels out from behind a fence. "Or I could wedgie you unconscious and be done with it." Andrew smiled nervously.

"Bravo. I see your heightened senses haven't waned, along with your Viggo Mortensen pectorals," Andrew replied. Spike rolled his eyes and walked away.

"What are you doing here, Andrew?" he asked. Andrew fell in step with him.

"This is where the action is, bro. On the mean streets. Can ya dig it?" he answered. Spike rolled his eyes again.

"Go back to Wolfram & Hart," he said curtly.

"You're obviously upset about that little bit of information I told you."

"I just want some time to think...and to look for that damn slayer."

"Thought you could use some company," Andrew replied before opening his overcoat to reveal several guns in the lining. "You're not the only one that's changed. Mr. Giles has been training me. I'm faster, stronger, and 82 more manly than the last time we..." He tripped over something and fell to the ground. He looked over to see what had caused his fall and saw a man whose throat had been slit. Andrew opened his mouth and screamed...like a girl.

Meanwhile (Elsewhere in LA)...

Max paced back and forth outside her hotel room, biting her nails. One of the slayers that was waiting with her, Halley, fidgeted with her hands and sighed.

"Could you please stop doing that? I don't even really know what we're doing and to have you being all nervous like that..." she trailed off, letting Max get the point. Max took a deep breath and then sat down next to her.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "And it's not that I'm nervous...I'm just anxious to get outta here. And all we're gonna do is follow Andrew once he leaves Wolfram & Hart, 'kay?" Halley nodded. A beat passed. "How long does it usually take slayers to gear up lightly and then get their asses out of a hotel?" Halley shrugged.

"Depends on how much time you actually give them in the first place," Gwen answered. Max rolled her eyes and stood up again, leaning against the wall.

"Can one of you go tell them to hurry up?" Max asked the six other slayers. One nodded and got up just as the remaining four slayers arrived. Max moved to stand in front of them with a scowl on her face. "Next time, if you take that long, we're leaving without you and you'll have to find another way home. Got it?"

"But we needed to put on our make..." one of the slayers began. Max got in her face, eyes blazing.

"Did I ask for you explain your complete boneheaded rudeness?" The girl shook her head, more afraid of Max then she let on. "Then don't be telling me crap I don't need to hear." She turned on her heel and led the way to the elevator. The girl turned to the others.

"Was she really that angry about us being late?" she asked nervously.

"Not all of it. She's apparently really anxious to get out of here," Halley explained.

"Stop yapping and let's go..." Max called back. The slayers immediately rushed over to her.

"Sorry," they all mumbled. Max's face softened and she took a deep breath.

"Me too," she replied softly.


Max and the slayers waited on top of a building across the street from Wolfram & Hart. They were taking turns watching it to see when Andrew would come out. A man with a long leather coat walked out but Max didn't bother to see exactly who it was. She groaned and switched places with a slayer after another 10 minutes had passed.

"What is he doing in there that would take this long?" she grumbled. Gwen looked at her.

"Really impatient tonight, aren't you?" she asked with a smirk. Max rolled her eyes.

"Just a tad," she replied sarcastically.

"Well, you don't have to wait too long anymore. Andrew just left the building," a slayer informed. Max smiled.

"Finally." She turned to the slayer. "Which way did he go?" The girl pointed west and Max led the way, keeping Andrew in sight.

They reached the docks a little while later. They continued watching Andrew until he started walking with another man, the one wearing the leather coat.

"Is it just me or does that guy have white hair?" another one of the slayers asked. Max, who had been staring at the sky instead of Andrew, turned to look. Just as her eyes fell on him, he dropped out of sight and a loud, girlish scream pierced the air.

"Finally, something to do," Max exclaimed before turning to the other girls. "Stay here, I'll go check it out." She leapt to the next roof to get closer and then jumped down in front Andrew and the other man.


"Bloody hell!" Spike cried out as raven-haired woman jumped down in front of them. She was still in a crouched position, with her shoulder-length curly hair partly covering her face.

"That's not Dana is it?" Andrew whispered fearfully to Spike. Spike rolled his eyes.

"No, you nitwit, it's..." he began. The woman slowly raised her head, her hair falling back into place. "Oh my...Max?" He swallowed.

"Oh, Max. How are you? What are you doing here?" Andrew asked. Max stood up and cautiously walked towards them. "I thought the plan was that if I show any signs of being in trouble, that would be when you stepped in."

"The plan was that if you scream like a girl at any moment, that's when I come to check on you," she replied, not taking her eyes off Spike. "Who is this?" Her voice was tight and constricted. Spike swallowed again but gave her a questioning look, as did Andrew.

"Max, my transgenic friend. Don't be silly. This is Spike. He's not dead like we thought. At least, not as much," Andrew explained. Max swallowed hard and her eyes began to tear up.

"No," she said simply.

"What? Max...it's me," Spike took a step closer to her but she quickly backed away.

"No," she repeated as her tears fell down her cheeks in a steady stream. "You're not him. You can't be. Spike died. He's not here. He left me." She ran a shaky hand through her hair as Spike watched, biting his lip.

"Luv..." he reached out to touch her and she swiftly backed up again.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed. Spike winced and quickly brought his hand back. "Spike isn't here, Spike isn't here. You're not him. Spike wouldn't have been able to get out of the hellmouth. That's what everyone told me...when I cried over him for weeks...months...Spike wouldn't come back...Spike wouldn't be willingly walking around with Andrew."

"Hey!"

"AND SPIKE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME HE WAS ALIVE!" Max shouted. Spike felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt.

"Max...please..." he begged. Max wrapped her arms around herself and stared at his feet, eyes wide.

"You're not in trouble..." she said to Andrew in a monotone. "I don't need to be here..." She glanced up and finally met Spike's eyes.

"Please...Max...don't..." he began as Max took a few slow steps backwards before rushing off and then climbing back up the building she had jumped from. "...go..." He started to go after her but a sudden, strong smell caused him to stop.

"You okay Spike?" Andrew asked. Spike didn't answer him. He just sniffed the air but kept his eyes trained on the spot where Max had been. Andrew copied his sniffing. "What's it smell like? Blood, I mean."

"Metallic, sorta," Spike answered, but his voice was constricted and it came out sounding pained. "Ever taste a penny?"

"No...Wait...no."

"Well that's how it smells..." Spike made a quick swiping motion at his eyes before turning back to Andrew. "It's stronger over here..." He began to walk away and Andrew hesitated before following him.

"You just have to talk to her, ya know," he called out. Spike stopped walking and whipped around. "You'll have to sit down with her or something, before we go back to Rome. I'm not exactly the best guy to be talking to about this..."

"I'm not the one doin' the talkin'," Spike retorted before heading off again. They came to an alley and Spike slowed his pace. "So it's true then. Max is living with you and the Scoobies?" Andrew nodded.

"Yup. And Alec, too, since he's with Faith. Willow, Kennedy, Jondy, and Krit are in Brazil. Xander's in Africa with some other transgenics. All trying to round up and train the new slayers," he explained.

"Is she happy?" Spike asked, voice pained once again. Andrew glanced at him.

"You saw and heard what she said. Take a number," he replied. Spike growled softly. "If you want, I can talk to her for you. I'm really good at the...uh, delicate personal..." Spike stopped walking and turned to face him.

"I think I can handle it on my own, thanks," he replied.

"Got it. You're a loner...playin' it cucumber, as in 'cool as a...'"

"Just keep your mouth shut."

"No problem, brother. You're a troubled hero. Creature of the night. El creatro del noche."

"Please stop."

"Living by his own rules. Unafraid of anything or anyone..." Spike growled at him. "And shutting up is a go..." Spike sniffed the air again. "What's wrong?"

"Blood. Smells stronger again."

"Like nickels?"

Spike ran around a corner, following the scent. Andrew ran after him. They found themselves in another alley where 55-gallon drums were being stored.

"Dead end..." Andrew commented. Spike ignored him as he inspected a bloody streak on the alley wall.

"It's her blood," he stated softly.

Dana appeared in the alley. She punched Andrew in the head, knocking him out. Spike punched her into a drum. She stood up and landed a punch and a kick to his body. He smashed her head into another drum. She retaliated by elbowing him in the stomach. Spike swung her by the arm across the alley. As they continued to fight, Andrew stood up and pulled a gun out of his jacket. When Dana knocked Spike down, Andrew aimed the gun at her and fired. Dana easily dodged the dart. Andrew paused to reload but Dana kicked him in the face, knocking him down again. She ran past him and out of the alley. Spike got to his feet and ran after her.

Spike lost sight of her but came across a doorway. He paused, then turned to look inside and decided to follow the hallway. After he descended the stairs at the end of the hall, he found himself in a basement. Dana was standing in the middle of the room.

"All right. No running away this time. Got your scent locked in now. Could track you for miles," Spike stated as he walked cautiously towards her.

"No escaping," Dana replied softly.

"That's right. No escaping," Spike repeated. "Now, all the same...don't wanna hurt you."

"Doesn't hurt if you hold still."

Spike exhaled, baffled. "Right..."

"Heart...and head. Have to get home. Doesn't hurt if you hold still." Spike chuckled.

"You're a real sack o' hammers aren't ya? Hey...don't worry. I used to date a girl that wasn't completely there..."

"Heart...and head. Stab the heart, cut off the head. Only way to be sure."

"That's slayer talk, isn't it?"

"Keep cutting til you see dust."

"Right. Let me explain. You got visions. Right? Vampire slayermemories kickin' around in your head. Which is tough... 'cause it sounds like you're past the midnight on the crazy clock anyway."

"Please, don't," Dana replied, cowering. "I have to get home to my son...my Robin."

"Robin?" Realization dawned on him. "Oh. Hey, you must be talkin' about Nikki, the slayer I offed back in..." Dana looked up at him. "Uh, yeah. You probably don't want to think about that, pet."

"William the Bloody," Dana stated with an accusational tone. Spike shook his head slowly at her.

"No. No. No. That's not gonna lead anywhere good. You want to focus on what's real."

"Head and heart. Don't be scared."

"Now, we're gonna..." Dana kicked him, knocking him to the ground. She quickly bent over him and plunged a needle into his neck. Spike grunted in pain as she squeezed the plunger. He punched her, knockingher off of him. He tried to get to his feet but was clearly disoriented and weak. "You little minx..." He was breathing erratically. "What did you do to me?"

"Yellows make you weak. Not weak anymore," Dana said before punching Spike repeatedly.

"Ohh! Ouahh!" Spike cried out as he fell to the ground. "All right. Now you've made me mad."

"Don't cry, they can't hear you." Dana pulled Spike's leather jacket off of him, rolling him onto the ground. She grabbed him by the arm, dragging him across the room. She deposited him at the base of some pipes. She chained him to them. "Daddy's gone. He can't hear you." She walked away.

"Goin' down...luv," Spike slurred. "One way or...hmm." Dana came back to him carrying a box of syringes.

"Piece by piece," she said as she prepared a syringe. "Yellow makes you weak. Brown makes you sleepy." Spike inhaled.

"Oh...no..." he began to pass out.

"Can't hurt me anymore..."

"You crazy little...I never..." Spike couldn't hold his head up so he rested it against the pipes, leaning it towards his right shoulder.

"Shh! Hold still...Count backwards...10...9...8...7..." Spike's vision became increasingly blurry before he blacked out completely.


Andrew woke up and stood, shakily. "Max..." he rasped. "Max." His voice became stronger. "Max!" Someone tapped his shoulder and he spun around, screaming. Gwen gave him an amused look.

"It's just me, tiger," she greeted. Andrew swallowed and touched his fingers to his head. He drew them back and saw that they were covered with blood.

"Where's Max?" he asked. Gwen nodded her head to the side. Andrew glanced over and saw Max crouched down, leaning against a wall, rocking back and forth. "Max!" Her head shot up and moonlight graced her face, showing that it was very tear-streaked. "We need to go back to Wolfram & Hart. She got him. Dana got Spike." She slowly stood and walked over to him.

"You're hurt," she stated. Andrew nodded. "The crazy slayer hurt you...and I didn't hear your scream...Did you scream?" Andrew exchanged glances with the slayers.

"Was she like this the whole time after she saw Spike?" he asked. They nodded.

"So that's why she was acting all crazy..." Halley realized. Max looked at her.

"I am not crazy," she stated. The others just raised their eyebrows. Max turned back to Andrew. "The Dana girl took Spike?" Andrew nodded again. "Then I'll go with you to Wolfram & Hart. Slayers, follow us but don't let yourselves be known." The girls nodded and they headed off.


A groggy Spike faded into consciousness. He looked around, his vision still blurry, his speech still slurred. "What'd you do..."

"Shh! Stay quiet...I'll let you go."

"You're homicidal," Spike replied, breathing heavily. "What did you do...to me?"

Dana was holding the bone saw. "Losing all your pieces. Not weak." With disturbed breathing, she glared at Spike. "Can't touch me anymore." Spike lifted his bandaged arms, realizing his hands had been removed at mid-forearm.

"Oh, god..." Spike said softly. "Can't feel...mmy..."

Dana punched him in the face. "No!" she shouted before her voice took an emotional turn. "No more daddy...no more mommy...no more hands. Can't touch me ever again."

"I never touched you," Spike tried to protest again. Dana punched him.

"Shh!"

"Stop. Stop. You've got it all wrong. Your brain's all jumbled. I never hurt you. It wasn't me. I've done my share of bad, but you're not one of 'em. It's someone else." Dana stared at him, a weird expression on her face as if she were remembering something. "You've got me confused with another man. Visions...are mixing...with your real memories...all right? Got 'em stuffed in your head. Other slayers, other places. New York...China..." Dana began to speak in Chinese. "Yeah. That's what you're remembering-other slayers."

"You killed her."

"Yes..." Spike confirmed sadly. "I did, but..."

"You killed them both," Dana interrupted.

"That and worse," Spike whispered hoarsely. "But I was never here." Dana punched him repeatedly in the face.

"Doesn't matter! Head and heart. Keep cutting til you see dust." She wielded her bone saw as she kneeled over him. Someone picked up Dana and threw her across her room. It was Angel. Dana got to her feet and Angel tried to reason with her.

"Dana...look, I'm here to help you. The man who tried to hurt you? His name is Walter Kindel. He tried to rob a liquor store five years ago, and the police shot him. He-he's dead, Dana." He slowly approached her.

"Hold still," she said, breathing shakily.

"He can't hurt you anymore," Angel continued.

"Can't hurt me, not weak anymore," Dana repeated.

"That's right."

"Strong. Slayer," Dana stated as she charged Angel, kicking him in the chest. They fought in hand-to-hand combat, and Dana kicked him across the room. They continued to trade punches and kicks, knocking over the little furniture that remained in the room. Finally, Angel grabbed her around the neck from behind and turned her to face the door.

"Now!" he shouted. Three tranquilizer darts hit Dana in the chest. She passed out and collapsed to the floor. Wesley walked over to Angel's side, and they stood over her.

Max looked around the room and spotted Spike's arms on a nearby workbench.

"Oh my god..." she breathed. Angel heard her and his eyes widened as he caught sight of Spike without his arms.

"Get the med team in here! Now!" he shouted. Spike sighed in relief.


"Get it prepped," Fred said into her cell phone as the paramedics wheeled Spike on a gurney into the ambulance. "Put surgical on standby. We'll be there in ten minutes. Oh, for god's sake! Tell the shaman no cadavers." She sighed and glanced at the medical transport cooler. "We've got his hands." She got in the ambulance with Spike. Max watched from a distance, fidgeting.

"Sure you don't want to go with him?" Angel appeared with Wesley as they escorted Dana's gurney out of the basement along with a group of armed guards. Max opened her mouth but hesitated and closed it. Angel gave her a concerned look. She opened her mouth again but was interrupted by Andrew walking up.

"I'll take it from here," he stated.

"What?" Angel asked in disbelief.

"Totally 'preciate your help on this one, big guy. Never could've found her without you, but you got enough of your own problems to worry about," Andrew continued.

"Get outta the way, Andrew."

"She's a slayer...that means she's ours."

"Yeah. Sorry. Not how it works," Angel turned to the guards. "Load her up. Don't hesitate to tranq her if she so much as..." Andrew stood up in Angel's face.

"No. I don't think you...heard me, Angel." The twelve slayers came out from behind some old cars and buildings, walking up to him. "Think we're just gonna let you take her back to your evil stronghold? No. We're not gonna let you."

"She's psychotic. And I'm not turning her over to...you."

"You don't have a choice. Check the view screen, Uhura. I got twelve Vampyr Slayers behind me, and not one of them has dated you. She's coming with us, one way or another."

"You're way outta your league. I'll just clear this with Buffy." Andrew scoffed.

"Where do you think my orders came from?" Angel's expression faltered slightly. "News flash-no one in our camp trusts you anymore. You work for Wolfram & Hart. Don't fool yourself...we're not on the same side. Thank you for your help...but, uh...we got it." Andrew gestured to the girls to get Dana. He looked at Max, who was still watching the place where the ambulance had been. "Uh...Max?" She slowly turned to look at him.

"I'm staying," she stated firmly. Andrew and the slayers gave her identical looks of disbelief. "I have some things to take care of. As do you. Take Dana back to Rome. Inform Buffy. I'll be waiting for her call." Andrew sighed but walked away with the other slayers, leaving Max with Angel and Wesley.

"So that's it? You're just gonna let them take her?" Wesley asked. Angel glanced at Max before answering.

"She's one of theirs. They can handle it. Besides...you heard the man. We've got enough problems of our own to worry about."


Spike was sitting in a hospital bed wearing a white hospital gown with his arms reattached, but bandaged. Angel walked up to the doorway. Spike scoffed.

"Come to tap-dance on the patient, have we doc? I'd give you the finger, but apparently I won't have the motor skills until the drugs wear off," he said. Angel walked up to his bedside.

"A lot of pain?" he asked.

"More than I'd like. But not as much as you would. Just what I deserve." Angel sighed.

"I didn't say that."

"No. I did. The lass thought I killed her family. And I'm supposed to what, complain 'cause hers wasn't one of the families that I did kill? I'm not saying you're right...cause uh...I'm physically incapable of saying that. But uh...for a demon...I never did think that much about the nature of evil. No. Just threw myself in. Thought it was a party. I liked the rush. The crunch. Never did look back on the victims."

"I couldn't take my eyes off 'em. I was only in it for the evil. It was everything to me. It was art. The destruction of a human being." He laughed humorlessly. "I would have considered Dana a masterpiece."

"What happens to her?"

"I dunno. Andrew and some of the new slayers took her. Didn't trust us to help her."

"Andrew double-crossed us? That's a good move," Spike replied, chuckling. "Hope for the little ponce yet." His head suddenly shot up and he looked over at Angel. "Max...did she..."

"No. Said she had some things to take care of...she's staying for... I don't know how long," Angel answered. Spike sighed and looked back at his arms.

"Figured as much..." he paused for a beat. "The tingling in my forearms tells me that the slayer's too far gone to help. She's one of us now. A monster."

"She's an innocent victim."

"So were we...once upon a time..."

"Once upon a time," Angel repeated softly.

"Everyone is, at least once in their lifetime," Max's voice rang out as she stepped into the room. Spike's eyes widened and he glanced quickly at Angel, who smiled.

"I think I'll leave you two alone..." he slowly walked out.

"You cowardly poof," Spike grumbled. Max stared into his eyes.

"Don't worry Spike. We just need to talk. I won't hurt you." Her eyes suddenly blazed. "Much." Spike gulped.

A/N-Tee hee. Hope you like this chapter. Review please!

Lozz422-Hope you enjoyed the part one of the reunion. The Big Talk will be coming up next ;o)

RavynJensen-Lol. Don't worry, Alec will be coming back in soon. Most likely not in the very next chapter but I promise he'll come in the one after that, at least. Love the name by the way ;o) I hadn't realized that was what it meant...

LadyV77-Thanks ;o) More of Max's hell ranting is coming up next...

Doza-Thanks ;o) I would've written it from the season premiere and onwards but not a lot would have changed. Only, instead of asking about Buffy, Spike would ask about Max...and Spike would NOT go off and shag Harmony as soon as he became corporeal.

Sky Angel-Thanks. I liked that part too ;o)

nights-ether-Thanks ;o) I always liked Andrew on the show.

Cora-Mopey Max can be a little dull...but she always gets over it ;o)

Angel Of Darkness231-Thanks a lot ;o) There'll be more of them coming up...