She tugs at them but they don’t give an inch. She glances around the room and notices two men slumped over. One of them looks suspiciously like Spike.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakes," she hears. She turns and sees a hideous demon, something that looked a like cross between Marilyn Manson and a werewolf.

She prepares to scream but the demon holds a hand over her mouth. When he releases it seconds later, Maria gasps. "Oh My God, you’ve kidnapped me! No, wait, you’ve … you've ... what’s the term for being taken by something like you?"

"Lucky," the demon claims. "You will be part of our becoming,” the demon says cryptically.

"Becoming what? Uglier than you already are?" Maria bites back.

The demon ignores her comment and continues, "The time has come. You will be part of our sacrifice. Once the blood of three humans mix with ours, we will become all powerful." The demon smirks and leaves.

"Careful, shortie, you don’t want to make them mad," a now awake Spike pipes in.

Maria turns and spits out, "You! Figures I’d be stuck here with you!"

"Yeah, you knew I couldn’t wait to get you all to myself!" Spike quips.

"Well, why don’t you do something? Help me out of these things!" she wails, as she presents her hands to him. She notices that Spike has made fast work of the ties that bound him.

"I think I like you tied up this way, Mildred!" Spike smirks.

"Spike!" Maria shrieks in frustration. Spike merely smiles. "Alright, fine. Why don't you just make those, those ugly things go away then?" she tells him.

"What do you suggest I do, flash them with my irresistible smile and charm them into letting us go?" he laughs.

"Oh, God, no, we’ll never get away from them that way!" she says cuttingly.

"I could always say "You've got the wrong species. I don't think it says, "Mix 2 parts human with 1 part vampire in the Becoming recipe," Spike says drolly.

"What? What are you talking about?" Maria blurts out, bewildered. Spike grins evilly and turns into vampire mode.

"Oh my God!," Maria cries out in shock. "This is not happening to me! I am not sitting here with a vampire. I am not having a conversation with a vampire. Especially one named Spike!” she wails.

"I hate to break this to you, shortie, but this isn’t one of those 'It was only a dream' things!" Spike cracks.

Maria thinks to herself, Why not? Why couldn't it be all a bad dream? She shakes her head as if to say, hey, if there were aliens in Roswell, why shouldn't there be vampires in Sunnydale?

A thought enters her mind.. "You’re not going to eat me are you? Because I’m anemic. Very anemic. Comes from years of sniffing cedar oil," Maria blabs nervously.

"Eat you? I’m not a cannibal!" Spike retorts.

Maria feels relieved.

"Besides, you're not my type, Mildred!" he adds.

Indignation sets in. "Will you stop calling me that! My name is Maria!" she yells at him.

"Whatever you say. Mildred." he smiles. "God!" Maria rolls her eyes and then glares at him.

As words fly between her and Spike, a slight feeling of deja vu hits Maria. There is something familiar about the sarcastic banter bandied about, something familiar about Spike's cocky manner. He reminds her of someone. Someone with spiky brown hair and a bad attitude.

"Okay, enough of this!" Spike gets up to leave.

"Wait, you can’t just leave me here!" she says.

"Why not?" Spike asks.

Maria looks up. "Because those ugly things might come back!" she argues.

"So?" he says nonchalantly.

"So, if I die, I’ll, I’ll come back as a ghost and haunt you forever. Or better yet, I’ll sic Buffy on you," Maria threatens, remembering the blonde she met today. She seemed to have a handle on Spike.

"Oooh, that just gives me chills!," Spike mocks. "On second thought, I think I’ll stick around. I’ve always wanted to watch a Becoming," he smirks.

"Spike!" she yells out in frustration.

"What, Mildred?" he smirks.

"You can’t do this! You have to help me!" she pleads.

"I'd love too but ... can’t miss my nightly manicure! So ... toodle-loo!" Spike turns to leave.

"I knew you were a wuss!" Maria calls out.

"Cute, Mildred. But it’s not going to work. Ole Spike is above such things," he saunters off.

"Wank!" she tries again.

Spike stops. "Now that wasn’t nice!" he responds.

Maria glares at him.

***

Grunts and howls emanate from the next section of the sewer.

"Today must be your lucky day, Mildred! Looks like the Slayer has arrived," he informs her.

More grunts and howls follow. "Someone’s getting their butt kicked," Spike notices.

"The Slayer?" Maria questions him.

"Yeah, your friend from earlier today. Tiny blonde, smart mouth, funny name, packs a wallop?" he explains.

"You mean Buffy?" she asks.

"Yeah, she’s kinda like you except you pack more of a whimper than a wallop." Spike mocks.

"Oh, I’ll show you a wallop!" Maria responds back.

A string of demons rush in from the adjacent room and heads for Maria. She frantically tries to get away, dragging her butt to a safe corner. "Liz is never going to believe this!" Alex would probably make some crack about her butt dragging on the floor, Maria thinks to herself.

"Spike! Buffy!" she calls out for help as the bad imitations of 'An American Werewolf in London' inch closer to her.

Spike also comes face to face with two demons. "What the hell!" He shrugs, then clobbers one and ducks as another one flies at his face. The second demon catches him by shoulder and they wrestle on the floor, exchanging blows.

Buffy drop kicks an "ugly" then whirls around and takes a jarring punch to the face. She is winded but comes up swinging. Other demons circle her and she fights them one by one.

Maria desperately claws at the rope around her hands and feet. She sees a broken piece of glass on the floor and moves towards it. Grabbing it with her fingers, she turns the glass piece inwards, trying to cut the bonds on her hands. She manages to slice pieces of her skin in the process. Wincing a little but still concentrating on the task at hand, she manages to fray the bonds just enough to loosen them. She unties the ropes binding her feet together. Seeing one demon barreling towards her,

Maria heads away from him.

Spike finally manages to get away from the demon he was wrestling with. He sees another demon advancing on Maria. Maria looks as white as a sheet with twin cheeks of red providing the only color on her face.

"Ah, hell!" Spike huffs out and cuts off the advance by slamming his head into his foe's belly. The force knocks the demon against an adjacent

wall and he collapses. "Ole Ugly face gave me a headache," he remarks to Maria as he gets up.

Another demon takes Spike by surprise and clobbers him from the back. Spike goes down. Buffy also has her hands full of the resurgent demons.

The leader of the demon pack, the one who approached Maria earlier, comes straight at Maria. "You will still be part of my becoming!" he shouts.

Maria searches for a weapon, anything to hold him off. Her eyes alight on a broken piece of pipe nearby. Her hands scrabble the floor to get it.

"I got three words for you: Kiss my butt!" With that, Maria swings the pipe at the leader’s head. A picture of Alex grinning and giving her a thumbs up sign flashes through her head.

The leader’s head snaps back from the blow but then rights itself. He smiles.

"Uh-oh, not good!" she thinks.

"You have spirit. That will make my becoming even more sweet," the demon laughs.

"Oh, yeah, let’s see how sweet this feels." She prepares to thwap him again but the demon manages to grab her wrists and take away her weapon.

"Now would be a good time to have powers," Maria thinks. A vision of a nice, big bear with nasty teeth and claws going after the head demon would be good. Or maybe a vision of vampires gang tackling him. Or having the ability to shapeshift into something like dirt. Or walking into Mr. Ugly’s mind and convince him to jump off a cliff.

Just then the demon makes a grab for Maria.

Spike rams his shoulder across the head demon’s body and manages to knock away from Maria. But the monster gets a second wind and throws Spike off of him. Spike sails a few feet and lands … on top of Maria. Buffy engages the demon.

"Oof!" Maria cries out, as she breaks Spike’s fall none too gently. Maria starts to get up but then comes face to face with Spike. A sizzle jolts Maria and she is surprised. Strange, tingly sensations course throughout her body as it cradles Spike's form. What is this? Adrenaline maybe? she thinks.

Subconsciously, she shifts, drawing his body even closer to hers. This time the sizzle turns up a notch. No, maybe not just adrenaline, she concludes as a stunned look crosses her face. What is happening here? I don't even like this guy! she wonders.

Spike seems similarly stunned. That initial surge of heat also registers in him. I don't even like humans, he tells himself. Well, except as a source of food, he mentally notes.

As Maria shifts, he feels the energy between them spike even higher. I don't really like short blondes in particular. Especially ones with snappy, sarcastic mouths that gives as good as it gets, Spike tells himself drolly. I wonder what that sarcastic mouth tastes like?

Several beats pass and he declines his head, leaning in closer to her. The question pops in his head. A look darkens his eyes, Maria seems mesmerized by that look.

Spike's mouth starts to lower on hers. A split-second later, Maria blinks ... and shoves Spike aside.

Meanwhile, Buffy and the lead demon get into some serious pummeling. Finally, Buffy whips out a stake and plunges into the demon’s heart. The demon collapses and dies.

"I thought blondes weren't your type," Maria huffs as Spike rolls off of her. She stands up quickly.

"There are SOME blondes I could get used to. Especially those who throw themselves at me," he smirks.

"Throw themselves at you? Did you just get off the Planet Delusional bus? Because if you did, I'd suggest getting massive amounts of reality immediately," she responds.

"Ah, Mildred, you wound me." Spike mocks, and clutches his heart.

"That's not all I'd like to do," Maria adds.

"I knew you liked me," he goads her.

"Uuuuuuuh!" Maria groans in frustration.

"Spike, quit playing Romeo!" Buffy calls out after witnessing the exchange between Maria and Spike.

Spike grins at Buffy. "I don’t see Mildred complaining," he defends himself.

"For the last time, my name is Maria!" she yells at him.

"Sure it is, Mildred!" he grins evilly.

Their banter is interrupted by the other prone figure in the room who awakens with a groan. He’s a man in his early forties, tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Ooooh, what happened?" he asks as he shakes his head. The trio start to walk over to him.

"You missed one helluva show, mate!" Spike responds to him.

"It’s okay, you're okay" Buffy assures him. The man blinks, then turns his gaze to the three people standing before him.

"Last thing I remember I was on my way to meet someone and then … nothing!" he explains.

"Who are you?" the man asks Buffy.

"Something out of a bad dream," Spike quips.

"Watch it, Spike!" Buffy cautions.

The man notices Maria coming towards him.

"Daddy?" Maria asks hesitantly, almost disbelieving.

"Maria?" the man asks her.

"Yes," Maria almost whispers.

"I’m Jake Donnelly. I’m a friend of your father’s," he clarifies.

"Oh!" Maria’s face drops.

"Anthony really wanted to see you. But he had to leave in a hurry. He knew you were coming here and asked me to meet with you instead."

"Where is he?" she demands.

"I can’t tell you that," the man tells her sadly.

"Why not?" she inquires.

Jake avoids the question and instead says, "He wanted me to give you a message."

"What?" Maria asks, distracted.

"He said, Tell her that I love her. That I’m thinking of her. That I never forgot her. He brought you something too," Jake adds.

"A stuffed dog?" Maria wants to clarify.

"Yes," Jake nods.

"I got it!" she remarks.

"Why didn’t he stay? Why did he say he wanted to see me, send me a ticket and not even be here?" Maria says, on the verge of tears.

"I’m sorry. I don’t know," Mr. Donnelly says apologetically.

"Why don’t you know? You’re his friend, aren’t you?" she wails, almost breaking into tears.

"Well, this is peachy," Spike interrupts. "I didn’t know I had to witness the second act of the family reunion that never was!"

"Shut up, Spike!" Buffy growls out.

"I wish I had answers for you, Maria. But I don’t," Jake says regretfully.

"He didn’t tell you anything else?" Maria prods him. At Jake’s negative shake of the head, Maria sighs in resignation.

What Jake didn’t tell was that Maria’s dad was an undercover FBI agent. He was on a break and decided to go back to return to an old haunt, Sunnydale. And reunite with his daughter. Unfortunately, a case surfaced that needed his immediate attention. Unexplained deaths through the FBI agent community were piling up rapidly. A killer was on the loose. He could be the next target.

Not wanting Maria in the crossfire in case the killer came after him, Mr. DeLuca left town in a hurry. He tried intercepting Maria's arrival but was unsuccessful. Needing to go underground for some time to search out the killer, Anthony placed a frantic call to his trusted friend Jake and advised him to leave for Sunnydale. He asked him to meet Maria. To give her a message. To protect her if necessary.

But Jake couldn’t tell Maria that. It wasn’t his secret to tell.

"This is just so typical. Him disappearing again!" she spits out.

"Hey, at least he wasn’t top billing on the 'Becoming' slide show," Spike responds. Buffy shoots a glare at him.

Jake tries to walk but staggers. Buffy helps him up.

"Let’s get out of here," Buffy suggests. "Sewer air does awful things to my hair!"

"One can only wish it did something awful to other parts of you, blondie!" Spike can’t resist adding.

Buffy throws him another killing look. "If I didn’t have midterms tomorrow, you’d be saying Hello to Mr. Spiky right about now!" she tells him.

Buffy and Mr. Donnelly walk out of the sewer.

Maria seems rooted to the spot where she is standing. Pain, sadness and disappointment makes her stare sightlessly into a spot of the wall.

"You know, staring at the wall isn’t going to make dear old dad appear anytime soon," Spike chides.

"Leave me alone," Maria says sadly, a tear escaping down her cheek.

"Awww, Mildred, you’re not gonna all sappy on me are you? Just when things were getting interesting!" he says, inexplicably trying to lighten her mood. He didn't like seeing her cry for some odd reason.

"Just go away, Spike!" she rails at him.

Spike turns to leave. "If those uglies come back, don’t say I didn’t warn you," is his parting shot.

That snaps Maria out of her stupor. She walks towards the entrance with Spike who’s still needling her, trying to get her out of her funk.

"Pick up those turtle feet, shortie! I haven’t got all day!" Spike taunts her again. "Want me to carry you over my shoulder?"

"You’re giving me all sorts of ideas here …" he tails off. "Like maybe you don’t want to leave … because you find my company irresistible."

That gets Maria. "In your dreams!" she counters.

Spike shoots eyebrows up suggestively and sweeps his gaze up and down her body as if he were having an X rated dreams.

"You are so gross!" Maria decides.

"Yeah, but you're crazy about me," Spike responds.

They reach the outside. A forest of trees surround them. Above the trees, stars seem to wink at both of them.

Maria glances at the stars and makes a wish. She drops her eyes, knowing her wish would not come true, that she would leave Sunnydale ... fatherless, as usual. Her head drops dejectedly as she turns to head towards the bus station in town.

"What, not even a goodbye kiss? No 'thank you for saving my life'? I tell you, people of this century have lost the fine art of manners!" Spike mock laments loudly enough for her to hear.

Maria stops, turns around to faces Spike and says bitingly, "I would thank you but I’d have to kill you."

"Ah, Mildred, when you say things like that, people will think we’re in love," Spike toys with her.

"Bite me!" Maria halts as realizes what she just said.

"Is that an open invitation, Mildred?" Spike smiles.

"No, it's not!" she says heatedly.

Maria takes a deep breath.

"Thank you, Spike," she tells him softly after a pause.

Spike stares at her a few seconds.

"Any time, Mildred. Any time, Mildred." Spike trots off with a smile on his face.

Maria watches him leave, a slight grin crossing her face. Funny, she thinks to herself, I came to Sunnydale to find my Dad. Instead I found ... Spike. And a stuffed dog. Figures!

Maria heads to the downtown bus station, detouring slightly to pick up a discarded Prince near her father's hotel. Thoughts crowd her head as she boards the bus, then the plane for home. Thoughts of demons, slayers, bizarre supernatural rituals. Thoughts of a father almost found, then lost again. But mainly thoughts about a vampire named Spike.