Part 26 - Date Night

There was unhappy silence in the car as Kyle followed Michael's bike back to his apartment. Tess looked uncomfortable in her seat next to him, and Maria was just sitting in the back, glowering at the bike ahead of them. If he hadn't been so concerned, Kyle would have just called off the whole thing and taken Tess home for a quiet evening together. He could think of about a dozen things to do with Tess that would be more fun than this, and some of them were even things his father would allow. But no, here he was. And why?

Because you're an idiot, he thought to himself. But mostly because you're worried about them. Something very bizarre is going on, and if Michael wants you there, you know there's a reason, because no way would Michael want to go on a double date without a reason. Kyle kept glancing back at Maria in the rear-view mirror. He was really not happy with what he saw. Even putting aside the fact that she looked ready to tear someone's head off (and Kyle devoutly hoped that it wasn't his), she didn't look too good. She was still way too pale, and every once in a while he noticed a tremor run through her body, like she was fighting off a chill. She seemed fine back at the Crashdown, but appeared to be getting worse again.

Tess gave a sudden gasp. "What?" Kyle asked quickly, returning full attention to the road in front of him.

"Michael just swerved on his bike for a minute," she answered.

Maria leaned forward between the two of them, as if she was trying to get as close to Michael as possible while still staying in the car. She closed her eyes in concentration, then leaned back. "He's fine," she said shortly as she folded her arms and returned to her glaring.

Kyle gave Tess an inquiring look. She simply shrugged in response, just as confused as he was. "Okay," he responded slowly. "If you say so." Maria didn't reply, didn't offer any further comment or explanation. Fine, if she wanted to be quiet, so be it. It was unusual for Maria, but then what wasn't today? He was going to have some civil conversation with somebody. "Tess, what did you mean back at the mall about Hanson?"

"Oh, that. I don't know. It's just kinda creepy, don't you think? He was everywhere, staring at us like he was keeping an eye on us or something. You don't think he suspects that we're not, well, from around here, do you?"

"Nah," Kyle said with certainty. "Hanson's not bright enough to be suspicious of you. Besides, you haven't done anything recently that would make anyone suspicious, have you?"

"Well, maybe something about Dagmar's disappearance?"

He shook his head as he pulled up to Michael's apartment. "Dad didn't make it an official report yet. Dagmar could just be wandering off for a few days. Dad doesn't want to overreact." He carefully parked next to Michael's bike, noticing that the other boy didn't even wait for them before heading off to his apartment.

"He wasn't staring at us," Maria said absently. When they both turned to look at her, she was already starting to get out of the car. She looked back at them impatiently. "He was staring at Isabel. Come on." She got out of the car and quickly followed Michael inside.

Kyle sighed and leaned his head back. "This was a really, really bad idea, wasn't it?"

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Oh, yeah. But don't worry. You'll have plenty of opportunities to make up for it."

"Ha, ha." He looked over at her. "Was Maria right? Was it only Isabel he was watching?"

She thought carefully for a minute. "You know, I think she is right. That's even weirder."

"Not really. Lots of guys watch Isabel. She's hot," he answered without thinking, then quickly slammed shut his mouth. Too late.

Tess was just looking at him with a little smile on her face. "Do you think so?"

"Uh, not as hot as you, of course," he quickly answered. She was smiling just a little bit too sweetly.

"Nice try, Buddha Boy." She moved to get out of the car, but he grabbed her arm, and she looked back.

"Hey, give me a break, Tess. I'm new to all this."

"All what?"

He waved his hand from himself to her. "All this. This relationship, being with someone I really care about stuff."

She gave him a real smile at that, and moved in to kiss him. When he got his breath back, he opened his eyes and gave her a weak smile. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"Of course, Kyle. Forgiveness is a virtue, after all." She got out of the car. Turning back to look in the window, she continued. "You still have lots to do to make this up to me, though."

Jumping out of his side, Kyle chased a giggling Tess into the building.

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Michael ran in to his apartment, panting. Pausing, he leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to catch his breath. He couldn't believe that he'd nearly toppled over on his bike like that. He'd just been so dizzy all of a sudden that he couldn't keep his balance. Thankfully, it had only been for a second, but it was enough to worry him. Nothing like that had ever happened before.

He ran his eyes over the apartment. Thankfully, the place was clean and ready for visitors. He closed his eyes, glad that Kyle had agreed to come over. Inviting them had been an act of desperation. He knew he ought to slow things down with Maria, but didn't think he could do it anymore on his own. They needed other people around them. Michael had a strong suspicion that his invitation to Kyle and Tess was the last act of self-control he was going to manage where Maria was concerned.

He spun around, opening his eyes as the door slammed shut behind him. Maria was standing there glaring at him. Michael instantly walked over, unable to stop himself from reaching for her.

"I don't think so, buddy," she yelled at him, jerking away before he could touch her.

He looked at her in shock. He needed to touch her, but she was all the way on the other side of the room. "Maria, come here."

"No way. You'd get to hold me if we were having some private time together, like we're supposed to have had, but no. You had to invite Kyle and Tess over, and I don't intend to put on a show for an audience. So, you don't get to touch me!" Her voice kept rising until the last was a full-fledged scream. He backed away until he was all the way at the farther wall. He could sense her fury. Maria wasn't just annoyed. She was totally pissed. He hoped there were no heavy objects near her.

Maria couldn't believe he had done this. It felt like a betrayal. All day she'd been able to think of nothing except being alone with Michael, but he must not feel the same way or there was no way he'd have invited the others over. So the two of them just stood there in tense silence, staring at each other across the room.

The door burst open and Tess ran laughing into the room, Kyle right behind her. He caught her and spun her around, both laughing. It only took them a second to pick up on the tension, though, and Kyle slowly stopped spinning, setting Tess down on her feet. Kyle protectively pulled her out of the way of fire between the other two. He might not know what was going on, but if they were going to start yelling or throwing things, he didn't want Tess stuck in the middle.

"What's going on?" Tess asked, looking from Michael to Maria, then back again. This situation was getting more and more bizarre. Oh, yeah. Buddha Boy was going to pay for this big time.

Michael tore his eyes away from Maria. "How about watching 'Braveheart'?" he asked finally, going over to the TV.

"Works for me," Kyle said, following him. "Got a new TV, huh?"

"Yeah, you heard about that?"

"Alex told me about it."

"You blew that up right after making out with Courtney, right?" Maria asked bitterly. She hadn't moved from where she was standing.

Kyle could see Michael tense up. The lights in the apartment flickered suddenly. He gave a quick look at Tess. Okay, that had better just have been a brown-out. If Michael was about to start losing it with his powers, Kyle was getting the girls out right then.

Michael looked up calmly at Maria. "We've been through that. Now's not the time to go over ancient history again."

"You're absolutely right." Maria turned to Tess and gave her a big smile. "So, what do you think? Mel Gibson okay with you?"

"I'd never say no to watching Mel Gibson," Tess answered cautiously.

"Good." Maria's whole attitude changed. Suddenly, she was a social butterfly. She pulled Tess over to the couch, chatting the whole time about the many positive attractions of Mel Gibson in a kilt.

Michael went to the kitchen to get them something to eat while they watched the video. Seeing that Maria was preoccupied with the remote, Kyle took the opportunity to whisper to Tess. "If things look like they're getting out of hand, we're out of here pronto. Okay?"

She nodded, then turned back to talking with Maria. Hearing a crash, Kyle looked over at the kitchen. Michael had dropped the plate he was holding. He got up to help.

"Problems, my alien friend?" he asked lightly. He could see the way Michael's hands were trembling.

Michael saw him looking, and turned away. "Guess I'm still a little shaken up from the near spill on the bike."

Kyle nodded. "Maybe I should carry the food in, then."

"Great."

"You're sure that's all it is?"

Michael looked at him in surprise. "What else would it be?" He went back into the other room. Kyle followed him slowly, then settled down on the couch next to Tess. His attention wasn't too focused on the movie, though. He was more concerned about the drama of Michael and Maria going on in front of him. Something was definitely up.

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Max poked his head into the room and cautiously peered about. Isabel's room looked like a tornado had hit. Things were thrown all over the room, and every available surface was covered with sweaters, shoes, or hair products. "Hello?"

Isabel looked out from the closet. "Max. Perfect timing. I need a male opinion, and I guess you'll do." He rolled his eyes as he sat down. Isabel came out and twirled about. "So, what do you think?"

Max looked at his sister carefully. "Iz, you look incredible. Perfect." It was the simple truth. He's never seen her look so beautiful. The new red blouse and simple black skirt gave her an impression of elegance. And more than that, Isabel looked happy. She practically glowed with joy. Still, he was her brother, so he needed to point something out. "Isn't that shirt just a little low-cut, though?"

Isabel laughed. "So speaks the brother. Somehow, I don't think Alex will mind." She moved over to the mirror and started to touch-up her lipstick. "I was going to wear my hair up, but then I decided to leave it down. Alex likes it loose like this."

"Tonight's important for you two, isn't it?"

She stopped and looked off into space, smiling softly. "Yes. Tonight is my turn to make Alex feel like the most important person in the galaxy." Then she looked back at Max with a sudden realization. "Why are you here, Max? Where's Liz? You two just got back together last night. Shouldn't you be off somewhere together gazing meaningfully into each other's eyes?"

Max threw the closest pillow at her, but she easily sent it flying in another direction with her powers. She was not going to let herself get wrinkled or disorganized before Alex showed up. She wanted her hair to be perfect until Alex had a chance to muss it up himself later.

"Liz is at her home sleeping. She had a headache." He looked at her in annoyance. "Stop laughing, Iz. It's the truth. She had a bad day."

"Poor baby." She was still laughing as she turned for one final look. Perfect. Alex wasn't going to know what hit him. And just in time, too, because she could hear the doorbell ringing. "Time for you to go now, brother dear. Have a nice night. Don't party too hard." Max watched, bemused, as she pushed him out of her room and then rushed past him to the door. He'd never seen Isabel so anxious before a date. Of course, Alex was special.

Isabel took a deep breath before opening the door. Alex's eyes lit up at seeing her, the way they always did. She loved that look. She sometimes felt that she could drown in those eyes and the way that they always looked at her with adoration. She quickly looked him up and down, liking what she saw. Alex looked good. He's even remembered to unbutton the top of his shirt. He looked like what he was, her ideal of strength and security and love. She wished that it hadn't taken her as long as it had to see that Alex was who she'd always needed, the one person to catch her and stand by her. Thankfully, Alex had enough patience for them both.

Alex opened his mouth to compliment her on how gorgeous she looked, but before he could say a word, he was stunned into silence by Isabel's kiss. Not one to ever argue with a kiss from Isabel Evans, he closed his eyes and enjoyed. Then the strangest thing happened. Alex suddenly had a flash of an image in his mind. It was him, standing in the doorway to his own house, groggy and somewhat confused. But what was really overwhelming was the sudden onslaught of emotions that came with the image. He could feel love, respect, a sense of total security and utter trust. It was so strong it almost knocked him off his feet. When he regained some motor control, Alex pushed Isabel back a bit.

"What?" she asked in confusion. She didn't understand why anyone would want to stop a kiss like that. She'd wanted it to go on forever.

Alex shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. Kissing Isabel could very easily become addictive. "Isabel, I think I just got a flash from you."

"You did? Of what?"

Alex couldn't help smiling. She sounded like an excited little girl about to open her Christmas presents. "It was me. I think it was the morning that Max and Liz were missing. You know, when you decided to take me up on my offer to be a test subject for alien/human flash research."

"I remember." As if she could ever forget the first flashes she'd received from him.

"And I felt what you feel for me." Alex frowned, putting his hand under her chin to make sure she was looking at him directly. "Iz, it was very flattering and all, but I'm worried that you're expecting more from me than I can give you. I'm not a knight in shining armor or a hero or anything special like that. I'm still just Alex Whitman, West Roswell geek. Don't expect too much from me. You'll just be disappointed."

Isabel couldn't help but laugh. He really didn't know how wonderful he was, did he? "Alex, I know exactly who you are. I've known who you are since that day in the hospital. You saved my brother's life. You probably saved us all when you gave Liz your blood. And you didn't even know why you were doing it, you just helped us. Do you think that's normal, that anyone else would have done something like that? Plus," and here she looked a little uncomfortable, "I've seen inside you through the flashes."

"Say what?"

"I've gotten flashes from you," she admitted, fidgeting a bit. "Ever since that first kiss. So don't worry about my not seeing you clearly. I see you more clearly than I've ever seen anything in my life."

Well, what could he really say to that? Not able to come up with anything, Alex decided to go for the more direct approach. Reaching over for her, he returned to the kiss. Let her see how much he loved her in return, that she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

The two of them probably would have stayed like that for the rest of the night, happily kissing on the front porch, but Max came to the door and asked if they were actually planning on going out that night or if they'd like to join him in watching "Biography". Reluctantly separating, Alex offered her his arm, and walked his lady away for their evening out.

Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He'd given up on trying to pay attention to the movie about an hour ago. It seemed like no matter what he tried to look at, his eyes kept going back to Maria. He couldn't stop himself from staring at the girl sitting next to Tess on the couch. She was so extraordinarily beautiful that it took his breath away. He just wanted to reach over, to kiss her and hold her, but every time he even started to move in her direction, she moved away. She didn't even look at him. It was slowly killing him. He could remember being captured once, long ago during a scouting expedition on Antar. While the treatment he received from his fellow Skins was extremely unpleasant, this was worse. But Maria had told him very emphatically that she didn't want him to touch her, and so he just sat there, trying to keep on breathing despite the heaviness in his chest at having her so close, but so unavailable.

Tess and Maria seemed to be having fun watching the movie. Kyle would have been totally content snuggled up on the couch with Tess, if it wasn't for the fact that he was certain Maria's peppy attitude was all an act. He'd been watching her carefully out of the corner of his eye since they all sat down. While she was smiling brightly and responding at all the appropriate moments, Maria had gotten paler and paler since they got there, and there was a tightness around her eyes that he didn't like one bit. And Michael didn't look much better. Kyle looked at the alien. He was still staring at Maria, watching her with a strange combination of hunger and reverence. Kyle didn't think he'd ever seen that particular expression on anyone's face. Michael hadn't spoken a words to anyone since the movie started. He just sat there, clutching the arms of his chair tight. Kyle was starting to wonder if the two of them were sick or something. A hospital was out of the question. Maybe a trip out to the Mesaliko Reservation to see River Dog? He'd heard the stories about the healing ceremony. Maybe Michael's balance, whatever that was, was out of whack again.

"I'm thirsty," Maria announced.

"I'll get you something," Kyle answered instantly, starting to get up when her voice stopped him.

"No, that's okay. I think I can manage to find my way to the kitchen without getting lost," she insisted, forcing a laugh. Kyle settled back down as Tess turned to him, using the opportunity for a kiss.

Maria smiled as she stood up and started to walk around the couch, ignoring the way Michael's eyes followed her. She had been able to feel him all through the movie and knew how much self-control he'd been exerting. It was putting her stomach in knots, and she was only living it second-hand. Why had he invited Kyle and Tess over? She was almost to the kitchen when the world started to spin around her. Reaching for the counter, Maria tried to keep herself from passing out.

Instead of the countertop, her hands met and grabbed on to Michael's arm. He'd been watching her, and could see the minute that she started to feel light-headed. Instantly, he was at her side, holding her up.

As her vision cleared, all she could see were Michael's eyes, glowing golden in the dim light. Like a cat, she thought. A hunting cat. A slight smile formed on her lips. Her breathing started to speed up, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. Just like that, her whole body felt like it received a massive dose of caffeine, like drinking ten cups of coffee filled with sugar. She'd never felt this awake or alive before. She liked it.

The the feeling faded as Michael moved away from her, breaking the physical connection. No. She didn't want it to stop - it felt too good. As he tried to step back, she grabbed his arm. "It's okay to touch me now. You have my permission," she whispered quickly.

The words were barely out of her mouth when his hands moved quickly up her arms to pull her closer. The jolt of electricity was so strong that she was surprised it didn't make something explode. Right before he kissed her, though, Michael stopped. She followed his eyes to Kyle and Tess, still sitting in front of the TV, although it didn't look like the two of them were paying much attention to the movie. She'd almost forgotten about them. Strange, they'd seemed so important a little bit ago. Now she didn't understand why she'd spent so much attention on them.

Michael could feel the laughter start to bubble up in Maria. He grinned, joining in her silent jubilation. They were standing in each other's arms. What else could possibly matter?

He nodded his head in the direction of the bedroom, and, holding hands, the two of them tiptoed into the other room. They managed to make it without catching the attention of their chaperones.

The minute they were in the room, Michael shut the door behind them and pressed Maria against it, kissing her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He didn't intend to ever let her go, and based on the way she was grabbing at him, it didn't seem that she intended to argue with that. He pulled away to look at her, pushing back her hair so that he could see her eyes. He wanted to look at her and see what she was thinking. He loved how open she was. He didn't see any doubt in her eyes. Maria wanted this, whatever it was, just as much as he did.

"Are we still fighting?" he asked as he lightly kissed her neck.

"No," she said, a little breathlessly. "We can go back to fighting later."

"Works for me." Michael undid the top few buttons of her shirt, kissing slowly ever lower and lower.

Oh, God. She closed her eyes and let herself surrender to the sensations flooding over her. Everything was so much more intense than it had ever been before, probably because she was feeling Michael's emotions in addition to her own. The cycle just kept continuing. Wrapping her fingers tightly in his hair, Maria encouraged him to keep on doing what he was doing. Very distantly, she wondered if the human body was equipped to handle this much emotional energy. She decided that she didn't really care. There was no way she could stop this, and no way she wanted to try.

When he reached her bra, Michael paused, waiting to see if she was going to stop him again. When she didn't, he gathered her up and carried her over to the bed. She opened her eyes and looked at him as he lay her down. He leaned back and looked down at her.

"You are so perfect," he whispered appreciatively. Trailing a gentle finger down her cheek, he shook his head in appreciative disbelief. "So incredibly perfect."

"So are you." She opened her arms and reached for him. "Only too far away." Grabbing his shoulders, she pulled him back down to her. Kissing, she figured turn-about was fair play and started to unbutton his shirt. Pushing it off, she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him even closer.

The flashes had started by now, coming faster and faster until they blurred into each other. Maria running through a garden filled with roses as a little girl. Michael sketching pictures of her on napkins at the Crashdown when nobody was watching. Standing on a stage singing. Holding Atherton's key and being knocked down by the vision. Feeling the tentative pressure of his hand on her chest at the Crash Festival. Watching her through the Crashdown door, hoping she'd let him in. Feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. Standing on a cliff in the light of six moons, looking down at the camps preparing for the next day's battle. The images spun through their minds until they couldn't tell where one set of memories left off and the other began. And that was okay, because they were sharing everything, all the emotions that had been locked away for so long being given freely. With each touch, with every caress, they were offering up a little bit of their souls to the other, letting down those walls and defenses that they'd so carefully built up over the years. Without fear. Without doubt or hesitation.

It was more than okay.

It was perfect.

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Kyle looked up from Tess to notice that Michael and Maria were missing. Looking at the kitchen, he saw that they weren't there, either. "Where are they?" he asked.

Tess looked around, equally confused. "I don't know." She started to get up. "It's not that big of an apartment. Where could they.............. " Her voice trailed off as she looked at him in shock. "You don't think?"

Unfortunately, he was afraid so. "Come on," he said. "Michael! Maria! Where are the two of you?" Kyle was yelling, but no answer. Stopping at the door to the bedroom, he knocked loudly. "Michael! Maria! Are you two in there?" Kyle leaned against the door, listening. There was no answer, but he could definitely hear noises inside. "Is everything all right?" he asked as he turned the doorknob and entered, hoping that they weren't sick or anything.

And stopped short in the doorway, ignoring Tess's little shriek of surprise. There the two missing ones were, tangled up together on the bed. Thank Buddha, they weren't yet at a stage where all clothes were gone, but they seemed to have a good start on it. Both shirts were already missing, and Kyle had his doubts about how long Maria's bra was staying on. And from the way their hands were wandering, most likely the rest of their clothing would be joining the discard pile soon, too.

Kyle wasn't sure whether to be impressed or shocked. He decided on both. The two of them were so into it that they hadn't even paused when the door opened. Apparently, they didn't hear him come in, despite his yells. He couldn't believe Michael invited them over, then snuck off to his room to make-out with Maria. But whatever. Remembering his deal with Tess, Kyle grabbed her hand. "Time to go, Tess. See you two later," he called over his shoulder as he tried to pull her from the room.

"Kyle, look," Tess said, stubbornly refusing to move. He glanced at her in surprise. She wanted to watch? "Look at them. They're glowing." She was looking at the two with fear.

He looked back and saw that she was right. There was a blue-white light glowing around their bodies, everywhere they were touching. He glanced back at Tess. "That's probably not a good thing, is it?" She just shook her head in confusion. Well, combined with all the other signs, it probably wasn't. "Michael! Maria! Time to come up for some air!" They didn't even pause. If anything, Michael pulled her even closer. He looked at Tess and shrugged.

"Oh, for goodness sake." Tess rolled her eyes and walked into the room. "Stop that, you two. Get a hold of yourselves. You have an audience, in case you didn't notice." This was getting beyond embarrassing. She had no intention of just standing there while two of her friends spontaneously combusted or something. She reached over and grabbed Michael's shoulder, intending to drag him off Maria. But before she could do that, Maria's arm shot out and pushed her away hard.

Tess blinked in surprise as she landed on the floor. "Ow!" That hurt. Maria hadn't even looked at her, but she packed one heck of a punch. And people thought that Michael was the volatile one in that relationship. "Kyle, get Maria away from him." Obediently, Kyle went over and grabbed Maria around the waist, pulling her off the bed and away from Michael.

All Michael could see and hear was Maria, but then she was suddenly gone. Everything was so cold suddenly. Looking up, he growled and raised his hand to stop whoever was taking her away from him. But then Tess stepped in front of him, jumping up and down to catch his attention.

"Michael! Listen to me! Something's wrong - you two were glowing. Are you listening to me?" Tess tried hard to ignore how much like Rath he looked at that moment. He had to listen to her before he did something very bad.

Maria was struggling against Kyle, kicking and trying to claw her way free, but he managed to get a good wrestling hold on her, so she wasn't going anywhere. The two of them had stopped glowing as soon as they were separated. As Tess's words started to get through to Michael, Maria could feel him start to calm down a bit. When his panic subsided and he lowered his hand, she stopped fighting, too.

Tess breathed a sigh of relief. "You were glowing, Michael. Now, does that seem normal to you?" Comprehension was slowly returning to Michael's eyes.

Michael looked over at Maria. He remembered his promise to keep her safe and knew that he couldn't take any chances. Ignoring her sudden pain, he sat back down and turned to the wall.

"It's time to leave," Tess said firmly. Grabbing Maria's shirt off the floor, she led Maria out the door. Michael didn't see them leave, but he could feel her absence.

Kyle cleared his throat and Michael looked up at him. "What's going on with the two of you?"

Michael shook his head. "I have no idea. We were really glowing?"

"Yeah. Bright blue. I'll just start calling you Alien Smurf Boy from now on." Michael ignored his weak attempt at humor, putting his head down in his hands.

"I can't seem to think clearly today," he admitted.

Kyle carefully moved a bit closer. Oh, that didn't sound good. "Are you feeling sick? Because Maria hasn't been feeling too well all day, either."

Michael's head whipped up at that and he fixed Kyle with a piercing stare. "Maria's been sick? Why didn't you tell me? She seemed fine." He started to get up, but then stopped. He kept staring at Kyle, but the way he was doing it changed. It made Kyle very nervous. Michael's eyes were growing cold and hard again. Feeling very uncomfortable suddenly, and more than a little nervous, Kyle thought about calling for Tess to come back in. Don't be stupid, he thought to himself angrily. You don't need Tess for protection. This is just Michael. Since when are you afraid of Michael? But he remembered that hand up just a minute ago, and he didn't like the look in Michael's eyes. Kyle had the very distinct impression that he had just become a hunted animal. The feeling of danger only increased when Michael continued to speak. "Why are you so interested in Maria, anyway?" Michael's voice didn't raise in volume, but his very calmness worried Kyle. This was so not Michael. And there was no way Kyle was stupid enough to think that this was a casual question. Kyle looked at the still-open door, thinking about making a hasty retreat, but Michael seemed to anticipate the move and leaned forward. So Kyle answered the question.

"Maria's like family to me, what with our unfortunate parental connection. You know that. So of course I'm going to be worried about her." Michael's eyes narrowed as if he was trying to decide whether or not to believe him, but he hadn't turned Kyle into a barbecue yet, so he decided to take that as a good sign. "You knew that! Isn't this exactly why you invited Tess and me over, Michael? So that we could be chaperones if any weird alien crap happened?"

That got through. Michael relaxed, and his eyes calmed down. "Yeah. It is." He looked up at Kyle and tried to smile. "Thanks for looking out for her. You better go. They'll be waiting for you."

Kyle nodded slowly, reluctant to leave. "Are you okay, Michael? Is there something I can get you? Aspirin covered with tabasco sauce or something?"

Michael shook his head and stood up. "No. I'm just going to go for a walk to clear my head." He looked over and smiled wryly. "I'll wait until you're gone first, though."

"Well, thanks for adding to my collection of interesting alien-related memories," Kyle said. He turned to go. As he opened the outside door, he heard Michael's voice from the bedroom behind him.

"I meant it, Valenti. Thanks."

Kyle turned and nodded on his way out.

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Max was dozing off on the couch when he heard the car pull up outside and the footsteps leading up to the door. Then he sat and waited. And waited. And waited some more. He resisted the instinctive big brother urge which told him to find out what Alex was doing outside on the front porch with his sister for so long, because while his protective instincts were strong, his self-preservation instincts were stronger, and he didn't think Isabel would take kindly to being interrupted twice in one evening. Besides, he trusted Alex.

Finally, the door slowly opened, and Isabel entered. She gave a tiny jump when Max suddenly rose from the couch.

"Were you waiting up for me?" she hissed at him quietly.

"No. I just didn't feel like getting up after the show I was watching," he answered in a normal voice. Stretching, he went on. "And you don't have to whisper. Mom and Dad aren't home yet. So, did you have a nice time?"

"Yes, I had a nice time." Max smiled as Isabel practically danced into the room. Someone was in a good mood. She came over to the couch. "Move over." Obediently, he made room for her to sit down. He refrained from commenting on the few messy strands of hair.

"Where did you end up going?"

She looked at him suspiciously. "You know, I don't think I want to tell you. You'll just make fun of me."

Max was the very picture of offended innocence. "Now, why would I make fun of you? After all, you've always treated my relationship with Liz with the utmost respect. I wouldn't think of doing any less."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"You might as well tell me, Iz. I'll just ask Alex tomorrow if you don't."

"Fine." Blushing a little, she looked down at her hands. "He took me to the bumper boats."

"What?" Max was sure he'd heard wrong.

"Alex took me to the Black Hole Bumper Boats. What part of that didn't you understand?"

He had to laugh. "Well, that would be the part where Isabel Evans was actually seen in public driving a bumper boat."

Groaning, her head dropped down to her hands. "I know! I'm never going to live this one down. There goes my reputation." Then she looked up at him, and he saw the twinkle in her eye.

"You loved it, didn't you?"

"Max, it was so much fun! I would never have thought so in a million years, but it was. First, Alex and I were in different boats, and I kept ramming him." Max gave a small laugh. Of course. Alex wouldn't dare ram Isabel's boat. "Then we were in the same boat, and we decimated the other ones. We were the terror of the pond." She sounded so proud of herself. "I think somewhere along the line, we forgot how to play, Max."

"You may be right," he said thoughtfully. "I guess that we need to remember sometimes that there's more to life than hiding and fighting."

"A lot more. And without that more, then there's no point to all the rest." Isabel smiled. "Then, afterwards, he took me to the park. He had a whole romantic picnic dinner planned out. There was music and candlelight, and we danced under the stars. Very nice."

"I'm sure he was glad you approved."

"Oh, yes. Alex was very appreciative of my approval." There was no mistaking the self-satisfaction in her voice.

"No more details, please. I am your brother, after all. Some things I don't need to know."

She flipped back her hair. "Like I wanted to hear all the details about you and Liz in the eraser room last year?" But she let it go. "Max?" she asked in a much quieter voice.

"Yeah, Iz?"

"Are we going to be all right?"

He looked at her in surprise. It was very rare for Isabel to show any doubts, even to him. She usually just went through life full-steam ahead, bulldozing anyone and anything in her way. "You mean about Kivar?" She nodded. "Yeah. We're going to be okay. We're going to win, Iz. We have to."

"Why? Because the people back there," she pointed up at the ceiling, "are depending on us?"

"No. Because we're depending on us." She looked at him questioningly. "The six of us in the connection last night. That was stronger than anything I've ever been a part of before. More than any of us have been a part of. We all need each other. We depend on each other. We have to make it, because if one of us falls, the rest fall too. And we can't let that happen." He took her hand. "We won't let it happen. There's too much power in that bond for even Kivar to defeat. It won't be easy, but we will win."

"You're right." Now, there was the confidence he expected from his sister. "And now, I'm tired. It takes a lot of effort to look this perfect, you know." Laughing, she pulled him into a hug. "Try to get some rest yourself, brother mine. See you in the morning."

"Night, Iz. Sweet dreams."

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Max had just managed to finally get to sleep when he was awakened by the sound of someone sneaking in to his room. Reaching for the baseball bat next to his bed, he stopped when he heard the intruder speak. "It's me, Maxwell."

He groaned as he reached for the light. "Michael, if we're being invaded by evil aliens or about to be captured by the FBI, can you just ask them to come back in the morning? The least they can do is let us get a decent night's sleep." Then he got a good look at his friend and sat up. "Michael, what's the matter?"

"Nothing." Max didn't believe him. Michael was way too pale, and he was shaking.

"Sit down." He walked over to support the other alien, but Michael quickly moved away from him. He kept pacing around the room.

"I said I'm fine." The flat tone of his voice didn't encourage argument. "I just need to ask you about something, then I'll be out of here."

"You didn't drive your bike in this condition, did you?" Max had never seen Michael like this. He was acting like he couldn't stand still even for a second.

"No. I walked. Max, you remember when Liz was getting the flashes about the orb last year?"

"Yes," he answered slowly, no clue where this was heading.

"Did anything else strange happen with the two of you when you were........" he gestured wildly, trying to think of a way to put it, "when you were getting closer?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"Think, Maxwell," he said sharply. "This is important!"

Max was starting to feel more sympathy for Liz. "Well, there were the flashes, but you already knew about them. Let's see. Oh, there was the hickey, and then there was the fact that she glowed."

Michael stopped dead at that. "Liz glowed?"

"Yeah. When I was touching her, her skin glowed a little."

Michael walked closer. "Did it hurt her?"

Max shrugged. "It didn't seem to. It hasn't happened since."

Michael's eyes darted around the room as he thought. Liz had glowed when she and Max were physically closer, and that was a year ago. A year with no sign of negative side effects. Maybe it was just something that happened when aliens and humans became involved in that way. If it didn't hurt Liz, then it probably wouldn't hurt Maria.

"What's this about, Michael?"

Michael remembered that Max was in the room with him. "Nothing you need to worry about Maxwell. See you tomorrow." With that, he was out the window.

Max shook his head and went back to bed. Deciding that it was highly unlikely Tess would climb through his window, he figured he was finished with his alien-related conversations for the night and went back to sleep.

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When they reached the DeLuca household, Tess and Kyle walked Maria inside. Her mother was already asleep, so that was one obstacle they didn't have to worry about. As they entered her room, Maria stumbled. Kyle put out his hand to grab and steady her, but she jumped away from him. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"You're shivering." Tess looked around the room, spotting a sweater. She held it out to the other girl. "Here, put this on." Maria did. "Now get into bed." Maria did that, too. Tess and Kyle exchanged concerned looks. This docile obedience was very un-Maria-like. "Maria, are you okay?"

"I'm just tired," she answered in an emotionless voice. "I'm going to go to sleep. Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." Kyle really wasn't sure if they should leave her alone or not, but he wasn't sure what their options were. Maybe Maria just needed a good night's sleep. "Okay. Talk to you tomorrow."

Tess followed him to the door. "We'll lock up on our way out, okay?" She thought she saw Maria nod. "Good night, Maria."

Once outside the room, Kyle pulled Tess closer. "What's going on with her and Michael?"

"You're asking me? I'm the last alien around who would have any clue what's going on, remember?" she answered bitterly.

He winced. He'd forgotten. "I'm sorry, Tess. I'm an idiot."

She shook her head. "No, you're not. I just wish I did know what was going on." She looked back at the closed door. "I wish I knew how to help, or even if this was something that needed help. But I just don't know." She gave him a hug, letting herself take some comfort in the one thing she did know for certain - that she had Kyle to rely on. "Let's go home."

Kyle smiled to himself. Home. That word meant so much more now that Tess was there, too.

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Maria leaned over to turn off the lamp on the bedside table, but pulled back cursing as she banged her arm on the table. Her motor control sucked tonight. Shivering, she decided that the light could just stay on. She didn't expect to get any sleep anyway.

She tried to fight back the tears as she thought about Michael. How could he do this to her, to them? That was the second time in one night that he'd rejected her. First he brought Tess and Kyle along to interfere with their time together. Then he actually let them take her away from him. He just stood there and didn't do anything, didn't fight to keep her there. Not that she wanted him to hurt Kyle or Tess, of course, but he had just let them take her.

I'm not making any sense. But why would he do it? I know he loves me. I can feel it. And I know he feels the emptiness, too. So why send me away?

He's not making any sense either. None of this is making sense.

When she heard the tapping on her window, she didn't even get up to answer it. She just didn't care. She couldn't handle anymore tonight. She was too tired.

Michael looked through the window and saw her huddled on her bed. He could feel how defeated she was. That wasn't right. Maria wasn't a quitter. She was a fighter. She was stronger than he was in so many ways. Nothing should ever make her curl up and surrender like this. The fact that he was the reason for her despair just made things worse. He had to fix it somehow.

Using his powers, he slid the window open and climbed in. He didn't feel any change from her, but he knew she was aware of his presence. Still, she didn't say anything, even when he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. He just sat there for a minute, looking at the tears on her face. He felt worse than he ever had in this life.

Finally, without looking at him, Maria asked, "Why are you here?"

"We need to talk." He reached down and turned her head to face him, gently wiping away her tears. "Look at me, Maria." He recognized the symmetry of the situation. Last night, Maria had been the one wanting him to look at her, the one to provide the strength. Now it had to be him. But he could do this. He had to, for her.

The second their eyes met, they could both feel the connection, the electricity. Suddenly, Michael found it hard to remember what he'd come over here to say. He leaned down for the waiting kiss. Her hands pulled his body closer as she returned it hungrily. But then she pushed him back. "I can't do this again, Michael. I can't bear to have you send me away again." She looked him square in the eye. "I know you feel the connection, too. I know it hurts you just as much to be away, to be alone. So why are you doing it?"

He tried to concentrate, to ignore the taste of her and the pull he felt towards her. She was right. He owed her an explanation. "I wanted to give you time to think." Michael sat back a bit. He couldn't make himself let go of her hands, though, and she didn't pull them away. They both took strength from their physical contact. "This connection of ours. It worries me."

She frowned. "Why? It feels good. What's to worry about?"

"You heard what Dagmar said last night. When Antarans connect with someone, it's for life." She still looked at him like she didn't see the problem. "Are you sure you want to be connected with someone like me for life?" He took a deep breath. "I wanted you to be sure."

Her smile took his breath away. He couldn't help it - he had to kiss her. When they broke away from each other, she laughed. "Is that what you've been freaking over, spaceboy?" She shook her head at him. "You really are a bit slow at times, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you think it's a little late to be worrying about us connecting? We're already connected, Michael. We have been for a while." She caressed his cheek gently, enjoying the feel of his skin. "I can feel what you're feeling. I can feel the love you have for me, the fact that you want me so much it hurts, the worry." She looked at him questioningly. "Can't you feel it, too?"

Could he feel it? Reaching over, Michael pushed up the sleeve of her sweater to show the bruise. He looked at her. "I felt this. I was walking around and I felt a pain on my arm. So, yeah, I feel the connection, too." He leaned over and kissed the bruise. Maria closed her eyes and gasped at the sensations coming over her. She tried to move closer, but he pushed her back. "Wait. We need to talk, and if we start that again, we won't finish."

"We can talk later."

"No." Looking at her, he almost lost his control. Moving closer, he stopped himself. This was getting harder by the second. Too bad they didn't have any chaperones around. They really did need them. Maria put her hand on his leg. On second thought, he was glad they didn't have a chaperone. He just needed to control himself a little bit longer. "Maria, the reason I let Tess take you home is that we were glowing and I didn't know if that was dangerous or not."

"Glowing." Maria started to giggle. "If you turn me permanently fluorescent, spaceboy, I swear that you're going to have to be the one to explain it to my mother."

He laughed. "I think it's okay, though. I just talked with Max, and he said that Liz glowed once when they were fooling around." She raised an eyebrow. "Not that major fooling around. Anyway, it didn't have any negative effects." He paused in thought. "He only said that she glowed, though. He didn't mention glowing himself."

"Well, maybe he just wasn't doing it right." Maria leaned forward into Michael, kissing him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Now that they knew they weren't going to go through life as neon signs, they could get back to where they'd left off.

Maria's sweater was off in a matter of seconds, but she barely noticed. She wasn't cold anymore - Michael's warmth was enough to keep her quite comfortable. He was reaching up under her shirt when suddenly she pulled back.

"What?" he managed to get out somehow.

"You're afraid. What are you afraid of? It's more than just the fear of me getting hurt. It's much, much deeper than that." He tried to look away, but she caught his head and made him look at her. "Tell me, spaceboy. What is it?"

Muttering a quick curse in Antaran, he gathered his courage. This was actually something he'd planned on discussing with her, but he'd gotten distracted. Now was as good a time as any. "Maria, remember how I told you that we didn't have full memories yet of our past lives?" She nodded. "Well, what if we learned or remembered something bad? Is there anything you could learn about Tymrath, about who I was before or what I did, that would make you regret being connected to me?" He sat back and waited, barely breathing. He felt like his life depended on her answer.

Realizing how important this was to him, Maria took a minute to think. Then she answered simply. "No."

"No? That's all you have to say?"

"It answered your question, didn't it?" Maria sighed and rolled her eyes at his exasperated look. "Michael, I know that you have Tymrath's memories and that he's somehow a part of you. But I thought I made myself clear about this last night. To me, Tymrath is someone from a story. He's not a real person in my life, certainly not somebody I know or am involved with. You're the one I'm with. You. Michael Guerin. Not Tymrath. So whatever happened back then is the past and it's not important to me. I love you, Michael. Not him."

She saw how still he suddenly became. "What?" Did she say something wrong?

He shook his head slowly, eyes never leaving hers. "You've never said that before."

"What? You mean, I love you?" He nodded. "Sure I have."

"No, you haven't."

She thought quickly. "God, you're right. I'm sorry, Michael. I should have said it a long time ago." She smiled and looked at him. "I love you, Michael. Totally and completely, even when you're being an idiot. Even without this alien bond, I would be yours now and forever." She grinned mischievously. "This just adds a little something to the mix."

Well, that was pretty much everything Michael wanted to talk about. He pulled her up to him. Just as they were about to start kissing again, he heard a faint noise. Groaning, he leaned back.

"Now what?" Maria's tone was one of total and complete frustration.

"Your mother's awake." He didn't sound much better.

"Are you sure?" She leaned over and kissed him at the base of his neck.

"Don't distract me. And yes, I'm sure. I can hear her." Closing his eyes, for a second he seriously considered continuing and taking his chances with her mother. But he hadn't managed to win so many battles by taking risks he couldn't win. "Maria, I'm going to leave now. Will you be okay?"

She sighed and leaned back. "Yes. I feel better now." And it was true. Knowing that Michael did love her and understanding why he had done what he did made her feel better. She would miss him, but she could handle it. For now.

"Good. I'll come for you tomorrow, and we'll spend some time together."

"Alone, this time?"

"Alone." He kissed her on the forehead as he got up.

"Where should we meet?"

He looked back at her. "I have some things to do in the morning. Don't worry about it. I'll find you." He didn't think there was anywhere on the planet where she could go that he wouldn't be able to find her.

"Okay." Maria leaned back and stretched, watching Michael carefully and smiling at his reaction. For a minute, he looked like he was going to jump right back onto the bed, but he managed to control himself.

Shaking his head, Michael fought to clear his mind and focus. Right. Out the window and home. He could manage that. He paused at the window. "Neeyal semar, meilyas-sivar."

"Neeyal semar, spaceboy. Oh, and Michael?"

"What?"

"If I see Kyle or Tess anywhere near you when you come to pick me up tomorrow for our date, I'm going to kick your ass." She smiled sweetly.

He had to laugh at that. That was his Maria. "I love you." And then he was gone.

Maria leaned back in bed and closed her eyes, enjoying the memory of his touch. "I love you, too."

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Isabel walked down the never-ending corridor. She ran her hand along the cool walls, admiring the thin golden glimmers that could be seen in the pinkish stone. The walls almost seemed to pulse with the energy of all the beings who lived in the castle. They welcomed her home, welcomed her back to where she belonged.

Still, she was surprised not to see anyone. Surely, with all that energy, there had to be someone around. But while she could feel eyes watching her, she didn't see anyone. The feel was familiar somehow, like she knew whoever it was who was observing. A small part of her told her to be afraid, to hide from this observer, but she ignored it. Something was telling her to relax and to enjoy, and it was easier to listen to that voice.

Walking by instinct, she turned into a huge chamber. Laughing, she twirled around in the large empty space in front of the throne on the dais. She felt safe and sheltered here.

"Welcome home."

Isabel spun around to look in the direction of the voice. There was a figure hidden in the shadows, but she couldn't make it out clearly. "Who's there?"

"Come now. You know me, Vilandra."

Suddenly, she didn't feel as safe anymore. She tried to back away, but found that she couldn't. "I'm not Vilandra." Slipping, she fell to the ground and screamed when she saw that the floor was now covered in blood.

"Of course you are," the voice continued smoothly. "You know that. And you know what's going to await you if you don't do what you're meant to." She tried desperately to find the door, but it had vanished. She was trapped in here with that figure. "History repeats itself, Vilandra, but you can rewrite the ending. It doesn't have to end the same way this time around."

"I. Am. Not. Vilandra." Her scream echoed through the chamber.

The figure sighed. "Very well. I see a small demonstration is in order."

Blinking, Isabel looked down. She was on her feet again, tied to a pillar in front of the throne. Suddenly, from behind the throne, out walked Michael. He was looking at her with cold determined hatred. "Michael! Help me!" She struggled against the bonds holding her, but they wouldn't give. He didn't answer, didn't even give a sign of having heard her. He continued to walk towards her. Finally, he stopped and raised his hand. "No, Michael!" This is a dream, she thought to herself frantically. It's not really Michael. Michael wouldn't hurt you. This is just a dream.

She could feel his energy gathering. He was going to do it. Michael was going to kill her. She could hear the shadowy figure laughing. I have to get out of here. Get someplace safe. Closing her eyes, Isabel imagined the safest place she knew. Everything went black.

----------------------------------------------------

Alex was standing alongside a lake, skimming stones. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. Suddenly, he heard a scream and looked over, dropping the stones in his hand. In the distance, he could see a dark shape. Frowning, he started to walk closer to investigate. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

Then he saw Isabel come running out of the shape and right into his arms. She was sobbing. "He was going to kill me. He was going to do it."

He put his arms around her, gently stroking her hair. "It's all right, Izzy. There's no one else here. You're safe."

She looked up at him. "I made it to you. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it." She reached up and touched his face. "I'm here."

Alex looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, you made it." He frowned. "This is a dream, isn't it?"

Her surprise showed. "How can you tell? People don't usually know when they're dreaming. Come to think of it, how can you see me?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. But aren't you glad I can?" He tried for a romantically heroic stance, earning a laugh in return.

"Very glad. You have no idea how glad." She snuggled closer in his arms, closing her eyes. She was safe now. It had just been a bad dream, and this was a much nicer one.

Alex's attention was drawn back to the dark shape in the distance. For a minute, he thought he saw a figure standing there, eyes glittering in the darkness, looking right at him. Then it was gone, and the shape with it, and all that was left was Isabel and the perfect day at the lake.

As music started to play, Alex turned his full attention back to Isabel, and they danced.

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