*Michael! What is he saying?* she pleaded.

*It's nothing,* Michael finally replied.

*What do you mean nothing? Answer me, damn you1*

But he wouldn't. She could only sense his stony silence. Eventually though, Michael walked back into the room and took his seat, but he wouldn't look at her.

*Well?* she sent.

*Kyle didn't tell. I'm moving into my new foster home today,* he answered, stubbornly trying to be mad at her but she could sense his remorse for the way he acted towards her.

*Well, that's good, right?*

*I guess,* he answered, coolly.

She couldn't take it anymore. She was sick of his infantile behavior. *Grow up Michael and quit acting like an asshole,* she sent him and then tuned him out, trying to focus on the lecture in front of her.

Halfway through class, she started to feel extremely sick. Her stomach clenched and her eyes unfocused. She put her hands on the end of the desk and tried to hold on until the dizziness passed but it wasn't working. Her breathing became labored and she started to burn up.

*What's going on?*

Maria gasped and then looked over at Michael and glared. *None of your business!*

Sweat began to trickle over her forehead, stinging her eyes and she gritted her teeth. Something was building inside of her like it did when she used her powers but she could tell it was different this time. The back of her eyelids began to flash blue, then red and then black. The blood was pounding in her ears and her entire body began to shake with intensity. Her head began to pound painfully and raised her hands to her scalp trying to relieve the pressure.

*What the fuck is going on Maria?* Michael's mental voice gasped and she could tell that he too was feeling her pain.

Just when she thought her head was going to explode, the stopped up energy blew like a cork in a carbonated bottle and her body sprawled backwards as a rush of visions came to her.

***Flash***

A baby in the womb.

***Flash***

Maria when she was two years old, being bounced on someone's knee.

***Flash***

Amy Deluca drinking a cup of coffee and looking through an old photo album.

***Flash***

Amy sadly running her hand over a particular photo in the book.

***Flash***

Maria sitting in her room, brushing her wet hair as she stared at herself in the vanity mirror.

***Flash***

Maria turning towards her bedroom door and her eyes widening.

***Flash***

Maria chained up to the wall in a small room.

***Flash***

Kyle chained on the opposite wall.

***End of Vision***

Maria bolted from the room, making her way to the ladies room. She ran the cold water and splashed it over her face, gasping. She leaned up against a wall and tried to stop the shaking in her limbs. "Why is this happening?" she asked the empty room, her voice echoing off the tile walls.

Tears of helplessness formed in her eyes and she slid down the wall until she came to rest on the ground. She sobbed into her palms and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She didn't know how long she sat like that but it must have been a while because eventually she heard some voices and the door to the bathroom opened.

She looked up and saw Isabel walk in with two of the popular girls she hung out with sometimes.

"Sitting amongst the crumpled paper towel and cigarette butts, I see, Maria. How quaint," Mackenzie Larsen smirked and Angela Parish's nose flared in distaste.

"Leave her alone," Isabel said sharply.

The two girls looked at her in surprise and Angela said, "Whatever Isabel. You know, you need a sense of humor, girl. Come on Mac, let's get out of here."

The two girls left and Isabel walked over to one of the stalls and came back with a wad of toilet paper. "Here," she said to Maria, handing her the wad.

"Thanks," Maria said, blowing her nose lightly and wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Isabel offered a hand to her and helped her up from the ground. Maria walked over to the sink and once again splashed cool water over her face.

"You wanna tell me about it?" Isabel said awkwardly.

Maria glanced at the tall girl, mildly surprised. The concern was evident on Isabel's face and Maria was warmed somewhat. Isabel had never really been nice to her before and they weren't really friends but she could tell that Isabel was letting her walls down.

"I can't talk about it here," Maria said, and held the girl's eyes, checking for comprehension.

Looking a little uncomfortable, Isabel bit her lip and said, "Well, how about later? Maybe you and Liz and I could get together for a girl's night. If you wanted of course."

Maria gave Isabel a genuine smile and nodded. "I'd like that," she replied.

To herself she added, *If you too don't want to kill me for telling Kyle.*

*****

Maria arrived back at class after the bell rang. She was just a little surprised to find that Michael was waiting for her at the door and as soon as he saw her, he rushed up to ask her if she was okay?

Still mad with him, she said, "What do you care?"

"Maria, don't act like that. Look, I'm sorry. I was wrong."

She grinned sarcastically, "I bet it killed you to admit that, didn't it?"

Michael ran his hand through his hair and shrugged. "You know me too well," he muttered. "Look Maria, I'm sorry I over-reacted, but we have better things to worry about than us not getting along. We have to find everyone and let them know about Kyle. And we have to figure out what your vision meant?"

She sighed and walked into the classroom to pick up her bag. Not looking at him she said, "Yes, we have to let them know. Let's go find them." She walked past him out the door and muttered, "Hopefully they wont treat me like the enemy like you did."

Michael growled in frustration. "Can you blame me for being a little cautious?"

Maria turned on him and stared at him for a moment and then pulled him back into the classroom, slamming the door shut behind him. She exploded. "You're damn right I can! There's something inside of me telling me that I need to trust Kyle. He's having the same fucking problem as me and if you didn't notice, his visions didn't start until practically the same time as mine! Didn't you notice he said it started on Sunday? You think that it's a fucking coincidence that we both got powers at the same time? Because I don't! Did you also manage to forget that he used his powers on Lisa right after I did when he had no apparent reason for doing so? We're connected somehow and I need to figure out how! Damn it Michael! You need to trust me on this because I am right!"

She moved to leave but then stopped and turned to face him again. "You wanna know what the worst part of this is?"

He didn't answer, so she continued. "After all we've been through in the last week, you reverted back to the same asshole you were when we first found out. You treated me like I was the enemy instead of the girl you love. If you ever do that again, I'm gone! You won't have to worry about me because I won't be around to be your doormat. Now, you can come with me if you want but I'm going to go find the gang and let them know about Kyle."

She exited the room and made her way to the quad, leaving a flabbergasted Michael behind. He stood in the same spot staring at the door she just exited. He realized that she was right. There was a connection between her and Kyle that couldn't be denied. Too much had happened to be just a coincidence.

It finally dawned on him why he was truly upset. It wasn't because he was afraid of Kyle. If Kyle was like them as well couldn't chance telling anyone. What was really bothering Michael was that he realized he was jealous because he had to share Maria with Kyle.

He sprang into action and ran after Maria, finding her in the quad talking with Liz and Alex. Right in mid- sentence, he yanked her around and pulled her into his arms. She struggled against him but he held her tight until she saw his every thought on the matter, including his realization about his jealousy. "I trust you, Maria. And I'm sorry. I can't live without you and I will never doubt you again. Please believe me. I love you."

Alex and Liz exchanged impressed glances at Michael admission and then watched on as Maria stopped fighting and nodded. "I love you and I understand."

"Can we just forget all this?" he asked, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

Maria nodded and said, "Yes, but remember what I said."

He closed over her mouth with a tender kiss, and then pulled back and tightened his embrace. "I remember. I'll never be that guy again."

Maria turned to Liz and said, "Go find Max and Isabel right now. We need to tell you all about Kyle."

"What about Kyle?" Liz asked sharply.

Maria glanced at Michael and then back at Liz.