She knew that Michael usually never made it to school before eleven, but she had hoped he would show earlier; that his loneliness was as painful as hers when he was away from her. She had been aching for him since the moment he left her house that morning. It had only been an hour since his departure but it felt like years. They had been through so much this last weekend, every step of the way spent together, and now that she was alone, she felt lost.

She cared nothing for being in school right then. Nothing mattered to her with the exception of being held in Michael's embrace, kissed by Michael's lips, lost in Michael's eyes, joined with Michael's soul. *Micheal- Michael-Michael* she could think of nothing else.

She had pulled out her books and had just slammed the door of her locker shut in frustration when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a hot moist, mouth close over the back of her neck.

"Mmm. Oh, Michael," she moaned and turned around to face him. She then switched to the more intimate form of communication they shared. *Michael, I missed you so much! I was worried that you decided not to come.*

*I had to be near you,* he returned. She smiled but then sensed something wasn't right.

*Hey, is everything okay?* she asked, running her hands over the side of his face.

Michael sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Hank called my social worker when I didn't come home. He doesn't want me around anymore, so I have to go to a new foster family until my eighteenth birthday."

"That's horrible. Well, not that your finally getting out of his house. I want to kill that son of a bitch for ever laying a hand on you." Maria stopped when she saw his eyes flash at her. *Remember Michael, our connection? I saw EVERYTHING.*

"Yeah. But I was trying to hide that from you," he mumbled, his eyes dropping to the ground in embarrassment.

"Hey, look at me," she said quietly, putting one hand under his chin and bringing his face to meet hers. She began to stroke the side of his face again. "You don't have to be embarrassed. You and I, we have shared everything. You've seen the most humiliating parts of my life, and I should be embarrassed about that but I'm not. Our connection is liberating. I like that you know my most intimate secrets and still love me, no matter how bad they've been. I want to keep sharing everything. I don't want any secrets between us, ever."

Michael shook his head in wonder and ran his hands up her arms. "Maria. How can you be so perfect?"

She smiled and tossed her head. "Well you know, it just comes naturally," she joked.

Wrapped her in his arms and whispered "God, I love you," before he pressed his lips to hers.

Initially, the kiss was soft and gentle. Their lips brushed back and forth, and they just enjoyed the tingling sensation that each sweep left. Then Michael parted his mouth and began to suck on first her bottom and then top lip. Maria's stomach began to heat up and she brought her arms up and around his neck, parting her slightly breathless lips in welcome. Michael's hot tongue accepted the invitation, and hungrily began to explore.

Maria moaned into his mouth, and pulled him in a little tighter. Michael brought his hand up to her neck and began to run his fingers through her soft golden hair.

***Flash***

Michael and Maria naked bodies making love under hot steamy water.

***Flash***

Michael dipping his head in between her legs and licking her lower lips.

***Flash***

Maria lowering herself onto Michael and crying out his name as she reached her peak.

*****

They pulled back slightly and looked at each other. "Michael, did you see that?" she asked, unsure. The visions caused a fierce craving for him, deep inside of her. He nodded, his eyes growing with passion. She blushed lightly and looked down, an uncontrollable smile spreading across her face. "Do you wanna...you know, go to the eraser room?"

He didn't answer right away. She noticed that his breathing, which had been only slightly irregular when they first pulled apart, was now hard and fast. His torso was heaving and his desire filled eyes fell slightly. He shook his head and then roughly pushed her against the locker. "I can't wait that long," he growled and then pressed his body up against hers, seizing her mouth again.

Maria had only a split-second to think about how they should go somewhere more private before her last coherent thought vanished. With each of his fierce kisses, a trail of fire ran down her nerves. She reflexively arched into his body and began to grind her hips into him. His hands roughly ran up her rib cage and over her arms until they captured her wrists. He pulled them above her head and held them firmly against the locker with one hand. He dropped his mouth down to her neck and devoured every inch of exposed flesh above her sweater. "Oh Michael," she moaned loudly. Several students looked over, exchange amused glances and whispered among themselves.

Michael and Maria, however were totally oblivious to their classmates stares. They were in their own world, totally wrapped up the heat and the feel of each other. His restraint of her arms made her so hot for some unknown reason. It made her feel oddly erotic. She wrapped one of her legs around his hips and began to rub hard, trying to ease her inner ache. His free hand snaked it's way around her back and clasped her jean- clad, firm ass. Her moaning grew constant as she rubbed against the bulge rammed into her throbbing center.

"I want you, now," he groaned into her ear, before he dipped his tongue inside.

She shuddered. "Take me then," she breathed.

*****

Liz entered the building with Alex at her side. "I'm really really getting worried, you know. And it's not like I can go to the sheriff. That would just cause too many questions."

Alex smiled with his eyes and said "Look, Liz. There has to be a reasonable explanation. I'm sure she just needed to get away for a few days. Hey, maybe she decided to go with her mom to that convention."

"Maybe, but don't you think she would have told me? And look, I called Max last night to see if he had seen her and he said not only hadn't he seen her but that Michael was gone as well."

"Well, maybe they decided they wanted to be alone together," Alex suggested.

Liz firmly shook her head. "No, I don't think so. She swore she was over him and that she's given up even trying."

Alex looked down at her in amusement. "And you think that wasn't just a cover-up? Because he didn't want to be with her?"