Isabel sighed. *Being with Alex is great, but I envy Liz. Liz and Max have this connection that can’t be turned off. I don’t know if this feeling that there is so much more has just begun or if it’s always been here.*

Michael lay staring at the ceiling. *I know that Maria still wants to be with me, even after everything I’ve put her through. But even with this knowledge, I can’t bring myself to be anything more than friends with her. At least Alex and Isabel are happy, even if no one else is.*

Isabel paced. She was restless and needed to talk to someone. About what, she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t talk to Max. He wasn’t home, and even so, he had enough on his mind. *I’ll go talk to Michael about this destiny crap. I know he doesn’t want to talk about it, but maybe we can sort this out. Then I can move on with Alex and he can do whatever he wants.*

Michael heard a knock at his door. He looked at the clock. 2 a.m. *That better not be Max. I do not want to rehash the Liz/Kyle thing right this minute.* He opened the door. “Max, go home, get some -- oh, Isabel. It’s 2 a.m. What are you doing here?”

“We have to talk.” “About what? What could possibly drag you over here in the middle of the night?” “Michael, I came over here to talk about what to get Max for Christmas. What do you think I came over here to talk about? Well, aren’t you going to let me in? Michael opened the door wider and Isabel stepped in.

“Isabel, this is crazy. It’s 2 in the morning and you want to talk about our destiny. I can’t imagine what brought this on. You’ve got Alex, I have Maria. And in case you haven’t noticed, there’s a glitch in the whole plan. Because our Max is not interested in his mate.” “Are you done? I hope so, because I have a few things to say. I realize what time it is, Michael, but this isn’t about Alex or Maria or Max or Tess. This is about me and you. And the dreams. Are you still having them?”

Michael gets up and starts pacing. Isabel just sits, watching him and waiting for his answer. He is afraid that she can see right down to it all and see the truth. A truth he is unwilling to acknowledge. He stops and turns to face Isabel. He lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Yes, I still have them. Why? We agreed to just have the dreams and let it go.”

“Michael, don’t you think it’s a little odd that we’re still having these dreams? Max hasn’t had any visions about Tess since long before we activated the orbs.” Michael shrugs. “I don’t know, Isabel. It’s possible Max just hasn’t had any more visions because of Liz. They’ve got that connection, bond thing going.” “I don’t understand this either, Michael. But I’m not leaving this apartment until we decide what we’re going to do about this.”

“Isabel, I thought we already decided what to do. We’re ignoring it.” Isabel nodded, then got up to root around in Michael’s refrigerator. After several minutes, she sighed, and closed it. Michael watched her while she did this. He could tell that she was working herself up to say something. This made Michael uneasy, especially considering the conversation, and also how un-Isabel this was.

Suddenly Isabel turned and blurted, “Why did we decide to ignore it, Michael? Don’t you ever wonder?” As soon as she realized what she’d said, her expression began to match Michael’s stunned one. Michael began to back up and ended up falling onto the couch. The silence was deafening. He continued to just stare at Isabel for several minutes.

As he watched her, something finally dawned on him. He saw a glimmer of hurt in Isabel’s eyes and realized that it was because of his reaction. He didn’t understand how he knew this, because he knew that Maria was always irritated that he didn’t know what he’d done to hurt her.

And then Michael knew that he’d seen what Isabel was feeling because it had connected to something deep inside of him. Isabel watched Michael, waiting, hoping he would say something, anything. She hear him speak, finally. Michael shifted and the couch and said, “Isabel, come here.”

Isabel blinked, as though she was trying to process what Michael had said. Then she crossed the room and sat down next to him on the couch. Michael put his arm around Isabel, and they sat there, without speaking , for a long time.

Michael was the first to speak. “Isabel, remember when we first started having these dreams?” Isabel nodded and Michael continued. “Do you remember telling me that you’d never seen me as happy as when you and I were holding our baby?” Again, Isabel nodded, a bit confused as to where he was going with all of this. “I remember telling you that I’ve never been that happy. What about you, Isabel? You had a look on your face that I’ve never seen before. What was it?”

Isabel closed her eyes and leaned into Michael. She was scared. Scared of his question, and his reaction. Most of all, she was scared that he would bolt. Something deep down inside of her told her to answer, and she did. “I can’t explain what I felt, Michael. I felt a lot of things. Peace, overwhelming joy, and...love. Love for our baby and for you.”

Michael let out the breath he had been holding and started to speak. Isabel scooted closer, and hushed him. They continued to hold each other, not speaking. Michael began to speak again, and this time Isabel didn’t try to stop him. “Isabel, what are you afraid of?”

Isabel pulled away, shocked. “I can feel your fear. What is it?” Isabel’s eyes filled with even more pain and fear and she very slowly and very quietly said, “You, Michael. Of what you’re thinking and feeling.” A little part of her died with each word, sure that he would leave.

She watched the emotions oh his face as she told him. First pain, and then, understanding, as her words sunk in. Michael reached for Isabel’s hand and said, “Isabel, I want to open a connection with you. I want to let you feel what I feel and hear what I’m thinking. For you and for me. I don’t have the words to tell you what you want to know.”

The connection opened. Michael sent images and feelings to Isabel. He sent the dreams, but from his perspective, and the feelings associated with the dreams. Then he sent other feelings down the connection. Feelings of longing for something deep and forever and a love for Isabel so intense and true. Michael hadn’t known those feelings were inside of him, and he knew part of it was in response to Isabel.

Isabel sent her fear, her hope, her longing and her love to Michael. Gradually, as he sent his feelings of love for her, she sent more. As the feelings of love grew stronger, their fear and doubt began to fade. Michael and Isabel broke their connection. They hugged, holding on as if for dear live, letting the revelations of their connection sink in.

Michael ran his hands through Isabel’s hair. Their eyes met and she was begging for him to kiss her. He lowered his lips to hers, and as his mouth moved along hers, he felt their connection reopen. Isabel made the kiss deeper, but she still felt the need to be closer. Her tongue entered Michael’s mouth.

Their tongues moved over each other, and shocks ran through their bodies. Michael put his hand on Isabel’s waist and she moved on top of him, straddling his hips. She began kissing his neck and Michael moaned. She moved up to his earlobe. At the first feel of her mouth on his earlobe, he arched into her, and she felt his hardness beneath her heat.

She sighed and returned to his mouth. Michael had to be closer to her. He ran his hands under her shirt and enjoyed the feeling of her bare skin underneath his hands. She began kissing him all over, unbuttoning his shirt as she went. She sat up and helped Michael out of his shirt. She was kissing him all over his chest again, but sat straight up as Michael’s hands found her lace covered breasts.

“Michael,” she gasped. He unhooked her bra and caressed her breasts. She began rocking against him, making Michael grow harder. In one move, Michael took off her shirt and bra. He pulled her into his chest, and they both sighed at the contact. Isabel started kissing Michael everywhere again, and Michael caressed every inch of her body.

When he reached her bottom, still in jeans, and began caressing it, she began rocking again. Michael couldn’t stand it any longer. He pushed Isabel onto her back and began kissing her. First her neck, her collarbone, her stomach, until she was moaning his name. Then he came up to her breasts. Isabel arched up as his mouth met her breast, his tongue teasing her nipples. Back and forth, from one breast to the other he went, until her fingers were buried in his hair and she could no longer do anything except whisper his name.

Michael moved back to her mouth, kissing her deeply, thrusting his tongue in and out. Isabel’s hands reached for Michael’s hardness and she began to stroke him through his jeans. His kisses became even more urgent as she slipped her hands inside his pants to bare skin. She continue to stroke him until Michael pulled back.

“Michael, please,” Isabel cried. “What, Isabel, what?” “I want to make love to you,” she said. Michael groaned as he saw the passion growing in here eyes. With trembling hands, he pulled of her pants and a scrap of lace that matched her bra. He looked upon her, stretched naked beneath him and heated with passion.

He let his fingers explore her heat, paying particular attention to the nub that caused her no end of pleasure. Isabel moved her hips faster and started panting Michael’s name. He felt her muscles contract and liquid flowing over his fingers. He kissed his way back up her body and took her mouth hard and fast.

Isabel began fumbling with his jeans and finally got his jeans open and pushed them off, along with his underwear. They continued to kiss until Michael got up and crossed the room. “What is it, Michael?” “This isn’t like our dreams. It’s real. Neither of us are prepared to be parents yet.” Isabel looked down and saw a condom in his hand.

“I know this has happened a thousand times in our dreams, Michael. But you’re right. This is real. Are you sure?” In answer, Michael kissed her. Using a greater amount of control than he was accustomed to, he put on the condom. Isabel pulled him down on top of her and settled him between her legs. Michael pushed in and she arched up, breaking her barrier. Isabel healed herself and moved her hips.

They followed a rhythm they’d set in their dreams, countless times before. As they neared climax, they linked hands. Michael followed Isabel over the cliff. He withdrew from her and held her. “Michael?” “What?” “It’s nothing like the dreams, is it?” “No, Isabel, this is so much better.”

*12 months later. A bright sunny day outside a small chapel in Roswell.