She unlocks the door and walks in, kicking off her shoes, and throwing them to the side of the door. She really didn't feel like being bothered with anything. She wandered into the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a dish of lasagna. She popped it in the microwave, and went upstairs, barely lifting her feet.

When she finally got in her room, she peeled off the ugly, blue-green uniform she wore for work, and put on her Piglet pajamas. *Piglet...* She let out a little laugh. *Mickey used to say I looked like Piglet... I still think he's Eyore!* She forced herself downstaris, to spite the urge she felt to just collapse on her bed and not move until it was time for school Monday morning.

She heard the microwave beep, and she reach in and grabbed the dish, pulling back quickly because of the heat. "Damn it!" She yelled. She was mentally kicking herself. She stuck her finger in her mouth, pulled it out and waved it frantically.

Behind her the water turned on. She jumped, and realized it could be no one else other than Michael.

"You know, Mickey.... I tell you and I tell you about making..." She trailed off as she turned around, and not seeing Michael there. "Klye! I'm sorry. I thought you were..."

"I know. I can tell." He said quietly. "You know, they say it's good to run cold water over burns, or put ice on them or something..." He smiled at her. She looked like a little girl in her Piglet pjs and her hair in very short ponytails. Her hair had grew just enough over the last year that she could put her hair in scrunchies.

"What are you doing here?" She asked finally realizing that Kyle was in her house for the first time in quite a while.

"My dad left this weird message on my machine, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it, sis?" Maria turned the water off, and looked at him confused.

"Sis?" She asked. "Since when did I become your sister? I mean, the last time I checked, I was Maria DeLuca, not Maria Valenti." Maria smirked. Kyle returned with a smirk equal to her sarcasm.

"Well, Miss DeLuca. As of this Tuesday, you will officially be my sister, seeing as how our parents getting married isn't currently enough for you to be my sister, sis." He crossed his arms across his schest.

"M-m-married?" Maria forced out. "Our parents got m-m-married?" He looked at her as if to say 'DUH!'.

"Yeah! Haven't you checked your messages at all today?" Kyle asked.

"No!" Maria ran upstairs to her room, and looked over at her phone. The little red light was blinking. One...Two...Three. Three messages. She pressed play.

"Maria, this is Liz..." Skip. "Hey, honey. This is the new, Mrs. Jim Valenti checking in on the soon-to-be Maria Valenti..." Giggles. Her mother never giggles, and now here is her voice on Maria's machine giggling. "Today, I got hitched... I won't be home for a few more days... Make sure to be the good girl I know is in there, somewhere. You be nice to your brother, Kyle, you hear? Bye, sweety... Oh! I almost forgot to tell you the most important things. You're being adopted by Jimmy, and I'm adopting Kyle... And, when we get back... Jimmy and Kyle are moving in. I gotta go, honey. I'll see you soon, Maria Valenti!" Click. "Hey, Maria, this is Kyle... Call me when you get a chance..." Maria stopped the machine. She couldn't believe what she just heard... Her mother told her that she got married to Valenti when she was supposed to be working, that she was going to be adopted by her boyfriend's arch-enemy, and that he and his son are moving in! How could this day get any worse?

"I think I'm gonna puke..." Maria trailed off as she ran into the bathroom just in time. Splat! She couldn't remember the last time she prayed to the porcelein god, but she knew that if this stuff kept happening... it certainly would happen a lot in the near future!

Kyle walking into the bathroom, and knelt down beside her.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked concerned. When he got his message telling him to start packin' he felt the same way, but he didn't exactly follow up on it! *** Later that night... *************

Maria lay on her bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars she had stuck on her ceiling when she was twelve. It's amazing they haven't fallen down, clunking her in the head at night. *Shooting Star* She thought. The thought made her forget her troubles and smile for a while.

She needed a star of her own... one that would always be there, no matter what. She needed a star to light the way for her when her life seemed clouded by darkness. She needed a star that would help her through this time of... day? Maybe. A bright star that would help her through the day, and show her the way through night....

Tap Tap Tap. She glanced at her window. Michael wasn't there. Instead he stuck two peices of paper to her window. She slowly rose. Stopping in front of her window, she unlocked it, and pulled it open. She smiled, taking the papers and looking out. Nothing. He wasn't anywhere in sight.

The first paper was a letter...

Dear Ria,

Today, I watched you... You looked so beautiful. Just like always. I know, I always say it, but you still don't seem to understand... So, I thought I'd let you see yourself through my eyes...

Remember today, when I was on my lunch break, and you wanted to see what I was drawing, but I wouldn't tell you? I just said you'd find out soon enough... Now's the time for you to see...

Love,

Michael.

She unfolded the second paper. Her jaws dropped in amazement... It brought a smile to her face. It made forget all the hurt that she went through today, realizing her mothre is so self-absorbed she didn't even care enough to talk to her about Valenti... their plans... This took it all away. This made her all better, for the time being, anyway... This sketch was how Michael saw her... She got to look through his eyes, and see how beautiful he thought she was... There she was...in her little alien uniform....notepad in hand, her pencil...looking at her customers, smiling....waiting for them to order...all in the eye of Michael. It was amazing how the picture was inside an eye. It made her feel like she was Michael, looking through the eyes of Maria, looking through the eyes of Michael, and seeing Maria, the way Michael saw her. She smiled, and put the sketch on her desk...

"Tomorrow, babe, you get framed..." She laid on her bed, staring up at her stars for a minute... Smiling. She fell alseep... Hand over her heart, and a smile onher face.... *** Sunday at the Crashdown... ********************* Maria strutted into the Crashdown at eleven. She stopped in front of the door, and surveyed the place. She walked over to the booth where her friends Liz, Max, Isabel ,Alex, and Michael were sitting, and slammed a GAP bag down on the table. She glared at Michael. All eyes were shifting back and forth between Michael, who was sitting staring up at Maria looking confused, and Maria who was glaring at Michael, in a way that appeared to be evil. Alex was sure that at any moment, lasers would come out of her eyes, and make Michael's head explode. Isabel whispered to Michael:

"God, Michael, what did you do?" Michael didn't answer, he just looked at her confused.

"Michael Guerin!" Maria said in an angry tone.

"Uh Oh!" Alex said. Isabel elbowed him in his side.

"What'd you do that for?" He exclaimed with a whimper of pain. Maria still glared at Michael, who was wide-eyed at Maria in confusion.

"Shut up!" Isabel whispered to her significant other.

"Did you actually think you could get away with this?" Maria was still using her angry tone.

"Get away with what?" Michael asked confused.

"Don't give me that! You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!" Maria snapped. She shoved the bag in Michael's direction. He caught it just before it fell.

"I think maybe we should give them some privacy." Max said, standing up. Maria pushed him back in the booth.

"No! You stay right where you are! All of you!" Maria said raising her voice.

"Okay, maybe we should stay." Max said.

"I want all of you to stay right here and look at this!" Maria's tone eased a little. She looked in Michael's direction. "Take it out the bag." Michael hesitated. "Go ahead!" She started to smile."I want eveyone to see me as you do!" She started smiling from 'ear to ear'. Michael took the newly-framed sketch he had given her out the bad, and felt a little releived. At first, he thought he did something wrong. "Put it in the middle of the table." Maria smirked. Michael placed it down as she said. "Look how pretty I am!" She squeled with delight. Eveyone closed in on the remarkable picture of Maria, working through Michael's eyes.

"Oh My God." Isabel barely whispered. She gave Michael a slight punch in the arm. "Michael this is amazing!"

"You know, you would make my life harder by sitting on the inside of the booth."Maria said. She crawled over Alex, and Isabel to gt to Michael. She gave him a big hug and, she kissed him sweetly on the cheek. "Thank you so much!" Maria said practically choking the life out of poor Michael. "This is the best gift I've ever gotten, from anyone, all my life!" She squeled. Everyone was still marveling over the beautiful sketch. Maria was sitting on Michael's lap, with her legs over Isabel, and her feet resting on Alex. She never stopped smiling.

The bells over the Crashdown started to jimgle. In came Kyle. He walked over to the table where Maria was sitting.

"What's up sis? Whoa-" He caught a glance of the sketch. Maria scooted across Isabel, and was sitting on Alex. She gave Kyle a hug.

"Thanks for 'holding my hair' while I prayed last night. You know, even if it wasn't literally." She scooted back across Isabel and was back on Michael.

"No problem, sis. Who gave you this? It's...wow." Kyle asked.

"Michael did. What's up with you calling her sis?" Isabel asked.

"Our parents got married yesterday...." Maira answered. "They're moving in, and I'm going to get adopted to become Maria Valenti.... But Mickey thinks I'm beautiful, so that's okay."

"Tell me you're joking!" Liz snapped.

"I wish I could..."Kyle said. He sat down next to Max. "Hey, Max. How's it goin'? You still with Tess?" Maria made a phony throat-clearing sound. She looked him in the eye, as if to say 'Don't go there!'. "Sorry." He said apologetically to Liz. "The guy who dumped you must be pretty stupid... I mean to give up a princess like you... Whoa! He must be missin' a lot of cards! I bet when he find 'em he'll kick his ass from here to New York! What a loser!" Liz smiled a thanks. She didn't really know why, but what he said really cheered her up. Maybe it's just a Kyle thing.

"I'm right here, you know!" Max said glaring at Kyle.

"So you are... Oh Yeah! You're the loser who dumped Liz! Did you find any cards yet? Maybe we could play poker sometime in the far future!" Kyle winked at Liz when he said poker. Isabel chuckled seeing her brother get so upset over something so...nice! That wasn't like Max. He should be happy that someone made a jackass out of him so that Liz could be happy and smile for the first time in weeks, even if it was for a moment in time. "So, how about this secret of yours?" Kyle asked.

"You told him?" Isabel snapped at Maria.

"No! I told him you guys would probably have to tell him, since he's my brother, and I can't really hide from Valenti, him being my dad, and all, so, sometimes, Kyle could help, or cover for me... You know. My mom's so trying to play Susie-Homemaker, now." Maria rushed everything out in one breath. Then she smiled slightly, looking pleadingly into Michael's eyes.

"Okay." Michael said kissing her forehead. "She's right, anyway. She won't be able to do everything with Kyle and Valenti living with her, now... We should tell Kyle."

"Okay... Who are you and what did you do with Michael. You know, Michael 'Can't get invloved, Can't tell anyone' Guerin." Liz said smirking. Michael smirked back, and rolled his eyes.

"Hey! Don't you people go jumping up on Michael!" Maria cut in.

"Did you brainwash him?" Alex asked playfully. Maria kicked him. "Sorry." Alex said, grabbing his leg.

"I felt that too!" Isabel said. She couldn't believe Maria could forget that she was also on Isabel.

"Sorry, Iz." Maria said. "So, are you guys going to tell him?" Maria asked hopefully.

"Yeah. As much as I hate to admit it, you and Michael are right." Max said quietly. "Can we meet at your house?" he looked at Kyle. "Your new one, I mean."

"That would be...my house, and yes, we can meet there." Maria said shaking her head. *** Maria's house... *************

Everyone was hanging out in Maria's living room waiting for Kyle and Maria to come back from the kitchen. ______ In the kitchen ____________

"Maria..." Maria looked over at him. "Thanks for being so nice to me about all this, you know. I would've covered for you anyway, because you're my sis, or going to be legally, at least, but it'd make me feel a little more comfortable here, knowing what's going on around me, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Now, are you going to introduce me to some of your friends? Get me some dirt, so I can gossip?"Maria elbowed Kyle playfully. They started to laugh.

"Sorry, guys we didn't have any Cherry Coke, so everyone gets iced tea." Maria said placing a try of drinks on the table. "Marvin, here, has got the popcorn. One with, one without... The pink one is theirs" She pointed to Max, Isabel, and Michael.

"So, " Kyle said sitting next to Liz. "What's this big secret of yours?" He put his arm around Liz, and Max was glaring at Kyle.

"We're aliens." Isabel said, quite forward.

"A little blunt, there, aren't we? So, what's the real secret of yours?" Kyle asked.

"No, that's it, Marvin. They're aliens." Maria said. "Pass the popcorn please?" Liz handed her the plain popcorn. "No, the pink popcorn... Thanks."

"That's it?" Kyle asked."That's the big secret? Ha! I knew that a long time ago. I didn't think I was right, until now, but I still knew!" Kyle said matter-of-factly. He took a swig of his tea.

"How did you know?" Michael asked quite calmly. Everyone was shocked at his calm. Usually Michael is hype within seconds... milliseconds, even! Everyone looked at him, wide-eyed, except Maria. She was the only one used to the new Micahel. Mostly because to her it wasn't new, anymore. She had finally adjusted to the 'new' Michael, and this was part of it.

"I just guessed, really. I didn't it in the fifth grade. I used to say that you guys were from Mars and stuff. I didn't know I was right until I was confirmed. Anyway, this is Roswell! Aliens are nothing in this Alien-themed town!" He wasn't even surprised by the info. It seemed like yesterday's news. "So, are we the Alabama of the universe, or what?" Kyle asked quite intersted.

"What?" Max hadn't spoke until now.

"You know... Are we the Alamba of the universe? The Hicks? The 'slow-pokes'? The dumbasses?"

"All I know is that you're a jackass." Max said trying to even the score from earlier. Kyle put his hand out for Max to shake it...

"Good one, Maxwell!You gonna shake my hand?" Isabel nudged him to shake him hand.

There's a knock at the door. Maria gets up to answer it. She comes back in the room with everyone else.

"Max, your Whore is here!" Maria said in a whiney voice. Everyone cracked a smile. Maria has been quite vicious to Tess. She hates Tess. Tess made her best friend's boyfriend break her heart with all her shity Destiny talk.

Tess glared at Maria.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd leave. I don't want my house contaminated with whatever smut you brought in here with you." Maria said. Tess rolled her eyes.

"Whatever smut is in here was brouhgt in here a long time ago... Probably by that white trash you call mother." Maria's eyes widened, and then.... She punched Tess in her face. She could no longer put up with her shit!

"I'm gonna kill you, you two-cent-alien-whore!" Maria screamed at the top of her lungs. Kyle had picked Maria up by her waiste, and Maria was strugling to get down. "Let me down, so I can make her wish she was never brought to this planet...." Maria started to slap Kyle's hands. Everyone was trying to separate the two...

Tess was up, and trying to get past Max and Alex to Maria, and Maria was trying to get down and get past Iasbel, Liz, Michael, and Kyle. Apparently they thought Maria was way more dangerous, they just didn't know why.

"I can just blow you away with my powers, you stupid...human!" Tess yelled over them. That caused Maria to fight even more. Alex, Liz, and Kyle had stopped what they were doing. Kyle put Maria down, and they ganged up on Tess.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex asked looked down at her.

"So you really are as stupid as you look. It means that humans are inferior to us!" Tess snapped.

"Oh, no, she didn't!" Maria had broken past everyone, and was now face to face with Tess. her eyes burning into Tess'. "Come on, space bitch. Bring it on... I'll kick your ass from here to Pluto and back again!" Maria said getting into Tess' face even more.

"Did you forget that with one touch I could kill you?" Tess said inching on Maria.

"Look at what we got here, hombres!" She turned to look at everyone behind her. "Hmm. A funcking cowardess alien. Too scared to fight her own battles, too slutty to lay off. She thinks she's got it made... think she knows it all.." Maria let out a little chuckle. Tess was beginning to back down. Fear crept into her eyes. Maria was really scaring her. "Think you could kick my ass in a real fight?" Maria's voice was low, and held more anger than anyone had every heard before. "or are you just too chicken? You think you're so damn big...bad just because you got a little secret? I got a couple secrets off my own... ones that'll scare you shitless. Send you flyin' home to momma with your tail between your legs. I'll make you wish your parent's parents were never born. 'Cause I could cut you open and turn you inside out like that." She snapped her fingers. A smile crept across her face. No one knew what she was talking about... No one moved as much to breathe."Make you cry, and beg for mercy." She got closer to Tess. Now their noses were touching. "I could twist you up and tear you to peices... I've got muscles you couldn't even dream of... Abilities you wish you had.... Next to me... you're nothing but a two-bit-peice of alien scum. You think you got powers...I'll show you powers." Maria's eyes seemed to glow red from within. No one could see it because everyone was behind Maria, so the only one that noticed was Tess. Her eyes widened, and she backed away a little. Maria moved back to where she was, and glared into Tess' eyes. She contiuned to back away, but Maria kept the same distance between them. Everyone was in shock that Maria had scared Tess the way she had. Maria chuckled again. "So... You want to go with me? C'mon, girl I'll go with you. We can do it my way..." Another chuckle. "Or your way, but either way, I'll hurt you... I'll make you get down on your knees and beg for mercy. I'll make you cry out in pain... I'll put you in you place...make sure you never cross the line. You like mental prison, chica? I'll put you there... All you gotta do is say the words... Me and you... Mano a mano...Boo!" Tess stumbled backwards... Maria chuckled.

"C'mon. Since you think you're so big and bad... me and you, mano a mano." Tess said. She was sure Maria was bluffing.

"You guys might want to move, so we can do this right..." Maria said to her friends. Everyone got out of the way. Maria took a few steps back. "So, what's it gonna be, chica?"

"My way." Tess said overly-confident of herself. She wasn't part human like the rest. She was pure alien. Nasedo's daughter. The girl from the forth pod was still missing, so she decided to play the part for a while.

"I know your little secret, chica. You're not the alien from the pod. You're Nasedo's daughter... Michael's sister is out there, and I know exactly where she is. I know where she went, and I can send you there." Maria smiled as she exposed Tess. Michael was surprised, and couldn't wait to get Maria alone to talk to her about his sister.

Tess sent a electrifying force at Maria.

"No!" Michael screamed. Max and Alex held him back.

The force didn't even penetrate Maria's skin. She seemed to have a protective barrier that wouldn't let it past her. Tess' eyes widened in fear. She began to throw everything she could at her before she exhauseted herself.

"Bored now..." Maria stated plainly. " This is so no fun when they don't even fight." Her eyes glowed redder. "You know, I've been in many fights like this in the past couple centuries... no one ever seems to learn. Back down when you have the chance, hon. The consequences are just too much for some to bear...you know? A lot of people die from my force. So sad. So true." Maria smiled. "Is it cold in here, of is it just me?" She turned to look at her friends, and they saw the glow in her eyes. Liz shivered. "I don't think it's just me." Maria's lips parted slightly, and she exhaled a bit. A giant flame was sent in Tess' direction, but not at her... She just wanted to toy with her a little.

"You're the devil..." Tess said quietly.

"Me? Ha! Hardly! I know him, though." Maria stepped closer to Tess, who was now, pinned up against the door, dangling from the ground with the raising of Maria's hand, although she she wasn't even touching her. "Up, down... Up, down..." Maria giggled. "This was my favorite game when I was four-hundred years old... Ah, how the time flies when you're immortal." She turned to Michael, Max Alex,Liz and Isabel, "Know what I mean?" Tess was pinned to the ceiling, now.

"Us? Immortal?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, I don't usually grant people immortallity, but then, most people I've met are... well, like you, Tess. I end up killing them. Kyle, you're next on my list." Maria was smiling.

"You're gonna kill Kyle?" Alex asked concerned.

"No!" Maria threw her hand up, causing Tess to go through the ceiling. "Oops!" She giggle, releasing the choke-hold she had on Tess. "I'm going to make you immortal! You guys'll be my first friends!" Maria was excited. Tess tried to leave while she was distracted. "Don't you mo-ove. Not, yet." Tess froze in her position. "I want you to come here, get down on your knees, and apologize to these people. Not out of fear. So, when you're ready, come find us. It doesn't have to be today, but sometime this century, please. I hate it when I have to wait over fifty years. Then I torture the person, and make them live forever in ultimate pain." She started to giggle. When she walked past Tess, she patted her on her head, and she wasn't frozen in her position anymore. "I have to say, you're the most clever one I ever had. No one ever thought of using the door... One time, back in Ireland, 87. 1787, of course, there was a man named Alberto Carmerno, ah, Alberto. He was a sailer. Came from Italy. He tried the window... Ah, the good ol' days. Couldn't find a slacker in the lot of 'em. I tried, they were the fun ones! Yah! See ya!" Maria left, and everyone followed. *** The Crashdown... *************** "So, Maria. What exactly are you?" Michael asked wondering what his girlfriend could possibly be.

"Ah, sweety, I'm a girl, silly." She winked. "I can't tell you unless you know what you are." She whispered.

"Oh." Isabel said. "Don't you ever worry about getting caught?" Isabel was curious, now.

"No, not being immortal, and knowing that I could wipe out this galaxy. I don't tend to worry about anything, really." Maria smiled. "And, now, none of you do, except Kyle, who I'll fix tonight."

"Who are we?" Max asked, The first time he spoke since they left Maria's.

"Pardon?" Maria smiled.

"You knew all that stuff about Tess, how? You must know about our past. Please, tell us."

"Don't you catch on quickly. I was expecting at least a few more years. Well, come on." She got up, and left. Everyone followed her out to the cars.

"Where're we going?" Alex asked.

"To the crashsite... the original crashsite, then.. Oh! We have to make a quick stop at my house. I have to fix you so you can come with us..." She was looking at Kyle. "We wouldn't want you burning up going past all those balls of fire!" She started to giggle. No one else saw the funny in that. *** Maria's room... ************

Maria is going through a box of pictures.

"What are you looking for?" Michael asked.

"A picture." Maria said. She looked up at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Damn! I don't have one. Oh, well, the real Kyle will have to do..." She smiled. "Kyle, can you stand over there for me?" Kyle moved beside her bed like she asked.

"What are you going to do to him?" Isabel asked curious.

"Put fire inside of him...or on him, whichever happens first." Maria said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Liz ran over to Kyle and hugged him. She stroked his hair. Just the way she used to. Max could feel his face burning with fury.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt. Here." She made a sample fire on her bed for him to test. There wasn't even any heat generation! "Okay?" Kyle nodded. Flame engulfed him. Then, Maria swallowed the flame whole, leaving Kyle standing there, a little shaken up, but unharmed. Liz held on to him. It was the first sign of their relatioship being rekindled. *** The desert... ***********

"So, this is the original crashsite?" Michael asked looking around. It was government territory. A ranch, actually. "What are we going to do now?"

"Fly. Go see your planet, come home." Maria smiled. She saw the excitement in everyone's eyes. "Cool, huh?" *** Later that night... Maria's room... ************************** Maria lay on her bed, starting at her adhesive stars, as usual. She was think of the good ol' days when people were... different. She always had a soft spot in her heart for the clothes of long ago. They were so... elegant. She wanted to be a noble again. She missed that time, but she was in this time. *I don't know why I don't just travel through time. I know I can if I want to... What's holding me back?* She thought to herself.

Tap Tap Tap. It was the tap she loved to hear at night... the tap that may have held her back. She got up off her bed, and went over to let Michael in. She went and sat back down on the bed, resting her back on her pillows. Michael climbed in, and sat down next to her. She kissed his cheek, and hooked arms with him.

"Baby, I came here to find out about my sister." Michael said after a moment of silence.

"I-I can't tell you..." Maria said shyly.

"Why not? You know, I need to know."

"Well, I can't tell you. You either have to find her in person, or find her...." Maria trailed off. She didn't know how to put it.

"Where?" Michael asked. He needed to find his sister.

"Inside of me..." She answered.

"Oh." He looked disappointed. He didn't want to force her to do anything she didn't want to do. It's not like that would be their first time together, but that's not the point.

"Mickey, I love you... I would do anything for you... Anything." Maria rested her head on his shoulder.

"Maria, I know you would, but, I don't want it to be about that...you know?"

"Yeah." She looked up and him, and he kissed her.

"Thanks for being willing." Michael said quietly. Maria fell alseep in his arms. *** The same time, Maria's room.... Five days later.. ************************************** Maria lay staring at her stars, a favorite pasttime of hers. She always loved to look up into the sky. Whenever she looked at the sky, she could see for lightyears. All the planets. All the stars. Everything she'd always know all her life. Eight billion years of life, surrounded by stars, and planets, and empty space. It's always so peaceful...

Tap Tap Tap. She turned her head a bit... He could see her silver tears sparkling in rows down her cheeks. She got up, and unlocked the window. She didn't bother to open it, just unlock it... She turned and went to her bed, and laid back down.

"Maria?" He asked concerned. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" He stepped into her room, and sat beside her on the bed. He sat her upright, and started to stroke her hair.

"I miss them, Michael." She said quietly.

"Who?" He asked quietly.

"The dresses... I miss the dresses I used to wear. They were so beautiful. I had so many. I was a countess...I was practically royalty. I was always mingling with royalty... in my beautiful dresses. My favorite was royal purple... with gold timming. It was square-cut at the chest. The sleeves draped over, at the bottom, and there was a small band that wrapped around the middle finger...It was so...

Maria began to cry harder. Michael kissed the crown of her head. Her made her feel so happy.

"Go back with me, Michael." Maria pleaded with him.

"How? We can't travel through time..." He tried to reason with her.

"Yes, we can. We can do whatever we want..." She looked at him pleadingly.

"Okay." He said. "I'll go with you. When do we go?" He asked.

"I love you!" She rolled on top of him, and kissed him passionately. Her hands running through his hair, and caressing his neck. She pressed up against him, letting no space between them.

His hands, around her waiste, caressing her back. Moving upwards.... Into her hair...down. Down her back again. They parted for air. Their chests bobbing up and down, inhaling all they could. Breathing heavily and gazing into each other's eyes. Maria smiled at him adoringly. Her eyes sparkling. His soulful eys met her gaze. She towered above him. She ran her fingers through her hair, and shook her head. Her long auburn curls that were once bound around her face were there again. He reached up and touched her hair, taking in the silky feel between his fingers.

"I didn't know you were a redhead." Michael said smiling.

"Now you know. My mom's a natural redhead, you know." Maria said. *** The next day...Everyone is at the Evan's house. ************************************

"I can't believe you guys are leaving to back to a time with no tv, no stereo's, and no cars!" Alex exclaimed. he couldn't believe it.

"We won't be there long... Just a couple days. A week, maybe." Maria said.

"What are you going to tell your parents?" Isabel asked. "You can't just up and leave!"

"I can..." Maria said plainly. It didn't even seem to touch the surface that her parents would worry.

"You can't go!" Max shouted.

"I don't need your permission! You're not my father, and you can't tell me what to do! We're going! I was just telling you people because I thought you would understand missing someplace, and going back!" Maria was getting upset. She was just informing, not asking for permission.

"Yeah, but Valenti is!" Max yelled back.

"He's not my father. I existed before any one on this earth was even a thought." Maria said coolly.

"Maria, can I talk to you in Izzy's room, please." Max got up and walked into Isabel's room, leaving Michael, Alex, Liz, Kyle, and Isabel behind.

______ Izzy's Room ____________

"You're not going... I won't let you." Maria laughed.

"You? Stop me? Is that a joke?"

"I'm serious, Maria. I will stop you."

"And why is that, exactly?" Maria asked smirking.

"What? Why is What?" Max was slightly confused.

"Because everyone would worry... We'd miss you." Max said.

"Is this about that kiss?" Maria's smirked turned into a smile.

"What kiss?" Max asked.

"Oh, please, Max. We both know that that kiss was more than you'd like to think. You have it built up inside you that some things are bad... words...actions...thoughts. It's marked so clearly what's right... what's wrong, and to you, those fantasies you had since that kiss....well, they're wrong." Maria moved closer to him. Her lips were so close to his that they were practically kissing. He stared at her lips... Her Red Raspberry lips...so full, just waiting to be kissed. His breathing became heavy. She pressed up against him. His heartbeat grew faster.

"Max..." Maria smiled. He was practically under a spell!

"Yeah?" he asked below a whisper.

"I'm going." She whispered into his ear. Her breath sent chills down his spine.

"No. I'll make you stay..." His eyes were fixated on her chest. So close to his. She cupped his face in her hands, and lifted his face so he'd gaze into her eyes. Her beautiful, green eyes.

"I can do anything I want... I can do anything I want to you, and you couldn't even begin to stop me. I bet you're getting off on that..." She rubbed her hands all over his chest, and up and down his back...grabbing his butt. "I could ride you 'til your knees buckle. Make you scream my name so loud you'd feel your lungs practically bursting. Make you feel like you die if I stopped. I've got muscles your body couldn't possibly begin to understand. I'd take you over... and over... and over again. You'd try to hold in so many cries of pleasure you'd want to explode, and when it's all over you'd be so limp you couldn't even blink your eyes. Hmmm." She bit her lip. Her hands slowly made their way down below his waisteline, and she grabbed him. He took in a sudden, deep breath, holding it for a minute, and exhaling."Aw. I went and got you hard." He looked down into her green eyes, sparkling mischeviously. "Wanna know why I don't?" She hadn't released him, yet. His breathing sped up.

"Ooooh. Yes." He whispered.

"I can't hear you." She tormented, grabbing him harder.

"Yes." He said a little louder.

"Still can't hear you..." She grabbed him harder. He moaned with pleasure. He rolled his head from side to side. His lips parted with his breath.

"Ooooh, yes. Yes!" He began to whimper with pleasure. She pressed closer to him. Their lips touching slightly.

"Because It's wrong." Maria grabbed him one last time, and let him go. She smiled at him. Her eyes dancing wildly. She turned and left. He remained there for a minute. Catching his breath. He leaned over on Isabel's desk, staring down. She turned him on..... She really turned him on. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the image he had of them together disappear. He caught his breath, and stood up straight. He left the room, and came back into where everyone was waiting. He couldn't look at Maria, let alone, look into her eyes.

Maria had made herself comfy on his bed with Michael. *Is she trying to torture me?* He thought to himself. Michael was sitting at the head of his bed, and Maria was laying down. Her head resting on her hand, resting in his lap. When he came in, she smiled at him. He looked away quickly. She chuckled a bit.

"Well. Mickey, we better get going..." They got up.

"Later." Michael said as he walked out the room.

"See ya, Kyle, Liz, Alex, Izzy... Maxwell." She slapped his butt as she walked by sending him flashes of him and Maria making love. He jumped. She giggled. Then... Maria wasn't there anymore.

Max sat down on his bed... More flashes... Maria and Max making love. He jumped up suddenly... He screamed, and tripped over Liz on the floor, and caught himself on his desk. He jumped back screaming. More flashes. He traced the wall... More flashes... Everything he did brought on more flashes.

"My God, Max... What did she do to you?" Isabel got up and gave him a hug. He began to cry. Everyone else sat back stunned. They had no clue what was going on...

"She's all over here, Izzy. She's all in my room." Tears streamed his cheeks. "She's everywhere!" He collapsed to his knees, and wept. Isabel went down with him, holding him.