The feeling of being in his arms again, the caresses and gentle touches when they had made love, his words to her when he had explained his reasoning for ending their relationship. And then his telling her how much he cared about her and that he wanted to try to make a relationship between them work again. Everything that had happened had been better than any fantasy she had ever had.

Maria reached up and gently caressed the side of Michael’s face. Still mostly asleep, Michel smiled and pressed his face further into her touch. Maria giggled softly. “Come on, Spaceboy,” she whispered. “Time to wake up.”

Michael’s eyes fluttered open and his smile grew broader at the sight of Maria before him. “Hey,” he whispered, catching her hand in his and kissing it lightly.

“Morning,” she whispered back, chills running down her spine at his gesture. “Did you sleep well?”

“Mmm, never better,” he told her. “You?”

Maria nodded. “Kinda like sleeping with a warm puppy,” she teased him.

“Oh, a puppy?” Michael asked her. Maria nodded, trying to keep a straight face. “A puppy?”

He began tickling her and she shrieked, backing up against the wall that the cot was next to, trying to get away from him. “No, stop! I’m sorry!” she cried, laughing and trying to grab his hands. “I meant that in a good way, I swear!”

“Did you now?” Michael asked, moving closer to her. He began nuzzling her neck, growling softly.

“Good boy,” Maria giggled, gently running her fingers through his hair. “Michael. Oh, Michael,” she murmured as his mouth began working its way down from her neck. “Michael, wait, stop. We can’t do this now. We need to get back. Isabel came into my dream last night and told me how to get back to the cabin. Come on. Michael!” Michael paid her words no attention as his mouth continued with its exploration. “Michael, we are never going to get out of here if you keep that up!”

Michael finally stopped and looked up at her. “And would that be so terrible?” he asked her, grinning wickedly.

Maria smiled. “No,” she admitted. “But we really can’t do this, we really do have to get back. Isabel said they’ve all been really worried about us, and if we don’t get back soon Lizzie will probably send out a rescue party. I really don’t think my mom would like hearing how a forest ranger found you and me naked on a cot in the ranger’s station. Besides,” she added softly, looking into his eyes, “we have plenty of time for this later.”

“All the time in the world,” Michael agreed, kissing her softly.

“Mmm,” Maria said, resting her head on Michael’s shoulder when they finally broke their embrace. “You’re making it very hard to say goodbye to this place.” They lay in contented silence a few moments more before Maria gently shoved Michael’s shoulder. “Come on, get up. We really do need to get dressed and get moving.”

Michael groaned, but did as Maria asked, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the cot. He brought Maria her clothing from where it had dried by the fireplace, and then returned to pick up his own clothing. “I think I’d better stay over here, or we’ll never get dressed,” he told her, his eyes twinkling.

Maria blushed, but she was smiling, too. “Probably a good idea,” she agreed, tearing her eyes away from Michael’s naked form and forcing herself to concentrate on getting herself dressed.

When they were both finally dressed, they stood in the doorway of the cabin and quickly surveyed the room to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything. “Goodbye, cabin,” Maria said. “I’m going to miss this place.”

“Me, too,” Michael said, slipping his arm around her waist. “But I think it’s time to leave.” Maria nodded and they walked out the door together, closing the door behind them.

They walked back to the cabin hand in hand in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When they came out of the forest and approached the cabin Maria could see Liz, Max, Alex, and Isabel sitting on the front porch.

When Liz saw them she came flying off of the porch with the others close behind her. “Maria, Michael! Oh my God, are you all right?” she asked as she hugged Maria tightly.

“I’m fine, Lizzie,” Maria assured her, as Alex reached around Liz to hug her as well.

“We should get you guys inside,” Max said. “And then you can tell us just what happened to you.”

Maria and Michael agreed and allowed themselves to be led into the cabin. When they reached the living room Michael and Maria sat together on the love seat while the others took various seats around the room. “Okay, so spill,” Alex said. “What happened to you guys last night?”

Maria looked at Michael and he nodded to tell her that she should tell them. Maria began recounting her story to the other four. When she got to the part about Michael finding her and her finding out her ankle was sprained, Liz interrupted her. “My God, Maria, are you all right? We should take you to a hospital!” Liz exclaimed.

Maria shook her head. “I’m fine, Lizzie, I promise,” she assured her friend. “Michael healed me, and I’m totally fine now.” She extended her leg and rotated her ankle around several times. “See, better than ever.”

“Michael healed you?” Max asked.

“Michael healed you?” Isabel questioned at the same time.

“Oh boy,” Alex said, sinking back in his chair. He was getting used to the whole alien thing, but it was still a bit weird for him.

“Yes, I healed her,” Michael said a bit testily. “Didn’t think I could do that, did you?”

“Good job,” Max said sincerely.

Isabel nodded her agreement. “Nice job, Michael.”

Michael looked surprised a moment, then relaxed and smiled. “Thanks.”

“But Maria, still, don't you think you should go to a hospital and make sure you don’t have any other injuries or anything?”

“Lizzie, I am fine, please stop acting like such a mom! Michael healed me, and he did a great job, and I’m totally healthy and everything right now. I’m fine, I know it. I trust him,” she said, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

The others watched this exchange, a little surprised at the interaction between the two. “What exactly did happen to you two?” Isabel asked. “When we last saw the two of you together, you were giving each other the silent treatment. Now you’re, like, practically sitting in each other’s lap. What happened out there?”

Michael looked down at Maria and smiled. “We decided to talk,” he said simply, sliding his arm around Maria’s shoulders.

“And listen,” Maria added, leaning back against Michael.

“And Maria and I are together now,” Michael said, squeezing her shoulder. “I just wanted you all to know,” he added, exchanging a meaningful look with Maria.

Isabel smiled, inwardly congratulating herself on the success of the trip. “Good. Okay, so, do you guys need anything? Like, a nap or something?”

“Well, I’m really just kind of hungry,” Michael said. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.”

“Me, neither,” Maria realized. “I’m starving.”

She began to stand from the couch, but Liz put up her hand. “You two stay right there, we’ll go into the kitchen and get you guys something to eat.”

“Sounds good to me,” Maria agreed, resettling herself against Michael. Liz and Max got up and headed to the kitchen, talking about some scientific program they’d seen on TV the day before. Alex turned on the TV and he and Isabel began discussing the movie that was on. Maria just smiled as she watched and listened to the friends that surrounded her. *Now this is the way things should be,* she thought to herself, looking back up at Michael. He looked down at her and smiled, kissing her lightly on the forehead. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. Yep, this was just perfect. This was where she belonged.