Favoring the well-lit streets to the murky alley-ways, Maria slipped past boxes and crates and out into what she hoped would be the hustle and bustle of a busy town.

She was sorely disappointed. For a brief moment, Maria entertained ideas of being the last one alive in sleepy Roswell, but pushed them away just as quickly.

A dog was barking somewhere, and it was the only sound on the desolate street. The rain had paused as if gathering strength for the upcoming onslaught and even the wind had ceased. Suppressing the urge to run, Maria halted next to a closed thrift shop. She tentatively held out a hand and felt... nothing. Not a single drop or even a slight breeze.

It felt as though the town itself was inhaling. The calm before the storm. And then she sensed it. Rushing toward her with great speed and intensity, the blast assaulted her, consumed her.

"It's beginning," she whispered but somehow she knew that she was wrong.

It had already begun.

In the distance, thunder grumbled it's foreboding, as the splashing rain tumbled down from the sinister sky. Only the palest gray glow still illuminated the western sky. The icy, slashing droplets seemed to be tearing the last of that light out of the clouds and driving it into the earth, pulling down a deep, dank darkness.

Maria fought her way through the onslaught, repeating to herself, "It's only rain, it's only rain, it's only rain."

***

Collapsing on her brightened porch, Maria instantly felt more at ease. Michael was no where to be seen and had probably gone home long before. Ridding herself of her soaking boots and jacket, Maria carried them into the kitchen. Her jacket had done nothing to shield out the rain causing her Crashdown dress to plaster itself to her body.

The phone sat on the wall by the fridge and Maria crossed to it, dropping her discarded shoes and coat on the frigid tile floor.

She dialed quickly, wanting more than anything to change into something warmer. Hell, she'd settle for anything dry at the moment.

"Hello?" a woman answered.

"Hi, Mrs. Parker. It's Maria. I just wanted to let you know that I got home alright."

"I'm glad, sweetie." The older woman's voice was faded and distracted. It made Maria feel that much more distant and detached from reality.

"Okay, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Feeling tears well up, Maria collapsed wearily into one of the imposing kitchen chairs. Her hair dripped a trail of shivers down her clammy back and she shook it out, wincing instantly as her vision swarmed.

Gingerly, she lifted her fingers to the gash on her forehead. When she removed them, she saw that they were stained a watery red.

"Damn. This is gonna hurt like hell tomorrow." Crossing the kitchen again, Maria tried to ignore the sounds of the thunderstorm around her. It always reminded her of the day her father left. When she was little, she would always run to him when she saw the menacing flashes of light. How ironic that he left during one of those such storms. He was no longer there to protect her and she despised him for it.

Pulling out an old dishtowel, Maria dug some ice out of the freezer and wrapped them in the cloth. The ice penetrated her skull, sending shocks rolling throughout her body. Maria didn't think she could get any colder.

She flicked off the fluorescent light in the kitchen and walked through the darkness into the living room, stopping at a small window facing out back. She looked out, watching the violent lightening arch across the wind-blown sky.

"What happened?" a voice asked from behind her, causing her to jump. Maria whipped around and switched on a lamp, basking the room in a gentle, yellow light.

"Michael," she groaned when she saw him comfortably stretched out on her couch. "I should have known you would just break in."

Another flash of lightning burned the night and blazed briefly on the windows, followed by a crash of thunder that seemed to shake the house. That celestial flicker was, for an instant, brighter than the soft glow of the single lamp.

"You're late," Michael yawned, sitting upright.

"Observant genius... Liz got attacked at the Crashdown."

Arching an eyebrow he was by her side in an instant. Michael tugged the hand cradling the ice off Maria's head and lifted her hair away from her face. "And let me guess, you got jealous and decided to play human punching bag too?"

Protesting, arguing, and irking all came naturally to the blonde, but something in Michael's eyes told her to trust him. "What are you..." Maria trailed off as the sparks dancing in his eyes entranced her. He blinked and she tumbled back into reality, noticing that his fingertips rested on her forehead. "... doing," she finished, breathlessly.

"Does it feel better?" he asked quietly, examining her cut. For the first time in her life, she was unable to say anything, so she simply nodded. "It's not completely healed, but better than nothing, I guess."

***

Astonished as he was, he still caught the confused look on Maria's face.

"What?" he asked, afraid that he over-stepped the boundary. Another flash of light tore through the room.

"It's just... I thought... Liz told me that you weren't too good at using your powers."

"I'm not," Michael admitted.

She seemed to contemplate this, then smiled shyly. "Thank you."

Lightning flashed and thunder shook the night again, and rain suddenly came down in torrents, beating on the windows and drumming on the roof. The growling in the sky echoed in the distance, and the electricity died, drenching them in utter darkness neither were prepared for.

The thunder drowned out any noise that they made as they came together instinctively in the dark. Their lips met each other's with crushing speed.

'But she's so annoying!' Michael thought, deepening the kiss.

***

'But he's so... so... alien!' Maria thought as she felt his tongue slide smoothly into her mouth. 'An alien with a nice back,' she amended, kneading the expanse of his taunt muscles.

Fat drops of rain rattled against the window. It was falling with such force that she could hear it slashing through the trees outside. Wind pressed insistently against the house.

"Mmm... why does this feel so right?" Maria moaned as Michael kissed his way down her neck. In the brief flicker of another lightning bolt, he was back, yet again devouring her mouth, her lips, her tongue.

"I'm not sure," he mumbled against her mouth, their breath mingling. Michael unbuttoned her dress and slid it off her shoulders and to the floor. Wrapping his arms tightly around her scantily clad body, he shifted her onto the couch below.

Another echo of thunder erupted.

Gripping the bottom of his shirt, Maria yanked upwards, needing desperately for him to warm her up, but almost choking him in the process.

He smirked down at her. "Anxious, aren't we?"

"Shut up," she snapped, wanting only to feel his mouth on hers again.

Giving everything a surreal quality, the pitch-blackness was occasionally pierced by a violent burst of light.

Just as he was undressing her completely, Maria felt her mind tunneling backwards and she felt her stomach drop.

Blinking, she looked around, warily trying to locate Michael. But in this white-walled world, he was no where to be found.

Suddenly, the walls began to morph and a long, narrow corridor appeared. Figuring that that was where she was supposed to go, Maria walked down it and reveled in the changes in the walls as she traveled.

In a whisper, Michael appeared and hanging around his neck was the key that she wanted, that she needed. It gleamed in the light as it sat against his bare chest. Maria knew that she could have it now. Her fingers caressed the tarnished silver and Michael leaned over a bit so she could lift it over his head.

Only when she held it tightly in her hand was she drawn back into the dark reality in Michael's arms.

"Are you okay?" He was propped up over her, looking down in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Maria smiled playfully and nibbled on his bottom lip to prove it.

More booms rocked the walls.

Pulling away, Michael kissed a trail down her body creating a moan deep inside her. "Oh, Michael," Maria let out. She closed her eyes as he stopped at her belly button, his lips moving but not in a kiss. "Is that a smile I feel?" Maria joked. "I always wondered if you were able to."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he mumbled against her skin, in-between kisses.

Lightning illuminated the room once again, and he glanced up to see her eyes wide and twinkling with pleasure. Then, just as swiftly, dark returned.

Maria, accepting that patience was not a virtue that she possessed, rolled out from under him, flipped him over, and jumped on top. In the lightning bursts, she saw him watching her, smirking.

Maria rid him of his offending clothing and they became entangled once again. Michael groaned, like he was about to say something but couldn't. He pushed into her. Thunder crashed.

They found a rhythm in the rolling thunder that seemed unending. The storm was near. Overhead. Over them.

"Maria," he whispered into her ear.

Lightning struck.

Maria urged Michael on, pulling him closer. The thunder and lightning became one, crashing in unison. She could feel Michael's heart pound against her breasts. Or maybe it was her own, she couldn't tell anymore. It didn't matter.

The howling of the wind mingled with the moans from the two.

The key was in her hand. Michael stood before her with a book bound by a lock. Guiding the key into it's slot, she turned it...

Lightning cracked and thunder grumbled. The deafening noise of the tempest was all consuming. She couldn't hide from it, wouldn't hide from it. All she could do was ride out the storm.

Wave after wave of pleasure washed over them but it was more than just physical. It encompassed all of their emotions as well. It all rushed upward, straight into Maria's head, blurring her vision.

"Wow," she breathed, feeling Michael ease enough of his weight off of her so he could relax.

"Wow," he agreed.