"I don't know what to do anymore, Maria."

"Now there's the understatement of the year," her voice was light and teasing.

"I'm serious," he buried his head in his arms.

"Oh no! No, no, no Maxie baby. You are my backbone. My pillar of strength," she ruffled his soft brown hair. "We're bound by a solemn pledge. Remember this summer? You can't wear that frown and still be a card carrying member of the Come On Get Happy Club."

He raised one eyebrow. "Don't even ask me to sing the song."

"Max, sugar buns, you're bringing me down. I get that pushing Liz away -again, I might add - is tough. That was your call. You have to live with it. Or not."

He rested his chin on the table. "What does that mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "You love her. She loves you. Both of you turn tail and hide every time there's the tiniest bit of pressure."

"Maria," now his eyes rolled.

"Okay, monumental life altering circumstances. Regardless, if you want this woman like I know you want her you'll have to weather the storm. Big changes are on the horizon, Max. For all of us - alien or not. Make a clean break if that's what you want to do, but don't sidestep every time you're in doubt. Michael's the King of that trick."

He nodded in agreement. Maria and Michael were back to phase one. They were involved in a limited sense. With the arrival of Laurie, he was putting her at a distance again. Maria was sore about it, but she wasn't going to let that on. Max hated that she resigned herself to accepting the hurt.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Maria felt the smile slip from her mouth. He went and turned it around on her. Her vision clouded as he stood and pulled her into his embrace. There was something to be said about a male best friend; all of the physical support with none of the friction. She had been feeling the isolation he had been wallowing in too. She gave a noisy sniff. "When did we become such wusses?"

His hollow laugh offered mild encouragement. "We are, aren't we?"

Michael froze on the other side of the door. His hand hovered, primed to exit the breakroom. The view was a solid punch to his ego. Max Evans had once again bested him. Only this time the stakes were high.

He watched as Max tenderly stroked her back. Maria's face was pressed against his shoulder. He wasn't sure which mattered more, anger or regret. His teeth ground as Max touched his lips to her golden head.

The temptation to charge in and tear the pair apart was watered down by a wave of guilt. He was the only one who could make her cry. His mind spun, trying to figure out what he'd done over the past few days to cause her grief.

They were taking things slow this time. It had been his decision to handle their relationship with care. He owed her that much.

Michael rested his forehead against the cool wall. He had to look away from the scene. He could no longer stand the signs of sadness on her face. Greater still, he hated that Max was the one to comfort her now.

It should have been him in there wiping away that stray tear, rubbing a soothing pattern over her spine, chasing away her doubts, eliciting a small giggle. Michael shut his eyes. With a sigh of frustration, he realized just how much he wanted it. He wanted to see her love shine bright for him. He wanted to be worthy. Most important, he needed to be the one she came to the moment she felt the slightest bit down.

When he looked out the window, his jaw tightened. Max's hands were settled on her waist. He was swaying to the song on the jukebox, talking in hushed tones near her ear. Michael would have kissed her there, just beneath the sensitive lobe. His hands would flow in a natural path to caress her hips, rounding over her sweet curves.

"Max!" Maria jumped back with a surprised shriek.

"What?" Max was startled.

"Look, pally, I know you're upset about Liz. That doesn't mean you get to cop a feel."

Michael was ready to pound him. His forward motion was stalled when he remembered one thing ...

Max shook his head, eyes huge. "I did not!"

"My eye! You just squeezed my butt!"

The look of horror on Max's face should have been priceless. Michael had to nod in silent agreement as the embarrassed young man held up his hands. "I swear they never dropped below the apron strings."

"You're telling me I imagined that and your lips under my ear?" her foot was tapping.

"Maria!"

Michael's mouth fell open. Was it possible that she felt the kiss he only thought?

"Okay," she took a cleansing breath. "Now I'm pathetic and desperate. No offense."

"None taken," Max rocked on nervous feet. "I wouldn't take advantage of you like that, Maria."

She nodded, the tense line on her forehead melting. "Sorry. I know that. Look, we're both wound up with this unrequited love talk. Let's call it a night. Tomorrow it's fun, fun, fun for us. Being depressed is not my style."

He started to hug her but stopped at a hand shake. "Just to be on the safe side."

Maria laughed and pulled him into a bear hug. "See you later."

Michael watched for a few minutes longer as she put away the broom and dust pan. He decided to duck out the back door, unsure about the coincidence. Perhaps a long walk in the cool night air would help beat his desire to burst in and continue where his thoughts left off.

***

Maria slipped beneath the surface of frothy bubbles. She hoped a long soak in the tub would shake another weird night in Roswell. It wasn't like she could call Liz with this one. 'Oh and hey, I think your soulmate goosed me tonight.' Wrong.

She hung her head back and stared at the ceiling. The only guy she wanted holding her was off tracking his past. The image of his face burned behind her eyelids. All she had to do was close them to dream. "Michael."

On the other side of town he woke to an ethereal sigh. Maria's voice seemed right beside him. His eyes flew around the dark room and found nothing. The scent of fresh berries tickled his nose. He swore he could hear the sound of water lapping around the bed. The floor was dry upon inspection and the only odors he expected in his apartment were old pizza and stale socks.

He had a sudden vision of Maria lounging in a bath, her skin pink and warm. He imagined her throat, damp and bare. He smiled as he 'saw' the silky length of it. What it would be to taste that smooth skin.

With a sharp intake of breath, Maria sat up and snatched at a towel. "Ohmigod!"

Her eyes darted around as fear grabbed her attention. She was alone in the small room. Two candles chased away any signs of an intruder. Yet she felt someone touching her neck. She shook all over from the creepy sensation. "Bath time is over!"

***

As he approached the girls at lunch, Michael overheard snippets of their conversation.

"I'm telling you this felt so real. We're talking major Twilight Zone here."

"No one was there?" Isabel looked skeptical.

"No windows. Nowhere to hide. You've seen my bathroom."

"I still think you had a very vivid fantasy," Tess gave a naughty grin.

"Any other time I'd be thrilled."

"What's going on, Ladies?" Michael stood next to Liz.

"Maria's been telling us about an incredible dream," Liz scooted over to make room for him.

"Was I in it?" he snuggled in behind his girlfriend. A familiar fragrance washed over him and he went still. "Raspberries?"

"What?" she questioned. "Oh, my new bubble bath. Do you like it?"

He was already on his feet. "I - I have to go. Math assignment."

Four girls watched him rush away. Tess gave a concerned shrug. "That borders on odd."

"For Michael, that doesn't say a lot," Isabel couldn't help the dig.

"Can we get back to my ghost lover for a minute?" Maria stared after him, eyes narrowed. "Are you guys able to teleport?"

"What?" three voices echoed.

***

He stood behind the grill and watched her through the pick up window. Light filtered through her sleek blonde hair as the rich red gloss of her lips moved to recite the menu. Time slowed to a crawl as she bent down, the curve of her bare leg catching his eye. He swore he could see particles of dust floating between her slim fingertips as she reached out to tickle the underside of a laughing toddler's chin.

It happened only once before. That he could blame on Max Evans and the power of suggestion. Only Max wasn't here now. The excuses were getting thin and he knew for a fact that 'mud' could no longer save him. He was just about to imagine brushing her flushed cheek.

"Is my order ready?" Liz popped into the window, causing him to jump.

"Yeah," he handed her the plate.

"Uh, Michael," she was grinning.

"What?" he snapped.

"This is raw."

His eyes shot down to the uncooked beef. "Oh."

Liz bit her lip to hide another smile. He was busy tossing another patty on the grill, concentrating on the satisfying hiss. "She looks great tonight."

"What?" Another snap, but his gaze strayed up for a second. "Yes. She does."

"So tell her."

"Now is not the best time," he turned the burger.

She tried to get his attention. "Michael?"

"Liz?"

"Soon."

He set the plate on the counter. "Right."

***

Max wasn't surprised when Michael slipped through his window that night. "You can use the door now. Mom and Dad don't mind you coming over."

"I'll file that memo for future use," he sank into the desk chair. "I need your help."

"This should be good," Max put on his best listening face, wondering what flash in the pan idea his friend had now. If he even mentioned the FBI ...

Michael's brow was furrowed as he tried to find a jumping off point. "When I think about touching Maria, she can feel it."

"Come again?" Dark eyes met his own.

The words came out in a breathless jumble with Michael ending in puzzled dismay. "I don't want to keep scaring her, man. What can I do?"

Max's brain was working overtime to wrap around this mystery. A spark of recognition crept into his eyes. "Did you happen to think about grabbing her ..."

"Yeah," Michael nodded with a whoosh of breath. "You caught hell for that one."

"I've been trying to justify a mental relapse or something," Max laughed in relief. Then he sobered. "This really isn't funny."

"No, it's not," Michael was sheepish. "She's going to kill me."

"Maybe not," Max sat back on his bed. "Do you love her, Michael?"

Not sure how to answer, he lowered his head instead. "What if I do?"

Max felt again the casualty of this war they couldn't remember. Their freedom to live and love was hindered by the past. "My thought is that you two are connected. Not in the shot and healed way we discovered with me and Liz ...and Kyle."

Michael saw his friend darting off on another tangent in his mind. "You think this connection we have is trying to catch up where we left off or something?"

"Or something," Max focused. "If you want the plain and simple truth, I think your souls are hungry for each other. You guys were so intense early on. We don't know much about our ...mating rituals."

Anger flashed at the suggestion. "Are you saying what I feel for Maria is just a case of hormones gone wild?"

"No," Max bristled. This was his best girlfriend they were discussing. "I'll ask you again, Michael. Do you love Maria?"

"You know I do," he slammed back into the chair.

"These 'ghost touches', as the girls are calling it, could be your subconscious response to the separation. It could stand to reason that the more your desires go unresolved, the more out of control this kind of contact will get."

"So if our physical relationship resumes ..."

"This is crazy."

"Tell me about it," Michael shrugged. "I have to fix this. She's freaking."

If someone would have suggested a year ago that Michael Guerin would end up so passionate, he would have argued the negative. Not even his friend quite understood just how much his actions stemmed from emotion. His intensity was defining his powers. Max had to commend the improved level of control he seemed to be mastering. That same intensity as it related to Maria, however, was a bit more difficult to approve.

"Are the two of you," Max struggled for the right words, "becoming intimate again?"

"No," Michael frowned. "I've been dragging my feet. She deserves better."

Max flushed at his next suggestion. "Maybe you should pick up the pace. Or we can work on a way to reign in your urges."

He wouldn't mind kicking things up a notch if it weren't for the latest surge of excitement in their lives. "The timing sucks."

"Always," Max agreed with a grim nod.

"What about you and Liz? Isabel said you're cooling off. How many times does that make now?"

"Let's focus on you for a change," he grumbled. "I think you should tell Maria. Let her make the decision."

"What if she wants nothing to do with me?"

Fear touched his troubled podmate. Max tried to provide a cushion with humor. "If she balks then I guess she'll have to get used to being fondled by your overactive imagination."

***

Maria inhaled the delciate fragrance of a dozen peach roses with a suspicious eye on the giver. "All right, I'm hooked. What's up?"

Exposed nerves caused him to shift. It was now or never. "I'm the ghost."

Her eyes sparked in confusion. "More information is required here."

"You know," he shuffled his feet. "The, uh, touches you've been feeling. It's me."

"Mr. Kellogg's Geometry class?"

He'd forgotten about that. Yesterday morning he watched her working on the problems. He'd been so entranced by the back of her beautiful neck with that upswept hairdo that he'd imagined caressing it. "Sorry."

Instead of thwapping the side of his head like he suspected, Maria flung her arms around his shoulders. "Oh thank goodness!"

"You're not mad?"

"I should be," she rested her head over his heart. "I'm just so glad it was you. I was starting to feel guilty."

"Why?" he pulled her back.

Her cheeks were bright pink. "Michael, you've got great hands. Even the mystical ones. It was starting to feel really good."

A slow smile began to form. "It wasn't like you were cheating on me."

She became serious at his correct assumption. "You are the only one I want in that way. I love you, Michael Guerin. Only you."

His pleased grin touched her heart. No imagination required. "I still want to take it easy."

"That's fine with me," she kissed him. "I won't object to a good makeout session now and then."

"Your wish is my command," his eyes were warm.

"Mmm," she winked. "Sounds promising."