But then when it came time to go home, Maria clammed up again. In fact, she was half-way out the door with out saying good-bye when Michael caught up with her.

"Hey! Maria, wait!" he said following her out the front of the café. "I was hoping that you’d come over... you know... so we can talk."

She sighed, "We don’t talk… we never talk. I’m just going to go home and get some rest. Orders from the Chief," Maria said, motioning in Liz’s general direction.

"Well then... come over. You said that... you told me..." he was getting no response from her. "Never mind." Michael turned on his heel and returned to work.

So here he was... alone at home on a Friday night... thinking about a girl who didn’t even want to give him the time of day anymore. He was just beginning to feel like a real loser when there was a knock at the door. He rushed aver to open it, pasting a goofy grin on his face.

"I knew that you..." Michael trailed off as he opened the door and realized that it was Max, not Maria.

Max knitted his eyebrows together, "What’s with the stupid smile?"

He looked out past his friend, still expecting Maria to be there. "I thought that you were Maria."

"I thought she decided to go home and get some sleep?" The shorter of the teens made his way into the apartment.

"Yeah, but I really... Never mind. What are you doing here? I figured that you’d be out with Liz. It being 'Hot Date Friday Night' and all."

"Nope. It’s 'Post Desert Sleep-over with Max Family Enforced Fun Night' at the Parker household." At the confused look on his friend’s face, Max clarified. "Liz made the mistake of telling her mother that she didn’t even know her... you know, when we were having those flashes... and well, Mrs. Parker decided as part of her punishment, that Liz should hang out with her parents one Friday night a month... probably for the rest of her life. They’re also threatening a 'Get to Know Max' dinner, too."

"Ugh," Michael cringed. "Makes me glad that Maria denies to her mom the fact she even knows me half the time. So? What do you have in mind?"

"I figured that we could use some male bondage... Uh, I mean male bonding," he held up the plastic bag from the video store. "You know... movie night!"

"Cool. What’d ya get?"

Max pulled out the video. "E.T. 'Elliott... Phone home...'" he held up his index finger and used his power to light the tip, jut like the alien on the cover, and laughed.

Michael raised his eyebrow, silently complaining about the movie choice.

"Just kidding..." he waved his hand over the cover. "I thought that we could do some research tonight..." When he took his hand away, the movie case had changed and a picture of Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum stared back at them.

"’Earth Girls are Easy’! Yeah... a classic. Did you bring—"

Max pulled a bottle of caramel sauce, tobasco and a package of microwave popcorn out of the same bag. He tossed the package to Michael. "Pop it up, Space Boy."

He studied the directions for a moment, removed the cellophane, and placed a hand under and above the paper bag, concentrating on directing the heat molecules into the kernels. It was something the other two had been trying to teach him ever since he had moved out on his own. They both felt that it was time for him to learn to use his power effectively, especially now that Topolsky was out of the picture.

"And Michael... try not to burn the bottom kernels this time. It ruins the whole flavor for me."

Michael laughed, letting out the tense breath that he had been holding. His control over his power was erratic and they all never knew what would happen.

Max held the bottle of caramel sauce, heating it with a simple wave of his hand until it was a liquid consistency, then started to add enough tobasco to make any human gag.

As the bag in the other boy’s hand grew bigger, he glanced nervously at his friend for a split second. "At least you had the decency not to mention the time I exploded the whole bag. I was picking shards of popcorn off the floor for a week." When the popping slowed, he shook the bag and then emptied it into a large tie-dyed looking ceramic bowl that Maria made for him.

Maria... the thought of her took the smile off of Michael’s face.

"What?" Max asked, noticing the change in attitude of the other alien.

The three of them, Michael, Max and the huge bowl of popcorn, sat on the couch, sinking onto the worn cushions of the old thrift store purchase. "Nothing," he mumbled.

They put the tape in the VCR and watched it in silence for a while, until Max turned to Michael. "If you had that power, if you could make any human woman all crazy like that, who would you want?"

"Any woman? Easy! I’d want Pamela Anderson Lee."

Max choked on a piece of spicy caramel popcorn. "What?!"

"Yeah, I mean, she’s this great actress — Did you ever see ‘Barbed Wire’?" The dark haired teen shook his head, snickering. "Excellent movie... And well, she runs. I love to watch her run. I think that I need a woman who can run a lot." His friend was now laughing uncontrollably. "Okay — I guess I would also use my mojo on Katie Holmes, you know, Joey from the creek WB show. How about you?"

"Liz... she’s all I want," he said, calming down from his giggling fit. "Liz is my—"

Michael cut him off. "Liz is my soul mate," he said in a whiny voice. "How boring! Come on, Maxwell... you already have that power over Liz. Use your imagination. Someone you’re never going to meet... someone famous — Hell, someone blonde with big—"

"Willow," Max blurted out.

A look of confusion crossed Michael’s face. "The magical elfin guy from that movie? Um, that’s a bit freakish—"

"No... WILLOW, Buffy’s sidekick. The cute little redhead. I think it’s the way she’s smart and funny... just like—"

"Liz... she’s my soul mate," Michael repeated in the same mocking tone as before.

"I don’t sound like that... do I?"

"Yes," he said pointedly. "But good second choice."

They watched more of the movie quietly, until Michael turned back to his best friend. "So... I’m having problems with Maria."

"Yeah, I kinda noticed. What’s up?" Max put a fistful of popcorn into his mouth.

"I don’t know. Ever since Tuesday when Isabel... uh, went all beserker on her, she won’t look me in the eye... or talk to me... or let me touch her. She’s been avoiding me all week, not to mention she’s irritable, continually tried, and... bitchy. Tell me how to fix this."

"We’ve been through this before, Michael. I can ‘t just tell you what to do and *POOF*, it’s all better."

"Why not?" he asked innocently.

"Because... I just can’t wave my arm and make your relationship better. What you have with Maria, you have to work on. I can’t tell you how to fix every problem. You won’t ever learn if I tell you what to do every single time, you need to do it yourself."

"Well at least give me some pointers... you and Liz got it all perfect, and that’s all I want."

"Liz and I don’t *have* it perfect. We *work* to get it perfect, and that’s what you have to do. Besides, I thought that Maria said that she doesn’t want what Liz and I have... she wants something different."

"Yeah," Michael said thoughtfully. "Well apparently now she doesn’t even want me and her have anymore, either."

***

The dreams started again as soon as Maria’s head touched the pillow. Instead of the shadow Michael and Isabel images that she was used to seeing, in this dream Maria was working at the Crashdown. She slipped into the day as if it had been scripted for her.

She walked past Liz at her table of obvious tourists, and could only laugh as she heard her best friend tell the two about how her grandmother took the fake alien picture at the crash site. Maria continued on to the two arguing men in the corner, offering them more coffee.

"Refill?"

"No, get outta here," the man on the right said gruffly.

Maria shook her head at his rudeness, but just walked back to the service station. Liz met her halfway.

"You are sooo bad girl. Oh, and Max Evans is staring at you again."

"No way," Liz said denying the idea was even possible. "Maria, that is so in your imagination."

They both glance over to the second booth at the far end of the restaurant where the two boys were sitting, and Max quickly averted his gaze once he realized that she was looking at him.

"Max Evans? This? No, un uh... it's not..."

Maria took Liz’s face into her hands, "And with those cheeks! Preciosita tan linda!"

"Maria!!" she exclaimed, moving away from her friend, slightly blushing. "And, and even if it weren't I'm going out with Kyle. I mean, he's steady and loyal, and he appreciates me."

"Sounds like you're describing a poodle," she said matter-of-factly, walking back out toward her customers with a cup of coffee in each hand.

The general chatter of the CrashDown customers was interrupted when one of Maria’s rude guys, the one in the black shirt who told her to go away only minutes earlier, shouted at the other and knocked the dishes aside. "....you ask me to give you another day!!?? You're running outta time."

Maria turned to her friend in a panic. "Liz!!"

"I want the money today. NOT tomorrow!!" yelled the taller man.

They both stood as the man with the flannel shirt pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at the other. "You won’t need it if you’re dead!"

During the short struggle, everyone dropped to the floor. Everyone, except for Maria, who was too stunned to even move. A second later the gun went off, and the blonde felt fire rip through her midsection. The two men bolted for the door.

Liz jumped up from her place behind the counter to see if everyone was okay, "Maria..."

When Max popped his head out from beneath his booth, he heard Liz call out to Maria, noticing her prone body on the floor. He tried to move towards her, but Michael blocked his path.

"What are you doing? Let go of me," Max tried to shake free.

"You can’t help her, Max. There’s too many people around."

"Michael, I can’t not help her. She’s going to die."

"She’s already dead, all you’re going to accomplish is to get us captured. Besides, she’s a human... We don’t need her."

They watched from the sidelines as Liz held a thick cotton towel over the gaping hole in her best friend’s stomach.

The customers, the tourists, no one knew what to do. "Someone help me, please. Oh God!" Tears streamed from her eyes. "There’s so much blood here. Maria...? Can you hear me, Maria?"

As the life seeped out of the nearly unconscious teen and into the towel in Liz Parker’s hand, Maria could not see the dozen or so strangers standing over her watching her bleed. She could only see the face of Michael Guerin. And she could not hear the panic pleas of her best friend, nor the approaching siren of the ambulance. She could only hear Michael’s impassioned sentence of her death. "She’s only a human... We don’t need her..."

***

Maria gasped for air and sat up quickly, knocking aside the probing hands of Liz and a paramedic. In the blink of an eye, the CrashDown and everyone in it was gone, replaced by the darkened familiarity of her own bedroom. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, making her heart jump and she knew it was useless to try to get back to sleep. Careful not to wake her mother in the room down the hall, Maria pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. The teen left the house and went for a destination-less walk.

* * *

"Do you think it’s weird that we’re talking about this?" asked Michael. The two had long since given up trying to watch the movie, and instead concentrated on talking about their respective girlfriends.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"I just mean, a year ago we had nothing but ourselves — you, me, Isabel — and now we have girlfriends, kinda, and I no longer have to deal with Hank... and it’s just real weird. Ever since that day you broke the rule... everything has changed."

Max placed his soda on the coffee table. "I don’t regret saving her… breaking our rule..."

"I know you don’t," he said, uncommonly understanding.

"If I ever had the chance to do it all over, I'd have to take the same path. Liz is my everything. I couldn’t even imagine a life without her."

"I know, man. I know that me and Isabel give you a hard time about it all, but I understand that you did what you had to do that day. I respect you for it." Michael took a deep breath. "But don’t go spreading that around to Iz, Maximillion. I don’t want her to think I’ve gone all soft on her."

"Given the chance, Michael... that day, had it not been Liz... what would you have done?"

"You mean, if it were Maria that was shot instead?"

Max nodded. "Yeah." He paused. "Would you have saved her?"

Michael stared down at his hands, intently studying a scuff on one of his sliver rings. He ran his finger over the minuscule groove, and used his power to smooth the metal down.

"Honestly... no."

The dark haired teen looked sharply at his friend, hardly believing his answer. "You would just let her die?"

* * * Maria had no clue how her walk ended her at Michael’s apartment, nor why when she saw Max’s jeep did she not just go knock on the front door and ask to be let in. Instead she came around to the side of the building, skulking outside one of the windows. She could her every word of their conversation clearly from her vantage point. Maria heard Max ask *the* question.

"Given the chance, Michael... that day, had it not been Liz... what would you have done? Would you have saved her?"

And then she heard Michael’s answer, "No."

Maria felt like her whole world dropped from beneath her. In the instant she heard him say no, she could bear to hear no more. The girl immediately turned and ran. She ran until she found herself in Devou Park, miles from her home. Maria curled up on a park bench and tried to fall back asleep. Any dream, no matter how awful, had to be better than what she heard tonight.

* * *

Back at Michael’s, Max was shocked at his friend’s answer. "You would just let her die?"

Michael pursed his lips together, trying to gather his thoughts. "You didn’t ask the question right. Back then... I - I would have let her die. She meant nothing to me then — only our survival meant anything to me then. But now... I would block the gunshot with my own body, rather than let her feel the pain of having a bullet pierce her skin."

Max looked at him in amazement. "Isabel's right... She is sucking you in..." he said, slapping Michael’s knee, "... and it’s all for the good."

* * *

Saturday morning came and Maria was surprised to wake up on a rusty park bench, but then the memories of the night before flooded back to her. She sat up stretching, then started the long walk back to her house. Glancing at her watch, she realized that she was scheduled to work in less than two hours.

* * *

"You’re late," Liz said, not looking up from her inventory sheet, once the blonde arrived at work. "Did you at least get some sleep—" she cut herself off when she finally glanced at her friend. "God, Maria... you look like you slept in a box behind Delgado’s hardware store."

Maria massaged her stiff neck, trying to work out the kinks. "Park bench," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Never mind. Are the tables ready for lunch?"

"Yeah," Liz changed the subject. "How are things going with you and Michael? You never want to dish lately."

"Michael... he’s every girl’s dream," she said in a sarcastic tone.

The two girls moved out into the service area for one last check of the restaurant before they unlocked the door.

"Give him a chance, Maria. He seems to be trying."

"No matter what, he’s never going to be the kind of guy that I want him to be, Liz... so maybe *I* should stop trying. He’s always going to be Michael... silent, defensive... broody... Czechoslovakian..." //The guy who would let me die...//

"He is changing... I can see it from where I’m standing. Maybe you’re too close to see the effort he’s making."

"Maybe." Maria looked up to see Michael and Jose through the kitchen window. They were discussing the daily specials, she assumed, but he was staring at her, not the other cook. //Maybe Liz is right// she thought. //But I still heard what he said. Why would he say something like that if he didn’t mean it?//

Maria walked to the back to get her apron and antennae tiara. She spun the lock and opened the door on her locker to find a single daisy resting on her stuff. The blonde squeezed her eyes shut and pinched her hand, not sure that this wasn’t another dream. When she opened her eyes, the flower was still there, so she reached in to pick it up.

"Are you feeling better?" Michael’s voice startled her out of her reverie. She slammed the locker door in surprise. "Sorry if I scared you."

"You didn’t. Is this from you?" she asked, holding the daisy up.

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"Daisies are my favorite," Maria whispered into the flower as she breathed in its sweet scent.

"I know." She looked at him quizzically, so he continued in a rush. "The flashes... red sneakers, Dalmatian dog. I saw a whole lot of you that day, Maria... including daisies."

She smiled. "Thank you." Leaning in close, Maria wrapped her free hand around the back of Michael’s head and pulled him to her for a kiss.

The instant their lips met, visions filled her head: The dream shadow Michael and Isabel, him watching her bleed to death on the cold tile floor, and finally the sound of his voice echoed through her mind... "She’s only a human... We don’t need her..." Maria pulled away sharply.

"What?" Michael gasped, disturbed by the break of contact. He stared at her, concerned.

"Nothing... I should help Liz finish the pre-shift."

He watched her walk away. "Okay... as long as nothing’s wrong." She didn’t answer.

* * *

Breakfast was slow as usual, but once noon came and passed, the CrashDown was hopping and all of the teens had no chance to worry about their problems.

Max and Alex sat in the first booth chatting and eating their food, when Liz stopped by to check on them.

"How’s everything here guys?"

Max stroked her hand. "Better now," he smiled, making Liz blush. They both looked over at Alex as he started to make fake gagging sounds.

"Sorry... I thought we were going to see a repeat performance of my Will Smith burger." Liz playfully punched him on the arm. "Ow!"

"How’s Maria doing?" Max asked, getting serious.

The three of them glanced in her direction. She was standing at the service window talking to Michael.

"She seems a bit better in spirit, but she looked like hell this morning. I’m beginning to wonder how much of what we’re seeing now is just an act to make us stop asking her what’s wrong."

In the blink of an eye, Maria and Michael’s friendly conversation became loud. "JUST GIVE IT TO ME!" she said fiercely, trying to pull away the bowl in Michael’s hand. Liz, Max and Alex watched as the bowl flew out of his hands and spilled all over the frail girl. * * * Maria walked over to the window and leaned in. "Michael?"

He looked up from the grill. "Yeah?"

"Table six claims that their Interstellar Chili is cold. Can you zap it?"

Michael glanced around nervously, making sure that Jose didn’t hear. "Maria — shhhh. You know I can’t—"

"I meant *microwave* it, Michael." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh." He took the bowl away and stuck it in the small microwave for two minutes. //Ha, ha... that’ll teach em to complain!// he thought, going back to the grill to check on the other orders. When the microwave beeped, Michael looked over to the window to find Maria still there, staring at him like he was about to sprout an extra head.

"Wha—"

"Nothing," she shook her head. "Table Six — chili?"

"Right. So are you coming over to my place after work?"

A hint of panic crossed Maria’s face, though she quickly covered it. "No. I should go home tonight."

"Why? Come on, Maria. I really think that we should spend some time together."

"I can’t talk about this right now. Just give me table six’s food, so I can get back to work, okay."

The expression on Michael’s face turned mischievous. "I’ll give you the chili when you promise you’re coming home with me."

She reached through the window in an attempt to take the bowl out of his hands. "Michael, I am not going to play this game with you. Give me the food." He resisted. "JUST GIVE IT TO ME," she said loudly, tugging harder.

Noticing the attention they were gathering, Michael finally let go of the chili, at the same time Maria made a final pull on it. The result was that the entire bowl of hot chili flew at the small blonde, spilling all over her arm and uniform. A scream of pain escaped her lips.

Liz ran over to her injured friend, pulling her into the back room. "Maria, are you okay?"

Michael ran out of the kitchen with a wet towel and approached the girls. "I’m sorry, Maria." He tried to wipe with chili off her arm, but she pulled away.

"Just don’t!" she said harshly, through clenched teeth. Michael backed up, handing the towel to Liz.

The brunette wiped the chili away and gasped at the severe burns on Maria’s arm. "What does your arm feel like?"

"Well let’s see... it feels like... it feels like some moron dumped chili all over it." Michael shied away further. "And then there’s this intense prickly burning sensation that you don’t even want me to completely describe."

Liz wrapped the injured area with a clean, cool towel. "Michael, go get Max." She lad Maria over to the couch. "You’re going to have to go to the hospital."

"What? No... No way. It’s not that bad."

"Yes it is. That prickly feeling means there’s some serious dermal damage. Your skin blistered on contact. That’s bad."

"I’m fine. I’m not going to the hospital."

The guys entered the back room. "Max, can you take her to the ER?"

"I’m NOT going."

"Don’t be stupid, Maria. You look like crap..." Alex started.

"Thanks, Alex. Boy, with friends like you—"

"You know what I mean, Maria."

Max moved over to her, carefully taking the towel away. "This is bad... but the hospital is not your only choice. I could heal it."

"NO!" Maria, Michael and Liz all said at the same time.

Alex was surprised. "Why can’t he? That will be better than you going to the ER."

Liz spoke first. "He’s right..."

"But?" Max prompted.

She stared at the floor. "But nothing. It’s the best choice."

Max leaned in close to her. "I’m with you, Liz... I’ve always felt something for you, and my healing you had nothing to do with forming those feelings. I’ve always felt this way, and I always will."

Liz took advantage of his closeness, and kissed him. "I know."

The dark alien challenged the others. "So what’s your issue?" he asked Michael and Maria.

"Nothing," they both mumbled.

Alex piped in. "I’ll keep watch—"

"No. He’s not doing anything," Maria said firmly.

"It’s either Max or the hospital... you choose."

She sat silently contemplating her choices, visibly not liking either. "What about a hand print... that will be hard to hide on my arm."

"There won’t be one. This isn’t as serious as Liz’s gunshot wound. There will be a small connection, then I can heal you. No evidence... no scars."

Maria took a deep breath. "Alex, watch the door."

"Yes, Ma’am." He dutifully moved over to cover both the dining room doorway and the kitchen doorway, calling into the kitchen. "Don’t worry, Jose. She’s fine... yeah — Michael will be back in a second... tell Jen to cover the floor until they come back..."

Max removed the towel, then gingerly touched the raw, blistered area on her arm. She winced slightly.

"Sorry."

"Just get it done, Max."

His breathing became labored and shallow as he connected with her.

**FLASH** Maria’s reaction when Liz told her about Max being an alien.

**FLASH** A lone shadow figure standing in the distance, red eyes glowing.

**FLASH** Maria laying on the floor of the CrashDown, a pool of blood spreading out around her, a tear streaking down her cheek as Michael looks on, impassive.

After a moment, Max’s eyes opened and he pulled his hand away from her arm revealing a fresh patch of new skin. Maria tenderly ran her fingers over the area.

"Thanks," she murmured quietly.

He grinned at her. "All part of the service..."

Maria’s gaze flickered to her ruined uniform. "I don’t suppose you do dry cleaning?" Max waved his hand over the stains and they disappeared. "We should get back, you know — the daily grind."

Liz stopped her. "We’ll get back... you get to sleep."

"No! Come on, I’m fine now. Max fixed me."

He shook his head. "You *should* get some rest, Maria. It’ll do you good."

"Great — my hero. Fine... I guess you guys are right," she stared to gather her stuff and moved towards the door.

"Use my room."

"My room will be acceptable, mother."

"Do me a favor, okay? It’ll settle *my* nerves, if nothing else."

"Fine," she repeated. I’m off to bed."

"Michael, why don’t you—"

"I KNOW where your room is, Liz."

"*My* nerves, Maria!"

"Right... whatever, Cyrano. Let’s go, Michael."

* * *

Michael had no clue why Liz sent him up to her room with Maria, so he did the most manly thing he could think of... he checked the closets and bathroom for intruders.

"Who do you think is hiding up here, Michael? The Closet Monster?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No," he replied, gruffly. "So do you want to talk about it?"

"The Closet Monster? Really, he's a closed subject... very hush-hush."

"The reason you've been so horrible to be around lately. You've been knocking into me all week, and that's if you even talk to me. What did I do? What's wrong with you?"

She shifted her eyes to study the carpet. "Nothing."

"Yeah? Well it's an awful lot of nothing from what I can see. Wanna try again?"

"Tell you what, Michael... why don't you leave me alone. Dr. Max has ordered me to get some sleep and I can't do that with you here."

He stormed towards the exit, an air of anger surrounding him. "Well that's not what you said a few days ago," Michael mumbled, pulling the door closed firmly behind him.

* * *

Liz finished closing up the café and said goodnight to Max and Michael, locking the front doors and lowering the shades. It had been about seven hours since she sent Maria upstairs, and the brunette hoped her best friend was able to get some rest.

She entered her room quietly, noting the peaceful, smooth breathing of Maria's sleep. Liz quietly crossed the room and climbed out onto the balcony, removing her journal from the secret place she hid it every night. Settling into the old lawn chair under the stars, Liz began to write about the day.

JOURNAL ENTRY:

::I'm really beginning to worry about Maria. She's acting so unlike her self it's creepy. It's weird... a few months ago, before all this happened with Max, I would wonder if she's doing drugs, or something like that, but now all I can wonder is: What if this is some strange side effect of her relationship with Michael? What if this happens to me in a few weeks or months... or tomorrow? And, am I always going to be this paranoid about things as long as I'm with Max?::

Liz pulled a crocheted throw that her grandmother made around her shoulders and sighed. The long, deep exhale of breath was interrupted though, by Maria's panicked shrieks inside the apartment.

"NO! WHY WON'T YOU SAVE ME!?! WHY ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME DIE?!?" she screamed, thrashing around.