Michael was out of breath as he reached for the door handle. He could feel beads of sweat running down his back. Was it from the run or from her? He forced himself to breath in and out as he turned the knob. It was unlocked now and the meaning of that did not escape him. She was waiting for him. The bathroom was a typical room, painted a warm beige filled with ordinary things like toothpaste, soap and fluffy towels. None of that held any meaning to Michael as his eyes took in the girl standing in the middle of the clean, normal bathroom with her eyes closed. Her red, lush mouth was parted and all he could smell was her. Sparks flew from his hands at the thought of touching her. He moved closer but couldn't remember telling his feet to walk. His hands traced her lips without touching them, just feeling her breath against his fingertips.

With her in front of him he regained a bit of control. With her close he could breath. He wanted to take this slow, make the feelings last, store them up for the next time he was alone in his bed or sitting in class. Save it for those moments when his own fear and insecurities kept her so far away.

His fingers were close enough to leave little trails of light against the skin of Maria's arms and she gasped because it felt so good to have him near, like a drug. She need more, needed his touch. She wanted the sparks that exploded on her skin, her fear was overwhelmed by her longing. The sparks were pure pleasure, the physical manifestation of he way Michael made her feel. But the lights started to dim, Michael was taking his time. Maria whimpered at their loss. She didn't move, she didn't open her eyes. She just whispered one word. "Please."

With a growl Michael's mouth was crushed against hers, his tongue thrusting though her parted lips. "God, Maria." He rasped against her mouth. "Maria." He could taste her name on his tongue, its rhythmic sound, its lyrical breathing against his ears. "Maria. Maria. Maria." He repeated his mantra mindlessly as he kissed all the skin he could find. The sensitive spot behind her ear, each warm shoulder. Her shirt was a flimsy tank top but even it's presence annoyed him. He kissed the outline of it's vee, twisting the bottom of the shirt so he could touch the velvet of her stomach.

She pushed him away and he almost cried out in deprivation. She grabbed her shirt at the hem and pulled it roughly over her head, not caring where it landed. The sparks brightened exponentially as his shirt met hers on the ground and they were pressed against each other, skin to skin.

*************

Isabel and Alex were left alone at the Crashdown. Well, not alone, a few patrons sat around eating their Men-In-Blackberry pies but without anyone else to fill the void of conversation between the two teens. Isabel longed for the safety of Max or Michael, even Maria's chattering would be preferable to this. Isabel Evans wasn't one for small talk but Alex seemed lost in his own world and she was finding herself growing more uncomfortable with each passing moment. "So, Alex. What are you thinking about?"

He looked up from the green tabletop in surprise. "I was just wondering.. You know, what would happen if you kissed... someone."

"Alex, we went through this already." Isabel protested. Her cheeks were not turning red though, they weren't. She didn't blush.

Alex fixed her with a piercing gaze and Isabel shifted in her seat. "I know that but look at the different effects it's having. Visions, sparks, you could be the third piece of the puzzle."

"I don't think so." Isabel gathered up her jacket and purse. Why couldn't he just understand she wasn't built that way? She couldn't just experiment with him. It would mean... more and she couldn't handle that. "I'm going to go. Tell Maria bye for me when she finally comes out of the bathroom." Isabel tried to hurry out of the Café as quick as she could without actually appearing to hurry. Someone followed her out. She turned. Alex. "God, Alex, why are you following me?"

His friendly brown eyes twinkled a bit at her and she had the definite impression that he might be laughing at her. "You're my ride, remember?"

"Oh. Yeah." Again Isabel did not blush. She did not blush, she became flushed. She looked at everything but Alex, peering behind him at the Crashdown's-

"Oh, *shit*!" This time Isabel did hurry, running back into the restaurant.

"Huh? Isabel-" Alex glanced up to where Isabel had been looking. His mouth dropped open. The back of the Crashdown looked like it was on fire. With tiny white lights like those given off by the small sparklers they gave to small kids every fourth of July. They split out of a window at the side of the building. The window to Liz's bathroom. "Oh, shit." He echoed

********

Alex found Isabel standing apprehensively outside Liz's bedroom door. "Alex," She whispered. "What do you think you have to do to get sparks like that?" Alex's eyes widened and he realized why Isabel wasn't barging into the bathroom ass kicking Michael's ass to outer space.

"You don't think they are...?" He let the sentence hang.

"I don't know! We have to make the sparks stop, you can see them from the street! But if they are..." Her beautiful face wrinkled with disgust. "I cannot see that, Alex. Michael's like my brother."

Alex took a deep breath. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Isabel Evans. Evidently that included suicide because if he entered that room and Maria and Michael were doing what they very well could be doing... He was dead. "I'll go." Not giving himself another moment to think, he whipped the door open...

... To find a deserted bedroom. He sighed in relief. Okay, they hadn't moved to bed territory, it couldn't be that bad, right? Squinting through the crack in the bathroom door, Alex realized things could be that bad. Not we're-going-to-have-an-alien-baby-cooking-in-Maria's-oven bad, but pretty bad. Michael was going to kick his ass if Maria didn't get there first. Covering his eyes, partly from the sparks, partly because he wasn't sure how much longer Maria's bra was going to stay on, Alex burst into the bathroom.

Only to be repelled by hot fiery cinders burning into his skin.

Alex swore for the second time as he was forced back into the hallway.

"Oh my God, Alex!" Isabel took his hands into her own where blisters were already starting to form.

Alex smiled weakly. "No biggie." And it really wasn't, not when Isabel was looking at him with such concern and stroking his hands.

"I'm going to heal you, okay?" Isabel thought it only fair to warn him. "I might see things, when I do." Her brown eyes were soft and vulnerable for an instant. "Is that okay?"

Alex nodded, unable to speak. Her hands covered his and their warmth spread through his body. Her eyes were closed and there was a slight smile on her face which was oh so kissable. But it was over all too quickly. His hands were back to normal. She released him and he wondered if it was just wishful thinking on his part that put the regretful look on her face.

She sighed. "What are we going to do now?" She leaned against the doorway. "Do you think the sparks will hurt me too?"

Alex wasn't taking the chance. "I have an idea."

*************

Maria ran her hands through Michael's hair as his fingers reached for the buttons of her black pants. She knew where this was headed, she should be scared, she should be thinking about consequences, protection but she couldn't think at all. She could only feel, her whole body was incased in light, she was swimming in it. Swimming in the light and in Michael. Everything about him was a drug, his kisses, his eyes, the way words tumbled out of his mouth while they kissed. His inhibitions seemed to be as lost as hers. He used to ration out words like food, only giving her enough to survive but now he whispered her name over and over and told her that he had wanted this for so long, to be touched by her, to be allowed to touch her again. She melted against him at these words, her head cleared of all her regular doubts. He did want her as much as she wanted him. He always had, he whispered. Her pants were on their last button. "Are you sure?" He whispered, his voice gone soft from her kisses. Maria opened her mouth to reply-

*SPLASH!*

Michael and Maria jumped away from each other as the cold water blasted them.

"What the fu-" Michael growled, stopping short at the sight of Alex with a large, just emptied bucket of water. He looked at Maria in her undressed state, only a bra and half undone pair of pants covering her body. Rage ran through Michael's body as his brain reverted to pure caveman. "Get the FUCK out Whitman!" He launched himself at the other boy. He faintly heard a familiar voice scream near him before he and Alex tumbled to the ground. Michael had pulled back his arm to punch the human boy's nose in when a soft hand wrapped around his forearm. The tingles started. What was he doing with this guy? Michael rolled away from Alex and pulled a very wet Maria down on top of him.

Isabel grabbed Maria back, burning her hand. "Oh, no you don't!" She placed her body between Michael and Maria, trusting that Michael would not hurt her. Looking into his dark eyes Isabel realized she was walking a very thin line. Speaking softly, as if to a child or a wild animal. "Michael, it's me, Isabel. Calm down. You're scaring me." The last seemed to break through some kind of fog that had swallowed Michael. He backed away, fear painting his own face.

"Get her out of here, Isabel. Now." He stared at the tall blond, not trusting himself to look at Maria. Water was beaded all over her skin, wetting her shiny red bra into a dark burgundy. He couldn't look.

So, he didn't see the pain that filled her face or the tears that gathered in her eyes.

*************

"Alex, you stay with him. I'm taking Maria home." Isabel backed away from the room slowly, still between Michael and Maria. Her body felt strange, like she was full of static. It would only be a moment or two before Michael's control broke, she could feel the sizzle between the two soaked teenagers. Isabel didn't want to be caught in between it.

Isabel shut the bedroom door tightly, leaving her and Maria out in the Parker's small hallway.

"Isabel?"

"What?" Isabel responded through gritted teeth. Glad you stuck to that no touching rule, Maria, she thought. God! Didn't anyone else know the meaning of self-control?

"Before you shove me downstairs could I borrow a shirt?"

*********

Michael stalked through the small room like a caged animal. Alex didn't really want to admit this is to anyone, especially not Isabel, but Michael was a little frightening. Alex had felt safer with Isabel in the room. Angry, horny alien-boy vs. human band/computer geek? Alex knew where he'd place his bet.

"Michael, calm down. Maria's just-"

"Don't say her name." Michael growled.

"What? You've lost it.." Alex trailed off when he realized how true his words were. Michael's hands were clenched and he held himself so tightly his whole body was shaking. "What's wrong with you, Michael?" he said faintly.

"It's like a drug." Alex could see how hard Michael was trying to regain his sanity. His breath was become faster and faster.

"What is? Maria?" Alex forgot to stop himself before saying her name. Michael's eyes shot around the room wildly.

"Maria." He spoke the name to himself. "Yes, Maria, the sparks, everything. I need them, Alex. I need her." A look a clarity flashed on to his face. "These sparks want something, Alex. I want it too. Please, move Maria. Don't let me know where she is." Michael returned to the bathroom where he could still smell her. Her striped tank top lay carelessly over the side of the bathtub and he curled up in the corner with it, cold and shivering.

********

"I hate him, Isabel. I do. How can he do this to me?" Maria paced around her small room like a caged animal. Isabel sighed, not more of the alien-boy bullshit tirade. Isabel had gotten enough of that last time Michael had done something stupid to Maria. She settled down on the bed, readying herself for the rant. She'd let Maria exhaust herself and then Isabel would get back to enforcing the No Touching rule that seemed to be forgotten.

"Maria, I don't think the sparks are his fault, you shouldn't blame him for them."

Maria looked at Isabel as if she had grown a third head. "No, you don't understand." Her voice trembled. "How could he tell me to go? How could he just throw me out like that? Doesn't he know, doesn't he understand?" Isabel felt fear creep up her back. "Understand what?"

Maria stopped her pacing and looked at Isabel, seeing her for the first time. "That I need him."

And then the shaking started.

************

Alex didn't know what to do. Michael was curled in a ball on the wet floor of the bathroom, holding on to Maria's shirt for dear life. He looked so cold and alone. Alex thought of bringing a blanket to cover him but he was afraid of dispelling the calm. Michael might be acting comatose but at least he didn't look like he was going to rip out Alex's spleen for supper. Liz's phone rang and Alex had to stop himself from screaming like a girl at the loud noise. He was cool, he was alright.

He picked up the phone hesitantly from Liz's bedside table. "Hello?"

"Alex, it's me." Isabel's voice sounded strange.

Lowering his voice Alex moved out sight from the alien sitting in the bathroom. "What happened?"

Isabel's voice held an edge of fear. "Maria's started to shake, Alex. I can't get her to stop. She's so pale and she won't stop asking for Michael. I don't know what to do."

"Michael is the same, except he's not saying anything. He won't talk to me, he's just curled up in the bathroom." Alex didn't mention that Maria's shirt was being used as a security blanket. He felt like he was intruding enough on Michael's privacy just being in the same room. "He's shivering but I thought that was just because he hadn't changed clothes."

"God, Alex. What do you think these sparks are?" Isabel really wished Max and Liz were so incontinent right now. She needed a rational view point. She pulled at her blond hair, twisting it around her finger nervously as she sat on one of Maria's kitchen chairs. Please don't let Maria's mom come home, she prayed. How would she explain this? Yes, Mrs. Deluca I understand your daughter looks like she's going through heroin withdrawal but we think it's just because we won't let her near her semi-quasi-alien boyfriend. That would go over real well.

"Oh!" Alex made a little noise. "Michael said something. He said that the sparks wanted something, something he wanted too."

Isabel looked at the ceiling in disgust. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Alex coughed. "Well, the sparks happen when they touch... The more they touch the brighter the sparks get, the better they feel so..." He let his voice trail off.

"Oh. Oh!" Isabel eyes widened and she was very glad Alex was not in the room because this time she definitely was blushing. "The sparks want them to... you know? But why? I mean, Liz and Max are getting visions from it but they are just getting sparks. Sparks that could seriously blow our cover." Isabel added angrily. It was just like Michael to find the most dangerous means of getting into a girl's pants.

Alex coughed again. "Isabel, some alien sparks are trying to encourage Michael and Maria to mate. The usual outcome of mating is..." He got the feeling Isabel was being deliberately blind to this logic.