"Just tell me, Maria! It's important." Isabel's eyes flashed.

It was hard to think, it was hard to remember. Every thought led back to Michael and that hurt too much. Maria's mind worked wildy. "I'll tell you if you let me see Michael."

Isabel grounded her teeth together and tried to resist the urge to pull out her own hair. Or Maria's. "You cannot see Michael. It is too dangerous."

"Then I guess I don't remember." Maria's eyes held a steel that Isabel had never seen there before. She would not back down. Isabel stomped out of the room before she did something hazardous to Maria's health. She picked up the phone. "Alex, Maria won't tell me. She's being impossible!" There was a loud banging sound in the background. "Alex?" Isabel said, her voice a little shrill. There were rustling sounds and then an out of breath Alex was back on the phone.

"I'm here." Another bang and then a crash.

"What's going on?"

"Isabel, I think you should come over here. Now."

"Why? I can't leave Maria."

"Then you'll have to bring her. We need to switch." Alex took a deep breath. He hated to say this but..." "I can't control Michael. He started to break things. He's hurting himself, Isabel." Something shattered at the other end of the line. "That was the mirror." Alex filled in.

"I'll be right there." Isabel hung up the phone without saying goodbye. She spoke to the room with defeat in her voice. "I guess Maria is going to get her wish."

*********

Isabel had to buckled Maria into the car herself. The girl could not stop moving. Maria glared at the speedometer, angry that Isabel would not speed. She needed to see Michael. She would have gotten out of the car and ran if some last rational part of her brain hadn't realized that the car would take her to him faster. Maria hadn't even changed clothes before leaving. She still had on the ratty old sweatshirt Isabel had given her to wear and a pair of plaid pyjama pants. She couldn't care less that she had no make-up on or that her hair needed to be combed. Michael wouldn't care either.

Roswell had never seem so large as when it was keeping her and Michael apart.

*******

When Isabel appeared Alex swore he'd just throw himself in her arms, consequences and wimpiness be damned. Michael was freaking him out. Alex had tried to keep him from hurting himself and Liz's room many different ways: he had tried reason, appealing to Michael's better nature. Michael punched a wall. He tried emotional black mail, reminding the alien-boy that this was Liz's home and he was destroying it. A shower curtain was ripped in half. He had even mustered up the courage for a physical attack but that hadn't gone over well, Alex thought, rubbing his sore jaw. Finally, bribery. As if he was talking to a five year old Alex promised Michael that if he was good he would get to see Maria. Immediately Michael halted at the sound of her name. Then he began to clean.

Alex didn't allow himself to relax at this suddenly change of heart. Michael's mood swings were lightening fast and there was no way to tell what would set him off. The normalcy could not last. And it didn't. About ten minutes after Alex had gotten off the phone with Isabel, Michael began sniffing. Their was no other word for it, Michael was sniffing at the air. If he had been a dog his ears would have perked up. A grin spread across his face, a expression of joy, relief and anticipation. His fingertips started to brighten.

Maria was near.

The air in the room had changed, it was like standing in the middle of an electrical storm. Alex was reminded of how when he was a child he feared standing near the microwave. He could almost feel the radiation coming off the small appliance, attacking his body. His scientist father told him that he was just imagining things and that the energy coming off the machine was so minimal that it could not hurt him. As the small hairs at the back of his neck stood up Alex knew he was not imagining this. The air crackled.

Both boys stopped at the sound of footsteps outside the door. There was a pause and Alex could picture Isabel standing indecisively outside the door. That wouldn't sit well on her. Isabel liked to move with purpose, she was always in control. He waited, readying himself for the explosion when Maria and Michael attacked each other again.

With a sigh Isabel opened the door. She wondered at how fast she could get her information and switch charges. She also wondered with a grimace how much Maria and Michael could accomplish in that time. Zero to a hundred and twenty in three seconds. The undressing Olympics.

Maria let out a gasp when she saw Michael. All her anger at abandonment fled. The joy she felt at seeing him couldn't be contained. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. Her fingers ran over his back, confirming his reality. He buried his face in her soft, blond hair that smelt like sunshine. "God, I've missed you." Was said but neither could tell by who. Michael pulled away just enough to look in Maria's face. He cradled her chin between his palm. She smiled into his eyes as he stroked her cheeks with thumbs. His hands were cold and she covered them with her own, willing the sparks to warm his shivering skin. He placed little kisses all over her face, memorizing with his lips the taste and texture of her features. Forehead. Nose. Cheek. Eyelid. When he reached her mouth, the soft pleasure of his lips against hers made her knees weak.

This was not what Isabel had been expecting. They held each other like starving people, too scared to let go incase they were snatched from each other. Michael kissed the crown of Maria's hair and smiled, murmuring her name. The sparks were brightening the couple from the inside, making them glow. It was beautiful.

It was dangerous, Isabel reminded herself as she moved to separate the pair. But then why did she suddenly feel like the bad guy? "Okay, you two. That's enough." Michael ignored her but Maria turned to her with fear in her eyes.

"I'll tell you, Isabel. Just a little while longer, okay?" Just being near Michael, seeing his face made the ache go away. She felt life returning to her body, she could breathe. "Two weeks ago, okay?" Then she returned to Michael, letting his warm kisses drown out the pain in her body. This was not enough she knew, but it was enough for her right now, just to be in his arms.

Isabel started searching through Liz's room. Alex looked at her questioningly. "Biology notes." She replied, looking through the papers on the desk. Alex reached behind the door and pulled out a green backpack. "Thanks." She mumbled, tearing through the bag. "Keep an eye on them," She told him, voice lowered. "If they look like they are getting a little too... sparkly, separate them." Alex chanced a glance at the oblivious couple. Maria reached up and placed a kiss on the underside of Michael's jaw and laughed at the vibrations his words made against her mouth. Michael smiled too and Alex had never seen him look so happy. Alex looked away.

"Here it is!" Isabel exclaimed, immediately drawing Alex's attention. Michael and Maria ignored them completely, both reacquainting themselves with the scent and feel of the other. "The female reproductive system." She read. Isabel skimmed over the part about primary and secondary oocytes because it meant nothing to her. It was the second paragraph that made her heart stop. "On about the 14-15 day of the menstrual cycle, the ovum is released from a follicle on the surface of the ovary at ovulation. The sperm must make their way up the Fallopian tube to fertilize the ovum without about 24 hours of the ovum will die." Oh God, Oh God. Panic filled Isabel. "Do you understand what this means, Alex? The 14 or 15 day.... She had her period two weeks ago. She's fertile!" Alex opened his mouth to say something comforting but Isabel was already in motion. "Alex, get her out of here!" She commanded.

Michael was moving in for a kiss when Isabel yanked his arm, ripping him away from Maria. Alex moved for small blonde, pushing her towards the window onto the roof. Isabel grabbed Michael's face between her hands, forcing him to look at her. He growled and tried to pull away but she persisted. "Michael, I know you are in there somewhere. Maria is ovulating. Do you know what that means? If you two have sex she has an incredibly high chance of getting pregnant!" Michael tried to shake her off, Isabel's touch felt wrong. He pushed her backwards, turning to the window. Isabel prayed Alex had been able to get Maria to the jeep. "Michael, stop!" Isabel cried. "Don't let this control you!"

To her amazement, he did stop. He was halfway through the window leading to the outside, to Maria and he stopped. His whole body shaking. Then he collapsed to the ground, making noises that could be sobs. Isabel wasn't sure, Michael never let anyone see him cry. "Michael?" She edged towards the trembling boy cautiously. She raised a hand to touch his shoulder but he shrugged her off violently. "Don't touch me." He whispered. "Just listen to me this time. Get her away, don't let me near her." Isabel nodded vehemently. He raised his head and Isabel gasped at what she saw in his red, bloodshot eyes. "Next time," He promised, voice low. "Next time I won't be able to stop."

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

Alex looked over at Maria nervously. His old friend was acting like a stranger. Her face was pale, her hair without shine or bounce and (pardon the expression) her eyes held none of their usual spark. She stared listlessly out of the passenger side window, playing with a string from the unravelling oversize sweatshirt she wore. Isabel's car slid into Alex's driveway and he hoped his parents wouldn't notice the beat up jeep he was suddenly driving.

"Maria, we're here." He touched her shoulder gently and she jumped, startled, pushing his hand off strongly. Alex tried to hide his hurt but must not have done a good job because Maria apologized softly. "I'm sorry Alex. I just... Please don't touch me right now, okay? I can't handle it." He nodded, just happy to hear her voice. A quiet Maria was not a normal Maria and Alex wasn't sure how to act around her. At least she wasn't shaking yet. Only her constant chewing of her bottom lip gave away the tension in her body. Alex resisted the urge to hug the small girl. Instead he just smiled, opening the car door for her. "Everything is going to be okay." He assured her. She attempted a fragile smile back. "I know." She said, rubbing her head. "I'm just tired." Her steps to the house were small and weak and Alex cursed whatever alien gods there were for what they were doing to his friend. He couldn't blame Maria or Michael though, if anything they felt for each other was like the draw Isabel held for him... It would take a saint to resist and that was without addictive sparks shooting into the air.

Alex lead Maria up the stairs and then ran back downstairs, grabbing Maria's favourite blanket off the couch. His mother had quilted it herself, sewing in a pattern of sunshine and little boys and girls playing by the waterside. Every movie night Maria claimed it as her own, loving the homemade happiness it brought. Amy DeLuca was a great mother but happy homemaker she wasn't. When he returned to his room Maria was already curled up on his bed, on top of the covers, fast asleep. Alex covered her the quilt gently, careful not to touch her and disturb her sleep.

How to help, how to help? Alex thought. Okay, so he wasn't an alien and didn't know any secret tricks to solve the problem but he was a computer geek and maybe that could turn something up. He logged on the Internet and looked up sparks + addiction. God, he hoped the government wasn't monitoring people's searches like his Lone Gunmen mailing lists said. If the FBI didn't get him the nice men in the white lab coats would.

********

Michael had finally quieted. He just stared at Liz's carpeted floor, seeing nothing. Isabel busied herself cleaning up, fixing whatever messes Michael had been unable to. Repairing the smashed mirror was the hardest. Watching the slim shards come together to reflect her own face back at her unnerved Isabel. The house was too quiet and Isabel wondered distractedly if Liz's parents ever were home. Isabel decided to divert herself by calling and checking up on Alex. She was just trying to keep on top of the situation, she told herself. She wasn't frightened or lonely or any of the other hundreds of emotions that were bubbling up inside her. She tapped her foot impatiently waiting for Alex to pick up. "Hello?" A tired but familiar voice answered her.

"Hi. Alex it's me. I just wanted to see how thing were with-" Isabel stopped herself before she said Maria's name. "How things are." She finished.

"It's okay. Maria's asleep. I was just looking up something on the Internet but all I could find were cures for drug addiction, nothing that would really help. Unless we want to run a little relationship rehabilitation. ‘Hello, my name is Maria and I'm a Sparkaholic.'" Alex gave a little awkward laugh. "How are things with Michael?"

Maria's eyes opened at the sound of his name. She got up from the bed and grabbed the phone from Alex in a matter of seconds. "Michael?" She heard a sigh and a grumbled ‘I thought you were sleeping.' "Isabel, let me talk to Michael." Alex stretched for the phone but Maria moved out of his reach. "Please." Isabel sighed again and wished she hadn't inherited the hopeless romantic gene like Max. But she had, she just kept it hidden better. Might as well let them talk, she thought. It's not like he can impregnate her over the phone. She walked over to Michael and nudged him with the cordless. "It's Maria. She wants to talk to you." Michael grabbed the phone so quickly Isabel was surprised she still had all her fingers.

"Maria." He breathed.

Maria twisted her body away from Alex. "Michael." She lowered her voice. "I wish you were here."

"I do too." He whispered. "But- but we can't."

"Why not?"

Michael was speechless.

Maria continued, her voice soft and husky. "It's not like I've never thought about it before... Haven't you?"

Michael swallowed, his face glowing slightly at her words. "Yes... A couple times.. An hour." He finished and he could almost feel the shiver run down her body. She was pleased. His fingertips brightened.

"I was looking for you." She admitted shyly. "When this all started. I was trying to find you. I wanted..." She paused and he almost groaned because she was licking her lips and he could see her in his head. Michael rubbed his own lips with the back of his hand, trying to rid them of the tingle that ran through them. "I wanted you. Before the sparks. I just wanted you."

A spark leapt from his hands as he confessed, "I wanted you too. I want you now. I wish- Shit!" Michael dropped the hot phone, shaking his burnt fingers.