‘Maybe it’s that whole alien thing,’ she rationalized to herself. ‘It probably wasn’t *us* - it’s just one of those quirky things they have. Like the tabasco sauce.’ Michael’s flirtatious grin flashed in her mind. Maria blushed again in the solitude of her car as she had in the diner earlier. There were a few times in which she thought he might actually be flirting with her, but she dismissed the thought as quickly as it appeared. That last one though, about liking things ‘extremely sweet and spicy,’ when he said that, she was pretty sure. Maria had surprised herself with her retort, looking away with an equally mischievous smirk. Isabel’s little comment made things a little awkward, she seemed to be very skilled at making pointed remarks then leaving before the fallout. And while it made Maria twinge with embarrassment, it was kind of nice to have someone else say it - put it out there, and make them both admit that something was definitely going on.

Besides… Michael said it was to calm her down. The kissing, that is. And it did. Sort of. For that moment, Liz and Max were the furthest things from her mind. Maria had never been kissed like that Well, to be perfectly honest, she wasn’t exactly the most experienced when it came to boys. But even in her limited opportunities, it was never like that. Even in her dreams, Maria could never even begin to imagine that it could be like that.

It was almost as if he’d been invading her dreams. She knew it was possible, and the idea had disturbed her for a while. Every morning she woke up slightly embarrassed, not knowing what she’d dreamt the night before. There were those days that something would spark her memory – a song, a phrase uttered in passing, or the way that he’d mindlessly scratch the back of his head. Her face would flush crimson with realization. She would then spend the rest of the day avoiding him, on the chance that he would look into her eyes and know. Know what she had dreamt, know what she was now thinking, and know what her lips longed for – no matter how crazy she knew it was.

But it was different from any dream she’d ever had, Maria thought as she drove home, although it certainly was crazy. ‘The whole thing is insane. Me and Michael? How could it *not* be insane?’ Maria rolled her eyes. ‘What was I thinking? I know, it’s been the stress of the last few weeks. Between Liz being shot, and all the sheriff craziness, and me being abducted, and them at the creepy reservation – it all just got to me. To us. It’s not like we actually *like* each other. He stole my car, for God’s sake.’ She leaned back as the seat slid back a few notches. Barely able to reach the pedals, Maria pulled the car over and tried to readjust herself. However, the car did not want to cooperate. The seat was stuck… stuck in the position that Michael had left it last.

"Grrr… I can’t believe this!" She yelled, slightly thrashing in her seat. "Must he screw up *everything* in my life?" She looked over and saw that she was about a block and a half from her house. All she had to do was manage to get herself a few more yards and she could climb into the safety of her own bed. Maria closed her eyes and jerked the seat up another notch. Full of frustration and anger, she revved the engine and spun the car around, taking off towards the trailer park.

****

Maria quietly pulled in front of Michael’s home and turned the car off. At first, coming here to yell at him for screwing up something else made perfect sense. But now that she was actually at his place, all her nerve had left her. She was anxious and angry and embarrassed and hopeful. Hopeful of what, she wasn’t quite sure. But it was there, mixed in with everything else. Somehow she opened the door and found herself leaning against the hood.

The loud racket of the football game echoed from the trailer. Maria waited through two commercial breaks until she finally made her move towards the door. Stones crunched under her feet as she walked up to the small wooden stairs. Her body began to quaver while she watched her foot touch down on the first step.

"Maria?"

The girl whipped around and stood firmly on ground. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the figure approaching her.

"What are you doing here?" Michael came into view.

"Uh, you, uh…" Maria looked up, feeling all her nerve flow out of her. "You broke my car. I came here to tell you. Yes. That’s why I’m here. You broke my car, and now you have to fix it." She firmly placed her hands on her hips for emphasis.

"I broke your car?" Michael threw a rock towards the road. "And how exactly did I do that?"

Maria pursed her lips. Of course he was going to be difficult. "Well, the seat worked just fine before you stole it. And now it’s broken and I can barely touch the pedals. That’s really my mother’s car, you know. I don’t have the money to fix it."

"Uh, huh." He studied her face. "So, that’s why you came here. To tell me I broke your car."

"Yes," she hissed at him. "And I so appreciate you joining the conversation. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

"Hmmm… well, I don’t really know that much about cars, as you’ve learned." He broke his gaze, and returned to throwing rocks. "I don’t know what you expect of me. I guess I’m not much of a guy."

She thought to herself. ‘Fine, if he doesn’t care, then neither do I.’ Maria took a firm grasp on her bag, "Yeah, I noticed. Well, then I guess I can’t expect anything of you." She brushed past him, almost stumbling on the uneven terrain on her way back to the car. Midway there, her anger flared up again. She stopped abruptly and spun around.

"Why did you kiss me?" She demanded.

Michael was grateful that the darkness hid the look of shock on his face. "What?" he asked, barely able to get the word out.

Still a bit bewildered by her own actions, Maria knew that it was too late to go back. "You heard what I said, why did you kiss me?"

"You know why. To calm you down." He dropped the last few rocks from his hands. "You were spazzing out like a lunatic."

"Fine." Maria responded bitterly, and started back towards her car.

"Wait," Michael called after her. "You came out here to ask me why I kissed you?"

Her face reddened with embarrassment yet again. "NO," she answered in exasperation. "I came out here to tell you that you broke my car."

"Sure, okay." There was a slight hint of mockery in his voice.

"You are impossible! I’m going home." Maria stomped her foot, silently chastising herself for coming out in the first place.

"But I thought I broke your car?"

"Well then, I guess I’m going to have to deal, won’t I?"

The sarcasm flew back and slapped Michael in the face. He watched her open the door and struggle with the seat. "Stop, I’ll fix your car."

"Oh no," Maria shook her head vehemently. "I remember how this turned out the last time."

Michael stepped to the side of her and opened the door wider. "It’s not your engine, it’s your seat. I’m sure I can fix that. Besides, since this IS the reason you came to see me, seems a shame to not at least look at it." He squatted down and began to fidget with the levers on both sides of the seat.

Maria watched him reach over and pull the chair forward forcibly. The hint of light from the neighbor’s home shone in through the opposite window, bringing her attention towards his well-defined arms. Arms that had been holding her just hours earlier… She closed her eyes and gave her head a quick shake, dismissing all those ideas. It wasn’t like he seemed to be reciprocating any of her feelings.

He stood up and motioned for her to sit. "Get in. Is that okay?"

Maria sidled in to the car and reached forward. It was nice to be able to touch the pedals again. "Better."

"But not perfect?" Michael tilted his head to the side.

"It’s never going to be perfect." She looked up at him, offering a half-smile.

He sighed, "No, I guess not."

The two just watched each other silently – hoping that the other would make a move, or say something first. But nothing happened. Finally, Michael moved behind the car door, resting his chin on the top of the frame. "Well, be careful driving home. I’ve heard about the way you drive."

Maria narrowed her eyes at him. "Isabel?" He smirked in response. "It was all her fault!" she groaned, reaching up for the seatbelt. Her dramatic effect was foiled, however, when it refused to budge.

"God, you *are* helpless, aren’t you?" Michael walked around and pulled the seatbelt down effortlessly. He leaned across Maria to snap it into the buckle.

Maria eyed his movements as he pressed against her. The palm of his hand rested against the edge of her thigh as he balanced himself. His chest leaned against her stomach causing her to breathe in. She looked down and stared at the soft spot of skin behind his right ear. With a bit of effort, she was able to suppress an impulse to run her fingers down his neck. ‘I might not be as stoic as Michael Guerin, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him get to me,’ she thought.

"There," Michael said, straightening himself slightly, but not getting out of the car. He turned, placing a hand on either side of her seat. "Okay?"

His warm breath sent shivers down Maria’s spine. It was if she suddenly became very aware of every nerve ending in her body. She stared directly into his dark eyes. His distant, yet not entirely cold eyes. Her hand ran down and untwisted the strap that separated them.

"Almost perfect," she whispered back.

Michael smiled, then edged himself out of the car. He stood next to Maria with his hand on the door. "Seriously. Don’t kill yourself on the way home. That’s all we need right now, with everything going on."

Maria glared up at him. "Gee, thanks," she responded, pulling the door closed. Just as she turned the key, Michael appeared in her open window.

Leaning in slightly, he flashed her the grin from the diner. "So, um, do you think that you’ll be having another spazz attack any time soon?"

The girl looked down at the steering wheel and smiled in spite of herself. She turned back to face him. "Well, I’ll see what I can do."

"Good," he answered, still grinning. Then he backed away from the car and headed back towards the house.