She had been annoyed when Michael had told her that she was not coming to the Crashdown, but she could not deny that it had been a relief to sink back onto her bed. Every single part of her hurt. She had terrible cramps in her arms and legs, her head felt like it was going to explode and she had gotten to the point where she was pretty much throwing up every hour on the hour.

She knew she was dying, which was why she had wanted to go to the meeting in the first place. She wanted to spend every moment possible with her friends before the end. With Michael.

Now she lay on her bed, staring out the window, her gaze drifting to the "V" shaped constellation that was shining down on her from the star-pocked sky above. She remembered sleeping under those same stars, wrapped in Michael's arms, during the three weeks that he had tried to heal her in the desert.

It had been the happiest and most peaceful time of her life.

Ironic really, how much the little things counted, when the little things were not going to be yours for much longer.

Maria knew that Max was not going to return in time to heal her. Even if they did, by some mega-miracle, manage to bring him back, there were absolutely no guarantees that he was going to be able to help her. He wasn't God after all.

She had made her peace with what was happening to her. What she had not made her peace with was the idea of leaving Michael alone.

She really was not sure if he would be able to go on without her - and it terrified her.

The bond that had formed between them....she knew that something of great significance had taken place in their relationship during their time together in Illyria. Michael had been so much more protective of her in every sense since they had come back...and it WASN'T just because she was sick.

Something had happened to make it so. She just wished that she could remember. Sometimes it felt like the memories were just beyond her reach, that the fingertips of her mind were brushing against the truth but that there was no chance of grasping it. It was supremely frustrating.

Maria was pulled from her reverie by a knock on her window. She managed to sit up, smiled at the sight of Michael's face peering in at her. "Come on in spaceboy."

Michael pushed the window up, climbed in quickly. He stood there for a moment staring at her. It looked like he was trying to compose himself. "How're you feeling?" He finally asked gruffly.

"Oh about the same." Maria replied, trying not to let her physical pain reflect in her voice. He didn't need that on top of everything else.

His guilt about Max, not to mention her, was already almost out of control.

"I'd feel a lot better if you were over here instead of over there." She continued, managing to quirk a grin at him.

He smiled back, took off his jacket and shoes, and gently climbed into bed beside her. Michael pulled Maria into his embrace. She rested her head against his chest and was not surprised when her pain did ease a little.

The love she felt for him was like the best drug in the world.

She could feel him playing with a lock of her long hair. "So what did you guys decide?" Maria finally asked when the comfortable silence had stretched on long enough.

"Liz, Izzy and I are going to England." He told her abruptly. "They really think that this Stonehenge thing is a sign or something." He sighed.

"Don't you?" Maria asked quietly. She really hoped it was, that Max was on his way home. She hoped it for Liz's sake. It would be nice to know that her best friend in the world was with her soulmate. And she knew that Max would be the one most likely to be able to help Michael through his grief when she was gone. Isabel would drive him crazy with her worrying. Max would listen and give advice - advice that would likely annoy Michael beyond belief.

But an annoyed and angry Michael was much better than a devastated Michael.

"I don't know." Michael replied. "But we have to do something. Everyone is going crazy, I swear. Tess totally flipped out tonight."

Maria frowned to herself. "Why isn't she going with you?"

"Someone needs to stay and protect you." Michael told her sternly.

"TESS?" Maria's surprise gave her enough strength to be able to sit up to stare down at him. "Don't you think that's a little weird Michael?"

Michael turned his head, stared out the window. "That's what she said." He didn't say anything for a long time. "I don't want to go." He finally continued. "I want to stay here. I want to be the one who heals you. God, Maxwell, where are you?"

Maria had not seen Michael cry since the night that Hank had found out about his Czech status, the night he had had the biggest fight of his life with Isabel and Max, the night that Michael had felt the most alone.

But she could hear tears in his voice now.

She lay back down on his chest, reached up to stroke his cheek. "I know you want to do it Michael, but you can't protect me forever and you're not Superman, even if you are an alien who crashlanded on this planet...and maybe if you can get Max back, we can find out about what happened to us when we were on your planet. I really want to know Michael. I really NEED to know."

"Me too." He scrubbed his hand across his face. "God, Maria! Why are you comforting me when I'm the one who did this to you. I'm the one who should be sick, not you." His jaw was clenched in fury. She continued to stroke his face, trying to ease the tight muscles.

"Don't you get that that would be like even worse in my book?" She gently kissed him on the lips. "I love you. If it was you, I wouldn't be able to bear it."

Michael's eyes had been closed, but they opened now, stared up at her. "Then you know how I feel." He told her hollowly.

"I love you Michael." Maria kissed him again. She buried her face in his neck, breathed in the scent that was all him, only him.

"Ditto."