Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me or anyhting

Rating: I don't know, PG

Distribution:If you want to put this on a webpage or anything, just tell me

Spoilers: I guess for maybe 285 South, and what I've seen in preview for the next episode. Also bear with me if I got something wrong baout 285 South. I never actually saw the episode, just read reviews and transcripts

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Maria walked into history class the day after they returned from their little excursion toTexas. Max and Liz were already sitting in class, making eyes at each other. Mariashook her head and sat down in a desk near the front of the class. Isabel walked in just asthe bell rang, and walked quickly to the back of the room.

The teacher instructed them all to hand in the questions they had answered about theirpartners in the exercise he had assigned. Everyone got up to toss the answered questionsand his desk. When Maria handed hers in the teacher said “You were able to track downMr.Guerin?”

Maria nodded wordlessly, not mentioning of course that she had tracked him down bybeing abducted in his mission to get to Texas.

Maria slid back into her desk, wondering where the hell Michael was. After seeingMs.Topolski, the supposed guidance counselor knock out Sheriff Valenti, they hadgrabbed the papers they had found in the secret room and made a run for it. Nobody inthe group new whether or not Ms.Topolski or anyone had actually seen them, they justleft.

They had made in back to Roswell, barely in time for school this morning. They had allgone home to change clothes, but everyone except Michael seemed to have made it backin time. Maybe he was doing what he had suggested in the first place, skip school. Maria had assumed Max and Isabel had talked him out of it. It would look toosuspicious, if Ms Topolski really hadn’t seen them. They had all agreed to meet at thelibrary later tonight to look over the papers they had found, and see if they meantanything.

As Maria was thinking all this, Michael skidded into class.

“Nice of you to actually join us Mr.Guerin,” the teacher said drily.

“Sorry I’m late,” Michael said, not very apologetically, sliding into the desk besideMaria.

As the teacher started on a little spiel about the world domination of Hitler, Maria staredover at Michael. After the trip, she was seeing him in a different light. In spite ofherself, Maria was actually finding herself attracted to him. She kept telling herself itwas insane, but the feelins were still there below the surface. Not that it mattered. Hadn’t he himself said, ‘Not if you were the last woman on earth.’

The class flew by, Maria not hearing a word of the teachers lecture. When the bell rangthe signal the end of class, Maria said to Michael, “Where were you thismorning.”

Michael shrugged, “I got called into Ms Topolski’s office.”

With that he walked out the door. Maria followed him , “You what? Why? Does sheknow anything?”

“Not so loud.” Michael admonished, turning back to her

“How can you be so calm,” she shrieked, earning her glances from the students walkingin the halls. “What did she say to you?”

Michael noticed the curious glances directed at them. He grabbed Maria’s arm andpulled her into the empty sience classroom acros the hall.

He shut the door and turned to Maria, “Calm down,” he hissed, “Are you trying to get uscaught?”

Maria shook her head and he continued, “Yes, seh called me in this morning, but she saidnothing about yesterday. All she said was that I seemed like a bright boy and couldprobably go far if I just applied myself a little more.”

“That’s it?” maria asked dubiously, “I mean, she didn’t even act suspicious. For cryingout loud, we saw her bean the sheriff over the head.”

Michael shrugged, “She must not know we saw her. I mean, it’s pretty obvious taht shesin’t your average guidance counselor, but she sure is doing a good job of acting like one. A nosy one maybe, but if we hadn’t seen her yesterday we would never suspect her ofbeing anything else.”

Maria leaned back against one of the desks, “She must know about you guys. I mean,how else could she have known about the dome, or why else why would she have calledyou in this morning. I mean, she’s been paying pretty close attention to the five of us,and Alex as we. My god, she’s probably just playing with us, waiting for us to trip up. What if she......?”

Michael did something without thinking at all. He leaned over and kissed her, cutting heroff in mid speech. He was surprised as anything, he had never actually kissed a girlbefore, but he just kissed Maria, a girl he hadn’t known well at all for verylong.

Maria was as surprised as he was, but that didn’t stop her from returning his kiss. Thesexual tension that had been present yesterday in the motel toom exploded in the kissthey were sharing right now. This was nothing like any other kisses she had sharedbefore, the feelings she was having were equivalent to fireworks. She didn’t know if itwas because he was an alien, or because she was more attracted to Michael than she hadbeen to any other guy.

Michael pulled away first. They were both breathing heavily.

“That was just to clam you down,” he said, for lack of something better to say.

Maria on the other hand said nothing at all. What could she say? That that was the mostexplosive kiss of her life, that she wanted to do it again? Michael probably didn’t wantto hear any of it.

When she didn’t say anything, Michael just picked up his books and walked out of theroom. Maria stayed there a minute longer. What had just happened?

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

Maria walked into work after school, wearing the ugly bluish green uniforms. Liz wasalready serving tables.

“Table 6 needs their order taken,” Liz said to her as Maria tossed her stuff in theback.

Maria nodded wordlessly. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and went to wait ontable 6.

The after-school crown didn’t clear out until nearly half past four. Liz and Maria sat atan empty table, taking a break until the supper crowd came in.

Mari, who hadn’t said anything to Liz all day, fiddled with a piece of thread she hadpulled from her uniform. Liz watched her silently for a couple minutes, then said, “Okay,what’s eating you? You haven’t talked to me since we got back into town.”

Maria shrugged, then repiled without preamble, “Michael kissed me.”

“What?” Liz was surprised. “When.”

“After history,” Maria replied. “I was stressing about him being called intoMs.Toploski’s office, and well, he just kissed me.”

Liz leaned back, “Did anything happen? I mean, different because he’sa...Czechoslovakian?”

Maria shrugged, “It was the best kiss of my life, but I don’t think that was simply becausehe’s a Czech.”

“Well, did he say anything to you after?” Liz asked.

Maria put her head in her hands, “All he said was, ‘That was to calm you down’. Then Icouldn’t think of something appropriate to say, so I didn’t say anything. Then, he justleft and I haven’t talked to him since.”

Maria sighed, “Liz, I don’t know waht to do. I mean, I think I really like the guy, but Idon’t think he feels the same way.”

“He kissed you, didn’t he?” Liz asked rehetorically.

Maria shook her head, “That doesn’t mean anything, I mean all we’ve really done isfight. Kissing me was probably just the most effective way to shut me up.”

Liz smiled at the despairing note in her friends voice, “Maria, Michael doesn’t strike meas a guy that just kisses any old girl. I”m sure he feels at least some of waht youdo.”

Maria sat up straighter, “I hope so. Because I’ve decided to tell him how I feel. Tonight.”

Liz sighed, “I hope you know waht you’re doing. If they have to leave because they arefound out, you’ll have to deal with losing him.”

Maria shrugged, “I’ll deal with taht, when and if, I have to.”

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

* * * * *

Michael lay on the bed in Max’s bedroom as Max picked up stuff lying on the floor sothey could all meet in here tonight.

“I mean, I cna’t believe I kissed her. What was I thinking?” Michael stressed, “I don’tlike Maria.”

Max laughed. He had been listening to Michael stress about this for the past hour. “Yeah, that’s it you don’t like her. That’s why I’ve been listening to you babble on abouther for the past hour. You’ve got it bad buddy.”

Michael shot up indignantly, “I do not ‘have it bad’.”

Max grinned as he tossed a sweater into the hamper, “Yes, you do. Now, the onlyquestion is, does Maria feel the same way?”

“I don’t know,” Michael said grumpily, not even bothering to correct Max anymore. “After I kissed her she didn’t even say anything. Not a word. I couldn’t even read theexpression in her eyes. But I don’t think she does though, I mean yesterday she even toldme, ‘Not if you were the last alien on earth.’”

Max kicked Michael off the bed so he could make it neatly, “I’m sure she feels the sameway you do. I mean, she didn’t exactly push you away, did she? Now, I don’t know wahtshe sees in you, but that’s her problem. So Michael, for God’s sake just tell her how youfeel , soon.”

Michael sighed. How was he supposed to do that? He wasn’t really a man of manywords? But, he had already told Maria more then he had any other person. Heck, evenIsabel and Max didn’t know about the fact that he had read Ulysses.

“Oh, and Michael?” Max said as Michael turned to go, “Don’t ever bug me about takingrisks with Liz again.”

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

Maria was walking home from work. It was 7 o’clock. She had an hour before she hadto go to Max and Isabel’s. When she passed the elementary school park, she saw a figuresitting on one of the swings. Michael.

She walked over to the swings and sat down on one beside him. “We need to talk,” shesaid simply, her vioce tense. She was so nervous, was she about to make a fool ofherself?

Micahel heard her strained voice, and hsi heart fell. She’s going to tell me thismorning was a mistake, he thought to himself grimly. Ther only thing to do knowwas to escape with some pride.

“I need to tell you something,” Maria said, not elaborating, yet.

“Me too,” Michael said quickly, “I’ll go first.”

“Allright,” Maria said in relief.

“This morning was a mistake.” he continued, “It never should have happened. I mean, Iprobably could have done something else to calm you down, right?” his laugh washollow. “I vote we forget it ever happened. I mean, we could never betogether.”

“I see,” Maria croaked, her voice strained, from trying to hold back the tears. “I supposethat would be best.”

Michael had his head ducked so she couldn’t see his eyes. He would never forgivehimself if she saw him with tears in his eyes.

Maria stood up quickly, “I have to go,” she said, softly, turning and running. If she stayedthere another minute she would end up bawling.

Michael’s head shot up as she left. Was that hurt in her voice? He dismissed the idea. Itwas best just to let her go.

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

Maria closed the door behind her as she exited the house. Her mother was at work thisevening. She started down the walk, then stopped.

Michael was standing at the sidewalk, hands in his jacket pocket. “I came to wlak overwith you.” he said in explanation.

Michael stared at her face. Her eyes were red, obviously from crying. For the first timehe entertained a little bit of hope that his trip here was not in vain.

Maria nodded wordlessly, not trusting her voice. Why wouldn’t he just go away. Shecouldn’t handle this.

They started walking down her street. They hadn’t gone very far when Michael began,“About what I said earlier...”

Maria interrupted him, “Forget about it. We can just put the whole experience behind uslike you want.”

She started to walk faster, not wanting him to see her tears. Not wanting him to know shecared that much. She wouldn’t make a fool out of herself.

“Maria, wait.” Micahel said, grabbing her arm, “Is taht what you want?”

Maria stopped dead in her tracks. She nodded, not saying anything, refusing to facehim.

“Are you sure?” Michael asked, turning her to face him.

Maria’s eyes were red and teary, “Please don’t do this Michael,” she whispered. “Itdoesn’t matter. You want it to be forgotten, I’ll forget it.”

Michael shook his head, and brushed her tears away, “I asked you what youwanted.”

Maria started to cry, “I want you.” she cried out, “But it doesn’t matter.”

Michael’s heart broke at seeing her hurting like this, knowing he was the cause. Despiteher resistance, he took her into his arms, letting her cry it all out.

“Earlier,” he whispered in her ear. “I was saying just what I thought you wanted to hear. I thought you had come to tell me you felt nothing for me. What I was too scared to sayto you before Maria is, I don’t think this morning was a mistake at all. According toMax, ‘I’ve got it bad’. And, unfortunately, he’s right.”

Maria’s sobs had subsided, and she was hiccuping, “I was scared you wouldn’t feel thesame way at all.” she said, “But, I was planning to tell you how I felt anyway, in hopesyou might return the feelings I have for you at all.”

Michael hugged her tightly, “I was scared of the exact same thing. However, Iwasplanning on telling you how I felt too. But, when you came I thought you couldn’tpossible feel the same way, so I tried to escape without making an idiot ofmyself.”

“You really like me?” Maria asked suspiciously.

Michael nodded, “I wasn’t planning on feeling anything for you, but it just sort of hit mehard and fast. And just so you know, that last woman on earth comment I madeyesterday, it isn’t true.”

Maria laughed softly, “Neither was my last alien one.”

She turned away from Michael though, and said, “Michael are we insane? I mean, if youget what you wnat you won’t stay around here for long. You’ll go back to your ownfamily, your own kind. Whether that’s tomorrow, a week from now or next year, it willhurt all the same. I don’t know if I’m that strong.....”

She was cut off with a kiss from Michael. She didn’t resist the kiss at all. She returned itwith all she felt, just like she had htis morning. When they finally pulled apart, Michaelsaid smiling, “That was to calm you down.”

“You idiot!” Maria said, hitting him on the shoulder, but was unable te repress a grin,“I’m serious!”

Michael grabbed her hand, “I know. But don’t think about it. I don’t want to sacrificewhat would could have together because of some ‘What if’s?’. Can we just enjoywhatever time we do have together?”

Maria nodded, and put her arms around his neck, “I guess so. Even if I refused now, I don’t think I could ignore what I feel for you forever.”

When their lips were inches apart, Maria said with a grin, “Michael, if that is what you’ll do every time to calm me down, I’ll have to get worked up more often.”

THE END