Author: DocPaul

Email: DocPaul2002@yahoo.ca

Rating: NC-17

Spoiler: After Panacea

Warning: Some of the sex is questionable.

Disclaimers: M&M belong to somebody who forgot them on a shelf. I play with them.

Summary: After Maria leaves for New York City, Michael follows. This is how it should have been written.

Author’s note: This is a special requested story for Kathy (Roskat) on her birthday. I wrote extra sex scenes to make up for the wait and lateness. Happy birthday, Kat. 

Switched

For Kathy 

“Dammit!” Max actually stood back as the glass cascaded from the shattered window next to the door. He was just getting ready to enter Michael’s apartment, his temporary home.

Hearing the cussing, Max opened the door to find Michael holding his bleeding hand.

“ What the hell? You want to talk about it?”

Michael just shook his head and turned to go back to his room. Lately he had been spending a lot of time in his room, not sleeping, just staring at the ceiling. His morose attitude was only highlighted by his strange behavior. Michael changed his sheets every day.

Best Max could think of was he was waiting for Maria to come home and when she did, he didn’t want the sheets to be dirty.

“I think you need to talk about this and let me fix your hand.”

Michael just sucked on his bleeding fist and shook his head. No need. What he needed fixing even Max’s alien powers couldn’t reach.

“Michael...”

“Leave it! I said I was alright.”

Max just sighed, closing his eyes he dropped on the sofa and buried his head in his hands. Something had to break soon. Michael. He needed to do something soon. He was a walking time bomb on the verge of a full yield detonation.

“I thought you were okay with this? You told her to make her own decision, not to  use you as an excuse for failure. Dammit, Michael, you took her to the airport and put her on the freakin' plane!”

Spite. Pure spite. Pointing out the obvious. Yeah he did it. And when she was afraid and wavered he made her get on the plane and go. Watching the airplane taxi out to the runway he rested his hand on the glass, never noticing the melted handprint that was lost as all the terminal windows blew on his way out of the airport.

Maria. Maria in New York City. Alone. Unprotected and knowing no one. No one except...

Michael didn’t say anything. He went into his room and Max was afraid he was going to go back to watching the ceiling. But the noise and sounds of Michael slamming around sent him the door to watch his friend packing.

“What are you doing?”

“What’s it look like? I’m packing.”

“Okay. Where are you going?”

Michael closed his backpack, blew past Max into the bathroom and tossed some of his bathroom stuff in the outside pocket. In the kitchen he stopped and took out two Diet Peach Snapples. Taking his coat, he shrugged at Max.

“New York City.”

Max quickly grabbed Michael trying to reason with him. “What are you thinking, Michael? What are you going to do?”

Michael just shrugged off his friend’s hand. “I’ll tell you what I won’t do! I’m not going to sit here like some kind of whimpy ass dumped boyfriend leaving that Elvis wannabe musician to think Maria is a free agent!”

“Michael...” Max never finished as the door to the apartment slammed behind him. The roar of the bike sounded as angry as Michael was.

~~~

New York City had found a new citizen. Maria looked around the city and she loved it. It was fast-paced, alive, and the place burned with energy. It was the antithesis of Roswell. Sitting at a table just inside a street café, Maria was drinking coffee and watching the city of New York walk by. She hadn’t seen much because they were keeping her busy. But what she did see, she liked. Sitting there with a pad of paper she had just bought from a paper and card shop Maria decided to make a list. The ‘Maria DeLuca List of Essentials’ of what she had to do while in New York.

Picking up her new pen with an alienhead cap, Maria looked down at the paper. It was stationary with a tiny Roswell alien at the top left corner. Maria ignored whatever whim had made her buy that stationary and pen. She was going to get that list done so she wouldn't forget anything. Absentmindedly looking outside the café’s window, she didn’t see the flashes of color and the hum of activity. All she saw was another desert. A sea of endless empty faces, shadows rushing by like the shadows left of the canyon floor as the clouds raced by. The list. Alex taught her that. A list for everything, and everything on a list.

Dear Spaceboy,

New York City is alive in so many ways that Roswell is not. You can feel the beat of the drum, almost primal and earthy as the very sounds of this city rise and fall like a collective heartbeat. There is so much here, so much more than I have seen, but I will see it before I leave. I know. Leave. It seems like all I think about lately. Leaving you, leaving Roswell, and the way I know that New York City is a city I could live in. So why do I want to leave?

You would love it here. The vastness would remind you of your desert. And your built-in ability to lose yourself into obscurity and hide is almost made for this city. So many people, all so busy with their lives, and the living of it. None of them would notice us, we’d both just be another part of the scenery.

I miss you. I know...you're reading this with your usual unbelieving smirk. How could I be missing you when I kept walking away, kept you at a distance? Need. It is a strange thing, and in some basic way I wanted you to understand. I needed you to understand and actually, a part of me expected you to be the only one who could.

Music was my Antar. It was my quest, and one I had to do alone. When it's about the music, it's about me and it, and nothing else. I need that hush, that quiet, that concentration. Sometimes it has to be just about me. I woke up. Alex was gone, the music stopped and the big alien conspiracy was the killer. I needed to go on and pursue the dream, not just for me, but for Alex. He wasn’t going to dream anymore, ever.

Then there was you. I needed to go and just try. To see if it was just a childish dream or a real possibility. You? You I wanted to keep, but you don’t see that. Roswell has ties to all of us, but for you and the others it's like where you wait. You wait for them to come for you.

Music, it would have been a hum in the back of my head. That elusive dream that was left unrealized. It would have been the same as if when we first met you had given up learning, searching for who you were and where you belonged, just accepting your life in Roswell as all you were ever going to get. Antar would have been that dream in your head, that dream you simply gave up on. Childish dream? Is that what your quest and my music is? Maybe. But we had to have our dreams. Other people have them, so why not us?

I have a dream of you. I wish you were here with me, experiencing it all with me. Without you, it loses something. I know you’d have come, but part of me needed to know. I wanted to know if I could make it on my own, stand strong on my own feet. I love you with so much of me, that sometimes I forget that we are two people and not one. Every relationship needs two strong participants, and for a long time I wasn’t that. On the outside it appeared that I was, but inside? No. I was wanting you to do everything, make all the changes, make my life idyllic and safe, and to make me into something. The sum of our parts is greater than the whole, but I was slipping. I wasn’t pulling my weight.

I woke us this morning and reached for you, and your side of the bed was empty. I guess I will always reach for you, want you near. But this morning I woke and the ache for you felt too real. It was like you were near. I could feel it humming in my blood, that rush I only get around you. So where are you? I can feel you, and I sit here searching every face looking for you. I want…

He watched her from the shadows. Finding her was almost like a dream. In a place this size it would have been easy to stand next to her, and never notice. She looked colorful and alive. The glow of her skin, the breaking enthusiasm was rushing off her in waves. It was the underlying loneliness and unhappiness that actually pulled him in more. That, he could work with.

She stood up and gathered her stuff, putting things into a large shoulder bag. God, she was an incredible beauty! Her eyes and their sparkling green, more alive than anything around her. She was wearing a tight short skirt revealing the most incredible legs he had ever seen. Hands down, her long legs were fantasy material. They could wrap around a man and squeeze tight. He took in everything about her, everything that made men walking past her, stop, and look back. The brilliant blonde hair, the delicate long slim hands, and ultimately her mouth. She had a mouth made for sex.

He so busy working himself up that he missed her crossing the street and by the time he located her, she was almost half a block ahead of him. He hurried to catch her.

Maria startled at the hand on her shoulder. Turning she looked into the golden brown eyes of Michael. Her frightened breath shuddered from her lungs in a deep-felt sigh of relief.

“Michael!” Maria hugged him hard as people went around them. “You scared me!”

“Yeah, what…, um, sorry. I saw yah at the café and tried to get there before yah left, but yah were too quick. Then I gots distracted and yah were already halfway down the block.” Maria continued to hug him tight and his hands went around her, one hand low on her hip. “It must be those long tight bitch legs beggin’ to…”

Maria pulled away confused. “What?”

He recovered quickly. “I said I think it’s your incredibly long legs that let yah eat the distance.”

Maria just smiled slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for yah?” That had to be a great answer.

“Obviously. But what made you follow me to New York?”

Maria watched his face do some strange movements as he searched for a suitable answer. “New York City, home of planes crashing into buildings, muggers, and the highest crime rate of any major city? Yah think I’d be letting my bit.., um, girlfriend, or any friend walk around here? Alone? Unprotected?”

“Technically, I’m no longer your girlfriend, and...”

“Are yah a girl?” Maria nodded. “Are we still friends?” Maria nodded again. “Then the term girlfriend says it all. Don’t yah think?”

Maria just laughed and shook her head. “Right, perhaps, but you know it implies something more.” Maria went suddenly serious. “You know that when we slept together just before I left, I knew you thought it meant that things were better between us, and that we were back together, but...” She stopped him before he could talk. “I’m sorry for what I said, about it not meaning anything. You took it wrong, you know. I meant it didn’t mean that things changed and we were back together. I didn’t mean for you to take it to mean I was just using you for sex. You have to know what it means to me every time we’re together.”

Michael was quiet for a moment, almost like he was trying to decide what to say. Honesty? Maybe? He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Yah can use me anytime yah want. I’d be your bitch.”

Maria stepped back and looked him over. Michael? “Okay, what’s got into you?”

You? He'd have liked it to be her. Right here, right now. “Nothing, just going with the city. Moving with it.”

“Uh huh, so that explains the occasional bad New Yorker accent?”

“Hey! It’s not bad, baby. The real thing. When in Rome...yah know?”

“I suppose. I just never thought of you as a ‘with the flow’ sort of guy. Actually, you aren’t.”

“Maybe I’m tryin' to let up on some of that shit? Maybe I think that if I wasn't such a stick up my ass, Max following retard yah’d never left me. What kind of stupid bitch lets yah get away?”

“Michael, you know that it had nothing to do with you. This music thing, it’s my dream, everything to me. I know that the record deal came as a shock, but I appreciated all the support. I told you I’d be back, and you said you would wait.”

“I did wait. And now I’m here.”

“Three days?”

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “A lifetime.” But before she could make any comment, he leaned back, and smiled. “So what are ya doing? Sightseeing?”

Maria laughed. “Actually, yeah. I stopped for a coffee and to write out a list.” Maria didn’t mention the letter. He forfeited the right to the letter when he showed up. Now he’d just have to listen to all from her directly.

“So what’s on this list? Museums? Cultured stuff?” Maria laughed at his tone and his expression.

“You know me! FAO Schwartz! MTV live feed, and numerous other places, but no museums.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!”

Maria laughed and let him take her hand dragging her toward a subway stairs. Michael impulsive and carefree was a new version of him she never got to see, ever. Well maybe once or twice, but rarely.

~~~

Maria was exhausted as they headed back to her hotel. It was a nice one and accessible to everywhere. The production company kept a group of rooms on hold, and they were nice. Michael took her up to her room, and she stopped him outside her door.

“You know what I want to do right now?”

“What? Go inside, get comfortable, and see where it leads.”

Maria hit him lightly. “Actually, I need a little downtime. I’m tired. You were great. All those places we went. It’s amazing how good you are at finding your way around the city.”

Michael just shrugged. Street signs. Modern invention. They worked. Add in being able to scan the entire map into his alien brain, and nothing was that hard.

“So we go in and take a nap?” He asked hopefully. Yeah that was his vote. He wanted her in bed, naked, and he’d give her a jimmy load of grade A, alien spunk.

“No.”

Oh shit. Not more togetherness, holding hands and sightseeing...

“I was thinking of a nice long bath,” Now she was talking! “and time for you to go to wherever you’re staying and get cleaned up.”

“Cleaned up?”

Maria popped a button out of its buttonhole. “Yeah. You must have been traveling straight through. You really could use a shower and some fresh clothes. Not that I’m not flattered that you didn’t even stop to rest and clean up before coming to find me.”

“A shower? Right.”

“Yeah. You go, and come back in about four hours, and I’ll order us room service. We can eat and stay in for the night, unless you wanted to check out New York’s nightlife? I don’t have to be back in the studio until two in the afternoon tomorrow.”

“No staying in is good. I’d much rather check out your nightlife.”

Maria laughed at that, and his outrageous behavior. Pulling him down to her, she kissed him gently before going inside. But Michael had other plans. He crowded her to the door, plastered her body to his so she could feel every inch of him. Every inch, and he took her mouth in a long deep kiss.

Maria pulled back from him, her brow creased in confusion.

“What is it?”

Nothing. It was nothing. Maria just shook her head. “Nothing. I think we’ll try to fix it later. You go. And I’ll see you in about four hours.”

Michael nodded and watched her go into her room closing the door behind her. After an entire afternoon of her laughter, impromptu hugs, and the way she liked to share things with him, that frown was out of place. He couldn’t worry about that right now. He needed to find a place to get a bath and some clean clothes. After investing an afternoon with that sweet bitch, he was looking for some major piece of ass.

Spying a man coming out of the elevator, about his size and not too old, young thirties, he followed him. He waited a moment for the man to get in his room, all settled, and then he popped the lock. And as quickly as he entered, he put the real inhabitant to sleep for a long time. Looking around at the digs, he laughed. Not too shabby. Nice upscale place. Michael quickly morphed back into his original form - Rath.

Bath? Hell, for some major trim, he was willing to swim in the river. And this trim didn’t look all diseased and skanky. He didn’t know women who looked like Maria, smelt like her. Takin' a bath for a chick seemed a bit much, but Rath just assumed that normal chicks were harder to get flat on their back with legs spread. Lonnie was easy. Yah just had to wiggle your tongue at her or shake your dick. But this honey looked about a hundred classes above that.

He remembered when he first saw her in Roswell. He was all but ready to bay at the moon and make some major moves, but his dupe, the Commander didn’t look like he handled anyone moving in on his territory, so Rath had backed off. It also amused him making moves on the King’s bitch. The little brown piece. She looked like she had no experience with real alien loving, and after meeting the buttoned-down uptight King Max, he could believe it. The two dripped of uptight straight missionary sex, panting like puppies in heat to put it away in three minutes and talk about ‘their relationship.’

Rath figured that little girl could use some major Rath mojo to take some of the starch out of her standard white panties, and maybe take the straight out of more than her hair. Straight-laced goody two-shoes were his favorite target. Once they had the Rathman, they were spoiled for anyone else. Ever.

But now that Maria honey, she had that look in her eyes. A mouth made to be used for sex, and those hands and legs were enough to put him on his knees barking at her feet. It looked like she and the Commander was more than just groping buddies. She looked like she understood the word ‘wild’ being more than the over-using of black makeup on her eyes and exposing her midriff. He had every intention of driving the great Commander’s bitch around the block a few times, and then back again just to understand 'wild'.

Rath picked up the phone and room service. He had time to kill. Might as well kick it back, have some service and maybe watch some TV. Kicking the unconscious man over, he took out his wallet, and read his name, removed his credit cards and cash and tossed the empty billfold on the man. Ordering food, he quickly hung up, and scanned the list of other services. The boutique downstairs was a thought. Calling through, he told them what he wanted. The size was tiny, something in the neighborhood of a size two or less. The Commander’s bitch was tiny as hell, had to be just as tight, and she was going to look good in what he was buying her.

“Is there anything else, Mr. Connors?”

“Naw just charge it to my room. Have it wrapped and delivered within the hour, and yah can put a nice tip on the bill for yah.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Rath just smiled and hung up. Yeah he was a natural living how the other half lived. He thought about Lonnie for a second, and then just sneered. She was probably in the sewer with that little pipsqueak in between her legs. She was trying to convince Nicholas to get her home to Antar and Kivar. Bitch dumped his ass, and had every intention deserting him on this wasteland. She wouldn’t even spread it for him anymore because he didn’t have anything she wanted. She was saving herself for Kivar, her true love. Rath just snorted. What the fuck was that? There was sex or not. Not much else out there.

~~~

Maria was barely through with her shower when the knock came on the door. Closing her dressing gown she went to look to see who it was. Michael? It had to have been no more than an hour.

“Michael?”

He looked uncertain and shifted on his feet. “I know I should have called first, but I couldn’t wait to see you.”

Maria smiled and pulled him into her room. He had changed and his smell was so much better. Less like he had rolled in a dumpster or slept in a sewer. His impatience was flattering, and after all the attention he showed her, all the support...

“That’s okay. I just glad you’re here.”

“Really?” Michael looked skeptical. He had expected many reactions from her when she saw him, but this one wasn’t one of them. She looked ready to eat him alive.

“I’ve missed you. Really missed you. I should just let you shower here.”

Michael tossed his backpack on the ground next to the door.

“I already had one.”

Maria smiled. “I can tell. You smell great.”

Michael shrugged. After he found out where she was staying from the studio, he quickly found the YMCA, took a shower and changed his clothes. The manager let him house his bike there. It was safer parked than him riding it all over Manhattan. He had just spent three days on the road on his bike, and New York City traffic was unreal. He had smelt as bad as he looked. Anger and fear got him half the way to New York, and the desire to see Maria got him the rest of the way.

She seemed happy to see him. Guess she was right. New York was a good move for her. Here she seemed relaxed, happy, and more willing to cut him some slack. It wasn’t the reaction he was expecting.

Maria went from holding him tight to kissing him. No just a friendly kiss, but a real one. One that he felt all the way down to his toes. She was in his mind the ultimate kisser - the standard that others couldn’t make. Something was off about this, but even he wasn’t that much a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth. All he wanted was there in his arms.

She was moving him back into the room, towards the bed. Michael pushed the dressing gown from her shoulders and moaned when it dropped to reveal a very naked Maria, her body still warm and pink from her shower. He couldn’t stop himself from moving the slightly damp hair from her shoulder to expose the skin of her neck. Moving his mouth over her, he felt her hands removing his clothes.

“Maria, this isn’t just a feel good sex thing is it?

Maria looked at him, “Does it matter?”

Michael thought about it for a moment, and then moaned, “I don’t care why.”

Maria chuckled under her breath. “Absolutely?”

“Absolutely.”

Maria gave him a break. Taking his head in her hands she looked in his eyes and then kissed him with a growing wildness letting him see into her, how much she loved and wanted him. “It always means something, from every touch to just a glance. It always has.”

Michael hit the bed hard when she pushed him down, her body following his, and he was suddenly devoid of his pants. Her comments on his commando state were interesting and actually funny.

“Okay, just checking.” Sex with Maria was good in any form. Makeup sex was definitely the best, but he could handle happy sex as well. It was all good.

Maria leaned over him trapping him between her arms that pinned him to the bed. “Lately you’ve been the perfect boyfriend. Concerned and worried, unhappy with things, but still you took me to the airport.”

“Boyfriend? Is that what I am?” Michael held his breath waiting.

Maria laughed. “Are you a boy?” Michael nodded. “Are you my friend?” Michael nodded again. “Then the term says it all.”

“Maria...”

Suddenly she went serious. “I don’t like kissing you and feeling nothing. A void. Like you’re a stranger to me. I like feeling you, knowing you, and I can’t believe that our connection would ever become so strained that I couldn’t feel you, feel me in you. I hate that.” Michael was quiet. He didn’t know what to say. Was she keeping him at a distance because he shut the door on her again mentally, didn’t let her in to see how much he missed and loved her?

“Maria, I never meant to shut that door again. I must have done it to protect myself.”

“No! It’s fine now. Here you are. I can kiss you and touch you and you feel like Michael to me. You’re not closed right now. I can read you just fine.”

Michael blew out some air. Good. He was having a hard enough time getting her to come back, he didn’t want to sabotage his chances which in truth looked real good right now. Unbelievable.

“You can’t know what this means that you’re supporting me on this whole music thing. Don’t think I don’t know how hard it is, or the cost. It was how I felt when I supported you over finding yourself and your past. Knowing you would one day leave for Antar was killing me, but I’d rather have you for one night, than a lifetime of never touching you.”

“Maria.” Michael looked at her, and she was serious. His search for Antar had been a lonely quest for him. One he should have made with Max and Isabel, but they were happy in their lives. It took finding and loving Maria before he understood how easily he could let that dream go. But she was right. She didn’t try to stop him, and all those times he pushed her away for his quest, she never stopped supporting him. The decision to come home to her was his and his alone. No blackmail on her part. It was all done by him. He owed her the same consideration..

“I wanted you here. But I didn’t want to ask or demand. I just needed to do this, concentrate on this, and then find a compromise between your life and mine. If I let you in from the beginning, I’d have given in to the first alien conspiracy, the first time it came a push between my life and your life. I just wanted to establish myself, find my place, and then find you again so we could merge the two and create our life. And now you came! I love you so much, with so much inside me.”

Michael rested against her. She always found ways to make it alright, to soothe the pain. As long as they were back together, he would do whatever it took to work things out. He couldn’t lose her again.

Michael shut his eyes and breathed easy for the first time in months. Max was wrong. Coming to New York was the best move he ever made.

Opening his eyes, he met Maria’s glance. And there was so much gentleness and love in it. It was why he couldn’t accept her walking away. She still looked at him with love even when he pissed her off or pushed too hard. It was there.

God damn. She was so damn gorgeous! Small and tight with muscular thighs. Nice, tight ass. Oh God...Michael gulped. She had a totally worship-worthy ass. She was so small that he could cup her entire ass in his one large hand. Lust. There had to be a lot of lust in love, because he couldn’t imagine one without the other being very fulfilling in the long run. She had ruined him for anyone else. All he could see was her, want her, and after years later it was still true. It was strange that he was supposed to have once been engaged to Isabel, and all these years he felt nothing like that towards her. God knew if he did, she would have known it. He wasn’t a very subtle man. And he didn’t like denying himself anything. So Maria once again was the standard no one could meet in his mind.

She always looked so small and delicate, but there was a strength to her body, a touch of iron. You could see it in the lines of her back, the movement of thin strong muscles under her silky pale skin. She didn’t just take it. She gave it back with some much passion it was a shock to think it could reside in that small frame.

Maria leaned her head in against him just over his heart, and listened to its rapid, reassuring beat. It was keeping time to some music that always seemed to exist between them. She rested her palm flat against his broad chest and couldn't help herself. She let loose with a contented little sigh.

"What?" He rumbled softly.

"I can hear your heart," she whispered.

"I expect you can."

"Michael, I used to sleep to the sound of it. And I felt safe and in tune with you. It’s been a long time, feels like an eternity.

It was always too easy to get lost in the sensation of his large hands roaming softly over her back and the soothing feel of him. He said he didn’t do intense, but that was a lie and they both knew it. He was very intense. And the sadness they felt from being estranged quickly rushed away, replaced by something else. Desire. It's not like it hadn't been here all the time, but now it was really making its presence known.

Michael watched the movement of red up her cheeks as she looked down at him from her loftier position above him. No, this wasn’t embarrassment. This was arousal. He felt so good for the first time in a long while. Narrowing his eyes, he watched as she rubbed his chest reveling in his hard, strong body.

Maria tilted her head to look into his dark, brown eyes and she could see the desire she felt mirrored there. And they were kissing. He might have meant for it to be chaste but they were both too far past that now. His lips opened and hers followed suit as their tongues stretched to taste one another. It was like she was sinking...drowning in him and it felt so good

She always made him feel more. Like he was everything. He told her so in her ear.

"It feels good to have it inflated doesn't it? Your ego I mean..." she looks up with a wicked little grin on her face.

"Yeah, my ego..." Michael grinned back at her. And then they were kissing again. This time it was hot. Searching. Their tongues danced, tasting. Oh God. To him, she...tasted like honey. Sweet, sweet, so sweet....,but there was an added something, a tinge of fire and spice, almost like a cinnamon. Sweet and spicy as hell. Michael took her head in his hands and deepened the kiss again. She let one hand trail down over his chest. Down his stomach. Lower. Oh Jesus... She touched him with experienced hands. She was stroking him, and Michael was practically swallowing her now. Moaning. Christ. He was shocked to hear himself moaning for her.

"Maria...I..."

"Shhh." she hushed him, bringing the finger that has been tracing fire on his flesh up to his lips. Michael met her eyes and then his eyes slipped south. He knew he was gaping at her tits. God, he loved them! They were exquisite. Perfect for her frame. They were firm. Wonderfully firm and high...her nipples were erect already with her arousal. She was flushing as well.

Michael was touching her breasts and he knew she would be out of control soon, all over him. It was one of her biggest trigger points. He knew she would be so soft, so warm. So...vibrantly alive. He ran his finger over her left nipple, slowly, erotically. He tenderly repeated the motion on her other nipple.

"Oh God...." she whispered.

"You're beautiful," he whispered back. Somehow he often forgot to tell her those things. He took a lot for granted at times, but after all those months without her, he didn’t want to take a chance again.

She moved her hand up and placed it over his as he kneaded her flesh, tweaking her nipple between his fingers.

"You have gorgeous hands, Michael. They...they're so warm and strong."

He moved his hand from her nipple and brought it with his other hand up onto her shoulders drawing her to him. They kissed again. His erection pressed against her, tipped up, and rubbed against her stomach. This time both of them were moaning before they broke the kiss.

"I'd better find a condom," Michael suggest raggedly, looking down into her eyes. They were luminous. Dark green, almost black with emotion. They glowed deep down with her heat. It wouldn’t be the first time he felt himself getting lost in those eyes. He could forget all about the alien thing, the break-up, Roswell, and all about being Michael Guerin, whatever that meant. He wanted to lose himself. He needed to do it. To lose himself in her.

"I’m still on the pill," she breathed out slowly. Maria could be practical at times. In the past few months since they broke up, they kept finding themselves in bed together. Christmas eve was one of those times. She had kept telling herself that she was just going to spend time with him, drink some hot chocolate, and make sure he wasn’t alone on that night. Good intentions went to hell when he gave her a Christmas present. Unable to let him think she didn’t think of him, she took him into the house to give him his from her. So what started out as an innocent gesture of hot chocolate and a thank you kiss, quickly became hours of passionate lovemaking in her bed, listening for Amy coming home from a party. It was strange that they spent more time in bed and together when they were apart than they did when they were together.

Michael looked down her nude body. With the soft, mellow light from the bedside table muted and low, he realized an earlier fantasy of what she would look like in firelight. She would look fey, but angelic as well. He let himself look in her eyes, and then slowly down taking in every inch of her trim, perfectly formed petite body, his eyes finally settled on that spot between her legs. On the soft, downy patch of light blondish, curly hair that lay at the apex of her thighs, and the strong lean thighs that he knew so well. He gazed, his eyes hooded, and he couldn't help it. God. He licked his lips.

"I won't hurt you..." He managed to get the words out. He was just going to toss her a little, and make love to her for a long time.

"I know. I trust you. It' s just that...no one's told me how beautiful I look in a long time. I...it's a little hard for me to..."

"Let me show you how beautiful I think you are...." His voice was rough. But God, she was able to make him so fucking hot for her! Michael pushed her over onto the bed and went up on his knees before her, between those legs. He wanted to worship her now. Worship her flesh. Worship her body and her soul.

"Oh Lord..." she gasped as he trailed his mouth over her breasts. and sucked and nipped at each nipple in turn, concentrating on the right one as that seemed to be the most sensitive. He could feel the tiny nub swelling, straining even more taut as Maria started to rub against his face. Her hands played in his hair. The sensation was so tantalizing he groaned when she stopped to hold his head still against her soft skin.

"God, Michael. It’s not just your hands, it’s your mouth too...OH GOD!"

She moaned loudly as Michael took more of her heavy flesh into his mouth and sucked like a baby at his mother's breast. She was the only sense of real nurturing he had ever had in his life. He didn’t want to lose her, ever.

She was holding his head tight against her body and making small noises in her throat. Michael released her breasts and hugged her to him, letting his hands play over her ass as he began to work his mouth down over her stomach and lower until he was kissing into the soft fluff between her legs.

"God, Michael...I can't...."

“Am I going too fast?”

Maria laughed in self appreciation. “No, you’re fine as always, I’m just feeling weak in the knees.”

Michael moved back up her body. “Then it’s a good thing you're flat on your back. No chance of you losing your balance.”

“Umm, always thinking of me.” Michael went quiet. She didn’t know the half of it.

Michael seemed lost in thought so Maria pinched him to get his attention back.

"Christ!" He jerked up hitting his head on the edge of the bed frame above him. She had pinched his ass. Hard.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, Michael. But I...I couldn't resist. Did you forget something? You were lost in thought."

"Yeah. And I found the bed frame too."

"Oh poor baby. Come back up here. I'll kiss it and make it better."

"Now that's more like it," he growled again. He had stood up after she pinched him and she was sitting on the edge of the bed rocking because she was laughing so hard. Michael lunged forward and she squealed a little. Then they were in each other's arms. Michael barely had enough time to enjoy how much fun he always had with her before they fell back together on the bed, entwined, laughing and gasping. He had managed to accidentally stick his elbow in her ear, and then they were laughing even harder. When they were first together they had spent a lot of time just messing around in bed, laughing and talking, but when Max moved in that changed. So many things changed. The honeymoon had been over, and he could barely find the time to be alone with her. So this was like a return to better times. Soon they found each other's mouth again and then they were quiet except for their combined heavy breathing and some nearly breathless whimpers.

They ended up side by side again. Michael broke the kiss and whispered in her ear. "Tell me what you want Maria...anything."

He liked the darkening of her green eyes, the ignition of a flame deep inside. But it was more than that. He felt like he was devouring her with his eyes like a starving man. He was openly admiring her body and paying strict attention to the places that make her respond. He wanted her hot, hotter for him, more than anyone else in her life. He loved the way he could make her shake like a leaf with desire for him.

Michael smiled. That was a look he recognized on Maria’s face. Her brain was on overload, overwhelmed by him. He watched as she processed what she wanted to do to him. He could practically read her mind. She wanted to run her hands over his chest and scratch his beautiful nipples. Maria wanted to suck on his Adam's Apple and run her tongue around his navel, the head of his...She just want to touch and kiss him all over, to just cover him with her hands...Suddenly, she knew how to answer him.

"Can you touch me all over, Michael? I...I love the feel of your hands on me."

Michael just smiled. That was totally doable.

"And don't forget...your exquisite mouth..." she giggled as he nipped the sensitive flat muscles of her stomach.

"I really have to thank the people who set you up in this nice place if I ever meet them," Michael grinned as he began to kiss the hollow of her throat. It had been so long since they were alone, just to be together.

Normally, they weren’t big on talking, but being apart for what felt like forever made it hard not to. It was like they had so much ground to cover, and the last time they were together it was too intense for discussion, and that was why they misunderstood what was going on. They couldn't risk that kind of miscommunication again. But suddenly they didn't talk at all that much as Michael. began to stroke and massage her body following his hands with his mouth. He worked over each breast in turn, lavishing a lot of attention there because she really enjoyed having her tits suckled. Her hands played in his hair again for the second time that evening, and Michael groaned at the slight pull. The bite was delicious. Big time. Oh yeah.

Finally he worked his way down her stomach kissing her belly button as he moved along. Her breathing was heavy now and coming in gasps, as he reached that spot between her legs where he stopped last time. Oral sex. They had engaged in it long before they ever went all the way. He used to think that getting her to go down on him was the greatest of his aspirations, until he discovered how much he enjoyed doing her. Everything about it. Having her vulnerable under his hands and mouth, the sounds she made, and how good it was to see her head tossed back in abandon. He did that to her. He liked it.

She spread her legs apart slightly to give him better access and then he began to go down on her. His first efforts on her clit brought her off the bed.

"Michael..." she gasped.

"Are you all right?" He murmured against her, "I can stop..."

"Lord, don't stop," she laughed moving her hips up to meet his face.

"It's good?"

"God, yes..." Oh God. When the hell did he get so damn chatty? Living with Max was ruining him.

Michael smiled around her and got back to work. Oh yeah, it should be good. One thing he knew how to do was give great head. Not bragging. Maria was honest in all her responses. So, he had proof. This was something he excelled at, and something he enjoyed to no end.

Maria was writhing under his mouth. Michael’s tongue exploring inside her now, and she was so hot and wet he almost couldn’t contain his own desire to replace his tongue with his cock. But Michael held himself back. He really wanted to give her this first. This pleasure. And it wasn’t  only her pleasure. Part of the turn-on he got in bed was seeing her come. He wanted her to come first. It would get him really worked up. Harder. It would get him ready to really pump hard and long into her.

She was twisting and bucking under his mouth as he laved her. He placed his hands on her hips lightly so she could still move, but firmly enough so he could feel her muscles, her movements against him. God, he loved the feel of his woman moving under his hands and mouth like this. It was....Jesus.

"Michael....harder...I just....Oh, God!"

He knew she was close. He could feel her tensing under his mouth, but she was telling him she needed more. No problem. He levered up and she moaned a little when his mouth left her body. Michael moved to her side and brought his hand down over her now, rubbing her clit with his finger.

"Ok?" He asked quietly.

She shut her eyes and bit her lip in concentration. She had her whole mind focused on his hand and the center of her body at that moment. Michael swore under his breath and felt the running of sweat off his body as he felt the strain of holding himself in check. She looked so beautiful. He picked up the pace with his finger.

"Yessss," she hissed.

On of her hands came up and over his. She opened her eyes and looked into his golden ones.

"This is so good," she whispered.

"Oh babe..."

She was beyond words then, shutting her eyes once more and Michael was almost beyond thought himself She knew how much he loved to watch, and .she was working a finger into herself then beside his. Rotating her hips, driving herself faster, harder to bring herself off. He knew she wanted penetration but she couldn’t verbalize the request. He did manage to find the words as he gently moved her hand aside and work three fingers into her.

"Let me do the work...."

"Ohhhh...." she gasped. He could tell it wasn’t  from pain though. She was gonna come. He pumped his fingers into her in long, hard thrusts. She started to tense up, her entire body arching.

"Michaeeeel!" she stuttered.

"Do it. Come on..." He moaned. He was going to orgasm just from watching her. It was unfair how much she could affect him. She went completely rigid against him and then her breath came out in a low groan and she started to spasm over his fingers clamping down on them like a vice. Oh God! What would this feel like later, he thought as she threw her hips against his hand!

"So good, you feel so good, Maria. Beautiful. So..." He couldn't say any more because the sight of her body, sheened in sweat and exquisitely flushed really made him speechless. As her spasms started to subside he drew her close and held her, trembling, against him. Michael kissed her hair and felt her lips kissing his chest. She stroked his arm and she was murmuring something...

"What about you?"

"I can wait. Get your breath. This is far from over."

"But, God, you must be...you're so...this is incredible."

She trailed her hands over the length of his erection. Michael shut his eyes, concentrating on control again. Once you get to a certain age men are supposed to develop good control. But that wasn’t Michael. He wasn’t there yet.  He often found himself walking a real steep edge. Sometimes just to keep from losing it immediately, he liked to come first, so he wasn’t so short fused and could push her into a frenzy numerous times, numerous ways.. The benefits of youth and hormones, he could hold an erection all night long. He could keep it up for a long time.

"You got me that way,"

"Well, I think Mother Nature might have had a little something to do with it. But I'll take the compliment."

She continued to stroke his cock. God, she had such a delicate sensuous touch! Sometimes he liked her to really crank him hard from the get-go. But not all the time. He also loved this teasing stroke. It made him tremble all over before long. It was something he could lie back and let her do for him as long as she liked and not come too. It was almost like torture. But it was a blissful torture.

"Do you like this?" she asked as she circles the head of his cock with one finger. And slid her hand down over him hitting the sensitive spot she knew all too well.

"Oh yeah..." He hissed.

"Tell me what you want, Michael. I want to do what you like too. I think I must owe you one great orgasm. So what will it be?"

"This is good," he moaned. Maria pulled back to let him lie down flat. She shifted to his side and propped herself up on an elbow so she could continue her gentle touch on his shaft. She hefted his balls up for a gentle caress as well. She moved them around a bit in the sac. Smiling at the feel of him responding as they drew up tighter to his body.

She laughed and patted his balls gently before she went back to stroking his cock in her educated hand. It was like she was testing the length and width and weight of him. Measuring almost. Wondering if she could handle his full size tonight. They always found it was more uncomfortable for her after a short dry spell, but when they were more active, she seemed better able to handle him. They were coming off a long dry spell.

Maria knew him too well. Basically she realized that whatever he loved to do to her in bed was basically what he liked done to him. So his chest, and specifically his nipples were total erotic zones for him. Keeping her hand on his shaft, applying pressures, but not enough to bring him off, just torturing him a little, she took his nipple in her mouth. He liked it rough. He loved her to suck on his skin, and the feel of it against the rough of her palate. He gasped and his hips bucked pushing him deeper and harder into her hand.

"Maria," he gasp out his breath huffing in his chest, "How do you want..."

"Just like this..." she purred and she took his cock in one firm hand, quickly straddled him and took him with one thrust of her hips.

"OHFUCK!" Michael gasped loudly. Jesus God that felt...Muther-fuck. He laid there stunned for a moment from the surprise of her engulfing him completely. His balls were trapped up against her thigh. They were in kind of an uncomfortable position. One of her legs was pinned under him slightly. He shifted her over carefully so she was under him, and Michael took his weight on his forearms. She brought her knees up high and spread her legs.

"You ok?" he breathed out.

"Oh yeah.," she smiled up into his eyes loving the darkened whiskey color.

"Alright," Michael moaned and he was already gone. That's all she wrote. He pulled out and back. Then he thrust forward. Michael liked a nice long thrust, not too fast or hard at first. He wanted to feel all of Maria along his whole length. It was...He couldn't even say. The words escaped him.

"God, that's good," she moaned. She ran her hands down his back and over his ass encouraging him by kneading his muscles. She murmured in his ear, telling him to do it, fuck her, fuck her now, and fuck her hard. Michael loved dirty talk. The more graphic the better, but only during sex. Somehow at other times it was crude. Maria loved the way he shouted, called her his bitch, and demanded of her during sex. This made sex almost an impossibility after Max came to stay with Michael. Michael wasn’t the type of man to let other people, especially his friends, know his kinks or detail his sexual encounters. He felt it was disrespectful to his partner. But she knew. She knew every dirty little thing he liked and loved. Maybe it reached a part of him from the old life, or it was just a freer way of expression, but she never took it wrong. She liked it, liked how it affected him.

He started to pump into her and she brought her hips up to meet his as he thrust hard against her. Before long they established a rhythm, an age old erotic dance for two. Neither one of them could talk any longer, but words weren't necessary. All that was needed was skin against skin, heat, pressure and sweat.

Michael could tell she really liked his size. She wrapped her legs around his waist and tilted up so she could get all of him as deep as possible. He took that as a signal to pick up the pace to give her what she wanted. She slapped his back lightly, moaning and Michael drove into her in hard long strokes making her scream.

"S'good. Hard. I...Oh God..." she hissed. The sound of Michael was really grunting against her now. Straining and riding as hard as he could, loving the feel of her gripping him hard inside, not letting up, but added pressure almost like a suction. He wanted to come. Jesus H. Christ, he was gonna come! The pressure in his groin was building and building, reaching for a climax. He wanted to reach between them to bring her off, but he knew he couldn't. This was the other reason he liked to bring her off first. When he got to the point of no return he became lost in the moment. Just the buildup to orgasm made him go fucking blind. When he came, he came hard and long, almost breaking her under him. He ceased to be aware of his surroundings for almost an hour as the orgasm washed over him. He couldn’t guarantee her a climax when he was so far gone, so he always made sure she was amply taken care off beforehand. Most of the time the benefit was two screaming orgasms in a row. Sometimes she had to climax by penetration and friction alone.

"Keep moving. God..." He gasped into her neck. She moved her legs up farther and gripped him in a backbreaking hold, and that was all it took. He could feel his balls starting to tighten further and he knew he was at the end. Michael growled in his throat with the anticipation of release.

Maria groaned loudly and God...she was gripping his cock hard enough to make him scream. So good. He knew she'd come for him...Lord, he knew she'd be so...hot...tight....so fucking..."

"Mariaaaa...Jesus...." He grinded out both names almost simultaneously and then the air seems to implode all around him. The rushing in his ears drove what little mind he had left out of his skull. Light. White light behind his eyes. Blind. Deaf. He threw his head back and opened his mouth. There was no sound. No sound. Just a silent scream as the orgasm almost took off the top of his head. His muscles tightened all over his body and Michael thrust mindlessly, spastically again and again into his lover's sweet, tight hot body. Maria gripped his ass, screaming out her own mindless keen of pleasure, helping to drive him deep as he shot into her, deep, washing her channel with his release.

Finally he had sound again and it was a roar.

"Bitch! My bitch." Michael howled as they collapsed together into each other's arms.

It was a long time before it subsided, and Michael heard a woman's voice. Who? Maria...

"Michael, are you alright? Michael?"

Christ Jesus! He had to be crushing her. This felt like a record orgasm for him.

He had blacked out for a couple of moments of time. Like previously mentioned, when he came, he came hard.

"S'ok. S'ok, Maria," Michael hastened to reassure her. Shifting them over slightly so his weight was off her. God their bodies were hot, flushed, bathed in sweat. They were both still out of breath but they looked at each other and smiled. Michael leaned forward and kissed her deeply, pulling her close to maintain their connection for as long as he could. He could taste the tang of salt on her lips. She was still trembling with the last of her climax and it felt fantastic to feel her around him. Michael was still gasping from the effort of making love to her. But he didn’t mind in the least. Hell. He was in so many kinds of good.

"God..." she whispered against his salty sweaty skin of his throat.

"You alright?" Michael asked again, stroking her face.

"More than alright," she smiled at him. Her breathing was starting to come back to normal and she wiggled against him a little. God. How in the hell could he have called Maria a...

"Sorry..." Michael grin sheepishly, "Sorry about that last...about...the language.."

He knew he had called her a bitch. He...he said things when...well he didn't know what he said most of the time. Or didn't remember it. But crap, he did remember that...God, crass, so crass...

"It's ok. You’ve said more than that in the past. My favorite was I think, ‘Take me, my slut...take all of me, you beautiful green-eyed bitch...’" she grinned at him.

"No kidding..."

"So...no offense taken, Michael. I actually love you in this more earthy version."

"Ok, well, I'm sorry about crushing...I mean falling on you like I did too."

"I have to admit you were a little heavy," she giggled, "I'll have to remember to try this on top next time if you're going to pass out on me. You'll already be flat on your back."

Michael chuckled, "I think we started that way, but something happened. Yeah I guess that might be a plan.”

She smiled again and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Michael’s breathing was starting to return to normal a little. He stroked her hip and then down her thigh.

"You were wonderful, passing out or not," she said as his fingers moved back inside her testing her wetness. And too fast for her to really comprehend, she was flipped to be on top of him and all she knew was the feel of his cock slipping inside, being pulled by her tight walls. He was ready to go again.

It felt like hours later that they were lying in bed eating the food room service brought them. Maria was wearing nothing. And they talked as she told him about the studio work, and how they had her singing cover songs, along other songs that weren’t hers. Michael listened carefully and asked her questions about how she liked it. She hated it. It was never about being rich and famous. She didn’t want to be another Britney Spears. She just wanted to write and perform her own music. Selling out was sitting hard on her. Michael could understand that. She didn’t compromise with things that were important to her. That was what she tried to tell him in Roswell when she first had doubts, but he goaded her to leave, to take a chance because his pride couldn’t take having her choose him as a second best thing.

It was like their relationship. He knew that he could bind her to him with sex. There weren’t that many men out there who could give her an hour-long orgasm or bring her off so completely with a special joining. But Maria refused to be blackmailed by her own body’s needs. She walked away even though she knew that he wasn’t going to be replaceable. Her music meant that much to her.

“What happened to your hand?” Maria asked seeing his cuts.

“Accident.” He was surprised when she picked it up and kissed it.

“Heal it.”

Michael shook his head. “I can’t. My powers go on the fritz when I’m emotional.”

Maria looked at him and said it again. “Heal it.” So Michael did. And it worked. Control. Her belief in him gave him control.

It felt good. Like they were really connecting for the first time in forever. He couldn’t figure out why she was so receptive to him when he arrived. He expected her to angry at him. But she wasn’t and then Michael did the one thing he shouldn’t have.

“So, have you seen Billy?”

The sudden stillness spoke more than words. Michael wanted to pull them back, but they already passed his jealous lips. You’d think after having his brains fucked out more than once by her, that he’d know that she wasn’t seeing anyone else. But he couldn’t help what slipped from his mouth.

“That’s what this is about?”

“What?” Michael was confused.

“You, me, and New York?” Maria got out of the bed in a huff. “This isn’t about me and my music, and you wanting to put my life first for a change. This is all about your out-of-whack jealousy!”

“Jealous? Who’s jealous? I have a right to be cautious of Billy. It was soon after you kissed him that you were dumping me!”

“I didn’t dump you because of the kiss, and you know that!” Maria’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know about that kiss anyway? I never told you.”

“You didn’t have to. We’ve slept together after that, remember? Flashes. I saw them, and I felt them.”

“Then you should know! You should know how little it meant to me, and you should know that I never kissed him again, even though he was willing. Can I even say the same about you and Courtney? How far would you’ve gone if you hadn’t found out she was a Skin? How far would the alien voodoo vibes have driven you?”

“I never told you about that!” Michael had been careful to neglect mentioning the second kiss. The first one was bad enough, but for the second one he had no excuse such as investigating. It happened and he wasn’t sure why. It just did. She called to him. Dammit. Michael stopped. Perhaps much like Billy, the Elvis wanna-be called to Maria, reminding her of her youth, and of her dreams.

“Flashes, buddy!”

He hated it when he had to give her slack because she wasn’t doing anything he hadn’t done himself, time and again. Somehow he just felt that being the perfect boyfriend would have insulated him from it. But it didn’t because she was right again. It wasn’t about him. It was all about her.

“Get out!”

“What?” Michael came out of his musing to find she had hustled together all his clothes and stuff and was kicking him out of her room.

“Get OUT!” Her scream was ear shattering, and Michael hurried to comply as she tossed his shit and him out slamming the door hard. Michael stood stunned at how bad that went so quickly. Now that was the initial reaction he had expected. Leave it to Maria to disarm him with happiness and great sex before lowering the boom on him. He stood there gathering his clothes and backpack in the buff. Quickly he went into the stairway to replace his clothes before a neighbor looked out and spied his naked ass. Women! Or specifically one woman. Was he ever going to figure her out?

Rath opened the door down the hall in anger. What the fuck was wrong with some people? He paid good money for these accommodations, and he had to listen to a husband and wife catfight? Hell, he might as well have stayed in the sewer. The fucking rats were quieter.

He needed to concentrate on getting clean and dressed. He had been watching TV and eating whipped cream straight from a can. Losing track of time, he was already late for his date with his bitch. He could already see her going down on his newly cleaned nob, polishing it with her glistening spit. Oh yeah! Rath quickly got himself together, altered his appearance to look more like his dupe and grew out his hair. Michael had told him he was growing out his hair when he last saw him. It was at a difficult stage back then, but now it had to be longer.

Half an hour later, taking the present, he knocked on Maria’s door with a large cheesy smile on his face and holding the present. Maria opened the door and took one look at him.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding!” She slammed the door in his face!

“What the fuck! Hey baby, I’m here all clean and ready for loving.” No answer. Rath was confused. Sure he knew normal chicks were harder, but dammit, he took a bath!

~~~

Lonnie looked up when Rath entered their place. Making a face she went back to her reading. Rath wondered around restless. It took a little while before Lonnie gave in and asked him.

“Whatsa wrong with yar ass?”

Rath just shrugged.

“Still sulking over me? Yeah, sure yah are. Yah’re a worthless fuck who had it good ta long, and now yah doing without.”

“I get plenty,” he said angrily. “I’ve just gots problems. Problems yah wouldn’t understand.”

Lonnie almost laughed until she noticed that Rath was clean. Actually more than just a quick dip in a broken underground water main. He actually smelt nice too.

“Yah goin' all Ward Cleaver on me, or what? Gonna to invest in some button-downed sweater vest?”

“Shut up or I’ll shut yah up!”

“Ohhhhh! Big talk! I ain’t afraid of yah!

Rath just laughed in derision. “What? That little troll yah keep next to yah by spreading yar legs and letting him suck on yar fat nasty clit going to….what? Sneak out and bite my kneecaps off?

“Yah don’t know shit! He’s going to get me back with Kivar. He’ll come for me. Yah’re so fucking stupid yah couldn’t realize that the whole ‘betrothal’ thing was our family. Not us. I hated yar worthless ass back then as much as I hate yah now! Yah were my butt boy, and nothing else. Yah were as easy to rule by yah dick back then as yah are now. So full of yah’self importance, that yah couldn’t even figure out I was fucking everyone but yah!”

Rath reached over and slapped her hard and across the room. “Yah’re a slut, and not a very good one. All yah’ve got is the looks, the ability to make yahrself appear sexual, but yah suck. Yah’re so frigid that a man’s dick could snap off trying to load yar jimmy with life.”

“So what happened Rathy? Some human bitch realized that yah ran a flea colony in yar pubic hair and they are trying to avoid yah like a plague?”

Rath’s eyes narrowed in anger, but then he stopped and smiled a real nasty smile. “No, actually it’s the Commander’s bitch. That Maria chick from Roswell.” Rath went closer to Lonnie like he was picking up things to take with him. “Yo, I’m heading back to the hotel now. She gots a recording contract. She’s gonna to be someone. She’s beautiful and brilliant. And she’s clean, something worth showering for. No wonder the Commander didn’t get involved with yar dupe, Vilandra. The man traded up.”

Lonnie took the subtle insult, and stood to get in Rath’s face. He used his powers to push her down. Going over, he trapped her between his hands. “Don’t fuck with me, Lonnie. All yar evil looks and pretending to be tough and mean...we know who's the real killer here! I’d kill yah before I fuck yah.”

“Puh-leaz? Yah’re going to tell me that yah want to set up house with some Britney Spears wanna be?”

Rath thought about it for a moment. He didn’t know about that. But he did knew that he actually had fun with Maria. That she was funny, sexy, and warm. No one ever showed him that kind of gentle affection. Of course, she thought he was the Commander. And dammit, he was. They were the same. She could learn to love him too. She’d never need to know. They’d be here in New York, living the fast life with him fucking her into a new millennium, and the real Commander would be back in Roswell, dickless, and wondering how he lost the best thing he ever had.

In that one kiss, he felt things. Big things. It was overwhelming, and he still hadn’t sorted them out, but he knew he wanted more. And looking at Lonnie, he smirked and left. He didn’t have time for her bullshit. He had plans to make.

~~~

It was mid-morning when the knock came at her door. She still had about four hours before she needed to be at the studio. She cancelled the car they sent to take her sightseeing. She didn’t feel like it today. Yesterday felt so good sharing it with Michael, the jerk. Great another thing he spoiled her for.

Speak of the devil. The slippery-tongued one at that. There he stood with a huge bouquet of flowers, all kinds. Michael peeked around the mess and looked uncertain.

“Yah wouldn’t scream and slam a door on these plants would yah?”

Maria just shrugged, but they were so beautiful, and Michael didn’t do flowers. The last he brought her was when he sensed she was leaving him. And she couldn’t take them. Nodding him in she watched as he set them down on a table.

“That’s a lot of flowers, Spaceboy.”

“Figured after last night, I needed them.” Rath looked her over. God, she even looked better today. There was a glow about her, something extra sexual, almost like under her skin, she was liquid sex, just oozing appeal.

“Maybe.” Maria waited to see where he was leading them. Michael suddenly was an enigma to her. Flipping back and forth between the known and the unknown, and it was disarming her.

“Let’s not talk about what happened last night. Yah said yah had to work at two, right?”

Maria nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

“Then forget last night. Let’s start over with seeing and experiencing New York together.” Maria actually smiled at his pronunciation. Neu Yawk. It was cute.

“How about skating down town, and I know where MTV shoots TRL. I can get us in.”

Bygones. Maria grabbed his arm and laughingly dragged him out of her room to hit New York. They spent hours on skates trying to hold each other up, and most of the time they hugged the wall. And the music place was too cool. Maria was so excited she could barely stop jumping up and down as Michael went to see about them being the audience. He came back and dragged her through.

He was walking her to the studio, and they were both eating a nice hot sandwich bought on a street corner kiosk. Maria laughed at he haggled with the man, but finally they got their dogs with everything and were on their way. Maria looked at her watch. She was a little late, but Michael wouldn’t let her leave.

“Meet me?”

She smiled. “Okay, where? I could be real late. We're laying down sound tracks today.”

He stopped a man entering the building, a nicely dressed man in a suit and took his pen from this upper breast pocket. “Here’s an address for a place that has live music until late. We can listen to yar competition. Maybe dance?”

Maria startled at that as he wrote on her hand and he closed her fist over it toss the pen at the fleeing back of the executive. Dance? Michael was suggesting they go dancing? Stopping herself, she didn’t try to feel his head for a fever, but he was definitely off his rocker.

Gift horse? Of course she accepted. “Okay, I’ll meet you there. I don’t know how late I’ll be.”

“I’ll wait.”

Maria smiled and grabbed his face. Rubbing her forehead against him, she was surprised to feel his lips kissing her. Lifting her chin, she met him in a kiss, that didn’t stay soft and gentle. It went wild and passionate. Michael looked stunned at her for a second, and Maria was equally so.

“Go. We’ll talk later.”

Rath watched as she entered the studios, and he slowly morphed back into himself. Tonight. Tonight he was going to get her all loose and drunk, and then he was going to show her the real New York which revolved around him and his dick. Yeah! Once she experienced the Rath Love, there’d be no going back. The Commander could kiss his girlfriend goodbye; she belonged to the Rathman. Yo! That kiss. He walked away shaking his head. It was...disturbing. So much of things bled through. Of her and the real Michael together, how she felt about him, and so much more. His. It was gonna be all his.

~~~

“Maria you’re late!”

Maria just smiled. “Sorry. I was stuck on TRL until it finished filming.”

They all just nodded. That was understandable. “Well we're still setting up, so why don’t you get a drink of something? It’ll be a few.”

Maria smiled, but stopped to ask, “Can I use your phone to call someone?”

“Sure.