Maria arrived at the breakfast table red-eyed, she and her uncle had sat up almost till dawn discussing ways to improve communication within their relationship. Apparently in the human world, part of communicating was the deprivation of transport, her bike now held a heavy chain, locking it in the garage. Maria had also discovered that Liz had somehow managed to alert her parents to Maria’s empty bed, without revealing that her own was unslept in. As she sat down next to Liz at the table she just wanted to slap the smug smile of her cousin’s face. “So I guess I’ll be driving you to school today huh Maria!” Liz ‘s voice was dripping with sweetness. “We have trig last together so I’ll bring you home too!” Liz was just loving this. Maria’s death glare dared Liz to speak again, rub more salt in the wound, make it easy for her to let go of her anger, give into the screaming rage that was aching to be released. But instead she took it out on the oranges, purifying them in the electric juicer, imagining each one was Liz’s head. Her aunt walked in just then and noticed Maria’s unusual contribution to the family breakfast. “Oh-My, Maria, do you really think we need that much orange juice?” ~~~*~~~ In the car on the way to school, any attempts at conversation by Liz were silenced by a glare from Maria. And on arrival Maria jumped from the slowing Jetta before her cousin could even park the thing. Storming down the hall she caught sight of the person she was looking for. Grabbing his arm, she pushed him through the nearest door. “Jeez Maria, I didn’t know you thought of me that way” Alex said. Looking around Maria realised they were in the eraser room, a small closet-like space, which saw more action than Happy Hour at TGI Friday’s. “In your dreams Whitman.” “Been dream-walking me lately huh?” In the darkness Maria grinned. He could always do that to her, oh why couldn’t she have had him as a soulmate? Sweet, funny, and not likely to run you through with a stake for being half-human. “So how’d it go last night?” “Not a problem, Michael wants to see me today, I think he’s gonna tell me about the sphere thingy” “The Orb” “Yeah, whatever” “No, not whatever, in the wrong hands, this sphere thingy could bring about the destruction of the entire world.” “I’m so not caring right now Alex, all I want to do, is get the thing for you as soon as possible and then I never have to see Michael Guerin again!” “Guerin wasn’t pleased to see you I take it?” “It’s...complicated. Sorry I know The Mission is important, I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” “Just don’t lose sight of your objective.” “Oh, so now your going all commando on me are you?” Alex sighed “Look, the council thinks that by proccuring the orbs and destroying them, hence stopping them from being used against the impending apocalypse, they will be able to overtake the world, bring it under alien reign once and for all. It’s not that simple, without the orbs, the apocalypse will wipe out everything, aliens and humans alike. Nobody is gonna come out of this alive.” Maria stared wide eyed, the truth of his words sinking in. “Can I borrow your car?” ~~~*~~~ Pulling up to Micheals building, Maria rested her head on the steering wheel, “I will not let him kiss me,” she thought to herself, that was were she seemed to run into trouble everytime. Taking several calming breaths she exiting the car and made her way up the stairs. If she hadn’t been so preoccupied, she might have noticed the little red jetta that pulled up behind Alex’s car. The entire twelve flights, Maria repeated her new mantra in her head I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, I will not let him kiss me, As she leant down to climb through the window, an arm reached out and grabbed her. Pulling her through, and into his arms, Michael’s mouth swiftly claimed her own. Maria’s arms slid around his neck, protest seemed pointless. The kiss this time was different, there was no tenderness there, only need, and desire, and lust. Michael pushed her back against the wall, holding her raised thigh in his hand. Maria pulled herself up around his waist, using her legs and the wall to hold herself in place. Their mouths still attached and holding Maria against him, Michael walked across the room. Bumping into furniture as he went, almost falling over…twice, but their lips never left the others. Michael misjudged the distance and tripped over the edge of the mattress, together they fell onto the bed, arms still locked. The soulmate connection hummed happily around them, the invisible chord that connected them at all times seemed to throb in time with their racing heartbeats. And yet to Maria’s surprise, they remained exactly where they were, no mind melding, no being sucked into brightly lit places, just the glorious intensity of being together. Grinning at him, Maria straddled his hips. Ripping the buttons off his shirt in her haste to undo it, she ran her tongue up the entire length of his exposed torso, stopping at his nipples to lick them teasingly. Michael groaned at the action, his fingers running through his own hair. Maria now knelt above him. Lightly kissing his face, and using her tongue to softly caress his eylids, she mimicking his caress of last night. Michael hooked his knee under hers, making her fall flat against him. Rolling them both over, he’d reversed their positions, Maria spread her legs, and Michael knelt between them. Using one hand to push her top up her midriff, he placed kisses over what felt like every spare inch of her stomach, his other hand however played with the button fly of her jeans, creating a sensation Maria didn’t think he was even aware of. Frustrated with his lack of progress in the fly department, Michael just waived his hand over it. Grinning at his own cleverness, he kissed his way down to the top of the now revealed panty’s, using his hands to pull her jeans of the remainder of the way…. Maria’s tugging at his hair, grew more incessant as Michael’s mouth nibbled at her through the underwear, small demanding nips, that were driving her insane. His hands stole their way back up, and started to tug at the one thing keeping him from his her. But Maria suddenly sat up, pushing him on his back, she straddled him, and shook her finger at him. “We do this together,” her voice was low and breathy, and as she squirmed around on top of him making herself more comfortable, Michael couldn’t find the strength to disagree. Lifting her shirt and bra off in one go, Michael just lay back staring at the beauty before him, only in his wildest dreams had this ever seemed possible before, Maria astride him, naked and wanting more. Reaching out a hand, he brushed his fingers across her already taught nipple, and the shiver that ran through Maria at the action, simultaneously ran through him. Using both hands, but not shifting position, Maria started to fumble with Michael’s zipper, the groan of pleasure this brought from him, made Maria grin. “Stop.” He yelped suddenly, Maria quickly moved off him, unsure and startled as to why he was calling a halt. “I’ll do it” he said, “Any more of that, and togetherness, won’t be an option!” Relieved that he wasn’t really stopping it, she started to run her fingers over his chest, kneeling beside him as he undid his fly, and kicked of his pants, she lay down completely on top of him, their naked upper bodies rubbed against one another. Maria lowered her lips to his, their tongues engaged in battle, Maria’s hips started to move involuntarily. Groaning into her mouth, Michael rolled them both over onto their sides. And after pulling her only remaining article of clothing off, she proceeded to do the same for him. Gapping at the size of his arousal, for the first time Maria felt nervousness at the mechanics of what they were about to do. Sensing her trepidation, he sat up and knelt beside her. Kissing her tenderly on the lips, he moved his hand between her legs, pushing two fingers inside her, playfully stroking her most sensitive part. Maria gasped against his mouth, all hesitation lost. Holding his hands as she lowered herself onto the bed, she now lay down flat on her back, her knees raised and spread apart. Almost groaning with relief, Michael lowered himself on top of her careful to place most of his weight on his arms, so as not to crush her. Raising her head to kiss his lips again, Maria sent a mental thought to him, through the open channel connecting them. Now Michael, Now. Automatically she raised her legs around his waist, raising up to meet him. Michael cried out as he entered her, a sound of both torment and triumph. The shock of pain that cursed through her, made her gasp for air and tense up, an even louder groan escaped from Michael at the action. He drew his hand between their joined bodies, lightly stroking Maria’s clit. The reaction was instantaneous as Maria relaxed beneath him, her body inviting him deeper inside. Michael raised his hips away from her, pulling almost completely out of her, but then pushing himself slowly back inside. Maria almost screamed at the pleasure this brought, all pain forgotten, she used her thigh muscles to pull him closer towards her. Slowly and smoothly they built up a rhythm together, guiding their hips away from each other and then joining again. Time seemed to slow down, as each thrust sent Maria into a dizzying spin, only to begin all over again. Cursing under his breath, Michael stepped up the tempo, thrusting himself deeper and deeper inside her warm, responsive body. Maria started to kiss her way along his neck and jawline, feeling herself being drawn closer and closer to the edge. Michael thrust into her one last time, coming inside of her the sensation pulled her over with him. Both minds span out of control, into the vast expanse of togetherness. Their bodies lay entwined, racking shudders running through them. Collapsed on top of her, Michael began to gently kiss her face and Maria began to caress his back, soothing away the angry red marks her nails had left there. As their ragged breathing slowed they enjoyed the aftermath of the most glorifying experience of their lives. ~~~*~~~ On the balcony outside, Liz Parker slipped back down the stairs and away into the darkening night... TBC

Part 11