Connections 16

Liz smiled as she walked out of her last class with her best friend. Everything had seemed so messed up only a couple of days earlier, and now things were falling into place. Places where they belonged, but that no one had ever even known existed previously.

Maria had a strange look on her face as they walked down the hallway, and Liz's brow furrowed as her friend spaced out.

"Maria...hey...Maria...Are you alright up there?" Liz asked as she stopped beside her locker.

Maria stared off down the hallway they had just come from, but did not say anything. Her eyes got a glazed over look and she swayed as she stood silently.

"Whoa...Maria. Watch out. Are you okay there babe? You don't look so great," she reached her hand up to Maria's forehead and found it hot to her touch. "Girl, you're burning up. Come on, I'll take you home, all right? Maria...Maria..."

Maria's eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped against the lockers. Liz quickly caught her friend and eased her to the floor, as she wasn't strong enough to carry her friend.

"Maria..." Liz shook her now unconscious friend. "Come on Maria! Shoot. What's wrong with you Hun???? Wake up Maria...Wake up...please..." Liz felt the tears well up in her eyes and she began panicking. As Max came around the corner, Liz looked up at him with frenzied eyes when she realized he must've felt her fear through their connection.

"I...I...I...I don't know what happened Max. She just blacked out as we were walking down the hall. She has a fever and her eyes got all fogged over before she went unconscious."

"It's alright Liz...she'll be fine. Come on, we'll take her to Kareena. She might know what's going on. I'd say we could take her to the hospital, but this has only happened when Michael got sick. I don't think this is normal. Come on." Max picked Maria up and walked out to his jeep.

Liz told Max about how Maria had looked so that they could describe the situation to his mother when they got to her. Her tears had stopped once she and Max had gone into action to help her friend, but the fears were popping up. She knew Max could feel her unsteadiness and knew that he too was worried for their friend. The six of them had gotten very close, they had connected and they all cared for each other very much.

As they pulled up at Kareena's hotel, Liz quickly got out and ran upstairs to talk to Kareena as Max got Maria out of the car. They all met up in Max's room and Kareena had Max lay the blonde down on her couch. Kareena was about to explain what was going on when Isabel, Michael, and Alex knocked on the hotel room's door. Max let them in and Michael ran in, demanding to know where Maria was. Liz stood up from her position kneeling beside the occupied couch so that Michael could replace her.

"What's wrong with her?" Michael explained.

"Calm down Michael." Kareena spoke soothingly. "She is going through a transition stage at the moment. She is changing. Her body is adjusting to yours and her connection. She needs to have your connection completed. You need to connect with her Michael."

Michael looked down at the silent, unconscious form lying on the couch before him. If he connected with her, she would see how much he needed her. He'd be vulnerable again. Could he risk that? Would he be able to let her in and not push her away? He looked down at Maria's face, a bit contorted even in her unconsciousness. His choice became clear and he gently placed his hands on either side of her face. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on connecting with the girl he loved, who needed him right then.

The room got silent as Michael began connecting to Maria. Her body began to glow and they knew that it was working. Michael found himself in the desert as he connected with Maria. It was bright, sunny, and dry out. The land in their connection, their minds, was flat and on the ground were symbols. Michael knew that they were familiar. He had seen them before, whether in this life or his previous one; he knew he'd seen those symbols before. He looked up and saw Maria walking towards him. She was wearing a green dress that flew out behind her in the wind.

She was beside him in a moment.

Maria reached down to the ground before them and touched it. Suddenly the ground lit up and the symbols came to life. Michael watched in shock and then turned to Maria once again.

"How...how..." he stammered.

"Shh...our connection makes it possible. I don't know how, but it does." Maria smiled up at him, and then stood beside him. " I still don't know what they mean, but someday we will know. Together, we will find out Michael, let me in..."

Michael reached down to her and held her close. He pressed his lips to hers and their connection was complete.

Michael and Maria sat up suddenly in the hotel room and stared at each other. Michael hugged her as the room began to breathe again.