Michael sat back in his chair, his mouth falling slightly open in shock.

Alex refused to meet his friends' eyes. There was no class in the world that could teach you to be professional when you told your friends that they had problems between the sheets.

Maria took a moment to digest this information and looked up to her friend with uncertain eyes. "If this...is our problem-,"

"Maria, you cannot be serious! The only place we don't have problems is in the bedroom!" Michael ground out in a strained voice.

Maria gave him a sideways glance. "Yes...exactly. Especially lately. How can you have problems when nothing happens there?" She turned her attention back to Alex and sat up straighter, letting them both see that she was getting serious. "If that is our problem, how do we fix it?"

Alex studied his hands for what seemed like an eternity to the disconcerted couple before beginning to mumble incoherently.

"Alex...speak English!" Michael yelled at their friend. He was now edgier than usual. He had to drive all the way to Vermont and fall behind schedule on his paintings just to be told that he had problems in the sack? This was not exactly shaping up to be a good day for Michael Guerin.

Alex's head snapped up at the sound of Michael's voice. "Sorry." He blushed. There goes any hope of being professional about it. "Guys...I'm a marriage counselor, not a sex therapist, but in my professional opinion I do believe that you need to try spicing things up. Take some time off from whatever you are doing and get back in touch with one another."

"She can't just close down the shop." Michael said hastily. "And I have a show in less than a week. I have to be ready for it."

Maria sighed and slumped back into her chair. She looked on the verge of either crying or punching Michael's lights out. "How the Hell are we supposed to fix this if he won't even take the problem seriously?" She asked no one in particular. "Alex, thank you so much for seeing us, but this has obviously been a waste of time." Maria stood up and walked out of the room.

*****

The drive home was excruciating for Michael. Maria was completely silent. That might not have bothered him but he knew this silence. It was filled with hostility and anger. This definitely didn't bode well for him.

So here they were, stuck in the usual afternoon traffic jams of New York. Cars surrounded them and the city noises filtered into the car. They listened as some cab driver said a few choice words to a woman that had decided to cut him off and the horns of a dozen vehicles decided to honk in sequence.

Michael looked at Maria and smiled. She was completely unaware of the noisy world around her. Her light snores were drowned out by the other sounds but he knew that she was sound asleep.

He thought back to when he had first actually seen her. It was his first day of school and Hank had just taken him in. He had tripped and fallen on the playground of Roswell Elementary and he had called out to Max and Isabel to find him. Before they could even make a move, Maria had been on him, helping him to his feet. She had badgered him into going to the nurse to see about his hurt knee. They hadn't had much contact but he had watched her from afar until that fateful night that Liz Parker had told her about his secret.

He hadn't really thanked Liz properly for doing that. He shuddered to think of what life might be like if Maria had never found out about him. If he had never known whole-hearted acceptance such as Maria had given him. She had somehow worked her way into his heart and as annoying as she could be...he had committed his life to her for better or worse. He had to fix things.

Michael leaned over and placed a whisper soft kiss on her forehead. He unbuttoned the top buttons of her blouse, allowing him a glimpse of the tops of her full breasts which were rising and falling steadily with her breath. His hand cupped the back of her neck as his lips gently nipped at her exposed collar bone. Maria moaned in her sleep and her hand moved to stroke his thigh, sending shivers up his spine. He stilled as the movement caught him by surprise and then returned to her neck, his teeth lightly scraping the skin before his lips gently sucked and kissed the spot, soothing it.

Maria gasped as she awoke to the feel of Michael's lips moving down her chest. Her fingers moved to sift through his hair, enjoying the silky feel of his long dark locks. Her eyes rolled back and she smiled as his hungry mouth finally located her left breast. His hands went to her hips as his teeth pulled at her bra. His beautiful lips took the nipple into his mouth and began to suckle.

Maria moaned and shifted in her seat. She was already on fire and traffic jam or not, she was ready to have him take her then and there.

As Maria wiggled in her seat, Michael heard a noise. A blaring blast of horns. He looked up to see that the traffic was gone and he had single-handedly blocked an entire lane of cars. He straightened and he and Maria made the rest of the trip in what was now frustrated silence.

*****

Maria had the door of their loft unlocked before Michael could even step off of the elevator. She threw her purse down on the coffee table as she walked quickly in to their bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

Michael sighed and scratched his eyebrow. Why was she so upset now? He'd tried. It wasn't his fault that New York traffic was such a bitch.

He shrugged his jacket off and tossed it onto the couch. "Mar?" He called out.

His steps were light as he slowly approached the door to the bedroom, as if she might jump out and attack him if he made any sudden movements.

Not that her attacking him would be a bad thing at this point. He was still had some love jones going on from their little car escapade.

He lifted his hand and let his knuckles brush lightly against the heavy oak door. "Maria?" He sighed hearing her voice rise and fall as she spoke to someone on the phone. "I'm gonna go up and work on the last set of paintings." He wasn't sure that she had heard him since her own voice never even paused.

With his head hung and his eyes downcast, Michael walked up the curving staircase towards the second floor of the loft, which served as his studio.

He spent ten minutes searching for his new fan brush, before he realized that he had already put it in his brush can with the other brushes. His mind just wasn't on painting. The deadline was no longer creeping up on him, it was coming at him like a freight train. Maria thought that he was done getting his show together but in actuality, he didn't have anything that he felt was good enough to be exhibited and the show was in exactly a week. Yet despite the panic he felt at the prospect of not being finished, his mind would not stray from thoughts of his wife.

Michael picked up the edge of a blank canvas that was roughly the height and length of a small car, and drug it to the center of the hardwood floor, placing a drop cloth around it to keep the paint from getting on everything.

He dipped a large brush into a can of blue paint and paused. Nothing was coming to him. He put the brush down and began looking for other things to keep him busy.

As he worked, his fingers busily stretching a finished canvas onto a wooden frame, he wondered which of their friends was getting an ear full about how horrible he was. Liz, Max or Isabel. Heck, Alex had probably ran straight home and told Iz everything that happened. She would be calling him soon to tell him how much of an idiot he was.

He was so into his thoughts of ways to avoid all contact with possible bitchy friends that he didn't even hear Maria on the stairway. She was almost a foot away before he felt a presence behind him. He turned quickly and threw up his hand.

Maria put her hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Whoa boy. Calm down. It's just me."

Michael ran his fingers through his hair and looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry." He mumbled as he tried to control his excitement. She wasn't angry any longer. He knew that because she would never have spoken to him first if she was and also because her voice held a soft quality as if she were speaking to a child.

"I've been meaning to ask you about something." She began to make her way across the room, towards the rack that he used to store his finished paintings.

"Okay." He hesitantly followed her.

"Well...I looked at some of your stuff when you were out the other night. Michael, this stuff is old. I see all of five new paintings here. You aren't ready are you?" She asked, even though it was more of a statement than a question.

Michael turned away from her and began circling the canvas on the floor. "I tried. I pick the brush up, sometimes I even get a bit of paint onto the canvas. But there is nothing there."

Something warm covered his back and he realized that Maria was standing behind him. Her arms wrapped around him and she placed gentle kisses along the top of his spine. Chills raced through his body and he turned, pulling her into the circle of his arms.

"I just called Pam and told her that she was gonna have to handle the shop without me for a couple of days." Maria said, her words muffled by the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

"Maria..." He sighed and let her go. "I want to spend time with you. You know I do. I just...I..." He looked at the confusion on her face and gave in without another thought. "Okay. I'm sure I can take a break from this for a day or so."

Maria smiled her 100 watt smile and Michael smirked at her. "You are too much, you know that spaceboy?" He nodded and held his hand out for her's. "You goof. I took off of work so that I could help you. I don't know how good of an assistant I'll be, but I'm willing to try."

Michael looked at her, emotion choking him and burning his throat. "Y-You would do that?"

"Of course I would." She whispered, kissing the palm of his hand that was still holding her smaller one. "But if I do...you are taking a week off to play with me after this whole show is over. We just have to compromise about this."

Michael laughed softly as he pulled his amazing wife towards him. "Alright. Maybe a quick preview then?"

Maria threw her arms around his neck and planted pecking kisses on his chin, nose and lips. Michael endured her attack and as soon as she paused, his mouth seized her's in a deep searching kiss. Her lips opened easily as they had thousands of times before. His tongue brushed along her full bottom lip and proceeded to sweep into the cavern of her mouth. Maria moaned and moved her hands to his arms, squeezing his hard biceps until he winced. "

Maria." He sighed into her mouth.

"Michael...Michael...we have...to...ahh!" She said as he moved his attention to her neck.

"We have to what?" He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his hips, his hands on her ass supporting her slight weight.

"Um..." She smiled as his lips found her chest and began nipping at the valley between her breasts. "We, uh...um...we have to get started."

Michael laughed a deep rumbling laugh. "I thought we had." Before she could say anything further, his mouth claimed her's again and he moved until Maria felt her back make contact with the cold concrete wall.

Michael used one hand to undo the stubborn buttons of Maria's blouse as her hands pulled at the hem of his shirt. "Ah Michael!" She moaned, his mouth never moving from the flesh of her mouth. His erection, full and ready, pressed against her heat, causing her hips to move reflexively against his.

Michael pushed her skirt up impatiently and unzipped his pants. Maria moved to push the material of her silk thong aside and Michael filled her with one quick thrust of his hips.

"Oh...I...YES...Michael!" Maria whimpered against his throat as he moved inside of her. His dick pressing into the walls of her passage, rubbing and stimulating every nerve along the way.

He paused for a moment, leaning back to look into her eyes. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him to her, her lips crushing his in a bruising kiss.

As her perfect lips and small pink tongue worked their magic on his mouth, Michael began to move inside of her again. He groaned as he felt her contract around him. Her thighs pressed into his hips as she struggled to get closer to him. They could never get close enough for either of them.

Her silky heat radiated into him and he felt himself approaching the edge. "Maria..." He whispered into her hair. He breathed in the scent of her and began to making love to her right shoulder with his mouth.

Maria's breath began to quicken and he knew that she was getting close as well. Good thing because he was about to cum with or without her.

Michael came inside of her, filling her with his liquid. Maria felt as though she were being burned from inside of her as Michael came inside of her. The feel of it was amazing and she threw her head back hitting it on the wall. She ignored the pain that went through her as her brain was jostled inside of her skull and concentrated on her own orgasm as it washed over her.

"Michael!" She screamed as her fingernails bit into the palms of her hands. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she allowed him to support her totally as he pushed into her one last time.

After a minute, even Maria's slight weight began to be too much for Michael's tired limbs. He smiled and kissed her forehead, wet with beads of perspiration. He placed his hands on her hips to support her as she unwrapped her legs from around him and attempted to stand.

They laughed as she clung to him, her legs still not ready to support her. She winced at the pain that the laughter caused and remembered hitting the wall with her head. Her fingers moved slowly and cautiously over the back of her head, searching for what she knew would become a bruise. She located a large bump and groaned as her fingers brushed against it a bit to roughly.

"Maria?" Michael looked down at her curiously.

"I bumped my head." She said quietly. She squeaked as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the canvas that had been put out on the floor.

"Let me see." He said, sitting her up so that he could get a closer look at the bump. He grimaced at the sight of the goose egg. "Well, its gonna hurt for a day or two but...other than that it's okay. You aren't bleeding at least." He said squeezing her shoulder softly. Maria scoffed at his idea of positivity.

Against his will, Michael imagined blood trickling down her back and onto the white canvas. He blinked and the vision was gone. He stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, worrying Maria as she shook his arm with no response.

"Michael?" The sound of her voice snapped him back to reality and he began to laugh. It proved to be infectious and Maria giggled softly wondering what was so funny.

Michael began pulling her skirt down her legs and threw it against the far wall. He did the same with his jeans. The entire time, his eyes never strayed from her's. "You wanted to help me right?"

Maria nodded as she watched him pace around the canvas. His smile became mischievious.

Michael picked up his abandoned brush, dipped it into a bit of yellow paint and brushed it lightly onto Maria's stomach. He proceeded to paint a bit of blue on her chest and orange on her legs. Maria gasped each time the cold paint made contact with her skin. Michael stood back and smiled as he admired his work.

****

"Uncle Michael!" He heard the familiar voices belt out his name across the large gallery. He turned and smiled as he saw Isabel chasing two rugrats that were charging towards him.

They reached him,and he swung them up into his arms. "Hi guys. Are you running your mother ragged already?" They nodded happily. "Hey Iz." She smiled and waved her fingers as she stopped to catch her breath.

"Isabel Whitman, if you don't stop chasing them like that..." Alex strode up to stand behind her.

Isabel rolled her eyes at her husband but leaned in to hug her brother.

Michael sat Jamie and Sarah down and shook Alex's hand. "Have you guys had a chance to look around yet?" He asked worriedly.

"Not yet. We just got here." Isabel said, fixing Sarah's collar.

"Well you are in for a total shock!" Max said walking up to the group with Liz in tow. "Amazing job man." He slapped Michael on the back in congratulations.

"Thanks Maxwell."

"I think we might buy one of the paintings on the west wing." Liz said looking at Michael excitedly.

"Oh I like those too." Maria said sneaking up and hugging Michael from behind. Michael laughed and turned to kiss her.

"They are the best work I think I've ever done." Michael smiled down at his wife. "Of course...I had some amazing inspiration."

Maria blushed causing the others to exchange confused looks.

"Well I want to see these amazing paintings then." Isabel announced, leading the group towards the west end of the open air gallery.

As they approached the large wall containing a dozen large paintings Isabel gasped and moved to cover her children's eyes.

Michael laughed at her reaction.

"Wow...that's um...wow." Alex said blushing.

"Well we owe it to you doc." Michael said smiling at his wife as she tugged Liz towards her favorite.

Most of the paintings were odd swirls and hand prints, but in each one you could clearly see a woman's body. Some of the paintings were of objects springing from a woman's leg or arm or...other parts.

Alex blushed realizing exactly what he was seeing.

The rest of them followed Maria and Liz and now stood looking at a painting that seemed to be completely abstract. There was no one color that stood out. It was a mix of thousands of colors and the only thing that any of them could make out was a set of hand prints at the top as if they were holding onto the canvas for support.

Maria looked at Michael and every moment of that painting came back to her. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply in front of the others.

"You know..I think I can make some of this painting out." Max said pointing towards the center of the canvas, where he could see a few distinctive lines.

When he turned to get Michael's opinion they found Michael and Maria had disappeared. They shrugged and walked towards the next painting.

Alex picked up his son and smiled as he looked up to see the door to the janitor's closet being closed quickly from the inside. He blushed and chuckled to himself as he walked quickly towards the others wondering how much to bill the Guerins for such an obviously helpful session.