Scene: A middle-aged couple is arguing in German. We see a familiar blonde sitting in the aisle across from them. It's Maria Deluca in her early 20's. Her hair is now long cascading past her shoulders in waves. She's wearing an Indian print sarong and a faded T-shirt that hugs her at the sides. We notice Maria is reading an aromatherepy book. We can hear the couple still arguing as we see a man. His head back sleeping soundly and an old couple is sitting together. The husband is looking out the window and his wife is reading a local tabloid.

Then the camera falls on a man sitting by the window. The first thing you notice about him is the way his hair refused to stay down. His feet were propped on the chair beside him. A copy of James Joyce's Ulysses is opened on his lap. Michael Guerin seemed more interested in watching the Austrian counrtyside travel across his window than in reading his book. Besides he had the whle thing memorized anyway.

Maria couldn't stand it anymore. The couple across from her was getting on her nerves. She couldn't concentrate on her book. She looked towards the back again. She could see Michael's profile as he stared out the window.

"It's now or never girl. You've watched him for all those years back in Roswell and never exchanged more than an 'Opps, excuse me in the halls.'"

Maria got her stuff and moved to the empty window seat across from Michael.

"Is that Maria Deluca?" Michael did a double-take at the girl who just sat across the aisle from him. She glanced his way and smiled shyly before opening her book.

"She's not a girl anymore," A voice within him said. Michael kept sneaking glances towards her way. He always thought Maria was weird. Always talking a mile a minute to her friend Liz in the hallways at school. Sure, back then she was cute, but now . . .

The middle-aged woman stomped down the aisle her husband yelling angrily behind her in tow. Michael noticed Maria look at them and roll her eyes. Then her light eyes settled on his. michael felt his heart beat faster.

"Do you have any idea what they were arguing about?"

A curious frown crossed over her face.

"Oh no! Maybe that's not Maria," Michael panicked. "Maybe it's some foreign chick who bears some amazing resemblence to her." He never saw Maria with long hair anyway.

"I'm sorry do you speak English?" Michael apologized.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry I couldn't understand what they were arguing about. I never studied German."

"Maybe it was better not knowing what they were arguing about," Michael said to keep the conversation going.

"She was probably yelling at him for never putting down the toilet seat."

"He was probably yelling at her for staying in the bathroom for so long."

"See that's a thing all girls do," Maria pointed out.

"Oh, is it," Michael smirked remembering how long he and Max would have to wait for Isabel those rare times the three of them did go hang out.

"What are you reading?" Maria asked Michael.

"Ulysses,"

Maria raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You don't strike me as the type to read that."

"'What incensed him the most was the blatant jokes of the ones who pass it all off as a jest, pretending to understand everything and in reality not knowing their own minds.' Page 655..."

Michael gave her a triumphant stare. "What are you reading?" He asked Maria.

Maria held up her aroamatherepy book.

"Not exactly up to the high standards of literature you read, but it's for a class on alternative therepies I have next week,"She explained.

They were both interupted by the middle-aged couple coming back down the aisle still arguing.

Maria frowned at them.

"Hey, I was thinking of going to the lounge car. Do you want to come with me?" Michael offered.

"Yeah," Maria agreed getting her velvet purse.

"Okay," Michael let Maria walk through the doors first.

Scene: Maria and Michael are sitting on a table for four towards the back of the lounge car. Both are by the windows facing each other from opposite sides of the white linen table.

"So how'd you speak such good English?" Michael asked the blonde before him who's name was still a mystery to him.

"I was born in Roswell, New Mexico.

"So it is Maria!" Michael realized.

"Are you Maria Deluca?" Michael asked Maria suddenly.

"Are you Michael Guerin?" Maria countered unfazed by the abrupt question.

They both laughed.

"So how'd you come to Europe?" Michael asked Maria curious.

"Well, I always thought there's got to be something better out there for me than Roswell, New Mexico. So when Liz Parker, my best friend, got accepted to Oxford University she asked me if I wanted to come along with her. I mean I didn't know what I was going to do after high school. So I took it as a sign to go for it."

"So how'd you end up taking an alternative therepy course?"

"Well, one day I went to pick up Liz, and I was really stressed out that day. I took out a vial of Cyprus oil. You know becuase it's supposed to reduce stress. Her professor saw me and we ended up talking about aromatherepy."

Michael raised a skeptical eyebrow at this.

"You think it's not a serious thing?" Maria asked.

"I just find it hard to believe."

"Okay, what do you like the smell of?"

Michael shifted in his seat a little uncomfortable at where this conversation was going. Maria looked at him expectantly.

"Fire."

"Fire?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Becuase, I remember going into this sacred Indian ritual and a whole tribe of men were gathered around a huge fire. I remember sitting there watching the flames heat up the entire place. The smell of burning wood mixed with the fire. I never felt so alive . . ."

Michael stopped. He rarely was one to mention stuff like that, but Maria was looking at him with a pleased smile on her face.

"We should eat now," Michael said changing the subject. He motioned for the waiter.

A man in a tux came down the aisle and gave them their menus. Then he walked off.

"Observation about Europe," Maria suggested to him. "Not service-oriented."

Scene: Some time has passed and we see Michael and Maria have become more relaxed around each other. Maria notices Michael put a heaping of tobasco sauce on his chocalate cake. Michael feels the weird look Maria is giving him.

"Ok, so what's with the Tabasco sauce?"

"Sweet and spicy."

"Sweet and spicy?" Maria stirred her mango tea.

"I like my food be extremely sweet mixed with extremely spicy. It's a little dietary quirk I have."

Michael flashed a charming smile at Maria. Maybe if he flirted with her she'll won't question it anymore."

"Well, I'll have to, uh, keep that in mind," Maria threw back returning his stare.

"You do that."

Scene: Maria is laughing at something Michael has just said.

"So the guy asks me to draw something and he points to a picture of a statue . . ."

"Let me guess," Maria interupted. "The statue had no clothes on."

"Not just that, but no arms, legs, or a head," Michael went on.

"So what you do?" Maria asked.

"Drew a stick figure," Michael answered simply.

"You did not!"

"Why would I lie?"

"So what did the teacher say?"

"He said I can go back to drawing whatever I wanted."

"Why geodesic domes?"

"Why not?"

"At least you weren't drawing decapitated nude models. I'd have no respect for you if you did."

"Why, honey I didn't know you cared," Maria couldn't say anything, but to slap Michael in the arm.

"Never call me honey . . . Hey we're here," Maria exclaimed looking out the window. She noticed the stop Michael said he was supposed to get off on. Michael let disappointment flicker in his eyes before Maria turned back to face him.

"It's too bad we didn't get to talk earlier I had a nice time talking to you," Maria admited.

"Me too," Michael replied.

Scene: "We see Maria sitting by herself looking out the window of the still train. Michael is coming down the aisle towards her. His leather jacket is now on and a small duffel bag is on his shoulder. He settles onto the seat opposite Maria again.

"Okay, I have a mentally insane idea."

"What?"

"I wanna keep talking to you. I have no idea what your situation is, but I feel as if, uh, we have, uh . . . connection."

"Yeah, me too," Maria agreed.

"So, this is what we should do. you should get off the train with me in Vienna and come with me and check out the town."

"What would we do?" Maria asked intrigued. She'd never known Michael to be so openly friendly.

"I don't know. All I know is that I have to catch an Austrian flight that leaves tomorrow at 9:30 and I don't have any money for a hotel. So, I was just going to walk around and it'd be a lot of fun if you came with me. And if I turn out to be some kind of psycho you can get on the next train."

Maria tries to suppress a laugh from escaping her lips.

"Okay," Michael said gesturing with his hands. "Fast forward twenty years and you're married. Only your marriage doesn't have that same energy it used to have. You start to blame your husband. You start to think of all those guys you've met in your life and what if you hooked up with one of them."

Maria nods her head up and down in an amused manner.

"Well, I'm one of those guys," Michael points to himself with a cheesy smile. "That's me. So, think of this as time travel from then to now. See what this could be is a gigantic favor to you and your future husband. 'Cuase you'll see you're not missing out on anything. I'm just a big a loser as he is. Totally unmotivated. Totally boring. And you made the right choice and you're really happy."

Maria laughed delighted by this.

"Only the difference would be that I won't have the beer belly he'll have," Michael interjected giving her his famous half smirk.

"Oh, that wins me over all the way," Maria pretended to swoon.

"So, let's go," Michael gestured a thumb towards the exit.

"Okay, let me get my bags."

to be continued . . . So what you think? Wanna know what happens next e-mail Kat. My imagination breathes on feedback so please be gentle.