Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) [WIP]

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Mt Gazer
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:10 pm
Location: Living in my own mind!!!!

Chapter 20: Part Four

Post by Mt Gazer »

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

In this part and parts to come I may be borrowing some scenes; and I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher
Spoilers: Not much.

***************

Author’s Note:

#1 I went back in and did a minor edit on Alex’s Headstone in Chapter 11: Part One.

The show gave us 1984-2001. That would make him 16 when he died, however in HeatWave when he was jailed for the night he told the Sheriff that he was 16 already. Also in season 3 Maria stated that he was 17 when he died. Regardless which way you look at it, this is one of those glaring errors of the shows.

I have corrected that for my story. The headstone now reads 1983-2001. Sorry it took so long for me to clue into this… I’m bad at math. And someone already shared this info with me, but it still didn’t register. And then because of an upcoming scene in this chapter it finally clicked in my brain. Edit done at that moment. Alex is 16, currently at this point of the story.

Mt Gazer

***************

# 2. As with the chapter previous to this, I did a bit of map research. The Mall used in this chapter is a real place as is its location, and two of the stores contained therein. Now if the inventory of the stores is accurate, I don’t really know… accept this it for what it is … a work of fiction.

***************

Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty: Part Four

Its Just a Matter of Time


-----
When they got outside; Alex walked her carefully to his car and gingerly helped her inside. He didn’t want her to pass out on him again.

“Are you ok?” He repeated the question when he received an insistent nod in reply. “Are you sure?” Which she answered with another vigorous nod.

She was quietly contemplating something and he was so worried for her. He looked over to her and asked “Want me to take you home?”

“NO!” She exclaimed very abruptly, and adamantly. It caught him off guard and surprised him. He could only lamely ask… “Ok? Where then?”

She shook her head. She hadn’t thought that far in advance; and as they drove away she reached down into her purse apparently searching for something. Isabel got a contemplative grin as she retrieved what she was searching for.

“Izzy?” Alex broke through her thoughts; “Before you make that call, care to let me in on what just happened?” And then as if she didn’t know, he filled her in on the events in the UFO Center. “You just passed out.”

She shook her head as she smirked. “No I didn’t, not really.” Biting her lip and thinking she then caught him off guard again, “You were awesome Alex.” Isabel gushed. “Damn! You were good. I owe you a very special kiss for that. Thank you so much.”

She heaped on the praise but he was so bewildered that he had no idea what she was talking about. “Ok, I’m even more confused now? Huh?? What happened?” He asked, still driving through Roswell not heading anywhere in particular.

“First, did you see him?” She asked insistently.

“Who Isabel?” he replied.

She sighed, “Dark-haired man, over your left shoulder?” ‘Please have seen him,’ she was begging inside.

He queried, “Good looking? Tall? Observant?” As he tilted his head in question.

“Yep, he’s the one.” A chill slowly raced over her spine, and she shuddered involuntarily in response.

“Who is he Iz?” She shivered again… at the question. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“No! I’m not cold… “ She swallowed as she figured out the best way to explain who had just run into her. “Alien’s worst nightmare come true.” She stated humorlessly, “After that, I’ll be lucky if I don’t have nightmares tonight.”

Alex really concerned, answered truthfully, “I’m still lost. How does he fit in Izzy? And I don’t think I’m going to like the answer am I?” He waited with bated breath for the answer; while turning the car towards the highway.

“Probably not.” She responded to his last question and then she launched in … with a heavy sigh, “That is the person who will receive the tape if he hasn’t already.” She swallowed while Alex gripped the steering wheel tightly and gasped in a forced breath of air. “He’s brilliant Alex, and he can read people like a book….” Isabel drew her two closed hands to her mouth and tapped her thumbs on her lips for a moment. Turning to Alex she looked at him, or his lap, inversely while she spoke. “When I realized that he ran into me, my blood went subzero… “ She kept spilling it all out without stopping. “And it took everything I could do not to throw up on the spot. That’s why I yanked you out of there immediately and proceeded to ‘get sick.’ I had to think fast. I made eye contact with him Alex, his suspicions might be raised.” Her voice had a worried edge to it. “I did the best I could to stay in control. I couldn’t act like I knew who he was. I can’t take that risk. Usually I don’t draw attention to myself… but that was my best recourse this time. A wall of onlookers got me the space I needed to get out of there without drawing his attention any further.” She looked up at his face, as she reached out her hand to stroke it, and he turned to her momentarily and smiled tightly. “You did awesome at following my lead. Thank-you so much.” Sighing she continued, “But what sucks is that he has the tape. But if he didn’t watch it yesterday, he wouldn’t know who I was today. So I was working off that logic in a split-second decision. ALEX!!!” she said forcefully demanding eye contact with her tone of voice. He quickly looked over as she stated, “Get me out of Roswell. Right NOW!!!”

His eyes back on the road, he nodded and answered, “Sure Baby. Where are we going?”

Isabel didn’t know or care really. Somewhere that would take some travel and so they would be much less likely to be followed. “Hondo? Clovis? Anywhere but here…or even close to here. I mean it Alex!!! Get me out of Roswell. I want distance, now.

“Ok…” he agreed, thinking silently about a good place.

Isabel flipped open her cell and pushed the call button, “I have to make that call now…” she said to him, “I mean I don’t think my mom would like it too much if I just suddenly disappeared with the FBI tailing me.” She laughed wryly, “So let me call her ok?”

“Yeah definitely.” Alex nodded his understanding as he placed his right hand on her thigh as he drove with his other hand.

After three rings, and checking the Caller I.D., Diane Evans picked up the house phone, her hands were dripping wet from the dishes she was working on, so she wiped them alternately on her jeans, all the while thinking, ‘Isabel’s cell? This is probably not good news.’ “Hello Isabel.” She stated.

“Hi Mom…” Isabel stated calmly.

“Izzy? Why are you calling me on your cell?? Are you ok???” Diane could just sense that there was a hidden agenda in this, Isabel was too calm.

“I’m fine Mom.” she smiled, “But Max probably doesn’t think so.”

“Huh?” Diane questioned, leaning against the kitchen wall since it was nearest to her.

“I, ‘passed out’ at the convention today. Max is fully aware of it, and I ‘m sure is a little frantic.” Isabel calmly continued to address her mother.

“Where are you?” Diane asked every word slowly.

Isabel looked out the window to see where exactly they were, “We’re turning onto Highway 70…. En-route to…..” She looked over to Alex who mouthed ‘Clovis.’ “En-route to Clovis, Mom.”

“Why are you heading out of Roswell?!” Diane exclaimed in her surprise.

Isabel bit her lip and then dove in, “You trust me right Mom?” She asked cautiously, “To not do anything stupid or whatever??” She bit her lip again while awaiting her mother’s response.

“Yes,” Diane swallowed, “I’m not going to like this am I?” She knew she wasn’t and so she started to walk out of the kitchen to go upstairs.

Isabel responded with, “I doubt it.” And Diane cut her off, “Honey, before you continue, I’m going to get your father on the other line alright?”

“Sure Mom!!!” Isabel cleared her throat as on the other end she heard yelled, ”PHILIP! PHONE! NOW!!!” As her mother was making her way up the stairs.

He dropped his tome, and at the sound of panic in his wife’s voice grabbed the receiver as he listened in…

He heard Isabel’s voice state, “Alex and I aren’t coming home tonight, nor will we return until the convention is over.” Philip’s eyes went huge, and he was ready to choke someone, of the young male gender, but then he carefully heard his daughter continue. “I’m avoiding someone, and no it’s not Max…” he heard his daughter swallow before she continued, “My world’s collided this morning and I barely survived it. I had to get out before I completely lost it in front of a certain person… ‘cause it would be all over if I had. But I thought on my feet and I ‘passed out’ to create a diversion. It was all faked. Max will probably be agitated about it, but you know the alien stuff, so get him to talk to you. He needs to know you’re really on our side.”

Philip heard Diane take in a gulp of air and he whispered, “Go-on Honey,” to his daughter. He could only assume that his wife was sitting down somewhere, as she had not yet made it upstairs. Little did he know that she had sat down halfway up the stairs. She was literally sitting on the steps leaning her head back against the wall and listening to her daughter with her eyes closed, taking shallow breaths and fighting her own fears. Her hands were clenched around the handset of the phone.

Isabel continued, but not sharing the bigger issue, “The problem I don’t know how to handle is the Whitman’s. They’ll never go for Alex leaving town with his girlfriend overnight.” She heard a soft chuckle in the seat beside her, as he grabbed her hand with his right one. “And they don’t know any of the alien stuff, so either we or you will be coming up with a ‘believable lie.’ Now that you know….” Isabel then stated sarcastically, “Welcome to my world. Get used to this… its our way of life.” She moaned as she shook her head.

Diane re-entered the conversation, head still back, eyes still closed, as she placidly stated, but with a tinge of worry, “Izzy, before you go.” She drew in a short breath, “Who are you running from? Just in case you don’t make it back tomorrow evening, We need to know, you can understand right?”

“Yeah, of course.” Isabel audibly cleared her throat to take care of the little catch in it. “Ummm…. FBI - Special Unit.” Her hand tightly gripped Alex’s. “Mom, D-ad,” her voice was faltering and they could hear it, “I don’t want to scare you here,” another clearing of her throat, “but they are highly elite, alien hunters. Very Secret… Very Dangerous. And we have to assume that they are the ones who got the tape yesterday. I’m sorry. If that tape gets watched by the one main person I’m avoiding and I’m anywhere in town… he’ll know it’s me… we have to leave town.” Her voice was still quavery. “I can’t see another choice… At least not in the moments that I was staring into the eyes of this person, before I lost all ability to think.” She finished as calmly as she could.

“It’s ok Baby.” Philip spoke reassuringly to her. “Its ok Isabel, Whatever you need to do, you just stay safe, and know that we love you.”

Philip listened as his wife was reacting at same time, “Oh My God Isabel!” Diane swallowed hard. “Let me talk to Alex!!!” She demanded.

Isabel handed over her phone, and mouthed the word, “Mom.”

“Mrs. Evans?” He questioned.

“Please Alex, call me Diane, or Hell, just call me Mom.” Her voice was shaking, “Alex what she just said to me scares me, I can’t let her hear my fear… My baby’s life is in your hands.” She said very pointedly. “You bring her back to me. You protect my baby tonight.” She ordered.

“With my life Diane.” He stated solemnly. ‘It’s going to be an adventure.’ “I’ll call my parents and tell them I had car trouble, or something, but it will be after the shops have closed so we have to wait until tomorrow for it to be repaired, and that will cover most our absence for the daytime as well. But it would be great if you, you know, called them too… you know… and told them the same thing.” He was thinking fast, which he was becoming rather adept at, but he wasn’t given to lying to his parents outright and he needed something plausible that would hold them off. He knew the car idea sounded lame.

“No Problem Alex.” Like Philip said, ‘Anything you need,’ as long as you bring my baby girl home.”

Her husband interrupted her… “Alex!!” Philip stated in an authoritative voice, ”You are going to go to Clovis, we have a law office out there.” (He hadn’t heard the first part of the conversation in which Alex had already stated that was where they were heading.) “This is your cover story… You are going to procure some documents and deliver them for signing. We, Diane and I can call upon the attorney/client confidentiality clause before I ever have to reveal anything about the real reason you are there. Keep my daughter safe. And thanks Alex for calling us and trusting us with your decision.”

“No Problem Mr. Evans.” Alex stated with a sigh.

“Alex!” Diane jumped back into the conversation; “I want you to call us this evening, one, so that we actually did talk to you right before we call your parents, and two… I want, no! Make that NEED, to hear Isabel’s voice before I go to sleep.”

“No Problem, we will. Bye Diane.” He was nodding in his agreement though Diane wasn’t able to see him.

“Hey Alex, you take good care of her.” Philip enjoined, once again.

“I will. I promise. See you tomorrow evening. Goodbye Mr. Evans, Mrs. Evans.”

“Bye,” they said in unison as they hung up.

***************

Philip Evans was upstairs in his home office, having just hung up the phone, when his wife appeared in the doorway. Diane was shaking and pale.

“Honey? Are you going to be ok?” He asked her as he gathered her into his arms.

Her panic steadily mounted, as she recounted what they had just learned... Philip grabbed her tightly and hugged her, and then he pulled her back until they were in direct eye contact, as he held tightly unto the sides of her face. “Ok. She’s coming home tomorrow, ok?” He was pleading with his wife to calm down. “Diane one of the best strategies in war is to know your enemy … sounds like Isabel does. Isabel is very smart. And she went through stuff like this constantly in her past timeline, if you can imagine. You’ve heard some of the stories she’s told us?” Diane was biting her lip and frowning, but she nodded. “Diane, we get to be a part of it, covering with her, protecting her, knowing exactly where she is… She’ll be fine.” Philip stated assuredly.

“You’re sure Philip?” Diane wasn’t fully convinced, but her husband’s strength and seeming calm were relaxing her.

He nodded, as he pulled her in tightly again. “If this is all about a video-tape yeah!” Her head was resting against his chest as he stroked his wife’s blonde hair. He nodded as he continued, “I’m going to agree with her that this is all observance on their part. Aside from the few permanent agents, they’ll leave Roswell tomorrow when the convention is over… it’d be kind of weird if the podiatrists never returned to their practices now wouldn’t it?” He chuckled.

“Thanks Philip.” His wife turned in his arms to wrap them around her husband’s shoulders. “God! Can you imagine what their parents went through last timeline?” She mumbled into his neck.

He shook his head, “I don’t want to think about it. Lets go out to dinner tonight. Max is working late at the convention, and that way you won’t be frantic all night. I’m sure the kids are going to make the best of it…” he laughed a bit at the situation playing out, “And now we really do have to trust her don’t we?” He then stated somewhat sardonically, “Alex is truly her boyfriend, but we’ve seen what he’ll do for her, so… this must be one of those moments Charles Whitman was talking about. Where you trust them to do the right thing, and you let them make some of their own decisions.” He pulled from the embrace and looked directly at his mate and the love of his life once again, “Poor Izzy got thrust into this one, sight unseen. And now we trust them. Because I’m sure they are going to share a bed in some motel, otherwise they’ll share the car.” He laughed as the words came out.

They looked at each other and started to laugh, “Motel.” Philip thinking of his prissy princess said, “There is no way Isabel is spending the night in a vehicle. Could you even imagine??” And the mood lightened as they laughed about Isabel’s current circumstances.

***************

In the meantime Alex had decided to take them to Clovis, he had barely informed Isabel of that when she called her mom, but his reasoning was this: his parents frequented the town enough on business trips and he had been there a bit as well. Friends of his grandparents lived in the town, and finally, Isabel had basically left him in charge, because after they got off the phone with her parents she went into a silent state, deep thought and not speaking. Alex was concerned, she hadn’t reacted well to the gentleman at the UFO convention and she knew who he was, but currently Isabel was refusing to speak.

Alex tried to get her talk, but she just shook her head and went back into her own world.

About an hour later overwhelming nausea started to hit Isabel. Remembering what it was like from when she got sick in the past timeline, she quickly fastened her hair into a ponytail grabbing out the rubber-band that is always in her jacket pocket for a ride in the jeep. This way her hair would now be out of the way if necessary. She was thinking through the encounters with Agent Pierce in both timelines and as she recalled the moment an hour or so ago, where she nearly threw up, she once again found herself fighting the urge to vomit and this time losing the battle. Alex watched from a sidelong glace as her face paled, she started to swallow repeatedly and breathe heavily, coughing intermittently and fanning herself in an effort to cool down. But he pulled the car over to the side of the road quickly however, when her hand instinctively covered her mouth.

“Isabel?” He stated her name gently; she was struggling, “Izzy?” he once again asked as he stroked her face, with the back of his hand.

“What?” She barked out.

“I stopped the car.” Alex pointed at the side of the road and she hurriedly fumbled the handle open and raced out in the expanse of desolate land. She stopped a distance away, and leaning with her hands on her knees she started to retch, her stomach lurching as she proceeded to get sick.

Alex’s heart dropped at the sight, he couldn’t believe she had gotten so ill, and he rushed over to her side. He rubbed her back soothingly as she emptied the contents of her stomach. After a short time she straightened up, and sighed deeply, “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, ashamed of her current state.

“No,” He gazed concernedly at her, “No don’t be. Are you ok, though?” Isabel was staring at him blinking. “Think you’re done?” He asked gently, feeling her forehead with his hand. Isabel frowned and slightly shook her head as she thought through things for a moment and her stomach started to churn while the nausea hit again. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled as the bile rose to the back of her throat once again; she quickly turned around and left his side, leaning over, hands on her knees, as her stomach continued with its upheaval, and Alex was right there rubbing her back and speaking soothingly until she was finished.

“I think I feel better, now...” She stated softly and shakily as she straightened back up, for the second time. He supported her as he helped her walk the distance back to the car. Leaving her leaning against it, he sorted through the trunk for a moment looking for something in particular. He kept glancing up at her to make sure she was still standing, or otherwise seeming intact.

He walked to her side and handed her a bottled water, and a paper cup… His mother had raised four boys, it was in her nature to be prepared for anything… so there was always water and cups and a couple of clean rags in the car at all times.

He used some of the water to dampen a cloth and handed it to her to wipe herself off. Then he poured some of the water into a paper cup; she eagerly accepted it, and then her little teasing streak reappeared where she said, “Watch this.” Holding her glowing hand on the outside of the cup he peered inside as the clear colorless water started to swirl, and streaks of blue appeared, until the contents of the cup had turned a bright blue. He raised an eyebrow in question. “Mouthwash.” She answered. Alex shook his head in disbelief, as he replied, in awe, “That’s my girl, you think of everything don’t you?”

She laughed slightly and used it to rinse out her mouth, taking swallows of it, discreetly. And then she drank a bit of the water and let Alex help her back into the passenger seat. He made absolutely certain that she was doing ok before he pulled back onto the road. He let her sit in silence for a few minutes before his desperation caught up to him. “Isabel! What the hell just happened?” He said very worriedly.

“I think you know, Alex… I got sick.” Isabel tried to brush him off but he would have none of it.

“Isabel,” he took a deep sigh, “I know this has something to do with the gentleman you saw today, and I know it has to do with the past…” Alex was pleading, “Isabel please talk to me. I’m the only one whom you can talk to, but please tell me what’s going on.”

“He’s not a gentleman,” she mumbled in a caustic manner, “He’s the head of the FBI-Special Unit.” She snorted, “The Special Unit,” words spat out in a very distasteful manner, “doesn’t exist, that’s how secret it is.” She had soft tears gathering in her eyes.

She was so shaken that Alex was almost afraid to ask what had happened in her past but he cautiously broached the subject anyways, “Did he hurt you?” his voice was broken thinking of Isabel being tortured, “What happened? I mean seeing him made you sick, that I know you didn’t fake… what did he do to you?” Alex whispered, voice full of emotion.

“Nothing to me.” Isabel started, “Max… he hurt Max!!” She smiled tightly, “But we rescued him, and got an ally in the process.”

‘So she wasn’t hurt, but she loves her brother so much that I can see why it would affect her.’ “How did he hurt Max, Isabel?”

She sighed, as her voice quavered again, “Held him for questioning. Tortured him. I told you … Alien’s worst nightmare. I need to think through some more things. Maybe I’ll talk later.” She sadly trailed off.

“What’s his name Isabel?” Alex wasn’t ready to let it drop.

She looked over to him, grabbed his hand in both of hers and answered barely above a whisper, “I can’t tell you that. This is why, because if you have that information or my Dad did, you would start doing searches and things on him. He’d find out, believe me, he would, and he would know that someone was investigating him. If that happened, you’d all be in trouble, dangerous trouble. So I can’t tell you his name… I need to keep you safe. Everything I do from this point on, since I know more, and have been through some of this stuff, is to keep us all safe.” She released her grip on his hand and just held it with her left, as she sighed sadly and leaned her head against the window. “Please, I really need to think.” Her voice was on the verge of tears and she just wasn’t ready to give them release yet. She had to think through some more upsetting things.

Alex focused on his driving again, hand still in hers, but it was not lost on him that a lone tear traced a lazy path down her immaculate face and that she made no motion to wipe it away.

***************

Almost two hours later they arrived in Clovis, New Mexico, and Alex drove towards the North Plains Mall on Prince Street. They headed inside, to get some clothing and essentials to last through the weekend. The first stop was Beall’s Department Store. Shopping went before finding lodging, so that at least Isabel could have some fun. And with the plan Alex had in mind but was not vocalizing, fun was of the utmost priority today.

They decided to actually purchase clothing, though Isabel could alter anything for a couple of reasons, 1) So Isabel could help clear her head. She wasn’t acting right, for she was terribly subdued Alex had decided. And 2) Though she could create anything they needed, it would look much more suspicious to head home empty-handed, especially to Alex’s parents who had not been informed of anything alien, and were going to likely freak over the fact that he took his girlfriend out of town for the weekend... So as long as they spent necessary money, his parents couldn’t protest too badly. He had a feeling he’d be using the emergency credit card a lot this weekend.

Knowing his mind, and his secret plan for the evening, he steered her into the section in which you would find semi-formal dresswear, clothes to wear to a social event. Isabel gave him a confused look as they perused the racks. Firstly, Alex pulled out a red dress and held it up. “This would look very beautiful on you.”

“No! It wouldn’t. “ She shook her head disgustedly, “I don’t like it at all.” She yanked it from his hand and shoved it back onto the rack “What’s wrong?” He asked adamantly. She tried to escape his intent gaze, “Who said anything was the matter? I didn’t like it ok? Lets find another dress.” She wouldn’t look at him, but instead was looking over every dress on the racks, even ones she’d never wear.

He reached out and grabbed her upper arms turning her to face him directly. Her gaze drifted downwards, but not before he noticed the soft tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. He tilted her head back up gently and lovingly with the tips of his fingers upon her chin. “Izzy?”

She whispered, “I don’t like red anymore.”

“You used to?” He asked tenderly and was met with a tiny nod of Isabel’s somber face. “What happened?”

“I think you can figure that one out,” she mumbled.

“Tell me anyways.” Alex said while caressing her cheek tenderly.

So with a swallow she answered in a small whisper, “Aside from the fact that I wore red to the rave… which was because I had to imitate my ‘past,’ and the fact that my mind was caught between the two planes of existence at that moment, I won’t wear red Alex. I haven’t intentionally worn it since the prom.”

“Intentionally?” He questioned, “But what about?? …”

“Christmas Picture?” She asked him. “Yes.” Alex answered with a nod.

“Our mother picks our clothes for pictures,” Isabel rolled her eyes. “She always coordinates the family. I’m usually in red in the family Christmas pictures, and she didn’t know ‘anything’ at that point. I didn’t have a choice. But I only wore it for the family portrait; when I came home from the session, I jerked it off and fell onto my bed crying. I lied and told her I didn’t feel well. Come to think of it, I think I incinerated that sweater.” She laughed slightly.

“Come on, lets go talk,” he noticed a nearby bench, to which they moved to sit. “Incinerated it? Isabel?” He sort of laughed, a nervous half-smile on his face.

“No red. Not even my pajamas… the last night I wore my red ones was the night I returned, the night I dream walked you. Red was Alex’s color for me. If I don’t wear it, I feel like I can keep his memory alive … I don’t want to lose his memory Alex.” She sniffed as a lonesome tear tracked down her cheek. Alex reached out to stroke it away with his thumb, his heart hurt for the pain she was expressing; and he smiled sadly in his understanding. “I probably sound completely irrational.” She rambled on, “I’m sure you love red just as much, seeing that you are a version of him, but …. I can’t. I just… can’t.” Isabel drew in a deep breath and quickly banished her tears. “So any other color is fine. Ok?”

“Ok,” Alex replied. And they set about the task of finding her a dress for the evening. He finally pulled out a simple yet elegant blue dress and said, “This one is perfect. Why don’t you go try it on?” She liked the feel of the fabric, and kissed his cheek and headed into the changing area.

While she was changing, he did not wait around to spoil the surprise for himself of how she would look but instead went to pick his outfit, and a little something for Isabel. His ensemble, though not by the same designers, would match with hers, and compliment her perfectly.

He purchased his outfit while waiting, hiding it in a bag, so she would not have a clue. He didn’t know if Isabel liked surprises or not, but he had a great one up his sleeve.

She came and joined him a few minutes later. They once again sat down on the bench, and they started to discuss the rest of their plans for the day.

“So?” He asked, “we have to find a place to stay still, we still need to get regular clothes, we’ll need a couple of changes, unless we want to wear a repeat, which I doubt we do…and ummm….” His eyes diverted from hers as he started to stammer while he turned a little red. “Umm, we need to discuss something.” He whispered.

She looked at him, offering her hand, and feeling a little fearful.

“It’s nothing bad,” He mumbled out, leaving her in a state of confusion, and as he sensed her hesitation, he ducked his head… “We kind of have to discuss nightwear.”

“Like pajamas?” She asked softly, inwardly chuckling at how innocent Alex truly is.

“Yes, pjs, ummm… I’ve never seen yours, except for the night of your nightmares, and I’m sure anything you sleep in will be as beautiful as you are. But umm… we need to get PJ’s and I want you comfortable… so buy whatever you need.” He stammered out…

“Honey?” A slightly embarrassed Isabel whispered, “Why are you blushing?”

“Izzy,” he said softly staring at his lap refusing to look at her. “The last two times I’ve been with you, I’ve been well, umm, dressed. My typical pajamas usually consist of a lot less.” He blurted out in a rushed whisper. He sucked in his lips as the red deepened. ‘Shoot me now. I’m discussing pajamas with my girlfriend... only because we’re gonna need some.’

She got a wicked glint in her eyes, for she was pretty certain she knew how he slept, she did get her first kiss last timeline on his porch and he was in his PJ’s, flannel plaid pants, and a t-shirt. But his blushing innocence was so adorable that she couldn’t resist teasing him. “You don’t sleep in the nude do you?” Isabel asked in a feigned shock, yet her innocence got the better of her as she too ducked her head and slightly changed color.

He looked at her, thrilled that she was so innocent, and choked out in his shock, “Isabel! NO! Of course not, ‘damn close sometimes.’ I, uh, sleep in my shorts, with just a shirt most of the time, sometimes I wear jammie pants.” He sighed. “Its just I wasn’t looking to figure out our sleepwear this early in the relationship, but we need to decide what we are gonna do. I just can’t believe we’re at this point already.” He mumbled out in a tease, while playfully raising a suggestive eyebrow. “How do you want me dressed? What do you want? I-I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

‘He’s definitely not my Alex. My Alex would have never got that information spit out, much less ended it on an innuendo. This one is confident, hopelessly innocent, not that I’m not, but he’s confident. He brought up the pajama situation, not me.’ Isabel sat there thinking to herself, and then she stood from the bench, gently tugged on his hands and pulled him to standing with her.

“Alex. I know that was difficult to spill out, thanks for letting me know how you normally dress, and now, I’m going to go pick some pajamas for me and let you do what you want. I know this whole situation could make you uncomfortable, so you decide.” She sent a playfully suggestively raised eyebrow back in his direction. And then she headed off towards intimates, with a flirty sashay of her hips. She had that girl hip swing down perfectly, and she left him standing there desperately wondering what she would come back with and what he should do. He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, as he headed over to the shirts, only one thought on his mind. ‘I’m spending the night with Isabel Evans… on purpose.’

They also each picked out some regular clothes, a couple of outfits, just to fill in the crunch. And then they went to the travel section and purchased a duffle bag to place all their gear into, clothes as well what they would yet purchase. They decided together to create this “jump-kit,” in case an event like this ever occurred again. It would contain all the essentials for a couple days getaway.

Everything paid for, they headed over to shoes. Isabel’s platform sneakers would be sufficient for her day outfit but she was in need of something dressy for that night. She couldn’t help but notice that he had picked dress shoes. ‘He’s dressing up? I can’t wait. I wonder what he’s got planned?’

Their shoes for tonight now added into all their other purchases, they headed towards Bed and Bath Works… in there they purchased feminine things such as body wash, shampoo fit for the princess she is, etc… and even towels and washcloths. They could always return them if they never used them, and Isabel preferred an extra large, fluffy, towel to a regular sized towel, she made that very clear that it was one of the reasons for stopping in to the store. Alex got himself a large sized towel as well… ‘When in Rome…’ Their final stop in the mall led them to a pharmacy type store where they purchased everything else they may need, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes and things of that sort. Finally, shopping done, they headed out to the car, arms laden with shopping bags. It was now time to find lodging.

They loaded their armloads of shopping bags into the trunk and Alex resettled Isabel into the front seat. After he got in, he looked at her and smiled warmly, it almost melted her on the spot. Then she frowned.

“What?” Alex shook his head.

“I’m so sorry Alex… I mean, you really have come to my rescue… and I just am sorry to put you in the middle of this mess. My life…” Isabel answered morosely.

Alex brushed it off, “You know I’ll do anything for you, so allow me to...” He shrugged his shoulders and backed out the car. Isabel closed her eyes and leaned back into the seat.

“Iz? Do you want to catch lunch?” he asked, realizing that it was getting later.

“No, I’m not that hungry…” she gave a heavy, sigh.

A couple of minutes later Alex pulled up in front of the Comfort Inn, hoping to get a room for the night.

He kissed her forehead and left her seated in the car, her eyes were closed and she was back in her deep thought.

***************

His baggy jeans swishing, wallet chain rattling against the denim, and slapping against his leg with every step; the young man walked towards the front counter, his sneakers squeaking on the very polished flooring as he strode. He stepped up to the long, wooden counter and cleared his throat, "Excuse me sir?"

The reception clerk glanced up from behind the computer screen, quickly scouted around the young man for parents and then decided to himself that this kid was not of legal age yet. “May I help you?” His head was resting on his palm in a bored manner.

“I’d like a room. I’ve got credit.” Alex informed him.

Teens asking for rooms usually had one thing one their mind, the clerk cut to the chase. “Have you got a girl with you?”

“Yes sir.“ Alex responded respectfully.

“What are you, like 17?“ The clerk asked pointedly.

“Something like that…” Alex responded.

The clerk, pushed his black Ralph Lauren prescription glasses frames back into place on his nose and leaned in toward Alex. “Listen kid. I’m not going to be renting a room to a 17 year old guy and his girlfriend.” He said derisively.

“What if I wanted double occupancy, two beds?” Alex questioned, his mouth scrunched to one side in concentration.

The clerk shook his head. “We both know only one them would be used. I’m going to save you a lot of grief here. Take her home. You are by law, a minor. And we don’t rent rooms to minors.”

“Do you know anywhere that would?” Alex asked hopefully.

“Not any reputable establishment.” The clerk responded, disgruntled at the fact that he had to deal with the teenaged boy at all. “I’m going to save you some trouble here, don’t even try the Motel Six. Seventeen and under can stay for free with a paying adult family member. You are a kid; the law sees you as a kid. Do the right thing; take the girlfriend home.”

“Thanks…” Alex sighed a defeated sigh and shook his head as he walked out the door. This wasn’t going to be easy or look good. When his parents got the credit card bill and saw all of the money used… oh yes this was not going to be good at all.

***************

He sighed deeply and walked to the car, formulating the next possible plan in his mind.

“Hi Alex.” Isabel looked at him when he entered, he did not seem particularly happy.

“Hi Baby. We got a little bit of a problem.” He took her hand in his to assure her he was in this with her.

“We do?” She questioned a bit confused.

‘Yeah.” He squeezed her hand lightly. “I just found out you have to be eighteen or older to rent a room … Anywhere. We could stay for free at Motel Six if we were with our parents, as if we were four year olds.” Alex said caustically. “This leaves us with only one option, or two if you want to sleep in the car?” He teased.

“No car, and I think I know the next thing you’re gonna say…. don’t say it, just find it. I could alter your license if you’d care to try somewhere else?” She offered, knowing that the only reason they were even here was because of the mess she was in just for being different.

Alex shook his head furiously the minute she uttered the word license. “Skip the license. It’s my job to take care of you... I promised your Dad I would, and I’m gonna do my job. I’ll find where we stay.” He smiled softly, “Iz? Fake ids just wouldn’t be so good right now with the FBI so close. We need to be normal.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

“Thanks for reminding me,” she said mournfully. “Its not like the thought hasn’t crossed my mind a million times today.” She stated in an irritated manner.

Alex pulled his hands from hers and said, “None of that! … We’re gonna have a roof over our heads, a warm bed, and a place with a shower. What more could you ask for?” Alex grinned. “I’m on it… just leave it to me.”

***************

They drove to the edge of the town, into the less reputable part, to a nearby liquor store that had an ATM machine. Alex used his emergency credit card and withdrew cash. Then they drove a bit down the street until they hit lodging. A cheap sleazy motel seemed to be their only option for the night. The establishment couldn’t have had more than fifteen to twenty rooms, all in a row.

They went in together, and she started to be stared at by all the psychos and perverts within a ten-foot radius. ‘Damn, I hate my looks sometimes.’ The clerk was practically drooling; and his eyes were not to the face most of the time. She thought of two ways to play this, use her assets, play them up, and reduce herself to the level of slime that this joint no doubt was… Or she could play it cool and act disinterested. She decided upon the latter, and rolled her eyes while waiting as Alex laid down the small stack of cash. The clerk handed over the key and she grabbed it eagerly, “Come-on honey,” she breathlessly whispered, for she was in actress mode… “I want to get us to our room.” Isabel said loudly enough for all to hear. And then she kissed him passionately in front of everyone, and ran her fingertips lightly on his chest. Alex just grinned like the cat that had swallowed the canary and started to walk out the darkened foyer with her.

“Lucky Dog,” someone within earshot exclaimed…. Yet another started, “Man did you get a load of her… “ Isabel jerked Alex out of there so as not to hear the derogatory remark that would most assuredly exit that person’s mouth. “Ignore him. Lets go.” She whispered, for she had felt the fight in Alex rise up when that person opened his mouth. Alex shrugged his shoulders and then they got the car and drove to the room. At least it was on the far end and the very last one. Some semblance of privacy was afforded here. Parking was in front.

***************

As they walked through the door, before them was a bed that had swallowed the room. It was circular shaped, and covered in the most awful dark pink crushed velvet blanket, coverlet type thing. The wall-paper left little to the imagination of what this room was used for, and at least there were a couple of chairs for sitting in. Across from the bed, was a TV stand with a VCR. Yep she really didn’t want to know now… Isabel cringed and turned flirty; it was more for her own amusement and to cover her embarrassment of this room.… “Have you seen the bed Alex?” She said in a tone of amused horror.

“Of course…” he stated matter-of-factly, as he quickly hugged her shoulders with arm. “I tried to get us a hotel with two beds but alas…. Here we are.” Here made a wide sweeping gesture to the behemoth as he went to sit upon it and remove his shoes. His feet needed a rest. But he didn’t get very far before Isabel jerked him to his feet. “What?” he asked slightly annoyed, holding his sneaker in his hand.

“In here, we touch nothing until I’ve ‘sterilized’ it.” She held up her glowing right hand and proceeded to run it over the bed, and then the pillows. Isabel then ran her hands over the chairs and even the carpet… they’d be walking on it more than likely, she smiled and shoved him back to sitting on the edge of the bed to pick-up where he had left off, while she ran her hands along every imaginable surface; including everything in the adjoining bathroom. “Everything is good now...” she smiled. “I made it like brand new… no germs and no potential to catch anything.” To himself he thought, ‘I don’t want to know what all takes place in here either, at least with her abilities its safe...’

Isabel did not forget the former conversation, but degerming had been the top priority, now it was time to have some fun, “Two beds? Why would you have done that?” She seductively walked over to her barefooted boyfriend and wrapped her arms around his neck, he stood, wrapping his arms tightly around her. They had made it to Clovis, he had an awesome evening planned, though it was a surprise he was saving till later, and most importantly, Isabel was safe. “You know I’m going to sleep in your arms tonight… I doubt the second one would have ever been used….” She was giving him a double meaning and she knew it, but it was beyond her level of comfort, her eyes averted from his, but she could still feel his on her head as she stared at her suddenly very interesting white platform sneakers.

“You are going to sleep in my arms, are you?” He answered in feigned shock, “I thought last weekend in the woods was unplanned, and your exhaustion forced you to sleep in my arms….” He teased her, “So why wouldn’t you use your bed, if you had one? What are your plans?” He grinned evilly as he prepared to get even for her sleeping in the nude comment back at the store. “You weren’t thinking of hot passionate love all night long were you?” He blushed furiously when he said it, for it was a little over his comfort level to be teasing her in such a manner. Yet his eyes never left the top of her head. She was still staring down from her flirt.

Her head came up and her eyes met his momentarily. “Al-ex!!!” He was becoming accustomed to the tone of his name in that manner, and the slap that followed. Then she brought him back to earth… “I’m going to have nightmares tonight, its inevitable. I’ll be sleeping in your arms, count on it.” She didn’t want to flirt anymore, and turned on a bit of the ‘Ice Princess’ to get herself out of the situation.

“I need a shower and I’ll be in there awhile, I like to take long, hot, steamy showers. If you want one, get it first… There won’t be much hot water left when I am done.” Isabel stated.

‘I so did not need that visual.’ “Ok Izzy, I’ll get it first, why don’t you get your clothes ready for tonight? It’ll give you something to do?” Alex smiled warmly thinking of the outfits they had just purchased, “And plan on a fun evening ok?”

He entered the room abut fifteen minutes later, a towel wrapped securely around his waist, its hemline falling mid-calf, and water droplets falling off the ends of his towel mussed, dark brown hair, and running down his bare chest.

‘Too early, too soon, hands off girl.’ After a large sigh, ‘I didn’t need to know what he looks like, sans shirt, and wet. I so did not need that visual.’ “See ya Alex.” She stated calmly, not letting him know what effect he was working on her currently. And that was the last good thought in her brain for quite sometime. For when she entered the shower she was completely alone and finally able to let the impact of everything she had been through hit her. And hit her it did, as she found herself sobbing, deep body wracking convulsions of pain, and confusion rocked her frame as she leaned with her hands straight out holding onto the wall to support herself; while she started to piece together the two timelines and to think through everything, absolutely everything that had changed.

Meanwhile in the other room, Alex was closing his cell phone after ending a call and he thought he heard her crying. He looked at his watch, it had been quite a while since she had stepped into the shower, and the water had likely gone cold. He started to knock on the door, but the only sound he heard was that of shaky crying. So he pounded on it a little more forcefully, “Izzy! Are you ok? Can I come in?”

Isabel was huddled in the corner of the shower, her arms wrapped around her knees, sobbing into them as she let hot water wash over her, easing her pain. She heard Alex’s voice from far way, though he was only outside the door, and she heard him ask if he could come in. “No!!” She called out. “I’ll be out in a second.” And then she realized that was huddled to herself trying to get warm, and that the hot water had gone decidedly chilly.

Isabel stood up and turned off the now icy water and reached for her towel, the one they had just bought, for both of the teens declined to use the motel’s towels. Even though she could, and did, ‘sterilize’ everything, they wanted to use theirs, it was the principle of the thing. Thankful for her powers she warmed her soft, fluffy, purple towel up and then wrapped it around herself. Its hemline fell right above her knees. She then headed out into the main room to grab her change of clothes, she had been so deep in thought when she entered the bathroom that she had forgotten to bring them in with her. Alex was at the door, holding out the sheet sideways from the bed, she took one look at him and her tears started to trickle down her cheeks again,,, she walked over and placed her arms around his shoulders, burying her head on his shoulder. Alex wrapped her up in the sheet and led her to the bed. He had stripped it of its bedding in order to get the sheet off.

“You must be freezing.” He said soothingly, as he rubbed the sheet somewhat forcefully over her back in an effort to warm her up, while he sat behind her.

“I was… but I warmed up my towel…” She laughed through her tears.

“What’s wrong Izzy? I’m worried about you? I think you cried your whole shower. I don’t think, hot, steamy, long showers; usually involve tears to the point that they become, cold, icy showers do they?” He tried to tease her a bit, though his heart was aching, seeing her in so much pain, and seeing the tears in her eyes, he moved around to the side of her.

“No!” She choked out almost unintelligibly as the tears started to course again.

“What sweetheart? Please?” he begged, turning to look her in the face and stroking away the tears with his thumbs. .

She welcomed the touch of his hands and she just held them there, staring into his eyes. Her lower lip quivering she stated, somewhat inarticulately, “I never knew how much changed Alex.” She bit her lip as her eyes drifted their gaze downwards.

Alex took in a couple of sharp breaths as her words took root, “It just hit you didn’t it? Everything you’ve been through?” He asked while thinking to himself that it was bound to happen sometime or later. She really hadn’t dealt with it yet, he would know, for he was there for everything she went through. It had finally caught up, and it obviously was triggered by that man earlier. He encouraged her to keep explaining.

“Yes…” She said softly as she pulled his hands down to her lap. “I feel like I’m in a video game… You know? You win certain levels so you don’t have to play them over, but everything resets to that point and you get to go through it again?” He nodded for her to continue, and as she continued he began to rub her hair dry with his already damp towel, hers was sandwiched between her and the bedsheet which she was still tightly wrapped up in.

“I’m going through it again Alex…” she said softly, “The bad guys that have died have been reset… I-I-I don’t know… how to … how to … win …” her voice was tremulous. “This is real… I’m scared … The stakes are so high, if I make a mistake I risk losing someone I love,,, again.” She brought her hand to her mouth to stifle the sobs as she forced herself to keep explaining everything weighing so heavily on her.

“Izzy…” he questioned, “Is that person the bad guy you’re talking about?” Alex asked gently as he kissed her cheek from behind. He was now finger combing the tangles out. He was finally able to run his hands through her hair, but she was broken again, and he wished that he could do it when it was pleasurable to the both of them.

“One of them,” she murmured, “We were never going to have to deal with him again. He was dead… Michael had killed him in self-defense, protecting the sheriff. And then Kyle got shot in the ‘crossfire,’ anyways Max healed him… and Sheriff Valenti became our ally, and they all worked together to bury this person, and then our protector, someone from our planet, um posed as umm, him, you know the guy from today? And he made a mockery of the Special Unit, from the inside out and had it disbanded and discredited. And then he got a relationship going with another alien, Congresswoman Whitaker… and it was all a political thing... “ Isabel was interrupted by his tone of surprise.

“Wait, she’s an alien?” He asked incredulously.

“Yes”…She nodded, “anyways, she killed him, or so we think, once it was discovered she was an alien…and , and, all the bad guys are reset…” She said sadly as Alex wrapped his arms protectively around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

“So, is this part of doing things the same way? These people can all turn up and you have to pretend as if you don’t know who they are? Wow!!! Alex must have really trusted your inner strength, I can’t imagine being put in a place like that.” He said assuredly.

“Yeah! Lot of good I did today.” She mumbled. “I’m sure that guy has already entered that little encounter of ours into the computer he calls a brain.”

Alex couldn’t let her feel bad for what had happened, it was a situation beyond her control and she had responded amazingly well in his estimation. “Even if you have to act as if you don’t know them Iz… you do. You know who to avoid, or at least find ways around things. Like today… you already know that man is the head of the Special Unit. You are the only one with that knowledge… and here we are, getting out of Roswell. Lets just say everything is the same so far, but this was your first time around at it.” He stated matter-of-factly.

“Alex?” Her head came up to look into his eyes, as she questioned what he might be getting at.

“Just go with it ok?” He smiled. “Lets say, you still felt sick and you still were agitated during the week. You wouldn’t know why. When you got really sick we would not have been on the way out of town but rather you’d be at home.” He hoped she was following his train of thought. “Now lets say, that you have an ability to read people… based on what I’ve seen lately, I’d say you do, at least to some degree.” Isabel kept watching him, watching him try to make it all better. “He would file that encounter into his head. Then he’d go watch that tape, and then he’d start watching you!” Alex stated forcefully, driving the point home. “But he’s leaving before we get back, you aren’t in Roswell, and he doesn’t know who you are and with our leaving he can’t find the person he is interested in. You know the bad guys Isabel. And I’m sure you will alter what you must, when they could seriously harm someone. Everything is gonna be fine. I know you can do this. Now I have to ask another question based on the last thing you said, way off this current topic…”Congresswoman Whitaker? Was she dead too? You said something about all the bad guys being reset?” He asked gently. He pulled her head to his chest and ran his fingers through her long, blonde hair.

“Yes,” She bit her lip and said ever so softly, “I killed her… protecting…who was to later become your- your murderer.” She was gasping for breath, “What a convoluted crazy mixed up story this must sound like. I must sound like a lunatic to you.”

“NO!!!” he said in a tone that made her straighten up, “You know I believe you.”

She nodded, “Thanks for that.” A bit later she resumed talking, “He’s a freaking Terminator Alex. You can’t kill him, he’ll get you, hunt you down. There’s no stopping him.” She bit her lip as she stared at him. And then the next wave of fear hit her as she sat in Alex’s arms finally realizing all the changes… “The Special Unit does exist… completely.” She sat in silence thinking through that implication as she started to cry. “Oh God,” she choked out after sometime. It appeared as if something else was bothering her.

“What sweetie?” he asked carefully.

“Valenti?” She leaned into Alex, laying her head on his shoulder.

“What about him?” He asked.

“No handprint, no saving Liz, If Kyle’s never shot or healed, and I can’t see why he would be...” She continued to work through everything out-loud. “Oh God… Valenti’s chasing me, and I may not be able to sway him to our side. Oh my God! I’m really being followed, tailed. I don’t trust Valenti.” She whimpered as tears gathered in her large brown eyes.

“Isabel…” Alex said her name so lovingly and sweetly that the dam broke.

“No Alex, you were there last week when he walked us back, he grilled me on all the unexplained things… you too. I was shocked when he covered for us after that…” The tears were now falling.

“Of course,” Alex needed her to feel safe, so he concentrated on the fact that they were left alone. “But he couldn’t sound like he was hunting aliens in our midst… that would make him sound crazy, and he really doesn’t want to be thought of as his father. So he covered. And we breathe another day.” He grinned, although somewhat stiffly.

Her tears flowing fast and furiously she turned to the only person she let see all this pain, “Alex.” Her eyes pleading to be heard, “I hope you don’t think I’m weak or paranoid or anything now, but I’m scared of Valenti, I wasn’t really… but now I know that time really did reset, enemies are alive again…” She leaned into his chest crying. There was nothing more she could say, she was scared, Alex would protect her, and she really didn’t know what would happen anymore. Everything was an unknown.

TBC…..

***
Wish me luck on the next part. I know what I want to do and have planned, but…. And also wish me some writing time please. If you’ve read my feedbacks you’ll understand my crazy life.

Thanks for all your patience.

Mt Gazer
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

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Mt Gazer
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New part

Post by Mt Gazer »

First off: to my feedbackers thanks so much for your support of this story. I appreciate it.

An Apology...
The last page of my feedbacks were erased somehow in the downtime of the board these past couple weeks... so I'm just saying thanks in general this time.

WE'll get everything back to normal with regular posting again soon.

But this is that chapter that wasn't able to go up on time, and I hope those of you who haven't had a chance to enjoy it yet, will do so.

Mt Gazer


ON WITH THE STORY...........


Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

Maybe in this part and parts to come I am borrowing some scenes, and I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher
Spoilers: Slight mentions of The Convention, and really none else...


*****
Song as usual in regular italics.

A/N: As usual I inform you of something. This time it is to inform you that every place mentioned in this chapter is fictionalized, except for Clovis NM. But everywhere Alex and Isabel are is fiction. That said, on with the show....

*****

Shifting Realities

Chapter 21: Part One

The Calm Before the Storm…



***
She pulled herself from his arms after a long time of just being wrapped in his support. Isabel laid down on her side and softly cried herself to sleep; Alex was holding her from behind, until she was deeply breathing. He silently rolled off the bed trying not to move too much so as not to disturb her. He then retrieved the horrid pink blanket that had been tossed to the floor in his haste to unmake the bed so as to remove the sheet earlier. He gently covered her with it and gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

Then he crossed over to one of the chairs and sat down watching her, thinking about all she had shared before she fell asleep. He realized that in one respect he was very lucky to know everything she was going through; but in the other respect, by knowing it, he could also feel her pain and fear... And he hated that worried feeling, that haunted fear that was a latent part of her every waking moment.

He had already decided that if nightmares were inevitable and her stress could not be erased than he would at least waylay it for awhile and give her a relaxing evening, before they returned to the room and the assumedly horrible night that lay ahead. He rocked back in the chair, supported by only its two back legs, and leaned it against the wall, hands interlocked behind his head as he sat there contemplating pretty much everything.

***************

He stayed in this manner for quite sometime before he quickly ran to town for an errand. There was something important he wanted to do, and while he was out, a thought hit his brain of something that he needed to do as quickly as he could and so he found himself a payphone and dialed the Evans.

Diane answered, and after listening to the operator, accepted the collect charges. “Alex, what’s wrong?” She asked in a worried tone.

“Nothing I just need Max’s cell number. I need to let him know something.” Alex insisted.

“My Daughter?” Diane whispered, she could not shake her worry.

Alex answered her, “Isabel’s asleep.”

Diane gasped, Alex heard it and continued, “She is fine, poor Isabel is just exhausted. It’s nothing bad. I just NEED to talk to Max right now.”

“Ok. Ok Alex, call the minute you need us, for anything. We’re going out for the night, so ring our cells if you have to.” Diane informed him of their plans and upon finishing the call gave him Max’s cell number.

“Thanks Diane.” Alex smiled, as he wrote down the number and prepared to make another call.

Reaching into his jingling pocket he grabbed a handful of quarters and started to feed the phone, if a local call was 50 cents, this would be much more he realized.

‘Max.” he demanded when he heard the other young man’s voice.

“Alex? Where’s my sister?” Max demanded back.

“With me. We’re in Clovis.” Alex answered him.

“Why?”

“Your dad wanted us to deliver some papers for signing.” Alex used the lie that Philip Evans had given him a few hours prior.

‘You expect me to believe that?” Max said in a tone of complete annoyance, “Why are you really there Alex?” He pressed for the truth.

“Not going into that Max, I have three minutes and I’m on a payphone. However I need you to do something very important for me.”

“What?” Asked the confused young man on his cell. He met Michael’s eyes, because Michael had been watching the intensity of the conversation since it had started. Max shrugged in response.

Alex gave his direction, “See what happened to that guy who ran into Isabel.”

Max looked up and around momentarily; he whispered into the handset, “He’s still here. Been milling around the convention on and off all day.”

“Ok. Great!” Alex breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Make sure he leaves when it’s over… And… and .. and … just don’t talk about Isabel at all publicly right now, any of you. For all you know she doesn’t exist.”

“Alex what’s this about?” Max was now worried.

“Just do it Max… just trust me. Another thing. You are normal kids, all of you. Don’t use any code words, and no nicknames. Tell Maria not to drop any of her hints. Nothing. Play normal until the convention is over or that man leaves Roswell.” Alex ordered.

“Alex?” Max asked in his obvious confusion.

/Three minutes is up, please signal when through. / The automated operator interrupted the call.

“Max, just do it. I gotta go, I left Isabel alone too long as it is. She’s taking a nap… but I’ve gotta get back. See you tomorrow night Max.” He hung up leaving Isabel’s brother very bewildered on the other end.

***************

In Roswell at the convention Max looked around to see how many members of the club were present. Michael was the only one. Maria had just headed out to do a late afternoon/evening shift at the Crashdown.

After letting Michael take a couple of moments, Max headed over. “We gotta talk.”

He knew Max was on the phone with someone, but at the time he was unsure of whom. “Yeah,“ Michael was uncomfortable with the tone in Max’s voice and thought it might even have to do with the previous day, since he hadn’t made a great impression on Maria’s mother. He had insulted her as he spoke to Maria about the convention being a freak-show, and Maria was just kooky. Amy Deluca had responded with, “Nothing personal, but this freak show keeps my kooky daughter and myself off the streets.”

“Not that, Michael. Alex.” Max pointed to his cell discreetly. Michael nodded in understanding and headed across the street.

Max had a break coming up and so he walked over to Milton and let him know he’d be stepping out for a moment. He made his way across the street to the Crashdown where the girls were working.

Liz saw Max as he entered the door. Ok, make that blew threw the door, shoving it open, forcefully, one-handed. The happy tingling of the bell was not matched by the intensity that was written on the young man’s chiseled jaw. Liz saw the look on his face and knew that whatever he had to say was not going to be good… “Maria,” She called out, as Max headed straight for the employee’s break room.

Maria looked up and saw Michael, who was waiting for Max by the front door with his arms crossed. He was standing next to the newest alien décor that had been picked up at the convention a day prior, a three to three and a half foot alien, holding an infant. (The alien looked to be a standard white alien, with the large black almond shaped eyes, and the infant seemed to be more human, the coloring, Caucasian.) Michael surreptitiously nodded towards the back room, which Max had just entered, they needed to talk and it was the closest place they could all talk for the moment.

The girls nodded, finished with their current customers that they were attending to, and headed into the break room.

Max was pacing and said without preamble or warning, in a loud whisper, “Maria stop calling him anything.” He pointed over to Michael. The tense young man stood against the outer door, arms folded on his chest.

“What?” A very puzzled Maria asked.

“All done with your code words and nicknames.” Max insisted. He sure was speaking in very short sentences and it was really making Maria frustrated.

Liz noticed the stress Maria was feeling and decided to join in, “Max what’s this about?” Liz whispered.

“Alex just called and said, and I quote, ‘You are normal kids.’ Then he said not to talk about my sister at all.” Max answered now as confused as the rest.

“How’s she doing?” Maria immediately asked.

“I don’t know, she doesn’t exist.” Six wide eyes stared at Max, Liz cocked her head to the side, Michael raised a curious eyebrow and scratched it with his forefinger, and Maria almost exploded, they all were waiting for an explanation of his words. Max shook his head, and raised his hands in surrender, “Its what Alex said. And watch that guy who she ran into earlier.”

“Who is he?” the girls asked in perfectly whispered unison.

“Don’t know…” Max raked his fingers through his hair, “but trouble in capital letters apparently. I gotta get back to work. Just remember, she doesn’t exist. Got it?”

“Yeah.” Everyone answered him.

“Ok. Good.” Max stepped out of the room.

The meeting ended and everyone was on high alert.

***************

Back in Clovis, when Alex returned to the room, Isabel was still sound asleep, the bottom of her long leg was peeking out from beneath the fuchsia colored blanket, and she was at the edge of the bed, her hand dangling down as well. Some of her long golden hair had fallen over the side of her face.

“Beautiful,” he whispered to himself as he smiled at the sight of his sleeping princess and left her while he proceeded to ready himself for their date.


At 4:45 p.m. Alex, climbed onto the bed next to his sleeping girlfriend. In one of his hands he clutched a rounded triangular shaped bottle with an opaque lid, the lid was similarly shaped but cut across on an angle.

He leaned over her, and tilting the bottle back and forth, he dabbed the stick into the fragrant, light amber colored liquid. Smiling sweetly he then rubbed the dabber onto the side of Isabel’s neck that was exposed.

She responded with a small stirring and a contented, happy little murmuring type of sound, “Mmm...” she mumbled as she rolled over on her side now facing him. But she was not yet awake.

Alex reapplied another dab of perfume to the other side of her graceful neck.

Her eyelids fluttered open for a brief second, but they closed again as she waited to see what he’d do next.

He leaned over and nuzzled his nose into the base of her neck, “Mmmm, you smell so good.” He mumbled. The softness of his breath on her neck made her giggle a bit. She locked her eyes with his and followed his every movement.

‘What are you doing?” She asked smiling… thinking to herself, ‘I’d love to be awakened like this every day.’

“Longing to be with you and for you to wake up,” he teased, shaking the bottle and holding it on such an angle that she could get a look at the name of the fragrance. Isabel laughed. And then she sat up to wrap her arms around his neck and give him a gentle kiss.

“So what’s the occasion? I didn’t have any fragrances in my purse when we left. Where’d you get that?” She sniffed the delicate air. “I like it. Thanks.”

Alex let her in on his little surprise. “When you were trying on clothes at the mall, I stepped into cosmetics for a moment and picked it out. I wanted you to feel perfect ‘for me’ tonight. You already have the perfect dress, so now you smell gorgeous as well. And I guess you can just re-wear the necklace you had on earlier.” He lightly traced his index finger down the side of her neck.

“Yeah. Something like that… So what are we doing?” She answered him, curious to know just what he was up to exactly.

“You’re getting up now.” He walked around to her side of the bed and with his hand yanked her gently from the bed.

“It’s close to 5:00 and dinner is in a couple of hours. We have one stop to make before we go eat. And I hope you like Italian, because I’ve already made reservations at Olivia’s. Its this great restaurant right here in town. So come-on…” he acted excited, “get ready. I can’t wait. I hope I left you enough time.”

He reminded her of a child at Christmas, his barely contained enthusiasm was almost contagious.

Isabel retrieved her shopping bags, sheet and towel still wrapped tightly around herself, and she shuffled into the bathroom. After stepping in, she discarded the sheet and tossed it out the door in a silent statement that Alex remake the bed … About 45 minutes later a vision of beauty emerged from the bathroom.

As she stepped out, he whistled and she lightly blushed, and spun for his enjoyment. He held out his hand, “Shall we?”

“We shall.” She answered accepting his outstretched hand.

***************

Alex looked at the window and realized that there was still some daylight left, but the sky was painted in so many colors of pinks and purples that he couldn’t wait to get her outside.

They, dressed to the nines, stepped out of their motel room, and headed to the car.

First they stopped at a nearby park, and walked along the path hand in hand, taking in the full splendor of each other, actually modeling their evening wear for the other’s viewing pleasure.

Isabel’s dress was from the cream of the formal wear department, yet simple
enough in it's elegance to allow it to be worn for 'everyday' special occasions.

And as usual, Isabel, as well as Alex who had chosen it for her, had applied high standards, selecting a garment with the perfect color to accent her skin-tone and hairstyle. It was crafted from quality fabric, but the perfection of the cut and fit had benefited from a little 'otherworldly' alterations, as she changed for their evening out.

The foundation was a slip dress in a deep rich (royal blue) sapphire micro fiber, with a close fitting sheer over layer. Starting at a slightly gathered, sleeveless shoulder, the bodice flowed into a draped V-neck, which was at the same time both tantalizing and modest. The dress then pulled into a loose empire
waistline before flaring out to a straight hem that fell just below her knee. The rich color and sheen of the slip dress was enhanced by the sheer over layer, which danced delightfully with every motion the young woman made.

The overall effect was flattering yet youthful and playful, as the hemline of the sheer over-layer played peek-a-boo over the underneath layer showing off an inch or so of her shapely legs, through it.

Her shoes were a double strapped, black heel used to accentuate the dress, but not to downplay it.

Alex held his hand to her and she spun for him, allowing him a view of the back; which fell in a deeper gracefully draped V that ended at the level of her mid-back, the total effect achieving her desired result. Alex was left speechless

“Perfect,” he whispered in a tone of awe that just made her melt.

And not to be out done, Alex showed off his wardrobe selection to her.

Alex was dressed in a silk, long-sleeved, button-front, Royal Blue dress shirt. And to complement he wore black, front pleated dress slacks, with a black leather belt. A small matching black handkerchief was tucked into the shirt pocket to accentuate the look. Slung over his shoulder by a hooked index finger, he carried a suit jacket in a deep black to match the pants. Of course his mandarin collared shirt was customarily buttoned to the top, he couldn’t deny them the pleasure of her ritualistic flirting.

“Oh My God! Wow!!” Isabel gushed placing her hand on her chest.

“You approve?” He teased.

“Yeah, definitely. You don’t usually look this good, no offense.” She said stepping into his very personal space and reaching to undo the top button.

“None taken.” Alex whispered as he realized that she was so close to him.

Then she stroked the side of his face while gazing longingly at him. “What color are your eyes?” she asked staring deeply into them.

“Green? Aren’t they?” He asked, knowing that they were likely drawing out the blue of his shirt.

“No! I thought you had hazely, green eyes. But they are gorgeous honey. They are like the blue of a sapphire jem polished brightly. They are most definitely blue.” She stared even deeper into them. “Wow! I love your eyes. I never knew they did that.” Alex’s fingers were lightly grazing her long flowing hair. Isabel had curled it and pulled it up on the sides fastened by small silver and blue clips that matched her outfit perfectly.

“Well,” he slightly laughed, “I’ve got eyes to complement my outfit. You definitely are in need of something as well, and seeing that you are already wearing a stunning Silver and Sapphire necklace…” he gently fingered the stone as he spoke, “which when we left Roswell was black and dangling.. All I can wonder is if you created it?” He held the stone in his hand while staring at her, with a curiously raised eyebrow. “Anyway this is for you.” He pulled out from a hidden location behind his back a long, rectangular, velvety box.

“Jewelry?’ Isabel asked, in surprise. “You really are spoiling me aren’t you?” A 1000 watt smile graced her face.

“Why not?” His smile in return matched hers. “I want to make you happy and give you everything. You already know that… so?” He nodded to her for she had not yet opened it.

“Ohhhh!!” She made that breathy sound girls make when their emotions are touched. “Its beautiful and it will match the ensemble perfectly.”

“Here! Allow me.” Alex removed the delicate silver chain, with the one blue stone in the center and knelt on one knee at Isabel’s ankle to fasten it. In the dwindling twilight the young couple just enjoyed each other’s presence as they watched the sun set.

***************

Next they headed to a video store to pick entertainment for later that evening. They were quite a sight as they walked in, in all their glory. Heads turned to stare at them. They were so obviously together one couldn’t help but notice them.

They were perusing the comedy/romance sections of the store and reading titles quickly to find something. Alex walked over with the Princess Bride. “Hey Iz? Ever see this?”

“Oh Gosh!” she started to chuckle, “if that’s not the story of my life.” She laughed while placing her hand on her chest.

Taking his cue, he answered from the movie. “My princess with the golden hair and unsurpassing beauty.” He stepped closer to her, streaming his fingertips through the silky golden tresses.

“Danger, suspense… “ She whispered while grinning. Wrapping her arms around his neck.

And he replied, “True love.” As he leaned his forehead against hers.

“Oh yeah, and then there’s this,” she quoted as well, “Death can’t stop true love, it can only delay it awhile.” She nodded and with a sigh said, “How true that also is.” Right there in the aisle of the video store, they entered into yet another of their unabashed kisses. When she pulled out she went into a slight teasing mode; with an ‘Ice Princess’ smile, but softer eyes she said, “Nope!” Grabbing it and putting it back, “Not tonight. That’s not what we are watching. ‘Too close to home.’ OK?”

“As you wish,” Alex teased. “So what are you in the mood for?”

“Don’t know, I will when I find it though.” After a short search she walked over to his side and handed him a movie entitled Fools Rush In. She had an incredulous look on her face. “Just read the back,” she was trying to maintain a straight face.

He turned it over, “Alex Whitman?” He looked at her in surprise. “Keep reading,” she intoned. “And Isabel Fuentes… married… Alex and Isabel Whitman? You’ve got to be kidding me…” Alex almost squealed incredulously.

“Its Kismet.” She grinned. “We found it. Lets go.”

They checked out the movie and headed to dinner at Olivia’s Italiano Ristorante.

***************

They stepped through the door; and the whole world seemed transformed into an Italian garden. Isabel was awed, and that was just stepping through the door. Alex loved watching the look on her face.

He stepped up to the podium, standing tall and proud, with an air of confidence she’d never encountered. “Whitman party of two.” He pointed to his name on the list.

“Right this way sir. Where would you like to sit?” Isabel was a bit surprised that they had their choice of tables, and weren’t just being escorted into whichever location. She watched him curiously. Alex scanned the room quickly with his eyes and pointed to a secluded booth in the far right corner. “Right there please.”

“If Sir would follow me then.” Alex had chosen a secluded booth in the back, with candles burning, and a romantic ambience in the air, and placing his hand gently on the small of her back he guided her to their table, following the seating host.

In the dining area the lighting was dimmed but there were elegant tapered burgundy candles on every table. Two to be exact, in varied heights. Each table was draped in a cream colored tablecloth. The restaurant had an elegant feel to it, some of the candlesticks were silver, others crystal. Each table was slightly varied. Around the perimeter of the ceiling was a long wooden shelf of golden oak, on which were resting multitudes of living, potted plants. Hanging plants, a lot of them. It was like a garden.

Luckily he knew of the restaurant and pulled the Whitman clout to get them a reservation. He had used his father’s name and as his parents were honored guests there quite often, he was readily given whatever table he requested.

You see his father was an independent architect and actually was versed in all types of buildings, but this was one of his designs. Charles Whitman had created this place, some few years previous. He was always an honored guest, and oftentimes given a meal on the house.

Alex seemed relaxed, and happy… it calmed her.

They were escorted into their black, leather seats on the opposite sides of the booth so they could face each other… and after perusing the menu and deciding on their meal, it was time to order. They had decided to get individual meals as opposed to sharing a joint pizza.

Alex ordered Fettuccine Alfredo and Isabel ordered the spaghetti with sweet Italian sausage meat sauce. It was the closest she could approximate her sweet and spicy ratio. They each had a salad rather than the soup, and Isabel chose iced tea to drink so that she had an excuse for sugar.

As their order was taken down Isabel also calmly asked for red pepper flakes.

They then spent many long lingering moments staring at each other unabashedly. She couldn’t help but think that she was acting like Max, the way he fawned over Liz, especially the Max of her past. And she couldn’t help it. It was just right to be staring into Alex’s blue/ green eyes. They stared silently until the salads and drinks arrived. After the server left, Isabel immediately sprinkled sugar over it and then she also sprinkled the pepper flakes. Taking a bite her face looked dreamy, like she was really enjoying her salad and Alex just smiled. So glad he had decided to bring her here.

They got to talking during the main course, however… it started when Alex asked about that morning at the UFO Center.

“Isabel? Where did you learn to pass out so convincingly?” he asked as he grabbed the garlic bread from the basket.

“9th grade.” She smiled. “We had to take electives, and drama was open so I went in thinking that it might come in handy one day. I loved it, getting to be someone else for a change, and not myself… its close enough to reality, yet different enough too if you know what I’m saying.” She took another small bite of her spaghetti.

“Yeah…” he nodded, “hiding under a different identity? Not being really who you are right?”

“Yeah…” she softly answered.

“OK, so explain the passing out.”

Isabel nodded and after a drink of her sugar and Tabasco, (retrieved from her purse for she always has a small bottle with her) laden tea she answered his question. “We did a lot of improvisational warm-ups, and quick-thinking. Actually it was the course description that spurred me into taking the class, that and my dad had done some acting in high school and college, and he was thrilled to watch me try. He never missed a performance, though I was nothing more than wall paper….” She rolled her eyes.

Alex had never seen her act, he never knew she had, so he just kind of went with flattery, “I’m sure you are a wonderful actress, I wish I could have seen it, but what roles did you play? I don’t remember you on any of the billings or I would have been there I’m sure.” He ducked his head and decided on another bite of the fettuccine.

“I’m sure I’m a wonderful actress too.” She giggled arrogantly. “Well I downplayed my abilities, I made sure I never was good enough to be noticed… the hiding thing you know… Max would have never been happy if I drew undue attention to myself… so I didn’t. I made sure that I was never good enough to be cast as a main or even a supporting role. I would have loved to though. Maybe when Max calms down a bit, next semester or school year maybe.” She sighed wistfully, doubting she’d ever get to explore acting any further.

She continued, “But besides the teaching us quick thinking, and on the spot problem remedies, and my dad wanting one of us to follow if only a little in his footsteps,,, I took it to learn how to keep us safe in tight situations. In each inprov, I felt the characters dilemmas and made them my own, so that I knew what it felt like to think in a split-second… and to act accordingly. Everything I do, is to keep hidden and to find ways to facilitate that. It was the perfect class.”

“Wow!” he whispered, reaching out to hold her hand momentarily, “You are always looking for a way to stay safe, huh? So this morning was treated as if you were in an improv.”

“Basically. And that’s the last I really care to discuss any of today’s events. I’m enjoying this date. And I know you are giving it to me to keep my mind off today, so don’t bring it back up.”

“Right, sorry.“ Alex muttered as he took a large sip of his drink, also iced tea.

They continued to eat while getting to know each other. After a few moments, Isabel turned the tables on him, “I’m sure your interest in music isn’t spurred by a deep desire to keep hidden, so what did get you started?” She asked. She really didn’t know.

“I’m like my Grandfather, “Gramps” as I call him. He’s gentle and loving, romantic to a fault, and the best role model. He’s one of my best buds. Where do you think I learned to dance the Waltz???” He laughed, thinking to himself, ‘Right here in Clovis.’ “Well I always showed a propensity toward music from the earliest age. And Gramps got me a small Jr. Version Guitar when I was 9, when we moved to Roswell, and I hadn’t yet made any friends because of my innate shyness.” He started to giggle. “No not spurred by a desire to hide, the exact opposite... to get noticed.” He grinned.

“You shy? YOU Jest??? There’s no way.” Isabel was staring at him with surprise all over her face.

“I was… Moved here in third grade, and I was so lonely and shy, I didn’t hardly have any friends. I didn’t meet Liz till we had the same recess in fourth grade but she didn’t really notice me until Ms. Elmer’s class in the 5th grade. That’s when we became friends, and of course, to be friends with Liz is to be friends with Maria. I just wish I’d known them sooner, all that time lost with the best friends ever. And you. I’ve watched you since my first week here. I think we even had the same class in third grade, but you never noticed me.”

“Alex, I didn’t notice anyone. Hiding in my group and being alone in my own way.” Isabel tried to defend herself or something, as she continued on his last thought, “You’re thinking about lost time… I’ve never had real friends, not till Liz and Maria. And not that I was that great of a friend even then. I understand being lonely. It’s my life. You are the one who pulled me from my shell the most.” Discussion getting too personal for her comfort she then asked him, “So how did you end up in Roswell?”

Alex started to blather again, “I know my dad loves me, though you could wonder sometimes. But the whole reason we’re in Roswell is because he does. He designed this building.”

Isabel just kept watching him to explain. “We did a lot of moving around when I was younger, Pops was always busy with some project or another as the architect. Moved us to Roswell for a couple of reasons… to be nearer his parents as they got on in age. Don’t let that fool you, Gramps is so young its crazy. And Grams, well she’s married to him so that’s got to say something. I don’t even think they have any illnesses. You know the types elderly people get? Whatever, anyways Pops just wanted to be close to home. And he wanted us, his kids, to have stability. I lost some schooling through all those moves, and with my being the youngest my dad realized that his career was affecting my life. And so he came home. We’re from here originally, Dad’s family is. But whatever again, he opened up a private practice; he’s the first to not be military. Even Gramps is retired military, and that’s what my brothers are doing now. My Pops, and me, we’re the only ones who have no desire for it. Pops has more than enough work but not making as much money as when he was working the big jobs. But that’s ok… we’re happy anyways.”

“So that’s why you are getting the royal treatment here?” She smiled in understanding.

“Yep. Its good to have the right contacts. My dad and the owner of this place are fast friends.” He flashed a mega watt smile, and continued sharing his life.

“My brother’s always thought I was a dork, I definitely did not fit in with them or their friends... they are the typical guys.. manly men.. the macho jock mentality. I so don’t fit in their world, never did. I had to create my own. Music is my outlet, as is humor. Clowns always get attention… so obviously I like performing to some degree as well.” He continued on since Isabel seemed be hanging on every word.

“Well Gramps and me, we spend hours strumming our guitars and sharing our love of music together… Sorry I don’t know my dad that well, I know my Gramps a whole lot better. Pops is pretty distant and not a very open person. And I can’t imagine him not seriously losing it over the fact that we just spent the weekend together, out of town.“

“Yeah well, it’ll all work out ok.” Isabel reached across the table and touched his hand reassuringly. “Its ok if you don’t know yours that well. I didn’t really until a few weeks ago. We are spending a lot of time getting reacquainted.“ Shaking her head she mumbled, “I put family first, crave stability and security…” she laughed quoting from memory what her computer profile stated. “So of course I need to know mine… they are all I have… I chose to know them… at least you have Gramps. My grandparents live far away… in Boston on Mom’s side, and Michigan on Dad’s… my parents met in college. In Boston. And the rest there is history obviously…

A few minutes later a strolling violinist appeared at the tableside and serenaded the young couple, who were involved in their own world…

When the serenade was over, Alex turned to his lovely date and apologized but the tea had made its way through him and he needed to be excused for a moment. Isabel used the time to freshen up in the ladies room as well. When she returned to the table Alex was waiting for her once again.

He did the gentlemanly thing and stood for the lady as she slid back in and resumed her rapt attention.

“Close your eyes Izzy, please?” He asked, as he held her hand.

She obliged him, and he released the handhold, and reached underneath the table and retrieved a little something to give to her. “You can open them now.”

She did, and sitting on the table in front of her was a Leaded Crystal vase with three beautiful roses in it. The bouquet was filled out with ferns and baby’s breath, to add to its splendor. The roses were each of a different color however and the look on Alex’s face was priceless.

“For me?” Isabel asked in awe.

“Who else? Of course you.” Alex chuckled.

“As she gently fingered the petals, she looked up at him, “Three? They’re all different? Is there a reason?”

“Yes there is, but that won’t be revealed until a bit later. Would you like some dessert?” Alex knew he was leaving her in suspense, and he knew it was more than likely driving her crazy… but he really did need to wait to explain their significance.

“Sure,” she answered him about dessert, “but not too much, the meal was quite filling.” And so Alex ordered a slice of Tiramisu Cheesecake that the two of them shared. She had the customary Tabasco of course.

***************

A very happy and relaxed young couple walked out of the restaurant a couple of hours later to the beautiful darkened, star studded night sky and Alex decided to put phase two into operation. Taking her hand he escorted her into her seat. And drove a few blocks to their next destination. The Starlight Hotel. It was an elegant and costly establishment. He pulled into the parking lot and she just gave him a questioning look. He turned to her…. “I know we’ve taken in a few impromptu, private dates. Usually we take in a movie, where we are well hidden. You like acting, I like movies, so its not a problem… but,,, tonight the whole night is on me. I hope you like dancing. And bring your roses… I’ll explain their significance a little later.”

Alex came around to her side of the car and escorted the young lady out. They walked across the parking lot to a smaller yet equally elegant building.

The Stardust Pavillion. It was an annex of the main hotel and it housed a ballroom, and a banquet hall. The ballroom was usually open to the public, and the admit age was fifteen and up. Though it did not usually attract too many of the young set.

They stepped through the tall, double, mahogany doors and entered wonderland.

“Ohhh! It’s beautiful,” Isabel once again made that breathy sound... as she stood there transfixed by the elegance of the place. There were four marble columns along the short walls, on each corner, “holding” up the vaulted/ tray ceiling, which was raised a couple of extra feet over the dance floor. A gilded, frieze ran around the border of the ceiling and a couple of large, rotating, mirrored balls were strategically hung on the ceiling, throwing “stardust” around the dimly lit room.

Directly across from the entrance was a raised stage on the center of the other long wall, with a shiny black baby grand piano, nestled into the farther left corner. A DJ was emceeing the event, but sometimes there were live bands.

Along the two shorter side walls there were tables with chairs, made of simple, elegant, brass and glass. The rounded tabletops were glass, on a brass base, which was curved gently. And to match, high-back chairs made of Brass, with cream colored organza slipcovers over the backs, and matching chair skirts. The slipcovers were tied with large gold bows.

Along the back on each side corner were two bars: one for the adults on the left, which served alcoholic beverages and the like, and one on the opposite end for the younger set, which served soft drinks and snacks. Restrooms were placed in the centers of the short walls.

Cover charge was $15.00, which Alex happily paid out of his own personal money, not the money retrieved from the ATM, and not on his credit card. But this night he had said was on him, and he was footing the bill. Dinner had amazingly been on the house so all he had to take care of there was a tip, and that had come to $9.00 at twenty percent. He intentionally over-tipped, twenty percent instead of fifteen, seeing he was given the meal at no charge and he wanted to make a good impression on his father’s friend.

The teens found a table near the back, Isabel’s choice, and placed Isabel’s vase of roses and her silver sequined clutch purse at it to hold their spot, and they made their way to the dance floor.

A song or so later they returned to their table, to take a rest and to continue to talk to each other.

How did Alex know all the best romantic places in Clovis? He had been here at the Stardust, a year earlier, as he perfected his dance steps at his grandfather’s insistence. He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a deep mellow, grandfatherly voice say, …. “Charles Whitman’s Grandson… I’d know you anywhere boy… What brings you here on such a fine night?”

Alex and Isabel as well turned to the stately gentleman. “Mr. Morgan, right? Gramps’ friend?” Alex held out his right hand for a shake.

“Good with names, a fine young man to pay attention to details like that. That’s right boy, Jack Morgan,” he accepted the shake. “And who is this lovely young woman who has stolen your heart? The ladies will be so heartbroken tonight, seeing you taken like this.” Mr. Morgan teased the younger Whitman.

Turning to Isabel he kissed her hand in a gentlemanly fashion and said, “I’ll have you know, this young man can charm the socks off a rattlesnake… he danced with every lady here the last time he came. And he never left Em’s side.” He stated in a good-natured way to try to make Isabel playfully jealous.

She decided to play along, “And just who is this Em?”

“Grams,” Alex quickly filled in, “and of course I never left her side… she was teaching me how to lead in the dance.” Alex rolled his eyes.

“Well then, we’ll just have to see how well you learned, won’t we now?” Isabel was enjoying herself immensely, grabbed his hand and pulled him out to the floor. In a very short time they were lost in the rhythm of the music and the feel of each other… “So that’s your grandfather’s friend huh?” She asked while they danced closely. “What are the chances I’ll get to meet your grandparents?”

“Pretty high actually.” Alex grinned. “They usually drive out here once a month and visit at the Morgan’s house, stay the night and return later the next day. I just don’t know if this is their out of town weekend or not.”

They resumed the dance. Their closeness was evident to all in the room, and the DJ started to keep his eye on the young couple.

“Why three roses Alex?” She whispered as they swayed to the music, fingers interlocked.

“Easy sweetie, think about it…” he replied softly, “it’s a rose for every time of dancing we have shared. Just a little something to remember our special moments by…” The soft strains of the song started to come to a close, “Come with me.” He led her from the floor as the music faded, and they made their way to the table. After seating her he pulled the first rose from the vase, a lavender colored one, and handed it to her.

“Oh Alex, it’s a Sterling Rose. My favorite.” Isabel beamed so happily.

“I’ll remember that.” He smiled. “But this rose is for our first dance, the Dream-Walk. The color is Lavender, which signifies ‘Love at first sight.’ Yeah I felt that back when we were kids. But also it symbolizes ‘enchantment, or uniqueness.’ I think all aspects qualify, but I especially wanted to convey your uniqueness, and that I accept you.” He smiled lovingly but shyly. This day was really the first that he had done anything special of this nature for her, and he was wondering how she would take it.

“Oh Alex,” she said in a sighing manner that he knew he’d scored some major romance points. He relaxed.

She waited patiently to learn what the other two roses meant, with her hands folded under her chin. (Now normally Isabel and the words, wait patiently, would not be used in the same sentence.) But she laid the Sterling Rose to the side of her as she watched him, and waited patiently. He truly was doing this at his leisure, and it was best if she gave him his enjoyment...

“This one,” Alex shook the stem a bit as it was dripping water, and then held out an orange colored rose; its color could best be described as orange sherbet. He held that rose in front of her eyes and slowly twisted it between his thumb and forefinger, releasing its glorious fragrance. Alex said, “Parking-lot, the night you let me see you, the night you let me in. I was Fascinated, after the initial fear wore off. But orange, Isabel, signifies fascination.”

She repeated her “Ohhh Alleexx” from a couple minutes prior. He grinned a 1000 watt smile which was shyly returned.

“Let me guess…” she asked, pointing to the final rose. It was white, a creamy hue of white, but definitely a white rose. “Purity, innocence?”

“Well, that is often the thought of white, but there are other meanings as well. “Alex grinned and Isabel watched in fascination as he explained. “White can also signify, ‘secrecy, silence, or spiritual love.’ I’m protecting you today and keeping you safe. White is for today, specifically.”

“Oh Alex.” She threw her arms around his neck and just kissed him. Yes, he had definitely touched her soul. She pulled back and said, “Thank-you for today… I can never repay you for all this.”

“And I should hope you never have to.” Alex shook his head that she would even suggest such a thing. “I am doing this because I love you, because I care about you, and I want to protect you,” he said while softly stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers... “If anything it’s my repayment to you. You ‘came back’ for me, and I am so grateful.”

She sighed contentedly and he said, taking her hand gently in his, “You’ll notice that there is not one standard red rose in the bouquet. Red traditionally stands for I love you, and you have no idea how much I do. But I discovered that a bouquet of three, though I’m sure its meant to be of the same color, also can mean I love you.” He grinned impishly. “I gave you a bouquet of three; take it in the spirit it’s meant. And I promise Isabel, to never give you a red rose, until you let me know that you are ready. Ok?”

“Thanks.” A lone tear escaped. Isabel had been so deeply touched that she was beyond words. ‘I love you so much too,’ she thought, but she still wasn’t ready to share that verbally. ‘And yeah… red roses,,, last I saw those, I was placing them on his final resting place, every other day. Always the best for my Alex. Yeah I’m definitely not ready for red roses.’ Her hand slid up to gently wipe the tear. Alex pulled her into a tight embrace.

***************

Break over the two young teens stepped back out onto the floor, unaware that they were the envy of every couple in the room. People had taken to discreetly watching them after they had initially left the floor; you just couldn’t take your eyes off them. They were soul-mates and they were bonded, and every person in the room could feel their passion or was it their connection. The vibes were radiating off them, and they were so lost in each other that they didn’t have a clue.

They stared into each other’s eyes as they slowly swayed to the melodic sounds of the oldies, the ballads the DJ had chosen to play; and at this particular moment the song was “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers. Isabel laid her right hand on his chest as they began to kiss, lost in their own world until Alex slowly pulled away and covered her hand with his own, his chest was feeling warm under her palm and when he looked he saw a minor glow radiating from it; he was a little concerned her alien side might burn a hole through his shirt. But he decided to toss caution to the wind and went back to kissing her. After a few moments, and the sound of silence on the floor, for they were being awed over by all the other couples; he grabbed her hand in his and asked if he could get her a drink, as all that dancing had made him thirsty. They’d been out on the floor for a half hour at least…

They made their way back to the table with their Cokes, hers with lemon, and his regular of course, and they sat down to enjoy the break. They just sat there staring into each other’s eyes, hands held across the table, so lost in one another that he nearly jumped when someone touched his shoulder gently.

Alex was interrupted by a sweet elderly woman’s voice as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and said, “I see you haven’t lost your touch. Every woman in this place last time,,, you’re irresistible… What did I tell you Alex? Your day would come.”

He spun around in his seat and stood up to embrace the woman. “Grams, what are you doing here?”

“You already know that answer, why don’t you introduce me to the lovely young lady.”

“Right, Right… where’s my manners? Sorry. Grams, Gramps,” he said looking up at the tall, handsome, elderly gentleman, as he stood to his feet, “I’d like for you to meet Isabel Evans, my ‘unofficial girlfriend’.” Alex said while placing his hand on Isabel’s upper back.

“Nice to meet you,” Isabel held out her hand for a feminine shake.

“The lovely Isabel that I’ve heard so much about???” Grams smiled warmly, “Yeah, I knew something was starting with you, can’t live in a small town and not hear things… but you actually got her out on a date?” Emma Whitman started to talk with her grandson momentarily.

“You must be Mr. Whitman.” the tall statuesque blonde teen held out her hand, to the tall gentleman standing by his wife as she was engaged in her conversation with Alex. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“All good I hope?” he accepted the handshake and smiled teasingly.

“Alex would never speak ill of anyone… he’s well trained... a perfect gentleman, and I can see where he gets his charm and good looks from.” Isabel said while flattering the elder gentleman. “I see an opportunity for another dance so if you don’t mind…”

She turned to the young man at his grandmother’s side and said, “Do I have to drag you out there, or were you going to ask me?”

“Isabel would you give me the honor of this dance?” Alex took the cue and held his hand out to her.

“I’d be delighted, lets go.” She practically pulled him to the floor, leaving the elder Whitmans in amazement and laughing at their grandson having such a good time.

Isabel and Alex in the meanwhile unobtrusively ruled the dance floor. They were beyond speaking and were just enjoying each other’s presence. She rested her head on his shoulder, as they slowly stepped in a circle.

And awhile later, as if they were a bride and groom sharing a customary first dance, the floor entirely cleared and left the young couple standing alone in its center.

The DJ announced, “You can’t help but to notice them. This song goes out to the young couple in blue in the center of the floor.” Mr. Whitman walked over to the DJ and mentioned their names; and the DJ amended his statement. “This song goes out to Alex and Isabel." The mirrored balls reflected small flecks of light spread out over the floor giving the impression of stardust, falling all around the ‘otherworldly’ couple.

The music began and the first notes of a piano played out. Alex and Isabel looked at each other with a small discreet nod. They both recognized the song. Alex locked his eyes with her and very quietly sang under his breath, the words that were playing.


Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me



He stepped out slowly with her, in a modern four-step waltz, staying in one spot, slowly rotating, singing softly all the while.


Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more.



He spun her outwards and brought her back.


Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you



The music built up and a guitar, as well as soft drums in the background, joined the piano. Isabel looked to him and resisted his leading them into larger steps. “Listen,” she whispered, as she placed her forehead against his. And in a soft whispered alto she started to sing the second verse, where only he could hear.


Look into my heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide



She stared into his eyes, into his soul. She was laying hers before him; Isabel was handing it to him, and he understood.


Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice



As she stared into him, soft tears started to fall, her hand rested on his shoulder as the other was still in his ready for another step. She drew in a trembly breath, and rested her head back onto his shoulder. He handed her his handkerchief. ‘With Isabel, never leave home without one.’


Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you



As the chorus built into a crescendo, Alex led her out into larger steps around the room.


Oh Yeah-ah..

There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way-aaay



The chorus died down and the song fell into an interlude with piano, drums, and guitars. Alex spun Isabel into his side and held their joint hands in front as they were now side by side, still staring only at each other.

“Can this be our song Alex?” she whispered.

“As you wish.” He answered her and she softly smiled.

He spun her out once more and drew her in close, their bodies touching, their heads together. If anyone in the room had been able to see their auras, they were each radiantly beautiful, glimmering gold mixed with shimmering white.


Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more



The two stopped dancing and stared deeply into each other’s eyes.


Yeah… I would fight for you
I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you
Yeah, I'd die for you



Intensity at its peak, Alex captured her mouth with his in a passionate kiss, tongues instantly receiving the other person’s; arms holding each other tightly. They never heard the last lyrics to the song, as they stood there on the dance floor, passionately engaged for all the world to see. And they didn’t care. They remained that way for quite sometime, deeply involved, as the kiss rivaled the kiss of the dream-walk when she first returned in time, or the kiss she had shared with the other Alex at her prom. Once again; though invisible to the human eye, their auras were intermingling and becoming one, as they had done during their first kiss a week ago.


Emma Whitman stood back and wiped a tear from her eye. “They’re beautiful Charles.”

“Yeah, meant to be that’s for sure. Did you notice the way the floor cleared for them?” Charles Sr. pointed out the unlikelihood of what they had witnessed. “Well Emma, he finally got her, though I heard that unofficial comment.” He laughed. “Wonder how long they’ll stay in that state? Based on tonight, I don’t think they’ll be able to hide much more in Roswell.”

“Yeah Charles, I agree, and she is the only one he has ever seen himself with. I wonder what circumstances have created this little relationship?” Emma turned to her husband beside her... Charles Whitman Sr. answered his wife, “Hopefully we’ll get to find out a bit later.” He wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder and squeezed it gently while he watched his grandson and Isabel having the time of their lives.


Isabel and Alex were tiring out and getting ready to depart. They still had one more thing they wanted to do for the night… snuggle into each other’s sides to watch their rented movie in their joint bed, as they fell asleep...

“Are you ready to go?” Alex asked Isabel.

“Yeah, as much as I’d love to stay here until closing, we do have a movie to watch, and our parents to call still.” Isabel’s eyes went wide in her thought. “Oh! I completely forgot about that,” she said slightly panicked.

“No problem Isabel. They are probably of the assumption that no news is good news. But lets head on back.” Alex calmed her down.

The young couple left the floor, and after some goodbyes to the Whitmans and Morgans, and of course retrieving their things, they headed back to the motel, which was home for the night.

TBC...


Music: (Everything I Do) I Do it for You by Bryan Adams


The reference to Unchained Melody. That was for you Rick, Kzinti Killer. I can’t hear that song without thinking of Alex and Isabel and your wonderful story, Still Yours. You have woven it so masterfully into the very fabric of the story, that it belongs to them. Thanks. And I hope that in time we get to see some more of this wonderful story. I miss you, and your wonderful story Rick.

Last edited by Mt Gazer on Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Chapter 21: Part Two The Calm Before the Storm

Post by Mt Gazer »

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

Maybe, in this part and parts to come I will be borrowing some scenes. And I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher

Spoilers: None

******
Thanks to my beta for making this scene flow and helping me to accomplish all I wanted to with it. Only as of yesterday do I actually like this part. It wasn’t right before your assistance. Now it sounds absolutely perfect.

Thanks Paul

Mt. Gazer

******

Shifting Realities

Chapter 21: Part Two

The Calm Before the Storm…


---
The young couple was still on a passionate high from their very special evening and they were very closely touching each other as they made their way back to their motel door. He fumbled out the key but she wrapped her arms around him, attempting to kiss him senseless, which of course only caused him to pin her against the wall. Their bodies pressed together, he took control of the kiss. His tongue dueling with hers as they struggled jointly to remain in control of the kiss.

They didn’t really hear the giddy giggling of the couple next door, making their way into their room. That is until they drew apart for a breath, their eyes only for each other.

“NO WAY!!!” A masculine voice choked out amidst derisive laughter. “The Ice Princess and the Geek? No FRICKIN’ WAY!!!”

And in a tone or manner reminiscent of Janice on the television show “Friends” The young lady’s voice was heard… “Oh My God!!”

Isabel pulled from her kiss and glared at the couple. He was a jock at West Roswell High, one of the ones she had to fight off before, Troy Anders. And the girl with him was most definitely not Jenna Carter, his girlfriend. Instead he was with a very flirty/seductive, petite, buxomy, blue eyed, girl; Ashley Slaton.

Isabel and Ashley had been rivals in the popularity stakes for years. Ashley was another of the elite in West Roswell High. She was a cheerleader and everyone kowtowed to her demands. Everyone except Isabel. Ashley had a reputation… she was known behind her back as one of two nicknames, Ashley “Sure Thing” Slaton, or “Sleazy” Slaton. Take your pick, either/ or fit.

It was obvious what Troy and Ashley were doing, but the fact that they had run into Isabel and Alex in a very passionate liplock, left them speechless.

“So you finally decided to give it up… And to the geek no less.” Ashley exclaimed in derision. “ If you were that hard up or desperate Isabel, I’m sure I could have found you a guy.”

“Oh! I’ve got a guy,” Isabel chuckled while stepping into the obviously uncomfortable Alex’s personal space. “And Ashley…. You’ve already given it up, I haven’t…. and I’m not ready to yet. I could become like you any day I choose. But you see, you can never be innocent again. And no one thinks you are. ” She grinned evilly.

“Yeah, whatever. You have no idea what you are missing.” Ashley intoned.

Isabel leaned into Alex very closely and cupped her hands on his shoulders and turned to the others, “I know very well what I’m missing. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. This isn’t a destination for us, but a pleasant journey, with many places to visit along the way. We’re going to take our time and enjoy the entire trip, which will make the final stop that much more special for the both of us.”

Isabel’s elegance was lost on Troy, and being the dumb jock he was, he opened his mouth without thinking first, “I can’t wait to tell Malamoot, Paulie, and Valenti about this turn of events. They’re gonna laugh so hard they’ll probably piss their pants.”

Alex couldn’t let Isabel be the only one in the fray, though standing up to populars was never anything he’d remotely done, so he was hoping that he wouldn’t mess it up. “What turn of events would that be Anders?” He asked coolly, arm around Isabel’s shoulder.

“You and her, here, of course,” Troy stared at him as if he were brain dead.

He whispered to Isabel, “Time to follow my lead.” Turning to the other young man Alex started to smile mirthfully, “Hmmm…. Yeah that would be a very funny story to share I’m sure…” he squeezed Isabel shoulder in an effort to say ‘now,’ and the two proceeded to lead off into laughter. Troy and Ashley just started to laugh right along; unaware of the trap Alex was springing. This is so funny… what am I doing here with Isabel? And we’re entering into a room no less… what are the chances?”

“Yeah see what I mean? It’s just so funny…” Troy yucked it up.

It seems a little unordinary I do admit, but the reason we are here is a simple fact called work… you see, her dad,” he smiled at Isabel, “Mr. Philip Evans of Evans and Associates Law Firm, sent us out here to deliver papers for signing to some of his clients. Well despite the fact that we’re here on business, and on expenses, we had no way to get a room in anyplace decent on such short notice, so we ended up here.”

“And by the way Troy, how’s Jenna? What’s she doing while you’re here,,, and also by the way, what are you doing here? Are you here for work also? Are you on expenses? Boy that would be some coincidence wouldn’t it?”

Troy was starting to catch on to the fact that despite having caught Isabel with Alex at a seedy motel, he had more to lose than they did. To his knowledge, Isabel didn’t have a boyfriend. She dated everyone, casually, while it was common knowledge that Alex had never asked anyone out at all.

When Troy had taken Isabel out the year before however, when he went to kiss her, he found himself gasping for air from a sudden pain in his groin. She had kneed him, and hard. So the fact that she was willingly kissing Whitman was mind boggling to say the least. They had to be drunk or something. But he realized regardless of the situation and with Alex’s reminder, he had a lot to lose. More than the unlikely couple standing before him. The day Jenna caught him in the Eraser Room with Pam Troy, she had made it clear what would happen the next time he cheated on her. And here he was doing exactly that.

“So Ashley, what are you doing in Clovis?” Isabel asked, receiving a sneer in return as Alex slid the key into the lock.

Troy and Ashley stood there speechless, and then made their way into their room as well.

Inside the Evans/Whitman room the two teens backed against the wall deeply re-engaged in their kiss. They pulled away from each other, staring into each other’s souls.

***************

“We need to call our parents,” Isabel reminded him. And so they broke off the kissing for a time as they each sat down with their cell phones. She sat on the bed and he leaned back in the chair once again.


Isabel:
Two rings later; the house phone was answered by her somewhat nervous sounding mother.

“Isabel… Honey it’s so late, I’ve been expecting your call all this later evening.”

“Mom…. Alex took me out for dinner and dancing. We just got back. This is the first chance I’ve had to call. Honest. Alex left his cell here on the charger, luckily he had it in the car with him.” She cocked her head and listened, “Yeah,” she said still on her excited high, “I just had the best date of my life,” she beamed triumphantly. “Alex bought me jewelry.” A smile crossed her face, “it’s a silver and sapphire anklet…” she nodded, “and perfume,” she grinned while shaking her head, “No really, Longing.” And roses, oh I’m not even going to try to explain that on the phone, you’ll just have to see them.” She snuck a look at her agitated boyfriend, and said dreamily, “Yeah, I know. … He’s spoiling me… he’s so perfect.”


Alex:
Alex’s chest puffed out with the indirect praise. He was in need of that boost, his phone call wasn’t going so good.

The frustrated young man gave up talking to his father and asked to speak to his mother instead.

“Mom. Just talk to the Evans….” He was out of the chair and pacing a bit, “Yes… Philip, Sorry… Mr. Evans, knows exactly where we are.” He grabbed some paper from Isabel’s main purse and wrote down the address, (he had copied it down earlier) handing it to Isabel so that she would tell her parents the address. He plopped back into the chair and immediately rested it on its back legs again.


Isabel:
Here Mom. I think the Whitman’s want confirmation that you are ok with our being out of town…” She proceeded to deliver the address, at the same time that he also was giving the same address to his parents from his paper.


Alex:
“Because it was the only hotel we could get…. It definitely wasn’t our first choice…” he sighed as he continued to explain the unexplainable predicament to his mother, “We seem to be a bit underaged.”


Isabel:
“No troubles Mom.” She chuckled, “Well except convincing the Whitmans that this is all above board… sounds like Alex is getting the third degree right now. Poor guy…. Yeah he’s on his cell at the same time.”


Alex:
“Because we were delivering papers on both days, some clients weren’t available until tomorrow.” ‘Damn another lie to add into this.’

“Might as well tell you now before you get it from someone else, We ran into Grams and Gramps tonight, when we were out dancing.” He relaxed a bit, at least having something momentarily pleasant to discuss. “Yeah I guess it was their weekend out, so they know that we’re out alone…. I really am not sure what they are thinking of that whole issue either.” He sighed as he scratched the back of his head in total frustration.


Isabel loved his little quirks and took to watching him as she continued to talk.

Isabel:
“Mom, please call the Whitamns when we hang up, they need to hear it from you, obviously. Otherwise, I am more than fine.” She smiled and chuckled, “No really I am, we haven’t been followed, no scary people have bothered us, I’m really fine Mom.”

“Yeah, I miss you too, I definitely am glad to hear your voice as well…. Yeah, I love you….” She got a large grin and she nodded, “Yes Daddy, you too.” Philip had let his wife handle that call as he prepared for the next one, the one with the Whitmans. But he had listened into the whole conversation and joined in as Isabel was saying her goodbyes. “Yes, tell Max I’m fine and that I’ll see him tomorrow night. Six or Sevenish perhaps…”


Alex:
“That’s what I said, we are returning tomorrow night.” He sighed, “ No! Not in the daytime, but in the evening….” Shaking his head, “Documents to deliver, remember?” …. A dreamy smile crossed his lips, “Yes Isabel and I are enjoying each other immensely…. No Mom, tell Pops, I’m not having sex!” The red-faced, frustrated young man argued.


Isabel laughed as she heard snatches of the conversation.


Alex:
“Love you too mom. Just call the Evans… you’ll realize we are doing what Philip,” he was interrupted, “I know, ‘Mr. Evans,’ asked us to do. He’ll tell you the same thing.” He ran a hand through his hair, “Give Pops my love…. Goodnight.”


He clicked off his cell and let the chair drop with a thud as he let out a deep breath. “Talking to them sometimes is like pulling teeth, slow and excruciating.” Alex muttered to himself before he looked up at his girlfriend. “Sorry for that,” he mumbled, “I don’t let home life leak out too often. My parents are just trying to make sure we aren’t, “Doing anything or each other,” he teased. “Actually that went better than I had expected…. I guess having three older brothers softened them for me. I remember when Robert, my second brother, had an “essential” sleepover with a girl. Mind you he really did just fall asleep at her house while they studied, they were friends and nothing more. Parents… Robbie was on restriction for a month. No phones unless it pertained to schoolwork and no social life whatsoever.”

I stay out of Pops’ way, no troubles, usually… except somehow, you and your unique differences have forced me out of hiding. I see a lot more of them than before you entered my life.” He grinned. And then realized he was completely rambling… and Isabel was watching him with a bemused expression.

“Sorry again. I tend to ramble when nervous and nothing makes me more nervous than trying to explain anything to my dad…. Of course my mom is just looking out for me, but still.” The look on Isabel’s face informed him that anytime he chose to clamp his mouth would be too soon. “See…. Shutting up now.” he tightly gritted his teeth together.

Pulling himself together he decided to talk about what had transpired outside of the motel room when they had arrived back, “We just ran into Ashley, they might yet talk, want to determine damage control? And how we shall pull it off?” Alex asked.

“No.” Isabel stood and advanced slowly into his space.

“Alex, Honey? The man I changed time for, and future father of my children??… Isabel stood between her boyfriend’s legs toying with the soft ends of his hair, speaking softly.

“Yes, My darling?” He said while placing his hands on her waist, staring into her eyes with love.

“I need you to make me a promise,” she was staring back into his eyes.

“Anything for my princess,” he replied, his eyes never leaving hers while she still stood above him.

“Promise me that you will never go out with her.” Isabel stated emphatically.

Alex was slightly taken aback by the tone in her voice, but knowing that Isabel held his heart he answered assuredly, “No worries about that. Not when I have a “sure thing” right here.” He grinned and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“Al-ex! I’m not like that!” she answered indignantly and pulled back a bit.

He grabbed her hands and drew her back to him, “I think that I never need to go out with everybody else’s “sure thing” because I’ve got mine right here. He wrapped his arms around her lower back. You will be my sure thing when we are ready for that step. Isabel Whi...” he cleared his throat as he realized what was about to come out.. “Isabel Evans.” Alex stated confidently.

Isabel never missed a beat, climbing onto his lap, she leaned into his personal space, “You were about to call me Isabel Whitman weren’t you?”

‘Would that be so bad?” Alex teased.

“Hmmm, what would my Dad think?” She teased back.

“Yeah, Alex stopped to think momentarily, “I just somehow don’t think he would want me to bring you back, from a night away no less, a married woman. Even if I do feel that way about you.”

“What?” She whispered breathlessly.

“Isabel, There is no mistaking that I love you, and there is no mistake that I have from the very first time I saw you even though we were children. There will never be another girl for me... only one fits in this heart… and her future name is Isabel Whitman.”

“Ohhh…” Alex got another of her girly sighs, “ummm… do guys that do that too?” She asked.

“Do what?” he asked slightly confused.

“Write the name of their girlfriend behind theirs with their last name?” She answered.

“Not usually… Why… do girls do that?” Alex teased.

‘Yeah.. they do…” Isabel looked down.

“Have you?” Alex whispered softly, “Have you written Isabel Whitman on anything?” he lifted her chin.

“Alex…. I’m the Ice Princess…” She boldly declared as if that would explain it.

“So, have you?” he continued…

“No… not on anything tangible… who knows who’d find it? … And then I’d never live it down.” Isabel said in a chagrined tone.

“Isabel, are we talking now or the past…” Alex continued to press her.

"The past…” she blurted out, “now I’ve not written anything either, because its already written in my safest spot.

“And where would that be, a diary?” he knew what she’d answer but he wanted to hear it for himself.

“My heart Alex… My heart. From the time I returned I knew that there would never be another.”

“I’m written right here?” He placed his hand on her chest and drew her in for a long overdue kiss.

She covered his hand with her own and whispered, “Right here. And I better be your sure thing, and I’d better be your only thing. Is that perfectly clear Mr. Whitman?” She teased leaning in and kissing him with all the love she could pour into this moment of closeness. “The only way I want it…” he kissed her back.

“And Alex?” she said in a voice so light and flirtingly that he at first he didn’t take her seriously, “I know you would never go out with Ashley, or any other girl for that matter, because we both know that if you ever betrayed me like that you would be forcing me to hurt you,,,”

“Hurt me?” he asked with a catch in his voice.

“Well yes,” she responded as her eyes bored into his while her voice remained light as if she was explaining the simplest fact in the world. “If you ever went out with Ashley you would be hurting me, my brothers, but most of all you would be hurting yourself.”

“I would never give you reason to hurt me,” he gasped.

“Good,” she happily agreed. “Then I’ll never have a reason to do anything like this.” She placed her palms on his lap, in the space left between them and sent a minor, very minor, electrical shock of power through them. It was enough to get his attention that was all. The shock registered in different parts of his body, and left him nervous.

Isabel had seen the way Ashley was looking at him tonight, it was fleeting but the look was unmistakable. She had taken a second thought to Alex, just because Isabel was with him. Isabel wanted him to know where he stood, because of it. "We understand each other?" She asked softly.

“Perfectly...” he squealed out, as he jumped slightly from the shock. ‘She really could do that couldn’t she? Hurt me?’

“So? That’s enough about Ashley right?” Isabel perkily changed personalities again. “I need to change into my jammies,” she hopped off his lap, “either out here or in there,” she pointed to the bathroom. “Regardless, you are not going to watch me... So where do you want to change, and the other room is mine?”

***************

“I’ll uhhh… go… umm… brush my teeth...” Alex pointed nervously towards the bathroom. Her veiled threat was still tingling in his brain and leaving him unsettled as he limped into the other room.

He turned on the water and let it run, absorbing his thoughts and trying to breathe again. In a very mechanical manner, for he was definitely not fully in charge of his faculties, he placed an empty glass under the running stream and withdrawing it filled, proceeded to gulp it slowly, in one continuous stream of swallowing. ‘Isabel had threatened to hurt him… him…. he’d seen what she did to her bother; melting his shoes to the floor when the fire alarm sounded for a drill, as well as many other things… but now, he was the one who needed to watch out for her wrath.’ When the glass emptied he absentmindedly stuck it back under and repeated the process one more time. He only stopped when he realized with a waterlogged stomach that he had even had so much water, and it was then that he kicked back into his normal self, or so he thought. ‘Wait a minute, she only threatened me if I ever went out with anyone else… I don’t need to worry.’ He relaxed and brushed his teeth and took off his shirt, hanging it on a hook and replacing it with a grey soft cotton tee.

He stepped out into the main room, realizing that whatever Isabel had chosen as pajamas he was stuck with for the night.

She turned and smiled, “I hope you’re ok?” She asked carefully.

‘Yeah… fine now,” he smiled

“Alright… So what are you going to sleep in?” She bit her lip and was back to her innocent self, as she pointed to his attire. Though he was wearing a tee shirt he still had not removed his dress slacks.

‘The Ice Princess seems to be a bit more than just a façade… heck, I think she’s like an alter….’ Alex reasoned to himself, as his innocent, hopelessly perfect girlfriend was once again acting a bit shy with him.

‘She dropped into that role so quickly I don’t know what hit me… She jerked out just as quickly…. Nope… she’s just got her defenses down to perfection, as with everything about her… perfect.’

His mental ramblings, at least they weren’t verbal, came to a halt as he realized finally that he had been spoken to. He had been trying to figure out the mysterious woman before him, as before him she stood, trying to figure something out.

“What are you sleeping in?” She asked again, and it was only then that he realized that their date wasn’t over, there was yet a movie to watch in bed, together, and she was dressed in her newest pj’s. They were of her usual lounge style, but these were midnight black with tiny white stars spattered all over the silky and satiny material. She wore a black tank-top underneath.

“Uh… get in bed first, then I’ll join you.” Alex pointed at the bed before them… ‘This is it, our first intentional night together.’

“Let me brush my teeth first,” she reminded him, as she went to the bathroom to freshen up the final bit before bed, removing her makeup with a wave of her hand.

He got the movie set up and was ready for her join him when she stepped out.

Isabel climbed into bed first, and flipped down his side of the covers. Alex quickly turned off the switch to the main light, and turned on the VCR… a small bedside lamp, on his side of the room, was left on and he took a deep breath as he realized she was watching him in rapt attention. He quickly undid the belt and dropped his pants, they landed in a heap on the floor on his side of the bed. He then dove in under the covers.

“Shorts huh?” She teased. “Daring.” While she snuggled into his side.

TBC………
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Tue Apr 19, 2005 11:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
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"Too beautiful for earth."
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Mt Gazer
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Post by Mt Gazer »

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

Maybe, in this part and parts to come I will be borrowing some scenes. And I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher

Spoilers: If you haven’t seen the Movie “Fools Rush In” with Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek, this would be the major spoiler for this chapter not related to Roswell. “And I’m talking serious spoilers.’’

Roswell Spoilers: Anything from “Heart of Mine” through to the ending of S-2, with “Departure.”

*** ***

To begin with this chapter is 100% dedicated to Trude. It was upon reading her fic, her very first Roswell fic, Titled Won’t Forget Tonight That the idea for this chapter was formed. And with her express permission I have incorporated some of Won’t Forget Tonight, into this very chapter.

Here are excerpts from those e-mail conversations.

Rhonda wrote 7-20-04:
I am asking you this?

I know I've got my own way of doing things, but.... I might want to use your direct dialog with your express permission of course.. from Won't Forget Tonight. only some of it...

All credit would be given to you in a disclaimer at the beginning. if I do so.

I just wanted to run that by you first.

Thanks.

Rhonda

And Trude replied the next day… 7-21-04
Of course you can use the dialogue, I'd be honored if you do ...
Thanks so much girl, I love you for it, for your story, for YOU, and for the lines. They are so perfect.

Here is a link to Won’t Forget Tonight
Eraser Room… Where feedback can be left and I’m sure she’d love it.
http://p076.ezboard.com/ftheeraserroomf ... D=12.topic

Or Roswell Fanatics: in the Repost section
http://www.roswellfanfic.com/viewtopic.php?t=5731


Trude, thanks also for the movie selection.


Mt Gazer/Rhonda


*** ***
Author’s note… This chapter is a bit unusual in parts, I am doing something very unique but very necessary.

There will be flashback scenes, of sorts, placed into bold, narration in bold regular, Alex’s thoughts in bold Italics….

As you read it this will make sense why I had to distinguish between the two.

Music as usual is in regular italics

The movie in mention, it will be described by /italics/.

Hope this isn’t too confusing.

*** ***

And since it has been longer than my usual post this is for those who are in need of a recap. Bear with me, I haven’t ever done this before, and I’m not fully certain how to make it sound intelligible.

RECAP:

In Chapter 20: Part Four The final piece of Its Just a Matter of Time.
Isabel had just run into Agent Pierce at the UFO convention. She faked a faint and made Alex take her out of town. They went to Clovis.

After a wonderful night of dinner and dancing, They are now settling in to watch “Fools Rush In.” Their evening continues with this post…

*** ***
Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty-Two: Part A: Part B Follows with next posting

Weathering the Storm


******
The Movie started, amazingly it didn’t have any previews and went right to the show.

/The main character Alex Whitman, a New Yorker, is a hard working, well off construction supervisor who just landed a job building and opening a night club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Through fate he runs into Isabel Fuentes, a Mexican American, photographer. In, of all places, a bathroom line, in a small Mexican restaurant. Isabel somehow gets him to let her cut into the line, and in discussion tells him, “I believe that your destiny’s already been decided. You’ve just got to read the signs.”/


In their joint bed, Isabel snuggled her head a bit deeper onto Alex’s chest as his arm encircled her… “I don’t know about that, but the only destiny I want is lying right here with me.” She kissed his shoulder, as she felt his arm squeeze her snugly in response. He was smiling when she looked up at him.

/Well that little scene in the line leads to a one night stand between the couple and she falls pregnant with his child. Three months later she shows up unexpectedly to deliver the news.

Alex has just given her a glass of water as he asks how she is and she responds, “Pregnant.”

“Pregnant? Really? That’s great. Great. Terrific, congratulations.” And without thinking grabs the glass from her, as he backs up from her in a nervous state and he drinks some of the water. The glass has never left his lips as he hears her state, “Thank-you, it’s yours.”

Silence ensues and all that is heard is the continual gulping of water in a continuous stream of swallowing./


Isabel Evans was laughing. Alex sat up a bit and watched the delight on her face. “He is so you,” She choked out. “You would do something exactly like that. Please tell me that’s not how you are going to react when I tell you the same news?” Isabel teased while giggling.

“I wouldn’t be so sure …” Alex mumbled under his breath. “Should’ve seen me in the bathroom a few minutes ago.” ‘I guess this movie would be a case of life imitating art.’

“What did you say honey?” Isabel tried to decipher the unintelligible mumble.

“I don’t to intend to react like that,” he said with a quick kiss to her lips.

/The movie progresses and the scene where Alex Whitman, meets Isabel’s family plays on…

Isabel’s aunt asks Alex, who has no experience with babies, to hold her infant daughter while she gets a plate of food. She reminds him to hold the baby’s head. The clueless man answers, “Why? Does it come off?”/


Isabel Evans really was enjoying the movie as she found herself laughing at that scene as well. “Babies’ heads don’t come off, what an idiot…”

“Yeah even I know that,” Alex mumbled.

/The scene continues as Alex holds the tiny sleeping girl and cradles her to his chest. He looks so loving and relaxed. Isabel is watching him./

“Ohh,” Isabel Evans exclaims softly… “I can’t wait until I see you holding ours like that Alex. You’re gonna be such a good dad.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that either,” he remarked in yet another undertone, as he scratched the back of his head. “I have no experience whatsoever with infants, much less alien ones…” he ran a nervous hand through his hair ruffling it a bit.

She heard it and said, “You do know babies’ heads don’t come off. I’d say you’re ahead of the game. I’ve got no experience either.”

/Alex and Isabel are parked at Hoover Dam. She is about to drive off, handling the pregnancy alone, and not involving him anymore. He blocks her way so she can’t leave and after a discussion of confusion and life not making any sense, he adds, “But then you show up…. You’re the one. You are everything I never knew I always wanted.”/

Isabel was nodding in response to the last line. “Yeah I learned that in my past… unfortunately I learned it after it was too late. But you Alex Whitman are very much everything I never knew I always wanted.” She rolled over and kissed him a bit as the wedding scene and the honeymoon played out.

/The Elder Whitmans meet the Fuentes and sparks ensue, the only thing the fathers agree on is the fact that the kids, adults in their mid to late twenties, don’t have a clue what they are getting into. Marriage or family.

Mr. Tomas Fuentes states, in a heavy Mexican accent, “This is different, they are different. They come from a different culture, a different world. Its hard enough to make a marriage work without adding to it.” /


Alex turned to Isabel and grinned, “Different culture? Different World? Oh we’ve got that for sure don’t we?” He chuckled. And his comment was rewarded by Isabel’s soft validating chuckle.

/The movie takes a sadder turn as Isabel, who has lied about having a miscarriage, runs from her problems down to Central Mexico to be with her Great Grandmother. She serves divorce papers to her husband then in New York.

Isabel’s great Grandmother, who is so similar to Isabel in Spirit, can read through her charade… she reprimands the young lady on her flight from Alex.

Isabel tells her that she let him off the hook.

Her Great Grandmother counters with, “You let yourself off the hook. You denied your heart and lied to the man you loved. Why?”/


Her head buried in his chest Isabel Evans was once again crying softly, as the girl in the movie was currently doing. “Why did I?… If he is so very much you, she is so very much me. She ran just like I did. I’ve denied my heart too.”

“Ohh, Isabel… I’m still so sorry for everything that happened to you.” Alex hugged her tightly as her she regained her breathing.

/”You will never know love unless you surrender to it.” The Wise Great Grandmother gives her granddaughter advice as she makes up her mind to do something important./

“Yeah,” Isabel Evans stated softly as she bit her lip. “Great advice.”

When the movie was over, aside from the fact that they had talked their way through it, they decided to discuss the bigger issue the movie brought out. Running from your problems and uncomfortable situations.

“Isabel?” Alex asked tenderly.

“Yes Alex?”

“I know your life especially can get confusing. And I’m so thankful that currently you’ve brought me into all your crises, but…. I know things can get intense and human instinct is to run, to hide, to protect yourself.
Promise me that you won’t run anymore. That you will let me in to whatever is hurting you. Don’t lie to me, or shut me out. Share with me your problems. That was her mistake… she didn’t want to involve him because she was so reliant on him it scared her. You are the same way.” He pointed out how alike she and the Isabel in the movie were.


1.
Fear not the flame of my love's candle
Let it be the sun in your world of darkness



“I intend to keep you right here beside me,” she grinned mischievously, as she rolled over and was now lying firmly on top of him. Ok they had never been that close before, and though neither had any sexual passions igniting at the moment, they were both aware that they had entered a new territory. They searched each other’s eyes for any sign of discomfort or fear, and finding none she leaned very closely to his mouth…

“No more running Alex… I’m not going anywhere,” she was breathing softly upon his lips, as he reached up with his to kiss her… They got lost in each others caresses as they kissed fervently, though keeping their hands off of places they shouldn’t be, and honoring both sets of their parents by not removing any clothing either. It was pure and innocent, and intensely passionate.

Awhile later the two teens had kissed themselves to a point of exhaustion. Isabel closed in tightly wrapping his arms securely around herself and said, “I don’t know what tonight holds. But I want you to hold me very closely… I don’t want to go through any nightmares that I may have alone.” It was the most she had spoken of her fears and stresses since earlier that day.

“Ok, Izzy, I’m not going to let you go, if I could have your nightmares for you, so that you could be free of them… you know I would. I am so tired of the continual pain the night leaves you in. I’m right here. I’ll be holding you all night.” Alex added in response as he hugged her tightly.


1.
Give unto me all that frightens you
I'll have your nightmares for you
If you sleep soundly



“Thanks Alex.” She whispered as she snuggled into her favorite spot, her head against his heart while listening to the perfect beat as it lulled her to sleep.

Alex had not yet turned off the bedside lamp, and after her mentioning nightmares, he didn’t want to. He refrained from falling asleep until he was sure she was fine.

About twenty minutes later, Isabel shifted off his chest to now lie on her opposite side, her hands were slightly twitching. He then watched her sleep calmly for awhile longer.


1.
I've been watching you from a distance
The distance sees through your disguise



Alex was about to reach for the lamp and go to sleep himself as she seemed to be doing alright when he heard the unmistakable sound of a whimper.

He leaned over to look at her face, tension was written all over it. The nightmares had begun. He lay back onto his side, arm draped over her stomach and hugging her from behind.

She struggled some in his grasp, and so he released her.

She unintelligibly mumbled, “A-ex… no!” as her head tossed back and forth.

“I’m right here, right here…” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

She struggled against her blanket, “Uhh, Mmnn… “ attempting to kick it off.

“Ok we need that.” He grabbed the flying pink monstrosity and re-covered her with it. She settled down a bit.

“I gotta get out of here…” she mumbled yet again. Her voice grew in intensity and panic, “I gotta get out of here.” Isabel was furiously thrashing side to side, the blankets and sheets becoming entangled around her, as she struggled for release.

“Its ok Izzy… I’m right here. Right here…” Alex leaned over her pinning her arms to the bed trying to keep her still.

She relaxed momentarily but was still very much in the throes of misery… the nightmares continued for awhile and Alex true to his word was right there with her the whole time. He readjusted the blankets and covered her back up. Then he lay beside her, stroking the hair from her face, and stroking the tears away.

“Max…MAX…MAX!!! Don’t!!! NOOO!!!!!” She bolted upright, tears streaming down her cheeks, breaths coming in shaky sobs, body shaking in fear, and a matched fear etched upon the entire surface of her face. “MAX!!!,” her eyes flew open and wild and not yet registering her abruptly forced awake state. Alex bolted upright with her. Isabel’s eyes took in her unfamiliar surroundings, “Where am I?” She asked in a sheer panic. “Oh God it was just a dream,” she forced out in a hoarse whisper, “No, it wasn’t a dream it was real…” She noticed Alex who had his arms securely around her shoulders. “What are you doing here?” She pushed him away, “ You can’t be here… Where am I?” She wrapped her arms around herself, as the tears flowed unbidden down her cheeks.

“I am here.” Alex looked deeply into her dark chocolate colored eyes. “I know what you must have been dreaming, and we’ve gone through this nightly for quite sometime. They let up this week, but I know you are not past everything yet, so I know that any night they can return. I am here Isabel. You came back in time through some machine called the Granolith… you came back to me.” Alex reached out lovingly in a hug to comfort her.

“No!” she shrugged him off, “No!!! You don’t know… NO!! I didn’t, I couldn’t… No…” She was still making moaning sounds, “Why are you here? She killed you… she left on the Granolith… I didn’t…” Isabel blurted out so confused.

“I think it was a dream Isabel…” Alex lovingly said, “A nightmare.” He said sadly.

“No! It was real. I was there, I felt everything…” Isabel stated, and then a bit of her memories from her trip in time came back to her, “But it’s not what happened… it’s not what I went through... It’s all different…. It didn’t end the same, that’s not what happened… I was there… This dream wasn’t the same.” She was shaking as she through torrents of tears babbled on and seemingly contradicted herself.

“Izzy just tell me about it,” he turned her in his arms to face him, “dreams aren’t always real…. Just figure out what it is trying to say to you.” Alex held her upper arms securely as he tried to calm her down...


1.
All I want from you is your hurting
I want to heal you
I want to save you from the dark



Taking a deep breath she started to share the dream with him, from the point where everything veered off. She explained about how in this dream she was so apparently grief stricken that she was determined to go to college in San Francisco. In her timeline, she had thought of that, but in the end decided to go to the University of Las Cruces, she needed to be closer to home. Then she told how in the dream, Liz and Maria were the ones who went to the University, overnight even, and got the translation of the book… In her timeline, it had been her and Liz, and it wasn’t overnight. In the dream Max got Tess pregnant. In her timeline as far as she knew, they hadn’t even slept together. And then in the dream, with Tess’ baby sick they couldn’t be on earth and so they were leaving…. Isabel noticed how uncannily the timing would be almost the same to her time-travel. In the dream Liz, Maria and Kyle, appeared at the Granolith right before they were to leave, and they informed them (the aliens) that Tess killed Alex. In her timeline, she and Liz, as well as Kyle informed the group of Tess’ betrayal. And finally in the dream she learned that everything Tess had done was a set-up.

Tears were pouring down her already wet cheeks as she sat blinking furiously, staring at Alex… She reached a hesitant hand toward his face and just stroked the side of it while trying to comprehend something and then all of a sudden realization struck her like a lightning bolt and she jumped subconsciously in response…”Oh my God!!!” She yanked her hand from his face and threw it over her mouth, a sudden onslaught of acid was rising to the surface, hitting the back of her throat, and a fresh round of tears instantly gathered in her eyes. Isabel scrambled clumsily over the top of Alex, off the bed, tripping in the process on his pants. She raced towards the bathroom, and barely made it. Throwing herself to the floor she jerked the toilet seats up and gripped at the toilet’s edge with both hands and proceeded to heave the contents of her stomach as she had done on her way to Clovis. Only this time, there was no stopping point … the nausea was coming in waves, and the room was spinning to match. When she wasn’t vomiting, she was sobbing, deep mournful wails poured forth from the emotionally fragile girl as she stayed in her location next to the porcelain throne, leaning back against the wall.

Without thinking Alex ran into the bathroom and dampened a washcloth, then crouching beside her he placed his hand on the base of her neck under her long golden hair, and started to rub her upper back in small soothing circles. And with the other hand he wiped her forehead with the cool damp cloth, as she leaned over the toilet vomiting.

“Get out of here Alex!!” Isabel murmured into the toilet, while swatting his hand away. She didn’t want him to see her like this, not again. She felt so ashamed of her current state, she was not herself or altogether at all.

Alex cautiously backed up, and obliged her request, leaving the cloth on the sink’s edge; he left the bathroom in a state of shock. He walked out at her insistence, and made his way slowly back over to the bed, the whole time watching the closed bathroom door. He sat down on the edge of the bed so somberly, this was the second time in less than 24 hours that whatever was eating Isabel on the inside had forced her to get sick. A couple of tears trickled down his cheek. He was thinking of what he could do for her as he heard the miserable sounds of his beloved, in the next room. … ‘What the hell is wrong with Isabel?’ He made his decision and scurried off the bed, he was going to go to her whether she wanted him to or not.

The toilet flushed. And as he was pulling on his pants, he found himself jump about three feet in the air when a sound like none other he’d ever heard reached his ears. Isabel was screaming, shrieking, in what he could not determine if it was anger or terror… He’d never heard anything like that and his fear reached a high alert, instantly; completely awake, he fell as he struggled into his pants and getting back up he raced to the bathroom, they were still unfastened and the belt was just hanging in the front...

He threw open the door and stood there against the doorframe observing for a moment, Isabel was a frightening sight… her eyes were wild and huge and she was standing against the wall screaming… “I know why!!! I know Why!!!!” repeatedly... her hands were clenched in fists, fingernails digging into her palms, and anger was emanating from her very being… whatever was going on, Isabel was furious, and her eyes were flashing anger.

Alex was a bit nervous going near her, not knowing if she would even react to his presence, or if she did, would she react ok,,, she seemed to be locked in whatever was playing through her mind. But the sight of her like that, and the fact that she had probably just awakened at least half of the rooms forced him into action. He raced over, “Izzy!!! Look at me… look at me!!! ...” he ordered his livid girlfriend, grabbing her upper arms and forcing her to look directly into his face.

Somehow it registered and she fell into his arms, impotently beating her fists on his chest, taking in deep draughts of air as she sobbed, “I know why you died.”

“Yeah, we know how…” Alex held her tightly, stroking the back of her head as he tried to comfort her. And her anger turned on him, as she pulled back from his embrace, “I said, ‘I know why Alexander Whitman.. not how’ … I KNOW WHY!!!” And then she cried softly, “and I don’t want to… I don’t want to know why…. It’s our fault, its all our fault, … “ Isabel collapsed out of his grasp, her legs buckling, as she fell to the floor to her knees, weeping, rocking back and forth in deep sorrow, as she clutched her stomach as if in pain. Alex was still unknowledgeable about anything she was thinking, and tears silently started to roll down his cheeks… Seeing Isabel like this was absolutely breaking his heart, because something had happened to her that he could not even begin to comprehend.

He dropped to his knees next to her as she was now face first crying into the floor, and he put his hand on her back. He choked out, “It might help if you talk about it… I’m here if you want to talk.“

“No!! … Go A-way...” she choked out, “I ne-ed… a-a-a lone...” She sobbed out shakily.

He sniffled. “Ok… I’ll get the bed ready to sit on, come talk when you are ready ok?” He walked out and pulled the sheets straight and then pulled the covers straight over that… but not made… just flattened out so that they could sit on it. He placed the pillow against the headboard and leaned into it, knees up and his head against the back… he closed his eyes, as tears leaked from them, and thought through everything she had informed him of the dream trying to piece together what might have caused her to react so forcefully. He never heard her brush her teeth or return to the room. He felt the foot of the bed depress and looked up. Isabel looked sad, but not in a way he had seen yet, and he had taken her through many crying spells…. She seemed downtrodden, defeated, and dejected.

“Izzy?” he asked quietly.

“A- Al-ex…” she swallowed… “Sorry…” she tried to gulp in breaths of air, “I know why you died, and it does have to do with the book, as I feared… but its worse than I could imagine… That dream, Its not what I went through but it was so real…” Isabel drew in another draught of air, “Like my coming back in time instead of her averted that or something… I think she might have been coming back to play out what I just dreamed… I don’t know. That’s just what I fear the dream was say-ing…” She started to break again.

“Izzy?” Alex wished that she were sitting closer so that he could hold her.

“No… Its worse, so much worse…” Isabel came and sat Indian style in the center of the bed, moving closer to him, but still with her hands around herself…

Alex sighed, Isabel needed him, but she wasn’t fully receptive to anything, and he could tell that a big part of grieving was hitting her again… and they were in for a long night…

He had no idea…

“I need to just talk ok??? I need to get this out…” Isabel pleaded with him. He nodded silently…

“I don’t know if the dream has anything to do with reality... But I’m taking it as a warning, a serious warning…” Isabel swallowed while looking into his glistening hazel eyes.. the color a watery golden green,,, “What made me sick and what I learned in that dream go together.” She drew in a very shaky breath.

He encouraged her to keep talking. “Go on sweetheart, I’m listening…”

“It was all a set up, a plan… First you were working on the book, and then you died. And then when the group fell apart Max needed someone and ended up with your murderer... he got her pregnant. The baby was sick and couldn’t live on earth and so we were all going to leave in the Granolith… the whole plan from the beginning. Oh God!!!” She rubbed the back of her hand under her nose in a very unladylike manner, “But Michael stayed for Maria, and Liz told Max about who murdered you. She was working with our enemy; our enemy from the other world….” Isabel broke off into tears again; whimpering sounds were all he could hear.

He quickly went into the bathroom and wet the washcloth to wipe her down, her hair was sweat matted and somewhat plastered to the sides of her face. He extracted the handkerchief from his shirt which was hanging on the bathroom hook, and he also grabbed Isabel’s from her purse, when he got back into the main room.

Resuming his spot on the bed he handed her one of the handkerchiefs.

She clutched it and began to cry her way through more of the explanation, “We were going to be summarily executed upon arrival… arrival in the Granolith. We were being sent there to be killed. I might not know where I belong, or what world is home, but if we ever got there, we were going to die. If there is a word I now hate more than destiny... it’s definitely the Granolith.” Tears were steadily flowing down her cheeks. “I just threw up when I realized that though- though we had worked ha-aard to keep our enemy from ever getting or learning about the Granolith that we would have been giving straight to them… We’re just kids… we can’t see everything, we’re not that smart… and because of this thing … you died.”


1.
Why should I care if they hurt you
Somehow it matters more to me
Than if I were hurting myself



“Oh God, Oh Gahd, Oh god Alex!!!” she said with each sharp breath, “I always thought maybe, just maybe it was an accident…” she tried to clear her throat to continue. “I mean the mind-warps were awful and the last one ended your life, but I always thought maybe she didn’t know that it was going to kill you. Even though you begged her not too, you knew… Oh God, some-h-h-h-how… But she was trying to stop you. Oh God, to sto-p you…” Isabel’s body convulsed in nearly silent crying for a few minutes as the memories that Alex had sent in while he sent in the book were flooding her mind, she had all the pieces to the puzzle and so she kept talking…as the understanding hit…. “After you were done talking to her you were going to tell Max…. about the book, about what she did.” Her hand over her mouth she stifled another sob. “Oh God, the Book…. The Granolith…. The bo-ook… You knew it all… you were a threat…. They killed you… to silence… you… in cold-blooded, premeditated mur…ur…der… You knew way too much… I know… way too … much... I know it all. I know it all...” She started to rock forcefully, silent cries coming out as occasional squeaks as she cried, and realized what Past Alex knew… and she needed to find a way to keep it safe.


“Hold me...” she squeaked out. She was in his arms in an instant. A strange knowledge that he needed to keep her safe, even from what was in her mind; he engaged her in more conversation as he rocked her, and wiped her face with the cool wet cloth.

“Izzy,” he choked out, “tell me about before… the Granolith, and what you meant by doing everything to keep your enemies from it…”

“ Okay…” she whispered as she drew in a deep breath to continue, “I learned about it first... an alien enemy was demanding that I say where it was. I didn’t even know what it was at that point… found out shortly after though. They were always trying to get it from us.”

“Oh God, Izzy, I don’t believe I’m asking this but… who all is us?” Alex needed to help her piece as much together as he was capable of, and so he just asked what seemed like a logical question.

“The aliens… its something from our world sent with us, and I now know why they want it so bad… “ She frowned.

“Did the humans ever get asked about it?” The next logical question was asked.

“No!! Liz had more knowledge about it from an episode with a future version of Max, but she kept us safe with that knowledge, and the rest I’m not going into, because I don’t trust it at all.” She grabbed the cool rag that was in his hand and laid it across her forehead, closing her eyes, as she laid her head backward onto his shoulder, while trying to stave off the headache that had formed from her crying, she was feeling miserable.

She sat there in silence, enfolded into his strong protective arms as an absolutely unbelievable idea started to work into the inner recesses of her mind, it seemed as if her whole mind was focusing on what could be a potential answer… and adding to her headache. She tried to block it; unbeknownst to her that Alex was thinking similar thoughts.

“Izzy, remember in the park how I shared my dream with you?” She nodded. “I want to know what he knew…”

She pulled off his shoulder and turned to look at him as she shook her head forcefully… that added to the dizzy feeling and Alex reached out to steady her. “No Alex, its not just the book, the decoded book... Its him. Its Alex’s memories and, and, even the one of his death… These are actual events Alex… it’s not just the book.“ Isabel informed him adamantly.

She pressed her palm to her forehead, “Unnnhhh,” applying pressure from her hand to her head. “The pictures have been running solid for the past few minutes. Like a movie… I haven’t dealt with them yet; I haven’t even checked them all out yet… only tonight they’re being dredged up. Something about that dream triggered them.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear, “But the pain, the grief, all of it, is so great that I don’t even know what all he sent… I know it was important to him though, he insisted I take this,,, even though I had no desire to do so… So I know that he sent whatever he felt was important to this cause…”
Isabel bit her lip as she grimaced in pain, “Uhh,” she moaned, “he sent it with me when he sent me back. Alex??? What???” She asked him in question…”Unhhm… God it hurts, my whole head feels like it’s going to explode.” She cried out in anguished pain, scrunching her eyes tightly shut for a moment, both palms applying direct pressure to her forehead.

She sat there thinking of what was coming next and so he went and re-wet the cloth. He wished he could relieve the pressure in her head, he knew that serious crying could leave you in a state of misery, but Isabel had never cried this hard yet, not even when she came back. He sat down and embraced her again, placing the cloth on her forehead. She shook her head, “No!!! Here,” she cried while she placed her palm on a further back region of her head; and leaned her face into his shoulder while she welcomed the coolness of the washcloth. Her other hand gripped his opposite shoulder.

As Alex held her securely, rubbing her back with one hand and holding the cold compress just above the base of her skull, an inch or so above the back of her neck, with his other hand; he couldn’t help but wonder if alien’s brains were built differently. From the intensity of this crying spell, for Isabel had been inconsolable, she should have been having a serious congestion headache up in her sinuses, with pressure behind the bridge of her nose, and sharp pain at her temples; not in the back of her head. Alex was curious about where her pain was registering, he wanted to make her feel better, and so he was about to get up again to dampen the cloth when she took it and turned it into a flexible ice pack. “Trust me! I want you here, not continually making it cold for me, but thanks.” Isabel laid the ice on her area of the most pain, the spot above the base of her skull.

He smiled softly and nodded, and then he continued where they left off, before the headache plagued Isabel. “Let me see Izzy? Please? The pain of his death will be shared at least,” he knew he was setting her up for a bigger plan but if he just came out with it there would be no way she would accept it, so he innocuously asked to share the memory that Alex had implanted.

She nodded, and moved in close, pressing her body against his, she decided without a moment hesitation to do this through kissing. The flashes were going to be entire movies of agony and she might lose her nerve if he was not fully holding her and so she began a full-out assault on his mouth, her hands glowing on the sides of his head, as she started to recall the dream/trip back… it was so important to get it to him accurately that she found herself going beyond the flashes that accompany kissing and into Alex… she could hear their heartbeats, but it became a joint, singular entity, a rhythmic perfect thumping, and similarly she found herself in his brain. She could feel him drawing her there, she wanted to pull out, and she tried to resist him. Alex was asking for this to become a memory in his mind, no he was insisting on it… She tried to extract, he was asking for a very serious thing, and she did not want to give it to him, but in the physical world he lay her down on the bed and intensified the kiss…


Flash~
You are the Royal four… You have been given the Granolith… As a communication between Earth and Antar….



She couldn’t breathe, Alex was taking her memories straight into his brain, processing them through his hippocampus, and then storing them in the temporal lobes of his cerebral cortex. This was all done without cognitive action on his part, as his mind recognized the neural patterns of the memories as his own, and treated them as such, storing them where they belonged.

In the Physical realm, his hands were pressed against the side of her head as hers were inversely on his; hers were glowing, as the memories were delivered…

She pulled away from him gasping, frightened and shaking… “You stupid jerk, you shouldn’t have done that…” She declared angrily while fighting tears and gasping for breath.

He knew why she was angry, he had somehow, and God knows he didn’t know how, forced her to give him the memories… and with them, he knew that making her safe was not yet complete. But he’d have to give her some time to get over what had just occurred. He rolled over to the far opposite edge of the bed and lay on his side, his head propped up as he observed her.

“You have this dumb hero complex…” she panted, “You did this to me before…” her breathing was coming in ragged angry pants, as she lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, while her hands were being clenched and unclenched… He watched her, knowing exactly what she was thinking, and why she was so mad… and he needed to let her get it out… because pain brings healing and she was about to tap into a huge vein of pain… weird as it was, in this one instance of these memories, he could read her mind… he knew exactly what she was feeling and thinking and why.


She leapt off the bed and started pacing… one thought flashed across his mind… the same thought that was simultaneously playing in hers. ‘Prom.’

It was from Past Alex’s perspective as he saw things…. It was his memory… the first of many that they would jointly share this night.

They had just had their prom picture taken, Alex was in heaven and hell at the same time. He knew how much this night meant to her, but he didn’t want it to mean so much, because the pain would only be that much greater when the big event took place.

‘Even though I am glad to be here with her, I know that I shouldn’t be! I am afraid that she is also happy because we are here together and that shouldn’t be the case. It will just make her unhappier in the end. I know that sounded crazy but the next thought is even crazier. I know I am going to die! And soon.’

But even with those thoughts pouring through his brain, Alex gallantly smiled at her and complimented her on her beauty. “You have to promise to not be anymore beguiling or I’ll be right back where I was.” Her face lit up as she giggled. “I’m serious. Lets dance.” He locked her arm in his and led her to the floor.

‘Come-on Isabel. If you are going to make a move this is it. This is our last chance… figuratively, but quite literally, this is our last dance. I’m only glad I’m sharing it with you. Girl, you will never know how much I love you.’

His hands trembled in hers but she only thought it was from his nerves, in reality he was thinking through his life as of the past couple of months, it was amazing how one little event could change so much. He was supposedly in Sweden, but had been instead at Las Cruces. Staring at her watching his every move, his thoughts were all on her.

‘She’ll be hurt when I am dying and that’s something I didn’t want to happen. I never wanted to hurt her or make her uncomfortable. I don’t know how its going to happen, just that it will.’

His thoughts were interrupted. “Alex, I’m going to do something I said I wouldn’t do.”

“Don’t,” He replied. But Isabel was never one to hold back when she wanted something and so she leaned up and kissed him, placing her hand gently on the back of his neck. ‘ She’s KISSING me. This can’t happen. God! Isabel NO!’ He pulled back and said, “I asked you not to do that.”

‘Look at that look in her eyes, I’ve never seen them so bright, or her so happy. I am grinning back at her, but on the inside I am near to tears. She’s really serious this time. She really wants to be with me. God she’s kissing me again, and I’m responding. Dammit!!! Don’t respond Alex, you are only going to make it worse in the end.’

He smiled lovingly as he kissed her softly and sensuously out on the dance floor. Everyone at school saw them, and for the first time ever, Isabel did not care about the masses or who saw her. She was truly happy.

‘Isabel is kissing me again, much longer this time! Gasping for air, we break apart. She is grinning at me, her eyes twinkling with happiness. I think she loves me!’ His inner thoughts in anguish, ‘God Isabel why? Why now, finally? When it’s too late? Whatever will happen to me, I won’t forget this night. I won’t forget a single moment, word or touch I shared with you, my darling, my one and only.’

The kiss lasted for what seemed like an eternity and Alex as well as Isabel found themselves falling deeply in love in that handbreadth of a time, the depth of love that they would do anything for the other person... Prom. Their one and only special night.

TBC Immediately... Part B Follows
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Tue Apr 19, 2005 11:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

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Mt Gazer
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Chapter 22 Parts A&B

Post by Mt Gazer »

Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty-Two: Part B

Weathering the Storm

*****
The memory released its hold and Isabel sat there gasping for breath, (she had sat down in one of the chairs during the memory) tears of every possible combination of emotions were pouring out of her. She angrily shouted to the unseen Alex, the Alex who had died, as she worked things out verbally, entering into a soliloquy… talking to herself, yet in her mind’s estimation, not. She was talking to him. “You took me even though you knew you were going to die… did you even stop to think about how much that night meant to me? How much I fell in love with you… How much I was ready to give myself to you.” She swallowed as her lip quivered in her anguish. “Soon, I was ready to give you all of me so soon… But no!! You had to go and die, you had to leave me… when I finally found you. Why? Because you have this stupid hero complex!” Isabel spat out, as she stood back to her feet and continued pacing.

She started to shake in her anger and pain, as Alex sat on the bed sobbing… he was reliving everything she was, even though he wasn’t actually the one who had gone through anything. Having just seen the same memory that Isabel was reacting to, he couldn’t comfort her. He felt everything that the other Alex had. And the pain was deep, and the love was great. And Isabel had to work through it on her own. She had much to discover.


“Alex, I don’t give a damn about my destiny!” Isabel cried out. “And I sure as hell don’t give a damn about the Granolith, or the book…. Why didn’t you tell me? I could have done something; Max could have healed you… Why did you think it was better, safer, if you died??? …. Why didn’t you take me with you?” Once again that early morning she found herself sobbing bitterly on her knees as she wept, mourned her Alex… “God Alex, I died that day, as it was.” Isabel’s hands were trembling so badly… “I’ve died already. OH GOD! AHHH!!” She threw herself to the floor and let her emotions go. The only people who had ever seen her this broken up were her parents in the past timeline. She wasn’t given to crying fits in which she was literally beating her fists against something, yet here she was, facedown, on an awful brown colored carpet, in the worst possible of all lodgings, going through the worst night of her life that this timeline had yet offered her, this one in the anguish level was second only to losing Alex. Max in the White Room, as bad as that was, was third to these.

She lay on the floor sobbing, angry at the man who had given his life for hers, and then a shift started to take place in her mind, she thought through it again from his perspective. Alex felt it too… ‘That’s it baby… see what he did for you…. And what are you going to do for him???…. That’s right keep talking.’ He thought to himself as the next recollection drew them in.

It was from past Alex’s perspective as he saw things…. It was his memory…

Isabel was seated in the library and had just asked him in her somewhat blatant yet subtle way to go to prom with her. “Isabel, it would be my dream to take you to prom.” ‘My life’s dream.’ Hope was shining in her eyes, she was slightly smiling in anticipation... “But then we’d wake up the next morning and you’d be onto the next thing and I’d be right back where I was before Sweden, obsessed, pathetic and lovesick...”


‘I’d give to be all those things again if I only had a chance, if you’d only reciprocate… but the way my mind currently is, I can’t. Oh my sweet girl, I can’t let you in. And I’ve learned from the master how to keep anyone out. Isn’t this ironic, usually you are the one running,’ he sighed, ‘but now its me. So….’

His lightning fast thoughts segued into his conversation, “Amazingly, my answer is no. I’m not going to take you to prom.”

‘I can’t. I don’t want to hurt you like that… I don’t know how much time I’ve got left, but I know its short.’

This memory released, and she kept up her agonizing soliloquy… talking to the Alex she had lost, although his presence was no longer with her, his memories were there and fully intact. “That’s why you didn’t want to take me to prom… you didn’t want to hurt me. I felt so rejected when you said no. But that’s not what you wanted to do, you didn’t want to reject me, but better that, than face losing you.” She sat up rocking herself.

The next memory came forth and she realized that the way they were wired into her brain, she could retrieve them as if they were her own, in a way since they had been implanted in her mind, they were. She was the one recalling and reliving these instances from his point of view. She watched and listened to Alex’s perspective as she essentially begged him to take her to prom.

They were sitting in silence, Isabel had just revealed that she was graduating early and it was her last chance for a prom. “Alex! Please don’t make me just sit here.”

The silence was overwhelming her, Isabel remembered how she felt, now she was learning what Alex had gone through in those moments. ‘Now I ask, I ask what she wants to hear. I ask what I’ve always wanted to ask her, besides if she’d marry me… (Well that won’t happen.) I ask her to go to our prom, and I do it for me. I’m not doing this for her, its going to be the most selfish thing I’ve ever done. Call me selfish, but Alex Whitman is asking Isabel Evans to the prom.’

That memory stopped and once again, Isabel was talking her way through it. Sobbing her way through it described it more accurately… she was blubbering…”And I forced you to take me… but you love me so much, you could deny me nothing and you did take me… and you gave me…” She gulped a large stuck swallow, “Alex, now I know, you gave me all of you, all you could give me. You gave me your love and kisses and the best night of our lives. But you made sure that I knew that we were in love, so that you had the strength… so that you could do the next part… when you went to her… knowing it was likely going to kill you… but you died with the knowledge safe in your head… and the file given to Jennifer… somewhere safe… Thank-you Alex…”

She had her hand pressed tightly to the back of her head. The pain had migrated a little further and was now centralized at the very base of her skull, just above the back of her neck. A soft glow was shining under her palm as she tried to relieve the pressure, alien style.

She pulled up the next memory, as the Alex from this timeline sat on the bed sobbing… he was so in awe of his counterpart.

The next memory found Alex on his bed with Maria and Liz visiting at his house, it was two days after the Jr. Prom. He was on the phone with Isabel.

“Tonight?” he looked in the direction of the girls hoping that they’d give him something to cover with, for he had a feeling he might be busy tonight. He was already telling Isabel no.

He hardly heard what she said but he did catch her flirty, seductive, … “And not come out to play with me.” Alex bit his finger and scrunched his eyes tightly closed, as the images his mind conjured up from that moment had definitely left the realm of G - PG-13 ratings.


‘God I want to be with you so bad, it hurts.’

The girls were acting all proud of him, that he was acting strong. “I don’t want to, but I have to…” he found himself saying. No one could read between the lines in that statement.

‘God Isabel, you are killing me here. I don’t want to (go to her), but I have to. (I have to confront her.) I have to do this first. With her power, even if I did go to Max first, and he were able to heal me, she could just mind-warp it all away. This is the first stop I have to make… and this I do for Isabel.’

Alex physically entered a slump, a depressed state… but the girls never caught on, and he knew they wouldn’t... how could they… this alien misadventure had to be the craziest of them all. He knew, with a ninety percent certainty why he wouldn’t be with Isabel tonight, and it was causing a literal ache in his heart. He flopped down backwards onto his bed, after hanging up the phone. “This Blows. She’s thinking about me. Even now, she is on her bed and she’s thinking about me.”

‘How did I get myself into this mess? I told her I’d see her later. She’ll be waiting. I don’t want Isabel lovesick and pining after me. This blows.’

The girls were patting him and reminding him to stay strong and then they headed off to work.

“Strong, strong, yeah…” he stammered out.


‘True strength is doing what you don’t want to do, without a choice… because it’s the right thing to do. I wonder if they are aware of how much their pep-talk has actually helped me.’

Then he went to the door and received his cold Thai food from the delivery boy, “Why does life have to be so wrong? Why does everything have to be a lie?”

Taking his food back to his room, his mind falling into a rapidly descending fog and a state of unfamiliarity and unclarity that he had become all too familiar with, he grabbed the picture of Leanna off of his desk and looked at it closely… ‘One of those lies.’ And then he removed it from the frame, and reached into his desk drawer….


Thus began his final plan… “In case I don’t make it out of this alive, here are clues to get you to know what happened. All I can now give is clues, for I myself am very fuzzy on the details. But these things that I leave you are quite important. HELP ME, to avenge myself… to know what happened to me. He grabbed the tickets to the Beth Orton concert that he had purchased that morning, before the overwhelming sense of duty took him over… and he kissed them. “Isabel I really hope I get to take you to this, but knowing the enemy as I do….” He inserted them into his Robert Frost book, marking the passage “Stopping by Woods On a Snowy Evening.”

And the last thing he did before he left his room, for the very last time, was to cut his head deliberately from his body in the photo of him and Leanna. Then he went to deal with his torturer…


2.
My love for you still grows
This I do for you
Before I try to fight the truth my final time



“OH MY GOD!!…. I can’t watch this!” Isabel pulled out of the memory. The pain in her head, reached its maximum peak as it crushed down and then exploded, filling every surface, her vision went almost black and extremely blurry, and room was once again spinning, in both directions at once. “AAAHHHHH!!!!,” she screamed in agony, eyes shut tightly, and pulling at her hair with both fists, trying to quell the pain. She collapsed to the floor in bitter tears. “That’s what it felt like when he died… Oh God!!!!” She swallowed bitterly before she cried out…I just felt him die!!!” she reasoned to herself. She knew his death was in his memories, it was the last thing he wanted to share, but she could not, she was not, able to watch what that evil bitch did to her Alex. But even though she hadn’t watched it, somehow she had felt it, a crushing weight, a bursting of vessels, an aneurysm? She didn’t know, but she did know that it was what he had experienced. Somehow he had just shared his final moments with her. And then the pain released her, completely, as if she hadn’t been in anguish and agony for all that time before.

Isabel lay on the floor crying, thinking, and trying to work through whatever had just happened.

Alex of this timeline wanted so badly to just scoop her into his arms and hold her… but he knew that she wasn’t ready for that. She had just shared an intimate connection with her Alex somehow and it was unique to her alone... although he was able to see and share the memories, he wasn’t a partaker in the headache, in her exact pain.


Isabel through her tears restarted her soliloquy; she had so much more to tell her Alex, “You loved me so much, I never knew… You gave your life so that mine would be safe….” Another of his thoughts, or more like messages, shot through her, “I trust you Izzy.” She sat up straighter, from her position on the floor, absolute puzzlement on her face, sitting there wondering how she would ever be safe with the knowledge that was pounding through her brain, she swore that it was like a flashing neon sign…

Isabel poured out her heart and her love, to the one who was no longer here, “You gave your life for mine Alex… You made the ultimate sacrifice. You put others ahead of yourself. You knew she was going to kill you to keep you from telling what you knew… yet you let her… so that somehow you could get the information to me, send me back here, and continue to keep me safe.” She just verbalized whatever she was thinking, no matter how little sense it made at the moment…. “But how did you do that?? HOW could you possibly know it would work, how did you know you were even going to be a ghost???” She sighed, thinking quickly through everything she had ever learned about ghosts, “Ghosts have unfinished business…” She stated flatly and then her eyes flew open in total understanding, “OH MY GOD!!! I’m YOUR unfinished business aren’t I?” She shook her head in total amazement and disbelief, “You sent me here for my protection… Oh God!!! You really will do anything for my protection won’t you?? You just did….” She started to blink back tears, as she realized just how much Alex loved her, but before she could speak again, the tears were flowing furiously down her cheeks. “It was the last thing you ever did, and you did it for me. Alex I love you so much… Thank-You.” She needed him at that moment, she needed to feel him, so that he would know how much his sacrifice meant to her and with that she crawled off the floor and unto the bed, where she fell into this timeline’s Alex’s arms weeping.

He just held her while she sobbed her heart out. He was crying too. Alex whispered what she probably knew, but since she couldn’t speak anymore since she was crying so hard, he spoke as if he were the other Alex. Speaking in the first person, he gave her the closure that she so desperately needed. “That wasn’t my final gift Isabel. But this is…. I give you peace with what happened; acceptance that ‘She’ hurt me, but not you. And above all, I give you courage, so that you will be able to do what you need to do in order to protect the ones you love.”


2.
Please don't be afraid
When the darkness fades away
The dawn will break the silence
Screaming in our hearts



They sat there in each other’s arms, sobbing as their pain was shared.

After awhile, a long while, she pulled herself together somewhat, and they continued to talk. Isabel pulled back into the middle of the bed her arms wrapped around her drawn up knees.

“Isabel sweetie?” Alex asked.

“What?” She bitingly answered… she was in a thinking mode again.

“Talk to me ok?” Alex offered his hand, “Tell me how much you loved him? WE just learned how much he loved you.“ He said mournfully.

“Not now Alex…” Isabel shook her head and did not receive his proffered hand.

“Please?” he pleaded.

She sent him a look, of extreme annoyance and irritation, “I don’t want to! I don’t want to love him that much, I can’t. It hurts too much, and it’s wrong. Sometimes I feel like I’m cheating on him … with you. Or cheating on you, because of how I feel towards him. There, I feel like I’m having an affair of the heart. Are you happy now?”

“You do still love him don’t you?” Alex once again reached out his hand. He wanted to let her know that he understood, and that he was here for her, as she grieved her lost love. His hand rested on her knee, the tip of it. She was purposefully staying out of arms reach.

“I don’t want to do this!” She answered him sullenly..

“But we need to.” He was in authority of even this situation, “I think that you need to come to terms with everything. I know you just came to terms with the time- travel yesterday, but what about us? What do you honestly feel towards us?” Alex sighed deeply, for he knew the answer.

She frowned slightly as she went into thought. It wasn’t lost on him and so he continued. “If it weren’t for your coming back there would be no us right?” She nodded. “So I am forever grateful to him, he gave you to me?” She nodded again.

“Is our relationship, yours and mine, moving slowly because of this?” Alex asked in all seriousness.

She shook her head, and looked up at him with longing in her eyes. “I wanted to kiss you when I first got back, but I wouldn’t have been able to cope with the flashes, and I didn’t want to hurt you either.” She swallowed, “Alex I slowly fell for him, and never knew I did. I treated him, well pretty much like I did other guys, but actually a bit differently… we actually hung out when we weren’t a couple. He was the friend that I couldn’t live without, yet at the same time he was the love that I so desperately wanted. But every time I reached for that love, I panicked.” She ducked her head, as she was revealing her deepest self, “I had to step back from his love and in so doing I risked losing that friend. Our friendship was strong until my birthday... then… I’m so not going through that right now.” She made a short gesture with her hands in front of her as if shooing something away. “At prom I was ‘ready’ if you know what I mean.” she said sadly, “then my heart got ripped out, and I never healed from it when I had to start all over. With you!”

She looked up to find him lovingly watching her; there was no trace of disappointment, or jealousy anywhere. She was scared of how he would react when she shared her innermost self. But he was Alex; he could accept anything she did.

“You I am letting in from the start and seeing where it takes us. Which we already know where it will. But,” She drew in a very tremulous breath as she stared at him with her watery brown eyes. “I couldn’t kiss you until last week because I wasn’t ready. I can’t do this fast. But it’s a lot faster than last time, and I’m doing it because I want to, no pretenses. I know how dangerous waiting is. I always thought you’d/ he’d be there. I took too long.”

And without a warning Isabel launched herself into his arms, burying her head upon his shoulder, and holding him as tightly as possible and still trying to grip even more, as the tears overcame her, and she cried out, “I don’t want to get too close because I don’t want to lose you too.” He started to rock her, “People die because they get close to me. I’m not safe. I don’t want to lose you Alex … I already did.”

“Izzy?” he pulled back and raised her chin with his fingertips, looking deeply into her eyes, “I’m not going anywhere. If I have to move into your guest room until you feel safe, I will. I’m not going to leave you. I’m not going to die.” he stated assuredly.

“Grant did. Alex did. Great,” She shook her head disgustedly, “the only two guys I’ve ever been semi-involved with and they both died because of something alien related. God I’m cursed.”

“Not because of you Isabel. Alien stuff maybe, but not because of you.” He shook his head softly.

“But If I weren’t…” Every word was a struggle to get out between gasping breaths.

“No more… Shhhh!!” he placed his index finger upon her lips, “Not because of you. I love you Isabel, and I’ll be here.” Her eyes started to water as she so badly wanted to tell him the same three words. But she just couldn’t. They hurt and caught in her throat as she thought of telling him. Instead she bit her lip and nodded, as the tears trickled down. “He gave up his life for me, please don’t leave me like that.” Isabel pleaded, “I’d rather die. I don’t want to be alone!!” She wailed, as she dropped the last of her defenses and shared her most terrifying thought. Isabel wrapped her arms tightly around him and held on for dear life, her head buried in his shoulder and once again sobbing as if the world had ended.

“I won’t let you Isabel. I won’t let you be alone.” He sat there rocking her, letting her cry, for her Alex and for her fear of losing him, as well. “It just gets more and more intense doesn’t it?” He asked as tears fell onto her long golden hair. “Now you know why he died. Oh Isabel! My Sweet Angel… now you know what he did for you… now I know too… what do you want to do?” His mind was still racing with the final part of the plan, but he had already forced her into one part, and this would require her full consent... So he held her and let her cry, hoping the question would register. It did, a short time later.

She sat up and stared at him as if he just broken out in green spots. “What did you say?” Taking in hiccupping breaths.

“What are you going to do now?” he repeated the question.

“Alex gave it to me so it would be safe. It’s never going to be safe. If that dream had any truth to it, our protector, who obviously made a deal with our enemy a long time ago, is going to be here in a couple of months if things play the same of course.
If he is not on our side, he can’t be trusted, and his powers are so much more developed than ours. We’re just babies at this point… we don’t know what our powers can do, but I intend to find out… but I don’t know if he can get into another’s mind or not… but I’m inclined to think he probably can… If I encounter any of the other enemies who wanted it, I can’t hide the knowledge that I know something…” She tucked her hair behind her head and said in a matter-of –fact way… “I can’t know something.” And she looked up to stare at him, the look on his face said he had an idea and she was sure she didn’t want to hear it.

“Izzy,” he said forcefully, when he knew he had her attention… “Let me keep your secrets safe. Let me be the one with the knowledge, I already have the memories, let me guard it, everything. For my eyes only… TOP SECRET!”

1.
Give unto me your troubles
I'll endure your suffering
Place onto me your burden
I'll drink your deadly poison



“Alex? What are you saying?? What are you asking??” She knew what he was saying, for the same thoughts had already occurred to her earlier.

“You yourself said they never ask the humans about it, and I think as strange as it is, because I’m Alex, his memory locked inside of me… I know everything he knew. And being that you are aliens and he was human they have no reason to try to get inside a human’s head… obviously a human can’t do memory retrievals, the way you can... they might be able to share them but they can’t store them, I would imagine. Somehow with Alex’s death and everything he went through, especially the constant mind warp he was under before he died, well it must have altered him somehow… Somehow he had the memories of everything, and he figured out how to let you know everything. Hmmm…” he was thinking it all out logically. “Izzy, I think it must be because of my being Alex that we got this strange gift. And I think... no actually, I know, that you know what I’m asking…


1.
Fear not the flame of my love's candle
Let it be the sun in your world of darkness



She nodded dumbly, “But I don’t know if it will work… Alex this is so dangerous.” She was pleading with him with her eyes.

“I know Baby,” he said softly, “but I think it’s the only way….”

“Alex, I could end up... Damaged.” ‘That’s a good way to put it.’ “Healing is not my thing… I could really mess up. I don’t fully know what to do, I’ve never done anything like this before.” Isabel stated fearfully.

“Izzy I trust you. I think you can do it, though I know it’s scary… I’ll be right here. It’s just a little molecular manipulation, right?” he teased in all seriousness.

“Yeah,” she said wryly, “Inside my head.” I’ll also have to hide the dream, the end of it… that was quite important. It can’t be known what I know, but I don’t want to be without that knowledge. So I guess I’ll just tuck it into very far back long-term storage… before I couldn’t talk, for those couple of months after the Evans’ found us and thought that we were deaf or something… They were learning a bit of signs and we were learning them too. But it would take a lot more than just surface memory to tap into it. So, I’ll tuck the end of that nightmare back farther and…” she looked at him in fear, “Erase the rest.” Isabel stated in a tone of finality.


“That’s it honey.” He acknowledged her decision. “You ready? I’m gonna do this with you, you know?”

“Yeah,” Isabel softly scoffed, “ready as I’ll ever be, for brain surgery.”

Isabel made sure she was in complete control of her emotions and slowed her breathing down. She placed Alex’s hands on the side of her head, and went deep inside, inside herself. She traveled up the pathways that led into her cerebral cortex and isolated the spot for long-term memories, as she found the memory of them in their new house as 6 year olds for the very first night. She cleared a spot and called in her dream of a few hours prior, and then she tucked it into safe keeping, in her pre-verbal memories.

Next she held her glowing hand against the side of her head, and Alex placed his on top. She listened to her heartbeat, it was hers, and hers alone,,, she had to do this to herself. Alex could only support from the outside, he couldn’t enter it with her.

2.
You hold the answers deep within your own mind
.


She found her Past Alex’s memories and started to send little electrical pulses along the synapses and neurons, effectively blocking any other signals to the area. And then she felt herself physically weakening, and could only hope that it was working, as she continued to send little charges along the nerves. Like she was setting off little grenades, blowing up the connection. She was using so much energy, and was getting so tired. Max could heal, Max could do this, but Max would know of the time-travel…. She couldn’t tell him… she was starting to feel extremely dizzy, and weak, and her brain felt foggy, muddled… she couldn’t remember why she was in her mind, or how she got there, and she was so tired, so very tired.

2.
Consciously, you've forgotten it
.


In the Physical realm, Isabel was slumped down onto the bed. A short time after she had started the procedure, she had started to slip from his grasp as she collapsed a bit. And then she progressively slouched further and further until she was lying on the bed. He prayed she would know how to get out again… she was practically unconscious and he only wanted her to work on the memories, not to give herself complete amnesia. Who knew what she was doing to herself?

She did not know why she was in her mind, nothing seemed wrong, but she couldn’t pull out… not without cleaning house, and fixing what she knew must be wrong, so she forced herself to stay in…


2.
That's the way the human mind works.
Whenever something is too unpleasant, to shameful for us
to entertain, we reject it.
We erase it from our memories



Alex panicked… she was out cold, he had tried to shake her awake and there was absolutely no response. And she had no physical way to remove her hand from herself, so he yanked, hard, and pulled it from her head. The pull was strong, her hand struggled in his grasp, and it was going to go back onto her head.

“Oh God!!! I can’t wake her up, she’s on autopilot and it’s going to take over…” He leaned over and whispered into her ear, hoping she could hear him. “It’s over… Izzy… you’re done... You did everything you could. STOP NOW.”

Somewhere deep inside her, heard a voice that registered a single command. “Stop!” Her hand fell limply out of his grasp and onto the bed. “Oh Baby, I hope you’re okay… I’m so sorry I made you do that.” Alex leaned over the love of his life and started to cry. For many reasons, the first, not knowing if her selective amnesia even worked, or if it did if she was in too long… The second, her Alex who had done so much to save her... and she had to repay the favor in this radical manner. And then what he had just done also registered in him… he was the only one who knew everything, about the Royal-4, their mission, the Granolith, and the book that held all the answers.

2.
But the answer is always there. Nothing is ever really forgotten
.


He hoped that he had made the right choices on all accounts… and he picked his sleeping Princess up and moved her into position in the bed, and snuggled into her tightly, to likely spend another time of watching over her while she slept, this time he was the one in pain; an anguish of the soul, and the tears flowed like a river down the young man’s face.

2.
Lying beside you
Listening to you breathe
The life that flows inside of you
Burns inside of me
Hold and speak to me
Of love without a sound
Tell me you will live through this
And I will die for you
Cast me not away
Say you'll be with me
For I know I cannot
Bear it all alone


TBC….


Musical excerpts: Both Songs by Evanescence…
#1 Give Unto Me
#2 Understanding (Wash it All Away)
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
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Mt Gazer
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New Chapter!!!!

Post by Mt Gazer »

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

Maybe, in this part and parts to come I will be borrowing some scenes. And I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher

Spoilers: NONE

******
There might be a line in this that sounds vaguely familiar to one of Kzinti Killer’s Still Yours. I have his permission to use it. The e-mail excerpt is below.
It's okay Rhonda. I finally got time to review your work. I have no issue with it. It's similar, but that's all it is. There's a limit to how many different ways you can play a given scene, so some are bound to repeat.
This was from 9-4-04.

******
As usual song is in italics, flashback is in bold italics.

******

And one final A/N: If you did not get this info in the feedback section, I am reiterating it here.

This posting is the closest to an anniversary of this story that there is. I originally posted it on October 9, 2003... My birthday, and I did it as a present to myself. Well, today is October 7, 2004. That day was a Thursday and the sole reason I update on Thursdays.

Happy First Anniversary Shifting Realities.

And thanks to all of you who have been reading so faithfully for all that time. Hard to believe it’s been a year already. And I know the story wouldn't exist if it weren't for all of you.

Thanks so much for all your faithful reading and this is to another (well as long as the story lasts.)

Mt Gazer

And thanks to all the readers who did read this already and wished it a Happy Anniversary, or me a Happy Birthday. Thanks Guys. You’re the BEST!!! LOVE YA’.


And Tracie/Magiklmoon: Of course I give you feedback to your feedback. I want you all to know how appreciated you really are. This is an important part of the process to me.

******

Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty-Three: Part One

Damage Control Part A, with B to immediately follow.


***************
Alex couldn’t sleep, and so he did the only thing he could… he had a little talk with himself, the new part of himself that had just been transplanted into his head. He leaned against the headrest upon his pillow, eyes closed and entering into his own soliloquy, much as Isabel had done earlier. His girlfriend was sleeping in a dreamless exhausted state beside him.

“Thank-you for what you did for her...” he spoke out in a choked whisper as he talked to the unseen counterpart.


So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place



“I have all the answers and all the knowledge now… But I think you wanted that. In this decoded stuff you sent her, you layered and encrypted it. I think my brain is the only one that can read all of it,” he chuckled somberly. “I should have known… you’re a computer geek like me I’d assume. And you are me, so if there is stuff you wanted only me to know, you’d definitely find a way to get it to me.”

Alex looked over in Isabel’s direction. She was sleeping so peacefully, completely and deeply burrowed into the covers. Not one speck of her was visible. Her deep even breaths calming him somewhat. But he knew why she was so peaceful and remembered all that had just occurred and it left him worried. He sniffled back some tears as he continued his conversation… “Isabel did a little surgery in her brain tonight. She erased the stuff that you gave her after I took it… And you intended for me to get this knowledge and to store it… Somehow you ‘booby trapped’ it to go into my brain when she shared the memories. But I don’t know if she is okay yet,,, it pulled on a tremendous amount of her power and she passed out cold.” While frowning he looked back over to the sleeping lump under the covers that was his girl. And he reached out with a gentle hand and stroked her back in a concerned caress. She made a small contented noise in response. Which caused him to sadly smile.


When I'm gone you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face



“Isabel has cried, thrown up, and passed out... and just that in the last 24 or less hours.” He wryly smiled at the irony of his next statement. “You sent me one emotional girl, did you know that? Or did you never get to see that side of her?” he continued to ramble to himself… “I bet you didn’t… she’s been through some pretty intense stuff since she came back…” The tears started to flow harder. “Her parents learned of her heritage and so she’s had an ongoing fight with Max. Valenti is following her and An FBI Agent ran into her yesterday, and she freaked out. That’s why we are here. And then there’s you… she is nowhere near over you.”

“I’m the type of guy who would punch out a friend if he hurt one of my girls, ok? I’m really the type of guy who will hurt anyone who comes in between me and my Isabel. But Isabel is still in love with her ex…. Another version of me.” He thought things through pensively for a few minutes before resuming.

“I should want to hate, and want to do harm to anyone who comes between us. But I can’t hate myself can I? If it weren’t for ‘My’ relationship with Isabel in the past timeline, she and I would not have one in this current timeline. She would be more than keeping her distance from me with the fear that more would find out about them, the aliens.”

“She, this new Isabel returned, is the one who is forcing the humans and aliens together this time. All in her effort to recapture her relationship with ‘me.’ And so then I have to ask myself… ‘Is my Isabel really the same woman now as she was when she was in love with him,,, Umm,,, me? She has changed so much from the girl I have been in love with since the day I discovered what love is. She is so honest and open. In front of me she shows no restraint, and she wears her heart on her sleeve. I know she loves me, but more importantly she has let me in and allowed me to love her back’.”

He stroked her back again and whispered his love to her before he continued to work things out; sometimes he was truly talking to himself and at others he was talking to the other Alex. “That was the one thing she always denied them… her heart.

He sat up straighter and said forcefully in a low whisper, “No!” Alex reached a decision on the whole self jealously issue. “I’m not jealous. ‘Didn’t think I was!’ I have no desire to hurt the man who created the girl I’m madly in love with. The word to describe what I am, would be grateful. Isabel is with me now. Alex, I should be thanking you. Or more importantly, maybe I should be hoping (praying) that I can be as good for her now as I apparently was before.” He stated into the silent air. This whole conversation and whom exactly he was talking too, was a little too Sci Fi, specifically, "Twilight Zone." He could hear the familiar tune playing in his brain. But he had to work through it and so he continued on…


If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all


“The nightmares of your death finally went away though after our first kiss…. I think the connection that was formed stopped them… The one she had tonight was different… it was there to learn from… it wasn’t her usual. Those truly did finally stop…. And I’ve had a week of sleep. But I’ll do anything for her. Same as you.”


Then between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own



“I promise I’ll keep it safe, (all your memories that are now mine) but more importantly, her. I owe you everything, and I promise for her sake that I’ll keep your memory alive. Alex, you’ll forgive me here but a double negative is the only way to express what I want to say. You will never not be a part of us. You will always be a part of our relationship, and I’ll be as much what she needs as I can.” He wiped his eyes. It was cool, guys can cry when no one is around to see them. It’s showing that emotion in public that is frowned upon. No one would see him in this state, and he needed to release. He needed to have this time alone by himself, much as Isabel had done previously.


If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go



Letting out a shuddering breath he dove in a bit more, “Personally, it’s a little weird to know just how intimate you guys actually were, so you were close to your ‘first time’ huh??” he sucked in his lip momentarily, “How close?” And upon thinking of the question he had just asked, he then teased himself verbally. “Maybe I don’t really want that answer, one, it falls under the heading of Too Much Information. And two… maybe I would remind her of what she was missing. Or I’d cause her more pain, by bringing it up.” He decided to talk to Alex some more.

“Isabel is so devastated over your death that though she has been back 2 months, we just had our first kiss last weekend. But I think it was the most amazing ‘first kiss’ on record. But we’re not even ‘dating’ yet. We are, really, but in secret… nothing in Roswell. Was she this enigmatic for you? Anyways… I promise I’ll love her, and keep her safe. I promise I’ll live for the both of us, you, ‘her Alex’. And me. I won’t let you down.” The tears flowed freely as he thought of everything. “She is so in love with you, and she misses you so much. She talks about you a lot.” He grabbed the unused handkerchief off Isabel’s side of the bed. “Did you ever know how much she truly loved you?”


Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go



“I just can’t stop crying… I can’t repay you… Well thanks Alex… I’m sorry I’ll never get to know you, you sound like one hell of a guy. Isabel was very lucky. Thanks for the love of my life, and giving her to me….” He sat there sobbing… the weight of everything was so great that he just took it in the best he could.


And maybe, I'll find out
A way to make it back someday



But Past Alex had layered that message in such a way that a part of him would always live on…. Somehow it was in four layers… ‘Amazing what you can do after death if left to hang around.’ This Alex thought. It spurred his little discussion with ‘himself’.

The first layer was the immediate stuff, what first set Isabel off, the decoded book, and all of the knowledge.

The second layer was Alex’s memories, but without emotions, of his stint decoding the book and the spots where the warps should have been, but they had been broken, so now there was instead all the untapped knowledge of the first layer. As well as all the warps themselves, the false memories of Sweden.

The third layer, which was revealed as Isabel got very angry with Alex for dying and blamed him for his death; consisted of his love for her and his memories, with all of his emotions of the events leading up to prom and straight through to his death. She had blamed him for leaving her when they finally had a chance. This layer was Alex’s love.


To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days



And the final layer truly was for Alex’s mind only… it was encrypted to only match with his receptor sites. It was a message, “If you got this, there is only one thing to do. Isabel cannot have this knowledge, but it must not be lost… it is crucial that you don’t have to endure what I did, to translate this. If you got this, you should have already transferred the decoded book into your mind, I set it up that way … keep my girl safe, and give her my love. I trust you Alex.” End transmission. And it was with this hitting his brain as he had taken the memories from her, (unconsciously of course) that he knew erasure of everything from her mind was the only way to keep her safe. And that the plan that had been forming in his mind previously, was the right one, the only one. The important question was whether or not it had worked.

And the final thing he encountered transplanted into his head was an understanding.


***Flash***

Isabel is sobbing hysterically, confusion and abject pain of the soul are pouring out of her like a broken dam. Alex is in front of her stroking her cheeks and a purple light is swirling around them and a high pitched hum is reverberating through the structure they are standing in. Alex speaks, “Find my younger self and connect as soon as you can, you need him.” The Flash ended.


Alex swallowed hard. “He meant for all this to occur. Tonight it happened. He had a hidden meaning behind the words connection and need. He needed me to take the memories, and he needed Isabel freed from them.”

“Only a joint connection of the soul and mind of the two of us could enable us to do this.” He smiled broadly and happily for the first time in a few hours as he nodded in his understanding, though tears were still falling. “It started with the kiss last week. We had a connection, a merging of our souls. And tonight we went through some kind of Vulcan mind meld,” he laughed wryly. “We had the same thoughts, we shared his memories. It’s been the three of us all along. Ok… it doesn’t get any weirder than that….”


If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all


The tears flowed steadily as Alex realized that though he, Past Alex, had passed on, he still loved Isabel, and he called her his girl. This Alex could not help but feel as if he were intruding on a very special relationship… and he realized that it was going to be a weird relationship, but one that he was able to do, and no one else could. If Isabel had found another guy, so soon, it would have been one weird relationship triangle between Isabel, Alex’s memory... Or worse yet ghost, and the poor soul who would be dating her.


Run away with my heart
Run away with my hope
Run away with my love



Yet he was perfectly suited to the job. He has Alex’s Genetics to start with so he is Alex.


I know now, just quite how,


He loves Isabel more than life itself, as much as the other did. And he can handle the memories of the other guy; he can tolerate that as a prerequisite to their relationship.

My life and love may still go on

In your heart, in your mind
I'll stay with you for all of time




In his own weird way, he really loved that part of their relationship... Isabel relied on him when she needed to talk or cry or even grieve. And he was able to comfort her. What a weird love triangle (if you want) that it was anyways, Alex present, Alex past, and Isabel, who was thoroughly in love with both of them. Alex laughed wryly again as he moaned into the empty air, “Alex, I’m the ‘Main Squeeze’ and I’m the ‘Other Guy.’ When did my life get so “As the Planet Turns???”…. Maria would be so proud of me. Or would that be us?”


If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go



He thought that he had now entered the ultimate of the Alien Twilight Zone episodes and he had the starring role. And he couldn’t stop crying… any shred of machismo, guyness, had gone out the window with everything that they had just been through.


Then I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you


***************

“Alex? Honey? Why are you crying?” He heard a soft feminine voice mumble from deep inside the covers.

He sniffled as he regained himself for a moment, “I’m okay Sweetie. I just love you so much… I’m a bit messed up after all we went through tonight.” He answered truthfully.

“What?” Isabel asked in utter confusion, scooting up in the bed, until her head was poking out. “I don’t remember anything except our date and I honestly don’t think that would do it.”

‘It worked, she doesn’t remember. Now its time to cover.’ Alex thought to himself in relief. “You had a really bad nightmare, and you got sick from it. But it was so intense maybe you blocked it out?” He attempted to give her a partially true scenario.

The shivering girl crawled the rest of the way out of her cocoon of blankets and turned to face her boyfriend directly… “What was it about?” She asked forcefully.

“The usual,” he stated matter-of-factly, “but instead you dreamed you learned why Alex died.”

“That is the usual,” Isabel bemoaned ,, “I always understand how and that a close friend was responsible…” She was cut off.

“No Izzy…” He shook his head as he repeated her frustration of a few hours ago. “I did not say how... I said why … And there is a definite distinction between the two.”

“Alex!” Isabel said in a manner of correcting him … “It was just a dream… just another dream.” She shook her head sadly and sat back quietly for a short while, while she closed her eyes. When she opened them she continued exactly where she had left off. “That apparently I can’t even remember. I just tried. You’re right, I must have blocked it somehow.” She sighed sadly as she grabbed his hand in hers. “Alex,” She said his name solemnly. “I don’t think I’ll ever have that answer… some things happen and there are no answers for them.” She looked cautiously into his eyes as she said truthfully, “I miss him, and I’m sorry that he had to die.” And realizing whom exactly she was talking to, she pulled herself from that thought and said, “But at least somehow I got sent back here to be with you… and that is all that matters really.”

She rubbed her hands against her arms in an effort to warm herself up. It was very late or early in the morning depending on how you wanted to look at it, and the temperature had significantly dropped. “I’m freezing... I gotta crawl back under the covers. ‘Night Honey… If you don’t mind could you snuggle in with me and keep me warm…. I woke up cold, that’s when I heard you.” Isabel wrapped her arms around him.

“I love you Izzy.” He whispered as he captured her lips with his own and lay them both back into the soft mattress. She rolled over and rested with her back against his front and within moments was fast asleep again.

“So far so good,” A huge yawn escaped from the young man and realizing that there would not likely be any more emergencies tonight, early morning, allowed himself to drop off, arms securely holding the most precious thing in his life, his Isabel.

A couple of hours later the call of nature aroused him from his firm sleep, probably caused by all the water he had drunk right before bed, after Isabel’s “threat.” And he made his way into the bathroom. When he returned to their room he grabbed the pink monstrosity from their bed and folded it in half, tucking it in tightly around Isabel… She was shivering in her sleep. When done Alex crawled in close and tried to warm her up, spooning into her from behind.

A couple hours later they both awoke. Neither looked ready to take on the world, they both had thick bags under their eyes, and looked like they were ready to just fall back into the bed and sleep for the remainder of the week.

***************

Isabel made her way into the bathroom, and exited less than a moment later, a look of determination mingled with confusion, or some other look altogether etched all over her face. “Alex? I know you told me about my nightmare. But what the Hell else happened last night?”

“What do you mean?” He looked up, from where he was sitting in one of the chairs.

“First, I can’t remember my nightmare, I tried last night… I just tried again. Its almost as if it doesn’t exist… Which makes no sense.” She said shaking her head in confusion. “But there is also this. I soundproofed the room.”

“What?” He laughed.

Isabel started to explain that statement, “When I changed into my PJ’s last night, all I could think about was the fact that Ashley and Troy were in the adjoining room. We already know who or what she is… I doubt she is the ‘quiet type.’ I really didn’t want to hear… ‘Oh Troy… Oh Troy,’ screamed all night.” Said while rolling her eyes. “I soundproofed the walls for our main room.“ Isabel smiled smugly, pleased with herself.

Alex grinned at her disclosure. Then the look on her face darkened, as she crossed her arms on her chest.

“I also remember a scream building up in me and knowing that it would likely wake up the complex I averted it as well by placing my hands on the walls of the bathroom, envisioning the surrounding walls and soundproofing it toofrom the inside.” Isabel briskly rubbed her arms with her hands to try to warm them up. And then in her determined manner she said, while pointing towards the bathroom, “I just went to fix that, and put it back to normal and … I … don’t… seem… to have… my powers. And I … can’t… get… warm.” Her head cocked sideways in each direction as each word was spoken slowly and deliberately to drive home the point that something was WRONG. “Am I sick with some weird alien thing? I’ve never been like this before.” She stood there with the chills starting to shake her frame as she shivered involuntarily. “I just can’t get warm, Alex.”

“Come here.” Alex grabbed her hand and led them to the bed. He then wrapped her up in the blanket as he pulled her into his side. “You soundproofed the room huh? I should have known that even though you were as out of control as I’d ever seen you, that you were thinking ahead and protecting yourself. Gosh I love how smart you are and how you can think on your feet in a crisis. I want to be on your side in an emergency.” He teased.

“Great! Glad you approve… Now any reason I lost my powers??? Do you know something I don’t?? Because… I would have had to have used energy on the level of healing to be this weak. The wall didn’t do it.” She once again spoke every word deliberately. “Max healed a bunch of kids once and took a few days to recover… He also was drained for a time after healing Liz, but had no time to notice... Because that’s when our lives kicked into the permanent high gear that they shifted into.” She wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself letting out shuddering breaths as she shivered. “What is wrong with me? I … can’t… get… warm!!” She tossed the blanket off herself in sheer annoyance. “This blanket isn’t doing anything.” She complained in her fear and frustration.

Alex quickly diverted her attention. “Why don’t you go take a long shower?” He mentioned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I know you like them hot… that should work.”

“Yeah, maybe…” Isabel nodded in agreement, “Ok see ya.” She went in and took a shower and Alex panicked, “Oh God what did I do to her… what if she hit something wrong inside… no powers, or internal thermostat? This is really bad… And what are the Evans gonna say?? …. I don’t want to have to tell them this…” He moaned yet again.

She stepped out about 40 minutes later, dressed and ready for the day. They had to check out at 11:00 and still to eat. They got to packing up the room… The shower seemed to have warmed her up sufficiently as she worked unheeded.

But it was short-lived… within 10-20 minutes from the end of her shower, a sudden chill raced down her spine, sending a message of cold to her entire body. She sat down on the floor next to the bed and drew her knees up, arms locked around them as she tried to warm herself up. The shivering was manifesting as visible tremors and her hands shook in Isabel’s cold state. Alex doted on her. He wrapped her shoulders in the well-used blanket, and got her some warm water to drink from the bathroom sink. Then he finished putting everything by the door, so that it was ready to grab as they walked out.

Alex would normally be a very attentive boyfriend so she thought nothing of his behavior... But he was overly attentive, and the reason was that of guilt. He knew that he had encouraged Isabel to do some radical invasive surgery last night and it looked as if something had not gone quite right. He breathed in a deep breath and went back into his protective mode… he couldn’t tell her… and he really didn’t want to… that would be a great way to lose 20 years of his life… instantly. The wrath of Isabel was a thing to be feared, and he wanted no part of it. ‘The wrath of the Evans isn’t going to be any better. I’ll probably see where she got it from.’

They did a final sweep of the room and grabbing their things headed towards the car and packed it in, he left her in the seat as he turned in the key. And then they were off to eat.

They had a new problem to deal with, and that was what to do until the later afternoon. Isabel wasn’t in much of a state for wandering the museums of Clovis or anything that required walking. And they had to find something to occupy their time past breakfast… for they were not due in Roswell till 6:OO pm or later. She was giving the FBI plenty of time to clear out before she headed home.


Next post…. Part B….
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Tue Apr 19, 2005 11:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
User avatar
Mt Gazer
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:10 pm
Location: Living in my own mind!!!!

New Chapter Part B.

Post by Mt Gazer »

Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty-Three: Part One B.

Damage Control


***************

But first things first, the young couple stepped into a local café that served breakfast all day, and decided to have a leisurely breakfast.

To begin with Isabel ordered coffee as a drink… double-light, triple sweet. And Alex agreed that coffee was perfect. A good dose of caffeine to keep them awake sounded like a great plan. She wrapped her hands around the mug, relishing its warmth. And she spent a silent moment savoring the aromas in the small café. Everything smelled so good, and Isabel couldn’t remember a time in her life when the different smells were so distinct. She smiled softly as she perused the menu.

Eventually she decided on a very simple breakfast of Scrambled eggs, 2 links of Sausage and Hash Browns. While Alex decided on a plate of Pancakes with eggs and bacon. Both orders came with toast. She kept rubbing her upper arms periodically with her hands as she waited for the food to be served, that, and wrapping her hands around the coffee mug.

When their meals were first placed in front of them she sniffed the air delicately before digging in. She was trying to determine the source of the slightly sweet, delicious, bready smell, and she realized to her delight that it was Alex’s pancakes. It had been one of the smells that first intrigued her when they arrived.

She took the first bite of her eggs cautiously, without having added the customary Tabasco. And a look of sheer bliss crossed her face, as she slowly chewed and then swallowed the heavenly mouthful.

Alex was curious at best, ‘Why was she not using the Tabasco? Why were all smells more pronounced?’ And he knew he’d never seen her face in that much enjoyment over eggs before. They are one of the blander foods as anyone knows. He raised an eyebrow in silent question.

Isabel commented on them, softly. “These eggs, they’re so good! They are so light and fluffy they seem to melt in my mouth. Delicious… And the flavor? Its so gentle?”

Alex motioned toward her plate if he could take a bite, which she allowed. After a second, he said, “No offense, but I’ve had better. My Grams’ eggs are mixed with just a tiny bit of cheese and yogurt melted in and the texture is even softer. But yours are good, just a little plain. They need some salt, and possibly pepper.” He added as he handed her the condiments. After a small shake of salt was added she realized why so many humans used a tiny amount of it. It completely brought out the flavor of the food, the way Tabasco balanced out the sweet for them. Although she never had tasted anything like this. She was quite impressed, and Alex was happy she was enjoying herself, but getting more concerned by the second. He forced down a couple of bites, watching her enjoyment, while blinking.

“Can I have a bit of your pancakes? They just smell so good.” She pointed at his plate.

“Sure help yourself,” he offered as he slid his plate towards her. Once she had tenderly speared a bite full on her fork and sampled it, he watched that same blissful look cross her face. “Those are so good Alex. I’m going to have to order something else….” He just watched her…

As the waitress made her way over Isabel proceeded to order a small side of blueberry pancakes and a cup of mixed fruit. She wanted to sample more, but there is only so much a girl can eat at any given time. “Could I also have more coffee but this time maybe French Vanilla or something?” The waitress informed her that she’d see what she could do.

As they settled into the meal more, they got into another one of their getting acquainted with each other conversations.

As he was pouring the syrup over his pancakes and watching her, he decided to get a bit more information in a secretive manner… she had mentioned something about pre-verbal memories and storing last night’s dreams with those, and so he decided to talk about her childhood. “Isabel, tell me what it was like when you were first adopted?” he asked, placing a bite of pancake into his mouth.

Isabel smiled warmly, remembering her earliest days. “Our mother is a saint… we were infants in 6-year-old bodies.” She doused her pancakes with the maple syrup and he waited for the familiar addition to be drawn out of her purse. She never did… “Alex we knew nothing.” Holding a piece of sausage in between her fingers in the manner girls do, she continued, “We had to learn everything, and I do mean absolutely everything from scratch.” Taking a bite of her sausage, she then followed it with another bite of pancake, sans Tabasco; “The flavor of this sausage is mixed with something else…” she commented. “Is that the maple of the syrup? This is all so good.” She smiled calmly.

“Isabel… I’m really glad you are enjoying your meal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy over something like this. But really, this is a diner. You need to try some real home cooked food sometime. You haven’t tasted anything yet, till you’ve had my Grams’ eggs or my mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup. It’s to die for. But lets get back to talking about your childhood.” He really didn’t want to know why she was cold and drinking cup after repeated cup of coffee or why her taste buds were out of whack, for her. It was almost as if she had become, perish the thought, “human.” And the thought frightened him. He wanted to get away from the topic of food as quickly as he could divert it.

“The Evans thought that we were deaf, or mute; we did not respond to spoken language. Think about it,” she whispered, preparing another bite, this time of her eggs…

‘She’ll pull it out for sure now. Please Isabel you have to pull it out.’ Alex begged to himself.

“We had not heard anything for a very long time...” Isabel flashed ten fingers 4 times quickly to non-verbally say 40 years… “And we responded to the headlights, not the car itself. I was scared, but I grabbed Max’s hand and held on tight.” She spread some margarine on her toast, and got the same dreamy look at the creaminess, and flavor of the enhanced bread.

Alex’s internal panic went off the charts. “OK. How could she not notice that she is not using Tabasco? Its their trademark...?’ He dropped his fork and swallowed his fear, which was currently lodged as a lump in his throat. His appetite had decreased to about nil, and his worry had built into a crescendo. And now? He didn’t know how to point it out, or if he should, or if she was even aware that she wasn’t tasting things the same way as she normally did. He carefully watched her, practically staring. And it unnerved her.

“What??” She asked irritated, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He swallowed and pointed to her plate. He couldn’t speak much and so he asked, “What happened to the, you know… “ He made motion of shaking a bottle all over his food and she tightly smiled.

“Oh that!” She said matter-of-factly, while fingering the neckline of her collar a bit nervously. “I honestly don’t know. The thought of dousing my food with it today makes me cringe. All the flavors are so pronounced on their own that I don’t want to ruin them. Alex…” she said with the calmest of voices, “something is definitely different with me this morning, aside from the fact that try as I can, I can’t get warm enough. I’ve never in my life tasted food like this. Food is always bland, anything is. It has to have the familiar addition to even make it palatable. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to enjoy what I can until I figure it out or it goes back to normal. Normal for me that is,” she said a bit sadly. “Now where were we?” She smiled forcefully as she continued to speak of her early childhood.

“… Anyways after they brought us home, our mother took a sabbatical from work and spent some years catching us up to standards, and beyond actually. We stepped into school in third grade.”

“Really?” Alex asked surprised. “You didn’t go before then?”

“No.” Isabel assured him, “Mom home-schooled us until she felt we were ready.”

“So we both started this school in Third grade?” Alex asked her.

“Yeah I guess so.” Isabel responded with a smile. “Well sounds a bit like Fate, doesn’t it?” She teased. “And I’ll never forget Max…” Isabel shook her head in disbelief. “Liz was the very first thing Max saw as we stepped off the bus. He just stopped in his tracks. I had been holding his hand, but I let go and ran off… If you ask me… its kind of like he imprinted. You know like an orphaned goose thinks the first thing it encounters is mother when it hatches??” Isabel smirked. “Max imprinted on Liz… and don’t tell him I’ve said that.” Giggling as only an older sister who was sharing secrets could.

The waitress appeared with more coffee and a small carafe of French Vanilla creamer. Isabel thanked her politely and drank a bit more of her coffee, it was her fourth cup actually… she was still working on getting warm, but the meal helped balance it out for awhile.

“So anyways… Isabel backtracked the conversation, “the Evans learned a bit of signs and taught us as they learned it. We were great mimics, but I’ll never forget my first sentence… one for the baby books… it was spoken in both sign and speech, my language had finally kicked in… we’d been there maybe one, maybe two months, I suppose even three. Ok I really don’t know how long we’d been there. But it was in the very early days. We were earning everything from eating, restroom etiquette, to emotional controls. Language was coming but we had to hear it for it to register, and even then it was so foreign to our last known native tongue… that we were temporarily lost in that department. At least we quickly caught on to the others. Isabel rambled on… “My first sentence, well you can relate to it being my nightmare chaser…”

Alex raised his eyebrows silently at that statement and smiled partially.

She looked at him and said, “It was mom’s role first and my first sentence was screamed out in tears and signs at the same time… ‘Mama girl scared’.” Which she proceeded to sign; The first was Mama; a five hand turned sideways, and the thumb is tapped on the chin. Girl, a fist with a thumb tucked tightly against it but the tip sticking off the side is traced down the cheek. (Imitating bonnet strings) And the final sign was Scared Isabel held both hands in front of her chest palms inward and shook them downward in front of her. “I had said, ‘Mama girl scared,’ as I had awakened from some nightmare. You’re not the first person to encounter them. Being who I am and all the mysteries in my life have just made them a given. My Mom knows that resident in me is an emotional side. My first sentence was emotional.” Isabel laughed as she took a bit of sausage and continued to eat her breakfast.

When she was completely done with her breakfast she excused herself to the restroom calmly. And she stepped up to mirror to have a chat with her reflection… as she ran the water to shake herself back into normalcy. She peered under the doors momentarily for shoes or any other signs of life and upon finding them empty, started in… “What is wrong with you today girl? ‘Mama girl scared,’ works great. You did not eat normally just now, you never once even thought of removing the Tabasco from your purse… Good! You were calm and never let onto your fear, so as not to worry Alex… but don’t you think that’s gonna worry him more? He quit eating.” She shook her head as she stared at her visage. “You saw the way he was staring at you as you ate. What is wrong with you Isabel Amanda Evans?” She leaned her hands on the counter and edged in even closer to her reflection. Blood-shot eyes, with deep circles under them stared back at her. “You need some sleep girl... Get some and everything will probably balance back out... Alex did say you were up most the night in some kind of hysterical state…” She rolled her eyes at that statement. “Hysterical? Me? Great!!! That doesn’t even sound like me. What the… ?” She threw her hands up, “I now have officially had every possible emotion in front of him. I’m doomed.” She let them fall back to the counter as she tested the water’s temperature, and adjusted the knobs accordingly. Leaning back into her less than perfect reflection she spoke again to herself, “So that must be it… extreme exhaustion messes up everything... That must be it!!” Isabel stated in a manner as if she were trying to convince herself. ‘So why don’t I believe it?’ She thought to herself, while shaking her head ever so slightly. ‘Something is wrong with me, something bad. It must be! And I don’t want to worry Alex. That’s why I insisted on enjoying everything I could. I may never get a chance like this again.” She ran the warm water through her fingers and cupped her hands under the faucet finally splashing water on her face repeatedly, trying to evoke some kind of response. The warmth of the meal was wearing off and her chills had returned somewhat. She sighed deeply and headed back out.

In the meanwhile Alex had gone for a talk with himself. “Something is definitely wrong. I don’t know what she did, but she definitely had a mishap… Damn!! Just… Damn!!!” He didn’t even know what to say to himself. He splashed some water on his face to erase the tears that threatened to flow and got his composure back. ‘Time to be strong for Isabel.’ He thought to himself. ‘Whatever that entails.’

He met her at the table, paid for their meal and escorted her out, heading straight for the mall.

***************

Once inside he bought more essentials, to keep Isabel warm. He briskly walked through the department store heading towards outerwear, jackets and coats. The slapping of the chain against his jeans indicated one thing. The boy was in a hurry. Isabel had opted to stay in the car, resting, while listening to some tunes as he ran the errand.

Once there he quickly spotted just what he was looking for. A warm black lambskin coat. It was stylish as could be expected from Isabel. And he knew she’d love it. Yet it was also practical, looking great with jeans as she was wearing today, or it would also wear well with her long black leather skirt that she loved so much. And it would complement her knee length black leather boots.

He held it up and examined it closely, very pleased that it had some extra features, such as a detachable faux-fur collar, and a zip-out fleece liner, as well as being supple and lightweight. He really didn’t think Isabel would care for a parka. He nodded, very pleased with his choice. ‘Extra warmth, just what she needs right now.‘ The side pockets were deep so she could easily burrow her hands into them. It was perfect. Alex never even looked at the tag, nor did he realize that it was quite expensive, by the Emergency card’ standard. But he had to do something to get her warm and he really couldn’t think of any other options other than blankets. Which undoubtedly was the next stop he made. He also bought her a soft, throw blanket. He honestly didn’t know what else to do.

***************

He tapped on her window softly when he arrived back at the car. Holding up two shopping bags, one with a large fluffy bow fastened to its handle. He grinned with an impish grin and a sweet puppy dog look on his face.

She smiled and opened her door, stepping out of the car momentarily. “For me?” she asked.

“Of course, now close your eyes.”

“Alex, I feel like an idiot standing in the middle of a parking lot with my eyes closed. Hurry up will you.” Isabel complained as he walked behind her and slowly removed the leather blazer type jacket she was wearing. Stopping to kiss her neck.

“Shhh.” He whispered. “Alex, I’m cold, can I put my jacket back on please?” She pleaded still standing there with her eyes closed.

“Here.” He slipped her left arm into the sleeve of her new coat and then placed the rest of it on her. “Not yet.” he whispered kissing her neck on the right side. He walked around to the front and stood in front of her buttoning it up to the top button, and smoothing the faux-fur collar down. It was not meant as a tease, nor for their ritualistic flirting. But it was in every effort to warm her as much as possible. “ You can open your eyes now.” he whispered into her ear.

She did and looked down. A mid thigh, pliable, black jacket was fitted onto her, with a button front, pockets on both sides and a warm lining. “Is it suede?” She asked feeling the texture of the material.

“My Fashion Princess asks me if its suede.” He teased. “Its lambskin. And on you its gorgeous.”

“Alex, This is a very nice coat. I can’t believe whatever you spent on this and I know it wasn’t cheap. I have my leather jacket that I was already wearing. I can’t let you do this. I love it, but it’s too expensive.” She smiled at him.

“I already said on you it’s gorgeous. And does your jacket have a warm insert, or a soft collar such as this?” He rubbed the plush between his thumb and forefinger, as he made his point.

“No!” She shook her head.

“Well it didn’t appear to be working much either.” He quipped. “I find this a purchase of emergency measures. I used the emergency card. And seeing how no matter what we seem to do you aren’t able to maintain warmth; I’d say that qualifies as an emergency wouldn’t you?” Alex dared her to contradict him with his tone.

“Yes, Alex you are so right. It was an emergency purchase, and a very necessary one at that.” She smiled warmly as she gave him his victory. And he concluded by saying, “Well, that settles it. It’s yours. You needed something to keep you warm and this was the most perfect choice I could find. Enjoy. I know I will.”

Finally she pulled him in close for a gentle kiss. “Thank you Alex,” she whispered as their foreheads touched. “Thanks for taking care of me this weekend. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.” She said in all sincerity.

“Its not that hard to love you Isabel. You know I do.” He returned a gentle kiss of his own and then settled them back into the car where he handed her the bag with the bow. “Don’t get too excited, its another necessity.” He admonished as she removed the fluffy bow and peered inside, while he was backing out of the parking space and starting towards the next destination.

But the way she gingerly removed it and placed it on her lap showed him that she liked it, without her having to say any words. Now resting on her lap was a soft, chenille cream/ivory colored throw, with fringed top and bottom. She smiled at him as she proceeded to close the bag and then to fold it flat, so that she could insert it under the seat. “Thanks Alex.” She whispered.

“No Problem.” He reached over with his right hand and squeezed hers in it.

***************

Afterwards they drove to HillTop Twin Theater on Gerry Drive where they took in a couple of movies. The Science Fiction Thriller “Supernova” for Alex’s love of Sci-Fi, and then they had a choice of “Girl Interrupted,” or “Down to You.” Alex pulled out his cell which had an internet link, and got reviews for the two movies in question. “Girl Interrupted” seemed to be well received with its drama, and “Down To You,” had a poor to mediocre at best storyline of love found then lost then found again.

They did not feel that they would be able to top the love story they had rented the night before, and had returned right before they ate breakfast. And they most certainly didn’t want to watch a poorly done film, so they opted for “Girl Interrupted.”

Isabel wore her new leather jacket, and she also carried in the throw that Alex had just purchased for her. During the entire set of movies she stayed bundled… head on Alex’s shoulder, while his arm was draped around her back. Her throw blanket was tucked carefully on her lap: so much for fashion or her pride, and she really didn’t care at the moment. Isabel was shivering, and it only seemed as if the cold chill was going deeper into her body with every passing hour.

They had hit the concession stand between the two shows and Isabel asked for one thing. “Alex, I don’t want popcorn, and there’s only one thing I really want…” as she went to say it he found himself finishing her sentence with her. “Chocolate bar.”

“How’d you know?” She whispered.

“The fact that you are sampling everything for one. But the other is this, chocolate is your comfort food. I doubt that will change regardless. One Hershey bar coming right up.”

While watching the second movie they shared the chocolate. Isabel never knew it tasted so good. And she immensely enjoyed it.

***************

When the movies were over he was headed straight back to the mall. Isabel was resting in the car again. Alex raced through the J.C. Penney Store and went straight to house wares and bedding. In desperation he purchased one more blanket and hoped that it would be enough, though he had a strong feeling that no matter what he did she no longer was going to get any warmer. Whatever was wrong was centered in her brain, and was currently damaged. But his guilt and love drove him to do anything he could and so he spent money like a drunken sailor, all in an attempt to make her warm. If she knew what she had done to herself and why she was having trouble and the fact that he hadn’t revealed it to her; he would be in such trouble. So he ignored that horrible thought and decided to play sympathetic to her cause.

The throw he found he just had to buy, and was so glad that he had found it, although it could almost be considered childish. It was a fleece leopard print, so he knew that it would go great with her little throw pillow that she loved so much. But what made it childish was that encircling the rolled throw were two stuffed animal leopards holding hands joined by Velcro. As a set it was too adorable to leave and so he didn’t. He only hoped she liked younger stuff. And the other purchase he made in housewares was a tall thermos. Time to load up on the coffee as soon as they could. She’d have all the coffee she wanted to warm her from the inside, and then her new jacket, as well as the two throw blankets to keep her warm from the outside. It was the best he could hope to do. His shopping done he headed out to the car.

He slid into the seat and lightly roused her from her brief catnap. Unfortunately, she was shivering. “Hey Sweetie. Any better?” he asked gently. “No Alex!” She swallowed her fear. “What’d you go do?” She asked incredulously while shaking her head in disbelief. “And they thought I was a shop-a-holic.” She teased him, pointing to the J.C. Penny bag.

“Isabel, I have never in my life spent this much money at once. But you are worth it. Anything I can do for you is worth it. Just look inside. I hope it’s acceptable.”

“Well I can say one thing for you, my absolutely perfect boyfriend.” Isabel grinned while peering into the bag.

“And what would that be?” he reveled in the upcoming praise.

“You’re amazing.” She pulled out the thermos and raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Coffee, as soon as we can find some.” She nodded in understanding. And then she gave a happy girly sigh as she saw the leopard set. “Oh Alex. Its so cute. So is that supposed to be us?” She teased him.

“I was just hoping it wasn’t too childish.” He rolled his eyes. “Really hoping you’d like it.” He ducked his head, shyly. “ It was the blanket that I just had to get you. The critters seem to be along for the ride.”

“Last night was our elegant night. Today, well I’m just a normal girl. And you can make me feel so special and cared for no matter what manner in which you are treating me. And I love the critters. Thank-you Alex, for everything.” She leaned over the seat and kissed him. A contented smile on her face as she wrapped the chenille throw around her shoulders and placed the leopard throw on her lap. A stuffed leopard was used for a pillow, as she positioned herself for a long ride home.

****************

But even so bundled, Isabel shivered and generally froze the entire way. Despite consuming a full thermos of steaming double light-triple sweet coffee that Alex had picked up for her on the way out of Clovis; the cold had settled all the way inside of her and she could not gain an ounce of warmth for her life.

And although the day was fairly comfortable for a desert wintry day… Alex cranked on the heater, aimed the vents at Isabel and tried to make her as comfortable as he could manage. Isabel had curled up on the seat as tightly into a ball as possible while trying to preserve any amount of warmth she could muster as she tried to sleep off whatever was wrong with her. And she was scared to even find out what that might be.

When they crossed the Roswell City Line, Alex once again asked her a question he’d been asking periodically the entire trip. “Do you sense anything out of the ordinary?”

She sat up and closed her eyes concentrating on the feel of the surrounding air. She had just known something was wrong earlier in the week, she could sense it starting on Wednesday. Unbeknownst to her, that was the day the FBI started to arrive. Pierce had arrived in town on Thursday, the day she zoned out at lunch.

So because she had been an early detection system already, he decided to see if her radar was working. Now her powers were off, so there was the chance she’d sense nothing, but it was a chance they had to take. He pulled the car over to the side of the road and let her sit there, checking it out.

Isabel looked over to him and though she wanted to tease him with a witty or pithy comment, she held her tongue and shook her head. “No Alex. I can’t sense anything. I think they’re gone.”

“That’s good.” He smiled as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and stepped out of the car sealing Isabel inside the heat as he shut the door behind him. Alex scrolled down the cell’s internal phone listing until he found a listing he had recently entered, cryptically naming it with just a single letter. He pressed send and paced while waiting for the phone to ring.

One reason he was glad for the stop was the fact that he was hot, sweltering. He was perspiring from all the heat that was in the small-enclosed area. The air was cooler outside and felt refreshing to him. Isabel however still had not stopped shivering, with a jacket, two blankets of sorts, and the heater on. Something was drastically wrong.

***************

Inside the Evan’s house, Diane was trying to not be too obvious that she was waiting for Isabel, but as the clock had reached 6:00 she couldn’t stay in her seat anymore and was pacing on the floor. Max had been off work for at least an hour and was very concerned for Isabel, for the last he had seen of her was when she passed out at the convention the day before… he was still worried. His glance at the clock on the mantel showed that it was now 6:15. Isabel would be home within the hour. And he might finally be able to get some answers. Mom had been pacing, crossing and uncrossing her arms on her chest, or holding her hands behind her back. Philip sat in an alert state in his chair, watching his family silently.

****************

Max was taken surprise by the twittering of his cell phone.

“Hello?” He reached for it quickly.

“Max is that you?” The caller asked.

“Who else would it be? Who is this?” Max asked annoyed.

The Evans parents were intently watching especially as Max rose to his feet from his spot on the couch and took his conversation outside.

“Alex?” Max asked with an audible sigh, “where are you? What’s going on? Mom’s wearing a trench into the wooden floor.

“We just entered Roswell. We’ll be home shortly. Is that person still here in town?” Alex took care of the basics.

“No, he left around 4:00. He was the last of three black Crown Victoria vehicles to leave in the later course of the day.” Max finished.

“Are you sure?” Alex once again asked.

“Yeah,” Max was nodding. “Michael stayed obscure but tailed him until the edge of town. Michael, ever since you called yesterday, has been watching him and whomever he talked to. That man is most definitely gone.”

Alex let out a very audible sigh of relief. “Thanks Max. We’re on our way home.”

“Am I going to get any more understanding of this weekend?” Max asked pointedly.

“Not from me. Whatever you want to know, talk to Isabel.” Alex backed out of the questioning. “Bye Max. See you in a few minutes.” And he hung up, closing his cell phone and putting it back into his pocket.

***************

Max was being intently observed as he entered back into the house. As he talked to Alex he had walked from the front yard, all the way around the house and reentered in the back door.

“Max?” Diane questioned.

“Isabel’s on her way home.” Max answered what little he knew, as he resumed his spot on the couch waiting in the silence for his sister to arrive home.

Diane continued to pace.

Philip just watched his wife and son and laughed to himself. Isabel was on the way home and yet everyone still seemed on edge. He knew that they would get more answers in a few minutes and nothing anyone did could make them come sooner. So he wasn’t getting himself worked up for nothing.

***************

Alex pulled onto Newton Avenue, bringing the car to a crawl at 7637. The grey Toyota Corolla turned into the driveway, the headlights flashing against the inside wall illuminating the mantel momentarily while Alex made the turn in, as the car came to a rest in the Evan’s driveway. Diane’s head shot up.

He shut off the ignition and turned off the lights. Opening the door, the dome light illuminated the small interior. He turned to Isabel and shook her gently. “We’re home. I’m going to come around to your side and help you out. I’ll carry you in.”

An indignant look flashed across her face. “You’ll do no such thing!! I’m not an invalid, Alexander Whitman. I can walk on my own two feet. And besides, if you carried me in, it would only serve to worry them.” And with that she opened the door and threw her legs out. Alex raced around and met her at her door.

She glared at him, which he ignored, as he extended his hand to her. Alex pulled her to standing and wrapped his arm tightly around her back and waist, as he kicked the door closed behind him. She seemed a bit tottering, and her shivering had not subsided in the slightest, in fact the chill of the night air made it more pronounced, Isabel was visibly trembling and her breath was hanging in the crisp night air.

They started to walk up the driveway slowly and methodically, as Isabel struggled to take each step. Her coordination now also seemed to have gone a bit off, and her feet shuffled along the ground making a little scuffling sound against the concrete, reverberating in the still night air.

Halfway up the walk she faltered a little, “Al-ex,” she feebly called out, as she quickly turned in his arms to grip his shoulders as she felt herself falling.

“If I let go, do you think you’ll be able to keep standing?” He asked her pointedly as he pulled away from her slightly, she was completely leaning against his front. The question was answered as she started to buckle and nearly collapsed under her own weight. She let him be in control to her utter dismay, as he leaned down to grasp her behind her knees and to hoist her firmly into his arms. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, he teased her, “It’s a good thing you’ve got me working out… this isn’t easy.” And they made their way slowly unto the porch.

As he crossed in front of the big picture window, Isabel in his arms, Diane Evans made eye contact.

She turned to the family members in her living room, especially her husband and said, “Something’s wrong!!! He’s carrying her!!!” Diane then raced to the living room door.

TBC…

Music: Wherever You Will Go by The Calling
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
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Mt Gazer
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Location: Living in my own mind!!!!

The next part.... 11-13-03

Post by Mt Gazer »

Two more feedbacks:

Thanks to Applebylicious and CardinalGirl:

You both are extremely worried for Isabel and have asked the same as everyone else, what is wrong with the girl and how shall it be cured?

Answer is forthcoming.. right now…

-----

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

Perhaps in this part and in parts to come I am or will be borrowing some scenes, and I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher
Spoilers: None….

*********

Recap: After a weekend in Clovis where Isabel had a nightmare that recounted Alex’s death she erased her memories. Of what? And something happened to her physical health in the process for Alex brought her home seemingly quite ill.

Scene from the ending of the last time…

As he crossed in front of the big picture window, Isabel in his arms, Diane Evans made eye contact.

She turned to the family members in her living room, especially her husband and said, “Something’s wrong!!! He’s carrying her!!!” Diane then raced to the living room door.


We now continue where we left off….

******

Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty-Three: Part Two

Damage Control


********

“WHAT!?” Philip exclaimed in his surprise as he bolted from the chair and ran to the door, just as Diane threw it open to be greeted by Alex supporting a shivering Isabel, who was huddled in his arms and pressed firmly against his chest. Diane sprang into action. No sooner than Alex had her in the door and it was closed behind him, but Diane was all over her daughter, both of them actually. She placed her hand on her daughter’s face and the other against Alex’s cheek, looking between the two of them and taking in their fatigued appearances. Both had darkened circles under their eyes and Isabel’s were bloodshot and resting at half-mast. She could barely keep them open. “Did you two get any sleep last night?” Diane asked concerned, “the both of you look exhausted. You didn’t run into any trouble did you?” She stated cryptically, as she kept the backs of her fingers against her daughter’s pallid face.

Isabel forced her eyes open while she looked at her mother and attempted to speak. “S-s-s- So C-c-c-old…” Isabel choked out amidst her shuddering from whatever had chilled her.

“Shhh Baby … don’t talk … Conserve your strength.” Offered Philip as he stroked her hair from her face while giving her direct eye contact, and then he turned to look Alex in the eyes. “What the hell happened?” he asked very slowly.

Alex’s eyes averted from his slightly before he answered with a shrug of his shoulders, to the best of his ability with Isabel wrapped in his arms.

Philip turned toward the stairway, leaving the three of them still in the entryway. “Water Bottle!?” Philip Evans questioned his wife as he was headed up the stairs…

She called to him, “Upstairs bathroom under the sink. We have two.” Feeling her daughter’s skin with the back of her hand, she shouted, “and also bring her quilt from the quilt rack in her room.” Turning to face Alex directly as she started to lead them into the living room, Diane started in, “God Alex, she feels like ice! What happened? When did she get sick?” She asked as she backed them through the entryway and into the living room. She then turned to her shell-shocked son sitting on the couch, he was a little bewildered by the events playing out in front of him, and she ordered, “MOVE!!!”

Isabel had ordered Alex, “P-p-put, me… down!” He shook his head and nodded toward her brother who was sitting on the couch. The same time that Diane was ordering Max to move, Alex was as well. Max blinked momentarily but quickly scrambled off and backed away for a moment as Alex tenderly lay Isabel down. Diane sat down upon the edge of the couch and quickly removed Isabel’s new jacket from her body, handing it to Alex, who draped it on a nearby chair. The loss of its warmth caused the girl to shiver a bit more forcefully. Her mother then grabbed the throw from the back and tucked it in tightly around her while she proceeded to care for her. She knew that Isabel was practically convulsing for she could feel the cushion under her vibrating as if a massager had been turned on. Isabel could not stop the random, frenetic shuddering her body was putting her through, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut during each bout.

A few minutes later Philip emerged with two hot water bottles, filled with extremely hot water, a thermometer, and Isabel’s very heavy quilt. He came to his wife’s side as Alex in the background paced and watched everyone kick into action. Diane grabbed the bottles and gave one to Max while she took the other. She gently placed the thermometer inside her husband’s pocket and patted it while she said, “If we use it, she’ll bite it, break it and give herself mercury poisoning on top of whatever else is going on. We have to get her warm first, Honey.”

Alex kept pacing in the background, formulating his thoughts as to how to explain what had happened last night, and was truly grateful that no one was talking to him yet. So he stayed back and observed. He had never been more worried about anything. And the fact that he had caused it was eating him up inside. His stomach had been in knots since breakfast when he finally determined that something was definitely wrong. And he had forgone lunch when he got her a quick bite to eat later in the afternoon, also eaten as a normal human, without the Tabasco... Well, he wasn’t left alone for too long.

Max came into the boy’s space and backed him against the wall right next to the fireplace. His eyes were blazing. “What the hell happened to my sister Alex?” Max directed their attention to the weakened girl lying on the couch. “We’ve never gotten sick before, and she is not well!” He went to pin him to the wall but his father stepped in and pulled him off, raising a hand in a silent gesture that Alex remain where he is, while sending a silent warning look in the direction of his daughter’s boyfriend at the same time. The look was meant to say, ‘we’re not done yet.’

Max turned to his mom, while being led away from Alex, who hadn’t yet answered, and said imploringly; “I knew Alex shouldn’t have taken her out of here.” He then came to Isabel’s side. He laid the bottle on her chest… “You said that that she was okay and faked that fainting spell. And I kept telling you that there was no way... Mom,” he said in a very worried but direct manner, “her skin felt like this, like straight ice. There is no way she wasn’t sick yesterday.” Diane tucked the other water bottle between Isabel’s thighs, trying to get heat to her lower body as well.

Philip then came over and wrapped Isabel’s thickest, warmest quilt around her and put Max in charge; his profession as a lawyer left him thinking that Alex was withholding some type of information. “Max… don’t leave the water bottles too long in one place… that water is hot... They need to be moved around. Your mother and I are going upstairs with Alex. Diane…” he nudged his wife’s side.

Max looked up, from his position of kneeling next to his shivering sister on the couch, and looked directly at Alex… “Her skin was cold like this when we were at the center. That’s right isn’t it?” he demanded, “why did you take her out of here? Knowing how sick she was?”

Both of the Evans’ parents stopped walking towards the stairs and swallowed. Max hadn’t told them how Isabel’s skin had felt the day before, he was doing good to hold his composure by telling them that she was sick at all. It had been the very first time that he allowed himself to rely on his parents for something that he couldn’t control. And it had surprised him that they had already known about her little syncopatic (fainting) episode.

“It was very cold,” agreed Alex… as he stood over the edge of the couch smoothing Isabel’s hair, “but she would have boarded a bus and left Roswell if I didn’t take her. She wanted out and she wanted out immediately. Nothing was going to stop her leaving. She had an uneasy feeling most of the week, but when that man ran into her it kicked into high gear… she faked her faint, and made me leave Roswell.”

“Ok,” Max answered skeptically... “Was she sick all weekend?” He then asked and Isabel’s parents looked to him for the answer.

“No,” Alex answered with a shake of his head … “She woke up like that, this morning. It started while she was asleep; I had to snuggle in tightly to keep her warm.”

“What?!!” Max jumped up and into Alex’s space, “What do you mean by snuggle in tightly? Where did you sleep?” he stared the boy directly in the eyes.

Alex raised both hands and backed up, knowing everyone was watching him; everyone wanted to hear the answer.

“We shared the bed Max, it was the only one we had.” He swallowed nervously.

“Next time sleep on the floor.“ Max intoned, as he shook his head slowly.

Alex quickly looked to Isabel’s parents with an innocent yet a questioning expression on his face. Philip, who had known they’d find a way to share a bed and had told his wife so the day before, gave a tiny nod. He knew that Alex was asking permission to state permitted sleeping arrangements. And given the odd circumstances in his daughter’s life, they had rules for the kids to abide by, but it was ok with the both of them that they had been together. It would not have been ok if they had dishonored any of those rules.

Alex slightly nodded in response, his expression neutral, while inwardly chuckling, “I don’t think so, Max,” he said. “But on the subject of your sister and not where we slept, it seems as if outside sources of warmth keep her regulated for a few minutes but then we go back to her intense shivering.” A hefty sigh escaped the young man as he watched the love of his life lying there so ill, but he was so happy that she was home where everyone could care for her.

“Son come with us,” Philip commanded, leading the way up the stairs with his wife by his side. Alex quietly obliged, the moment of truth was upon him, and how was he to tell them what had actually occurred in that motel room? He sighed wearily yet again and trudgingly followed them up the stairs.


In the meanwhile Max’s mind started to race with the minimal clues that had been left: Isabel had been sick since this morning and no external source of heat seemed capable of regulating her temperature. He paced on the living room floor trying to decide what could possibly be wrong with his sister.

***************

Upstairs in Philip Evans’ office the young teen was pacing in a small tight line, back and forth, trying to distance himself as much as possible from both of Isabel’s parents as they watched him. Philip sat against his desk and folded his arms across his chest, his eyes narrowed in thought. Diane stood erect against the doorframe leaning into it backwards her hands crossed behind her back, observing intently Alex’s state of being.

“Alex! Son! Calm down!” Philip ordered, “Just say what you know. With our daughter’s weird DNA we have to be able to handle an illness ourselves…. Give us all the facts.” Philip placed his hand on the tense young man’s shoulder, in his attempt to soothe him.

“I can tell you’re worried about her,” Diane volunteered… “Did she really feel like that when she faked her passing out?”

“Yeah… she did…” he nodded, “but that was caused by the reasons we’ve already shared with you yesterday… The reason for this is different…” he sucked in his lips nervously… “For a fact…” He eased himself into the leather armchair against the wall and looked up at Isabel’s parents. ‘I have no way to say this … I just have to do it… ’ His stress had reached an all time high, and he was scared… for Isabel first, for himself second, and of her parent’s reaction, in the next few minutes…

He closed his eyes and placed his head into his hands as he composed himself and his thoughts…

***************

Meanwhile downstairs an idea suddenly struck Max’s brain, and he didn’t have time to analyze it, just to act on his impulse. He ran over to the couch, yanked the covers back until Isabel’s chest was exposed, and then quickly unfastening the three top buttons on her blouse, trying to remain discreet while doing so, he leaned over her and forced her to give him eye contact. As Max reached his right hand inside her shirt, his left hand clasped hers in comfort. And his eyes bored directly into hers as he entered deeply into a connection with his sister. The images started to race across the screen of his mind rapidly, and Max found himself living certain events through her eyes and emotions.


***Flash***

Kissing Alex in the woods last week and her feeling of completeness as their souls joined.

Max felt a little bit of awe at the depth of the feelings that they were sharing.


***Flash***

Isabel’s tears and fear of being rejected as she told her mother that she and Max were aliens.


***Flash***

Alex pulling around the corner and watching Valenti’s office intently through Isabel’s binoculars. And the panic that ran through her very being as they observed the suited gentlemen walking out with the video-tape.

‘What is that about?’ Max asked himself.


***Flash***

Isabel’s feeling of belonging and extreme happiness as she and Alex danced in a gorgeous club. He once again felt the depth of their love as they kissed in that place. It was as deep as if she had already given herself to him.

That intensity also confused him.


***Flash***

Saturday at the UFO Center. He saw the tall, dark-haired, well-dressed gentleman through Isabel’s eyes and he felt her fear as he experienced a sudden chill descend upon his entire being, absolute dread at the mere sight of him. And he heard her terrified thought. ‘He can’t be here.’


***Flash***

Isabel’s heart aching as she wandered through a cemetery. She came to alight in front of one certain headstone and she fell to her knees in front of it, tears flowing. She with trembling hand reached out to touch it and he briefly saw what was written… A-L-…

He was jerked out of the connection, as Isabel grabbed his hand forcefully from herself… “NO Max!” she ordered, both of her hands wrapped around his and restraining it, while her eyes were flashing fear…”Don’ go into my he-ad!!!” She was shivering violently now… and her teeth were chattering, she was almost unintelligible... “Don’ go in-to my mem’ries… please.” Isabel pleaded rather incoherently, “Do it without going into my thoughts … They’re pri-vate.” She begged him to find a way to not see her her memories from the other timeline… He didn’t even know what he was doing…

Anything he tapped into could be from the past, she realized, for those memories skimmed the surface of her consciousness like a water-bug on still water. They were too readily accessed and she was afraid that he could see something he shouldn’t. But she knew what he had seen, being of the biological parents as he. And that was why he saw what he did; she was working overtime to keep only safer memories at the surface. And even then he may have seen more than he should. And this terrified her. Isabel had no idea what would happen if he found out about the other timeline. If he found out about Pierce and his capture and torture in the White Room. All that she had done to come back and set things right… to save Alex, her only love, could be jeopardized. That’s why she was trembling even more forcefully when she jerked his hand away, because she was exerting much energy into keeping all her secrets safe.

“I’ll try.” He answered weakly. He once again looked deeply into her eyes and went inside his sister, she was still holding tightly to his hand, but it was the other one now. And as his right hand once again made contact with her upper chest, he concentrated on her inner body and all the working mechanics of it; Max heard her heartbeat, and felt his merge with it. Then he searched throughout her body for anything that could possibly be wrong. He could hear the blood rushing through her veins, and felt it coursing through his. Her internal organs still seemed to be functioning perfectly, and everything else he scanned or perused seemed to be alright, so upon finding nothing in the physical body he paused to gather his thoughts, just as another round of shivering wracked her body. Max could feel her chill, as it physically affected him, and he followed this signal through her nervous system, finding himself in the center of her brain. He experienced the electrical firings of the brain and realized that he was deeply inside of Isabel’s head now. And he rationalized that this must be the source of the trouble because Isabel could no longer regulate heat from the inside, which explained why external forces did nothing to help her.

In the physical realm, he pulled his hand from her chest and slipped it onto his sister’s head, feeling her long silky tresses stream through his fingers as he centralized his glowing palm on the side of her head. ‘Now think.’ He ordered himself. ‘Her body cannot control it’s own temperature, but the mind controls the body. In addition to thinking, storing memories, dreaming, and communicating, the mind also has to control the animal like functions that keep the body alive. That’s it! The Hypothalamus!’ He remembered from science class. He smiled softly at his sister as he pulled his hands from her for a second and sat back against the couch. His knees were pulled up with his elbows resting on them, as he ran his hands backwards through his hair, trying to remember all the information accurately. He was in a pass or fail test right now, and he couldn’t afford to fail. He had to get it right, his sister’s health, and possibly even her life depended on it.

Max wished for a moment that Liz were here. He had always excelled in biology, as he found the subject so interesting, as if he were made to just naturally understand it. But no matter how well he did on his own, the team of Evans and Parker was beyond compare. What would Liz say about the Hypothalamus?
That was it. The answer was Liz. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly hit a preprogrammed setting. While he stopped to look over at his shivering sister; she looked worse to him if that were even possible. She had rolled onto her side, and tucked herself into the tightest ball she could manage. Her fist was gripping the covers tightly under her chin, and her skin had taken on a sallow, sickly hue. Max knew she needed help desperately. NOW! The cell phone kept ringing on the other end. As he was about to hang up in frustration and go it alone, a giggly girl answered it. Her gentle tone was so beautiful that he had to force himself to the task at hand.

“Liz!” The one word caught her attention and she held her mirth in check.

“Max,” she said coolly. She and Maria were having some girl bonding and were finishing up the weekend homework assignments. And she really wanted him to open up, but so far he hadn’t been the most rational person, and she had no idea what he could possibly be wanting on a Sunday evening.

“Liz please.” His voice sounded, scared. It was the best she could describe him. And before she could ask what was up he said, “Pop Quiz Liz. Tell me everything you can about the Hypothalamus.”

“What?” She was startled by the request and she didn’t remember needing to study it for any quiz. She heard Max cut in on her thoughts, “Liz I need it NOW!!!”

“OK,” she quickly thought back to when they had studied the brain in AP Biology and started to think for a pause. Moments later he heard her voice. “The Hypothalamus is a tiny gland, located at the top of the spinal column. Together with the Pituitary Glands, it controls the baser elements of the body, such as growth, reproduction, appetite, sleep, alarm and reaction, and temperature regulation.” “Thanks Liz,” he cut her off. “That’s it! That’s what I needed to know. Gotta go, talk later.” And he hung up. He’d apologize tomorrow for the rudeness, but right now he had a job to do. And as an added bonus, this region of the mind had nothing to do with memories. He could find out what was wrong with Isabel and hopefully heal it, while honoring her wish not to violate her privacy.

He turned on the floor and coaxed Isabel to roll over onto her back again, and to straighten out. “Trust me,” he whispered as he stroked the clinging damp hair from her face, and knelt next to her head. Her eyelids were heavy and fluttering in the state between awake and asleep. Gently Max placed his hands on the sides of her head, causing her to startle in response to the unexpected touch.

“Isabel,” he softly whispered, “I’ll need you to open your eyes again and to look at me please.” As his soulful amber eyes met her trusting chocolate colored ones, it was as if an electric charge connected them to each other. Her eyes stared deeply into his as he once again returned to his previous activity and he found himself quickly traversing her nervous system and relocating himself in the center of her brain. He scanned around and something seemed a bit off. Sure enough, the cells within her Hypothalamus were shimmering, out of focus, as if they had been excited by some force or event, and had not yet calmed down. He reached out and gently touched them, radiating a sense of calm and well being that he drew from deep within himself, and watched as the organ settled back into it’s normal rhythm. Then he scanned around some more and found himself in the anterior (front) Pituitary Gland, finding that the texture was a bit off here as well. He entered in deeply and smoothed out the odd terrain, pushing the cells together and knitting them where there seemed to be an inexplicable gap. He then found himself doing some major repair of her posterior (rear) Pituitary Gland. As he nudged that region back together with his mind, he watched as the now healed organ began to release it’s flow of life sustaining hormones back into his sister’s bloodstream, and he felt a warm, liquidy, and soothing feeling bathe his entire being, on the inside. He was experiencing things from her perspective. And she, though practically unconscious breathed out a warm and relaxed, but tremulous, breath of air, and settled into slumber, the manifest trembling starting to tamp down immediately.

***************

“She did WHAT?!?!?” Philip Evans bellowed upstairs. “I trusted you with my daughter; you have proven yourself to be so attentive and protective. What the hell did you do that for?” he yelled at the scared young man sitting in his office. “Are you aware that it seems to have caused some brain damage?” He was livid with the news that he had just received. He was not expecting Alex to have said anything along the lines of what he had just heard. “Alex we seem to have a major problem.” Philip started to pace tightly, his voice steady and tense, “I said we’d back you on anything… you promised to keep her safe, and yet you brought her back with some kind of brain injury, self-inflicted, and unremembered.” his voice started to rise again. “What the hell are we supposed to with her? We can’t even talk to her about it to know what exactly she did.”

Philip was too angry to speak anymore and so Diane jumped in… “Alex!!” His glistening eyes looked up to stare into the luminous, panicked, blue eyes of her mother. “We can’t take her to a doctor because apparently the blood is completely inhuman, as you well know. Maybe other things aren’t right either, so it’s not like we could get her a CAT scan or an MRI either, we can’t risk her like that. So we have a serious problem, we can’t find a way to heal our daughter…” Diane’s eyes were registering the weight of the problem as she continued to address Isabel’s boyfriend. “And she definitely seems to need some kind of healing.” She sighed reservedly as she gathered the strength to state the next thing, as she looked at Alex “Talk to us! What… in… God’s name… possessed you to even consider this?”

Alex sat dumbly shaking his head, he had told them of Isabel’s little self-induced ‘brain surgery’ and her Dad had flipped out as he had expected. … If that sounded weird, well in his own weird twisted humor he saw the irony to Diane’s words… ‘Possessed is a good way to put it…would you believe by the other Alex?’

The scared, young man started to cry hard, his shoulders shaking as the sobs poured forth. He hadn’t allowed himself to feel the entirety of the situation yet, but explaining the unexplainable to the Evans’ was driving it home. “We didn’t,,, I mean, I didn’t give her a choice. My other self told her that we had to do this,” he noticed the serious questioning in their eyes as he proclaimed that statement, so he forced out the rest. “And against my better judgment I went along with it,” he helplessly explained. “You have to believe me. I didn’t know, then or now, that this would have happened.” His girlfriend’s parents weren’t exactly in the mood to offer any solace.

”WHY!!!’ Diane ordered. “WHY was this the only solution?” She was staring the young man down and he knew that as crazy as everything would sound, he had to just state the entire truth of the nightmares and so he went into explaining about everything the dream, interpretation, and the dangers if it remained in her head, and Alex and his layered messages.

He looked at Diane and begged through fresh tears, “I would have done something else if I could have. Isabel means more to me than life itself. But I had to take these memories from her, now or I think she truly would have been driven mad by the knowledge of why he died playing through her mind like a movie constantly…” Tapping his temple he stated, “Now you know that there is something in my head that is being held in safe keeping until its proper time... Even Izzy isn’t aware of it, anymore. At least her selective amnesia worked… I’m just sorry something else got messed up. I’m so sorry to have brought her back like that.” He scratched the back of his head nervously with both hands as he ruffled his hair a bit and he watched her parents for any other outbursts or unpleasant reactions. Tears flowed from the young man as he tried to regain his sense of self.

Isabel’s parents tempered their fears and sat there discussing everything, realizing to their chagrin that the kids truly had done the best thing they could in the situation… Diane came to sit next to him, and to pull his head to her shoulder in a sympathetic measure of support. And so they sat there, all three of them thinking through how really unique this relationship between Isabel and Alex truly was.

Philip and Diane each thought back to a week ago when they had let the two teens take a nap in her room, and they realized that doing unconventional things where the two were concerned just might be more than a one time instance. Alex and Isabel, due to her trip in time were under a completely different set of rules. And they had to trust her to know what she was doing. Like yesterday… she needed to leave town right then, and she was allowed to, as needed.

The three of them then tackled the next issue… getting Alex home but without getting him grounded for just taking his girlfriend out of town. Or the fact that he had just taken off without a word to his parents until he was already in another town and it was late at night.

Philip was glad that he had sent them to Clovis, and that he had given them the excuse of delivering documents for signing, he could continue to work off of that. And so he tried to work out something plausible that would further appease the Whitmans.

***************

Downstairs, Max had finished with the healing. His skin was glistening with a fine sheen of perspiration caused by the exertion of his physical, but more importantly, his mental acuity and intense concentration. He was slumped in a chair, staring at his resting sister, in utter disbelief of what had just happened.

He had known that Isabel had some kind of damage in her body, somewhere, and he discovered that he had instinctively known how to connect with her, to enter into her physical body and how to heal her. Liz was used as a reference so that he was certain that he was healing the proper thing. But he had never healed anyone on such a deep internal level; and he wasn’t even aware that he could. He could do minor healing likes cuts, scrapes, or bruises. He could even heal minor broken bones, which he discovered during a game of basketball when they were twelve. He’d healed Michael’s finger after he broke it during their game. He’d always been able to do simple healing. That didn’t require entrance into the actual person to heal them, just a well placed healing hand over the injury and it was a good as new again. Max had never made a connection or gone deeply inside another person before. He was a little freaked to say the least at what had just transpired. But he could tell that the standoff between him and his sister had ended in that moment, and he also instinctively knew that Isabel was going to be okay again. Though at the moment he was still in charge of moving around the hot water bottles for her warmth, she had fallen into a deep sleep after he pulled out. Her shivering was gradually subsiding, as her body retook control over itself, and he took that as a sign that she was going to be okay.

He was weakened himself, but he had to tell his parents and her terribly worried boyfriend what had just happened. So he slowly made his way upstairs to his dad’s office.

***************

Knocking on the door he waited for a response. His mother let him in.

“Uh… Isabel’s asleep.” He stated to the all the people inside the home office. “I don’t know what happened to her, or how I just did it, but I healed her.” His mother’s eyes opened wide in question and relief at the same time. “Her shivering is calming down, and she fell right into a deep sleep when I was done.” He sighed, ran his hands through his hair, and fought back a yawn. “I’m really tired; I guess healing takes a lot of energy… I’m going to be downstairs with her, until, umm, you don’t need me anymore, then I’m going to sleep early.” He then turned to Alex directly and asked pointedly, “Was she ever out of your sight Alex? Did anything happen to her that could cause her body to lose control of itself like that?”

“No!” Alex lied, “She was with me pretty much the entire time, except for her showers. She was pretty shaken after one of them though, and she had been in there past the time it was hot and it had turned to very chilly water.” Alex stated the circumstances with a shoulder shrug and let Max deduce the lie in it.

“Maybe she fell and hit her head, during it. Or something? I just don’t know? It doesn’t make any sense, really.” Max shook his head in his confusion.

“She’s … Okay?” Alex asked tentatively, almost afraid to ask.

“Exhausted but ok, I’m pretty sure … God I was scared when you brought her in like that.” Max made his way into one of the seats for a moment, the one next to Alex who still hadn’t stood up yet. Max looked up into his parents’ faces. “I was thinking about things after you guys came up here and all of a sudden I just knew what to do, and how to do it… I can heal with a touch…. This is so weird. I called Liz for some reference, so be sure to thank her for me tomorrow, Alex.” Turning to the young man on his right, “I promise … Isabel’s ok now. But she wasn’t, something was seriously wrong with her when you brought her home.” He sighed in exhaustion but gave them all a smile, “I gotta go back down and take care of her.” He stood to leave and made his way to the door.

Diane threw her arms around her son’s shoulders and hugged him tight. ”Oh Thank-God Max… I guess that’s your gifting like hers is in the dream realm. I can’t wait to hug her again. But go take care of her until we are done here. Thanks again.” He nodded in his confusion but to acknowledge his mother’s happiness.

“Yeah!! Thanks son!” … finished Philip.

Philip knew that Alex was omitting truth from Max for Isabel’s safety but he was absolutely amazed at the way the boy could expertly weave the truth. Alex, he knew, was a very honest and honorable young man, yet for Isabel he would do anything, and it showed. Philip also became a bit worried for how easily Alex could evade the truth. But then Philip knew that his kids, and most likely their friends, from the moment they learned the secret, had to think fast and omit truth or outright lie to keep safe. And Isabel had volunteered him for the same job, the moment he and his wife learned of not only the alien status but also the time-travel.

He looked up. “Thanks Max… just keep her warm… and we’ll be down in a bit.”

The bewildered healer left the office, closing the door behind him and went to watch vigil over his sleeping sister.

***************

Philip working off his last pondering realized that he had one of those lies to work on… the aforementioned reason the two kids were in Clovis. The three of them went back to hashing out logical things that would keep Alex from being grounded, for crazy as it may sound… Isabel absolutely needed to be with that young man as much as possible and should he be grounded and she have a nightmare or something, he would be unable to attend to her needs.

Diane and Philip looked closely at Alex after Max had left the room and they came to the same conclusion, he was exhausted, and in no condition to face his parents, and they wanted proof that he just did not skip town with his “girlfriend” for the night. They could not get past that point the previous night when the Evans’ spoke with them. They insisted on pointing out that Alex had acted completely out of character, and they just felt as if there was more to the story than was being stated, and they were still trying to determine the real cause their son just took off without a warning.

Alex’s head was resting against his shoulder and he was fighting himself to stay awake…. He could hear the Evan’s talking but it sounded far away, not as if he were in the same room with him. Being worried over Isabel, and everything else that they had been through lately had finally caught up to him and taken its toll. He felt safe and relaxed… The Evans knew all of the alien secrets and so he could let his guard down, and in so doing the exhaustion hit him, hard, as Diane and Philip discussed what to do about his parents. He never heard the conclusion of the meeting for he dozed off, sitting there.

All he recalled was having his shoulder gently shaken as he was aroused from his sleep. He blinked, and moistened his lips and then started to apologize. “I’m so sorry, we were talking and I fell asleep, how terribly rude of me. I am so sorry… I’ll get my car and be getting out of here. Forgive me…”

“Alex!!! You are not driving. We wouldn’t want you to get into a ‘real’ accident.” Philip stated bluntly, “We’ll handle your parents, and you are taking the guest room for the night. It’s the least we can do for how well you have looked after our daughter for the past couple of days.”

Alex went to protest. Diane hugged him briefly and said, “Not another word … Mr. Evans is going to explain whatever your parents need to hear, and you do not have to worry about that.” She smiled slightly to her husband as she led Alex out of the office and talked to him as they made their way down stairs. “Isabel is deeply asleep, so she is fine, and you don’t have to worry about her either. I know you’re exhausted… You’ve been on call for the last two months, and have done a tremendous job… But tonight you need to rest, we couldn’t help but notice how this is wearing on you, and we don’t know how you do it, except for your love of our daughter. That has to be the only thing keeping you going. But in this house, because of your love of Isabel, all the secrets are revealed to us and we can hold you up when you can’t hold yourself anymore. I’m sorry that you’re in this predicament, but I thank you for accepting it so graciously… Isabel is very lucky indeed.” She showed him into the guest room and though it was only close to nine-o’clock in the evening, and the night was still somewhat young, the tired protector looked longingly to the most inviting bed he’d ever seen. He never realized just how hard he was working on keeping Isabel safe, until someone, (her parents) picked up the slack for him.

***************

Diane set about readying the room and he staggered out to the car and hauled in the purchases from Saturday. Somewhere in one of those bags were his and Isabel’s toothbrushes. He sorted through them, and finding what he was looking for, headed into the bathroom to brush.

When done, he laid out his clothes for Monday, albeit they had been worn for a few hours on Saturday evening, he figured Isabel could wave her hand and “launder” them. And if not those, what he was wearing when they went to Clovis might suffice. He grabbed the bags of Isabel’s purchases and headed up the stairs to say his goodnight to Mr. Evans.

Once upstairs he deposited Isabel’s belongings in the corner of her room, and he quickly stopped to rearrange the corner with her chair. He placed the vase of roses on her nightstand and then laid the cream-colored throw blanket across the corner of her bed, the light color offsetting the deep hue of the burgundy red comforter. And then he positioned the leopard set where she’d be sure to find it arranged on her chair. The throw was laid gently over the back and the now hugging animals; for their arms wrapped around each other clasped in a hug, when not holding hands around the blanket; were set against the armrest.

He stood back to smile at the display and tiredly headed to Mr. Evans’ office, knocking lightly on the doorframe as Philip was hanging up the phone. “Ok… we’ll talk to him tomorrow evening and then send him home…” he nodded, “Yeah, thanks for your understanding in all this and we’re very sorry to have caused you all this trouble…. Yeah you too…. Goodbye Charles.”

Alex’s hands became a little sweaty, but he still faced Mr. Evans. Philip gave him a warm grin and waved him in… “Alex! Just got off the phone with your dad. Everything’s ok and I explained that I had sent you to Clovis to begin with so that you could procure some documents for me to have them signed. You wanted to surprise Isabel with a date once you realized where you were and that you’d need to be there for a couple of days. With the date running late, and some clients unavailability until today, you naturally found a motel to sleep in, and though I know you shared the bed, I told him you didn’t have sex. Right???” His eyes staring directly into the teen’s eyes from a distance of mere inches away, for emphasis. Alex nodded, “Of course not.” Philip nodded appreciatively and pulled back a bit, “Also I told him that you are very worn out today since you were up most of the night because Isabel was having nightmares. My daughter is going to kill me, but I informed your dad that she has them frequently. And then I told him that she seemed to have come down with the flu or something this afternoon on the way home. That she had chills and wasn’t feeling at all well and you were worried about her.” He smiled to the barely standing young man in his office and asked, “Did I leave anything out?”

“No Sir… sounds good… and thanks so much.” Alex nodded.

“It’s the least I could do.” Philip stood, “Alex you will be backed up, anything the two of you need to do that is necessary … You will have our cover. OK?”

“Thank-you. Again. ‘Night Mr. Evans.” Alex slightly smiled.

“No Problem.” Alex turned to go, “And Alex??” Philip asked, standing up as he held his hand out for a shake.

“Yea??” Asked the confused young man returning the gesture with his head slightly cocked to the side.

“Thanks Son.” Philip shook Alex’s hand in a gesture of appreciation.

“No Problem…” Alex met his eyes, this guy was taller than him, his brain reasoned; He could be a scary person to deal with if Isabel wasn’t treated properly. He returned the shake in honest sincerity and a silent understanding.

***************

The last of Alex’s worries put to ease; he sluggishly made his way downstairs, tired as he was there was one more person to say goodnight to. He knelt down next to the couch and planted a small kiss on his sleeping girlfriend’s head, as he stroked away the strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes. He whispered, “I love you Isabel. I wouldn’t trade a moment of anything that has happened this weekend, and I’m glad you are feeling better. Sweet dreams and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then he gave her a gentle kiss on her lips as he stood up. He heard a quiet almost unintelligible mumble that warmed him to his toes. “L’ Y’ A-ex.” He grinned and pulled the quilt up tightly to her chin and tucked it in, while stroking her hair again, unbeknownst that his gentle display of affection was being silently observed.

Diane was leaning against the entryway between the hall and living room and watching the tender display with a sheen in her eyes. And she knew in that moment that he had been hurting when Isabel was so sick. And he would never let harm come to her if there were any way to avoid it. Isabel was very lucky indeed. Diane smiled wistfully to herself.

Alex found her standing there as he turned to go to the guest room, he knew that he had been caught and felt the need to explain. “I was just wishing her a good sleep, and giving her my love…”

“No need to explain Alex.” Diane smiled. “Philip and I still need to end the day on a similar note. Thanks for loving my daughter and for handling all of the craziness you have been tossed into for the past two moths. I owe you a lot.”

“No Mrs. E. It’s no big. Glad to help…” Alex staggered a bit. “I gotta get to bed before I drop somewhere and you have the two of us to carry off to bed.” He raised his hand and gave a partial wave as he disappeared into the guest room for the night. And he fell right to sleep the moment his head hit the pillow, to sleep a deep dreamless, and restful sleep.

Max had turned in early after Diane retook the vigil over Isabel, and the evening ended early as Philip carried his emotionally and physically spent daughter up to her room. Diane was right behind him with the quilt after turning off the house lights. She stopped at the main bathroom to drop off the water bottles since they were no longer needed, and then she met her husband in Isabel’s room.

Isabel was tucked into her bed and the blankets were drawn tightly around her. And kissed on the cheek by both her parents, she was left to rest peacefully.

The Evans parents held onto each other as they made their way down to their room… another crisis taken care of, and they were ready for some sleep themselves… Everyone was home safe and sound where they belonged. And they could not think of a better ending to the day.

TBC….

*****

A/N: Ok I know I took a little departure from what you expected. Yes Max is aware that he can heal, but he never knew how deeply he could. He’s never been faced with any serious injury to heal though. I took my logic from the PILOT. In it Max seemed surprised when Liz had a silver handprint. It seems as if he was aware he could heal but he was surprised by the results and after-effects. Now that could be because she was human, but I’m going to leave that logic in place for this story. Max just healed Isabel, and it startled him. Enough said

Mt Gazer
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Tue Apr 19, 2005 11:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
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"Too beautiful for earth."
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Mt Gazer
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Post by Mt Gazer »

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

Perhaps in this part and in parts to come I am or will be borrowing some scenes, and I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher
Spoilers: None...

******

Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty-Four: Part One

Unfinished Business


******
Monday morning, February 7th 2000. Two of the three teenagers awakened early and prepared for school, hungry stomachs luring them into the kitchen in search of food. As they both arrived they shared an uncomfortable look and each headed for the pantry.

Diane Evans took in the sight of them and smiled. She was sitting at the table in her bathrobe, and her blond hair was being held back by an elastic band. She was leisurely sipping a mug of coffee. Max grabbed a bowl for himself and his compatriot and took them to the table while the other teen searched the cupboard. He was about to pour himself a bowl of cereal when his mother whisked it out of his hand and grabbed the bowls off the table.

Laughing she said, “How often do you get to eat a good old fashioned home cooked breakfast, before school? It’s rare, so sit down you two and I’ll fix some eggs and bacon.” Max nodded in his approval.

She turned to the now out of place young man standing in her kitchen, “Its ok Alex, have a sit.” He would have happily had a bowl of cereal, so that he did not intrude on the Evans any further. “Alex, when was the last time you had a proper meal? I know you fell asleep quite early last night and with how worried you were for Isabel you probably didn’t eat much during the day… would I be correct?”

He answered with a quiet reserved shrug of his shoulders. He was still feeling out of sorts, as the Evans had already put him up for the night as well as got his parents off his case, before they ever got on it. He did not want to be any trouble for them.

Diane just turned to him as a pan of bacon sizzled on the stove, “Alex, after everything you’ve done for Isabel, you’re family, ok? I don’t care if you raid my cupboards when you need a snack, I’ve got two other teens, its not like I’d miss the food, I wouldn’t even know it was missing.” She teased her son.

“Hey!” Max exclaimed.

And then she turned to the still silent young man… “Did you sleep well Alex?”

“Yes Mrs. Evans thank-you very much.” He did not want to seem too eager with his questions, but one in particular was bugging him, and he was quite relieved when Max asked it.

“So Mom? Where’s Isabel? I haven’t heard her yet this morning.”

Diane flipped the bacon and started in on the eggs as she answered, “Asleep I suppose. She hasn’t been around yet.”

“Asleep?” Max and Michael shared a worried look, and Alex asked him, “You said she was ok, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, as far as I know she was, but she was also exhausted, so maybe she’s still down from that.”

“Yeah probably.” Alex started to get worried again.

Diane pulled the food from the pan and served it to plates making some toast for them to eat. And as she brought it all to the table Max asked why she wasn’t ready for work. She laughed; sick days were rare when you had two children who were incapable of getting sick. “I’m taking the day off Max. Isabel really needs to catch up on her sleep. And when your father gets home tonight we as a family are going to sit down and have a very long talk. She turned to her daughter’s boyfriend, “that includes you Alex.” He raised an eyebrow. She nodded and responded to the boys, “There are a lot of things that have transpired lately and though they are calming down, they haven’t yet been resolved. We’re going to be here as mediators and we are going to get everything squared away, before Alex leaves us tonight. Any questions?”

The boys shared a joint worried look as they then turned to their breakfasts and quickly ate. “ No ma’am. No questions.” they said in unison.

After breakfast Max drove them into school, stopping by Alex’s house and getting his backpack and books before they went.

***************

The sun warm and bright streaming through her open window, forced Isabel from her deep sleep. She wished to just pull the shades and to fall asleep again, but she roused herself and realized to her horror that she had slept in yesterday’s clothes. She was puzzled as to why, and the events of the previous day were rather murky in her mind. The most she could remember was being cold, terribly cold, and falling asleep on the couch. Falling asleep after…. She bolted upright, flipping her long hair out of the way and maneuvering the upper left portion of her blouse out of the way, she peered at her chest; the sight that she saw both comforted her immensely, and somewhat frightened her... “So that really happened?” It was more of a statement than a question.

She knew only one person held the answer and so she threw her legs over the edge of her bed and tore down the stairs, racing into Max’s room and finding it empty. She stopped for a moment, confused and then spotted his clock, 9:08am. ‘How could I possibly have overslept?’

Shaking her head in puzzlement, she stepped out of her brother’s room and found her mother sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her while she reclined into the armrest and read a book. Diane was dressed in grey sweats, the ultimate comfort clothes. Isabel could hardly remember a time when she’d seen her mother in such a relaxed position. She shook her head in confusion yet once again. ‘What was going on?’

Diane heard Isabel enter the living room, held her finger in her book as it closed and looked up to greet her daughter. “Hey Sweetheart. Sleep Good?”

Isabel shrugged her shoulders while her face bore a puzzled expression, as she looked at her mother in her confusion.

Diane sympathetically got up and hugged her. “If you ask me, Sweetheart, you still look tired. But last night the bags under your eyes looked as if they had been packed for a trip. Alex didn’t look much better; he definitely looked more rested this morning, much more than you.”

“What?”

“Alex, Sweetheart! He stayed the night in the guest room. He rode into school with Max and your Father will talk to him this evening when he returns.” She gave her daughter a sly, yet knowing smile, and then she continued to explain the affairs of the house. “Me?” She pointed to her sweats, “I stayed home from work so that you could rest. It’s not the end of the world to miss one day of school or work.” Isabel cocked her head. “So speaking of rest, what would you like to do? You look as if you could sleep for the remainder of the week.”

Isabel still standing in the living room, silently nodded in agreement.

“Off to bed with you then,” Diane hugged her daughter. “You’ve been dealing with nightmares of Alex’s death for the past couple of months, and then you had the mother of all nightmares on your weekend with Alex.”

“I did? I can’t remember it…”

Diane frowned slightly as she answered, “Alex said he’s never seen you so messed up, and the scream you let out nearly took years off his life. You came home quite sick last evening, and I think with all you’ve been through, shall I say for the past ‘THREE’ months, that it must have finally taken its toll. I’m surprised you made it this long.”

Isabel just stared at her.

“Off to bed with you then,” Diane motioned her towards the stairway. “I’ll make sure you are awake and presentable before the guys get in from school alright?” Isabel nodded silently one last time, kissed her mother on the cheek and headed upstairs to her room.

***************

At one pm Diane Evans tiptoed silently into her daughter’s bedroom. She set the tray she was carrying onto the dresser and opened up the window shade.

The warm noonday sunlight streamed into the darkened room and awoke the still sleeping teen. Then she registered the delicious smells of bacon and eggs. Her mother had made breakfast in bed for her. The aroma made her stomach grumble in anticipation, and she sat up against her headboard.

Diane tucked the tray over her daughter’s legs and left her with her lunch, the customary bottle of Tabasco perched on the tray. When Isabel was done eating, Diane reached out her hand in an age-old gesture known to mothers everywhere, and she felt her daughter’s forehead with her palm. That seeming alright, she then felt her cheek and subsequently the side of her neck with the back of her hand. “How are you feeling, Honey?”

“I feel good. Rested. In a way, I feel better than I have in quite awhile.” Isabel smiled and yawned lazily.

“I’m glad Honey. “ Diane patted her hand, “the guys will be home in a couple of hours so, I’ll leave and let you get on with your day.” She removed the tray from the teen’s bedroom and headed downstairs.

In her shower, Isabel examined her chest even more closely. “What happened?” She asked herself.

***************

At a little after three-thirty pm, the two boys blew through the front door joking about something, and acting as if they’d been friends their entire lives. They were each shoving the other to see how far off balance he would stumble. They were smiling and laughing, and the strange thing was that Max seemed truly content and truly relaxed.


Isabel was in the kitchen with her mother having fun herself. They were baking cookies, chocolate chip, everyone in the Evans’ family’s favorite. They were up to their elbows in flour, it was splattered on their faces, and their hair was falling out of the rubber bands being used to secure it back. The state they were in was not surprising, considering somewhere in the last twenty minutes or so, cookie baking had somehow turned into a full-fledged flour fight.

“HEY!!!” Isabel cried, as she threw another handful of flour at Diane while she dodged the incoming powder by ducking behind the island. She watched as it hit the floor and landed on all the other flour that was all over the kitchen. She and her mother were on opposite sides of the central counter. It looked as if the floor was covered in a fine layer of snow. Isabel pirouetted through it as she gathered another handful of the flour; giggling mischievously she righted herself, took aim and fired. Her aim was known to be off anyways.

Diane ducked, and the flour aided by a propulsion of the alien girl’s powers, landed directly on Max who had had chosen that precise moment to walk into the kitchen. It hit him squarely on the shoulder as the white powder poofed and exploded all over him.

Isabel started to giggle uncontrollably.

“You used your powers!” Diane exclaimed. “ No fair!!!” She cried.

“Yeah,” Isabel laughed in validation, and with a sideways cock of her head she retorted, “and you started the fight.” Laughing harder she said, “It sounds like we’re even to me.”

“What are you two doing?” Asked Max as he waved a hand over himself to clean off all traces of the errant projectile.

Isabel and Diane looked to each other and giggled, “Making cookies.”

Alex had taken his shoes off and so he came sliding into the kitchen. Shuffling his feet side to side, he slid in behind his girlfriend and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Making a mess is more like it.” He dubiously replied as he took in the state of the currently white kitchen. He pulled his girlfriend in closely to him, his hands sliding from her shoulders down her sides and now encircling her waist from behind. He leaned down to kiss her cheek. Alex was unaware of the still playful streak running rampant, nor the clutched handful of untossed flour.

Isabel turned around with a wicked glint in her eyes and an impish grin on her face, as she smiled ever so sweetly at him. “Missed you today,” he said.

“Missed you too.” She leaned up to properly kiss him. They stayed that way for a few moments.

While they were so engaged, Max walked over to the table where the first batches of cookies were cooling and grabbed a couple. Watching his sister and Alex was an exercise in torture; no brother should have to endure that.

Isabel decided to deepen the kiss and opened her mouth to accept Alex’s, at the same time she reached up with her free hand to run it through his hair.

Diane tried to stifle her laughter as she saw it coming, quickly slapping Max’s shoulder to have him watch. He rolled his eyes but did so. Diane watched in anticipation as Isabel slowly, but surely reached up her other filled hand and ran the flour all through it as she rubbed her hands in her boyfriend’s hair.

“ISA-BEL!!” he squealed, as the white powder started to fall in front of his eyes.

Diane started to giggle even more uncontrollably as the young man swiped a handful of flour from the counter he was leaning his girlfriend against, and with a very mischievous grin and a wink to her mother, he pulled the neck of Isabel’s top away from her body and shoved a handful of flour down her front. He grinned devilishly in response and raised his eyebrows.

Max was laughing.

AL-EX!!!” She moaned, “I just had a shower.”

“Should have thought of that before you dusted me. Although I must admit the thought (of you dripping wet) is extremely thought provoking.” he teased flirtingly. Their eyes locked onto each other and they entered very willing back into the kiss.

Diane was floored with how little time it had gone from playful teasing to a more sexual teasing. She took control, “OK! You two, break it up.” She pulled the couple apart. Then she pointed at Max and said, “You three, clean the kitchen.”

“Mooommm!” Isabel protested indignantly, “you started the fight.”

“I did,” Diane agreed. “But I can’t use my non-existant powers to put everything back together in two minutes. I’m going to pull out the ingredients for dinner and get the final batch of cookies into the oven. Have fun!” She removed herself to the safe vantage point of the table and placed the final cookies on a cookie sheet, and then she walked over to the oven and slid them in.

She had thrown Max into the clean-up mix for the simple fact that if she left the other two, the young couple, as the only crew, most likely nothing would be cleaned and they would themselves end up in a full-on, full-body, flour assault. And she wanted to keep them as limited on the “physical” aspect as she could. She laughed as she could just envision them rolling through it.

“MOM!” Max complained, “I wasn’t ever even a part of it.”

“No, Max you weren’t.” Dine fully agreed. “But I need you to chaperone these two,” she pointed at the other teens.

“OH!!” The look of understanding crossed his face. And he turned to his sister, “Yeah!” he said sarcastically, “Its not like I’m enjoying watching your make-out sessions with Alex.” He quipped.

Isabel ignored her brother’s comment, turned to her boyfriend, and smiled, “Lets clean this up quickly so that we can have some more fun,” she said in a teasingly seductive voice as she raised her eyebrows.

“IS-A-BEL!” Her mother intoned, in that voice that mothers everywhere have used when their kids are getting into or about to get into trouble.

“Just kissing Mom.” Isabel quickly responded. “On the couch. Everything PG-PG13 rated.” She replied innocently.

“Keep it that way.” Diane insisted.

“Yes Ma’am,” Alex grinned. And then he slid for fun across the floor a couple of times, taking his girlfriend sliding with him.

Isasbel turned to Max. “Lets do this quickly. Mom!! Make sure everything you want to keep clean is covered up.”

And she leaned down to the floor level and started to concentrate all her energy on the molecules of the flour. She closed her eyes and started to gather it all into one location. The flour swirled and combined about four inches above the floor, leaving it spotless. She then opened her eyes and slowly moving her hand she guided all the flour into the waiting trashcan. She then commanded a repeat performance of the countertop.

“Here Alex,” She tossed him a wet sponge from across the kitchen as she cleaned the counters by the sink. “Wash the counters please. Max, Mom could use everything dusted really well.”

Diane smiled at the bang-up job her kids were doing on the kitchen in such a short time. “Izzy? When your father gets home, they guys are going outside for awhile. I was hoping to have some help with dinner then?”

“No Problem Mom.” Isabel knew to respond in such a manner, for Mom was not asking for help but insisting upon it.

As the boys finished up their assigned chores, the timer signaled the cookies were done and Diane shooed the three kids out of her kitchen.

***************

Max, knowing what his sister’s intentions were, headed into his room where he shut the door and turned on his music. He wasn’t kidding when he had told them that he didn’t like watching them involved in such a manner.

And with her mother’s approval, Isabel led Alex by the hand into the living room. The mood was light and playful in the house and no crises were erupting. Isabel thought for once, she and Alex might get to have some fun.

As the teens sank down onto the plump cushions of the couch, it squished and gave a little under them.

Diane Evans called from the kitchen, “No lying down!”

And once again Alex answered respectfully, “Yes Ma’am.”

“Rules, rules!” Isabel said impatiently. “Come on. I have a kiss I still owe you for saving me on Saturday. And I think its time for payback.”

Alex grinned while raising his eyebrows, but he did not have a moment to speak for Isabel launched herself unto his lap sideways. He rested her against the armrest while he leaned into her. They slowly joined their lips and got lost in one another.

***************

After a few minutes, Diane wiped her hands on the nearby dishtowel; and slinging it over her shoulder she decided to check on the young couple. She peered around the archway into the living room.

The couple’s display of affection started an internal dialog within her. She spoke softly but out loud to herself as she narrated what she was observing as she leaned against the archway. ‘Firstly, they are clothed, and the buttons are secure. Their hands aren’t wandering, PG maybe PG-13 for ‘tongue.’ She thought as she sighed deeply, placing her hand on her cheek as she watched them.

“Why am I allowing them this level of closeness?” She thought for a moment. “Right, we’re keeping the relationship visible and in the prominent parts of the house. With the obvious bond that they have forged, and her level of feelings about ‘her Alex’ there had to be some concessions. So we came up with these, no privacy, no touching under the clothing, or removal of clothing, and no lying down. Keep it at a PG-PG13 rating. This isn’t what you usually allow your teens to do, but they’ll gravitate to each other with or without the guidelines.” She started to think silently as she sneaked in one last look. ‘At least here… I can keep her in line, and she knows that she can and most likely will be walked in on by anybody at any given moment.’ She laughed and said softly to herself, “They however, wouldn’t notice a nuclear bomb if it went off.”

Then she went and sat back down at the table to work through the rest of her thoughts that surfaced because of the couple’s closeness. The wistful smile on her face faded as another thought struck forcefully. It hit with all the force of a runaway locomotive, fast, sudden, and out of control. ‘She’s going to be a young mother.’ The thought jerked her into an alert state. “WHAT?? Where did that come from!?” And she continued to listen to her thoughts, ‘Last month we had a serious misunderstanding, and as humorous as it was… I fear one day that’s going to be real. That was a prelude to a real event.’ “Ok, these are definitely my mother fears talking, but why do I feel like it’s more than that?” She asked herself out loud.

She put her head onto her hands and thought deeply about why she was feeling the way she was. Nodding she answered herself, “Because I saw that look that passed between them in the kitchen, that glimmer of passion and desire.” She sarcastically chided herself, “Glimmer? Rigghhhtt! They were locked on each other like cruise missiles.” She chuckled wryly. ‘Ok, so I guess I need to gauge the physicality of the relationship. Alex would be the person to determine it by; Isabel was already ready in the past, so she’s at another level altogether now. Alex is not ready, not anywhere near. But the chemistry is strongly there… He’s already comfortably and freely touching her, making contact, Isabel’s back pressed against his front when he came into the kitchen, and he is stroking it as they kiss right now. Her waist, he held that as he pulled her in closely. He threw flour down her shirt, and I know the back of his hand made momentary contact as he withdrew it.’ Diane swallowed hard, “Its not going to take long, not at this pace.” She groaned, at the realization of where all her thoughts were leading. “They’re not going to make it, not at this rate… All it takes is one time, one moment of unabated passion, one misstep.” She slumped her shoulders in defeat; “Most of us adults have had that at some point or another when we were younger. Oh God!”

She decided to continue the dialog with herself as she worked out her strong feelings over the issue. “Why can’t I shake this feeling? Why? Their first kiss, it was a week ago.” She stated decisively, and then reminded herself of the issue, “… and I’m already worried for her getting pregnant? What am I thinking? Their relationship has barely begun… And yet I’ve never felt so happy and helpless at the same time over any of the other guys she’s dated. There was never anything to worry about. Now there definitely is, and they aren’t even officially dating yet. But she already loves him more than anything, and around here, its more than obvious, now that we have given them that freedom to be themselves. We are in for trouble where this relationship is concerned.”

That was enough of those thoughts, and she decided to peek back in on the still passionately engaged couple, to shake herself from her terrifying mother worries. As she looked into the living room she cleared her throat. “Ahhmmm!! ALEX! Hands!” She said in a warning tone as she watched his hands slide obediently back up to the upper portion of Isabel’s back, where a moment before they had been encircling her toned waist; and had slid partially under the hem of her shirt absentmindedly. His fingers were gently stroking the skin of her back as the shirt rode up a little. Isabel’s hands were fine, she was toying with her boyfriend’s hair.

***************

A little while later, Philip Evans arrived home from work, and the first thing he saw was the young couple. He chuckled to himself as he headed into the kitchen where his wife was and he scooped her up into a passionate kiss. When he was done kissing his wife, he decided to discuss the other kissing couple, “Looks like they are doing ok with the rules. I missed you today, but I must say, Isabel looks better than I’ve seen in awhile.”

“Missed you too.” Diane returned the fervor of the kiss. “I’m so glad we came up with these rules quickly,” she added, as she kissed her mate again.

Philip shook his head and chuckled at the irony of his next words, “You are aware that we are allowing our teenage daughter to mildly make-out with her boyfriend in our presence aren’t you?”

Diane nodded and then said somewhat helplessly, “Better here, than anywhere else where we can’t keep an eye on them.”

Philip mumbled dejectedly, “Better if we could keep them from kissing at all.”

Diane sighed as she turned to her husband, “But we can’t Philip. And even if we could, their first kiss a week ago changed all that. She has been very open and honest with us about it this past week, but the fact is that is has bonded them, merged them, and changed permanently the dynamic of their relationship. Whether or not they claim to be publicly dating, they are already bonded. To use her own words.”

“And that’s what worries me Diane.” Philip interjected, “With the level of comfort they are exhibiting, how long will it be before they ‘physically’ bond?”

“I’ve been wrestling with my own thoughts on this right before you came home, when they adjourned to the living room. “ She sighed.

“You have?” He questioned. “And what have you come up with?”

Diane’s shoulders slumped as she fell into her husband’s arms as his came around her to hold her securely. “You don’t want to know Philip,” she said while shaking her head, “you really don’t want to know.”

He pulled her back and looked deeply and lovingly into her bright blue eyes, the years of them being in business together as well as married left him knowing what his wife was thinking without her needing to actually say the words. And their thoughts were none too pleasant. He uttered, “You too, huh?”

“Yeah,” Diane nodded. “Look at them,” she pointed in the direction of the living room. “One way or another, sitting out there with our daughter, is our future son-in-law.” And they both were thinking, ‘And father to our future grandchildren.’

***************

Isabel and Alex had finally broken apart from the passionate liplock and were staring silently into each other’s eyes. She was firmly planted on his lap with her hands on his shoulders. He reached a tentative hand out towards the buttons on her blouse as his eyes questioned permission.

Isabel frowned slightly and shook her head no as her hands grabbed quickly for his pulling them down to her lap.

He started to ramble, “I just wanted to check something out Iz. Umm. I didn’t mean anything sexual by it, but I think I noticed something weird when I threw that flour down your shirt. But it happened so fast, maybe I didn’t see it? Ya know?”

“Oh!” She bit her lip nervously thinking what she should do, and then she made her decision. “Ok!” She said quietly, “but let me please?”

She looked deeply into his face as his hands stayed on her thighs. He truly was asking out of curiosity and not to get a quick look, or a cheap thrill, or to cop a feel. His eyes never left hers. She slowly undid the top three buttons and very discreetly pulled back the left collar a bit. “Ok.” She nodded while biting her lip.

His eyes traveled downwards and puzzlement crossed his features as his fingers very hesitantly reached upward to touch her chest…

“ALEX, ISABEL!!! Front and center! Off the couch, NOW!!!!” Philip Evans' voice boomed through the silence.

Alex quickly shifted Isabel off his lap, “Its not what it looks like Mr. Evans.” He stuttered out as he stumbled to his feet, leaping off the couch instantly.

“Yeah Daddy! He just wanted to check something out.” Said Isabel as she rearranged herself, also leaping off the couch.

“I’ll bet he did.” Philip mumbled darkly. Addressing only Alex he said, “Young Man! Your first kiss was a week ago. You have all the time in the world, and I will not have YOUR relationship with MY DAUGHTER, progressing so quickly. Is this clear?” Philip was in Alex’s face, his smoldering eyes staring into the appropriately nervous young man’s.

“Yes Sir.” Alex stood there shifting nervously on his feet, “But, but… I wasn’t trying to do anything like… that… Hon- Honest.” He was still stammering out his explanation, “Isabel, she has some kind of mark on her chest, I- I just wanted to see it…”

Isabel nodded. “Alex noticed it first, but I was going to show it to all of you at the meeting later, but I don’t think you trust me.” Isabel pouted.

“Sweetheart,” Diane jumped into the conversation. ”Teenagers aren’t known to have the most self-control, especially in the areas of relationships. What we saw was Alex reaching for your chest after you unbuttoned some of your top. I’m sure you can see why we reacted the way we did.” She smirked proudly at her flustered and blushing daughter. “Now? What were you going to show us?” She directed the conversation back to Isabel.

Rather than fight to say anything else Isabel just silently obliged them by pulling her collar back again, and the sight that met their eyes intrigued them.

“OOKAAYY!!!” Philip drew out the word as he let his breath out in a whoosh.

Alex continued to talk, “I noticed it briefly when I threw that handful of flour down her shirt,” he turned to Diane Evans.

“What?” Philip’s voice raised, as he turned to his wife.

Diane stepped in and hugged him. “Flour fight, I started it.” She laughed, and turned in her husband’s arms to look at Alex, “When Alex did that, I also ended it.”

Alex on the spot and knowing he needed to get out of it somehow pointed to Isabel, “I asked if I could look, you know, to see if something really was there. I mean just now.”

“Trust me Daddy… I shook my head ‘NO,’ when he first reached for the buttons.” Isabel stated. “I know you guys are worried for us. Neither of us are ready for anything like that.” She smiled and softly lowered her voice, “And Dad, Alex is the perfect gentleman; he would never do anything like that unless I consent. Which I don’t. We’re not going to let anything happen that we are not ready for, and we’re going to stay in control of the situation, at all times... Thank-you for your rules when we are here. We, Alex and I, really appreciate them. You’ll help to keep us from going too fast.” She walked over and hugged her startled Dad, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she headed into the kitchen. She had cookies to get.

A very bewildered Philip Evans turned to his wife, “Diane?” He questioned sincerely, “What kind of teen-age daughter are we raising? She must be an alien,” he laughed. “No protests about the rules? Instead she thanked us for them?” he was thoroughly puzzled. “Was that genuine or flattery?”

Isabel in the kitchen thought to herself, ‘Genuine Daddy.’ But she was munching on a cookie doused in Tabasco; she was waiting to see what her mother’s reply would be.

Diane kissed her husband, “That was genuine Philip.” Isabel brushed past them with a couple of cookies in her hand for Alex. She pulled him outside to the porch, as she really did not care to hear the rest of the conversation; her parents seemed to be pretty in tune with what she was feeling inside, and she didn’t want to hear it voiced by them.

Diane turned in her husband’s arms to put her hands around his neck; “We have a really good kid Philip. She has a very level head on her shoulders. Maybe our fears are unfounded?” She smiled hopefully.

He raised an eyebrow, twisted his mouth, and silently shook his head. “Not a chance.”

And then the two adults realizing that another element was being added to the evening’s talk, got busy with what they needed to do.

Diane took Isabel into the kitchen to help with dinner and after a quick change of his clothes, Philip took the boys outside.

TBC....

********

Hopefully I will get the next part out in January. Hope you enjoyed....

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays early.. have a great season.

Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Wed Apr 20, 2005 12:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
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Mt Gazer
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Post by Mt Gazer »

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, etc… I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

Perhaps in this part and in parts to come I am or will be borrowing some scenes, and I will borrow direct dialog and use altered dialog at times.

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU?
Rating: Teen+ eventually higher
Spoilers: Anything I’ve written previously, or Toy House.

******

Shifting Realities

Chapter Twenty-Four: Part Two, Part A.

Unfinished Business


******
After the guys had gone outside, Philip started to look over Alex’s car, having the boys assist him with checking fluids and tire pressure and everything else. They lightly chatted about nothing, as they worked. Philip was buying the women time to make dinner while he was getting in a small amount of inconspicuous bonding with the two young men.

When they were done they all went in and ate the wonderful meal prepared by the two women. Dinner over, Diane decided it was time to finally talk.

“Ok,” She said ‘excitedly,’ as she rubbed her hands together, “lets all clean up our dishes and put them in the dishwasher before we adjourn to the living room. We all have a lot to discuss and I for one am eager to get started. So lets go.” She leaned over and grabbed the large serving dish off the table and took it to the counter, starting the clean-up process.

Quickly everyone else carried their own dishes and silverware to the dishwasher, and loaded it. The leftovers were placed into sealed containers and put into the refrigerator. Diane also placed the cooking pans into the dishwasher. Once it was filled, and the cycle begun, she joined everyone out in the living room.

The three teens were sharing the couch with Isabel in the center, and the boys on either side of her. Philip and Diane took the living room chairs, he in his recliner, both of them facing the couch.

Philip started in all seriousness, “Two months ago, an event happened between Isabel and Alex that seems to have started a chain reaction of events.” He looked at the two of them carefully giving them his full attention. Isabel nodded slightly to let him know that she understood. “Until last weekend, emotions were running rather high in this house in one member or another. Tonight it ends!” He said, as he made a chopping motion with his hand into the palm of his other hand. The gesture indicated that it was over.

Philip continued, “We, the adults, are here to oversee and to mediate.” Then he looked each of the kids over in turn, “NO question will be refused. There is no ‘passing’ on any question. And no question is too small.” The word no was emphasized strongly each time he spoke it. “A lot has happened and we all need to understand it. My goal is that by the time Alex leaves here tonight, we will all be on the same page; and hopefully on the same side.” With a knowing look he glanced between the two boys. From what Isabel had recently shared, he knew that they had been having trouble with each other.

Diane smiled tightly, “Whoever wants to begin may do so. The first question mentioned will be the topic we start with.”

The three teens all shared an uncomfortable silence and awkward looks amongst themselves, while Isabel twisted her hair around her fingers. It was now loosely fallen down her back, she had long since removed the ponytail that was in while she baked with her mother that afternoon. Alex was the first to speak. He quietly stated, with his hands folded on his lap, “Would that event be the dance after we left the rave?”

Diane nodded, and answered matter-of-factly, “Yes it would. And since starting at the beginning is always good, that event seems to be the beginning of a lot of the current troubles, pretty much everything can be indirectly traced back to that date.” She looked at the three teens in turn now, “Anyone have anything to say? We are discussing the dance?” She sat back and waited for them to take the conversation.

Max turned on the couch to look directly at his sister. “Why Isabel?” He questioned, “Why did you decide to use your powers like that, in front of him? I still haven’t figured out why.” He pinned her with his eyes. He was allowed to ask whatever he wanted and he wasn’t about to waste a moment getting to the answers he desired.

Isabel got a wistful smile on her face as she recalled the dream-walk she had shared with Alex when she first arrived back. Her hand snaked out and came to rest on the top of Alex’s leg. “I had dream-walked him to see if he was going to spill any information to Valenti. Not that he had any to spill, but I had to know.” Alex’s hand covered hers. She remembered that was why she had dream-walked him in the past timeline, in this one… NO… In this one, she wanted that date. “I had dream-walked Maria, the day before she talked to Valenti, and we all know how that ended up.” Isabel rolled her eyes. “I had to know. I had to know if Alex would be safe to tell our secret, or if he would tell it once it was revealed to him. His relationships with Liz and Maria were crumbling, and he was losing them, because of us. If he was safe, I felt that I owed it to him to let him in on the secret; to save his friendships. And I know that Maria never meant to hurt us. Somehow Sheriff Valenti just talked her out of what little information she had. She was so nervous and uncomfortable around me that it really didn’t take much. If she could live that day over again, I know she’d keep quiet, using whatever means necessary.” Isabel nodded and looked to Alex for reassurance that she was right.” Right?” she asked as hlol
e nodded in agreement.

“Ok… so we now seem to be discussing the dream-walk,” Max stated the obvious. “What was Alex dreaming about?” While he asked the question her hand which was resting on Alex’s thigh gave it a little squeeze. He smiled, but still held his place. Max continued on, “You were so, not yourself the next morning. Isabel you were flustered and blushing. And then at school you accepted a ‘date’ with him.

She then moved her hand over a bit more and grabbed Alex’s hand from where it was clasped with his other one in the center of his lap, and they turned to face her brother. “The dream is private Max. It’s for the two of us alone.” Isabel stated. “But… he asked to see the hidden me, inside. He should have been freaking out about Valenti, or any other number of things, but he wasn’t. His focus was on me, and getting to know me. I wanted him to. I felt the need to let him in, so I met him at the rave with the express plans to do just that. I used that dance as a small demonstration of my differences.”

“But you understand the need to be careful and to not use our powers in public right? Especially with Valenti scouting around?” Max asked insistently.

“Honest, little brother,” she said in a condescendingly sweet tone. “I know the dangers of revealing ourselves, ‘more than you can imagine,’ I would never intentionally jeopardize us, or our ‘human’ friends.” Then she said curtly, “What do you think? I want to end up as a governmental, experimental, lab rat? God Max, I’m not stupid.”

“Ok then…” Max nodded in his understanding, and started on the next issue. “Isabel, I had told you not to tell Alex. Yet you did anyways.” He gave her a rather stern look. “But I specifically told you not to tell Mom, and you did exactly that. WHY??

“Because Max; our parents are lawyers.” Isabel stated simplistically. “They know evaded truth better than anyone; it’s their… job. They also know how to ferret out information, and Mom had started to do exactly that. She had started to investigate us Max. She wasn’t going to let it slide.” Isabel shook her head fully in control for the moment. “You used your powers in front of her and saved her life from the fire, but that only caused her to remember our childhood and everything ‘weird’ about us. She asked me tons of questions that week. I couldn’t handle lying to her any longer…” Isabel never got a chance to finish that statement for her brother interrupted her.

“But you defied me Isabel. Outright disregarded anything I said.” Max spoke in a tone of outrage.

She nodded, “It was for your own good Max. You don’t know the tears I’ve cried over that. The times I’ve run to Alex to just hold me. My heart was breaking to have caused you such pain and fear. But I did it for us, so that we would be safe.” She thought for a moment of how to word the next thing she wanted to say, and then she smiled softly at her mother.

Turning back to her brother she guided their attention to their two parents sitting silently while letting the teens finally discuss things in a safe zone. She pointed to each of them in turn as she said in a ‘teaching’ manner. “Do you see those two wonderful people sitting over there?” Max nodded. Diane’s face beamed with her daughter’s words and Philip casually smiled, but his eyes were shining.

Isabel continued, “They are our parents Max. And with all they did when we were so little, don’t you think they deserved to understand the reason we were so ‘weird.’ But even more than that Max, I needed to tell her, I needed Mom to know. Max, I didn’t feel safe anymore. Not with just us, and I needed to know she’d be there and protecting me.

‘Ok! That’s what you always say. But then you risked telling Dad as well? What if he hadn’t taken it so well Isabel? What if he’d kicked us out? Did you ever stop to consider these things?”

Diane was ready to defend Isabel but Philip gave her a look that stopped her in her tracks, as he nodded silently to their tense teens.

Max!!, His voice broke through his son’s accusations. Max turned to look at his dad. Philip stated emphatically, “Isabel didn’t tell me. Your mother did.”

Max turned his surprised gaze to his mother, “MOM???” She slowly nodded her admission. “When?” he asked.

Diane quietly got up and went to her purse where she kept her day planner. She sat back down and started to think it through as she looked up something. She opened up her calendar for the month of January 2000 and landed her finger on a specific date. She then held it up for all to see. “This day here, the 3rd, (Circled in bold red marker), was the day of the fire. Isabel told me here, she pointed to Friday the 7th. (It was circled in, ironically, green. Diane was having a bit of fun to jog her memory with that one.) I told your dad here, she then pointed to the 11th. (She had traced the outer box in red that time.) We had a slow afternoon at work and I took advantage of the quiet afternoon and shared everything I could remember of what Isabel had shared with me. But because I kept calm, as I had a few days to formulate my thoughts before I launched in; and I kept my wits about me, your dad was able to ride the wave with me. Together we decided not to inform you that your dad knew Max. We thought it in your best interest, for you to come around on your own.”

A pained look hit his face and he turned to his sister, “Sorry Iz.” he mumbled out, “I really thought you’d told Dad too.”

Isabel grinned, “I know.” She shrugged her shoulders. “And I let you think that. It was better to have you mad at me about another thing, than for you to mistrust Mom. My whole motivation was for us to have someone, or as it turned out, more than one, who we could trust. I think Mom and Dad have more than proven themselves in this respect don’t you?” It was his time to understand her point of view.

“Yeah, I’m beginning to think so.” He stated very softly.

Then he stared at her curiously making her feel squirmy with the intensity he was regarding her. “OK! What did we do to Alex’s car today, and why? Dad had us checking over everything on it. And why is Dad covering for your leaving town with your boyfriend.”

Philip jumped in once again, “Umm, Max?” Once again his son turned to him, “If that had been in fact what they did,” he pointed between the young couple, “I assure you that I would most definitely not have covered for them. And Isabel would be sitting in her room under serious grounding as we speak. But that wasn’t the case.”

“So what was that, then Dad?” Max asked forcefully.

Philip turned to the young couple, “Izzy? Alex? Either of you care to answer this?”

Alex quickly squeezed Isabel’s hand, kissed her cheek and said softly, “I’ve got it.” She nodded as she sucked in her lower lip.

“Max?” Alex used his name to gain his undivided attention. “You know the night that started this whole discussion?” Alex turned in his seat and edged closer to Isabel, while letting go of her hand

“Of course, the dance.” Max thought back to the beginning of the conversation.

“Right,” Alex agreed. “But do you recall what happened from it?”

Max was a bit confused, but he asked the first thing that popped into his brain, “The tape?”

Alex did what came naturally, using humor to diffuse the tension, “Right again. Give the boy a prize. Johnny… Lets show him what has he won??” Both of the Evans’ kids stared at him like he’d lost it. Clearing his throat, Alex reeled himself back in … “What have you thought about that, Max?” Alex now was making him answer questions for a change.

“I think that what she did was rash and foolish and put us, but especially her, in
a lot of danger. After everything that took place between then and the next morning,” he glared at Alex as if the taller young man by his sister could read the unspoken reason; “I really decided that you weren’t the best influence on her.”

“But what do you think about that tape, in particular? Not your feelings towards Isabel or I? Trust me, we know what you think of our ‘adventure’.”

Max shook his head as he nervously raked his hand through his hair. “Our powers getting caught on tape I think is the worst thing that could happen to us. We always try to stay hidden.”

Alex scooted in more closely to his girlfriend and grabbed her hand securely in his, overlapping it with the other one, as he braced her for his next words and her brother’s reaction. He only hoped he was doing the right thing. He took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, leaning over Isabel’s lap, he looked directly at Max and said carefully, “ The FBI has it, or a copy of it now.”

The words registered instantaneously and Alex almost got hit, luckily he pulled back in time, as Max leapt of the couch and shouted rather loudly, “WHAT??? Ok! This is most definitely worse.” He ran his hands through his hair as he stood there in the shock of what he had just been told. As Alex was holding Isabel’s hand tightly, Max turned to look at his parents, and his mother imperceptibly nodded. Max felt as if he had just been sucker-punched in the stomach as he found it hard to breathe. He turned around again to look at his sister, and his reaction startled them, it was not what they were expecting. “Please?? Please tell me its not true, Isabel!” He begged her.

But the lone tear trickling down her cheek, the now forceful biting of her lip, and the way her head was slightly averted downwards, caused his heart to constrict as the truth and the weight of the answer brought him to his knees, before her. The FBI knew about his sister. It was the worst thing he could have ever heard. Tears were lingering below the surface. He’s a guy, guys don’t cry. But his voice betrayed him, he grabbed his sister’s hands in his and his look to Alex indicated for him to back-up a bit. “Iz” his voice tremulously cracked. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked sincerely as he stared into her large watery brown eyes.”

She scoffed as she sniffled a bit, “Right Max!! When??” She shook her head as she gave another mocking laugh, “Think of how you’ve been acting these past couple of months, and just try asking me that again?” She looked at him incredulously.

He was so worried that he had forgotten how he had been acting, but the look on her face and all the events of the past couple months went racing through his brain at lightning fast speed. Max fell backwards more firmly onto the ground instead of just kneeling, and answered, “Rigghttt!” The truth of her words had hit him hard. He just blurted out the next thing, “How do you know?”

Alex from his position of further back on the couch now, said, “We saw them take it from the sheriff’s office as we were out on our jog last Friday.” His voice was in a tone of relaying information, he wasn’t sharing the emotion behind it, and he didn’t need to.

Max’s head snapped up quickly when he felt a couple of hot wet tears splash against the back of his hand. Isabel was crying. She had never done that in front of him freely since they were very young. “Isabel are you ok?” he choked out, his voice quavering, barely above a whisper.

She nodded silently.

“Are you sure?” he tried again.

She nodded again as the tears flowed faster. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Isabel was breaking down, in front of him. He pulled himself from the floor and wrapped his arms tightly around his sister easing himself back onto the couch. She threw hers around him and held on tight. “You’re scared aren’t you?” he barely managed to get out past the rapidly growing lump in his throat.

She drew in a shaky, sobbing breath, as she nodded yet again while pulling out of the embrace to wipe her cheeks with her hands. She placed her head into her hands and sat there softly crying, while she worked to regain her composure.

Max knew how they would respond to his next question but he asked it anyways, He whispered into his sister’s ear but not so quietly that it couldn’t be heard, “I’ve been part of the problem haven’t I?” Alex nodded in response. Max gave him a quick wry smile.

“I’ve been a real jerk, haven’t I Isabel?” Her head came up to make eye contact with him. She nodded as she mumbled, “Yes!”

“Hey!! You weren’t supposed to answer that!!” Max protested indignantly. “Ever hear of a rhetorical question?” She smiled sadly.

Max grabbed her tear-dampened hand and said, “Iz, you have to understand. I was so scared. But now that I look at it, I guess I’m not nearly as scared as you. The fact is for two months you’ve been hurting, terrified, and trying to hold together. And I’ve been all over your case, and Alex’s; but I was so worried about my own fears that I couldn’t see yours. I’m so sorry Isabel.” He apologized regretfully. “You are my sister, we’ve been together since we came out of the pods. I LOVE you. I’m gonna keep you safe, I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

He swallowed his fears about what Alex may or may not have done to her that morning after the rave, and indicated for the taller boy to enclose her in a hug. Alex scooted in and wrapped his long supportive arms around her, as Max encircled her from the other side. He said, “We’re going to keep you safe Isabel. We are not going to let anything happen to you.”

After a short time they released her and Max shot Alex a warning look as he started to talk to his sister. “I guess all the stress you’ve been under could cause nightmares.”

She nodded, but then he dove in deeper, “But that doesn’t explain them. Mom and Dad said that most of them are about Alex dying?”

Her eyes went wide and she turned to stare at her parents, a look of fear marred her beautiful face. She had to remind herself at that moment that she trusted them implicitly, and they wouldn’t say more than they had to. But she felt the need to express her displeasure so she stated coolly, “You told him? Why?”

“Sweetheart,” Diane said lovingly, “They’re not secret. Everyone in this house knows you’ve gone through them. We had to tell him something. He needed to know what is going on with you.”

Isabel narrowed her eyes as she watched her mother. Then she turned to her brother. “What did they tell you?” she asked in a warning tone. Max could tell that her defenses were up and this conversation might not garner the wanted results.

So he cautiously proceeded. “All they said was what I already told you. And I know they started around the time of the rave, after HE was here. So they really don’t make any sense. I’ve been trying, for two months to leave you alone and not to bother you about that day, because you’ll likely tell me it’s none of my business. But the fact is, I can’t make sense of that day… something happened.” He looked sadly at Alex. “I need to know what it is, ” he spoke directly to the other young man. Turning to his mother he begged, “May that please be the next topic of conversation. What happened the morning after the rave in her room?”

“Sure Max,” Diane smiled. And then she stated authoritatively to her daughter, “And Isabel, remember, no question will be refused. I know you would like to keep this secret, but you need to talk to Max about it. I’m sorry.”

Isabel frowned and crossed her arms on her chest, “Fine!” she acquiesced dejectedly. “What do you want to know Max?” She said in a still clipped manner, as she somewhat slammed into the back of the couch.

Max looked at Alex very warily and asked him to remove his hands from his sister. For he was currently stroking her crossed arm softly, and trying to hold her hand. Max said, “We may have gotten along today, but until I solve this, I’m still not sure I completely trust you with her. I need to talk to her, without you touching her. I just can’t handle that right now.”

Alex held his emotions in check as Isabel pulled herself away from him, out of deference to her brother’s request, but he was not happy about it. If it were up to him he would never let go, not after the way Max had been treating her for the past couple of months, but especially the last one. He said quietly, “I’m right here if you need me Isabel. I’m not going anywhere,” as he scooted to the end of the couch, and folded his hands in his lap as he waited for the conversation to progress. He didn’t take his eyes off of either of them, and he would be at Isabel’s side in a heartbeat if he even remotely sensed she needed him.

Max spoke softly and calmly to his sister, the calm that belies ones feelings. “Isabel what happened? My mind has come up with these horrible scenarios. And in themselves they are bad enough, but when they don’t match up with everything… I’ve been driving myself crazy. And I can’t find resolution. And you refuse to talk about them… and now I’ve been not talking for a couple of weeks and so we haven’t discussed anything… I’m starting to have nightmares myself Isabel. I’ve gotta know.”

“What do you think happened?” She whispered harshly.

“Ok,” he started and then stopped. “Ok… I’ll just tell you what I saw and I know for a fact, and then I’ll tell you what I’ve been wrestling with.”

“Go on.” She whispered.

“This I know…” Max started, “I know you called him, because you were waiting for him at the front door early in the morning after the rave. Then I know the two of you entered into your room. And awhile later I know he left in a panic or hurry, and you ended up crying. Later that morning, he came back and you’ve been together in some form ever since. That is what I know for a fact.” He looked at her closely but she was guarding her emotions and her face held a neutral expression as she listened. “What I can’t understand is what happened in your room, and the rest of the events. And I’ve been worried sick for you. Everything went to hell from that day on. Can you shed light on the situation and get me out of it? “ Max cajoled.

She asked again, “What do you think happened?”

“Alright, I can do this.” He sighed deeply, “I’m trying to figure out when the nightmares started, what caused them.” He looked up at Alex worriedly and then back to his sister. He could read an openness in her eyes that wasn’t mirrored on the rest of her expressionless face. It was a good thing he was skilled in the art of reading Isabel, he thought to himself. He whispered in that still too calm manner… “I keep thinking he did something to you. That he hurt you.” She jerked back momentarily as an expression of disbelief fleetingly crossed her face. And then she held her placid manner but the confusion still in her eyes wasn’t lost on him so he continued, “Let me explain my reasoning….”

“Please… do!” She insisted.

Max started to speak rapidly and at length, “He bolted out of here as if he had done something wrong, or as if you had thrown him out, leaving you crying, as I mentioned before. Wrenching sobs the likes of which I have never seen from you, as if he had left you broken. You never stopped, not until he returned, trying to fix whatever he had done.” He drew in a quick breath, “But why I think he hurt you is that your nightmares started that night, and they wouldn’t be a reaction to your talking and resolving an issue. Nightmares are a reaction to trauma, to whatever he did to hurt you. We’ve all tried to get you out of them. But you were thrashing around in your sleep, fighting off something or someone all the while screaming, ‘NO!!’ and many times his name as well. Are you fighting him off? And if so? Why? What did he do to you? I don’t like seeing you like that or hearing that. And I heard it for at least a month.”

He looked up to Alex with pain in his eyes, “What did you do to my sister?” He pleaded.

Alex couldn’t believe what Max had been thinking for the past couple months, but it sure made a lot more sense to him why he was determined to keep them apart. His eyes were glistening with a sheen of tears for all the pain Max was in. He raised his hands in surrender. “Max, I didn’t do anything. I swear! She had a nightmare, in which I died…“ He said mournfully.

Isabel stared at him, eyes narrowed and the Ice Princess was about to rear her ugly head. “Get back to the topic of the nightmares Max!” He pointed out rapidly, not wanting to deal with Isabel’s alter-ego at that particular moment. She would shut down the entire meeting.

Max nodded. “That’s what Mom and Dad say is the subject as well.” He turned to Isabel who was visibly agitated, “For my own sanity sake would you mind if I shared the rest of my questions with you… even if they are totally off?”

“Whatever Max.” She shrugged as she turned from him a bit, and Alex shook his head at her behavior. With a sigh she answered a bit more calmly, “If you need to.” Alex gave her a smile of approval, and she rolled her eyes at him.

Max watched the exchange and found himself very impressed with Alex’s handling of his sister. With just a look he could effect a change. ‘Whoa. She listened to him. Who is this guy? How did he manage the impossible with her, and so effortlessly too?’ Max just stared at them in his minor confusion until Isabel returned the look. And he knew he was weirding her out so he quickly picked up where he had left off, “Another one is that you slept with Alex.” He looked between them to see if either flinched or reacted to his words. They made no motion. So he resumed, “Well I’ve already covered you throwing him out, or him doing something wrong. So now, I find myself confused as to why you had him here in the first place.“ He frustratingly ran his hands through his hair, “You weren’t in any relationship, with Alex or anyone else for that matter. You would’ve gone to the rave with whomever asked you, and your choice was the most unlikely to begin with.” Sighing he continued, “You don’t get close to anyone, Iz. Something happened in your bedroom. Did you kiss or more and it was like in the woods? Different, strange, unusual? The best description: Non-Human? That could freak both of you out, easily. But to see you leaning against the side of the house in heartwrenching pain, doesn’t make any sense at all. Why did you wait for him to return, if he caused your pain? That would be so unlike you… You shut down and block people when you are hurt.” Max sighed as he ran his hands through his hair again, “See?? Nothing accounts for all of the strange occurrences. NOTHING!” With one final sigh, he also added, “And for some reason, you told him we were different. I’m so confused as to any of the whys? Isabel?” He pleaded.

Alex was just silently watching Max, and Isabel was staring at her brother intently as well.

Max begged, “Isabel Please? Please tell me what happened? I promise I’ll never bring it up again, no matter what you tell me. I know something serious happened, and it shook you terribly. I know that it has created nightmares and an inexplicable bond with each other. Is there anything that could possibly do all this?”

She nodded her head and slowly made contact with Alex, scooting in until she was touching his leg with her own, and then edging the two of them back into the middle of the couch. Max noticed her determination to have him close, and he knew that she must have been relying on him for strength. He raised his eyebrows in silent question.

Alex supportively placed his hands on Isabel’s shoulders as he rubbed out the tension while he said, “I’m right here. Whatever you want to tell him, I’m fine with it.”

Isabel nodded and turned to tell her brother her tale.

“Max,” she began. “I have been having repeated, continual nightmares of Alex dying. Sometimes, I’m fighting off the person who is killing him… Sometimes he dies in a car accident. The dreams are different, but there is one recurrent theme… he dies, and I can’t save him or stop it and I helplessly live through it repeatedly.” A couple of tears slowly started to trickle down her cheek.

Max leaned over and stroked away her tears as Alex kept rubbing her shoulders. “Go on,” Max whispered.

“The dreams feel so real… I couldn’t handle them. I wasn’t sure if the dreams were real or if Alex were even alive.“ Max stared at her incredulously. “I’m not even sure I expected him to answer the phone when I called.” ‘I’d accidentally done that in the past timeline and really ended up in pain one night.’ “Honest Max, I know I sound crazy, but I really didn’t know what state I was in. When he answered the phone I just quickly remembered him saying something about my calling if I needed anything and so I reminded him of that and invited him over.”


Alex, not wanting to interrupt and prolong her difficult admission, simply nodded in agreement and support as his hands continued to rub the ‘tension’ from her shoulders.

And then Isabel said something startling to Max, “All I wanted to do was to wrap my arms around him and to hold on tight. To never let him go, to know he was alive and wasn’t going to leave me.” It was as if he could feel her fear of Alex’s departure. His sister obviously had the strangest relationship he’d ever heard of. Why was she thinking of Alex like that. He kept listening, hoping for answers, but knowing he promised to drop it once she explained everything.

“Isabel? I need to ask you a really weird question? When I healed you last night, I got a picture from your mind before you jerked me out. You were at a graveyard and crying. What was that? And how could your feelings be so strong for him after one dream walk?”

She swallowed hard at the mention of the flash. ‘I should’ve known he’d bring them up. It’s not like Max is going to miss anything off.’

“I don’t know.” She answered hastily. “I think the dream has entered into my subconscious. I know I think about it a lot. That is what is in the dream. So you must have seen a part of my nightmares. I don’t know.” She bit her lip and looked down. “And as to the other question, watching his death in my dreams may be what drove me to know what I’d feel if I lost him.” ‘That is such an understatement. There is no way to describe what having lost him even feels like.’ “They just felt real! They ‘were’ real, Max.”

Isabel continued, “Anyways, that night I called him over to help me get through them. I mean, obviously he’s alive, so maybe they’d just stop if I were with him, you know? And for your information Max, neither he nor I have ever slept with anyone… if you’d been in my room, that would also have been pretty evident. We went to sleep in our clothes, and I just rested my head on his chest. And I had another nightmare, a really, really bad one.”

Alex, understanding the way she was weaving the story, expertly leaving out the time travel, continued when she drew in a shaky breath. She was feeling the emotions of her dreams, he could tell.

“Yeah Max,” Alex picked it up, “I couldn’t wake her up and so I wrapped my arms around her securely to comfort her, and somehow I was drawn into the nightmare. You call it dream-walking.”

Max’s mouth fell open and he stared at them for a moment, then shaking his head to clear it of the rapidly descending fog, he said, “You dream-walked Isabel? How the hell did you do that? I can’t even dream-walk…”

“Honestly Max, I have no idea.” Alex answered helplessly, “Maybe she was so distraught that she pulled me in because she needed help. I don’t know. But what I do know is this, I saw whatever she was dreaming and she was dreaming of my death. How I died and the funeral. She’s right when she says they ‘feel’ real. I was there, at my graveside a year and half into the future.”

Max sat there struggling for words, starting and stopping again, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly like a fish gasping for air. “Is it a premonition?” He finally choked out.

“I don’t know Max. But that was the panic when I ran out of the house. I was pretty scared. That was the second event in a short amount of time that I’d encountered her powers, though I’m sure that was purely accidental. But I knew she wasn’t normal and that freaked me out. I had to get out. I ran from your house screaming.”

“Ok…” Max said slowly, “things are starting to piece together…” he said in a confused manner.

Isabel continued with another part of the story, “I ran out of the house crying; following him because I wanted to explain. I’d inadvertently scared him pretty bad, and I didn’t know what he’d do or where he’d go. I ended up in a panic. And then I couldn’t get control of my crying because it apparently was the straw that broke the camel’s back. With everything going on and all the stress I was under, I broke. I just couldn’t hold back the tears. Even if nothing was related anymore it all had become too much.”

“Yeah, a couple hours later, I returned,” Alex jumped back in. “I swear; I might not have been nice. I was going to talk to her real quick, count my losses, and run for the hills, never looking back and definitely getting over my infatuation with her. She was a freak and I didn’t care why at that point. So at that moment, I probably would have said something to hurt her.” He enclosed his arms around her waist as they sat there, to take the sting out of having just called her a freak, he knew that she was worried about being one. Resting his chin on her shoulder he said, “But when she saw me return, she broke. And she broke hard. I just couldn’t leave her like that. I couldn’t. It was hurting me seeing her in so much pain.”

“So we talked,” Isabel picked up the story again. “Then we came inside for breakfast, which you already are aware of, and then we headed out for the day, seeing how we now had a lot to discuss.”

Alex took the reigns again, “Isabel told me everything, and I do mean everything that day. And during the course of it we became friends, very close friends.”
He felt her lean into him as she rested her head backwards on his shoulder. Tilting it up for a kiss, she mentioned, “Friends, PLUS” her eyes shining and then they briefly kissed.

Max was once again forced to watch them so involved with each other, even though it was a small peck on the lips. “So you and my sister?” He then said to Alex, “Since then, what have you and my sister done?”

“We’ve kissed Max. That’s about it.” Alex smiled.

“But you left for the weekend. You took her out of town,,, You slept in the same bed?” he protested.

“Nothing Max. We haven’t done anything.” Isabel protested back.

“Why didn’t you just tell me all this sooner?” Max accused her.

Isabel turned the conversation right back on him, there was no way she was taking the blame for this one. “You couldn’t listen to me. You were too scared to even try. You felt that I defied you more and more making you all the angrier with me.” Isabel said sadly.

The three teens sat there with new understanding. Max now thought that Alex was alright for his sister. More than alright, he was perfect. The poor boy had been trying to keep her sane for all this time. He really wasn’t going to hurt her. Max was able to finally relax. Isabel really had called him over because of nightmares, but they really were flirting at the same time. All the things that had made no sense whatsoever, now made much more sense.

He smiled at Alex in a gesture of good will. “Thanks for taking such good care of her.“

“No problem Max. Now I do have now more thing to add. I know Isabel is not yet at the point where she can say this, and that is fine with me… But I LOVE Isabel. I love your sister Max. And I give you my word; I will not hurt her. I have not hurt her. And I’ll do anything in my power to keep her safe.” He leaned in for another quick kiss to emphasize his point. “Isabel’s safety and protection are my number one priorities. Everything else comes second. I love Isabel.” And then he turned her in his arms to look at only her, “I love you Isabel.” She nodded with a gentle smile gracing her lips, and leaned in to kiss him.

---
Break for Part B
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Wed Apr 20, 2005 12:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
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