Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to the writers and producers of Roswell
Spoilers: After Chant Down Babylon, changes happening where Max is successfully rescued, and it was Michael who broke up with Maria
Loving Destiny
Chapter One
****
It is in the touching of one with another
That we become most fully ourselves
- Marilyn Sewell
****
“How are you?” Jesse asked, kissing Isabel’s neck.
Isabel smiled at him through the reflection of their vanity mirror. She wiped the bottom of her glossy crimson lips and looked at her husband. He looked at her so concerned, so worriedly. “Jesse, honey, I’m fine,” Isabel sighed.
~~~
It had taken several days to recover from the near-death injuries sustained from the rescue mission. Through her restless days of bed rest, Isabel couldn’t quite help worry over the state of her marriage. Things had been unsettled between herself and Jesse before that night, but now Jesse knew their secret. When Max had held her hand and told her the news, Isabel immediately tried to find Jesse. Unfortunately, Isabel had been weakened by the injuries that Max had little, but to push her down with his pinkie finger to restrain her.
She had been frantic when Jesse never came home. Isabel knew his rage toward people who would lie and betray him. She had found that out when one of his best friends tried to write an expose on Max, Isabel, and Michael. He freaked out and never spoke to him again. This was the reason when Jesse returned, calm and loving, it scared Isabel. She’d never seen him this detached. He felt so distant and then suddenly one night Jesse explained calmly that his several talks and arguments with Max and Michael had just about sorted everything out between the two of them. They had explained to him how she had wanted to tell him. Jesse understood. He had forgiven her.
~~~
“Are you sure? I mean I can stay home from work one more day,” Jesse offered.
Isabel shook her head and kissed his inviting lips. “I’ll be fine. Liz and Maria are probably dropping by with some more, ugh, chicken soup.”
Jesse nodded and took hold of his briefcase, “You know you can call me at work anytime, right?”
Isabel tucked a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. “I’ll be fine!”
After Jesse looked at her skeptically, for at least the millionth time, Isabel managed to convince Jesse to leave. “Dad’s probably swamped down a the office. I’ll be fine!” Isabel laughed as she pushed him out the door.
Isabel slumped against the wooden frame. She was exhausted. There were so many things running through her mind. First, Isabel didn’t know what to make of Jesse’s behavior. Isabel didn’t understand how Jesse could have just accepted the knowledge that she, his wife, was an alien. Sometimes even Isabel still thought it was just a dream. Secondly, Isabel hadn’t quite resolved what to make of Michael’s ability to wake her up. Everything within her had changed, or should Isabel say, ‘remembered’ her strong connection to Michael and her alien roots.
Suddenly Isabel remembered that she had a list of things, errands, to do. She grabbed her purse and the list of undone tasks that Isabel didn’t trust Jesse to do. After all, he was a man.
Isabel would just have to put her worrying aside for the moment, until the errands were complete. So many things so little time!
~~~
Michael twisted the cap off his pink lemonade Snapple. It wasn’t his favorite, but he’d already drank the ones he liked from the variety pack. He always told himself that ‘next time’ he would drink the pink lemonade first and save his favorite for last, but that never seemed to happen.
“Michael!” Maria called through his apartment door.
“Yeah what?” he replied.
“Well I’d tell you if you’d unlock this door!” Maria retorted.
He hated when Maria yelled. He hated when Maria would glare at him. He hated when Maria would expect him to read her mind. Michael sighed. He might be an alien, but he was no mind reader. There were a lot of things he hated doing, or being forced into. Sometimes Michael didn’t quite understand why he put up with it.
As Michael opened the door, Maria stood in front of him in a pair of black leather pants and a red tank top. Oh yeah. That’s why! And Michael smiled. “So it’s unlocked. What’s up? Is there an alien bounty hunter chasing you around in matching black leather pants? If so, why lead him to me?” Michael grinned.
Maria’s eyes rolled. “Ha ha. That was so funny I forgot to laugh,” Maria said drolly as she walked into the unkempt and very cluttered apartment.
Michael shook his head and closed the door. “Yeah. So what are you doing here again?”
Maria sat on the couch and grabbed his Snapple. “Ooh! Pink lemonade. My favorite.”
Michael gritted his teeth. That was his last Snapple! And his budget didn’t allow him another purchase until next week. Michael walked over and pinched it back. “Hey, that’s my last one!”
Since he’d started working and actually paying for his Snapple, after the last fiasco, Michael decided he would learn to budget. Now he didn’t always stick to it, like he wouldn’t tomorrow, after buying another case of Snapple, but it was the idea that he had a budget that counted.
“Well, you don’t have to freak out Michael, it’s not like I couldn’t buy you another one…”
“What are you doing here?” Michael interrupted her.
Ever since they’d broken up, Maria seemed to be around even more than when they’d been dating. It was eerie.
“I wanted to let you know that I’m singing at a club outside Roswell on Friday,” Maria explained excitedly.
Michael could only stair. “Okay. I’ll be there. Now can you leave me, and my Snapple alone? I just got off work,” he pointed to his disheveled uniform, “and was going to take my late afternoon nap."
Maria growled in frustration. “Oh forgive me for wanting to share this with someone I care about.”
Michael took a deep breath and put his arm around her shoulders. “I’m happy for you Maria, really. I’m just grouchy when I don’t get my beauty sleep,” he apologized.
“That happens a lot then, huh?” Maria sighed. “Cause Michael I hate to break it to ya, but you’re always grouchy.”
Michael smiled. “I guess so. See ya!” Michael waved as he closed the door.
“Friday at 8!” Maria yelled on the closing door.
Michael took a swig of the sour Snapple and then rubbed his tired eyes. He was actually tired. It wasn’t just a ploy to get rid of Maria. Not that that was exactly what he wanted.
Michael headed towards his bedroom, stripping off his confining uniform. He still cared for Maria. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have broken up with her. Over and over, time and time again; everything seemed like a fight. Michael could never get it right with her. It just didn’t seem like being with someone you loved should have been so hard. And every passing day with Maria seemed like work. If he wanted to compare it with other relationships, like Liz and Max, which wasn’t exactly a match made in heaven in the first place, even they seemed to be able to have whole conversations where they didn’t fight or have to apologize for some dumb thing or another.
In the end, Maria just didn’t understand. From the beginning of this entire Maxwell fiasco, Michael always held the opinion that his life didn’t fit the human world. He’d always felt like the outsider, not just because he was an alien, although that was a large part of it. Michael wanted a home and it didn’t seem possible to find it here with scared humans ready to lynch them.
Now it had been a long time since then, and Michael had found friendships in the oddest and wonderful places. But some part of him continued to whisper, ‘You aren’t human. You have a destiny. You have a love. Nothing is as it should be…find your destiny.’
Michael fell into his bed and closed his eyes. “Destiny,” Michael mumbled as he drifted off into slumber. “What is my destiny?”
~~~
Isabel felt a weight lifted off her shoulders as she checked off her last ‘thing to do’ on her sheet of paper. “Done!”
Isabel smiled widely as she tucked her list into her tiny black purse. “Now I should go home, because I don’t want to over do it.” She then smiled to herself, “But I’m feeling fine, so I just a couple more errands.”
After convincing herself it was okay to drop by the Crashdown, Isabel ran into Max who was looking a little disheveled and somewhat not like himself. “Hey big brother. What are you doing? You look horrible!”
Max seemed surprised to see Isabel. “Ah, I could ask the same about you. I mean, Jesse let you out of the house?” Max frowned.
Isabel laughed. “Of course! And what do you mean by that? Jesse didn’t let me out of the house. God Max, what’s gotten into you? You don’t have to worry about me. What about you? You’re the one whose energy, or spirit got usurped. I mean, if Michael hadn’t stunned that guy with a blast, you’d be dead.”
Max shook his head, “But he did and in the end, you’re the one who almost ended up dead!”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “Max, you know I’m fine. So stop worrying about it!”
“But you’re still recovering! I mean, you’re looking a little pale right now!”
Isabel pinched his cheek. “Don’t worry. I’m fine. Besides I just couldn’t stay in that bed one more minute. I had a lot of errands to run.” Isabel pointed to the car loaded with groceries and cleaning supplies.
Max shook his head. “I mean it Isabel, you need your rest!”
Isabel waved her hand at him dismissively. “Oh please. If I needed mothering I would have gone to Mom and Dad’s.”
Max groaned and rubbed his face. “Whatever. Just trying to keep you safe,” Max mumbled.
“What did you say?” Isabel asked, distracted by the menu.
“Nothing,” Max replied.
“Look I have to go!” Isabel explained. “I just came to pick up some supper. Since we’ve got nothing in the fridge.”
Max smiled. “Then why don’t you just get it to stay instead?” Max waved Liz over, who had just arrived.
Isabel shook her head. “Nah, I ‘ve got one more errand to run that wasn’t on my list. Besides I know you’d rather just hang out with her.” Isabel motioned to Liz’s smiling face.
“What’s up guys?” Liz chirped as she wrapped her arms around Max. “I’m glad to see your well enough to get out bed. Maria and I dropped by this afternoon with some soup, but you weren’t home. So we just left it in your mailbox.”
Isabel plastered a fake smile on her face and nodded. Pretending to be pleased at the prospect. “Thanks, but I ordered something already. I guess I’ll just have to save it for another day!”
Isabel spotted her order and excused herself. Ugh, soup. If I eat any more soup I’ll kill myself. She glanced at the sick display of PDA. Isabel wasn’t quite sure why it repulsed her so; to watch Max and Liz snuggling. It had always been like that, but especially now. They just seemed wrong together. But nowadays, everything seemed wrong to her. Or should she say, nothing seemed right?
~~~
Michael woke up to the sounds of clinking and scrunching of paper. He crept silently to the living room/kitchen. As he woke himself from his drowsy state, Michael jumped out from his room ready to use force on the intruder. “What do you want?” Michael screamed at the perpetrator.
“Ahhh!” Isabel screamed, dropping the wet dishcloth in her hand.
Michael’s body relaxed at the sight of Isabel. “Isabel?”
“Michael don’t you EVER do that to me AGAIN!” Isabel warned menacingly, rubbing her temples. “You scared me half to death!”
Michael bit his lip and walked into the kitchen. “It’s not my fault I thought you were a crook!” he mumbled. “Did I really scare you that badly?”
Michael looked worriedly over at Isabel. Isabel hit him on the shoulder. “Not if you don’t scream at me again,” Isabel grimaced.
Michael didn’t know what to do. He knew she’d just barely recovered from the ‘healing’ and wanted to sit her down on the couch. But Michael knew Isabel better than that. If he even mentioned it, Isabel would have a conniption. :”Fine. What are you doing here anyway?” Michael asked, taking the recovered dishcloth out of her hand.
Isabel finally stopped looking for another dishcloth to clean up the counter, realizing that he only had one. “I just thought I’d drop by,” Isabel replied non-chalantly. “Hey, I’m kind of thirsty. Can I have something to drink?”
Michael shook his head. “I’m out of Snapple,” Michael apologized.
“Are you sure?” Isabel asked slyly.
Michael nodded his head adamantly. “Yes! I had the last one…” Michael stopped as he went to open the refrigerator door. As the light shone throughout the fridge, it revealed two whole stocked shelves of Snapple. “What the heck?”
Michael looked at a grinning Isabel. “Surprise!”
Michael could have kissed her. “How’d ya know?”
“I just had a feeling,” Isabel winked. “And I changed the pink lemonade to raspberry.” Isabel grinned proudly.
Michael frowned. “How?”
Isabel shrugged. “What do you mean how?”
“I mean how’d you change all the pink lemonade to raspberry? They all come in complete packs.”
Isabel made a funny face, somewhat a pitying look. “Michael, you can switch the kinds at the store, you know?”
Michael seemed stunned by the revelation. “And all this…”
Suddenly Isabel became faint and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“Are you all right?” Michael cried frantically, taking her by the elbow and guiding her to the couch.
Isabel nodded her head. “Don’t make a fuss. I’ll be fine. I’m probably dehydrated or something.”
Michael wasn’t so sure of that. “Are you sure it isn’t because you’re running around and carried at least 3 cases of Snapple up 2 flights of stairs?” Michael chided.
Isabel glared at Michael for being sarcastic. “Don’t start. I’m not a baby people need to take care of. I’ll be fine if you get me something to drink.”
Michael grabbed a grape Snapple and handed it to Isabel who had reclined on the couch with her eyes closed. “Here,” Michael whispered.
Isabel opened her eyes cautiously. “Thanks,” she smiled as she sat up.
“Are you sure…”
Isabel interrupted him. “Yes, I don’t need anyone hovering over me. Now please Michael, please stop asking!”
Michael raised his hands in surrender. “All right. All right. Are you leaving right away? Cause if you are I can drive you home.”
Isabel ran her hand through her reddish brown hair. “Yeah,” she looked at her watch. “I should probably get going.”
“Where’s your keys?”
Isabel handed Michael the alien keychain, holding her car keys and followed him out the door.
~~~
Michael had arrived at the Ramirez residence and when he looked over at Isabel she was asleep. He lifted Isabel out of the car and gently carried her to the house. Isabel’s head rested lightly against Michael’s chest, her hair smelled of lavender and chamomile. He held her tightly as he maneuvered the key into the door lock.
When Michael finally opened the door, he carried Isabel to her bedroom. She began to stir as Michael tucked her into bed. Suddenly Michael found himself running his hand through her hair, which surprisingly sent her back to sleep. The moment was fleeting but Michael couldn’t help but smile. It was almost instinct. Michael knew how to calm her, how to make her smile.
He shook his head. What was he thinking?
Loving Destiny: (UC/CC, TEEN) - Ch 67 A/N 09/24/04 [WIP]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, ISLANDGIRL5, truelovepooh, Forum Moderators
Loving Destiny: (UC/CC, TEEN) - Ch 67 A/N 09/24/04 [WIP]
Last edited by jayta on Tue Jun 29, 2004 12:28 am, edited 28 times in total.
Part Two
Here is the next chapter. I hope to gain more readers...so please join the bandwagon!
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to the writers and producers of Roswell
Spoilers: After Chant Down Babylon, changes happening where Max is successfully rescued
Chapter Two
****
For we lose not only by death,
But also by leaving and being left,
By changing and letting go and moving on.
- Judith Viorst
****
A shiver ran down his spine as Michael had been standing in front of the refrigerator for like ten minutes. I’ll probably catch a cold from doing this.
But still, Michael didn’t feel right leaving Isabel alone so he began unloading the groceries from the car. A lot of the items needed refrigeration so he’d been stocking the fridge and freezer with meats, fruits and vegetables. Michael had been so wrapped up in following the labels in the fridge, he didn’t hear Jesse come home.
“Michael what are you doing here?” Jesse growled.
Michael peered up over the refrigerator door, somewhat startled. “Oh hi!” Michael grinned sheepishly. “Uh, stocking your fridge. You know it’s pretty empty!”
The joke obviously didn’t go over very well by the creases in Jesse’s forehead. “Is something wrong with Isabel?” Jesse asked as he peered into the bedroom.
Michael closed the fridge. “No. Well, she just got a little tired. She tends to overexert herself. And since she got sick, I think Isabel wanted to prove that she was fine,” Michael explained loudly.
Jesse came back out into the kitchen. “Don’t tell me how my wife tends to be. I know.”
From the daggers shooting from Jesse’s eyes, Michael realized he still hadn’t gotten over Michael’s comments about Isabel being his. The thought about that night’s conversation haunted Michael. He realized Isabel was Jesse’s wife. Michael had been ‘happy’ for her. Or so he thought.
Ever since he and Maria had broken up and then Isabel almost dying, Michael had been questioning a lot of things. Like did he believe in destiny? Did he really belong with Maria? Was it the right thing to do, breaking up with her? His possessive nature towards Isabel frightened him.
“Sorry,” Michael mumbled.
“Don’t be sorry, just leave,” Jesse retorted, grabbing a glass from the cupboard. “Just because Isabel’s an alien and I love her, doesn’t mean I have to take you and your lies along with her.”
Michael felt his fingers clench into a fist. “Look, you’d better get used to seeing us around. We’re her family.”
Where did he get off cutting Isabel off from Michael and Max?
The insinuations were made during their last conversation, after Isabel was recovering. Max had finally gotten through to the jerk that Isabel had wanted to tell him, but that Max and Michael had quashed her plans. Michael and Max assumed Jesse would calm down and realize the extenuating circumstances.
“I’m her family now. She doesn’t need you now that I’m here to protect her. I’m sure she’ll be safer now that Isabel won’t be linked to fugitives and hot headed guys who might be aliens,” Jesse accused. “The further from you Isabel is from you and Max, the less the Feds and any government snoops will link her to aliens. It’s probably best for you and Max as well.”
It took everything in Michael to restrain himself from pounding Jesse’s face in. He couldn’t believe what Jesse was proposing. Max and Michael were all the family Isabel had ever known, other than the Evans’. Jesse planned on keeping her from them? Or vise versa?
“I don’t think you know Isabel very well,” Michael growled loudly. “Family’s very important to Isabel.”
Jesse took off his pressed suit jacket. “Oh, she’ll still see Mr. And Mrs. Evans, but I don’t think she’ll be dropping by to see you guys very often anymore. Besides, Max isn’t living with the Evans’ anyhow, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I could stomach a conversation or two.”
The more Jesse talked, the more Michael felt this uncontrollable surge of energy and anger throughout his body. “No, you don’t understand Jesse,” Michael said through clenched teeth. “Isabel will never agree to this!”
Michael slammed a can of salmon that happened to be sitting near by, on the kitchen table. “Never!” Michael raised his voice and suddenly the can exploded; it’s contents strewn within a 3 meter diameter.
~~~
“Michael!” Isabel’s bewildered voice shouted out.
She stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Pieces of salmon were stuck on the clean walls and floor. Isabel had awakened to muffled voices talking intensely. When she had finally walked into the kitchen, Isabel arrived in time for the fish fireworks. “What the hell is going on?”
Both Jesse and Michael seemed tense and unwilling to explain. Isabel combed her hair with her fingers. “Tell me,” Isabel demanded.
Jesse was the first to approach her. He kissed her hand and led her to a chair. “We were just talking Isabel,” Jesse explained calmly. “Michael was telling me why he was here.”
Isabel frowned. “How did we get her?” Isabel asked Michael.
Michael stuffed his hands into his jeans. “I drove you hear remember?”
Isabel thought a moment and nodded. “Oh yeah. I remember now. Did you stay?” Isabel asked.
Michael nodded. “I didn’t want to leave you by yourself.”
Isabel smiled. “Thank you Michael.”
Her oldest friend just shrugged and sighed.
“Okay,” Isabel sighed. “He was telling you why he was here Jesse, and?”
“And what?” Jesse grunted.
“And why were you arguing? And why did Michael make a mess of my kitchen with a can of …” Isabel picked up a fragment of the fish and tasted it. “Salmon?”
Both men stared at each other grudgingly. Isabel rubbed her temples. “Someone?”
Jesse again jumped in. “Well I was just explaining to Michael how I felt that we needed to have some alone time. We need to get through this…this issue.”
Isabel felt relief when Jesse mentioned talking through all of this mess. “Oh, and?” Isabel looked up at her wonderful husband.
“And Michael disagreed with my methods. He felt that what I was proposing to get our marriage back on track was wrong. Michael thought I was taking you out of their lives. And I was trying to explain to him that since I was your fam…”
Suddenly Michael interrupted, unable to listen to anymore of Jesse’s twisted lies. “He’s lying! Isabel, he hates that we’re aliens. He hates me and Max. He’s planning on cutting us out of your life. Jesse doesn’t want to acknowledge that you are an alien. He wants to forget it. He said that if you were away from us that you’d be better off!”
Isabel looked at her husband questioningly. “Is that true?”
Jesse glared at Michael and then plastered a smile on his face. “Of course not dear!” Jesse chuckled seemingly at the absurdity of it all. “I mean, I know you’re an alien and that it’s a part of you. But it’s a part of you I have to get used to and I think time to ourselves would allow me to get to know that side of you. And about the accusation of trying to protect you, I admit it. I think that the stories that Max has told me about aliens and humans hunting you down, that it would be wiser not to be seen so much together. I mean the incidents would be less frequent. Like accidentally being seen using your powers.”
Isabel pulled out a kitchen stool and sat down. She’d never thought that Jesse would bring up the idea of not seeing Max and Michael so much. She understood, but part of her felt some kind of loss at the mention.
“I mean, from the little I’ve heard from you, Max, and Michael, that might be the best option.”
Isabel studied Michael’s ashen face. “Michael?”
“Whatever!” Michael scoffed. “Are you going to believe him?”
Isabel bit her lip. Jesse seemed on edge, but Isabel didn’t know what to make of it. How could she not believe him? He was her husband. She was the one who had lied in the relationship, not the other way around. She was the one in the relationship not to be trusted.
“Well Jesse’s just trying to protect me,” Isabel implored. “Michael, please understand. He loves me. Jesse wouldn’t hurt me.”
Isabel felt Jesse’s strong hands on her shoulders. “That’s right. I love her. And she loves me. I’m her family now.”
Michael looked at Isabel and then Jesse. “We’re family Isabel,” Michael stated. “We’re more than family, and you know it!”
Without another word, Michael grabbed his denim jacket and stormed out.
Isabel closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She had gotten a shiver when Michael mentioned being ‘more than family’. Isabel didn’t know what to make of it. She rubbed Jesse’s comforting hand as he kissed her on the nape of her neck.
And while this had been the closest she’d felt to Jesse in weeks, Isabel couldn’t help but feel such a burden of loss weighing down on her shoulders. Had she made the right choice?
What did Isabel know? Just because of some book, because some alien science, Isabel remained connected to Michael. And no matter how hard she tried to have a life, Michael always seemed to remind her of that. She, Isabel, belonged to Michael.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to the writers and producers of Roswell
Spoilers: After Chant Down Babylon, changes happening where Max is successfully rescued
Chapter Two
****
For we lose not only by death,
But also by leaving and being left,
By changing and letting go and moving on.
- Judith Viorst
****
A shiver ran down his spine as Michael had been standing in front of the refrigerator for like ten minutes. I’ll probably catch a cold from doing this.
But still, Michael didn’t feel right leaving Isabel alone so he began unloading the groceries from the car. A lot of the items needed refrigeration so he’d been stocking the fridge and freezer with meats, fruits and vegetables. Michael had been so wrapped up in following the labels in the fridge, he didn’t hear Jesse come home.
“Michael what are you doing here?” Jesse growled.
Michael peered up over the refrigerator door, somewhat startled. “Oh hi!” Michael grinned sheepishly. “Uh, stocking your fridge. You know it’s pretty empty!”
The joke obviously didn’t go over very well by the creases in Jesse’s forehead. “Is something wrong with Isabel?” Jesse asked as he peered into the bedroom.
Michael closed the fridge. “No. Well, she just got a little tired. She tends to overexert herself. And since she got sick, I think Isabel wanted to prove that she was fine,” Michael explained loudly.
Jesse came back out into the kitchen. “Don’t tell me how my wife tends to be. I know.”
From the daggers shooting from Jesse’s eyes, Michael realized he still hadn’t gotten over Michael’s comments about Isabel being his. The thought about that night’s conversation haunted Michael. He realized Isabel was Jesse’s wife. Michael had been ‘happy’ for her. Or so he thought.
Ever since he and Maria had broken up and then Isabel almost dying, Michael had been questioning a lot of things. Like did he believe in destiny? Did he really belong with Maria? Was it the right thing to do, breaking up with her? His possessive nature towards Isabel frightened him.
“Sorry,” Michael mumbled.
“Don’t be sorry, just leave,” Jesse retorted, grabbing a glass from the cupboard. “Just because Isabel’s an alien and I love her, doesn’t mean I have to take you and your lies along with her.”
Michael felt his fingers clench into a fist. “Look, you’d better get used to seeing us around. We’re her family.”
Where did he get off cutting Isabel off from Michael and Max?
The insinuations were made during their last conversation, after Isabel was recovering. Max had finally gotten through to the jerk that Isabel had wanted to tell him, but that Max and Michael had quashed her plans. Michael and Max assumed Jesse would calm down and realize the extenuating circumstances.
“I’m her family now. She doesn’t need you now that I’m here to protect her. I’m sure she’ll be safer now that Isabel won’t be linked to fugitives and hot headed guys who might be aliens,” Jesse accused. “The further from you Isabel is from you and Max, the less the Feds and any government snoops will link her to aliens. It’s probably best for you and Max as well.”
It took everything in Michael to restrain himself from pounding Jesse’s face in. He couldn’t believe what Jesse was proposing. Max and Michael were all the family Isabel had ever known, other than the Evans’. Jesse planned on keeping her from them? Or vise versa?
“I don’t think you know Isabel very well,” Michael growled loudly. “Family’s very important to Isabel.”
Jesse took off his pressed suit jacket. “Oh, she’ll still see Mr. And Mrs. Evans, but I don’t think she’ll be dropping by to see you guys very often anymore. Besides, Max isn’t living with the Evans’ anyhow, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I could stomach a conversation or two.”
The more Jesse talked, the more Michael felt this uncontrollable surge of energy and anger throughout his body. “No, you don’t understand Jesse,” Michael said through clenched teeth. “Isabel will never agree to this!”
Michael slammed a can of salmon that happened to be sitting near by, on the kitchen table. “Never!” Michael raised his voice and suddenly the can exploded; it’s contents strewn within a 3 meter diameter.
~~~
“Michael!” Isabel’s bewildered voice shouted out.
She stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Pieces of salmon were stuck on the clean walls and floor. Isabel had awakened to muffled voices talking intensely. When she had finally walked into the kitchen, Isabel arrived in time for the fish fireworks. “What the hell is going on?”
Both Jesse and Michael seemed tense and unwilling to explain. Isabel combed her hair with her fingers. “Tell me,” Isabel demanded.
Jesse was the first to approach her. He kissed her hand and led her to a chair. “We were just talking Isabel,” Jesse explained calmly. “Michael was telling me why he was here.”
Isabel frowned. “How did we get her?” Isabel asked Michael.
Michael stuffed his hands into his jeans. “I drove you hear remember?”
Isabel thought a moment and nodded. “Oh yeah. I remember now. Did you stay?” Isabel asked.
Michael nodded. “I didn’t want to leave you by yourself.”
Isabel smiled. “Thank you Michael.”
Her oldest friend just shrugged and sighed.
“Okay,” Isabel sighed. “He was telling you why he was here Jesse, and?”
“And what?” Jesse grunted.
“And why were you arguing? And why did Michael make a mess of my kitchen with a can of …” Isabel picked up a fragment of the fish and tasted it. “Salmon?”
Both men stared at each other grudgingly. Isabel rubbed her temples. “Someone?”
Jesse again jumped in. “Well I was just explaining to Michael how I felt that we needed to have some alone time. We need to get through this…this issue.”
Isabel felt relief when Jesse mentioned talking through all of this mess. “Oh, and?” Isabel looked up at her wonderful husband.
“And Michael disagreed with my methods. He felt that what I was proposing to get our marriage back on track was wrong. Michael thought I was taking you out of their lives. And I was trying to explain to him that since I was your fam…”
Suddenly Michael interrupted, unable to listen to anymore of Jesse’s twisted lies. “He’s lying! Isabel, he hates that we’re aliens. He hates me and Max. He’s planning on cutting us out of your life. Jesse doesn’t want to acknowledge that you are an alien. He wants to forget it. He said that if you were away from us that you’d be better off!”
Isabel looked at her husband questioningly. “Is that true?”
Jesse glared at Michael and then plastered a smile on his face. “Of course not dear!” Jesse chuckled seemingly at the absurdity of it all. “I mean, I know you’re an alien and that it’s a part of you. But it’s a part of you I have to get used to and I think time to ourselves would allow me to get to know that side of you. And about the accusation of trying to protect you, I admit it. I think that the stories that Max has told me about aliens and humans hunting you down, that it would be wiser not to be seen so much together. I mean the incidents would be less frequent. Like accidentally being seen using your powers.”
Isabel pulled out a kitchen stool and sat down. She’d never thought that Jesse would bring up the idea of not seeing Max and Michael so much. She understood, but part of her felt some kind of loss at the mention.
“I mean, from the little I’ve heard from you, Max, and Michael, that might be the best option.”
Isabel studied Michael’s ashen face. “Michael?”
“Whatever!” Michael scoffed. “Are you going to believe him?”
Isabel bit her lip. Jesse seemed on edge, but Isabel didn’t know what to make of it. How could she not believe him? He was her husband. She was the one who had lied in the relationship, not the other way around. She was the one in the relationship not to be trusted.
“Well Jesse’s just trying to protect me,” Isabel implored. “Michael, please understand. He loves me. Jesse wouldn’t hurt me.”
Isabel felt Jesse’s strong hands on her shoulders. “That’s right. I love her. And she loves me. I’m her family now.”
Michael looked at Isabel and then Jesse. “We’re family Isabel,” Michael stated. “We’re more than family, and you know it!”
Without another word, Michael grabbed his denim jacket and stormed out.
Isabel closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She had gotten a shiver when Michael mentioned being ‘more than family’. Isabel didn’t know what to make of it. She rubbed Jesse’s comforting hand as he kissed her on the nape of her neck.
And while this had been the closest she’d felt to Jesse in weeks, Isabel couldn’t help but feel such a burden of loss weighing down on her shoulders. Had she made the right choice?
What did Isabel know? Just because of some book, because some alien science, Isabel remained connected to Michael. And no matter how hard she tried to have a life, Michael always seemed to remind her of that. She, Isabel, belonged to Michael.
The Queen of Torture
OOOh Part 3!
Chapter Three
****
Absence is to love
What wind is to fire;
It extinguishes the small,
It enkindles the great
- Roger De Bussy-Rabutin
****
Michael sat down on one of the empty stools at The Crashdown counter. Liz pulled a pen that was tucked behind her ear. “What can I get for you Michael?” Liz chirped happily.
Michael shook his head. “I’m good. I just need to find Max. Have you seen him? I need to talk to him.”
Liz nodded. “Yup! He was here earlier this afternoon. I think he’s supposed to be coming back soon after my shift,” she explained, looking at her watch. “Uh, which should be in like 10 minutes.”
Turning around on the stool, Michael leaned his elbows back against the counter, staring at the glass door. “I’ll wait then,” Michael stated.
He’d headed to the Evans’ first. Michael knew that Max would want to know the situation with Jesse and Isabel. After the short walk to The Crashdown, Michael still hadn’t figured out Jesse’s motives for separating Isabel from the rest of her family and friends. It hadn’t made any sense. At first Michael had taken for granted, it was just what it had seemed. Jesse was angry with Max and Michael for keeping secrets. Then, Michael thought it had been the thought of handling any kind of situation that dealt with aliens. But all of these scenarios, reasons for Jesse’s intense need to keep both of them away from Isabel, just didn’t seem to hold water.
“Hey, Michael!” Max greeted, waving his hand as he held the door for an exiting couple. “What are you doing here?”
Michael tilted his head in acknowledgement, morose and somber. He waited for Max to sit down on the nearby stool. “We have to talk about Jesse and Isabel,” Michael whispered.
Max looked questioningly at Michael. “What about?” asked Max.
“He’s slowly cutting us off from her Max. Can’t you see it? First he uses the excuse that she’s too weak from the injuries to have visitors, and then, he makes up the excuse that he and Isabel need time to adjust and work things out.”
Max shook his head and smirked. “What’s this all about Michael? I mean, you weren’t this worked up about this a week ago when Jesse explained this to us.”
Michael swallowed. “That’s before he told me the truth Max. I was at Isabel’s this afternoon and Jesse came home. He was really angry and told me to get out.”
Max shrugged. “So? Where was Isabel?”
“She was sleeping,” explained Michael. “Isabel came over to my place and then she kind of got tired, so I drove her home. I didn’t want to leave her by herself so I stayed.”
Max looked skeptically at Michael. “So you stayed? Since when do you worry over something like that?” Max chuckled. “Not that I don’t appreciate it.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Hey! I can be sensitive,” Michael said defensively.
“Since when Wonder boy?” Maria added, as she leaned over the counter between Michael and Max.
Michael swung around and looked at Maria. “Hey, we were having a private conversation, okay?”
Maria rolled her eyes. “So? What’s so secret that I or Liz or the rest of us alien slash human friends can’t know about?”
Michael sighed loudly and grabbed Max’s arm. He led Max to a corner booth so they could discuss this further without interruption from Maria or anyone else. “Look Max, I know what I heard. Jesse has it out for us. He would probably have it out for Isabel if he didn’t care for her so much, and I’m not even sure if that’s even a good description for what he feels for her.”
Max seemed hesitant and disbelieving. “I don’t know Michael. Maybe we just need to give him a little more time to calm down. I mean Isabel wouldn’t let herself be cut off from either of us.”
Michael ran his hands through his hair. “I’m telling you Max, if we don’t talk to Isabel soon, it could be too late!”
Max rubbed his face. “Michael could you be overreacting just a little bit?” Max smirked.
Michael shook his head and glared at Max. “If we don’t do anything soon, you’ll see what overreacting is Maxwell because your sister will be gone. I don’t know how I know this, but she’s in danger and I’m not willing to see her healed only to let her get hurt again.” Michael stalked out of the Crashdown, leaving in his wake, a disbelieving Max and a confused Liz and Maria.
~~~
Jesse and Isabel had spent the evening cozying in front of the fire. Isabel hadn’t felt happier and more normal in her life. No more secrets.
Jesse gently maneuvered Isabel into a sitting position. “Isabel?”
She smiled at her husband. “What is it Jesse?” Isabel frowned.
Jesse tucked his left leg underneath him. “I have something I want to talk to you about. I was going to mention it the first time I saw you, but then all that Michael stuff happened and it didn’t seem like the right time,” Jesse rambled.
Isabel pressed her hand to Jesse’s lips. “What is it? You can tell me,” Isabel coaxed.
Jesse swallowed and smiled. “Now this isn’t written in stone, and I haven’t finalized it yet, but I’ve been offered a job in New York. I would be an associate to one of the largest firms in Manhattan. I told them I had to discuss it with you, but I really think this is a good thing.”
Isabel waited until there was a sizable pause in Jesse’s proposal. “Manhattan?” Isabel choked. “I didn’t even have a clue that you were looking to get a job somewhere else?”
Her mind was a flurry of thoughts. Why now? Could she leave Max and Michael? How could she leave? She couldn’t go. Her life was here in Roswell. Would Jesse consider not taking the position? Isabel was speechless. This news seemed to come out of nowhere.
“Isabel? Are you all right?” Jesse asked, rubbing her knee. “I think this would be a good opportunity for us Izzy. I mean, I know you’ve always wanted a normal life, and we could have that there. You could go to NYU, and I would be working towards a partnership that I never thought I’d ever get. We could get a big house in the suburbs and maybe even start a family there. What do you think?”
Isabel licked her lips as she rose from the couch. “Wow!” Isabel sputtered. “That’s definitely a surprise. I mean, I can’t…I can’t even tell you how I am feeling about this right now. How did this happen? I mean, you and my dad have a great practice don’t you?”
She pressed her hands against the mantle and stared into the fire, trying to make sense of the changes that would soon come with her departure from Roswell. But that hasn’t been decided yet. Your opinion matters Isabel.
“Well, I guess it came from a long time desire to work there. I mean, I had applied for a position way back when, before I’d met your dad. I guess they didn’t have an opening until now. Isabel, I feel like this is great timing for us,” Jesse cooed, kissing her bare shoulder. “After this stuff with aliens and people chasing you and wanting to kill you and Max…well, let’s just say, it would be a good time for us to get away from the weirdness of this town. I seem to remember you once saying you wanted to leave Roswell. Well, now’s your chance. Who’d stop you?”
Isabel knew Jesse was right. She understood everything he was saying and knew it was true. Isabel had wanted to leave. She had wanted a normal life. Isabel wanted a family. But Isabel knew there was a lot more to moving than Jesse would have liked to think. Since the madness and the un-interrupting chase for aliens and their existence, Isabel had found a normalcy in Roswell. She had a life here.
“Jesse?” Isabel whispered.
Jesse smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace. “Yes?”
“What if I said no? What if I told you my life was here?” Isabel sniffled. “What if I told you I need to be near my family?”
Isabel felt the muscles in Jesse’s body tense and he put distance between them. “But Isabel? Think of all that we could do! You’d be free from this morbid curse of being an alien!” Jesse exclaimed. “You wouldn’t have to be stuck worrying about every little thing. You wouldn’t have to worry about being ‘found’ out.”
Isabel looked up at the ceiling; afraid her tears would fall. “Jesse, I know. But my family’s here! I can’t leave them. And what about my dad? Have you talked to him about this?” Isabel accused. “God Jesse, this is my life you’re turning upside down.”
A dark cloud seemed to fill Jesse’s eyes and his mouth pursed tightly together. “Your life!” Jesse shouted. He looked at Isabel incredulously. “Your life is going to be turned upside down? What about mine? I have to be carefully what I say or do, just because some alien or bounty hunter or government spy might overhear me? I have to be wary of the friends I make because they may only want to use me to get to you?”
Isabel took a few steps back, startled at the sudden rage that filled her husband. “Jesse!” Isabel cried. “I…”
Jesse interrupted. “I only want a normal life Isabel? Is that too much to ask? Michael and Max may still want to stay fixed into this psychotic world of intrigue and murder and unexplainable occurrences; trying to figure out the next mystery or danger, but I don’t! I don’t want a life where my wife could be kidnapped, tortured, or killed in a split second. I don’t want to know that I may die in some tragic car accident, or even be healed by your magical brother. Normal! Do you understand that?”
Dumbfounded, Isabel embraced her husband. How could she have been so stupid? In her heart Isabel knew her secret would come out. In the end, Isabel knew that normal wasn’t a part of the equation with her. But Isabel had promised to love, honor, and cherish this man. Through sickness and in health… Isabel had to give him the life she promised him.
Isabel would move to New York with Jesse.
~~~
It seemed like withdrawal. Michael hadn’t seen Isabel in two weeks now. And his plan to enlist Max into his cause hadn’t worked. Maxwell had been too busy trying to re-establish a stronger relationship with Liz, his apparent soul mate. Hmmph! Michael never believed those two would make it as a couple.
Although Michael and Max were distinctly different and they hardly ever agreed on anything, they agreed on this one thing. Destiny would never happen. Not if they had their way. It was something they had silently understood about each other. Michael and Max had led their lives according to what they believed was true and they believed in true love and fate, but when Tess had shown up and triggered something within each of the 3 pseudo-aliens, both Michael and Max had been shaken.
Michael, at that time, had been ‘in love’ with Maria. So Michael couldn’t let himself believe in the destiny between him and Isabel. But slowly, Michael had been gaining insight into their world and their lives and an odd revelation occurred to Michael the night of Isabel’s birthday party. He wanted her. As Isabel had so aptly said, “No. I belong with you. But I don’t think either one of us wants to think about that too much”’ Michael had never wanted to face that part of him. His destiny. He did believe in true love, and the fact that ‘there is one chosen for you’, although you could deny it all you wanted. And believe it, Michael had done that, but clarity had begun settling on Michael these past several weeks, and as much as he hated the fact that the powers above had engineered himself and Max, Isabel, and Tess, Michael no longer denied who his destiny was. It was Isabel.
It was amazing what clarity comes from days of absence and longing desire for the one you couldn’t have. Michael missed Isabel. She’d always been there. And as much as Maria replaced that need for Isabel, in the end, Michael could have no other. No one could replace the fiery blonde, who challenged him, put up with him, and yet loved him and supported him his whole life. After all the time he’d spent investing in a relationship with Maria, Michael was left dealing with unanswered questions and desires for the life before, the life on Antar. But he was different and so was Isabel. They were not Vilandra and Rath; Isabel was married to Jesse and Michael, well, he was alone.
~~~
Michael trudged into his apartment. His day at work hadn’t been too labor intensive, but he’d had to sit through Monk and Fly’s inane conversation tonight and wasn’t ready to head back tomorrow for the sequel.
Riiing.
Michael rubbed his neck and picked up the cordless phone sitting on the kitchen counter. “Hello?” Michael grunted.
“Michael?” Isabel greeted.
“Isabel!” Michael was surprised at this call. He hadn’t expected to hear from her for a while, since Jesse’s loving isolation. “What are you calling for? Does Jesse know you’re talking to me?
Michael smirked at the thought. Told you Ramirez, she’ll always come home to us. We’re her family.
He heard her scoff on the phone. “Michael, get real,” she chided. “I do not need my husband’s permission to talk to you, or Max for that matter!”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes really. Now if you’d stop interrupting me, I’d like to invite you over for dinner Friday night,” Isabel sighed.
This stunned Michael. Dinner? Michael walked over to the couch and sat down, fidgeting with a near by pen. “Dinner?” he asked curtly. “Now why would Jesse want me over for dinner?”
Michael could hear Isabel’s frustration over the phone, and something else. “Isabel? Is something wrong?”
There was silence over the receiver. Finally Michael heard Isabel take a deep breath and exhale. “Michael, I invited everyone. Mom and Dad are coming. Max and Liz. You could invite Maria to come with you…” Isabel’s voice trailed off.
Now Michael definitely knew something was up. “Maria? Why would I invite Maria?” Michael asked accusingly.
“Well,” Isabel hesitated. “Because I know you care about her. And well, we’re not best friends you know, and I think it’s appropriate for you to ask, rather than me.”
Michael frowned. He couldn’t get this sinking feeling that Isabel was hiding something from him. Michael bit his lip and took a deep breath. “Fine,” he sighed. “I’ll come. What time?”
“How’s six o’clock?” Isabel chirped.
Michael could tell she was relieved that he’d stopped questioning her about it.
“Or are you working that evening?” Isabel asked worriedly.
Michael walked over to his fridge. He’d stuck his time schedule on the freezer door. “Uh, no,” Michael informed. He’d be working evening shifts Wednesday and Thursday. “I’m working the early shift that day. I should be off.”
“Great!” Isabel said cheerfully. “Then six o’clock it is.”
“Yeah, great!” Michael huffed and said goodbye before he hit the ‘end’ button.
It was a positive and negative pull. Michael wanted to see Isabel, but part of him dreaded it.
Something was about to happen, and Michael knew that neither he, nor anyone else was going to like it.[/i]
****
Absence is to love
What wind is to fire;
It extinguishes the small,
It enkindles the great
- Roger De Bussy-Rabutin
****
Michael sat down on one of the empty stools at The Crashdown counter. Liz pulled a pen that was tucked behind her ear. “What can I get for you Michael?” Liz chirped happily.
Michael shook his head. “I’m good. I just need to find Max. Have you seen him? I need to talk to him.”
Liz nodded. “Yup! He was here earlier this afternoon. I think he’s supposed to be coming back soon after my shift,” she explained, looking at her watch. “Uh, which should be in like 10 minutes.”
Turning around on the stool, Michael leaned his elbows back against the counter, staring at the glass door. “I’ll wait then,” Michael stated.
He’d headed to the Evans’ first. Michael knew that Max would want to know the situation with Jesse and Isabel. After the short walk to The Crashdown, Michael still hadn’t figured out Jesse’s motives for separating Isabel from the rest of her family and friends. It hadn’t made any sense. At first Michael had taken for granted, it was just what it had seemed. Jesse was angry with Max and Michael for keeping secrets. Then, Michael thought it had been the thought of handling any kind of situation that dealt with aliens. But all of these scenarios, reasons for Jesse’s intense need to keep both of them away from Isabel, just didn’t seem to hold water.
“Hey, Michael!” Max greeted, waving his hand as he held the door for an exiting couple. “What are you doing here?”
Michael tilted his head in acknowledgement, morose and somber. He waited for Max to sit down on the nearby stool. “We have to talk about Jesse and Isabel,” Michael whispered.
Max looked questioningly at Michael. “What about?” asked Max.
“He’s slowly cutting us off from her Max. Can’t you see it? First he uses the excuse that she’s too weak from the injuries to have visitors, and then, he makes up the excuse that he and Isabel need time to adjust and work things out.”
Max shook his head and smirked. “What’s this all about Michael? I mean, you weren’t this worked up about this a week ago when Jesse explained this to us.”
Michael swallowed. “That’s before he told me the truth Max. I was at Isabel’s this afternoon and Jesse came home. He was really angry and told me to get out.”
Max shrugged. “So? Where was Isabel?”
“She was sleeping,” explained Michael. “Isabel came over to my place and then she kind of got tired, so I drove her home. I didn’t want to leave her by herself so I stayed.”
Max looked skeptically at Michael. “So you stayed? Since when do you worry over something like that?” Max chuckled. “Not that I don’t appreciate it.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Hey! I can be sensitive,” Michael said defensively.
“Since when Wonder boy?” Maria added, as she leaned over the counter between Michael and Max.
Michael swung around and looked at Maria. “Hey, we were having a private conversation, okay?”
Maria rolled her eyes. “So? What’s so secret that I or Liz or the rest of us alien slash human friends can’t know about?”
Michael sighed loudly and grabbed Max’s arm. He led Max to a corner booth so they could discuss this further without interruption from Maria or anyone else. “Look Max, I know what I heard. Jesse has it out for us. He would probably have it out for Isabel if he didn’t care for her so much, and I’m not even sure if that’s even a good description for what he feels for her.”
Max seemed hesitant and disbelieving. “I don’t know Michael. Maybe we just need to give him a little more time to calm down. I mean Isabel wouldn’t let herself be cut off from either of us.”
Michael ran his hands through his hair. “I’m telling you Max, if we don’t talk to Isabel soon, it could be too late!”
Max rubbed his face. “Michael could you be overreacting just a little bit?” Max smirked.
Michael shook his head and glared at Max. “If we don’t do anything soon, you’ll see what overreacting is Maxwell because your sister will be gone. I don’t know how I know this, but she’s in danger and I’m not willing to see her healed only to let her get hurt again.” Michael stalked out of the Crashdown, leaving in his wake, a disbelieving Max and a confused Liz and Maria.
~~~
Jesse and Isabel had spent the evening cozying in front of the fire. Isabel hadn’t felt happier and more normal in her life. No more secrets.
Jesse gently maneuvered Isabel into a sitting position. “Isabel?”
She smiled at her husband. “What is it Jesse?” Isabel frowned.
Jesse tucked his left leg underneath him. “I have something I want to talk to you about. I was going to mention it the first time I saw you, but then all that Michael stuff happened and it didn’t seem like the right time,” Jesse rambled.
Isabel pressed her hand to Jesse’s lips. “What is it? You can tell me,” Isabel coaxed.
Jesse swallowed and smiled. “Now this isn’t written in stone, and I haven’t finalized it yet, but I’ve been offered a job in New York. I would be an associate to one of the largest firms in Manhattan. I told them I had to discuss it with you, but I really think this is a good thing.”
Isabel waited until there was a sizable pause in Jesse’s proposal. “Manhattan?” Isabel choked. “I didn’t even have a clue that you were looking to get a job somewhere else?”
Her mind was a flurry of thoughts. Why now? Could she leave Max and Michael? How could she leave? She couldn’t go. Her life was here in Roswell. Would Jesse consider not taking the position? Isabel was speechless. This news seemed to come out of nowhere.
“Isabel? Are you all right?” Jesse asked, rubbing her knee. “I think this would be a good opportunity for us Izzy. I mean, I know you’ve always wanted a normal life, and we could have that there. You could go to NYU, and I would be working towards a partnership that I never thought I’d ever get. We could get a big house in the suburbs and maybe even start a family there. What do you think?”
Isabel licked her lips as she rose from the couch. “Wow!” Isabel sputtered. “That’s definitely a surprise. I mean, I can’t…I can’t even tell you how I am feeling about this right now. How did this happen? I mean, you and my dad have a great practice don’t you?”
She pressed her hands against the mantle and stared into the fire, trying to make sense of the changes that would soon come with her departure from Roswell. But that hasn’t been decided yet. Your opinion matters Isabel.
“Well, I guess it came from a long time desire to work there. I mean, I had applied for a position way back when, before I’d met your dad. I guess they didn’t have an opening until now. Isabel, I feel like this is great timing for us,” Jesse cooed, kissing her bare shoulder. “After this stuff with aliens and people chasing you and wanting to kill you and Max…well, let’s just say, it would be a good time for us to get away from the weirdness of this town. I seem to remember you once saying you wanted to leave Roswell. Well, now’s your chance. Who’d stop you?”
Isabel knew Jesse was right. She understood everything he was saying and knew it was true. Isabel had wanted to leave. She had wanted a normal life. Isabel wanted a family. But Isabel knew there was a lot more to moving than Jesse would have liked to think. Since the madness and the un-interrupting chase for aliens and their existence, Isabel had found a normalcy in Roswell. She had a life here.
“Jesse?” Isabel whispered.
Jesse smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace. “Yes?”
“What if I said no? What if I told you my life was here?” Isabel sniffled. “What if I told you I need to be near my family?”
Isabel felt the muscles in Jesse’s body tense and he put distance between them. “But Isabel? Think of all that we could do! You’d be free from this morbid curse of being an alien!” Jesse exclaimed. “You wouldn’t have to be stuck worrying about every little thing. You wouldn’t have to worry about being ‘found’ out.”
Isabel looked up at the ceiling; afraid her tears would fall. “Jesse, I know. But my family’s here! I can’t leave them. And what about my dad? Have you talked to him about this?” Isabel accused. “God Jesse, this is my life you’re turning upside down.”
A dark cloud seemed to fill Jesse’s eyes and his mouth pursed tightly together. “Your life!” Jesse shouted. He looked at Isabel incredulously. “Your life is going to be turned upside down? What about mine? I have to be carefully what I say or do, just because some alien or bounty hunter or government spy might overhear me? I have to be wary of the friends I make because they may only want to use me to get to you?”
Isabel took a few steps back, startled at the sudden rage that filled her husband. “Jesse!” Isabel cried. “I…”
Jesse interrupted. “I only want a normal life Isabel? Is that too much to ask? Michael and Max may still want to stay fixed into this psychotic world of intrigue and murder and unexplainable occurrences; trying to figure out the next mystery or danger, but I don’t! I don’t want a life where my wife could be kidnapped, tortured, or killed in a split second. I don’t want to know that I may die in some tragic car accident, or even be healed by your magical brother. Normal! Do you understand that?”
Dumbfounded, Isabel embraced her husband. How could she have been so stupid? In her heart Isabel knew her secret would come out. In the end, Isabel knew that normal wasn’t a part of the equation with her. But Isabel had promised to love, honor, and cherish this man. Through sickness and in health… Isabel had to give him the life she promised him.
Isabel would move to New York with Jesse.
~~~
It seemed like withdrawal. Michael hadn’t seen Isabel in two weeks now. And his plan to enlist Max into his cause hadn’t worked. Maxwell had been too busy trying to re-establish a stronger relationship with Liz, his apparent soul mate. Hmmph! Michael never believed those two would make it as a couple.
Although Michael and Max were distinctly different and they hardly ever agreed on anything, they agreed on this one thing. Destiny would never happen. Not if they had their way. It was something they had silently understood about each other. Michael and Max had led their lives according to what they believed was true and they believed in true love and fate, but when Tess had shown up and triggered something within each of the 3 pseudo-aliens, both Michael and Max had been shaken.
Michael, at that time, had been ‘in love’ with Maria. So Michael couldn’t let himself believe in the destiny between him and Isabel. But slowly, Michael had been gaining insight into their world and their lives and an odd revelation occurred to Michael the night of Isabel’s birthday party. He wanted her. As Isabel had so aptly said, “No. I belong with you. But I don’t think either one of us wants to think about that too much”’ Michael had never wanted to face that part of him. His destiny. He did believe in true love, and the fact that ‘there is one chosen for you’, although you could deny it all you wanted. And believe it, Michael had done that, but clarity had begun settling on Michael these past several weeks, and as much as he hated the fact that the powers above had engineered himself and Max, Isabel, and Tess, Michael no longer denied who his destiny was. It was Isabel.
It was amazing what clarity comes from days of absence and longing desire for the one you couldn’t have. Michael missed Isabel. She’d always been there. And as much as Maria replaced that need for Isabel, in the end, Michael could have no other. No one could replace the fiery blonde, who challenged him, put up with him, and yet loved him and supported him his whole life. After all the time he’d spent investing in a relationship with Maria, Michael was left dealing with unanswered questions and desires for the life before, the life on Antar. But he was different and so was Isabel. They were not Vilandra and Rath; Isabel was married to Jesse and Michael, well, he was alone.
~~~
Michael trudged into his apartment. His day at work hadn’t been too labor intensive, but he’d had to sit through Monk and Fly’s inane conversation tonight and wasn’t ready to head back tomorrow for the sequel.
Riiing.
Michael rubbed his neck and picked up the cordless phone sitting on the kitchen counter. “Hello?” Michael grunted.
“Michael?” Isabel greeted.
“Isabel!” Michael was surprised at this call. He hadn’t expected to hear from her for a while, since Jesse’s loving isolation. “What are you calling for? Does Jesse know you’re talking to me?
Michael smirked at the thought. Told you Ramirez, she’ll always come home to us. We’re her family.
He heard her scoff on the phone. “Michael, get real,” she chided. “I do not need my husband’s permission to talk to you, or Max for that matter!”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes really. Now if you’d stop interrupting me, I’d like to invite you over for dinner Friday night,” Isabel sighed.
This stunned Michael. Dinner? Michael walked over to the couch and sat down, fidgeting with a near by pen. “Dinner?” he asked curtly. “Now why would Jesse want me over for dinner?”
Michael could hear Isabel’s frustration over the phone, and something else. “Isabel? Is something wrong?”
There was silence over the receiver. Finally Michael heard Isabel take a deep breath and exhale. “Michael, I invited everyone. Mom and Dad are coming. Max and Liz. You could invite Maria to come with you…” Isabel’s voice trailed off.
Now Michael definitely knew something was up. “Maria? Why would I invite Maria?” Michael asked accusingly.
“Well,” Isabel hesitated. “Because I know you care about her. And well, we’re not best friends you know, and I think it’s appropriate for you to ask, rather than me.”
Michael frowned. He couldn’t get this sinking feeling that Isabel was hiding something from him. Michael bit his lip and took a deep breath. “Fine,” he sighed. “I’ll come. What time?”
“How’s six o’clock?” Isabel chirped.
Michael could tell she was relieved that he’d stopped questioning her about it.
“Or are you working that evening?” Isabel asked worriedly.
Michael walked over to his fridge. He’d stuck his time schedule on the freezer door. “Uh, no,” Michael informed. He’d be working evening shifts Wednesday and Thursday. “I’m working the early shift that day. I should be off.”
“Great!” Isabel said cheerfully. “Then six o’clock it is.”
“Yeah, great!” Michael huffed and said goodbye before he hit the ‘end’ button.
It was a positive and negative pull. Michael wanted to see Isabel, but part of him dreaded it.
Something was about to happen, and Michael knew that neither he, nor anyone else was going to like it.[/i]
The Queen of Torture
Chapter Five
****
The tragic mistake is to assume
That any treasure, object, or person
Must be possessed to be loved.
- Ethel Sabin Smith
****
The move happened fairly quickly and smoothly. Jesse had already been in New York a couple of weeks getting everything settled. This afforded Isabel a little more time to say goodbye. It took a week for Max to come around, but finally he admitted that it might be right for her. “Maybe moving would be the best thing,” Max hedged. “Maybe. I don’t know. It just seems like we’re supposed to do something here. You know?”
Isabel nodded. They had met in the park, and were sitting on a picnic table. “I think we found it Max. I mean, we know who we are,” Isabel entwined her fingers into Max’s. “But we’ve chosen a different life. I think our parents would have liked us to come back and reign, but from the sounds of Antar, that wouldn’t be possible. There’s no throne to go back to. We aren’t wanted there, except for our heads. We have no reason to go back, and we have so many reasons to stay, right? There is no destiny?”
“You weren’t meant for Tess and me for Michael?”
Max peered into her eyes. “Is that more of a question than a statement?” He rubbed his face. Max was tired and he was losing his sister. “Isabel don’t go if you just feel like you owe it to Jesse. I doubted Michael when he freaked out on Jesse, accusing him of trying to keep you from us. But after this, well, I’m getting the feeling that he might be right…”
Isabel grimaced. “When did you start believing Michael’s paranoia? Max, Jesse got an amazing job offer and that’s that. There’s nothing sinister about it. End of story.”
She pulled away and hopped off the table. “I love you guys, but you’re not running my life anymore. You can’t force me to stay this time,” Isabel accused softly. “You’re not a king and I’m not royalty. We’re ‘humans’ with normal lives and it’s time to forget it all.”
Isabel looked at the somber would-be-king. She knew it sounded harsh, but it was the truth. Each one of them had in one way or another turned away from the duty they left back on Antar. They wanted to forget the far away tales of intrigue, betrayal, passion and love.
Who wanted destiny?
“That’s not true Isabel,” Max protested.
Isabel raised her left eyebrow questioningly. “Max, who are you kidding? How many times have I heard you say that you don’t believe in destiny? Or that you make your own destiny?” Isabel scoffed. “You wanted to be with Liz. You got that now. Michael wanted to be with Maria. And I, in the end, found someone who loved me too.”
Max shook his head. “It’s different with Liz.”
“Max you gave up a whole planet, a whole kingdom, family, for her.”
“It doesn’t mean, well, I, uh…” Max stuttered, unable to deny the accusation. “Fine! Yes! I admit it.”
Isabel rubbed his back, speaking soothing words. “Max I’m not judging you. I understand, not completely, but I understand.” Isabel kissed her brother’s head. “And I am doing the same thing. I’m finding a life beyond all this alien stuff. I can move on and live a normal life like I never dreamed I could. I think I can leave it behind.”
Max looked at Isabel. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said slowly, “but do you really love him? I mean, is it real love or is it just because he’s the first man who ever asked you to marry him?”
Max swallowed and continued on. “I just don’t understand what you see in him. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I like the guy, but he just doesn’t seem right for you.”
Isabel’s eyes narrowed. “And Liz is the right person for you? How dare you?” Isabel lashed out. “How dare you question my motives? We’ve been through hell and back because of your ‘love’ for her. We’ve taken stupid chances. People died because of your love for Liz. And I’m tired of it Max.”
He slipped off the picnic table and looked Isabel in the eye. “You know it wasn’t like that.”
Isabel shook her head. “I know that if we never became friends with any of them, they would never have been hurt. I know that if you had left everything alone, Alex wouldn’t be dead. If you just wouldn’t have fallen for her…” she whispered.
Max was taken aback. She’d never said anything like that before. She’d never accused him of being the reason for Alex’s death. “Isabel!” Max exclaimed. “You know that wasn’t my fault.”
Isabel shook in despair. “I know,” she apologized. “Max, how can I stay? I can’t accept the possibility that Jesse might be next…and this time, I might be the reason.”
Max wrapped Isabel in his arms. “I’m sorry Izzy. I just…well, I just can’t imagine living here without my sister,” Max admitted. “I’m sorry.”
Isabel pulled away slightly and looked at her brother. “Max, I love you. I always will. And I’ll be back,” she said hesitantly. “You’ll see. I won’t be gone forever. And if you need anything, I’ll be down in a flash!”
“Likewise,” Max replied.
“Hey, like I told Michael, ‘we’ll have the holidays’.”
Max nodded. “Right. And I’ll be over to visit, right?”
“Definitely,” Isabel smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek. “You’d better!”
They both laughed. “I’ll miss you Isabel.”
“I’ll miss you too Max.”
And that was the last time Isabel saw Max before she left.
~~~
Michael refused to say goodbye. He thought he’d done that Friday night.
‘What if you could convince her to stay?’ a voice inside questioned.
“How could I do that? She already said she was in love with Jesse,” Michael said to himself as he padded around his apartment. He grabbed a tropical punch Snapple out of his fridge.
‘Maybe she’s lying. Maybe she’s lying to herself and needs you to make her see that you were meant to be?’ it retorted.
Michael took a swig out of the bottle and sat down on the couch. “She wouldn’t do that! I mean, I practically told her I wanted to be with her!” he mumbled.
‘Well, maybe after 2 years of watching you suck face with Maria, she had a hard time believing it?’ the voice spat.
“Shut up!” Michael grumbled and turned the television on.
‘You know you want to see her. You know you have to find out!’ the voice sang mockingly.
Michael shook his head and turned up the volume on the remote control.
~~~
Jesse had come back that last week to bring Izzy back to their new home. He’d been excited. Isabel couldn’t deny how much this move meant to him. In fact things seemed to be back to normal, if there was such a thing in their lives. Isabel felt connected to Jesse again, the way she had the day she’d promised to love, honor and cherish him till the day they died. And she would.
Isabel made her rounds that day, first stopping at the Crashdown and saying goodbye to Liz, Maria and Max. She looked for Michael at his apartment, but by his schedule, he had to work that day. Finally she stopped at home to bid adieu to her parents, who were somber, yet approving. “Take good care of yourself Izzy,” Mr. Evans said gruffly, hugging her so tight that Isabel thought she’d stopped breathing for a second.
“I will Daddy,” Isabel sniffed.
As she turned to her mother who was quietly sobbing, Isabel felt herself well up. “Oh, mom! I’m going to miss you so much!” Isabel wrapped her arms around her mother of 14 years. “I will write and send pictures and phone!”
The two Evan’s women babbled on for another 20 minutes, saying their farewells. “Okay, that’s enough girls,” Mr. Evans chided. “They have to get going before they miss their flight.”
Mrs. Evans wiped her nose with the mound of Kleenx in her hand. “Have you said goodbye to the boys?” she asked.
Isabel began fidgeting. “Well, I’ve settled things with Max, and we said our goodbyes…” Isabel’s voice trailed off.
“Apparently Michael hasn’t been by,” Jesse sighed. “I told her that he was probably busy with his work and couldn’t get away.”
Mr. Evans and Jesse seemed to be looking at each other intently. Then, Mr. Evans’s head jerked upwards and he rubbed his hands together. “Well, you can give him a call from the airport. You’ve got a plane to catch.”
Jesse shuffled her out the door and Isabel gave her Mom and Dad one last hug goodbye. “See you at Christmas!” Mrs. Evans called.
Isabel felt such emptiness as she drove away from her home for the last time.
~~~
Jesse nuzzled against Isabel’s neck as they waited for the call to the gate. “Honey, are you going to be okay?”
Isabel nodded. “I’ll be fine Jesse. I just need a little time to adjust to living in another place,” she reassured. “I love you.”
Jesse felt himself melt under her brown eyes. He loved this woman with all of his heart. “I love you too,” Jesse whispered into her ear and she giggled her response.
As he wrapped his arms around her, Jesse felt like he had the greatest treasure in the world; to think he could lose it terrified him. “Isabel, you do know that this is the best thing for us?” Jesse asked. “You trust me, don’t you?”
There was a moment of silence before she replied. “I know that are doing this to keep me safe. And I trust that,” Isabel whispered. “But I need you to know that just because I am far away from Michael and Max, doesn’t mean that I will be safe. Those who want to hurt me or imprison me won’t be stopped by a change of address.”
Jesse swallowed. “I know Isabel. But I promise, you will be safe.”
The statement seemed to disturb Isabel. “How can you promise that?” Isabel questioned.
Jesse regretted opening his mouth. There were things he’d put in place to keep her safe. ”I just will.”
With that, Jesse changed the subject. “So Max is really okay with this?” Jesse inquired.
Isabel crossed her legs on the uncomfortable airport waiting chair. “I think so.”
Jesse didn’t quite believe it. He’d had such a hold on Isabel for so long that Jesse was frightened in an instant, her brother could take her away from him. “I can’t believe it. I understand why he was so upset. I mean, if I were him, I don’t think I could imagine losing something so precious as you.”
Isabel smiled and caressed his cheek. “You can’t lose me Jesse.”
Jesse smiled and kissed her forehead. “You promise?” Jesse teased, wrapping his arms around her.
“I promise.”
Jesse clung to that. In the past he once believed that there was a forever, but in one moment, his life had been shattered. Then came Isabel. She healed his wounds and made him believe again. There were many things he was confident in, but her undying love was one of the few fears that still remained.
Was she his forever?
****
The tragic mistake is to assume
That any treasure, object, or person
Must be possessed to be loved.
- Ethel Sabin Smith
****
The move happened fairly quickly and smoothly. Jesse had already been in New York a couple of weeks getting everything settled. This afforded Isabel a little more time to say goodbye. It took a week for Max to come around, but finally he admitted that it might be right for her. “Maybe moving would be the best thing,” Max hedged. “Maybe. I don’t know. It just seems like we’re supposed to do something here. You know?”
Isabel nodded. They had met in the park, and were sitting on a picnic table. “I think we found it Max. I mean, we know who we are,” Isabel entwined her fingers into Max’s. “But we’ve chosen a different life. I think our parents would have liked us to come back and reign, but from the sounds of Antar, that wouldn’t be possible. There’s no throne to go back to. We aren’t wanted there, except for our heads. We have no reason to go back, and we have so many reasons to stay, right? There is no destiny?”
“You weren’t meant for Tess and me for Michael?”
Max peered into her eyes. “Is that more of a question than a statement?” He rubbed his face. Max was tired and he was losing his sister. “Isabel don’t go if you just feel like you owe it to Jesse. I doubted Michael when he freaked out on Jesse, accusing him of trying to keep you from us. But after this, well, I’m getting the feeling that he might be right…”
Isabel grimaced. “When did you start believing Michael’s paranoia? Max, Jesse got an amazing job offer and that’s that. There’s nothing sinister about it. End of story.”
She pulled away and hopped off the table. “I love you guys, but you’re not running my life anymore. You can’t force me to stay this time,” Isabel accused softly. “You’re not a king and I’m not royalty. We’re ‘humans’ with normal lives and it’s time to forget it all.”
Isabel looked at the somber would-be-king. She knew it sounded harsh, but it was the truth. Each one of them had in one way or another turned away from the duty they left back on Antar. They wanted to forget the far away tales of intrigue, betrayal, passion and love.
Who wanted destiny?
“That’s not true Isabel,” Max protested.
Isabel raised her left eyebrow questioningly. “Max, who are you kidding? How many times have I heard you say that you don’t believe in destiny? Or that you make your own destiny?” Isabel scoffed. “You wanted to be with Liz. You got that now. Michael wanted to be with Maria. And I, in the end, found someone who loved me too.”
Max shook his head. “It’s different with Liz.”
“Max you gave up a whole planet, a whole kingdom, family, for her.”
“It doesn’t mean, well, I, uh…” Max stuttered, unable to deny the accusation. “Fine! Yes! I admit it.”
Isabel rubbed his back, speaking soothing words. “Max I’m not judging you. I understand, not completely, but I understand.” Isabel kissed her brother’s head. “And I am doing the same thing. I’m finding a life beyond all this alien stuff. I can move on and live a normal life like I never dreamed I could. I think I can leave it behind.”
Max looked at Isabel. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said slowly, “but do you really love him? I mean, is it real love or is it just because he’s the first man who ever asked you to marry him?”
Max swallowed and continued on. “I just don’t understand what you see in him. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I like the guy, but he just doesn’t seem right for you.”
Isabel’s eyes narrowed. “And Liz is the right person for you? How dare you?” Isabel lashed out. “How dare you question my motives? We’ve been through hell and back because of your ‘love’ for her. We’ve taken stupid chances. People died because of your love for Liz. And I’m tired of it Max.”
He slipped off the picnic table and looked Isabel in the eye. “You know it wasn’t like that.”
Isabel shook her head. “I know that if we never became friends with any of them, they would never have been hurt. I know that if you had left everything alone, Alex wouldn’t be dead. If you just wouldn’t have fallen for her…” she whispered.
Max was taken aback. She’d never said anything like that before. She’d never accused him of being the reason for Alex’s death. “Isabel!” Max exclaimed. “You know that wasn’t my fault.”
Isabel shook in despair. “I know,” she apologized. “Max, how can I stay? I can’t accept the possibility that Jesse might be next…and this time, I might be the reason.”
Max wrapped Isabel in his arms. “I’m sorry Izzy. I just…well, I just can’t imagine living here without my sister,” Max admitted. “I’m sorry.”
Isabel pulled away slightly and looked at her brother. “Max, I love you. I always will. And I’ll be back,” she said hesitantly. “You’ll see. I won’t be gone forever. And if you need anything, I’ll be down in a flash!”
“Likewise,” Max replied.
“Hey, like I told Michael, ‘we’ll have the holidays’.”
Max nodded. “Right. And I’ll be over to visit, right?”
“Definitely,” Isabel smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek. “You’d better!”
They both laughed. “I’ll miss you Isabel.”
“I’ll miss you too Max.”
And that was the last time Isabel saw Max before she left.
~~~
Michael refused to say goodbye. He thought he’d done that Friday night.
‘What if you could convince her to stay?’ a voice inside questioned.
“How could I do that? She already said she was in love with Jesse,” Michael said to himself as he padded around his apartment. He grabbed a tropical punch Snapple out of his fridge.
‘Maybe she’s lying. Maybe she’s lying to herself and needs you to make her see that you were meant to be?’ it retorted.
Michael took a swig out of the bottle and sat down on the couch. “She wouldn’t do that! I mean, I practically told her I wanted to be with her!” he mumbled.
‘Well, maybe after 2 years of watching you suck face with Maria, she had a hard time believing it?’ the voice spat.
“Shut up!” Michael grumbled and turned the television on.
‘You know you want to see her. You know you have to find out!’ the voice sang mockingly.
Michael shook his head and turned up the volume on the remote control.
~~~
Jesse had come back that last week to bring Izzy back to their new home. He’d been excited. Isabel couldn’t deny how much this move meant to him. In fact things seemed to be back to normal, if there was such a thing in their lives. Isabel felt connected to Jesse again, the way she had the day she’d promised to love, honor and cherish him till the day they died. And she would.
Isabel made her rounds that day, first stopping at the Crashdown and saying goodbye to Liz, Maria and Max. She looked for Michael at his apartment, but by his schedule, he had to work that day. Finally she stopped at home to bid adieu to her parents, who were somber, yet approving. “Take good care of yourself Izzy,” Mr. Evans said gruffly, hugging her so tight that Isabel thought she’d stopped breathing for a second.
“I will Daddy,” Isabel sniffed.
As she turned to her mother who was quietly sobbing, Isabel felt herself well up. “Oh, mom! I’m going to miss you so much!” Isabel wrapped her arms around her mother of 14 years. “I will write and send pictures and phone!”
The two Evan’s women babbled on for another 20 minutes, saying their farewells. “Okay, that’s enough girls,” Mr. Evans chided. “They have to get going before they miss their flight.”
Mrs. Evans wiped her nose with the mound of Kleenx in her hand. “Have you said goodbye to the boys?” she asked.
Isabel began fidgeting. “Well, I’ve settled things with Max, and we said our goodbyes…” Isabel’s voice trailed off.
“Apparently Michael hasn’t been by,” Jesse sighed. “I told her that he was probably busy with his work and couldn’t get away.”
Mr. Evans and Jesse seemed to be looking at each other intently. Then, Mr. Evans’s head jerked upwards and he rubbed his hands together. “Well, you can give him a call from the airport. You’ve got a plane to catch.”
Jesse shuffled her out the door and Isabel gave her Mom and Dad one last hug goodbye. “See you at Christmas!” Mrs. Evans called.
Isabel felt such emptiness as she drove away from her home for the last time.
~~~
Jesse nuzzled against Isabel’s neck as they waited for the call to the gate. “Honey, are you going to be okay?”
Isabel nodded. “I’ll be fine Jesse. I just need a little time to adjust to living in another place,” she reassured. “I love you.”
Jesse felt himself melt under her brown eyes. He loved this woman with all of his heart. “I love you too,” Jesse whispered into her ear and she giggled her response.
As he wrapped his arms around her, Jesse felt like he had the greatest treasure in the world; to think he could lose it terrified him. “Isabel, you do know that this is the best thing for us?” Jesse asked. “You trust me, don’t you?”
There was a moment of silence before she replied. “I know that are doing this to keep me safe. And I trust that,” Isabel whispered. “But I need you to know that just because I am far away from Michael and Max, doesn’t mean that I will be safe. Those who want to hurt me or imprison me won’t be stopped by a change of address.”
Jesse swallowed. “I know Isabel. But I promise, you will be safe.”
The statement seemed to disturb Isabel. “How can you promise that?” Isabel questioned.
Jesse regretted opening his mouth. There were things he’d put in place to keep her safe. ”I just will.”
With that, Jesse changed the subject. “So Max is really okay with this?” Jesse inquired.
Isabel crossed her legs on the uncomfortable airport waiting chair. “I think so.”
Jesse didn’t quite believe it. He’d had such a hold on Isabel for so long that Jesse was frightened in an instant, her brother could take her away from him. “I can’t believe it. I understand why he was so upset. I mean, if I were him, I don’t think I could imagine losing something so precious as you.”
Isabel smiled and caressed his cheek. “You can’t lose me Jesse.”
Jesse smiled and kissed her forehead. “You promise?” Jesse teased, wrapping his arms around her.
“I promise.”
Jesse clung to that. In the past he once believed that there was a forever, but in one moment, his life had been shattered. Then came Isabel. She healed his wounds and made him believe again. There were many things he was confident in, but her undying love was one of the few fears that still remained.
Was she his forever?
The Queen of Torture
Oops Sorry
Here's the chapter I missed.
Chapter Four
****
She walks in beauty
Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
- Lord Byron
****
“You’re what?” Max choked, as he set down a piece of French bread.
Isabel had smiled cheerfully as her guests had arrived. One by one, each of the closest friends and family she’d ever known greeted her warmly and continued to whisper amongst each other about what the surprise was. She hated it. All Isabel could do was smile and pretend that she was just being mysterious and evasive.
“Max!” Isabel exclaimed through a smile and gritted teeth. “Don’t be so dramatic! You heard what Jesse said. We’re moving to New York.”
The words seemed to come out so slow, as if she needed to hear them again and again to convince herself it was true. Now Isabel had expected this amount of drama from her brother. This was the same Max who had forbidden her to go to college. But what had been unexpected was her parent’s extreme delight at the move.
“We’re happy for you Isabel!” Mrs. Evan exclaimed between sobs. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but these are tears of joy!”
Mr. Evans wasn’t as vocal. He cleared his throat, shook Jesse’s hand and nodded his head towards his son-in-law once. This sight unsettled Isabel. She’d expected some sort of outburst from her father since Jesse was leaving the firm in the lurch. Instead her father walked over to her side and opened his strong familiar arms toward her. “This is a surprise Isabel, but I think it’s a good one,” Mr. Evans said approvingly. He then turned to Jesse and said jokingly. “You’d better take good care of my Isabel, young man!”
Isabel laughed half-heartedly. “Stop it Dad!”
Her gaze traversed the down the length of the table. Liz and Maria had been quiet for the duration of the announcement, and even Michael for that matter. “So girls, surprised?” Isabel asked, avoiding Michael’s probing gaze.
The girls stumbled over themselves trying to express their support of the move, while subtly questioning Isabel with their eyes. “Well, uh, yes?” Liz exclaimed, the first one to find her voice. “Of course. It just seems so sudden. Right Maria?”
The pouty blond seemed to jump in her seat as she glared at Liz from across the table. “Uh yeah. Definitely,” Maria sputtered. “We’re totally with ya. It’s just…”
Suddenly Maxwell, who’d recovered from the piece of bread, interrupted Maria. “What? Are you kidding?” he asked incredulously. “Isabel you know you can’t possibly leave…”
Now Jesse interrupted. “What do you mean she can’t move? I’ve gotten an amazing job offer and Izzy’s my wife. Of course she’s coming.”
Max pushed away from the dining room table. “There’s no way your taking her all the way to New York…”
“Now calm down Max,” Mr. Evans coaxed. “I’m a little upset too, but it’ll be good for the two of them. It’ll be an adventure; a couple of newlyweds in a new city. Besides, they’ll have better opportunities there than in Roswell.”
Isabel watched the consuming debate at her dinner table. All she could do was close her eyes. Her mother was sobbing on the one side of her, Maxwell, Jesse and her father were deep in debate about it at the other end of the table. Liz and Maria continued to shoot each other glares, trying to comfort her with encouraging words, and well, Michael…Michael. He just seemed to be taking this all in.
It was all getting to be too much.
Isabel sighed and felt the onset of a headache. Quietly she excused herself from the table. Isabel felt like she as about to cry and she knew that it would add fuel to the already mounting fire. As Isabel entered the kitchen, pushing against the swinging wooden door that separated the kitchen and dining room, she sat down on a stool and collapsed on the counter.
What was she supposed to do?
Isabel ran her fingers through her perfect short auburn hair. As she took another breath and braced herself against the counter, Isabel felt the tears running down her cheek. Why was this happening to her? Why?
~~~
Michael remained quiet and aloof during Jesse’s convincing announcement. Somewhere deep down Michael knew something was wrong. The moment he’d felt Isabel’s warm and pensive embrace at the door, Michael was on edge. He’s tried to think of the reason for the hollow sinking feeling down in his gut, but none of them even came close to the idea that Isabel would be moving away. Michael watched the deterioration of the evening’s dinner. Straddled between Maria and Mrs. Evans, Michael was trapped. Normally Michael would have been the first one into the fray, but from the distraught look on Isabel’s face, he knew she didn’t really endorse the idea. And Max seemed to be handling his own against Jesse and Mr. Evan’s ‘logical’ excuses. Michael felt it best to just observe.
It was difficult. Michael could have throttled Jesse. The bastard was trying to steal Isabel away from them. Then out of the corner of his eye, Michael noticed Isabel excusing herself from the table. Everyone seemed to be in the throws of their own battle, that she went unnoticed. Michael peered over at Max, Jesse and Mr. Evans battling it out. He took Jesse’s distraction of the argument to follow Isabel into the kitchen.
~~~
Isabel stifled her cries into a lavender handkerchief. She didn’t want to leave Roswell; or more specifically, her family. In the past couple of days, Isabel found herself reminiscing about the past. Isabel went to the old park where she and Max had experienced their first snow. Then she wandered to several old haunts until she arrived at the caves in the cliffs. Isabel had ran her hads along the dusty stone chambers that held their pods. She’d never be there again.
Finally Isabel found herself in the Granolith chamber, except without the Granolith. And she screamed. As loud and hard as Isabel could, she let out every emotion that she had bottled up for weeks.
As Isabel stood looking out of her kitchen window, wiping away the torrent of unwanted tears, she steeled herself once more and prepared to go back out into the dining room. Suddenly Isabel felt a warm strong hand squeeze her shoulder. Isabel smiled and turned around expecting to see Jesse. “I’m all right Jes…Michael!” Isabel gasped.
Michael pulled his hand away and stuffed it into his jean pocket. “It’s not the Michelin man!” he joked sheepishly. “Sorry if I scared you.”
Isabel shook her head and laughed nervously, realizing she must look a mess. “You didn’t, really,” Isabel denied. She turned around and lightly touched her eyes, which were red and puffy. Using her powers she fixed her make-up and plastered a perfect smile on her perfect face.
“I’m fine Michael!” Isabel drawled. “I just got something in my eye!”
Michael frowned. “Why are you doing this to yourself?” Michael inquired. “You don’t have to go Isabel.”
Isabel felt Michael grasp her left hand, which dangled limply at her side. “Michael,” Isabel pulled away. “Stop it. I’m going because I love him! He’s my husband and where he goes, I go! It’s not an ideal plan, but I’ll live with it.”
She tried to step around Michael but he moved to block her escape. “You can’t go!” Michael stated.
Isabel looked at Michael defiantly. “And who’s going to stop me?”
Michael met her piercing gaze. “Max and me.”
Isabel looked at him incredulously. “Max is too wrapped up in his own stuff to really understand and you? Since when did you care about what I do or who I do it with?”
Isabel didn’t stick around for the answers; she didn’t want to know. She squeezed past Michael and headed towards the dining room.
~~~
Michael watched her walk away and then felt his hand automatically reach out and stop her. “I have always cared.”
There was silence.
“I care about you Isabel.”
Isabel closed her eyes. “It’s a little too late Michael,” she said stoically, her back remained turned to him. “I’ve found a decent man who loves me. Despite all the drama in my life, I’ve married an amazing guy. He’s put up with all the baggage I’ve come with. For pete’s sake, Jesse even knows I’m an alien! And he still loves me!”
Michael turned Isabel around by the shoulders. “You say that like you need to apologize for being an alien!” Michael spat. “It’s not something he should need to forgive you for, let alone have you begging for forgiveness.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It made Michael ill. He knew they’d changed a lot since Liz’s healing, but never have they ever felt wrong about being an alien. Was this what it had come down to? Had they decided that they weren’t worth loving because they were hybrids?
Isabel pulled away from him. He forgives me for lying to him. He forgives me for not telling him I’m an alien,” Isabel exclaimed. “I betrayed him Michael!”
All Michael could do was shake his head. “Okay, so you didn’t tell him you were an alien. Is that so horrible? Is it a crime? It’s not like you told him you weren’t one!” Michael threw his hands up in the air. “We couldn’t be sure he could be trusted. It’s not something that you just stick into a conversation and if he doesn’t get that…if he doesn’t understand that it was for his and our own good, then forget about him! You cannot let him take you away form us. Isabel, we’re your family. You need to be with us.”
Isabel seemed to hesitate. “Michael,” she sighed softly. “I’m married to him, like it or not. I’ll honor our wedding vows till the day I die. And yes, you’re family. But Michael, Jesse and I are family and I thought you understood that. You certainly did when you were at my wedding. I don’t know what has changed, but my love for my husband hasn’t.”
Michael took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. “But Isabel, what if something happens to you? We’re not going to be there to protect you.”
Isabel nodded. “But Michael, who would find me? I’ll be a normal woman following her husband who’s a great lawyer to New York. I’m walking away from this Michael. We’re not aliens trying to find a home anymore. We’re aliens with a home. Don’t you see? Things are different now that we know we can’t go back to Antar. I mean, we don’t have to live like that anymore; scared aliens on the run. If we go our separate ways, we’ll be fine. Besides, I’ll still come home for the holidays.”
Michael felt sick. He knew she had made up her mind. Michael didn’t know how or why, but she’d made up her mind. Isabel loved Jesse. There was no destiny between him and Isabel. “Max needs you…”
Isabel shook her head. “He’s got Liz and you’ve got Maria. You may have broken up with her now, but in a couple of weeks you’ll get back together,” she explained sourly. “You always do.”
Michael looked Isabel straight in the eye and mumbled, “So he’s your destiny?”
He felt vulnerable even asking it. The very thought of Isabel leaving made his stomach turn, and knowing that she thought Jesse was her destiny would tear him apart. She was the one person he could always count on. And no matter how much he denied it, Michael had loved her. He had always loved her.
If she was his destiny, she couldn’t leave, could she?
Michael felt Isabel pull him into an embrace. Isabel’s lips grazed his cheek until they rested beside his ear. “You’ll always be my destiny Michael. We belong. Another lifetime right?” Isabel whispered sadly.
He didn’t know what to say. Yes? I’ve been stupid! We were made to be? All these responses seemed wrong. How could he promise that destiny they’ve been so long denying?
“But we know,” Isabel paused and pulled away, “that it’s just not this time, right?”
Michael blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
Isabel smoothed out a wrinkle in his shirt, patting him on the chest. “Michael, you have Maria and I have Jesse. We love them. Obviously there is no destiny, right? We love them. All of those years and never once did we even consider being together. Michael?” Isabel smiled sadly, “it just wasn’t meant to be. Why pretend to be sad about it? I spent a lifetime trying to find my destiny. I thought I knew what it was. I thought that book was right. And when Max and Tess were together, I thought, ‘Surely the book was right’, but now we know different, don’t we? I wish Tess and her stupid book never came to Roswell!”
Michael cupped Isabel’s face in his hands. “Don’t say that,” he whispered. “I’m glad she came and the book with her. She showed us who we are.” He watched as her face flinched from the memories.
“Don’t Michael…” Isabel sobbed. “I lost Alex because of her…”
Isabel turned to run away, but Michael wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her until her back rested against him. “But I found you again Isabel. I would never have known who you are, and what you mean to me. None of us would have.”
Michael hated discarding Alex’s death as a trade off. It wasn’t. But he was glad he knew the truth. It was true that Tess had accidentally killed Alex, and he didn’t know how anyone of them could forgive her, but along with the bad comes the good. “Nothing can change what happened Isabel, but I’m not willing to hate her for it.”
Isabel loosened his grip around her waist and swirled around, her eyes glaring at him. “Don’t Michael. Don’t pretend to care that way. We’re too close for that. We were never into games or lies. Is this just a ruse to get me to stay? Or do you really want me? Think carefully before you answer Michael, because I could end up hating you for it.”
Michael swallowed hard. The question seemed to hang in the air forever. How could he tell her? Maybe she didn’t want him? Maybe their chance at destiny was gone, just as Tess and the Granolith were gone. Isabel stood before him, her eyes now searching for the truth; maybe even some reason to stay.
“Isabel.” Michael began speaking, but then the kitchen door swung open.
“Isabel? Honey?” Jesse called as he walked into the kitchen.
Michael felt Isabel pull further and further away. “Yes?” Isabel answered.
Suddenly before Michael’s eyes, her teary-eyed face had a radiant glow as Isabel smiled and turned to her husband; kissing him on the cheek. Michael’s fist clenched as Jesse smirked at him. “Come back to the room? We’re all sorry for fighting. I promise we won’t do it again,” Jesse coaxed, nibbling on her earlobe.
Isabel giggled as Jesse continued his barrage of sickening kisses. “All right, but you promised!” Isabel warned, a mischievous glint shone in her eye.
She looked back in one quick glance at Michael before being ushered back into the dining room. Michael slammed his fist into the countertop as the door swung closed on the couple.
Dammit!
Chapter Four
****
She walks in beauty
Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
- Lord Byron
****
“You’re what?” Max choked, as he set down a piece of French bread.
Isabel had smiled cheerfully as her guests had arrived. One by one, each of the closest friends and family she’d ever known greeted her warmly and continued to whisper amongst each other about what the surprise was. She hated it. All Isabel could do was smile and pretend that she was just being mysterious and evasive.
“Max!” Isabel exclaimed through a smile and gritted teeth. “Don’t be so dramatic! You heard what Jesse said. We’re moving to New York.”
The words seemed to come out so slow, as if she needed to hear them again and again to convince herself it was true. Now Isabel had expected this amount of drama from her brother. This was the same Max who had forbidden her to go to college. But what had been unexpected was her parent’s extreme delight at the move.
“We’re happy for you Isabel!” Mrs. Evan exclaimed between sobs. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but these are tears of joy!”
Mr. Evans wasn’t as vocal. He cleared his throat, shook Jesse’s hand and nodded his head towards his son-in-law once. This sight unsettled Isabel. She’d expected some sort of outburst from her father since Jesse was leaving the firm in the lurch. Instead her father walked over to her side and opened his strong familiar arms toward her. “This is a surprise Isabel, but I think it’s a good one,” Mr. Evans said approvingly. He then turned to Jesse and said jokingly. “You’d better take good care of my Isabel, young man!”
Isabel laughed half-heartedly. “Stop it Dad!”
Her gaze traversed the down the length of the table. Liz and Maria had been quiet for the duration of the announcement, and even Michael for that matter. “So girls, surprised?” Isabel asked, avoiding Michael’s probing gaze.
The girls stumbled over themselves trying to express their support of the move, while subtly questioning Isabel with their eyes. “Well, uh, yes?” Liz exclaimed, the first one to find her voice. “Of course. It just seems so sudden. Right Maria?”
The pouty blond seemed to jump in her seat as she glared at Liz from across the table. “Uh yeah. Definitely,” Maria sputtered. “We’re totally with ya. It’s just…”
Suddenly Maxwell, who’d recovered from the piece of bread, interrupted Maria. “What? Are you kidding?” he asked incredulously. “Isabel you know you can’t possibly leave…”
Now Jesse interrupted. “What do you mean she can’t move? I’ve gotten an amazing job offer and Izzy’s my wife. Of course she’s coming.”
Max pushed away from the dining room table. “There’s no way your taking her all the way to New York…”
“Now calm down Max,” Mr. Evans coaxed. “I’m a little upset too, but it’ll be good for the two of them. It’ll be an adventure; a couple of newlyweds in a new city. Besides, they’ll have better opportunities there than in Roswell.”
Isabel watched the consuming debate at her dinner table. All she could do was close her eyes. Her mother was sobbing on the one side of her, Maxwell, Jesse and her father were deep in debate about it at the other end of the table. Liz and Maria continued to shoot each other glares, trying to comfort her with encouraging words, and well, Michael…Michael. He just seemed to be taking this all in.
It was all getting to be too much.
Isabel sighed and felt the onset of a headache. Quietly she excused herself from the table. Isabel felt like she as about to cry and she knew that it would add fuel to the already mounting fire. As Isabel entered the kitchen, pushing against the swinging wooden door that separated the kitchen and dining room, she sat down on a stool and collapsed on the counter.
What was she supposed to do?
Isabel ran her fingers through her perfect short auburn hair. As she took another breath and braced herself against the counter, Isabel felt the tears running down her cheek. Why was this happening to her? Why?
~~~
Michael remained quiet and aloof during Jesse’s convincing announcement. Somewhere deep down Michael knew something was wrong. The moment he’d felt Isabel’s warm and pensive embrace at the door, Michael was on edge. He’s tried to think of the reason for the hollow sinking feeling down in his gut, but none of them even came close to the idea that Isabel would be moving away. Michael watched the deterioration of the evening’s dinner. Straddled between Maria and Mrs. Evans, Michael was trapped. Normally Michael would have been the first one into the fray, but from the distraught look on Isabel’s face, he knew she didn’t really endorse the idea. And Max seemed to be handling his own against Jesse and Mr. Evan’s ‘logical’ excuses. Michael felt it best to just observe.
It was difficult. Michael could have throttled Jesse. The bastard was trying to steal Isabel away from them. Then out of the corner of his eye, Michael noticed Isabel excusing herself from the table. Everyone seemed to be in the throws of their own battle, that she went unnoticed. Michael peered over at Max, Jesse and Mr. Evans battling it out. He took Jesse’s distraction of the argument to follow Isabel into the kitchen.
~~~
Isabel stifled her cries into a lavender handkerchief. She didn’t want to leave Roswell; or more specifically, her family. In the past couple of days, Isabel found herself reminiscing about the past. Isabel went to the old park where she and Max had experienced their first snow. Then she wandered to several old haunts until she arrived at the caves in the cliffs. Isabel had ran her hads along the dusty stone chambers that held their pods. She’d never be there again.
Finally Isabel found herself in the Granolith chamber, except without the Granolith. And she screamed. As loud and hard as Isabel could, she let out every emotion that she had bottled up for weeks.
As Isabel stood looking out of her kitchen window, wiping away the torrent of unwanted tears, she steeled herself once more and prepared to go back out into the dining room. Suddenly Isabel felt a warm strong hand squeeze her shoulder. Isabel smiled and turned around expecting to see Jesse. “I’m all right Jes…Michael!” Isabel gasped.
Michael pulled his hand away and stuffed it into his jean pocket. “It’s not the Michelin man!” he joked sheepishly. “Sorry if I scared you.”
Isabel shook her head and laughed nervously, realizing she must look a mess. “You didn’t, really,” Isabel denied. She turned around and lightly touched her eyes, which were red and puffy. Using her powers she fixed her make-up and plastered a perfect smile on her perfect face.
“I’m fine Michael!” Isabel drawled. “I just got something in my eye!”
Michael frowned. “Why are you doing this to yourself?” Michael inquired. “You don’t have to go Isabel.”
Isabel felt Michael grasp her left hand, which dangled limply at her side. “Michael,” Isabel pulled away. “Stop it. I’m going because I love him! He’s my husband and where he goes, I go! It’s not an ideal plan, but I’ll live with it.”
She tried to step around Michael but he moved to block her escape. “You can’t go!” Michael stated.
Isabel looked at Michael defiantly. “And who’s going to stop me?”
Michael met her piercing gaze. “Max and me.”
Isabel looked at him incredulously. “Max is too wrapped up in his own stuff to really understand and you? Since when did you care about what I do or who I do it with?”
Isabel didn’t stick around for the answers; she didn’t want to know. She squeezed past Michael and headed towards the dining room.
~~~
Michael watched her walk away and then felt his hand automatically reach out and stop her. “I have always cared.”
There was silence.
“I care about you Isabel.”
Isabel closed her eyes. “It’s a little too late Michael,” she said stoically, her back remained turned to him. “I’ve found a decent man who loves me. Despite all the drama in my life, I’ve married an amazing guy. He’s put up with all the baggage I’ve come with. For pete’s sake, Jesse even knows I’m an alien! And he still loves me!”
Michael turned Isabel around by the shoulders. “You say that like you need to apologize for being an alien!” Michael spat. “It’s not something he should need to forgive you for, let alone have you begging for forgiveness.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It made Michael ill. He knew they’d changed a lot since Liz’s healing, but never have they ever felt wrong about being an alien. Was this what it had come down to? Had they decided that they weren’t worth loving because they were hybrids?
Isabel pulled away from him. He forgives me for lying to him. He forgives me for not telling him I’m an alien,” Isabel exclaimed. “I betrayed him Michael!”
All Michael could do was shake his head. “Okay, so you didn’t tell him you were an alien. Is that so horrible? Is it a crime? It’s not like you told him you weren’t one!” Michael threw his hands up in the air. “We couldn’t be sure he could be trusted. It’s not something that you just stick into a conversation and if he doesn’t get that…if he doesn’t understand that it was for his and our own good, then forget about him! You cannot let him take you away form us. Isabel, we’re your family. You need to be with us.”
Isabel seemed to hesitate. “Michael,” she sighed softly. “I’m married to him, like it or not. I’ll honor our wedding vows till the day I die. And yes, you’re family. But Michael, Jesse and I are family and I thought you understood that. You certainly did when you were at my wedding. I don’t know what has changed, but my love for my husband hasn’t.”
Michael took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. “But Isabel, what if something happens to you? We’re not going to be there to protect you.”
Isabel nodded. “But Michael, who would find me? I’ll be a normal woman following her husband who’s a great lawyer to New York. I’m walking away from this Michael. We’re not aliens trying to find a home anymore. We’re aliens with a home. Don’t you see? Things are different now that we know we can’t go back to Antar. I mean, we don’t have to live like that anymore; scared aliens on the run. If we go our separate ways, we’ll be fine. Besides, I’ll still come home for the holidays.”
Michael felt sick. He knew she had made up her mind. Michael didn’t know how or why, but she’d made up her mind. Isabel loved Jesse. There was no destiny between him and Isabel. “Max needs you…”
Isabel shook her head. “He’s got Liz and you’ve got Maria. You may have broken up with her now, but in a couple of weeks you’ll get back together,” she explained sourly. “You always do.”
Michael looked Isabel straight in the eye and mumbled, “So he’s your destiny?”
He felt vulnerable even asking it. The very thought of Isabel leaving made his stomach turn, and knowing that she thought Jesse was her destiny would tear him apart. She was the one person he could always count on. And no matter how much he denied it, Michael had loved her. He had always loved her.
If she was his destiny, she couldn’t leave, could she?
Michael felt Isabel pull him into an embrace. Isabel’s lips grazed his cheek until they rested beside his ear. “You’ll always be my destiny Michael. We belong. Another lifetime right?” Isabel whispered sadly.
He didn’t know what to say. Yes? I’ve been stupid! We were made to be? All these responses seemed wrong. How could he promise that destiny they’ve been so long denying?
“But we know,” Isabel paused and pulled away, “that it’s just not this time, right?”
Michael blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
Isabel smoothed out a wrinkle in his shirt, patting him on the chest. “Michael, you have Maria and I have Jesse. We love them. Obviously there is no destiny, right? We love them. All of those years and never once did we even consider being together. Michael?” Isabel smiled sadly, “it just wasn’t meant to be. Why pretend to be sad about it? I spent a lifetime trying to find my destiny. I thought I knew what it was. I thought that book was right. And when Max and Tess were together, I thought, ‘Surely the book was right’, but now we know different, don’t we? I wish Tess and her stupid book never came to Roswell!”
Michael cupped Isabel’s face in his hands. “Don’t say that,” he whispered. “I’m glad she came and the book with her. She showed us who we are.” He watched as her face flinched from the memories.
“Don’t Michael…” Isabel sobbed. “I lost Alex because of her…”
Isabel turned to run away, but Michael wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her until her back rested against him. “But I found you again Isabel. I would never have known who you are, and what you mean to me. None of us would have.”
Michael hated discarding Alex’s death as a trade off. It wasn’t. But he was glad he knew the truth. It was true that Tess had accidentally killed Alex, and he didn’t know how anyone of them could forgive her, but along with the bad comes the good. “Nothing can change what happened Isabel, but I’m not willing to hate her for it.”
Isabel loosened his grip around her waist and swirled around, her eyes glaring at him. “Don’t Michael. Don’t pretend to care that way. We’re too close for that. We were never into games or lies. Is this just a ruse to get me to stay? Or do you really want me? Think carefully before you answer Michael, because I could end up hating you for it.”
Michael swallowed hard. The question seemed to hang in the air forever. How could he tell her? Maybe she didn’t want him? Maybe their chance at destiny was gone, just as Tess and the Granolith were gone. Isabel stood before him, her eyes now searching for the truth; maybe even some reason to stay.
“Isabel.” Michael began speaking, but then the kitchen door swung open.
“Isabel? Honey?” Jesse called as he walked into the kitchen.
Michael felt Isabel pull further and further away. “Yes?” Isabel answered.
Suddenly before Michael’s eyes, her teary-eyed face had a radiant glow as Isabel smiled and turned to her husband; kissing him on the cheek. Michael’s fist clenched as Jesse smirked at him. “Come back to the room? We’re all sorry for fighting. I promise we won’t do it again,” Jesse coaxed, nibbling on her earlobe.
Isabel giggled as Jesse continued his barrage of sickening kisses. “All right, but you promised!” Isabel warned, a mischievous glint shone in her eye.
She looked back in one quick glance at Michael before being ushered back into the dining room. Michael slammed his fist into the countertop as the door swung closed on the couple.
Dammit!
The Queen of Torture
Chapter Six
****
Love me without fear
Trust me without questioning
Need me without demanding
Want me without restrictions
Accept me without change
Desire me without inhibitions
For a love so free…
Will never fly away
- Dick Sutphen
****
Michael regretted every day that he hadn’t said goodbye to Isabel. He regretted every word he never had the chance to say. Max had been right. He should have told Isabel how much he loved her. He should’ve never let her go.
Restlessness plagued him. Max and Liz continued their hormonal love tryst. They had finally slept together. Everyone seemed to celebrate it like some kind of birthday or something. Michael never understood that. He never understood them.
“Michael!” Maria bellowed from the counter as he entered the Crashdown. “What do you want?”
“The usual,” Michael called.
Maria smiled and winked at him as she walked over to the kitchen window to order. They had been dating for a few weeks now. Maria cooed that Michael was sweeter and more attentive than he’d ever been.
It was true. Michael was trying extra hard to pay attention to Maria and care for her needs, to be an attentive boyfriend which Maria had always longed for. Michael made Maria happy, and she kept him satisfied. It worked.
The night Isabel’s flight left, Michael had been watching from afar. He’d made it 15 feet away from the oozing couple before he stopped. ‘It wouldn’t make a difference,’ he’d told himself. Michael over heard some of the reassuring words of love that were whispered so softly to Jesse. It made him sick to know that Isabel was happy, content to be with Jesse.
Well, he’d had his chance. He just never took it.
Lately Michael had been thinking about Isabel a lot. The anniversary of Tess’s arrival was nearing, not that anyone celebrated Tess’s arrival. But with Tess, came memories and dreams. Michael looked back on a lot of the choices he’d made and found himself longing to change them.
He’d known that he’d been scared, but Michael wish he knew then what he knew now. Isabel wouldn’t be here forever. She would leave if given no reason to stay. Isabel would find someone to love her, if there was no one to tell her that she was already loved.
“Here you go sweetie,” Maria chirped. “How was your shift?”
Michael looked up about to answer when his fellow guards came stumbling in. “Hey guys!” Michael shouted, relieved that he didn’t have to explain to Maria why he was in a terrible mood. Michael didn’t think he could hide from her, for much longer, how much he missed Isabel.
The guys flocked into the booth and Steve pulled up a chair. Maria took their order with such enthusiasum that Michael felt guilty. Part of him longed to explain why he’d reconsidered their relationship, but Michael knew how much it would hurt her. Now Michael regretted starting something in the first place. But this was as close to love, as he would get. And Michael in someway, did love Maria.
Michael sighed. He could fall in love with her, if he let himself. And now there was no reason not to let himself do that.
~~~
Isabel has settled into New York life quite quickly. The parties, the expensive houses and rich snobs; Isabel could have once fit into this lifestyle, but now it just seemed to leave her lacking. Isabel was surprised at how homesick she was for Roswell and the desert cliffs. As much as she was keeping Jesse happy though, Isabel convinced herself she would be fine. Just a couple of months, give it a couple of months. Actually it had been 3 weeks, but somewhere deep inside, Isabel knew that she wouldn’t be happy here. She may be able to let the dull aching fade, but Isabel wouldn’t forget.
Jesse seemed to be gone all hours of the day and night at work. And when he’d come home, he’d be so exhausted from court or just desk duty, that it was all Isabel could do to have a nice quiet night alone at home with him. Jesse was either in bed or at work, and then there were the parties. It was the only time they ever spent time together, although it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Isabel hung like an ornament as they mingled with partners and associates of the firm. Sometimes Isabel felt like using her powers just to liven things up. It seemed like something either Michael or Max would do. They’d done it as children, when their parents dragged them to boring office functions. Well Max and Michael did. Isabel was too good and perfect to do something so mischievous.
“Hey honey?” Jesse called, peering behind the swinging kitchen door. “Did you make supper yet? I’m starving?”
Isabel made her way into the overtly large kitchen. “Yes, it’s in the oven. I saved you a plate, since you didn’t come home on time,” Isabel mumbled.
“Which one?” Jesse asked pointing to the double-decker ovens.
“The top one,” Isabel replied as she rested her head on the palms of her hands, her elbows propped up on the island counter. “How come you were so late anyway?”
Jesse sighed as he placed his plate beside her while he reached around her to grab a fork. Kissing her cheek, he rubbed his neck and his big brown eyes studied her. “McKraken called me into his office and told me that he wanted me to take on a civil suit case on this small town client while he took the Cooper case,” Jesse explained, shoveling a fork full of food into his mouth. “Oh, this is sooo good Izzy.”
Isabel smiled. “Thank you,” she replied. “Now why do you sound upset?”
Jesse turned to her and shook his head. “You can read me like a book…or, did you read my mind?” Jesse asked cautiously.
Isabel frowned. “Why? Do I need to read your mind?”
Jesse swallowed. “No. It’s just that you seem to always know what I’m thinking or feeling.”
She scoffed, “That’s because you’re my husband and I know you like the back of my hand.”
Isabel couldn’t believe that he was accusing her of using her powers on him. Yes, at first she had, but that was because Isabel had to be sure she could trust him. But now? She’d used her powers to redecorate, well, because interior design wasn’t Jesse’s expertise and for little odds and ends, but never on someone.
Jesse nodded. “Of course you do. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I’m just tired.”
Isabel ran her hands through her hair. “You’re always tired Jesse! We never spend any time together anymore!” she raised her voice. “I miss my husband and if I knew that this was what my life would be like here in New York…what our life would be like, I would have stayed in Roswell.” Isabel ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
Oh God what have I done?
~~~
Max had been feeling uneasy and almost sick the past 3 or 4 days. The symptoms had been minor. He’d been presenting with symptoms of the flu or a maybe mono, but Max had never been sick a human day in his life. Now he’d had alien sicknesses, but never anything so human.
He’d been laid up in bed for 2 days now and Liz was getting worried. “Max, I should get a doctor or something,” Liz fretted. “I need to do something. It’s not normal!”
Max smiled at Liz. “It’s just the flu. And no doctor is going to tell me how to cure the flu. You just have to wait it out,” Max explained. “I’ll be fine.”
But in the back of his mind something told Max that this was just no common cold or flu. This was not something so completely human.
~~~
Isabel sipped her champagne delicately. She’d felt the eyes of the men in the room rake her over. It sent shivers up her spine. She’d wished she’d never worn the strapless black dress. “Jesse, when are we going?” Isabel whispered.
Jesse excused him and Isabel and guided her roughly into the foyer and made sure no other guests were present. “Isabel!” he exclaimed irritably. “I’m trying to make time with Mr.Kale. He’s one of the partners in the firm. If I can just get on his good side, I might make senior associate!”
Isabel rubbed her temples. “Jesse, I’m tired and bored and I feel like a hood ornament. The wives of these lawyers are snotty and rude.”
Jesse pulled her in close and kissed her forehead. “Listen kiddo, we’ll be an hour tops,” Jesse explained.
Isabel’s jaw dropped and she pushed away from her husband. “An hour? Tell me I heard you wrong, you did not just say an hour!” Isabel shouted, and then dropped her voice when she realized she was shouting.
Jesse pleaded with Isabel. “Please. Just one hour!” he coaxed.
“Jesse!” Mr. Kale bellowed. “Come meet my wife and daughter.”
Jesse threw one last pleading glance at Isabel, who was more than livid. “If you do this Jesse…”
Isabel watched him join Mr. Kale and their lovely family. That’s it. I’ve had it. Isabel smiled mischievously at the upper class group of lawyers and their wives. Let’s see if I can’t make this evening a little more interesting!
***
“I can’t believe you Isabel!” Jesse spat angrily. “How could you do that to me?”
Isabel sat in the passenger seat, head held high. “What did I do?” Isabel asked innocently.
As the evening dragged on, Isabel put a few more glasses of champagne in herself, before pulling up the courage for a little mischief. She started small. Isabel began changing the make up of certain priceless items within the room, not that it was noticed right away. Then after getting a little bolder, Isabel decided a few of the smug women needed to be taken down a notch or two. So…
“So you went and used your powers to make their slips fall off?” Jesse shouted. “Do you know how embarrassing that is?”
Isabel smirked. “Well they were complaining about not being able to keep off the pounds. Obviously they took off too much and their slips were just a little too big! It’s not my fault really.”
Jesse’s knuckles were white as he was wringing the steering wheel. “How could you do that to me? And with your powers nonetheless! We came here to get away from that stuff, and now you’re just bringing here to us.”
Isabel swallowed. She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, and the champagne was wearing off. Her head was pounding. “It was just a little prank Jesse,” Isabel explained. “I was so mad at you, and so I thought I’d liven up the party. They were a bunch of stiff-necked people.”
Jesse shook his head. “I forgave you Isabel. I thought you were different than Michael and Max. They flaunted their powers and didn’t think when they did. I thought you were different. Maybe this was a mistake,” Jesse sighed, as he pulled into their driveway.
“What?” Isabel exclaimed.
“Maybe this was a mistake!” Jesse repeated, escorting her into the house. “I thought we were going to have a normal life.”
Isabel’s chest tightened at the thought of divorcing Jesse. It wasn’t an option. “Don’t you love me? Or were those lies?”
Jesse frowned. “I do love you! I just didn’t sign up for the little surprises that come with that.”
“What are you saying Jesse?” Isabel’s chin quivered. “Do you want out? Is that what you’re saying?”
Her whole world was being torn apart. She’d left everything to be with him because he loved her, needed her. Now he was leaving her?
“No!” Jesse groaned. “Yes! I don’t know!”
Isabel watched her husband sink into the living room couch. “Jesse, please.” She stood there waiting for Jesse to say something.
“No,” Jesse stated finally. “I don’t want you to go. You’re my heart Isabel.”
Isabel’s heart skipped a beat when he said those words. Her body relaxed, and Isabel realized she’d been holding her breath for the duration of the silence. “Oh, Jesse!” Isabel exhaled and held him tightly.
Jesse lightly pushed her away until they were face to face. “But I can’t deal with that anymore Isabel.”
Isabel was confused. “Deal with what?”
“With the slips, the antique vases suddenly melding into a shapeless object. I can’t worry that every time you get mad, you’re going to take it out on someone else.” There was a long pause. “Isabel, I’m asking you not to use your powers anymore.”
Isabel sat up. “What?”
“I really want you to try hard and not use your powers. I know it’s going to be hard, but we live in a normal city now, not Roswell, New Mexico; the site of hidden UFO crashes and where aliens have landed.”
Isabel was stunned. “I…I don’t know Jesse,” Isabel stuttered. “It’s not like I use them now!”
Jesse pursed his lips. “Well, now there’s a reason not to, Isabel. Because as hard as I’ve tried to live with it, it’s just too hard. With your promise not to use them, I know that you aren’t reading my mind or walking in my dreams.” Jesse rubbed his face, which all of the sudden looked tired and worn. “I’ll be able to trust you.”
Isabel’s heart sunk.
It wasn’t the fact that she couldn’t use her powers. Isabel tried not to most of the time, but to promise never to use them. It felt like some part of her was dying, even considering something like that. Then she looked at Jesse. He did love her. Jesse made a home for her and promised to be there forever, and despite this, he’d kept that promise; even through all of the life threatening situations and dangers. Jesse protected her from Khivar. He’d rescued her from her past, from the woman that betrayed everyone. Jesse was the reason she would never be Vilandra again.
“Yes Jesse, I promise.”
And as Jesse kissed her lips ever so gently and pulled her tightly against his chest, Isabel knew she had sealed her destiny with a kiss.
****
Love me without fear
Trust me without questioning
Need me without demanding
Want me without restrictions
Accept me without change
Desire me without inhibitions
For a love so free…
Will never fly away
- Dick Sutphen
****
Michael regretted every day that he hadn’t said goodbye to Isabel. He regretted every word he never had the chance to say. Max had been right. He should have told Isabel how much he loved her. He should’ve never let her go.
Restlessness plagued him. Max and Liz continued their hormonal love tryst. They had finally slept together. Everyone seemed to celebrate it like some kind of birthday or something. Michael never understood that. He never understood them.
“Michael!” Maria bellowed from the counter as he entered the Crashdown. “What do you want?”
“The usual,” Michael called.
Maria smiled and winked at him as she walked over to the kitchen window to order. They had been dating for a few weeks now. Maria cooed that Michael was sweeter and more attentive than he’d ever been.
It was true. Michael was trying extra hard to pay attention to Maria and care for her needs, to be an attentive boyfriend which Maria had always longed for. Michael made Maria happy, and she kept him satisfied. It worked.
The night Isabel’s flight left, Michael had been watching from afar. He’d made it 15 feet away from the oozing couple before he stopped. ‘It wouldn’t make a difference,’ he’d told himself. Michael over heard some of the reassuring words of love that were whispered so softly to Jesse. It made him sick to know that Isabel was happy, content to be with Jesse.
Well, he’d had his chance. He just never took it.
Lately Michael had been thinking about Isabel a lot. The anniversary of Tess’s arrival was nearing, not that anyone celebrated Tess’s arrival. But with Tess, came memories and dreams. Michael looked back on a lot of the choices he’d made and found himself longing to change them.
He’d known that he’d been scared, but Michael wish he knew then what he knew now. Isabel wouldn’t be here forever. She would leave if given no reason to stay. Isabel would find someone to love her, if there was no one to tell her that she was already loved.
“Here you go sweetie,” Maria chirped. “How was your shift?”
Michael looked up about to answer when his fellow guards came stumbling in. “Hey guys!” Michael shouted, relieved that he didn’t have to explain to Maria why he was in a terrible mood. Michael didn’t think he could hide from her, for much longer, how much he missed Isabel.
The guys flocked into the booth and Steve pulled up a chair. Maria took their order with such enthusiasum that Michael felt guilty. Part of him longed to explain why he’d reconsidered their relationship, but Michael knew how much it would hurt her. Now Michael regretted starting something in the first place. But this was as close to love, as he would get. And Michael in someway, did love Maria.
Michael sighed. He could fall in love with her, if he let himself. And now there was no reason not to let himself do that.
~~~
Isabel has settled into New York life quite quickly. The parties, the expensive houses and rich snobs; Isabel could have once fit into this lifestyle, but now it just seemed to leave her lacking. Isabel was surprised at how homesick she was for Roswell and the desert cliffs. As much as she was keeping Jesse happy though, Isabel convinced herself she would be fine. Just a couple of months, give it a couple of months. Actually it had been 3 weeks, but somewhere deep inside, Isabel knew that she wouldn’t be happy here. She may be able to let the dull aching fade, but Isabel wouldn’t forget.
Jesse seemed to be gone all hours of the day and night at work. And when he’d come home, he’d be so exhausted from court or just desk duty, that it was all Isabel could do to have a nice quiet night alone at home with him. Jesse was either in bed or at work, and then there were the parties. It was the only time they ever spent time together, although it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Isabel hung like an ornament as they mingled with partners and associates of the firm. Sometimes Isabel felt like using her powers just to liven things up. It seemed like something either Michael or Max would do. They’d done it as children, when their parents dragged them to boring office functions. Well Max and Michael did. Isabel was too good and perfect to do something so mischievous.
“Hey honey?” Jesse called, peering behind the swinging kitchen door. “Did you make supper yet? I’m starving?”
Isabel made her way into the overtly large kitchen. “Yes, it’s in the oven. I saved you a plate, since you didn’t come home on time,” Isabel mumbled.
“Which one?” Jesse asked pointing to the double-decker ovens.
“The top one,” Isabel replied as she rested her head on the palms of her hands, her elbows propped up on the island counter. “How come you were so late anyway?”
Jesse sighed as he placed his plate beside her while he reached around her to grab a fork. Kissing her cheek, he rubbed his neck and his big brown eyes studied her. “McKraken called me into his office and told me that he wanted me to take on a civil suit case on this small town client while he took the Cooper case,” Jesse explained, shoveling a fork full of food into his mouth. “Oh, this is sooo good Izzy.”
Isabel smiled. “Thank you,” she replied. “Now why do you sound upset?”
Jesse turned to her and shook his head. “You can read me like a book…or, did you read my mind?” Jesse asked cautiously.
Isabel frowned. “Why? Do I need to read your mind?”
Jesse swallowed. “No. It’s just that you seem to always know what I’m thinking or feeling.”
She scoffed, “That’s because you’re my husband and I know you like the back of my hand.”
Isabel couldn’t believe that he was accusing her of using her powers on him. Yes, at first she had, but that was because Isabel had to be sure she could trust him. But now? She’d used her powers to redecorate, well, because interior design wasn’t Jesse’s expertise and for little odds and ends, but never on someone.
Jesse nodded. “Of course you do. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I’m just tired.”
Isabel ran her hands through her hair. “You’re always tired Jesse! We never spend any time together anymore!” she raised her voice. “I miss my husband and if I knew that this was what my life would be like here in New York…what our life would be like, I would have stayed in Roswell.” Isabel ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
Oh God what have I done?
~~~
Max had been feeling uneasy and almost sick the past 3 or 4 days. The symptoms had been minor. He’d been presenting with symptoms of the flu or a maybe mono, but Max had never been sick a human day in his life. Now he’d had alien sicknesses, but never anything so human.
He’d been laid up in bed for 2 days now and Liz was getting worried. “Max, I should get a doctor or something,” Liz fretted. “I need to do something. It’s not normal!”
Max smiled at Liz. “It’s just the flu. And no doctor is going to tell me how to cure the flu. You just have to wait it out,” Max explained. “I’ll be fine.”
But in the back of his mind something told Max that this was just no common cold or flu. This was not something so completely human.
~~~
Isabel sipped her champagne delicately. She’d felt the eyes of the men in the room rake her over. It sent shivers up her spine. She’d wished she’d never worn the strapless black dress. “Jesse, when are we going?” Isabel whispered.
Jesse excused him and Isabel and guided her roughly into the foyer and made sure no other guests were present. “Isabel!” he exclaimed irritably. “I’m trying to make time with Mr.Kale. He’s one of the partners in the firm. If I can just get on his good side, I might make senior associate!”
Isabel rubbed her temples. “Jesse, I’m tired and bored and I feel like a hood ornament. The wives of these lawyers are snotty and rude.”
Jesse pulled her in close and kissed her forehead. “Listen kiddo, we’ll be an hour tops,” Jesse explained.
Isabel’s jaw dropped and she pushed away from her husband. “An hour? Tell me I heard you wrong, you did not just say an hour!” Isabel shouted, and then dropped her voice when she realized she was shouting.
Jesse pleaded with Isabel. “Please. Just one hour!” he coaxed.
“Jesse!” Mr. Kale bellowed. “Come meet my wife and daughter.”
Jesse threw one last pleading glance at Isabel, who was more than livid. “If you do this Jesse…”
Isabel watched him join Mr. Kale and their lovely family. That’s it. I’ve had it. Isabel smiled mischievously at the upper class group of lawyers and their wives. Let’s see if I can’t make this evening a little more interesting!
***
“I can’t believe you Isabel!” Jesse spat angrily. “How could you do that to me?”
Isabel sat in the passenger seat, head held high. “What did I do?” Isabel asked innocently.
As the evening dragged on, Isabel put a few more glasses of champagne in herself, before pulling up the courage for a little mischief. She started small. Isabel began changing the make up of certain priceless items within the room, not that it was noticed right away. Then after getting a little bolder, Isabel decided a few of the smug women needed to be taken down a notch or two. So…
“So you went and used your powers to make their slips fall off?” Jesse shouted. “Do you know how embarrassing that is?”
Isabel smirked. “Well they were complaining about not being able to keep off the pounds. Obviously they took off too much and their slips were just a little too big! It’s not my fault really.”
Jesse’s knuckles were white as he was wringing the steering wheel. “How could you do that to me? And with your powers nonetheless! We came here to get away from that stuff, and now you’re just bringing here to us.”
Isabel swallowed. She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, and the champagne was wearing off. Her head was pounding. “It was just a little prank Jesse,” Isabel explained. “I was so mad at you, and so I thought I’d liven up the party. They were a bunch of stiff-necked people.”
Jesse shook his head. “I forgave you Isabel. I thought you were different than Michael and Max. They flaunted their powers and didn’t think when they did. I thought you were different. Maybe this was a mistake,” Jesse sighed, as he pulled into their driveway.
“What?” Isabel exclaimed.
“Maybe this was a mistake!” Jesse repeated, escorting her into the house. “I thought we were going to have a normal life.”
Isabel’s chest tightened at the thought of divorcing Jesse. It wasn’t an option. “Don’t you love me? Or were those lies?”
Jesse frowned. “I do love you! I just didn’t sign up for the little surprises that come with that.”
“What are you saying Jesse?” Isabel’s chin quivered. “Do you want out? Is that what you’re saying?”
Her whole world was being torn apart. She’d left everything to be with him because he loved her, needed her. Now he was leaving her?
“No!” Jesse groaned. “Yes! I don’t know!”
Isabel watched her husband sink into the living room couch. “Jesse, please.” She stood there waiting for Jesse to say something.
“No,” Jesse stated finally. “I don’t want you to go. You’re my heart Isabel.”
Isabel’s heart skipped a beat when he said those words. Her body relaxed, and Isabel realized she’d been holding her breath for the duration of the silence. “Oh, Jesse!” Isabel exhaled and held him tightly.
Jesse lightly pushed her away until they were face to face. “But I can’t deal with that anymore Isabel.”
Isabel was confused. “Deal with what?”
“With the slips, the antique vases suddenly melding into a shapeless object. I can’t worry that every time you get mad, you’re going to take it out on someone else.” There was a long pause. “Isabel, I’m asking you not to use your powers anymore.”
Isabel sat up. “What?”
“I really want you to try hard and not use your powers. I know it’s going to be hard, but we live in a normal city now, not Roswell, New Mexico; the site of hidden UFO crashes and where aliens have landed.”
Isabel was stunned. “I…I don’t know Jesse,” Isabel stuttered. “It’s not like I use them now!”
Jesse pursed his lips. “Well, now there’s a reason not to, Isabel. Because as hard as I’ve tried to live with it, it’s just too hard. With your promise not to use them, I know that you aren’t reading my mind or walking in my dreams.” Jesse rubbed his face, which all of the sudden looked tired and worn. “I’ll be able to trust you.”
Isabel’s heart sunk.
It wasn’t the fact that she couldn’t use her powers. Isabel tried not to most of the time, but to promise never to use them. It felt like some part of her was dying, even considering something like that. Then she looked at Jesse. He did love her. Jesse made a home for her and promised to be there forever, and despite this, he’d kept that promise; even through all of the life threatening situations and dangers. Jesse protected her from Khivar. He’d rescued her from her past, from the woman that betrayed everyone. Jesse was the reason she would never be Vilandra again.
“Yes Jesse, I promise.”
And as Jesse kissed her lips ever so gently and pulled her tightly against his chest, Isabel knew she had sealed her destiny with a kiss.
The Queen of Torture
Chapter Seven
****
If there's one spark of hope
Left in my glass,
I'm holding it with both hands
It's worth the risk of burning
To have a second chance
- Brenda K. Starr
****
"Michael?" Isabel exclaimed, surprised at the impromptu call. "What's wrong?"
It was an intuitive reaction. Michael hadn't contacted Isabel in the month since she and Jesse had moved to New York. Not since their last chilling conversation in Roswell.
"Does something have to be wrong?" Michael asked defensively.
Isabel rolled her eyes. "Michael, there has to be. You wouldn't call if it there wasn’t."
There was silence on the opposite end of the receiver. Finally Isabel heard a sigh, and Michael answered her question. "Max is sick."
The statement sent a shiver down her spine. Isabel had felt uneasy the past couple of days. She'd attributed it to the promise of not using her powers, but Isabel now knew in her heart that it was because of Max. "What's wrong?"
Michael explained quickly over the phone, the events of the past several days. Max had come down with flu like symptoms since his magical night with Liz. It seemed for a time that he'd begun to recover from whatever strange sickness that had suddenly overwhelmed him, but then last night Max had collapsed in Liz's arms.
The effects of the sickness were now in full force. Their parents took Max to the hospital. Much to the Evan's chagrin, the doctors seemed clueless to what might be causing the unusual deadly condition. Michael rattled off how the three frantically stalled the doctors during the blood tests and any other type of examination of Max's internal body. The Evan's agreed with the doctors that blood tests were needed and asked the doctors to do what ever was needed.
"So what did you do?" Isabel gasped, running her fingers through her hair and pacing back and forth in the living room.
"Maria, Liz and I snuck him out of the hospital."
Isabel swallowed. "Was that a good idea? What if he gets worse?"
There was a hollow silence that sent a shiver down her spine again. "Where did you hide him?" Isabel whispered.
"He's in the Granolith chamber, but he's…he's not doing to good," Michael's voice cracked, the worry obvious in his gruff voice.
She was alarmed and headed towards her bedroom. "I'm coming home," Isabel stated as she began frantically packing her clothes and bathroom amenities.
Michael sighed over the receiver. "I was hoping you'd say that. We were planning on trying to heal Max with the stones. Liz and I tried with Maria, but I need you. I thought maybe Liz might be able to do something since she's started having powers…"
Isabel stopped packing and frowned. "Powers?"
"Yeah," Michael sighed. "It's a long story, but in the end, I guess it's up to you and me to work the stones."
"Michael," Isabel gulped. "Can it work with two people? I mean last time we were healing Nasedo and we had Max. Can we use them with only two?"
Again, silence.
Isabel had finished packing and headed towards the main door. "I'm catching the next flight out Michael. We'll talk about this when I get there. I have to go, so I can book a seat. I’ll phone you at the airport with the time."
"Yeah, uh sure. Bye."
Click.
Isabel quickly hung up the phone and dialed the airline. As she finished writing down the information on her flight and what terminal she was leaving from, Jesse arrived home early. "What's with the suitcase honey?"
Jesse waited as Isabel finished writing down the confirmation numbers. Then she ran over and gave Jesse a kiss and a hug. "I'm sorry. I just had a call from Michael tonight and he's just told me Max is sick. Really sick. I just phoned the airlines and booked a flight to Roswell, tonight."
Isabel realized she was rambling on and took a deep breath. "Jesse, I know this is short notice, but could you give me a ride to the airport?"
Jesse frowned and loosened his tie. "You can't go, Isabel," Jesse said quite calmly as he set down his briefcase on the nearby loveseat.
"What?" Isabel asked incredulously.
"You can't go. It's just not…possible…stupid promises and…"
Isabel tilted her head to the side, trying to catch the words that were coming out of her husband's mouth. It was a jumble of words and sighs. Quite frankly, it left Isabel confused. "What are you saying Jesse? Why can't I go back to Roswell?"
~~~
Jesse rubbed his face. How could this be happening? There was no way he could allow Isabel to go back there. It was tempting fate. It would be breaking a promise.
"Honey, I need you here," Jesse finally sighed. "I have these important meetings and functions…” Jesse knew it sounded like a lame excuse, but he couldn't think of another reason. "I can't go."
Isabel nodded. "I never said you had to come Jesse. I just need to go. I have to see if I can somehow help my brother. I have to see him."
Jesse looked into Isabel's big brown eyes that were threatening to tear up. He swallowed, having a hard time getting out the words. "I can't let you go. I need you here," Jesse choked on his own words.
"Jesse!" Isabel looked at him with big round eyes. "I can't believe you're saying this!"
Isabel turned her back on him. "I'm leaving tonight. I've booked a seat and I'm going home. You can either drive me, or I can take a taxi."
He was cornered. Jesse wasn't about to lose Isabel over this, not yet. "Can't you just wait a week maybe? I can get everything in order here and come with you?"
Jesse felt her warm arms wrap around him. Caressing his ear with her lips, Isabel whispered to him, "Please, this can't wait."
Shaking his head, Jesse gave in. He just wouldn't be able to keep her away -- love or not. "Fine. I'll drive you," Jesse said stoically.
Isabel pulled out slightly, just enough to look into his eyes. "Thank you."
Jesse pressed his lips lightly to hers and then buried his face into her neck. He didn’t know exactly what would happen, but Jesse knew he had to find a way to get off work. When Isabel returned, Jesse didn't know whether it would negate the deals he'd made. He didn't know if he could keep his promise to her; Jesse didn't know if she'd be safe anymore.
~~~
Michael felt relief when Isabel confirmed that she was coming home that night – for Max. He shook his head and waited for the phone call with the arrival time of Isabel’s flight.
“Michael?” a familiar voice called out softly.
His head jerked up to see Maria standing at the door. “What are you doing here? Is Max all right?”
They had been taking turns watching over Maxwell in the Granolith chamber. Liz had been doing most of the bedside hovering.
“No, there’s no change,” Maria informed hesitantly. “Are you waiting for a call?”
Michael frowned. “Why?”
“Because you’re clutching that phone like it’s a lifeline. And I’m pretty sure you’re not playing ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’,” Maria joked, sitting down on the couch beside him.
Michael shook his head. “I phoned Isabel. She’s coming home tonight,” he informed.
A blank expression came over Maria’s face. “Oh.”
Michael swallowed and got up from the couch. He was restless. “Can I borrow your car?” Michael asked.
Maria pouted. “Will you not get into an accident this time?”
Michael smiled half-heartedly. “Can’t. No one’s after us now.”
Sighing loudly, Maria came up from behind Michael and wrapped her arms around him. “Are you okay Michael? I know you’re worried, but we’ve been through worse, right?”
She tried to comfort him, but Michael knew that this time was different. All the other difficult situations that the trio had found themselves in, Max had always been there. He was the healer. And this time Max was the one needing the healing. “I don’t know Maria. Max is so weak. And there’s this frantic search for him, now that the Evans’s think he’s missing. I don’t know what I should do,” Michael admitted gruffly.
He turned around in Maria’s arms until he was face to face with her, leaning his forehead against hers. Maria began to kiss him, lightly and gently. Michael’s head was in a spiral. He didn’t know what else he could do for Maxwell. And seemingly, the kisses melted away the thoughts and turmoil that was brewing inside him.
Michael cupped Maria’s face in his hands and deepened the kiss. As she began to lead him to the bedroom, the phone suddenly rang. “Michael?” Isabel’s voice chimed over the receiver.
“Isabel.”
Maria’s face became solemn as he resisted her beckoning gaze.
“Michael, my flight’s leaving in 30 minutes. I should be home in a few hours. Is someone going to be there to pick me up?”
Michael nodded and replied. “Yeah. I’m coming to pick you up. Then we’ll head over to the chamber from there.”
“Good. Michael, we’ll be all right.” There was a pause. “We’ll figure out what’s wrong with him. Stay strong Michael, do it for Max.”
It felt good to hear her voice, just as it had a half an hour ago. Michael’s confidence was bolstered by Isabel’s belief in him. “I will. Stay safe. I’ll see you in 3 hours.”
As he hung up the phone, Michael felt a peace, not just because they would figure out how to heal Max, but also because Isabel was coming home. And Michael would have a second chance. He would tell her exactly how he felt.
“Michael?” Maria called to him, beckoning him to finish what they had started.
Maria. An overwhelming sense of guilt filled Michael. He would hurt Maria. And again, Michael waffled.
What has changed, Michael thought to himself? Isabel is still married to Jesse, who still loves her.
“I have to go Maria.” Michael grabbed his denim jacket and left the solemn Maria standing behind him, arms opened.
A second chance had appeared out of nowhere from amidst this sorrow, but along side it, Michael knew that there would be another tragedy. And it would be either involve himself and Maria, or Jesse and Maria. Either way, someone was going to get hurt and Michael didn’t know if he had the heart to do it. Even if it meant Isabel would be his forever.
****
If there's one spark of hope
Left in my glass,
I'm holding it with both hands
It's worth the risk of burning
To have a second chance
- Brenda K. Starr
****
"Michael?" Isabel exclaimed, surprised at the impromptu call. "What's wrong?"
It was an intuitive reaction. Michael hadn't contacted Isabel in the month since she and Jesse had moved to New York. Not since their last chilling conversation in Roswell.
"Does something have to be wrong?" Michael asked defensively.
Isabel rolled her eyes. "Michael, there has to be. You wouldn't call if it there wasn’t."
There was silence on the opposite end of the receiver. Finally Isabel heard a sigh, and Michael answered her question. "Max is sick."
The statement sent a shiver down her spine. Isabel had felt uneasy the past couple of days. She'd attributed it to the promise of not using her powers, but Isabel now knew in her heart that it was because of Max. "What's wrong?"
Michael explained quickly over the phone, the events of the past several days. Max had come down with flu like symptoms since his magical night with Liz. It seemed for a time that he'd begun to recover from whatever strange sickness that had suddenly overwhelmed him, but then last night Max had collapsed in Liz's arms.
The effects of the sickness were now in full force. Their parents took Max to the hospital. Much to the Evan's chagrin, the doctors seemed clueless to what might be causing the unusual deadly condition. Michael rattled off how the three frantically stalled the doctors during the blood tests and any other type of examination of Max's internal body. The Evan's agreed with the doctors that blood tests were needed and asked the doctors to do what ever was needed.
"So what did you do?" Isabel gasped, running her fingers through her hair and pacing back and forth in the living room.
"Maria, Liz and I snuck him out of the hospital."
Isabel swallowed. "Was that a good idea? What if he gets worse?"
There was a hollow silence that sent a shiver down her spine again. "Where did you hide him?" Isabel whispered.
"He's in the Granolith chamber, but he's…he's not doing to good," Michael's voice cracked, the worry obvious in his gruff voice.
She was alarmed and headed towards her bedroom. "I'm coming home," Isabel stated as she began frantically packing her clothes and bathroom amenities.
Michael sighed over the receiver. "I was hoping you'd say that. We were planning on trying to heal Max with the stones. Liz and I tried with Maria, but I need you. I thought maybe Liz might be able to do something since she's started having powers…"
Isabel stopped packing and frowned. "Powers?"
"Yeah," Michael sighed. "It's a long story, but in the end, I guess it's up to you and me to work the stones."
"Michael," Isabel gulped. "Can it work with two people? I mean last time we were healing Nasedo and we had Max. Can we use them with only two?"
Again, silence.
Isabel had finished packing and headed towards the main door. "I'm catching the next flight out Michael. We'll talk about this when I get there. I have to go, so I can book a seat. I’ll phone you at the airport with the time."
"Yeah, uh sure. Bye."
Click.
Isabel quickly hung up the phone and dialed the airline. As she finished writing down the information on her flight and what terminal she was leaving from, Jesse arrived home early. "What's with the suitcase honey?"
Jesse waited as Isabel finished writing down the confirmation numbers. Then she ran over and gave Jesse a kiss and a hug. "I'm sorry. I just had a call from Michael tonight and he's just told me Max is sick. Really sick. I just phoned the airlines and booked a flight to Roswell, tonight."
Isabel realized she was rambling on and took a deep breath. "Jesse, I know this is short notice, but could you give me a ride to the airport?"
Jesse frowned and loosened his tie. "You can't go, Isabel," Jesse said quite calmly as he set down his briefcase on the nearby loveseat.
"What?" Isabel asked incredulously.
"You can't go. It's just not…possible…stupid promises and…"
Isabel tilted her head to the side, trying to catch the words that were coming out of her husband's mouth. It was a jumble of words and sighs. Quite frankly, it left Isabel confused. "What are you saying Jesse? Why can't I go back to Roswell?"
~~~
Jesse rubbed his face. How could this be happening? There was no way he could allow Isabel to go back there. It was tempting fate. It would be breaking a promise.
"Honey, I need you here," Jesse finally sighed. "I have these important meetings and functions…” Jesse knew it sounded like a lame excuse, but he couldn't think of another reason. "I can't go."
Isabel nodded. "I never said you had to come Jesse. I just need to go. I have to see if I can somehow help my brother. I have to see him."
Jesse looked into Isabel's big brown eyes that were threatening to tear up. He swallowed, having a hard time getting out the words. "I can't let you go. I need you here," Jesse choked on his own words.
"Jesse!" Isabel looked at him with big round eyes. "I can't believe you're saying this!"
Isabel turned her back on him. "I'm leaving tonight. I've booked a seat and I'm going home. You can either drive me, or I can take a taxi."
He was cornered. Jesse wasn't about to lose Isabel over this, not yet. "Can't you just wait a week maybe? I can get everything in order here and come with you?"
Jesse felt her warm arms wrap around him. Caressing his ear with her lips, Isabel whispered to him, "Please, this can't wait."
Shaking his head, Jesse gave in. He just wouldn't be able to keep her away -- love or not. "Fine. I'll drive you," Jesse said stoically.
Isabel pulled out slightly, just enough to look into his eyes. "Thank you."
Jesse pressed his lips lightly to hers and then buried his face into her neck. He didn’t know exactly what would happen, but Jesse knew he had to find a way to get off work. When Isabel returned, Jesse didn't know whether it would negate the deals he'd made. He didn't know if he could keep his promise to her; Jesse didn't know if she'd be safe anymore.
~~~
Michael felt relief when Isabel confirmed that she was coming home that night – for Max. He shook his head and waited for the phone call with the arrival time of Isabel’s flight.
“Michael?” a familiar voice called out softly.
His head jerked up to see Maria standing at the door. “What are you doing here? Is Max all right?”
They had been taking turns watching over Maxwell in the Granolith chamber. Liz had been doing most of the bedside hovering.
“No, there’s no change,” Maria informed hesitantly. “Are you waiting for a call?”
Michael frowned. “Why?”
“Because you’re clutching that phone like it’s a lifeline. And I’m pretty sure you’re not playing ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’,” Maria joked, sitting down on the couch beside him.
Michael shook his head. “I phoned Isabel. She’s coming home tonight,” he informed.
A blank expression came over Maria’s face. “Oh.”
Michael swallowed and got up from the couch. He was restless. “Can I borrow your car?” Michael asked.
Maria pouted. “Will you not get into an accident this time?”
Michael smiled half-heartedly. “Can’t. No one’s after us now.”
Sighing loudly, Maria came up from behind Michael and wrapped her arms around him. “Are you okay Michael? I know you’re worried, but we’ve been through worse, right?”
She tried to comfort him, but Michael knew that this time was different. All the other difficult situations that the trio had found themselves in, Max had always been there. He was the healer. And this time Max was the one needing the healing. “I don’t know Maria. Max is so weak. And there’s this frantic search for him, now that the Evans’s think he’s missing. I don’t know what I should do,” Michael admitted gruffly.
He turned around in Maria’s arms until he was face to face with her, leaning his forehead against hers. Maria began to kiss him, lightly and gently. Michael’s head was in a spiral. He didn’t know what else he could do for Maxwell. And seemingly, the kisses melted away the thoughts and turmoil that was brewing inside him.
Michael cupped Maria’s face in his hands and deepened the kiss. As she began to lead him to the bedroom, the phone suddenly rang. “Michael?” Isabel’s voice chimed over the receiver.
“Isabel.”
Maria’s face became solemn as he resisted her beckoning gaze.
“Michael, my flight’s leaving in 30 minutes. I should be home in a few hours. Is someone going to be there to pick me up?”
Michael nodded and replied. “Yeah. I’m coming to pick you up. Then we’ll head over to the chamber from there.”
“Good. Michael, we’ll be all right.” There was a pause. “We’ll figure out what’s wrong with him. Stay strong Michael, do it for Max.”
It felt good to hear her voice, just as it had a half an hour ago. Michael’s confidence was bolstered by Isabel’s belief in him. “I will. Stay safe. I’ll see you in 3 hours.”
As he hung up the phone, Michael felt a peace, not just because they would figure out how to heal Max, but also because Isabel was coming home. And Michael would have a second chance. He would tell her exactly how he felt.
“Michael?” Maria called to him, beckoning him to finish what they had started.
Maria. An overwhelming sense of guilt filled Michael. He would hurt Maria. And again, Michael waffled.
What has changed, Michael thought to himself? Isabel is still married to Jesse, who still loves her.
“I have to go Maria.” Michael grabbed his denim jacket and left the solemn Maria standing behind him, arms opened.
A second chance had appeared out of nowhere from amidst this sorrow, but along side it, Michael knew that there would be another tragedy. And it would be either involve himself and Maria, or Jesse and Maria. Either way, someone was going to get hurt and Michael didn’t know if he had the heart to do it. Even if it meant Isabel would be his forever.
The Queen of Torture
Chapter Eight
***
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.
- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
***
"Isabel?" Max's dry scratchy voice wafted from the unusually humid and drafty cave. "Is that you?"
The damp, dull brown hair hid Max’s face. "Max!" Isabel gasped, as she quickly dropped down beside her brother and stroked his forehead. “You’ll be okay. I'm here now."
She tried to quell the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Isabel had tried not to imagine her brother and how sick he would have to be for Michael to phone her. As hard as she tried, Isabel kept on receiving flashes. A clammy hand seemed to reach out and touch her before Isabel would awake from these projections.
Isabel grasped Max's limp hand. She turned to Liz, who was hovering behind her. "Has he been getting worse or is this how he's been for the past few days?" Isabel inquired.
Liz shook her head and bit her lip. She brushed her hair back with her fingers before she answered. "He's been steady for the past day now. Max hasn't gotten any worse, but he hasn’t been getting better. Can you guys do something already?" Liz pleaded, her voice reaching a piercing pitch beyond sound.
Maria, who had been standing guard at the entrance of the cave, was now holding Liz and comforting the distraught girlfriend. "Guys, can we break out those glowy stones already?" sighed Maria. "Waiting any longer will not be a good thing."
Isabel peered over at Michael who was kneeling beside Max, in front of Isabel. "We'd better do this fast." Isabel wiped Max's pale brow with a cool wet cloth, sitting near by. Michael stood up and pulled a velvet pouch out of his jacket pocket. "Here."
Michael handed Isabel one of the stones. Isabel joined Michael, pulling herself from her brother's weakened body and stood, closing her eyes, and concentrating on the hard amber stones. She could feel the warmth of her body seeping from her hands and into the 'healing stone'. Isabel took a deep breath, drawing herself further into a trance-like state, almost reaching outside of herself, and suddenly she felt the warm energy cease.
Isabel was confused and opened her eyes. She found herself looking at a similarly confused and stunned Michael. They both looked down at Max. His eyes were closed, face dripping with sweat. "It didn't work," Isabel whispered.
Her heart was racing at this point. She'd considered the possibility that they'd need the four. That the stones wouldn’t operate correctly without the other two stones. And the stones wouldn’t work without two other hybrids. Isabel prayed that her hypothesis was incorrect and that another way could be found; if she didn't, Max would have to find another way to be healed, if he could be healed at all. Isabel pushed the thought away.
~~~
Michael was in a state of confusion. What was happening? Michael's gaze lingered on Isabel's tear stained cheeks. Her lips moved silently, without a sound uttered. Michael knew she was beginning to panic, as she always did when she wasn't in control of something. He gripped the stone in his fingers and swallowed. He had to do something. He had to find another way to help Max.
"What are we going to do Michael?" Isabel's fearful eyes questioned him.
Michael had always, somewhere deep down inside, wanted to lead. Now that he had this chance, Michael wanted nothing more than for Max to wake up and yell at him for just standing around there. "We'll have to find another way," Michael stated calmly. He wouldn't let her see him crack.
Suddenly Liz stood in front of him, screaming, "How can you be so calm? Max is dying! How can you just stand there and let him die?" Maria tried to pry her away from a distraught Michael. "I can feel him slipping away!" Finally Maria managed to calm her as Liz fell to her knees beside Max. The blonde mouthed an apology to him.
Michael motioned Isabel over to his side. Her shaky footing caused Michael to reach out and catch her before she fell. Both looked intently at each other before heading towards the cave entrance. Michael cleared his throat as he looked up into the clear, dark desert sky. He’d begun formulating a plan in his mind, but didn’t quite know how viable it was.
“Michael what are you thinking?”
Michael peered over at Isabel who had begun biting her thumbnail, nervous and anxious. She kept looking over her shoulder into the cavern. “I think we need help Isabel,” said Michael slowly. “I also think that we need to do it fast.”
Isabel’s dark eyes pierced deep inside of him. He could see the fear on her face and he hated the helplessness he felt. On top of that, Michael was fighting off the pensive thoughts brooding within him about being without Max. Max was like a brother to Michael. And since Max had been ill Michael hadn’t stopped moving for a second, knowing that a single moment would have him in tears.
“Well, we can’t just stand here Michael. Who can help us? I don’t know of any ‘alien doctors’ just hanging around Roswell.”
Michael swallowed. “If we had Tess…”
Suddenly a change came over Isabel’s worried face. “Tess?” Worry was replaced by anger and Isabel took a deep breath. “Why would you even think to bring her into this? She’s gone. Vanished, back where she belongs. She made her bed, now she can lie in it.” Venom laced each word.
Michael nodded. “I know, Isabel. But even so, if she were here, I think there’d be a chance to heal him.”
Isabel’s darkened face became solemn and calm. “Well, that’s not an option!”
Michael walked out to the cliff peak. “Well, I don’t know what else you want me to say. I don’t have a plan, Isabel!” Michael yelled out frustrated. “I’m not Max!”
He surprised himself. Michael had worked very hard to conceal his emotions, but somehow Isabel’s presence made it hard to remember. Her soft hand pressed on his shoulder. “Michael, I don’t expect you to,” she replied softly. “You have to remember, we’re here has a team. We’ll figure it out together. It doesn’t have to be you fighting to save Max’s life.”
Michael closed his eyes, with his back turned towards Isabel. “But I need to do this. How many times has Max saved my butt? How many times has he been there for me? And this one time, I need to step up to the plate, I balk?”
He could hear her lick her lips. “Michael, I promise, we’ll figure it out together. We have to.”
~~~
On Antar.
“Ma!” a child’s voice called.
Her crystal clear blue eyes peered down on her son’s face. “That’s right Zander. Mommy’s here.”
“Da! Da! Daaaaaaa!” the child giggled as he raised his milky white arms up towards her.
She swallowed hard. “No. Dada isn’t here.” She could still imagine his face, his warm full lips, and his dark eyes piercing her soul. “Dada…”
Suddenly she felt it again. A nauseous, light-headed wave passed over her. Ava, as she had begun being called by the people of Antar ever since her return, had been feeling odd and even ill, over the past few days. It was enough to have to bring a nanny in because she was unable to carry Zander for long periods of time. She’d had to rest frequently throughout the days.
“Ava?” Eliana called as she supported the would-be-queen. “Is it happening again?”
Tess couldn’t help feeling a sense of defiance at the name. Try as she might, she couldn’t rid herself of the name. She hated it. It reminded her of every past kiss and whispered word that she’d lost from her beloved Zan, her beloved Maxwell. Tess had been banished. Since her betrayal on Earth, Tess was nothing to the friends and the family she had formed. None could understand. And no one would ever know why she’d done the things she did.
Tess knew that her soul mate, her true love would never really know the extent of her love for him.
“Ava!” Eliana snapped. “You must eat.”
The older woman, her handmaiden if Tess could call her that, motioned to the tray of uneaten fruit and pastries that lay before her. Her servant was in her fifties. She was a kind woman, gentle with Zander and kind to Tess, but she was at her master’s bidding. “I’m not hungry Eliana. I’ve told you before. I can get my own food from the kitchen whenever I’m hungry.”
She shook her head. “The mistress of the house will not do such menial tasks such as this!” Eliana stated defiantly. “Lord Nicholas has strict orders to keep you healthy. And lately you’ve not been feeling very well.”
“Well, he can kiss my…”
“Love to,” Nicholas sneered as he interrupted the conversation. “Now what’s this I hear about not eating anything?”
Eliana curtsied and grimaced. “I’ve tried, but she insists on making her own food and will not touch anything we bring to her.”
Tess felt bad for Eliana. She’d apparently raised Nicholas since he was born, but he treated her like dirt under his feet. Truthfully, Tess couldn’t believe she’d be forced to live with him. She’d made bargains with Khivar and the powers of Antar and he was not mentioned once.
“Leave us,” Nicholas spat, a look of disgust emerged on his pug face.
Tess did everything she could to keep the bile from rising to her throat. “What do you want?” Tess snapped, keeping Zander in sight.
Nicholas wandered over to the child and picked him up. “He’s such a sweet boy,” Nicholas cooed, as the child gurgled in his arms.
Tess pulled her child from his grasp gently. “Come on Zander. Time for you to go beddy bye,” whispered Tess, almost song-like.
Finally when she’d returned from the Zander’s bedroom, Tess smiled through clenched teeth. “What do you want?”
“I’m just checking to see how my guest is doing?” Nicholas chided, like a mother to her child.
“I would be great if you’d just let me and Zander leave.”
Nicholas shook his head. “Now that’s just not possible,” smiled Nicholas. “You know very well Khivar wouldn’t be happy with that. Especially since the huge Vilandra debacle.”
Tess couldn’t help but smirk at the memory. It had been all over Antar how Isabel had rejected the ‘reigning king’. He’d been furious. Tess, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more pleased. “Yes, isn’t that too bad,” Tess’ voice laced with syrupy venom.
“Now is that the way to talk about your king?” Nicholas wagged his finger in front of Tess’ face. Tess smiled politely and made a quick move to bite his finger. Nicholas saw it coming and pulled his finger away. “Ah ah! That wasn’t very nice. Maybe for that, I won’t tell you about the news I heard about Earth and our little would-be royal three?”
Tess frowned. “What about them? What are you planning?” Tess inquired warily. “We had a deal, Nicholas.”
Nicholas tilted his head and cocked his eyebrow. “I do seem to recall such a deal, but then something happened. Ah, yes, you double-crossed us!” Nicholas spat. His controlled demeanor was lost for a moment and a dark and powerful force loomed in front of her. And then, as quickly as it arose, it was gone.
“I came back with the child!” Tess stated.
Nicholas drew nearer, until his nose was inches away from Tess’. His fingers twirled her blonde curly tendrils and all the while, his eyes inspected her. “But,” he whispered, “without the king.”
Tess swallowed. “You didn’t need him.”
“But he was part of the deal!” Nicholas snaked his way around Tess. It made her skin crawl.
“He was part of the deal because I wanted him to be part of it. I thought I loved him, but it was obvious to me that the human was all he really wanted.” The words stung as they formed on her lips. Though they were lies, Tess couldn’t help but know there was some truth within them. “But you didn’t want him anyway. So why not just leave him on Earth. It’s not like he’s coming back to Antar. He’s no threat to Khivar.”
Nicholas forced a smile. “But Ava, it was important to us.” Nicholas whispered into her ear.
Tess stepped forward, hoping to put some distance between herself and the repugnant husk of the vile alien. “What about Max?” She changed the subject back to her former lover.
Nicholas sighed and rolled his eyes. “All right,” smiled Nicholas. “If you insist on knowing. Your former royal counter-part is dying.” He pouted, mocking Tess and reveling in the knowledge of her shock.
“What!” Tess yelled, and then swallowed hard finding her composure again.
Nicholas clucked his tongue. “Now Ava, yelling isn’t becoming of you.” He paused and then looked over at the entrance to Zander’s room. “And we do have a sleeping baby to consider.”
Tess seethed. He could get under her skin like no other creepy crawly insect or bug. Nicholas and Khivar knew exactly what she was all about. They knew that she’d do anything for Maxwell. Anything for the man she loved. As hard as she tried to hide her feelings for Max, she was an easy read. And as many times as she’d told them about her hatred for Max as he abandoned her for a human, Tess knew that they believed less than she’d like. Tess followed the younger, yet evil follower of her nemesis, to the terrace balcony.
Calmly and casually Tess began to inquire about her beloved. “Why is he dying?”
The question caused Nicholas to snicker. “Oh. I don’t think you really want to know.” Nicholas turned around to face Tess as he leaned against the terrace railing.
“Yes. Now tell me.” Part of her feared the answer, but part of Tess needed to hear it. “Why is he dying?”
Nicholas smiled and cocked his head. “Hmm, maybe you would enjoy hearing why the pathetic wretch is dying. It’s really ironic if you ask me.”
Tess bit her lip. “Why?” she repeated her question.
“He’s dying because he slept with her, that human growth of cells!” announced Nicholas, who burst out laughing.
Tess stood without sound, movement or speech. Her heart lurched at the words. ‘He slept with her’ resounded through her ears. Tess took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She forced a smile and licked her lips as her hand rested on her stomach, which felt like a thousand daggers were stabbing her over and over again. “Wow,” she managed to utter.
Nicholas stood up, one hand clutching his side and the other wiping away the tears of joy from what he’d just realized. “You do realize how perfectly delightful this revenge is for you? I mean, you’ve gone on and on about how you hate him because of her. And now you’ve got your revenge? I mean, anything we could have done here on Antar, doesn’t compare to the agony of dying because of sleeping with the woman you love.” He broke into another fit of laughter. “Hope I’ve made you’re night,” Nicholas smiled, again wiping a tear away before leaving Tess alone on the balcony.
She could hear his laughter continue as he left the apartment. Tess closed her eyes, praying he’d just leave. “You know,” Nicholas called from the doorway, “what would have made this complete?” Tess waited for his sick answer. “Letting him know why he’s dying.”
Tess covered her mouth as she waited to hear the door close. Finally when she heard the click of the lock, Tess let out a muffled cry. “Noooo!” She leaned against the balcony railing as the tears began to fall on her pale white cheeks. Tess couldn’t breathe. All those nights and days of restless sleep, she finally knew it was because of Max and his sickness. Tess turned her back on the crimson hued sunset and felt herself collapse against the balcony railing. Not Max.
She’d sacrificed too much to lose him now. There had to be a way to save him. Tess rose from the stone floor and made her way to Zander’s room. As she studied the rise and fall of her son’s chest; so peaceful, so beautiful, Tess whispered to their son, “I’ll save him Zander. I promise I’ll save your Daddy.”
***
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.
- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
***
"Isabel?" Max's dry scratchy voice wafted from the unusually humid and drafty cave. "Is that you?"
The damp, dull brown hair hid Max’s face. "Max!" Isabel gasped, as she quickly dropped down beside her brother and stroked his forehead. “You’ll be okay. I'm here now."
She tried to quell the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Isabel had tried not to imagine her brother and how sick he would have to be for Michael to phone her. As hard as she tried, Isabel kept on receiving flashes. A clammy hand seemed to reach out and touch her before Isabel would awake from these projections.
Isabel grasped Max's limp hand. She turned to Liz, who was hovering behind her. "Has he been getting worse or is this how he's been for the past few days?" Isabel inquired.
Liz shook her head and bit her lip. She brushed her hair back with her fingers before she answered. "He's been steady for the past day now. Max hasn't gotten any worse, but he hasn’t been getting better. Can you guys do something already?" Liz pleaded, her voice reaching a piercing pitch beyond sound.
Maria, who had been standing guard at the entrance of the cave, was now holding Liz and comforting the distraught girlfriend. "Guys, can we break out those glowy stones already?" sighed Maria. "Waiting any longer will not be a good thing."
Isabel peered over at Michael who was kneeling beside Max, in front of Isabel. "We'd better do this fast." Isabel wiped Max's pale brow with a cool wet cloth, sitting near by. Michael stood up and pulled a velvet pouch out of his jacket pocket. "Here."
Michael handed Isabel one of the stones. Isabel joined Michael, pulling herself from her brother's weakened body and stood, closing her eyes, and concentrating on the hard amber stones. She could feel the warmth of her body seeping from her hands and into the 'healing stone'. Isabel took a deep breath, drawing herself further into a trance-like state, almost reaching outside of herself, and suddenly she felt the warm energy cease.
Isabel was confused and opened her eyes. She found herself looking at a similarly confused and stunned Michael. They both looked down at Max. His eyes were closed, face dripping with sweat. "It didn't work," Isabel whispered.
Her heart was racing at this point. She'd considered the possibility that they'd need the four. That the stones wouldn’t operate correctly without the other two stones. And the stones wouldn’t work without two other hybrids. Isabel prayed that her hypothesis was incorrect and that another way could be found; if she didn't, Max would have to find another way to be healed, if he could be healed at all. Isabel pushed the thought away.
~~~
Michael was in a state of confusion. What was happening? Michael's gaze lingered on Isabel's tear stained cheeks. Her lips moved silently, without a sound uttered. Michael knew she was beginning to panic, as she always did when she wasn't in control of something. He gripped the stone in his fingers and swallowed. He had to do something. He had to find another way to help Max.
"What are we going to do Michael?" Isabel's fearful eyes questioned him.
Michael had always, somewhere deep down inside, wanted to lead. Now that he had this chance, Michael wanted nothing more than for Max to wake up and yell at him for just standing around there. "We'll have to find another way," Michael stated calmly. He wouldn't let her see him crack.
Suddenly Liz stood in front of him, screaming, "How can you be so calm? Max is dying! How can you just stand there and let him die?" Maria tried to pry her away from a distraught Michael. "I can feel him slipping away!" Finally Maria managed to calm her as Liz fell to her knees beside Max. The blonde mouthed an apology to him.
Michael motioned Isabel over to his side. Her shaky footing caused Michael to reach out and catch her before she fell. Both looked intently at each other before heading towards the cave entrance. Michael cleared his throat as he looked up into the clear, dark desert sky. He’d begun formulating a plan in his mind, but didn’t quite know how viable it was.
“Michael what are you thinking?”
Michael peered over at Isabel who had begun biting her thumbnail, nervous and anxious. She kept looking over her shoulder into the cavern. “I think we need help Isabel,” said Michael slowly. “I also think that we need to do it fast.”
Isabel’s dark eyes pierced deep inside of him. He could see the fear on her face and he hated the helplessness he felt. On top of that, Michael was fighting off the pensive thoughts brooding within him about being without Max. Max was like a brother to Michael. And since Max had been ill Michael hadn’t stopped moving for a second, knowing that a single moment would have him in tears.
“Well, we can’t just stand here Michael. Who can help us? I don’t know of any ‘alien doctors’ just hanging around Roswell.”
Michael swallowed. “If we had Tess…”
Suddenly a change came over Isabel’s worried face. “Tess?” Worry was replaced by anger and Isabel took a deep breath. “Why would you even think to bring her into this? She’s gone. Vanished, back where she belongs. She made her bed, now she can lie in it.” Venom laced each word.
Michael nodded. “I know, Isabel. But even so, if she were here, I think there’d be a chance to heal him.”
Isabel’s darkened face became solemn and calm. “Well, that’s not an option!”
Michael walked out to the cliff peak. “Well, I don’t know what else you want me to say. I don’t have a plan, Isabel!” Michael yelled out frustrated. “I’m not Max!”
He surprised himself. Michael had worked very hard to conceal his emotions, but somehow Isabel’s presence made it hard to remember. Her soft hand pressed on his shoulder. “Michael, I don’t expect you to,” she replied softly. “You have to remember, we’re here has a team. We’ll figure it out together. It doesn’t have to be you fighting to save Max’s life.”
Michael closed his eyes, with his back turned towards Isabel. “But I need to do this. How many times has Max saved my butt? How many times has he been there for me? And this one time, I need to step up to the plate, I balk?”
He could hear her lick her lips. “Michael, I promise, we’ll figure it out together. We have to.”
~~~
On Antar.
“Ma!” a child’s voice called.
Her crystal clear blue eyes peered down on her son’s face. “That’s right Zander. Mommy’s here.”
“Da! Da! Daaaaaaa!” the child giggled as he raised his milky white arms up towards her.
She swallowed hard. “No. Dada isn’t here.” She could still imagine his face, his warm full lips, and his dark eyes piercing her soul. “Dada…”
Suddenly she felt it again. A nauseous, light-headed wave passed over her. Ava, as she had begun being called by the people of Antar ever since her return, had been feeling odd and even ill, over the past few days. It was enough to have to bring a nanny in because she was unable to carry Zander for long periods of time. She’d had to rest frequently throughout the days.
“Ava?” Eliana called as she supported the would-be-queen. “Is it happening again?”
Tess couldn’t help feeling a sense of defiance at the name. Try as she might, she couldn’t rid herself of the name. She hated it. It reminded her of every past kiss and whispered word that she’d lost from her beloved Zan, her beloved Maxwell. Tess had been banished. Since her betrayal on Earth, Tess was nothing to the friends and the family she had formed. None could understand. And no one would ever know why she’d done the things she did.
Tess knew that her soul mate, her true love would never really know the extent of her love for him.
“Ava!” Eliana snapped. “You must eat.”
The older woman, her handmaiden if Tess could call her that, motioned to the tray of uneaten fruit and pastries that lay before her. Her servant was in her fifties. She was a kind woman, gentle with Zander and kind to Tess, but she was at her master’s bidding. “I’m not hungry Eliana. I’ve told you before. I can get my own food from the kitchen whenever I’m hungry.”
She shook her head. “The mistress of the house will not do such menial tasks such as this!” Eliana stated defiantly. “Lord Nicholas has strict orders to keep you healthy. And lately you’ve not been feeling very well.”
“Well, he can kiss my…”
“Love to,” Nicholas sneered as he interrupted the conversation. “Now what’s this I hear about not eating anything?”
Eliana curtsied and grimaced. “I’ve tried, but she insists on making her own food and will not touch anything we bring to her.”
Tess felt bad for Eliana. She’d apparently raised Nicholas since he was born, but he treated her like dirt under his feet. Truthfully, Tess couldn’t believe she’d be forced to live with him. She’d made bargains with Khivar and the powers of Antar and he was not mentioned once.
“Leave us,” Nicholas spat, a look of disgust emerged on his pug face.
Tess did everything she could to keep the bile from rising to her throat. “What do you want?” Tess snapped, keeping Zander in sight.
Nicholas wandered over to the child and picked him up. “He’s such a sweet boy,” Nicholas cooed, as the child gurgled in his arms.
Tess pulled her child from his grasp gently. “Come on Zander. Time for you to go beddy bye,” whispered Tess, almost song-like.
Finally when she’d returned from the Zander’s bedroom, Tess smiled through clenched teeth. “What do you want?”
“I’m just checking to see how my guest is doing?” Nicholas chided, like a mother to her child.
“I would be great if you’d just let me and Zander leave.”
Nicholas shook his head. “Now that’s just not possible,” smiled Nicholas. “You know very well Khivar wouldn’t be happy with that. Especially since the huge Vilandra debacle.”
Tess couldn’t help but smirk at the memory. It had been all over Antar how Isabel had rejected the ‘reigning king’. He’d been furious. Tess, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more pleased. “Yes, isn’t that too bad,” Tess’ voice laced with syrupy venom.
“Now is that the way to talk about your king?” Nicholas wagged his finger in front of Tess’ face. Tess smiled politely and made a quick move to bite his finger. Nicholas saw it coming and pulled his finger away. “Ah ah! That wasn’t very nice. Maybe for that, I won’t tell you about the news I heard about Earth and our little would-be royal three?”
Tess frowned. “What about them? What are you planning?” Tess inquired warily. “We had a deal, Nicholas.”
Nicholas tilted his head and cocked his eyebrow. “I do seem to recall such a deal, but then something happened. Ah, yes, you double-crossed us!” Nicholas spat. His controlled demeanor was lost for a moment and a dark and powerful force loomed in front of her. And then, as quickly as it arose, it was gone.
“I came back with the child!” Tess stated.
Nicholas drew nearer, until his nose was inches away from Tess’. His fingers twirled her blonde curly tendrils and all the while, his eyes inspected her. “But,” he whispered, “without the king.”
Tess swallowed. “You didn’t need him.”
“But he was part of the deal!” Nicholas snaked his way around Tess. It made her skin crawl.
“He was part of the deal because I wanted him to be part of it. I thought I loved him, but it was obvious to me that the human was all he really wanted.” The words stung as they formed on her lips. Though they were lies, Tess couldn’t help but know there was some truth within them. “But you didn’t want him anyway. So why not just leave him on Earth. It’s not like he’s coming back to Antar. He’s no threat to Khivar.”
Nicholas forced a smile. “But Ava, it was important to us.” Nicholas whispered into her ear.
Tess stepped forward, hoping to put some distance between herself and the repugnant husk of the vile alien. “What about Max?” She changed the subject back to her former lover.
Nicholas sighed and rolled his eyes. “All right,” smiled Nicholas. “If you insist on knowing. Your former royal counter-part is dying.” He pouted, mocking Tess and reveling in the knowledge of her shock.
“What!” Tess yelled, and then swallowed hard finding her composure again.
Nicholas clucked his tongue. “Now Ava, yelling isn’t becoming of you.” He paused and then looked over at the entrance to Zander’s room. “And we do have a sleeping baby to consider.”
Tess seethed. He could get under her skin like no other creepy crawly insect or bug. Nicholas and Khivar knew exactly what she was all about. They knew that she’d do anything for Maxwell. Anything for the man she loved. As hard as she tried to hide her feelings for Max, she was an easy read. And as many times as she’d told them about her hatred for Max as he abandoned her for a human, Tess knew that they believed less than she’d like. Tess followed the younger, yet evil follower of her nemesis, to the terrace balcony.
Calmly and casually Tess began to inquire about her beloved. “Why is he dying?”
The question caused Nicholas to snicker. “Oh. I don’t think you really want to know.” Nicholas turned around to face Tess as he leaned against the terrace railing.
“Yes. Now tell me.” Part of her feared the answer, but part of Tess needed to hear it. “Why is he dying?”
Nicholas smiled and cocked his head. “Hmm, maybe you would enjoy hearing why the pathetic wretch is dying. It’s really ironic if you ask me.”
Tess bit her lip. “Why?” she repeated her question.
“He’s dying because he slept with her, that human growth of cells!” announced Nicholas, who burst out laughing.
Tess stood without sound, movement or speech. Her heart lurched at the words. ‘He slept with her’ resounded through her ears. Tess took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She forced a smile and licked her lips as her hand rested on her stomach, which felt like a thousand daggers were stabbing her over and over again. “Wow,” she managed to utter.
Nicholas stood up, one hand clutching his side and the other wiping away the tears of joy from what he’d just realized. “You do realize how perfectly delightful this revenge is for you? I mean, you’ve gone on and on about how you hate him because of her. And now you’ve got your revenge? I mean, anything we could have done here on Antar, doesn’t compare to the agony of dying because of sleeping with the woman you love.” He broke into another fit of laughter. “Hope I’ve made you’re night,” Nicholas smiled, again wiping a tear away before leaving Tess alone on the balcony.
She could hear his laughter continue as he left the apartment. Tess closed her eyes, praying he’d just leave. “You know,” Nicholas called from the doorway, “what would have made this complete?” Tess waited for his sick answer. “Letting him know why he’s dying.”
Tess covered her mouth as she waited to hear the door close. Finally when she heard the click of the lock, Tess let out a muffled cry. “Noooo!” She leaned against the balcony railing as the tears began to fall on her pale white cheeks. Tess couldn’t breathe. All those nights and days of restless sleep, she finally knew it was because of Max and his sickness. Tess turned her back on the crimson hued sunset and felt herself collapse against the balcony railing. Not Max.
She’d sacrificed too much to lose him now. There had to be a way to save him. Tess rose from the stone floor and made her way to Zander’s room. As she studied the rise and fall of her son’s chest; so peaceful, so beautiful, Tess whispered to their son, “I’ll save him Zander. I promise I’ll save your Daddy.”
The Queen of Torture
Chapter Nine
***
Tis time this heart should be unmoved,
Since others it hath ceased to move;
Yet, though I cannot be beloved,
Still let me love.
- Lord Byron
***
Isabel entered the Evans' home, weary from jet lag and the emotional strain of the possible death of her brother. She was operating on automatic pilot. It was only at the loud gasp, did Isabel bother to look up as she padded her way through the kitchen. "Isabel?"
Her mother stood in front of the stove with a spatula in hand. Her father sat in his familiar spot at the kitchen table. "Hi Mom," Isabel smiled sheepishly. She was exhausted. Isabel did not want to have a long drawn out conversation with her parents. "I'm home!"
Mr. Evans cocked his head with almost a look of dismay on his face rather than Mrs. Evan's look of shock. "What are you doing home?" he asked, setting down his cup of coffee and newspaper.
Isabel sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. "I heard about Max from Michael and I came home as soon as I could," she explained looking up at her Father.
He frowned. "And what about Jesse? Where is he?"
Isabel shrugged. "I came alone. Jesse couldn't ask for time off. He's in the middle of a heavy case load or something." Isabel relaxed as she felt her mother come up behind her, kiss her forehead and give her a hug. "I'm beat Mom. Can we talk about this after I get some sleep?"
Mrs. Evans nodded. "Of course Isabel. There's a lot you don't know about what's happened with Max. But I don't want you to worry over it. You get some sleep and we'll try to figure all of this out."
~ * ~
"Max?" Isabel called. Her voice seemed to echo across the desert dreamscape. Suddenly the scene changed. The sky was crimson red and dark jagged cliffs stood above her draped in the warm sun. "Hello?"
"Isabel."
A familiar voice surrounded her. As she searched in the rolling green valley, Isabel couldn't identify where it was coming from. "Who's there?"
"Maxwell is sick," the voice stated.
Isabel closed her eyes in frustration. It was seemingly less and less like a dream. "Of course he's sick. Why are you telling me that? I know that!" yelled Isabel.
"Liz."
Isabel frowned. "What about Liz?" Isabel frantically searched the jagged cliffs for any sign of a person. "Tell me who you are! Why don't you show me your face?" Unexpectedly, Isabel found herself staring at a petite figure standing at the peak of the cliffs. It was a woman, her hair flowing in the breeze of the noonday. The yellow sun framed her body and its rays hid her face.
"I can’t tell you that. My time is running short," she whispered. The images began to fade and Isabel felt herself awakening from the trance. "Trust me. Help is coming."
Isabel sat up in her bed, sweat ran down her face. She propped herself up against the headboard and ran her fingers through her hair. Her head was pounding. What was that?
~~~
Michael hadn't slept all night. Maria left his apartment early that morning for the early shift at the Crashdown. "This worrying is going to kill you Michael. You need to sleep," Maria chided as she grabbed her apron and headed out the door. "I'm telling you now, Michael. Sleep will help in the long run."
He had tried to take the advice, but nothing would allow him to receive that restful darkness. Michael couldn't explain it. He'd always, even in the midst of danger, been able to sleep. It was as if something, someone would not leave him be. Visions of Max writhing in pain and images of a man laughing flooded before him.
Finally as he climbed out of the shower, Michael's horrible visions stopped unexpectedly. As he dried his damp hair with a towel, Michael pulled a Snapple out of the fridge. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Michael wasn’t expecting anyone this late in the afternoon. He'd arranged to meet Isabel during the evening and head back to the cavern to check on Max. "Who is it?" he asked gruffly.
A frantic knock on the door sounded, and Isabel's voice rang through the thick barrier. "It's me Michael. We need to talk."
Michael wrapped his towel around his neck and opened the door. "Isabel?" The tall auburn-haired woman stepped into his apartment distracted and fidgety. He watched her pacing back and forth. "What's wrong?"
Suddenly she stopped pacing and looked Michael straight in the eyes. "I had a vision, or contact, or…well, I don't know what you'd call it, but I had it," Isabel rambled. "She was talking and telling me that she would help. Now I don't know how, but I think she's going to."
Michael shook his head and held out his hands in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Isabel stopped talking and pulled Michael onto the couch. "I went home this morning. And when I got there, I was exhausted. So I went to bed. When I thought I had gone to sleep, I found myself in this almost surreal place. It was like the cliffs in the desert, but not. Then I heard this voice. It was a woman. She told me Max was sick, which I already knew. I thought I was dreaming, but I knew somehow that this was someone actually talking to me. She told that she would help Max. And before that, she mentioned something about Liz. She really just said her name, but somehow she's either part of the reason Max is sick or the solution." Isabel stopped talking, breathing heavily, like she'd just run a race.
"Where did this come from?" Michael asked.
Isabel shook her head. "I don't know, but it's a start. I mean it's more than we've had to go on for a while."
Michael shook his head. "I've been kind of having visions…seeing things ya know?"
Isabel's eyes lit up. "Was it the same kind of thing?"
Michael became somber. The thought of those images sent shivers down his spine. He sighed. "No. Not even close." He felt Isabel draw closer to him, resting her arm around his shoulders. "It was creepy. I don't even want to talk about it."
The soft beat of her heart drummed against his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back. "It'll be okay Michael. We have to stay positive or we'll lose Max. And that's something I know we're both not ready to do."
Michael nodded. He turned to face her and buried his face against her neck. The soft comforting smell of lavender and chamomile helped to erase the images of a screaming Max. Slowly Michael finally pulled away from the reassuring embrace. "Do you know who she is?" Michael inquired. "I mean could it be another alien?"
Isabel frowned. "I don’t think so. I think she's not here. I get the feeling that it was somewhere far off. But I also got the feeling that I knew her and she was trying to hide something."
Michael ran his hands through his still damp hair. "Well, do you think she'll talk to you again?"
Isabel shrugged and smiled half-heartedly. "I don't know."
Michael slouched into the cushions of the couch. "Well at least it's something. I think we need to talk to Liz about some of the stuff that's been happening to her and about what that woman said. I can't say that I'm ready to trust that 'vision' or whatever you called it, but if it's all we've got?"
Isabel tucked her left leg underneath her and put her hand on Michael's knee. "Do you think that Liz has something to do with his sickness? When did he start getting sick?"
Michael hated to say it, but he'd been thinking about it ever since the Evans' took Max to the hospital. "Right after Las Vegas. Right after they…slept together."
~~~
“Ava?” a dark chilling voice called. “Have you been doing naughty things?”
As Tess cradled Zander in her arms while sitting on the pure white couch, she tilted her head up to meet Khivar’s gaze. “Hello Khivar.”
His tall broad frame cast a shadow over her son’s peaceful sleeping face. His black eyes seemed to bore into Tess’ soul. As she swallowed hard, trying to retain her casual demeanor, Khivar kneeled before her. Instinctively Tess drew Zander tightly to her chest, causing her sleeping child to squirm. “Ava, I thought we had an understanding?” asked Khivar curiously. Tess felt his strong hand press tightly upon her knee.
Tess nodded. “We do.” Quickly maneuvering herself into a position to be able to rise up from the enveloping cushions, Tess smiled and moved away from the suffocating stare of her reigning ‘King’. “Why are you here anyway? Don’t you have some plotting to do? Or maybe send our armies into war again?”
Khivar quickly stood up, which was surprising since his stature and gangly limbs would cause anyone to be uncoordinated. “I have to say that I’ve heard rumors that you’ve tried to contact someone on Earth?” frowned Khivar. “Now the only ones you could possibly want to talk to are your fellow hybrids. And you’ve assured me that you’d never do that.”
Tess felt her knees go weak as she walked towards the silver bassinet. As she placed Zander down on the white blankets, Tess rested against its walls. She’d been exhausted from the mind convergence earlier that afternoon. It had been a strain making contact with Isabel since she’d lost touch with the other three almost a year ago. Turning around to face Khivar Tess denied the accusation. “You’re right. I did tell you I would never contact them, so why are you asking me if I did?” asked Tess through gritted teeth.
She felt waves of nausea overwhelm her as she tried to balance herself against the bassinet. “Now Ava, you should know better than to lie to me. I’ve been monitoring you for a while now.” He sneered. “Well, actually ever since you’ve arrived. I thought we’d be fast friends after making our agreement, but when you returned without the agreed ‘king’ well, forgive me if I don’t trust everything you say.”
Tess licked her lips and tucked a straggling lock of hair behind her ear. “Is that all?” Tess smiled politely. “I don’t want Zander disturbed.”
Khivar studied her for a moment and then silently nodded. “I’d be careful Ava. Your beauty and wits have kept you alive so far. But no one breaks an agreement with me without consequences.”
Tess stood stoically as the threat hung in the air. “Now why would I do that?” Subconsciously Tess peered quickly over her should her at her innocent son.
Khivar stood at the door. “Do not cross me Ava. Zan may be dying, but that doesn’t mean the process couldn’t be sped up. Contacting Zan or the others will be the biggest mistake of your Antarian life. I’m sure if Zander could speak, he’d agree. He does understand the way things are. Zander and I have had many interesting conversations,” laughed Khivar before closing the door behind him.
Tess looked down at her son and then at the doorway where Khivar had just stood moments ago. Gently caressing the brow of her son, Tess leaned down and kissed his warm forehead. “You know he can’t be trusted right Zander. If he’s touched an innocent thought in your head, Khivar will rule the day he met me,” growled Tess. “I love you Zander and I’ll figure out a way to save Daddy without having you pay the price.”
~~~
Max’s fever was rising and he tossed and turned beneath the dull grey wool blankets. Liz moped his sweaty brow as his face contorted in pain. A flurry of jumbled words, some understandable, but most were a flood of foreign pleas. “It’s going to be all right Max,” Liz whispered. “I’ll take care of you. I promise. We’ll be together just like we’ve always planned.”
Her heart sunk as she watched this man whom she’d given herself to, heart and soul deteriorate before her. “Amdedis sedari,” mumbled Max.
Liz frowned and leaned her ear closer to his dry chapped lips. “Max?” she whispered. “What are you trying to say?”
Suddenly Max’s dark brown eyes opened slowly and a soft smile appeared upon his face. “Max?” Liz exclaimed. It had been days since he’d opened his eyes and seemed cognizant of his surroundings. He began to speak in that same foreign tongue she’d heard just moments ago when Max finally began to speak in English. “My love.” His clammy hand reached up and caressed her cheek. “I have found you again. I’ve loved you since the beginning.”
Liz smiled tenderly at her soul mate. “I love you too Max,” murmured Liz, kissing his forehead.
Max reached up, his eyes glazed, but yet full and dark. “My Ava, I’ve waited so long to hear those words,” Max whispered tenderly. “We will be together again. Even death shall n’er tear our souls apart.” His voice began to fade and Liz had to gently place his head back down on his pillow. “We are one as destiny has promised.”
Liz wiped a lazy tear from her burning cheeks. She swallowed hard and tried to remind herself that it was a hallucination, some delusion brought on by the sickness. But somewhere deep inside, Liz couldn’t help but feel
***
Tis time this heart should be unmoved,
Since others it hath ceased to move;
Yet, though I cannot be beloved,
Still let me love.
- Lord Byron
***
Isabel entered the Evans' home, weary from jet lag and the emotional strain of the possible death of her brother. She was operating on automatic pilot. It was only at the loud gasp, did Isabel bother to look up as she padded her way through the kitchen. "Isabel?"
Her mother stood in front of the stove with a spatula in hand. Her father sat in his familiar spot at the kitchen table. "Hi Mom," Isabel smiled sheepishly. She was exhausted. Isabel did not want to have a long drawn out conversation with her parents. "I'm home!"
Mr. Evans cocked his head with almost a look of dismay on his face rather than Mrs. Evan's look of shock. "What are you doing home?" he asked, setting down his cup of coffee and newspaper.
Isabel sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. "I heard about Max from Michael and I came home as soon as I could," she explained looking up at her Father.
He frowned. "And what about Jesse? Where is he?"
Isabel shrugged. "I came alone. Jesse couldn't ask for time off. He's in the middle of a heavy case load or something." Isabel relaxed as she felt her mother come up behind her, kiss her forehead and give her a hug. "I'm beat Mom. Can we talk about this after I get some sleep?"
Mrs. Evans nodded. "Of course Isabel. There's a lot you don't know about what's happened with Max. But I don't want you to worry over it. You get some sleep and we'll try to figure all of this out."
~ * ~
"Max?" Isabel called. Her voice seemed to echo across the desert dreamscape. Suddenly the scene changed. The sky was crimson red and dark jagged cliffs stood above her draped in the warm sun. "Hello?"
"Isabel."
A familiar voice surrounded her. As she searched in the rolling green valley, Isabel couldn't identify where it was coming from. "Who's there?"
"Maxwell is sick," the voice stated.
Isabel closed her eyes in frustration. It was seemingly less and less like a dream. "Of course he's sick. Why are you telling me that? I know that!" yelled Isabel.
"Liz."
Isabel frowned. "What about Liz?" Isabel frantically searched the jagged cliffs for any sign of a person. "Tell me who you are! Why don't you show me your face?" Unexpectedly, Isabel found herself staring at a petite figure standing at the peak of the cliffs. It was a woman, her hair flowing in the breeze of the noonday. The yellow sun framed her body and its rays hid her face.
"I can’t tell you that. My time is running short," she whispered. The images began to fade and Isabel felt herself awakening from the trance. "Trust me. Help is coming."
Isabel sat up in her bed, sweat ran down her face. She propped herself up against the headboard and ran her fingers through her hair. Her head was pounding. What was that?
~~~
Michael hadn't slept all night. Maria left his apartment early that morning for the early shift at the Crashdown. "This worrying is going to kill you Michael. You need to sleep," Maria chided as she grabbed her apron and headed out the door. "I'm telling you now, Michael. Sleep will help in the long run."
He had tried to take the advice, but nothing would allow him to receive that restful darkness. Michael couldn't explain it. He'd always, even in the midst of danger, been able to sleep. It was as if something, someone would not leave him be. Visions of Max writhing in pain and images of a man laughing flooded before him.
Finally as he climbed out of the shower, Michael's horrible visions stopped unexpectedly. As he dried his damp hair with a towel, Michael pulled a Snapple out of the fridge. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Michael wasn’t expecting anyone this late in the afternoon. He'd arranged to meet Isabel during the evening and head back to the cavern to check on Max. "Who is it?" he asked gruffly.
A frantic knock on the door sounded, and Isabel's voice rang through the thick barrier. "It's me Michael. We need to talk."
Michael wrapped his towel around his neck and opened the door. "Isabel?" The tall auburn-haired woman stepped into his apartment distracted and fidgety. He watched her pacing back and forth. "What's wrong?"
Suddenly she stopped pacing and looked Michael straight in the eyes. "I had a vision, or contact, or…well, I don't know what you'd call it, but I had it," Isabel rambled. "She was talking and telling me that she would help. Now I don't know how, but I think she's going to."
Michael shook his head and held out his hands in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Isabel stopped talking and pulled Michael onto the couch. "I went home this morning. And when I got there, I was exhausted. So I went to bed. When I thought I had gone to sleep, I found myself in this almost surreal place. It was like the cliffs in the desert, but not. Then I heard this voice. It was a woman. She told me Max was sick, which I already knew. I thought I was dreaming, but I knew somehow that this was someone actually talking to me. She told that she would help Max. And before that, she mentioned something about Liz. She really just said her name, but somehow she's either part of the reason Max is sick or the solution." Isabel stopped talking, breathing heavily, like she'd just run a race.
"Where did this come from?" Michael asked.
Isabel shook her head. "I don't know, but it's a start. I mean it's more than we've had to go on for a while."
Michael shook his head. "I've been kind of having visions…seeing things ya know?"
Isabel's eyes lit up. "Was it the same kind of thing?"
Michael became somber. The thought of those images sent shivers down his spine. He sighed. "No. Not even close." He felt Isabel draw closer to him, resting her arm around his shoulders. "It was creepy. I don't even want to talk about it."
The soft beat of her heart drummed against his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back. "It'll be okay Michael. We have to stay positive or we'll lose Max. And that's something I know we're both not ready to do."
Michael nodded. He turned to face her and buried his face against her neck. The soft comforting smell of lavender and chamomile helped to erase the images of a screaming Max. Slowly Michael finally pulled away from the reassuring embrace. "Do you know who she is?" Michael inquired. "I mean could it be another alien?"
Isabel frowned. "I don’t think so. I think she's not here. I get the feeling that it was somewhere far off. But I also got the feeling that I knew her and she was trying to hide something."
Michael ran his hands through his still damp hair. "Well, do you think she'll talk to you again?"
Isabel shrugged and smiled half-heartedly. "I don't know."
Michael slouched into the cushions of the couch. "Well at least it's something. I think we need to talk to Liz about some of the stuff that's been happening to her and about what that woman said. I can't say that I'm ready to trust that 'vision' or whatever you called it, but if it's all we've got?"
Isabel tucked her left leg underneath her and put her hand on Michael's knee. "Do you think that Liz has something to do with his sickness? When did he start getting sick?"
Michael hated to say it, but he'd been thinking about it ever since the Evans' took Max to the hospital. "Right after Las Vegas. Right after they…slept together."
~~~
“Ava?” a dark chilling voice called. “Have you been doing naughty things?”
As Tess cradled Zander in her arms while sitting on the pure white couch, she tilted her head up to meet Khivar’s gaze. “Hello Khivar.”
His tall broad frame cast a shadow over her son’s peaceful sleeping face. His black eyes seemed to bore into Tess’ soul. As she swallowed hard, trying to retain her casual demeanor, Khivar kneeled before her. Instinctively Tess drew Zander tightly to her chest, causing her sleeping child to squirm. “Ava, I thought we had an understanding?” asked Khivar curiously. Tess felt his strong hand press tightly upon her knee.
Tess nodded. “We do.” Quickly maneuvering herself into a position to be able to rise up from the enveloping cushions, Tess smiled and moved away from the suffocating stare of her reigning ‘King’. “Why are you here anyway? Don’t you have some plotting to do? Or maybe send our armies into war again?”
Khivar quickly stood up, which was surprising since his stature and gangly limbs would cause anyone to be uncoordinated. “I have to say that I’ve heard rumors that you’ve tried to contact someone on Earth?” frowned Khivar. “Now the only ones you could possibly want to talk to are your fellow hybrids. And you’ve assured me that you’d never do that.”
Tess felt her knees go weak as she walked towards the silver bassinet. As she placed Zander down on the white blankets, Tess rested against its walls. She’d been exhausted from the mind convergence earlier that afternoon. It had been a strain making contact with Isabel since she’d lost touch with the other three almost a year ago. Turning around to face Khivar Tess denied the accusation. “You’re right. I did tell you I would never contact them, so why are you asking me if I did?” asked Tess through gritted teeth.
She felt waves of nausea overwhelm her as she tried to balance herself against the bassinet. “Now Ava, you should know better than to lie to me. I’ve been monitoring you for a while now.” He sneered. “Well, actually ever since you’ve arrived. I thought we’d be fast friends after making our agreement, but when you returned without the agreed ‘king’ well, forgive me if I don’t trust everything you say.”
Tess licked her lips and tucked a straggling lock of hair behind her ear. “Is that all?” Tess smiled politely. “I don’t want Zander disturbed.”
Khivar studied her for a moment and then silently nodded. “I’d be careful Ava. Your beauty and wits have kept you alive so far. But no one breaks an agreement with me without consequences.”
Tess stood stoically as the threat hung in the air. “Now why would I do that?” Subconsciously Tess peered quickly over her should her at her innocent son.
Khivar stood at the door. “Do not cross me Ava. Zan may be dying, but that doesn’t mean the process couldn’t be sped up. Contacting Zan or the others will be the biggest mistake of your Antarian life. I’m sure if Zander could speak, he’d agree. He does understand the way things are. Zander and I have had many interesting conversations,” laughed Khivar before closing the door behind him.
Tess looked down at her son and then at the doorway where Khivar had just stood moments ago. Gently caressing the brow of her son, Tess leaned down and kissed his warm forehead. “You know he can’t be trusted right Zander. If he’s touched an innocent thought in your head, Khivar will rule the day he met me,” growled Tess. “I love you Zander and I’ll figure out a way to save Daddy without having you pay the price.”
~~~
Max’s fever was rising and he tossed and turned beneath the dull grey wool blankets. Liz moped his sweaty brow as his face contorted in pain. A flurry of jumbled words, some understandable, but most were a flood of foreign pleas. “It’s going to be all right Max,” Liz whispered. “I’ll take care of you. I promise. We’ll be together just like we’ve always planned.”
Her heart sunk as she watched this man whom she’d given herself to, heart and soul deteriorate before her. “Amdedis sedari,” mumbled Max.
Liz frowned and leaned her ear closer to his dry chapped lips. “Max?” she whispered. “What are you trying to say?”
Suddenly Max’s dark brown eyes opened slowly and a soft smile appeared upon his face. “Max?” Liz exclaimed. It had been days since he’d opened his eyes and seemed cognizant of his surroundings. He began to speak in that same foreign tongue she’d heard just moments ago when Max finally began to speak in English. “My love.” His clammy hand reached up and caressed her cheek. “I have found you again. I’ve loved you since the beginning.”
Liz smiled tenderly at her soul mate. “I love you too Max,” murmured Liz, kissing his forehead.
Max reached up, his eyes glazed, but yet full and dark. “My Ava, I’ve waited so long to hear those words,” Max whispered tenderly. “We will be together again. Even death shall n’er tear our souls apart.” His voice began to fade and Liz had to gently place his head back down on his pillow. “We are one as destiny has promised.”
Liz wiped a lazy tear from her burning cheeks. She swallowed hard and tried to remind herself that it was a hallucination, some delusion brought on by the sickness. But somewhere deep inside, Liz couldn’t help but feel
The Queen of Torture
Chapter Ten
***
What though the radiance
which once was so bright,
Be now forever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back
the hour of splendor
in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not,
rather find strength
in what remains behind.
- William Wordsworth
***
Isabel wiped Max’s brow. She’d been with him since the afternoon. Michael had gone to work that evening and Liz and Maria also had to work. “Max? Come on, speak to me!” pleaded Isabel. “I need to hear you order me around one more time.”
Max seemed in a daze, his head tossed and turned in a state of constant confusion. Isabel felt helpless. Michael had thought of trying to contact someone on Antar, for information, for help, but there seemed to be no safe way of doing it. Isabel reached into Max’s mind, hoping to calm the confusion, and maybe even find some answers hidden away in Max’s subconscious. She’d never really tried reaching into someone’s mind while he was awake, but Isabel felt in her gut, that while in a state of delirium, she’d be able to reach inside with the same effect as walking in Max’s dreams.
There was darkness at first. Isabel concentrated within the dream-like plane and ignited a flame in her palm. There seemed to be a war-like tension in the air and then suddenly she felt a tap on the shoulder. It frightened Isabel because she’d never experienced anything of the kind – a presence on the same plane as herself. As she turned around to reveal the face of her guest, Isabel heard terrible screams within Max’s mind. Isabel turned in search of the source, but the unknown presence held her back. “You can’t help him that way Isabel.”
Isabel turned to face her acquaintance only to find a figure clothed in light. She could make out a bodily shape, but there was no face. “Who are you?” asked the disillusioned Isabel. “Are you the same woman who spoke to me before?”
The shimmering figure seemed to nod in a quick flash of dim lights. “I can talk to you here a little while longer. Remember your illness. Connection with your other. Healing comes from your partner.”
The being talked in disjointed phrases. Isabel couldn’t quite understand what she was saying. “How do I contact you? Is there a cure here?” Isabel felt her pleas rising to desperate pitch. “Help! Please. I can’t watch him die!”
The shimmering figure came seemed to float forward and Isabel could feel what seemed like arms reaching out to her and embracing her. She felt a warm comfort in those arms. Suddenly something familiar seemed to flash before her. Eyes of crystal blue burst within her thoughts. A sharp stabbing pain shot through her temple. “Oh God, what’s wrong!” screamed Isabel as she held her throbbing head.
The figure floated backwards into the stark black desert sky within Max’s dreamscape reality, until Isabel could no longer distinguish between the once prominent figure before her and the millions upon millions of other radiant hosts of the night. Unexpectedly the throbbing pain stopped and she was alone in Max’s mind, and before her was an expanse of red skies layered with cliffs and black clouds threatening to envelop the beauty ahead.
“Isabel?” Max’s voice called.
Isabel turned around and saw her brother standing before her. “Max? Can you see me?”
Her brother frowned. “Yes, how did you…” Isabel shook her head. “It must be this sickness. I’m actually in your consciousness. You can hear me and see me.” Isabel ran her hands through her hair. “It’s amazing.”
Max smiled and hugged her. “I’ve missed you Isabel.”
Isabel wrapped her arms slowly around Max’s neck, in disbelief that she could actually hug him. “Do you know what’s going on?” asked Isabel as she pulled out of the embrace.
Max’s brow furrowed. “I’m not quite sure. I have some idea. The last thing I remember is being in the hospital.”
Isabel nodded. “Well, we think this might have to do with what happened in Las Vegas.”
Max frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Isabel bit her lip, hesitating to inform Max of what she and Michael had suspected. “We think it’s got to do with Liz and what happened in Las Vegas.”
Max still didn’t seem to understand. “We didn’t have anything happen to us there,” Max protested.
Suddenly before Isabel could say anything more, another figure approached them. “You know what happened in Las Vegas,” a voice chided.
As the figure came into view, Max and Isabel looked at each other in confusion. It was Max. “Don’t get your knickers in a knot!” Max 2 spat. “I’m still Max, in a way. I’m just not the oblivious one like he is!”
Isabel was confused. “But, why two?”
“Ah, don’t have time to spend explaining it all, but I know that we’re dying because you couldn’t keep it in your pants!” accused Max 2, who pointed to Max.
“What are you talking about?” Max growled.
“Your lust for Liz was what put all of us in danger in the first place, and now it’s gotten us killed!” shouted Max 2.
The accusation echoed through the dreamscape and Max launched into Max 2, attacking him. Isabel shook her head and pulled her two brothers apart. “Stop it! Fighting won’t solve anything!” Isabel yelled. Finally the two Maxs’s broke apart and Isabel stood between them. “Well, Max,” Isabel directed the conversation to Max 2, “Do you know how to help?”
Max 2 began to shake his head when the dark clouds that loomed overhead began to move, faster than Isabel had ever seen clouds move. The trios’ gaze was captured by a shining figure that stood above draped in a silvery wave of white. “Who’s that?” Isabel gasped.
‘Max’ and ‘Max 2’ left Isabel’s side. Isabel tried to follow but somehow she was frozen, unable to follow the Maxs toward the shimmering figure. And just as they were about to reach the bottom of the cliff on which the figure stood, several feet away arose another pillar, of equal height and with another shimmering figure. But this time, the figure was draped in a creamy white, the sun’s rays brightening the raiment of the being. The two Maxs stood caught in between. The pale moon’s splendor hailed the silvery figure’s purity, but the sun’s rays expelled the warmth of the other figure’s warmth.
Isabel found she could only stand and watch. The internal struggle, which waged war against Max’s soul, had begun. Isabel didn’t know how, but she felt like this was a link and answer to Max’s illness. But for some reason, Isabel didn’t know how it could be.
Finally Max was drawn towards the golden raiment of the sun’s rays, while the other Max, Max 2 had chosen the pale moon’s purity. It seemed that the decision had been made, but somehow, ‘Max’ seemed to draw ‘Max 2’ with him towards the almost golden figure. ‘Max 2’ seemed to protest, but whose will seem to give out and joined ‘Max’ in their journey towards the waves of creamy white light. When they arrived at their journey’s end, both Maxs unexpectedly converged into one Max and reached out towards the shimmering figure, which seemed to beckon them with arms wide open. Then Max was enveloped in the white waves and Isabel felt the heat of the sun intensify, suddenly Isabel witness a blinding flash of light and was brought to her knees. “Oh God not again!” moaned Isabel as her head throbbed and she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her stomach. The pains continued until the dreamscape was enveloped in the dark clouds and faded to black.
~~~
Michael was grateful to his boys for shooing him out the door. They knew he’d been distracted all afternoon and told him to take off early. Michael headed straight for the cliffs. He’d been worried about Max during the entire shift. He’d continued having visions of light and Max’s screams. He’d also been having new visions, just that afternoon. He’d seen lights, two similar lights, but yet different. Michael had made a mental note to talk to Isabel about this.
As he entered the darken chambers, Michael expected to see Isabel leaning over top of Max, but when he arrived, Michael was greeted with the sight of Isabel slumped over Maxwell, her hand pressed against his face. “Isabel?”
Michael rushed to her side, pulling her off of Max. He felt her pulse and brushed the stray locks of auburn from her fair face. “Isabel? Come on! What happened?” mumbled Michael to himself. “Wake up. Please.”
The stillness of Isabel’s body frightened Michael. It was the same picture of the night Isabel had almost died. Michael pulled her against him, cradling her body. He buried his face into her neck and whispered into her ear. “Please Isabel. I can’t lose you too.” Michael rocked her warm body to and fro.
The scent of lavender and chamomile wafted through his senses. Her breaths were short and shallow at first, but then unexpectedly, Isabel inhaled loudly and deeply. She began coughing and sputtering. “Michael!” gasped Isabel.
Michael pulled her away from him and propped her against the Granolith chamber walls. Isabel cradled her head in the palm of her hand, using the other to sit herself up. “Ugh. Michael. What happened?”
Michael quickly wiped a stray tear from his eye and smiled. “I’d like to ask you the same thing.”
Isabel looked up at Michael and smiled sheepishly. Now that Michael was sure Isabel was somewhat out of danger, he leaned over to check on Maxwell. He seemed to take shallow breaths, although his sleep seemed to be more or less painful.
“I think you’d better tell me what happened here.”
~~~
Tess, again, was wiped out from contacting Isabel. She hadn’t set out to do such a thing, but it was a great asset. Tess had been walking with Max in his subconscious for days. She’d monitored the times and was careful to make sure no one was around. Although Khivar threatened her with the knowledge of her contact with Max, Isabel, and Michael, Tess believed it was less than Khivar would have liked her to believe.
It was a coincidence that Isabel happened to be dream walking through Max’s mind while Tess was there. She didn’t get the chance to talk to her long, but Tess hoped that Isabel was able to understand the short message she’d relayed to her, in relation to curing Max.
Tess didn’t quite know exactly the remedy, but she’d heard rumors about Michael’s effect on Isabel when she had been injured. It was good to live in Nicholas’s house at times. Tess received timely information, though the master of the house didn’t know it.
As she leaned against the balcony terrace outside of her room, Tess welcomed the Antarian air. It was much more cleansing for their system than Earth’s oxygen, as Tess had learned. The light atmosphere helped heal the headaches she’d begun to receive since mind walking and converging with Max and Isabel. As she closed her eyes, Tess heard Zander’s cry from his room. “Coming honey,” Tess smiled.
Tess cradled her son in her arms as the disgruntled child’s eyes fought to open. She clucked her tongue and rocked him gently back to sleep. Settling down in the nearby rocking chair, Tess enjoyed watching Zander sleep. He’d been growing so quickly in the past few weeks. Tess nestled her nose against her child’s cheek. He smelled of roses and chocolate. “I wish your Daddy could see you,” cooed Tess.
As she closed her eyes, Tess imagined Maxwell walking through Zander’s door and taking him in his arms. “Oh Max,” cried Tess softly. “We could have been a family. I’m sorry.” She wiped a shimmering tear from her cheek. “I’m sorry.” Tess whispered into her son’s ear and kissed him on the cheek. Then she arose from the rocking chair and placed him back into his crib.
She’d done everything she could to save her family - even if it meant keeping them apart.
Chapter Eleven
***
Love is something eternal…
The aspect may change
But not the essence.
- Vincent Van Gogh
***
Mr. and Mrs. Evans were frantic as Isabel arrived home draped over Michael’s shoulder. She’d been weakened from earlier that evening and both had decided that discussing that evening’s event could wait until she was stronger. And they didn’t want to speculate anything around Liz, who’d arrived for another shift, nursing Max. “What happened?” cried Mrs. Evans. “Are you all right?”
Michael watched Mrs. Evans hover over her daughter, whom he’d just, placed on the living room couch. “She’s just a little tired,” Michael explained lamely.
Isabel rubbed her temples. “Mom, I’m all right. I’ll be fine. Just a migraine.”
Mr. Evans stood over her daughter, his brow furrowed and upset. “I knew you shouldn’t have come home,” grumbled Mr. Evans.
Michael frowned at his anger. “Why Dad?” Isabel groaned. “I don’t know why you didn’t tell me in the first place. I had to fly all the way home before you’d tell me that Max was sick.”
Mr. Evans seemed to awake from his pensive thoughts. His furrowed brow was replaced with a look of concern. “No. No, Isabel,” protested Mr. Evans. “It’s just we didn’t want to worry you with all of this. What with you getting settled in New York with Jesse? This was just one more added stress you didn’t need.” Mr. Evans kneeled beside his daughter. “I can’t lose you too.”
Michael felt out of place in this family gathering. “I think I should maybe go,” mumbled Michael. “It’s getting late.”
Mr. Evans and Mrs. Evans began to nod in agreement when Isabel grabbed Michael’s hand. “Could you just stay for a while?” He saw the warmth and need of her plea within the depths of her dark eyes. Michael swallowed. “Uh, okay,” Michael acquiesced.
Mr. Evans and Mrs. Evans saw Isabel into her bedroom. They came back and explained she’d be a couple of minutes, and that he could go see Isabel after she’d changed. “I just want to thank you for bringing her home Michael. You don’t know how worried I’ve been,” fretted Mrs. Evans. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her blouse that was partly hanging out.
Michael nodded stoically. “No problem. Uh, have you told her that Max is missing?” He reminded himself that he had to play it cool. He didn’t know anything about where Maxwell was.
Mr. Evan’s frowned. “Somehow she knew. We wouldn’t have been able to keep it from her anyway. Isabel would have found out when she went to the hospital.”
Mrs. Evans drew near to her husband, allowing him to comfort her. “I tried not to let her see how upset we are – let her know that we think he’s safe and well taken care of.”
“I’m sure he is Mrs. Evans,” Michael offered. “I’ve got a feeling he’s being taken care of.”
Mrs. Evans’ let a sob escape her lips. “I just don’t know why anyone would want to take Maxwell. I know he’s been in a lot of trouble, but to take him now while he’s so sick? I can’t bear to think of what kind of condition he is in. I mean he was on death’s door when we took him to the hospital.” Mr. Evans kissed the top of his wife’s head and held her tightly.
“Have you heard anything?” Mr. Evans asked pensively. “You and Isabel seem to be the first ones Max would contact when he was in trouble.” Mr. Evans paused. “It was always like that now that I think about it.”
Michael swallowed. “Well, we were close.” He exhaled and shoved his hands in his jean pockets. “I mean, are close.”
The Evans nodded. “Michael?” a faint voice called from the hallway.
Michael smile awkwardly and excused himself. When he reached the room, Isabel was sitting up on the bed wearing red silk pajamas. He slowly entered Isabel’s bedroom, just like he’d done for the past several years, but this time pressed an awkward feeling in his stomach. “Hey.”
Isabel tucked her leg underneath her, with one hanging off the bed. “I need to talk about this Michael, it’s killing me. There’s so much we have to figure out and not much time.” Isabel shifted positions, restless and upset, she pulled her knees to her chest. “I think he’s getting worse Michael.”
Michael let out a loud sigh. “I know.” He hesitated to say anymore, Isabel’s complexion had become pale, almost ashen. “But I think you need to rest. You’re no good to Max if you pass out or something worse.” Michael leaned against the wall; hands still in his pockets.
Isabel shook her head. “I’m fine Michael. I’m more awake now and I remember more of what happened. It was so surreal. I saw her again.”
Michael moved forward. “It was the same, her?”
Isabel nodded. “It was weird. It has never happened before. I’ve never been able to talk to someone in someone’s dream or mind before.” She shook her head and gathered a near by blanket close to her, as if she’d developed a sudden chill.
Michael frowned and sat down beside her. “And what happened?” probed Michael. “What did she say?”
Isabel bit her lip. “She mentioned something about my injury and then something about partners and healing? I’m not sure what she meant.”
As he rubbed his gruff cheek shadowed with five o’clock shadow. Michael thought he might have an idea, but he knew Isabel wouldn’t want to hear it. And it also brought up an uncomfortable subject between the two. “Isabel.” He would have to speak about it…sometime. And Michael knew she’d have to learn to let go of Alex’s horrible death. Tess might be the only way to save Max. According to this figure. “I think I know what its talking about…”
Mrs. Evan knocked on the door as she walked into her daughter’s room. “Isabel?” Michael and Isabel looked up at her, startled and praying that she hadn’t heard what they’d been talking about. Isabel cleared her throat. “Ahem, yeah Mom?”
“Jesse’s on the phone,” Mrs. Evans informed, almost frowning at the two. “Are you two all right?”
Michael looked at Isabel, suddenly he realizing he’d been holding Isabel’s hand unconsciously. He jerked it away casually and smiled. “No, nothing at all Mrs. Evans. I was just actually telling Isabel that I should be going.” Isabel looked at him annoyed. But annoyed as Isabel was at him, Michael knew he had to leave. “You shouldn’t keep Jesse waiting. It’s long distance you know?” mumbled Michael.
As Michael stepped into the fresh, cold evening air, he felt as if a weight had been lifted off of him. The thoughts raced through his mind. Finally they were getting somewhere. Michael finally had a clue to how to help Max. He hoped.
~~~
Tess walked along the bank of the Elvarian Sea. Unlike Earth, the water was a sea of purple. The liquid remained clear, but as the Antarian sky was a natural red, and the sea floor a cobalt blue; the liquid converged into a brilliant royal purple. As she pushed Zander’s carriage along the serene bank, Tess schemed of a way to get to Max. That morning she’d heard Khivar whispering to Nicholas in the solitude of Nicholas’ study.
“I let you have her here because I wanted you to keep an eye on her!” raged Khivar. “Not so she’d have run of the place!”
“I have not let her have the run of the place Khivar. She is independent that’s all. Besides the royal four are strong and they don’t even know the power they could wield.”
“I don’t care. We just have to keep her from contacting the three that have graciously stayed on Earth. And this wouldn’t have even been a problem,” grumbled Khivar, “if you hadn’t opened your big fat mouth!”
At this point in the conversation, Tess dared to take a peek through the crack left in the almost closed room. Nicholas looked up at Khivar, almost shrinking back from the faux dictator, but his pride had him showing a glint of defiance.
“I was testing her,” protested Nicholas. “I wanted to see if she really hated Zan.”
Khivar looked down smugly at his minion. “And we know now that isn’t quite the case. She’s contacted them. I’m not quite sure why, but I don’t trust her. She’s a dangerous one, more so than the other three. So now it is your job to figure out what she is planning. I need to know if she found out the plans for Zan and if that is the reason he slipped from our grasp. We can still use her, if no, just to lure the royal four back together and finish them off!”
Nicholas nodded, but then seemed to frown. “You’re done with Vilandra?” He seemed to shrink back as he asked that question. Khivar glared at him. “She is nothing to me. Vilandra is just another pawn in our field of conquest.”
Tess swallowed hard, looked over her shoulder to make sure no one would catch her spying. She knew now was a time for action. She and Zander would no longer have the luxury of feigning the spurned lover for long. They would surely find out what her contact with Isabel would reveal. She heard a jumble of whispers and then her heart jumped.
“What about the child? Do we get rid of him too?” asked Nicholas curiously.
Tess’ heart beat a thousand miles a minute. A lump was stuck in her throat, waiting for Khivar’s answer. The would-be king shook his head. “No. I have other plans for him,” grinned Khivar. At that confession, Tess accidentally leaned too far and the door creaked slightly. As quickly as she could, Tess departed quietly as she heard the two alien’s footsteps approach.
“Maa!” Zander gurgled as he pointed up to the late afternoon sun. Zander had brought her back to the present. The sun’s rays warmed her face as she basked in its embrace. Suddenly she was roused by a voice in her head. “Hungry!”
Tess searched the coves of the near by beach and found no one around. She pondered who could have spoken to her like that. “Hungry! Maaa!” Curiously she looked over top the carriage at her son who was moving around happily under his blanket. Zander’s eyes seemed to gleam as he giggled and reached towards her. “Zander?” Tess gasped as she furrowed her brow questioning whether she was just imagining it.
~~~
Liz leaned against the chamber walls. Max was sleeping fitfully, but nothing that worried Liz too much. Her thoughts were on other things. As much as she’d like to forget what Max had said as he was hallucinating or whatever it was he was doing, Liz couldn’t. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. Liz had talked to Maria a bit that evening while they cleaned up the diner, but Maria became indignant at the mention of Alex’s killer. “He did what?” shouted Maria, who threw down the dishcloth in her hand, into the bus pan. “That a…”
Shaking her head, Liz interrupted the beginnings of a Maria rant. “Stop it. It wasn’t like that. He must have just been having memories. It’s not like it was Max saying it. He didn’t really even speak in English,” explained Liz.
Part of her had been trying to explain it away ever since the words passed his lips. She couldn’t understand why now. They’d just spent the most memorable nights together in Las Vegas and this sickness came so suddenly upon them! She and Max had faced so many trials and things never seemed to go their way. How many times had she been almost convinced to give up on this unusual relationship? It was a complication she didn’t need. All Liz had ever wanted was to graduate high school and go off to college. Along the way, maybe Liz had hoped to fall in love with the ’right’ guy and get married. But who hadn’t dreamed of that?
“Oh Max,” sighed Liz. “What am I supposed to do?” She hit the back of her head against the stone chamber. Slowly Liz got up from the floor and dusted the dirt off her jeans. She walked around the chamber, which had held the transportation to Antar. Liz was standing in the room where Max had told Tess to get out of his life after she finally admitted to killing Alex. “You deserved more than that!” spat Liz, as she recalled the night Sheriff Valenti told her of Alex’s death. It still brought a tear to her eye. Oh, I miss you Alex.
She’d lost a lot. ‘How much more are you willing to lose?’ Liz asked herself. As she peered down at her lover, Liz couldn’t seem to answer the question. All of this had been such a twist of fate; a long line of twists and turns leading to such a deep obsession with this man that lay there so still, so pale. He’d saved her life, but she couldn’t do the same.
Liz walked out to the entrance of the cave. She needed some air. Liz knew she had a lot of thinking to do about what lay ahead. Even if she ended up marrying Max and they lived happily ever after, Liz hadn’t even given any consideration to what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. All the craziness and insanity had been so normal, that she’d forgotten what normal was. Liz had forgotten she was only a teenager, and normal teens didn’t seem to be worrying about the fate of the World or whether aliens were trying to kill them. Or at least she didn’t think so.
She laughed out loud. It felt good to do it. For days now, Liz hadn’t been able to crack a smile, too worried about whether Max lived or died. Everything was so serious. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a really good laugh. Liz looked back at Max. How could she love someone so much?
The crickets’ song echoed throughout the desert. She loved quiet evenings like this. The vastness of the desert overwhelmed her. Everything was so uncertain, but exciting. So many things awaited her. That was what she’d always thought when she was younger. Now Liz seemed almost to dread what lay ahead.
“Liz,” croaked Max, who lay motionless except for the turn of his head.
Liz took one last look at the evening sky with its lights seemingly shining just for her. They were waiting for her to discover the hidden miracles and wondrous signs within the twinkling lights. She tucked her hair behind her ear and exhaled the cold desert air. “I’m here Max. Don’t worry. I’m here.”
***
What though the radiance
which once was so bright,
Be now forever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back
the hour of splendor
in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not,
rather find strength
in what remains behind.
- William Wordsworth
***
Isabel wiped Max’s brow. She’d been with him since the afternoon. Michael had gone to work that evening and Liz and Maria also had to work. “Max? Come on, speak to me!” pleaded Isabel. “I need to hear you order me around one more time.”
Max seemed in a daze, his head tossed and turned in a state of constant confusion. Isabel felt helpless. Michael had thought of trying to contact someone on Antar, for information, for help, but there seemed to be no safe way of doing it. Isabel reached into Max’s mind, hoping to calm the confusion, and maybe even find some answers hidden away in Max’s subconscious. She’d never really tried reaching into someone’s mind while he was awake, but Isabel felt in her gut, that while in a state of delirium, she’d be able to reach inside with the same effect as walking in Max’s dreams.
There was darkness at first. Isabel concentrated within the dream-like plane and ignited a flame in her palm. There seemed to be a war-like tension in the air and then suddenly she felt a tap on the shoulder. It frightened Isabel because she’d never experienced anything of the kind – a presence on the same plane as herself. As she turned around to reveal the face of her guest, Isabel heard terrible screams within Max’s mind. Isabel turned in search of the source, but the unknown presence held her back. “You can’t help him that way Isabel.”
Isabel turned to face her acquaintance only to find a figure clothed in light. She could make out a bodily shape, but there was no face. “Who are you?” asked the disillusioned Isabel. “Are you the same woman who spoke to me before?”
The shimmering figure seemed to nod in a quick flash of dim lights. “I can talk to you here a little while longer. Remember your illness. Connection with your other. Healing comes from your partner.”
The being talked in disjointed phrases. Isabel couldn’t quite understand what she was saying. “How do I contact you? Is there a cure here?” Isabel felt her pleas rising to desperate pitch. “Help! Please. I can’t watch him die!”
The shimmering figure came seemed to float forward and Isabel could feel what seemed like arms reaching out to her and embracing her. She felt a warm comfort in those arms. Suddenly something familiar seemed to flash before her. Eyes of crystal blue burst within her thoughts. A sharp stabbing pain shot through her temple. “Oh God, what’s wrong!” screamed Isabel as she held her throbbing head.
The figure floated backwards into the stark black desert sky within Max’s dreamscape reality, until Isabel could no longer distinguish between the once prominent figure before her and the millions upon millions of other radiant hosts of the night. Unexpectedly the throbbing pain stopped and she was alone in Max’s mind, and before her was an expanse of red skies layered with cliffs and black clouds threatening to envelop the beauty ahead.
“Isabel?” Max’s voice called.
Isabel turned around and saw her brother standing before her. “Max? Can you see me?”
Her brother frowned. “Yes, how did you…” Isabel shook her head. “It must be this sickness. I’m actually in your consciousness. You can hear me and see me.” Isabel ran her hands through her hair. “It’s amazing.”
Max smiled and hugged her. “I’ve missed you Isabel.”
Isabel wrapped her arms slowly around Max’s neck, in disbelief that she could actually hug him. “Do you know what’s going on?” asked Isabel as she pulled out of the embrace.
Max’s brow furrowed. “I’m not quite sure. I have some idea. The last thing I remember is being in the hospital.”
Isabel nodded. “Well, we think this might have to do with what happened in Las Vegas.”
Max frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Isabel bit her lip, hesitating to inform Max of what she and Michael had suspected. “We think it’s got to do with Liz and what happened in Las Vegas.”
Max still didn’t seem to understand. “We didn’t have anything happen to us there,” Max protested.
Suddenly before Isabel could say anything more, another figure approached them. “You know what happened in Las Vegas,” a voice chided.
As the figure came into view, Max and Isabel looked at each other in confusion. It was Max. “Don’t get your knickers in a knot!” Max 2 spat. “I’m still Max, in a way. I’m just not the oblivious one like he is!”
Isabel was confused. “But, why two?”
“Ah, don’t have time to spend explaining it all, but I know that we’re dying because you couldn’t keep it in your pants!” accused Max 2, who pointed to Max.
“What are you talking about?” Max growled.
“Your lust for Liz was what put all of us in danger in the first place, and now it’s gotten us killed!” shouted Max 2.
The accusation echoed through the dreamscape and Max launched into Max 2, attacking him. Isabel shook her head and pulled her two brothers apart. “Stop it! Fighting won’t solve anything!” Isabel yelled. Finally the two Maxs’s broke apart and Isabel stood between them. “Well, Max,” Isabel directed the conversation to Max 2, “Do you know how to help?”
Max 2 began to shake his head when the dark clouds that loomed overhead began to move, faster than Isabel had ever seen clouds move. The trios’ gaze was captured by a shining figure that stood above draped in a silvery wave of white. “Who’s that?” Isabel gasped.
‘Max’ and ‘Max 2’ left Isabel’s side. Isabel tried to follow but somehow she was frozen, unable to follow the Maxs toward the shimmering figure. And just as they were about to reach the bottom of the cliff on which the figure stood, several feet away arose another pillar, of equal height and with another shimmering figure. But this time, the figure was draped in a creamy white, the sun’s rays brightening the raiment of the being. The two Maxs stood caught in between. The pale moon’s splendor hailed the silvery figure’s purity, but the sun’s rays expelled the warmth of the other figure’s warmth.
Isabel found she could only stand and watch. The internal struggle, which waged war against Max’s soul, had begun. Isabel didn’t know how, but she felt like this was a link and answer to Max’s illness. But for some reason, Isabel didn’t know how it could be.
Finally Max was drawn towards the golden raiment of the sun’s rays, while the other Max, Max 2 had chosen the pale moon’s purity. It seemed that the decision had been made, but somehow, ‘Max’ seemed to draw ‘Max 2’ with him towards the almost golden figure. ‘Max 2’ seemed to protest, but whose will seem to give out and joined ‘Max’ in their journey towards the waves of creamy white light. When they arrived at their journey’s end, both Maxs unexpectedly converged into one Max and reached out towards the shimmering figure, which seemed to beckon them with arms wide open. Then Max was enveloped in the white waves and Isabel felt the heat of the sun intensify, suddenly Isabel witness a blinding flash of light and was brought to her knees. “Oh God not again!” moaned Isabel as her head throbbed and she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her stomach. The pains continued until the dreamscape was enveloped in the dark clouds and faded to black.
~~~
Michael was grateful to his boys for shooing him out the door. They knew he’d been distracted all afternoon and told him to take off early. Michael headed straight for the cliffs. He’d been worried about Max during the entire shift. He’d continued having visions of light and Max’s screams. He’d also been having new visions, just that afternoon. He’d seen lights, two similar lights, but yet different. Michael had made a mental note to talk to Isabel about this.
As he entered the darken chambers, Michael expected to see Isabel leaning over top of Max, but when he arrived, Michael was greeted with the sight of Isabel slumped over Maxwell, her hand pressed against his face. “Isabel?”
Michael rushed to her side, pulling her off of Max. He felt her pulse and brushed the stray locks of auburn from her fair face. “Isabel? Come on! What happened?” mumbled Michael to himself. “Wake up. Please.”
The stillness of Isabel’s body frightened Michael. It was the same picture of the night Isabel had almost died. Michael pulled her against him, cradling her body. He buried his face into her neck and whispered into her ear. “Please Isabel. I can’t lose you too.” Michael rocked her warm body to and fro.
The scent of lavender and chamomile wafted through his senses. Her breaths were short and shallow at first, but then unexpectedly, Isabel inhaled loudly and deeply. She began coughing and sputtering. “Michael!” gasped Isabel.
Michael pulled her away from him and propped her against the Granolith chamber walls. Isabel cradled her head in the palm of her hand, using the other to sit herself up. “Ugh. Michael. What happened?”
Michael quickly wiped a stray tear from his eye and smiled. “I’d like to ask you the same thing.”
Isabel looked up at Michael and smiled sheepishly. Now that Michael was sure Isabel was somewhat out of danger, he leaned over to check on Maxwell. He seemed to take shallow breaths, although his sleep seemed to be more or less painful.
“I think you’d better tell me what happened here.”
~~~
Tess, again, was wiped out from contacting Isabel. She hadn’t set out to do such a thing, but it was a great asset. Tess had been walking with Max in his subconscious for days. She’d monitored the times and was careful to make sure no one was around. Although Khivar threatened her with the knowledge of her contact with Max, Isabel, and Michael, Tess believed it was less than Khivar would have liked her to believe.
It was a coincidence that Isabel happened to be dream walking through Max’s mind while Tess was there. She didn’t get the chance to talk to her long, but Tess hoped that Isabel was able to understand the short message she’d relayed to her, in relation to curing Max.
Tess didn’t quite know exactly the remedy, but she’d heard rumors about Michael’s effect on Isabel when she had been injured. It was good to live in Nicholas’s house at times. Tess received timely information, though the master of the house didn’t know it.
As she leaned against the balcony terrace outside of her room, Tess welcomed the Antarian air. It was much more cleansing for their system than Earth’s oxygen, as Tess had learned. The light atmosphere helped heal the headaches she’d begun to receive since mind walking and converging with Max and Isabel. As she closed her eyes, Tess heard Zander’s cry from his room. “Coming honey,” Tess smiled.
Tess cradled her son in her arms as the disgruntled child’s eyes fought to open. She clucked her tongue and rocked him gently back to sleep. Settling down in the nearby rocking chair, Tess enjoyed watching Zander sleep. He’d been growing so quickly in the past few weeks. Tess nestled her nose against her child’s cheek. He smelled of roses and chocolate. “I wish your Daddy could see you,” cooed Tess.
As she closed her eyes, Tess imagined Maxwell walking through Zander’s door and taking him in his arms. “Oh Max,” cried Tess softly. “We could have been a family. I’m sorry.” She wiped a shimmering tear from her cheek. “I’m sorry.” Tess whispered into her son’s ear and kissed him on the cheek. Then she arose from the rocking chair and placed him back into his crib.
She’d done everything she could to save her family - even if it meant keeping them apart.
Chapter Eleven
***
Love is something eternal…
The aspect may change
But not the essence.
- Vincent Van Gogh
***
Mr. and Mrs. Evans were frantic as Isabel arrived home draped over Michael’s shoulder. She’d been weakened from earlier that evening and both had decided that discussing that evening’s event could wait until she was stronger. And they didn’t want to speculate anything around Liz, who’d arrived for another shift, nursing Max. “What happened?” cried Mrs. Evans. “Are you all right?”
Michael watched Mrs. Evans hover over her daughter, whom he’d just, placed on the living room couch. “She’s just a little tired,” Michael explained lamely.
Isabel rubbed her temples. “Mom, I’m all right. I’ll be fine. Just a migraine.”
Mr. Evans stood over her daughter, his brow furrowed and upset. “I knew you shouldn’t have come home,” grumbled Mr. Evans.
Michael frowned at his anger. “Why Dad?” Isabel groaned. “I don’t know why you didn’t tell me in the first place. I had to fly all the way home before you’d tell me that Max was sick.”
Mr. Evans seemed to awake from his pensive thoughts. His furrowed brow was replaced with a look of concern. “No. No, Isabel,” protested Mr. Evans. “It’s just we didn’t want to worry you with all of this. What with you getting settled in New York with Jesse? This was just one more added stress you didn’t need.” Mr. Evans kneeled beside his daughter. “I can’t lose you too.”
Michael felt out of place in this family gathering. “I think I should maybe go,” mumbled Michael. “It’s getting late.”
Mr. Evans and Mrs. Evans began to nod in agreement when Isabel grabbed Michael’s hand. “Could you just stay for a while?” He saw the warmth and need of her plea within the depths of her dark eyes. Michael swallowed. “Uh, okay,” Michael acquiesced.
Mr. Evans and Mrs. Evans saw Isabel into her bedroom. They came back and explained she’d be a couple of minutes, and that he could go see Isabel after she’d changed. “I just want to thank you for bringing her home Michael. You don’t know how worried I’ve been,” fretted Mrs. Evans. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her blouse that was partly hanging out.
Michael nodded stoically. “No problem. Uh, have you told her that Max is missing?” He reminded himself that he had to play it cool. He didn’t know anything about where Maxwell was.
Mr. Evan’s frowned. “Somehow she knew. We wouldn’t have been able to keep it from her anyway. Isabel would have found out when she went to the hospital.”
Mrs. Evans drew near to her husband, allowing him to comfort her. “I tried not to let her see how upset we are – let her know that we think he’s safe and well taken care of.”
“I’m sure he is Mrs. Evans,” Michael offered. “I’ve got a feeling he’s being taken care of.”
Mrs. Evans’ let a sob escape her lips. “I just don’t know why anyone would want to take Maxwell. I know he’s been in a lot of trouble, but to take him now while he’s so sick? I can’t bear to think of what kind of condition he is in. I mean he was on death’s door when we took him to the hospital.” Mr. Evans kissed the top of his wife’s head and held her tightly.
“Have you heard anything?” Mr. Evans asked pensively. “You and Isabel seem to be the first ones Max would contact when he was in trouble.” Mr. Evans paused. “It was always like that now that I think about it.”
Michael swallowed. “Well, we were close.” He exhaled and shoved his hands in his jean pockets. “I mean, are close.”
The Evans nodded. “Michael?” a faint voice called from the hallway.
Michael smile awkwardly and excused himself. When he reached the room, Isabel was sitting up on the bed wearing red silk pajamas. He slowly entered Isabel’s bedroom, just like he’d done for the past several years, but this time pressed an awkward feeling in his stomach. “Hey.”
Isabel tucked her leg underneath her, with one hanging off the bed. “I need to talk about this Michael, it’s killing me. There’s so much we have to figure out and not much time.” Isabel shifted positions, restless and upset, she pulled her knees to her chest. “I think he’s getting worse Michael.”
Michael let out a loud sigh. “I know.” He hesitated to say anymore, Isabel’s complexion had become pale, almost ashen. “But I think you need to rest. You’re no good to Max if you pass out or something worse.” Michael leaned against the wall; hands still in his pockets.
Isabel shook her head. “I’m fine Michael. I’m more awake now and I remember more of what happened. It was so surreal. I saw her again.”
Michael moved forward. “It was the same, her?”
Isabel nodded. “It was weird. It has never happened before. I’ve never been able to talk to someone in someone’s dream or mind before.” She shook her head and gathered a near by blanket close to her, as if she’d developed a sudden chill.
Michael frowned and sat down beside her. “And what happened?” probed Michael. “What did she say?”
Isabel bit her lip. “She mentioned something about my injury and then something about partners and healing? I’m not sure what she meant.”
As he rubbed his gruff cheek shadowed with five o’clock shadow. Michael thought he might have an idea, but he knew Isabel wouldn’t want to hear it. And it also brought up an uncomfortable subject between the two. “Isabel.” He would have to speak about it…sometime. And Michael knew she’d have to learn to let go of Alex’s horrible death. Tess might be the only way to save Max. According to this figure. “I think I know what its talking about…”
Mrs. Evan knocked on the door as she walked into her daughter’s room. “Isabel?” Michael and Isabel looked up at her, startled and praying that she hadn’t heard what they’d been talking about. Isabel cleared her throat. “Ahem, yeah Mom?”
“Jesse’s on the phone,” Mrs. Evans informed, almost frowning at the two. “Are you two all right?”
Michael looked at Isabel, suddenly he realizing he’d been holding Isabel’s hand unconsciously. He jerked it away casually and smiled. “No, nothing at all Mrs. Evans. I was just actually telling Isabel that I should be going.” Isabel looked at him annoyed. But annoyed as Isabel was at him, Michael knew he had to leave. “You shouldn’t keep Jesse waiting. It’s long distance you know?” mumbled Michael.
As Michael stepped into the fresh, cold evening air, he felt as if a weight had been lifted off of him. The thoughts raced through his mind. Finally they were getting somewhere. Michael finally had a clue to how to help Max. He hoped.
~~~
Tess walked along the bank of the Elvarian Sea. Unlike Earth, the water was a sea of purple. The liquid remained clear, but as the Antarian sky was a natural red, and the sea floor a cobalt blue; the liquid converged into a brilliant royal purple. As she pushed Zander’s carriage along the serene bank, Tess schemed of a way to get to Max. That morning she’d heard Khivar whispering to Nicholas in the solitude of Nicholas’ study.
“I let you have her here because I wanted you to keep an eye on her!” raged Khivar. “Not so she’d have run of the place!”
“I have not let her have the run of the place Khivar. She is independent that’s all. Besides the royal four are strong and they don’t even know the power they could wield.”
“I don’t care. We just have to keep her from contacting the three that have graciously stayed on Earth. And this wouldn’t have even been a problem,” grumbled Khivar, “if you hadn’t opened your big fat mouth!”
At this point in the conversation, Tess dared to take a peek through the crack left in the almost closed room. Nicholas looked up at Khivar, almost shrinking back from the faux dictator, but his pride had him showing a glint of defiance.
“I was testing her,” protested Nicholas. “I wanted to see if she really hated Zan.”
Khivar looked down smugly at his minion. “And we know now that isn’t quite the case. She’s contacted them. I’m not quite sure why, but I don’t trust her. She’s a dangerous one, more so than the other three. So now it is your job to figure out what she is planning. I need to know if she found out the plans for Zan and if that is the reason he slipped from our grasp. We can still use her, if no, just to lure the royal four back together and finish them off!”
Nicholas nodded, but then seemed to frown. “You’re done with Vilandra?” He seemed to shrink back as he asked that question. Khivar glared at him. “She is nothing to me. Vilandra is just another pawn in our field of conquest.”
Tess swallowed hard, looked over her shoulder to make sure no one would catch her spying. She knew now was a time for action. She and Zander would no longer have the luxury of feigning the spurned lover for long. They would surely find out what her contact with Isabel would reveal. She heard a jumble of whispers and then her heart jumped.
“What about the child? Do we get rid of him too?” asked Nicholas curiously.
Tess’ heart beat a thousand miles a minute. A lump was stuck in her throat, waiting for Khivar’s answer. The would-be king shook his head. “No. I have other plans for him,” grinned Khivar. At that confession, Tess accidentally leaned too far and the door creaked slightly. As quickly as she could, Tess departed quietly as she heard the two alien’s footsteps approach.
“Maa!” Zander gurgled as he pointed up to the late afternoon sun. Zander had brought her back to the present. The sun’s rays warmed her face as she basked in its embrace. Suddenly she was roused by a voice in her head. “Hungry!”
Tess searched the coves of the near by beach and found no one around. She pondered who could have spoken to her like that. “Hungry! Maaa!” Curiously she looked over top the carriage at her son who was moving around happily under his blanket. Zander’s eyes seemed to gleam as he giggled and reached towards her. “Zander?” Tess gasped as she furrowed her brow questioning whether she was just imagining it.
~~~
Liz leaned against the chamber walls. Max was sleeping fitfully, but nothing that worried Liz too much. Her thoughts were on other things. As much as she’d like to forget what Max had said as he was hallucinating or whatever it was he was doing, Liz couldn’t. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. Liz had talked to Maria a bit that evening while they cleaned up the diner, but Maria became indignant at the mention of Alex’s killer. “He did what?” shouted Maria, who threw down the dishcloth in her hand, into the bus pan. “That a…”
Shaking her head, Liz interrupted the beginnings of a Maria rant. “Stop it. It wasn’t like that. He must have just been having memories. It’s not like it was Max saying it. He didn’t really even speak in English,” explained Liz.
Part of her had been trying to explain it away ever since the words passed his lips. She couldn’t understand why now. They’d just spent the most memorable nights together in Las Vegas and this sickness came so suddenly upon them! She and Max had faced so many trials and things never seemed to go their way. How many times had she been almost convinced to give up on this unusual relationship? It was a complication she didn’t need. All Liz had ever wanted was to graduate high school and go off to college. Along the way, maybe Liz had hoped to fall in love with the ’right’ guy and get married. But who hadn’t dreamed of that?
“Oh Max,” sighed Liz. “What am I supposed to do?” She hit the back of her head against the stone chamber. Slowly Liz got up from the floor and dusted the dirt off her jeans. She walked around the chamber, which had held the transportation to Antar. Liz was standing in the room where Max had told Tess to get out of his life after she finally admitted to killing Alex. “You deserved more than that!” spat Liz, as she recalled the night Sheriff Valenti told her of Alex’s death. It still brought a tear to her eye. Oh, I miss you Alex.
She’d lost a lot. ‘How much more are you willing to lose?’ Liz asked herself. As she peered down at her lover, Liz couldn’t seem to answer the question. All of this had been such a twist of fate; a long line of twists and turns leading to such a deep obsession with this man that lay there so still, so pale. He’d saved her life, but she couldn’t do the same.
Liz walked out to the entrance of the cave. She needed some air. Liz knew she had a lot of thinking to do about what lay ahead. Even if she ended up marrying Max and they lived happily ever after, Liz hadn’t even given any consideration to what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. All the craziness and insanity had been so normal, that she’d forgotten what normal was. Liz had forgotten she was only a teenager, and normal teens didn’t seem to be worrying about the fate of the World or whether aliens were trying to kill them. Or at least she didn’t think so.
She laughed out loud. It felt good to do it. For days now, Liz hadn’t been able to crack a smile, too worried about whether Max lived or died. Everything was so serious. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a really good laugh. Liz looked back at Max. How could she love someone so much?
The crickets’ song echoed throughout the desert. She loved quiet evenings like this. The vastness of the desert overwhelmed her. Everything was so uncertain, but exciting. So many things awaited her. That was what she’d always thought when she was younger. Now Liz seemed almost to dread what lay ahead.
“Liz,” croaked Max, who lay motionless except for the turn of his head.
Liz took one last look at the evening sky with its lights seemingly shining just for her. They were waiting for her to discover the hidden miracles and wondrous signs within the twinkling lights. She tucked her hair behind her ear and exhaled the cold desert air. “I’m here Max. Don’t worry. I’m here.”
The Queen of Torture