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

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Mt Gazer
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Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) A/N 9-14-10 pg13

Post by Mt Gazer »

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: This is my version of Sexual Healing.

Dedicated still to my friends Pooh and Tharos. I hope you enjoy.

And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. And sometimes, we act them out. I really appreciate your willingness to experiment with me. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details.


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: Easy Recap. Alex and Isabel were having a hot and heavy make-out session at Michael’s. How far did it get?

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Shifting Realities

Chapter 27: O

Loosing Control


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*** ***
The flying object hit her squarely in the face when she entered the house. “What the… “ She said while she held up the invading object, and examined it in the dim light. “EWW!!! NOT AGAIN!” She said when she realized just what exactly she was holding, and why, as she heard the uninhibited sounds of passion coming from the living room floor, from both parties. “”OH MY GOD!!”

Maria marched over almost certain of what she would find, but totally unprepared for what she actually did. Rapid fire her brain processed the What’s Wrong With This Picture? Game laid out before her. People don’t usually glow in the midst of intimacy, Isabel however was, and Alex was wherever her skin touched his, so, yeah, he was glowing too. Obvious what’s wrong, another was the fact that Michael’s houselights, of the two that were flickering, were pulsing to the same heartbeat as the school had earlier that day. She had so known that catastrophe had been caused by the two of them. Unfortunately she couldn’t stop her brain from making the leap to realize that the rhythm of the lights, matched the rhythm of the couple on the floor. Who as of yet were still unaware of her presence. They were thoroughly lost in the moment.

Maria, clutching Alex’s shirt by the neck, started to wring it lengthwise as she marched over to the alien love nest. She raised the shirt and hauled off and smacked the first person she saw, the one on top, Isabel. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She shrieked.

Isabel, still straddling Alex’s waist lurched up and turned round in one motion, her hair flying into her face and partially obscuring the farther side of it. She raised her right hand and wiped at her mouth with the back of it, forcefully. Swallowing, her fierce, large, dark eyes narrowed and she growled at the other girl, as her glowing brightened, if even just a bit. Maria reflexively and nervously backed up, staring at the taller girl.


The spiral was spinning wildly on Isabel’s necklace. The golden blur looked as if it were suspended in midair...


Isabel’s hand briefly glowed a silvery white and the necklace blazed at the same time as she raised her right hand palm forward.

Maria then had other things to worry about as she was sent staggering across the room as if strongly pushed. The girl blasted her?! No way! Not on her watch.

To make matters worse, the sounds of the happy couple resumed, as if she wasn’t there at all. This had to stop. But how? How do you stop an overly amorous alien?

Her mother had told her stories upon stories over the years of how she had been stopped, when needed. She tossed Alex’s shirt to rest on her shoulder as her mouth twitched into a grin while she stealthily tiptoed into the kitchen to find a pitcher.

She filled it to the brim with water. This should get their attention!

She crept back to the love nest and raised the pitcher in her hand, water pouring over the couple. SPLASH

“Wa’ d’ Hl?” (What the hell?) Alex spluttered, while Isabel glared at the intruder.

“Wha’ … Here?” A very interrupted Isabel barely managed to utter menacingly.

Maria demanded, “Get off him and sit up the both of you!!”


As she glared at them, the whirling of the spiral on the necklace started to rotate more slowly, and the intensity began to dim.


Maria started to chant, “Brain Bleach. Brain Bleach...

Alex shoved Isabel off, but he too did not welcome the intrusion, and sitting as close to her as he could, his leg overlapping hers, his hand was resting high on her inner thigh, as he was met with his shirt repeatedly hitting him. He raised both hands in a defensive posture trying to stop the blows as Maria ranted, “I have news for you!!! There is only going to be ONE couple that christens this house,” she smacked Isabel a time or two as well for good measure, ”should that happen. And that couple is not YOU!!!!.”

“Seriously,” she asked rhetorically, “how long would it take before the rest of your clothes were removed?? ... if I’d been even a few seconds later, I’d have walked in I’m sure to in flagrante delicto.” She stood there staring at them; the sexual tension in the room however was thick, as they fed off each other in another state of inebriation. “Ok that is not an invitation... just pointing out the fact that you are not here....”

Maria had to get this broken up, she just couldn’t let them give way to their hormones, no telling if Michael’s house would survive the assault, among other reasons. And so without missing a beat, as was her style she turned to Isabel with all the ferocity she could manage and ordered,” Now You. Your Highness. Go wash out your eyes, they are seriously freaking me out!!!”


The spinning on Isabel’s necklace came to a standstill as the colors dimmed, and went from bright gold, to amber, to a slowly fading silver, and the background changed from translucent white to stormy gray to a dark obsidian black. The necklace once again looked as it had.


Isabel’s eyes narrowed at this and she wished to say something but she was still in her intoxicated state and her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, there was only one thing she wanted to be doing with it right now. Something pertaining to Alex. She didn’t move in time. Maria yanked the tipsy girl to her feet and aimed her in the direction of the bathroom, as she demanded, “GO!!” Isabel had no choice but to obey. Maria, rather like herself was also a force to be reckoned with.

Isabel stumbled into her surroundings a few times, once knocking over a lamp in the process as it was sent shattering to the floor, effectively plunging the living room into near darkness, as she tried to navigate her way into the bathroom. As she left the room, the energy traveled with her. Maria was not in any mood to assist the inebriated girl, and let her stagger, her hand leaving molten imprints wherever she touched. There went a doorway... and the hallway. Nope it wouldn’t. It definitely wouldn’t survive the assault if left to their own devices...


*** ***
She turned to the other member, “I need liberal doses of Brain Bleach right now to erase what I was witnessing...” Throwing Alex’s shirt at him, Maria demanded that he get dressed. She wandered around picking up the other various articles of clothing that had been tossed. “I am not talking to you while I think about you in “that” manner. That image of you has left an indelible mark on my brain.”

Alex was still glowing wherever Isabel had been touching him. There were smeared handprints dotted all along his back as well as his entire torso lighting up, where Isabel had been lying atop him. Handprints were scattered on his thighs and even his hair was glittering. The hickey from that afternoon was also now glowing brightly against his collarbone.

Maria dryly stated the obvious, “Oh great. Your drunk!!! Now focus here!” Trying to gather as much of his attention as she could, for it was wandering terribly, she pointed at the bathroom, and loudly exclaimed while pacing and animatedly flailing her hands, “Her eyes,” Looking closely at him, “in case you hadn’t noticed, weren’t, oh what’s the word?” She feigned a loss for words as she leaned into his face, hands on her hips. “Oh that’s right, HUMAN.”

Maria tossed his jeans at him as well. And then turned her back to him while he redressed. He was doing no better with coordination than his alien girlfriend, he barely could get the buttons through the holes, and when completed it was askew worse than if a two-year old had dressed himself; and Maria left him in that state. “He-Yishe?” (translation: her eyes?) He slurred.

Alex couldn’t speak, he could barely comprehend what Maria was rambling about, his Maria filter seemed to be malfunctioning at the moment. Isabel’s eyes were beautiful. He remembered that much.

Sounds of “problems” in the bathroom alerted Maria’s attention as she turned back to Alex, “Your girlfriend is seriously freaking me out here. Whatever is going on is not normal. Glowing hickeys are not normal. Soul Gazing; getting someone off by staring at them, or kissing that makes a person wasted, also not normal. Not to mention seeing things inside each other, or the destruction of the school, none of it is normal. ” She pointed at the noisy bathroom, as her voice raised, “Some Alien is possessing your girlfriend!!!!”

That statement garnered an unexpected reaction from Alex. He started to laugh, uncontrollably as it built into hysterically. The remaining light bulb shattered.

“It’s not that funny,” she smacked him. “Snap out of it. I’m serious.”


*** ***

AT THE SAME TIME:

In the bathroom Isabel had leaned with her palms on the sink ledge to balance herself, as she still could not stand under her own strength. She gazed deeply into her reflection. PLOP her right hand fell through the sink, causing her to go off kilter. SLIP. Her left hand also fell through, throwing her forward into her reflection as her forehead fell into the mirror.

Righting herself again, she leaned up unsteadily to touch her visage, to find what was wrong with her eyes, although she couldn’t detect anything, and as her hand pressed against the mirror her image started to melt, liquid silver start to drip from its surface, leaving pools of silver color all over the right hand side of the sink. She watched in fascination as the liquid continued to fall into a puddle. She eventually pulled her hand from its surface, all her reflexes, very off and delayed, as now half the mirror had melted from the frame. Her finger in the silvery fluid, she traced her fingertip down to the counter, unaware that she created a silvery colored groove wherever she touched.

Trying to sort out the problem at hand she stopped to look at the disheveled marble sink, and fell off balance as her slick soled black boot slid against the slippery surface of the white tiled flooring, sending her plunging backwards into the tub, tangling up in the shower curtain. She first tried to use it to hoist herself up, but that curtain met the same fate as the sink, everywhere she touched, it raveled in her bare hands, like a hot knife slicing through butter. The shower curtain was useless for leverage; it was left in tatters.

Her powers were intensifying. However that was not good, for whatever inanimate object she touched seemed to dissolve on contact. Not only were there two misshapen ridges in the edge of the sink, but it could also be observed where she tried to pull herself from the tub and failed miserably; its rim, met the same fate as the sink, and the mirror, and the shower curtain. There were two malformed handprints melted right into its edge. She finally realized that she was affecting everything on contact, (the girl was just a wee bit slow.) And she crossed her arms on her chest, as she lay sprawled in the tub, hysterically laughing, and unable to even assist herself.


*** ***
Unfortunately the very same hysterical laughing, as Alex was exhibiting.

Maria sighed, as she realized that whatever had happened had affected them simultaneously and she sat down with a plop onto the couch throwing her hands into the air for emphasis, not that anyone at all noticed. It appeared that whatever this alien misadventure was that they were in it together, they were on each other’s frequency and it was the only signal broadcasting. She sighed and hit her palm to her head... ‘If I hadn’t gotten here, really what would they have been doing?’ “UGGHHH.” She groaned audibly, as she thought about work a short time ago.

*** Flashback***

Maria melted into Michael’s embrace. Kissing him felt so good, so comfortable. Every nerve ending tingled as his hands ran over her body. She felt a bit giddy, light-headed, at the magnified sensations. Kissing the Czechoslovakians had this effect already; you get hot, as if your cells have been excited, your skin feels tingly and you get a bit woozy. But this was something different, there was something powerful about this time, it was extraordinary. She was having trouble standing, and feeling a bit tipsy on her feet.

Regardless of the cause, it had never been this passionate at work before. Michael had his own place for amorous adventures. Not that they ever ventured too far. But, they had a place. And the Crashdown was not it. Yet here they were, starting with a small chaste kiss in the kitchen, and now making out like crazy against the brick wall of the break-room; as the rings and fries for her customers bubbled away in the fryer.

It was as if Michael couldn’t be separated from her for any length of time today. He had made right for her when he had arrived at work too. Of course they had kissed before, a lot of times actually, but something was different about this. It was drawing her in, deeply. To wanting to be with Michael, maybe even be ONE with Michael, to see inside him, to know all of him. Maria was so happy that he had let his guard down even this much with her. He was definitely a work in progress, a diamond in the rough. And one that she planned to cut, work, and polish until the brilliance she saw inside of him was visible for the world to see.

She smiled back, and said in partial sarcastic curiosity, “So? Did you see anything inside me?”

Michael gave her a searching look in return, “Did you?”

“You first.” She queried.

Michael slowly shook his head, his eyes firmly on hers, his hands on her arms.

Maria softly laughed, “Yeah. Me neither. Figures. Its just the funky craziness for our two love birds then, huh?”

He snickered.

Maria held Michael tightly, placing her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. “You said that they said that you guys get flashes of things that happened, so maybe they got something important?”

He kissed her forehead. “Yeah. Probably. It’s a real shame too.”

Maria looked up at his face, “Why? Did something else happen?”

He kissed her passionately again ignoring the question. He hoped nothing else had happened. And both were thinking, as she pressed herself into him. Work. Oh it would end in a few short hours and then they would head to Michael’s to resume this... this was so AMAZING... his hands were stroking her arms, and they both happened to catch a glimpse of light trailing over her skin where he had touched it. It felt like Heaven. She wanted more... She blinked. She had to stop this; this is what must have happened to...

She looked at him in alarm, “ALEX!!”

He tried to calm her, “Don’t worry, he left when we did. We even followed him into town. ” Michael’s smile turned into a leer, “I suppose we could see if we could see stars too….” His eyebrows rose, as he admired his view.

Maria straightened up the buttons on her uniform. “You are sure he went home?”

“Yeah.” Michael snorted, “We watched his car turn that direction. We didn’t leave them alone, much too dangerous says the Maxwell. And probably is. Last thing I need is to be fried again. Once a day limit for me, you know.”


Maria fixed her eyes on Michael’s, shaking her head ever so slowly. “You have no clue how strong their connection is, do you? Just how much of a risk there is tonight?” She stared at him.

She moved over to the table with her cell phone and forced it open, “Mrs. Whitman? Is Alex there? ... No? ... It’s just he was going to help me with some homework tonight ... Actually, Michael is right here ... Yes, when I get in touch with him I will have him call you ASAP... Thanks Mrs. Whitman ... You too ... Have a good night.”

She closed her phone with an audible snap, turned sharply, and glared at Michael. “Alex is NOT at home. My bet is if he isn’t already at your house, he is on his way.” She pushed past him, throwing over her shoulder, “She got stuck at school today just because he was there.” She sighed, “On my break I am going to head over there and pray it’s not too late.”

Michael nodded, “Why don’t you go when Liz gets back from her lunch. She’ll cover for you. You know she will. I’m stuck, Jose leaves in an hour, but by some miracle we actually have enough waitresses. Mr. P always over staffs when he and Mrs. P go out for a date night.”

Maria put the headband back on her head, “Well maybe I can scare up a tip or two more before I have to go. I really needed these hours.” Maria headed back out to the diner.

***End flashback***

And here she was, not a moment too soon either.


After the hysteria died down Maria set right to work. She spoke very slowly as if talking to a young child while addressing Alex, who was still sitting on the living room floor, struggling his shoes back on. “You. Go get your alien queen, and get your ass back out here. And tell Isabel to tamp down her powers so that we can get some light in here.” She flicked a few switches to be met with nothing, but the darkness.

Alex mumbled, “Bur-n ou.’”

“Yeah I noticed lover boy, I wonder why?” She added sarcastically. She threw Isabel’s blouse at him and ordered him to return it to its proper owner.

*** ***
After he stumbled his way into the bathroom Maria heard the distinct call for help as only could be uttered by a drunken person. “Lil’ hel’ -ia.” Luckily she could translate Alex-ese.

She raced into the bathroom and perfunctorily flicked on the switch; or tried to, the static charge in the room, causing the outlets to buzz. She flicked it off again; it was bright enough with Isabel. Then she saw the bathroom, or what was left of it. Alex was holding to Isabel’s right hand as he tried pulling her up with his right, and leveraging himself with his left hand against the wall. That wasn’t what was wrong, however, where Isabel’s hand clasped his, it was glowing. (No surprise there, they’d been doing that all evening) What was wrong with this picture was the fact that Alex’s hand too had joined in the destruction of the small bathroom, it was slowing starting to melt through the wall of the cabinet to which it was supported.

“Good God, what’d you do?” Maria mentioned. “Let go Alex! Of the... wall!” She looked at Isabel, sprawled in a tub, bra on still, but lacking shirt... and completely helpless. So ironic for the alien with powers. And it took everything she had to maintain her decorum as she tried not to start laughing. She looked at Isabel, pointed to Alex’s white glowing hand and said, “I’m not going to light up like a Christmas tree if I touch you now am I?” Isabel shrugged and started to laugh. The thought of Maria glowing, absurd, now Alex glowing, that didn’t faze her. Alex, feeding off whatever her emotions were, started himself to laugh uncontrollably.

“Here we go again. You two are too wasted to be of any use.” She took another look at their predicament and let her laughter join theirs. All the while wondering about female alien hormones, and what exactly she was going to do with these two. Isabel’s blouse, she realized, had been tossed aimlessly onto the floor.

When they’d settled down momentarily, Maria, with whatever minimal assistance Alex afforded, managed to wrest Isabel from the tight confines of the tub, balancing her on the rim. Maria noticed the heat pouring from her friend. At the touch it didn’t seem so very hot as prickly. The prickliness soon reached an uncomfortable level similar to having her hands in too hot of water. Maria could feel sweat begin to pour from her. But she didn’t melt as she helped pry Isabel out of the tub. The same could not be said of the bit of tub that Isabel's palms briefly touched.

Now how Alex could stand being touched by her was anyone’s guess. It’s probably because they were sharing the passion that he didn’t even notice... things Maria would have to ask later. Right now there was business to attend to.

She gripped Isabel’s wrists and jerked once more. Isabel was free. “Alex go to the living room and wait for me.” She ordered, as she maneuvered Isabel against the sink. “Just don’t touch anything, your Highness.” Isabel crossed her arms on her chest and waited. Maria watched him stumble out to the living room, then she ducked back in and turned to Isabel. “Ok. Now let me help you here.” Maria started by pulling up and closing Isabel’s pants. They weren’t off, or dropped too low to be a concern, so that was a small relief, very small. Then she had to actually redress Isabel, and after getting her arms into the sleeves, she had to button her white blouse. This had to be the most confusing night of her life so far, not to mention humiliating. Then again, it was probably also Isabel’s. She couldn’t believe she had to redress her friend, or that Isabel was in a state to let her? It was better she did this then to involve the rest of Isabel’s family. So she grabbed her shoulders and walked the staggering girl to the living room. The intensity of the drunken stupor was not wearing off. This afternoon, she didn’t know how long it taken them to sober up from the incident, but the last one that she recalled, at girl’s night, Isabel had fallen asleep out of exhaustion. This time didn’t look as if it would provide any such breaks.

“OK. Listen up both of you. First of all are you trying to see if you get any more flashes? See anything? Get anything? Is there going to be a reason for this whole display?”

Alex nodded, jerkily.

“Good. Now we’re getting somewhere.” Maria quirked the side of her mouth, “So want me to get the guys and you explain it all to them?” She looked over and realized that Isabel was no more in control of herself at this moment than she was at any other. “Oh. Never mind that. I think I’ll take you both home and let you sleep this off.”

“NO!” Isabel turned from where she was now standing, trying to straighten up Michael’s house. It was her first coherent word all evening, and her eyes darkened at the thought, if that were even possible. “Can- ’t.” Isabel murmured.

While Alex was simultaneously responding on his own. “Na’ Duh.”

“Oh you two are done. MOST DEFINITELY DONE. Now go get in the car!!” Maria ordered, as she grabbed Isabel and pulled her forward.

She sat, hand entwined with Alex.

Maria removed their hands from each other as she added, “Ok, well I can’t leave you here. Any other suggestions?”

“Yeser.”

“What?”

Alex was a bit more in control of him self now that he wasn’t in direct contact with the alien girlfriend. “Zhezert...Some-Shing bury ou’ der.” He slowly worked the words.

“And you’re going to go get it?” Maria put her hands on her hips as if she were facing off a toddler.

“Zhats zha paln.” Alex stated while nodding assuredly. Smiling at Maria.

“That’s a crappy plan. You are too wasted to stand on your own two feet. You definitely can’t drive. I think I better get the guys.” She moaned.

“No… Ush.” Isabel mumbled, her hands folded demurely in her lap.

“We get pitshures, we yet shing.” Alex mumbled in return, pointing at himself.

“Alrighty then, a plan forms. Lets get going.” She reached over to pull them to standing, as they continued to watch her with their less than focused eyes.

*** ***

Maria led Isabel and Alex outside.

Isabel had the sleeves rolled all the way down over one hand, and the other was clasped tightly with Alex, also underneath the long sleeves of a large hooded sweatshirt of Michael’s, as they walked to her mother’s car to retrieve the shovel from the trunk.

Maria debated with herself for a moment about calling for help. But the thought of what Michael and Max might do to Alex given his and Isabel’s state at the moment… Not a good choice.

Hopefully they could simply find the alien device and go home. Or they would fall asleep in the car and sleep it off. Or something. Anything.

Poor Michael was going to be appalled at what they, what SHE, had done to his house.

Maria walked over and gathered the shovel from her hands before she could melt it, or do any other type of damage.

The joined teens staggered slightly as they walked back to the Jetta, but seemed more stable hand in hand than any other way. Except how was she going to get them into the car?

They stood against it, kissing, again.

Maria decided that Alex would be the easier of the two to separate. And so she touched his arm, while gathering the attention of both. She said, “Sorry kiddos, but I need to take Alex away for just a moment, you know so I can tuck him into the car.

Alex looked at her in bleary-eyed alarm.

‘Seriously affected if he can’t be removed from her either.’ Maria thought to herself.

Alex whimpered slightly but acquiesced.

Isabel’s now uncoupled hand glowed brightly, as the effect faded from Alex’s.

Maria watched, ‘Huh. There certainly is an awful lot of glowing going on between them. Is that what would have happened to Michael and me, if I had stayed? I wonder how it would feel if we had actually been able to be alone.’ She looked back down the road wistfully sighing as she pulled out a vial of oil. Sniffing it. ‘Not that any of us are allowed that right now... Alex and Isabel are enough trouble for anyone. No wonder I had to get over here.’

She opened the passenger door and pushed Alex in, roughly. It was their fault that her night was ruined. “Buckle up.” She then looked to the heavens and wondered why her life was always so insane. And as her eyes came back to the car they widened in a horrified surprise. ‘Speaking of insanity.’ She quickly left Alex’s side and raced around to the other.

Isabel was etching a huge glowing silver heart on the roof of her mother’s car. A heart with smaller initials IE, crossed out, as if she was deciding what to put and instead put IW plus AW in its center.

Maria raised her eyebrows as she grabbed Isabel’s hand from the surface. “Hands off the Jetta, Woman.” Isabel defiantly added a handprint, where the IE was, effectively erasing it. A nice, glowing, silver handprint.

Maria just stared at her for the moment, “I hope to God that doesn’t mean you got married tonight. I bet everyone who reads the top of my mother’s car will think that you did too. People on your planet maybe?” She said sarcastically. “But still, once we find what you are looking for, you are going to erase that! And I don’t know, couldn’t you have found a tree or a rock or something?”

Isabel nodded sagely, ‘Tree. Rock. Right.’ However she couldn’t reform the words, too altered.

“Keep your palms to yourself girlfriend,” Maria ordered as she shoved her into the car before she could inflict any more outside damage, and slammed the door behind her. She crawled into the driver’s seat and turned to face them.

Maria let out a wearied sigh, “Ok so we’ve got an alien thing buried in desert. We go get? Any questions? Cause I’ve sure got some.”

“Are you sure you guys need to do this? Alex? You have always been so level headed before this, I am trusting you here.”

Alex slowly nodded his head.

“Did you get any useful information?”

“Uh-huh.” He slowly nodded again.

“Ok. Great.” She feigned a delighted tone. “Can you give me any idea where we’re going since you’re obviously not doing the driving?”

“Four-e- zhu.”

“What?” She leaned across him and pulled a small piece of paper and pen from the glove box. “You are too slurred to understand. Write it.”

Alex gripped the pen and scrawled a half-way legible 4-2 on the paper.

“As in highway 42, perhaps?” Alex nodded. “As in the desert, by the crash site?” Maria nodded in her understanding, matching Isabel. “Well that actually does make sense, hopefully we can make sense of this.” She pointed back at the still glowing Isabel.

She made sure they were buckled in and then they drove off.

Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

She’d pretty much given up on tonight.

**** ****

Gloria pulled up to the house Diane had directed her too. And the first thing she noticed was that Alex’s car was sitting near the house. Another was also near it. She turned to her friend, “Diane? Please tell me Michael drives a sedan.”

Diane’s voice was grim, as she shook her head. “No, he drives a little rattle trap motorcycle.” She dramatically sighed, “That is MY sedan. Isabel borrows it frequently. She said she would be right back.”

“So did Alex.” Gloria closed her eyes, pained. He had promised to come home. Even promised that he would honor grounding for the episode at the school. And now, here he was, as was Isabel. His promises already broken. To be so close to success to fail now. She had such hopes that at least Alex would be pure at his marriage.

She could feel her heart breaking. Why couldn’t at least one of her kids have waited? Especially Alex. He had always been such a good kid ...

Diane saw the pain on her face and offered a solution as she reached into her purse. She pulled out a key ring. “Let’s go. I have a set of keys. We are here; we might as well stop them. If we can.”

Gloria sighed deeply, and nodded soberly. She steeled herself for a moment and watched as Diane walked up to the front door. She should get up. She should be there with her friend. But it was simply too hard.

Reluctantly she opened her door and got out.

Diane had already gone in.

Gloria took slow and fateful steps toward the house where her baby had probably lost his virginity. Why was she going through this... again?

She had just reached the porch when Diane came bursting out a bit wild-eyed. ‘What had she seen?’

“Uh, they are NOT here.” Diane said gesturing back at the house, and locking the door behind her.

Gloria looked at Diane in confusion. “But the cars….”

Diane shook her head, “Not a clue as to why they would leave them ... But no ones here.” She ran her hand through her hair in a style reminiscent of her daughter, “What now?” She asked hurriedly, trying to appear calm. If Gloria didn’t know about Isabel’s genetics, she could not enter that house. There were telltale signs everywhere of her daughter’s heritage. Isabel had left her mark alright, in nice, bright, shiny, and glowing hand prints.

Gloria just stared at her friend. She too ruffled her hair in a manner similar to her son, as she echoed, “Yeah. What now?”

TBC...
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
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Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) ch 27:O 9-14-10 pg13

Post by Mt Gazer »

POSTED 9-30-10

Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: This is my version of Sexual Healing.

Dedicated still to my friends Pooh and Tharos. I hope you enjoy.

And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. And sometimes, we act them out. I really appreciate your willingness to experiment with me. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details.


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: Isabel and Alex are drunk off each other, and the make-out, destroyed the inside of Michael’s house.... Stopped by Maria thankfully... Although the Jetta has seen better times. What’s next? The two moms wondered...

******************************************
Shifting Realities

Chapter 27: P

Loosing Control


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


In this part, two things are happening almost simultaneously... the mothers have gone to Michael’s and Maria has gone to the Crashdown to get another shovel ...


*** Crashdown***

She stood at the back door, got Liz’s attention, and motioned her to come to the door.

“Get back in here; you’re not above working.” Liz teased. “I’ve already covered you for the last half hour. I thought you were coming right back.”

Maria spoke in frustration; “You’re going to have to cover the rest of my shift tonight.”

“I don’t think so. Get into your apron and get back to work, its crazy in here.“ Liz pointed at the front of the restaurant.

Maria peered inside the main dining area, “That’s not crazy Liz. That’s normal. Maria deadpanned. She backed through the doors and went into the break room to quickly change into regular clothes. Everyone knows the desert gets cold at night and all she was in was her little waitress uniform. She needed some warmth at least.

She stepped into the kitchen, gave Michael a very quick but deep kiss. Said cryptically, “Don’t hate her...” and blew out of the restaurant, dragging Liz with her.

Outside they continued talking in private, so that Liz could see for herself what Maria was babbling about this time.

“You want crazy...” Maria pointed toward the Jetta. “I’ve got two, plastered, glowing creatures in that car, and I need to borrow your guy’s shovel. We’re going out to the desert, on some kind of “Czechoslovakian” mission. Yay!!” Her feigned excited voice rising as she clapped eagerly. “And I have to play chaperone.”

The clapping became one hand folded into the other in one fluid motion; as it was tucked under her chin, with her held tilted to the side. (An excited stance)

She sobered and sighed, “I’ve got to keep them away from each other. Today is just one crazy, hormone charged, sex fest.

“They...” Pointing at the car, “can’t be left alone. Nor can they be seen by anyone. Isabel is a glowing night-light. Literally. Look.”

“Isabel hey.” Maria tapped on the glass, as the glowing girl popped her head up for the briefest of seconds. “Put it down now. ” Maria motioned.

“And as you can see the car itself was her object of choice when she felt like doing a little graffiti...” Maria sighed... “Couldn’t have found a tree, or a rock, or even a wall. Nope she had to declare her love for all the worlds to see on my MOTHER’S car.”

“Hmmm..” Liz mentioned. Thinking to herself as she stared at the glowing heart, ‘I don’t think that’s possible...’ reaching out to touch it...

She never got her next thought out; it was trampled in Maria’s haste to explain why she could not work tonight. “Ok. Well you saw that. Then try this... Alex is glowing too.”

Liz stared at her dumbfounded.

“Wherever she touches him, or bites him. His hickey from this afternoon? It’s glowing now, Liz. I can’t send him home anymore either. You know? Parents?” She made a shrugged gesture...

“And they,” pointing at the car, “think something is buried in the desert. And they aren’t going home until they find it.” She stared at Liz in confusion. “And I can’t let either of them drive because they’re so wasted. So, You’re going to have to cover me.”

She went into the back storage room of the Parker’s and found their shovel. She Air-kissed Liz on the cheek and ran back to the car.

*** ***
Gloria pulled out her cell phone, looked at the other mother and sighed. What’s next is we call Amy DeLuca. Figure out if she has any clue where Alex is, or if he is with Maria for any reason.

She started to dial and the other end was picked up.

“Hi Amy. Gloria... I was just wondering if Maria is around? Possibly Alex? ... No... She’s at work huh? Well, I'm not sure anything is WRONG per se it’s just that I can’t seem to find Alex, anywhere. And well... he’s supposed to be at home tonight... Serious Grounding... Yeah. The school thing.” She sighed soberly. “...You saw the news? Yeah... we can discuss that later... I’m worried about him too... Ok, Thanks. We’re heading over to the Crashdown.... Bye.” She closed her phone and blew out a long breath.

Looking up at Diane she said, “We’re going to go see Maria at work... we’re going to the Crashdown next.”

*** ***

On the journey to the Milemarker 42, and the old broken radio tower, Maria just had to give Isabel a piece of her mind. Isabel was sitting in the middle of the back seat, centered directly with the rearview mirror, which Maria used to look at the glowing girl and she started to babble, feeling she had earned the right.

Mind you Isabel was in such a euphoric, hormone, drunken state that not much conversation was entering her brain. Alex wasn’t doing much better himself. Most of the ride was punctuated with inebriated giggling from both parties, and the kicking of the inside of the car in the same fashion.

“I don’t know what was going on at Michael’s when I got there, and I really don’t want to know ok?” Maria looked into the mirror and spoke, “but maybe the vampire myths aren’t so far off the mark. Maybe vampires are from another planet, like you are you know, because from what I saw, you were sucking the life out of Alex when I got there.”

She turned to him and stroked the hickey on his neck in reference. “See what I mean?”

Alex glared at her with his crooked quirk of his mouth.

“You’re the only one this happens with; the power surges, the drunk thing, any of it, and you’re like completely out of control!!” She huffed. “I don’t want you taking advantage of Alex, because you are in some kind of weird mating need, here, o.k.? I definitely don’t want to be dealing with some freaky “Species” reenactment.”

Isabel chortled in response

Alex laughed as he mumbled, “E’en see’ i’? Ri-a?” (Even seen it Maria?)

“Ok since I’m taking you on a field trip to the desert to find something that is buried there. Promise me you won’t eat Alex after you mate with him.” Maria was dead serious. Her voice held no hint of amusement and she rapidly gave each of them a second of eye contact, as she resumed her duty of designated driver.

Isabel burst out hysterically laughing. Causing another power surge, as she held to the door handle to gain control, and of course it too melted.

The car for a moment gathering speed of its own volition, the pedal pushing downward, slipping from under Maria’s foot, as the speedometer started to climb... “Isabel. FIX!” She ordered as she reached behind and placed a firm right hand on the girl’s knee. And with that, the pedal came to rest properly under her foot once more; she gripped the wheel with both hands securely again.

Too bad the same fix couldn’t be used for Isabel’s state, there just didn’t seem to be a fix for this. Maybe she should have taken Alex home, drunk, sex-crazed, glowing hickey, and glowing spots all over him, and delivered him into his parent’s hands... It had come to this? She was actually rethinking the little excursion at the expense of the secret? All these thoughts passed through her mind rapidly while Alex was processing what she last said, and his chortling laughter interrupted her thoughts...

“Sh’ wo’ ea’ “ (She won’t eat) Alex slurred, “...What?” Alex spoke a coherent word while choking with laughter.

“You know, praying mantis, after they copulate, the female eats the head of the male in some weird form of sexual cannibalism.... And we have no idea what kind of creature you ...are... really. But you’re not human.” She glanced nervously into the back again through the rearview mirror. “Definitely... not... human.”

Alex laughed hysterically...

“Ye-eh.” Isabel slurred, amidst guffaws. She couldn’t resist although it was in such poor taste, “Ayx, taas sooo goo-d’

Although as wasted as Maria had ever seen Isabel, even worse than at the school that afternoon... she could hear the subtext in that.

Alex burst out with even more laughter. He couldn’t even respond, slumping in the seat....

“And you won’t mate either?” Maria questioned, worriedly.

Both Isabel and Alex licked their lips and slurred out equally incoherently, but singular of thought. “Can’ prom-s zat.” (Can’t promise that)

“Oh God. Ok. Um.... So this things like really important huh?” She changed the subject as rapidly as she could. They were scaring her at this moment. They had one thing on their singular mind, and it definitely was precluding the bases.

*** ***

They walked into the Crashdown together and each furtively looked around for any trace of Maria or even the other two kids.

Liz saw them coming and froze on the spot, staring as they walked in together.

Michael did a double-take and mumbled an expletive as he buried himself in his work. It would be a short matter of time before he was talking with Mrs. Evans no doubt.

A quick nod of solidarity and Liz went out to greet the new customers. Liz, bit her lip nervously and then straightened her hair and calmly walked out to the front. “Mrs. Whitman, Mrs. Evans. How may I help you?”

“We’d like a seat Liz”. Gloria stated. “And we’re going to order in a moment.”

Liz swallowed reflexively. They weren’t leaving. They were here for answers no doubt. But seriously with only one of them in the loop there was nothing she could tell them. She smiled and showed them to a table. They slid into their seats across from each other.

Gloria smiled broadly, “A slice of Key-Lime pie please Liz, and a cup of coffee, black. Diane anything?”

“Oh I shouldn’t do this because its going to shoot my diet to hell, but I’ll have a slice of apple pie ala mode with a cup of coffee as well, double cream.” Diane smiled knowingly.

Liz nodded, as she wrote them down.

“Oh and Liz?” Gloria smiled slyly, “please have Maria serve us.”

“Maria? I haven’t seen her in a little while.”

“Is she here?”

“Not at the moment no. Now, let me go get your ladies’ desserts and I’ll be right back.” She quickly slipped from the table, so that she could not be questioned any further and went to the kitchen.

“Michael. They are settling in for dessert. And they are looking for Maria, so I guarantee they’re looking for Alex and Isabel as well. Just be careful.” Liz said as she pulled the treats from the fridge and started to cut a slice of each ...

Diane looked up and realized that Michael was watching her carefully, and so she excused herself and went into the back room to talk with him directly. Liz slid past her carrying two plates and went to the coffee machine...

Gloria picked up her phone again...


*** ***

“Hi Michael.”

“Hey Mrs. E.”

She smiled. “So, you were quite the hero at school today.”

“Yeah, I’m not going to do that again. Once a day limit...”

“Well anyway thank you for helping my wayward daughter.”

“Not really sure it did much good.” Michael mumbled as he rolled his eyes and turned to remove some food from the fryer.

“What might have happened, if you hadn’t intervened...” She kept talking... “You know you did the right thing Michael, protecting and keeping them safe, and I’m very proud of you.”

As he talked over her, speaking at the same time, neither really hearing the other...

“The same thing that might have happened tonight, if... and I wouldn’t be...”

She cut him off. “Excuse me? Did you say something happened tonight?” She caught back up to the conversation.

“Um.” He didn’t know what to answer; he didn’t really know what had happened.

A frazzled Maria hadn’t told him either, just said, “Don’t hate her.” kissed him and left. He had to get whatever other details from Liz.

So he pointed to the other mother and added, “What is SHE doing here?”

“We’re looking for Alex and Isabel.”

He sighed... “Who Isn’t?”

“Michael what exactly do you mean by that? Didn’t they talk to you? I thought you had a little meeting this evening?” She added worriedly. “I was trusting you guys to make sure NOTHING HAPPENED.”

“I know.” He sighed. “We did have that little meeting. And he left when we did; we removed him ourselves. We really tried to keep them apart. And Maria has them now.”

“Michael? TRIED?”

“Look. We followed him to town, and he turned toward home. We had to get to work so...”

Diane worked out the situation... “So he doubled back and ... and what? Went to your house? Was she waiting for him?”

“I don’t know... I hope not. All I know is Maria was a bit freaked out when she got back here, and she quickly got herself together for an excursion. You do know that they are looking for something very important tonight RIGHT? Something SHE can’t be a part of.” He pointed to Gloria yet again.

“Yes Michael I do have a tiny bit of info on that, but Gloria called me when her son turned up missing. And I’ve got news for you; if I hadn’t been there, she would have gone to your house. Michael. You must honestly have NO clue how much it is marked right now with glowing signs saying “aliens” she mouthed the word, “are here. Where are they?”

“Desert. But you can’t follow them Mrs. E. Because you know things SHE doesn’t...” he sighed referring to Gloria once more.

“I suppose you are right? Now are you telling me that the safety, protection, and willpower of my daughter and Alex is in the hands of one teenaged girl?”

“Tonight, it kind of is.”

She glared at Michael as he shrugged. “YOU my dear are NOT helping my state of mind.”

“Can I trust you?” Michael stared at her for a tense moment.

She sighed and raked her hands through her hair. “Of course Michael. Now I have no idea how to play this off with Gloria but ... I’ll think of something.”

He scratched his forehead... “Welcome to our world.” He said sarcastically.


“Liz. Order up.” He placed a couple plates of food on the counter and rang the bell as Diane went back out front.

Then spying the latest newcomer he stepped into the freezer to gather some more food.

*** ***

Gloria looked up and saw Amy DeLuca animatedly talking to Liz Parker. She sighed, as she waved her over. Diane too joined them at the table and sat to down the waiting dessert. She took a couple bites.

Amy grabbed the end chair as she slid in, “Did you find them yet? She sat down breathless. “Anything?”

Gloria shook her head slowly. “No. They aren’t here, any of them.” She took a bite.

“I don’t have my car thanks to my wayward daughter and her little road trip tonight. I actually had to bike my way over here.” Shook her head. “Did I hear Liz say that this is all about some school project? Trust my daughter to wait to the last minute...”

Gloria and Diane shook their heads collectively.

Amy scrunched her face, "I see. Well then. They are hiding something." She looked thoughtful. "Yep, I can feel it. What do you think they are up to?"

“You saw the news today?” Gloria asked.

“The school?” Amy asked in a confused understanding.

“Yeah. The school... Alex was in the middle of that and missing... This is the reason I really need to find him tonight. The situation in which he was found...” Gloria placed her head into her hands with a huge sigh. “He was totally smashed, at school, and making out with her daughter...”

Diane sighed in response. “And my daughter was in an equal state...” Taking a bite of her pie.

“ALEX?” Amy asked in even more confusion. “My little Angel?”

Gloria snorted. “Devil is more like it...” she mumbled in an undertone.

“Smashed?” She looked at Gloria for clarification, “As in out of control drunk?” She was trying to see if the proper words were even being used...

Gloria sighed painfully. “Wasted. Yeah.”

“At School?” She couldn’t shake the confusion... “I have to be missing... Something... Because... my little angel wouldn’t do that...”

“Gloria?” She turned to her friend. Upon her deep frown, she slid in and offered a hug. “Oh, I am so sorry, Gloria. With your family’s history...We need to nip this in the bud and fast...”

Gloria mumbled, “I don’t what’s gotten into him. I’d like to blame Isabel...” She shot a rueful glance in Diane’s direction. “But, she’s a usually a good kid too... He just isn’t in control of himself at all today...”

Sighing. “I thought we had an understanding... He had to go apologize to her family, to Michael and Max, and come right home. That seems to be where we lost him again. He never came back... and he wasn’t at Michael’s either. No one was.”

Amy straightened up, just what she needed to hear that Michael also was missing. “Speaking of this Michael character... Where is that boy? I didn’t see him when I got here; think he’s on this little lost adventure of theirs too?”

Liz stopped in with more coffee. And asked Amy if she could get her anything. Amy waved her off...

“Um, Ms. DeLuca, Michael’s working. Take a look,” Liz pointed to the kitchen.

Michael popped his head into the window. And waved.

“That’s a relief...” Amy knew all about the Whitman values, and Gloria’s rules, and so she said somberly, “Well, I guess as long as they are careful. Its all kind of part of growing up you know?”

“They weren’t.” Diane muttered.

Gloria stared at her angrily. “And you would know this HOW?”

Diane swallowed, and dove in, “The condoms we bought this afternoon were unopened, and still in her purse. Which for whatever reason is also at Michael’s.” She raked her hands through her hair again. “Would Maria happen to have any protection on her just in case?” Diane turned to Amy.

Amy was denying the fact of Maria’s growing up.. “My baby girl is not having sex...”

Diane sighed, “Yeah you can say that but the facts are, how many of us here made it to eighteen before we... Not I, and I know not you Amy...”

Gloria was floored. “You bought condoms for your daughter? And you’re ok with them having sex? I’m not ok with that...”

“Look. I don’t want them to have sex. I had it too early myself. But face it, sex happens. Our kids are physically capable of it, and it is quite likely. They are in a very advanced relationship and I certainly don’t want my baby to be a mother this early in her life. The girl always pays the highest price you know, so I will do my damnedest to PROTECT my DAUGHTER! You can stick your head in the sand if you want...”

“I’m not sticking my head in the sand, and I certainly know that it happens. I also know that it can ruin individuals and families. You have no idea how much I deal with this in my practice; premarital, extramarital, sex DESTROYS in the wrong context... I’m not immune to the ills of society; I just expect my family to rise to a higher standard.”

Amy watched between the two of them; “Look this isn’t really the time for this. We need to find them first. Find out what’s going on...”

The other two mothers sat there glaring at each other. Differing values and viewpoints... Gloria looked up. “This part of the conversation is OVER!!! Diane. I’m not going to get into this with you today as well. Alex and I already went a few rounds this afternoon.”

“Fine. I’m done for now! But as our children are involved, we’re going to have to be discussing this again... some other time?”

“Count on it. But not today!” She turned to Amy in determination, “Amy he is grounded. Indefinitely at this point. Find those kids. Call Maria! I want to know where he is. And WHY he is. RIGHT NOW!!”

Amy looked over at Gloria, “I tried to call her, don’t you think that would be the first thing I did? Her phone is either not in service or is out of the calling area... it went to voice.”

“I just need to talk to him. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Of course I do.” Amy cleared her throat.

“Will you please try again for me?”

Amy fished out her cell phone and dialed her daughter yet again.

Michael stepped out holding a ringing phone. And handed it to Amy. She grabbed his hand. “Do you know where are they Michael?”

“Gone, doing an assignment...” he pulled out of the grip and went back to the safety of the kitchen...

Liz stepped in with a coffee pot, and refilled the mugs. Gloria gave her a hard stare, as Amy forced her to answer...

“Science project you know? Astronomy, charting the stars... Had to go to the desert... Mine’s already done... I don’t procrastinate... I’ll be right back I’ve got to wait on another table...” and Liz escaped.

Gloria turned to Diane. “What did you see at Michael’s? You ran out of there and were a little crazy... what happened in that house?”

“Um...” Diane bit her lip... “Ever have a serious hot and heavy interlude with Charles where more than just you needs a little clean up?” She raised her eyebrows in question.

“Yeah of course...” Gloria thought back to some fun times of lovin’ she and her hubby had shared. And then she turned wide-eyed to Diane... “They didn’t?”

“Yeah... they did... something... Michael’s is going to need some repair.”

“Not again,” Gloria muttered. And looked up. “NOT AGAIN!” Gloria sighed as she looked at them, “I’ve dealt with the, ‘Mom. We’re pregnant speech’ with my oldest...

Liz came and offered another refill, Amy asked for a mug.

“I am not a grandmother yet;” she said mournfully... “They lost the baby.”

Diane reached out and patted her hand, her own pain remembered, as Amy slid next to her and hugged her friend. Both of the women consoled her, and Diane said in her understanding. “I’m sorry... I know how that must hurt...”

Liz returned with the mug...

“And now Alex.... Charles has NEVER once been here at the outset... I have had to deal with it EVERY time on my own... You know what... I’m Out! Charles gets to deal with this one. Alex won’t listen to me anyway... All I need to know is where he is, what he is doing, and what exactly he DID...”

Gloria looked up lips tight; “My family is in no way perfect... I’ve caught one in the act before, thankfully not tonight but...”

Amy winced as she remembered back to her own getting caught... “Oh that’s never fun.” she mumbled... Looking up at Diane and noticing a similar look flash across her face.

And then Diane chuckled... shaking her head and remembering exactly what she saw in Michael’s... “Oh My God...” She said as her eyes widened in understanding. “You know I don’t think they actually did, have sex tonight... Maria must have stopped them. I checked it over you know, and there wasn’t any physical evidence, if you get my meaning... but there was a giant wet spot in the center of the living room floor... Of course... Thank you Amy!”

Amy shook her head ruefully and cackled slightly. “Well at least now I know she listens.”

The other two looked at her.

”What? SO... I got caught a couple of times. Mom used to douse me and my beau of the moment with cold water. It worked wonders...”

All three of the mothers laughed together...

“Face it Diane, neither of our hormonal and drunk teens can be trusted with each other right now... And Alex is usually the level headed one, so Maria turning it on him... irony yes, but appropriate... Thank God it didn’t get too far... I actually prayed for intervention tonight...”

“Looks like you got it...” Diane squeezed her hand. “Looks like WE got it...”

“Yeah...” She sighed in relief... “So what we do know is that our kids are out there, God knows where, doing God knows what...”

Amy teased, “EXCEPT getting laid...”

Gloria wryly smiled and chuckled good naturedly. “I do not want to go through another day or night like this however...”

Diane agreed and turned to the other two, “Alright, girls... “We’re all stressed, and really need to just take a break... Now that we’ve ascertained that the kids are fine, for the time being... how about we all do some bonding or something you know? Make a pact to watch our kids like hawks, share information... that sort of thing.”

“If anyone hears anything, we all call each other?” Amy joined in...

The mothers all agreed in the shared bond of the three kids... Paid for their coffee and desserts and headed home...

TBC...
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
User avatar
Mt Gazer
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:10 pm
Location: Living in my own mind!!!!

Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) CH 27:P 9-30-10 pg 14

Post by Mt Gazer »

This will be somewhat embarrassing to write.. but so what... do I seem to be tied to convention?

I started Shifting Realities in 2003... (thats the embarrasing part)

I first posted it for my birthday that year... October 9, 2003... ( I cant fully recall the age I was anymore)
on a site that No longer exists, called the Boardello. It was the very first site I signed onto...

My little son was then 3 years old and a holy terror. My stepsons and I went through WAR...

I know that in the courses of time I have paused on this so often... But for whatever reason it LIVES ON... in my head... and it finds it way back to the screen...

Do I wish it was shorter?? ,,, Heck yeah, but its not... it is what it is... It is SHIFTING REALITIES...

It has seen me through...

A very difficult family with two stepsons... Who are now grown, and in the Navy.
Both married, but not both happily... One is having troubles...

A difficult child, who has grown into a great 10 year old, top of his class in math, and still high in his lang arts... he is such a bright child and a bright spot in my life.

A marriage that was crumbling, but we've chosen to remain and make it... Against ALL ODDS... he is still the person i dedicate the entire story too, and the person who practices, or experiments with me... I LOVE YOU RANDY....

And I've had losses, numerous...

In 2004 I lost my Paternal Grandma,

in 2008, as attested by my signature, my unborn son.

2009, My paternal Uncle, in a freak fall off the cliff car accident. he was heading up to camp and rock climb and was one of the safest people i know... noone knows what haoppened or why...

2010, My mom.

I've been though things, and taken you all through it all with me. Thank you for remaining through everything.

and so even though it is ONE story and IT is NOT OVER...

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY

Shifting Realities...

Thanks for all the things you've seen me though...


RHONDA
Velvet Skye/Mt Gazer
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
User avatar
Mt Gazer
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:10 pm
Location: Living in my own mind!!!!

Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) AN 10-8-10 pg 14

Post by Mt Gazer »

FB’s for 27:P

PML: Happy Birthday Peter. Yeah Liz does have a very long night at the Crashdown I’m afraid.

And yeah if those mothers track their kids down to the desert, they are DEAD.

Ditte Mai: Welcome to the story. Thank you for reading it and for catching all the way up. The mother’s scene was born of the one phone call of Maria trying to find Alex. And yes if their mother catch up to them, they are in a TON of HEAT. Even if they don’t go to the desert after them, they still are.

Cute: I’ve tainted an episode. The Jetta will forever have a little glow to it...huh?

Tharos: Maria has the right tool huh? Which one a shovel, or a get-away-car?
The moms do need to calm down don’t they? And Isabel and Alex do need to stop glowing, especially before the moms find them. Liz is dealing with a load of crazy yeah, poor girl... and Max was at work at the UFO Center. He just couldn’t be there at that moment.

keepsmiling/Carolyn: Glad you loved the moms. They had to be written after Alex was missing. Gloria is not letting him off today... I’m glad you read the recaps. And please catch the other notes as well. I think the fact that Isabel is glowing, is feedback looping to Alex somehow, causing him to glow in return. Its girl thing as Maria said earlier this day. It has to be...

cjsl8ne: Maria did think quick, she had too. Amy needed that car and she’s been relegated to a Bike. The moms are on the task now... and yeah dumping water on them worked wonders for the moment.

************************
Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: This is my version of Sexual Healing.

Dedicated still to my friends Pooh and Tharos. I hope you enjoy.

And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. And sometimes, we act them out. I really appreciate your willingness to experiment with me. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details.


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: Maria has taken the drunken teens to the desert to retrieve an alien artifact. Which those of us who’ve watched Roswell know is the orb. The mom’s have made a pact to watch and share information.

And a new treat, please check out the musical LINKS at the end... I have learned how to link lately and so may actually share the music that shapes a chapter, besides just crediting it. This part has two songs. The lyrics used are in italics, in the body of the text. I still insert flashes into italics but with the word FLASH to distinguish.

******************************************
Shifting Realities

Chapter 27: Q

Loosing Control


******************************************
I can’t tell you what is going on exactly, for I wish to give no good thing away, but at the start here, three events are playing out simultaneously.


*** ***
How Michael wished he could be spending the evening with Maria... but she had to SAVE Isabel’s skin, and so he had let her go.. He couldn’t escape work for one, and second, he really didn’t have the strength for any more weird ass power surges, or sticking his hand into electrical currents or anything else of the sort. ...

Michael thought about his lovely girlfriend. Yeah that’s right... he truly did have a girlfriend. It was amazing to him that she was always so… open with him. He could literally see her, all of her in her eyes. And lucky for him that she could not read him as well.

Because he had lied to her, when they were kissing earlier. He had seen a few things. Some from her. And some from somewhere else.

He shivered, the air seemed somehow cooler. It had been a while since he had been driven to sketch something, but tonight, he just needed to find some paper and a pen ... Michael shivered again. There was something about the night itself...

Retrieving a sketchbook from his backpack, for art class, He sat at the counter, and opened it to a blank page and pulled out a nicely sharpened pencil. And turned his thoughts inward. He willed an image of earlier to come to mind... and felt possessed as his hands flew over the paper...


*** ***

The Crashdown was experiencing a lull in customers, and Liz thought it was a great time for another break because Max Evans had entered the restaurant...

Liz walked over to him, and looked him in the eyes... he tried to look away from hers, the intensity burning in them was so penetrating, into his very soul.

She grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers... he was not used to this, this closeness... and she whispered, “Come with me Max.” as she lead him out of the dining area and through the break-room.

As he followed her, he noticed her how her long, silky, brown hair framed her face, when she turned back and smiled at him.

As they stepped through her room, she took him out onto her balcony.

She released his hand. She wanted to kiss him but she didn’t really know what he thought of the idea, actually she was pretty sure she knew what he thought, and it fell to the negative.

After Isabel’s ordeal at the school, he didn’t think it was safe. It had taken long enough for him to start to open back up after his self-imposed moratorium on all things human.

But Liz wasn’t with Kyle, had discovered Max’s secret by sheer accident, and had started to draw him out of his shell.

Michael had somehow found Maria to be a missing factor in his life,

And Isabel?

Well her relationship with Alex could be described as nothing short of miraculous. The very hidden girl, who hid behind the armor of popularity, had found true bliss in his arms, and she was taking the ride wherever it led her. (Today that seemed to be literally as well as figuratively.)

Time to try to break through to Max. He was standing there looking through her telescope, letting her dwell in her own thoughts as he avoided his...

She pulled him away from the telescope.

“There’s something out there Liz,” he sighed. “But I don’t know how to find it, or where...” He felt drawn to her, but he just couldn’t act on those feelings.

“Then why don’t you just let Alex and Isabel work on that today...” She took his hand.

“Liz.” He wryly smiled... Max looked away. He wasn’t so sure he could control himself. Isabel wasn’t able to and did destroy the interior of the high school in just this one afternoon.

His thoughts were interrupted, “And we will work on something else.” She held him palm to palm and interlocked her diminutive fingers with his strong masculine ones.

“Liz?” He desperately wants to try, wants to believe he can trust himself.

She looked into his eyes, “Max. In the interest of science, and kissing purported to invoke these certain insights, I’d like to offer myself as a subject, available for experimentation.” She coyly stated, teasing him.

“Liz?” His heart was pounding erratically in his chest... how to calm it down. “What are you saying?”

“That I would like to conduct our own Experiment Max...” she whispered breathily in his ear.

He most certainly couldn’t think anymore. ‘Didn’t she know that he had loved her forever? Didn’t she know how dangerous this was?’ ...

He swallowed and asked in response, “What exactly are you proposing as the hypothesis?”

“We’re the last of the controls.” She leaned into him. “Let’s find out.” she whispered, leaning against his front and whispering to his lips.... as hers gently stroked his.

He stood there in a momentary shock and need to control this. But Liz was leaving him little ability to do so. Her lips pressed against his, as her hands came to a resting place wrapping around the back of his head as he in turn awkwardly cradled her face with his hands. He whispered. “I don’t want to hurt you Liz... I don’t want to cause you any harm.”

“Then don’t.” She added, as she pressed deeper into the kiss.

***FLASH***
A metallic football shaped orb, with a swirl looking design. The same design he’d seen on Isabel’s necklace.

He gulped. And pulled back looking at Liz. Feeling a mix of fear and elation simultaneously. How was he supposed to control this? His confused hands found a place on her upper back to rest.

***FLASH***
A little girl playing dress up stepping into her mother’s high heeled shoes, and putting on mom’s makeup.

Liz was pressing her body against his now and was getting into the kiss. He was curiously horrified... his hand sliding lower down her back and pressing her closer for leverage.


Morning smiles
like the face of a newborn child,
innocent, unknowing.



***FLASH***
A small boy tore through a membrane and emerged from a pod; emerging and covered from head to toe in a thick, viscous fluid.

Liz could feel this. It was his birth, and like with any newborn, the emotions were raw. Fear… of the unknown; discomfort… as the sticky fluid fell off of his body in globs and left him exposed to an atmosphere that he was totally unaccustomed to, and bewilderment… at the newness of everything… His amber eyes were wide with wonder, as he looked around, seeming to take stock of the situation…


Her lips parted open and beckoned his tongue to join... Max swallowed, nervously. And she invited again. Without thought, he accepted...

‘This is how you lose control’ he thought dolefully, you just have to kiss one of them and then BOOM... its over...

***FLASH (reverse Connection)***
Liz saw herself as Max saw her... her hair glowing with soft filtered light behind it... in his eyes... she was beautiful...

Gone were the sweet and gentle strokes of just a moment ago as now his left hand came to tightly hold the side of her face as his mouth plundered hers and then moved lower to the soft skin at the side of her neck. As his other hand held her backside... ‘How to get back in control, how?’

Liz felt an alien energy pulling her into a rushing vortex filled with millions of stars as it tugged her further into the bright and immense galaxy. And felt herself going crazy with the need to partition her mind. Because she was enjoying this kiss, these sensations so much. But the need to memorize the images that flashed through her head was no less a need.

Her right hand was gripping his collar, as she pulled the UFO Center Vest from his body... It wasn’t enough... she wanted skin contact... she opened his shirt, and pulled it from his pants.

He blinked in absolute confusion. But rejoined the kiss...

***FLASH***
A slanted rock formation in the desert... followed by a beeping radio tower...

The flashes were flowing like an electrical current, between both of them... the intensity growing exponentially...

Max had a distinct impression that this was heading out of control and he needed to stop it, but he couldn’t. He truly couldn’t and that worried him. Because he was powerless...

Winter's end
promises of a long lost friend.
Speaks to me of comfort

But I fear
I have nothing to give.


*** ***
Same time:

Her hormones still raging out of control? More information to be gathered? It was anyone’s guess why Isabel attacked Alex the moment they were out of the car. Pushing him against it she started into him, right where they’d been interrupted earlier. He tilted his head with an awkward flinch as he swallowed nervously. “Iz-sh abel - we ...” he wanted to say ‘can’t’ but her lips were pressed firmly against his... He was powerless against her, her touch, just one touch and he was involuntarily abiding by her every command.

While Alex started to get a bit worried as to what might actually happen out here if he couldn’t get her mind back on the buried object. Maria got perturbed.

Walking over to them she pulled them away from the trunk, which she needed access to and walked them away, as they continued to kiss. “… My night sucks, Yours?” She asked the air as she grabbed the two shovels...

As if in answer the darkened night sky was getting even darker. The clouds were slowly dimming the brilliant light of the spring stars, the air growing still and weighty, and the chill of an impending storm beginning to set in.

Maria looked up at the rapidly changing weather and mumbled, “We better find this thing soon, or we’re all going to be soaked to the skin. Some of us already have a head start.” She teased... She forced a shovel into each of their hands, breaking up the momentary kissing fest.

A few seconds later, the handle of the shovel that Isabel held fell into two parts, and she started to laugh hysterically again.

“Of course. I should have known... Okay, Alien or Princess just back away from the shovel.” Her hands were up and motioning animatedly. “In fact... just back away okay?” She waved her off with both hands shoving, “I don’t really care where you are as long as you aren’t touching ANYTHING or ANYONE! The translation of this, in case you don’t speak my language, is ALEX. No more touching the ALEX!” She ran her hands over him like a game show prize indicating whom she was referencing. “You got that...”

Ebony eyes stared sharply as the diminutive girl grabbed her and pulled her away, the headlights of the Jetta serving as the main source of light. “So where are we supposed to be?” Maria spun in a wide circle with arms out stretched to exaggerate her point. “Its a big desert, some clues would be good. You know normal HUMAN ones, not produced through kissing.”

Alex sort of chuckled and shrugged.

Isabel walked on, with a basic knowledge of the general area the orb was buried in from the flashes received tonight and from just a pulling her to it. It was guiding her faltering, halting steps. After a few minutes she landed near the foot of the broken tower. “Beep- Beep- Beep.” She echoed.

Maria shook her head. Isabel was not with it, she wasn’t going to be of any use and then Maria heard it faintly but growing in intensity, a beeping sound. Like Isabel was imitating.

“Here?” Maria asked, walking over to join her. Isabel nodded furiously. “Alrighty then. Alex,” She placed the handle into his hands, “meet Mr. Shovel. Dig.” Turning to watch the drunken girl she looked right at her for a moment, “You so owe me your highness!” She sent a verbal disparagement Isabel’s way.


*** ***
Crashdown inside: Same time... Same lull ...

Michael had a distinct need during this break time too...

He could hear the ballast buzzing above him in the fluorescent lighting.

He looked up at the flickering lights and smirked, ignoring them. Good thing the Parkers were gone for the evening. He really wouldn’t want to be explaining why Max and Liz were unattended, doing who knows what out on her balcony... while he calmly manned the inside of the restaurant, as the power once again went haywire.

He didn’t know why what he had seen seemed important, but flashes are what they are. At least from what Isabel and Alex had tried to describe earlier. And they were being led to somewhere by them,,, no matter the outcome...

The blank page beckoned as he drew in a curved elliptical shape, creating a rounded top and then joining it seamlessly to form an oval shaped object; drawing from deep within, he sketched a symbol on it, swirled, like Isabel’s necklace. He turned the pencil sideways and shaded it in, creating a smoky color, which he rubbed with his fingers to blend and blur... A strange blackish orb stared at him from the page. ‘Hmm...’ He wondered to himself.

The next made him smile... Maria... he had seen her as a child, in tears, with a Dalmatian dog beside her, licking them off. He bent over the page, pencil stroking on the paper...

*** ***

He pushed her down on the chaise lounge and let his hands stroke the skin of her upper thighs ... her dress pushed up and out of the way... electricity flowing through his fingertips ... It was coursing through all the other parts of him as well.

This little make-out session quickly went from innocent to not so much...

He ripped open her dress, and she didn’t stop him, instead she was delightedly moaning in his arms as multiple flashes assailed their connection.

***FLASH***
He saw himself in this situation before. Her waitress dress ripped open before him, as he had a split second decision to make...


I have so much to lose here in this lonely place.


His hand reached inside and his right hand stroked her lower right quadrant.


***FLASH***
Blood was pouring out of a wound in her abdomen. “Liz you have to look at me.”


Tangled up in your embrace
There's nothing I'd like better than to fall.



Max stared at her... blinking.


***FLASH***
He made the decision and placed his hand on the bloody wound. The bleeding stopped. He felt fear at that moment... such fear...


But I fear I have nothing to give.
I have so much to lose.



But it never happened. Max had never healed Liz and aside from this moment, had never touched her either...

Max hands were roaming under her dress now, both above and below... and hers were all over his skin. Light trails emanating on her skin wherever he touched her...

*** ***

Several minutes later, a rather deep hole emerging, Isabel yanked the shovel from Alex’s hands and threw it aside. Then she grabbed Alex forcefully by his collar across the divide and kissed him again, holding him as tightly as she was able, so that they wouldn’t lose balance and tumble into the hole to join the object.

“Unless those kisses can move earth, less kissing and more digging...” Maria ordered, as she shoved the spade into the ground and pulled yet another load of dirt out...
Alex was making out with Isabel.

As a load was being unearthed, a bluish-white light came pouring forth from the cracks in the earth on top of it. Maria dug deeply and forced the dirt to loosen and the object to be revealed. Blue light raced up the sides of the hole passing through the kissing couple, starting at the soles of their feet and traveling upwards, all the way through their upstretched arms and entwined fingers. As it ripped the passion from both of them and released them from its grip... they moaned sensuously into each other’s mouths.

Both affected for the moment, and both encompassed by a brilliant bluish white light that streaked into the stormy sky lancing through the clouds, cutting through them and illuminating the clouds with the unearthly hue.


The skies answered in ricochet, as the light bounced around the surrounding clouds and shone eerily in the desert, causing it to glow momentarily. And while the sky echoed the beacon with grumbling thunder, the storm brewed stronger.


Maria stood back and watched. “Now THATS what I call a kiss.” She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, smearing even more dirt onto it, as she stared at the sky for a second. ‘Even effects the weather, if what I’m seeing is right.’ She thought to herself. “Some kiss indeed.” She mumbled again, with a snicker. Then she stepped cautiously to the edge of the hole and peered inside and then and up to look at her still kissing friends. They didn’t look any the worse for wear.

And then it stopped.

All light shows. All supercharged alien hormone fest.

All electrically charged air. Anything alien just ceased.

In that instant.


The storm however was building and creating another type of electrically charged air as lightning was flashing systematically through the billowed clouds...
Isabel found herself in Alex’s arms and rather involved in a public lip lock, she pulled away and looked at him, head tilted. He smiled gently and pointed down. She reached into the hole, grabbing the object...

*** ***
Max came to his senses, and looked down at Liz half undone, and realized where his hands were in utter shock. ‘No Control...’ he thought hopelessly. He truly had no control... ‘What had he just done to Liz?’

“I’m so sorry Liz...” he gulped, as he removed his hands. “This should never have happened...”


I have nothing to give.


Max stood up in one horrified motion tucking his shirt back into his jeans as quickly as he could. And taking as few steps in his haste to escape as was possible, he raced through her window...


We have so much to lose...


*** ***
Michael was staring at the drawings he had created... he had filled a few pages with sketches... A radio tower, both standing and broken...

A young Maria sitting at a piano with her father... sharing music.

A very detailed drawing of a slanted rock formation...

*** ***
He looked up rapidly when Max blew past him. Toward the main doors...

Liz was racing down the stairs, adjusting her dress, calling to him... “Max? Wait Max!”

Both Michael and Liz were calling his name.. But he had gone.

*** ***
Isabel stood there blinking in confusion, the orb lying inert in her hands. Maria was just cautiously watching her. Alex was chuckling nervously...


The sky seemed to be laughing too. Booming echoes of thunder surrounded them.


Isabel continued to stand there for a second blinking as if trying to remember something or more likely to get her bearings. She noticed her surroundings and the people with her and spoke, with perfect clarity, “I’m sticky and feel gross. I need a shower.” She threw Michael’s jacket to the ground, shivering from the impact of the cold night air.

“Fresh out of showers sorry,” Maria threw back… “And before you go all princess on me, take a good look at us. We’re the ones who were digging in the dirt, like a common a chain gang. I don’t remember you helping. So ... If ever there were two people who needed showers it is us.” She motioned a finger between herself and Alex. “It is not you!”

Isabel with a practiced look of disdain; took the ends of her hair, and gathering it into a makeshift ponytail, grabbed it with both hands, pulling it to the side of her head and proceeded to wring whatever moisture out of it that she could, effectively making her point.

Maria amended. “Fine, we all do then.”

Exhaustion was creeping into every cell of Isabel’s body. She felt as if she had been plugged into an electrical current that had been powered on full for a while. And for the life of her she could not remember why they were in the desert.

Next question then. She directed it to Alex. “This was where we needed to be, the flashes were leading us here, but how did we get here? Can someone fill me in? I seem to be missing... some thing.... here.”

Maria watched her and snatched the orb rapidly from her hand, “I’ve had enough crazy for one night. Give me that thing.”


The sky laughed in reply. Thunder booming again as lightning lit up the surrounding area.


Maria glanced up, trying to judge how much longer they had before the storm released its fury right on top of them... a little bit still... they weren’t going anywhere yet...

Alex chuckled at the display and then gulped as he backed up a bit, expletives racing through his mind. ‘She doesn’t remember!? What exactly doesn’t she remember?’ he swallowed nervously. ‘She’s going to kill me.’ He scratched at the back of his head. ‘Nah, I better take care of that. Downplay it. Yeah. Right… This is ISABEL.. The fact is, this is not good.’

Alex brazenly teased her, but if the tease registered even the remotest he’d be able to tell. “So? You’re not in any mood to rip my clothes off and have your wicked way with me?” He feigned a leering look.

“No…” she answered in a confused, almost distasteful manner.

“Thank God,” Maria spoke out loud. “She’s back to normal!!!” She sing-songed, doing a little dance. “I told you that wasn’t Isabel. She hasn’t been herself for a little while.”

“What’s your problem?” Isabel retorted.

“Uh You!” Maria tossed back some of the disdainful attitude.

“Yeah, I don’t know why. You’ve been staring at me like I might turn into something else ever since I first laid eyes on you.”

Maria started to laugh, first in validation but next it built to hysteria as she choked out through peels of derisive laughter. “Oh that’s rich. That is so rich… Queen Amidala has absolutely no idea. This is so wrong! ... On so many levels. And so unfair! ... How did I get the job of babysitting the horny alien from planet sex?”

Isabel turned to her and said, “You are annoying me.”

More laughter as Maria answered. “That’s good. Because that makes two of us. Do you have any idea of what you’ve put me through tonight?”

Isabel innocently answered “No?”

Alex cringed, scrunching his eyes tightly shut as he bit his forefinger.

Isabel never caught his grimace for at the same moment Maria launched into the tirade she was hoping Isabel would hear, everything else she had said had fallen on, well not deaf ears, but it sure hadn’t fallen on Isabel either that’s for sure.

She started to talk excitedly only building in momentum as Maria was prone to do, “You were in a Frickin’ Feeding Frenzy Isabel. You were devouring Alex. You even wiped your mouth as you shot me a look, I could of sworn you were a vampire feeding on your hapless victim the look was predatory and challenging, not to mention the fact that you growled at me.”

Isabel’s eyebrows rose in question.

“That hickey, you know, the one that Alex had this afternoon, well it had tripled in size, and started to glow. And you know how I saw all this? Because YOU, were the frickin’ light in the room. YOU… WERE… GLOWING, literally.”

Alex just dumbly nodded as Isabel turned to him for clarification.

“And that’s not all. You were totally in the heat of the moment when I walked in. I had to dump cold water on the two of you to break it up... and that barely worked. So don’t tell me that I am annoying you.”

At the last statement, Isabel’s demeanor fell and rapidly. A look of hurt shame and ultimate confusion colored her face.

Alex stepped in, “Uh. That’s not exactly true Maria.” He rebutted. “ Technically we haven’t done anything, and we can tell our parents as such.” His face blushed furiously as he said it.

Maria’s mouth fell open at that statement and she gave him a quick smack on the side of the head.

“Ow!”

Isabel was processing everything, and she really did not like the sounds of that statement, for it left another very unanswered one in its wake, Especially with Alex’s current embarrassed state. She looked right at him with a penetrating stare, “If that’s the ‘technicality’ – what’s the un-technicality? What’s the truth Alex?”

“What do you ... want it... to be?” he answered haltingly, with a nervous hitch.

“What I want is this...” she sashayed over to his side swinging her hips flirtatiously.

Isabel leaned up, placing a hand on his shoulder, and whispered in his ear, and the first thing he realized is that she wasn’t burning up anymore, she was no longer so hot.

“What I want is this. I’m probably asking for a miracle here, but I want to know that “our” first time was not just ruined, but that we’ll get to cherish it and to remember it forever.” She looked sharply at him, searching his eyes. “Cause right now I can’t remember a damn thing about tonight!!”

Then she pulled back and in a stage whisper, so that Maria too could hear she concluded flirtatiously, “I want to make love to you Alex.” She traced her delicate finger across his chest, walking around behind him. “I’m not talking about having sex.” She blew in his opposite ear, as she circled round. “I am talking about making love.”

He ducked his head and blushed again, shaking his head. She grinned; she loved their little teasing. Then she turned more serious, “At some point. When we’re both ready and NOT because my stupid alien genetics drove me to it and took over.” She got a wistful, thoughtful look on her face, “I want it to be special. And I definitely want do it after a point where we can talk about it without blushing so hard.” Alex ducked his head even lower, for his face was burning brighter. “Although you are so cute when all embarrassed.”

Maria was floored at how Isabel was laying it on so thick. She was pouring it onto Alex; it’s a wonder the poor boy was still standing.

She smiled. ”Alex,” she said tilting his face to hers; “I want to make love to you.” She stopped for a second, letting the words fully hang in the air. “When we are ready. Because we are ready. Because it’s the right thing to do. I’m not in any hurry. So no. I’ve no desire to rip off your clothes and have my way with you.” Her eyes glinted more mischief. “But it looks like you could use some help.” With one pass of her hand, his buttons were all righted, and his shoes tied.

Maria snorted and mumbled, “Could’ve fooled me tonight.”

Isabel sent her a look, and turned tenderly back to Alex. “I want everything to be perfect, and planned, when we take that step. But you should know that, what don’t I plan?” Isabel laughed softly, biting her lip. With Maria’s comments and Alex’s blushing, she really wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear the answer.

He smiled warmly, “Then you’re going to have to warn me the next time your alien hormones decide to take over again. Because if its like today, next time we won’t be so lucky. You got your miracle Isabel, on a technicality. But... if this happens again. We won’t stand a chance.” His voice turned deadly serious, “You have Maria to thank. If she hadn’t walked in when she did. WE would have gone all the way tonight. Without. Protection. We were just getting started, clothes were coming off and our parent’s rules were out the window...”

His mouth tightened, as he thought of what he had just revealed, ‘How did I lose control of everything? So fast?’ He questioned himself.

‘I had that little control. No CONTROL?’ Isabel questioned herself. ‘Without protection? How? I had it with me...’ She gulped, “And I don’t remember any of it?” She bit her lip again. “What’s this technicality thing? If it was anything like class today…” She shuddered at the thought, “And I really think this is a private conversation, I don’t want to discuss this in front of Maria.”

“There’s nothing to discuss,” Alex shrugged his shoulders, “like I told you, ‘Nothing happened.’ And that’s all you need to know. Our first time is still our first time.” He stroked her cheek staring into her eyes, the eyes he loved. “You weren’t in control of yourself tonight Isabel, or today. And I don’t wish to embarrass you any further.” He stroked a damp stringy hair behind her ear as he lovingly talked to her. “You have nothing to be ashamed of ... I on the other hand…” he licked his lip nervously and let out a huge sigh, “I am sorry for how far it did get. I didn’t behave as a gentleman should. My apologies to the lady.” Alex teased, tightening his lips nervously again.

Isabel shook her head, “Nice sentiment Alex. Screw that. Maria...” she called to the petite girl. “I think I do need you in this conversation. What? Happened? Tonight? I must have done something. Everyone is acting so weird. I do have the right to know what it is.”

Maria walked over and led Isabel away. Granted, Isabel and Alex had done things and even more than things if you wished to look at it that way. But the fact remained, Alex was a guy and like her brother, and she didn’t want to be discussing her “brother’s” sex life with him. Nor did she want to shame or embarrass Isabel any further than was necessary.

She found a nearby rock to sit on and motioned for Isabel to do the same. The silence unnerving.


The momentum of the storm increased, the heaviness in the air was palpable as humidity clung to the teens like a blanket. The air was full of ozone and the smell of impending rain. The only sound was the rumbling thunder, and the only light the occasional flash of lightning.

The two girls sat in silence watching each other, each wishing the other to speak first.

Isabel made the first attempt. “Well?” She ordered.

Maria scratched at her neck and then crossed her hands in her lap, leaning toward the other girl. “Have you ever seen a drunk person Isabel? I mean one that is so out of control they don’t know what exactly they are doing? One whose inhibitions are scattered, gone?”

Isabel shook her head. She really had led a rather sheltered life, by choice certainly, but sheltered nonetheless. “Not really. Why?”

Maria sighed, ‘How to explain this, any of it.’ “Because that was you. You were so scattered that you had no idea what you were doing. All your inhibitions were gone. All of them. When I walked in, you were, um... Oh God how do I actually word this... Isabel, you were...”

“Ok.” The tall girl cut her off, holding her hand in a stop gesture. “I think I got your point. You’ve got to be kidding me. But I’m sure you’re not...”

“It- It might have been like in class today, you know ... Spontaneously .... Good luck with that one, you.... really embarrassed yourselves... when....” Maria tried to spit out the episode in 3rd period.

“Yeah! I DO REMEMBER THAT!. Don’t remind me!”

“O-O-K.” Maria swallowed. “But this time your alien energy had managed to affect Alex too. And you were well, rather in the heat of it, when I walked in. I mean who knows, maybe you did it really, maybe on your planet kissing is like sex, “ She shrugged an open palm, “or something else qualifies… maybe you were doing it naturally and there really was nothing wrong.” She shrugged the other palm in a questioning gesture as well. “Don’t ask me how that works, I have absolutely no idea, I’m not the horny alien here.” She shrugged her shoulders as well. “On our planet you were dry humping... but on our planet people don’t glow.. So beats me. ” Maria teased.

“So not helping.” Isabel stared at her.

After a very long silence, Maria ventured her name, “Isabel? Are you ok?”

“I’m thinking. So. Technically, we had clothes on and therefore didn’t do anything?” Isabel questioned.

“Technically you had clothes on if Alex’s state of dress was anything to go by.” Maria shook her head dubiously. “He was down to only his boxers.” She finished.

Isabel’s eyebrows raised, ‘What was her state of dress of dress then?’ She continued to work it out verbally.

“But truthfully, we went a lot farther than I’m ready for. I mean, if our bodies were acting it out, that means on some plane we really were having sex?” She then shook her head trying to clear her thoughts from the last flash they had shared at Michael’s. The very intimate lovemaking. As it chose that moment to reassert itself...

Clearing her throat, “I know that I’m not ready for that, I mean to start with its interspecies. We don’t know what will happen if we do it. But something exploding is not out of the realm of possibility now is it? I mean the school, and poor Alex, there’s no way he is ready for this. Not if it goes down like it did today… You know him really well, how’s he doing with this anyway?” Isabel turned to the smaller blonde.

“He’s your boyfriend, Isabel. And he’s right over there. Why don’t you go talk to him.” Maria pointed to where Alex had wandered.

As Isabel stood, a huge crack of chain lightening illuminated the entire desert sky bouncing from cloud to cloud, jagged forks of brilliant actinic energy traveled in all directions. The air was crackling and electric... The lightning flashed near the rock...

Alex was illuminated by the brilliant light as he sat against the base of Maidekensie Rock, the rock formation of their flashes... as it slanted to the left. He was looking down at the ground with a pensive expression as his hands worked hard on something, something he was carving into the very stone.


Rain began to fall. Large drops fell from the sky.

I feel it's gonna rain like this for days
So let it rain down and wash everything away


Maria jumped in surprise with intensity of the clap of thunder, that storm was getting much closer, and that lightning had her nervous... “Hurry it up Isabel...” She told her as she sent her to talk.

Isabel walked over to Alex. Extending her hand. He smiled as he took it, but it wasn’t the broad life is great smile it was forced. She tried to smile in return as she bit her lip. “So?” She asked?

“Eyah. So?” He mumbled in reply.

Together they spoke, “I’m sorry.”

And then again in unison, “You first.”

Giggling a bit she waited.

Alex tensed his lips but looked at her still holding her hand. “I just want to know that you’re ok Isabel. I mean really ok.”

She nodded. “I am scared by how far we actually got, when you said that we’d almost... But nothing happened right?” She needed to hear it, to have his reassurance.

“Right.” He nodded.

And then it hit, Isabel’s fears, “But what if something did? What if we actually mated tonight? What if we did it an alien way, and you don’t need the human way at all? What then?” she asked in a whispered panic.

“Any situations like this from before that you have to work from?” he replied.

Not exactly. We were told…” A look of strong panic flashed against her brown eyes, as she quickly withdrew her hand and wrung it with the other.

Diving into the Alien Abyss, the Twilight Zone, or The Outer Limits, Alex asked what he knew would not be the best question, “What’s wrong, what were you told?”

She nodded, still wringing her hands; definitely confused, “There was someone... another alien... who told us very limited information about ourselves. All she ever tried to do was to get into Max’s pants. She was always trying to seduce him; indirectly I think she was always trying to break up any of our relationships. What if she was wrong?” She asked in fear.

“Twilight Zone remember?” He asked with a quirked brow. “I still don’t know what she said.”

“She said that we can’t get pregnant from a dream.”

A confused look crossed his face, ‘What? What does that have to do with anything?’

“That we have to do it the normal human way.” She did not respond to his look and kept on sorting her mind.

Continuing, Isabel worked on her thoughts, “That would make sense I suppose with our human bodies and all...that we would need the human way. But after today, I’m not so sure. I mean, we don’t know anything about ourselves, and our kissing fest leads to the clues that get us here, and to this thing.” She aimed a point in Maria’s direction, “Well the thing that Maria is now holding. And then all the intensity just dies off. And none of us ever exactly mated, so there’s no way to test that theory. But tonight was not normal, neither was today, and I lost even more control than Max.” Her voice started to rise, “And Max is like the person who invented the word. I’m the person who follows it. I don’t lose control. This is just not happening! This is unbelievable! And the first time I sleep with you, I’m sure as hell going to remember it!! You know what? This is your fault!!!” She ended in a rush.

“What?” he leapt to his feet in shock. ‘How was she blaming this on him?’ “Huh?”

“If I EVER get like this again. Stop me!” She answered seriously, “It’s your job to protect me, even if it is from myself!!!” She added earnestly.

Maria had walked over, and she stepped in, “He couldn’t.”

Isabel turned to stare at her, not sure if she wanted her in the conversation or not.

“Your Pheromones (Wow Liz would be so proud of me) were overpowering him.” She looked briefly at Alex. “You’ve been through something similar when we had that girl’s night, and even today in the Eraser Room.”


Lightning flashed again. Maria glanced at his carved rock as it illuminated the sky, and she chuckled.

“So what happened in there anyways?” She teased the duo. “ But no matter how wasted you were, Alex wasn’t. It’s not that he wasn’t affected, for he definitely was, but he just never was at the same level.” She looked at his rock again, shaking her head. “Something changed tonight. Something happened. You were “one” person, more than ever before, your sexual alien energy was headed for the stratosphere, and taking Alex along with it. He was at the SAME level as you. If either of you had attempted to drive, as was your plan, you could have been killed in an accident or arrested for DUI. Guaranteed neither of you could pass a sobriety test. You were completely plastered. And I’ll bet that when you actually “do it” consciously, that you’ll be the closest to one person that any human gets. I envy you Alex. You got the girl alien with all the energy.” She whined.

“I know.” He smiled, wrapping his arm around her from behind, hugging the opposite shoulder. “She’s my life. And I do need to protect ’my life.’ In more ways than one. Which is why we will NEVER discuss this day again!” He looked at Maria directly. “This is our secret between the three of us.”


I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine.


“Fine with me!!!” said Maria and Isabel audibly sighed relief. Trust Alex to make things alright again.


With every tomorrow comes another life...


*** ***

At the same time:

The workshift ended, and neither of the boys had journeyed home yet. Max turned up at the Crash, after having escaped it earlier.

He poked his head into the main doors. He wouldn’t look at Liz. Which was highly unusual for him considering he had watched her his entire life. But she now was watching him intently. “Michael. Leaving. If you’re done and need a ride...”

Michael hopped up. Stuffed in the art sketchbook, and headed out the door.

Max wanted to see the house, the school was essentially a shell of a building currently. It was unsafe and definitely not open for business. What could possibly have happened at Michael’s? He had to let his morbid curiosity be given place.

Michael warned him as they drove. “Maria was a bit frazzled before they left. And said ‘don’t hate her.’ Maybe I don’t have a place anymore. That’s all I know.”

They pulled up; it was dark, but still there. Max quipped, “Well.... the building is still standing. That’s a plus.” Michael had stepped inside his house.

He stepped back out, and shaking his head, looked at Max. “Holy Shit Maxwell. Whitman’s in trouble.”

“What did he do now?”

“Isabel is the trouble....And after tonight she might be in trouble, he rocked his arms and raised an eyebrow as he looked at his for all intents and purposes, brother.

That’s not gonna happen. Max ordered.

You can tell yourself that Maxwell, but the fact is, one of these days it will. It might not be now or it might. But you are really dense if you don’t think that isn’t going to occur. Isabel is going to get knocked up by Whitman. Mark my words.

That could turn out really bad...

Yeah it could, if it has extra eyes, or antenna, or is green... but I for one am not putting my head in the sand I need to know what we’re up against... and based on the inside of my house... They were up to something rather serious in there.”

‘How bad could it be? How much damage did she do now? What did they do?’ All these thoughts ran through his brain rapidly. The image of the school flashing through his mind.. “Let me through!” He shoved past Michael and right into the living room.

His eyes caught sight of glowing silver handprints melted into the very drywall or on the couch, things disarrayed or scattered, broken lights, and a huge water stain in the carpet. He turned to Michael, as he teased his brother, “Isabel’s right, you definitely need a housekeeper.”

Michael smacked his shoulder and walked to a still upright lamp and turned it on, then he systematically turned on all the others. Most didn’t work. “Nice. Good job Isabel.” He muttered.

Max walked over to one of the handprints, and examined it closely, not touching it. It appeared to be molded into the very wall, as if at one point the wall was malleable. He asked Michael, “So what’s the new art called, Alien Nouveau?”

“Funny... its called; ‘lets just hang a shingle saying alien decorator for rent...’ And watch the feds line up for a piece... After the incident at school you know they want to.”

“That’s why this is a big problem. Why we had decided to keep the humans away... But then you go and kiss Maria. Still don’t know why, after she all but turned Isabel in to Valenti... but that was the start of you two... after Liz found the cells in science. Note to self; if you are chewing a pencil don’t leave it lying around for a nosy scientist to pick up. It will RUIN your life.”

“You’re the one who left it, so this whole mess is initially your fault...” Michael looked at him. “But yeah, we kissed. It happened. And it worked out ... And then Isabel took the next plunge. Never would have expected that of her, but hey we never thought we’d have anyone in our lives either so...”

“Isabel and Alex though, big problem...” Max ordered.

“What do you have against the guy? He’s more than proven himself don’t you think?” Michael added.

Max sighed, heavily, “It’s not so much Alex, as Isabel with Alex... that’s the trouble.”

Michael nodded, “Yeah. She’s happy. Truly happy. I’ve never seen her like that before... and if you’re honest neither have you.”

Max nodded. “Happy is great. I do like her happy Michael. But I fear the expense, our lives, our safety, and our protection? Did you forget he mentioned his grandfather is military? Have you seen the school today? Did you forget putting your hand in an electrical current? These are things we get having Isabel WITH Alex.”

“You don’t get it do you Max? You just don’t see it... what is obviously in front of you...
No doubt your sister has some secrets she hasn’t shared with us...”

He looked at his compatriot in question saying nothing.

Michael snickered, “Isabel fell in love you dolt. And I’m pretty sure she’s not trying to get us killed, or captured or worse... those are some of her biggest fears you do recall? She just fell as hard as you, but she doesn’t care to play the masochistic games, and she gets what she wants. She wants Alex and she takes what she wants... Look at my living room. If you need any more proof.” He motioned around the room.

Michael went to sit on his couch and leaped up as suddenly; a shocked look on his face. He then crossed over to lean against a wall. It too was affected... he stood in his kitchen doorway, and spoke from a safe vantage point.

“We have to show her what she did Michael!” Max ordered. “We’ll have to wait for them to return.”

“You are not waiting here. She’ll blow me off after some snarky remarks, but you are her brother and someone she trusts. You have the power to hurt her, and that’s not going to happen over this, so no. Not today are we going to show her anything. Tomorrow at the school sure. Plenty of lessons to teach her there, but not TONIGHT! Not here!”

Max snorted, “So are we going to remove the alien manifesto?”

Michael nodded, “Needs done. But Max, a quick question... How?”

Max acted knowledgeable, “Easy answer. Our powers.”

“Be my guest.” Michael motioned toward the center of the living room.

Max teased him, “Scared of the wall Michael?”

“Not at all,” he smirked, this would be good.

Max reached out and touched the handprint, and got hit full force.

***FLASH***
Isabel was weakly leaning against the wall trying to hold herself upright, giggling erratically, her palms pressed flatly against the wall. Alex was licking her exposed skin and blowing on it... Little punctuated incoherent sounds were being emitted as she scrunched her eyes even more tightly, gritting her teeth, trying to regain a modicum of control, her hands leaving imprints in the paint.

Max felt every bit of it, as if he were Isabel.



Max jerked his hand from the wall, a stunned look on his face. He couldn’t speak.

Michael watched as the flash hit, he’d sought a place of refuge where the flashes hadn’t assaulted him, hence the kitchen doorway, he’d already had a front row seat to it himself.

“Yep!” he added. “If walls could talk!” he pointed to the wall and then added with a smirked laugh, “Don’t sit on the couch... There are just some things I’d rather not witness. ... Her whole we’re not past first. Well that was this morning. Whitman’s definitely rounding bases now... with an alien curve ball, so I’m not quite sure where he is...”

“Michael... this has got to be stopped. This cannot continue...”

Michael scratched his brow with his forefinger. “Can it actually be stopped? ...Based on the lights at the Crashdown tonight, and Liz’s state of dress as you ran out, can it Max?

Guilt ate at Max...what he had doe with Liz... he couldn’t answer that question, it was loaded.

“Did anything happen between you and Maria?” He threw back...

“Nothing the likes of which you speak, but then again, my other half was kind of busy tonight, had to rush off to save Isabel's ass, so... I never really got to find out did I?” Michael tossed back.

“Be grateful Michael.” Max muttered. “ Just be grateful.”

“This room is a veritable landmine, and I just can’t touch anything in it... I’ll be right back...” Michael stepped off to his bathroom.

And all but screamed.

“HOLY SHIT MAXWELL!! Killing Isabel has just returned to the menu!!!”

Max ran in and stopped short, the devastation of the small enclosure was mind boggling. “My... God,” he spoke slowly...

Michael looked up at him. “This has to be the meaning of ‘don't hate her.’” As he touched the melted mirror in curiosity. And caught another flash. He saw the reflection of the odd Isabel.

Max was backing up, “Michael. I can’t do this. I can’t touch anything. I can feel the flashes just waiting.” ...

Michael understood. He said somberly, “This was all her doing Max. She wasn't herself... I don’t know who exactly she was, but this was her doing. Alex wasn’t involved.”

Max sighed as he ran his hair through his bangs, the trouble his sister found to get into never ceased to amaze him anymore. “You agree that this is getting way out of hand?”

“Yeah Maximillian. I do.”

Max sighed, if they weren’t going to show her the mess it was one of two options, clean it up, or leave it till tomorrow. “So are we cleaning it up?” He asked.

Michael stared at him, “Bite the bullet, and deal with everything they did? You know there will be no secrets Max?”

“Lets get it over with...”

*** ***

And back to the desert:

“Yeah, we have to explain something to the guys, I’m pretty sure Michael is going to want to know what happened to his house, even more specifically, his bathroom.” Maria teased.

“What happened to his bathroom?” Isabel asked.

“You did. You single-handedly destroyed it, melting everything on contact.” Isabel gave her a dubious look.

“Yeah your powers had gone kind of wonky,” Alex laughed.

“So it was the drunk thing intensified?” Isabel ventured.

“No. More like possession.” Maria held up the orb, “And this nice little alien artifact thingie here, was your exorcist. It wasn’t till you found this thing that you went back to normal. NORMAL!!!! Every part of you. You quit glowing, and quit making Alex glow. Your temperature resumed a normal degree, and you stopped melting everything on contact. Speaking of which, if you think you’re in control of yourself again I have something you need to see...”

She showed Isabel the rock Alex had been carving, as in it for all eternity now was etched in a heart, “AW + IW.” She teased the taller girl. “At least he knows how to use a rock, tree, or some other form of nature for his graffiti. You... really need to repair my mother’s car.”

Isabel arched an eyebrow.

“You know that keeping that car intact is the basis of my mother’s and mine relationship. And you kind of happened to it as well. That’s what I mean by doing the SAME thing... you each chose to carve your MARRIED initials. MARRIED? I couldn’t have sent you home, and with your crazy hormones, you couldn’t be left alone either. THINGS would have definitely happened.

“Uh Maria,” Isabel hesitantly added, “I’m not so sure that that little thing wasn’t what was making me crazy in the first place.” She pointed to the orb.


I tried to figure out, I can't understand...


“Well whatever the case. I guess it did its job.. You found it and it went back to sleep. Mind you though. I NEVER want to see it awake again!!! You are seriously going to wish there was a way to erase this day from memory.” Isabel nodded somberly.


What it means... to be whole again...


“Here Alex,” Maria said releasing it, “like I said I had enough crazy for one night, You guard this, don’t give it to Isabel.”


Trapped between the truth and the consequence


Isabel was watching as the orb transferred into his open hands she could have sworn that for a split-second there, the etched emblem changed but as she stared at his filled hands, all she could see was the same spiral design it should be... she blinked and rubbed her eyes, her mind was now playing tricks on her, maybe some leftover residual of the alien induced hormone fest, or the rain blurring her vision, or her utter exhaustion blearing her eyes, any number of things really. The design was what it should be, the same design from her pendant, she reached up and stroked it on its cord.

Nothing's real, nothing's making sense...


She’d had enough crazy for one night too and asked Maria for some extra private time with Alex…

She obliged them but added; “Only a couple of minutes OK Princess?” Isabel shot her a disdainful look.

“I don’t want to have to break up your little love fest, but there is a freak storm to remember brewing right above us...” Maria pointed to the glowing clouds over head. The storm was now right on top of them and all she wished to do was to be in the safety of the car and on her way back... “Alex nearly got hit by that lightning you know?” She exaggerated in perfect Maria style. “Given the way this day has been going we’ll get flash flooded out, and stuck here in the desert, sleeping in the Jetta. And I didn’t bring my phone and I will be so dead. So very, very dead... not to mention the two of you...”

“Yeah! Got it! Can we talk now?” Isabel motioned away from the petite girl...

Maria added for good measure... “The minute I see ANY GLOWING, I am going to come and throw you into the car and take you home before you can inflict any other damage anywhere.”

“Got it!” Isabel mentioned yet again in irritation.

Maria walked away...

“Ok. So we have the thing and all is normal? What did you want to talk about?” Alex asked her, as the rain poured down.

“I want to talk about what happened.” She added. “I have some memories now, but it’s not all clear yet...”

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “As long as you’re ok, I’m fine.”

“Don’t do that.” Isabel ordered.

“What?” He asked in his confusion.

“That thing.” She tossed her head. “That, you’re fine if I’m fine, thing. You have to have your own feelings about this. Don’t discredit them on account of me. Don’t do the worshipping thing, I can’t stand it! You’re a person Alex. Not my slave, and not my pet. And I haven’t heard from you yet. (‘Where’d that come from?’) She wondered to herself... realizing she had grown in her feelings. She actually cared what HE thought...

“Ok.” (Where’d that come from?) He definitely wasn’t expecting Isabel to be so forthright. “Honestly… I rather enjoyed it, and myself.” He added with a nervous twitch again, while he deeply blushed and spoke in a very serious husky tone, “And I don’t know if you felt what I did, but at the end there, I felt as if I was floating, but that’s not an entirely accurate description, ummm... more like disconnected from myself if that makes any sense. I mean it was so intense it was like I blacked out or some-thing.”

“Yeah... Something of the sort.” She agreed. “So? Your okay with all this?” She asked again in fear.

“More than ok, Isabel.” He smiled the smile she loved and knew that he meant it. As he leaned in to hug her from the side, watching her.

She looked up sideways, “I mean we’re talking alien hormones and sex and bonding and connections and kids and I don’t know all what…” Isabel bit her lip as she trailed off.


A thousand times before
I've wondered if there's something more... something more...



“You don’t think I know that?” Alex looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you Isabel, Don’t you think that from the start when I decided to go forward with this, with us, that things might get weird? Twilight Zone comes to mind again you know?” He teased, turning her in his arms to face her directly. “It goes with the territory. It’s been weird since day one. The thing is we’re in it together... Look, it was you who said that you were finally ready for our relationship to be public recently. Whatever’s going on now, I still know that you meant it. I know that it is real.”

She smiled, “That’s the first thing you’ve said to me that was the same. The situation is different, but thank-you. Alex.” She looked deeply into his eyes. ““Do you have any regrets about tonight?”

“Only one.” He answered in a serious tone.

Isabel was worried, her shoulders slumped. “Which is?”

He licked his lips, and nervously chuckled. “That you didn’t get to consciously enjoy it too.”

She jerked in surprise, as she stared at him, that was not the response she had expected.

“We need to find that alien lover in there,” he teased, as he pointed to her head with his forefinger, “and make your conscious mind meld with your unconscious one.” He waggled his brows. “But if that doesn’t work we just broke the rules.”

“Rules?” She asked in her confusion. She never did know what Alex would say.

“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Well it’s not quite that one but it applies. I mean you only get one first time, but with us, we get another. Not that we had our first time, but yet it was more like we did than we didn’t, and I mean clothes were coming off and everything. So…Yeah! We get to do it again. We get a do-over and get to start fresh. Everything’s going to be ok.” He watched her cautiously as she made no motion to move.


I feel it's gonna rain like this for days
So let it rain down and wash everything away
I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine
I feel it's going to rain like this... rain like this... rain like this...



She nodded dumbly as she stood there. “I’m fine. Alex” She gave a dismissive wave. “You can talk to Maria if you need...”

Isabel. When done, is done. Alex walked to his long-time friend and watched his girl stand in the now pouring rain.


***
Alex and Maria stood there watching Isabel. Maria just shook her head. Isabel was still not acting herself as far as she could tell. She tried to call out to her to remind her of the thunderstorm...She didn’t really want to add actually getting struck by lightning to the day’s activities...

Isabel was away from them, in her own little world, head turned to the sky, rain pouring down her face. Appearing to be enjoying the sensations...

Her eyes were closed as a smile crept over her face while she stood, arms outstretched...

After a few moments, she opened the buttons of her blouse, pulling it back to expose her chest to the elements and let the water pour over her skin. A smile lighting up her face as she spun in the pouring rain.

When she did that, Maria turned to Alex who was just was watching Isabel with an awestruck, worshipful appearance and she smacked him. “Stop drooling Alex!” She teased. “Just what do you suppose is wrong with her now?” She whined pointing at the odd girl.

Alex chuckled. “Nothing is WRONG with her Maria.”

Maria gave him a disgruntled, disbelieving look.

And he added. “Isabel has had a really rough day today. Don’t think all the things that have happened, or that she’s been through, haven’t affected her Maria. They have. But she is not going to let YOU know that.”

Maria stared at him. Protecting and defending Isabel as always, some things would never change.

“Just give her a moment with the rain and her thoughts. Will You.”


As much water as she could feel on her exposed skin it wasn’t enough at the moment. Isabel wanted to FEEL again. The day had been so long and strange that she just needed more. More of something, anything, normal. She pulled her opened top from her body and held it in loosely in one of her hands, as the rain sluiced across her bare skin.


Fall down, wash away my yesterdays
Fall down, so let the rain fall down on me...



Isabel felt it caressing her, embracing her, stroking her body and her bare skin as delicately as a lover's gentle touch. She pulled her arms together across her chest, stroking her shoulders as the shower poured over her, delighting in the sensations. A huge smile lit her face as the tears streaming down her cheeks mingled with the pouring rain.

After a few minutes she ran back to the others and motioned to the car.

She caught the worshipful look on Alex’s face... and had to tease. “Sorry Alex. Playtime is over. But tomorrow... Well I will have to check my schedule...”

He gulped. He’d been caught staring.

She turned to Maria. “There is a storm to remember right above us, and if we want to get to Roswell before it hits we’ve got to leave right now!” She waved her hand over the top of the Jetta, erasing the glowing heart, and gave Maria one of her patented in control looks.

Maria gave her one of those confused looks and raced to catch up.

Isabel quipped. “What? It’s not my doing. This is a NORMAL storm. And it’s about to land on us full force. So lets go.”

She slid into the backseat and in one motion dried her shirt, and put it on.

Alex hopped into the car and Maria as well. And they headed out of the desert, trying to beat the storm before it engulfed their little town.

TBC

Musical influences for this chapter are:

Fear: Sarah McLachlan Vs. 1

Rain: Creed Vs. 2
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
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Mt Gazer
Addicted Roswellian
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Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:10 pm
Location: Living in my own mind!!!!

Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) CH 27:Q 10-17-10 pg 15

Post by Mt Gazer »

FB’s for 27:Q


PML: I agree with you I really do, POOR EVERYONE. The kids who had to go to the desert, the ones left behind, the mothers, yeah all of them....

And great questions, is it truly over? How could it be? This day had so many unexpected side effects that we are in a HUGE mess right now... I just wish them all LUCK!

---
TI88: The moms will quite likely hit the roof, can you say three kids grounded? I sure can.... But Alex and Isabel are still intact for all intents and purposes.

Yep! The night is no longer a secret. Max and Michael know EVERYTHING she was up to, sigh. You think she will easily live any of this down?

Max saw the shooting in this timeline because it is critical to the timeline he is currently in. Because without Liz's near death Max and company would not have been found out in the first timeline. This leads to Alex’s death and then to Isabel's travelling to this timeline. So that particular scene is still important to this timeline even if it didn't actually happen in the current timeline. Think of it as analogous to what Liz saw in Vegas with her being carried by Max as a bride.

Michael would let Max discover things on his own, only it wasn’t just touching the handprint, it was wherever she WAS!

And I agree, good luck buddy, if he thinks he can stop any of them.... WOE indeed... Isabel is here on a mission... WOE to anyone in the way....

---
maipigen: Thanks for the b-day wish.

Thank you for calling my work impressive... Yours is too. I love the Antarian Time Travellers.. Still catching up to it all.

So I had you totally siding with Maria and then flipped it so you saw Isabel’s perspective too? Thanks for saying its an interesting ability
For more on Max’s flashes while Kissing Liz see response to TI88, if you are referring to the ones at Michael’s.. yeah POOR GUY... nothing a brother wants to KNOW for certain.

---
keepsmiling: Yep Liz wasn’t going to let this night of strange occurrences go without an experiment. But poor Max got spooked. He really didn’t know how to handle what just happened.

Yep the aliens were all a bit on the horny side and taking their humans with them...

---
Tharos: I hope this is quick enough for you. The reason for the post is at the end of the part. Max and Liz finally. I promised you guys I would not leave them alone, that I would bring them in at the proper times. But they have to find their own pace since it wasn’t a shooting and healing that brought them together.

Alex and Isabel waiting to hormone –sober... yeah.... This day they are getting affected with each and every kiss that is for certain.
And yep, sadly I have been writing that long.. I LOVE (said sarcastically) getting sidelined by RL. Continually.

---
cjsl8ne: Intense huh? I suppose it really was. And yes I too am glad the orb got what it needed before it was TOO late for our stargazing couple. Poor Liz. But she knows that Max is reticent at best. He’ll come around I hope. A/I are talking, yep... she’s trying.

Max and Michael, yeah I must say it was as they were cleaning it up that the part just kind of wrote itself based on what we know of intense moments... I would love to see their expressions too.

************************
Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: This is my version of Sexual Healing.

Dedicated still to my friends Pooh and Tharos. I hope you enjoy.

And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. And sometimes, we act them out. I really appreciate your willingness to experiment with me. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details.


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: Maria has taken the drunken teens to the desert to retrieve an alien artifact. Which those of us who’ve watched Roswell know is the orb. The mom’s have made a pact to watch and share information.

And the night in the desert was interesting indeed, wasn’t it? Isabel doesn’t seem to remember what was going on? What is that about? Liz advanced her and Max’s relationship as she used the kissing/science correlation. And a huge storm is moving in...


NO MUSIC THIS TIME! SORRY

I have inserted a journal entry of Liz into this, it is headed and footed with ~~~ that is how it is different.
******************************************
Shifting Realities

Chapter 27: R

Loosing Control


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


They drove back to Roswell, the storm behind them for the moment. Isabel also had to repair the inside of Amy’s car at Maria’s insistence. She would have regardless.

Alex was dropped off at his house; she just let him walk in to the more than inevitable fight waiting for him with his mother. Maria knew by now her mother would be fully on the warpath, and hunting her down. She had her mom’s car, and she’d been gone for HOURS... without any communication. And Amy Deluca was the last person she wished to deal with on this night.

Protecting the Czechoslovakians besides being a kind of full time job, carried with it the necessary need to lie outright, and well. And Maria’s mother could read through her in a second. She couldn’t go home yet... which left one place she was willing to drive. Michael’s. Isabel would have to figure it out from there.

Maria entered the house first, Isabel trailing her extremely slowly, and she rushed to Michael. He sat up at his kitchen table and took notice of her. Smiled and stood to hug her.

Their lips met and they enjoyed each other’s presence for a few moments before he pulled away.

Maria got a look at the Living room, gave a whistle of admiration, and said, You’ve been busy, when she noticed that all the damage had been repaired. She reached into her purse and fished out the object in question. Still no, Isabel would not touch it, she would not let her. She told Michael to open his hands and placed the innocent looking artifact into them. And looked up trustingly. “That thing, believe me, is the cause for ALL THE TROUBLE today” Don’t let Isabel touch it right now. She’s just gone crazy, you have no idea what she was like tonight... but that thing is definitely at the heart of it.

Michael gave her a slight look of understanding, and if she weren’t mistaken, empathy. And he crossed over to Isabel standing in the center of his living room with downcast head.

She glanced up and he could tell her armor was in place. She glanced around, and said demandingly, “Where is Max? I’m sure he’s waiting for me.”

“I sent him home. You’ll probably beat yourself up enough that we don’t need to add him into the mix.” And he gently placed his hands on her forearms and looked her carefully in the eyes, “Are you ok?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Michael smirked, “Because your night went kind of hot and heavy and out of control.”

Isabel flushed, and said, “I’m fine. And I’m exhausted, so I’m going to head to bed if you don’t mind.” And she started towards his room.

He intercepted her direction and pointed to the couch. “Trust me, you are the ONLY one of us Czechs who can sleep on it tonight, and if Maria is going to stay here, you will share the living room with her.”

Isabel meandered to the couch and sat down and got a flash, a very intimate flash of her and Alex’s actions of earlier.

She blushed and stared at the ground for a moment, as she took off her boots.

Meanwhile Maria knew she’d have to get her mother’s permission to stay the night, that would be tricky at best, and then to do so before Isabel fell asleep, cause she’s be out like a light when she crashed and she looked about ready to drop. She already had catnapped on the way home.

She took the phone and dialed willing her mother to be asleep, or to not have Sheriff Valenti over or any number of things, but all hope was erased on the third ring.

“That had better be you Maria.” Her mother answered. No “hello, or Amy here”, or anything else. Just a demand

“Hi mom.” Maria sighed.

“Where are you?” Amy ordered.

“Michael’s house.”

“And just where have you been wandering around tonight? Sneaking off and ditching work; To do what? And who with?” she waited for an answer, and heard Maria sigh. “You do now that I had a meeting with Gloria Whitman and Diane Evans, when their kids turned up missing.”

“Sorry Mom...” Maria started to lie, “I just had this assignment I like completely forgot about, and Alex and Isabel are good students and so we had to go stargazing out in the desert to map the sky.”

“Well education is very important so I want to see your sky chart when you get home. And when will that be, I’m expecting in about 10 minutes? Would that be enough time?” Amy would not stand for being lied to.

“Mom. I’ve been working hard all night; I’m tired.” she whined. “And I was thinking of just crashing here.”

Amy started in, “Your little group is just too free these days. Don’t think that I don’t remember what it was like, and don’t think that I’ve not paid the dues of living such a free spirited life.. You will not be making the same mistakes I did. And you will not at 16 years old be sleeping at your boyfriend’s house. EVER! Especially after I found out that Isabel and Alex were drunk at school this afternoon, in the middle of that catastrophe.”

“Ma,” Maria whined, “Isabel is here, and she’s staying...” Maria shoved the phone into Isabel’s hands and caught her off guard.

“Hello Ms. Deluca?” the confused Isabel started.

“Isabel.” She sighed, “Never had the pleasure to speak with you. So you took a little excursion to the desert tonight huh? In my car, without my permission? Maria is not a chauffeur or a taxi service. If you want to take a journey next time plan it.”

“Sorry Ms. DeLuca. We... (yawn) had to go. We had to do a ve (yawn)-ry important assignment.” She was fighting yawns, between words.

“Your lives had better depend on it, not just your little school grades, because Maria isn’t allowed to just drive off to wherever with my car, without my knowledge. Maybe you can just take your mother’s car any old place but my daughter cannot. Does this make sense to you?”

Isabel nodded, “I understand.”

“And I heard abut your little escapade at the school today, you got my Little Alex drunk. You mothers were frantic looking for you tonight. And have come to the conclusion that Maria might have saved you from making a huge mistake, huge Isabel.” Amy sighed again, she was chewing out a child that wasn’t even hers, “But that still doesn’t explain why you weren’t using your own cars, unless you were drunk, again.”

“Ms. DeLuca can you just trust me?” Isabel moaned, “She asked wearily, wondering how this new member got added in. “Trust me that where we were and what we did, we had too. (Yawn) Tonight. And that neither of us are drunk, and that we’re extremely sorry to get everyone into trouble and that we are so tired we can’t think straight anymore.”

“So you’re spending the night?” Amy asked.

“Uh-Huh.” she widely yawned.

“With your mom’s permission?”

“I will have it.” she said with another huge yawn.

“And where exactly is Alex? Right now?” Amy asked.

“At his house. We dropped him off.”

“Ok I will confirm that... and...” She thought for a moment, if this were a lie she could most definitely trap them in it, “I want to see all of your sky charts tomorrow, Yours Alex’s and Maria’s. Prove to me this little jaunt of yours was worth it.”

“Ok can that wait until evening or better yet, Sunday?” Isabel mumbled tiredly with another deep yawn, “tomorrow is already booked solid. Our parents, not just our mothers want to meet with us. Alex and I have to do a report for our Literature class due Monday. And I’ve got to go to the Country club and take care of some business. Sunday would be so much better.”

“You two will stay in the living room, and Michael stays in his room, his door closed?” Amy told her the expected rules.

“Of course.”

“You will show me your projects?”

“Goodnight Ms. Deluca.” She ignored the order. And hung up.

“Michael,” she called out, “can I take a shower, before I go to sleep? ...”

“That’s not the greatest idea,” He stepped out of the kitchen. “You wrecked it earlier. You are just lucky Max and I know how to fix SOME of your mistakes. You went places with Alex that a brother should not have to witness. EVER!”

She arched her brow.

“Flashes Isabel. Intense heightened emotional echoes. Your night is NOT a secret. Max and I talked, and we’re all going to figure out what we can do about the school tomorrow evening though. Alex too. He needs to see it for himself.”

She sighed. “I promise I won’t wreck anything...I’m in control of myself again. Go look at Maria’s car, if you don’t believe me.” Sighing. “I’ll call my mother afterwards, Right now I just don’t know what to say to her. Maria’s mother is now somehow involved, and I have to get things straight. I need to think ...”

“Go ahead. But if you wreck it this time, you are repairing it.”

She snickered, “Not an issue.”

*** ***

Amy pressed the button, and listened for the dial tone, dialing another number.

“Diane here,” She answered the phone.

“It’s Amy. Just got a call from the girls. Maria said they are at Michael’s and spending the night. Also said Alex has been dropped off.”

Diane smiled with a nod. “Did she say what they were doing?”

Amy let out a breath, “School report. This is a well-rehearsed cover up. They all are saying the same thing. I told them to show me the charts tomorrow.”

Diane snickered. “Did she seem nervous about that at all?”

Amy shrugged, “Nope. Just tired. Isabel sounds exhausted. Talk to you soon.”

“Sounds good. And thanks Amy.”

They hung up and Diane waited by her silent phone for it to ring. Why hadn’t Isabel checked in yet?

And a few minutes later she did. Diane could hear the extreme tiredness seeping through her daughter’s connection. She rarely heard her that worn out to her recollection. Not since that event that drove them both out of town and she’d returned sick, with good reason. But tonight Isabel deflected all questions, and told her that she could ask anything she wished the next day. But right now she was going to sleep. She said her goodbyes, hung up, and flopped over onto the couch. Isabel’s VERY LONG DAY was finally OVER.


**** ****
SAME TIME: Liz was on her balcony writing in her journal:

~~~
“I’m Liz Parker and up until recently my life has been rather ordinary. In September I was nearly shot by a stray bullet in my parents restaurant. It didn’t happen, but it was so close. My lab partner rushed over to check on me; I’ve never seen such intensity in his eyes before. Or anxiety. Until today. I saw the same looks in his eyes today... as we made out.

He was so nervous in school the next day, I really didn’t know why, there was nothing to be nervous of as far as I could tell, but the teacher was having us do a lab with human cells. And he ran for the bathroom as quickly as he could.

I couldn’t help myself, I grabbed the pencil he’d been chewing on, that he left in his haste, and tested his cells as well. And that’s when my world tilted. His cells were GREEN to start with, and sort of odd shaped. I took a sample of mine to compare and mine were ordinary red round platelets... I had to recheck and I did the experiment twice.

I am aware that this is repetitive, if you have read my September entries; you have already learned all this. But it just feels right reiterating it today. Because tonight my world tilted again.

I kissed an alien. I kissed Max tonight. I KISSED MAX EVANS! And the results were something I’d never expect...

I saw what he saw when he looks at me. To Max I am BEAUTIFUL. I’ve never thought of myself as beautiful before. But Max has been watching me for sometime, and I am perfect in his eyes. And I saw into his soul. I felt his emotions from when he was first born, or hatched, or whatever they call it. I felt his wonder, awe, confusion and fear.

And I felt his hands, all over my skin. Because the kiss was driven by some deep instinctive primal force that we could not stop.

I’m not the kind of girl to get carried away. But with Max, as cliché as it sounds, he could have flown me away on his spaceship and carried me away to wherever he wanted.

Carry me away Max...

Isabel had warned that there might be strange side effects. And after the day she and Alex had, I understand completely.

We were the last of the, as she called us controls, and we had to examine the hypothesis. So tonight I took the plunge, in the name of science, and forced Max Evans into a new level of our relationship. I kissed him.

Until he was kissing me back, making me hot and dizzy. I felt a bit tipsy, it’s a good thing we were laying on my chaise, and when it ended, abruptly I might add, I was glowing. Everywhere he touched my skin it was glowing. It was amazing.

Max Evans has put a spell on me.”
~~~

The cordless phone beside her rang and she picked it up dreamily answering... “Hello? Max is that you?”

Maria pulled the phone away and looked at the receiver in confusion, and tried again... “Liz?

“Yeah”,, the brunette dreamily answered again.

“Ok this has got to be the weirdest night on record.” Maria spoke loudly into the receiver trying to get her friend’s attention.

“Mmmhmmm” ,, she sighed happily...

“Ok. Where is Liz Parker, and what have you done with my best friend?”

“Max..” Liz thought out loud still not answering Maria, and still jotting down her feelings in her journal. Little hearts being filled in around the edges...

“Yep... that’s what I would think tonight for sure...” Maria fairly growled in frustration.

“Heaven it was like Heaven...” Liz was thinking as she continued to write:

~~~
“I don’t think I will ever view life the same again. Because you never do know what is going on beneath the surface of people you know. Under shy exteriors live the most passionate of people. Isabel has found Alex, and together they both have blossomed. Max has come out from behind the tree... And Michael is becoming human... I don’t think only my axis tilted that day...

I, Liz Parker, know that Aliens exist, and that they are among us... Knowing these three, and keeping their secret has made even my ordinary life, extraordinary.”
~~~

She blinked realizing that there was a screaming girl on the other end of the phone... as she noticed the storm moving in.

“Are you EVEN THERE? LIZ???” Maria was screaming into the mouthpiece.

“Huh? Oh I was just adding to my journal...” she said softly...

Maria wished she was standing next to her friend, because right now she wanted to beat some sense into her... instead she decided to see just what little Lizzie Parker had been up to while she had to babysit the horny alien queen and her consort.

“Don’t tell me you kissed Max? Especially after I specifically said and I quote ‘Liz, If you guys haven’t kissed yet. I’m not so sure it would be a good idea to start now. This Czechoslovakian libido thing is crazy....’ I told you this today when Isabel and Alex were destroying the school if you remember...”

“Stars.” Liz mumbled... as she glanced at the sky. She looked up at the darkened sky; the clouds had rolled over the stars and obscured them from sight. The air had gone decidedly chilly, and as she looked into the near distance she could see flashes of lightning brightening the horizon. And heard the occasional roll of thunder. A big storm was bearing their way.

“Beautiful stars, and planets...” Liz mumbled... “I saw stars Maria and Max..” .she trailed off

Maria sighed heavily, she couldn’t talk about Alex, because now Liz was just as “wrong” ... And she really had to talk about Alex to someone... ‘I mean Alex was... his hands were...’ No she couldn’t think about what Alex was doing...

GOD! Maria why didn’t you tell me it FELT like that... I felt like I was exploding inside. Seriously, I can’t believe you kept all of this Czech stuff to yourself...”

“To myself? I don’t even know what you re talking about... I’ve never felt exploding...”

“Max loves me... he’s been watching me for years...”

“Stalked by an alien, Yeah that’s not creepy.” Maria teased.

“I can’t believe what he sees when he looks at me... I just kind of glowed... Max made me glow... Oh Maria what am I going to do?” she wailed.

YOU DIDN’T JOIN THE RANKS OF HORNY ALIENS TONIGHT?!? .... TELL ME YOU DID NOT!!!” Maria ordered with a sigh. It doesn’t matter if you’re human... or Czech, if you’re glowing you are in... Alex joined it tonight too... glowing and ... other stuff...” she shuddered,

Isabel mumbled something on the couch that sounded sort of like, “Mmm Alex... that feels soooo good.”

Maria gritted her teeth... The two sane ones of the group, and the two Czechs with the most control, and it was all gone... In one night...

What seriously would or could have happened to her and Michael if left alone??? ... Oh yeah her mother would definitely kill her... she already knew Michael was the most impulsive... And before today Alex had never seen a girl’s chest, Isabel had never advanced a relationship... and Max was too busy hiding... ‘WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED?’ She looked back at Michael sitting at his the table looking over that rock that she had handed him earlier... a sketch of it open on the table. He was too busy to be paying her conversation any attention.

Liz bemoaned, “Oh God, I feel so bad for you. What if, what if tonight were like special... a one-time event, and you missed it? Oh Maria I can’t believe you MISSED it!”

”Lets not go there Lizzie... I know I missed tonight, but if you had been where I was, I’m not so sure missing it was the worst thing that could have happened.” Maria couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, she was NEVER the voice of reason... And impulsive, oh she had learned the art form from her mother and Damn she would have loved to have joined the ranks of horny aliens too... but, she was actually happy that she had saved Isabel and Alex from making a mistake under their possession...

“Right.. Right, you were on Isabel duty... how was that anyway?”

“You babysit the horny alien from planet sex next time...Ok? How about that?”

“She was still getting drunk off his kisses? More electricity?” Liz smiled wistfully, as she remembered the feel of the sparks that had tingled along her thighs, as Max’s fingertips had wandered..

“Her, off him?” Maria questioned incredulously... “Try HIM OFF OF HER!!! They were BOTH WASTED, LIZ... WASTED!!!! She had gone beyond electricity to FIRE... she was melting everything she touched. You should have SEEN the inside of my mother’s car. And if it’s possible he was more wasted than her... I mean you know Alex, Good boy, never seen anything, and honorable... I mean Alex, Boy Scout and Saint...”

“Yeah... Good Ol’ Alex.”

“Well not tonight, I don’t know where our friend Alex went, but he was the aggressor Liz. He was leading her on... and he was almost completely un-dressed... Mr. Honor, was gone... Alex was just gone...And Isabel? She was possessed. By that rock thing... maybe it possessed them both... I really don’t know...”

Liz mumbled, “One question? Did it stop like really suddenly? Like a switch got turned off?”

“Oh yeah... it sent light, actual LIGHT, though both of them...” Maria was gesturing wildly. “Ok not too weird considering Isabel was already a white light,, but Alex is a HUMAN Liz. AND it made HIM light up... they both were ice blue, you know like purest snow ... and then it was over...” She then asked, “Why?”

“It worked on Max too.”

“What do you mean it worked on Max too?”

Liz chuckled throatily... “Oh I don’t know,” raking her hand through her silky tresses...”It cut through Mr. Control’s sense of honor.”

“Not you too? You didn’t do anything? Did you?” she asked accusingly.

“Me? No. Of course not...” Liz swallowed, “but I wanted to Maria... I’ll bet Michael finds those front facing snaps to be awfully convenient.... I know Max did... Drinking in the view... with this look of utter awe on his face.”

”LIZZIE!” Maria demanded.

“Hey, my bra stayed on... as well as my dress, sort of...” Liz blushed...

“So did Isabel... Her bra was left on as well, but really like that stops roaming hands, Liz? Or fingers?” Maria sighed, her free hand gesturing wildly, “Alex, you know Boy Scout/Saint... his sense of honor, control, and respect even were gone, his hands were EVERYWHERE.... I don’t know where he’s touched her and I don’t WANT to know...”

“God I WANT him Maria. I am honestly not sure where I would have drawn the line and there is NO WAY I am ready for sex yet... but .... Max was all over my skin, all my skin he could reach... and it was tingly and glowing. And I’ve got to tell you, I was willing. I wouldn’t have been able to say NO! ” She sighed deeply. “What is wrong with me? I’m ruined Maria... Ruined. For any other normal human guy...” For the second time she wailed, “What am I going to do?”

Maria sighed, “This is JUST NOT HAPPENING. Not happening... I’m the impulsive one, Michael is the impulsive one... not you Perfect Parker; not Mr. Control Max,,, not Saint Alex, and not Reserved Isabel... And they were so willing that they would have had sex TONIGHT Liz.. Unprotected sex, if I hadn’t showed up... “

Liz mumbled, “Yeah that could have happened...”

A huge flash of lightning lit up the balcony Liz was ensconced on. The storm had arrived. Thunder rumbled... Liz knew that lightning could strike but she couldn’t have this conversation inside where it could be overheard, and so she took her chances with the weather... and kept talking as she doodled on the open facing page Max’s name in multiple different styles...

“Go-d Al-ex!” Isabel moaned from the couch...

Maria hit her with a pillow... she never flinched... “There is so much about these Czechs that we don’t know yet...” Maria sighed, watching the sleeping girl for a moment....

“Yeah... Oh another thought? When the switch turned off, Max got this horrified look on his face and he RAN. Just Ran... I didn’t see him again till he picked up Michael... and he wouldn’t look in my direction. He was so scared Maria.”

Maria nodded, “Sounds like Isabel. Alex was still affected, and he was like basking in some kind of afterglow, but Isabel was panicked. She was so worried that they had gone too far. I talked to her about it. I don’t want to say I know what’s in the girl’s head, but I don’t think she’s ready for sex yet either.”

“How is Isabel? What’s she doing now?”

“Isabel is just fine...”Maria clipped, and then she quipped, “She’s having an erotic dream about Alex... or with her abilities, maybe an erotic dream WITH Alex...” She snickered, “Anyway she was the only one who could sleep on the couch... Apparently the guys got flashes of her and Alex’s activities when they cleaned up earlier. Like I said, this was the weirdest night on record... and I’m for one very glad that it is over and that we all still have our virginity intact...”

“MA-RI-A!!!!”

“What!? ... You yourself said you could have gone all the way today...” she shrugged her hands innocently, “Just stating Lizzie what no one realizes yet... WE WERE ALMOST SCREWED!!!! Cause if they were that hot and heavy do you honestly think that she wouldn’t be fertile??? Isabel could easily have gotten knocked up tonight I’m afraid... And just what would we do with glowing babies???”

“I don’t really thi....”

A huge clash of thunder rumbled overhead and the power went out.... Liz’s phone died in her hand. There was one large drop and then another, and then even more as the skies could no longer bear their weighty burden. Huge drops of rain poured down over Liz as she quickly scrambled to gather all the things she had outside with her, and she ran with girlie shrieks, shielding herself with the journal over her head, as she rushed to get inside of her window. But it was to no avail, she was now soaking wet.

This night was over...

Maria stared at the phone for a few seconds and shrugged... Walking over to where Michael had created a ball of light in his palm to guide her into the kitchen.... they spent the time standing against the kitchen cupboard making out, and not with any out of control effects...

The way it had always been before.

*** ***
TBC...


A/N This is the final chapter in the ARC of this day... I COMPLETED IT!!!! YEAH!!!! If you only knew how long I had this DAY alone in my head, and have tried to work it...

Obviously there are multitudes of effects from this day still to be dealt with, but the day itself has finally drawn to a close.

This part might not be my strongest or best, but the November NANOWRIMO writing contest is coming up and so my beta will be super busy, as he joins it every year.
And also my life gets crazy as my son (age 10) is in “A Christmas Carol.” At our local theater... he will be Tiny Tim among other things in this year’s performance. My days are almost all booked for the next 2 months.

I’ll try to drop in every so often.

Thanks for reading. See you Soon.

Velvet Skye/Rhonda
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
User avatar
Mt Gazer
Addicted Roswellian
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:10 pm
Location: Living in my own mind!!!!

Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) CH 28 11-07-10 pg 16

Post by Mt Gazer »

FB for 27:R
----
keepsmiling7:
I didn’t used to write recaps, but then one time RL got so crazy that they were needed, and I decided they were useful, even to me sometimes... with such long absences.

It really was a day in their lives wasn’t it. Everyone has grown by bounds.

Thanks for loving Amy, she is fun character to work with. As to the charts, I don’t know, but not in this next part.

Theater is fun. He is in a talent show today. Doing a Dr. Seuss monologue.
---
PML: The fallout will be interesting at best.

---
mary mary/Ginger: WELCOME another new reader! I was going to eventually invite you into the story but you found me first. I am so glad you like it.

I’ll try to get you pictures of my little guy at sometime.
Thanks for asking.

---
Tharos Yep here we are at the end of a VERY long day. (a very long chapter indeed) Next we deal with the ramifications of the day. Yeah Maria got handed quite a bit of responsibility didn’t she?
---
maipigen
Glad to know someone is laughing. I write those parts to get that reaction you know? Just a little humor and levity. Maria didn’t get to enjoy the night the same way as the others but she really did have an important part to play. I couldn’t let her have NO time with Michael. So I gave them a private moment in the quiet of the house, after the storm knocked out the power.

---
cjsl8ne They did make it safely through the day. Although how well unscathed, is left to be seen. Yeah the orb wasn’t that useful on the show was it? Maybe just maybe it helps them out? I wouldn’t want to be caught in this day or its fallout. I think all the kids have proven that fast ability to think on their feet. Avoiding parental meltdown, that one would be more difficult I would definitely imagine.

---
TI88 It was a day that I think I might still be learning how important it is in the grand scheme of things. One of those pivotal moments where nothing is the same and can never be again.
I too am so glad that Maria chose to save them and to not let them get too out of control. (although that really wouldn't be a far jump).
And lastly, yeah i had another reader make a comment in this LONG chapter that whatever A/I have needs bottled, and sold.
************************
Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: NONE - ORIGINAL CHAPTER

And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. Thanks for the astuteness of Michael in this part. You made this scene work! Two of your recent ideas were amazing, one is being used NOW. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details. Thanks for the one Scene. It made it POP!


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: Alex had been delivered to his own house before Maria took Isabel and herself to Michael’s for the night. Maria gave Michael the orb. Then she called her mother, filled her in on what she could and explained that she was entirely too tired to drive, and that she needed to sleep at Michael’s as long as Isabel was there. Amy spoke to Isabel and consented. Liz and Maria discussed all the crazy things of the day till the storm knocked out the power. Thus ended the weirdest Friday on record.

NO MUSIC THIS TIME! SORRY

******************************************
Shifting Realities

Chapter 28

What’s Wrong With This Picture?


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


Saturday morning in Roswell was rather busy...



Tons of photos and papers detailing the events of Friday were faxed to Washington. The head agent was busy and would return his analysis of the proffered material on Monday....


*** ***
Amy turned up at Michael’s early with breakfast. She had made a quiche pie, not one of her dessert pies so that the kids all would have decent food to start the morning on.

The three mothers had all conference called in the middle of the night, to check on the kids whereabouts and to check out their alibis. (This occurred when Liz and Maria were talking on the phone before they lost power.) Amy volunteered to deliver breakfast to Michel’s house, but she needed a ride. Gloria offered and they made sure all three were where they should be.

All three mothers were united in the knowledge that their three kids respectively had stayed out way too late and without a valid enough argument. But none really was sure what had caused their child to be gone without a just cause. But Amy was the one who volunteered her services and breakfast delivery... And here she and Gloria were on Michael’s doorstep.

She rang the bell.

Maria stood on the other side and let the mothers in. Maria was clad in the same clothes as last night, however Michael had run his hand over them for some alien cleanup, and run his hands along a few other places as well a little earlier.

Michael was rolling up a couple sleeping bags and Isabel was still asleep on the couch.

Amy quickly surveyed the scene and gave the awake teens a disgruntled look, but walked into the kitchen, and delivered the breakfast. “It’s warm now so get it while it’s hot.” She added. “I’ve got a delivery to make at the Crashdown in a few, but thought I’d start here.”

She noticed the amount of sleeping bags and looked very seriously at her daughter. “I know that two sleeping bags can zip together to make a very cozy nest for lovebirds. I count two, and Michael is rolling them up. I better have not a made a huge mistake last night.” Amy glowered at the two kids.

Gloria wandered around surveying everything, wondering what exactly Diane had not let her see last night.

Maria countered, “Mom. Here, lay on this floor, I dare you. It is not a cushy mattress. Michael gave me everything he had so that I would be comfortable, seeing as Isabel took over the couch.” She pointed at the sleeping girl. “Two sleeping bags made the night tolerable. Michael and I did not sleep together or anywhere near each other, and I used one as padding under the other.”

“I don’t see any homework in here, where is Alex’s report?” Gloria interjected.

Maria dug into her pocket and pulled out the keys, “Here Mom.” She pressed them into her hand, “Thanks for the food, now just go, we’re fine, we don’t need checked on and we’ll be to work on time. I love you and I’ll see you later.”

Gloria pointed to Isabel, “Alex is totally sacked out too. Out cold when I left.” She added as she was essentially shoved out the door.

And with that she and Amy left. Michael could give Maria a ride via his motorcycle, and Isabel would have to call someone for a ride, or track down Alex’s keys whenever she woke up, which wouldn’t be for a couple hours yet.

*** ***

If they thought Friday was weird, Saturday seemed strange. Yes Isabel and Alex each had to deal with their parents about staying out late without permission and about getting too close, but they didn’t deal with anything pertaining to the school, or more to the point, the whole destruction of it... no-one talked to them about getting drunk, if that were even possible, and strangest of all NO GROUNDING! No HUGE interrogations...

And they were not denied the ability to see each other.


But whether Saturday was strange or not, they had to be prepared for school on Monday and the inevitable trouble they were in. That report had to be done... so after she woke later than ever imagined at 11:00 am, and stopping home for a check in and everything that entailed, Isabel headed to Alex’s for the rest of the afternoon and they spent it in his room, with the door open, researching fire of a literary intimate nature.

They didn’t so much as find the word fire, but they did find the Internet replete with references to ancient works of erotic literature. And so with a quick perusal of information they gathered enough to write a hasty report and to close out this session of embarrassment.

Even studying this was uncomfortable.

Mrs. Jatzman had insisted that the works were of a classical or ancient nature and so they studied these alone.

In the Bible, Old Testament, was the Song of Songs; also known as the Song of Solomon.

They found the Roman Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter, this was also from ancient or classic times. Federico Fellini turned this into a film in 1969. This sparked Alex’s interest, because Fellini was the subject of the film retrospective that he had wanted to share with Isabel, that weekend they ended up camping.

She teased him still, and reminded him that she definitely would rather watch a regular movie than to watch a commentary about a filmmaker.

And they found The Decameron written during the medieval period of 1353, by Giovanni Boccaccio, made into a film by Pasolini in 1971.

So it seemed ancient erotic literature paved the way for 20th Century modern film material.

They decided to end this research and let Isabel “write” the report. Holding her hand over blank pages of computer paper she gathered all the information into her mind, and holding her hand over the papers, formed a report. The words typed themselves onto the pages, and they bound it into a cover, to be turned in on Monday.

They didn’t get off Scott free of course; there was most definitely the matter of Friday and Isabel’s brothers to deal with.

*** ***

The three aliens teens and Alex all had a mission to complete before the weekend progressed any further. Operation Repair WRHS. Isabel and Alex were chewed out royally on the drive over. But they took it in stride. It was expected and necessary.
Alex was dragged along to show him what his and Isabel’s make-out session of the day before caused. And if he could use his tech savvy to repair anything all the better.

And in the cover of blackness on very late Saturday night they stole into their local high school to repair anything that they possibly could. All dressed like cat burglars, in black clothing and quiet shoes.

As they pulled into the driveway Isabel started to make observations from the day before... West Roswell High didn’t look any different from the outside; the caution tape was no longer stretched tightly across the front.

All the people of the day before were gone. The news crew, scientists, lookie-loos, EVERYONE. It was very curious indeed.

And the parking lot had the normal complement of cars for a late weekend evening.

Max let them in as he bypassed the alarm system. And they all stole into the darkened hallway. The aliens could see in the dark, much more than a normal human, but not as well as with regular vision and Alex had to use a flashlight. So creating a ball of light in his palm Max wandered through the halls.

There was no water damage from the day before, the floors were dry, but more than that, the desks and walls and other furniture was dry and seemed untouched by ANY water damage.

Max sent each of the three in a different direction, fixing anything they could. And they found small things everywhere.

Alex was looking at the dedication plaque, as he called out, “Hey Max?”

“Yeah?”

“This is wrong.” He pointed to it.

“You’re sure?”

He scratched at the back of his neck, “It was a photo in the last year’s yearbook. I took the picture. Trust me, it’s wrong.”

Michael’s interest was piqued with that and he sauntered over and read the plaque. He nodded, “Yep. He’s right. You’re onto something Alex.” He waved his hand over the plaque; making it return to normal and then he headed off on a very definite mission.

When he returned, he sent Isabel to the girl’s gym locker room; there was something he needed her to see for herself. Alex followed alongside her.

And Michael started to search underneath the bottom surfaces of the desks. Moving from one to another. He ordered Max to search through them.

“What are you doing?” Max asked.

“Something is missing Max.”

“What are we looking for?”

*** ***

In the meanwhile, Isabel took Alex into a room she had found on her perusal and repair of the second floor, a quick detour on the return from the gym.

“What is this room?” He whispered.

“THIS is the ERASER ROOM, of legendary repute.” She laughed. “The second floor Eraser Room.”

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Where I came from, it was the second floor Eraser Room. Now, shut up and kiss me.”

His hands wrapped around her and they melted together for a moment holding each other. And if the chaos and drunkenness of Friday was gone, the magic they had shared was not.

Isabel smiled and reached out her hand and held Alex’s in it. She asked him to extend his index finger and she covered his hand with hers as if teaching a child to write. They traced a large glowing heart onto the largest and most accessible wall of this Eraser Room. She kissed him and then they wrote their initials in it. “IW + AW 3-17-00.” And then she snapped her fingers and it disappeared.

Alex pouted. “What’s the point if we can’t see it?”

Isabel smiled and gave him a little peck on the cheek. “You doubt me?” As she placed her hand back on the wall and it flared back into life.

She pulled him close while leaning against their wall and slid open his hoodie zipper a couple inches, which was done to the top of course, and said teasingly, “Someone had to christen this room. This Eraser Room is OURS Alex. And every time we make-out in here, we can see this and remember yesterday...” And remembering what exactly had happened yesterday, she shook her head quickly and added, “And we’ve got to get out of here before we are caught in the Eraser Room AGAIN! My brothers would probably kill both of us. And we certainly can’t create any more catastrophes.”

Isabel snapped her fingers dropping the room into blackness and then opened the door. She looked both ways and pulled Alex down the hall and down the stairs to find Michael.

*** ***

Michael still hadn’t told Max what he was looking for. And Isabel came running back a little flushed with Alex on her heels.

“So?” He asked.

“Yep. I see it.”

“What!?” Max ordered, “What is missing?”

Michael smirked, to be right and for Max to be clueless, he loved this feeling. “Take a good look around here. Remember everything and everywhere we looked, and tell me this, what ONE thing is missing Max?”

Isabel and Alex smirked, and Michael stood taller, he nodded to them and they all said in unison. “Aliens.”

Max stared at them all confused.

“This is Roswell. Max. Home of the 1947 Crash, the whole town is based on it. There is not one ALIEN in this entire school. Besides the three of us.” Michael added, the glowing ball of light in his palm just emphasizing that statement.

Alex snickered.

“Kids have stickers, pencils, erasers, hell, even the ads have the stupid alien head logos. There is NOTHING alien in this school.”

Max just looked at Michael with a strange expression.


And that is where the night ended. A few things fixed. Nothing seriously damaged. And the kids stole back out and went to their respective homes.

TBC....
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Sat Nov 20, 2010 6:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

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Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) CH 28B 11-20-10 pg 17

Post by Mt Gazer »

Mary Mary/Ginger: Since you left no theories or questions I really can’t add much to your thoughts... What is going on indeed? The title is What is Wrong with This Picture? Which is to say that something most definitely is.

keepsmiling/Carolyn: Yeah as Michael saw things in need of definite correction his powers were very handy indeed. You will notice that this is a second floor eraser room that she claimed, not the one that they had that “episode” in. Recall Alex was confused about where they were.

PML: You wonder if the other aliens can sense the mark Isabel left on the wall? I can’t answer that, but I will say this, you will notice she used her MARRIED initials? Again. LOL If they do find that marker they will seriously WONDER what happened.

Tharos: We did it, made it to chapter 28 YAY!!! Yeah the kids and moms, definitely not a good mix. They had to do something for the poor school... Fixing it was a matter of priority. I can’t answer if there are other eraser rooms or not, but Isabel has decided that they OWN this one.

maipigen: Amy is fun isn’t she... So suspicious because she knows and remembers what she was like and is doing everything to keep Maria from the same fate. I did not understand your line.
I think they'll be surprised.
so clarify please? Otherwise, are the parents lying in wait and are going to really let them have it later, or did something happen, and the parents chose not to? The eraser room and its memories... Isabel had a uniquely wonderful time in there on Friday... but it seems to have made her determined to claim it unto her and Alex... what is she doing, thinking, or why?
So... Twist at the end huh? Oh you will see what that was shortly. And I hope it meets your approval. LOL

cjsl8ne: I agree with you that the kids seemed to get off easily. Is that coincidental or actual? Thank you for waiting for the other shoe to drop and not taking things at face value. All I can say right now is that somehow the alien stuff that is always there isn’t anymore... what happened to it? Left to be seen still.

To all my readers and lurkers... Thank- you for reading.

************************
Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: Roswell: NONE - ORIGINAL CHAPTER
Other source, Men in Black: Columbia Pictures and Amblin entertainment.. 1997 Some of the references in this part have been taken from this movie.

And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. Thanks for the astuteness of Michael in this part. You made this scene work! Two of your recent ideas were amazing, the second one is now in play. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details. Thanks for all the help in this... its GOOD! It made it POP!


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: As we entered a new short 2 part chapter. The kids haven’t really dealt with any severe punishments from the parentals... curious? And the other thing is they stole into the school to repair it and the aliens weren’t there anymore.

Music link at the end...

******************************************
Shifting Realities

Chapter 28:B

What’s Wrong With This Picture?


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



Early Monday morning, when staff goes to school but the students aren’t yet in attendance, they wandered the halls along with the rest of the members a certain general confusion written on every face.

They all acted more like they were returning from a summer’s break, than a weekend away in the well-established school year. They all seemed uncertain and unsure, forgetful of the small things that had made the normal every day function run smoothly.
It was like the beginning of the school year all over again, and the chaos showed, made all the worse by a confusion of the offices, classrooms, and even locks.

The regular sounds of teens chattering filled the halls as kids started to arrive around an hour later to the same atmosphere, made all the worse by the fact that most were only half paying attention to anything they were doing. They walked to their lockers to start their daily ritual. But lockers seemed to be changed, and combinations confused or lost. Some stood there repeatedly spinning what they KNEW to be their number; but to no avail.

As they wandered to their rooms, it was as if they were milling about like ants moved to a completely different colony with different paths. Locker troubles were directed to the office, otherwise it was chaotic and the teachers were of little help as well. Some stood at the door of their rooms with a sign, stating their name, class and room number. Children filtered into classrooms and the day began more than fifteen minutes late.

During first period an announcement over the PA System indicated that there would be an assembly to reissue lockers starting in fourth period with the Seniors and then each period a different grade would follow, in order of class rank. At the last period of the day a general assembly would be held to discuss the situation.

New lockers in 6th period, ‘Appropriate.’ thought both Alex and Isabel wryly. It was Friday’s 6th period that had led to this mess. But maybe they would have the good fortune of being assigned next to one another or nearby at least. They could hope.

***

And this was just how the morning resumed after the long weekend. For Isabel and Alex it only increased their confusion.

Their parents hadn’t interrogated them on the weekend. The entire weekend, not just on Saturday.

The kids that had gone to the desert had let Isabel make sky charts forging everyone’s writing style and level of academic expertise. Amy was never the wiser, and was happy to see that they had indeed done schoolwork.

Isabel and Alex KNEW that Monday morning should be spent in the Principal’s office.

But here it was Monday morning and they were amongst the displaced students, milling around and trying to find the proper rooms.

Not once had the Principal demanded that their morning started with an accounting for why they were intoxicated on some substance, on school property, the previous Friday. Actually, no-one even spoke to them along that line.

That should have been where the whole week began, and they knew it. But they weren’t going to question it, not if it kept the suspicion thrown off of them or their little band of alien supporters.

Some of the girls of the school were giving Alex weird looks, somewhat scathingly or sneeringly. And the boys just pointed and laughed. But again, these were the types of looks he was used to receiving from the Populars. So he shrugged it off.

Everyone was watching them curiously with a seemingly renewed interest, as they walked down the halls. They were being talked about in hushed tones as people were pointing and speaking behind their backs. They heard mention of the words third period in the midst of it all. And the giggling that followed those words.

But then again if they recalled, everyone had watched them curiously ever since Isabel had publicly declared they were an item at the Valentines Day concert a short time before.

Isabel and Alex were perplexed, was anyone remembering any of the actual events of Friday? What had happened in third period? Why were they being observed with ridicule? What had changed, and what hadn’t? They really wished to have some answers; anything would be nice. It would give them a clue as to what was going on in the minds of everyone.

*** ***

First period
The awaited analysis was being discussed in harsh tones as Agent Kathleen Topolsky was in her office listening to her very angry boss over the phone as she pulled files out of her locked file cabinet and laid them out on her desk.

“I had to go do face-time this weekend to prove we were still a viable and necessary unit of the FBI, I told them we were investigating an event in Roswell, New Mexico at this very moment. And when I returned I was finally able to analyze what you sent me for you seemed so sure of your evidence on Friday. So what happened?” He asked in a barking tone. “Give me a status report Agent, and make it good.” He ordered.

She wasn’t sure of his tone but she knew that the day seemed off, everyone was confused and lost, and she was pretty sure it had something to do with the events of Friday. The events that noone could seem to remember completely, let alone herself. “I have successfully infiltrated their high school as a guidance counselor and they are none the wiser... I sent you doc files and jpegs of material on Saturday morning... We’ve got enough now.” She stated in feigned confidence.

“We’ve got nothing.” He ground out.

She halted, as her heart skipped a beat. ‘What did he mean by Nothing?’

“Excuse me?” She asked tensely. “Did you not receive the communication from Friday? I can resend...” she edged up taller as she stood at her laptop and started to open her computer files, and encrypted emails, and anything related to Friday.

His tone held a note of mockery,... “I have received information about the High School. Lots of information in fact... Mind you, useless information; Stats of the high school baseball scores, photos of mundane things.” His teeth gritted. “Boring everyday life!” He spoke shortly.

She kept opening her files, ‘no, No, NO!! ... This isn’t right...’

His voice rose in agitation “Where are the pictures of the high school? Topolsky? Where is the report on the chaos? You said the building was sparking and that the subject was inside during the occurrence. Where is any material to substantiate this???” He calmed himself and said in a very tense but leveled manner ... “You spoke to me over the phone and told me you had her, that you had proof.”

He played a recording of her communiqués. “Where are these events?”

She was shaking her head, scratching her hair, “I sent you that proof. I’ll send it again.” She opened file after file. Each newly opened file causing her nerves to become more apprehensive. “I took pictures of EVERYTHING sir...I documented everything. I sent it all.”

‘Where is it?’ She ripped through the jpegs, and emails... NOTHING. There was no evidence of anything that had happened on Friday. She ran her hand nervously over her face and backward through her hair. “This is WRONG. ...There is Nothing.” She was speaking at the same time as her boss.

“I’m waiting agent,” he said levelly, “I do not hold proof in my hands. I hold nothing useful, do you hear me agent? Nothing.”

She opened the hard copy files on her desk, while her boss kept criticizing. They were replete with information on the subjects she was investigating. They each had her letterhead (as a guidance counselor) and her insignia and they seemed genuine, until she started to read.

Isabel Evans:

Born October 25, 1984 Roswell General Hospital

Parents: Philip and Diane Evans

Siblings: One adopted brother, Maxwell. Adopted at age 4.

She turned the file over and closed it again looking at it. This was Isabel’s file and it was WRONG! She was sure of it somehow.

She looked through others and saw discrepancies in them as well. “I need you to resend me the personal files on all the subjects but especially the Evans children, Michael Guerin and the Whitman boy. I have a problem with my hard copy.” She spoke tensely.

He spoke in his mocking tone again, “What happened to your hard copy?”

She sighed anxiously, “I had it in a very secure location. It was safe. Very safe.” She couldn’t believe this was happening, how could she explain it was hacked and counterfeited.

“Where is it now Agent?” he demanded.

“I don’t know sir!” She was tapping her feet nervously, as she ran a hand through her hair.

Ordering, “How can you not know, Agent? Has it been stolen? Or are you merely incompetent?”

She let out a few choppy breaths, “Neither sir. I HAD that proof sir. I DID.”

“What has happened to your hard copy? What is the reason you need a reissue? Is there a discrepancy?” His voice laced with irritation.

This was the only point in this conversation where she could show any amount of credibility. “There seems to be sir. Check the files sent in October 1999, those are copies of the original data, and it does not match what I have before me.” She didn’t like the way this felt. She knew these files were WRONG, but she couldn’t quite remember what was RIGHT anymore. And she has photographic memory. Why couldn’t she remember the exact files? She knew enough to tell him to search through the originals. It was her only recourse.

He seemed to relax for a moment. “Fax me what you have, and I will get someone to analyze these reports. And if there is a discrepancy they will find it. I still want that proof agent; I still want you to substantiate the theories about the subject/s.”

“Yes sir.”

“Are your files the only ones that have been altered? Or have you been made or compromised?” He continued the interrogation.

“I haven't examined the entire school sir. But I have not been made.” She swallowed, she certainly hoped not.

“Are you certain of that agent!?” he demanded yet again.

“These are children sir, teenagers. And one observation I have made of teenagers is that they talk about everything. When children do something or know something they TALK, amongst each other. They do not know of my infiltration. And because I have one of them bugged, I would have intercepted a conversation to that end. They have not spoken of my involvement.” She scratched her hair and nervously stood to search through her file cabinet.

“And do you have recorded and hard copy of these conversations? Upload them and send them over and I will have our forensics expert analyze them along with the files.”

She slammed the drawers shut, “DAMN! My recorded conversations seem to be misplaced as well sir! The original data seems to be missing.”

“So you have LOST everything!!!” his voice was no longer calm. “Are you aware that we were on the verge of having something solid and concrete and provable? Enough that we could have taken her and the other agencies would have backed us up? Because we would have had PROOF!

His voice rose sharply with each new point. “I need that PROOF agent... something like what you described was happening on Friday... Something that I can toss onto the President’s desk and say this and this HAS to happen for the sake of National Security.”

His voice went back to his mockery... “But you LOST it. 6 months of observation, and investigation and infiltration, and you let her slip right through our fingers!!” His voice resonated unbridled anger. “And sent us back to the beginning!!!” She heard the sound of his desk being pounded over the connection.

The mockery was laced with bitterness, “I do trust you Kathleen... I know that you are not the complete and total bumbling idiot, which you appear to be right at the moment. And that is why I expect better from you.” He ordered, “Do not make me regret sending you to Roswell. You will continue in your assignment until you get me something tangible... Do you hear me Topolsky?”

“Yes sir!”

“Don’t waste my precious time and the unit’s valuable resources with erroneous communication and flimsy excuses. Your job now is to bring me proof. That is all Agent, real proof and tangible evidence. Nothing less and nothing more.”

She spoke her acknowledgement through gritted teeth, "I'm on it."

When they hung up she faxed him the files that were on her desk, for a cross-examination and reevaluation. She continued to search through them for a moment and then threw them against the wall as she growled her frustration.

That conversation had NOT gone well.


*** ***
Third period: Two inter-related events were happening simultaneously... (one is marked with ~~~~)

Isabel and Alex should learn something about what happened in everyone’s rendition of Friday in this class. This was being referred to as the period in which an event with their names on it occurred, and it was causing quite the conversational stir behind their backs.

To the inside observer the people of Roswell didn’t remember the day EXACTLY as it had happened. But how did that get fixed? They didn’t know. But with suspicion perhaps cast aside, they treated the day with a business as usual attitude and attended all the regular classes.

~~~~
Holed up in her office, (in a new location mind you) Agent Topolsky had been practicing her martial arts as the receiver caught their voices. She was trying to calm down from the earlier conversation. She didn’t want her ass handed to her by her boss ever again. Those kids didn’t know whom they were messing with. But they had made her look absolutely foolish and incompetent in front of him.
~~~~

In third period in Mrs. Jatzman’s room, as the class ended they walked hesitantly up to the teacher’s desk and turned in their report. “Intimate Literary Fire” By Isabel Evans and Alexander Whitman.

She looked at the nervous teens that had just placed this “report” on her desk and picked it up. “What is this?” She asked pointedly.

“This was a report you assigned us on Friday.” Isabel stated while biting her lip. A rosy hue covering her face.

Mrs. Jatzman opened it and briefly skimmed it. “No! I don’t think I assigned this.” She blushed a little and looked at the kids who also had the good grace to blush as well. “Maybe got your classes mixed up and this was meant for sex-ed?” She teased while quirking her eyebrows.

Alex scratched the back of his head and added, “So no extra credit huh?”

Isabel shot him a look, and turned to the teacher. “What he meant to say was, ’You’re absolutely right. We turned this in to the wrong class.’

Mrs. Jatzman continued, “I did however catch your little “show” on Friday in the back of my room. Passing periods are not meant for making out. Especially of that level. Period. Although class had ended, if it happens again I will give you both detention.”

They had the good nature to blush deeply again, “We’re so sorry.” Isabel bit her lip. “We’ll go fix that mix-up right now...” She grabbed the report by a corner and held it from her as if it was an offending rodent, and with a toss of her hair, hurried from the room.

As they rounded the corner near a waste can, they stopped to talk for a moment since no one else was around. She made absolute certainty of that.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Isabel asked him in a whispered tone, a blue bound report dangling from her fingertips.

~~~~
The conversation was being listened to. Agent Topolsky slowed her movements and listened intently. They might say something useful here. She started the recorder.
~~~~

“That I the stud, am not a stud anymore?” Alex asked with a pout and a tilted head.

That was definitely not what she was expecting him to say and it caught her off guard, so with a slight jerk of her head and a confused “What?” she laughed haltingly.

“Side effect of Friday.” He teased in response.

She raised her eyebrows in question.

Well yeah you know, 4th period I actually was swaggering down the hall and being given the once over by the girls. And the jocks, thought I was a threat to their species or something. You know? Friday? After that Soul Gaze?

She continued to watch him, brows still knit in confusion, but with warning on her pursed lips and her slightly narrowed eyes.

“Hey don’t give me that look. I beat up Josh Malamud to defend your honor. The looks we’re getting today are more like they were when I was a freak to all the girls, when they laughed at me. The looks I got on Thursday, and all the days before it. Not like on Friday when they all wanted me.”

Isabel laughed a bit nervously to his admission, and hit him customarily on the chest, but let her hand rest there when the motion was complete, as she added, “That’s not what I was talking about... Stud! And you know that.” Shaking her head. She looked him full in the face as she whispered, “That no-one has a clue what exactly happened on Friday. They have some ideas, but not the actual truth. Not our parents, Maria or Liz, not the school? No-one.”

~~~~
Gritting her teeth as she reached into another pose she fumed. ‘So you do remember it don’t you? It DID happen.’
~~~~

“It sure seems that way doesn’t it?” he smiled warmly. “I told you it’d be ok.” He looked relieved.

She was more than confused, “So why don’t they?” Isabel postulated, with a questioning tilt of her head.

Alex chuckled nervously, “Really Isabel? Do you want them to?” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “ ‘Cause I’d really like to forget it. Its been altered or erased somehow, and I’m so grateful. Its over!....”

~~~~
She let the edges of a malicious smile hint on her lips. ‘Is It?’ as she turned in another pose.
~~~~

“....We did still make-out at school apparently... but aside from that they’re only staring at us because we’re us. And they can’t sort Us out. Just like before.” He kissed her lips with a peck. “And what are you going to do with that rat anyways?” He teased, pointing to the report she still was holding loosely by its very top edge.

“Exterminate it.” Isabel glanced around hastily and then laid a charged and glowing hand over the report causing it to burn and disintegrate into ash in one motion. “Done.” Swishing her hands together to drop the ashes into the trash can, she smiled calmly and in a relived manner as she added, “Friday is no more....”

~~~~
She continued in her movements, forced and tense now; but upon hearing, “Friday is no more.” Said in such a happy and cavalier manner, she was incensed. She swung round in fury and roundhouse kicked the wall.

“I don’t know what you did WITH Friday. But this is by no means OVER!”
~~~~

Isabel continued... “Lets get back to our classes, before we add a tardy to our list of infractions.”

He laughed. The infractions no longer existed. And with a simple but heartfelt kiss they parted to their respective classrooms and resumed life as normal. For now it once again truly was.

*** ***
Lunch 5th period.

All but Alex were eating; he had a class run late and hadn’t made it to the quad yet. The others were talking, in the farthest table they could find. The topic was Friday.

Isabel was primarily listening. Stuffing in bites of sandwich pulled off with her fingers, between rounds. She was sitting between the two groups, Max and Michael on one side, and Liz and Maria on the other.

Max and Michael were discussing the changes in the school with the girls, who were listening intently and trying to come up with their own theories as to what might have occurred. But it was apparent that they also were of the confused lot.

Maria turned to them and said, “Yes. Roswell is the Alien Capital of the World. But that doesn’t mean that there are aliens everywhere, especially in the school. We never had any alien shower knobs. That would be a little over the top and just plain crazy. Right Liz?”

The girls turned to each other and shared a collective confused shrug, the Czechoslovakian members weren’t making much sense, but they seemed adamant that the school itself had undergone some alien related changes.

The alien trio shared a similar look, ‘Why couldn’t they remember?’

Isabel raised an eyebrow to Maria’s statement and watched as Michael turned to her while she stirred packets of sugar into her yogurt.

“Maria. Yes it is Roswell and as such we do have ALIENS everywhere. We have the Crashdown, we have the UFO Center, we have the spaceship shaped MacDonald’s, and the alien streetlights. So I don’t know how you could forget, but our school had alien shower knobs last I knew, and when we came here on Saturday night they were GONE!”

“Why did you come to the school on Saturday night again?” Liz asked.

“To repair it. Surely you remember what happened between Isabel and Alex on Friday?” Max glowered at his sister, very displeased.

Isabel scorned in return.

“Of course. But that still doesn’t explain why you had to sneak into the school.” Liz threw back.

“What do you remember about Friday?” Max looked across at Liz.

Maria was the one who had shared 3rd period so she jumped in, “They had a serious liplock in the back of Mrs. J’s room after the bell rang. Serious kissing, nothing more you know.” She turned to the tall blonde and added in earnest, “But I can’t believe you weren’t in the Eraser Room...” her hands animatedly flying, “What were you guys thinking anyway? Have you ever even been in it? If you haven’t, well, you’ll need to try it sometime. Rather than the back of class... That wasn’t smart at all.” She swallowed and looked back to Max, “And then at night we went to the desert for some alien orb thingy and told our parents we were doing some astronomy project.”

Isabel demurely ate her bite of yogurt watching as her brow rose and she asked the most obvious question she could think of for the moment, “Maria? What’s a Soul Gaze?” She listened as she continued to calmly eat.

“Oh that’s easy, isn’t it that sappy thing you and Alex do when you stare into each other’s eyes?” As Isabel glared at her she changed members. “Oh Liz and Max are even gooier than you. They’ve got the whole eyes are the windows to the soul staring thing down great.”

They were staring across the table. “Case in point.” Maria showed her.

Isabel smirked and snickered, with her hand by her mouth in a little covert mannerism. ‘That is SO not what a soul gaze is. But that seems to be gone too. Hmmm...’

“Michael I need to know how you figured it out... And how did Isabel and Alex clue in and I didn’t? I mean the whole alien thing got right past me, how?” Max was surreptitiously adding Tabasco to his chips, and passing it to Michael under the table to add to his cake.

“See that’s the difference between you and me Maxwell. I never forget who and what I am. You’ve got this comfy little life with great parents and are so used to blending in that you kind of forget the whole alien thing while you act human.” He said while dousing the piece of chocolate cake from the Crashdown.

Max watched him as he took a bite and continued.

“Me? I’ve never fit in... I’ve never belonged anywhere. I’ve always got a bag packed. At any moment we might have to leave. It’s just something I live with... Every little alien head or green man is just another reminder.” He swallowed. “I serve aliens on a platter at the Crashdown, and you repair autopsied aliens on a daily basis. Something’s a little whacked with our lives, and our jobs don’t you think?”

“He’s got a point there.” Maria added.

Michael continued, “A mockery of our crash is a holiday for them, and they cheer as aliens burn to death, Max. If the townspeople actually KNEW that aliens existed they’d run us off with their pitchforks and torches, or burn us at the stake. Don’t forget that. They are not friendlies.” He took a couple more bites while Max shifted in his seat.

“And how did you know?” He turned to Isabel as the girls intently listened.

“When the shower knobs were wrong or things ended up in strange locations, like the Eraser Room moving to the second floor,” she smirked at Maria. “I knew what Michael was referring to. And a quick search revealed that there weren’t any of the everyday, ubiquitous, aliens. Somehow the school had been fixed, before we even got there.”

Michael nodded. “Exactly. You cannot deny that someone covered for us. What I don’t know is if they are our friend or enemy, or what their motivation is, but either way they covered the alien tracks and did something to the school to hide our identity, maybe their own I don’t know. And I don’t know about you but I want to figure out who they are. They have power that we’ve never seen or heard of. We know there is another one of us out there, but this goes way beyond killing or healing with a touch. This is a mass scale something. You cannot deny that.”

At that moment the missing member showed up shielding his eyes, and looking around as if he were searching for something. He slid a brown lunch sack onto the table in Isabel’s direction. And then he asked an odd question. “Ok where is Agent K or J?”

“What?” Liz laughed. As she put down her apple.

“You know M.I.B. Men in Black? The best kept secret in the universe, the first, last and only line of defense for the galaxy? They work in secret and exist in shadow.” He looked at his friend and then started to rap sections of the song, “The title held by me, MIB, means what you think you saw you did not see. Your memories are turned to fantasies...” he cocked his head while he scratched at the back of his neck, his mouth wearing his customary quirked smirk. “Looking a little familiar around here?” He motioned about him, licking his lips as he looked side to side.

“Yeah you’re quoting movies again... And what’s the importance of it this time?” Maria turned to him.

“Who hired them to fix the school? Because it’s obvious they were here and that they used the flashy memory messer-upper thing. Because NO-ONE remembers the things that actually happened.”

“Excuse me Alex; but you’re not making any sense.” Liz was laughing.

Maria muttered, “And they say they need a Maria filter to figure out what I’m saying.”

Alex wasn’t laughing; he slid into the seat next to Isabel, grabbed his sandwich in one hand and hers in the other... “No seriously guys, its like they must have what, completely raided an alternate universe and exchanged that school with ours.” He took a bite and talked with his mouth full, waving with the one clasped in Isabel’s. “Because well.... Come on people think about it! This is NOT the West Roswell High we all are used to.” He gulped down that bite, and continued his reasoning.

“You couldn’t get into your locker this morning Liz. Your combination just wouldn’t work. Or you Maria, where is your homeroom again? Or me even, my locker wasn’t even on the right side of the wall. And the things we fixed on Saturday that NO-ONE knows about because we already repaired it, the dedication plaque for one.... This is not OUR school. And the people in this town have been neuralyzed.” He took another large bite, chewing, while Max turned to him.

WHAT? What are you talking about? I mean even for us, do you know how crazy that sounds Alex?”

Mouth full, he worked it for a second, gulping he grabbed Isabel’s open soda for a chug to wash it down. His eyes watered miserably from the Tabasco and his mouth curled in distaste, but he was in such a hurry to explain and eat and that he just bypassed the sensations as he spoke. “You need to watch more Science Fiction Max... but the Neuralyzer, the memory flash thingy, isolates the electronic impulses in your brain; specifically the ones for memory and when a new one is implanted over the one erased, that is what they remember. I’m just surprised we haven’t been told the school had a gas leak or toxic fumes or something yet....” he added in all seriousness.

He wiped the water from his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Isabel was shaking her head and chuckling softly.

Shrugging, he ripped open his yogurt and tilted the container to his mouth to drink it down. He didn’t know when the next question would hit, and his class had run super late. So he inhaled any readily eaten food in his sack while he had a moment.

“You are insane Alex, I think that’s the craziest thing you’ve ever come up with, and this is out a MOVIE you know. It’s not based in any form of reality.” She laughed at the irony of this conversation as Maria added, “although I can’t remember the last time I was on THIS side of the argument.”

“I’m still lost as to why you think someone was here, why you think the school got fixed, or why you think someone is protecting you? ... Liz added.

“Because through no fault of our own other than just being normal hormonal teenagers... We sort of destroyed it on Friday.” Alex shook his head licking his lips while placing down his own drink. “None of us should be here in attendance today, or for a few weeks actually. So something MIB-ish did happen. Just what and whom is the real question.”

Isabel was nibbling her lower lip and answered, “I vote MIB. Yeah...” with a nod.

“Because you have to agree with your boyfriend?” Max threw out.

She turned to him. “No. Because I DO agree with him.” Isabel grasped his hands in hers in front of the gang to solidify her point. “It is official. We have a guardian angel of some sort. And after what happened on Friday, we owe them our lives.”

Maria tossed in... “I vote the Dallas solution...”

“What?” they turned to her in confusion.

“It was all a dream,” she shrugged her hands. “You know, like after J.R. was shot and it was all a dream...? What?” She met their intense stares.” “So I was watching reruns with my mom. And you are all going to wake up and realize that it was a dream as well, and that you’ve been watching too much SciFi or something.”

Liz sat absently chewing her sandwich listening to her friend’s theories. She liked this, this camaraderie and friendship that they seemed to have all forged. "Well, it is possible that Alex has it partly right." She turned to Alex. “Sorry, I simply can not believe in a secret agency that constantly zaps people’s memories and fixes things like this. I mean, look how confused everyone is today.” She looked around and then added, “You four...” she pointed individually at each member of the alien trio and Alex. “... seem to remember events NO-ONE else does, including us.” She bit her lip in thought, “So, really think about what it would be like if this happened all the time.” She smiled tightly at her longtime friend. “Nope, sorry, Alex, no MIB. Can’t buy it. But it’s possible that what you described could have happened naturally. Sort of a, a, reality shift.”

Maria snorted, “A what?”

Liz smiled at her, “No listen to me. I've been reading some theories in the Science magazines I get that are trying to tie Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. A sort of Grand Unification theorem. And one of them involves lots of alternate universes. First off, if the school was in the state any of you four describe, I would have to say that there was a lot of alien power being used here.” She bit her lip in thought again. How to explain this...

“Maybe that orb thing is responsible somehow... Maria and I DO remember you needing to get it...All four of you were somehow tied into its vortex or wavelength or something. Michael was drawing. Max went a bit faster and farther than I think he would have liked. And Maria remembers that you were a ‘bit’” added sarcastically, “‘out of control.’” She snorted softly, “So maybe or what if, when that Orb activated it tried to dampen out all the rogue power at once and it sort of snapped back. And when it did that, when it snapped back it was like shifting realities?”

“Which ties in with what both Michael and Alex were saying, Michael in saying that there are no aliens anywhere and things are off, Alex with his whole this is not OUR school.”

“Because... Its not... Not the one we know anyways. Which would explain why EVERYTHING is different. Alex said even the plaque had changed... now how or why would that have happened, UNLESS ...”

They were staring at her, letting her ramble on with her scientific conjecture... At this point one theory was as good as any other.

“I mean to add to Maria’s thought here, if this were a dream, why would my locker be different? Same thing for your MIB guys, Alex. Why would they move the classrooms? Or even the Eraser Room?” she slyly grinned to Isabel...

“Something happened no doubt... We all agree that whatever level our memory is of Friday that SOMETHING happened right here!” She pointed a finger downward in front of her.

“All I can say that makes the most sense is that, that orb thing snapped somehow and our school is different because it’s a different school, from another place; an alternate world or dimension.” She shrugged, “It drew so much power from whatever was going on that we got ANOTHER version of our school. And maybe somewhere, where they don’t have as big an alien craze, they got the school you say was trashed?”

“If everyone is confused here, imagine what they got hit with today?” She added in a moment of humor...

Alex shook his head, "You think it was just a coincidence?”

He quirked his mouth in thought for a moment and added, “NO! Can’t be... Why have we never encountered anything of the sort before? I mean our Planet? Because that would be a very news worthy event and it would be all over the media. Some-one got rid of the alien stuff.” He pointed his finger down tapping the tabletop. “BECASUE it has the M.O. of the MIB; they ERASE the event and ALTER the memories, they physically CHANGE things if they have to as well. Remember them burning the cactus? ... Bet you anything at assembly they’ll come up with the cover story... Someone’s got it, they just haven’t spilled yet."

Michael was trying to figure out which theory might actually be true. He hadn’t made up his mind. Liz was persuasive, but he was partial to the whole MIB thing. There was some version of them in so many of the alien conspiracy magazines he read; surely there was a little truth there as well.

Max looked among his three human friends wondering if they had gone insane. They were arguing over things that made absolutely no sense. And usually the one in charge and the one relied on for answers, Max, really couldn’t wrap his head around this one. Michael was right that something or someone had protected them... The MIB theory was a little far fetched... but at the same time Alex was right.... the school did NOT appear to be the same school... factor in Liz’s its not from here...

He heavily sighed and turned to his self-appointed charges, “I don’t know why, and I won’t claim to know what happened... but we got lucky.” He ran his hand over his face. “We need to be a lot more careful however.” He added staring sharply at Isabel and then at Alex.

Michael added, “Like I said... someone is out there, we need to find them, maybe they have answers...”

Isabel sighed. “Michael... We got lucky... Believe me, I KNOW how lucky Alex and I got...” she squeezed Alex’s hand that was interlaced in hers... “How bad it was... But I think we need to leave it at that. Whoever fixed the school did not leave us a calling card and chose to use anonymity...” She let go of Alex for the moment and covered Michael’s hand with her own. “They obviously don’t want to be found anymore than we do.” She said in a careful whisper. “Just let it go. We can’t track down people who exist in shadow.” She shook her head and snickered, “Or if they are not here.”

He checked his watch, and stood with a tense sigh. “Gotta run.” he quickly kissed Isabel. Turning to her brothers. “Sorry guys, I’d love to hash out other theories but ... I left my backpack in the library and I’ve got to get it before class. Bell’s about to ring anyways, but you know Broski, you are in your seat at the bell or you are LATE.” Alex three pointed his wadded lunch sack and took off running back into the campus.

A few moments later they could not discuss anything else for the bell signaled time to return to classes...

*** ***

9th period: Assembly

Principal Forrester didn’t understand the chaos or confusion anymore than the rest, but had dealt with the major of the crises to the best of his ability earlier in the day.

The kids filed in to auditorium yawning and hauling their overstuffed backpacks. They could go home as soon as this was over, but the school administrators felt that discussing the event of Friday was very important and so here they were.

Principal Forrester got them all settled and started to speak about the event of the weekend. “As you can all remember being evacuated on Friday, we had a gas leak from a burst pipe under the school. This was obviously a major setback for us, but it was made much worse by a major series of pranks that were then played over the weekend."

He cleared his voice, "Records have been tampered with, classrooms were switched, lockers were also tampered with, and private property is missing and/or lost.... If anyone has any information about who perpetrated this or why this prank was played, I beg you to come forward. This type of behavior will not be tolerated and we will be investigating this further and will prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law possible.”

“We have dealt with the locker tampering by reissuing lockers this morning. Locks will be issued tomorrow, come and pick yours up first thing in the morning.”

I am sorry for the things that seem to have disappeared, or been misplaced. We all seem to have been affected by this, and so we need to pull together as a group and make the best of it.

And since it was a gas leak that was pouring into the school, if anyone starts to feel sick, lightheaded or nauseous, please go the nurses office immediately. We didn’t have any one today that was complaining of any symptoms so it appears to have been repaired. But we don’t want to take any chances, so again, if you aren’t feeling well in the course of this week, please see the nurse immediately.

Alex turned in his seat looking for The members of IKAAC, and when he met the eyes of Maria and Liz he mouthed “MIB” with a smug smile and turned back to the front.

The assembly ended, and all the kids raced for the halls, which became congested with students...

Alex with Isabel by his side slowly sauntered out into the traffic.

Michael came up and shoved Alex’s shoulder, “Dammit. Alex... How?” He asked multitudes in that one word. And Alex just shrugged his response.

Max glared at him. Somehow he had pegged the cover story and the school’s response. He just glared.

School was over. They headed for the parking lot.

*** ***

“7-3-2-9-8 Agent Topolsky. I have further development on the situation with the files...”

“Report agent.”

“This is going to sound improbable, but after careful investigation today I discovered that the personal information in my files, matches the same personal information in the Evans’ file in the main office, the information on the others is altered as well.”

Shaking her head, “But more than that, the staff around here have walked around in a sort of hazy state with zero recollection of the events that were documented on Friday. The children of the school have no recollection either sir.”

“How is that possible agent?”

“I don’t know sir, but it appears that something happened TO Friday. The day, sir. And the subject is aware that something happened to the day itself.” She ran her hand through her hair.

Then she played the recording for him of Isabel and Alex’s conversation after third period.

“Ok agent here is what I want you to do... continue to follow your charges...But I also want you to see how far this change to Friday is.”

“Yes sir. I have more to report sir...”

“Then do so agent.”

“Sir this is going to sound more implausible or improbable than just my files being altered or everyone’s confused demeanor. But sir..., It appears that something happened TO the school itself. The school today is a bit jumbled; classrooms including my office have switched locations. Lockers had varied forms of troubles this morning; they either had altered combinations, or were in the wrong locale. Some of the locks on the doors wouldn’t work, and personal property is missing... This is amongst the initial observation.”

“These problems are school wide. The general consensus around here is that the school suffered a gas leak from a burst pipe and over the weekend a series of pranks were perpetrated.”

“What do you remember agent? I need to know if you are compromised in any capacity.” He actually sounded somewhat concerned.

“I am more than capable of doing my job sir.” She answered confidently.

“That’s what I want to hear. Now I want to know what happened to Friday. And we need to find out what happened to that school. Schools just don’t change overnight. If they have some sort of secret weapon, we need to know about it!“ And we need to know whether or not anything like this has ever happened before. And if it has how long of a duration.”


“Those kids know something. I want to know what they know. And I want that information.” His voice was again demanding.

“Of course sir. “

“I want new pictures taken of the school, all of the school. I want to know how encompassing these alterations are. Send your data and reports on everything and I will have our forensics expert analyze them. “

“I’m on it.”

*** ***

The Evans parents woke to the sounds of intimacy coming from Isabel’s room. Philip was the first to comment as he swung his legs over the edge ready to pummel that boy... “If she has Alex in there with her I’ll kill him.”

He was on his feet and ready to race in.

Diane hurried out of bed to calm him. “Don’t go in there if you know what’s good for you. If something’s happening, you won’t want to witness it... it never goes away...” She bit her lip with a shake of her head, remembering... “They are in a very advanced relationship, you cannot deny that any more than I can.”

The side lamp was on. “So you are ok with...”

Diane sighed... “He’s not here. We have specific rules, and she doesn’t break them.”

Phil stared at her, and pointed incredulously to Isabel’s room.

“We’ve had this discussion before but how old were you at your first time again?”

“Diane you know that I was 16.. But this is my daughter. She’s not ready.”

“And I was 16 as well. Too early if you ask me, now, but...circumstances go far beyond normal here... She’s come from another time to fall in love with the man she already loved. And she was 18 and IN LOVE with him there. She’s currently 17, and still has that soul. Do you honestly think do we have any control over this??”

He stared at his wife, so low key, so nonplussed about the entire event. What was her rationale?

“I don’t like this any more than you do but she meets him on the dreamplane. We have no control over that or what they do there. This is just the first time I think it’s been manifest in our realm. Listen...” She pointed out the singular voice, and the fact that the bed wasn’t making any obvious noises. “We’re going to need some white noise or a set of earplugs. At least she’s over the nightmares; we won’t have to be listening so closely anymore...” and in a tease she added, “and maybe we don’t want to.”

“Face it Phil. Things have changed.” She pulled him back into bed, kissed her husband and said, “Now go back to sleep...” She rolled over and turned the radio on her alarm clock on to a very low level of classical music, turned off the side lamp, and fell back to sleep.

Not so for Philip Evans... sleep wouldn’t come easily anymore tonight.

*** ***

Maybe the people of the town didn’t remember Friday or its events, but all of the chaos and magic of that day was permanently emblazoned on her mind and seared into her soul and she and Alex had grown closer. Much closer.

They had a daily ritual of meeting on the dreamplane in a shared adventure. Tonight’s was the farthest they had gone to date. They were not at all the way, nor all the way undressed... but, it could easily cross into that territory...

As she slept her hands mimicked the motions of Alex’s in the dreamworld. Which were exploring everywhere.

She stretched and attempted to make herself more comfortable as she luxuriated in the new sensations that this night had wrought. One of her wandering hands fell to her side, dangling over... And her brain caught up with her hormones...

Flushing deeply over what they had been doing, and feeling odd sensations in her physical body that needed addressed, she awoke suddenly and found herself staring at her ceiling, from mere feet away. Suddenly falling. From above. As she landed in her bed with a thud.

The realization that the dream world had now affected the real world... she was not ready for this. “Oh My God!” She mumbled slowly, and headed out of bed for a COLD shower.


TBC....

Music:Men in Black: Will Smith
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

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Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) CH 29:A 11-27-10 pg 18

Post by Mt Gazer »

mary mary/Ginger:
Boy this is interesting...how is it that Topolsky remembers when the rest of the world has lost Friday?

How's that for a question?
That Ginger is a MUCH better question, I can definitely work with that.

Here is the answer... First she is an FBI agent, and a determined individual. Second she has a link to the outside world beyond Roswell, that KNOWS mostly what happened. ...

So the way I see this playing is that Topolsky when she arrived to school was not fully aware of what had happened anymore than the rest. But her boss was chewing her out, recall it started with that unpleasant phone call? Whatever fact he brought up she followed his cues and leads, and checked to find things different. He played the conversation of Friday for her, that lets her KNOW what happened in her own words.

She has photographic memory, since that has gone fuzzy, she can retain that recorded conversation and have clues as to what to look for that might be Off.
While still in retention of the conversation, she checked the main files in the office to find them the same as the ones in her office. Her office is now in a different locale than before...

And when he asked what she remembered, and if she was compromised he wanted specifics..., she did not give him any, she knows she is as compromised as EVERY other person in Roswell. Instead she just said she was capable.

She is fuzzy, she doesn’t really remember Friday, aside from the conversations he played and the bit of snooping into files she did. But she is not about to tell her boss that she can’t remember, or that she is compromised in any way. He would pull her from her mission and she will not be removed... she has invested too much into it already.

Hope that makes sense and helps.


PML/Peter: The lunch time theories were great... And yes, I do see what you are referring to with Topolsky channeling the Wicked Witch... She doesn’t seem warm and cuddly at all, NOPE! I would be scared of her. I don’t know her next move... but it was time to remind all you readers that she is still here, and this isn’t the same timeline with its events that Isabel left. Topolsky once sent, has never left... so.... what all has changed?


Keepsmiling/Carolyn: Yeah poor staff, they were all muddled, and lost... Can you imagine the alien trio plus Alex.? The only four with complete retention... as they act lost with the rest, they KNOW what’s right too....and they don’t know what happened anymore than the rest.. But they are sure HAPPY for it...

Poor Amy, Isabel has no classes with Alex save one. ENGLISH... Isabel mocked up all the charts and Amy never caught on. They don’t even share that class. (LOL) What Amy doesn’t know....

Topolsky (read the response to Ginger).. But yeah she doesn’t like whatever happened it feels weird.. It messes everything up...

You can thank PML for the Dream solution... but it was so Maria and she really can’t add much to the theories, but she isn’t going to be left out either... the one thing they all agree on is that something happened.


cjsl8ne: Well Liz sure seems to think that the orb in trying to rein in the rampant and rogue power caused an alternate dimensional shift of realities...

And I agree with you about Topolsky... it could have definitely been worse, had everything stayed the same... I too would love to see the looks of the kids in the other world... That world’s kids would be having a fit, I do believe yes....


Tharos: Sent through PM...
So did I just read that right? During the repairs, somehow, a school from a parallel universe was switched with the Pod Squads?

If so, way cool.

Nice to see how they explain that...and fix it for that matter.

Oh and very good chapter by the way. I'm guessing Topolsky is on the verge of being a huge and obsessive problem.
And yep you read that right.... that somehow, the schools shifted realities,,, And I think everyone is concerned about Topolsky.... Me too... she worries me.


And lastly missed you Mai...



************************
Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: NONE - ORIGINAL CHAPTER


And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details. Thanks for all the help in this.


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: We just finished a two-part chapter. Yes I am capable of small arcs...
Chapter 27, just had a MIND of its own.

So now.... We learn Topolsky is onto SOMETHING happening, although not aware of WHAT precisely.

And we know that TWO things occurred, Something happened to Friday, or everyone’s memories thereof, since, the kids NEVER got into trouble... and SOMETHING happened to the school, something big... something altering... the theories with the most plausibility are between the Men In Black- MIB...fixed it, (Alex’s) or that it somehow through the use of the orb transferred from another Universe, a parallel dimension, (Liz’s) or a combination even of the two, tying in together somehow...

It’s still a mystery but it has happened and shall remain so... And that’s where we left off...


Sorry again... NO MUSIC...

******************************************
Shifting Realities

Chapter 29:A

Lets Talk about Sex


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

It was now Thursday, March 23, almost a week later, and Isabel was confused. She had too much going on inside, and she didn’t know what or how to respond to Alex and his advancements anymore. And there had been some. Something had definitely changed in him the previous Friday. And she wasn’t sure what it was or why it was. And she also wasn’t sure if she liked it completely.

Isabel had completely ignored the dream realm after it went to a sexual level on Monday night. And she avoided Alex at school, or elsewhere. She had to figure things out. Would the dream realm continue to affect the real world? It sure seemed it had when she woke hovering over her bed, below her ceiling. And in need of a cold shower, to get herself back into control. If they consummated there, would it be the same as if they did here? If that were the case, could she get pregnant? Could she explain that if she did? And would it even be normal? The pregnancy, or the child/ren even?

Way too many questions without answers. Everything had changed. Although anyone human, aside from Alex, couldn’t remember the events of Friday with any accuracy or clarity; the alien trio was well aware of everything that had happened to her, the school, everything.

They didn’t have any actual explanation as to why it was fixed on Monday. The theories were what they chose to go with, and it was still a toss up between MIB and alternate universes. The one thing they did know was that they were just extremely grateful for whoever was watching out over them. Maybe they weren’t as abandoned on Earth as it felt. For someone, or, something, had truly fixed the school somewhere in between Friday and Saturday.

*** *

Isabel was in her room sitting on her bed while biting on the tip of her thumbnail. Her brow was furrowed in thought and worry. She knew deep inside, from that foray into Alex's dreams of the future when she had first arrived in this timeline, that there was a series of events that needed to unfold. An order, or timing, if you will, of how things had to be done.

There had been a specific pain she had felt intensely as she leaned crying against that tree, when she realized that she was here for not only Alex but also for their family and it came with a promise... A promise to her other Alex, that even if things felt completely confused that she would have their children in the proper course of time. That was her first point of knowledge; that it might come with some soul searching and hard decisions. Somehow she would just know when she was in the right season, and she currently wasn’t, she knew that just as strongly.

And as if tattooed on her soul was a guideline that if this specific series of events occurred out of order it could mean the ruin of everything. Everything she returned for. And everything she was here to fix.

And they were moving too fast. Way too fast. She and Alex. It was too early. They were unintentionally moving some aspects of what was to be out of sequence, and too far in front of other events. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Things had to happen as they were meant to happen, not as she might want them too. She reminded herself that she wasn’t just a normal hormonal teenager. (As much as she might feel like she was) She was more than that; she was somehow chosen to be the mother of some very important people. She couldn’t ruin this.

Isabel raked her hands through her hair as she groaned at the thought of arguing with Alex about slowing everything down. Even in their dreams now they were moving too fast. That was not a conversation she relished having.

And as much as she regretted it, and as much as she too wanted to let things progress and to let nature follow its course. She couldn’t. They couldn’t. They had no choice, they needed to slow down. NOW! She raked her hands through her hair again, and shook her head in disbelief. This is what it had come to, instead of doing normalteenaged things, she had to deny the physical aspect, to understand something of a deeper level...

Isabel walked to her vanity and grabbed her purse from where it had last landed. She brought it to the bed, close to her, and reached inside. Pulling out the still sealed box, she stared at it and sighed dramatically. Her mother didn’t even seem to remember how she came by these. She had broached the subject of their getting too close when they went into the desert, but with the evidence of homework, that was quickly laid to rest. That was a downside to the alteration of Friday. Things had happened, and she couldn’t discuss it. Her mother didn’t know how bad things had gotten anymore. And she certainly wasn’t going to discuss it with her brothers.

She thought of dreamwalking her mother when she went to sleep; she needed to talk and to somehow get more answers.

*** *

As if on cue, Diane appeared in her daughter’s doorway. She noticed that she was staring at a box in her hands; Isabel seemed morose over something and apparently had condoms. It appeared that the relationship was heading into deeper levels, or already had. Was that the reason for her demeanor, had something happened? Did Isabel need her as a mother right now? And she thought about the last couple days, where was that young man anyway?

She had had the strangest daydream about forcing her very alien daughter to buy some protection. But that was after a harmless make-out destroyed the school. And the school was most definitely not destroyed. And sure they went to the desert, but again, Maria was with them. They didn’t do anything but homework. They all had the evidence as well. The things she thought real were more dreamlike than anything. She chalked it up to an overactive imagination and heightened mother worries about the advanced relationship.

Maybe she should approach her to see if they could find a way to get her on the pill? Or would that not work with her alien biology? Anyway she should at least talk to her.
Diane remembered all too well how the intimacy and emotions and consequences had almost overwhelmed her when she was Isabel’s age. And Isabel seemed distracted or sullen over something...

Diane sighed, heavily. She wanted Isabel to stay her baby, but this was bound to happen at some point. And the way Isabel loved Alex, some point soon. At least she was protected. Or she certainly hoped that she had been, if... No! Not to let her thoughts go there... ‘Not again.’ She raked her slightly trembling hands through her hair as she anxiously prayed, ‘Please God, not again... not to my baby.’

*** *

She knocked hesitantly, this conversation demanded to be had... “Are you ok honey?”

Isabel jumped in surprise and quickly hid the box behind her. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” She asked in a clipped manner, staring at her mother’s intrusion.

Diane just moved on into her daughter’s room, undeterred. Something was troubling her. “Are you and Alex ok?” she asked in concern. “Did you have a fight?”

“No. No fight.” She abruptly answered with a swallow.

Diane sat on the bed, regarding her daughter for a moment and asked if she needed to talk.

Isabel shook her head in denial and Diane ever the mother reached behind her daughter. “Soo,” she dragged out. “What are you hiding here?”

Isabel blushed when her mother retrieved the black box. “MOM.” She whined, as she tried to take it back.

Diane held tightly to it however and walked to the door. “Apparently we do have something to talk about. I’ll be right back.” And she walked out of Isabel’s room. She made sure that Philip was occupied and wouldn’t be asking for either of them. And then she stepped back into Isabel’s room and sat on her bed.

A mother daughter talk might make things smoother. She started, “So. If you have protection, I assume you and Alex are planning on going to the next level?” She fingered the unopened box.

Isabel shook her head. She so wished her mother could remember the entire trip to the drug store and her ultimate mortification. But she sighed and answered, “Not really. Just being prepared you know?”

“Can we talk about this? About sex?”

Isabel nodded, again.

“Is there anything you’d like to know? I know that some things might be different given your genetics, but I’ll answer anything I can.”

“Was Dad your first?”

“No sweetheart, he wasn’t. Nor was I his.” She sighed softly. “I was too young I now know, but you don’t know that when you are young and in love.” She huffed. “Everything just feels right and natural. But when your father and I met it was like we’d found that missing piece. The completion of your heart and soul. I am sure you can relate with how you feel about Alex.”

Isabel just kept listening and nibbling her lip.

“I can’t really say I’m happy that you are ready for sex. But I was around your age, so of course it’s going to happen. And I know with Alex it is going to be very special. That boy is so in love with you Isabel. He will make that night a night to remember.” She smiled wistfully.

“Is that why he’s been absent this week? Has the subject come up and you aren’t ready. Or has something else happened? Something you need to talk to me about?”

“Somewhat. Yeah.” Isabel sighed, and turned to give her mom contact. “How can I be ready mom? I don’t know who I am, or exactly what I am to be more precise. No-one of the group had sex in my past timeline, so I’ve got nothing to base things on.” She shook her head. “It might get really weird,” she snorted somewhat sarcastically, remembering Friday and all the mayhem, “it probably will.” She exhaled again, “I have to be ready if I’m going to do that.”

“Of course sweetheart. Being ready is the best thing you could do for yourself. So don’t rush into anything if you don’t feel like you are ready or prepared, ok Honey.” She patted her daughter’s leg. “If you do it because you feel pressured, you will regret that decision. And if your relationship progresses to that point under any circumstance...Please.” Diane pleaded, “Just be safe.”

Isabel was not used to so much emotion coming from her mother, and so she watched her with a worried expression.

“Do you know why I stress protection so heavily, why I want to know what you and Alex are up to?”

“Because it’s the responsible thing to do. Because you want me safe. Because you don’t want me to get into any trouble, or have a kid too young.” She tightly pressed her lips together.

“Right? Right of course. All good reasons, NO?”

Isabel nodded.

“But they aren’t the only reasons Isabel. From your side there are things you can’t see yet but things I’ve been through. And I wish to protect you from that pain and misery. I don’t want you to suffer as I have my girl.”

“Suffer?” Isabel asked, concerned.

Diane started to share from her depths, hidden pain, buried and secret. Things she didn’t discuss with just anyone. Diane matched her daughter’s intense expression as she started to reminisce. “Rushing does create its own problems. Especially when something goes wrong.”

“Mom?” Isabel heard a tremble of sadness in her mother’s voice.

“Oh Honey.” She tried to shake it off. “I would hate to see anything go wrong for you is all. I have had 5 miscarriages with your father Isabel. Five.” A few stray tears leaked from her eyes. “Not one of which is a forgotten child. Our first pregnancy and miscarriage, was while we were still in college, definitely before we were married. We had rushed into our relationship. Its so hard not to when you fall head over heels with the person you are meant to be with.” She patted her daughter’s leg.

“It wasn’t the right time, and it wasn’t what we were even ready to deal with, but the fact was we were going to have a baby. He’s a good man, your father. He stood with me as we worked through all our options. But it wasn’t to be. One day in one of my classes things went horribly wrong. I started to cramp and then bleed.” Tears fell from Diane. “I lost our baby. That pain would only be magnified as we lost others, it would grow more intense until I lost our last child. That ripped out my heart. And that was when I decided we would adopt. I was NEVER going to go through THAT again. She was openly crying. “I’m not even ready to share any of that right now. I just can’t.” She tried to wave off her emotions.

Her sorrow made Isabel deeply frown, and hurt with her mom.

“I just don’t want to see the same happen to you and Alex. You don’t know the pain that comes with that. And I don’t want you to have to experience it ever.” She accepted the tissues Isabel was proffering, as she tried to calm herself. “It changes you, sweetheart. It redefines you. Every pregnancy after is met with fear and worry, ‘Will it happen again? Is something else going to go wrong?’ “Your joy of pregnancy has been robbed from you.”

Diane looked solemnly at her beautiful daughter, “My body can’t carry a human child, and I am a HUMAN. We honestly don’t know what would happen to you, if you were to come up pregnant. What happens if you can’t carry a child? Isabel, honey, it would absolutely break your heart.”

Isabel hugged her mother. She wasn’t used to being the comforter, nor was she used to her mother’s emotions. But she wanted to let her know she was ok, that she was loved and heard. That she wasn’t alone in her hidden pain. She held her as her mother had done to her over the years and she smoothed her hair and rubbed her back.

When the tears had lessened, Diane pulled back and smiled fondly, “I was so happy the day that we found you kids, but even more so when you guys were placed in my arms permanently and we got to take you home. You and Max have fulfilled my dreams of being a mom. I am so blessed. Your father is so proud of you guys also.”

She gathered her composure again. “On another day, if we need to, I’ll share more about our lost children. But suffice it to say that I don’t want to burden you with that sorrow right now, as your life is just starting.” She got up to pace for a moment, as she once again stuffed her most sorrowful moments deeply underneath the surface, where they usually resided. And when she knew she was able to talk again, she returned to the bed and to the conversation.

“I see you have bought some protection, and I truly wish I could have guided you into that world and eased your transition.” She sighed a bit somberly. “Sorry. I’ve just had a weird daydream of making you get those lately. I think I’m getting a little concerned, I guess, over the level you and Alex might have reached, and the fact that you’re not my little girl anymore. But I realize that you are thinking about it, so if it doesn’t make you too uncomfortable may I ask you some questions here?”

“Of course.”

“The house rules? Isabel. Do you follow them in our absence?”

“Of course.”

What about when we get home late, Max is gone, and there is an empty house? I know how tempting that can be...”

“Mom. Listen to me.” Isabel said authoritatively, “You don’t have to worry about me. When everyone is gone, Alex never goes above the lower level of the house. He never goes into my room. And if we are hanging out here we do homework in the living room or kitchen.” She smiled tightly. “You were so good to accept us when you learned about my past, and made up the rules you felt best. I follow them.”

Diane seemed more than a bit surprised but she recovered. “Tha- thats’s good. I’m glad that I can trust you both.”

“But that leads to another question of course.” She sighed and raked a hand through her hair. “I’ll assume that somewhere else, since its not here, that there has been some exploring?”

Isabel ducked her head blushing. “Yeah.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s natural honey.” She patted her leg reassuringly again. “Well I know that if you have condoms you must be getting serious and your exploring is leading to a need for readily available protection?”

Isabel looked up and stared at her mom. She smirked, “Kind of,” she swallowed, “but not intentionally.”

“So did something get a bit out of hand when it was started? That tends to happen...”

“You have NO IDEA.” Isabel sighed. Her mind flashing back to the scenes at both the school and Michael’s.”

“Do you care to tell me how far? Were you undressed?”

Isabel shook her head, “Not fully. No. But Mom. It went farther than I’m ready for. Alex is so amazing in every way possible and I am so amazingly lucky to have a second chance to have him in my life that I want and need to savor everything we do. I don’t want to get carried away, until we are truly ready to get “carried away.” Do you understand?”

Diane nodded, “I think I do. But that time might arrive faster than you can foresee. Especially if you have already begun to touch and explore. You and Alex are just going to keep growing closer together. He will be your first Isabel. It is so obvious, already. You two are so amazing together.”

Isabel stared at her mother and added, “Does Dad know that you are encouraging me to have sex?”

Diane adopted a parental tone, “I don’t recall encouraging you here.” She looked at her daughter in the eyes. “I do recall telling you to be careful, and to not rush into anything before you are completely ready. And to not be pressured.” Diane looked at her sharply. “That’s what I remember telling you to do.” She softened her tone again, “But Isabel, I need you to know at the same time I’m realistically not stopping you and that I will not be standing in your way either.”

“Why Mom?”

Diane sighed. “Oh Honey, do you really need an answer?” She held Isabel’s hands in her own, “You lost your Alex. Now you get a second chance at everything you were too scared of the first time. No-one gets back a lost love when they have died. They have to move on. You have been given the most precious gift imaginable. And I can’t and I won’t stand in the way of a love that has crossed the barrier of Time and Space.” Her eyes held a sheen of unshed tears as she looked back at her daughter. “Of your love story Isabel.”

“Call me a hopeless romantic, but if your story were a written story, I’d be reading it. Instead I am so privileged to live it with you.”

“Now if you want a mom who is going to tell you to wait, of course I’d tell you to do that until you are very ready. But I’m not going to tell you wait until you are married, that would be unrealistic. If you need that Isabel...” she held up her hands in an apologetic shrug, “You’ll have to find a different Mom honey. I’m sorry.”

Isabel wryly smiled at her mom while shaking her head slowly.

“Now on a different note,” Diane queried, “How does Alex feel about all this?”

“He might be at a different level than me, I don’t really know.” Isabel sighed.

Diane chuckled, “Don’t you think you should be talking to him instead of me? Before he gets the impression that you are broken up?”

Isabel bit her lip for a few moments before answering, “I’m going to talk with him next. Tomorrow. I just needed to sort my own mind first and to learn where I stood with you. Thanks Mom. This really did help. I would have dreamwalked you to talk if you hadn’t turned up in my room.”

They discussed other things for a time, and when they were ready to part for the night, Diane gave Isabel a hug and left her room.

Alex was next on Isabel’s list...

TBC....

(A/N)This will be the last part for a few weeks as we head into the holidays it gets crazy for everyone I understand that... but it also is the week before opening for the play my son is in. Hell Week as its affectionately named.... (LOL) and then he is in performance through the 19th of December.

After that obviously cram in some shopping time, and its time for Christmas... I truly might not have a new part till January... I will do my best.

But wish me luck cause Crazy is about to hit big time again.

If I don’t see you again until January, have great holidays and a wonderful New Year. Thanks for reading. Without all of you Shifting would not be possible.
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

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Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) CH 29:B 12-12-10 pg 18

Post by Mt Gazer »

keepsmiling:
That was quite the talk wasn’t it? Isabel’s mother finally had to face some of her pain that is usually buried deeply under the surface. But they needed to talk.. and so she did.

PML:
Well I think you nailed it on the head, Poor Diane... And Poor Isabel and Alex as well... What does she know and how will this affect them? As to a timetable, I do believe Isabel has a rough idea of one, maybe nothing Concrete... But instincts.. yep, I do believe that she is going to be trusting internal guidance. Bumpy Ride... I fear that may be the course they are about to travel.

Tharos:
Thanks. They really did have quite the talk didn’t they?

cjsl8ne:
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed. The next part is now.

mary mary: Ok Ginger you asked that I not leave you all in this holiday season, but give you a part...and so, here you go.


************************
Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: NONE - ORIGINAL CHAPTER


And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details. Thanks for all the help in this.


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: isabel knows something about a timing in which to have their family. And she had a heart to heart chat with her mother about sex. Diane shared some of her heartaches...


Music Link at end...

******************************************
Shifting Realities

Chapter 29:B

Lets Talk about Sex


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




The day was now March 24, 2000. It was exactly one week after the fiasco that nearly destroyed the school with their lives and reputations in the process.

Alex had clearly received the nonverbal message that Isabel was uncomfortable with what had happened the previous week. They did not talk on the phone, and they did not talk at school. She had run. Away from him. He always knew she was just beyond his reach. He could look up to find her eyes, but then she would avert her attention away. (It could be she was fearful of another Soul Gaze if her eyes lingered too long) She gave no indication of the status of their relationship. It was only in the fact that she kept giving him furtive glances, and he could find her eyes at most times that he even thought that they might still have one.

Both of them were warding off unwanted advances from interested parties during the course of the week. It was driving him crazy. He knew not to encourage any of these, but he was still flattered that he had somehow landed on the popular girl radar.

He needed answers and he needed to see if Isabel was ok. This was his first time dealing with her in this mode and she was impossible to read. Alex found her at lunch, surrounded again by popular people, so not hanging with Liz or Maria either.

Max too had been giving Alex plenty of disgruntled looks over the course of the week. What he could do to get back into Max’s good graces, he didn’t know.

He Isabel aside after lunch as yet another popular girl flirted with him in her presence. Isabel bristled. ‘A reaction,’ he thought. But he chose to speak with her instead of even acknowledging the other female. “Isabel. We need to discuss “it” at least, don’t we?”

”Of course.” She thought for a moment, “Tonight?” She asked. “Somewhere public?”

That made him feel nervous, somewhere public? But he played it off and planned their date. They would go dancing at Encounters, the hot teen club on the edge of town. And dinner at the usual, Crashdown.

*** *** ***

At 6:30 pm he was at her door, ever the gentleman.

They hit Encounters first, and spent a long while lost in the beat of music and the feel of each other’s presence. Closely, they swayed through the ballads, and rapidly they danced to the beat of the club sound, bodies moving as one. They never once kissed. They were physically close, but she was guarded.

Convinced that he knew she was comfortable in his presence, they left the club, to take in dinner at the Crashdown.

*** *** ***

As they walked in, Maria took assessment of them immediately. They were not couple-y close, and didn’t have that joined at the hip look about them. They were not holding hands, and Isabel seemed off. (For lack of any other word) Maria could feel that something wasn’t right.

Isabel was giving off mixed signals and Alex didn’t want to respond to the wrong one for fear of this exploding into a full-blown fight. So he let her be in charge. He might get into her head without major fallout that way. He really didn’t know.

They stopped at the counter. Their booth was vacant and Alex tried to steer her toward it, but she proceeded to order their meal. “Will Smith and Saturn Rings. Sigourney Weaver and UFO Fries. And two sodas to go.” She ordered.

Maria met his eyes, “Orange or Root Beer, Alex?”

He looked directly at Isabel and asked pointedly, “Well am I having girl trouble or not?”

Isabel turned to Maria and didn’t answer his question, “Root Beer on the Rocks for Alex and mine two parts cherry Coke with one part Tab.” She winked. Maria would do just fine mixing a Czechoslovakian special.

As their order was complete, Maria handed it to them and questioned the duo, “You’re not breaking up are you?” They just weren’t acting right.

Isabel gave a snort of a laugh in response, which unnerved Alex. And he twisted his mouth into its little quirked frown as he shrugged and replied, “Let you know when I do?”

“Good luck you two?” She questioned.

Alex paid for their meal and they headed out into the darkening evening.

Liz came over, as they exited, “What was that about? Are they breaking up?”

“I don’t think they know. I sure don’t.” Maria shrugged and worried for her friends silently.

*** *** ***

They drove to the park, where not too long before Isabel had shared all her secrets, it seemed right be sharing things with him here again. The disjointed couple ate in silence at the tables.

Alex spoke first. “So, Root Beer on the rocks? I’m having some kind of trouble I don’t know about. If it had been girl trouble you’d have ordered Orange right?”

She ignored his question and took a long draught of her heavily Tabasco laced cherry cola. Then she took another bite of her food, and while her head was down looking at her plate she furtively glanced up, watching him.


Alex started to nervously apologize. Anything to get her to talk, she was so guarded; he didn’t know how to break though. “I’m really sorry about... I mean Isabel, if I did something to upset you, or I went too far, or pushed you... I’m so sorry. I will do better in the future; I don’t know what came over me.”

She looked up and stared at him.

“Enough!!!” He slammed his hand on the table. She jolted. “I have been getting mixed signals all night. You are throwing off so many vibes Isabel and I can’t read them. I mean you put the brakes on us this week. Your brother is giving me “those” looks again. And I know you needed space to pull yourself back together after last Friday. I mean I’ve needed it too, that was weird even for the abyss. But - But you have to talk to me. I need answers.”

She was still waiting.

“This is what “he” went through all the time isn’t it?!” Alex accused. Bringing mention of his counterpart back into a conversation. “You really did want him, but kept him at a distance.” He dropped his half-eaten burger back into the tray and stood to take a breath.

“We’re breaking up aren’t we?” He didn’t want to see her face, he didn’t think he could handle the answer and turned away from her.

She startled, surprised that he had gone there. “What?” She bit her lip and spoke so softly. “Not unless you want to.”

He didn’t hear her answer, and continued his pacing next to their table.

She added crisply, with a toss of her hair. “If you’re breaking us up. Fine. We’re done. I have more to say but who cares.”

“What? Breaking up?” He was taken aback. “Uh, No! Of course not. Why would... YOU ...even go there?” he asked dramatically as he eased himself onto the seat across from her again. “But. You. Are all over the place today Isabel and I can’t read you. And I’m honestly not trying to hurt you, but to understand you. You are making me so nervous.”

“Am I?” She questioned. She honestly hadn’t known how she appeared to him, all she knew is she didn’t trust herself. “I need to talk to you about something.” She shook her head and took another draught of her soda. She whispered, “something rather important and...” She sighed but spoke loud enough to be heard, “I just need you not to freak on me anymore ok?”

“Me freak?” He asked in surprise. “When did I freak? You are the one who ran, you are the one who decided to- to ignore my phone calls, everything.” Quirking a slanted smile in a tease he added, “I’m the image of calm. Now it might be the bird sleeping in the eye of the hurricane calm. But that’s me. Calm.” He grinned

She gave him a patented annoyed look. “Did you see the school after we,” she raised a brow, “destroyed, it?”

“No.”

“My mother made me watch it on the news, and then she drove me over to it. I can’t describe it. It just felt wrong. It was so dark, ominously dark. That can’t happen again Alex.”

“No. I know.” He nodded.

She sighed, “I didn’t know I had that much power. When coupled with desire, I seem to be able to get myself into a world of trouble.” She took another bite of her rings.

“Desire?” Alex smirked. “Like burning. Longing. Needing?” He sent a suggestive look her way waggling his brows.

“Down Boy!” She shook her head.

He got up and started to croon. “Lets talk about sex. Baby!” Hands behind his head, gyrating his hips. “Uh Uh, Uh Uh” ... he rhythmically imitated.

Isabel bit her lip smirking. Remembering last timeline when he stripped for her... Same Alex humor.

“Lets talk about you and me.” He pulled her up and danced with her for a moment. “Lets talk about all the good things and bad things that may be...”

Lets talk about sex. (come-on) Let's talk about sex (do it) Let's talk about sex (uh-huh)

And once more gyrating against her, he finished the song, “Uh, uh, uh, uh..”. Rhythmically acting.

She was laughing so hard at his antics, her eyes were shining. And he knew he’d finally succeeded at breaking down that wall he had been bashing his head against all day.

Sitting across from the still snickering Isabel he said, in speech this time, “Lets talk about sex. Lets talk about you and me. Lets talk about everything. Don't decoy, avoid, or make void the topic... ’Cuz that ain't gonna stop it.”

“You go first, Isabel.” He took her hands in his own. “ You are the one who’s uncomfortable.”

She sighed and started to explain, “Friday last week was the most embarrassing and crazy day of my life so far. And none of it can happen again.”

“Yeah, I hear that. Exploding schools aren't really conducive to a High School romance. I mean, its exciting and all. But the wear and tear on everyone else, I mean its just killer.” Alex teased.

She glared at him, “I didn’t know that could happen.”

“Yeah well, obviously me either.” He added.

She pursed her lips in thought, “Or what about getting drunk? Plastered? Just by kissing you?” She asked shaking her head.

He added, “Yeah. What the hell was that anyway?”

She continued, “Electricity, and wind? I felt that power. I was a part of that power.”

Alex nodded in agreement yet again, “Yeah, I know. Me too.”

“And then we have this guardian angel or something who made it all go away. But it didn’t really. I’ve had to think about it and live with it all week.” She sucked in her lips.

Alex responded, “You say you love me. And I think you do. But Isabel, we can't solve things without talking them through!” Realizing the cadence he was speaking in he continued, “From me you tend to run, but that doesn’t work hon. And only by running to me will we get through!” He grinned again.

“Dr. Seuss?” She asked laughing?

‘Not intentionally,” he added, “but why not?”

“I am talking. That’s why we are here. I am talking.” She protested.

Nodding again, “Of course. NOW. But, Isabel, I-I can't always force you to do what you need to do. You need to be able and willing to do it yourself.”

Alex turned away and looked at the playground, "Are you really so afraid of me?” he asked cautiously, “Afraid of intimacy that you were willing to cross time and space itself to hold me again, and yet....” he licked his lips, “And yet you cannot let me in even now?” Different emotions were warring within him, he was hurt and angry, but he was also confused.... “It’s all about Alex isn’t it!? You are still missing him and I- I- just...” he trailed off the anger replaced by insecurity. “I- I can’t keep competing with a dead guy, Isabel. I know, he was the love of your life, and well I am lucky to have you, but I’m second best...” He turned to look at her, tears shining in his eyes.

And she silently stared at him in confusion. Alex of the past would have gone to his insecurities but this Alex, the Alex she came back to, her Alex, was stronger than that usually. He was confident and self-assured and in control of most situations... why did he think that he wasn’t in her heart? That he wasn’t the love of her life.... and why couldn’t he just figure out what she needed to say without her hurting him.

This conversation didn’t even have anything to do with past Alex, and yet Alex kept bringing him up.... He stood again at the side of their table pacing... sneaking fries and eating them as he wandered.

She turned to him, watching him pace. “I don’t know how to talk. You know this. It’s not something I usually have to do. I’m going to get it wrong.” She moaned, as she took another bite.

“So freezing me out is better!? He said bitterly. “Is better than communicating?” Turning abruptly he slammed his palms on the table again. “You’re in or you’re out Isabel! I am not HIM and I am not going to play these games!! Start talking! Or I’m walking!”

She stared again, raking a hand through her hair while nibbling her lip. He went from insecure. To in control. In no time flat.. If she didn’t say what was bothering her, would he walk? Of course he would...

She clenched her teeth and angrily answered... “Alex isn’t even the issue, but you keep bringing him up so you really must want to KNOW how I treated him again. FINE! My key phrase was ‘We can’t get close. It can’t be a date or anything like that.’ I ALWAYS shoved him away, ALWAYS. He was just so determined that he kept coming back for more. I think I’ve done way better with you and I think you need to give me some credit, and not tell me I’m treating you like Alex. You weren’t there, and you don’t know. So you have no right to compare!!!”

She stared at him, arms now crossed and battle ready if it came to that, but she was hoping they could just talk...she continued, not letting him have a word edgewise... she didn’t need this fight...

“I didn’t know I was freezing you out... Its not what I meant, or even intended.” She retorted forcefully. Softening but still cautious she then added, “Alex, I’ve let you in so deep that part of me belongs to you now. I wasn’t trying to be the Ice Queen. (A term this Alex had coined in derision once) I just needed space to think. I suck at relationships, believe me, the only few I seem to have ever had, have ended BADLY, in death.”

He stared at her and asked pointedly, “Are you going to sulk and go into self-deprecation mode or are you going to continue to talk.”

She glared at him still on edge, “I’m talking aren’t I? I don’t want to lose you. Now. Again. Ever.” Thinking to herself, but not voicing, ‘You are everything to me. Alex. Everything.’

“Ok. I know that is your biggest fear but why would you think for one second you might lose me? Because I’m not going anywhere... I don’t suck at relationships. If you don’t know how to say something, then just start with that, because I’m not a mind reader Isabel. I don’t know what’s troubling you, but I know that something is... something that has to do with us... or maybe even all three of us?”

She shot him a dangerous look. He’d crossed a line...

Alex sighed thinking back a moment, he saw the way she had reacted when he had pulled out the Alex card, and the truth was he wasn’t even sure why he had. That was a low blow, and she didn’t need to be reminded of her past... he scratched the back of his hair nervously. “Maybe I was wrong to bring up Alex?” He apprehensively admitted with a swallow. “Yeah that really wasn’t my finest moment.” He gave her adoring puppy-dog eyes. “Forgive me for my temporary insanity?”

“So again lets talk about sex baby. You and me, and all the good things and bad things that may be.. Lets really talk now. About everything. Do you understand? Even if you think I don’t want to hear it?”

She nodded. “ I’ve missed you. I’ve watched you...”

“I know.” He sighed, grabbing her hand. “I wish that I could have had you in my arms but yes I know you were watching me. I do appreciate knowing I was on your radar.”

She sat there mulling over his last thoughts in a hushed silence. “I don’t know if I can get close to you anymore.” She swallowed as she looked at him.

“If I can touch you, or even look at you without something else happening. If the orb caused it all then we should be fine, but if it didn’t? I didn’t know what else to do, avoiding you just seemed the best.”

Shaking her head she explained, “The whole orb thing was done by Monday and yet that’s when things went even crazier. With that last dream we shared, I found myself LEVITATING above my bed. And when I woke up, I FELL onto it.” She smirked, “I was so aroused that I had a desperate need for a COLD shower.”

Alex watched her curiously, listening.

“Yeah, THAT Dream.” He nodded in recollection.” Blushing and ducking he added, “I had do some cleanup and showering myself...” He nodded. “So I understand that it could have freaked you out. That was different no doubt. But did I get a chance to talk to you about it!? NO. I did not. And why is that Isabel? Because of You. You need to trust me, and not hold me off for DAYS! You know... ” he trailed off.

This conversation was harder then she expected, and more intense than she really wanted.

She sucked in her lips and thought for a moment. “Ok.” she just blurted out shattering the stillness.

“Ok?” He asked.

“OK... Yeah.” She pulled the box of condoms from her purse and set them on the table.

His eyes went wide.

“My mother.” She added. “Dragged me through the convenience store, I had to buy them ALONE, while she waited at the door. That was the ultimate mortification.”

Alex was laughing. Picturing the scene in his mind. Diane would be proactive.
“Well that is the last time that these will have to embarrass you.” He grabbed the box and slid it to his side of the table. “It sends one kind of message if you are the one toting these around. But it is quite another if I have them. I will be in charge of our protection Isabel, I will make sure we are safe.” He smiled. “My job is to protect you, you know?” As he snickered and shook his head. “We certainly lucked out on hardcore moms I guess.”

“What did your mom do?” She asked.

“Because of what happened last week, you know we pretty much had to talk about sex, and somehow I promised my mother no intercourse.”

A ghost of a smile crossed her lips, Alex noticed but did not comment.

“You ran this week, even when you promised not to. So it must have really messed you up...”

Isabel watched him. Still raking a hand through her hair.

“Alex?”

“Yeah Babe?”

“Where do you land in all of this? I mean your promise to your mom not withstanding.”

He looked intently into her eyes holding her gaze. “I’m a guy Isabel. You know a NORMAL guy? I’m ready to use these; he shook the box, to take us to the next level.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This is about you now. I mean if you’re not ready of course we won’t do anything. Just let me know.” He chuckled remembering another time, their first kiss, when he asked her to let him know if he was going too far and so he teased and added, “And not with a slap ok?”

She nervously chuckled and added, “What exactly are you saying Alex?”

“I’m saying it is in your hands Isabel. I’m ready for EVERYTHING. And I’m ready to do it with YOU.”

Her head dropped, she didn’t want the next part of the conversation. “Then you are not going to like what I have to say.” She stared at the tabletop ... she didn’t want to have to tell him this, but he certainly wasn’t figuring it out on his own...

“Hmmm. Don’t tell me, on your world you aren’t considered legal until you are thirty?” He teased.

“Uh No.” She mumbled, still staring at her food...

“Hey! Look at me ok?” Alex grabbed her hand, but she still wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Isabel, I’m sorry if I pushed you too far, I don’t want to make you feel scared or uncomfortable. Its just I feel this burning desire in me to know you, all of you. And I’ve never felt like this before. So? What is it? It has obviously made you avoid me this week, so you must think I won’t want to hear it. Tell me what it is Isabel, I can deal you know?” He said somberly, with a pained edge to his voice. He tilted her downcast head up to look directly at him.

“Well I’m pretty sure that I’m going to bear our children now.” She whispered and touched her stomach in a silent gesture.

His eyebrows rose in response. “There was ever question?

“Alex! I don’t know anything about my world, who knows maybe they hatch from eggs or something, we did essentially. For that to work so well, there must have been some prior knowledge of how eggs or pods even work. Definitely about gestation... anyway, I guarantee that any Earth scientist couldn’t produce a clone, or an embryo, without a mammalian womb right now.”

“OK...” he said in confusion, “I never even really thought about that. Maybe- maybe I- I should have? But before I knew you were well... YOU... I had that dream of you having our babies. So I have never even considered the possibility of anything else. What does that have to do with anything?”

She continued, “How do you feel about being a dad?”

His quirked smile registered, “I’m excited that I get to take that journey with you, but I’m not ready right at this precise moment if that’s what you mean.” He paused. “And my mother, she would kill us... that’s what I can add to that.” He breathed a deep sigh and then asked worriedly, “Why? Di-did something happen? A- are you ok? You’re not pregnant are you? I mean if you are, we’ll deal yeah. But...”

His confusion encouraged her to go on. “What about our first time?”

“What about it?” his eyebrows rose again, she wasn’t making much sense... “Friday would not have been the night I would have created, I lost so much control, and you well, I have plans for an amazing time... Because you deserve the best and I want to make that night so magnificent that neither of us will ever forget it.” He said assuredly.

She smiled softly; her mother had said he would be the most attentive lover. “I look forward to that.” She smiled again, hesitantly. “It will be magical, and... I know with you it will be absolutely wonderful.” She touched his hand softly.

He could read the apprehension. But he let her talk at her leisure, that’s why they were here, to get it all out and to lay their cards on the table.

“Yeah that’s my goal, what I’m hoping for,” he smiled in return. “And I’ll do my best to make it so. But?”

“That night will be amazing Alex. But it comes with a price. A price I’m not ready to pay yet.”

Alex nodded as he added, “Yeah I have to let my mom know that we crossed that line, not looking forward to that discussion.” He teased... “What kind of price are we talking... blood sacrifice or something else... ?” He scratched the back of his head with his hand.

“I mean we’ve got a wide range of options here: A catholic one that starts with a wedding and in which we would do the pregnant on the honeymoon thing. Or we’ve got pagan ritual rites and a blood sacrifice; or is it like in Temple of Doom, cut your heart out and stay alive in worship to Kali Ma? What kind of price are we talking here?” He quirked a questioning brow.

“It will be the night we conceive.” She whispered.

“What? That night? You’re sure?” he asked rapidly.

“As much as I don’t want any of this to be true. I’m sure, Alex. We will get pregnant our first time.”

“OK. OK that is definitely a buzz-kill I will admit. Things to watch out for when we’re fooling around most definitely. But I suppose not as bad as waiting till you are thirty.” He tried to keep using humor to keep the conversation flowing...

“Look at me Alex and know that I speak all that I know concerning this, when I say this...” She demanded his eyes. “This has nothing to do with my planet Alex. Nothing. This has everything to do with US. You and me somehow, and our kids. The same kids you’ve seen in your dreams. The kids who made me find you again. The very reason I was returned to you. They trust us to wait right now because they need to be born Alex.”

He gave her a disbelieving look, which she matched. “I know that sounds backwards... but, they aren’t just any kids or just any hybrids even, their souls have a predetermined time, and their conception is as specific as they are.” Isabel sighed as he removed his hand.

“I suppose you’ve got a whole different set of rules seeing how you are from another world and everything. What do your people want from me anyway?” he whined. “Ok... the kids have to born at a certain time. Ok, got that... so we could just make sure that you don’t get pregnant till the proper time... We’ll make sure to use birth control, or maybe you could rig up some kind of pill or something...” he tossed out options.

“And have my body sabotage us? I hate to tell you this Alex,” she ran a nervous hand through her hair, but it will happen on our first time. No matter how protected we think we are.”

“Seriously?” he intoned skepticism, “You think you could detox, or even deactivate the Pill? Even if you could there is always Old Faithful.” He shook the black box again, a pleading look on his face. “These have done duty for ages, with a pretty good track record.”

Isabel stared at him shaking her head. “That’ll never work.... Sorry Alex. The condom would fail.” He watched her, questioning as she asked for the box. Opening it with her perfectly manicured nails she pulled one out, and held it before him. “Put it on.” She demanded.

“What? Here? You’re crazy...”

“Your hand Alex. Put it on your fingers and imagine this with me for a moment...” her chin was resting on her cupped hand as she watched.

He clumsily donned it and waited for whatever explanation she might come up with.

She slipped around behind him, pressing her body against his... one hand against his waist under the hem of his shirt, and Isabel wrapped her other hand tightly around to his front and his sheathed fingers, stroking them. “We’re getting real close you know, and we’ve gone to that level, and we’re enjoying everything... right?” she breathed huskily, into his ear...

He nodded, confused. She was driving his senses crazy...

She took her hand away, and it was gone, no evidence of its existence, except the opened foil wrapper on the table which he hadn’t yet discarded. He hadn’t felt when her powers disintegrated it, he didn’t notice at all. His eyes widened as he swallowed. Her other hand now joined the one at his waist as she encircled him in an embrace.

“This was just making a point,” she kissed his cheek. “But don’t think my body couldn’t do that, or wouldn’t do that if it so desired.” She added breathily in his opposite ear, “And if I’m getting closer with you, It will desire... nothing between us Alex.” She whispered, sending shivers down his spine.

Then wryly chuckling, as she went back to her side of the table, she added, “I was melting walls and mirrors, do you honestly think a tiny sheath of rubber is safe? From me? Or that it could protect me? I need both... I need something foolproof.”

“You think something like that is going to happen again?” he asked in concern, swallowing reflexively again.

She stared at him, “You poor clueless boy... If that was my alien genetics, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my human ones, it’ll probably be worse...”

Alex looked at her wide-eyed and in obvious shock. This was not what he had expected, nor any of the reasons he had entertained for her flight. All the repercussions were slamming shut in his head like they had earlier in hers. He clasped her hands together and said softly, "So what are we going to do? God Isabel, I want you so badly. But not at that price. I am not ready for that, for kids. Not now... But... there’s got to be something we can do Isabel? Some concession? Sex is an expression of love, its one aspect, not the complete package. So we just take our time and work up to it, till we’re ready?”

“Exactly... Ready. For a family. I don’t see any other way.” She flipped her hair back...She snorted sardonically. “Now you see why I didn’t want to talk about this? Why I ran? This is what I’ve been dealing with since Monday night.” She bit her lip. “I want intimacy with you Alex. I do... God, I want to make love with you too ... but... you’re so right its not time for us to have kids yet... So,” she added with a weary sigh, “as crazy as it sounds, for now, our virginity, has to be guarded like Fort Knox.”

He thought he’d try one last time... he knew the results... “What kind of virginity are we talking here, you know there are different levels, and types...”

Isabel shot him one of her practiced looks...

“Oh Come on Isabel... that’s a little extreme don’t you think?” He stared at her and scoffed at her choice of metaphor.

She pointed to the box and reminded him of her little display, “Condom. Poof.”

She wasn’t budging... He yawned and stretched, and stared at the sky, mumbling, “Wonderful sense of humor God.” He sighed heavily and started to clean the remains of his dinner, stuffing uneaten food into the tray, and downing the last of his soda in huge gulps. He just didn’t have a response for Isabel right at this moment, she seemed determined.

She watched him start to clean, and realized that he might walk even though she had talked. He wasn’t arguing with her, but he was clearly unhappy as she knew he would be. She gulped her soda as well, and stuffed in the last few bites of food.

“Well every cloud has a silver lining. This will make my mother happy at least. It plays into her demands more than I could ever imagine.” Alex grabbed their trays, the foil fluttered to the ground, and he walked a distance to a trash can... not the one next to them.

Isabel wasn’t sure what to do with that comment. Nor his next action. When he returned he reached down and grabbed the packet and slipped it into his pocket. Alex regarded her for a silent moment, grabbing her hand in a fluid motion and pulling her from the table. “Come on then lets go.”

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“You are going to go talk with my mom.”

“WHAT? NO!” Isabel dug in her heels and refused to move. She sat back down, forcing more conversation.

He sat heavily on the very edge, ready to get back up immediately, “Look Isabel. I can’t explain my mom to you, but I’ve never seen her like this. I’ve seen her get furious with my brothers when they were in these situations; I’ve seen a lot of things... But never this. Isabel there is no way to explain this, but my mom has like a physical NEED to keep me from having sex. Like all her hopes and dreams are planted on me... none of my brothers managed to make it to marriage, and so she has determined that I will, and if I don’t...” He shrugged, “ Well, it will absolutely break her heart. I made her cry, about the things that happened on Friday. I drove her back to her faith, not that that’s a bad thing. But... Me... I’m the good kid.” He rambled on.

“The whole Friday ”gone” thing, yeah, made sex an open topic again. Pops doesn’t stop her either. At least she doesn’t remember Friday, but that didn’t stop the conversations from coming...She thinks we’re getting too close.” He shrugged again.

“Based on all the signals she has learned from my brothers, she is convinced we are about to, and is making sure that we don’t...” he huffed. “I have learned more about my brothers than I wish to, but talking to one on the phone and learning all about their mistakes is a great tactic to keep me in line.” He stared at her.

“And that’s why this is not the conversation I want to have with YOUR mom Alex... the last time I was there for any length I slept in your bed if you recall? You said your mom made you promise... I can’t talk to her about this...” Isabel protested.

“And yet I’ve had to... I’ve had more talks with my mom about sex than I can even care to admit this week. She is determined Isabel. Militant... And like I told you I promised her that we wouldn’t have intercourse. I did that on Friday, when she blackmailed me.” He tightly sucked his lips. “But even with Friday going poof; somehow I’ve acquiesced to that demand again this week.”

Isabel looked at him curiously.

“I don’t think she was lying when she said she could take on both of your parents, lawyers no less, in an argument and WIN!”

Isabel’s brows rose in question.

“Um I come from a mother, who doesn’t believe in premarital sex. And how she drilled that into me I will NEVER forget. It happened on Friday when I was drunk and well, its a very long, detailed, and complicated um. Story.” He snorted.

“We’re kind of at odds right now. Even if she doesn’t remember it anymore, I still do. I remember everything about Friday, and sometimes I wish I could be as oblivious as the rest of the town, but...”

“Mom NEEDS me to wait until marriage, and now you drop this bombshell that we get pregnant our first time. So we aren’t having sex at least until we feel ready to become parents, or something. I’m outnumbered Isabel. And I’m being forced to wait against my wishes. The least you can do is talk to my mom.” He shook his head disbelievingly at her... “thankfully I’m not going to break her heart today. And yet, it will still happen. Apparently with our first time... Not looking forward to that day Isabel, to breaking my mom’s heart.”

“You’re upset. I knew you would be.” She finally ventured.

“Of course I’m upset. Something inside of me just found you last week, to get so close, and to have it all but ripped away this week has been a little shattering. I have missed you in ways I didn’t even know were possible Isabel. Its like you’ve tangibly moved into my soul or something, I’m not complete without you. How am I supposed to pull myself back when all I want to do is get closer?”

Isabel placed a hand on his arm.

“I just want some part of our relationship to be normal. OK Isabel?”

The smile and mirthful laugh that greeted his declaration made him realize what exactly he had said and to share her laughter. “Yeah what was I thinking? It’s a little late for that now isn’t it. Just meeting you, made that impossible?”

He dragged her to his car.

TBC...

MUSIC:

Lets Talk About Sex: Salt ‘N’ Pepa
Last edited by Mt Gazer on Tue Dec 14, 2010 12:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

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Re: Shifting Realities (AU,A/I,MATURE) CH 29:C 12-31-10 pg 19

Post by Mt Gazer »

I so wanted to get you at least one more part before the year ended, and here it is. ENJOY!

maipigen:
You are not a horrible reader/fan. And if you are then so am I. I need forgiveness as well I have read your new part but I haven’t been able to reply even yet.

I am glad you liked the Diane and Isabel part. It was a conversation that had to be had. And I’m so sorry that your conversation went as it did, and I am glad I could at least give you an awww moment....

Read a bit lower and you’ll see where I came from. It’ll be near Ginger/Mary-Mary’s FB.

I hope I wrote Diane well. Having been through my own heartrending situation (check my siggie) I knew I could draw on it to write her. And we do know that for some reason the Evans can’t have kids and therefore adopted the two... So I just used all that to create a backstory for her.

I’m also glad you liked the A/I part... since I write Gazer, I should hope it played off well. I am glad you like Alex’s maturity but I hope that all his other essences especially his humor are also still coming through. I need him no matter how much he changes and grows, to remain ALEX. (if you understand that) And I have had to give him more maturity due to all the things he’s been handed since she first got back... He has had no choice but to step it up...

Thank you I love Gloria Whitman too. Now I do have to say that she is a compilation of both PML (Peter) and myself. His Gloria also is not the usual she is portrayed in stories. I needed her to be strong, and well this one kind of developed.

I think we’re all eager to see how Isabel handles Mrs. Whitman.

I am honored that you grace us with your presence and your amazing writings, in the midst of what must be very busy RL.

Thank you for writing and reading.


Tharos:
It was an interesting date indeed wasn’t it? Go ahead and laugh, it is an awkward situation to be sure. And this is the Gloria we’ve all met before. LOL

Yep he’s taking her to Mom... you never know what my next twist will be, but I do not do things in a way that I am easily figured out.. I’ve NEVER seen this before, but yet I knew it was how he was handling the information she threw at him. Have fun.


Keepsmiling:
It was more poor Alex... looking for normal. She started to laugh when he whined it... but Normal is gone.

He’s dating an Alien. She is here from another timeline, because he ALREADY died. They destroyed a school in a make-out and it subsequently translocated in order to fix said error. LOL Normal? What’s normal?


Mary-Mary/Ginger:
I see Diane as an East Coast Liberal Type.. She honestly is not of the wait till marriage camp.

Thanks for all the personal sharing that you did and I will give some of my own in return.

Once upon a time, there was a spoilers/question thread at Majik’s site. I had discussed the Evan’ parents rules there and am not going to reiterate the rules here but will share my own personal experiences and in so doing embarrass myself... but it shows where I’m coming from. I’ll add to your FB when done...

***
Embarrassing Author Personal

I was raised in CHURCH. (not Catholic.. more a Baptist type) And I was an amazingly good girl. I held to the values laid out before me and willingly accepted them.

Start with no dating until age 16. That was a primary rule. Not that it mattered much... I didn't go out on my first date until a month before I turned 20!!!

Why did I just say that? That’s rather embarrassing.

Now I can guarantee the Alex of the show was raised to respect women. His comment in Crazy about never having seen a girl's chest says it all.

The girls were getting ready for their double dates and Alex happened upon them for a movie night in and he got all embarrassed.

Alex: Whoa peep show. (as he ducked back out)

One of them I'm not sure whom, said, "It's nothing you haven't seen before.

Alex: Mumbled, "I wouldn't be so (or maybe it was too) sure of that.

Alex has been raised as a complete gentleman. That is known from that scene, as well as Heatwave.

Let me explain some of the rules in my world growing up and you'll see where I got some from...

Never:
Lie Down
Below the clothes
Take anything off

Recognize these? Now add

NO PDA ...
and some went to the extreme that there must be a hand’s-breadth apart at least when sitting next to a member of the opposite sex.

Now I will share personal convictions borne from all this.

SEX is sacred. Your BODY is sacred as well and to be shared with ONLY ONE PERSON. Your mate.

No one needs to see any part of you except your mate. PERIOD.

I was raised this way, I held to these values and here we go again...

My husband is a very lucky man. He is the only man I ever kissed. Not small pecks or anything like that. I mean EVER!!! I had virgin lips when he met me. Yeah, I was clueless.

And so needless to say, he is the only person I've done ANYTHING else with.

My characters are going to have to play with those rules because you can only write from whatever experience you've had in life... I am playing outside the box from my upbringing as it is to write what I do.

I won't/can’t even direct certain people to it... They'd never understand or be able to tolerate it. My in-laws included in this list...

End Author Note
***

Back to Ginger:
Sex was a very important part of life to me and was to be cherished and not to be toyed with.
I think we agree completely on this...
I think, in today's world, that this concept is a fantasy. Probably a fantasy in the fifties as well but that was how I looked at it.
Definitely a fantasy in the 90’s then... if you thought it was in the 50’s.

I do agree that everything seems reversed in today’s society, and I will say thank-you for leaving your “preaching” it gave me something to share from and some preaching of my own. But I will say, the main premise of this is that at some point it appears she will become a YOUNG mom... will she be married then? Gloria wants it so....

Thanks for understanding and for still loving it. This chapter made me nervous... LOL


cjsl8ne:
Isabel and Alex certainly did need to talk and to get it all out there. She gave him a lot to think about didn’t she? But I am going to respond to the fact that you think she knows the DATE they will bond and conceive, and will be able to have a wedding band just in time making Alex’s mom happy and etc...

Isabel doesn’t KNOW the DATE... she really doesn’t even know the Time, just that it is not NOT NOW.. And when it is time they will become a family.. That is set in stone.

Will she have enough warning or understanding of the “seasons” to have the ring in time, this is left to be seen... If the events in Alex’s dreams (that he had years before she “returned”- Chapters 11:B and 12, deal with these dreams...) These events being that at their wedding their mothers are holding their babies already. Then it really is to be seen if she will have any warning in time, in the proper time. Or will they have kids before they get married?

Not what Alex wants. And nothing Gloria will allow, but... what are those dreams huh? What is that all about?

They are waiting for a time now, and nope I do not envy them any of the road they are about to take or are already on....

They were once again in the same park where she dropped so many other bombshells on him, and once again she was dropping more. Kind of a reminiscent chapter?

Thanks for reading.

PML/Peter:
Yep you got it right! Isabel is pulling in the reins and Alex is dragging her to his mother.
YOU know his mother well. That is the mother she gets to meet with, not the one who has been kind and or helpful to her... but the one who could scare even Agent Pierce as one of my readers added once.

AWKWARD? I think that word in this case is actually an understatement.
Poor them... its going to be a interesting night.



And to all who wished a Merry Christmas or happy holidays... I am sorry I was unable to respond or do the same for you. But I hope that they were good.


Lastly, especially for all to whom 2010 wasn’t the most kind.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May it be better than the year before and may it treat us all with kindness, peace and happiness. We all need a bit of that in our lives.

On with the show....


************************
Disclaimer: I in no way own the rights to Roswell or anything related to it. All rights belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox, Regency Entertainment, Melinda Metz, WB and UPN. No infringement is intended. I am borrowing their awesome characters, and including my own.

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

Title: Shifting Realities
Author: Mt Gazer/Velvet Skye
Category: CC/ AU
Rating: MATURE- ADULT
Spoilers: NONE - ORIGINAL CHAPTER


And to Randy, my dear husband always behind the scenes, and always an assistant in this. I tell him practically every idea that goes through my head. I LOVE YOU!!! And THANK YOU! As always. Shifting lives because of your support.

PML: Peter. This is a permanent spot in recognition of all your assistance. THANK-YOU!!! Shifting Realities is doing well with your attention to details. Thanks for all the help in this.


And finally I will attempt to recap where we’ve been.

RECAP: The day was now March 24, 2000. It was exactly one week after the fiasco that nearly destroyed the school with their lives and reputations in the process. Isabel and Alex have once again had a heart to heart, get it all out there, chat in the park.

Why is he taking Isabel to talk to his mom? I really don’t know what the boy is thinking. This is the same Alex who one week before thought that was a VERY BAD idea indeed. And now, off they go...


No music this time...

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Shifting Realities

Chapter 29:C

Lets Talk about Sex


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And with that they were at his door and entering into his house. His mother was in the living room, and she stood to greet them as they arrived.

“Hey Alex,” she stated. Turning to her guest, “Hi Isabel. What brings you to our house on this fine evening?”

Isabel wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question and so she looked to Alex in question. He blurted out “Sex.” with the straightest of faces, his arm was around Isabel’s shoulder, the other stuffed in his pocket.

Gloria blinked, twice. Absolutely confused, surely she had heard her son wrong, especially after the conversations they had had this week, and the promises he had made to her.

She looked at the girl standing next to her son’s side, she was laughing. Gloria wasn’t sure she had ever seen Isabel laugh to her recollection.

What Isabel couldn’t quite determine was if Alex had done that to put her to ease, for it certainly had. Or had he blurted that out irregardless of thought. Either way, it had left her laughing.

Gloria cautiously watched the teen’s interaction. “My room’s at the end of the hall,” he winked. “Care to join me?” He quirked his eyebrows and waggled them suggestively.

Isabel still laughing, turned in his arms and slapped him playfully on his chest. “You are so bad, Alex.” Shaking her head.

He pulled his hand from his pocket to embrace her; a small very chaste kiss met hers.

What he had forgotten was that an empty condom wrapper was in his jeans pocket, and he didn’t realize it had just fallen out, in front of his mother...

He was reminded of that fact very shortly.

“Alexander Charles Whitman,” she said her voice raising to one half of the teen couple, “GO TO YOUR ROOM. NOW!”

“Isabel sit down!” She ordered just as quickly.

He pulled out of his embrace with a confused look on his face, “My room? It was just a little kiss...” he defended.

Isabel backed nervously away from his mother and sat on the front edge of the couch. Watching. Cautiously.

“Alex, I love you to death.” Gloria added, “But son, but you will be the death of me.” She leaned to the floor and picked up the wrapper holding it up to his face.

He tried to grab it, but his mom pulled it back, defending as he did, “That’s nothing... Its not what you think...”

Gloria still held it in her hands. “You will not argue, and will enter your room if you value your life.” Gloria glared at her son, the age old, ‘I am about to kill you.’ that mothers have perfected, but would never actually use.

Alex mumbled out, “Damn!” And stalked off.

Gloria watched her son disappear down the hall.

Isabel was sucking in her lips, ‘Alex was right. This woman is scary.’ She had stood to, well the proper word would be run, and never return... when the woman turned to her, as his door slammed shut.

Trapped. That’s what Isabel was now.

“So Isabel. Coffee or Tea?” She asked, calmly.

Confused, Isabel just watched her, standing in that sideways guarded manner.

Gloria sighed, knowing her point with Alex was well made, and she walked near Isabel who actually subconsciously backed up.

“Honey,” she chuckled, “I’m not going to harm you. But it’s more than apparent that we need to have a little talk...” She crinkled the wrapper in her fingers. “And yes, coffee or tea. What would you like?”

“I don’t like coffee. Tea would be fine.” Isabel stated calmly, in voice only. Her toes were nervously moving inside of her shoes. She had to get control of herself... She wasn’t sure how to handle Gloria... This woman was serious and meant business. What was an angle Isabel could use, she really didn’t know... First rule of war. Know your enemy. She knew only that Gloria was adamant about no sex; But Alex had also hinted that she was unpredictable in her tactics...

Gloria guided her into the kitchen. “Sit there. Would you like something to eat as well?”

“No we just had dinner. I’m fine...” Isabel stated.

“Have you tried Good Earth tea yet? Alex told me about your affinity for sweet and spicy things and I think you might like it. It definitely has a spicy edge, with natural sweetness.” Gloria pulled the box from the cupboard and pulled out the sugar. Never knew with Isabel. She set the sugar on the table before Isabel and returned to the stove.

Isabel hinted a smile at the woman as Gloria returned a few minutes later with steaming hot mugs of tea, as she set them on the table.

Isabel was seated on one of the long edges, while Gloria sat on a short end, turned to face her guest.

She placed the wrapper on the table before her guest, sliding it to her side, an question painted on her face.

Isabel bit her lip briefly. With the faintest of nods. tightly gripping the mug in front of her. “Alex wasn't serious. He was just kidding you know?”

“Sex. In this house is not a joking matter. Surely he knows that by now.” She stared at the girl. “He needs to realize just how serious this can get dear. And he has made me some certain promises.”

Isabel nodded. “He knows it’s serious. And surely you know that your son has an irreverent sense of humor.” She sucked in her lips. “Ma’am, he was just trying to make me feel at ease. We just had a talk over dinner, and then he brought me here... he was just trying to lighten the mood.” She defended Alex to the best of her ability.

“By showing contempt for my rules? By playing it lightly... You do know that his irreverence has gotten him in trouble before. And I will not have anyone show me contempt...”

“I wouldn’t doubt it...” Isabel mumbled almost inaudibly, so as to not be disrespectful herself.

“And the offer to take you to his room? In front of me? Has he told you nothing of our discussions this week?”

“Please Ma’am, he was just joking... It truly wasn’t anything he was trying to upset you with. The way he was playing it... I think he was trying to appeal to his usual humor hoping that yours would join in. And if that wrapper hadn’t fallen out, maybe this might have gone smoother.” She stated assuredly.

Gloria sighed, “Maybe it would have. Or maybe it would have if it were unused, but given the empty condom wrapper in my hand I do have to wonder my dear where are its contents, and what exactly is going on? He did upset me you understand...”

Isabel snorted quietly. “I know about your convictions. I know a lot about you...”

She took a sip of the tea... It was good, especially for her standards, but as usual it lacked sugar. Every time she ate or drank here it just ended up being construed as odd. Gloria Whitman was staring at her again, for a different reason this time, but still, conversations here never made her that comfortable.

Gloria laughed bitterly, “I bet you do.” She sipped hers and volleyed back to the girl at her table.

“I wouldn’t have gone.” The teen added quickly...

“Gone?”

“To his room.” Isabel hinted another smile.

Gloria’s brow raised.

“We haven’t had sex.” She blurted again.

“Yet!” Gloria clarified with a wearied sigh. “But I am assuming that you and my son had a discussion, and that he has brought you here to.... well the easiest way to word it would be to ‘change my mind,’ or to allow you some concessions.”

Isabel looked up. ...”Honestly Mrs. Whitman I'm not quite certain why I’m here. And with you sending Alex away. I'm really rather lost.” She held the mug pensively in her hands.

“I’ll bet.” Gloria nodded. “I can’t really believe that Alex brought you here myself. But you are always welcome here you do know this?”

“Um... Thank you?” ... Isabel questioned

“Now, if you intend to sleep here any more, I will likely be offering you the guest room upstairs. I’m not quite sure how I’ve come to relax my standards so far as it is. Really Isabel, you have gotten away with murder by our usual standards.” She hinted a smile at the teen.

“But, your parents were so worried about your state of mind with the nightmares that you were having, and they came up with these rules to get you through a rough patch because Alex was the only person you’d confide in, and so we let the rules play, they seemed decent enough to work with. Until I discovered more, worrisome, information.”

Isabel was adding sugar absently to the tea, her brows raised at Gloria’s inference.

Gloria rapidly turned the conversation again. “Are you on the Pill dear?”

“What!? NO!” A short punctuated cough, “No ma’am.” Isabel shook her head again, taking a sip of the tea while staring at Alex’s mother in absolute confusion.

“May I ask why?”

“Uh, um...” Isabel started to stammer, not really having a good answer. I mean what was Gloria asking exactly? She didn’t approve of sex, why was she asking if she was on the Pill?

Gloria continued...“So do you have a hormonal incompatibility to it, or simply something you are foregoing as it is not yet a concern?”

Isabel stared at her waiting for an explanation. “I - don’t - understand...” She said slowly.

”Your mother WOULD put you on Birth Control if she felt that sex was imminent. And there has to be a reason you are not on it, because from what I can gather, my son was of the belief your relationship was heading rapidly in that direction.”

Isabel nodded. “A little of both then.” Isabel stated. Her hands raised in surrender. “It was...”

“Ok?” Gloria changed tack as rapidly again, with no real answers from Isabel that she could figure. Gloria Whitman was definitely unpredictable.

***
In the meanwhile Alex was creeping down the hallway at a snail’s pace. He wasn’t sure what his mom would do to Isabel and he certainly wanted to hear what they discussed. If he was stealthy enough, maybe, just maybe he could sneak close enough to eavesdrop.

***


“Ok. You know where I stand on sex, and that discussion is far from over, but I need some other answers to some current events... So don’t lie to me please, ok? I’ve gotten enough of the runaround from Alex.” Gloria stead authoritatively.

Isabel snorted, internally. “About?” she questioned...

“Anything.” And with that she launched into the next topic, momentarily veering from sex... I have quite a few unanswered questions, with you at the heart of them, my dear. Since you are actually here, maybe you can shed some light on them for me?”

Isabel turned to her host quizzically...

“Your weekend away?”

Isabel straightened up in the chair, with a well-placed sigh. She was just ordered not to lie, and yet... lying is all she could do to answer anything about why they went to Clovis. ‘Oh God how did I get into this situation.’

Gloria started. “I have no doubt that your parents are covering for you about something.” She watched the teen for any reaction. “Something that would make my 16 year old son take his “girlfriend” out of town abruptly.” Still no response. “I certainly hope you’re not in some kind of serious trouble, and weren’t running from the law or anything of the sort?” Isabel stayed secure in the chair but her eyes widened slightly Gloria observed.

“Stay right there,” the woman ordered, “I have something to show you.” She went to the record file in the corner and pulled some slips of paper. She brought them to the table and set them before the girl.

Isabel swallowed. Statements, from the credit cards. And receipts, were plunked down in front of her...

“So?” Gloria raised her brows, “I don’t think we gave him permission to spend that much money at one time...” she pointed to the figures. “What happened? Why did you leave? And why did he feel the liberty to spend like this?” ...

Isabel was looking for a very believable lie in her head to explain what could be and to evade what couldn’t. She had no choice... and yet Gloria seemed to be versed at discerning the difference... she KNEW that Isabel’s parents were and still ARE lying about Clovis.

“I’m adopted,” she blurted out.

“I know that.”

“And apparently there was some severe trauma or something in my past, and I don’t remember it at all.” She rushed in a hurry.

“Ok?”

“I ran into someone at the UFO center, and I felt really scared. And I made Alex get me out of there.”

“Ok... was this person from your past? Someone who hurt you?”

Isabel swallowed. “I’ve never felt like that before.”

“Ok?” ‘ Not enough information,’ but she pressed on. “Clovis?”

“I called my parents and said I wasn’t coming home... and my dad sent us there to procure some documents for signing.”

“Right. That I’ve heard about.”

“It never happened. I got sick on the way there. Alex took me to the mall to get some stuff so we could find a place to stay.”

“Sleazy motel.”

“Yep...” she sighed.

“I felt well that night, and Alex took me out.” (The dress clothes part of the receipt... she pointed out). “And I paid for plenty of things for myself on my own card as well.”

“But these purchases here, she pointed to the blankets, jacket, and other sundry items were because I got really sick the next day. I couldn’t get warm... Alex did anything he could that might make me feel better.”

“My parents will reimburse any expenses. You can just show them the statements, they are used to me spending money anyways.” She teased. “I mean I don’t look this good without it...” she pointed to herself confidently.

“I see.” Gloria watched her. “Isabel, we’ve tried to get him to come clean about whatever happened in Clovis, but he avoids any topic at which you are in the center.” Gloria eyebrows rose in question... “And my mother in law gushes about how beautiful the two of you were, but she also cautions that you were getting very close. So with that information, credit card bills, and everything... I want to know one thing right now...”

“What state of dress did you see each other in as you shared a bed in a sleazy motel? And did you have any other form of sex, I’m not talking intercourse here, because you’ve both assured me that hasn’t happened yet.”

“No sex. And no manner of dress to leave you concerned. We watched a movie and went to sleep.” Isabel assured the woman before her.

Gloria teased, “What kind of movie?” She added suggestively.

Well we thought about renting “Princess Bride.” But we settled on “When Fools Rush In.” The main characters are named Alex and Isabel. Whitman.”

“Serious?” Gloria hadn’t checked that one out yet.

“Yep. That’s why we chose it...”

“Very interesting. You do know that sleeping in a shared bed, in another town, without parental supervision is a very strong invitation to temptation?”

“Yes ma’am.” She added respectfully.

“And at the level you were when you disappeared that time, maybe you weren’t on the verge of sex; I mean you weren’t technically dating yet. But if I let you, even here, share a bed now, I might regret it.” The woman smiled knowingly, “Your relationship has progressed very quickly to a point where I have to get concerned. I was hoping that when you left, you both were as innocent as I had believed. And I am thankful to know that I was right.”

“But I will be changing the sleeping arrangements here. You are welcome to sleep upstairs in the guest bedroom as often as you need, but this psuedo-shacking up, has got to stop. Now! If I don’t put an end to this, one of these days you will go too far and it will be in my OWN house.” Gloria wryly frowned at that irony.

Isabel took in a deep sigh and said in one breath, “IlovehimandalwayswillbutIamnotreadyrightnowandhehasalreadytoldmeallaboutthis.” She gasped in a gulp of air as she caught her breath.

She pointed to the mug, “Take another sip of your tea sweetie.” She instructed. “And try speaking a little more slowly.” Gloria chuckled as she sorted out all the words individually and watched Isabel tilt her mug obediently.

“So did I catch in there somewhere that you love Alex?”

Isabel nursed her cup for a moment before looking Gloria in the eyes. “Yes. I do
I love your son.”

Gloria raised her brow and looked at the tall teen. Sipping on her own tea.

Isabel assumed that the woman’s look was skeptical. And immediately defended herself... “You probably think that it’s a high school crush or something. That I don’t know what love is. But I do know. I really do... and I LOVE Alex.”

Gloria nodded while sipping, "Yes. He says the same thing. In some ways that makes it even more important that I see what stage you are at now...

“I know that you and Alex are getting close. And I am fully aware that he is heavily influenced by your desires and wishes, as evidenced by your little excursion out of town. So I must ask. Are you, or have you been pressuring my son to have sex now...”

***
Alex stifled a derisive laugh in his concealed placement of eavesdropping while pacing the living room.

***

Isabel tossed her head back and burst out uproariously laughing.

“Honey?” Not quite the response Gloria was expecting.

Isabel kept lowering her head, trying to get a word out, but seeing the serious look on the increasingly worried face of Gloria Whitman her laughter would begin anew.

“I'm asking because I've met such resistance this week when trying to steer him toward our values.”

Isabel tried to calm down

Gloria continued. “And I was trying to see if you in any way had a hand in this.”

She choked out “No. I do love your son, but .... I... I am not ..... ready. She spoke in between peals of laughing

“Is Alex ready?” Gloria asked seriously, still confused by the girl’s behavior.

Isabel’s laughter stopped, abruptly. And she paused to think intently. She was wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks. They were certain to ruin her carefully placed make-up.

Gloria grabbed a napkin off the table and handed it to her.

Isabel thanked her and used it to wipe her eyes. Why did she never put on waterproof makeup on days when she cried?

Gloria watched the young woman compose herself and sighed heavily, “Alex and I have been at odds with each other lately and are embroiled in a bitter battle... none of this is our normal M.O. So I repeat my question. Is- Alex- ready...?”

Isabel silently dropped her head. The consequences, the timing, everything... she silently whispered to herself.

“Honey?” Gloria questioned. “Did something happen?”

“If you’re getting resistance, I’m going to get it too.”

“Isabel?”

“Do you believe in fate Mrs. Whitman?”

“I do absolutely dear. Why?”

“I am fated to be with your son. I know that probably sounds a little crazy... but it’s just what I feel. Here.” she placed her hand over her heart.

“Mrs. Whitman, I really appreciate how good you’ve been to me the few times I’ve been here. And the last thing I would wish to do would be to hurt you or to break that trust you have shown me.”

Gloria, listening, “You seem to be getting pretty serious with Alex. Isabel. Are you?”

“Well, kind of I suppose.”

“Is there anything you wish to ask me concerning this...” Gloria smiled.

“Yes Ma’am. I have a question in return. What is acceptable to your standards? Is fooling around ok, if we refrain from intercourse?” She asked boldly.

“I’ll let you answer that dear. What does fooling around lead to, or have you found that out yet?”

“It gets out of hand and can lead to intercourse.” Isabel answered carefully.

“Exactly. Are you assuming this or is this first hand knowledge? And hold that thought before you answer. I want to hear it too.” She hollered into the direction of the hall. Alex! Get in here!!!”

He appeared at the doorway and cautiously slid in, taking a seat on the long edge of the table next to Isabel he turned to face his mother.

“First off son, need I remind you that a gentleman, a true gentleman would not pressure the lady.”

Alex answered with a succinct, “Mother!”

“Well, from our talks this week son I know what you think you want, and no, your young lady here didn’t tell me if you are ready or not. Does Isabel share the same thoughts? That’s something for you to discuss a bit later, right now I seriously need some answers about the level of your relationship.”

“I know its not here, and I know it’s not at Isabel’s house. (She gave a direct questioning look) But has there been any sharing of intimate behavior with each other?”

“Yes Ma’am.” The two teens echoed, a swallow collectively shared.

“First I want to know the state of dress. Second I want to know how far “it” COULD have gone... provided you haven’t crossed that threshold yet...”

Isabel squeezed Alex’s hand as if to say let me take this...

Isabel turned back to Mrs. Whitman. “Second base.”

“And is that going by the terms of sex that I am aware of? Or the newer regime
for I hear that among some the whole base system has... shifted.”

“Second base, your terms.” Isabel stated assuredly again.

”May I ask about the nature of your clothing? You haven’t quite answered me yet!”

“I try to keep it on for one thing,” Isabel bit her lip. As she looked at Alex and added, “Well you know with guys that shirts are an optional thing?” Isabel explained.

“They are, true. But they are not optional with girls, so assuming Alex’s shirt was off with that statement, where was yours?” She looked directly into Isabel’s face.

“Off.” She answered forthrightly.

“As in loose, or gone?”

Isabel made a motion of tossing...

“Ok.” Gloria understood and continued with a weary sigh, “Moving on... Bottoms?”

Alex looked away, unable to meet his mother’s eyes, and Isabel winced.

“O-k... should I ask about undergarments? Or am I not going to like that answer either?” Gloria asked sadly.

Isabel stated confidently, “Mrs. Whitman. There was no level of clothing that you wouldn’t see at a beach. And my pants weren’t even off.”

She nodded. “Ok. So no you haven’t been naked, that’s good. But I will respond to your beach statement with... if you are at a beach you probably aren’t undressing each other either?”

“Point taken.” Isabel nodded. “But it was only the once, and we have not left second base.”

“Ok I will ask a final pressing question. Did you stop yourselves or was there another reason that you,” she looked pointedly at Alex, “got so far and went no further?”

He wouldn’t look at his mother and he mumbled, “A friend walked in on us.”

Gloria addressed her son directly, “And if that hadn’t happened, Alex? How far would you have gone?”

“OK...” He added with a note of bitterness, “I could have gone all the way. Probably would have...” He shook his head... how did his mother drag information out of him so easily? “And you want to know the kicker... unprotected.” He scoffed as he turned back to face his mom. This was hopefully the last time they’d be discussing this for awhile.

Gloria nodded, “So are you saying this was a spur of the moment, heat of passion, unprotected sex kind of thing?”

“Yeah Mom. You win. You were right. It could happen...” he added bitterly.

Isabel was shaking her head slowly, side to side... Not good. Definitely not good.

“Oh ok.... Do you want some specific guidelines, rules?” Gloria looked directly at her son still.

Alex raised his brow? His mother was conceding?

“I am going to say that desire is a lot easier to stall when it has not been aroused. Do not awaken love before its time, you just can’t stuff that Genie back into its bottle... Now I won’t lie to you. Its going to be hard to pull it together now, but it is still possible... you will just have to be on your guards. And you will likely not like these rules Alex.”

“Because I’m starting with. Don’t take off ANY clothing. But since that has begun, and you might not be able to stay within that boundary, these are the rules I expect you to uphold. Don’t allow yourselves access to each other’s genitals. Keep your hands above the waistline. And do not for any reason, touch anywhere under the clothing. And if that isn’t possible. Stay at second!” She ordered. “You have no reason to progress beyond it.”

Alex stared at the ceiling. Nope, mom hadn’t conceded at all.

“Isabel.” The wise woman turned to the girl before her. “Have you talked to your mother? I know we don’t see eye to eye on these things, but certainly she would help you to wait or to guide you in these things, provided...”

Isabel snickered and mumbled, “Yeah into Alex’s bed.” She smirked, and stared at the table. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled again and looked up. “But if I follow her advice. I’ll be giving away my virginity at age 17.”

“And how old are you?” Gloria understood her answer.

Isabel wryly smiled. “Seventeen.”

“She’s not encouraging you?” Gloria asked in disbelief...

“Not exactly. But she’s not stopping me either.”

“She really is the complete opposite of me.” Gloria added nonchalantly.

“In this regard yes, I’m afraid.” Isabel answered carefully.

“So honey. Knowing where I stand, and discussing this with me, I was wondering where you find yourself?” Gloria turned to the girl again.

Isabel laced her fingers with Alex and turned for the moment away from Gloria to stare at him, eyes shining with tears and hope, pleading....

He looked deeply into her watery eyes and knew, she had made up her mind, and she had given her answer. There would be no budging her for the moment. He unlaced their fingers and held her hands tightly for a moment between his. He imperceptibly nodded.

Squeezing her hands he stood up. Leaning over he planted a small kiss on her forehead. “You already know how I feel.” he stated, disheartened. “But we will wait.” He said crisply. “For now at least.” He turned to leave the room and faced his mother, his mouth tightened and he walked away from her.

“Go back to your room Alex,” she ordered, knowing he’d likely be eavesdropping from the living room again. He was extremely protective of Isabel.

***

As he wandered back to the living room shaking his head in disbelief he muttered bitterly something about his mother turning Isabel into her protégé.

***

Gloria watched the entire scene, and turned back to the lovely blonde girl in her kitchen. Thank God she wasn’t kicking her out, as she’d done with one girl who was nothing more than a casual fling for one of her brazen sons, or she wasn’t holding a distraught young woman about to become a mother as she’d done with another. This was the first time she was able to talk to the girl beforehand and she wasn’t going to mince her words.

“So, I see that you have him at wait! That you really do influence him, and he really will do as you desire. I have to ask this Isabel, how long are you intending to wait? You see, in this house, although it’s never once been honored,” she added sadly with rolled eyes, “My kids KNOW to save virginity for the proper time. I know this isn’t the popular stance, and I do know how difficult it is... and as you age and the two of you get closer ... it will get even harder. But it will be worth it, I can promise you.”

Isabel smiled sadly...

“Are we talking about waiting to have intercourse, or other sexual activity as well? And even more importantly does it entail waiting until your marriage?”

Isabel felt stuck.

“I would like to say I was of the second to make you happy, but as I said Mrs. Whitman... fate. I really don’t know. There is just so much more to it.” Isabel softened, “I don’t know when it will be ... but I do know with whom it will be.” And her eyes started to mist as she whispered to herself, “and the price we will pay.”

“Alex?” Gloria asked softly reaching out her hand to touch the young woman’s.

“Yeah.” The girl nodded. “I can promise you that he is the one; the one I intend to spend my life with. And he is the one person that I will give my virginity to. And it will be special ...”

Gloria sighed, “I see. But when my dear, have you thought about this? I fear that it could be relatively soon.”

“I’m waiting as long as I can. I assure you. It’s not today. Not tomorrow... and not for a while... but it still might not be long enough for you...” she looked down at her stomach, and shook her head in disbelief.

Upon seeing Isabel’s motion, Gloria added, “Well I am certainly glad to hear that. And I certainly hope you are able to wait. I really would like to think I succeeded with at least ONE of my sons. I will accept that you both feel as if you are each other’s mate and match. I think you are good for him. So just know its not the right time, and sometimes timing is everything.”

Isabel hid a wince....

Gloria caught it but did not act as if she did.

She would indeed break this woman’s heart at some future point. Timing: hers had to do with their first time, and Gloria’s had to do with their wedding. At least she could appease her in the meanwhile.

Isabel stared back down at the partially filled mug of tea, time for another draught.

A soft tear slid down her cheek. Knowing that it would NOT be so...Knowing she would fail, and hurt this woman, who was so kind to her. Her heart hurt at the thought...

Gloria in what Isabel could not tell was jest or seriousness, started to converse, “Well if things get completely out of control here, there is always this new military school that just recently opened up in South Dakota..”.

Isabel stared at her wide-eyed, ‘She’d take Alex away? She could do that? Make him leave?’ Gloria was so determined that Alex would stay pure, so militant, what would she do when...? Why was she thinking of that now? It was in the future... wasn’t it enough to get through the present?

But she knew herself, and knew that she had to answer the what ifs, and a big what if was staring at her. What to do?

Isabel tried to hide another tear with another drink, tipping her head down to stare into the mug.

“Is something troubling you dear?” Gloria asked.

‘After she just said she’d send Alex away she asks if something’s troubling me. Yeah. Her!’ Isabel bit her lip, “No.” She lied. “I-I’m fine. Just nervous, you know...” as she bit her fingertip.

“Are you sure?” Gloria sipped her cooling tea. “I bet you’re terrified of me.”

“Maybe a little.” She agreed.

“Well at least you’re honest. And I will say I won’t harm you, but I wont always say or do things that you like...”

“But what if?” Isabel mumbled, as Gloria took their cups and warmed them for a few seconds. Isabel turned to watch her and asked, “What would you do?”

The elder woman set the mugs back down in front of them, “What would I do about?” She returned to her seat, and took to really watching Isabel.

“To him and me, if we... Hypothetically speaking here of course, failed?” She brought her fingertip up to her mouth, and sucked for a second.

“Are you worried about that Isabel?”

She swallowed and nodded softly murmuring, “Yes.”

“Well then I would get angry with both of you. Its been known to happen before, but it doesn’t stop my loving you. I would do everything in my power to protect both of you, to help you to make wise decisions in a difficult time... and I would do what it takes to help you and my son raise your family. When or if you need me, I will ALWAYS be here.”

Then Isabel looked back up, pleading, “I LOVE him so much. I NEED him so much... I WANT him so much... I can’t promise that we’ll make it.” She quickly grabbed the mug, as least it would look like she was gulping tea; really she was trying to gather her composure.

“Honey... I think you will find I can be a fearsome protector, more so than you perhaps know. Heaven help anyone who messes with my family. They don’t fare well.”

“Isabel look at me ok?” She insisted, sliding in closer and tilting the girl’s head up to force eye contact.

Isabel was trying to not cry now, but tears still trickled down her cheeks. She started to apologize.

Gloria grabbed another napkin and dabbed Isabel’s eyes.

The event she was panicked about was so far into the future, but this woman, this woman was key to if she would survive it.

Isabel just nodded and said brokenly. “I can’t. I can’t lose Alex... Please don’t take him from me!”

“Honey... You are terrified of being rejected or abandoned aren't you?”

Isabel can only nod.

“What exactly makes you think I would do that?”

“Mmmm. I have lots of reasons.” She stated cautiously, yet again.

“Name One! Have I given you any reason to think I would do so? I promised to be here whenever you needed me.”

Isabel nodded sucking on her lips, “That thing you said about that school.” She looked up fearful, and swiped an errant tear from her cheek.

“Oh Honey, if things got so bad that I was dealing with a completely rebellious child, yes, I have options...Options I have had to implement with another of my sons. But I honestly don’t think it would come to that. Not with Alex. So don’t worry about that ok?”
She handed Isabel a napkin to wipe the final tears. She would certainly calm down now.

The teen nodded. Isabel couldn’t hold it together anymore; her ragged emotions were making themselves evident.

The tears started to rain faster.... which surprised Gloria. Something else was troubling the teen.

Gloria watched helplessly the girl who was known as the Ice Princess, the girl her son thought was invincible, melted down into a puddle before her very eyes. “Oh Honey.” She took the seat Alex had vacated; reaching out she held the trembling girl’s hands in her own. “ This isn’t about you is it?” She looked directly into Isabel’s leaking eyes.

The girl shook her head no, as the tears flowed unbidden.

“I’m going to fail.” Isabel mumbled...

“Ok? So you fail, it is an option...” Gloria watched the troubled girl.

“You aren’t just afraid of your being abandoned, are you? You are afraid that if you were with child, that I, with my ideals would reject you. That I would make my son leave you?” Gloria was trying to discern the reason the Ice Princess was a melted puddle in her kitchen.

Isabel threw her arms around Mrs. Whitman’s neck, and clung to her. This surprised Gloria yet again but she responded with her own arms wrapped around the distraught girl.

“Or you’ll make Alex leave me, or... you’ll find out something about me that you don’t like.... or you just will.” Isabel sobbed.

“Isabel, don’t think like that!” Gloria insisted.

“But,” she pulled back and wiped at her tears,,, “But you might reject me, or heaven forbid, any child ...” the words pulled themselves from her heart, she couldn’t control them, “especially if you knew all about me...”

Gloria stroked her back. She had sufficiently terrified this poor girl, that wasn’t what she was trying to do; Scare her, keep her on the straight and narrow, drive home her values yes. Terrify... No. She knew that she was responsible for Isabel’s tears ... time to fix some of that...

Isabel sobbing into Gloria’s shoulder just nodded. “You don’t know me. Not really. You don’t know where I come from... You might decide, you don’t want me with Alex. That I’m no good for him. I don’t think I could handle that. I NEED him Mrs. Whitman. I NEED him. Please don’t take him from me. Please!” She clung all the harder.

“Honey No. No I couldn’t do that.” Gloria pulled from the embrace and looked her future daughter in law in the eyes, holding her hands in her own. “Isabel, I’m not going to take Alex from you. You have no idea what you’ve done for him? You've made Alex glow sweet heart... I’ve never seen him so alive. You’ve done that. I love you for that, for making him so happy. Why would I destroy my son’s joy?” She wiped the girl’s tears. “Don’t worry. I am not going to do anything to jeopardize your relationship ok?”

Isabel blinked, watching her.

She said looking deeply into the girl’s gorgeous brown eyes, “And I’m not going to reject you, or to abandon you. EVER! I’ll protect you, and I’ll fight for those you love to the bitter end...” She stated emphatically.

Isabel sobbing in relief clung to her again.

“If something happens, we’ll deal with it. And know this, I would love any grandchildren that were to be born ok?”

Isabel nodded.

“And you and Alex? How does a wedding sound?”

She could “hear” the girl smile through her tears.

“It would unfortunately be a shotgun wedding, but we could still plan a simple ceremony, right?”

Isabel nodded again, her fears lessening. No more issues for today.... This woman would be tough enough to deal with still in the future when that unfortunate day would arrive. But she had whatever answers she could glean for the time... She could survive this. She could. She sighed heavily... All of it provided that Gloria could handle the alien abyss. But that was a far off day yet. And hopefully by that time, the deed would be done. Surely she wouldn’t back out then.

“Thank-you.” Isabel mouthed.

“I love you Isabel.”

“Thank-you?” She added uncomfortably. She didn’t know how to respond to this person’s declaration.

“Now we should get sending you back home, do you think your parents are worried?”

“Nah.. it’s Friday night, I’d typically be out on a date.”

“Ok. You want to go freshen up your makeup?” Isabel smiled softly and left the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Gloria hugged them both and was about to send them off when the phone started to ring... the machine picked up the call.

***

The caller’s voice was shaky... “Glory. Sweetheart??” The trembling voice kept talking. She grabbed the receiver and put it on voice. Something was terribly wrong.

“Charles?”

“Baby.” Using a term long unused. “I’m ok. The plane’s engine caught fire while we were taxiing the runway. I – I guess I’m the one who saw it first, kind of being hailed a- a hero here.” The sound heard in the background was the clinking of glasses and cheers at what was obviously the airport bar. “But its nothing anyone else wouldn’t have done. Not a hero, just quick eyes...” He was downplaying his heroics as always, Charles was unassuming like that.

She looked stricken, “You’re sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah. I’m going to catch the next flight out... Give Alex my love.”

“I’m right here Pops... I’m so glad you’re ok. So we’ll see you in a few hours?”

“Yeah.”

“Charles.... I love you. You Hero.” Gloria added, with a kissing sound into the air.

“I Love you too Baby... I’m gonna sleep with my arms around my beautiful wife tonight. Thankful for every moment the Good Lord has given to us...”

“I’ll be waiting right here love, candles lit, romantic music playing...”

The teens were making ‘eww’ faces where she couldn’t see them. She was crossing into the territory NO kid wants to think about.

When the call was hung up, she turned back to the teens... Gloria hugged them both and sent them off. “Now don’t get into any trouble ok?” she teased.

Isabel snickered and Alex glared.

And with kiss to her cheeks from the duo, they headed out to return Isabel to her home.

TBC....
"An angel in the book of life wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book "too beautiful for earth". ~author unknown

Karar Renkenberger
2-8-08
1 lb. 2 oz.
"Too beautiful for earth."
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