Author: Lindsay
Category: Alex/Isabel
Rating: YTEEN
Disclaimer: The characters of Roswell belong to The WB, Melinda Metz, and UPN.
Summary: Gazer Halloween goodness. Don’t ask me why lol. Missing scene from season one, taking place shortly after Leaving Normal.
Dedication: Truelovepooh - this one's for you! *smooch*
banner by truelovepooh
Round 8
Best Holiday Fanfiction
Black Magic Woman
“Well? What do you think?”
Alex glanced up from tuning his bass, taking in Maria’s accomplished smile. He cocked his head, studying the carved pumpkin while plucking strings idly. “Eh,” he finally said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Eh?” she repeated. “I worked my butt off for three hours to get little Jacky here looking exactly how I want, and all you have to say is ‘Eh’? That’s it - you’re disowned. Be gone from my sight.” She craned her neck and called across the Crashdown. “Liz! What do you think of this thing?”
Their friend looked over, lengths of sticky spider webbing tangled through her fingers as she wobbled on a step stool. “What?” she asked, appearing distracted.
Alex’s smile faded slightly as he read the lingering sadness in Liz’s eyes. It had been a mere week since Liz’s grandmother had suffered a stroke and passed away, and she was still very tight-lipped about the entire event. It was for this reason that Alex and Maria had decided to throw a party in celebration of the Halloween holiday, taking place in the Crashdown Café after-hours. Liz had seemed to perk up at the idea when they’d originally discussed it, but she’d been somewhere else all day.
Judging by the way she kept throwing furtive glances toward the door, Alex was pretty sure he knew what was on her mind. She was hoping to see some sign of Max Evans that night. Alex didn’t know much about the mysterious sophomore, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that his best friend had fallen for him. Hard.
Alex wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it, either. While he’d never had anything against Max – it was hard to, considering Max kept to himself and didn’t cause waves with anybody – there was still something about the other male that made him want to keep a close eye on him. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
He heard Maria asking Liz the same question about the leering jack-o-lantern, and shook the strange thoughts about Max from his head. He tuned back into the conversation in time to hear Liz say, “Eh.”
Stifling a snort at Maria’s expression, he jumped off of the counter and grabbed the carving knife from her hand. “It just needs a little character,” he said matter-of-factly, drawing his lower lip between his teeth and narrowing his eyes. A few quick slices of the knife, and he sat back in approval. “There.” He placed the knife onto the table, brushing his hands together as Maria looked over his shoulder.
“I don’t see anything different,” she grumbled. Then, “Oh, wait…you gave him a…is that a…?”
“Scar,” he finished, grinning at the lightening-shaped cut in the area that constituted the pumpkin’s forehead. When Maria stared at him blankly, he added, “Oh come on, Maria. The kids will love it. Harry Potter’s all anyone’s talking about these days.”
“You are such a dork,” Maria said woefully, grabbing the pumpkin and hauling it across the room to set it outside. “Liz, tell him!”
“Um hmm,” Liz answered absently, a dreamy expression on her face as she hung more spider-web from the rafters.
“I just appreciate our pop culture!” Alex called back, scowling slightly as he sat back, stretching out his long legs. “Totally not a dork,” he mumbled, taking his bass back in hand and strumming a quick tune while taking a good look around the transformed Crashdown.
Black and orange crepe paper swung from the ceiling, along with the silvery cobwebs Liz was dangling from every nook and cranny. Skeletons leered and witches glared from the windows as several jack-o-lanterns flickered on the tables. A ghoulish soundtrack was playing over the sound system, and Alex grinned as he recognized the theme from Halloween.
“Well, that should take care of that,” Maria was saying as she came back inside a minute later. “Now it’s time to get dressed. Liz, stop fiddling with those cobwebs and let’s doll up, doll. We can’t make the guys beg wearing these things.” She accented the statement with a grim look at their silver and turquoise uniforms.
Liz giggled, carefully descending from the stool and removing the bobbly alien antennae from her hair. “Where’s your costume, Alex?” she wondered, passing by him to dispose of the remaining spider webbing.
He flashed her a grin, widening his arms to reveal his clothing. “You’re looking at it, woman,” he returned. “Take a wild guess who I am.”
“Pathetic loser?” Maria offered, grinning craftily as he shot her a look. “What?”
Alex sniffed with dignity, standing up and smoothing down the sleek suit before striking a pose. “I’m James Bond from the Sean Connery years, specifically from Dr. No, and not so specifically from the scene where—”
“La la la, not listening!” Maria had covered her ears and was backing away slowly. Releasing one ear to point at Alex, she said, “Get thee to Party City and find a real costume. Not the suit you wore to your cousin Marcy’s wedding two years ago, Whitman.”
“A lot you know! I wore this to my great-aunt’s funeral last year” he returned as she grabbed Liz’s arm and dragged her toward the back room. Catching sight of himself in a mirror hanging on the wall, he straightened his shoulders and affected a British accent. “The name is Whitman, Alex Whitman. After I defeat the evil yet extremely predictable villain in our piece, I shall lay you down on a bed of rose petals and make slow, sweet—”
“You really need to work on that accent.”
Alex whipped around, nearly stumbling into the counter as he caught sight of Max Evans standing there, a deadpanned expression coloring his features. “Max!” he laughed, rubbing his head sheepishly. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You…seemed a little busy,” Max replied in a wry tone, and Alex lifted a brow. Well, well. So Mr. Shy Loner could do sarcasm really well when it suited him. Max’s expression turned uncertain as he glanced around the room. “Um, is Liz around?”
Ah ha. So now they’d come to the heart of the matter. Alex crossed his arms over his chest and peered down at Max, grateful for once for his height as his gaze lingered on the other male’s muscular build. He wasn’t about to forget that he didn’t quite trust Max Evans.
“What’s that info worth to you, Evans?” he demanded, sounding like a protective older brother questioning his sister’s prom date. “And let me tell you straight up – I don’t need anyone to do my homework for me. My dirty laundry, maybe, but I’ve got the homework covered.”
Max blinked, confusion spreading across his face. He obviously wasn’t used to Alex’s sense of humor, because he sort of shrugged and began backing away. “Uh, never mind, I’ll just…”
“Alex, who are you talking to out there?” Maria wondered, stepping out of the bathroom and coming to a halt as she caught sight of the two of them. Her uniform had been replaced by a red corset and mini skirt with black fishnet stockings. A pair of sequined horns were perched on her head, and she pointed a pitchfork at Alex accusingly. “Are you scaring Max away? Don’t listen to him, Max, he still watches the Power Rangers every day.”
“Maria, I told you that in confidence!” Alex whined, slumping onto the a barstool and glaring at his best friend. “And what in the name of God are you wearing?”
“What? I’m the Devil,” Maria smiled in a very devilish manner. “Don’t you like my tail?” She turned around and sort of twitched her behind to draw attention to the long, red tail protruding from the back of her costume.
Alex gaped in horrified disbelief, exchanging a glance with Max, who looked as if he’d forgotten how to speak.
“Whatever happened to, you know, white sheets with holes cut in them?” Alex wondered in a strangled tone.
Maria let out an airy laugh. “You’re so funny, snookums.” With that, she patted him on the cheek as she pranced by. “Max, you’re early.”
Apparently regaining the power of speech, Max cleared his throat. “Yeah. I know. Actually, I was wondering if Liz was around?”
“Max?” Liz asked softly, appearing from the same room Maria had left. She was dressed much more conservatively than Maria, in a simple black dress and a long black wig. Alex grew aware of the sudden tension in the air as Max and Liz seemed to drift toward each other as if in the middle of a dream.
“I didn’t know if you’d come,” Liz said softly.
Max’s voice was equally low. “I…shouldn’t have,” he answered, a pining expression coloring his features. “You know we shouldn’t be…”
Alex’s ears pricked in interest, wondering exactly what he might glean from the whispered conversation. Perhaps something that might shed some light on Liz’s strange behavior as of late. Unfortunately, he saw her send him a glance out of the corner of his eye and she took Max’s arm to lead him away.
“Let’s go into the back room. There’s something I want to show you,” she said hastily. Alex knew her well enough to know she was lying. Frustration battled with hurt at the realization that once again one of his closest friends was hiding something from him.
Make that two of his closest friends, he amended, noticing that Maria was communicating silently with Liz across the room. She caught Alex staring at them and quickly pretended she was rearranging the refreshments at one of the tables.
He thought about following Liz, but was distracted as people began arriving for the party. He joined Maria at the door, greeting their classmates and giving out candy to any trick-or-treaters who happened by. He got into it after a while, pretending to draw a fake gun on several kids who squealed in delight and took off running down the street, obviously hoping he’d follow.
He seriously contemplated it for a minute, then the sudden sound of laughter caught his attention, and he looked over quickly to see Isabel Evans and her entourage entering the restaurant together. His pulse began to race and he had to swallow against a lump in his throat as he stared at her.
She was an angel, literally. A silky white dress clung to her curves, and a sheer set of feathery wings and a golden halo made up the rest of her costume. She was completely unaware of his scrutiny - as usual - tossing back her long blonde hair and saying something he couldn’t hear that made the other girls laugh even harder.
Gorgeous and irresistibly indifferent, Isabel Evans was the epitome of Alex’s every wild and fevered fantasy. And he’d had some doozies since first discovering the wonder that was women. Of course, Isabel never gave him a second thought. She was so out of his league that it was pathetic that he even stood there thinking about her.
He’d attempted to make conversation with her a few times during their school years, but her slightly bored expression had always left him stammering and blushing like a fool, which he guessed he was. Still, there was something about her that kept him coming back for more. She appeared jaded and cynical, and yet he sensed some deep-rooted insecurity that lurked inside of her. Some vulnerability that he just knew he could comfort.
She happened to glance his way, catching him staring at her, and his fingers fumbled on the squirt gun, sending a stream of water shooting out onto the floor from where he held the gun at his middle. As heat began climbing up his cheeks, she arched a brow, looking down her nose at first him, then the puddle at his feet before turning back to her friends.
“Way to impress, Whitman,” he sighed, shoulders slumping as he watched her go back to forgetting he even existed.
He craned his neck, looking for any sign of Maria or Liz, and unable to find either. Pushing his way through the crowded café, he made it to the table containing cups of punch and grabbed one, downing it in a single gulp.
He spent the next hour or so dancing with a girl he didn’t know, who was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Every time he tried to find out her identity, she asked him if he’d seen her Auntie Em.
He eventually managed to escape the overheated room, deciding to hide outside in the alley until the crowd died down some. He could hear the Monster Mash playing as he opened the back door, stepping out onto the small porch and taking a deep breath of fresh air.
“Oh, it’s you.”
He started in surprise, looking down to find none other than Isabel Evans herself lounging on the step, hugging her knees and staring out into space. “Isabel. Hi. You know who I am?” he asked without thinking, then could have bit his own tongue off as she looked at him like he was from another planet.
Then a miracle happened. She smiled, white teeth flashing in the darkness. “Yes, I know who you are, Alex,” she answered in that coolly feminine tone he adored. “We’ve had English together since seventh grade.”
“Ah, you remember,” he said happily, letting the door shut behind him as he took the empty spot next to her. Belatedly he thought to ask, “You don’t mind if I…join you, do you? It’s getting kind of crazy in there, and I can’t find Liz or Maria anywhere. You know Liz, right? She’s—”
“Alex, I know who Liz is,” she broke in, a strange expression on her face. “And Maria,” she added, obviously anticipating his next question.
“Right.” He cleared his throat, slanting her a stealthy glance when he thought she wasn’t looking. She turned to stare at him, and he quickly looked straight ahead. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, and then he began to fidget. He’d never been good in awkward situations; his mouth always had a tendency to take over and try to smooth things out. He could feel the pressure beginning to build inside of him, and just knew he was about to make a complete idiot out of himself.
“So, what are you supposed to be, little lady?”
He groaned inwardly as soon as the words left his mouth. He’d even used the terrible English accent, for God’s sake. Maria was right; he was a pathetic loser. He was done for. There was no way Isabel Evans, West Roswell’s It Girl, was going to stick around with him now.
To his surprise she didn’t start laughing at his pitiful attempt at conversation, but merely sighed.
“I’m supposed to be gone by now,” she grumbled, playing with the ends of her hair. “But Max isn’t done mooning over Liz yet, so I guess I’ll be stuck here for another good hour or so.”
“I noticed he seemed a little enamored of her,” Alex offered casually, a little light-headed at the realization that he was actually having a conversation with her. With words, and everything.
Isabel snorted, and the sound was just as perfect as the rest of her. “That’s one word for it,” she replied caustically. Then frustration crossed her features and she stood up abruptly. “He just doesn’t understand. I know he thinks he feels something for her, and maybe she thinks the same. But he’s forgetting what our situation is! It’s just not possible for us to—” She trailed off, paling in the moonlight as she turned to give him an incredulous expression.
“What?” He became instantly self-conscious as stared at him, wondering if he had something hanging out of his nose. “I didn’t say anything, did I?”
“No,” she answered slowly, honest confusion shining in her brown eyes. Then she seemed to shake herself out of a daze. “I can’t believe I almost…I…” She let out a small, wry laugh. “God, you’re easy to talk to.”
“Probably because I’m about as far away from threatening as a guy can get,” he joked lamely. When she didn’t laugh, he added, “Um…that’s when you’re supposed to tell me what a strong, studly man I am. Not that you have to or anything. Uh, yeah.”
But she wasn’t even listening to him. “I can’t believe this,” she laughed again, then grew sober as an emotion he couldn’t quite identify took over her expression. Loneliness, was the first description that came to his mind.
“God, I’ve got to get out of here,” she said quickly, coming to her feet and looking around helplessly. “Do you have any idea where my brother might be?”
“No,” Alex admitted, slowly coming to his feet beside her. Absently he noted that she was so tall that her eyes were almost level with his own, and it sent a jolt through him as she met his gaze from beneath soft lashes. “I, uh…didn’t you come with friends?” he managed, swallowing hard.
“They left awhile ago,” she replied. Then she did a double take and said, “Are you supposed to be James Bond? From Dr. No?”
His mouth fell open in shock. “How did you…no one ever…you…?”
“I love the Sean Connery ones,” she said offhandedly, not appearing to notice his complete mystification. “Nice costume, Alex.”
When she moved to go back inside, he saw his only opportunity fading away. Before he could fully think it through, he’d taken her arm and forced her to look back at him. He could hear the strains of Santana’s Black Magic Woman pulsing from the café, and thought it must have been a sign.
“Do you…maybe want to dance?” he asked, amazed that his voice came out confident and steady instead of the squeak he usually managed around her. “You really should dance before you leave. You know what they say, everybody Wang Chung tonight.”
She looked like she wanted to frown at him; certainly a furrow appeared between her brows, but then she nodded sharply and grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him inside. While he was struggling not to trip over his own big feet and make a scene, he followed her through the crowd until they reached a semi-private corner.
He could feel people staring at them, most likely wondering what Isabel Evans was doing with a geek like him, but he couldn’t quite manage to care as Isabel wrapped her arms around him and began dancing to the sinuous music. He was no dancer, but it was effortless to match her…and he felt as if a spell had been woven over him as he watched her in the dim lighting.
He glanced up to see Maria and Liz watching him in disbelief from across the room, and he got the most absurd urge to show off as he dipped her to the floor. She let out a surprised laugh, clutching his arms as he brought her back up, then bit her lower lip as the music ended.
He sensed that whatever had occurred between them during those strange minutes were over as soon as she turned to leave, and yet he couldn’t keep from taking her arm once again and drawing her up short. As she stared at him questioningly, he said in a low voice, “I know there’s something different about you, Isabel Evans.” Her curious smile faded to be replaced by surprised fear, and he filed that away before adding gently, “Whatever it is, I don’t care. But I’ll always be here if you need someone to talk to.”
He wasn’t sure what had made him say it, but as she stared up at him, tears shining in her eyes, he fell. Hard. And he knew then and there that there would never be another woman for him, whether or not anything ever happened between them.
She was quiet for a long moment, then she squeezed his hand quickly and whispered, “I’ll see you in school, Alex.”
And just like that, she was gone, disappearing through the crowd of costumed witches and zombies, skeletons and vampires. He caught a final flash of golden hair before Liz and Maria made their way over to him.
“Just what was that all about?” Maria demanded without pretense, eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the door. “Was that Isabel Evans?”
“Alex, what’s going on?” Liz wondered. “What did she say to you?”
He met his friends’ curious gazes, a small smile forming at the edges of his mouth. “She said she liked my costume,” he answered thoughtfully. “And you know, I think she liked me, too.”
And that was enough Halloween magic for him.
