Roswell Fanatics

Winner - Round 7



I forgot to tell you…I Love You.

Author: StargazerUK.

Email: david.meade@virgin.net

Category: C/C.

Rating: TEEN

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these Roswell characters, I have borrowed them.( If I did Alex & Isabel would be living happily ever after. )

Author's Note: I’ve taken the title for this story from a line from a song by Sarah Mclachlan called “I love you”.

This story is set four years from the time of “Destiny”. The two things that have changed are the aliens never set off the orbs so the signal was never sent and the aliens left in the middle of the night without saying goodbye, leaving their human companions to suffer the emotional fallout and questions from both family and authorities.

Chapter 1


At the sound of the bell the students began to gather their belongings and filter out of class. “Make sure you guys read chapters twelve thru sixteen for Friday’s lesson.” The tutor called, knowing his cry would by met by little or no enthusiasm.

Liz placed her books in her bag and slung her backpack over her shoulder as she made her way outside. She checked her watch and realised she was running slightly late for her arranged meeting with Alex. Hurrying through the mass of students Liz bemoaned the fact that as Alex was doing his degree in computing it meant she had to trudge over towards the I.T. building which was situated on the far side of the campus. Of course another way to look at it was that as she was doing her degree in Chemistry her building was on the opposite side to where Alex would be coming from so if the truth be told it was as much her fault as Alex’s, this daily trek to meet her best friend.

“Hey Parker.” A familiar voice called, causing Liz to turn and find a smiling Alex bearing down on her. “I thought we agreed we would always meet halfway?”

“We did.” Liz admitted, fully aware of where Alex’s line of questioning was headed.

“So why, for the past two years, have I always managed to get at least three quarters of the way across campus before bumping into you?” Alex questioned. “We both go to the gym, we both try to stay fit but I’m the one who comes bounding across university grounds full of the joys of spring while you’re the one I find trekking along as though you were looking for the fabled source of the Amazon?”

“You’re the one who’s nearly a foot taller than me so it means your legs are at least six inches longer…you do the math!” Liz dropped her bag and folded her arms across her chest. After her speech she fell silent, simply gazing at Alex.

“What?” Alex questioned, gradually feeling more and more anxious. “Is it my clothes? My hair?” Alex suddenly leaned forward and looked at his lower region. “God…don’t tell me my zipper has been undone all day!”

Liz simply started to laugh. “After all these years it is still the easiest thing in the world to make you feel insecure.”

“What do you expect?” Alex replied, realising Liz had been messing with him. “I live with two women whose only enjoyment in life is to torture me to distraction. It’s cruel that’s what it is. I should report you to the P.E.T.A.!”

Liz’s smile was eventually replaced by a frown. “You want to report Maria and me to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals?”

“Yeah well.” Alex shrugged, finding himself suddenly feeling very stupid. “That was the first group I could think of…I couldn’t think of anything else that was more appropriate.”

“Maybe you should have threatened to report us to Sheriff Valenti like you used to when we were younger.” As the words left Liz’s lips her smile was replaced by a mournful look that was mirrored on Alex’s face. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to bring us down, I wasn’t thinking.”

“Don’t be silly.” Alex visible bucked up after seeing his friend’s reaction at the mention of a name from their past. “The mere mention of someone from Roswell shouldn’t send us both into fits to despair. I thought all three of us had agreed to stop this.”

Liz nodded slowly. “Agreeing to something and actually being able to do it are two very different things my friend.”

“I know but still…” Alex lifted Liz’s bag and hung it over his shoulder, placed a long arm around his petit friend’s shoulders and turned the pair of them towards the nearest exit. “It’s been four years and we promised ourselves we would move on. I know as much as anyone how difficult it is to get past what happened between all of us, what with them leaving without saying goodbye and then us having to deal with all of the questions and rumours. That’s what I thought the move to New York was supposed to help with…to get the three of us back on track.”

“I know.” Liz leaned herself into her tall friend, taking comfort from the feeling of closeness. “But we all do it. I’ve seen either me or Maria let slip Isabel’s name and I see your head drop, so does Maria.”

“That’s true but I would like to think my head drops while I think happy thoughts about Isabel not sad or hateful ones.” Alex admitted. “I look back on that time as an adventure. I’m truly glad I got to know them in the way that I did. I’ll admit it broke my heart, them leaving the way they did, but I am convinced they had a reason.”

“Yeah…their destiny!” Liz spat out.

Alex looked down at his friend. “You don’t believe that anymore than I do Liz. If I learned one thing from our Czech friends it is that Max loved you, he proved that with his actions that day in the Crashdown. As devastating as it must have been for you to wake up that morning and find he was gone you can’t doubt what you had, what you meant to each other.”

Stopping the two of them as they walked down the sidewalk Alex turned Liz towards him. “I know it still hurts Liz. Just as I know it still hurts me and it still hurts Maria. I have no doubt that if they were to show up here and now we’d both have a few choice words to say to them but it doesn’t change how we felt about them or how we feel about them now. If that was all the time we were destined…” Seeing the look on Liz’s face at the mere mention of the word Alex did some quick backtracking. “…I mean if that was as long as we were meant to be with them then we simply have to be thankful for having them as long as we did. I know my life has been enriched for knowing them and I have no regrets other than the obvious one of them leaving.”

“You’re right…I know but it doesn’t make it any easier. I know it should but it doesn’t.” Tears became evident in Liz’s eyes. “I love you and Maria with all my heart but is this it for us? We spend the rest of our lives in a stupor, staggering from one day to the next because of the after effects of knowing the Czech’s?”

“They say time heals all wounds.” Alex offered. “I’m sure when that was first said it wasn’t with our situation in mind but what are our choices? We can’t just give up…we can’t just lie down and wait for our last breath. We need to live our lives to the best of our abilities and try to move forward. If it means I have to live the rest of my life with you and Maria because I need your emotional support and your shoulders to cry on then so be it. I appreciate you girl’s aren’t so lucky but as a single guy living with two beautiful young women my standing in the computer science department couldn’t be higher.” Alex smiled causing Liz to smile also. “While we’re on the subject,” Alex turned them both again and carried on their walk. “Do you think you and Maria could drop by the lab some time soon, maybe even throw in a little kiss or even fawn over me a bit? The guys are beginning to think I am full of B.S. when it comes to what a success I am with women so having you two guys draped all over me should set them straight.”



Alex unlocked the front door to the apartment and stepped back to allow Liz to step inside before he followed, closing the door behind him and locking it. At the sound of the lock clicking into position Liz turned and looked at Alex. “Better to be safe than sorry.” Alex offered. “Our alien life maybe several years behind us but I must confess I always feel a little more secure knowing the door is locked safely.”

“You do know they can unlock a door with minimal effort and Michael could blast a door wide open?” Liz asked, as she dropped her bag and took off her coat.

“I know.” Alex nodded matter-of-factly. “But maybe there are some other aliens out there that we don’t know about that haven’t quite mastered the intricacies of door locks and then won’t you be happy I’m always here to lock the door?”

Liz stepped forward and gave Alex a chaste kiss on the cheek. “I’m already glad you’re here to lock the door for us.”

The two friends walked along the hallway and entered the living room. Alex came crashing into the back of Liz as it became apparent his much smaller friend had stopped abruptly. Looking up Alex was surprised to see Maria standing over by the window with her arms folded across her chest. It was clear she wasn’t happy. “And what time do you call this?”

Liz quickly checked her watch. “It’s nearly five but more to the point what are you doing here and why are you angry with us?”

“Firstly I thought you guys got in from college at just after four so where have you been for the last hour? I’ve been waiting for you both as I have monumental news, which neither of you appear to be interested in!” Maria scolded. “Secondly I told you guys about my interview and that I am waiting to hear the outcome and no one has even thought to ask!”

“Maria, you told us you would find out about your job interview by Wednesday at the earliest.” Alex offered quietly.

“Your point being?” Maria asked sternly.

Alex looked at Liz before looking back at Maria. “My point being its Tuesday today.”

“Tuesday?” Maria frowned. “It’s Tuesday!”

“All day.” Alex smiled sympathetically.

“Still, it doesn’t explain why you are so late!” Maria added defensively. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Maria it’s only five now, you don’t normally get home from work until six. How would we know you were here waiting for us?” Liz questioned.

“OK…OK let’s forget all about that.” Maria said, changing the subject quickly. “The point is I am home early because I have been given good news and they let me off a couple of hours so I could go and celebrate.”

“Is it good news about the job?” Liz took a step towards her friend. “Is that why you’re back early?”

“I GOT THE JOB!” Maria suddenly screamed.

Alex almost had to cover his ears as he heard both Liz and Maria scream at the top of their lungs as they enveloped one another in a hug while they jumped around the room.

“Maria I can’t believe it, that’s absolutely wonderful.” Liz enthused.

“Congratulations.” Alex pulled Maria into a hug. “No one has worked harder or deserves it more…I’m proud of you.” Alex gave his friend a quick kiss before releasing his grip and stepping back.

Liz took hold of Maria’s hand and led her to the couch where they both sat down. Alex moved to a chair across from the two girls and lowered himself down as he watched silently.

“So tell us all about it.” Liz was clearly overjoyed for her friend.

“They said they took into consideration the fact that I didn’t go to college as most of their buyers have degrees but they felt the fact that I have been there for nearly two years and have slowly been working my way up stood me in good stead.” Maria could hardly contain herself. “The fact that I had taken part in there junior rotation system where you work for several months in each department meant I have a good grounding in the company business but it seems my work with the senior buyers is what tipped me over the edge. Apparently they have received glowing reports about my work and they have decided to give me a try. The only bad thing is it is a three month trial period to make sure I am up to the task.”

“That all sounds wonderful Maria.” Alex agreed. “As for the three month trial period I’m sure you’ll walk it, nothing to worry about.”

“Sorry for going all postal on both of you earlier.” Maria looked from one friend to the other. “I was so happy I couldn’t wait to tell you and I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”

“That’s not a problem.” Liz rubbed her friends hand in a comforting gesture. “Next time just phone and tell us to come home quickly and then you can tell us in person without waiting so long.”

Maria nodded. “OK, who’s up for celebrating? Dinners on me.”

“It will have to be.” Alex said smiling. “We’re students remember. You’re the only fulltime working woman out of the three of us.” Alex saw the looks on both girls’ faces after his comment. “You know what I mean.”

“We’d better get changed if we are going out.” Liz remarked as she stood up, still holding Maria’s hand.

Liz turned and headed out, down the hallway towards her bedroom and Maria went to follow. “Oh Alex I nearly forgot, a letter turned up for you today. It’s in the kitchen and I couldn’t help but notice it has a Roswell post mark and a return address of the Evans house?” She called over her shoulder as she disappeared out into the hall.

Alex lifted himself to his feet and slowly moved to the kitchen. He noticed the envelope straight away as it sat on the kitchen table resting in between the salt and pepper shakers. He frowned as he picked up the letter. ‘What could Mr & Mrs Evans want with him?’



A while later Liz and Maria made their way out of Maria’s room. They had dressed separately but as was their way one girl ended up in the others room when it came to putting on makeup and adding those all important finishing touches.

Both girl’s were heading for the living room again as Alex always took infinitely less time to get ready than they did so it was a well practiced routine getting ready for a night out. It would always end with both girls parading for Alex in the living room for him to give his seal of approval before they finally went out. Of course it was an unspoken rule that Alex would only ever say things with a positive slant to them. He knew better than to ever criticise either girl when it came to their clothes, not that the occasion ever arose but he knew nonetheless.

The girls never made the living room as they spotted Alex sitting at the kitchen table. As they stepped inside to see him it became apparent he was still wearing what he had been wearing earlier.

“Alex honey, are you OK?” Maria asked softly.

Alex let out a little laugh without raising his head. “I’m not sure.”

“Alex what is it?” Liz’s voice was full of concern.

Alex raised his gaze to meet his two friends and it was then that they saw the tears glistening in his eyes. “The letter I received was from Mrs Evans, it had something in it.”

“What was it Alex?” Maria took a step closer and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “What was inside the letter?”

“It was another letter.” He said quietly, his voice little more than a whisper. “It’s a letter addressed to me…from Isabel.”



To be continued…

Chapter 2


Liz and Maria exchanged a silent look before they both sat down with Alex at the table. Maria had sat beside Alex so she snaked her arm out across his shoulders as far as she could reach in a comforting gesture for her distressed friend.

“Alex honey, what did it say?” Liz eventually asked after a prolonged silence. It wasn’t lost on either girl that what happened between Alex and Isabel would almost certainly impact them as well.

“I’m…I’m not really sure.” Alex barely managed to whisper. “I haven’t opened the letter from Isabel yet.” Looking up he could see the confused looks on his friend’s faces so he knew he had better explain. “The main letter is from Diane Evans. She said she found the letter from Isabel last week when she was in her room.”

Maria frowned. “They’ve been home?”

“No!” Alex shook his head vigorously. “Sorry I’m not with it at the moment so I’m not explaining myself very well.” Alex took a deep breath before trying to continue. “The letter that Diane Evans has sent me explains that after Isabel and Max had left so abruptly they couldn’t bring themselves to give up on their children so they decided to leave their rooms just as they were, ready for when they came home.” Alex was pleased to see looks of understanding slowly beginning to appear on his friends faces. “Diane said she finally plucked up the courage to just go in and clean Isabel’s room when she found a letter addressed to me on the desk. She thinks it had fallen forward and so didn’t leap out at her as Isabel had probably hoped it would all those years ago.”

“So you think the letter was written the night they left, over four years ago?” Liz surmised. “Whatever the letter says Isabel will probably have assumed you read it back then.”

“Probably.” Alex nodded in agreement with his petit friend. “Mrs Evans admitted to me that it took all of her strength of will not to rip open the letter to see if it gave any clue to where they went or why.” Alex now began to shake his head. “If we thought we had it bad I can only imagine what their parents went through. We may not know the exact reason they left but we have a pretty good idea as we know their true background. Poor Mr and Mrs Evans just have the knowledge that, for whatever reason, their two adopted children just upped and left.”

The three fell into silence again as the enormity of their situation became clear. They had never tried to forget their friends but they had tried to move on. Slowly the days became weeks, weeks became months and they looked to the future, trying to slowly move forward without ever wanting to truly let go of their extraordinary past. This letter had brought things full circle and they were back where they were fours years ago…too many questions, too few answers.

“Are you going to open it?” Maria asked softly from Alex’s side.

Alex turned to look at his beautiful friend and nodded fractionally. “I will…I just need a minute to prepare myself.”





Earlier the same day in Seattle, Washington.


“Gin!” Michael cried.

Max and Isabel exchanged a look. “Gin?” Max questioned.

“Gin.” Michael echoed in triumph while nodding.

“But we’re playing Poker!” Isabel stated in amazement.

“What?” Michael suddenly frowned.

“Michael we have been playing Poker for the last twenty minutes.” Isabel repeated.

“When the hell did that happen?” Michael yelled.

“After you stormed off to go to the bathroom shouting about how you didn’t like playing Gin and you wanted to play something else.” Max explained. “This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t keep running to the toilet.”

“And whose fault is that?” Michael asked pointedly.

“Yours!” Max threw back. “You’re the one who keeps drinking those mega-gulps Michael. The bladder isn’t built to cope with gallons of sugary syrup three or fours times a day.”

“We live in hotel rooms! We don’t have a place of our own which means we never cook or shop for food for ourselves so fast food is all we get to eat. What else do you think I am going to drink with my food?” Michael asked, getting up from the table. “With Isabel drinking mineral water because it is good for her skin and you drinking fruit juice as you want to stay in shape one of us has to keep up the calorific intake in case you two drop through lack of energy.”

“I think you are exaggerating slightly.” Max offered.

“Really?” Michael asked in surprise. “Pushing the boat out once every few weeks and having a cherry coke isn’t exactly pushing the envelope Maxwell!”

“We all know we have to keep moving so we know we are going to be eating in diners and fast food places. It’s up to you what you drink but I think a little common sense is called for.” Max reasoned.

“Can you hear yourselves?” Isabel cut in. “Do you see what our lives are reduced to? In depth conversations about what fast food we should and shouldn’t eat. We have spent the last four years moving from town to town every couple of months making sure no one is following us and no one is getting close to us and guess what? They’re not!” Isabel exclaimed. “We took the decision to leave for our own good and the good of our family and friends and it worked. But let’s be clear about one thing…time has moved on and so should we.”

“What are you suggesting? That we stay in one place and settle down?” Max looked at his sister and he could see what she wanted as it was clearly written all over her immaculate face. “You want us to go back…is that it? Because you know we can’t, even if we wanted to.” Max said firmly. “We all decided things were getting too close for comfort and we couldn’t risk us getting caught or our family and friends getting involved.”

“What about Alex, Liz and Maria?” Isabel questioned.

“What about them? We had to protect them more than anyone. They were the ones who were closest to us which meant they were the most at risk and they had the most to lose. If the F.B.I. or some other unit had gotten hold of them God only knows what they might have done to them.” Max warned. “It was a joint decision, we all decided to leave when we did. We sent our own version of Pierce to discredit the special unit and have it shutdown and it worked but it didn’t end there, we couldn’t just go home.”

“I know.” Isabel agreed, defeat evident in her voice. “But what sort of life do we have now? Are you happy because I know I’m not?” Isabel looked at each sibling in turn. “From the looks of the two of you I already know the answer to that question.”

“They’ve probably moved on Isabel, at least I hope they have.” Max said softly to his fraught sister. “I can only imagine they are at college somewhere and I hope and pray they saw sense enough to move on with their lives. We all agreed to make a clean break, to not dwell on the past and move forward, it was the only way to keep them safe.”

“I know why we did it.” Isabel interjected. “But I’m still not convinced about how we did it.”

“It was the best way Isabel.” Michael joined in. “We couldn’t have them follow us or wait for us.”

“But to just leave without explanation…” Isabel trailed off, tears building in her eyes.

“Isabel could you really have stood in front of mom and dad and told them we were leaving without explaining why? Could you have stood in front of Alex and told him you were going and that you would never see him again?” Max already knew the answers as he had already asked himself the same questions over and over again, coming up with the same answers each and every time. “We knew we couldn’t try and explain because we couldn’t tell mom and dad the truth…it would only have put them in jeopardy. We all know that Liz, Maria and Alex wouldn’t have wanted us to go and they may well have tried to come with us. We’ve already agreed this is no life for us so we wouldn’t want our three closest friends living the same life just to make it easier on us…would we?”

“No!” Isabel hated it when Max used logic like that, she couldn’t fight it even when she was at her most pig-headed. “But that was then…I’m taking about now.”

Max stood up and approached his sister. “Isabel are we talking about making them happy or making us happy?”

Isabel lifted her gaze and visibly stiffened up. “I’m talking about making us all happy.”



A few hours later the three siblings found themselves in yet another diner waiting for their food to arrive. “Are you OK Iz?” Max asked with concern.

Isabel noticeably tried to brighten up. “I’m fine thanks Max, sorry about earlier it’s just the longer this goes on the harder it becomes.” Isabel was surprised to see Michael nodding in agreement with her.

“If there was one thing I didn’t count on it was that I would ever miss the sound of Deluca’s voice.” Michael suddenly added. “She spent most of her time moaning at me and finding fault but it’s all I seem to think about these days.”

Max and Isabel shared a look of amazement at Michael’s heartfelt admission.

“Look…even if we did decide to check up on them we wouldn’t know where to start, they could be...” Max was in mid-speech when he saw Michael and Isabel exchange a nervous look which stopped him in his tracks. “Right! What aren’t you two telling me?”

“Nothing.” Isabel quickly replied.

Max watched as his sister straightened herself up in her chair. If their was one thing Max had learnt about his sister over the years it was that she had a subconscious reaction when being defensive…she would make herself as tall and imposing as possible. That also went for the rare occasions when she was lying or hiding something. He glanced over at Michael and he had never seen anyone look more guilty in his life.

“Ok.” He looked from one culpable face to the other. “What the hell is going on? You two are hiding something and by the looks on your faces it can’t be good.”

“It’s nothing…really” Isabel added. “It’s just something Michael and I thought you might not approve of so we decided to keep quiet about it.”

“About what?” Max turned his attention to Michael who was remaining unusually quiet.

“Don’t look at me.” Michael said defensively. “I’m not the one doing it!”

Max quickly turned back to Isabel and he could see she had already slipped into Ice Princess Mode. “Doing it? Doing what?...” As the words left his lips his mind finally caught up and realisation dawned on him. He leaned forward towards Isabel and lowered his voice. “You’ve been dream walking them!”

“Not them...” Isabel shook her head resolutely but then she began to look a little mournful. “…just Alex.”

“You’ve been dream walking Alex?” Max asked incredulously. “How long have you been dream walking Alex and why does Michael know and not me?”

“Michael found out a few weeks ago by accident.” Isabel explained. “He simply asked a theoretical question about Maria and I wasn’t concentrating so I just answered it for him. Before I knew what I had said Michael knew I had been in contact with them. It didn’t take him long, just as it hasn’t taken you long, to work out how.”

Max eyed his sister suspiciously for a moment. “You didn’t answer my question.” He finally added.

Isabel frowned. “Yes I did. I told you how Michael found out.”

“But you didn’t tell me how long you have been dream walking Alex.” He repeated.

Isabel dropped her head and sighed heavily. After a moment she raised her head and looked at her brother directly. “Four years.”



To be continued…

Chapter 3


“Four years!” Max cried a little too loudly. He raised his head and noticed he had drawn a small audience with his outburst but almost immediately his fellow patrons in the diner return to their own meals and conversations allowing Max to refocus on his. “That’s as long as we’ve been gone!”

“Yes.” Isabel nodded slowly as she emphasised her answer. “I started dream walking Alex the night after we left. I couldn’t help myself as I had to know what was going on with him.” Isabel’s beautiful features took on a sombre look. “After a while I realised I couldn’t go on without my nightly visits. I did try to stop myself but I found it hard to cope with normal everyday events, my mind constantly craving my connection to Alex.”

“Connection?” Michael repeated. “You never told me about any connection. You just said you had been dream walking him.”

“Which is how it started out.” Isabel admitted. “But I found the more I did it the more I could pick up from each dream walk. Suddenly I could feel his emotions, know how he was feeling about various events and I could read him without ever having spoken to him.”

“Does he know?” Max asked cautiously.

Isabel shook her head vigorously. “No.”

“Are you sure?” Michael cut in.

“As sure as I can be.” Isabel looked from one sibling to the other. “I have never made myself known to him in the dream world. I never appeared to him or spoken to him directly so as far as he’s concerned they were all just normal, regular dreams.”

Max knew his sister was being completely honest with him but was also aware that she was choosing her words very carefully. The phrase that sprang to mind was she was being economical with the truth. “Have you directed his dreams?” Max suddenly asked.

Isabel paused, clearly thrown by Max’s loaded question. “Yes but I’m not sure what business it is of yours or anyone else’s.”

“It is our business because we each agreed to sever all contact with our past lives.” Max explained calmly but firmly. He didn’t want to upset his sister but this subject had to be dealt with. “What if we wanted to start dream walking Liz or Maria?”

“Well we all know that isn’t going to happen because I am the only one capable of doing that now aren’t I.” Isabel said defensively. “But if you are honest about it I think, given the chance, you would have done the same as me.” Isabel looked at Max directly. “Can you honestly telling me that if you could close your eyes and see what Liz is dreaming about or were able to feel her presence as though she were sitting next to you that you wouldn’t?”

Max lifted his gaze and look at Isabel for a moment. “If I’m honest I think I would have to say I would have visited Liz, probably at every given opportunity.” Max agreed.

Isabel turned to look at Michael. “Don’t look at me.” He stated. “You already know that if I could dream walk I’d spend all my time in bed, checking out the hot chicks.”

Isabel reached over and gave Michael a playful slap on the arm. “You’re lying and you know it.” She cut in. “That might have been the case once but I know who you would visit if you could and although she is a hot chick I think it would be more than some erotic teenage dream you would be after, more like a visit to check on your girl.”

“Maybe.” Michael dropped his gaze slightly. “But don’t tell anyone else, I have a reputation to think of.”

“I think this is something we need to talk about.” Max offered softly.

“I understand.” Isabel nodded. She was aware Max was trying to be as calm and even-handed as possible. His admission that he probably would have visited Liz given the chance had taken the sting out of this sudden revelation. Even with all that in mind Isabel wasn’t completely sure she was going to enjoy this conversation.




Alex lifted his right hand to rip into the back of the envelope but he found he had to stop himself as he was shaking so much. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, hoping to steady his nerves. He glanced at each of the girls and was pleased and unsurprised to be met by looks of support and love.

For a second time he lift his hand but this time the shakes were much less noticeable and he was able to tear his way in, slowly pulling out the contents. He dropped the envelope onto the table and slowly unfolded the letter. With one last look at each girl he hoped to summon the courage to do what was required, he then cleared his throat and started to read out loud.


Dearest Alex,
My hand is shaking as I write this letter but I’m not sure if it is the thought of what you will think of me after I just up and leave that is causing it or the fact that I will never see you again. I have so many things I want to say, so many things I need you to know but I am already resigned to the fact that this letter will never do my feelings justice and that you deserve so much more than this will ever give you.

I must start by telling you that if we thought there was any other way for us to stay and, at the same time, keep you safe we would. Once Max set the wheels in motion by saving Liz that day in the Crashdown a bond was formed that would not and should not be broken. It was one thing for us to always have to watch out for each other, keeping out of the public eye and hoping to just quietly go through life while trying to work out why we are here and what purpose we are supposed to serve. Now that we have the likes of you, Liz and Maria to think of as well it makes things a lot more complicated. If there is one thing I have discovered about all of you, our three closest friends, it is that you would do anything to keep us safe. Hopefully, as you already know that, you will agree with and understand our actions which are solely designed to keep you safe and free from harm.

We agonised over this decision but we couldn’t see any alternative. If we stayed we may have all lived a long, happy and peaceful life but equally we could have brought untold problems and harm to all that we hold dear. The very thought of losing one or all of you simply through the act of you knowing us was enough of an incentive to do the unthinkable, to leave without saying goodbye and without telling you where we are going. You must understand that if we had told you what we intended to do you would have tried to talk us out of it, telling us we are being stupid. That is a chance we are unwilling to take.

I’m not even supposed to be leaving this letter as we all decided to make it a clean break, even a hurtful break so that you won’t try to find us and, more importantly, that you forget us as soon as possible and move on with your lives.

It was always our intention to remain hidden, keeping our secret safe from everyone but I must confess, in spite of how selfish a comment it will be, that it was one of the happiest and more fortuitous days of my existence the day you stepped up to protect Liz and Maria, bringing you into my life. I know I never treated you the way that you deserved but the only thing I can say in my defence is that I never knew how to deal with someone like you…someone that I had feelings for, and still do have feelings for. Getting close to a boy was never an option for me so I didn’t put a great deal of effort into preparing for such an event. All I can say is that if I had my time over again I would have put in a lot more effort and treated you a darn sight better.

We’re not really sure where we go from here but of course if we did know I couldn’t tell you. Just know that it was only done out of love and respect for you and our families. We know it will hurt you all by doing this but hurting you is not our intention, keeping you safe is.

I have to go now as we will be leaving soon and my tears are making if difficult for me to write any more, I can barely see the page. Please tell Liz and Maria I’ll miss them very much and let them know that both boys are close to tears right now. They won’t thank me for telling you but it will be our own little secret.

As for you Alex I don’t really know what to say. There are no words that will properly convey how I truly feel about you. Nothing that won’t seem contrived or false. The only thing I can tell you is that you changed me. I’m not the girl you first met and I hope by saying that you will understand that you changed me for the better. Your unflinching belief in me and what I could achieve has done more for me and my inner-turmoil than I can put into words. If I wasn’t going, if our relationship was allowed to run its natural course we would be months maybe years from me saying these things to you but I don’t have months or years…I have minutes and soon to be seconds. As I sit here thinking about you I wish that things had been different. That I could have shown you how I truly felt and been able to open up to someone who clearly cares about me. I’ve managed to sneak a picture of you from Liz’s bedroom. I’m not really keen for your last thought of me to be one where I have stolen something from a mutual friend but I must have you know and understand that what I am doing I don’t do lightly. It is tearing me up inside and I want almost nothing more than to run round to your house and throw myself into your waiting arms, but as I say…almost nothing. I choose your safety over my happiness any day of the week. If that isn’t proof of how you have changed me then I don’t know what it. I’ll always miss you Alex and I will think of you everyday. It has been the single, most important event of my life knowing you. I hope you won’t hate me and that you will one day grow to understand what we did and why.

Our time is at an end. I hope you have a happy and rewarding life, you deserve it. I won’t worry for Liz and Maria as I know you will be there to watch out for them. Equally I know they will be there for you but somehow I know that won’t stop me worrying about you. I’ll miss you.

Yours…always,
Isabel


P.S. One last thing. I forgot to tell you…I Love You.



Alex lowered the letter to the table and tried to keep his composure. He could already see Liz and Maria dabbing at their eyes with tissues that they had retrieved while he had read the letter. He knew that he would need one himself very soon but at the moment he was too consumed by what he had just read. There were certain things within the letter that he had taken for granted or made assumptions about. The fact that they didn’t mean to hurt them. That they were leaving to keep them safe and that if they had known about them leaving they would have tried to stop them. What had come as a surprise was the openness and honesty with which Isabel had written the letter.

“Alex honey, are you OK.” Liz asked mid-sniffle.

He barely managed a slow nod. “I’m fine Liz.” Alex paused for a moment. “If fact I’m better than fine.”

“She said the most wonderful things. She obviously did have feelings for you, strong feelings.” Maria gave her friend a gentle squeeze. “She loved you Alex.”

Alex offered Maria a weak smile as she tried to comfort him. “I know this is rather an obvious comment but I can’t help feeling I would have much rather she’d stayed here and told me herself.”

Liz smiled at her friend’s lame attempt at humour. She stood up and gave Alex a brief kiss on the cheek before turning towards the hall. “Well I think our night out has been put on hold.”

“Where are you going?” Maria called after her friend.

“To get the takeout menus.” Liz replied over her shoulder. “I feel a blow-out coming on.”



To be continued…

Chapter 4


Liz threw the piece of crust from her last remnant of pizza at the pizza box that sat on the living room coffee table in front of her.

“Alex won’t be pleased.” Maria managed to choke out as she finished her food. “You can’t just eat the tasty parts in the middle. He says the crusts are the best bit for you…they put hairs on your chest.”

Liz raised her eyebrows in surprise at Maria’s comment. Maria knew by her friends look that she had said something wrong. She quickly rethought her comment and sighed heavily. “Of course I’m not being literal.” She explained. “As though I would encourage an act that would cause hair to grow on your chest. I simply meant make sure you eat up…you need to keep your strength up, especially after tonight’s revelation.”

“I know.” Liz nodded with a smile towards her friend. “Unfortunately I don’t think I’m the one who needs the strength and support.”

“Surely Alex is going to be on a high?” Maria questioned. “I know it hasn’t really changed things as in we’re here and they are goodness knows where but I would have thought that it must come as some sort of comfort to Alex that he finally knows how Isabel really felt about him. I mean she loved him for crying out loud.” Maria’s voice had grown louder and more impassioned with each word. She was clearly feeling defensive towards her best male friend right now.

“You’re right Maria and I do think Alex will take some solace from finally having this letter telling him what happened. I mean we now know for sure what went on and why, even if we did find out via a personal letter between Isabel and Alex.” Liz tried not to sound too bitter as she spoke the last comment. “But this is Alex we are talking about. You know as well as I do that in a quiet moment, late at night when we aren’t there to watch over him he’ll start to think about the ‘What if’s’.”

Maria allowed her head to drop ever-so-slightly. “I understand. It’s one thing to lose a friend who you have feelings for but who doesn’t feel the same way about you. But to lose someone and then find out that they felt exactly the same as you did...” Maria slowly started to shake her head. “I didn’t realise. This could make things a lot worse for him not better! He could be eaten away with regret.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Liz tried to comfort her friend using more confidence than she actually believed herself. “We’ll be here for him. I’m sure that if he was ever going to find out this information he would have much rather found out four years ago but these things can’t be helped. Other than giving comfort to Alex and much wanted knowledge to us the letter hasn’t really changed things. They’re gone and we need to keep moving forward.”

Before Maria could respond Alex came striding into the room and dropped himself onto the couch beside Liz.

“How did it go?” She asked mournfully.

“Fine I guess.” Alex replied, giving his friend a soft smile. “My hand was trembling while I was dialling the number and a split second before Diane answered it suddenly dawned on me, the chance Isabel took.”

Both girls frowned at Alex so he continued. “Isabel had no way of knowing whether or not her mom would simply open the letter when she found it, other than blind trust. Now I would like to think you guys trust me but if I came home and found you and your clothes gone with just a letter addressed to someone other than me sitting on the table I’m not sure I would have been able to simply forward it on.”

“You’re probably right.” Liz agreed. “Maybe it is only the fact that four years have past that allowed Diane Evans the courage to pass it on rather than tear it open.”

“Plus I’m sure she knew that you would phone her and tell her what it said.” Maria offered.

Alex nodded in agreement. “I suppose the letter wasn’t too revealing. It did mention Max saving Liz but it would be one hell of a leap to think it was with some alien powers rather than simple first aid. She also mentioned hiding their secret but again it could mean anything.”

“So what did you tell Diane?” Liz asked.

“Pretty much what you would imagine.” Alex shrugged. “I didn’t give any specifics away I simply said they decided to leave without saying where or why, which isn’t far from the truth. I explained that there were several personal comments about how she felt about me.” Alex’s head dropped at his last words. “I must admit to feeling quite guilty on that one as even though that was the truth I did use it with the intention of making Diane feel guilty for intruding on a very personal subject. That way she wouldn’t push the matter, which she didn’t.”

Suddenly Alex looked a little sheepish. He let out a heavy sigh before continuing. “After a couple of minutes Diane started to cry. Of course that then set me off and I started and by the end the two of us where just crying to one another down the phone. Thankfully we both managed to compose ourselves and after me making our usual promise of letting them know if we hear from the others we said our goodbyes.”

“Poor Mr and Mrs Evans.” Maria said softly. “I can’t imagine what they are going through.”

Liz nodded in agreement. “I can only think it is made worse for them as Max and Isabel are adopted. They’re probably blaming themselves for what has happened and wandering where they went wrong.”

“I’ve spoken to them about Michael.” Maria cut in. “And they even blame themselves for his leaving as well.”

“Really?” Alex asked in surprise. “It’s bad enough the fact that they blame themselves for Isabel and Max but Michael as well?”

“Diane was the first one to say it to me.” Maria explained. “It was several months after they had left and I bumped into her at the market. We got talking and slowly the conversation came round to the runaways. After speaking about Max and Isabel she then went on to explain how they regretted not doing more for Michael. She said they could have helped him more, even going as far as having him move in with them permanently. I tried to tell her Michael was too stubborn despite how nice a gesture it would have been but she was having none of it.”

“That just sucks!” Alex exclaimed. “It must be a nightmare to have your two children simply up and leave but to take on the added burden of their kid’s best friend as well…”

“It shows you the type of people we are dealing with.” Liz stated. “I think all of our parents feel they should take some responsibility in their leaving even though it blatantly has nothing to do with any of them.”

“I suppose in one respect we are lucky.” Alex offered. “At least we know the real reason they left. It might not make us happy but at least we know their background which gives us some insight.”

“I still can’t believe they simply left without speaking to us…without saying goodbye.” Maria said forcefully.

“Maria what would you do to keep Liz safe?” Alex questioned.

“What?” Maria blinked, confused by what seemed like a change in subject.

“I said what would you do to keep Liz safe?” He repeated.

“Anything.” Maria replied immediately.

“And you really mean absolutely anything?” Alex pressed.

“Yes!” Maria nodded, looking towards Liz.

Liz remained silent but she met Maria’s look with a loving smile.

“Well that’s what they have done.” Alex assured his friend. “Whether we agree with what they have done or how we must always remember they did it for the best of reasons.”

“You seem to be forgetting one thing.” Liz said sternly, drawing both her friend’s attention. “Destiny.” She spat out the last word with distain.

“We don’t know that for sure.” Alex reasoned. “There was no mention of that in the letter.”

“Come off it Alex!” Liz replied a little more forcefully than she intended. “They just learnt about their destiny. Max was meant to be with Tess and Michael with Isabel, however distasteful we might find it that was what their lives here were meant to be about.”

“Pardon the pun Liz but Max with Tess and Michael with Isabel was an alien concept to them.” Maria added softly. “It wasn’t something they were looking for.”

“It may not have been what they were looking for but it certainly found them that day in the pod chamber. It might not have been their desired choice but they were dealing with duty and peer pressure.” Liz reasoned, her stance softening.

“We have no way of knowing if they paired off or not so we shouldn’t waste our time speculating.” Alex tried to settle things down. “If the truth be told they set off with the intention of never seeing us again so whatever they ended up doing we’ll never know so all we will achieve here by raking over this subject is what we always get…lots of tears, lots of heartache and no answers.”

After a silent pause Liz spoke. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take us down this road again it’s just…”

“We know honey.” Maria tried to comfort her friend. “We all feel the same way.”

Alex simply nodded.

“Let’s clear up and head to bed.” Maria offered. “We’ll feel a lot better in the morning I’m sure.”

Alex nodded in agreement. He stood up and started to collect the boxes from the coffee table. “Hey! Who’s not been eating their crusts?” He turned to look at Liz. “They put hairs on your chest you know.”




“Are we done yet?” Isabel asked tersely.

“You haven’t really said much.” Max replied to his sister’s abrupt question.

“There’s not much to say.” Isabel’s patience were fast coming to an end. “I’ve already told you everything so I don’t know what more you want from me. I dreamwalked Alex, I liked dreamwalking Alex…so I continued to dreamwalk Alex…that’s it! Story over.”

“I know in some respects this might not seem like a big deal, and in most ways it isn’t, but the one problem I have with what you’re done is the fact that you haven’t moved on.” Max stated softly. “We know we can’t go back. We know they will have moved on and so should we. Finding out that you are still dreamwalking Alex means you haven’t moved on and that’s dangerous.”

“I think you are being a little melodramatic.” Isabel folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not doing anyone any harm, it’s my business.”

“I agree.” Max nodded. “Except for the fact that you’re the one who’s talking about changing things, about settling down. I think you’re connection to Alex is simply tying you to the past and while you continue to connect with Alex you will always want to go back and never move forward.”

“Now that you bring the subject up I’m still not completely sure why we can’t go back.” Isabel questioned.

“I knew it,” Max leapt up off of the bed he had been sitting on and took a step towards his sister. Despite his advance Isabel never moved. “I knew we would get to the bottom of this in the end. That’s what this has all been about…you want to go back. At the very least you want to find them.”

“Of course I do!” Isabel almost shouted. “So do you, so does Michael.”

“But that defeats the object of us leaving in the first place.” Max countered. “We were supposed to leave to protect those most important to us.”

“And we have.” Isabel replied. “We left because things were getting too close. We wanted to keep our friends and family safe. It’s been four years and nothing has happened. Our leaving was a success.”

“A success which we could bring tumbling down around our ears if we make a mistake.” Max placed his hands on his hips in a defiant stance. “What if we do catch up with them and we find they have moved on? How will you feel if you bump into Alex and he has his arm around some tall blond and he tells you he’s in love?”

“I’d…I’d tell him I am happy for him.” Isabel stuttered her reply, which lacked any conviction. “Anyway how would you feel if Liz had a boyfriend?”

“It would crush me and that is my point.” Max said slowly. “I hope and pray they are happy and that they have moved on but I don’t need to know the details.”

Isabel looked over at Michael who was laid out on one of the twin beds in the boy’s room. “Don’t you have anything to add?”

“Not that would help.” He replied, lifting himself up onto one elbow to look at Isabel and Max. “Am I happy with how our life is going? No! Do I want to see Maria again? Yes! Do I think she will tear me a new one for leaving the way I did? You better your ass but its all speculation.” Michael dropped back into his original pose. “We’re damned if we do and we’re damned if we don’t.”

Michael’s final statement hit both Max and Isabel hard. It was the truest thing that had been said all night and it brought everything into focus. It was a no win situation.

“I’m off to bed.” Isabel informed the boys as she stepped towards the adjoining door which led through to her room. She glanced back at her brother. “I’m sorry Max, I didn’t mean to put this all onto you.”

“I know.” Max smiled softly. “Oh and Iz.” Max called, drawing his sister’s attention back to him as she closed the door. “Say hello to Alex for me.”



To be continued…

A/N: Hi, Just to say...I know you are starting to have questions about what has happened over the fours years and, more importantly, what happened to a certain petit, curly haired blond. All I can tell you is I am gettintg to it. I have a tendancy to rush things so the bad news is I am going to try and take my time with this story, sorry! David / StargazerUK


Chapter 5


“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive.” Alex reaffirmed as he stood in his bedroom doorway. Both Liz and Maria were looking on with concern etched on their loving faces. “I know the two of you are worried about me but all I can tell you is that I am fine. I’ll admit it came as a shock, finding out about the letter, but it’s done now. Anyway, I have the two of you just down the hall so if you hear a scream I’ll expect you both to come running.” He joked with a smile.

Alex stepped forward and pulled each girl into a brief hug before letting go and stepping back. “I’m fine, really.” He repeated. “We all have to get up for college and work in the morning so I think it’s time we got some beauty sleep. I’ve told you before that some of us need it more than others. I wasn’t blessed with natural beauty in the way that you two were so I need all the help I can get. Now go to bed!” He ordered in jest.

The two girls exchanged a glance. Even if Alex could have mustered an uncaring persona, which for him was a physical impossibility, his two closest friends would have seen straight through it. The fact that he was joking with them told them that he didn’t want to say anymore on the subject, he wanted to be left alone.

“We’ll see you in the morning and promise you won’t spend all night stressing over this.” Maria asked, almost pleading.

“I’ll be asleep before my head hits the pillow.” Alex stated with unwavering certainty. Now the girl’s knew he was lying.

Liz and Maria turned and started their slow but brief walk to their bedrooms. Alex watched them go, fully aware that they were worried for him but he couldn’t do anymore than he had already done. He was sure he was going to be fine but in the meantime he needed to think things through, get things straight in his mind. That way he could put this whole episode behind him, carry on with his life and move on.

‘Move on’, He thought to himself as he closed his bedroom door. It had become their mantra over the last four years. They had managed to convince themselves and each other that the best thing they could do was look to the future as the only alternative was to dwell on the past.

Alex sat down on the edge of his bed and picked up the photo frame that he kept beside his bed. He simply sat for awhile looking at the photo of Isabel that Diane had given him a few weeks after they had left. She confessed she had no idea about the strength of Alex’s feelings for her daughter until Liz and Maria had let the cat out of the bag.

He never fully understood the relationship he had struck up with Diane Evans, couldn’t have described it if his life had depended on it but there it was and at times like these he was very glad of it. The fact that they both felt a great sense of loss was probably what bound them together in their unusual bond, that and their undying love for a certain tall blond.

It also made sense that Liz had developed the same kind of connection to Philip Evans. It wasn’t quite the same as the one Alex enjoyed with Diane but it was a connection nonetheless. Over the years they had all grown into this one big extended family, joined by the their love of the three missing teens, that were, and an overwhelming belief that they each could have done more to have kept them safe and kept them in Roswell.

Alex gently placed the picture back onto the bureau and lay back on the bed. He reached up and turned off the bedside light leaving just the merest slithers of street light creeping in through his slightly opened blinds. He lay there for what seemed like hours but was, in truth, only minutes. The light danced across the ceiling and he tried to preoccupy his mind with the old cloud game, having converted it into what would now be known as the car headlight game. As the lights from passing cars pulled ever changing shadows across his room he tried to imagine what the shapes really looked like. However, after a bout of scary monsters flitted through his mind he decided he had had enough of that game and he turned his attention elsewhere.

Elsewhere...there wasn’t really an elsewhere. He was either thinking about the thing he was doing at the time or Isabel, never anything else. It wasn’t like she had died, God forbid. When someone dies you grieve, you mourn but then you try to move on…or at least that is what you are supposed to do. With someone running away you can never truly move on, nor should you. There was even more to the pod squad running away than a normal runaway, which made a difficult situation even trickier to handle.

Despite being the main voice when it came to ‘Moving forward’ Alex knew he was being the biggest hypocrite in the history of big hypocrites. He knew telling everyone, especially the girl’s, to move on was the right thing to be saying but he knew, as did Liz and Maria, that they could never truly move forward, not without knowing where they were or more importantly how they were.

Alex locked his fingers and placed his hands gently on his midriff. He slowed his breathing and tried to blank out his mind in a vain attempt to stop his racing thoughts from preventing him from going to sleep. Darkness and silence, sheer bliss. Now was the time when thoughts of Isabel came easiest to him. He could picture her face in his minds eye with minimal effort. He could hear her voice as though she was in the same room as him and most importantly of all he could feel her presence as though she was lying next to him.

This was Alex’s favourite moment of the day or night, just as he was drifting off to sleep. He obviously had no idea what was involved in a dream walk or what it felt like but each night as he fell asleep he could feel himself drifting off and he always reached a point where he felt almost a connection to Isabel. He had tried on countless occasions to extend the feeling, to extend the connection but it was there and then it was gone. He had discovered it was something he couldn’t control and it only lasted for the merest fraction of a second when he left the waking world and dropped into the dream world.




Isabel pulled her hair out of its pony tail and started to brush her long golden tresses. She had set tasks that she performed every night which had developed over the years into a full blown ritual. As silly as it may have sounded Isabel was conscious that she put more effort into how she looked before she went to bed than when she got up. She hadn’t lied to Max, she had never made herself known to Alex in his dreams but it didn’t stop her from wanting to look her best for him.

Before she got into bed she turned off the over head light so the room was bathed in a low light emanating from the bedside lamp. She walked over to the main door to the room and locked it with a burst of power. She then moved over to the adjoining door that led into the boy’s room and locked that too. It wasn’t like she distrusted the boys but they had decided that as she needed her own room, she could hardly stay with Max and Michael, they would always try for rooms with an adjoining door or, at the very least, that were side by side. They had also decided that as they were the only ones who could open a lock that had been locked with an alien burst of power they wouldn’t rely on standard door locks alone and that went for the door that separated their rooms as well.

She undid her dressing gown and took it off, placing it over the back of the chair before climbing into bed. Isabel longed for the days of satin red pyjamas but now that they lived their lives on the road their watch word was ‘Practical’. If they wanted anything or bought anything they always had to ask themselves if it was practical. Of course she had the ability to create her own red satin pyjamas but as no one would see them but her she could no longer be bothered putting in the effort.

Without looking she reached into her bag that sat on the cupboard beside the bed and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out the photo of Alex that she had taken from Liz’s room years previous and looked at it. Due to her ever increasing powers she no longer had a need for the picture when it came to dream walking Alex. Nor did she need the picture to see his smiling face. Every aspect of him was etched on her subconscious since the day that she left. She wanted the picture because it was tangible proof that she had been part of their lives, that in spite of how long ago it all now seemed it was something that had actually taken place.

Even with her amazing gifts and her fervent desire not to let things slip away the fact remained that with each passing day the gap between when she last saw Alex and the present was growing. With each passing moment he seemed to be further and further away and that was something she couldn’t handle. She wasn’t sure if it was their enforced separation that was playing tricks with her mind and turning Alex into some kind of figure that she was slowly convincing herself that she couldn’t live without or simply it was a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder. Either way this current situation couldn’t continue.

Isabel could feel herself tearing up as she lay quietly on the bed. Was it selfish of her to want and desire Alex? They had, after all, left to keep them safe so if they returned would they put their loved ones back in danger? Or was it simply that she loved him more than life itself and she wanted and needed nothing more than to be with him. You can’t help who you fall in love with, it’s something you have no control over so why should she fight it?

After lifting the picture to her lips to give it a gentle kiss goodnight Isabel placed it on the side next to her bed and switched off the light. The room fell into complete darkness as the heavy curtains blocked out any ambient light from outside. Her excellent night vision soon kicked in and she lay quietly as she tried to focus her hearing to find out if Max and Michael were still up. After a few minutes of trying she came to the conclusion that they must have been fast asleep as the pair of them were still like a couple of big kids so if they were awake and there was a TV in the room, which there was, they would be bickering over some lame old TV show. The only time the two of them were quiet was when they were asleep or eating.

Even in the dark Isabel could see the clock that hung on the wall across the room. It was late. Late enough for Alex to be in bed in New York so there was a good chance that if she tried a dream walk now she would connect to Alex. She let a little smile play on her lips at the thought of what she was about to do. If she had created some sort of ritual when it came to getting ready for bed it was nothing in comparison to her set pattern when it came to dream walking Alex each night.

There wasn’t much to it but what there was made sure she got the maximum buzz from her little dream walking trick. It didn’t take a great deal. Just the thought of his smile or how she used to unbutton his top button, which he always wore so prim and proper. A simple thought that made her think solely of Alex was all it took. Then she could feel herself drifting off. It was at that exact moment when the thrill kicked in. It was simple. At this very point each night she knew she was only seconds away from being with him. From being with Alex.

A few moments later…she was in.



To be continued…

A/N: I'll confess to having had a little trouble with this chapter so I hope it is alright. It would appear I have too much time on my hands at the moment, hence the frequent posts. I sincerely hope that isn't a problem . Cheers, David / StargazerUK


Chapter 6


Dream realm

Isabel held her breath for a moment as she took in her surroundings. She had visited Alex’s dreams on almost countless occasions over the last four years and seen many different scenarios play out in dozens of settings but her current location was a first. In the past minute or so she had gone from holding her breath in surprise to looking around the room, open mouthed as the shock washed over her. ‘What the hell was she doing back in her old bedroom?’

Before her senses had been given a chance to reacquaint themselves with her old room her attention was drawn to one of the closed bedroom windows that suddenly started to lift. Despite no one being able to see her in a dream walk unless she made herself known to them she automatically pushed herself back into the corner that she had been standing in, trying to hide her presence from the figure that was currently climbing through the now open window.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realised it was Alex that had climbed in through the opening despite the outward appearances pointing to it being the middle of the night. She could feel herself welling up as the combination of the person that she held most dear and the location that she held most sacred were joined as Alex looked wildly around the room. He ran to the wardrobe, pulling it open before moving on as he started to tear open some of the dresser draws. Finally he gave up his frantic search and slumped into a sitting position on the bed, his head now buried in his hands.

Isabel had to fight her natural impulse which was to step forward and cradle Alex in her loving arms. It wasn’t the first time she had seen him cry in his dreams and sadly she knew it wouldn’t be the last but something was different this time. She didn’t know what it was but it was definitely something that was affecting both Alex and the dream itself.

Alex slowly started to rock his body as he pulled silently at his hair in frustration. “I’m too late! I can’t believe it, I didn’t get here in time and she’s gone.” He whispered to himself.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of Isabel’s neck stood on end sending a shiver down her spine. Her mind was racing at a million miles an hour as her subconscious started to piece together what was happening. A sound outside the door caught Alex’s attention as they both looked towards the turning door handle.

If Isabel thought this dream was surreal already it was about to take on a life of its own. The door pushed slowly open and the silent figure of Diane Evans moved gradually into the room. Isabel watched in utter confusion as Alex and her mother simply stared at one another for a moment. She was aware that this was the dream world and as such anything was possible but the one thing amongst all other possibilities that Isabel was unprepared for was her mother and Alex meeting in her old room and, more than that, was the lack of surprise from either person.

“I’m too late Diane.” Alex’s tearful words broke in on Isabel’s thoughts, drawing her attention back to the scene that was unfolding before her. “I got the letter you sent me but it’s too late.”

Isabel’s beautiful features creased in thought at Alex’s last comment. ‘I got the letter you sent me but it’s too late’. Isabel kept repeating the last words over and over in her mind. Her mom had sent Alex the letter she left for him, how can that be? Alex was still in Roswell four years ago so why would she send it to him?

Thoughts began to whirl through Isabel’s mind like snowflakes in a blizzard. Why was Alex’s dream taking place in her room? It hadn’t happened before in the previous four years. Why would her mom send a letter to Alex when he only lived a few streets away? Why was he telling her mom he had just missed her when she had been gone for over four years? And most important of all, why was Alex having this dream now?

Isabel watched as her mother offered a hand to Alex which he took while standing up. When he stood up he turned to face Diane Evans and she wrapped him in a motherly embrace and Isabel watched in turmoil as the man she had grown to love and adore over the years visibly broke down in front of her. As the tears began to flow freely down her face she could hear her mother offering words of comfort to the distraught young man. Finally Alex stepped back and tried to pull himself together.

“I’m sorry Diane. I’m not really sure what just came over me.” Alex confessed.

“That’s alright honey.” Diane Evans tried to reassure the distraught man. “We’ve all been through so much over these last few years and if we can’t be here for each other when we need it then who can? You have to understand Alex that no matter when you received the letter, whether it was four years or four hours, it would still have been too late.”

Isabel felt her heart sink. That was the final piece of the puzzle she had been looking for and now she had enough to pull together the events that led them to here and now. With Alex dreaming about coming to her room and looking for her for the first time and the mention of receiving the letter after four years or fours hours the sad conclusion that Isabel had to come to was that Alex had only just received the letter she had left for him. It had crossed her mind before that she had never seen any reaction from Alex with regards the letter she left him but as there were numerous possible explanations for that she had decided not to dwell on something she couldn’t control otherwise it would have simply played on her mind and eaten away at her.

She had left a letter, despite their agreement not to, so she could explain to Alex what they were doing and why. Also so she could tell him certain things that she didn’t think she could have told him to his face, namely that she loved him. Now that she was finding out that he had only just found out about the letter it made her feel even worse than she did before, which she wouldn’t have thought was possible.

Isabel allowed herself to slide down the wall until she sat on her haunches, her back leaning against the wall. This was Alex’s dream so everything she saw and everything she heard from both Alex and her mother was all coming from Alex. It looked like her mother was the voice of reason in his head that was stopping him from simply beating himself up about what had happened.

The thought that Alex had not received the letter until today was a subject Isabel was having trouble getting past. She had managed to quell some of her earlier misery at having to leave when they did by reassuring herself that not only had they done the right thing but that she had left a letter explaining why they had left so as to make it easier on the friends they left behind. Now that was all shot to hell because they never received the letter and so never received the reassurance that she had hoped the letter would have given them.

Isabel scrubbed at her face with her hands as she tried to snap out of her self induced stupor. These thoughts were all things she could be dealing with in the cold light of day whereas now was when she was supposed to be keeping an eye on Alex. She placed her hands behind her to help lift herself back upright but as she did she felt an odd surface under her soft touch as she lifted herself into a standing position. She turned quickly and it was then that she realised the whole dreamscape had changed. When she had last focused her thoughts on Alex he had been standing in her room talking with her mother. Now she was standing in a wooded area and the hard surface she had just been leaning against was no longer the wallpapered room she remembered with such fondness but a large rock.

As she spun round swiftly to take in the surrounding area Isabel was pleased to find that she recognised the location almost immediately despite it being almost pitch black. It was not only a place that she had visited in real life but she had visited on dozens of occasions in the dream realm.

Without hesitation she set off for her desired destination. Experience told her that a little further down the path and to the right and she would find a break in the bushes and in there, hidden from sight was a certain rock. Isabel made her way down the path and turned towards the break in the undergrowth. As she approached she waited for the sound of voices that normally went hand in hand with this dream but unusually everything was silent.

Isabel slowed and dropped down onto one knee as she peered through the slight opening in the wood at the clearing that lay before her. At the far end was the rock she had been looking for and more to the point it was currently being used as a seat by the person she was looking for.

Alex was sitting on the rock that they had used on their first Stargazing trip during the camp out all those years ago. Isabel had discovered that this had become Alex’s favourite retreat within the dream world and she often spent what seemed like countless hours watching him. The thing that was most odd about this situation was Alex was sitting alone. On every previous visit he had been sitting with dream Isabel and he would tell her about his day and ask how she was keeping. It was how she was able to learn so much about Alex, Liz, Maria and their day to day life in New York.

Isabel allowed her head to drop for a moment. She loved Alex very much, of that she had no doubt, but the fact remained that she often felt like she was intruding when Alex sat and talked to the dream version of herself. The exchange never went any further than polite conversation but she had decided that it was the nearness of her and the touch of her skin when they held hands that Alex craved most.

She would be lying if she said that she hadn’t been tempted to alter the dream and make things a little racier or of removing dream Isabel all together and taking her place, Alex would be none the wiser. That thought only ever lasted a second before she discarded it for the mistake that it would be if she ever did such a thing. It was one thing to listen in on an innocent conversation but something totally different to start toying with Alex’s emotions purely for her own benefit.

Isabel moved silently round the clearing so she could get closer to Alex. As she moved nearer she realised for the first time that Alex was actually speaking despite the fact that he was clearly on his own. That was all the excuse Isabel needed to get right up beside where Alex was sitting. Once she was in close enough to hear without being spotted she settled herself down and concentrated on what Alex was saying.

“…I had to ring your mom and tell her what you said, or at least some of what you said. It must have taken such strength of character for her not to have opened that letter when she found it a few days ago that she has climbed even higher in my estimation, which I didn’t thing was possible considering the high regard in which I hold both your parents.”

Isabel felt the tears begin to sting her already moist eyes. She was right. Alex had only just received the letter which explained why this was all happening now.

“I’m glad the girl’s were there with me when I read it as once I had read it I understood that although you wrote the letter to me, which I will always love you for, I was also aware that it was also for Liz and Maria. I think I know you guys well enough to understand what you did and why even if I don’t agree with it. I know I don’t have any alien powers but I would always be willing to fight your corner just and Liz and Maria would.” A smile suddenly appeared on Alex’s mournful face. “I’m not sure there is a foe alive on earth or any other planet that can withstand Maria when she’s in full flight.”

Isabel could feel her resolve weakening with each passing word. In all the dream walks she had made to Alex nothing like this had ever happened. Alex was alone for he first time, there wasn’t a dream Isabel. He was clearly talking to her even though he could not possibly know she was actually there. Plus he had just opened the letter that she had left for him four years previous. That meant that everything had been brought back to the surface. With Alex receiving the letter it meant it was on not only his mind but Liz and Maria’s as well. Then with Max finding out about her dream walking Alex it meant it was also on Max and Michael’s mind as well.

Isabel started to panic. She could feel her chest tighten as she fought for breath while the enormity of what she was contemplating began to dawn on her. Max was going to go apoplectic if she made herself known to Alex, especially if they hadn’t discussed it before hand. Isabel shook her head with a rye smile. Discussing it meant she would put it on the table as an option and Max would say no.

As a multitude of thoughts raced through Isabel’s mind there was one overriding thought that pushed everything else to one side. If she stood up and stepped forward…it would be done. No more decisions to be made. No more worrying about what Max would think of her and more than any of that…she would be with Alex, even if it was only in the dream world. She would be with him nonetheless.

Isabel made her decision and instantly a calmness and serenity that she hadn’t felt in years washed over her. The tightness in her chest disappeared. Her breathing returned to normal and all other thoughts and worries simply ebbed away.

With one last steadying breath Isabel stood up. She waved her hand in front of her body to change her cotton pyjamas into something more appropriate for a much anticipated reunion. With a final glance down to check her appearance she focused her attention back on Alex who was sitting silently as he gazed up at the stars.

With nothing else to hold her back and the decision made she stepped forward and changed both their lives forever.


To be continued…

A/N: As I said...way too much time on my hands lol.


Chapter 7


Alex sat quietly as he looked up at the stars. He wasn’t sure if it was some kind of an after effect from knowing Isabel and her dream walking skills but he had been having the most vivid dreams over the last four years. He had often wondered if Isabel had anything to do with it since she left but he had no way of knowing for sure. Add to that the fact that Isabel had never made herself known to him during a dream meant he safely assumed that they had been true to their word and had disappeared from their lives forever.

He had given a lot of his time to thinking about dreams over the last few years. He had no doubt that the woman he adored more than any other had been the reasoning behind his ever growing obsession. The fact that the love of his life had left without saying goodbye, coupled with the reality that she had an extraterrestrial ability to visit peoples dreams meant it was hardly surprising. Every night before he went to bed he couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the night that his Isabel would return to him. Sadly, each morning he awoke disappointed, nothing had changed.

Alex wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that, to the best of his knowledge, Isabel hadn’t visited him in his dreams. The very thought of seeing her again, even in a dream walk, sent his heart soaring. However, he also knew that he would simply crave her return all the more, if that was at all possible. Common sense told him that even if Isabel wanted to see him again she may hold off from returning simply to avoid the impassioned speeches she undoubtedly knew she would suffer from him about coming back.

This current dream had Alex somewhat perplexed as it was different to any other he had encountered before. Of course he couldn’t control dreams in the way that Isabel could but there were always one or two constants in his ever changing dreams, one of which was Isabel herself. As he sat alone on their rock Isabel was conspicuous by her absence. Alex wasn’t the type of person to try and interpret his dreams but even he could make the connection between the arrival of the letter, which contributed to his troubled state, and the non-appearance of Isabel.

The fact that Isabel wasn’t there in body didn’t mean she wasn’t there in soul so he chose to use the time to explain to her what had been happening in his life. They say that confession is good for the soul so even without Isabel present he decided to carry on as he normally would and that involved discussing his day. Of course this meant explaining the arrival of the letter and its aftermath. Alex thought it only right and proper to tell Isabel that he had informed her mother of certain aspects of the letter to try and put both her parents at their ease. Or at least reassure them as much as humanly possible without divulging the pod squad’s secret.

The sound of a snapping twig under foot sent Alex spinning round to where the sound had come from. As soon as he took in the picture of Isabel emerging from the undergrowth he was immediately hit by a mixture of emotions. He was overjoyed to see his soul-mate again, as he always was, but something was desperately wrong. The look of anguish on her normally beautiful face caused Alex’s heart to sink. He was used to being the instigator of all discussions and the driving force during his dreams but having Isabel so clearly upset about something from the outset was a first.

“Isabel, what is it?” He asked as he took a step towards her. To his surprise she took a step back.

“Alex…wait!” She instructed, her voice breaking with emotion.

Alex did as his distraught companion asked and he held his position. He didn’t know what was happening, something was clearly wrong, but if Isabel’s demeanour was anything to go by he needed to tread lightly and do as she asked.

“I don’t understand what’s wrong. Please tell me why you are so upset.” Alex pleaded. “Let me help you.”

“I’m fine, really.” Isabel sort to reassure her friend but she could barely contain her emotions. It was Alex, the man she had desired for so long, and here he stood just feet away. Dream world or not Isabel’s abilities meant that she was able to perceive this as real. Every sound, every smell and every touch was as it was in the real world. If she stepped forward and pulled Alex into her arms it would be as though he was really there. “I just need a moment to gather myself.” She explained. “There’s something I need to tell you but I need to get myself ready before I can do that.”

“OK.” Alex nodded slowly. He didn’t know what was happening but even for a dream this was really out there. It was as though Isabel was getting ready to impart bad news, which was sort of odd for a dream. “In your own time Iz. Whenever you are ready.” He tried to reassure her.

Isabel started to absentmindedly fidget with her hands, unsure where to begin. “You got the letter that I left you?” Alex nodded but didn’t speak as he was unwilling to interrupt her now that she had finally started to speak. “I think you have worked out that you were supposed to get it four years ago when we left.”

Again Alex nodded silently.

“I can only imagine how hard it was for you but I hope that one day you will come to understand what we did and why. It was a joint decision for us to leave and it was also a joint decision to leave under the cover of night without saying goodbye, not even leaving a letter.” Isabel smirked slightly at the transfixed young man. “Obviously I broke that agreement, which was actually quite selfish of me. Especially after we all agreed to make a clean break but I couldn’t do it…I couldn’t leave without telling you how I felt. I’ve no doubt that is exactly how Max and Michael felt as well but it seems I am the weak one. They were obviously mentally stronger than me.”

“I know why you left.” Alex interjected softly. “How can I not understand that you did what you did to keep us safe? I can’t deny that I would have preferred it if you had stayed but as for why you left…I understand and I thank you for the sacrifice you made, leaving your family and friends the way that you did.”

Isabel could feel tears beginning to spring up in her eyes. He didn’t hate her for what she had done. She knew the type of man Alex was so it didn’t come as a surprise but nonetheless it was still a relief to hear it from his lips.

“I have a confession to make.” Isabel was almost whispering by now.

“And this is the thing you want to tell me?” Alex questioned.

Surprisingly Isabel shook her head. “No. I need to confess something before I can say to you what I have to tell you.”

“Alright.” Alex nodded. “What’s this big confession you have to tell me?” Alex said light-heartedly, hoping to put Isabel at her ease.

“I’ve…I’ve been dream walking you since we left.” Isabel managed to stammer out.

Alex’s face creased in confusion. “You’ve been dream walking me since you left?” He repeated.

“I know and I’m sorry.” Isabel began to talk in a rush. “I know it is intrusive and improper of me but when I left I had to know how you were getting on. I couldn’t bear not knowing what was happening with you so I decided to dream walk you just the once so I could find out. Once I did it the first time it became more and more difficult to fight the urge not to. I know it was selfish of me and I can understand if you can’t forgive me but…”

Isabel stopped. As she had been trying to explain to Alex what she had done and why it was becoming clear that Alex was reacting in a bad way to her news. His demeanour had taken a downward turn and he was visibly upset. As well as his stance becoming unsteady it was clear that tears were welling up in his eyes and a look of pain and anguish began to settle on his face.

She knew Alex might not appreciate the intrusion but Isabel had no idea he would react so strongly to her confession. The thought that she had brought her beloved to tears was almost more than she could stand. She was starting to regret what she had done this night by entering Alex’s dream and this would be all the proof Max would need to show her the error of her ways and to tell her ‘He told her so’.

“It’s you!”

Isabel stopped her self-admonishment and refocused back on Alex. “What?” She asked in confusion.

Alex caught Isabel off guard by taking a step forward. “It’s you.” He repeated.

Isabel’s heart started to race as understanding began to dawn on her.

As he took another stepped forward Isabel had to fight the urge to take a step back. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be near him or touch him. In fact the opposite was true. She felt she had shown remarkable restraint as all she had wanted to do for the last four years was leap into this mans open arms. Even in the dream world. The problem was Isabel had wanted to explain everything first so Alex knew all the pertinent information before she hit him with the monumental news that it was really her standing in front of him and not a dream version. When she looked back on this incident she realised she should have known that Alex was too bright not to pick up on the subtle hints which finally told him she was real.

Before Isabel could react Alex suddenly leapt forward, closing the gap between them, and pulled her into his arms. That was it…all bets were off. Isabel instantly wrapped her arms around her tall companion and simply allowed herself to melt into his embrace. She had waited four years for this moment and if the feeling in her heart was anything to go by it had been worth the wait.

They stood like that without speaking for several minutes. Initially they were both in tears but after a short while they managed to recompose themselves but neither made a move to break apart.

Alex stood motionless. He knew that at any minute he could wake up and this would be over so he was concentrating all of his efforts on not only holding onto Isabel with all his might but also on imprinting every aspect of their meeting on his mind. For all he knew this could be a one-off visit with Isabel deciding she wanted to see him one last time. Of course if that was the case Alex would fight tooth and nail to prevent it but in the meantime he would put all of his efforts into savouring these moments.

He had naturally assumed that when Isabel had come stepping out of the undergrowth it was all part of a normal dream but once she had started to speak he knew things were different. It was only when she started to talk about the letter and why they left that his suspicions became aroused. Then when she confessed that she had been dream walking him he knew…he just knew it was her and not a dream version.

Eventually they broke apart but only enough to be able to look at one another without letting go.

“I can’t believe it is you.” Alex choked out. “I’ve hoped and I’ve prayed for this moment for the last four years but I was beginning to convince myself it was never going to happen.” He admitted.

“I know just what you mean.” Isabel agreed as she pushed her forehead against his as she stared longingly into his warm and beautiful eyes. “I know I’ve had all the power as I am the one that left. Not only could I decided to come back but also I could dream walk you but it was still so hard not to be with you. I’ve told you that I have been dream walking you but you have to understand that I have never visited you in your dreams like this before nor have I ever changed any of your dreams. I need you to know I haven’t toyed with you or taken advantage of the power I have other than the fact that I come to visit you, to look at you.”

“Oh I don’t care about any of that now.” Alex freely admitted. “The fact that you are here and in my arms is all that I care about.”

“I managed to work out that you had only recently received my letter and I think that was the straw that broke the camels back.” She laughed softly. “I’ve been fighting the urge to come to you every night for the last four years but after tonight I decided that enough was enough and I had to see you…I had to hold you in my arms once again.”

“Trust me when I tell you that the feeling is very mutual.” Alex grinned. “I’ve hoped and dreamed of this but here you are. I can’t wait to tell the girl’s. When are you coming back?” Alex asked enthusiastically.


Suddenly Isabel let go of Alex and stepped back. “What?”

Alex frowned at Isabel’s reaction. “I just wanted to know when you’re all coming back, so I can tell the girl’s.”

Tears began to reappear in Isabel’s eyes. The enormity of what she had done was only now starting to sink in. She’d made a mistake…a terrible mistake. She had acted on impulse without fully thinking things through and now her world was about to come crashing down around her. Her sudden reappearance meant Alex had naturally assumed that they were reconnecting, that they were coming back. She had no choice but to rip the beating heart from this young man’s chest with the cold, hard truth of the matter.

“We’re not.” She said firmly.



To be continued…

A/N: I'm not sure I can keep up this pace but I will make hay while the sunshines . David / StargazerUK

Chapter 8


“What do you mean, you’re not coming back?” Alex asked in confusion. “You left to keep us safe and we are, job done. There haven’t been any problems since we came to school in New York and our parents haven’t had any trouble back in Roswell. We’ve kept in touch with your parents and they also say everything is fine. Is it you, are you telling me that you’re had problems?” Alex’s face switched from confusion to concern in an instant.

“No…No, not at all.” Isabel replied quickly in an attempt to reassure her partner. “We’ve simply kept moving over the last four years and we’ve never seen any sign of trouble.”

“Then why?” Alex cut in forcefully. “Why stay away when we so desperately want you to come back.”

“It’s not my choice to make.” Isabel replied defensively. She had to stop herself from avoiding the whole discussion entirely by telling a tall tale and simply laying the decision to keep away at Max’s door. By telling Alex she wanted to come back but her tyrannical brother wouldn’t let her she could avoid this confrontation completely. Of course that would have been a lie but with the look on Alex’s face it was all she could do not to pick any excuse so long as he didn’t look at her accusingly.

Isabel had no doubt that Max and Michael wanted to come back as much as she did, possibly even more so, but they had always been willing to put the safety of their friends ahead of their own wishes since the two groups had become one. If she wanted the easy way out she could simply point the finger of blame at Max but, in truth, the opposite was nearer the real story. She had watch for four years as her brother had longed for the woman he so clearly loved. If she had ever doubted how strongly her brother felt about Liz the fact that he was willing to simply walk away to keep her safe said more than words ever could. She finally realised it wasn’t something she was capable of doing. Her dream walks were proof of that.

Michael was the same. He’d spent his entire life fending for himself and keeping everyone except Max and Isabel at arms length, and greater, if at all possible. However, after much denial with regards his feelings for Maria he had finally seen sense and opened up to her. That had all been shot to hell with their need to leave when they did. It had been one of Max and Isabel’s greatest concerns after they left, the possibility that Michael would recoil back into himself and become even more distant than before. Then something surprising happened. Michael clearly decided that he had a purpose in life and more than that, people to protect and care about. He wasn’t about to win any awards for warmth and understanding towards strangers but he made sure he wasn’t a shrinking violet either.

“I’m sorry.” Isabel simply stated as she looked at the man whose heart she had just unintentionally stomped on. Finally tears over took her and she started to sob.

Alex instantly sprang forward and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t be silly Iz. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I can’t deny I want you back so much but I know you’re not doing it to hurt me and if I’m reading the signals right you would all come back if it were a viable option.”

Isabel leaned back and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. She gladly remained firmly held in Alex’s grasp as she slowly recomposed herself. “Alex you have no idea how much we want to come back to you all but the risk is too great. The fact that nothing has happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t happen it the future. If we come back and something happens to any of us we will never be able to forgive ourselves, nor would you.” She looked at him pointedly. “How would you feel if we came back and something happened to you?” Alex went to speak but Isabel continued. “And before you say it I know you aren’t worried about yourself so what about Liz and Maria?”

Isabel knew him too well. He would have little or no regard for his own safety if it meant having Isabel back but he wouldn’t put his happiness above the safety of Liz and Maria. “That not fair.” Alex put on his best pout. “You’re fighting dirty.”

Isabel nodded with a slight smile. “And I will continue to fight dirty if it keeps the three of you safe.”

Alex released his hold on Isabel, took hold of her hand and led her back to the large rock he had been sitting on. Unlike before, rather than sitting on the rock he lowered himself to the ground with his back leaning against it as support. Isabel followed Alex’s lead and lowered herself down in front of him and leaned her back into his chest, Alex’s arms enveloping her.

“Can we just sit here quietly for a few minutes?” Isabel asked softly. “Everything is happening so fast I just want to sit here in your arms and think for a minute, feeling your arms wrapped around me and holding me close.”

“It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.” Alex joked.

They each sat holding onto one another for a little over five minutes, neither breaking the mood by speaking, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Will you at least come back and see me again?” Alex asked, breaking the silence.

Isabel’s head dropped and Alex couldn’t stop himself from tensing up as he began to anticipate a negative response to his question. He knew it was a lot to ask but these were difficult questions that needed to be dealt with.

“Of course.” Isabel finally stated having given the question a great deal of thought. She turned slight in Alex’s arms so she could look back at her loved one. “Don’t think for a minute that I don’t want to dream walk you or that I don’t want to come back to you, I want nothing more in this world or any other, but I’m not just thinking of me or answering questions just for me. I have Max and Michael to think of and you have Liz and Maria.”

“I understand.” Alex said reassuringly, giving his girl a tight squeeze. “I just had to know that if this dream ends that I will see you again. As selfish as it sounds I am quite happy to spend the next minutes and hours only thinking about us, and more importantly you.”

“You’re such a liar.” Isabel called out while laughing. “I will never doubt your feelings for me Alex and I know you would never intentionally lie to me but telling me you’re not going to let your mind wander and start thinking about how Max and Michael are or how you are going to tell all of what is happening to Liz and Maria is just one big sham. It’s in your nature to think and worry about other people. It’s one of the things I love most about you. Don’t get me wrong I’m not judging you as I have been able to keep up with how Liz and Maria are for the most part through your dreams, so it is only natural that you are curious what has been happening with us and you want to know how Max and Michael are.”

Alex couldn’t help but smile as he gazed deep into Isabel’s beautiful brown eyes. “So you mean you won’t be upset if I start bombarding you with questions about Max and Michael or about what you have been up to.”

“Of course not.” She grinned. “In fact I’d be more worried and upset if you didn’t.”

After sitting quietly again while he thought through his questions Alex finally broached the subject he knew both he and the girls desired the answer to most. “How are Max and Michael?”

“They’re fine,” Isabel began. “For the most part. It’s been tough on all of us having to leave the way we did and then, more to the point, live the way we have.”

“Which is?” Alex cut in.

Isabel sighed heavily. “Which is living out of a suitcase. Moving from town to town every couple of months to make sure we aren’t being followed or drawing attention to ourselves. And of course there’s the food.” Isabel let out a sarcastic laugh. “Diner food is fine once in awhile, even a couple of times a week but almost every night for four years and it begins to wear a bit thin. What I wouldn’t give for a hearty Sunday lunch with family and friends.”

“I’ve tried to imagine what kind of life you have been living over the last four years and I must confess I hadn’t even given a thought to the practical side of things like food.” Alex admitted. “I was more consumed by where you were, were you safe and even if you were still on the same planet as me!”

Isabel tightened her grip on Alex’s hands that still engulfed her. “I have to be honest and tell you we’ve tried not to speak about you guys too often as it always makes us subdued and the mood turns sombre but it’s plain to see that you’re what we think about most of the time.” Isabel confessed. “Every time there is a lull in conversation or we find a chance to sit quietly on our own you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what we are thinking about.”

Alex nodded. “It’s exactly the same for us. At the very mention of your names or when we go back to Roswell it’s like someone has died. Of course thinking of you is my favourite pastime but it inevitably leads to thoughts of ‘What might have been’ and finally regret takes hold. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard the girls crying. Sometimes on their own but more often I hear the two of them together, the heartache of what we are all going through becomes too much.”

“What about you?” Isabel asked, concern evident in her gentle voice.

“You know me.” Alex replied casually. “I’ve no ego to massage or image to uphold. I’ve cried myself to sleep on more nights than I care to remember. I’ve cried for me, I’ve cried for the girls and I’ve cried for you. It’s a common theme in all of our lives I’m sure. In fact I’ve done enough crying for five lifetimes and I’m not going to do it anymore.”

Alex suddenly had an epiphany. A rather cunning and evil plan began to formulate in his mind, which was totally unlike him, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Alex released his grip on Isabel and levered himself up into a standing position. Isabel followed his lead and scrambled to her feet, turning to look at Alex to find out what had unexpectedly changed.

“Alex, what’s wrong?”

“I’ve had enough now Isabel. We’ve all had enough and I’m taking back my life.” He stated forcefully.

“What about your life, I don’t understand?” She asked in bewilderment.

“We’ve all been through so much, lost so much, all in the name of keeping each other safe.” Alex said forcefully. “But can you tell me why, why we’re doing this?”

“To keep you safe.” Isabel explained. “I left to keep you safe so you could live a long and happy life.”

Alex stepped forward and took hold of Isabel’s hand. “And that’s my point. You’ve made this huge sacrifice but still our lives are so unhappy. I love Liz and Maria, I love college and I love New York but it isn’t enough.”

“What are you saying?” Isabel didn’t dare believe Alex was thinking what she hoped he was thinking. “We can’t be together!” She said the words but she didn’t believe them, couldn’t allow herself to believe them.

Alex looked deep into Isabel’s eyes. “Do you love me?”

Isabel’s breath caught in her throat at the most unexpected of questions. “Of course, you know I do.” She stated firmly once she had regain her composure.

“And I love you.” Alex proclaimed. “Which is why I am going to do something you won’t like but I don’t really care anymore.”

“Alex what are you saying?” Isabel’s beautiful features creased in confusion.

Alex’s stern face slowly broke out into an evil smile. “I’m going to blackmail you into coming back.”

Isabel pulled free her hand and took a step back. “Don’t even joke about something like that.”

“Who’s joking?” Alex questioned. “Now that I know you are alive and well and now that I know that you are all unhappy, just like we are, I’m going to quit college and come looking for you.”

“Alexander Whitman…don’t you dare!” Isabel exclaimed. “You can’t quit school I won’t let you!”

“Why not?” Alex was still smiling. He knew he had Isabel on the ropes. “It’s no different to what you did for us.” Alex stepped forward, closing the gap Isabel had created. “Listen to me. None of us are happy. We don’t have to go back to Roswell if you don’t want to. You don’t even have to come to New York as long as we meet somewhere and we can all be together.”

“You’re not really going to quit college…are you?” Isabel asked softly.

Alex nodded slowly. “If it means you will come and stop me I will.”

Finally Isabel realised exactly what Alex was doing for her, for all of them. He had clearly worked out that she wanted to come back as much as he wanted her to but he understood her loyalty to her brothers. It was clear that, despite an overwhelming desire to return, all three aliens were wholly committed to their current course of action and it would take something of great consequence to alter that. By threatening to sacrifice the lives they had created in New York he was taking the decision out of their hands and hers specifically. She would have no choice now but to go back and tell Max and Michael exactly what Alex had planned. If they thought that Alex, Liz and Maria were going to give up their current existence to travel the country, if not the world, looking for them it would defeat the object of their staying away, which was to give them some sort of quality of life and to keep them safe.

Isabel reached out and enveloped her companion in her arms and looked at him with a rye smile. “Just so I am clear…You are going to give up your lives in New York because you are unhappy and you can’t live without us any longer?”

“Exactly.” Alex mirrored Isabel’s smiling face as their plan began to take shape.

“And no matter what I say or do you won’t change your mind?” She continued.

“Nothing on this earth is going to change my mind other than seeing you in person to stop me.”

Isabel’s smiling face took on a whole new mischievous look as she suddenly thought of something that might help their situation. “And I suppose if I let slip in your dream that we are in Seattle it would only make you more resolute?”

Alex felt his heart swell with love and affection for this beautiful young woman that currently held him tight in her arms. She had worked out what he was thinking and was clearly willing to be a part of it. “I’ll be looking into booking tickets tomorrow.”

Isabel started to shake her head slowly and the smile began to fall from her face. “I can’t dare to hope that this will work.”

“I think we both know what is going on here Isabel but I also need you to know that I am not bluffing.” Alex’s face took on a determined look. “I meant what I said, even if I am hoping you will come to New York to stop me. If they decide they still won’t do this then I am coming for you.”

Isabel felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. “Why are you doing this?” She knew why but she needed to hear it from his lips after four long years of separation.

Alex reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Isabel’s left ear. “I’m doing it because you are special. I’m doing it because I want you and I need you. But most of all I’m doing it because I refuse to go one more day without you. I love you Isabel Evans and life without you isn’t life. I’m alive but I’m not living.”

Isabel rested her forehead against Alex’s as the tears started to flow down her cheeks. That was all she needed to hear. “Brace yourself Alex…I’m coming for you.”


To be continued…

Chapter 9


Alex sat at the kitchen table while he absent-mindedly stirred the milk into his cup of coffee. The three friends had struck it lucky when they first came to New York as within a few weeks they had been pointed to a rent controlled apartment that had become available at short notice. One of their new friends casually discovered they were looking for somewhere more permanent to stay so when her father, who happened to be the super at a nearby apartment block, let slip of a place becoming available they made sure they were standing first in line. Only confirming the phrase, ‘It’s not what you know but who you know’.

All of that meant they were not only living in an apartment that would normally have been way beyond their combined rent money but they were also afforded a much sort after view as part of their apartment overlooked a small park area that served the local community.

After many years of living in a town where you could be lost in the desert wilderness within ten minutes of leaving home the thought of moving to one of the major metropolitan areas of the world was a little daunting to say the least. The fact that the square that they lived in had a self-contained green and even included a small play area for kids meant they had found a small oasis in what was otherwise perceived as a concrete jungle.

They had also been pleased to discover that there was a healthy community spirit in the surrounding area. Their neighbours had always been polite and friendly and the fact that there weren’t too many shops in the nearby vicinity meant that the local food store and coffee shop had evolved into the hub of neighbourhood life.

Alex took a sip of his drink as he looked out at the early morning sun. Nothing compared to a Roswell sunrise or sunset but living in such a large city meant he didn’t always get the clear vista that he so often desired. This meant Alex soon learned to make the most of the times when he could appreciate a beautiful morning, such as this.

He had woken up bright and early with the world of troubles, which he had gone to bed with, banished from his mind. The second he lifted himself from his bed he was sure he had never felt so alive or invigorated. He knew his renewed vitality was probably down to the injection of adrenalin he had no doubt received as he dreamt his way through the midnight hour with Isabel at his side. He had been through more in the previous 24hrs than he had for the last four years and it came as somewhat of a shock to wake up and feel so refreshed. The possibility that their living nightmare might finally be coming to an end was almost too much to hope for and had clearly given him a second wind.

While he waited for the slumbering girls to stir he decided to use this quiet time to try and set straight in his mind the plan that he and Isabel had devised. Of course for the most part things were out of his hands, it’s not like there was actually a lot that he could do until he heard from Isabel, so ‘Devised plan’ might be somewhat of an overstatement. The first thing they had decided that Alex would have to do was probably the most difficult. He would keep his dream and the possibility of the pod squad returning a secret until such time as it was beyond doubt that they would actually return. Alex had decided that the criteria for that was simple and involved Max, Michael or Isabel walking up and tapping one of them on the shoulder. Unless such an event occurred Alex would do his utmost to keep what he had discovered last night to himself for fear of building up the girl’s hopes only for things to go drastically wrong. It would be one thing for him to be devastated and defeated, should their plan not work, but to involve both girl’s as well while he still had the option not to would be both unwise and unnecessary.

There was a strong argument for telling the girls but in their opinion, Alex and Isabel’s, there was an even stronger argument for not telling them. The fact that he could only react to what Isabel told him, after she has spoken to the boys, meant there was nothing to be gained by revealing what was going on at the moment. It was true that Max might come rushing to New York in a vane attempt to stop him throwing his life away but equally Max might simply shrug his shoulders and say ‘Let him get on with it’. This was another one of those no win situations that they seemed to come up against more and more as of late and as his first thought was always the wellbeing and happiness of the girl’s he would just have to carry the burden himself until such time when it was safe to tell them.

Isabel on the other hand had the much more difficult task of not only telling Max and Michael that she had gone against their express wishes and made herself known to Alex in his dream but also that she had let slip they were currently in Seattle. Even that didn’t compare to the final part of her duties, which was to tell them both that Alex was coming for them. She would have to prove herself a more than capable actress as she had to carry the little white lie of pretending that she let slip their location by accident rather than the truth, which was that she had decided to go along with his blackmail idea as a means to an end, seeing Alex’s subterfuge as a window of opportunity to get them all back together. Isabel also had to contend with the varying scenarios that she might come up against, which ranged from the most likely to the down right implausible.

What was most likely to happen was that after much ranting and raving they would return to the group to stop Alex, and therefore the two girls, from ruining the life they had created for themselves in New York. What was less likely was a variation of the aforementioned plan. Something along the lines of Max coming back on his own to just speak to Alex or Michael coming back and dangling Alex off of the Empire State Building by his ankles until he promised to go back to school and leave the three aliens alone. Finally there was the most unlikely possibility, which involved Max ignoring Alex’s threat and getting the others to simply carrying on as they were.

Alex had meant what he had said during the dream with Isabel. If they didn’t come to him then he would go looking for them. Thanks to Isabel he now had a place to start if push came to shove but he sincerely hoped things wouldn’t come to that. It wasn’t just that it would be an almost impossible task, trying to find three alien hybrids that have special powers that make it even harder to find them than your average person. It was also a case that if Max, Michael and Isabel did return to them it would mean a speedy end to this ongoing saga.

“Hi Sweetie,” Maria cut in on his thoughts. “You’re up early, everything OK?”

“Oh. Hey Maria.” Alex hurried to cover his inattentiveness, which was caused by his intense mental planning. “For some reason I woke up early feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed so I thought I would come in here, sit quietly and watch the sunrise.” And with that…the lying began.

Maria grabbed herself a cup and sat down at the table to join Alex in his early morning coffee, pausing long enough to give her friend a loving kiss on the top of his head as she walked past.

Alex looked at his friend in both appreciation and surprise. “What was that for?” Alex asked with a smile. “Not that I am complaining.” He added hurriedly

“Just wanted to make sure you are OK.” She explained. “To make sure you know that both Liz and I are here for you if you need us and that we love you very much.”

“Maria,” Alex gave his friend a tender look. “In a world of unknowns and constant change the fact that you and Liz love me and will always be here for me is the one thing I will never doubt. I said to you both last night that I know I can’t stop the pair of you worrying about me but also as I said last night I am fine, really.”

“We know.” She nodded gently as she went to take a drink from her coffee. “But it won’t stop us fretting over you.” Suddenly Maria’s face creased in torment. “God Alex who made this coffee?” Maria ran to the sink and emptying the contents of the cup into the waste disposal.

Alex frowned as he took another sip from his cup. “It tastes fine to me.”

Maria turned and glared at her friend. “I thought we agreed on only decaffeinated coffee from now on?”

Alex continued to frown. “I didn’t agree to that. When am I supposed to have agreed to that?”

Maria suddenly looked a little sheepish. “Erm…it was one day last week when Liz and I were chatting while we were getting our hair done.”

“That’s not fare.” Alex cried. “You can’t make decisions while I’m not there and I’m not likely to be at the salon, stylist…hairdresser thingy now am I.?”

“Don’t get you panties in a bunch.” Maria tried to placate her best friend while fighting her natural urge to be defensive. “It was only coffee we were talking about and majority rules in this apartment.”

“But there are two of you and only one of me…” Alex exclaimed.

Maria threw her hands to her hips. “And what exactly are you implying by that?” She questioned.

Before Alex could answer a bleary eyed Liz arrived in the kitchen doorway. “How old are you two again?”

“Now look what you did.” Maria hissed at Alex. “You woke Liz up.”

“Don’t look at me.” He threw back. “You started it with that coffee nonsense.” Alex’s attention was suddenly drawn back to Liz who had started to retreat out of the room. “Wait Liz where are you going?”

Without speaking Liz continued to slowly move backwards.

“Liz, don’t do it!” Alex commanded. “You know it’s my turn to be first in the bathroom and the fact that you and Maria keep stealing my turn isn’t funny any more.” The moment Alex went to stand up from the table Liz turned and bolted down the hall, quickly followed by Maria. Alex had only just turned the corner into the hallway in time to see Liz and Maria disappear into the bathroom and slam the door behind them before locking it tight.

“That’s not funny.” Alex called half heartedly as he trudged past the bathroom door. As he turned to close his bedroom door behind him he couldn’t help but smile as he heard both girl’s giggling at their latest triumph.




A few hours later in Seattle, Washington.


Isabel sat quietly on the edge of her bed. She was already fully showered, dressed and had even tidied her room before she sat down and waited for what was to come. The more time that passed the more she began to realise how little she had thought things through. She wasn’t having second thoughts, they were the last thing on her mind, but the fact remained that the more she thought about it the greater the number of loop holes she found in what she was going to do.

It was crunch time and there was no going back, even if she wanted to…which she didn’t. Now that the thought of reuniting with Alex had planted itself in her mind it was the only thing she could think about and the only thing she wanted. When she looked down at her hands she found her fingers loosely intertwined and held neatly on her lap. She then looked slowly around the room and saw everything was smart and tidy with not a thread out of place. Finally it began to slowly dawn on her. Despite the loop holes and the lack of preparation she had never felt more serene or more certain of anything in her life…she knew she was doing the right thing. No matter what happened in the next hour or how upset Max and Michael became the fact of the matter remained the same. They needed each other and this was what was meant to be.

Suddenly a gentle tapping on the adjoining door brought Isabel back to the matter at hand. “Morning!” She called gently as she slowly rose to her feet. She watched as a slight glow emanated around the door lock before the door swung open. Looking through the doorway she could see Max and Michael standing side by side waiting for her to either step through to them or for her to invite them in. They adhered to some pretty strict rules to make sure Isabel got the privacy she both deserved and desired while living at close quarters with two male siblings for the last four years.

“I think you both had better come in and sit down.” She waved a hand gently towards the bed. “I have something to tell you.”


To be continued…

Chapter 10


Max eyed his sister as he stood in the doorway. He could tell there was something wrong and he didn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to work out what it was. The topic the three siblings had discussed the night before, coupled with the fact that Isabel hadn’t been anywhere or had face to face contact with anyone since she went to bed last night meant only one thing…trouble in dreamland.

The two boys stepped through into Isabel’s room and moved over to the bed as instructed. Isabel brushed by the two of them and closed the adjoining door, which only confirmed Max’s thoughts. She had something to say and it wasn’t going to be good.

“You saw them.” Max stated without any preamble. “Or should I say…you saw him.”

Isabel felt her body tense and straighten up. It was, as Max pointed out yesterday, a defensive reaction that she could not control but in this instance she was glad of such a subconscious response. If Max knew her so well and knew that she pulled herself up to her full height when ready to fight her corner than he would know what to expect. “I did visit Alex.” She confirmed while trying to remain calm. “But let’s get one thing clear from the outset. Yes, I have things to tell you and yes, I want to have this discussion in a calm and sensible manner but no, I am not here to defend myself and no, I’m not seeking your permission or blessing.”

Michael was somewhat perplexed. He was a very intelligent young man, much like Max, but unlike Max he never saw the need to advertise the fact at school. He knew what he needed to know and he could leave almost every other kid in school in the shade when it came to being natural gifted so that was good enough for him. He never felt the need to broadcast the fact or to impress a teacher so he turned up at class when he had nothing better to do and he did just enough at exam time to keep the school principle off of his back...but nothing more.

All of that said the one area he knew he truly lagged behind Max and Isabel was almost everything else. Or everything human might have been a better description. He didn’t care for polite conversation or pleasing other people. He couldn’t careless about what people thought about him or how he was supposed to act. It was his life and as long as he didn’t do anything illegal, or if he did, as long as he didn’t get caught, the rest was his business.

However, it was at times like these when he realised that if he had paid more attention or put in a little extra effort in his younger years he might now have a clue as to what the hell was going on between Max and Isabel. Everything was fine this morning until they opened the adjoining door. Within seconds, and with very little being said out loud, both Max and Isabel were at each others throats. He really should pay more attention.

“OK, what the hell is going on?” Michael asked abruptly, while looking from Max to Isabel and back again. “We’ve only just walked through the door and you two are at it already. Can someone please tell me what is happening?”

“Why don’t you ask Isabel?” Max replied tersely. “She’s the one doing her thing without any input from us.”

Michael looked to Isabel and he could see she was fighting her natural reaction, which was to lay into Max verbally. It had been in excess of four long years since they left Roswell and they were not the same people. They hadn’t changed beyond all recognition but they were different nonetheless. Most of the changes could be attributed to their liaisons with the humans. Each had formed their own special bond with their counterparts and each human had left their imprint on the aliens. Max was a lot more open than he was at sixteen. Isabel was less judgemental and quicker to forgive than she had been. Finally there was Michael, who had changed the most but showed it the least. You could still count on the fingers of both hands the number of people he considered a friend or that he could trust but he was at least likely to form a coherent sentence when asked a question by a passer-by or to ask for something clearly rather than just grunt at someone, which had been his way prior to meeting the likes of Maria, Liz and Alex.

Isabel simply stared at Michael for a moment. It seemed that Max and Isabel weren’t the only ones who could read each other silently. After sending Michael a brief smile she turned her attention back to Max. “I’m sorry.” She suddenly stated. “I didn’t mean to appear so secretive or defensive it’s just a lot has happened, not all of which was in my control, and I’m a little nervous about telling you both as I’m not sure you will like what I am going to tell you or if you will see things the same way as I do.”

The desire to tackle his sister head-on simply drained out of Max’s body through every pore. He didn’t want confrontation with anyone, not least his sister, and he could now tell where Isabel got her knee jerk reaction to be defensive from as it seemed he suffered the same trait. When he opened the door to her room and saw the look on his sister’s face he knew something drastic had happened and as he realised a few moments earlier it wasn’t too difficult to guess what it might be.

“I’m sorry too Iz.” Max offered. “I’ve jumped the gun a bit and I think it is down to the fact that I know you so well. The look on your face and your demeanour told me something big has happened. I think an attitude of shoot first and ask questions later isn’t what is called for here and won’t get us very far.” He smiled softly at his sister. “I’ll sit down here and keep quiet while you tell us what you have to say. Then we might have a chance of discussing things like rational people without jumping down each others throats. OK?”

“Great.” Isabel nodded as a smile broke out across her beautiful features. She was sure that if she was given a chance she could explain everything to them and then they could decide what to do next. “I’ve tried to make sense of what happened last night but I’m not sure I can so I will tell you what I know but you must understand it doesn’t mean I have all the answers.”

With both young men sitting on her bed, hanging on her every word, Isabel started what was going to be the most difficult part of her and Alex’s plan. There wasn’t a great deal to say but not only did she have to word her story so that it gave either boy very little option but to want to go to New York but she also had to mesh the truth from her dream walk with the white lies she and Alex had concocted.

“Some bits you will already know…” Isabel began. “…and from the look on Max’s face when he came in there are some thing’s you have already guessed. I dream walked Alex again last night but things were different…”

“Different, how?” Max couldn’t help but interrupt, curiosity getting the better of him.

Isabel shrugged. “I’m not sure really but I just knew things were off somehow. I went into the dream and Alex clearly wasn’t himself. I know I don’t need to tell you two that my dream walking isn’t an exact science but there are certain things that remain constant. Keeping that in mind, as well as the connection I have formed with Alex over the last four years or more, what the two of us have is nothing like I have with anyone else.”

Michael gave Isabel a slight smile at that comment and a nod of encouragement.

“I don’t just mean that I like Alex or even that I love him…” Isabel could feel herself blush slightly at making such a statement in front of her brothers but she pushed on regardless. “…but Alex is able to do things in my dreams that no one else is capable of.” Isabel turned to Michael specifically. “I swear Michael if you say one word or even hint at a double-entendre I will make you dream of Kyle Valenti in a thong…I’m not kidding.”

Michael’s sudden urge to make a witty remark understandably disappeared at the threat of seeing Valenti in little more than a postage stamp of cloth and a piece of dental floss.

“I know I’m not explaining myself very well but I am just trying to get across to you that Alex can do more in his dreams than I have seen any other human do.” Isabel sighed heavily in exasperation. “Up until last night I would have sworn he never had a clue about me visiting him in his dreams.”

Upon hearing Isabel’s last words Max shifted forward on the bed until he was sitting on the edge, clearly hanging on her every word. “Are you saying that Alex knew you were there and you made yourself known to him?”

Isabel knew this was going to be the toughest part of her story to overcome. “Yes.”

Max leapt from the bed into a standing position. “Damn it Isabel! We agreed to make a clean break of it but after finding out yesterday that you have been visiting Alex for the last four years I knew that this would happen!” Max folded his arms across his chest in a defiant stance.

“How sure are you that Alex knows it was really you?” Michael asked slowly, unused to being the voice of reason in the camp. “I mean rather than a dream version.”

“Trust me…he knows.” Isabel stated simply. “He was sitting alone when he just started to talk to me as though I was there. I couldn’t explain it, it has never happened before and I couldn’t help myself I just had to go to him.”

“You couldn’t help yourself?” Max echoed. “How difficult was it to just stand still, keep your mouth shut and do nothing?”

“You tell me.” Isabel shouted back. “How did you manage while Liz was lying on the floor of the Crashdown…dying before your very eyes? Oh wait…you didn’t!”

The room fell silent.

Isabel turned to her brother with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I know what a horrible thing that was to say but you have to understand. Alex may not have been dying within the next few seconds or minutes but when I had to stand there and listen to him telling me that he was alive but not living. That the three of them lurched from one day to the next without truly knowing what they are doing or why I couldn’t stand it! Maybe you are a better person than I am Max or maybe you have better self control than me but I make no apologies for what I did. I didn’t intend for it to happen and maybe I have brought this upon myself by dream walking Alex when I shouldn’t have been but if you want an honest answer I can’t tell you I am sorry it happened because I’m not. You made your choice to step out of the shadows and rescue Liz and now it was my turn. It may not have been as dramatic as yours but it meant the same to me and hopefully to Alex as well.”

After picking up a tissue from the box that sat on the side Isabel moved over to a chair and sat down while trying to recompose herself. Max hadn’t spoken since Isabel’s comment about Liz and no doubt his mind was full of the images of the woman he loved more than any other lying helpless on the floor as her life ebbed away…the point at which all this began. Michael continued to watch silently as Max slumped back onto the bed and dropped his head into his hands.

“I’m sorry but there are a couple more things you need to know and they are probably going to make what you already think is a bad situation worse.” Isabel stated softly.

Max lifted his head from his hands and looked at his sister. “Worse?” He let out a sarcastic laugh. “In for a penny…” He shook his head slowly. “OK then, let’s have it.”

“When I was talking to Alex he told me that he had taken as much as he could stand and it was time for him to take his life back.” Isabel recounted. “He said he was going to give up his life in New York and come looking for us.”

“He what?” It seemed it was Michael’s turn to explode. “What the hell is he thinking? How on earth does he expect to be able to find us if the FBI can’t?”

“I’m not sure he’s thinking logically.” Isabel explained. “He says he would much rather live his life looking for me than live his life having given up on me, as he sees it.”

“That Whitman’s such an asshole for doing this I have a good mind to go to New York and teach him a lesson.” Michael growled.

“Michael, what are the chances of you letting me go to New York to terrorise Maria?” Max asked softly.

Michael frowned at such a question. “None!”

“So what are the chances of Isabel letting you go to New York to terrorise Alex?” He continued.

Michael turned to look at Isabel who was watching him. “Erm…less than none.”

“Maybe we should turn our attention to a more pressing matter, i.e. what are we going to do about Alex.” He finished.

Max turned his attention back to his sister. “OK Iz, what’s the second of the two things that are going to make our bad situation worse?”

Isabel sighed heavily. “I might have let slip to Alex that we are in Seattle.”

Rather unexpectedly Max simply smiled at his sister after her confession. “You might have let slip.” He repeated. “Are seriously expecting me to believe that after all that you’re said you just happened to let slip our location.”

Isabel shrugged. “Quite frankly Max I don’t care what you believe. You weren’t there so you can’t possibly judge my actions. I didn’t intend for all of this to happen but it has and now we have to deal with it.”

“Isabel, if this is simply some ploy by you and Alex to get us all back together then it’s not going to work.” Max stated firmly.

“Why are you so against us going back?” Isabel asked while rising to her feet. “We all know why we left and we all know that it worked, they’re safe. Why can’t we go back to them…why won’t you do this?”

Max shook his head vigorously as he moved for the door. Unexpectedly Isabel stepped in his way. “I wouldn’t do that Isabel.” He warned.

“Max I don’t want to fight with you and I don’t want us hurting each other by saying something spiteful that we will definitely regret later but you have to tell me.” Isabel glanced at Michael before looking back at Max whose head had dropped and he was now looking at his feet. “Please tell me Max, I know something is up otherwise you wouldn’t be so against us going back.”

“I’m scared!” He shouted, pulling his head up to look at his sister. “Is that what you have been waiting for me to say? Well congratulations I said it so you win.” Max went to push by his sister.

“Max, wait!” She cried. “What do you mean you’re scared? What have you got to be scared about?”

Max stood quietly for a long moment, deciding his next move. “I already told you.” He said, his voice little more than a whisper.

“Told me?” Isabel repeated her brother’s soft spoken words. “Told me what?”

Max lifted his gaze to meet his sister’s again. “What if she’s moved on Iz? What if she doesn’t want to see me anymore after what I did? She thinks I left with Tess and probably thinks we are still together so why should she wait for me? You know that Alex still adores you because you have been dream walking him for over four years. What do I have?” He trailed off for a moment. “I told you before…I truly want her to be happy but it would kill me if she had found someone else. I can’t go through that so I’ve stayed away.”

Isabel stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her brother’s arm. “You can’t be that intelligent and that clueless about women at one and the same time, it’s not possible.”

They weren’t exactly the words of comfort Max was hoping for.

“Of course she still loves you and you don’t even have to be able to dream walk someone to know that.” She smiled softly. “That is my whole point about going back to them. They haven’t moved on and neither have we. We’ve all been in limbo for the last four years and it’s about time we did something about it.”

“So what do you suggest?” Max asked, already knowing the answer.

“Well I don’t know about you but I was up for going to New York.” Isabel offered. “You guys can stay here if you like.”

“Oh sure.” Max countered. “I’d love to be there for that conversation. ‘Hi Isabel, great to see you. Where are the guys?’ ‘Hi Liz and Maria, the guys decided that given the choice that would prefer to stay and watch TV in a small hotel room rather than see you again’. Why not just rip out my heart and be done with it.” Max quipped.

“It won’t be my heart Maria would be looking to rip out.” Michael joined in. “Picture something a little lower.”

Isabel tried not to laugh. “That’s one mental picture I could have done without.”

The three siblings stood in silence as they took in the unspoken agreement. It seemed they were off to New York.”


To be continued…