| Part 10 ******************** It's been a crazy week. In three days Isabel Evans is going to become Isabel Ramirez. Just three days before her wedding. The wedding dress and the rings were chosen. The church and the honeymoon flight were reserved. The invitations were sent. The photographer was hired and everything is ready for the reception. Yes, everything is ready, except for the bride. Isabel has barely slept these days. She keeps having that dream of her alone in the desert. Then she is also worried about some strange events that have been happening near Roswell. Inexplicable explosions, fires and the accountings of people who observes strange phenomena, like flashes of light in the sky. People still talk about the hole that now is one of the biggest tourist attractions in town. Max and Liz are...well, Max and Liz are still the same. And Michael and Maria, um...pretty much the same now that Maria is out all the time going on some audition, or with some new greedy agent. Her career is starting to get serious, too serious in Michael's point of view. But well, he has a problem to worry about. Isabel, his Iz, is going to marry Jesse in three days and there's nothing he can do to stop it. He can't stop thinking about her. This is crazy. All the feelings, these strong and strange feelings that he has always had but never realized what they were. Now, he knows, or at least he thinks he knows. It's all so complicated. His head feels like it is going to explode at any time from all the memories and flashes and questions and doubts and pain and sorrow and happiness and joy. Michael is so focused on his own thoughts that he fails to notice that he has been followed through the school's hallway. The blond guy stares at him with a smile across his face. On his right hand is his device where a red light is blinking on the visor. He looks carefully at everybody who passes. Anyone could be him, but just one really is. But one moment of distraction staring at Michael and 'bang!' It happens--what shouldn't have. She bumps against his back and loses her balance, almost falling. He immediately turns to help, grabbing her arm to give her support. "Oh, sorry. I was..." She raises her eyes and that's when deep brown eyes meet deep brown eyes. A wave of energy and feelings pass through her body as quickly as flashes through her mind...so quickly that she can't focus on the images, they are all blurred. "Are you alright?" he asks softly, though in his mind he is kicking himself for being here talking with her. He could have run when she bumped into him but no, here he is staring at these eyes that are so familiar to him. "Yes, thanks. Uh. Don't I know you?" She looks at him carefully. "Um. You. What? Me? No. No. I don't think so." He looks extremely nervous. "Are you sure? You look so familiar," Isabel wonders. "I..." "Iz!" Michael calls her. The guy startles. This is just getting worse. How did he get into this situation? A blond girl watches them. She frowns and leaves. Glancing at his alien device the guy notices that the red point is moving. "I have to go now. Bye," he says in a rush and runs. "Wait!!" Isabel shouts as Michael comes near her. "Who was that?" Michael asks. "I don't know. But it's strange...no...nothing. It's just my imagination." "Iz, What are you doing here?" "I need to talk to you" "It isn't about that smoking thing that you want me to wear, is it?" She smiles at him. "No. Not this time. Unfortunately, it's something more serious. Can we talk?" Michael frowns. ******************************* On the street when no one is watching the blond girl changes into a tall guy with long black hair and big blue eyes. He goes to an alley. There, he is startled when he finds the same blond guy that was talking with Isabel. "So, dear cousin. You found me again, didn't you?" The blond guy glares at him emotionless. "You know, Will. You are no fun. Because of you I've been stuck in this dirty planet for one month already. Why can't we just be friends? After all we are family. So, you stop ruining my plans and we can come back home together," the black-haired one suggests. "Ok. Let me see. I would end up dead as well as all the ones I love. No. Thank you, Arcon. Maybe next time." "What a pity!" he smirks. "Where is the Granolith?" "Oh, Will. Don't worry about the Big G. I'm taking very good care of it. And now if you excuse me, I have some friends to visit." He turns around just to be face to face with Will again. "Sorry, Arcon. You are not going anywhere." Arcon glares at him. He raises his hand and sends a blast of red energy into some people that are passing in the street. "No!" Will screams, disappearing just to appear in front of the people receiving the blow himself and collapsing before them. Without understanding what is really happening some people run to help him thinking that he has just slipped and fallen down. "Are you okay, son?" an old lady asks. "What happened? Are you injured?" a man shouts. It takes a while for Will to escape from the eyes of the curious. And when he finally does it is too late. Arcon has already disappeared and so has the red light in his device. ********************* Isabel takes a deep breath. She loves the perfume of this place. There's something familiar in it. A mixture of scents that calms her heart...a peculiar scent; something like spice and flowers. She sits at the same place as ever, listening to the soft movement of the water, like it was a sweet melody. However, Michael is not as peaceful as her. He is pacing from one side to another, glancing at her once in awhile, waiting. "Ok, Iz. Spill it." He loses his patience. "What?" Isabel startles as if she is awakening from some kind of trance. "You said that you need to talk, that it was important. And we have been here for almost an hour and you haven't spoken a word. You are driving me crazy." Isabel keeps gazing at the waterfall. Michael has an annoying expression stamped on his face. "Do you have any regrets, Michael?" she asks all of sudden. He stops pacing and stares at her, astonished with her question. But before he can say something she continues. "I have. A lot. There's so many things I wish I had done differently. So many things I wish I had never done." "Isabel. What are you..." She interrupts him again. "People say 'No regrets. What is done is done,'" she says sadly. "Well, what do they know? Nothing. They know nothing. It's very easy to pretend that everything is okay. That you are perfect. That you have never made a single mistake in your life." She looks down, shaking her head slowly. "Iz. This isn't about Vilandra is it?" He sits beside her. She raises her eyes to meet his. Her eyes are filled with sorrow. "You shouldn't believe in that stuff. I know you didn't do those things. You didn't betray us." "How could you know? As far as we both know..." "I know." He is steady. "I feel it." Isabel is shocked. They have never really talked about this subject before. Well, they haven't talked about so many things. Destiny. Betrothal. Rath. Vilandra. Khivar. Betrayal. Those words have never been spoken by them. They are forbidden words. Forgotten words. And now from nowhere he brings them all up in a way she has never expected him to. He is being sincere. There's a gleam in his eyes telling her it's true. He really feels that way. "Thanks." It's all she can manage to say, shocked. However, it takes just a minute for Michael to realize what he has just done. The surprise on her face tells him all. He has just brought up the topic he's tried so hard to avoid. Uncomfortable with the position he put himself in, he starts to pace nervously again. Noticing his sudden discomfort Isabel smiles weakly, knowing that whatever had changed, was just for a minute. That is still a forbidden subject. So she doesn't hesitate in changing it. "Well, anyway. Don't worry. It is not Vilandra. Not this time. I'm talking about the regrets that I have in this life." He sits beside her again. "We all have regrets, Iz. There's always something there, you know. Something you are not so proud of," Michael comments while staring at his own hands. Isabel nods softly. She knows that he is thinking about Pierce, about the skins, about everything.... They stay like this for a while; in silence. Isabel sighs and gazes at the white clouds on the blue sky. "There's a part of me out there. I tried to deny it but I just can't anymore. Not after all that happened, you know." She glances at Michael but he remains silent. "No. You don't know. Not anymore," she whispers sadly. "Iz...." "They are out there, Michael. Somewhere, waiting for us to save them. My mother, my people, my nephew....Tess. Even her. I've tried to hate her but I just can't. I just feel sorry for her. I just keep blaming myself. She was my family and I didn't take care of her. I should have realized that there was something wrong with her. I should have helped her. Stopped her." "Iz. None of us could sus..." "No," she cuts him off. "I failed her. I failed all of them. I wasn't strong enough. I should have gone with her. It didn't matter what the conditions were. It was our only way home...Our people needed us and we...I ...I was weak. I didn't have the courage to leave you...to leave Max...I shouldn't have stayed on earth..." She gazes at the blue sky again. Michael is speechless and confused. He stretches his arm out, almost touching her but backs off, although he can't stop his words. "I'm glad you are here." Isabel holds her breathe, trying to stop these feelings that cross her whole body; this energy that swallows her every time he comes too close and says the things her heart wants to hear. She closes her eyes trying to focus before facing him again. She looks into his deep brown eyes. Michael does the same. She starts to cry and runs to his arms. Michael is astonished but slowly he lets his hands touch her back, holding her tightly to him. "Oh, Michael. You have no idea...You...You and Max have a life here. You've found your place here. You have Maria and Max has Liz.... I thought that I could do the same but..." Isabel sighs deeply. "There isn't a day when I don't think about them. When Tess let...and the Granolith. I thought it was all over. The war was over. But we lost--the Granolith's power, the Queen and the heir of the throne and we... we have condemned an entire race to an end. But now, with those last attacks..." "Isabel, we've talked about it before. Those attacks didn't mean anything. I mean, Max and I, we tried to discover something and we didn't find anything. It's been a month. Nothing else happened. No more aliens. And all these alien stories, you know Roswell, it's all a bunch of lies. There's no connection with the real thing," Isabel stares at Michael not believing what she is hearing. What is he trying to do? Fool himself so he can live a happy life here with Maria? She steps back, breaking their embrace. "Nothing happened, you said. Oh God, Michael! Max almost died. We all almost died. There's a hole the size of a football stadium in Roswell. You guys found evidences of Cadmium X. And apparently we met some new enemies that tried to kill us and then just disappeared before us. And of course these strange phenomena and accidents have some connection with us. Don't you and Max start with this coincidence theory. Nothing is coincidence when we are involved." "Calm down, Iz. I'm just trying to say that..." "No. You and Max just want to fool yourselves so that way you can go on with the 'I'm a human' act. But don't try to fool me Michael Guerin. You know me better than that. Oh, God. I can't pretend that everything is Ok and live a normal life. If they are still here, if they are still after us...That means that there is still something going on out there. It isn't over yet, Michael. And that's why I can't marry Jesse. That's why I'm going to cancel the wedding," she whispers the last words. "What?" Michael startles. Now he is the one completely shocked. That strange sensation is there again. Burning hot. He is out of breath. Millions of voices are screaming in his head. He is happy. He is sad. He is afraid. He is brave. He is lost. Completely lost. But from the outside he looks the same, staring at her with no emotion showing. "I can't put him in the middle of all this. I don't want to have another thing to regret. I can't take the risk. I can't play with someone's life." Michael frowns. "Alex and Grant's deaths weren't your fault, Isabel." "They..." "No, Isabel. Don't be stupid. Stop! Anyway, if Jesse loves you, if he really loves you the way you deserve to be loved than he wouldn't care even if you were death itself. I know I wouldn't." Michael fixes a lock of her hair that was falling over her eyes. Brown eyes meet brown eyes and hold. He smiles at her. "Maybe you are right. Maybe it isn't over yet. But who knows when it will be. It can be tomorrow or it can take fifty years or more. You have to live as you can, while you still can." Michael caresses her face. "And you will I promise. No more regrets. You don't need to worry. I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to take care of everything. Skins, dupes, aliens, humans. Nothing is going to stand in your way. You are going to get into that church, looking as beautiful as I know you will and you are going get married. And I'll be there, watching you in that stupid smoking jacket you want me to wear." Isabel is speechless. Oh, God, she loves him so much. How can anyone know him and not love him? Does Maria know how lucky she is? Isabel hopes so. All the things he does, even the stupid ones are so...he is her balance...her home...her soul. Uh-oh. She is lost again. Completely lost. No way back. Michael still can't believe what he has just said. He told her to marry that moron. He must been losing it big time. No, that's not true. If this is what she wants, this is what he wants for her. He remembers the flashes. They still don't make much sense to him. Are they real? They felt like it. But if they are so? He lost her then and he can't bear losing her again. It doesn't matter how it hurts. He has to do what he has to do. For her. Seeing in her eyes that she is as lost as him Michael tries to break the tension. "...I mean unless you have any other reason for not marrying that idiot, you know a non-alien-related reason." "And what other reason would I have?" "Well, I can give you two or a hundred good reasons." "I'm sure you can. But you will never say the only one I want to hear, Michael," she whispers to him. Michael stares at her without understanding her statement. Isabel sighs. "Forget it. Let's go now, Michael. I'm tired." ~In what other lives have I known your kiss And what forgotten moments have I felt like this The way you touch me I come undone You know me more than anyone Whatever you want~ "Whatever you want. I'm tired too and starving. Tell you what, I'll pay for your lunch." Isabel is already walking away when the words stop her abruptly and she stares at Michael. "Wait, you, Michael Guerin, are going to pay for my lunch? Ok. That's it. Who are you? And what have you done with my friend?" ~In what other lives have I touched your face And what words did we whisper in a strange forbidden place To be with you baby is to find myself We're two of a kind, you and I Couldn't love like anyone else~ "Ha-Ha. Very funny, Isabel. I've paid for your lunch before." ~You are my beginning, my end You are my lover, my friend In this life, in this time~ "Really? When?" "Humm..." "See." ~Whatever you want, whatever you need I will be right here waiting, baby baby baby Whatever you want, whatever you need I will be right here waiting, yeah yeah yeah yeah~ "Hey, wait. I remembered. 5th grade. Valentine's Day. You, me and Max remember?" "Yes..." "So?" "So what?" ~In what other lives did I feel your skin And when exactly did I breathe you in Feel like I've known you for a thousand years You're so familiar to me and there is no fear~ "I paid for your lunch that day." "Michael, you brought me ice cream." "Well, ice cream can be lunch." "Yeah...on our home planet maybe. And as far as I remember I've never really had the chance to taste that delicious ice cream because you stumbled and spilled it all over my new dress." "Oh, man. That's right. You should have seen the face you made back there. It was so funny." Michael bursts out laughing. Isabel enjoys seeing him laughing like this again. It's something so rare nowadays. But wait. He is laughing at her. Yes, she is glad he is happy, she loves him more than anything but he is laughing at her. Oh no. No one laughs at the Ice Queen, at least not without paying a price. ~You are my beginning, my end You are my lover, my friend In this life, in this time~ She glances at the waterfall behind her and grins. "Oh, Mikey. Do you think that was funny? I'll show you what is really funny." She waves her hand and in a second Michael is completely soaked. ~Whatever you want, whatever you need I will be right here waiting, baby baby baby Whatever you want, whatever you need I will be right here waiting, yeah yeah yeah yeah~ Michael is open-mouthed. He runs his hands through his soaked hair and raises his eyes to stare at a smiling Isabel. Isabel sees him chuckling and...Uh-oh. That malicious look... "You wouldn't dare." "Wouldn't I?" Michael chuckles artfully. Immediately he starts to run after her. ~Watch the sun go down, yeah yeah. My past and future in you are bound, oh yeah I watch as time moves on, I'm alive and strong And when I'm with you there's no right, no wrong~ "No. Michael. Please no," she yells as he grabs her, making the two of them fall into the water. The two are laughing and playing as they used to when they were children. All the problems and worries were forgotten. Right now all that mattered was this little precious moment. ~Whatever you want, whatever you need I will be right here waiting, baby baby baby Whatever you want, whatever you need I'm gonna be right here waiting, baby baby Whatever you want (whatever you want) Whatever you need (whatever you need) I will be right here waiting, baby baby baby Whatever you want, whatever you need Whatever you want Right here, right here waiting Right here, right here waiting~ -end_ |