Lost2

Part 2

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

Crashdown��.

Isabel stops in front of the Crash down nervously.

"Come on, Isabel. You can do this, girl. You are Isabel Evans, the Ice Queen. You betrayed them in your past life so why can�t you tell them such a stupid thing in this one? OK, the evil past thing is not going to help. You are not Vilandra, at least I hope not. Ok. Stop it, girl. Concentrate on what you came here for. Tell them. They have the right to know first. It'll be worse if they find out from somebody else. What�s the problem? It�s just Max and Michael. No, it isn�t just Max and Michael. It�s MAX and MICHAEL. And they are everything to you. Everything. Ok, calm down. People are starting to stare at you, here, in front of the Crashdown, still. Just open the door and go. GO NOW!"

Isabel finally goes into the Crashdown. She glances around. Empty. Well, the place is still closed. What did she expect? It�s better this way. No witnesses. At the corner table she spots them. Max and Michael. With Maria and Liz, of course, laughing and talking. They all seem so happy. She wants to be happy like that too, or at least give it a try.

Michael is the first to realize her presence. He always is. He doesn�t share his knowledge with the others. He just stares at her. Eventually, Max notices Michael�s gaze and follows it.

�Isabel.� He jumps from his seat, running to her. �Is there something wrong, Iz? What happened? Was it an alien? An enemy?�

Maria and Liz run to their sides anxious to hear Isabel�s answer. Michael just stays sitting on the corner, staring at her, showing no kind of emotion.

Isabel smiles at her friends. If figures they would overreact like this. �Relax, people. It�s not the Alien War. At least not yet.�

�Oh,� the three gasp.

�So why are you here?� Maria asks, almost complaining.

Isabel glares at her. She is about to say something, but she changes her mind turning her attention again to Max. �I need to talk with you, Max. With both of you.� She glances at Michael, who gives her an inquisitive look.

�Ok. What is it then?� Max asks.

Isabel sighs. �Alone.� She looks at Maria and Liz.

�Oh, come on, Iz. You know Liz and I don�t keep any secrets from each other,� Max reminds her.

�The same for me and for the space boy over there,� Maria makes her point.

�Sorry Max, but this is not one of these �I know an alien club� situations. It�s something personal. I�d prefer to talk to you and Michael first. You can tell them later. I don�t care. Just, please. It�s really important to me.�

Max searches Liz's eyes and she immediately nods.

�Come on, Maria. Let�s go upstairs. I want you to see my new dress.�

�You bought a new dress? When?� Maria asks clueless.

�Oh. Just forget it. Let�s go.� Liz grabs her.

The two disappear through the back door.

�So what is it that you want to tell us?� Max asks again, taking a seat.

�Well, I�� Isabel starts talking, but suddenly stops when for a quick second her eyes meet Michael�s. She gasps.

�Isabel. Isabel. Are you Ok?� Max�s voice breaks the moment.

�Yes. I�m fine. Why?� She shakes her head to erase whatever had passed through her mind.

Max looks at Michael, who just shrugs.

�Ok. Here it goes. What I�m trying to tell you guys is that I� I mean� I� I�m going to get married.�

Silence.

�Max? Michael?� Isabel starts to panic.

�Y-you w- what?� Max stammers.

�I�m going to get married,� Isabel declares again.

"You're kidding, right? You can�t get married,� Michael says with a blank look on his face.

�Why not, Michael?� Isabel gazes at him. He just stares back at her, quiet.

"Getting married?" Max shakes his head, still trying to absorb Isabel�s words. �Isabel, this is crazy. What�s really going on?�

�I already told you, Max. I�m going to get married. See?� She shows them the diamond ring on her hand.

At the sight of the ring, Michael and Max jump from their seats, realizing that this is serious. Very very serious.

�A ring? What the hell... You can�t be serious.� Michael can�t believe this is happening. His world is collapsing. �When? How? Why? Who?� he shouts at once. �I�m going to kill him.�

Max and Isabel stare at Michael. Nervously, he starts to pace the floor while running his fingers though his hair.

�Isabel?� Max looks at his sister.

Isabel sighs. �I�m going to marry Jesse.�

�Jesse? You mean, Jesse from dad�s office?�

�Yeah.�

�That guy? You can�t marry that guy. How dare he propose to you? I�m going to kill him,� Michael explodes again.

�Michael, stop it. You're not helping, O.K?� Max commands.

Michael glares at him. Max goes over to Isabel and takes her hand.

�Iz,� he says softly. �I don�t know how this happened. How we didn�t notice it before. But it can�t be. I don�t know what you are thinking, but this guy, Jesse, he doesn�t know who you are, who you really are and you can�t tell him the truth. It�s too dangerous. So, it�s just impossible. You can�t marry him.�

Isabel looks at Max in disbelief. She then looks at Michael, who has his arms folded and a grin on his face.

�I see� So, I can�t marry Jesse. But it�s Ok for you two to be with Liz and Maria because, of course, they know about you two and don�t care that you have green skin. But me, no, Jesse doesn�t like green very much, does he? But, wait. I don�t have to be alone. I still have Kyle or the sheriff as an acceptable option.�

�Isabel, this isn�t funny,� Max complains

�You're right, Max. It isn�t funny. It�s sad. Really sad. You said that Jesse doesn�t know me. But you know what. He knows me better than you and Michael. Because when he looks at me he only sees me, Isabel Evans, the person, the one that you two forgot a long time ago.�

�What are you talking about, Isabel? We could never forget you.� Michael looks straight into her eyes.

�But you did. All I am now is a part of the plot. Someone that you two need just because I am one of the Royal Four--I mean Royal three-- and we need to be together to survive the enemy. But I�m not the King�s sister. I�m not the warrior�s fianc�e. I�m Isabel. Do you remember me? Not Vilandra. Not destiny. Not the Ice Queen. Me, Iz? I guess not. You're too busy with your happy human lives and your girlfriends to notice me. But I didn�t forget you. You are my family. The only one that I have.� Isabel fights the tears that want to come. "So, that�s why I�m telling you this. I�m going to marry Jesse. I�m going to try to be as happy as you are in this world, because now I don�t have any other world to go. And I would be very happy if you two went to my wedding and were happy for me.�

She watches Michael and Max, waiting for their reaction. Max is staring at her, looking lost, and Michael is now leaning back on the wall with his eyes closed, thinking. After a minute or two, Max glances at Michael, who just shakes his head. Max nods quietly.

�You are not going to get married, Isabel. And that is final.�

�What?� She looks surprised at her brother.

�It�s an order.�

Isabel laughs. �An order. Oh, I�m sorry, dear brother, but I don�t think that you understand. I didn�t come here to ask for permission. I just came here to inform you that I�m engaged and I�m going to get married, because I thought it would be weird for you two to find out from somebody else.�

�Stop it, Isabel. Max said no, and that�s it,� Michael yells at her.

�That�s it? That�s it? And who is Max to say no to me?�

�He is our leader. And you know that.�

Isabel laughs at Michael�s words. �Oh, that�s so sweet, Michael. Max is our leader. I bet you do everything that he says. Like when he said. �Ok. Let�s go home.� And you said. �I can�t. I like my life here on earth. Go without me, great leader. You and princess can face Khivar alone. Die in the war. I don�t care�. You are the last person on the universe that can argue with me now, Michael Guerin. You chose your destiny. Now let me choose mine�

�I�� Michael is speechless.

Isabel goes on, "I don�t have a leader. Max is just my stupid brother and you are just�you are just his stupid best friend.�

Michael is completely astonished.

�Isabel, that�s enough. What is your problem?� Max shouts.

�Oh, now you want to now what my problem is, great leader. Don�t you think that you're a little late? Why don�t you ask our people what�s wrong with them, King Zan? The people that you let down. The millions of aliens that are dying while they wait for The Royal Four to save them. And surprise, we're not coming. We aren�t even four anymore and better yet, we lost the Granilith. Now Khivar can kill everybody, including our mother. Yes, the mother that I will never get to know. And you now why? Because our stupid leader gets Tess pregnant. How sweet. He makes the mistake and everybody has to pay for it. So, we have to go home, much earlier than we would have. Probably still too weak to face Khivar. But well there's no other way. So, we all agree, well except for Guerin over there who is too much of a coward to go on. But wait, Tess is a killer. Good. Now the King can be with the sweet Liz Parker. How lovely. Son? What son? Let Tess go alone. Let the King's son disappear into space. Let our people die. Life on earth is so much more interesting��

Max is furious with his sister, in a way he�s never been before. She has no right to accuse him like that. She�s wrong. It�s not his fault. It was Tess. How could she say those things� She�s wrong�She�s wrong�Make her stop�Make her stop.

Max loses his temper and reaches out to slap Isabel on the face. But his hand stops one inch fromher face; Michael is holding it.

�Calm down, Maxwell,� Michael warns his friend.

Max looks at Michael, then to Isabel. She is crying now.

�You said that I am your home. But that�s not the truth, Max. She is your home. Liz Parker is more important to you than me��

Max releases his hand from Michael�s hold and turns his back to them.

�I�m not angry or jealous because of it,� Isabel sighs. �Home is where your heart is. And you love her. No one can choose love. Love chooses us. I know that. So I can�t blame you for loving her, for healing her two years ago and making our whole world change because of that. You're happy and I�m happy for you, but I also want to be happy for myself�please��

�My answer is still no,� Max says coldly, still with his back to her.

Isabel smiles sadly. She wipes away her tears and then raises her head confidently. After all she is Isabel Evans. �So, I guess I won�t see you guys at the wedding.�

�There won�t be a wedding, Isabel,� Max assures her.

�Max, I��

�If you keep insisting on that you will regret it��

�Should I be afraid?�

�Yes, you should.�

�Ok. That�s it. I�m out of here.� Isabel turns to leave.

�You are not going anywhere.� Michael grabs her arm.

Isabel glares at him, and abruptly pulls her arm away. When she gets to the exit, Michael raises his hand and some tables explode next to her.

�Ahhh!� Isabel screams, protecting her face from the splinters with her arms. She turns to meet Michael�s cold look. Max is next to him with the same look. �I can�t believe that you two are doing this to me!� she yells.

�We won�t let you do this,� Max says again.

�Try to stop me.� Angry, she waves her hand, throwing them away with her powers. The two half alien crash into the wall and Isabel runs away through the door, sobbing.

Liz and Maria run in through the back door and rush over to help their boyfriends.

�Oh, My God, Max. We heard all this noise and then�� Liz trails off concerned as she she helps Max stand.

�Are you OK, Michael?� Maria tries to help him.

�Leave me alone,� he yells, standing up. He walks to the door and leaves furious.

�Hey!� Maria cries, indignant. Michael ignored her completely. Why?

�What�s happened?� Liz asks Max.

�It seems that Isabel is going to get married,� Max says angrily.

�What?� Liz and Maria are puzzled.