Name: Lori R 6/02
Email: Gussywussy55@y...
Title:'Division'
Category: Outsiders (Max and Isabel)
Rating: NC 17, (of course) so if you are not over 17
then please don't read.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I write
about them for my own enjoyment and no infringement is
intended.
Feedback: Yes, it is helpful.
Summary: On the road, after graduation, about a year
later. 

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

Isabel dropped her towel and lotion on the ground
beside the sun chair, and stepped out of her shoes.
Glancing across the pool, she saw Maria and Liz
already laying out. Their conversation had stopped as
soon as they spied Isabel entering the small pool
area. 
She could feel their eyes on her, especially Liz's as
Isabel pulled off her white T-shirt, and pulled back
her hair. She applied some lotion to her skin, and 
tugged the bottom of her red two piece down before
sitting in the chair. Stretching out, she closed her
eyes and pretended that the tension in the air was not
happening.
Things had been like this for months now. Ever since
'the incident', things in their world had not been the
same.

Max gripped the railing as he looked down at the pool
area from the second floor walk above. 
The girls were there. He watched as Isabel headed to
the far side away from Liz and Maria, and he sighed.
He could see Isabel pretending to not be effected by
Liz and Maria's snubs, but he knew Isabel. She was
hurting. The only females she could really associate
with, the ones who had been the closest to what Isabel
called friends the last few years, were now her
enemies, and it was all his fault. 
"Something's got to be done Max. This can't keep going
on. Maria's on Liz's side so that puts me in the
middle. I don't like that!" said Michael, as he joined
Max at the railing.
Max barely nodded his head in acknowledgment to
Michael's words. "I know. This is all my fault. I just
never thought....I mean we didn't plan it," said Max
sadly, as he looked out at the sky. Things were a mess
and he didn't know how to fix them.
"It's made us divided Max. But you must have known
that would happen when you made the decision to be
together," said Michael, not bothering to look Max's
way.
Max looked down at his clinched hands. No, he hadn't
thought about it. He hadn't given any thought to what
this would do to all of them. He had been in the
moment, and now they were all paying for his weakness.
Kyle approached and looked over the side at the scene
below.
"So no hair pulling yet? No, bitch slapping?" 
"Shut up Kyle," said Max, as he turned back to
watching the girls.
"Hey look, I understand. I mean you can't help this
alien thing that's going on, but Liz is my friend too,
and I hate to see her hurt," said Kyle.
"I don't like to see her hurt either Kyle," said Max
in exasperation. "I didn't set out to hurt her."
"You've got to make her understand Max. I tried with
Maria, but she won't listen. All she sees is that you
hurt Liz," said Michael. 
Kyle straightened. "Hey, something's about to happen."
All three looked below as Liz got up and headed
towards Isabel.

Isabel knew as soon as the shadow fell over her, who
was casting it.
"Liz."
"Isabel, we need to talk," said Liz as she stood
nervously looking down at Isabel.
Isabel opened her eyes, and nodded as she took a deep
breath.
"Okay. Have a seat," she said as she gestured to the
chair beside hers. She looked over at Maria.
"What, no back up?"
Liz too, glanced in Maria's direction. 
"No, no back up," she said, shaking her head. 
"So talk," said Isabel, her stomach turning flips with
nerves. She had both wanted and dreaded this
conversation for some time now. She had tried to talk
to Liz several times to explain what had happend, but
Liz wouldn't have it. So now maybe they could get
everything out in the open. Make everything better
again despite how it would effect her in the long run.
"We need to talk about...what happend," said Liz. She
was shaking. She never dreamed she would be having
this conversation, especially with Isabel. Never with
Isabel.
Isabel nodded, just as nervous. "I know. You know it
wasn't planned...we didn't know..."
"That I would walk in and find you in bed...with Max?"
The pain was evident in her voice. "No, I guess not."
The picture of Max and Isabel asleep in each others
arms, naked and tangled up in the sheets was burned in
her mind forever.
Isabel closed her eyes trying to keep the tears from
falling. 
"It...it wasn't like that....it was, but it wasn't.
You don't understand," said Isabel, desperately hoping
to find the words to explain.
"No, no I don't understand. When we found the books in
the sewers, and found out you three aren't related I
never thought you would go after Max!"
"We didn't plan it Liz," said Isabel quietly.
"I always thought you two were overly protective, but
I just shrugged it off because you're aliens and the
whole situation of growing up amidst humans," said
Liz, giving a little humorless laugh. "But I never
dreamed it was because you were attracted to one
another."
"We weren't! It wasn't like that! I mean the
attraction was built on that, but we didn't go out
seeking one another. It just happened!" argued Isabel.

"But you knew Max and I were together, and you still
did nothing to keep it from happening! What I want to
know is how long had it been going on? Was it right
after we found the book in New York, or what? I mean I
thought Max loved me. And then I find out...I find out
he really wanted you," said Liz, choking on the words.
She covered her mouth as tears threatened to fall.
Isabel's throat burned from trying not to cry.
"It wasn't immediate. What you saw was the first and
only time. We never meant to hurt you," whispered
Isabel.
Liz stared at Isabel with hate in her eyes. "Well you
did."
"I'm sorry. And I know Max is too. But it's not
happened again." Isabel felt sick inside. This was
going badly.
"I don't believe you. It's been months. I've seen the
way you look at one another," accused Liz.
Isabel stood up. "You asked, and I told you the truth.
It wasn't something we planned. We didn't mean to hurt
you or anyone else. I don't know how else to say I'm
sorry," she managed to get out before a sob followed.
She gathered her things and hurried out of the pool
area, continuing on around the corner where she fell
against the wall and silently cried.

Above Max observed the exchange and wished he could
have heard it as well. What ever was said though, both
girls were not happy, and in tears. Nothing had been
resolved. If anything it looked like matters were just
made worse.
"I'll see you later," he said as he moved to follow
Isabel.
"Max!" Michael said, as he stopped Max with his hand.
"When are you going to talk to Liz?" he asked. "I
can't take much more of Maria bad mouthing you and
Isabel to her and to me."
Max grimly looked back at Michael. "After I talk to
Isabel. I'll talk to her after Isabel." And he walked
away.
"If this doesn't get settled soon I'm out of here, and
I'm dragging Liz with me. Being at each others throats
will get us killed. We won't need the FBI or aliens to
do it for us, because we'll do it ourselves," said
Kyle as he gripped the railing.
"Leaving may be for the best either way," said
Michael, as he walked inside the room behind him.
"I think so too," said Kyle to himself, as he too
walked away.

*********

Max found Isabel silently crying under the stairs. She
turned away as Max approached.
"Iz? Isabel?" said Max. He couldn't stand to see her
like this. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but
Isabel pulled away. 
"Go away Max...please," whispered Isabel brokenly.
He pulled his hand back. 
"Isabel, I just wanted...."
"Max...please. Just go," repeated Isabel as she wiped
at her eyes. "We made a mistake. Now let's put it
behind us and move on. For the good of everyone we
have too."
Max frowned. "No! No, it wasn't a mistake! Not to me.
I love you! And I know you love me, so I'm not
forgetting about what we shared or how we feel about
one another! Liz will just have to understand. They
all will. We belong together and we will be together!"
Isabel whirled around.
"How can we be together if it is tearing everyone else
apart? Can you be happy knowing that no one else is?"
she asked him.
"Can you be happy not being together?" he questioned
in return.
Isabel looked off as she again wiped at her tears. 
"No, but since when have the three of us had much
happiness? It's just not meant to be for us."
She walked past him.
"Tell me you don't love me!" he said.
Isabel paused, but didn't turn around. 
"I can't."
"Then there is no reason we can't be together!" Max
told her. She couldn't just walk away from what was
supposed to be.
Isabel hung her head and then raising it up, continued
down the walk.
"Iz...." Max plaintively called out to her.
Isabel shook her head as she hurried off. Max watched
until she was out of sight, then fell back against the
wall, his mind going back to what had changed all of
their lives....

....Months earlier.....

"Oh my gawd! You mean someone actually lives down
here?" asked Maria, her nose wrinkling as she followed
Michael and the others through the sewers. She side
stepped a puddle of something she chose not to
identify as she clutched at Michael's hand. "Gross!"
"Lived," corrected Max, as he entered the area that
the Dupes had lived in. It was apparent no one had
lived there since he and Tess had been there. Lonnie
and Rath had moved on.
"Where do you suppose they went Max?" asked Liz, as
she stood beside him. She remembered how hard Ava
looked, the other Dupes too. Now seeing where they
were raised she understood why.
"I can't believe this is where they were raised Max.
How horrible for them. It could have been us," said
Isabel as she took in the suspended pods above the
floor, and the mix matched items, undoubtabley stolen,
that made up their doubles home.
"Makes you glad you were raised in Roswell after all
doesn't it?" commented Kyle. The others glanced at
Kyle then slowly at each other. His words had never
rang more true.
"Well let's get started. I want to know if they had
anything to tell them about themselves. They seemed to
know more than we did when Tess and I were here, so I
want to know how they knew. We had the book, the orbs,
the symbols, the crystal. We were even given the
Granolith. What did they have? Everyone spread out,
and don't miss anything," instructed Max.
They searched for hours. Nothing was too big or too
small to consider. They were getting discouraged when
Liz, taking a break, looked up at the discarded pods.
"Max." 
Max glanced her way, and then followed her eyes.
"Michael," he called out as he walked over to the wall
the pods were suspended on. The others stopped and
watched as Max began to move boxes and tables to stack
so he could reach the pods. Michael followed suit with
Kyle next to them until they could search inside the
pods.
"Empty," said Max in disappointment, after feeling
around inside.
"Same here," said Kyle, leaning against the wall.
"I've got something!" shouted Michael, as he pulled
out two books. One that looked like the one they had
back in Roswell, and a spiral notebook.
He handed them down to Isabel, who opened the alien
book first. She began to shake as she looked at the
contents. The other book fell to the ground.
"Isabel, what's wrong?" asked Max, as he hurried down
to her.
Isabel didn't answer as she shoved the book at Max,
and moved across the room.
Max opened the book and almost reeled at what he saw.
"Max?" He could hear Liz's voice full of concern
coming from somewhere, but his mind refused to listen.
It would only focus on what he saw.
"What the hell is it?" asked Michael, as he grabbed
the book and searched for whatever was upsetting his
friends. He blanched. "This doesn't mean anything," he
told them as he too tried to take in what was in his
hands. "What do you believe, this or what we've always
known?"
He knelt down and picked up the other book, a diary he
realized when he opened it. Ava's diary.
"Max, what's in the book?" asked Liz. She was
frightened and didn't even know why.
Max looked towards where Isabel stood. "Isabel,
it...we don't know that it's true," said Max trying to
stay calm.
Liz grabbed the book away from Michael and bit her lip
at what she saw. "No, this can't be. It's a trick!
That's it a trick! You can't believe this Max! Max?!"
Maria could tell Liz was going to lose it, so she went
to her and took the book. Her mouth dropped open "Tess
and Michael....Max and Isabel? What the hell is this?"
"You mean everything is reversed from the book you
guys have?" asked Kyle. "That would mean that Max and
Tess were brother and .....oh man!"
Max wanted to throw up at the thought Kyle had just
planted in his head. Tess was his sister? No, he
couldn't think that. He wouldn't think that.
"Shut up! Listen to this," yelled Michael, as he
looked through the diary. "This is Ava's diary. Listen
to what she wrote." 
He began to read, "I hate our life. Zan, Lonnie, and
Rath or convinced that we are the 'Royal Four', but I
know we're not. I mean anyone can tell we're not
destined for leadership. It must be the ones in that
little desert town. I mean why hide royalty in a
sewer? 
Zan and Lonnie were at it again last night. She pissed
him off by talking back to him, so he beat her. Then
they had sex all night. It's a love/hate relationship
they got going on. I wonder if they was like that on
Antar? Rath says it's not fair that Zan and Lonnie
were mates on Antar and here too. Zan would kill Rath
and Lonnie if he knew they're screwing around behind
his back. I would never do that to him. I've loved him
forever, but here as on Antar, I'm stuck with Rath.
Our protector, (protector, that's a joke) told us that
on Antar, Zan's family took me in when mine was
killed. Here I'm still his 'little sister' even though
I'm not. Why can't he see that I love him and would do
anything for him? I think Lonnie and Rath are up to
something, but I'm not sure what. I'll have to try and
figure it out later. Can't write anymore now. Their
waking up. They would kill me if they knew I kept
this."
He looked up. "That's the last entry."
"Well she lied! It's a plant! They figured out we
would come here and planted it! Come on you guys, you
know it's not true!" said Maria looking around at all
of them. 
But Liz slowly shook her head. "Ava wouldn't have made
that up. She loved Zan. She told me he didn't love her
back. And she said she should have known Lonnie and
Rath were planning something." She looked at Max and
whispered brokenly, "It's all true. It was never you
and Tess. It was you and Isabel." 
Max looked between Liz and Isabel. The looks on their
faces must have mirrored his own. Shock, confusion,
and pain....

....."Max! Max! I thought you were going to talk to
Liz?"
Max blinked as he brought himself back to the present.
"What? Yeah, I'm going now," said Max wearily.
Michael watched him walk off. "I wouldn't want to be
in your shoes Max."

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

Liz answered the knock on the door of the room she
shared with Maria and Michael.
Her heart stopped beating, and the air went out of
her.
"Max," she whispered.
"Can I talk to you Liz?" he asked.
She nodded, her head barely moving as she stared at
him.
Max moved inside the room, and Liz closed the door.
They were both nervous.
"I want to talk about what happened," stated Max.
"I know what happened. You slept with Isabel," said
Liz, as she moved towards the dresser.
"Yeah...okay, but it...it...I never meant for you to
be hurt. I never guessed I would fall in love with
Isabel. I..." Max tried to explain.
"You're in love with her?! Oh my gawd!" Liz cried out
in shock. 
"Liz, you read the book. You know Isabel, Michael, and
I are not genetically related. I can't help my
feelings for her," said Max. 
"Just like with Tess, huh Max?" came her retort.
Max looked away. She was right. 
"Max, you and I were going to be married! For three
years you told me you loved me! We endured so much
together, and now you're throwing it all away to be
with her? I wrote my father we were married Max!"
He looked up shocked.
"I didn't want him to worry about me. I knew it was
going to happen sooner or later so I told him we
were," said Liz. "I can't believe how stupid I was."
"Liz," said Max, sadly. He had not known she had done
that. But he knew that what she said was true. They
had talked about getting married, and then everything
had changed from what he had felt the last three
years.
"I dreamed about us going to a little chapel to get
married, and I had flowers in my hair...." said Liz
with a dreamy voice. "But I was wrong," she said
looking at him bitterly.
"Yes," Max softly replied.
"I want to leave Max," she told him.
Max looked up, and nodded. 
"Kyle said he would take me somewhere away from all of
this," she gestured with her hand. 
'But your powers they aren't developed. We don't know
what else will happen," said Max concerned.
"We'll handle it," said Liz, her face showing she
wouldn't be stopped in her decision to leave.
"Fine," said Max with resignation, as he opened the
door. "I wish you happiness Liz." 
And he closed the door.

**********

Isabel stood under the shower spray and just let it
wash over her. Would all of this ever end? Her mind
went back over the night things had changed for good
between all of them. The night things had changed
between her and Max.....

......They had all been swimming. What should have
been fun was anything but fun. Liz and Maria though
cordial, were not as friendly around Isabel anymore.
Isabel had done nothing to have them treat her this
way, but just the fact that the books said she and Max
were mates made Liz and Maria treat her differently. 
The tension between Max and herself was worse. They
couldn't even look at one another anymore. The thought
that they were mates was too much to handle. And she
didn't want to admit that since they had found the
books, she had began to have feelings for Max. She
didn't know when they had started, but she hadn't been
able to deny she had them. But she had kept them to
herself. It would destroy them all if she let them
know she loved Max.
But all of them had to live together, so they had
tried to pretend nothing was wrong. No one spoke about
what they had found, but it was there between them.
The others had wanted to go eat after their swim, but
she had gotten too much sun and had retreated to treat
her burn. Retreated from the stares. Retreated from
Max. 
But Max had followed knowing his hands could heal her.

She had been surprised and nervous to see him. 
"Max, you shouldn't be here. Not with the way they
think about us right now," she had told him.
"You're burned. You do this all the time Isabel. I
just want to heal you as I always do," replied Max.
She had nodded and had sat on the bed, Max behind her.
He had placed his hands on her, and she could feel the
burn slowly begin to heal. Then she had felt his hands
gently move over her back and shoulders.
"I...I think that...that you're okay now." His voice
had been husky. Deep. Full of something that ignited
something within her.
That's when his lips touched her shoulder.
Isabel sprang from the bed.
"Max...Max what are you .....ohhhhh," Isabel had been
shocked, but now her skin was tingling where his lips
had been. She was all fluttery inside. This was Max,
but then all coherent thought left her as his mouth
descended again onto the nape of her neck.
His hands had moved up and down her arms, and then he
had turned her towards him. His mouth had been on
hers, her neck, her collar bone, the swell of her
breast.
Her hands tangled in his hair. She couldn't push him
away. Something had pulled them together. Something
they couldn't control. 
"What's happening to us Max?" she had asked between
kisses.
"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore," he had
said, his breathing growing more ragged.
Her top had been tossed aside, his hands cupping and
molding her aching breasts, her nipples pepple hard.
"Isabel..." he had breathed, her name sounding
beautiful on his lips.
His mouth had set her skin on fire as he had kissed
his way down her body. He had slowly drawn her bottoms
down her long, slender legs and tossed them aside
before moving between her legs.
She could feel his arousal through his trunks and was
afraid.
"We can't...." she panted, but her hands were pushing
up his shirt. She had needed to feel his bare skin
next to hers. 
"Let me in Isabel...please let me in," he had begged.
And she had.
She had pushed at his trunks, his member springing
free and in to her waiting hand.
He'd moaned. She had made him do that. Made him want
her. 
Then he had stared in to her eyes and pushed inside
her, his body sinking slowly until he was to the hilt.
"Oh gawd," he breathed, his breath hot against her
ear.
They had moved as one, as if they had been made to fit
together, and they had. He had made love to her until
she cried out his name, his warmth filling her as he
came deep inside of her. 
"I love you Isabel," he had said, and she knew he
loved her the way she loved him.
"I love you too, Max." 
Together they had fallen asleep, only to be awakened
later by Liz's screaming....


....Isabel shook her wet head and sighed. Everytime
she replayed making love with Max, it made her desire
him, and that was something that just couldn't be. Not
again.
She exited the bathroom from finishing her night time
routine, and hesitated as she saw Max sitting on the
side of the bed he shared with Kyle. 
Their eyes locked.
Did she even know how good she looked standing there
with her fresh scrubbed face, and the scent of soap
clinging to her? Max wondered as he tried to act
normal.
Did he know what memories he brought back sitting on
the bed like that? He was wearing the same shirt he
had on that night. He hadn't worn it since then. Why
now? Isabel clutched her robe tighter to her as she
struggled to stay uneffected by Max.
Then the door opened as Kyle entered the room, and the
moment was gone.
Kyle closed the door and said, "Liz and I are leaving
in the morning."
"Your leaving?" asked Isabel. She hadn't really
thought they would, but she should have known.
Max nodded. "Liz said you might."
"You know I know how Liz feels," said Kyle.
"What?" asked Isabel confused. 
"I've had feelings for you for a long time Isabel, but
I didn't tell you, and then it was too late. You
married Jesse. Another mistake in the Kyle Valenti
romance department," said Kyle with a humorless laugh.
Max was stunned, and Isabel's mouth dropped open.
"Kyle....I never..."
"I know, you never knew. How could you? When you
married Jesse that was it. Then your Dad got word to
us that Jesse had been granted a divorce. I had some
hope then. But when we went to New York and searched
the sewers for something about you guys because your
look alikes had lived there...finding those 
books...those damned books, I knew some how you would
be with Max or Michael. I didn't have a chance," he
said, with an ironic laugh tinged with sadness.
"Oh gawd Kyle....I," Isabel sat down on her bed. She
had never guessed Kyle had feelings for her. "Kyle,
I'm sorry."
"Yeah, well me too. But this way I won't be torturing
myself anymore. Sleeping in the same room as you two
even though you were in separate beds hasn't been a
real picnic for me you know. And who knows, Liz and I
may hook up again," Kyle said shrugging, but inside he
hurt.
Max and Isabel stared at one another. They had no idea
that Kyle had been effected as he had by their
actions.
A knock sounded on the door.
Michael stepped inside and looked uncomfortable when
he saw Kyle standing there.
"Did you tell them?" he asked, his tone indicating
that it would have been a mistake to do so.
"No. That's not my job," said Kyle, holding up his
hands.
Max stood up. "What's going on?" He looked between
Michael and Kyle and the feeling he got wasn't a good
one.
"Maria and I are leaving with Kyle and Liz tomorrow,"
Michael told him.
"NO!" gasped Isabel as she came to her feet. Things
were changing too fast, and she didn't like it.
"You can't leave! We...we stay together Michael! How
many times have we said that!"
"Michael?" asked Max. He knew it was coming, but the
shock came anyhow. Michael had been moving away from
them for sometime now. Ever since the discovery of the
first book Michael had been leaning more towards being
human and less towards his alien side. His involvement
with Maria sealed it no matter what his feelings were
for Max and Isabel.
"Maria won't stay with Liz gone. Not the way she feels
about what's happened between you two," he looked away
with guilt. 
"You don't have a car! You can't leave with out a
car!" said Isabel, as she tried to grasp at something
to make them stay.
"Um, Kyle and I just came back from ...we have a car,"
said Michael, as he pointed behind him to the parking
lot outside.
Isabel wiped at the tears that threatened to spill.
She was not going to cry. Not now. But later...later
she would cry her heart out over what had become of
all of them. 
Max walked over to Michael. "I hope you stay in touch
some how. I don't want to think we've lost you forever
you know," said Max as he hugged Michael to him.
"Seems we do a lot of this," cracked Michael as he
tightened his hug on Max. He eyed Isabel sitting on
the bed. "Isabel, you do understand don't you? I have
to go."
Isabel nodded. She stood and went to hug Michael as
well, but no words would come. Then turning to Kyle
she hesitated then hugged him too. "I'm sorry Kyle,"
she whispered in his ear.
Kyle wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes,
savoring the feel of her. He tried to imprint her
scent, her touch, everything so he could remember it
later. 
They pulled apart when Michael said, "We leave early
so I guess I'll hit the hay."
"Yeah, I just want to make sure the tank is full,"
said Kyle as he followed Michael out. 
"Isabel, you okay?" Max asked. She looked so lost, but
he knew she wouldn't allow him to comfort her. Not
right now.
Isabel nodded. As Max followed the others out and
closed the door behind him, Isabel lay down on her bed
and curled into a ball. Then the tears came.

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

He could hear her trying not to cry. The ragged
breaths, the sniffing. He and Isabel had left soon
after the others and she had been quiet ever since.
Saying good bye to Michael and Kyle had been hard.
Saying it to Maria, and especially Liz had been a
mixture of sorrow and relief. The guys had agreed to
message through the email account set up before they
left Roswell so they could stay in touch if an
emergency arose.
Now it was late and there was no sign of a motel for
miles. Max's neck and back ached from driving all day.

"Isabel, I've been driving out here in total darkness
for hours and I don't see a motel or anything else for
that matter. If you want to sleep in a bed tonight,
you need to drive for a while. Otherwise we sleep in
the van," said Max looking her way.
"The van's fine," replied Isabel quietly.
"You sure?" he asked. 
"Yes. It's fine. Just pull over somewhere," she told
him.
Max pulled the van off the road near some scrub trees
and bushes, and cut the engine.
"I've seen traffic on the road, but there just aren't
any businesses along here. Sorry, I had no idea," he
told her apologetically.
"That's okay Max. We have snacks, so the van will be
fine," she told him, though sadness tinged her voice.
"I'm going to take a walk outside. You need to...?" he
asked her.
She nodded. They each went there separate ways in to
the bushes, and then returned to the van a short time
later.
"I'm not really hungry Max. There's stuff in the chest
if you want it, but I think I'll just go to sleep,"
said Isabel.
Max hung his head. "Yeah, okay." He wasn't hungry
either.
"Do you mind sharing the floor space or do you want me
to sleep on top of the van?" he asked her. He really
hoped it wasn't the top of the van.
"We can share," she said as she made a pallet of the
blankets they had pilfered from the various motels.
Isabel lay on her side with her head resting on her
arm, and Max lay on his back looking up at the open
window in the roof of the van.
"I'm sorry Max. This is all my fault."
Max turned his head to look at her, then sat up.
"What? How is this your fault?"
"Everyone left because of what happened between us.
Now Michael's gone. We may never see him again Max,"
said Isabel sadly as she rolled on to her back.
"Come here," Max told her as he pulled her in to his
arms. "This is not your fault. If it's anyones, it's
mine. I pursued you. So don't put this on yourself."
"But I didn't stop you. In fact I wanted it too, I
just didn't know it until you touched me. So I'm also
to blame," she insisted as she lay her head on his
chest.
He rolled her on to her back. "Then we're both at
fault, okay?"
"Okay."
He looked down on her face and things suddenly went
very electric in the air.
"Isabel, I'm not sorry it happened. I mean, I'm sorry
Michael's not here anymore, but not the rest. It's you
and me now. And I need to know if it's going to be as
friends or...lovers."
Isabel's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.
"Because if it's friends then I'm sleeping on the
roof, and I'll not touch you again. But if it's
lovers...then I'm going to make love to you," said
Max, caressing her face. His own was so close to hers
she could feel his warm breath on her skin.
Isabel knew that this moment would seal their fate for
good. No turning back later. 
"Max..." Isabel's voice was soft as she said his name,
but her eyes didn't meet his.
Max moved away from her. "Oh, okay, I...I understand.
I'll...I'll be up top if you need me," said Max, as he
put his shoes on. 
His head was pounding and his stomach rolling. He had
been a fool to expect her to want him as much as he
wanted her. You didn't change a relationship like
theirs over night. He had thought enough time had gone
by to prove that their love was different now. Maybe
making love to her then had been wrong, but he hadn't
been able to control himself. 
Max knelt down and reached for the door.
"Max? I didn't get to answer," said Isabel watching in
surprise as Max started to leave.
He stopped and looked back at her.
Isabel knelt beside him and wound her arms around
Max's neck saying, "I want both." With everyone gone
there was no point in denying what they felt for one
another any longer. No one to who knew them to condemn
them for something ordained on a far off planet long
ago.
Max sighed in relief. He took her face in his hands
and lowered his mouth to hers, gently kissing her.
"You're sure?" he asked as he searched her eyes. 
"I'm sure," she replied as she caressed his cheek.
He lay her back on the blankets and looked down on her
smiling. Bending down he kissed her long and deep,
finally breaking the kiss when neither could no longer
breath.
His hands began to wander, unbuttoning her shirt and
spreading it apart so that he could feast his eyes on
her.
"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked as he
bent to kiss her again, his hands caressing her
fullness, the nipples hardening under his touch
through the material of her bra.
Isabel's hands lightly traced a pattern along his
neck, his hair twined between her fingers.
She slowly began to gather his shirt in her hands
until her they were full of the offending material.
She tugged it over his head, causing Max to straighten
up and pull it off, tossing it aside.
He lay against her, his skin touching hers, the
sensation of touch inflaming them, and urging them on.
Max slid Isabel's shirt off of her shoulders and down
her arms, before pulling it from her. He rolled her
towards him so he could reach the hooks that were
keeping him from partaking of her charms. Soon the
garment was gone and Max's hands were moving in awe
over Isabel's heaving breasts.
Max's mouth closed over the end of a breast, sucking
it in and laving it until Isabel moaned in delight.
His hand moved along her body, caressing, teasing,
searching until he came to her shorts. He slid his
hand inside the low riding garment until his fingers
were above the area he desired.
Isabel's hips bucked and her breath caught.
Max withdrew and unzipped the shorts, sliding them
down to her legs until they joined the other discarded
garments.
He looked into her eyes, and saw trust in them. Trust
and love. 
He quickly did away with his own jeans and lay on top
of her, his mouth taking hers again as they lost
themselves in the erotic pleasure of touching.
Isabel could feel his need hard against her belly, the
memory of it inside of her making her ache with need.
She rolled them over until she was on top.
"What are you doing?" he asked her, as he reached up
to cup her heavy breasts.
"Shhhh," she whispered as she bent down and kissed
him, her breasts pressing against his chest, as she
rocked against him.
"Ohhhhhh," Max moaned as his hands ran over her back
and down her hips. He pulled at her thin undies and
ripped them, tugging them away when she raised up.
His fingers sought out her dripping body, caressing
her. She shivered as her head rolled back.
Isabel reached for his hand and stopped him. "No. Not
yet," she whispered.
She moved off of him and released his member of its
restraint, the last garment joining the others in the
forgotten pile.
He watched as she moved back over him, their eyes
locked as his hands guided her hips down his hard
shaft.
The pleasure was instantaneous for both, their sighs
the only sound in the night.
Isabel began her slow and steady ride, rocking on Max,
and taking him into her as if nothing else mattered,
but the search for release for both of them.
Max gasped as Isabel's body tightened around him,
holding him and then drawing him in deeper. He was
touching her very core. He could feel it. Could she?
They matched their movements so that they were fluid
and in unison, but all either wanted to do was to give
a perfect release to the other. 
The fire was beginning. They could feel the smoldering
heat building into a burning flame that threatened to
overcome them at any moment. 
"Max...Max!" cried Isabel, as she tossed back her head
and the inferno surrounded her.
"Come on Isabel....let yourself go," he panted. He
wouldn't let himself gain release until she did. "Just
let it roll over you," he whispered as he caressed her
breasts. Then he slid his hand between them and all
was lost for her.
"Y-you...oh gawd..." she screamed as the fire consumed
her.
She collapsed on Max, her body wet and slick.
He rolled her over and plunged into her, her whimpers
renewing as he came inside her. He held her close, his
mouth seeking hers as poured himself into her waiting
body.
Max lay still on Isabel, her legs locked around him.
The sound of their panting and the night sounds all
that you could hear.
He kissed her neck, small kisses from swollen lips
that made their way down to her chest and stayed. 
"Please let it always be like that," Isabel breathed.
Max raised his head and looked down her.
"Always?" He smiled.
Isabel wiped the drop of sweat from his brow and
nodded.
"Or better," she admitted with a smile.
Max's smiling face turned serious as he said, "Isabel,
I love you."
Isabel touched his lips with her fingers. Max kissed
them.
"I know Max," she replied softly. "I love you too.
Maybe that's why I was never happy with the guys I
dated." She paused. "I was searching for you." Her
eyes shone with love for him.
Max smiled. "I'm glad you found me. I got lost along
the way to finding you."
Isabel smiled. "Do you think they know?" She rolled
her eyes skyward. "Up there I mean. Do you think they
know?"
As Max bent his head to kiss her, he said, "Yeah, they
know."

End