Title: Sleeping Beauty
Author: Lori
Email: Gussywussy55@y...
Category: Michael/Isabel
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Owned by The WB not me.
Feedback: Yes please, good or bad...
Summary: Misunderstandings ...


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

The Crashdown was almost empty, and it was a half hour
until closing.
Michael placed Isabel's order on the pick up counter
and hit the bell. Where were all of the waitresses?
Maria was in the back doing inventory, and Liz had
snuck off with Max again. Rose had probably snuck off
for a smoke. 
Damn! He would have to deliver the order himself. 
Picking up the order, Michael headed out of the
kitchen and towards Isabel's booth. She was reading a
magazine and did not look up as he placed her order on
the table.
"Thanks. Could I get another Coke please?" she asked
still not aware of Michael standing there.
"Sure, I'll be right back," replied Michael, as he
hurridly turned to leave.
Isabel's head shot up as she heard Michael's voice.
"Michael! What ...what are you doing delivering food?"
asked a nervous Isabel.
Michael had hoped to leave the order ,and head to the
safety of the kitchen, but now he was forced to talk
to Isabel. Wonder what it will be today? Bitching out
or cold shoulder?
"I huh, there were no waitresses around and since we
close soon I figured I better bring the food out to
you myself," Michael said trying to sound matter of
fact. 
Isabel looked down at the food she no longer wanted.
"Oh, well thanks. Um, why don't you just forget the
Coke okay? Just get me the check and I'll pay for this
and go."
Michael looked at her puzzled.
"But I thought you were hungry? I made the thing, so
why don't you eat it?"
Isabel closed her magazine and started to get out of
the booth.
"I changed my mind. I'm not hungry after all. Excuse
me please," she said as she tried to get up, but
Michael blocked her path.
"No I will not excuse you! What the hell is wrong with
you anyway?" he asked irritated at her behavior.
"Me? What is wrong with you? Let me out of this booth
right now Michael!" she replied as she tried to push
him aside.
Michael would not be moved , and shoved her over in
the seat, and sat next to her.
"Why are you ignoring me? What did I do that was so
wrong? We used to be able to talk to each other,
depend on each other, and now you either avoid me or
are pissed at me all the time! I can't take this
anymore! Tell me what I did and tell me right now ,or
you're not leaving this booth!" he finished angry and
frustrated.

Isabel's mouth fell open.
"Me avoid you! You're the one who has been avoiding me
whenever possible. You spend all of your time off on
your motorcycle or with Maria...well when you're not
running from her too."
At his look of denial, she said,"Oh yes you do
Michael, you lead her on something terrible. Either
you are with her or you're not."
Michael closed his eyes and leaned his head back on
the booth. He really didn't want to get into his
relationship with Maria . He raised his head and
looked at Isabel.
"Why aren't you dating anyone?"
Well that came out of the blue thought Isabel. Why had
he asked that? Isabel looked away uncomfortably.
"Who I date and when I date is none of your business
Michael."
"That's not what the book said, or your Mother's
message," he said quietly.
Isabel grew still. She did not want to get in to this
with him here in the Crashdown,but something compelled
her to not leave it alone.
"Since when did you care what the book said, or my
Mother?" she asked just as quietly not sure she really
wanted to know.

"I've always cared about you Isabel, ever since we
were kids, I thought you you knew that. The book and
your Mom's little 'speech' just threw a different
curve on it is all. Now I'm asking you again ,why
don't you date? And I do expect an answer,or you're
not leaving this booth."
Isabel couldn't believe Michael was doing this to her
and right here in the middle of the...now empty
Crashdown. She looked around and realized they were
totally alone. Great.
Not looking at him she replied rather tightly,"I know
you care Michael. I just haven't found anyone who
interests me is all."
Michael shook his head and gave a small humorless
laugh,"That's not an answer Isabel, you can do better
than that. Now be straight with me this time, why
don't you date?"

Isabel wanted to zap Michael into the middle of next
week. What did he want to know? That she didn't date
because she was in love with him , and she always had
been. No Michael did not want to hear that. He was so
involved with Maria , and running as fast as he could
back to her when he found out that Isabel wasn't
pregnant with his baby from the dreams. 
He probably thought her stupid for even thinking she
had been. Of course Max had been right, you couldn't
get pregnant from dreams, but how was she to have
known. There wasn't exactly a book they could read or
anyone else around at the time to tell them any
differently. Now she felt like a fool for scaring them
all.

Isabel looked Michael in the eye and decided on a half
truth. She said wearily,"I don't date Michael, because
I can't trust anyone. All anyone ever does is hurt me.
Okay? Now will you let me out?" 
Michael sat stunned by what he had heard her admit.
Surely she didn't mean it? But she had answered his
question so he moved to let her out of the booth.
"No charge on the dinner Isabel. It's covered,"
Michael said quietly.
Isabel looked him in the eye and said,"No thanks
Michael, I can take care of it myself...like I always
do."
She laid a handful of bills on the table and took her
magazine and left.

*******

Michael stared at the door Isabel had just exited.
His heart hurt, and so did his gut. He felt like he
had just been delt several blows, and he couldn't
handle them. He hated seeing Isabel hurt, and he knew
without a doubt he was the cause of most if not all of
it. 
Isabel had been acting strangely towards him ever
since the dreams. 
Those damn dreams! 
He had loved Isabel for as long as he could remember,
and when she had said she thought she was pregnant
with his child through the dreams , he was scared, but
also excited. A family with Isabel would be a dream
come true for him. But she had been terrified. Whether
it was from being so young and faced with a baby, or
it's being his, he never really knew. All he did know
was the relief he saw on her face when Max told them
it wasn't true. Michael had tried to play it cool,
like it was no big deal, a relief to him too, but it
had hurt him greatly. He had wanted that child. He had
wanted Isabel.
Those dreams were a curse to him.
And now he had pushed her into admitting something she
didn't want too. Why had he done that? He knew why.
Because he wanted to hear her say that no one compared
to him. What a joke. Like Isabel would ever want him.
She had made it very plain at her birthday party that
a future with him was not going to happen. 

Michael turned and headed to the kitchen to begin
cleaning up. Maria came from the back and grabbed him
from behind.
"Hey Spaceboy, want to come over to my house this
time? My mom's out with Valenti tonight. We have the
whole place to ourselves," she said kissing at his
back through his sweaty shirt.
Michael shrugged her off,"Back off Maria, I have a
headache."
Maria was mildly surprised by this ,but since it was
Michael she pressed on by reaching down to his
crotch,"Well let me take care of it for you."
Michael felt disgusted at Maria's crude reference and
pushed her hand away,"Not that kind of a headache.
Just leave me alone why don'tcha. I'm outa here. Clean
up for me."
Throwing his apron on the counter, Michael left out
the back door, leaving a stunned Maria staring after
him.
"Well screw you Michael Guerin! See if I let you near
me anytime soon!"
Michael sped off on his motorcycle and headed toward
the cave.

******

Isabel entered the cave, and absentmindedly walked
around. She began to remember how she felt when her
'mother' had told them about their destinies. She had
been excited to know that she and Michael were really
meant to be together, but one look at his face had
told her she was the only one. She had not allowed her
feelings to show outwardly, she never did. She
couldn't ever let anyone see how she felt about
things. That's how you avoided being hurt . Well hurt
more than needed. 
The tears began to fall down her face as she realized
that once again she had come to the only place where
she had seen her alien mother. She couldn't go to her
Earthly mother. Diane knew nothing of her children's
history, so she couldn't comfort her daughter, but
neither could her alien mother, she was only a
hologram memory.
"Why must I keep being hurt? Why must I be the one to
sacrifice my happiness so others can be happy? Why
must I be alone? It's not fair mother, it's not fair,"
Isabel sobbed as she collapsed on the dirt floor of
the cave. She cried until her throat ached in pain,
and the tears had dried on her face. She cried until
she slept.

******

Michael saw Isabel's car at the base of the cliff and
started to turn around. No! This was just as much his
place to come to as it was hers.
He climbed off of his bike and began climbing to the
cave.
He didn't know what to do about his feelings for
Isabel. She had made it clear she didn't want him, and
God knows he had tried to put her out of his mind by
being with Maria, but truth be told, he just couldn't
do it anymore. The only thing left to do was to leave
Roswell. The four of them were stronger together he
knew, but he couldn't stand by and not have Isabel,
not anymore.

He arrived at the cave entrance and went inside. After
his eyes adjusted, he noticed Isabel in a heap on the
floor. He rushed to her side and pulled her to him.
"Oh God, Isabel, what has happened to you? Has someone
or something hurt you? Please be okay...don't leave
me, please....I love you ...don't leave me," he cried
as he held her close to him , and then gently kissed
her lips.
Isabel became aware slowly of her name being called in
panic, of being held, and then of being kissed...by
...Michael? She opened her eyes, and saw that it was
indeed Michael who held her and had kissed her lips.
"Michael?" she asked softly.
Michael raised his tear filled eyes to her face and
was shocked and relieved to see Isabel watching him.
"Isabel! You're okay."
He put her down quickly and carefully.
He stood up and turned his back to her, wiping his
eyes on his sleeve.
"I thought you were dead ,or something the way you
were laying there."
Isabel got up , confused over Michael's reaction.
"I fell asleep after I ....I fell asleep," she said
quietly.
He turned to her,"After what? What were you doing
here?"
This time it was her turn to look away. Maybe now was
the time for honesty. For once and for all. And then
if need be, she would leave Roswell. She only knew she
couldn't live like this anymore. 
She faced him and said, "I came here to rant at my
mother. I cried to her about my pain. About my anger,
my anguish at being alone...about not being loved by
you...about not being wanted by you," she finished so
softly he had to strain to hear her.

Michael looked at her his mouth shaped in a perfect
'o'. 
"What did you just say?", he asked, not sure he had
heard her correctly.
"Nothing Michael, I just said I ranted at my alien
mother. I come here to do that", Isabel said covering
up her sudden feeling of foolishness.
"No! You said something else...you said it so softly I
almost didn't hear you at all...you said you cried
because I don't love you...that I didn't want
you....you said that didn't you?" he asked as he
approached her.
Isabel closed her eyes, and the tears started again as
she nodded, embarrassed.
Michael stood infront of her and put his finger under
her chin to raise her head, but she wouldn't budge.
"Look at me Isabel," he commanded softly , and her
betraying eyes did.
Michael saw the pain and emabarrassment in her eyes
and wanted to wipe it all away.
He leaned into her ,kissing her lips firmly, but
gently.
Isabel parted her lips and welcomed his tongue into
her mouth. She kissed him as if this might be the
first and last kiss they ever shared. One she always
wanted to remember.
Michael savored Isabel's response to his kiss. For now
, in this one minute she was his. She was his Isabel.
They broke apart finally and he said, " I've always
loved you Isabel, from the time we came out of the
pods, I knew you were meant to be mine, but then the
dreams happened and it all fell away."
Isabel shook her head as if to clear it, "No, you ran
from me, from what we should have been. The dreams
scared you...I scared you,...the baby scared you, so
you ran back to Maria."
She made to leave his embrace, but he held her firmly
to him.
"No! No, I didn't run, you are the one who didn't want
those things. I saw the look of relief on your face
when Max said you weren't pregnant Isabel. You didn't
want my baby ,and you were glad when it wasn't true.
Admit it. You just didn't want my baby."
The hurt in his voice penetrated her brain, and she
quickly searched his face. He was speaking as if he
meant it. Had they both been wrong about the other?
Had they both been mistaken?
"Michael?" 
He looked up so she wouldn't see the tears the old
pain had caused again.
"Michael, I knew you were mine from the start too.
Then you found Maria ,and I thought I would die. But I
was going to wait for you. Then the dreams started.
When I told you about the baby, I was excited to be
having your baby....but you seemed disgusted that you
might be having one with me and not Maria." She looked
away,"The relief in your face and in your voice when
Max said it wasn't true...I wanted someone to kill me
right then so I wouldn't have to see you run back to
her. But no one did , and so I watched you run back to
her arms and I died inside all over again."
Michael held her tightly to him as he realized that
they had gone through so much for nothing.
"We were both mistaken and paid a high price for our
stubbornness. I'm not with Maria and I want to be with
you."
He looked at her and said, "Isabel Evans, I'm telling
you flat out, here and now, that I love you
and want to spend my life with you. I want to have
babies with you and grow old with you."
Isabel grinned at this and said ,"Well Michael Guerin,
right here and now, I'm telling you flat out, that I
love you and want to spend my life with you. I want to
have your babies, and grow old with you."
She kissed him and breathed the first breath of relief
in ages. It was nice here in his arms, and she knew
that it would only get better as time went on.
"Isabel, can we just sit and talk for awhile? It's
been awhile since we just talked."
"I'd like that Michael. A nice long talk sounds good."


The End