Disillusionment
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine, so don't sue.
Rating: Hard R, for sexual and adult themes, controversial topics, and cursing.
Word Count: 2539
Summary: Pre "To Serve and Protect." Isabel's pregnant. Hers and Alex's worlds have been completely turned upside down and inside out, as have the lives of their friends. Friendships are holding by a thread, relationships are distant, and loyalties are tested. Can a group of friends truly come together when it's needed most? Through thick and thin? Predominantly A/I, but involves all characters.
Groggily stretching in bed, Isabel awoke that morning to the smell of sausages
and blueberry pancakes frying in the kitchen. Knowing that she had woken
earlier than she had intended, she looked to the small clock on her night stand
and saw that it was 8:42AM. Though she still felt a bit tired, she decided to get
up instead of wallowing in bed, and to get breakfast while it was right off the
stove and still hot. She went into the hallway bathroom, washed her hands and
face and brushed her hair and teeth, and headed to the kitchen table for
breakfast.
"Morning, mom," she said as she sat herself at the table. Seeing that she was
the only one at the table, she asked, "Where's dad and Max?"
Her mother replied, "Working."
Isabel sighed. "No surprise there," she mumbled, though she had a feeling her
mom had heard her. Isabel looked up to see her mother had turned around and
was staring at her. "Don't say it, mom. I already know that I've put the dagger
into the heart of this family. You don't need to tell me that to know." Isabel
placed a few pancakes on her plate and doused them in Tabasco and syrup.
Diane closed her eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. "Honey, it's not quite that
simple." She switched off the stove and came to sit across from her daughter.
"It's just . . . you've put your father and I in a hard place. We're just trying to
adjust."
Isabel scoffed, "Well dad has a weird way of showing it then." It's not that she
wasn't trying to understand what her parents were going through; she just
wished they had taken the news a bit more like Alex's parents. She noticed her
mother continued to gaze at her like she was going to cry. "Oh, mom! Please
don't start crying again!"
"Oh, honey, I can't help it! Just thinking of what you're going through . . . " Her
mother couldn't finish her sentence as she sat hunched over, sobbing.
Isabel watched on, feeling her own tear ducts begin to react, but ignored them
as best she could. She had told her parents a month ago of her pregnancy and,
still, things had yet to settle.
After taking a couple bites from her breakfast, Isabel quietly asked, "Do you
think dad will ever forgive me?"
Diane wiped her tears with a napkin and placed a hand over her daughter's.
"He will in time, dear. Right now . . . just be glad he didn't do any damage to
Alex."
"I guess so . . . ." Isabel took another bite from her food. "Mom . . . I'm so sorry
that . . . that this has caused so much drama. I just hope it dies down
eventually."
"It won't," her mother responded. "Maybe this hasn't fully sunk in yet, but
you're having a baby. Things will only get more complicated, and you will have
no time for yourself when this baby's born. Have you and Alex talked about this?
What you're going to do about school? Money? Your medical bills?" Diane
stopped herself from continuing to question her daughter. "I'm sorry, honey, I
didn't mean to tear into you like that."
"It's okay, mom," Isabel said, her mother's questions weighing heavily on her.
She stood from the table, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I'm going to go take
a shower and head out for the day." Isabel kissed her mother on the cheek and
went to her room. Closing the door shut behind her, Isabel slid down the length
of the door and hugged her knees, her mother's voice ringing in her head.
Michael stood against the wall of the UFO center, watching Max rearrange a
display of an alien autopsy. It wasn't surprising to see the usual scowl on his
face, but as of late, it seemed to be permanently etched there.
"Maxwell, can't you see how bad this is? You can't let her go through with his,"
Michael said forcefully.
Turning around with an armful of silvery tubes, Max sighed and replied, "What
do you expect me to do, Michael? You know how Isabel is." He put the props
down and shook his head. "There isn't anything I can do."
"You're the leader, Max. Make a decision."
"It's more complicated than that. Isabel's . . . pregnant. She said it last night.
It's her and Alex's problem, and that we shouldn't get more involved than we
already are." He noticed the look on Michael's face. "Look, I'm not keen on this
either, but we have no choice but to put up with it and . . . support whatever
decision she makes." Max went back to working on the project Brody gave him.
"And what happens if the FBI discovers us and we have to run? How are we
suppose to run with a crying kid tagging along?"
Max was having trouble concentrating with Michael asking him all these
questions. Exhaling loudly, he said, "You know what, if you're so concerned
about this, talk it over with Isabel and Al—"
"Max, how's that display coming along?" They heard Brody say from his
office.
"It's almost finished," Max lied. He looked back to Michael. "As I was saying, talk
it over with Iz and Alex. I have work to do."
Isabel sat on the wooden bench outside of Best Buy, waiting for Alex to go on
his lunch break. Since her conversation with her mother this morning, she knew
her and Alex had a lot they needed to talk about. When she heard the
automatic doors open, she looked to see a family of three, a couple teens, and
Alex walk out. She stood from her seat and greeted Alex with a kiss.
"Hey," he said, hugging her. "You okay? You sounded a bit upset on the phone."
"I'm fine. I just . . . . We have things we need to talk about." She gave him a
disgruntled look.
"Yeah. Understood," he replied. Looking around, he said, "Before we talk, let's
head to Denny's. I'm starving."
He grabbed her hand in his and they crossed several parking lots until they
made it to the small restaurant. Once inside and seated, he said with all
seriousness, "So I assume you wanted to talk a bit more about our, erm,
situation . . . right?"
"Yeah," she said, placing a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I was talking
with my mom this morning, and she began like interrogating me about all of this
stuff. Money. Education. Medical . . . . It just made me realize that we have so
much we need to discuss." Alex noticed Isabel's hand unconsciously move
toward her stomach. "And also . . . what about our friends?"
Alex sighed. "You know, I don't know. Max kinda ignores me, Tess glares at me,
and Michael . . . I try to keep as much distance between us as I can. And Maria
and Liz are not currently speaking to me. Kyle's the only one that actually seems
supportive... or... well, at least willing to put up with this." He began to peruse
the menu. "Though, the real issue isn't about money, education, and medical,
it's about the fact whether your," he brought his voice to a whisper, "alien DNA
will affect the pregnancy. That's the main reason our whole group is in an
uproar, partly."
"Partly?" Isabel questioned.
Alex looked her in the eye, "Well, there's the whole parents don't know the
secret so we have to pretend you're going to the OB/GYN and that this is a
'normal' teen pregnancy. So Max is probably attempting to keep his opinions to
himself but is actually worried that you guys will have to tell your parents, which
could possibly break your family apart even more than it is. Something I think
Max is secretly afraid of."
"Since when did you become an expert on my brother?"
Alex smiled at her. "I'm not an expert, Iz. I've listened to you talk about your
brother; I've listened to Liz when she's needed an ear; and I heard of all the
brilliant mall outings Maria had with him last summer while we took that Physics
class and while Liz was in Florida. Believe me, there wasn't much insight needed
when you have an explanation right in front of you."
Isabel nodded slowly. "Ah . . . okay."
A young man in black and wearing a green apron apologized for his tardiness
and took their drink orders, leaving the two in an uncomfortable silence.
Isabel scooted forward and took one of Alex's hands in hers. "What's on your
mind?" she asked, noticing his distant stance.
"I'm not sure, Iz. Nothing . . . everything. Since being in this . . . alien abyss, my
life has had no semblance of order." Alex took his hand from Isabel's and
crossed his arms across his chest. "And then when you came to me and said
you were pregnant . . . God . . . my life suddenly was no longer my own. I mean
before I at least could avoid some things and have somewhat of a social life, as
some of the little misadventures were 'Aliens Only,' but now . . . . Nothing's
going to be the same."
Isabel bit her lip. She somewhat knew where he was coming from, in knowing
that she would have no privacy (not like she did with Max and Michael around),
but when the baby arrives, she might as well say bye to having a moment to
herself. Her thoughts were interrupted when the waiter brought their drinks
and took their orders.
She took a sip of her Sprite and said, "You know what the sad thing is Alex?" He
shook his head. "This is probably the most normal thing that's happened to us
since Liz was shot."
Alex rubbed his temples. "If you consider a possibly alien child normal."
"Let's talk about something else, shall we?" She thought momentarily of what
they could talk about that didn't involve or was indirectly related to the baby, so
she queried, "How was your trip to California? You never did tell me how it
went." She smiled at him, hoping that it wasn't as bad as how Alex looked when
he got back.
He shrugged. "The weather was nice, and I loved seeing my siblings and my
stepbrother Trevor, but my mother just ruined the entire trip for me." He looked
to his watch and saw that he still had 45 minutes left for lunch and continued
speaking. "You know, I'm generally a kind person, always looking for the best in
people. My mother, on the other hand, is always looking for something to
criticise, and likes to believe her children are at God's level and lives in the
illusion that we can't make mistakes."
"So I assume correctly when I say she didn't take it well . . . ."
They were interrupted momentarily when the waiter brought their food from the
kitchen.
After a couple bites, Alex proceeded, "Well, let's see . . . . She thinks my dad has
somehow corrupted me, and that not only do I have premarital sex and smoke
leisurely without thinking about the consequences, but that I drink and am a
pothead, too. But that view can also be related to the fact that Trevor does all
those things . . . . I ended staying with him at his apartment for the remainder
of my time after I told my mom about your pregnancy."
"There's more that you're not telling me . . . ," she said, squinting her eyes at
him menacingly. "Alex . . . ," she pleaded, "with everything the way they are, we
can't afford to keep things from each other." She squeezed his hand.
"Well, Iz, if we're playing by those rules . . . you have to abide by them as well.
If we're even going to get through this-you're right. We can't afford to keep
things from each other; we have to be honest." Isabel acquiesced. "And today .
. . though I know we have much more to discuss, I think we've laid out enough
cards on the table. Let's enjoy our lunch while I still have time, and not talk
about our friends, families, or whatever it is that's growing inside of
you."
Isabel stayed quiet as she watched Alex take a bite of his cheeseburger, and
took a forkful from her own salad and ate. She hated seeing him like this, and
she knew that this whole situation had turned him around, turned him into
something she never believed possible. He was still Alex, but with a distinctive
edge. An Alex that lied deeper than the one she previously knew, and though
he was very supportive and there for her, she felt guilty for being the catalyst of
this "new" Alex.
Liz and Maria shouldn't be angry at Alex, they should be angry at me,
she thought mournfully.
Kyle sat on the couch, eating chips and watching football when he heard the
door slam from behind him. He rolled his eyes, knowing that it was the petite
blonde alien that lived with him and his dad. Lately she had been slamming
doors left and right and hadn't been much of a conversationalist, so he'd
assumed that she was suffering from a bad case of PMS and stayed out of her
way.
Hearing footsteps, he looked behind himself and saw her standing there. "Hey
Tess," he said and glued his eyes to the TV.
She came and plopped down on the couch next to him, opening her soda with a
loud "pop!"
"Something wrong?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the game.
"What took you so long to ask?"
"Well, I just assumed it was that time of the month. I didn't want to say the
wrong thing and have you unleash your freakish alien powers on me."
"This has nothing to do with PMS, Kyle," she retorted coldy and took a sip of her
drink.
"Then what?" Kyle thought about it briefly and responded, "This has to do with
Isabel, doesn't it?"
"Yes! Can you believe her!?" Tess's blue eyes flared angrily to Kyle, as she
turned to look at him. "I mean, what the hell were her and Alex thinking?!"
Kyle put his hands up as if to surrender. "Whoa! Angry female alien no go after
Kyle! Not his fault! Besides Tess, shouldn't you be supportive? I mean, I think
Isabel needs all the support she can get right now."
"Urgh! Kyle, you don't understand! This could put us all in danger!" she huffed,
her cheeks flushing.
Kyle stared at her quizzically. "I think you've been hanging around with Guerin a
little too much . . . " Kyle turned off the TV and stood from the couch, grabbing
Tess's hand. "I think you need a little fresh air. Come on." He snaffled their
coats from rack beside the door and pushed her out the door, following closely
behind.