Broken

Mi/I

Isabel felt sick to her stomach as she entered the Evanses House. It was quarter to two in the morning and she was terrified of the questions that would be asked if she was caught creeping in at such a time. And it was not her parents that she feared, it was Max. He was not a entity she felt she could deal with at that moment.

Shutting the door as quietly as she could behind her, Isabel made a beeline for the stairs, wanting to get to the safety of her bedroom as quickly as possible.

Missing the few steps she knew to creak, Isabel made it to the top in no time at all. She glanced towards the bathroom; urgency filling her as she felt the need to dash to the bathroom and have a hot shower, she swallowed down the impulse, knowing it would cause susspisions and headed towards her room.

As soon as the door was shut behind her, she took the two steps towards her bed and let herself fall onto the soft surface, pulling the covers to her face quickly as she finally let the sobs out hoping they would mute the sounds of her tears.

Isabel had never felt like this before; she felt broken.

Isabel had not needed to worry about her brother noticing she had gotten home so late. Max was currently dozing on the sofa at his best friends house. Not realising it had been so late, Max, Liz, Micheal and Maria had fallen asleep during a film they had been watching at Micheal's.

Max woke with a start, he quickly turned to see what had woken him. Micheal had shot up into a sitting position and was panting heavily.

Max noticed both the girls had only stirred in their sleep as he reached across Maria to touch Micheal's arm, "Micheal, are you ok? What happened?"

Micheal shook his head, "I'm not sure," he turned to Max, "just... a bad dream I guess."

Max raised an eyebrow, "just a dream... are you sure?"

"Yeah, guess thats what I get from watching scary films all night," Micheal glanced at the two sleeping girls. "We'd better wake them."

Max and Micheal coaxed their sleeping girlfriends awake and the two of them headed out to Maria's car. They had decided Liz may as well stay at Maria's rather than risk waking her parents up and Maria's mom was away on business.

Max turned to Micheal before he left for the Jeep, "are you sure you're ok? You seem a bit freaked still..." Micheal hadn't said anything in front of the girls but Max could tell he was still on edge.

Micheal frowned, "it's probably nothing, I thought it was a random dream at first, but the images wont go away, they are clearer now if anything. Maybe... maybe it's best we make sure..."

"Make sure what, Micheal?"

They locked eyes, "... that Iz is safe."

Fear flashed in Max's eyes and he felt a chill run through him, "what did you see, Micheal?"

He didn't get an answer, as the phone began to ring. Knowing that no one would be calling so late with anything but emergency, Max who was closest, answered it after the second ring, "Hello? ... Yes it's Max - ...calm down Tess... "

Micheal came forward and hit the loudspeaker button, Tess' worried voice came over the crackled line, "don't you feel her, Max? Don't you feel her?"

Max swallowed, "Isabel."

"She's hurt, Max. We have to find her." Tess sounded like she was crying.

"We're coming to get you, then we'll find her. Don't worry, we're coming Tess." Micheal rushed as he went to grab his jacket.

Max hung up, and followed after Micheal, "I don't feel it Micheal... I don't feel her, at all. What if she's -"

"Don't you dare," Micheal scolded, "don't you dare finish that sentance. I don't know why you can't feel her - but I can, and so can Tess. She's hurt, Max, but stop thinking what you were about to say - she's hurt but she IS alive."

Isabel sat up with a start; having heard her brother, his queen and her own bethrothed. She had no idea how, but she had heard them as though she had been in the room with them. They were looking for her.

With a wave of her hand, the ruined outfit she had on was replaced with her pyjamas and the tears and smudged make-up was gone, she decided to wait for them downstairs. Knowing they would check for any signs of her at home first.

Sure enough as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Max, Micheal and Tess were creeping in the front door.

"Iz!" Tess cried out, rather too loudly for Isabel's liking - she did not want her parents to wake up; she was going to have enough to deal with convincing the three in front of her she was fine.

The shorter blonde stepped towards Isabel and embraced her tightly, "oh my god, I was so worried."

Isabel tried to look surprised, as she saw Max step forward to hug her as Tess pulled away. Isabel stepped back from his embrace not sure if she could keep her emotions in check in the safety of her brothers familiar arms. "Guys, what's going on?" She looked to Micheal, "has something happened?"

"We thought something had happened to you..." Micheal said, confused by Isabel's behaviour, his senses were still telling him she was hurt.

"We felt it," Tess explained, "we felt you... you were in trouble... you were hurt."

Isabel shrugged, "I'm ok. I was asleep til I heard the Jeep pull up. I came to see what kept Max out so late," she fibbed.

"I don't buy it." Micheal glared at her.

"Well, I'm telling you I'm fine. You're powers or whatever are playing up."

"And mine too?" Tess asked.

Isabel glared at Max, "and I suppose you 'felt something' too?"

To her surprise, Max shook his head, "no, actually. Nothing at all."

Isabel crossed her arms, "well then. Believe what you want, Micheal, but I'm standing in front of you telling you I'm fine!"

Anger flashed in Micheal's arms, "you don't think I know you well enough to know when you are lying?"

Isabel gulped. Max stepped towards Micheal and put his hand on his shoulder, "calm down, Micheal," he looked to Isabel, "we're going to Micheal's. Now."

"I do not take orders from you, Max," Isabel hissed back.

"Look, either we can do this here, and have mom and dad to answer to - or we can leave them none the wiser. But something is not right here, and we are not dropping it, Iz."

Isabel threw herself down on the couch, crossing her arms in a huff, "I can't believe you guys - it's stupidly late, I'm ridiculously tired and you drag me out of my house - in my pyjamas - accusing me of what exactly? 'Being fine' when I'm supposed to be hurt. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint y'all but -"

"Isabel," Max warned, "Micheal's right. We know you, and I don't know what is going on exactly, but I know that you are keeping something from us."

"What's so terrible you can't say?" Tess questioned, sitting next to Isabel on the couch.

The embarrassment and shame that Isabel had been feeling both for what she had experienced and for lying to them vanished, and anger flooded through her, she gritted her teeth as she spoke, "why do we have to fucking share everything. Is there no privacy between us now? Can a girl not get attacked and fail to use her powers and be ashamed about it? That I could have stopped it if I had had the guts too?"

Max tensed, "you were attacked. Who attacked you? Was it a Skin? We'll have to -"

"No, Max, it wasn't." Isabel's eyes lowered to the floor, looking away in shame, "it wasn't anything alien."

Tess bit her lip, still trying to asses the severity of the situation, "then maybe its good you didn't use your powers... that could have put you in the spotlight," she took Isabel's hand.

"You don't think we deserved to know you were attacked?" Micheal growled.

"I told you, I'm embarrassed - I could've stopped it happening with my powers but it happened so quick - "

"Are you really hurt?" Max asked, moving towards his sister, "do you need me to heal you anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine, Max!"

"Ha! We've heard that one before," Micheal spat.

Isabel stood, squaring up to him, her fists clenched, "why are you being so fucking horrible to me?" She screamed.

"Because you lie to me, Isabel! You lie to me when all I want to do is help you. All I want is to keep you safe!" The emotion that flashed in his eyes made Isabel take a step back.

"I felt what you did, okay?" Micheal's voice sofened, "I was asleep while you were... attacked... and I thought to begin with it was just a dream. But it wasn't was it? It was fucking real and I wish it wasn't - 'cause we're linked, you and me - we have a past and we are linked stronger than we knew. I felt everything you did, Iz."

Max looked to his sister, shocked to see tears streaming down her face as Micheal's words hit her. He watched as Micheal stepped towards his sister, "I felt it as they violated you," Max felt like his heart was wrenched out of his chest.

"Micheal," Isabel whispered, and nodded her head towards Max and Tess. "why don't you think I told you all straight away - I don't want people to know this -"

"Iz, it's okay," Tess whispered. "We are your family. We are here to support you and help you, we're not going to judge you -"

"What kind of girl, has amazing powers and yet fails to stop two drunks raping her?" Isabel shouted, obviously angry with herself, "I could have fended them off with my powers - and they were so wasted, so they probably wouldn't have trusted what they remembered in the morning!" She sat down once again, annoyed with herself.

Max moved to sit next to his sister, Tess making way for him. He took her hand and squeezed, "I know there is nothing I can say right now to make you feel better, only that I can make you physically better. Let me heal you?" It was a small comfort to him that he would at least be able to end any physical pain she was in.

After a few moments passed, Isabel finally nodded, but turned her head the other way as his hand started to glow, unable to look her brother in the eye.

Max kept his hand clenched to Isabel's, letting his healing power root out the pain in her. He felt her discomfort, "don't be embarrassed, Iz," he whispered as he felt his power find the centre of her body's suffering. He felt as she did as he gently ebbed the pain away.

When it was over Micheal lent down in front of Isabel, and tenderly took her hand from Max's, a silent understanding passing between the two men with just a look.

"Isabel," Micheal whispered, "I'm sorry if you think I'm being horrible, but you know in your heart it is only because I care so very much about you. I can't stand the fact that you are hurting and are keeping it from me."

Isabel finally turned and looked Micheal in the eye, "hold me, Micheal... please..." She fell forward into his arms.

"Forever," he whispered back, embracing her fully. Vowing to keep her safe always.

Micheal nodded to Max, who then gently led Tess out of the apartment, leaving Micheal and Isabel alone.

"Shouldn't we stay with them, Max. Look after Isabel?" Tess questioned, looking back.

"Micheal's got her," he let out a sorrowful laugh, "destiny. They are, aren't they? They are meant to be together... there's no one else I see Isabel getting through this with other than Micheal. There's a love you share with your first love. And then there is a love you have for your soulmate - only, that sort of love, that powerful kind of love, you've got to be ready for it." Max went to the Jeep, Tess followed, listening intently, "all thats happened tonight, they'll forget everything about their lives, whether them together is right or wrong. All that matters now is that she needs him and he's going to be there for her and nothing will stand in his way."