The ride back to California from Boston was grueling, so Isabel spent most of it asleep. She purchased a box of sleeping aids from a pharmacy before she boarded the bus-and the moment she felt like she was beginning to regain functioning consciousness she took the indicated amount of pills and found herself blissfully drifting back to a dreamless sleep.
Yes, now that Jesse was firmly out of her life, her sleep had become dreamless. It was ironic, actually.
Isabel couldn't even bring herself to care if she were being followed. She was certain things were fine. No one could have seen her with Jesse in the elevator, and she didn't feel in danger. Isabel had learned to trust her gut feelings in the time they'd been running, and it was now that she relied on them the most.
Nearly a full day later, Isabel was back in Los Angeles, staring numbly up at the apartment where Meg and her Jesse lived. Isabel's heart, already shattered, pounded and stabbed at her chest at the mere thought of the name Jesse.
"How the hell am I going to do this," Isabel mumbled as she slowly moved towards the door.
The answer she didn't have time to calculate. The bell was hardly pressed before the door was flung open and Max was before her, his face betraying his worry, anger, and compassion.
His mouth worked as if he was going to speak. Isabel felt her chin begin to quiver and before she could stop herself she rushed to Max's arms and allowed herself to feel again.
The brother and sister held each other for nearly ten minutes. Isabel's sobs fading to gentle tears then finally subsiding altogether. Still she held on to Max, her one constant, afraid to let go and afraid to speak.
"Um…we were starting to get worried;"
Isabel pulled back from Max at the sound of Liz's voice.
"I'm glad you're back," Liz smiled, but Isabel didn't see any joy in it.
Turning towards her brother, Isabel began to feel the tension in the air. Max simply stared out the door of the building and didn't move until the elevators beeped and Liz retreated back to the apartment.
"What's going on?" Isabel turned Max to her.
"Upstairs," was all he said, and Isabel sensed that there had been some big developments in the days she'd been away.
"You're joking," Isabel stared at her brother, seated across from her at the table, then turned to Liz, who was standing near the doorway to the small breakfast nook. They both shook their heads.
"Not joking in the least," Max said thickly.
Isabel watched the two, her brother and his wife. Max stared hard at the table, while Liz stared hard at Max. They both looked pained and Isabel wasn't surprised why.
"Maria's going to have a baby," Isabel repeated the words to herself, not believing it really.
Max smiled painfully and nodded, still staring at the table.
"What does this mean?" Isabel asked, but neither responded.
"There's more," Max said.
"What more could there be? Unless?" Isabel looked hopefully at Liz, the idea of becoming an aunt suddenly something she wanted now more then ever before.
"No!" Liz answered emphatically shaking her head.
"It's Kyle," Max started.
Isabel felt a shock flow through her at the sound of Kyle's name.
"What? Is he okay?" she asked immediately, confused at the intensity of her concern.
"Well, that depends on your perspective. He's started to notice some changes," Max answered.
"Changes?"
"He's started to get powers," Liz added. "And he's none to thrilled about it."
"I'm glad you're here, so maybe you can help him along. We've done nothing but argue and upset him since it started yesterday," Max sighed. "I think you're likely the only one who can talk to him."
"Where is he?" Isabel questioned, her mind still trying to figure out what was up between Liz and Max.
"He's at a motel down the street. There are…well…complications to his powers; especially when he gets upset-so we all decided he should be alone, for everyone's safety."
Isabel stared at her brother with complete astonishment.
"You left him alone for over a day? Has anyone spoken to him or seen him?"
"I tried to talk to him this morning, but he wouldn't open the door and just yelled at me to go away. Then-," Liz stopped as Max turned to look at her.
The two stared at each other for a moment, then Max turned back to Isabel and Liz just shook her head and left the room.
"Max?" Isabel reached out and took her brother's hands.
"It's nothing. Really, I'd rather you look in on Kyle. If we can't get him under control we might be found out. As it is, Michael and Maria aren't talking, Liz and I-," Max stopped.
"Please Iz, I feel like everything is spiraling out of control-and we are no closer to discovering what this James person knows, or even who he is. We haven't heard from Kal in weeks and he's no longer living where he was when I saw him last. Things are not going well for us," Max looked panicked and unsure and for the first time in a very long time, Isabel felt nervous and afraid for them all.
She waited for almost ten minutes after first knocking on the door. She had announced her presence but still there was no movement from inside.
She knew he was there however; she could hear the TV through the thin door. Isabel wanted very badly to simply unlock the door with her powers and make sure Kyle wasn't hanging dead from the shower rod; but she respected his privacy too much to do that. Instead she waited.
Isabel sat and leaned her back against the door, every few minutes she would knock and tell Kyle she was still there; waiting for him to open the door.
The day faded fast and soon the sky was a murky, navy blue. Isabel wished they were back in Roswell where the stars shone so bright you didn't need streetlights to see the way. But here in L.A. there was no chance of seeing a night sky. It was a random thought-the stars. But somewhere out in that invisible night sky was her home; or rather, where she was from. She felt a moment of melancholy for the times back in Roswell when she and Jesse would camp out in the desert, stargazing. Before he knew of her "alien" parentage that is…
Rustling from the room stirred Isabel and she immediately turned and pressed her ear to the door.
"Kyle?" she knocked lightly again.
"I'm still here; will you please open the door?"
"You must be hungry; we can order Chinese and talk about what's bothering you," Isabel tapped on the door again.
"Please, Kyle. You need me," Isabel paused as a new wave of emotion swept over her, "and I need you right now too. Please, I need my friend."
Isabel lost control of her voice and before she could stop it, tears were streaming down her face and it was all she could do to keep from crying out from the sudden loneliness.
She figured he had been sitting on the other side of the door, because no sooner had she started crying then the door was open and Kyle was lifting her gently, pulling her into the dark hotel room and holding her to him.
The feel of a man's arms around her, a man who wasn't her brother, was so good to Isabel. She held on to Kyle tight and responded to the warmth radiating from his body. It wasn't long before they were kissing. Two wounded souls trying to find comfort with each other.
Isabel pushed aside her conscious self and let her feelings lead her. It felt so good; so right.
There was no time for words; because it wasn't words that either of them needed. It was compassion, desire, love, passion.
When they had exhausted themselves in bed, they slept; tightly wrapped in each other's arms. Isabel hadn't slept so well since long before they had run from Roswell.
Only in the morning, when the bright rays of the rising sun threatened the dark safety of the hotel room, did Isabel start to feel the vestiges of remorse. She awoke early, and was surprised, but not sorry, to find herself naked in bed with Kyle. Her legs still intertwined in his. She watched him sleep, and was shocked to find he'd aged in just the few days she'd been away. There were deep lines on his face that she'd not noticed before.
Watching Kyle sleep, Isabel felt her chest tighten. She'd crossed a line. And she didn't know how to go back, if it was even possible. She'd known for nearly a year or more that Kyle had had a crush on her. And here she was, in bed with him when she wasn't even sure she felt more then friendship for him.
Panic started to set in, and Isabel tensed. Slowly she pulled away from Kyle, gently lifting his arm from around her waist. Kyle stirred, but didn't wake. Apparently he'd not slept well the last few days either.
Escaping the bed, Isabel dressed as quickly as possible, and scribbling a short one-sentence note to Kyle she quietly left the hotel. It was early yet already the day was hot and Isabel could smell the salt from the ocean air. Without a thought for anyone other then herself, she ran to the car and drove to the nearest beach access.
She had a lot of thinking to do.