Part 5 - Leaving

Friday evening went slowly for Isabel; uneasy about the girls coming over made the time slow down even though she had lots to do. Giving instructions to the two tense looking boys was only one of them.

A knock at the door silenced her anxious rant and looking at the boys she brushed back her hair and went to the door – time had suddenly sped up.

I commotion of greetings followed the entrance of the three guests, then sighing calmly Isabel said, "So um, do you want to go upstairs?"

"Um, sure." Liz answered glancing at Max shyly.

Maria and Liz followed Isabel up the stairs leaving the boys to make conversation among themselves. Everyone in the Evans house a little annoyed they had left one persons company.

"So um, is that what you guys are wearing?" Alex asked awkwardly.

"No um, you?" Max replied just as awkwardly.

"No, it's so long to the party I didn't want to crush my gear."

Michael rolled his eyes at Max and Alex's girlie exchanged and asked, "So you want a drink Alex?"

"Yeah." He said relieved at the ease of tension. Following Michael into the kitchen the boys got their drinks.

*~*~*

"So what are you guys wearing?" Isabel asked ushering the girls into her room. She was embarrassed about the silly topic but found herself to be totally lacking in good conversation material.

"I brought just a black dress." Liz answered sitting down on Isabel's couch, wondering if Max's room was as large as his sister's was.

Looking over to Maria, Isabel found the girl in awe. Noticing she was being studied Maria replied, "Oh um, jeans and a green top."

"Jeans?" Isabel repeated then checked herself, Great! She had just shown off her learnt arrogance, which was definitely not the side Isabel had been planning on showing the girls.

"Yeah well my gowns have yet to arrive." Maria said half-heartedly, not offended but embarrassed by her lack of money in such surrounding.

"Oh, I didn't mean um, I just…" Isabel sat down awkwardly on her bed and exhaled – well here goes honesty she thought, "Sorry, usually I'm around idiots that have a dress and lack of brains for every occasion."

"Well I don't have any dresses, except for the Crashdown uniform that is… so um, I guess you're out of your depth in my company." Maria smiled.

"You're also not an idiot." Isabel grinned then added, "I do, I, I have some dresses, and if you want, I don't mind you borrowing one." Studying Maria's embarrassed face Isabel joked, "It would save me from being completely out of my depth…"

"Okay." Maria said softly looking at Liz with a slight smile that Liz returned in full.

*~*~*

"So how are we getting there?" Alex asked more comfortable with the easy flow in which the conversation had become.

"Michael's and my car." Max replied, then quickly added: "If you have your car though, we could–"

"Are you kidding? My piece of crap? The horn goes off every time you round a corner." He grinned proud – he was unashamed about his inferior transport, even though he knew Michael owned the latest jeep and Max had just gotten a BMW.

"Sounds like Izzy's car," Michael said fiddling with his rings, he'd just been thinking how unfortunate it was not having three individual cars to go in was. "She's been making Max drive her to school for the past three weeks."

"I wish I had someone I could make drive me to school." Alex smirked at Max; "She uses female witchcraft ha?"

"No worse," Max laughed. "Alien magic."

Alex who had taken a rather large gulp splattered slightly before saying, "Oh God, what can she do?"

"Go into your dreams." Michael said enjoying the reaction; he had always wanted to tell a human about this kind of stuff.

"Seriously? Liz didn't tell us about that one…" Alex replied distractedly, he was trying to remember all his dreams he had ever had about the alien goddess.

"Probably because I forgot to tell her." Max said guiltily.

*~*~*

"I think it looks good up, with some tendrils Isabel." Maria said feeling less awkward around the alien goddess, "Alex said you looked really nice when we came around the other night."

"I had just woken up." Isabel laughed, then shyly asked, "He thought I looked nice?"

"Wouldn't shut up about it." Liz grinned then started less cheerfully, "Um Isabel…"

Isabel who grew a little excited at being addressed seriously said "Yes?" a little to eagerly and blushed at her keenness.

"When, Max um, healed me, I um…"

"What?" Isabel asked concerned. "Were you hurt?"

"No I'm not hurt, I um saw, I felt…"

"She saw flashes, memories we think and I'm inclined to think fantasies of Max's, she also felt what feeling Max associated with those images I think." Maria supplied knowing her friend would never get the sentence out left to her own devices.

Isabel was surprised, but it wasn't completely weird, Max had a strong connection with Liz before she had even gotten shot, of course a metal connection would have been really intense when a physical one was made. "That was just the connection he had to make to heal you." Isabel offered as an explanation.

"So it wasn't um, real? The feelings…"

Isabel smiled, "He's um, liked you for a while…"

Liz beamed, "I hoped so, I um mean I thought so."

"Ask about the other thing." Maria pushed.

"What um 'other thing'?" Isabel asked worried. Lifting her top Liz revealed a silver handprint above her belly button. "Oh that, it um will go away in a couple of days."

*~*~*

"So um, is Isabel meeting anyone at the party?" Alex asked trying to sound indifferent.

"No one I know of, Max?"

"Only Courtney, which she can't avoid." Max added. The boys were in Max's room now and all three were trying to get information from at least one guy in the room.

Alex tried to cut to the chase, "Okay guys, you tell me about Isabel, and I'll give info on what you guys want."

"The scoop on Liz and Maria." Max said standing, knowing he was doing Michael and Alex a big favour by not having his brother deny the want of this information in particular and having Alex realise after a while that it was just what Michael wanted to talk about.

"Deal." Alex agreed; these 'popular' guys weren't so unpredictable.

Nodding in agreement, the boys took their drinks to the game room. "You go first." Michael said eagerly.

"Well I've known Liz all my life, she's sweet and loyal–"

"Sounds like a puppy." Michael interrupted amused.

Ignoring Michael's comment Alex continued, "Maria I feel like I've know all my life…" and was satisfied to find Michael much quieter. "It's weird, looking at them you would think Maria was really delicate, and Liz was pretty tough. But, um in fact, even though Liz is tough when she has to, she's really a softie and Maria is the one hard as nails, totally resilient." Loving the captive audience Alex's asked, "What do you guys really want to know about them?"

A billion questions raced through Michael's mind. He settled on the most important though. "Is she happy?" Michael asked softly.

"Which one?" Alex asked, a little confused by his question.

"Both." Max replied.

"Liz more so then Maria I think, why?"

"On that history sheet we did, she just seemed, um… oh I don't know." Michael shrugged getting up to shoot some pool.

After a moment Alex said faintly. "Her mum died." Flinching at the sad words Michael who had lined up a ball cracked it loudly into the corner pocket.

"How?" Max asked concerned.

"Car crash, um two years ago…" Alex trailed off unsure if he should really be telling this.

*~*~*

"This will fit you." Isabel said triumphantly pulling a dress from her closet. "I'm so glad I had something small enough."

"I wish I had curves like you." Liz said distantly.

Realising Liz hadn't meant to be heard Isabel laughed, "They're overrated."

"Not from what I hear." Maria teased taking the dress from Isabel. Looking down at it Maria tilted her head slightly and asked, "Um Isabel, when did you get this dress?"

"'95." Isabel replied then laughed at the expression on Maria's face caused by the glaring orange fabric, "Oh don't worry it's not going to stay like that." Getting curious looks from the human girls Isabel grinned mischievously; she always had wanted to do this, "Oh and Liz, are you sure you want to keep your dress plain black?"

*~*~*

"I wonder what's taking them so long." Max muttered eager to see Liz. Isabel had concealed the girls for the entire evening. The males only knew they were still in the house by occasional fits of laughter, which at intervals floated down the stairs.

"We're coming!" Isabel called from upstairs.

The boys had finally gotten dressed after three games of pool and were waiting keenly on the girls. Michael hadn't touched anyone's hair and to his satisfaction the two boys had fallen on top of each other when they had tried to touch his, 'no one tames the mane' he had said with glee before running for the bathroom barking with laughter.

"Oh God." Max exhaled as a pair of legs started walking down the stairs.

"Just breathe Maxwell." Michael mocked as he watched Liz shyly descend the stairs.

Liz had her hair out and wore a tight fitting short black dress with what seemed to be red glittery twirls covering the black material lightly. She wore black tights and her boats which Alex realised had been black when they had arrived were now red to match her fiery ruby lips. Max nearly tripped over himself as he raced forward in case she needed assistance.

Alex was about to laugh when Isabel entered; he managed a squeak much to everyone's amusement. Isabel was delighted that her white shimmering top and sparkling blue skirt had caused such an affect. "You look lovely Isabel." Alex choked swallowing a few times.

Michael who had been amusing himself with the other boys' reactions was knocked for six by the sudden appearance of Maria. She wore a short loosely fitted emerald dress; the material seemed to have even taken on the quality of her eyes, in their matching vibrant colour and liquid consistency.

Maria's delicate figure was flattered by the style and on her turning around to grab her bag she revealed that she not only had a bare back but also was braless.

Michael stumbled slightly as fantasies hit him hard and he choked 'Beautiful' silently at the sight. Michael's eyes travelled down her bare leg revealing the long length of her legs for someone so small. Travelling down further his eyes met flimsy green strap shoes that held her small feet perfectly.

"Shall we go?" Isabel asked readily linking her arm through the one that Alex had offered.

"What?" Max asked still unable to take his eyes of Liz.

"Go, you know, the party…" Maria replied, glancing at Michael who was making her shiver with his 'about to pounce' body language.

"Um yeah." Max said recovering slightly. "How are we going to divide into cars?"

Michael who had every intention of staying close to Maria said, "If you like Max I'll take Isabel and Alex, and um Maria, and you can take Liz."

Max smiled at the idea and opened the front door. "Maria could come with us…" Liz said suddenly alarmed by the notion of being alone in a car with Max.

"It's okay Liz, we'll meet you there, I'm fine going with Michael." Maria responded trying to reassure Liz.

Michael who had momentarily grinned at the sound of his name on her lips beamed widely when Liz and the rest consented on his seating arrangements. So off Liz went with Max, leaving the others to walk to Michael's jeep.

"Michael can you please put the roof on, my hair…" Isabel whinged.

"No, that would ruin the idea of the jeep." Michael protested gearing Isabel and Alex to the back seat and Maria to the front.

"Well, it's going to ruin my hair." Isabel pouted as she sat down in the back.

"Your hair looks great wild." Alex said going bright pink when he had finished his voiced thought.

"I know." Isabel smiled happier at the concept.

"I'm happy to see your hair wasn't touched Alex, you however –" She said turning to Michael, "Could do with some grooming." Maria giggled lightly touching the tip of Michael's ear as she brushed back his strands gently.

Michael's eye's had briefly shut and fire had raced down his spine at the tingling of the last traces of contact. When he opened them again he prayed Roswell would still have lights working… The touch was sensual, soft, tender… He momentarily thought how it would feel to have her touch him in other places but decided that was not a clever thought to have right now…

Maria was surprise by the reaction her touch had caused, more so in herself then in him though. For a fleeting moment she had wondered what it would be like to touch more then his hair and ear. Was he just as soft in other places? Would he like to touch her back?

"We should probably go now, buckle up." Michael said astonishing all by the husky tone of his voice.

Tbc…