by Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG
Category:K/I, FF
Spoilers: Season 3- A Tale of Two Parties
Summary: The next part
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell. Wish I did, though.
"Momma! Momma!"
"Yes, Evan?"
"It's snowing, and I'm almost four."
Isabel leaned down and hugged her son. "I know. Go watch the snow fall and tell me when Daddy Kyle drives up, okay?"
"Okay. Can I have a cookie?"
Isabel chuckled. "One, but that's IT until after dinner. Now scoot."
She smiled as Evan ran out into the living room. It was December 23rd, and soon Kyle would be home. Everything would be perfect.
The phone rang and she ran over to get it before Evan. He hadn't exactly mastered the art of talking on the phone yet. Evan would answer the phone, say hi, and then slam it down- not exactly a good thing when you needed to have an important adult conversation.
"Izzy?" Kyle's voice sounded uncertain over the phone wire.
"Yeah." She said.
"Good. This is important, and I was afraid you were Evan."
"What's up?"
"Well…ummm…" Kyle sounded nervous. "The airport's snowed in. I'm not going to be able to get out of Houston tonight."
Isabel groaned. "It's like New Year's Eve all over again." Her first husband, Jesse had been held up in Houston back in 2001. She'd ended up scrapping the romantic night and spent the night with her best friend, Kyle Valenti.
"I'll do everything I can to get there in time, honey. I swear."
"I know, I know."
"Say hi to Evan for me."
"Sure."
"I've gotta go because there's like a mile long line behind me, okay?
I love you, Izzy. To the ends of the universe. I love you."
"Love you, too."
She hung up the phone and sat down at the table. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. But oh how she wanted to. There must be some gigantic cosmic joke.
This Christmas was supposed to be perfect. It was their first Christmas together, as a real family. A year ago, on Christmas, she and Kyle shared their first kiss. They became engaged on Valentine's day, and were married on the fourth of July. Her first Christmas with Kyle was supposed to be perfect. On Christmas Eve, they were supposed to slow dance like they did last year. He was supposed to be there to hold her and watch Evan open his gifts.
He wasn't supposed to be in Houston, miles away.
He was supposed to be here.
Isabel picked up the phone. All her zest for cooking dinner had disappeared.
"Hello, Dominos?"
***
"Momma when will Santa Claus be here?"
"In a bit, Evan honey. After you go to sleep."
"Okay." He paused for a second. "When will Daddy Kyle be home?"
"Hopefully, soon." Isabel sighed and looked out the window. The heavy snow falling down caused her to doubt the validity of his words. Would they have a Kyle-less Christmas?
"Can we watch a movie?" Evan said, his brown eyes glowing.
"Sure." Isabel said, staring up at the clock.
Kyle had five hours to fight through the snow in order to get home in time for Christmas.
***
The door creaked open.
He shook the snow that had accumulated on his way into the house off his shoulders. Man, was it snowing.
His Juliet was asleep on the couch, curled up with another man.
He chuckled and walked over to his wife.
Her eyes opened as Kyle awoke her with a kiss.
"You're home!" Isabel squealed, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
Kyle laughed. "Yeah, and with five minutes to spare."
"I'm so happy to be home. But how did you get home through all that snow?"
"Would you believe a nuclear powered burro?"
"Nope." Isabel said kissing his cheek.
"I rented a car- more like some sort of monster truck. It broke down, and then I rode a bus, and then I rented another car and ended up here."
"And we get to spend Christmas together." She sighed. "Our first Christmas."
"As a married couple, yeah, but we've been friends for years."
"But it's special this year…"
"Isabel, to you every Christmas is special." Kyle's attention shifted to the TV. "You're watching OUR movie?"
Isabel felt heat rush to her cheeks at Kyle naming it "their movie."
"I mean, I come home and I find you curled up with another man?"
"He found an opportunity and he took it. Lesson is, never leave me alone."
"Noted, Mrs. Valenti. Noted." Kyle loosened his grip on his wife and dug down into his messenger bag. "But I brought goobers."
"Then I guess you're forgiven." Isabel said, drawing him closer again. "I love you, Kyle."
"I love you too, Isabel. I have for a long time."
"Oh?"
"I fell in love with you a long time ago. You're an intoxicating woman, you know that?"
"What are you talking about, Kyle?"
"I fell in love with you the first time we watched this silly movie.
That night…when we went looking for Engima but never found it?"
"But I was married."
"I never acted on it." Kyle pulled away from her. "It was like, you know how Max had feelings for Liz for all those years? For the first time, I understood what that felt like- to love someone, to want to be with them, but not to be. To admire them from afar like some sort of Cyrano."
"What if Jesse didn't die? Would you still be lusting over me?"
Kyle's shoulders drooped. "To tell you the truth, I gave up on the possibility of us ever being a couple after your first anniversary. Yes, I loved you, but in a pathetic Rupert Everett except I'm not gay way. You are my best friend, Isabel. I'd think that you would have a better opinion of me than that."
"That's not what I meant."
"Well I didn't do a mad cap rush all the way from Houston to get her and fight with you."
"And I don't want to fight with you either."
"Because you don't want to ruin your perfect Christmas." Kyle huffed.
"I love you, and I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to fight, either."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"So you're not gonna get mad at me for loving you in silence for all those years?"
"I don't know if I can ever live up to that."
"That's the thing about love, Isabel. You can't do anything to deserve it. Just being yourself is all that you can do, that and loving me back."
"Was one of your inflight movies Moulin Rouge?"
"Not quite." Kyle leaned down and kissed his wife, leaving her breathless. "Merry Christmas, Isabel."
"Merry Christmas, Kyle. I love you."
"Love you too."
"I loves you toos." A small voice sounded from the couch.