PART 5

Isabel stirred slightly. Odd. She thought; as she opened her eyes and found a mauve ceiling greet her. What happened to my blue ceiling?

"Guys, she's awake!" Isabel heard a voice cry out in relief.

Isabel opened her eyes and looked around. Where was she? And that sounded like Liz? What was Liz Parker doing in my apartment? How does she know where I live? Suddenly last night came flooding back to her. She closed her eyes against the images. Her head throbbed with pain and she felt sick. She thought she remembered Alex finding her in Central Park and bringing her here.

"Isabel?" Liz's voice spoke to her softly.

Isabel fought against the last remnant of sleep. Her eyes hurt against the bright glare of sunlight. "My head…" She mumbled, rubbing it. "The light…too bright!"

She heard someone hurry and pull down the blinds.

"Isabel?" Liz asked again, her voice soothing. "Honey, are you awake?"

Isabel sat up, confused as she took in all the people standing around her. "Liz?" Isabel asked softly, afraid that it was all a dream.

Liz nodded, teary-eyed. "Hey! How are you doing?" Max asked, swimming into view.

Seeing her brother made Isabel want to cry and she let herself do so. For the first time in years these were tears of happiness and not of pain or sadness. "Max!" Isabel cried, hugging him. He held her tight, stroking her hair.

Isabel broke away and glanced around to see Michael standing in the doorway, behind Maria. "Michael!" Isabel whispered.

Michael hurried over and held her hand. She noticed it was bandaged where she had cut herself. "Izzy! I missed you!" he told her so that only she could hear.

"You had us worried." Maria told her.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" Alex gently prodded. He was sitting next to her on the bed. Isabel, still too confused and overwhelmed by this gave him a confused look.

"How did you find me?" She asked.

"You made him see your dream." Liz told her. "Don't you remember?"

Isabel shook her head. "No. No, I don't. I haven't dream walked since Richard…" Her eyes flew open. Oh god Richard! He'll be so angry!

Isabel scrambled out of bed. A wave of dizziness washed over her from the hurried movement and Max caught her. "Where you going Izzy?" he asked.

Panic was clear in Isabel's eyes. "Richard! He'll be waiting!" she blurted out. "He'll be mad Max! Please let me go! Max, I have to go home!"

"Honey, calm down!" Liz soothed. "What are you talking about and who's Richard?"

"He's my husband!" The silence in the room was deafening but Isabel hardly noticed. "Liz, please tell Max to let me go to him. He'll be so worried and then he might get mad! I don't want to make him angry!"

Isabel's married! Alex thought in a daze. He glanced at Michael and Maria as if to ask if he heard correctly. They just gave him a worried glance. Something was not right. Why was Isabel so worried? She was acting as if she was scared of him.

Max watched his sister beg him to let her go. He couldn't understand this. He thought that she'd be happy to see him but she acted so scared. He glanced at Michael, who was looking haggard from his flight. Michael had cancelled his trip to get here.

What is wrong with Iz? Max wondered.

He watched as he saw Alex and Liz try to soothe her down. He wanted to go check Isabel to see if she was okay but Liz had not let him. She told him that since she was a doctor, she would do it. Just some cuts and bruises. She wasn't sure how Isabel got them. He wondered how she had gotten such bad bruises and was about to ask when Maria asked her.

"Isabel, how did you get those bruises and cuts?" Maria's eyes were wide. Well he didn't want to be so direct but Maria hit a nerve.

Isabel's eyes darted around the room. She licked her lips nervously. "I…well…I…um, fell down the stairs and got hurt." She finally said.

Suddenly Michael's eyes went wide with anger, as he finally understood Maria's implication. "Did Richard do this to you?" he demanded. "Is this why you are so terrified of him? Does he hurt you?"

Isabel looked scared as she replied. "No! Of course not! Richard loves me! He would never hurt me! I told you I fell down the stairs!" She burst out crying.

Michael touched her hand lightly, in an apology but quickly retracted it when the flashes ran through him.

//Isabel crying as she left Roswell quietly//

//Isabel living in a run down apartment//

//Isabel feeling lonely and sad as she dialled her home and heard Max's voice but hung up without saying anything//

//Isabel meeting Richard in a diner//

//Isabel feeling happy after a date with Richard//

//Richard proposing, Isabel agreeing but not without a flicker of doubt//

//Isabel cowering in a corner as Richard came home drunk and hit her for the first time//

//Isabel trying to protect herself but just got thrown back into the room//

//Isabel crying in her bedroom and finally leaving//

Michael took a few steps back, shaken to the core. He was stunned by what her life had become. He could only watch as Isabel sat on the bed crying. He saw Alex come to her but he barely noticed as he stood in a daze. I'm so sorry Isabel. I should have been there for you. He thought.

Alex gathered her into his arms and rocked her as she cried into his arms. He indicated the others to leave so he could talk to her. The others reluctantly did so. Michael gave her a long, hard stare before finally leaving.

"What happened last night Iz?" Alex asked softly.

"Nothing, Richard and I had a small fight. I left and fell asleep on the bench and then you came…and then everything's a bit hazy…"

"A small fight?" Alex asked gently, not wanting to upset her.

She looked at him long and hard. "Yes." She finally said in a small voice. "Take me home Alex. Max won't let me go. Take me home!"

"Why don't you stay here and rest today?" Alex asked her. "You're in no position to go anywhere."

"But Richard will worry!" Isabel protested.

Alex racked his brain for someway to make her stay. He didn't know what had happened to leave Isabel like this. She had lost all her fire, all her bravado, which earned her the title 'Ice Princess'.

"Why don't I call your house and tell Richard not to worry?" Alex offered.

Isabel seemed to consider this for a while. Conflicting emotions ran across her face. Finally, she nodded her head reluctantly, scribbling her number on the pad Alex held out to her. "Go quickly. He'll be angry…"

Alex kissed her on the forehead as he made her lie down. He pulled the blanket over her. "I will. You try to sleep now, okay?"

She nodded and quickly fell back to sleep.