Author's Note: Thanks again to TrueLovePooh for listening to me rant, rave, whine and cry about this part. And thanks so much for her help with Alex's letter. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it right. So thank you Pooh for all your help and support.
Winds of Change
Chapter Thirty-Two – Receprocity
"So, what are we looking for?" Kyle asked to nobody in particular as he, Alex and Isabel drove down Roswell's main street. He patted his jacket pocket surreptitiously; making sure the envelope Liz had slipped him was still in there.
"We'll know it when we see it," Isabel replied. "In the mean time, just keep your eyes open."
She leaned forward between the bucket seats of Kyle's Mustang and grabbed Alex's hand and squeezed it gently.
"We're going to figure a way out of all of this," she said, quietly. "Max will figure something out."
Alex gave her hand a reassuring squeeze even though he knew deep in his heart there wasn't any solution. They had to shift things back to the way they were supposed to be.
"Kyle, pull over there," Isabel said suddenly, pointing to an area set aside for tour busses to park.
Without a word, Kyle swung into a parking space and climbed out of the car. Alex climbed out of the passenger side, and reached in and helped Isabel out of the cramped back seat.
"He's here," she said, softly. "I don't know how I know, but he's here. Nicholas!" she called. "Come out come out wherever you are."
"Um, Isabel, maybe it's not wise to taunt the psycho alien," said Kyle. "Did you ever think of that?"
"Shut up Kyle, if you're afraid, why don't you wait here by the car," Isabel snapped and stalked off down the street in search of Nicholas.
"Well that was pretty harsh, don't you thing?" Kyle asked Alex's departing back as he followed after Isabel.
Kyle reached into his car and withdrew something and jogged off down the street after Alex and Isabel, catching up with them as they entered a nearby park. Out of nowhere a bolt of energy shot past them, grazing Kyle face, knocking him to the ground. Alex reached out and grabbed Isabel's hand and pulled her down one of the park's many jogging paths.
"It's over Vilondra," an eerie voice called from nearby. "You were foolish to think you could defeat me. Now where is the Granolith?"
"Come out and play with the big kids, Nicholas, and maybe I'll tell you," taunted Isabel. She pulled away from Alex and stepped of the path and into a large grassy area. "Come on, Nicholas, come out and play."
A small figure stepped out from behind a tree and smiled at Isabel.
"As always, Vilondra, you're braver than you are smart," said Nicholas. "Tell me where the Granolith is, and I'll make your death painless.
Isabel's answer was a bolt of energy fired straight at Nicholas. It hit him square on the chest, but instead of destroying him, he seemed to absorb it into his body. He began to laugh manically, and Isabel fired another bolt in his direction. Nicholas' response was to fire another bolt of energy at Isabel, just barely missing her as she spun out of the way, falling to the ground as she avoided the killing blast.
Isabel pulled herself up, shocked to see Alex running across the grass and throwing himself on top of Nicholas.
"Alex, no!" she shouted.
"Foolish human," Nicholas laughed, using his powers to push Alex away. "Another man, ready to die for you, Vilondra. How sweet. You can watch while I kill him."
"No!" Isabel shouted. "He can watch while I kill you!"
Again, Alex tackled Nicholas, bringing him to the ground.
"Kill him Isabel, do it!" he shouted.
"Wait!" a voice called out.
Kyle came limping into view, the baseball bat he had grabbed from his car in his hand.
"Smash him on the lower back. It will break the seal on his husk! It's the only way!"
He threw the bat to Isabel, and collapsed to the ground, the burn mark from Nicholas' energy bolt making his face look like a grotesque mask.
Isabel reached out and grabbed the fallen bat and ran over to the spot where Nicholas and Alex struggled.
"Alex," she called out.
Alex looked up and saw Isabel and rolled away from Nicholas and pulled himself up to a standing position.
Isabel looked over Nicholas' head to where Alex stood. She saw the love shining in his eyes and she knew that she would never love, nor be loved as much ever again. Alex gave a slight nod, and she brought the baseball bat crashing down on the small of Nicholas' back, breaking the seal on his husk. His body collapsed in on itself, leaving nothing but a pile of ashes. "I love you Alex," she called out looking around, but it was too late, Alex was gone.
Isabel fell to the ground sobbing, while the earth spun wildly around her. When the spinning subsided, she was still on the ground, crying while a small group of children played nearby. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her, and she stiffened at first, then allowed herself to relax against Kyle. Her friend.
"I didn't think it would be this hard," she whispered.
"I know, I know. Come on, Isabel. I think I know where we need to be," he said.
He stood up and held out his hands to her, and helped her from the ground.
The two walked in silence to Kyle's car. He helped her into the car and buckled her seatbelt like she was a child. He climbed into the passenger seat and started the car. He started to pull away when he noticed Isabel staring at his face.
"What is it?" he asked. "Do I have something on my face?"
"You have a scar, Kyle. You never did before," she said.
"It's leftover from Nicholas," Kyle said ruefully. "I guess our memories weren't the only thing to make it back to this time." He reached into his pocket and felt the reassuring crinkle of paper, and heaved a sigh of relief. Whatever it was that Liz had given him had made it back.
"Max can probably fix that," said Isabel.
"Maybe," Alex replied. He didn't know if he would have Max remove the scar, it seemed a fitting memorial for Alex Whitman.
A short drive brought them to the cemetery where Alex had been laid to rest. Kyle smiled slightly when he saw Max's Chevelle, and Maria's Jetta waiting for them. His friends were nothing if not predictable at times. He climbed out of the car and came around to the passenger side and opened the door for Isabel. After she got out, he reached into his pocket and gave her the envelope.
"You may want to read this," he said.
The pair walked to Alex's grave and found Liz, Max, Maria and Michael waiting for them, all of them with tearstained faces.
"Isabel," Liz began.
"I know, Liz," Isabel whispered, leaning down to hug the smaller girl. "It hurts so bad."
"Did Kyle give you the letter?"
"Yeah," Isabel sniffed.
"We'll give you some privacy," said Liz. "But we won't be far away."
"Thanks," Isabel whispered. She waited until the small group moved away before she opened the envelope.
Dear Isabel,
The love I feel for you, transcends time and space. I'll always be with you, Isabel. Never doubt that. Don't morn my death, because a part of me will always live on in you. When you need me, I'll be there for you. Liz and Maria will be ok, yes they will miss me and I will miss them but they have Max and Michael. You need to remember you're not alone, and you all need each other, never forget that. Listen to Kyle, he's a good friend and will be there for all of you. I will never regret knowing you and loving you…you gave me something a lot of people don't get in their life, Love. Thank you for that. I wish I could have stayed but you know that it would have put everyone we love in jeopardy. Be strong Isabel, the way only you can be, until we can be together again.
Yours forever,
Alex
Isabel wiped away a tear and smiled. Alex would always be with her, she knew it; she could feel him. He was right. Alex was in her heart and soul, and always would be. Someday, they would be together again, but until then, she, like the others would live.
Isabel knelt down and pressed her hand against Alex's gravestone as if saying goodbye. Max, Liz, and the others came to stand beside her, each of them drawing strength from the others.
The turned to walk away as a shaft of sunlight shined down on Alex's grave, almost as if preordained. It glinted off of his gravestone highlighting the words that hadn't been there a moment before.
He sacrificed himself so that we would live.
The End