After dinner most of the group filed into Kyle's old bedroom, which Valenti converted into a big game trophy room. Isabel stayed seated at Valenti's kitchen table lost in thoughts about the events on Kivar's ship. Only Maria joined her in the kitchen and dining area, and she started putting dishes away. As for the rest of group, Isabel observed that some genuinely wanted to check out Valenti's new trophy room. Others seemed to tag along simply to pay Valenti the courtesy of letting him share a hobby that appeared important to him.
Isabel never knew Valenti to take hunting trips during her time in Roswell, but he explained over dinner that he went on trips a lot in his youth with his father. Kyle never took an interest in hunting, so Valenti bonded with his son on fishing trips instead. Of course Kyle also took exception to those after getting into Buddhism. As an empty nester and in the absence of alien drama consuming his spare time, Valenti renewed his childhood interest in the sport and made new friends in town to accompany him on hunting trips during his time off at the police department.
When the group headed out of the main dining and living area, Isabel also felt a pull to go and hear Valenti show off his collection. However she couldn't bring herself to get up. She stayed mostly quiet during the dinner conversation as well, consumer with her own self-reflection.
Michael essentially called Isabel out for wanting to fight and kill Nicholas. While she claimed she only began the attack to press Nicholas for information on Kivar's location and struck the fatal blow to prevent him from killing Michael, deep down she knew the ugly truth. A part of her truly wanted Nicholas dead.
After choosing to leave life on the road and settle in Suncook, Isabel got to focus on building her human life and family with Jesse. As the years went by, she didn't give a lot of thought to her life on Antar or the alien-related adventures in Roswell during her youth. Isabel would worry about Max and Michael's safety since they remained on the run, but she never speculated on the specific dangers they may face or any unfinished business from her past life. Now Isabel couldn't avoid any of that, and she felt like she risked losing herself to all of it.
"…You killed him. It was almost like you wanted to kill him—like more than you wanted anything else from him."
Michael's words in reaction to Isabel killing Nicholas haunted her. Not because she regretted it or thought she acted too impulsively, though. On the contrary, Isabel felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that Nicholas would never return. She continued hoping for a good reason to deliver the same fate to Kivar, too. Succeeding could close the book on any complications from her past life resurfacing, but at what cost?
Isabel wondered if these dark thoughts meant she was becoming a killer—someone who wouldn't easily manage to return home and slip back into her happy, suburban life with Jesse, Melissa and Chloe. She worried about how her latest alien experience would change her forever. Would she be more irritable with the girls moving forward? More prone to scary, violent outbursts, such as banging her hand on a table… or something worse? Isabel struggled to imagine a scenario where she could wash her hands of her recent actions with no reciprocal impact when she returned to New Hampshire.
Or maybe Vilandra was the killer. Isabel viewed Vilandra as a demon inside of her that could never be fully exorcised. She managed to suppress Vilandra as best she could, but it made sense that Vilandra would exert a greater influence over her under the present circumstances.
Isabel still knew relatively little about Vilandra's life back on Antar. She was a princess but also a warrior, at least in some capacity. Isabel always hoped Vilandra regretted her affair and role in the coup. If true, that would give Vilandra motivation to seek revenge on Nicholas and possibly Kivar as well. Isabel feared that Vilandra only regretted not surviving the coup to rule with Kivar.
Nicholas tortured Isabel on several occasions, and Kivar nearly ruined Isabel's honeymoon, almost killing Jesse in the process. Isabel had reasons to hate them both, but Isabel wasn't raised to solve human problems with violence and never got tempted to. Vilandra still felt drawn to Kivar on her honeymoon, but that happened close to 20 years ago. As her life as a hybrid matured, maybe Isabel's feelings toward figures from that past life managed to become more dominant, while Vilandra's methods of acting as a warrior dealing with alien enemies still kicked in during battles since Isabel had no combat experience outside of her alien life to draw on. If true, that could help Isabel better accept killing Nicholas and her interest in killing Kivar. She wondered if that was even possible, or if she conjured up this explanation as a way to help her cope with everything once all of this ended.
Isabel also thought about how figuring out how to return to her family in Suncook could become a moot point if Larek's insistence that they must return to Antar with the Granolith proved true. That presented a completely different set of concerns—such as would returning to a life on Antar allow Vilandra to exercise an even greater influence on her actions? The periods during her honeymoon when Vilandra took control remained terrifying memories to Isabel considering how much she hated what Vilandra did and couldn't do anything to stop it.
With so much to take in, Isabel struggled to stay present in the moment since arriving in Roswell, which explained her relative silence and inactivity during and since dinner. She noticed plates and empty glasses remained at the table. Valenti didn't own a dishwasher. Maria filled up one side of his sink with dish soap and water as she rinsed and scrubbed a stack of dishes she collected from those who ate in the living room. Sensing that her fears could overwhelm her and trigger a full blown panic attack, Isabel allowed some of her attention to divert toward the dirty dishes. She sat up, collected all of them from the table and reached through the half wall opening between the dining room and kitchen placing them on the counter where Maria could easily add them to her pile of dirty dishes.
"It's funny how the moms wind up doing the dishes," Maria quipped.
Still consumed by her anxious thoughts and fears, Isabel barely heard her. But then she made eye contact with Maria who looked self-conscious, like she said something to annoy Isabel.
Similar to Liz, Isabel came to accept Maria as an important part of Michael's life, but the two never became especially close. When they first started spending time in the same circle in high school, Isabel didn't approve of Max revealing their identities to save Liz and certainly didn't approve of Liz sharing their secrets with Maria. Isabel intentionally projected an I-don't-like-you vibe toward Maria but in time that softened. Even though their families kept in touch after Michael and Maria left the road to raise Amy, Isabel mainly talked to Michael.
Recognizing that the silence looked like it bothered Maria, Isabel pulled her thoughts fully into this moment. The comment didn't put her off, and she didn't want Maria to think that it did.
Isabel smiled warmly, "It's like it's programmed into us at this point."
"I know, right?" Maria added.
Isabel laughed and suddenly recognized that Maria's dramatic nature often provided a degree of levity that helped prevent their stressful situations from becoming too intense. A knock at the door interrupted any further chance for them to bond.
"Who could that be?" Isabel asked with a trace of concern.
"Seriously, how many visitors does this guy get in the middle of the night?" Maria added, showing no signs of concern.
Isabel moved toward the door with caution. She considered calling for Max and Michael, but she didn't want to rattle anyone over nothing, such as a nosy neighbor coming by to find out more about Valenti's company.
When she swung the door open, Isabel's heart melted as she spotted Jesse on the other side. Max and Michael now could receive emotional support from their spouses while Ava and Zan seemed to provide that for each other. This left Isabel on somewhat of an island, and it immediately occurred to her that Jesse could help talk through everything with her.
"Jesse," Isabel called out with excitement.
Isabel leaped into Jesse's arms and he held her tightly and spun her around 180 degrees. She looked up over Jesse's shoulder and made eye contact with Maria, who smiled pleasantly and then turned her attention back to the dishes so as not to appear too snoopy.
"I can't believe you're here," Isabel gushed, staring twinkle-eyed into Jesse's eyes.
"I needed to see you," Jesse said. "Could, uh, could I talk to for a moment on the porch before we catch up with everyone?"
"Of course," Isabel replied as the couple stepped out.
As the front door closed behind, Isabel threw her arms around Jesse once more.
"Oh, Jesse," she began, "this has been an even crazier experience than I could've imagined. So much has happened and it's been so hard."
"It's ok," Jesse whispered softly into her ear, "I'm here now."
Jesse pushed back a little and made eye contact with Isabel. Then he lurched in and gave her a deeply passionate kiss that lasted a little longer than Isabel expected. Isabel didn't mind and wound up giving into the moment. While they enjoyed a healthy marriage, Isabel didn't feel this kind of intense desire toward or from Jesse since they first began secretly dating. Some of that could spring from them not being separated this long before. For Isabel, all the tension building up around the death of Nicholas and the possibility of going to Antar led her not to question the fiery feelings of desire and lust.
"You act like you're seeing me for the first time in years," Isabel said once they finally broke off the make out.
"In some ways, it feels like it has been," Jesse shared.
"You have no idea," Isabel added.
When Isabel decided to leave Suncook to rendezvous with Max, she never even considered bringing Jesse. She didn't want to see him in the line of fire and she also thought one of them needed to stay with the girls. At the time, she knew she could sustain an injury or worse, but Isabel believed that her and Max could get out of whatever trouble he found. It never occurred to her that she may never see her girls again, but now she could discuss everything with Jesse here and by her side.
"Wait," Isabel fussed with concern after thinking about her girls, "Melissa and Chloe, who's watching them? Did you leave them with the Whaley's?"
The Whaley's were one of their closest friends in Suncook. They had a college-aged son and a daughter in high school, Jennifer, who would graciously play with them. Sometimes Jennifer babysat at their house, but her girls viewed her more as a friend than a babysitter. The adults, Rosemary and Allen, would also watch them at the Whaley's house sometimes, but Isabel and Jesse rarely asked them to host a sleepover.
"Huh," Jesse stumbled, "Oh, yeah… Yeah, they're with the Whaley's. I took care of everything. We're more worried about you."
Isabel found it a bit peculiar that Jesse faltered slightly at the question, but she chose not to dwell on it. After answering her question, Jesse quickly leaned in and gave her another long, intense kiss, sweeping away the rest of her concern. Jesse was a great father and wouldn't leave without arranging care for Melissa and Chloe. And whatever challenges the three of them may have experienced at their home without Isabel there the last few days, it surely paled in comparison to everything Isabel dealt with in El Quartelejo and now Roswell.
"There's so much I have to tell you," Isabel began, "I don't even know where to start."
"C'mon," Jesse said, motioning for them to leave the porch, "let's take a walk. Just you and me. I was hoping to have some alone time with you anyway. You can tell me everything."
From a tactical perspective, it occurred to Isabel that they shouldn't stray too far from the rest of the group. Yet she needed to unpack some of her feelings around killing Nicholas, and she didn't want someone popping out onto the porch to interrupt. Isabel knew the area so well and decided she could guide Jesse through a couple streets and to a neighborhood park about a quarter-mile from Valenti's house. It seemed like a quiet night, and she saw no signs of CIA activity in the neighborhoods, something Valenti reinforced.
As they walked, Isabel started to provide some background, but she wanted to address what bothered her most: Nicholas's death. She anticipated Jesse would want to talk most about the prospect of them leaving with the Granolith, so she chose not to lead with that. She explained how she caught up with Max and Liz at Ava's, how they reunited with Max's son Zan and how the reports of an alien crash in the Rita Blanca National Grasslands proved true and that Kivar himself came to Earth. Isabel thought Jesse may ask about Kivar because she eventually told him about Kivar's interference at their honeymoon. To her surprise, he didn't stop her.
"Anyway, there's a lot I can catch you up on," Isabel continued, "but what's really gnawing at me is what happened when… Ok, Zan wound up getting tricked to go onboard the ship, but we knew he would be in danger there. So we needed to go to the ship and get him out of there."
"Wait, you actually went inside Kivar's ship and made it out alive?" Jesse asked.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Isabel retorted.
"Uh, sorry," Jesse said, "that just sounds dangerous, and I'm glad you made it out ok."
"Thanks, sweetie," Isabel exclaimed.
She latched on to his arm the moment they cleared Valenti's porch, and, as they approached the park, Isabel squeezed him a little tighter.
"So on the ship, we see this kid, Nicholas," Isabel went on, "I'm sure I've mentioned him before, though the last time I encountered him was before we met. And he's not really a kid, but he looks like a kid because… well, that's not really important right now. Surprisingly, Nicholas told us where to find Zan. So then Max and Ava went to go get him, but Michael and I stayed behind because we thought we had him cornered. We needed to try to learn more from him and…"
Isabel didn't quite know the best way to explain the next part. By this point, they reached the neighborhood park. Jesse motioned toward a bench and they sat down.
"It's ok," Jesse consoled her, "just tell me what happened."
"I don't want you to look at me differently after I tell you this," Isabel admitted.
Jesse grabbed her hands gently, "Nothing could ever do that," he assured her with a confident smile.
Isabel appreciated the support, but usually in these situations Jesse expressed more concern that something awful happened to her or she got forced to do something difficult. It threw her off some, causing her to hesitate slightly before continuing. She wondered if maybe Jesse sensed her level of distress and knew that she needed his support more than his level head in this moment.
"A fight broke out," Isabel began with a gulp and looked down instead of maintaining eye contact with Jesse while she continued. "It all happened so fast. Nicholas knocked Michael down and then me. He ran over to Michael and was about to strike a fatal blow. He moved so fast and was so powerful… I didn't know how else to stop him. From years ago, I knew about this weak spot on his body so I—I attacked there and it—it killed Nicholas."
"You killed Nicholas," Jesse repeated with alarm.
If Isabel didn't know better, it almost sounded like Jesse knew Nicholas. But she figured it made more sense that he expressed disappointment and concern at the notion Isabel taking a life.
"Michael might've died if I didn't," Isabel rationed. "Even so… I don't know… maybe a part of me…"
"Ok, stop," Jesse instructed. "It sounds like you did what you had to do, right?"
Jesse scooted forward and then pulled her close and began kissing her lustfully once more. At first, Isabel felt relief. She feared Jesse would look at her like a monster, yet he seemed to accept her explanation easily. Much easier than Michael did, and she knew Max would likely look at her disapprovingly. She continued kissing Jesse, feeling a stronger physical yearning than ever, but she couldn't move past his uncharacteristic reaction and pulled back.
"You understand," Isabel observed.
She sounded more confused than happy or relieved because that's how she started to feel about the situation. Part of her wanted to stay in Jesse's embrace. Another part started to recognize several things appeared off since Jesse arrived. Even though she couldn't pinpoint why, the idiosyncrasies began to stack up.
"Of course I understand," Jesse assured her. "You shouldn't have to be in this situation. Come, be with me tonight, and then we can just leave—just the two of us."
Jesse kissed her again, but for the first time Isabel barely went through the motions of kissing him back and didn't match his energy. She felt a pull to make love to him right there in the park. Instead, Isabel fought through the allure and realized something was dreadfully wrong. She pulled back and scurried to the far edge of the park bench.
"You're not Jesse," Isabel said.
"No, I'm not Jesse," the shapeshifter admitted.
Then, the Jesse-imposter smiled devilishly. Isabel recognized the same evil grin she observed on the face of Michael when she figured out he couldn't possibly be in El Quartelejo.
"Kivar, it's you," Isabel gasped, as she suddenly knew exactly who sat beside her.
"Busted," Kivar confessed with a sinister smile. "It's nice to finally have you back, Vilandra."
Kivar inched toward her on the bench like he wanted to embrace once more.
"No, get away from me," Isabel recoiled.
Isabel attempted to stand up, but Kivar whipped out his hand and a force prevented her from rising.
"Let me go," Isabel demanded.
"You belong with me, Vilandra," Kivar said, still disturbingly disguised as Jesse. "And now that I've got you again, I'm going to make you remember why you want to be with me, too."
Isabel felt the appeal of these words from Vilandra inside of her, but, unlike previous encounters, Isabel's personality remained dominant. She couldn't stop herself from feeling drawn to Kivar, but Isabel knew she possessed the strength to resist his charms now that his true identity became apparent.
"Never," Isabel declared.
Despite feeling an extreme desperation to break free, Isabel's efforts to try to muscle her way out of Kivar's clutches failed to work. Kivar twisted his hand and a wave of extreme fatigue abruptly hit Isabel. In just a few microseconds, she processed that Kivar moved to render her unconscious. While the thought of that terrified her, Isabel failed to put up a fight. She didn't possess enough strength or powers to battle Kivar by herself. Isabel's body began to go limp and then her vision slowly faded to black as she crumpled to a heap on the park bench.