Author's Note: I am assuming several things in this chapter-above all, how Isabel's alien powers work. Since we are never really told what and how (specifically), I have taken liberty with them. I hope it's not too much. Thanks for reading!
"It makes sense though. Nothing else does," Maria argued, defending their decision to leave Flagstaff for Laughlin.
They were all seated around a picnic table in the park. There had been no clues found to lead them to where James might be and they were now questioning their original interpretation of the postcard found in Flagstaff.
Isabel nodded automatically in agreement, but her mind was elsewhere, her thoughts dwelling once again on Jesse; her Jesse; he was always good at puzzles and plays on words. He would know what this meant, Isabel was certain.
Her mind flashed with a thought, an idea, and she stood suddenly, startling the group at the table.
She smiled, the first real smile she'd felt cross her lips in weeks.
"I have an idea," she grinned.
"Isabel, are you sure about this?" Liz eyed her with concern. Isabel simply nodded. She had to do this, for herself. It was selfish, but it could also help their group. Isabel really hoped it would work.
"You know he might be at work, he might be in a meeting, you could really scare him doing this," Max warned.
Again Isabel nodded.
"I know. It's a risk I'm willing to take."
Max shrugged in resignation and moved to sit next to Isabel. Brother and sister locked eyes for a moment before Isabel turned to the task before her.
Breathing deeply, Isabel cleared her mind; she placed Jesse's well worn, bent, and faded picture on the picnic table. She concentrated as she calmed herself, letting her mind free and slip away from where she was. She experienced a floating sensation as she crossed whatever barriers existed that allowed her access to other's thoughts and dreams, and then she was there. She glanced around, finding herself in a large, brightly lit office. Jesse was seated behind a large desk writing notes on a yellow legal pad. There was a wall of windows behind him and Isabel saw they were very high up, and Jesse had an amazing view of the city. An immense feeling of pride welled within her as she watched him working, and she was happy (but somewhat disheartened) that he looked well.
Isabel was about to make her presence known when there was a soft knock on the door. Slowly it opened and a very pretty young woman entered with some mail. She placed it on the desk, smiled and left. Jesse never raised his head.
Isabel was proud of her husband but still she was caught by surprise; the woman had looked a little too much like the one from her dream; the one who had taken over her life with Jesse.
Isabel waited a few moments just in case the assistant came back into the office. As the time slowly crept by Isabel slowly released her apprehensions about the woman and she concentrated on Jesse.
Her fear was palpable. The last time Isabel had invaded the mind of someone not asleep it had been Max and he had been drugged. She'd never gone to someone who was fully awake and conscious. Getting in hadn't been hard, and she hoped that communicating with Jesse would be as easy.
Taking one final moment to gather her strength and composure, Isabel came forward and announced her presence to Jesse.
If anyone had entered the office of Jesse Ramirez that afternoon they undoubtedly would have thought Jesse had either had a stroke, or lost his mind. For the ten minutes that Isabel was with him (in his head) Jesse sat slack-jawed at his desk, drool slowly pooling and eventually dripping over the edge of his lower lip. His hands were frozen, poised over his legal pad while his pen remained gripped tightly and in mid-stroke of the word he had been writing. His eyes were vacant, lost to reality as his mind worked within itself-trying to cope with the new presence.
"Jesse?" Isabel spoke in what felt like reality, but what was really a scene inside Jesse's mind.
The man, her husband and love, paused at his desk, than shook his head as if to clear it. He was resisting, and Isabel felt a momentary wave of fear. She didn't want to be too forceful; she didn't want to hurt him.
"Jesse," Isabel spoke louder and more powerfully, moving a few steps towards him. Again he paused, but longer then the first time. His expression was one of confusion. Isabel could see he was struggling, and her heart ached to reach out to him, to stroke his cheek and press his head to her chest.
Stop it, Isabel scolded herself.
"Jesse! Please, hear me!" Isabel put all her strength into sending the message. She watched as Jesse's eyes widened and he looked right at her.
Isabel grinned at the shock on his face. Jesse's mouth worked soundlessly, he seemed to want to speak, but no sound emitted. He faltered between looks of confusion and looks of surprise. Isabel, who wanted to give him time to adjust to her presence, tried to send him soothing feelings.
She felt him panic and fight for control, and Isabel felt her power weakening. She couldn't hold on much longer so she forged ahead, hoping that she was doing the right thing, and not for the wrong reasons.
"Jesse, I don't have much time. We need your help," Isabel spoke to him again and he continued to stare at her in disbelief.
"You're really here?" he finally responded, his panic abated as he accepted her presence and eased the struggle Isabel had to keep the connection.
"I'm really with you, yes," Isabel responded, leaving explanations for another time-at least she hoped there would be another time.
"Jesse, please listen carefully. After we left Roswell we received a cryptic message from Kal, our protector-the one that is still alive."
"He basically told us that we were in danger, again. A man named James McPhee knows about us, and the special unit is hot on his trail. We are trying desperately to find him first, with little help from Kal. He keeps leaving us clues to James' whereabouts but we're stumped. We've hit a dead end."
Jesse stared at Isabel with a look of confusion. "Izzy, I don't understand. Why not just order Kal to tell you where this James person is? I thought he was programmed to take orders from you?"
"That would be great if we knew where Kal was!" Isabel was beginning to feel her connection faltering again. "Jesse, we've got to hurry, I can't hold this connection much longer!"
"What can I do?" Jesse rose from his desk.
"By helping us, you will know where we are. Is that a risk you want to take?" Isabel questioned.
"Yes! What can I do?" Jesse repeated his question, moving closer to Isabel.
The postcard, which Isabel was gripping firmly back in Nevada, appeared in her hand and she handed it to Jesse.
"We were in Flagstaff when we found this," Isabel watched Jesse read the postcard. "We deduced that we were being led to Laughlin, Nevada. It was the only town within any reasonable distance that made any sense when put against the clue," Isabel waited with hopeful eyes while Jesse studied the words scribbled on the postcard.
"I can't see that there's any other meaning other than the name of the town. I think you were probably right in your assumption. How do these get to you?" Jesse handed the postcard back and as Isabel took it their fingers touched. The room around her faded in and out of focus as Isabel's concentration wavered. She quickly pulled her hand back and the room strengthened.
"The last two were waiting for us at mailbox stores, like Mailboxes, Etc., and The UPS Store. But nothing was waiting in Laughlin."
"Maybe you need to wait longer?" Jesse offered. "I'm sorry Iz-I hope that helps."
Isabel forced a smile as she nodded. She stared at her husband, finally allowing the feelings of love and loss to surface.
"Isabel-I miss you," Jesse spoke softly and Isabel felt her eyes welling with tears.
"I miss you too, Jesse, so very much," Isabel spoke, tears spilling over her eyelids.
Jesse reached out to her and try as she might, Isabel couldn't hold on to the connection. Her emotions were out of control and as she felt the pull of reality dragging her back she thought she heard Jesse calling for her…
Isabel struggled to open her eyes, and she could feel her cheeks were wet with tears. The others were all looking at her, Liz and Maria looked on the verge of tears themselves.
Isabel fought the exhaustion that threatened to overtake her long enough to try and relay what she had been told.
"Jesse, he agreed with what we decided. He couldn't see that there was any other option-," Isabel whispered weakly, trying to smile. The pain in her heart was too much however, and she started to cry. Her mind was so tired…
Max reached out and held her, and Isabel let him hold her as she sank into his comforting and loving embrace.
God, she was tired.
Unable to resist any longer, Isabel gave in and passed out in her brother's arms.