fandomtownies | The Beach, Sunday Morning

The thing about twins is, even when they're really different, they do tend to think alike. They can't help it.

So Max was out on the beach that morning too, kicking the sand out of his way and wondering how this trip got so screwed up. And how he was going to convince Isabel to come back to Roswell, when she hated it so much. And liked Fandom an equal amount.

Head down as he walked along the beach, he didn't see Isabel until he was within a few yards of her, then he stopped, not knowing what to do.

Isabel heard someone approach and sighed, so much for peaceful brooding. "I don't bite," she said, still staring out at the ocean, when they stopped but didn't walk away.

"At least not since you were six." Max swallowed, and shoved his hands in his pockets, studying his sister. "Can I sit down?"

"King Max. Come to order me to pack?" Isabel stared out at the horizon, refusing to look at him.

"Could we just not fight?" Max said, tired, and taking a spot next to her on the sand. "I didn't mean it to sound that way."

"I don't know. It seems like that's all we do anymore." She finally turned her head and studied him. "You're not staying. You're coming home. It sounded like orders to me."

"If it were Michael, would you think that?" Max watched Isabel as well. "Look, I got it before, about you wanting to stay here. About having a life." He let out a breath. "Why is it worth it to you, when the risk is so high? Just... tell me. Because all I see is how dangerous it is."

"Probably. He's the second-in-command after all." Idly Isabel reached down, picked up a handful of sand and let it spill through her fingers. "It's worth it because I feel more at home here then I ever did in Roswell. I don't have to worry about anyone being suspicious, or worried if I use my powers someone is going to see. I can just be me."

Max shook his head. "That's not worth dying for. Not when you're this exposed, and we're not here to help." He paused. "And I'm still mad you didn't tell us that everyone here knows."

"I should have, yes," she admitted, guilt making her acknowledge that much. "But I knew you'd react just like this. And I didn't want to have this fight."

Isabel held out her hand and a tiny tornado formed out of the sand on the beach in front of her. "I had a friend that would create star patterns in the air out of glitter. This isn't quite as fancy but it's something I didn't know I could do before." She dropped her hand and the sand collapsed back on the ground. "I'm able to push myself here. And there're people here to help me. Just because you're not here to protect me, doesn't mean I'm on my own. If I was in trouble? Off the top of my head I can easily name half a dozen people that would move heaven and earth to get me out of it. And I would do the same for them. Hell, I have done the same for them."

Max studied her, then looked at the sand that had been a tornado for a few seconds. "I still don't like it. But you're going to be impossible about this, aren't you?" Isabel was only two steps from telling their parents about them. If he pushed for her to go back to Roswell....

"If that's what you want to call it, then yes I am," she said simply. She looked back towards the ocean and sighed. "Did you ever think about the fact that we've already died once? I know we don't remember it. But we did. And there's no guarantees that if, when we go back that it won't happen again." Isabel studied Max out of the corner of her eye, trying to see if he understood what she was saying. "At least for right now, these few months, I have someone who loves me and makes me laugh. I've got close friends who understand me. Can you blame me for wanting to stay?"

"You could have that back there, in Roswell. Michael and I miss you. Maria talks about you. Maybe--" Max struggled with the truth and what he wanted to be true, and settled for, "Maybe you can learn there. Maybe..." He dug a toe in the sand, and closed his eyes. "I don't want you to be unhappy. I want things to be simple."

"It's not the same. I love you guys, I really do. But you'll always be my brothers first, not my friends. And Liz and Maria? They'll always be your girlfriends first." It was hard, trying to get the words just right. But this was the first honest conversation they'd had in months and she wanted to make him understand. "One day, you're going to call and say it's time to go. And I'll go, because I owe them for giving me this second chance. But until then, this is where I want, need to be."

Max looked out at the ocean, thinking, and found he didn't doubt her. If Isabel said she'd go, she'd go. And if the rest of her friends were like Peter Parker, maybe she was safe here. Or as safe as she would be in Roswell, with shapeshifters and other aliens after them. It still freaked him out that everyone knew about her, knew about him and Michael, but-- hell. Look at Tess. Being on their side, a fellow alien hybrid, and that hadn't been a guarantee of loyalty or safety either.

"Okay," he whispered. Michael was going to yell. A lot. "Okay."

Isabel felt the tension that had her constant companion since last night start to fade. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." He looked over at her, shaking his head. "You know Michael's going to be furious. And I'm not covering for you." He let out a slow breath. "And you can't lie to us again, Isabel. This is too important and we could screw up, so easily. That isn't an order," he said hastily. "But, come on. Please. Don't make this worse for us. Okay?"

"I know. But he's almost three thousand miles away and I doubt he's going to get on a plane. I can deal with an angry phone call or three," she said, smiling softly. "And if he does turn up, Bel will shimmer him home for me if I ask." Isabel hesitanted for a moment, seriously tempted to tell him what she'd found out about Vilandra. But words failed her. After all, how do you say I betrayed you and caused all our deaths? "I won't. I promise."

Max smiled and bumped an arm against hers. "Thanks, Isabel." He looked out to the ocean, then frowned and looked back at her. "Shimmer? Do I even want to know?"

"He can teleport," she explained, leaning against his shoulder. "It's a hell of a lot faster and easier then flying. And he throws a pretty mean fireball to."

Max muttered in disbelief, "Fireballs." He stretched out an arm and put it around her shoulders, thinking. "There are guys who are superheroes and teleporting fire-throwers, and you're dating a geek with weird hair?"

"There was also a vampire, who was able to tell I was something other then human just by getting a whiff of my blood when I fell and scraped my knee," Isabel said, smiling fondly. "Buf this place is different. Nothing should surprise you. Even my boyfriend with his weird hair."

"Great, something else to look out for," Max said in resignation. "And yeah, he surprises me, the weirdo with the hair is dating you. I never thought that was gonna happen."

"Don't worry," Isabel assured him. "He's in LA now. In a completely different dimension. Besides, Angel's a good guy." Her face fell and she looked back towards the water. "I swore after Alex died that I wouldn't be afraid of caring about someone anymore. That I would take the chance. And then I met Greg and he made me laugh. And he brought me cookies. With Tabasco. I can relax with him, he doesn't have an agenda. There's no trauma or angst. It just is."

"You're just going to make it impossible for me to have any brotherly objection to this, aren't you? Because Mr. Wonderful Hair makes you happy." Max shook his head, and attempted to look woeful. "Well. Okay. I'll just tell Dad." He grinned.

"I'm trying. Is it working?" she asked hopefully. "Tell him if you want, I'm falling back on the he's almost three thousand miles away logic. Besides, I'm seventeen and blonde, I think there's a rule that I'm supposed to be dating."

"He can always get on a plane, even if he can't 'shimmer'." Max shook his head, smile widening a little. "And nope. And I'm telling Maria, and Michael, and Kyle, and Maria's Mom, and our Mom, and the Sheriff, and..."

"And if he does, Greg will be pleasant and charming and call him sir," Isabel smiled. "And you can tell them all that I'm happy. Besides, Maria will more then understand the attraction, it's not like Michael's hair is normal."

"I'll leave the understanding to Maria." Max shook his head, leaning against her. "Better yet, you can introduce her to your good buddy Jack. That'll keep them *both* busy. And Michael distracted and glaring too."

"I can't introduce him to Liz also?" Isabel asked innocently. "He's more then capable of multitasking." She smiled fondly, "Jack is a very good friend, he's also from the fifty-first century."

"No," Max said. "Definitely not. Although Liz isn't distracted by other people's flirting. At all." He shook his head, and muttered, "Fifty-first century. The future's looking weirder by the minute, Isabel."

"You'd be surprised," she said seriously. "There are very few people of either sex that are able to resist Jack. I'm sure he'd at least make her blush." Isabel patted Max's arm sympathetically. "You get used to the brain breaky eventually."

"Yeah, right." Max got up, and brushed the sand off his jeans. "Or maybe I'll be like you, and after five months, be just as crazy as everyone else?"

"It's not such a bad thing to be," Isabel said, standing up as well and glancing at her watch. "I guess you need to be heading out to the airport?"

"At least getting packed, I didn't bother before I left the hotel." He shrugged. "Walk me back, and to the shuttle?"

"Sure," she smiled. "I don't have anywhere to be till tonight. English Peter and I are in charge of StuCo sponsored 'I survived Parents Weekend' party then."

Max smiled back at her, and bumped his shoulder against hers. "So we're good now? You don't want to mail me back?"

"I was actually thinking of having Bel shimmer you home by way of the Underworld or some other equally scary space," Isabel admitted. "But we're good." She hugged him, "I do miss you, you know."

"Same goes, Isabel." Max slung an arm over her shoulders as they headed up the path. "Same goes."

The Beach, Sunday Morning

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