JGoB, Saturday morning

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Not knowing what to expect from a Fandom weekend, Isabel and Wyatt had left Victoria back in Roswell with her grandparents. Isabel probably should have taken advantage of being child-free and slept in while enjoying early morning snuggles with her husband, but excitement and a craving for baked goods had her up and about early.

Coffee and croissant in hand, she took a seat near the window to watch who was passing by.

	Maria was entertained by seeing everyone that had apparently been showing up for this ten year anniversary of the school. It kind of reminded her of any time there was a big UFO convention back home and people showed up from all over the world. It was always much to the amusement of her and Liz. She had only been here for a week, but she knew enough to know that JGoB had the best chocolate croissants. Which was why she found herself in line looking around early in the morning and spotted someone that she knew. "Isabel?"
	It was Isabel, just a somewhat older, decidedly more relaxed version then the one Maria was probably used to. She wasn't particularly surprised to see Maria there. After all, at one point a younger version of Michael had turned up. "Hi Maria. I bet you weren't expecting to run into me this morning."
	Maria shook her head, and her smile was a bit tense because she didn't know exactly where she stood with Isabel now that she had left Roswell. There was also the fact that she looked a bit different than the girl she remembered from home. "That's an understatement and I don't know what you were told, but I didn't run away from what happened. My mom thought that this would be a good thing for me." Because heaven forbid anyone thought she ran away from Roswell to heal from being dumped.
	"I wasn't told anything," Isabel said, shaking her head. "Why don't you take a seat and I'll try to explain. I take it you haven't been on the island long?"
	Now Maria was even more confused, but she sat down as Isabel asked her to. "I've only been here for about a week," she said carefully. "I was with the incoming batch of new students this semester."
	Oh you sweet summer child! After taking a sip of her coffee while she tried to figure out where to start, Isabel gave a mental shrug and just went for it. "Would you believe me if I said I'm not the Isabel that you knew in Roswell? That almost ten years ago, I came here as a student, and it changed my life."
	Maria blinked and then blinked again. "I don't know," Maria's response was slow. "Tali told me that people are brought here from all different worlds and times. I'm just not sure how to process that since I don't think she was joking when she was explaining things to me." Yes, this Isabel looked a lot more friendly and relaxed than the Isabel back home did... but ten years?
	"She wasn't joking," Isabel assured her. "Different time lines, different worlds. When you think about it, is it really that much of a stretch then knowing aliens are really a thing?" "What's going on for you back home? What made you leave?"
	Isabel had her there. "Not really, no," she admitted. Which was funny, because she had believed Liz immediately upon being told about Max and Isabel and Michael. At Isabel's questions, her mouth twisted slightly and she looked down at the table. "Destiny," she muttered. "Michael dumping me."
	That earned Maria a wince in sympathy. That wasn't a good time. "That's funny. Well, it's not funny haha, but weird funny. That's pretty much why I came to Fandom. I just wanted to get away from the weirdness and just be normal for a change."
	"One of my mom's friends found the place and told Mom. Mom decided that it would be good for me to get away even though all she knows was that I fell hard for Michael and he didn't want me." She gave Isabel a level look. "Normal?" This place was definitely not normal. She'd figured that out already. Her roommate was a teen alcoholic and her big sibling was a cool alien from the future.
	Isabel laughed out loud. "Yeah, I know. Normal is over-rated. It took a little time, but I learned that. You will too if you stay here long enough."
	Maria relaxed a little bit, which she never would have imagined doing back home with Isabel. "Isabel, my roommate is a male teen alcoholic that I am positive is going to evict his own liver onto our floor and my assigned big sibling is an alien -- who has nothing to fear in this place, I might add." Maria's voice was dry. "Normal is definitely not what I would call this place."
	"My first roommate was a guy. He became one of my best friends." Isabel was looking forward to spending time with him this weekend. "I had a friend describe this place as a nexus of weird. They weren't that far off," she smiled. "I'm not going to lie, there is scary stuff that happens every once in a while. But people work together and get through it. You'll be fine."
	Maria was listening to Isabel talk but she was still confused about one very important thing and had been trying to figure out how to phrase it nicely. She was failing. "Why?" She finally asked. "I mean, why do you care how I'll be here? I've been trying to figure that out because I didn't think you liked me all that much no matter what I did or said." That was the impression she had always gotten... but maybe she had read the other girl wrong? She wasn't sure.
	"I didn't," was Isabel's honest answer. "But so much has changed since then. For all intents and purposes, you're my sister." She pulled out her phone and pulled up the photo gallery. Mixed in with all the pictures of Victoria were pictures of everyone in Roswell, obviously happy and obviously loved. "Here, look."
	At least she was still honest and that was something that Maria had always respected about Isabel -- even if she had never said it. "Sister?" Her tone was a little disbelieving until she saw the pictures of her and Michael together among the other pictures that Isabel had on her phone -- including pictures of Max and Liz and Kyle... plus their parents. "We look happy." It was hard to believe since right now she was so sad and hurting. Her eyes widened when she came across a picture of a very hot blonde guy in a bed. "Uhm... another alien?"
	"We are. All of us. It took time, and a lot of tears, but we got there." Hopefully that would be enough to get Maria through the tough times ahead. "That's Wyatt. My husband," Isabel smiled. Oh hell, she glowed. "I met him here. He's part witch, part angel."
	"It's hard to believe that considering that he pretty much wants nothing to do with me" Maria sighed, admitting that she was still hurting from that. When Isabel named the guy as her husband, Maria had to smile. "You look different. I don't think I've ever seen you happy. Also, your husband is illegally hot -- nothing on Michael -- but still." Maria was still loyal.
	"Give him time. That's the best thing you can do." Because Maria had to know that pushing Michael was only going to make him that much more stubborn. "I wasn't...she, the Isabel you know, if she's anything like I was, she's not happy right now," she admitted. "I wasn't when I first came here. But I made friends and we went through a lot together. It made a difference. Wyatt was a big part of that."
	"I miss him. I miss him so much, Isabel." She swallowed. "Do you visit here very much?"
	"I know. I can't say it'll get better, but if you give this place a chance, you'll find plenty of things to distract you." That was one way of putting it. Isabel shook her head. "Not so much anymore. We've got jobs, a kid...It's scary to say, but we're adults now."
	"I like this place so far," Maria said softly. "Two of my teachers are musicians and they're amazing. One of them owns a music store and let me play with the Holy Grail of guitars." She worried at her bottom lip. "How sad is it that I'm disappointed about that since we're actually talking and I can't imagine being able to do that with Isabel back home?"
	"I'll give you my number until that happens." Hopefully it would, but at this point in time Isabel had had enough experiences with alternate realities to know it wasn't a given. But maybe there was something she could do. "Has Alex talked about going to Sweden?"
	"Thank you, Isabel. It means a lot to me." Besides, who else would she be able to call the first time the island caused her severe trauma? When Isabel asked about Alex, Maria shook her head. "Sweden? No, he hasn't said anything like that. Why would he do that?"
	"If it happens the way it did for my Alex," Isabel said, choosing her words carefully. "He's going to think it's an exchange program. It's not. It's alien fucking weirdness and it'll kill him."
	All lightness left Maria as she registered Isabel's words. Something was going to kill Alex. "W-what? Why? H-how?" The idea of her best friend being killed took the wind out of her.
	"Tess. Don't trust her." She felt bad upsetting Maria like this, but if it meant Alex would live it was worth it. "She screwed with his head until he broke."
	"I knew I disliked her for a reason," Maria practically growled. "Bad enough she makes Liz cry but to mess with Alex?! That is so not on."
	"Go get her tiger," Isabel said, unable to hide a smile smile at Maria's fierceness. "Hopefully now that you know, you can save him."
	"I'll find a way to stop her -- even if I have to make him and Liz believe I'm certifiable or I have to bring him here for awhile." Because they believed a lot of stuff, but would they believe that she got the warning from an Isabel who was from a future timeline? "Do we know why she killed Alex?" Not that it mattered to Maria, but a part of her wanted to know.
	"She had a book, written in alien script that she made him translate. The mind warping was to keep him working on it. Hell, if she'd just asked, I bet he would have done it." But then, Isabel figured, Tess wouldn't be able to change things to make the book say what she wanted it to say. "Don't trust her. Don't trust Nasedo. That's the best I can tell you."
	"Of course he would have. He would have been so excited to be working on a project like that which might be something good for you guys." She nodded. "I already don't trust Tess, but I'll make sure Liz and I -- when I'm there -- keep a close eye on Alex. No sudden Sweden trips for him." She wasn't going to think about how Tess could easily kill her if she interfered with her and her plans. This was her best friend she was going to save.
	"And watch yourself. Don't be obvious." Hopefully being across the country would help with that.
	"Maybe Kyle can help us."
	"Maybe. But remember, he likes her. That might be a problem." But it was still a start.

[Pre-played with candycrushlove, conversation to be continued in the comments, but the post is also open if anyone else wants baked goods or to say hi to the alien]

Comments

[blessed_twice]

Wyatt appeared suddenly in a shower of blue orbs. "You left me," he pouted at Isabel, bending to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Then he caught sight of her companion at the table. "Maria?"


[I'm afk until this evening, but wanted to get this in (#twss). Also, I have no icons. D: They're all girl, wee, or AU evil or gay. FORK.]

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Fandom, sweetie. Not our Maria," Isabel explained, smiling at Wyatt. "They're still dealing with alien weirdness so Michael is still a butthead."

[candycrushlove]

Maria gave Wyatt a smile and a wave and then looked at Isabel. "Criminally hot," she repeated. When she heard Isabel tell her husband that Michael was still being a butthead, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Sums it up pretty well."

[blessed_twice]

"I am so glad that the Chris here was my Chris and not one from another timeline," Wyatt said, sitting down at the table. "Fandom can really make your head spin. Nice to meet this you, Maria. And he'll grow out of it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, Wyatt and Michael only glared at each other for a year or two," Isabel teased. "They worked it out through epic Mario Kart battles."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Many years in the army meant that Alanna's sense of food was very finely honed, even in a town she hadn't been in in years. And this food source even had someone familiar.

"Isabel!" Alanna temporarily detoured from her quest.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Alanna!" Isabel was already on her feet and moving in for a hug. It had been too long. "I was hoping you were going to be here."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna moved in to return the hug. It really had been too long. "I only had about two minutes to wonder who else would be here. But you were on that list!"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she admitted, giving Alanna a tight hug before stepping back. "I know it's sappy to say, but this place changed my life."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna froze for a second, remembering the last ten years. "Yes. Yes it has. I don't think there's anything life can throw at me that will still surprise me." Somewhere, her universe shuddered.

[can_be_more]

It was weird being back here, and Aeryn had found herself wandering around looking for old places, and when she spotted Isabel in the window she decided to stop in.

"It's been a while," she smiled.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Entirely too long," Isabel replied with a smile of her own. "How are you? How's John?"

[can_be_more]

"Good," Aeryn replied. "He's around. I'm sure you'll be able to run into his at some point. How are you?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Good. Happy. I don't think I can ask for more then that." And of course she had to pull up pictures of a two year old Victoria on her phone. It was a mom thing. "This is Victoria. She's a little younger then the one that came to visit us when we were students."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna was really pleasantly surprised how many people she was recognizing today. "Aeryn!" She waved with the danish she had ended up with.

[can_be_more]

"Alana," Aeryn smiled. "I wasn't sure I'd see you either."

If Aeryn were a hugger, there'd be a lot going around today.

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"I was planning to, really! Fandom just made sure I showed up." Alanna grinned. "How have you been? What have you been up to?"

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

This morning was weird so far. Stop a bad guy, reconnect with the other Spiders, have people tell him that Doom isn't the creator of everything and feel deep down like it might be true?

Peter needed a donut.

And he was just about to go get one when he spotted a familiar face or two. "Isabel? How are you doing?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Even better now that you're here," she smiled. "How are you? I've missed you."

[peter--parker.livejournal.com]

"Going through a bit of an existential crisis, but other than that, not bad," Peter said. "I'm just glad I was able to make it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"So am I. I wasn't sure who was going to turn up, but I was hoping you'd be here." Isabel frowned at the thought of an existential crisis on a weekend that was supposed to be fun. "Want to get a cup of coffee and talk about it?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

If she was going to have to deal with Fandom again, she was going to do so caffeinated, damnit.

"Grande. With whipped cream. And one of the cinnamon muffins."

Well, at least someone she was happy to see was here. "Isabel. Wyatt. Did everyone know about this weekend but me?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Maybe? Or maybe we're the weird ones," Isabel shrugged. "But we're here and the genders we're supposed to be." The could be worse was left unsaid. No need to tempt the island.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Of course you might not be the Isabel I know," Parker said, only half-kidding. "Thoughts on tabasco? Chocolate? New Mexico? Evil demons?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Best condiment ever. Best food ever. Bel is the only one I like," she listed off.