izzyalienqueen | Roswell, late Friday afteroon (Reply)

It would figure that demons would pick the night they were due home to Roswell for an early Thanksgiving dinner to start causing havoc in San Francisco. Isabel had offered to go help out but Wyatt had promised that he and Chris had things well in hand and that he would definitely turn up in time for pie.

So despite all of Portalocity’s recent issues, Isabel had booked a portal from Vegas to Roswell. It was supposed to be a simple trip, one she'd done before with no trouble. How badly could they screw it up?

Two hours and one layover in some weird pink universe later, the portal finally dropped her off. Except instead of landing in the secluded grove in the park just a block from her parents' house Isabel wound up in an alley on the other side of town. When no one answered her calls for a ride, she'd finally tracked down a taxi and made her way home, only to arrive at a dark and empty house.

Concerned, Isabel let herself in and started to look around.

Max	The door opened, and a wary Max stopped just inside the door. "Isabel?" After a moment, Michael followed him in. "Why are you here?"
Isabel	Isabel had spent the past thirty minutes poking about the house trying to figure out what was going on. When the door opened she whirled about from where she'd been studying a collage of pictures on the wall and instinctively raised her hand in defense. Sorry Max, but after six years of Fandom, Isabel had learned to be wary when the bad feeling came around.
Michael	"Whoa!" Michael stepped back, also eyeing Isabel with worry and a little hostility. "The hell is this? Why'd you call us?"
Isabel	While poking around the house, Isabel had noticed enough little details to start coming to the conclusion that while this was where her parents lived, it wasn't her home. Michael's hair pretty much proved to her that something was definitely wrong. There was no way that her Maria would ever let him get away with that. Damn Portalocity for whatever weird alternative universe they dumped her in. Lowering her hand, she shook her head. "Sorry, nerves. The empty house freaked me out. Where's Mom and Dad?"
Max	"They're on a trip." Max leaned against the wall, watching her carefully, expression shut-down. "They weren't expecting you. We weren't." He shook his head. "It isn't even Christmas, Isabel. It's not like you come back on a whim all the time."
Isabel	Actually she did, but that was the benefit of having a boyfriend that could orb. Isabel knew the smart thing would be to leave but she couldn't help but be curious about the attitude they were displaying. Obviously they weren't happy with her and she couldn't help but wonder why. "It's complicated."
Michael	"It always is, with you," Michael said dismissively, already bored. "So? What's it about this time? Please don't say it's anything alien, or I'm outta here."
Isabel	That prompted a raised eyebrow of disbelief. "I thought you were the one that wanted to know everything?"
Max & Michael	"We hit a dead end in high school," Max said, eyebrows drawing down. "You know that. We are what we are. Nothing more. You couldn't wait to get out of Roswell as soon as we graduated." Michael snorted. "So it is about the alien thing? Great, I'm gone. Catch up with you later, Max."
Isabel	Isabel didn't like that although she did have to admit to herself that if things hadn't gotten out of control after Liz had been shot, she probably would have left Roswell as soon the ink on her high school diploma was dry. "Michael I'm sorry. It's not. I just wanted to see my family. But this is all screwed up and wrong and I should just leave." The sudden longing for her mother and the laughter and joking that usually marked her visits home was painful.
Max	A bit more gently, Max said, "It is good to see you. We just ... don't need to revisit the past, do we?" His tone sounded pleading. "I'm just having a hard time in school right now. Some warning would have helped us plan." He quirked her a small smile. "Tell us how the fashion industry is. Wow us."
Isabel	It took Isabel a moment to remember the time when she'd actually considered some sort of career in fashion and modeling. After watching Top Model she was really, really glad she'd come to her senses. "Catty and cut throat," she shrugged, deliberately leaving things vague. "I'm sorry school is rough. Maybe Liz needs to give you some study tips."
Max	Max gave her a strange look. "Who?"
Isabel	"Liz, the love of your life, the one you married three years ago," Isabel blurted out. Which, once she'd processed the words, she realized probably wasn't the best thing to say. Oh crap... "I really need to go."
Max & Michael	Michael was now looking at her with even more suspicion, but Max's expression had gotten stuck on a look of are you crazy? "Isabel..."
Isabel	"Look, there's no way to possibly explain this without you both thinking that I've completely lost my mind. And I haven't. It's just a thing." Which was the mother of all understatements. "Really, it's for the best if I just leave now and you forget I was here. Honestly." Except she knew her brothers and knew despite their supposed disinterest in where they were from they would be too suspicious to let this go easily.
Max	"No, I think you should explain. What's wrong?" They might have been estranged since Isabel left Roswell, but she was still his twin. "You're talking like you're on drugs, or something terrible happened. What's going on?"
Isabel	Isabel thought about everything this Max and Michael missed out on because they didn't know Liz. Which then turned to thoughts of what this version of Isabel had missed out on. Going to Fandom, meeting Parker and all of her other friends. Wyatt...That thought had her reaching up to brush her fingers over the necklace he'd given her for her birthday, just as a reminder that he was real. "I am most definitely NOT on drugs," Isabel said firmly. "I'll tell you. You're probably not going to believe me. But I'll tell you."
Max & Michael	Max sat back and folded his arms. "We're listening." Michael didn't leave, despite his eye-roll.
Isabel	Tucking her leg under her, Isabel took a seat on the couch. "What do you know about alternative universes?" Yeah, this was going to be a long conversation.

Isabel	Two hours later a very worn out Isabel sat back in her chair. She'd told Max and Michael a highly edited tale of the last six years of her life, starting with Liz's shooting, their dealings with Valenti and Nasedo, and her decision to go to Fandom. If she'd left things vague about Antar and what happened there, well, somethings they didn't need to know. One thing she had emphasized was how much better things were now that their parents knew the truth. Surprisingly it wasn't the pictures on her phone of Max with Liz or himself with Maria that made the biggest impression on Michael. It was the phone itself. After all, a phone that made a seemingly limitless supply of tabasco flavored jelly beans was pretty impressive. Isabel definitely owed Bridge a drink for that. "So I have I managed to make your brains leak out of your ears yet?"
Michael	Max's mouth was opening and closing a little bit as he kept trying to find words. And staring at the jellybeans. Just trying to assimilate so much information that was so different from everything he knew. Michael, on the other hand, was fascinated. "Is that phone alien tech? Have you been to another planet?"
Isabel	"Not alien, future tech. Bridge, the guy who made it for me is from 2026," Isabel explained. "He's a genius with stuff like that." Glancing towards Max, Isabel sighed. She knew it had to be a lot to take in at once. "Are you okay?"
Max	"I don't know. It's a lot to take in. The personal stuff, and the alien stuff, and what you've been doing, and..." He leaned forward, arms on his knees. Quieter, he asked, "Are we happy?"
Isabel	"Ridiculously so," she said immediately, unable to hide her smile. "Not just us, but Mom and Dad, Liz and Maria and their families. The Sheriff and Kyle. All of us, because of everything, we're all family." And it pained her that this Max and Michael didn't have that.
Michael	"Well why do you get to remember this, when we don't?" Michael demanded, still somewhat pissed that he and Maria weren't dating. She'd been hot! "You get the jellybeans, we get the coffee grounds? How is that fair?"
Isabel	"It's not," Isabel agreed, her smile fading. "But remember what I said about alternate universes. For some reason, in this one, Max didn't save Liz and that's made everything different. So I remember it because I lived it. But you don't because you haven't."
Max	Max tried to smile. "Can't miss what you've never had, hunh." Michael muttered, "Alternate universes. This is so... unbelievable. Geeky."
Isabel	"No. But now you know what you have to go looking for." She hoped they would. Seeing them like this made Isabel realize that all those years of alien shenanigans had been worth it after all. Liz was definitely getting a very big Christmas gift this year. "When you find the right person? It's amazing." Michael's comment earned a raised eyebrow. "The alien boy thinks alternate universes are unbelievable? Seriously?"
Max	Max elbowed him, then snickered softly. He blew out a breath. "So, if we believe all this... why are you here, and not where you were? Or. Something."
Isabel	"Because apparently I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque?" Isabel teased gently. "More then likely Portalocity's wires got crossed. Which is the equivalent of having your flight to Denver diverted to Boulder. You're in Colorado. Just not quite the right part. I'll have to call them and raise hell so they'll get me home before everyone goes off the deep end that I've gone missing." She hoped rather desperately that Wyatt hadn't turned up at her parents' house yet. He'd never forgotten what happened when she’d been kidnapped and he’d freak if she was missing.
Max & Michael	"Or you meet yourself. Not that our Isabel is likely to just show up out of the blue." Max may have looked like he was still trying to process all this. Michael snorted. "Think you could get us a plane ride to another planet while you're at it?" The loneliness underneath the request made it not quite a joke.
Isabel	"Time and space exploding. That would be bad." Although somehow Jack and the Captain had managed to pull it off when necessary. "You should call her. This isn't right and you know it. No matter what, we're stronger together even if it's on opposite ends of the country." The loneliness was obvious and Isabel was suddenly struck by what this meant for Michael. No Liz meant no Maria, which meant Michael didn't have anyone to turn to when things with Hank got bad. "I suppose I could ask Aeryn, but honestly, it's not all that great out there. This is where we're supposed to be."
Max	"Is there anything to go back for out there?" Max wondered. "Don't we owe it to them?"
Isabel	And there it was, the topic Isabel had been talking circles around ever since she'd started explaining. There was no way any answer she gave them wouldn't end in badness. Fortunately, for the first time in several hours, luck was on Isabel's side. She was saved from answering the question by a familiar shimmer of lights that solidified into Wyatt. "Oh thank god," she muttered.
Wyatt	"Hey, guys," Wyatt said with a wave to Max and Michael as he moved to Isabel's side to slip an arm around her and brush a kiss against her lips. "I didn't miss all of dinner, did I?"
Max & Michael	Michael stared. Then pointed at Max. "You never get to give me crap about my hair again." Max snorted, sizing up Wyatt. "So. You're dating Isabel." He casually brushed his fingers over the coffee-table, melting the surface slightly. "That's nice."
Isabel	Keeping the kiss short, Isabel tucked her head against Wyatt's shoulder for a moment, taking comfort in something familiar in the midst of this bizarro universe. She also took the opportunity to make a whispered request. "There's weirdness. Just go with it and play nice please?" When Isabel did turn to Max and Michael, Max got a decidedly pointed glare. "Yes, this is Wyatt. My boyfriend of four very long years. There's no need to get all macho." It was bad enough the first time around.
Wyatt	Unfortunately, playing nice wasn't entirely a possibility once Wyatt had been challenged. "Yeah," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "What's it to you?" And what the hell was going on?
Max	"What kind of alien are you?" Michael asked, bold-facing it out. Max slid him a look and then carefully said, "She's my sister... from another universe, apparently. I'd still like to know what your deal is. Eventually."
Isabel	"Wyatt's not an alien. He's a witch and a Whitelighter. Which is sort of a guardian angel type thing." Sorry Wyatt, Isabel has had a long few hours, she's trying to keep thing short and civil. "His intentions are entirely honorable. I promise."
Wyatt	"Is that what we're calling it now?" Wyatt said in a low voice, unable to resist. He eyed Max and Michael. "What the hell's going on? Another universe? You guys know who I am. I totally kick your asses every year at the holidays on the X-Box."
Max & Michael	"Never met you before two minutes ago, man." Michael shrugged. "And I seriously doubt that ass-kicking." Max got up, slightly more conciliatory, watching Isabel with Wyatt. She seemed... content. That had to count for something. "Isabel's been explaining it. Apparently this isn't her ... reality. Or whatever. I've never met half the people she's been telling us about." He studied Wyatt another second. "Sorry. You look out for Isabel?"
Isabel	Wyatt had to know he was going to get an elbow for that comment. "I told you. Weirdness. I'll explain when we get home," she promised quietly. "Which should be soon. I do have a paper to finish." To say nothing of the fact that this whole situation was too bizarre and unfortunately a little too believable if things had been just a little different. Isabel nodded at Max, smiling softly. "He does. Absolutely and always."
Wyatt	Alternate universe didn't make sense, since he was pretty sure he hadn't orbed into one, but Fandom weirdness he could accept, since it often followed them from the island. "Yeah, I do," he said to Max. "I'm like her own personal guardian angel."
Max & Michael	Michael snorted and rolled his eyes, but Max smiled slightly. "Cool." And confirmation of everything Isabel had been saying for the last couple hours. "I don't really understand all of this, or why it happened, but it's nice to hear how things-- could be."
Isabel	"I hope that someday you'll have the same. All three of you." But first they'd have to learn to trust other people. Isabel wasn't sure that would ever happen. "I guess this is it then. Wyatt can bring me back to Vegas so I can avoid Portalocity hell at least." So how exactly do you say good-bye to your alternate universe brothers? "Take care of yourselves, and remember what I said. Call her."
Max & Michael	Michael still looked resistant-- big surprise-- but Max nodded, somber. "We will. And be careful out there." He smiled. "And thanks."
Wyatt	"Catch you guys later, I guess," Wyatt said, still really confused and wondering who the "her" Isabel was talking about was. He took Isabel's hand and orbed them back to Vegas, hoping he was going to get an explanation when they got there.