Room 406, Thursday evening after the meeting

[izzyalienqueen]

It had started out as a great day. Then quickly got surreal when she heard Bel's message and went to Parker's room. The dream had unsettled her more then she wanted to admit. Then it was off to the meeting and volunteering to fight.

Unlocking the door, she pushed it open and walked into the room.

[ooc: Locked to one person. conversation NFB please]

Comments

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"So," Greg said, following her in, "you're going to be a fighter?"

His tone was definitely mildly worried. Which was good, since he was much more than mildly worried but really didn't want her to know that.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I am," she nodded. "Now that I don't have to hide what I can do. I should be out there."

Isabel sat down on her bed, grabbing the pillow up and putting it behind her back as she leaned against the wall. "Sit with me?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Offers of a free distillation system with DeDietrich glass couldn't stop me," he told her, going to sit by her and slipping his arm around her shoulders. "Now...are you going to tell me what's wrong? 'Cause you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm just a little, um, concerned."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, I needed that," Isabel said as she laughed softly and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I got a message to go see Parker today. So I did. She's having the nightmares Rory talked about. Except she didn't know that then."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"She looked kinda shell-shocked," he said, turning his head to look at her a little. "Is she going to be okay?"

He paused. "And did you pick up anything due to the whole dream thing you can do?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Parker's tough, and now that she knows what's causing it? She'll be okay."

Isabel closed her eyes and sighed. "I went into the dream. I saw everything she saw. In bright and vivid, living color."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"How bad was it?" Greg asked softly, pulling her a little closer.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Closer was good. Isabel leaned in, slipping an arm around his waist and resting her other hand on his chest. "For Parker? Pretty horrible. For me? It included a lot of the things I worry about. So even though I knew it wasn't real? It was still upsetting."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

Greg nodded, wrapping his other arm around her. "Do you think that any of the things you saw are really possibilities here, though?" he asked quietly, trying not to push for too much information.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Maybe not here," she replied, willing herself to relax. "But at home maybe. It's already happened in a way."

Isabel sat quietly for a minute, trying to get figure out the best way to explain. "I used to be afraid that something would happen to me, or to Max or Michael. Now? Now I worry about everybody else that's around us. I don't want people to be hurt because of me."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"But you're safe here," he said reassuringly. "Everyone is. At least from anyone who'd be out to get to you, or people close to you. I make no promises about the miraculously mobile preserved corpses, though."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I know," Isabel said, trying to mentally shake off her mood. "I've got friends and Fandom itself seems like it protects the people here. I guess I've just been afraid too long. And I'm still not used to worry about anyone other then Max amd Michael. I worry about you," she said quietly, tapping her finger against his chest.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Aw, you don't have to worry about me," he said, trying for levity. "I'll just throw some acid in the eyes of anyone who threatens either of us, and we'll run away really fast."

He tightened his grip around her a little, and added, "Seriously, honey, don't be scared for me or anyone else here. You're in a safe place, aside from the trips into Parker's unconscious."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like a plan," Isabel said, tipping her head up to place a kiss on his jaw. "My hero." She ducked her head back down. "I will worry, because you're special."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

He smiled a little at that, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And I appreciate it," he said quietly, "because you're special. But worrying about something that probably won't ever happen here is just going to stress you out."

Greg tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and continued, "And a stressed Isabel makes for an unhappy Greg."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"And we can't have that," she chuckled, squeezing him just a little. "So happy thoughts? What would make you happy?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Oh, raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens," Greg told her wistfully, his smile widening a little.

As if on cue, a weetiny kitten mewled from somewhere in the room and bounded out to cling to Greg's pants leg with its wee claws.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Did you plan that?" Isabel asked as she slipped out of Greg's arms and reached down to pick up the kitten. It curled up into a small ball in her hand as she scratched it's ears. "He's adorable."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"I really didn't," Greg said, blinking in surprise. "They're all over the place today. But they're a lot cuter than pudding, so I'm okay with it. Even if they are a bit, um, clingy."

He punctuated the statement by plucking another kitten off his shoe.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Fortuitous timing then," Isabel smiled. "As far as invasions go, it's certainly one of the cuter ones we had. But it still doesn't top the bunnies." Laughing, she watched as the kitten leapt out of her hand and climbed up her shirt to perch on her shoulder.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Haven't seen the bunnies, so these are working pretty well at topping the cute meter," he replied, holding the kitten he'd taken off his shoe in a suspiciously cuddly-like manner.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel smiled and reaced over to scratch his kitten. "Very cute," she said, not specifying if it was the kitten or Greg she was refering to. "I'd say we should give them names, but in the way of all Fandom weirdness, they'll probably vanish in a day or so."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Which is tragic," he said, stroking the kitten. "I've never had a kitty."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That is terrible," she said, frowning in sympathy. "Why not?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Nickie's allergic," Greg said absently, holding up fingers for the kitten to bat at. "We have a dog, though."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Same here. Except it was my dad. He was also allergic to dogs, so the only pet I had was a goldfish for a while." She plucked the kitten off her shoulder and held it in her palm, gently rubbing it behind the ears. "What kind of dog? Did it follow you everywhere?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"A Beagle named Mendeleev," Greg replied, holding out his kitten so it could say hello to hers. "He followed me around for awhile, but he's more my sister's dog than mine. I just named him."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Mendeleev? Like the guy who figured out genetics?" Isabel asked, glad she remembered something from her biology class. "Maybe if you get some kitty treats you could convince these two to stick around."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"But then what if the others stick around?" he asked reasonably. "I don't think everyone wants a kitten."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"But they're cute," Isabel mock pouted. "And cuddley!"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"This is very true," he said, smiling at her. "But some people have dogs, right?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"There's Vladdie, and maybe one other. There's also multiple cats, a horse, a monkey, and a frog," she listed. "Oh, and Sea Monkeys."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"And a ferret. Or, wait, he changed back."

Greg glanced at the cats. "You don't think these are transformed students, do you?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I don't think so. There's way more kittens then we have students. And I don't think anyone is missing at the moment."

Isabel put her kitten down and smiled as it started to make itself comfortable on her blanket. "Don't get too comfy," she told it. "The bed is mine after all."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Yes, tiny cat, don't take up so much room," Greg said very seriously.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I suppose for now I can let her rest. Maybe even give her a little more room," Isabel said, shifting position on the bed so that the kitten had a nice wide area to sleep in. Of course shifting might have moved her just a bit closer to Greg.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"And this little guy looks ready to sleep too," Greg agreed, setting his kitten down on his other side. This might have possibly made him scoot closer to Isabel.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Which would have made it so much easier for Isabel to turn around and lean against Greg, resting her head on his shoulder and sliding her arms around hime.

If she wanted to that is. Which she did.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

And he, in turn, had no difficulty wrapping his arms around her and resting his cheek on her head. "Are you feeling better? 'Cause I think kittens improve everything, personally."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah, kitten therapy is good," Isabel agreed quietly. "But this is even better."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

Greg paused, then, careful of his phrasing, asked, "Want me to stay the night? Not, um, like that, but just...you know, be here?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's a very tempting offer," she smiled. "But I'm okay. Honestly. You really did help me feel better." Isabel tightened her hold on him and tipped her head up. "Besides, it's not like I'm kicking you out right now."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Better not be," he replied with a slight smirk, tilting his head down to kiss her.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"No time soon," she whispered, leaning up to meet him halfway.