Room 406, Sunday Morning

[izzyalienqueen]

When Parker came knocking, Isabel hadn't hesitated to join the rescue. She'd briefly debated waking Greg and letting him know where she was going, but she had a feeling he wouldn't like the idea of her going out when she was injured herself. Instead she wrote a quick note, Jack's in trouble. I'm going to help get him back. Back soon. Isabel, and hoped like hell she'd be back before he woke up to read it.

Of course confronting older versions of your friend and then coming back to the dorms and getting explanations meant that it was much later then Isabel would have liked when she returned to her room. The sun was up, she could only hope Greg wasn't.

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[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel sighed. "I'm sorry, we were moving fast. Jack wound up injured out in the sea caves. I went with Parker, Sam and Cedric to bring him home."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Did he fall or something?" Greg asked, still very quietly.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"He went out to meet with someone he thought could explain his missing six weeks. He wound up kidnapped and used as bait for someone else." The aspirin she'd taken before heading out with Parker had worn off. Isabel carefully took a seat on her bed and tentatively held out a hand to Greg to join her.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

Greg didn't take her hand and instead scooted a little bit away from her to look at her incredulously.

"And you went out to save him? After what you've been doing for Angel?" he asked, gesticulating helplessly. "You could've been hurt, Isabel. Or kidnapped. Or worse."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

That hurt. Isabel bit her lip and tried to keep her emotions under control. "What was I supposed to do? Tell Parker no? And then turn over and go back to sleep?"

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Parker?" Greg asked, filing that away. "Maybe! Maybe you could have thought about what's best for you and your well-being rather than running out to help whoever asks."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It could have been Bel. It could have been Xander. It could have been Peter or Dawn," Isabel said, frustrated. "It doesn't matter who asked. Or what shape I was in. If a friend's in trouble I'm going to go help."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"But you're already hurt and you could've gotten even more injured," Greg argued. "You could've woken me up. Or taken me with you, even."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"But then you might have been in danger. Parker and Sam were armed, Cedric had his wand. I was only on first aid detail but even I could defend myself if I had to," she said, not thinking about exactly what the words implied.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

Greg nodded. "Right, so you didn't want to take me because I'd get in the way and I can't do a damn thing to defend myself, right?" he said, just a touch bitterly. "Thanks. Nice to see you have such a high opinion of my abilities."

Okay, so there weren't really 'abilities' to speak of, and any explosives he could have mixed up for himself would have taken way too long. But still. Principle of the thing.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's not what I'm saying," Isabel said angrily. "It was supposed to be a quick trip out. I was supposed to be back before you even knew I was gone." Oh yeah, that's answer's going to help.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"And if you had been, would you have just gotten rid of the note so I would never know?" Greg asked, just as angrily. "If I hadn't woken up without you here, would I ever have been enlightened to this whole thing? Or is it my job now to sit at home and knit or something while you go off and put yourself in danger?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"No! I would have told you," she said, her voice starting to rise. "Just like I told you about what happened in LA. It's just, it would have been over then. And you wouldn't have had to worry." ?

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's over now, and I'm worried," Greg pointed out, standing and starting to pace. "So that didn't really work out."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Why?" she asked. "Jack's okay. I'm okay. There really was nothing to worry about." Later, when she thought about the conversation, Isabel would realize that she really being particularly stupid with that comment.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"Except for the part where you could've been hurt and you got lucky in that you weren't," Greg repeated, frustrated. "Look, you have powers and Cedric's got a wand and Parker and Sam have guns. Great. You still didn't know exactly what you were up against and you could've been hurt or worse. Not to mention the possibility of friendly fire."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're right, okay?" Isabel said angrily, pausing next to her desk. "But this is what I have to do. And if you can't handle that..." Her voice trailed off as she shook her head.

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"I never said I couldn't handle it," Greg snapped. "But maybe I should just stop worrying about you, is that it? I'm sorry, not all of us are lucky enough to be able to just turn off emotions like that. I'll see what I can do, though."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel flinched, reminded of all the times she'd been called Ice Queen. "I'm not asking you to do that. I'm just asking you to trust me to take care of myself."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"I do trust you," Greg said hotly. "But accidents happen."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"They do. Trust me. I know that," Isabel said fiercely. "But I can't worry about accidents. And if I didn't go? And something had happened to him, I never would have forgiven myself."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"And if something had happened to you," Greg replied, "I never would have forgiven myself."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"There wouldn't have been anything to forgive. It's not your job to protect me," she said. "Not even from myself." Which is probably the closest she's going to get to admitting she was wrong right now

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

"It's not my job?" Greg asked, stung. "No, and maybe I'm too weak to do it all that effectively, but it's what I need to do. I don't know how to not care enough that I can just be okay with you putting yourself in danger. But you know what? Fine. It's not my job."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I should probably go, then."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's not," Isabel started to say, but then stopped, aware that they were talking in circles. Defeated, she sat down on the side of the bed. "You probably should."

[like-a-sponge.livejournal.com]

Greg nodded, and without looking at her, let himself out.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel sighed sadly and stretched out on the bed.