Room 406, afternoon to early evening.

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel returned to her room after Hunting still vaguely surprised that Dick hadn't gotten them killed. She booted up the laptop and opened her email, absently looking at her inbox. That lasted about 2.4 seconds, basically long enough for her to realize the numerous messages from the same address were not a Nigerian money scam. Her screech could probably be heard down the hall.

Two hours later, Isabel was still sitting there, rereading the emails for what seemed like the millionth time.

The door was open.

Comments

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna knocked on the door, looking a lot like Isabel at that moment probably.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel pointed at the laptop and gaped a bit. "Did you? Tell me I'm not dreaming."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"I was going to ask you that." Alanna said as she came in, Faithful in her hood somewhere. "Um...and is it me or are the dates funny?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Nope, I guess we're not dreaming. He's back in contact." She shrugged, and motioned to the notepad she'd been listing date out on. "It looks like it's been longer for him, yeah."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna sat down. "I didn't dye my hair black. Also? Why today?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I can't imagine you with black hair," Isabel laughed before shrugging. "I don't know. Maybe whatever weirdness that is Fandom decided it's inbox was full and decided to forward them on."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna tucked her knees under her chin and a cat head suddenly popped up on top of hers. "I hope I don't get cut off like that, when I leave. Because it's just hell, to not know, either way."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Tell me about it," she nodded. "This place...I've never had friends like I've had since I've been here. I think about May and I just freeze up. I can't imagine what this place is going to be like when you guys are gone."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"At least you'll still have laptops and cellphones and running water and ball point pens." Alanna pointed out. "Someone needs to invent a time machine."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"True," Isabel agreed. "Tortall was a nice place to visit, but I don't think I'll be buying a home there. You mean a TARDIS? A time machine slash dimensional hopping vehicle. They could make a fortune just keeping Fandom alumni in touch with one another."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"I have a home there." Alanna said with a wry smile. "And hell yeah, I know I'd chip in for one."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Well if Portalcity keeps connected once you leave, I promise I'll visit."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"It better." Alanna said with more than a little passion.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Or will track down their home office and protest?"

Isabel grinned, "So what else is up? How are things with Kawalsky?"

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna grinned goofily. "How are things with you and Greg?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh no! I asked first!" she pointed out laughing.

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna smoothered a giggle. "We went to a hockey game last night."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh really? Did you have fun?" Isabel asked, oddly reminded of Michael and his hockey obsession.

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

The goofy grin? Was back. Faithful was rolling his eyes. "Yup. Now, my question."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I see," she laughed. "Greg and I are doing well. It'll be eight months at the end of the month. Kind of hard to believe."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, tell me about it. I don't with Charlie and I are actually keeping track. Or...if we are I'm not aware."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Generally we don't make a big deal about it," she said. "But because our first date fell at the end of the month, I can't help but notice the time."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna nodded. "It's been a weird few days."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Just generalized weirdness? Or anything specific?"

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna considered this. "Generalized. And not bad for once."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"And it's only the beginning of the semester. Can you imagine what it's going to be like by break?"

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna groaned. Faithful patted her on the head. "With that cheerful thought? I think it's time for me and my cat to take my emo else where. Thanks for re-affirming the 'I'm-not-crazy-over-e-mail' thing."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel snickered. "Sorry! I'll see you in class tomorrow!"

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn was on her cell as she wandered over to Isabel's room.

"Yes, there's still tape on the floor. No, I didn't really elope. It was a joke, Buffy," she rolled her eyes, "Yes, I can still own and operate a unicorn farm, Buffy. No, I'm not telling you what that means. Can I go now? Yeah, love you too. Bye."

She closed the phone and slipped it into her pocket. "Hi. My sister's insane. Heard from anyone interesting lately?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel's recovered from the shock enough that she can laugh at the unicorn joke. "It's not nice to traumatize your sister. I'm sure she's still picturing you in pigtails and idolizing the latest boy band."

"I got some emails," she nodded. "Very unexpected, but entirely welcome!"

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"There may have been talk of elopement," Dawn smiled, even though some of the e-mails she'd gotten proved she owed Xander a big honking apology. "It's good to hear from him, huh? I didn't realize how much I missed him, and then, kapow, I hear his voice and I miss him tons. Which, okay, stupid, because I can talk to my Xander whenever, but it's not the point."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Elopement? Oh my god, are you sure she's not on a plane flying here right now?"

Isabel grinned. "I've always been jealous of the fact that you had your own Xander. But yeah, it's great to hear from him. I have to email him back. But I can't figure out what to say to him after Oh em gee! It's so great to hear from you."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Hopefully?" Dawn walked over to the window and looked out, as if expecting Buffy to come in through it at any second. She turned to glance over her shoulder at Isabel. "And I've got so much to say to him, I don't know where to start."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I can only imagine," she said. "Between whatever happened that parallels your Sunnydale, what's different. I think we need to find out where he is and go kidnap him for a weekend."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn suddenly found her feet fascinating. "Yeah, maybe we do. I...I'm not sure I can face him. The stuff I didn't tell him was huge."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Was it a life of death reason you didn't tell him?" Isabel asked. "Cause I think he'd probably understand that."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Sort of?" Dawn still couldn't go into detail--there were things that Buffy and Willow couldn't know yet.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Then he'll understand," she said firmly, understanding that Dawn still needed to keep something to herself.

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"I guess," she sighed. "I'm gonna go. I'm not really in the mood for people, but I wanted to check that I wasn't hallucinating."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel nodded. "No problem. But if you need anything stop back or call or whatever, okay?"

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"I will. Thanks, Isabel," Dawn headed back to her room.