When It's Time To Leave Home

Author: Sunnycouger (foolofatook_@hotmail.com)

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: You all don't honestly think that I own any of this do you? Roswell and all its characters are property of Melinda Metz and Jason Katims..I just take them out to play sometimes...

Category: CC

Summary: This is a future fic when the aliens get a chance to go “home” and the story follows each of their reactions to the news and their final decision.

Authors Notes: This is the introduction to a story arc that involves all the characters. Basically parts 1,2,3 and 4 all run concurrent with each other with the intro and the epilogue starting and finishing things nicely. The parts can stand alone but will work better if you at least read the intro first.

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Chapter 2: Wishing On A Falling Star

Time: 21.30

As Isabel shut the car door behind her and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do she heard his voice. His gentle singing could be heard from the car and she turned around to see him carefully walking the floor and singing to the dozing baby in his arms. His soothing voice grew louder as she walked towards the house and she realised that it was their song that he was singing. The song that they had their wedding dance to and the song she had fallen in love with him to. She paused at the door and sat on the step - it already hurt so much and she couldn't help but begin to cry - how could she do this? As she sat there with her head in her hands she felt the arm come round about her shoulders as he pulled her close to him and began to soothe her gently. As her tears eventually stopped he pulled her to her feet and guided her into the house. When he looked at her he realised what was wrong

"The ships coming isn't it?" it's more of a statement than a question because deep down he knew the answer. As she nodded her head in silent reply, he squeezed his eyes shut as though his heart has been shredded and he ran his hand through his dark hair before he looked at her again.

"So what's happening? Whe..."

"Mommy, mommy! I waited up for you. I wanted to show you what I learned to do and daddy said I could...'cause I was so clever!" The little girl with her daddy’s dark hair and her mommy’s beautiful face was smiling and bouncing with energy clearly desperate to show off to her mom.

"Diane honey, mommy and daddy are tal..."Alex began to say

"No! I want to see what she can do. C'mon babe and show me what you've learned."

As the little girl began to recite her alphabet almost correctly both her parents’ eyes filled with tears. Alex excused himself and walked outside to the cool night air while Isabel stayed and let the tears fall freely. As Diane finished her rendition Isabel ran over and wrapped her arms around her little girl.

"That was so..so clever. I am so proud of you. Proud of you, your brother and your daddy. I love you all so much baby promise me you'll never forget that..never forget how much I love you..."

"I love you too mommy...can I get ice cream tomorrow after kindergarten?"

Isabel smiled as she lifted the girl up of the floor. "We'll see what happens...c'mon let’s get you to bed..."

Alex’s head was held skyward...it was his and Isabel's "thing" to watch the stars. They had started when they were sixteen and even then they had both seen the endless possibilities that the sky held. Now...looking up all he seen was a vacuous darkness ready to engulf the best part of him forever. The beauty..the desire he had always seen in the glistening sky would never be seen again..it would only be a constant reminder of what he had lost to it. He wanted to scream, shout and lash out. He wanted to run and destroy whatever was taking her away he wanted to do so much...instead he punched the wall harder and harder until the pain in his broken hands masked the pain in his broken heart. As the pain shot through the broken bones and the blood trickled down his fingers into a puddle by his feet he leaned against the wall and slid down and gave into his feeling and began to cry. As Isabel walked out of the door and looked for him she saw him on the ground holding his head. She saw his hands covered in blood and immediately went over to heal him as he looked directly in her eyes. Even before she had made the connection she felt the agony he was in trying to decide what to do.

"Are you leaving us?"

"I...I should go...they need us...the four of us.."

"I need you...the kids need their mom..I know I'm being selfish and I’d try and understand if you wanted to go home because I love you Izzy...I always will no matter what galaxy you're in...but I need you..."

As he spoke the words Isabel made the connection and began to heal his hands when she was bombarded with flashes

FLASH- Alex infatuated with her but feeling she was too above him at high school

FLASH- Izzy at his doorstep asking for a kiss

FLASH- Izzy breaking his heart in their junior year

FLASH- Alex crying on Maria's shoulder

FLASH- Alex comforting her after she knew her parents had been killed

FLASH- Alex nervously picking out an engagement ring

FLASH- Isabel walking down the aisle

FLASH- Isabel telling him she was pregnant

FLASH- Alex realising he was a father

FLASH- stargazing in each other’s arms

FLASH- Realising she was leaving him..again

As the flashes subsided she looked deeply into his face. His eyes were closed as willed himself to be strong enough to let her go.

"Alex...I love you so much...I don't want to go..."

His eyes snapped open "Then don't! Isabel...please... I know that you love the kids and me and I know that you feel torn just now between them and us. If deep down in your heart you want to leave I won't stand in your way and I'll make Diane and Phil understand when they're older why you couldn't stay. But...but I have to hear you say that you want it more than you want this here...more than you want me..."

In that second a vision flashed from her own imagination her children feeling abandoned and hating her and Alex, the devoted father and husband left alone his heart so badly damaged that he might never fix it again. She would never be happy again and neither would he, two hearts separated by galaxies yet never stopping yearning for the other until they both stopped beating. She looked at him again, they were still so young, only 25. She used to be so strong and self-reliant..he had worked so hard to persuade her that she should lean on someone..even if it wasn't him. It had happened almost overnight one day she just couldn't get him out her head and he looked at her and her knees turned to jelly and right then she had no defences against him. She could be an ice queen to anyone but him and she wished that it was anyone else that she was hurting...anyone but Alex...anyone but her soulmate. The thought of missing a single day of waking up in his arms hurt her...the thought of never seeing him again almost killed her. She looked hard into his dark eyes that although glazed over with tears were still strong, earnest and full of unwavering love. She'd made her mind up.

"Alex...I love you and I can't leave you...I never want to leave you or our children. I'm..I’m not Valandra any more...I’m not a warrior. I just want to be me, Isabel Whitman, mother, wife and friend..I don't want something that takes that away from me...takes me away from you.. I love you too much to go..."

As her tears fell down her face she felt his arms go around her pulling her close as he guided her mouth to his. As she melted into his gentle kiss she felt the tears subside as she realised she was where she was always destined to be.. in the arms of someone she couldn't live without and suddenly the pain vanished as the kiss turned more passionate.

As she lay in his strong arms looking at the stars above him as he looked at her she sighed "I wonder what the others are doing? I wonder if they will give it all up?"

"Maybe we should call them?" Alex suggested before he looked at her earnestly "Isabel are you sure you want to stay here? You won't regret it in a few days?"

"There’s a lot of things I'll regret Alex but never this decision..never choosing you!"

She kissed him before gently standing and pulling him to his feet. "I'll go call Liz and Max and you better call Tess. Michael will probably need a bit more time..."

"Do you think they'll go Iz?"

"Honestly? I think Max and Michael will feel obligated but I don't know about Tess...she's so happy here. I'm going to lose one of them tonight anyway..."

Her voice sounded weary as she walked in the house and picked up the receiver. Alex quickly looked in on the sleeping children and rushed back to Isabel. The voice on the other side of the phone was tired and emotional. "Hi Liz..are you both ok? Is Max there? It's just I..we have made our decision..." as Liz passes the phone to Max, Isabel gives

Alex a weak smile as he walks past her and kisses her cheek towards the kitchen table. He picked up the cell phone and began to dial the number. As the phone rang 1,2,3 times the machine picked up. The laughing voices on the tape stab at him. They sounded so happy and carefree..he knew that happy couldn't be used to describe them now. They were probably crying.

"Hey...This is Kyle and Tess. We're sorry we can't come to the phone just now but we've been abducted by aliens. Once we eventually get returned home again we'll definitely call you back if you leave your details nnnnnnow!!!Hahaha..."

It was an "in-joke", Michael and Max nearly collapsed when they heard it and gave them both a lecture on being irresponsible but they never changed it. It hurt Alex to think about all those times they had laughed together and joked and just been happy. He couldn't think about those the now..he had a job to do and he was going to do it for Isabel. "Hi Kyle..Hi Tess. It's just me..Alex. Its just Isabel has made her decision and she's staying. Give me a call when you get this ok? Whenever just call. Ok..good luck guys" with that he hung up the phone. Suddenly his heart began to pound..he had just remembered "Oh god Kyle...dammit!" he ran to the other room to see his wife.

"Izzy..Kyle was going to do it tonight..."

Isabel just stood as she realised what Alex meant "Oh god Alex..poor Kyle..and Tess."

TBC

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