*******
The Claiming of Alex Whitman
Max eyed his sister warily, watching the way she honed in on Alex. She made him think of a shark. A very hungry shark.
"You're gonna make him think you want to eat him if you keep looking at him like that," he joked.
"Huh?" Isabel blinked, brought out of her reverie by her brother's words. She hated it when Max caught her in her own private world. It was embarrassing.
"Nothing. But looking like you might devour him isn't really the way to get him to talk to you." He grinned as she blushed deeply. "It might work for some of the guys you date, but it won't work on Alex."
"Alex isn't a regular guy," she agreed then sighed, flopping back against the concrete wall they were sitting in front of.
Max looked at her more closely. There had been changes in her demeanor, in her attitude towards Alex in the past few weeks. Not that she was ever mean to him or anything. She considered him a friend after all the things that the six of them had gone through. But now she looked at him with a new kind of interest. In fact, she could barely keep her eyes off him. Even now, she sought him out, watching him intently. Again he thought of a shark on the prowl for it's next meal.
"You care to explain?"
Again Max's words brought her out of some private place. "Huh?"
"Well, let's see. A few weeks ago, you tell me that Alex is coming over to help you study. Which you've never done in your life. Not only that, but you swiped the History book I used for my last paper. Which is a class you don't have. You also tell me to stay gone. Which I gladly do. I come home the next morning, and thank you for not asking were I had been, to see Alex's car pulling out of our driveway. Now, I might have passed that off as a simple 'fell asleep on the couch' deal, except for the fact that you now can't take your eyes off him and he is avoiding you like you were the plague." A grin broke his serious observations. "Or an alien."
Isabel whacked him in the arm, trying to cover the redness in her face. "Shut up." With a scowl at Max and one last furtive glance at where Alex was sitting, she pulled her lunch from her backpack and opened it.
"Ahh, I see. The silent game. You used to play this when you hadn't gotten your way with something when we were kids. So what did you not get your way in?"
Max watched her fidget as he pulled his own lunch out. Ever patient, he took a bite of his sandwich and waited for her to answer. If she rode out the sandwich, he would bring out the orange. For once he was happy his mother packed a large lunch. This could take awhile.
"Have you and Liz you know " she started, not quite able to say the words.
"Have we what?" Max asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"You know," she tried again, "Have you done it?"
He blinked and nearly choked on his lunch as he put the words together in his head. Clearing his throat, he took a long drink of his soda and looked at her. "I don't think that's really any of your business, but no." She wouldn't look at him, instead keeping her eyes on her lunch. "Why?"
"No reason," she said airily. "Just curious." Her voice was steady, but Max felt more than heard the brittleness to it.
"That goes way past your usual curiosity Isabel. What's going on?"
"Nothing, really."
Max frowned, watching as his sister squirmed slightly. He could tell now that she had brought the subject up, she was ready for it to be buried again.
"Isabel" he warned.
"It's nothing Max. Just something I need to deal with myself, ok?" Isabel finally tore her gaze from her lunch to look at him. "Something I did wrong that I need to set right again I guess."
Nodding slowly, Max let it go. She had made up her mind not to tell him, and she wouldn't change it, not yet anyway. Though he'd be willing to bet she'd spill it all in a few more days.
"All right," he relented. "But if you need anything"
"I know big brother," she smiled slightly. "Your room is just down the hall from mine."
*******
Just the mention of her room was enough to send shivers through her. She had replayed the night over and over in her mind. Each time she did two things happened. First, she tried to think of ways she could have fixed it. Could have kept him from leaving and thinking what he did. Second, it made her tingle all over again.
In the weeks since that night, she had tried to explain. Tried to make him understand. But he didn't want to hear it. Wasn't interested in anything she had to say. In fact, he made absolutely sure they were no where alone together. Made sure there was no way they would end up alone together. He always kept either Liz or Maria close and even settled for Michael on the one occasion where she had taken him by surprise. He knew full well she wouldn't bring it up with other people around. And while the behavior hurt, she knew it was her own fault. She hadn't bothered to let him know how she had felt. How it felt to have him touching her. How it felt when he spilled himself inside of her.
Many nights she stood in front of the mirror, her hand against her belly, marveling at everything that had taken place. But he wouldn't know that because he wouldn't get near her. Even the few classes they had together had turned into a circus of him avoiding her. Had he been working so hard to get closer to her like usual, she'd have been amused. But he wasn't, and she wasn't. If he came in late one more time, Mrs. Horine was going to give him detention. The seat he had so carefully chosen at the beginning of the year because it had been close to her was now vacant. Given up for a seat near the front of the class. A seat that was as far away from her as he could get.
With a sigh, she shoved through the door of the gym. Turning into the girl's locker room, she stopped as she realized no one was getting changed.
"What's the deal?" she asked softly as she approached Maria.
The girl grinned, suppressing giggles. "It seems we're the subjects of the old baby experiment."
"What?" Isabel blinked. Baby experiment? What the hell was that?
"You know, the whole, 'pretend you're married and now you have to take care of this egg' thing." Maria told her.
"Ok, I still have no idea what you're talking about." Isabel frowned and swung her backpack to the ground. Married? Egg? Huh?
"You know the thing they used to do over in the Family Planning class. They decided that not enough kids were getting the message, so they've decided to carry it to the PE classes. They're merging the boys and girls PE classes for the next six weeks."
"Merging the classes?" Isabel nearly flew into a panic. Alex was in the boy's PE class this hour. Oh God, she thought, this can't be happening.
"Well, unless you'd like to become a lesbian and adopt your egg," Maria smirked.
Flashes of Alex touching her ran through her mind. "Uh no. I just can't believe they're doing this."
"Oh believe it." Maria rolled her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to get stuck with Chad Lock?" A shudder ran down her slender frame.
Isabel sympathized. There were a few boys in that class that really needed to learn what a shower was. And a toothbrush and deodorant and
"Hey," She said, trying to sound cheerful, "You could get Alex. That wouldn't be so bad."
Maria blinked, then shook her head. "Oh I don't see that happening," she assured Isabel with a slight gleam in her eye. She fought a smile as well, making Isabel wonder what the girl knew that she wasn't telling.
Before Isabel could question her, the bell rang and they all headed out into the gym. Both instructors stood in the center of the room. The boys had already lined up on one side against the wall, so the girls did the same. Isabel carefully kept her eyes averted from Alex.
"Ok guys," Mr. Brooke started, "This isn't our idea of fun either. I'd much rather have you guys playing dodgeball." Maria snorted at Alex's grimace. "But the school board has decided otherwise. So, for the next few weeks, you're going to be married. You will have two weeks to be a happily married newlywed couple, then four weeks to be a married couple with a baby." Ignoring the groans, the teacher continued. "We will draw occupations and salaries. No swapping. If you're stuck being the janitor, I don't know what to tell you."
Ms. Brockert stepped in then. "We've already paired you off to make it more fair. So, when you hear your name called, meet up with your new spouse. We'll come around after everyone is paired and let you draw for your occupation."
The names started and Isabel tried to tune them out. She didn't want to know who Alex would end up with. Probably some little homecoming queen bitch who wait that had been her. Never mind. With a sigh she closed her eyes. This was hell on earth.
"Evans, you're with Whitman."
Isabel's eyes snapped open and she looked at Maria. The girl only offered her a slight shrug before shoving her away from the wall. Slowly, she walked towards Alex, her eyes glued to the floor.
"Deluca, you're with Guerin. If you can find him."
Maria's shriek gave Isabel a reason to look away. Her friend stomped her foot and protested loudly.
"Why am I always the one stuck with him?" she asked hotly. "He never comes to class!"
Both teachers eyed her a moment.
"Well," Ms. Brockert started, "I suppose you can be a single mother if you'd like."
Maria swallowed hard, weighing the options of both. "Done!" she finally yelled. "Hello single motherhood," she muttered, causing Isabel to grin slightly.
Without thinking, she turned to make a comment on Maria's predicament to Alex. The look on his face froze her.
"I'll be with Maria," Alex offered, not bothering to respond to Isabel's gasp of surprise. He hadn't bothered looking at her even once.
"I don't think so Whitman," Mr. Brooke told him. "Deluca made her choice."
"But - ," Alex protested, only to be cut off.
"That's my final answer Whitman," Brooke said sternly. "Suck it up."
*******
"What'd you get?" she asked, not daring to look at him.
"Kindergarten teacher," Alex said with disgust as he flung the piece of paper onto the table that held his new occupation and salary.
She couldn't stop the grin. "You'll be good for little Erika when she's born then."
"Erika? What the hell kind of name is that?" Alex demanded, looking at her for the first time since they had sat down to discuss the new arrangement.
"I like it," Isabel defended her choice. "Besides, you're too busy sulking to add your imput. I'm certainly not going to call the egg, Egg, just because you're in a tissy."
"I'm not in a tissy," he muttered.
"You are too. Now get over it. You didn't even ask me what I ended up with."
"Fine," Alex sighed, "What did you get?"
Isabel flashed him a patent 'Isabel is the best' smile. "Supermodel." She placed the piece of paper on the table with a flourish. "You won't need to work, I can support us with my salary."
"You cheated." Alex accused. "Supermodel wasn't in the pool."
"And how do you know that?" Isabel demanded.
"Because it's not a real job." He retorted.
She glared, a retort on her lips, instead she looked him in the eyes and asked, "What is your problem Alex?"
"My problem?" He snorted and leaned back in the chair. "My problem is that I got paired up with the last person I ever wanted to be paired up with on a stupid project that has no point."
With a smirk she leaned back, matching his posture. "Oh really? So then, what is your other problem Alex?"
"What are you talking about?" he demanded as he leaned forward.
"I'm talking about the problem that has turned you from nice guy to typical teenage asshole."
Alex's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide. Recovering with little grace he stood and scooped his books up from the table. "Isn't that what most guys act after they sleep with a girl?"
Without waiting for an answer, he stomped out of the Evans house.
*******
"How'd it go?"
Isabel blinked, looking up from the paper that was supposed to contain her math homework, but had been blank for more than an hour because she couldn't focus, "Huh?"
"The mock marriage," Max prodded.
"How'd you know about that?" she asked, dropping her pencil to the paper. "And how come you don't have the same assignment? You have PE Sixth period."
"Because they're only trying it with one class," he told her, "Coach asked which class should have to suffer. And, being his loyal teaching assistant, I helped him pick a class and match up pairs."
"You did this?" Isabel gasped.
"Something like that," Max admitted. "I didn't figure he'd get around to listening to you unless he had to. Not sure what happened, and if you don't want to tell me, that's fine, I just thought you could use the help."
Rubbing her eyes, Isabel slumped back in her chair. "It didn't work. I think he's even madder than before." She sighed and looked at her brother. "I messed up."
Pulling out a chair, Max sat and looked at his sister. Reaching across the table, he held her hand in his. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I understand. But I don't really think there's anything that would make Alex stay mad at you for long."
She looked down, not willing to let Max see the tears. "You don't understand. This was big. He thinks I used him." Isabel tried to cut off the sob, but couldn't. Looking up at Max through her tears, her words came out as half sobs, half whispers. "He, he made love to me. I asked him over. Because because I thought, you know, that if I was different, it wouldn't matter. But he found out. And he didn't want to. Then things just happened. And we did." Another body shaking sob. "And now he thinks I used him so I could sleep with other guys. He doesn't understand how I feel"
Max blinked, processing the words slowly. "Let me get this straight You guys you uh you had er made love. And now he thinks it's a mistake. And he thinks you consider him a one night stand. Of sorts." Another blink as it digested. "Is that it?" Oh boy.
"Something like that I guess," Isabel replied, wiping tears from her cheeks.
"How do you feel about him?"
Blushing, she smiled and shrugged. "When it started, it just looked at him as a friend. Someone who knew the secret. Someone I could trust, but not someone who was a potential date or anything. And then he started talking, and he looked at me, and I started feeling things." Red crept towards her ears. "And then he kissed me."
"Ah." For Max there was no need to say anything else. He knew how easily things could change in an instant. How feelings could turn around in a fraction of a second. How one single moment could completely change the course of your life. How a kiss could make the world completely different.
"And he spent the night. I mean, we just slept. But he held me while I slept. And he was there. Then I woke up and he was leaving. Told me it was a mistake, that it was wrong. He kept saying that something like that should happen with someone you care about. With someone who cares about you. With someone you love." Her smile faded. "It did, but he doesn't know that."
*******
Alex eyed the groups of kids warily, not liking the feeling that he was suddenly a bug under a microscope. Picking up his pace, he rushed towards Maria's locker, nearly colliding with the girl herself in his hurry.
"Ok, what am I missing?"
"Missing? Should I give you the long list or the short list? I mean aside from fashion sense and-"
"Maria! Would you stop and breathe?" Alex cried. "Something is going on and I want to know what it is."
Maria looked at him a moment, then turned, looking as if she might crawl into her locker. "Nothing. Nothing is going on," she mumbled as she shoved her books inside.
"Maria," Alex warned, "You've got about five seconds to explain."
She turned, slamming the locker shut as she spun, then leaned back against the metal for support. "Someone started a rumor that either you or Isabel convinced Max to make you two partners in the assignment. You know, for more 'together' time. For your secret love affair."
Frowning, Alex tried to make sense from this. "What do you mean? We convinced someone?" A pause. "Hold on, Max? What does Max have to do with this?"
Strawberry lip glossed lips formed a perfect O, as in, 'Oh, you didn't know that did you?' "Uh, well, uh, I guess Max helped Coach pick out who to make couples. Or something." Without looking at him, Maria tried to dart around her friend only to be stopped by his hand on her arm.
"What do you mean he helped coach pick the couples?"
"Just that, well, he said Coach asked him what class should be used in the experiment and who the couples should be and Max sort of, kind of, picked." Maria glanced nervously around her. Not that she was the happiest with Max as it was, she had more than few words to say to him about who he paired her up with, but she didn't want Alex to start causing a scene either.
Alex's fist slammed into a locker entirely too close to Maria, forcing a cry of surprise and protest from her.
"Where the hell do these Evans people get off?" he demanded hotly, "I don't want anything to do with her and now I'm stuck with her for the next six weeks! That's it! I want a divorce!"
Maria couldn't help the grin. "Uh, Alex? Do the words mock marriage mean anything to you?"
*******
"ISABEL!!!" Alex yelled across the quad, ignoring the gasps and gapes he got from that one name. More fuel for the rumor fire.
Isabel stopped and turned, holding back a grin as he hurried towards her. "Can I help you today Mr. Whitman?"
Slightly out of breath, Alex glared at her. "I want a divorce."
Grinning, Isabel chuckled. "Well, I'd be glad to grant you one, but we're not married."
"You know damn well what I mean." Alex ground out. "I'm not doing this project with you any more. It was rigged. And I'm telling Coach."
"Feel free," Isabel smirked. "I already tried. I believe his exact words were, 'Take it up with your brother Evans.' So I'd suggest you do the same. Though I'm not sure how much good it will do you."
And with that, Isabel turned on her heel, leaving Alex standing in the middle of the quad with his mouth open. Throw another piece of wood onto the flames.
*******
"I'm going to assume you will be joining me tonight so that we can finish this part of our assignment before we receive our eggs on Monday," Isabel asked matter of factly as she walked up behind Alex.
"Like I have a choice," he muttered. "Fine. What time?"
"I suppose you can come at eight." She smiled slightly. "Don't worry Alex. I won't seduce you. I won't hold you against your will."
Snorting, he glanced over his shoulder at her. "That's something I suppose."
Isabel forced the look of hurt from her face. "You know what Alex? I thought after all that happened, you were different. Special. Now I see you're just like the rest of them." Smirking, she turned to go. "I guess you got your first peg on the bed post Alex. Hope it was good for you."
*******
He pulled into the driveway and took a deep breath. Just sitting here in front of the house made him remember things he kept telling himself he wanted to forget. Not that he ever could forget. Just the thought of it all made his body tighten and his knees go weak. The flood of tenderness and emotions swept over him again. Hands gripped the steering wheel tightly until the wave passed, leaving only bitterness and hurt.
"She only wanted you as an experiment," he told himself out loud. "You're nothing more to her than a lab rat. Don't forget that Whitman. Don't ever forget that."
Closing his eyes, he counted to ten then scooped up his books and slid out of the car. He just wanted this over with.
***
"Pizza?" she asked, pointing towards the kitchen.
"No thanks, not really hungry," he replied quietly.
With a shrug she started up the stairs, then paused halfway up. "Everything is upstairs," she said softly, "We can move it if you want."
Alex sighed and shook his head. Time to face the pain head on. "It's fine. Can we just get this done?"
Isabel nodded and continued up, not stopping until she stood in the center of the room. With a glance around, she groaned softly and knew instantly how he'd see things.
Candles burned around the room. The soft light cast was enough to kill the need for any other light, but still gentle enough that everything seemed to have soft edges. Vanilla scent filled the air from the now hot wax. Alex skidded to a stop as he stepped foot into the room.
"It's not what it looks like," Isabel started.
"Oh sure it's not," Alex muttered with disgust. "I'm sure you drag out the candles for all your bedroom visitors."
"Oh for the love of God!" she cried. The urge to whack him with something was rapidly replacing any other thought or emotion. "I like candles Alex. I burn them when I'm upset or tense. Vanilla is a calming scent ok? Why don't you bring your ego back down to earth and realize that not everything is about you."
"Fine, whatever you say Isabel," he ground out. "I'm really ready to go, can we get this done?"
"Get over it Alex! I've tried to explain the whole thing to you, but you're so damn hell bent on being mad at me that you won't listen."
"What is there to listen to?" he asked, his voice cold. "You used me like a lab rat Isabel. I worshipped the ground you walked on and you used me." Frustration welled inside of him. "I always thought of you as perfect. As the one girl in all the world who was perfect in every way. You could have been with a hundred guys, and it wouldn't have mattered. But you used me. You didn't care how I felt, and you didn't care what might happen. You just wanted your answers and you got them any way you could."
"Oh that is so not true Alex," Isabel said quietly. The anger in her voice was soft, but there. "I've been trying to tell you that for weeks now, but instead you choose to tuck your tail between your legs and hide. You know, maybe if you had acted like a real man instead of a puppy, this wouldn't have happened."
"Sure, blame it on me. I'm sure in that little Ice Princess mind of yours it's all my fault."
"Of course it is! You're too damn stubborn to listen to reason!"
"Like I want to hear your excuses about being different. Or your thanks for playing guinea pig."
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I felt the same way? That you made me see something I had been blind to all this time?"
That was it. Alex had had it. It was bad enough to use him as some kind of human lab rat to find out about alien biology 101, but to put emotion into it was just too much. To claim she cared for him was the little tap he needed to go over the edge. Reaching out with the speed of a striking snake, he grabbed her arm and jerked her body to him. Shaking her until she thought her teeth might fall out, he hissed at her.
"Don't ever say that. Don't lie to me and pretend you have some kind of new found emotion, because I'm not buying it. I won't be your lap dog to come when you call. I won't be your bitchy experiment on human emotion."
Tears welled in her eyes and she refused to fight back. "I tried," she managed as he continued to shake her. "I tried to explain. But you were too busy being mad at me Alex. I wanted to tell you that you were right. It is supposed to be with someone you care about." The shaking stopped, but his grip on her arms tightened. "And it was." The last words came out as a whimper.
"Liar."
Hurt gave way to anger and she used his closeness. Grasping his forearms, she forced the connection. Words streamed from her as images and emotions poured into his mind.
"I tried to play your game. I tried to make you want me again. But you kept running instead. I didn't count on that. If I had known that's what would happen, then maybe I would have done it differently. I don't know. But I didn't know how you'd make me feel. I didn't know how wonderful it would be to wake up in the middle of the might and have you next to me. To have your arms around me. I certainly didn't plan on feeling how you felt about me when you touched me seeing how you saw me. But it happened."
Isabel broke away, the images and feelings cut off suddenly with the breech of contact. "And I have tried my damnedest to let you know that Alex. But you've been so busy being mad, convincing yourself that you were nothing more than a one night stand, that it wouldn't have mattered if I yelled it from the tallest building." Both of them ignored the fact that the tallest building in Roswell was probably only four stories high. "None of it mattered because you were busy trying to tell yourself that you hated me. Trying to convince yourself that you didn't love me." Brown eyes met green. "Because I saw it that night Alex. I saw how much you loved me. Felt it. And you can't take that back no matter how much you want to hate me now."
Turning away, she rubbed her hands along her arms, trying to ward away the chill that had set itself inside of her. She had tried to play the game. Had tried to make him understand. But none of it had worked. And now she was out of anything else to say. Game over.
"Isabel?" His voice was soft, hesitant.
"I think you should leave now Alex." She fought tears and failed. Letting them slip silently down her cheek, she struggled instead to keep her voice even, calm. "I'll finish the assignment. I'll give you a copy when we have to hand it in." Hands stilled on her arms. "I'm done. I can't do this anymore. You can be rid of me now."
Hands hesitated above her shoulders, then lowered slowly to rest gingerly on them. "Not when I have the most beautiful, wonderful wife in the world," he whispered in her ear.
Slowly she turned. Looking him in the eyes, she asked, "You mean that?"
Alex started to answer but shook his head. Words wouldn't cut it. Lowering his head to hers, their lips brushed lightly just before he kissed her deeply.
***
"You didn't tell coach, did you?"
"Not exactly," she replied as she held back a grin.
Her back was against his chest and his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. She smiled into the pillow, squirming just slightly against him. The effect it had on him caused her to smile more. He growled softly into her ear and she laughed.
"Keep that up and Max will be in here telling us to keep quiet."
Isabel laughed again and looked over her shoulder at him. "Somehow I doubt he'll be making it home tonight. Not if he sees your car still in the driveway."
"Ooh, does that mean I have you all to myself?" Hands began to roam her hips and sides.
"No," she smiled at him. "But you're mine to do with what I please."
Flopping over onto his back, Alex smiled up at her as he folded his arms behind his head. With a dramatic voice full of self sacrifice, he drawled, "Yes, I've been claimed. The horror of it all. I suppose I'll have to do this to save all the other unsuspecting human males out there from your clutches."
Isabel pounced on him. "That's right," she smirked as she trailed her tongue along his chest. "And don't you forget it."
