Title: Stranger On
The Milk Carton
Author: Jessamyn
Summary: *said in an Elvis-voice* The King has
left the planet. (lol)
Improv #9: tender - - pale - - glory - - collage
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Liz/Isabel
Disclaimer: Metz&Co. and Katims&Co own
everything this fic is based upon. I'm just having some
fun with them.
Spoiler: Based on a 'What if...' during Control
Distribution: List site obviously, and I might see
if Judas Kiss wants it, but other than that just let me
know okay?
Feedback = Goooooooood.
Notes 1: Things between [i][/i] 's should be put
into italics when converted to html. They're
'flashbacks'.
Notes 2: A companion fic is on the way explaining
some of the plot points more thoroughly.
The last several months have been a collage of moments
leading up to this very night. Tears, sleep, and her own
monotone voice answering the police's questions made up
the majority of them. But toward the end it had seemed
the weight of her sorrow, of her worry, had lessened.
They didn't *know* that Max was dead after all and
graduation was coming. She wouldn't be valedictorian as
she'd somewhat vaguely hoped but her grades were still
good enough for her to be accepted at most state
colleges. A time of change was coming, perfect for other
resolutions, and Liz had firmly told herself to get on
with her life.
But tonight had caught her unaware. The pale white milk
flowed across the floor just as her salty tears flowed
down her cheeks. Max's picture stared slantwise from the
carton.
It had started out as a regular night, Liz cleaning up
the Crashdown after closing and Isabel keeping her
company meanwhile. During the whole ordeal they'd gotten
pretty close, helping eachother get through the days and
nights when they'd held out hope for Max's safe return,
and finally the shattering disillusion that maybe, just
maybe he wouldn't be coming home at all.
A sob tore through Liz's throat.
Isabel had found something of Jesse's in her room and
was yet again venting her frustration and anger out at
her ex. She made a whole show of it, hands waving
emphatically, and her voice a mixture of tempered fury
and tight control. Secretly Liz had been as pleased as
Mrs. Evans when they'd decided not to go through with the
wedding but she knew better than to show it.
For although it had hurt Isabel terribly at the time
(and Liz most certainly didn't want that) Jesse hadn't
been right for Isabel. It was better that she'd found
that out *before* they'd gotten married. Or worse, before
Isabel had let it slip that she was an alien.
And if there were any other reasons for her to take
pleasure in the announcement, well, she was trying firmly
to block those out.
Liz's crying quieted the moment Isabel took her into her
arms, holding the smaller girl tenderly, as her own
silent tears streamed unbidden down her face. With her
high heeled boots on she was able to tuck Liz's dark head
underneath her chin and the two melted together in their
search for comfort.
No gaps marred the line between human and hybrid. The top
of Liz's chest pushed up underneath Isabel's creating a
plush pillow onto which Liz's tears could soak. Arms,
tucked over and under respectively, clung to shaking
frames as if to keep them whole. And shuddering torsos
brushed against one another to create an unconscious
warmth.
Once Isabel wound down enough Liz offered to split the
last of the double-layered cake with her. She'd wanted to
discuss colleges and the possibility of them becoming
roommates if Liz decided to enroll at Santa Fe State.
It had been a simple everyday sort of action. If
you're about to eat cake or cookies or something you went
and got milk and tobasco sauce, right? Well, maybe not
the tobasco but that's not the point.
Liz laughed, a harsh sound made coarse by her crying, and
said "Ugh, I feel like such an idiot. Crying over
spilt milk..." She pulled away from the too tempting
circle of Isabel's arms and wiped at her cheeks. Grabbing
a towel from a rack she knelt and began mopping up the
mess. Mostly because it was a habit of waitressing but
more because she didn't feel up to meeting Isabel's eyes.
"Here, let me." Isabel offered, picking up the
milk carton and waving a hand over the floor. The area,
and even the towel Liz had been using, became bone dry in
a matter of seconds. Liz traced a finger over the area.
Liz sighed and looked up to see Isabel gazing at the
carton in her hand. "He's really not coming back, is
he?" she asked, the very last shred of her hope
slipping away. Hope she hadn't even known she still
harbored until tonight.
Isabel shook her head sadly. "I think the only
reason the police even did this is because Mom made such
a fuss." she said, wiping a drop of milk from Max's
image. Staring at the smiling face Isabel seemed lost in
her thoughts for a moment looking so sad that Liz longed
to kiss her until...
Wait. Hold on, back up. Kiss her?
Kneeling there, on the cool floor, Liz regarded Isabel
with something close to awe. Not at her perfect,
classical beauty but rather at her own feelings for the
other woman. For a glorious, and sad, and horrible
realization was upon her.
She loved Isabel.
Somewhere along the way she'd crossed that line between
friendship and love without even realizing it. Oh sure,
she'd loved Maria and Alex but in that best
friends-almost-family way. She'd never felt this slow
ache for anyone else before... Not even Max.
With him it had been all romantic dreams and wild
thrills. More fantasy than anything else even when she'd
considered giving up her virginity to him. She'd been in
love... with love. The notion of soulmates and forever.
Isabel was all reality with her solid arms and soft
flesh. Comfort and sadness, anger and frustration,
laughter and happiness too. If they weren't together she
was on her mind. Like if she heard a good song on the
radio or a customer did something funny she always filed
it away to tell her later.
She loved Isabel, and for a moment her heart flew free on
the power of its intensity, only to fall crashing to
earth again as a thought permeated her head. What was she
going to do about this?
"Liz?" Isabel asked, "Are you okay?"
Liz took the hand hovering before her, allowing it to
pull her upright. That was a very good question. Looking
at Isabel though she did know one thing.
She wasn't ready for this. Not yet.
Shaking off the rest of her thoughts she answered Isabel
"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine." Liz pasted on a smile
and asked "How about some ice-cream instead of that
cake?"
Taking the milk carton she tossed it into the trash.
Someday she'd tell her.
Somehow.
|