Isabel nearly collapsed before she made it into the door to her apartment. She couldn't believe the audacity of the Masters, sometimes. She'd had to visit three different officials just to have her request heard, and then it had been blindly rejected.

"Mommy!" she heard the shrieking, joyous shout of her daughter resonate across the house.

She held out her arms, and Kirsten leaped onto her lap, a blindingly fast blur across the room. Isabel held her out to look at her. "I think you've grown about a foot since I left this morning," she said with a smile.

"No way," Kirsten said in awe. She leaped off her mother's lap and ran to the babysitter who had just entered the room. "Lana, Lana, have I grown a foot? Have I?"

Lana looked down at the little girl with amusement. "You sure have, honey," she said, stroking her hair.

Kirsten grew suspicious at the head pat. "You're lying," she said darkly.

Lana sighed. "Yes, I am."

Kirsten brightened immediately at being told the truth. "Okay! Doesn't Mommy look tired?"

"Yes, she does. And now I'm tired, so I have to go."

"Okay, Lana. Are you coming back tomorrow?"

"I sure hope so, hon."

Isabel handed the human woman her daily payment as she headed out the door. She knew Lana had a good heart, but she wondered what she had done to be allowed to live with the Masters. And sometimes, in Lana's eyes, she could see faint disapproval and fear. Isabel knew that Lana wasn't afraid of Kirsten; Kirsten would never hurt her. And she was pretty certain the the disapproval was aimed at her, for allowing a mixed-breed child to come into the world. The fear, she just didn't know what that came from. Maybe it was from the precariousness of her position in the world. "Bye, Lana," she said, shutting the door behind the elderly woman. "See you tomorrow?"

Lana nodded and walked toward the elevator. Isabel sighed and shut the door. "I didn't know any better, Lana," she said into the door.

"You didn't know any better about what, Mommy?"

"Nothing, sweetie. Come on, let's go get a bath."

****

May 30, 2002
Roswell High School
Roswell, NM Isabel looked in awe around her at her fellow classmates, all clothed in blue and yellow robes. Her group of friends took nearly a whole row of folding chairs on the neatly groomed lawn inside the school's football stadium. Alex was to her left, clutching her hand tightly. On her right was Max, who had one hand wrapped around her arm and the other stroking Liz's leg through her robe. Isabel rolled her eyes. Liz was holding Maria's hand, and Maria had her arm around Michael. She imagined they were a sight from the stands, all linked together in the ceremony that signaled the end of their lives together. Isabel wasn't feeling quite as excited as the rest of her class. She really had no idea what the future held for her, and thoughts of what was going to happen to her frightened her.

The kids in the row before them began to stand and walk up to the podium to get their diplomas. Isabel closed her eyes.

"Alexander Whitman; Isabel Evans."

She felt Alex tug at her hand and stumbled to her feet. Roswell High used marching partners in order to speed up graduation ceremonies. Isabel and Alex walked together to the podium, where the principal shook their hands and gave them the blank folders that would eventually contain their diplomas. The actual diplomas came in the mail a few days later.

"Maximillian Evans; Elizabeth Parker."

She could hear Liz and Max step up to the podium as they left to return to their seats. She glanced back. Liz was in tears and Max was visibly supporting her.

"Maria DeLuca; Michael Guerin."

The announcer managed to mispronounce Michael's last name, which was an amazingly common occurence. She saw Michael grumble as Maria dragged him from his seat. Maria was giggling nervously.

Finally they reached their seats and sat down. Alex and Max leaned over and asked simultaneously, "Are you okay?"

Isabel smiled at ALex to reassure him, but scowled at her brother. "Maybe you should ask Liz," she said, pointing at the girl who was still in tears.

"She's been like that for a few days now," Max said dryly. "Someday, she may recover."

Isabel couldn't understand it. Max and Liz were going to Stanford together, and as a result of the new, trendy rooming policies, they'd probably even be able to live in the same dorm room. She and Alex, on the other hand, were most likely going to be separated. Alex had been accepted to Grinnell, and Isabel had always wanted to go to NYU to pursue an acting degree, with modeling on the side. She'd been accepted, but it looked like her modeling aspirations were down the tubes.

Isabel had skipped her last period. Her periods had been regular enough that a calendar could have been set by them. For the first few days she chalked it up to stress and excitement about graduation, but after a week she bought a pregnancy test. Once she finally built up the nerve, she took it.

It was positive.

She didn't know what to do. How could this even happen? Not only were they different species, they had used protection! Trying as hard as she could, she remembered their early-morning romp. She couldn't recall using anything. She had been too worried about punishment from her parents.

She wondered what kind of punishment they would dish out for pregnancy.

****

2010

Isabel dried her daughter's thick black hair with a wave of her hand and began to brush it gently. Kirsten had inherited her father's hair, and her mother's skin tone. She also had lovely blue eyes and an adorable button nose that was most certainly her mother's. But every time Isabel looked at her, she saw the love of her life. It was in the shape of her face, and the way she turned her head, and the way she spoke inquiringly about just about everything.

"You know, Kirsten, your birthday is coming up."

"I know, Mommy. I saw it on that old calendar. Lana told me today was the something of January and that my birthday was the something of February. She said I'd get lots of presents. How come I didn't get lots of presents last year, Mommy?"

Isabel winced. She'd have to remind Lana not to show Kirsten any of her old things. The last thing she needed was to be caught with contraband.

"You're going to get one really big present, Kirsten," she promised.

"But I don't want one present. I want lots of presents."

"Okay, honey," Isabel said absently.

****

2002
Later that night
Senior Party The senior party was held in the school's gym. Once they managed to lose all the people who tried to pose the class together for a party, Isabel grabbed Alex's hand and headed for the nearest bathroom. It was inside the girl's locker room, and Alex yelped as she tried to drag him inside. "No way, it's the girl's locker room!" he protested.

Isabel rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I don't think they'll suspend you from school."

"Funny, Isabel." He looked around. "At least it doesn't smell as bad as the guy's locker room."

Isabel sighed and sat on one of the benches that lined the lockers. She patted the seat beside her. "I have something to tell you, Alex. It's really important." He slumped onto the bench. "I'm tired. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"No, Alex, I don't think so."

"Well, can I guess?" He didn't wait for her response. "Let me think...ummm, you have black lingerie on under that dress?"

Isabel laughed. The funniest thing was that he had guessed right; she did have black lingerie on under her dress. "That's not it."

"Ummm...are you going to come with me to Grinnell?"

"Iowa?" she said, wrinkling her nose. "Well...maybe." Alex sat up abruptly. "Really? Why, all of the sudden? You haven't been accepted there!"

She didn't say anything. He paused to think. "Wait, what is it? Did you...why don't you want to go to NYU? Aren't you going to be a model?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'd get any jobs in the condition I'm in, Alex."

Alex's mouth fell open. "Condition..."

"I'm pregnant," she confirmed. She slouched against the metal locker, feeling a pad lock poke into her spine. She didn't care. She didn't look at Alex, but she heard him swallow.

"How...how far along?"

"About a month. If it were any sooner I couldn't know."

Alex took her hand and Isabel almost sobbed with relief. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I think...I think I want to keep it. I know it's crazy, but I do. I feel like there's something special inside me and I can't just get rid of it. Even if I do, it'll still follow me. It'll be with me forever..." she started to babble and Alex took her into his arms. When she calmed down and her breathing slowed she said, "I can't see a doctor, anyway. Who knows what they might find?"