Isabel had gotten used to the whispers and staring she got when she walked around town. Her coming back had been the biggest news to hit Roswell since, well, as far a she knew, since she left. But this guy was being rude. She faced him and tried to think of something to say to put him in his place, then stopped as she realized that under the goatee and the eyebrow ring the bright blue eyes were familiar.

"Alex?" Her voice seemed to free him from his catatonic state.

"Isabel?" He swept her up in a bear hug. "I can't believe it's really you." Isabel laughed at the unexpected joy of finally getting a friendly welcome back. Alex looked her over in amazement. "Wow. How long have you been back?"

"Just a couple of days. I've been staying with my mother, just spending some time getting re-aquinted."

Alex looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry about your dad. It must be terrible to come back to."

"It's okay. It's not the worst thing I was expecting."

"Alex?" Alex turned his attention to the very pregnant woman trying to lift herself up from a chair at a nearby table.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. Wait for me to help you." Isabel was touched by the way Alex hurried over and the care he took in helping the woman up. The woman was slim, despite the obviously late stage of her pregnancy. Her light brown hair was pulled into a neat ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her thick glasses made her look bookish, but behind them were a pair of beautiful grey-blue eyes. Although she was obviously unnerved by the situation, she had an air of quiet intelligence and self-confidence. Isabel liked her immediately.

Alex looked nervously from one woman to the other. "Sam, this is Isabel, you remember I told you about her?" Sam nodded shyly. "Isabel, my wife Samantha."

"It's nice to meet you, Samantha." Isabel wasn't sure what Alex had said about her, but it seemed to make Sam nervous. She tried convey some reassurance in her smile. "I hope you aren't scared by the stories you may have heard around town about me."

Samantha looked embarrassed. "Oh, no. I'm glad Alex is able to see an old friend again. I don't mean to be rude, but we're on our way to a doctor's appointment."

Alex looked down at his watch. "Sorry, Isabel. Sam's right, we'd better get going. Are you going to be in town for a while?"

"I should be."

"Great, maybe we'll see you later." Alex followed Sam as she walked out the door. Isabel raced out to catch them on the sidewalk.

"Wait!" They turned at her call. "Look, I've been staying with my mom for a while, I would really like a chance to get out and talk to someone else for a while. Why don't you let me take you guys for dinner? Any time you want, sort of my way of saying congratulations."