"Hey...you ok?" Michael asked as she walked in and just stood in the living room.

Isabel nodded. "Yeah, um...I just stopped at home, and as soon as I walked through the door, I heard them," she said.

Was she speaking in riddles? "Heard who?" Michael asked.

"Max," Isabel looked at him, "and Tess. Talking."

"Talking?" Michael repeated.

"Fighting, loudly," Isabel amended. "very loudly," she added. "I was so...I just bolted."

Michael sighed and sat down on the couch. "Well, good," he finally said.

Isabel stared at him. "Good? Good?!" she repeated. "Michael, Max isn't dealing...."

"That's right. He isn't. And he won't until he lets it all out," Michael explained.

Isabel gave a sarcastic laugh. "Then get out your life boat...." she mumbled. She looked directly at Michael. "Liz is coming back," she stated.

"With Alex," he said.

Isabel gave him a look, then continued. "Yes, with Alex. But I'm ok to deal with it...."

"Yeah right," Michael said while standing up. He glanced at Isabel as he walked past her and into the kitchen. "You're just as bad off as Max...but you're better at hiding it."

Isabel spun and watched as he opened the fridge and pulled out the milk. "At least I would talk to Alex if I saw him," she challenged.

Michael shrugged. "I talk to her," Michael said as he drank the milk right out of the carton. He didn't even pretend they weren't talking about Maria.

Isabel gave him a look of disgust and opened a cabinet. She pulled down a glass and handed it to him. "Ok, 'hey' and 'what's up' don't count," she stated. "If you think I'm pathetic...."

"I never said that," Michael interjected.

"Yeah, well, you think it," she said. "I know you Michael, ok?"

He just sighed and walked back into the living room.

"Michael, you're worse then I am," she called after him.

"Am not," he called back.

Isabel followed him. Michael veered and went to his bedroom. Isabel made her patented 'I'm annoyed, so take notice' noise and followed him. "At least I'm admitting I miss Alex...."

Michael stopped in his doorway and looked at her. "You did not say that," he challenged.

"Ok, fine. I. Miss. Alex."

Michael looked her in the eye. Isabel lifted her eyebrows and waited.

Michael took in a deep breath and opened his mouth, the shut it again. He turned and walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Michael...when this all comes to blow, what end are you gonna be on?!" Isabel demanded.

"The end where I'm free to find out about my past," he called from the other side of the door.

"And Maria said you couldn't?" she asked.

"Liz was right to leave Max...." Michael started.

"I didn't ask about Liz," Isabel said while opening the door to Michael's room and walking in.

"Don't you knock?" Michael asked from his bed.

"Knock, knock," Isabel said sarcastically.

"Could you leave?" Michael asked.

Isabel met his stare. "Could you answer my question?"

Michael glanced away and sighed. "Maria could be in harm if she's with me...."

Isabel nodded and sat down beside him on the bed.

"If she's away from me, no one will think she knows," he added.

"Well, Michael...if you want to keep her safe, I understand then," Isabel said softly.

Michael nodded. "Thank you...."

"But I don't," she said suddenly.

Michael looked at her. "But you just said...."

"I said I would understand if you wanted to keep her safe, but that's not the case," Isabel said sternly.

"What is then?" Michael asked, anger creeping into his voice.

"You're scared of her getting close...and I feel that way too...with Alex," Isabel added.

"I never said I was scared," he said softly.

Isabel sighed and laid down beside him. "Didn't need to," she said in a sing-song voice. She looked at him. "Look...I know what you're thinking: if Maria gets closer, you may like that, and if you do, you might start slacking off on learning about your past."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really," she said softly. "Michael, I know your life hasn't been...pleasant...."

"Nice word for it," he mumbled.

Isabel ignored him and kept going. "And looking into our past has been the only thing that's kept you going...and now that's in danger."

Michael sighed and looked at her, finally. "So, Tess and Max were fighting?" he asked.

Isabel rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said. God, he would not talk about stuff!

"Happy ending?"

Isabel smiled ruefully. "Not really an ending. Mom broke 'em up. Although, I'm glad she did. Max was really losing his temper...."

"Happens a lot lately," Michael commented.

"Yeah well...you're not a joy to be around either," she replied. Isabel glanced at him. "Can I ask you a question?"

Michael thought a second. "Do I really have a choice?"

"Do you really think Liz was right to leave Max?" she asked softly.

Michael looked back at the ceiling. "Tess said our destinies were already decided...and they weren't in them," he added.

"Even if we want to them to be?" she asked.

"We revolted against it, said they were, and look where it got us," he stated.

Isabel shook her head. "I don't buy it...Nasedo said we were human. And humans don't have preordained destinies or whatever," she said, standing up.

"Isabel...." Michael tried.

"And neither do you," she added. "You might want to buy it, you might even try, but you don't."

Isabel took a deep breath and glanced at him. "Me and Maria are trying to get Max out of his funk. We're going out...you're coming," she said.

"I am?" Michael challenged.

"Perfect opportunity to do what you say. If you can talk to her, you can go dancing with her...as friends...I mean, she's not part of your destiny, so why should she matter?" Isabel said.

Michael picked up his head and glared at her. "She doesn't matter," he said finally.