Jim knew this was something the group had gotten used to dealing with on their own, but he wanted to help. He understand the urgency for privacy, but he needed to be in the loop; and, at the moment, he wasn't.

It didn't take a genius to figure of that Maria and his son were lying to him earlier.

Suddenly there was a knock at his door and his head shot up in expectance. "Come in!"

Deputy Hanson popped his head in and smiled. "I was just...." he trailed off, looking around the room in confusion.

"Hanson?"

The young Deputy looked back at Valenti and pointed around. "Where'd they go?"

"Where who--" The words were out before Jim could stop himself, making it impossible now to cover anything up. Again, an idiot could figure out who he was talking about.

"The kids...didn't they come in here?"

"What did they say to you?" Jim asked, a sinking feeling starting to bubble in his stomach.

"Just that they needed to speak to you before we called their parents. Sir, I'm gonna go find them--"

"No," the sheriff commanded. "I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure, sir?" Hanson asked, a little confused.

"Yeah, I got it." It wasn't until the deputy had left the room before the older man started to cuss.

***

The atmosphere in the car was thick with anticipation. Anticipation for any kind of movement from the back seat, anticipation for someone to spot them sitting there and walk over, and anticipation for it all to go wrong.

Max and Isabel both were now sitting straight up, their heads laid back and their eyes closed. Oddly, both of them had their hands crossed and sitting on their laps.

The scene was enough to make Tess's skin crawl. Max had gotten a little red a few moments earlier, prompting Michael to check his pulse; it was racing. But he seemed fine now. Isabel was still a little pale--a conclusion that her powers were being drained slowly out of her. Tess would imagine the experience to be oddly painful, but Isabel looked content, there was even a hint of a faint smile.

"The wave of pleasure engulfs you."

Tess shot up at the voice, looking at Michael expectantly.

"What?" he asked, noticing her look.

"Um..." Tess froze, wondering how to phrase her next words. "Did...did you say something?" It wasn't like she expected him to say 'yes', but she was praying with all of her heart.

"No, why?"

Tess ignored his stare and focused her eyes on the outside of the vehicle. She knew it wasn't Michael, she knew exactly who it was; Nasedo.

"Tess, did you hear me?" Michael asked.

"What?" she replied, her voice barley above a whisper. Was he even talking?

"I said 'what did you hear'?" he repeated.

Tess looked back at Michael then at the two other aliens in the backseat. One of them was her husband in another life, and her destiny in this one. The other one was considered to be her best friend; and at the moment, she couldn't stand her. Tess knew that if Isabel stayed in too long, she could die. And with Max connected with her...

"Nothing," Tess answered, her voice emotionless. There was a great possibility that they all could die, and the one that was already dead was warning it.

***

Isabel took another deep breath and pictured Liz. All she was getting was a black void now. A few moments ago she saw other colors; white, amber, and an deep, hunter green. She could even make out a few shapes. They seemed to be getting clearer with every second, but then suddenly they disappeared.

Isabel was about to freak. Did that mean Liz died? Or had she died? Did anyone die? She had a zillion questions, and not one answer. She didn't have a clue about what she was doing; purely leaning on her instincts to figure this out.

I've done this before in another life, she reminded herself. I can do this. Isabel took another deep breath and pictured Liz once more. Again, she got the same black, emptiness void.

"It's not working," she said out loud, finally opening her eyes. She could see all the desperation in her friends eyes and guessed they mirrored hers.

"You're in her body," Kyle reminded her. "You gotta have some kind of connection with her."

"I don't even have a connection with myself," she murmured.

"Let's just start at the beginning," Alex suggested.

"Yeah, what all do you remember?" Maria asked her.

"Um...I dream-walked Alex and--"

"Wait," Maria said suddenly.

"What?" Alex asked, equally confused as Isabel.

"She dream-walked you," Maria continued. "Not Liz."

"What's your point?" Kyle asked casually, but he had stumbled a few feet closer, looking down at her with interest.

"She started by forming a connection with Alex--"

"And I have to finish by doing the same," Isabel added, finally understanding where Maria was going. "You're right, Maria!"

"I know," she said with satisfaction, a huge grin on her face. "No, connect. We need to find Liz."

Isabel turned so she was facing Alex, only to be staring at his chest instead of his face. "Ok, Liz is a lot shorter then me," she commented. Alex just nodded and leaned down, looking her right in the eye.

"I feel like I'm watching a staring contest," Kyle said.

"Shh...they need quiet," Isabel heard Maria whisper.

"Why? I can imagine how quiet it was that day in the cafe with Max and Liz."

"Kyle, would you just please..." Maria whined.

Isabel took a deep breath and let their annoying voices float away into the background. All she could hear was Alex and her own breathing. She could feel his breath blowing onto her lips and got the urge to kiss him, but curbed it.

She continued to stare into his eyes, noting how they were brown with gold and green flecks through out them. They seemed to expand a little as Isabel felt the connection pick up, and a second heartbeat joined hers. Alex was keeping exact time with her, and Isabel couldn't help the smile that filled her face. Never taking her eyes off of his, she could see the start of one on his face also.

The connection continued to deepen, and Isabel was sent a rush of pictures from Alex. Him noticing her at the crash festival, Liz and Maria dodging him all of a sudden, her walking up to him at the soap factory party. Isabel smiled at the memory of the next image he sent; them at the Crash talking about her origins.

He sent them having the 'talk' in Frazier Woods next, then their first kiss on his front porch. Finally, he sent their kisses from last night with a huge rush of love. Isabel sent one back and added one last pic; the school picture of him that she had in her front pocket. She showed him where she put it, sending the vibe that she wanted to keep it close to her heart.

Isabel gasped as she felt herself being covered with thousands of sensations all over her skin, almost as if she was swimming undersea. She saw all kinds of colors; deep purple, bright orange, amber, and deep green.

"It's wonderful..."

Isabel wiped her head around at the other voice and saw herself and Alex. Alex seemed in a trance, almost asleep; her other self was watching him with great interest.

"Is he ok?!" Isabel asked, seeming to glide over to him.

"He's fine...you can tell him goodbye if you wish," her other self replied.

Isabel looked it over, noting how she looked like an angel in that white dress. "How...he's not awake."

Her other half gave a warm smile, glancing at Alex. "You can wake him," she replied, motioning for her to hurry. "We only have a little time left."

"Isabel?!" another voice yelled. She recognized it immeaditly, and also the worried tone that accompanied it.

"Max?" Isabel looked around, trying to see him, but it was only them. "Where is he?"

"He's safe. You must hurry."

Isabel watched as she backed up, her dress flowing around her. She turned her attention back on Alex, reaching out to touch his face. "Alex..."

On cue, his eyes opened, homing right in on her face. "Isabel?"

"Yeah...it's me," she replied.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around a little.

"I'm not sure, but we have to hurry," Isabel replied, her voice dripping with sadness.

Alex nodded in understanding, reaching for her hands. He pulled them both up to his mouth and kissed them. "I miss you so much already," he admitted.

Isabel nodded and put her hands on the back of his neck. "You too," she replied, pulling him in for a kiss, prompting Alex to wrap his arms around her waist. They deepened it immediately, leaning into each other. Isabel could faintly hear music playing in the background, and the bright orange and deep purple growing brighter and brighter with their kiss.

Suddenly, Isabel got a deep, sinking feeling in the bottom of her gut and her head tingled; reminding her that the connection was ending soon.

"Isabel?! Where are you?" Max called again, still outta sight.

She pulled out of the kiss slowly, letting her hands stay resting on his neck while she looked for Max. Alex moved his from her hips up to her face, making her look at him.

"We only have a minute, and I want you to know something."

Isabel could hear the catch in his voice and gazed up at him. "Alex...what is it?"

He took a deep breath and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I've never felt this...way, so strongly and deeply, before. And I never will again."

Isabel opened her mouth to speak, but Alex placed a finger over her mouth. "Just...just let me finish ok?"

Isabel nodded and Alex sighed once more.

"I just want to say....want you to know that...that I'm not going anywhere. I'm still gonna be here for you when you come back. Cause that's what people do when--"

"When you love someone?" Isabel asked, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah...and that's never gonna change either," Alex added.

"How can you be sure?" Isabel whispered as the feeling in her stomach came again. "I don't know when I'll be back--even if I can."

"I believe in you." And that was as simple as it got. Alex kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "We belong together."

Isabel smiled through her tears and watched as the colors in the background started to fade a little. "Um...before you...go, can you do me a favor?"

Alex nodded. "Sure, anything."

Isabel thought back on the others and looked up at Alex. "Can you tell Maria that even if he doesn't show it, Michael misses her. I've seen him sniff enough cedar oil to get himself high," she joked. "And tell Liz..."

Isabel trailed off as she felt another presence and noted that Liz was close by too.

"Isabel..." Alex was looking at her with a worried look.

"Um, Max'll tell her," Isabel said softly.

"Max?"

"He's here...with Liz," Isabel explained. "They're looking for me."

Alex nodded and closed his eyes. Isabel felt the pull from her stomach and reached for him again. They shared one last kiss before Alex started to disappear right in front of her eyes.

"I love you," Isabel called out, watching as he mouthed it right back. A second later he was gone.

"No..." Isabel sobbed running her hands through her hair. "Why is this so hard?"

"Love is never easy," her own voice reminded her.

Isabel turned and looked at her other half, noting how it looked exactly like her, but wiser, and even a little older. "You're me?"

The other Isabel glided over closer, placing her hands on the real Isabel's shoulders. "I'm your true side."

"My true side..." Isabel wiped at her tears, trying to guess what that meant. "Then answer this: will I see Alex again?"

"I don't know."

"But you're my true side," Isabel retorted, trying to control her emotions. She focused on the colors, watching them fade slowly. It was like looking at a colorful waterfall gliding off of rocks.

"I'm your true alien side," she replied, smiling.

Isabel gasped and spun, looking at her other self. "My alien side? So you know what's happening?!"

Sadly, Isabel number two shook her head. "I may be your alien side...but I'm still just you."

"But..." Isabel was in tears, trying to still gaze at the colors, but they were all runny. "I...I just wanna go back..."

"We can't change what's meant to be," her counter part added, floating around her. "We all have parts to play in the world, and yours is not here."

Isabel sucked in a breath and shot her chin up. "A part? A part?! My whole life I've been playing a part! A part where I'm a perfect, normal, HUMAN 18 year old! And I like that part...I like how I got to have friends; how I had nice, caring parents, and how they loved me. And how I loved them. And other people too!"

Now that she was on a role, Isabel kept going. "And my brother and Michael? They had people that they loved too! People who knew our secret and still cared for us, were there for us and loved us back! They didn't care we were different, were aliens. All that mattered was that we were together and there for each other."

"You think I don't know and feel these things also?"

Isabel looked at her double and shrugged. "Do you?"

Isabel number two glided over and faced Isabel. "Like I said, I may be your alien side, but I'm still you. I know how you feel...cause I feel that way too."

"Then how can you be so calm?"

"I know to trust my instincts. We were in danger; and leaving was the right thing to do."

Isabel scoffed and wanted to reply, to fight and convince herself it wasn't the right thing to do, but was there even a point? This was her other half; her own self. She shared the same thoughts and feelings, so why not this?

"Deep down, you know it too," her counter part whispered.

Isabel nodded, tears still coming down her face. "Let's do it," she commanded, her voice hard. "I'm ready."