“Well, we have plenty of time before you have to be home. What do you want to do now? We could find another party.”

“No, I think I’m all partied out.” She said with a sigh.

“How about a private party? We could go back to my place,” he said adding, “ and talk.”

“I guess that would be okay.”

He pulled into his parking place in front of his motel room.

When Isabel walked into the morel room, she had a sudden flash of the motel room near Marathon, Texas, where they had found Michael and Maria the previous year. And she started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Grant asked.

“It’s hard to explain because you really had to be there. Last year, Michael took Maria on a road trip and her Jetta broke down. When we caught up with them, they were in this little seedy motel, which we lovingly referred to as “The Nookie Motel”. Maria ended up kicking the crap out of him for making it look like they were doing more than sleeping. It’s weird, a few days later they go together.”

“So they’ve always fought like that?”

“As long as I can remember.” She said smiling.

“You want to sit down?” He asked pulling out a chair.

“Sure. I’m a little thirsty. Can I trouble you for something to drink?”

“Yeah, how about some sparkling cider? We could make a toast to the New Year.” He said grabbing a bottle from his refrigerator. But instead of pulling out a bottle of cider, he grabbed a bottle of champagne. He poured them both a glass.

“To new friends.” He said.

“To new friends.” She repeated. And they both took a drink.

The moment the liquid touched her tongue, Isabel felt light headed. She felt strange. She felt drunk.

Grant took the glass form Isabel’s hand and set it down on the table. He reached out and cupped her face, then kissed her. He deepened the kiss rather quickly. She responded with equal fervor. Soon, they were on the bed. His hands were roaming.

Isabel was feeling free, for the first time since she was a child, she allowed herself to feel. Well, since last spring with Alex. She started to remember things.

//FLASH// Vilandra and Kivar laying together after a similar sexual encounter.

//FLASH// Vilandra telling Kivar that it was over between them. She could never betray her brother or her beloved.

//FLASH// Kivar standing over her telling her that even in death, she’ll never be free of him. Then he took her life.

//FLASH// Breaking out of the Pods.

//FLASH// The first time she saw Alex in grade school.

//FLASH// The first time she really saw who Alex was in his dream. How gentle and loving he was.

//FLASH// Alex and Michael’s tonight sitting alone, looking rather pissed. But, she knew it wasn’t anger- it was hurt an pain. His heart was breaking in front of her eyes.

Isabel was so wrapped up in the flashes she didn’t feel Grant unbuttoning her blouse and removing it as well as his own shirt. Next, he began undoing the latch on her bra. Only when she felt the cool air on her exposed breast, did she finally break from her trance.

“Grant, what are you doing? Get off of me! Now!” She yelled covering herself.

“Isabel, what’s wrong? You had no objection a moment ago.”

“I do now. I can’t do this. Not now! Now here! Not with you!.” She said scrambling off of the bed gathering her clothes.

“That’s what you said before. What’s the matter Vilandra, don’t approve of the form I’ve taken. I told you that you would never escaped me- ever.” Grant sneered.

“Kivar?” she asked. “You’re on Earth? Why?”

“Physically, I’m still on Antar. Mentally I’m with you. And you ask why, my beloved Vilandra? I needed to see you. I needed to touch you, feel you. It has been a very lonely fifty years without you.”

“I am not her.”

“But, of course you are. You are the very essence of her.”

“I may share the same genetic code and all, but that’s it. I’m not going to repeat her mistakes. Ever!”

“But you already have. You’re here, alone and with me. How long do you think you can resist what your heart and body is telling you to do? You love me, Vilandra. You always have and you always will.”

“Quit calling me that. My name is ISABEL. Not Vilandra. I don’t love you. I don’t love you. I love….Alex.” she screamed at him.

“That’s right. You’re the Ice Queen aren’t you. You’re always hiding behind that false façade. Always hiding your true feelings. And who you really are. A traitor, Vilandra. You are the reason that I am in control and that everyone you knew and loved is dead. You sold them out. And now history is repeating itself.”

“That’s not true. I will never betray any of my friends.”

“Really. What about the geek you claim you love. You gave up on him easily. You just threw his aside. Hmm… sounds familiar.”

“I did not throw him aside. I told him I needed time. And now, I think that the time is up.” She said walking towards the door. Grant/Kivar grabbed her arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Away from you. So let me go.”

“Fine. But this won’t be the last time you see me.”

“Oh, but I think it is.” Isabel said walking out the door.

She opened her purse and pulled out her cell phone and called the one person she knew would always be there for her- Alex.

Alex answered the phone on the fifth ring.

“This better be good.” He said sleepily, seeing that it was after two in the morning.

“Alex?” Isabel said shakingly.

“Isabel? What’s wrong?” He asked forgetting that he was mad at her.

“Can you come get me?”

“Where are you?” He asked as she explained she was at the motel. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Alex sped the entire way to the motel. He knew he was supposed to be angry with Isabel, but right now, all he wanted was to kill Grant-what’s-his-name for whatever had happened in that motel room. He contemplated calling Max or Michael, but decided against it. If Isabel had wanted them to know, she would have called them.

When Alex pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, Isabel ran into his arms crying an d mumbling jibberish.

“Shh… Shh…” He said holding her. “Calm down, Is. I’m here. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“No, Alex. Kivar. Grant. Tricked me. Again. Oh, god!” She screamed.

“Come on. I’ll take you home.”

“No! I don’t want to go home. Max is there with Liz.”

“Fine. We can’t go to your house. What about mine? The parentals went to my aunt’s in Albuquerque.”

“Yeah.” She said softly. “Alex, promise me you won’t leave me tonight.”

“Isabel, what happened here tonight?”

“Not here. I’ll tell you everything at your house.”

They rode the entire way to Alex’s house in silence, save for the occasional sniffle or whimper from Isabel. Alex had never seen her like this. When they arrived at his house, Alex led Isabel to his bedroom, grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and handed them to Isabel. She gave him a funny look.

“I thought you might want to change.”

“Thank you, Alex. Your so thoughtful. Can you turn around?”

“Sure.”

“You can turn around now.” Alex turned around to find her sitting on his bed.

“Isabel, what happened? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know. I feel so stupid. I trusted him. Maybe I’m more like Vilandra than I thought.”

“No, you’re not. You are Isabel. You are your own person. You are who you’ve always been. Now, tell me what happened.”

“After we left Michael’s we went to his room to talk. Just talk. Then he wanted to make a toast with sparkling cider, but I don’t think it was cider. The next thing I remember is being on his bed… half naked.”

“Are you saying that you two…”

“No, we didn’t. But it could have happed if you hadn’t popped into my mind.”

“What? Me? How?”

“I started getting flashes. At first they had to have been Vilandra’s memories. I saw that at the end, she decided she wouldn’t betray her family, but it was too late. I saw her holding her dying brother in her arms. Then, my memories took over. I saw you in grade school playing with Liz and Maria. I saw you in your dream of us. But what brought me back to reality was feeling what you were feeling last night. All of the hurt and pain. I’m so sorry, Alex. I would take it back if I could.”

Alex was near tears. “So, what happened next?”

“I felt a coldness on my body. When I realized that I wasn’t wearing all of my clothing, I jumped up and put my clothing back on. I was ready to storm out, when he called me Vilandra.”

“Grant called you Vilandra? How could he know anything about Vilandra?”

“Because he wasn’t Grant. Kivar took hold of his body to get to me. He warned me-her that we’d never escape him. He told me that I have already begun repeating her mistakes. That I am going to betray my friends. That I pushed you aside like she did…” Isabel put her head in her hands.

“Like she did what?” Alex said holding her hands.

“She really did love him. Her Michael. But she pushed him aside, because she didn’t see it until the end. I don’t want to do that.”

Alex wrapped his arms around her and held her.

“Isabel, you are not living your life as Vilandra. You know the mistakes she made and the outcome. So you are ahead of the game. It’s your life, Isabel. And as for us, you’ve never betrayed me or our friendship. You’ve been up front with me, from the beginning. I’ve just been too blind to accept that.”

“Alex, it’s not entirely your fault. I’ve sent mixed signals and led you on. You just followed my lead.”

“And my heart.” He added softly.

“And your heart.” She repeated. “Ales, the one thing that I realized tonight is how much you mean to me. I don’t know what my life would be like without have had you in it. You let me be me, whoever that is.”

“Isabel, I told you once, a long time ago, you don’t have to hide who you are from me. I’ll be there for you no matter what.”

“I know and you proved it tonight. I know how you felt at the party. I made you feel that way and you were still there when I needed you.”

“It’s called friendship, Isabel.”

“No, Alex. It’s called love. You really do love me. Totally unconditionally.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’ve never really felt anything with anyone else but you. I know that Maria jokes about us ruining it for you all with other people. But, the reverse is also true. You’ve ruined it for us, too.”

Alex continued to listen to Isabel.

“My greatest realization of the night is that no matter how much I’ve fought or ignored it, Alex, I’m in love with you! And I want us back together.”

“It’s about time! I knew deep down inside of me.” Alex said to her.

“Calm down! We do need to go over some ground rules.”

“Ground rules?”

“Yeah, like number one- we don’t push each other away anymore. Number two- we go at our own pace. Three- physical contact is a priority. And four- I get to keep this outfit.”

“Okay, I accept those four, but I reserve the right to add mine later.” He said to her. “Why the outfit?”

“Because I don’t own anything this comfortable. Also, it will remind me of this night and you.” She said honestly to him. “Is it really five?”

“Yeah. It’s officially 2001. Did you make any resolutions?”

“Yeah. I resolved to treat my friends better this year and to love you more that last year. How about you?”

“My resolution is to not let you shut me out, again.” He said smiling. “And never let you go.”

“Oh, Alex. Just shut up and kiss me already!”