44 Blueberry Hill, Saturday

[sleepswthdemons]

Phoebe was tired of being cooped up and feeling a little restless. She couldn't seem to get comfortable and her emotions and hormones were slightly frayed.

Ok, more than slightly.

After some wheedling, begging and threatening, the boys had helped Phoebe get settled on the front porch swing.

She was, of course, wearing a jacket and there was a blanket nearby in case she got chilled. There was also a pitcher of Lavender Jasmine tea on the table next to her as well as her laptop and a selection of trashy novels.


[[OOC: open!]]

Comments

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile. "Life is good."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

Phoebe let out a sigh that may have been a little frustrated.

"Why do people still insist on trying to not answer the question or lie to me," she grumbled. "Isabel, I'm an empath, remember. And, I'm a damn strong one now." Her voice was gentling. "Fine is the word, but the smile doesn't quite cover it."

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

Which might have been the reason Isabel had been half-heartedly avoiding Phoebe. "I'm just thinking a lot," she admitted. "Deep thoughts."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

She raised an eyebrow at Isabel.

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

Isabel shrugged. She hadn't figured it out in her own head. She doubted she could explain it.

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"Isabel, we're friends, correct?"

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"Saying no isn't going to stop you from saying what you want to say is it?" she asked with a wry smile.

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"If you truly believe that, then yes, it will." She smiled faintly. "But I don't think you'd mean it if you said it."

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"I don't," Isabel admitted. "Tell me what you think. Everyone else has."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

Phoebe shook her head. "I'm not everybody else," she reminded her. "I'm me. I've gone to Hell and back more than once. I've watched my soulmate be taken over by the Source of all Evil and be destroyed twice. I lost the other man I loved for six years due to universes being weird... and I've tried to kill myself."

She looked at Isabel. "I believe you would agree with me that I've had my share of pain and trauma... and some of the choices I made were because I felt that they were the right decision at the time." She reached for her hand. "I'm not going to tell you what to do or how to feel... but I am going to ask you to talk to me. You're sad. I can feel it and I can see it."

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

Isabel squeezed her hand. "I thought I had it all figured out,. Things made sense. I'd move to Boston, marry Jesse, and live my life. But now that I'm here. I'm just...I don't know, thinking too much. And things are getting confused."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"Confused how?"

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"Just second guessing stuff," she shrugged. "Wondering if what I thought I had figured out is actually the right thing."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"I've found if you talk it out, it helps."

She's been nagged by the best, after all.

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

Had she met Parker? Sometimes Isabel wondered how they were still speaking.

"I'm engaged to Jesse, a nice, sweet, wonderful guy. I should be thrilled. My friends should be thrilled for me. But everyone keeps saying I'm making a mistake."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"Why do you think they're all saying you're making a mistake?"

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh, the little things," Isabel said. "Like Jesse not knowing about what I am for one."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"He doesn't know?"

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

She shook her head. "No. He doesn't. I just wanted things to be normal. And the only way to get that was to not tell him."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

Phoebe was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how to say what she needed to be said -- without it sounding like she was chewing her friend out.

"What is your definition of normal, Isabel?" She finally said.

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"Safe," Isabel said immediately. "I don't want to have to worry about who's going to get hurt because of who or what, I am."

"Or," she added quietly, "who I'm dating."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

Phoebe let out a breath.

"While I can definitely understand and empathize with that, Isabel... it doesn't quite work out that way. Believe me, I tried for awhile."

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"It's been working for over a year and a half now," she pointed out. "At least till I came here. And when I get to Boston, it'll be easier."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"And when someone comes after you," she asked gently. "What then?"

Because it would happen. It always happened.

[desertaliengirl.livejournal.com]

"There's no one left from our planet that would go after us," Isabel told her. "And no human's been after us since I got grabbed in high school." She couldn't help the brief shudder of fear that overtook her at the memory of what had happened then.

Isabel was very good at denial. It's how she'd survived the last two years.