Name: Lori R     9/01
Email: Gussywussy55@yahoo.com
Title:"Releasing the Pain" part 1/2
Category: In Crowders (Kyle/Isabel)
Rating: NC17... Please do NOT read this fic if you are
under 17! 
Disclaimer: Roswell and these characters are owned by
UPN and JK, not me.
Feedback: Yes please! Good or bad, it helps me to
grow.
Summery: Kyle is suffering...Isabel is suffering...a
little relief is needed...

                   **********


"Kyle, what are you doing in here son? Can't sleep
again?" asked Jim as he sat beside Kyle on the couch.
Kyle flipped the channels with the remote and
mindlessly watched the pictures change on the screen.

"Kyle? Is it the room again?" asked Jim as he watched
for a sign that Kyle would even acknowledge him.

Kyle froze in his channel surfing and blinked.
At this small acknowledgement, Jim plunged on,
greatful for this opening to talk to his son.

"Kyle, I know what happened in there...in your room
was awful, but you can't avoid it forever. Alex
wouldn't want that and...well at some point you are
going to have to accept what happened in there and
move on."

Kyle drew small breaths as he listened to his Dad, but
then as he began to speak, the breaths became ragged
and full of pain.

"Move on? How do I do that Dad? How can I just forget
that Tess lived in there? How can I forget that she
mindwarped Alex and killed him in that very room? That
she mindwarped me into helping her get rid of his
body? You tell me how to do that Dad and I will gladly
move on," said Kyle choking back the painful tears
that threatened to spill over, the ache in his heart
over Tess's betrayal threatening to kill him. 

He would not cry! He promised himself at Alex's
funeral that he wouldn't cry anymore, but by Buddha,
it was getting harder each day to carry out that
promise.

Jim watched his son as he struggled to contain his
emotions. He swallowed a painful lump in his own
throat as he tried to find a way to relieve his son's
torment. 

His son had lost a good friend in Alex, they all had,
but Kyle and Alex had bonded only recently over their
part in knowing aliens. Both were human males who had
shared extraordinary alien experiences that only they,
Liz, Maria, and Valenti could understand. And then
there was their friendship with Tess. They had both
befriended her and she had used their trust against
them, a trust that had cost Alex his life, and if he
couldn't figure out a way to help his son, then maybe
Kyle's as well.

"Kyle, why don't you and I go camping this weekend?
You know get away from here...do a little fishing...make it a father 
and son weekend. What do you say?" asked Jim hoping Kyle would take 
him up on his offer.

Kyle shook his head.

Jim closed his eyes and sighed.

"Kyle, I don't know how to help you son. I can't make
this go away for you, I can't change what happened,"
said Jim in an anguished voice.

Kyle looked at his Dad and said, "Well you can't Dad,
so quit beating yourself up over this. It's my problem
to deal with. I'm the one who offered her my room and
made friends with her...the one who carried Alex's
body...who thought he was just her crappy luggage."

"Kyle..." Jim said as he put his hand on his son's
shoulder.

Kyle pushed off the sofa as his Dad's hand touched
him.

"I'm going to shower. Go to work Dad. Go to work and
quit worrying about me. I'll be fine," said Kyle as he
headed for the bathroom and closed the door.

Jim rolled his eyes heaven ward and whispered,
"Please...if you are out there...help my son! Please
help my son!"


********


Isabel reguarded herself critically in the mirror and
waved her hand over her hair turning the blond strands
red. Scrunching up her nose as she peered at her
reflection in the mirror, she waved her hand again and
her hair became brown. Well it beat the red, she
thought. But she still wasn't happy. She still felt
like this change hadn't been enough. Sighing, she
glanced down at her dressing table and out of the
corner of her eye she spied the shiny object that just
might help her out. Grabbing up the long gleaming 
weapon, she began to wield the scissors until her long
hair was cut short. Fingering the shorn tips she let
out the breath she hadn't realized she held.

"Well there are tribes that cut their hair when they
grieve, maybe this is what I need to let go of Alex."

A knock at the door startled her.

Max entered the room and drew up short at the sight of
Isabel's short brown hair.

"Isabel? What have you done?" he asked as he slowly
walked up to her.

Isabel selfconsciously fingered her hair.

"Is it that bad?" she asked already regretting her
impulsive act.

"No! No it doesn't look bad, it looks pretty good on
you actually, I was just shocked is all. What made you
do it?" asked Max as he tried to get used to this new
look of Isabel's.

Isabel looked down at the shorn strands that littered
her dressing table and picked one up. 

"I was trying for a change. I need one so badly Max
that I felt like I was going to lose my mind if I
didn't change something," whispered Isabel.

Max placed his hands on Isabel's shoulders and
massaged the tensness he felt there.

"Isabel it has been months since Alex died, you have
to let him go now, stop doing this to yourself," said
Max gently.

"I can't Max, I know that if it wasn't for us, Alex
would still be alive. If it wasn't for me," she said
quietly.

Max sat on the edge of Isabel's bed and turned her to
face him. Taking her hands in his, he said, "Isabel
you did not kill Alex. Do you really think that he
would want you to do this to yourself?"

Isabel shook her head, but still felt the pain.
"Valenti says Kyle is in just as bad a shape as you
are. He blames himself for Tess and helping her," said
Max.

"Kyle was mindwarped. How could he think that he was
responsible for what Tess had him do under the
influence of the warp? I, on the other hand knew full
well that knowing us was dangerous to Alex and the
others, still I encouraged him...cared for him," said
Isabel.

"Isabel stop it! Stop it right now! This is tearing
Mom and Dad up seeing you this way, and I don't know
if I can watch you do this to yourself anymore either.
I love you and I'm sorry for your grief, but this has
to stop now," said Max firmly.

Isabel knew Max was right in some way, but it
irritated her that he refused to see that she couldn't
just turn her grief off like a spigot.

"Why are you in here Max? Surely you didn't come in
here to tell me again to snap out of it," said Isabel
sharply as she began to pick up the hair strands and
toss them in the trash.

Max knew she was pissed at him, but he was going to
keep a watch on her until she was out of this funk.

"Yeah, right, well I just wanted to check on you and
tell you about Kyle. Listen Isabel, if you decide you
want to talk just come and get me. I know that things
have been strained between us for awhile, but like I
told you before, you are my home and I'm here for
you," said Max hoping Isabel would take him up on his
offer.

Isabel nodded and turned to Max saying, "I know Max,
when I'm ready."

Max nodded and smiled as he left.

Isabel sat for a moment and looked at the picture that
was stuck to her mirror of all them at the Crashdown
the night of the prom.

Taking the picture in her hands, she traced Alex's
face with her finger tip, then her eyes were drawn to
Kyle standing next to Tess.
 
Kyle.

She had been closer to Kyle in the months since Alex's
death, and she had never realized that he was so
tormented by what had happened. You would never know
it by his joking and all. She wondered just how severe
his feelings about all of this were. There was only
one way to find out.

Taking the picture with her to her bed, Isabel lay
down and touched Kyle's face in the picture and
concentrated until she fell asleep, searching until
she found Kyle's dream...

...All of a sudden she was in the hive underground in
Frazier Woods and Alex and Kyle were singing while
they put one of the crystals into a  bottle and
watched it die. Then they were just laying around
comparing notes about knowing the aliens and waiting
to die. They had really bonded in the hive. That is
where their true friendship began.

Without warning Isabel was thrust into a new image in
Kyle's dream, more terror filled than the hive ever
had been. She heard Alex and Tess screaming as she
walked into Kyle's bedroom behind him. Her heart
almost stopped as she realized what was going on. 
Oh God, no!

Alex was screaming and crying at Tess about her
mindwarping him, his pain so apparent, and Tess was
telling him to calm down as she tried to mindwarp his
weakened brain again. Kyle was yelling at Tess and
Alex trying to figure out what was going on, when all
of a sudden Alex grabbed his head and fell dead to the
floor.

Isabel watched as Tess swiftly mindwarped a stunned
Kyle into thinking that Alex's dead body was luggage,
and had him wrap Alex in a tarp, and carry the
lifeless body to her car. She watched as Alex's limp
body came unwrapped and his head fell back against the
seat.

She screamed.

"Isabel! Isabel wake up!" cried Max as he shook her
and tried to get her to quit screaming, her terror
choking her hysterical sobs.

"Alex! Oh God, no!" she screamed until Max could stand
no more and he slapped her face sharply.
Silence.

Isabel gasped as the force from the blow jolted her
from the nightmare of Kyle's dream.

"Max!" she cried as she clung to him breathing so hard
her chest ached, her body was covered with a thin
layer of sweat.

"Isabel, what happened? You were so lost in that
nightmare that I didn't think you would ever wake up,"
said Max as he held her and tried to calm her down.
Clinging to his shirt Isabel said brokenly, "I went
into Kyle's dream."

Max pulled back and gazed into her terrified eyes,
"You did what? What possessed you to do that?" He
pulled her back to him and berated himself for telling
her about Kyle. He should have known that she would
dreamwalk Kyle.

"It was so awful Max, what Tess did to them! Kyle must
relive that dream every night. No wonder he blames
himself," said Isabel beginning to calm down.

"Promise you will not go into Kyle's dreams again
without me or Michael here with you," said Max.

Isabel nodded and then pulled away from Max and got
up.

"I won't be alone again Max, I promise."

********

Isabel arrived at Kyle's house at midnight and saw the
light on. She had waited until she made sure that
Valenti would be gone with Amy before coming here.
Using her powers she unlocked the front door and
entered the house. 

Kyle sat on the sofa and stared unseeingly at the T.V.
"Kyle?" called Isabel as she slowly approached him.
Kyle jumped and turned towards her voice.

He quickly got up and said, "What the hell! Isabel?"
Kyle couldn't believe it was Isabel with the short
brown hair and looking very sexy that had just entered
his house.

"What are you doing coming in my house that way
Isabel? I don't like it when that voodoo crap is
used!"

"I wanted to check on you Kyle, see how you are
doing," said Isabel as she watched him.

Kyle made a face and rolled his eyes, "Well I could
use a little romp with Miss September if you could
manage it," teased Kyle as he wiggled his eyebrows at
her pleadingly.

In that moment Isabel realized that Kyle had been
putting on a front for her. But why?

"I told you last time Kyle that I was not touching
that stuff again. You will just have to dream about
Miss September on your own," said Isabel as moved
towards  the sofa, her eyes never leaving Kyle's.

"So what brings you hear really?" asked Kyle as he
crossed his arms. He had been friends long enough with
Isabel now to know that she didn't just come by to
check on him.

Isabel bit her lip in a way that Kyle found very
arousing and then said, "I uh, heard that you have
been having problems dealing with Alex's death."

Kyle's eyes went from Isabel's lips to her eyes as he
frowned and sat down to pick up the remote again.

"I don't know who told you that, but it's a load of
crap. I'm fine so just take your little magic powers
and get out," said Kyle dismissing her.

Isabel could feel the tension radiating from Kyle's
body. 

He's scared, she thought.

"Kyle...I know what has been bothering you," Isabel
said as she sat beside Kyle on the couch.

Kyle continued to flip channels as if he had not heard
her. Raising her hand, Isabel turned off the T.V.

"Damn it, Isabel! Why do you aliens feel you have to
use those freaking powers all the time. You could have
just asked me to turn off the T.V.!" yelled Kyle as he
tossed the remote on the coffee table.

"Would you have turned it off?" asked Isabel.

"No, but that's not the point!" said Kyle getting up
and walking to the kitchen.

"Kyle," said Isabel in frustration as she got up to
follow him, "I know what you have been dreaming
because I..." she stopped as Kyle turned suddenly to
face her.

"Because you what?" he asked suspiciously, his eye's
narrowing.

Swallowing Isabel admitted guiltily, "I dreamwalked
you earlier this evening."

"Holy shit! I can't even dream without one of you
being there! Well then you know what I dream every
night since it happened! Are you happy now that you
have invaded my privacy? Jeez, I just...I just want
everything to be the way it was," said Kyle as he sat
heavily on a kitchen chair.

Isabel sat down across from him and asked, "Kyle why
didn't you tell me that you were feeling the same
feelings of guilt that I was?" 

He looked at her and said, "Are you kidding me? You
two were like close to a girlfriend/boyfriend
relationship and I knew you were hurting and needed a
friend. I just didn't want my problems to become
yours. I was just happy you opened up to me, a mere
human, though I don't really think I've been any
help."

Isabel felt ashamed that she had not even thought
about how Kyle must feel and what he had been through.
But now she would make it up to him.

"Kyle, what do you say about you and me going on a
little road trip and get out of Roswell for the
weekend?" she asked.

"What? What are you talking about?" asked Kyle, his
interest caught.

"I've got a bag packed and in the car, if you care to
join me," Isabel said smiling slightly at him.

Kyle considered her thoughtfully, before he agreed.
"Let me gather some stuff and we can get out of here,"
he said as he got up to head to his room.

He hesitated at the doorway and then went in, Isabel
following him unnoticed.

She could feel death in this room. No wonder Kyle
hated to be in here.

"So this is where it happened," she said quietly.
Kyle turned selfconsciously and said, "You shouldn't
be in here. Go wait in the other room Isabel."

Isabel walked to the spot where Alex had died and bent
down to touch it, shivering as she did so.

Kyle's heart ached as he watched her put her fingers
to her lips and then touch the floor before she rose
up  and left the room.

Brushing aside the lone tear that came to his eye,
Kyle grabbed his bag and followed her out.

*******

Three hours later...

Kyle threw his bag and Isabel's on one of the bed's in
the room and looked around.

"Well it's not the Hilton, but at least it has
comforts," he said as he checked out the room. "Are
you sure your okay with sharing a room?"

Isabel put the room key card on the dresser and sat on
the bed.

"Yeah I'm sure. I should have checked to see if they
had rooms before I started this little expedition.
Sorry Kyle," Isabel answered not at all disappointed
to be sharing a room with Kyle.

"How could you know where we would be going? We just
pointed the car and drove here after playing 'Eeny
Meeny Miney Mo' with the map. I mean how much more
prepared could you have been with that kind of
strategy?" asked Kyle grinning at her.

"You have a nice smile Kyle, you should do that more
often," said Isabel thoughtfully.

The smile slipped and then came back more forced,
"Yeah , well what do you say to us getting our suits
on and going for a dip?"

"The pool closes in 30 minutes Kyle, we took so long
to eat and of course chose a place far enough away to
stay at."

"Well then let's wait until it closes and then we can
have a private swim," said Kyle as he dug for his
suit.

"Isn't that against the rules?" asked Isabel.

Kyle turned to stare at her like she had lost her
mind. "Hello! Alien powers! We've got the sure fire
way to get in the pool and not be bothered by others,
so get your suit on and let's have a little fun," said
Kyle as he began to take off his boots.

Isabel grabbed her suit and cover up and headed for
the bathroom before Kyle took it all off.

Down at the pool they waited until the main lights
went off and only the safety light remained on leaving
most of the pool in shadow. Isabel raised her hand at
the timer security lock and opened it without setting
off the alarm.

"Way cool is all I got to say," said Kyle as they
entered the pool area.

"I thought you said they were 'voodoo' powers,' said
Isabel as she took off her cover up.

"I did, but...Oh shit!" said Kyle as he got a look at
Isabel's suit or lack there of.

"What?" asked Isabel unaware of how she looked. 

Isabel knew that men found her attractive and she did
work that when needed, but right now she just was
tired, grungy , and wanted to relax. Nothing sexy
about that.

Kyle on the other hand, saw a very beautiful, sexy
young woman who was wearing a white bikini. Well if
you could call it that. The top was a string with
barely enough material to cover her more than ample
breasts, the bottoms rode low on her hips and the
material covered only the most intimate of places and
tied on the sides.

Isabel stepped down into the water and sank under
before rising up and shaking her head, smoothing the
strands of her hair back with her hands. The material
on her suit was transparent and left nothing to the
imagination, and Kyle had a great imagination.
The immediate response of his body caused him to
quickly dive into the water before Isabel could see.
Swimming over to where he would come up, Isabel felt
Kyle skim past her legs before he rose up gasping for
air.

"Do you wear that to torment guys often?" asked Kyle
as he tried to get the picture of Isabel's see threw
bottoms and what they were not hiding out of his mind.

"I'm not tormenting anyone on purpose," said Isabel as
she grinned to herself and began to relax.

"Yeah, I'll bet," he said grinning at her and feeling
the weight of the past few months beginning to lift.

"Kyle, if I wanted to torment I would just do this,"
said Isabel as she reached up and untied her top and
tossed it to the side of the pool.

His mouth dropped as Isabel's nipples rested just
under the surface of the water. 

Isabel!" squeaked Kyle as his eyebrows shot up.

Isabel quickly covered herself and backed up
embarrassed. What had possessed her to do that?

"Kyle, go get my top! I don't know what made me do
that, please go get my top," she asked of him.

Kyle thought she looked so beautiful and now that she
was embarrassed, which you didn't see with Isabel, he
was going to milk the moment.

"Hey Isabel it's okay, I mean we are both mature
individuals what's a little nudity among friends you
know," he teased her.

"Kyle..." warned Isabel.

Kyle began to glide towards her and circle her.

"I think it is probably more freeing to be without the
top. I think bottoms need to go next," said Kyle as he
came towards her.

"Kyle! You stay where you are!" threatened Isabel
backing up as he came within a hands length of her.
They could feel each others breath on their skin and
it sent chills over them.

"Hey! You two in the pool! How did you get in there?
This pool area is closed or can't you read?" called
out a guard as he came inside the gate.

"F-f-friggin mother! Busted!" said Kyle under his
breath as he swam to the side of the pool and
retrieved Isabel's top, throwing it to her in the
pool.

Isabel quickly retied the garment and climbed out of
the pool.

The guard sucked in his breath.

Kyle turned to look at what he was looking at and
gasped before quickly throwing Isabel a towel.

"Hey man, quit staring at her! Haven't you ever seen a
near naked girl swimming before?" asked Kyle as he
wrapped the other towel around his waist to hide his
hard on.

"Let's go Isabel," said Kyle as he grabbed her arm and
guided her out the gate.

"I thought you cut the power to that thing?" he asked
her.

"I did, but he must patrol. We didn't count on that,"
said Isabel, as they walked down the sidewalk
giggling.

Back in their room, Kyle let Isabel have the bathroom
while he waited shivering in the room flipping the
channels on the T.V. until he found something as rique
as you can get without paying extra for it.

Isabel let the warm water hit her chilled skin and
closed her eyes as she wondered what on Earth had made
her strip her top out there. She had never been that
impulsive and careless in her life, why now? Being
with Kyle after all they had been through seemed to be
good for her. No matter the reason, she realized that
she didn't regret her decision to come here with him.
She lathered her body and then rinsed before stepping
out and patting her skin dry. Pulling on her T-shirt
and shorts, she left the bathroom.

Kyle jumped when he heard the door open. His eyes had
been fixed on the girl on the screen, but instead of
her face, he saw Isabel's.

"It's all yours," said Isabel as sat on the bed and
began to brush her short wet hair.

"Yeah, thanks," said Kyle as he grabbed his boxers and
headed for the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom, he quickly shucked his suit and
jumped into the shower, the water hitting him full
force, the needle like spray stinging his skin.

What the hell was he doing here with Isabel Evans? Had
he thought she would leave him unaffected this one
time? Ever since he and Isabel had grown closer after
Alex's death, he had found her not at all like he
thought she was. Hell the whole school thought she was
the perfect Ice Queen, and any football player who
laid a hand on her was praised for his bravery in
trying to melt the ice. But Kyle now knew better. It
was all a scared, cautious act. Isabel had  feelings
that ran very deep, and she was more loyal than anyone
he had ever met. 

And Alex had loved her.

His friend had loved her, and he was thinking horny
thoughts about her.

He was disgusting.

He soaped, rinsed, and got out to dry himself off
quickly before pulling on his boxers.

Wiping the mirror of its steamy glaze, Kyle searched
his own face hoping for answers and found none.

Sighing, he opened the door and turned off the light.

He found Isabel spreading lotion all over her long
lovely legs, her slender arms, and her succulent neck.
Groaning he headed for his own bed and flopped down,
pulling the sheet up to his waist. He watched as
Isabel capped the bottle of lotion and turned off the
light before she lay down.

The light from the T.V. sent eery images through the
room. Isabel had changed the channel to romance and
'Runaway Bride' was playing.

"Chick flick huh? How about something with at least
some meat to it?" asked Kyle as he put his arm behind
his head.

Isabel shook her head. "I just was surfing when you
came out. Watch what you want," she said as she turned
to her side and faced him.

"I'm kinda tired actually," Kyle said as his eyes grew
heavy and he yawned. The months of little sleep
catching up to him now that he was relaxed.

"Yeah, me too," said Isabel as she closed her eyes.
Kyle turned off the T.V. and lay down,  sleep finding
them both instantly...and dreams too.