Who: Isobel and Rosa What: A run-in When: Now Where: Near the cop shop Warnings: Angst Status: Completed Gdoc
Though it was only the two of them, Isobel and Max had mounted a resistance effort against Alex and Rosa’s hunt for the supernaturals. Tonight it was Isobel’s turn to patrol and the blond was skirting through the darkness, keeping an eye out for any supernaturals in need of assistance. Unfortunately, it happened more than Isobel would like to admit. Rosa and Alex were relentless in their mission to destroy those with abilities. Along with Sam and Dean, they pretty much ran Madison Valley and Isobel had come to regard all of them with deep loathing and seething hatred. Well, mostly all of them.
Rosa was the subject of deep conflict for Isobel. As much as she despised the young woman for joining up with Alex in his pursuit to kill people like her, there was a part of her that cared for Rosa too. There was a part of her that could understand why Rosa wanted them dead. In Roswell, they had ruined her life and turned the entire town against her. It was crushing and there was a part of Isobel that would always house guilt for her role in all of it. Though Max and Michael were trying to protect their sister, they had damned Liz’s in the process. It wasn’t fair.
Isobel tried to push the thoughts from her mind as she turned a corner and headed towards what remained of the police station. In a way, Isobel hoped she ran into one of their followers. It would give her something else to focus on besides the darkness of her past. The present wasn’t great either, but at least there was still something she could do to change that.
***
After being stuck in this stupid place for more than a couple of weeks Rosa had lost any and all interest in being forgiving or trying to be the better person. Back home she’d been the scapegoat, then not allowed the dignity of remaining dead. This place was a post apocalyptic shithole. Why should she even bother?
Just when her anger and frustration had peaked, she came across Alex. His anger matched her own. The offer he made her was enough for her. Hunt and kill the things that shouldn’t exist, things that, like Max, Michael and Isobel, ruin lives. Destroy families. It the only choice she had to feel like she’d be making a difference. Getting her revenge. She took to it like a fish to water.
Isobel and Max got in their way a whole lot. Given their history this pissed Rosa off more than anything. It heightened her anger at them to absolute loathing. She had promised herself that if she ever got the chance she would never hesitate to pull the trigger. Suddenly, she had that chance.
Rosa had gone out alone to hunt things while Alex did whatever Alex did. It was just dumb luck that when she rounded a corner she saw Isobel. Alone. She drew her sawed off shotgun and put the bitch in her sights. She had her dead aim. Rosa’s finger flexed on the trigger, but something kept her from following through. Her teeth clenched together as she mentally cursed herself out, shifted her grip on the gun...then failed again. Fuck! What was wrong with her?!
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t shoot you down where you stand,” she growled out instead of pulling the trigger. She hadn’t lowered the gun, though.
*** Suddenly, Rosa was before her, a sawed off shotgun pointed right at Isobel and her finger on the trigger. But she faltered. Despite all the loathing and hatred Isobel knew was seething inside the young woman before her, she couldn’t bring herself to shoot Isobel. It was probably because of the same reason in which Isobel could not attack her. Because, regardless of everything bad that had happened between them, something good had happened too.
Before Rosa’s death at Isobel’s (Noah’s) hand, the two had formed a bond. Though Isobel had not been the one in charge of her body then, those feelings still remained. They had some good moments, moments in which they had connected. Of course coming here had changed all of that for the two of them. Instead of possibly making things better for them, a new start, Rosa had joined with Alex and the two had started to hunt and kill supernaturals, including Isobel and Max.
Which is how they ended up here, on opposite sides, with a saw off shotgun between them. Isobel blamed herself; she always would even if Noah had controlled her. It was why she would never let herself be weak again, why she wanted to own and understand her powers. She never wanted to be a tool to hurt someone again.
“Because I could repel the bullet with telekinesis?” Isobel offered, partially teasing.
***
“I could have shot you before you knew I was here, and I really want to see you catch birdshot.”
Rosa kept advancing but stopped about ten feet from Isobel. She didn’t want to get close to her. There were far too many painful memories there. Too much resentment. At this point, they consumed Rosa. They were a weakness, of course, and one of these days they would get her killed.
“Where’s Max,” she demanded. Where one was, the other wasn’t far away.
*** “Unless I heard you coming.”
Isobel watched cautiously as Rosa approached her. Despite the warning voice in her head, which sounded a lot like her brother’s, Isobel didn’t budge from where she stood. She wasn’t going to back down from Rosa. If she did, she would be showing weakness and she was trying to show strength to the rest of the supernatural community. They had to stand up to these bullies; people fueled only by hate. In some instances, Isobel could understand that hate. Her brother had killed Noah, but that was strictly because he was a clear threat to everyone. Of course, it was clear Rosa saw her the same way. Why wouldn’t she? She’d been the conduit for Noah’s horrible actions decades ago back home.
“He isn’t with me,” Isobel replied honestly. “Contrary to popular belief, we are not joined at the hip.” But they were joined telepathically. If Isobel needed Max or vice versa, they could just call each other.
“Where’s Captain Kill?” ***
“Not here,” Rosa answered bluntly. She honestly wasn’t sure where Alex was right now. For all she knew he was balls deep inside some hotty. Rosa didn’t care. There were safeguards in place that only they knew. But even if there weren’t, she wouldn’t pass up this opportunity. For what, however, was anyone’s guess. To kill Isobel? Hurt her? To finally die for real? Anything would be better.
But there comes a time when you can only aim a gun so long before it becomes obvious that you aren’t going to shoot. Since she wasn’t going to pull the trigger, as annoying as that truth was, she lowered the shotgun.
“Get out of here, Isobel.” She spat to the side.
*** “Obviously.” Isobel figured she had about as much control over what Alex did as Isobel had over Max. Boys would be boys. She was used to that and she trusted Max. He wasn’t impulsive (well, unless it involved Liz). Thankfully, Liz wasn’t in Madison Valley or maybe not so thankfully given that Liz’s presence might have stopped Rosa from going on “dark side.” It didn’t matter now; Rosa was too far gone. While Isobel was grateful that Rosa hadn’t shot her on sight, she knew it was just luck. Luck that there was still enough of what they had left between them.
Rosa lowered the gun, telling her to get out of there. Isobel walked up to her. “Hey, I was just out for a walk. You got in my way if I remember correctly,” Isobel replied, lowering her arms to her sides. “But I’ll take my luck and leave.”
She started to walk past Rosa, knowing it was best not to push her luck with the young woman, but then she stopped, unable to help herself. “I know it means nothing now, but I am sorry Rosa. Very sorry.”
***
“You’re sorry?” A few pieces of rubble nearby rattled as if from a small earthquake.
Rosa turned an absolutely outraged look to Isobel. “You and me were heading toward something beautiful. Something special, until you and your whole damn alien family not only got me killed but framed me for the death of three other girls, then didn’t let me die, hung me in some freakish alien pod suspended animation, brought me back to life only to learn that I was the most hated person in the entire town and you’re sorry?!”
She stared at Isobel for a moment. “How dare you?! How dare any of you! You didn’t just break my heart and ruin my life, you took everything away just to maintain your fucking secret! You kept me alive so you wouldn’t feel guilty. Fuck you and your apology!”
Isobel should have kept walking without saying a word because suddenly the shotgun was lifted and fired again. The first shot went wild since Rosa was shooting out of emotion, but she pumped the gun to eject the shells and load more for a second.
*** Max and Michael had just been protecting Isobel, but that didn’t excuse what the two young men had done. What happened to Rosa hadn’t been Isobel’s fault; Noah was controlling Isobel and it was he who kept Rosa imprisoned in that pod for years. Isobel didn’t attempt to correct Rosa though. Her family had played a role in the destruction of Rosa and her family all the same.
Not surprisingly the gun was raised and Isobel barely had time to react. The stray bullet almost breezed past Isobel when the blond caught it with a touch of her telekinetic powers. As the shells fell to the ground between them, Isobel redirected the loose bullet and held it steady right at Rosa’s forehead.
“You have every right to hate me and my family,” Isobel replied softly. “I can’t change being controlled by Noah or what he did while he possessed me. I can’t make it so that Michael, Max, and I didn’t frame you for murder to protect me and our secret.”
Isobel stepped forward and touched Rosa’s arm. “Go ahead and kill me, but I’ll take you with me. Maybe we’ll get that something beautiful in another life.”
***
That touch brought back memories Rosa didn’t want. Moments shared between her and Isobel that were, apparently, lies. It hurt so much. It would be different if it had actually been Isobel at the time and they had simply broken up. Instead, Isobel had been manipulated and through her, Rosa. It meant nothing. Worse than nothing. It was the emptiness that fueled her rage.
She half-threw the shotgun to the side as she took a step closer to the bullet. Her angry, tear filled eyes were focused solidly on Isobel, however. “Do it! Kill me! But you better fucking do it right this time!”
*** Regardless of everything that had happened here, Isobel couldn’t kill Rosa. She doubted she could manage such a feat even in the middle of a battle. She did care about Rosa even if Noah held all the cards at the time. She deserved a second chance to have what she wanted even if what she wanted was to kill supernaturals. To kill Isobel and her brother.
Isobel relinquished her telepathic hold over the bullet and it fell to the ground between them with a ping against the concrete.
“I know. It’d be easier if I could. For both of us. But I can’t. I’m sorry for that too.” She touched her face and brushed away any stray tears that might be there before she pulled away.
*** Rosa was too stunned by the touch to her face to even twitch. It felt too good. It had been too long since she’d been touched at all, let alone with any kind of tenderness. It was like being reminded how it felt to breathe, and it reopened so many old wounds.
She swore creatively in Spanish as she took a step back then turned to run off, leaving her gun behind.