The Third Wheel: Roswell fanfiction by Jen



Anything



Summary: Isabel enters Jolie's dream, and is surprised when she sees Alex's
likeness there.



We're all told to dance but we never picked the tune

Hanging like puppets they feed us from bent steel spoons

But we're sealing our lips for the someday

When the needle and the vinyl play

All the songs of the pain, the songs that explain our circles and strains

So hey baby, can you shed some light on the problem maybe

Because we're all tired and we'd like to know

If we should pack our tents, shut down the show

Yes we should like to see a burning bush type sign

But anything would be fine



~Sixpence None The Richer--Anything



&&&&&&&&&&



Isabel knocked on Max's door later that night. "Max? Hey," she said with a
smile, peering into her brother's room. Max was lying on the bed, his eyes
closed, the Counting Crows' "Colorblind" playing softly in the background.



"Oh god. Not this again," Isabel muttered.



"What?" came Max's muffled reply. "I'm just...thinking. It's thinking
music."



"About Liz?" Isabel asked, sitting down on his bed. "Max, this pining thing
is really old. Forget about Liz. She's not worth it."



Max looked up at her. "Yes she is," he said bitterly.



Isabel patted his shoulder. "I hate to interrupt your state of melancholy,
but can I borrow your yearbook? I lost mine, and I need yours."



"Why?" Max asked, his eyes downcast. "Don't tell me you're on the yearbook
committee." Isabel rolled her eyes. "I'm not, Max."



Max reached under his bed and handed it to her. "Isabel, you're not going to
go into anyone's dream again, are you? You know, when you did it to Maria,
she came thisclose to telling Valenti."



"Yeah, I know," Isabel said with a smile. "I figured I'd pay our dear friend
Jolie Nichols a visit."



"Isabel, no," Max said sternly. "She'll know something's up."



"The girl won't know a thing," Isabel assured him. "I just want to see if
she dreams about a certain individual we all know."



"You mean Alex? Max asked. Isabel, you can't mess around with Jolie."



"Why not?" Isabel challenged. "The girl needs to loosen up. She deserves a
little rattling."



"Look," Max said with a sigh. "Whatever little feud you have with Jolie, do
not do anything to bring me or Michael into it, all right?"



"What feud?" Isabel asked. "Hey, she's got a problem with me because she's
got a thing for Alex. Or at least I think she does. I just want to see if my
suspicions are founded."



"What suspicions?" Michael asked, entering the window. "Sorry. Hank's on a
drunken rage again. I had to get out."



"Pull up a chair," Max mumbled. "Isabel, tell Michael what you're doing
tonight." Isabel bit her lip, hiding the yearbook with her jacket.



"Um, going to sleep! It's almost midnight." "No, besides that," Max snapped.
Isabel groaned. "Fine! I'm sneaking into Jolie's dream, okay? What's the
point of having these powers if I never get to use them?"



"God, Isabel!" Michael exclaimed. "This girl, she's got this whole weird
vibe thing. Like she knows. I can feel it. Don't do it."



"Why?" Isabel asked. "I'm just gonna have a little fun."



"Yeah, well that fun could get us killed," Michael snapped, throwing the
yearbook across the room. "Do you want Alex or something? Is that why you're
doing this?"



"No! Chill out, Michael. A Lilith Fair groupie like Jolie Nichols who likes
science nerds is the least of our problems. Don't sweat it. We'll all be
fine."



"Yeah, tell me that again when we're locked up in some testing facility,"
Michael mumbled. Isabel glared at him. "Relax, boys. I'll be sure to watch
out for any alien-hunters tonight."



Michael flopped down on the bed as Isabel left. "We are dead, Max. We are so
freakin' dead!"



"You've got to trust her, Michael. She knows what she's doing," Max assured
him.



"Does she, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Michael snapped at his friend. "I just hope to
God she does. Can I crash here tonight?"



Max nodded, pulling out the green sleeping bag. Michael shrugged off his
jacket and flopped down on the floor. "Do you really think Jolie can be
trusted?" he asked. Max yawned. "I don't know, Michael. Go to sleep."



"Goodnight," Michael mumbled, rolling over and falling into a deep sleep.



&&&&&&&&&&



Isabel ran her fingers over Jolie's yearbook picture. She actually was
really pretty; thick, curly blonde hair, deep blue eyes. She and Alex must
have been adorable little kids, running around together. Powers, don't fail
me now, she thought, closing her eyes.



Almost instantly, she was transported into Jolie's bedroom. It was decorated
with cheesy blue-and-gold streamers. Jolie was sitting on her bed, dressed in
a t-shirt and sweatpants. Alex came through the door, not recognizing Isabel.
"I've been looking for you," he said with a smile.



Isabel automatically smiled to herself, but then she realized he was talking
to Jolie. She just leaned against the wall and watched the action. Music was
playing softly in the background.



The lines of my earth

So brittle unfertile and ready to die

I need a drink, but the well has gone dry

And we're in the habit of

Saying the same things all over again

For the money we shall make

And this is the last song that I write

Until you tell me otherwise

And it's because I just don't feel it



"I've been waiting for this for a long time," Jolie said with a smile,
looking up at Alex. Alex leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Me, too."



Isabel let out a little squeak, but it was clear the couple didn't hear her.
God, what are they going to do, she thought Oddly enough, they started to
dance.



Isabel just stood there and watched, transfixed. Wow, she thought. Alex
must secretly love to dance or something--stop it, Isabel. This is weird.



She circled around them like a cat. Jolie had her arms wrapped around Alex's
neck and she was looking at him all moony-eyed like she usually did.
"Torture," Isabel mumbled. "Utter torture."



"Did you hear something?" Jolie asked. Alex shook his head. "Nope." He bent
down to kiss her, and suddenly the door snapped open.



Isabel was confronted with herself. Damn, she couldn't help thinking as
she surveyed her dream self; clad in tight black pants and a turquoise button
down shirt. I look good.



Alex," the dream Isabel said, her lips curving up into a smile. "I see you
went through with our plan. We should go now. Our plane to Venezuela is
leaving in an hour."



Alex let go of Jolie. "Sorry, kid," he said with a shrug. "It just wasn't
meant to be."



"Alex wait," Jolie whimpered. "Don't do this." Alex kissed Jolie's hand.
"We'll always have Roswell," he said with a smile, his blue eyes twinkling
before he turned and linked arms with the dream Isabel, walking out the door.



The dream faded and Isabel immediately sat up in bed. God, that was weird,
she mused. What a dream.



&&&&&&&&&&



"Maria! Liz! Oh my god." That morning at school, Maria and Liz twisted
around to see Jolie running towards them. "Hey," Liz said with a smile.
"What's up?"



Jolie wrung her hands. "I had the dream again." Maria sighed. "The dream
where it ended with Alex running off with Isabel in a Casablanca-style
fashion? Jolie, honey, you've got to stop this. You're making yourself
insane. I can't play shrink. I've already got my hands full with Liz and her
Max trauma," she hissed, gesturing to Liz, who was longingly watching Max and
Michael at Max's locker.



"See what I mean? I'm sick of probing and angsting." "Hey, you can never
have enough angst," Jolie reminded her. "I swear, it was the exact same,
except we weren't at the Crashdown. We were in my bedroom. And we
were...dancing."



Liz and Maria looked at eachother and giggled. "Alex? Dancing? Hey, it's
your fantasy." "Yeah, I know. It was so weird," Jolie agreed. My room had
streamers. And I was wearing bunny slippers."



"Bunny slippers," Maria repeated. "You're past need for a shrink." "Shut
up," Jolie said, laughing. "You guys wanna hang out tonight? I need to vent."



"Vent to Alex!" Maria whined. "Do I look like a Rent-A-Shrink?"



"You said I was past need," Jolie teased. "Please. No whining, I promise. I
just need a good healthy dose of girl power."



Liz nodded. "Okay, sure. I get off work at seven. Come by the Crashdown.
Maria?" Maria groaned. "Count me in."



"Thanks, you guys," Jolie said sincerely. "I appreciate it." "Hey, you're
welcome. What are friends for?" Liz asked, linking arms with Jolie as the
three of them walked down the hall together.



"Jolie!" After her third period class, Jolie was just about to go to her
locker when she heard Alex behind her. "Oh, hey, Alex," she said. "It's just
you."



"And that's bad?" Alex joked. "What's going on?" "Noth....nothing," Jolie
said, shoving her books in her locker. "I was just...getting my books."



Alex smirked. "Yeah, right. C'mon, let me see. Are you renovating your
locker shrine to Ryan Phillippe?" "No," Jolie lied.



Alex leaned against the locker. "Jolie, you're a terrible liar," Alex said
with a smile. He started playfully tickling her.



"Alex, you know I have no tickle tolerance!" Jolie squealed, pinching Alex
in the side. "Ahh!" Alex said in a high-pitched voice. "Not fair. No
pinching."



A picture fluttered to the ground, and Alex picked it up. "I remember this,"
he said with a sigh. "You know? The square-dancing competition, seventh
grade. We lost. But Mr. Edison insisted on taking our picture, because you
made me dress up like a cowboy and wear that goofy hat."



"Yeah, I remember," Jolie said with a laugh. "We dosie-doed our way right
off the stage." Alex smirked. "Yeah, that was the best," he said, leaning
towards her. Oh my god, Jolie thought. He's going to kiss me.



"I should go," he finally said. "I'll be late to chem. See ya, Jolie." Jolie
watched him leave, and finally leaned against her locker with a sigh.



"God, can she get any more pathetic?" Isabel sneered, watching Jolie by her
locker. "What's she gonna do now, run in the bathroom and cry?" Michael bent
down to drink from the water fountain, and when he got up, smoothed his hair.



"Isabel, you could be nice to her. It won't mar your image," he snapped.
"Jolie isn't that bad."



Isabel groaned. "Ugh! First Max, now you. I'm not a heavy contender for the
Good Samaritan Award, you know. It's so difficult to be nice to her. Her
aura's all....pink, and blue, and splotchy."



Michael smirked. "As opposed to yours, which is orange with a couple shots
of purple and green thrown in for good measure?" he asked. "Green for envy?"



"You know, Michael, you should be a whiz at biology if all you want do is
try and dissect things!" Isabel snapped. "See ya."