(Untitled)

[izzyevans]

[Timed for directly after this post on Saturday, September 20th]She wasn't watching where she was going. It was useless. Her eyes stung with hot tears, tears that came much too quickly for Isabel to wipe them away fast enough. Her body moved forward quickly, feet trudging on autopilot as Isabel couldn't focus on anything other than the large,

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[texas_forever]

Tim's running again, hair pulled back practically into a loose ponytail, sweat dripping down the sides of his face. His feet make a steady thump-thump-thump against the wooden boards beneath his shoes, his own breath loud in his ears as he tries to take in more oxygen.

He barely registers the person running into him from the side before he's crashing down, managing to catch himself before his knees hit.

"What the--" he cuts himself off when he finally sees the identity of his assailant and, in the next second, sees the distraught look on her face. "Isabel? What's wrong?"

[izzyevans]

Hitting the wood with her knees hard, Isabel cried out in pain and choked back a sob that had been threatening to escape ever since she tumbled out of the tent. She would have managed to get out an apology of some sort, only she saw it was Tim and suddenly that was the furthest thing from her mind. "Lucius--" she started, and then she just couldn't say it. Isabel shook her head, willing him to understand, and then she pressed a hand against her mouth to muffle the sound of the sob that had finally broke free.

[texas_forever]

Already, he has a hand curled around her arm, trying to ease her back to her feet as he steps in closer. The name is instantly recognizable, but Tim still isn't sure what's going on, just knows it's bad.

"Is he hurt?" he asks, an undefinable pang of something twisting in his gut as he lifts his head to look past her down the path, half expecting to see someone carrying the guy behind her or something.

[izzyevans]

"No," Isabel whispered, a painful hitching in her chest. Her feet were still unsteady beneath her, knees weak and wobbly. Were it not for Tim's hand on her arm, Isabel likely would have sank down onto the pathway again. "He and Pullo-- they're gone."

Saying it aloud was like twisting a knife in her own gut. Wincing, Isabel turned her face to try and hide the torrent of tears that started.

[texas_forever]

Oh.

His only response is to widen his eyes, throat working in a tight swallow before he pulls Isabel closer, arms wrapping around her completely as he rests his head against her hair. He doesn't say anything for a long moment, still staring down the path, but not really seeing, focusing entirely on the way Isabel shakes against him.

"You sure?" he asks finally, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes, one hand sliding up to smooth a thumb along her cheek. "Sure they ain't, like... out in the jungle or somethin'?"

[izzyevans]

When Tim pulled back, Isabel was half-afraid he was going to suddenly disappear, too. But he didn't. He was still there. That didn't mean he wouldn't disappear like Lucius, Pullo, and Hyacinthe, too. That didn't mean Jaye and Octavia wouldn't, either.

God, she was going to be paranoid about that from now on. There was no way around it.

Barely aware of Tim's hand on her face, Isabel looked over at him with bleary, bloodshot eyes. "They're gone. They are. I found things in the tent, things Lucius never was without."

[texas_forever]

Nodding, Tim takes a slow breath and slides his hand down to curl around the back of her neck, again, pulling her in closer to him. He'd had less to go on when Tyra'd disappeared, but he'd known somehow, even if he hadn't wanted to at first, even if he'd looked for days. He'd known with Coach, too. Can't say why or how, but he'd known it, he'd felt it.

"'m sorry," he murmurs quietly, ducking his head to brush his lips over her hair. It's not his fault, but that's not why he's apologizing and he figures Isabel with figure that out on her own.

[izzyevans]

Feeling Tim's chest solid against her was a tangible reminder that she was still here. Isabel clung to him as though he were an anchor, arms wrapped around him and hands grasping at his shoulder blades. Tim knew what it was like to lose people. She'd been there for him when he'd lost his coach, she knew about his friend Tyra. He was no stranger to loss courtesy of the island. At least he would know how she felt.

"I don't want it to be true," she mumbled, a lump rising in her throat.

[texas_forever]

Tim understands that, too and he nods, nosing her hair lightly, but otherwise not moving, just holding her close. There's a part of him, a selfish and greedy part of him, that can't deny that he's a little glad for this. But, it's buried at the moment, lost underneath the twist of pain he's feeling for Isabel and the fact that he can't ignore how torn up she is about this. She'd cared for Lucius, loved him in a way Tim couldn't help being jealous of. And now he was gone.

"People come back," he says, the only consolation he can think of, weak as it is. "What I heard anyway. Both of 'em could come back."

[izzyevans]

Isabel had heard that before but she didn't believe it any more today than she had in the past. Even if it was true, somehow Isabel just knew that she would never see Lucius or Pullo again. It was as final for her as Alex's death had been -- and as awful, too.

"I don't want to hear that," she said haltingly. "They shouldn't have left." Even if they did come back, they wouldn't know her. That would almost be worse than losing them in the first place.

[texas_forever]

"Yeah," Tim says, somehow understanding that, too. It'd be different with Tyra, he knew, because at least Tyra would still know him even if she didn't remember anything that'd happened the last time she'd been there. Or so he assumes.

Pulling back again, he smooths a hand over her hair and then touches her neck, a frown curving his lips as he studies her face. "You wanna go somewhere? Take a walk or somethin'?"

[izzyevans]

Exhaling shakily, Isabel nodded gratefully at his suggestion. Somewhere, anywhere, was better than where they currently stood. It was too close to the Market for Isabel's comfort.

"Yeah," she said, voice barely louder than a whisper. "Anywhere but here."

[texas_forever]

He feels some relief at that answer, like maybe he actually is helping somewhat, though he doesn't know how. Comfort in any form has never really been his strong suit.

Still, he nods and pulls back a little further, one hand tucking her hair back behind her ear as the other slides down to take her hand and gently pulls her back down the path. "Beach sound good?" he asks, the first place he can think of. They can find a spot there that's either empty or full of other people, whichever she wants, he figures.

[izzyevans]

The beach definitely sounded good. Lucius hadn't liked to go there very much because the sound of the ocean brought up some unpleasant memories. That would be one place where she wouldn't be strongly reminded of him.

"That's great," she said, forcing a somewhat shaky smile as Tim led her down the path.

[texas_forever]

Nodding again, Tim squeezes her hand and keeps her close as they walk, falling into silence for a long moment, their feet making soft sounds against the boardwalk.

"You gonna be okay?" he asks after awhile, glancing over at her again. "If you want, I can stay with you for a couple days or somethin'."

[izzyevans]

Isabel waited a long time to say anything in return. Focusing on the soft sounds of their feet padding over the planks and the way his hand kept squeezing hers were welcome distractions from the awful reality of the disappearance.

A cool breeze sprung up out of nowhere, whipping Isabel's long hair against her face. Reaching up with her free hand, she pushed a few locks behind her ears, looking over at Tim. "I don't know," she confessed. She probably would be better someday, but definitely not ever okay about losing Lucius and Pullo. Her lips, which had been in a thin line, began to quiver. Willing herself not to start crying, Isabel nodded at Tim's question. "I would really appreciate that. I don't think-- I don't want to be alone. If you don't mind."