An: NymhadoraTonks: We'll see Carlos's secret soon. I shall not confirm anything. Lorelai has fear of lightning in both realities, but Everett never knew that until now. He still isn't quite sure that she is, but this chapter confirms it. Rose is very curious about Lorelai, even if she doesn't show it. right now, she is still kinda confused about how they found her. Lots of Loverett coming your way!

Thank you so much!


"What was that?" Everett asked that night as he came into the room from the bathroom. He thought this castle was too old for a modern bathroom, but Rose had done some remodeling. Lorelai was sitting on the floor, wrapped in blankets Rose had given her. She had made her own little bed on the cold stone in the corner of the room.

"Well, we are in an abandoned castle with my long-lost aunt who I didn't know existed until today," Lorelai shrugged. "Do you really think we should be splitting up right now?"

"We would have to be together first in order to spilt up," Everett said as he pulled off his shirt. He could feel Lorelai's eyes burning into his bare back. When Everett looked back at her, her attention was already at the window. A light rain splattered the glass. Thunder roared softly overhead, but there wasn't much for lightning. "You still don't trust me, do you?"

"Not really, but I believe my other self did. I suppose that makes up for something," Lorelai said, not turning from the window. "What were we, anyway? I mean, why would I give you my butterfly charm?" She began to play with the duplicate strung around her neck.

"It was a birthday gift. We were friends. Best friends." Everett shrugged. His mind went back to his realization earlier. Lorelai was his best friend in the real world, and she was also in love with him. Supposed he should've seen the signs. Now in almost every memory, he had of her he noticed something in her eyes. That subtle admiration he thought of as friendship.

"Was that all? Or was there..." the alternate Lorelai called him back to the moment. "More?"

"I-I uh," Everett scratched the back of his neck. "We were very close. There's nothing more about it."

"I'm asking if I was your girlfriend," Lorelai snapped.

"Leave me alone, Lori!" Everett snapped. "You don't have to protect me. You're not my girlfriend."

"Oh," Everett said with guilt rising within him. "Even though everyone said you were, nothing was between us that way. That I know of." It was a lie, telling her that he didn't know the real Lorelai's feelings. But he really didn't have time to complicate this friendship. He would have to face the feelings once he got back to his real home.

"Oh," Lorelai nodded. "I was just wondering. I thought I should know where the other me stood with you."

"Of course," Everett swallowed before he undid the covers to the bed. He crawled in quickly. "Goodnight." He turned out the small light before she could say anything.


Everett had a dreamless sleep until he was awakened by a loud crash of thunder. He sprung up from his bed. Light flashed outside the window. Everett caught his breath once he realized it was just the storm. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. It had to be the middle of the night. Or maybe it was close to morning. He laid back down on his pillow. He was about to fall back asleep when he heard the small gasp for air.

Everett opened his eyes again and pushed himself onto his elbows. He didn't see Lorelai until the lightning flashed, lighting up the whole room. She was still wrapped in blankets. One was almost shielding her face. She was sitting up and rocking herself back and forth. She was whispering reassurances over and over again to herself. When thunder struck, she would flinch.

It broke his heart to her like that. Even if she wasn't the exact same Lorelai he knew, she still was Lorelai.

"Lori," Everett whispered. She didn't respond to his call. He climbed down from the bed. It was much cooler outside of the covers. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head as he crossed the floor to her. Bending down on one knee, he called again. "Lori, are you okay?"

"I'm f-fine," she said, her lip quivering. He had never seen the real Lorelai like this. Had she been afraid of thunder too? If so, Everett had never known.

"Come on," Everett tilted her chin up. "You can sleep in the bed." She nodded, but then another lightning bolt attacked. With the deafening boom, Lorelai coward back to the wall. Everett crawled up next to her. He was about to pick her up and carry her to the bed, but as soon as he laid a hand on her, she wrapped both her arms tightly around him.

Everett was frozen for a moment. He hadn't expected her to do this. When thunder clapped again, she started to shake. Everett pulled her closer to him and kept his arms around her. "It's okay," he whispered, unsure of how to soothe her. "You're gonna be okay."

Lorelai's tears began to soak into Everett's shirt. He didn't care, he just wanted her to feel better. He rested his head back against the wall. They sat there a long while in silence. Maybe an hour or so had passed. The storm was still raging on, but Lorelai flinched less with him holding her.

"What was my life like? In your world?" she asked in the softest voice. Her head was nuzzled between his neck and his shoulder, to block out the was obvious she needed distraction.

Everett's eyes remained closed as he recalled back to his life. "You had pretty violet hair, with lavender front hairs. You liked to use your magic against me quite often. In a joking manner, of course. We had our own lunch table in the courtyard that we would meet at every day. You never let anyone push me or you around. You liked to be feared. "

Lorelai chuckled softly, so he continued.

"Our families were really close. You would come to dinner at the cottage loads of times. Except you would always bring Scales."

"Scales?"

"Your cat."

"We don't have a cat."

"Yes you do," Everett insisted. "Your mom found her in that abandoned house that Evie...burnt down."

"My mom never found any cat," Lorelai shook her head.

Everett remembered Mal telling him the story. She had broken into a house to stay for the night. When she went to the basement, she had found that she-devil cat in a cardboard box. "It looked like she hadn't eaten in a while," Mal had said to him.

That house. He knew where that house was. His mother had brought t him there when he was a kid. It was in a big clearing not far from the Dandelion kingdom. There, it was just a grass field. In this world, it was probably still standing. The kids that lived in it had been recruited in Roses' army. Were they still there? Was Scales still alive?

"Everett?" Lorelai called him back from his memories. He looked down at Lorelai, she pushed herself away from his hold.

"I think you should get some rest," Everett told her. The storm was still rumbling, but the worst had been over. He stood and laid a blanket over her. Then he pulled on his shoes.

"Where are you going?" Lorelai asked.

"I have to check something," Everett told her quickly as he grabbed his bag and walked out the door. He was going down the spiral staircase when she called after him.

"Everett, wait," she said from the top of the stairs. "The storm is still over us."

"Just go to bed, you haven't gotten any good sleep," Everett called over his shoulder. He could hear her distant footsteps.

"Everett!" she called as he ran for the doors. "Everett, stop!"

"What in the devil is going on?" another voice called behind both of them. Lorelai must've woken Rose up. Or maybe she had been up all night.

But then there was a flash of light from inside of the castle. Lorelai had burst. Everett turned his head only a second before he ducked. She had sent a spell at him. Possibly to stun him. He knew it wasn't on purpose, but he kept running for the doors. He had to know. He had to know now. For some reason, there wasn't any brain fog to this memory. Everything else had felt like it was slipping away except for this memory.


Lorelai stopped once he threw the doors open. At the sight of the dark clouds, she froze. Everett was too quick as he hopped on a bike and zoomed away. She had always been scared of thunder and lightning. Well, not always, not when she was a baby. It was a stupid thing, really, but she couldn't help it. It was all because of her stupid magic did she react this way.

She was about seven when it happened. Max was just a baby. He had just thrown a tantrum at dinner. Lorelai never liked the loud noises he made. Apparently, she had better hearing than average kids. She would cover her ears and leave the room. But one night, she had decided to take a night stroll. The square garden was one of her favorite places to wander.

The young Lorelai was gazing at the flowers. Admiring every rose, daisy, and lily she passed until she got to the fountain. The girl ran up to its edge and looked at herself in the water. She leaned closer, trying to see her reflection in the moonlight. She had gone too far and tipped her face in. Spooked by the slip, Lorelai pushed herself away from the fountain.

As she backed up, Lorelai noticed a blue glow starting to show itself in front of her. Curious of where the mysterious glow was coming from, she walked back to the fountain and looked down. Gazing at her reflection, Lorelai gasped. Her eyes were glowing the brightest blue she had ever seen. Her breathing became rapid. What was this? What was happening?

"Lorelai!" Mal called out.

"Mama!" Lorelai yelled back. "Help!"

"Lorelai?" Mal called out again. That was when she ran into the garden. She gasped at the sight of her daughter's eyes.

"What's happening to me?" she asked, truly afraid.

"Just breathe," Mal instructed.

"Mama, what happening?" Lorelai asked. She could feel power lick at her fingertips.

"Lore—"

That was when Lorelai burst for the first time. A bright blue bolt of magic shot from Lorelai's hand and went straight for her mother. Lorelai screamed as it hit Mal, knocking her back. The loudest boom echoed throughout the kingdom. Lorelai could feel the power settling back down in her chest. She screamed again at the sight of her mother laying on the ground.

That was the night Lorelai knew she would never use her powers again. The lightning and the thunder were a constant reminder of the monster she was. She could never escape that. She had gotten many restless nights from her fear. She had never felt safe when a storm would strike. Exact for when Everett held her. Somehow, feeling his arms and hearing the beat of his heart didn't make her feel so powerless.

But now, staring at the storm outside, Lorelai was once again brought under fear.

"I didn't know you were a sorceress," Rose's voice came from behind her.

"I don't want to be," Lorelai turned away from the open door. "Even if I accepted the truth, I couldn't control it anyway."

Rose grinned slightly. "I can help with that."


Once he got outside the castle, Everett looked up to the sky. The clouds were still dark overhead. He ran to his bike and turned it on. The thunder still rumbled, but the rain was very light. He turned on the lights and zoomed through Dandelion. The guards didn't stop him but held the gate open for him to pass through. Everett then let his instinct lead the way.

As the rain hit his face, Everett moved through the forest. There was something desperate about this memory. It was like if he didn't act on it now, he never would recall again. He wondered why he was losing his memories slowly. Was there something in the spell that would make him forget everything if he hadn't worked quick enough?

Everett didn't know exactly what trails to take. He was being guided by an old memory from when he was a young kid. The trail he was on now hadn't been traveled much. The trees were growing close together. Leaves and branches tugged at his arms. One evergreen swiped him in the face. It threw Everett off-balance, but the bike went forward.

The next thing Everett saw was the house. He skidded to a stop, the mud catching the tires. He slid across the tall grass before finally falling off the bike. Everett took a few breaths before he looked up at the house. This had to be it. He hoped it was. He had never actually seen the house itself. It was a tall, two-story cabin. It reminded him of his own home in the forest.

It had vines growing all over it. No one must have touched it in years. Everett took deep breaths as he walked up to the front door. He twisted the knob. It wasn't locked, but it was jammed. Everett jiggled it, but it wouldn't budge. The boy threw himself in the door, knocking it open. He fell onto the floor with a thud. He let out a long breath before pushing himself back up onto his feet.

The inside wasn't much better than the outside. Chairs and plates had been knocked over. Broken window glass was scattered along the carpet's edge. When he saw the opening to the stairs that led to the basement, he ran to them. Once Everett was in the basement, he searched every box he could find. "Kitty! Scales!" Everett called as he searched.

He didn't find her. Everett threw a box out of anger. Why wasn't she here? Had she escaped? Died? Why did he care? The cat hated him anyway. It was good that she was gone.

In Everett's reality, there was a time when they thought Scales was going to die from an unexplained illness. It was later revealed Max had fed her cheese, but it gave Lorelai a good scare. Anywhere she went, she would have Scales wrapped in her arms. He recalled a little Lorelai with tears running down her cheeks. Lorelai loved that cat, and now Scales was gone, because of him.

Everett crept back up the stairs. What was he going to tell Lorelai now? She must be upset with him. Her magic had gone off, so he knew she was upset about something. Maybe she didn't want him to leave while the storm was still overhead. He cringed at the remembrance of her teary face last night. Resembling that little scared girl Everett had seen before.

Just before Everett could walk out of the house, a distant meow made him stop in his tracks. He looked around, he couldn't see any signs of life. Everett shut the door again and moved towards the sound. There was another meow, and Everett raced into the kitchen. At first, he didn't see her, but then there she was on top of the refrigerator.

Scales appeared down at him with her dragon green eyes. Everett let out a relieved sigh. "Hello." He reached up to the cat, and it hissed at him. He jerked back. "You hate me in this life too? You haven't even met me."

The cat picked up something in its mouth. She was protecting her food. Everett's patient watched her until she finished her meal of what looked like parts of a mouse. The black cat then jumped down to the sink. The faucet was leaking single drops. Everett wondered how long that had been on. Scales licked some water before facing him.

She looked very thin. The fur around her eyes was beginning to grey. Everett was surprised Scales had survived over twenty years with proper care. And yet here she was living on almost nothing. A smile crept onto Everett's lips. "Lorelai will be happy to see you." The cat tilted its head curiously at him as if she had heard the name before.

Everett held out a hand to her. She reached her neck forward to meet it. Smelling his hand, Scales reached out with her paw and batted him on the arm. Everett took a step closer and ran a finger under her chin. Lorelai had always done this when they were growing up. Scales purred softly at the touch, making Everett smile wider. He then scooped the cat up into his arms.

"I've missed you," Everett told her. "Even though I hate you, I've missed you."


Lorelai ran out the doors when he came back. It was mid-morning now, and the sun was speaking through the few clouds that were still hanging in the sky. Everett left Scales in a side bag as he parked the bike. From the look on her face, Lorelai was not happy. "What do you think you're doing?!" she called as she broke out into a run.

"I'm so—"

Suddenly Lorelai threw her arms around him. He was shocked by the embrace. Had she finally given into trusting him. After last night had she decided to finally believe him? Everett was about to hug back, but she suddenly pulled away, her smile faded. She then punched him in the arm hard. "Where did you go? I thought you were leaving for good."

"I told you I wasn't," Everett took her hands in his before she could punch him anymore. "I came back, didn't I?"

She stopped resisting his hold, but Lorelai's face didn't change. "I would appreciate an explanation why you left me alone after...that."

That. So that was what she was calling last night. It was strange, to hold Lorelai that close. The weirdest thing was, it wasn't weird. Not in the slightest did Everett feel uncomfortable with her being so close to him. He looked down at their join hands. Blush spread across his cheeks before he let go. He then shoved his hands in his pockets and turned towards the bike.

"I went to find her," Everett pulled Scales from the saddlebag. "Your cat. Scales." He turned to face Lorelai. Her hard expression melted when she lay eyes on the creature in his arms.

"She's real?" Lorelai asked, her eyes widening.

"She was still in the old house not far from here," Everett held the cat out to Lorelai. "I got her for you. She's always liked you way more than me." She stopped her into her arms. Scales began to purr.

"I've been to that house," Rose said. Everett hadn't even noticed her at the castle doors. "It was one of my first stops on my way here. I thought that cat would've died years ago."

"Where were the kids?" Everett asked.

"Apparently they went awol on their parents and left to go to the Isle. I don't know if they ever made it. The parents still live around here, but I've never seen them."

"In my world, they joined your army," Everett suddenly recalled. He widened his eyes at himself. How did he remember that?

"Yes, I've caught glimpses of...your world," Rose folded her arms.

"Did you figure out the rose?" Everett asked.

"I think, but I'm too hungry to explain," Rose motioned for them to come inside. "Let's eat breakfast."

Once they ate, the cat included, Rose brought them down to her potion room. It was hidden in a secret stairway behind the thrones. Lorelai held Scales close to her as they walked in the dark. Rose had put the flower under a glass case. It was like something out of the storybook. Two petals were laying in the bottom of the glass. Rose lifted the glass cover.

"I think it works a lot like the rose my parents had to deal with," Rose explained. "When the final petal falls, either you get stuck here, or you get to go back home. There wasn't much to decode in the spell, but the petals showed something."

" I never saw anything in them," Everett raised a brow.

"Because you don't have magic," Rose grinned. "Your girlfriend did though."

"I'm not his girlfriend," Lorelai muttered. Everett awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"What did you see?" Everett asked Lorelai.

"I saw you and...me," Lorelai admitted. "Just a little memory of us in some sort of treehouse."

"Then I saw that little cat in the second one," Rose explained. "I saw Mal find her. Then I saw how much the cat hated you. Then I saw the house fire that Evie Queen started. She really wasn't happy back then."

"You were the one that possessed her," Everett muttered. He then cleared his throat, then spoke louder. "Last night, I could see that memory of the house clear in my mind. I haven't remembered anything in such detail since I came here. Well, there were the dreams I suppose, but those were just pictures."

"Maybe if they mean something," Rose wondered aloud. She looked at Lorelai. "You were the first one he had told?"

"Yes," Lorelai confirmed.

"Then now you get this cat," Rose stared at Scales. "Maybe you can't remember your old life clearly is because you have to reminded by every petal that falls."

"But I can remember lots of things from my life," Everett defended. "Just some are in fog. How is this supposed to help me get home?"

"Well, that's the hard part," Rose shrugged. "'If the beast could learn to love another and earn their love in return. When the final petal falls, I shall return to the ones I love.' If the beast is you—"

"What?" Everett cut her off. "Why do we assume the beast is me?"

"Because there is no love in your heart," Lorelai said with a partial quote from the spell. "Did you do something out of hate or selfishness before you came here?"

"You don't have to protect me. You're not my girlfriend."

"You are just prissy little boys who deserve nothing good from this world!"

"I wish you weren't my mother."

Everett had done enough in the selfish and cruel department. He looked from Rose to Lorelai, there was no use in denying it any longer. "I wished Evie wasn't my mother anymore."

Lorelai gasped softly, which made Everett feel much worse. "And it came true," Rose said to herself. "This is what reality could've been if she had never become your mother."

"I know," Everett looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry for it. I just want to go home."

There was a small silence, but then Lorelai broke it. "What if Everett brought Evie back into the picture?"

"I don't know if that's how it works," Rose shrugged. "Perhaps she was the beast. Maybe if—"

"I could get her and my dad back together," Everett finished for her. "Maybe that love could reverse the spell because then Evie would become my mother."

"That could be it," Lorelai said with hope, but then her expression fell. "But she ran off years ago."

"I could try a location spell," Rose suggested. "That takes a potion and there are many plants I need and—"

"I'll find them for you," Everett assured. "I'm quite savvy with plants." He thought about his plant collection at home in his pressing book.

"Very well," Rose turned back to her book to get a list for him. "It might take several days to complete the potion."

"I don't care, as long as time doesn't run out. I don't know how long we have."

"You have quite a long time," Rose admitted. "Judging by the petals and the rate they've fallen so far, I think a little over a month. End of July and maximum. But we shouldn't waste much of our time."

Everett nodded. "Whatever it takes to get home, I'm willing to wait."