BACKSTORY: I have actually been asked for a sequel to "This Isn't What It Looks Like", but never really had any idea how to go about it. Then I watched the season 7 finale of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and thought, "I love how they went about doing this cliché. It feels new, and fresh, and I wish I could do something like that".

And here we are now.

In this follow up, a crisis occurs and everyone's divided up to solve it. Not too long after, it's your basic sitcom clichés where it seems like everything's going wrong, but it's all fixed by the end. I've also added a few other plot elements to fill space and time to make it seem like your standard one-hour sitcom "special" episode. Like how the first half hour would be like the lead up to a big event and the second half hour would be the big event itself.

Naturally, it's not exactly like cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but it does borrow plot and moments while fitting to Descendants canon. I'm sure I've borrowed others—I watch too much TV—but I can't single any out for sure. So be careful of any potential spoilers.

Ready for Part One?

All in all: it had started out just a normal day.

Evie and Doug were at their respective desks in her workshop—her working on a design, him going through the books—when Dizzy came in to announce, "Hey, so after school I'm gonna study with Celia tonight; probably be spending the night at her dorm."

"Finals week," both Evie and Doug noted in sync without looking up from what they were doing.

"Finals week," Dizzy confirmed. "I swear Mr. Deley is out to get us." Evie and Doug chuckled simultaneously at this. "I'll probably see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye Dizzy," Evie bade goodbye. "Hey," she turned her rotating chair toward Doug, "what do you think?"

Doug rolled his chair back, careful not to bump into her. "For Mal?"

"This is actually what Uma suggested for her dress."

"That would explain why the color is cerulean."

"You thought this dress was for Mal?"

"With the exception of color, Uma and Mal have a very similar taste in style." Evie made a noise of acknowledgement. "Are you still working on that dress for Mal that they wanted for the weekend, or is that done?"

"I'll get it done by tonight."

"You kinda have to."

"This weekend is Mal and Ben's first anniversary; the dress has to be special. This event is going to be broadcasted everywhere; everything has to look good. Plus it's going to be the last official dress I make before I take my little maternity leave, so it'll be the last dress I make before I become a mother." She blew out a breath as she placed one hand on her swollen stomach. "Two more weeks."

He held her hand closest to him and stroked it with his thumb. "Nervous?"

"Extremely."

He gave her a shy smile. "Excited?"

She in turn smiled widely at him. "Extremely."

"Me too," he kissed his wife as he stood. "I was gonna get some breakfast, you want something?"

"Bottled water, toast, and my thinking scrunchie."

"Thinking scrunchie," he tossed her a large ponytail on his desk.

She used said scrunchie to put her hair up. "Heigh ho, heigh ho," and off to work she went.

…

"Keep that pacing up and you'll dig a hole to the Underworld," a pink-jacket wearing Carlos observed Mal as he entered her palace.

"Ugh! I hate public events!" Mal bemoaned. "Why is it whenever I want to do something special just me and my husband, a million other people literally have to be involved? Okay: our wedding I understand. Royal weddings are a huge thing, even on the Isle."

"You gotta participate with traditions. Auradon celebrates huge weddings and only does a televised follow-up on the one year anniversary before moving on to every other decade."

"Yeah, but they're making me feel like I'm guilty for wanting to be alone with the king of Auradon," she leaned against a pillar. "It's ironic that Evie wants the big, huge wedding, but she ends up eloping. Meanwhile I want to elope; and I'm stuck with the big, huge wedding. Few months into her marriage, Evie gets knocked up. Yeah it's good, but who really cares. Few months into mine, everyone's asking me when I'm gonna have a baby like it's expected of me."

"Has Ben asked you to have kids?"

Mal sighed. "He wants kids, I know he does. He's been super patient and not putting pressure on me, but…sometimes I feel like it's not gonna happen. Well, I mean it's not likely gonna happen while I'm still on birth control, but-"

Carlos covered his virgin ears. "Sheesh, warn a guy before going into girl talk!" Mal rolled her eyes as the statement dawned on Carlos. "Are you deliberately trying not to have a baby?"

Mal shrugged. "I dunno. I mean Jay and me aren't like you and Evie: we didn't really give much thought into our future families. By the way: I sincerely doubt you're gonna marry a hot, blonde model and have five sons by the time you're thirty."

"Didn't you tell us over and over again that you didn't want to have kids or associate yourself with kids?"

"People can change!"

"Prove it."

"Prove it how? I'm subbing for the art teacher at Auradon Prep; isn't that enough?"

"It's temporary and they're nearly adults. It doesn't count."

"Says you."

"Do something around little kids. Something to show you're maternal. Maybe stop taking your…" Carlos swallowed and quietly said the next part like he was ripping off a Band-Aid, "birthcontrol."

"Since when do you have any control over my body and what I choose to do with it? As much as the public likes to think so, my sex life is-"

"OKAY NEW TOPIC!" a nervous Carlos clapped his hands together and cleared his throat. "What brings me here?"

"I need you to do me a favor."

"Gee, that doesn't sound vague at all."

"I figured it was my best bet to ask you."

"Why not ask Evie?"

"Because it's something for Evie…well, for Evie's baby."

"Aww."

"Yeah, yeah, sweet and all; don't read too much into it. Evie's like our sister and it didn't feel right just buying all that junk for her baby shower."

"Mal, you bought everything on her suggestion list."

"And it feels meaningless! I want to buy something with meaning or supplies to make something special. Problem is: I don't want the press to get any ideas, so I want to be stealthy about it."

Carlos shrugged. "Okay, fair enough."

"Your opinion would be nice too. Evie is giving birth to our niece and I want my gift to-"

"Our what?!" Mal's jaw went slack when she realized what she had done. "Mal, no one is supposed to know what Evie is having! And now I know! How do you expect me to keep this a secret for the next two weeks?!"

"Maybe the baby will come early and you won't have to." Carlos let out a disbelieved gasp. "You know I don't like to be surprised, I couldn't help it!"

"How did you even-"

"Queenly privileges: there are some times when having all this power really comes in handy. I know that stereotypes the whole 'villain abusing power' cliché, but I like to be prepared," Carlos mimicked the rim shot, but Mal didn't notice. "So, I need you to be both a spy and a distraction."

"And to what does this involve?"

"First off: me letting you use your car." Carlos was about to protest, but Mal cut him off with, "I call Queenly Privilege."

"Drat. Okay, then what?"

"I will drop you off at Evie's and you can lie and say you want to spend the day with her or something, I don't know. I just need you to keep her distracted for a few hours while I teach a couple of classes and go shopping."

"How does the spying part come in?"

"It's no secret I mentally blocked out that baby shower and I have no idea what I or anyone else got her. I need you to make sure that I don't get something she already has or something similar."

"You did drink so much of those strawberry drinks that day."

"Can you do this for me or not?"

"I want to: but can I be trusted to be alone with Evie after you reveal the sex of her baby that even she doesn't know?"

"Valid," Mal bit her lip in thought. "What if you bring Jane? She might also be able to help keep Evie distracted."

"Jane's got a bunch of planning stuff to do; she won't be done til way later."

"Then Jay! Jay's never doing anything."

"Aren't things still a little awkward between him and Doug after the…incident?"

"Just so long as they never speak of it again."

"It was pretty much your fault, you know." Mal scowled at him. "Well, they wouldn't have ended up in bed together if you hadn't have interfered." Mal grunted at him. "That's just one reason Jay'd turn me down."

"How do you know he'd turn you down?"

"Because he's hardly talking to anyone and he hasn't left his apartment in like two days."

"What?"

"He and Gil had another fight."

"So? You know how this works: they fight, they each flirt with other people, they get jealous, they make up, rinse and repeat. I know two days is the longest they've been-"

"Gil's been staying with Uma and Harry."

"Oh."

"I think it's really over, Mal."

"Then as Jay's closest friends, we need to help. We'll pick him up and take you to Evie's to talk about what Jay should do."

"Okay," Carlos relented, "but if you're gonna have Jay end up in bed with someone this time, make sure it's not me or Evie."

Mal chuckled. "Look at you: spoken like a true smart aleck."

"I learned from the best."

…

"Uh-uh," Uma wasn't having any of this, "not happenin',' she tore open the living room curtains and let in the light. The first mate passed out on the floor hissed at her. "Mornin' sleepin' beauties," she faked cheeriness before going into Captain Mode, "now get up."

Meanwhile, Gil shifted in the chair he had fallen asleep in. "Why does it feel like I slept on something hard?" He stood up and noticed the empty, glass bottle. "Oh, that makes sense."

"What a twist: this time we didn't bring someone else into the house." She kicked Harry "good morning".

"OW!" Harry rubbed his hook over the spot she kicked. "Must you be so violent?"

"Yes! Now clean this place up and I'll make the coffee."

"Coffee!" Harry struggled to his feet. "Sweet, sweet coffee."

"Is coffee really supposed to be sweet?" Gil questioned. He watched Harry stumble across the living room. "You okay there, Hare?"

"Think I had a wee bit more rum than usual. This gettin' over a broken heart business does call for a pint or so more."

"Think maybe I'd be like this if you weren't hogging all the rum?"

"Didn't want you to overdo it, Mate." He slumped onto the sofa, moving over another rum bottle in the process. "You think you can go about what you're doing a little quietly?" Gil shook his head in judgment and went upstairs. With a moan, Harry took one of the pillows from the sofa and put it over his head.

This gesture made him oblivious to the daughter of the sea witch. Uma had made her way back into the living room, hollered, "GET UP", yanked the pillow off Harry's face, and proceeded to hit him repeatedly with it.

"Stop! Stop! You win!" Harry rose from the sofa. "I'll get to cleanin'."

"You better."

"Hey Uma," Gil came back downstairs carrying a phone, "when I went upstairs I heard your phone ringing."

"This early?" She looked at the missed call. "Ugh, her again." Uma called back the number.

"Uma! Great! Just the person I wanted to talk to!"

"What do you want Princess?"

"So your dress for our reunion is coming along nicely," Evie sounded way too perky. "There are just a few little design choices and alterations that need your approval, but I think…"

"You think?" Uma pulled her phone away. "Uh, you still there?"

"Yeah, sorry, lost my train of thought; pregnancy brain. Anyway: I was hoping you could come over so that we could get it all done."

"Done so that I won't ever have to come over there again done?"

"Yes."

Uma gave a defeated sigh. "Fine; I got nothing better to do anyway." Evie squealed on the other end. "Is that necessary?"

"I'm just so excited to get this done for you!"

"Exactly: done. Done and over with. And can we try to make this as quick and painless as possible?"

"So long as the dress is made to your satisfaction."

"If it was, I wouldn't be wearing a dress. I'll be there soon." She hung up her phone. "Alright you," she snapped her fingers at Harry, "come on, let's go."

Harry blinked at her. "Beg pardon?"

"If I have to suffer through this, I'm takin' you down with me. Plus I can't drive so-"

"And I can?" Harry, who could barely sustain his balance, hiccuped to prove his point.

"Well, I can't leave you unsupervised. Gil!" She called Gil. "Gil, I got a thing. You gotta take me and then babysit the drunken sailor here." Gil just shrugged. "I don't want to be there all day, so let's get this over with." They didn't exactly know what to do. "Ugh," she loudly clapped at Harry's ear before shouting, "SOMETIME TODAY!"

…

Evie's text notification went off. She tore away from her designs to read her message. "Hey Doug, did you invite Carlos and Jay over for something?"

"Not that I'm aware of," her husband answered back. "Why'd you ask?"

There was a knock at the workshop door. "No reason."

"I'll get it," Doug answered the door. "Carlos. Jay. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Carlos was trying to assure, "yeah we just wanted to stop by for a while. Maybe spend some time with Evie."

"Wow, guys, I wish you would have called or something; I'm actually kinda busy."

"Doug then."

Doug quirked a brow. "You want to willingly spend time with me?"

"Why not? A couple hours; just us dudes doing…dude stuff. Right, Jay?" Jay didn't say anything. "He's just tired. Come on, let's go watch TV or something."

"Um…sure."

While Carlos dragged Doug off to another room, Jay had lingered behind. "Everything okay?" Evie had asked him. "You seem quieter than usual."

"It's just been a rough couple of days," Jay kept his answer vague. "They just want to get me out of my apartment."

"They?"

"Carlos and Mal."

"Mal's not here?"

"She's teaching a couple art classes and running some errands."

"Right, so what exactly are you and Carlos doing here?"

"You're gonna found out eventually: Gil and I broke up and Carlos and Mal don't want me to be alone. Mal suggested we hang with you; see what you have to say about all this."

"Oh Jay, I'm really sorry."

"Maybe they thought this place would get my mind off him or somethin'. I dunno; where's your candy stash?"

"I don't have a candy stash." Jay shot her a disbelieving look, complete with an eyebrow raise and she gave a relenting sigh. "But I do have some emergency candy in my drawer. Help yourself."

"Thanks," Jay began to rummage through her drawer. "Want some?" Evie declined. "I'll just take a few," he scooped up candy in one hand, turned to leave, and then came back for a few more pieces. "You sure you don't…" he noticed Evie was looking away and biting her lip, "you okay?"

She looked up at him. "Huh? Oh, yeah!"

"Were you having one of them apostrophes? Should I get Doug?"

"Contractions, and no. The baby's just in a really awkward position and kicks the crap out of me a lot. Trust me: this is normal. You go do whatever; I got to get back to work."

"Okay." He kept his eyes on her as he backed away.

"Jay, really, I'm fine."

"Just uh…just makin' sure."

"Thank you."

"And that if anything does happen, please make sure it happens when I'm not here." She faked a smile at him. "I'm gonna go now."

"Please do." Jay did. "Finally." No sooner had Evie went back to work, that there was another knock on the workshop door. She let out a groan before calling out, "One sec!" After more than a few secs, she managed to get up and go the door. "Uma, hi."

"Alright, let's get this over with," Uma brushed past her and sat at Doug's desk. "What do I have to do?"

"I just need your approval on-"

"Hello, hello," Evie couldn't help but grimace at Harry's greeting. "Has anyone ever told you that you're positively glowing?"

"Yes. Because I'm pregnant."

Harry waved his hook in a nonplussed way. "Semantics."

"Please get out of my sight before I vomit." He winked at her again. "Ugh."

"Harry," Uma began, "go find someone else with a pulse."

"If you like, you can join my husband and some of our friends at the television."

"Alright," Harry headed out of the workshop, "if milady wishes." Evie did her best to suppress the bile rising in her throat.

"It's a new month," Uma casually stated. "Last month he was tryin' all this stuff on that Audrey chick, and next month it's probably gonna be that Chad guy. Blah, blah, blah, let's hurry this up."

"I parked the car and I didn't hit anything this time!" Gil proudly announced as he entered the workshop. "I knew I could do this driving thing."

"Gil?" Evie was surprised by his presence. "You're here too?"

"Technically I'm here three." He counted each of the people in the workshop.

"Right. Uma, can I speak with you over there?" Evie led Uma away.

"What's so important that I couldn't sit down?" Uma questioned.

"You brought Gil?"

"Yeah, so; I can't drive, Harry's wasted, but Gil has a permit."

"And I have Jay in my living room!"

"Oh snap."

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't have a way here? I would have had Doug pick you up or pay a transport fee?"

"Okay fine, they got me here because I can't drive. They're also here because this," she gestured around her, "is torture. If I have to be tortured, I want to drag others down with me."

"This is not torture. We've both lived on the Isle; we know real torture. You're the one who usually inflicts it. At most: it's probably just an unpleasant situation. But if Jay and Gil cross paths, then it'll turn into an uncomfortable situation. And with being in a constant state of uncomfortable carrying a human being inside of me-"

"Ew."

"-I'd rather just keep this unpleasant."

"Keep talkin' gross facts of life stuff and it'll definitely get uncomfortable."

"I just said I had a baby inside of me; how is that gross?"

"The whole…situation is gross."

"Okay," Evie tilted her head toward her desk. "I'll get the designs; you get Gil to stay in here."

"Yo Gil," Uma called to her companion, "you're gonna stick around in here." Gil literally shrugged this off. "We'll holler if we need you."

"What am I supposed to do til then?" Gil questioned her.

"Doug keeps a few books on the shelf in case he gets bored," Evie informed him.

"That's good for Doug, but what am I supposed to do?"

"Just read dork boy's books!" Uma ordered. Gil gave another shrug and went to the shelf. "Don't worry Princess, this should definitely keep him busy."

"It will?" Evie didn't buy it.

"Sure. He can't read."

"And you want to exploit his illiteracy?"

"You rather have him go watch TV with the other guys?"

"Enjoy your reading, Gil!"

…

King Ben knocked on the open door of Auradon Prep's art room. "Knock, knock."

The substitute art teacher looked up at him with a huge smile. "Ben," Mal went over to kiss her husband, "what are you doing here?"

"The lunch hour is approaching and I thought my wife would like to enjoy it with me."

"She would," another kiss. This one seemed to go on for a while until an annoyed "ahem" broke them apart. The source came from Celia Facilier. Meanwhile, Dizzy Tremaine was standing next to Celia trying to suppress giggles. "Hello, girls."

"I thought the school had a rule about making out in the hallways," Celia quipped.

"What do you want, Celia?"

"The art room. You said Dizzy and I could use it at lunch so we can study."

"Right, yeah, I did. Go ahead, just don't break anything." Dizzy and Celia hurried into the art room, shutting the door behind them.

"They must really want to study," Ben observed.

"That or they're up to something."

"Not all VKs have hidden agendas or ulterior motives. You of all people should know that."

"I do know that I'm hungry. Where are we going for lunch?"

"Her majesty's choice."

"Her majesty approves."

"Hey," Ben squeezed her hand, "Happy Anniversary Eve."

She playfully swatted him. "You're incorrigible."

"Yeah, but you love me."

"Only 'cause you're paying for lunch." He put his hand to his heart and feigned heartbreak. "Drama king."

…

"I'm starting to think you're deliberately making this longer," Uma grumbled as Evie gathered more color options.

"Believe me: it's going much faster with you here," Evie practically threw the fabric onto her desk and stopped to catch her breath.

"You okay, there Princess?"

"Even the simplest tasks take a lot out of me." Evie started going through the fabric. "Come and decide on a color."

Uma went over to the table. "These are all the same color."

"They are not. We have blue-green, teal, cerulean, aquamarine-"

"This one!" Uma practically ripped the fabric off the table. "Now can we please get this over with?"

"E!" Doug rushed into the room, "E, something's up at Auradon Prep."

"What's going on?" Evie asked him.

"It's just a breaking news thing on the TV. There was some kind of explosion and I can't get a hold of Dizzy."

"What about Mal? Mal's teaching there today."

"I don't know; I'll try her in a minute. Right now we have to make sure Dizzy's safe. Come on: we should get to the school."

"You get to the school; I'll stay in case she comes here."

"Uma, can you stay with Evie until I get back?"

Uma quirked her brow to him. "Excuse you?"

"Don't worry, Doug, I'll be fine," Evie assured. "Go; and find out about Mal too."

Doug didn't bother to object. "Okay, I'll head down there now. Love you."

"Love you," they gave each other a quick kiss before Doug ran out of the workshop and to his car.

Uma had broken the tense silence with, "Your man wants me to do what now?"

"Doug just doesn't want to leave me alone. He's hardly left my side in months. In case something should happen, he wants to make sure someone's here with me."

Gil raised his hand in acknowledgement. "Uma and I are here with you."

"Yes, thank you Gil."

"Uh-huh, hold up," Uma started, "what do you mean by 'in case somethin' happens'?"

Evie had a knowing smirk when she replied, "Gross facts of life stuff." The smile seemed to grow more smug as she delightfully watched Uma cringe.

…

"Hey," Ben shifted topics as he was driving Mal back, "I want to thank you for being such a trooper through all this. I know you wanted a more intimate anniversary." Mal didn't say anything. "And I promise we'll get one."

She looked at him. "We will?"

"After all this is said and done; I'm gonna take you somewhere far away, just the two of us."

Mal took his hand in hers. "I'd like that."

"I thought you would."

They were sitting in comfortable silence as they drove up to the school. "What up with all the cars?"

"You think something happened?" Ben was the first out of his car with Mal close behind.

"Guys!" a familiar face came running to them.

"Jane? What are you doing here?"

"I was helping to plan for the Senior Dance when BOOM!"

"Something exploded?" Mal questioned.

"Are you okay?" Ben inquired.

Jane nodded profusely. "Yes, yes, I'm fine; I was in the ballroom."

"Where did the explosion happen?"

"In the art room."

"The art room?" Mal vocalized her confusion. "Why did it happen in the art room?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," this was how a worried—yet still surprisingly calm—Fairy Godmother made her appearance known. "Mal, do you know anything about this?"

"No, I was out for lunch with Ben."

"Dizzy and Celia," Ben remembered. "Mal: you let them use the art studio to study!"

"Oh my God! Are they okay!"

"They're fine," Fairy Godmother promised. "No one was in the room when it happened." Everyone blew out a sigh of relief. "But now that we know who was behind it, they will have to be apprehended."

"Fairy Godmother," Ben began, "I'm sure this wasn't done intentionally. It had to have been an accident. Maybe it was a potions final gone wrong."

"You know as well as I do that any and all potions are not permitted to leave the laboratories. And if they did, then Celia and Dizzy could be facing theft charges as well as property damage."

"Then they were studying magic!" Mal assumed.

"During school hours without proper supervision?"

"Which is also forbidden, right. I am at a loss: they told us they were going to study. I truly have no idea what-"

"Fairy Godmother," one of the staff members arrived on the scene, "one of Dizzy Tremaine's guardians is here to pick her up. Do you know where she is?"

"Evie's here?"

"It is a gentleman."

"Doug then," Ben deduced.

"Could you bring Mr. Miner over?" Fairy Godmother asked. The staff member nodded and went to fetch Doug. "I don't understand how this happened Mal, but it did. Only two girls know how it happened and we have to find them."

"Hi guys," Doug hurried over to the group. "Fairy Godmother-"

"We don't believe Dizzy was hurt. However, she doesn't seem to be accounted for."

"She hasn't tried to get in touch with me or Evie. Have you heard from Lady Tremaine or Drizella?"

"I sincerely doubt Dizzy would have made it to the Isle in the short amount of time that this happened. She and Celia couldn't have gotten far." Fairy Godmother turned to Ben. "With Your Majesty's permission: I'd like to place Auradon under lockdown so that they can't get any farther."

"Lockdown?"

"Isn't that a little extreme?" Ben asked. "Like what we do for criminals?"

"I'm afraid they have committed a crime," Fairy Godmother admitted. "Rest assured: the lockdown is mostly for their safety so that we can find them if they're not on school grounds. I just need Royal Permission."

"You have it."

"If you'll all follow me to my office."

Mal held Ben back. "Ben, what are we going to do? They're just kids."

"We're gonna get to the bottom of this." He headed into Auradon Prep, his reluctant wife behind him.

…

"Evie!" Carlos came running into the workshop. "Evie, you-" he noticed she wasn't alone, "-what are you guys doing here?"

"We came with Harry," Uma answered back.

"Harry's here?"

"Wasn't he just watching TV with you?"

"No, it's just—TV!" Carlos remembered why he came in. "Evie, they just announced on TV that they're putting Auradon under magical lockdown."

"What?" Evie, Uma, and Gil expressed this sentiment.

"There was an explosion at the school and the ones who were responsible aren't there. They're putting up a lockdown barrier so-"

"Hold up," Uma cut him off, "you mean like the ones who blew up the school aren't there?"

"I guess."

Uma chuckled. "I didn't think she had it in her."

Evie had caught on. "You think Dizzy had something to do with this?"

"Why else have you haven't heard from her?"

"Uma, I know Dizzy. She would never-"

"I think they said something about putting up a-" Jay ran into the workshop. He was about to say something more until he saw who else was here. "Gil. Hey."

Gil didn't really have anything to say so he acknowledged him with a, "Jay."

"Wait, I'm confused," Carlos interrupted. "If Harry's here, then where is he?"

"That's actually a good point," Uma agreed. "Last I saw he tried flirtin' with Princess and left the workshop."

Carlos groaned. "He picked Evie this month?"

"The boy ain't gonna learn."

"You guys aren't all concerned with the whole lockdown part?" Jay questioned. "If Harry's still here, he isn't going anywhere-"

"-and neither are we," Evie finished as she sat in her chair.

"Well, Harry couldn't have gotten far," Uma figured. "Let's find him before he causes any more property damage."

"Any more?"

"Don't worry: it wasn't your property."

"Oh. That's…" unsure of how to respond, Evie turned away from them.

"Yee-ah, I'll start in the kitchen," Uma headed for the castle.

"I'll help you look downstairs," Carlos volunteered. "Jay."

"If I go," Jay began, "who's gonna watch after Evie?"

"I will," Gil point blankly said.

"Then who's gonna watch after you?"

"Jay, please, go with them," Evie pleaded. "I'll be fine with Gil."

"How hard can it be to find Harry? He's either in the kitchen with the booze, or in the bed with the-"

"JAY!"

"Okay, okay." With that, Jay left.

"Ugh," Evie groaned.

"You uh…" Gil felt a bit awkward, "you want me to like…do something?"

"Why don't you just go back to reading?"

"I'm honestly not all that great with word books. You ever been to Wonderland? Their books are nothin' but pictures; totally easy to read."

"Well, the only book in here that's primarily pictures I don't think you want to read."

"Try me."

Evie sighed. "I did warn you." She pointed to her husband's desk. "Just don't lose his place."

Gil looked over the cover. "Is this some science book?"

"You can say that."

He began skimming through pages. "Aw sick!"

"I warned you."

"No, I meant like cool sick! I can't believe they'd put stuff like this in a book; this stuff is gnarly! What am I looking at anyway?"

Evie looked at the title. "Up Close and Personal: The Birthing Process."

"Oh, so like when a baby's born?"

"I don't know what other possible definition there could be for 'birthing process'."

He looked through the pages. "Do all lady areas look like that?" Evie rolled her eyes. "Because when my mom had one of my little brothers hers-"

"Wait, what?" She turned her chair to him. "You actually saw a live birth before?"

"You don't really have decent medical care when you grow up on the Isle. You should know that. My mom had all of us at home. When you got old enough, you got to help her out. Okay, you weren't supposed to go down south—if you know what I mean," Evie nodded, "—but I looked a couple times. Did you know that a baby's head comes out before its legs?"

"Yes, Gil, I did."

He flipped a few more pages. "Oh, yep, it shows you right here," he proudly displayed the page.

"I read the book, Gil!"

"Oh, right, sorry, it probably grosses you out."

"Not as much as page fifty-three."

Gil turned to page fifty-three, and then tilted the book around. Unsure of what was supposed to gross him out, he shrugged and set the book on Doug's desk. "I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly hungry. Got a secret candy stash somewhere?"

…

"The barrier is completely up," Fairy Godmother announced Ben, Mal, Doug, and Jane. "I have it so that only I, or the king and queen, can break through or lift it. Now all there is to do is find Celia and Dizzy and bring them in for questioning."

"Fairy Godmother," Mal seemed a bit stung, "I wish you wouldn't talk like they're criminals. They're not. They're just teenage girls. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding, or accident."

"I truly hope it is. Until we-"

"Plus this is further going to perpetuate the Villain Kid stereotype. It's not fair!"

"Mom," Jane began, "is there something wrong with the electricity? I'm trying to call Carlos, but nothing's happening on my phone."

"That might explain why I haven't gotten a hold of Evie," Doug added as he slid his phone into his pocket.

"All electricity and magic has been temporarily frozen," Fairy Godmother explained.

"Gee, let's hope no one was in the middle of an important TV show or anything." This got a few smiles from everyone but Mal. "Seriously though: can you give us any idea how long this is going to last?"

"I'm afraid I can't . All we can do now is wait."

…

"Found him!" Carlos called to everyone. Uma and Jay met him in the doorway. "He's asleep in the bathtub."

Jay was perplexed by this. "How?"

"Oh, he'll find a way," Uma went over to the bathtub, turned the faucet, and then turned on the shower.

"BLOODY HELL!" Harry nearly leapt out of the shower. "That is freezing!"

"What were you doing in the bathtub?"

Harry shrugged. "I got lost." She quirked a brow to him. "I suddenly felt the urge to vomit and somehow fell asleep in the bathtub again. At least I made it to the loo this time!"

"Just go sit on the couch."

Harry shuffled to the living room, plopped on the couch, and reached for the remote. "What the?" Nothing was working. "What's wrong with this bloody thing?" He waved the clicker every which way and got no result. So, he casually threw it over his shoulder and let it very loudly hit something that sounded fragile. "Thing's busted."

Turns out what Harry had hit with the remote was a large frame against the back wall. The first hit was the clicker hitting the glass in the frame. The crash was when the entire frame slid off the wall and onto the floor.

Gil came sprinting into the room when he heard it. "It's okay," he called behind him, "no one looks maimed!" He looked at the other four. "What happened?"

Uma, Jay, and Carlos (heck, even Harry) all pointed a finger at the guilty party and stated, "He did it."

Evie waddled into the living room. "Why do I have the feeling one of you destroyed something of value?"

"He did it," this time Gil joined in the pointing.

"Unsurprising."

Harry pointed to the TV. "TV's broken."

"The TV is not broken."

"Actually E," Carlos was in control of the remote, "I think he's right."

"The internet will tell us how to fix it," Jay pulled out his phone. "Or not."

"Didn't find a way how?"

"Phone's not working. It's probably bad reception in here, I'll try outside." When Jay opened the front door, a force practically threw him back.

"Jay!" Carlos was vocal as he and Uma ran to him. Gil, meanwhile, had started to go to Jay, but stayed back. "You okay man?"

Jay put his foot through the door. "It feels like there's an invisible wall here."

"I think it's a Lockdown Barrier." When Carlos stuck his hand out, he felt a force holding him in. "There's some kind of force that won't let us out this door."

"Then just go out the back door," Uma marched back through the workshop and headed for the other door. When she tried to exit, she was peeved to discover that she couldn't. "Great."

"So we're stuck here?" Gil questioned.

"And we're just gonna have to make the most of it," leave it to Evie to play peacemaker. "Carlos: take the picture out of the frame and put it somewhere safe where it won't get damaged. Once that's done: Harry, you're going to clean up the mess you made. I don't care what you guys do after that, just please don't destroy anything else. Uma: we're gonna finish your dress in my workshop after you get me a pair of sweatpants. Jay and Gil…I know things are tense between you two, but if you're not going to work it out, then please keep your distance from each other and find something to do to occupy your time. Okay?" Gil scoffed at Jay and went back toward the workshop while Carlos went for the picture. Jay was about to protest, but Evie held up her hand to silence him. "Please Jay," Jay made himself comfortable on the couch. Evie then directed attention to Uma. "Just grab any pair of sweatpants out of my closet and meet me in my workshop."

"Whatever," Uma went to do to her task.

Evie turned to Harry. "There's a broom and dustpan in the hall closet."

"I must say," Harry sauntered over to Evie, "I'm liking this take-charge attitude."

"Back away," Harry made some sort of noise of pleasure (much to Evie's disgust) and went down the hall

Uma came back downstairs with a pair of purple sweatpants. "These okay?"

"Yes, thank you," Evie took the apparel from Uma. "I'm going to go change and then I'll meet you in the workshop."

"What, you gotta look good for a lockdown? What's wrong with what you're wearing?"

"Oh, my water broke," Evie said this like it was no big deal. "If I'm gonna change: I should probably get one of Doug's emergency tees out of the workshop."

"EXCUSE YOU?"

"Doug keeps some extra t-shirts in the wardrobe in the workshop in case-"

"I could care less about that part. Back up to what you said before that about your water breaking." Evie merely nodded. "And you're not freaking out about this?"

"What's not to freak out about?" Uma let out a disbelieved gasp. "Yes, the situation isn't really…ideal, but it's probably not good for me to have any more added stress. So we're just going to pretend like…" Evie squeaked, bit her lip, and turned away, clearly having a contraction. She took some deep breaths before facing Uma with complete composure and told her, "everything's fine," through gritted teeth while gripping the wall for balance.

"Even though everything is NOT fine?"

Evie emitted some sort of screech through her closed mouth as her grip caused some very obvious damage to the wall. "Everything's. Fine."