Chapter Text

Thomas Schneider, mayor of Old Sunset Valley stared at the camera while standing on a podium.

“The Old Town of today is no longer as we knew it. I don't want to get into the quackery, but the natural displacement of the city has led many inhabitants to seek their place in peripheral neighborhoods. With the help of my Congresspeople, we will seek improvements for the re-inaugurated Pleasant Valley.”

Chapter 1: Bet on the wrong murder.

My mom would always say “The rich have their very funny ways of entertainment”, and I couldn’t stop thinking about that when I first entered the Goth Mansion. It is no mystery that Gunther and Cornelia Goth founded Pleasantview (now renamed Pleasant Valley), a small neighborhood a few hours away from Old Sunset Valley. Ever since then, the Goths have moved 3 (!) times, and they have remodeled their house other two.

I am greeted by Lurch, a friendly Servo created by Mortimer Goth a few years ago. Rumors say that he left a part of him in the robot to avoid feeling guilty for abandoning his beloved Bella, after so long searching for her. But these were just plain rumors, and I soon learned that, if there is one thing the Goth family hates, that is gossip...

Camille Schneider arrived early at 165 Sim Lane that Saturday morning. Her first recorded interview to no one less than Alexander Goth himself. Living in Sunset Valley and not being obsessed with the Goths was certainly tricky. But now retired to Pleasant Valley, it was tricky to contact them, and she had been lucky enough because of an opportunity at the University.

“I’m so glad I have the opportunity to interview Alexander Goth, who celebrates the 60th anniversary of the book Murder in Pleasantview .” She started in her recorder once Lurch Goth offered her a sit and a drink. What a nice pile of tin.

After a tedious routine of questions, the interviewer was bold enough to drop the prompt of her scoop again.

“For a long time, fans believed that Alexander was a pseudonym for Gunther Goth to publish the book, but it seems supernatural that the events narrated there occurred exactly fifteen years ago, here in your neighborhood.”

“Yeah… that’s curious isn’t it.” Said Alexander with a quirky smile.

“But do you think that if people had read the book on time, Brandi Broke’s murder could have been prevented?”

“I thought so, but maybe… The question isn’t what time, the question is what word.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mister Alexander, Ms. Cecilia is waiting for you in the dining room.” Interrupted Lurch, retiring the cups.

“Thank you, Lurch. I think that's my call to go, miss Schneider. Lurch can you take her outside?”

Camille looked shocked as Lurch took her outside. So that was all ? He wasn’t even going to talk about Bella Goth?

Alexander smiled indulgently when he saw his wife in the dining room. She looked as beautiful as ever.

“Hey babe, what’s up?”

“Did the reporter leave?”

“Yes, I think it was a bad idea to tell her to come. Why the long face?”

“Your mother, Alexander. I don’t think she wants me here.”

“What do you mean? You know she's a little shy ... you guys will get along better soon.” He answered, hoping Cecilia believed in it more than he did.

---

At one of Sim State University’s dorms, Beau Broke saw his roommate, Camille, struggling in the living room.

“Hey Cami, how did you do?”

“I thought I was okay, but then he literally kicked me off his house.”

“Literally?”

“No, it's a way to say. This interview had to be one of the most important for my portfolio, and I think I screwed it up.”

“But why? I never thought Alexander Goth would be a hard nut to crack.”

“Well I asked him… about your mother.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you gotta know what happened, Beau!”

“I already know what happened Camille, my mom was murdered by Gordon King.”

“But the circumstances of her death ...!”

“Shrug it off Camille. I know you like playing the criminal reporter, but this is none of your business. Don’t you dare to ask about my mother again.”

Chapter Text

“The papers are signed and the house is ready, Mr. Wolff” said Abigail Gurrie, one of the most respected architects of the valley.

“Abigail, thank you! It feels so good to be here in Pleasant Valley after all those years living in Old Sunset. You’re a gem” said the M.D.

“Great job, Martin. The house is impressive. And Dina looks so happy”. Rita was the happiest of them all. Finally, her dreams came true. A huge mansion in the most peaceful town of SimCity. And the smile of her beautiful Dina shined brighter than the aquamarine pool. All that was left to do was to get rid of Martin. She dropped the prompt later.

“113 Wright Way had been uninhabited for years, right? Maybe a party to reunite with your old neighbors?”

“Rita, that’s an excellent idea. Call Nina and send some invitations. Blonde bomb is back in town”

In a more modest part of Pleasant Valley, a family sat down for breakfast.

“Morning babies” said Nina Caliente to her two teen children. “Aunt Dina is back in town and she wants to throw a party, so I want you pretty and clean by 7 pm.”

“So is it like a big party? Can I bring people?”

“Who do you wanna bring Kathy, you don’t even have friends” answered her brother Jesse.

“You guys ready for school or what?” Old sports couch Daniel Pleasant entered the room.

“In a minute love. There’s a party today…”

And not far from there, a different kind of breakfast was taking place in the Dreamer’s house.

“Interesting paper, huh, Dad?”

“Give me a minute Diana, your dad is reading something.”

“The school bus will be here in a minute, love.”

“Got that, just tryna have a conversation with dad here.”

Although her father was older, Diana had a hard time trying to impress him when he seemed so self-absorbed. And her mother, Cassandra, would never have admitted it, but she felt the same way.

“Your dad doesn’t even feel like eating these days.”

“Okay, bye. I still love you, old man” said the girl, kissing his father in the forehead.

Not much later, Cassandra received a phone call from her best friend.

“Mary-Sue? Hi! Yes, I’ve been busy working and everything.”

“Tell me about it. With that clown Schneider as the mayor, seriously, what does he even know about Pleasantview?”

“Is that whole party thing his idea?”

“No, the party is being held by Dina Wolff, can you believe that?”

“Dina? No way!” Old flashbacks came into Cassandra’s mind. Her uncle Michael dying not shortly after marrying a much younger woman. The same woman strutting into her house to seduce her father when Bella Goth was long gone.

“Tell me about it, do you think I want to go see my ex husband and his new family in that house?” said Mary-Sue, distracting her. Of course, she had her own concerns.

“Do you need some back up there?”

“I think I would only bear that party if you and your family are there too. Thanks, dear, you’re a life savior” replied Mary-Sue.

---

In Pleasant High School, Kathy was having a chat with her cousin, Sebastian.

“I’m just so excited for your party tonight!”

“Do you know by any chance if Diana is coming?”

“I guess Jesse will invite her, isn’t it obvious?”

“So are they, like, official now?” asked Sebastian with concern. At the same time, Diana was just entering the school gym.

“Hey, Troy Bolton.” she said with a flirty smile.

“Hey, D. Were you staring at me?”

“Do you mind that I like looking at you?”

“No, not at all. Listen, my aunt is having a party today…”

“Yeah, my mom told me about it. We’re all going.”

“Really? Should I be concerned?”

“I don’t know, should you?”

“Well your mom doesn’t like me, and I haven’t met your father yet.”

“Are you scared, Casanova?”

“You know I’d do anything for you.” he replied, sounding exactly like his father would.

Chapter Text

At the Pleasants house, Angela entered Lilith’s room, while she was practicing with her guitar.

“Lili. Dad invited us to a party today, I hope you won’t let him down this time”. Lilith just laughed.

“Tell me again why should I care?”

“Don’t be so mean! Could you at least try?”

“Look, I’m over dad pretending to have this happy family, I don’t even like Jesse or Kathy or…”

“They’re our siblings!” That was the breaking point for Angela. She got it, Lilith hated Daniel, she would always hate him, but his wasn’t about him. It was about their little brother and sister.

“Yeah, and so was Beau, wasn’t he?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean that when you left Dustin…”

“Shut up! You’re talking nonsense”.

Lilith had had enough of Angela’s bullshit. I didn’t matter how many times they fight, they would always end up being angry at each other. She decided she was better off at Dustin and Dirk’s house. Their relationship had been quite good ever since they got out of college. She told them about the party right away.

“And my dad’s girlfriend’s sister is having a party at 113 Wright Way”.

“No way. The huge new house they built up there is hers?” Dustin always was absurdly impressed about how rich people could be.

“They also posted it on the news so it’s not a big secret” said Dirk.

“So you guys wanna go?”

“It could be cool if we go,” said Dustin. He was actually willing to see Angela, they hadn’t seen each other for a while.

“Don’t you love this? The three of us together as we always should’ve been”.

“Guys, we are not twenty anymore” Dirk was always amused at how childish Dustin and Lilith could be.

“Well, I’m doing good. I got a job and I send money to my bro”.

“And you are the one who doesn't want to propose to his girlfriend, Dirk” said Lilith. She knew it would hurt him. She herself couldn’t picture Dirk being a husband, but why did they have to act like such grown-ups? They had already had difficult teenage years anyways.

“So just because I earn money and live on my own should I marry my girlfriend?” asked Dirk.

“Yes” answered Dustin.

“If that’s what she wants, maybe” said Lilith.

On the other side of the valley, precisely on the more affluent, Evan Alto caught his younger sister Livia going through her old room.

“Livia, what are you doing in your old room?”

“Nothing… just reminiscing”.

“Sis, you need to get over Alexander,” said Evan. He knew how much her sister missed her high school sweetheart, but honestly how long could she be sad for it? Would had grandpa Nick approve this? Being sad for a Goth ? No way. “C’mon, there’s a party at Dr. Wolff’s house. We’ll have fun”.

A few hours later, Kenzy Alto, Evan’s wife, was arguing with her younger brother, Cameron.

“Look Cameron, you’re never going to find a girl better than Angela Pleasant”.

“Why is everyone here so obsessed with settling down?” asked Cameron. Interestingly, his relationship with Angela had been the longest he had ever had, back in those crazy college years. It had been a few years since, was it time to finally get married and make a home just like Kenzy had?

“Hi! Are you all ready?” Livia showed up in a wonderful dress.

“ Bellisima ! I’m glad you’re wearing Grandma Vita’s necklace” said Evan.

“Thanks, brother”.

“Hi Livia, you already know my brother, Cameron”.

“Yes, hi. Shall we go?” It was finally time for Pleasant Valley to have an event of colossal magnitudes.

In Sim State University, however, two young students were having fun in a small attic. Beau Broke had just hung up.

“Was that your brother on the phone?” asked Lucy.

“Yes, he said something about a party in Pleasant Valley…”

“Oh, I heard about it. My parents are going too”.

“But I don’t want to go. I’m happy here with you”.

“I’m going as well, silly”.

“You’re gonna let me embarrass you in front of them?”

“Bold of you to assume we’re going as a couple”.

“Still afraid to assume that you’re into a freshman?”

“Shut up and kiss me”.

Chapter Text

In 113 Wright Way, things were getting ready for the party. Dina was having a hard time grooming herself.

“You need to relax, Dina. Everything will be alright” said Rita to pacify her.

“I can’t deal with the pressure, all of them will be here” said the blonde woman. Rita held her shoulders in a sweet massage.

“There, there. Feeling any better?”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Rita”.

“Well, that’s something we have in common, baby” the brunette responded.

“I just wish it could be easier for us…”

“Hey girls! Am I interrupting?” said Nina opening the dressing room’s door.

“No, miss Nina, I was… just leaving” replied Rita quickly, sneaking out where Nina had come in.

“You need to be more careful about her, Dina” said the ginger sister. She could still remember the first day she had seen Dina and Rita together, making her go into labor with Jesse. There was just something strange about Rita, but if her sister was happy, then she couldn’t do a thing about it.

“I know, I’m just… stressed. What happened?”

“Bella Goth replied to the invite and she is coming to the party” answered Nina with a deep sigh.

“WHAT? Who invited that old witch?” screamed Dina in despair. Last time she had seen Bella Goth, Mortimer was still alive, and both had made it clear to her that she was a nobody. However, at the same time Dina’s husband entered the room.

“I did” he said. “I invited her”.

“But Martin, how?”

“Bella Goth is my patient and a good friend. I wasn't going to leave her out of this” he replied kindly. Dina said no more. She wasn't going to contradict her husband, mostly because she couldn't. Martin didn't have to find out that Dina had been involved with back-then then richest man in Pleasantview. Both sisters came out of the room, so that they could finish the last details for the party.

“So, are we ever talking about how your girlfriend looks exactly like Bella Goth?”

“What do you mean? She does not”.

---

The party had begun. Most of Pleasant Valley villagers were there, also including some people from the Sunset Valley district. The current mayor, Thomas Schneider was there with his wife and oldest daughter, Camille. However, Camille’s friend Beau had his eyes stuck in Jennifer Burb’s daughter, Lucy.

A mysterious man also entered 113 Wright Way at the same Martin received Bella Goth.

“Bella, I haven't had a chance to introduce you to my wife, Dina,” he said. Dina swallowed.

“Oh, really?” said Bella. The two women's eyes met and for a second, Dina thought she saw a strange glint in their gaze. Bella Goth was no longer what she once was. Her figure looked older, more modest, and by the way, more serious.

“Hello Bella” she said, faking niceties.

“I’d say long time no see” replied the old woman.

“Okay! Maybe I could get you all some drinks?” interrupted Rita, noticing Dina’s nervousness.

“Yes, I think Dina might want one. She looks so pale” answered Bella with a smirk.

At the same time, Cameron Greenshields got closer to his once ex-girlfriend, Angela Pleasant. She looked as pretty as ever, just like the last time he had seen her in their college graduation.

“Hi Angela. How are you?” he said.

“What do you want, Cameron?” replied the girl with fire in his eyes. She hoped Lilith wasn’t around sneaking. Or Dustin.

“It’s been a while since Junior year, don’t you think? I just wanna make it up to you” said Cameron. His sister Kenzy was right. Maybe he needed a good girl around. A woman to be his wife.

“How?” said Angela. “After you humiliated me with a cheerleader?”

“We’re getting older, Angie. And I can’t picture myself with anyone else but you. Do you want to get out of here and go get something to eat?”

Near them, Dina and Rita escaped from Bella Goth's vision. It was there that Dina saw someone she hardly recognized, the son of her friend Brandi, Beau.

“Beau, I can't believe you're here!” she said with a big smile. God, how she missed that girl. It seemed like yesterday when Brandi was teaching Beau to walk and now, he was quite a man in college. “Brandi would have loved for you to come visit us more often. The Altos are sending you good money, right?” she asked, unaware of Beau’s discomfort.

On the second floor, Dina’s son Sebastian was hanging with his cousins and Diana Dreamer. Seb waited for Jesse and Kathy to be gone so he could spend some time alone with Diana.

“Your room is really cool, Seb” said Diana, amazed with the great electronics games and huge TV set Seb had. Money couldn’t impress her much, though, she had quite her own. “But why did you bring me here?”

“Well, there's something I wanted to tell you for a long time” said Sebastian, holding his breath. “I like you, Diana. I think we should go out together” he said.

“But Seb, I ... You know I like Jesse, right?” she replied. Seb could hear his heart breaking.

“But Jesse is an idiot. You can have someone better” he quickly said. No. Not Jesse being better than him again. Why?

“Don't call him that. You know he's had it harder than us. You are so insensitive” said Diana, just before storming out of his room.

Diana followed Jesse’s trail. She still hadn’t introduced him to his parents. But there was some kind of commotion outside the house, near the pool. What she didn’t know was that Don Lothario had just seen his son walking towards Nina Caliente. He quickly stepped to his direction, without noticing the huge fount of water under him

“That’s him. Jesse!” he screamed before falling down to the pool.

“Haha, who was that clown?” said Daniel, watching the spectacle along with the others.

“No fucking way” said Nina, trembling.

Chapter Text

“Hey, are you okay? You looked so lost when you fell. I’m Livia Alto, by the way. And you are?”

Don felt dizzy, the kind of dizziness he hadn't felt in years. With the help of Livia he was able to dry himself enough to try again to get close to his son, but Nina stopped him on the way.

“What are you doing here Don?

“Look Nina, I just want to talk to him” said Don with an unusual patience.

“It’s been fifteen years, Don” started Nina. Don was about to argue, but Jesse came first. He stared at Don. The resemblance was uncanny.

“Hi… Don? I’m Jesse”.

“Hi, son” said Don with a smile.

“He’s not your son Don. I’m the one who raised him” said Daniel, wrathful. With all the big fuss, the party had stopped, a few curious people crowded were looking around.

“I can’t believe he’s actually here” said Cassandra.

“Jesse’s dad is your ex?” asked Diana.

“God, he’s so dreamy” whispered Livia, ignoring the fuss.

Martin and Dina got closer to them: “Okay, everybody, calm down. Don, might I talk to you for a minute?” said Martin with his dutiful smile.

“We're going home. All of us” said Daniel. But his son had other plans.

“I'll say goodbye to Diana first”. Back in the inside of the house, Cassandra and Darren had had enough of the party. Plus, everyone else was leaving too.

“Dad, I've wanted to introduce you to Jesse for a long time,” said Diana, once Jesse had reached her.

“Enough already, Diana. This is Don Lothario's son” accused Cassandra. Come to think about it, how hadn’t she noticed before? Jesse had Don’s eyes, and his charming smile. In no ways she would allow her dear daughter near him.

“Is he?” asked Darren.

“Mom! He literally just met him!”

“I don't want you to be involved with anyone who has to do with Don Lothario, Diana” barked Darren.

“You really are judging me for my biological father?” Jesse blew up. He was still confused about Don. “I thought you were smarter Mr. and Mrs. Dreamer. But don't worry. Because I don't want to deal with people insulting my family either” he barked before running away to his parents again.

---

“It’s clear that your mental state is not the best one. Why don't you pay a visit to my psychiatry office?” Martin had already seated Don in front of him and was using his best psychiatric skills with him.

“Is it so evident that I'm not okay?” asked Don smiling.

“I'm a psychiatrist. I can tell when I see patients using drugs” said Martin with an indulgent smile. Don looked as handsome as ever, Dina though, and she wondered how Martin had noticed that in him.

“You knew he'd be here?” Rita brought her out of her reverie.

“He needed to meet his son” answered Dina. “I just hope Nina won't hate me for it”.

In the front yard, while people were leaving the party, Dustin reached Camille, Beau’s roommate in the university dorm.

“Hey Camille! Do you know where Beau went?”

“He left quite early. I'm kinda worried, can you go find him?” said Camille. At the same time, Cameron Greenshields had taken Angela out for some late-night dinner. And Beau was far from 113 Wright Way.

Dustin called Dirk before heading to where he was.

“You go looking for Beau? Okay, let me know”. Dirk had walked some streets with Lilith after his girlfriend took a taxi back to Old Sunset Valley. “Dustin went looking for his brother. You wanna spend the night?” he asked the redhead.

“I’ll take every opportunity to be outside my house” replied Lilith with a big smile.

---

In Pleasant Rest Graveyard, a fairly drunk Beau Broke was sitting next to his family’s vault.

“Why is she dead? Why?” Beau mumbled with tears streaming down his face. Life was just so unfair. Pictures of his father and mother were screaming color from a past he could barely remember. All he knew about his father was what his mother told him. All he remembered about his mother were her last moments on Earth. And it was so hard…

“Beau, get up. I knew you’d be here” his brother’s voice found him in the dark.

“It’s not fair!” cried Beau.  “Why does she have to be dead, I miss her!” he couldn’t stop the tears, turning his head down. Dustin tried to embrace him.

“I know, I miss her too” he whispered, trying not to cry himself. “But there’s nothing we can do about it, Beau”.

“She should be here, with our baby brother, going to parties, she was so young”.

“Come here. You need to rest” said Dustin, grabbing him from the shoulders.

“Maybe all is not lost, you know” Beau breathed with difficulty.

“Beau, our mother is dead…”

“I know we can take her back” he said, looking into his brother’s eyes.

“How?” asked Dustin, concerned.

“Alexander Goth”.

---

A few hours later, in Dustin and Dirk’s apartment, Lilith had already put on pajamas to rest.

“Beau is okay, he is with Dustin now” said Dirk, who had lent her his room.

“Glad to hear. Your new bed is very comfy” said she with a charming smile.

“I see you made yourself comfortable. Yeah, it was a gift from dad after uni” replied Dirk, corresponding to her smile. The woman he had known all long for more than fifteen years, who had shattered his heart but that could still make him laugh like two old best friends. That was Lilith to him.

“Dirk, can I ask you something?” said Lilith, now more serious. “Real talk”.

“Go ahead”.

“Why haven’t you proposed to your girlfriend?” she asked, remembering the dark-haired girl with light blue eyes she had met at Dina’s party. “Do you really prefer living here with Dustin?”

Dirk hesitated: “Do you really want me to answer that?”

“Yeah-”

“Because I love you, Lilith” he replied really quickly. “I always will”.

“You will?” asked the red haired after a moment of silence. That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, but why was she expecting it?

“Yes. That’s the problem” said Dirk. He turned around and left the room with a heavy heart.

Chapter Text

In the Caliente-Pleasant Household, things were not right. Jesse hadn’t come out of his room and Nina and Daniel were having a big fight.

“What do you mean he needs to be closer?” he yelled.

“He is his father, Daniel!” answered Nina in a yowl. Why did everything seem so obvious now? Why was Don back causing trouble in her life again? Could she ever escape him?

“No, I am his father. Me! I raised him, I gave him a roof…”

“What do you want me to do? To tell him to go away?” asked Nina crying. They both seemed to ignore that their daughter Kathy was just sitting with them in the living room.

“How can you even disagree with me?” asked Daniel, infuriated. For fifteen years he had been there for Jesse, why did this Don Lothario clown have to appear to ruin everything?

“I think dad's got a point,” said Kathy suddenly. Her parents looked at her.

“Go to your room Katrina. You shouldn't be here” Nina scolded her.

“Why not? I’m part of this family as well” said the girl. Katrina , she thought. How she hated that name.

“Kathy, go” said Daniel. His daughters were all cut from the same cloth. Kathy stood up quickly and ran away from the living room, but instead of going to her room she stormed out of the house.

“Why does everyone treat me like I’m a nuisance?” she asked herself. She crossed the street distressed. Her house wasn’t the place she wanted to be in right now, so she decided to visit her aunt Jennifer. Luckily, she was outside playing with Teddy.

“Come on, Teddy!” she yelled. “Make an effort”.

“I’m trying, mom” said her little cousin. Teddy was about eleven years old, and Kathy thought he was the best-behaved Pleasant around. Unfortunately, her aunt Jennifer differed.

“Do you think the coach is going to notice you if you keep your attitude like this?”

“Hi Lucy” said Kathy, sitting next to her older cousin on the porch.

“Hi. Mom is doing her awful mother routine” said Lucy, excusing the scene. “How are things around your house?”

“Awful as well” replied the red haired. “Jesse hasn't left his room”.

“Why does mom project her frustrated dreams on Teddy?” Lucy asked, more to herself than to Kathy. For as long as she could remember, her mother had always struck her as too distant a figure. Always busy at work, always wearing fancy dresses. Now Teddy was getting all the attention she dreamed of, when she was a child. But at what cost?

“At least she pays attention to him” said Kathy. She also dreamed of the day where Daniel and Nina would center their attention on her.

“Wait, I have a call” said Lucy when her phone vibrated. It was Beau, who had kept her awake all night.

Far away from there, Don Lothario was receiving treatment at Doctor Wolff’s psychiatric office.

“How am I feeling, Doc? I’m a doctor as well, you know? I stopped working for a few years though” he said after Martin had asked him a few routine questions.

“Why did you stop?” asked the psychiatrist.

“I can’t remember quite well to be honest. I have many mental holes, as I told you” answered Don.

“That’s strange. Do you happen to know Bella Goth?”

“… No” mumble Don in short.

“She had the same symptoms as you,” commented Martin, after taking some notes. Don gulped. “Our children are family, so I really care about you, Don. Do you have someone you can trust in case of more memory loss?”

“Not really, but I rented an apartment so I could be near my son” he said.

“That will work for now. Go home and get some rest, last night was very difficult for everyone” Doctor Wolff recommended.

---

But things weren’t as easy for everyone, as Diana and her mother were having a silent feud. Cassandra entered her daughter’s room.

“Oh, hi mother. How long will I be unjustly grounded?”

“Until you no longer want to be near Jesse, that’s when” she answered. Diana dropped her violin gently on the stand.

“What is your problem? Don Lothario just came into his life!” God her mother gave her headaches.

“That is...” started Cassandra. But then she felt really powerless. Images came rapidly to her mind. “But how? Why is he back? He shouldn't be back!”

“What are you even talking about?” cried Diana.

“I need to talk to Alexander” said Cassandra, and left the room instead. Diana clenched her fists. Cassandra, however, wasn’t the only one who wanted to visit Alexander.

“I’m really happy you came here. I gathered you all because you're my family, and I'm determined to find out the truth about my mother” said Beau, oddly more optimistic than he was last night. Dustin didn't completely agree, but he hadn't seen Beau so happy in a long time. He didn't have the heart to stop him.

Lucy wasn’t that much happy either. What is she doing here? , she asked herself, staring at Camille.

“When I interviewed Alexander Goth” started Camille, as if she had read her mind, “he told me about this book called Murder in Pleasantview , that he wrote. We could go ask him if he knows anything else about the circumstances of Brandi’s death”.

“If that’s the plan, I’ll be happy to help you” answered Lucy, looking at her Beau.

“I guess Alexander Goth can’t kick us all out” said Dustin.

There was an unusual breeze that night. Three Pleasantview villagers and a girl from Old Sunset Valley showed up at 125 Sim Lane. Bright stars twinkled in the dark blue sky as Beau Broke rang the house bell softly but decisively.

Chapter Text

For Camille’s surprise, it was not Lurch, but Alexander the one who attended the door.

“Hello…?” he wondered at the unexpected guests.

“Hello Alexander. We want to learn about Murder in Pleasantview ” said Beau. Alexander sighed and after a second of hesitation, he let the visitors in. Dustin was still amazed at the pomposity of the mansion, and Lucy and Camille were having a silent fight of who should be right next to Beau.

             Alexander took them upstairs, to the third floor of the Goth mansion. There, a strange shelving that worked as a secret door led them to a cold chamber, in which many candles were lighting the room. Lucy was the first to break the silence of the peculiar march.

“Were you expecting us?” she asked, concerned about the candles.

“No, not really. But I’ve been thinking about you and the interview” he said, pointing Camille out.

“Okay. So, I’m Beau, this is my brother Dustin, and these are my friends, Lucy and Camille…” said Beau, annoying the brunette girl.

“I know who you are. You want to know about how Brandi Broke died” said Alexander. Both Dustin and Beau flinched at the selection of his words, and Lucy held Beau’s hand in order for him to stay calm.

“You… you never answered my question about how the time, or the world affected the way the murder could have been prevented” said Camille.

“I know. I didn’t answer you because that interview was going to be published and most people were going to read it, and most people weren’t going to understand the answers. And I can’t do that to our reputation, I have a house name to represent, you know.”

By the time Alexander finished, someone else appeared through the shelving door. It was his sister, Cassandra, who looked off-mood, but was not surprised by the visitors.

“What are you doing here, who let you in?” his brother asked.

“Lurch, of course. I was talking with him and Bella” she replied, staring at the others with somber.

“That explains why he didn't answer the door then.”

“Uh, excuse me, but we’re here to talk about Brandi” Dustin interrupted. Everyone looked at him. Alexander uttered a deep sigh.

“Let me tell you all the story from the beginning. I knew there was a book called Murder in Pleasantview when your mother died. But it was really hard to find. Apparently, someone (I’m guessing, my father) bought all the copies, and most of them were burnt in the first fire our house had, before I was born. A few years after that, my mother, Bella, got abducted by aliens.”

“Wait, so aliens really do exist?” asked Beau, incredulous.

“Of course they exist,” answered Alexander. Cassandra rolled her eyes. “People in Strangetown have been contacting them for ages. But that’s not the point. Mother disappeared for more than a year, and then she was back, but she claimed that her memory was erased. When I found a copy of the book, after she came back, I realized that I had written the book myself.”

“Wait, how did you…?”

“You wrote…?” asked both Lucy and Camille at the same time.

“Cassandra, do you remember uncle Michael?” Alexander interrupted.

“Yes. He was older than Bella” his sister replied.

“He was, but how did he just finish college when you were eight years old? You never thought that was odd?”

A thought seemed to cross Cassandra’s mind. Everyone else in the room was confused.

“Dad had already created the Elixir, they used it on themselves, and it failed. That’s why they seemed older than they really were” answered Alexander.

“Wait, the Elixir? The Elixir of life, does it exist?” inquired Camille.

“How is this related to your investigation?” said Cassandra, ignoring Camille’s confusion.

“Dad was just a test subject. He helped in the creation of the Elixir, but that was it. And then, they had you and me, blah blah happily ever after. Until it wasn’t. Dina Caliente married uncle Michael, in Old Town. When he passed away, she came back to Pleasantview. Except mom wasn’t here anymore. Cass, I know you don’t want to hear this but—”

“Mom was having an affair with Don Lothario. I know.”

“I’m not sure if they were really having an affair, but she and dad were having a hard time. She was with Lothario that night. And aliens abducted her. Why? I fail to have an answer.”

“I might know why,” said Lucy. “I studied ufology at the university. Aliens always leave you in the exact same spot they picked you up. Ultimately, these unidentified objects stopped showing around the summer of 2004. Apparently, they no longer had intentions of investigating us.”

“So, they picked Bella because she didn’t age,” concluded Cassandra thoughtfully.

“Right, right. That makes sense” said Alexander.

“Excuse me, but how is this related at all with the death of my mother?” urged Dustin.

“Because… I made a mistake” admitted Alexander. “You see, I was desperate to get my mother back. Dad was having a hard time and he almost married Dina Caliente out of nothing, when she had already married uncle Michael. And, I used one of my father’s scrapped projects, the time machine. But I was barely fourteen years old.

“And that didn’t work, because I created an alternate reality by trying to fix this one. Time is not linear, it’s a dimension that is constantly expanding or reducing according to our actions. I ended up in a parallel timeline…

“But then mom came back. I stopped trying. There’s only one timeline in this dimension. Let’s say it all started when Mortimer and Bella were ten years old and they lived in (now old) Sunset Valley. Then, they grew up, found their place in Old Town, had Cassandra and then me. Mom got abducted. And when I travelled in time, I found her, I tried to warn her about this, and I wrote a book called Murder in Pleasantview , that explained everything I’ve told you. I already knew mom would come back. I wanted to warn my future self so I would stop looking for her. I thought that if I warned myself, I wouldn’t have to work in the time machine at all.”

All the guests were confused. Dustin talked first.

“Are you implying that because you messed up the timeline, my mother was murdered?”

“I am. And I’m really sorry that no one ever read the damn book” said Alexander.

“This doesn’t make any sense. How are the two things related?” asked Lucy.

“There’s no trail of Brandi Broke in any of the other timelines.”

“What…?” uttered Beau.

“Look, my mother, Bella, existed throughout this whole timeline. She’s even alive now (and I’m pretty sure she is immortal with all that Elixir she drank). But your mother, Brandi? She only existed here, in Pleasantview.

“Are you saying she was meant to be dead?”

“I’m really sorry to be telling you all about this. But the time machine, it won’t fix anything. I can’t bring your back, that would mess up the timeline again. And I tried so hard to get Bella back, but that wasn’t even in my hands, she came back by herself”.

“But why did she come back? How? Where was she?” queried Beau.

“She was here all the time” answered Cassandra in the deep shadows of the room.

“What?” the guests asked.

“Bella came back the day of my wedding with Don. Don left me because he thought Bella would blame him for her disappearance. But she didn’t remember anything, or so she claims.”

“Are you saying that she was here all the time?”

“There are plenty of rabbit holes in Sunset Valley. Most probably she was in Strangetown for a while where the aliens studied her, but then she came back here. I guess she just wanted to run away. Not like she still had a son and a daughter back here, waiting… for her” her voice broke off.

“Then why don’t you ask her about it? Isn’t she alive?” asked Camille, impatient.

“I think we should stop here,” said Dustin, defeated. “Clearly we can’t get our mother back from the dead. I’m sorry, Beau. Lucy, Camille, let’s find our way out”.

Different voices surrounded the chamber. Lucy and Camille tried to reanimate Beau who looked deeply disappointed, and Dustin led the retinue with a heavy head.

“Why are you here, Cassandra? And tell me the truth” said Alexander, once everyone left.

“Don Lothario. How did he come back from fifty-years-ago Riverview, can you answer that?”

“Certainly not” replied Alexander.

“I thought Bella would. But of course not. She doesn’t remember anything at all” Cassandra murmured wearily. “Anyways, I shall go now. My daughter is head over heels about Don’s exact copy”.

Alexander was left alone in the dark room. He stood up and walked around the house a little. Why couldn’t Bella remember? He went to bed with his wife, Cecilia. She looked at him, still awake. She clearly had been listening.

“You lied to them.”

“What else could I’ve done? They wanted the time machine to bring their mother back here.”

“You didn’t tell them about how timelines are parallel, but they can be tangent. You took me out of Beacon Bay and brought me here with you”.

“Because this is my right timeline. And you are my right person.”

“You truly are the sweetest ever, aren't you?” asked Cecilia, happily falling asleep. Alexander didn’t answer.

Chapter Text

“Jesse, it's time for you to leave your room…” said Nina knocking on her son’s door. Jesse didn’t answer. Nina sighed deeply before talking again.

“I know you’re hurt because I never told you that Don was your biological dad. And now you have two dads. My dad had two dads too” she said.

“I never told you that because… I have been selfish all my life, you know? When I knew I was pregnant with you, I thought that the best solution was to keep Don away from you. Because I didn’t want any more trouble with him. And I had been dating Daniel, who was kind, and loyal enough to adopt you as his own child. And Don disappeared for as long as fifteen years. I don’t know why. But you’re older now, and I understand that this is difficult for you. I won’t forbid you meeting him, if that’s your wish, son. I love you and your sister more than anything else in the world. That’s why it’s up to you to make this decision. I’ll respect it, whichever it is.”

Nina stopped before shedding a tear. But before walking away from the door, it opened, and Jesse looked at her with a smile.

Meanwhile, at Pleasant High School, Sebastian was looking for Diana. He finally found her at the school library.

“Hi, Diana” he muttered, sitting in front of her. “Listen, I’m sorry for what happened...”

“That’s alright, Seb. It doesn't matter right now” she politely replied, looking distracted. He noticed how her homework wasn’t done at all.

“Have you talked to Jesse?” he asked.

“No. He hasn’t answered my texts. Not even a seen ” the girl complained with disappointment.

“I heard from mom that he’s having a hard time. Don’t worry though, he’ll be back soon” he said to cheer her up.

“Will he?” asked Diana with illusion in her eyes.

“Yeah! I'll keep you company for while he’s gone”.

“Thank you, Seb. That’s very nice of you” replied the girl.

---

Later, Livia Alto was baking a wonderful cake with a purpose. She rang the bell in the Apartment Complex in which both the Broke-Dreamer Household and the Lothario family lived.

“Hello!” she said as soon as Don opened the door. “Glad to find you home. I'm Livia Alto, my family owns the apartment complex. I brought you some cake”.

“Oh, okay!” said Don, quite surprised “Come in, I guess. Your name was Livia...?”

“Livia Holly Alto. That’s right. We met at the Wolff’s house” she responded with a bit of disappointment when she saw that he did not reciprocate her big smile. After a little chatter, however, Don managed to make her smile again.

“So you saved me after I fell in the pool?” he asked laughing.

“I wouldn't call that saving . I just got you out of there. You really don't remember?”

“Sometimes I suffer from memory loss,” Don explained. “Dr. Wolff is helping me with that. I need to stay healthy. For my son, you know?” he said.

“Yes, of course. I hope you two can get closer. I think you’ll be a great father to him, Don.” she said, melted by his great charisma.

Around the same time, in the Williams-Pleasant household. Mary-Sue was also preparing dinner, along with Angela and her husband, Elliot.

“Your sister won’t be joining us for supper, I guess” she said, hearing Lilith’s sounds on the piano.

“Probably not. Mom, would you mind if I invite Cameron one of these days?”

“Your cheating boyfriend from college? How proud I am” replied Mary-Sue sarcastically.

“Mom! He’s not like that anymore” Angela sounded annoyed.

“I said the same about your dad. About ten times” her mother reminded her. Elliot seemed uncomfortable, as he always did when Mary-Sue was fighting with her daughters.

“Why do you hate to see me happy?” yelled Angela.

“I want you to be self-reliant, Angela, I won't be here forever!”

“Why don't you say the same thing to Lilith, huh?”

“You are supposed to be more mature than her” exclaimed Mary-Sue, exasperated.

“According to whom? Your horrible parenting skills?” responded Angela. She suddenly disappeared to her room, and Mary-Sue was left alone with Elliot for dinner.

“Those girls will be the death of me” she said, tired.

“Why don't you let them be?” asked Elliot, innocently.

“I don't want them to make the same mistakes that I did”.

“You say that I was a mistake?”

“No, of course I'm not talking about you, love” she said, approaching him.

“Then why are you still thinking about Daniel?” asked Elliot.

Mary-Sue looked shocked: “That’s not what I-”

“Why do you project him on your daughters?” Elliot seemed as tired as her.

---

One more night, Alexander was staring at the time machine. He felt so guilty, so powerless. The moment he put his hand in front of the door, he heard a sob behind.

“I'd like to remember too, you know? I wish I could, but I can't, and I can't grow old...” muttered Bella Goth behind him. She looked exhausted. “I promise you I've tried to, but I can't… I can't!”

“Mommy, why are you awake? Calm down … It's not your fault, it's mine” he said, concerned about seeing his mother so fragile.

“Why can't I grow old, dear? Why?”

“This problem is mine alone. I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me” said Alexander regretfully.

“But don't worry. I'll fix this for you, mom. I promise, I'll fix everything. You have my Goth word”.

Chapter Text

The next day, Alexander met with Lucy to tell her his plan.

“Thanks for meeting me here, Lucy. I couldn't contact Beau.”

“No problem. Beau is… coping, I guess. I haven't talked to him since that night”.

“I just wanted to tell you that I reconsidered, and I will try to travel. To see if I can do anything for Brandi”.

“To the past? You will travel to Old Town?”

“I hope so. Time travel is a difficult science, though”.

“Will you do me a favor? Could you search for Jennifer Pleasant there?” asked Lucy, thinking about her mother.

“Sure. What for?”

“I just want to know about what happened. Any information you get will be valuable”.

---

In Old Sunset Valley, Dirk Dreamer’s ex-girlfriend Tabitha planned a party in her condo. The Pleasant twins arrived early, and Lilith interrogated Tabitha about her relationship.

“I was just wondering why Dirk and you broke up?” she casually asked.

“Girl, you're kidding, right? Because he was mad crazy in love with you! I bet he still is.” replied Tabitha laughing.

“Still?”

“Well, he is coming to the party today with his girlfriend and Dustin. There's going to be a lot of hot tea.” Angela listened carefully.

“Dustin is coming? Today?”

“Yeah... This is gonna be a lot of fun!” said Tabitha with a smirk.

The guests started to arrive at Tabitha’s apartment.

“Shall we play never have I ever? Sip from your drink if you have done this” said the host. “Never have I ever... kissed Lilith Pleasant”.

Lilith laughed silently but Dirk sipped from his cup under the watchful eye of his girlfriend, Grace. But for everyone’s surprise, Dustin sipped too. Angela was obviously outraged and immediately rose from her seat. The atmosphere became tense.

“Tabitha!” said their friends.

“What? How was I to know that?” replied the girl, a bit amused and a bit serious about the situation. Dustin followed Angela into the backyard of the apartment.

“Angela don't get mad, this happened way after we broke up” he apologized once he reached her. And why was she mad? They had broken up about ten years ago.

“How could you?” she said, clearly in pain.

“It was in college, when you didn't want to know anything about me.” he replied.

“Yes, we broke up but that doesn't mean I didn't love you. You had been missing for months and I thought ...!”

“You thought it was my fault that my mother died. But it's okay, because I think so too” he interrupted her. Angela seemed surprised. The death of Brandi was something she hadn’t thought about much during the past fifteen years, and the fact that Dustin had disappeared for a long time after her death was still something that bothered her deeply. But how could he even think it was his fault? It was Gordon King's fault. Dustin was just around and was part of the criminal gang when the events occurred.

“Dustin... no. Don't you ever say that again. I don't” she replied softly, getting closer to him. They finally reached in a tender hug, and Dustin dropped some tears.

“It's okay, baby. Everything will be fine”.

---

“I'm really sorry about all that. Tabitha is so annoying.” said Dirk to his girlfriend once the party had dissolved.

“Oh, I don't mind that, honey. I know she means no harm. Lilith was your girlfriend a long time ago. I was more surprised that Angela was upset about Dustin.” replied Grace with her accent.

“Yeah, I guess they have unfinished business.” Dirk commented thoughtfully.

“But you don't, do you?” said the girl.

“No. Of course not.” he said, but then he turned to see Lilith.

“Will your sister be alright?” asked one of Tabitha’s friends, Martha, to Lilith.

“Angela? Yeah, don't worry. She's just being dramatic.” replied the redhead.

“Oh, cool! I hope things don't get awkward.” said the other woman.

“No, why would they? We all know each other since college and before that.”

“Can I tell you a little secret, Li?” asked Martha.

“Yeah, sure.”

“When Tabitha said never have I ever kissed Lilith Pleasant, I kinda wish I could have drank too.” she whispered to her ear. Lilith smiled.

---

Tabitha called her friend Livia Alto the next morning: “Hi, baby girl. So sad you couldn't come last night.”

“Oh, sorry, I was busy! I had a wonderful date!” said Livia.

“Really? So no more crying over Alexander Goth?”

“Not at all. He has his wife. And Don is... amazing.” replied Livia with a smile. “I'm starting to think that Alexander and I weren't meant to be. He is happy with Cecilia. And I can be happy with Don.” she manifested, while at the same time, in the Goth Mansion, Alexander was saying his goodbyes.

“All set, sir?” asked Lurch, the house’s robot butler.

“Please, be careful. You know how time traveling can be dangerous.” warned Cecilia.

“I'll be fine. Look after my wife and mother, Lurch.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Don't you dare to forget about me.” said Cecilia to Alexander when she hugged her.

“Never in a million lifetimes, dear.” replied her husband. And then he headed to the time machine.

“Old Town, Neighborhood 1 it is…” he said, popping the buttons in the machine.

Wrapped in a purple haze, and with a sudden lurch, Alexander fell over the floor. He heard a strangely familiar, female voice.

“Oops, are you okay there?” Alexander looked up. “Hello! I’m Kaylynn Langerak, welcome to Landgraab Time Central.” she said with a cheerful smile.

“The what?” asked Alexander.

Chapter Text

“So, you've been time-travelling. I need your personal information, this is: name, place of origin and motive.” Kaylynn said, typing in her computer. “You're a Goth, aren't you? You look like a Goth.”

“Me? Well, kind of…” Alexander eluded her question. Was it actually safe for him to say anything about time travel? If they had the same machine that his father had, had they stolen it from him?

“How did you get access to a time machine?” asked Kaylynn, reading his thoughts.

“I used a scrapped old version of Mortimer’s. I see you have a similar machine here.” replied Alexander cautiously.

“Well, of course, Mortimer Goth worked here. Who are you to him?” asked Kaylynn again.

“A distant relative. Who's that in the picture?”

“Our founder, Malcolm Landgraab. Actually I can't let you go anywhere while he isn't here. He gives the permits.” 

“But I'm in a hurry to Old Town, I don't have much time.” Then he looked around. It was a kind of laboratory, but a really clean and simple one.“Have you experimented with the elixir on time travelers?” asked Alexander again, checking the Elixir on a big vase.

“I'm afraid that information is confidential.” answered Kaylynn. She was now beginning to worry.

“Can I tour the place? What year is this? I have traveled back in time before and have never been here.”

“It was founded in 2009. To avoid problems in space-time. I'll give you a tour.” she said, already regretting the idea. She took Alexander out of the lab room, and took him to a special vault downstairs. It had strange gizmos and delicate items.

“Here are some objects that time travelers have collected, and photos of some collaborators.” said Kaylynn. A picture of his good old friend Malcom was on top of them.

“I thought the Altos and the Landgraabs hated each other.” pointed out Alexander.

“Well, Holly Alto changed that. The Altos were great investors in the company.”

“Is that Don Lothario over there?” asked Goth. Kaylynn’s heart flipped a bit. She tried to babble something but Alexander kept talking.

“Funny, considering he's not a Riverview native.”

“Do you know him?” asked Kaylynn.

“I wonder who brought him back to Pleasantview…”

“Well I—” Kaylynn seemed really worried, and Alexander took advantage of the situation.

“But I could stay silent if you let me go now.”

“Will you do that for me?” she felt relieved.

“Look, I need to go to Old Town and I'll be back in about ten hours. I promise not to change anything.”

“Fine, but you have to tell me how Don is doing there. Did he find his son?”

---

It was the most beautiful afternoon in Woodland Park. An autumn breeze caressed gently Don and Jesse’s faces, as they sat together in one of the benches.

“We’re not very good at talking, are we?” asked Jesse after ten minutes of silence.

“Maybe. We do look alike in many senses.”

“Do we? It’s hard for me to see it as so. It’s the very first time we get together.”

“I was so eager to meet you, son. Is it okay that I call you son?”

“Just Jesse for now, please.” said the boy in the deepest voice he found in himself.

“I wonder why your mom named you Jesse. I would have opted for something less white.”

“I guess she just wanted me to fit in.” replied the boy.

“And do you? Do you fit in?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty popular at school.” he said humbly.

“Do you have a lot of girls around you?” Don couldn’t resist to ask.

“Not many, but there’s one girl…” mentioned Jesse, thinking about his Diana. He didn't even know why he was mentioning her, he had just met this man.

“Really? What’s her name?”

“Diana Dreamer. Her family doesn’t like me.”

“Dreamer?”

“Yes, and his wife. A hag named Cassandra…”

“Cassandra?” Don had a wild flashback.

“Are you okay?” asked Jesse concerned.

“Be careful… with Cassandra.”

“Why?”

“It was because of her that I stayed away for so long.” He sighed. “Sorry. Sometimes I have flashbacks. Like a war veteran.”

“It looks like you had a bad time.” Jesse felt a strange compassion for him.

---

“I think Don did meet his son, and he is, overall, fine.” mentioned Alexander to Kaylynn, back in the Time Central.

“Great! I'm glad. You can go now, but hurry.” said Kaylynn.

“I'll be back soon!” There was something strange about the whole Time Central. It was like a wildly specific laboratory, and that girl Kaylynn… he remembered her from somewhere, but it wasn’t possible, why did she look so young? Had she drank tons of Elixir?

Boss is gonna kill me , thought Kaylynn at the time Alexander was outside the central. Someone would have to take care of this mistake, and it would probably be herself.

---

“Since we're here, can you do me a favor?” Jesse looked at his biological father to test him, but somehow comfortable around him. As if a part of his body was happy to finally meet him.

“Sure, son. Anything.” said Don. He was finally melting around him.

“Can you tell Nina and Daniel I'm not coming tonight? I'm going to visit Diana.” mentioned Jesse, slyly.

“Haha sure. Of course! You are just like your father.” Don laughed.

“Haha, yeah…”

---

In 113 Wright Way, however, Diana Dreamer was studying with her dear friend Sebastian. Ever since Jesse had stopped going to school and wasn't answering her messages, Diana had found refuge in Seb. Rita didn’t agree.

“Your son is in the kitchen with Bella Goth's granddaughter.” she informed Dina swiftly.

“What? Do you think she wants to harm my baby?” said Dina, hysterical. What was his beloved and only son doing with Mortimer's granddaughter?

“I don't know, but I don't have a very good feeling about this. I'm going undercover to visit the Goth Mansion.” whispered Rita. But then they both stayed silent, because Sebastian decided to walk Diana to her house.

“Thanks for bringing me home Seb! I'll see you in class!” she said before reaching the stairs of the porch. It would sometimes be kind of lonely there. Her father, Darren, was always painting in the backyard, deep in his thoughts. And her mother, well… who could possibly understand Cassandra? 

It was late at night when she heard a noise in her balcony.

“Jesse? What are you doing here?” she said, looking at him. He had climbed with a ladder.

“I came to apologize. And to see my princess.” said Jesse, with characteristic, recovered charm.

“And you couldn't come in the morning?”

“That wouldn't be so romantic, would it?” he said, and then he wrapped her in a tight hug. “God, I missed you. And we have a lot to talk about so get dressed.”

“O-okay but I haven't forgiven you yet!” said Diana, lying to herself. While Jesse went back down the ladder, Diana dressed quickly.

“Where are we going, Mr. Caliente?” she said, already completely convinced that she was head over heels for him.

“Let's go for a wonderful ride on a steed, Miss Dreamer.” he said, pointing to his motorcycle that was already in the street. They both sneaked away.

Chapter Text

Sunny day in Old Town. Alexander walked around the only road, Sim Lane, and he stopped in a small brick house. First stop, the Newbies , he thought, as he saw a middle age couple dancing in the kitchen. Alexander rang the bell.

“Hello,” said a pretty woman opening the door, with a lilac blouse and teal capris. “How can I help you?”

“Morning ma'am.” said Alexander. “I work for the municipal council and I am taking a census of the population, can I come in?” he said, already steeping a foot on the house. Betty seemed quite surprised, and she let him in. After telling him their names, Alexander started with the real questions.

“I was wondering if you have or plan to have children?”

“No, we don't have children. It's just the two of us.” said Betty.

“But you are both so young, do you really not want any children?”

“I'd love to, but it's not possible. My husband and I cannot have children. And we lack the funds to adopt or qualify for treatment.” she said. Her voice paused a little, but Alexander couldn’t notice.

“But surely having a child is a priority to you, right, Mr. Newbie?” he said, turning to Bob. “Couldn't you save a little for fertility treatment? Just imagine it, you, your wife and a little girl, say, call her Brandi. That would be great for everyone, you especially.”

Betty looked shocked. Neither of them talked, and Alexander understood that he had screwed up.

“I think we should speak in private, sir. Betty isn’t feeling quite alright.” said Bob, standing right beside her. He took him aside.

“What kind of municipal counselor are you? My wife and I have had a lot of trouble conceiving, it's a difficult matter to talk about.” Bob scolded him. “It shows that you are new here, be more careful next time.”

“Okay, sorry sir.” said Alexander quite embarrassed. “I'm leaving.”

---

In the present day, Dirk Dreamer and Dustin Broke were chatting in Sunset Valley Police Department.

“Dude, you really don't have to do this. I can still cancel.” said Dirk.

“But I need to do this. I've been avoiding it for over ten years.” replied Dustin. He was feeling nervous as well.

“And I hope you're not doing this to prove something to Angela.”

“No. This has nothing to do with Angela. I'm doing it for Beau.” said Dustin.

“And whatever happened at the party was …” mentioned Dirk remembering the incident at Tabitha’s.

“We just hugged. And I think it was out of pity.”

“Well, she looked quite upset when you said you had kissed Lilith. You hit her where it hurt most.”

“Dude, stop it. We kissed once, both drunk at a party. And can we focus now?” Dustin interrupted him. He had ask Dirk for a chance to talk with Gordon King, who had been imprisoned since Brandi’s murder. After a few more minutes, a guard told Dirk that Gordon was in his way.

“They will bring him right away. And as a social worker and friend, please stay calm.” Dirk remembered Dustin.

“Right. Thanks Dirk.” said Dustin before entering the room.

A man in a bright orange jumpsuit was in front of him: “Well, well. Look who came to visit.” said Gordon with a smile.

“I don't plan on staying long, so I hope you're honest. It's the least you can do. Who ordered the murder?” asked Dustin, as he had been rehearsing what to say.

“Skippy,” Gordon sighed. “Things didn't have to turn out the way that they did. I never wanted to hurt your momma. It was old Bella who I pointed at.”

“I already know that.” Dustin raised his voice. “What I asked you …”

“Things come from above and you know that.” said Gordon. “I have a name, but I don't know who the final boss is.”

“Then give me his name. Now.” demanded the Broke boy.

“His? Oh no, not a his , Skippy. Her name is Rita Morosini. A hottie, but she plays for the other team.” Dustin could remember Rita from when he saw her at Dina’s party. Gordon continued: “And before you go... I hope you can forgive me. I knew Skip longer than you did, and now Brandi too. They were good people, and I think…”

“How dare you to even say their names. I hope you rot in hell.” replied Dustin deeply. He left the room before Gordon could see him cry.

“Please never let me come back, even if I insist.” he told Dirk later.

“Count on it.” said Dirk.

---

The night Lucy decided to visit Beau, there was a loud party at his dormitory. All his classmates were dancing around to the beat of a song, but Beau was nowhere to be found. After asking many drugged college kids, she ran into Camille.

“Hi Camille, have you seen Beau?” she shouted.

“If I have seen him?  I'm tired of seeing him, actually.” said the blonde girl. “He's in his room. But I warn you, he has been drinking.”

“Alright. Thanks.” answered the girl. She went to the second floor of the dorm and knocked on his door. “Beau, open the door. It's me, Lucy.”

“Come in, it's open.” he said from inside. The room smelled like whiskey and cigarettes. Beau looked awful.

“Jeez, Beau! What's going on with you?”

“Oh, hi dear. Sorry you have to see me as the real me.”

“This is not the real you. Why are you doing this to your body?”

“Because who cares. I don't care.”

“Well, I care. Your brother cares. How much did you drink?”

“Not enough, apparently. I wanted to talk with mom and dad.”

“To talk with mom and dad? Beau—!” said Lucy agitated. Beau tried to get up but he got dizzy and his head hurt.

“Whoa, the room is spinning. I think I’m gonna pass out again.”

“Honey, you're freaking me out. Let me get you some water.” Lucy seemed worried.

“No, no. Please don't leave. Stay with me.” he begged. Later he and Lucy got into bed. Beau hugged Lucy in his bed as she caressed his hair. She could hear his strong heartbeat.

“I always have this same nightmare. I'm drowning, and I can hear dad's voice. He's yelling. Sometimes when I drink too much I feel like I'm drowning too. But the worst part of the nightmare is when mom shows up. She knows. She knows I'm drowning, but she can't help me.” he sighed. The effects of alcohol were wearing off. “I know Dustin loves me, but one day he’ll get married, he’ll have his own kids. You’ll graduate. And I’ll be left alone.”

“I'm never going to leave you, Beau.” whispered Lucy.

“You say that now. But you won't be 22 forever.”

“I know you are scared, and you have so much to heal. But you're wrong if you think I'm going to leave you here alone.” She was on the verge of tears. “Listen we're getting out of college, no matter how much it costs. And we’ll stick together, always.”

Beau smiled: “How did I get so lucky to have you?”

“Don't be silly, I love you.” said Lucy smiling through her tears.

“And I love you too.” said Beau before kissing her.

Chapter Text

“Old Town's best scorer prepares to shoot and score a goal and...!”

“Ha! Lame!” exclaimed Jennifer Pleasant once she easily caught the football soccer ball. Daniel seemed pissed off at her after his narration.

“Damn, Jenny, can you let me win for once?”

“If you wanna win, you gotta be better bro.” Young Jenny was very pleased with herself.

“Whoa! She is good!” thought Alexander Goth, who was stalking them behind a tree. Jennifer and Daniel looked like really nice children. Why had Lucy asked him to check on them?

“Alright, shoot it!” screamed Daniel to his sister, once it was his turn to be on the port.

“Kids! Breakfast time!” his father Jeff called them over. They both headed to their home.

“Morning, mom.” said Daniel. Diane was preparing toasts.

“Morning, sweaties.” said Diane. “I see that you've been playing outside even when I told you not to”. Daniel and Jennifer looked ashamed.

“I think it is good for the kids to exercise.” mentioned Jeff casually.

“Maybe you should be the one to exercise, if you want to get the promotion.” refuted Diane. “Besides, I don't mind Daniel doing it, but he always brings Jennifer with him.”

“I don't understand why it is a problem that Jennifer likes soccer. She's actually quite good at it.”

“We're not having this discussion again, Jeff. Jennifer should not play soccer. Ever again!” exclaimed Diane. Daniel ate silently but Jennifer was feeling really pressed.

“Maybe if you would listen!” argued Jeff.

“My daughter is not a butch!” yelled Diane. “End of discussion.”

Alexander, who had been listening from behind the window, seemed shocked. Inside the house, Jennifer tried not to cry while her father felt sorry for her.

---

In the present day, adult Jennifer Burb was staring nostalgically through the window. Of course she remembered. Her mother was so obsessed with climbing the social ladder, and for what?

“Everything alright, dear?” asked her John Burb, shaking her from her thoughts.

“Yeah, I was just thinking.” she mumbled. Not like she was going to tell her happy-family husband about her tragic past. He would never understand, because their parents loved him deeply, so much that he ended up being just like them. Had her?

“Thank you for doing this, you spoil me.” said Jennifer once John had fetched her a piece of berry pie made by himself.

“Since we got married, I vowed to make you the happiest woman on the planet. I'm just keeping my word.” he said tenderly. The cake smelled delicious.

“Is Teddy still studying with his friend?” asked Jennifer.

“Yes, they're upstairs. Mary-Sue is gonna pass out when she finds out that the mayor's son is here.” mentioned John, remembering that his son had told him that his little friend’s name was Ben Schenider. Both kids came downstairs a few minutes later.

“Did you guys study hard?” asked Jennifer to her son.

“Yes. Ben is really good at math.” said Teddy, smiling at his friend.

“Oh well, we all have different talents. Yours is soccer.” pointed out his mother. Then she turned to Ben: “Do you play soccer too, Ben?”

“No, he doesn't.” answered Teddy embarrassed, before his friend could. “Jeez, mom, not everything is about soccer.”

“Dad prefers me focusing on school.” mentioned Ben politely. Later his parents came to pick him up.

“Do you think I'm a bad mother?” asked Jennifer sitting next to his husband on the couch.

“Of course not, baby. Come here.” said John, hugging her from behind.

“Well, clearly Lucy hates me, and she thinks I'm pushing too hard on Ted.”

“Lucy doesn't hate you, and Teddy is doing okay. Don't punish yourself that much.” said John trying to pacify her.

“Oh c'mon don't pull that crap on me.” Jennifer cut him off. “Lucy thinks I'm an evil witch, just as I thought about my own mother.”

“You weren't so close with Lucy when she grew up, maybe you being a working mother affected your relationship. But now you're working on your relationship with Teddy, and he will treasure that.” said John, unintentionally pouring oil into flames.

“Are you implying that I wasn't a part of the parenting of my daughter?” asked Jennifer, infuriated.

“That's definitely not what—”

“You know what? Okay! I'll go to the gym, you can do your parenting alone. You're probably better at it than I will ever be.” she exclaimed, standing up ready to storm out of the house. John watched her go.

---

Jennifer felt the safest whenever she was at the gym. Especially at night, where no one could see her, judge her, make her feel small. However, when she was halfway through her bike routine, a familiar face showed up.

“Isn’t this my Jenny Bean” said Daniel’s pasty voice.

“Hello Daniel. Wasn’t expecting to see you here this late.” said Jennifer, standing up.

“I know you and I know that you only come here when you want to escape.” said Daniel with a smile.

“Yeah. It's one of those days when motherhood doesn't suit me.”

“It happens to all of us. You’re a great mom, Jenny.”

“Really? When did we become such lousy parents?”

“I try to be better with Jesse and Kathy than I was with the twins.”

“At least you got a second chance. Our parents ruined us equally.”

“Sometimes I feel like I ruined my twins too.”

“Oh come on, they are two functional adults. You can't ask for more than that.”

“Do you think dad felt this way too?”

“I don't know, Daniel. Our father dreamed a lot and mom was too demanding. We had it rough.”

“Well, better get going. I still have a little schoolboy to take care of.”

“Take care, sissy.” said Daniel, hugging her. Jennifer left the building and Daniel lurked around before reaching the locker room. There he saw a familiar back.

“What are you doing here?” he said harshly.

“Who, me?” asked Don, turning around.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, Lothario. We let you go out with our son and you don't even bring him back home”, barked Daniel, getting closer to him.

“Look, you might have raised him, but Jesse is my son, Daniel. And he’s fifteen, he’s not a child anymore.” explained Don.

“Jesse's been through a lot and it's your fault for leaving him and Nina.”

“How was I to know he was mine if she was screwing with you?”

“Be careful with how you talk about her!”

“Get your hands off me!” Daniel pushed roughly Don against the lockers. The sound of his shoulders clashed against the metallic door. For Daniel’s surprise, Don smiled.

“You’re so screwed” whispered Daniel. His face was way too close to his nose.

“You think you can intimidate me?” asked Don, still smirking. He was actually getting really turned on.

---

“This is our final session!” told the tattoo artist to Lilith. “Be careful with the new tattoo.”

“Great! Thank you so much.” said the girl, smiling. She was in a tattoo shop downtown with her friend Martha.

“Wow. Never thought it'll look so big.” she said to herself once she looked in the mirror. She had gotten a colorful big tattoo on her arm.

“It looks pretty amazing, Li. Glad you do what you always dreamed of.” replied Martha. They both walked outside the shop.

“Thanks for coming with me today. I'll call a taxi home.” said Lilith.

“I had a great time! Stay safe.” replied her friend, giving her a hug. Lilith almost immediately regretted the decision, because it was getting really late and downtown was well known for having a lot of pickpockets at night.

“Boo! Need a ride home?” said a known voice behind her. She flinched.

“Holy crap, Dirk, you scared me.” she said with both anger and relief. Then she smiled at him, happy to have a known face near. “What are you doing here?”

“I had a late turn so I'm just leaving downtown.” said Dirk. “Wanna grab some burgers?”

“Sure! As long as you're paying.” she replied. They both walked to a near fast-food.

“That's a huge tattoo. Your mom's gonna kill you.” warned her Dirk looking at her arm.

“She is . But I wanted it for so long, remember?” Said Lilith. Ever since she was a teenager she had dreamed of having her whole body tattooed. This was just a start.

“And Martha was with you? Is there something going on between you two?”

“No, nothing's going on. I don't know, it still feels weird. What about you and Gracie?”

“I was thinking that maybe I should break up with her.” replied Dirk softly.

“No! Why?” exclaimed the redhead.

“Because, Lilith. She is so good and deserves someone better.”

“That's a lame excuse, Dirk. And don't you think that I felt the same when I broke up with you?”

“What?”

“That you were too good for me.”

“You broke up with me because you had a crush on Dustin.”

“No. I mean, yes, also. But that was too long ago, I'm sorry…”

“Why do you think I still love you, Lili?”

“I uh … I don't understand how someone could ever…” tried to say Lilith.

“Life's too short.” said Dirk, and then he smiled. “My mom died when she was young, and I don't want to have any feeling of pride or regret. So if you wanna be happy, be happy, Lili, with whoever you want and don't let me stop you. That's how I know I love you.”

---

At the same time, in the upper side of Old Sunset Valley, Cameron Greenshields was having a romantic dinner with Angela.

“I'm always happy to have you here in my house. It gets so lonely since my parents died.”

“I'm sorry to hear that, Cam.” said Angela, smiling.

“Angela, you're the greatest woman that has ever come to my life. And when we were in college you asked me a question that I wasn't ready to answer. We're only getting older now and that's why I need you to answer me…” he got on one knee “Will you marry me, Angela Pleasant?”

---

“Hi, mom. I can't believe you're working so late.” said Lilith once she arrived home.

“Lilith? What a surprise you're talking to me.” replied Mary-Sue, that was working in front of her computer.

“Well, I just think we should talk more, you know?”

“Is that a tat—?”

“I wanted to tell you that I'm glad you divorced dad and married Elliot.”

“Why is that?”

“Because life's too short, mom. And I don't wanna keep fighting… Come over here.” said Lilith. “Mom, I never tell you how much I love you, and how important—” But she got interrupted by the door. Angela had just arrived.

“I'm getting married.” she said. She didn't look so happy. And neither were Lilith nor Mary-Sue.

Chapter Text

“Last stop… I can't believe I'm doing this.” thought Alexander, staring at 5 Sim Lane. A cold breeze whispered into his face. He wasn’t exactly sure of why he was there.

Inside, a young Bella Goth was washing the dishes. Her brother Michael entered through the back door.

“Hell-o, Belladonna. You never lock?” asked his brother.

“Why would I lock? No one ever comes.” she replied.

Michael: I came for the books that Mortimer was going to lend me.

“He's working at the Landgraabs. You know how bad they get.”

“I swear all he does is work. Aren’t you tired?”

“What can I do, Mike?”

“You both should stop drinking that nasty juice, Bella. How is it possible that I'm feeling younger than you?” asked Michael looking at the elixir vase.

“Mortimer worked hard on that elixir. Maybe they're not the results he expected but at least it's working.”

“Well, I have to go. Can you give me the books?”

“Yes, they must be here somewhere…” said Bella.

Alexander sneaked quickly through the stairs to the second floor. He stood quietly as he breathed heavily and he turned around, just to see the face of his older sister, Cassandra.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Downstairs, they could hear Michael leaving, but Mortimer had just arrived. 

“Hey Bella, would you fetch me a cup of black coffee?”

“First of all, hello? And you need to stop working after hours.”

“Dear, I've been working like a dog the whole day, could you be a good wife for once?”

“I am a good wife. The best wife you could ever had.”

“I think I might need to stay a little”, whispered Alexander to Cassandra. She nodded. 

“I don't mind. But once they start fighting they can go on for hours.”

“Do they fight a lot?” asked Alexander, sitting on the floor.

“They argue, most times.”

“Do you… know who I am? You don't seem scared.”

“Maybe. You're one of the ghosts from the yard, aren't you?”

“Yes, I am. Could you keep me a secret?”

It was shortly after that Bella went upstairs and found Cassandra on her bed.

“Hello, sweetie. So soon ready to bed?”

“Yes, mommy. I'm sleepy.”

“Yeah, I guess we are all tired. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

How do I get out of here? thought Alexander, who was hidden under Cassandra’s bed.

---

“Good morning, mother.” Diana Dreamer saluted the present-time Cassandra.

“Hello. Tired from last night?”

“And why would I be tired, Mom?”

“You think I didn't hear you? That I didn't see the ladder?” pointed out Cassandra. She tried with all her might to remain calm.

“So you know. You know I snuck out with Jesse.”

“Just as I feared. You are so grounded—”

“He told me. You are the reason why he never met his real father, Don. Is that what you want to talk about?” Cassandra burnt her omelette. And she didn’t answer.

“I figured.” Diana said triumphantly. “I'm going to shower, we can talk after school. If you still want to ground me, of course.”

Cassandra stormed out of the house to talk with her husband.

“Darren,” she said. “We need to talk now.”

“Right now?” said Darren, who was painting in his easel. “I’m missing a few tweaks.”

“No, it can't wait. It’s your daughter, Darren, OUR daughter. Do you even care at all?”

“Look, if it's about that Jesse kid, I've been thinking about it and I don't think it's that serious …” said Darren, looking at her.

“How can you even say that? You hated Don as much asI did. After all he did to me... to my mother!” exclaimed Cassandra. “And now he wants to turn my daughter against me! With his son! How was I to know that Nina was pregnant when I sent him away?”

“But darling, is that kid to blame? He's a teen just like our Diana…”

“Now she is our Diana? When was the last time you even talked to her?”

“I'm sorry I couldn't be the perfect husband and father you wanted me to be.” mumbled Darren with his head down.

“Oh don't you dare, don't you dare to pull that—” cried Cassandra. But then they both stopped. A suspicious fire started right behind them.

“Is that—”

“Fire?!” They both screamed.

“Cassandra, did you do that?!”

“I— uh! I don't know!” she mumbled in panic.

“I can't deal with fires, not since what happened to Darleen!”

“But I— I don't understand how!”

“I can't deal with it! Oh God, my heart!” faltered Darren.

“Darren!” screamed his wife.

---

Dina’s girlfriend, Rita, rang the bell at the Goth Manor.

“Hello! Cecilia, isn't it? I'm your neighbor Rita. As you’re new in the valley I thought you could use a friend!” said with her most charming smile.

“Oh, hi! Thank you, and please come in.”

“So, where's your husband?” asked Rita once they were in the living room.

“Alexander? Uh, eh, he's not in town. He left for… work.” lied Cecilia.

“Work? Does he work?”

“Yes, he's working on a project.”

“And left you here all alone? In this gloomy mansion!”

“Well, I'm not entirely alone.” replied Cecilia. And then she turned to see the old woman in the red dress that was crossing the room: “Rita, this is my mother-in-law, Bella.”

Rita stared at Bella in silence.

“Hello, Mrs. Goth.”

“Hello” said Bella softly. “I remember you.”

“Yes, we met at Dina’s party—”

“How are your nephew and niece?”

“Who?”

“Johnny and Jill. I’m sure they miss their auntie.”

“Uh do you have any idea what she's talking about?” asked Cecilia, completely confused.

“I— I think I need to go now.”

---

“What do you mean? That's not possible, makes no sense.” said Kaylynn Langerak on the phone. “Don't. Okay, I have to hang up. I'll call you later.”

“You have no idea how hard it was to get out of that house! The Goths, easy to get in, impossible to get out. I'm ready now.” said Alexander entering the lab. Kaylynn watched him go. “I'd forgotten how weird time travelling feels. Didn't I have a stubble before I came? I'll grow it back once you send me to Pleasant Valley.”

“I'm sorry, Alexander.” said Kaylynn sadly.

“What are you sorry for? It's not like it's your fault… Wait. I never told you my name was Alexander.” said the Goth suspiciously.

“As I said, I'm sorry,” repeated Kaylynn. A purple haze surrounded Alexander.

“Wait! Where are you sending me?” yelled Alexander in worry. But Kaylynn didn’t answer. As much as he tried to set free from the gleam, his body wouldn’t respond. The purple haze suddenly started to mist.

“What happened?” he asked himself. His body felt different. It looked different.

“No…” he mumbled. There was a mirror in front of him. But the reflection showed a ten-year old boy.

“NO!” he screamed. Kaylynn had sent him to Willow Creek.

Chapter Text

Cassandra Dreamer was pretending to read a magazine, but at the same time, she was watching Darren sleeping, in the white sheeted bed. They were at a private hospital in Sunset Valley, and she had already called her daughter to come straight after school.

"I came as as soon as I could. What did you do to him?" Diana yelled as soon as she entered the room.

"I haven't done anything to him! And lower your voice" her mother warned her. “There was a small fire in the house. Everything is okay now, but we can't stay there. You'll go to your Grandma's”.

They both came out of the room to talk, while Darren remained sleeping in bed.

“I need you to stop making me the villain, Diana” said Cassandra with a serious voice.

“Why do you hate Jesse then?” asked the girl, reminding her of her soon-to-be boyfriend. “He's not his dad”.

Cassandra sighed. There wasn't a correct answer to that question. Motherhood had always struck her in, but this time she felt the need to tell her daughter the truth.

“You want the truth about what happened to Don Lothario? Fine, I'll tell you. But you won't like what you'll hear”.

---

Dina Wolff showed up in Don Lothario’s new condo. He opened the door.

“Hello, Donnie” she said with her nasal voice.

“No way, you wear white now?” Laughed Don. Dina had always rocked black after she widowed, now she looked like an uptown classy woman (keeping the neckline, of course).

“How are you? I came to visit because you hadn't called!”

“I’m sorry! Come in, I’ll get you a drink.” said Don, inviting her up.

“So how did you find me?” he asked once they were inside. He remembered the nerves he felt when he showed up at 113 Wright Way, just after he had arrived at Pleasant Valley.

“Someone told me they saw you in town. It seemed weird after these fifteen years. But I took a chance and sent you the invite to my party.” replied Dina, drinking a cup. “My husband says you looked hopeless”.

“You married the rich psychiatrist?”

“I did. And Nina joined Daniel. Now our children are cousins” she reminded him.

“Yeah. I can’t believe Nina formed a family with that old loser” said Don, looking up. “I wonder if she still hates me now. Never thought I could hurt her so much.”

“So you do remember what happened,” said Dina, putting her hands on her waist.

“Not all of it,” replied Don, serious. “For you, I disappeared fifteen years, for me, they felt like a hundred. All I remember is that ranch…” he said, a flashback of Riverview crossing his mind.

“But anyways!” he stopped himself. “The important thing is that I'm somehow back. Perhaps I'll visit Nina one of these days to settle things up.”

“I just hope it's not too late for her and my nephew,” said Dina sadly.

“Relax. Things will be fine.”

---

“I swear I'm never drinking again,” said Dina to herself when she arrived home later that day.

“Where were you?” asked her a very angry Rita, who was sitting on the living room’s couch.

“Honey! I was catching up with an old friend”.

“You were with Don Lothario, weren't you?”

“You can't possibly be jealous of Don, baby!” said Dina laughing. Rita had been her lover longer than she had been married to Martin, and so she had always ‘shared’ that love between the two. She knew Rita was fierce, however.

“When you were playing happy family, I was doing research” barked the woman. “We're not safe here, Dina”.

“What on earth are you talking about?” asked the blonde woman.

“Bella knows. She remembers and she knows” replied Rita.

“She knows what?”

“It doesn't matter! We need to leave this town!” screamed Rita exasperated.

“But we just got back from Sunset Valley!” Dina objected.

“I won't leave without you!”

“Girls...?” asked Martin, Dina’s husband, entering the room. They both stared at him.

Once the spirits had calmed down, and after a couple of excuses, everyone went to their respective rooms. Martin caressed Dina while they were in bed.

“I'm glad you're calm now. I don't want Rita to give you any more trouble” he said.

“Don't worry, darling,” said the woman. “Rita could never give me trouble at all”.

“I just know her very well, and I think she's been mooching off our family for too long,” said the psychiatrist.

“What are you talking about? I thought I had introduced her to you”.

“I've known her for a long time. We even dated for a while. Before she said she was done with men forever. I'm pretty sure she suffers from some identity disorder. Her mother was a politician and didn't pay much attention to her, so she ran away from home when she was a teenager. When I saw that you two became such good friends, I saw no reason to push her away. She's also been really good with Seb. I'm sorry I never told you anything about this” Martin explained. Dina absorbed each of his words silently.

“Are you mad at me?” he asked, worried.

“No, not at all” she replied. Her head was so confused she didn’t know what else to say. Could it be that Rita was taking her for a fool?

---

“The doctor said Darren should stay and rest at the hospital, so thanks for letting me stay the night, Mary-Sue” said Cassandra to her friend and Jennifer Burb, when they were together drinking tea at 215 Sim Lane.

“It's never a problem, dear” replied Mary-Sue. “Is Diana with your mother?”

“Yes, things are a bit tense between us. She is ‘teenaging’”

“Go figure! My daughter doesn't talk to me either and she's already in college” said Jennifer.

“The older they get, more problems for us, huh?” asked Cassandra.

“Tell me about it. They make the same mistakes we did at their age” said Mary-Sue.

“We should get together for tea more often,” proposed Jennifer. Cassandra smiled. “We have known each other since we were little girls and we never got the chance to be friends” continued John Burb’s wife.

“Sorry, I'm very bad at making friends” replied Cassandra. “Mary-Sue basically adopted me”.

“Well, worry no more because we still have a lot of time to get to know each other” said Jennifer with a smile. A few hours later, she called her mother’s house to talk with her family.

“Hello, Cecilia?” she asked. “Alexander won't pick up his phone. Thank you for taking care of Diana for tonight”.

“No worries, Cassandra. She's with Bella now” said Cecilia Goth through her phone. “I just have a little something I need to tell you”.

“Sigh. Alright, tell me. This day can't get any worse anyways” said Cassandra.

“Alexander is... missing,” said Cecilia sadly, thinking about her husband. “He traveled by the time machine and he hasn't come back home yet. I'm really worried”.

“He used the time machine?!” asked Cassandra worriedly.

---

“My beautiful granddaughter,” said Bella Goth looking at Diana. “Would you like to wear some jewelry?”

“Thank you, grandma. You're so kind” said Darren’s daughter.

“I used to wear emeralds, for abundance,” recalled Bella, trying on a necklace on her granddaughter's neck. “But now I prefer peridots. They release guilt, and emotional baggage. Your ancestors were occultists and mystics. They valued precious gemstones, which carried great powers within them. Of course, science and modernity discredited them. I always wanted Cassandra to learn mysticism. She holds so much power…” she continued, with a hint of nostalgia. “Tell me, she was the one who started that fire, right?”

“I don't know. She wouldn't tell me” replied Diana, staring at her new necklace in the mirror.

“Mortimer wouldn't see it, but I always knew. Science is no match” said Bella, admiring her granddaughter. “Cassandra's greatest virtue is you, my dear”.

"Grandma, I need to ask you a question, but please don't be mad at me" said the teenager, with a worried look on her face.

"Alright, princess. Tell me".

"Grandma, did you have an affair with Don Lothario? With Jesse's dad?" asked Diana. Bella looked at her horrified.

"Oh, dear. Is that name going to haunt me forevermore? First the abduction at his place... I guess it was my fault because I allowed myself to be in that place, after a fight with your grandfather... and then he abandoned your mother at the altar" she whispered, through some tears.

“Grandma, are you starting to remember?”

“The more I start to remember, the more I want to forget” mumbled Bella.

“Who did this to you, Grandma?”

“I hit a place, a little haven before I came here…”

---

Through some dark and red walls, Alexander stumbled upon a stair that led him to the second floor. It felt weird being in a child's body again.

“I'm not going insane,” he said to himself. “Not at all. I've already been in alternate realities, come on Alexander, focus! Whatever this place is...”

“What's the matter, lad?” asked a familiar voice behind him.

“Dad?!” he said, turning around to see his father, Mortimer. “You're alive?”

“And why wouldn't I be?” asked the scientist.

“Dad, I don't know what this place is, but I'm not from here. You know more about this than me. Usually there would be a time machine... But I landed in a room. And I should be in Pleasant Valley in my late twenties…” Alexander hoped his father wouldn’t think that he was going insane.

“Pleasant Valley? Pleasantview?” asked Mortimer. And then he screamed, exhilarated: “AMAZING! Time traveling and you don't get memory loss? How did you manage to do that? Is technology more advanced?" Mortimer couldn't believe his joy. "But your timeline is straight! How did you get here? You are exceptionally brilliant, son! And you became a child again! Lovely!"

“It's not fun, dad! I need to get back with my wife!” replied Alexander.

“Your wife? You're married! Who did you marry, the Alto girl?”

“No, dad... Cecilia”.

“Cecilia?” asked Mortimer confused” “Who on earth is Cecilia? You should've married the Alto girl!”

“Not the point, dad! Can't you just help me get back?”

“Yes, son, of course I'll help you. But I'm eager to hear how you got here. Surely you have some doubts too” he said wisely.

“I have more than just doubts,” said Alexander, exhausted.

“Well, we will solve them on the way,” said Mortimer, taking him outside.

“What are those two even chatting about?” asked a tan woman in a red dress.

“No idea” replied her daughter, who wore big glasses and two buns.

“Cecilia... Heavens!” said Mortimer once he had taken Alexander to Strangerville. “You might as well married Lucy Burb!”

“Enough, dad” whispered Alexander.

Chapter Text

“Dad, why don't you like Cecilia?” asked Alexander once they were in the Strangerville laboratory.

“It's not that I don't like her” replied Mortimer, checking the machines. “Uh, let me get this straight. You married Cecilia, just because you saw you were together in Beacon Bay? Is that why you decided to break up with Livia Alto?”

“Eh, yeah?” mumbled his son, confused.

“Dumb move. Very dumb move” scolded him Mortimer.

“But you just said I was brilliant, dad”.

“You shouldn't let alternate realities dictate what you can or cannot do,” exclaimed the senior Goth. He had set the machine ready.

“Is that what happened between you and mom?” asked Alexander. “Is that why she can't grow old?”

“She can't grow old?” Mortimer seemed concerned. “In Pleasantview? That's a problem… Nevermind, we don’t have more time. You’re ready to go”. They both walked to the time machine.

“Can I get to ask you about Kaylynn?” said Alexander.

“Kaylynn must be in Pleasantview too. Find her”.

“Will I ever see you again, dad?”

“Ask Lurch. Tell him you saw me in Willow Creek” said Mortimer, reminding his son about the robot butler he had built right before his death. “Only one you per timeline, remember? Goodbye, son”.

“So long, dad” waved Alexander. His body was surrounded by a purple haze one last time. And suddenly, while he breathed difficulty owing to water, he realized that he was an adult man again.

“I’m back,” he gurgled in Landgraab’s old laboratory near Sunset Valley. He swam back to the land and dried his clothes to the sun. 

“I could use a shower, I stink” he thought as he walked through Pleasant Valley. “Why did dad send me to a freaking lake?” He debated taking a cab home, but he didn’t want to scare his mother or Cecilia.

Cecilia. Her thought came to his mind with a strange feeling “And what if dad was right, did I make a mistake by marrying her?” he wondered. “Maybe I rushed things”. He stopped himself in a local corner shop, looking for a bathroom. His clothes still smelled like the lake.

“Ugh, if things could get any worse” he said the second he saw his ex, Livia Alto buying clothes with Don Lothario. Don Lothario !

“Hi Alexander!” she said when she saw him. It was too late now for Alexander to escape. “Long time no see. You look tired”.

“Hi Livia” he muttered.

“Let me introduce you to my dear, dear friend Don”.

“Hi, Alexander. Holly, I’ll be at the gift shop”.

“What are you doing with that man, and why does he call you Holly?”

“Why not? It’s my middle name, and my mom’s name”.

“Isn’t that a red flag to you? He left my sister at the altar!”

“Yeah, like fifteen years ago. He’s more mature now”.

“Can’t you see he’s taking advantage of you? How can you be so gullible?”

“Are you really throwing me a tantrum?”

“Why are you doing this? Don't pretend you care about me now!”

“Because I don't trust him. But if you want to see how your money is taken by someone who calls you by the name of your rich mother, that's up to you.”

Livia returned to Don, who was waiting for her at the diner next to the shop. She sat beside him and they asked the waitress for water with some lemon.

“So how do you know Alexander?” asked Don, smoothly.

“We dated back in high school. He's like the one that got away for me”.

“Well, I knew him from before …” Don cleared his throat.

“You were engaged to his sister,” said Livia. “I know. Small town.”

“Look, I'm not an expert in relationships, but maybe you both should talk and fix your things up. The Goths are quite special”.

---

After having lunch together, Livia went home and Don walked around Pleasant Valley’s suburbs “ Holly is so young, so naïve. It feels like doing everything, all over again, but do I want to? ” he thought to himself. He walked to the old condo district, now full of suburban prefabricated houses. He knew Jesse (and therefore, Nina) lived there. “ Guess I should fix my stuff, too. ” He knocked on the door.

“What are you doing here? Jesse's at school” said Daniel Pleasant. Don stared at him.

“Hi, Daniel. I want to speak with Nina, if that's alright” he said politely.

“She's not home. Go away”.

“Well maybe you can help me then” smiled Don.

“What are you talking about? Get out of my house” yelled Daniel.

“Dude, chill out. We share half a son now, so we better get along” said Don rolling his eyes. He pushed Daniel inside the house and entered with no shame. “Plus, we have so much in common that we can keep each other company”.

“How dare you, I have nothing in common with you” said the redhead, offended.

“Kaylynn Langerak” worded Don, finally caughting Daniel’s interest. “Do you know that name?”

“Kaylynn? Do you know where she is? Haven't heard of her in years”.

“Exactly, like the earth swallowed her. Apparently she left town fifteen years ago, as I did against my will. But if she dated you while she was with me, don't you think that's a little suspicious? I'm not the one to judge but …”

“She dated you too?”

---

A few hours later, Nina arrived home from work. She saw her teen daughter, Kathy acting awkwardly, hiding behind the living room’s door. 

“Hi, Kathy. What are you doing there?” she asked.

“Shh! They're gonna hear you,” said the girl. “Dad and that man... Jesse's dad. They've been sitting there chatting for hours!”

Nina looked shocked and tried to hear the conversation too.

“I always felt that Kaylynn had an old soul” was saying Don. Both him and Daniel had been drinking

“Me too! As if she belonged elsewhere” exclaimed Daniel.

“What?!” muttered Nina. “Why is Don here?”

“I don't know, but it's super weird!” answered her daughter. “Make it make sense!”

Nina walked towards the living room: “What the hell is going on here?” she asked the two men.

---

Darren Dreamer arrived home from the hospital. He was viewing his own beloved collection of portraits. The most precious ones, those of his family, Cassandra, Dirk and Diana.

“I used to think there was nothing more in life for me, after Darleen's passing. But then I met you, Cass. You brought me back to life” he whispered.

“That's a lot of pressure for just one person, you know?” responded his wife behind him.

“I know. I just thought you should know.”

“Are you feeling better now?” she asked.

“Yes. We should speak properly about what happened.” They both walked through the corridor to the dining room.

“I never wanted to hurt you and I have no idea how the fire started” said Cassandra right after the sat.

“I trust you”.

“Do you?” asked Cassandra “Because you know what I did to Don in the past and…”

“I know what happens when you lose control. I married you knowing that” he said. “This kind of magic that you have, is it dangerous?”

“I have no clue,” said Cassandra, apologetic. “My father didn't believe in magic. But until I can control it, I can't put you and Diana at risk” she continued, unaware that Diana was listening behind the door.

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing” agreed Darren.

“Until then, we should go our separate ways”.

“I agree.”

“And I guess I should tell Diana. I would hate to do to her what my mother did to me” whispered Cassandra. Tears run through Diana’s face.

“Alright then. I'll see you soon”.

“I guess. It won't be long, Darren” she said, but they both felt defeated, as if they knew their union wasn't all it looked like it was going to be. Cassandra then reached her daughter, but Diana didn’t feel like having that conversation.

“I'm going to Dirk's!” she shouted, as soon as her mother called her over. She ran from home, still crying. “For heaven's sake, Diana, stop crying. You'll be fine, you're good at pretending you're fine”.

---

“So, what do we know about Rita Morosini?” said Dustin Broke. He was at his condo with his roommate Dirk, and their siblings, Beau and Diana, who had just arrived.

“She's Dina's financial advisor? Home consultant?” said Beau. “They both approached me at that party, talking about my mother”.

“You guys are too young to remember, but Dina Caliente was once known as Pleasantview’s gold digger” narrated Dirk to both his sister and Beau.

“That’s not very endearing, Dirk. She’s my best friend’s mother” said the girl.

“Who, the guy you friendzoned?” laughed Dirk.

“The friendzone does not exist, old head. You're such a boomer”.

"Alright, but just because he's your friend doesn't mean his mother couldn't be a criminal. Dina married your great uncle, and then tried to seduce your grandpa. It was the talk of the town back then” replied Dirk.

“That doesn't mean anything” whispered Diana.

“Dirk, you really think that she could be involved? She was mom's friend” asked Dustin concerned.

“In any case, Rita should be in jail” declared Beau with the same tone.

“I don’t know, guys” mouthed Diana. “I’ll talk to Seb if he knows anything.”

---

It was noon now in a pretty bridal boutique. Angela Pleasant was trying on dresses for her upcoming wedding. 

“I do like this one, but isn’t it too simple?” she asked her bridesmaids, her cousin Lucy and her half sister Kathy.

“You look pretty as always, Angela” said Lucy. She was getting tired of all the fuss.

“Dude, I’m so not wearing this” said Lilith coming out of the dresser. She was wearing Angela’s selected dress for the bridesmaids, a bright green long dress.

“Why not?” said her twin. “You look adorable.”

“I look like a celery!” exclaimed Lilith.

“Well, it’s my big day, so could you just agree with me for once?” said Angela in a bossy voice, walking away from her. Lucy followed her to the dressing room.

“Need some help over there?”

“No, I’m fine. Trying one with a tulle” said the redhead. She walked out with a new dress on, and Lucy stared at her.

“It’s just so weird to me that you’re not marrying Dustin” she said quietly.

“Why?” asked Angela, smirking. “You dreamed we’d both be Mrs. Broke?”

“Uh, yeah. Kind of” replied her cousin.

“If I marry Cameron, my life is fixed forever” assured her Angela, “I can’t keep dreaming like a child. Maybe you’ll get it when you grow up.”

“I mean.. I don’t know, Angie” responded Lucy. “I wouldn’t trade Beau for fortune or popularity. But it’s up to you.”

Angela wouldn’t listen to her. She had already made her mind.

“Girls, I think I found the one!” she said coming out once again of the dressing room with a big princess ball dress.

“Great! You look like a cake” Lilith mocked her.

But she was in fact, as worried as Lucy that Angela was going to marry that college boyfriend. She gave Dirk a call when they arrived home.

“Hey Dirk, did you tell Dustin that Angela is getting married?”

“Eh, nope? Did you?” answered Dirk.

“No! I was hoping you were going to tell him.”

“No way, Lili. I'm not going to tell him, that'll destroy him. He's already going through a lot” said Dirk, thinking about the conversation they had had earlier in the morning.

“But someone needs to tell him! Angela is sending invitations to everyone, including you two!”

“Maybe we could get Beau to tell him? Isn't he dating your cousin?”

“No, he'll know we'd set that up” said Lilith. At the same time, Dustin Broke had just arrived at the condo he shared with Dirk.

“Crap, I think he came home. I'll text you later” said Dirk on the phone.

“Alright let me know,” said Lilith. Dustin already had a letter in his hands when he walked towards Dirk’s room.

“Hey. Angela is getting married, did you know?”

“Uh... maybe?” replied Dirk with an embarrassed smile.

---

Dina was trying to relax in her home sauna. However, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Martin had said about Rita. She still had the thought of her running on her mind, just like the first time they’d met. Had it all been a lie? Fifteen years ago, just when Mortimer had left her, just when Bella Goth had returned to Pleasantview… And, she was there too. Rita found her at her lowest but made her bounce back. Life was so different back then and, undoubtedly was better now. But she couldn’t keep both of them. Martin had been an incredible husband and father to her son, but…

She went inside to take a bath, but Rita was there, sitting next to her bathtub.

“What are you doing here? I thought I told you I wanted to be alone” she said.

“I know. I made you a bubble bath to make you feel better” said Rita with a smile.

“We need to talk, Rita”.

“Get in. We'll talk after that” cooed Rita. Dina knew this was a fight she’d lose. She sat in the bathtub that already had some warm water and wonderful bubbles around.

“Rita?” she asked without looking at her.

“Yes, baby?” asked the woman in red clothes.

“Who are you?”

“Me? I'm the only one who's ever loved you”.

“That's not true,” growled Dina. No way. There was no way...

“Michael didn't love you” said Rita, walking towards the bathtub. “Mortimer for sure didn't love you. And does Martin love you? Most importantly, do you love him back?” she sat next to her “Maybe that's the important question, Dina. Have you loved any of them? Have you loved anyone but Bella and me?” she finally whispered in her ear.

Chapter Text

"I'm glad you called me! You look tired," said Lucy Burb to Alexander Goth while they were having coffee at a nice cafeteria in Sim State University.

"Everyone keeps saying that to me. The truth is I haven't slept," recognized Alexander.

"Is everything okay? Was the past so horrible?"

"So many things... I'm dizzy, but I'll be alright. Anyways, first thing first, I saw you mother," he mentioned. He wasn’t sure how to keep the conversation nice with all the things he had to say.

"You did? How was she like?" asked Lucy, curious.

"She was a great footballer, but your grandma didn't approve. She called her a butch as if it was something derogatory," said Alexander softly.

"What?! My mom? But she is so obsessed with the idea that women should be feminine, fashionable and well-behaved..."

"Maybe that's why she behaves like that?"

"Oh my. I'll need to process that," said Lucy, taking a sip of her expresso.

"I know. The past was hard," said Alexander, imitating her.

"So it seems. If you called me before going straight home I'm guessing something happened, to you too, right? Maybe you can go take a nap at my place, if you wish," offered the girl in a maternal tone.

---

Later that day, Dirk Dreamer was having dinner with his college girlfriend, Grace. But he was still thinking about the call Lilith had given him in the afternoon. Was Lilith really worried about Dustin again?

“I can't believe Angela is getting married! I'm so happy for her,” said Grace, distracting him from his thoughts.

“Yeah, although it seems a bit early,” Dirk sounded weary. Alright, Dustin could pretend he was fine with it anytime. But he knew he wasn't. What was actually going on with Angela and Lilith? Why all of a sudden were they acting so strange?

“Well, we're all in our thirties, so I thought maybe it was the right time to do this,” the girl smiled. And then, to Dirk's surprise, she took out a small, velvet box.

“Is this a...?” Dirk couldn't believe his eyes.

“Will you marry me, Dirk Dreamer? I know this is unusual, but...”

“Grace, I'm afraid I won't be able to,” he managed to say, after swallowing.

“What?!” she screamed.

“But please, don't panic! I just—”

“Are you rejecting me?!”

“Please, don't scream. Grace, I'm so sorry, but I can't marry you. I don't think we have the same feelings for each other,” he tried to explain. Grace looked devastated.

“Oh my— how can you do this to me? Is it because of Lilith, isn't it?”

“No, Grace. I just don't love you like you love me. I'm really sorry.”

“Because she doesn't want you, you know?” she whispered wickedly, avoiding his eyes. “She's dating my roommate, Martha.”

“Even if that were the case, it's not about her,” Dirk sighed. “I can't marry you, Grace. I'm sorry.”

---

“There you are! Completely straight hair.” said Martha to Lilith after giving her a makeover. Lilith’s hair looked neat and shiny.

“Ugh. I can't believe I'm doing this for Angela,” she complained, looking at herself in the mirror. Why was she doing this? The celery dress, the proper hairstyle. All because of a stupid wedding.

“Deep down you love her, don't you?” said Martha, reading her thoughts.

“Just enough for not wanting her to marry that creep.” Lilith smiled. They hadn't heard the steps that were coming from the entrance.

“I hope you're happy now that Dirk broke up with me,” said Grace, staring at them with fury.

“Excuse me?” said Lilith. She stared at Martha for support, but she looked just as surprised. Grace wouldn’t usually be this rude.

“Wasn't it enough for you to ruin Dustin and Angela's relationship that you want to ruin Dirk's and mine too?” the black haired girl continued, under her breath.

“What are you talking about? I haven't done anything,” said Lilith, both confused and angry.

“Sure, you are always the victim right? Keep blaming your long-suffering childhood for your attitudes,” Grace provoked her. Lilith was about to jump, but Martha decided to intervene:

“Grace, that's enough. Get out,” she said to her roommate. And Grace agreed, locking herself in her room. Lilith breathed heavily in relief, but then tears started to fall from her face. She turned around quickly, as she didn’t want Martha to see her crying.

“I'm sorry about that. I don't know what's off with her. Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. I just want to go home,” Lilith mumbled.

---

By the next day, the sun was shining brightly on an autumn morning. Nina Caliente was calling her sister on the phone.

"And he says to me 'Nah, we're talking about Kaylynn', like are you kidding me? They weren't even talking about me," she complained.

"Sounds awful, really. Don is such a jerk," Dina responded.

"I know, I kicked him straight out of my house. Luckily Jesse wasn't around, can you imagine? I’m so done with Daniel and Don." Nina kept complaining but Dina got distracted. Rita had just entered her bedroom, wearing black lingerie.

"Yeah... I need to hang up, Nina," Dina whispered before finishing the call. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked Rita.

"Anything for you to stop being mad at me?" said Rita, grabbing her waist, and pushing her against the bedpost.

"I can never win with you, can I?" said Dina. She knew Rita wouldn’t leave her alone to think about the conversation they had had the day before.

"I know you better than anyone, babe," said Rita, kissing her face.

---

"What is he doing here?" asked Beau Broke to Lucy. He had just arrived at her place, only to find Alexander Goth sleeping on her sofa.

"He needed a place to crash, that's all," explained Lucy, pissed off.

"Yeah, that's why he's all sweaty?"

"He just came from the past to help you, Beau!" But then the both stopped arguing because Alexander woke up.

“You woke him up!” accused Lucy.

"No, that was my phone,” said Alexander, still half asleep. He picked it up “Sorry, I just..."

"Finally!” shouted his wife from the other side of the line “You're in Pleasant Valley already!? You know how worried I was? Why haven't you come home?"

"Cecilia— Sorry. I'm at Lucy's place..."

"Lucy? You went to see her first? Come home immediately!” shouted Cecilia. “Your mother is sick, you know? The morning after she talked with Diana, she passed out!”

"What?!" exclaimed Alexander.

"Come over NOW!" ordered his wife.

---

“Honey, we need to wake up. Martin will come any minute now,” whispered Dina to her mistress. They had been lying in bed the whole morning. 

“Don't worry, darling. I have everything under control,” said Rita, holding her in her arms.

“Do you?”

“Trust me.”

But just the second she pronounced those words, the sound of the door opening shook them out.

“Dina?” asked Martin Wolff, staring at them. Rita smiled knowing that her job was done.

“HOW? HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?” screamed Dina’s husband to both of them. Dina looked all small and desperate. 

“Martin, I swear I can explain—!”

“For years all I wanted was a family. A family better than the one I had, I wanted to make Morgana proud! And you stole that for me Dina! You're a monster,” the psychiatrist said. Dina didn’t know what to answer. She had screwed up. Her marriage, her family, her fortune… All gone in a matter of seconds. She couldn’t stop her crying. Rita laughed.

“And how can you be laughing at this. I never want to see you again, Rita,” said Martin, staring at her in disgust.

“Count on it,” she replied proudly. “After years of taking care of your financial accounts, you really didn't think I'd take my part?” And then she looked at her beloved Dina: “We're free now, Dina. We can leave this loser, we got the money!”

“But Rita, I can't just leave!” bawled Dina “I have my son here!”

“Dina, baby, this is all we ever wanted!” Rita insisted. Why was Dina crying so hard? Wasn’t this their amazing getaway call? Didn’t they want to leave Martin behind with all his money?

“I want both of you out of here. Today,” declared Martin, coldly.

“We can take the boy with us. C'mon, Dina! Us three!” Rita kept pushing Dina, who wouldn’t stop sobbing.

“Over my dead body you'll take my son away from me” Martin warned her. But poor Sebastian was already hearing the conversation from behind the door.

---

Lying in his bed, Sebastian Wolff had just come home from school. He couldn’t help to smile when he received a text from Diana Dreamer.

---“Hiii. Seb, this is high key important. What do you know about Rita?”

---“Rita?” he replied “She's been friends with my parents since forever. Lives here with us. You know that stuff.”

---“Yeah but what else? Focus Sebastian!” the girl demanded. Seb laughed.

---“Lmao, idk. What do you want me to say?” but then he added “Why are you asking me, tho?”

---“Please just check,” texted the girl. “There’s something fishy about her but I can’t tell you right now.”

--- “Alright,” he replied. “But wait me a sec. There’s a lot of noise for some reason?”

Looking away from his phone, Seb tried to hear the argument in his parents' room. There was a lot of screaming, and he was getting worried. He walked, hearing the voices.

“We can take the boy with us. C'mon, Dina! Us three!” he could hear Rita talking.

“Over my dead body you'll take my son away from me,” said his father. His stomach ached.

“No…” he said, realizing. “This isn't happening…” he walked away from the door and his feet walked him indirectly to Rita’s room. Could that be true? Were his mother and Rita cheating on his dad?

“What do I know about Rita... Where is she from?” he asked himself, entering the red room. It was the first time he dared to enter. 

Rita’s place was neat and clean, but that didn’t surprise him. Rita had always been a part of his life, but distantly. She was present in all the pictures of his parents' wedding day. She had always lived there with them, and she cooked amazing. She would sometimes pick him up from football practice. Sometimes his parents would go out for dinner and Rita had looked after him. She took care of his father’s financial accounts, meaning she took care of his fortune. And aunt Nina didn’t like her that much. But he never knew why. Until now.

Sebastian realized Rita’s laptop was unlocked. On the very first page there was a document with a picture of a woman with dark hair, tan skin and a red dress.

“What the f—?” he whispered. He knew who that woman was. Mostly because the girl he liked, Diana, looked particularly similar to her. It was her grandma. And of course he knew who Bella Goth was because… Dina hated Bella Goth.

But then why were there an insane amount of documents hidden behind the desktop? Documents that he could recognize because he saw them in his father's office all the time. It was Rita’s medical report. He read silently.

“ Patient is convinced she is Bella Goth from... Strangetown? ”

He stood up immediately, and ran as fast as he could from that room.

“DIANA!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.

---

Sebastian was nowhere to be found. Soon after Martin had kicked out both Dina and Rita, they all realized that Sebastian had probably heard them, and Martin took no time to go looking for his son. Rita started packing her bags, and so did Dina, until they met in the front hallway of the manor.

“What is wrong with you? How could you do this to me?” asked Dina, still incredulous of everything that had happened. In the morning she was still happily married to the millionaire doctor Wolff, and now her home was in ruins.

“What is wrong with YOU?” asked Rita back. “Why are you mad at me?”

“You really thought that I was just gonna leave my son?” whined Dina.

“But we talked about running away together, so many times!”

“This is so messed up. YOU are so messed up. Please, get out” said the blonde woman in absolute heartbreak.

“I rescued you after Mortimer and Bella Goth ruined your life...” mumbled Rita, with tears in her eyes.

“I don’t need you! I’m Dina Caliente! And who are you?”

Rita couldn't bear it. She turned around to leave the building that she once thought would be hers.

“Fine. Go fuck yourself, Dina Caliente. Dina Bachelor. Dina Goth. Dina Wolff,” she mumbled to herself in despair. Her red heels walked her as far as they could, far from Pleasant Valley, and on the very edge of where the limit started to be called Sunset Valley, she saw the place that once had had her very young and scared.

“Wasn't she my true love? Weren't we made for each other?” she thought, looking down. “The most important thing is having someone to love... didn't you say that?”

Finally, she tripped over some bushes on the outskirts of an old, but bright building near the cooling tower.

Chapter Text

Not long after, a female figure approached her, in the darkness of the night. “Oh, dear. What have they done to you?” the woman asked, grabbing her hands. “Get up, girl. I need to use you as a puppet one last time.”

---

“Ever heard of the Time Paradox Sickness?” asked Lurch, the robot butler of the Goth Manor to Alexander Goth himself, who had just arrived.

“I have. Please tell me this is not it. She's too old to be cured,” said Alexander, sitting by the bed where his mother rested uneasily.

“What does that mean?” inquired Cecilia, from the back of the room.

“It means that Mrs. Bella will be gone soon. Probably in a few days,” informed Lurch in his quiet, metallic voice.

“This is my fault,” said Alexander, defeated. “I shouldn’t have traveled to the past.”

“We’re not sure,” mentioned Lurch. “She had a deep conversation with Miss Diana.” Both Cecilia and Alexander looked at each other in suspense. What was actually going on?

“Call Cassandra,” commanded Mortimer’s son. “Tell her to bring her daughter.” He jumped off the chair and walked outside of the room. Cecilia followed him immediately.

“Alex, can we talk? You disappeared for days…”

“I can't right now, Cecilia. I'm sorry. I'll come back; I swear”.

---

“So, are we just gonna play dumb about you and Don?” said Nina, crossing her arms to Daniel Pleasant.

“What do you want me to say?” asked Daniel, while making their bed.

“You were flirting with him!” exclaimed Nina, furious.

“Okay, maybe I was. Why is that a problem?”

“Because he's Jesse’s dad!”

“He is not Jesse’s dad. I AM Jesse's dad. And, you know what? It shouldn’t be a problem if I wanted to have a relationship with him.”

“I can't even believe what you're saying. Are you serious? It's Don Lothario! The man who left me pregnant on my own!”

“You should listen to his side of the story, Nina. He didn’t leave Pleasantview because he wanted to.”

“I just want you to think about how this could affect Jesse. You already did Angela and Lilith wrong, why keep being a shitty father?” said Nina, dismissing him. But then she turned around before leaving the room. “By the way, Dina is coming to live with us, so make room for her.”

“What?”

---

“Tell me you did not make out with Daniel Pleasant,” laughed Livia Alto, who was sitting next to Don Lothario on the second floor of her fancy living room.

“I did not! But it would've been fun, not gonna lie,” ventured Don.

“Oh my god, Don”.

“I mean Daniel told me they have a polyamorous relationship. But Nina is worried about how this could affect Jesse and Kathy”.

“And what do you think?” she asked, genuinely interested.

“I can't make any comments. I feel like I've missed out a lot” said Don, shrugging. Whatever had happened between Nina and Daniel during the past fifteen years was none of his business now, but he couldn’t help but to feel left out.

“Maybe we could do research together. Do you think we could have that sort of relationship?” said Livia.

“You and me?”

“Yeah, I mean, if you feel like it…”

“That's actually the best thing someone's ever said to me” smiled Don, and he grabbed her by the waist to kiss her. Not long, he thought, not long and he would be joined with a beautiful rich woman for the second time in his life! How lucky could he be? They were so invested in their making-out session that they didn’t hear the steps that approached them.

“Miss Alto, Mr. Goth is here to see you,” informed the Alto’s butler, Randall.

“Sorry,” muttered Alexander, coming from behind him, “Clearly this is not the best time”.

“Oh, sh—. I’m coming!” hissed Livia, embarrassed.

---

“Why did your parents put money in Landgraabs Industries? I thought they hated each other,” was the first question Alexander asked his ex-girlfriend, once they were out of Don Lothario’s sight.

“My father persuaded grandpa Nick to do so,” answered Livia, as they walked through the house’s dining room. There were dozens of paintings and portraits of the Alto’s family members, including the deceased Nick, Vita, Holly and her once husband, Eric.

“Did your parents work there?” asked Alex.

“Just my mom, I think. She was very interested in time traveling.”

“I knew it! She went to Beacon Bay, didn't she?”

“Beacon Bay? How do you know about Beacon Bay?”

“I traveled there,” exclaimed Alexander. I was married…”

“With Cecilia?” said Livia with a smile. “And I was with Don.”

“You? No! It was Holly… Wait, how do you know that?” Alexander asked, confused.

“Don calls me Holly.”

“Wait... So you were there too? That was you?”

“I don't know! Maybe. I just feel it in my bones.” said Livia, looking at the pictures. If there was another life, wouldn’t it make sense that they would be together? At least in another life?

“All this time I thought it was your mom, and I—” Alexander started shaking.

“You thought we weren't meant to be together?”

“This is too complicated,” he admitted in defeat. Because if in a multiverse he was only married to Cecilia, but deep down still in love with Livia, would it make sense that in this universe it was the same? Why were his parents, Mortimer and Bella together in all possible multiverses?

“It's not complicated!” said Livia “You made a mistake, that's all.”

“But now you're with Don.”

“And you're married to Cecilia. Hey, that's not a bad thing.”

“My mom is sick. There's an alternate reality in which I'm a child and my father thinks I can fix this time paradox, but I have no clue how to do it.”

“Oh, you already know how to do it. You're Alexander Goth!” praised his ex-girlfriend. “You already did this once! Someone else has to be behind this”.

--

“I think you did the right thing kicking your girlfriend out,” said Nina Caliente to her twin sister.

“Why does everything have to be so complicated? How am I going to look at my son now?” wondered Dina in complete angst. Only twenty-four hours had happened since she and Rita had been discovered in their long-time affair, and she still couldn’t believe it. Besides, Sebastian had been runaway ever since.

“He will understand. He's a smart boy. Let Jesse talk to him first,” her sister calmed her. Only Jesse had managed to get Sebastian pick up his phone.

“Aspiration failure women aren't we,” sighed Dina.

“Just like the first time we came to Pleasantview,” said Nina, reminiscing.

“Yeah, but we were young and broke.”

“The world still had so many possibilities,” Nina sighed with half a smile. “I know you feel like you messed up your life again, but you're not a bad mom Dina. And we still got each other, don't you think?”

“From the womb to the tomb,” said Dina, remembering their silly life motto, back when they were children.

“Forever,” replied Nina smiling. But then they got interrupted by Nina’s son, Jesse.

“Hey, mom. Aunt Dina. I'm going to meet Seb right now,” informed the boy.

“Thank you for doing this for me, dear,” replied Dina to her niece. Jesse nodded and walked to the door, but someone else was already out there, waiting.

“Uh... Someone here wants to see you, aunt Dina,” said Jesse, concerned. It was Rita. Jesse could almost feel his mother's rage behind him, so he let the woman in red in and slipped away as soon as he could. Rita stood in front of the sofa where Dina and Nina were sitting.

“Dina, please let me speak, I'll tell you the truth, alright? Everything, from day one. Everything that happened sixteen years ago... in 2004.”

*F l a s h b a c k*

Strangetown, 2004.

“Rita, what are you doing?” asked Ajay Loner, entering the room. It had been a couple of weeks since the woman had knocked on his door looking for a place to stay. Luckily, she was no danger, he thought, and looking for a decent roommate in Strangetown was like looking for the sea in the desert. But now, she was literally going insane, or so he thought.

“I'm going as Bella Goth. What do you think?” she asked, looking at herself proudly in the mirror. It was Halloween night, and though it wasn’t a widely celebrated festivity in the town, an old alien next door didn’t want to miss any part of the human experience. So he decided to throw a party, and of course, everyone wanted to meet Bella Goth. The famous Bella Goth.

“You're literally obsessed with that woman. Is she even real?” Ajay couldn’t believe his eyes. Rita had gotten an identical red dress and wore her make-up accordingly. A little cheaper version of Bella Goth, maybe, but she looked like the woman in red indeed.

“Of course she's real. I met her,” said Rita, applying some lip gloss. She was so proud of herself. That was the night. The night where she would feel wanted. Celebrated. Needed.

“You don't need to pretend you’re someone else, you know?” said Ajay, with a ghostly sigh. Why was Rita always lying to herself and everyone else about being Bella Goth? Though the woman was a myth and some people had claimed to have met her at the Car Station on the outskirts of the town, no one really knew Bella Goth. And yet, Rita of course had managed to dupe some poor people, just because of her appearance.

“She's not someone else. She's Bella Goth!” said the woman smiling. And then she bragged: “I'd even be a better Bella Goth than her. I'm not scared of aliens.”

“There is a line between wanting to be like her and conning people.” Ajay reminded her.

“Oh! That's the doorbell.” Rita ignored his advice. The doorbell had sounded indeed, and Ajay had no choice but to stand aside to let her pass.

“Just be careful, okay?”

“Hey kiddies!” she shouted from the door. An alien teenager and a little girl waved at her from the front fence.

“Hi, Auntie Bella!” the kids screamed back.

“Oh my, what do we have here?” said Rita approaching them, looking at their costumes. “A cute ballerina and...?”

“A modern day alien.” replied Johnny Smith laughing at his own irony. He was just wearing his everyday clothes. “C’mon, we’re late to the party!” he rushed her.

“Yeah, daddy is dying to meet you!” Added young Jill. They all walked their way to the house next door.

Mister Smith was such a kind man, probably the nicest man Strangetown had ever seen. Rita couldn’t believe her luck when she finally met him. She had spent the longest time hearing stories (often unrealistic) of what life would be in Strangetown, and suddenly they all began to make sense. Why couldn't Bella Goth see how wonderful it was? The lore, the stories, the feeling that everything fitted together like pieces of a puzzle, a puzzle that somehow no one would ever solve.

And it probably would have kept being wonderful, if not for her, that last piece that didn't fit anywhere. As long as Bella didn't leave the Service Station, she was safe, right? No one had to know. No one would be interested in silly old Rita from sleepy-town. But everyone was interested in Bella Goth. Even herself, if she could ever admit it. That's why her disappointment was huge the moment Bella Goth left Strangetown for good. If only Bella wasn't so attractive, so compelling, so impossible to be avoided… Just like the first time she met her.

“Listen to Mambo Loa. You don't wanna be here.” said the old witchy woman from the counter of the Curio Shoppe.

“Leave me alone, won't ya? Here is better than elsewhere.” answered a young Rita, hiding her face behind her long black hair. She had just arrived in town and just found a place, why was she trying to get her out? Why was it so difficult to find a home? An unexpected visitor entered the store, interrupting her thoughts.

“Hello there, Bella,” said the old woman. “Mambo Loa just met your twin here,” she added, giving a quick glance to Rita.

“Oh, is it?” replied Bella Goth, whose voice sounded vague and distant. It had been like that ever since the abduction.

“Hi. You don't look from here. Are you lost?” Bella asked the young woman. They did look impressively similar, although Bella had a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that made her indistinguishably gloomy.

“If being lost means ‘far away from my family’ then I guess I’m fine,” replied Rita. Just having that woman close to her was intimidating.

“Wow,” sighed Bella, sounding sadder than ever. “Me trying to get back to my family and you running away from yours.”

“Is it that bad here in Strangetown?” asked Rita, incredulous.

“Actually, I've been trying to get out of here for a long time. But I don't quite remember why,” replied Bella.

“Boy, I wish I could lose my memory and start from scratch,” said Rita laughing. She was starting to have an idea.

“Won't end well,” whispered the old woman on the counter. “Mambo Loa know this won't end well.”

            During the short time they spent together before Rita finally moved to the city, Bella had told her a little bit of the remaining pieces she had of her life. Enough so that Rita immediately envied how impressive her looks were, and the way she expressed herself. She looked like a gothic princess, lost in her melancholy, waiting for someone to come rescue her. In no time was Rita dressing like her, signing with her name, and suddenly becoming her, as crazy as that might sound. She even imitated her facial expressions, her blank stares, her enchanting sadness. Not long after those first encounters, the night Rita met Mr. Smith and his family at his house, she returned to the Service Station, elated to meet Bella and tell her about the former pollination technician. However, only Mambo Loa was inside the Curio Shoppe, sitting behind the cash register as usual.

“The party was amazing! Everyone thought I was Bella at the Smith's house,” Rita babbled as soon as she entered. “I'm so keeping this dress... Where’s Bella?” she finally asked, looking around for the woman in red.

“Oh, young one... Didn't you find out?” whispered Mambo in a deep voice. “Bella left.”

“Left? What do you mean she left?” barked Rita. Suddenly she began to shake, as if the world were falling on her and she could not stop reality. Bella left? Did she really leave her? Did she manage to get back to her family?

“This town had enough with just one Bella,” replied Mambo as if that was the most natural explanation. “She got a ticket out.”

“Did she just leave without saying goodbye?” said Rita, loudly breathing. But before Mambo Loa could answer her, her legs walked through the door and forward.

“Why did she leave me? All I wanted was to be her friend... Did I take that too far? Did I make a mistake again? But I just wanted—” words and words came through and forth her mind. The way Bella reminded her someone, somewhere, the place where she was from, but why?

Someone had followed to the streets and interrupted her thoughts.

“Bella Goth is that really you?” asked the masculine voice in the shadows. Rita turned back, in horror. “Still finding your way back to Pleasantview?”

*End Flashback*

Pleasant Valley, 2020.

“So this woman pretended to be my grandma? In Strangetown?” asked Diana Dreamer to her best friend, Seb while they were sitting on her porch.

“Yep. I know it sounds messed up,” said Sebastian,

“Oh my watcher. I'm so sorry, Seb. How's your mom?”

“I don't know. I'm not sure if she knows. Was she conning her?” Sebastian asked as he shuddered. He had run from home just after he had learned the truth. At the same time, Diana’s father Darren opened the front door behind them.

“Diana,” he said. “Your mother just called. She wants you to go to the Goth Mansion, your grandma Bella is very sick in bed.”

“What?!” she and Seb looked at each other in shock. “Okay, I’ll go right now.”

“Thanks for having me. Keep me updated about your grandma, okay?” whispered Seb to her as they hugged goodbye.

“Sure. And please, text your parents, they must be worried,” replied Diana, frowning. They couldn’t see that Jesse, Sebastian’s cousin, was watching them from the distance.

Chapter Text

It was a strange day in the Valley. The atmosphere felt heavy, when Cassandra Goth, woke up alone in her new home. She was later called by the Goth's butler, Lurch, asking her to pay them a visit.

"Miss Cassandra. Your mother Bella is very sick. Mr. Alexander told me to call you and your daughter."

"Oh my. Lurch, please leave a message at home. I'm not with Darren and Diana right now. I'll be on my way," said Cassandra. She began to worry. Sick? How sick could Bella be after years and years of standing by. She should have died a long ago…

At the same in a different side of Pleasant Valley, Nina Caliente decided she had heard enough of Rita's nonsense. "I'll leave you two to talk," she told her sister, before leaving the room. Sebastian, Dina's son, had just arrived home to console his father.

As Cassandra had just finished getting ready, she floated like a ghost in her old black dress. Was finishing her marriage what made her feel younger? Was it wearing pigtails again like damn child?

But the knock on the door shushed her thoughts.

"I feel like we need to talk." said Nina Caliente, looking as serious as ever. Cassandra stared at her in a somber look, but then she let her in. Nina also looked younger. Her long red hair fell in her shoulders in typical Bella Goth fashion. Cassandra wondered for how long she and Dina had tried to steal her looks. Was it before or after Dina had married uncle Mike?

“What are you doing here, Nina?”

“I just want to talk. I know I've been avoiding it since forever,” replied the redhead, tumbling in one of Cassandra's sofas.

“How did you know I was here? What do you want to talk about?”

“Don. Jesse. Diana. I feel like we have a lot to talk about.”

“What do you know about my daughter?”

“She's dating my Jesse! Unlike you, I do talk to my son,” she exclaimed, making Cassandra fling a little. In which universe was Nina a better mother than her? “He's the one who told me that you and Darren had broken up. You look good though. Younger”

“So I guess you know I don't approve their relationship?” Cassandra insisted.

“Is that because of Don? Will you tell me about what happened to him? Because I'd rather hear that from you,” replied Nina. Cassandra looked at her with pity. Nina still didn't know anything about Don's abduction to the past.

“I don't have time for that,” she replied, coldly. “My mother got sick and I'm going to see her right now.”

“Bella got sick? Because I've just heard the wildest story about her in Strangetown with her clone.”

“Her what? ” asked the Goth lady in shock.

* * *

“What did you say to her?”

“I just asked her about…”

“About what?”

“About Don Lothario, okay?” Diana Goth looked pissed. She was surrounded by her uncle Alexander, his wife Cecilia, and the family butler, Lurch. For any given reason, she had arrived at the Goth Mansion earlier than her own mother, and Alexander had made her sit and talk about Bella before letting her go in to visit. Now they were interrogating her about their past conversation. “And before you say a thing, Uncle Alex, let me remind you that he's the father of mon chéri, so don't talk ill about him!”

“The father of your what?”

“You're dating Don's son, Jesse, aren't you?” asked Cecilia with a smile. Alexander, on the other hand, was just as displeased with the information as his own sister.

"I'm here. Sorry for the delay," said Cassandra, arriving at the second floor of the Goth's Mansion. But she wasn't alone.

"Mom…? And miss Caliente?" asked Diana, looking at Nina, who was coming from behind her.

“It wasn't my idea to bring her here, but…" started Cassandra.

“Hi, Di. Don't worry, I'll be short,” said Nina. “Do you guys know Rita Morosini?” Cecilia and Diana nodded, but Alexander looked confused.

“This woman pretended to be Bella Goth in Strangetown.”

“What?” asked Alexander.

“That woman came here while Alex was away. She fled as soon as she saw Bella,” said Cecilia.

"How come I just found out about this?"

“Just for you all to know this, Dina knew nothing about this before today,” said Nina.

“Dustin and Dirk think that Rita has something to do with Brandi Broke's murder,” Diana whispered.

“What?!” they all asked.

* * *

“Mom? Are you home?” asked Lucy Burb, when she entered home.

“She's not here,” mumbled a crying voice from the sofa.

“Oh, hi baby. What happened?” Lucy came over to sit next to her little brother Teddy.

“I got into a fight with Ben.”

“Ben? Your best friend?”

“Ben Schneider. His parents don't want us to be together.”

“Why not? What's the problem?”

“They saw us holding hands. Are you angry at me?” 

“Baby, no. Of course not. There's nothing wrong with that.”

“Do you think mom will get angry at me?”

“No, she won't. You did nothing wrong, okay? I'll take care of this.”

“Thank you. You're the best big sissy ever.”

    After Teddy had gone upstairs, Lucy called Beau's roommate in the residence, Camille.

“Camille, can we talk?”

“Dude, for the last time I'm not with your boyfriend. I swear he's probably getting drunk somewhere.”

“That's not… Beau is drunk again? T-that's not why I'm calling you. Did you know my brother is friends with your brother?”

“Yeah… Why?”

“Teddy was crying because of your parents. They are being—"

“Homophobic. Yes. Oh, watcher, okay, I'll talk to them.”

“Well, thank you. I know I haven't been completely nice with you, but this means a lot. I'll talk to my parents too.”

“What do you want to talk about?” asked Jennifer, who had just arrived.

“Good thing you're here. Your son. I caught him crying today.”

“Teddy? Why?”

“Don't you ever notice how you're pushing those football practices over him? What do you want to prove, mom? Do you think that'll toughen him up, make him more macho?”

“That's insane, Lucy. Why would I?”

“You used to love football. And grandma Diane was an old hag that kept you from doing what you loved. Don't do that to Teddy.”

“Why are you saying this to me?”

“Because your son likes a boy. And he's embarrassed and he shouldn't be.”

“Do you really think that's what I want? That this is me and my mom's fault and not your father's and damn Tiffany Burb?”

* * *

"Come on, Beau. Pick up the damn phone," whispered Camille once Lucy had hung up. But Beau wouldn't pick up. He was sitting in front of Plesantview's so-called beach, or what was left of it once the town had grown up enough to be called a valley.

"Water looks good, doesn't it?" a ghostly voice called near his ear.

"Why do I keep seeing you everywhere I go?" Beau grumbled while the ghost of Skip Broke haunted him in close circles.

"I'm here with you. Always. We're a team, remember?"

"Then why can't I never see mom?

"Do you want to see her?" asked the supposed ghost. "Maybe you can join me. Let's go for a swim. Last time I saw her, I was underwater."

Beau looked confused as the vivid image of his father jumped into the water. It was a tall, blonde figure, exactly like the one he had seen in pictures, but never in real life, or none at all as he could remember. His face was still blurred, though.

“C'mon, son. Won't you come?” the ghostly figure asked. “Do you want to see Brandi or not?”

* * *

“How are you feeling?” asked Cassandra to her mother Bella, who was still in bed.

“Glitchy. If that's a feeling.”

“When were you going to tell us about your Strangetown clone?”

“I keep on remembering things I'm not sure if they were real or not.”

“That doesn't make any sense, Bella.”

“You declared me dead. I wasn't”

“You left us.”

“It's the same for Brandi Broke.”

“Brandi Broke was murdered in front of the whole town, mom.”

“You can bring the dead back. They did it for me.”

“Who? What are you even talking about?”

“Oliver Specter. Such a strange town…”

* * *

“Bella says there might be a way for Brandi Broke to be alive,” said Cassandra, when she left her mother's room.

“That's what I thought! Then let's do it!” exclaimed Alexander.

“Nonsense. We need to look for a woman that probably died fifteen years ago.”

“Look, I never stopped looking for mom,” he replied. “Even when they declared her dead. If there's even the slightest chance for Dustin and Beau to have their mom back, then we should take it, and help them.” Cassandra stared at her brother. He sounded so convinced he could help those poor kids, that she couldn't help to agree.

“Okay, fine. You sound just as annoying as dad. I'll go call Dirk to ask him about Dustin then.”

“Hi, babe. I heard a little of your conversation,” said Cecilia, coming from the balcony. “I love it when you sound like that. Can we finally talk?”

“Cecilia, there's something about our relationship that I think you should know.”

“I know you went to visit Livia. But she's not your wife, Alex. I am.”

“No, I mean, the thing is…”

“Alex, I'm pregnant.” she interrupted him. Alexander Goth fainted.

Chapter Text

“So, you can't uninvite Dirk to the wedding?” asked Grace Heller to Angela Pleasant while they were shopping downtown.

“I'm afraid I can't, Grace. He's been my best friend since we were teenagers.”

“Oh well! It was worth a try. I know you would uninvite Lilith if you could!”

“Uh, why would I?”

“Because it's your great day and I'm sure she wants to ruin it.”

“We are not fighting anymore. I think.”

“Oh, Angie, you're too sweet. She always ruins everything. I would keep her in a box until you're well married tomorrow.”

“Right. I mean, if you say so.”

“Don't worry. Tomorrow is your day and it will be perfect.”

“Yes, I hope so! See you there, don't be late.” said the girl, hugging her friend back. Angela took the stairs and walked towards the library. She couldn't help to wonder, what would her married life be like? Would her husband, Cameron, be a man who reads books? One that docks them forever on the shelf? Would he be an honest husband? Fair? Brave?

“Hey, Angie,” said the voice she knew best in the world behind her ear.

“Dustin! So nice to see you here!” she smiled with relief. Things had been distant between the two of them, just as they had been since college, however they were on good terms. Or so it seemed last time they had seen each other.

“Well, part of me was hoping to run into you,” said the blond guy. Fifteen years but they still could feel the magnets that attracted their eyes together.

“Really? Why?” asked the redhead.

“Your wedding is tomorrow…”

“Yes, did you get the invite?” she asked innocently. What a silly question, she thought to herself. She still couldn't get why it was so important to her that everyone, the four of them, were at the party.

“I did, but I don't understand,” started Dustin.

“What is that you don't understand? Did you…?”

“Angela, don't get married,” he begged. There was a deafening silence. Angela looked at her ex-boyfriend with all the sadness of the world in her eyes. Not hearing her reply, Dustin sighed and glanced to his right. The store bookshelf full of planners reminded him that not only was their story already written, but also finished and buried. There was no going back. He had lost them both, his mother and his Angela, the moment he decided to help Gordon King.

“You can't just ask me not to get married,” whispered Angela, defeated.

“I can't stop you, but you can stop this madness yourself,” he whispered as well. “I know you don't want to marry that guy who is just like your dad. And I know deep down you still believe in us, after all the crap we went through.”

Angela was too confused and shocked to reply. “It would be different… if we could just give it another go around. But we can't, right?”

* * *

“Mom, I just called Dustin,” said Dirk Dreamer to his stepmother. Cassandra Goth was sitting right next in the following chair, sipping a cup of coffee herself, to Dirk's surprise. “He's on his way. What happened?”

“Thank you, dear. Let's wait for him, okay?” said Cassandra in her soft voice. Cassandra never visited him, Dirk thought as he watched his father's wife. Why the hell would she want to see Dustin?

It wasn’t long before the blond man walked upstairs to the small living room. He looked just as surprised as Dirk.

“Hi. What's going on?”

“Hello, Dustin,” said Cassandra. “I wanted to talk about your mother, if that's alright?”

“Sure, Mrs. Dreamer-Goth,” lied Dustin. He didn't usually talk about his mother to anyone, but something told him it wasn't a good idea to argue with Dirk's stepmother. “What about her?”

“Remember when your brother wanted to go back in time to make her come back?”

“Yes, I do. I'm glad I stopped him.”

“Well, there's a small chance that maybe we can. Alexander, my brother, thinks that we can make her come back, but not with a time machine.”

Dustin and Dirk looked at eachother like little children.

“You can bring the dead back?” asked Dustin. Dirk looked just as shocked.

“We will try, but we need to travel far for that,” replied the Goth witch. Her voice sounded soft and mysterious, enough to make Dirk upset as well.

“Can you bring my mom back as well?” asked Dirk. Cassandra looked surprised.

“I'm not sure, darling. You'll see, my mother is sick in bed and we believe that, maybe, both Brandi and Bella are connected. They have never existed in the same timeline, apparently.”

“So, if we bring Dustin's mom back, Mrs. Goth will—?” asked Dirk.

“Die? We don't know. Possibly. But Bella is about to be a hundred years old. She got this disease, and even if she overcomes it, her existence from now on will be a living nightmare.”

Dustin was still too stunned to talk. Before speaking his thoughts, he tilted his head for a few minutes, that seemed hours to the impatient Dirk.

“That's awful, Mrs. Goth,” he finally said. “And this is really nice of you and your brother, but I think I'll have to speak with mine before making any decisions.” Cassandra frowned.

“Please don't take too much time. We don't know how long we have left.”

Dustin was uneasy. The conversation with Angela, the unprecedented visit of Cassandra and this whole new set of information about his mother, all was terrifying. It made no sense being able to bring his mother back from the dead, but if the valley's most serious scientist promised him that there was a chance, even if it was the smallest…

“I’ll call Beau,” he finally said.

“Okay, I’ll go get everything ready,” replied the Goth woman. After she said goodbye to both of them, Dustin immediately reached for his phone to dial his brother. As usual, his phone wasn't receiving calls. He then tried to call his girlfriend, Lucy Burb, instead.

“Hey, Lucy, you haven’t seen Beau, right?”

“I'm afraid not,” replied the brunette girl, at the time her mother was chatting with her brother's best friend. “Camille and I are running some errands. Did you try to call him?”

“He's not answering. But if you see him, let him know I had to leave town. I'll be back soon, okay?”

“Sure! I hope he shows up soon. I want him to try on the suit for Angela's wedding tomorrow,” she said, and Dustin had to settle for that.

By the time they had finished speaking, Cassandra had come down the stairs of the apartment complex where the boys lived. On a harried walk to the exit, she met the last person she wanted to see that day.

“Where are you going so fast Cassie?” asked the infamous Don Lothario “Aren't you going to stop and say hello?”

* * *

“What was up with you and Diana yesterday?” Jesse asked his cousin Sebastian Wolff after class at Pleasant High.

“What do you mean? Her grandma is sick, you know?” Seb reminded him as he thought about all the drama he had discovered about his mother Dina and the missing Bella Goth.

“Yes, I know. Why were you hugging her?”

“We're just friends, Jesse.”

“Well, I hope so. She's my girl.”

“Do you know she's still waiting for you to ask her to go steady?” asked the boy, already a little more annoyed. Who did Jesse Lothario-Caliente think he was, treating him like that? Asking about Diana like she was his property? But his thoughts were interrupted by a group of three teenagers blocking their path in the corridor.

“Well, if this isn't Sebastian Gay Wolff,” mocked him AJ Clavell, the school bully.

“Really? You still using that as an insult, Clavell?” Seb asked him, fed up with his stupidity.

“Oh, my bad,” AJ laughed. “Is it true that your momma is a lesbian now?”

“Hey, shut the fuck up about my mother.”

“Alright, what you gonna do?” 

“I'm going to kick your ass.”

“Settle down, Seb, this jerk isn't worth it,” Jesse interrupted him, ready to defend his cousin. “I got this.”

Dina's son and Nina's son had joined forces in a school fight.

* * *

“What I'm saying, Don, is that I'd have never sent you to Riverview if I knew you had a son. I also told Nina,” admitted Cassandra to her exfiancé. Don Lothario stared at her in disbelief, while flexing his shoulders in the back of his just-bought sofa.

“Well, you did pull me apart from him and my life here,” he pointed out.

“You kind of deserved that, didn't you?” replied the Goth woman and couldn’t help to let out a smile. All that suffering from previous years, all that madness of having been abandoned at the altar the day her mother returned from the afterlife only to discover a string of deceit and lies, all for what? She looked at Don Lothario and could feel nothing but indifference and a touch of affection for all the experiences they had lived through. It was a double-edged sword, obviously, to observe those wonderful green eyes in that tanned skin, which despite being a little wrinkled by the years, didn’t cease to be full of charm. 

The sound of the door hit her suddenly as she turned her head, and saw a fifteen-year-old boy enter with his black hair parted up, combed unruly. Perhaps I’m a witch, thought Cassandra, but somehow Nina Caliente had managed to reproduce the exact replica of Don Lothario, with the virtue of youth in his favor.

“Hi, Don,” greeted Jesse. “Mind if me and Seb spend the night here?”

“Jesse! Of course not, this is your home,” his father replied, surprised. Jesse had a fight-beaten face, a black eye, and probably a chipped tooth.

“Oh my Watcher, what happened to you both?” asked Cassandra concerned, as she saw Seb enter as well.

“Hello, Mrs. Dreamer-Goth. It's nothing,” the boy quickly lied with his nerves on edge when he saw his girlfriend's mother there.

“I remember my fights at school,” said Don, getting closer to the boys. “I was great! Did you guys win?”

“Don, that's not what you should be worried about!” yelled Cassandra. They boys laughed, and they settled on the couch from which Don had just gotten up.

“Fine, I'll let your moms know you're here,” Don groaned childishly as he walked to the kitchen phone.

“Uhm, how's your mother, Mrs. Dreamer-Goth?” Sebastian dared to ask.

“She'll get better. But I have to travel soon for her to make it. I know Diana is friends with both of you, so please be nice to her,” said the lady in her most soft voice. “And if you're not, ask your father about what I did to him. Don't hurt her.” Intimidated, the boys looked at each other fearfully, until Don came back from the kitchen with sodas for everyone.

“Oh, she sent me to the most horribly drab town on SimNation,” he recalled, like someone who remembers what he had for lunch yesterday. “Definitely don't hurt her.”

* * *

Very early, the following morning found Lurch, the butler of the Goths raking the first red autumn leaves. Cecilia walked angrily towards him, showing that despite her pregnancy she had had little sleep.

“Lurch, what am I going to do? Alexander locked himself in the bedroom and won't speak to me.”

“Facing the news of being a father can be overwhelming,” replied the robot.

“I'm his wife! He almost fainted when I told him. I don't understand what can be so upsetting— Lurch?” Cecilia's surprised face made the robot turn around to watch the scene. From the black gate of the Goth mansion, an older woman dressed in a white cardigan and black dress pants waved at them.

“Hi dear. What did you do to your poor husband, huh?” the woman laughed at Cecilia.

“Kaylynn? W-what are you doing here?”

“I guess it's time,” said Lurch.

“It is time, indeed,” replied the very same Kaylynn Langerak.

Chapter Text

Pictures. Lucy calling Beau and complaining to her mother.

“Beau still hasn't answered. Will he make it to the wedding?”

“I'm sure he will, darling. I'm dying to meet him,” replied Jennifer. She was enjoying every single time of trust with her daughter.

Lilith was vomiting about her looks. Nina, Daniel and Kathy were getting ready. Dirk and Diana helping each other out. Angela staring at her reflection with the white dress on. Her fiancée waking up to another girl.

“You ready?” asked Cassandra while getting in the helicopter, that very same morning.

“I'm ready,” replied Dustin. “Let's go.”

* * *

“Kaylynn Langerak, what are you doing here?” asked Alexander, running furiously through the front garden.

“Alexander, it's my pleasure to finally meet you.” replied Kaylynn politely.

“We already met.”

“Oh, that wasn't me, I'm afraid,” she recalled. “But close enough. Did the other me send you to Willow Creek?”

“What do you mean the other you?”

“Maybe we should all come in and enjoy a cup of nice tea,” offered Lurch. The four of them —Kaylynn, Cecilia, Alexander and Lurch— entered the mansion.

“I feel like you're not telling me something,” insisted Alexander.

“Shall we tell them about Willow Creek?”

“My father there told me to look for you, but—”

“But you didn't because you thought I was just a maid?”

“That's very messed up, Alex,” his wife rebuked him.

“More messed up than asking me to get you here?” replied Kaylynn, smiling.

“You two knew each other?” asked Alexander, more confused than ever.

“Alright, I'll tell you the full story. In short, I've known your parents since we were children. We all grew up here in Old Sunset Valley. And we were inseparable. It was your father, Mortimer. Your mom, Bella Bachelor, their best friend, Malcolm Landgraab, and me, Kaylynn Langerak.

Malcolm and your father were obsessed with time traveling, but Mortimer dropped those dreams once he joined the science career. He still worked for Malcolm, though, since his family practically owned the entire town. They ended up fighting, eventually. Your father was obsessed with his scientific products, and Malcolm only thought of profiting from them. They never patented a time machine, but for Malcolm, the possibilities were endless. I know, I worked with him. And through Malcolm, I got in contact with your lovely wife in Beacon Bay. Such a nice town, don't you think?”

“If you like blurriness, probably.” objected Alexander. “But what does that have to do with you being here?”

“I understand that your sister is traveling to Strangetown to save Brandi Broke's soul, isn't that so?”

* * *

Cassandra and Dustin arrived at a very desertic Strangetown. 13 Dead End Lane looked as spooky as ever, with all the tombs in the yard and the impressive pillars. A black woman with beautiful blonde dreadlocks stared at them as they parked the vehicle.

“Hello,” started Cassandra, trying to appear braver than she really was. “We're looking for Olive Specter.”

“She's dead,” replied Ophelia. Cassandra and Dustin gasped, which made the woman laugh. “No, I'm kidding. She's inside, come in.”

The woman walked them inside the house through a small dungeon. Every wall was made of concrete, and Dustin thought that that was an insanely sad please to live in. Cassandra thought it reminded her of home.

"I'm surprised she's getting visitors. Not everyone knows she's still here. I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh, it's Cassandra Goth," said the lady. After they finished the journey, Ophelia opened the door.

It was the strangest place Dustin had ever been. Although it was fully clear and sunny outside, the rays of sunlight couldn't enter the small black dungeon in which this old lady lived. She was sitting on a red sofa, and it looked like she hadn't stood up from it in ages. The woman barely moved once they came in.

"Hi, auntie. Cassandra Goth is here to see you," Ophelia informed the old woman. She took her time to reply.

"Bella Goth?" she asked, confused.

Ophelia was about to answer but Cassandra interrupted her, "No, this is Cassandra, her daughter. Bella sent me here."

The old lady nodded, but said nothing. Cassandra continued.

"I'm aware of your supernatural powers, Miss Specter. I was hoping we could talk about it for a minute," she added.

"Then why is the boy here?" Olive asked, referring to Dustin. He seemed surprised that the woman could sense him without even looking at him the whole time.

“Oh, I’ll take him outside,” said Olivia before Dustin nor Cassandra could answer. They both came out of the strange room and Olive finally looked up to Cassandra. The Goth wondered if she could actually see her.

“You made a long trip just to resurrect a dead person,” said the old lady.

“Children shouldn't grow up without their mother. I just want to help them get her back,” replied Cassandra.

“Give them the fortune that you did not have? Weird ambition.”

Cassandra sighed. She had finally reached a point in which she could no longer take anyone’s arrogance. Criticized for being a Goth, dating a womanizer, marrying an older man, being Mortimer and Bella’s daughter, for existing, for Watcher’s sake. And there she was, in the middle of desert trying to help her step-son’s friend to resuscitate his mother. And Olive Specter was right. No one had ever been kind to her, not in the way she was trying to be now. She was a witch. She had power within her. And not only that, she was a female scientist. The first one in her prestigious aristocratic family. Yes, she loved being accommodated, but was there anymore than that? Could she be anything more than that?

She turned around to look at the room. Although it looked appealing, she knew nothing there could help her rescue someone from death, as she had researched. Witches could not bring someone perfectly back. But despite the big bookcases filled with ancient books and reagents and the steamy cauldron, she took a deep breath and replied in the most ladylike way she could find in herself.

“All this power you have and never thought of using it for something good? I could never be like you.”

“Well, there's the phone,” Olive replied trivially. “That's where I talk to him. But you only get one chance and destiny is uncertain, don’t you think?”

* * *

“How do you know that my sister is in Strangetown?” asked Alexander Goth to Kaylynn, back in the Goth Mansion. The former maid looked profoundly proud.

“You'll be pleased to know that, whatever you did in Old Town, it worked,” she replied, making a reference to Alexander’s journey to the past.

“What do you mean it worked?”

“Bob and Betty Newbie are about to have a child. A baby girl, I'll dare to say,” she smiled.

“Does that mean that my mother is going to die?” asked Alexander nervously.

“Lurch, it's your turn now,” the woman said, looking at the robot Mortimer had built before passing away.

Chapter Text

Lurch cleared his throat. "I never thought fifteen years would go by so quickly."

“Will Bella die if Brandi is born in Old Town?” asked Cecilia, concerned.

"Mr. Alexander, it's time we take your mother to Mr. Mortimer's drawing room. We have to take her to the time machine," said the robot, standing up abruptly.

"What?!" exclaimed the one with glasses. "Why?"

"Time is subjective in this valley, isn't it?" Kaylynn smiled to herself.

"Is what your father requested me to do, the day I was created by his hands. That one day a maid would visit the mansion and I would have to take Bella Goth upstairs to meet her fate."

Alexander frowned.

With the help of the robot butler, Alexander took his mother Bella to the third floor of the Goth mansion. There was Mortimer’s old drawing room, filled with old toys and inventions. Bella looked confused as Lurch pressed some buttons on the scrapped time machine. The last thing Alexander could see was her mother leaving in a dark, dreary haze.

* * *

“Bella?,” said Mortimer Goth, the second he recognized his wife in front of him. The dim yellow light of Ophelia Villa seemed to flicker even more gloomily once the woman in the red dress regained her true senses. “Is this really you, cara mia ?”

“Mortimer?” she whispered, scared. Where was she? Who was that man in the grape-colored suit, if not her old dear Mortimer? But this time it was different, almost as if they were in another place and time. They were not alone. The exquisitely decorated living room reminded her a bit of her in-laws' old mansion, and the soft armchairs made her feel like a princess in a palace. Only glancing slightly to the side, she saw her children, Cassandra and Alexander, concentrated on a game of chess.

“You’re here. I can’t believe it worked” this Mortimer insisted, approaching her. Finally, he smiled, triumphant. “So I guess Kaylynn chose the right thing to do.”

“Kaylynn?” asked Bella. Then she remembered. What did the silly, meddling Kaylynn Langerak had to do with any of this? She was just always following in Mortimer and Malcolm's footsteps, cleaning up messes and taking the blame when everyone ran away. But still, it hadn't been long since she had last seen her. There was a time when her trail was lost forever. Yet her soft, steady voice sounded in the distance as Alexander led her to the top floor of Pleasant Valley's Goth Manor. Since then, Bella thought, no more than five minutes had passed.

“What are you talking about, dad? Is everything okay?” Cassandra rose from her chair, abandoning the chess game. Bella looked at her and saw nothing but youthfulness in her face, one that she had once thought lost. In this universe, Cassandra was a young girl who still wore her hair pulled back in two pigtails behind her ears. Alexander was still a boy, no older than ten years, and he was charmingly smiling.

“Excuse us, dear. Your mother and I have a long conversation ahead of us.” Mortimer replied, standing up and taking Bella by the arm to lead her upstairs.

* * *

“What is this place, Mort? Where are we?” Bella asked once she had walked through the second floor of the peculiar mansion. While it wasn't old and faded like her in-laws' house, it still had a sad, draining feel to it, as if the sun glints completely avoided falling on the garden. Her husband made her sit in an armchair in what seemed to be her usual room. Bella remembered choosing the sofa cushion combination, even though she had never been in that room.

“This is Willow's Creek, my dear. I built it.” said Mortimer once they were both sat.

“You did?”

“I built it just for you. For us to live together, with our kids.”

“Mortimer, I don't understand. Seconds ago, I was about to pass away, and I was in Pleasantview, until our butler told me…”

“Good old Lurch. I told him that we'll meet here.”

“But what's going to happen there? In Pleasantview?”

“I'm guessing that you weren't feeling quite okay, did you, my dear?”

“I felt awful,” said Bella. “I haven't… feel okay since you left.”

“I didn't leave you, if that's what you think. I was too old and I was going to pass away eventually, so I decided to leave early. So I moved on here to my next project, Willow’s Creek.”

“Fifteen years I've been there on my own,” Bella frowned. It was so typical of Mortimer to abandon her at the time he became engrossed in his foolish projects.

“But you met our grandchild, right? How is she?” her husband appeased her.

“She's the most beautiful girl I know,” replied Bella.

“Right, right. I'm glad. I'm glad our Cassandra found herself a good husband to have children with.”

“About that, Mortimer…” Bella sighed. If life was giving her a second chance to talk things over with Mortimer, this was the time to spit it all out. “We never really talked about--” 

“We don't have to.” Mortimer interrupted her. “I trust you. I know you never were with Don Lothario, not because he didn't want to, but because you decided not to. And I'm pleased.”

“But you did have a fling with Dina.”

“You said it yourself, mi querida. A fling…”

“You stopped looking for me,” screamed Bella. She looked deeply hurt.

“We were two souls alone, Bella. I thought I lost you, and she had lost Michael.”

“So you are saying it's my fault.”

“No…”

“ I killed Michael, Mortimer. I killed him,” Bella confessed, as if vomiting up the guilt she had been carrying around for so many years. Mortimer thought she looked more beautiful than ever.

“I know,” he whispered softly. “That's why you were upset. It was my fault, Bella. The elixir wasn't ready.”

“People were calling her a gold digger, the same thing they used to call me. And I just wanted to help, so I told Michael to drink the elixir, then they could be young together.”

“The Elixir of Life has caused more trouble than good. But everything is okay now. You are here with me. It's okay, cara mia . It's okay,” Mortimer looked nonchalantly satisfied.

“We hurt each other so badly, Mortimer. Do you think living here in Willow's Creek will erase our past?”

“Oh, Bellísima Bella… We're a perfect match. Never believe anything else,” Her husband took her hand and looked into her eyes. There had not been a second of his life in which he had not loved her. From when they were kids playing in old Sunset Valley, their teenage years, their first child, Cassandra and their life together in Pleasantview until the tragedy. All those memories had brought them here, to be together and happy at last. There was nothing to worry about. Willow Creek was a multiverse, where nothing and no one, not even Malcolm Landgraab could ruin them.

* * *

Hours later, Mortimer took Bella to the same laboratory to which he had taken his son Alexander. The time portal, where he could send everyone back home to Pleasantview. “So what should I do now? This is where you manage it all?” asked Bella, looking around.

“There's only one you per timeline. I made a rule for this reality. If you die in Pleasantview, you will return here. No more traveling between multiverses.”

“Will it hurt?”

“Dying? Not at all. Would you do me a favor before you go? Tell Alexander to follow his heart. He'll know what to do.”

“I will,” Bella promised. “And I'll come back here once I die in Pleasantview, right?”

“I promise. As we promised,” replied Mortimer, asking her to step in.

* * *

“Mom?” Alexander grabbed his mother's hand. “Mom? Please say something, mom.” he cried while tears streamed down his face. Back in Pleasantview, the old Bella breathed heavily, but then she smiled with relief.

“T-thank you. You never stopped looking for me, my child. My beloved boy.”

“Don't go, mom. I need you,” With a clipped voice, Alexander held his mother in his arms. Bella felt her body getting lighter and lighter as, from the ground, she watched the cracks in the roof of 165 Sim Lane. 

“Mom,” cried Alexander. “I'm going to be a father.”

“You'll figure it out, my brilliant boy. You always do.” she whispered slowly. Tears streamed down Alexander's face. Lurch waved down at Bella, and left the room.

“Follow your heart.” Bella mumbled with great difficulty. “And tell your sister...”

“Don't go, mom, please .”

“Tell Cassandra I love her.” she whispered with her last breath.

Chapter Text

Dustin Broke and Ophelia Nigmos were sitting together on the porch of 13 Dead End Lane, unaware that they shared many things in common. Both had recently turned thirty. Both had lost their parents. The color green made them think of warmth and tenderness.

“What’s taking them so long? I have a wedding to crash,” Dustin complained, as he felt time had passed slowly.

“Knowing my auntie, the chances are infinite. They could be sharing spells or she might have murdered your friend,” replied Ophelia. Dustin looked at her with horror and she laughed.

“That was a joke. Gosh, you’re so suburban.”

“Your aunt being a murderer might be the chillest thing of all you’ve told me. Death cousin, alien boyfriend…”

“Fiance. He’s my fiance, we’re just waiting for the old lady to finally go away.” said the woman. Just years and years of waiting for something that looked like it wouldn’t happen anytime sooner. At the same time Dustin looked at her in order to tell her a story about waiting and being patient, a large, wood-like sound interrupted their thoughts.

“Hey, did you hear that sound?” she asked, concerned. Dustin looked just as panicked. “Go inside,” Ophelia prompted him, “Something happened.”

Dustin rushed to the old vault where Ophelia had taken him to in the first place. He smelled a bit of sulfur and an immense sage green mist filled the room.

“Mom?” he whispered as he opened the door.

Olive Specter was still sitting on her throne. Cassandra Goth looked euphoric. The green mist began to dispel and revealed a petite figure in a pink dress. It was his mother, Brandi.

“Mom? Do you remember me, mom?” Dustin approached her. The woman with gray eyes looked confused, a small sparkle in her eyes made her seem more human and less inert.

“Dustin?” she asked, turning her head a little. Her boy hugged her. Mother and son were finally reunited.

* * * 

“Okay, Angela, time to cut the crap. You’re not marrying that man.” said Lilith, sneaking into Angela's room that same morning. Her twin sister was fully dressed in a big, white pastry-like gown, veil included. She looked miserable.

“It's too late, Lilith,” Angie said feebly. “I can't pull back now.”

“Of course you can. The man you are about to marry is exactly like dad. He cheated on you once, he’s going to do it again. Come on, Angela, don’t be as stupid as I think you are.” Lilith said annoyedly, her arms crossed. Angela exhaled.

“A little love is better than none, I guess.”

“Are you kidding me? What about Dustin?” asked her sister.

“Dustin? Oh, don't you dare to talk about Dustin when you did this, Lilith,” Angela said in a mournful voice, but then her gaze turned to hatred, and she promptly approached her sister. “If I was with Dustin, then I'd never stop competing with you!” she screamed.

“Are you insane? What are you even talking about?” Lilith looked genuinely scared.

“All my life I've been fighting with you, because of Dustin! And I know I can never win, so what's the point? He'll always want you first”

“I don't know where on earth you got such an idea, but that's completely bull, Angela. If there's one thing I know is that that guy loves you, genuinely loves you, even when I can't comprehend why”.

“Exactly. We make no sense, so there's no reason why he and I should be together. I'm better off without him, and so are you without Dirk”.

“What does Dirk have to do with all this?”

“You broke up with him to be with Dustin, didn't you?”

“I didn't break up with him to be with Dustin! Not everything is about you, idiot. I broke up with Dirk because…”

“Angela. It's time to go.” said Mary-Sue, interrupting the sister’s feud.

“Are you going to let this happen, Mom?” asked Lilith, astonished.

“It’s her choice. She’s a grown woman,” replied Mary-Sue, reluctantly.

“You ruined her. You and dad did that ,” sputtered Lilith before storming out of Angela’s room. 

“Don't listen to her, mommy. You didn't ruin me,” Angela turned to her mother, pretending to ignore all previous interaction with her sister and the fact that they had been caught fighting as when they were teenagers.

“Oh, darling…” said Mary-Sue, caressing Angela. Then with the most serious-looking face, she added “I'm afraid I did.”

* * *

“Congratulations, Cassandra Goth. You successfully brought a woman from the afterlife without turning her into a zombie,” Olive hailed her new visitor. Cassandra was pleased. At last she had done something good, Brandi Broke and her children were reunited.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” the Goth girl asked the old lady.

“I'm not still here because I like to bury or hex people,” replied Olive. “Like you, I'm here for love.”

“Are you His connection here on Earth?” asked Cassandra. The odd thing about it all was how easy it had turned out to be. As a witch, Cassandra had long ago discovered that her powers were not going to be able to resurrect Brandi, not entirely after all. There were few ways to bring someone completely healthy back to life. And yet, the strange Olive Specter had the perfect device to do so. Olive Specter herself, who was rumored to have made a pact with the Grim Reaper to stay in contact with him forever. Perhaps the universe, Cassandra thought, had taken it upon itself to take her mother Bella to that strange place only to bring her back. And there was something both macabre and beautiful about it.

“That's more than I can say,” replied the old witch. “But I'm glad you came here.”

“Well, we should go now. There are other matters that concern me in Pleasant Valley," said Cassandra. Time, she well knew, was relative, but she couldn't wait to return to her dull suburb to look after her daughter.

“Go, then. Don’t try to come back,” Olive laughed and Cassandra wished she hadn't heard her. Before heading out the door she took one last look at the strange lair and Olive's artifacts. Would she ever be that kind of witch who intervenes between life and death? Or would she be a manipulative witch, like the unknown Mambo Loa had been? Only time would tell.

“Always knew you were a good one, Bratty,” Olive exhaled as soon as Cassandra grabbed the doorknob. This time it was Goth who laughed.

* * *

“There is so much I have to tell you, Mom, but first you must come with me to the wedding. I'm sure Beau is there, he's dating Angela's cousin," Dustin kept on blabbering to his mother as they left 13 Dead End Lane. 

“Well, I have so much to catch up on!” replied Brandi. Cassandra felt a rare sense of peace as they walked back to the helicopter. Something told her that even though things hadn't been right (Don's return, her breakup with Darren and the problems with Diana), everything would quietly run its course. She helped Brandi onto the transport as Dustin said goodbye.

“Thank you for everything, Ophelia. It was nice meeting you.” said Dustin to his new friend.

“It was a pleasure meeting you too, Dustbin.”

“I hope all goes well between you and your fiancé.”

“I hope you're not late to crash that wedding. Go fight for it!” replied the girl, smiling.

“Off to Sunset Valley, Mrs. Goth!” Dustin shouted once the helicopter took off.

* * *

The wedding guests had already arrived, for the most part. The ceremony was taking place in the spacious courtyard of the Greenshields' home, Wagner's Repose, in old Sunset Valley.

“So, Angela is marrying Dustin?” asked Daniel Pleasant, concerned, looking at Angela’s fiancé..

“No, dad. She’s marrying Cameron, her college boyfriend,” replied his youngest, Kathy.

“Then who’s that blond guy over there?”

“Watcher, dad. Quit drinking before the ceremony starts,” Nina's daughter rolled her eyes.

“Mom, I can't freaking find Beau. I'm desperate,” Lucy said, and it really sounded like it. Jennifer sighed.

“Calm down! Maybe he just didn't want to come.”

“He's been missing for a couple of days now, he hasn't answered his phone, this is not okay!” said Lucy desperately.

“Lucy, the ceremony is about to begin!” Jennifer reprended her.

“Please take your seats, the bride is about to come in.”

Angela stepped on the garden. She didn’t look happy. She walked by through the altar slowly, as if in very deep commotion.

“I'm sorry, Angie. Hopefully, this won't be the last one.” whispered Lucy as she slipped away from her seat to go outside. Angela walked down the aisle. Ready for their wedding vows, her groom Cameron began with the first words.

“When I first met you,” he said “I always knew you would be my wife. I don't know if it was your sweetness, or your submissiveness… Anyways, there was something about you and I couldn't take my eyes off. You have forgiven all my mistakes, my shortcomings, and I only hope to be able to give you a large house, two children, a swimming pool and perhaps a maid. Someone to take care of cleaning up after our love nest.”

“Cameron, stop,” Angela interrupted. All the guests stopped in shock.  "Stop this madness, I can't marry you. You don't love me, and I don't love you. We're just using each other, and I know exactly how my future with you'd look like and that's not what I want. I'm sorry I can't keep on with the fraud."

"You owe me dinner," Dirk whispered, smiling to Lilith.

"Not fair. I thought he was the one who'd call it quits." said the unpleasant girl.

“So what are you going to do? Just run away?” the groom asked, concerned.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” Angela saw herself surrounded by people staring at her. Most were shocked, some were furious, but there was also a good amount of people who she actually cared about, and in fact, they were also smiling.

She ran as fast as her legs and her big pastry-like dress allowed her to. Luckily, for all the plants in that garden, she didn't have to run that much. An unkempt, blond guy was waiting for her in the front yard of the house.

"Angela? Are you okay? What are you doing here?” Dustin asked, concerned. He had just arrived and was all sweaty, tired and rushed. “What happened to the wedding? Am I too late?" he added.

"You are late," she replied, with a big smile on her face. "But it doesn't really matter."

You cannot be late as long as I'm waiting here for you." she said, leaping into his arms.

“Hey!” Dustin was beside himself with joy. As best he could, he tried to hold Angela's heavy dress, her hair and her veil with one hand, while with the other he tried to embrace her. Her perfume was the same as always, the one he remembered from more than fifteen years ago. “So you're not getting married? Can we finally be together?”

“Of course we can. We made a promise, didn't we?” she whispered to his ear. They both kept each other close within their arms, until Angela noticed a woman with black hair who was staring at them from the sidewalk.

“Wait, is that…?”

“Hello Angie.” said the woman smiling. Angela couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Mrs. Broke? Dustin?!” she cried.

“My mom is back. Cassandra and Alexander helped me bring her back.”

“This is amazing! Did you tell Beau?” she said, leaving Dustin’s arms to hug his mother. Brandi received with a warm embrace.

“Well, Dustin told me he would be here!” replied Brandi.

“I didn’t see him here, but I’m sure Lucy must know”

* * *

Suddenly the rain came down. He couldn't remember how long he had been sitting there, maybe at some point he stood up and went to the bathroom, or for a drink. The last thing he felt was his feet freezing from the cold, then the sound of an ambulance, and a kind lady calling.

“Beau! What have you done?” Lucy Burb asked her boyfriend, tears in her eyes. She held his head as she laid down next to the hospital bed.

“I couldn’t do it. I’m a coward, I couldn’t…”

“Honey, don’t say that. You scared me.”

“Dad was there, I couldn’t follow him.”

“I'm here now. I'm always here. I'm glad they brought you to the health center, you had hypothermia… I love you, Beau” Lucy whispered. Beau looked confused into his girlfriend's eyes. She was still wearing her bridesmaid green dress, her hair up in a fancy ponytail. She looked as cute as he remembered. Time was a strange thing in the valley. As Dustin and Brandi headed promptly to the hospital, Cassandra stopped by her mother’s house, ready to receive the latest piece of news she wanted to hear.

Only one look at her brother’s face and she already knew. He was standing in the hallway, sobbing with his head in his hands. He lifted his head and tried to make a sound, but he still felt the lump in his throat and tears were close to overflowing down his cheeks. Bella Goth was dead.

Neither made a sound. Alexander felt his knees go weak and dropped, just as his older sister reached over to hold him. It had been years, if not decades since the two siblings had had a hug. Now they were the last two Goth's in Pleasant Valley, and it was finally time to start over to make their parents proud.

“Is that him?” cried Brandi Broke, as she reached her son’s hospital bed. “That’s my Beau?”

“Mom?”

Chapter Text

“Care to tell me again why are we going to Bella’s funeral?” said Dina Caliente to her sister, as they were sitting in Nina's bedroom, choosing clothes and makeup.

“I already told you, Cassandra said that we are in the will.” replied Nina. What would be the best suit for a funeral, she thought, accepting that Cassandra would probably look better than her. The Goth family had a master in dressing up for funerals.

“And what will we inherit? A freaking curse?” mumbled Dina.

“Dina, I think you're missing the point here. Cassandra’s daughter is dating my son, and I trust Cassie, okay? I’m ready for us to be a family again someday.”

“Watcher, Nina, the Goths had already messed up our lives and you keep wanting to go back to them like a damn dog.”

Nina’s son Jesse, was downstairs walking around, but he finally got bored of waiting for his mother. He decided to walk into the never-ending autumn, the two blocks that separated him from the big brick house, and visited his girlfriend before the funeral. Diana was sitting on the porch of her house, wearing a long, flowery dress. She had a blank stare.

“Hi, babe. How you feeling?” he asked softly.

“I'm alright.” she replied. The thought of her late grandmother kept wandering around her head. “Let's get going, shall we?”

Jesse grabbed her by her hands and helped her stand up. Diana couldn’t stop herself from smiling at her handsome lover. The soft sound of the door that Darren Dreamer had opened didn’t stop them.

“Hi, Jesse. Are you coming with us?” he asked the boy gently.

“Yes.” replied Jesse, self-confidently. “I'll stay with Diana while the will is being read.”

***

Pleasant Rest Graveyard looked beautiful under the orange and red leaves. A gentle breeze of cold air dried the paint on the big canva Darren had left next to the Goth mausoleum. Bella Goth’s grave was opened next to Mortimer’s, as everyone expected. The painting presented the iconic woman in a red dress, sitting next to her slightly older husband, who wore a dark purple suit and a classy mustache.

“Wow, you painted that?” a bubbly voice distracted Darren from his thoughts. It was Brandi Broke. He smiled when he saw her.

“I did,” he replied. “It's a homage to the Goth family and the late Bella.”

“It's beautiful. Always loved the way they loved.”

“What could be better than living forever with your loved one?” Darren sighed deeply. He could see that Brandi looked slightly nostalgic, so he took a few words back. “I'm sorry. Hi Brandi. It's amazing to have you back.”

“Well, I've never got to meet them,” Brandi said, still staring at the painting. “You were very lucky to find Cassandra.”

“Yeah. We're not together anymore, but…”

“It's very sweet of you to have painted this, though.” Brandi smiled at him.

“Who else but us knows that love transcends beyond death.”

“Definitely.”

“Brandi Broke, come give me a hug!” A characteristic nasal voice screamed from two kilometers away. It was Dina Caliente, and her sister Nina.

“Hi Dina!” Brandi smiled. “Hello girls! What are you doing around here?”

“Bella put us in her will, can you believe that?”

“Oh, well, remember to be nice.” said Brandi, aware that Darren was still there. “She's basically the reason I'm alive.”

***

Ted Wickers stood in front of Bella’s relatives. As a lawyer, he had been in charge of many readings, but never in a crypt with characters so different from each other. He cleared his throat before beginning the reading of the will.

“As most of you know, Mortimer Goth's Last Will was to leave all his personal effects and furnishings to his wife Bella, leaving her in charge of distributing them to the benefactors. Bella granted me permission to begin the reading of her will before you.

I bequeath my estate 165 Sim Lane to my son, Alexander Goth. Shall he and his family sell it, demolish it, redecorate it, or do with it whatever pleases him the most to make it his own.”

Alexander was too caught up in his thoughts to answer anything. Cecilia smiled.

“I give and bequeath to my daughter, Cassandra Goth the rest and residue of the residential lot ubicated in 13 Skyborough Boulevard, Old Sunset Valley, and the terrain ubicated in 10 Oak Street, Pleasantview.

To Dina and Nina Caliente, I bequeath two one-way tickets to Barnacle Bay, with the promise not to bother the Goth family again... As well as the remaining liquid of the Elixir of Life. Be sure to drink it all and never let anyone see it again.”

Both the Goth and Caliente families stared at each other in shock.

* * *

"I'm not sure I want to do this. This is the thing that killed Michael," said Dina fearfully, as the sisters entered Landgraab Industries. The last vase of the Elixir of Life created by the mad scientist Mortimer Goth let the neon green liquid reflect from its glass case. Nina sighed, as if playing it down, and tried to soothe her.

"Dina, this is the opportunity that we were looking for. We get to be young, we have some fun and then we'll be back for the kids' graduation. Everything will be fine." she replied. It was so typical of Dina to plan everything and back out at the last minute.

"I'm worried about leaving Seb alone," said the blonde, thinking of her son. Sebastian was a wonderful boy, and although she had decided long ago that she might not be the best mother in the world, she had made up her mind to try to be the best she could be.

"Martin will take care of him," Nina replied quickly. "And so will Daniel and Don with Jesse and Kat." As the sisters continued to argue, a woman with a slim figure and jet black hair entered the room that had once been Mortimer Goth's nest of experiments.

"Even if you're not sure, there's a 50 percent chance of success, so you guys should be fine."

"Kaylynn?" asked Dina, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here. Or I used to. It's complicated."

"Hey, you look great." Nina said suddenly, to the surprise of both of them. "Thanks for helping us out."

"No problem with that. I just—" Kaylynn hesitated.

"You brought Jesse together with his dad." Nina said, remembering the story Alexander and Cassandra had told her. "I'm forever grateful for that." Kaylynn smiled back at her. That was the only proof she needed to be sure that she had done the right thing.

"Well, without further ado or issues to address ... go ahead. Drink it and have fun." Kaylynn encouraged them. Dina approached the glass vessel and with a cup, she let the liquid run through her.

A few hours later, the three women who had once been Don Lothario's lovers sat eating a delicious dinner prepared in Kaylynn's small house.

"Thank you for this last supper! I already feel younger." said Nina. The Elixir of Life had worked perfectly and they were close to their trip to Barnacle Bay.

"You're welcome." "By the way, Dina, someone's looking for you before you leave town." Dina looked at her.

Outside Kaylynn’s house, a woman wearing a red old t-shirt was patiently waiting next to a streetlight. Dina approached her, and took a final look at Rita’s brown eyes.

“I heard you're leaving town,” said Rita.

“I am. We're going to a vacation island in the Simuyan Sea.” replied Dina.

“Well, good luck. I'm also moving somewhere.” said the woman in red “A place called Lunar Lakes.”

“Really? That's good,” Dina smiled softly. “I'm glad you are moving on.”

“Yes, me too,” whispered Rita. A gentle breeze of air danced in her bangs. “They say that is out of this world.”

Some leaves fell down the tree. Rita was staring at her feet to avoid Dina’s gaze, but the blonde one thought quickly, and grabbed her hand. Rita finally looked at her. Neither of the two moved. They both had too much to say but very little time, and very little words to express what they had felt for each other in the last fifteen years.

“Maybe next time, right?” said Dina. Rita couldn’t help but to hug her deeply.

“Or next life.”

* * *

Kaylynn watched over the Caliente twins as they left Sunset Valley for good. She walked away happy, but with the sense of bittersweetness that you get when everyone is happy but yourself. Once she returned to Landgraab's industries, she sat on a chair and skimmed over a bulletin board in her office. It was Pleasantview's main picture. She stood there fixing some plant arrangements and sighting.

“Hey, mom,” said a female voice behind her. It was Mimi Landgraab. Kaylynn's eyes sparkled with fear.

“Mimi?” That could not possibly be true. Mimi should be in Willville. No, in SimValley. Or anywhere in the world but there. “What are you doing here, honey?”

“You changed the timeline again, didn't you?” asked Mimi, turning her head to her shoulder in suspicion.

“Am I the only one happy here? I think it was about time we knew Pleasantview, don't you think?” said Dudley, coming off behind her with a smile. Kaylynn was horrified. Her two children, her precious treasures in that landfill called Pleasantview?

“Don't take this the wrong way, Dudley, but this is not where you belong.” She managed to mumble. “And where is your father?” As she spoke, a murmur echoed through the corridors of Landgraab Industries.

“Malcolm?” The siblings looked at each other. “I presume late, as always,” said Mimi. She knew her father could be up to no good as usual. Wasn’t he the richest man in SimCity? The lord of time and space? The son of Geoffrey and Nancy Landgraab? The ruthless, cunning, brilliant, ridiculously wealthy Malcolm Landgraab? Kaylynn held her breath before she saw a blond, tanned man run through the hallway and enter the room through the crystal door.

But as soon as Malcolm Landgraab IV ran through the door, his corporeal figure was reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds. Kaylynn, Mimi and Dudley all turned back in surprise as they saw the pile of dust falling through the air until it hit the ground. Then, in a startling spectacle, a new Malcolm was formed through the dead man's ashes. Kaylynn watched him from the bottom to the top. That was her Malcolm. The father of her children. Her childhood sweetheart, now converted into a soulless man, without a glimpse of kindness in his eyes.

“Gee, didn't you ever listen to Mortimer?” whispered Kaylynn, shaking off the ash that had been left on her clothes. “Only one you per timeline. Your money can't beat science, Malcolm.”

“Well, I finally got rid of that freak.” replied the millionaire in a raspy voice from beyond the grave. Malcolm Landgraab IV had been just another of his inventions to keep an eye on every sphere of SimNation. A new Malcolm, improved, brave and flirtatious. He had had the grace to leave him single, anyway, he had already collected a number of children around the various timelines. Dudley and Mimi were insured, nonetheless, they knew they were his favorites.

“Ah… The whole family reunited, what a bliss!” said Malcolm pleased, looking at his offspring. “And here's my little cupcake messing up the multiverse.” He added, glancing at Kaylynn “Couldn't you leave Pleasantview as it was, you homewrecker?”

“All I did was tidy up your mess with the timeline, you idiot!” Kaylynn said in a furious breath. “I got Don back, brought in Cecilia Goth, and the Strangetown Bella that you took advantage of was kept at bay.”

“Do the Goths pay you to work for them?” Malcolm replied wryly. “You were on my team, until I brought you to Pleasantview and you decided to be the towns' harlot.” That was the high point for Kaylynn. So many years of work and travel and her childhood sweetheart was turning against her, against the one person who had put up with her horrible personality and who knew his whole truth.

“Don't you dare call me a whore when you cheated on me with a different woman in every possible universe. Hannelore. Bambi. That nameless old hag. And even a woman called after your mom!” 

Malcolm kept quiet, because he knew Kaylynn was telling the truth. Instead of further blasting her, he decided to keep his composure, and only responded coldly. “None of your pretensions matter now. Mortimer Goth will not get eternal happiness or my name is not Malcolm Landgraab.”

The quarrel continued, but Mimi and Dudley were already sitting on the floor as they did as children, looking for anything to escape the eternal family feud. “Quick game while mom and dad argue?” said the boy.

“Yes please,” replied his sister.

* * *

"As you're my son's cousin, it wouldn't be the most ethical thing to have you as my patient, Kathy," said therapist Martin Wolff to the youngest daughter of Daniel Pleasant and Nina Caliente. “There is a new specialty therapist in the area, so I will refer you to him.”

“Okay, Uncle Martin. Thank you.” replied the girl, who was showing her new look. Pink hair that she had evidently dyed herself, a nose ring and dark clothes that her mother would hate, were part of the outfit. Kathy was furious. After a brief personal interview, she ended up telling her new therapist about all the events that had shaped her life over the past few months, starting with Don Lothario's appearance once again in Pleasantview.

“So mom and my aunt Dina went off to an island paradise leaving me here with my useless dad and Don, my brother's biological father.”

“That is beyond interesting, Katrina.” replied doctor Malcolm Landgraab. “So you're saying that you have always been like a mother to your own mom? Taking care of her and stuff?”

“Well... sort of. But that's because my moon is in Capricorn.”

“Gold! This is gold. I think your treatment will go exceptionally well, Katrina Caliente-Pleasant, as long as you tell me all the minor details of your family history and household. We should start by creating a new map of your life story. Start by telling me about this Don Lothario you mention.” Malcolm was grinning. This young girl would be his perfect entrance to who had always been Mortimer's downfall: the Caliente sisters.

“This will sound incredible to you Mr. Landgraab, but it is ridiculous the amount of damage and changes time travel can cause,” said Kathy.

“Mortimer Goth won't be happy here or anywhere he hides.” whispered Malcolm. “Go ahead, Katrina. I'm all ears.”

“Mortimer Goth? What the hell are you talking about?” asked the girl concerned. Even a teenage girl could recognize the old tycoon's despair at the thought of his old enemy, who had already died many years ago. Pleasantview now belonged to the new generations, and no trace of the Landgraabs would remain. You could say Mortimer Goth won... for now.

* * *

Diana Dreamer-Goth's speech for her grandmother Bella at her funeral.

“Bella Goth was a trailblazer. My grandma was made of love, warmth, and wisdom. She made this neighborhood her home, a haven of comfort, and she always filled the room with her presence.

Not only was she kind and beautiful, she possessed a unique ability to make each one of us feel important. She welcomed every new neighbor in this town, baked them cake or chocolate bonbons. People would say she was just a wife… but they couldn’t be more wrong.

Throughout her life, she faced challenges with incredible grace. Her strength of character was inspiring, and it served as a guiding green light for all of us. She taught us the value of perseverance, teaching us that even in the darkest moments, there is hope to be found. Her love was the foundation of our family, and it will continue to be the pillar that unites us in the years to come.

I am so happy that you’re finally resting eternally with your beloved husband, two bodies together underground, united in the underworld.

They tried to make you disappear, Grandma. But they couldn't get you. All the love, brought you back to your family, who always waited for you. Even in life you were not forgotten, so I am sure you will not be forgotten after this. Dearly missed by all, but never forgotten.”

The End