After listening to the disturbing message from Zach, Chris was relieved to find that his next voicemail was from Darren.

“Hey babe.  I know you're in flight, and won't get this until you land, but I just had the weirdest conversation with Zach.  He said he'd already called you, so I guess you've heard by now that some guy calling himself Sir Burt showed up at the studio.  Do you think it's really him?  And that Ryan's really been kidnapped?  Zach's freaking out, so I promised I'd go over and talk to this guy.  I know we planned to meet at your place, but would you mind coming by the studio instead?  I can't wait to see you!  Call me as soon as you land.  I love you.”

Chris smiled as he pocketed his phone.  No matter what craziness was going on, the sound of Darren's voice made him feel as though all was right with the world.  Even so, he had no intention of engaging in what was sure to be a bizarre conversation until he was in a less public place.  

Chris had always been a private person, and in some ways fame had made him even more so.  He was acutely aware of his status as a role model to countless kids and teenagers, and he never wanted to behave in a way that would garner negative publicity or let his fans down.  The last thing he needed was for someone to overhear (and probably record) him having a conversation in which he sounded as though he'd gone off the deep end because he believed that the fairy tale world he'd created was real.

Chris's desire to keep his private life private was also the reason that he and Darren had arranged to meet up at his house, rather than at the airport.  Darren had begged to be allowed to drop him off and come and pick him up after his flight, but Chris had insisted that their farewell and their reunion should take place away from prying eyes, camera phones, and paparazzi.  

Once Chris had collected his luggage and located his car in the long-term parking lot, he pulled his phone back out and hit number one on his speed dial.  Darren answered almost immediately.

“Hey!  You're back!  How was your flight?”

Chris let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.  “Hi, sweetie,” he said, closing his eyes for a moment as he leaned back in his seat and allowed the tension from his book tour to melt away.  “It was uneventful — unlike what's been going on here, it sounds like.”

Darren chuckled.  “You could say that.  I just arrived at the studio, and Sir Burt really is here.  I wasn't sure how much you wanted to let Zach know, so I sent him out in search of snacks.”

“Yeah, that was probably a good idea.  The less need for damage control later, the better.  But has Ryan really been kidnapped?”

“I'm not sure.  Sir Burt seems to be pretty disoriented, which is totally understandable.  I gather that he mentioned my name, which is why Zach called me, but now he's insisting that he'll only talk to you.  How soon can you get here?”

“I'm in my car now, so if there's no traffic, I could be there in half an hour.”

“There's always traffic.”

“I know.  Wishful thinking.  Give me 45 minutes.”

“Okay.  Drive safe.  I love you.”

“I love you too, Dare.   See you soon.”

Chris started the car and eased out of his parking space.  Part of his brain was focused on following Darren's instructions and driving safely, but most of his mind was whirling with questions.

Had Ryan really been kidnapped by the Enchantress?  If so, how had Sir Burt gotten into this world?  Wasn't the Fairy Godfather the only one capable of opening a portal between the worlds?  

And what were they supposed to do now?  Was there any way that he and Darren could get back to the fairy tale world?  And even if they did find a way there, how could they rescue Ryan from the Enchantress?

During their last adventure together, even though all of the people in The Land of Stories had changed into characters from Glee, Chris and Darren had been able to follow the plot he'd written about in The Wishing Spell.  Chris had only just begun working on the sequel, though, and he hadn't yet figured out exactly how to defeat the Enchantress.

As he drove, Chris mulled over all of the possible plot points he'd considered including in The Enchantress Returns, wondering which of them (if any) would have made their way into the bizarre mashup of The Land of Stories and Glee that Sir Burt had come from.  

The closer he got to his destination, the more anxious Chris became, and he realized that it wasn't only due to worrying about Ryan.  He had to admit to himself that he was nervous about seeing Darren, as well.  

When the two of them had returned from The Land of Stories, they'd barely had time for a quick kiss goodbye before Chris had to leave on the final leg of his book tour.  These past few days — between the three hour time difference and Chris's constant whirlwind of activity — they'd had to content themselves with brief text messages and one hurried phone call.  There simply hadn't been time to discuss the major change in their relationship.

Now, Chris found himself doubting whether it had even been real.  Maybe he had dreamt the whole thing.  In fact, maybe he was still on the plane, dreaming, instead of driving through LA.

Certainly, that scenario was more plausible than the version he remembered, in which he and Darren had been transported into a fairy tale world where they'd fallen in love.  Had it all been a dream?  Or a hallucination, brought on by fatigue and stress from his book tour?      

When he finally reached the Paramount Studios lot, Chris parked in his usual spot and simply sat, not yet ready to leave the safety of his car.  Taking a deep breath, he began to sing:

I dont know why Im frightened

I know my way around here

The cardboard trees, the painted seas, the sound here...

Yes, a world to rediscover

But Im not in any hurry

And I need a moment

The whispered conversations in overcrowded hallways

The atmosphere is thrilling here as always

Feel the early morning madness

Feel the magic in the making

Why, everythings as if we never said goodbye

Picturing Darren, and everything he hoped they really had experienced together, he continued:

Ive spent so many mornings just trying to resist you

Im trembling now, you cant know how Ive missed you

Missed the fairy tale adventure

In this ever spinning playground

We were young together

Im coming out of make-up

The lights already burning

Not long until the cameras will start turning...

And the early morning madness

And the magic in the making

Yes, everythings as if we never said goodbye

Acknowledging that the words to this song were more true for him now than they ever had been before, Chris launched into the bridge:

I dont want to be alone

Thats all in the past

This worlds waited long enough

Ive come home at last!

And this time will be bigger

And brighter than we knew it

So watch me fly, we all know I can do it...

Could I stop my hand from shaking?

Has there ever been a moment

With so much to live for?

The whispered conversations in overcrowded hallways

So much to say not just today but always...

Well have early morning madness

Well have magic in the making

Yes, everythings as if we never said goodbye

Yes, everythings as if we never said goodbye...

We taught the world new ways to dream!

With a final deep breath, Chris steeled his resolve and set off to find out the truth.