You guys are amazing! Totally amazing! Thanks for all the love on the last couple of chapters and this will be the last chapter for a few days. (I'm going to keep it under weeks this time lol). Please, please, please make sure to make some awesome word pictures on IG for me with the hashtag #FindingEverett. Also, feel free to tag me (@awkwardturtle92) if your account is personal and I can follow you to see the picture! Hopefully a few sentences stuck out to you and I hope to see some awesome stuff on IG! :)

This chapter picks up when Lizzie left to get their pretzels. :) I do hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Everett sat down on the bench, the world around him feeling as if it moved at the speed of light. No conversation stayed within distance long enough for him to get a good clear concept of what was being said.

So he merely strained his ears, waiting for some sort of comment to grasp his attention. He let out a long breath of air and closed his eyes, noting the ease and happiness he felt here, of all places. It wasn't in his nature to love being outside his home, but this?

This was fantastic.

Even with the cold air blowing against his face, nipping at his skin, it didn't match up to the stuffiness of his home. He hadn't realized how stale it seemed until he left. Before, it proved to be a source of comfort, stability, and normal. But now, how could he go back to that? How could he go back to doing nothing all day and being okay with it? He used to be satisfied with just that.

However, he just wanted to stay here as long as he possibly could. He knew that this was too much to let go. He let his mind momentarily wonder if this could become a regular thing. He and Lizzie could come out for adventures like these all the time. He would be able to experience the world, at least to a considerable degree.

Biting his lip with a smile, he listened carefully for the sound of Lizzies voice cutting through the crowd. He knew it by heart and figured that if she was coming, he would just be able to turn around and, TA-DA! It would all be good. He waited until his determination was solid and ready to go before he told himself to just do it. He could do this, right? No big deal. Besides, somewhere around here, he heard some guitars being strummed. Clearly some street performers were littering the streets nearby and he wanted to hear them a bit better.

All he had to do was take just a few short steps.

That's all he needed.

Pushing himself up from the bench Everett tentatively stood, wanting a chance to hold onto this freedom; this independence. Listening carefully for the side that all the cars were on, Everett stuck to the other side of the sidewalk, hugging the fence that he discovered to his left.

He ran his fingers along the wrought iron barrier, the cool metal freezing the tips of his fingers as he took his slow steps. He counted six steps. He wasn't too far away. Lizzie would see him if she popped back at this point.

In reality, he could safely take in about four more steps, in his minds eye, before he would even need to be concerned about losing his guide. A new burst of confidence flooded his veins and he stood taller, walking with determination now. She would be so mad if she knew...of course, she's going to find out anyways when she comes back with the pretzels. Everett bit his lip; what was taking her so long, anyhow? He wanted to look over his shoulder to see her, but of course, he knew he couldn't. It was moments like these that he hated his disability.

"Hey, move it, kid!"

Everett's new found confidence shattered as he was aptly shoved aside by the owner of the voice, who resumes his conversation that Everett now assumes is on a phone. After that happened, everything else happened too fast for him to register. He got turned around, pushed from side to side by the endless stream of bodies that passed him. Panic started to set in as he tried to get back to the fence.

He could hear the cars to the far right, so he muddled his way through the throng of people to reach the fence once more. His hand reached out, frantically searching for the cool metal. There was no way Lizzie was even close by. He had only been gone a few seconds, but now? She was too far out of reach. The only thing left to do was search for the fence.

He walked forward, frowning. The fence should be closer than this, right? It seemed like it took forever to get back to a base level. Maybe he wandered off farther than he thought. Or maybe because he couldn't see, it just felt longer. A momentary flash of brightness washed over him at the thought that his cell phone still rested in his pocket.

His fingers dug into the jacket, feeling around for the small square. His eyes widened and his face drained as he realized his phone was no longer in his hoodie. He tried to remember how it could have fallen out, but knew that it could have happened at literally any time. The frustration he'd been feeling for the past ten minutes peaked into a crescendo and he yelled loudly, wishing he could find something to kick.

He had no idea where anything stood and it pushed his irritation further. How was he supposed to just turn back around and muddle his way back?

Moving forward, Everett slumped his shoulders. His mom would kill him when he got home. If he ever got home. For some reason, the thought seemed fairly cement. His eyes open wide and he took 10 more steps before realizing that he was in a bad situation. He stood motionless, chest heaving up and down at his predicament.

The loud sounds had slightly faded with the distance he had managed to put between them and that alone gave him cause for worry. Before, he had been surrounded with a multitude of sounds and smells to take in, overwhelming his senses. But now?

In the silence that captured the air around him, Everett realized that he was lost. He was hopelessly lost.

With no other option in his mind but to keep walking, Everett moved forward; the air slowly brought more chill into his bones and he tugged his jacket tighter around him.

Adventure.

He grimaced as the word resounded in his head. After today, he really wasn't sure of how much more adventure he would want in his life. The previous of making city escapades a regularity in his schedule no longer seemed like such an amazing idea. Now, he just wanted to return to the safety of his home.

His stale, stuffy, but safe home.

The one place he knew that he wouldn't get lost in.

But where was the fun in that? He had routine. He had a very slim line to follow and he always had. But being with Lizzie and being out in the city had made him realize that he could give himself a little slack. He didn't always have to stay home. But did he want to?

Everett groaned rather loud and shook his head. He hated these internal dilemmas. They were nothing but trouble for his mind. He never could figure out which way he wanted to go and in the end, ended up more confused than when he started.

He wasn't sure what to do now. Nearly thirty minutes later, by his calculations and still alone. Did Lizzie give up? Did she got go the police? The blood drained from his face. Did she call Jesse? If that happened, he would be indefinitely trapped in the house. He loved it there, he did. But now that Lizzie showed him that he could enjoy the world around him, he didn't want to let that go.

Everett stumbled to a halt, sighing. He listened closely for any signs of life and, when he found it was quiet, began to sidestep. He needed to find the edge of the sidewalk he managed to stay on, hoping for a soft patch of grass. It surprised him how silent it became in this area. He tried to figure out what to blame for that. Then it hit him.

Lizzie had mentioned earlier that Central Park and the Empire State Building lived not far from each other. Could he possibly be in Central Park? The thought drains him again. His understanding told him that it was a rather large park. What if Lizzie never found him?

Swallowing the hopeless remarks, Everett resumes his mission to find a spot to sit. He couldn't walk another minute at this point. What would be the use anyways? He would only make it harder for Lizzie to find him the more he stumbled around aimlessly. He needed to find a base spot so she could eventually stumble across his.

The tip of his sneaker hit grass and Everett sighed in relief. He plopped down, the cold of the ground chilling him. He desperately wanted to get up, but he remained stationary. He kept himself practically glued to that spot, ignoring the cold, wet spot that was forming on his pants, and waited. Lizzie would find him.

Somehow, he knew that Lizzie would always find him.
* * * * * * * * * * *

The wild look in Lizzie's eye became near animalistic as she searched for the lost boy she had brought to the big city. What on Earth had she been thinking? Panic ripped through her; why hadn't he called? Was he hurt? Scared? Has anyone thought to help him?

Her insides churned and suddenly the urge to vomit arose. Why had she been so careless? She could have just taken him to the pretzel stand with her and none of this would have happened. So what if he probably needed a rest? What would three more minutes have hurt?Mentally scolding herself repeatedly wasn't going to solve anything. But what would?

Gulping audibly, she slowly pulled out her phone and stared at it. Should she? But she would be in so much trouble. Jesse would absolutely strangle her if he found out what transpired. She took a deep breath; if a beheading is what she would have to endure to get Everett back, then so be it. She began dialing the number scooting through the crowd and to the entrance of Central Park to hear better.

The ringing continued and continued, but to no avail. All she heard was the sound of Jesses voicemail. She groaned. Things could never be easy could they? With an exasperated sound, she began to redial the number, hoping that Jesse would pick up on the severity of the situation and call her back.

Her eyes shifted around, scanning the crowds for any signs of Everett. She hoped that he was okay. It was literally the only thing on her mind; her carelessness. She kicked herself again, leaning against the rot iron fencing.

Lolling her head to the side, a glimmer caught her eyes on the ground. She ended her call before it truly began and walked into Central Park entrance. Crouching down, she grabbed what she could now identify as a cell phone.

Flipping open the phone, the background displayed a picture of the North family, obviously put there by Denise. With a newfound hope, Lizzie hopped up, phone in tow and looked around. Everett was in there somewhere. Now she just needed to pray that he was okay and to find him. Stepping directly into a jog, Lizzie made her way down the various pathways and deeper into Central Park, hoping to high heaven that Everett was alright and unharmed.

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Everett lifted one side of his body, stretched and then repeated the process on the other side. A stiff feeling made its way through his bones and he groaned, flopping backwards. One hand reached over his left shoulder and he massaged his shoulder muscles.

Sitting arched over was doing nothing for his back at the moment. Neither was sitting on this stiff ground until his butt became numb. He didn't want to be upset or act like a child, but let's face it – he was alone, it was cold, he was beginning to get hungry and there was no sign of Lizzie anywhere.

His eyes burned, the threat of tears settling in and he scowled at himself. There was no way he would cry.

No. Way.

If only his stupid cell phone hadn't dropped out of his pocket. He could have just called for back-up and been done. But no, it had to just fall and ...

"Everett!"

His eyes widened and his mouth went a little dry.

He strained to hear it again. He wished that he could just look around and see if it was true, if Lizzie was standing close by, searching for him. Its quiet and he starts to think that it was only his imagination. Of course it was.

He wanted to believe he was about to go home, so his mind was playing tricks on him. He flopped back on the ground. He really felt like just breaking down right here and now. Nobody would see him anyways.

How would anybody know to look for him in this area?

"Everett! Everett, are you here?"

Self pity forgotten, Everett jumps to his feet in a flash, yelling, "Lizzie?!" That was not a temporary lapse in sanity. Lizzie's voice rang in crystal clear as she yelled for him.

"Everett!"

His heart beat picked up and he bounced up and down on his toes, anxious for her to get here. She called his name again and he answered, a game of Marco Polo being instigated to find him.

"Everett!"

The voice came in clear as a bell from his right and he turned swiftly, only to have a body plunged head first into him, arms wrapped securely around his torso. Without even giving it a second thought, his arms locked around her as well, a sense of calm and security falling over him as he snuggled his face into her hair.

For not the first time that day, Everett scolded himself. What on Earth had he been thinking, running off like that? It didn't matter if it was only a few steps, he should have known better. Had he been judging solely from the shaking in both him and Lizzie, he would know the experience wasn't a pleasant one for either of them.

"You scared the crap out of me, Everett," she whispered, hugging him fiercely. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you there. But why did you move, you dork? Seriously?"

Nodding he squeezed his eyes closed and said, "I know. I know, I'm so sorry."

Trying to lighten the situation at least a little, he gave a weak grin. "If it makes you feel any better, I scared the crap out of myself."

Their vice grip on each released a little as Lizzie forced out a chuckle. She wasn't a fan of intense situations, either, he assumed.

"I think this is yours."

She grabbed his hand and flipped it palm up, depositing his cell phone there. "I found it by the entrance of the park. If your phone hadn't been laying there, I wouldn't have thought to look for you in here," she told him simply.

Everett sighed in relief. Not only did he have his phone back, but losing it was a good thing in the first place.

Lizzie pulled away and kept a hand on his arm. "Maybe we could do a retake of the snack retrieval. I don't know about you, but I'm evne more hungry now. Then we can just get home and forget this incident ever happened," she muttered. Her suggestion was received well and soon they were are their way out of the park.

"Thank you," he told her quietly, listening to the padding off both their shoes on the sidewalk. A mild breeze flew past them, bringing another chill rushing through his bones.

Lizzie gave him a slight squeeze in response. Everett could imagine that she was smiling; not a huge, day at the carnival kind of smile, but enough to make a difference in her touch.

The noise from the city slowly came into hearing range, making Everett wince with the sensory overload. If the noise alone proved to be so much for him to take in with ears alone, how ridiculous would it be with all his senses involved?

The overwhelming amount of noise hit him as they exited the park, entering the crowded spaces of the sidewalks once more. Taking a deep breath, Everett let the city air hit him once more. It smelled contaminated. It smelled like gasoline and fumes. Everett wrinkled his nose in disgust. Maybe in other places, it wasn't so bad. But right here, it was awful.

Leading Everett to the original pretzel vendor, they order their snacks once and moved along the side walk. Their grip on each remained steady, however, as they maneuvered through the mass crowd. Not once did his hand leave hers. And for whatever reason that Everett couldn't fathom, he never wanted it to.

The sensation was strange to him, unlike anything he had ever felt. It wasn't a zap or like he had been struck by lightening. Rather, it felt like a slow moving current of electricity moving through his body from where his hand met her and spread throughout the rest of his body. He shivered, but shook it off as feeling cold.

Biting his lip, he tried to shove the feelings stirring aside. They were stupid anyways.

"Hey, hold up!"

Snapped from his thoughts, Everett felt Lizzie tug his hand to a halt. "We're in Times Square. We should get a picture here for your mom. She'll love it!"

Lizzie's hand left him for a moment and without thinking, he reached out and grabbed for her. His hand landed on her shoulder and he gripped.

"What are you doing?" he sputtered out. He inwardly cringed and berated himself for how needy he came off. But at the moment, the only thing he was concerned with was that he didn't want to get lost again.

Not now when he could hear all the people around him, shuffling around each other and the loud noise of cars. He knew that if he took one step away from her or she him, he would be swept away, just like last time. He shuddered and focused his attention on the here and now.

"Just leaning down to get my phone out of my boot, Everett."

He could hear the fact that her voice was shaky and he couldn't help but feel a feeling of happiness run through him. She really did care. The fact that they had gotten separated really did scare her to death. The tone of her voice told him that she was happy to have him keep physical contact with her.

Everett bit back the possibilities that entailed.

He never let himself get close to anyone, let alone a girl outside of his family. But at this point he couldn't help but wonder what this meant. She seemed to talk to him more that she spoke to Jesse nowadays, apart from their project of course. She teased him, made him feel safe. He found it easier to play the piano when she was near.

She didn't even have to be in the same room; as long as she was in that house, the music flowed freely from him, without any hindrance. She got him to smile, something he hadn't done in years. He wanted this to mean something.

For the first time in his life, Everett wanted to be closer to someone outside of his family. He wanted to feel close and personal with Lizzie. He tried to get himself to stop thinking about it before his imagination started playing out all the possibilities, but it didn't seem to work.

And he couldn't figure out if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Let me just find someone to snap the picture," she explained. Lizzie flagged some random person down and wrapped her arm around Everett. A few seconds later someone yelled, 'cheese!' and the phone was returned.

"Your mom will love this picture," Lizzie exclaimed. "Speaking of which, I'm calling her and letting her know that we;re on our way home again."

The call was short and sweet, omitting all the details of Everett's little side trip. There was no reason to worry his family when he was okay now.

"Alrighty then." Lizzie stated, stepping forward before letting out an ear piercing whistle and yelled out, "Taxi!"

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Everett snuggled into his comforter, adjusting his pillow until it felt fluffed just right. He let out a content sigh and let the corners of his lips twitch into a small smile. Today had been, to say the least, eventful. Lizzie and he agreed that that the nerve wracking part of the day would be kept just between them.

And maybe he had received the scare of his life, but it had been an adventure.

His life had been painfully void of that. Finally, someone who didn't view him as a child to be coddled, who took him out and showed him the world in the best way they could.

Lizzie. He thought of everything that one name entailed and how he would never be able to think of it again in the same way, without thinking of the girl who wouldn't give up on him.

He let the memories of the day flow through his mind and smiled at each one. But But for some reason, one small detail stuck out to him: Lizzie's arm linked to his as they moved through the crowds.

Everett couldn't help but like that; even with getting lost today, he loved the normal feeling that came with her touch. This was the most normal thing he had ever done in his life. He didn't feel like there was anything wrong with him when she was around and he loved it.

Lying there in his bed, his hands folded over on his chest, Everett realized that Lizzie gave him something that he hadn't felt in a long time. Something he thought was lost forever.

Hope.

And yes, I totally made a Once Upon A Time reference in there. I haven't seen anything past the first episode of season three so no spoilers people! haha

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Love you guys!