I Promise (Explicit Version)

~Chapter Thirty-Two~

Alas, it was the day. Today was the day I was leaving Chicago behind. "I'm going to miss you two," I said to Brian and Meredith.

"You won't miss out on a single step of the journey," Meredith said.

"Good, because I don't want to," I admitted.

"I'm going to miss having another night owl," Brian said, hugging me goodbye. He kissed the top of my head in the same way my brothers did.

"Me too," I said.

"Well, I'll see you around Luna," Meredith said, hugging me tight.

"Same here," I said as she kissed my cheek. I left them each with one final hug and headed to the airport. I had said goodbye to almost everyone.

Except for Clark.

I shoved that thought away as I headed to security. I had done my digital check-in. Chicago would be easy to remember. However, none of my family was at security, so I sat on a bench by it. Realizing the flight had half an hour before boarding, I called Darren. "Luna, where are you?" Darren asked me.

"I'm outside security, waiting for you," I said.

"Come on out," he breathed.

"What?"

"Trust me on this. There's a reason we're doing only carry-on," Darren said. Hesitantly, I walked outside and found him, cell phone in hand.

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

"You're not going back to LA, Luna." Darren stated. I looked at him in shock. "This is a long story. Let's find somewhere to sit."

I followed Darren, motionless. "Then where am I going?" I asked him.

"Nowhere. You're staying right here," he said.

"Why?" I asked him.

"I've been thinking about it. Your entire life, you've had trouble finding a sense of home that was home. When we finally found each other, well, that was a home, but not one you wanted and I get that. I want to stop messing your life up. You deserve that more than anyone I know. You're going to be with Brian and Mere. I still want you to come and visit multiple times per year, hence why I haven't packed the entirety of everything back," Darren said. He took a deep breath. "We're still leaving for a week today. To pack everything back and get that brace off."

I hugged him gleefully. He carefully raised me so my feet so my toes dangled a few inches off the ground. "Let's go," I said.

We got to our flight on time and I hadn't told anyone that I was moving back. Only Brian and Meredith knew and they were almost ready to burst. When I got to LA, my phone was swarmed with messages. Primarily from Clark, but I figured that was normal. Not telling anyone I was coming back? Cruel. Surprising them? Maybe a little less cruel. Maybe.

Once we landed in LA, I suddenly felt lost. Darren could see my struggle. "Hey. It's only a week. We're packing everything back."

"Yeah," I said. We headed home, laughing about the events of the past few weeks of the show.

"She hid it very well, although the lights ruined it," Darren said.

"It could have been worse, but everyone hid it better than Brian and I would have guessed," I added, "From a backstage perspective."

"Well, let's figure things out," Darren said as we pulled in. I couldn't believe it. I was going home soon. And it would be a home where I could easily talk to my family. Any family. I had three whole options.

The next day, it was time for my appointment. And good news! I only had to wear my brace while typing and writing. Darren drove me to work with him since this would probably be one of the last times. Everyone was on break, so that was when Darren made his announcement.

"Hi everyone! I just wanted to say I mistakenly lied to all of you like two months ago. Luna was going to move here with me, but there are things in Chicago she can't leave behind. Her best friend, close friendships, mentors, people to protect her from me," Darren said.

"Who are very helpful may I add," I whispered.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. She also left her boyfriend there," Darren said. He looked at me. "Wait didn't he move back to Brooklyn?"

"Not for another two weeks," I responded.

"How do you know that?"

"Well, we actually communicate before overreacting. Unlike someone," I said, adding a pointedness to the ending.

"Darren, why?" Chris asked.

"I worry. She's still two feet tall in my mind," Darren said nostalgically.

"I am so much taller than you if I got on my tiptoes," I said, raising myself to about two inches taller than he was.

"Well, you can stop being as sassy as Percy Jackson right now," Darren said.

"Wait, you know who Percy Jackson is?" I asked him.

"Juls read the books and she filled me in," Darren said. I looked at him with pride in my eyes.

"I'm proud of you for paying attention," I said, fiercely hugging him.

Julia was cooking dinner again that night. I had packed only a little bit of my things, but I still had so much more to do. I didn't need much here. Only about what I kept in Chicago over the past week. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

"So, Juls, you've read Percy Jackson," I said, bringing up the information I had recently acquired.

"Yes. And Darren was too lazy to read them so he used SparkNotes™ to try and look productive but they were so inaccurate that I read the entire series to him," Julia replied. I looked at my older brother in shock.

"Well, this is fascinating," I said.

"And all the other Riordan books," Julia added.

"Juls, you're making me look bad," Darren complained.

"Well, that is my job. I have to keep you on your toes," Julia laughed. We all sat down to eat dinner as a family and it was nice to know I had one readily available at any time I needed one.

Later that night, I was sorting everything out. One pile to keep here, in LA, and one pile to pack all the way back to Chicago.

Home.

It took the universe long enough.

I smiled as Darren and Julia came in. "Don't be too eager," Darren grinned. I beamed back.

"I'm not."

"I know you. I know that you're eager to return to Chicago."

"I am. I want to experience the whole journey with Brian and Mere," I said.

"And you want to rekindle your love," Darren said too over-dramatically.

"It's not that big of a deal," I said.

"Not a big deal? It's a huge deal!" Darren exclaimed.

"Stop being so annoying, Darren," Julia said.

"It's my job," he said, spreading himself over my neat piles of folded clothing.

"Move," I said to him.

"Why?"

"I just folded all of that," I said.

"Okay. Don't get to bed too late," Darren finally said, giving me a light kiss on the forehead and leaving the room.

"Good night," Julia said, hugging me and leaving the room.

"Good night," I said, sending my message to them.

Disclaimer: I only own Luna and the plot line. Everyone portrayed here is a fictional version of themselves.

Chapter 3/4

--Luna :D