All I can say is that this is the final chapter.

Chapter 11

Five Months Later

Half Moon's POV

Shit.

I know, I know. I'm supposed to be the perfect French girl that my family expects me to be. Speaking of family . . . My father is supposed to pick me up at the airport to fly back to France. And guess what, his new bitchy wife is coming along with her assholes for children. Talk about a perfect day. First though, let me tell you what happened after the battle.

I woke up in a hospital bed two days later with a breathing tube up my nose. Next to me was a doctor by the name of Moth. She was surprised when I woke up and was a bit worried. I asked her what happened, and she replied with a complicated answer. She told me a sword struck my lower stomach, which is in fact, the same place my uterus is. It damaged the lining of it and also damaged one of my ovaries, which had to be put through surgery. Though, the sad part about it is that because there was so much damage with my reproductive system, that I'm not able to have kids.

It bothered me at first because I always wanted to have a family to raise. Then again, I was happy because that meant that I was able to be with Jay. Thanks to Leaf, she was able to convince the government that doctors can fall in love, but they are still not suppose to have kids. We've been together for almost five months because of it, and it has been the happiest time I had in my life.

Another surprise just happened recently also. Sorrel went into labor over a month early, which worried everyone, especially Bracken. Thankfully, she was able to have two healthy baby girls, which they named Lily and Seed. Because their house is getting very crowded, Cinder moved out to live with Lion in their own apartment with their dog, Wally, which I also dogsit for. Poppy also moved out to go live with Berry, which, by the way, they are together. It surprised me at first because Berry loved Honey, but I guess he can love who he wants, there's nothing stopping him. I'm not judging.

The only time I'm aloud back in town is when Bracken and Sorrel will have their wedding. They had to postpone it for another year because they're worried that Lily and Seed will not be happy if the wedding was this year. The only sad thing that happened was telling them that Honey died. Both were devastated, as you can imagine. We had the funeral right after graduation, and the whole school was invited. Everyone came, including Breeze and Heather, and that same day, it rained.

Oh yes! Graduation! I managed to get high marks and even made the honor roll. Jay is now a training doctor for cancer, and he said that he did it for my mother. Cinder also made the honor roll and is now running her own program called The Girl's League which helps teach young girls learn and play all sports and also older people who are working to get more exercise. Holly made valedictorian and now is a trainee to become a microbiologist. She wishes to find a new species of plankton and algae. Lion graduated with high marks also and is now a quarterback for the Starclan Warriors football team that plays all over the world. Fallen Leaves didn't graduate, but was able to get a job as an intern for the fire department. Poppy graduated and now works with the FBI as a secret spy along with her new friend, Ivy. Ivy and I became friends after the battle, and it turned out, behind that punk outfit, she is a really caring person. Her and Fox recently became a thing, which everyone was surprised by. They are complete opposites, but I guess that's why they became such a great couple. After graduation, they gave us a choice to keep on our stamps we got at the beginning of the year, or take them off. I chose to keep mine on so that I would never forgotten what happened that year.

And me, well, I didn't pick a job because I was going back to France. Though, as soon as I got there, I want to be interviewed for a job as a veterinarian. I love working with animals and I want to pursue my passion, and Jay encourages me for following my heart. He also that instead of moving back to France, I could live with him. I kept telling him that it was in my mother's will that I had to go back to my father. Even though I forced myself to say that and I kept tearing up after, he never gave up. He really loved me, and that tore my heart into a million pieces.

I missed my mother, she was way better than my father. She was kind for one thing. I just don't understand how she fell in love with a guy like him. Why? Why why why? Why Mom? What in the name of hell did you see in that guy? I asked myself those questions as soon as we left France. The more I asked, the questions came to my head, but still, there was no answer.

I felt trapped when I was in my Dad's mansion. Even though it was enormous, it felt like I was in a cage that had no key. His mansion was in Paris, near the eiffel tower. My room was on the fifth floor that was splashed with all the shades of pink in the world. I had my own bathroom that had its own hot tub, 60 inch flat screen TV, and a giant glass shower. When I went to school in France, everyone was expecting me to be a brat because my Dad was a billionaire. They're dead wrong.

My step mother, aka, #1 plastic surgery buyer. Her real name is Faded Skies, for all the right reasons. She had plastic surgery on her cheeks, chin, forehead, and nose. Had a lip injection, cosmetic surgery on her breasts, tummy tuck, and botox on her skin. When I first met her when I was 14, she tried to convince me that I should get a tummy tuck because I was average weight for my age. She also insisted that she'll give me a discount on the surgery just if I did it. I was a smartass back then, and if I was like 10, I still would've said no.

Her kids. Don't even get me started on them. She has two, a girl and a boy, and their twins, which makes it even better, and they are both 13, great. (Insert the most sarcastic voice you can think of). The first one I'll talk about is the girl. Her name is Morning Fire, which kinda suits her. She is a big brat, and I mean huge, literally. She 100% overweight, and she's over 200 pounds. She's heavier than me. Though, she is the most popular girl in her school, and she is the leader of a lot of bratty girls. I remember when I left, she stole my room and also half of my clothes, (which I'm sure don't even fit her).The other one is the boy named Falcon Wind. I remember the first time I met him, he was trying to seduce me, and it wasn't working. He later that day, he kidnapped me and raped me. I fought back like hell and I broke his nose. I got in trouble for that, but it was worth it.

I woke up at 8:00 in the morning and realized my flight was at 12:00, so there wasn't really a rush. I slumped in my bed, exhausted. I was already packed and ready to go, but then again, I realized how embarrassed Faded Skies would be if I was dressed in something unfashionable. I smiled at the thought of her face and how funny it will look with the cosmetic surgery.

As I was about to go have breakfast, I heard a knock on the door. At this point, I was too miserable to do anything, but reluctantly, I opened the door. Jay was at my door. He looked as tired as I was. He leaned and kissed me quickly. "Last chance, Moonlight. Are you sure you going to stay here with me or go back to France?"

I sighed. "I wish I could stay with you Jay's Wing. My mother's will said-"

"You don't have to be binded by her will. We'll figure something out. I just need more time."

"We all need more time, Jay's Wing." I leaned over and hugged him. He hugged me back. As much as I want to stay here, I can't let my mother down. She would have wanted this for me. We stood like that for a long time. He rubbed his hands up my back. This would be my final day seeing him. My eyes burned from holding back the tears. I shaked as my body resisted to be emotional. He realized how I was acting and hugged me tighter to stop my shaking. I buried my face in his shoulder and he leaned over for me to reach.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here for you Moonlight." He picked me off the ground and held me in his arms. "At least let me go with you to the airport to say goodbye to you."

"No, you can't. My Dad would judge you and me hard. He would make me break up with you."

"Let him try to stop me from loving you." That sentence brought tears to my eyes. He stopped hugging me and kissed my tears away. "I love you, you know that, right?" I nodded silently. After that last sentence, I felt a pain of guilt in my chest. He needs to understand that he can't control everything. Not everything goes right. Life doesn't always have happy endings, they aren't a perfect story that we can make just from our brains.

"I'm sorry, Jay. I can't control any of this. If I had the power too, I wouldn't have a packed suitcase." I kissed him one last time and closed the door slowly. I leaned against the door after it was fully closed. I put my hands in my hair and slowly dropped to the ground, my knees under my chin. This isn't what I wanted, but I must move forward. The world doesn't revolve around. There is no turning back. You can't go backwards, only forwards. I opened the door once again, but he was gone.

Did I just lose my boyfriend? Did I? Was I too harsh? Shit, this wasn't supposed to happen. Shit, what have I done? I just made it worse. Much, much worse.

This bothered me for the next hour. It was getting to the point where I walked back and forth, deciding what to do next. I've been through worse, a lot worse, like losing my Mother, but this just seemed to important. Jay, oh Jay. I looked at the clock and realized that I had to leave soon.

I took a quick shower and put on just normal clothes. My jean skirt with black caprese under it with a white tank top over it. I wore my hair in a messy ponytail, some of the strands in my hair falling out. I purposely made my hair messy, just to get under Faded Skies's skin. My blue suitcase was already packed with all of the stuff I need, snacks for the plain, my computer, and my white earbuds to listen to music.

I called for a taxi to pick me up from my house. It was five minutes late, but I didn't judge and got in the car. I put my suitcase in the trunk and I was on my way to the airport. My phone kept buzzing from all of the texts I was getting from my friends. Holly was freaking out, so was Cinder and Poppy. Ivy was repeating the same text over and over again.

R u sure you want this?

That got me thinking, do I have my own choice to make? Can I stand up to my Dad? Do I have the guts to do so? Pfft, no, not in a million years.

It's a weird feeling. You're afraid of your own parents. But they were the ones that brought you into this world. Being afraid of your own Dad, is like being afraid of life. They raised you, taught you, fed you, gave you water and shelter, keeping you alive. They're almost like a drug, you want them and need them, but something inside of you is saying no. I never learned to stand up for myself or for others, because I'm an introvert. But also because my parents never taught me to be brave.

I took my eyes off my phone and looked at the grassy fields. I saw the airport in the distance. I sighed and looked at my phone once again, still no text from Jay. Had I just ruined our relationship? Please tell me I haven't. Please.

Please.

We quickly arrived at the airport. The taxi driver took out my suitcase from the trunk and had his hand out for the money. I took out my mint green wallet and gave him the money. I accidently gave him five dollars than it was, but he didn't give me change. He drove away before I could say thank you, and I stood in front of the white building. I sucked in a breath as I entered.

I let it out as I took my step in the airport. The people around me looked at me skeptical, but I didn't mind, I had other things on my mind. Lots of other things.

I made it to the escalator to go through security. The line was long. I sighed of relief, because I had more time to calm down before I leave. As I walked to get in the end of the line, I noticed someone grab my hand. I turned around to see Jay. My heart skipped a beat. "Jay!" I hugged him and he hugged me back.

"You think I would leave you here alone?" He asked. I felt butterflies in my head, he still cared about me. There was still hope for our relationship. Yay! I couldn't be more thrilled. He finally let go and kissed me passionately. I let my eyes go shut. His hands clasped with mine.

We stopped as I didn't let myself stop from blushing. "I'm sorry I was hard on you earlier, I was just so stressed. I didn't mean to so sound so-" But he put a finger on my lips and I immediately shut my mouth.

He leaned over and whispered in my ear. "I don't care what your dad thinks of me. All I care about is keeping you safe."

I felt myself breathing uneasily.

He hugged me tight, trying not to let go. Though I didn't really hug back, Jay didn't really think about that.

He suddenly stopped hugging me and I felt himself tense. "What, what is it?" I looked over my shoulder and suddenly became a mixture of scared and mad. Weird combination I know, but that's what I felt. My family.

My dad was a tall well built man with a dark blue tuxedo on with a black tie and black shades over his eyes. He had gray hair that was held back by hair gel, but his face looked like he was in his thirties. Next to him was Faded Skies. She had pitch black hair that was long and flowy with perfect makeup and facial features. She wore a tight white dress that showed of her curves and also plastic. She wore black heels and a black belt with real jewels on it. Dark designer sunglasses were on her head, showing her pale brown eyes. Thick black eyelashes that were obvious were fake, and cat like eyeliner. In her hand was a white purse with a lining of white jewels on it.

They both walked up to me, and I noticed that my dad was looking at Jay in a gruesome way. I looked the other way as Faded Skies went up to me. Since her heels add an extra six inches, she had to lean over to pretend to hug me. "Oh my gosh!" She said in her sassy high pitched voice, "I haven't seen you in so long Calf Moo!"

"Half Moon," I corrected.

She laughed a fake laugh. "Haha! See? I haven't seen you in so long that I forgot your name!" She stopped hugging me and examined my body. "Wow! You've lost so much weight since I last saw you! Your facial features have definitely improved, and so has your chest!" She stood up back to her normal height and put both hands on her hips, waiting for me to respond.

I blushed at her last comment. I didn't notice any changes, so why has she? Things suddenly got creepy real quick. I kept my lips shut, until I turned to my father. "Why are you here? I thought you were gonna wait for me back in France, I didn't expect you to come here." It was my turn to put my hands on my hips and pretend to be sassy. See Faded Skies, I can be just as much as a golddigger as you can.

"Wow," my dad said in his low raspy voice that made Jay look up, "Is that any way to treat your father?"

"Your not my father," I growled back.

My dad put down his shades on his nose to reveal his ice cold blue eyes. He raised an eyebrow. "Yes I am. I came to give you a better way to be transported home, on a private jet. If you have any problem with that, we can discuss it at the mansion." He put his shades back on and began to walk away. "I give you time to say goodbye." He walked a short distance away with Faded Skies beside him.

I turned back to Jay, who was now looking down at me. He leaned over and touched my nose with his and I closed my eyes. This was it. He interlocked his hands with mine. "I love you, my Moonlight." He kissed my nose. I opened my eyes. "I always will." It sent shivers up my spine, I still wasn't used to this kind of cooing.

"I will wait forever for you Jay's Wing." He smiled, as did I. I kissed him gently as I grabbed my suitcase and let go of his hands. I felt his gaze on me, but I didn't dare look back, because I would regret it if I saw the look on his face.

I looked around and thought I heard a faint noise, but I didn't recognize what it was. I walked up to my father, and I saw a smirk creep on his lips. He still scared me.

As we were about to take off (literally), I heard a shout that made my skin jump off of my body. "Hand up!" I looked up to see a police officer on the second over the balcony, holding a taser in his hands. More police officers poured into the place, all pointing tasers at my father, who stood as still as ice.

One officer, a fat one with gray hair waved his hand and a officer clipped handcuffs on my dad's hands. I stood still not knowing what to do, and I could tell that Faded Skies was also confused. The fat guy took off a clipboard and read it aloud. "Chasing Clouds, you have been arrested for robbery, child abuse, and the murder of Mr. Heavy, the owner of Heavy Enterprises. Do you deny it?" He kept his mouth shut and looked at the ground. "Well, I hope you get comfortable in your 110 years in prison." The same man came up to me. "What's your name young lady?"

"H-Half Moon," I whispered.

The man looked at the paper and flipped it over. "Oh yes. It says here that you were sent back to France if your mother died of breast cancer." I nodded and he eyed my suitcase. "I'm sorry for your lost, dear. Though it says here that if your father is unable, that you will be sent to your mother's closest friend." He flipped through more pages until he stopped at one. "Ah yes! Vine's Water, lives in this town with her husband Stag Horns, and has a job as a veterinarian." My eyes lit up. This could've have gone better. "We could drive you to her house if you want, but you can stay here for a little bit while we sort out this situation."

I dropped my suitcase and ran back Jay, who heard the whole scene as he caught me and twirled me in circles. I giggled and smiled until it felt like my cheeks were gonna break. He was about to kiss me when I turned my head and saw a familiar face. "Good thing that happened, or Fox was going to throw a water balloon at him, then we would all be in big trouble."

I smiled at Cinder as more people started appearing from around the corner. Lion, Fox, Ivy, Poppy, Berry, Holly, and Fallen Leaves came into view. They all smiled as I beamed back at them. This is where I belonged. And I was positive, 100%.

My life felt better for those thirty seconds that changed my life forever. This changed my entire future.

And I was thankful.

I wasn't just another person you would see on the street. I was the girl who was there when the fire struck Warrior High. I was the girl who fought in the battle against a bunch of trained adults, well, mostly. I was the girl who fell in love with a doctor, and if you combined all of that together, that took a lot of bravery. Something that I didn't know I had for years. But this town, these people, brought it out in me. They showed me to be me, not someone who is forced to be someone else. I might not be perfect, but at least I'm not fake. I'm scared, but I'm brave. I'm weak, but I'm strong. And that's what makes me human.

That's what makes me a true warrior.