*Juliet's POV*

Within a few seconds, it seemed like this Vaughn person had a hold on both of us. His fingers dug a bit deeper into my sleeve, and his other hand was holding the gun that pointed directly at Luigi.

"Don't move!" Vaughn growled. "Or you'll get a bullet to your freaking humongous nose!"

The fire of rage within me rose a bit.

"No!" I cried. "Please… d-don't hurt him! Nobody needs to be hurt!"

Luigi nodded in response, his tear-filmed eyes not coming off of Officer Vaughn's gun.

This, I suddenly knew, was in my hands. Perhaps a bit of professionalism and calm mannerism could win me some points?

"S-Sir," I said. "Please, if you would, put the gun down. He won't do anything rash. I promise."

Struggling to find words, the officer looked back at me, then back at Luigi.

He then sighed, retracting the gun and putting it back in his belt.

"Thank you," I smiled. "Now… Why do I need to come back to Earth? I'm happy here."

"Your family misses you!" Officer Vaughn asserted.

"Is that really it?" I snapped. "Oh, I get it. So I absolutely have to go back and live with the same family that… t-that doesn't seem to care for my happiness? This PROVES that they don't truly care for me! Why should I leave, sir, when my dreams remain here?"

Luigi's eyes would not come off of me now. Nor would Vaughn's.

"…Fine…" he responded. "I see. You're right."

"I'm… right?" I marveled.

"However," Vaughn continued. "There's another reason that you must return, and… it's the reason that I asked specifically to retrieve you myself…"

"What?" I shrugged. "Is little old Earth ending?"

"While Earth itself is just fine," said Vaughn. "Another world is suffering a dark, dark apocalypse."

"B-But…" Luigi interjected. "The Mushroom-a Kingdom still has-a blue skies as well."

"That's not it, either," sighed Vaughn. "…Without you, my son's world is falling apart."

Silence for a second.

"He was a classmate of yours," he continued with a softer voice. "Miles Vaughn… You know him?"

"…Y-Yeah," I responded.

Miles was the one quiet bookworm of a guy that I ever saw. He never really talked to anyone.

Wait…

A smile was rare for the guy… and all of the times I saw it, I was either working with him or had randomly gotten the courage to ask how his day was. Almost never otherwise.

I had clearly caught him staring at me at least twice, that I could remember. That brought a smile to his face as well. Whenever this happened, I tried to bring myself to smile and stare back, and directly into his crimson eyes… but something, perhaps the fear of seeming risky, pulled me away within a second or two each time.

He… loved me? How could I have been making myself so blind?!

Was this flaming world of animals… really my home anymore?

"The moment after he heard on the news that we had located you," Officer Vaughn chuckled. "…Oh, he begged and pleaded, with tears in his eyes, for me to find you. Never before had my son been so… passionate about something. I had to accept, and I wanted to make sure that it was me who brought you home."

The rocket in front of us called to me.

The thought of Miles's smile suddenly brought a flush to my cheeks.

"Juliet, NO!" Luigi cried. "Don't let-a him take you!"

"Ugh…" Officer Vaughn growled.

Yes… The thought of a trap suddenly came to mind, and I became a bit skeptical.

"…Tell you what?" Vaughn said. "I can tell you're in a bit of disbelief. What if I were to take you back to Earth-"

"N-NO!" Luigi cried again.

Officer Vaughn reached for his gun and pointed it at Luigi again without a second thought. I gasped.

In response to my fear, this bold officer gained an awkward complexion and put away his gun again.

"Momentarily…" he said. "…I could take you back to Earth, have my son meet us there, and have him tell you the truth himself."

I looked back. No concerned hedgehogs in sight… Just the darkened road…

"…Hang on a second," I said. "May you let go of my arm, please?"

Without a word, the officer obeyed.

I then walked over to Luigi.

"Luigi," I whispered. "Is there… any possibility you could transport one of those star cannons?"

"I could-a ask," Luigi responded. "But the princess is-a probably asleep. I would have to get a response tomorrow. I would also have to-a call her, since… well…"

"Ah," I nodded. "Well, here's what I'm thinking. I go with Officer Vaughn and listen to what Miles has to say. However, you'll be waiting on the ship in case I give the signal that I want to return here. If I give that signal, you'll have the cannon ready, and we can make a quick escape. We'll go from there if that's the case."

"But you'd be-a cheating on Silver if you-a stay in Miles's hands!" Luigi panicked.

"…Luigi," I sighed. "Miles is from Earth. My place of origin, and completely intended to be my place of life. In truth… Earth is the only world that was intended to exist. Some have theorized that this world is merely the materialized figment of my imagination."

Fortunately, I didn't need to say anything more. Luigi nodded.

"…I-If you'll-a allow me to stay at your place," he agreed. "…Okay. I-a accept. You have a phone, right?"

"I do," I nodded, turning around to face Officer Vaughn again.

"Well?" Vaughn asked. "Are you willing to do this?"

"Only if you'll allow my friend here to come with me," I said. "And not until tomorrow."

"Y-Yes!" the officer smiled. "I will make camp here until… say, tomorrow evening?"

"That'll work," I said, looking to Luigi, who still seemed to be in complete agreement.

"Good," nodded Officer Vaughn.

At that, Luigi and I walked away, and Officer Vaughn unzipped a bag that appeared to have a tent within it.

"But Juliet," said Luigi. "What am I-a to tell-a the princess?"

"Nothing," I whispered. "…Well, tell her that you haven't found me yet, and that you need the cannon for when you return."

"You-a knew I was here to find-a you?" Luigi asked in surprise.

"You arrived around the same time that an officer from Earth came to find me," I explained. "I had a bitter feeling that that's what you were here for. And… I-I'm grateful for your willingness to support me in this plan."

"I am-a personally against-a all this war," Luigi smiled. "Happy to-a help!"

*Narrator's POV*

Later that night, a worried teenager sat, awake, on his bed, staring at nothing but what only he could see as his thoughts.

His father was out on the path to another world.

All of a sudden, his cell phone rattled against his dresser. He picked it up with the speed of a ninja and stared, wide-eyed, at its screen.

Officer Vaughn was calling. His father was still out there somewhere!

He tapped the "accept call" button, slapped the phone to his ear, and said "Father!"

"Son!" laughed Officer Vaughn from the other end. "I found her, son. I've found Juliet."

The way the boy's heart flew could never have outmatched the speed of a hummingbird.

All he could do was smile and say "No news could ever make me happier than these have, father."

"Well, that's not all," laughed Officer Vaughn. "I spoke with her as well, and she was… mildly cooperative. She refuses to come back to Earth without solid proof that what I've told her is true."

"Uh…What did you say to her?"

"I told her of your love for her, son. I first told her that her family missed her. She only grew angry and refused to cooperate. When I told her of your love, however, it seemed to be the one thing I needed to convince her."

"…D-Do you believe she could possibly like me back, father?!"

"We'll find out. What I've called to tell you is that it's all in your hands now."

"How so?"

"She agreed to allow me to bring her and an odd friend of hers back to Earth, but only to a point very near to the ship. She's not convinced that she wants to stay there. Miles… I need you to meet us near the launch site at precisely 7pm tomorrow. There, you will come face-to-face with Juliet. There, you will confess, with true and deep words, just how much she means to you."

"I'll be glad to do so!"

"From there… Son… You're our only hope. Prepare. Don't let either of us down."

"I promise, I won't!"

"Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight, father."

At that, the boy hung up the phone, set it on the dresser, picked up a pillow, and held it close to him. He nuzzled his head against it, a smile never leaving his delighted face. It would seem as if he had fallen in love with his classmate all over again…

He had the words. At last, he could get them out. They absolutely had to earn the affection of the second of only two people he wanted in his life.