A/N: No, you're not hallucinating. I updated! Really sorry for the slow update- I've had a load of things to do and I'm so sorry I haven't uploaded anything sooner. Thanks for reading + reviewing! Also, please review- it makes me write faster! Reviews give me more motivation to write, and they make me happy :D

They found him near the statue of the man and boy- the statue that symbolised an 'extraordinary and everlasting friendship' and bore a striking resemblance to Luke and the Professor themselves. He was stood facing said statue, away from Flora and the Professor, but they could tell he was crying. Flora hated seeing him like that, especially since she didn't know what was wrong. It almost brought her to tears herself. Luke, the gentleman-in-training, who always put others before himself, who hated crying and being sad in front of people because a gentleman didn't make a scene in public… No wonder he'd run off.

"Luke, my boy? Whatever is the matter?" The Professor said gently, slowly approaching his crying apprentice.

Flora stood back a little out of respect. As much as she wanted to go to her friend and ask him what was wrong and try to comfort him, she knew that he wouldn't like her to see him that upset. This was something between mentor and apprentice, so she stood back and let them talk, facing them with a small smile on her face to show her friend that she cared that he was upset, but a bit of a distance away out of respect. She didn't want to intrude.

Let's not forget, however, that she wasn't a great distance away, and that she was a concerned and curious teenage girl, and that they weren't whispering. So, even though she tried not to eavesdrop (that's not what a lady does) she could still hear every single word.

"Oh… Hi, Professor. I- I'm sorry for running off." He said these words in little more than a monotone, in a quiet voice.

"Why did you?" A simple question from the Professor, but one which made Luke pause before answering.

"I… I've just been thinking. About us. And our investigations and adventures. And… we've become really good friends since I became your apprentice, haven't we? And we've had so much fun over the last few years, and we've spent so much time together." The monotone was overridden by a sad voice, which told the listeners that bad news was coming. His voice broke a little on the last word, which broke his mentor's heart just a little and made his friend want to go over there and hug him until he smiled.

But she didn't, as his words confirmed what she already knew- this was something between Luke and the Professor.

"But of course, my boy. We are, as you say, the best of friends. It's only natural we'd spend time together. You are my apprentice, after all." Layton smiled, just a little, a small, serious smile that wasn't overly cheerful but still put the boy a little more at ease.

"Yeah. B- But…" He exhaled shakily. "But Dad told me the other day that he's being transferred. To another country. We'll all be moving away, and I won't be able to see you or Flora again…" He sobbed a tiny bit and turned away.

He's leaving. For good. Those words echoed round Flora's insides like bullets, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes threatening to spill over silently. She turned away slightly too, because Luke was upset and crying and Luke never cried and so she had to be strong and not cry because if she cried then so would he and she hated seeing him like that and he was leaving, Luke was actually leaving to live in another country and once he was gone she wouldn't see him again and she was crying, dammit, she needed to stop crying…

"Y-yes. Your father mentioned it to me the other day when he visited, too…" The Professor knew. Of course, it all clicked into place like a solved puzzle, that's what he'd been talking about before when he said he had a 'hunch' about what was upsetting Luke. He knew and he hadn't told her. Clark Triton had visited them from Misthallery the previous Saturday, and she supposed he had told them then. But the Professor hadn't told her…

"Luke. Do you believe that we're true friends?" The Professor asked, a seemingly unnecessary question.

"Of course! How can you even ask that?"

"Good. Then there's no need to worry, you see, my boy? True friends share a special connection. And that connection endures, no matter how far apart they may be in the world."

"Yeah. You're right. I see. But it won't be the same, will it? Not living with you and Flora, not even being able to see you and talk to you, not being able to solve puzzles and mysteries with you… Everything's going to change. I don't want to move to America. I want to stay here in London, but there's nothing I can do about it because Dad said it's about his job and him and Mum didn't want me to be in a whole other continent than them…"

'America. Luke is moving to America. So far…' was all Flora could think. Suddenly she couldn't stand seeing him cry any longer and went over, tears more or less gone, pushed away by not wanting him to see her cry. "Luke! I'm sorry, I couldn't help but hear, but Luke don't be upset! I hate seeing you like this. I mean, it won't be the same, will it, but that doesn't mean it'll be awful. There's letters and phones, and it won't be forever, will it? I mean, you'll be an adult in three years, and then you can do whatever you want. Right?"

Luke smiled a little at his friend. "Yeah, I suppose. You'll write to me, won't you? Both of you?"

"Of course!" Both said simultaneously and smiled.

"Flora… Did you know I was leaving?" Luke didn't recall telling her, and though he supposed the Professor could have done, he wasn't sure.

"… Not till just now, no." She spoke quietly, sadly. "When- when are you going?" She didn't want to know; but she did, because she wanted to enjoy the time they had left together- assuming they got back to their own time, of course.

"I've got until the end of the summer. Dad starts his new job in September."

"Three months." Three months.

"Yeah."

The Professor felt his two charges were getting slightly miserable, so that's when he stepped in. "Cheer up, you two. We'll just have to make the most of this summer, then. And Luke, of course we'll keep in contact. It's not goodbye forever- in fact, it isn't goodbye at all. It's so long, not goodbye."

The boy that the man and girl knew and loved was back. "Right you are, Professor! And right now, we've got a mystery to solve!"

"Let's go find this research facility, then. We've got to stop Dimitri from building that time machine!" Flora's enthusiasm was restored too- after all, the case took priority for the moment, and there would be plenty of time for tears and goodbyes when they returned to their London.

Their London which wasn't to be Luke's home for much longer.