He had a dream as he was blacked out, floating through space. He was with Luna. They were raising their child together, and they were all...happy. But like all dreams, this one had to come to an end. And it did when Colin Gomez hit the ground. HARD.
He woke up to find himself staring at a lamp post, with the sun setting over a row of tenaments. But something about this was off. It looked...real. as if it weren't a 2-D Cartoon knockoff.
"Wait a minute..." he said as he looked at his arm. Sure enough, it was very, very real. Like a real human would look like.
"No. No, it can't be. Am I..." he thought as he pulled out his phone, which had miraculously survived the fall. Pulling out the camera, he saw what he had longed to see for so long.
"I'M REAL!" he shouted in his surprise. As he looked around to see the real world again, however, he felt sick. He hadn't actually been a 3-D figure since last August, mind you. And it was weird trying to adjust back.
"Ok, ok. Am I in San Diego again? Or is this somewhere else?"
He walked out to the curb, where he saw a man trying to earn some money by rapping on a street corner.
"Hey, buddy! Where am I?"
"What?"
"Where am I?"
"Dude, you drunk or something? You're in San Diego, idiot!"
"I'M HOME!" he shouted as he ran back down the sidewalk.
"Huh. Crazy kids these days. Welp, back to rapping, I guess. "Yo, my names Russell, and I..."
10 Minutes Later...
Colin finally found the street he had lived on for most of his life. He saw the cornerstore that his Mama and Chica ran. And the alleyway where his, well, adventure started. He walked to the doors of the old shop and peeked his head in.
Standing behind the counter was Chica, Colins sister.
"C-chica?"
She looked up.
"Colin?!"
"Yep, that's my name. You better not-"
"HIJO!" she shouted as she ran to hug him. Colin flinched as she pulled him in for a hug. He may have been stronger than Chica, but her hugs could probably kill a 7 year old boy.
"Settle down, Chica, it's just me! I don't have money or anything!"
"I thought I would never see you again, Hijo. You called for help in your room, but we got up there and you were...gone. We called the police, but they said there wasn't any crime or anything. You were just, well, missing. We haven't seen you in a year!"
"Actually, it's only been 10 months, but a year works, too. Where's Mama? Is she alright?"
"Si, she's fine. She was heartbroken you left. But you know Mama, she was back to work the next day. She may have lost one bird from her nest, but she still had to provide for this one," she said as she pointed towards herself.
"I need to see her."
"Well, she's right above your head. We moved into a smaller apartment. Convenient, isn't it? Colin?" She said as he ran out the door and up the flight of stairs that led to the house.
"MAMA?" he yelled as he walked in and turned on the lights. "Mama, where are you?!"
Soon, a woman that Colin immediately recognized came out of a room. She looked at him for a second, a face of disbelief, but soon she said her first words to him.
"C-colin?"
"Yes, Mama. I'm home." He said as he held out his arms. She immediately ran over to him, giving him a hug bigger than Chicas had been.
"Ow! Mama, you just saw me again, don't break my back!" He said sarcastically.
"Where have you been, Colin?! What happened?!"
"It's a long story, Mama. I don't care to-"
"No, Hijo. Tell me. I'll be patient."
"Mama, you always know how to get words out of my mouth."
"It's what I do, Colin. I'm your mother. Start from the beginning."
"Well, ok. So..."
1 Hour Later...
"There. That's everything."
"Wow." Chica said, who had come up to listen.
"Wait, what was the part about Bernie Sanders at Starbucks?"
"And who exactly was "Luan?"
"It's too long of a story. But I'm gonna be a father, Mama. A child has my DNA in him. Come to think of it, that sounds pretty weird..."
"Hijo, your father would be proud of you. He always was glad to have a son."
Colin turned to face his mother.
"Mama, you told me Luis left when I was two. He doesn't matter to me."
"-sigh- I know, Hijo. I have to show you some things. Go outside and wait for me."
"Ooh, ooh, can I come?"
"No, Chica, stay here. Me and Mama need our time alone."
30 Minutes Later, 9:00 P.M...
"Where exactly are we again, Mama? I've never been here..."
"It's San Juaquin Cemetery. I never took you here before. We'll park here."
They got out of the car that Mama had bought when Colin was away. She turned on a flashlight and shined it on a grave by the edge of the gate.
"Luis Gomez. 1979-2001."
He turned to face Mama. He knew what this was about now.
"He's been dead this whole time?"
"Yes, Colin. He died when you were only 2."
"How? Why?"
"Well, he was walking home from work one day to come home. The officers said that someone pulled out a gun and shot him twice. They mistook him for a member of a gang."
Mama pulled a picture from her back pocket and handed it to Colin. He shined the light on it, revealing an old Polaroid picture. It was a little boy playing with a toy football, a tall, gangly looking man standing behind him. He was tall, with an almost rat like face, and he had tattoos all up his arms. Despite that, he looked...happy, for some reason. Like his life was joyous and full of excitement.
"Mama...Is this my dad?" He said softly.
"Yes, hijo. That's your dad."
"He was an ugly S.O.B, wasn't he?" He chuckled.
"Ha! As if. He may not have been a looker, but his soul was golden. Like yours, Colin."
She stepped in and took Colins shoulder.
"He would be proud of you, Hijo. He gave you that nickname, you know."
"He did?" Colin said, suddenly feeling like crying.
"Yes. He gave you your first Chargers jersey, too. He went to every game he could. He wasn't rich, though. He bought tickets whenever he could."
"But, why? Why couldn't I have known him?" He said, now visibly crying, but silently.
"Oh, Colin. I don't understand how the world works. But if he was here, he would love the man you've become. I know it."
"He would be jealous of my new stuff. Mama, I went to a football game! And a concert!"
"He would be SO jealous of you, Colin. And It looks like you have a phone in your pocket, too."
"Yeah. A Christmas gift from the big guy himself."
"Well, any how, if you say that you got this girl pregnant, and you're going to be a father, then tyou have to choose something, Colin. Us, or them?"
"Mama, I don't have to choose, do I? I want all of you in my life. I want-"
"Colin, I know. But if you had to choose one or the other, what would it be?"
He thought. About Mama, and Chica, and Luis, his father. The life he knew, and the family and friends he knew. He could work at the corner store, or earn some money other ways. He could forget about the whole chapter of the Loud family.
But then, he looked to the sky.
"Mama, the moon is full tonight."
"Yes, I see. La luna esta muy grande esta noche."
He looked at the moon, its radiant glow shining upon the ground. He thought of the name. Luna. His love for her, and her child. He thought of how happy he was with her. And the rest of the Louds. Even Lola, which was mildly hard. He thought of Clyde, and Bobby, and Ronnie Ann. Herb, and Pete, and Waldo. All of the people that he had met, all of his new friends, alone in Royal Woods. Here, he was happy to be with family, but it felt...
"Incomplete."
"What, hijo?"
"Mama, I need to go back to them. I love them. I need them in my life. I'm sorry," he said, looking away from his mother. But when he finally glanced back to her, she was smiling.
"That's the Colin I know. Go to them, Hijo. Be with who you love."
"Mama, what about you? And Chica?"
"Oh, we managed a year without you. We can survive more. And besides, I don't really prefer wanting to see you buried next to your father," she said, gesturing towards the tomb.
"I'll miss you, Mama. I really will."
"I love you, Colin. More than anything in the world."
They hugged under the moonlight.
1 Hour Later...
Colin burst into the old shop where the old man resided. He stood up, looking at Colin with a mischievous smile.
"Ah, Colin! How was your trip, Br- oh, my," he said as Colin held up a baseball bat.
"Tell me how to get back, right now, or else I'll beat your face in, Abuelo."
"Now, Colin, put that down. There's no-"
"WHO ARE YOU?! WHY DID YOU SEND ME TO THERE?!"
"Colin?! Do you not recognize me?"
He looked closer, shocked at what he realized.
"Lincoln?"
"Ah, so you DO remember. Always good to hear."
"What HAPPENED to you?! Why are you so... OLD?!"
"That's a long story for another time. But I assume you're here about the TV. Sorry to say, but it's a one time deal."
"WHAT?!"
"Yep. Only able to be used once. And you expended your chance."
"I want a do over! I need to go back!"
"I'm sorry, Colin. Even I'm not powerful enough to send you back. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Colin, do you have a dream?"
He remembered his dream he had on the way down the portal, back to San Diego.
"Yes."
"And what is it?"
"I want to be with Luna. And my son. I want to give them the best life ever."
"I see," he said as a smile crept onto his face. He stood back, waved his hand, and instantly, there stood a new TV.
"What?! Magic?"
"Like I said, long story. But there you go, bro. A new portal to the world."
"Wait, Linc. This wont, like, you know, RESET the world, right? They'll still remember me?"
"Colin, you have a lot to learn about the cartoon world. But we'll save that for later. Are you going or not?"
He looked at future Lincoln one more time.
"Thank you, Linc. For sending me to your world and all."
"No problem, Colin. Hey, do you happen to have an Ace Savvy comic? I used to love those..."
"I'm afraid I don't, chico. I left them there."
"Eh, no matter. I have my own copy here," he said as he picked up a comic book from the floor. "And BTW, it's Superman, not Stupor Man."
"Ha! I got you, bro," he said as he put his hand inside the screen. The air whooshed, papers flew, and Colin was sucked into the TV for the last time.
"Ah, Colin. You're gonna be a great dad, dude. But forget that, I'm hungry! Now, where did I leave that saurkraut? And the peanut butter? Geez, I'm getting old..."
What Feels Like An Eternity Later...
Colin woke up to see he was in the same spot as last time. Except now, it was night. And Leni wasn't running away terrified from him.
He got up, dusted himself off, and looked at his reflection in his phone camera. A cartoon... but it felt normal now.
He walked to the front door, knocking three times. He patiently waited, until someone opened the door.
"Colin?" Mr Loud asked as he saw his adoptive son.
"Mr Loud, I am SO sorry for what happened. I didn't mean for any of it to go this far, and- Ohhh, K then," he said as Lynn Sr gave him a hug.
"Colin, I need to say sorry. I overreacted when I kicked you to the curb. I and besides, I should've gotten the champagne in the first place."
"You can say that again! I wouldn't be in this mess if-"
"Now, don't push it, Colin."
"Sorry, sir."
The sisters and Lincoln, minus Luna, came downstairs.
"COLIN!" they all said as they grouped arond him. He gave each of them a hug, except Lola. She wouldn't look at him at first.
"So. You're back."
"Yep. I'm here to stay."
"Wonderful. Just, wonderful. Whos life are you gonna-"
He gave her a massive hug.
"I'm sorry I dyed your hair green, Lola. And I have to a tarantula for your birthday. Forgive me."
She didn't say anything at first, stunned, but finally, she returned the hug and said, "Thank you, Colin. I forgive you. Welcome home."
To Lincoln, He gave him a hi 5, and then said, "Thank you, Lincoln. For sending me here in the first place."
"Uh, what are you talking about, dude?"
"Linc, you'll find out the answer eventually," he said with a wink. He then remembered.
"Luna!" He said as he rushed up the stairs, past his sisters and dad, and into his girlfriends room. She was just waking up.
"Luna?"
She sat up and looked at him, unable to say anything.
"Colin...you're...you're..."
"Back? I know. I came back for you."
"COLIN!" She said as she stood up and hugged him.
"Novia, not too hard! You don't want the baby to be hurt."
"Why did you come back, Colin? How?"
"Luna, some people are worth crossing world's for."
They kissed as the moonlight shined into the room.
NEXT CHAPTER IS THE EPILOGUE! READ THIS BEFORE EPILOGUE!