Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything you recognize from ATU or The Beatles.

A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing! It's appreciated, as always! Sorry for the delay…I was incredibly busy for the past several days, and I apologize in advance for the shortness of this chapter. I promise the next one will be longer.

Lizzy stared at her empty room, her luggage gathered at her feet and in her arms. She set down her messenger bag that was to double as a carry-on, and took a few moments to sit on the bed, waiting for everything to sink in. A year ago, if someone was to ask her where she was going to college, she wouldn't have said New York. Back then, she knew that she would have been forced to attend whatever college the Harrisons told her to; whatever one she managed to get into. But here she was, ready to leave, and now New York seemed like the only logical place for her to be.

There was a light knock on the door, which Lizzy didn't acknowledge--she was so deep in thought that she didn't really notice it.

"Lizzy, sweet pea, we're getting ready to leave for the air--" Sadie stopped short in the doorway once she laid eyes on Lizzy, who was sitting on the edge of the bed looking very pensive. Sadie approached her cautiously and sat down next to her, sweeping the young girl's hair out of her face. The teenager leaned in to rest her head against the singer's shoulder, heaving a sigh. If she ever had any issues, Lizzy knew that one of the first people she would go to would be Sadie, and she was thankful that Sadie was the first one to find her right now.

"You okay, honey?"

Lizzy simply nodded.

"It's all right, you know, to be sad about this," Sadie told her. "It's always hard to leave the people and places you've grown so attached to. I know. It's difficult for everyone. Lord knows we all went through the same thing when you left us."

Lizzy stayed silent, letting Sadie's raspy singer's voice wash over her. She found it just as comforting as her mother's voice. She looked up at Sadie curiously, expecting her to say more about her departure from the family when she was two years old. Sadie caught sight of the look the teenager was giving her and sighed, running her long fingers through Lizzy's dark locks.

"It was so damn hard to see you go," she continued, "You were the first child born in our little family. We all practically helped raise you…but then times got rough and Lucy and Jude had no other choice."

Silence fell between them. Lizzy wished she remembered more of her time with her family when she was little; all she could recall were faint images and melodies of songs--things she'd subconsciously remembered in her dreams.

"It's good to get a fresh start once in awhile, sweet pea," Sadie suggested. "You'll like living in New York. I promise."

"I know I will," Lizzy agreed. "It's what I've wanted more than anything since I found everyone. But I never realized how hard it would be to leave here." She knew it would be difficult leaving Paul, but back when the idea first came up, she never imagined she'd have a tough time leaving the Harrisons and Florida behind. Her relationship with her adoptive parents had greatly improved since then.

"Think of it this way: you're leaving, but you'll always have this place to come back to. This will always be your home, too, I'm sure."

"Yeah…" Lizzy replied thoughtfully. Sadie was right. Just because she was leaving, didn't mean that she had to cut off all of her connections completely. She could always come back and visit from time to time.

Sadie waited a minute for Lizzy to compose herself before speaking. "Ready to go?"

Lizzy nodded, and the two of them stood. Sadie insisted on helping the teenager carry most of her luggage, since she was still wearing the cast on her wrist. They picked up her bags and exited the room, Lizzy glancing into it one last time before shutting the door.

So, this is it… Lizzy thought, standing in the crowded airport among her family a half hour later, I'm really leaving.

She hadn't slept much at all last night; she'd been too busy thinking about what would happen today. She had spent the better half of the night tossing and turning, feeling both excited and anxious. And sad. It was okay to be sad, like Sadie had said. It was perfectly all right--she was leaving behind her best friend and the two people who had raised her for over fifteen years. She had every right to be upset about it.

Their plane was boarding in about five minutes, which gave Lizzy a chance to say her last few goodbyes. The rest of her family settled themselves in the plastic chairs in the waiting area near their terminal to give her some space; they knew it was going to be difficult for her. Only Lucy and Jude stayed with her, because they wanted to offer their thanks to the Harrisons and say their own goodbyes as well.

Lizzy readjusted the messenger bag slung over her shoulder and approached Mr. and Mrs. Harrison. Charlie was looking rather stoic, but on the inside, it hurt him to see his adoptive daughter of nearly sixteen years leave. He'd always been hard on the girl, especially in her teenage years, but that didn't mean he didn't love her. He'd loved her like his own, and always wanted to give her the best life possible. That's what he had promised Lucy and Jude when he and Maggie had taken her in. He guessed that now, what Lizzy needed was her real family. Charlie and his wife had gone on too long trying to hide her true heritage from her; it was a mistake that should've never been made. But he was trying to make up for that now by letting her go where she truly belonged.

Maggie Harrison, meanwhile, was in no way trying to hide her emotions from anyone. If her husband's hand hadn't been pressed against the small of her back for support, she would've been a crumpled, hysterical mess. She let out a sob every once in awhile, clutching her handkerchief tightly in one of her fists. It was hard to let the teenager--who'd once been the little girl she'd cared for like her own daughter--go, after she had watched her grow and become such an extraordinary woman. Maggie had no idea why she'd tried to repress Lizzy's talents in the past; she was an extremely gifted individual. Lucy and Jude were two very privileged people, to have the honor of calling her their child. Lizzy had been a blessing to Maggie, who had been unable to bear any children. Now, she was feeling the pain of sending her adoptive daughter off to live with her biological parents; a pain Lucy must have felt when she'd given Lizzy over to her and Charlie all those years ago.

Lizzy wrapped her arms around Charlie's waist, as he was quite tall. Peering up at him, she smiled. "Thank you," she told him, "for everything you've done." Charlie's vision blurred for a few moments; he blinked away the tears, trying not to let the teen see him get so…emotional.

"You're welcome," he said. "Let us know that you got to New York safely, all right?" Lizzy nodded, and Charlie ruffled her hair, leaning down to place a small kiss on her cheek. The eighteen-year-old then went up to Maggie, wrapping her arms around the woman's neck, holding her close.

"Thank you," she said, "I know this is hard for you. But…thanks for understanding that I need to do this." Maggie nodded, holding back tears. "I promise I'll try to visit sometime." She nodded and planted a kiss on the young girl's cheek before Lizzy pulled away to say her goodbye to Mrs. Rigby, who'd come to the airport with Paul to see her off.

Finally, it was time for Lizzy to do something she'd been dreading for months--say goodbye to Paul. She knew it wasn't a permanent goodbye. They both agreed to keep in touch through letters and a phone call once in awhile (long distance calls were a bit expensive). This definitely wouldn't be the last time they would see each other, either. There were longer breaks from school now that the two of them were in college, so they would have to plan to visit one another during the holidays. Then, when they finished college, who knew what their plans would be?

Paul shifted, uneasy, pulling his hands out of his pockets. "Guess this is it…"

Lizzy sighed, and then bit her bottom lip. "Yeah," She got up onto her toes to wrap her arms around Paul's neck. Paul put his arms around her waist and held her close. "I'll call you when I get home, okay?" Paul nodded, and kissed the top of her head. When she pulled away, he noticed a few tears falling down her face.

"Don't cry." he whispered, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I…I can't help it." she murmured back, voice shaking.

"Take care of yourself, Miss Lizzy," he said, brushing away her tears. He hesitantly added a quiet "Goodbye."

"For now." she affirmed.

Paul nodded again. "For now."

"C'mon, love, the plane's boarding." Jude said from behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lizzy gave her best friend one final squeeze and a kiss on the cheek before joining her family to board. When they reached the entrance of the terminal, Lizzy waved to them one last time, and followed her family toward the plane.

A/N: I know it's not much, but I really wanted Lizzy's departure from Florida to be in its own chapter. Please review!