A/N

Been a while since the last update. In truth, it's been hard finding the motivation to finish this story despite being in the final stretch. Well, recently I discovered that there's still people talking about and even making fanart of it. It encouraged me to sit back down and reread everything I've written and all the drafts I've got, and it rekindled interest in a big way.

It wasn't really a pursuit; Lyra's mother wasn't running, just making a purposeful stride down the sidewalk. So, it was easy for her to stay right behind her. Lily and Lemy were both coming down the steps to the front yard. Letting her unease drive her, Lyra hurried past her mother so she could reach Lemy first. He slowed down seeing her run towards him, but their aunt kept moving.

"Lily!" Luna threw her arms out. "Hey, baby sis! You got big!" Lyra hung back and watched the reunion. Her aunt had none of the same enthusiasm Lyra had seen on her face during the last reunion. She stayed rooted in place as Lyra's mom approached. Luna dropped the approach, stopping a few steps from her little sister. "Guess you already heard what happened."

Lily's expression hardened. She took a step towards Luna, and then Lyra watched in shock as her aunt swung out her hand-and Luna flawlessly caught it. The 15-year-old was quick to grab her brother to keep him from running into the unfolding fight. Lily tried to slap Luna with her other hand, but that one was stopped too. Now the young blond had both her hands restrained. She tried to pull away. Luna didn't let her. She tried lashing out with her foot. Her older sister kept her far enough away she couldn't reach. Then-and from behind Lyra wasn't sure how-Lily ended up on her back on the ground.

"Glad to see you too." Luna leaned over her. Lily tried one more swing, coming up short before she scrambled upright, looking livid, but keeping her distance. Lyra's mother turned away, and Lyra moved without realizing it to stand at her back, putting herself between her mother and aunt. "Hey dude." She was talking to Lemy now. "Come talk with your mum for a bit." She moved him away from the house, eventually creating enough distance so that they could talk out of ear shot, while Lyra stayed near her aunt.

Lily made a sound of frustration, causing Lyra to look at her instead. She had no idea how to approach the other young woman. She'd just tried to attack Lyra's mom. It was so detached from how Lyra saw her; she wasn't sure if she should be fearful or not.

"Why did you do that?" She asked. Lily suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Sorry." She brushed herself off, stopping to look at her wrists where Luna had grabbed her. She looked annoyed. "I don't remember her being that much a bitch." Lyra frowned. "Is she always like that?"

"Like what?" Lyra didn't understand what her aunt was thinking.

"Like-like she's-" Lily stumbled over her words. "Why is she so cocky?" Cocky? Lyra thought about it for a second. It wasn't a word she used. But she was sure she knew what her aunt was talking about. Lyra's mom had never been one to let anything get to her, even criticisms from her own children. Even with things in chaos around them, she'd still given off that energy in the car.

Because she doesn't think it's her fault. Lyra thought. To Luna Loud, this was someone else's mess. Someone else's fault. She didn't carry any blame here. That was why she'd been able to stride up here like she had: without fear.

She'd been afraid before, enough to run away. Why wasn't she scared now? Lyra didn't know much about laws, admittedly, but surely if the authorities were called, something would happen? Lyra already knew her grandparents wouldn't do that, but her mother shouldn't. What was the source of this confidence?

While Lyra wondered that, her mom and brother started walking back towards her. "Your brother is coming back with me." Luna told her.

"But I'm still staying here." Lyra said.

"He knows that." Her mother told her. Lyra looked at Lemy, standing slightly behind Mom, holding her hand. Any time they'd get back to Mom, he was excited. But there was no excitement on his face. He was looking at her, but his face was blank. He didn't completely understand what was going on. Lyra thought he might just want to go back to something familiar.

And, for a moment, Lyra thought about changing her mind. Maybe it would be easier to tackle this somewhere more private, in a place where all they really could do was talk. But if she left here-left her grandmother and Lily-what were the odds she'd come back? That she'd gotten here at all…to be honest, it seemed as if by divine guidance. Her mom wouldn't help her get back here. She had Lily's phone number now, but the prospect still seemed daunting, too daunting for Lyra to risk.

But…her brother... Lyra couldn't remember, or even fathom of, a night they'd been apart ever since he was born. In a lifetime of constant movement, that was one constant. The thought of losing it scared her. Would it be a permanent separation? The idea seemed ridiculous, but she couldn't stop the thought.

"Lemy," She leaned down slightly. He leaned closer to their mom, and Lyra's heart cracked. She knew she was important to him, but she wasn't more important than Mom. She probably never would be. And that hurt. But what could she reasonably do? The answer was nothing.

Lyra Loud felt like she was being pulled apart. Right in front of her was what she'd always known: being a good daughter and a responsible older sister, two things she took pride in. But behind her…what was behind her was more ideas than anything else; a lot of could have beens that were impossible now. But there was also Lily, and her grandparents. They were her flesh and blood too. They were bonded together by forces mighty and unseen.

Both were her family. Family that, at least right now, could never be together for reasons beyond her control. Lyra had to choose one or the other, and she couldn't decide which. Either way, even if it might be only temporary, she was leaving something important to her. It was a cruel and overwhelming choice for a 15-year-old.

"Ah, No More Tears, luv." Her mother pulled her into a hug. Lyra hadn't even realized yet her eyes were tearing up. When was the last time she'd actually broken down from sadness? She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a luxury like that. Out of the corner of her eye, through the blur, she could see her brother cock his head.

Lemy was wondering the same thing. Lyra couldn't make out his confusion, baffled at why this was such a hard choice for his older sister. The way she'd looked at him made him feel guilty although he didn't know why. Now she was starting to cry. He couldn't for the life of him remember ever seeing her cry. Her eyes had gotten wet when she was arguing with Mom sometimes, but he didn't think that was crying. It looked wrong. It made him want to be somewhere else.

But he didn't go to the car, and he didn't go back to the porch either. Two things kept him standing there: thinking that he somehow caused this, and thinking that maybe he was supposed to fix it. Lemy watched his sister hug their mom back tightly. Then he nearly jumped out of his skin when, just as quickly, Lyra reached out and pulled him into the hug too.

For Lyra, doing that comforted her just as much as it stung her.

"You getting in on this or not?" Luna wasn't addressing either of her kids. Lyra was confused for a moment until she felt a third body. Lily hugged her from behind, doing her best not to make any physical contact with Luna as she did so. It was a hard reminder that there were two different worlds that couldn't connect. That was when Lyra was fully aware she was crying, because she already knew that one of those worlds was about to leave without her. Her mom knew it too.

"I get it." Her mother soothed. "You don't want to leave here. I didn't either." Lyra inhaled deeply, then started coughing. "I got a room here in town. I'll stay until you're ready."

"Please," Lyra choked out.

"I'm not going anywhere." Her mother assured.
"Why don't you just stay here?" Lily spoke up. "You should talk to Mom and Dad."
"Sis, I don't belong here anymore." Luna said bluntly. Lily said nothing at first. Lyra heaved at another confirmation.

"Just ask Mom!" Lily insisted. "I'll go get her right now!" She let go of Lyra and turned around. Another mother-daughter confrontation was about to unfold, assuming Lyra's mother didn't just run away. But the coming storm and a chance to see another part of the conflict pulled Lyra out of her own sadness.

Lily didn't have to run back inside the house. The door opened and Rita came out herself. She'd probably been watching from within for the past several minutes. Lily stopped and stepped back, off the walkway so that she wasn't between her sister and mother. Lyra, too, found herself stepping away to give her mother space. Lemy didn't back away, but he stayed well behind his mom. Lyra found herself drifting towards him while never taking her eyes off the adults. Her grandmother stopped at the top of the porch steps. Luna hadn't moved from where she'd been hugging Lyra, but she was standing noticeably taller, with her head tilted back.

"Welcome home, Luna." Rita said.

"Pfft." Luna made a dismissive sound, but so low even the people standing next to her barely heard it. "Thanks for looking out for my kids. Lemy's going back with me. Lyra will when she's ready. 'Ere." Luna pulled something from her pocket. "This should cover it." Instead of walking up to give it to her-or even take another step towards the house-Luna tossed something overhand towards her mom. It landed a little behind Rita, making a weighty noise as it landed. Luna turned away.

"You can stay." Rita called. Without looking back, Luna held an arm up to signal dismissal.

"We gotta catch up sometime, Sis." She called to Lily. Lyra watched her aunt become tight lipped and clench her fists. As Luna approached her kids, she threw out her arms and grabbed each of their shoulders, steering them around so they could go down the walkway away from the house together. "Just call me when you're ready." She told her. "Even if it's the middle of the night. I'll be here. We'll both be here, right Lemy?"

"Yeah." His voice lacked enthusiasm.

Luna was leaving just like that; Lyra hadn't observed even the smallest hint of hesitation in her actions. Her old home, her mother clearly welcoming her, her sister, even her own daughter. Lyra knew she wasn't leaving her behind, but the sheer amount of apathy her mother showed towards the rest of it was…was…

Was she crying again? Her mother was making soothing noises, giving her a full hug again.
"Stay here." Lyra knew she was pleading. Her mother didn't answer. She steered Lyra around and started walking them towards the house. For a moment, hope rose in her chest. Then it stopped as Luna stopped at the bottom of the porch steps, just a few short feet from her old life but refusing to return to it. Instead, she was encouraging Lyra to go where she couldn't.

But, could she? She wouldn't be truly alone, but she'd be completely cut off from her mom and brother. She'd never been away from both of them at once. One of them had always been there…until now. There was no compromise to be had; it was either one side of her family or the other.

"Go on." The hand on her back gently eased her forward. Lyra's first step was unsteady, and Lily came forward to pull her the rest of the way onto the porch. When Lyra turned around, her mom and brother had already taken several steps back from the porch. "Whenever you want, Lyra." Mom told her again. She took a few steps back, then turned around completely.

This, Lyra realized, was the price of it all-she had to go at it alone. She couldn't get answers or her family back without sacrifices of her own. But they loomed so unbelievably large in her mind. Half of her mind told her this was how it had to be with the same rationale that got her through the rest of her life. But the other was hysterically telling her to back down and go with her mom and brother.

And while every step they took away from the house hurt,it started to take away the temptation. And that cultivated rationale she was so proud of did its best to reassure her. Lyra didn't believe her mom was lying; they would still be close by. When Lyra got more of the answers she sought-and she would get them by staying here-they could talk again. It might not even be very long at all.

She would just be alone.

But maybe not really.

While Lyra was watching her mom and brother walk off-the latter casting glances back, Lily and her grandmother came up to stand beside her. They were incomparable to her mom and brother, but they were still family. Maybe she was alone in her mission, but she'd never be truly alone. Her nose was still running and her face was wet, but that was enough to help Lyra compose herself again. She turned around as well, towards her own chosen path.
"Let's go back inside." Rita said gently. Lyra just nodded, worried that her voice hadn't recovered yet like her nose and eyes. The older woman put a hand on her back, just like her mom had, to comfort her. Lily almost did too, but she was distracted by the object Luna had thrown up onto the porch, and went to finally see what it was.

Her aunt picked it up and gasped. Up close, Lyra could tell now it was a billfold, and a fairly big one at that. "Mom, this is-!" Rita, with surprisingly quickness for an older woman, snatched it out of her much younger daughter's hands. "That's a hundred on the outside. That could be a thousand!" Rita tucked it out of sight, but Lily's eyes followed it all the way to the pocket.

They got into the house and Rita led Lyra to the closest seat, the couch, to rest. "I'll get you something to drink." She kept walking to the kitchen. Lily followed her for a moment, then stopped to go sit beside Lyra.

"I'm so glad you stayed." She leaned over and hugged her.

"I just found you guys." Despite her wishes, Lyra's voice trembled. "I never want to leave." And she was immensely thankful she didn't. No matter how hard the option was, she'd take it so long as she had it.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lily asked next.

"I…think so. I-I've never been alone like this before. My mom or brother have always been with me."

"Just say if you need anything." Her aunt quickly offered. Rita returned with drinks for both teenagers, but didn't sit down.

"Thanks. I guess…I just need to rest right now." The day felt like it had been unbelievably long, and she was emotionally drained. It was, she realized, still her only real option: wait for her dad to show up. She really hoped it wouldn't take as much of a toll on her as her mother showing up had.

Rita did come back and sit down, holding something. Lyra leaned forward to peer past Lily and see what it was. She quickly recognized it as the framed photo of her mom and her siblings on the front porch outside.

"I thought you got rid of that?" Lily asked.

"No. I just hid it where your father wouldn't see it." Though her voice carried bits of mischief, her forlorn expression didn't look up from the picture.

"Is that the last picture you have of them together?" Lyra asked. "All of them have that picture. For some of them, I think it's the only one they have of the rest of the family. Was that really the last time everyone was together before things started going wrong?"

"Not wrong." Her grandmother disregarded Lyra's description, and the teen quickly nodded. "Honestly, I don't know when things…changed. Maybe there were others taken after this before then, or maybe things already had when this was taken." Her tone and expression made it clear she hoped that wasn't the case.

"It's…" Lyra struggled to get her words together. "I'm amazed at the strength you have to forgive them for what they did. It hurt a lot of people." That was undeniable, and the old woman nodded sadly. "You extended that forgiveness to my mom out there and she just walked away."

"I'm not surprised. Luna was always one of the most outspoken about her choice. Lynn and her."

"I don't understand any of them." Lyra went on. "Not just why they did it, but why they refuse to make amends. They all have that picture! They all miss it. I'm sure even Mom does. But the chance was right there and she…!"

"10 years is still too soon for Luna." Rita Loud observed, seemingly unbothered. "It might take some more years, but I know they'll all come back eventually."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Yeah?" Lily was slightly more insistent. "I know you and dad say you aren't that old yet, but…" She trailed off, unwilling to finish that sentence. But the implication was clear. Lyra's mother was young, unnaturally so. But her parents-and her siblings- were significantly older. It was entirely possible something might happen to one or both of them before anyone apologized. The notion was absolutely tragic to think about.

"Family matters more than anything to us." Her grandmother told her. "We can't change it. No matter what, they'll always be my kids. And I'll always be their mother that cares about them. Deep down, I'm sure they all know that. I'm sure they'll try one day. Even if it's when I'm on my deathbed." The morbid end of her statement shocked both girls.

"It won't come to that!"
"That won't happen!" Both of them protested, and Lily carried on. "Maybe-maybe this will be like a bunch of dominos! This might be the thing that brings everyone back together. Some of them, at least!" It felt like some of the young adult's own desperation leaked in.

Despite giving them both a shock just then, Rita Loud smiled. "I do hope so."

Lyra did too. She would start praying for it every night with the rest of her prayers for however long it took.

But she hoped it would be soon.

It was weird. Not that Lemy was riding in the front seat, although he almost never did that, but that Lyra wasn't here. Even though in a lot of car rides with their mom she didn't speak all that much, she was still there. He could always see her, or she'd look back or over at him every couple of minutes. He kept expecting to feel eyes on him.

Luna was going through the exact same feelings. Her daughter definitely had an aura you always felt when she was around. She was smart, always taking in everything around her and judging it. Lyra was a calm and steady presence.

Luna Loud-the adult rockstar-didn't get many opportunities for emotional meltdowns either. She usually spent them patching things up with Sam. She'd gotten angry in front of her kids, but never sad. She was an easy-going person by nature and few things rattled her so deeply she couldn't just brush off them with a middle finger at most.

But this cut deep. There was a lot to enjoy in this lifestyle, but living like that 24/7 was like going down the Highway to Hell at 100mph. What kept her grounded was her kids and always going back to them. It reminded her there was a reason she'd clawed her way back into this life and through it for a decade now; being a rockstar made being a mother possible. So much of the luster she'd had for the profession when she was a teen had waned, to the point getting back in had felt like a means to an end. Some of that luster had returned, but never to the same level. She'd never be a Rockstar first and anything else second. She'd always be a mother first.

Maybe her and Sam should move up those retirement plans.

"How you holding up, Dude?" It was obvious Lemy was bothered too. "Don't worry. Your sis will be back in a while."

"Did she stay just so she could see our dad again?" He asked. Just the mere mention made Luna's grip on the steering wheel tighten.

"Yeah." It was the truth. Luna could realize she wasn't winning this PR war; Lyra was more sympathetic to Lincoln. She had a good heart like that. She never got hurt bad enough to realize that some things just couldn't be forgiven no matter what. "It'll only take a few days."

"Why?" He asked next.

"I guess knowing her dad is important to her."

"How come you never told us we had a dad?" Now he was asking the piercing questions.

"Well, Little Dude, he wasn't actually around when you were little." Luna wasn't even stretching the truth there; for a good few years, Lincoln had pretty much fallen off the face of the earth. She'd heard nothing. Her sisters had heard nothing. He'd been well and truly gone, and maybe that's when Luna started building that wall in her heart.

"Was it because he's not supposed to be our dad?" Lyra must've explained some things to him after all.

"Yeah, that too I guess."

"How come?" Lemy asked.

"How come what?" Luna answered.

"How come he's not supposed to be our dad? Is it against the law?" These were the difficult questions alright.

"Yeah, uh, brothers and sisters aren't allowed to be parents." Luna left it at that. "And I didn't want to get in trouble. And he didn't want to get in trouble. So, we never mentioned it."

They'd been going to, though, at least to Lyra. Luna wasn't sure anymore if that had ever been a good idea. Maybe it would've been the better parenting move to just never tell her?

"Why not?"

"Uhh…" Luna blew out some air and tapped the steering wheel. She knew a day like this would come eventually, but she figured it'd be after he started ogling pretty girls at hotel pools, not because she had to explain the ins and outs of inbreeding.

Thanks a lot, Lincoln.

Lyra had only been a little older than he was now when she got 'the talk' because she'd asked. That had been easy, just imparting sacred female knowledge to a younger female, just like she'd had to with her sisters. She'd thought it'd be easy with Lemy too. Raising a baby brother and raising a son wasn't all that different in a lot of ways. They stared and asked you where your willy was when they realized you didn't have anything down there. They asked a lot of questions when they were little and, if you were cool like Luna or some of her chill sisters, you'd at least answer some of that curiosity so they stopped wondering or even so they wouldn't find out for themselves. Lemy wasn't stupid, and did know that boys and girls were different. Luna just didn't think he'd made the connection that they were a circle block and circle hole puzzle.

And at the moment, with her daughter estranged, Luna just didn't have the energy to tell the only child that still looked up to her about the birds and the bees and ruin his image of her.

"It's just a really big rule, Lemy. Really big. I'll tell you when you're older, but I can get into a lot of trouble if anyone finds out. That's why I don't want people to know. No one can find out. Not just the cops, Lemy, no one," She impressed the need for secrecy onto him.

"Especially the paparazzi?" Ah, as far as Luna had ever taught him, they were the most evil people in their lives.

"Especially the fucking paparazzi." Luna swore in front of her son. The media circus if they found out about this…would there ever be a bigger scandal in the music scene? She didn't think there could be. But the only way they'd find out is if someone blabbed, and no one had. What had happened back then was a family matter, pure and simple. Even Lori, despite being an absolute bitch about it (although maybe Luna should've heeded her words more) had never uttered a single word about it to anyone outside the family.

No, this would stay in the dark unless one of the kids spilled it. And Luna didn't think they'd ever have a reason. It could always happen accidentally, or someone might get suspicious. They were never truly safe.

"Your sis is just a little overwhelmed by the secret, Dude. We have to give her time." Luna brought things back around.

"How much time?" Her son asked. Luna had no idea how to answer. Honestly, she'd been hoping seeing her drive off with Lemy would cause Lyra to immediately change her mind and chase after them. Since that hadn't happened, she was left hoping that she'd get cold feet in the middle of the night and call. Luna Loud hoped, but deep down she knew, her daughter's conviction was strong. This could take a while.

"Soon, Little Dude, soon." But she wanted to stay hopeful and keep him hopeful too.

It was strange. Lyra had expected it would be, but nothing could prepare her for the actual thing. The world somehow seemed huge and empty, but claustrophobically small at the same time. She felt small now that she was by herself. But so did the house, the one place in the whole wide world she'd voluntarily confined herself to. The room even more so, with two beds but only one person's stuff.

After talking with her grandmother, she'd gone upstairs to her room-just hers now- and sat there. She made every choice available to her and everything in her limited power to get where she was now. All she could do now was wait on the other people whose destinies' were bonded with her own: her family. Lyra felt her grandmother's words again even more powerfully when she considered that.

Family. Bonds that could help or hurt. Bonds that, Lyra unfortunately knew now, could be wounded in ways normal bonds couldn't. No matter what, they could never be broken though.

Lyra stayed up there for the rest of the day, only leaving to use the bathroom. She didn't even come down for dinner. The urge just wasn't there, although Lily checked on her before and after the meal to see if she changed her mind.

She heard a lot of muffled voices through the walls and floor after dinner, assuming it to be her grandparents. Lyra wondered if it was about what happened today and what her grandpa's response to it was. She didn't go down to see though. She just waited. Waiting for a greater purpose.

Between the draining events of the day and the lethargy caused by her lack of desire to move, Lyra felt a desire for sleep start overtaking her while the sun was still peaking above the horizon outside. She honestly welcomed the feeling, just because she realized it would pass the time more quickly. Easily deciding on an early bedtime, she grabbed her pajamas and headed for the bathroom. It didn't even occur to her at the time she could just change in her room since she had it to herself; doing the action in private was completely imprinted into her habits.

The door to the room Loan was staying in was open, and Lyra's eyes were drawn to it as she passed.

Her cousin was engrossed in her computer, so much so that she didn't even catch Lyra in her peripheral vision staring at her. She was unbothered. She was a normal teenager worried about normal things." Lyra Loud trudged on. She was normal too. And innocent. It was only her life that wasn't. She kept reassuring herself of that.

When Lyra exited the bathroom, Lily was waiting in the hallway. "You're going to bed?" She guessed.

"I'm going to try." The oddness of that answer didn't get past Lily.

"Try?"

"To be honest, I've never actually slept in a room by myself." Lyra admitted.

"You really feel lonely without your brother here, don't you?" Her aunt asked, to which Lyra couldn't deny. "Will you be alright?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine." Lyra started walking back towards her new room, with Lily following. "It's a silly thing to worry too much about." She was 15, not a little girl; there was no danger to sleeping by herself. It was just different. But she could deal with change. She dealt with change every day. Just never with something so personal. Lily followed her into the room.

Lyra was faced again with how empty it seemed. There was her stuff, but it was still just a room. It wasn't like Lily's or any of Lyra's half-sisters: personalized. The frequent movement meant Lyra never could make a place that was homely. Her mom and brother being there was what made any space, even a temporary lodging, feel safe enough to rest in.
Her aunt could tell that it was really bothering her, even if Lyra was determined to handle it on her own. "What if we have a sleepover?" Lily suggested. It took Lyra a few moments to understand she meant sleep in the same room. She normally associated the word with what she was doing now: staying at a relative's house.

"Sure…" That would solve it. And Lyra wouldn't mind spending more time with her aunt. The two of them had already bonded so quickly over a few days because their circumstances were so uniquely similar. And even with the few years Lily had on her, she was close enough that Lyra felt a natural connection to her through being in the same age group.

"C'mon!" Lily grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room and down the hall to hers. Loan's door had closed in the minutes since Lyra had last seen it. Lily's room had also changed since the last time Lyra saw it. It looked like it had been cleaned, and a lot of the drawings she'd seen hung on the wall had been taken down.

When Lyra commented on that fact, Lily let go of her hand. "Uh…I just figured I should clean the place up in case my family came over." She explained. In case of reunion, she meant. She got back in the mood quickly. "Let's watch something. We don't have to go to sleep right now." Lyra realized that was right, since she didn't need to set an example for her brother now.

Lily's bed was slightly smaller than the one Lyra had been using, but the two of them still fit. It reminded her of the times she'd shared a bed with her mom; the weight wasn't unfamiliar. Lily chose an animated movie to watch. Heads propped up by pillows against the headboard, it didn't take the two teens long to start talking instead of watching the movie.

"I didn't get a chance to do stuff like this." Lily mentioned. "I got my own room when I was five, and everyone insisted on staying in theirs. My sisters said I was lucky never having to share, but I always wondered what it'd be like. They told me I was crazy because it sucked." Lyra thought she could understand what her other aunts had meant, but equating having to share hotel rooms with sharing actual bedrooms didn't seem right. Would some of the annoyances stay the same?

"I've been wondering too." Lyra admitted. "I've been thinking what it'd be like growing up here."

"Here in Royal Woods?" Lily asked. "Or the house?" Lyra hadn't even been thinking of the town. She wasn't even thinking of the house specifically. She was thinking of family. "We got plenty of bedrooms." Lily went on. "Maybe some of you guys would have lived here. You guys could share some rooms and your moms could share others. Or maybe just share with your moms."

That wouldn't be much different then how things turned out. Lyra thought to herself.

"Would you have liked it?" Lily asked her, sitting up slightly.

"I'm not sure." The 15-year-old admitted quietly. The premise still seemed so impossibly far away it was hard to tell. She could even determine what some of the downsides would be. "Just because it would be different doesn't mean it'd be better, right? But…I'd have more family around, and I think that would make all the difference."

"I'd love that." Lily said softly. "I was all by myself up here by the time I was 13. If you guys lived here, I could act like Lori and be the oldest. I'd get to see my sisters every day." She lingered on that one for a while. "Everyone leaving one after another made it feel like the magic was dying. My childhood, I mean." Lily tilted her head up to look at the ceiling. "I guess it still would have to happen eventually, but it wouldn't have had to end so sadly, you know?"

"I think so. Even if everyone has to grow up and move out eventually, as long as they keep talking to each other…"

"Exactly!" Lily exclaimed. For a couple of moments, the two just lay there, thinking about that hypothetical future. When Lily spoke, she spoke the hard truth. "But I guess that's completely impossible now. At least for me. You too." It sadly was. "Lyra?" Lily asked. "Will you promise me something?"

"Yes?" Lyra wondered what the older girl would request. "If this stuff with your uh…mom and dad-" even Lily clearly had trouble referring to them like that. "-doesn't work out. Will you help me try and get the rest of my sisters to make up with my parents?"
"Help?" That seemed like a monumental task, not to mention one Lyra wasn't sure it was her place to intervene in.

"Yes." Lily said with conviction. "You know where they live, don't you?" Lyra hesitantly nodded. "Luna and Lincoln probably won't tell me. But I want to talk to them. I really think I can convince some of them." Lyra said nothing, and Lily continued talking. "I haven't told my mom this, but I'm thinking of holding off on college. At least for a little while. I don't want to leave home while it's like this. Not when I think there's a way to change things." Lyra had never considered college, but even she could tell that was a very big decision to make. "You'll help me?" She asked again.

After hearing her aunt's fears, missed dreams, and her conviction to do what she felt was clearly the right thing to help a lot of people, Lyra could only answer one way.

"I promise I'll help. No matter how things turn out."