021, nature vs. nurture
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THE NEXT morning, Luna gasps looking at her phone seeing a text message from someone she didn't expect to hear from.

"What? Are you alright?" Sam questions shooting up from her sleeping position in Luna's bed.

"Miguel's awake." Luna states with a smile, "Really?" Sam quizzes happily.

"I'm serious, Sammy." Luna responds showing her sister the text message from Miguel on her mobile phone.

I'LL COME
VISIT YOU SOON
— LUNA

Luna responds to Miguel's text knowing said male will be lonely at the hospital and she wants to spend some time with him due to her boyfriend being the one who injured him.

PLEASE! I'M
SO BORED
AND MY MOM
IS STRESSING
ME OUT
— MIGUEL

Luna laughs also taking note of the message from her father— who's partnered up with Johnny Lawrence hoping to find Robby with the help of male.

The Azalea-LaRusso girl walks into the studio again staring at her paintings with boredom and grimaces since she's still in a funk and unable to design anything.

"Still no luck finding motivation?" Sam quizzes leaning against the doorframe.

"Nope. And to be honest I don't think I'm going to for a while." Luna sighs leaving the studio and beginning to walk towards the kitchen to grab a bottle of water for a her morning swim.

"You'll find in Lulu. Just gotta get back into the whole funk of design." Sam responds.

Luna exits through the side door walking towards the pool ready to enjoy sometime alone with her sad thoughts.

✹

LATER ON that day, Luna walks back inside walking straight up into her bedroom with a heavy sigh placing her beach towel on the clothes hanger behind her door and strolls into her bathroom ready to take a shower.

Allowing the water to pour over her body, Luna sighs in pleasure feeling her muscles relax after being stressed for the past few weeks about Robby, Miguel and even how her adoptive sister are coping.

After her shower Luna walks out of her ensuite bathroom seeing a few messages on her phone due to stopping her favourite playlist.

ANY UPDATES
ON ROBBY?
— LUNA

The brunette types out on her phone before sending the text message to her adoptive father hoping for a response soon from the said male.

NOTHING YET, SWEETHEART.
I'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED
— DAD

Luna groans at the response hearing a gentle knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in." Luna exclaims looking up from her phone seeing her mother walking into her bedroom.

"You okay?" Amanda questions tilting her head, "I'm fine." Luna shrugs.

"Lulu, I know about you and Robby. How are you really?" Amanda quizzes seeing Luna look at her shocked.

"How do you know?" Luna mumbles, "Honey, you two weren't that secretive and the longing stares at the dinner table were obvious." Amanda chuckles.

"Oh. My bad," Luna responds with a small smile on her face, "I'm just stressed out about him, mom." Luna admits after a while.

"I'm sure his okay Lulu." Amanda softly says bringing Luna in for a much needed embrace being mindful of her broken and healing ribs along with her scarring thigh from the cut from Tory inflicted weeks ago.

"Hey Mom, do you think we could go shopping today?" Luna inquires after breaking apart from the hug.

"Of course. Are you ready? We'll go now" Amanda says, "Yes, I'm ready. Sam! Get your butt moving. We're going shopping!" Luna exclaims.

Sam rushes out of her room with a smile set on her face happy about spending sometime with her mom and adoptive sister.

"Yes!" Sam shrieks happily following Amanda and Luna out of the house towards the vehicles.

Amanda explaining that she'll drive her own vehicle there just incase she gets called into the auto shop.

Luna and Sam nod in understanding climbing into Luna's car wanting to blast music all the way to the mall with one another.

"I missed this. Us." Sam giggles watching Luna bloom when her favourite song comes on from her playlist.

"Me too, Sammy. Me too." Luna states with a smile focusing on the road ahead of them arriving at the mall and parking her vehicle next to Amanda's.

✹

LUNA WALKS around the shopping mall with Amanda and Sam by her side flinching when her phone starts ringing.

"Dad?" Luna says answering the phone with confusion, Luna looks at Sam and her mom in pure shock.

"Oh my god! I'm on my way!" Luna exclaims ending the phone call, "Please." Luna starts to voice.

"Go honey. We've got this." Amanda encourages immediately taking note that the phone call must of had something to do with Robby since Luna is shaking with nerves.

"Thank you! Love you!" Luna yells sprinting out of the mall towards her car in the parking lot immediately starting the ignition and driving towards Daniel's location.

Luna arrives at the rehabilitation facility looking at Daniel with wide eyes, "He's in there." Daniel states gesturing inside.

In which Luna immediately sets off in yet again another sprint towards where her dad said the boy is.

Completely missing Daniel saying something to her as she ran inside.

Shannon looks at her son sitting across from her hearing hurried footsteps running towards them.

"It's gonna be okay, Robby. We'll figure this out... I promise." Shannon voices.

Robby bites into the sandwich unaware of the crying girl coming out from the building behind him.

Shannon looks up noticing the brunette and nods at her with an encouraging nod.

"I'll be right back, okay? Just keep eating," Shannon demands gently rubbing Robby's shoulder while standing up.

"And someone's here to see you." Shannon explains motioning to behind him.

Robby tenses looking behind him expecting the police but sighs in relief seeing the girl he cares deeply for rushing towards him.

Daniel almost directly behind her, "Robby." Luna voices launching herself into his arms.

"Baby," Robby exhales wrapping his arms around her frame dropping the sandwich onto the table forgetting about it for now just wanting to hold his girl.

"I'm sorry." Robby mumbles crying into her shoulder.

"Don't apologise. I'm here." Luna sniffles tightening her hold on him, "I probably smell awful." Robby chuckles.

"I don't care. Just let me hold you for a while." Luna states shaking her head hearing Robby chuckle lightly breathing in her lavender rose scent loving every minute of it.

Luna exhales smiling at Robby taking in his new haircut completely, Luna runs her fingertips throughout the shorter length.

"I love it. Really brings out your eyes, Robs." Luna states looking at the boy sighing in comfort at her fingertips running along his scalp.

"Sorry you've been stuck clearing up my mess. Tell your dad I'll pay him back for the van." Robby guiltily mumbles after a while of silence between the couple.

"I— I didn't think that van was your style anyway," Daniel voices taking a seat neat to the embracing couple, Robby looks at the ground sadly.

"I know it must've been rough on your own out there." Daniel states looking at the clearly upset teenager and boyfriend of his adoptive daughter.

"How's Luna been?" Robby quizzes avoiding eye contact with the girl he just asked about— who's looking at him confused.

"I'm right here? I'm okay and have been okay, handsome." Luna responds with a frown.

"She's.. worried about you. This girl right here hasn't stopped looking for you Robby. Don't lose her." Daniel orders sending a wink towards Luna— who's turning crimson at the demand her dad just gave her boyfriend.

"I don't plan on it anytime soon." Robby determinedly says looking away from Daniel staring directly at the blushing beautiful girlfriend seated on his lap.

"We all are incredibly worried. Your dad too," Daniel utters leaning closer to the boy hearing him sigh shakily in response.

"Robby, I need to apologise to you." Daniel states, "But I caused all this. I'm the one who kicked Miguel." Robby mumbles.

"I know you blame yourself. But I let you down and from my understanding you were also looking out for Lulu considering Miguel hit her. Doesn't justify what happened but still. What I said to you the last time we saw each other was terrible." Daniel utters.

"Agreed. It was terrible," Luna nods responding.

"Right sorry. Shutting up now." Luna murmurs seeing the look of irritation on her dad's face before a smile breaks out hearing the last sentence exit her mouth.

"I'm so sorry." Daniel apologies finishing his earlier sentence.

"No. You were right. It was a mistake trying to help me. I can't change." Robby responds flatly making Luna bite her lip sadly wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You can change." Luna whispers placing her head into her neck wanting to hide her emotional state from the clearly struggling teenager.

"We all make mistakes, Robby. But our mistakes aren't who we are, you could learn from your mistakes and I'll help you with that. I will and so will Lulu here. She cares so much for you Robby." Daniel firmly states nodding at the girl Robby's currently holding onto tightly scared to let her go in-case she'll just disappear.

Said boy looks at Daniel with tears filling his eyes.

"Listen. This next part is gonna be really, really hard, okay? But this is the best way forward. I spoke to a lawyer and he explained that it's..." Daniel explains.

Luna looks up from Robby's neck with a frown hearing incoming footsteps approaching them seeing the police walking out from the building towards Shannon.

The police radio chatters startling Robby who gently places Luna on the ground so she doesn't fall.

Eventually looking at the officers and Daniel alarmed noticing the fear and shock in Luna's eyes realising she didn't know about this part.

"Dad?" Luna questions lowly, "What did you do?" Robby inquires alarmed.

"I told them you'd turn yourself in. Trust me the sentence will be much lighter." Daniel explains trying to sooth the panicking boy.

Luna gets harshly pushed away from her boyfriend by one of the officers moving her to stand beside Shannon— who's watching scared.

"No. I can't!" Robby responds, "You can. You have to Robby!" Daniel utters.

"You kept me talking so I didn't leave. You even dragged my girlfriend into this!" Robby states in disbelief hearing Luna sniffle in shock beside his mother.

"No. I was trying to help you." Daniel exclaims.

Robby looks at the two police officers before running into the opposite direction trying to get away from being arrested.

The officers quickly catch up to him tugging on his arms roughly putting them behind his back.

Luna gasps hating the sight, "Hey. Hey! Easy with him!" Daniel demands.

"Be gentle! Please" Luna cries out covering her mouth trying to block out her silent cries feeling Shannon gently wrap her arms around her trying to comfort the clearly shaken Azalea-LaRusso girl.

"Robby, this is only temporary. I will get you through this, okay? I will visit you every day. I promise." Daniel states firmly while the officers tighten the cuffs around his arms beginning to lead him out of the rehabilitation facility.

"Don't bother." Robby mutters in defeat, Luna looks at the scene still in shock noticing Robby walking past her with the officers.

Luna doesn't hesitate in wrapping her arms around her boyfriend knowing he can't hug her back feeling a rough hand try and pull her off.

"Just let them say their goodbyes!" Shannon orders firmly hearing the two police officers sigh in annoyance letting the couple share their as said before goodbyes.

"I will come visit you..." Luna whispers looking into Robby's heartbroken eyes.

"Please." Robby lowly responds grunting as the officer tugs at his wrists and away from the now sobbing brunette.

"Honey, it's gonna be okay. I promise." Shannon voices following the police officers out the front towards their squad cars.

Luna stands beside her allowing the watergates to finally break apart leaving her a sniffling sobbing mess watching as her boyfriend is put in the back of the police squad car and taken away.

Daniel walks out from the backyard receiving a dirty glare from his daughter who scoffs walking off towards her car and driving away— not before embracing Robby's mom and wishing her a healthy recovery for the rest of her stay.

✹

DANIEL PARKS his car in the driveway seeing Luna arriving minutes after him still with the same glare on her face from earlier:

"No! Don't talk to me!" Luna snarls opening the front door and rushing past Sam and Amanda in the kitchen who watch the whole thing happen in front of their eyes.

"What just happened?" Amanda asks looking at her husband's guilty face.

"Luna just witnessed Robby being arrested and I didn't fill her in on the plan." Daniel explains.

"Wow. Um... I'm gonna go make sure she's okay." Sam scoffs exiting the kitchen and walking upstairs hearing ear shattering sobs coming from Luna's bedroom.

"Lulu?" Sam softly voices walking into the bedroom seeing the brunette girl clutching onto her pillow lying on her bed with tears staining her cheeks.

Sam sighs sadly for her sister climbing onto the bed beside her and allowing Luna to use her as she needs considering Luna's been her comfort for the past few weeks since Miguel's accident.