History Main / IChooseToStay

* Quite common in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fandom:
** A particularly common variant has two characters get accidentally "bonded" (in {{Fanon}}, a magical marriage in which the two parties are connected in body and mind, usually having to live together and spend a considerable amount of time together). The characters in question usually [[BelligerentSexualTension hate each other]] initially, but as they are forced to be together they become friends and gradually fall in love with each other. When someone finally figures out how to end the bond, one of the following things usually happens: Either they have already figured out that they are in love and they choose to stay bonded, or they are in denial, end the bond, realise that they miss each other and re-bond.

* ''Fanfic/PinkPersonalHellAndAlteringFate'' ends this way, with Dominic/Nickel Steel deciding to stay in Ponyville.
* In a roundabout way this happens in ''Fanfic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon''. Of the four Inner Senshi only Ami chooses to go to Mid-Childa and continue to study magic and the Moon Kingdom, while the others resume normal lives on Earth.
* A very common aspect of the Human-In-Equestria genre of [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic pony]] fanfiction. Sometimes, we see this happen with Pony-On-Earth too.

* ''Fanfic/MyLittleTitan'' (a ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' and ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' crossover): After rescuing the Mane Six (and Spike), whom they've been filling in for while they were imprisoned by the BigBad of the story, the Titans chose to remain in Equestria, in ponified bodies, rather than return to their original world. They do send a message (courtesy of Discord) back to the other Titans and Batman so they won't worry about the group, letting them know that they've opted to retire from hero work, though they don't say where they've retired to. Also, Melvin manages to bring her little brothers back to stay with her. Starfire's pet Silkie also manages to somehow cross over and rejoin her.
* Done both ways in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10448834/36/Six-Paths-of-Rebellion Six Paths of Rebellion]]'' after the Black Rebellion. A large number of Britannians stay in the newly created United States of Japan either because they view it as their home or because they've been disavowed by Britannia. On the flip side, Suzaku leaves Japan for Britannia because he insists that Zero freed it the wrong way and plans to reconquer Japan and rule it as the Knight of One.
* ''Fanfic/NewStars'': Clone trooper CT-5599, or Maxx, decides to officially join the crew of the Orville, and explore this new galaxy.
* ''Fanfic/TheDifferentverse'': After Nightmare Moon's defeat, Twilight and Moondancer decide to stay in Ponyville with their new friends, and Marble also decides to stay with Pinkie rather than return to the family rock farm.
* ''Fanfic/TheLionsDen'' has a negative example of this: at the end, Naegi decides to stay with Ultimate Despair not because he wants to help stop them, but because he himself has fallen into despair.

* In ''Fanfic/TheAFRUniverse'' fic "Amamiya Family Reunion", [[VideoGame/Persona5 Ren Amamiya]] returns to his small town home after his year-long probation is up. But while he's back home and seeing his parents again, he announces to them that he's only visiting and will be returning to Tokyo because of all the friends he made and to pursue a career in politics.
* ''[[Fanfic/LostInCamelot The Lost Kingdom]]'';
** While Kenzi is tempted by the offer to go wandering with Gwaine, she decides to remain in Camelot in anticipation that Bo will return to the kingdom at some point.
** Once Bo is cured, she and Morgana swiftly convince Merlin to stay in the fae kingdom at least for a while, as they still have to deal with Uther's attempt to arrange marriages for them back in Camelot.

* At the very end of ''Batman: Angel of Death'', after a week of recovery from saving Gotham, Selina prepares to leave Wayne Manor for good. Bruce earnestly, albeit [[EmotionallyTongueTied inelegantly]], asks her to stay, with the obvious implication that they rekindle the relationship she ran away from years ago. After a moment to consider, [[HappyEnding she drops her bags and joins Dick and Damian in the den]].
* At the end of ''[[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-wolf-in-december-the-witching-hour-rwby-the-witcher.454128 The Wolf In December,]]'' [[Franchise/TheWitcher Geralt]] makes the choice to remain on [[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Remnant]], a world where his skills as a HunterOfMonsters make him a hero, rather than a freak of nature like they do back [[CrapsackWorld home]]. It helps that Ciri's world-walking abilities mean she can bring their friends to him, so it's not like he has to abandon his old life forever. In the sequel Yennefer and Regis join him.
* At the end of ''Nescaflowne'' (a GagDub of ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne),'' Hitme returns home as in the original, but quickly realizes that leaving her one true love and a land of fantastic adventures to be an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent again was a really stupid thing to do. [[FixFic Thankfully, Juan shows up on Nescaflowne and takes her back with him.]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''The Best Babysitter'' ends with this trope as a sort of BookEnds moment, since the whole story arc is kicked off by Pinkie Pie (the titular "best babysitter") pulling a ''very'' reluctant ButNowIMustGo on the protagonist, a young teenager named Jennifer... who ends up going looking for her, somehow finding her way into Equestria and getting into an adventure. Unusually, the tension in the last chapter is less about whether Jennifer wants to stay (between her [[ParentalNeglect family situation]] and her [[FriendlessBackground difficulty making friends]] she has as close to nothing to go back to as she possibly could without being ConvenientlyAnOrphan) and more about whether she safely ''can'', because Equestria's BackgroundMagicField does strange things to beings who didn't evolve in it...
* At the end of ''Fanfic/TakeAStand: The Broken Mirror'', after Doctor Doom has been defeated and dealt with, Rocket decides to stay in the Zootopia dimension with Lylla, not caring that she's not his Lylla.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14036316/1/Bubblegum-Fury Bubblegum Fury]]'' starts with [[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry Bogard]] being warped [[Anime/BubblegumCrisis to Mega Tokyo by a Boomer]] with teleportation capacities. He's eventually followed by a NotQuiteDead Geese Howard, as well as his brother Andy, Joe Higashi and several other friends of theirs. In the climax of the final chapter, with the portal back to their world about to close, Terry decides not to return with the others, as he's fallen in love with Priss and wants to stay with her. Andy tries to object, but ultimately accepts his brother's choice and bids him farewell.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': "ComicBook/XTinctionAgenda" ends with the mutants overthrowing the despotic government of Genosha, who had won their prosperity on the backs of enslaved mutants. However, team member Havok and New Mutant Wolfsbane -- who had both been brainwashed into serving Genosha -- opted to stay behind to ensure that the nation transitions into one where all human rights are valued (though Wolfsbane's decision to stay is also slightly motivated by the fact her brainwashing compels her to stay with Havok, who she's linked to).
* ''ComicBook/TheWarlordDC'': Any time Travis Morgan had an opportunity to return to the surface world, he always to chose to stay (or return, if he was forced back to Earth) in the LostWorld of Skartaris, as he felt more at home in Skartaris than he ever had on 20th C. Earth.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'': The Dawn Warriors chase after [[BigBad ExDeath]] to another world, and after a harrowing battle, manage to defeat him, but as he begins to recover from the fight, the decision is made to [[SealedEvilInAnotherWorld seal him on this world.]] One warrior, Dorgann, hesitates to do so, but eventually relents. However, when the party prepares to head back, he instead chooses to stay and watch over the seal. [[spoiler: He turns out to be the father of Bartz Klauser, the lead character.]]

* Film/JohnCarter spends half the film trying to figure out a way to get back to Earth/Jasoom, but, at the end, he decides to stay on Mars/Barsoom. As soon as he throws away the transportation medallion, he's ambushed and sent back by [[BigBad Matai Shang. He then spends a decade trying to find a way back to Mars]].

* Many [[RebornAsVillainessStory "Reborn as the Villainess" stories]] have this happen to the characters at the end of the story, despite their initial desire to either return home or [[FightToSurvive just make it through the original story without dying]]. Either they've made a new family that the main character doesn't wish to leave behind, or they've fallen in love with someone. Sometimes [[YouCan'tGoHomeAgain they don't have a choice but to stay]], as they either died or something prevents them from leaving. There are exceptions, such as ''Webcomic/KillTheVillainess'' where the main character never gives up on their motivation [[TheresNoPlaceLikeHome to return to their home]], but for the most part, main characters of villainess stories will often choose to stay in their new world if given the opportunity to leave.

* ''{{Series/Tracker}}'' ends with Cole choosing to return to Earth to be with Mel. Good thing, too, since we learn the fugitives also seemed to have returned...

* The 2007 ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movie has the Autobots staying on Earth. [[DoomedHometown Not that they really had anywhere else to go]] in that particular continuity.

* In ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPriscillaQueenOfTheDesert'' the character played by Terence Stamp chooses to stay in the outback with a new love interest instead of going back to Sydney.

A LoveInterest can also be a factor. Indeed, this trope is often encouraged by a FantasticRomance. By choosing this trope, the hero may think that YouAreWorthHell or otherwise more important than what's on the other side. No StarCrossedLovers here! One does wonder about the person's parents back home if they are underage though, and even if they're not, what about their friends and family? [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse Wouldn't they miss them and/or wonder what happened to them if they choose to stay?]] Sure they would, but the same applies to all the friends they've made in this new world, and any [[BloodBrothers family that they]] [[HappilyAdopted might have picked up]] [[HappilyMarried along the way]]. The decision to stay or leave then becomes a SadisticChoice.