Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this fic...If I DID own the characters, I'd have Charlie all to myself! And Neil would still be alive...and Charlie would be mine...and Mr. Keating would still have his job...and Charlie would be mine…and Chet Danbury would have his but kicked by Knox...and Charlie would be mine…and it would have been Cameron that would have been expelled…and Charlie would be mine…and Todd would have a backbone…and did I mention Charlie would be mine? I did? Oh...Okay! Well then. It's settled. Charlie would be mine if I owned the characters.

Spoilers: Yeah, there's one if you've not seen the movie, but not one if you have seen the movie.

(I couldn't find the name of Neil's mother, so I made one up.)

Summary: Years after Neil's death, Mr. Perry comes across a letter written by his only child before he died. Can Mr. Perry forgive Mr. Keating and himself?
The box was in the state it had been nearly 20 years earlier. Taped shut and not a glance inside. Tom Perry held it for just a moment before sitting on the couch and attempting to free the box from the trappings of the tape. He hesitated before opening it. It contained small items belonging to his only child, Neil, who killed himself at age 17. Time, he felt, had done nothing to resolve the hurt, the anger, and the grief over losing his son.

Slowly, he took off the box lid and sorted through some of the items. The box contained things from Neil's childhood that his parents couldn't bear to part with. So, they packed what they could and stuck it up in a special place in the attic, waiting for the right day, the right time, to be opened.

He wiped some tears as he held up the picture of him, Neil, and Rose at Welton. Neil was the spitting image of his father and Tom would never forgive Mr. Keating for taking his only son from him.

He took out a small book of poems that Neil had written throughout the years and paused on the short one, simply titled "CRY".

Cry not for me when I leave

For you are destined to again join me.

Cry not tears of anguish bent

But rejoice in the life God lent.

Cry not when we are parted

But be open and light hearted.

Cry not when God calls me home

For your journey to join me won't take long. (1)

Mr. Perry wiped a tear. Neil had written that when he was only ten when his beloved grandfather had died. Neil had taken his grandfather's death hard and writing this poem helped the young man deal with the tremendous loss.

Mr. Perry dug deeper into the box, pulling out more things reminding him of the life lost too early. He carefully opened the nearly moth eaten Welton sweater and saw a sheet of paper flutter to the ground. Curious, Mr. Perry opened the sheet and read it. He hung his head and profusely cried into the musty sweater.

"Tom?" Rose Perry entered the den. "You okay?" She saw the box and sat by him and rubbed his back tenderly. "I know, Tom. I know."

"No, you don't." He handed her the paper. "Read Neil's last letter."

Rose did as she was bid and cried as she handed Tom back the paper. "He never…he never…" was all she mumbled, as she cried into her husband's chest.

(1) I wrote this myself...just for this story!