alright guys, even though there were no reviews on the last chapter, i don't care, i just wanna put the last chapter up!(:

so here it is. handwritten, it's five pages long, & took me two study hall periods to write it. i'm so proud :D it's such a cute chapter.

i hope you all enjoyed this story, & look out for the epilogue, it'll be short, but it'll sum up everything :D

please review this chapter, even though it's the last. i'd like to know what you think of the completed story!(:

The wake was tonight. Eli had never liked wakes. They were depressing and were never really flattering towards the dead person. The last time he had gone o a ceremonial service was when Julia had died. He tightened his tie and grabbed a blazer. He walked down the stairs and grabbed his keys. For the first time, he felt bad while driving Morty. He felt like people at the service would feel that he was mocking the death of Kelsey. He started driving towards the funeral home. He wasn't exactly sure why he was attending this service. It's not like he was good friends with Kelsey. Sure, they kissed, but a lot of people do that. Well, in Eli's mind it wasn't that big of a deal. He wondered how Kelsey really felt about everything that had happened between them. Eli couldn't seem to grasp that this girl he was kissing two days ago, wasn't going to move again. She wouldn't feel anything again. She wouldn't love, or cry, of kiss, or feel any emotion ever again. She wouldn't have to feel the pain in her broken limbs over again. She wouldn't have to fight to win someone's heart over again. Eli felt sick to his stomach knowing that the was once again the last guy a dead girl had feelings for. The last guy a dead girl had kissed. He didn't know anything about Kelsey, yet he had this special place in her now nonexistent life. He pulled into the parking lot of the funeral home, unfortunately right behind the hearse that he assumed held Kelsey's body. He had this picture in his head of how Kelsey would look. Make-up still stained her face. Her arm and leg still bruising and swelling to twice their size. He looked out his windows and saw people pointing at the two hearse's in confusion. Eli followed the other hearse to the back of the funeral home, trying not to draw any attention to his car. He got out and walked around the opposite side of the funeral home. He spotted Clare and walked over to her, sliding his arm around her waist. Clare looked up at Eli, her eyes still glistening with tears. Eli knew Clare was such a sympathetic person, and even though she hadn't really taken a liking to Kelsey, she was still hurting. Eli and Clare hadn't completely fixed their relationship, but Eli knew they were getting to a point where they were wiling to forgive and forget. Eli looked around for Jenna. He had no idea how she was feeling right now. Probably horrible. Kelsey and Jenna were best friends. Eli was the one who ended up telling Jenna. Clare had been unable to get the words out. All Jenna had said to him was that he was joking, and she hung up. The police then just told him to let them handle it. Clare pulled at Eli's hand, and he turned around to see a few men carrying the casket. People started slowly filing in the doors, some laughing, some crying, and some just walking in silently. Once Eli got in the room, he saw the casket still closed. He felt a tap on his back and turned around to see Jenna there, holding a small, sleeping baby. You could tell she had been crying, but she was still smiling with joy, probably about the baby.

"Eli, Clare, I just want to thank you. I know you did everything you could at the dance. The police told me everything, including K.C and Kelsey's relationship. I'm not really mad about that…just a little surprised."

She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms.

"I'd let you hold her, but she's barely slept these past few days. She's definitely a crier."

Clare laughed and looked at the baby, and then back at Jenna.

"what's her name?"

Jenna smiled, clearly proud of the name she came up with.

"Megan. Megan Kelsey."

Jenna was still smiling as she looked down at the baby, but a few tears slid down her cheek.

"oh, Eli, I forgot. We wanted you to say a few words about Kelsey. All and I thought you two were getting close."

Before Eli could respond, Jenna walked away, leaving now time for Eli to protest. Clare walked towards a forming line, and Eli saw it was leading to the now open casket. He still couldn't see Kelsey, so he decided to stand in line with Clare. He was trying to form some speech in his head, but wasn't having any luck. He watched Clare walk up to the casket and kneeled down, folding her hands in prayer. Eli didn't looked into the casket yet. He didn't know why he was waiting. He had to look eventually. As Clare stood up, Eli braced himself for the worst. He walked up to the casket and looked inside. He was surprised…relieved. She didn't look at all how she did the other night. Her face was clean, no sign of dried mascara. Her eyes were shut, and a brown eyeshadow was dusted on her eyelids. Her light blonde hair was straight, unlike the other night. Her cheeks looked rosy, as if they were filled with blood. Her lips looked curved, almost as if she was smiling. They weren't pale at all, they were pink, and glossy. Eli's eyes traveled down her body. Her hands were folded, sitting on her ribcage. Her arm wasn't bruised, or even swollen for that matter. She was wearing a strapless white dress, that had beads and sequins sown onto the bodice. Her nails were painted a light pink. Eli felt a hand on his should, and turned his head to the right to see a women standing there.

"That was supposed to be her dress for the dance, but she insisted on the back and red, for you."

The lady smiled and walked away. Eli assumed that was her mom. Eli looked back down at the casket and placed his hand over Kelsey's.

"goodbye, Kelsey."

Eli pulled his hand away and walked to an open seat in the room. Jenna was standing at the podium, clearly holding back tears. She cleared her throat and begs as Eli sat down.

"I want to thank all of you for coming to see Kelsey. She, uh..she was um…"

Jenna laughed a little, wiping tears from her eyes.

"It's just feels really weird, talking about her, knowing she's gone. uh, okay. let's see..Kelsey was…she was something, alright. She was not really a great person at first. She had this habit of judging people too fast, stealing boyfriends, and just being mean, or forward. But, that's just the Kelsey you see from the outside. When you really got to know her, you'd see she was just the kindest, sweetest person. Her intentions are good. She never wanted to hurt anyone. She was my best friend. She knew me better than anyone else. It's so hard for me to say goodbye to her, because it feels like i'm saying goodbye to my whole life. She didn't deserve to die this way, so young, she had so much life ahead of her. But then when I think about it, there isn't a more suitable way for her to die. I mean, it's just like Kelsey, to try to be all badass and try to save everyone else, acting like she's some sort of hero, and then she sees it all get blown up in her face. It's just a…just a shame that..that dance was the last time she got to stand up for anybody. That it was the last time she got to try to fix some mess she got in. That is was the last time she tried to disregard her feelings and make everyone else happy. I'll miss her, a lot, but at least I know she fixed the last mess she got into before she died."

Jenna walked off the podium, tears streaming down her face. As she walked out of the room, she tapped Eli and pointed towards the podium. He assumed this meant that it was his turn to go speak. He walked down the aisle and cleared his throat as he stepped up to the podium.

"hi, everyone. I'm um, i'm Eli. I'm sure most of you don't know me, uh, I guess i'm a part of the reason Kelsey was in a mess, as Jenna said. The night of the dance, Kelsey and I talked about a lot of things. We were stuck in a closet together for an hour, I pretty much told her my life story…her…not so much."

Eli laughed lightly and continued, glancing up at the crowd of people sitting before him.

"I know i'm supposed to be talking about how great of a person Kelsey is, and how I had a great time knowing her, but, I think there is a more important message that needs to be addressed. Kelsey taught me something really important that night. I thought it was okay to give up on someone, and give up on love just because a new person came along, threatening my perfect relationship. I ran away from the person that meant the most to me, just because Kelsey stormed into my life, making me second guess a couple of things. Kelsey taught me that it's okay to be scared, or unsure in a relationship. She taught me that that is a part of loving someone. Kelsey let me know that a good relationship will have faults, and tough times. As I said, I know this speech is supposed to be all about Kelsey, and how great and wonderful she was, but I think she'd be much happier if I did this."

Eli cleared his throat, and looked over at Clare, who appeared to be struggling to stop crying.

"Clare Edwards, I love you. You are everything to me. Everything Kelsey said in that room two days ago, was completely right. When I walked past you, going after Kelsey, I wanted you to follow me. When I was sitting in that closet with Kelsey, fearing for my life, I wished you were there sitting next to me instead. When I was kissing Kelsey, all i could do was think about you, and kissing you."

Eli stepped away from the podium and continued to walk towards Clare.

"When I was sitting in that closet, alone, and I heard that gunshot..I was hoping..praying..that it was anyone but you."

Eli stood at the end of the row of chairs Clare was sitting in, and he noticed she had tears falling from her eyes, once again.

"When I was carrying kelsey because of her broken leg, I wasn't doing it because i'm a nice person, or because it's the right thing to do. I did it because I knew you would have smiled, and called me some sort of hero. And when I opened that door, and saw you sitting there…with a bullet next to your head…I felt like finally, I had done something right. I felt like I couldn't let you down anymore, like I could save you, and fix things. But when I got shot, and fell to the ground, and I saw K.C turn towards you…I felt like my ow life had completely ended. I felt like, even if any of us survived, I wasn't good enough for you anymore, and i'm not, Clare. I am nowhere near good enough for you. But I am doing the most selfish thing a person can do, and I am asking you to settle for less, and give me another chance. Because Clare, you are my everything. I made a mistake in hurting you, and letting you go. I am lost without you, Clare. All I want is to be with you. It's sad that it took something like this to make me realize and say it to you, but I love you. I have since I drove over your glasses, and saw your beautiful blue eyes, and I will until I die, Clare. I can't say it enough. I love you, please…take me back."

Eli looked at her with pleading eyes. Every second that went by, he stood there, feeling the worst kind of rejection. Eli watched Clare as she stood up and walked towards him. She smiled as she stood before him.

"I forgive you."

She grinned and wrapped her arms around Eli's neck, as she pressed her lips against his. She heard a few people clap, and a few people recite an 'aw' in unison. She moved her lips and smiled as she felt Eli dip her back. She started to laugh, and pulled away.

"Eli Goldsworthy, since when did you become a walking romance movie?"

She laughed and kissed him once more.

The ceremony was over, and Clare and Eli stood next to Jenna as Kelsey's cachet was being lowered into her grave. As it hit the ground, everyone walked over and threw roses down onto her casket. Eli looked down and saw there there was at least 40 roses in a pile. A lump of dirt fell into the hole and covered the roses.

Eli and Clare were walking back to Morty when Jenna tapped Eli on the shoulder.

"Hey guys, I just wanted to say thank you again, for coming, and Eli, your speech…it's exactly what Kelsey would have wanted. Thank you so much for doing that. It definitely lifted everyone's spirits. Made this whole thing a lot less depressing, at least for today."

She smiled once more and walked away. Eli looked down and smirked.

"so, where should we go on our second first date?"

Eli laughed and opened the door of Morty for Clare. She stepped in and looked up at Eli as she sat down.

"oh, I don't know…surprise me."

so there it is guys, the end! well, aside from the epilogue. but that will only be very short.

this chapter, & the 2nd last are definitely my favorites. what about you?

review, & tell me your favorites!(:

is everyone happy eli & clare are back together?

told you that wasn't the end of eclare ;D