Maddie told Roger good-bye as he left her apartment and only a second later London was at the door. "Cody just told me your dating a new guy!" London yelled as she threw the door open. "London, chill! I'm not dating a new guy! Zack jumped to conclusions….I still love him." she replied.

London sighed. "Maddie, why don't you tell him everything."

"London, I cant. He acts so immature sometimes. I'm sure he thinks its all about him. He doesn't understand that it's a very emotional thing for me, too." she explained.

"Well he's leaving soon unless you tell him something."

"I'll believe that when I actually see him leaving. London, this is Zack! He isn't going to go to war!"

"Well I hope you're right. But I've got some news about me and Cody…"

---------------------------------------

Zack entered into his dorm room. What he needed to do was done. He was leaving in a week. Possibly forever. He left the note he wrote for Maddie with his will. Yes, he had a will. He had for an entire year now. He sighed as he plopped down on his twin size bed.

He drifted off into a slumber only moments later. Probably due to his lack of sleep the previous night. This dream was even more frightening. It was the after math of his death.

It was a cloudy day, metaphorically and literally. About thirty people huddled around in a circle in a field. It was a field, but not only a field. It was a cemetery. And a casket was being slowly lowered into the ground.

People stood all around him, but they were all blurry figures. Every now and again he could hear sniffles or the muffled sounds of peoples cries. He looked to the center and saw some of the blurry figures throwing roses into the hole.

They came back to join the huddle once again and stood next to him, before he felt a throbbing pain in his head. "Ah!" he screamed, but no voice sounded. It was then when something happened.

Some of the faces became clear, but most were still blurry. The faces he saw the clearest were London, his mother, and…Maddie. Each held a look of pure anguish. He only wondered where Cody was. He shook out his thoughts, figuring he was still one of the blurry figures.

As he looked around him, at his family, he thought they all held the same expressions of terror, sadness, and anguish, until he saw Maddie fall to her knees.

Carey tried to help her up, but it didn't seem to work. Maddie let out a terrible wail as tears began to seep down her cheeks. "Zack!" he heard through her muffled sighs. That was when he realized he was in Cody's body. He was seeing all of this from Cody.

He was so absorbed in looking at Maddie's pleas and cries for him to come back that he didn't notice everyone was gone, with the exception of he, Maddie, Carey, and London.

The scene abruptly shifted and he felt himself being lifted by the back of his stomach, much like a ride on a terribly fast roller coaster. It made him feel sick, until he found himself standing still in an office that was so very familiar.

It was his lawyer's office. There were only clear faces now. Maddie, who was sitting at the far side of the office on his loveseat, with tear stained cheeks and red, puffy eyes. London, who was standing beside him with an arm looped through his arms, and Carey who was sitting in front of the Lawyer's desk in the center of the room.

Just then Mr. Blinkston, Zack's lawyer came in with a sympathetic look and a folder. "I truly am sorry for your loss." he said to everyone before opening the folder. "Let's get this over with." Zack spoke out of his will. He then realized it must have been Cody that said it.

"Very well, Mr. Martin." Mr. Blinkston sighed. He sat at his desk in front of Carey and opened the folder again. "Carey and Cody Martin. Zack left his personals and he kept updated letters every year. I was instructed to throw the old letters away and when he happened to pass to give you the updated one. This is his latest letter to each of you. It was written just before he left." he said with a tear forcing its way out of the corner of his left eye. He cleared his throat loudly, choking back the need to cry, as he handed them their papers.

"Madeline Fitzpatrick, Zack has also left you a letter. He wrote it just before he left also. It's actually newer than Carey and Cody's." he said handing her the paper. "Unfortunately he was young and had little else to leave behind, he wanted me to tell you if he happened to pass at such a stage he was sorry for never being able to provide you all with riches after his passing." he said truthfully before exiting.

Zack had never thought he would hear his will being given out, but he was happy with how Mr. Blinkston handled it. Zack's letter to his mom and Cody was nothing special. They just said he loved them and told of random every day things he had done the day he wrote the letter, just so they'd remember the way he was.

He was sorry he couldn't leave anything for London. He had nothing else. He just hoped she knew that he loved her as the great friend she was. Now Maddie's letter…that was special, and it came right from the heart. He watched her from Cody's body as she undid the envelope and began to read the letter silently. Zack could recite every word he had written in that letter and recall every feeling he had when he wrote it.

Dear Maddie,

It's strange writing this letter. Very strange. I've never written a letter that's actually meant anything before. When I have something to say it's usually in poems or songs, but not this time. I needed to leave you with something other than memories in case I died.

If you are reading this letter then something terrible must have happened; something that caused me to never see you again, to tell you all of this in person. If you are reading this then I was an idiot. I left and got myself killed. If you are reading this then I want you to know I love you.

I'm not twelve any more, even though I acted like it this morning. I saw another guy and flipped out, without even hearing your reasons. I know you need love. So I am sorry that I was waiting around on you to come back to me. Because I should have came back to you. I hope you have found love in this guy and I hope he treats you the way you should be treated.

Maddie, you are the reason I survived for as long as I did. Don't blame yourself for my death like you probably are. I went to war because I wanted to. I went because I had to.

I want you to know that I really do love you, Maddie. Not in a twelve year old kids kind of way, even though I believe, even now, that I loved you back then too. I mean in a 'I want to marry you' sort of way. But that isn't going to happen now. No, I'm not trying to make you cry…I just want you to know that I really do love you and I want you to know how much.

I should probably be using past tense with this letter, but alas that isn't to be. Because I know that I loved you back then, I love you while I write this letter, and I will love you after death.

I was an idiot to have let you go. It just hurt me that you would share that with Owen, of all people, but be too scared to share it with me. Me. The one who has loved you since I first met you, and who has tried to deserve you every day since.

I don't know why you didn't want to share that with me, but now I believe that you had a reason. Only because I love you and know you and I realize that you would never try to lead me on or to hurt me. Maddie, I only wished now that things would have turned out differently. Because as you read this letter I am no longer here. And for that, Maddie, I am so sorry.

With all the love I can devise,

Zack

He noticed she finished the letter. She had tears streaming down her face again. "I love you too…" she muffled before she broke down. He ran over to help her sobbing form up before he felt another jolt behind his stomach, but this time the scene didn't change, this time he…

Zack jumped up from his dream. "She loves me!….Still!" he yelled before running out the door.

---------------------------------------

"I'm so happy for you guys!" Maddie squealed as she brought London into a hug.

"Me too! Yay me!" she clapped. Some things never change, Maddie thought with a slight smile.

------------------------------------

Cody stepped out of the shower after hearing the phone ring and ran to the phone. "Hello?…Zack?….You're what!…Dude that is so cool! …Alright, bye!" Cody said excitedly. He just hoped that he could help him. He ran to London's dresser and pulled out a drawer reserved for his clothes only and began to dress.

He ran out into the hall only minutes later, his hair still dripping wet. He ran to Maddie's door and knocked. Only seconds later London jerked him in with a grin. "C'mon we're looking at wedding stuff!" she squealed.

"Aw, man!" Cody yelled, disappointedly. Zack better get here quickly, he thought to himself. "London, are you sure you wan to marry someone who cant even dry themselves off after taking a shower. Not to mention someone who wears a skirt." she said with mirth, pointing at Cody's pants, but he realized he wasn't wearing pants.

"London! I thought you reserved that drawer from me only!" he yelled, embarrassed.

"Hey don't look at me…don't you look at what you throw on before you go out." she retorted.

"Yeah but I was in a hurry!"

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Uh-oh…" he realized his mistake. Now he'd have to tell London.

He whispered into her ear, and laughed as her eyes grew wide. "No way!" she said. Cody could only nod. She squealed. "What?" Maddie asked from her position on the couch. "Nothing!" they yelled in unison.

-------------------------------------

Zack found himself in the apartment building running to Maddie's door. He had it planned perfectly…well, sort of. He hadn't really planned on what he was going to say or how he was going to say it, he just knew what had to be done.

He almost knocked, but decided against it when he realized that would have been really awkward. He ran into London's apartment and grabbed a guitar from her closet. He knew she had been learning, and he was the only one who did. He hurried with the guitar to the window and climbed out carefully.

He used the fire escape to make it to Maddie's window. He saw Cody hitting himself with a large clipboard, with the title "Wedding Table Cloths," and all he could do was laugh. He then spotted London, who spotted him in return. She gave him a confused look and mouthed the words, "What are you doing?" and he mouthed back the only words that could describe it, "I don't know."

She nodded before calling Maddie. Zack hit himself in the head with the palm of his hand. "Oi!" he yelled. Then she saw him.

----------------------------------

She saw him standing there with a look of pure nervousness, and her heart stopped and her breathing hitched. That was when he began playing.

My hopes…My dreams

Are nothing

Without you

To share them with

Got to hope

Got to dream

But you'll find none with me!

Cause your gone

Now my whole world is lost

My dreams are blank

My hopes are the same

So what am I to do?

I cant stand to hear your name

Cause every time I do

I know that I lost you

Cant dream

Cant hope

Cause your not here

So I'll grab another beer

Drink fast

My life wont last

Cause your not here

Not with me

I just want to be the way we used to be

I've got to hope

I've got to dream

So please come back to me!

I need to share it with you

And tell you I love you

And without you…I don't know what to do

So come back to me

And we'll let it be!

The way it was

When it was just us!

I've got to dream

Without you it seems

Hopeless

So come back to me

Let me dream

Let me hope

I'm so tired of mope-ing

I thought I'd say

While I see you to day

I love you

I dream of you

I hope for you….

He finished his song and Maddie's eyes were full of tears. He climbed in the window and did something that she found utterly unexpected. He got down on one knee, grabbed her hand gently, and asked something that Maddie had lost all hope for him to ask. "Will you marry me?"

She felt tears stream down her face and all she could do was nod. He pulled out a ring. A ring he had been holding for a long time. A ring he had gotten when he was only 18 years old. A ring he thought he would have never used this early. But he couldn't wait to be engaged to Maddie.

He slipped it on her finger and it glided on with ease. He smiled to himself, doing a victory dance in his head that he had gotten the right size. "I love you Maddie." he said finally. And it felt so good to him. He finally said it after what seemed like a lifetime of fighting. "I love you, too." she replied.

Just then there was an understanding that there was no her and Roger. Everything else was already forgotten as they embraced tightly. They pulled away but only to lean into the most mind blowing kiss they had ever experienced.

Zack ran his tongue over her bottom lip, begging for entrance, both metaphorically and literally. She complied in the same since as their tongues intertwined. Maddie sighed pleasurably as Zack pulled his arms around her waist and brought her closer.

London and Cody were watching with wide grins, and Maddie and Zack finally sensed that they were there. "What is it like a tradition with you two and having to watch us. Get out!" Zack yelled playfully before continued kissing his new fiancé.

Cody laughed and guided London out of Maddie's apartment. "Everything is going to be alright now isn't it?" London said and all Cody could do was nod. There was no Army. There was no Roger in the picture, well at least not in a way that mattered. And there was definitely no more Owen to bring any more havoc.

Even though Moseby was gone, he knew that everything really was going to be alright now. Maybe not perfect and sure as hell not happily ever after, but he knew that everything was going to be alright.

Zack knew the same thing as he kissed his new fiancé. Everything was going to be alright. No matter what obstacles were in front of them, they would face it together. All four of them. Two couples. Two brothers and two best friends. As long as it was all of them, nothing else mattered.

Zack loved his brother, his friend London, and his fiancé, and as long as there was love…everything was alright. Not happily ever after. Just because life wasn't a fairy tale, but it sure as hell could have happy endings, at least for a while. Because with love there is no ending. Happy or sad. It's just love. Happiness a lot of the time, but heartache, jealousy, and down right anger others.

No matter how many bad times, the good would always bring them out on top. No matter what. Because they had love. And that was enough.

The End

Thanks guys and girls of course, lol cant forget to say girls cause most of you probably are lol. Well I hope you liked the ending. I was going to write two endings and let someone read them both but I decided it would be quicker for me to just write one ending with a mixture of the two. It had a happy ending though. I was totally ganna let you read the letter (because it would be really happening instead of just a dream) in the sad one and in the happy one you werent going to get to see the letter, but I figured that this way you'd get to see what was in the letter AND have a happy ending. Well I really hoped you guys liked it! Please tell me what you thought of this story. I am getting so many hits on this story and not nearly the right amount of reviews.

But I really want to thank you all who reviewed. You anon. reviewers, thanks soooo much! And to you who are signed in, I can reply and tell you thanks.

This wouldnt have kept going if you guys hadnt reviewed so thank you guys. You guys have helped me improve my writing by reviewing and making me continue, therefore giving me practice.

"On a Cruise" will be updated tomorrow or late tonight. Also check my profile for other upcoming stories. I think I have like three others coming SOON! On my profile it has summaries, and if any of you are interested in them you can PM me and tell me which one to post first, because I've already started writing them all and have written a few chapters in each.

REVIEW! please!

Thanks a lot!

H.P.