Chapter Fifteen: The End of A Story.

"We're all stories… and this, is how mine ends."

An old man hurries on his way through the cemetery, a group of people; his children and grandchildren perhaps walked solemnly behind him. The old man stopped in front of a grave and looked down; he looked to the graves to the left and right of the one in front of him.

"Hello everyone," the Old Man whispered,

"Lucas?" someone behind him whispered and he turned to see who it was.

"Dad" his' son said as he approached, he placed his hand on Lucas' back gently.
"Oh, son I'm sorry, for a second I thought…" Lucas began but fell silent,
"Thought I was uncle Farkle again?" his son asked, and Lucas turned and looked at one of the headstones which read 'Farkle Minkus'. "Will you tell me about them?" his son asked,
"You already know what happened," Lucas insisted,
"I do, but I've read the book and I always like hearing how thing's went after the end of the story. And I know you like talking about it" his son explained and Lucas chuckled, though it was true, when he talked about them it felt like they were still alive, by his side even for a moment.
"Well, you're Aunty Maya, she became a famous artist, while she painted and drew so many beautiful pieces, like Riley Matthews and the Purple Cat. Her favorites were the three she drew for Grandpa Cory: Love, Friends, Family, she titled them. She married Uncle Josh, they had kids and settled down after Farkle employed Josh to work at Minkus International, he went on to run the company when Farkle was unable. They had two children. Isaiah became a professional baseball player; he would date and later marry a cheerleader to whom he had three children. Smackle became a world-renowned scientist, and later became the US Ambassador to the U.N. while Farkle, he worked for Eric, and when Eric stepped down Farkle replaced him. He later became a two term President and in my very bias opinion he was the best one we've had. He did such good for this country, but he will always be remembered for the sweeping gun reforms he brought in after he implemented the Riley Matthews Accord which came to be Internationally recognised and adopted by the U.N. and many member nations. He and Smackle went on to have six children, and he was the last of them to pass away. When we were young; we feared that our friendship would break and never be repaired, it eventually did break, just not the way we feared, and now only I remain." Lucas explained, a tear that rested in his eye slowly ran down his cheek and his son comforted him by rubbing his back.
"And what about you, hey Dad?" his son asked,
"I studied and became a Veterinarian, I bought Great Grand Pa and Grand Ma Matthew's home in Philadelphia and moved there. I published your Mother's diary, started my own business and adopted four beautiful children." Lucas explained and they both put an arm around one another and smiled,
"I love you Dad," his son smiled warmly at him,
"I love you too, Murray"
"Now come on, we don't want to be late" Murray insisted,
"Go on, I'll catch up" Lucas instructed patting him on the back before he quietly and slowly started to walk towards the others while Lucas looked down at Riley's headstone. "We tried to make the world a better place for you Riley, I hope you're proud, of us, of me." Lucas whispered, "Until we meet again," Lucas concluded before walking away.

Later they were in a park, all their kids keeping up a tradition and coming together, catching up with one another. Lucas watched on as a proud Father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather, and as an uncle. The adults stood around talking, laughing and watching over the children who ran around playing together and Lucas was unable to hide the smile on his face. Then he looked around at the empty seats where his' friends would once have sat, on those warm summer days, but now so many years have passed and those summer days were so long ago. With a blink of his eyes they appeared before him, his friends: young, smiling, laughing and filled with happiness and tears welled up in Lucas' eyes as he fell deep into thought.

"Life is made up of each individual moment we experience, from the moment we're born, when we come into this world all red cheeked and we forget to live and enjoy each of these moments, we remember the important ones, like the moment when you take your first steps, or when you speak your first words. We celebrate our moment of birth every year."

Memories of his birthdays flashed before his eyes, the smiles, his friends, the food, even the smells came to him and the sound of laughter.

"Every moment is important, the good and the bad, the high and the low moments, those filled with laughter and joy, and those filled with tears and heartache. Because we're all stories in the end, but stories aren't written page by page, rather word-by-word as each one is important. And when it's done, all those words come together and make the story being told; just as it is with each moment we live, they come together to make the life we live, and the story we tell. Though in a single moment everything can change, something happens like: a girl falls into your lap on the subway, and after that you'll spend so many moments looking deep into their eyes, talking, saying hey and hi, falling further in love with each moment."

Lucas remembers the time Riley fell into his lap on the subway, and each time they would see each other and nervously say hey or hi around the school. He remembered the time in the library. He remembered each and every smile.

"Then there are those moments when you meet other people, and decide that they shall be your friends, and while some moments you'll fight with them, when you think about it; there will always be more warmer moments of laughter, smiles and simple happiness with them. And sometimes, it's not always clear the impact these people will have on your life immediately, but in time you see it and you'll come to love them even more."

Memories of Farkle, Maya, Zay, Smackle and Josh start playing in his mind, their water fight in the car park, their banter in Cory's classroom, the time's they'd hangout together at Topanga's; every smile, the high and low moments. Lucas remembered how happy they made him, how he'd long to see them when they were all apart.

"But in a moment, those who are closet to you can be taken from you. And you're left wishing you had more time to spend with them, to appreciate them, to love them. And you realise just how precious each moment and person is to you. You're left broken, feeling empty, but it's in moments such as these that bring people together."

The memory of Murray becomes as clear as day in his mind, each session he spent with him in his' classroom. The trips to his apartment, and how they bonded, each time Murray pushed ever so closer to fixing their friendship. He remembered Murray protecting them from the gun that would come to rip Murray from him. He remembered the time they spent in the hospital looking over him, the tears that were shed, but he remembered how it brought them all back together, how Murray brought Riley and him together, the nights they spent in the bay window, keeping one another safe. He remembered the night Riley was taken from him, and the moment she died in his arms.

"A moment will come when you see a new story begin and it's up to you to watch and help where you can, to teach and pass on what you've learnt along your way."

Lucas remembered watching he girls go through pregnancy, feeling the babies kicking, being there when they were born. Watching them and his own kids grow up, living their lives, teaching and helping them, picking them up when they'd fall. He remembered them smiling, laughing and crying, the joy they'd all bring each other, and those times he sat there, watching and wishing that Riley could have been there by his side.

"Live, laugh, love; live in each and every moment, laugh at least twice a day and at everything funny, and love all those who come into your life, and not take them nor the moments you spend with them for granted. Because a moment may come when all you have left of them are the memories."

Lucas again looked around at the ghosts of his friends; he then turned his gaze upon his and their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all playing and talking together and smiled. He looked at his eldest son Murray, tears now slowly running down his cheeks and Murray turned and faced him. At first Murray smiled at him, then a look of concerned came over his face "Dad?" he mouthed as everything had gone silent for Lucas and time seemed to slow down as Murray start running towards him. Lucas' struggled to keep his eyes open as they slowly closed and his head slowly and gently fell down.

"A moment shall come in your life, and it shall be the longest moment you live, because it's the moment you realise the next one will be your last, that you've reached the end of the journey. Don't be afraid; live in the moment, and you shall see before your eyes every moment lived, reminded of the road traveled and the story you have now to tell. I'm comforted in knowing that on a subway somewhere a young boy sits reading a book on his way to his first day at a new school, and soon a girl shall fall into his lap and their story shall begin and I wish them all the best. While some stories may share a similar beginning, and events, each story is unique because it is our own, each moment, we lived ourselves and with our own hands we wrote the story. Murray was right, we're all stories… and this, is how mine ends." Lucas thought as his' eyes closed and his' head dropped down although he still wore a warm bright smile from the memory of the life he lived.

Lucas opened his eyes and found himself sitting in a chair in front of Murray's desk in his classroom, his face damp from tears. Murray sat with his right leg rest up on his left knee with his notebook and a pen in his hand taking notes. He put a full stop at the end of a sentence and laid his pen down looking at Lucas.
"It was a very beautiful story. Thank you for sharing with me Lucas." Murray politely said smiling at him. "I have a few questions though, if you don't mind?" Murray insisted,
"Not at all." Lucas replied
"Riley's story, her diary, what did you end up calling it?"
"Something quick, simple, not cryptic and that clearly explained what it was about."
"Which was?"
"Girl Meets World." Lucas answered his voiced croaked a little from the lump in his throat.
"And how did it end?"
"With, Girl Meets Goodbye…" Lucas whispered, and Murray nodded,
"What of your story Lucas, how does it end?"
"Well, there was once a chapter called 'The end of a chapter', so a fitting title to the end would be, I guess, 'the end of a story."
"And in the end, are you proud, did the story you tell make you happy, and smile?" Murray asked and Lucas took a moment and then smiled proudly,
"Yeah, yeah it did." He happily answered and Murray slowly nodded.
"Good to hear Lucas, you can go now, I've kept you from them long enough." Murray insisted and Lucas stood up and slowly walked over to the door, he held onto the door handle before turning to his side allowing him to look at Murray out of the corner of his eye.
"Murray?"
"Yeah mate?"
"It's been so long, without them,"
"No, just because you couldn't see us, doesn't mean we weren't there." Murray assured him,
"But what about you, your story, in the end, were you proud, happy, were you able to smile?" Lucas asked and Murray looked down at his notes and then back at Lucas.
"Yeah mate, one day soon, we'll sit down as old friends, and it will be my turn to tell you a story, my story."
"Spoil one thing for me would you?"
"Of course,"
"Abby, did you see her again?" Lucas asked and Murray's gaze turned to the door at the opposite corner of the room, Lucas looked over and saw an older Abby standing there waiting, smiling.
"Yeah mate, at the end of my journey, we met as old friends and she was waiting to hear my story." Murray said looking back at Lucas,
"Oh, one more thing Murray"
"What's that mate?"
"Thank you, for everything" Lucas croaked, the lump in his throat makign it difficult to speak.
"You're most certainly welcome Lucas" Murray concluded, Lucas who now had the confidence to open the door and walk out. He walked into the Matthew's apartment and found Cory, Topanga, Auggie, Ava, Maya, Josh, Farkle and Smackle and Zay all seated around the dining table. They turned and welcomed him with warm smiles; how he'd missed them,
"Hello everyone, sorry for keeping you all waiting." Lucas began,
"Are you going to stand there, or come in and close the door?" Cory asked proudly smiling at him. Lucas closed the door behind him as he walked over to them, standing a few steps away from Cory,
"Hey Dad," he whispered tenderly,
"Hey son," Cory replied,
"You look well,"
"And so do you"
"I don't mean to be rude, but where is, she?"
"She's where the sun shine's brightest, where she always waits to meet you." Cory said, Lucas smiled.
"I think this time, I'll use the door." Lucas insisted,
"Go to her Lucas, it's time you, and I think you've both been apart long enough,"
"She never left my side Dad," Lucas insisted and Cory nodded. Lucas quietly and gently walked to Riley's room. He slowly turned the door handle and opened the door. Quietly he stepped and there in the rays of sunshine, she sat in the bay window, like a painting, staring out at the world. "Riley," Lucas whispered time seemed to slow down as she turned and looked him, and there it was, her smile that seemed to out shine the sun itself. Lucas' was filled with warm, his heart with love and his eyes with tears.
"Lucas," she whispered back, he walked into her room and closed the door behind himself.
"It's been awhile, I've missed you," he stated,
"And I've missed you," she assured him.
"Have you been watching?" he asked as he slowly approached the bay window.
"No, I'd rather hear you tell me your story, I like listening to the stories you tell me."
"Well then Riles, I got a story to tell you,"
"Promise you won't leave anything out?"
"Of course not,"
"So then, how does it begin?" Riley asked and gently Lucas kissed her on the lips, something he had missed for what seemed a lifetime, and before he answered he rested his forehead against hers, the tips of noses just touched and ray of shine sun poked through as they smiled and looked deep into one another's eyes.
"Well, it started one day, in a single moment, when a girl fell into my lap on the subway." Lucas whispered, and there in the warmth and protection of the bay window, Lucas shared with Riley the story he had to tell, from the life he lived, with her, and without.

Author's Note: Well, guys, here we are. At the end of the story; while yes, I could've told you all about their travels, the places they went and the sights they saw. That wasn't necessarily the story I wanted to tell, but I think I'll leave it up to your imagination, because it's a nice thought. I'd like to thank you all for your support, your messages, critizism and kind words. I was so nervous when I first started uploading chapters and in truth had low confidence in myself and my writing abilities, but through this experience and thanks to you all, I find myself more eager then ever to continue writing, to continue writing FanFiction, and to continue working hard on getting my works published and getting into the Writing Industry. I hope that you enjoyed this ending, as always please leave a review and feel free to message me, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it ended. I truly do hope Girl Meets World continues and is renewed, because I'd like to be inspired a second time to write another FanFiction (and I'm not ready for it to be over), but for now: thanks again, love you all.

-Brayden L