Hi, guys! I'm really sorry I took so long with this chapter, but it was kind of a hard one to write. This is a really deep chapter, and deep, emotional chapters often are hard to write.

This is probably one of the longest chapters, too. It took up five pages in Google Docs.

I want to say another extra-special thank you to everyone who's favorited, commented, and are following this story. And for everyone who's wanting me to update my other stories, I'm working on it.

Here are a couple of videos you probably should listen to that go with this story: unfortunately the links just disappeared, even with the spaces I put, so here's what to look for:

the Revelation Song Phillips, Craig, and Dean

Mercy Me's I Can Only Imagine

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

6. Love

Jay tightened the knot in his navy blue tie, and straightened his black jacket. It had been awhile since he'd worn a fancy suit, or any kind of suit, for that matter. But there he was, in the church bathroom half an hour before his father's funeral was supposed to start, dressed in a black business suit.

It had been a week since his father's death, and he had accepted Zane's offer of accompanying him on the piano for the final part of the service, when he was supposed to play the songs for his dad. Jay hadn't realized how good a singer and pianist Zane was. He also was just registering how much he didn't deserve a good friend like Zane, who was always kind, helpful, comforting, and sometimes, just there, his presence quietly soothing, even when he didn't say a word.

Jay stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His sea-blue eyes were now framed by a pair of black-rimmed glasses. It was hard believing that those same eyes were once swollen and red from crying, they looked as normal as they always did. His messy ginger hair had been cut and he brushed it out the best he could, but it still looked tousled and windblown, if slightly shorter. Jay sighed. He still didn't look prepared or at all confident, judging by the look of terror clearly etched on his face.

"Jay?" Zane peeked into the bathroom. He was dressed almost identically to Jay, except he had a gray tie instead of navy blue. "We should be in the sanctuary soon," he told his friend.

Jay snapped out of his trance. "Oh, okay."

Zane gave his clearly anxious teammate a sympathetic look. "You're still nervous about the service?" he asked.

Jay nodded, not even noticing Zane's unintentional rhyme. Zane put a hand gently on Jay's shoulder. "You'll be fine, trust me," he said. "And I'll be there to help you, if something were to go wrong, which I highly doubt. You're amazing, Jay. You'll do your father proud."

Jay smiled weakly. "I hope so, Zane," he said quietly.

Zane smiled comfortingly back. "Are you ready to head out?"

Jay nodded again, then followed his Nindroid friend out toward the sanctuary.

It was decorated with mostly black, and the congregation was dressed with equal solemnity. Jay noticed Griffin Turner quietly talking with Shade in a corner of the sanctuary, and saw Chamille and Ash in deep conversation with Neuro and Karlof. He remembered how surprised the Ninja were when they bumped into their fellow Elemental Masters at a service over two years ago. They had been going to the same church for years, and they didn't even know it. Jay couldn't suppress a smile when he recalled the look on Karlof's face when Kai ran into him after Sunday service.

But then his smile faded when he noticed the seats where his parents normally sat, and his mom sat there alone, hands folded over her lap and quietly gazing at the pulpit, where Pastor Michael Miles was talking with Sensei Wu and Misako.

"Jay? You all right?" Jay started a little as Cole, Kai, Lloyd, and Nya walked up to him and Zane. Jay quickly tucked his glasses into his jacket pocket before the others saw his face. Zane gave him a questioning look, but Jay shook his head frantically for Zane not to comment.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I guess," he said in reply to Lloyd's inquiry. He forced a nervous grin. "Although, it is a funeral, so I'm not sure if I should be fine."

Nya gently put her arm around his. "You'll be great, Jay," she told him softly.

Jay's smile seemed slightly more natural as they walked toward their seats.

The funeral went by without a hitch. But as the time got closer and closer for Jay to deliver the final speaking and singing parts, he got more and more nervous. He kept telling himself to breathe and relax, but he couldn't help praying silently that he'd get through this without breaking down.

Finally, it was time. Zane gave his teammate an encouraging smile as Jay walked up toward the podium, instinctively touching the pocket where he had hidden his glasses. As he gazed out over the congregation, Jay realized that his eyes weren't focusing. He knew it would come to this, but he did have a slim hope it wouldn't.

Nya noticed that as Jay took his place at the podium, he was blinking rather rapidly. She thought it was to fight back tears, but only a few seconds later, Jay produced a pair of black-rimmed glasses out from his jacket pocket. Startled, Nya glanced over at her friends. Cole, Kai, and Lloyd looked equally surprised, but Zane just gazed placidly at the podium as Jay cleared his throat. Nya suspected Jay had already told him about his needing glasses.

Jay took in a deep breath, and exhaled as he began to speak. "Thank you all for coming," he said, and he could feel his mouth curving into an involuntary nervous grin. "I'm sure my dad would be pleased, and maybe even a little embarrassed at how many people came to fuss about him."

Some of the congregation smiled and permitted a small chuckle. Jay relaxed slightly, and he continued. "I was thinking while Pastor Michael was talking about Dad's work in the ministry, how we came to this church almost six years ago, and three Sundays after we started coming, my dad, fresh out of seminary, was offered the job as pastor. At the time, I thought it was a weird, sort of unlikely, circumstance, but now I think it was God's hand at work in our lives, and it spread to both here at church, and outside it.

"We all know how my dad to the plunge into the ministry, with a willing and cheerful attitude, and glorifying God all the way. He did his job with wholeheartedly, and maybe even a little more, with all the Bible studies he set up, the mission trips, and starting up our new youth ministry. He was a man after God's heart, I like to think.

"And now all his work here is done, and he's face-to-face with the One he served. That's why we're here, and that's what we're remembering and celebrating today."

Jay felt his voice cracking, so he quickly swallowed before continuing. "Though, a funeral is probably the last place you'd expect us to be celebrating, and it's definitely okay if you don't feel like it. No one does, really, since we're grieving over the loss of a friend, leader, and family. I've been doing that a lot this past week. But we don't want it to get to the point where all we're doing is obsessing over his death. That's not what God wants, and that's definitely not what my dad would want. I know his passing left a huge hole in some of us. . ." He trailed off, seeing his mother's soft brown eyes filled with tears as she gazed up at him.

Jay felt tears welling up in his own eyes. He involuntarily smiled again as he released a weak laugh. "Oh, no. I promised myself I wouldn't cry." He sniffled, then he said, "I just want to say this." He gazed up toward the ceiling, remembering his dad's smiling face as he spoke. "I love you, Dad. Thank you for everything, and, um . . . I'll see you later." He felt his voice cracking again, but he managed to squeak, "That's all I want to say."

He couldn't stop the tears from spilling across his cheeks as he scooted quickly away from the podium. Sensei Wu took his place. "Now, before the casket is carried out to the cemetery for the internment, it was Ed's request that his son, Jay," he nodded to Jay, who had taken his coat off and was scrubbing at his eyes "-perform a couple of his favorite hymns. Jay will be accompanied by his friend, Zane Julien-" Zane appeared almost instantaneously next to Jay "-on the piano and backup vocals, while Jay plays the guitar and lead vocals."

Nya's eyes widened in surprise. So that was the secret her boyfriend and Zane had been keeping all week! Judging by the startled looks of her brother and teammates, they hadn't heard about this either. Their eyes were fixed on the stage as Jay and Zane took their positions, Zane at the piano, Jay with a blue electric guitar.

As Jay stared, terrified, first at the sheet music in front of him, then at the watching congregation, Zane gently tapped the side of the piano to get his attention. When he turned around, Zane gave him an encouraging smile and a thumb's-up. "Relax," he mouthed silently. "Let God guide your voice."

While the majority of his mind heaved a mental sigh of relief, the fearful part of Jay's brain was constantly repeating the signal he and his friend had developed, in case of emergency. If he felt his voice cracking in the middle of singing, Jay would tap his music stand with his foot, cueing Zane to sing louder to provide lead vocals.

"Okay," he murmured quietly. "God, please get me through this. I need Your help. I can't do this alone."

Then, after making sure his microphone was working, he addressed the congregation. "So the two songs I picked were two of Dad's favorites. You're all probably really familiar with them, since we've sang them here at church multiple times: the Revelation Song, and I Can Only Imagine. The lyrics will be projected on the-" he racked his brains trying to remember what the screen thing lyrics were projected on during services was called.

Zane tapped the piano again, and mouthed, "Wing it." Apparently he didn't remember what it was called either.

"-the giant screen thingy," Jay finished lamely. The congregation laughed, and Jay's startled look turned into a small smile. "Is there an official name for that thing yet?"

"There probably is, and we'll let you know when we find out!" Griffin Turner called from the audience, followed by another wave of laughter.

Jay was feeling less tense now. "You can either just read the lyrics and sing in your head, or you can sing out loud. As for me and Zane-" he gestured to his Nindroid friend, who waved from his spot on the piano bench "-we'll be singing out loud."

Another outbreak of giggling from the congregation. Jay smiled, then, glancing at his sheet music, gave Zane a nod. Zane readied his fingers for playing, then returned the nod. After adjusting a few levers and buttons with his foot, Jay began playing, closely followed by Zane.

The two friends played like they'd been music partners for years, the sound of the guitar bringing out just the right piano notes, and the piano's tune amplifying the guitar's voice.

Then, as the first verse of the Revelation Song appeared on the projection screen, Jay and Zane started to sing. "Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain . . . Holy, Holy is He . . . Sing a new song, to him who sits on . . . heaven's mercy seat . . ."

Cole, Kai, Lloyd, and Nya were completely dumbstruck by their teammates' musical and vocal talent. Jay's higher voice and Zane's semi-metallic, slightly lower voice were as evenly balanced at their instruments. They both carried equal emotion to their performance, but they sounded less and less like they were playing for an audience, and more and more like they were simply, wholeheartedly, worshipping God.

Nya was the first member of the congregation to join Jay and Zane, standing up in her seat as they began the chorus. "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty! Who was, and is, and is to come!" She was soon followed by her brother, then her two other teammates. "With all creation I sing, praise to the King of Kings! You are my everything, and I will adore You!"

By this time, Sensei Wu, Misako, Edna, and their fellow Elemental Masters in the congregation were singing, no, praising, with Jay and Zane, who sang and played like they'd never done before.

"Clothed in rainbows, of living color . . . Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder . . ." As Jay and Zane continued to sing, more and more of the congregation were singing with them, standing with shining eyes and arms raised heavenward. Some were standing with their eyes closed and their lips mouthing the words in pure rapture.

As she sang, Jay noticed Jay's expression as he strummed his guitar and sang. His eyes were closed, and silent tears were coursing down his cheeks. He seemed swept away, either in memories of his father, or in glorifying God. Whichever one it might have been, it deeply touched Nya, and she knew for certain that the man she loved was a devoted and faithful Christian.

"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty! Who was, and is, and is to come!" Jay and Zane sang the final chorus. "With all creation I sing, praise to the King of Kings! You are my everything, and I will adore You!"

When the song ended, it was very hard for the congregation to hold their applause, knowing that a second song was to follow the first.

Jay knew that I Can Only Imagine would be the hardest one for him to play. It wasn't because the music would be challenging, he would only be singing this time. It was because he would end up breaking down in tears in the middle of the chorus, it reminded him so well, and so painfully, of his dad. He had never successfully finished practicing the song, and since he was the solo singer, Zane had to be prepared to take over the vocals from his friend at any moment.

When Jay had switched his guitar out for a microphone, he took a quick drink of water out of the bottle at his feet. He shot Zane a nervous glance. Zane mimed breathing, and gave Jay a second thumb's-up.

Jay exhaled deeply, pushing his glasses up on his face as he took a quick look at his lyrics sheet. Then, praying his voice would survive to the end of the chorus, he started singing. "I can only imagine, what it will be like, when I walk, by Your side . . ."

Zane's playing was slightly softer, loud enough to be distinctly heard, but quiet enough to give Jay's voice the spotlight. "I can only imagine," Jay sang, squeezing his eyes shut as an image of his father, smiling kindly at him and standing next to a bright, glowing figure appeared in his head, "what my eyes will see, when Your face is before me . . ."

The entire congregation had fallen silent, drinking in the words, and, in their own minds, picturing almost identical images to the one in Jay's head.

"Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?" Jay sang, feeling more tears running down his face, desperately trying to keep his voice steady. "Will I dance for You, Jesus, or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing 'hallelujah,' will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine . . . I can only imagine . . ."

Jay's voice gave way, and he tapped his foot against the music stand. He pulled the microphone away from his lips so the congregation couldn't hear his crying magnified.

Zane took over with some difficulty, recollections of his own father coming back to him in a flood of memories. "I can only imagine, when that day comes," Zane felt warm tears sliding down his metal cheeks, "and I find myself, standing with the Son . . ."

Zane was able to carry the song to the end of the third chorus, until he found himself breaking down in tears. Jay, who had recovered somewhat sufficiently by this time, quickly took his microphone back up to finish the song. "I can only imagine, when all I will do," Jay sang, letting his open eyes blur with tears behind his glasses, "is forever, forever worship You . . . I can only imagine . . . I can only imagine . . ."

I know you're there, Dad, Jay thought as the congregation applauded him and Zane loudly, some crying and blowing their noses through their cheering. He saw his mother's eyes spilling over with tears, and his teachers Wu and Misako were equally moved. Nya was crying into her brother's shoulder, and Kai, Cole, and Lloyd applauded their teammates with shining, tear-filled eyes. As he and Zane hugged each other tightly through their tears, Jay thought, You're with Him now. And I hope it's better than you ever imagined.

This chapter is dedicated to you, Dad. Even though you drive me crazy, I still love you.

#God's Not Dead!