Wow.

It's the last chapter ever in the Emily Bolton series.

...It's like having your baby grow up and go off to college.

Okay, so maybe that's a little over dramatic.

Enjoy!

Charlie stared at her house. It had begun pouring down rain nearly an hour ago, but she didn't care. She sat across the street on the sidewalk, looking at the empty and dark house.

They weren't even there. Isn't someone always supposed to stay behind in case the runaway comes back or calls or something? She shivered, feeling even more soaked to the bone than ever.

After she had bolted from her friends, she felt a mixture of relief, grief, anger, and frustration. Relief -- that she finally voiced her opinions, grief -- for her grandmother, who Charlie now realized she never left herself grieve for, anger -- what else was new?, and frustration -- with Landon.

But relief became overwhelming. All the screaming had awakened her vocal chords and she felt like talking. However, no one was home. No one to talk to.

"CHARLOTTE?" someone yelled over the din of the storm. "IS THAT YOU?"

"Uncle Troy?" Charlie called quietly, shivering even more.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" He ran over to her. "Your parents and your friends have been worried sick. We've been all over town looking for you!" He wrapped his jacket around her. "Why are you sitting across the street?"

"No one's home," she replied simply, as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet.

Her uncle let out a sigh, his bright blue eyes rolling as he grabbed her arm gently. "I swear, if you aren't Emily's child..." he muttered.

"CHARLIE!" Andrew laughed and gave her a bear hug. "It's about time you joined the party."

"Andrew," Gabriella said sternly, sending him an equally stern look.

"What?" he asked innocently, letting Charlie go.

"Not. Now," his mother replied.

Charlie looked around the room at all the concerned faces staring back at her. Suddenly another concerned face walked into the room. Charlie caught sight of Landon and felt her heart break all over again.

"I'm just...gonna head upstairs. I'm tired," she said quickly before storming up the stairs and slamming her door shut, locking it behind her.

Landon sighed and stared at the ground. "I should just head home."

"Wait!" Izzie said and pulled him aside. "I know how to get Charlie back."

Charlotte stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her curly brown hair was pinned half-up with the rest of her hair falling behind her shoulders. She was dressed simply in a plain black skirt that was cut just above the knee, with a white dress shirt.

Her brown eyes still looked dull and lifeless, but she really didn't want to care. A mixture of sadness over her grandmother and the emptiness of her broken heart had left her quiet, but not completely cut off. She was slowly starting to enjoy being a living, breathing creature that was tuned into the world around her. Surprisingly, she found it to be a much better alternative. Although she was forced back into thoughts about Landon.

After a couple of fitful nights of sleep, she had come to terms with the fact that she missed him and wanted him back desperately. But her mother was too fragile, emotionally, right now. Charlie just couldn't risk it. She had to protect her mother from a path of pain and fear that she had already taken as a teenager.

So much for "these are the best years of your life".

"Charlie, come on! It's time to go!"

She sighed and grabbed her purse before heading downstairs into the sea of black that was her family. Mounds of food filled the counters and shelves, flowers filled up every free window and corner. The smells of food and floura were mixing in a nauseating way that made her stomach churn even more. Emily walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder, leading her out of the house to the car.

Troy, Andrew, and Gabriella climbed into their car to meet them at the church. Charlie, Emily, Chad and Nate climbed into the other vehicle and drove behind them.

It was quiet in the car, and Charlie stared outside the windows. It was a gray and muggy morning, which seemed to read everyone's thoughts on the inside and portray them into the atmosphere, revealing the painful truth inside of everyone. Charlie, even though they were in Texas, felt cold. Colder than she'd ever felt before. It radiated from her insides and froze her to the tips of her fingers and toes. The funeral for her grandmother was being held in Albuquerque, but there was a memorial service in town that some cancer survivor had insisted on having at her church, so before they flew out for New Mexico tomorrow morning at some ungodly hour, the Boltons and Danforths shipped themselves out to get a little taste of the sadness they would brave through tomorrow.

"Stop fidgeting," Charlie heard Izzie say. She rounded the corner into the thickly carpeted sanctuary to see Izzie, looking gorgeous as ever, trying to smooth down Travis's collar. "I can't get it to stay down if you keep picking at it, babe."

"Babe?" Charlie blurted hoarsely. "Are you two together, or what?"

Izzie and Travis's eyes widened to the size of softballs. They both began stammering incomprehensible strings of words that seemed to be excuses or explainations. Finally Izzie hit him lightly on the chest and turned to her best friend. "Charlie, we weren't trying to keep it from you. We were just going to tell you when you were...well, more..." Izzie trailed off, struggling to find words.

"Emotionally stable," Travis finished. Izzie only smacked him across the arm.

"I understand," Charlie replied. "And I think it's really cute. You two were totally made for each other." She smiled at her friends.

"This totally won't get in the way of our friendship, if that's what you're thinking," Izzie quickly added.

"Of course not." Charlie smiled. "I have to go mingle. I'll talk to you lovebirds later." She hugged Izzie and Travis and gracefully glided through the crowd.

Izzie exchanged glances with Travis. "She's dying on the inside."

"Yup," Travis agreed.

Emily walked up behind Charlie, who was staring at a picture of Laura in her younger days. She gently put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and leaned down to her ear. "She wouldn't approve of this, you know."

"The service?" Charlie continued to stare at the picture.

"No. Your attitude."

Charlie whipped around to look at her mom. "What do you mean?"

Emily sighed. "Honey, Grandma never approved of Chad until we got on better terms. Even then she was a bit critical of him at times. I know how annoying and frustrating that is, and I would never wish it on my daughter." Emily stroked Charlie's hair. "And your father was just a little upset about old memories when he yelled at you about Landon."

"It doesn't matter. You're right. He could hurt me," she said quietly. Her heart throbbed at his name. Why did her mom have to talk about this right now?

"No. He couldn't. He must really like you since he left school early to come and tell your father exactly why he deserved to date you without these preconceived notions we had." Emily smiled.

"He talked to dad?" Charlie asked in astonishment. Her father was pretty intimidating.

"He did. And then he came over and talked to me. He's very polite. I like him." Emily grinned. "Good husband material."

"Mom, I don't think Landon and I are gonna work out. He probably won't even speak to me..." Charlie shook her head.

Emily pouted. "Well, if that's what you think...I guess I'll just have to trust you." She kissed her daughter's cheek. "But Grandma would still want you to get out of this sad mood and live life. I know she would."

Charlie nodded. "Okay, Mom." She smiled weakly.

"Come on. The service is about to start. We need to get seated." Emily led her daughter to the church pew reserved for them. Charlie started shuffling down and Emily went to follow her but was stopped by a hand on her arm. She looked up to see Chad.

"I'm sorry about what I said. Charlie just reminds me so much of you, and seeing her hurt like that reminded me of our high school years. Those years were the worst of my life, Em. I didn't want to live them again."

"I know, Chad. I didn't want to live them either." She smiled softly at her husband.

"So am I forgiven?" His eyes looked hopeful.

"Of course." She smiled wider and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Emily."

"I love you, too." She felt his hand slide from its grip on her arm and down to grasp her hand. Emily went to take her seat but the hand pulled her back and Chad kissed her on the lips before letting her sit down.

Charlie smiled at her parents, at what they had. She couldn't help but think if she and Landon would have turned out like that. Would they have lasted forever, completely and totally happy with each other for the rest of their lives? No, she thought. We can't think those thoughts.

Her mother scooted closer to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her daughter. Surprising to Charlie, Emily hadn't pushed her away during this whole tragedy -- she pulled her closer. She loved it, really. Emily shifted her arm around her daughter and images flashed before Charlie's eyes.

Landon holding her closer during a chilly night at the baseball field, them laughing at some lame joke he had told, Charlie pushing some hair out of his gorgeous green eyes, the adorable way he over-apologized for being late, the way his soft lips felt against hers...

They moved silently and in some sort of slow motion. All the happy memories she shared with Landon, the boy she loved. Charlie felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Thank God her grandmother provided an excuse for them.

"You look like you could use a shoulder to cry on," someone whispered in her ear.

She jumped slightly and turned to see him there, extremely handsome in his crisp dress shirt, sports jacket and slacks. His green eyes pierced into hers with a sadness that surprised her.

"Landon? What are you doing here?" She stood and walked into the aisle to stand in front of him.

"You never were good at handling sadness." He caressed her cheek. "I knew you'd need someone. I was hoping...I could be that someone."

"You're the only one who knows me well enough to be that someone," she whispered, the tears in her eyes making it harder to see his.

And just like that, their lips collided in a mixture of passion and apology. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and he knotted his fingers in her hair at the base of her neck. They stood there, kissing, and time slowed down. Seconds became minutes and minutes became hours.

After what seemed like months, Landon pulled away gently, his eyes smoldering. "Your parents are okay with this," he whispered. "Can I please have another chance?"

She bit her lip and looked into his eyes for a minute. His hand, still in her hair, pulled her forehead closer until his own forehead was touching hers. "Please?" he whispered.

She licked her lips. "Of course you can," she replied.

Landon pulled her closer to comfort her. "Shh. It's okay, babe."

Charlie buried her head in his shoulder, not wanting to see Laura's picture anymore. Landon rubber her back gently. The speaker droned on and on about her grandmother, but Charlie couldn't hear any of it. She didn't want to. But she felt better with Landon's shoulder beneath her, protecting her, comforting her.

Maybe falling in love with your bitter rival wasn't such a bad thing after all.

I thought this chapter might NEVER end. But aghh, the series is over. It's sorta depressing.

There will be an epilogue. Don't worry. But don't expect it to be posted right away. My Call It Coincidence and Sibling Rivalry fans are waiting!

Please review! Tell me if there's anything you'd like resolved in the epilogue. I don't want anyone to feel like I didn't wrap up a storyline.

Thanks again!