A/N: So... this is the end. Thank you so much for every one who reviewed. It made me so happy that you took the time to read and review this story. I hope you enjoy this final chapter and I hope to be back with another fanfic soon :) Thank you!

Chapter 27: Now

It had been almost five years since it happened. Santana hadn't yet moved on from Matt and was still single. She rented a small apartment not far away from her parent's house and earned her money as a barmaid in a rundown pub on the outskirts of Lima.

Rachel had given up on her Broadway dream. She didn't even attempt to make it, instead giving up singing all together as it made her too sad. Singing just made her think of all the amazing people she had lost and the last time she had sung had been at the memorial service when she, Kurt and Santana had done a performance of one sweet day by Mariah Carey and Boyz to Men. She had many part time jobs including hairdressing, working in shops and teaching piano.

Kurt had stayed at home and was still living there. It had been hard at first, living under the same roof as Carole knowing she probably wished it was Finn instead of Kurt that had returned home. But after a while they began to function as a sort of family. Obviously there was a big chunk of that family missing but they tried to make it work. Kurt earned his keep by working in his dad's shop with him. He didn't care about wearing the hideous overalls anymore and he didn't care about the dirt. He just cared about the people he had left and he made sure that he cherished every moment he had with them.

Puck had only just managed to make it out of the whole ordeal alive and for a few points during his life saving surgery the doctors were sure he wasn't going to make it. But he pulled through, although now he suffered breathing difficulties and he had earned himself a few scars from the bullets. He lived with Rachel and they were on/off dating. Though neither of them would admit it, they needed each other. Admittedly their relationship wasn't ideal for either of them but it was the best they could have.

Every year on the week that it happened they would meet up. The first year anniversary had been the hardest. They didn't know what to say to each other and ended up sat down by the gravestones sobbing into each other's arms.

Three days before they were due to meet up for the five year anniversary Kurt received a phone call from Santana.

"I read it"

Kurt knew exactly what she meant. The letter. The letter that Matt had given to Kurt just before he left. The letter that Santana had been too scared to read for the past five years.

"He loved me Kurt." She sighed and held back the tears that were forming. "Can I bring someone this year? I'd really like you to meet him."

Kurt spoke for the first time since he answered the phone. "Yes umm, of course Santana. Dad and Carole may be coming along with me so I don't see why not."

"Yeah thanks" she replied before cutting off.

Santana hadn't wanted to read the letter because she thought it would bring back too many memories but she had to. For Matt. For the last five years she had kept it locked in a small box with all the things that reminded her of Matt. Photos of him, little love notes he had written to her, presents he had bought her. She kept the key for the box on a chain round her neck for safe keeping and had decided that this year she was going to read it.

Santana,
I'm really no good with letters and emotions and all that but I needed to say bye to you properly. If you're reading this then I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let you down and I'm sorry that I didn't come back. Please just know that I tried, I would have tried to stay alive, to be with you. If I had to I would have died to save you, so that you could get out. So you better have got out. I know you're strong so you'll be fine without me, but me, I'm not like you, I'm weak and I don't think I could live without you so I won't. I've already lost so much this week and I know you have too but you are too special to die so young, you have an amazing life ahead of you. So go out and live it. Make me proud.

I love you San, forever and always.

The last sentence had choked her more than ever. He loved her, she had loved him but they were both too stubborn to admit it right up until it was too late. They ended their relationship because of some stupid drunken fling Santana had but she was sorry and he forgave her. Why couldn't they see that before?

Honestly Kurt was a bit surprised when Santana had called. Usually the four of them just met up, none of them did much talking and then they would not talk to each other again until the next year. They all exchanged phone numbers but they were never used.

She had asked to bring someone but who? She said 'him'; does that mean she got a new boyfriend? She hadn't had one since Matt and maybe she had finally moved on. But wouldn't it be a bit strange to bring your boyfriend to your ex boyfriends grave?

Three days later and Santana put on a knee length yellow dress and the heart necklace Matt had bought her on their first date. She always wore yellow on the anniversary because it was Matt's favourite colour.

When she arrived at the cemetery Kurt, Puck and Rachel were already there. Kurt and Puck were dressed in classic black suits with black tie and white shirt and Rachel wore a floor length black dress with her hair falling loosely at her shoulders. They were stood by Finn's grave stone and Rachel was leaning into Puck's side whilst his hand was slid supportively around her shoulders. Kurt stood behind them with Burt and Carole Hummel both dressed traditionally in black. Burt held on to both Carole and Kurt's hands as they cried.

Santana walked over to them slowly, her guest walking alongside her, also dressed in yellow. "Hi" she said softly as she approached her friends.

Puck turned to face her and pulled her into a tight hug. "How are you Santana?" he asked, giving her a smile.

"I'm okay thank you. It's been a hard year but so has every other so we're doing fine." She replied.

"We're?" he questioned.

Santana bent down and picked up the small boy beside her. "Puck, Rachel, I'd like you to meet Nathan."

Nathan was dressed in a white shirt with a lemon yellow tie and small yellow trousers. He waved shyly at Puck and then hid his head in Santana's shoulder. Seeing the child, Kurt let go of his father's hand and walked over his friends.

"You have a child? How old is he?" Kurt asked. So this was who Santana was talking about. She hadn't got a new boyfriend, she had a son.

"He's four and a half." She answered, smiling gently at her son.

Rachel turned to face Santana, a look of confusion spread over her features. "If he's four and a half that means" She paused for a moment trying to work something out. "that means"

Santana calmly interrupted her. "He's Matt's."

Kurt stood staring at the small boy. He was adorable and upon second look he did resemble Matt. He had Santana's eyes but when he smiled it was easy to see who the father was.

"He's beautiful Santana. Matt would have been so proud." Rachel smiled in awe at Nathan.

"I know" she smiled, a tear trickled down her cheek as she kissed him softly on the head. "Matt said if we ever had a son he wanted to call him Nathan. I only wish he could have been here to see him."

"Nathan Rutherford" Kurt beamed at the little boy in Santana's arms.

Santana shook her head. "Nathan Matthew Rutherford." She held him out to Kurt who happily took the boy into his arms. Nathan wrapped his finger around Kurt's and looked him in the eyes before saying "What's your name?"

Kurt held back a tear as he held the small boy. He felt for him, Kurt had lived without a mum and now Nathan had to live without a dad. He knew firsthand how hard that was. "I'm Kurt." He replied.

"We're going to put flowers on daddy's grave Kurt. Mummy said he likes the yellow ones and they will make him happy. I'm glad my daddy will be happy." Nathan grinned at Kurt, and pulled out a small daisy from his pocket. "Mummy said I can leave this one for him. She said daddy likes this one."

Kurt put Nathan on the floor and watched as he grabbed Santana's hand and asked her where he should put the flower. They walked over to Matt's grave and he placed the flower down on the ground. After a few minutes he walked back over to Kurt.

"Kurt, mummy said can you take me to Uncle Mike's? She wanted to stay and talk to daddy. I have bought Uncle Mike a flower too." Mike would have been so proud to have been called an Uncle, especially by such a precious little child. Poor Nathan was missing out on a lot of people who would have loved him.

Kurt held out his hand and led him over to Mike's grave where Nathan got out another daisy and placed it at the foot of the grave stone.

Rachel stood at the foot of Quinn's grave as Puck stroked the indented words in the stone. "A beautiful daughter, a beautiful friend and now a beautiful angel. Quinn Fabray 1994-2009". As Rachel watched him crying she knew that Puck still had feelings for Quinn, strong feelings. She felt the same about Finn and she had no doubt in her mind that she always would. She left Puck to be alone with his thoughts and walked over to where Kurt stood. Nathan offered her his hand, which she gladly took in her own.

Santana knelt before Matt's grave, whilst she softly spoke to him. "Matt, I read the letter you wrote. After five years I finally read it and I love you too, still after all this time. And we have a son Matt, you'd love him, you really would. Nathan, he looks just like you, has your smile. He's beautiful. Your parents love him; we visit them at least once a week. Sit down and have dinner as a family. Me, Nathan, my parents, your parents and your brothers. There's only one thing missing Matt and that's you. I've never told anyone this before, only Rachel, Puck and Kurt know, but I killed Brittany. She killed you and Finn, then she came back to try and kill us. She had me at gun point."

Tears trickled down Santana's cheeks as the two girls both lifted their guns. Santana's gun was now pressed against Brittany's skull and Brittany's was pushed into Santana's back. It was simply a matter of who pulled the trigger first.

Brittany smirked murderously at Santana and Rachel had curled herself closer to Puck, terrified at what was about to happen. Kurt was frozen where he stood, his eyes transfixed on the gun that was just millimetres away from Santana's back.

Santana's eyes were focused solely on Brittany, everything else in the room was just a blur of colour. Thinking of all the happy memories her and Brittany had shared, she was unable to pull the trigger. It was only when her eyes became locked again with Brittany's that she remembered. The pain, the torture Brittany had put them through. This was not the same girl she had used to play on the swings with, not the same girl who she used to hold pinkie's with when they walked through the corridors.

Brittany's mind was working in the same way as Santana's. She thought momentarily of childhood memories the two girls had shared from eating cookies in Santana's kitchen to playing with Barbie's out on the lawn. But then her mind flashed to killing, the thrill, the excitement, the blood, the adrenaline. The fear that she created in people's eyes. She could make a person tremble with just a grin. She stared intently at Santana as both girls clasped their hands more firmly onto their weapons.

Rachel's eyes squeezed shut as the sound of the gun shot echoed around the room. It had taken all of a second for the cheerleaders' fates to be sealed.

Santana snapped her eyes shut as she watched Brittany's face morph with pain. Although she had been the cause of that pain and though Brittany deserved this, she couldn't bring herself to watch. Blood dripped freely from the back of the blond girl's head as she fell to the floor, her hand reaching up to Santana in an plea for help. She clutched the back of her head with her other hand, in an attempt to stop the blood, but then she stopped. She stopped moving, she stopped struggling, she stopped breathing.

Kurt fell to the floor feeling both relieved and shocked, knowing that if Santana had acted just half a second later it would be her on the floor. Puck, who was now struggling to stay conscious clung tightly onto Rachel who still hadn't opened her eyes. Brittany lay dead on the floor surrounded by a pool of her own blood. Santana stood rooted to the spot, staring down at the body of her once best friend.

"I was going to let her kill me, to be with you, but I knew I was pregnant. I thought the baby could be my second chance, and he was. He is my second chance." She rested a large bouquet of yellow roses by the foot of Matt's grave. "I love you Matthew Rutherford, forever and always." She whispered as she stood up and walked back over to her friends.

"We're going to be okay" Kurt smiled. "All of us, we're going to be okay"

The group went over to a bench in the shadow of a large oak tree. It was a memorial bench for the friends they had lost. Burt held Carole in his arms, by the tree. They both thought of Finn and wished he could have been there with them. Santana sat on the bench, Nathan on her lap, and thought of Matt. As a tear trickled down her cheek, she squeezed Nathan closer to her. Beside her sat Puck and Rachel, both remembering someone else, but holding each other's hands as though they only loved each other. And the truth was, they did love each other. But, all the while, Quinn and Finn never left their minds. Kurt thought of many people; Mercedes, Finn, Tina, Artie. He missed everyone, and not a day went by when he didn't think about them. The smallest things would trigger memories; the good memories, but also the heartbreakingly bad ones.

Engraved upon the bench was a message. A message that made the survivors cry as they read it, a message that reminded them of the heart warming moments they had shared:

To all our friends: we have gone from loving you in our presence to loving you in your absence. Though you are gone you still live on in our hearts.