-1Hi everyone! So this is it, the end of Gutterflower, finally! I just wanted to take a sec and thank everyone who read and reviewed, this wouldn't have been finished without any of you, so I hope you all enjoyed it!

You Never Know

Was it you who told me I'm your everything?

Jimmy Brooks graduated on an unseasonably warm day in May.

In the preceding days, he was forced to work like a madman. There were weeks of missed work to make up, scholarship applications to fill out, dorm supplies to be bought. Much to his surprise, every school he'd applied to had accepted him, despite him no longer being of any use on an athletic team.

He would start a new chapter of his life in the fall. Oddly enough, Paige would be beside him - they'd both had the same first choice, and both been accepted. Jimmy had spoken to his roommate twice on the phone and was excited to meet the guy. They shared an acute interest in sports, although Ethan leaned towards football and lacrosse while Jimmy would always put basketball first.

The coach had contacted Jimmy two days after his acceptance letter arrived in the mail. It turned out, he'd been scouting Jimmy before the shooting. He was sorry to hear about the incident, but if Jimmy was interested, there was an assistant coaching position available and they sure could use someone with his expertise on the team.

Of course, Jimmy had jumped at the opportunity. If coaching was as close as he could get to playing, he'd take it and be happy. It wasn't so hard to be happy nowadays.

"Jimmy?" Claire's pen hit the legal pad three times. "Jimmy, what are you thinking about?"

He shook his head to clear it. "Oh, sorry. I zoned out for a minute."

"It's fine," she allowed, knowing exactly where his head had been. "I'd be excited, too, if I had graduation tomorrow. But I have real patients to see soon, the kind who pay. So? How did it all work out? I've been dying of suspense."

"It worked out ... even better than I could have planned," Jimmy answered, giving her the first genuine smile in the entire time they'd known each other. "She was waiting for me at The Dot just like Emma'd said she would be. And I just ... looked at her and knew I was doing the right thing.

"I told her I was sorry for all the stupid stuff that I did, that I never meant to hurt her. And I told her ... I told her I loved her," Jimmy said simply. "That was all. Turned out she loves me, too, so I guess things are looking up."

"I guess so." Claire set her pen down and sat back in her chair, steepling her fingers. "You know, I have to say, Jimmy, I'm impressed. When I first met you, I could see your potential right away, but there was a long time where I didn't think you had it in you to make it through."

Unoffended, he leaned forward to divulge the secret of his success. "That's because it wasn't in me. It was her."

"Surely you can't truly believe that a girl is the reason you were able to regain use of your legs," she protested, a woman of science. "It doesn't compute, Jimmy."

"Oh, I made it happen. But I would've been able to do that eventually no matter what. Manny's the one who gave me a reason to want to, that's all. She's why I'm standing here - literally," he chuckled. "Trust me. It was her."

XXX

Manny Santos was there the day Jimmy Brooks changed Degrassi's history forever.

Actually, she had a front row seat, having arrived about an hour before the ceremony was set to begin. The opening speeches - one from the mayor, one from Raditch, three from random class officers, Liberty included, one from the valedictorian, and finally, one from Jimmy himself.

Raditch had the honor of introducing him. "As I'm sure you're all aware, this year was one of the most challenging in Degrassi's history. Fortunately, the spirit of the school and the kids prevailed. This is most exemplified in one of our graduates today, Jimmy Brooks.

"Injured in the shooting in March, Jimmy has made a remarkable recovery and regained full use of his legs. Before accepting his diploma today, Jimmy has agreed to say a few words, so I hope you'll all join me in giving him a round of applause."

Jimmy, who'd been granted a seat of honor amongst the town's political figures at the back of the stage, stepped up to the podium amidst the clapping. "Thank you, Mr. Raditch. Um. I know you've all probably heard a lot about the shooting, but I'd like to set the record straight about a few things.

"For one thing, Rick wasn't crazy. He wasn't sick, or mentally ill, or any other excuse the media invented to explain his actions. He was just a kid. And he was tired of being made fun of. And he was hurting." Jimmy scanned the crowd of caps and gowns, found Spinner's eyes. "So he did something about it. It wasn't the right thing, not even close, but ... I forgave him a long time ago."

When he was sure his friend understood the message, Jimmy moved on. "And for another thing ... I'm not the hero I've been made out to be. I may have been hurt, and I may have moved on from it, but there's so much more to the story than that.

"There's Sean Cameron, another graduate today, who wrestled the gun from Rick to save the lives of other students." In the audience, Emma squeezed Sean's hand and he returned the pressure. "And Craig Manning, a friend of mine, who found me and alerted the paramedics. Without him, I probably wouldn't be where I am today." Craig's eyes flew to his and he nodded once, sealing the truce.

"There's the doctors and nurses who made it possible for me to get the help I needed. My family, who stood by me even when I thought I didn't want them there. And there's someone else who helped save my life, someone you probably haven't heard much about. Manny Santos."

There was a collective murmur in the crowd as they reacted to that news. Manny ducked her head, a blush working its way from her collarbone to her cheeks as, slowly, a hundred pairs of eyes turned to her.

"I tell her every day, but I don't think she'll ever truly understand what she did for me," Jimmy told the crowd. "The doctors may have given me the means to get well, but she gave me the motivation. And my only hope for the members of the class of 2006 is this:

"That you find a way to overcome adversity, no matter how it finds you. That you be forced to struggle, that you face obstacles and setbacks every day and, because of them, you appreciate everything you have all the more. That one day, you find someone that gives you the passion and the drive to succeed, to turn a disaster into a blessing, a failure into the best thing that's ever happened to you."

The audience surged to its feet on a wave of applause and cheers. Raditch had to shout into the microphone his next words, "Ladies and gentlemen, Degrassi's finest, Jimmy Brooks."

Holding his head high, Jimmy crossed the stage to the mayor, his steps small but sure. The mayor gripped his hand for an extra second, congratulating him on a job well done, but Jimmy barely heard. All of his attention was fixed on Manny, who stood just beyond the mayor waiting for him, eyes shining with love.

"All the best, son," the mayor finished, finally relinquishing Jimmy's diploma.

"Thank you, sir, thanks very much."

Jimmy paused to switch his tassel from left to right and then, diploma in hand, walked straight into Manny's waiting arms and into his future.