Here is is. The FINAL chapter. Even though the title of this story has nothing to do with daylight savings, I thought it appropriate that I'm posting the final chapter of Fall Back on the day we return to standard time. That happened by accident. There was no way I could have planned that.

Like I told you it would be, this chapter is quite short. I hope you like it anyways. Enjoy!

I don't own South Park.

Fall Back

Chapter 9: Someday

November, 2011

"I've known Eric and Wendy since we were kids, and if you'd told me back then that someday they'd be married, I'd have told you you were crazy. And if you'd told me that I'd be giving the best man's toast at their wedding, I'd have asked for some of whatever you were smoking."

Kyle paused for the scattered laughter. He glanced at Stan, who just smiled and rolled his eyes.

"But a lot has changed since we were kids," Kyle continued. "Eric and Wendy became a couple in May of 2001. That may not seem all that long ago, so in order to give you all a little perspective, I've compiled a short list to remind you of what was going on ten years ago." Kyle cleared his throat, digging a folded sheet of notebook paper from the back pocket of his pants. "Just after our class graduated, Here's to the Night by Eve 6 was released, and has been played at every South Park High graduation since. Destiny's Child added the word 'bootylicious' to our vocabulary. In 2008, they added it to the Oxford English Dictionary." Kyle looked at Wendy. "At our senior prom, Eric and Wendy danced to Drops of Jupiter by Train."

Wendy's jaw dropped. "You remember that?" she mouthed.

"Eric and Wendy got together the year that the band Aqua broke up. Their song Barbie Doll, however, lives forever in our hearts. Savage Garden also disbanded that year, and Darren Hayes would not come out publicly for five more years after that. 'N Sync would not break up for another year, and Lance Bass would not come out of the closet until five years later, but there was never really any question there."

That line got a laugh from Kenny, although Kyle figured he was probably not laughing at his joke, but at the fact that Kyle could distinguish 'N Sync from the Backstreet Boys.

"Speaking of very public comings-out, Michael Stipe of R.E.M came out that year, but we'd have to give Rosie O'Donnel another year, Neil Patrick Harris another five years, Wanda Sykes seven years, Ricky Martin nine years, and Stan Marsh ten years."

"Kyle!" Stan cried, and Kenny cackled and slapped Stan on the back.

"Eric and Wendy got together the year that Wikipedia was launched. YouTube would not exist for another four years. Myspace had another two years to go and Facebook would come around a year after that. My family bought its first DVD player the year that Wendy and Eric got together. In case you were wondering, the first DVD we watched on it was The Emporer's New Groove, and yes, I still have it.

"A few movies that came out that year: Hedwig and the Angry Inch. No idea what that is. Kenny told me to include it. American Pie II, all the depth and emotion of its predecessor, and Stifler's mom gets a name. It's Janine. Also, Oceans Eleven, The Fast and the Furious, Black Hawk Down, and a little film called The Fellowship of the Ring. You might have heard of it.

"How long does this list go on?" the groom shouted from the wedding party table.

Kyle skimmed down his paper. "Let's see. Regis and Kathie Lee became Regis and Kelly. Remember Razor scooters? Yeah, those were popular. And, uh, everyone was saying 'Whazzup!' Oh, yeah, and something big might have happened in, like September."

The crowd laughed, and Kyle folded up his speech and tucked it into his back pocket. The list went on, but he figured it was time to go off-book.

"Other things that have changed since Eric and Wendy fell in love. Our friend Bebe has a beautiful daughter and her own art studio in Providence. Our friend Kenny teaches fourth grade at South Park Elementary, where we were taught by Mr. Garrison. He lives in the new development across town with his partner. Pretty much the only thing that's stayed the same is that Cartman is still the fattest asshole in this town."

"Hey!"

"What I'm trying to say is that no matter how much we try to control it, we grow up. Things change and life can end up surprising you. Things don't go according to plan. You don't always get what you expected. And that's the way it should be, because love can come from the most unexpected of places."

Stan beamed up at him, and Kyle winked back at him slyly.

"Hey, Jew. Quit eye-fucking Stan and wrap up your self-indulgent little speech. This is supposed to be my day."

Kyle rolled his eyes and raised his glass in the air. "So here's to two people no one ever expected to get married, let alone to each other, Mr. Eric Cartman and Ms. Wendy Testaburger."

The room applauded politely, and Kenny began chanting "Kiss, kiss, kiss!" as Kyle made his way back to his seat between Cartman and Stan. Cartman and Wendy happily obliged.

Stan squeezed Kyle's knee as he took his seat. Kyle smiled at him, then turned to look at Cartman, who was still kissing Wendy heavily.

"Slow down, you two," Bebe advised, tugging on Wendy's arm as the bride slipped her tongue shamelessly into her new husband's mouth for the world to see. "Save it for the honeymoon."

"Gross," Stan added.

"Dude," Kenny said, leaning forward to address Cartman around Stan and Kyle. "It's not customary to consummate your marriage in the reception hall in front of the in-laws."

"Look who's talking," Cartman shot back, as Wendy pulled away reluctantly. "Don't think I didn't see you and Craig slip into the bathroom during the maid of honor's toast."

Kenny didn't reply, but his dopey smile confirmed Cartman's accusation.

"You didn't listen to my toast?" Bebe asked, slightly hurt.

"Not the point," Wendy reminded her.

Kyle shook his head, grinning. This was the first time the whole group had been together since the reunion, and something about felt unmistakably right.

The past five months had been hectic for everybody. Cartman and Wendy had fought over wedding plans until Cartman caved to Wendy's every desire. They moved out of Kyle's apartment and into a modest two-bedroom house of their own. As soon as Iris was ready to travel, Bebe had moved out of her mom's house and back to her apartment in Providence. Kenny and Craig had spent most of their summer helping their neighbors out with their new baby and babysitting their ten-year-old. Once school started up again in August, Kenny told Kyle that he didn't want to see another child for the rest of his life, but Kyle knew he was lying.

As for Kyle and Stan, they'd gone on a short trip to California, just long enough to get all of Stan's belongings together. And Stan had insisted that Kyle get a couple surfing lessons in while he was there. After that, they'd returned to Colorado and officially moved Stan into Cartman and Wendy's old room in Kyle's apartment. Not that he ever actually slept in there. Kyle's room was warmer at night. At least, that was the excuse Stan used.

Kyle had tried to convince Stan to enroll in some classes at the community college in August, but Stan had refused, insisting that college wasn't for him. Instead, he'd gotten a job as a mechanic, which Kyle had secretly scoffed at until Stan started bringing in real money and coming home every day greasy and, more often than not, shirtless.

When they weren't working, Kyle and Stan spent their spare time getting reacquainted with one another. And they got to know each other in every way possible. Somehow, none of their friends seemed terribly surprised by their relationship. With the exception of Bebe, but that was to be expected, since she'd been Kyle's last major romantic partner.

Stan told Kyle he loved him every day, like he was making up for all the times he didn't say it in high school. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that Kyle had yet to say it back. He figured he could love Stan. He just didn't know if he was there yet. If he wasn't, he was certainly on his way.

"So I got called into Principal Victoria's office," Kenny was telling Stan when Kyle rejoined the conversation.

"Ooh," Stan teased. "Kenny got in trouble!"

"I did," Kenny replied. "Adam Gilmore's mother was in there, and she was pissed because I was reading The Chamber of Secrets to my class."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Well get this. Mrs. Gilmore was complaining to Principal Victoria that I was teaching my fourth graders witch craft. Can you believe that?"

Stan laughed. "So did she make you stop reading it?"

"Oh, it gets worse," Kenny said. "As Victoria was trying to calm Mrs. Gilmore down, somehow the fact that I'm gay was slipped into the conversation, and apparently Mrs. Gilmore wasn't aware of that little tidbit. She stormed out of that office, and a week later, she pulled Adam out of my class."

"That's understandable."

"Stan!"

"What? I'm told that kids are very impressionable at that age."

Kyle laughed.

"So what happened next?" Stan asked.

"Well, Victoria and I had a discussion, and we came to a compromise. I can't read Harry Potter to my kids anymore, but I get to keep being gay."

"That sounds fair."

"Hey guys," Craig greeted them, approaching the party table with Bebe's sleeping daughter in his arms. "Bebe, I think Iris is afraid of Stan's dad. He tried to hold her and she just started bawling. I finally got her to sleep though."

"Thanks, Craig," Bebe replied, reaching across the table to take her daughter back. "You're gonna make a great dad, you know that?"

Craig beamed across the table at Kenny, and Kenny smiled back sadly.

If this was some sort of Hollywood movie, Kyle thought, this would be the part in the end where Kenny stands up and announces to the table that he and Craig are finally going to adopt a child. Then Bebe would tell everybody that she's met someone, and they're moving back to South Park permanently to be closer to her friends. Then the camera would pan out to show all of the happy couples in the reception hall, and the credits would roll over Cartman and Wendy sharing their first dance as a married couple to Drops of Jupiter.

But this wasn't a movie. Kyle liked to think that his friends would have all that someday. But it would take a lot more time. A lot more heartache. Hell, maybe some of them wouldn't even get happy endings.

"What's wrong?" Stan asked, taking hold of Kyle's hand under the table.

Kyle smiled at him, squeezing back gently. "Nothing," he replied.

Right now, nothing was wrong. Right now, he was happy. He would worry about someday when he got to it.

It's over! I'm both relieved and a little sad.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. One last time, please review. I'll love you forever.

Janine