Well, we've finally come to the end of the story. Don't forget though, another sequel will be coming down the line. As the Nursery Fairy says in The Velveteen Rabbit, "There are no endings, only beginnings."

I got the idea for the name of this chapter from the song by Sade, which I don't own.

Stronger Than Pride

Stan's alarm clock woke him up early Saturday morning. He quickly got dressed, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, and headed out the door. By the time this was over, he would either have the happiest day of his life, or the longest walk home in the world.

He nervously pressed his finger to the Harrisons' doorbell and heard it ring inside the house. He could hear the muffled sound of footsteps getting ever closer to the front door. There was no turning back now.

He saw the knob turn, and the door opened wide. In that moment, all he could see was Gary's cheerful face. "Stan!"

He couldn't help but smile at his angelic presence. "Hey, Gary."

"I saw you through the window. I didn't know you planned on coming over so early. I would have gotten dressed," he blushed a little.

Stan hadn't even noticed that Gary was still in his pajamas. "You look just fine to me," he shrugged.

"Come on in."

Stan stepped inside and Gary closed the door behind him. "So how was the play last night?"

"Well, it was definitely unique," he rubbed the back of his neck. "I've never heard a story about Latter-Day Saints quite like that before. But we can talk about it later. You had something important to tell me?"

"Yeah…maybe we should sit down."

"Is everything OK?" Gary asked as they sat on the sofa.

"Things haven't been OK since we started taking a break from each other."

"It's been hard for me too, Stan, but we agreed it was the right move."

"All I know is that you've become a huge part of my life, and it doesn't feel complete without you in it. I spent my time pleading, even getting my friends involved in raising money for the girls' List Club so I could get into their meeting and come out to Wendy in front of all of them."

Gary was stunned. "You actually told her you're gay? With other people around to hear it?"

"I had to swallow my pride and do exactly what I was trying to avoid from the beginning. But you know something? It was worth the risk, because it helped me find something that's stronger than pride."

"What's that?"

Stan grabbed Gary's hands. "It's what we have together. This is more than just a crush for me… I love you, Gary."

His eyes widened. "You love me?"

"I love everything about you—your smile; the way your hair is combed; how much you care about other people's well-being, even if they weren't that nice to you. I couldn't ask for anything more."

Gary bent down and began sniffling.

Stan could feel teardrops falling on his hands. "Are you all right? I didn't mean to make you cry."

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that," he looked up. "I've wanted to tell you that I love you for such a long time, but I was afraid of putting too much pressure on you after just barely coming to terms with who you are. Truth be told, I regretted making that suggestion for us to take time apart since day one."

"Then let's not be apart. I'm not satisfied with us just casually dating anymore. I'm ready to make it official… I want you to be my boyfriend."

Gary smiled as the tears continued to flow. "I want that too, Stan," he nodded.

Beaming, Stan leaned in and kissed his new boyfriend.

"Hooray!" the Harrisons cheered from the living room entryway.

Stan backed off with his lips still puckered. "Oh yeah…I forgot your family would be home."

"So what if it's a little embarrassing?" Gary shrugged. "Love is stronger than pride, remember?" he wrapped his arms around Stan's neck and pulled him close again to finish what they started.

…

Kenny had expected to find Cartman in his usual spot in front of the TV when he went to see him Sunday evening, but he was unprepared for the sight that met him. Candy wrappers and potato chip bags were strewn all over the couch and floor, and in the middle of it all sat a noticeably heavier young man chewing on a stick of taffy. Seeing Cartman like this bordered on scary. Kenny cleared his throat softly.

Cartman shut off the television and slowly turned his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked. His question contained no trace of his usual malice. All that was present was an uncharacteristic, subtle sadness.

"I thought you didn't care at all," Kenny stared in astonishment. "I never thought it would affect you this much."

"What is it, Kinny?" he asked impatiently.

"I shouldn't have given up so easily."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was so mad at you for not making an effort that I was ready to throw in the towel. I forgot what friendship is all about—a real friend never gives up on somebody."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Do you still have my BFF neck chain?"

"I didn't sell it, if that's what you're asking. It wouldn't be worth that much."

"Can I see it?"

Cartman sighed and reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out the chain and handed it to Kenny.

The blond boy put it around his neck.

"What are you doing?" Cartman asked.

"A wise person once said, 'Everybody needs someone to believe in them.' I'm wearing this to remind me never to give up on you. I still believe we can get back what we once had."

Cartman turned and stared at the blank TV screen.

Kenny walked to the door. "Please take care of yourself, Cartman. It's never too late to change. All you have to do is believe you can," he walked out.

Cartman could feel tears coming on. He instinctively reached for his taffy, but stopped short before putting it in his mouth. He looked around at the leftover trash from all the junk food he'd consumed, then looked at his reflection in the dark television set.

He pushed himself off the couch and made his way into the kitchen. He took one last look at the taffy before throwing it in the garbage. He then opened the refrigerator and took out an apple. Apprehensively, he brought it to his mouth and took a bite. Hmm…not bad.

…

Two days later, on January 15th, Kyle stood and gave his special assigned oral presentation in honor of Martin Luther King's birthday. In order to appease Mr. Garrison, he made sure to get the comparatively trivial discussion of racial issues in television sitcoms out of the way first. However, he saved the most important and poignant section of his speech for last:

"Dr. King had a dream that his children could live in a country 'where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.' At the same time, I believe his dream of giving people a fair shot can be applied to all forms of diversity: be it your race…" he immediately thought of Token and the struggles he must deal with being the only black kid in South Park; "…religious beliefs…" he assumed most people would think he was referring to himself with that example, but he was thinking of Gary also; "…economic status…" Kenny and Token had both taken a lot of ribbing for being on either extreme of the financial ladder; "…or who you love…" Kyle thought of Stan and Gary's deeper commitment they've made, as well as Kenny and Butters' blossoming feelings for one another. "And while we still have a long way to go before this dream is fully realized, I believe Dr. King would be proud of just how far we've come."

The class clapped and cheered as Kyle took a bow and returned to his seat.

"Very good, Kyle," Mr. Garrison sounded impressed. "That was a nice touch with the 'who you love' part. What a pleasant surprise that you included me in your presentation."

The four intended subjects of that piece of the speech shared a knowing look among themselves.

When the final bell rang, all the kids ran out of the classroom to catch the bus, with five of them lagging a little behind. "So do you guys wanna go to the arcade?" Kyle asked.

"I dunno," Stan faltered. "I wanted to spend time with Gary today…you know, 'cause we're boyfriends now," he beamed.

"We know," Kenny rolled his eyes at hearing about their relationship status for the hundredth time.

"Dude," Kyle raised his eyebrows, "when I said you guys, I meant Gary, too."

Gary was surprised. "You actually want me to hang out with you?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't we?"

"I thought you guys didn't like me."

"The new kid always has to get broken in first," Kenny explained. "You're one of us now," he patted him on the back.

"It ain't against the rules for Mormons to play video games, is it?" Butters asked genuinely.

"I don't think so," Gary chuckled happily.

"Sweet!" Stan shouted as they headed to the bus.

"You sure you'll be OK around all this brotherly love, Kyle?" Kenny teased.

"Are you kidding? The more you guys are into each other, the less competition I'll have. Girls will have no choice but to go for me," Kyle smirked.

"I dunno, Kyle," said Stan. "Kenny's bisexual, so there's still a chance he could stand in your way."

"Uh, excuse me," Kenny interjected. "I, my good sir, am Buttersexual."

"Yeah," Butters added. "If Kenny didn't want any of Tammy Warner's BJ's, then I don't think any girl would a chance with him."

"What?" Gary exclaimed in shock.

"Butters doesn't mean it like that," Stan assured him.

"Mean it like what?" Buttered wondered. "A BJ is a present, right?"

"The best kind of present," Kenny grinned seductively.

"Kenny!" Stan yelled. "Stop grossing out my boyfriend!"

"Seriously, dude," Kyle agreed. "You're gonna corrupt Butters for sure."

Their friendly banter continued onto the bus. What seemed completely normal to them was quite a sight for the other students to behold. After all, no outsider could understand what a quarterback, a Jew, a Mormon, a pervert and a Melvin would possibly have in common. But that was because those outsiders couldn't see beyond the confines of their self-appointed roles. Somehow, these five boys were doing what many deemed impossible at their age: they were mending the fences by tearing down the walls.

THE END

Sigh... This is definitely bittersweet. While I'm glad to have finished this story and am very happy with how it turned out, it also means that the time has come for me to take a break from writing fanfiction. It's been a really long time since I've done any work on my music, and I need to focus my concentration primarily on that for a while. But don't worry, I'm not leaving FF altogether. I'll still be around reading and reviewing other author's fics, as well as PM'ing with anyone who wants to. Also, I'm still beta-reading for the time being. And if I get a good idea for a one-shot, I'll make a little time to write and publish it.

Once again, thank you to everybody for coming along on this journey with me. I meant what I said about continuing this "Cynicism" saga, so I hope you'll all stick around for it when I have more time to write again. Thanks for making me feel so welcome.

- Style Marshlovski