Author's Note: So this is my first CSI/Degrassi crossover. No one read my CSI fanfic, but hopefully this one will be a little better and maybe my Degrassi fans will like it. For this, Degrassi takes place in Las Vegas. I hope you guys enjoy this :)
Things for Eli Goldsworthy were never easy. Growing up, he was bullied. He felt like know one ever understood him. When he finally found the one person he could love - and loved him back - she was taken away from him, unexpectedly and unbearably. Once he lost Julia, he swore he would never love again. He promised himself that one heartbreak was enough. He was fine with being alone for a while. He got used to it, he pushed people away, and he relied on his stuff to keep him safe and happy. But then he met Clare Edwards and everything changed. Suddenly, he wondered why he was alone. He didn't want to be alone anymore. After they shared their first kiss, he had the subtle feeling in his stomach again. He started smiling more. He started longing for human contact. He fell in love with her - something that scared him so much he thought he would die. And by some miracle, she fell in love with him, too. They were happy, and Eli thought their love would never end. He pictured himself growing old with her and raising their children. He could picture what they would look like - auburn, curly hair and bright green eyes. He looked forward to a future with Clare.
But just like with Julia, that future was taken from him abruptly. Clare didn't die, she just fell out of love with who he became. Eli regretted becoming that person - that person so filled with rage and jealously that he'd be willing to hurt himself to keep her. He hated himself for pushing her away. Everything went downhill from there. He was back to square one. Back to being alone. It was different this time. When he chose to be alone after Julia died, he was happy with it. He was lonely. It became apart of who he was. But Clare shattered that. She shattered the walls he had built up to keep himself alone and now that she was gone, the loneliness scared him to death. He tried to feel comfortable with it again, surrounding himself with stuff that reminded him of Clare. It never worked, though. The loneliness overpowered him, and he crumbled under the stress of it all. His mind created a whole, a whole where he could live how he wanted. He could be with Clare, he could have a family, friends. The whole in his mind was comforting, safe. He lost himself in that make-believe world and shut everyone else out.
Someone broke the barrier again, though. Imogen Moreno persevered and wormed her way into Eli's whole. Once she was in, she couldn't get out. And Eli fell head over heels in love with her.