Author's Note: New Darco story! This has been in my head ever since "Owner of a Lonely Heart," aired. A more Darcoized version of the ending. The writing's not that great on this one, but I wanted to get this one started. This should be about 5 chapters, unless I get alot of fans/reviewers.

I sighed as Ellie left the kitchen, sitting down on a stool, looking into the swirling brown liquid of my coffee in my porcelain coffee cup. It was my favorite cup, though not many people know why. It was a present Dylan had given me before we had moved in together, probably mostly due to the fact I was constantly stealing his cup.

Looking back, I probably would never have though I would come to this point. That I was so depressed, so lonely. I had the world at my touch then, and I was the happiest I had ever been. It was hard to not get mad at some people at times, but I was always mad at myself.

I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned my head to see Griffin coming into the kitchen.

"Hey, Marco," Griffin said.

"Hey."

"Can I ask you something?" He asked.

"Sure," I said, motioning towards the seat across from me.

"I don't know you all that well yet," Griffin started to say, as he took a seat. "But I couldn't help but overhearing...but are you really that poor?"

I cringed. "Sorry about that."

"No, no, it's cool. You don't have to answer, I was just curious..."

"No, I don't mind." I sighed before continuing. "I guess my wallet is just a little thinner than I'm used to."

"How do you afford stuff? Don't you have rent, tuition?" Griffin asked me, confused.

"Well, I have a partial scholarship for my tuition. I was valedictorian at Degrassi."

Griffin raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really? Awesome."

I smiled. "Thanks. Anyway, the rest my parents pay for. They really want me to get a degree. And for awhile, they were paying my other expenses, like food and entertainment, and such. But after I got in trouble last year with gambling, my Dad made me make up that money by working at his shop."

I took a sip of my coffee, before continuing. "After I paid him back, I stopped working there, and well my funds, they have been slowly drying out ever since."

Griffin still looked confused. "I still don't completely understand, I mean what about your bills, like your phone, electricity, rent??"

I sheepishly looked down at the counter, touching the marks of wood with my finger.

"I'm not that proud of this- I mean, I tried to give him rent money-"

"Huh?"

"You know how you and Ellie have to pay Paige rent money and not me?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, Dylan pays for this house," I told him, almost embarrassed. "He won't take my rent money. I've tried."

"The house is in his name, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and my cell phone..." I trailed off. "And the utilities..."

"I think I get it now. I guess hockey players make alot of money." Griffin sat back to look at me.

"Depends, really," I said, leaning forward.

Griffin leaned in, figuring out I was about to say something.

"Paige doesn't really have to work, you know," I whispered.

"Does he pay for Paige's rent, too?" Griffin asked.

"Well, I think she tricked him into it, but yes, he does." I said, pouring more coffee into my cup.

Griffin leaned back and crossed his arms, looking at me.

"Do you mind if I ask you something...personal?"

I looked back at him, shrugging my shoulders. "Sure, you can ask anything. I don't have anything to hide."

"What is he like, Dylan?"

My eyes shined at the question, the one question that always gives my feelings that are still there away. I stopped caring about hiding them anymore lately. Somethings you just can't help.

"Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have asked," Griffin asked. "I'm sure it's still a sore subject."

"No, it's okay, really." I paused for awhile. "Dylan is the exact opposite of Paige, in many ways. Where she can come off as bitchy, Dylan is just..free. He's laid back, passionate, extremely talented, funny, smart, loving, dedicated...and hot as hell."

Griffin laughed.

"Blonde, curly hair, tall, muscular, and eyes that look like you're viewing the ocean..." I trailed off, in my own world, thinking about Dylan's crystal clear blue eyes, that I missed so much.

"Another question for you," Griffin said, snapping me out of my daydream.

I motioned for Griffin to continue.

"You said that you wanted to feel happy, confident, and sexy...did you ever feel that way?" Griffin asked me with wonderment.

I sighed. "The truth is...I felt like that everyday. I was head over heels in love with him. Everyday I felt those things. Even when he was in Switzerland, I felt happy. Confident. Sexy."

Griffin's eyebrow arched up. "Really? Interesting..."

"What?" I asked.

"It's just the way Ellie talks about Dylan, makes it seem like he treated you like crap."

I laughed. "Far from it. She just doesn't understand long-distance relationships." I paused. "And everything I've done since breaking up with him, has just been..."

"Anyone can look at you and see you're lonely and depressed," Griffin said. "I don't really get why Ellie keeps trying to get you 'happy' with someone you don't even like."

"Yeah, well, since we broke up, I've been set up, I thought a straight guy was cute," I said, gesturing towards Griffin, as he gave me a half-smile. "I got a bunny. I went out with a guy that I didn't even like, due to Ellie's persistence, only because I was lonely and tired of being alone. I'm depressed all the time, I'm flat broke, and to top it all off, I got mixed up with a guy who tried to sell me to a guy for money."

"Wow, you really are messed up." Griffin chuckled.

"Yeah, it used to be so much easier. Everything was better when Dylan was here. I really did love him." I said, the sadness setting in.

"Right...but if you were in love...I guess I just don't understand why you broke it off."

I looked up at Griffin. "Honestly? Sometimes I care more about making my friends happy than making myself happy. Ellie saw my complaining about Dylan as him treating me bad, when that wasn't the case. I was just frustrated. I guess I felt pressured by her to end it with Dylan, even though my heart was still in love with him."

"Sounds to me like it still is."

"What? No.."

"Your face lights up even at the mention of his name, Marco. I may not know you too well, but I can tell when someone's in love."

"No, I have to be over him. Ellie..." I trailed off.

Griffin sighed, exasperated. "Will you stop ruling your life on what your friends think is best for you? It's your life, Marco, not theirs. Ellie has no right to tell you who is best for you. Only you have that right. And if they make you happy? Then a real friend would support you, no matter what they think. They would put aside what they feel, if they knew that person made you happy. And from the face I just saw at the mere mention of his name, Dylan makes you happy."

"Look, I'm an idiot, okay? I lost the most important thing in my life, and acting like I'm over him..." I sighed.

"Marco, listen. I don't have the best track record when it comes to relationships. But I have been around friends and family members who do. What I do know is that love, especially true love, is extremely rare, if not impossible to find."

"Yeah, so?" I questioned, not really getting Griffin's point.

"I'm sure this won't make you feel better," Griffin said, "but it seems to me that what you had with Dylan, was that, that love everyone seeks but no one finds. The thing is, Marco, once you find that, you don't throw it away, no matter what."