Clare Edwards isn't daddy's little girl anymore. As a stripper at Toronto's hottest strip club, Exit 69, everyman knows her name, except the one man she has been hiding from for the past four years. When Elijah Goldsworthy walks into the club one cool March night it takes everything Clare has not to run the moment she sees him, instead she gets up on that stage and bares all to the man that left her behind.

A/N: Two updates in one week, hoping for another tonight, but don't hold me to it.

Answering some questions:

LITTLEMISSGOLDSWORTHY: Fitz is Cole's biological father, meaning he provided the DNA, Owen plays the role of father because he is a good guy, and he realizes that Clare needs someone. After his relationship with Clare ended, he ended up dating Alli, in this story they are in a committed long term relationship, more than likely heading towards marriage.

You guys will get the chance to see all of your favorite Degrassi characters back in action. Tell me who you really want to see in your REVIEW, and I will try to bring them into the story.

This chapter is dedicated to my gal pals, Shehadastory and HeatherPoulette, Twitter would be boring without you both, and to Elijahgoldsworthy5243 for guessing correctly that Fitz was Cole's daddy.

I'm off to Ohio on Wednesday to visit my best friend, and Maid of Honor, Molly, so I'm trying to write as much as possible until then, hopefully I'll have two or three more chapters completed by then, if not, they will be done by Friday.

This chapter was typed while watching Degrassi, a television show that I do not own. I just manipulate the characters.

Eli's Point of View

"MOMMY." I woke up to screaming, in a dark room, on an uncomfortable couch, disoriented. "MOMMY. MOMMY. MOMMY."

I got off of the pullout and ambled out of the living room and down the hallway towards the sound. I opened the first door on the left to see Cole wailing, his hands clutching at his belly. I flipped the light switch on and picked him up.

His body was hot, and his stomach was protruding more than it had when he went to sleep. There were even dark bruises on his arms and legs.

"I want my MOMMY" he screamed louder and I carried him into Clare's room, knocking gently on the door and waited a few seconds before entering.

Clare was on her back, the covers pushed down around her waist. Her pajama top, a lacy tank top was riding up, and the sweet curve of her belly was revealed to my eyes.

"Clare?" She stirred, turning on her side to look at me through the darkness.

"Eli?" She sat up abruptly. "What are you doing here?"

Cole wailed a bit louder, needing his mother.

"Cole, baby, come to Mommy." She turned on the bedside lamp and I placed him into her outstretched arms.

"Mommy," He nuzzled into her body, shivering against her.

"What's wrong with him Eli?"

"He was calling for you." I sat down on the edge of the bed. "He was clutching his belly again. He's really warm."

Clare's Point of View

I rushed to get dressed, Cole was sitting on my bed, crying the entire time as I pulled on my trainers and a sweatshirt and called for a cab.

I was nervous. I had no insight into Fitz's medical history, and now that Cole was suffering from unknown body pains, and strange bruises were appearing on his little body, I was worried that something was seriously wrong.

Eli followed behind me as we took the stairs, Cole in his arms, a bag in mine. We made it down the stairs and into the cab, telling the driver to take us immediately to the hospital. There was traffic, which, considering the time was quite unexpected, but we made it to the hospital and started filling out Cole's paperwork.

I tried to send Eli back to his apartment, but he wouldn't leave. I called Alli and Owen, and then did the only thing left. I waited.

Cole cried softly in my arms until he tired himself out enough so that he fell asleep. I rested my head on Eli's shoulder and zoned for the time being, hoping that everything would be alright.

"Cole Edwards," a nurse called out. I jumped out of the chair I was in as Eli and I were led to a room. I sat on the hospital bed with Cole still wrapped around me. Expecting to wait at least another hour before we were seen.

Not twenty minutes later, a doctor came in, looking at Cole's chart. A worried line dominating his large forehead.

"This must be Cole," he smiled at me, flashing perfect, even, white teeth. "I'm Dr. Winklestein. The nurses said he was screaming his head off when you came in. He sure is a cutie when he's quiet though."

I smiled lightly through my nerves.

"Thank you."

"You must be very proud Mr. Edwards, a beautiful wife and a handsome son." He reached out a hand for Eli to shake.

Eli nodded, taking his hand in a firm grip, giving me a look that said 'Keep your mouth shut.'

"Now, lets see what the problem is, shall we?"

He looked at us expectantly.

"Please, what are his symptoms?" The doctor took out a pen and sat at the corner desk, ready to write.

"Well, he had an ear infection two weeks ago, and a cold a few weeks before that, and last night he was complaining about a tummy ache."

"He had a high fever." Eli added. "And he was sweating and shivering."

"Have you seen any bruising?" Dr. Winklestein looked a bit nervous.

"Yes, quite a few, dark ones too. And his belly is swollen, despite the fact that he's been losing weight in the last month."

The doctor nodded.

"I'll need to take a blood sample, and I'll be able to tell you exactly what is wrong with him later in the day, probably after lunch. But to be honest, he has an overwhelming amount of symptoms that point towards Leukemia. If it's something else, I would be shocked."

Eli nodded reluctantly.

"Thank you Doctor." I watched as a nurse came in and stuck Cole with a needle, causing him to stir for the first time since we started talking to the doctor. She drew his blood, gave him a Handy Manny bandaid and sent us on our way.

This wait would be the worse. Now that I know what he probably had it was even more terrifying as I hoped to god that this was just a coincidence, or a fluke. Nothing should be wrong with my baby. This type of thing happened in movies or books, not in real life, and definitely not to me.

Eli called us another cab, and soon we made our way back to my apartment, the sun just rising, shining light into the nooks and crannies of Toronto, chasing away some of the darkness. I wish it could do the same to my life.

A/N: Okay, that was a quick chapter, but it was necessary for it to be short, that seemed like the best place to stop for the moment, otherwise, it would be a very long chapter. The next part will be longer. Hopefully it will be done tonight.

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