Chapter 7… Before I begin this chapter, let it be known that for anyone who has lost a father, I am deeply sorry. I myself have never had a father, but I wrote this to its full extent and to the best of my ability. I am sorry if this chapter brings sadness upon any of those who will be emotionally affected in any way. I would like to credit: "I'll be the Father Now" by Dry September and "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan for helping me with this chapter. Please enjoy, dear readers, and please review.

Glen had arrived at the hospital immediately after receiving an urgent call from Eli. Holding Helen at the end of the hallway, still listening to the doctors rushing around trying to save Randall, Glen did his best to comfort his wife. He didn't recognize Eli, but he did not ask further questions when Eli had stated that his wife needed him at the hospital.

Helen, still hysterical, wept endlessly in her husband's arms, reciting quiet prayers for Randall. "God bless him, he made a mistake, but bless him, Lord," she repeated over and over again while a very sympathetic Glen smoothed down her brown hair and kissed her tear-stroked cheeks.

Meanwhile, Eli desperately ran around the hospital trying to find Clare. He had not seen her since she had stormed off, and she lacked in answering his several texts and calls. "Come on, Clare, pick up!" Eli shouted into his phone desperately, panicked when he heard Clare's peppy voicemail again. He had called her six times. He had texted her ten times. Wherever his girlfriend was, she didn't know that her father was dying in the very same building.

"Excuse me, Miss," he murmured to a nurse who was blocking the elevator.

She smiled apologetically but quickly moved out of the way when she saw how anxious the boy was.

Quickly entering the elevator, Eli counted down the seconds it took to get back to the first floor where the lobby was located. Thirty seconds; way too long. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Eli jumped out, glancing around the entire room for Clare. All he saw, however, were a few coughing children sitting with their mothers and visitors of patients leaving. Where was Clare? She had to know what was going on!

A shaking form was spotted by his green eyes. Could it be…? Eli wondered, but he soon knew exactly who it was when the girl lifted her head to meet him with her brilliant blue eyes. Her eyes were not filled with tears, but her face was slightly read. Eli noted this sadly, knowing she'd have many tears to shed later. Randall had not shown any sign of improvement. He had stopped breathing, and the doctors were still currently trying to resuscitate him, just three floors above them.

Eli shook his head quickly and sprinted over to Clare. She smiled weakly at him, but she soon noticed his exhausted and frightened appearance. "What's wrong?" Clare inquired, leaning on her elbow, uncomfortable in the waiting room chair.

"Clare, your dad started having breathing trouble about five minutes ago. I've been looking all over for you! I called and texted you! We have to go, now." Eli didn't even let her ask any further questions, picking her up and running to the elevator.

Clare remained silent in the elevator, tiny beads of sweat dripping down her temple. Her dad was going to die? After the things she had said to him? The last thing she had said was, "Well, thanks for letting me know! I really appreciate it!" The only thing worse than losing him would be losing him with those words being their parting goodbye.

"Eli," she whimpered, burying her face into his chest as he gently set her on her feet when the elevator doors opened once more. Eagerly, she took his hand and allowed him to frantically lead her to the room where her father was.

A few nurses and doctors lingered outside the room, and Helen was still sitting in Glen's arms, shaking like a leaf. "Mom?" Clare whispered, still hanging onto Eli's hand.

Helen smiled sadly, tears completely filling her brown eyes. "He's stabilized; they don't think he'll make it through the night, honey." She sobbed again and Glen quickly brought her into a hug again.

Eli gasped lightly, feeling his heart tear slightly at his girlfriend's pain. He felt his hand being squeezed extremely tightly and his feet were being dragged forward. Slowly, they made their way into Randall's hospital room. He squeezed back. Of course he did.

"Daddy?" Clare breathed out when her eyes landed on her father. Randall laid sickly pale, still, breathing with the aid of a machine. Her voice was rather high-pitched, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand at the sight of him. Hope deflated out of her heart. His heart beat extremely slowly, and his eyes were glazed over while his forehead was soaked with sweat.

Upon seeing his daughter, Randall did not have the strength to smile, but he wanted to.

Clare sobbed lightly, running to her dad's side while Eli stayed close by her side. "Daddy, you're going to be okay." She shooed Eli away from her, climbing into the very small space that was left beside her father's extremely still form. "Just don't close your eyes," Clare murmured, taking his limp left hand into hers. She gasped at how cold it was. "Daddy, can you speak? Let's talk about the time when we all went to the beach! Remember? I-I was f-five, and I c-couldn't swim in the o-ocean…yet…but y-you lifted me onto y-your sh-shoulders, and we drifted over the waves." Eli's heart felt another punch as he watched his girl slowly falling apart, talking softly to her dying father. Randall was looking into her eyes with his own glassy ones, taking in his daughter's beauty and noticing the boy who would always take care of her standing beside his bed, trying not to cry. Eli was biting his lip to hold back tears, but they came anyway. Clare was muttering, "D-Darcy got a little sunburned, but y-you and mommy bought her an i-ice cream c-cone to make her feel…better. We stayed in th-that nice hotel in Wasaga. I-I'll never forget, daddy."

Eli's heart just about snapped in two when he realized the dying father of the girl whom he loved so much was separating them. Randall was slowly fading away, but yet so fast. The beeping monitor was slowly decreasing, and Eli's voice shook when he said, "C-Clare," he wanted to take her into his arms, but he knew allowing her time with her father was what was needed right now. There was only so much time left.

It took most of Randall's strength to reach his cold hand out to Eli. "E-Eli," he choked out, tears not even bothering to provide him with clear vision to see his daughter's future husband.

Quickly taking Randall's hand and enclosing it in his own, Eli looked down tearfully at the weak man. "Y-yes, sir?"

Clare was weeping silently into her father's side, basking in his comforting, gentle strokes of her fingers enclosed between his and forehead kisses. "Daddy, do y-you remember…that time we…" she trailed off, searching and racking through her frazzled mind for the best, happiest memory to share with him. "Y-your sister, Aunt Jocelyn, had h-her first b-baby? My cousin, Leila, i-is five n-now. We a-all went to the hospital, and you w-were so happy to get your first ni-niece. She's got a younger brother n-now. Marcus? Do you r-remember him? He's two. Daddy, we were so excited to meet Leila! She-she was a comp-complicated birth, and it's a miracle she's a-alive. We were…so happy…we prayed t-together in the hospital waiting r-room that day." Clare squeezed her eyes shut tightly, tears making salty tracks down her face.

Eli, sitting in the cold, plastic chair, held onto Randall's hand tightly, still waiting for a response from the man. "Y-you're a good man, E-Eli. Please…take care…Clare…" Randall shivered slightly, feeling his heart rate lowering minimally by the second. He was unable to form coherent sentences when he felt Clare bury her face into the side of his neck, bawling softly.

"I-I will, sir." Eli promised, wishing to take Clare into his arms and take all of her pain away. He knew, however, that this was not the time for that.

Just then, Helen entered the room gently. Eyes red from the half hour of sobbing she had done, she approached the foot of the bed and placed a hand on Clare's back. "Sweetheart, Randall, Eli, I think we must know s-something right now. We are all together one l-last time." She felt Eli's sympathetic, sad green eyes gaze at her before she had to approach Randall. Shocking Eli and Clare, Helen leaned down and placed the gentlest of kisses on Randall's forehead. "I know we've had ours fights, but you gave me my girls, Randall. For that I will be forever grateful; rest in peace. You made a mistake, but the Lord is ready to take you now. It is going to be alright, Randall. Just let Him take you gently." She lifted her lips from his forehead and caressed his cheek softly, casting one last glance at Eli and her daughter before making her way to the hallway. Glen caught her swiftly and placed a protective arm around her while handing her a coffee.

"I love you," Randall whispered in a rather scratchy voice, his lips dry when he pressed them against her head. He felt his heart fading to slow nothingness when he turned his face toward the ceiling, searching for the Lord. "I love you both," he murmured. "Tell D-Darcy…same thing…daddy loves his girls,"

Clare whispered to him in all the strength her voice could muster, "Darcy's flight was delayed; she can't be here right now. I'm so sorry. She wants to be, I-I know she does! I miss her too." Gently kissing her dad's cheek and resting her hand in his above his heart, Clare grew frightened at how slowly it was beating. His pulse was fading. "Daddy, you know I love you, right?" Clare kissed her dad's shoulder and snuggled into his side, shoving her face into his neck again.

Eli couldn't help but sob at this point. He clamped a hand over his mouth when he felt no more pulsing against his own wrist.

Something didn't feel right. Randall was…cold. Still. Unmoving.

Tentatively, Clare lifted her face from his neck and whispered into his ear in the shakiest voice ever, "Daddy?"

No answer. Just the terrible sound of the heart machine flat lining…

"I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by…weep not for the memories."

Gasping and feeling the breath knocked out of her, Clare gripped onto her dad's cold, limp, and lifeless body. "Daddy," she kept her eyes closed tightly as she sobbed, wishing her dad could wrap his arms around her. "God, did you take him," she sobbed quietly.

Eli put his head down, never letting go of Randall's ice cold hand. His shoulders shook with sobs while he desperately kept them silent in order to stay strong for Clare. Tonight was about Clare. He was going to take care of her.

Ten minutes passed by. Doctors passed by the room, but they did not disturb the two. Understanding that sometimes loved-ones of recently passed patients need some time to grieve, they did not do so much as enter the room. They could see from a distance that Randall was dead, his head turned towards the heavens.

Clare hung onto her dad, her arms looped around him. She closed her eyes, relishing just being able to be close against him one last time. "Daddy, you know I love you." Tears still streamed down her face, but at a slightly slower pace.

Sobbing deeply, Helen entered the room, having the doctors already informed her that her ex-husband had indeed not made it through the night, just as they had predicted. Her heart snapped in two upon seeing her daughter hugging his lifeless form to her. "Clare, sweetie, we need to leave him now. Let him rest in peace," she gently approached the foot of the bed, eyeing Eli, who shared a knowing glance at her. Seeing Eli's tear-streaked face and shaking shoulders when he again buried his face into the bed sheets, Helen squatted down to his level. "Eli, sweetheart," she placed a hand on his back and softly covered his hand with hers.

Glen entered the room then, knowing Helen wanted him to reason with Clare. "Clare, honey, come on," Glen placed a gentle hand on Clare's bare arm, rubbing it slightly, hoping to be comforting. "I know you want to stay here, but we can't."

"You wouldn't understand." Clare's eyes were glazed over when she finally opened them, fresh tears moistening the round blue orbs.

Glen sighed as Helen tended to Eli. "My dad died when I was around your age; I know how it feels. Clare, honey, we can't stay here. Let's get home, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Clare's attitude was incorrigible as she stubbornly tightened her grip on her father, whose body temperature was dropping rapidly.

Eli sobbed silently into the covers, his face slightly touching Randall's leg, which was covered by the sheets. Helen knew he was recalling the memories of being in this very position that Clare was in when Julia had passed. "Eli, sweetheart, shh," Helen murmured, gently plucking Eli's fingers off Randall's and disentangling their hands. Eli shook his head limply, only thinking of Clare. "I need to help C-Clare."

Helen sighed. "I don't think she's got any intent on leaving here anytime soon. She's not going to listen to Glen," she whispered into Eli's ear while rubbing his back, gesturing with her free hand to Glen. Glen was unsuccessfully convincing Clare to leave the bed.

Defeated, Glen retreated from his stepdaughter's broken, crying appearance.

"Eli, if you could get Clare off the bed, it would be greatly appreciated. They'll have to forcibly move her if she doesn't move soon, and I don't want her to have to go through that. Please, honey, for me." Helen murmured softly into the sobbing boy's ear.

Glen waited for Helen, wrapping his arm around her and guiding her out the hospital room's doorway and into the hallway.

Picking himself off the ground, Eli stood up and used the sleeve of his soft, gray sweatshirt to wipe his tears away. Gently approaching Clare's bed with the softest footsteps, he saw that Clare was shaking like a leaf in the autumn breeze. He hadn't even noticed she was crying. The obligation to hold her was starting to take over him, driving him nuts. His footsteps echoed off the tile floor, filling the hospital wing with sweet melancholy.

Clare rested her head on her father's ice cold chest determinedly, never moving her eyes from the point she had focused them on across the room.

"Clare, we have to let them move his…body. He's not here anymore, Clare." Eli rubbed her back in gentle motions, forming patient circles on her back.

Clare snuggled closer to the body. "Shut up, Eli." Clenching her eyes shut, she hid her face in her dad's shoulder, not wanting Eli to see her tears.

Eli leaned down to her level so his hands were on his knees, completely bent over. "Sweetie, h-he's not here anymore. He's…in your h-heart. We can't stay here. I'm so sorry." Peering over at Clare, he saw her lips parting as she began to say something.

"He was fine when we were visiting him. I stormed out when he told us he didn't have much time left. I-I guess…" she trailed off, gulping to complete her sentence properly. "I-I-I guess I messed up big time. Now he's…now he's gone. He's gone!" Sobs forcibly ripped their way out of Clare's chest while she cried loudly into her dad's limp shoulder. She gripped his hospital gown, emptily crying as she let his arms fall out of the embrace. The limpness of them frightened her, and she sobbed, gasping for clean, clear breaths.

Eli's heart broke for the girl as he leaned down and scooped her into his arms. Keeping one arm wrapped around her back and the other looped under her knees, Eli carried Clare over to the chair across the room. She gripped onto him as if he were the only thing keeping her afloat in her river of tears. Her sobs were the waves that were attempting to wash her under, but he would never let her drown.

"I'm so tired. I can't sleep; standing on the edge of something much too deep. Funny how we feel so much, but we cannot say a word."

"Shh, shhh," Eli sat her down onto his lap and gently ran his hand down her back. Clare sobbed and shook against him.

"I'm sorry," she cried out in anguish, clinging to him.

"I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose; Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose. Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night; gave me everything you had, oh you gave me life."

"Weep not for the memories…I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by…weep not for the memories."

Eli stroked her curls softly for a moment before he pulled her back. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Come on, let's get you out of here, sweetheart." He waited until Clare nodded softly and picked her up again, walking her into the hallway. Nodding at the doctors, he watched them travel into Randall's room and gently cover his still body with the blanket. Leaving them to their duties, he kept Clare's face tucked into his shoulder while walking over to Glen and Helen.

Helen jumped up immediately. "Eli, how did you get her up?"

"I don't know." He smiled sadly, caressing Clare's back through her thin pink sweatshirt. Clare whimpered brokenly and grabbed fistfuls of his gray sweatshirt. "It's okay," he assured her, attempting to set her on her feet. Clare only stumbled over and he barely caught her before she fell, lifting her into his arms again. "Is it alright if I carry her to my car? Or would you like to just take her home? Whatever is best for Clare…?" Eli trailed off, gently stroking her back and wanting to kiss her forehead.

Helen sighed deeply, rubbing her temples, stressed to the max tonight. "It's alright with me if you want to just take her back to your place. I trust you, Eli. I know you'll take care of her." She smiled softly at him, wiping away her tears and linking her arm through Glen's. "Glen and I are just going to head on home now." Approaching Clare, she gently kissed Clare's curls and whispered, "I love you, baby," before going downstairs to the lobby.

"Clare, I'm going to take you to my place, okay? I'm sure CeCe and Bullfrog will be happy to see you." Eli wrapped her legs around his waist and effortlessly carried her down the stairs and out to his car. Passing through the lobby, many people sent them sympathetic looks. He merely kept his gaze straight ahead, focused on driving Clare home as soon as possible.

Once she was settled into the passenger seat of his car, he began driving with a mix CD of all of Clare's favorite songs on very low volume, careful not to disturb the girl. She slumped against the door, feeling the cool breeze blow gently against her porcelain skin. "You know, you don't have to do this, Eli. I'll be okay by myself tonight; I don't want to bother you anymore than I already have."

Eli glanced over at her briefly before refocusing his eyes on the road ahead of them, houses flashing by as they drove straight to Eli's house. "I'm not leaving you alone tonight, Clare. You are not bothering me. You could never. Tonight…tonight you need to be held, sweetie. You need me, and that's okay, because you've always been there for when I needed you. You never left me alone, so I'm not abandoning you." Parking into his driveway, Eli slowly shut the car door behind him and settled Clare into his arms before making his way up the steps. Trying not to jostle her around too much, Eli reached into his pocket and unlocked the door.

"I just…I don't know anymore," Clare said softly as he carried her to the couch, noting that he had forgotten his parents would not be home until after they were asleep since Bullfrog was taking CeCe to a concert. Typical, he thought, smirking just a tiny bit. "Eli, stop," Clare whimpered, burying her face in his soft gray sweatshirt, feeling the gentle material press up against her cheek.

Eli paused, sitting her down on the couch. "What's the matter?" he asked softly, sitting beside her and draping a supportive arm around her shoulders.

Clare jumped up suddenly, scaring him. "Eli, I have to get back to the hospital! My dad…he needs me! He needs me to take care of him. I…I-I n-need to get back there, Eli. I'm just going to go…I'll w-walk." She quickly made her way towards the door, and just as she was grasping the cold doorknob, she felt his arms wrap around her waist and bring her backwards. "NO! STOP IT! STOP!" she screamed, feeling his arms tighten around her waist gently while he tried to get her to the couch. "No," she sobbed, feeling weakness overcome her as her knees gave out on her and she slowly sank onto the floor.

Eli kept his arms around her waist tightly; keeping her steady as he slowly sank to the floor with her. She sobbed brokenly, turning around in his embrace and allowing her face to fall into his lap. Softly, he stroked her hair and picked her head up, keeping it propped against his shoulder.

"NO," she cried out, hating but loving the way he only tightened his arms around her as she completely, and utterly fell apart. She desperately tried to get up, wanting nothing more than to be with her father, for they had not enough time together. It wasn't fair. Trying to pick herself up, she was only unsuccessful when Eli took her legs and gently wrapped his own around them, restraining her from moving. "ELI, DON'T DO THIS TO ME…daddy needs me!" she sobbed deeply, gasping while continuing her struggles to get up.

Eli's eyes watered at the fact that he had to restrain her. Going to the hospital would only get Clare in further trouble, and her father had already been taken to the morgue. It was also starting to pour down rain outside, and he simply couldn't risk anything happening to Clare. "Shh, easy, easy, Clare," he murmured in her ear with his soft, warm voice. She struggled and writhed, her body growing exhausted and just wanting to give up. However, Clare did not grant it that wish. "Shh, easy, easy," Eli kept his lips pressed against her ear as he whispered these things directly into it.

"Eli, PLEASE. Please," Clare sobbed and screamed, struggling continuously to escape his grip. Her will was smashed to pieces, however, when he began rocking her in a slow, gentle, back-and-forth motion. Surrendering to him and her sobs, Clare cried loudly and buried her face in his shoulder.

"That's it, easy, shh, shh, easy does it," Eli gently chanted over and over again, rocking her back and forth and keeping her legs beneath and entangled with his own. "You're not going anywhere, shhh, shh, easy, sweetheart," he made sure he wasn't hurting her and readjusted her body so her face was drawn into his chest and her legs were still beneath his. He pressed the gentlest of kisses to her forehead when she let out a particularly sharp and loud sob. "Shh, I got you," he repeated in the softest of voices, slowly kissing her temple up to her forehead.

When Clare slowly regained her composure and found some solace, she grabbed his arms. "Let's go to bed…let's sleep. We can just sleep and be together. I…need you," she looked at him with doleful eyes and her lower lip began to quiver before he gently placed his thumb over it.

"Come on," he gently untangled their legs and carried her in his arms to his room. "Do you want anything to eat, sweetie?" he asked fervently after he had given her some sweatpants and a shirt to change into.

Clare shrugged. "I think I'm okay. I had some lunch earlier, so I think I'm alright." She curled into a ball on his mattress after changing. "Some tea would be nice, though." She added gently, and he approached her tenderly. "What?" she whispered, blushing slightly at the tears running down her face.

"You're just so beautiful. You have no idea." He smiled, dropping a kiss on her forehead before running his hands down her arms soothingly and running downstairs to retrieve her tea.

When he finally came back, he found Clare gazing out the windowpane, probably staring into the rain and wondering where it all went wrong. "Clare," he said, wishing she'd turn around. "I have your tea. I put one teaspoon of honey in it, just like you like it."

Clare's shoulders trembled slightly as she pressed both palms against the glass. "There's no sense in getting attached, is there?"

"Hmm?" he murmured, coming up behind her and snaking his arms around her waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

Clare sighed shakily. "There's no sense in getting attached to you. Something bad will happen, and I'll lose you."

"Oh, Clare, I'm not going anywhere. I don't plan on leaving you any time soon. Don't worry. You've just lost your father tonight, love. I know you're scared to love right now, but if there's anything I learned, it's that taking a risk when it comes to love is very important." Eli gently kissed her shoulder and buried his nose in her neck, slowly pulling her backwards towards the bed. "Sip your tea," he whispered, curling up behind her and rubbing her back gently.

After her tea was downed rather quickly, the warmth flooding through her stomach was causing Clare to become extremely drowsy, and she felt Eli turning out the light and inviting her under the covers. When she was under, she felt a body press up against her back and arms slowly making their way around her stomach. Smiling ever so slightly through her tears, Clare blinked the tears back and sighed into his gentle touch. He pressed his soft lips to her temple several times, and he even kissed down to where her shoulder and neck met and nuzzled it with his nose for comfort.

They talked for several minutes, maybe even hours. Clare couldn't remember. The last thing she felt was Eli's kisses traveling to her cheek in the darkness.

Eli couldn't sleep. He didn't want to. Every so often, he would drift off out of pure exhaustion for about an hour or so, only to wake up in a panic to make sure Clare was alright. Luckily so, she was sleeping soundly, her heart broken and smashed, and he pressed kisses into her curls that would cause a slow smile to curl onto her face.

"I love you, and I'll be here when you wake up in the morning."