Author's Note: Sorry it's been awhile! I've been struggling with my health recently - lots of tests and doctors appointments and just over all stressfulness. Thanks for understanding!

Chapter Seven

"Great, you actually came!" Adam said, answering the door. Clare really wasn't sure if she was going to come or not. But finally she had talked herself into just making an effort. I'm doing this for Adam, I am doing this for Adam, she had said the entire walk here.

"Yeah," Clare smiled sheepishly, "I had to lie to my mom about where I was going though. She thinks you and I are catching a movie."

"Probably for the best," Adam opened the door wider, allowing Clare to come inside, 'Bullfrog is working late at the station and Eli sent Cece off to get a pizza so at least for now, it's just us three. We thought that would be best."

Clare winced at the painful thought of having to see Bullfrog and Cece. She absolutely adored Eli's parents, and she was pretty sure they felt the same about her as well. Bullfrog had even sometimes referred to her as 'Daughter in-Law' much to the bemoaning of Eli. Clare felt a pang in her heart at the memory. When her parents were fighting and things were getting bad, Bullfrog and Cece had pretty much adopted her as their own daughter. There were times when really missed them.

Clare came into the home and Adam shut the door behind her. She glanced around the house, not sure what she had been expecting. Everything looked exactly the same as the last time she'd been here.

"Weird, huh?" Adam asked, nudging her lightly.

"Just a little," Clare admitted.

She and Adam made their way up the stairs to Eli's bedroom. Clare felt her heart skip a beat as they neared Eli's bedroom. The thought of being in that room again made her stomach churn. She tucked a curl behind her ear and tried to muster up some courage. Come on, Clare. It's just Eli's bedroom. You've been in that room so many times in the past. So no problem. But...that is the problem. Why did I ever agree to this? Adam owes me big time!

Adam opened Eli's bedroom door. Eli was lying on his bed, with his pillows propped up behind him. He was writing something down in a notebook and didn't even bother to look up when she came in. The room looked pretty much the same. Messier though. Clare hoped he wasn't falling into his old hording ways. But it didn't look like that. Just untidy and unkempt. There was a plate with food particles stuck to it on the dresser, and clothes crumpled on the floor. She stood awkwardly in the doorway until Adam said -

"Here, Eli will move over and you can sit on the foot of the bed."

If looks could kill, Adam would be dead and buried. Eli clenched his jaw, glaring daggers at Adam. Adam cleared his throat and tried his best to smile comfortingly at Clare, "Go ahead," he said, "Eli, move your legs."

Eli sighed, gritted his teeth, and moved over so Clare could sit on the edge, "Happy?"

"Very," Adam sat in the computer chair at Eli's desk, "So, Clare...do you have any thoughts on how to end this play? We've got nothing."

Eli rolled his eyes and looked anywhere but at Clare. He rolled his eyes to the posters on his wall and towards the ceiling; then, took interest in picking at a threat on his comforter. This was the most awkward thing in the entire world. What was Adam thinking inviting Clare Edwards to his house? And having her sit on his bed? Eli made a mental note to kill Adam once this evening was over. This was absolutely ridiculous. There was no way Clare would have any ideas. Or at least any he'd want to use. It was bad enough they had to star in the play together. Now they were writing the ending together. And here she was...in his bedroom...on his bed.

"You could at least participate," Adam tossed a crumpled up ball of paper at Eli. It hit him on the arm, "You're staring all over the room and if you keep gritting your teeth like that, you're going to file them down into numbs and then you'll need dentures."

"Shut up," Eli picked up the wad of paper off the comforter and tossed it back at Adam, with about ten times the force, "This was your idea, not mine. What do you want from me?"

A few more minutes passed of awkward silence. Clare tapped her pen against her notebook. An idea had slowly creeped into her head, but she wasn't sure if she should share it out loud or keep it to herself. Eli already thought she was intruding by being there. Maybe she should just keep her mouth shut and let him come up with his own idea...

"This is stupid!" Adam groaned, "I'm going to get a soda."

"No one leaves this room until we come up with something!" Eli shouted, "Now think!"

"My brain hurts from thinking so hard!" Adam complained.

"I-I have an idea," Clare admitted meekly.

"Your brain always hurts when you think," Eli rolled his eyes.

"I have an idea," Clare repeated.

"What?" Eli snapped, glaring at her.

"I have an idea," Clare sighed, growing tired of repeating herself.

"Well, let's hear it," Eli waved her on, agitatedly.

"Well...I was just thinking...why does it have to have a concrete ending? What if we left it more...open ended."

"What do you mean?" Eli scowled. The cogs were turning inside his own head. He had to admit, an open ended ending was a pretty great way to go. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

Clare lit up a little as she continued excitedly, "Well, the whole question is does Alice go back to the real world, or does she stay in Wonderland with the Mad Hatter, right? Well, what if we ended it with a scene where she's like...preparing to leave. The Mad Hatter comes to tell her goodbye. He agrees with her decision to leave, but only because it's what he thinks she wants."

"Go on," Eli said, waving again.

"So Mad Hatter comes to tell her goodbye, but he really doesn't want her to leave. And Alice doesn't really want to go. It ends with the Mad Hatter asking her to stay and Alice confessing that she doesn't really want to leave at all."

"And then what?"

"And then...I'm not too sure," Clare frowned, the excited glint draining from her eyes.

"Well that's easy," Adam scoffed, "she obviously confesses she doesn't want to really leave and kisses him and then the curtain falls the end."

"Excuse me?" Eli squinted at Adam.

"That...that's actually not a bad idea," Clare couldn't help but agree with Adam. It was a really good idea. Theatrically-speaking.

"Are you kidding?" Eli couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only was he going to have to star along side Clare, but they'd have to share not only the stage - his stage - but a kiss as well? Eli felt physically ill at the thought. Not that kissing Clare was sickening. But who knew what kind of crap having to share a kiss would dredge up. The thought made his stomach churn.

"No. Just think about it," Adam encouraged, "Really, it'd make for a great play."

It would. Eli knew it would. They were both right and there was no way he could pretend they weren't. But still...having to share a kiss with Clare was just too much. Could he emotionally handle something like that? Could he emotionally separate himself enough just to get through this play? He couldn't handle something like that. There was just no way...but it would make for a good play. And it'd make for a memorable ending. Eli bit down on his bottom lip, thinking it over. He couldn't exactly say no.

"Fine," Eli finally gave in, "We'll do the ending."

"Yay!" Clare's face lit up again and Eli wondered if she realized exactly what they were agreeing to.

There was a knock on the bedroom door and Cece opened it, pizza in hand, "Guys, pizza's here...oh, Clare?"

Clare felt the color drain from her face. She had no idea how painful it'd be seeing Cece again. She missed her terribly. And just seeing here made it even more painful.

"She's my leading lady," Eli explained, "and is helping us work on getting the play written."

"Well," Cece beamed excitedly, pushing her way into Eli's bedroom, "it is just so good to see you again, baby. We've all missed you so much around here."

Eli gritted his teeth again.

"Eli, don't scowl," Cece scolded, "your face will stick like that. Well, I'll just drop this pizza off and let you kids get back to work. Clare, you know you're welcome here any time, right?"

Eli made some sort of sound that didn't quite sound human. Cece patted him on the head and left. Eli groaned, tossing his head back against the pillows. Could she be any more embarrassing?

"I've missed her," Clare said, absentmindedly, grabbing a piece of pizza from the box on Eli's bed.

"Yeah well..." Eli wanted to say something insulting, but couldn't, "...I guess she'll be seeing even more of you now if you're going to be my leading lady. After all, I am a perfectionist and if you're going to be the Alice to my Mad Hatter, we're going to have to practice together...a lot."

"This will be good," Adam chuckled to himself.

"You," Eli pointed at him, "shut up. Alright, let's get this ending done!'