Epilogue will be up next, keep a look out for it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

Need

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There were no cars or any noise when I reached the view of the mansion. I pushed the gate open and a small creak sounded when it snagged back in place. I reached the door and went inside; there wasn't a trace of anyone. I dropped my shoes on the floor and walked to the living room, narrowing my eyes when I saw Ramona on the floor, scrubbing the floor with a sponge. Specs of red were prominently shown on the floor and I bit back a gasp.

"Ramona?" I asked, walking over to her. She looked up and bowed her head before proceeding back to her menstruations. I tapped her shoulder politely to regain her attention. "Ramona, have you seen Eli?"

"I was waiting for you to return," Declan's straight-edged voice sliced through the room.

He was seated at a huge table, a glass of red wine in his hands and a perplexed expression on his face. His eyes were emotionless but cold. A flare of anger grew through me and a growl escaped unknowingly.

"Where is Eli?" I demanded, moving over to the table.

"Fiona and Adam thought it would be good for Eli if they went out for a bit. I guess with you leaving and my little surprise, they couldn't really handle it," he chuckled darkly, taking a sip from his glass. "Now tell me, darling, how was your stroll?"

"Shut it. I know what your plan was."

He looked confused but a smirk teased at his lips. "I have no idea what you're referring to. Please, enlighten me."

"You knew me," I began, placing my hands over the wooden table. "You knew me before I knew Fiona. Heck, even her and Adam knew me! How could you do this? Do you really think I would leave Eli for you?"

His eyes darkened, an icy blue surfacing to midnight black. His teeth pierced from his lips and his body went stiff. I wasn't scared of him though.

"Ramona. Leave now." His voice was cruel and menacing, a controlled rage was evident and he didn't say anything until Ramona was completely out of the room. "How did you know about that?"

"You're pathetic and I'm pathetic for falling in your trap." I turned away in shame. What if I lost Eli for good?

"I had you," Declan's voice muttered softly. I heard his footsteps walk over to me and his body coming in contact with mine. "I can offer you so much more then Eli. We can still rule over all."

His lips were close to my neck and fury exploded through me. In a haste, I turned around and pushed him roughly across the room, resulting in him breaking the table in two. Before I could comprehend, my back was against a near by wall, Declan's hand wrapped around my neck. He was older and probably stronger but I didn't care.

I dug my fingers in his shoulder blades and kneed his stomach, and pushed myself on him until he hit the ground. I pinned him down with all my strength and he snapped at me.

"Get it through your head, Declan Coyne. I will never love you. I will never be with you. You can't replace Eli. You're nothing to me."

He glared at me but his eyes turned blue and his fangs disappeared. "I will be the ruler one day. I just have to wait until one of you two do something idiotic."

"You'll be waiting for a long time then," I said, patting his cheek before standing back up.

The door slammed and my eyes snapped to the entrance hall. Fiona and Adam walked into the living room with confused but relieved looks on their faces. Eli came in after them, surprise displayed over his face that made me frozen.

"Oh my god, Clare! Where were you?" Fiona asked frantically, concern evident in her voice. "We were worried sick about you! We went to go look for you but we couldn't find your scent. What happened to the table?"

"Just a small accident," Declan responded with ease.

I gave a look of disgust to Declan who merely shrugged arrogantly in response. Fiona ran over to me and enveloped me in her arms, but I couldn't find myself to hug back. Eli was still looking at me and I really wanted to talk to him alone.

"You okay, Clare?" Adam asked, concerned at my mindless state. "Where did you go?"

I decided not to tell them about Imogen but I would confront them later about lying to Eli and I.

"Huh? Yeah. I just… Eli can we talk?" I ignored the stares and looked at him pleadingly.

He dug his hands in his pockets and the emotion in his eyes answered my question. I walked out of the room and he followed after me. We ended up in our bedroom, both of us sitting on the bed. He wouldn't look at me and I decided to start things slow.

"What happened… after I left?" I asked quietly waiting expectantly for him to look at me.

"No one made it out alive," Eli sighed, eyes still trained on the floor. His posture was closed off, his walls up to divide myself from him. "What happened to you?"

"I went for a walk and met someone…" I was debating to tell him the whole story and if I didn't today, I would someday. "She helped me realize some things."

He finally looked at me, soft green eyes boring through mine. "Like what?"

"How scared I was." Eli was about to question but I shook my head. "Scared of being with you forever. As a… vampire."

"You hate what I turned you to be," Eli said heavily, clasping his hands together in a tight manner. "I… I didn't want to, Clare. But I couldn't let you die."

I scooted closer to him and placed my hand over his. "I know. I never hated you for turning me, Eli. The truth is, I really wanted to be with you, but I was scared that you would eventually grow tired of me or we would end up breaking up. I was worried that forever wasn't going to be… forever."

"You really thought that?" he asked, sounding astonished with slight firmness. "Clare, do you know what you have done to me? I tried to kill you. I've taken so many lives and didn't give a shit. But you were still there and I just couldn't help myself."

I brought my hands to his neck so he would look me straight in the eye. I was going to let him know how much I wanted him. How much I needed him. How much I loved him.

"Listen. I was the same way when I started to fall for you. I didn't want to because it was the first time I was feeling something so powerful - I never wanted it to end. But when Fitz went after me and I was almost dying, then after you changed me… I didn't know how to deal. Everything changed and I just didn't want to do anything about it," I spewed, a weight lifting off my shoulders from the confession.

Eli's lips parted in shock, his eyes brightened to an extreme and I felt myself cave in from the many emotions escaping.

"So what you're saying is… You always wanted to be with me? You always loved me? You don't… regret it?" he asked vulnerably, every single emotion displaying over his face.

"Yes - yes!" I repeated, latching my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my back in a tight embrace, and I rested my head on his shoulder. "I was meant to be with you, Eli. Us being together is worth so much more then you can imagine."

He pulled away but arms still around me, eyes squinted. "You make it sound like we're aligned with the stars or something," he joked and I smiled curtly.

"Not exactly, but there is something bigger." My eyes widened when I realized what I was about to tell him. "What if I told you there was another world among this one? One with full of vampires?"

His arms fell off of me and he had a thoughtful yet calculating expression. "I know there are vampires here but you're saying there is another world where there are only vampires?" he questioned incredulously.

"They live on this earth but we're all linked. Every single vampire in the world knows everyone. Adam, Fiona and Declan knew you and I before we were even together."

Eli didn't look convinced. "You're serious?"

I nodded impatiently. "Yes. And we're supposedly the 'higher beings.' If you didn't change me I was going to die anyways."

"You were going to die anyways? What are you talking about, Clare? What happened to you?" He sounded worried and I mentally cursed myself for thinking it would be easy to explain.

"We can talk about it more later but right now, just know, I love you." I pressed my forehead against his, closing my eyes. "I'm never going to leave you."

Eli's lips found mine in a passionate and needy kiss, his tongue poking through my mouth and massaging with mine. I held onto him and reciprocated with the same fervour, my senses and emotions revved intensely. He broke away and travelled his lips down my neck, kissing and sucking in rhythm as a moan escaped me.

"Eli… Wait…" My eyes rolled back from the pleasure but I had more to say, even if I really enjoyed the way his tongue moved on my skin.

"Mhmm," he murmured in a husky voice that was making this more difficult then it already is.

I pulled away before this went any further and gave him a warning look. "I need to talk to you about Declan."

He growled deeply and it made my insides tingle but I ignored it. "What about him?"

"I know what you're thinking, don't worry I'm done with that. I never wanted to kill anyone. But…" I tuck a curl behind my ear and looked down at my lap. "Declan wanted you out of the picture because he wanted to rule the supernatural."

Eli's eyes turned black, the fury spread throughout his whole appearance and I had to hold onto him to refrain from doing something destructive.

"I never liked him but only hid it for the sake of everyone else. Fuck that," he said in controlled anger.

"You're not going to have to worry about him anymore," I stated confidently. "We're leaving."

He laughed. "You don't have to make me feel better."

"I'm not. I want to go back home. To Toronto."

Eli's eyes widened a fracture and he turned hesitant. "Clare."

"I'm serious, Eli. I want to go back to Toronto with Adam and Fiona." I stood up and he looked up at me curiously. "I want to see Alli and fix this mess I created. I want to see my parents so they know I'm alright. I want to go back to the way things were. And I know we can do it."

"But what about your control… The blood… What will Alli think when she finds out? Your parents? We can't tell anyone else."

"Eli, I can do this. I want to at least try facing my problems rather then running away. I need this to find closure with my old self. And if I have you by my side, I can get through anything." I gave him a fearless stare as my hands found their way on his shoulders, and his automatically held my waist. "Just say you're with me."

He looked at me closely, his gaze constant and intense. He stood up and took my face in his hands, and I waited patiently. I just needed him to say he was with me. That was all I needed.

Then I would know everything would be okay.