Hi guys! Sorry it's been like forever since I last updated! Please don't hate me! I just got back from camp the other day so I'm just catching up on Degrassi and everything. And let me say, it's pretty intense so far and I absolutely love every minute of it! Haha! And wow, Eli has got issues and Imogen is defiantly not helping. But on the up side, who else is loving cake? Lol

Again sorry about the wait! I'll try to update more often!

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi.

Chapter 7:

Jake was paranoid. As much as he tried to hide it, nothing worked. For those few moments after the catastrophe, Jake was confident and invincible. Now, all hell broke lose as reality struck. Anyone could hear in his shaky voice that the wanted fugitive we had ran into, made Jake fearful. It wasn't hard to tell that much more had happened between the two, while training for the CIA. It was as if they were each other's nemesis or something. They were hunting. For blood.

Jake contacted his boss, explaining the situation that took place before us. We were at Jake's house now. "My partner, Mike, is coming up to Toronto to help out," Jake informed me. His voice cracked with almost every syllable as he tried to hide the panic he felt. Jake was strong; he knew how to handle a criminal. I couldn't tell what was making him so worried.

"Calm down, Jake. Everything will be ok," I attempted to comfort him while his pace around the living room quickened. "What are you so afraid of anyway?"

"Don't you get it, Clare? Aaron knows where I live now; he knows where to find me; he knows where the one place is, in which all my secrets and weaknesses lay," he strived to stay composed, but his hands trembled. "There's so much I'm risking now," his tone was a mere whisper, as everything became clear. All the loved ones in his life were now targets. Everything: the governmental status, the second identity, the power, the game, would all be unraveled into his home spectrum.

Whatever the feud is, however it started, no matter how strong it is, it must be stopped. Jake's dad, his friends….me; we're all in jeopardy now. Jake already lost an important person in his life. I can't imagine how it would feel to lose another.

I pulled Jake onto the couch, smothering him in a bone-breaking hug. I held him tight, softly rubbing his back in a comforting silence that spoke the words which meant the most. I understood his situation and right now he need someone to be there for him more than anything.

After a couple more minutes of our embrace, I pulled away and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, why is this Aaron guy after you?"

He sighed deeply, "Well, ever since I started training with him, I could tell there was something wrong with him. They way his mind worked, was not normal. He had sick thoughts and obsessed over destruction. That's when I found out he was part of this group of criminals, who believe the world's society is corrupt and plan to destroy it, so they would be in charge of the way things run. They were going to start by taking down the FBI and the CIA. No one else knew except me. I could just sit back and do nothing, so I found some proof to back me up on and told the head commissioner. Aaron was kicked out and locked up in jail. The CIA already started tracking down others in the group, yet he blamed me for ruining their plan and getting him thrown out. Aaron promised he would get his revenge on me. I never thought anything of it because I figured he'd be locked up forever. But now, I guess now he escaped and I'm damned." His voice started to shake again at the end, but he managed to keep together, although I could see he was breaking on the inside.

"Don't worry, Jake. We'll get through this, together," I looked deep into his eyes to internally tell him that I care about him and I don't want to see him upset like this and that I will stay by his side no matter what.

"Clare, I promise I won't let anything happen to you," tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but I struggled to keep them in. I knew Jake would do anything in his power to keep me safe.

We laid on the couch in each others arms, talking aimlessly at nothing in particular; anything to get our minds off the fiasco. I stayed at Jake's house a little longer until his dad came home. Not long after his arrival, my mom came to pick me up.

The car ride home was silent for I couldn't stray away from everything that has happened today. For the rest of the weekend, I did my best to keep up with my mom's conversations and focus on my homework.

….

Now, it's Monday morning as I woke to the annoying beeping of my alarm clock. Once I was dressed and ate breakfast, I headed to school.

As soon as I got there, I ran to find Alli. I needed her help

"Alli!" I shouted as I spotted her walking the hallways, making her stop suddenly in her tracks. She turned to look at me with a questioning look.

"What's wrong?" she asked as I got closer to her.

I knew I couldn't tell her exactly what happened to Jake and I, so I substituted a couple things. As we started walking to my locker, I kept my voice low, "Ok so when I went on my date with Jake last weekend, we ran into his," I paused trying to figure out a way to explain this, when something clicked, "friend." I finished. "Anyway they weren't getting along, you know like they were fighting. And Jake told me his friend is a little…crazy, so Jake thinks he's going to try to get revenge by coming after me or something. What should I do?" I ended when we approached my locker.

"Don't panic, Clare! I'm sure Jake will take care of you. He's a good guy and anyone can see he loves you," she stated calmly as if it were nothing. Even though there was so much more to the story, she was right; I just needed to breathe.

"You know, Clare, you have a lot of drama in your life," Alli said as the homeroom bell rang. I never thought about it, but she was right. Everywhere I turn there's drama.

The school day started off pretty normal. Jake and I did our best to act as if nothing happened during the previous weekend. After lunch Jake was walking me to my next class, when he realized he forgot something in the cafeteria. He told me he'd catch up with me later, so I gave him a kiss goodbye on the cheek for now.

I rounded the corner to continue walking when I bumped into someone. "Sorry," we both said in unison. When I looked up, I saw it was none other than Eli. 'Could this week get any worse,' I thought to myself.

"Hey, Eli," I said awkwardly.

"Hi, Clare. How've you been?" he asked with a smirk and a tone in his voice that said he knew something was wrong. He was glad something was wrong; it was a way to say that I needed him and he couldn't be doing any better without me. However, I knew he was truly jealous of what Jake and I have, so I decided to give him a run for his money.

"Look, Eli, I'm doing great. In fact I love my life right now and I wouldn't want to change anything in it. And, to be honest, I don't need you ruining it again, so if you would please, just leave me alone," I said backing away. Just before I turned to continue my walk I added, "And plus don't you have a girlfriend to attend to?" That was the icing on the cake that left him standing there bewildered in utter humiliation as everyone's eyes were on him. Maybe he would finally just drop everything.

Once I got to my next class, I felt a little better. Everything was going fine. The teacher lectured. We took notes. It was normal. That is, until the announcement.

"Everyone in the hallways, please report to a classroom. From this moment on, we are in lockdown, until further notice," Simpson's voice echoed in the soon empty hallways just outside the classroom door. The teacher ran to lock the door shut and turn all the lights off. The students huddled together in a corner scared for life, not know if it were real or just a drill.

I thought of the worst possible. What if Aaron was here for Jake?

Simpson's words lingered throughout my thoughts…lockdown.