Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates. :( been busy and have barely had time to even get on the computer. Well I just watched the second part to Umbrella. Anyone else LOVED IT? I found it to be such an amazing episode, all three plots. Even the Dave/Wesely plot, and that's really rare. hehehe! :D Well here's Chapter 8, it's kind of a weird chapter I know. But READ and REVIEW!

Clare decided not to continue the conversation and ran upstairs, still slightly choked up. She shut her door and quickly turned around to lock it. Taking deep breaths and hit her door once with her fist before turning around. Eli was sitting on her twin bed, right leg crossed over his left and leaned up against the headboard holding the teddy bear he gave her with the picture that had his headphones hang around the bear's neck, that she sets on her nightstand next the framed photo, so they are the last things she sees before she drifts to sleep at night.

Eli smiled at her when she noticed him. "What are you doing here?"

"You should remember to lock your balcony door little Edwards. We don't need any evil men sneaking in at night." He gave a smug smirk. "Otherwise, will I just have to protect you every night from the crazy rapists and murderers out there?"

Clare started to cry again. Eli set the bear beside him and opened his arms as he repositioned his legs for her to join him on the bed to hug her. She climbed onto his lap burying her face into his shoulders holding his upper body tightly. He stroked her back rhythmically. She finally pulled away after what seemed like hours ended up being just a couple of minutes. She wiped her cheek with her palm, which didn't help at all. So Eli used the cuff of his long sleeved shirt to mop away her wet cheeks.

"What happened?" Eli wrapped his arms around her waist and now she was holding the bear.

"It's really happening. They're really getting a divorce. I just can't believe it." She ran her fingers on the large headphones. "I guess I can give these back to you now. Thanks. They were very helpful for those obnoxious nights."

Eli smirked. "I'm not accepting them back. Plus my dad has a million, I don't need them."

"But you said these were your favorite. That some guitarist gave them to you at a concert when you went backstage. That's a memory you should keep."

"And as long as I keep you. I keep them too." She blushed at his response. "Oh yeah." He leaned over the side of the bed to dig through his backpack that she didn't even notice he brought in. He placed the photograph on her nightstand and handed her Chuck. "You have to take these to your new place."

"I guess I should get my clothes from your house."

He looked at her staring at the bear. "Leave 'em. I'll give you a drawer at my house. For whenever you feel like getting away from your mom or dad."

She hugged him again, tears now all gone and a light smile upon her face. "One problem. I will only be able to come over on weekdays though." He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "My mom is staying in town. But my dad I moving closer to his law firm, and he has child custody on the weekends."

His jaw dropped. "That's not fair. He can't take my Clare from me every weekend."

She giggled as the words "my Clare" fell from his lips. "I just don't know what to do. My family does nothing but stress me out and I can't stand it." She glanced up at a picture of the last family picture they took with Darcy, with Darcy and Clare standing behind their parents who were sitting. Then next to it, the year after Darcy left Clare's new look in Darcy's clothes was the attention grabber when comparing the two. She sat in the middle with her parents behind her. "They're all lies."

"What?" Eli asked.

"Every year got worse and worse. Every smile was a lie." She got up to the line of professional photographs that were on her wall. "Year one. Infant and happy. Years two to eleven, we were a happy family that had nothing wrong. At least I thought so. Year twelve, Darcy starts acting out. She… Changed. She wasn't my sister anymore. Year thirteen, Darcy got crazier and… suicidal…" Clare suffocated on the word that just left her mouth. "Year fourteen, Darcy was gone and I thought I had a perfect world. Sure I missed Darcy. But she was helping the less fortunate. I had my own room. A best friend anyone could ask for. And a first boyfriend who put me through so much, it was unbelievable.

"Now, I'll have two pictures… One with just my mother and one with just my father. It doesn't make sense!" She didn't realize her tone grew louder. "I don't know what I did to deserve this. I listened to them. Learned from mistakes. Was taught right from wrong. Now I don't even know what to believe anymore."

Eli got up and walked up behind her, still a little lost about her rant about the family photos. But tried to jump in to help her. "Clare. Beliefs aren't meant to be told to you and make you forced to believe them. They're your choice. You don't have to listen to your parents always. Kids who don't learn to have a different point of view then their parents end up… end up messed up. Holding so much on their shoulders that they break under the pressure."

She slowly turned back around to face him. "Don't let your parents get to you." He said raising her chin with his fingers. "Beliefs aren't a way of life if you aren't given the choice. So Fuck it Clare. What do you believe in?"

She glanced at the cross that hung above her bed. She pulled it off the nail and lightly held it in her hands for a bit, before dropping it into an open box near by carelessly. Eli looked at the box with clueless stare, lips slightly parted. Clare turned around and grabbed his collar, pulling him to kiss her. He was surprised at first, not immediately kissing back. Eli wrapped his arms around her waist, closing the space between their abdomens. Clare kept a hand on his shoulder, but moved her other hand to the back of his neck and twisted his hair between her fingers. She leaned back guiding them onto her bed. Eli opened his eyes, to see a close up on Clare's closed ones.

"Clare! Dinner!" Helen yelled from downstairs.

Eli pulled away, back onto his feet, and placed his hands in his pockets. "I guess it's time for me to go."

Clare sat on the edge of her twin bed, leaning back, using her arms to hold her up. "Yeah. I guess so." Eli kissed her cheek before exiting through the balcony door and climbing down the trellis with his backpack, then running down the street to where he parked Morty.

I know it's a strange Chapter, but tell me what you think! Just Review please! I love 'em! Hehehehehe!