A/N: I know, I know. You guys were great and I broke my promise. But, but, but I have an excuse! And hopefully you guys will think it's a good one. On my last run through editing I had an idea and I had to write it in, which of course took longer, and then I had to leave for college which is a lot more emotionally trying than I thought. . .but now you get more Eli and I think it's a cute scene. (Don't be mad!) And thank you all for telling me Clare's dads name. I needed it but of course, that's the only episode I don't have DVR-ed. :)

This may seem irrelevant, but I've been obsessed with watching Gene Simmons Family Jewels lately and I got inspired for a spin on a later chapter. If you know Gene's number one rule about living a good life you have a little hint for what's coming for these guys. It might not work out so well for Eli. ;)

Graduation

On Sunday afternoon, Clare stood up on stage in front of her peers, her teachers, and the people who meant most to her to receive her diploma and deliver her Salutatory speech. At the podium, she looked out into the crowd, a sea of mostly nameless faces. She spotted Eli and Adam smiling next to Drew, who was seated with the Bhandaris, and smiled back. They made such an odd bunch, but they were all hers in some form or another. Near the middle, her eyes landed on her mother in her most dignified suit, sitting with her head held high and her shoulders back, pride evident in her expression and Clare felt hope that maybe things could be good again. Better, even. Her smile brightened. Nothing could ruin this moment for her.

Not even her sister showing up with her luggage still in tow halfway into her speech.

After the ceremony was over Clare met up with her sister on the front steps and was immediately dragged into the hug to end all hugs. Darcy squealed and jumped around, her arms still wrapped tightly around her sister, "I am so proud of you. You were great up there!"

"Thanks. I'm so happy to see you. You have no idea," Clare whispered into her ear. They pulled apart and held each other at arms length.

"You're gorgeous, little sister. How'd that happen?" Clare's face turned red but the thousand watt smile was ever present.

"Girls?" The sisters turned to see their mother walking down the steps to meet them, a wad of Kleenex in her hand. Without thinking she brought them both into an embrace she never thought would happen again, with Darcy never being home and Clare's retreat from all things family, "I'm so happy to see the two of you together."

Clare wasn't expecting it but she welcomed it nonetheless. This was three-fourths of the family she thought would never again come together as a whole. And they were here for her.

When Helen pulled back she looked a little surprised at herself, and cleared her throat, "That was a beautiful speech, Clare. You did very well."

"Thank you." She smiled, fiddling with her diploma.

"So, I was thinking, maybe we could take Clare out for dinner to celebrate?" Darcy said to her mom.

Clare made to butt in, to halt their plans before they blew up, but it was already too late. Helen's face took on a new light, "That would be lovely. Just the three of us. I'd love to hear about everything that's been happening. . .in both of your lives."

"That sounds great, guys, but I already have plans. With, uh, Eli. We're supposed to meet up with Alli and the guys," She said, looking around for one or all of them and coming up empty.

"Oh," Helen muttered, dejected.

"Oh! Bring him! Bring Eli. This is perfect, I'll finally get to meet the famous boyfriend character," Darcy said, bouncing around again like an effervescent ball of positive energy.

"Absolutely not," Helen said, her voice suddenly much stronger than it had been all day, at the same time that Clare said, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Darcy looked back and forth at them and took a step out from the space in between them.

Clare bit the inside of her cheek, "Sorry Darce. We'll do dinner or something tomorrow night, I promise."

"No," She said grabbing her wrist when she tried to turn away, "come on, guys. Is it really that big of a deal?"

"It wouldn't be," Clare said, "if she could let it go."

"Clare, I don't agree with the way you're living you're life-"

"Exactly! My life!"

"Guys!" Darcy interjected, then in her best mediator voice said, "Mom, this is Clare's day. Let's just chill, okay?"

Helen looked like she was contemplating the words of wisdom her eldest daughter had imparted on her and Clare took the opportunity to swoop in and, hopefully, close the deal.

"I'm not asking you to like it or accept it. I'm asking you to pretend if you have to. Even if its just for the day, Mom, it's my graduation. Please. I'd like to spend today with the people that matter to me, and I don't want to fight about it."

Clare's earnest plea made Helen think for a moment and then she hesitantly nodded.

"Okay, then. I'm going to go find Eli and tell him about the change of plans. I'll be right back."

xxx

She found him coming out of the front doors as she was going in. After he congratulated her, and she lulled him into a false sense of complacency, she broke the news to him and watched his face visibly fall.

"Why don't you just go? You and I can do something afterward." He said, desperately trying to back himself out of the corner he was in.

"Because we had plans and I want to spend this day with you, but I think if we do this things can start getting better for me and her. And you'll finally get to meet my sister. Please?"

"Don't play the guilt card, that's not fair." He pointed a stern finger at her which she just rolled her eyes at and pushed away, "You know we can't stand each other. We're oil and water. Superman and Lex Luther. It's just asking for trouble."

"For me?" She asked, giving him her best doe eyes.

He threw his head back and groaned, "Clare."

She knew it wasn't long now. He'd already resigned himself, he was just hoping someone would save him before he was lead to the gallows.

"We'll take pictures, go eat a nice free meal, and go home. All by ourselves," She said running a hand up the front of his black button up, and around to cup the back of his neck, "And then, we won't have to leave the apartment for days."

He sighed, "Days?"

She pulled him down and gave him a kiss, whispering, "and days and days."

xxx

At the restaurant, Clare gave a mock curtsey when Eli held the door open for her, feigning shock at his gentlemanly bravado. He bowed slightly at the waste, gesturing for her to go in first causing her to giggle and Helen to roll her eyes at their show.

Darcy was smiling at them and then looked at Helen to see her less than amused face turned in the opposite direction, "Oh, come on. You have to admit that was cute."

"Is this thing ever going to beep?" She asked, loud enough to get Clare and Eli's attention and silence their playful banter. Clare swallowed hard and quietly walked up to stand with her mom and sister, Eli reluctantly following.

"You guys haven't been waiting long, have you?" Clare asked.

Darcy looked to their mother, waiting for her to answer but she was alternating between looking at the pager in her hand and the receptionist at the podium, "No, Clare, not long. We just got our number when you pulled up."

"Good." She said simply. And there they all stood, trying to look everywhere put at each other. Eli was rocking on his heals, hands in his pockets. Clare was twisting and untwisting the strap to her bag around her wrist, occasionally pulling at the hem of her baby blue sundress. Darcy was staring at her mother's profile and Helen was continuing in previous activities.

"Mom," Darcy not so subtly nudged her with her elbow after she'd had enough of the awkward silence, "Why don't you tell Clare about her graduation present."

"What graduation present?" Clare's face reluctantly lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Well, I'm not sure she deserves it now." Helen muttered.

"Of course she does," Her sister implored, "she was the Salutatorian, she more than deserves it. Tell her."

"Yeah, tell her!" Clare said, bouncing excitedly on her heels, trying to ignore her mother's comment and focus on the idea of presents.

"Fine. Well, Clare, in addition to your college fund your father and I have been putting money in a separate account to use towards a car-that one of us approves of, first." She added hastily when she saw the gears in Clare's head starting to spin, and the excitement took over.

"Whatever! It doesn't matter! A car? Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you," She gushed, rushing forward to hug her mother.

It had been such a long time since her mother had held her in her arms like this. And Helen was thoroughly enjoying hugging her baby girl, feeling like she was still loved and needed. It was too soon before the energy in Clare started to bubble up again, forcing her away to hop around, smiling and straight into the arms of that boy.

She was babbling away about makes and models and used cars versus new cars and classics and hybrids at a mile a minute. The boy chiming in with what sounded like references to past conversations.

And Helen just had to nip that in the bud. She hadn't been saving and budgeting for nothing. This was supposed to be something for her-and at the time, Randall-to do with her daughter. She'd be (Lord help her) damned if she thought she was going to skip away with her boyfriend and steal this experience away from her.

When Clare squealed a little in delight and said, "When do you think we can go?" she knew it was her cue.

"We can go over the weekend when Michael has some free time."

Clare was visibly taken aback. Hold. The. Phone.

"Why would we need Michael?" "Well, neither of us know anything about cars," She laughed like it was obvious, "Michael would at least know where to start, maybe haggle a little, don't you think?"

"Mom, Michael's an accountant," Darcy attempted, seeing that there was a storm brewing. It was wild to her, to see her mother and her sister's relationship being so tumultuous. Mom and Clare always saw eye-to-eye. Now it seemed that one or the other of them was always picking a fight. In the past week it seemed like the only calls she got were her mother crying and her sister seething, "He drives a Prius. And didn't you pick that out?" "I'll just go with Eli."

"I'd be willing to stake the deed to the house that Michael knows more about cars than he does."

Clare went to speak and then pursed her lips, holding in a smile. Her mother really had no clue. And didn't she ever hear the phrase "don't judge a book by it's cover"?

"Actually, Mrs.-uh, ma'am," He cleared his throat after realizing he didn't really know what to call his girlfriend's mother, "I'm pretty good with cars. I fix mine on a biweekly basis."

Helen could see the hearse out the window from here and eyed it with disdain. Her daughter drove around in that thing. Her daughter called that gruesome death mobile by a "cute" pet name. Her daughter chose to ride in that thing with that boy instead of her normal, shiny, clean car just today.

"Maybe if you actually did know anything about cars you wouldn't have to fix it so often, hm?" She raised both eyebrows. She might as well stick her nose up in the air and toss a scarf around her neck, Clare thought, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe if he wasn't half a century old, yeah, he'd run smoothly all the time. But, he is so he doesn't." Eli bit back in the same tone of voice. Helen's eyebrows practically ran into her hairline and Clare chose then to step in and make nice.

"Mom, be reasonable. You said we needed someone who knows about cars. Look," She gestured to Eli, arms spread like Vanna White in her heyday, "Someone Who Knows About Cars."

"Fine, Clare. Have it your way." Helen huffed.

Sometimes Clare understood why her mother acted like this. Sometimes she knew when she was acting like an obsessive girlfriend whose attachment to her boyfriend was getting out of hand. This, was not one of those times. She saw nothing wrong with wanting to take Eli shopping for her first car. They'd been talking about it for months, ever since she decided to start seriously saving for at least a down payment. Now she was practically given free reign in a dealership and her mother was acting like it was a sin to want to share this experience with him.

Sure, Helen just wanted a day with her daughter. Clare saw that, but she also saw that it would be a day that she was going to drag her new family along on. She didn't want to hurt her mom but she also hated that her mom couldn't see how much she actually hurt her. It was nothing against Michael and her stepsisters. They were nice people and they didn't deserve to be hated by anyone, let alone her, but they weren't her family. They weren't slowly introduced into her life. One day she just woke up and-BAM!-there they were. No warning, no grace period, no nothing. Because the last thought on her mother's mind lately has been reserved for Clare.

The staff chose that perfect moment to come and retrieve them from the waiting area.

The poor girl's smile nearly slipped off her face when she brightly asked, "Just four today?" and no one answered.

"Yes," Clare finally said, bouncing on her feet like she didn't have a care in the world, dragging Eli up from his position against the wall by the hand.

"Night and day. OJ and toothpaste. OJ and blondes." Eli whispered in her ear as they walked, far enough behind Helen and Darcy that they couldn't hear him.

"Stop it. We're playing nice," Clare elbowed him lightly in the ribs even though she was about as inwardly thrilled at what lay ahead of them if the dinner continued as such.

It wasn't a shock when the girls were the ones who kept the conversation flowing, but it was a pleasant surprise when Eli's two sense bloomed into his own conversations with Darcy. They spoke about Kenya and college and world affairs and Eli's writing. What was shocking was when Helen started to relax and contribute an anecdote here and there.

But it never lasted long. Whenever she started to let go, she made sure to remind Eli-and Clare-of her animosity towards him. She'd always worn her disapproval on her sleeve, rarely showing Eli any warmth even when he and Clare were just friends, but now it was worse. Now, she felt like she had every right in the world to hurl him into molten lava and she wanted everyone to know it.

xxx

When Eli and Clare got home the first thing he did was take off anything that looked even remotely formal, leaving him in his white T-shirt and his black jeans. She dropped her purse and went straight for the printer, camera in hand.

"Oh, come on. A day like this, a dinner like that and the first thing you do is print out pictures?" He asked, from his position laying on the couch, feet up and fingers laced behind his head, "Come relax. You have all the time in the world now, Graduate."

"I'll relax as soon as I do this. I've been waiting all year." She said, hooking her camera up to the instant photo printer her dad sent her last year for Christmas.

Eli leaned back, stretching his neck over the arm of the couch to look at her standing at the desk still in her dress and heals, waiting for her pictures to be spit out.

"Yeah, that's the big motivator. Go to school for most of your life, get good grades to graduate and the only thing keeping you going was the prospect of pictures afterward," He rolled his eyes and turned back to the television's blank screen.

"Shut up. Not pictures, plural. Just this one." She said and he heard a drawer open and close. She walked past him and stood in front of the built in bookcase beside the TV stand, shuffling things around. Curious, he got up and stood to look over her shoulder at what she was doing.

She was rearranging the other frames and books to make room for a new one and Eli smiled when he saw it.

For the last year, there had been a picture of Clare and Eli on his graduation day in an ornate, brushed black metal frame on the shelf. They're on Degrassi's front steps and he's still in his gown but it's completely unzipped, revealing that he was less than dressed to impress, and Clare's wearing his cap. He's determined to keep his smile at bay and she's on the step above him, leaning on his shoulder, full on beaming.

The entire time, Clare was imagining what it would be like to add hers right next to his and now, there it was.

The frames were close to identical but the pictures inside were fraternal. Clare was wearing both her cap and gown the right way and Eli was dressed in nice black jeans, with a matching button up and tie. He had one of his arms wrapped around her chest, pulling her back into him, her hands on his forearm to keep him there. They were both smiling this time.

"There," She said, stepping back to admire the two pictures together, "now we can relax."

"Actually, I just remembered I have a present for you," Eli said, grabbing both of her hands and walking himself backwards toward the bedroom, Clare in tow.

She cocked her head to the side, a coy smile on her lips, "You do, do you?"

"Look whose head's in the gutter," He shook his head in mock awe, "No. It's wrapped and everything."

"Aw. Shame," She said, sitting down Indian style in the middle of the bed. He went over to the dresser and dug around in the top drawer until he came back and held up a small, thin package wrapped in shiny blue paper.

After climbing on the bed and laying down on his side next to her, he balanced the gift carefully on her knee. He'd had it for what seemed like forever and had taken extra care to not only keep it from her, but to act nonchalant about the whole thing. He wanted to surprise her and although he was nervous he was buzzing with excitement that he'd finally be able to show her what he found.

"This took real time, real effort, and real money. Don't forget that part." He said after she'd started ripping the wrapping off.

She paused, looking up at him in frustration, "Way to cheapen what could be a nice gesture."

He chuckled and nudged her knee, "Shh, just open it already."

She rolled her eyes and finished tearing the paper off to find, quite predictably, a long white box. The kind you put the hinged velvet jewelry cases in. Although, she should have reminded herself that this was Eli, and he didn't always do thing the predictable way. When she lifted the lid, she did see a box inside but it was wooden and it looked very old. It had definitely seen better days but it was also very beautiful, with roses and swirls carved into the top, intricate patterns along the edges and in the corners, making the top and bottom flow seamlessly into each other.

"Whoa," She couldn't help herself from saying as she traced one of the roses with her finger, "This is gorgeous."

"You ain't seen nothing yet," He said even though he enjoyed her obvious admiration at the gift's box, he thought it was nothing compared to what was inside, "Open it."

Clare glanced up at him and he gave her an encouraging look, telling her to get on with it already. She set the white box down on the bed in front of her and gently lifted the wooden one out of it, to cradle in her hands, and lift the top off.

On the inside, laying on a pillow of faded royal purple, was a heavy looking silver locket on a long chain. It was carved with more swirls and lacy designs, surrounding a letter 'C'. It looked like something a queen would have worn for a portrait or by a high class woman out for tea in the Victorian Era. This baby definitely would have went down with the ship.

"Oh, my God," Clare breathed, "Eli, where did you find this?"

"I was at the Antique Mall with Sam, selling some of his old stuff and I found this in one of the cases by the register," He said, waiting patiently for her to get to the best part. The element that really made it difficult for him to keep the trap that was usually so good at keeping secrets shut.

"It's amazing," She picked it up to get a better look, turning it over carefully in her hands, pausing when an etching on the back caught her eye. In loopy writing it said 'Always, E', "Did you. . . ?"

Eli shook his head, even though she wasn't looking at him, but leaning down, nose millimeters from the locket, studying the words, "Didn't touch it. It's kinda perfect, huh?"

"Kinda."

"I still can't believe I found it." He said smiling, full of pride that she seemed just as thrilled about his find as he was.

"I can't believe you found it. This is. . . . How old is this?" In complete disbelief, looking over at him.

Eli shrugged a little, "No clue. Hundred years?"

"So it's authentic?"

"As far as I can tell it's the real deal. The chain's a little newer though. '80's, I th-," He was cut off by Clare's free hand at the back of his neck, pulling him to meet her half way in a long, lingering kiss.

"Thank you, Eli. I love it," She said passionately, when she pulled back, just a breath between their lips.

It was exactly something he'd get her. Something elegant and vintage and meaningful. Something that no other man on the planet would have, or could have, possibly given her.

"I knew you would." With false cockiness. He hadn't. He'd hoped.

But, there was more yet and she was taking too long to finish, so he reached over and popped the face open with his thumb, displaying what was inside.

"This picture was stuck in there," He said, pointing to the cracked picture of a woman and her baby that looked about as old as photography itself, "But I thought you'd kinda like that anyway. And the other one. . .well that was a bitch to get in there."

Clare absently hit him with the back of her hand and he rubbed the spot saying, "Ow. I give you gifts and this is how you repay me? Gee, thanks."

She barely spared him a glance. She was too busy basking in the beautiful piece of jewelry. Now she was certain that no one else in the world had something quite like this. And it most definitely couldn't be as wonderful as the one she was holding in her hands right now.

"It's perfect," She said, running her thumb around the edge of the back plate, the one with the tiny picture of her and Eli in it. It was the most perfect picture she never knew existed. He was looking down at her with that special smirk that no else got to see. The one that wasn't about sarcastic comments but about the love and the care he had for her. Her eyes were wide and doe like, looking back up into his and she was smiling, hands lightly fisted, resting on his chest. It was the kind of thing you see in movies. Or in black and white on the pages of a coffee table book.

"So, you like it?" Eli whispered from around her knee, still propping himself up with his elbow. It was funny, from her he needed constant approval, but from anyone else. . . .

Clare just nodded, giving it a last look before closing it and handing it back to him, "Put it on for me?"

He sat up and crawled on his knees behind her. After he clasped the delicate chain, he placed a kiss at the base of her neck. He was about to continue when he heard her sniffle a little, glimpsing her hand come up to her face in his peripheral, "You are not crying."

"No," She leaned back into him, forcing him to recline into the pillows against the old metal headboard, "This is just really amazing, Eli. Thank you."

"I'm gonna be so screwed when your birthday rolls around," He chuckled, trying to make her laugh, just in case.

She craned her neck to look up at him and he saw her eyes, shimmering with complete happiness and gratitude. Seeing that there were no real tears in sight, he leaned down to kiss her full on the lips.

That necklace was the only thing she slept in that night.

A/N: So that last part with the locket was what I had to edit in at the last second. I was just gonna stop at the picture because that was the idea that got me started on the graduation chapter and have a shorter chapter. I know it was a little cheesy and way out there, but I also thought it was cute and am a little proud of myself for thinking of it. Personally, I'd swoon but what do you guys think? Worth it? I've noticed that a lot of my ideas center around the descriptions of photos they could have taken, so I hope you guys don't mind that element.

Oh! And who do you think Sam is? You should know that I've created an entire history for this Eli that doesn't really match up with the show, that I know of. I might include the Julia bit though cause that doesn't interfere.

Leave a review and there will be Fun With Morty in your future. I'm responding to the long ones/really good ones. :)