Authors Note: Sorry about the wait everyone, but it's here. The moment you've all been waiting for...

The Last Chapter.

Disclaimer: We only own Liam, Bells, Lettie, and this story. Not degrassi :P

Chapter 11: A Love That Will Last

Why am I doing this? Was the mantra running through my mind right now. Why am I going to such great lengths for some woman who doesn't even care for me anymore? Why would she care? I'm not her "perfect" Owen, I'm nowhere near Owen Milligan's status. I'm no jock. I'm not an ex-bully turned personal trainer. I'm just me, plain old Elijah Goldsworthy. The starving artist who's hopelessly in love with the girl who broke my heart. Cliché, I know, but I can't help that now. My life's a total cliché, running around my house, trying to get ready to go run to a church on the command of the child of my ex. But, I'm still dressing myself, and tossing around everything, looking for my shoes. Why am I doing this? The voice inside my head. the rational one, continues to repeat itself. But the irrational one is scolding me, telling me to go faster. That I'm almost out of time. It's crying for me to get down those stairs and out the apartment doors and over to her church before Clare and Owen exchange vows.

The next thing I know, I'm out the door and on the street outside searching for Morty.

"Where is it?" I whisper trying to remember as I pull on my black loafers. Then it hits me, like lightning on a tree branch in the depth of the storm and I curse the air around me. Guess I'm on foot, I think and I start a steady jog that breaks into an all-out run as I head down the street looking for the looming white-grey Church. I hear the church before I see it. The sounds of the people inside, the sound of the birds chirping, waiting to be released like Clare had wanted.

As I reach the steps, they seem to grow, like in cartoons where when you're afraid of something it grows ten times in size. Kind of like a fun house mirror effect. I feel sweat beads on my forehead, and I wipe them away with my coat sleeve. 'Deep breaths, Eli, deep breaths,' is now repeating in my head. As I hear those words over and over again, I start to listen, taking in a breath every second.

I go to walk up the steps as the door opens slowly and a small figure walks out, peering its head around. When the small face turns just so and the small round blue orbs light up. "Eli! You came!"

I smirk softly, brightening up a little, "Course I did kid. I'd never leave you hanging."

He runs down the stairs and hops up into my arms, "I missed ya Eli."

I hug him tightly, "Missed ya too Liam."

He hops down from my arms and pulls on my hand, leading me up the stairs and into the grand building. I look around at the white and blue flowers, which seem to cover every nook and cranny. I don't realize I've stopped walking until I feel Liam's small arm tugging hard on my sleeve and his voice hurried, "Come on Eli! Mom's almost ready. You need to see her now!"

"Alright, Alright. Lead the way kiddo." I say to him and then begin to walk with him to the back room, hidden deep in the church. Voices murmur behind the walls and I hear snippets of the conversation. Something about the wedding planner and Owen talking privately and how Clare shouldn't know about it. The voice rebutting the argument was Alli's. I hadn't seen or heard her voice in years.

Liam leads me around the corner and then I see whose talking. Alli and Jenna. Both of them are in baby blue gowns, and they're holding onto matching bouquets.

"All I'm saying is, she doesn't need to know Alli! It's her wedding day. Leave it be." Jenna hisses.

Alli rolls her eyes, "As her best friend, I think I know what she needs. And Clare needs to know that Owen has been having 'secret meetings' with the wedding planner."

Jenna sighs, "Look Alli, I get how this seems, but Marisol said it was nothing, just wedding stuff."

Alli puts her hands on her hips, "Jenna! Marisol of all people is telling you this? Don't you remember how she broke you and KC up? she's no good. She's a relationship ruiner. The fact that she's the wedding planner isn't helping the situation! Have you talked to Owen?"

"No, I haven't." Jenna replies.

"Look, I think Clare needs to know this before she gets married to him."

"And I think we should just leave it be. It's none of our business Alli."

"She's my best friend Jenna!"

"She's mine too!"

"No she isn't. If she was, you would be on my side and we would be going to tell her this right now."

Liam's voice pulls me back into the mission ahead, "Eli, mom's in here. She's alone now. She'll see you."

I nod and follow him towards the door.

He knocks on the door, "Mom!" Then he runs away.

The door opens and I see Clare, in a white gown, perfect and flawless as always. She looks at me and studies my face for a minute before she speaks, "Eli? Where'd Liam go? Why are you here?"

I walk into the room and close the door behind me, "Liam asked me to come."

She looks startled then takes in a deep breath before meeting my gaze, "Oh...alright."

"Look Clare, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time, and I know my timing is bad. When isn't it? but you've got to listen to me, okay?"

She nods and takes a seat by the vanity mirror.

"Clare, I've known you for years. I've loved you, and I've lost you before. You've always been the one good thing in my life. The one person who I could count on when I really needed someone at my side. I hated those years we didn't speak. It broke my heart that the one person I wanted...needed, most, couldn't be there. I couldn't call you up and ask for you to come sit with me, or to take a drive with me. Nothing like that. I braved my worst days alone and I'm proud I was able to do that."

Clare speaks up, looking not at me, but at her hands, "I'm proud of you too."

"But, none of my pride or joy or anything else happy in my life matters to me anymore. I had you back Clare. I had my best friend back, and I loved it. I could talk to you, and call you whenever. It was like high school; except I'm not crazy."

She cuts me off, "You were never crazy Eli. You're bipolar." She twiddles her thumbs and stares at the hemline of her dress like it's the most interesting thing in the room, like I'm not in here confessing everything I am to her.

"I-I know. But still, I felt crazy. I still feel crazy. But that feeling goes away when I'm with you. You're the best thing in my life Clare. You always have been. You're my best friend. You're everything I'm not and more. You mean the world to me...and, and to see you throw away your life on that...jerk! It kills me."

"He's not a jerk Eli! He's sweet and kind, and he cares about me. He cares more than Bill did."

"Really Clare? I doubt that."

"Why? Why is it so hard to believe I have a good guy in my life Eli? Why is that so damn hard to believe? Why? Why can't you let me be happy? I'm happy with him Eli. I'm happier with him than I was with Bill. Why won't you let me be happy?"

"Because" I suck in a breath and look at her, "because, I don't want you to get hurt."

She stands up and looks at me, "Owen would never hurt me Eli!"

"Correction Clare, I would never hurt you. Not in a million years!"

"Look at yourself Eli; you're the one hurting me right now. Not Jake, not Bill, not Owen, but you."

"I-I...Clare..."

"Just go Eli. Let me be happy."

"But Clare, I love you. That's all I want. Everything in me wants you to be happy!"

She meets my gaze, "Then leave. Please..."

I nod and walk out the door, then take a minute to look back, only to find it closed.

The wedding march rings in my ears as I walk towards the exit. I hear the movement of everyone in the church standing up. I pause and look to where Clare's headed down the aisle. Breathtakingly perfect.

Then I hear a cry, and I rush into the church. I see Clare and Owen, and everyone else surrounding someone on the floor. I push through and find Violet screaming, crying on the floor. I bend down and look at her. I watch as everyone else tries to get her attention, to get her to stop crying so they can continue on. Owen's face is hard edged and I see Marisol behind him, with her hand surrounding his.

"Lettie. Sweetie, don't cry baby." Clare coos, but the wailing continues.

I move closer to them and tap Violet on the shoulders. She looks up at me, her tear filled eyes so round and hypnotizing. "Lettie, what's wrong?"

She sobs, "I fell down, and...and I hurt my knee."

Clare moves back a little, staring at us, then turning to face Owen.

"Can I see?" I ask and she nods her little head, pulling her skirt up past her knee. "Oh, this looks pretty bad Lettie, we might need surgery!"

She looks at me, with wide eyes, "S-Surgery?"

I smirk, "Or we could use an old Goldsworthy family trick. Would you like that?"

She nods, the tears no longer falling.

"Alright. Close your eyes, and pick a color."

Her eyes close and she pauses, "Whi...no. Periwinkle with grey spots!"

I chuckle softly and place my hand on her knee. "Keep thinking of that, and when I count to fifteen you won't hurt anymore. Ready?"

"Ready!" she smiles, eyes still closed.

"I...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13...14...15."

She opens her eyes and smiles, "It doesn't hurt anymore!"

"What can I say kiddo, I'm magic." I wink and she giggles. I kiss her cheek and then get up, bow slightly at her and look for Clare. But both her and Owen are gone.

I back out of the room and head out the big arching door, walking down the church steps.

The next day I'm home in my apartment when I hear a knock at my door I walk over to get it, "Who is it?"

"It's me." Liam's voice calls.

"And me!" Bells says.

"Don't forget me!" Lettie's small voice giggles.

I smirk and open the door, "Hey kids! There's some food in the kitchen."

They all run past me.

"Just promise to leave some for my dinner!"

They giggle and I go to close the door and join them, but something stops the door.

"Got enough for one more?"

I look up, "Clare? I-I thought you'd..."

She cuts me off, "Be on my honeymoon? So did I. But I guess Owen and Marisol had other plans. So, do you have enough food for one more?"

I open the door more, "Always for you Clare."

She walks in, and takes off her jacket, turning to me. "And about yesterday, I..."

I cut her off, "It's alright."

She looks at me, "No, it isn't Eli. I, I shouldn't have said that to you. I didn't mean it."

I meet her gaze, "I meant what I said though. As long as you're happy Clare, I'll be fine."

"Well, I'm not happy."I go to speak but she cuts me off, "I'm no where near happy Eli. I haven't been for years. My kids are great. They're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I regret nothing about my life with them. What I do regret is Bill. But my biggest regret? Well, that would be not talking to you after I left for college. I just wanted a fresh start, and I got a new life. I hated not talking to you, and I missed seeing you. And I guess when I got that back everything else was just second best. Until Owen came along, and I thought I was happy. I thought he was my redo because of Bill. But, I was wrong." She pauses and takes in a breath, "My redo was you, Eli. Seeing you that night was fate, and I hate that it took me until now to see that. I love you Eli. I love you more than ever, more than anyone else I've ever loved. And, I'm sorry it took me until now to realize it."

I grab her and kiss her quickly, pulling back enough only so I can talk, "Don't apologize."

"I love you Eli." she smiles.

"I love you too Clare."

"Aw!"

We both turn around, still holding onto each other, and see the kids standing in the doorway from my kitchen.

Bells giggles after she takes a bite of her cookie, "What? You thought we weren't going to listen in? Yeah right."

Lettie smiles big staring at me, "I thought it was the sweetest thing ever."

Liam rolls his eyes, "I didn't need to see the lip-lock though. That was gross!"

Clare walks over behind him, "You thought that was gross, eh?" then she kisses his cheeks over and over again, getting giggles from the two girls and sighs from Liam.

"Let go!" he says, and after she sets him down, she sighs.

"It's not too bad," Liam says, "But still gross."

I smirk and look at Clare, and she smiles staring back at me.

Love, is now my mantra..

Final Author's note: Welcome to the last chapter this lovely fic, I hope you've enjoyed this ride as much as we have. I hope we've made you love us as people, and enjoy our fics more.

Please review, this being our last chapter and all

xoxoxo Catherine and Hope

ps; should we make a sequel?