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When the weekend came and it was time to head up to Boston he ended up, he wasn’t sure how or why offering to pick Tristan up from physical therapy so he didn’t have to take a taxi home and sit around the house alone. So he first drove over to the hospital to get Tristan who was rolling out in his wheelchair as he pulled up, the cane he’d made him laid across his lap. “Hey handsome.”, Tristan greeted with a smirk. Merrick rolled his eyes getting out of the car and walking around. “Timeline of me being nice about that has lapsed. Keep it up clown and I’ll drop you in a ditch.”, Merrick smiled opening the passenger door and sliding the seat back. Tristan chuckled. “Alright. Well thanks for picking me up. Everyone is in finals mode at the house so I took a cab here and they are now all at work so I’d be taking a cab home to sit alone. So what are you doing up this way anyways that you offered? And why Am I getting the back seat?”, he asked carefully getting out of his wheelchair using the cane. “It’s not a problem. I’m up here to see my Nana Hazel to look at a space to maybe open a storefront for my Aonair Mac Tíre business here in Boston. And I told Rose I’d try to be nicer to her friends. And your ass is going in the back because my Nana gets front seat. You may have a bad back but she’s in her eighties with a bad hip. Plus as long as you don’t put your feet on my upholstery you can stretch out.”, he explained. “Fair enough so we going to get your Nana and look at a storefront. I seriously didn’t take you for well the type to be so close to his Nana.”, Tristan admitted getting in.
Merrick rolled his eyes closing the door and getting the wheelchair into the trunk. “Yeah well Nana Hazel is pretty awesome. She isn’t what most would think when I say Frost. She’s very blunt and well she doesn’t exactly curb her language unless children are around. So be prepared.”, Merrick warned driving from the hospital to the Frost estate. “God damn, this place makes the house I’m living in look like a shack.”, Tristan commented as they pulled up. “Yeah well Frosts tend to like the finer things I suppose. It’s been in the family for generations back to when you’d have servants and such and there was a larger family that lived at home.”, Merrick explained stepping out of the car to open the door as Hazel walked out of the front door. “Hi Nana. Remember I told you we’d have a guest with us for our travels. Rose’s friend Tristan is in the back.”, he greeted. Tristan peeked out the window at the woman. For being elderly she didn’t carrying herself that way. She still had her shoulders back and perfect posture and her blonde hair may be more gray but it was still obvious she’d been a blonde. She walked with a cane which Tristan figured was more form than function unlike his. “Ah yes the rodeo/rancher who had the back injury. I recall you mentioning that Roselyn had a friend who’d been in an accident and was now living nearby.”, Hazel nodded getting closer and giving Merrick a hug and pulling him down to her level to kiss his cheek. Tristan laughed a little at the sight of Merrick hunched over at the will of an old woman.
“Yes Nana. Tristan Whitland, his father runs a ranch in Oregon that used to be long to Rose’s maternal grandparents. Tristan may I present Hazel Frost. Nana this is Tristan Whitland.”, Merrick introduced as Hazel started to get into the car. “Good to meet you young man. Any friend of my Roselyn’s.”, Hazel smiled looking into the back seat. “And well my Roselyn certainly knows how to keep good looking company.”, she commented. Tristan chuckled. “Why thank you ma’am. I take it you are fond of Rose.”, he smiled brightly. “Oh yes. Since the day my sweet Merrick accidentally let her name slip and I did my digging to find out who she was. Such a sweet girl, very polite too. And obviously has excellent taste in men finally snatching my Merrick up.”, Hazel smiled pinching Merrick’s cheek a little as she spoke. Tristan chuckled as he watched Merrick roll his eyes. “Nana please do not pinch my cheek. I gave you a great great grandson for that.”, Merrick stated. “Yes but he’s not here. Which where is my sweet Faelan?”, she asked looking to the backseat not even seeing the car seat base. “He’s with Zoe.”, Merrick explained as he drove following the navigation from his phone for the storefront. “Oh yes the other light of my Merrick’s life. Our sweet nightingale.”, she commented. “Nightingale? Oh I remember Zoe. Hot Italian chick with the white hair?”, Tristan chimed in. “Yeah, the ‘hot Italian chick’. Nana Hazel calls her nightingale because Zoe does musicals and operas like her mother used to.”, Merrick commented pulling into a parking garage. “Alright back there you using your cane or wheels?”, Merrick asked getting out. “I’ll go cane, better for my healing if I walk more.”, Tristan answered.
They all got out and first walked to the storefront a realtor there to greet them and show them the space. It was certainly large enough to hold furniture and be a store/showroom for his business. “Thanks for showing me. I’d like to schedule a second viewing in say June. I have someone I’d want to get their opinion of before I decide anything.”, Merrick said shaking the agent’s hand. “Not a problem Mister Bryant-Frost.”, the agent said as they walked away. “June?”, Tristan asked. “Another opinion?”, Hazel questioned a bit miffed that hers wasn’t enough. “Yeah...I want Rose to look at the space. Don’t dare say it Nana.”, Merrick warned as they walked the city street. “Don’t say what?”, Tristan asked looking to Hazel. “Oh that if her opinion of where he should open his business is so valued maybe he should just break down and give that girl a ring already.”, Hazel commented. Merrick groaned as they walked. Tristan chuckled. “Hey I can’t say much I mean you two been dating since what December officially but were sleeping together….”, Tristan started to speak. “About as long as you’ve been sleeping with Blaire. So let’s not even do that. I already had this conversation with her. I do not count any time before Faelan because I was with a few different women in those days not just Rose. And you shouldn’t even try to get on her side about this Tristan. You’ve been with Blaire since she was fifteen and she’s twenty and I don’t see a ring going on her finger. And you two live together.”, Merrick countered.
Tristan smiled. “Yes well I am currently unemployed getting disability checks, not exactly enough to buy a ring worthy of being on her perfect finger. You’ve got three jobs.”, he stated. Hazel chuckled and linked her arm with Tristan. “I like this young man.”, she stated. Merrick chuckled. “Of course you do. He’s in the same mindset as you that I should be proposing to Rose. We have the Atlantic Ocean between us and she’s still has to finish university. And it’s not like I’m Landon where I’ll just be walking past a jewelry store and see the perf….”, Merrick’s voice trailed off as he stopped in front of a jewelry store despite his own setup of the situation and looked into the window. There shining in the afternoon sun was a white gold right with a round moonstone at the center. “What was the inconceivable premise you were setting up?”, Tristan teased looking around Merrick at the ring. “Oh fuck you Tristan…”, Merrick shook his head. “Oh if I wasn't already committed to Blaire and you to Rose my friend.”, he teased. Hazel chuckled. “So let’s go in and see how much it is. If you buy it you’ll have it when you decide it’s the right time…”, she suggested. Merrick nodded. “Yeah.. I suppose. It doesn’t mean I’m proposing to her when she comes home or anything insane like that. But that’s a moonstone and I can’t really think of a better stone for my little wolf.”, Merrick agreed walking inside.
“Whatever gets him through the doors.”, Hazel whispered to Tristan who chuckled softly. Merrick walked up to the counter. “Hey how much is the moonstone ring in the window and what’s it size?”, he questioned. “Excellent choice a very unique stone not many would think to buy such a ring for more than a random gift. There a special lady you are shopping for?”, he asked getting the ring. “He’s thinking about proposing, eventually, to his girlfriend.”, Tristan chimed in. “Oh well certainly a unique choice in an engagement ring. We do have a large selection of diamonds and other more traditional engagement ring choices. Now this is 18 karat white gold and is a size seven band. We have it priced at three hundred dollars.”, The man said. “Three hundred? Yeah okay I’ll take it.”, Merrick nodded. He’d been expecting the man to say more a lot more. “And you are certain this is the ring? As I said I have a number of more traditional engagement rings.”, the man said taking out a tray of engagements rings of diamonds and pearls. Merrick shook his head. “No the moonstone is the one for her. She wouldn’t want a diamond.”, he said. But he did glance at the tray of other rings and stopped looking at a pearl ring, it was a simple white gold band where the band cradled the cultured pearl and what looked like diamond filled leaves on a vine wrapped around the sides of the pearl. “That’s a lovely choice too. It’s the same price. However this one is a size five.”, the man said picking up the pearl ring to show Merrick.
“I’m confused. You just said the moonstone was the one for Rose. Now you’re looking at a pearl?”, Tristan questioned. Hazel looked at the ring. “That is lovely.”, she commented. “The pearl wouldn’t be for Rose. I’m buying the moonstone for when I’m ready to make that level of a commitment to Rose. “, Merrick shook his head. “Then who…”, he asked. “Zoe.”, Hazel smiled. “Wait hold up. You want to buy two engagement rings? The moonstone for Rose and the pearl for Zoe? I’m confused.”, Tristan asked leaning on the counter. “That makes zero sense Tristan. No I’m not buying an engagement ring for Zoe. One polygamy is illegal. And two they’d both fucking kill me. The ring would be part of Zoe’s birthday present. I made her a music jewelry box with a raised carved lotus flower on the top out of rosewood that plays an instrumental version of ‘Music of the night’ from Phantom of the Opera.”, Merrick explained. The clerk just looking a bit confused by the conversation.
Tristan arched an eyebrow giving Merrick a ‘you dog you’ look. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? Zoe is my best friend, I’m not allowed to get her something nice for her birthday?”, Merrick questioned. Tristan shrugged a little. “Just. You are saying you made this really awesome and personalized jewelry box and now on top of that want to spend the same amount of money you are talking spending on an engagement ring for my friend Rose to give to your just a friend?”, he pointed out. “Merrick always makes something for Zoe. Her whole apartment is furnished with his work. And he wouldn’t be spending the same mount on the ring for Zoe. I’ll pay for most of it so I can say it’s partially from me.”, Hazel chimed in. “You furnished the girl’s apartment? There’s something I’m missing here I’m sure of it.”, Tristan shook his head. “So both rings?”, the clerk asked. Merrick nodded. “Yeah both rings. And again Nana I’m not getting this ring to give to her next month. And Tristan you breath a word of this ring to anyone especially Blaire you won’t have back issues anymore, I’ll rip out your spine. I do not want this getting back to Rose.”, Merrick commented getting out his wallet. Tristan pretended to zip his lips and then lock them. “My lips are sealed.”, he smiled. “I won’t say anything either. You ask her when you are ready.”, Hazel nodded getting out money for her portion of Zoe’s ring. Merrick ended up paying for one third of Zoe’s ring before they left the store and Merrick drove Hazel home.
“Soooo guess you are taking me home?”, Tristan asked glancing at the clock it was almost six. Merrick looked at the clock, Faelan had been with Zoe most of the day now. He looked to the jewelry store bag in the center console and sighed a little. “I need a drink I think.”, Merrick said. “Um alright. I could go for a beer, no one at the house is currently old enough to go drink with me.”, Tristan agreed. Merrick didn’t really care if he had company or not when he went to the bar, but he knew that Tristan could probably use some company that wasn’t one of his roommates. So Merrick found a bar and the pair headed inside finding a space at the bar to sit. “Heineken.”, Merrick ordered when the bartender came over to them. “Redd’s apple ale.”, Tristan added. “So lot on your mind?”, Tristan asked taking a sip of his beer after it was set down. “Yeah something like that.”, Merrick shrugged taking a long swig from his beer. “Rose? Or Zoe?”, Tristan asked. Merrick shook his head. “Both then. Come on man I know I’m not like Malcolm who’s your best guy friend. But I’m apparently out of the loop here. What happened with Zoe?”, he asked. “What do you mean by that?”, Merrick countered. “I mean your Nana calls her nightingale and referred to her as the ‘other light’ of your life. You have apparently furnished her apartment, just made her a jewelry box that I’m assuming the custom stuff you’ve done is based on things she likes, and just paid a third the cost of what normally would be called an engagement ring.”, Tristan explained. Merrick sighed and ran his hand over his face.
“Zoe’s my best friend and has been for two years, basically since she came to Bayville. We just hit it off, which I don’t generally hit off with anyone.”, Merrick started. “Yeah...well you do tend to be a dick, no offense.”, Tristan smiled drinking his beer. “None taken. I am a dick and an asshole whatever, I’ve never really cared what others think about me. I was nice to Zoe, I mean she’d shown up to find her biological dad to find herself in the middle of a war because her dad was married to a complete psychopath that wanted to kill her. So I wasn’t a dick to her, probably helped she’s damn fine.”, he shrugged. Tristan chuckled. “Yeah tends to help. So again I ask what happened?”, he asked. “I made her a coffee table as a housewarming. Ended up making her a new media center because the bookshelves that were left in her apartment were falling apart crap. She started cooking me meals as her way of paying for the media center and other stuff I made. She knew how I feel about Rose, even when I didn’t admit it. She was even our waitress when I took Rose to Two Brother’s for dinner, she saw how we were together. Rose went back to Cambridge, I continued my ways and ended up getting Jenna pregnant. I went to Zoe.”, he sighed.
Tristan raised an eyebrow, this was getting interesting. “Uh huh. Well I mean I guess you get someone you don’t want to be with knocked up you go to your best friend.”, Tristan nodded. “Yeah. I got falling down drunk on tequila that night and stayed the night because I was not driving. Keeping in mind I slept in ocelot form, because one her bed was tiny and two even drunk I knew me in the bed with a good looking girl could end badly.”, he explained. “And?”, he asked wanting to know more as he drank his beer. “Woke up in ocelot form to her cuddling me, which can’t fault her ocelots have a very silky soft fur. She gave me aspirin, water, coffee, bananas, graham crackers and honey. I know odd hangover breakfast. We sat in her bed talking, about what I was going to do about Jenna and Rose. She actually grabbed my phone to try and find Rose in my contacts to text or call to tell her. I just I couldn’t tell Rose then. I couldn't face telling her that despite that amazing June where we were more than lovers I’d gotten someone else pregnant. Hell when I had to tell Nana that I’d gotten someone pregnant I felt terrible because she automatically assumed it was Rose I’d knocked up and was thrilled. And the disappointment in her voice when I said it wasn’t Rose. Hell I was fucking disappointed. Cause of every woman I’ve slept with, if there was one that could trap me it’s Rose.”, he sighed his shoulders sinking a little.
Tristan chuckled. “Yeah well seems like you trapped Rose. Now you still haven’t said what happened with Zoe.”, he smiled. “Well as said me in a bed with a good looking girl can never end well. We’d always kind of been the flirty type of friends. And well one thing lead to another she kisses me. And I kissed back. We did set, well actually I set, guidelines because I have a rule about dating or sleeping with someone that’s a sibling to someone already involved with my family and her sister and my brother are dating. So the rule was anything not intercourse was okay. At first it was just making out, though mostly I was just crashing at her place always sleeping in ocelot form to avoid Jenna just wanting Zoe’s companionship. Then as a surprise I made a full bedroom set with a queen size bed.”, he continued. Tristan blinked gulping down his beer. “Uh huh. So you made her a bed...this is getting good please continue.”, he chuckled. Merrick sighed and rolled his eyes. “I stuck to my rule of not having sex with her. But...well what most would call foreplay was all we did and it got the job done in regards to getting off. I started sleeping over not in animal form, some weeks I was at her place more than I was the Haven. I’d called everything off with any girls from my book, so I wasn’t seeing anyone else. And for seven months from being told about Faelan to the day he was born I was with her. We didn’t always get physical a lot of times it was just hanging out, watching tv, eating meals, and just cuddling in her bed. She never stayed at the Haven with me though. The only time she came to the Haven was when she was helping with the nursery having painted the mural and helped me pick out stuff like bedding.”, he explained.
“Whoa. So seven months of nothing past third base, enjoying her company and well basically dating her. What happened when Faelan was born? And does Rose know about this?”, he asked. “We knew the situation was temporary. I wouldn’t sleep away from Faelan after he was born, he became my only focus. So we dialed it all back to just friends, not kissing beyond a friendly kiss on the cheek. And yeah Rose knows. Almost cost me her, I’m sure, being honest about what happened with Zoe. But she needed to know. So I was honest with her about it, but always assured that we never had sex and I didn’t break rules for Zoe like I do for Rose. A few times when she first came home last summer I had to clear up the level of closeness I have with Zoe.”, he explained. Tristan nodded. “It took you a while but you figured out who you wanted and you went for it. And now you are considering making that next leap. I can get that. Before my accident I was thinking about marriage and how things would work with me being in the rodeo and Blaire working as a lawyer for Worthington. I hadn’t found the right ring yet, but I had thought about asking. Then the accident happened and now I’ve got nothing to offer her.”, Tristan frowned. “Don’t do the pitty me shit.”, Merrick shook his head. “Blaire has been head over heels for your ass since day she met you is my understanding.”, he said pointing at Tristan. Tristan smiled and nodded. “Yeah...she certainly has. I just miss working.”, he sighed.
As the two drank and talked a couple women kept looking down the bar at them before finally deciding to get up and approach. “Hey um, do you mind if we join you two? Seems a shame for two good looking men like yourselves to be sitting here alone. I’m Jennifer and this is my friend Rebecca.”, the blonde greeted with a smile looking at Merrick. Merrick looked over his shoulder at the two women, they were attractive and if this was pre Faelan and being with Rose his answer would probably have been different. “Yeah...not in this lifetime. We both have girlfriends.”, Merrick commented in his more asshole mode tone. Tristan sighed shaking his head at Merrick. He flashed a smile to the girls. “We are very flattered ladies. But we do have amazing girlfriends. So gotta say nah we good.”, he smiled being a bit sweeter and borderline flirtatious with the response. He’d not had anyone other than Blaire flirt with him since his accident. When he worked the rodeos he’d get winks, whistles and compliments from various people. And as long as the attention didn’t try to get physical he was okay with it, he liked to know that someone beyond the woman he loved found him attractive. “Oh and where are these amazing girlfriends?”, Rebecca asked folding her arms across her chest. Which she did that for a couple reasons, one to look a bit more serious and the other to try and draw attention to her chest. Merrick rolled his eyes. The last time he’d been hit on unwantedly was at Zoe’s wrap party at the club from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers where he just said he was there with Zoe and walked away. He didn’t have that option this time, Rose wasn’t there.
“Our beautiful women are cramming for finals. Mine attends Harvard Law and his is at Cambridge University as a med student.”, Tristan answered proudly bragging about where Blaire and Rose were attending college. “Oh, so you’re girl is local but yours isn’t…”,Jennifer said looking at Merrick with a sly grin. Merrick finished his beer and put down some cash before standing up. “Yeah my girlfriend is in England at the moment. However doesn’t change the fact you have zero chance. Now if you’ll excuse us. I need to get him home so I can go pick up my son.”, Merrick stated. Both girls blinked. “Wait you have a son together and she’s in England?”, Rebecca asked. “That’s what I said isn’t it. I stay here with our son while she finishes medical school. Now excuse us.”, Merrick said stepping around the two girls. Tristan smiled finishing his beer. “Have a nice night ladies.”, he nodded to them grabbing his cane following Merrick. “Well if that was ever a test I don’t know what is. At least we passed.”, he smiled getting into the car. Merrick rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Well let’s go.”, Merrick said driving Tristan back home. Blaire walked out when the GTO pulled up. “Hey there’s my handsome boyfriend. Starting to wondering if he was going to be returned.”, she teased. Merrick got the wheelchair out of the trunk but Tristan refused to use it as he got out using his cane. “Hey gorgeous.”, Tristan smiled giving her a kiss. “You have a good day with Merrick?”, Blaire smiled taking the wheelchair from Merrick. “Oh yeah. His Nana Hazel is a hoot. When I’m her age I want to be just as blunt and awesome as her.”, Tristan chuckled. “Thanks for the beer. Had a good time Merrick.”, Tristan smiled looking to Merrick. Merrick nodded. “Yeah, no problem. Stay out of trouble the pair of you. Bye.”, Merrick waved getting into his car and leaving.
Merrick had carefully hidden the ring for Rose in his room, he didn’t want her to accidentally find it when she came back in June. He also made sure to get the ring fro Zoe into her jewelry box and wrapped it up along with the framed picture for Rose. He’d just finished wrapping everything when the his phone rang. He furrowed his brow looking it was his dad who was at a performance for Emma in Boston. “Hey dad. What’s going on?”, he greeted putting the wrapped gifts into his closet. He was trying to be quiet as Sebastian and Faelan were both in bed. “Merrick...I’ve...there’s…”, Christian fought to find words. “Dad? What’s wrong?”, Merrick asked now worried. His dad was never at a loss for words. “It’s...it’s grandma.”, Christian stifled back tears. Merrick froze hearing his dad about to cry and the word grandma come out. “What happened? Is she alright?”, Merrick asked trying to keep his composure. “She had a heart attack at the house… she was rushed to the hospital...they called me during...during the play. She’s...she didn’t...she didn’t make it…”, Christian said now starting to cry. Kim took the phone from her husband hugging him. “Josalyn and Emma know. We’ll call Lily next. If Sebastian is asleep please don’t wake him. We will tell him in the morning.”, Kim sniffled a little. She’d liked Hazel and this loss was going to be painful for all the Frosts. Merrick nodded. “Alright..”, he said trying to keep himself together. “Merrick...just take deep breaths. We will be home soon.”, Kim assured. Merrick took a couple deep breaths. “See you when you get here mom.”, he said hanging up.
He clenched the phone tight in his hand restraining himself from just breaking it in his anger. He wanted to roar, to rage, to break something but he couldn’t not while the boys were asleep. He walked into his bathroom and closed the door and turned the shower on full blast before roaring hoping the sound of the water would help cover his anger. he punched the wall, breaking through the drywall by the wink in his anger. All he could think was it'd only been a week since he’d seen her and now she was gone. He hadn’t given her what she’d wanted, she wouldn’t get to see the day he finally proposes to Rose or their wedding or more great great grandchildren. “God fucking damn it!”, he cursed slumping to the floor resting his head back against the sink cabinet the shower still running. “You were supposed to live forever...there was so much more for you to be here for. To see Josalyn and Lily get married. Maybe see me get married to Rose. Watch Faelan grow up. See Sebastian graduate high school. See Zoe’s first Broadway show.”, Merrick shook his head in frustration tears starting to stream down his face a mixture of his sadness and anger at the loss. No one he’d known had ever died. His great grandfather Winston had died before he was born as had his grandmother Emma. No one he’d been closed to had ever died. And of all eleven of the great grandchildren Merrick had been closest to her.
He needed someone right now, because he was going to lose it and just rage in his bathroom. So without a thought of the hour he pulled Rose up from his contacts and hit call. It was after three in the morning in Cambridge when Rose’s phone started to ring on her nightstand. “Huh?”, she mumbled her eyes partially opening as she squinted at the clock. “Three in the morning...who’s calling…”, she questioned but the ringtone sunk in and her eyes shot open. “Merrick..”, she said grabbing the phone. He never called this late, he always called at what would be six in the morning her time and wouldn’t call past eleven her time at night. Something had to be wrong. her mind thinking of all the bad possibilities and hoping that him and Faelan were okay. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Faelan okay?”, she asked her concerned clear in her voice even if it was a little scratchy from being woken from sleep. “Crap I woke you… I’m sorry. I just…”, he said his voice was a bit shaky as he tried to hold it together on the phone. “What’s wrong? What happened Merrick?”, she asked sitting up in her bed pushing Octopus lightly to a side more. “Faelan’s okay, he’s sleeping. And I’m...well I am not okay… it’s Nana Hazel.”, he managed to start to speak cutting himself off when he said Hazel’s name. “Oh no. What happened baby?”, Rose asked concerned. “She had a heart attack and…”, he sniffled back his tears. Rose could hear the shower running in the background. “Oh...I’m so sorry baby. I wish...I wish I was there. You sound like you need someone to hold you. Why’s the shower on?”, she empathized.
She’d liked Hazel, the woman always seemed very nice. And she knew how much she meant to Merrick, this was just second from something bad happening to his mother or Faelan on the scale of emotional pain for him. “I just..I needed to roar and rage a little, but Faelan and Sebastian are both asleep. So I came into the bathroom...I turned the shower on full to cover any sounds. I need to fix the drywall since I punched a hole in it. I just..I just saw her last weekend. She was with me and Tristan cracking jokes and embarrassing me to hell. She was going to come down this weekend for Zoe’s surprise party. This just… this can’t be happening. That woman wasn’t supposed to die. She was going to outlive Faelan. Too stubborn to die, too much left to do she always said. And there is so much left she was supposed to be here for. She was supposed to be here for Lily and Josalyn’s weddings. For Sebastian’s graduation. To see Faelan grow up damn it.”, he said clenching his eyes shut to try and stop his tears and punched the sink cabinet with his free hand. Rose sighed, she wished she could do more than offer words to comfort him. She wasn’t even sure what words she should say because sorry just didn’t seem to express it enough. She wanted to be there and hold him and let him cry on her shoulder and just be there for him. But she knew she couldn’t, she had finals and the death of her boyfriend’s great grandmother wasn’t exactly a reason that they’d give her a pass.
“Oh Merrick. I am so sorry. I loved Nana Hazel. She was an amazing, strong, loving, and compassionate woman. She’s going to leave a hole in all our lives that nothing will fill. If you believe in the afterlife she’s with her Winston now and with her other three children like your grandmother Emma.”, Rose said trying to be comforting. Merrick nodded. “I wish... you were here. Because right now I just.. I need you.”, Merrick said his voice still shaky. “I know. I wish I was there too. You can call me any time you want to talk.”, Rose sighed wanting to just hug him but knowing she couldn’t. She needed to figure out a way to get there sooner than her scheduled flight. She was scheduled to leave on May 30th but that wasn’t soon enough. That was ten days away and he needed her sooner than that. “I should...I should go though. Mom and dad were coming home soon. I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you.”, he sighed running his hand over his face. “I love you too sweetheart.”, she sighed before the call ended. Merrick sighed looking at his phone and hit the contact for Zoe and call, she needed to know.
Zoe was still awake, painting at her apartment listening to music when the phone rang. “Ciao.”, she greeted. “Zoe…”, Merrick greeted his tone had only slightly changed since talking to Rose. He was still distraught but less out of control. Zoe paused her music and set her brush down. “What's happened?”, she asked concerned. Last time he sounded like this he was telling her he had gotten Jenna pregnant. “Nana Hazel… she had a heart attack.”, Merrick tried to explained. Zoe covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh no...no…”, Zoe shook her head trying to fight back the tears. She had loved Hazel if she was her own Nana, never having grown up having one. “Yeah...dad called and told me. I just got off the phone with Rose. I kind of well..”,he trailed off. “Lost it? That’s expected Merrick. I just… I can’t believe it. I spoke to her just the other day. I..”, Zoe sniffled finding tissues and blowing her nose. “Yeah. It doesn’t feel real.”, he agreed. “I’m coming over.”, Zoe declared. “What?”, he questioned. “I’m coming over. I need a hug and you sound like you need a hug. I may not be Rose but I can still at least be there and hug my best friend when we’ve both lost a wonderful woman. So I’ll be right over.”, Zoe said hanging up before he could protest more. When Kim and Christian got home Merrick was in the living room sleeping sitting up with Zoe stretched out on the couch sleeping her head on a pillow on his lap with an empty box of tissues on the floor and a waste bin of used tissues next to it. They didn’t disturb them, both knew that Hazel was important to Zoe too and in the kind of pain they were sure Merrick was in he needed his best friend.
The next few days were basically a blur for everyone in the Frost family as funeral arrangements were being made and they were all in mourning. It was probably the most Merrick could recall ever seeing his cousins at the Haven. Zoe was also at the Haven more trying to do what she could to help with stuff. Merrick was told to be in charge of his cousins, though he wasn’t exactly sure why after all the youngest was fifteen and the oldest set of twins was eighteen they could take care of themselves. And of course they all thought the same, they didn’t need a ‘babysitter’ anymore and certainly not their ‘traitor’ cousin who was dating Rose Howlett. And of course they didn’t keep that opinion to themselves. Merrick had them all in the living room as he carried boxes in. “Why did our parents make us come here?”, Sophia questioned to her siblings and cousins. “I don’t fucking know..”, Jordan answered shaking his head. “Language Jordan or I wash your mouth out with soap like I used to.”, Merrick warned setting the boxes down Zoe right behind him with a couple more boxes in her arms. Merrick looked to Faelan who was in the center of the living room in wolf form chewing on one of his toys ignoring his Frost cousins. Zoe and Sebastian both muffled their laughs at Merrick threatening to wash Jordan’s mouth out with soap for swearing, both knew that Merrick would swear up a storm when he wanted but he was very serious about not swearing around Faelan or his mother. Jordan rolled his eyes. “I’m serious Jordan. You do not swear around my son. And to answer your question Sophia you are here because our dads are all up at Nana’s house with Great Aunt Cordie going through her things getting them boxed up. And for the funeral us great grandchildren as putting together a memorial video so we are supposed to pick our favorite pictures of Nana. Thus the boxes. I’m in charge because like it or not I’m the oldest when Lily’s not around. Now everyone open a box and start going through photo albums.”, Merrick instructed.
Zoe smiled a little, she tried to just kind of hang back and be quiet when around all the Frosts. She turned bending to set the boxes she was carrying on the floor before patting him on the arm. “I’ll go grab the last three.”, she said heading back to his car. “Is it just me or is Alexander’s sister hot?”, Shaw whispered to his twin Adam. Merrick rolled his eyes and walked up behind his cousins and collided their heads together. “OUCH!”, they yelled in unison. “What was that for?”, Adam asked. “No checking Zoe out.”, Merrick stated. “Why? It’s not like you’re dating her or anything. You’re dating Rose…”, Jordan interjected putting a more derogatory tone to Rose’s name. Merrick growled slightly at his cousin and hit him on top of the head. “Do not say her name like that. I know you well enough to know that tone, it’s what you used when something disgusts you. You don’t like me dating Rose I don’t care. I don’t require anyone’s approval. But you are on my territory right now, she is my girlfriend and my son calls her mom so you will follow the golden rule if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. That goes for all six of you. Keep your opinions about my relationship to yourselves.”, Merrick warned looking at his cousins. Sebastian chuckled a little grabbing a box to start looking through pictures. “Whatever. Why is Alexander’s sister even here?”, Arieannah asked. “She’s my best friend and she was close to Nana Hazel so those are the reasons she here. So hands and eyes off boys, or I tell your girlfriends and they beat you up so I don’t have to.”, Merrick answered. Shaw and Adam nodded silently, neither wanted to have their girlfriends Artemis and Larissa mad.
They each grabbed a box started to shuffle through pictures, Merrick grabbed a box and sat down on the floor near Faelan to start looking for pictures. Zoe came back in with the last of the boxes setting them down before leaning on Merrick’s shoulder to look at the pictures he had out. “Hey, so what can I do to help next?”, she asked. Merrick turned his head slightly to look at her but instead of her face, because of how she was leaning he was eye level with her chest. He shook his head looking back down at the pictures. Shaw nudged Adam seeing the slight exchange. Adam looked over and smirked giving a subtle nod to his twin. Adam being the empath of the Frost family found what he picked up from Merrick and Zoe amusing. “Nothing at the moment hellraiser. Just need to go through these pictures that Aunt Cordie sent down. Need to find a couple that I like of Nana Hazel for the video montage that Thomas is making. You can sit down and help me look, use your artistic eye.”, he smiled a little but as he looked at the pictures he frowned. Zoe sighed sitting down next to him giving him a side hug. “I miss her too.”, she sighed looking at the picture in his hands. “I know that broach, she wears it to my performances.”, she commented. “Is that...is that you she’s holding?”, she asked with a smile. Merrick nodded. “Yeah. This was from my parents wedding. I was two at the time and Nana called me over to her to help her eat her piece of cake. The broach was one that papa Winston bought her the day they found out they were expecting their first child, Uncle Christian. She only wears it on occasions she considered special.”, Merrick smiled a little looking at the picture.
“Aww you were so adorable, and Faelan certainly is taking after you.”, Zoe smiled. “Using past tense for my adorableness?”, Merrick teased a little. “Well you grew out of being adorable and became handsome.”, she explained nudging his in the side. “Fair enough. And yeah Faelan certainly does look like me at his age. But I think I’m going to put this in the pile to send to Thomas to use in the video montage. Then otherwise I really like this one of her.”, he said setting the one of him and Hazel aside and holding up a picture of just her. It was a profile shot of her from the waist up looking up at a window in a church, her blonde hair was in a updo with eye-pleasing textures of curls brought together by a side braid, wearing dangling silver diamond and pearl earrings and a silver and diamond two row pearl choker in her wedding gown which was a strapless gown with a black floral pattern. “She was gorgeous.I mean she was a very beautiful and elegant woman when i first met her...but”, Zoe blinked looking at the youthful image of Hazel. Merrick nodded. “Yeah Nana was certainly a looker, very Audrey Hepburn classic. This was her wedding day.”, he explained. “That jewelry is beautiful on her. And I like how the lighting is in this one.”, she commented. “The pearls were originally bought in 1903 by Christian Adam Frost as a gift for his wife on their wedding. It was passed to their son Gregory Adien who gave them to his wife. Then it went to Jordan Blake who gave them to his wife. And then they ended up going to Winston Michael who gave them to Nana on their wedding.”, he explained the history of the jewelry.
“Wow so did they get passed to son Christian?”, she asked. Merrick shook his head. “No Great Uncle Christian preferred men. And none of the daughters married. Then nana didn’t want to pick between my dad and uncles so she kept them. That set is coveted by all the girls in my family.”, Merrick smiled. “What set?”, Sophia asked. “Nana’s wedding pearls.”, Merrick said holding up the picture. “Oooh god that set is gorgeous. She let me try them on just once. She’s sooo cautious with her jewelry. All her jewelry is gorgeous but that set...it’s just…”, Sophia sighed. “Is perfect.”, Arieannah finished her cousin’s sentence. Zoe smiled at least the topic of Hazel was one that all Frosts could discuss with fondness and no animosity between them. “Wonder who will inherit them now.”, Jordan commented. “Well tradition shows first born male gets them. So that’s our dad Adien.”, Shaw commented. “Yeah but Nana didn’t give them to him when he got married to Aunt Lilith. So I’m thinking she’s going to break protocol and maybe give it to one of just great granddaughters.”, Arieannah retorted. “Or maybe she’s skipping that generation and will give it to the first born male of our generation.”, Sebastian commented. “So what me?”, Shaw questioned. Sebastian rolled his eyes and pointed at Merrick. “No to him. Last I checked my brother is older than you.”, he commented. “But he’s not a Frost.”, Adam countered. Zoe rolled her eyes while lightly rubbing Merrick’s arm hearing the subtle rumble of his growl forming.
Sebastian was actually the one that decided to say something and jumped to his feet. “Say that again Adam and I’ll knock you out. My brother is a Frost and don’t you dare say otherwise.”, Sebastian said narrowing his eyes at his older cousin. Adam stood up folding his arms glaring back at Sebastian. “He’s nothing more than the bastard son of that human filth named Shadow.”, Adam snorted. Merrick’s eyes flashed with anger but before he could get to his feet Sebastian had swung and clocked Adam with a right hook. The room went silent as Adam stumbled back on to the couch next to his twin. Faelan changed to human and started to cry as Adam had accidently stepped on his tail. Zoe quickly pulled Faelan into her arms to try and sooth the toddler. Shaw, Jordan and Gregory all went to stand to go after Sebastian when Merrick stood up and growled baring his fangs at the trio. “Sit!”, Merrick commanded controlling his rage. The three all quickly sat down in silence. Adam sat holding his hands over his eye. Merrick turned to Sebastian. “Room now Bastian.”, He ordered pointing. “But..”, Sebastian tried to protest. “Now.”, he said putting more emphasis. Sebastian nodded and walked out of the room. Faelan’s crying was slowly subsiding as Zoe rocking him humming a soft song. Merrick glared at his cousins for a moment before crouching down to check on Faelan. “Hey you okay pup?”, Merrick said his tone softening in an instant as he ran his hand gently over Faelan’s light brown hair. Faelan sniffled but nodded snuggling into Zoe.
“Mer..”, Shaw started to speak but Merrick turned his head and narrowed his eyes. “Zoe why don’t you take Faelan upstairs. Make sure he’s okay. I’m going to deal with my cousins.”, Merrick suggested. Zoe nodded. “Come on cucciolo. Auntie Zoe will make sure you are okay.”, she said kissing Faelan’s cheek as she got up and left the room. “Can I maybe get some ice or something?”, Adam asked breaking the silence. “Sit, stay.”, Merrick instructed going into the kitchen. He went to the non-vegan side and pulled a steak out of the fridge carrying it in trying to not be disgusted that he was touching meat. he moved Adam’s hand away and slapped the stake over the eye. “Hold that there.”, Merrick stated before walking back to the kitchen and scrubbing his hands before coming back. “Look I’m trying to keep my calm. I want to make something very clear, don’t ever and I mean ever mention my biological father again. I will speak with Sebastian about his actions. If you have all each picked two photos of Nana that you like set them aside and you may leave.”, Merrick said walking out of the room before he truly lost his temper. The six all quickly put photos aside and exited the Haven, Adam still holding the steak to his eye.
Merrick stopped at the top of the stairs listening to them leave. he sighed shaking his head looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t know where we went wrong with them Nana. Today was supposed to be about us kids all remembering you and thinking fondly of how much we all love you.”, he sighed. he headed to the nursery wanting to check on Faelan. Zoe was sitting in the rocking chair holding Faelan who’d stopped crying and was just holding his leather blankie tight in his arms. Merrick sighed a little at the sight, remember how before Faelan was born Zoe sat in that chair and how he liked the way she looked. “I thought Frosts were supposed to have class.”, Zoe commented rubbing Faelan’s back gently. Merrick ran his hands of his face and leaned against the wall. “They are. But apparently that didn’t get passed on to all of them. And they wonder why I was her favorite.”, he sighed shaking his head. “Faelan okay?”, he asked. "Faelan will be fine. It is like falling over and hitting his knee, the shock hurt him more than the step.", Zoe answered still rocking Faelan gently. "Okay. Good. Now I need to talk to Bastian. I don't even know what to say. I want to say good punch. Just the way your dad and I taught him.", Merrick sighed. He was conflicted on how to handle the situation. "Say both," she said simply. "Let him know that you're proud for standing up for his family, but that wasn't the way to do it. That he can be a better man than that, even if he was right.", she suggested.
Merrick sighed. "I've never had to really discipline Bastian. He was always the good kid that did exactly what I told him.", he frowned. Zoe sighed and stood up from the rocking chair shifting Faelan in her arms. "Merrick, hun...", she leaned up and kissed his cheek. It was hard not to do things like that, even now. "You saying you're disappointed in how he handled it, will be the worst punishment you could give.", she commented. "The thing is... I'm not disappointed. I'm proud as hell that he clocked Adam. Because if Faelan wasn't in the room I would have. I hear that man's name and I see red. I spent my life striving to be a Frost like dad and Nana. And to have that man thrown in my face by people I call blood...", his voice trailed off a little as he looked down at the floor. "Merrick look at me.", she said, putting her free hand on the side of his face. "You aren't a Shadow, or a Frost. You are your own man that Nana Hazel loved and was so proud of. It doesn't matter your family. Besides, blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. Blood? Being related by blood means nothing.", she smiled softly. Merrick's eyes rose to meet her gaze when her hand touched his face. "I know. Doesn't change that it hurts. Before I went Haven none of them would have said that. Good to know making an ethically choice can turn people against you. Thanks though Zoe.", he sighed giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I should go talk to Bastian. They left so if you want to take Faelan back downstairs you can. Show him more of the old pictures of Nana.", he suggested. "Alright. See you in a few minutes, Merrick.", she headed back down carrying Faelan to look at the photos.
Merrick sighed and walked to Sebastian’s room. Sebastian was sitting indian style on his bed just waiting for the scolding to come. “Merrick I’m sorry.”, Sebastian bluttered out as Merrick walked into the room. Merrick nodded. “I know. Look I know why you did it. I would have too if Faelan wasn’t right there in the room.”, Merrick sighed. “Is Faelan okay?”, he asked. Merrick nodded. “Yeah he’s fine. I sent our cousins home, so he’s downstairs with Zoe looking at the pictures of Nana. I’m glad that you’d want to stand up for me, to defend me like that. And I’m proud of that right hook, it was exactly the way Damon and I taught you. But it wasn’t the right way to handle it. Like it or not they are our family. And today was supposed to be us all remembering Nana and how much we love her. So in that way I’m disappointed.”, Merrick frowned a little. Sebastian nodded. “I’m sorry. I just, you are my brother. And well I look up to you and I couldn’t let them talk like that.”, he sighed. “I know. Just let’s not do that again okay?”, Merrick asked. Sebastian nodded again. “Agreed. It did feel good punching him though.”, he smiled a little. Merrick pulled Sebastian over hugging him. “God you are my brother.”, Merrick chuckled. “Come on let’s go downstairs and get the pictures ready to send to Thomas for the video montage.”, he suggested before the pair headed downstairs.
Out at the Manhattan house the mood had changed drastically. They’d all been happy and celebrating Lily and Tommy’s engagement. Then almost a month later Lily received word that her great grandmother Hazel Frost had died. Lily wasn’t as close to Hazel as Merrick, but of any Frost she was the one that Lily did like. Everyone had been as comforting for her as they could offering hugs whenever she wanted them. Completing her finals was her one struggle, she wanted to pass and maintain her perfect GPA but it was difficult to focus with everything going on. She wanted to stay at the haven to be with her mother and brothers, but with finals she couldn’t. She knew Merrick most of all needed someone there. He put on a strong face around everyone, but she knew inside he was breaking into pieces. He’d loved Hazel the most and it was never a secret he was her favorite. Tommy had offered to help with making a video montage, using clips of old home movies and pictures that Merrick and the other great grandchildren were going to pick out. And once they arrived in his email Tommy set to work on getting the video ready. He’d gotten it done just in time for the funeral, which was difficult as he had to work on it when not studying for finals.

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When the weekend came and it was time to head up to Boston he ended up, he wasn’t sure how or why offering to pick Tristan up from physical therapy so he didn’t have to take a taxi home and sit around the house alone. So he first drove over to the hospital to get Tristan who was rolling out in his wheelchair as he pulled up, the cane he’d made him laid across his lap. “Hey handsome.”, Tristan greeted with a smirk. Merrick rolled his eyes getting out of the car and walking around. “Timeline of me being nice about that has lapsed. Keep it up clown and I’ll drop you in a ditch.”, Merrick smiled opening the passenger door and sliding the seat back. Tristan chuckled. “Alright. Well thanks for picking me up. Everyone is in finals mode at the house so I took a cab here and they are now all at work so I’d be taking a cab home to sit alone. So what are you doing up this way anyways that you offered? And why Am I getting the back seat?”, he asked carefully getting out of his wheelchair using the cane. “It’s not a problem. I’m up here to see my Nana Hazel to look at a space to maybe open a storefront for my Aonair Mac Tíre business here in Boston. And I told Rose I’d try to be nicer to her friends. And your ass is going in the back because my Nana gets front seat. You may have a bad back but she’s in her eighties with a bad hip. Plus as long as you don’t put your feet on my upholstery you can stretch out.”, he explained. “Fair enough so we going to get your Nana and look at a storefront. I seriously didn’t take you for well the type to be so close to his Nana.”, Tristan admitted getting in.
Merrick rolled his eyes closing the door and getting the wheelchair into the trunk. “Yeah well Nana Hazel is pretty awesome. She isn’t what most would think when I say Frost. She’s very blunt and well she doesn’t exactly curb her language unless children are around. So be prepared.”, Merrick warned driving from the hospital to the Frost estate. “God damn, this place makes the house I’m living in look like a shack.”, Tristan commented as they pulled up. “Yeah well Frosts tend to like the finer things I suppose. It’s been in the family for generations back to when you’d have servants and such and there was a larger family that lived at home.”, Merrick explained stepping out of the car to open the door as Hazel walked out of the front door. “Hi Nana. Remember I told you we’d have a guest with us for our travels. Rose’s friend Tristan is in the back.”, he greeted. Tristan peeked out the window at the woman. For being elderly she didn’t carrying herself that way. She still had her shoulders back and perfect posture and her blonde hair may be more gray but it was still obvious she’d been a blonde. She walked with a cane which Tristan figured was more form than function unlike his. “Ah yes the rodeo/rancher who had the back injury. I recall you mentioning that Roselyn had a friend who’d been in an accident and was now living nearby.”, Hazel nodded getting closer and giving Merrick a hug and pulling him down to her level to kiss his cheek. Tristan laughed a little at the sight of Merrick hunched over at the will of an old woman.
“Yes Nana. Tristan Whitland, his father runs a ranch in Oregon that used to be long to Rose’s maternal grandparents. Tristan may I present Hazel Frost. Nana this is Tristan Whitland.”, Merrick introduced as Hazel started to get into the car. “Good to meet you young man. Any friend of my Roselyn’s.”, Hazel smiled looking into the back seat. “And well my Roselyn certainly knows how to keep good looking company.”, she commented. Tristan chuckled. “Why thank you ma’am. I take it you are fond of Rose.”, he smiled brightly. “Oh yes. Since the day my sweet Merrick accidentally let her name slip and I did my digging to find out who she was. Such a sweet girl, very polite too. And obviously has excellent taste in men finally snatching my Merrick up.”, Hazel smiled pinching Merrick’s cheek a little as she spoke. Tristan chuckled as he watched Merrick roll his eyes. “Nana please do not pinch my cheek. I gave you a great great grandson for that.”, Merrick stated. “Yes but he’s not here. Which where is my sweet Faelan?”, she asked looking to the backseat not even seeing the car seat base. “He’s with Zoe.”, Merrick explained as he drove following the navigation from his phone for the storefront. “Oh yes the other light of my Merrick’s life. Our sweet nightingale.”, she commented. “Nightingale? Oh I remember Zoe. Hot Italian chick with the white hair?”, Tristan chimed in. “Yeah, the ‘hot Italian chick’. Nana Hazel calls her nightingale because Zoe does musicals and operas like her mother used to.”, Merrick commented pulling into a parking garage. “Alright back there you using your cane or wheels?”, Merrick asked getting out. “I’ll go cane, better for my healing if I walk more.”, Tristan answered.
They all got out and first walked to the storefront a realtor there to greet them and show them the space. It was certainly large enough to hold furniture and be a store/showroom for his business. “Thanks for showing me. I’d like to schedule a second viewing in say June. I have someone I’d want to get their opinion of before I decide anything.”, Merrick said shaking the agent’s hand. “Not a problem Mister Bryant-Frost.”, the agent said as they walked away. “June?”, Tristan asked. “Another opinion?”, Hazel questioned a bit miffed that hers wasn’t enough. “Yeah...I want Rose to look at the space. Don’t dare say it Nana.”, Merrick warned as they walked the city street. “Don’t say what?”, Tristan asked looking to Hazel. “Oh that if her opinion of where he should open his business is so valued maybe he should just break down and give that girl a ring already.”, Hazel commented. Merrick groaned as they walked. Tristan chuckled. “Hey I can’t say much I mean you two been dating since what December officially but were sleeping together….”, Tristan started to speak. “About as long as you’ve been sleeping with Blaire. So let’s not even do that. I already had this conversation with her. I do not count any time before Faelan because I was with a few different women in those days not just Rose. And you shouldn’t even try to get on her side about this Tristan. You’ve been with Blaire since she was fifteen and she’s twenty and I don’t see a ring going on her finger. And you two live together.”, Merrick countered.
Tristan smiled. “Yes well I am currently unemployed getting disability checks, not exactly enough to buy a ring worthy of being on her perfect finger. You’ve got three jobs.”, he stated. Hazel chuckled and linked her arm with Tristan. “I like this young man.”, she stated. Merrick chuckled. “Of course you do. He’s in the same mindset as you that I should be proposing to Rose. We have the Atlantic Ocean between us and she’s still has to finish university. And it’s not like I’m Landon where I’ll just be walking past a jewelry store and see the perf….”, Merrick’s voice trailed off as he stopped in front of a jewelry store despite his own setup of the situation and looked into the window. There shining in the afternoon sun was a white gold right with a round moonstone at the center. “What was the inconceivable premise you were setting up?”, Tristan teased looking around Merrick at the ring. “Oh fuck you Tristan…”, Merrick shook his head. “Oh if I wasn't already committed to Blaire and you to Rose my friend.”, he teased. Hazel chuckled. “So let’s go in and see how much it is. If you buy it you’ll have it when you decide it’s the right time…”, she suggested. Merrick nodded. “Yeah.. I suppose. It doesn’t mean I’m proposing to her when she comes home or anything insane like that. But that’s a moonstone and I can’t really think of a better stone for my little wolf.”, Merrick agreed walking inside.
“Whatever gets him through the doors.”, Hazel whispered to Tristan who chuckled softly. Merrick walked up to the counter. “Hey how much is the moonstone ring in the window and what’s it size?”, he questioned. “Excellent choice a very unique stone not many would think to buy such a ring for more than a random gift. There a special lady you are shopping for?”, he asked getting the ring. “He’s thinking about proposing, eventually, to his girlfriend.”, Tristan chimed in. “Oh well certainly a unique choice in an engagement ring. We do have a large selection of diamonds and other more traditional engagement ring choices. Now this is 18 karat white gold and is a size seven band. We have it priced at three hundred dollars.”, The man said. “Three hundred? Yeah okay I’ll take it.”, Merrick nodded. He’d been expecting the man to say more a lot more. “And you are certain this is the ring? As I said I have a number of more traditional engagement rings.”, the man said taking out a tray of engagements rings of diamonds and pearls. Merrick shook his head. “No the moonstone is the one for her. She wouldn’t want a diamond.”, he said. But he did glance at the tray of other rings and stopped looking at a pearl ring, it was a simple white gold band where the band cradled the cultured pearl and what looked like diamond filled leaves on a vine wrapped around the sides of the pearl. “That’s a lovely choice too. It’s the same price. However this one is a size five.”, the man said picking up the pearl ring to show Merrick.
“I’m confused. You just said the moonstone was the one for Rose. Now you’re looking at a pearl?”, Tristan questioned. Hazel looked at the ring. “That is lovely.”, she commented. “The pearl wouldn’t be for Rose. I’m buying the moonstone for when I’m ready to make that level of a commitment to Rose. “, Merrick shook his head. “Then who…”, he asked. “Zoe.”, Hazel smiled. “Wait hold up. You want to buy two engagement rings? The moonstone for Rose and the pearl for Zoe? I’m confused.”, Tristan asked leaning on the counter. “That makes zero sense Tristan. No I’m not buying an engagement ring for Zoe. One polygamy is illegal. And two they’d both fucking kill me. The ring would be part of Zoe’s birthday present. I made her a music jewelry box with a raised carved lotus flower on the top out of rosewood that plays an instrumental version of ‘Music of the night’ from Phantom of the Opera.”, Merrick explained. The clerk just looking a bit confused by the conversation.
Tristan arched an eyebrow giving Merrick a ‘you dog you’ look. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? Zoe is my best friend, I’m not allowed to get her something nice for her birthday?”, Merrick questioned. Tristan shrugged a little. “Just. You are saying you made this really awesome and personalized jewelry box and now on top of that want to spend the same amount of money you are talking spending on an engagement ring for my friend Rose to give to your just a friend?”, he pointed out. “Merrick always makes something for Zoe. Her whole apartment is furnished with his work. And he wouldn’t be spending the same mount on the ring for Zoe. I’ll pay for most of it so I can say it’s partially from me.”, Hazel chimed in. “You furnished the girl’s apartment? There’s something I’m missing here I’m sure of it.”, Tristan shook his head. “So both rings?”, the clerk asked. Merrick nodded. “Yeah both rings. And again Nana I’m not getting this ring to give to her next month. And Tristan you breath a word of this ring to anyone especially Blaire you won’t have back issues anymore, I’ll rip out your spine. I do not want this getting back to Rose.”, Merrick commented getting out his wallet. Tristan pretended to zip his lips and then lock them. “My lips are sealed.”, he smiled. “I won’t say anything either. You ask her when you are ready.”, Hazel nodded getting out money for her portion of Zoe’s ring. Merrick ended up paying for one third of Zoe’s ring before they left the store and Merrick drove Hazel home.
“Soooo guess you are taking me home?”, Tristan asked glancing at the clock it was almost six. Merrick looked at the clock, Faelan had been with Zoe most of the day now. He looked to the jewelry store bag in the center console and sighed a little. “I need a drink I think.”, Merrick said. “Um alright. I could go for a beer, no one at the house is currently old enough to go drink with me.”, Tristan agreed. Merrick didn’t really care if he had company or not when he went to the bar, but he knew that Tristan could probably use some company that wasn’t one of his roommates. So Merrick found a bar and the pair headed inside finding a space at the bar to sit. “Heineken.”, Merrick ordered when the bartender came over to them. “Redd’s apple ale.”, Tristan added. “So lot on your mind?”, Tristan asked taking a sip of his beer after it was set down. “Yeah something like that.”, Merrick shrugged taking a long swig from his beer. “Rose? Or Zoe?”, Tristan asked. Merrick shook his head. “Both then. Come on man I know I’m not like Malcolm who’s your best guy friend. But I’m apparently out of the loop here. What happened with Zoe?”, he asked. “What do you mean by that?”, Merrick countered. “I mean your Nana calls her nightingale and referred to her as the ‘other light’ of your life. You have apparently furnished her apartment, just made her a jewelry box that I’m assuming the custom stuff you’ve done is based on things she likes, and just paid a third the cost of what normally would be called an engagement ring.”, Tristan explained. Merrick sighed and ran his hand over his face.
“Zoe’s my best friend and has been for two years, basically since she came to Bayville. We just hit it off, which I don’t generally hit off with anyone.”, Merrick started. “Yeah...well you do tend to be a dick, no offense.”, Tristan smiled drinking his beer. “None taken. I am a dick and an asshole whatever, I’ve never really cared what others think about me. I was nice to Zoe, I mean she’d shown up to find her biological dad to find herself in the middle of a war because her dad was married to a complete psychopath that wanted to kill her. So I wasn’t a dick to her, probably helped she’s damn fine.”, he shrugged. Tristan chuckled. “Yeah tends to help. So again I ask what happened?”, he asked. “I made her a coffee table as a housewarming. Ended up making her a new media center because the bookshelves that were left in her apartment were falling apart crap. She started cooking me meals as her way of paying for the media center and other stuff I made. She knew how I feel about Rose, even when I didn’t admit it. She was even our waitress when I took Rose to Two Brother’s for dinner, she saw how we were together. Rose went back to Cambridge, I continued my ways and ended up getting Jenna pregnant. I went to Zoe.”, he sighed.
Tristan raised an eyebrow, this was getting interesting. “Uh huh. Well I mean I guess you get someone you don’t want to be with knocked up you go to your best friend.”, Tristan nodded. “Yeah. I got falling down drunk on tequila that night and stayed the night because I was not driving. Keeping in mind I slept in ocelot form, because one her bed was tiny and two even drunk I knew me in the bed with a good looking girl could end badly.”, he explained. “And?”, he asked wanting to know more as he drank his beer. “Woke up in ocelot form to her cuddling me, which can’t fault her ocelots have a very silky soft fur. She gave me aspirin, water, coffee, bananas, graham crackers and honey. I know odd hangover breakfast. We sat in her bed talking, about what I was going to do about Jenna and Rose. She actually grabbed my phone to try and find Rose in my contacts to text or call to tell her. I just I couldn’t tell Rose then. I couldn't face telling her that despite that amazing June where we were more than lovers I’d gotten someone else pregnant. Hell when I had to tell Nana that I’d gotten someone pregnant I felt terrible because she automatically assumed it was Rose I’d knocked up and was thrilled. And the disappointment in her voice when I said it wasn’t Rose. Hell I was fucking disappointed. Cause of every woman I’ve slept with, if there was one that could trap me it’s Rose.”, he sighed his shoulders sinking a little.
Tristan chuckled. “Yeah well seems like you trapped Rose. Now you still haven’t said what happened with Zoe.”, he smiled. “Well as said me in a bed with a good looking girl can never end well. We’d always kind of been the flirty type of friends. And well one thing lead to another she kisses me. And I kissed back. We did set, well actually I set, guidelines because I have a rule about dating or sleeping with someone that’s a sibling to someone already involved with my family and her sister and my brother are dating. So the rule was anything not intercourse was okay. At first it was just making out, though mostly I was just crashing at her place always sleeping in ocelot form to avoid Jenna just wanting Zoe’s companionship. Then as a surprise I made a full bedroom set with a queen size bed.”, he continued. Tristan blinked gulping down his beer. “Uh huh. So you made her a bed...this is getting good please continue.”, he chuckled. Merrick sighed and rolled his eyes. “I stuck to my rule of not having sex with her. But...well what most would call foreplay was all we did and it got the job done in regards to getting off. I started sleeping over not in animal form, some weeks I was at her place more than I was the Haven. I’d called everything off with any girls from my book, so I wasn’t seeing anyone else. And for seven months from being told about Faelan to the day he was born I was with her. We didn’t always get physical a lot of times it was just hanging out, watching tv, eating meals, and just cuddling in her bed. She never stayed at the Haven with me though. The only time she came to the Haven was when she was helping with the nursery having painted the mural and helped me pick out stuff like bedding.”, he explained.
“Whoa. So seven months of nothing past third base, enjoying her company and well basically dating her. What happened when Faelan was born? And does Rose know about this?”, he asked. “We knew the situation was temporary. I wouldn’t sleep away from Faelan after he was born, he became my only focus. So we dialed it all back to just friends, not kissing beyond a friendly kiss on the cheek. And yeah Rose knows. Almost cost me her, I’m sure, being honest about what happened with Zoe. But she needed to know. So I was honest with her about it, but always assured that we never had sex and I didn’t break rules for Zoe like I do for Rose. A few times when she first came home last summer I had to clear up the level of closeness I have with Zoe.”, he explained. Tristan nodded. “It took you a while but you figured out who you wanted and you went for it. And now you are considering making that next leap. I can get that. Before my accident I was thinking about marriage and how things would work with me being in the rodeo and Blaire working as a lawyer for Worthington. I hadn’t found the right ring yet, but I had thought about asking. Then the accident happened and now I’ve got nothing to offer her.”, Tristan frowned. “Don’t do the pitty me shit.”, Merrick shook his head. “Blaire has been head over heels for your ass since day she met you is my understanding.”, he said pointing at Tristan. Tristan smiled and nodded. “Yeah...she certainly has. I just miss working.”, he sighed.
As the two drank and talked a couple women kept looking down the bar at them before finally deciding to get up and approach. “Hey um, do you mind if we join you two? Seems a shame for two good looking men like yourselves to be sitting here alone. I’m Jennifer and this is my friend Rebecca.”, the blonde greeted with a smile looking at Merrick. Merrick looked over his shoulder at the two women, they were attractive and if this was pre Faelan and being with Rose his answer would probably have been different. “Yeah...not in this lifetime. We both have girlfriends.”, Merrick commented in his more asshole mode tone. Tristan sighed shaking his head at Merrick. He flashed a smile to the girls. “We are very flattered ladies. But we do have amazing girlfriends. So gotta say nah we good.”, he smiled being a bit sweeter and borderline flirtatious with the response. He’d not had anyone other than Blaire flirt with him since his accident. When he worked the rodeos he’d get winks, whistles and compliments from various people. And as long as the attention didn’t try to get physical he was okay with it, he liked to know that someone beyond the woman he loved found him attractive. “Oh and where are these amazing girlfriends?”, Rebecca asked folding her arms across her chest. Which she did that for a couple reasons, one to look a bit more serious and the other to try and draw attention to her chest. Merrick rolled his eyes. The last time he’d been hit on unwantedly was at Zoe’s wrap party at the club from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers where he just said he was there with Zoe and walked away. He didn’t have that option this time, Rose wasn’t there.
“Our beautiful women are cramming for finals. Mine attends Harvard Law and his is at Cambridge University as a med student.”, Tristan answered proudly bragging about where Blaire and Rose were attending college. “Oh, so you’re girl is local but yours isn’t…”,Jennifer said looking at Merrick with a sly grin. Merrick finished his beer and put down some cash before standing up. “Yeah my girlfriend is in England at the moment. However doesn’t change the fact you have zero chance. Now if you’ll excuse us. I need to get him home so I can go pick up my son.”, Merrick stated. Both girls blinked. “Wait you have a son together and she’s in England?”, Rebecca asked. “That’s what I said isn’t it. I stay here with our son while she finishes medical school. Now excuse us.”, Merrick said stepping around the two girls. Tristan smiled finishing his beer. “Have a nice night ladies.”, he nodded to them grabbing his cane following Merrick. “Well if that was ever a test I don’t know what is. At least we passed.”, he smiled getting into the car. Merrick rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Well let’s go.”, Merrick said driving Tristan back home. Blaire walked out when the GTO pulled up. “Hey there’s my handsome boyfriend. Starting to wondering if he was going to be returned.”, she teased. Merrick got the wheelchair out of the trunk but Tristan refused to use it as he got out using his cane. “Hey gorgeous.”, Tristan smiled giving her a kiss. “You have a good day with Merrick?”, Blaire smiled taking the wheelchair from Merrick. “Oh yeah. His Nana Hazel is a hoot. When I’m her age I want to be just as blunt and awesome as her.”, Tristan chuckled. “Thanks for the beer. Had a good time Merrick.”, Tristan smiled looking to Merrick. Merrick nodded. “Yeah, no problem. Stay out of trouble the pair of you. Bye.”, Merrick waved getting into his car and leaving.
Merrick had carefully hidden the ring for Rose in his room, he didn’t want her to accidentally find it when she came back in June. He also made sure to get the ring fro Zoe into her jewelry box and wrapped it up along with the framed picture for Rose. He’d just finished wrapping everything when the his phone rang. He furrowed his brow looking it was his dad who was at a performance for Emma in Boston. “Hey dad. What’s going on?”, he greeted putting the wrapped gifts into his closet. He was trying to be quiet as Sebastian and Faelan were both in bed. “Merrick...I’ve...there’s…”, Christian fought to find words. “Dad? What’s wrong?”, Merrick asked now worried. His dad was never at a loss for words. “It’s...it’s grandma.”, Christian stifled back tears. Merrick froze hearing his dad about to cry and the word grandma come out. “What happened? Is she alright?”, Merrick asked trying to keep his composure. “She had a heart attack at the house… she was rushed to the hospital...they called me during...during the play. She’s...she didn’t...she didn’t make it…”, Christian said now starting to cry. Kim took the phone from her husband hugging him. “Josalyn and Emma know. We’ll call Lily next. If Sebastian is asleep please don’t wake him. We will tell him in the morning.”, Kim sniffled a little. She’d liked Hazel and this loss was going to be painful for all the Frosts. Merrick nodded. “Alright..”, he said trying to keep himself together. “Merrick...just take deep breaths. We will be home soon.”, Kim assured. Merrick took a couple deep breaths. “See you when you get here mom.”, he said hanging up.
He clenched the phone tight in his hand restraining himself from just breaking it in his anger. He wanted to roar, to rage, to break something but he couldn’t not while the boys were asleep. He walked into his bathroom and closed the door and turned the shower on full blast before roaring hoping the sound of the water would help cover his anger. he punched the wall, breaking through the drywall by the wink in his anger. All he could think was it'd only been a week since he’d seen her and now she was gone. He hadn’t given her what she’d wanted, she wouldn’t get to see the day he finally proposes to Rose or their wedding or more great great grandchildren. “God fucking damn it!”, he cursed slumping to the floor resting his head back against the sink cabinet the shower still running. “You were supposed to live forever...there was so much more for you to be here for. To see Josalyn and Lily get married. Maybe see me get married to Rose. Watch Faelan grow up. See Sebastian graduate high school. See Zoe’s first Broadway show.”, Merrick shook his head in frustration tears starting to stream down his face a mixture of his sadness and anger at the loss. No one he’d known had ever died. His great grandfather Winston had died before he was born as had his grandmother Emma. No one he’d been closed to had ever died. And of all eleven of the great grandchildren Merrick had been closest to her.
He needed someone right now, because he was going to lose it and just rage in his bathroom. So without a thought of the hour he pulled Rose up from his contacts and hit call. It was after three in the morning in Cambridge when Rose’s phone started to ring on her nightstand. “Huh?”, she mumbled her eyes partially opening as she squinted at the clock. “Three in the morning...who’s calling…”, she questioned but the ringtone sunk in and her eyes shot open. “Merrick..”, she said grabbing the phone. He never called this late, he always called at what would be six in the morning her time and wouldn’t call past eleven her time at night. Something had to be wrong. her mind thinking of all the bad possibilities and hoping that him and Faelan were okay. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Faelan okay?”, she asked her concerned clear in her voice even if it was a little scratchy from being woken from sleep. “Crap I woke you… I’m sorry. I just…”, he said his voice was a bit shaky as he tried to hold it together on the phone. “What’s wrong? What happened Merrick?”, she asked sitting up in her bed pushing Octopus lightly to a side more. “Faelan’s okay, he’s sleeping. And I’m...well I am not okay… it’s Nana Hazel.”, he managed to start to speak cutting himself off when he said Hazel’s name. “Oh no. What happened baby?”, Rose asked concerned. “She had a heart attack and…”, he sniffled back his tears. Rose could hear the shower running in the background. “Oh...I’m so sorry baby. I wish...I wish I was there. You sound like you need someone to hold you. Why’s the shower on?”, she empathized.
She’d liked Hazel, the woman always seemed very nice. And she knew how much she meant to Merrick, this was just second from something bad happening to his mother or Faelan on the scale of emotional pain for him. “I just..I needed to roar and rage a little, but Faelan and Sebastian are both asleep. So I came into the bathroom...I turned the shower on full to cover any sounds. I need to fix the drywall since I punched a hole in it. I just..I just saw her last weekend. She was with me and Tristan cracking jokes and embarrassing me to hell. She was going to come down this weekend for Zoe’s surprise party. This just… this can’t be happening. That woman wasn’t supposed to die. She was going to outlive Faelan. Too stubborn to die, too much left to do she always said. And there is so much left she was supposed to be here for. She was supposed to be here for Lily and Josalyn’s weddings. For Sebastian’s graduation. To see Faelan grow up damn it.”, he said clenching his eyes shut to try and stop his tears and punched the sink cabinet with his free hand. Rose sighed, she wished she could do more than offer words to comfort him. She wasn’t even sure what words she should say because sorry just didn’t seem to express it enough. She wanted to be there and hold him and let him cry on her shoulder and just be there for him. But she knew she couldn’t, she had finals and the death of her boyfriend’s great grandmother wasn’t exactly a reason that they’d give her a pass.
“Oh Merrick. I am so sorry. I loved Nana Hazel. She was an amazing, strong, loving, and compassionate woman. She’s going to leave a hole in all our lives that nothing will fill. If you believe in the afterlife she’s with her Winston now and with her other three children like your grandmother Emma.”, Rose said trying to be comforting. Merrick nodded. “I wish... you were here. Because right now I just.. I need you.”, Merrick said his voice still shaky. “I know. I wish I was there too. You can call me any time you want to talk.”, Rose sighed wanting to just hug him but knowing she couldn’t. She needed to figure out a way to get there sooner than her scheduled flight. She was scheduled to leave on May 30th but that wasn’t soon enough. That was ten days away and he needed her sooner than that. “I should...I should go though. Mom and dad were coming home soon. I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you.”, he sighed running his hand over his face. “I love you too sweetheart.”, she sighed before the call ended. Merrick sighed looking at his phone and hit the contact for Zoe and call, she needed to know.
Zoe was still awake, painting at her apartment listening to music when the phone rang. “Ciao.”, she greeted. “Zoe…”, Merrick greeted his tone had only slightly changed since talking to Rose. He was still distraught but less out of control. Zoe paused her music and set her brush down. “What's happened?”, she asked concerned. Last time he sounded like this he was telling her he had gotten Jenna pregnant. “Nana Hazel… she had a heart attack.”, Merrick tried to explained. Zoe covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh no...no…”, Zoe shook her head trying to fight back the tears. She had loved Hazel if she was her own Nana, never having grown up having one. “Yeah...dad called and told me. I just got off the phone with Rose. I kind of well..”,he trailed off. “Lost it? That’s expected Merrick. I just… I can’t believe it. I spoke to her just the other day. I..”, Zoe sniffled finding tissues and blowing her nose. “Yeah. It doesn’t feel real.”, he agreed. “I’m coming over.”, Zoe declared. “What?”, he questioned. “I’m coming over. I need a hug and you sound like you need a hug. I may not be Rose but I can still at least be there and hug my best friend when we’ve both lost a wonderful woman. So I’ll be right over.”, Zoe said hanging up before he could protest more. When Kim and Christian got home Merrick was in the living room sleeping sitting up with Zoe stretched out on the couch sleeping her head on a pillow on his lap with an empty box of tissues on the floor and a waste bin of used tissues next to it. They didn’t disturb them, both knew that Hazel was important to Zoe too and in the kind of pain they were sure Merrick was in he needed his best friend.
The next few days were basically a blur for everyone in the Frost family as funeral arrangements were being made and they were all in mourning. It was probably the most Merrick could recall ever seeing his cousins at the Haven. Zoe was also at the Haven more trying to do what she could to help with stuff. Merrick was told to be in charge of his cousins, though he wasn’t exactly sure why after all the youngest was fifteen and the oldest set of twins was eighteen they could take care of themselves. And of course they all thought the same, they didn’t need a ‘babysitter’ anymore and certainly not their ‘traitor’ cousin who was dating Rose Howlett. And of course they didn’t keep that opinion to themselves. Merrick had them all in the living room as he carried boxes in. “Why did our parents make us come here?”, Sophia questioned to her siblings and cousins. “I don’t fucking know..”, Jordan answered shaking his head. “Language Jordan or I wash your mouth out with soap like I used to.”, Merrick warned setting the boxes down Zoe right behind him with a couple more boxes in her arms. Merrick looked to Faelan who was in the center of the living room in wolf form chewing on one of his toys ignoring his Frost cousins. Zoe and Sebastian both muffled their laughs at Merrick threatening to wash Jordan’s mouth out with soap for swearing, both knew that Merrick would swear up a storm when he wanted but he was very serious about not swearing around Faelan or his mother. Jordan rolled his eyes. “I’m serious Jordan. You do not swear around my son. And to answer your question Sophia you are here because our dads are all up at Nana’s house with Great Aunt Cordie going through her things getting them boxed up. And for the funeral us great grandchildren as putting together a memorial video so we are supposed to pick our favorite pictures of Nana. Thus the boxes. I’m in charge because like it or not I’m the oldest when Lily’s not around. Now everyone open a box and start going through photo albums.”, Merrick instructed.
Zoe smiled a little, she tried to just kind of hang back and be quiet when around all the Frosts. She turned bending to set the boxes she was carrying on the floor before patting him on the arm. “I’ll go grab the last three.”, she said heading back to his car. “Is it just me or is Alexander’s sister hot?”, Shaw whispered to his twin Adam. Merrick rolled his eyes and walked up behind his cousins and collided their heads together. “OUCH!”, they yelled in unison. “What was that for?”, Adam asked. “No checking Zoe out.”, Merrick stated. “Why? It’s not like you’re dating her or anything. You’re dating Rose…”, Jordan interjected putting a more derogatory tone to Rose’s name. Merrick growled slightly at his cousin and hit him on top of the head. “Do not say her name like that. I know you well enough to know that tone, it’s what you used when something disgusts you. You don’t like me dating Rose I don’t care. I don’t require anyone’s approval. But you are on my territory right now, she is my girlfriend and my son calls her mom so you will follow the golden rule if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. That goes for all six of you. Keep your opinions about my relationship to yourselves.”, Merrick warned looking at his cousins. Sebastian chuckled a little grabbing a box to start looking through pictures. “Whatever. Why is Alexander’s sister even here?”, Arieannah asked. “She’s my best friend and she was close to Nana Hazel so those are the reasons she here. So hands and eyes off boys, or I tell your girlfriends and they beat you up so I don’t have to.”, Merrick answered. Shaw and Adam nodded silently, neither wanted to have their girlfriends Artemis and Larissa mad.
They each grabbed a box started to shuffle through pictures, Merrick grabbed a box and sat down on the floor near Faelan to start looking for pictures. Zoe came back in with the last of the boxes setting them down before leaning on Merrick’s shoulder to look at the pictures he had out. “Hey, so what can I do to help next?”, she asked. Merrick turned his head slightly to look at her but instead of her face, because of how she was leaning he was eye level with her chest. He shook his head looking back down at the pictures. Shaw nudged Adam seeing the slight exchange. Adam looked over and smirked giving a subtle nod to his twin. Adam being the empath of the Frost family found what he picked up from Merrick and Zoe amusing. “Nothing at the moment hellraiser. Just need to go through these pictures that Aunt Cordie sent down. Need to find a couple that I like of Nana Hazel for the video montage that Thomas is making. You can sit down and help me look, use your artistic eye.”, he smiled a little but as he looked at the pictures he frowned. Zoe sighed sitting down next to him giving him a side hug. “I miss her too.”, she sighed looking at the picture in his hands. “I know that broach, she wears it to my performances.”, she commented. “Is that...is that you she’s holding?”, she asked with a smile. Merrick nodded. “Yeah. This was from my parents wedding. I was two at the time and Nana called me over to her to help her eat her piece of cake. The broach was one that papa Winston bought her the day they found out they were expecting their first child, Uncle Christian. She only wears it on occasions she considered special.”, Merrick smiled a little looking at the picture.
“Aww you were so adorable, and Faelan certainly is taking after you.”, Zoe smiled. “Using past tense for my adorableness?”, Merrick teased a little. “Well you grew out of being adorable and became handsome.”, she explained nudging his in the side. “Fair enough. And yeah Faelan certainly does look like me at his age. But I think I’m going to put this in the pile to send to Thomas to use in the video montage. Then otherwise I really like this one of her.”, he said setting the one of him and Hazel aside and holding up a picture of just her. It was a profile shot of her from the waist up looking up at a window in a church, her blonde hair was in a updo with eye-pleasing textures of curls brought together by a side braid, wearing dangling silver diamond and pearl earrings and a silver and diamond two row pearl choker in her wedding gown which was a strapless gown with a black floral pattern. “She was gorgeous.I mean she was a very beautiful and elegant woman when i first met her...but”, Zoe blinked looking at the youthful image of Hazel. Merrick nodded. “Yeah Nana was certainly a looker, very Audrey Hepburn classic. This was her wedding day.”, he explained. “That jewelry is beautiful on her. And I like how the lighting is in this one.”, she commented. “The pearls were originally bought in 1903 by Christian Adam Frost as a gift for his wife on their wedding. It was passed to their son Gregory Adien who gave them to his wife. Then it went to Jordan Blake who gave them to his wife. And then they ended up going to Winston Michael who gave them to Nana on their wedding.”, he explained the history of the jewelry.
“Wow so did they get passed to son Christian?”, she asked. Merrick shook his head. “No Great Uncle Christian preferred men. And none of the daughters married. Then nana didn’t want to pick between my dad and uncles so she kept them. That set is coveted by all the girls in my family.”, Merrick smiled. “What set?”, Sophia asked. “Nana’s wedding pearls.”, Merrick said holding up the picture. “Oooh god that set is gorgeous. She let me try them on just once. She’s sooo cautious with her jewelry. All her jewelry is gorgeous but that set...it’s just…”, Sophia sighed. “Is perfect.”, Arieannah finished her cousin’s sentence. Zoe smiled at least the topic of Hazel was one that all Frosts could discuss with fondness and no animosity between them. “Wonder who will inherit them now.”, Jordan commented. “Well tradition shows first born male gets them. So that’s our dad Adien.”, Shaw commented. “Yeah but Nana didn’t give them to him when he got married to Aunt Lilith. So I’m thinking she’s going to break protocol and maybe give it to one of just great granddaughters.”, Arieannah retorted. “Or maybe she’s skipping that generation and will give it to the first born male of our generation.”, Sebastian commented. “So what me?”, Shaw questioned. Sebastian rolled his eyes and pointed at Merrick. “No to him. Last I checked my brother is older than you.”, he commented. “But he’s not a Frost.”, Adam countered. Zoe rolled her eyes while lightly rubbing Merrick’s arm hearing the subtle rumble of his growl forming.
Sebastian was actually the one that decided to say something and jumped to his feet. “Say that again Adam and I’ll knock you out. My brother is a Frost and don’t you dare say otherwise.”, Sebastian said narrowing his eyes at his older cousin. Adam stood up folding his arms glaring back at Sebastian. “He’s nothing more than the bastard son of that human filth named Shadow.”, Adam snorted. Merrick’s eyes flashed with anger but before he could get to his feet Sebastian had swung and clocked Adam with a right hook. The room went silent as Adam stumbled back on to the couch next to his twin. Faelan changed to human and started to cry as Adam had accidently stepped on his tail. Zoe quickly pulled Faelan into her arms to try and sooth the toddler. Shaw, Jordan and Gregory all went to stand to go after Sebastian when Merrick stood up and growled baring his fangs at the trio. “Sit!”, Merrick commanded controlling his rage. The three all quickly sat down in silence. Adam sat holding his hands over his eye. Merrick turned to Sebastian. “Room now Bastian.”, He ordered pointing. “But..”, Sebastian tried to protest. “Now.”, he said putting more emphasis. Sebastian nodded and walked out of the room. Faelan’s crying was slowly subsiding as Zoe rocking him humming a soft song. Merrick glared at his cousins for a moment before crouching down to check on Faelan. “Hey you okay pup?”, Merrick said his tone softening in an instant as he ran his hand gently over Faelan’s light brown hair. Faelan sniffled but nodded snuggling into Zoe.
“Mer..”, Shaw started to speak but Merrick turned his head and narrowed his eyes. “Zoe why don’t you take Faelan upstairs. Make sure he’s okay. I’m going to deal with my cousins.”, Merrick suggested. Zoe nodded. “Come on cucciolo. Auntie Zoe will make sure you are okay.”, she said kissing Faelan’s cheek as she got up and left the room. “Can I maybe get some ice or something?”, Adam asked breaking the silence. “Sit, stay.”, Merrick instructed going into the kitchen. He went to the non-vegan side and pulled a steak out of the fridge carrying it in trying to not be disgusted that he was touching meat. he moved Adam’s hand away and slapped the stake over the eye. “Hold that there.”, Merrick stated before walking back to the kitchen and scrubbing his hands before coming back. “Look I’m trying to keep my calm. I want to make something very clear, don’t ever and I mean ever mention my biological father again. I will speak with Sebastian about his actions. If you have all each picked two photos of Nana that you like set them aside and you may leave.”, Merrick said walking out of the room before he truly lost his temper. The six all quickly put photos aside and exited the Haven, Adam still holding the steak to his eye.
Merrick stopped at the top of the stairs listening to them leave. he sighed shaking his head looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t know where we went wrong with them Nana. Today was supposed to be about us kids all remembering you and thinking fondly of how much we all love you.”, he sighed. he headed to the nursery wanting to check on Faelan. Zoe was sitting in the rocking chair holding Faelan who’d stopped crying and was just holding his leather blankie tight in his arms. Merrick sighed a little at the sight, remember how before Faelan was born Zoe sat in that chair and how he liked the way she looked. “I thought Frosts were supposed to have class.”, Zoe commented rubbing Faelan’s back gently. Merrick ran his hands of his face and leaned against the wall. “They are. But apparently that didn’t get passed on to all of them. And they wonder why I was her favorite.”, he sighed shaking his head. “Faelan okay?”, he asked. "Faelan will be fine. It is like falling over and hitting his knee, the shock hurt him more than the step.", Zoe answered still rocking Faelan gently. "Okay. Good. Now I need to talk to Bastian. I don't even know what to say. I want to say good punch. Just the way your dad and I taught him.", Merrick sighed. He was conflicted on how to handle the situation. "Say both," she said simply. "Let him know that you're proud for standing up for his family, but that wasn't the way to do it. That he can be a better man than that, even if he was right.", she suggested.
Merrick sighed. "I've never had to really discipline Bastian. He was always the good kid that did exactly what I told him.", he frowned. Zoe sighed and stood up from the rocking chair shifting Faelan in her arms. "Merrick, hun...", she leaned up and kissed his cheek. It was hard not to do things like that, even now. "You saying you're disappointed in how he handled it, will be the worst punishment you could give.", she commented. "The thing is... I'm not disappointed. I'm proud as hell that he clocked Adam. Because if Faelan wasn't in the room I would have. I hear that man's name and I see red. I spent my life striving to be a Frost like dad and Nana. And to have that man thrown in my face by people I call blood...", his voice trailed off a little as he looked down at the floor. "Merrick look at me.", she said, putting her free hand on the side of his face. "You aren't a Shadow, or a Frost. You are your own man that Nana Hazel loved and was so proud of. It doesn't matter your family. Besides, blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. Blood? Being related by blood means nothing.", she smiled softly. Merrick's eyes rose to meet her gaze when her hand touched his face. "I know. Doesn't change that it hurts. Before I went Haven none of them would have said that. Good to know making an ethically choice can turn people against you. Thanks though Zoe.", he sighed giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I should go talk to Bastian. They left so if you want to take Faelan back downstairs you can. Show him more of the old pictures of Nana.", he suggested. "Alright. See you in a few minutes, Merrick.", she headed back down carrying Faelan to look at the photos.
Merrick sighed and walked to Sebastian’s room. Sebastian was sitting indian style on his bed just waiting for the scolding to come. “Merrick I’m sorry.”, Sebastian bluttered out as Merrick walked into the room. Merrick nodded. “I know. Look I know why you did it. I would have too if Faelan wasn’t right there in the room.”, Merrick sighed. “Is Faelan okay?”, he asked. Merrick nodded. “Yeah he’s fine. I sent our cousins home, so he’s downstairs with Zoe looking at the pictures of Nana. I’m glad that you’d want to stand up for me, to defend me like that. And I’m proud of that right hook, it was exactly the way Damon and I taught you. But it wasn’t the right way to handle it. Like it or not they are our family. And today was supposed to be us all remembering Nana and how much we love her. So in that way I’m disappointed.”, Merrick frowned a little. Sebastian nodded. “I’m sorry. I just, you are my brother. And well I look up to you and I couldn’t let them talk like that.”, he sighed. “I know. Just let’s not do that again okay?”, Merrick asked. Sebastian nodded again. “Agreed. It did feel good punching him though.”, he smiled a little. Merrick pulled Sebastian over hugging him. “God you are my brother.”, Merrick chuckled. “Come on let’s go downstairs and get the pictures ready to send to Thomas for the video montage.”, he suggested before the pair headed downstairs.
Out at the Manhattan house the mood had changed drastically. They’d all been happy and celebrating Lily and Tommy’s engagement. Then almost a month later Lily received word that her great grandmother Hazel Frost had died. Lily wasn’t as close to Hazel as Merrick, but of any Frost she was the one that Lily did like. Everyone had been as comforting for her as they could offering hugs whenever she wanted them. Completing her finals was her one struggle, she wanted to pass and maintain her perfect GPA but it was difficult to focus with everything going on. She wanted to stay at the haven to be with her mother and brothers, but with finals she couldn’t. She knew Merrick most of all needed someone there. He put on a strong face around everyone, but she knew inside he was breaking into pieces. He’d loved Hazel the most and it was never a secret he was her favorite. Tommy had offered to help with making a video montage, using clips of old home movies and pictures that Merrick and the other great grandchildren were going to pick out. And once they arrived in his email Tommy set to work on getting the video ready. He’d gotten it done just in time for the funeral, which was difficult as he had to work on it when not studying for finals.