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Merrick had taken a shower after he got to the Haven with Rose and Faelan wanting to change out of his clothes he’d worn to work at Wal-Mart and at the shop. He came downstairs to find Rose sitting in the living room with Faelan laying on the floor with her blowing raspberries on his tummy. He leaned in the archway of the living room and folded his arms watching her with Faelan a smile on his lips. They looked so adorable together. He pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a photo. He almost didn’t want to take Rose away from Faelan, but then reminded himself he hadn’t had sex since early September and didn’t feel as bad. Kim came up behind him. “So you and Rose heading out?”, Kim questioned which got Rose’s attention. Rose raised her head looking to the archway at Merrick and Kim, her hands still on Faelan’s sides. “Yeah if I can pry her away from my pup.”, Merrick teased. Rose stuck her tongue out. “He’s cute what do can I say.”, she said scooping the baby up in her arms as she stood. She handed him to Merrick giving Faelan a soft kiss on the top of his head. “Bye handsome boy. Promise I’ll bring your daddy back unharmed.”, she said softly. Merrick rolled his eyes and kissed his son. “Daddy will see you later, pup. Be good for grandma.”, Merrick said giving his son to his mother. “You two have...fun.”, Kim said shooing them away. Merrick kept looking back at Faelan which Rose laughed a little and grabbed his hand. “Come on you said you had somewhere you wanted to take me.”, she encouraged. Merrick sighed and looked from his infant son to Rose and nodded following her out of the house and to his car.
“So how’d the visit with your parents go? They freak about you having Faelan with you?”, Merrick asked as they drove. Rose shrugged. “I got drilled a little about what is going on between us. I said we are friends. Dad didn’t really believe that. So kind of had to own up to the fact we’ve been sleeping together since high school.”, she answered. “Fun. Guess I should count myself lucky that I’m Haven so your dad and Uncle can’t actually kill me.”, he chuckled. “I don’t think they would...okay I don’t think dad would. I mean I always thought if I told him he’d go berserk like how I had been told he went about Raziel and Skylar. Especially given what happened between him and your mom long ago.”, she sighed. “Well we aren’t exactly your older sister and the founder of the Haven. We aren’t dating and certainly aren’t eloping behind his back. We are just two people that have casual sex and ended up being friends. And as for him and my mom maybe he finds it hard to hold a grudge against someone that doesn’t remember what she did and despite that is truly sorry.”, he countered. Rose smiled a little. “Yeah. He seems to think Faelan is a game changer though.”, she sighed. “Well in a way he is. I can’t just meet you whenever wherever like I used to when you came home. I have to be responsible and scary enough an adult.”, he explained. “Yeah. Which is good though. You are great with Faelan, I mean that.”, she said reaching over placing his hand on top of his as he shifted the gear of the car.
She watched out the window as they went past the storage place that last summer they’d parked the car to go running in the forest. As they drove she saw tape and signs across the forest saying ‘private property’. “Aw someone bought that forest? I hope it’s not going to get developed into something stupid. It’d be like paving paradise.”, she frowned. Merrick laughed and pulled off to a dirt road with a metal gate that said private property. “Merrick what are we doing?”, she asked as he got out and unlocked the gate. She blinked he had the keys to the gate. Merrick opened the gate and pulled the car across getting out again to close the gate before driving further on the dirt road before parking on the grass. “What is going on Merrick?”, Rose asked. He pointed to a small sign that said ‘Future Home of Faelan’s Wildlife Animal Sanctuary’. “I got the grants I needed and with the money I make from building the furniture I bought the property. We break ground next month. Jacob has the plans all ready to build an office structure and veterinary clinic. A fence will go up proper all the way around the property which is a full ten acres. It runs from the storage units all the way out to the cliffs and then up to the road. I’ll section out the property to allow for different species to have room dividing the herbivores from the carnivores of course.”, he explained getting out. Rose got out and was still in awe and shock.
“This is...I mean. This is incredible Merrick. You always wanted to work with animals and said the shelter wasn’t what you really wanted. I just...wow. Having Faelan really put things in perspective didn’t they?”, she questioned looking around the clearing. “It wasn’t Faelan. Yeah he inspired the name. But I’d filed for these grants two summers ago and decided on this property after last summer. I had the property before I even knew about Faelan. This was...well in a way a result of you.”, Merrick explained walking closer to her putting his hands on her waist. “Me? What do you mean?”, Rose questioned. “I mean anything I’ve done that most consider a sign of improvement has stemmed from being around you. You are the first person that isn’t my mother or Nana Hazel to really believe and push me to try to be better than I let myself be.”, he answered. Rose blinked a little, he was giving her credit for him bettering himself. “Merrick anything you’ve done is you. No one else deserves that credit.”, Rose said shaking her head a little. Merrick rolled his eyes and brought one hand to cup her right cheek. “Just shut up and take the compliment.”, he said giving her a kiss. Rose considered protesting but wasn’t easy to argue when he was kissing her instead she kissed back. She pulled back a little from the kiss, there was some things she wanted to talk to him about before the inevitable happened. And if she let him keep kissing her and holding her close like this any chance of conversation would be gone.
Merrick sighed a little when she pulled back. All he really wanted at the moment was to get her either on the ground or against a tree to have his way with her. But she had that look in her eyes, there was going to be a conversation before the fun could begin. He knew the look from back when all they did was make out. And he couldn’t really blame her, there was probably a few things she wanted to talk to him about. After all she did just return to find he had a kid while she was away at college. “You want to talk…”, he sighed taking his hands off her waist and walking over sitting on the ground under a familiar maple tree. He leaned against the wide trunk stretching out his legs. “So talk…”, he shrugged looking up at her. Rose frowned a little when he walked away from her and turned to watch him sit on the ground. It took her a minute to realize the clearing was familiar and so was the tree he went to. She smiled a little walked over and sitting down on his legs face him resting her hands on his shoulders. “Alright. Didn’t realize I had no poker face.”, she chuckled. “With me you don’t. I know that look. You used to get it back when we first started hooking up and then when we first started having sex. It’s your ‘I want a conversation first’ look. And I can’t really fault you for that, even if talking isn’t what I had in mind.”, he shrugged.
“Oh is that so. And what did you have in mind?”, Rose asked. Merrick smirk. “Don’t really think you needed to ask. But if I need to say it fine. Screwing your brains out is what I have in mind. I haven’t had sex since September and for me that’s a long fucking time.”, he answered holding her waist pulling her a little closer. Rose laughed a little. “Trust me I have that in mind too. But it’s also part of what I want to talk to you about. And I’m kind of hoping you’ll be honest with me in your answers.”, she said. “I’ve yet to lie, don’t see a reason to start now. So ask your questions and I’ll answer them so we can get this Q&A over and get to the more physical part of the evening.”, he agreed. “What happened with Jenna?”, she asked getting right into her first question. “Do you mean where she is? Why she left? Or the whole knocking her up situation?”, he countered. “All of it.”, she retorted. “Alright start with the beginning. She was told about us last summer, about going out on dates and being seen in public. Her friend Michelle works at Two Brothers and saw us together and reported back. So Jenna got it into her head that she could trap me by getting pregnant. She called for a hook up, I showed up, and she sabotaged the condom when putting it on. Let’s just say lesson learned nice as it might be to have someone else put a condom on, not risking that again.”, he started to explain. Rose growled a little how dare Jenna think it was okay to have a child as a way of forcing someone into a relationship.
“She apparently got jealous that last June you monopolized my free time. Her plan of course didn’t work, just pissed me off. She isn't a woman that could ‘trap’ me especially by having a kid with me.”, he shrugged. Rose raised an eyebrow wondering what woman could actually trap him. “As for why she left. Take your pick off the wheel of reasons. She’s pro mutant registration. So finding out that her son and the man she tried to trap are mutants scared her. She wouldn’t even hold Faelan. Her note she left giving up her rights said it was for his benefit. Which is fine by me. My son deserves a mother than can love and accept him for who he is. Till that happens he’s got me. And the where she is, I don’t care and unless she asks I don’t plan to go looking.”, he concluded. Rose sighed and ran a hand over the side of face. “Merrick... “, she sighed. “You are a fantastic dad and Faelan is lucky to have you.”, she assured. Merrick smiled a little. “Thanks. So what else do you want to talk about before I can finally get you naked?”, he questioned his hands starting to get under the sides of her shirt. Rose laughed a little. “Someone’s eager.”, she teased. “What part of haven’t had sex since September didn’t you understand?”, he countered. “Yeah well you also said you were getting off via other means till April. I’ve gone since I left for Cambridge without anything. And that brings me to another question. What exactly went on between you and Zoe while I was gone? I left and she was your platonic friend who was off limits.”, Rose questioned.Merrick groaned. “Alright knew this was coming. I told you Zoe was off limits for dating and having sex. And I didn’t date her nor did I have sex with her. I do not count making out, oral and masturbation as sex. I was already very close to Zoe as my best friend so when I got the news about Jenna being pregnant I went to Zoe’s and got drunk as hell on tequila and stayed the night. Nothing happened that night. She had a tiny ass bed and I had to sleep in my ocelot form to sleep on the bed with her. Started staying the night there more than I stayed at the Haven because Jenna knew where the Haven was and kept stopping in and I didn’t want to deal with her. Zoe and I started blurring that friend line making out and then I finished making a queen size bed for her and from that point on I didn’t have to sleep in my animal form and some of the nights I stayed we’d fool around but never had sex. I didn’t want to break that rule or be the one who takes her virginity. Then Faelan was born and we went back to full time friend zone because I don’t stay away from Faelan and I don’t let women stay in my room...well till you broke that rule last night and will be for the rest of your vacation. Anything else?”, Merrick asked.
“So you stayed the night often at her place, overnight and not just to get off?”, she asked trying to process this. “I said I would be honest. So yeah. I stayed the night with Zoe and it wasn’t about getting off. It was about having someone in the bed with me and I couldn’t have the person I wanted. And I’m not saying that in a sense of I was using Zoe. Because I wasn’t. She is still my best friend and in that capacity I love her and she knows that. She knew from the get go it wasn’t more than it was.”, he explained. “And who did you want?”, Rose asked. Merrick smiled a little and brought his hands up under her shirt and around her back pressing her forward into him as he kissed her firmly letting his tongue run across her lips before pulling back. “You.”, he said simply. Rose rubbed her lips together wondering if that was enough of an answer. It wasn’t him saying he loved her, wasn’t him asking her to be his, it was just him saying he wanted her. But for right now she’d take it and nodded a little. “So Q&A over?”, he asked. Rose nodded. “Yeah… I don’t have anything more to ask.”, she agreed kissing him her hands moving up his shirt. It didn’t take either of them long to get the other undressed and once again they had sex at that maple tree just this time on the ground at it’s base as opposed to against it. As they laid there in the grass in their post bliss, Rose cuddled close to him Merrick sighed and kissed the top of her head. “If someone could trap me...it’s you..”, he whispered softly. Rose blinked wondering if she had heard him right or if he had thought she was coherent enough to have heard him.
She remained silent and just laid there for a little while till she felt drops of rain falling through the leaves of the maple tree. They both jolted up with a laugh. “Better get dressed quickly.”, Merrick chuckled as they scrambled to get their clothes on and into the car. Rose was still pulling her shirt on as she got into the front seat. “Well that was refreshing. Guess mother nature figured we needed a cold shower.”, Merrick laughed. “Apparently….”, Rose laughed brushing rain off her arms smiling. “Ready to head back to the Haven then? Faelan is already in bed by now. But he’ll be up again soon.”, Merrick asked looking at the clock on his dash. “Yeah. Let’s head back. Get some dry clothes on, maybe take a shower something tells me we both have grass stains on our backs and knees.”, Rose teased. Merrick smirked. “Sounds like a plan little wolf.”, he said heading back out the way they came making sure to lock the gate not caring about the rain at this point. He was just in too good a mood for rain to ruin. Rose hadn’t run from him and Faelan as fast as her feet could carry her. And he had a month of her staying at the Haven, of being in their lives to look forward to. After this month he’d know for sure. He’d know if she was really the one for them. Before Faelan he wouldn’t have thought to second guess. But Faelan was the most important person in his world, heck his son was his world now. He needed to know for sure that Faelan and Rose had as strong a connection as he and Rose do. They quietly got up to his bedroom, both peeking in on Faelan smiling seeing his sleeping wolf form before taking their shower and getting into pajamas to get some sleep before Faelan would wake for bottles or change of diaper.While Merrick was at work either at Wal-Mart or at the shop Rose had Faelan with her. Mostly she just hung out with him at the Haven. But during that first couple weeks she stayed local and took him back to her parents. However this morning she had an idea of where she wanted to go visiting with Faelan. She knew Merrick didn’t have to work so she just needed to get him on board with her plan. So in the morning before Faelan woke up Rose kissed Merrick’s nose till he finally woke up. “What do you want little wolf. I was dreaming and it was a really good dream.”, he yawned. “Oh what were you dreaming about?”, she questioned with a smirk. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the dim before smiling looking at her. “Never mind wasn’t dreaming you are still in my bed.”, he smirked giving her a kiss. “Morning beautiful. So why are you waking me up before the pup does?”, he asked. “Well I know you have today off and I wanted to convince you of something.”, she explained. Merrick sighed. “And you figured asking me while I’m groggy is the best way?”, he questioned with raised brow. “Yes.”, she said simply. He laughed a little bringing his arms tighter around her rolling her to her back pinning her down. “What do you want this early in the morning, Rose? Because I know what I want this early in the morning.”, he smirked nudging a knee between her legs.
Rose rolled her eyes her legs parting for him. “I want to go see my friends in Manhattan.”, she explained. Merrick shrugged starting to kiss and nibble at her neck. “And you need my permission? You aren’t exactly a hostage here.”, he teased his hands starting to wander over her body as they were both still naked from having sex during the night after getting Faelan to settle for the night. She moaned a little biting her bottom lip trying to keep her mind on track. “Stop trying to distract me with pleasures of the flesh.”, she scolded with a laugh. “Stop being so damn attractive and maybe I wouldn’t have the urge to touch you all over. So what about Manhattan has to do with me? And don’t point out my triplet and best friend live there.”, Merrick said biting down on her shoulder before he started moving down under the blankets. She winced slightly when his teeth sank into her shoulder but of course her healing easily closed the bit mark as his mouth started to move lower on her body. “Alright heel for a minute.”, Rose said. Merrick sighed and rested his chin on her sternum just above the valley between her breasts and looked up at her. “Thank you. Now I am bringing it up because I want you and Faelan to come with me. We could take him to central park and the zoo.”, she offered. Merrick sighed. “And today is the fifteenth sooo you kind of aren’t allowed to tell me no.”, Rose stated. Merrick smirked and went back to kissing her chest down to the valley between her breasts. “I’m aware that today is your twentieth birthday. Why do you think I’m kissing lower…”, he replied.
Rose rolled her eyes. “I’m serious.”, she said. “So am I. I figured you’d spend today with them, you’ve spent every birthday with your friends.”, he said starting to nibble at her right breast. Rose moaned into a soft growl. “And you’re my friend so for once I’d like to have you there too.”, she said trying to maintain some amount of cognitive thought. “Fine...we’ll go. Now do I get to finish what I’m doing?”, he asked. Rose smiled and nodded. “By all means. And thank you. I do appreciate that you are willing to go into the city.”, Rose said. “Mhmm…”, he said a hand traveling lower between her legs. “You realize you are going to owe me for this trip into the city..”, he advised letting a couple digits slip. “Yes…”, she gasped into a moan. “I know. And I’ll pay my debt tonight.”, she answered. Merrick smirked before he continued with his plan of giving her birthday sex. Which of course they weren’t fortunate enough that Faelan stayed asleep through all of their enjoyment and perhaps it was a little mean to let him cry for a few minutes but the option of not finishing was just not something Merrick was okay with. He shook his head as he got out of the bed and threw on his pajama pants. “Guess I should be glad he didn’t wake up early on in that. I’ll give the pup credit for not being a total cockblocker.”, Merrick chuckled. Rose sighed. “Yeah not a total cockblocker.”, she laughed relaxing on the king size bed. “You can get up whenever you want I’m going to get him downstairs and fed. Then guess need to pack his diaper bag and stroller if you plan for us to go into the city.”, Merrick sighed leaning over giving her a kiss. “Happy Birthday by the way.”, he added walking out of the bedroom to get Faelan.
When Rose did venture downstairs she found that Aislinn had made her her favorite breakfast items as a birthday surprise. “Thank you Aislinn.”, Rose said getting birthday hugs from Aislinn and the others. “Need to hurry and eat though. We are going into the city to spend the day with the gang at the Manhattan house.”, Rose said sitting down glancing to Merrick. “We?”, Christian asked. “Yup Merrick and Faelan are coming with me.”, Rose stated starting to eat. There was a general shocked silence as the eyes of the table looked to Merrick who was feeding Faelan a bottle. “What? It’s her birthday. I’m going to give Faelan a bath and get a shower before getting all his stuff packed for this endeavor.”, Merrick said getting up from the table with Faelan. Rose smiled and watched him walk away with Faelan before noticing she was being looked at. “What?”, she questioned eating. “Nothing...well just wondering how you managed that. His sister and Malcolm have been trying to get him to go out there for years even before Faelan was born. You ask and he says yes.”, Kim said. Rose shrugged. “It’s my birthday so hard to argue with what I want for my birthday. Besides I told him I’d owe him if he agreed.”, Rose shrugged finishing her plate. “I better go shower and get ready too. Thanks again for breakfast Aislinn it was delicious as always.”, she said clearing her plate and getting out of the kitchen before any more questions could be asked. Kim shook her head. “I swear if one of them doesn’t say how they feel before this month is over I’m going to smack them.”, Kim sighed.
Merrick triple checked the diaper bag had everything needed for Faelan before getting Faealn into the car seat. “We’ll be back later.”, Merrick called grabbing Faelan’s stroller and diaper bag while Rose carried the carseat with Faelan. It was a quick drive to the train station then getting Faelan ‘s car seat onto his stroller as they waited for the train. Merrick continuing to look at Faelan cautiously. “You seem nervous. What’s wrong?”, Rose asked as they sat and waited for the train. “I don’t generally go out let alone in large populated areas with him. He can’t control his powers.”, Merrick sighed. Rose looked into the car seat where Faelan sat playing with a rattle in human form. “Well you can’t hide him forever. So we just be careful. It’ll be alright.”, she assured reaching over and taking his hand giving it a squeeze. “I hope so. Then I also worry about myself. I don’t like cities. Too many people, too many sounds, and too many smells. And then people have no idea what a buffer is and well first person to get too close to him even to say he’s cute I might bite.”, Merrick admitted. Rose chuckled shaking her head. “You’ll be fine and so will he. So just relax. Here’s our train.”, she said standing up. Merrick grumbled standing up and getting on the train with her and the Faelan. The ride into Manhattan was a long one and it took some entertainment to keep Faelan from going ocelot and start fussing but the entertainment had to be specific to a baby so he wouldn’t change to wolf wanting to play either.
Once they got off the train Faelan’s brown eyes were going every which way he he could hear and smell all sorts of things. Merrick was having a similar sensory overload issue but was better train to control it. Merrick instead focusing only one two scents Faelan’s and Rose’s. Merrick pushed the stroller down the city streets with Rose’s arm looped with his. They did get stopped by a couple people who peeked into the carriage and complimented Faelan. One older woman said they were a very handsome family. Finally they reached the Manhattan house. Rose took the car seat out of the stroller to carry Faelan up the stairs while Merrick folded up the stroller walking up the steps behind her. Rose rang the bell and waited. Inside the house they had been expecting her. Blaire and Tristan had stopped by Tristan wanted a chance to see Rose while he was in the area in between rodeos. Landon got to the door first and smiled seeing Rose and then blinked seeing the car seat and Merrick behind her his mouth falling open before turning up into a smile. “Hey someone make sure they are in position to catch Lily.”, Landon called into the house stepping out of the way. “Come on in. Happy Birthday Rose.”, he said giving her a kiss on the cheek and a hug as she walked in with Faelan.
“Thanks Landon. Happy belated birthday to you too.”, Rose said setting the car seat down and crouching down taking Faelan out. Merrick stepped inside behind her, he glanced to his cousin but his eyes found their way to the view of her bending over picking up his son which he smirked a little. Landon laughed a little and patted Merrick on the arms a little. “Happy belated birthday Merrick. Welcome to the house.”, Landon greeted. Merrick rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Thanks. Happy belated birthday too.”, Merrick said. Lily walked out of the kitchen having heard her name. “So why is someone supposed to catc…”, she stopped mid word seeing Rose standing there with Faelan in her arms and Merrick behind her. “What..how…”, Lily stammered. The rest of the party came out to see what was going on. “Awww it’s Faelan….”, Rachel gushed walking over. “Happy birthday cousin. But you are no longer the focus of this party.”, Rachel greeted her cousin before looking at Faelan. “Hey little guy. God you are even cuter than the last time I was at the Haven and saw you. Can I hold him?”, Rachel asked looking to Merrick. Rose shrugged and went to let Rachel hold him. Merrick coughed and Rose stopped. “Seriously? Come on Merrick. Rachel isn’t going to break him. And not like she’d be the first Howlett I’ve let hold him.”, Rose said before handing him to Rachel.
“What does that mean?”, Merrick asked. Rose smiled a little walking further in and starting to hug and greet her friends. “Tristan! Oh my god I didn’t expect to see you.”, she greeted giving him a tight hug. “I know that’s why I’m here. I’m in between rodeos and was up at Harvard with Blaire then Rachel said you’d be coming into Manhattan for your birthday so we drove and stayed at Holly’s then took the train last night to stay here. I see you showed up with your arm candy. Did I mention that he’s hot? You dating him now or what?”, Tristan asked smiling. Rose sighed rolling her eyes. “Um do I get an answer to what you mean? Who else has held my kid when I’ve let you have him alone?”, Merrick questioned he went to take Faelan back but Lily snatched up her nephew from Rachel hugging him. “Yay Rose has liberated my nephew from my overprotective brother! Hey there cuteness.”, Lily greeted her nephew. Rose sighed and looked at Merrick. “It means that my mom and dad have held him when I’ve taken him over to visit them. I mean come on he runs around the house in wolf with mom. Dad’s even fed him and changed him.”, Rose said. Merrick groaned shaking his head. “I tell you that only mom, Aislinn, Solangel, dad and I have held him. I let you hold him and now it’s a free for all of sensory overload on my poor son.”, Merrick sighed. Rose smiled and walked over to him with a pretend pout. “You’ll get over it. Add it to my tab of things I owe you for.”, Rose smirked leaning up and kissing his nose. Merrick narrowed his eyes but the look of annoyance wasn’t well conveyed by his nose wrinkling and twitching from the kiss.
“Okay so not only is he fucking hot he’s damn adorable.”, Tristan chuckled leaning against a wall with a beer in his hand bringing an arm around Blaire. “Language, mind it or my fist breaks your face.”, Merrick warned pointing at Tristan. Tristan nodded. “Apologies wasn’t thinking. Sorry Faelan. Uncle Tristan will watch his mouth or at least get Auntie Blaire to watch it for him.”, Tristan said with a smile. Blaire giggled a little but did lightly elbow Tristan. Merrick grumbled. “Here…”, Malcolm said handing Merrick a beer. “Relax.”, Malcolm encouraged. Landon patted his shoulder. “It’ll be alright cuz. Hey Tommy help me move the coffee table and some of the breakables out of the living room so Faelan can have some space.”, Landon said. Tommy nodded and the two moved the coffee table out while Cora Lee and Ashley grabbed the breakable stuff and got it out of reach of little hands and paws. With everything else cleared out Lily took the diaper bag away from her brother and dug out a blanket laying it on the floor before setting her nephew down on it. Everyone piled into the living room. Merrick sat on the floor in the doorway to ensure Faelan wasn’t going to escape. He watched with extreme caution as Lily, Rachel, Cora Lee, Ashley and Blaire all sat on the floor with his son. Faelan having turned to wolf and was running between the five girls who had toys and were giving him attention. Rose frowned a little noticing Merrick being very cautious papa wolf ready to attack. “You are going to need to relax.”, she said sitting down on his lap and leaning back against him taking the beer from his hand and taking a couple sips. “That was mine…”, Merrick said rolling his eyes but smiling a little. “You can share. If you are afraid of my germs suddenly after all these years you’ve got problems.”, she teased.
Not everyone was being distracted by the adorable wolf puppy on the living room floor. Landon and Malcolm took notice of Rose sitting on Merrick, drinking his beer and more importantly the sentence she just stated. “Did she say years?”, Malcolm whispered to Landon. “That would be what I heard too.”, Landon whispered back. Merrick shook his head hearing the whispers. “You two morons know we both have a heightened sense of hearing.”, Merrick sighed. Malcolm chuckled. “Oh we’re aware. Haven’t forgotten your power sets.”, Landon smiled. “We were just quietly discussing what Rose said is all.”, Malcolm added.Tristan got up from the floor where he’d been sitting behind Blaire to hear what was going on. “What I said? I told Merrick he can share his beer because if after all these years he’s suddenly afraid of my germs he’s got problems.”, Rose said raising an eyebrow taking another sip of Merrick’s beer. “Right and that’s what we heard. The word we honed in on in that sentence was ‘years’.”, Landon explained. Merrick shrugged taking his beer back and taking a long sip. “You can field that one little wolf, he’s your best friend not mine.”, Merrick said excusing himself from answering. Rose laughed. “Oh well he’s your cousin not mine. And your best friend seems to be taking interest in the topic too.”, she countered taking the beer back. Merrick glanced over. “One out of three that seem curious is my friend. Plus you are the one that said years so you explain it.”, he retorted. “So? You can answer them I had to answer to my parents.”, she said. Merrick laughed. “Ugh, fine. Yes she said years because we’ve been sleeping together for years.”, Merrick shrugged. The room went silent except for the sounds of Faelan as everyone in the room was looking at them.
“What?”, Merrick questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Sleeping together for years?”, Lily repeated. “Define years…”, Cora Lee asked looking at them. “Four….yeah she’s twenty so four.”, Merrick answered. There was a general stunned silence in the room. “Alright guys it’s not that big of a deal. Blaire and Tristan have been sleeping together that long too.”, Rose defended. “Yeah but we’ve also been exclusive for the last two years.”, Blaire stated. “Is it wrong my only question in all this is if he’s that good in bed to have had the little black book I was told about?”, Tristan asked.Merrick started laughing shaking his head. “And that one is all yours to answer Rose. Faelan come here so daddy doesn’t have to pay attention to any of this.”, Merrick called giving a whistle to his son. Faelan came bounding over. Merrick set his beer down and picked up his son paying attention to him. Rose laughed a little shaking her head taking Merrick’s beer from him before he picked up Faelan. “Um I doubt anyone else in the room wants to hear that answer. So I’ll leave that unanswered.”, she said finishing off Merrick’s beer and glancing to the clock. “Think he’ll turn human soon? Wanted to take him to central park and the zoo still before we had to catch the train back to Bayville.”, Rose said looking to Merrick. Merrick shrugged and checked the clock. “Maybe. I’m sure he’s going to get hungry soon and need a diaper so he’ll shift back for that. Why don’t you fix his bottle and see if that will entice him into shifting.”, Merrick suggested.
“Good idea..”, she said getting off his lap and grabbing the diaper back and getting a bottle of water and adding the formula shaking it which got Faelan’s attention. Causing him to rush out of his father's arms to get to Rose before changing to human. “Well looks like food does the trick.”, Lily commented. “Ooo can I feed him please?”, Rachel asked. Rose shrugged and handed her the bottle. Rachel smiled and picked up Faelan and sat down on the couch next to Landon feeding him his bottle. Landon watched this scenario as it played out and couldn’t help but smile seeing Rachel with a baby. They were still a few years away from getting married as they wanted to wait till after they had both graduated from university to get married. Then it might be a while after that before kids since their plans entailed traveling the world. Merrick arched an eyebrow looking at his cousin watching Rachel he knew the look. It was the same look he probably had every time Rose held Faelan. The whole seeing someone you wouldn’t mind having a kid with holding a baby. “Alright let’s get his stuff together before his presence gives unnecessary baby fever.”, Merrick said getting up off the floor and starting to get Faelan’s things back into the diaper bag. Rachel laughed a little as she burped Faelan before giving him to Rose. “And you aren’t worried spending so much time around him is going to have that effect on my cousin?”, Rachel asked. “Nope.”, Merrick said simply. Rose rolled her eyes as she changed Faelan’s diaper before getting him into his car seat.
“Alright well it was nice to see everyone. Tristan your ass needs to call me more damn it. I know you know how to use a phone because you live on it with Blaire.”, Rose teased giving Tristan a hug before hugging everyone else. “Bye guys.”, she said picking up the car seat. “It was… yeah. Bye.”, Merrick said getting the stroller and heading out setting it up on the sidewalk for Rose to put Faelan in. “Bye have fun on your ‘family’ day.”, Landon teased closing the door. Rose rolled her eyes but looped her arm with Merrick’s again as they walked away with Faelan in the stroller. “So was it really all that bad?”, Rose asked they walked. “Yes. You realize you have opened a pandora’s box by letting people hold him, especially without asking me.”, Merrick commented glancing to her as they walked. “I didn’t see the harm in letting people hold him. The kid loves people and these are people I trust and besides three of those people are related to you and another three are going to be related to you some day by marriage. And when it comes to my parents, my mom is just a big momma wolf so holding a baby isn’t something new and my dad is ancient he’s held babies before. What do you mean a pandora’s box?”, Rose countered. “I mean now everyone is going to think it’s okay to just hold him. And because you started this by letting people him hold him without me asking it’s just going to make people ask more questions I don’t have answers to about what we are.”, he explained. “I see. I didn’t really think about it like that. So what are we? I mean I thought we were friends with benefits. Something change that I didn’t get told about?”, she asked with a smile.
Merrick shook his head. He looked at her as they walked into central park. Now would be a good time to just tell her. They were alone, not counting Faelan. They were kind of out just as a ‘family’. They’d been ‘playing house’ as his mom kept calling it for two weeks. He knew how good she was with Faelan, he trusted her without so much as a doubt with him. He already knew he cared about her before this and now he could think of only one word that described how he felt. But could he bring himself to say it, she was going to leave again and it’d be a whole year before he saw her again. Could he admit he loved her and fully let her into his and Faelan’s lives when she’d be gone most of the year from them? He sighed inwardly a little as he realized he still needed to think about this, because he had to think about what was going to be best for Faelan. “No, nothing has changed. But people like to read into things.”, Merrick answered. Rose shrugged a little. “Well people are going to think whatever they want. So I say don’t worry about it.”, she said. She’s hoped something had changed for him. Maybe she should just come out and say how she felt, but then she reminded herself what happened last time. Not to mention that now with Faelan this was different getting involved with Merrick was getting involved in Faelan’s life. She wasn’t sure if she could love them the way they needed with living an ocean away. So she stayed quiet on it and just enjoyed being with them.

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Merrick had taken a shower after he got to the Haven with Rose and Faelan wanting to change out of his clothes he’d worn to work at Wal-Mart and at the shop. He came downstairs to find Rose sitting in the living room with Faelan laying on the floor with her blowing raspberries on his tummy. He leaned in the archway of the living room and folded his arms watching her with Faelan a smile on his lips. They looked so adorable together. He pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a photo. He almost didn’t want to take Rose away from Faelan, but then reminded himself he hadn’t had sex since early September and didn’t feel as bad. Kim came up behind him. “So you and Rose heading out?”, Kim questioned which got Rose’s attention. Rose raised her head looking to the archway at Merrick and Kim, her hands still on Faelan’s sides. “Yeah if I can pry her away from my pup.”, Merrick teased. Rose stuck her tongue out. “He’s cute what do can I say.”, she said scooping the baby up in her arms as she stood. She handed him to Merrick giving Faelan a soft kiss on the top of his head. “Bye handsome boy. Promise I’ll bring your daddy back unharmed.”, she said softly. Merrick rolled his eyes and kissed his son. “Daddy will see you later, pup. Be good for grandma.”, Merrick said giving his son to his mother. “You two have...fun.”, Kim said shooing them away. Merrick kept looking back at Faelan which Rose laughed a little and grabbed his hand. “Come on you said you had somewhere you wanted to take me.”, she encouraged. Merrick sighed and looked from his infant son to Rose and nodded following her out of the house and to his car.
“So how’d the visit with your parents go? They freak about you having Faelan with you?”, Merrick asked as they drove. Rose shrugged. “I got drilled a little about what is going on between us. I said we are friends. Dad didn’t really believe that. So kind of had to own up to the fact we’ve been sleeping together since high school.”, she answered. “Fun. Guess I should count myself lucky that I’m Haven so your dad and Uncle can’t actually kill me.”, he chuckled. “I don’t think they would...okay I don’t think dad would. I mean I always thought if I told him he’d go berserk like how I had been told he went about Raziel and Skylar. Especially given what happened between him and your mom long ago.”, she sighed. “Well we aren’t exactly your older sister and the founder of the Haven. We aren’t dating and certainly aren’t eloping behind his back. We are just two people that have casual sex and ended up being friends. And as for him and my mom maybe he finds it hard to hold a grudge against someone that doesn’t remember what she did and despite that is truly sorry.”, he countered. Rose smiled a little. “Yeah. He seems to think Faelan is a game changer though.”, she sighed. “Well in a way he is. I can’t just meet you whenever wherever like I used to when you came home. I have to be responsible and scary enough an adult.”, he explained. “Yeah. Which is good though. You are great with Faelan, I mean that.”, she said reaching over placing his hand on top of his as he shifted the gear of the car.
She watched out the window as they went past the storage place that last summer they’d parked the car to go running in the forest. As they drove she saw tape and signs across the forest saying ‘private property’. “Aw someone bought that forest? I hope it’s not going to get developed into something stupid. It’d be like paving paradise.”, she frowned. Merrick laughed and pulled off to a dirt road with a metal gate that said private property. “Merrick what are we doing?”, she asked as he got out and unlocked the gate. She blinked he had the keys to the gate. Merrick opened the gate and pulled the car across getting out again to close the gate before driving further on the dirt road before parking on the grass. “What is going on Merrick?”, Rose asked. He pointed to a small sign that said ‘Future Home of Faelan’s Wildlife Animal Sanctuary’. “I got the grants I needed and with the money I make from building the furniture I bought the property. We break ground next month. Jacob has the plans all ready to build an office structure and veterinary clinic. A fence will go up proper all the way around the property which is a full ten acres. It runs from the storage units all the way out to the cliffs and then up to the road. I’ll section out the property to allow for different species to have room dividing the herbivores from the carnivores of course.”, he explained getting out. Rose got out and was still in awe and shock.
“This is...I mean. This is incredible Merrick. You always wanted to work with animals and said the shelter wasn’t what you really wanted. I just...wow. Having Faelan really put things in perspective didn’t they?”, she questioned looking around the clearing. “It wasn’t Faelan. Yeah he inspired the name. But I’d filed for these grants two summers ago and decided on this property after last summer. I had the property before I even knew about Faelan. This was...well in a way a result of you.”, Merrick explained walking closer to her putting his hands on her waist. “Me? What do you mean?”, Rose questioned. “I mean anything I’ve done that most consider a sign of improvement has stemmed from being around you. You are the first person that isn’t my mother or Nana Hazel to really believe and push me to try to be better than I let myself be.”, he answered. Rose blinked a little, he was giving her credit for him bettering himself. “Merrick anything you’ve done is you. No one else deserves that credit.”, Rose said shaking her head a little. Merrick rolled his eyes and brought one hand to cup her right cheek. “Just shut up and take the compliment.”, he said giving her a kiss. Rose considered protesting but wasn’t easy to argue when he was kissing her instead she kissed back. She pulled back a little from the kiss, there was some things she wanted to talk to him about before the inevitable happened. And if she let him keep kissing her and holding her close like this any chance of conversation would be gone.
Merrick sighed a little when she pulled back. All he really wanted at the moment was to get her either on the ground or against a tree to have his way with her. But she had that look in her eyes, there was going to be a conversation before the fun could begin. He knew the look from back when all they did was make out. And he couldn’t really blame her, there was probably a few things she wanted to talk to him about. After all she did just return to find he had a kid while she was away at college. “You want to talk…”, he sighed taking his hands off her waist and walking over sitting on the ground under a familiar maple tree. He leaned against the wide trunk stretching out his legs. “So talk…”, he shrugged looking up at her. Rose frowned a little when he walked away from her and turned to watch him sit on the ground. It took her a minute to realize the clearing was familiar and so was the tree he went to. She smiled a little walked over and sitting down on his legs face him resting her hands on his shoulders. “Alright. Didn’t realize I had no poker face.”, she chuckled. “With me you don’t. I know that look. You used to get it back when we first started hooking up and then when we first started having sex. It’s your ‘I want a conversation first’ look. And I can’t really fault you for that, even if talking isn’t what I had in mind.”, he shrugged.
“Oh is that so. And what did you have in mind?”, Rose asked. Merrick smirk. “Don’t really think you needed to ask. But if I need to say it fine. Screwing your brains out is what I have in mind. I haven’t had sex since September and for me that’s a long fucking time.”, he answered holding her waist pulling her a little closer. Rose laughed a little. “Trust me I have that in mind too. But it’s also part of what I want to talk to you about. And I’m kind of hoping you’ll be honest with me in your answers.”, she said. “I’ve yet to lie, don’t see a reason to start now. So ask your questions and I’ll answer them so we can get this Q&A over and get to the more physical part of the evening.”, he agreed. “What happened with Jenna?”, she asked getting right into her first question. “Do you mean where she is? Why she left? Or the whole knocking her up situation?”, he countered. “All of it.”, she retorted. “Alright start with the beginning. She was told about us last summer, about going out on dates and being seen in public. Her friend Michelle works at Two Brothers and saw us together and reported back. So Jenna got it into her head that she could trap me by getting pregnant. She called for a hook up, I showed up, and she sabotaged the condom when putting it on. Let’s just say lesson learned nice as it might be to have someone else put a condom on, not risking that again.”, he started to explain. Rose growled a little how dare Jenna think it was okay to have a child as a way of forcing someone into a relationship.
“She apparently got jealous that last June you monopolized my free time. Her plan of course didn’t work, just pissed me off. She isn't a woman that could ‘trap’ me especially by having a kid with me.”, he shrugged. Rose raised an eyebrow wondering what woman could actually trap him. “As for why she left. Take your pick off the wheel of reasons. She’s pro mutant registration. So finding out that her son and the man she tried to trap are mutants scared her. She wouldn’t even hold Faelan. Her note she left giving up her rights said it was for his benefit. Which is fine by me. My son deserves a mother than can love and accept him for who he is. Till that happens he’s got me. And the where she is, I don’t care and unless she asks I don’t plan to go looking.”, he concluded. Rose sighed and ran a hand over the side of face. “Merrick... “, she sighed. “You are a fantastic dad and Faelan is lucky to have you.”, she assured. Merrick smiled a little. “Thanks. So what else do you want to talk about before I can finally get you naked?”, he questioned his hands starting to get under the sides of her shirt. Rose laughed a little. “Someone’s eager.”, she teased. “What part of haven’t had sex since September didn’t you understand?”, he countered. “Yeah well you also said you were getting off via other means till April. I’ve gone since I left for Cambridge without anything. And that brings me to another question. What exactly went on between you and Zoe while I was gone? I left and she was your platonic friend who was off limits.”, Rose questioned.Merrick groaned. “Alright knew this was coming. I told you Zoe was off limits for dating and having sex. And I didn’t date her nor did I have sex with her. I do not count making out, oral and masturbation as sex. I was already very close to Zoe as my best friend so when I got the news about Jenna being pregnant I went to Zoe’s and got drunk as hell on tequila and stayed the night. Nothing happened that night. She had a tiny ass bed and I had to sleep in my ocelot form to sleep on the bed with her. Started staying the night there more than I stayed at the Haven because Jenna knew where the Haven was and kept stopping in and I didn’t want to deal with her. Zoe and I started blurring that friend line making out and then I finished making a queen size bed for her and from that point on I didn’t have to sleep in my animal form and some of the nights I stayed we’d fool around but never had sex. I didn’t want to break that rule or be the one who takes her virginity. Then Faelan was born and we went back to full time friend zone because I don’t stay away from Faelan and I don’t let women stay in my room...well till you broke that rule last night and will be for the rest of your vacation. Anything else?”, Merrick asked.
“So you stayed the night often at her place, overnight and not just to get off?”, she asked trying to process this. “I said I would be honest. So yeah. I stayed the night with Zoe and it wasn’t about getting off. It was about having someone in the bed with me and I couldn’t have the person I wanted. And I’m not saying that in a sense of I was using Zoe. Because I wasn’t. She is still my best friend and in that capacity I love her and she knows that. She knew from the get go it wasn’t more than it was.”, he explained. “And who did you want?”, Rose asked. Merrick smiled a little and brought his hands up under her shirt and around her back pressing her forward into him as he kissed her firmly letting his tongue run across her lips before pulling back. “You.”, he said simply. Rose rubbed her lips together wondering if that was enough of an answer. It wasn’t him saying he loved her, wasn’t him asking her to be his, it was just him saying he wanted her. But for right now she’d take it and nodded a little. “So Q&A over?”, he asked. Rose nodded. “Yeah… I don’t have anything more to ask.”, she agreed kissing him her hands moving up his shirt. It didn’t take either of them long to get the other undressed and once again they had sex at that maple tree just this time on the ground at it’s base as opposed to against it. As they laid there in the grass in their post bliss, Rose cuddled close to him Merrick sighed and kissed the top of her head. “If someone could trap me...it’s you..”, he whispered softly. Rose blinked wondering if she had heard him right or if he had thought she was coherent enough to have heard him.
She remained silent and just laid there for a little while till she felt drops of rain falling through the leaves of the maple tree. They both jolted up with a laugh. “Better get dressed quickly.”, Merrick chuckled as they scrambled to get their clothes on and into the car. Rose was still pulling her shirt on as she got into the front seat. “Well that was refreshing. Guess mother nature figured we needed a cold shower.”, Merrick laughed. “Apparently….”, Rose laughed brushing rain off her arms smiling. “Ready to head back to the Haven then? Faelan is already in bed by now. But he’ll be up again soon.”, Merrick asked looking at the clock on his dash. “Yeah. Let’s head back. Get some dry clothes on, maybe take a shower something tells me we both have grass stains on our backs and knees.”, Rose teased. Merrick smirked. “Sounds like a plan little wolf.”, he said heading back out the way they came making sure to lock the gate not caring about the rain at this point. He was just in too good a mood for rain to ruin. Rose hadn’t run from him and Faelan as fast as her feet could carry her. And he had a month of her staying at the Haven, of being in their lives to look forward to. After this month he’d know for sure. He’d know if she was really the one for them. Before Faelan he wouldn’t have thought to second guess. But Faelan was the most important person in his world, heck his son was his world now. He needed to know for sure that Faelan and Rose had as strong a connection as he and Rose do. They quietly got up to his bedroom, both peeking in on Faelan smiling seeing his sleeping wolf form before taking their shower and getting into pajamas to get some sleep before Faelan would wake for bottles or change of diaper.While Merrick was at work either at Wal-Mart or at the shop Rose had Faelan with her. Mostly she just hung out with him at the Haven. But during that first couple weeks she stayed local and took him back to her parents. However this morning she had an idea of where she wanted to go visiting with Faelan. She knew Merrick didn’t have to work so she just needed to get him on board with her plan. So in the morning before Faelan woke up Rose kissed Merrick’s nose till he finally woke up. “What do you want little wolf. I was dreaming and it was a really good dream.”, he yawned. “Oh what were you dreaming about?”, she questioned with a smirk. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the dim before smiling looking at her. “Never mind wasn’t dreaming you are still in my bed.”, he smirked giving her a kiss. “Morning beautiful. So why are you waking me up before the pup does?”, he asked. “Well I know you have today off and I wanted to convince you of something.”, she explained. Merrick sighed. “And you figured asking me while I’m groggy is the best way?”, he questioned with raised brow. “Yes.”, she said simply. He laughed a little bringing his arms tighter around her rolling her to her back pinning her down. “What do you want this early in the morning, Rose? Because I know what I want this early in the morning.”, he smirked nudging a knee between her legs.
Rose rolled her eyes her legs parting for him. “I want to go see my friends in Manhattan.”, she explained. Merrick shrugged starting to kiss and nibble at her neck. “And you need my permission? You aren’t exactly a hostage here.”, he teased his hands starting to wander over her body as they were both still naked from having sex during the night after getting Faelan to settle for the night. She moaned a little biting her bottom lip trying to keep her mind on track. “Stop trying to distract me with pleasures of the flesh.”, she scolded with a laugh. “Stop being so damn attractive and maybe I wouldn’t have the urge to touch you all over. So what about Manhattan has to do with me? And don’t point out my triplet and best friend live there.”, Merrick said biting down on her shoulder before he started moving down under the blankets. She winced slightly when his teeth sank into her shoulder but of course her healing easily closed the bit mark as his mouth started to move lower on her body. “Alright heel for a minute.”, Rose said. Merrick sighed and rested his chin on her sternum just above the valley between her breasts and looked up at her. “Thank you. Now I am bringing it up because I want you and Faelan to come with me. We could take him to central park and the zoo.”, she offered. Merrick sighed. “And today is the fifteenth sooo you kind of aren’t allowed to tell me no.”, Rose stated. Merrick smirked and went back to kissing her chest down to the valley between her breasts. “I’m aware that today is your twentieth birthday. Why do you think I’m kissing lower…”, he replied.
Rose rolled her eyes. “I’m serious.”, she said. “So am I. I figured you’d spend today with them, you’ve spent every birthday with your friends.”, he said starting to nibble at her right breast. Rose moaned into a soft growl. “And you’re my friend so for once I’d like to have you there too.”, she said trying to maintain some amount of cognitive thought. “Fine...we’ll go. Now do I get to finish what I’m doing?”, he asked. Rose smiled and nodded. “By all means. And thank you. I do appreciate that you are willing to go into the city.”, Rose said. “Mhmm…”, he said a hand traveling lower between her legs. “You realize you are going to owe me for this trip into the city..”, he advised letting a couple digits slip. “Yes…”, she gasped into a moan. “I know. And I’ll pay my debt tonight.”, she answered. Merrick smirked before he continued with his plan of giving her birthday sex. Which of course they weren’t fortunate enough that Faelan stayed asleep through all of their enjoyment and perhaps it was a little mean to let him cry for a few minutes but the option of not finishing was just not something Merrick was okay with. He shook his head as he got out of the bed and threw on his pajama pants. “Guess I should be glad he didn’t wake up early on in that. I’ll give the pup credit for not being a total cockblocker.”, Merrick chuckled. Rose sighed. “Yeah not a total cockblocker.”, she laughed relaxing on the king size bed. “You can get up whenever you want I’m going to get him downstairs and fed. Then guess need to pack his diaper bag and stroller if you plan for us to go into the city.”, Merrick sighed leaning over giving her a kiss. “Happy Birthday by the way.”, he added walking out of the bedroom to get Faelan.
When Rose did venture downstairs she found that Aislinn had made her her favorite breakfast items as a birthday surprise. “Thank you Aislinn.”, Rose said getting birthday hugs from Aislinn and the others. “Need to hurry and eat though. We are going into the city to spend the day with the gang at the Manhattan house.”, Rose said sitting down glancing to Merrick. “We?”, Christian asked. “Yup Merrick and Faelan are coming with me.”, Rose stated starting to eat. There was a general shocked silence as the eyes of the table looked to Merrick who was feeding Faelan a bottle. “What? It’s her birthday. I’m going to give Faelan a bath and get a shower before getting all his stuff packed for this endeavor.”, Merrick said getting up from the table with Faelan. Rose smiled and watched him walk away with Faelan before noticing she was being looked at. “What?”, she questioned eating. “Nothing...well just wondering how you managed that. His sister and Malcolm have been trying to get him to go out there for years even before Faelan was born. You ask and he says yes.”, Kim said. Rose shrugged. “It’s my birthday so hard to argue with what I want for my birthday. Besides I told him I’d owe him if he agreed.”, Rose shrugged finishing her plate. “I better go shower and get ready too. Thanks again for breakfast Aislinn it was delicious as always.”, she said clearing her plate and getting out of the kitchen before any more questions could be asked. Kim shook her head. “I swear if one of them doesn’t say how they feel before this month is over I’m going to smack them.”, Kim sighed.
Merrick triple checked the diaper bag had everything needed for Faelan before getting Faealn into the car seat. “We’ll be back later.”, Merrick called grabbing Faelan’s stroller and diaper bag while Rose carried the carseat with Faelan. It was a quick drive to the train station then getting Faelan ‘s car seat onto his stroller as they waited for the train. Merrick continuing to look at Faelan cautiously. “You seem nervous. What’s wrong?”, Rose asked as they sat and waited for the train. “I don’t generally go out let alone in large populated areas with him. He can’t control his powers.”, Merrick sighed. Rose looked into the car seat where Faelan sat playing with a rattle in human form. “Well you can’t hide him forever. So we just be careful. It’ll be alright.”, she assured reaching over and taking his hand giving it a squeeze. “I hope so. Then I also worry about myself. I don’t like cities. Too many people, too many sounds, and too many smells. And then people have no idea what a buffer is and well first person to get too close to him even to say he’s cute I might bite.”, Merrick admitted. Rose chuckled shaking her head. “You’ll be fine and so will he. So just relax. Here’s our train.”, she said standing up. Merrick grumbled standing up and getting on the train with her and the Faelan. The ride into Manhattan was a long one and it took some entertainment to keep Faelan from going ocelot and start fussing but the entertainment had to be specific to a baby so he wouldn’t change to wolf wanting to play either.
Once they got off the train Faelan’s brown eyes were going every which way he he could hear and smell all sorts of things. Merrick was having a similar sensory overload issue but was better train to control it. Merrick instead focusing only one two scents Faelan’s and Rose’s. Merrick pushed the stroller down the city streets with Rose’s arm looped with his. They did get stopped by a couple people who peeked into the carriage and complimented Faelan. One older woman said they were a very handsome family. Finally they reached the Manhattan house. Rose took the car seat out of the stroller to carry Faelan up the stairs while Merrick folded up the stroller walking up the steps behind her. Rose rang the bell and waited. Inside the house they had been expecting her. Blaire and Tristan had stopped by Tristan wanted a chance to see Rose while he was in the area in between rodeos. Landon got to the door first and smiled seeing Rose and then blinked seeing the car seat and Merrick behind her his mouth falling open before turning up into a smile. “Hey someone make sure they are in position to catch Lily.”, Landon called into the house stepping out of the way. “Come on in. Happy Birthday Rose.”, he said giving her a kiss on the cheek and a hug as she walked in with Faelan.
“Thanks Landon. Happy belated birthday to you too.”, Rose said setting the car seat down and crouching down taking Faelan out. Merrick stepped inside behind her, he glanced to his cousin but his eyes found their way to the view of her bending over picking up his son which he smirked a little. Landon laughed a little and patted Merrick on the arms a little. “Happy belated birthday Merrick. Welcome to the house.”, Landon greeted. Merrick rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Thanks. Happy belated birthday too.”, Merrick said. Lily walked out of the kitchen having heard her name. “So why is someone supposed to catc…”, she stopped mid word seeing Rose standing there with Faelan in her arms and Merrick behind her. “What..how…”, Lily stammered. The rest of the party came out to see what was going on. “Awww it’s Faelan….”, Rachel gushed walking over. “Happy birthday cousin. But you are no longer the focus of this party.”, Rachel greeted her cousin before looking at Faelan. “Hey little guy. God you are even cuter than the last time I was at the Haven and saw you. Can I hold him?”, Rachel asked looking to Merrick. Rose shrugged and went to let Rachel hold him. Merrick coughed and Rose stopped. “Seriously? Come on Merrick. Rachel isn’t going to break him. And not like she’d be the first Howlett I’ve let hold him.”, Rose said before handing him to Rachel.
“What does that mean?”, Merrick asked. Rose smiled a little walking further in and starting to hug and greet her friends. “Tristan! Oh my god I didn’t expect to see you.”, she greeted giving him a tight hug. “I know that’s why I’m here. I’m in between rodeos and was up at Harvard with Blaire then Rachel said you’d be coming into Manhattan for your birthday so we drove and stayed at Holly’s then took the train last night to stay here. I see you showed up with your arm candy. Did I mention that he’s hot? You dating him now or what?”, Tristan asked smiling. Rose sighed rolling her eyes. “Um do I get an answer to what you mean? Who else has held my kid when I’ve let you have him alone?”, Merrick questioned he went to take Faelan back but Lily snatched up her nephew from Rachel hugging him. “Yay Rose has liberated my nephew from my overprotective brother! Hey there cuteness.”, Lily greeted her nephew. Rose sighed and looked at Merrick. “It means that my mom and dad have held him when I’ve taken him over to visit them. I mean come on he runs around the house in wolf with mom. Dad’s even fed him and changed him.”, Rose said. Merrick groaned shaking his head. “I tell you that only mom, Aislinn, Solangel, dad and I have held him. I let you hold him and now it’s a free for all of sensory overload on my poor son.”, Merrick sighed. Rose smiled and walked over to him with a pretend pout. “You’ll get over it. Add it to my tab of things I owe you for.”, Rose smirked leaning up and kissing his nose. Merrick narrowed his eyes but the look of annoyance wasn’t well conveyed by his nose wrinkling and twitching from the kiss.
“Okay so not only is he fucking hot he’s damn adorable.”, Tristan chuckled leaning against a wall with a beer in his hand bringing an arm around Blaire. “Language, mind it or my fist breaks your face.”, Merrick warned pointing at Tristan. Tristan nodded. “Apologies wasn’t thinking. Sorry Faelan. Uncle Tristan will watch his mouth or at least get Auntie Blaire to watch it for him.”, Tristan said with a smile. Blaire giggled a little but did lightly elbow Tristan. Merrick grumbled. “Here…”, Malcolm said handing Merrick a beer. “Relax.”, Malcolm encouraged. Landon patted his shoulder. “It’ll be alright cuz. Hey Tommy help me move the coffee table and some of the breakables out of the living room so Faelan can have some space.”, Landon said. Tommy nodded and the two moved the coffee table out while Cora Lee and Ashley grabbed the breakable stuff and got it out of reach of little hands and paws. With everything else cleared out Lily took the diaper bag away from her brother and dug out a blanket laying it on the floor before setting her nephew down on it. Everyone piled into the living room. Merrick sat on the floor in the doorway to ensure Faelan wasn’t going to escape. He watched with extreme caution as Lily, Rachel, Cora Lee, Ashley and Blaire all sat on the floor with his son. Faelan having turned to wolf and was running between the five girls who had toys and were giving him attention. Rose frowned a little noticing Merrick being very cautious papa wolf ready to attack. “You are going to need to relax.”, she said sitting down on his lap and leaning back against him taking the beer from his hand and taking a couple sips. “That was mine…”, Merrick said rolling his eyes but smiling a little. “You can share. If you are afraid of my germs suddenly after all these years you’ve got problems.”, she teased.
Not everyone was being distracted by the adorable wolf puppy on the living room floor. Landon and Malcolm took notice of Rose sitting on Merrick, drinking his beer and more importantly the sentence she just stated. “Did she say years?”, Malcolm whispered to Landon. “That would be what I heard too.”, Landon whispered back. Merrick shook his head hearing the whispers. “You two morons know we both have a heightened sense of hearing.”, Merrick sighed. Malcolm chuckled. “Oh we’re aware. Haven’t forgotten your power sets.”, Landon smiled. “We were just quietly discussing what Rose said is all.”, Malcolm added.Tristan got up from the floor where he’d been sitting behind Blaire to hear what was going on. “What I said? I told Merrick he can share his beer because if after all these years he’s suddenly afraid of my germs he’s got problems.”, Rose said raising an eyebrow taking another sip of Merrick’s beer. “Right and that’s what we heard. The word we honed in on in that sentence was ‘years’.”, Landon explained. Merrick shrugged taking his beer back and taking a long sip. “You can field that one little wolf, he’s your best friend not mine.”, Merrick said excusing himself from answering. Rose laughed. “Oh well he’s your cousin not mine. And your best friend seems to be taking interest in the topic too.”, she countered taking the beer back. Merrick glanced over. “One out of three that seem curious is my friend. Plus you are the one that said years so you explain it.”, he retorted. “So? You can answer them I had to answer to my parents.”, she said. Merrick laughed. “Ugh, fine. Yes she said years because we’ve been sleeping together for years.”, Merrick shrugged. The room went silent except for the sounds of Faelan as everyone in the room was looking at them.
“What?”, Merrick questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Sleeping together for years?”, Lily repeated. “Define years…”, Cora Lee asked looking at them. “Four….yeah she’s twenty so four.”, Merrick answered. There was a general stunned silence in the room. “Alright guys it’s not that big of a deal. Blaire and Tristan have been sleeping together that long too.”, Rose defended. “Yeah but we’ve also been exclusive for the last two years.”, Blaire stated. “Is it wrong my only question in all this is if he’s that good in bed to have had the little black book I was told about?”, Tristan asked.Merrick started laughing shaking his head. “And that one is all yours to answer Rose. Faelan come here so daddy doesn’t have to pay attention to any of this.”, Merrick called giving a whistle to his son. Faelan came bounding over. Merrick set his beer down and picked up his son paying attention to him. Rose laughed a little shaking her head taking Merrick’s beer from him before he picked up Faelan. “Um I doubt anyone else in the room wants to hear that answer. So I’ll leave that unanswered.”, she said finishing off Merrick’s beer and glancing to the clock. “Think he’ll turn human soon? Wanted to take him to central park and the zoo still before we had to catch the train back to Bayville.”, Rose said looking to Merrick. Merrick shrugged and checked the clock. “Maybe. I’m sure he’s going to get hungry soon and need a diaper so he’ll shift back for that. Why don’t you fix his bottle and see if that will entice him into shifting.”, Merrick suggested.
“Good idea..”, she said getting off his lap and grabbing the diaper back and getting a bottle of water and adding the formula shaking it which got Faelan’s attention. Causing him to rush out of his father's arms to get to Rose before changing to human. “Well looks like food does the trick.”, Lily commented. “Ooo can I feed him please?”, Rachel asked. Rose shrugged and handed her the bottle. Rachel smiled and picked up Faelan and sat down on the couch next to Landon feeding him his bottle. Landon watched this scenario as it played out and couldn’t help but smile seeing Rachel with a baby. They were still a few years away from getting married as they wanted to wait till after they had both graduated from university to get married. Then it might be a while after that before kids since their plans entailed traveling the world. Merrick arched an eyebrow looking at his cousin watching Rachel he knew the look. It was the same look he probably had every time Rose held Faelan. The whole seeing someone you wouldn’t mind having a kid with holding a baby. “Alright let’s get his stuff together before his presence gives unnecessary baby fever.”, Merrick said getting up off the floor and starting to get Faelan’s things back into the diaper bag. Rachel laughed a little as she burped Faelan before giving him to Rose. “And you aren’t worried spending so much time around him is going to have that effect on my cousin?”, Rachel asked. “Nope.”, Merrick said simply. Rose rolled her eyes as she changed Faelan’s diaper before getting him into his car seat.
“Alright well it was nice to see everyone. Tristan your ass needs to call me more damn it. I know you know how to use a phone because you live on it with Blaire.”, Rose teased giving Tristan a hug before hugging everyone else. “Bye guys.”, she said picking up the car seat. “It was… yeah. Bye.”, Merrick said getting the stroller and heading out setting it up on the sidewalk for Rose to put Faelan in. “Bye have fun on your ‘family’ day.”, Landon teased closing the door. Rose rolled her eyes but looped her arm with Merrick’s again as they walked away with Faelan in the stroller. “So was it really all that bad?”, Rose asked they walked. “Yes. You realize you have opened a pandora’s box by letting people hold him, especially without asking me.”, Merrick commented glancing to her as they walked. “I didn’t see the harm in letting people hold him. The kid loves people and these are people I trust and besides three of those people are related to you and another three are going to be related to you some day by marriage. And when it comes to my parents, my mom is just a big momma wolf so holding a baby isn’t something new and my dad is ancient he’s held babies before. What do you mean a pandora’s box?”, Rose countered. “I mean now everyone is going to think it’s okay to just hold him. And because you started this by letting people him hold him without me asking it’s just going to make people ask more questions I don’t have answers to about what we are.”, he explained. “I see. I didn’t really think about it like that. So what are we? I mean I thought we were friends with benefits. Something change that I didn’t get told about?”, she asked with a smile.
Merrick shook his head. He looked at her as they walked into central park. Now would be a good time to just tell her. They were alone, not counting Faelan. They were kind of out just as a ‘family’. They’d been ‘playing house’ as his mom kept calling it for two weeks. He knew how good she was with Faelan, he trusted her without so much as a doubt with him. He already knew he cared about her before this and now he could think of only one word that described how he felt. But could he bring himself to say it, she was going to leave again and it’d be a whole year before he saw her again. Could he admit he loved her and fully let her into his and Faelan’s lives when she’d be gone most of the year from them? He sighed inwardly a little as he realized he still needed to think about this, because he had to think about what was going to be best for Faelan. “No, nothing has changed. But people like to read into things.”, Merrick answered. Rose shrugged a little. “Well people are going to think whatever they want. So I say don’t worry about it.”, she said. She’s hoped something had changed for him. Maybe she should just come out and say how she felt, but then she reminded herself what happened last time. Not to mention that now with Faelan this was different getting involved with Merrick was getting involved in Faelan’s life. She wasn’t sure if she could love them the way they needed with living an ocean away. So she stayed quiet on it and just enjoyed being with them.