Remember When - Ace Merrill (BOOK 3)

Where's Leander?

Oceane wanted to leave. She hated this feeling of being practically trapped in a hospital room.

Not to mention the same men who broke into the room were refusing the leave from outside her room.

A knock came out at the door as it slowly opened. One of them slowly walked in.

"Oceane there's someone here for you." He mumbled.

Oceane nodded slowly, figuring her name had to be Oceane because other than that she had only heard them call her Stell or Artois.

"Oceane?"

She looked up as she saw a girl enter. The door was shut behind her as she stared up at this girl confused.

"It's me, Connie."

"Connie..." Oceane mumbled as the name sounded like it had come from a dream.

Connie nodded as she slowly sat down on the bed beside Oceane.

"You don't remember me do you?" Connie asked quietly.

Oceane shook her head slowly. Her hand went up to her freshly bandaged head.

"How about a story?" Connie asked her quietly. "You loved stories."

Oceane nodded slowly as she leant back.

"Okay so once upon a time there was a guy named Leander." Connie started. "He was a real arsehole, worst of the worst. Didn't care what he did or who he upset or hurt."

"Anyway one day he found a girl on the side of the road, she was called Hero but she didn't know it. She'd had an accident and forgotten. Leander decided to help her and he taught her everything she'd forgotten."

"He brought her fresh clothes, helped her eat and told her story after story. Then one day Hero's father returned, after being so worried he was finally reunited with his daughter."

"Hero knew she had fallen in love with Leander just as he had fallen in love with her. He chose to work for her father so he could be near her. In the end her father allowed them to be together. They had to defeat the villain Jordan first though."

Oceane sat up straighter as she listened, somewhat eagerly to the story.

"They had a little boy first when Leander finally asked Hero to marry him, they came back to the town where they met to get married but Hero's best friend had unknowingly started dating their next foe."

Oceane gasped slightly as Connie smiled and continued.

"But that guy was no match for them. See Hero and Leander had the best team of protectors with them."

Oceane relaxed slightly.

"Though there was plenty of arguments the big team all came together and defeated Jason."

"How?"

"One of Hero's big brothers Salvatore. He was genuinely the most terrifying man you'll ever meet but he turned up at the right time and saved the day. Along with Austin of course."

"Austin..." Oceane mumbled.

Connie nodded. "Austin, Salvatore and Hero..." she whispered, hoping the names would click in Oceane.

"Then what happened?" Oceane asked curiously.

"Hero and Leander finally got married and had two more children. Another boy and then a little girl."

Oceane gave her a small smile.

"They were the cutest set of kids you'd ever met, though they did like causing trouble as they got older. Then one day Hero's best friend got engaged."

Oceane smiled bigger. "To a nice guy this time?"

Connie shrugged and laughed. "When he wanted to be."

"So they all went back to the town so they could get married."

"Like Hero and Leander?"

Connie nodded as her smile disappeared. "Except this time, it didn't go well at all."

Oceane's smile disappeared. "What happened?"

Connie hesitated but spoke again. "Hero got in another accident and forgot everything again. Leander got in trouble when he lost his temper and the kids disappeared."

Oceane gasped as she placed her hands over her mouth.

"Then what happened?!" She exclaimed quickly, desperate to know the end.

Connie shrugged.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Oceane almost snapped. "What happened next?"

Connie sighed and shook her head. "We have no idea..." she mumbled.

Oceane stared at her confused. "Wait is this story real?"

Connie nodded slowly as she reached into her back pocket and pulled a photo out.

"This is Hero and Leander..." she started as she handed it over. "With Austin, Salvatore and Hero..."

Oceane took it and looked down. "But that's-" she stopped herself as she pointed down at herself in the photo.

Looking up at Connie as she nodded. "That's you."

"But I-" Oceane stopped as she looked back down at the photo. "I don't have kids?"

Connie nodded. "You have three. Austin John Merrill." She pointed at Austin.

"Salvatore Richard Merrill." She pointed at Salvatore.

"And Hero Talia Merrill." She pointed at Hero.

"You're the Merrills." She finished.

Oceane looked up at her slowly. "You're my best friend?" She asked quietly.

Connie nodded slowly as she held up her finger, showing Oceane the ring.

"Just got engaged." She mumbled. "Weddings In just under a month..."

"And those guys outside?" Oceane asked.

"The guys willing to lay their lives down for you and those kids Oceane..." Connie mumbled.

Oceane looked up at the door. Quickly putting the photo down she climbed off the bed and ran to the door.

Connie followed her as she opened it and walked out. Holding her hands up to the guys to stop them from moving they all watched Oceane cautiously.

She looked around at each of them as her eyes stuck on Austin.

She took a few steps closer as she looked up at him.

"Oceane..." he mumbled quietly.

Oceane shook her head slowly as she spun to face Connie.

"That's Austin." Connie whispered gently as Oceane turned back to him.

Her eyes scanned his face as he seemed so familiar to her.

Yet she looked away first as her eyes locked with Salvatore's. Again, she slowly walked over to him as he stared down at her concerned.

Quickly turned to Connie, who leant forward. "Salvatore."

Oceane turned back to Salvatore as she stared up at him. Just as Austin before, he seemed so familiar yet so strange.

Turning back to the others she looked around.

"Where's Leander?" She asked quietly.

Connie stepped forward. "That's where we're a bit stuck..." she mumbled as she took Oceane's hands.

"Only you can get him, we've all tried but as his wife and being your dad's daughter you can kinda-"

"My dad?" Oceane asked quietly.

Connie nodded. "People used to think no-one said no to Leander... now no-one says no to you..."

"Can we go get him then?" Oceane asked quietly. Part of her desperate to see him again and hopefully remember.

Connie had made him so important in the story and it sounded like they'd gone through too much already.