A/n: This is part of a multipart series for my Everclear set, you may want to read those first if you already haven't, all can be found at my page.

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Emily watched Merlin get up slowly before sighing and move even slower to the backyard. She walked over to JJ and wrapped her arms around her.

"He's not moving very well." Emily said and JJ nodded. "Maybe we should think about…"

"He's still moving!" JJ snapped.

"Yes but he might be suffering."

"Emily, he's alive right now."

"How about we start giving him baby aspirin, help with the pain?"

"Ok. That's a good idea."

JJ went to the cabinet and pulled out the bottle of aspirin, giving a pill to Merlin. A few hours later Merlin beat Nico to the door to meet Jaden, the first time in years. Izzy laughed at Merlin's energy as he jumped on Jaden when he tried getting through the door. Jaden smiled and let Merlin chase him around the yard.

At dinner Emily and Izzy kept sneaking Merlin scarps. JJ caught them but turned a blind eye feeling that Emily was right and Merlin was standing on his last leg. After their dinner as they were cleaning up JJ gave him an apple, he trotted happily into the living room laying down to gnaw on it. She walked over to watch him and over heard Izzy on the phone.

"I can't not feel bad, but I just can't go tonight." Izzy said tears falling down her face. "I'm really scared to lose him Tara. He's always been there, been this amazing life force in my life." JJ leaned against the wall listening to her daughter, tears of her own falling down her face. So Izzy called Tara and had canceled their date, Tara agreed, but showed up about an hour later with a handful of movies, candy, pop corn and other miscellaneous food items.

"Hey Em." Tara gave a half smile as she walked in.

"Hey Tara, their in the living room, here give me that." She said taking the food, JJ walked up and smiled at her.

"Hey Tara, I see you improvised." JJ said taking the movies, looking down at them she realized they were all Disney and dog related, chuckling she led Tara into the living room. Emily opened the food up and started a pop corn bag. When Izzy saw Tara walk in behind her mother she got up and hugged her, new tears falling. Tara held her tightly rubbing circles on her back.

"It'll be ok Iz, he'll never truly leave you, he'll always watch over you." Tara whispered kissing the top of her head. By then Merlin had gotten up and was sitting right by them pawing at them trying to get their attention, to figure out why his girl was crying.

"Hey big guy." Izzy said with a watery smile on her face, she lent down and kissed his nose. "I love you so much buddy."

"So which movie should we watch?" Emily asked setting everything down on the coffee table.

After much discussion they voted and picking Lady and the Tramp to watch. Tara curled up next to Izzy, while Emily did the same with JJ, Jaden laid on the ground between Merlin and Nico. They watched three movies before heading to bed. Emily reluctantly agreed to let Tara stay the night. She also had no choice in letting Merlin sleep in the bed with JJ and herself. JJ slept with her arms around Merlin.

Around five in the morning Emily woke up, seeing the two dogs she woke JJ, Nico was curled around Merlin as best he could, licking the top of his head whining. Emily pulled Nico up and outside. JJ laid down next to Merlin running her hands through his fur.

"Hey buddy," JJ whispered resting her head on Merlin's shoulder. "I don't know how to thank you for all these years, you've been such a huge part of my life. You were there for every moment of my relationship with Emily, for loss of a child, then Jaden. You protected my family so many times, I don't want to lose you." JJ said tears falling down her cheeks soaking the dogs fur, Merlin lifted his head and rested it on JJ's thigh. "It's ok Merlin, close your eyes, go back to sleep." JJ said through tears. Emily watched from the door as Merlin and JJ closed their eyes. When JJ had opened her eyes again Merlin had stopped breathing. Emily moved over to JJ and pulled her into to her, when she calmed down Emily went and woke Izzy up.

"Hey Iz…"

"Mom, what time is it?"

"Early… Isabel…" Emily looked up at her. Tara had woken up and was looking at Emily too.

"He's gone isn't he?" Izzy asked and Emily nodded, Izzy nodded and Tara wrapped her arms around her. "Is mom ok?"

"She'll be ok… do you want to see him? Emily asked and Izzy nodded standing up, she went to her parents' room and went to Merlin, petting his head, she leaned down and kissed him softly.

"You be good up there, you hear? Watch over us." Izzy said and walked back to Tara and right into her arms, she cried softly as Tara rubbed circles on her back. Emily walked by carrying Jaden, she laid him down next to Merlin and he kissed the top of his head.

"I'll miss you buddy." Jaden said and Emily carried him back to his room. Izzy left with Tara following behind before turning around quickly, no one was in the room with Merlin. She walked up to him sitting on the bed by him.

"Hey you, I've only known you a little while now but I love you so much. You took such great care of all of them for so long, I promise I'll take care of Isabel don't you worry about her, ok? Just rest, relax, have fun, we'll see you soon." She whispered and kissed the back of his head. Standing up she went back to Izzy's room, taking Izzy in her arm's they went back to bed as they heard Emily started to get JJ calmed again.

As Emily entered the room JJ was on the phone talking softly, she hung up and looked at Emily.

"That was the vet, he's gonna send out the two interns to get Merlin, he also said he was very sorry." Emily nodded and wrapped her arms around JJ, letting her rest against her. Three hours later, everyone was gathered downstairs helping with breakfast and talking about Merlin.

"All I remember from that night was Merlin got so frustrated that he kept slamming into the door, his whole body, I was amazed." Izzy laughed as she told them about Merlin trying to get to Jaden after a sitter shut the door.

"I remember when we first moved out here, and we had left him outside thinking he wouldn't go anywhere, he was good like that. Then we heard car breaks squealing and a guy yelling, there's Merlin running full force after a bunny." JJ said chuckling.

"I remember meeting him the first time, he was just a tiny thing. He was barely the size of a cat, but man did he love you. He was following you everywhere, and you kept sneaking him into work." Emily laughed.

"What about your mother bugging us all the time to come visit."

"Oh she was annoying, but it was cute."

"She did call saying she'd be here soon."

"Remember when we picked Nico out?" Izzy asked smiling. "We took Merlin with us and Nico kept biting his tail, then he stood between Merlin's front feet."

"Nico picked us, not the other way around." Emily said and Izzy nodded.

"What about when he scared that big dog away from us?" Jaden added and JJ smiled.

"He was our protector wasn't he?"

"Yeah he was." Tara scoffed, "He nearly got me the first day we met."

"Aw no he didn't, I stopped him." Izzy smiled and kissed Tara.

"He was a great dog." Emily sighed and everyone nodded.

"He wasn't just great, he was cool. He commanded respect, and yet he was so obedient to us." Izzy said.

"He was the best friend anyone could ask for." JJ said and everyone nodded.

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a/n: Don't kill me, I could've made him live forever… but he was getting way up there on normal dog standards, and he's a breed then almost never gets that old, believe me it was extremely hard to write.