Quiet Hearts

Please read the authors note at the end for timeline changes.

Grace falls down on quiet hearts
Just when you think you might fall apart

~Amy Stroup

Eddie Miller nervously drummed his fingers on the kitchen counter. He never expected to be returning to Canada for his best friend's brothers funeral. The texts he had gotten from Drew. They came fast, and before Eddie had blinked it seemed he had bought a plane ticket, and was on his way home. It hadn't actually hit him yet. That Adam was gone.

Eddie had basically grown up with Drew and Adam. And now? Adam was dead. A car crash. He had been texting and driving.

He had practically been Drew's best friend since birth. He had been there when Drew's mom walked out when Drew was five. Well his family fell apart when he was seven, Drew's dad was getting remarried. He had had a hard time being excited for his best friend getting a new mom and step sister well his dad had just left him. But he sucked it up and went to the wedding with his mom. He could sense the questioning looks on his moms friends faces. But it was a subject no one dared to talk about at the wedding.

They were thirteen, when Adam decided, well to be Adam. It would be a lie to say it wasn't weird. In fact it made everyone uncomfortable. Drew lost all his friends because of it. All but one that is. Eddie Miller and Drew Torres continued to be the dynamic duo of jocks and trouble makers. They didn't let Adam's status change how they acted. If people wanted to be nasty about it. Well they could be nasty right back.

It had taken Eddie and Drew nearly two years before either of them had a real acceptance of Adam's decision. And it would be a lie to say there weren't times they wished Adam was still Gracie.

"Ready to go Eddie," Ms. Miller asked stepping into the kitchen they were about to leave for the funeral.

"As ready as I can be," he murmured.

"I know you and Adam had been close, but he's in a better place now," his mom tried to reassure him.

Eddie had a hard time believing that since he had gone off to England. He had felt with a soul devoured and had watched he'll swallow a man whole. It was hard to think that there was the possibility of a happy afterlife. So instead of saying anything he got up out of the chair he was sitting on and headed to his moms car.

The drive to the church felt like it took years. What would one even say to their oldest friend who lost a brother? What do you say to parents who lost a son? The other thing Eddie was not fond of was the fact this was the first funeral he was attending. The fact the first funeral he was ever attending was for a eighteen year old. No one deserved to die that young.

Soon enough his mom's car was pulling into the church parking lot. And suddenly Eddie was wishing he hadn't caught a red eye back to Canada. Maybe it would be easier to mourn a friend from a continent away.

Eddie didn't want to walk into the church but that didn't stop his feet from walking. He was greeted at the door by Becky, Dallas, and Bianca.

"It's so good to see you," Becky said before giving Eddie a quick hug. Eddie flashed a sad smile at her before turning his attention to Dallas. The boys exchanged a simple hand shake before making a bit of small talk.

"What daddy wouldn't let Patricia off for a weekend? She was Adams friend too," Bianca teased before pulling Eddie into a hug. Patricia and Bianca had become fast friends when Patricia had visited Eddie that past summer. Eddie gave a small smile because if he knew the two at all they likely would've tried to find some sort of liquid to pour on the preacher for speaking as if they knew Adam.

"Dad didn't even want to let me go home for a weekend," Eddie muttered. It wasn't that his dad didn't understand. It was just allowing a student to take off for four days towards the end of a school year was kind of a no. Eddie won out in the end thankfully.

Now it was time to face the Torreses. This made Eddie nervous. He still wasn't sure what to say or how he should act or what. So as he entered the main part of the church to greet them he felt frozen. He had grown up with Drew and Adam. And their parents were like second parents to him.

Eddie didn't say anything when they were finally face to face. Instead he hugged Mrs. Torres and gave Mr. Torres a firm handshake. It was now time to face Drew. He couldn't find the words to talk to his best friend. All he could do was hug him.

**O**

Eddie watched as so many of his old friends and new friends laughed and talked about Adam. He made the decision to step away. Just for a few minutes. This call couldn't wait. She'd probably be angry that he woke her up. He just really needed to talk to her. It was only nine here in Toronto but it was two in Liverpool.

"What do you want slimeball. Normal people are trying to sleep," she hissed the second she answered her phone.

"I've just been doing some thinking and-"

"Krueger this sounds like a break up speech. And there's no way in hell I'm letting you dump me in the middle of the night," she hissed rolling out of bed and stepping out into the hall.

"No this isn't a break up call," he muttered.

"Then out with it. I want to go back to bed."

"You remember Adam and you know why I'm back here."

"Yeah," she said quietly. Eddie seemed upset and it wasn't the upset he was when he had gotten the phone call.

"It's just well Adam died trying to let Becky know he loved her. He couldn't wait. He died so she could know. And I can't keep not having you know how I really feel."

"Eddie."

"I just I need to tell you. Patricia Williamson I love you."

There was a pause. He needed to tell her but now that it was said. Now that it was out there. What if she didn't feel the same way. He heard her intake a breath on the other end of the line.

"I love you too."

Dedicated to the lovely Sara.

As for the timeline changes, Adam died over the summer in Degrassi, in this he dies sometime in the spring. Towards the end of the school year but not summer. Therefore Touchstone of Ra hasn't happened and will not have happened for several weeks in this.