Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Leo, Merlin, Baby Arthur, Morgana, Mordred, Baby Gwen, Tom, OC (Marie- Gwen's Mum)
Word count: 2579
Summary: Merlin enlists the help of the Charmed Ones to protect Baby Arthur.
*Written for Fic Battle (Mini Challenge 6) on ag_fics
Prompt from a_g_doren: *Charmed/Merlin AU: Piper, Phoebe and Prue have protect to child Arthur and Excalibur from Morgana or Mordred, bonus points if you fit in child Gwen and Merlin. (No Paige please).
Charmed Beginnings
Piper and Phoebe stood waiting impatiently in their jammies for the coffee maker to start as Leo orbed in.
"Where is Prue?" Leo said as he looked around.
"She got in late. She had a photo shoot." Piper said as she hugged her husband.
"Could you wake her up the Elders need you." Leo looked at Phoebe.
"Before coffee?" Phoebe whined.
"It's important or I wouldn't ask." Leo said.
"Ask what?" Prue sleepily asks as she heads for the coffee that has just started to drip through in her jammies.
"They are all here." Leo called out.
A swirl of wind came and went leaving a tall dark haired man in a leather jacket and a red neckerchief. The man looked at the three barely dressed women and blushed. "Excuse me for intruding, but I need the help of the 'Charmed Ones'."
"Who are you?" Prue looked at the man with suspicion as she cradled the coffee mug in her hands.
"I'm Merlin." The strangely dressed man said.
"No you're not. Merlin is an old man not some hot guy with blue eyes." Phoebe looked at him and smiled.
"I assure you I'm not feverish. I'm not old yet but if you prefer I can be." Merlin offered.
"No! I think you are fine the way you are." Phoebe gave him a lusty look of appreciation that made Merlin blush even more.
Prue shot Phoebe a look to shut her down and turned to Merlin. "Why do you need the 'Charmed Ones'?"
"To save Arthur of course! Let me explain. Morgana and Mordred have traveled back in time to kill Arthur on the day of his birth. I need your help to stop them." Merlin told them.
"Morgana? Do you mean Morgan le Fay?" Piper asked.
"That's what we call her in this time." Leo explained.
Merlin nodded. "I see. So you are aware of Camelot and King Arthur?"
"Yes. We know the legend. Arthur dies in battle killed by his bastard son Mordred who was conceived when he had sex with his sister, Morgan le Fay. He married a princess named Guinevere that ran off with his best friend Lancelot which led to the downfall of Camelot." Prue summarized quickly.
Merlin sighed. "I see the legend has become a bit twisted."
"If that's not what really happened, then what is the truth?" Piper asked. She poured Merlin a cup of coffee and handed it to him.
"Thank you" Merlin breathed in the fragrant brew. "Mordred is an orphan that was raised by the Druids and Arthur never had sex with Morgana. They have always been at odds with each other just like brother and sister even before Arthur found out she was his sister. Gwen is sweet and kind and she would never betray Arthur willingly. They have fought against everything to be together." Merlin took a sip from the mug and looked surprised. "This is very good. What is it?"
"Coffee." Prue told him. "You called her 'Gwen'?"
"Yes. She was the first friend I made in Camelot. We served together until Arthur married her." Merlin took another sip of the luscious brew.
"Served?" Prue asked.
"We were servants in the Royal household, first for King Uther then for Arthur. I am still Arthur's manservant in my time." Merlin finished the coffee and sat the mug on the table.
The girls looked at each other not sure what to think at his revelation.
"You're one of the most powerful witches of all time and you are a servant? Do you expect us to believe that?" Prue asked.
"It's the truth." Merlin said. "Oh and did I mention magick of any kind has been banned since Arthur's birth. The penalty for being caught using magick is death."
"We can understand that. We have to hide our powers too." Piper said. "They haven't burned witches in years but we don't want to be the first to revive that practice."
Prue turned around and headed out of the kitchen. "Attic now! You too, Merlin."
Merlin followed them in to the attic. It reminded him of Gaius' chambers. He looked around as the sisters whispered together over a large book.
"Do you believe him?" Prue looked at her sisters.
"I believe him." Phoebe said. "It's just a feeling I have but I think he's legit."
"Leo, what do the elders say?" Piper asked her husband.
"They say he is the real Merlin and he needs your help." Leo said. "Without Arthur the concepts of valor, chivalry and equality will never take hold. We would still be in a class system."
"Then we help him." Prue said.
"If he is that cute I wonder what Arthur looks like." Phoebe said as she looked at Merlin's ass.
"He looks married." Piper said. "We need to get dressed."
"Merlin, we will help you but we need to get dressed first." Prue called out.
Merlin cleared his throat. "Allow me." With a sweep of his hand the three sisters were dressed as three peasants.
"Really?" Phoebe looked at him. The dress covered her nearly completely.
"You don't want to stand out and call attention to yourself that would be an indication that you possess magick. You would be in the dungeon before we even get started." Merlin said. "Women in my time are very modest."
Phoebe sighed. "Fine."
"How are we going to get there?" Prue asked.
"The same way I came here, with magick. Allow me." Merlin turned towards one of the bare walls and mumbled a spell that opened a portal. He waited as they stepped through then stepped through himself.
Merlin looked around at the younger forest that he knew as the Darkling Woods.
"Are you lost?" Prue asked.
"No, just getting my bearings. Ah, there is the path." Merlin motioned for them to follow him,
They approached the back wall of the castle. There was a small door nearly hidden there. Merlin opened it and walked in to the dark corridor. A short distance down there was a commotion on a narrow staircase. Serving girls were bringing up buckets of water and clean linen.
"The Queen will give birth soon. Piper, I need you to follow them and be in the room when she gives birth. Take Arthur from the room as soon as you can. Phoebe you go with her. Prue and I will take a look around." Merlin said.
"Why can't you go in the room?" Phoebe asked.
"Men aren't allowed to be present whilst a woman gives birth. That's why I need you to go." Merlin explained.
Phoebe nodded. "What do we do after he is born?"
"Meet us at the end of this corridor when you have Arthur. We need to protect him until we can get him to safety then we need to find Morgana and Mordred."
"We're going to vanquish them?" Prue asked.
"No. we take them back to my time and Arthur will deal with them." Merlin told her.
"How do we do that?" Piper asked.
Merlin shrugged. "We knock them out."
The sisters looked at each other and nodded. Piper and Phoebe followed the other servants to the Queen.
Ygraine suffered greatly during childbirth but Arthur was born alive. The Queen only had enough time to kiss her son before she died from blood loss and exhaustion.
Piper took the infant from the queen's arms and cleaned him up. King Uther entered the room and looked at the boy and left.
The crying women prepared the Queen for burial. No one noticed Piper as she left with the infant in a laundry basket filled with towels. A clean towel covered Arthur as she took him out of the room. She passed a dark haired woman and a young man as she left the room.
Phoebe slipped out behind Piper carrying a basket of bloody sheets. She turned and looked at the two people more closely. She had a vision of them fighting with Merlin using magick. She quickly hurried to catch up with Piper who was nearing the meeting place.
Piper and Phoebe arrived at the meeting place. Merlin and Prue appeared moments later.
"I saw them enter the Queen's room just as we were leaving." Phoebe said.
"Are you sure it was them?" Prue asked.
"I had a vision of Merlin fighting them with magick as they passed me." Phoebe said.
Merlin scowled. "That means they both know I have magick."
"What do you mean?" Piper asked.
"Mordred knew but I was hoping that Morgana was still in the dark." Merlin lifted the towel and looked at the now sleeping infant. He took the baby out of the basket and held him close. "We need to get him somewhere safe. I know just the place. Let's go."
Piper and Phoebe left the baskets and followed Prue and Merlin. Merlin carried the baby close to him as they made their way into the lower town. Merlin had no problem finding the blacksmith's cottage. He knocked on the door and a woman answered.
"Yes. Can I help you?" The woman with dark curls and big brown eyes asked,
"You are Tom's wife?" Merlin asked but he could see she resembled Gwen a great deal.
"Yes I'm Marie and who are you?" Marie gave him and the sisters a suspicious look.
"I am a servant at the castle. I have come bringing the newborn Prince. He is in danger and I need your help to protect him. May we come in?" Merlin said.
"Yes of course. I heard the bells. I was wondering what had happened." Marie opened the door for them.
"The Queen is dead. There are sorcerers looking for the Prince. They want to kill him." Merlin explained.
"Why bring him to me?" Marie asked.
Merlin looked over at the cradle by the hearth. "Because of your daughter. I knew you would have a safe place for him here." Merlin went over and laid Arthur next to Gwen in the cradle. "Will you watch over him until I return?"
"Yes of course." Marie agreed.
"Thank you." Merlin said. "We will return shortly. We need to find them now."
The sisters nodded and followed Merlin out into the town. It didn't take long to find Morgana and Mordred because they were looking for Merlin.
"There you are, you meddlesome toad." Morgana called out to him. She formed a fire ball in her hand and looked at his companions with curiosity. "Who are they?"
"The Charmed Ones." Prue said as she took a stance beside Merlin. Piper took up position on the other side. Phoebe stood behind Merlin.
Mordred came from behind Morgana to stand beside her.
The townspeople ran for cover when they saw a fight about to start.
"Where is Arthur?" Morgana asked.
"Morgana, you know that I will protect him with my last breath." Merlin said.
"Your loyalty is misplaced. It should be with your own kind not with Uther's spawn. You know what will happen now that Arthur's mother is dead." Morgana said.
"The Great Purge." Merlin nodded. "We can't change history Morgana. Killing Arthur will only enrage Uther more."
"Killing Arthur will give me my birthright. Killing you, well, that's just for pleasure." Morgana said as she threw the fire ball at Merlin's chest.
Merlin deflected it and it hit the stone wall of the cottage beside them. "I don't want to kill you Morgana, but I will."
Merlin sent a shock wave toward Morgana and she fell back hitting her head knocking her unconscious.
Mordred saw Morgana fall and he sent a fire ball in Prue's direction and she sent it back on him knocking him to the ground. He scrambled up and sent another this time in Piper's direction. Piper froze it then exploded it. Piper exploded the brazier next to Mordred knocking him out.
Merlin walked over and mumbled a spell that caused chains to appear around them. The chains sparked with magick. Merlin opened a portal with a spell and flung the two evil sorcerers through with a wave of his hand.
"I need to take Arthur back to the castle then we can leave this time and get you back to your own time." Merlin said as he headed for the blacksmith's cottage.
"Merlin, what is the Great Purge?" Phoebe asked.
"Uther used magick to conceive an heir with the Queen. For every life given there must be a death. That is the way of the Old Religion. The Queen's death is the price for Arthur's life. Uther will hunt down and kill all who use magick whether they use it for good or evil. Innocent men women and children will be killed as well. This is what leads to the ban on magick in my time." Merlin explained as they walked.
The sisters looked at each other as they followed Merlin. This wasn't in any legend they remembered.
Merlin knocked on the door of the blacksmith's cottage and Marie let them in.
"We need to get him back to the castle. Thank you for watching over him." Merlin said.
"He was an angel. He and my Guinevere seem to have bonded." Marie smiled.
Tom walked through the door with a sword in his hand. "What's all this? I didn't know we were having company."
"That sword, may I see it?" Merlin asked.
Tom handed the sword to Merlin. "It's the best I have ever made. It should bring a good price."
Merlin looked closely and realized that this was the sword that was to become Excalibur. "It is special. Maybe you should save it and present it to the Prince when he comes of age since it was made on the day of his birth."
"That sounds like a lovely idea, don't you think Tom?" Marie said.
"I'll save it but if he turns out to be a prat then we are going to sell it." Tom said.
"Fair enough." Merlin said smiling. He went to the cradle and picked up a sleeping Arthur. "Thank you for everything. I need to get him to Gaius now."
"I am happy to help but I don't even know your name." Marie said.
"Emrys, my name is Emrys." Merlin said as he turned to go out the door. The sisters waved goodbye and followed him.
Merlin held Arthur close as they entered the castle. They came to Gaius' chambers and heard Uther and Gaius talking about the baby being missing.
"Piper, I need you to freeze them so I can put him down without them seeing me." Merlin said.
"Sure." Piper opened the door a crack and froze the room. Merlin went inside and laid Arthur on the cot in the corner and they all left to return to the woods.
"Thank you for your help now I will return you to your time." Merlin mumbled the spell to make the portal that would take them back to their time. The sisters hugged Merlin as they went to walk through,
Phoebe was last. She gave Merlin an extra hard squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, Merlin. Promise me."
"I promise." Merlin hugged her back then watched as she walked through the portal. The portal closed behind her.
He took one last look around and sighed. He spoke the spell to return him to his own time and disappeared.
He was back in time to serve breakfast to the King and Queen.