Chapter one

"I hate you Dad, you make my life miserable on pupose!" Sophia yelled and slammed the door behind her,"What happened to the days when i was Mi-Mi" Merlin said rolling his eyes

"Oy Mi-Mi, what you done this time?" He heard with a slight chuckle from behind him, he turned round to see Arthur stood in the doorway. "I haven't done anything!" Merlin snapped, Arthur rolled his eyes and drank some more of his tea. "I was joking Merlin, don't get on the defensive" Arthur said to Merlin and yawned "What was wrong with her?" "Usual Saturday Morning things, Her room wasn't tidied like she promised, she hates us cause she never sees us, I wouldn't give her some money to go shopping with because of the fact her room wasn't clean" Merlin rambled and Arthur raised his hand "Okay, i kind of get it ... I don't know what's going on with her attitude at the moment, other than her turning 14 and well and truly being a teenager"

Merlin and Arthur had been together for about 20 years by now, they met in Camelot when they were 17 and 18, they got together soon after, Arthur was studying Law at that point, but only in his first year at Camelot university. 6 years together they adopted Sophia, she was only a few weeks old, they loved her more than they could ever explain, she was growing up Sophia had always called Arthur 'Daddy' and Merlin 'Mi-Mi' as a simple way of differentiating. Only 6 months ago on Sophia's 14th birthday they had to tell her the bad news that they were moving to Northern England, That day had been one big explosion in the Emrys-Pendragon house, Sophia had so many friends in Camelot and sat in the living room refusing to move, go to school or eat until they promised they wouldn't move. In the end Arthur and Merlin had to pack everything for her as she refused and almost had to drag her to the North.

Arthur and Merlin both had the day off which was quite easy to do, Arthur was a lawyer quite high in the firm and Merlin was Arthur's PA, if he had a day off he basically told Merlin he had it off too. It made booking holidays a lot easier for them were looking through the piles of post they had gotten during the week and put on the side not being bothered or having time to read, under alll the post there was a leaflet:

Lothian High school's year 9's

... Present ...

Rocky Horror

28th October from 7pm

in the main hall.

We hope to see you there.

Tickets available from the Head of Year, Mr Edwards.

"Merl, Since when were they allowed to do Rocky Horror in school?" Arthur said after reading the leaflet "I beg your pardon?" Merlin said taking the leaflet off him "They will of had to have a permission slip to do that surely, if she forged my signature again i will quite literally kill her"

"Please don't say you would kill my little angel" Arthur said looking at Merlin with a look only he and Merlin knew "Angel? Seriously ... she used to be an Angel, she has turned to the dark side" Merlin laughed "I think i will let you have a word with her when she comes back about this, she already hates me today" Arthur looked at Merlin and saw the defeated fed up look on his face, Arthur put a hand on Merlin's arm "She does love you, you know that don't you Merl" Arthur said trying to reassure him of the truth "Doesn't feel like it sometimes, you get Daddy i love you, all the time and i get Dad i hate you ... most of the time" Merlin snapped kicking the coffee table "Don't be getting worked up" Arthur smiled at him then picked up some more mail, it was almost like he remembered something as he added a few moments later "besides my father is coming to see us today don't forget, don't let him see you getting defeated, he always did think it would be too much for us raising a child" Arthur sighed knowing how much Merlin hated visits from Uther, who loved to pull apart their whole life, them being together, their choice to raise a child, even though Uther did love Sophia like a real grandchild, and all their other life choices, moving to the north, he especially didn't like that they chose to live in such a small house, he didn't understand the need when Arthur had so much money anyway.

They finished sorting their mail and then spent half their morning lazing on the sofa, Arthur sat one side, Merlin the other, watching bad TV. Arthur must of been drifting off to sleep cause the next thing he knew happened was the front door slam shut which made him jump. "I'm home Daddies" Sophia shouted "She sounds in a good mood" Arthur yawned sitting up just as Sophia walked in the living room "Hey Daddy, Hey Mi-Mi, i love you both" Sophia said smiling and hugging them both

"What do you want?" Arthur laughed "Nothing, just Grandad Uther is coming and i know how much Grandad Uther coming upsets you both" Sophia explained "It doesn't ... what makes you think it upsets us?" Merlin asked looking over at Arthur "Well, you both act all weird while he is here, then when he is gone you spend about a week afterwards reminding one another that you love each other, whereas if Grandma Hunith comes, i get money and shopping trips" Sophia said and grinned

Arthur rubbed a hand over his face paying perticular attention to how tired his eyes were

"Arthur go to bed, you had a shattering week at work, Me and Sophia will sort for your father coming this afternoon, Won't we Sophia" Merlin said it pretty much being no question for Arthur.

"Yer, we will" Sophia answered

Arthur woke up 2 hours later to the smell of bacon from downstairs, he would of gone to investigate but his body wouldn't let him move, their was no arguing or shouting so he stayed where he was.

Downstairs Merlin and Sophia were making Dinner for them all ... "Brown sauce or Ketchup for Daddy?" Sophia asked "Brown sauce" Merlin answered not turning round from keeping an eye on the bacon Sophia picked up the brown sauce and turned it upside down and more brown sauce fell out of the bottle than intended, she mimed 'shit' ... She looked behind her and saw her Dad watching the bacon, she picked up bottle and took the lid off completley got the knife and scraped some of the brown sauce back into the bottle, putting the lid back on just as Merlin turned round.

"Done" Merlin said and put some bacon in each sandwich, they put them onto plates and went upstairs quietly, and into Merlin and Arthur's room. Arthur turned his head to see Merlin and Sophia walk in and sit down on the bed. "We brought you a sandwich Daddy" Sophia said "Aww thanks you two" Arthur said his voice suddenly very croaky sitting up "Well, what's going on with my voice?"

"Don't tell me you are coming down with that cold i had" Merlin suddenly panicked "That's all we need this weekend" "It's fine, it's only a cold, that's something he can't blame you for"

"He will try though" Merlin laughed.

They ate their sandwich and Sophia told them about some new dances she had learnt which is when Arthur remembered about Rocky Horror "Sophia, Did we get a permission slip for you doing Rocky Horror?" Arthur asked "Er Yer! like 2 weeks into autumn term, you didn't look, you just signed it, i did try and explain but you said yer sure sophia we'll sign it, didn't even look and just signed" Sophia defended "You know we are going to give you the benefit of the doubt"

"Ok, but you did sign it, honestly, it's when you were getting all wound up from a case so you weren't even fussed about me, either of you" Sophia said sounding almost hurt

Merlin and Arthur were sat in their room watching TV with Sophia when they heard the doorbell.

Merlin looked at Arthur sudden look of panic on his face "The house is a tip, we never cleaned up"

"Merlin, calm, Sophia, go let your Grandad in and distract him somehow" Arthur said, Sophia jumped up and ran downstairs, Arthur and Merlin got up and ran into the living room throwing things into cupboards as quickly as they could. "Grandad!" Sophia squealed hugging him, her way of trying to distract him, Uther didn't take hugs well, even off Sophia "Hello Sophia" Uther said barely hugging her for a second before pulling away from it "Where is your father?" "Daddy? He is ... in the living room" Sophia answered, just as Arthur walked out of the living room with Merlin "Father" Arthur said walking over "How are you?" "I'm good thank you, you have a sore throat? Has he not been making you wrap up when you go out?" Uther demanded to know glaring at Merlin.

From that moment Merlin knew it was going to be a long weekend, he felt really angry all of a sudden so clenched his fists. Uther looked at Arthur and noticed he has lost weight since he left Camelot "And he hasn't been feeding you properly either clearly,I hope he looks after Sophia better" Uther added, Merlin rolled his eyes and walked into the living room "Father, I caught the cold off Merlin and i haven't lost weight, i have lost muscle cause i have been working so much that I haven't been to the gym" Uther raised an eyebrow and Arthur just sighed and rubbed his eyes ...

"Sophia, take your grandad up to show him his room" Sophia took Uther to show him where he was staying and Arthur went into the living room to see Merlin sat on the chair face in his hands, elbows on his knees. Arthur walked over and sat on the arm of the chair, he wraped his arm round Merlin's back and kissed his head "Merlin ..." Arthur started "What's his problem?" Merlin snapped lifting his head to reveal tears leaving his eyes "I try, i have always tried, but yet he just doesn't, i don't understand what makes him hate me" "Hey, don't snap at me, i am on your side remember!" Arthur protested raising his voice slightly but not loud enough for them to hear upstairs "Arthur, I ... I'm sorry ... look i'm going to go to the supermarket and take Sophia, Do we actually need anything?"
"Eggs, Milk, Bread ... Spend as much time as you want there though if it will calm you" Arthur said standing up, He walked over to the banister and shouted up "Sophia, you're going to the supermarket with your Dad" Sophia ran down the stairs "I am so out of here, Daddy Mi-Mi come on!" Sophia shouted