"Though no man, no matter how great, can know his destiny, some lives have been foretold, Merlin. Arthur is not just a king. He is the once and future king. Take heart, for when Albion's need is greatest...Arthur will rise again. It has been a privilege to have known you, young warlock. The story we have been a part of will live long in the minds of men."

RISE AGAIN

One.

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Fifteen hundred years after the death of Arthur Pendragon

.

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Merlin had lived a thousand different lives and throughout his time on earth. He'd seen war after war, travelled the world a hundred times over and trained in profession and profession. He learned more than he ever could have imagined, his head filling and expanding with more skill and knowledge than possible for any other human being.

But he never felt wholly like himself since the reign and fall of Camelot.

Sometimes it felt like it was so long ago he thought it must all be a dream – an elaborate story he'd concocted as a child and fooled himself into believing. Maybe he was in some padded cell somewhere living inside in head. But the constant thrum of magic in his veins was his reality. He was all that remained of the old religion. Waiting for Arthur to rise again when the world needed him most and reignite the spark in the rest of the world.

Merlin sighed as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling.

After spending a human life in America living as Dr Mark Lin – sometimes he chose names like his own and sometimes he chose something entirely new – he had 'died' at the supposed age of seventy-one. He'd trained and went to college before settling down and spending a lifetime working at a little hospital in a small town in the state of Washington. It was a nice life. He'd lived alone but he made a lot of lovely friends that attended his small funeral service and wept for him.

That was how Merlin often lived. He'd settle down somewhere and let his aging spell take course and live a life somewhere where he could engage with other people until he aged out and had to move on.

Sometimes he went years without settling somewhere, preferring his own company where he didn't have to live and tell lies and he would travel or learn a new trade he hadn't before but most times he would settle and age somewhere, forming bonds and friendships trying to forget about the weight of his destiny.

It had been over a hundred years since he had returned to Britain and something inside of him said that it was time to return home. Return to Albion.

He'd felt it in the pit of his stomach.

Something inside him said this was it.

He tried not to hope that this was it. Because he'd had that feeling before.

The last time had been during the second world war. Merlin tended not to work in positions of power or authority having long since decided not to engage in the wars of humanity – it wasn't his time or place to without Arthur – but he had intervened a handful of times over the years. Hitler had been at the height of his power and Merlin was working in the high ranks of the government to help stop the war because he had this feeling in his stomach that this was it. Not only was Britain at war but the world, tearing itself apart, surely this was a sign that it was time for Arthur to rise again.

Nevertheless, that feeling faded as quickly as it had appeared, the war was over and the world somewhat peaceful again.

Merlin owned a stretch of secure property near what he once knew as the lake of Avalon. Even in the years he had left this place he had paid for it to be maintained for his eventual return.

He had only been back for a few weeks but he felt at home again surrounded by the things from his old life and close to where he was once whole.

Merlin cast his eyes from the ceiling to the window in his bedroom. The sun was shining bright high in the sky despite the storm clouds brewing. The rain was hammering down and he could hear the thundering and lightning in the distance.

It was a day to stay inside then, Merlin surmised.

He sighed and pried himself from the warmth of his large double bed.

Merlin had to admit, for all he missed about his past and Camelot, he greatly enjoyed the modern comforts of life now.

He made his way to the bathroom, used the toilet, and began brushing his teeth staring at his perpetually young face in the mirror without the use of his aging spell. He washed his face when he was finished and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He grabbed the jug of milk and before he could guzzle it like he wanted to his head whipped to the side, his magical hearing at work, and he heard a loud clap of thunder followed by a crash.

Someone was about to crash nearby!

Something inside him stirred, the milk fell from his hand crashing to the floor, and scrambled to the door forcing his feet into trainers and took off running. He felt this ache inside him that said someone needed his help and he couldn't ignore it.

He was right.

He sprinted down the road that was alongside the lake his legs moving at inhumanly fast pace but he was too late. A lamppost had fallen across the middle of the road and the car approaching was too fast and noticed it too late screeching to a stop and turning to stop the collision and instead headed right for the water.

Merlin arrived just as the car plummeted water his eyes wide. He irises burned a magical gold and the scene before him began to slow – reminiscent of the first time he had met Gaius and he stopped him from falling to his death – stopping the car from completely sinking and he raced for the water, diving in.

He swam beside the car as fast as possible.

There was a thankfully empty car-seat in the back and only a woman in the car behind the wheel. She was trapped unable to open the locked door, frantically pulling at the door handle and pushing the door with her shoulder trying to get herself out. Her forehead had a small cut from where he presumed she'd bumped her head on the steering wheel.

Once Merlin was at the window of the car he stopped his magic slowly the car and the woman screamed when she saw him.

"It's okay I'm hearing to help you, I saw you crash," Merlin rushed out.

The woman cried with relief, tearing streaming down her face, her blonde hair sticking to her face. "Please help us," she begged, her hand moving to her belly that was swollen and pregnant.

"Oh god!" Merlin gasped.

"Please get me out of here!" she cried out again.

Merlin breathed. She couldn't see him use magic she would freak out and panic, possibly endangering her baby more than it already was. "Okay, close your eyes and lean away from the door, I'm going to try and pry it open but I don't want to get hit with the glass if it smashes," he rushed out.

The pregnant woman nodded furiously before clenching her eyes closed and leaning as far from the door as he could.

Merlin grabbed the door handle and used to magic to open it with ease. The woman gasped in happiness but now that the door was opened the water began flooding in faster. Merlin slowed it as much as he could with his magic so that she would not notice.

Her seatbelt was already unbuckled so she helped her out of the seat and the made it back to land quickly. She felt onto the wet grass at the side of the road she hands protectively caressing her stomach. "Are you feeling okay, are you hurt?" Merlin asked, surveying her body for injury.

She nodded but her face contorted in pain as she held her stomach taking in sharp deep breaths. "Contractions," she bit out.

"That's why you were driving so fast," Merlin realised.

"I was trying to make it home or to the hospital," she sobbed.

Merlin thought about the best course of action. "My home is only a few minutes away; do you think we can make it? We can call for help,

She nodded and Merlin reached out to help her stand. She was shaky on her feet and she gripped his hand like a vice. "What's your name?" he asked, trying to distract her as they walked across the road. There wasn't another car in sight, and his magical hearing couldn't pick anything up for miles so he should be alright to leave the crashed over lamppost till later, more pressing concerns at hand.

"Lisa," she breathed.

"Alright, Lisa, nice to meet you," Merlin replied.

"Ahhh," Lisa cried out as a contraction hit, and she almost doubled over. They were very close together; this baby would be making an appearance sooner rather than later. "I don't think I can make it,"

Merlin paused for a moment and then he lifted Lisa into his arms. Lisa gasped in shock at the skinny man before her carrying her and the extra weight her pregnancy. "Oh!"

"I'm stronger than I look, it'll be faster this way!"

Merlin took off in a fast stride, almost running, and soon he was carrying Lisa through the front door of his home, where only himself had ever been before. He gently lay Lisa down on the rug in front of his couch and she leaned against it. "Alright, Lisa, I'm going to need to look, this baby is coming now," he explained crouched down in front of her.

She cried and shook her it. "This can't be happening, I don't even know you're name or who you are, what if you hurt the baby," she sobbed, all her uncertainties and questions coming out.

"You can call me Mer, and you don't have to worry, Lisa, I'm a doctor I've done this before," he explained.

Her eyes widened. "You're really a doctor?"

"Yes, I've delivered my fair share of babies, okay?"

"Mer," she tried out then she smiled through her tears. "There must be someone looking out for me out there for a doctor to find me,"

He lifted her and together they helped her out of the thick black leggings she was wearing. "Alright, you're going to have to lean back and pull your knees up okay," he said to her, after grabbing some pillows from the sofa for her to lean back against. He looked her over, assessing the situation.

She was sweating now, her fists clenching into the carpet. "Well?" She asked harshly.

"Everything seems in order, you're completely dilated, it's almost time to push, Lisa!"

"It's a boy, she said through clenched teeth.

Merlin ran to the kitchen to grab scissors to cut the cord and returned in a flash before Lisa could fret or be concerned. "Alright, Lisa, it's time!"

"Push!" he yelled.

Lisa pushed with everything she had. "Ahhhhhh!"

The baby started crowning. Merlin grinned. "Almost there, Lisa," he encouraged her, hands on her knees.

Lisa fell back onto the pillows. "God, this hurts more than they tell you," she chuckled through the pain.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle to. "First baby?" he asked and she nodded. "Again, Lisa push!"

She gripped the rug, fibres coming away in her nails with the force or her hold. She yelled and breathed hard, her chest almost touching her knees and she pulled herself up and pushed harder than before.

"I have his shoulders, Lisa, he's almost here keep going!"

"Oh god!" She shouted out. Merlin slid his hands around the baby boys head and shoulder as he made his way out of his mother's body. "That's it, Lisa, come on!"

With a final push the baby was in Merlin's arms with his first piercing cry and Lisa fell back against the pillows exhausted and panting, her hair sticking to her sweaty face. "Is he okay?" she gasped out, opening her falling eyelids.

Merlin clamped the cord and reached for the blanket on the back of his sofa to wrap the newborn baby boy into. He passed the wailing new-born in to his mother's arms with a happy smile. "He seems just fine," he said. Lisa carefully wrapped her arms around her son and began crying in earnest. Merlin stayed at her side, in awe of what he was seeing.

The little boy opened his eyes and as soon as he did, locking his with Merlin, he stopped crying and Merlin knew.

Arthur, he thought.

"Arthur," Lisa breathed, pressing a kiss atop the baby's head.

Merlin's eyes glistened and the tears fell.

.

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I loved Merlin way back when. I used to watch it with my mum and we were both absolutely heartbroken when it ended, especially with the way it did. I think it was beautiful and tragic and fitting and gave enough closure but it was also very annoying because it left so many things open and so much room for more.

Side note, the name Lisa literally just came to me when I was writing this and literally means nothing.

I have some plans for a few chapters, that I will post if people like and enjoy this.

Shannxx