Repeating History, Changing the Future
Summary: A girl with a crush on her professor turns out to be much more than she seems, and so does her professor.
AN: Hi, everybody. Here's a brand new story. It's a modern AU reincarnation fic. It is femArthur. Many characters included, and multiple pairings, slash and not. So, read, review and enjoy!
Chapter 1: Meeting Merlin
My name is Arianna Dale. Mostly people just call me Ari. My mother is a history professor at our local University, as well as a published writer, and my dad is an archeologist, though he doesn't go on location as much anymore, but he works for the university in dating historical artifacts.
My family is far from normal. I have two younger siblings, twin boys, Alexander and Edward. Our family really enjoys history. We each have our own…area of expertise. For my mother, you could call it an obsession, mostly with King Henry VIII. She is an expert in Tudor Era and Elizabethan history. She runs the most in depth courses in the country. But surprisingly, her published books are completely fictional and having nothing to do with her obsession, not really anyway. My father specializes in ancient Egyptian artifacts. My mother once said that he could pick up and object, study if for a few moments, and tell you more about it than anyone she knew. Ed and Alex aren't as interested in history as my parents and I, they are more into science and math.
I also have an Uncle Alex, my mom's younger brother, who is gay, and married to a man named Ron. My mother and her brother don't talk to their parents anymore, they had some sort of falling out before I was born, and I've never even met them. My mother has a few cousins and aunts and uncles she still speaks to, though. On my father's side, there's my grandparents, and my aunt Lillian.
Every year we go to England. My mother can't seem to visit London enough. The last few times we went, I managed to convince my parents to take me to Wales. Because my "area of expertise" is King Arthur. I have studied every legend, read every myth. I guess you could call it my obsession. My whole family are avid horseback riders, and my mom loves medieval weaponry and armor, but I'm the only one who actually studied swordfighting. I still go to competitions, and I haven't lost one yet.
I also have three best friends. Chloe has been my best friend since birth. She's sweet and a little bit too naive for her own good, but I love her nonetheless. She's the daughter of my mom's best friend, and I call her mom Auntie Sam, I have all my life. Liam is my second best friend. Chloe and I met him in grade 3. He's a little silly, and very gay. He's also a med student right now. And Gloria I met recently, when we were both freshmen at the university where my parents teach. She enjoys history as much as I do and we actually met when taking my mother's first year Tudor history class. I make a habit to try to take my parents classes and the university hates it but they can't actually stop me.
I was in my room, lounging on my bed, reading, when my brothers came barging into my room.
"Honestly, guys, in 17 years, you still haven't learned to knock?" I snapped, without looking up.
"Sorry, Ari." Ed muttered, definitely the more polite of the two.
"Oh well, anyway, we wanted to ask you a question." Alex gasped out, excitedly.
"And that question is?" I finally looked up at them, raising my eyebrows.
"You know that guy Merlin, in all your legends, is his last name Emrys, or is that just something else he's called?" Alex asked, hurriedly. I grinned. Merlin was my favorite part of the Arthurian Legends.
"Well, there has been some debate about that. The druids called him Emrys, his mother named him Merlin. It is likely people over the years simply put the names together. Why?" I replied.
"There's a guy downstairs who introduced himself as Merlin Emrys." Ed supplied.
"What?! You let a strange man into the house? While Dad is away? What has he told you about that!? Where's Mom?" I practically screeched at them.
"Mom's making him tea, actually. She said it was fine." Ed tried to explain.
"Of course she did! You know how she is! Some guy with a weird name comes along and she goes all fangirl." I yelled.
"Well, there was a bit of squealing…" Alex offered. I sighed and jumped off the bed, racing down the stairs. There he was, sitting on the couch. A man, no older than myself. Merlin Emrys, apparently.
"Mr. Emrys, is it?" I asked. Just then my mom came in from the kitchen, holding a tray with hot tea and some cookies.
"Ari darling, I see you've met our guest! His name is Merlin, imagine that! Isn't Merlin your favorite character from Arthurian Legends? Didn't you use to insist he was by far the best person to have ever existed?" My mother had a knack for saying embarrassing things. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom, and normally she's pretty damn awesome, but sometimes, she gets a little…weird.
"Mom, stop it." I hissed at her, as she walked past me and placed the tray on the coffee table.
"Arianna, it's a pleasure to meet you." The man stood up and extended his hand. "Merlin Emrys. I'm a new professor at the university. You mother and I are colleagues. Once I heard about your fascination with Arthurian Legend, I just had to meet you. It's my specialty as well. I will be teaching several classes this semester."
"Mom's quite the gossip." Ed said with a grin. I glared at him.
"And see, he isn't a stranger, he's Mom's colleague." Alex added, grinning mischievously at me. I glared at him, too.
"Don't blame your brothers, Ari, I was the one who told him about you and invited him over." My mother assured me. I sighed and sat down on the couch across from Merlin. Before I could open my mouth to say a word, our front door banged open.
"Hey Ari, our Moms' have got a movie date or something, and Mom said I should invite you and we can 'double bestie date' or something. You know how they are." Chloe announced as she waltzed into the living room. Her mother, Auntie Sam was close behind her.
"Jess, movie, now." She said to my Mom, who laughed.
"Sammy, my daughter has a guest." My mother replied.
"So?" Sam said, grinning, then continuing, "And look who we found, its ickle little Liamkins, and his new boytoy." I raised my eyebrows as Liam came in, as slowly as possible, hand in hand with another boy. The other boy looked incredibly nervous and I couldn't blame him. Chloe and her mom tended to do that to people. The poor boy. Then Auntie Sam frowned. "Well, we can give you a few minutes, I guess. Chloe, Liam, Boytoy, in the kitchen, now."
"Mrs. Whipps, please, my name is Adam." The boy clutching Liam's hand spoke up. Sam just laughed.
"Adam the boytoy, then, into the kitchen with the lot of ya. And its Ms. Whipps, or Sam. I may be a married woman, but the name Whipps is all mine." Sam said as she ushered them into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes.
I sighed and sat down on the couch across from Merlin. My mother smiled encouragingly at me.
"So, Mr. Emrys, which classes will you be teaching?" I asked, attempting to make a conversation. He smiled.
"Please, call me Merlin." He insisted, then continued, "I'll be teaching first year Introductory to Arthurian Legend, second year Intermediate Study in Arthurian Legend, and fourth year Advanced Analysis of Arthurian Legend." My eyes widened.
"I'm taking the Advanced Analysis this year! They didn't even offer it last year!" I exclaimed. Merlin grinned at me.
"I know. I wrote the curriculum myself. Perhaps you'd like to assist me with the class? Your mother tells me you are already quite familiar with the Legends." Merlin offered. My jaw dropped.
"Really, you want my help?" I gasped.
"Certainly, Arianna. I've heard from other professors as well—not just your mother—that you are the best there is when it comes to Arthurian Legends, and you aren't afraid to speak out and correct people's mistakes, even the teachers." Merlin explained. My brothers were sniggering quietly at my awed expression. I didn't even bother with them, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom place her hands on their shoulders. They looked up at her and she shook her head. They stopped laughing after that. This was something I loved about my Mom. A single nod of her head, a look, a simple word, and she could do wonders. Auntie Sam used to joke that my Mom was the 'Mother of all Mothers' and had been since they were younger than I am, apparently.
Before I could reply, Auntie Sam returned from the kitchen.
"Jessssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeee eeeeee," She whined at my mom. "Can we go now?" My mom rolled her eyes.
"Alright, fine, Sammy." She told her annoying best friend. She turned to Merlin, "You're welcome to stay here and chat with Ari, Merlin." Merlin shook his head, which disappointed me greatly.
"No, I'd best be going. I'll see you both at school. Arianna, your mother has my number and email if you want to talk to me sooner." He explained, standing up and making his way to the door. I watched him, go, disappointment clear on my face. He smiled at me one last time and my heart fluttered a bit. After he left, I went to the kitchen, where, Chloe, Liam and his boyfriend Adam were sitting around the kitchen island, chatting away. Mom and Auntie Sam had already left, after shouting to Alex and Ed to stay out of trouble. The twins followed me into the kitchen.
"Ari's in luuuurrrrvvve, with her professor!" Alex teased. I punched him on the arm.
"I am not!" I snapped at him.
"Ari and Merlin, sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I—" Alex sang, with Ed humming along with him.
"What are you, five? Honestly you two, just shut up." I sighed. Chloe put a hand on my shoulder.
"He's pretty hot, though." She said, as if this would comfort me. I threw my hands up in frustration and collapsed onto a kitchen stool.
"No, no, no. He's my professor! Nothing can happen. Ever." I muttered, burying my face in my hands. Because I knew they we're right. I did have a crush on my professor, the astonishing Merlin Emrys. I wondered if our family were fated to fall in love with people who had the same names as those historical characters we were obsessed with. My dad's name is Henry, like King Henry VIII, my mother's obsession. And now there was this Merlin. Who has the name Merlin anyway? I sighed heavily. Chloe stroked my back comfortingly.
"It's okay, Ari. I'm sure everything will work out just fine."
"I hope so, Chloe, I hope so."