Author's Notes: Hi! So to clarify, I do not own Merlin or Doctor Who, they own me. I'm writing this for no other reason than it's really fun! I hope you like it! Please review if you want me to continue with the story, or if you are randomly feeling like making my day. Anyway, have fun! For the 10th Doctor, this takes place after meeting Donna, and before meeting Martha. For Merlin... well, you'll have to see. Geronimo!

The sun was shining brightly, filtering through the dirt that hung in the air. Merlin blinked open his eyes and stared at the dusty beams. His room was small, the floor in need of a sweep, his bed a slab of wood, and his body ached from the target practice Arthur put him through the day before. Merlin could never be happier.

"Merlin!" a familiar voice called out, "I need you to clean my boots, yesterday if possible!"

Merlin rolled his eyes and got to his feet. Tying on his ever present handkerchief, he made his way to the front room. Yawning, the young man saw Arthur was eating Merlin's breakfast. "Gah!" the prince sputtered, "What is that?"

Merlin didn't bother responding, but instead gave a sardonic smile. "Your shoes, sire?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "I'm afraid time travel is beyond my abilities."

Arthur dropped the bowl on the table with a thunk. "As is everything else, Merlin. Here." The prince threw a pair of filthy shoes at Merlin.

Pretending to be annoyed, Merlin turned from the room to gather his things. Although at times Merlin wanted to rip the ignorant clotpole's head off in annoyance, he secretly enjoyed their banters.

Suddenly, Merlin was frozen in place. The air around him grew colder, and the light dimmed to a florescent blue. "No." Merlin whispered. "Please no! I don't want to do this again!" Merlin had had this dream a thousand, no, a million times, and it was always the same. He crouched down, holding his head.

"It's your fault, Merlin." Arthur said without emotion, "It's all your fault."

Merlin's feet felt like they'd grown roots into the wooden floor. He didn't want to turn, but a force pushed him around. Arthur's face was pale, his eyes bruised, and his lips blue. "I did everything I could!" Merlin cried, trying to scramble backwards, but when he looked at his feet, he saw to his horror that roots had grown into the floor, toppling him.

"YOU LET ME DIE!" Arthur roared. His face was dissolving, reverting in dust. After a few seconds, there was nothing left of the warlock's friend.

Merlin screamed as the scene melted into blackness. He had to wake up! He needed to wake up! He saw their faces, every one of his friends. Gwen appeared and her face wrinkled into that of an old lady, and finally into a corpse. He saw Gias bend over, clutching his heart and fall to the floor, and he saw his mother become an old woman. He watched as Camelot fell, and new cities took its place. Merlin stood frozen as everything he ever loved was washed away with time, until Merlin alone remained.

I woke up screaming… again.

My breath was coming in gasps, and tears ran down my face. Somewhere inside, I was aware of how messed up I must be, but hey, I had plenty of reasons to be a little crazy. Curling up in a ball, I wept into the tangled sheets of my bed in a hotel room. I'd rented it for one day, and tomorrow I wouldn't need it. I wouldn't need anything. I promised myself one more night, and if nothing changed, I was going to end this misery. Guess that was a bit ridiculous; I waited for an odd two-thousand years for something to happen, why would tonight be any different than all the rest? Hanging onto a stupid hope was the only way I was able to function, but why bother anymore? A prophesy said Arthur would return someday, well I was sick of waiting, stuck as a teenage boy for all eternity.

I remember when I first realized I wasn't aging. Coming home from Gias' funeral, I stared numbly at my forty-five year old self. I still looked fifteen, and I knew in that instant that I always would. With wet eyes, I ran my shaking hands through black hair and cast a spell. Now all of my friends would see me get older, but beneath the enchantment, I looked the same way I had thirty years ago. To my frustration, I couldn't get my reflection to revert, and a young man stared up stubbornly from within the glass. With a sudden shout of rage, I threw my hands toward the glass and without touching it, made the object fly into the wall, shattering the mirror into a million pieces. I was alive forever, painfully waiting, and it hurt; it hurt worse than anything I'd ever experienced.

I used to think that when I found Arthur, I wouldn't mind my curse, that's what it is to me, but at this point I'd given up ever seeing my friends arrogant face again.

Dawn was spreading her fingertips of rose through my curtained window, but my tired eyes didn't notice it, not the way I used too. Slowly getting out of bed, I moved aside the curtain and stared at the busy street below. Cars rushed by, and people ran along, living their precious lives. This was London in the twenty-first century, people always running, trying to keep up with the hectic pace of the city. What I would do to be like one of them. They didn't know how lucky they were.

Watching as the sun climbed up the skyline, I was struck momentarily by its beauty. People were right in saying no sunrise is the same; in all my years I'd never seen a repeat. Sighing, I climbed out the window and onto the railing of a rickety, metal fire escape, feeling the brisk wind as it blew through my black hoodie. Choosing a high floor was a good idea, I decided. I didn't want to accidently survive. Maybe old age couldn't kill me, but I reckoned gravity could. After all this time, I would meet up with Arthur again. I gave a failed attempt at a smile, not quite believing my last thread of hope, but it was all I had left.

Slowly, I stood up on the ledge. The wind buffeted my back, daring me. Could I really do this? I shook my head angrily, banishing the thought. I had nothing left to loose.

For the first time in a long time, I felt fear ripple through me. It was a relief to an old man who stopped feeling anything years ago.

Suddenly, I heard a sound beneath me. Was someone else on the fire escape? It was like heavy breathing, or the strains of a machine. I didn't look, not really caring. No young, ignorant person was going to talk me out of my decision.

Footsteps fell lightly upon the metal below. Someone was definitely behind me now. "There are many stories about what sort of person you are, but I wouldn't peg you as the giving up type, Merlin. What would Arthur think?" murmured a male voice.

I stiffened, nearly losing my balance. What? How? The man grasped my leg for a moment to steady me. "How-how do you know my name?" I asked. It had been at least three hundred years since I'd told anyone. After a while, personal relationships lost their charm, especially knowing I was going to outlive everyone I met.

The man chuckled sadly, "When you've been around as long as i have, you learn to recognize the most famous wizard in history, not to mention the physic link helps a bit."

I was silent, not sure what he meant. "What do you want with me?" my voice was as cold as ice, and the man tightened his grip on the cuff of my black jeans.

"First of all, step off of that ledge, it's very distracting. You might fall." Answered the man in a tone that was somewhere between ease and command. It was like he dealt with people like me every day. I could feel the man shift his weight, "Yes, well, I do, but not quite like you, Merlin." He replied impatiently.

I frowned. It was almost as if he knew what I was thinking…"Now, if you please, get down." Continued the man, "We have a lot to do if you want to see Arthur again."

That got my attention; did the man know where to find Arthur? If he did, then it was my obligation to go with him. But what if it was just a hoax, some trick to talk me out of my intentions? My mind raced in circles, thinking rapidly. How did the man know who I was, or Arthur for that matter? How did he find me? And what did he mean by physic link? Was he a wizard too?

Curiosity and confusion entangled me like puppet strings, emotions I'd long since stopped feeling, and I slowly climbed down the edge. If the man proved not worth my time, I could always climb up again.

"There you go," said the man, slapping me on the back, "Much better." He had a ridiculous grin on his face, like a child who discovered his older sibling's secret stash of candy. His brown hair swooped upwards, gravity-defiant. All in all, I thought him absolutely absurd.

The man frowned, "A bit harsh, you think? You have only just met me."

I blinked, unsure, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

I shrugged, not sure how to describe it. "It's like you know what I'm thinking."

The man ignored me for a moment, hoisting himself into my hotel room, and collapsing on the bed like he was perfectly at home. I followed in after him, suspicious. "Because of the several instances I've run into you, time disturbances created a small physic link, very unusual, but apparently possible. Had to amplify it using the TARDIS to find your location. I don't think there will be any large side effects, besides the obvious ones you've already observed. Sorry if you like pears, you probably hate them now." the most amazing part was that he said that all in one breath. The man glanced at me, hands behind his head, his red converses on the nightstand. "You can close your mouth now."

To my embarrassment I realized I was gaping at him. The mention of pears made my stomach turn. What? I'd always liked that particular fruit… What was wrong now? With a snap, I shut my jaw. "I've never seen you before." I replied gruffly. I had a relatively good memory and was certain.

The man shrugged like that wasn't a problem. "Not this face you haven't," he drew a circle around his head with a long pale finger before continuing. "And I usually don't have time to stop and chat."

I blinked. Different face? What was that supposed to mean? "Are you a wizard? I thought I-"

"-was the last one." Finished the man. I glared at him and he cringed, "Sorry, and no, I'm not a wizard, but you are apparently."

Frowning, I stared at the idiotic man steadily. I knew without hesitation he was telling the truth, which was odd since I wasn't using any magic to find out. Weird. Collapsing in a chair I bit my lip. "Just a mad man then?" I felt slightly disappointed. "What do you know about Arthur?"

The man smirked brightly, pricking my nerves, "Mad man with a box, that's what they call me."

There was something familiar about that name, but I couldn't quite place it. Still curious, and too tired to resist, I decided to play along with this obviously insane, and slightly annoying man for a moment longer. "Arthur?" I prompted.

"Oh yes!" it was said a bit louder than the suit clad man intended and I sighed. He leapt from the bed at an inhuman speed, and stood inches from me. I gave him a look that usually made people back away, but having to crane my neck to look him in the eye wasn't helping my image. "I can take you to him, well, closer than you are now." The man said, his face sincere.

Irritation sparked in my chest, "Just like that?" I snapped my fingers, "I've been searching for nearly two-thousand years, and you think you can find him in an instant?" Anger flared through me. Who did this man think he was?

The man glared at me, and his brown eyes met mine. To our mutual shock, the world stopped. It was strange; for a moment I knew exactly what he was feeling. My anger was reflected in him.

I'm not much younger than you, Merlin, when it comes to all of time. I heard the man's voice reverberate through my skull, but his lips didn't move. In an instant, I was aware that this man was not what he seemed. He was old, like me, and he was alone. Images of a thousand worlds, and a million people raced through my mind, too many for me to register, but my subconscious gathered them all up and quickly locked the images away, leaving me with just a few choice bits of information. This man had saved so many lives and watched so many die. I knew the man was getting a mutual dose of info about my life as a single word pounded through me. Doctor who? I thought, and instantly I knew the answer.

"Stop it!" I shouted, shoving the alien backwards. Flying dragons, he was an alien! The world tipped sideways and I slid to the floor. "You put all this space stuff in my head!'

The Doctor groaned, just as astonished as I was, "Gah, sorry. Did not expect that, believe me, I did not want a dose of Camelot. The link must be stronger than I thought. We're going to get horrid headaches."

Frowning, I struggled to focus my vision. "What number- are you?" I gasped between breaths, not quite sure why I was asking.

"Ten," The Doctor answered, equally as winded.

My vision settled after a moment. "No, no you're not." I muttered, but I couldn't quite remember why. I let the odd feeling slide and sat up slowly.

I stared at the Doctor in shock and annoyance. Everything about him made me feel irritated. Then I remembered, "You- you're-"

"Don't say it!" He shouted reaching forward. He still seemed to be a bit disoriented.

I clamped my hand over my mouth; can't say that name. The Doctor leaned back again in relief.

I could hardly believe my eyes, "You're the Doctor?! The alien Doctor!" I burst instead.

The Doctor ruffled his hair and sat up. "That sort of depends on your point of view. To me you're the alien."

"But he's is just a fairy tale!" I cried, more to myself than to him. Legends of a man and his blue box made their way to my ears centuries prior. After hanging around a few hundred years or so, one tended to catch people whispering. If I hadn't seen most of his life just now, I would never have believed it. "A story parents tell their children!"

"So are you." the Doctor replied dryly.

I opened my mouth to reply, but couldn't think of an adequate one. We were silent for a moment, each catching our breaths. The clock on the wall ticked for several seconds, punctuating the silence. The Doctor shook his head and stood up, his tan coat swirling around him. He frowned suddenly, seeming to recall something, "Who's Gwen?" he asked.

To my mortification, I felt my face redden. "No one." I mumbled, standing up and brushing myself off.

The Doctor snorted, "Yeah right." He swayed a bit and then regained his balance. Hopping out the window, he poked his head back in. "You're all, Gwen! Gwen! I have magic and I lo-"

"Hey! Shut up," I interrupted in impatience, pushing his head out the window with the palm of my hand. It was odd, having just met a man, and yet knowing so much about him. This was by far the longest conversation I'd had since the 1800's, and I was really regretting it by this time.

The Doctor didn't bother taking the stairs down the fire escape, but instead vaulted over the side and came to rest on top of a blue box on the level below us. He apparently was fully recovered. I hadn't noticed the box before, but now I recognized it instantly. Scrambling down the flight of stairs, I stood in awe next to the 1960s police box. The Doctor mumbled an apology for landing on top of her as he slid to the floor. The machine huffed and I continued to stare.

"That's the TARDIS." I breathed. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes. "Stupid space stuff." I muttered.

The Doctor glanced backwards, placing a key in the lock. He seemed slightly surprised, but then shrugged to himself, "Yes, that's right, travels through time and space, I suppose you know that now."

I frowned, "We need to fix this link problem."

The Doctor bit his lip, "With as strong as it is right now, if either of us gets hurt or dies, the other will as well." he had the door open now, and he welcomed me inside. "So you're probably right."

I snorted, between him, and me we were probably the least likely people to die in the universe, besides Jack Harkness. I remembered seeing him in one of the images. Groaning, I shook the image away.

"Just to be safe," The Doctor muttered over his shoulder, "And I doubt you want to hear my thoughts all the time, or me to hear yours." Finally, there was at least one thing I agreed with him about.

I could no longer see the tall man. The Doctor had disappeared into the shadowy doorway, and I hesitated outside. "You can take me to Arthur?" I asked.

"Of course!" the Doctor called from within the depths of his ridiculous looking spaceship. Nodding, I stepped through the doorway. The man annoyed me, but I could tolerate him if he took me to Arthur. Instantly the lights shined brightly and I saw past a perception filter that kept the door shrouded in darkness. How was this not magic? I knew what was waiting within the box, but the sight of all the bigness within such smallness made me gape anyway.

The Doctor smirked, "I've actually never heard her described that way." Glanced at him, I realized he was picking up on my thoughts again. I scowled.

"How come you hear my thoughts and I don't hear yours?" I asked, passing a coral pillar. The inside of the TARDIS looked absolutely nothing like the outside, I decided.

You're not listening. The Doctor said, his mouth still. He was pushing buttons, pulling levers, turning turnable thingies and popping poppers with his feet. I rolled my eyes and pushed his conscience away.

Walking along the edges of the large room, an image flashed across my eyes. I couldn't stop myself from pointing at the wall "What happened to the circle thingies?"

The Doctor paused, seeming to seriously think about the question, "Dunno, but I did rather like them…"

I shrugged, turning toward the center consul. Carefully, I reached forward.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" the Doctor shouted suddenly, as the machine lifted off, "That'll create a supernova!"

I froze. "Then why have it at all?"

"How should I know?" he answered, "It's a big red button, didn't anyone teach you? Never press big red buttons! They're just big and red, and no-touchy." He pulled me around to the other side of the console and pointed at another big red button, much to my infuriation. "Press that if you have to press something."
I frowned, glancing up at him, "You just said not to press big red buttons."

The Doctor let go of me to tap a switch before answering, "Yes, well, you can press that one. It makes soufflés."

Blinking, I scratched my head, "That button makes supernovas, this one bakes soufflés, and you made them look exactly the same." I was not seeing the wisdom in that.

The Doctor frowned, thinking, "It might be the other way around, maybe this one explodes and the other bakes… Technically, the TARDIS places the buttons where she wants. I only contribute. She knows everything about the future and past, someone will might be in dire need of soufflé button in the future."

I doubt it. I thought, but of course, the Doctor happened to hear that particular thought. He pushed me out of the way with a huff and continued working.

"So…" the Doctor said after a few moments, not acknowledging my silence comment. "A friend tipped me off. Arthur is living once more in the year 5324 on the planet in the Erecernet galaxy. It's one of the first human space colonies, and has been around for centuries before 5324. After humans abandoned earth, they populated the planet and named it Sileo, 'restart' in Latin." The Doctor paused for a second, staring at nothing, "I've heard they also have brilliant fish and chips, well, chips. There aren't any fish on that planet, however if you hop a few galaxies to the left there's a planet where the fish swim in fog… maybe I'll go there someday, would be a great place to spend Christmas…"

I stopped really listening to the man babble after he said the most important bits of information. "Doctor?"

He stopped, glancing at me. "Yes?"

I felt as if my heart was going to jump out of my chest. "Can you really find Arthur?"

The Doctor's eyes got a manic excitement. He smirked. Suddenly, the groans of the TARDIS came to a halt, and I felt us settle on hard ground. The Doctor frowned, "That's not right," he muttered, "Here already? Something must have been pulling us along." He opened the door, "Planet Sileo, year 5324," he paused, a bit confused, "April Fifth. You ready then?"

"Take me to Arthur." I answered. Then I plunged into the unknown…