Authors note: so this is something I have thought about for awhile and could never come up with the perfect concoction til now. I will explain at the end of the chapter. This is going to shift back and fourth between present Merlin and how he gets back into the past, and current in the past Merlin. Sort of fitting pieces randomly in. Anywho thanks for reading!

His eyes fluttered open a strange haze swirling as old memories blurred with new ones. Merlin tried to sit forward but found his body weak and enable to move, temporarily paralyzed from jumping through time – his old body blending with his new one. The strongest spell he'd ever cast in his centuries of studying.

Slowly his eyes adjusted as the light filled his vision, sun beaming through an open window – curtains blowing. He moved his head to the side looking at the strange yet familiar room before him. A smile crept onto his face as he let out a relieved breath. He had felt like he had just woken from the longest dream ever, and yet he knew deep down it had not been a dream.

He heard a shout from down below – a familiar voice long forgotten and long longed for. Merlin had spent centuries watching those around him die as he lived on forever, unsure of how to bring about the prophecy to resurrect Arthur when Albian needed it most. Merlin gave himself one more forceful push to get himself out of bed; such a force he ended up finding himself stumbling to the floor. Ooph- Merlin grunted before Gaius came storming in frustrated.

"Good grief Merlin, what is this ruckus you're going on about," the old man sighed staring down at Merlin his arm crossed in dissatisfaction.

"It's you," Merlin choked out dumbstruck still seated on the floor.

"I sure hope so," Gaius said lending down a hand to help Merlin up. The old man was surprised when Merlin quickly smothered him with a deep hug, "what's gotten into you Merlin?"

"Yes, Merlin… it's me," he said with such excitement as he spun around taking in his old room. One moment he had been in deep in the woods in an old enchanted ruins with… he then remembered them. Had they made it back into the past with him? Were they okay? The only friends he had in a long time – the only ones who knew his secret. The ones that brought him home, "what day is it?"

"I know you were just poisoned and brought back with magic, but this could be a side effect… Are you feeling well?" Gaius placed a hand on Merlin's forehead. Merlin just flashed him a huge toothy grin.

"I promise to explain everything Gaius," Merlin smacked Gaius on the shoulder before running down the stairs. Home. He was home. He soaked it all in as he ran out the door and down the corridor hall until he got to the door he had been meaning to get to the most.

Merlin froze. His heart drummed in his chest. Fear crept deep into his soul. Of all the pain he met with in his long journey back here… his death had haunted him most. He could hear a ruckus and grumbling happening in the royal chamber. Before he could knock the door flung open.

"Good heavens Merlin, there you are!" he shouted at him before grabbing him by the scruff and dragging him in, "where have you been?!"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Merlin could feel his voice go hoarse as he stared at his best friend. All the mistakes made now fixable. Now Merlin was powerful enough to stop Author from dying to save the future he had come from. His destiny had finally made a little more sense. Author was taken back by the look in Merlin's eyes, before Merlin's arms quickly pulled Author into an awkward hug.

"Is this because I saved you?" Arthur asked awkwardly before awkwardly patting Merlin on the back.

"Sort of," Merlin said shrugging before letting go of his future King.

"Don't you have stalls to muck?" Arthur asked before handing him a large pile of clothes, "I'm running out of things to wear."

"Yes, of course your highness," Merlin smiled a big goofy grin as he slowly backed away towards the door. Disbelief and relief rushing through him to see Arthur alive again, "I'm glad you're alive again."

"Merlin, do have your head examined," Arthur rolled his eyes before turning to finish choosing what to wear. Before Merlin had walked out of the door fully he heard Arthur stop to mutter, "I'm glad you're okay too…"

Merlin couldn't hide his grin as his eyes stared at the floor a clear pep in his step when he bumped into her knocking the clothes from his arms. He heard her voice as she apologized and guilt crept in. He had blaimed her at times even hated her for having married Leon. He had told himself it was because of Arthur, and he had told Mere the same thing – but she had called him out on his bullshit.

"Bullshit Meril," she laughed as she sipped at her coffee looking over her ancestors spell book. Her cousin looking at them in amusement – but he had to agree with her. Meril was the name he had originally given them before he confessed who he was and his past, but the nickname stuck – and they had become Mere and Meril. She was his next best friend next to Arthur, and without her he never would have discovered the reality of the prophecy.

"How so?" Merlin asked staring into her deep blue eyes. Sometimes, she reminded him of Morgana… and it made him both sad and uneasy. She too could see glimpses of the future which had led her to him – she had saved him in a strange act of fate.

"She clearly was in love with you, but you were too blind that you pushed her towards that Lancelot. Who based on your description is nothing like the history books we grew up with," she chuckled her red hair falling into her face.

"How so?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"Gwen sacrificed to save you, and she kissed you before either of them. I glimpsed into the past and saw the way she looked at you… the way she denied it in fear of rejection. That is where history gets screwed up and how evil manipulated the weave of fate to get us into this oncoming dooms day looming in front of us," Meredith crossed her arms and sat back into her chair.

"So all because I failed to notice Gwen had a crush I doomed us?" Merlin scoffed.

"That isn't what I said Merllllinnnn," Mere's dramatic pronunciation seemed to go over his head, but earned her an eye roll, "Can you spell it out for the nitwit Jace?"

"Gwen is the breaking factor in the story. Her marrying Arthur is what leads to his doom… its leads to his lineage never making it into this world. The one person who can save us now was never born because Arthur died before he could pass on his lineage. Your destiny to bring him back is for us to send you back into the past to change this. One way would be to get the girl hint hint," Jace chuckled before looking back down at his book his blonde bangs falling across his eyebrows. He was far ahead of them on writing down the ingredients needed for the potion part of their spell. Merlin was the spell caster of the group, Jace the potions master, and Mere the seer as well as bookworm.

"Yet my bullshit is not that she didn't like you as you claim, but that you didn't have feelings for her. You loved Arthur so you sacrificed for his happiness. You were so wrapped up in your destiny at the time you failed to realize that you felt the same way back so when she married Leon you felt betrayed not because of your friend who had died… but because she married someone else – someone who wasn't you," he hated her know it all smirk and couldn't help but throw a scrunched up paper with a failed spell on it at her.

"Gwen," Merlin stuttered as he looked up at her. She smiled at him - a smile he could now recognize as something other than just friendly as she helped him collect his fallen work.

"Good afternoon Merlin," she said handing it to him before taking a deep breath.

"It's good to see you," his eyes glazed over as he watched Gwen nervously smile at him.

"It hasn't been that long Merlin," she looked at the floor, "not that it has to be…"

"Of course," Merlin grinned a large grin as she got nervous and looked away.

"Gwen can I ask you something," he said thinking back to a future moment he would be having with her if he didn't start changing the events of the past. He had accused her of liking Lancelot which she denied, and he made a comment about not knowing who her love was even if he had been standing next to her. He could remember the look on her face as if he was calling her out on her feelings, and yet he pushed her towards Lancelot. What a fool he had been, but wasn't going to let himself be this time around.

"Anything Merlin," she smiled looking up and down as her chest heaved with nervous excitement.

"Would you like to go out… to dinner," all of his confidence all of a sudden was sapped away leaving him nervous,"… with me?"

"Merlin," she flashed a smile as she looked up, "I thought you'd never ask."

"Is that…. Is that a…"

"It's a yes, Merlin," she said backing away trying to hide her smile.

Merlin was smiling as he walked towards his place when he heard the shouts of someone familiar. He turned to see some palace guards dragging in a girl who clearly didn't look like she belonged. Arthur had reached them before he could as he talked to the guards about the struggling girl.

"What is going on?" Merlin asked when he finally got to them.

"They found this stranger wandering the outside city gates," Arthur looked at Merlin curious about why he bothered to ask, "She apparently gave the guards a hard time."

"She is with me," Merlin said quickly.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked crossing his arms. He knew Merlin had a knack for picking up strays that later caused mischief.

"She is an old friend from my village, and she had planned to come see me – I must have forgotten," Merlin chuckled nervously.

"Life my clothes I suppose?" Arthur asked looking at the clothes still in Merlin's arm.

"Er- uh yes," Merlin acknowledged.

"Whatever, release her," Arthur said to his guards, "make sure she doesn't misbehave. Keep her in line."

"What?" Mere asked with attitude before Merlin covered her mouth – but her rant continued under his hand.

"Mere- er, Merida…" Merlin began.

"Really?! Meredith pulled his hand from her mouth in anger.

"Merida? Is she Scottish. She doesn't sound it," Arthur laughed. He then looked at her noticing her strange red hair and shrugged, "maybe so."

"Yes of course," Merlin swallowed nervously as Arthur walked away turning to shout at Merlin to get his clothes cleaned and in his room before he found himself on the block.

"Down right ass that one is and he is to be a prince and some savior?" Mere spat frustrated before turning her anger on Merlin, "and you…"

"We are not back home anymore Mere, you can't dress like this and you certainly can't talk like you're from there unless you want to be burnt as a witch, "Merlin gave her a very serious look causing her to sigh.

"But I am a witch…" she muttered as he shook his head, "At home I get laughed at if I call myself a witch and apparently here I'll burn."

"It's not a perfect world," Merlin said sadly quoting something she had said to him several times in the past future.

"Where's Jace?" Mere asked nervously wondering where he could possibly be.

"Let's get you to Gaius first so we can get you dressed, and tell him what's happened. He will know what we need to do next," Merlin said as he rushed her and his armload of laundry back to his place with Gaius to drop them both off before making a quick visit to an old friend.

"Hello young warlock," he heard his voice before the sound of air whooshing under his wings as the large dragon landed before him – still chained, "welcome back."

Authors note: Thank you all so much for reading this and tolerating any errors. I had to rush this at work, but later I will try to look it over. I spent a good week trying to figure out how to make this all happen as I began rewatching the first season for the 5th time in a row. Watching Gwen and Merlin in the beginning I remember why I though he and Arthur had no chemistry and that Morgana and he had – which she turns out to be his sister. I thought how fascinating would it be if all the stories we read were a clue to how Arthur could be brought back. Gwen's story change in so many of them, and her affair with Lancelot in the real stories make her more of a down fall for Arthur to me. She kisses Merlin when he wakes from being poisoned so what would happen if Merlin wooed Gwen before Arthur could randomly all of a sudden like her in that way. He freaking throws her in jail in the first season and they never talk even though she works in their house hold. I just felt like that was the perfect connection that could change to save Arthur! Let me know what you think! I also love first season Morgana she is such a bad a.s.s I wanted to save her some how… should I? Or should I still let her become the villain?