AN: I couldn't leave Nothing Like the Sun on its own, so I decided to make it into a three-parter. Thanks to Smithsonian Girl, for being such a great reviewer, and the reason I wrote this and am writing Already been Said, which is the third in this trilogy.
This is really just a filler, before the last (maybe) one.
Nesta looks out the window of her living room at the sad sight of their pumpkin lanterns on the drive, put out by the driving rain. There will be no trick-or-treaters tonight, and she is sad to think of all the excited children sitting at home, staring miserably out at the rain. She herself has one in the room, and the small girl is being consoled by her father, who is reading her a favourite story.
As she stands and stares at the rain, she contemplates her husband and her daughter, two dark heads bent over the book, both with bright blue eyes that had an alarming tendency to shine gold. Jenna had Merlin's magic; Nesta had half dreaded, half excitedly anticipated that fact, and even though Merlin was there to control it, sometimes she found it hard to control the small 4-year-old girl. Merlin had gone through the same thing as he'd grown up, but that was, as he reminded her the other day, a very long time ago.
It's a strange thing, knowing your husband is at least 1000 years old. One of those nagging thoughts you never quite get your head around. Sometimes, when she looks into his blue eyes, she can see the strain all the years alone have cost him, but she likes to think that after every day the scars fade a little more.
That's what drew her to him in the first place. Nesta first caught sight of his tall, lanky frame at her friend's party when she was twenty. He had an air of innocence and youth about his face, but his eyes… they contained wisdom and immeasurable age. She'd walked over and started the conversation with those fateful words.
'Hi, I'm Nesta. Are you new round here?"
He had then proceeded to tell her that he'd moved down from Scotland just a few months ago, and that Ruby (the hostess) had known his father when she had been a little girl. Of course, now she knew that Ruby hadn't known his father at all; she know him, but older. In fact, Merlin had told her since he'd never known his father. Back then, however, she lapped up his story and immediately sympathized; she'd moved to south-east England only recently herself, from Wales.
They'd chatted that night, and as they had both got rather tipsy, the friendship had proceeded a lot faster than it would have normally. She'd woken up the next morning with his number in her phone and a date planned for the next week, which was a huge step for her. Nesta had always been incredibly shy.
But there was something about Merlin that made her feel chatty, and open. Now, she supposed it was because he was much older in spirit than her peer group, slightly more serious and grown-up. Her friends were all trying not to mature, holding on to their last scraps of youth like drowning men holding onto a raft. Merlin had already let go years before she met him. It also may have been because he was a young, single man, who was actually interested in her, giving her that much needed spurt of confidence. He'd been starved of human interaction, and they grew close, quickly, after the first date.
They'd met in a small coffee bar in Windsor, and though things had been slightly awkward at first, once Nesta had started on her chocolate muffin and he'd had an invigorating gulp of tea, they had talked about their lives. Nesta had told him all about her life as an only girl after three boys, and the rain in Wales. Merlin had fed her an entirely fictitious past, and now she looks back, she can't believe how she ever swallowed some of the things he told her.
Nesta retreats from the large window, from which she had been watching the rain run off their red car in sheets. The living room is warm and cosy, with a flickering coal fire and soft orange light from the lamps. The TV sits silent in a corner, much to her relief. Some of the programmes are so noisy.
The only sound in the room is the low tones of her husband as he reads a story to their 4-year old daughter. Nesta smiles and walks over slowly, carefully sitting down next to Jenna and snuggling close, aware of her large size. Merlin glances over anxiously, but she smiles back. She doubts it will happen tonight.
'And they all lived happily to the end of their days,' Merlin concludes, and Jenna's head, which has lolled onto his shoulder from tiredness, jerks back up as she realizes that the end of the book means bed.
'Bedtime Jennie,' Nesta says quickly, aware of the brewing storm.
'But- but I'm not tired,' she wails, her words slurring together.
'Bed,' Merlin says firmly, and scoops her up, wriggling and squirming, and offers her to Nesta for a kiss on the forehead, before carting her off upstairs to her bed. Nesta sits for a little while longer, listening to the epic battle going on above her, before slowly returning to her feet and, picking up the empty tea mugs, heads to the kitchen. Near the sink, however, she gasps in sudden pain, the two mugs smashing to the floor. Clutching her stomach with both hands, she realizes the small contractions she'd had all day weren't a false alarm.
Water drips down her legs and she groans, but then Merlin is in the room, holding her, cupping her face worriedly with his hands.
'Why didn't you tell me?' he asks, looking hurt and anxious all at once. She shrugged.
'Jennie deserved a day to herself. And I thought they were just a false alarm!'
Merlin is suddenly all business.
'I need to phone your parents,' he mutters as he helps her to a chair, 'so they know, and they we can drive Jennie there on the way to the hospital.' He sits her down gently and rushes off to get the phone. Nesta watches him go, wondering how she ever found such a wonderful man. But then another contraction grasps at her belly and her thoughts towards Merlin are no longer quite so favourable.
'Yes, I know… It's earlier… Jennie's just gone to bed… yes, very…. Ok, see you in a bit.' Nesta hears only one side of the conversation, but winces slightly as Merlin slams down the phone hurriedly and rushes upstairs to collect a sleepy Jennie.
The trip to the car is awkward; they all have to fit under one umbrella, and all are soaked by the time they are safely strapped in and on the road. Merlin drives fast but careful, and they soon reach her parents house. Nesta stays in the car as Merlin hurries Jennie in, who has fallen asleep thanks to the lulling motion of the car and is not happy at being woken up again. Nesta experiences the slight pang of worry at leaving her at her parent's house, as they were (thankfully) unaware of their grandchild's strange ability, but somehow they had never noticed Jenna levitating the things she wanted toward her.
Merlin was back in a flash; she caught sight of her mum waving from the door before they sped off, and after the pain of another contraction, Nesta realizes the significance of tonight.
'Merlin, I'm sorry,' she moans. He glances at her distractedly; driving in the dark was something he never enjoyed.
'What?' he asked, before paying attention to the road once more. But Nesta then gets distracted by yet another painful squeeze and forgets whet she was going to say.
The baby comes much faster than Jenna had. Nesta is rushed into the labour ward, but barely spends ten minutes in there before going to the delivery room. She is thankful; she has a very low pain threshold and felt embarrassed crying out in a room full of other women experiencing the same thing, except they took the pain stoically.
Merlin holds her hand through the whole thing, like he had before, and when she is sitting up in the hospital bed, holding a mewling bundle, the past few hours feel like a blur. Nesta hands her youngest daughter to the proud father, a grin on his face splitting from ear to ear, and the baby hiccups and stops crying. Nesta relishes the peace and leans back, eyes closed. Merlin leans down and kisses her sweaty forehead.
'Well done again,' he smiles, looking down at his daughter.
'Next time, you can,' she mutters, eyes still closed and Merlin chuckles.
'I'll try.'
The baby calls out for attention, obviously knowing her parents are no longer fawning over her.
'So, are we still decided on the name?' Nesta says, opening her eyes and glancing at Merlin.
'Alle? I think so. It suits her.' Merlin gazed adoringly down at the newly named Alle, who fidgeted slightly. Nesta remembers what she was going to say before, and gasps.
'Oh, Merlin! I'm so sorry!' He looks at her, surprised.
'What? Why?'
'It's Halloween!' she says. Dawning comprehension appears on her husband's face.
'Oh. Well, to be honest, I don't need to go,' he says, jiggling Alle to a more comfortable position. 'It's more of a… comfort. But now I have you, and Jenna, and Alle,' he beams down at the baby in his arms, who looks about surprisingly alertly for a newborn. Her eyes flash gold and the bed moves a few inches. Merlin laughs delightedly.
'Already! She's going to be powerful.' Nesta groans, but smiles.
'Just like her father.'
A nurse knocks gently and walks in.
'It's getting late, and the doctor wants you to stay in just for tonight, Mrs Emery.' Nesta nods as Merlin hands the nurse Alle, who places the now sleepy baby in a small cot at the end of the bed.
'Now,' said the nurse, 'I advise you to get some rest.' Nesta quails under her stern gaze and obediently settles down, while Merlin makes himself comfortable in the chair next to the bed. The nurse smiles and leaves quietly, turning the lights down. Merlin takes Nesta's hand. His is warm and soft.
'Rest, Nesta,' he says. 'Tomorrow we'll have to deal with your parents and Jenna's questions about where Alle came from.'
'Hopefully mum and dad will sort that out tonight,' Nesta mumbles drowsily. She drops off quickly, lulled by the quite breathing of the small baby at the end of her bed. But Merlin stays up, clutching her warm, soft hand, and gazing out the window at the stars.
'Sorry Arthur,' he murmurs inaudibly. 'Gwen, Morgana. I'll tell you all about it next year. And besides, in five years, you'll be able to see them yourselves. You'll love them. I know you will. Maybe you'll have some of your own. I know you wanted to, Gwen. Now you'll have your chance.' Somehow, despite the hospital smell and the quiet in the room, he felt as though they could hear him. As though they were with him, wherever he was. That was comforting, although he wished he'd realized earlier. Five years left. Merlin falls asleep with a smile of anticipation on his face.