Merlin's work kept him busy, but whenever he could, he came to see Val and Gwaine. Gwaine had his knightly duties to attend to, but usually he could find someone to watch over Val while he couldn't be with her. More often than not the obligation landed on Gaius, who accepted it with pleasure, as he got to feel for the first time in his life what it was like to have a grandson.

All in all, Merlin, Gwaine and Val had become a miniature family in the few short weeks they had spent together with the baby. Sometimes Merlin came to see them and soon collapsed from fatigue. Gwaine would carry him on the bed and they would sleep side by side, the baby between them. Gwaine couldn't have asked for more.

This went on for quite some time, until Arthur asked Gwaine for a private audience in the crown room. Gwaine was quite curious to know the reason. When he arrived, he was met with two guards at the door. Besides them, the only two people in the room were Arthur and Merlin who were standing in front of the throne.

Gwaine hadn't found a baby sitter so he had taken Val with him. Considering she was only a few weeks old, she could hardly comprehend any secrets Arthur might want to share with him, let alone disclose to enemies, so he didn't see any problem with taking her. He just hoped Arthur would be as understanding. Merlin seemed nervous. Actually, he seemed worried. Gwaine tried to ease his mind by smiling at him, but the boy stared at the ground and didn't notice him.

Arthur motioned Gwaine to approach him. Once he was close enough to hear him speak, Arthur greeted him and then sat down. Merlin didn't move.

"I'll go straight to what I need to ask you about, to not waste any time", Arthur started after first hesitating for a moment.

"I appreciate that", Gwaine grinned and improved his hold on the baby. Merlin finally looked up and looked like he wanted to hold Val. Gwaine didn't understand why the boy had to make things so difficult. The boy wanted to hold Val, he should hold Val. He stepped over to the boy and placed Val in his arms. "You know you want to. Just take her."

Merlin clutched to the girl and smiled for the first time since Gwaine had arrived. He caressed the baby's cheek and tickled her tummy, making the baby give out small giggles.

Arthur, feeling neglected, grunted. "So, Gwaine."

Gwaine remembered what he had come to see him for. "Right. So what is it?"

Arthur looked embarrassed. "Actually, it's about the baby."

"Val."

Arthur already seemed like he really didn't want to be there, Gwaine's interruption only made things worse by distracting him. "What?"

"Her name is Val."

"Right. Well, Val. Is she..." Arthur's voice trailed away. "Is she.."

"Spit it out", Gwaine told the prince. If he was going to have to explain the birds and the bees to the little prince, he would need a couple of drinks in before that.

"Is she yours?" Arthur's lips tightened.

Gwaine's eyes widened. He didn't understand where Arthur was getting at. He glanced at Merlin, who seemed ashamed for some reason. He looked back at Arthur, who seemed mortified.

"Merlin told me that you two found the baby together some weeks ago while you were staying at a tavern-"

"-which is true", Gwaine added. Arthur sighed and continued. "And the baby just appeared out of thin air while you were sleeping?"

"Yes", Gwaine said, now sounding a bit more unsure.

"That doesn't sound even remotely believable. I know Merlin can't lie to me-", Arthur said. Merlin seemed amused for some reason, but quickly changed his expression back to serious. "-but I believe he would, if it were to protect a friend."

Gwaine looked at Merlin, who seemed surprised, then back to Arthur. "Arthur, just say what you are thinking." He had a bad feeling about this.

"People are talking. Usually I pay no heed to gossip, but I take it seriously when it concerns my knights. We have to set an example to the people."

"And the people are saying..what?" Gwaine asked . He was growing annoyed with Arthur's round-about way of speaking. The man was still too much of a prude, despite Gwaine's best efforts to mellow him down.

"That you got a woman pregnant and she gave you the baby."

Gwaine couldn't say anything. It was possible. There were many nights he couldn't remember. Arguing wouldn't help. "And what if that were true?"

"Gwaine, don't. You know that's not what happened!" Merlin cut in.

"Doesn't matter. Val is too important." Gwaine's resolve stayed firm. He had been accused of worse things.

Arthur was about to say something, but then Val moved. They all stared, mesmerized, as she drew a circle in the air. She moved her hand and the circle, now glowing with yellow, attached itself to Gwaine's chest. Gwaine and Arthur looked surprised. Merlin looked annoyed. "That's not how you cheer him up!" He told the baby. He then looked up to see the two men staring at him. Crap.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, stupefied. The baby knew magic and Merlin knew about it?

Merlin looked as if he was about to explain it all to him somehow. Then he just gave up and ran. The guards tried to stop him, but he sent them flying on the floor. Gwaine and Arthur charged after him as well. Merlin stopped Arthur with his magic, but Gwaine remained unaffected. He followed him. Merlin grabbed Val tighter and ran.

He made his way to Arthur's chambers. He figured nobody would think to look there. Just to make sure, he turned them both invisible.

Gwaine saw Merlin run towards Arthur's chambers. He stopped for a moment. What would he say to the boy? So, Val has magic. Now it turns out you do too. How about that. He shook his head and entered the room. He saw Merlin cringing on the floor, holding Val tightly to him. "Merlin, what is going on?"

Merlin looked stunned. "You can see me?"

"Yes. Are you playing invisible?"

"I am invisible, to everyone else but you, apparently." Merlin turned to look at Val. "She won't let me use magic against you."

"Well, that's...nice. Well done, Val", Gwaine said and grinned to the baby, who giggled in reply.

"What are you going to do to us?" Merlin asked him, bringing them both back to the situation at hand. Gwaine looked at him. Merlin took a tighter grip on the baby. "Don't hurt us."

Gwaine had lost the grip on this conversation a while ago, but now he lost even the subject of it. "What?"

Merlin continued. He looked terrified. "Don't kill us. She's yours."

Gwaine lost the last of his hold on to whatever they were talking about. Then he thought he grasped it again. "Yes, of course, Val's mine. And yours."

"No, I mean she's really your child. That night when we 'found' her..I was drunk. I created her, most probably because I was lonely. In your image-" he took a sigh. "-and mine."

Gwaine didn't understand. "Why were you lonely? I was with you."

"But not 'with' me." Merlin looked as if he regretted uttering those words. He bit his lip.

"Okay, maybe I passed out, but I was there nonetheless", Gwaine argued, feeling like he was somehow missing the point. Merlin looked away, still holding onto Val like she was the only thing that mattered. "Why would I create a child out of you?"

"Because I'm the most handsome of your friends?" Gwaine joked. Merlin didn't laugh. Gwaine looked at him, and finally understood. "You.."

"I wanted a family with you. I knew you didn't feel the same way. It didn't bother me." Merlin looked away. "I should never have gotten drunk that night."

Gwaine's mind was racing. For once in his life, somebody wanted a family with him. Merlin wants a family with me. When did I become so blessed? "But if you hadn't, Val wouldn't be here." Gwaine stated, and Merlin nodded. "It's more complicated than that. But yes."

"What's complicated?" Gwaine preferred a straight line. Merlin wanted to be with him, he wanted to be with him, they had Val. Perfect. Right?

"I need to stay with Arthur. It's my destiny to protect him."

Gwaine understood. "And he saw Val do magic, and you as well. Merlin, I'll be the first person to admit Arthur can be a wanker, but you can reason with him. But we have to go back."

"And if he puts us all to death?"

"Then we fight. But before that, we'll try to convince Arthur."

The trio made their way to the throne room where Arthur was busy giving out orders to find them and capture them. Seeing them there, Arthur snapped his fingers and everybody left, leaving Arthur alone with the trio.

"Merlin. You are the last person I'd have expected to use magic." Arthur's words were uttered with an uncertain tone. Arthur still had trouble believing the boy possessed magic, regardless of what he had witnessed the boy do to his guards.

Merlin sighed. "It's a relief I can finally be honest with you after all this time."

They spoke for a while. First Merlin told him what he could do. Then he told Arthur what he had done over the years for the good of the kingdom. Finally, the conversation was directed to the more recent events. "I created Val out of magic. She's my daughter." Merlin tickled Val, who was resting on Gwaine's arms. Gwaine looked at him and Merlin added: "And Gwaine's."

Arthur ignored the last part. He spoke to Gwaine. "So you knew about this before?"

"No, never before today."

Merlin saw Arthur's eyes narrow in suspicion and hurried to defend the man. "I swear, he didn't."

Arthur was silent for a long time. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. "Merlin. You have been a loyal servant for a long time to me, and as it turns out, to Camelot. If you are telling the truth, and you want to protect Camelot, we are getting a powerful ally. If you are lying, I will personally kill you."

Merlin gave him a crooked smile. "And Val?"

"She's your responsibility", Arthur muttered. "Make sure she doesn't cause any trouble. Or at least not too much more than any other child."

Merlin smiled widely. "Thank you Arthur."

"Run along now. And let's keep this conversation between us for now. My father has hated magic for so long that we need to gradually lift the veil of terror from people's eyes."

"So, no flashy light show in celebration of you and Gwen's wedding?" Merlin asked.

Arthur hissed between clenched teeth. "Gradually."

Outside the throne room, Merlin turned to Gwaine, who pulled him close. Gwaine kissed him on the cheek, causing the boy to break out into a smile. "Let's go home." Val giggled and Gwaine gave her a kiss as well.

The End

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Holiday fluff is code for 'don't need to bother with details or even plot'. It was hasty, I admit, but this wasn't exactly my grand attempt at canonity anyway.