Hey. Just a note – this fanfic is basically fluff and I've made it all happier and healed relationships because that's what I wanted to happen, cause I can't deal with lots of death and pain so it's more the happier way things pan out! Yeh anyway so if you think that a character's reaction to all this isn't how you imagined it would play out, I'm just writing the happier version ;) And to those who are asking about Lancelot and why he isn't returning – it's explained later in the fic. Hope you like this bit! xxx

Merlin hung up the phone and slid it back into his pocket. He walked through to the kitchen where Arthur was gazing round at the appliances with wonderment. Gwen and Leon were watching him; relieved smiles on their faces as they sat at the counter holding hands, though not in a way that rubbed it in Arthur's face.

"Arthur…"

The blonde turned to him and smiled expectantly. Merlin's mind slowed down and he totally forgot what he'd been about to say. "Uh…" he searched his brain in a futile attempt to remember what it was he was going tell the man who was watching him, waiting.

"Who was on the phone?" Gwen prompted and Merlin silently thanked her as he suddenly recalled his message.

"Kerry. It was Kerry. She says they're on their way home now. I didn't tell her that you're here though…do you want to meet her? And the others?"

Arthur looked at Gwen and then back at Merlin, before smiling. "Well of course I want to meet her! She's my descendant! Hey it'll almost be like meeting my child."

"Well…she's not a child, she's 26."

"You know what I mean."

"Well thank God I do, 'cause no one else does," Merlin grinned back and Arthur muttered some form of vegetable-related insult in his direction.

Soon enough the keys rattled in the door and the noise of the knights came from the hallway. Merlin went out to tell them what had happened. A loud whoop was heard and then Gwaine, Percival and Elyan rushed in and pulled Arthur into a hug before bowing. Arthur told them there was no need for the bows any longer, he wasn't king.

"You will always be my king." Percival smiled and the other two nodded. Arthur talked to Elyan a little, glad that his ex-brother-in-law was back too. He joked around with Gwaine and Percival for a bit before turning towards Mordred and Morgana who were standing in the doorway. The knights hesitated before walking past the High Priestess and through to the living room, no doubt to watch Harry Potter whilst they thoughtfully gave their King some time to talk to his half-sister and killer.

Morgana looked stony-faced, a flicker of resentment in her eyes but, Merlin supposed, old habits die hard. However Mordred wore a remorseful expression. Arthur approached the two and cleared his throat.

"Morgana…"

"Arthur." She replied. The High Priestess stood stiffly, tense as if she were about to flee at any sudden movement.

"…Well I really don't know what to say." Arthur admitted, a pained look in his eyes.

Morgana's jaw worked, as she no doubt swallowed some curse.

Arthur saw it and grew sad. There was little point in this bitterness lasting; she had no real reason to get rid of him any longer, except perhaps for revenge for Uther's actions. But that was way, way in the past. And years of hatred and plotted assassinations were hard to let go of. "Do you…" he sighed. "You still hate me don't you." He stated, trying to keep a composed look on his face.

Morgana, credit to her, didn't immediately throw an insult or death threat in his face. She cleared her throat and looked away.

"I don't deny…it's hard to forget that kind of…animosity."

Arthur's eyes looked so sad, Merlin's heart tugged. He wanted to go over there and wrap his arms around his king and will the pain away. The warlock shook his head; that was an inappropriate thing to do.

Arthur began talking again.

"I know it will be highly unlikely that we'll go back to the way things were before…before they all changed…but I hope we can put our disagreements behind us with time…start afresh. I want us to be friends again one day, Morgana. I'm so sorry for all the wrongs done against you…and…and I forgive you for the wrongs done against me. Just please…please let's start again." He said it with such earnest that Morgana looked a little taken aback. A thousand and one emotions rushed through her, most of them anger related, but there were some hints of sorrow and empathy there too.

She knew she wouldn't be able to hold back saying something harsh or cruel for much longer, so she simply gave a curt nod and walked away to her room to think about her life and how it had been dominated by wanting to kill her brother, trying to persuade herself it didn't need to be that way anymore.

Arthur looked after her for a second or two before turning to Mordred. The druid-boy was looking hard at the floor.

"Mordred…-"

"Arthur I'm so sorry! Please forgive me. I honestly can't bear to think of what I did, it was…terrible. I…I-"

"Mordred, I understand. Merlin told me about your apology already. I forgive you. And…I wanted to ask for your forgiveness too." The younger man looked up then, a questioning look in his eyes.

"M-mine?"

"Yes. What I did regarding Kara…it was the wrong decision. I should have made an exception or allowed you and her to be banished and leave Camelot or something, anything to avoid her sentence. I know how important she was to you…I am so sorry Mordred. I can only imagine the pain you went through, if it had been me… Can you forgive me?"

Mordred stared at Arthur for a few moments before he reached out and offered his hand. Arthur smiled and shook it. Mordred slowly reciprocated the grin and it looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

As Arthur pulled Mordred into a brotherly embrace he saw another pair of eyes watching him from the doorway. Eyes that were almost the same shade as his. He pulled back and Mordred turned as well to see what he was looking at. Without knowing it, a smile appeared on the druid-boy's face as he looked at Kerry.

"I'll er…join the others I think." He said, and walked past them towards the living room. Gwen and Leon followed and after a few moments, so did Merlin.

"You must be Kerry Mason." Arthur spoke first. Kerry who was usually very chatty simply nodded, still staring in awe. "Would you like to…come and sit down?" He felt a little awkward too, it wasn't his home to invite people to sit, but the quiet girl was standing half behind the door and he wanted to see what his descendant looked like; his heart was hammering away, nerves threatening to betray him. This was his blood, his kin…

She declined the chair with a shake of her head but moved slowly into the kitchen anyway. The young Pendragon girl had chestnut brown hair, which was quite short compared to the usual style that Arthur was used to seeing on women. Her eyes were almond-shaped, exactly like Gwen's and a deep blue colour like his, but any resemblance to himself and Gwen ended there, it had been over a millennia, it was a wonder there was any Pendragon resemblance at all. A smattering of freckles dusted her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, and her whole being seemed to radiate an air of cheerfulness. She shyly tucked several strands of hair behind her ear as she studied him with equal interest.

"You look different…" she murmured after a minute or two, before blushing hard. Clearly she'd not meant to say it out loud.

"Different? To what?"

She shook her head, "No, sorry I meant just different to what I'd imagined. The sort of Arthur I had always pictured had a beard, like in Monty Python or The Magic Sword…" she trailed off and then clapped a hand to her mouth. "Sorry! I forgot - you don't know what on earth I'm on about. Sorry!" she kept apologising.

Arthur smiled, deciding he liked his great-great-great (etc.) granddaughter. "I could always grow a beard if that would make you happier?" She laughed and shook her head.

"No, you look much better in reality than you did in my imagination," she smiled, and then frowned in confusion at what she'd just said. "Sorry…that was weird."

"Perhaps you've spent too much time with Merlin, he says a lot of weird stuff."

"Yeh, what a clotpole."

Arthur laughed. "That's Merlin's word! You've definitely spent too much time with him!"

Kerry put her hands on her hips. "It's not his word; it's mine…well my dad's!"

Arthur nodded, a playful smile forming on his lips. "And they all got it from me…who got it from Merlin!"

The young Pendragon girl laughed. "You two hardly sound like a king and a servant."

The tall blonde man pondered this for a few seconds, "No…we were more than that. I mean on the outside, yes we were a king and his manservant, a useless manservant, but I don't know…Merlin felt like the truest friend I ever had…" he looked back at Kerry who was smiling. "By the dragons, don't you dare tell him I said that!"

"I think he already knows. I mean I didn't know about any of this until several weeks ago, but I can already tell that you were both best friends."

The king smiled to himself. Best friends…he liked that tern. Arthur glanced back to Kerry. What are you supposed to say to your descendent? What would he have said to his daughter? A fundamental fatherly thing, what could he say? "So…Kerry. Are you courting any young men? Anyone I need to beat up?"

"W-what?!"

Arthur chuckled, "Well you are family, are you not? It's my job to defend your honour and protect you from untrustworthy men!"

"Yes, I suppose you are but no, I'm not courting anyone…besides you're several months too late to go beating up 'untrustworthy' men!" she muttered the last part to herself, remembering her ex-boyfriend. He'd been a nasty piece of work alright.

She took a deep breath and then let it slowly out. "I just can't believe you're here. Arthur Pendragon! Wow!"

Arthur smiled, a little awkwardly. Sure he'd been well loved by his subjects back in Camelot, but here he seemed to be known worldwide! From what he'd pieced together from what Merlin and Kerry had said, he was the one who parents told their infants about. Merlin had mentioned that there were great works of art and many famous historical books featuring him, along with the knights and Merlin of course. It was so strange. With a jolt Arthur realised Kerry was talking again. "…and I used to pretend that I would go on quests with you! I thought it was awesome when I met Merlin 'cause of his name, I mean obviously I didn't know he was the real…" she trailed off, smiling wistfully at Arthur. "I just can't believe you're actually here," she said again, "and that you're my ancestor!"

"I can't believe I'm here either." He joked and smiled as he took Kerry's small hand in his larger ones. "To tell you the truth, Kerry I'm overjoyed to know that I had a child, but devastated I never saw him grow up…I know this is strange…and in a strange way I'm only a year or two older than you, but do you think I could…I don't know, look out for you like a father would? Ok no, too weird – how about like an older brother?"

Kerry's eyes were shining. Arthur Pendragon, wanted to 'look out for her'? Arthur freakin' Pendragon, the legendary King wanted to protect her? She grinned widely and pulled the surprised man into a hug.

Arthur smiled; this was his descendant, his family, his flesh and blood. He felt a fierce wave of protection, of the need to look after and take care of her. He would take personal delight in maiming any person who dared to wrong her or make her upset. And as for Kerry, well she intended to do the same for this man, sure she wasn't as physically strong as him, but all hell would break loose if anyone did anything bad to him! No one touched Arthur Pendragon! They pulled away then and smiled at each other before making their way to the living room.