The Golden Age Universe
All for Love - Chapter 9
~Fran Gipani

Disclaimer - I don't own Merlin, or the characters...I'm just borrowing them and adding a couple of awesome OC's

Brooke tossed and turned in the soft sheets of the bed she shared with Merlin. It was a couple of nights since the Larden royals had left, and those nights had gone by without a hitch. However on this one night Merlin hadn't come to bed yet, he and Arthur had been talking since lunch and Brooke hadn't seen him since. She'd had no idea when he was getting back, so she'd put Maire to bed and then fallen asleep herself. Sleep however, was broken that night, filled with disconnected and irregular images - all ones she'd seen before - getting closer and closer together. Always ending with the events of the dream of the night she feinted in the great hall, a pained scream, then nothing. Nothing at all.

-afl-

Merlin and Arthur stood at opposite ends of the round table, a few of Arthur's closest knights were occupying the surrounding seats. Both men were glaring at each other, and the tension in the air was almost visible. The knights looked on with trepidation, the two friends rarely fought, unless however it was their harmless banter. Something which the knights heard that little bit too much of.

"Arthur, all I need to do is work out what she's planning, Morgana has almost the full power of Emrys at her fingertips but she hasn't acted yet - why is that?"

"That is a good question Merlin, let's add it to the list of things we don't know-"

"Doesn't that scare you though?" Merlin raised his voice slightly, "I can't just wait here, I need to do something!"

"Of course it scares me Merlin! You have more power than I could ever understand and all of that is in the hands of an evil sorceress..."

Merlin stayed silent, he knew it was his fault this had happened in the first place, I need to fix this.

"...so what do you propose we do then? We can't exactly march in to where she's hiding because a) we have no idea where she is and b) there is no chance we wouldn't get hurt."

"I'll go alone."

"No, no way Merlin!"

"Why not? If she knows what I've guessed then she won't hurt me, and she knows I won't try anything - not while I'm like this."

"You 'think' she won't hurt you! You 'think'? Merlin this is Morgana Pendragon we're talking about!" Arthur ran a hand though his hair before letting it slap down on the wooden table between them. "You have stopped her from destroying Camelot, you've stopped her from taking the crown, you have saved my life countless times. You don't think she would want revenge? If you insist on going, I'll go with you!"

"Of course she wants revenge! But she wont hurt me physically, she'll hurt those I love, because she knows that I value your life, Brooke's life, Gwens, Gaius' life before my own." Merlin sighed, trying not to raise his voice, "you are not going with me!"

"Merlin, who say's you are going?"

"I do." He replied defiantly.

Arthur almost seemed to growl as he took breath to speak again, "Merlin! I am not going to let you go okay..."

"But!" Merlin interrupted.

"...your magic is weakened because of her, and even with the help of Brooke's power, if she strikes - and she will Merlin, no matter what you say, I guarantee it - you will not fare well. I can't almost loose my friend again."

Then it dawned on Merlin what needed to be done, he avoided Arthur's intense gaze. "Arthur, that is the point! I can feel it, my power is ebbing away, I only have a little left which is my own - if I die my power dies with me and she won't have it to keep her alive anymore, thus she, in theory, should die too."

"Merlin are you even hearing what you sound like right now - you are not giving your life to keep us safe! That plan is off the cards!"

"MERLIN!" Arthur barked, "As your King I forbid you from going!" He brought his eyes up to meet Merlin's. "As your friend," He paused, "Merlin, please, don't go."

That made Merlin stop. It had been a long while since Merlin had seen Arthur that sincere, it was enough to make him think. Closing his eyes for a moment, Merlin took a deep breath before turning and striding from the room. Leaving Arthur and the knights in silence.

-afl-

Brooke sat up in bed, her breath came in short pants and beads of sweat had formed on her face. Her fingers were locked painfully in her thick blonde hair, and were shaking terribly. It was her manic expression though, a mix of fear and shock, with magic induced cloudy-gold eyes, that Merlin saw when he came back to the room for the night, he was fuming and slightly angry - he saw no other way out - but on seeing the look on his wife's face, his mood changed completely. He lit a candle with a nod of his head, but paled at the look on his wife's face and the tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

Merlin rushed over to where Brooke now lay in the foetal position, shaking, with tears dampening her cheeks. "Brooke?" Merlin called out, putting a hand on his wife's arm, "Brooke wake up...what is it?"

Brooke simply shook her head.

"Brooke please! What is it? Whatever it is I can help you." Merlin was about to sit next to her when a cry from Maire turned his head he then went over and lifted her gently from her crib, humming a calming tune. Merlin sat on the bed, his daughter in his arms and his wife curled into his chest. Both quiet now. What could Brooke have dreamed to make her so distressed? He couldn't sleep until the early hours of the morning, and by then...it was too late.

The next morning Merlin woke with a start, the warm feeling he had gone to sleep with the night before was gone. His arms were no longer wrapped around the small form of his daughter. Brooke wasn't lying on his chest. A cool breeze blew in the open window, causing the long white curtains to billow out over Maire's crib. Judging by the height of the sun it was nearly lunch. Wait what? Merlin jumped down from the bed and rushed over to where Maire, thankfully, was asleep, but where was Brooke? Then he remembered what had happened the night before. He ran a hand through his hair, a panicked look flooding his pale features.

He dressed quickly in his usual brown trousers, with a white shirt and the grey neckerchief with midnight blue embroidery that Brooke had given him as part of his birthday present the year before. He then lifted the sleeping Maire into his arms and headed in the direction of where Gwen would be with the twins, he needed to ask her a favour. Minutes later Merlin had left Maire with Gwen and with a kiss on his daughters forehead he went off in search of Arthur.

It wasn't long before he had connected the dots and started walking towards his friend's chambers, as he walked Merlin became more and more frantic so by the time he burst into the room, letting the door smack against the wall, he was near a state of panic. "Arthur!"

"Merlin," Arthur had his back to the door, his voice sounding frustrated, "will you ever learn to knock!?" He turned to face his, and on seeing Merlin's expression Arthur frowned. "What is it?"

"Arthur, it's Brooke!"

"What about her?"

"She's gone! Brooke has disappeared!"

"Merlin, I'm sure she has just gone for a walk or something." Arthur sighed, then stood and walked over to his friend putting a hand on his shoulder. "I am sure there is nothing to worry about."

"No Arthur, I am certain. She had another vision but she couldn't tell me what it was. I pleaded with her to tell me, so I could help her but she wouldn't say a word. I think it's to do with what we spoke about last night..."

"Merlin...you're overthinking things." Arthur replied calmly.

"Her visions don't show the future, they show a version of what the future could be. Last night I was ready to walk out those castle gates to save you all from what Morgana is possibly planning - Brooke must have seen me leave..." Merlin looked as if his whole world was falling apart, "please Arthur."

Studying Merlin's expression Arthur nodded.

A silent thank you passed between the pair, "come with me," Merlin strode from the room with Arthur close behind.

"Do you know where Morgana is?" Arthur asked, hoping Merlin had some small idea of what he was doing.

"I don't know for certain, but I have a hunch."

"Lead on my friend, I've learnt to trust your 'hunches', and I am sure you know what you are doing, but there are two things we need to do first."

"What!?" Merlin's eyes widened, "what could be more important than trying to find Brooke before Morgana gets to her?"

"We need to tell Gwen and Gaius where we are going, and we need the knights as well. With you not at full strength and only me to help, we need more. We can't beat her alone."

Merlin nodded, "okay." He started to walk quickly in the opposite direction, "but we need to hurry. I can feel it, there isn't much time left."

AN - Woot! Nearly done, just a couple of chapters before the epilogue :) Thanks all for reading, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please remember to review if you have the time!