Um, before we start there could be some potentially triggering storytelling in this chapter so be warned. Turn back now if you can't handle it. I've marked where the story is with an asterisk (*) if anyone wants to skip it.

And thank you to everyone who reviewed. Reading your comments is what helps me to update as fast as I can.

Shout out to NerdGirlAlert for reviewing almost every chapter. Thank you!

To hotxhotguy: In answer to your review, the pairings aren't super important to the storyline so I didn't see the need to put them. But, yes, now I have changed it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

Chapter 10

"Hey, Merlin," Arthur said, getting up from the dinner table, "can I talk to you?"

Merlin looked up from where he was reviewing their information for their travels to Texas. Ciaran was seated with him, but from Merlin's look of intense frustration, it appeared as though the boy was not helping one bit. Merlin put his papers down and stood up.

"Yes," he sighed. "Let's go somewhere less crowded."

Arthur chuckled. All the knights, minus Gwen, who was sleeping off a headache, where congregated with Reanna around the television in the sitting room. They were watching something called soccer. They'd had a game similar to it in Camelot but apparently it has evolved since then. Reanna and Ciaran, who were both avid fans of the sport, had explained the rules of the game to each of the knights as they returned. Gwaine, as expected, was the most excited. Leon liked to observe the teams' strategies and Elyan, like the others, just appreciated the game. Arthur himself didn't really get that involved in soccer. In his mind, give him a shield and a sword any day.

Merlin led Arthur outside, which is where everyone seemed to go to find some quiet. As they stepped out into the night air Arthur was struck by how different this time was than the time of Camelot. The air was different, the stars were different, and the very fabric of the earth was different. It was crazy.

"What did you want to talk about, Arthur?" Merlin asked. "Are you okay? You've been quiet the past few days."

Arthur sighed, his breath fogging in the cold night air. "I'm fine, Merlin," he said. "I just wanted to ask you about something Ciaran told me a while ago."

"Go ahead," Merlin said. "I'm all ears."

"You certainly are," Arthur joked, before becoming serious. "What happened to Reanna? Ciaran mentioned it after they had that big fight a few months ago. He said she was attacked…"

Merlin tensed visibly. "Why do you want to know?" he said roughly.

"I -" Arthur started, trying to find a reason besides his own curiosity. "I want to know if I can help," he said, finding it to be true. He really liked Reanna. Something about her reminded Arthur of himself. She was a better version of him at that age.

Merlin sighed loudly and leaned up against the stone wall of the house. "I don't think there is much you can do to help," he said slowly. "Reanna won't talk about it. To anyone. Every time someone mentions what happened she shuts down and changes the subject or gets angry. It's been getting worse since you all returned and I don't know why." Merlin slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands.

Arthur sat down next to him and pulled Merlin in for a hug. A blind man could see how much Reanna's stubbornness was affecting him. This was a father wanting to help his daughter but being unable to. Arthur couldn't imagine the feeling.

"She'll be alright, Merlin," he said firmly. "After everything calms down we'll help her. Maybe she's being stubborn because she doesn't want to get in the way," Arthur suggested, thinking that it was something he would do.

Merlin picked his head up. "That sounds like something she would do," he said ruefully.

"Merlin," Arthur said hesitatingly. "What exactly happened to her?"

*Merlin took a deep breath. "She was attacked, Arthur, brutally. About a month before you returned a boy named Keegan McAllister and a couple of his friends cornered Reanna and Ciaran one day as they were coming back from the market. According to Ciaran, the boys jumped them, knocked him hard around the head and grabbed Reanna. Ciaran said that he tried to fight them off but they were too strong and they knocked him out. Next thing he remembers was waking up in a hospital bed with a concussion. I got a," Merlin choked on his words, blinking away tears. "I got a phone call at work from the police, telling me that my children are in the hospital. I freak out and start panicking, so one of my colleagues had to drive me. I get there and Ciaran is unconscious on a bed and Reanna is screaming for the nurses to get away from her. I manage to calm her down enough so that the nurses can run their tests. Then I realized what they were testing for and I felt this icy coldness grip me by the throat." Merlin looked at Arthur and tears started falling. "They were testing her for rape, Arthur." Merlin started sobbing. "She wasn't, but the thought that she could have been…." *

Arthur pulled his best friend in for another hug. Obviously Merlin had never had someone to talk to about this. All his emotions had been building up for months and he'd had to worry about all of them and not his daughter. Arthur felt guilty for taking that away from him.

"She'll be okay, Merlin," he whispered. "Reanna is stubborn. She won't let this break her."

Merlin cried for a few more minutes before falling silent. He disentangled himself from Arthur and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be," Arthur said. "Your reaction is definitely warranted. If anything I should be sorry for bringing it up."

They sat there for a few minutes, looking at the stars and watching their breath before Merlin got to his feet and offered his hand to Arthur, which he took. And together they walked back inside the house, with Merlin's shoulders a little lighter and Arthur's a little heavier.

"What are we going to do about passports?" Ciaran asked one morning before school.

"Dammit," Merlin swore, running around looking for his shoes, which he found under the pile of blankets that was Gwaine. "I didn't think of that. I'll conjure some up later."

"You can do that?" Ciaran asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Merlin said distractedly.

"Can you make me a fake ID?" he asked. Reanna laughed from the kitchen table, which was covered in armor and clothing.

"Yeah, sure – wait, no," Merlin said. "Why do you want a fake ID? You only have a few months left until you're 18."

"Yeah," Ciaran shrugged, grabbing his backpack. "I just thought you could make me 21."

"You're not drinking when we're in America," Merlin said. "I can't even believe I'm letting you come."

"Yeah, I can't believe it either. Thank God for Christmas break."

"Ok, smartass," Merlin said fondly. "You're almost late for your bus. You better hurry."

Ciaran and Reanna were out the door a moment later, else they be forced to walk to school in the heavily falling snow. Merlin left a minute later, his car's headlights illuminating the darkened house for a moment. Arthur, Gwen and the knights were on their own.

"What are you all going to do today?" Gwen inquired over lunch a few hours later.

"Not sure," Gwaine muttered into his sandwich. "Probably get drunk."

"You can't do that every day," Percival protested.

"Watch me," Gwaine retorted.

"Merlin gave me a book on Texas," Leon said. "I'm going to read it."

"Tell me what you find out," Gwaine said.

"Elyan and I are going to train," Lancelot said.

"Arthur, will you come on a walk with me?" Gwen asked.

"Hmm? What?" Arthur looked up. "Oh, yes, Guinevere. Of course."

"You didn't hear a word we just said, did you?" his wife accused.

"No?" It came out like a question.

Gwen sighed. "You're coming on a walk to the lake with me after lunch."

"Yes, dear."

Arthur and Gwen finished their lunches and cleared their plates. Arthur grabbed his jacket and helped Gwen into hers, one she was borrowing from Ciaran, because Reanna's were too small for her. Arthur led them to the lake, a path he had taken so many times he could do it with his eyes closed.

They walked in silence for a while before Guinevere spoke. "Are you all right, Arthur?" she asked.

Arthur nodded, remembering Merlin asking him the same thing. "I'm fine," he told her. Arthur decided to not tell Gwen about what Merlin told him about Reanna.

Gwen didn't look convinced. "As long as you're sure." She stopped by the edge of the lake and looked at the dilapidated church on the other bank. "This place is so different to Camelot yet it's still the same."

"What do you mean?"

"Surely you've noticed?" Gwen asked. "The air is thicker, the skies are different. The lake looks the same. I can almost fool myself into thinking that I'm back in Camelot, but then I remember and the illusion is broken."

"Guinevere," Arthur said, taking her hands. There were tears in her eyes. "This place isn't Camelot. Camelot… doesn't exist anymore. This is a new time. Think of it as a new adventure."

"You're wrong, Arthur," she said. "Camelot does still exist." She put her hand over his heart. "It exists in here. You are Camelot, Arthur. Nothing, no matter where or when you are, can change that."

Arthur looked at his wife, remembering all the reasons he fell in love with her. "I love you," he said simply.

"I love you, too." She kissed him. They watched the lake, content to be in each other's company.

"Do you know how we are getting to America?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Merlin said by airplane," Arthur replied. "An airplane is a long metal tube that flies in the air."

"Sounds… lovely," Gwen said, even though it sounded anything but.

"It doesn't," Arthur said frankly.

"No," Gwen agreed. "It doesn't." They descended into a fit of helpless giggles.

Arthur breathed in a lungful of crisp air. He was so glad that Guinevere was back, as well as his knights. It finally felt like something was happening. Maybe together they can get rid of the threat that is Morgana and Mordred. Arthur wanted this to be over with quickly, so he can start living his life again, now that he was given a second chance at it.

"We should go back," he said eventually. "Make sure to keep Gwaine away from the liquor."

They walked together, hand in hand, to the house.

Arthur passed the next few hours sparring with Leon. Percival worked on his own, trying to get his endurance back up being dead for over a thousand years. Gwen started reading a book Reanna gave her. It was called Pride and Prejudice. Reanna thought she would like it.

Gwaine had, unfortunately, gotten into the alcohol. Arthur just left him to it, deciding to let the knight deal with the consequences the next day. The rest of the knights were watching soccer on the television again. Lancelot was reading Leon's book on Texas.

Reanna and Ciaran walked in a little while later, both with bright smiles on their faces.

"What's got you two so happy?" Elyan asked.

"School's out for two weeks," Ciaran answered, grabbing a soda and flopping on the couch next to Lancelot.

"We have two weeks break for Christmas and New Year's," Reanna elaborated, heading upstairs with her backpack. She came down a few minutes later.

"Is Merlin coming back here early?" Ciaran asked.

"That's what he said," Reanna replied. "Whether he does or not… we'll see."

"Does Merlin stay out late often?" Percival inquired.

"Sometimes," Reanna said. "He'll often stay later because he was talking to one of the kids and he got carried away playing or reading to them or something. Then he has to do actual work he didn't get to during the day."

"Merlin doesn't seem to have changed much," Leon commented.

"What do you mean?" Reanna looked confused.

"Merlin loves children." Arthur took over. "Whenever he wasn't working for me or Gaius, and often even when he was, he would take time to play with the children in the lower town. They loved him."

"Can you tell me what he was like? Back in Camelot?" Reanna asked. Ciaran came to attention, tearing his eyes away from the game.

Arthur himself settled in for a long story. "Merlin is the bravest man I have ever met. Don't forget that. But we did not get off to a good start…."

I feel like Merlin would've gotten along with children, don't you? Please review and tell me what you thought. Next chapter should see the gang in Texas.