Hohoho dear readers!

Merry Christmas!

This is your present for being here, reading my stories, reviewing them and basically encouraging me to keep writing!

I hope you will like this little seasonal one shot that came to me last week and was corrected super fast by my awesome Beta! (You're the best dear!)

Just so you know, it is integrated in the whole "ModernAU" I've done in this collection (chapters 20, 21 and 28 if you want to re-read them) but it can be read alone I suppose !

Enjoy !

Christmas miracle

Merlin watched from behind the window as all his friends gathered around one huge box containing all of Gaius' Christmas decorations. Which meant a lot.

He had been sent out to find some food they could share while decorating the Christmas tree together. Merlin had to admit it felt weird to have them all there with him.

It had been only six months since he had been reunited with Arthur, Gwen and Gaius but it still sometimes felt like yesterday. Merlin couldn't shake the tiny twinge of ever-present fear that it was all a very detailed dream and that he would soon wake up in his tiny cottage. Alone, waiting for Arthur.

He shook himself from his rapidly darkening thoughts and went to the door. He stopped at the threshold to shake the snow from his clothes and hair and take his shoes off.

"Right on time Merlin!" Alice greeted him as she came out of the kitchen with a tray of mugs from which the scent of traditional eggnog was freely escaping.

That was another thing he was not quite used to. Gaius and Alice had somehow found themselves again two months ago and naturally decided to live together. Both said that they had been looking for the other all their lives without knowing before they did finally see each other.

Merlin had been delighted at the news. It was good to know that Gaius would have another chance with her, without the peril of execution looming above their heads.

It was just that seeing them together had reminded him of the love of his life. And on a Christmas eve he couldn't quite stop his melancholy.

He entered he warm living room with his bag of groceries.

"Ah, you're finally here Merlin! I was beginning to think that you'd gotten lost in the snow!" Arthur exclaimed before coming over to rummage through the food while Merlin took a mug from Alice to drink the warm brewage.

"Yeah and it wouldn't be right to leave your stomach waiting, would it?" The warlock teased with a grin as warmth settled in his body.

The former king answered him with a glare that promised retribution. It only made Merlin laugh, his previous somber mood buried by the happiness of being with his friends.

During the thousand years he had spent waiting, he had never cared much for celebrations like Christmas, New Year or his birthday. There just was no point celebrating the passing of time when it meant only more loneliness and suffering for him.

"Come here Merlin, choose your decorations and put them on the tree." Gaius instructed.

The ever young man made his way carefully across the room, taking care not to trip over the various piece of furniture. It made the room homely but was hazardous for someone as clumsy as Merlin.

Merlin smiled at him and began looking through the box himself, finding a sewed reindeer that looked ancient and a fluffy red garland. Gaius smiled at him when he saw the animal.

"My mother made it when I was young." He commented as Merlin studied the tree to find it the best place possible. "It always was my favorite decoration."

"It is beautiful." Gwen agreed from where she was fixing her own chosen glinting star.

It took a good hour before the tree finally was completed, a mix of mismatched ornament decorating it. The five people in the room gathered around it, inspecting their work.

"Well, I think it's not that bad." Gaius judged making the others nod in agreement.

"I think it is missing something." Arthur added and put an arm on Merlin shoulders. "Come on warlock, magic us something magical!"

Merlin felt himself blush slightly and shook his head at his friend's silliness. He thought for a moment before closing his eyes and breathing a few words of the old religion.

"Oh!" Gwen exclaimed in a happy whisper as she moved closer to the tree. "That's so beautiful Merlin"

It was now illuminated with hundreds of tiny little lights that seemed to dance in the branches like little shooting stars and from the ceiling thin snow fell slowly so that it dusted the tree before disappearing in an endless cycle.

"Yes, now it is really perfect." The former physician complimented with an affectionate pat at Merlin's back.

The warlock grinned and they all settled down to share the food he had brought earlier, even if part of it was already missing thanks to Arthur's impatience.

As they relaxed into the night, sharing stories of their past Christmas, Merlin observed the people he loved, feeling warm and content. Thousand years of waiting for this moment.

It was worth it, he thought to himself.

The next morning, Merlin woke early but stayed in bed, enjoying the feel of the familiar bed beneath him. He considered this room as his second home. Gaius had made it absolutely clear that this house was his and had immediately declared that the guest room would be sorely Merlin's. The guest could sleep in the convertible in the living room, like Arthur and Gwen were currently.

The thought made the warlock smile in the dark. The king and queen of Camelot sleeping in a convertible in a living room of a small cottage. Who would believe that.

When the light was finally bright enough that he couldn't pretend to be able to fall back asleep, he pushed himself up. He chose casual, comfortable clothing before padding silently down the stairs. Peering into the living room, he spent a few minutes simply watching his two best friends sleep peacefully, Arthur's arm around Gwen's shoulders as she snuggled into his side.

Unbidden, he felt the familiar twinge of longing in his heart. Freya's shy smile and the memory of her warm body against his side entered his mind, crystal clear despite the countless years.

A hand landed on his shoulder making him jump, barely able to stop himself from squealing.

"Merlin?" Gaius whispered, careful not to wake the still sleeping couple. "What are you doing up already?"

The warlock shrugged, his mind still distracted by the previous memory. The old man frowned and observed him from head to toe.

"Are you alright?"

Merlin forced a smile on his lips, knowing full well it wouldn't convince his almost father but still trying to appease his worries.

"Yes, I'm fine Gaius."

As predicted, the old man hummed, clearly not believing him but trusting Merlin to open up eventually. For the moment.

It was only at the end of the day, after a very long dinner of homemade food thanks to Alice and Gwen (with the tentative and not quite useful help of the men) that Gaius once more evoked the subject.

He wouldn't have done so if he hadn't noticed Merlin discreetly leave the room as he thought both Arthur and Gwen and Alice and himself were too busy in themselves to notice his absence.

Gaius, however, knew Merlin very well so he knew something was bothering him.

He tracked Merlin to the backyard veranda. He was leaning against one window, observing the white scenery in front of him. The old man approached him slowly, coming to a stop next to his almost son.

"What is it Merlin?" He asked directly, not bothering to ask if he was alright when he clearly wasn't.

He knew the signs. The warlock sighed but kept his gaze firmly away from Gaius.

"It's nothing, really. I'll be back in a minute."

It was Gaius' turn to sigh. Instead of leaving, he put an arm around his past-charge skinny shoulders.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me" He declared.

Merlin shook his head, closing his eyes.

"It's just… Seeing Arthur and Gwen, you and Alice…" He interrupted himself.

"It makes you miss Freya." The former physician guessed.

Merlin just nodded and Gaius squeezed him against his side, rubbing his hand on his arm for comfort. They stayed like that for a long moment.

"You don't think she'll come back too?"

The dark-haired man shook his head sadly.

"I bound her soul to the lake. She couldn't come back, no matter how much I want it."

"I'm sorry Merlin."

"It's okay Gaius. Really."

The old man was still unconvinced but resolved to keep a watchful eyes on the immortal.

Their wistful silence was interrupted by the bell ringing.

"It must be carol singers, come on, let's go listen to some Christmas songs." Gaius said, pulling Merlin back inside.

They entered the corridor just as Arthur opened the door.

Merlin froze in his track as the sight of a dark haired and pale skinned woman. A woman he knew only too well.

"It can't be." He whispered breathlessly.

He knew his face has lost all its colour and it felt as if his heart missed several beats and his lungs froze. She was staring at him and everyone turned towards him, probing looks on their faces.

He didn't notice any of it. His eyes could only see the woman he had missed for so long. She hadn't changed. He couldn't believe it. Surely he must be dreaming and would wake up soon.

And then, after what seemed like hours but was mere seconds, she grinned.

"Merlin!" She exclaimed and made her way past Arthur, almost but not quite running towards Merlin.

In a heartbeat she was throwing her arms around his neck, burying her cold face in the crook of his neck. It took another few seconds before he admitted to himself that the warm body against his was real and let himself hug her tightly back, putting his head in her hair and inhaling her scent.

He had forgotten it.

He couldn't stop the tears in his eyes to fall as he began shaking, unbelieving happiness submerging his mind.

"Freya." He said, thick voice muffled in her hair. "Freya. I can't believe you're here. Tell me it's not a dream. Please Freya."

He felt Freya shift against him, her hold tightening on him.

"I promise Merlin. I promise I'm here."

He had missed her soft tones. And then, Merlin was laughing, pent-up emotion escaping in the unexpected merriness.

Freya took a step back and stared at him brown eyes dancing with happiness. He didn't wait any longer and kissed her.

"Can someone explain what's happening?" Arthur asked from his place still frozen at the door, staring as his former manservant, best friend even, kissed an unknown woman who had come out of nowhere as if he had known her forever.

His question stayed unanswered as everyone watched the couple that was lost in their own world.

Gaius was the first to recover and, with a youngish grin gestured at Alice, Arthur and Gwen to leave Merlin alone with his mysterious girlfriend. The former king grumbled a bit but obeyed.

Just as they were alone, Merlin and Freya separated.

"I love you." Merlin said, caressing her cheek gently, relishing at the fact that she was there, in flesh and bones.

"I love you too, Merlin." She answered, placing one hand on her heart.

He couldn't resist pulling her in a hug again, addicted to the feel of her heartbeat against his skin and the warmth of her body.

"You can't imagine how much I missed you." Merlin admitted silently.

"Yes I can. Because I missed you more."

They stayed for very long locked in their embrace, simply enjoying the fact that they were reunited.

"Tell me this isn't just for one day?" He asked suddenly.

"I honestly don't know. But I hope not."

It wasn't a perfect answer but it was enough for the time being.

"Now I think that you have some explanation to give to a certain king."

Merlin laughed again, feeling happier than he ever had. Finally feeling complete.

"That I do." He nodded. "But first…"

He grinned and kissed her again, because he wanted to and because, this time, he was determinate to make the most of their time together.

Freya didn't seem to mind as she eagerly kissed him back, hands twisted in his hair.

Merlin thought that miracles did indeed happen at Christmas.

And that's it! I hope you liked the chapter! In case you were wondering, this was me indulging myself with my favorite ship. I just loved so much writing Merlin's and Freya's reunion!

Lots of love to you and your families!