Gael had been keeping busy at the hospital. It seemed a doctor's work was never done, but more than once in the past several days he had had a feeling that something was off. Every time he dozed off he kept seeing something foreign yet familiar. A large room, a wooden bed that was set pretty low to the floor. Stone walls, shabby looking windows, an old wooden table piled high with books and what looked to be an old style chemistry set that those in the dark ages used.
When he saw that the first time only one word came to mind - 'home.' It was home and yet he didn't know why it was. He could almost see himself wearing shabby clothing, mixing and crushing different herbs in to a paste, putting it in to a vial and then passing it out as some sort of remedy.
Yesterday he had even been sent home by his supervisor when he kept asking for Hawthorn and after learning there was none available he kept asking different nurses to go pick some herbs. In fact he had been told he had referred to one male nurse as someone named Merlin. Funny he really didn't remember that.
Now he was in his car driving to who knows where. He felt an urging to go to someplace that was far away. He had been driving all night and he still knew he had a ways to go. He felt as if something was drawing to a close and that it was important for him to be there. Why that was he didn't know.
Meanwhile, Anthony Pendleton drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his car as he drove twenty miles an hour over the speed limit, desperately trying to get back to Scafell Pike. After dropping his son and that other boy off at the cabin, Anthony had gone back home, but when he was just twenty miles off he nearly was involved in a T-Bone car crash. He, in an attempt to avoid getting hit had jerked the wheel of the car sideways, somehow managing to turn the vehicle enough to avoid the collision with the eighteen-wheeler, but he drove in to a ditch and managed to knock himself out.
While he was unconscious he fell in to a dream state. In this dream state he saw many different things that he couldn't understand; a castle, his son Bradley wearing a golden crown and a bright red cape, a woman in a beautiful dress sitting right beside him wearing a smug look on her face, and that boy...Anthony saw him too. Bradley referred to him as Merlin, and the boy had called him 'Sire.'
Coming too, the elder Pendleton was so confused about what he had just seen. It felt so real; too real to be just a dream. In his heart he felt that it had actually happened; that it was actually his world and he belonged there. Once the tow truck arrived on scene, Anthony's vehicle was towed out of the ditch. It was fine, amazingly, so the elder Pendleton simply thanked the tow truck driver and then got back on the road heading back to the Pike.
He didn't know or understand why but he felt that he had to go back; it was like a calling that he couldn't explain but to him it felt as if everything that had happened to him was suddenly coming to a head; the end was very near.
Gael had seen the accident. He had been about ready to hop out and check on Anthony when the man just up and drove off after the car was pulled from a ditch. "What's that man doing," grumbled the doctor.
Without a second's thought, he followed the man. It seemed like the right thing to do. If Anthony passed out at the wheel, Gael could hop out and help him. Also, the lawyer seemed determined to get somewhere. Maybe Anthony was headed to the same place as Gael was (where ever that was).
The man had to stop on the breaks though when Harriet came running to the car. Had they passed her house? Gael looked over and sure enough, he was right in front of the mansion. Rolling down the window, he looked at the woman who was dressed in a flannel nightgown and clogs. A frantic and bereft expression was upon her face. It seemed she had remembered too.
"Harriet, what's the matter?"
"Oh, Gaius! I've been a dreadful mother," she sobbed. Tears lined her eyes. "I sent him away when he needed me the most! He was screaming for help and…and I was just a…a self-indulgent…" Harriet's voice cracked. "Something is terribly wrong. We shouldn't be here!"
"You're right," Gael said. "I've had the same feeling as you, Hunith. Come, get in. Something tells me things will be right again."
The woman nodded as she came around to the passenger side of the car. Opening the door, she got in and buckled up. After the door was closed, Gael started the car and they continued speeding along with Anthony not too far ahead of them.
Bradley looked in the direction Marty had been, only to find that he was gone, just as Eli had said. "Marty!" he yelled out after the raven-haired man, but there was no answer, Marty was gone. "Damn it..." The blonde muttered under his breath. A fine time for Marty to slip into that 'nobody wants me' mode of his.
"Listen...!" he said, returning his attention back to Percy, Eli and Leo, "Marty didn't really tell me much of anything about what we're searching for. Everything I know about it I learned from notes written by his father. His father understood what was going to happen long before any of us did and he was killed more than likely to keep everyone else in the dark. Marty's father created the machine that Marty and I are looking for. The machine is supposed to do one thing and one thing only; send us home...back where we really belong."
The guys looked at each other. None of them were quite sure what to think. It all seemed farfetched. Leo in particular found himself in disbelief. "If he didn't tell you much why did you believe him? Really what if it was a trick," Leo asked. Eli nodded in agreement.
"Leo, shut up," Percy muttered. "Brad's a smart guy. He wouldn't go off on a wild adventure for anything. He'd have to have some pretty damning evidence before believing him. Besides, this is…was Merlin! When did he ever steer us wrong?" This shut the other two men up.
"Don't you guys feel it too? Feeling that...something isn't right here? Feeling that we shouldn't even be here at all?" Bradley asked.
Percy nodded. "I do. I've felt it for a while. Been dreaming of castles and magical beasts and knights," he admitted. "I even went to a palm reader. She point blank told me I shouldn't be here. It was weird."
"Yep, you can say that again!"
"So, Princess, we're not the only ones? Great, let's go crazy together," Gavin said with a grin
Two voices rang out crystal clear from near the mouth of the cave. Glancing in that direction Bradley was stunned to see Lance and Gavin there, both of them holding large flashlights. "How did you guys get here?" Bradley asked, stepping past the other officers to grab Lance's shoulder in a manly hug.
"That's a long story my friend, but suffice it to say that there was a death threat on yours and Marty's life. Gavin and I just came up to see if you two were alright. We just found our way to this cave and heard you talking. Speaking of the kid, where is he?" Lance asked.
"Gone; ran off. I don't know where and the sun's going down. Soon it'll be too dark to search for anything and we are going to need Marty if we are to find the device." Bradley replied.
Lance smirked and shook his head. "Don't worry I'll find him," he said, clapping Brad on the shoulder before he turned and left the cave to begin tracking the other man.
Gavin watched as Lance trudged off. Then, he looked over at Bradley. "I have connections. Called a buddy of mine and we got a lift in a helicopter. Made the trip quick and easy," he said. "So, what's going on?"
Meanwhile, near the cave, Marty hunkered on the rock. His knees were drawn up and chin was pressed against it as he stared at the lake. Hearing someone approach,, Marty didn't look up. "I hear you, Lancelot," he whispered. The man would know the knights footsteps anywhere. "What do you want?"
Hearing his name being called, Lancelot shone the large, black flashlight up and the beam immediately fell on Marty who was sitting with knees drawn up on a rock, staring in the direction of the nearby lake.
"Marty...Merlin," Lancelot began as he hiked the short distance up until he was standing beside the younger man, "Are you alright? Arthur is worried about you. I think in some small way we all are. A lot of things have happened and while a lot of them have not been good, it has brought the two of you back together."
"Do you have to shine that in my eyes," Marty asked. His voice was quiet and his tone was flat. The young man was deliberately ignoring the question. He didn't really want to admit his weaknesses and faults.
He shrugged, but then shook his head. "What do you think," he asked. "I'm a recovering drug addict with a criminal past and depression. I don't think that's alright."
"I panicked and I just needed space. Seeing all of the knights along with Arthur, it was too much. I let them all down," Marty explained. "I couldn't face them. I couldn't face my destiny."
He snorted. "The only ones who care might be you and Arthur. The knights don't care. They just think I'm a no-good punk. Leon said it himself. Maybe he's right," the dark-haired man interjected.
"Merlin, you of all people should know that's not true. In Camelot, the Knights thought the world of you. The times when we would pick on you; eat up all the food and make it seem like we didn't save you any, or if we harassed you, it was all in jest. There was certainly never any intent behind it," Lancelot said.
"Lancelot, you're thinking in terms of two years ago when things weren't the way they are now…when we were in the past. And we're not in Camelot," Marty retorted as he looked over at the other man. "But, things have changed a lot. I am not that same person. They don't like me and they sure don't care about me. You didn't hear Leon before I left. He just thinks I'm a punk. He said so himself. He wasn't joking, either. He was so cold." Marty shook his head.
"None of it's been good, Lance, at least for me. The last two years have been hell," Marty muttered. "Yeah it might've, but for the most part it was him arresting me…I deserved it."
"Believe it or not you and Arthur were pretty close back in Camelot; more than master and servant. There was a real bond between the two of you that most couldn't understand, but it was there plain to see; it's still there."
"Oh, I know. I remember. I remember our bond," he replied. "But, I remember things I've done…things that aren't good. If I had just told Morgana the truth and not poisoned her maybe we wouldn't be here. I was a fool."
"You don't know that for sure Merlin. You keep thinking of Morgana as some sweet and innocent angel that was corrupted. If you hadn't of done what you did then Morgana would have won and none of us would be here; we would be dead and your destiny would never be fulfilled."
"No, I don't," Marty admits. "But, she was! She was my friend. She was a good person. She was scared and felt alone. If I had told her, I could've helped her and she wouldn't have turned to Morgause."
The young man gritted his teeth as he thought of his destiny. "I hate it…my destiny. Sometimes, I really loathe it. I don't want the responsibility. I don't like feeling so helpless and like everything is preplanned. I don't feel like I have any choices. I can't die when I want to," Marty admitted.
"If you had told Morgana the truth about your magic then you yourself may not be here. Morgana was already being corrupted by her sister. What makes you think that she wouldn't have tried to kill you herself once everyone else was dead? Yes you killed. Yes, you took a life and I know how hard that is to deal with. Just answer me one thing Merlin. If you had it to do over again and you chose not to kill Morgana, and she in turn went ahead and destroyed everything Camelot was and what it stood for; including all of its people…including Arthur, and you somehow ended up here just as you are right now, would you wish that you had killed her and somehow fulfilled your destiny?" Lancelot asked.
"It's just a feeling. When haven't my instincts been right? I just know what I did was the wrong move," Marty asked.
He shook her head. "If I hadn't I know thing would've worked out. Things would've been better. I could've helped her and taught her. She wouldn't have needed Morgause. Morgause was who wanted Camelot destroyed and not Morgana. She and I could've defeated her."
"Remember Merlin, Morgause is Morgana's sister, it would only be natural for her to trust her own flesh and blood over someone else." Lancelot replied.
"Yeah, but Morgana wasn't raised with Morgause. She didn't know her most of her life," Marty whispered. "I just…I just think things could've been different. They should've."
Marty looked up at Lance. "I'd like to be alone now. Please," he said. "I need it. Tell Brad I'll be there soon."
"Okay," Lancelot said as he placed a hand on Marty's shoulder for a moment, "Just do me a favor and don't run off. You know how overly protective Bradley…Arthur…whatever…is over you so please…I don't think anyone wants to see him go in to freak out mode, because he's going to take it out on everyone."
Marty looked up at Lance when he met the other man's eyes. "I won't," he promised. "I'll get be back soon." His smile fell as he looked back at the water.
With that said, Lancelot walked away and headed back to the cave.
Back in the cave Arthur was just filling everyone in on what he knew. He told them about the device and what it was supposed to do, and the area in which it was supposed to be located; a type of oasis inside the cave system.
"Thing is, I don't believe Marty's father would have made it easy to locate or get to, but we need to find it before Morgana does. If she gets to get first she may try to destroy it and if she is able to destroy it...who knows...history may be altered." Arthur said.
Gavin nodded. "I read some of the papers and that guy didn't make anything easy," he agreed. "He also made things that were really boring to read, but that's a different story," he said.
"Who's to say that history hasn't already been altered? We don't even know how long we've been gone. While we've been here two or three years, it might've only been a day back in our time or a decade might've passed," Percival pointed out. "What if there is no Camelot?"
"Are you sure this machine even exist," Leon asks. "Do you honestly believed Marty…Merlin? He's not exactly the most reliable bloke anymore. What if this is some scheme for drugs? While it would be great to bust a drug lord, I'm still wary of this."
"But, if we are sent back then any changes we have here would be erased; they wouldn't have happened," Arthur pointed out, "And Leon in this timeline Merlin may not be as smart as he was before, but I trust him with my life. How could this be a scheme for more drugs? We are out in a cave system with no drug or plant leaf within two hundred miles."
"I don't think time travel works that way. We'll still be remembered. We have had homes, girlfriends, paper trails, Youtube videos. We'll be remembered…just not for our past names. At least, that's how it is in books," Gavin said. "Sure Merlin is, Princess. He could've gotten into any school he wanted. I've got a mile-high file on the kid. He was offered spots in Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Oxford, and that's just a few of them. He just doesn't care. There's a big difference between carelessness and smarts."
Leon rolled his eyes. "Stop being so naïve. You have a drug addict on your hands. He isn't the same person, whether you want to believe it or not. Besides, he wouldn't have to pluck a leaf for drugs. He could've set up a meeting with a heroin dealer. It's kind of suspicious that escaped convict is running through the Pike right as you two are here."
"You asked me if the machine exists; I believe it does. However there is only one way to find out for sure; find it and then we'll know. Are you men up for a search or are you so convinced that this thing doesn't exist that you won't even bother?"
"Of course I am. I know something is going on," Percival said.
"I'm always in for a bit of an adventure," Gavin remarked with a grin.
"I'm going, but only to watch your back," muttered Leo. Eli nodded in agreement.
"Leon, you really are a shining ray of light today, aren't you?" Arthur asked in a very sarcastic tone of voice. He was glad that they all were coming along; it would be like the good old days when they all worked together. He just wished they all would see that.
Leon sighed. "Forgive me for being prudent. I just don't want you getting hurt," he said. The man looked over at the caves. "Any idea where they went off too? They've kinda been gone a long time.
"Wow…Leon worried…never thought I'd see the day…!" Lancelot said, entering in to the cave. He immediately held up his hands when he saw that Bradley was about to speak.
"He's fine Arthur; Marty's fine. He just needs some time alone right now, though he did ask me to tell you that he'll be back in soon. I think everything has finally taken a real toll on him."
Arthur nodded his head a little. "Thank you, Lancelot," he said.
Leon sighed and rolled his eyes as Lancelot nodded to Bradley. Sure he got worried. He just usually didn't voice his feeling. Hearing that Marty hadn't left, he found he was a little surprised and slightly disappointed. He didn't really want to go on this adventure, but he would – if only to protect his friends.
