A/N: Welcome to part 5 of the STAGES series! This part is the longest so far, and will go into 2020 too so all that stuff...updates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday as usual. Hope you all enjoy!
I survived a dreadful accident in the car crash, of the century. My shattered hopes collapsed on cold cement—but in the back of the ambulance—I'd never felt to content! A high speed collision brought a new sense of sight to me, and now my vision will render the scene. A blurry image of wreckage and roadside debris. Happiness returned to me through a grave emergency
16th November 2019
Merlin lay in bed with a smile on his face. His alarm hadn't gone off yet, but he was simply too excited. The day had arrived—his wedding day. He hadn't imagined it'd be like this, that he'd be eloping with Morgana of all people—but now? He couldn't imagine it any other way. He rolled over in bed to face his fiancée, she was awake too with a slight smile on her face.
"Good morning" she grinned.
"How long have you been awake?" Merlin asked.
"Not long" Morgana replied. "You?".
"Around ten minutes" Merlin smiled. "Should I go get Amhar? Baby cuddles".
"Can't believe you've even had to ask" Morgana chuckled. "We always need baby cuddles".
Merlin quickly got Amhar and went back into bed with the baby, he lay down with his knees bent up and sat Amhar down on his knees.
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall" Merlin sang, separating his knees as Amhar fell with a giggle.
"All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again" Morgana sang as Amhar crawled over to her, sitting with his legs out.
"Row row row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream" Morgana sung.
"I guess we should get out of bed then" Merlin sighed.
"Special wedding breakfast?" Morgana asked.
"You'll have to wait and see" Merlin smirked. "Can you do his nappy?".
"If I must" Morgana rolled her eyes and grinned. "Well, let's do this. Let's get married". Merlin made his way downstairs to start making breakfast, while Morgana took Amhar to get his nappy changed and make up his cot (or, hang his gro-bag off the side of it) before going down.
"And this is our amazing wedding breakfast" Merlin grinned. "Sunny side up egg with toast, and a lovely kale and avocado smoothie".
"That's nice" Morgana smiled as she went to the conservatory and strapped Amhar in his highchair. After breakfast, Merlin's parents would be soon arriving—at around ten, and they'd woken up at seven so had just about enough time to get ready. Morgana had taken the bedroom and en-suite so she could do her hair and makeup, leaving Merlin to the nursery and the family bathroom. Amhar played with his toys in his cot while both Merlin and Morgana showered, then Merlin stayed in his dressing gown while giving the baby a bath, Morgana getting her hair and makeup done. She'd put her hair at the front back with a pearl clip, curling her hair that remained loose at the back. She kept her makeup simple and light—silver eyeshadow, eyeliner, red lipstick and some blush and highlighter.
Something old—she put her shoes on. Something new—her dress lay out ironed on the bed. Something borrowed—she put her mum's earrings in. Something blue—her Victoria's Secret bra and thong. Alongside a sapphire heart-shaped pendant, given that she wanted something blue to be somewhat visible too. Morgana put her outfit on and looked at herself in the mirror. She checked the time—10 o'clock. The photographer would be arriving soon. Her phone buzzed, Merlin. 'Photographers here. Time to come down now'. Morgana smiled and placed her phone in her bag. While it was slightly nicer than her usual bag, it wasn't the most fancy one given that they were keeping things simple.
Morgana tossed her hair over her shoulder, turned off the bedroom and hallway light and walked down the stairs. She posed on the stairs with a smile as she saw Merlin at the bottom of the stairs carrying Amhar, alongside the photographer. After taking a few photos she made her way down to the bottom of the stairs and held out her hand for Merlin.
"You look beautiful" Merlin smiled as he took her hand and kissed it.
"So do you" Morgana smiled. "My two boys!" She kissed Amhar's cheek leaving her lipstick imprinted on his face. Morgana took some photos with Amhar as they stood by the white wall of the hallway, then by herself followed by photos with Merlin. They stood together as a family, Amhar in Morgana's arms and they laughed with Merlin next to them, kissing the baby's cheeks and Merlin throwing Amhar in the air. Merlin had also taken some photos and they took some photos in front of the door and with Hunith and Balinor too, before they left for the registry office.
Given that Morgana had a VW Polo and Merlin had a VW Golf, they weren't the most fancy cars, Hunith and Balinor had decided that they'd rent them a Range Rover for the day, and picked it up from the hire company before making their way to the house.
"Now that is fancy" Merlin whistled as he saw the car.
"Thank you so much for this" Morgana smiled. "It's nice to have this for a change". They stood by the car and posed for their photos, then Merlin went to his car so that he could get Amhar's car seat out and move it into the other car. Removing it from his car was easily enough; unclip the seatbelt and pull it out of the base, pick up the car seat and strap it in the other car. As for getting it into the other car—that was the problem.
Merlin plonked the seat in the middle seat and extended the seatbelt, pushed it under the seat and clicked it in then tightened it, wiggling the seat from side to side to make sure it was in securely.
"I don't think that's secure enough" Morgana drawled as she pulled on the seat's straps. The car seat quickly went forward and jiggled loosely—clearly not installed properly. "The belt doesn't look like it's in the right place either".
"You're right" Merlin sighed as he uninstalled it, then put the belt through the belt holders underneath the seat and made sure to get his knee into the seat to make it tight. Out of breath once more, Merlin shuffled the seat from side to side.
"Sorry guys" Merlin apologised sheepishly.
"Take your time" Hunith smiled. "Doesn't matter. Better keep the baby safe". Merlin grunted as he pushed the seatbelt into the seat once more, finding a button soon afterwards that made the seat shell flip forwards leaving an open base.
"Aha!" Merlin gasped. "I think this is it". Merlin extended the belt, held it together and put both parts of the seatbelt through the guides.
"Still seems a bit loose" Morgana frowned. "Why don't you just Google how to install it on YouTube?".
"You do it then" Merlin scoffed and grinned. He couldn't wait until Amhar wouldn't need a car seat anymore, but then again he could. If only the manufacturers didn't make them so bloody hard to install.
"Merlin, put the lap belt through the guides" Morgana sighed as she watched the "installation for Britax King" video on YouTube. "Pull it tight, then put the shoulder belt through on top. Release the lever and push the seat back in, then shake it and put the seatbelt in the side part".
"I ... am ... doing ... it" Merlin huffed. "There. I am done. Now let's go". Merlin was still out of breath for half of the drive to Albion. It turned out that installing a car seat in the car could somewhat do that to you. Morgana felt sick. She knew that her period was due in a couple of days and that nausea was a side effect of her PMS—or it could've been wedding nerves, yet this was simply overwhelming.
As soon as they had arrived at the court and they had pulled over, Morgana immediately dashed out of the car and threw up in the nearest bushes with Merlin hot on her heels rubbing her back.
"Are you okay?" Merlin asked once Morgana had finished being sick.
"Just PMS" Morgana shrugged as she stood up. Hunith rushed over with some water and tissues while Balinor took Amhar out the car and ran over with the baby bag.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Hunith checked.
"Positive" Morgana nodded as she put her brave face on. "Now, let's go in". She smiled at Merlin and held his hand as they walked into the courtroom, checking in at the desk and taking the lift up to level four—wedding level. They sat together holding hands, until their names were called by a registrar whom they followed into a room and Merlin stood at the altar. Their choice of wedding song—a thousand years (part two), began to play as Morgana walked into the room holding Amhar's tiny hand as she made her way up to the altar.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Merlin and Morgana in marriage. I would like Merlin to say his vows first".
"I, Merlin Emrys take Morgana Pendragon to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer" Merlin briefly stopped as he saw Morgana pale once more. Luckily Hunith had given Morgana a sick bag to keep in her bag just in case, as she buried her face in it while Merlin held back her hair.
"In sickness and in health" Merlin continued shortly afterwards, to love and to cherish always".
Morgana coughed and took a few sips of water before she started her vows. "I, Morgana Pendragon, take Merlin Emrys to be my husband from this day forward, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish always".
"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love" Merlin smiled as he slid the ring into Morgana's finger. The same ring he had proposed with, given that they decided to not 'do' engagement rings. "To pledge my love for you now and forever"
"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love" Morgana smiled and wiped at her tears as she slid the ring onto Merlin's finger. "To pledge my love for you now and forever".
"I now pronounce you Mr and Mrs Emrys. You may kiss the bride".
"Merlin" Morgana hissed, yet Merlin didn't seem to care and leant in to kiss her regardless.
"I can't believe we're married!" Morgana squealed as she looked down at the marriage certificate.
"Me neither, wife" Merlin grinned as she hugged him. They walked out hand in hand, Merlin carrying Amhar while Morgana had her roses as Elton John's cover of 'can you feel the love tonight' played. It was now time to get the adoption order—they'd have a combined order grant and celebration hearing, Hunith and Balinor had to wait in the waiting room as it was only parents and child allowed in the room.
"Merlin and Morgana Emrys" Lamia said as she came out of one of the rooms. Merlin and Morgana smiled at each other and picked up Amhar, walking into the room behind Lamia and the judge.
"Take a seat, take a seat" he smiled as he went through his paperwork. "It is good to see such a happy family".
"Thank you" Morgana smiled while Amhar giggled.
"How is it going?" He asked.
"It's been rather good" Merlin smiled. "We've all settled into family life well, and we're looking forward to the new decade".
"Obviously the circumstances leading to all this is devastating, but now we're so happy and finally able to accept it all" Morgana added.
"You two just need to sign here, and here" Lamia said watching as they signed the official forms.
"By the power vested in me, I declare Morgana and Merlin Emrys the legal parents of Amhar Tom Emrys. Congratulations, here is the certificate of adoption". Merlin and Morgana were given the adoption certificate in a large envelope. They took some photos in the judges chair before leaving the room with grins on their faces to Hunith and Balinor in the waiting room.
"It went well then?" Hunith asked.
"It did! It sure did" Merlin beamed.
"Well, I don't know about you all but I am starving" Morgana said. "How about we all head out for some lunch?".
"That sounds good" Balinor agreed. "We could all use some food".
"Foof" Amhar said with a grin.
After lunch and Hunith and Balinor left, Merlin and Morgana were alone with their son for the first time. Amhar wasn't simply their nephew anymore, the adoption process had ended and they were now parents. Officially parents.
"This has been such a good day" Merlin smiled.
"It has" Morgana agreed. "Adoption day, wedding day. Come over here, will you?". Merlin was washing up in the kitchen so put down the pots and went over to the conservatory.
"What are you doing?" Merlin asked as he scratched at his head.
"Come on, this is fun" Morgana grinned. She had a piece of A3 paper on the table, Amhar had his handprint in baby blue paint in the middle, Morgana's hand was covered in purple and she had some green on the side. "Happy anniversary and adoption date" Morgana grinned as she and Merlin put their hands down. The next chapter of life had just begun and so far, it was brilliant.
A/N: Now, I'm no parent, but I've had to move a car seat from one car to the other before and it is EXHAUSTING! I was going to the gym regularly and still ended up winded! Also wanted to add, today is the one year anniversary since I finished watching Merlin for the first time too!