Hey all! Thank you all so much for the reviews. I really appreciate all the encouragement. I wish I could have updated sooner, but my laptop konked out. I'm having to borrow my dads, lol. Again, thank you so much for everything! Enjoy!


The flight was absolutely torcherous.

The seats were tight, the entertainment bland, and the plane was overcrowded. Richard was sitting next to a businesswoman who was on her laptop the whole time. Thankfully, he was on the isle, so he could get up whenever he wanted to.

But it was infuriating! Eight hours of just sitting and watching four movies as he waited for the plane to finally land. The whole time he thought of Merlin. He thought of Arthur and Gwen and of the knights. He was so excited to see them. To see him. They had so many things to talk about. This new world, the old world, and this time Richard would be able to keep up with him. This younger body... In this life he was a vigorous man in his thirties. His shirt hair was still dark, he had barely any wrinkles, and his body was still fit. Remembering his body in the old world, how old he'd been when he first met his young ward... Things would be different now.

He would be different now.

He didn't plan on sitting on the sidelines anymore. He was going to be an active part of the hype. It was going to be wonderful.

He just had to make it through his damn flight.


Leon and Gwaine met them at the bottom of the stairs of the court house, grinning. Each had a cup of coffee in their hands, and each held an extra red cup for Arthur and Merlin.

"What?" Merlin asked when their eyes landed on him.

Gwaine shook his head to move his hair out of his face. "You testimony, mate. Right on point and bloody genius." He threw an arm around Merlin's shoulders and guided him towards the SUV parked on the curb. "We've got our own Sherlock on our team. Which I suppose would make Arthur the elderly John Watson."

"Oi!"

Merlin smiled back at his friend. The once-king's blue eyes twinkled with laughter. "Well, you are technically about sixty years old now."

"Merlin."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

They celebrated the end of the case with a feast in Merlin's apartment, as they usually did. Because if there was something Merlin was damn good at, it was cooking, and to top that off, he had fifteen hundred years of experience and traveling the world learning how to make a little bit of everything. Tonight was taco night, and Merlin knew better than anyone how to season meat.

It was like an art form, watching him prepare food. He cheated a little, using his magic to chop tomatoes as he seasoned the meat by hand. Arthur rolled his eyes, wondering just how many times he'd used magic to complete his chores back in Camelot. During his last days, the once-king had seen Merlin use magic a number of times, and it warmed his heart to know that if anyone should have this power, it's his warlock.

"Dinner's ready!" Merlin called. "Buffet style."

They all lined up to prepare their food, and it wasn't long before they were all scattered around the living room, some on the couch and some on the floor, watching a movie. It was a quiet night, a relaxing night, but they were all happy.

And that was the most important thing.


"I made it to Heathrow," Richard grinned. He shuffled the cell phone next to his ear, using his shoulder to prop it up. "I'm getting a car now and going directly to my nephew's house."

He walked out of the elevator and into the parking garage. It smelled like oil and tires and was sparsely lit. Richard was told that all the rental cars were parked in the garage. It was just taking time to find the-there. Richard smiled as he found the correct license plate number. It was a small blue Nissan Micra.

He could hear Rylee grin on the other side of the phone. "I'm glad you made it safe. How was the flight?"

Richard pressed the trunk button on the fob and hastily put his luggage inside, slamming the trunk shut as excitement coursed through him. He would see Merlin soon. Part of him wondered if the boy would even recognize him. He'd given up his long white hair and aged face. He was younger this time around, with short brown hair and no... Well, less wrinkles. He stood tall, and in this life, he was nearly forty years old. "Long, boring. I hate sitting so much. I'm getting old."

"You're fine, calm down," she laughed.

Just as he was about to open the driver's side door, a shadow passed behind him. Fear lit his veins, causing him to jump as he turned around. There was nothing. Just more cars. Not even a soul in sight. He was getting old. Old and paranoid.

"Don't forget about the student's papers, Rylee. They still need to be graded.." As Richard's assistant, he'd left grading the papers to her as class was suspended. "The answers are on my desk."

"I know, Richard," she chirped, smiling.

Another shadow passed behind him, and when Richard turned around this time, there was a dark figure standing behind him. The professor pressed a hand against his chest from fright, taking in a panicked breath.

"You have magic," the dark figure said.

Rylee quieted on the other side of the phone.

"What?" Richard gasped. "What are you talking about?"

"Is there someone there?" Rylee said.

The man rushed at him, pressing a hand against Richard's throat. "I want it."

Richard screamed and dropped the phone. It hit hard against the ground, and as he tried to fight, he could distantly hear his assistant yelling on the other side. His head hit the car, disorienting him. His vision blurred as the man's magic shoved him against the car. He whispered something and suddenly, gold threads were coming from Richard. The professor panicked.

"Stop!"

A second man rushed at them, dressed in a long dark coat. He grabbed the man who assaulted the professor and threw him backwards. Richard collapsed to his knees, holding his chest as his vision blurred. His chest heaved as he desperately tried to breathe. His whole being hurt and his magic was crying out in pain. He saw the dark coated man throw the assaulter back with his own magic. The very air was charged with it. Gold threads were still coming off of Richard like smoke.

He heard yelling and looked up. The assaulter was running, and the black coated man was watching him leave. Richard collapsed, feeling the cold hard cement against his cheek. The world went dark.