Out of Time

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Happy Thursday my wonderful readers! Are you ready for the next little chapter. We're going to see a little more of how Addison is doing back in her world, and in the next chapter we're going to see two important characters reuniting and by the end of this chapter you'll be able to tell who those two characters are. Which I think is super exciting. As always, if you'd like a shout out fav or follow the story and don't forget to review so I know how you guys are doing with the newer chapters. See you guys next week!

Shoutouts: Guest, Loving-you-is-a-crime R.S.1884, isiswild and livesinasong13

Chapter 44: Out of Alliance

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Isabella screamed and Addison sighed once more. It seemed, since Merlin had become a permanent fixture her life, that this was her best friend's new catch phrase.

"It's just a weekender," Addison repeated. "I should only be gone a couple of days."

"We should be going together!"

"Why? I'm doing a weekender with my boyfriend, it's not like you haven't gone on trips with your beaus without me."

"Yes but I don't trust him. We still don't know if he's a serial killer."

"Well I high doubt he's a serial killer Bella."

"We don't know that. And you're telling me you can't keep your phone on?"

"We're doing a phone-free weekend," Addison lied. "Disconnect from social media and get in touch with the world."

"That disgusting," Isabella snarled. "And it's something a serial killer says before he serial kills his supposed girlfriend."

Addison shook her head. There was a good reason for lying to her best friend.

For starters their weekend away was going to be in Avalon. She couldn't take her best friend to Avalon. And she couldn't send pictures from Avalon either. Firstly because she wasn't sure she had service there, and secondly because she couldn't chance getting a Sidhe in the picture. She had feeling that those little blue fuckers would love photobombing her and she knew she wouldn't be able to explain why she had a flying little blue person in her pictures.

Then she had continued the lie about her actual relationship with Merlin because it was the only way to keep him in her life at that moment. The only way to explain why she would want to go away for the weekend with him, why she wanted to spend all of her time with him, the only way to explain why she had recognized him after coming straight out of a coma.

Could she really tell her friends and family that she had been transported to Medieval Camelot and fell in love with Prince Arthur while she was in a coma? That she had magic powers and Merlin was the Merlin from the stories and he was there to help her navigate her life now that she had powers? No. Course not. People would think she was crazy.

They were literally just friends. They held hands, he kissed her cheek and vice versa to keep up appearances, but that was it. Sooner or later Isabella was going to notice but she figured by then she'd have another cover lie to give her.

Abstinence maybe? Vowed to be celibate until marriage? Merlin's an asexual. She'd fucking figure it out eventually. But right now all that mattered was getting out of that apartment and getting to Avalon.

"Look, it's not ideal, but I will text you when I get there, and text you when I'm on the way back. Pictures and everything so you know I'm alive. I have left the hotel number there so if I'm not back you can give that to the police."

Isabella shook her head. "This is serious bullshit," she growled, mostly to herself but she let Addison leave and that was all that mattered.

The gate to Avalon was still in the lake. A lake that was now in the middle of some park. During the day they had children playing football around, and people walking their dogs, not knowing that just a few feet away the gates to paradise and immortality were just a trip and fall away.

Merlin took Addison there in the middle of the night so no one would see what happened and try to dredge the lake to find their bodies.

Also, if Isabella found out that they went missing in a body of water, it wouldn't matter if Merlin came back with Addison or not, she would literally fry him alive.

They had left the car at a hotel near-by where they had left all of their luggage in their room. They had played off the really giddy and excited couple so they were hoping no one would be too surprised when they didn't come out of their room for two or three days.

Once that was all set they snuck out and went straight to the lake. They waded into the water, with the plan to swim down to Avalon and that was supposed to be the plan. It was not what happened. She had sunk down with Merlin, had been swimming towards the bottom but she was half way down when she heard something.

She stopped swimming, part way to the golden glow that she knew from all her experience was the entrance to Avalon. She held her breath looking around, it was singing, she could hear singing but why could she hear singing?

In the murky water that would lead her to Avalon there was a secondary light, just off to her right. And it was beckoning her. Like… she felt like she needed to go to that light… and that was concerning.

But when she could make out the lyrics, despite her worry, despite her untrusting nature, she swam towards them. Because it was one of her own songs, and she had a feeling she knew exactly what was going on.

If it was what she thought it was, things were about to get really, really weird.

The very first thing she noticed when she came through off the other side of that light was that she felt different. Not in the sense that she was wet and the air felt cold to her skin, but in the sense that she felt lighter. And dry. As in she wasn't wet and she knew she should have been.

They second thing she noticed was that she was in a different outfit. This one a flowing white dress she had never owned before, let alone got into the lake in that evening.

And thirdly… she was exactly where she thought she was. Maybe not in the way she thought but she was close. She was standing above the lake, managing to walk on water, which she didn't think was possible, and she was watching a burning funeral barge as it sunk into the water by her feet.

Across from her, on the bank of the lake were the townsfolk, all joined together in song, singing for her as they heralded her body to the afterlife. That alone was heart warming but her eyes were on Arthur, who she could pick out int hat crowd without a second thought. Her poor wonderful Arthur who she could tell, even from where she was, that he was not taking this well.

So she decided to sing with them.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

She was walking towards the shore, to where the people were standing mouths agape to watch her. The song hadn't died entirely because she was singing it now, though by herself. Arthur however had called her name and was now wading through the water to get to her.

Oh her heart, her poor, poor heart. Oh how she wished she could hold Arthur, could keep him close to her. But she had a feeling, since she was certain her body was sinking to the bottom of lake, she wasn't real in this world.

She had to give him some kind of message, and she had a feeling that she didn't have a lot of time to do that. So she walked towards him, getting down on her knees, to the man who was chest deep in the water, reaching his arms out to her. Tears in his eyes, her name running ragged from his lips.

You are strong, and you can live without me

Please go on to be the best King you can be.

Her heart bled for him, she bled for him, but she had nothing else to give him but her words.

I'll be with you, even if you can't see me

He couldn't touch her and she couldn't touch him, no matter how she tried to stroke his cheeks to brush the tears away. She too found herself crying, wishing more than anything that she could go back to him, to fix him by being alive again.

But nothing could bring her back.

When her time was up, which was only seconds later, there was a flash and Arthur was gone. Addison was alone, underwater, trying not to sob lest she drown herself. She quickly orientated herself, found the right golden glow to swim towards and tried to kick herself free of the sadness dragging her down.

When Merlin resurfaced, he was looking up to the original lady of the lake and who he knew was Arthur's mother Ygraine. No Freya, like he had hoped, just Arthur's golden mother.

She smiled down at him as he climbed his way up onto the bank, noting that Addison had not resurfaced with him. He turned back to the water that was smooth and unrippling even though he had just left the water.

"She has detoured, she will join us momentarily."

Yeah cause that wasn't weird or concerning.

"Do you know why I've come?"

Ygraine nodded. Well, that was good at least, he wouldn't have to explain it to anyone but Addison then.

"Is it to be talked about or have you already decided."

"I have talked with the other elders, and yes, a decision has been made."

Merlin nodded and then looked back to the lake. "Then we'll wait."

And together they faced the lake and waited, silently, for Addison to appear. Merlin had almost dripped dry by the time there was any sign of Addison joining them. Which started in the form of big bubbles breaking the calm reflective surface of the water.

Addison broke the surface not much later and then coughed a bit. She turned to the shore and began to slowly swim towards them.

"I think I just went to my own funeral."

Well she had appeared at the funeral back then, sang to Arthur and then vanished again, so that was not a surprise to him. He'd have to explain it to her at one point, but now, now was not that time.

"Come on, we're late for a meeting," he said, stepping forward and extending a hand to help her get ashore.

"Really? Aw… I'm sorry," she said as she accepted his hand as she waded to shore. "Hey Ygraine!"

"How very nice to see you again Addison," she said with a slight inclination of her head and Addison, soaking wet Addison, just glomped onto her, capturing Ygraine in a very wet hug.

Once Merlin managed to get Addison to let Ygraine go, the older lady of the lake led them to her hut. As they walked the various Sidhe swooped down to pull her hair and cry her name. Anyone else might have been annoyed by this but Addison merely said hello to each and every one of them and they eventually left her alone.

Once in the hut, Addison and Merlin were handed blankets, and bid to sit by the fire that was already raging. Ygraine had already made tea and sitting waiting for them was a woman Addison didn't recognize. But Merlin recognized her and was very happy to see her.

She was fairly pretty with her black hair, and her pointed features. She was in a red sort of dress with navy sheer accents along her sleeves and down the bodice. She jumped up the second she saw Merlin rushing to give him a big hug.

"Hello Freya," he whispered softly to her while Addison watched on, wondering if this was how he felt every time she and Arthur had jumped into one another's arms. If so, wow, she was really sorry for making him feel like the third wheel all the time.

"Who's your friend?" Addison asked. She didn't mean it to sound bitch, but it must have because Freya shot her with a dark glare while Merlin turned to hit her with a pained look.

"This is uh… Freya… you didn't get to meet her."

"Ah. I'm Addison," she said offering Freya a hand to shake that she didn't take. Instead she lowered into a curtsey.

"I've heard all about you my lady."

Addison turned wide eyes to Merlin. "Oh I was never a lady so you don't have to do that."

But Freya hit her with a knowing smile, one that Addison didn't quite like. It was like everyone in that room was in on some deep secret that she wasn't allowed to be in on. She didn't like that.

But before she could ask for clarification Ygraine stepped up, tea ready to hand out to all those present. "You've come for a reason, Addison." She reminded her. "It is best if we keep on track."

"Right, yes, on track," Addison said.

"How much of the plan has Merlin shared with you?"

Addison glanced to Merlin and then back. "Honestly, not much, but I literally woke up from a coma less than a month ago. I'm still adjusting to the new world."

"And that is fair. I suppose you've realized that Merlin is immortal."

"Well I mean… it's the only way I can explain him being here when I left him in the dark ages."

"Merlin's immortality it partially due to his strong powers and partially because his destiny is still tied to Arthur," Ygraine explained. "However, though your destiny is intertwined, you will not be able to siphon enough magic to give yourself the same benefit."

"Wait so I still have my absorbing powers?"

"Yes."

Merlin had told her that but she didn't want to believe it. Now that Ygraine was telling her it was so she knew it was true and that was not good news for Addison.

"Aw come on!" Addison cried. She didn't want her powers, she hadn't wanted them before and she sure as hell didn't want them now. She wanted to go back to normal though… she didn't think she'd ever be normal again after what she went through.

"We are giving you the option to tie your destiny to Arthur and Merlin's, so that when Arthur once again rises you can be with him again."

Merlin was quiet now. He knew that Freya didn't quite like Addison, and that was fair, because the past… it was going to get a little twisted between them. When the people they loved were gone and all they had were all the other had. If Addison was given immortality, both he and Freya knew that things would once again become a little twisted once more. Even if Addison didn't know that yet.

Still, he knew what Addison was going to say before she said it.

"I would like to see Arthur again, yes," she said softly and Ygraine smiled.

"Naturally we cannot just give you the immortality you will need to find something that can grant it to you."

"Like what?" Addison asked.

"The Cup of Life."

Addison had no idea what that was, so she turned to Merlin. "It's a special chalice, as long as your blood is in that chalice you will be immortal."

"Right, so where is it?"

"We don't know," Ygraine said and Addison frowned at her.

"Perfect, sounds about right," she said with a sigh. "So I guess my finding it proves my worth?" Ygraine nodded and Addison sighed once more. "Typical."

"You'll have me," Merlin said softly offering her a hand to hold even though he could feel Freya glaring at them.

"Do you accept your quest?" Ygraine asked her.

Merlin watched her sigh but he already knew what she was going to say. Having heard this part of the tale from her himself once very, very long ago.

"Of course."

Yes. Of course, indeed.

Addison guessed pretty quickly that Freya was Merlin's real girlfriend. And that the woman didn't really like her all that much. Addison thought to be fair if Freya was aware that Merlin was masquerading as her boyfriend in the human realm. Though why Merlin would tell her that, was beyond Addison.

Though she also supposed that it if there were no secrets between them, then they were probably in a very healthy relationship.

Addison had left the hut, not only because she wanted to some fresh air, but because she sensed that Merlin and Freya would want some time alone. And so she wandered the isle of Avalon talking to the Sidhe who wanted to talk to her but eventually she found herself walking the shore by herself, all on her lonesome with no one to talk to. So she tossed stones into the lake hoping to fracture it's surface but nothing did, except for a few ripples at initial contact.

She had been doing a lot of thinking about what she was doing. About why she would keep herself realigned with Arthur's destiny when it was probably going to kill her again. Either physically or just emotionally. God to have him resurrect and lose him again… would literally tear her poor heart asunder.

She was never supposed to have him. He belonged to Guinevere, and now, with her gone, he'd be able to realize that. His great destiny with his perfect, wonderful, hopefully completely faithful, wife.

But even the thought of seeing him again, even in some way off distant future, had her traitorous heart fluttering. To be in his arms again. To hold him close one last time. That wasn't too much to ask… was it?

She turned away from the lake, hoping to go back to the hut to see if Freya and Merlin were done cuddling when something stopped her from walking away.

In the distance she heard a splashing, the sound of someone or something surfacing in the lake. Curious, Addison went to see what it was, thinking maybe one of Avalon's inhabitants had fallen in.

What she saw instead was a man, in the middle of the lake. Even from where she was standing, even though his back was turned to her, she knew exactly who it was.

Arthur.