Arthur's Note

Welcome my wonderful writers, resourceful readers, and faithful followers! (I thought the introduction was a little creative? No... Okay, nevermind then xD)

Again, thank you so freaking much for taking the time to read the story. And for the reviews - they make me smile so much. So, without further ado, I welcome you to the next chapter of TFR. I hope I replied to all the reviews via PM. Oh! The PMs I got back were hilarious and I made so many new friends! I love you all! You guys were so awesome! Cookies for all!

shinnoh (a guest reviewer): you asked me to fix a few mistakes in one of the chapters. Could you tell me what chapter and where the mistakes are, like exactly, cause I was like really lost. Just so I can fix them! 3 Thanks for reviewing, by the way. Made me smile. I love it when readers point out the where the author fails so that the author can get better!

With this chapter, I tried to make it awkward and everything on purpose to portray the mood. I never seem to really write comedy and romance well. I stick to the WHUMP!Merlin. Everyone's good at that. Oh and description of the house is inspired by A Legacy of Lies. Hope you all like it! If you have any suggestions about Colin/Merlin's backstory, please drop it in the review or PM me. I am currently editing that chapter since it's the one people have been waiting for, so it's so important to me to just get it right! So, tell me what you want to see in the next chapter for Merlin/Colin.

Oh! If you need to get a hold of me quickly, your best bet is to check my website at .com I post chapter updates and some excerpts as well as all things Merlin on there. So, follow me readers! Yep, there's my shameless promotion.

In this chapter, remember. Bradley is Arthur. Tony is Uther. Andy is Elyan. Tom is simply Tom (Gwen's father). Katie is Morgana, and Angel is Guinevere. Colin is Merlin. And Richard is Gaius. OH! And Margaret is Gwen/Elyan's mother who died in Camelot!

Since some people haven't seen all of S5,Spoilers for Season 5 in this chapter.

Enjoy the chapter, and please review. All reviewers get a cookie, and I try to reply to everyone of you :) I like to hear what you thought of the chapter, what you didn't like, any questions or concerns, your favorite parts, and any suggestions/comments about my writing in general. Reviews make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside, and it's amazing. It's like so addicting... Alright, I've kept you long enough, and if you bothered to read this, thank you.

Onto the chapter,

Erin

{Recommended Reading: Holly Leaves by CaptainOzone. It's a Princess Mithian and Merlin story. It's a beautiful piece of work. I love it so much. Anyone else got any recommended fics for me to read? I love the bromance, whump, and all things Merlin.}

Chapter Four

"I'll always be honest,

I'll always be proud.

A long way from heaven,

Then I turn around."

-"Star I R" by Caroline Sunshine

Angel hated her home.

Perhaps it was because her parents insisted on moving to the Northeast three years after she was born, settling in a small-town called Huntington, located in the blistery corner of upper New York. It was a place where the weather was always cloudy, and she had been severely deprived of sunshine as a child. She loved her family whole heartedly, and she was especially close to her father, Tom. The two had been inseparable up until she decided to venture out onto her own, something drawing her towards Maryland where she later met her fiancé, taking up a job on the corner coffee shop.

Not a day passed by she didn't miss her family, and when she finally remembered Camelot, she felt the home sickness grip her like a crushing fist as she was reminded the last time she saw her father, right before Uther had him executed. It made her want to rush home then and there and embrace him one last time, savoring the moment when she was Guinevere and he was the blacksmith of the kingdom.

However, her destiny had other ideas.

As ashamed as she was to admit it, Gwen knew that there were more important things than returning to her family such as finding her lost friends and continuing her life with her one true love. She never expected the two worlds to collide. She wanted to keep her life in Camelot separate from her life in Huntington, however, she found herself in the passenger seat of Arthur's car, rushing home and hopefully be one step closer to finding her long, lost friends. Gwen didn't want to admit it, but she was terrified. Not of finding the truth, no, but of how her Huntington life would react to her Camelot one.

The snow flakes melted as soon as they came in contact with the warm surface of the transparent glass, quickly forming drops of water, and Gwen's chocolate eyes watched them race down its surface. Streaks of water were left behind, and she found herself leaning forward until her forehead was pressed up against the icy window. The car crossed over a small crook, and she sighed to herself, the sound inaudible to most, as she cast a glance at her fiancé in the driver's seat.

Arthur stared at the road straight ahead, noting the icy and slick pavement that they were currently maneuvering across. Running a hand through her hair, Gwen observed the way his lips were set in a firm line, showing his discomfort and annoyance for the predicament they had been thrown into. She couldn't blame him. Uther had been completely welcoming to their relationship, and that was saying something. Apparently, Arthur thought that he would be the greater of the two evils, but he was sadly mistaken. Gwen had an inkling of how her parents would react. Arthur would be going into this situation blindfolded.

Switching her attention back to the scenery passing by, Gwen allowed her eyes to flash aimlessly amongst it. She was not taking any valuable pieces of information in nor was she memorizing the lay of the land since she already knew it. She zoned out, becoming quickly engrossed in the snow flakes. The scene was nothing short of interesting to say the least. She was hypnotized by the paths they traveled, the patterns they paved, and the cleansing they accomplished. At that moment, she had a strange urge to throw herself out of the moving car and go dance in the snow.

"What do you think we'll find out?" Arthur inquired, gaining her attention as she he turned off onto the shoulder of the road. Gwen lifted her head to meet his gaze, raising her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you think your father will tell us?"

Gwen shrugged absently, wondering why it was relevant to concentrate on this piece of information. She felt Arthur's eyes burrowing into the back of her head, so she turned back to face him. Arthur gave her a wary looking, but she let it pass. She could be a damper on things, but she had a right to be. Her parents just learned she was seeing someone named Bradley. Knowing she was already engaged to a boy they had never met…

The idea was terrifying, and Arthur wasn't showing the proper fear for it.

"I don't know," Gwen said, studying her nail beds.

Arthur rolled his eyes at her antics before flipping the radio on, hoping the noise would fill the void of silence that had settled upon the two occupants of the car. Static was heard as he attempted to drive and find a signal at the exact same time. Finally, he settled on a station that played rock music, and Gwen sighed to herself. Resisting the urge to gag, she reached across the console and shut the music off.

"Something's bothering you," Arthur said, annunciating each word to get the point of concern across. Gwen glanced back at her fiancé, a small smile gracing her delicate features. "…Want to talk about it?"

"What gave it away?" Arthur chuckled lowly at her aloof manner and sarcastic tongue.

"I'm sorry," he apologized with a hint of remorse. "I just didn't think your parents would be that bad to meet."

"Oh, they will."

"I don't think so," Arthur protested.

"And why is that?"

Arthur smiled. "Because they made you."

Arthur returned his attention to the road, bypassing the black ice scattered in random spots across the cement. Gwen's smile brightened and she once more turned to watch the snow flakes with a flying heart. She didn't know what she did to ever deserve someone like Arthur Pendragon. Of all his many flaws, there was such a pure heart and utmost honesty that shined through, and that, above anything else, made her fall in love with him every single time all over again.

The two continued the drive, eventually succumbing to random road games to pass the time. It was early afternoon when Arthur pulled the car around a sharp corner, causing Gwen to groan softly as it pulled her from her daze. She let her eyes adjust to her surroundings as the car ventured forward, and a gasp of excitement broke through her reverie. She was almost home! The sun peaked through the cloudy overcast, its rays causing light to bounce off the sparkling glints of snow. The car rumbled over an old bridge, drove for a short while, and turned so that they were cruising along the edge of a dense forest. The side roads had started out as nothing but dirt and gravel but soon paved out in the long stretch of things. Tall trees lined both sides of the street, bending gracefully over the road. At the end of the double rows of trees, Gwen saw sections of slopping gray roof tiles and a brick chimney. All of the homes in Huntington had the same design, so she looked for the familiar house with the ivory door and a wreath with a big, red blow hung on the front.

"We're coming around the back right now," Gwen declared. "The driveway goes around to the front. You can see the front yard now."

"It's…" Arthur paused, searching for the correct words.

"Small?" Gwen supplied.

"No," Arthur commented, "…It's you."

He turned the car into the driveway, and Gwen caught sight of two figures perched on the top of the cemented stairs that led to the porch and entryway. When the vehicle was parked, Arthur awaited Gwen's departure, but when she hesitated to move, he nudged her side playfully. "It'll be alright, Guinevere."

"You have to call me Angel here, Arthur," Gwen reminded him, face tight with anxiety. "And you're Bradley."

He cast a supportive smile before stepping out of the car. Gwen followed suit, climbing out of the car slowly, staring up at her old home. Two stories of paned windows, brick with a shingled roof, and a large porch. The padding of footsteps broke through her concentration, and she came face-to-face with her parents, Tom and Margaret Leodegrance. Margaret smiled widely before wrapping her arms around her daughter, and Gwen let a small grin grace her face as her father stepped forward and pulled her into a tight and secure bear hug.

"Welcome home, Angel," Tom whispered under his breath. "Welcome home."

After she pulled away, Gwen extended her arm towards Arthur who stepped forward with a greeting. "This is Bradley, Bradley James." Arthur expected her to let the news of their engagement follow, but when she continued with, "My boyfriend," he had no time to react as Margaret smothered him with a hug.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Bradley," she said. "I've heard so much about you."

Margaret ushered Arthur inside the house, and Gwen and her father followed a quiet distance, watching the older woman overpower the younger man with questions that could rival the Spanish Inquisition. Arthur took it all in stride, conversing eagerly with Margaret, and Gwen couldn't help but chuckle under her breath. All her fears and insecurities seemed to blow away in the wind, cleansing her off all her worries as she stepped over the threshold and entered her childhood home.

"You must be Mrs. Leodegrance," Arthur said, sending the woman the same smile that made Gwen weak in her knees.

"Please, call me Margaret," the older woman insisted, "And this is Tom, Angel's father."

"Pleasure to meet you both," Arthur responded, shaking Tom's hand as they exchanged pleasantries. "Thank you for having me over for the weekend. Angel's told me so much about you. You have a wonderful daughter."

Gwen laughed half heartedly, swatting her fiancé on the arm. "He's exaggerating."

"We hear an earful as well," Tom chimed in, and Arthur raised an eyebrow in mock curiosity. "All good things, I promise."

Arthur laughed and flashed Gwen a wide smile. She could feel the blush roll across her cheeks, and she struggled to remain standing as Arthur pulled her hand into his own, squeezing tightly to remind her to stay grounded. It had only been five minutes and the meeting was going perfectly. Gwen wondered offhandedly if her parents had gone through trial runs before they came – that, or memorized cue cards. Considering this was the first boy she had ever brought home, it was certainly a change for them.

"Bradley, your room is the second door on the left. Angel, could you take his things there?" Margaret announced in an authoritive tone, gesturing down the hallway where the four bedrooms and bathroom were located. "Tom, could you get some drinks? What would you like, Bradley?"

"Anything's fine," he answered as Gwen whisked the duffel bag to the spare bedroom. "Actually, Angel and I have something-"

"When's dinner?" Gwen broke out, attempting to prolong the inevitable by just a few hours. She wanted a few moments of peace with her parents before they kicked her to the seventh circle of Hell for her crimes.

"In a few hours, Angel," her mother responded. "It's only two o'clock. We'll eat about six. Why don't you join Bradley in the living room?" Margaret turned towards the younger man. "Make yourself comfortable, dear."

"Here," Tom said as he entered the sitting room, offering Arthur a bottle of water.

The teenager accepted it with a nod of thanks and seated himself in the comfy sofa, the black leather squelching as he tried to find a comfortable position. Margaret began to fire off questions at a spit-fire pace that reminded Arthur vaguely of training in combat with four knights at a time. Attacks rapid and the defenses even more so.

"So, Bradley, thank you for coming for a visit. It's nice to finally have Angel bring a boy home."

"Mother!"

Tom shook his head, laughing at his daughter's antics, before turning to face the blonde. "So, Bradley, how's New York taking to you?"

Arthur took a lazy sip of his drink as if to soothe Gwen's panicked state. "Good, we're all settled in our apartment, and I start classes next week at Columbia."

Margaret leaned forward, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Now, are you two livingalone together or-"

"No, we're sharing the apartment with Bradley's sister, Katie," Gwen quickly assured her mother as Arthur nudged his hand into hers once more. "It's just so that's easier to afford."

"How many siblings do you have?" Tom interjected suddenly.

"Katie is my half-sister," Arthur confessed, the heat creeping up towards his cheek. Having never met Gwen's parents in Camelot, it was a strange predicament to be thrown into and it left him feeling self-conscious. "My mother died when I was born, so it's been my father and I for most of my life."

Tom reclined in his seat, apparently satisfied with the answer, but Margaret plowed on. "What's Katie like?"

"She's extreme," Gwen admitted with a laugh. She was warming up to her old friend, and she knew forgiveness was one step beyond the horizon. "When she's happy, she never stops smiling. When she's sad, she cries a river."

Arthur nodded. "And when she's angry, she'll burn your house down."

The conversation began with common items of interest: plans for the future, the city life Gwen had been thrown into, Margaret's plans for her garden, and of course, sports teams. Gwen danced around the subject of Arthur's and hers relationship, choosing to allow her parents to get to know Arthur's true self before they deduced the relationship a failure the moment the news of the engagement hit. For the most part, things went smoothly, but Arthur could sense her unease at the current situation, so he did his best to worm his way into Margaret and Tom's good graces.

"This is a lovely home you have," Arthur announced during dinner, taking a sip of his iced tea as the family sat around the dining room table.

Tom smiled. "I'm sure it's nothing compared to what you're used too."

Arthur didn't know how to respond to that statement, so Gwen stepped in. "Dad, how's the business going?"

Margaret leaned closer to Arthur. "Tom's a mechanic right here in town. He owns his own-"

"I'm sure Bradley doesn't want to hear about my day job," Tom began, but Margaret shook her head.

"No, you two just keep talking." She stood up, wiping her face with a napkin. "Should I get desert started? Angel, how about you come help me?" Without waiting for a reply, she gestured for Gwen to follow her into the kitchen,

Gwen didn't want to leave Arthur alone with her father (who knew what could be said), but she stood up as well and collected his plate. In the kitchen, she joined her mother, scraping the remains of the food into the garbage. She strained her ears to listen to Tom and Arthur's conversation.

"My father wanted me to be a lawyer, so I first went to Harvard-"

"That's a pretty big school," Tom said, tone lacing between awe and suppressed disbelief.

"Of course, but I didn't want to be a lawyer. Over winter break, my sister was going through some troubles, so I was thinking of moving up state to be with her," Arthur continued.

Gwen paused, smiling at the memory of Arthur rushing to Morgana's side the moment her memories came to the surface of their relationship. Part of the reason he moved to the city was to help his half-sister, but the other was solely devoted to finding Merlin.

"That's very kind of you."

"Well she's my sister, sir."

"Now do Angel and her get along?" Tom inquired, and Gwen bit back a smile.

Eager to hear his reply, she stepped away from the dishwasher and inclined her head around the corner. Before she could make another move, however, her mother's startled cries brought her back to reality. She turned just in time to see her grip the hem of her shirt.

"Angel, honey, your shirt is caught in the dishwasher," Margaret warned, and as Gwen whirled around to catch herself, a glass bowl tumbled to the ground, shattering upon impact.

Voices silenced outside the kitchen, and Gwen could see her father and Arthur craning their heads around the corner. "Ignore that," Gwen begged, and Margaret shook her head at her daughter's antics while Tom struggled to repress his laughter.

Gwen headed back into the kitchen, but not before glancing in Arthur's direction. Her fiancé sent her a supportive smile, knowing her nerves were getting the better of her. He wanted desperately to spare her from this confrontation, but they needed information, and in Gwen's eyes, they were breaking her parents' hearts along the way.

Dinner finished quickly after a round of cheesecake and wine, and Tom ushered the couples into the living room. They sat around the television, curled up in one another's arms as Gwen's mother popped a horror movie on. The next few hours were spent in darkness, the occasional fearful whimper, and the screams when a particular frightening scene arose. Arthur couldn't argue; he was completely content to fall asleep on the leather sofa with Gwen curled up against his side.

Before long, he noticed that Gwen had fallen into a quiet slumber beside him. Restraining a yawn, he shifted and gathered in his arms and stood up, ready to put her in bed.

"She asleep already?" Tom asked from the couch across from them. Margaret had retired to bed an hour earlier, leaving the remaining three to concentrate on the movie.

Arthur raised his head, eyes flickering away reluctantly from Gwen's form. "Yeah… Do you mind if I carry her to bed?"

Tom nodded, and Arthur scooped his fiancée into his arms, carefully adjusting his grip so that her head was nestled in the crook of his neck. As he made a move to leave, the older man stopped him. "You're different than I expected, Bradley."

"…I hope that's a good thing, sir."

"Believe me, it is," Tom said quietly. "You treat her well. You're a good kid."

"Thank you."

Tom stood up, stretching so that the pops and groans of his aching joints were heard. "Thank you for looking after my daughter." He clicked the television off and followed Arthur's retreating form down the hall. "Sleep well."

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Tom slip into his bedroom and close the door. The younger male stepped forward and lowered Gwen onto her bed. Immediately, the woman woke up with a tired smile on her face. "I thought he would never leave."

"I knew you weren't asleep."

"We need to talk," she murmured against his shirt as he slipped onto the bed with her, pulling the comforter over the two of them. Arthur glanced around the room, a wide grin worming its way on his face, noticing her room and everything that made up her childhood still in picture-perfect condition. It was like a shrine to everything that Gwen was. "I'm sorry for not telling them about our engagement, Arthur, I just… Something told me it wasn't the right time."

Arthur nodded. "I understand." He squeezed her hand. "It was nice to meet your parents. They're…"

"A little insane?"

"No more than Merlin."

The smile remained on her face. "I miss him… Do you think he remembers us?"

"I sure hope so." Arthur sighed and buried his face in Gwen's dark curls, inhaling the familiar scent of strawberries and cherry blossoms. "Do you think your father remembers anything?"

"If he did I don't think he'd say anything considering he was executed last time we saw him," she admitted, tracing patterns across Arthur's chest, shaking her head. "When should we ask him?"

"Obviously tomorrow," he answered. "We have to head back to school tomorrow afternoon."

Gwen thought back to their apartment which they shared with Morgana. She found herself missing the girl's wry humor and dry wit. She could do with a little sarcasm and bitter taste right about now rather than face her parents' reactions. However, the potential of finding her best friend in this lifetime kept her rooted firmly in the small town she had grown up. The prospect of her father possibly coming across the man with wide blue-eyes and the full-tooth grin made everything worth it.

Gwen would be the first to admit that Merlin meant the world to her. He was her constant rock throughout their Camelot years, and to lose both him and Arthur at the same time caused her to fall into a hole of oblivion where nothing seemed to be right. The following years she ruled Camelot to the best of her ability, time slipping by as the Golden Age reigned. It was meaningless though, because for all the good she did afterwards, it was Once and Future King and the warlock Emrys who made it possible.

She could never repay Merlin for all his sacrifices, could never describe in words just how much he meant to her, and could never thank him enough for giving her the endless possibilities for peace and prosperity.

She thought back to the vision that Morgana had. How had it been connected to Merlin? "Do you think my father's story has anything to do with Merlin?"

Arthur was silent for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, Gwen's head bobbing with the motion. She snuggled closer to her fiancé when he finally settled. "I just don't know, Guinevere."

Her thoughts drifted off as Arthur's steady heartbeat lulled her into a light slumber, but before she could fully embrace the dark abyss, she raised her gaze to meet the other man's. "What do you think Merlin's doing right now?"

Leaning forward, Arthur rested his chin on top of her head. "Probably spending time in the tavern."

"You mean the bar?"

"Or whatever other excuse Gaius can come up with."

Gwen laughed to herself more than anything. "Where do you think Gaius is? Do you think he came back too?"

"Everyone else did," Arthur insisted. "That stubborn old man would have made it too."

"I hope it all works out," Gwen confessed. She tugged the covers over her shoulders and burrowed herself in the blankets, rolling onto her side. Arthur was reluctant to let go, but he choose to just grasp her hand in his own.

"It will, Guinevere, I promise," he said. There was silence before he spoke again. "You can stay here for a few more days, handle the fallout of the engagement news."

Gwen raised her eyebrow. "Oh, and where would you be?"

"Far away."

Gwen grabbed his shirt and leaned her head closer to Arthur, pressing their lips together in a quick kiss. When they parted, she knew Arthur had been joking. "You're horrible, you know that?"

"Of course, Mrs. Pendragon," he said before kissing her once more, only softer and slower. It molded into something sensual as he rolled over on top of her, resting his body gently against hers. The two fought for dominance, and just simply embraced one another's company. They had a thousand years to make up for, and a few months after meeting in this life just wasn't enough time.

After a while, they broke apart and simply lay in bed until Arthur murmured into Gwen's hair, "How are we going to tell them? About us?" Dead silence filled the room; Gwen was sure she stopped breathing all together. "Do you think they'll be that angry? Maybe they'll support it."

She shook her head. "I just don't know, Arthur."

"I'll still be here," he promised.

"I know."

"And I think we all need to talk now," a voice sounded from the open doorway suddenly, without any notice, and Arthur and Gwen jumped apart. There was a muted thud as Arthur rolled off the bed, finding Tom Leodegrance towering above him.

Arthur gulped.

"You've remembered this whole time?"

There was silence, a short heart beat. It felt like forever, but time passed by.

Time continued on at the speed of light. It lunged and leaped into a new journey, dropping from highs, and jumping up from lows, through the drops and highs, pass it does. Most claim that as time passes, one is stuck in your current state of mind forever – that there is never a chance to turn back. However, this certain stop in time changed everything. And with it, came a new revelation.

"Angel," Tom began, but his daughter merely shook her head, unable to comprehend the situation. "Angel, I… Let me explain."

"Why don't you call me Gwen?"

Tom sighed to himself, refusing to meet Arthur and Gwen's gazes. "Because it reminds me of Camelot."

"What's wrong with that?" she asked, tears pricking in the corners of her eyes. "Iwas in Camelot. So was Elyan. My life was in Camelot!"

Tom tried to hush her as Arthur rubbed her arms in an up-and-down motion to calm her. "We… Our lives are better this time, Angel. Your mother is alive. You're so happy here."

"I was happy there too."

"Look," Tom began, raising his gaze to meet Arthur's inquiring ones and Gwen's watery ones. "You obviously came here for a reason, and it wasn't for our approval. If it was, you have my blessing to get married." When he saw Gwen's incredulous stare, he chuckled. "I know the legends, Angel. I know what happened between you and Arthur and that Lancelot fellow."

"That's not exactly true," Arthur said, but Gwen kicked his shin and he silenced himself.

"I know that something important happened, and you two need something from me. I'm not sure what, but I'll do what I can."

Gwen wasted no time. "When we were younger, you said you met a woman in New York and helped deliver her baby. We need the full story."

Tom was taken back. "What?"

"Please," Arthur pleaded, eyes shining in hope. "There's a possibility that child and woman might be someone we know… Someone we knew from Camelot."

Tom sighed and wrung his hands together in his lap. "That… That was New Year's Eve nearly twenty years ago," Tom began, looking off into the distance as his thoughts slipped into the memories of two decades past. "And I still remember that night…" A weak laugh was interjected. "There was a blizzard that night. It was already starting, though, when I got into the cab. A good amount of snow was already on the ground. Traffic was stopped; the cars were bumper to bumper. I looked out the window at one point. I don't really know why, but that's when I saw her. A woman was on the sidewalk, hunched over in pain. She was pregnant, something was screaming at me to help her."

Arthur learned closer. "Do you know who she was?"

"Her name was Caroline," Tom clarified, a small smile gracing his face. "I made the driver stop, and it was like I was on auto-pilot. The next thing I know, I'm helping Caroline into the back of the cab, and she's screaming that she needed to push." Tom looked straight at his daughter with the utmost fondness. "Margaret was the same way with you, Angel… Anyway, I sent the driver across the street to the drug storewith a list of supplies and helped get Caroline situated. I knew that we would never get to the nearest hospital in time, and I knew what I was doing. The baby was coming so fast! It was determined to be born that night…"

"Was she alright?" Arthur questioned, never having heard the story before. "Was the-"

Tom chuckled lightly. "It was a boy." His expression turned somber at once. "The labor went fine, and she delivered a healthy baby boy. He already had a head full of dark hair. It was an amazing sight to behold, truly."

Arthur squeezed Gwen's hand; something told him that this was it. They had found Merlin. Perhaps Tom Leodegrance had stayed in contact with Caroline and her son. Perhaps he knew the boy now a day. Perhaps they exchanged Christmas cards every year. What if Merlin came walking through that door right now?

"But... When I tried to give Caroline her son, she started rambling nonsense things… Like how she couldn't take care of him! How he was better off anywhere else but with her! I thought she was just exhausted from the delivery. I had planned to take her and the boy to the hospital but…." Tom's voice trailed off, as if he was reliving the same panic and confusion he had faced all those years ago.

The blood froze in Arthur's veins. This wasn't happening.

"Caroline," Tom stammered, and Gwen cast him a worried glance. She had never heard this side of the story. "Caroline pulled a knife out and threatened me and her son. She said to take him away, away from her." Gwen's breath caught in her throat. "What… What was I supposed to do? She… I thought if I gave her the boy she would kill him. So I… I left her in the back of that cab and ran to the hospital. I panicked. All I cared about was getting that baby boy to safety. He had just been born, and we were in the middle of a blizzard for God's sake! What was I supposed to do?

"When… When I got to the hospital, they took the boy away. The police were called and I told them everything I knew… I… The nurses were trying to fill out his birth certificate, and I told them that Caroline had named him Colin. I don't know why I choose that name, but it was the closest to what I thought was meant for the boy. The police never found the mother… Well, they found her apartment, but by then, Caroline was long gone. I visited Colin for a little while afterwards, but eventually, he became a ward of the state and was placed into foster care.

"I never sat any of them ever again," Tom finished. "I tried to look for Colin or Caroline even on my own, but… And that's it… That's the story."

Silence followed. Gwen wasn't able to form any coherent statements. Arthur was shell-shocked. There wasn't any way to continue with the conversation after the painful revelation. If Colin was Merlin (Arthur was almost certain), then Caroline was Hunith. That particular piece of the back story did not fit the puzzle. Arthur had seen how strong Hunith and Merlin's relationship had been. Often times he found himself envious of it all because it was a relationship he never had with his own mother – in Camelot or this life. For Hunith to blow it all away… It just did not make sense.

What were they supposed to do now?

Miles away, a young boy were huddled in the corner of a dark alley. His eyes were closed in a fitful slumber, but they snapped open, molten gold fading to reveal a cerulean color. A door opened to his shelter, and he scrambled to his feet, eager to make a run for it. An old man toddled out into the alley way and gazed at the form standing there.

"Merlin," the old man whispered and hurried forward, noticing the lack of recognition on the boy's part.

"My name's Colin," he stammered, flinching as the old man's hands came towards him. "Please… P-Please don't t-turn me in. P-P-Please."

"I won't," the old man vowed. He cocked his head to the side, analyzing the boy, before gesturing towards the open door. "It's cold outside. Would you like to come inside?" The boy blanched with fear. "Shh… You can trust me, Colin. My name is Richard, and I want to help you."

It was with hesitation that the young boy took the old, weathered hand of the doctor.

The dragon roared again.