Chapter 4

She wakes up in an unfamiliar place.

"Merlin? Where are we?" I yell thinking he is downstairs.

"My house. It's in the country so no one knows where we are." He calmly says from the corner of the room.

"How did we get here?"

"Teleportation. Nifty little spell I created in the 1600's. Took a while to get it right though."

"You created a spell?"

"What am I supposed to do in my spare time?"

"Good point."

Silence stretched for what seemed hours on end.

"So how do you do it?" He asks.

"Do what?"

"Go back to Camelot."

"I have no idea. I have always done it. Unlike everyone else's birth, I remember mine."

"How?"

"I remember an excruciating pain all over my body. Half of my soul was in this time and the other half was in Camelot."

"Ouch."

"Tell me about it. Come here. Sit next to me."

He unfreezes and walks over to the bed.

"I saw the man. The man with the bullet hole in his head."

Merlin's face was all confused then it resolved.

"Ah. So that's what the hole was. We never were able to explain that. No wonder you looked different than all the knights. It looked like you had seen a ghost and that you knew what it was. Everyone else was confused but you looked like you had seen it before."

"Yeah. So can you help me?"

"With?"

"Getting my histories straight. Might as well since you pulled me out of school."

"Technically we are still there."

"What do you mean?"

"I created a magical, life-size copy of you and me. What will happen is once school ends, they will find us and give us our homework. And all the info from the day will automatically be transferred into our brains."

"Coolio. So what really happened after the murder I just witnessed?"

"Well, I wish I could tell you but then you will try to change it and everything must happen how it did."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you do not interfere, he will not be killed."

"But I thought he dies at Camlann."

"Not necessarily. History can be rewritten and he almost died when the case was solved. So don't go changing the events, everything must be the way it is otherwise Camelot's fall would be very different than what I remember."

"Okay. But you can tell me what happens after Arthur's death?"

"I will one day."

"Ugh. Why do you have to be so cryptic?"

"When you live thousands of years, you get to be a little cryptic and cynical. And, I don't want you to live through the pain twice."

"Tell me one thing. When will she fall?"

"Camelot fell about ten years after he left. Gwen went into depression. She stayed strong for her people and her friends but every night I could hear her crying. Sometimes I went in and comforted her. She told me to keep this a secret until the time was right and I intended to keep that promise."

"Did she remarry?"

"After what I just told you, you can't come up with that answer."

"Sorry stupid question."

"I have to ask you something."

"And that would be?"

"Have you ever taken someone with you?"

"No why?"

"Curious."

"No. You want to see Arthur again don't you?"

"Maybe. And don't say his name. It makes me remember of his last days."

"Okay than what do you want me to call him?"

"Uh how about Max?"

"Okay. But you want to see Max again don't you?"

"Could you imagine getting separated from your other half for over a thousand years? Can you imagine the one in a lifetime chance on seeing them again?"

"No. I don't. I'll try to bring something over tonight but I cannot guarantee anything."

Then he smiled like the Merlin that she currently knows in the other time. It seemed to her that he didn't smile as much anymore.

"So can we go back? Because I am fine and I have a test in Math so we better go."

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because believe it or not, your body is exhausted by the amount of magic that I coursed through it. Believe me, the first teleportation is always the worst. Then again, I've never teleported with another person before so I am curious about the side-effects. I can treat them you know."

"No... Really?" I said with heavy sarcasm.

"Yeah. I did go to medical school fairly recently. I like to be updated in the art of medicine because if Max comes back, I need to be prepared."

"Makes sense. Knowing him, poison, strange illnesses, or battle scars are most of the worries for you."

"True but still. With this time there are guns, gases, bombs etcetera. Many new killing machines, many new medicines. Every decade I go back. And I make sure that no one is there that I know. Otherwise it would be very hard to explain to the same professors why I still look the same after 10 years."

"Yeah that would be hard."

"Hungry?"

"Starving."

"That's great because I just finished making lunch."

"How? Wait, don't answer that. I already know the answer."

Merlin smirked.

"I will be right back." He moves away from me.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

He ran quickly from the room. I took it upon myself to look out the window. Lush green hills surrounded the house with a vibrant garden. Some plants were the herbs Merlin had to pick for Gaius and others were just flowers. And in the back, lush strawberry bushes. A stable was set in the back and horses roamed the fields. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue with fluffy cumulus clouds. It was her dream house. Then she looked into the room. A Camelot red painted the walls with golden trim. The wardrobe and vanity are ivory and seemed to be made in the 19th century. The stained hard-wood flooring toned nicely with the colors of the room. After surveying the setting, Merlin burst in holding a silver tray with a sandwich, grapes, a handful of chips, and a glass of iced lemonade.

"I didn't know if you wanted water, milk, soda, or lemonade so I grabbed a sufficient drink."

"Well it is a good thing you didn't bring soda, I do not like it."

"That is a first! Not many people don't like it. I personally wish they still made them in glass bottles. The aluminum gets into the drink and make it taste weird."

"You don't say. And you can have my grapes."

"Why? You don't like them?" he says and pops one into his mouth.

"Depends on my mood. Sometimes I want them, others, not so much. Oranges are like that as well. But I will always want blueberries or strawberries. I see you grow them."

"Yes. For someone who liked strawberries."

"Whom?"

"Can't say."

"Why not?"

"Because you are going to tease me about it in Camelot and if Gwaine finds out, he will make sure I go to the tavern, get me drunk, and cheat me into telling him all about her."

"Just tell me one thing about her please? I know it's killing you to keep it a secret." She nudged him.

"Fine one thing. She was a Druid."

"That's all I'm getting?"

"Yes it is, now you better eat before I make you eat."

"Ooo scary Merlin! I am so scared of you making me do something!" She smirked.

"You better be! I am the master at making people do things, including making people eat."

"Fine!" And she stuffs the sandwich in her mouth.

"There, I win! I told you I can make you eat!"

"Sure did. Now tell me a story."

"What kind of story?"

"Um tell me of your favorite moment of your many years."

"I have some."

"Like?"

"How about the time I met Gaston Leroux?"

"Who is he?"

"An author whose book became one of the best known musicals around the world."

"I have no idea."

"Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer of this magnificent musical!"

"Still don't know."

"Ugh, the Phantom of the Opera!"

"Oh. I don't know musicals all too well."

"Well I know that! Okay, here's my story with him."

"I'm sorry sir but that is not for sale." Said the bartender.

"Why not?" Gaston asks.

"It's special to the owner and he keeps it for display only."

"Well can I see the owner?"

"I don't think-"

"I do not mind speaking to you sir." Merlin said behind the two men.

Gaston turned to face him.

"Crainte, grab that bottle off the shelf. Mr-?"

"Leroux."

"Mr. Leroux and I will drink together in the sitting room upstairs."

"Yes sir." Crainte leaves.

"This way." Merlin motions Mr. Leroux to the staircase.

They walk up from the small bar area to a glowing fireplace with sitting chairs next to each other. They sit and Crainte brings the wine with two glasses. Once his job was done, he left.

"Thank you sir. I didn't mean to trouble you with this commotion."

"It is no problem. I see you are having a rough night and this is strong enough for just that. I use it as mere decoration."

"Why? It is a fine wine and should be celebrated."

"Yes, it should, but I was told that one day a stranger would request the wine and I should keep it ready for him. I guess they were talking about you."

"Maybe so."

"What business are you in Mr. Leroux?"

"I am a journalist who travels a lot."

"Well you seem more of a writer."

"I sir do not see that."

"I do. Maybe some time in the future you will write a story. You will look for a name for your charater. I suggest Cristine."

"Why do you say that?"

"When the time is right, you will know. Now, shall we drink to something?"

"To the future and what it brings."

"To the future!"

The clink glasses and drink.

"So you had a drink with the man who wrote the Phantom of the Opera?"

"Yes and I think he remembered the strange bar owner who told him of Christine."

Time passes as Merlin tells his stories of authors, playwrites, and musicians. Eventually the duplacates of the two of us arrive and Merlin was true to his word. The info was transferred immediately into her head. Who knew?

"I must get home."

"Yes you should."

"So I will try and bring something over tonight and tell you at school tomorrow, yes?"

"I know what you can try and bring over."

He ran out of the room and into the hall. She heard a huge crash and a loud, "Shhhhoot!"

Then he came in the room with something in his hand. He holds out a vial of light blue liquid.

"What's that?" she asks.

"Something I use in my magic. To you it won't do anything because it reverses the effects of a spell."

"Wonderful! Just what I need! Why this?"

"Only Gaius and younger me will know what it is and you can pass it off as something you use every once in a while to calm your nerves."

"Okay so are we transporting out or do I have to drive?"

"What do you think?" he smirked and they transported to her house in a flash of light.

AN; Sorry about the irregular timing but just so you all know, this story will come every two chapters and I will post at random timings. Thank you for reading/favoriting/following my story! It means so much to me! (better late than never) I do not own Merlin!

larasmith: (Here are the answers to your ?s) Later, no, (can't say), yes, don't know yet, no, later, and good point!