A/N: Here is a very quick update because I ended up writing a lot yesterday. YAY. Many many thanks to every single person who leaves a nice review. You make my day!

Morgana called the next day.

Arthur picked up the call, and waited for her to speak. From the other end, all he could hear were strangled breaths and what sounded suspiciously like a sob.

"Morgana?" Arthur's alarm was practically palpable in his voice.

When she did not reply, he stood up from where he was sitting on his desk and trying to micromanage the office work from home- he was a workaholic and didn't know how to take a holiday, sue him. Merlin looked up from where he was reading Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban now, eyebrows raised.

"Where are you? I am coming over." He asked firmly, and started moving towards his bedroom to wear something a little more suited for going outside.

"No." That at least, got him a response. It didn't do anything to disperse his worry though.

"What do you mean no? Are you crying Morgs? What's wrong?" Arthur implored.

"Just please. Arthur..." Her voice quivered on his name, making a shiver run up Arthur's spine. "Please don't leave house today."

"Okay. Okay... If it makes you feel better, I am going to stay put." It felt like her sister might have a panic attack if he didn't agree and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her more. "Just please tell me what's wrong Morgs. You are scaring me." A hand gently gripped his shoulder and squeezed, instilling some calm in him. He gave Merlin a grateful look, worry still clawing at his heart.

"There was so much blood," A sob, and then she continued, "So much darkness, and pain. Red painted the ground and the skies. Everything bled Arthur. Everything."

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey..." Sitting down on a sofa, with Merlin sitting next to him after a moment, he tried to calm her down, but now that she had started, it seemed like she couldn't stop.

"I saw you die Arthur. I kept calling your name, Arthur, Arthur wake up! I screamed, but you didn't move. I tried to shake you awake and my hands came away red. You died and there was nothing I could do. I- I can't- Arthur I-" She whimpered, falling apart as she spoke on, and God help him, Arthur could not bear to hear her sister sound so miserable. He ached to hug her, but he feared that another suggestion of Arthur coming over would rattle her even more.

"Morgana! Love! Can you hear me?" Gripping his phone tightly in one hand and balling the other in a fist, he spoke firmly.

"Yes." Came a weak and wet answer, followed by fast and ragged breathing.

"I want you to breathe with me. Listen to me, and do as I say. Now, in, count to ten, and out. In, count to ten, and out." Arthur went on like this for a minute, until it stopped looking like Morgana would hyperventilate.

"Better?"

There was rustling on the other end that Arthur assumed was a nod, so he continued, "As for your dream, it was a dream wasn't it? I won't insult you again by saying it was just a nightmare, because they apparently are more than that to you," at his side he knew Merlin was giving him a proud wide smile, despite the situation. He ignored it. "All I will say is. You are talking to me. You called me and I answered, like I always have, and I always will."

Morgana didn't reply to that, but there were no more sobs coming from the other end, so Arthur would call that a win.

"I am alive. I am fine. You don't have to worry, because I plan on continuing to be a pain in your ass for a really long time. You aren't going to get rid of me that easy." He felt relief wash over him when he heard a wet chuckle on his bad joke.

"I am sorry." She said sheepishly after a while, and Arthur knew she would be even more mortified a few hours later.

"Don't be. This just goes on to show how much you love me. I have to say, I am very flattered." Arthur teased.

"Very funny." She sounded more and more like herself with every word, but there was something else she was hiding. Something that was bothering her, Arthur was sure.

"So now that we have confirmed that your awesome brother is hale and hearty, tell me what else is wrong." Arthur prodded.

"What do you mean?" Morgana hesitated.

"Come on Morgs. I know you. Something is wrong. What is it?"

"You will just call me paranoid and crazy if I tell you."

"I won't. " He promised.

"Uh- When I woke up after the-um- nightmare- I woke up screaming and- if you laugh at me I will cut your tongue out, I swear- I saw, or more like, I felt, the light in my room fuse at that exact moment."

"That tube light was old, and it's probably just a bad coincidence." Arthur hedged, but he could see Merlin's eyes widening, and he wondered if there was more to it after all. He also wondered how Merlin was able to hear what was being said on the other end of the line, but then he glanced at Merlin's ears and wanted to smile despite the horrible situation he was in. They were literally like antennas. How had he never noticed them before?

"You don't understand. I felt myself do it. Like something deep inside me reached out and snuffed it. Like a hand, but not really. I think I am going crazy Arthur. Something is very wrong with me." She sounded very freaked out now, so Arthur responded before he could help himself.

"It's alright. I believe you."

"You do?"

Caught out, he quickly tried to make up a lie, "Yes. Yes I do. Nowadays they are doing all kinds of research about such stuff. Brain waves arranging crystals in a particular way and what not. It's called Noetic science I think. I will try to find out more about it for you, okay? Don't worry."

"Okay... "She said in a very unsure voice.

"There is nothing wrong with you." Arthur couldn't stand the notion of her sister believing she was somehow damaged. "Whatever it is, we will fix it. As soon as you let me out of this house arrest."

"Don't..." She started out in alarm.

"Don't leave house. Yes, yes, I heard you the first time."

"Thank you." She said, gratitude infused in her statement.

"Any time sweet heart." Arthur smiled, and then disconnected the call after saying good bye and listening to another 'just take care Arthur, please', from his sister.

At loss about what to do, he just slumped back where he was sitting, and rubbed his hands across his face, and then ran them through his hair. Life had been so simple and straight forward before he had went ahead and bought that fucking lamp. Was it really just a couple of days ago? It felt like a lifetime had passed.

"So, she really does have magic." Arthur stated, talking to nobody in particular.

"Yes. I told you. She really does." Merlin could never shut up on best of times, and of course he thought the question was for him.

Arthur titled his head slightly towards the warlock, saying, "It still could be just a coincidence."

"It could be."

"But it's not. Is it?"

"No. No it's not."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know what magic feels like. It feels like an extra limb. A part of you that you can move and it responds just like any other muscle. I also know how it thrashes around when you are distressed, and that's what happened with her. She doesn't even know it's there, and has no idea how to control it, so of course it responded violently when she was scared."

"Well. Fuck me." Arthur sighed.

"I have no objection to that." The cheeky bastard, who had no idea about how to behave in situations that called for seriousness, joked. Arthur glared at him, which made him laugh.

"You said she can't control her magic?" Arthur asked after a minute or two.

"Like I said, it's like any other muscle. If you don't ever let someone walk, their muscles would never build up, never get trained." Merlin explained.

"So she needs exercising, that's what you are saying?"

"She needs someone to teach her how to control her magic, yes. And practice, she needs loads of practice."

"That's what I just said, didn't I?"

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did. You don't always have to be contrary." Arthur complained.

"Arrogant Prat. Everything always have to be about you doesn't it? This isn't. Morgana needs help alright? Last time I was here, I remember there were some practitioners and followers of old religion around. Descendants of druids of my time. They might still be here, or someone like them. They can help her. And I can help you look for them."

"Can you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Teach her."

"Maybe," he hedged, "But I am no teacher. Never been. The druids can do it better. There is also the fact that I can't actually do magic. I am telling you, I am not the right man for it."

"Morgana is my sister Merlin. She is important. "

"I know that... that's why I am telling you these people-"

"I don't trust them." Arthur said, sudden and firm causing Merlin to snap his mouth shut."I trust you."

There was an awkward silence after his declaration, and Arthur looked away because the sudden softness in Merlin's eyes was too much for him to bear.

"Alright." Merlin said quietly after a while.

"Alright?"

"Alright you big softie. I will do it." There was a smile on Merlin's lips as he said that, and Arthur could tell that even without looking at him. "I will teach her, for whatever good it's worth."

"Thank you." He said gratefully.

"I am your slave remember? Bought and paid for." Merlin quipped, and Arthur couldn't help slapping him on his head at that comment. He just rubbed his head at that, and laughed.

"You know what that means right?" Arthur suddenly had a very evil plan in his head, and if the way Merlin had started looking like a deer in headlights was anything to go by, he knew it was going to be bad.

"No?" He asked suspiciously.

"I have to pass the entire day, stuck in the house. There is only one thing to do..." Arthur grinned, pure mischief. "We are going to marathon every single adaptation of Aladdin ever made. Including the cartoons."