In a tone of voice that Merlin was so used to, from all those years ago. Arthur spoke once more with a smirk so like the old Arthur that it made Merlin's heart ache. "Do you know how to walk on your knees?"

Merlin looked at him speechless, as did most of the other people in the room.

"Arthur you can't speak to people like that, what is the matter with you!" said one of the women. Merlin couldn't quite see her from where he was standing.

"Oh I can! Especially to Merlin…..come here you fool! And have a hug" Arthur his eyes showing both fondness and love. He grabbed Merlin by the shoulders and drew him into a hug, nearly squeezing all the breath from the slight man's body.

"Omh"

"What was that Merlin?"

"You idiot let me breathe. I thought you didn't recognise me."

"Only you would call me a prat Merlin. I've been having dreams about you lately, what took you so long?" Arthur smiled at his friend.

"Well I was living in China when I realised you were back, and I had to fly back. Not easy without a passport you know. Good job I had a dragon handy." Merlin said straight faced.

Arthur threw back his head and laughed. It was so good to hear after all those years.

"Why were you in China?" Arthur was clearly puzzled.

"I went there after you d…..saw you last." As there were others there Merlin thought he better not mention that the last time he had seen Arthur he was dead.

Arthur looked puzzled for a moment and then asked hesitantly:

"You've been there all that time! That's …years" he sounded shocked.

"Yes well, we can catch up later. Now I've found you again." Merlin muttered.

"That's probably a good idea." Arthur seemed to gather himself, before turning to Gwaine.

"Gwaine, look after the idiot, and make sure he doesn't fall over anything or get lost. I'm sure you two can find something to talk about. Take him back to my place and I will get there as soon as I can."

"Sure thing, Arthur." With that Gwaine grabbed hold of Merlin and took him back out of the door. Before Merlin had a chance to say anything, he was bundled into a taxi and they were speeding away.

"Well, that should mess his interview up. Arthur won't be able to thing straight after that!" Gwaine laughed.

"I'm so pleased you remembered me." Merlin had been surprised in a way just how easy it had been.

"Wait till we get back to Arthur's and then we can have a good talk. I don't think this taxi's the best place." Gwaine threw a look at the driver who was trying to hear what was being said.

"Ok" Merlin was happy to wait, he thought he would probably cry and didn't want a stranger to see him.

They were soon dropped outside of a town house in Belgravia. Gwaine rang the bell and as the door opened Merlin was ushered into the house. Taking Merlin straight into the drawing room Gwaine closed the door.

"Come here and let you give you a hug, then we can have a good talk before the rest get back. I'm sure the Princess will grab you away as soon as he comes through the door."

"You still call him that?"

"Yes and that was before I remembered. It was funny I have been having dreams about us back in Camelot days for months now. and when I saw you it just clicked into place. God I'm pleased to see you again. Why do you think we've all come back now?" Gwaine asked.

"I haven't come back Gwaine, I never died. I've been waiting all this time….I never died." Merlin sounded as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"What do you mean you're 1500 years old? That's ….awesome!" Gwaine looked amazed.

"No it was hard, I had to see you all get old and die. I never aged from when I was in my early twenties. I had to make myself look older with magic."

"What have you been doing all this time?" Gwaine realised that Merlin had not had an easy time of it by the tone of his voice.

"After we buried Arthur I took Aithusa to China, and we met up with the Chinese dragons. She has a family now, I kept away from people as much as I could. I didn't want to keep getting close to people and watch them grow old and die. But the dragons were great, there were so many of them. I travelled sometimes, but it wasn't good. I saw the Black Death it killed so many. On my next trip I met Leonardo de Vinci, he was a really interesting person, and he wanted me to be his lover." he stopped as Gwaine burst out laughing.

"You weren't the model for the Mona Lisa were you?"

"Don't be daft! I turned him down anyway. Then I stayed in China. I heard about the Boxer rebellion but kept out of the way, but then I heard about World War One. I thought when I heard about that Arthur would come back…..I was waiting, I was told he would come back when he was needed…..the war was awful. I helped look after the injured for several years. I couldn't believe it when the Second World War started. You would have thought mankind would have learnt, but no, they had to keep fighting. When the atomic bombs were dropped I thought that would be the end of the world. It upset the balance so much. But that was hardly over when the Korean War started. I never wanted to see a human again. A few years ago I visited a town and spent some time there, and heard about the extreme floods and other abnormal weather events and all the other things that had started to get worse. It was then I realised just what we, people I mean, what we had done to the balance and harmony of the world. The planet was being destroyed and resources used faster than they could be replaced. It won't last long now. Then I felt the pull on my magic and I knew Arthur was going to return" Merlin stopped realising he was gabbling on and just looked into space.

"God Merlin you've seen some bad things. Did you never marry or have kids in all that time?" he sounded disbelieving that someone could be alone for so long.

"No I told you ,I mostly kept away from people. I didn't want to lose anyone else; it was so hard to be left behind. When I sent Arthur of to Avalon my heart broke, you have no idea what it is like knowing you are immortal. I watched so many people die…everyone I loved….I was left with nothing but regrets." By the time Merlin had finished he was sobbing. Gwaine put his arm around his friend and pulled him into a hug once more. He had forgotten what it was like to be hugged.

"All the knights are back, as well as Arthur and Gwen I don't know if they remember, but I guess that Arthur does going by that reaction." Gwaine was feeling very emotional. It was impossible to contemplate what it must have been like for his friend.

"Is Gaius back?" Merlin asked he hoped he could meet his old mentor once more.

"Not that I know of, but perhaps he will met us up later. It would be nice to see the old goat again." Gwaine grinned, thinking of the deadly eyebrows.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm hungry, I'll ask the cook to make us a sandwich and give us a slice of her apple pie, won't be long" with that Gwaine dived out the door only to come back a few minutes later.

"She'll bring a tray up as soon as she's made them."

"You haven't changed, always hungry and eating apples every chance you get!" Merlin laughed.

"You wait till you met the cook!" Gwaine leered.

A few moments later and they could hear someone coming towards the door. Gwaine jumped up opened the door and took the tray from the woman. Merlin couldn't see her as Gwaine was blocking the view.

"I'll take that for you." Gwaine took the tray.

"Why don't you come in, I have someone for you to meet." With that he moved to one side and Merlin saw the cook for the first time.

"Gwen! It's you!" Merlin jumped up and moved towards the door.

Gwen looked at Merlin as if she'd seen a ghost, and promptly fainted.

"That's why I took the tray. Can't waste a good apple pie" Gwaine grinned, putting the tray down and helping Merlin pick up Gwen and lay her on the sofa.

After a couple of minutes Gwen opened her eyes, she sat up and looked at Merlin once more.

"It is you! Oh Merlin it's so good to see you." Merlin sat down by her and they hugged.

"You're back as well. I've missed you all." Merlin was feeling overwhelmed.

Gwaine filled in some of what Merlin had told him.

"You can wait for the full version when the rest get back or Merlin will have to keep repeating himself. Let's have the apple pie."

"Gwaine you and your apple pie, you'll be the death of me. You could have warned me when you came to the kitchen you rotter!" Gwen cuffed Gwaine round the ear.

"I didn't know if you had any memories of the past!" Gwaine did his best to look hurt. "It will be fun if the other's faint like girls! Trouble is I expect most of them know by now. Arthur recognised him but he sent us off before anyone else had time to react" Gwaine explained to Gwen.

"Arthur knows?"Gwen exclaimed.

"He asked me if I could walk on my knees." Merlin said very seriously.

"He didn't, you wait till I see him." Gwen sounded cross.

"It was one of the first things he said to me the first time we met , before he put me in the stocks. At least they don't have stocks anymore!" Merlin sounded happy at the thought.

"Are you with him this time?" Merlin asked tentively.

"No I'm married to Lancelot. When I kept dreaming about us, it was all so strange. I was with Arthur and I felt guilty. I wonder did we all dream."

"I did, I didn't say anything as I thought I was going off my rocker." Merlin laughed at Gwaine's comment.

"That's why I didn't say anything, I didn't even tell Lance." Gwen said looking guilty.

"Can I have a cup of tea now, after all this talking I could drink a pot full? It seems strange drinking it here, it's so different that Chinese tea." Merlin looked at the teapot in hope.

Gwaine stood up and poured Merlin a cup handing it to him.

"Our Merlin was asked by Leonardo de Vinci to be his lover, what do you think of that." Gwaine couldn't help but say.

Gwen spluttered her tea everywhere.

"You were asked what!"

"It's true, I was, I turned him down he looked similar to me as Dragoon! He gave me a book of his sketches I still have it"

"My god it will be worth a fortune. Where is it, can I see it" Gwen gasped.

"It's hidden in the cave that used to be under Camelot. No sign of the castle now though. Arthur and Aithusa hid a stash of Gold there for me before he died, and most of its still there. I haven't used much of it"

"Your full of surprises aren't you, my young Warlock. Oh my god what happened to your land! My family was supposed to running it for you, and I know for a fact that I don't have it" Gwaine had just remembered. "Arthur will kill me".

"Oh that went years ago, your sons fought on the wrong side in a war and lost the lot, including their own lands. Don't worry I couldn't have proved title after all these years anyway." Both Gwaine and Gwen were treated to one of Merlin's famous smiles that lit his whole face.

"Never mind Merlin, I am in the world's two hundred and fifty wealthiest men list so I can make it up to you. You just tell me what you want." Gwaine bragged.

Merlin looked shocked at what Gwaine had just said.

"You! Wealthy, how?"

"Oh you of little faith, I was lucky I guess, had the right idea at the right time and made a fortune. Computers you know, they're everywhere now. I developed a new chip that made smaller things even smaller. Not like the princess, he started with billions and them made more, that's why he's the second wealthiest man in the world and I'm two hundred and forty nine behind him!" Gwaine laughed at Merlin's expression.

"I don't believe it, don't tell me you own lot's of Inns now?" Gwen tried to hide her laughter behind her hand.

"Merlin that wasn't nice. He doesn't drink anywhere as much as he did when he was a knight."

"Just as well." With that Gwaine grabbed Merlin and cuffed his ears.

"Ouch! Don't forget I'm an old man." Merlin squealed.