Two Years Later

A child ran through a lush green meadow, laughing as his mother and a boy he considered a brother chased him. Pumping his small legs, the toddler's eyes turned gold for a full second before he was soon in a different spot, one he had not run to.

"Got you now," said a dangerous voice. The boy turned, terror written on his face as a seventeen year old boy came out of the shadows. In one fluid movement, the teenager had the small boy hanging upside down by his ankle.

"Mordred! Put me down!" he squealed as a young woman came into the clearing. "Mommy, help!"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Mordred, really? And you're coming of age this year….."

"Emrys," he mockingly whined. "Amby was running away from us, I had to get him somehow!" He released the boy, who scurried behind the protection of his mother's legs. He stuck his tongue out at Mordred.

"Ambrose," said Merlin in a warning voice.

"Momma, he turned me upside down! Can't I stick my tongue at him?"

She sighed, smiled, and nodded. Mordred rolled his eyes. "Emrys," he said in a voice to mock Ambrose's, "He stuck his tongue out at me, can't I-"

"Really, Mordred?"

Mordred sighed and moved to her side, arm snaking around her shoulders in a brotherly fashion. Ambrose was now in his mother's arms, making faces at his surrogate brother.

"C;mon you two," said Merlin, "Time for lunch."

"Good, I'm starving!" chimed the two year old.

Mordred's eyes rolled. "How? You're always eating. It can't be good for you…."

"I'm not fat!" yelled the child. Merlin stopped.

"Emrys?" No answer. "Em? Merlin?" asked Mordred.

"Mordred," she breathed, eyes filling with an emotion Mordred had not seen on her in a while. "Can you take Amby inside? I need a minute."

The druid nodded, taking the boy in his arms. They went into a small house that was not too far away. Merlin was now alone.

Her son's words reminded her of him, the man she was trying to forget. How could she, though? Her son was the spitting image of Arthur, and he had many of his mannerisms. Every time she looked at her own child, she saw him. She hoped where ever he was, Arthur was happy with that skinny bitch of his, the one he cheated on her with. She hoped that, because, without that happening, she never would've had this wonderful life with her son and Mordred. She was happy with them.

Smiling at the thought of her little family, she headed in their house.

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Two years. Six months. Twelve days.

That's how long he'd been without Merlin.

That's how long he'd been searching for her.

That's how long he'd been slowly dying without her.

And that's his long his life was a living hell.

He couldn't take it for much longer; it physically burned him, her face forever ingrained in his mind. The betrayal, the hurt, the sadness, the anger, the disappointment written plainly across her features.

Morgana was the only he talked to anymore, because even Gauis blamed him for forcing Merlin out. It didn't matter; Arthur blamed himself too.

"Arthur! How could you?!" Morgana had screamed at him.

"It was to help…" he started weakly.

"You didn't have to listen to that sorceress! You didn't have to stage cheat on Merlin! You didn't have to say those things!"

"I made I vow….."

"You made a vow!? AVOW, ARTHUR PENDRAGON!" she screamed, eyes flashing gold as a window shattered and the shards of glass went straight through the shade. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO KEEP IT!"

"It was to help M-"

"ARTHUR, YOU DICKHEAD! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY THOSE THINGS! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT TO MERLIN! WHY DID YOU?!"

"Because…." He started. "Because, the sorceress-"

"DON'T SAY SHE TRICKED YOU! YOU WERE IN FULL CONTROL OF YOUR ACTIONS!" screamed Morgana. In a huff, too disgusted with her own brother, she left him there.

She was right and Arthur knew it. He hadn't needed to say those things, or even listen to Magus. That's why now, two years later, he was still searching for his warlock. The one who didn't want to be found.

"Merlin," he whispered to her wedding ring, the one she'd thrown on the ground outside his chambers before she teleported. It was the same one as his mother's. "Merlin, I'm sorry."

Arthur Pendragon, the man who said no man was worth your tears, cried for his Merlin.

(((((((((((((0))))))))))))

Gwaine was angry at Arthur. He was furious. And he felt pity for him.

Arthur was no longer the man he used to be. There was no kingly aura around him, or the glow of youth. He was still young looking, but the king's eyes suggested he aged a hundred years. There was always dark circles ringing his eyes, and he had stopped eating altogether for a few months. Arthur no longer sat in the sunlight. He no longer talked to anyone. He didn't even get a new manservant.

That is why Gwaine was here with him, right now, searching for Merlin. The knight secretly hoped they wouldn't find the warlock; Arthur didn't deserve her. The whole trip was consumed in silence, as Arthur refused to talk and Gwaine was too pissed at him to.

Ever since Merlin left, Gwaine and Morgana had grown cold with each other. There was no more hanging out, calls of "Sir Drinks-A-Lot and Miss Sexy-Sorceress," or even the polite smile. Merlin's disappearance had very little to do with this, though. Since Morgana had pushed Gwaine away just before they kissed, he refused to talk to her. Because Gwaine wouldn't talk to her, she wouldn't talk to him. And Arthur giving off the aura of self-loathing and hopeless love really didn't help their chances either.

The king held up his hand to stop the knight. There was a noise coming from a bush. Out of nowhere, a small thing, looking like a blur because of its speed, collided with Arthur's stomach and the king fell over.

"Sorry Mister!" squeaked the thing. Arthur sat up to find a very young boy had flown into him. "I thought you was- I mean were- my big brother."

For the first time in two years, something happened to the king. It took Gwaine a moment to realize he was smiling, however small and tense that smile may be.

"It's alright," said the king, speaking hoarsely for the first time in months. "Are you lost?"

The boy nodded, and something about him clicked. Gwaine started at the boy, then to Arthur. They were dead ringers (except the fact that the boy was two) for each other. Same blonde hair, same eyes, same body built, even the same features!

"Umm…yeah," admitted the boy, shyly. "I don't get lost a lot, but-" he sighed, "Can you help me?"

"Of course," said Arthur, smile still a little forced. "Where do you live?"

"In a house. On a hill, overlooking a meadow. I live there with my big brother and my mommy," said the boy. He then grinned in an oh-too-familiar way.

Gwaine was sure Arthur didn't see, because if he did, the king would be in a frenzy. Because anyone would recognize that grin from a mile off.

It was Merlin's grin.

"I'm Ambrose, by the way," said Merlin's son. "Call me Amby."

Well, here's chapter 31. I know a lot of questions probably were not answered in this chapter, buuuuut they will be in the next ones.

And MORDRED! I had to throw him in here. I actually haven't seen season 5, but I know Mordred's in it (and a lot of other stuff, too, like Arthur...*sob, sob, sob* Mom! Stop glaring at me for crying over fictional characters!) Soooo, anyways, sorry if I don't get any Mordred facts right.

As for those who want Merlin to turn back into a man, I have a spiecal idea for that...*cackles evilly, thinking about it* There just needs to be some Merlin girl drama first.

And, also, I FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHO THE OLD MAN COULD BE! Buuuuuuut, I'm not telling.

Wow, this author's note is getting pretty long...

Well, it is my pleasure to thank Corey YoungBlood, Lady Blade WarAngel, Luka Knight, bubzchoc, and Don V! Really, thank you people! So much!