Chapter two

Out of breath Jack reached the spot where Ianto stood at a standoff with a half-naked, and if Jack were honest, rather handsome stranger. Confusion and brave courage filled the brown eyes of the newcomer. His sword glistened in the watery rays of sunshine which lit the still cold, slightly misty day in April. To Jack's angered surprise the weapon was lifted up against the throat of Ianto. Its point dented Ianto's fair skin, just below his chin, and Jack realised that only the slightest move could end his life.

"Sir… stay back."

Jack smiled at his lover. As always Ianto thought of others first, in spite of his own fear. He was by far braver than most people gave him credit for. "Tea boy", Owen had always called him. Jack grinned to himself at the unfair name, because he had always known that Ianto could more than stand his own ground. Right now though Jack intended to help him out of the tricky situation, whether Ianto needed his help or not.

Even so Jack couldn't resist allowing for his eyes to travel over the six-pack of the man who held Ianto at sword point with appreciation. The tendons and muscles in his arm betrayed his strength. They stood out like cables while he raised his sword. One swift flick of his wrist… no, Jack refused to go there. The man's half long, dark hair was just too beautiful to be true. Wow, this man was hot! Jack couldn't resist but smile at him.

"I meant no harm to your friend. It was only by accident that I knocked him down." Ianto apologized to the stranger with a tremor of fear in his voice.

It was only then that Jack saw another man taking in the scene from several feet away. This was clearly the man Ianto had bumped into, if him swiping away the dirt from his trousers with his gloved hands was anything to go by. Jack's attention drew firm towards the man and his stance of authority. His presence was unmistakable strong, almost to the point of blunt arrogance. Intelligent but alert blue eyes stared back at him from beneath a blonde fringe. It seemed to Jack like the man demanded answers to questions which had yet to be asked.

Jack grinned to Gwen, "You never said there were two handsome men waiting for me on this side of the hill."

"Oh no. I didn't think it possible, but he's even worse than you are, Gwaine." The blonde man spoke before he walked over to them. Without another word he placed his hand on the sword in Gwaine's hands as if ordering him to lower it. Jack was relieved when the quiet order proved enough. He saw Gwaine lower the sword and then hand it over to the blonde man with the grip towards him. Jack watched the man accept the sword and sheath it onto the belt on his very old fashioned costume of metal rings and laced tunics before he said to Ianto, "Apology accepted."

Jack relaxed his hand away from the gun he wore on his hip. When he realised how old the costumes both men wore looked he narrowed his eyes, "Who are you two anyway?" His curiosity demanded answers. Before either of the two men could react though a deep voice behind them called out in what sounded like a name of awed shock. "Arthur?!"

Merlin had walked up to the top of the hill. Once there he looked ahead, following the mysterious man walking along back downwards with his eyes. A bit further ahead the welsh strangers stood together with two newcomers. Merlin could only see part of them both and he could not make out who they were… but was that a sword glistening in the pale daylight? He was unsure, and so he decided to eavesdrop on the gathered group.

It amused him when the mysterious man flirted blatant with the newcomers. In his time people were not this forward when it came to showing interest in another person. Even nowadays in the 21st century many people struggled in accepting things when it came to flirting between one man and another. Was that what made this bold stranger stand out to him? Merlin realised that while his dress sense was a bit old fashioned the man's manners showed he lived in the now. It was an odd combination at the very least.

The moment a new voice answered to the flirt Merlin's heart leaped in his throat in recognition. It sounded almost like… so familiar in tone. Every syllable came out mock annoyed, slightly commanding the words fell together and at the same time it sounded more like banter than anything else. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Merlin hoped with all of his heart that it wasn't, because if his mind was right then he just heard Arthur speak again for the first time in centuries. Before he realised that his feet carried him forwards Merlin was running down the hill, towards the man he needed to see. "Arthur?!" He called out.

Several surprise filled pairs of eyes stared back at him, but Merlin did not see anyone but the one man who had never left his heart. To his awed joy it was indeed Arthur who stepped away from the group. Disbelief and joy too were etched on his face. Merlin could see the emotions play on the familiar face from where he was. He laughed in his eager to be reunited with his King and friend.

"Merlin!" The call of his name was as welcome to him as it used to annoy him at times in the past. Here was the moment he had only dreamed of, afraid to trust in it and yet eager to do so all the same. It was inconceivable and perfect at once that at last his time of waiting was over.

His run ended in Arthur's strong arms. They hugged and laughed, making silent promises to the other that they wouldn't go anywhere without them. "At last", Merlin mumbled into a broad shoulder while he let his tears of happiness fall at the feel and smell of the past.

Jack turned towards the voice calling out the name "Arthur". To his surprise it was none other than the raven haired young man who came running down towards them. Maybe his intense stare back when he sat on that bench wasn't as unfocussed as Jack at first believed, or was it? Silently he admonished himself for missing the fact that the man had come after him during a Torchwood mission.

"Merlin!"

The name shouted in joy made absolutely no sense… or did it in this mysterious place? Jack almost grinned when he saw Ianto and Gwen narrow their eyes in confusion and disbelief as well. All the stories of legend Ianto had told them in the jeep were fun, but neither one of them had taken it all too serious. Now though Jack had to admit that he was wondering if maybe there was an ounce of truth in the many tales.

Jack couldn't resist smiling when the two men hugged as if their life depended on it. It was quite obvious to him that whoever they truly were they had not seen each other for some time. This was a reunion, which was the one truth within it all he could grasp. He wasn't all that surprised to see a few tears of joy were being shed either…

His eyes then caught sight of Gwaine, who hadn't moved an inch from where he stood before. He just stared in awe at the sight unfolding before him. It seemed he was caught as much off guard as Jack was. What was his role here then? Jack tried to catch the man's eyes, but Gwaine didn't allow for his attention to waver. When Jack however stepped towards the two hugging men to try and catch their attention Gwaine stopped him, shaking his head in a firm no. "I may not have my sword anymore, but I insist you give them some space."

Jack held up his hands in surrender. "Alright… I will, if you can answer some questions for us." A nod was his only answer, but then all of Gwaine's attention was taken away by the raven haired man stepping away to greet him too.

"Gwaine?!"

A day earlier…

Gwaine woke up with a splitting headache. The first thing which came to his mind was the fact that he had failed his king. He had brought Morgana straight to Arthur and Merlin. That dreadful snake, what was it called… a nathair? It had pierced into his mind, torn into his soul and as it wormed a way into his very essence he grew too weak to fight it. Had he been stronger he could have resisted the creature. Fool though that he was he had surrendered, and that hurt him more than anything ever had done.

After an anguished cry of anger Gwaine pushed himself onto his feet and then he ran through the forest. Maybe he could still help? But all too soon he felt lost. All around him the world had changed. Dense forest was replaced by fields and hedges. A wide path of a foreign, harsh material wound between the hedges into a busy town that he could not remember ever being there. Gwaine ran on for leagues until he found a place to hide between trees. In disgust he dropped down for a moment to catch his breath. If he did not find Merlin, then he could not warn him. He dreaded to think he was already too late.

Once more Gwaine shook off his tiredness as he rose onto his feet. Then he shed off his armour and chainmail. For all of his failures he felt he didn't deserve to be dressed as a knight of Camelot anymore. In his tunic he ran on, ignoring the cold and the rain beating down on him.

Stumped for a moment Gwaine stopped running. Where was Percival? His friend had been there when he died, that much he remembered. At the same time he began to wonder why he wasn't dead anymore. He had died hadn't he? Nothing in this strange world made sense any longer. Except maybe for the fact the strong knight seemed to have abandoned him. It was probably no less then he deserved.

A branch caught into his tunic, but Gwaine didn't care. He ran on and on amongst the trees. Once more a branch caught into his tunic. This time it tore into the fabric of his sleeves. Gwaine looked at the torn linen before he tore it off his chest in a fit of anger and despair. Deflated he sunk down onto his knees. Why was he even bothering?

Because he was a fighter and in this moment where he had to set things right it did not matter if he made a dreadful mistake. In his heart Gwaine knew that he was still a knight and he always would remain one too. Determined to correct his errors he got up once more. He would find Merlin and Arthur, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

Gwaine ran on and then suddenly he heard another sound between the trees. A man stumbled out of the bushes. He seemed confused and at once just as shocked as Gwaine was. "Arthur?"

They clasped arms before they each asked the other at once, "Where is Merlin?" It seemed there was no answer to their shared question.

In the next breaths Gwaine found out Arthur had woken up at around the same time he had done. Arthur too felt the same unease at even being alive in a world that made no sense. Despite the fact Merlin had killed Morgana, something Gwaine was happy to hear even though it barely diminished his guilty feelings, he was unable to get Arthur to Avalon in time. It shocked Gwaine to hear Arthur say that he believed in all honesty that he had died on the banks of the lake. So why then did they still draw breath? It made no sense, but maybe their friend had the answers?

Together they decided to head towards Avalon. If Merlin would be anywhere it would be there. To say they were shocked by the fact the once large lake had disappeared was an understatement. What was even stranger to them was that a new tower, which seemed old all the same, stood in the place of the one they once knew. What had happened to the world while they were gone? And how long had they been out of it?