Gwen sat in a chair next to the unopened pod. Her son played quietly in her lap. "Oh, Arthur...I can't wait for you to meet your son." Tears fell from her eyes. She was mildly amazed that she had anything left to cry after the last month of her life.
A very nice lady had explained to the former queen about the time difference, and how Gwen was now centuries into the future. Merlin was by her side much of the time. Only leaving to 'make a call'. She wondered, at first, if that was how people in this century referred to certain bodily functions. It took the young physician's assistant, Cassie, to explain about the so-called telephones, which were similar to scrying bowls used by practitioners of the Old Religion to communicate over distances instantly.
Cassandra Fraiser was such a sweet girl, and it didn't take long for the queen to warm up to her. She was twenty-one years old, and spoke to Gwen about much of her life. They shared in the grief of having both lost their parents, although Cassie had lost three. Her adopted mother, Dr. Lam's predecessor, was killed on a far away battlefield. The girl had graduated something called High School early, and had attended nursing school...which to Gwen seemed like a type of apprenticeship before becoming a physician. She then took a job at the same place where her mother had worked. Although Cassie tried to make it clear, that she was a civilian, not part of the military.
Aurie had taken to her right away, which helped ease Gwen's anxiety; giving her time to herself, or to sit by her husband's side alone.
Gwaine would come to sit with her at times, but his life seemed very busy, always rushing off to something. She had laughed and joked that he was probably just hiding out in a tavern somewhere.
He had changed, almost more than Merlin in some ways. Though from the way they explained it, his time in this world was considerably less than Merlin's. Gwaine was still the same carefree roguish man, however he looked almost nothing like he used to, with the short hair and clean shaven face. The knight told her about his own journey, and Gwen couldn't say she was shocked to find out this is the place he was originally from.
His accent was slightly different, closer to the speech patterns of many others in this unnatural cave-like fortress; where the only sun she saw was through windows, not set in the walls...and the scenes would change continuously. One moment they showed day; the next, it was already night.
Cassie explained to her that what Gwen saw was akin to an artist's representation of the world outside. However, instead of just one painting, they were able to capture the world through something called a camera.
The young woman illustrated this by bringing in a small rectangular item one day, with one of the miniature windows on the back. She had Gwen hold Aurie and told her to say, "Cheese!" Though, the queen couldn't fathom why. A bright flash of lightning appeared suddenly and was gone. Cassie came back over and showed Gwen the screen.
Inside the small frame was a portrait of her holding her son. She giggled and clapped a hand over her mouth in amazement. A few days later Cassie brought in a larger version of the picture, in a simple black frame for Gwen to keep with her. The queen sat it on a table, next to the pod where her husband laid.
He appeared to be sleeping, except for the unnatural stillness. She wondered what he was going to think of this new world when he woke up. Arthur was never very good at accepting change. Merlin had relived those last few days of Arthur's life, describing to her the king's mindset. During the last few years of his reign, the king had been more open, but his father's legacy still kept him from truly making the kingdom his own.
She wiped away the tears. Aurie reached out and slapped his little hands against the glass over his father's face. "Dadada," he said. The queen had laughed when Gwaine, on one of his visits, held the boy over the pod and began to encourage him to say the syllables. He explained that was just one of the ways toddlers referred to their fathers in this time. Gwen rolled her eyes at first, then gasped in amazement when Aurie seemed to catch on. Now, it had become almost commonplace.
"What would your father think of you calling him that, my sweeting?" She drew a breath when the door opened. A woman named Martha came in, dressed as one of the physicians. Her accent was more familiar to Gwen than anyone else's in this place, save for Merlin's.
The warlock had introduced them the day before. Gwen could see the way his eyes softened when he looked at Martha. Even though he had not said out loud that anything was between them, it was obvious. The queen was thankful that her friend had found someone. She had always worried about him back in Camelot.
"We're just about ready." Martha informed the queen. She bent over and tickled Aurie. The boy giggled and stretched his arms towards her. Clicking her tongue, she frowned, "I'm sorry, little Prince. I can't hold you, just now. I have to keep my clothes clean so I can help your daddy, yeah?"
"Is this going to work?" Gwen couldn't keep the tremor from her voice.
Martha smiled encouragingly. The smile faltered when an alarm began to sound loudly through the Base. Red rotating lights along the walls flared to life, and Walter's voice came through the speakers.
"Unscheduled offworld activation." A few moments later, another message came, "Emergency medical personnel: report to the Gate Room. All available Offworld teams: please report to the Briefing room for a potential search and rescue operation."
Gwen hugged Aurie tightly, "What's happening?"
"I don't know. I'll go find out." She squeezed Gwen's shoulder, before darting out into the hallway.
A few heartwrenching minutes later, Martha returned with Merlin following her. The warlock appeared mad, and the woman was trying to calm him down.
"What is it?" Gwen demanded.
Merlin opened his mouth, but Martha shot down whatever he was going to say, with one look. He threw up his hands in defeat.
"There was a skirmish of some sort. Dr. Lam is moving a critical patient into the Operating Room. I'm so sorry, Arthur's surgery has been put on hold for the time being." Martha explained, "It wasn't anything that could be avoided." She wrapped her arms around the queen.
Gwaine rushed in, out of breath. "My Lady...I..."
"Martha explained. I understand." She chuckled sourly. "I assisted Gaius on many occasions. Those wounded in battle take precedence."
He turned to Merlin. "Colonel Mitchell is the one who's missing, so it's going to be hell around here until he's found. Listen, the boys are with their dad this weekend, and Pops has a lady friend he's visiting back in Wyoming. I already cleared it with General Landry for you guys to go out to my place for a day or two."
Merlin nodded. He was upset about the delay, but he couldn't argue with Gwen's logic. "...And your sister?"
Gwaine waved him off. "She'll be fine with it...I think." Someone out in the hallway called to the Major. He looked out and gave a thumbs up. "I gotta go...sorry."
Sighing, Merlin slumped down in a chair next to Gwen. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Gwen...I..." his voice was choked.
"It's fine. I think I could use a break from this place before it happens anyway. I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic in here."
"Then I say we go gather a few things, blow this joint, and give Laney a call when we're on our way." Martha smiled brightly and reached for Aurie, who was beginning to squirm in his mother's lap, upset by all the sounds and tension.
Gwen simply nodded. Her heart was pounding too hard, with each wail of the klaxons to question the modern vernacular of Martha's statement.
(*~*~*~*)
Little did Merlin realize, the most difficult part of getting Gwen and her son out of the Base, would be finding a car seat for the baby. He grumbled and cursed. Gwen couldn't help herself. She began to giggle. She didn't understand what he was ranting about, but his harried state reminded her so much of when he was younger, and trying desperately to placate Arthur's whims. Martha had a much cooler head on her shoulders, and wandered off to find the item.
When Martha returned, she and Merlin began bickering about how to attach it to the backseat of the large orange metal carriage. Gwen had spoken to Percival a few times over the phone in the past two weeks, and he had explained to her about the modern transportation. She was apprehensive about it initially, but her fears eased watching Merlin and Martha. "You two sound like an old married couple."
Martha rolled her eyes. "Well, we are married, and this one is old enough for the both of us..."
"HEY!" Merlin protested.
"Really, Merlin?" Gwen scowled at the warlock. "You neglected to tell me that."
His blue eyes widened. He opened and closed his mouth, attempting to say something, but no words came to him...until Martha smacked him in the shoulder. "OW!"
"Just slipped your mind, did it?"
"In my defense, I was focused on other things. Thank you very much."
"You are so lucky that you are cute, or I might have found myself a younger man by now...instead of an old forgetful one."
"Martha..." He whined.
Gwen laughed until her eyes filled with tears. Although they had yet to leave the parking lot of the SGC, it felt good to be out of the mountain and feeling the sunshine on her skin. The queen might not have her king at her side yet, but the prospect of being somewhere less depressing and stifling was literally a breath of fresh air.
(*~*~*~*)
Aurie adapted to the ride in the car much better than his mother did. Within a few minutes of being on the road, he was sound asleep in the special seat that had caused so much turmoil for Merlin. Gwen felt her stomach twist with the turns in the road. For most of the drive she kept her eyes closed, and allowed the motion to soothe her. If she opened them, the world she saw overwhelmed her, but the sounds alone, while loud, acted like an odd sort of lullaby.
She forced her eyes open when the smooth ground gave way. Merlin had turned on a dirt road that seemed much more natural than the black surfaced version, with the odd yellow and white stripes. Up ahead was a manor house, sitting near a barn larger than she had ever seen. The style was foreign, but something about the estate felt welcoming and comfortable.
A woman stood on the steps outside the front door, smiling as Merlin pulled up. Gwen could instantly see the resemblance to Gwaine, and assumed this was his sister. Martha climbed out and the two women embraced warmly.
"Alright, let's get a look at this little squirt my brother's been raving about." She smiled and climbed into the Scout. "Hi, I'm Laney. Welcome to my home, Majesty...Ma'am...My Lady..." Elaine said, unsure of what greeting to use.
The queen smiled, "Gwen, is fine."
"Good. I'm not a fan of proper protocols and all that nonsense. My mother was...but that's a different story." Laney skillfully unbuckled the sleeping child from the seat, and with practiced ease, lifted him out. Aurie barely stirred as she climbed out.
Once Gwen was on the ground, she took her son back. "Thank you."
"Come on, I've got a warm home-cooked meal waiting."
(*~*~*~*)
Gwen woke up and stretched. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt such a comfortable bed underneath her. Certainly her bed in Camelot was nice, but there was nothing to compare to the pillowtop mattress in Gwaine's room, that she woke up on. Aurie was still sound asleep next to her.
Elaine, at first, started to panic about not having a crib or any guardrails for the bed, but Merlin had put all three women at ease, by casting a spell to make certain the little guy didn't fall off during the night. Elaine eyed Merlin warily, until Aurie attempted to crawl off the bed. Initially she gasped in fright. It soon turned to laughter, however, when it was obvious the boy wasn't going anywhere.
She felt like an intruder, as she looked around the room, but her curiosity about who the knight truly was, got the better of her. There were only a few personal items scattered around the space: a few miniatures of vehicles, like the orange one Merlin had driven the day before; one of the picture window boxes, although it currently was blank; and a few pictures were scattered on a shelf.
Gwen looked over each one. The first was of a young boy of perhaps four, a girl who was a few years older, and two adults...the man wore clothing similar to what she had seen Gwaine wear. She guessed it must have been a picture of the knight, Elaine, and their parents. A blue cloth with embroidered white stars sat in a triangular case next to the picture. Gwen wondered about the significance, as she could see a flag in the background of the picture, unfurled on a pole and bearing the same pattern in the top corner...as well as having seen a similar pattern around the Base.
There were a few more of Gwaine, his sister, and the woman who seemed to be their mother...at least until Gwaine was around ten. After that, most of the pictures consisted of a teenage boy and his friends. She saw one, who she guessed was Gwaine, not long before the time when he must have arrived in the lands around Camelot. He was standing with a few other young men, including the one he called Mitchell, from the Base.
In the background was the orange vehicle, coated completely in mud, and the men standing around or leaning against it, were just as filthy. Nearly every one of them showed off a bare torso, and were in some odd pose that was meant to highlight their tight muscular bodies, covered in sweat and grime.
She felt a flutter in her stomach and turned away, blushing at their indecently exposed bodies. It wasn't that she felt anything for any of the men in the picture, but she could almost imagine Arthur, especially in his younger days, joining them. The thought of her husband topless among the other handsome men, or even the memory of him alone in the privacy of their rooms, made her chest tighten.
Soon...she promised herself. Soon, he would be back in her arms.
(*~*~*~*)
Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him towards her. He, in turn, embraced her around her back, gently pushing her against the counter. Their lips pressed together and the rest of the world, faded away around them.
A polite, but still somewhat reprimanding, sound finally made them part. "Ahem."
Merlin broke the kiss with his wife and turned, smiling at the queen who stood in the doorway. "Morning, Gwen!" He said in a chipper tone, showing no signs of embarrassment from being caught.
"Good morning, Merlin. Martha." She addressed them with a mild smirk.
"Care for a cuppa?" Martha asked, wiggling out of the embrace. She chuckled when she was met with a confused stare from the former queen. "Something to drink, this morning?"
"That would be wonderful, thank you." She smiled and came fully into the kitchen. She managed to still look elegant as she sat at the table, in her borrowed sweat pants and shirt.
"Did you sleep well?" Merlin asked.
"Better than I have in a very long time. I just wish..." she started wistfully, and sighed, "...I just wish Arthur was with us. I think Sir Gwaine may just have to use the floor when he returns. When Arthur is saved and tries it for himself, you will likely have to drag him out of it, kicking and screaming."
"I'll get him an alarm clock. I haven't spent the last fifteen hundred years waiting, just to be his whipping boy again."
"Oh, sure you have...Grandpa Merlin." Elaine's voice cackled from the exterior door. Gwaine's sister entered carrying a basket of eggs.
"Hey, I'm your ancestor, you better be nice to me." Merlin scowled playfully, at his many times over great-granddaughter.
"Ancestor? Is that another thing you forgot to mention?" Martha questioned.
Merlin rubbed at his neck and refused to make eye contact. "Um...yes?"
"Is that a question or a statement, Merlin?" Gwen asked in a regal voice, as if she were questioning a courtier.
"Both?" He turned to fill his coffee cup, feeling the weight of three sets of eyes on him, as they waited for him to continue. "So...Gwaine and I discovered, that he and Laney are descendants of myself and my first wife...Mithian."
Gwen let out a very unladylike sound of surprise. "Truly? Princess Mithian of Nemeth?" At Merlin's nod, she pressed on, "I always wondered if she fancied you. I think I even mentioned it to Arthur, and do you know what his response was?"
Merlin shook his head.
"Why would anyone fancy Merlin?" She mimicked, even contorting her mouth in an attempt to recreate Arthur's sneer.
The warlock rolled his eyes, trying to hide any embarrassment.
"Of course, then I had to inform my husband of all the young women in the castle who, at some point, fancied you."
"That was probably a very short list." He grumbled while sipping his coffee.
"You really were that blind?" Gwen asked. She shook her head in amazement. "Of course, I shouldn't be too surprised. You didn't even know I was besotted by you...even after I kissed you."
His eyes widened, "When did you kiss me?"
A morning of storytelling began. Merlin happily excused himself to get Aurie, when they heard him begin to fuss. He arrived back in the kitchen to see the women cleaning up, and looking as if they were getting ready to leave. "What's all this?"
"Well," Martha began, giving her husband a kiss and tickling the little boy in his arms. "We decided to leave the two of you here for the day and take Gwen shopping!"
"You're what?" He glanced at Aurie and then back at the three women.
"You'll be fine! Gwen needs some girl time, after all she's been through." Martha told him. She put a little bit of a pout into her bottom lip and gave him a forlorn look...she knew her husband would be unable to resist.
(*~*)
He watched the three women drive away in Elaine's car. They had promised to be home by dinner. He felt a heavy amount of trepidation at the thought of the three of them, telling stories of his past. Sighing, he turned to the little boy. "Guess it's just us today. I hope you don't start acting like your father, otherwise it's going to be a very long one."
Aurie's face took on a worried look, just before the little boy began to wail.
AN: Note from my proofreader: "You're going to give your readers anxiety attacks waiting for Arthur to wake. "
That is not my intention, so next chapter should be the one many are waiting for...maybe...unless my muse gets sidetracked...more reviews=less deviation...(maybe LOL)
ANYHOO! Proofread for grammar and spelling by Nance, reviewed for flow by IcarusLSU, Graphics by Aerist.
TiP: Aren't most authors? hehe Gwaine is still Gwaine, no matter what century. Hope you liked the shirtless tease hehe.
Nance: Aw you're always so kind in your reviews! And of course your editing notes are priceless.
Aerist: hmmmm Might not find out about that strange man for a while yet hehe
Flamie: SOON! Oh and thank you so much for the idea you spurred last night!
Tholey: even a boat would take too long. He's busy doing some things for Merlin. Yes it's THE Cassie...I had to put her in, at least a little bit, because like you implied, I have to pay homage to Janet. I'm still trying to figure out how exactly I want Arthur to react.
Matthew on HoC: Actually more than one still to go...but that will be a few more chapters yet and a bit of a plot twist hehe.
Thanks again for reading! See you all next chapter!