AN: Huge thanks as always to Nance, who took the late night shift of proofing to get this done by this morning, and helping me more than she can imagine!
Um...some candy at the end for the fangirls/boys hehe.
This is technically the last chapter in Part 2. I will be posting the epilogue immediately following.
"...the stars look very different today
For here...
Am I sitting in a tin can.
Far...above the world.
Planet Earth is blue,
And there's nothing I can do..."
~David Bowie, Space Oddity (Not mine, just used to set the tone)
Gwen stood nervously in the area Dr. Lam indicated, along with the others. She fiddled nervously with the blankets and toys surrounding Aurie in the brand new baby stroller Laney had given her. The manicure around her thumb was ruined from her anxious chewing, while she had watched the medical staff prepare Arthur. The majority of the tubes and wires were removed, and she had barely heard the conversation that had taken place in all the activity.
Dr. Lam had come up, just as Arthur asked the loaded question about Prometheus. She smiled and answered, "You'll see soon enough. We're sending you home with Colonel Emrys today. Cassandra Fraiser will be accompanying you, to assist with your in home recovery. As per your wife's agreement with General Landry, she will report your progress to the SGC.
"Dr. Jones has signed all of the paperwork to release you into her care. She will be taking over as your medical provider, from here on out. You can start working on getting mobile once you're settled. Despite the excitement earlier, you're healing really well, and there are no traces of lingering radiation in your bloodstream. So, I think we're about ready to get you out of here."
"You..." Arthur's snarky comment was cut off by his wife, coughing into her hand. He took a breath and nodded to the doctor. "Thank you."
While Arthur was moved into the wheelchair, Guinevere hugged Gwaine tightly to her. "Tell your sister, I'll talk to her soon, alright?" The queen was going to miss the sassy brunette who had become a true friend in their short time together. She was sad that she had missed getting to meet Gwaine's nephews, but it gave her something to look forward to in the future.
Gwaine returned the embrace. "I will. You keep these guys in line, alright?...And spoil that little boy of yours rotten."
She nodded and stepped aside.
Gwaine held out his arm to the king. They didn't need any words, just the handshake and a nod. He then turned to Merlin and wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulders. "I'll let you know anything I find out." He whispered into the warlock's ear.
"Take care of yourself out there, Gwaine. I don't know what I'd do, if I lost you again."
Merlin stepped back with the others. Everything was ready to go.
"Wait!" A call came from the infirmary door. Daniel Jackson appeared and ran towards the group. He stood alongside Merlin and nodded to Dr. Lam. "Okay, I'm good."
Lam nodded to an airman standing nearby. He keyed up the microphone on his radio. "Prometheus: you are good for transport. Total count: six adults, one child, and gear."
A shimmering light began to form around the group. Gwen sucked in her breath and clenched her teeth. Merlin knew what was coming, yet still found himself tensing. Arthur looked at the odd lights in fascination, while the infirmary around them began to disappear.
Martha smiled at Dr. Jackson and Cassie. All three had experienced such transportation methods before.
The world around them began to rematerialize...and they found themselves on a metal plate deck next to a wall of thick, clear windows. Outside, almost all that could be seen, was mostly bathed in the dark blue of the midnight sky...stars twinkling across it.
"What is that?" Gwen asked, pointing to a luminous blue round object in the distance. She swallowed down her fear, but her hands were still trembling.
Martha moved next to her friend and hugged her shoulders. "That's the Earth. We're quite a ways above it...out in space."
Merlin stared, wide-eyed. "That is..."
"...wicked." Arthur finished Merlin's expression. There was no other way to describe what they were seeing.
"I've seen pictures of it, but...wow." He felt giddy as he stood next to Arthur's wheelchair.
The king cackled, oblivious to his wife's distress. "Amazing...absolutely, amazing."
Cassie moved in to help Martha with Gwen. They pulled the queen away from the windows, and to a place where she could sit down and gather her bearings.
"Yeah, it is pretty spectacular, even once you get used to it." Daniel commented.
Merlin gave him a sideways glance. "What made you decide to tag along?"
"I wanted to give you this." He held out a thumb drive. "Sam has been working on analyzing your blood with Dr. Lam. They've compared it to most of the known samples in our database, and came back with an interesting hit from some of the shared Asgard information."
Merlin's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "I'll be back in a minute, Arthur." He patted the king's shoulder.
Arthur waved him off, only half paying attention. His mind was still with his eyes, and the view from the window in space.
"What did they find out?" Merlin asked, walking away with Daniel.
"Well...not much. Actually, just some poetry, and a few records that are in a language I haven't deciphered yet." Daniel said. He took off his glasses and began to clean them on the bottom corner of his shirt. "At first glance, your blood appears very human. It's when you get down into the genetic level with the chromosomes and such, that Sam noticed a few extremely minor differences. Most equipment nowadays wouldn't even pick it up. She's sent a sample off to our lead geneticist, in the Pegasus Galaxy, based in Atlantis. However, that could take a few months before we get the results back."
Merlin chuckled, "You know, I actually applied to be on British team to Atlantis...I was turned down because of my age."
"Yeah, well...wait..." Daniel did a double-take, before he realized Merlin was joking. "Uh..."
"Actually, I was turned down because they already had a linguist, and they saw no need for someone specialized in British Artifacts." He shrugged, "What can you do, right?"
"I figured someone like you, would cast a 'spell'...or whatever it is you do...to get on it."
Merlin turned towards the table where Martha was still sitting with Gwen. The queen was breathing easier, but still appeared shaken from the experience.
He smiled, "I might have, but I met someone and decided that was a better opportunity. Funny how destiny works. Even if you think you are totally in control of your own fate, when you reflect back you can see the path clear as day, and you begin to discern the patterns of the web that have brought you right where you need to be."
Daniel nodded. He knew exactly what Merlin was talking about. A few years previous, Daniel had died. One of the Ascended, a woman named Oma, had come to him upon the moment of his death. She offered him a place among the Ancients. During his time with them, he had learned many of their mysterious ways. He wasn't allowed to interact with people from his former life, but when Anubis wiped out an entire planet, Daniel couldn't stand by in the other dimension anymore...especially when he had lived with those people for a time, and had married the chieftain's daughter on his very first mission through the Stargate.
He was cast out, shortly thereafter, and given human form again...although his memories of his past life and Ascension had been blocked from his mind. "It's still rather frustrating in the moment though...When you think you're heading one way, and find you've gone in the completely opposite direction."
Merlin held up the thumb drive. "Thank you for this. I'll be sure to let you know if anything on it is relevant."
The archeologist shifted his feet and fluffed his sandy blond hair with his hand. "Can I ask you about...Camelot?"
Laughing, Merlin placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "I've been waiting for you to. Come, let's go sit with Arthur, I'm sure he'd be interested in this, as well."
(*~*)
The swirling white clouds of white covered much of what he saw below. Off to his left, he could see the sun passing quickly over land. A distinct line of shadow crossed the Earth. Areas that were once green, brown, and blue became darker...but at the same time, they lit up, like thousands of torches across the land; flaring to life simultaneously. They outlined where the large land masses had just been.
Arthur wished he could ask someone about it, but there was no one close by him. He wondered where it was they had just been. In the mountain cavern, carved out by the hands of men and strung with artificial lights, he didn't know if it had been day or night. The king looked for anything that resembled Albion, but nothing made sense. A tightness began creeping into his chest. If he couldn't find the land where his kingdom had been so many centuries ago, how significant was it to begin with?
He had ruled a very powerful kingdom...and it suddenly hit him. Merlin's and Gwaine's words: it was all gone. Arthur felt like a piece of dust that once littered the castle he called home. He was nothing compared to what was out there. Only his friends somehow linked him to that place, where he used to reign. The power and might of a great army; the people whose lives depended on his protection...they were all gone. Everything he had known...lost to the past.
He felt the tears cutting tracks down his face, and wondered for a moment when he had begun to cry. Arthur didn't bother trying to wipe them away.
"Arthur?" Merlin's voice asked softly, "Are you alright?"
"What's the point of this, Merlin? I am a king without a kingdom...without people. Who am I supposed to be now? Camelot doesn't even exist anymore. Does anyone, outside of us...even know about it? Is it just some footnote in history? Am I even mentioned as a king?"
Merlin tussled his black hair and sat down on the floor, his back to the window. "I think anything I say right now, you'd argue that I'm being biased." He turned to Daniel. "Perhaps you can tell him, Dr. Jackson. Do people of this era know of Camelot, and some prat who reigned over it for a few years named Arthur?"
Daniel shook his head and laughed, "Yes...yes they do; not just as a footnote either. Even today, fifteen hundred years later, people are still searching for the ruins of Camelot. It's been debated whether it even existed in the first place, but what really survived is the idea of it. The dream of a glorious kingdom, built by King Arthur."
Arthur scoffed and wiped his nose across the sleeve of his robe. "I didn't build it. Camelot was built over three hundred years before I ruled it."
"...But that's not the point. Everywhere in the world, right or wrong, people have theories about it, and it all comes back to one thing...you." Merlin pinned him with a meaningful stare.
Blue eyes, rimmed with red, turned towards the archeologist, expecting this to all be some joke. "My father, Uther, ruled over Camelot longer than I did. It was King Bruta who built it. What does history have to say about them?"
"Bruta...hmm...There was a Trojan named Brutus who, after freeing the slaves of Troy, set sail and came upon a land filled with giants, called Albion. It was said he and his men slew the giants, and he then named the island after himself...calling it Britain. History says that he founded New Troy...which later became London. I don't recall any mention of him being associated with Camelot.
"As for Uther...he's...uh..." Daniel readjusted his glasses, unsure of how much he should say.
Merlin snorted, "Uther is remembered as the little brother of the High King Ambrosius, youngest son of Constantine II. He was known as a tyrant, and the father of King Arthur. Most people couldn't care less about him, although there has been a lot written about the circumstances around your birth. Most of which is fictional."
"Oh?" The archeologist perked up immediately. His excitement at finding out the truth behind the myths first-hand was palpable. "This is what I've been waiting to hear!"
Arthur looked at the man oddly. "Why anyone would want to hear about my birth...is beyond me. It was a very dark time for my father."
Merlin nodded, "It was a dark time for many in and around Camelot, especially those with magic." He glanced at Arthur, asking silently for permission to tell the tale. The king nodded once, slowly, before turning to gaze back out the window. "Uther was married to Ygraine Du Bois...an arranged marriage. In most stories told nowadays, Ygraine somehow was married to Gorlois, and already had Morgana."
He looked at Daniel, who silently agreed.
"However, Gorlois was actually married to Vivienne, and they had Morgause. At some point, while Gorlois was away, Uther had an affair with Vivienne...and Morgana was born. Morgause had begun to show the gift of sight. Uther feared that his transgression would become known, so ordered Morgause killed. Gaius took pity on the girl and smuggled her out of the city.
"Later, when Ygraine still hadn't conceived, a deal was struck with magic. I don't know the whole story, but it was blood magic, which required the balance of life and death. Arthur was born, but his mother died. Uther took it upon himself to purge all magic from the land, and the war began. He was basically the Hitler of the Dark Ages, committing genocide on all who even thought about magic, it seemed. Thankfully, war with other kingdoms, and constant threats from Saxons, Picts and others, kept Uther and his tyranny rather confined.
"He ruled over Camelot for...a couple of decades afterwards, before an assassin's blade took him down. That was when Arthur became king."
Most of what Merlin told Daniel, Arthur already knew, or had guessed. A few other details, were a complete surprise to him. Arthur mused to himself, that the next few months were probably going to be filled with more emotional pain, than physical. "I ruled Camelot for less than five years, before I was struck down at Camlann, by Mordred."
"...Who was your son?" Daniel questioned.
Arthur looked at the man with disdain. "Are you on the cider? Mordred was one of my knights. He turned on me, after I ordered the death of his childhood love. She had tried to assassinate me, and was wholly unrepentant. I had no choice."
"Dr. Jackson. Colonel Emrys. We're in position for the transport." A uniformed crewman said, coming into the room.
Merlin patted Arthur's knee. "Ready to go home, my friend?"
Arthur straightened in the chair and cast a lingering gaze outside. "I'm really not just a 'footnote?'"
Daniel laughed, "No...the idea of Camelot, ruled by Arthur Pendragon, and his Knights of the Round Table, have been an inspiration to...kings, presidents, peasants...across all classes and all over the world, for centuries."
The king smirked at Merlin. "...And I'm sure you had nothing to do with it?"
"Actually, I didn't. Most of the stuff came from Geoffrey, of all people."
Rolling his eyes, Arthur groaned, "No wonder it's so messed up then. I remember what the Hall of Records looked like."
(*~*~*~*)
Merlin told Arthur he had hoped to bring the king home during the day, but Arthur was thankful to be back on his home soil, no matter the time. Something about the field where they materialized...just felt right to him. The transport beam faded away and he shielded his eyes from the glare of the bright lights, that shone on the area.
Merlin explained that he had a variety of protective measures in place on the actual residence, and it would be easier for Prometheus to set them down outside the defended area. He could have made adjustments to his security, or given more details to the commander of the Battlecruiser. "...But..." He whispered to Arthur. "I really don't want these Yanks creeping around my house."
"Ever paranoid, Merlin."
He shrugged, "Yeah, but it's gotten us both this far."
"'Bout time you slackers got 'ere! Stop off for a pint at the local space pub on the way, or what?" A young man with a thick accent and dark skin, said sarcastically.
"My Lord!" Another voice called out.
Arthur turned away from the lights and towards the voice of one of his knights. He blinked in surprise. He didn't know why, but he half-expected to see the piecemeal armor of his largest knight.
Percival stepped forward and dropped to his knee. He was wearing dark trousers similar to those that Merlin wore and a large leather jacket, tailored to his size. "Sire...I...I never thought to see you again, after Camlann."
"I never thought I'd see anyone, Percival. I'm thankful you are here."
"Come. Let's get you all into the vehicles and get back to the house."
Arthur didn't get to see much of the place. He was beginning to really feel the pain of his injuries. The added excitement of having been on a spaceship, and his first ride in a vehicle; along with the emotional overload from the past few days, left him completely exhausted. He glanced around the room, as Percival helped him into the bed, noting briefly how much it looked like his room in Camelot.
Gwen gasped when she saw it. The walls were different, off-white and smooth, but the layout and furnishings were almost identical. The only other real difference either of them noticed, was the addition of the crib, where Arthur's desk would have been. Aurie was already out cold, when Gwen laid him down.
Merlin nodded silently to Percival, thanking him. The large man had performed incredibly, in executing Merlin's plan to make the rooms as comfortable as possible for Arthur and Gwen's homecoming.
Cassie and Martha checked over Arthur's vital signs. Soon after, the royal couple were left alone in a place that felt more like home than anywhere else had, for what seemed like a very long time. The king allowed himself to relax, while he waited for his wife to change into her nightclothes. She crawled into the bed next to him and clung to her husband tightly.
"Don't ever do that to me again, Arthur. Please..."
He didn't have to ask what she meant. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain she had gone through after Camlann. "Never, my love."
(*~*~*~*)
"So...?"
"So?"
"How was the first mission with the new team?"
Gwaine rolled his eyes. "Rather not talk about it." He took a large swig out of his beer bottle.
"Ouch! Well, if it's any consolation, Reeves is pushing his luck lately. Did you ever know Master Sergeant Bond?" Cameron asked.
Gwaine shook his head. "Should I?"
"He was a good man, resigned recently after being on SG-18 for three years." He poured some of the liquid down his throat. "Ah, this is good stuff. Anyway, Reeves was promoted during a brief stint, when the IOA had attempted to bring the SGC under civilian control, instead of leaving it a military operation. Lot of things got wonky during that time."
Gwaine huffed, "Reeves was a Lieutenant when he first came on. He and I served together on SG-6...Had the makings of a good officer...but even back then, I don't think he had the right stuff for a command."
"I hate to assume things..." He glanced at Gwaine. Both men snorted at the obvious lie. "...but, I think Landry putting you as the Second-in-Command on that team, was a strategic move on his part. The only one who's stuck with SG-18 under Reeves, has been Calden."
"Great!" Gwaine rolled his eyes. "So, he's hoping since I have history with Reeves, I can come in and try to clean it up?"
Cameron shrugged and set his bottle on the deck railing. "Alright, how about we leave work at work, and you show me these moves the king was boasting about?"
Gwaine laughed and yelled through the back door. "Hey Toby! Grab those practice swords I showed you the other day, and then you and your brothers get your butts out here!" Cameron cocked his head in curiosity. He shrugged, "Kid's been giving me grief, saying I probably don't really know how to use a sword. I want to show him how good his uncle really is."
An hour later, and the small audience of Gwaine's family had come out onto the deck. Laney was wincing with each strike of the hard, wooden practice swords. Pops was clapping his knees and roaring with laughter. Randy and Greg, ages seven and six, were mimicking their uncle's duel around the porch. Toby was sitting on the steps, out of breath from having been allowed to participate a little bit during the warm-ups.
"Quit toying with me, man!" Cameron yelled at his opponent, as he huffed and leaned on the sword, like a cane.
The sun was setting over the mountains. Elongated shadows crept across the plains. Gwaine stood opposite his friend and twirled the sword in his hand. He showed no signs of slowing down or weakening, though his bare torso glistened with sweat in the orange light of the evening.
Cameron stripped off his shirt as well.
"Down, Mom!" Toby said, pretending to gag, as he heard the quiet hum of appreciation behind him.
"No ogling my friends, Laney. We both know how that turned out before!"
"Stuff it, Gwaine. That was back during your first year of college." His sister argued.
"Speaking of dating..." Cameron asked, raising the stick in his hand. "Are you ever gonna ask Carter out?"
"Eh...We had lunch a couple times on base, while you were gone. We decided we're probably just better off as friends, and going to the occasional concert together."
"Uh huh, I see..."
Pops yelled from the porch. "Said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw."
Gwaine turned to laugh at his grandfather and the old saying. He realized his mistake immediately as Cameron's faux sword was suddenly pointed at his chest. Turning his brown eyes back to his friend, he glanced down at the sword and smirked. "Really?"
In a move quicker than Cameron could have imagined, Gwaine had his sword back up and with a twist of the wrist, the Colonel was suddenly disarmed. He blinked when Gwaine caught it. "You actually are good at this, you know?"
Gwaine shook his head, his dogtags jangled around his neck. "I'm just getting warmed up."
Review responses:
Tholey: Other than Merlin 'needing to pee' and kicking a chamber pot, I don't think there was any mention of bathroom facilities. Got that edit fixed, thank you! Sad to leave this part behind, but there is a method to my madness.
IcarusLSU: You're going to be helping me with those names, you know! LOL Give Dee her trampoline back!
Aerist: Merlin will be using his magic more. He's still a bit uneasy about the whole situation too.
Flamie: Can't wait to see what you have to say about the epilogue coming up!
Guest (TiP I'm guessing hehe): Well? did you like his reaction?
Nance: Thank you as always! Eh...not sure where exactly I'm going with other pairings yet. I have some ideas, and you'll be one of the first to know about them. ;D
CarolynneRuth: Yes I've had one, as well and yeah...BLEH. Thank you!
Ok now here I go to post the epilogue...I'm more excited to post it than I have been to post any part of a story! I hope you guys like it!
Thanks for reading!