Isis and Nance, thanks for the reviews!
For those interested, I usually keep my profile page fairly up to date with my current works, and an index of my stories. Right now Brave New World is coming about about once a week. Enjoy!
Merlin smiled as he looked around the table. Never, in all his centuries of life, had he imagined such a heartwarming scenario. Warm food was spread out in front of them, and the entire room was filled with laughter and love. It was almost perfect.
Arthur and Gwen sat next to each other. She was trying to keep Aurie, who was in a highchair by her side, from throwing his food everywhere and making a complete mess, while Arthur held their little girl and laughed at his son's antics. They had adjusted amazingly to the modern world, and each seemed better for it.
Merlin's friendship with Arthur had started out under an unbelievable amount of duress, but they had come through and were stronger because of it. Arthur finally accepted Merlin as his equal, and Merlin learned how to be more patient with the uprooted, Dark Ages king.
Percival, Gwaine, Mickey and Leon were at one end of the table, jabbering on about cars, ships, weapons, and who knew what else. Merlin heard a muffled, teasing comment about a new bruise Leon sported on his cheek, from his battle with a tree earlier in the day. Toby sat with them, adding his own commentary about the ride, and the ruins they had discovered.
Next to Merlin, Martha held his hand lightly, while she spoke with Laney about the boys' schooling the next fall. Before, Martha wouldn't have been as interested in the local school system, but the slight bulge of her belly was just beginning to show. Now, she had a personal reason to consider primary schools, even though it would be years before their child would attend.
Laney's younger boys had already finished eating, and had scampered off to play. Their rushing feet could be heard echoing softly through the halls as they played tag, or some other game of chase.
Everything was almost perfect. Only a few things still needed to be taken care of before it would be, and then, they could all get on with their lives.
'Soon,' thought Merlin, with a glance to the sky out the large windows, as if the white dragon could somehow hear him from this distance. Merlin still didn't know how he was going to find her, once they were in Celestis, or if Aithusa would even want his help. '
He was nervous for either outcome. If Aithusa did accept, and the two of them were able to heal the broken bond, it would mean that his long life would continue. He couldn't imagine saying goodbye to the friends and loved ones he now had, gathered around the dinner table. A part of him wondered if he would be strong enough to move on once more, after Martha and their child had passed from this world.
On the other hand, if Aithusa refused him, he knew that death would finally accept him in a few years' time. In some way, he wondered if that would be a preferable choice, to die before they did and not have to bury anyone else he loved. Although, he knew there was one other possibility. He gazed at Leon for a few moments.
The ancient knight was as old as he was, and finally Merlin knew why. A choice needed to be made soon concerning that. Leon looked up, feeling Merlin's eyes upon him. "What?" The blond knight asked, shifting uneasily in his chair under the awkward look Merlin was giving him.
Drawing a deep breath, Merlin decided that now was as good of time as any to take care of the issue. "I don't know how to tell you this, my friend. But, I'm in love with Martha. What you and I have...just...doesn't fulfil me."
"The hell are you talking about, Merlin?" Gwaine asked, turning toward the warlock with a laugh.
"Leon...I want a divorce."
The other man choked on his drink. "...What?"
Merlin stood and walked to a sideboard next to the wall. He pulled out the Cup of Life and set it on the table, He then pulled out the book he'd been reading the past few weeks. "It seems that when I held this Cup to catch the rain, in order to save Arthur from the bite of the Questing Beast, it activated the Cup. You were the first one to actually drink from it...though it was years later...thus, completing the marriage ceremony."
Arthur had picked up the chalice and was eyeing it up. He promptly dropped it when the realization hit him. "You mean, you and Leon...actually...? Oh, dear gods, I hope you two never actually...you know..."
"...Consummated the marriage? Well, I'm not usually one to kiss and tell...but..." He winked at Leon.
Leon grinned and played along by blowing Merlin a kiss across the table. "I think Hunith would have approved."
"Fracking hell! And you didn't invite us to the wedding? How rude is that?" Laney jumped in, smacking Leon playfully on the shoulder, while motioning to herself and Martha. She backed down the moment Leon turned to her with a glare.
For a minute, Merlin wondered if something had happened between the two of them. He pushed the thought out of his mind, not wanting to get involved in a lover's quarrel. Perhaps, he should have waited to bring up the actual purpose of the Cup until a later time.
"Arthur, you aren't jealous that Merlin didn't use the Cup specifically on you?" Leon smiled triumphantly, when Arthur sneered at him.
"Come now, Leon. You know Arthur isn't Merlin's type." Gwen added, squeezing her husband's hand. She glanced at Merlin, who appeared to be studying the ceiling. "He isn't your type...is he, Merlin?"
Martha was rolling with laughter, and Arthur was flushed with embarrassment.
When the warlock pretended to look embarrassed, it sent Arthur in a fit of indignant sputtering. The former king found himself at a loss for words, causing all of the others to laugh even harder. Finally, throwing his hands in the air, Arthur gave in and joined in the merriment with the rest of them.
"I feel so left out!" Gwaine reached out and picked up the Cup. He got down on his knee in front of Percival, holding it out like an engagement ring, while ignoring the cold stare from his sister. "Will you do me the honors?"
"Sorry, Gwaine. I don't think my boyfriend would like that very much."
"Aw...wait. What?!"
"Well, I'll be damned." Mickey chuckled, as if he wasn't completely surprised to hear about the development.
"Oh, Percival. You must bring him around to meet us." Gwen stated, smiling at her friend. She was a bit uncomfortable with the idea, but she had learned that many things were viewed much more openly in this century.
Arthur coughed, not nearly as relaxed about the idea, but knowing that it wasn't his place anymore to question such things. "Yes...ahem...you must." He gained a smile from his wife for his attempt at keeping an open mind.
Percival looked over them all with a serious face. He suddenly burst out laughing. "You are all so gullible, you know that?" He noticed the barely concealed smirk on Martha's lips, as she nodded at him. Occasionally, Gwaine, or one of the others, teased Percival about his lack of interest in a relationship. It had been Martha's idea to throw everyone for a loop the next time someone, mainly Gwaine, brought it up.
"Alright, Merlin. Do tell us the story of this Cup!" Gwaine finally said, calming his laughter, and making it back to his chair.
Merlin nodded and snatched the Cup back from Gwaine. "Among my people...by the Gods, that still sounds so weird...my people. Anyway, among the Dragon Lords, or Furlings, in order to not suffer the heartache of losing a loved one to old age, they created this Cup. It contains some sort of technology, that sort of links their lives, in a similar way that I am linked to the dragon...but, without the drawback of suffering when the other one is.
"By drinking directly from the cup, after a Dragon Lord has activated it, you became my 'life-mate.' So, that's why you've never been able to age."
He watched as his words filtered through Leon's mind. Although Leon had expressed a desire for a normal life and being rid of the immortality, when faced with the actuality of it... Merlin knew from his own experience...it was a lot to process.
"Wow." He said in surprise. After a while, he asked, "It can be undone, then?"
"It would appear so." Merlin told him softly. He wondered if Leon was truly ready to give up his apparent immortality. Squeezing Martha's hand, he smiled at her. He'd already explained to her what he had found out, but she hadn't made a decision yet. It would mean a longer life for her, and the possibility of watching her own family age and die without her. It was something which Merlin knew, from experience, was a very hard thing to do.
Merlin pulled a thumbnail drive from his pocket, and tossed it to the knight. "What I have found out, is all on there. I'm still looking into trying to find out what would actually happen, if we do it."
"You don't know what will happen?" Merlin shook his head in response. "I...I'm going to need to think about all this. Excuse me." Leon pushed his chair back and smiled at his friends, before exiting the room.
Gwaine had watched his sister shift her gaze between the two men, as she listened to Merlin's explanation. After which, he caught her eyes and tipped his head to the side, indicating that she should go after her lover. She sat for a minute, chewing her lip. Glancing around, it suddenly occurred to her that her eldest son was gone. Laney bit back a groan and quietly excused herself.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gwaine was barely listening to the others, as they continued to talk and joke lightly. He was thankful when his phone vibrated, giving him a temporary distraction.
He saw Mitchell's number on the caller ID and answered it.
"Hey, buddy. Are you sitting down?" Mitchell asked quickly.
Gwaine's eyes narrowed at the tone of his friend's voice. "Yeah."
"We got Jackson back."
"But...?" He snapped his fingers and everyone in the room went quiet. Gwaine pushed one of the icons on his phone. "You're on speaker."
"Well," Mitchell continued, "like I was saying, we found Jackson. He still seems to have Old Merlin's personality mixed with his, but that's not the real issue."
"What is the issue?" Merlin asked, intrigued that he might still have a chance to speak with his namesake.
"He's insisting on speaking to you, Emrys. But, Adria's kind of, sort of, turned him into a Prior. We're keeping him on board the Odyssey. So, if you'd like to join us...Well, let's just say the sooner the better at this rate. Especially, because Woolsey and the IOA have already tried to stick their noses into the situation."
"What do you need us to do, Colonel Mitchell?" Arthur asked. He leaned forward on the table, with his hands folded in front of his mouth. His eyes shifted to meet Merlin's. They each shared the same thought. If Jackson had been turned, then their time to save Aithusa was quickly running out.
Glancing around the edge of the doorframe, she saw Leon ruffle Toby's hair. The two sat side-by-side on the front steps of the manor.
"She needs a vacation." Toby was saying.
Leon chuckled and nodded his head. "Don't we all."
"No. I mean, she needs a vacation with you. I saw what you did today, but I also saw her run away. She said 'no,' didn't she?"
"She didn't say no, exactly. She didn't really give me a chance to ask."
"I remember when she and my real dad got married. I think she wanted some big wedding, but instead, it was just them and me at some courthouse, or something. There might have been other people there, but I don't remember."
"I thought they were married before you were born?" Leon asked, suddenly intrigued by the young man's story.
Toby shrugged, "I think they were, but I don't know. I just remember them getting married, and she was kind of sad about it."
Laney covered her mouth to hide a gasp. She hadn't known that Toby remembered anything. For years, she had told herself that he was too young to have any recollections from that time.
"I don't think she ever went on a honeymoon, and I know we never went on a family vacation, or anything. Maybe if you took her on a vacation, she'd relax and see that, maybe this time, she wouldn't have to be sad. I'd watch my brothers!"
Laughing, Leon clapped the boy on the shoulder. He then turned his head and glanced at the door behind him. "What do you say, Elaine? Shall we go for a trip, just the two of us?"
She choked on a combination of laughter and tears. She finally sighed, and looked back and forth between the two. A break from it all sounded great. A time to just be with the man she cared for, even if he did want more than she felt she could give him. However, faced with the possibility of him questioning her reasoning, without any way off the spaceship, she faltered. "I don't know."
"It would be for just a few days." Leon fished the thumb drive out of his pocket. "I need to go see Heimdall, and see if she can make heads or tails of this. You could come with me and finally get to meet her."
"Mom, you need to go." Toby stated with an air of finality.
Gwaine would be pissed at her, if she didn't talk to Leon and get the air cleared. Perhaps, this was to be her golden opportunity. No kids; no brother; no distractions of any kind. If she was stuck on the ship, so too, was he. She threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine. Let me go pack a few things and say goodbye to the kids."
Toby held out his fist to Leon, who laughed at what had become a familiar sign of victory. The older man bumped his own knuckles against the boy's. He smiled when Laney rolled her eyes, though he could tell she was secretly pleased to see the two of them getting along so well...even if they were conspiring against her.
She went through the checklist in her mind for what had to be the dozenth time. Greg and Randy hadn't been happy to hear she was leaving them, and then, coming across her brother in the hallway had almost brought her plans of a few days of respite to a standstill.
Gwaine had been looking for Leon, when she informed Gwaine of their plans. She saw the look on his face and groaned, "Something happened?"
"Naw. It's nothing that the rest of us can't take care of. You guys go off and have a good time." He had assured her.
"You're just saying that because you don't want to get put in the middle again."
"Eh, maybe. But, seriously...go. I got the boys. If I have to leave, then Martha, Gwen and Harri will be here to take care of them. I think though, if you want my advice..."
"I really don't."
He had sniggered and given it to her anyway. "My advice is to tell him what you told me. He's been around a while, I'm sure he'll understand."
She had taken a deep breath, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "The whole story?"
"Every last bit of it."
After a warm hug, she had found Leon again, and been whisked off into space.
Laney watched the stars fly by outside the front window of the ship. It was peaceful out there, with only the hum of the engines in the background. She and Leon had only spoken briefly since they had jumped into hyperspace.
"Gwaine said he got a call from Mitchell. They found Dr. Jackson."
Leon looked up sharply and opened his mouth, but Laney continued to speak.
"He said they got it under control. So..." The sentence was left hanging with a shrug of her shoulders.
Grunting and nodding, Leon turned back to his ship controls, and they fell into silence once more.
"I only wanted to ask you, to prove to you how much I love you, Elaine...To show that I am committed to you and the boys." He said at length, purposely looking away from her.
"I know." She sighed and glanced at him with fear in her eyes. "But, to me, marriage means you have me, and in my personal experience, men don't want things they already have."
Leon gave a hearty laugh. He stood up and moved over to her seat. "That is a load of shit. I couldn't imagine ever not wanting you." He took her entwined fingers, unfolding them gently from one another. His thumbs caressed the backs of her hands. "Talk to me, Elaine. I want to understand." His voice was low and soothingly.
She nodded, and began to quietly tell him her entire life story.
"You believe me, don't you?" Jackson asked quietly, with a hint of surprise. He was strapped to a chair on board the Odyssey, with the anti-Prior devices humming softly nearby. The archaeologist's face was ashen, and his eyes were covered by a milky-blue film.
"I do." Merlin responded, leaning against a wall nearby. For hours, he'd sat in the room, looking out at the stars behind Jackson. It took nearly three days of Red Tape, and dealing with Woolsey's determination to eliminate Jackson because he was a Prior, before Merlin had been granted access. Although, by 'access,' it actually meant that Mitchell had snuck him into the room, and was standing guard on the other side.
Merlin was grateful for finally being able to speak with his namesake, and the conversation had been enlightening. He knew the members of the SGC were still skeptical about the validity of Jackson's claim, but there were things only Merlin knew from the data recordings in the Crystal Cave, that made him believe Jackson was on the level.
The man had claimed to have set himself up to be taken prisoner, after Adria had turned him into a Prior. He said that Moros had protected his mind from the process, so he could work from within and try to find a way to defeat the Ori. The original weapon he'd been building had been destroyed, but he had allowed Adria to convince him to make another...and it was almost complete.
She wanted it to destroy the Ancients, thus removing their existence from the Milky Way, and completely open to the will of the Ori. There was just one piece missing.
"It will be time consuming to create another Sangraal crystal, and I don't know if we have enough time. Ages ago..." Moros said, speaking with Jackson's voice, "I had given one to the Asgard for safekeeping."
Merlin glanced at the camera, to make sure it wasn't recording their conversation. He withdrew the Sangraal Crystal from his pocket. "I know. It has since come into my possession."
Jackson's eyes widened, "Then, we can complete my plan. If I finish the device and convince the SGC to shut down the Gate from the Pegasus Galaxy, a wormhole can then be opened from here to the Ori's galaxy. I can take a ship through, with the device, and use it to destroy the Ori."
It made sense to Merlin, as far-fetched as Jackson's plan was. "My dragon is still on the other side. I can take that opportunity to finally reach her, and hopefully save her."
"I can't be responsible for you and the knights aboard the same ship. I'm sure it will be under attack, the moment it emerges from the wormhole."
Merlin smiled, "You know, I do have access to a Gate capable of reaching Celestis. You're the one who put it in the Crystal Cave."
"So, you did find it?" Even under the film, Jackson's eyes sparkled.
"I have found a good many things in recent months, mostly about myself and how I'm part of a race called Furlings." He turned an accusatory eye on the dual-personality man.
After a bit of a chuckle over the memory, Jackson's face became contemplative. "We must plan this carefully. Our timing is critical. If you go through before me, it could alert them to the coming threat, but too late, and you may not be able to save the dragon from the followers of the Ori." Jackson then gave Merlin a heartwarming smile. "I think Balinor would have been proud of you."