The Golden Age Universe
All for Love - Chapter 4
~Fran Gipani

Disclaimer - I don't own Merlin, or the characters...I'm just borrowing them and adding a couple of awesome OC's

AN - Thanks for the support in favourites, reviews and follows! They are really appreciated and encouraging :) Sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Please try leave a review if you have the time! :)

It took overnight for Merlin to wake again, for the first time in quite a while the man was again unconscious in the patients bed of Gaius' quarters. Brooke had stubbornly not left his side, or slept a wink since her husband had been brought back from the valley; she had stayed there the whole night with Maire as well, while watching over Merlin. The feeling that something was wrong with Merlin, other than being unconscious that is, would refuse to shake off. It was the early hours of the morning - after Gaius and also Arthur had been persuaded to sleep, while they could not do the same for her - that Merlin stirred.

"Merlin?" Brooke whispered, a wide smile spreading over her face, she slipped her hand into his.

"Brooke?" Merlin slurred slightly, "where am I? Wha...what happened?" Now that he was awake his blue eyes were wide, he sat up, blinking slowly but felt a gentle hand on his chest pushing him back down.

"I was going to ask you the same thing..." Arthur strode into the room, "how are you feeling?"

"Alright, a little groggy though."

"Just don't do that again idiot, you had no idea what she would have done to you."

Merlin gave him a reproachful look, "if she had me she would have been distracted long enough for the protective charms I put on the castle to start working, and the ones on all of you to do the same."

"But then why let Morgana take you?" Arthur asked.

"I needed to check and see if they'd keep working when I was far from the castle, and also if they worked while I was unconscious."

"And did they?"

"Yes," Merlin lied, well partially lied, the charms had worked, he had felt them buzzing at the back of his mind right up until he'd blacked out. Then when he'd woken, Merlin knew he was meant to feel them there still, but there was nothing. Not a whisper.

"Well I'm glad that they worked but please, please don't do that again, you scared me witless." With a small smile Brooke squeezed Merlin's hand, "what happened after Morgana took you anyway?

Weakly, Merlin returned her smile, "I don't remember anything really, I remember leaving with Morgana, and then that was when I blacked out."

"She must have done something to make you forget what ever she did to you." Arthur offered worriedly, his trust for Morgana was close to none, and he wouldn't put it past her to have wiped his friend's memory.

"That's possible, but why would she need to wipe my memory? It was probably just the bang on the head." Merlin tried to shrug it off, he knew that Morgana had purposely wiped his memory, the warlock could feel the traces of the spell in his system, he knew Morgana's magic well. It was just that he didn't want the others to know yet, not until he'd worked out why.

His plan didn't fool the other two though, and Gaius who had stayed surprisingly silent throughout the whole thing, raised an eyebrow before pressing a small glass into Merlin's hand, who was no sitting up despite Brooke's protests. "Drink this, it will clear your head" When Merlin hesitated, Gaius - who knew how little the man trusted him with these potions, and to be honest, Gaius was perfectly happy to admit how many times he'd tricked Merlin into drinking the sleeping draft - reached out a hand to guide the glass to Merlin's mouth. "Do you need me to pour it down your throat?"

At that Merlin downed the small glass of greenish liquid in on go. Then with an utterly defeated look, he promptly slumped back down onto the bed. Eyes closed. Breathing even.

"You don't believe a word he's saying do you Gaius?" Arthur asked with a small frown.

"I find it difficult to do so, yes. Do you?"

"Nope!" He ran a hand through his hair, "Brooke?"

"Not one word."

-afl-

A cruel laugh left Morgana's lips as she felt Merlin's power slowly merging into her own, as everything seemed to be going to plan, right now Merlin would slowly be losing everything that kept him going. As with any other magic user they would just lose their power, however Merlin, in theory as his whole essence was Magic, and with Morgana using his power, he would slowly become more and more run down. She smirked, this would definitely be enough, more than enough. Feeling stronger now Morgana left the small hut and taking her horse she rode towards the Great Stones of Nemeton. For she knew, it would be there her plan would work best. She would need a place where time, and the fabrics of the world were weakest, the witch wanted to make a door through the fabric of reality and time. It would take a wile and a lot of skills to do so, but with Merlin's power, there wasn't thing Morgana wouldn't be able to do.

-afl-

Merlin had no idea how long it was before her woke again, what he did know though was that it was night, and that his whole body ached. With the light of the strong burning candle he saw that that Brooke was asleep on the end of his bed, head resting on her arms. Not wanting to wake her, Merlin reached out a hand to where the glass of water sat on the side table just out of reach and tried using Magic to draw it closer to himself.

The glass tipped a little in his direction but didn't slide obediently across the wood as per usual.

Merlin frowned and tried for the second time. The same happened again. Frustrated now, Merlin put more force into his spell, even then the spell didn't have the same strength. However that extra force sent the water flying out of the glass and all over Brooke who woke with a yelp.

"Oh!" Merlin exclaimed, feeling surprised at what his frustration had done, he usually had a lot more control over what his magic could do, "Brooke I am so sorry!" Merlin fumbled, "Here let me dry you."

"Merlin it's fine," Brooke giggled slightly, "you should have woken me my love, I could have passed it to you!"

"You looked so peaceful," Merlin replied with a smile, "here let me." Merlin tried to dry Brooke using magic as he usually would have himself when he got out of the bath (it was so much quicker than a towel.)

Brooke looked on in confused shock as the Warlocks eyes flashed a murky, cloudy grey instead of the usual bright gold. "Merlin?" She whispered a look of horror crossing her pale features, as she realised she was still dripping wet.

"What?" Then Merlin understood, he tried again to get the same dull grey eyes as before.

"Morgana," Brooke muttered, hatred lacing the word. "What on earth has she done too you!?" Broke spat out the words, they hung in the air, dancing between the couple, almost taunting. They had no idea of the answer, but what they did know was that the answer wouldn't be good.