He was already sitting there at the dining room table, one leg crossed over another, reading a book. A band of sunlight fell over one shoulder, one brown-sneakered foot tapping in time to a beat only he could hear, looking for all the world like a somewhat scruffy grad student. Of course, Jenkins hardly looked like the last Knight of the Round Table, either.

"Merlin," he said, shaking the hand of his oldest friend (in more than one sense).

"Galahad," the other man smiled. "I see you finally got that door of yours working."

"Ah, yes. How've you been?"

"Oh…you know." Merlin gestured to a seat. "Mind that chair; it looks a little…"

Jenkins gave him a dry look. "Don't say it."

"Perilous."

"Do you know, you have made some variant of that joke more than three hundred times? And it's still not funny."

"I thought it was," Merlin responded, with the easy grin that he'd picked up from Gwaine. Jenkins rolled his eyes and raised the cup to his lips, inhaling the aroma gratefully. 1,500 years of life on Earth gave one time to develop many skills, to learn many arts. And there was no one who could brew his favourite tea quite like Emrys. Merlin raised his cup for the toast they gave every year.

"To those we've lost."

"To those we've lost," Jenkins agreed. He sipped at his tea. It was always hard, this annual tea with his oldest friend, but cathartic as well at the same time, to talk to someone who had been there, who understood.

"Well, we now have four Librarians."

Merlin sat up straight. "You're kidding."

"Not at all. Apparently the Library decided to change things up a little. And a new Guardian."

"Tell me more."

So he laid it out, explaining the raid on the Library by the Serpent Brotherhood and all the events that had come after.

"Oh," said Merlin, with a wealth of experience in his voice. "Them."

He'd battled the Brotherhood, Jenkins knew, many times, to the extent that they had developed an "avoid-at-all-costs" directive with regards to the ancient sorcerer (there had been a kill-on-sight order out for him at one point, but the Reaper had done nothing but muss his hair, and their most lethal mortal assassin had "mysteriously" fallen out of a window eleven times after Jack the Ripper learned why it was a very bad idea to harm innocent women when Merlin was around).

"Oh yes."

"Was…he there?" Merlin asked.

"Yes," Jenkins responded, his lips pressed together. "They report to him now."

"Ah." Merlin mirrored his grimace.

"You'll never guess what he's calling himself these days."

"Yeah?"

"Dulaque."

Merlin snorted, almost spraying his tea all over Jenkins' suit. "You're kidding."

"I'm afraid not. He never had much imagination, did he?"

"Is he even trying anymore?"

"Oh, I'm afraid he's as trying as ever," the knight responded bitterly. They shared a nod and a few moments of silence as they each nursed their memories. There was nothing like immortality for maintaining a grudge, after all, and it wasn't just Excalibur that could cause wounds which never healed.

"So how are these new librarians of yours?" Merlin asked. Jenkins made a face.

"Competent enough, I suppose. They haven't managed to end the world yet."

"High praise coming from you," Merlin smiled, and the other man's lips twitched in acknowledgement.

"How's Mr. Carsen?" he continued. "Been meaning to catch up; haven't seen him since that nasty business with the Yeti in Tooting Beck."

"Oh, yes. He's doing well. Same as ever, really."

"That bad, huh?"

Jenkins smiled.

They continued to speak of old times and new, of shoes and ships and sailing wax and cabbages and kings (one in particular), until the sun touched the horizon.

"Well, take care of yourself. Galaeus," Merlin smiled.

"You too. Emrys."

"Until next year."

"Until then."

They shared a warrior's armclasp, a nod, and the last Knight of the Round Table turned back towards the door which would return him to his duties.

Back to the strange, unlikely, motley crew of people he was beginning to call his friends.

Back to his home.

For now just a one-shot, though if there's interest, I may add other chapters or even short stories set in the same 'verse. As always, let me know!