Faded expectations (trust no one) - part 4 [Merlin/Arthur - 35k - NC-17]
Title: Faded expectations (trust no one) - part 4
Author: go_fishboys
Prompt: self-prompt
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 35k
Rating: R except for the epilogue, which is NC-17
Contains (Highlight to view): *mentions of experimentation on humans and aliens, forced pregnancies, violence, deaths of minor characters*
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: This fic is in no way inspired by The X-Files. Nope, not at all. As if.
Haha, no but really, this happened because I marathoned the show to prepare for the revival.
Huge thanks to Viv, my beta. This is very last minute, so any remaining mistakes are my own.
Summary: There’s no such thing as government conspiracies, right? That’s what Arthur used to believe as well until an anonymous informant convinced him to take on what will probably be the biggest case of his career.
read it on AO3
Arthur was startled awake by the sound of the car door closing with a soft click, like someone was worried about being caught.
He checked his watch, angling it so it caught the light from the streetlight.
Almost two in the morning.
He’d been sat there, waiting in the car for almost four hours now, waiting to see what his father would do next.
He’d tailed him after work to a small house in a small town outside DC, a house that Arthur had no knowledge of whatsoever. Which, ignoring the circumstances, was rather strange as Uther liked to host dinner functions in his lavish properties, functions that Arthur was expected to attend. As such, Arthur had thought he’d had a pretty good idea of what his father owned.
Clearly not.
So he’d waited, on stake-out, with only Merlin and horrible lukewarm coffee for company. And then Merlin had drifted off, leaving Arthur with only his thoughts and no coffee.
Merlin…
Arthur turned his head and saw Merlin trying to get comfortable again.
“Sorry,” he said, shifting against the backrest. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Last he remembered, Merlin had been sleeping fitfully in the passenger seat as Arthur kept on watching the house for any activity.
How long had he been asleep?
“Don’t worry,” Merlin said. “They’re still there, I just checked.”
“What do you mean, just checked?” Arthur snapped. Was he hearing things right? Surely Merlin wouldn’t have been so stupid.
“I peeked in the window with the lights on and your father was still there and so was Gaius.”
“You idiot,” Arthur hissed. “You can’t just go out there to go checking on suspects! They could be armed and dangerous! And you have no training! This isn’t your job.”
“You’re right,” Merlin snapped back. “It’s your job. But you were asleep. You looked like you needed it so I went to check.”
“You can’t go around pretending to be an FBI agent, Merlin!”
“I didn’t, ok, I was careful,” Merlin said. “Look, I used my magic to keep them from seeing me and it all went fine.”
“All went fine,” Arthur argued. “You said the pregnancy was negatively affecting your magic! What if it hadn’t worked? What if they’d found you? They’re probably looking for you right now.”
“Just calm down, ok?” Merlin said. “My magic worked fine, nobody saw me, you can calm down. I’m fine, the baby’s fine, if overactive for this time of night, and your suspects are still in the house.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” Arthur snapped.
Of course, in response to his outburst, Merlin just rolled his eyes in annoyance.
“Fine, don’t calm down,” Merlin said, crossing his arms over his chest. “See if I care.”
And Arthur, furious at the dismissal, couldn’t find anything to say so he just seethed in silence.
Time went by slowly, and Arthur’s anger gradually seeped out of him, leaving him feeling tired and guilty. Merlin was right, of course. This was his job, he’d messed up. He shouldn’t have snapped at Merlin.
Merlin gasped, a hand coming up to cup his stomach.
“Merlin, are you alright?” Arthur asked.
“Yeah,” Merlin moaned. “Just a twinge, nothing serious.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, yes, she probably just kicked the wrong organ or something.”
“She’s kicking?” Arthur asked, curious, maybe even a bit excited. “Right now?”
“When isn’t she?” Merlin muttered before continuing in his normal voice. “She’s more active at night than during the day. Probably enjoys knowing that I can’t sleep.”
“That… sucks,” Arthur said, not really knowing what to say.
“Yeah, but what are you going to do about it?” Merlin said. “There’s nothing to do but wait till she’s born now.”
They were quiet for a moment, before Merlin spoke up. “Do you… want to feel her kick?” he asked. “You don’t have to, it’s just… you seem curious. About it.”
Did he? He shouldn’t, he knew he shouldn’t. This wasn’t a normal pregnancy, it wasn’t wanted, and all it was doing was causing Merlin problems. But something in his brain must have clicked, probably when Gwen told him that he was the other father. Because now, he wanted to know the baby inside Merlin, he wanted to connect with her. Almost like she was his child. Which she was, technically. But not.
It was all far too complicated.
“Can I?” he asked, his heart beating faster with anticipation.
“I wouldn’t have asked otherwise,” Merlin replied gently.
And then, Merlin grabbed his right hand and pressed it against the firm, warm curve of his stomach.
“Oh wow, she really is moving a lot,” Arthur said, completely amazed.
Merlin smiled fondly. “Try sleeping with that going on inside you. It’s a real nuisance.”
“I can imagine,” Arthur said.
Merlin’s smile turned a bit sad, wistful. “No, you can’t,” he said in a soft voice. “You’re lucky.”
Just as Arthur was about to reply, a car pulled up on the other side of the street.
He’d seen that car before, he knew he had. And when the occupants of the vehicle came out, it finally came to him.
The two men, from when Deagal had been killed, from when they’d found Gaius’s secret room, wearing the dark blue uniform of police officers.
And they weren’t alone. Between them, they seemed to be half-carrying, half-dragging a man who could barely stand on his own too legs.
Another victim?
Arthur swore under his breath. He wasn’t about to let that happen, not this time.
“Stay here,” he told Merlin, opening the car door.
“No way,” Merlin said. “You need a partner, someone to watch your back.”
Arthur sighed in annoyance. “Yes, well, I’m the only FBI agent here so I’m going to have to go on my own.”
“You’re not going without me,” Merlin argued.
God dammit, of all the times Merlin chose to argue!
“Now really isn’t the time, Merlin,” Arthur snapped.
“I’ll be careful,” Merlin said. “Besides, I’ve got magic, we could use that to our advantage.”
“And what if it doesn’t work?”
Merlin shrugged. “You’ve got your gun, right?”
Arthur sighed. “Fine, come on,” he finally said. “But you do exactly as I tell you and you don’t go looking for trouble.”
By the time they’d sorted out their argument, the two men had already gone in through the front door, closing it behind them, probably locking it too.
That left going in through the back. Hopefully it was unguarded. Hopefully they didn’t know Arthur had tailed them here, not yet.
The back of the house was plunged in darkness, with nothing more than the moon to guide their steps. They quickly found the back door, locked of course.
“Let me,” Merlin whispered, pushing Arthur out of the way.
He whispered a word, and Arthur heard the door unlock. He could almost understand why his father hated magic - it was so powerful, he feared what he could not use himself. But to Arthur, who had witnessed Merlin use magic several times already, it was nothing short of amazing.
Merlin opened the door and went in, the door opening onto the kitchen. “Come on,” he said.
“Oi, just a second,” Arthur whispered. “I’m the one in charge, I give the orders.”
“Fine,” Merlin sighed, moving out of the way so Arthur could come in too. “Are you coming then?”
“Merlin,” Arthur warned. But Merlin just grinned cheekily.
They checked the entire ground floor as well of the first. Despite Merlin assuring Arthur that Gaius and Uther had still been there when he’d checked, neither of them had found any trace of them.
In a way, that was good, because it gave Arthur a bit longer before he had to confront his father.
“I guess that leaves the basement,” Merlin said.
They’d found the door to the basement almost immediately as it was located in the kitchen. But Arthur had wanted to check the rest of the house first since the basement seemed quiet and empty.
Merlin was right, of course. It was time to check the basement.
The basement was like any other basement in a house like this, small, low ceilings, dark, and smelly faintly musty.
Unlike any other basement, one wall had a metallic door, harsh and out of place, with no window and no handle.
“I guess that counts as something,” Merlin said quietly.
But how did they proceed from there? There was no obvious way of opening the door.
Still, Arthur approached it, apprehensive. He was in the enemy’s lair now. They could be watching Arthur and Merlin, they could be waiting behind the door, ready to kill them.
There was a small yellow rectangle on the floor in front of the door. When Arthur stood on it, a metallic voice said “enter password” loud enough to make them both jump.
“Password?” Arthur whispered.
“I don’t know,” Merlin whispered back.
“Fuck,” Arthur swore.
“Access denied,” the voice said.
Arthur rolled his eyes.
Suddenly, from somewhere deep inside him, came the word “Excalibur”. The word the dying man had begged him to remember, the password to the floppy disk. “Excalibur”. It had to be.
“Excalibur,” Arthur said loud and clear.
“Access granted,” the voice said and the door swung open to reveal a long white corridor, brightly lit with harsh fluorescent bulbs.
“How the fuck did they manage to build this here without anyone noticing?” Merlin whispered, following Arthur closely.
Arthur shrugged. The surrounding houses were probably owned by other people involved in this conspiracy. And it had seemed to him, from what little he’d made out in the dark, that the back yard was huge. It was the only thought that made sense.
Arthur opened the first door to his right. It was almost dark and full of glass cylindrical containers filled with a greenish liquid. And in each one…
“Is that what I think it is?” Merlin asked.
Arthur could only nod.
In each one was a body, silent and unmoving, eyes closed and curled up in foetal position. There were so many of them - Arthur counted at least twenty of them.
Looking closer at one of them, he was shocked to recognise his uncle Agravaine.
It was just… horrible.
The scale of this conspiracy was simply mind-blowing! It was one thing to know abstractly from all the files he’d found, but to actually see it…
The containers were hooked up to wires that led to a console which seemed to be monitoring them. But Arthur couldn’t make out anything on the screen, just numbers and codes, nothing to help him make any sense of them.
He couldn’t stay here any longer. It was unnerving to be around all those tubes, all those bodies in suspended animation, just waiting for the day they became useful. No independence, no life of their own.
“Let’s go,” Arthur said, putting his hand on the small of Merlin’s back to guide him out.
They continued down the corridor, checking each door. But they found nothing, most rooms were empty with just a few tables, a few screens. It almost seemed like the rooms weren’t supposed to be empty, that the contents had been moved.
Like they knew Arthur was on to them.
For the first time, he could see some progress. He was getting close, close enough that he was starting to worry the people in on this, his father, his uncle, everyone.
But it also meant he had to hurry, before all the evidence was taken away to a place they’d make sure Arthur never reached.
The last door, all the way at the end of the corridor, was locked. Arthur didn’t even have to ask, Merlin stepped up and unlocked the door with his magic.
Before Arthur even had a chance to get a look at the room, he heard shouts.
“Hep, le voilà !” shouted one of the men, the man who had killed Deagal Williams.
“Qu’est c’que t’attends ? Tire, putain !” the other man shouted, pulling out his gun and shooting at Arthur and Merlin.
Arthur pushed Merlin behind a van - a loading area, they were in a loading area. He pulled out his gun, peeked out from behind the van and shot, shooting the first man in the neck. A lucky shot. The man fell to the ground, blood spurting from his wound.
That left one man. He’d stopped shooting, probably reconsidering his choices now that he was alone.
Arthur crept out from behind the van, going from vehicle to vehicle, looking for the last man.
He had two-three vehicles left to check when the man jumped from behind one of them and shot at Arthur, the bullet grazing his cheek with a sharp sting, a second shot right behind it.
Time seemed to slow down. Arthur could see the bullet come towards him, and he knew that no matter what he did, he couldn’t avoid it. It was too late.
Merlin, he thought, wanting his last thought on Earth to be of the man he’d come to care about as more than a victim, more than a friend.
“Arthur!” he heard Merlin shout.
But it was too late, any second now…
He heard Merlin shout his name again, louder, overpowering. And then, the bullet stopped. It just… stopped. Right where it was.
For a second, the bullet just hung there, suspended in mid-air. Then it fell to the ground, metal clanging against asphalt.
The man was standing there, frozen. He looked… scared? Like he’d witnessed something amazing but awful at the same time. Merlin? His magic?
Arthur didn’t even hesitate, he pulled the trigger and shot the man in the head, killing him immediately.
For a moment, Arthur just stood there panting, his arms shaking from fear, from adrenaline.
So close. Too fucking close, he thought.
He walked back to the van the men had been standing by before opening fire. In it was the man they’d been dragging in, unconscious, slouching forward. He checked his pulse just to be sure, but his heart was still beating. He had to take him to the hospital, who knew what those men had used on him?
Just then, Merlin let out a loud moan of pain. Arthur’s heart almost stopped and it felt like a bucket of ice had been dumped in his gut. Had one of the bullets hit him?
“Merlin!” Arthur shouted, running towards him. No matter how hard he pushed himself, every step seemed to take forever. He couldn’t get to him fast enough.
He found Merlin where he’d left him, sitting on the floor, back against the side of the van. He was pale, too pale and when Arthur took his hand, it felt clammy.
“Merlin, are you alright?” he asked, completely panicked. “Did they hit you?”
Merlin moaned again, his face scrunching up as he tried to fight the pain. His shaky hands were on his stomach, one of them caressing it gently.
“N-No,” he managed. There were tears of pain in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. “I don’t - I think the baby’s ready to be born.”
“What?”
Merlin grabbed Arthur’s hand and squeezed hard as he moaned in pain again. “I think I’m having contractions.”
Arthur didn’t let go of Merlin’s hand. “We’ll get you out of here, I promise.”
“I’m scared, Arthur,” Merlin said shakily. “I’m not ready! I still have at least two weeks before she’s due. I counted! It’s not fair!”
“Everything’s going to be alright,” Arthur promised, pulling Merlin to his feet.
“You can’t promise that!”
They had to get to a hospital immediately. It didn’t matter what the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff thought of Merlin’s condition, the baby was on its way and it had nowhere to go.
He let Merlin lean against him and helped him to the van where the unconscious man was still sitting. They didn’t have time to get to Arthur’s car, not if he wanted to save both Merlin and the unconscious man.
He helped Merlin into the passenger’s seat and buckled the seatbelt for him.
“Just hold on,” Arthur said. “I’m taking you to the hospital. You’re going to be fine.”
Fortunately, the keys to the van were in the ignition, so Arthur didn’t need to ask Merlin to use his magic in his condition.
The drive to the hospital was quick enough as there was no traffic at that time of night, but to Arthur, it seemed interminable. Every time Merlin moaned in pain, his heart clenched a little.
Finally, though, they made it to the hospital. Arthur parked the van, not caring that he was taking up three spaces. He let Merlin get out of the car himself while he got the unconscious man out, carrying him in his arms.
He stormed into the reception, closely followed by Merlin, curled in on himself with pain.
“FBI!” he shouted. “These two need immediate medical attention.”
A nurse quickly brought a stretcher and whisked the unconscious man away to be taken care of. Another nurse appeared to take care of Merlin.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, not knowing what to make of Merlin or his condition.
“He’s pregnant,” Arthur said.
“This isn’t the time for jokes,” the nurse snapped.
Arthur just pulled out his badge. “I’m an FBI agent, what I’m telling you is the truth. I can’t tell you much because this is an open case, but this man is a victim of human experimentation and needs immediate medical care.”
The nurse didn’t look convinced, but she took one good look at Arthur’s badge before going to get a wheelchair and helping Merlin into it. Thank goodness. He didn’t have time to argue his case.
She could, of course, be in on the conspiracy. But Arthur forced that thought down. It was too late, he didn’t have a choice anymore. Merlin had to be treated here, because who knew what would happen if they delayed it any longer.
“Let’s get him to the ob/gyn,” she said. “The doctor can have a look at him there.”
The nurse wheeled Merlin onto the lift, Arthur following. “Is doctor Le Fay on call tonight?”
Despite the fact that he had neither seen nor heard from his half-sister in almost two years, she was still the only doctor he felt he could entrust with Merlin’s care.
They made it to a small, individual room - probably curtesy of Arthur’s FBI badge - and the nurse was helping Merlin into the bed.
“Yes,” the nurse said. “Do you want me to call her?”
“Please.”
Merlin looked awful. He looked exhausted, ashen, with dark shadows under his eyes. His face was contorted in a constant expression of pain. Arthur took his hand and gently stroked his thumb over his knuckles. His hands felt so cold, clammy.
“Who’s doctor Le Fay?” Merlin asked.
“My half-sister, Morgana,” Arthur replied.
“Do you trust her?”
“I do,” Arthur said.
“That’s good then,” Merlin murmured before groaning as another wave of pain hit him.
The contractions were getting closer and closer and they still had no idea how they’d get the baby out of Merlin, if it was even possible without alien technology. After all, it was alien technology that had put Merlin in this situation, it made sense to assume that alien technology would get him out of it too.
Arthur forced himself not to think about it. He had to remain calm and focused, for Merlin’s sake.
There was a sharp knock on the door and in stepped Morgana. She looked almost the same as when he’d last seen her, long dark hair, intelligent green eyes, and painfully stylish despite the lab coat.
“Arthur,” she said, nodding curtly at him.
“This is Merlin,” he said. “You have to help him.”
“Mithian says he’s pregnant?” she asked. “Human experimentation?”
“I can’t go into details,” Arthur said. “But you’ve got to believe me.”
Morgana didn’t reply, instead she pulled the ultrasound machine closer.
“This will be a bit cold,” she said, pushing Merlin’s shirt up and applying gel to his belly.
She pressed the wand to Merlin’s stomach and let out a quiet gasp.
“It’s true,” she said, sounding amazed. “There really is a foetus in there.”
“Not for long,” Merlin said quietly. “She wants to get out.”
“I need to run a few tests before we do anything,” Morgana said. “Just wait there. Arthur, if you would follow me?”
“I’ll be right back,” Arthur said, squeezing Merlin’s hand.
Morgana closed the door behind them, leaving Merlin alone. It felt so strange to be apart from him, given all the time they had spent together in the last few days.
“It’s good to see you,” Arthur said.
“Don’t start,” Morgana said in return. “Now really isn’t the time. Besides, I’m still seeing Morgause, and that was one of your conditions, wasn’t it?”
“I was stupid,” Arthur said.
“I know,” Morgana replied. “I need to take some blood from Merlin and assess his general health and figure out how to get that baby out of there. Why don’t you go and get some coffee in the meantime. You look like shit.”
“I can’t just leave him,” Arthur said. “He’s in danger.”
“Just go,” Morgana said, in her ‘don’t argue with me’ tone that was so familiar. “He’ll be fine.”
**
The hospital’s coffee could not be described as even remotely good by even the most charitable of souls, but the warmth and familiar scent had helped calm Arthur’s nerves.
He’d taken his time, letting Morgana and her team work on Merlin. He did feel a bit guilty leaving Merlin on his own in the hands of people he didn’t know, but there was nothing he could do there, only get in the way.
Merlin will be just fine, he repeated to himself from time to time, when the guilt got a little bit too much to bear.
It had been almost an hour, and Arthur decided it was time to start pestering Morgana for answers.
He didn’t rush back to Merlin’s side. Not because he wasn’t worried, but because he wanted to prove to himself that he hadn’t fallen hard for Merlin. After all, if he really had, he wouldn’t even have left his side when Morgana had told him to, right?
He opened the door to find the room empty. His heartbeat quickened with worry, fear in response, but he didn’t let it get to him. Wrong room, probably.
He closed the door and checked the number. 3. So not the wrong room then.
He let himself worry a bit. They’d probably just moved him, but he didn’t like this. He didn’t like it at all.
“Where’s Merlin?” he asked a bit too harshly.
The passing nurse flinched at his tone before speaking up. “Room 3, sir.”
“He’s not in room 3.”
“Let me just check then, they’ve probably just moved him to another room.”
It was good to hear someone voice his reasons out loud. Everything would be just fine.
The nurse quickly leafed through a piled of papers, then another, then another. After the fourth pile, Arthur started to grow very, very concerned.
This wasn’t right. Something was wrong - something had gone wrong while he was busy pretending not to like Merlin. What an idiot he was.
“Where is he?” he asked again.
“I’m sorry, I can’t find anything that says where he’s been moved.”
“Then where is he?” he repeated.
The nurse looked like she was about to cry. He was being too harsh with her when she wasn’t the one in charge of the ward or of Merlin’s care. But he didn’t have time to be nice, he needed to find Merlin before it was too late.
“I don’t know, I’m really sorry,” she stammered. “I’ll go and get doctor Le Fay.”
She walked away as fast as her legs could carry her without running, probably glad to move away from Arthur’s furious focus.
Arthur paced anxiously, checking every room, every area partitioned off with thick curtains, the bathroom. Nothing. Not a trace of Merlin.
He’d failed him, he’d promised to protect him, and now Merlin was gone. If he was lucky, maybe they’d let him find Merlin’s body somewhere remote, months after his disappearance.
“Arthur!” Morgana called.
He was getting ahead of himself. He had to focus.
There was still time. He could still save Merlin.
He wouldn’t allow himself to fail.
“Where is he?” he asked again, sounding weary and worried this time.
“I didn’t have him moved.”
“So now what?” Arthur asked.
Morgana started walking down a corridor, expecting Arthur to follow her.
“Now, we check the security footage. Nobody can get in or out of this hospital without being filmed.”
Arthur certainly hoped so. It would be a first in this whole mission.
The security monitors were kept in a small room with a single security guard for over twenty screens displaying grainy pictures. It was no wonder they’d managed to take Merlin - he’d seen better security in libraries.
The security guard followed Morgana’s orders, back an hour, fast forward.
And there, about twenty-five minutes in, there was a man opening the door to Merlin’s room, looking all around him before entering - shifty.
And Arthur would recognise that man anywhere.
Agravaine…
“That’s the nurse I asked to administer a pain killer,” Morgana said.
“What?” Arthur said. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. She hadn’t… right?
“I said -” Morgana started, annoyed. Probably because Arthur had questioned her actions, something she never put up with.
“He’s not a nurse!” Arthur snapped. “How could you just give a random man access to Merlin, after everything I told you!”
“How was I supposed to know he wasn’t a nurse?”
“Had you even ever seen him before tonight?” Arthur asked angrily.
“No,” Morgana replied, icy cold.
“And you just let him go near Merlin! You told me he’d be fine!”
“I’m so sorry I lead a busy department,” Morgana replied in an angry tone, never breaking her calm disposition. “It’s not the first time I’ve had new faces appear on my ward, and it won’t be the last time. I can’t be expected to keep track of the staff of the whole hospital, I have enough on my hands as it is.”
Arthur sighed. There was no point in wasting time arguing with Morgana. They’d deal with it later, like the reasonable adults they were supposed to be.
“So what now?” Arthur asked.
“We follow him using the time stamps on the videos,” Morgana said. “Isn’t this basic FBI stuff? Your job?”
“Shut up,” Arthur said. He wasn’t in his right mind and he had a very good excuse too.
They followed Agravaine through the videos - replacing one of the bags of IV fluids with another, waiting for Merlin to pass out, pushing him on a stretcher towards the back exit, putting him in a waiting ambulance and driving away.
It was all very good to have all that information, but it still didn’t answer the most pressing question.
Where was Merlin? And was he alright?
They were at a dead-end, no clues, no information, nothing. Again.
Arthur didn’t like not knowing. It was his job to know, and he liked to think he was good at it.
“Now what?” Morgana asked, sounding nicer than earlier, concerned even.
“I don’t know,” Arthur was forced to admit in a low voice.
Merlin…
And then, just as hopelessness was starting to creep through his body, his phone rang.
“Hello?” Arthur answered, his mind repeating please, please, please over and over again. He was desperate for even the slightest hint.
“Arthur?” came the voice on the other end of the line. “It’s me, Lance. I think I have some very important information that you’ll want to hear.”
**
Merlin woke up feeling both completely disoriented and in a lot of pain.
Where was he? This definitely wasn’t the hospital room Arthur had left him in. It was poorly lit and cold and his arms…
He couldn’t move his arms or his legs, something was restraining them, keeping them in place. Straps dug into his skin every time he tried to move.
Arthur…
“Arthur?” he called weakly, his throat dry and scratchy.
“Merlin?” came a voice that most definitely was not Arthur. It sounded so familiar, but his head was so muzzy, he just couldn’t place it.
“Where am I?” he asked, trying to move his wrists again. “Who’s there?”
There was movement in the corner of the room and a man came to sit next to him. And suddenly it came to him.
Gaius.
There were so many things he wanted to ask him, what was going on, why him, how could he? But he couldn’t put any of them into words.
“Gaius,” he said.
Gaius appeared to be checking the machines Merlin supposed he was hooked up to, jotting down numbers in the file he was holding.
Merlin moaned as another wave of pain hit him, his abdomen feeling like it was being torn apart.
Still pregnant, then.
Merlin sighed and lay back against the thin, lumpy pillow they’d deigned give him.
If this is it, he thought, why can’t they just get over with it?
Gaius sat down in the chair next to his bed.
“Merlin, my dear boy,” he started before hesitating slightly. “I never wanted this to happen to you.”
“Why me, Gaius?” he asked weakly.
“I’m sorry, Merlin,” Gaius said. “I didn’t want to, but I didn’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice, Gaius,” Merlin said.
Gaius sighed sadly. “I know, my boy, I know.”
“I don’t want to die, Gaius,” Merlin whispered, overcome with emotion. It was all too much for him, too much for a single human to handle.
It wasn’t fair.
Gaius stood up, and for a moment, Merlin was overcome with loneliness and excruciating grief. He was going to die all on his own.
He tried to summon his magic, to make it undo his bonds, to set him free, but nothing came.
It felt so wrong. Even when the pregnancy was at its worst, it only hampered his magic ability. It never left him bereft.
Before he could even bring himself to truly think about it, Gaius was fiddling with the straps, undoing them.
“We don’t have long,” Gaius murmured. “You’re going to make it, Merlin.”
Just then, the door opened, flooding the room with light. Merlin could barely make out the silhouette of a man, tall, broad, his eyes too used to the quasi-darkness.
“Gaius, are you ready?” the man asked, stepping into the room.
“Lancelot!” Merlin whispered.
He couldn’t believe his eyes! His inner strength came flooding back to him, chasing away the self-pitying and dejection.
He was going to make it.
As Gaius helped him off the bed, he was hit with another contraction and he groaned in pain. His hand came to rest on his stomach, rubbing it gently.
Just a little longer, he thought to the child inside him. We’re almost there.
Lancelot wrapped an arm around Merlin’s waist and let him lean his weight on him, helping him down the unbearably long corridor as he was hit by another contraction. Gaius was on his other side, following them as they hurried towards the exit.
“How did you find me?” Merlin asked.
“Later, Merlin, later,” Lancelot whispered. “We don’t have much time.”
They’d made it down two floors relatively quickly, despite Merlin’s frequent contractions, and were half-way down another corridor when a loud bang was heard behind them and Gaius fell to the floor.
For a moment, Merlin didn’t understand what was going on and time seemed to slow down to a trickle. Why had Gaius fallen? They really didn’t have time for this.
Then Lancelot turned swirled around, putting himself in front of Merlin, his gun out and aiming at an older man at the end of the corridor.
Merlin glanced down at Gaius, lying face down on the floor, a large blood red stain spreading on his back.
Shot, his mind finally supplied. Gaius had been shot.
It all came crashing into Merlin, fear, adrenaline, the need to run. He started trembling, unable to help it.
Then another shot rang in the air and Lancelot fell to his side, clutching his knee, his gun going flying towards the other man. Another shot, and Lancelot collapsed on the ground, a red spot growing on his shoulder.
The other man was coming closer, and Merlin couldn’t make himself move. He was wearing a cold, cruel smile, and his eyes wouldn’t leave Merlin. Beside him, he could hear Lancelot’s grunts of pain, hear Gaius’s raspy, uneven breathing, and still he couldn’t move.
“Did you really think I’d let you escape?” the man said.
Merlin finally recognised him - Uther Pendragon, Director of the FBI and Arthur’s father.
Merlin stood up straighter, closed his eyes and tried, once again, to summon his magic. He wasn’t going to let Uther just get away with shooting Lancelot and Gaius, and he most certainly wasn’t going to let him have the child he was bearing, something he thought with a deep fierceness and protectiveness he’d never thought he’d feel towards the child.
Again, nothing.
Uther laughed, cool, cruel.
“Aliens are amazing, are they not?” he started. “We have learnt so much from them.” He nodded at Merlin. “Take that bracelet, for example. It completely absorbs the wearer’s magic, leaving him or her unable to use it.”
That certainly explained things. Merlin grabbed at the bracelet, trying to pull it off, only to receive a powerful electric shock.
“Magic users cannot remove it without seriously hurting themselves,” Uther continued calmly. “Ingenious, isn’t it?”
Uther came forward, keeping his gun aimed at Merlin, so close that Merlin could reach out and touch him if he wanted.
“The things we have learnt from them,” Uther said. “Of course, that wasn’t the end. In fact, it was just the beginning. Take your pregnancy, for example.”
“It took us years to get the technology to work on humans. It was almost by accident. Gaius used a magic user as a test subject, something that was strictly forbidden. After all, magic users are dangerous, we didn’t want our results to be corrupted by magic.”
“Results?” Merlin asked. The longer Uther spoke, the longer it gave Merlin to come up with a plan, something. He wasn’t going to let anyone die, not if he could avoid it. He didn’t have his magic, but he couldn’t let that stop him.
Besides, he knew, deep inside him, that Arthur was looking for him. He just had to keep Uther talking until Arthur found him.
“Clones,” Uther said. “No longer would we need to worry about important figures being killed, we can just replace them with a body that looks the same, acts the same and thinks the same.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Uther continued. “Even once we realised that the technology worked only with magic users, we still had to figure out how to make the clone not be that of the magic user. Who would want more of them? Again, we spent years testing and modifying the technology until we reached our goal - clones of important figures carried by magic users whom nobody would regret.”
“It seems like the clone you are carrying is ready to come out.”
“But why does it have Arthur’s DNA? He’s not involved in this case.”
“The clone is mine, Mr Emrys. I have a rare genetic disorder that is incompatible with the cloning process. I had no choice but to use my son’s DNA to create my own clone. One day, he’ll understand that we are doing this for the greater good.”
“This is the end, Mr Emrys. I say end as, in order for the clone to become functional, you need to die. This only happens with the strongest of magic users, you should be flattered.”
Merlin had tuned him out as he spoke, focusing on getting even the slightest flicker of his magic to respond. But he could still hear enough to hear him say that Merlin needed to die.
Something deep inside him, ancient, powerful, responded to those words, his magic coming crashing through his body as it freed itself from the bracelet. So much power, Merlin couldn’t contain it all.
Without even thinking about it, he sent Uther flying backwards, his hand banging against the wall and dropping his weapon. Merlin focused on it and sent it flying through the window to the sound of breaking glass.
“Magic,” Uther said. “Impossible, the bracelet -”
Merlin had heard enough. With his magic, he pulled Uther up until his feet no longer touched the ground, keeping him pressed against the wall, tendrils of magic around his arms, legs, neck, pressing to make breathing harder.
“Merlin!” he heard Lancelot call, weak beneath the pounding of his magic.
But it was too late. He couldn’t be stopped. He was going to avenge the magic users who had been used against their will, he was going to take his own revenge against the man who had ruined his life and tried to kill Lancelot and Gaius.
Uther held his stare, defiant till the end. Merlin’s magic pushed harder and harder against his throat, and still Uther wouldn’t look away.
“Merlin!” came a voice, sharp and clear, cutting through the haze of violent revenge.
Arthur!
“Arthur?” Merlin called, unable to turn away from Uther, searching for him with his magic.
“I’m right here,” Arthur said, putting his hand on Merlin’s outstretched arm, warm and solid. “It’s going to be ok.”
“I have to finish,” Merlin said. “I can’t let him get away with it.”
“No, you don’t,” Arthur said softly, gently pushing Merlin’s arm down. Uther fell to the ground in an undignified heap. “You’re not a killer, Merlin.”
“You don’t know me,” Merlin argued.
“I know you’re not a killer,” Arthur said.
“I can’t let him get away with it.”
“He’s not getting away with anything,” Arthur said. “Trust me.”
Arthur let him go. Two men he hadn’t noticed before went to Uther’s side, pulling him up none-too-gently.
“Uther Pendragon,” Arthur said. “I’m placing you under arrest. Leon, Elyan, read him his rights.”
As Uther was being taken away, another contraction hit Merlin, so hard and so painful, Merlin thought he was going to black out.
He fell to his knees with a groan of pain.
“Merlin!” he heard Arthur shout.
“We need to get him to a hospital,” he heard someone say. Doctor Le Fay, maybe? What was she doing here?
“It’s going to be alright, Merlin,” Arthur said, and it was the last thing he heard before unconsciousness claimed him.
**
Merlin woke up in a quiet room, light and comfortable, feeling like he’d been hit by a lorry. Two even.
“You’re awake,” he heard Arthur say.
He turned his head to his left to find Arthur sitting by the bed. He looked worn, tired. Merlin wanted to reach out, tell him that everything was ok, but everything hurt.
“Can I get you anything?” Arthur asked.
Merlin shook his head once.
Arthur was quiet for a moment, looking conflicted, as if he wanted to tell Merlin something.
“What?” Merlin croaked, his throat painfully dry.
“I don’t know if you want to hear this,” Arthur started. “But you gave birth via caesarean. Morgana did that.”
Merlin nodded once, weakly.
“It was…” Arthur started hesitantly, an uncommon sight. “She’s beautiful, Merlin.”
“Can I see her?” Merlin rasped.
Arthur looked shocked. Merlin couldn’t imagine why. Surely he’d told Merlin that she was beautiful in hopes that he’d say that.
“Do you want to?” Arthur asked.
Merlin nodded.
“I won’t be long,” Arthur said, getting up.
He came back a minute later carefully holding a tiny bundle in his arms. He sat back down on the chair, making sure Merlin could see the bundle.
Merlin sat up to get a better look.
“She looks just like you,” Merlin said, his throat still dry, but gradually remembering how to speak.
Arthur nodded, a hint of pride in his eyes.
“No wonder you said that she’s beautiful,” Merlin joked.
Arthur looked affronted, but relaxed when he saw Merlin was joking.
“She’s got your eyes though,” Arthur said.
“That’s nice,” Merlin said, as exhaustion got the better of him.
“What are you going to do about her?” Arthur asked, after a long moment of quiet as they both watched the baby, their daughter sleep.
Merlin settled back into bed, tired and achy and needing to sleep a thousand years.
“Sleep,” he said.
He’d figure it all out later.
**
Later, as it turned out, was a huge mess of high-profile arrests, constant news reports, and public unease at the thought of such a cover-up.
For Arthur, newly appointed to the head of a task force comprising himself, Lancelot, Leon and Elyan (as well as Gwaine and new boyfriend Percival, unofficially), his days were filled with paperwork, interrogations, more paperwork and even more awful coffee. The case reached so deep that every new element they found brought up a whole new branch of investigations to carry out. He didn’t know if they’d ever be done.
A lot of the evidence had conveniently disappeared, making it hard for Arthur and his team to collect enough proof to hold suspects, but Arthur had been thorough in his original investigation, they still had enough to go on.
And Gaius, the man who had set things in motion, had readily cooperated with the FBI in exchange for a lighter sentence.
It was amazing, frustrating, angering at times, but mostly, it was exactly what had made Arthur join the FBI in the first place.
His days were also filled with something new, concern, even affection, for not just one, but two people.
It had taken Merlin almost a month of hesitating, of changing his mind back and forth, before coming to the decision that he would care for the being that had finally become his daughter.
It wasn’t easy, what with all the trauma Merlin had endured. No, it wasn’t easy at all. He was in therapy and was being treated for a combination of PTSD, depression and anxiety, all of which made him particularly moody and hard to be around at times.
But Arthur tried. And Merlin tried. And together, they were starting to make progress. Finally, Arthur was seeing Merlin smile more often. It warmed him to the core to know that Merlin was starting to recover.
Despite being busier than he had been in years, Arthur still made the time to visit Merlin regularly. After all, Lizzy - Elisabeth Ygraine Emrys - was also Arthur’s daughter, and one of the biggest reasons Merlin had decided to take her in was because Arthur had promised to help.
Currently, he was at Merlin’s new flat in DC, sitting on the couch with him, the TV on low in the background as he watched Lizzy play with her toys.
Merlin’s arms were wrapped around his waist and his head was a warm, pleasant weight on Arthur’s shoulder.
Their relationship was still on shaky ground - they still argued a lot, though always when Lizzy couldn’t hear, but between Arthur’s work and Merlin’s therapy, things were getting better.
A picture of Uther appeared on screen, with a box with the words “Breaking News”. Arthur turned up the volume a bit.
“We have just learned that disgraced Director of the FBI, Uther Pendragon, has escaped from prison,” said the newscaster.
Arthur felt Merlin tense next to him. Arthur’s father was still a source of stress for Merlin, which was understandable given that Uther was to blame for Merlin’s trauma.
Arthur pulled Merlin closer and started rubbing his hand up and down Merlin’s arm to comfort him.
To be honest, Arthur wasn’t really surprised that his father had escaped. Angry? Yes. Annoyed? Definitely. But surprised? No. A man with the power and connections of Uther Pendragon did not simply stay in prison.
Lizzy seemed to sense that something was up. She dropped her octopus plushie, waved her arms as she bounced and started making “da da da” sounds.
Merlin reached out to brush his hand through her dark curls. “It’s ok, Lizzy,” he said gently. “Everything’s ok.”
“Da!” she said and tried to push herself up.
She’d been doing that a lot recently, and both Arthur and Merlin were expecting her to start walking any time soon.
Tonight was going to be that night, it seemed, as Lizzy pushed herself to her feet and let out a triumphant “da!”.
“Oh my god, Lizzy!” Merlin almost shouted. “Arthur, did you see that?”
“Clever girl,” Arthur said, letting go of Merlin to hold his arms open for his daughter.
Lizzy tried to take a step forward, but fell back down. That didn’t seem to stop her, because she immediately got back up on her feet.
“Oh my god, Arthur,” Merlin said, sounding like the proud, doting parent he was. “She’s standing up!”
Arthur’s face hurt from grinning so hard.
Yes, parenthood was tough, more so given the origins of their own parenthood, but moments like this? Well they more than made up for it.
Arthur grabbed Lizzy by the waist and pulled her into his lap. Merlin immediately brushed his hand through her hair again.
“Who’s a clever girl?” Merlin cooed. “You are!”
“Da!” Lizzy agreed.
Arthur looked at Merlin, then at Lizzy, then back at Merlin, and couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.
Sometimes Arthur wished he’d chosen to find his own path in life rather than follow in his father’s footsteps.
But then, if he had chosen his own path in life, he probably wouldn’t have met Merlin, and he wouldn’t have met Lizzy. No matter how hard it may have been at times, Arthur did not regret anything because his life with Merlin and Lizzy more than made up for it.
Go to part 5
Author: go_fishboys
Prompt: self-prompt
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 35k
Rating: R except for the epilogue, which is NC-17
Contains (Highlight to view): *mentions of experimentation on humans and aliens, forced pregnancies, violence, deaths of minor characters*
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: This fic is in no way inspired by The X-Files. Nope, not at all. As if.
Haha, no but really, this happened because I marathoned the show to prepare for the revival.
Huge thanks to Viv, my beta. This is very last minute, so any remaining mistakes are my own.
Summary: There’s no such thing as government conspiracies, right? That’s what Arthur used to believe as well until an anonymous informant convinced him to take on what will probably be the biggest case of his career.
read it on AO3
Arthur was startled awake by the sound of the car door closing with a soft click, like someone was worried about being caught.
He checked his watch, angling it so it caught the light from the streetlight.
Almost two in the morning.
He’d been sat there, waiting in the car for almost four hours now, waiting to see what his father would do next.
He’d tailed him after work to a small house in a small town outside DC, a house that Arthur had no knowledge of whatsoever. Which, ignoring the circumstances, was rather strange as Uther liked to host dinner functions in his lavish properties, functions that Arthur was expected to attend. As such, Arthur had thought he’d had a pretty good idea of what his father owned.
Clearly not.
So he’d waited, on stake-out, with only Merlin and horrible lukewarm coffee for company. And then Merlin had drifted off, leaving Arthur with only his thoughts and no coffee.
Merlin…
Arthur turned his head and saw Merlin trying to get comfortable again.
“Sorry,” he said, shifting against the backrest. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Last he remembered, Merlin had been sleeping fitfully in the passenger seat as Arthur kept on watching the house for any activity.
How long had he been asleep?
“Don’t worry,” Merlin said. “They’re still there, I just checked.”
“What do you mean, just checked?” Arthur snapped. Was he hearing things right? Surely Merlin wouldn’t have been so stupid.
“I peeked in the window with the lights on and your father was still there and so was Gaius.”
“You idiot,” Arthur hissed. “You can’t just go out there to go checking on suspects! They could be armed and dangerous! And you have no training! This isn’t your job.”
“You’re right,” Merlin snapped back. “It’s your job. But you were asleep. You looked like you needed it so I went to check.”
“You can’t go around pretending to be an FBI agent, Merlin!”
“I didn’t, ok, I was careful,” Merlin said. “Look, I used my magic to keep them from seeing me and it all went fine.”
“All went fine,” Arthur argued. “You said the pregnancy was negatively affecting your magic! What if it hadn’t worked? What if they’d found you? They’re probably looking for you right now.”
“Just calm down, ok?” Merlin said. “My magic worked fine, nobody saw me, you can calm down. I’m fine, the baby’s fine, if overactive for this time of night, and your suspects are still in the house.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” Arthur snapped.
Of course, in response to his outburst, Merlin just rolled his eyes in annoyance.
“Fine, don’t calm down,” Merlin said, crossing his arms over his chest. “See if I care.”
And Arthur, furious at the dismissal, couldn’t find anything to say so he just seethed in silence.
Time went by slowly, and Arthur’s anger gradually seeped out of him, leaving him feeling tired and guilty. Merlin was right, of course. This was his job, he’d messed up. He shouldn’t have snapped at Merlin.
Merlin gasped, a hand coming up to cup his stomach.
“Merlin, are you alright?” Arthur asked.
“Yeah,” Merlin moaned. “Just a twinge, nothing serious.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, yes, she probably just kicked the wrong organ or something.”
“She’s kicking?” Arthur asked, curious, maybe even a bit excited. “Right now?”
“When isn’t she?” Merlin muttered before continuing in his normal voice. “She’s more active at night than during the day. Probably enjoys knowing that I can’t sleep.”
“That… sucks,” Arthur said, not really knowing what to say.
“Yeah, but what are you going to do about it?” Merlin said. “There’s nothing to do but wait till she’s born now.”
They were quiet for a moment, before Merlin spoke up. “Do you… want to feel her kick?” he asked. “You don’t have to, it’s just… you seem curious. About it.”
Did he? He shouldn’t, he knew he shouldn’t. This wasn’t a normal pregnancy, it wasn’t wanted, and all it was doing was causing Merlin problems. But something in his brain must have clicked, probably when Gwen told him that he was the other father. Because now, he wanted to know the baby inside Merlin, he wanted to connect with her. Almost like she was his child. Which she was, technically. But not.
It was all far too complicated.
“Can I?” he asked, his heart beating faster with anticipation.
“I wouldn’t have asked otherwise,” Merlin replied gently.
And then, Merlin grabbed his right hand and pressed it against the firm, warm curve of his stomach.
“Oh wow, she really is moving a lot,” Arthur said, completely amazed.
Merlin smiled fondly. “Try sleeping with that going on inside you. It’s a real nuisance.”
“I can imagine,” Arthur said.
Merlin’s smile turned a bit sad, wistful. “No, you can’t,” he said in a soft voice. “You’re lucky.”
Just as Arthur was about to reply, a car pulled up on the other side of the street.
He’d seen that car before, he knew he had. And when the occupants of the vehicle came out, it finally came to him.
The two men, from when Deagal had been killed, from when they’d found Gaius’s secret room, wearing the dark blue uniform of police officers.
And they weren’t alone. Between them, they seemed to be half-carrying, half-dragging a man who could barely stand on his own too legs.
Another victim?
Arthur swore under his breath. He wasn’t about to let that happen, not this time.
“Stay here,” he told Merlin, opening the car door.
“No way,” Merlin said. “You need a partner, someone to watch your back.”
Arthur sighed in annoyance. “Yes, well, I’m the only FBI agent here so I’m going to have to go on my own.”
“You’re not going without me,” Merlin argued.
God dammit, of all the times Merlin chose to argue!
“Now really isn’t the time, Merlin,” Arthur snapped.
“I’ll be careful,” Merlin said. “Besides, I’ve got magic, we could use that to our advantage.”
“And what if it doesn’t work?”
Merlin shrugged. “You’ve got your gun, right?”
Arthur sighed. “Fine, come on,” he finally said. “But you do exactly as I tell you and you don’t go looking for trouble.”
By the time they’d sorted out their argument, the two men had already gone in through the front door, closing it behind them, probably locking it too.
That left going in through the back. Hopefully it was unguarded. Hopefully they didn’t know Arthur had tailed them here, not yet.
The back of the house was plunged in darkness, with nothing more than the moon to guide their steps. They quickly found the back door, locked of course.
“Let me,” Merlin whispered, pushing Arthur out of the way.
He whispered a word, and Arthur heard the door unlock. He could almost understand why his father hated magic - it was so powerful, he feared what he could not use himself. But to Arthur, who had witnessed Merlin use magic several times already, it was nothing short of amazing.
Merlin opened the door and went in, the door opening onto the kitchen. “Come on,” he said.
“Oi, just a second,” Arthur whispered. “I’m the one in charge, I give the orders.”
“Fine,” Merlin sighed, moving out of the way so Arthur could come in too. “Are you coming then?”
“Merlin,” Arthur warned. But Merlin just grinned cheekily.
They checked the entire ground floor as well of the first. Despite Merlin assuring Arthur that Gaius and Uther had still been there when he’d checked, neither of them had found any trace of them.
In a way, that was good, because it gave Arthur a bit longer before he had to confront his father.
“I guess that leaves the basement,” Merlin said.
They’d found the door to the basement almost immediately as it was located in the kitchen. But Arthur had wanted to check the rest of the house first since the basement seemed quiet and empty.
Merlin was right, of course. It was time to check the basement.
The basement was like any other basement in a house like this, small, low ceilings, dark, and smelly faintly musty.
Unlike any other basement, one wall had a metallic door, harsh and out of place, with no window and no handle.
“I guess that counts as something,” Merlin said quietly.
But how did they proceed from there? There was no obvious way of opening the door.
Still, Arthur approached it, apprehensive. He was in the enemy’s lair now. They could be watching Arthur and Merlin, they could be waiting behind the door, ready to kill them.
There was a small yellow rectangle on the floor in front of the door. When Arthur stood on it, a metallic voice said “enter password” loud enough to make them both jump.
“Password?” Arthur whispered.
“I don’t know,” Merlin whispered back.
“Fuck,” Arthur swore.
“Access denied,” the voice said.
Arthur rolled his eyes.
Suddenly, from somewhere deep inside him, came the word “Excalibur”. The word the dying man had begged him to remember, the password to the floppy disk. “Excalibur”. It had to be.
“Excalibur,” Arthur said loud and clear.
“Access granted,” the voice said and the door swung open to reveal a long white corridor, brightly lit with harsh fluorescent bulbs.
“How the fuck did they manage to build this here without anyone noticing?” Merlin whispered, following Arthur closely.
Arthur shrugged. The surrounding houses were probably owned by other people involved in this conspiracy. And it had seemed to him, from what little he’d made out in the dark, that the back yard was huge. It was the only thought that made sense.
Arthur opened the first door to his right. It was almost dark and full of glass cylindrical containers filled with a greenish liquid. And in each one…
“Is that what I think it is?” Merlin asked.
Arthur could only nod.
In each one was a body, silent and unmoving, eyes closed and curled up in foetal position. There were so many of them - Arthur counted at least twenty of them.
Looking closer at one of them, he was shocked to recognise his uncle Agravaine.
It was just… horrible.
The scale of this conspiracy was simply mind-blowing! It was one thing to know abstractly from all the files he’d found, but to actually see it…
The containers were hooked up to wires that led to a console which seemed to be monitoring them. But Arthur couldn’t make out anything on the screen, just numbers and codes, nothing to help him make any sense of them.
He couldn’t stay here any longer. It was unnerving to be around all those tubes, all those bodies in suspended animation, just waiting for the day they became useful. No independence, no life of their own.
“Let’s go,” Arthur said, putting his hand on the small of Merlin’s back to guide him out.
They continued down the corridor, checking each door. But they found nothing, most rooms were empty with just a few tables, a few screens. It almost seemed like the rooms weren’t supposed to be empty, that the contents had been moved.
Like they knew Arthur was on to them.
For the first time, he could see some progress. He was getting close, close enough that he was starting to worry the people in on this, his father, his uncle, everyone.
But it also meant he had to hurry, before all the evidence was taken away to a place they’d make sure Arthur never reached.
The last door, all the way at the end of the corridor, was locked. Arthur didn’t even have to ask, Merlin stepped up and unlocked the door with his magic.
Before Arthur even had a chance to get a look at the room, he heard shouts.
“Hep, le voilà !” shouted one of the men, the man who had killed Deagal Williams.
“Qu’est c’que t’attends ? Tire, putain !” the other man shouted, pulling out his gun and shooting at Arthur and Merlin.
Arthur pushed Merlin behind a van - a loading area, they were in a loading area. He pulled out his gun, peeked out from behind the van and shot, shooting the first man in the neck. A lucky shot. The man fell to the ground, blood spurting from his wound.
That left one man. He’d stopped shooting, probably reconsidering his choices now that he was alone.
Arthur crept out from behind the van, going from vehicle to vehicle, looking for the last man.
He had two-three vehicles left to check when the man jumped from behind one of them and shot at Arthur, the bullet grazing his cheek with a sharp sting, a second shot right behind it.
Time seemed to slow down. Arthur could see the bullet come towards him, and he knew that no matter what he did, he couldn’t avoid it. It was too late.
Merlin, he thought, wanting his last thought on Earth to be of the man he’d come to care about as more than a victim, more than a friend.
“Arthur!” he heard Merlin shout.
But it was too late, any second now…
He heard Merlin shout his name again, louder, overpowering. And then, the bullet stopped. It just… stopped. Right where it was.
For a second, the bullet just hung there, suspended in mid-air. Then it fell to the ground, metal clanging against asphalt.
The man was standing there, frozen. He looked… scared? Like he’d witnessed something amazing but awful at the same time. Merlin? His magic?
Arthur didn’t even hesitate, he pulled the trigger and shot the man in the head, killing him immediately.
For a moment, Arthur just stood there panting, his arms shaking from fear, from adrenaline.
So close. Too fucking close, he thought.
He walked back to the van the men had been standing by before opening fire. In it was the man they’d been dragging in, unconscious, slouching forward. He checked his pulse just to be sure, but his heart was still beating. He had to take him to the hospital, who knew what those men had used on him?
Just then, Merlin let out a loud moan of pain. Arthur’s heart almost stopped and it felt like a bucket of ice had been dumped in his gut. Had one of the bullets hit him?
“Merlin!” Arthur shouted, running towards him. No matter how hard he pushed himself, every step seemed to take forever. He couldn’t get to him fast enough.
He found Merlin where he’d left him, sitting on the floor, back against the side of the van. He was pale, too pale and when Arthur took his hand, it felt clammy.
“Merlin, are you alright?” he asked, completely panicked. “Did they hit you?”
Merlin moaned again, his face scrunching up as he tried to fight the pain. His shaky hands were on his stomach, one of them caressing it gently.
“N-No,” he managed. There were tears of pain in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. “I don’t - I think the baby’s ready to be born.”
“What?”
Merlin grabbed Arthur’s hand and squeezed hard as he moaned in pain again. “I think I’m having contractions.”
Arthur didn’t let go of Merlin’s hand. “We’ll get you out of here, I promise.”
“I’m scared, Arthur,” Merlin said shakily. “I’m not ready! I still have at least two weeks before she’s due. I counted! It’s not fair!”
“Everything’s going to be alright,” Arthur promised, pulling Merlin to his feet.
“You can’t promise that!”
They had to get to a hospital immediately. It didn’t matter what the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff thought of Merlin’s condition, the baby was on its way and it had nowhere to go.
He let Merlin lean against him and helped him to the van where the unconscious man was still sitting. They didn’t have time to get to Arthur’s car, not if he wanted to save both Merlin and the unconscious man.
He helped Merlin into the passenger’s seat and buckled the seatbelt for him.
“Just hold on,” Arthur said. “I’m taking you to the hospital. You’re going to be fine.”
Fortunately, the keys to the van were in the ignition, so Arthur didn’t need to ask Merlin to use his magic in his condition.
The drive to the hospital was quick enough as there was no traffic at that time of night, but to Arthur, it seemed interminable. Every time Merlin moaned in pain, his heart clenched a little.
Finally, though, they made it to the hospital. Arthur parked the van, not caring that he was taking up three spaces. He let Merlin get out of the car himself while he got the unconscious man out, carrying him in his arms.
He stormed into the reception, closely followed by Merlin, curled in on himself with pain.
“FBI!” he shouted. “These two need immediate medical attention.”
A nurse quickly brought a stretcher and whisked the unconscious man away to be taken care of. Another nurse appeared to take care of Merlin.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, not knowing what to make of Merlin or his condition.
“He’s pregnant,” Arthur said.
“This isn’t the time for jokes,” the nurse snapped.
Arthur just pulled out his badge. “I’m an FBI agent, what I’m telling you is the truth. I can’t tell you much because this is an open case, but this man is a victim of human experimentation and needs immediate medical care.”
The nurse didn’t look convinced, but she took one good look at Arthur’s badge before going to get a wheelchair and helping Merlin into it. Thank goodness. He didn’t have time to argue his case.
She could, of course, be in on the conspiracy. But Arthur forced that thought down. It was too late, he didn’t have a choice anymore. Merlin had to be treated here, because who knew what would happen if they delayed it any longer.
“Let’s get him to the ob/gyn,” she said. “The doctor can have a look at him there.”
The nurse wheeled Merlin onto the lift, Arthur following. “Is doctor Le Fay on call tonight?”
Despite the fact that he had neither seen nor heard from his half-sister in almost two years, she was still the only doctor he felt he could entrust with Merlin’s care.
They made it to a small, individual room - probably curtesy of Arthur’s FBI badge - and the nurse was helping Merlin into the bed.
“Yes,” the nurse said. “Do you want me to call her?”
“Please.”
Merlin looked awful. He looked exhausted, ashen, with dark shadows under his eyes. His face was contorted in a constant expression of pain. Arthur took his hand and gently stroked his thumb over his knuckles. His hands felt so cold, clammy.
“Who’s doctor Le Fay?” Merlin asked.
“My half-sister, Morgana,” Arthur replied.
“Do you trust her?”
“I do,” Arthur said.
“That’s good then,” Merlin murmured before groaning as another wave of pain hit him.
The contractions were getting closer and closer and they still had no idea how they’d get the baby out of Merlin, if it was even possible without alien technology. After all, it was alien technology that had put Merlin in this situation, it made sense to assume that alien technology would get him out of it too.
Arthur forced himself not to think about it. He had to remain calm and focused, for Merlin’s sake.
There was a sharp knock on the door and in stepped Morgana. She looked almost the same as when he’d last seen her, long dark hair, intelligent green eyes, and painfully stylish despite the lab coat.
“Arthur,” she said, nodding curtly at him.
“This is Merlin,” he said. “You have to help him.”
“Mithian says he’s pregnant?” she asked. “Human experimentation?”
“I can’t go into details,” Arthur said. “But you’ve got to believe me.”
Morgana didn’t reply, instead she pulled the ultrasound machine closer.
“This will be a bit cold,” she said, pushing Merlin’s shirt up and applying gel to his belly.
She pressed the wand to Merlin’s stomach and let out a quiet gasp.
“It’s true,” she said, sounding amazed. “There really is a foetus in there.”
“Not for long,” Merlin said quietly. “She wants to get out.”
“I need to run a few tests before we do anything,” Morgana said. “Just wait there. Arthur, if you would follow me?”
“I’ll be right back,” Arthur said, squeezing Merlin’s hand.
Morgana closed the door behind them, leaving Merlin alone. It felt so strange to be apart from him, given all the time they had spent together in the last few days.
“It’s good to see you,” Arthur said.
“Don’t start,” Morgana said in return. “Now really isn’t the time. Besides, I’m still seeing Morgause, and that was one of your conditions, wasn’t it?”
“I was stupid,” Arthur said.
“I know,” Morgana replied. “I need to take some blood from Merlin and assess his general health and figure out how to get that baby out of there. Why don’t you go and get some coffee in the meantime. You look like shit.”
“I can’t just leave him,” Arthur said. “He’s in danger.”
“Just go,” Morgana said, in her ‘don’t argue with me’ tone that was so familiar. “He’ll be fine.”
**
The hospital’s coffee could not be described as even remotely good by even the most charitable of souls, but the warmth and familiar scent had helped calm Arthur’s nerves.
He’d taken his time, letting Morgana and her team work on Merlin. He did feel a bit guilty leaving Merlin on his own in the hands of people he didn’t know, but there was nothing he could do there, only get in the way.
Merlin will be just fine, he repeated to himself from time to time, when the guilt got a little bit too much to bear.
It had been almost an hour, and Arthur decided it was time to start pestering Morgana for answers.
He didn’t rush back to Merlin’s side. Not because he wasn’t worried, but because he wanted to prove to himself that he hadn’t fallen hard for Merlin. After all, if he really had, he wouldn’t even have left his side when Morgana had told him to, right?
He opened the door to find the room empty. His heartbeat quickened with worry, fear in response, but he didn’t let it get to him. Wrong room, probably.
He closed the door and checked the number. 3. So not the wrong room then.
He let himself worry a bit. They’d probably just moved him, but he didn’t like this. He didn’t like it at all.
“Where’s Merlin?” he asked a bit too harshly.
The passing nurse flinched at his tone before speaking up. “Room 3, sir.”
“He’s not in room 3.”
“Let me just check then, they’ve probably just moved him to another room.”
It was good to hear someone voice his reasons out loud. Everything would be just fine.
The nurse quickly leafed through a piled of papers, then another, then another. After the fourth pile, Arthur started to grow very, very concerned.
This wasn’t right. Something was wrong - something had gone wrong while he was busy pretending not to like Merlin. What an idiot he was.
“Where is he?” he asked again.
“I’m sorry, I can’t find anything that says where he’s been moved.”
“Then where is he?” he repeated.
The nurse looked like she was about to cry. He was being too harsh with her when she wasn’t the one in charge of the ward or of Merlin’s care. But he didn’t have time to be nice, he needed to find Merlin before it was too late.
“I don’t know, I’m really sorry,” she stammered. “I’ll go and get doctor Le Fay.”
She walked away as fast as her legs could carry her without running, probably glad to move away from Arthur’s furious focus.
Arthur paced anxiously, checking every room, every area partitioned off with thick curtains, the bathroom. Nothing. Not a trace of Merlin.
He’d failed him, he’d promised to protect him, and now Merlin was gone. If he was lucky, maybe they’d let him find Merlin’s body somewhere remote, months after his disappearance.
“Arthur!” Morgana called.
He was getting ahead of himself. He had to focus.
There was still time. He could still save Merlin.
He wouldn’t allow himself to fail.
“Where is he?” he asked again, sounding weary and worried this time.
“I didn’t have him moved.”
“So now what?” Arthur asked.
Morgana started walking down a corridor, expecting Arthur to follow her.
“Now, we check the security footage. Nobody can get in or out of this hospital without being filmed.”
Arthur certainly hoped so. It would be a first in this whole mission.
The security monitors were kept in a small room with a single security guard for over twenty screens displaying grainy pictures. It was no wonder they’d managed to take Merlin - he’d seen better security in libraries.
The security guard followed Morgana’s orders, back an hour, fast forward.
And there, about twenty-five minutes in, there was a man opening the door to Merlin’s room, looking all around him before entering - shifty.
And Arthur would recognise that man anywhere.
Agravaine…
“That’s the nurse I asked to administer a pain killer,” Morgana said.
“What?” Arthur said. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. She hadn’t… right?
“I said -” Morgana started, annoyed. Probably because Arthur had questioned her actions, something she never put up with.
“He’s not a nurse!” Arthur snapped. “How could you just give a random man access to Merlin, after everything I told you!”
“How was I supposed to know he wasn’t a nurse?”
“Had you even ever seen him before tonight?” Arthur asked angrily.
“No,” Morgana replied, icy cold.
“And you just let him go near Merlin! You told me he’d be fine!”
“I’m so sorry I lead a busy department,” Morgana replied in an angry tone, never breaking her calm disposition. “It’s not the first time I’ve had new faces appear on my ward, and it won’t be the last time. I can’t be expected to keep track of the staff of the whole hospital, I have enough on my hands as it is.”
Arthur sighed. There was no point in wasting time arguing with Morgana. They’d deal with it later, like the reasonable adults they were supposed to be.
“So what now?” Arthur asked.
“We follow him using the time stamps on the videos,” Morgana said. “Isn’t this basic FBI stuff? Your job?”
“Shut up,” Arthur said. He wasn’t in his right mind and he had a very good excuse too.
They followed Agravaine through the videos - replacing one of the bags of IV fluids with another, waiting for Merlin to pass out, pushing him on a stretcher towards the back exit, putting him in a waiting ambulance and driving away.
It was all very good to have all that information, but it still didn’t answer the most pressing question.
Where was Merlin? And was he alright?
They were at a dead-end, no clues, no information, nothing. Again.
Arthur didn’t like not knowing. It was his job to know, and he liked to think he was good at it.
“Now what?” Morgana asked, sounding nicer than earlier, concerned even.
“I don’t know,” Arthur was forced to admit in a low voice.
Merlin…
And then, just as hopelessness was starting to creep through his body, his phone rang.
“Hello?” Arthur answered, his mind repeating please, please, please over and over again. He was desperate for even the slightest hint.
“Arthur?” came the voice on the other end of the line. “It’s me, Lance. I think I have some very important information that you’ll want to hear.”
**
Merlin woke up feeling both completely disoriented and in a lot of pain.
Where was he? This definitely wasn’t the hospital room Arthur had left him in. It was poorly lit and cold and his arms…
He couldn’t move his arms or his legs, something was restraining them, keeping them in place. Straps dug into his skin every time he tried to move.
Arthur…
“Arthur?” he called weakly, his throat dry and scratchy.
“Merlin?” came a voice that most definitely was not Arthur. It sounded so familiar, but his head was so muzzy, he just couldn’t place it.
“Where am I?” he asked, trying to move his wrists again. “Who’s there?”
There was movement in the corner of the room and a man came to sit next to him. And suddenly it came to him.
Gaius.
There were so many things he wanted to ask him, what was going on, why him, how could he? But he couldn’t put any of them into words.
“Gaius,” he said.
Gaius appeared to be checking the machines Merlin supposed he was hooked up to, jotting down numbers in the file he was holding.
Merlin moaned as another wave of pain hit him, his abdomen feeling like it was being torn apart.
Still pregnant, then.
Merlin sighed and lay back against the thin, lumpy pillow they’d deigned give him.
If this is it, he thought, why can’t they just get over with it?
Gaius sat down in the chair next to his bed.
“Merlin, my dear boy,” he started before hesitating slightly. “I never wanted this to happen to you.”
“Why me, Gaius?” he asked weakly.
“I’m sorry, Merlin,” Gaius said. “I didn’t want to, but I didn’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice, Gaius,” Merlin said.
Gaius sighed sadly. “I know, my boy, I know.”
“I don’t want to die, Gaius,” Merlin whispered, overcome with emotion. It was all too much for him, too much for a single human to handle.
It wasn’t fair.
Gaius stood up, and for a moment, Merlin was overcome with loneliness and excruciating grief. He was going to die all on his own.
He tried to summon his magic, to make it undo his bonds, to set him free, but nothing came.
It felt so wrong. Even when the pregnancy was at its worst, it only hampered his magic ability. It never left him bereft.
Before he could even bring himself to truly think about it, Gaius was fiddling with the straps, undoing them.
“We don’t have long,” Gaius murmured. “You’re going to make it, Merlin.”
Just then, the door opened, flooding the room with light. Merlin could barely make out the silhouette of a man, tall, broad, his eyes too used to the quasi-darkness.
“Gaius, are you ready?” the man asked, stepping into the room.
“Lancelot!” Merlin whispered.
He couldn’t believe his eyes! His inner strength came flooding back to him, chasing away the self-pitying and dejection.
He was going to make it.
As Gaius helped him off the bed, he was hit with another contraction and he groaned in pain. His hand came to rest on his stomach, rubbing it gently.
Just a little longer, he thought to the child inside him. We’re almost there.
Lancelot wrapped an arm around Merlin’s waist and let him lean his weight on him, helping him down the unbearably long corridor as he was hit by another contraction. Gaius was on his other side, following them as they hurried towards the exit.
“How did you find me?” Merlin asked.
“Later, Merlin, later,” Lancelot whispered. “We don’t have much time.”
They’d made it down two floors relatively quickly, despite Merlin’s frequent contractions, and were half-way down another corridor when a loud bang was heard behind them and Gaius fell to the floor.
For a moment, Merlin didn’t understand what was going on and time seemed to slow down to a trickle. Why had Gaius fallen? They really didn’t have time for this.
Then Lancelot turned swirled around, putting himself in front of Merlin, his gun out and aiming at an older man at the end of the corridor.
Merlin glanced down at Gaius, lying face down on the floor, a large blood red stain spreading on his back.
Shot, his mind finally supplied. Gaius had been shot.
It all came crashing into Merlin, fear, adrenaline, the need to run. He started trembling, unable to help it.
Then another shot rang in the air and Lancelot fell to his side, clutching his knee, his gun going flying towards the other man. Another shot, and Lancelot collapsed on the ground, a red spot growing on his shoulder.
The other man was coming closer, and Merlin couldn’t make himself move. He was wearing a cold, cruel smile, and his eyes wouldn’t leave Merlin. Beside him, he could hear Lancelot’s grunts of pain, hear Gaius’s raspy, uneven breathing, and still he couldn’t move.
“Did you really think I’d let you escape?” the man said.
Merlin finally recognised him - Uther Pendragon, Director of the FBI and Arthur’s father.
Merlin stood up straighter, closed his eyes and tried, once again, to summon his magic. He wasn’t going to let Uther just get away with shooting Lancelot and Gaius, and he most certainly wasn’t going to let him have the child he was bearing, something he thought with a deep fierceness and protectiveness he’d never thought he’d feel towards the child.
Again, nothing.
Uther laughed, cool, cruel.
“Aliens are amazing, are they not?” he started. “We have learnt so much from them.” He nodded at Merlin. “Take that bracelet, for example. It completely absorbs the wearer’s magic, leaving him or her unable to use it.”
That certainly explained things. Merlin grabbed at the bracelet, trying to pull it off, only to receive a powerful electric shock.
“Magic users cannot remove it without seriously hurting themselves,” Uther continued calmly. “Ingenious, isn’t it?”
Uther came forward, keeping his gun aimed at Merlin, so close that Merlin could reach out and touch him if he wanted.
“The things we have learnt from them,” Uther said. “Of course, that wasn’t the end. In fact, it was just the beginning. Take your pregnancy, for example.”
“It took us years to get the technology to work on humans. It was almost by accident. Gaius used a magic user as a test subject, something that was strictly forbidden. After all, magic users are dangerous, we didn’t want our results to be corrupted by magic.”
“Results?” Merlin asked. The longer Uther spoke, the longer it gave Merlin to come up with a plan, something. He wasn’t going to let anyone die, not if he could avoid it. He didn’t have his magic, but he couldn’t let that stop him.
Besides, he knew, deep inside him, that Arthur was looking for him. He just had to keep Uther talking until Arthur found him.
“Clones,” Uther said. “No longer would we need to worry about important figures being killed, we can just replace them with a body that looks the same, acts the same and thinks the same.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Uther continued. “Even once we realised that the technology worked only with magic users, we still had to figure out how to make the clone not be that of the magic user. Who would want more of them? Again, we spent years testing and modifying the technology until we reached our goal - clones of important figures carried by magic users whom nobody would regret.”
“It seems like the clone you are carrying is ready to come out.”
“But why does it have Arthur’s DNA? He’s not involved in this case.”
“The clone is mine, Mr Emrys. I have a rare genetic disorder that is incompatible with the cloning process. I had no choice but to use my son’s DNA to create my own clone. One day, he’ll understand that we are doing this for the greater good.”
“This is the end, Mr Emrys. I say end as, in order for the clone to become functional, you need to die. This only happens with the strongest of magic users, you should be flattered.”
Merlin had tuned him out as he spoke, focusing on getting even the slightest flicker of his magic to respond. But he could still hear enough to hear him say that Merlin needed to die.
Something deep inside him, ancient, powerful, responded to those words, his magic coming crashing through his body as it freed itself from the bracelet. So much power, Merlin couldn’t contain it all.
Without even thinking about it, he sent Uther flying backwards, his hand banging against the wall and dropping his weapon. Merlin focused on it and sent it flying through the window to the sound of breaking glass.
“Magic,” Uther said. “Impossible, the bracelet -”
Merlin had heard enough. With his magic, he pulled Uther up until his feet no longer touched the ground, keeping him pressed against the wall, tendrils of magic around his arms, legs, neck, pressing to make breathing harder.
“Merlin!” he heard Lancelot call, weak beneath the pounding of his magic.
But it was too late. He couldn’t be stopped. He was going to avenge the magic users who had been used against their will, he was going to take his own revenge against the man who had ruined his life and tried to kill Lancelot and Gaius.
Uther held his stare, defiant till the end. Merlin’s magic pushed harder and harder against his throat, and still Uther wouldn’t look away.
“Merlin!” came a voice, sharp and clear, cutting through the haze of violent revenge.
Arthur!
“Arthur?” Merlin called, unable to turn away from Uther, searching for him with his magic.
“I’m right here,” Arthur said, putting his hand on Merlin’s outstretched arm, warm and solid. “It’s going to be ok.”
“I have to finish,” Merlin said. “I can’t let him get away with it.”
“No, you don’t,” Arthur said softly, gently pushing Merlin’s arm down. Uther fell to the ground in an undignified heap. “You’re not a killer, Merlin.”
“You don’t know me,” Merlin argued.
“I know you’re not a killer,” Arthur said.
“I can’t let him get away with it.”
“He’s not getting away with anything,” Arthur said. “Trust me.”
Arthur let him go. Two men he hadn’t noticed before went to Uther’s side, pulling him up none-too-gently.
“Uther Pendragon,” Arthur said. “I’m placing you under arrest. Leon, Elyan, read him his rights.”
As Uther was being taken away, another contraction hit Merlin, so hard and so painful, Merlin thought he was going to black out.
He fell to his knees with a groan of pain.
“Merlin!” he heard Arthur shout.
“We need to get him to a hospital,” he heard someone say. Doctor Le Fay, maybe? What was she doing here?
“It’s going to be alright, Merlin,” Arthur said, and it was the last thing he heard before unconsciousness claimed him.
**
Merlin woke up in a quiet room, light and comfortable, feeling like he’d been hit by a lorry. Two even.
“You’re awake,” he heard Arthur say.
He turned his head to his left to find Arthur sitting by the bed. He looked worn, tired. Merlin wanted to reach out, tell him that everything was ok, but everything hurt.
“Can I get you anything?” Arthur asked.
Merlin shook his head once.
Arthur was quiet for a moment, looking conflicted, as if he wanted to tell Merlin something.
“What?” Merlin croaked, his throat painfully dry.
“I don’t know if you want to hear this,” Arthur started. “But you gave birth via caesarean. Morgana did that.”
Merlin nodded once, weakly.
“It was…” Arthur started hesitantly, an uncommon sight. “She’s beautiful, Merlin.”
“Can I see her?” Merlin rasped.
Arthur looked shocked. Merlin couldn’t imagine why. Surely he’d told Merlin that she was beautiful in hopes that he’d say that.
“Do you want to?” Arthur asked.
Merlin nodded.
“I won’t be long,” Arthur said, getting up.
He came back a minute later carefully holding a tiny bundle in his arms. He sat back down on the chair, making sure Merlin could see the bundle.
Merlin sat up to get a better look.
“She looks just like you,” Merlin said, his throat still dry, but gradually remembering how to speak.
Arthur nodded, a hint of pride in his eyes.
“No wonder you said that she’s beautiful,” Merlin joked.
Arthur looked affronted, but relaxed when he saw Merlin was joking.
“She’s got your eyes though,” Arthur said.
“That’s nice,” Merlin said, as exhaustion got the better of him.
“What are you going to do about her?” Arthur asked, after a long moment of quiet as they both watched the baby, their daughter sleep.
Merlin settled back into bed, tired and achy and needing to sleep a thousand years.
“Sleep,” he said.
He’d figure it all out later.
**
Later, as it turned out, was a huge mess of high-profile arrests, constant news reports, and public unease at the thought of such a cover-up.
For Arthur, newly appointed to the head of a task force comprising himself, Lancelot, Leon and Elyan (as well as Gwaine and new boyfriend Percival, unofficially), his days were filled with paperwork, interrogations, more paperwork and even more awful coffee. The case reached so deep that every new element they found brought up a whole new branch of investigations to carry out. He didn’t know if they’d ever be done.
A lot of the evidence had conveniently disappeared, making it hard for Arthur and his team to collect enough proof to hold suspects, but Arthur had been thorough in his original investigation, they still had enough to go on.
And Gaius, the man who had set things in motion, had readily cooperated with the FBI in exchange for a lighter sentence.
It was amazing, frustrating, angering at times, but mostly, it was exactly what had made Arthur join the FBI in the first place.
His days were also filled with something new, concern, even affection, for not just one, but two people.
It had taken Merlin almost a month of hesitating, of changing his mind back and forth, before coming to the decision that he would care for the being that had finally become his daughter.
It wasn’t easy, what with all the trauma Merlin had endured. No, it wasn’t easy at all. He was in therapy and was being treated for a combination of PTSD, depression and anxiety, all of which made him particularly moody and hard to be around at times.
But Arthur tried. And Merlin tried. And together, they were starting to make progress. Finally, Arthur was seeing Merlin smile more often. It warmed him to the core to know that Merlin was starting to recover.
Despite being busier than he had been in years, Arthur still made the time to visit Merlin regularly. After all, Lizzy - Elisabeth Ygraine Emrys - was also Arthur’s daughter, and one of the biggest reasons Merlin had decided to take her in was because Arthur had promised to help.
Currently, he was at Merlin’s new flat in DC, sitting on the couch with him, the TV on low in the background as he watched Lizzy play with her toys.
Merlin’s arms were wrapped around his waist and his head was a warm, pleasant weight on Arthur’s shoulder.
Their relationship was still on shaky ground - they still argued a lot, though always when Lizzy couldn’t hear, but between Arthur’s work and Merlin’s therapy, things were getting better.
A picture of Uther appeared on screen, with a box with the words “Breaking News”. Arthur turned up the volume a bit.
“We have just learned that disgraced Director of the FBI, Uther Pendragon, has escaped from prison,” said the newscaster.
Arthur felt Merlin tense next to him. Arthur’s father was still a source of stress for Merlin, which was understandable given that Uther was to blame for Merlin’s trauma.
Arthur pulled Merlin closer and started rubbing his hand up and down Merlin’s arm to comfort him.
To be honest, Arthur wasn’t really surprised that his father had escaped. Angry? Yes. Annoyed? Definitely. But surprised? No. A man with the power and connections of Uther Pendragon did not simply stay in prison.
Lizzy seemed to sense that something was up. She dropped her octopus plushie, waved her arms as she bounced and started making “da da da” sounds.
Merlin reached out to brush his hand through her dark curls. “It’s ok, Lizzy,” he said gently. “Everything’s ok.”
“Da!” she said and tried to push herself up.
She’d been doing that a lot recently, and both Arthur and Merlin were expecting her to start walking any time soon.
Tonight was going to be that night, it seemed, as Lizzy pushed herself to her feet and let out a triumphant “da!”.
“Oh my god, Lizzy!” Merlin almost shouted. “Arthur, did you see that?”
“Clever girl,” Arthur said, letting go of Merlin to hold his arms open for his daughter.
Lizzy tried to take a step forward, but fell back down. That didn’t seem to stop her, because she immediately got back up on her feet.
“Oh my god, Arthur,” Merlin said, sounding like the proud, doting parent he was. “She’s standing up!”
Arthur’s face hurt from grinning so hard.
Yes, parenthood was tough, more so given the origins of their own parenthood, but moments like this? Well they more than made up for it.
Arthur grabbed Lizzy by the waist and pulled her into his lap. Merlin immediately brushed his hand through her hair again.
“Who’s a clever girl?” Merlin cooed. “You are!”
“Da!” Lizzy agreed.
Arthur looked at Merlin, then at Lizzy, then back at Merlin, and couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.
Sometimes Arthur wished he’d chosen to find his own path in life rather than follow in his father’s footsteps.
But then, if he had chosen his own path in life, he probably wouldn’t have met Merlin, and he wouldn’t have met Lizzy. No matter how hard it may have been at times, Arthur did not regret anything because his life with Merlin and Lizzy more than made up for it.
Go to part 5