The Legacy - Chapter Four
15 November 5101 (Earth Standard Date)
Ddraig Llyn, Earth
The slight disorientation from the transmat wore off quickly, and Merlin followed Arthur out of the cubby where they had appeared and into the main room of the Harkness-Jones home in the valley of Ddraig Llyn.
The house had been home for Merlin while he’d been growing up, even more so than the small house his Dad and Mum had taken to raise him in until he was old enough to go travelling. This huge place was where he’d spent some of the happiest times of his life…and some of the not-so happiest, and Merlin could feel the history within its thick stone walls every time he came back. The history went back to far beyond the re-building of the former Green Dragon Inn, all the way back to the formation of the valley by ancient glaciers that had carved their way through the mountains surrounding Ddraig Llyn, and even beyond, and to Merlin it felt as if he was being wrapped up within a warm cloak of Time, comforting and familiar.
If the history surrounding the Harkness-Jones residence was a calm cloak, then the patriarch of their clan, Jack Harkness, was the solid foundation which Merlin relied on to keep his feet amidst the eddies and flows of time. His Dad has once asked him what he saw when he looked at his Granddad Jack, and Merlin had said it was as if looking at a strong boulder in the midst of a river, with Time parting on either side of him, and Jack weathering the pounding of the current as if he was part of the very bedrock of existence. It wasn’t until later that Merlin had truly understood his Dad’s reasoning behind the question, and the new perspective he’d given his Time Lord father with just that single observation.
It was strange though that his father had never asked him how he saw his Grandtad.
If Granddad Jack was an unbreakable rock, then Grandtad Ianto was the mighty oak that had grown up around it, thick roots entwining around it and sinking deep into the river itself in order to try to protect him from anything that might hurt his mate. Grandtad was also the force that kept their family together, the base of the tree on which they all rested and branched out from, to follow their own destinies and yet still be protected within its sheltering limbs. If either the stone or the tree were removed, then the entire structure would collapse, and Merlin knew that would be the end of his family for all time.
He would fight to his last breath to keep that from happening.
Their Granddad Jack stood from where he’d been sitting on the large sofa that dominated the front room, a hand on his slightly distended stomach. At six months along he should have looked comfortably settled into this latest pregnancy.
Only he wasn’t.
The closer Jack got to his own home time, the more convinced he’d become that something was wrong with his personal timeline. There were important things he simply could not remember having happened when he’d been active in this time, and despite Grandtad Ianto’s reassurances and Merlin’s conviction that nothing had changed, his Granddad had become increasingly agitated. Certainly Merlin could understand why; after all, if things did change then Jack would lose everything he’d gained over his immortal lifetime. And, if Merlin was willing to fight for his family, he could imagine what Granddad Jack would be willing to do to protect them all.
Rowena was also there, and Merlin was certain she had already filled him in on what had occurred with Ianto judging by the anger and fear in his Granddad’s eyes and despite her saying she hadn’t wanted to do anything until they knew more. “Have you found out anything?”
Yes, she certainly had, and Merlin was grateful to her for it.
“That’s why we’re here,” Arthur answered. “We went by the restaurant and Merlin did a quick scan of the timeline.”
Jack turned to stare at Merlin, and it was all he could do not to flinch under that furious gaze even though it wasn’t him that Granddad was angry with. “What did you see?” he demanded.
“Dad,” Rowena cut in, “you need to relax. It’s not good for the baby -“
“I’ll relax when Ianto is back home,” he snapped.
“Grandfather, sit down…please,” Arthur said, using what Merlin called His Royal Highness voice; it’s the one he used when he wanted to send whatever minions who were in the area to do his bidding. It didn’t usually work on Jack, but this time it seemed to, if the older man suddenly slumping down onto the sofa was any indication.
“Sorry,” Jack sighed. He began rubbing his stomach fretfully. “It’s just…” He waved a hand toward Merlin. “What did you see?”
“I saw Grandtad Ianto,” Merlin answered, “he was taken from behind and knocked unconscious by what looked like an injector gun.”
“But I didn’t see anyone go into the mens’ room after him,” Rowena protested.
“No, that’s because they used a Vortex Manipulator to get in.”
Jack’s face went blank. “It was a Time Agent?”
“But the Time Agency doesn’t go against Torchwood,” Rowena argued.
“Aunt Rowena,” Arthur said gently, “Grandtad wasn’t travelling as Ianto Jones, the Dragon of Torchwood. He was Ifan Jones, Professor of Medieval History and lecturer. We’re sure the agent didn’t have a clue as to whom he was kidnapping.”
Jack was regarding them both closely. “Why haven’t you gone to the Time Agency and demanded to know where he is then? Or at least the agent’s current designation?”
“That’s our next step,” Arthur assured him. “But we needed to come here first, because there’s something about this agent you need to know.”
Granddad Jack stiffened. “You think I know him.” It wasn’t a question.
“Actually,” Merlin replied, “we know you know him.” He said a quick prayer to the Great Dragons that Jack would take the news halfway well. “It was you, Granddad. You were the Time Agent that kidnapped Grandtad.”
Jack went horribly pale, and Merlin swore he stopped breathing. “That’s not possible,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry, but I know what I saw, and it was you.” He really hated being the bearer of news like this, especially with Granddad Jack being in such a state over his timeline. This could very well send him over the edge.
And it did.
“I told you,” Jack growled, his face going from white to red in no time flat. “I told you something was wrong with my personal timeline! Now we have proof, because I’m quite sure I would remember kidnapping my own mate!”
“But you don’t,” Arthur said, his voice pitched now into a tone that he’d often used to talk down desperate criminals. “There has to be a reason for that, Grandfather…one that you haven’t considered yet.”
“I promise you,” Merlin was practically pleading, “there’s absolutely nothing wrong with your timeline. I would know definitely if there were.” He took great pride in his abilities, and it hurt every time Jack intimated that he didn’t know what he was doing. Yes, he knew Granddad didn’t mean anything really by it, but it still bothered him. “Or better yet…Dad would be here himself, demanding to know what was going on.” Which was very true. He’d seen his Dad go all Oncoming Storm for fewer reasons than a ganked-up timeline. And one having to do with Jack Harkness…well, Merlin didn’t want to see his Dad react to that.
Jack chewed his lip, looking thoughtful. “All right, I didn’t consider the Doctor. But then how do we explain…” His voice faded out, and a dawning look of comprehension lit his face. “Of course! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before...” He shook his head. “But that still doesn’t explain why I don’t recall anything about magic or the Star Dragons…”
“What?” Merlin asked impatiently. He felt the sudden urge to dance on the balls of his feet but refrained.
“When I was with the Time Agency,” Jack began, “something happened and I had two years of my memory wiped out. It was the reason I finally went rogue and ended up meeting the Doctor. But as I said it doesn’t explain other things missing from my memory.”
Merlin couldn’t help but get furious about the news. He’d always thought the Time Agency acted in a high-handed manner, and here was proof. He was convinced it was only the fact that Torchwood needed to exist that the Agency had not already attempted to change time in order to cut Torchwood out of the big picture. But that didn’t stop them from interfering in ways that could be detrimental, and in fact his Dad had had to fix a couple of things they’d messed up. The Time Agency might have begun as a good thing, but it had become corrupt over the hundreds of years it had been around.
It was time to shut it down, Merlin thought, especially after what they must have done to his Granddad.
Arthur was nibbling his thumbnail in thought. “I believe we can assume the reason you don’t remember kidnapping Grandtad was that it occurred doing those two years you had removed.”
“But as I said, it doesn’t explain why I came out of it not believing in magic or dragons.”
“Maybe they mucked about more than you knew,” Rowena said. Her eyes had gone into their dragon aspect out of sheer rage. “They could have damaged you beyond repair, Dad.”
Jack reached up and took her hand, tugging her down onto the sofa next to him. “But they didn’t,” he soothed her. He then looked up at Merlin. “I’m sorry, I’ve blamed you and it wasn’t anything you did -“
He was glad to hear the apology, but Merlin shrugged it away. “You’ve been under a lot of stress, Granddad. It’s fine.”
“Will you let me admit my mistake and get it over with?” Jack rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
Merlin grinned. “Sure, Granddad.”
“Thank you.” Jack went back to being serious. “So…Time Agency?”
Arthur nodded. “We need to know what your younger self wanted Grandtad for.”
Rowena looked at each of them in turn. “Do we call it a coincidence that they went took Tad after his lecture on dragons?”
“Actually, I think that’s something we can’t rule out,” Arthur answered. “It’s time Merlin and I paid a visit to the Agency’s director.”
“Yeah, Arthur hasn’t rattled his chain in ages,” Merlin smirked.
Arthur shrugged. “What can I say? I have to have my entertainment some way, and Merlin is just too boring.”
“You didn’t say that last night!”
“Boys,” Jack cut in, shaking his head. “You’re about as bad as me and your Grandtad.”
Rowena groaned and hid her face in her hands. “Don’t you two have work to do?”
“Yes, Aunt Rowena,” Merlin answered. He had to admit, he was looking forward to this.
Confronting the Time Agency was way overdue.
**********
New New York, Earth
One of the many things Merlin loved watching his mate do was taking down petty bureaucrats by at least a peg or two.
Juno Bayl was a handsome man, who’d come up through the ranks of the Time Agency by dint of hard work and not a little graft, and Torchwood had had to deal with him several times in the past. Merlin flat out didn’t like him, and had done almost from the moment he’d met the man. In fact, he reminded him very much of Uther Pendragon - not that he’d ever say that to Arthur - except that, at least, Uther had cared about his people, albeit in an overbearing, despotic way. Bayl didn’t much care about anyone, but he had that ruthlessness that had made Uther a much-feared King.
Arthur had decided on a direct approach, which meant he and Merlin barged into the man’s office, overrunning a protesting personal assistant and at least four security guards that hadn’t stood a chance against Merlin’s magic and some judicious wielding of Excalibur. Yes, a sword was extremely old-fashioned, but sometimes the ancient ways were best.
Arthur had also brought a contingent of Knights with them, and they were impressive in their own right in their red tunics and overabundance of weaponry. Merlin couldn’t help but be in awe of them, and grateful that the time had passed where he wasn’t used as a practice dummy anymore. Thank the Gods and Goddesses and Dragons those days were long gone, because when he thought back on it, it was a sheer miracle that he hadn’t used magic on them during those sessions in a simple fit of pique.
They could have used the new Vortex Manipulators that Merlin had adapted using his magic, but Arthur had vetoed the idea, wanting to make a suitably noticeable entrance. Merlin knew that his mate had a purpose in mind in doing it this way: to seed as much intimidation as possible, and to give the Time Agency notice that Torchwood could go anywhere it chose. It was a continuation of Jack Harkness’ tenure as Torchwood Director, one that Arthur wholeheartedly agreed with.
Merlin enjoyed the entrance in spite of himself.
Juno Bayl was awaiting them as they strode into the office as if they owned the place. Of course there had been plenty of warning of their approach, and so Bayl was standing and managing to look somewhat blasé about the whole thing.
“You could have just called for an appointment,” he drawled.
Arthur approached him, stopping just in front of the monstrosity of the desk that took up most of the office and framed the picture window that looked out over the megacity beyond. “I prefer to come unannounced.”
“And yet I knew you were in the building. Was it necessary to station your bodyguard on every floor?”
“My Knights are simply making certain no one tries to kick us out before we’re done.”
“Your Knights…of course, Your Majesty.” Bayl’s eyes were glittering with laughter.
Arthur smirked. “As you’re well aware, I prefer Director. Although if you believe in all those stories about the Once and Future King, then of course you’re welcome to call me that if you wish.”
“You’re the one calling himself Arthur Pendragon. Should I also mention that your Second,” Bayl leered at Merlin, who felt slimy because of it, “is named Merlin?”
Merlin grinned. “I can’t help what my parents named me.” He didn’t think it would go over well if he told the truth and said that he’d chosen the name for himself on his second birthday, as he’d begun to digest the returning memories of his previous lives.
Not many knew that Arthur Harkness-Jones was really the reincarnation of Arthur Pendragon, and as such could claim the name. When he and Merlin had decided to take over Torchwood, they’d discussed it and Arthur, while very proud of his current family, had felt that with such a position of Director being well-known, that it would be for the best that he set aside the name he’d been born with in this lifetime and take up the ancient one he’d died with. They’d both knew there would come a time when Arthur’s birth name would have to be hidden, and it had made sense to step into the spotlight with a pseudonym already in place. Of course, it had caused all sorts of problems with the then-Emperor of the Human Empire thinking that the Once and Future King would be after his throne, but Arthur had only wanted Torchwood. He’d done much more good being the Director than he would have as Emperor.
“This isn’t relevant,” Arthur replied, the smirk vanishing. “I’m here on official Torchwood business.”
“And what business does Torchwood have with the Time Agency?” Bayl said, equally coolly.
“We want to know the current whereabouts of Agent Boe.”
There was a strange flicker in Bayl’s eyes, but he covered it well. “And why do you want to know that?”
Arthur stood even straighter, going for what Merlin called the Royal Looming Posture. “Because he’s kidnapped Ifan Jones, who happens to be a Professor of Earth History lecturing at Luna University.”
“How do you know that?” Now Bayl’s eyes went speculative, and Merlin got the feeling that they’d just handed the man a piece of a puzzle that neither he nor Arthur could see.
Merlin simply waggled his fingers in Bayl’s direction. “Magic.”
“I see.” Bayl leaned back in his chair, not appearing at all intimidated by Arthur at all. “As of this moment, I have no idea where Agent Boe is. He’s been on long-term assignment.” He snorted. “I don’t see how the kidnapping of some professor has anything to do with Torchwood.”
“I thought you might say that.” Arthur smiled like some sort of overly toothy predator. “Then perhaps you aren’t aware that Professor Ifan Jones was simply an alias for Ianto Jones, the Dragon of Torchwood?”
Bayl went as white as a sheet at that proclamation. “You’re lying.”
“You just wish I were, because it would save you a load of trouble in the long run if I was.”
Of course the Time Agency was aware of Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones, and had made it a mandate of the Agency not to interfere with them in any way, especially in the past. Torchwood was completely off-limits to any sort of tampering, out of fear of screwing up time. They had no idea that Jack Harkness was their Agent Boe, however, and the entire family wanted it kept that way.
“Now,” Arthur went on, “you’re very aware of just how dangerous it is to mess with Torchwood, so I can only assume this has been a terrible mistake. So, the sooner you tell us where your agent is and what his assignment is, the sooner we get Second Jones back, safe and sound.”
Oh, Merlin loved watching Arthur at work. It really was a thing of beauty.
But it was time for him to step in. “And, if you decide you don’t want to cooperate, I’m quite certain the Imperial Council will be more than happy to hear about this incident.” Merlin didn’t add that he was going to use it as evidence anyway, since the Emperor took a dim view of anyone kidnapping a citizen, especially one as prestigious as his Grandtad Ianto.
Bayl glanced from Arthur to Merlin, and then back. He had to know he had backed himself into a corner, and Merlin was hoping that the man would see sense and tell them just what Granddad Jack’s earlier self was up to.
The silence stretched on, and just when Merlin was starting to get a bit antsy just standing there, Bayl finally spoke.
“All right,” he sighed, “I see I don’t have a choice.”
“Not really, no,” Arthur responded.
Bayl licked his lips nervously. “I tasked Agent Boe to look for a lever against Torchwood and all the power that you’ve gained, what with magic and the Star Dragons.”
Merlin frowned. They really should have been expecting this, for Bayl to make some sort of move against them. It had been obvious that he’d chafed under Torchwood’s oversight for a long time.
“And just what sort of leverage did you think he would find?” Arthur asked, his voice in that deadly-soft tone that always sent a shiver down Merlin’s spine and made him want to bend his mate over the nearest flat surface.
“Dragon eggs,” Bayl answered. “I sent him to try to find a source of dragon eggs.”
Chapter Five