Forest Fire

by MerlinsBrokenHeart

Summary:

Arthur Pendragon belongs to an elite Wildland firefighting division known as Smokejumpers. A well-trained unit of men and women who jump from planes with their parachutes, courage, strength, and all the gear they can carry to attack fires in remote and dangerous areas to put them out before they can spread. They risk their lives, spending weeks and months away from family and their regular lives to protect and manage the forests.
After the death of his mentor and dear friend Leon in a wildfire, Arthur is to step into his shoes and train the latest crop of rookies. One of which just happens to be Merlin Ambrose, the kid he used to pick on and torment back in school. A skinny genius with glasses and big ears, who would be much better suited as a college professor, not someone who could ever hope to survive Smokejumper training.
Then Merlin walks in the door and upends Arthur's world. This Merlin is not the same kid he once knew. This Merlin is a heartbroken father of a five-year-old son whose mother Freya died in childbirth. An experienced firefighter, more than capable of not only becoming a Smokejumper but of being one of the best. In the process, Arthur realizes a few things about himself and Merlin...

Notes:

 

I hope my readers enjoy this story. I put a lot of love and work into it and a whole lot of research. Wildland Smokejumpers are unsung heroes and deserve recognition for the dangerous and difficult work they do and all the time they spend away from their family and friends to protect the forests.

Thank you to WritingCreature for the amazing collage!!!!

Chapter 1: Time Changes Everything

“Gwaine, talk to me, what’s it looking like up there?” Arthur spoke into the radio.

“Knocked it down.  The backburn is working, and the wind is shifting, pushing the fire back on itself.  Should have the beast fully contained very soon especially if the promise of rain comes to fruition.”

“Good news, keep me posted.”

“Just pray for no lightning,” Gwaine responded.

“From your mouth to God’s ears,” Arthur said then lowered the radio, putting it in one of the many pockets in his cargo work pants.  Covered in sweat and soot, every joint in his body was aching, Arthur shook his head.  “I’m getting too old for this shit,” he muttered then looked up as the air tanker flew in low and slow dropping twenty thousand gallons of water on the last persistent flames of the Dragon Peak Fire. 

Twenty-two days they had been fighting the intense firestorm in narrow canyons, on steep terrain, and treacherous cliffs.  They had lost three good men just two weeks prior and it hurt like hell.  One of them, Leon Parker, his mentor and the best damn smokejumper in all the west.  He had trained Arthur, pushing him to his limits, and bringing out a strength in him that he never knew he had.  The other two lost were rookies with barely six months experience between them, they had gotten themselves caught between the fire and a sheer cliff.  Self-sacrificing Leon had gone in to get them out and ended up dying with them. 

Arthur was now solely responsible for the training of the new recruits.  He needed to be at the base on Monday to meet the next crop of trainees.  It was up to him to weed out the ones who would never survive out here and try to find the few who could handle the extreme conditions, the long hours for low pay, and the constant longing to be home with their family, missing out on everything for weeks and even months at a time.  The life of a smokejumper was not for the weak or the careless.  It required stamina, strength, courage, and absolute devotion, as well as sacrifice and heartbreak.

Arthur hadn’t seen his daughter in more than a month, other than on video chat.  Thank God for the internet or he would have missed so much more.  Charlotte was eight and lived with his parents while he was out in the field.  His wife Sophia…her mother, had abandoned them when she was only five years old.  They hadn’t seen or heard from her since.  For all he knew she was dead, a victim of her out-of-control addiction to drugs, sex, and a penchant for being with abusive men.  He never understood how she could choose that life over the one she had with him and their beautiful little girl.  He’d treated her too well, loved her too much.  She had up and decided she would rather be abused and walked out on him and Charlotte with no explanation or even a goodbye.

“Balinor to Arthur,” Balinor Ambrose, the air tanker pilot radioed in, “I have eyes on the situation from above…between that last water drop and the rain, the fire is damn near out.  We might just get to go home for a couple of days.”

“Thank you for all your help, Balinor.  You’re still the best.  Over.”

“My pleasure, I love flying this bird.”

“Make one more pass just to see if there are any remaining hotspots before you head back to the airfield, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Will do,” Balinor said then he banked the plane, turning for one more pass.

“When we get back to civilization I owe you a drink, my friend,” Arthur said then turned to see his sister.  She looked just as worn and ragged as he felt.  One of only two female smokejumpers on the team, Morgana was as tough as any man and far scarier.  “Let me guess, you’ll be wanting a spa day and a manicure?” he asked with a smirk, and she punched his shoulder.

“I think I have more than earned it, you jackass!”

Arthur hugged her, “You’re right, you have.  Tell you what, I’ll even pay for it.”

“How kind of you, my brother.  What will you do with your days off?”

“I will be flying back to the base on Sunday.  No days off for me.”

“Arthur, you’re exhausted, and you’ve barely had time to grieve the loss of Leon.  I know what he meant to you.  Take a few days off, please.”

“Leon…” Arthur said, his voice catching in his throat, “With him gone, it falls to me and me alone to train the recruits.  If they are anything like the last bunch, I have a feeling that most of them will fail within the first week.  No one will ever be able to replace him, but I have a duty to him and to the team.”

“Well, funnily enough, you already know one of the recruits,” Morgana smiled, her green eyes glinting with mischief.  “Know him very well actually.”

“Who?”

She glanced up pointedly as the plane flew overhead, “None other than Balinor’s son.”

Arthur huffed a laugh and looked up at the sky, “Merlin?  You’ve got to be kidding me.  The last time I saw him, he was just a beanpole in glasses with spaghetti arms and a 4.0 GPA.  I can guarantee you, he won’t even make it through the physical fitness portion.  What’s he thinking?”

“Arthur, you do realize that was nearly ten years ago.  I’m sure he has changed a lot since then.”

“I cannot believe Balinor is letting him try out.  He knows how tough training is.  Merlin will only end up embarrassing himself.”

“Arthur, don’t be a jerk.  It’s important to Merlin,” Morgana glared at him.  “Balinor used to be one of the best damn smokejumpers in the country before he hurt his shoulder and turned to flying jump planes and tankers.  He just wants Merlin to follow in his footsteps.  You, of all people, should understand that.  Give Merlin the same chance you would give anyone else.  He deserves it and besides, you owe him after the way you treated him in high school.”

Arthur lowered his head and nodded slightly, his sister was right.  He had treated Merlin horribly when they were kids.  “I do understand, but what about when I have to send him home?  Or if God forbid, he gets himself hurt.  Balinor will kick my ass.”

“I’m quite sure Merlin is stronger than you think.  Look who his parents are.  Balinor is tough as nails and so is Hunith.”

Arthur nodded, “I will give him a shot, but I cannot go easy on him either.”

“Just don’t discourage him, and whatever you do, do not bully him like you did back in school.”

“I never bullied him.”

“Oh, my God, what would you call making fun of his ears and his glasses, the incessant teasing about his choice of clothing, not to mention shoving him into his locker and stealing his stuff?  And here you are still calling him a beanpole.  How old are you anyway?” Morgana huffed.

“To be fair, Merlin made fun of his own ears.”

Morgana rolled her eyes, “You are ridiculous.”

“Look, I will help Merlin all I can,” Arthur said, “He was always a good kid.  I just don’t think he has what it takes to make it through training.”

“You know he’s only three years younger than you, and he has a son.”

Arthur looked at her, raising an eyebrow, “He has a son?”

“Yes, Jonah, he’s five years old and he is absolutely adorable.  Balinor showed me a photo.  He looks just like Merlin.”

“Merlin has a little boy, and he wants to be a smokejumper?” Arthur asked as he removed his hard hat and then ran a hand through his sweaty, dirty, hair, shaking out ash and soot.

“You have Charlotte,” Morgana said, “You’ve managed.”

“That’s different,” he said, “Charlotte is older.”

“And how long have you been a smokejumper?” she asked, with hands on her hips, “Do the math.  She was younger than Merlin’s boy when you started.”

“You enjoy being right, don’t you?”

“Always.  Now get off your high horse and give Merlin a chance to prove himself.  He just might surprise you.”

“I will, okay.  But I won’t coddle him.  He has to make it through on his own merit.”

“Merlin is not the type to expect favors.  Just give him a fair shake and don’t make things harder on him because you don’t believe he can do it.”

“Fine, I will,” Arthur said, “I promise I will help him however I can.  What experience does he have anyway?”

“Balinor said he has been firefighting, both structure fires and wildfires for three years.  He is also a trained paramedic, which could prove valuable to the team.”

Arthur nodded, “Yes, useful for sure.”

“Arthur,” Gwaine’s voice came over the radio and he immediately pulled it from his pocket.

“Go for Arthur…Gwaine, what’s up?”

“Raining cats and dogs up here.  The fire is drowning.  Break out the good stuff,” he said, “I’m getting drunk tonight.”

Arthur laughed, “You got it, buddy.  Round up the team and return to camp as soon as you can.”

“Is my beautiful lady there with you?” Gwaine asked and Morgana smiled as Arthur held the radio closer to her. 

“I’m here.  Are you all right?”

“I’ll be better when I can hold you in my arms.”

“I can’t wait,” Morgana beamed, “Be careful.”

“Always,” Gwaine said.

Arthur smiled, “You two need to just get married already.”  Morgana shoved him and then went back inside the main tent.  “Hey, Gwaine, I’m going to need you to take over.  I have to be back at the main base to train the new recruits early Monday morning.”

“I assume Morgana told you about Merlin then.”

“Yes, she did.”

“He’s a good man, Arthur.  Give him a chance.”

“Why does everyone seem to think I won’t treat him fairly?” Arthur asked.

“See you back at camp,” Gwaine chuckled, clearly avoiding unnecessary radio chatter.  Arthur knew he would hear about it later.  Gwaine had been his closest friend since grade school, and he’d been there all through high school when Arthur and the rest of their posse made life difficult for Merlin.

“Yeah, the first round is on me.  Get back here safely.”

“You got it…over and out.”

 

The Lazy Lantern Pub and Grill was packed.  Smokejumpers, Hotshots, Helitack crews, and pilots packed the place.  Arthur sat at the end of the bar, nursing his draught beer.  He’d managed to get a motel room, grab a quick shower, and change clothes before meeting the team for drinks.  He would have rather gone straight to bed, but his team had worked so damn hard, they deserved this time to relax and enjoy themselves.

“Arthur,” a deep voice pulled him out of his thoughts and a strong hand landed on his shoulder.  “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Balinor, good work out there, old man,” Arthur smiled.

“You too,” Balinor said then leaned forward to kiss the bartender.  She winked and handed him his frosty mug of beer.  “Hello, my love,” he grinned.

“Hello, you handsome devil,” she beamed, then turned to Arthur, “You two want something to eat while the kitchen is still open?”

“I’m good for now, maybe later,” Arthur nodded, “Thank you, Hunith.”

“I already grabbed a quick bite at camp,” Balinor smiled.

“Let me know if you change your minds.”

Arthur looked at the older man giving him a slight nod.  “So, what’s this I hear about Merlin wanting to become a smokejumper.”

Balinor smiled and nodded, “His mom and I weren’t exactly thrilled with the idea at first, but he is dead set on it.  He’s always wanted to be like his old man.”

“Do you think he has what it takes?”

“Yes, I do.  There was a time when I would have said no, but my son has proven himself again and again.  He’s strong and brave, he has busted his ass to get where he is.  Becoming a smokejumper has always been his ultimate goal.”

“I haven’t seen Merlin in nearly a decade.  Hell, I didn’t even know he was a firefighter.  Back in school, I expected him to end up as an uptight college professor or some kind of billionaire computer genius.”

“Merlin is constantly surprising me,” Balinor shrugged then shook his head and took a sip of his beer.  “He has been through a lot and fought his way through.  To be honest, after what happened to Freya, I was afraid he would never recover.”

“Freya?”

“His wife, Jonah’s mother…they had only been married a year when she got pregnant.  Merlin loved her so much.  Losing her…it nearly killed him.”

“What happened?” Arthur asked, “Unless you don’t feel comfortable telling me.”

“Freya suffered a brain aneurysm while in labor with Jonah.  Doctors couldn’t save her.  They barely managed to save Jonah.  If not for that boy, I think Merlin would have given up.”

“God, I had no idea.  I’m so sorry,” Arthur shook his head, “My mother died giving birth to me.”

Balinor nodded, “I remember Ygraine…she was a beautiful, kind woman.  Never understood what she saw in Uther Pendragon…no offense.”

“None taken.  It’s no secret that my father and I haven’t always seen eye to eye.  And after my mother died, he closed himself off completely.  When he met Annis, she changed him for the better,” Arthur said, “They have been married twelve years now.  He still has his moments, but we at least get along…mostly.”

“Your mom would be so damn proud of you, Arthur,” Balinor said, “You’re a good man, and one hell of a smokejumper.”

“Yes, well, I owe that to Leon.  He taught me everything I know.”

“Well, you will do him proud.  He thought the world of you.”

“I still can’t believe he is gone.”

“So, it’s true…you’re taking over the training program.”

“Yep,” Arthur nodded.

“Good,” Balinor said, “Merlin will be learning from the best then.”

“What if he doesn’t have what it takes?”

“Then you will do what needs to be done.  But I believe in my boy.  He will make it through.”

“Merlin is so not going to be thrilled when he finds out that I’m going to be his trainer.”

“Oh, I’m quite sure he already knows,” Hunith smiled as she topped off their beers.

“He does?”

“Yes,” she smiled.

“You know I’m not exactly his favorite person.  Morgana reminded me that I was pretty hard on him back in school.  I am not proud of the way I treated him.”

“Merlin has never been one to hold a grudge,” Balinor shrugged.

“You just take care of my boy,” Hunith said, “Don’t go easy on him, but keep him safe.”

“I will, I promise,” Arthur smiled.  He adored Hunith and had immense respect for Balinor.  He was not looking forward to the likelihood that he would be the one to end up crushing Merlin’s dream of becoming a smokejumper and disappointing them.

“This fire, it was ugly for so early in the fire season,” Balinor said, “Looks like it is going to be a bad one.”

“Fire seasons are getting longer every year.”

“Wouldn’t be so bad if we could just get more funding for wildland management.  All the dead trees and underbrush…”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

“Job security I suppose, but it would make it a lot easier to fight wildfires if they didn’t have an overabundance of fuel.”

“It’s a veritable smorgasbord of fuel out there,” Arthur said then looked at Balinor, “When are you going to retire?”

“Actually, I am thinking about hanging it up after this season.”

“Really?”

“Yes, my beautiful wife and grandson will need me to be home more.  Especially if Merlin makes it through training and becomes a smokejumper.”

“Charlotte would like me to stop, but I just can’t.  Not yet.  Maybe after she graduates high school.”

“How old is she now?” Hunith asked.

“She’s eight and far smarter than me,” Arthur grinned, “She lives with my father and stepmother.  I miss her so much.  I promised to take her somewhere over Christmas vacation.”

“That will be good for you both,” Hunith smiled.

“Balinor,” Gwaine said as he approached them, “Hunith, my love.  We need refills, please.”

“Coming right up, Gwaine, but you best not let Morgana know about us, she will get jealous,” Hunith winked.

“Flirting with my wife, boy?” Balinor asked gruffly, his eyes narrowing.

“What?  Never, old man,” Gwaine put an arm around his neck.  “I wouldn’t want to piss off the guy who flies in like a guardian angel to dowse the flames when I’m surrounded.  Thanks for that, by the way.”

“You’re welcome.”

The door opened then.  A team of Hotshots was leaving the bar and Arthur watched them as a single individual slipped inside, wearing a dark green hoodie.  They greeted the new arrival with handshakes and backslaps, so they obviously knew him.

“Damn, it’s really coming down out there.  Flash flood warnings are out,” he said then pulled his hood down revealing a head of dark curls and a wide grin.

Hunith let out a cry of surprise, “Merlin!”

“Hello, Mom,” he said, dropping his heavy duffle bag behind the bar before hugging her tightly.  “You are a beautiful sight,” he kissed her forehead.

“What on earth are you doing here?” she asked, her eyes filled with joy.  “I thought you were going straight to McCall.”

“I finished early in Cheyenne, caught a ride into Missoula with the Hotshots then got a lift here on a chopper.  Thought I’d spend some time with my parents and see my handsome boy.  I have a couple of transportation options to get me to McCall.”

Balinor got up and embraced his son, “Merlin, it is so good to see you, son.”

“You too, Dad.”

“You look good.”

“Heard the fire is completely contained.  I’m guessing you had something to do with that,” Merlin grinned.

“I had help,” Balinor winked.

Hunith hugged her son again.  “Jonah isn’t here right now.  He’ll be back in an hour or so.  He is with Sefa and Gilli and the kids.  They took him to the movies.  Can I get you something to eat?”

“Yes, please,” Merlin sighed, “I’m starving.  Haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Arthur sat completely still, with both hands wrapped around his beer, as he watched the family reunion.  There was absolutely no way in hell the Merlin he was looking at now was the same kid he knew in school.  The skinny, nerdy, noodle-armed boy was no more.  This Merlin was tall with broad shoulders, and his chest filled out the green hoodie emblazoned with some kind of logo he couldn’t quite make out.  He wore blue jeans that fit him like a second skin and heavy steel-toed boots.

Sensing someone watching him, Merlin began scanning the room, his gaze found the blonde man sitting at the bar.  His chest warmed in recognition.  “Hello, Arthur,” he said, giving him a wide grin.

“Merlin,” Arthur nodded, “Good to see you again.  Been awhile.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to still be here.”

“Yeah, well, I had a job to finish.  I’m flying out this weekend.”

Merlin slowly approached Arthur, “I’d hug you, but I know that’s not your thing.”  He sat down on the barstool next to him and reached out to shake his hand.  Arthur took it then pulled him in for a hug, slapping him on the back, surprising the younger man.  “You sure have changed,” he smiled.

“So have you,” Arthur chuckled, “Someone’s been working out.”

“Had to get ready for smokejumper training, didn’t I?  I hear the instructor is a real pain in the arse,” Merlin shrugged, his eyes glinting with mirth.  “Can’t have him sending me packing before I even get the chance to show what I can do.  I’m quite certain he already doubts I am capable of making it through training, and I fully intend to prove him wrong.”

“Maybe he does,” Arthur smiled, taking a drink of his beer, “But that doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to give you that chance.”

“I will make it through,” Merlin said with confidence.

“We shall see.”

“It is really good to see you, Arthur.”

“Speaking of seeing,” Arthur cleared his throat, nodding pointedly at Merlin.  “You don’t wear glasses anymore.”

“Nope, Lasik eye surgery.  I have damn near perfect vision now.  Best thing I ever did.  Fighting fires while wearing contacts was a real bitch,” Merlin said then took a drink of the beer his mother put in front of him.  “Thanks, Mom.”

“What would you like to eat?”

“The steak and mushroom sandwich with extra cheese and fries, please,” he grinned.

“I think I will have that as well, Hunith,” Arthur said, “Please.”

“Of course, coming right up.”

“Merlin,” Balinor said, “Do you want me to fly you up to McCall for training?”

“That would be great, Dad,” Merlin grinned then looked at Arthur.  “You might as well fly with us, unless you need to be there sooner.”

Arthur nodded, “Sure, if you don’t mind, Balinor.”

“Not at all.  Jonah has been wanting me to take him flying.  He can come along as well.  Give you more time to spend with him.”

“Brilliant idea,” Merlin nodded, “I do miss my boy.”

“He misses you too,” Balinor smiled, “Now, if you two will excuse me, I have reports to write.”

“See you later, Dad,” Merlin smiled.

“Good to have you home, son,” Balinor embraced him, then with a parting nod to Arthur, he kissed Hunith and left the bar through the backdoor.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Merlin?” Arthur asked, “Being away from your son.”

“You have a daughter, right?” Merlin asked, “How do you do it?”

Arthur shook his head, “It’s not easy.  I haven’t seen her for a little over a month now.”

“How old is she?”

“She’s eight.  She lives with my parents in McCall.”  Merlin turned and looked at Arthur with a fond smile that completely caught him off guard.  “What?” Arthur asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, “Just can’t picture you as a dad.”

“Like I can picture you as a dad?” Arthur huffed.

“Seems we are both completely different people now.”

“You’re still annoying.  And you still have those ears.”

“Ah yes, but you see, I have learned to love my ears,” Merlin smirked.

“It’s a shame that you can’t do anything about being annoying.  But I suppose it is in your nature.”

“Kind of like being an arse is in yours.”

“Excuse me…” Arthur began but then Merlin gave him a huge grin and Arthur realized he’d been had.  “I hate you,” he said, shaking his head.

“No, you don’t.”

“Is this what I have to look forward to for the next six weeks?”

“Admit it, you’ve missed me.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and smiled, then nodded reluctantly.  “Yes, I guess I did miss you.  Though I still don’t understand…you should hate my guts for the way I treated you in the past.”

Merlin shrugged, “I probably should, but then I always saw the real you beneath the surface.  Behind all your jackassedness was a lonely kid who just wanted his father’s approval.  Besides, being picked on by you and your friends was far better than being invisible,” he laughed humorlessly, “How pathetic is that?”

“You were never pathetic, Merlin,” Arthur said earnestly, “Never that.”  Then he smiled smugly, “And jackassedness is not a real word by the way.”

“Sure, it is,” Merlin said matter-of-factly, “I am petitioning to get it added to the official Merriam-Webster Dictionary with your picture right next to it.”

“Funny boy,” Arthur huffed then took a drink of his beer.

“So, you’re married then?” Merlin asked.

“Yes and no.  My wife, Sophia, took off when my daughter was five.  She has been missing ever since.  I don’t know whether she is alive or dead.  The police stopped looking.  I hired private detectives to search for her, they turned up nothing.”

“God, I’m sorry, Arthur.  That must be so difficult.”

“She chose her path.  Drugs and sex with strange, abusive men was more important to her than marriage and family.  I should have seen it coming.  She couldn’t handle me being gone so much so she turned to other men.  To be honest, I was not particularly heartbroken when she left, except for what it did to Charlotte.  She didn’t deserve to be abandoned.”

“Neither did you,” Merlin said softly.

“I am not an easy person to live with.”

“No, but you are a good man and it’s okay to admit that it hurts.”

Arthur huffed a laugh, “What, are you a therapist too?  Because we could sure use one of those on the team.  Gwaine is certifiable and after losing Leon…” Arthur’s voice drifted off.

“I didn’t know him, but I heard stories.  He was a legend,” Merlin said.

“Yes, he was.  Taught me everything I know about firefighting,” Arthur said, his eyes shining with tears.

“Then he left behind a legacy.  He will never be forgotten.”

Hunith put their food down in front of them and filled their beers.  “Eat up, boys,” she winked.

“Thank you, Mom.”

“Thanks, Hunith, you’re the best.”

“Where’s the rest of your team?” Merlin asked.

“They are in the far corner of the back room, probably three sheets to the wind by now.”

“Is Morgana here?”

“No, she is back at camp with Gwen tying up loose ends and getting our gear ready to go.  You don’t still have a crush on my sister, do you?” Arthur grinned, “Afraid you’re out of luck there, as she and Gwaine are together.”

“Morgana and Gwaine, huh,” Merlin said then smiled, “Interesting match.  But just for the record, I never had a crush on your sister.”

“Right,” Arthur smirked.  “Who did you have a crush on then?”

“No one,” Merlin blushed then took a bite of his sandwich and moaned, “Oh, that is good!”

“Yes, it is.  Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Arthur asked.

“You mean the training?”

“I don’t want to see you get hurt, Merlin.  And I really don’t want to have to send you home, but I will not go easy on you.  I cannot show favor to anyone.”

“I don’t need you to.  I am ready.”

“I hope so.”

“You know, I might just surprise you,” Merlin grinned.

“Well, you definitely look the part now,” Arthur said then he glanced at Merlin.  “Your Dad told me what happened to your wife.  I am so sorry you went through that.”

“Thanks.  Freya was an amazing wife and she wanted so badly to be a mother.  Doctors told us that the delivery would be difficult for her, but we never thought…”

“It must have been so devastating for you, Merlin.”

“If not for Jonah, I don’t think I would still be here,” Merlin said bluntly.  “It was being a father and having a purpose as a firefighter that got me through it.  Well, that and knowing Freya would haunt my ass if I gave up.  She was always so proud of me.  I just couldn’t let her down.”

“And that’s why becoming a smokejumper means so much to you,” Arthur said.

“Yeah, I need to prove to myself that I can do it.  Well, myself and a certain jackass I once knew,” Merlin chuckled.

“It’s not about me, Merlin.  You have to do it for the right reasons or not at all.”

“Yes, I know, but there’s still a part of me that needs to show him that I can do it.  I know you doubt me.  As soon as I heard you would be my instructor, I knew I would have to work hard to convince you…to overcome your lack of faith in my abilities.”

“It won’t be easy, but I will treat you fairly.”

“I know you will.  I am honored to have this chance to learn from the great Arthur Pendragon.”

“As you should be,” Arthur smirked.

“I see your enormous ego is still fully intact.”

“Just like your enormous ears.”

Merlin laughed and then bumped their shoulders together.  “So, I guess this means we can be actual friends now,” he smiled.

“I suppose so…if you want to be.”

“It would really mean a lot to me, Arthur.”

Arthur smiled, “Wait until you face me in training, you might change your mind.”

“Not likely,” Merlin said, “I put up with you bullying me for years, can’t be much worse.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, really.”

“I’m not proud of the way I treated you back then.  It wasn’t right.”

“All is forgiven, Arthur.  We were just stupid kids.”

“Well, thank you…though I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“Sure, you do.  I mean, everyone changes, and you are clearly not the same person you were then.”

“I suppose not.”

“Merlin, sweetheart, I called Sefa, they will be here any minute.  Jonah is so excited to see you,” Hunith smiled.

“Oh, me too,” Merlin said, “I haven’t seen him in weeks and about to be six more.”  Arthur looked at him and nodded in understanding.

“Papa!” 

“Jonah!” Merlin grinned then stood up just as his son charged through the door, flew across the room, and jumped into his waiting arms.  “I have missed you, my boy.”

“I missed you too,” Jonah said, wrapping his arms tightly around his father’s neck.  “How long can you stay?”

“Just a couple of days, but Grandpa said that he is going to fly me to McCall, and you get to come along.”

“Really?” Jonah grinned.

“Yep,” Merlin said, “Are you hungry?”

“No, we had pizza.”

“Pizza?  Lucky you,” Merlin turned to Arthur and smiled.  “Jonah, this is Arthur my instructor and an old childhood friend.  Arthur, this is my son Jonah.”

Arthur nodded, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Jonah.”

“Nice to meet you too, Sir!” Jonah grinned and saluted, making Arthur laugh.

“Do you want to sit here with me for a bit while I finish my food then we can go upstairs?” Merlin asked Jonah.

“Okay,” the boy grinned, “Can I have some ice cream?”

“Sure.  When Grandma comes back out you can tell her what kind you want.”

Merlin sat him on the barstool next to him.  Arthur smiled watching the boy who was a mini-Merlin right down to the ears, the messy, dark, curly hair, wet from the rain, big blue eyes framed by long eyelashes.  The kid was adorable.  Arthur glanced from him to Merlin, pulled out his phone, typed a text message then hit send.  He got a response less than a minute later and nodded.

“Hey Merlin, can I talk to you alone for just a minute?” Arthur asked.

“Sure,” he said, “Jonah, stay put.  Mom, can you please get Jonah a bowl of ice cream?  I’ll be right back.”

“What kind of ice cream would you like, my beautiful grandson?” Hunith asked.

“Chocolate!” Jonah beamed.

“Coming right up.”

Merlin followed Arthur into the hallway that led to the restrooms.  “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I have a proposal for you.  How would you like to have Jonah with you in McCall for the next six weeks?” Arthur smiled.

“How?  That is not possible, is it?  I’m staying in the barracks.”

“I texted my father and told him the situation.  He said you and Jonah are welcome to stay in the guest house with me and my daughter.  He can hang out with Charlotte during the day while we are training.  It isn’t ideal because we will be putting in long hours, but at least you will be able to spend your downtime with him.”

Merlin’s eyes widened as he shook his head, “Arthur, are you sure?  That’s a generous offer, your father…”

“My father, believe it or not, wants to help.  Just say yes, Merlin,” Arthur smiled, “Jonah will be well cared for and you will get to spend time with him.  Charlotte will be thrilled to not be the only kid around the place.  The estate is rather isolated by the woods overlooking the lake.  The guest house was the main house until my father and Annis built a new home next door on the property.  There are stables and a pool, and it’s an easy walk down to the lake.  There’s plenty of room for the four of us in the guest house and Annis said she will watch the kids while we are training.  It’s only a twenty-minute drive to the base.”

“I would be crazy not to accept the offer,” Merlin said, his eyes shining with tears, “Thank you, Arthur.”  He threw his arms around Arthur’s neck then drew back awkwardly.  “God, this means everything to me.”

“I know,” Arthur said, nodding pointedly, “Now, go tell your son the good news.”

“You’ll be Jonah’s hero,” Merlin patted his chest then went back into the bar with a spring in his step.  Arthur watched him lean in close to his son.  The boy’s eyes lit up then he nodded emphatically.  Arthur returned to his seat at the bar. 

Jonah scrambled into Merlin’s seat and hugged him.  “Thank you, Arthur!” he exclaimed.

“You’re welcome, Jonah,” Arthur hugged him back and looked up at Merlin.  “You’re going to have a lot of fun with my daughter Charlotte.  If it is okay with your papa, maybe you can go swimming and horseback riding with her.”

“Can I, Papa?”

“Sure, why not,” Merlin nodded, “As long as you have adult supervision.”

“I’m gonna go tell Grandma!” Jonah said then jumped down, running into the kitchen.

“I can’t thank you enough for this chance, Arthur.  Are you sure you can handle having me and a five, almost six-year-old for roommates?”

“I understand what it is like to be separated from your child for weeks and months at a time.  I wanted to help.  And if it gives me the chance to make up for the way I treated you in the past and to get to know you again, all the better.  Jonah is a great kid.”

“Yes, he is,” Merlin looked at Arthur and grinned.

“What?” Arthur asked.

“Just, you…you really have changed.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, not at all.  It’s actually good…very good.”

“Right then,” Arthur said then finished his food and beer, “Well, I am beat.  I will see you tomorrow.  If it stops raining, maybe we can do a run in the morning.  I need to see where you are at in your physical fitness.”

“Sure, but I don’t mind a little rain if you don’t,” Merlin smiled.  “Where are you staying?”

“I’m at the Juniper Motel across the road, room eight.”

“Okay, I will meet you at sunrise, rain or shine.”

“All right,” Arthur squeezed his shoulder, “It really is good to see you again, Merlin.”

“You too, Arthur.”

“Hunith…Jonah, good night, I will see you tomorrow,” Arthur said, ruffling the boy’s hair as he headed for the door and grabbed his jacket off the hook.

“Bye Arthur,” Jonah waved.

“Good night, Arthur, we’ll see you for breakfast,” Hunith smiled.  Merlin watched him go, shaking his head slowly.  His mother looked at him.  “What’s wrong, son?”

“Nothing…everything is great.  I get to spend the next six weeks with my boy,” he said, then kissed Jonah’s forehead.

“And Arthur?” Hunith asked knowingly.

“What about Arthur?”

“Merlin…”

“It will be fine…great actually,” Merlin said with a wide grin.

“He doesn’t know, does he?”

“No, and I’m not telling him,” Merlin looked at her intently, “I can’t afford to screw this up, Mom.”

“All right, as long as you’re sure you can handle it.”

“I couldn’t say no to such an offer.  The chance to have my son with me.”

“I understand,” Hunith hugged him.  “Here, I put Jonah’s ice cream in a cup.  Why don’t you two go upstairs and relax?  The bar won’t close until two.  I’m sure you are exhausted.”

“All right,” Merlin nodded then retrieved his bag from behind the bar and kissed her cheek.

“I love you, my boy.”

“Love you too,” Merlin smiled then he and Jonah headed out the door and up the stairs to the very spacious living quarters above the bar.  He glanced around then climbed up into the loft bedroom where he put his bag down and fell back on the bed.  Jonah scrambled up behind him and onto the bed, snuggling up to his dad.  Merlin kissed the top of his head.  “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“Nope,” Jonah giggled, and Merlin tickled him.

“I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck,” Merlin said, tugging at his curls, uttering the words his mother had told him so many times when he was a child.  Words that her mother and his grandmother used to say to her.  “I love you more than all the stars in the sky.”

“I love you even more, Papa.”

“I am so glad to be home.  And now, thanks to Arthur, I don’t have to leave you here.”

“Arthur is nice,” Jonah smiled.

“Yes, he is.  So, tell me what you have been up to.  How was the movie you saw with Sefa and Gilli?” Merlin asked.

“It was good.  We ate popcorn and candy and then we had pizza.  Jacob and Jessie got into a fight, Sefa told them to knock it off or they would sit in the car while we watched the movie.”

“Aren’t Jacob and Jessie quite a bit older than you?”

“Yep, they fight all the time.  I’m glad I don’t have a sister.”

“You like being an only child?” Merlin asked with a slight smile.

“Yeah, mostly…sometimes I get lonely.”

“I’m sorry.  I wish I could be around more.  I feel like the worst father in the world.”

Jonah hugged him, “No, Papa…you’re the best.  I know why you have to be away so much.  You’re a real superhero, not a fake one like in the movie we saw.”

Merlin’s eyes were brimming with tears as he gathered his son to his chest and held him.  He couldn’t find the words, so he just held on tight while Jonah gripped the strings of his hoodie.  He kissed his little cheek and smiled through his tears, his heart swelling with love for this special child in his arms.  Freya, you would be so proud of our little boy.

 

Arthur unlocked the door to his motel room, dropping his bag on the floor.  He grabbed his phone and called Morgana.  She was going to have a field day with this.  He had just invited Merlin to stay with him…Merlin and his son. 

“Arthur, I thought you would be asleep by now,” his sister’s voice came over the line.

“I went to the Lazy Lantern for drinks and food,” Arthur said, “Your boyfriend is still there by the way.”

“I figured as much,” Morgana said, “I’m letting him blow off some steam.  He will be fine.”

“Yeah, well, while I was eating, Merlin showed up.  He finished early in Cheyenne and wanted to spend some time with his son and parents.”

“Merlin,” Morgana laughed, “That must have been awkward.”

“Actually, it was okay…good in fact.  We are good I mean...I think we’re good.  Maybe…I can’t be sure.  I mean it was just a talk over beers and steak sandwiches Hunith made for us.  Then it hit me…”

“Arthur, what are you on about?” Morgana giggled.

“Well, I met Jonah, and seeing him and Merlin together…I messaged Father and asked if Merlin and Jonah could stay with Charlotte and me in the guest house rather than living at the barracks.  He said yes and so Balinor is flying all of us to McCall on Sunday.”

Morgana let out a surprised chuckle, “Arthur Pendragon look at you, growing a real heart.”

“I have a heart,” Arthur huffed.

“Yes, it seems you do.  You always surprise me, my brother.  You’re going to live with Merlin and his son for six weeks.”

“I had to do something.  Jonah needs his dad and Merlin needs him.  It is the perfect solution.”

“But?”

“There is no but.  Just…well, Merlin is not the same Merlin anymore.  He has changed a lot.”

“How so?”

“He’s just more…he’s not the same skinny nerdy kid I remember.”

“I did tell you, Arthur, it has been ten years.”

“I know, I just find it hard to believe that he doesn’t hold a grudge against me for the way I treated him.  He wants us to be friends.”

“And you…want to be friends with him?”

“Yes,” Arthur said far too quickly, and she giggled.

“So, what is the problem?”

“There is no problem.  I guess…I just expected him to be…Fuck, I don’t know what I expected.”

“You did a good thing, Arthur.  I am proud of you.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, definitely,” Morgana said, “You’re a good man, Arthur.”

“Thanks, Morgana.  Are you and Gwaine coming up to McCall?”

“Not for a bit.  We are going to spend next weekend in Jackson Hole.  Unless of course we get called out to a fire.”

“Are you going to be able to make do without me?”

“I’m sure we will manage.  You have a job to do, and that is to find us some good people.”

“I will.  I’m going on a run with Merlin at sunrise to see where he is physically as far as distance and stamina.  He looks like he is in good shape, but that means nothing.  I’ve seen men in perfect physical condition still fail miserably where it counts.”

“Merlin has something they were lacking though,” Morgana said.

“What’s that?”

“Heart and sheer determination.  He’s doing it for the right reasons.  Most of the applicants are just looking for the adrenaline rush and the attention of the ladies that being a smokejumper will get them.  Merlin is a good man, and he never gives up no matter what obstacle is in front of him.”

“How is it you know so much about Merlin?”

“Oh, I’ve kept tabs on him over the years.  I’ve spoken to people who have worked closely with him.  What can I say, I always admired the kid who wasn’t afraid of my bully of a brother no matter what you put him through.  He is strong and he is fearless.”

“So, you think he has what it takes.”

“Yes, I do.  But it’s not my call, it is yours.”

Arthur took a deep breath, running his fingers through his blonde hair.  “I want him to make it through, Morgana.  He deserves this chance.”

“Then he will.”

“Thank you,” Arthur smiled.

“You’re welcome.  Get some sleep.  Can’t have Merlin outrun you tomorrow morning, that would be embarrassing,” Morgana said mockingly, with a smug smile that Arthur could hear through the phone.

“Good night.”

“Night, Arthur.  I love you.”

“Love you too,” Arthur said then ended the call.  He decided to take another shower then climbed into bed falling asleep watching a documentary about storm chasers.

Chapter 2: Training Wheels

The morning was chilly with low-hanging clouds and the threat of more rain.  Arthur stepped out of his room just as Merlin came across the road dressed in black and gray Under Armour jogger pants and a gray sweatshirt with black all-terrain running shoes.  He handed Arthur a cup of steaming hot coffee.

“Thought you could use this.  Motel coffee is never as good as Mom’s.  She said she will have breakfast waiting for us when we get back.”

“Ah, yes, thank you,” Arthur grinned taking a sip, “Just the way I like it too.  I do love your mom.”

“Yes, she is rather fond of you as well,” Merlin smiled as he began to stretch and bounce in place to loosen up.  He had slept like a rock.   Jonah slept next to him all night as if he were afraid he would wake up and Merlin wouldn’t be there.  “How did you sleep?”

“Like the dead,” Arthur said, “I was exhausted.”

“Dad told me how nasty the Dragon Peak Fire was.”

“For a spring fire, it was.  I’ve never seen a fire spread so fast.  Too many dead and fallen trees for fuel.  Even with the humidity, it just blew up drying everything out so fast.  It was a bad snow year so there wasn’t a lot of moisture in the vegetation.  Took us three weeks to get the fucking thing under control.  It didn’t help that they called us in too late.”

“If they hadn’t called you in, the damn thing would probably still be burning.”

Arthur looked Merlin up and down and smiled.  “Well, you definitely came prepared, I will give you that.  Excellent choice in shoes,” he nodded pointedly.  “It’s a bit chilly this morning but it will warm up later.”

“I have a T-shirt on under this sweatshirt and shorts under the joggers.”

“Smart man,” Arthur said as he finished his coffee, tossing the cup in the trash can.  He did some stretching as well, and then they made their way toward the trailhead, along the ridge.  “Okay, we’re going to do a warmup.  Then we will run to the top of the ridge.  On the flat area up there, I will have you do some sprints then we are going to race back to town.”

Merlin grinned, “What do I get if I win?”

“The satisfaction of passing your first test,” Arthur smirked as he put his backpack on and tightened the straps.  “You should be honored to have this one-on-one time with me before everyone else.”

“Yes, oh, great and mighty king,” Merlin mock bowed.

“And don’t you forget it.”

“It’s a wonder you can even stand upright with that swelled head of yours,” Merlin teased, “How did they even find you a helmet big enough?”

“Funny boy,” Arthur said, then grabbing Merlin’s arm, he slipped a smartwatch on his wrist.  “That’s yours to keep.”

“Thank you, Arthur.”

“You’re welcome.  Now let’s see what you’ve got.”

They jogged up the trail until they reached the one-mile mark, and then Arthur gave the signal to run.  Merlin’s long legs ate up the distance with perfect form and an even gait.  Arthur hung back for a bit to observe, before picking up speed to catch Merlin.  He was surprised to find that he actually had to work a bit to do so.  Merlin was fast and strong, with a confidence that he didn’t have back in school.  He was focused and determined to get to the top.

“Good…keep it up, watch your breathing,” Arthur said.

Merlin barely heard him he was so into the rhythm and the chilly breeze in his face.  He glanced over at him, smiled, and then pulled ahead slightly.  Arthur laughed.

“Getting cocky, are we?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay, slow it down just a bit.  Conserve your energy for the sprints.  I don’t want you getting injured doing something stupid before we even get into actual training.”

Merlin slowed down.  He was only slightly out of breath, his eyes were bright, his cheeks pink from the morning air.  Arthur slowed slightly to take him in.  Merlin looked almost ethereal.  Where did that thought come from?  He huffed a laugh and lowered his gaze, watching Merlin’s shoulders, his long legs, and the movement of his arms.  Focus, Arthur, what the hell is wrong with you?

“Good, keep going,” Arthur said, willing his thoughts back into a safer area.

“Almost there,” Merlin grinned.

They reached the top of the ridge, both of them breathing hard from the last stretch, which was the steepest part.  Arthur pulled off his backpack, unzipped it, and handed Merlin a water bottle.  Merlin shook his head.  “Thanks, I’ve got one,” he said then pulled a bottle from the pocket of his hoodie and took a long drink.  Arthur suddenly found himself watching Merlin intently as he swallowed then wiped his mouth on his sleeve taking a breath.  His eyes caught Arthur’s and he tilted his head slightly.  “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Arthur said.  “Check the smartwatch to keep an eye on your heart rate.  I’ll give you a few minutes then I’ll have you do the sprints.”

“I’m ready now,” Merlin nodded.

Arthur smiled, “All right.  Stand on that mark there on the ground.  When I say go I want you to give me all you got.  Run to the fence line then back to the mark as fast as you can.”

“Okay, let’s do it,” Merlin moved to the mark and got into position while Arthur readied the stopwatch.

“Go!” Arthur shouted and Merlin took off.  Arthur smiled as he kept one eye on the watch and one on Merlin.  He reached the fence and turned back.  He stumbled a bit, but quickly corrected himself and picked up speed.  He reached the mark and ran past it to the far edge of the trail bending over to catch his breath hands braced on his thighs.

“How did I do?”

Arthur checked the time and then looked at Merlin.  “Not bad…not bad at all.”

Merlin shook his head in frustration.  “I stumbled…fuck…”

“Merlin, don’t beat yourself up over that.  The first time I ran sprints on uneven ground, I fell on my face and took a chunk of skin off my knee.  You did just fine.  Keep this up and you will pass the physical fitness test with no problem.”

“Really?” Merlin asked.

“Yes,” Arthur nodded, “Your time was just a few seconds off of my fastest sprint when I was training with Leon.  That’s impressive.”

Merlin heaved a sigh of relief, “Thank you, Arthur.”

“You’re welcome.  I have to admit when I first heard you were trying out for the smokejumpers, I had my doubts.  But you proved me wrong today.  I really believe you have a damn good shot.”  Merlin’s grin was blinding, and Arthur laughed.

“It means so much, having you, of all people, believe in me.”

“All that matters is you believe in yourself, Merlin.  My opinion doesn’t mean shit.”

“It does to me,” Merlin said, his voice deep and rough to the point that Arthur looked at him completely caught off guard by the emotion in the younger man’s eyes.  Merlin seemed to realize how intense it sounded and averted his gaze quickly.  “So, are we ready to head back?”

“Merlin, what’s all this really about?” Arthur asked.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make this awkward.  I just…” Merlin huffed a laugh, shaking his head, “I want this so badly…to become a smokejumper.  But also, I want to prove to you that I am not the useless weakling you always said I was…to show you that I can be something more.”

Arthur’s shoulders lowered and he turned in a circle pinching the bridge of his nose.  “God, Merlin, I really did a number on you back then, didn’t I?  I am so sorry.  I was a stupid idiot.  You were never a useless weakling.  I never should have made you feel that way.  I can’t take back what happened, and I can’t fix the damage I did, but I would like to ask you if we can start fresh and give me the chance to prove to you that I can be your friend.  You deserved better and I hurt you.  I’m sorry.”

Merlin crouched down, picked a wildflower, and shook his head, “Arthur, I told you that I forgive you and I meant it.  Not even sure why I brought it up.  I don’t know why it is so important for me to prove myself to you.  It just is and I want us to be friends.”

“Come here,” Arthur said, drawing him up to his feet then he embraced him fully.  “We’re going to do this together.  I will train you to be the best damn smokejumper in the country and you can teach me to be a better human being.”

“Hmm, I think I have the harder job,” Merlin grinned as Arthur let him go.

“You’re not wrong,” Arthur chuckled.

“Actually, you are already one of the best men I know.  I admire you.  I think I always have.”

“You can’t mean that…not with the way I treated you…”

“It’s funny, a small part of me used to wonder if you treated me that way because, in some odd way, you actually liked me,” Merlin said.  “I was probably delusional,” he laughed.

“No, you weren’t.  I did like you.  I just had a horrible way of showing it.  You were so damn smart and funny…you always had a way of making me smile no matter how shitty my relationship was with my father.  You had a strong, devoted father and an amazingly loving mother.  I envied you in many ways.”

“You envied me?” Merlin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Arthur nodded, “I may have grown up with a silver spoon in my mouth, but you had a family who loved and supported you in everything you did.  You were never pathetic or weak and I deeply regret making you feel that way.”

“Maybe we could try more of this communication thing,” Merlin smiled.

“I’d like that.”

“Good,” Merlin nodded, “Now, about this race back to town.  I’m going to win you know.”

“Oh yeah?” Arthur grinned, “Challenge accepted.”

They stood in the trail, setting their smartwatches then got into position.  Arthur counted down, on go they both pushed the start buttons and took off running down the trail.  They were dead even, neither of them pulling ahead of the other until the last mile when Arthur surged forward, and Merlin pushed harder, holding his own in the race.  In the last quarter mile, Merlin managed to pass Arthur, reaching the finish line, whooping, and jumping up and down.  Arthur shook his head and laughed.

“I did it!  I beat the legendary Arthur Pendragon!” Merlin shouted breathlessly.

“Impressive,” Arthur said as he bent over and huffed then straightened.  Hooking an arm around Merlin’s neck he grinned.  “Come on, I’m starving.”

“I can’t believe I actually beat you.”

“Yes, you did,” Arthur said as they walked slowly, using the distance to the Lazy Lantern to cool down, drinking water.  “You definitely have the speed and the stamina required.  We just need to see how you do while carrying over a hundred pounds of gear.”

As they approached the bar and grill, Balinor walked out with Jonah.  The boy broke away and ran toward Merlin.  “Papa, did you win?” he asked.

“I did,” Merlin crouched down, hugging him.

“Hi, Arthur,” Jonah said with a big grin.

“Good morning, Jonah,” Arthur smiled, “Your Papa did very well.”

“Because he’s the best,” the boy hugged Merlin’s neck.

“You boys come inside,” Balinor chuckled, “Hunith has breakfast ready for you.”

“She made lots and lots of bacon,” Jonah said.

“Ah, bacon,” Merlin moaned, “Nobody cooks bacon like my mom.”  He and Jonah went ahead into the building while Balinor hung back with Arthur.

“What do you think?  Does he have a chance?”

“Yes, definitely,” Arthur nodded, “He’s fast, smart, and strong.  I’m going to help him all I can.  I know how important it is to him to be a smokejumper.”

“You’re a good man, Arthur.  I know you will watch out for him.  Merlin is my son and I know how determined he can be.  I just worry that he will push himself too hard.”

“I will make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“As badly as I want to see him succeed, I don’t want him to get hurt.  His son needs him.”

“I know.  I hope my offer to have Merlin and Jonah stay with me in McCall doesn’t upset you and Hunith.  I didn’t think about that when I suggested it.”

“No, not at all.  We are happy that Jonah will get to be with Merlin.  That boy idolizes his father.  It is important that they spend as much time together as possible.”

“Charlotte will love having Jonah to play with.  I know how lonely she gets being the only child in the house with my father and stepmother.  Annis is a kind, strong woman who adores kids.  She will take good care of your grandson while Merlin and I are training.”

Balinor nodded, “I know you and Merlin had your differences back in school, but I am glad he has you to help him now.”

“I’m ashamed of the way I treated him back then.”

“What matters is what you do now, Arthur.  Merlin admired you despite everything.  I remember he used to get so upset over the way your father treated you.  He knew you were a good man beneath it all.  Please, don’t let him down again.”

“I won’t, I swear.”

“Good,” Balinor placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder, “Let’s go get you fed.”

They walked in the door to find Gwaine and Morgana there as well.  They all sat around the large table while Hunith served them biscuits and gravy with bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, coffee, orange juice, and fruit. 

Arthur found himself watching Merlin, and of course Morgana noticed.  “Arthur?” she asked.

“Yeah?”

“What’s going on?  Did you and Merlin work things out?”

“We did.  We are good,” Arthur smiled, his gaze drifting toward Merlin again and Morgana’s smile grew even brighter.  “What?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head, “Nothing at all.”

“Morgana?”

“Eat your breakfast.”

Arthur didn’t like the look in his sister’s eyes.  She was plotting something and that was never good.  He ate his food laughing when Jonah put two pieces of bacon in his mouth like the tusks of a Walrus.  The boy was so much like his father.

“Jonah Ian Ambrose, stop playing with your food, silly boy,” Hunith chided him then turned to Arthur.  “More coffee?” she asked as she placed a hand on the back of Arthur’s neck stroking his hair like a loving mother.  He found himself leaning into that touch.

“Yes, thank you, Hunith.”

“You’re welcome, Arthur,” she winked then moved to fill Gwaine’s cup.  “Hungover, Gwaine?”

“A bit,” he smiled, “Just keep the coffee and the amazing food coming, please, and I will be fine.”

“You got it,” Hunith laughed.

“Arthur, I need to make a run up to the burn area,” Gwaine said, “Do you and Merlin want to come along?  I have three ATVs waiting up at camp.”

Arthur looked at Merlin, “What do you think?  You want to go?”

“Yes,” Merlin nodded, “Mom is it okay, can you watch Jonah for a few hours?”

“Oh Merlin, I’ll take him,” Morgana volunteered.

“Are you sure?” Merlin asked.

“Absolutely,” she beamed, “He’s adorable and I would love to spend time with him.”

“Jonah…”

“It’s okay, Papa.  Morgana is really nice.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow and looked at his sister.  “You’re going to babysit?”

“I am perfectly capable of taking care of a five-year-old boy, Arthur.  It’s not much different than taking care of Gwaine,” she smirked, “Besides Jonah is going to need a few things for McCall.  I think I will take him shopping.”

“You don’t have to do that, Morgana,” Merlin shook his head.

“Oh, please let me.  I love shopping with Charlotte.  It will be fun to have a boy to spoil.”

“Okay, thank you.  I need to go upstairs to shower and change really quick,” Merlin said, “I’ll meet you at the motel.”

“All right,” Arthur nodded.

“I’ll bring the Jeep around and pick you guys up at the motel then,” Gwaine nodded.

Merlin came back downstairs twenty minutes later dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt with an unbuttoned blue and gray flannel shirt over it.  He pulled on his jacket and hugged Jonah.  “I’ll be back soon.  Be good for Morgana, I love you,” he said.

“Love you too, Papa,” Jonah hugged him back.

“Morgana?”

“Merlin,” Morgana smiled and kissed his cheek, “It is so good to see you again.  Your son is in good hands, go on and play with the boys.  Keep them out of trouble for me.”

“It’s good to see you too.  You know if you weren’t with Gwaine…” he winked.

“Ah, Merlin, darlin’…we both know it’s not me you want,” Morgana said softly, cupping his cheek.  Merlin lowered his gaze and shook his head, his face turning a bit red.  She smiled brightly, “Seems my intuition is correct.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Merlin said.

“Right,” she gave him a slight nod, “Just my overactive imagination then?”

“Must be.”

“Only time will tell.  Go, I will take good care of Jonah.”

Merlin hugged her then kissed Jonah’s dark curls as he headed for the door.  “Mom…Dad, I’ll see you both later.”

“Be careful,” Hunith smiled.  Once he had closed the door she leaned closer to Morgana and smiled.  “You see it too?”

“Oh yes,” Morgana beamed, “I’ve known since high school.”

“Do you think either of them realize it?”

“Good question.  Back in school, I would have said no, but now…something is definitely going on between them.  More than once this morning I caught Arthur watching Merlin.

Hunith smiled, “Yes, I noticed that as well.”

“Noticed what?” Balinor asked, completely oblivious to the situation.

Morgana and Hunith looked at each other and giggled.  “Nothing, dear,” Hunith responded.

“Jonah, sweet boy, are you ready to go shopping with Auntie Morgana?” Morgana asked and he nodded.

 

Gwaine parked the Jeep near the main tent.  They got out and climbed on the three ATVs that were fueled up and ready to go.  They started them and then headed up the mountain.  Gwaine took the lead while Arthur brought up the rear keeping a grinning Merlin in between them.

“Keep your eyes on the trail,” Arthur called out to him, “It is steep and very narrow in places.”

“Will do,” Merlin tossed back over his shoulder.  “This is so much fun!”

Arthur smiled at his excitement.  They rode for over an hour before they finally reached their destination and parked the ATVs to walk the rest of the way in.  Gwaine walked the edge of the fire line in one direction while Arthur walked the other way.  Merlin headed into the burn area crouching down to place a hand on the charred earth.  He closed his eyes for a moment letting himself feel the healing that had already begun.  While fire was destruction it was also necessary for the health of the forest.  Even now nature was working hard to recover.

“Are you all right?” Arthur asked as he crouched next to Merlin.

“I am,” he nodded, “It’s both awful and beautiful at the same time.”

“Yes, it is.”

Merlin turned his head to meet Arthur’s gaze.  “I need to do this…smoke jumping I mean.”

“Then you need to fight hard for it.”

“It sounds crazy, but I feel so connected to nature when I am fighting wildfires.”

“Not crazy at all.”

“You feel the same?”

“Yes, it’s the cycle of the wilderness.  Growth…death…rebirth…”

Merlin’s head jerked around as he heard something in the brush.  He stood up and moved carefully until he spotted an injured fawn huddled in between rocks and bushes.  “Oh, hello, little one,” he said softly, getting down low to crawl into the tight space.  “You’ve got some burns there, haven’t you,” he said then took his jacket off, laid it out on the ground, and carefully transferred the tiny deer onto it.  “Don’t worry, I’m going to get you some help.  Where’s your mama?”

Arthur ran back to the ATV to grab a first aid kit and then returned to Merlin’s side.  “Here you go,” he said handing it to him.

“Thanks,” Merlin smiled, “I need to get this little girl to a vet.”  Merlin gently wrapped the fawn’s burns in clean gauze and got her ready to transport.  “I don’t have anything to give her to keep her calm,” he frowned.  Pulling the bandana off his neck he carefully secured it over the fawn’s eyes.  “That should help.”

“She can’t be very old,” Arthur said.

Merlin wrapped the fawn in his jacket and carefully picked her up in his arms.  “Do you see her mother anywhere?”

“What do you have there?” Gwaine asked as he returned.

“An injured little girl,” Merlin said letting Gwaine have a look at her.

“Shit,” he said, “I think I found her mother.  She’s dead in the creek just over there…shame.”

“I’ve got to get her to a vet.”

“Are we done here?” Arthur asked Gwaine.

“Yeah, I just needed to pick up some gear that the guys stashed in a crevasse over there for safekeeping.  “We can head back.”

“Merlin, let me take her,” Arthur said holding out his arms.

“No,” he shook his head, “I’ve got her.  I’ve done this kind of thing before.”

It took them a lot longer to make their way back down the mountain, going as slow as possible to keep the fawn from struggling too much.  Merlin had found a harness in the gear and used it to secure her to his chest so he could keep both hands on the controls.  Arthur radioed ahead to have someone call a vet to meet them at camp.

“Hold on, we are almost there, little one,” Merlin said.

Arthur smiled fondly then shook his head.  Merlin was a wonder.  How he had even managed to hear the fawn to begin with was beyond his comprehension.  He would have completely missed the helpless little thing.

“Merlin, if you don’t make it as a smokejumper, you could always be Dr. Dolittle,” Gwaine chuckled, and Merlin rolled his eyes.

“Merlin is going to be a smokejumper,” Arthur said plainly.  Gwaine looked at him with a raised eyebrow while Merlin gave him a wide grin.

They reached camp at last.  The vet was just pulling up when they arrived and got off the ATVs.  Merlin walked over to meet her with the fawn in his arms.  Arthur grabbed a bottle of water out of a cooler and took a drink, feeling Gwaine’s knowing gaze focused on him.

“Shut up, Gwaine.”

“What?  I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Good.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think Merlin’s great, and he will be a huge asset to the team, but you and I both know he has to get through rookie training first and it is brutal.  What are you going to do if he doesn’t make it.”

“He will make it.  If I have to train him in our off time, he will make it.  We need him.”

Gwaine smiled, “I think you need him.”

“What are you talking about?” Arthur asked his blue eyes narrowing and Gwaine knew when to duck and cover.

“Nothing, nothing at all.  I’m just gonna go unload this gear.  Be back in a few.”

Arthur watched as the vet and Merlin worked together to assess the fawn’s injuries.  She gave her a sedative so she wouldn’t struggle and injure herself further.  Merlin gave her a little kiss on the tip of her nose.

“You’re going to be okay, Faline,” he smiled, and the vet winked at him.

“We will take good care of Faline, Merlin.  Thank you.”

“I have to leave on Sunday for McCall…smokejumper training.  Would you mind leaving word with my folks to let me know how she does?”

“Of course,” she said then gave him a wink, “My name is Elena, maybe when you are back in the area we could have dinner sometime.”

“Maybe,” Merlin grinned, “Thank you, Elena.”

Arthur noticed the exchange and he didn’t like it…not one bit.  He felt a stab of something he didn’t dare try to decipher.  It should not bother him that Merlin was openly flirting with the pretty blonde veterinarian, but for some reason, it did…a lot.

“You two ready to head back?” Gwaine asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Arthur said.  He put a hand on Merlin’s shoulder and steered him toward the Jeep.  “Merlin, nice job back there.”

“Thanks,” Merlin smiled as he climbed into the back seat.

“That vet really seemed to like you, Merlin,” Gwaine smirked, watching Arthur in his peripheral vision.  There was definitely something going on with him…something to do with Merlin.

“She asked me to have dinner with her when I am back in town,” Merlin chuckled.  “She’s not really my type.”

“Not your type?” Arthur asked curiously.

“Nope,” Merlin said.

“What is your type?” Gwaine asked.

“My wife Freya was tiny, just five foot four inches tall.  She had long dark hair and beautiful brown eyes.  She was sweet and kind, gentle with everything and everyone,” Merlin smiled, his eyes shining with tears.  “She loved cats, especially black cats.  God, I miss her,” he said, his voice catching.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you feel sad,” Gwaine frowned.

Merlin shook his head, “No, it’s fine.  I need to talk about her.  Keeping all that grief locked down tight nearly killed me.  She was a beautiful, amazing woman.”

“Well, whatever happens, Merlin, as far as I am concerned you are one of us,” Arthur said.  “I’m going to do all I can to help make it official.”

“Arthur, I am not looking for favors or special treatment.  I need to get through on my own merit.”

“Believe me, you won’t get any favors or special treatment, but there is no reason I cannot train you during our off hours.  Ultimately, it is up to you to do the work and pass the tests, but I want to give you all the tools you need to reach your goal.  We need you on our team.”

“That means a lot to me, thank you,” Merlin smiled.

“You have what it takes, Merlin.  There’s no reason you cannot become a smokejumper as long as you put your all into it and I have no doubt you will.”

“He’s right, Merlin,” Gwaine nodded, “You have what it takes, and you are one of us.”

Merlin ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his seat to watch the scenery pass by.  More than once he caught Arthur watching him in the side mirror, but he didn’t let on that he noticed.  The man was a mystery in many ways, yet so damn familiar in others.  When he’d learned that Arthur would be his instructor he’d had mixed emotions.  While Merlin was happy to see him again, part of him was sure that Arthur would laugh in his face and send him home without giving him the chance to prove himself.  Instead, Arthur was going out of his way to help him.  He had faith in Merlin and that meant everything to him.

Morgana’s comments earlier crept back into his thoughts…he really needed to be more careful.  Arthur could never know the truth.  It would forever change things between them and not for the better.  Only two people knew the real reason Merlin put up with Arthur’s bullying and teasing all through school.  One was his mother, and the other was Freya.  Freya knew before he even told her.  Merlin smiled tearfully, “God he missed her.  There was no one else in his life who ever accepted and loved him so fully…that he could be himself with.  He saw her in Jonah every day and it made him both happy and sad.  Freya should be here with their son now.  He should not be letting his long-dormant feelings for Arthur bubble to the surface, but he couldn’t help it.

Arthur Pendragon had always been obscenely attractive, but now…the man was gorgeous and perfect.  He had left his bullying, pratish ways behind long ago and transformed into a strong, courageous, loyal, and loving man.  Devoted to his daughter, his friends, and his team.  And while Merlin found himself imagining a place in Arthur’s life for him, he knew that could never happen.  As a friend and hopefully a teammate yes, but nothing more.  That was not in the cards no matter how much he might wish it.

Gwaine parked the Jeep in front of the Lazy Lantern.  They walked in to find Morgana and Jonah sitting at the bar.  Jonah was playing with a small remote-controlled car racing it around the bar top the raised edge keeping it from crashing to the floor while he giggled.

“What have you got there?” Merlin asked kissing the top of his head.

“Aunt Morgana bought it for me.  Isn’t it cool?”

“Yes, it is,” Merlin chuckled.

“She bought me clothes and shoes too,” Jonah smiled.

“We had a great time,” Morgana beamed kissing Merlin’s cheek.  “How was your little adventure with the boys?”

“Merlin rescued an injured fawn and named her Faline,” Arthur smiled.

“You did, Papa?” Jonah asked, his eyes going wide with love and pride in his father.

“I just brought her down the mountain and turned her over to the vet.  It was no big deal.”

“Faline, as in Bambi’s girlfriend?” Morgana asked, “How sweet.  You’re a hero, Merlin.”

“Just the right place at the right time, that’s all.”

“And so humble,” she said fondly.

“I probably would have walked right past the poor thing.  I still can’t figure out how Merlin heard the little creature,” Arthur shook his head.

“Do you boys want coffee or a beer?” Hunith asked.

“Neither actually, thank you Hunith,” Arthur said, “I think I am going to go crash for a bit then I need to work on some reports.”

“Um, I’ll walk you to your room,” Merlin said then mussed Jonah’s hair, “Be right back.  You need to put your things away before the dinner rush starts, okay?”

“Okay, Papa,” he nodded.

“Morgana, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  Thank you for letting me spend time with him today.”

Arthur headed to the door and Merlin followed.  They walked outside and crossed the road toward the motel neither of them speaking until they reached the door to room eight and Arthur put the key in the lock.

“You want to come in?”

“No, I’ll let you rest and work.  I just wanted to thank you, Arthur.  For having faith in me.  I must admit I was afraid that you would take one look at me and send me home rather than give me a chance.”

“Glad you have such faith in me,” Arthur said with a slight grin.  “I guess I can’t blame you for feeling that way.  The Arthur you knew would have done just that, but I am not him anymore.”

“I know,” Merlin nodded, “And well, I um…I just wanted you to know that this means the world to me…not just the training but having you back in my life again.  I’ve always admired you, Arthur.”

“I didn’t deserve it, the way I treated you.”

“Maybe you didn’t, but I guess I was just able to see through the walls you put up to protect yourself.  I could see the person you truly were beneath the façade.”

Arthur smiled, “You were the only one then.  Thank you, Merlin.”

Merlin surged forward and embraced him.  Arthur wrapped his arms around him finding himself reluctant to let go.  When he finally did, he reflexively jerked away, clearly needing to put some distance between them.  Merlin quickly averted his gaze but not before Arthur saw the hurt in his eyes and it was like a punch in the gut.

“Merlin…”

“Sorry, um I gotta get back to Jonah.  See you later,” he said then turned, jogging back to the Lazy Lantern leaving Arthur standing there shaking his head in confusion.

He finally pushed the door open and stepped inside his room, closing it behind him.  Pulling off his jacket and shirt he headed into the bathroom for a shower.  Putting on gray sweatpants and a red tank top, he sat down at the small table and pulled out his laptop to work on his reports. 

His eyes skimmed his emails, stopping on one with the subject line Merlin Ambrose.  He clicked on it and opened the attached file.  He had requested Merlin’s file be sent to him.  Inside was Merlin’s application, the results of his physical, charts, photos, and multiple letters of recommendation from his superiors as well as personal references and a touching letter from a family whose severely disabled son had been saved from a house fire by Merlin. 

The next attachment was a newspaper article about Freya’s death and Jonah’s birth and how the whole town came together to help Merlin with his newborn son.  The photo of him holding tiny Jonah, the look in his eyes…love, anguish, and paralyzing grief.  It made Arthur think of his own birth and his father grieving for his mother.  Did Uther look at him that way when he was holding his newborn son?  The man rarely showed any emotion.

Arthur read through more documents and skimmed Merlin’s physical results.  His times for running long distances and sprints, recorded numbers of pushups, pullups, and other exercises.  Merlin was well within range of the requirements to be a smokejumper.  There was also a record of his previous skydiving jumps and another bit of information that was a surprise.  Merlin had his pilot’s license.  So not only was he a trained paramedic, and had jumped from planes, he could also fly one.

“Merlin, my friend, you are going to pass rookie training.  We need you.”

Opening another document, Arthur read a disciplinary report where Merlin had gotten on the wrong side of a fellow firefighter and ended up punching the guy, earning him a three-day suspension.  Arthur noted the date, it happened only a week after his wife’s death.  A report in the file detailed what had happened.  Apparently, the firefighter had made a comment about Merlin being distracted and putting everyone in danger.  Merlin had started to turn and walk away when the man laughed and then told him he was useless.  That he should quit and go home and change diapers instead of putting his fellow firefighters in danger.  Merlin lost it and rushed the man punching him in the face.  The fight escalated until the other firefighters separated them. 

“The bastard deserved it,” Arthur muttered, “I would have put him on the goddamn floor.”

There were no other negatives in Merlin’s file.  Arthur saved all the information to his laptop in a file labeled ‘Merlin’ and then went back to working on his reports.  When he was finished, he moved to the bed to lie down before dinner, but he couldn’t get that image of Merlin from the article out of his head.  God, he wished he had been there for Merlin then.  To help him through the loss and to punch that fucking firefighter himself.  He should have been there…should have been a friend to him when he needed someone.

“Fuck,” Arthur said then sat up on the edge of the bed running a hand through his blonde hair.  This intense need to protect Merlin had blindsided him.  Maybe it stemmed from some sort of guilt for how he treated him in school.  But even as he thought it, he knew the truth.  Merlin had always been more important to him than he’d ever let on.  He liked Merlin…genuinely cared about him.  He felt bad for pulling away from the hug because he knew it hurt him and he never wanted to hurt Merlin…ever again.

Putting his shoes on, he grabbed his jacket.  He opened the door and stepped outside to find it pouring rain again.  He ran across the road and into the Lazy Lantern.  The place was full of people.  He caught Hunith’s attention and then mouthed ‘Merlin’ questioningly.  She smiled, looking up to indicate that he was upstairs.  Arthur nodded thanks then stepped back outside before climbing the stairs to the second floor.  Knocking on the door, he stood close to the side of the building to keep out of the rain.  The door opened and he looked down to see Jonah smiling up at him.

“Hey, Jonah, is your papa here?”

“Uh-huh,” the boy said, “He’s in the bathroom.”

“Can I come in, it is raining?”

“Yep,” Jonah said then stepped back.  Arthur walked into the cozy apartment and Jonah closed the door.  “You want to play with my car?” he asked.

“Sure,” Arthur grinned.  Jonah grabbed the remote and the car then they sat down cross-legged on the wood floor.  Arthur drove the car around, weaving in and out and around the legs of the table and chairs then across the floor to the edge of the throw rug and back again.  “This is so cool, I need to get me one.”

“You’re good at it.  I keep crashing into stuff,” Jonah giggled.

“There’s a long, paved driveway at the house in McCall.  You will have plenty of room to practice.  Maybe I will get one for Charlotte, and you two can race them.”

“That would be sweet!” Jonah exclaimed.

“You’re a great kid, Jonah,” Arthur smiled, handing him the remote for the car.

Jonah smiled, “Thank you.”

“I want you and your papa to be happy while you’re staying with us.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Arthur.  Papa likes you.”

“Does he?” Arthur asked with a smile.

“He’s not so sad now that you’re around,” Jonah said, reaching out to take hold of Arthur’s fingers.

“Ah, but I am quite certain that has more to do with you being here.  He loves you very much and he is happy to spend time with you.”

“But sometimes I make him sad because I remind him of Mama.”

“Jonah, he misses your mama very much, but you are a part of her that he can hold in his arms and cherish.  It’s not you that makes him sad, sweet boy.  You know, my mom died too, when I was born, so we have that in common, you and me.  If you ever need to talk about it, I am here for you.  I understand,” Arthur took hold of the boy’s hand.  “I want to help you and your Papa.”

“Your mama died too?” Jonah asked, and Arthur nodded.  “I’m sorry,” Jonah said then climbed into Arthur’s lap, putting his arms around his neck.  Arthur’s eyes teared up as he held him.  “Do you sometimes hear her voice?” the little boy asked, his face pressed into the crook of Arthur’s neck.

“Yes, I think so,” Arthur smiled, “I feel her with me.”

“Me too,” Jonah said.

Arthur glanced up to see Merlin standing in the doorway.  He must have heard most of their conversation because his eyes were brimming with tears.  Arthur gave him a reassuring smile and Merlin lowered his gaze for a moment, swiping them with the sleeve of his blue plaid, flannel shirt then stepped into the room.

“Jonah,” Merlin said, “Arthur’s right, you don’t make me sad…not at all.  I would be so lost without you, son.  I’m sorry, I made you feel that way.”

“Sorry, Papa,” Jonah said as Merlin sat down next to them, and he scrambled into his lap.  “Did you know Arthur’s mom died when he was born…just like me?”

“Yes, I knew, and if you want to talk to Arthur about anything, you can, I won’t be upset.”

“Okay,” the boy said then hugged his father tightly.

“Why don’t you go downstairs and see if Grandma can make you a hotdog while I talk to Arthur for a bit,” Merlin smiled.

“All right.  Do you want one too?”

“No, thank you, I’m not hungry yet.  Go on now, be polite, and don’t get in the way of the other customers.”

“I won’t,” Jonah smiled.  He jumped to his feet, hugged Arthur, then went out the door and down the stairs.

“That’s quite a kid you have there,” Arthur smiled.

“Thank you…for what you said,” Merlin nodded.

“I hope it helped…that I didn’t overstep.”

“You didn’t.  Arthur, about earlier…I’m sorry I shouldn’t have hugged you like that.  Just sometimes I feel like we are actual friends.  I forget that you are…well…yeah,” he frowned.

Arthur reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, “Merlin, we are actual friends, and I am sorry that I was not there for you when you needed me.  I should have kept in touch with you over the years.  I am a shit friend, I know, but I want to be better.  I want to be there for you and Jonah from now on.”

Merlin shook his head, “Arthur, you don’t have to…”

Arthur pulled him into a full-on hug and held him, cupping the back of his head.  “Merlin, we are friends.  I want to help you and your son.  Please, let me.”

Merlin fought the urge to just melt into Arthur’s embrace.  It took everything he had not to lose himself in the heat of the man’s body.  “Okay,” Merlin said, sounding a bit breathless as he drew back from the hug.

“Are you all right?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  Thank you.  Sorry, I’m sure you didn’t come over here to be subjected to this.  What did you need?”

“I came to talk to you about your file.  I had it sent to me.”

“Oh,” Merlin nodded and winced, “Then you saw the incident report.  I understand if you want to cut me from training because of it.”

“Merlin, I am not cutting you from training.  That bastard deserved what he got.  What he said to you was cruel and unacceptable.”

“But I could have handled it better,” Merlin said.

“You could have, but you know what, if it had been me I would have taken him to the floor and probably gotten a much longer suspension, if not fired,” Arthur smiled, and Merlin relaxed slightly.  Your superiors should have disciplined him not you.”

Merlin huffed a laugh, “He didn’t even get written up.  He was the mayor’s son.”

“Figures,” Arthur said.  “Anyway, I looked at all your stats and you are well within range to meet the requirements to become a smokejumper.  You can do this I am certain.  And I am extremely impressed with the fact that you have a pilot’s license.”

“Oh, um, yeah…I got it because of my dad.  Like him, when I get to the point that I can no longer jump fires, I want to be a pilot.  He takes me flying whenever possible.”

“Balinor is very proud of you,” Arthur smiled.  “I would kill for a word of praise from my father.  He has never once told me that he is proud of me…and yet I keep hoping that one day he will.”

“I think there is a better chance of finding an iceberg in hell, no offense,” Merlin said, “Your father will never see what he is doing to you, and he will never admit to being wrong about anything.  I remember how many times he failed to show up for your games, left you waiting for a ride after school after he took away your car.”

“You remember all that?” Arthur asked him, his eyes going soft.

“Yeah,” Merlin nodded, “I especially remember that time he slapped you in front of everyone.  I was so angry.  I nearly jumped on his back, but Morgana held me back.  She said it would only make things worse and get me in trouble.  Merlin gave him a sheepish shrug, “So, well, I may or may not have gone out to the parking lot and let the air out of all the tires on his car.”

“Merlin!” Arthur exclaimed, “That was you?”

“Guilty,” Merlin smirked.

“If you had been seen…”

“Hey, I was a sneaky little shit.  It’s easy when you’re mostly invisible.”

“Why would you?  I was such an asshole to you.  Why did you even care?”

“I just did…still do.”

Arthur stared at him for a moment then huffed a laugh and shook his head.  “I really thought I knew you.  Guess I was wrong about a lot of things.”

“I told you I was pathetic,” Merlin smiled, “Caring so much for someone who could never care about me in return.”

“You might find this hard to believe, but I did care about you.”

“You had a funny way of showing it.  I spent so much time inside my locker, that I was thinking of redecorating and building an addition,” Merlin chuckled.

“God, I am sorry I did that to you, Merlin,” Arthur ran a hand through his hair, then pinched the bridge of his nose.  “How the hell can you say you cared about me when I treated you like shit?”

“Like I said, we were stupid kids, Arthur.  None of that matters anymore.”

“Maybe so, but it still doesn’t change the fact that you cared about me despite the way I behaved toward you.  I don’t deserve your friendship,” Arthur said softly.

“Maybe not, but I give it freely anyway.  You have changed.”

“So have you.”

Merlin reached out, taking hold of Arthur’s fingers the way Jonah had done earlier.  “Arthur, I need you to know that it means the world to me to have you back in my life again.  To have you in Jonah’s life.  It’s important to me that you know how much I appreciate your help with the training, but you also need to know that isn’t the only reason I want you around…I um…”

“What, Merlin?”

“Just I want us to be closer.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow sensing something more behind the words.  “Closer?”

Merlin lowered his gaze to hide the fact that he was blushing.  Arthur felt something shift inside him and suddenly he knew exactly what Merlin was saying.  And while the idea should have shocked him, he found himself having a completely different reaction.  It hit him then why Merlin had put up with his bullying and teasing and the abuse.  And why he had been so quick to jump to his defense when his father hurt him.

“Merlin…” Arthur shook his head, and Merlin scrambled to his feet, turning away.

“Um, forget I said that.  It’s fine.  I’m an idiot.  I mean clearly I didn’t mean…”

“Merlin, shut up.”

Merlin turned around to face him, his face still flushed.  “It was stupid, I didn’t mean it that way…not that way.”

“Didn’t you?”

“No, absolutely not.”

Arthur smiled fondly at him then put a hand on his neck.  “Merlin, it’s okay, I get it now.”

“Get what?” Merlin asked cautiously. 

Arthur could tell he was about to panic and realized this was not the right time to delve into the complex feelings between them.  At least not until he had the chance to decipher them himself.  There was no point starting something that they couldn’t finish…at least not right now.

“You’re a good friend, Merlin.  I want to be closer to you as well.  If that is what you want.”

Merlin’s shoulders relaxed and he nodded giving him a relieved smile.  “I do…definitely.”

“Good, me too,” Arthur smiled, “Now shall we go downstairs and get something to eat?”

“Yeah,” Merlin nodded.  Arthur put his arm around him and guided him to the door.  The rain was coming down in buckets.  They laughed and charged down the steps and through the front door.

Hunith looked up from the cash register as they came bursting through the door.  She laughed, “Why don’t you two take the table by the fire and dry out.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Merlin grinned.

Jonah grabbed two menus and jumped down from the barstool walking over to the table.  “Grandma will be right with you,” he said, placing them on the table with a polite smile and a bow.  Merlin grabbed him and tickled him mercilessly.  “Papa!” he giggled, and Merlin kissed his cheek.

“No tickling my servers, Merlin,” Hunith smiled when she came over to the table with hot coffee.

“He’s very good, you might have to start paying him,” Merlin laughed.

“Might do,” she said, “Now what would my beautiful boys like to eat?”

“I had a hot dog and Grandma put chili on it and cheese!” Jonah said.  “It was really good.”

“I have some of your dad’s smoked brisket left,” Hunith said.

“Oh, that sounds good,” Arthur nodded, “I want that in a sandwich with steak fries.”

“I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger and steak fries,” Merlin said.

“Coming right up,” Hunith said then picked up the menus.  Jonah sat in the chair and looked back and forth between his father and Arthur.

“Papa, Arthur is really good at driving my car.  He didn’t wreck it once.”

“Not even once?” Merlin asked raising an eyebrow, “I am impressed.”

Arthur’s cell phone rang then, he pulled it out and swiped the screen.  He smiled when he saw his daughter’s picture.  “Charlotte, baby girl, I was planning to call you this evening.  Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Daddy.  Grandma said you’re bringing a friend home with you.”

“Yes, my friend Merlin and his son Jonah.  Merlin is going through smokejumper training, and I am helping him prepare for it.  He has not had much time with his boy, so I suggested we bring him with us.”

“Grandma and I are cleaning out the extra room in the guest cottage.  I’m going to stay out there with you instead of in the main house while you are here.  Is that okay?”

“That’s perfectly okay, are you sure you want to?  I know how much you love your bedroom.”

“I want to.  I miss you and want to spend all the time I can with you.  I can’t wait to meet Merlin and Jonah.”

Arthur looked at Merlin and he smiled.  “They are looking forward to meeting you too.  Could you do me a favor and look up in the attic for that old wooden crate with all my Hot Wheels cars in it?  I want to give them to Jonah.”

“Oh, I know where they are,” Charlotte said, “I’ll go up and get them as soon as we hang up.”

“Thank you, baby girl,” Arthur smiled.

“I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too, I love you.”

“Love you more.”

“We should be there Sunday evening.  Balinor is flying us in.”

“Okay, Grandma said we will have dinner ready for you all when you get here.”

“Just me, Merlin, and Jonah,” Arthur said, “Balinor has to head to Missoula after he drops us off.

“I’ll let her know.  Isn’t Merlin the one you went to school with?”

“Yeah,” Arthur said.

“Oh, good, I can get him to tell me all the stupid stuff you did back then,” Charlotte giggled.

“You don’t need to know the stupid stuff I did back then.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow and chuckled leaning closer.  “Oh, Charlotte have I got some stories for you, darlin’,” he chuckled.

“He’s there?”

“Yes, he and Jonah are right here we are eating dinner at the Lazy Lantern.”

“Oh, tell Hunith hi for me.”

“Will do.”

“Daddy…” Charlotte said, her voice trailing off.

“What is it, honey?”

Charlotte laughed softly, “Nothing…it’s okay, I will tell you when you get home.”

“Are you sure?  You can tell me.”

“No, it can wait.”

“I can call you back when I get to my motel room if you need to talk.”

“I’ll tell you later.  It’s okay, I promise.  Tell Jonah I can’t wait to meet him.”

“I will,” Arthur said then smiled, “I love you, baby girl.”

“Love you, Daddy, bye.”

“Bye, Charlotte,” Arthur said then waited until she had hung up before putting his phone down on the table.

“Everything all right?” Merlin asked.

“I hope so.  Something is bothering her, I can tell, but she said it can wait until I get home.”

“I hope it’s not because of us.  I feel like we are intruding on your father-daughter time,” Merlin said.

“No, no, she is excited to meet you both.”

“She knows about me?” Merlin asked and Arthur smiled.

“Yes, I might have mentioned you a few times over the years.  Obviously, I didn’t fill her in on what a colossal jerk I was back then.  She knows Hunith and Balinor from when she came to visit me when I was here before for another blaze…the Castle Rock fire.  She knows you are their son.”

“You have Hot Wheels?” Jonah asked, his eyes going wide.

“Yes, and many of them are still in the packaging.  I was collecting them for a while.  They are all yours, Jonah.”

“Mine?” he grinned.

“Arthur, you don’t have to…” Merlin shook his head.

“They have been collecting dust in the attic for years.  Someone might as well have some fun with them.  Charlotte is a bit of a tomboy, but she was never interested in toy cars.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” Jonah said.

“You’re welcome.”

“Papa, could we take Arthur to our special spot tomorrow?”

Merlin looked at him and nodded, “Yeah, if he wants to go.  And if the weather improves.  With all this rain it would be hard to cross the creek on foot.  I would love to go though.  It has been a while since we were able to go up there.”

“Where is this place?” Arthur asked curiously.

“It’s secret,” Jonah said in a whisper, “Only special people are allowed to go there with us.”

“And you feel that I am worthy of this journey?”

“Yep,” the boy said.

“I would be honored then.”

“We’ll have to borrow Grandpa’s truck,” Merlin said.

“I’ll go ask him,” Jonah said then headed down the hallway to the office where Balinor was likely working on the books and placing orders.

“If you would rather go alone with your son, I understand.”

Merlin shook his head, “Oh, no, you have received the coveted invitation.  Jonah has never invited anyone before.  You have to go, or you will break his heart.”

“I wouldn’t want to do that.”

“Nope,” Merlin grinned.

“I will look forward to it then.  It will be a nice break before training.”

“We usually camp out there overnight, but we can head back before dark.”

“I’m up for camping.”

“Really?  I would have thought you’d had your fill of camping after three weeks.”

“Actually, I feel more comfortable in the woods than in that motel room.  Other than the shower of course.”

“And the nice soft bed,” Merlin grinned.

“That too.”

“If it doesn’t stop raining we won’t be able to go.  The creek will be too high and there’s a risk of flash flooding.”

“Then let’s hope it lets up.”

“Here you go, boys,” Hunith said setting their food down in front of them then she topped off their coffee.  “Where did Jonah get off too?”

“He’s asking Dad if we can borrow the truck tomorrow to take Arthur to our special place,” Merlin said.

“Really?” she asked then looked at Arthur, “Seems you have made quite an impression on my grandson.  He never invites anyone up there other than family.”  Arthur looked at Merlin intently and Merlin gave him a slight grin.  Hunith saw the exchange and smiled knowingly.  There was definitely something happening between her son and Arthur.  She could only hope and pray that Merlin didn’t end up with his heart broken again.

“Grandpa said we can use the truck,” Jonah exclaimed as he came running back to Merlin and Arthur.

“We will have to see what the weather is like tomorrow, Jonah.  Try not to get your hopes up because if it is raining like it is right now we can’t go.”

“Can we go after you get done with training?”

“I promise we will find a time to go.”

“With Arthur.”

“Yes, with Arthur if he is able to.”

“I will make time.  Maybe you would allow Charlotte to come along?” Arthur asked him.

“Sure…girls are allowed.  Grandma went once.”

Merlin lowered his head, laughing.  Arthur smiled, enjoying the sheer mirth in his eyes.  Now that he knew the truth, he wondered how he managed to miss the signs for so long.  Merlin had always watched him with such intensity and emotion.  Now that he looked back, he remembered so many times when Merlin had tried to reach out to Arthur only to be shamefully made fun of and kept at arm’s length.  Made to feel like a fool for even thinking Arthur needed him. 

He had needed him, only he’d been too fucking stupid and prideful to realize it.  And what now?  Could he let Merlin in now?  Could they take a chance on whatever this was between them and build a new life together?  They had Charlotte and Jonah to think about, not to mention the job.  While there were no hard and fast rules against relationships between smokejumpers, he was quite sure that one between a rookie and his instructor would be frowned upon.  Still, Arthur found himself wanting a relationship with Merlin.  Even though he had never in his life been attracted to another male.  Never even entertained the thought.

“Arthur, are you all right?” Merlin asked.

“What?”

“Are you okay?  You seem distracted.”

“Oh, right…sorry.  I’m fine.”

Merlin wasn’t sure he believed him.  The look on his face was one of deep contemplation and uncertainty.  He desperately hoped that he hadn’t said too much earlier…given himself away.  The last thing he needed was to create even more barriers between them going into training.  They had to work together for the next five to six weeks and could not afford more complications.

Arthur finished his food and coffee then put his jacket on.  “I’m going to brave the rain and head to my room.  I need to send my reports and work on the plan for training.  I will see you guys later,” he ruffled Jonah’s hair and then looked at Merlin.  “You have my number.  If you have any ideas, concerns, or questions text or call me.  I’ll be in my room the rest of the night.”

“Okay,” Merlin said eyeing him uncertainly.  “See you in the morning then.”

“Good night, Arthur,” Hunith beamed and hugged him.

“Night, Hunith, the food was amazing,” he said then handed her money which she rejected pushing it back into his jacket pocket.

“You are family, family doesn’t pay,” she smiled.

“Don’t bother arguing, she won’t accept your money,” Balinor said as he walked out from the back office to see the exchange.  “Hunith is right, you are family.”

“Thank you,” Arthur hugged Hunith then Balinor embraced him.

“I’ll have the truck gassed up and ready in the morning.  The rain is supposed to let up by then.”

“Sounds good,” Arthur nodded then with one last look at Merlin he left.  He ran through torrential rain all the way to the door of his motel room.  He unlocked the door just as his phone rang.  He grabbed it from his pocket shutting the door while kicking off his wet muddy boots and swiped the screen to answer it without even looking to see who it was.  “Pendragon.”

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Just got back in my room, it’s a deluge out there.  Too bad it showed up three weeks too late,” Arthur said.  “Is everything all right?  Charlotte called me earlier she seemed distracted or upset about something.”

“I have no idea what it could be.  She seemed fine at dinner.”

“Is there a particular reason you are calling, father?” Arthur asked, rolling his eyes only slightly.

“Actually, there is…I’ve been looking into that boy…the one you are bringing home with you.”

“That boy is a twenty-six-year-old man.”

“Be that as it may, are you aware he had a disciplinary problem at a prior position?”

“I am.  I have already talked it over with him.  He had just lost his young wife in childbirth a week prior and one of the firefighters, the mayor’s son no less, made a completely reprehensible comment.  The bastard deserved what he got and should have been written up, but for obvious reasons, he was not.  Did you come across that in your investigation into my rookie?  Which, by the way, you have no right to be doing, seeing as you have nothing to do with the smokejumper training.”

“No, I do not, but I am concerned when my son brings home a stray and his pup when I don’t know anything about him,” Uther huffed.

Arthur shook his head and laughed, “Father, you know Merlin…we went to school together.”

“That scrawny kid?  He’ll never survive training.”

“As I said he is twenty-six and in great shape.  He falls well within the range of the requirements, so I am giving him a chance.  He’s also a paramedic and has a pilot’s license.  Guess you missed that part in your digging.”

“I am your father and Charlotte’s grandfather.  It is only natural that I know the people who come into your lives.”

“One would think that you could have a little sympathy for Merlin seeing as you both suffered the loss of your wives in childbirth and were left to raise a son alone.”

“I was not aware of that until now.  I am deeply sorry that he went through that.  I do have a heart, Arthur.”

“Yes, of course you do,” Arthur shook his head, “Is that all, father?  I have work to do.”

“Why do you insist on being so combative whenever we talk?”

“Oh, I don’t know, possibly because you are overbearing, and controlling and don’t know when to trust your son’s judgment when he is nearly thirty years old and has been a smokejumper for nearly eight of those years.  You can’t even utter the words can you?”

“What words would you have me utter?” Uther asked, his tone flat and unfeeling.

Arthur huffed a sardonic laugh, running his hand through his hair.  “I’m hanging up now.  Good night, Father.  See you Sunday evening.”

“Good night, son,” he said then the call ended.

Arthur let out a growl and then tossed the phone on the bed it landed face down.  He stripped off his wet clothes and went into the bathroom to dry off.  Putting on dark blue pajama pants and a white T-shirt he went to the table, sat down, and opened his laptop.

Finishing his reports, he sent them off.  Before closing his laptop, he opened Merlin’s file.  He smiled as he went through all the photos that he hadn’t taken time to look at earlier.  There was a photo of Merlin and Freya when she was pregnant with his arms around her from behind, his large hands and long fingers curled around her belly.  Freya was a beautiful girl, and it was clear how much Merlin loved her.  She looked at him like he was her sun and moon.

As he continued to go through photos of Merlin in past exercises and on campaigns, planting trees, wielding a chainsaw, climbing trees, jumping out of planes, and some showed him literally up against a wall of flames digging a fire line with a smile on his face.  Merlin lived for this, much like Arthur himself.  They were two kindred spirits, two sides of the same coin.  Was it so strange that they were attracted to each other on a much deeper level…a more intimate level?

The last few photos were of Merlin with his Hotshot team, and with his father next to a tanker plane.  Arthur smiled at the last one, which was Merlin and Jonah when the boy was just a toddler.  Both of them were dressed in firefighter gear and grinning like Cheshire Cats.  Jonah was a mini-Merlin in every way.

Closing his laptop, he shut off the lights except for the bedside lamp.  Picking up his phone he turned down the bed and sat down on it.  Opening the screen, he saw he had two text messages from Merlin.  He opened the first one and smiled.  It was a selfie of him and Jonah making goofy faces.  As he looked at the photo he felt a warmth wash over him and something deep within told him he was looking at his future.

Jonah wanted to say good night.  He really likes you.

Arthur texted him back.  I really like him too.

Are you going to be up for a while?  I’m going to put this monster to bed and then when Mom comes upstairs I was thinking I might come over and we could talk…about stuff.  Training and things…I am wide awake.

Hesitating a moment before responding, Arthur shook his head.  “Fuck it,” he muttered then responded.  Yeah, I am finished with my work.  Come on over, I am wide awake too.  You may need a boat to get across the road though.

I’d build a bridge to get to you, Arthur.

Arthur read the words over and over again.  There was no mistaking the weight behind them.  Merlin was telling him more with those few words than if he’d written an entire novel.  Arthur stared at the screen for so long that he almost missed the next text.

Still there?

Arthur smiled.  I’m still here.  Come over, we need to talk.

Okay, maybe forty-five minutes.

See you then, Merlin.  Can you bring us some beer?

You got it. 

Arthur put his phone down on the nightstand and then huffed a laugh.  “What are you doing?  This is so not a good idea.  He is about to be your trainee.”  Then there was the risk of fucking up the friendship they were just beginning to rebuild.  These feelings he was having for Merlin had to be a fluke…just loneliness…that’s all.  He had not been with anyone since Sophia.

He had no reason whatsoever to be faithful to a woman who was never faithful to him.  Their divorce was in limbo because she had not been found.  Truthfully, he had never had any interest in being with anyone else…not until now.  Not until Merlin.

Chapter 3: Building a Bridge

Forty minutes later a knock on the door had Arthur getting up off the bed and turning on the lights.  He unlocked and opened it to find a dripping Merlin, wet curls sticking to his forehead, and a six-pack of beer bottles in his arms.

“Noah sends his regards,” Merlin grinned, “He gave me a lift.  Though, I had to muck out the stables in exchange for passage.”

Arthur laughed, pulling him into the room and closing the door.  He then started peeling off Merlin’s wet jacket while he kicked off his boots.  “Well, I trust you did a good job.”

“The camel dung was a bitch,” Merlin chuckled then looked directly into Arthur’s eyes.

“I’m glad you came over.  I was thirsty,” Arthur snagged a bottle from the six-pack.

“I snagged us some pretzels and peanuts too,” Merlin said as he fished bags out of the pockets of his jacket then sat down at the table across from Arthur and opened a beer for himself.  He lowered his gaze and shook his head.  “I don’t know why I sent that text…about the bridge.”

“So, you didn’t mean it?” Arthur asked with a slight smile.

Merlin nodded, “I did, but I still shouldn’t have said it.”

“And what if I told you that I would do the same?”  Arthur asked and Merlin’s head snapped up.

“What?”

“Merlin, when we talked today about wanting to be closer.  I want that too, but I’m not sure it is a good idea.  You have feelings for me…I can see that now.  I was blind to them before, but after today…tell me I am not misreading things.”

“You’re not,” Merlin said softly then got up from the chair and started to pace, “I have had feelings for you since high school, and I know you could never feel the same for me.  I was so scared you would find out and it would mess everything up.  I don’t want to fuck this up between us.  Please, don’t push me away again, not now.  Not after we have begun to build a real friendship.”

“Merlin, are you listening to me?” Arthur asked and he stopped pacing.

“Yeah…no,” Merlin huffed, “I’m an idiot.”

Arthur stood up and grabbed Merlin by the shoulders turning him around.  “Merlin, I need you to hear me,” he said, “Look at me.”  Merlin met his gaze, biting his bottom lip in a way that made Arthur’s breath catch.  “I am glad you told me how you feel.  I am not going to push you away.  God, it is taking everything in me right now not to do something really stupid.  I have feelings for you too, Merlin, and it scares me because I have never felt so drawn to anyone.  I think it goes back to when we were in school.  I liked you then, but I didn’t know how to deal with those feelings, so instead I bullied and relentlessly teased you.  I have never been attracted to another man before…just you.  Seeing you again made me feel things I never thought I could.  And as much as I would like to act on them, I know it would be a mistake.”

Merlin nodded, “You’re right…I know.  That’s why I didn’t want to say anything.  Then Morgana opened her mouth and I realized she could see it…see my feelings for you.”

“Yes, my sister is very perceptive…annoyingly so.”

“That something really stupid that you’re thinking of doing…” Merlin said.

“Yeah?”

“It’s all I can think about since I saw you again.  I feel like I am fighting a raging wildfire on the inside.  Like I am going to self-combust whenever I am near you.”

“You have never felt this way for a man before?”

“No, only you.  I loved Freya, God, how I loved her, but she always knew that you were there in my heart.  She asked me about you and at first I didn’t want to tell her, but she encouraged me to tell her everything.”  Merlin laughed, tears shining in his eyes, “I showed her photos of you, and she told me you were hot as hell and that she didn’t blame me a bit for crushing on you.”

“Sounds like Freya was a very smart woman,” Arthur grinned, and Merlin laughed.

“Freya was incredible, and I miss her so much.  I haven’t been with anyone else since she died.  It just feels wrong.  One day we were talking about what would happen if I were ever killed in a fire or if she died…she said that a heart was never meant for only one person and that if anything happened to her she wanted me to find you,” Merlin said, a single tear sliding down his face.  “She made me promise to let go and to love fully.  I made her that promise, but I never expected to lose her.  I never thought I would have to say goodbye.”

Arthur pulled Merlin into his arms, holding him as he let it all out.  Everything he had been holding inside.  It all came out.  Arthur cupped the back of his head running his fingers through his damp hair.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin half laughed, half sobbed, “I shouldn’t be here dumping all my woes on you.”

“Yes, you should be.  God, Merlin how long have you been bottling all this up?”

“Since she died,” he said.

“I wasn’t here for you then, but I am here now, and if you need to cry, scream, yell, punch things, punch me even…” Arthur said, “God knows I deserve it.”

“Arthur…”

“Merlin, I’m not going to push you away ever again.  I want to be in your life.”

“I am so pathetic,” Merlin huffed.

“You’re not pathetic!  I don’t ever want to hear you say that again.”

“Um, I’m gonna go in the bathroom and pull myself together.  You must think I’m a blubbering fool, crying on your shoulder.”

“The offer is still open if you want to punch me, I can take it.”

Merlin laughed, “Believe me, Arthur, punching is so not on the list of things I want to do to you.”

“Hmm, is it a long list?” Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Might be,” Merlin smirked.

“Something to look forward to then.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Arthur said then put a hand on Merlin’s neck.  “We need to take this slowly.  Get through the training, get you graduated and on our team, then we can talk about us.  There cannot be any perceived favoritism or inappropriate relations between us as long as I am your instructor.  The other trainers will cut you from the training if they detect anything between us or suspect that I am going easy on you in any way.”

“There’s no one here but us right now,” Merlin said huskily, and Arthur smiled.

“Is there something on that list of yours that we can do without going too far over the line?”

“Perhaps this,” Merlin moved closer to Arthur, brushing his lips ever so lightly over his.  He drew back and Arthur chased his lips capturing them in a kiss that quickly escalated into something more.  Merlin moaned against Arthur’s mouth.

“God,” Arthur let out a breath, “That was…fuck…”

“Bad idea?” Merlin asked and Arthur shook his head.

“Very good idea, but it really makes me want to explore other things on this list of yours.”

“We should probably not do that again then.”

“Absolutely not,” Arthur said even as he moved in closer.  He couldn’t have resisted if he wanted to.  Merlin’s kiss-swollen lips were intoxicating.  “Maybe just one more,” he whispered then sucked gently at his bottom lip before devouring his soft mouth.

Merlin finally broke the kiss and put his hands on Arthur’s chest.  “I should probably go before we get too carried away.”

“It’s pouring rain.  Jonah is with your mom.  Stay with me tonight, please.  We won’t do anything more than just kissing, but I want you with me.  I need you, Merlin.”

“I want to stay more than anything, believe me.”

“Please, I have been alone for so damn long and I know you are lonely too.  We can have just this tonight.”

“Okay,” Merlin nodded, “My mom knows I think.  She has always known I had feelings for you.”

“Text her and let her know you are staying here with me.”

Merlin pulled out his phone and sent the text then Arthur handed him a pair of shorts to wear to bed.  He went into the bathroom to wash up then came out wearing the shorts, and Arthur looked at him with a raised eyebrow from where he sat on the end of the bed.

“What?”

“Nothing, you have definitely changed, Merlin.  Come here,” Arthur said, and Merlin moved to sit next to him then they turned to face each other.  “You’re beautiful.”

Merlin smiled as Arthur’s fingertips trailed slowly up his hard stomach and chest to his neck and cheek.  He closed his eyes and moaned softly as Arthur slid his hand behind his head and drew him in for a kiss.  Tender and passionate, filled with longing for more.

“Arthur, God…”

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No, no, continue, please.  That list is getting longer and longer by the minute.”

“Really?”

“I’m very creative,” Merlin smiled.

Arthur kissed him again, deeper and longer, their tongues entwining, exploring each other’s mouths with fervor.  Their hands touching each other, testing the boundaries.  They were both hard and in need of release.

“Merlin, I think we are in trouble.”

“Five alarm trouble.”

“What are we going to do about it?  We cannot sleep like this.”

“Well, we can either take turns going into the bathroom to take care of the situation in private or we can do it here in front of each other,” Merlin said his eyes drifting down to the obvious bulge in Arthur’s pajama pants.

“Ah, I see.  If we don’t touch each other and focus on ourselves no lines crossed,” Arthur smiled.

“Exactly,” Merlin winked.

“You’re very clever…thinking outside the box,” Arthur moved up the bed and laid down grabbing a bottle of lube from his bag by the nightstand.  Merlin straddled his thighs and watched as he reached into the front of his pajama pants with slickened fingers.  He moaned as he started to slowly stroke himself.

“There’s no harm in taking it out, I want to see you,” Merlin said licking his lips slowly.

Arthur lifted his hips pushing the pants down revealing his long hard shaft.  His gaze locked on Merlin’s as his hand wrapped around it the thumb sliding over the head and pressing into the slit.  His eyes drifted downward to Merlin’s arousal.  The tip of his cock was protruding from the waistband of the shorts and Merlin blushed as he noticed Arthur looking at it.

“Don’t hold back on my account, Merlin,” he smiled as he continued to slowly stroke himself.  Merlin pushed the front of the shorts down exposing his full length.  He grabbed the bottle of lube and slicked himself while watching Arthur.  “That’s it…you’re so big.”

Merlin let out a stuttered breath as he moved his hand from base to tip then tightened his grip.  He fought to keep his eyes open, desperate to watch Arthur pleasuring himself.  “Fuck…fuck, Arthur, I am not going to last long.  God, you are hot.”

“Fuck, your voice…when you say my name like that…Merlin…”

“Arthur, that’s it…so good, I need to see you come for me.”

Arthur arched his back up off the bed nearly knocking Merlin off balance.  He shuddered violently, his abs and thigh muscles clenching and releasing as he crossed the threshold and spilled his seed over his hand and stomach shaking and panting.

Merlin let out a long low moan then leaned back on one arm as he moved his hand upward and rocked his hips until he came with Arthur’s name on his lips and his whole body wracked with tremors and whimpers of sheer bliss.

Arthur sat up wrapping his arms around him.  “That was intense,” he whispered then kissed Merlin long and hard.

“Keep that up and we will be hard again,” Merlin breathed against his lips.

“Five-alarm fire,” Arthur said.

“And I’m afraid there is no putting it out now.”

“Let it burn then…let it burn,” Arthur smiled then kissed him again.

 

Merlin woke up before Arthur.  He shook his head still finding it hard to believe what they had done.  He had no regrets, but he had never believed he could have this with Arthur.  He smiled and then got dressed.  Before he left the room he bent over to kiss Arthur and move a strand of blonde hair back from his face.  “God, I love you so much,” he whispered.

Leaving the room, he crossed the road and walked into the Lazy Lantern.  It was still early so the breakfast crowd was not quite up yet, the place was empty except for his mother.  Hunith looked up when he walked in, giving him a knowing smile.

“You look happy.”

“Mom…”

“Oh, please, you can’t fool me for a moment.  I know how you feel about Arthur, and I can see he has feelings for you as well.  This is good…good for both of you.”

“And it could get us in deep trouble if anyone involved with smokejumper training finds out about it before I have a chance to graduate.”

“I won’t say anything, but you two need to figure out how to hide it better if you want to keep your feelings a secret.”

“You’re actually okay with this…with us.”

“Merlin, I have known since you were in high school that you were in love with Arthur.  It doesn’t surprise me in the least and I am perfectly fine with it.  Your father, on the other hand, may not be so keen on it.”

“Please,” Balinor huffed as he came around the corner, “I may be old school, but watching those two staring at each other…I’m not stupid.  All that matters is my boy is happy and my grandson is taken care of.”

“Dad?” Merlin asked, his eyes going wide.

Balinor chuckled, “I gotta say, I would pay to be there to see the look on Uther’s face when he finds out about you two…priceless.”

“Balinor!” Hunith scolded him while smiling.

“Please, that old uptight bastard.”

“Dad,” Merlin laughed.

Balinor walked over to his son and embraced him.  “Just be careful that you don’t get your heart broken again.  We nearly lost you after Freya.  I can’t bear to see you hurt like that again.”

“There’s so many obstacles, though.”

“Merlin, what were the odds that you two would find your way back to each other after so many years and so many life changes?” Hunith asked, “Have faith.  If you are meant to be together things will work out.”

“I hope so.  We have our kids to consider too.”

“Well, Jonah already adores Arthur, he can’t stop talking about him.  And Arthur adores him.”

“Jonah was looking forward to going up to our special place.  I don’t think we can go with all this rain.  It’s a low-lying valley prone to flooding,” Merlin said.

“Wait until after training,  go up there in the fall when the leaves are changing.  I bet Charlotte would love that.”

“Is Jonah still sleeping?”

“Yes, I didn’t want to wake him.”

“I will go up and check on him.”

“Merlin, the weather is supposed to be clear tomorrow morning and early afternoon storms moving in later in the day so we should be in the air no later than one,” Balinor said, and Merlin nodded.

“I will let Arthur know.  We will be ready to go,” he said then headed back out and climbed the stairs.  He opened the door and went to Jonah’s bedroom.  “Hey little man,” he smiled.

“Morning, Papa,” Jonah smiled rubbing his eyes.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yep, did you?”

“I did.  I’m afraid we are not going to be able to go up to our special place.  There has been too much rain.  In the fall we will go camping up there for a few days.”

“With Arthur?”

“Yes, and maybe Charlotte as well.  Would that be all right?”

“I would like that.”

“We need to get you packed.  We are leaving with Grandpa tomorrow afternoon.”

“Morgana bought me a suitcase,” Jonah smiled.

“That was nice of her,” Merlin grinned watching his son go to the closet and pull out the blue suitcase and a matching canvas bag.  “Let’s get you packed then we will go have breakfast with Arthur.”

 

Arthur woke up and rolled over to find himself alone in the bed.  He sat up, looking around.  Merlin was gone.  Was he regretting what they did?  Shit, what if he messed things up between them giving in to his own needs?  Getting out of bed he went into the bathroom, showered, and then got dressed.  He stepped out of his room to see the sun peeking through the clouds, but there was definitely more rain on the way.

Crossing the street, he stepped around the biggest puddles which was not easy as the road was pretty much all mud.  He looked up as the door to the upstairs opened and Jonah came out with Merlin behind him.  As they came down the stairs Arthur stopped cold, his heart clenching.

“Arthur!” Jonah exclaimed when he saw him.

Merlin met Arthur’s gaze and smiled, “Morning.”

Jonah grabbed Arthur’s jacket sleeve and pulled him toward the entrance.  “Time for breakfast,” he said, “I want pancakes…do you like pancakes, Arthur?”

“I do,” Arthur grinned.

“Go on inside, Jonah,” Merlin said as he reached the last step.  As soon as he went in, Merlin moved closer to Arthur taking hold of his hand.  “Are you all right…I mean with what happened?”

“Are you?” Arthur asked hesitantly.

Merlin smiled, “I am.”

“Me too,” Arthur grinned.

“You should know, my parents not only know about us, but they are completely fine with it.  Even my dad, which kind of surprises me.”

“I guess we gave ourselves away didn’t we.”

“I told them the situation.  They won’t say anything.  You might want to talk to Morgana.”

“I will,” Arthur nodded then glanced around before pushing Merlin into the space beneath the stairs.  He pinned him against the side of the building, cupping the back of his head.  “Resisting this urge to kiss you is going to be so damn hard.”

Merlin smiled, “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think you are, Mer—lin,” Arthur said then kissed him deep and hard.

“I can’t help that I am so irresistible.”

“Come on, before I drag you back to my room to check off more activities on your list.”

“Mmm tempting.  I told Jonah we can’t go to our place today.  Mom suggested we go in the fall and include Charlotte.”

“That would be good.”

“Dad said we need to leave around one tomorrow.  Dangerous weather coming in later in the day.”

“I’ll be ready.”

They slipped out from under the stairs and walked to the door.  When they entered, Hunith winked and giggled.  Arthur smiled ducking his head to hide the fact he was blushing.  She put her hand on his arm and kissed his cheek.

“Welcome to the family,” she whispered in his ear and Arthur relaxed as she added, “I’m pleased.”

“You’re really…” he said awkwardly.

“I’m really…now sit and eat, dear boy.”

 

The rain let up in the afternoon, so Arthur and Merlin took Jonah for a walk.  He ran ahead of them on the trail picking up rocks and sticks, tossing them as far as he could.  While he was distracted Merlin brushed his hand against Arthur’s linking their fingers as they walked.

Arthur grinned then leaned close to steal a quick kiss.  “Resisting each other for the next six weeks is going to be very difficult,” he said huskily, keeping his voice low.

“Difficult?  More like damn near impossible,” Merlin said then kissed him back.

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

“I know, me too, but we will get through it.”

“Papa,” Jonah called out in a hushed tone then pointed toward a doe and twin fawns moving through the tall grass.  He was grinning from ear to ear.  “Did you see them?” he asked as they vanished into a grove of trees.

“We did,” Arthur said.

“That reminds me,” Merlin said, “Elena sent me a text, and Faline the fawn is going to be fine.  They found a rescue to take her.  When she is old enough she will either be released or taken to a wildlife preserve depending on if they feel she can survive on her own in the wild.”

“That’s good news,” Arthur smiled.

“My Papa is a hero,” Jonah said beaming proudly.

“Yes, he is.”

“Arthur, you won’t let Papa get hurt.”

“I will protect him with my life, Jonah, I promise.”

“Good,” the boy smiled.

Arthur crouched down in front of him and touched his cheek before ruffling his hair.  “From now on I am going to take care of you and your papa.  I will always be here for you both.  Is that all right with you, Jonah?”  Jonah nodded then smiled, throwing his arms around Arthur’s neck.  Arthur held him glancing up at Merlin who was smiling fondly at them both.

“Mama told me…she said you would come,” Jonah said, his voice muffled against Arthur’s neck.  Merlin’s eyes went wide hearing him.  “Mama is in my dreams sometimes.  She says she loves me and that she loves Papa.  Does your Mama do that?” he asked as he drew back from Arthur and looked into his blue eyes.

Arthur smiled and nodded, “She has come to me in my dreams before, but I rarely remember them.  I sense her presence sometimes.”

“Then you believe me?” Jonah asked.

“I believe you.”

Merlin knelt down next to them.  “Jonah, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it makes you sad and I don’t want to make you sad, Papa.”

“No, son, I don’t want you to ever keep things from me.  No matter what.  Okay?”

“Okay, I’m sorry, Papa,” Jonah said then hugged him.

“It’s all right, my boy.  I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

Arthur embraced both of them not caring who saw.  He pressed his lips to the top of Jonah’s head and smiled as he felt the same warmth he felt looking at the photo of them in Merlin’s file.  There was no denying it, they were his future.  This was his family now.  It wouldn’t be easy, but they would find a way to make it work.

 

They returned to town late afternoon and stopped at the ice cream shop at the end of the street for huge vanilla chocolate swirl soft serve cones.  Jonah giggled as Merlin’s started to tilt and he had to eat it down quickly to keep it from falling over resulting in getting ice cream on his nose and chin which Arthur reached over to wipe away making Jonah laugh even harder.

“You three seem to be having a good time,” Morgana said as she and Gwaine approached their table.  She sat down while Gwaine went to get them cones as well.  “Arthur, you look particularly happy, I must say.”

“Morgana, about that…” Merlin said.

Arthur cut him off with a hand on his thigh and nodded.  Then he turned to his nosey sister.  “Morgana, I am not sure if you are aware of the risk here.  Whatever is happening between Merlin and me, it needs to be kept quiet.  Please,” he said softly, and Morgana’s jade green eyes softened, and her smile widened.

“I’m quite sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.  I know nothing.”

“Thank you,” Merlin smiled, and Morgana took hold of his hand.

“You know I love you, Merlin.  I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“I know,” he nodded.

“Just promise me that you will take care of this annoying brother of mine.  Keep him safe.”

“Always,” Merlin said then lifted her hand to his lips, “I love you too.”

“Are you hitting on my girl, Merlin?” Gwaine asked as he returned with two cones, handing one to Morgana.  He looked at Arthur and gave him a nod of understanding clearly having heard the conversation.  “Should I be worried you will steal her away when I am not looking?”

“As tempting as that is, Gwaine, I don’t think I could handle her.  She’s a bit scary.”

“Smart man,” Gwaine chuckled, and Morgana glared at them both.

“I am not scary, am I Jonah?”

“Nope, not scary and I love her.”

“Aww, sweet boy.  This is the one you need to worry about, Gwaine.  He’s already stolen my heart,” she smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Mine too,” Arthur said, and Morgana looked at him with a glint of something in her eyes.

“So, you are flying out tomorrow?” Gwaine asked.

“Yes, Balinor is flying us to McCall then heading to Missoula,” Arthur said.

“We are leaving here on Thursday for a romantic weekend in Jackson Hole,” Morgana said.

“Hopefully this rain keeps up and we won’t have any fires,” Gwaine nodded.

“It’s still early enough in the season, you should be okay.  I will let dispatch know to put you both at the bottom of the list for call-in,” Arthur said.

“You can do that?” Morgana asked.

“Of course, I can.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” Gwaine nodded.

“You will both owe me big time of course,” he grinned.

“Of course,” Morgana laughed.

“When are you two going to tie the knot?” Merlin asked.

Gwaine and Morgana looked at each other and smiled then he nodded.  “Truthfully, we are already married.  We went in front of the Justice of the Peace, three months ago, with Lance and Gwen as witnesses.  We just haven’t had an actual wedding yet because Morgana doesn’t want the drama.”

Arthur looked at his sister, “Morgana…”

“What?  You know what he’s like.  I don’t want to deal with his judgmental bull…” she glanced at Jonah and winced, “His judgmental attitude.”

“Nice save, baby,” Gwaine winked.

“He’s going to be furious when he finds out you got married without telling him,” Arthur said.

“I’m a big girl, I don’t need Daddy’s approval.  Gwaine and I love each other and nothing Uther Pendragon says is going to change that.  You, dear brother, should follow my lead,” she smiled, and Arthur chuckled glancing at Merlin then nodded.

“Maybe I will,” he said, and Merlin grinned.

“Good,” Morgana smiled, “But then I know absolutely nothing about your relationship…right.”

“Right,” Arthur nodded.

“Fair enough, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be over the moon happy for you.  For no particular reason, of course.”

“Of course,” Merlin laughed.

Arthur smiled then shrugged, “Sure, knock yourself out.”

Gwaine leaned forward to kiss Morgana.  “We should probably just tell them.”

“Tell us what?” Arthur asked warily.

“I didn’t want to say anything because I don’t want to be benched, but I am pregnant,” Morgana said softly.

“Oh, my god,” Arthur jumped up and hugged her, “You should have told me.”

“No, because I know you will make me stay on base.  I need to work.  I need to be with Gwaine.  If I am separated from him I will go mad.  And you do not want a pregnancy hormone-induced sister getting angry because that would be truly scary.”

“Fine, but you will keep me in the loop and let me know if anything changes or goes wrong.  I need you to be okay and that little life you’re carrying,” Arthur said.

“You keep my secret, and I will keep yours, little brother,” Morgana smiled.

“Just promise me you will not take any stupid risks and keep out of harm’s way as much as possible.  If anything happens to you or the baby…”

“I promise.  As soon as I feel like I can no longer handle active duty I will go on leave.  I just want to get through as much of the summer fire season as possible before I do that.”

“What about the actual jumping?” Arthur asked, “That cannot be good for the baby.”

“I’m not going to jump, but I will be at the fire camps doing as much as I am able.”

“That makes me feel a bit better then.”

“Arthur, I’ll be fine.  I’m certainly not the first female smoke jumper to get pregnant,” Morgana smiled.

“None of them were my sister,” Arthur kissed her forehead then sat back down.  “You know you are going to have to tell him at some point.”

“I know, but I am putting it off as long as I can.  He’s going to come unglued when he finds out about the marriage, adding the pregnancy on top of that…” Morgana cringed.

“We will keep the secret until you’re ready,” Arthur said, and Merlin smiled.

“We will, and Jonah you know you are not to speak of other people’s secrets with anyone unless the person is in danger of harm,” he said, and Jonah nodded.

“My lips are sealed,” he said miming locking his lips together with his fingers. 

Gwaine fist-bumped him.  “My little buddy,” he grinned.

“We should probably get back.  We still have a lot of packing to do,” Merlin said, getting up from the white metal chair.  “Come on, Jonah, we have laundry in the dryer.”

Jonah slid off his chair, “Arthur, are you coming too?”

“I need to head to my room and pack.  I will meet you for dinner later,” Arthur said.

“Okay,” the boy hugged him then took Merlin’s hand and they headed for the Lazy Lantern.  Arthur watched them go with a slight smile on his face.

Morgana looked at him and shook her head.  “Arthur…”

“Yeah?”

“This has been a long time coming.  It won’t be easy, but the way you look at him…them, it’s real and it is worth fighting like hell for.  It’s not just one heart at risk, but two, not to mention your own.  No matter what anyone says, grab on and hold tight because you belong together.”

“My only worry is Charlotte.  She’s older than Jonah, it’s going to be more difficult for her I think.”

“My niece is a strong girl.  She is her father’s daughter.  She will be okay.  So many times, she has told me that all she wants is for Sophia to set you free and for you to find love again.  She knows how lonely you are.”

“I know, she told me as much, but this isn’t just going to change my life, it’s going to drastically change hers.  Not to mention father is going to make things difficult.  I know that I want to be with Merlin, and I want to help him take care of Jonah.”

“Then do what feels right and fuck anyone who gets in the way,” Gwaine said, “I will back you up and I know the team will as well.  What is important is that you are happy and with the person you are meant to be with.”

“You two really aren’t surprised?” Arthur asked.

“We both knew you had feelings for Merlin back in school and were just too stupid to figure out what they meant,” Morgana said.

“I have a confession to make, Arthur,” Gwaine said sheepishly, “I am the one that encouraged Merlin to apply this spring.  He was planning to wait until next year when Jonah was a bit older.  I knew you would be training along with Leon, and it would give him the best chance.”

“You did?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, Merlin deserves to be a smokejumper.  I also knew that you needed each other.”

Arthur looked at him intently then smiled, “Thank you, Gwaine, you’re a good friend.”

“You’re not going to hit me?”

“Why would I hit you?  If not for you I would never have reached out to him because I was a coward.  So many times, I thought about emailing or calling him, but I was afraid he would have forgotten all about me or worse that he hated my guts for the way I treated him in school.  I have this chance with him and Jonah because of you.  So, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Gwaine smiled.

“Now, I have to go pack.  We are leaving early afternoon so if I don’t see you beforehand, have a great weekend in Jackson Hole and I’ll see you in McCall next week,” Arthur got up then kissed his sister’s forehead.  Love you…both of you.”

“Love you too,” Morgana beamed, “Have a safe flight tomorrow.”

“We will,” Arthur nodded then headed for the motel.

 

“Jonah, are you ready to go?” Merlin asked.

“Yep, ready,” Jonah said heading to the door with his suitcase.  Merlin picked it up along with his own duffle bag.

“Did you pack your toys?  Don’t forget Eeyore.  Are you okay to carry that one?”

“I’ve got him, and my car, and some of my Legos.  I can do it, Papa.”

“All right, my boy, let’s go.  Be careful going down the steps with your bag.  Hold onto the railing,” Merlin said, keeping an eye on him while pulling the door closed.  Jonah eased his way down until Arthur came running to help him.  He took the bag and his backpack then turned around.

“Hop on my back and hold on,” he said, and Jonah did just that.  Giggling as Arthur jogged the rest of the way down the stairs and headed for the Jeep where Gwaine was waiting to drive them to the airstrip.  Balinor had already gone ahead to get the plane ready.

Hunith came out of the Lazy Lantern and hugged Merlin, “My boy, I am so proud of you.  We will be there for your graduation.”

“I have to survive training before I can graduate,” Merlin laughed kissing her cheek, “I love you.”

“Love you too, be careful,” she said then turned to Arthur, “You will take care of him.”

“I will, I promise,” he smiled embracing her. 

“And you, young man,” Hunith hugged her grandson, “You will be on your best behavior.  Your Papa is going to be exhausted and under a lot of stress.  He needs you to help him.”

“I will, Grandma, I swear,” Jonah threw his arms around her neck, “I’ll miss you.”

“I will miss you too, my darling boy.  It will be good for you two to spend time together.  Arthur adores you and Charlotte is a wonderful girl she will love having you there.”

“Yes, she will,” Arthur said ruffling Jonah’s dark curls.  “Do you have everything?”

“Yep, I’m ready,” the boy grinned.

“Great, let’s roll then,” Gwaine said then got behind the wheel.  Merlin and Jonah climbed in the back seat and Arthur in the passenger seat.  Hunith blew them a kiss and crossed her arms over her breasts.  She was going to miss them all.

“Be safe, my beautiful boys,” she said, tears shining in her eyes, “I love you.”

“Love you, Mom,” Merlin smiled.

“Love you, Grandma,” Jonah waved as Gwaine started the engine and pulled out onto the road.

Arthur glanced back at Merlin meeting his gaze, “This is it.  Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he grinned.

“You will make it, Merlin,” Gwaine said, “I believe in you.”

“Thanks, Gwaine, that means a lot to me.”

“When you graduate, drinks are on Arthur,” Gwaine grinned, and Arthur huffed a laugh.

“I think that can be arranged,” he nodded.

“Wow he must really like you, I never got free drinks when I graduated.”

“There’s a good reason for that,” Arthur smirked, “You’re Gwaine, you drink like a fish.”

“That’s true,” Gwaine laughed.

“Thank you for driving us to the airstrip,” Merlin said.

“You’re welcome.”

Jonah leaned against Merlin holding onto his arm and hand.  “Papa, are you nervous?”

“Not really…not yet anyway.”

The drive to the airfield took about fifteen minutes.  Gwaine parked the Jeep at the edge of the tarmac, and they transferred their bags to the plane.  The C-23 Sherpa, white with an orange stripe that ran the full length, was ready to take off.  Balinor leaned out the door taking Jonah from Arthur, then placed him in his seat, buckling him in.

“There you are, my boy,” he said.

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

Merlin climbed aboard then moved to the front, settled into the copilot’s seat putting his headset on.  Arthur waved goodbye to Gwaine as he drove away then climbed in, closing the door then settled into the seat next to Jonah, giving him a wink.

“Everybody settled?” Balinor asked.

“Yes, sir,” Arthur nodded.

“It’s always a good day when I get to fly with my favorite co-pilot,” Balinor grinned squeezing Merlin’s shoulder.  He gave his father a nod.  “Let’s get this baby in the air.”

Arthur put an arm around Jonah and then handed him a blue fabric bag.  “A few things to entertain you on the flight,” he said, and the boy’s eyes went wide as he looked inside pulling out two books, one about dragons and another about dinosaurs, there was also a handheld game, candy bars, and two bottles of water.  In the bottom was a dark blue smokejumper hoodie.  “Just in case you get cold.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” Jonah hugged his arm.

“You’re welcome.”

“Will you read the dragon book to me,” he asked, and Arthur nodded.

“It would be my pleasure.”  He opened the book and started to read it aloud looking up to meet Merlin’s gaze.  He was grinning from ear to ear.

“You’re spoiling my kid,” he said, and Arthur just winked and kept reading.  Merlin felt such a warmth in his chest at the sight of Arthur reading to his son.  If he weren’t already head over heels, he would have definitely fallen in love with the man then and there.

“You’re happy,” Balinor said, and Merlin grinned.

“I will be even happier if I make it through training.”

“You will, I am certain of it.  I remember my first try I was so bloody scared.”

Merlin looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “Your first try?”

“Oh, yes, I ended up having to drop out of my first tryout.”

“Why?”

Balinor looked at him and smiled, “Because your mother went into labor with you six weeks earlier than expected.  Do you think I was going to miss the birth of my son?  I dropped training and flew home.  You were born two hours after I arrived at the hospital.”

“I had no idea,” Merlin shook his head.

“I went back the following year and got in.  They worked with me because of the circumstances, and I was able to finish training a couple of weeks early.  I took those two weeks and spent it with you and your mother before I was officially added to the jump list.”

“Well, if I don’t make it through, I’m not going to try again.  If it isn’t meant to be it isn’t meant to be,” Merlin said.

“But it is what you have always wanted,” Balinor said.

“It still is, believe me, but it’s now or never.  I have other job offers I have been turning down for this,” Merlin said, and Arthur looked up in surprise from the book he was reading to Jonah.  “Job offers that won’t be as rewarding, but I could live with if I had to.”

“Job offers where?” Arthur asked.

“One in Seattle and one in Boise,” Merlin said.

“You would leave?” Balinor asked.

“I don’t want to, but if I fail I may not have any other option.”

“Then you better not fail,” Arthur said with such emotion that Merlin turned to look at him.  “You won’t fail.”

“You have that much faith in me?”

“Yes, I do.  And I don’t plan on letting you and Jonah go.  So, you’re going to pass, you’ll graduate, and you will join my team.  Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Merlin smiled, “We don’t want to lose you either.  Right, Jonah?”

“We won’t leave you, Arthur,” the boy looked up at him with his blue eyes and angelic face and made Arthur’s heart swell with love.

“Good,” Arthur kissed the top of his head then turned his attention back to the book, “Now where were we…”

 

Balinor landed the plane at McCall Airport.  They unloaded everything into the car that was waiting to take them to the house.  They would go to the base in the morning.  Arthur knew it was too much to expect his father to meet them at the airport.  He closed the trunk, and they said goodbye to Balinor.

“I will see you next week on my way back through,” he said then gave Merlin a bear hug, “I love you, son.  Give them hell, show them what you can do.”

“I will,” Merlin nodded.

Balinor picked up Jonah and kissed his forehead.  “You mind your manners.  Do what you are told, all right.”

“I will, Grandpa, I promise,” he threw his arms around his grandfather’s neck and kissed his cheek then wiggled to be let down.  He walked over to Arthur and got into the back seat.

“Arthur, you will watch out for my boys,” Balinor said then shook his hand before pulling him into his arms, “Take care of yourself too.”

“I will,” Arthur said with a nod.

Balinor waved and then climbed back in the plane, Merlin shut the door and his father secured it from inside before heading into the cockpit.  They waved goodbye as he waved back.  As soon as the plane lifted off they got into the back seat of the black Mercedes with Jonah in between them.

“George, let’s go home,” Arthur said.

“Yes, sir,” George, a stiff, formal man said, and Merlin rolled his eyes. 

“I can’t believe you have a driver,” he muttered, and Arthur chuckled.

“Hey, it leaves my hands free for other things,” he said reaching over to palm the back of Merlin’s head, his thumb lightly caressing that spot behind his ear that Arthur had learned very quickly made him shiver.  Merlin looked down at Jonah who was playing with the handheld game Arthur gave him.

“What if he says something?” Merlin asked, nodding pointedly at George.

“Wouldn’t dare, right, George?” Arthur said.

“That is correct, Sir,” the man nodded as he turned onto the highway and headed out of town.

“How many times have I told you to call me Arthur, George?”

“Too many to count, Sir.”

Merlin laughed and shrugged.  Jonah giggled even though he was still playing his game and Arthur looked at them and smiled.  He was so far gone for Merlin and Jonah, that there was nothing he wouldn’t do to make this relationship work.  He would not allow his father to come between them no matter what.

Chapter 4: Homecoming

George drove through the gates and parked the car in front of the main house dropping the three of them at the door.  “They are expecting you for dinner.  I will continue on to the guest house.  Where would you like me to place your bags, Sir?” he asked.

“You can just leave them at the bottom of the staircase, George, we will unpack.  Thank you, for everything,” Arthur nodded then closed the door, stepping back as he drove away.

“Daddy!” a blonde whirlwind burst out the front door, leaping into Arthur’s arms.

“Charlotte, baby girl,” Arthur hugged her tightly kissing her forehead, “Good lord, you got taller and even more beautiful.”

“I can’t believe you’re home,” Charlotte smiled when he finally released her, and she looked him over for bodily injuries.  “You’re good?”

“I’m good, darlin’,” he said, then let out a growl picking her up and spinning her around, “I have missed you so much.”

Charlotte hugged him around the neck giggling, “I missed you too.”  She looked at her father’s companions and beamed at them.  “Hi, Merlin!” she said as Arthur sat her on her feet again, “I’m Charlotte.”

“It’s good to finally meet you, Charlotte,” Merlin reached for her hand, but she hugged him instead.

“Unlike my father, I am a hugger,” she said.

“Me too,” Merlin smiled, hugging her back.  When he let her go she turned to Jonah.

“I have been waiting to meet you, Jonah, I am Charlotte.  How old are you?  I’m eight.”

“I’m five, but I’ll be six soon,” Jonah said, ducking his head shyly.  Merlin smiled and then looked at Arthur.

“Well, Jonah, we are going to have so much fun together.  I picked out a pony for you to ride.  And there are kittens in the stables.  They are adorable.  Do you like cats?”  Jonah nodded emphatically.  “Come on, dinner is almost ready.  Annis makes the best meatloaf.”

“I love meatloaf,” Jonah said.

Charlotte took him by the hand and led him into the house just as Uther came outside.  He smiled at his granddaughter and then patted Jonah’s head as they passed by him.  He then looked pointedly at Merlin, a stern look on his face.

“Merlin,” he said gruffly, “It has been a long time.”

“Yes, Sir,” Merlin nodded.

“It’s good to see you again,” Uther smiled, shaking his hand, catching Arthur completely off guard, almost as much as Merlin.

“You too, Sir.”

“Just call me Uther.  Welcome to Pendragon Ranch,” Uther said.

“Yes, Sir—Uther, thank you for allowing my son and me to stay in your guest house.”

“Your son, Jonah is it?”

“Yes, he is five, going on six.  He won’t be any trouble, I promise you.”

“I’m certain he won’t.  You were always a good boy, Merlin.  How are your parents?”

“They are really good.  Mom is still running the Lazy Lantern.  My father flew us here.”

“Balinor is a damn fine pilot,” Uther nodded, “Come inside, dinner will be served shortly.  Annis is delighted to have another child in the house.  Your Jonah will be looked after.”  He turned to Arthur who was standing stock still with his mouth open.  “Arthur, you look well.”

“Father,” Arthur finally managed to speak.  He was out of sorts with his father behaving so cordially toward Merlin.  It was the last thing he’d expected.  “What’s going on?” he asked suspiciously, and Uther laughed.

“There’s no need to be concerned, Arthur.  I remember Merlin…he and Jonah are welcome here.  Now come inside and eat.  Tell me about the Dragon Peak fire.”

Uther headed for the open door.  Arthur looked at Merlin and shrugged.  “Shall we?” he asked.

“That was definitely not the reception I anticipated,” Merlin whispered as Arthur put a hand on his elbow and they walked into the house.

“Maybe it’s an Invasion of the Body Snatchers thing,” Arthur huffed, and Merlin nearly burst out laughing, biting his lip to contain it just in time as Annis came out of the kitchen and hugged Arthur.

“There’s my handsome son,” she said, kissing his cheek.  “So glad you are home.”

“I missed you, Mom,” Arthur hugged her back.  Annis might be his stepmother, but she was the only mother he had ever known, and she loved him unconditionally.

“When is Morgana coming home?”

“She and Gwaine are going to Jackson Hole for the weekend, a romantic getaway before the fire season takes off,” Arthur smiled.

“Ah, that roguish Gwaine, I do love that boy.  Maybe one day soon we will have a wedding,” Annis said then turned to Merlin taking his hand.  “Oh, you must be Merlin, your son looks just like you…adorable the both of you.  Welcome.  Please make yourselves at home.  Anything you need just ask.”

“Hello, Annis, it is a pleasure to meet you,” Merlin said as she kissed his cheek.

“I made meatloaf and baked potatoes for dinner with corn on the cob and garlic knots,” Annis said.

“That sounds delicious, Jonah loves meatloaf.”

“Good, good, please have a seat wherever you would like.”

Charlotte and Jonah came out of the bathroom then.  “Jonah is all washed up for dinner,” she said, and Annis guided him to the large oak table.  One side was a long bench with matching chairs around the rest of it.  “Come on Jonah we can sit on the bench,” Charlotte said.

“Arthur and Merlin took the chairs across from them with Uther at the head of the table.  Annis went back into the kitchen and returned with another young woman placing the food on the table.

“Hello, Arthur, good to see you,” the young woman smiled.

“You too, Drea, this is Merlin and his son Jonah.  Drea is my mother’s helper.  She has been with us since she was a teenager.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Drea beamed, “Merlin what would you and Jonah like to drink?  We have wine, beer, and Pepsi, or milk.”

“I would like a beer please,” Merlin nodded, “Milk for Jonah would be great.”

“Coming right up,” Drea said then went back into the kitchen returning a moment later with a glass of milk for Jonah and two bottles of beer for Arthur and Merlin.  Charlotte already had a Pepsi.  “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“Drea, I set a place for you next to Charlotte, sit and eat, thank you for your assistance with dinner,” Annis said.

“You’re very welcome,” Drea smiled then sat down next to Charlotte.

“Drea is like my big sister,” Charlotte told Jonah.

“I’ll be going riding with you two if that’s okay,” Drea asked Jonah.

“Yes, sure,” he smiled shyly.

Merlin reached to place a slice of meatloaf on Jonah’s plate.  “There you go, son.”

“Thank you, Papa,” he said then Charlotte helped him with the corn on the cob and his baked potato.  “Thank you, Charlotte.”

“You’re very welcome.”

“Charlotte, did you find the box with my Hot Wheels cars?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, I put them in Jonah's room in the guest house.  I also found your old racetrack though I am not sure it works anymore.  I figured Jonah could use it to drive the cars on.”

“Good,” Arthur nodded.

“Thank you, Arthur,” Jonah beamed at him, and Arthur winked.

“You’re so welcome.  I’m glad someone will have some fun with them.”

“So, Arthur, the Dragon Peak fire,” Uther said, “I heard about Leon, he was a good man.  I am truly sorry.”

“Yes, Arthur,” Annis said, “My heart breaks for his family.”

“Yes, he was.  I miss him,” Arthur nodded.

“This fire was particularly brutal for so early in the season,” Uther said.

“The wildland areas have not been managed properly.  Too much dead and dying timber and thick undergrowth that needed to be cleared out years ago.  Unfortunately, there is no funding,” Merlin said.

“Papa saved Faline,” Jonah said proudly.

“Faline?” Annis asked.

“Merlin somehow managed to find a wounded and terrified fawn in the burn area.  He carried her off the mountain, on an ATV, in a harness around his chest.  Then turned her over to a veterinarian.  She’s going to be okay,” Arthur said glancing at Merlin with a fond smile that did not go unnoticed by others around the table, including Uther who frowned.

“That’s wonderful, you’re a hero, Merlin,” Charlotte said, her gaze shifting back and forth between him and her father.

“Yep, he is,” Jonah said.

“So, it would seem,” Annis smiled.

“It took three weeks to put it out,” Uther said.

“Yes, the rain moved in and helped put out the last of it.  Would have been nice to get the rain sooner,” Arthur said.

“Merlin, how did you know Arthur would still be in the area?” Uther asked.

“I didn’t.  I just went to see my folks and Jonah and he happened to be at the Lazy Lantern.  I wasn’t even expecting to see him until I got here to McCall.”

“I see,” Uther said.

“I only recently learned that he would be my instructor.”

“Yes, Leon had been wanting me to take the lead more.  And now that he is gone, I have no choice but to do so.”

“Well, it will be nice for you to get to know each other again,” Annis smiled, “Uther tells me you two were friends in school.”

“You could say that we had interactions in high school,” Merlin smiled, and Arthur chuckled.

“What Merlin is hinting at is we were friends, but I was not exactly a good friend.  I treated him badly, and I feel horrible about it.  He has forgiven me I think, though I don’t deserve it.”

“You were a bully?” Annis asked raising an eyebrow.

“I was, and I am not proud of it.”

“Considering who your father is, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” she smiled teasingly, and Uther smirked.

“Annis, my dear, you have helped me to see the error in my ways and made me a better person.”

“Worked a bloody miracle,” Arthur huffed, and everyone laughed.

“Arthur, I know we have had our differences, but I would like to work on our relationship,” Uther said reaching over to put a hand on his arm.  “I know I have been rough on you in the past.”

“You can say that again…”

“We will talk in private later,” Uther said then took a bite of his meatloaf.  “Annis, darling, you have outdone yourself, this is even better than that last time you made it.”

“Thank you, honey,” Annis beamed.

“It is amazing,” Arthur smiled.

“Papa, can we stay here for a long time?  This is my favorite meatloaf ever,” Jonah said as he polished off his first helping and Charlotte put another piece on his plate.  “Thank you, Charlotte,” he grinned.

“You eat as much as you want,” she winked.

“You might want to save room for dessert though,” Drea smiled, “Fresh from the oven peach cobbler with ice cream.”

“Oh, yum!” Jonah said rubbing his stomach with one hand while quickly polishing off the second helping of meatloaf.

Merlin laughed, “Jonah, pull up, buddy.  Don’t eat so fast.”

“Okay, Papa,” he said.

“Daddy, next weekend, do you think we could go out on the lake in the boat?” Charlotte asked.

“I don’t see why not.  As long as the weather is good.  It would have to be on Sunday though, that is our rest day.  We have the endurance run on Saturday, which usually takes about four hours,” Arthur said looking at Merlin.  “The first couple of weeks are always the toughest.”

“I have no doubt,” Merlin smiled at him.

“We should go for a short run this evening.”

“Good idea.  I need to work off this delicious meal.”

“You are welcome to have dinner with us every night while you are here,” Annis smiled.

“Really?” Jonah asked.

“Really,” Annis smiled.

“Can we, Papa?”

Arthur nodded, “You can for sure, but not sure your papa and I will make it home in time for dinner every night.  We will do our best.”

“We will keep food warm for you both so you can eat when you do get home,” Annis said.

“If you are too tired, I can even bring the food to the guest house if you need me to,” Drea smiled.

“Yes, and Arthur,” Uther said, “I finished converting the sunroom in the guest house to a gym so if you two need to work out you can do so.”

Arthur looked at his father in surprise, “I didn’t know you were even considering that.  Thank you.  We will definitely put that to use.”

“Good,” Uther smiled.

Arthur looked at Annis, jabbing a thumb toward his father lowering his voice, “Are you sure he isn’t possessed, a doppelganger…alien life form maybe?”

Annis laughed heartily, “Arthur, enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Am I not allowed to be kind?” Uther asked, holding back a smile.

“No!  It’s terrifying,” Arthur smirked.

“Well, I am quite certain I’ll come to my senses any day now.”

“Now that I believe.”

They finished dinner and had dessert.  Jonah and Charlotte were in the living room with Drea playing Jenga.  Merlin leaned against the doorframe watching them.  Arthur came up behind him discreetly hooking a finger through the beltloop on his jeans.

“Shall we change and go for that run?”

“I’m too full for a run, can we make it a brisk walk instead?”

“You got it,” Arthur smiled then leaned closer.  “I just want to be alone with you for a little while,” he whispered, and Merlin inhaled sharply.

“Jonah, you stay here and play we will be back.”

“Have a good run,” Charlotte said, “We will take care of him.”

“Thank you, Charlotte,” Merlin winked.

Arthur put a hand on Merlin’s shoulder guiding him out the door onto the patio and then toward a trail that led to the lake.  They walked quickly, not speaking until they reached the shore.  The sun was going down, and there was a slight breeze coming off the water, so they zipped up their jackets as they followed the edge of the lake.  Merlin reached out and took hold of Arthur’s hand, entwining their fingers.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Just a little off kilter, my father…” he shook his head.

“He is definitely not the same man I remember from our school years.”

“Merlin, he is not the same man I remember from the last time I was home,” Arthur huffed a laugh.

“People have been known to change as they get older.”

“Not him.”

“What else is bothering you?”

Arthur lowered his head and frowned.  “What you said on the plane about leaving if you don’t make it through training…taking a job in Seattle or Boise.  Merlin, I don’t want to lose you and Jonah.  I need you.”

Merlin smiled, stepping closer to him.  “You really want to be with me.”

“Yes, so much.  I know it’s so soon.  We only just reconnected, but I want this.  I keep having thoughts, feelings, and visions of a life where we are a real family…you, me, Jonah, and Charlotte…together.  It feels right…so damn right.  I can’t explain it.”

Merlin surged forward and kissed Arthur.  “I want that too,” he said softly.

Arthur smiled, cupping his cheek, “You do?”

“Yes,” Merlin nodded.

“You really think we can have it.”

“I’m willing to try.”

Arthur kissed him, looking into his eyes.  “I am in love with you, Merlin.  I am so far gone, I cannot lose you.”

Merlin blinked in surprise, drawing back slightly, then shook his head.  “Arthur, you know I have been in love with you since high school, right?” he asked, smiling, “You’re telling me you feel the same and you’re worried I’m going to leave.  I’m not going anywhere.  You have given me an even stronger incentive to make it through training.”

“I love you,” Arthur said, pressing their foreheads together.

“I love you too,” Merlin grinned.

“Come here.”  Arthur pulled Merlin along until they reached an old boathouse.  He pushed the door open, and they slipped inside.  I used to come here a lot.  It’s on Pendragon property but no one uses it.”

“Your own secret hideout, cool,” Merlin smiled.

“Our secret hideout,” Arthur corrected then pushed Merlin up against the wall kissing him with everything he had until they were both breathless.  “God, kissing you is intoxicating,” he whispered then kissed him again.  “Can I touch you?”

“Fuck, please do,” Merlin moaned.

Arthur looked at him, his eyes focused on those full lips as he slowly dragged the zipper of Merlin’s jacket down then leaned in to kiss his long slender throat while his fingertips eased beneath the hem of his T-shirt finding warm smooth skin.

Merlin let out a stuttered breath, closing his eyes as he gladly lost himself in a sensory overload that was all-consuming…all Arthur.  “God, Arthur…don’t stop, please…”

“Merlin…” Arthur breathed out huskily his lips and tongue and teeth tracing the line of Merlin’s jaw before capturing his mouth again.  His hand splayed wide over the younger man’s stomach beneath his shirt.  “You’re trembling,” he whispered.

“I’m going to come in my jeans if you keep that up,” Merlin huffed a laugh.

“And that’s a bad thing?” Arthur asked with an amused glint in his blue eyes.

“Definitely not, but I would rather not have to walk back into your family’s home with evidence of our carnal activities on the front of my jeans.”

“Mmm there’s a way around that,” Arthur said then unfastened Merlin’s jeans pushing them down along with his black boxer briefs.  He looked up at him and smiled then swallowed him down.  Merlin whimpered in pleasure tangling his fingers in Arthur’s blonde hair.

“Ah, fuck…yes, you are a genius,” Merlin panted.

Arthur moaned around him, his head bobbing up and down.  He didn’t know exactly what he was doing, but he knew what he liked, and Merlin was definitely not complaining.  He swallowed him down carefully so as not to gag.

“Arthur…Arthur…fuck, I’m…”

Taking that as his cue, Arthur swallowed him down as much as he could, hollowing out his cheeks as he sucked, his hand stroking the base.  Merlin lost it then, hips jerking as he came hard.  Arthur swallowed greedily determined not to miss a drop.

“Good God, your mouth,” Merlin gasped, his whole body vibrating with aftershocks of his release.

“Not bad for a rookie huh?” Arthur asked with a smug grin.

“Fuck…that was incredible.”

Arthur stood up and kissed Merlin deeply as he pulled his underwear and jeans back up fastening them.  “All the relief, no mess,” he winked, and Merlin laughed.  “We should get back.”

“Wait,” Merlin said his hand cupping Arthur through his jeans.  “You’re hard, you can’t exactly go back in the house like that, or everyone will know what we have been up to.”

“You’re very wise, Merlin,” Arthur said kissing him, “What would you suggest we do about it?”

“Reciprocation,” Merlin smiled then unfastened Arthur’s jeans pushing them and his underwear down.  He wasted no time at all taking his hard cock into his mouth his tongue pressing against the slit as his hand moved up and down the length of him.  He moaned and Arthur shivered.

“Merlin, so good…more please,” he gasped putting his arms out to brace himself against the wall of the boathouse as Merlin swallowed him down to the base the head of his cock hitting the back of his throat.  “Holy hell, Merlin!”

With a long low moan, Merlin pleasured him to within an inch of his life.  It was all he could do to stay on his feet.  He drew back running his tongue up along the length to the head then he sucked hard just on the tip.

“Fuck, yes, Merlin…” Arthur breathed out then dropped one hand from the wall to tangle his fingers in that hair tugging and stroking with a building urgency.  “Merlin…now, God…holy…” he cried out as he spilled his seed, thrusting into his mouth with every pulse of his release.  “Merlin…sorry…so sorry,” he groaned.

Merlin pulled off him and laughed, licking his lips.  “Better now?” he asked.

“God, yes, but damn…”

“Are you okay?” Merlin chuckled.

“Ask me again when I can remember my own name.”

“Here we should get you presentable so we can head back.”  He pulled up Arthur’s underwear and jeans fastening them then kissed him.  “Can you walk?” Merlin chuckled, kissing him again.

“Sure, just point me in the right direction.”

Merlin opened the door, and they stepped outside to find that the sun had gone down.  The sky was growing darker as the lights along the waterfront came on illuminating the main path.  They walked hand in hand back to the house stopping to kiss in the shadows before going back inside.

“We can do this,” Arthur said pressing his lips to Merlin’s, “We can make this work.”

“We can, but we need to be careful, for both our sakes.  I might get cut from Rookie training, but you could lose your job altogether.”

“I hate not being able to openly be with you.”

“Good job I am an old pro at hiding my feelings for you,” Merlin smiled.

“I fear I am not,” Arthur said.

“We will get through this.  We will tell everyone when the time is right.  Now let’s go back inside.”

“All right,” Arthur nodded then with one last kiss they moved apart a few feet before approaching the house.  They walked in the door to find Charlotte and Jonah still in the middle of a heated game of Jenga while Drea must have surrendered and gone to help with the dishes and clean up.

“Arthur,” Annis said, “Your father wants to see you in his study.”

“Now?”

“Yes, but relax, as far as I know, Uther has no idea that you two are…well,” she winked.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but…” Arthur said fighting the rising panic but stopped when Annis raised her hand.

“Please, your father may be oblivious, but I am not.  I can tell when two people are trying extremely hard not to look at each other or touch each other in front of company,” Annis smiled, “I won’t say anything to him.  I am happy for you both.”

“The kids don’t know yet,” Merlin said softly.

“I thought as much, but you know how observant Charlotte is.  She will figure it out if she hasn’t already.  You should tell them.  I love you, Arthur.  I want you to be happy,” Annis embraced him.

“I know, thank you.  We will figure things out.  I need to be with Merlin…we love each other.”

Annis smiled reaching for Merlin’s hand, squeezing it gently.  “I can see that you do, and you have my full support.  If you need to talk to me about anything I am here for you both.  Now, Arthur, you go and see what your father wants.  I will take care of your Merlin.”

Arthur looked at Merlin longing to kiss him again.  “If I’m not out in an hour…”

“I will call in the cavalry and come to your rescue,” Merlin grinned.

“I love you,” Arthur smiled.

“Love you too.  Go on.”

Arthur reluctantly headed downstairs.  His father had the entire basement to himself for the most part.  His study, his office, and a full library of books on shelves with his collection of antiques all related to firefighting.  A full-size firehose was mounted on the wall above the shelves stretching from one end to the other.  There were old lanterns, uniforms, helmets, vintage fire extinguishers, buckets, firetrucks, fire alarm boxes, and bells.  He would have to bring Jonah down here to see it all, he would especially love the firetrucks.

Looking into the study, his father was seated on the sofa, with what looked like a photo album, open on the table in front of him.  “Father, you asked to see me.”

“Oh, Arthur, yes, please have a seat here next to me.  I wanted to show you something I found in a trunk a while back.”

“Okay,” Arthur said then sat down on the sofa next to him leaning forward to look at what was definitely a photo album.  He smiled as he spotted a photo of himself.  “That’s me.”

“Yes,” Uther nodded, “You were about two in that photo.”  He turned back to the very first page and pushed it a bit closer to his son.  “This is your mother when she was pregnant with you,” he said, his voice catching in his throat.  “I know I made a mistake not talking about Ygraine.  For forbidding you to even mention your mother.  I have done irreparable damage to you and to our relationship and for that, I am deeply sorry.”

Arthur looked at the photos, tears coming to his eyes as he struggled to hold them back.  He would not cry in front of his father…that was an unforgivable sin in Uther Pendragon’s house.  But even as he thought it, he looked up to see that his father had tears sliding down his face.

“Father, what is going on?  You are not yourself and it is scaring the hell out of me.”

Uther laughed softly and nodded, “I am fine, Arthur.  Annis merely talked some sense into me after she overheard our phone conversation the other night.  She made me realize how unfair I have been to you and how I have tried to mold you into someone resembling myself.  But you see, that isn’t possible, because you are your mother’s son.  You are like her in so many ways that at times it was painful for me to even look into your eyes.”

“Father, are you dying or something, if so just tell me, dammit.  Because something is very wrong here.”

“I am not dying, at least not any time soon.  But I am not getting any younger either and I don’t want to let another day go by with this unbreachable chasm between us.  When I heard that one of your team had been killed, my heart nearly stopped.  The thought that it could be you, up there on that mountain…dead…”

“I’m here and I am fine,” Arthur said, reaching over to take hold of his father’s hand, something he had never attempted before.  “I’m good.”

“I know and for that I am grateful.  You should know I sent a check to Leon’s family to help with expenses,” Uther said.  “His wife called to thank me, she was in tears.  She said that you were like a little brother to her husband.  That he talked about you all the time, how proud he was, and how much he admired you.  It was then that I realized I had never told you I was proud of you.  That’s what you wanted me to say on the phone that night and I didn’t.”

“It’s fine…I’m used to it,” Arthur smiled.

“But it isn’t.  I have failed you as a father.  Your mother is dead because of me.  I wanted a son so badly.  The doctors told us that even if she were to become pregnant, the chances of her carrying to term and surviving were slim.  She insisted that we go through with it because she knew how much I wanted a son to carry on the Pendragon name.  To be honest, I didn’t believe the doctors.  Your mother was a beautiful, strong, vibrant woman who loved life and lived it to the fullest.  I really believed that she would be perfectly fine, and we would have a son.  Then she began to get sick, violently ill.  She struggled to keep food down, and her weight kept dropping.  The doctors recommended that they abort the pregnancy because there was too high of a risk to her.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” Arthur asked.

“I was ashamed.  But I need you to know now, Arthur.  There is so much I need to apologize for.”

“What happened at my birth?”

“Your mother went into labor a month early.  She was determined to bring her baby boy into the world even if it killed her,” Uther dropped his head for a moment then looked up at his son.  Her heart stopped while you were still in the birth canal.  They pulled you out and the cord was wrapped around your neck.  You were nearly blue and not breathing.  It took them several minutes to cut the cord and unwrap it.  It seemed like an eternity passed before I finally heard you breathe, and you started to cry…a mournful wailing as if you knew your mother was gone.  I will never forget that cry as long as I live.  It is permanently etched into my mind.”

Arthur leaned back on the sofa his hands over his face as his shoulders shook.  There was no holding back the tears.  He let out a deep sob and leaned forward linking his fingers behind his neck.  He felt his father’s hand on his back, rubbing slowly.

“I’m sorry, Arthur.  For everything.  I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know that I do love you and that I am so damn proud of the man you have become.  When Sophia disappeared, I saw what it did to you, but you picked yourself up and carried on for Charlotte’s sake.  You are a stronger man than I am.  You have been there for your beautiful daughter when I was never there for you.”

Arthur turned and looked at Uther, he shook his head slowly, “You should have told me.”

“I know, and I would have taken all this with me to my grave if not for Annis.  I told her how hearing about Leon affected me and she said I needed to pull my head out of my arse and fix things with you.  I needed to tell you the truth.”

“I don’t even know what to do with this, Father,” Arthur choked, running a hand through his hair.

Uther nodded, “You can learn from my mistakes and not waste a second of your life.  Spend every moment you can with Charlotte, keep telling her how much you love her and how proud you are of her.  Never let those you love go to sleep at night without telling them what they mean to you.  And for God’s sake, stop hiding how you feel about that boy,” Uther said.  Arthur’s heart nearly stopped as he turned to look at his father.

“Father…I don’t…”

“Arthur, I know Annis thinks I am blind and oblivious, but I am not stupid.  I knew, even back in school, that there was something between you two.  Now there is no doubt.  I felt it the moment you two walked into the house.  The way you struggled to not look at each other too often, to not touch each other in a way that might reveal how you feel.  Merlin has always been protective of you.  I know it was he who let all the air out of the tires on my car that day.”

“You did?”

Uther nodded, “I did.  I let it go because I knew that he would always look after you.  That he would be there for you when I let you down.  I saw the way he looked at you then…and the way he looks at you now.  While I know you have to keep your relationship a secret until he graduates.  I want you to stop hiding it when you are here at home.  I won’t pretend to understand it, but I know you love each other.  You always have on some level.  I didn’t realize he was the same person until you told me.  It was then that I began to put the pieces together.  That is the real reason I was digging into his past.  I wanted to know why this boy just turned up the way he did and why you were still so drawn to him.”

Arthur huffed a laugh wiping his eyes, “I don’t think we even know the answer to that.”

Uther turned the page in the album revealing a small portrait of Ygraine Pendragon holding her baby boy.  “I had this done,” he said, “While she never got the chance to hold you, this painting was my way of giving her that chance.”

“It’s beautiful,” Arthur said.

Uther carefully closed the photo album then picked it up placing it in Arthur’s hands.  “This is all I can give you of your mother.  This and the knowledge that she loved you so much.  She was absolutely certain that you were going to be a boy, she chose the name Arthur.”

“And if I’d been a girl?”

“We never chose a name for a girl because she was so certain.”

“Does Morgana know any of this?” Arthur asked.

Uther nodded, “She knows some but not all of the truth.  I made her promise to keep it from you.  Do not be angry with her.  She loves you, Arthur.  She begged me for years to tell you the full story.  It isn’t her fault.”

“You’re really okay with me and Merlin?”

“After what that little witch Sophia did to you…I don’t care that he is a man.  I just want you to be happy and loved the way you deserve.  God knows I failed to do so.”

“And if I ever get my divorce from her and decide to marry Merlin…”

“You will have my blessing,” Uther nodded.  “I am through trying to control you and mold you.  You are your mother’s son, she would have been so damn proud of you, and she would have loved Merlin too.  Of that I am certain.”

“Can we please speak of her more openly now?” Arthur asked, “I want to get to know my mother and the only way I can do that is through you and the people who knew her.”

“Of course,” Uther said, “I want that too.”  Arthur stood up, holding the album under his left arm.  Uther got to his feet and pulled Arthur into his arms hugging him tightly.  “I love you, my boy.”

“I love you too, Father,” Arthur said tears pooling in his eyes again as he drew back.  “Are you certain you’re not dying, not sick…” he gave him a slight grin.

Uther chuckled, “I can assure you I am healthy as a horse.  Had a complete physical just a month ago.  I am in perfect health.  Physically and mentally.”

“Okay, it’s just you have never been…this…” Arthur said gesturing between them with one hand.

“I know and that will hopefully change now.”

“I hope so.”

“Now, shall we go talk to your Merlin?”

“Yes, just don’t mention anything until he and I have a chance to tell the kids.  I’m not sure how they are going to take it, or if they are even old enough to understand.”

“You’re going to break poor Drea’s heart,” Uther said.

“What?”

“And Annis says I am oblivious…Drea has had a crush on you since she was like fourteen.”

“Oh,” Arthur said, “I didn’t know.  But she has a boyfriend.”

“Yes, a boyfriend who looks a lot like you.”

“Hmm, that’s a bit awkward.  She is too young for me anyway.”

“I’m sure it will be fine, she is engaged to him now, apparently.  He’s nice enough if a bit dense.”

Arthur laughed, “Are you sure you are my father?”

“Unfortunately, for you, yes,” Uther said then put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder as they headed upstairs.

Merlin looked up, worry in his eyes, as Arthur walked into the living room.  Arthur gave him a wink and a slight smile.  Uther walked into the room a moment later and Annis got up, realizing something was going on, so she took hold of Jonah and Charlotte’s hands.

“Come on you two, let’s leave the men to talk and go find the cookies Drea made this morning.”

“Daddy?” Charlotte asked, sensing something was wrong.

“I’m all right, angel girl.  Go with your grandma.  I will tell you later.  I love you,” Arthur hugged her and then kissed her forehead.

Jonah looked at Merlin and he nodded, “Go on, save me a cookie, okay?”

“Okay, Papa,” he smiled.

Once the kids were in the kitchen, Merlin leaned back into the corner of the sectional sofa looking very uneasy.  Arthur could tell his anxiety level was rising.  He sat down next to him and took hold of his hand.  Merlin looked a bit panicked then, glancing at Uther, who was silent.

“What’s going on?” Merlin asked.

“We failed miserably, it seems,” Arthur said, his expression serious.  “We can’t keep what we have a secret.  My father knows.”

Merlin shook his head, “Oh God, I won’t leave…I can’t leave you, Arthur.”

“Merlin, I am not going to ask you to leave.  Quite the opposite actually,” Uther smiled.

“I don’t understand.”

Arthur leaned closer and kissed him tenderly on the lips.  “We don’t have to hide, not here.  Father has given us his blessing.  We can be together.  We just need to tell the kids and hope they are old enough to understand that we love each other and want to be a family.  It’s okay,” Arthur smiled.

Merlin looked at Uther, “This is real?”

“Welcome to the family, Merlin.  I have always known you had affections for Arthur.  I just didn’t realize how deep they truly ran.  Though I suppose you letting the air out of my tires should have given me a clue.”

“Oh, you told him about that?” Merlin asked Arthur, who shook his head.

“He knew all along.”

“Oh, shit,” Merlin breathed out, and Uther chuckled.

“I understand why you did it.  And to be completely honest, I was glad that Arthur had you watching out for him even if he didn’t know you were.”

“I won’t apologize for it,” Merlin shook his head, “The way you treated Arthur that day…”

“I know, I deserved it.  Things are hopefully going to be better from now on.  I told Arthur the truth about the past, about his mother’s death and I plan to work hard to make amends for the way I have treated him throughout his life.”

“You’re good?” Merlin asked Arthur.

“I’m good,” Arthur smiled, giving him a slight nod.

Uther leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him.  “Merlin, I know both of your parents and while I am quite certain I am not high on their list of favorite people, I have always admired them.  You are a strong young man, you have a good heart, and you are good for my son.  I can see what you mean to him.  The way he lights up when he mentions your name, the way he looks at you.  He is his mother’s son, and like her, he loves infinitely and unconditionally.  I also know that he already loves that boy of yours.  I want you both to be happy and I want your children to thrive.  Make certain this is what you truly want before you tell Jonah and Charlotte, that is all I ask.”

“It’s what I want,” Merlin said, then looked at Arthur.  “I loved my wife, Freya, Jonah’s mother, very much, but even she knew that Arthur was always there in my heart.  I don’t know if he told you what happened to her…”

“He did and I am deeply sorry for your loss and Jonah’s.  Of all people, I understand what you went through.  Losing Ygraine nearly killed me.  I closed myself off to Arthur and Morgana and focused only on myself.  That was a mistake.  In doing so I nearly destroyed my relationship with my son.  I failed to tell him how damn proud I am of him and everything he has accomplished as a firefighter and as a father to Charlotte.  I don’t know how much he has told you about his wife, but she hurt him deeply and I am ashamed to say I was not there for him when he needed my love and support.”

Merlin squeezed Arthur’s hand, “He hasn’t told me a lot, just that she abandoned him and Charlotte.”

“I don’t like to talk about it, I guess I am like my father in that way,” Arthur said, lowering his head, and running a hand through his hair.

“It seems we both need to change, son,” Uther smiled then clapped his hands on his knees.  “I am going to see about those cookies and leave you two to talk.  Come into the kitchen when you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Uther,” Merlin smiled.

“You’re welcome, Merlin,” Uther said then got up.  He leaned down to squeeze both their shoulders.  “Love each other, just don’t get yourselves in trouble with the job.  I would hate to see either of you end up losing what you have worked so hard for.”

“We will figure it out,” Arthur said.

“I know you will,” Uther nodded then walked out of the living room heading for the kitchen.

Merlin breathed out, leaning his forehead against Arthur’s shoulder.  “God, my heart is still pounding,” he said.  Arthur brought his hand up to stroke his cheek before settling on the side of his neck.  “Fuck, I was so scared he was going to make us leave.”

“Merlin, I would never let you leave…not without me.  If he had told you to leave I would have gone with you…me and Charlotte.”

“I would not expect you to.  They are your family…Charlotte’s family.  I couldn’t let you leave because of us.”

“Well, it is a rather moot point now, isn’t it?” Arthur chuckled as Merlin lifted his head and looked at him.  “We can be together, at least here at home.  And once you graduate and settle into the team we will come out of those shadows as well.  Merlin, I love you.  I can’t promise things will be easy, but I want us to work.  I want to be a family.  As soon as I can get divorced from Sophia I want to marry you.”

Merlin’s eyes widened and he smiled, “You want to marry me.”

“Yes, but I am not going to propose officially until I am free to do so.  I am going to find Sophia and get a divorce.  Father said he would help in the search for her.  We will find her, and I will be free.”

“We need to tell the kids before we do anything else.”

“Yes,” Arthur nodded, “Any idea how to do that?”

“Delicately,” Merlin smiled.

“Daddy,” Charlotte said, and they both turned to face her looking guilty as hell.  She giggled and rolled her eyes.  “What would you like to tell us?” she asked just as Jonah came into the room behind her and climbed into Arthur’s lap without hesitation.

Merlin smiled meeting Arthur’s gaze and shrugged.  “No time like the present.”

“Um, Charlotte…Merlin and I are…” Arthur said glancing down at Jonah, “This is hard.”

“Charlotte…Jonah, Arthur, and I have known each other a long time, but now that we have reconnected, there are certain feelings that we have for each other that you may not quite understand,” Merlin said.  “Charlotte, I love your dad and he loves me.  We want to be together and for the four of us to be a family.  I know it is a lot to take in…”

“Merlin,” Charlotte said, “I may be eight, but I am not a child.  I knew something was going on between you and my Daddy the second you arrived.  I also know that my mother broke his heart and if you break it too I will never forgive you.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Merlin said earnestly.

“Good,” she said, fighting a smile.

Arthur hugged Jonah and looked at him, “Jonah, do you understand?”

“Yep, I love you, Arthur,” the boy hugged his neck, “It means that you’re going to be my Daddy too.”

“I love you, Jonah.  I want to be your Daddy more than anything.”

“Okay,” he said simply then handed Arthur a cookie making him laugh.

“Well, that wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be,” Merlin smiled at Charlotte.  “Are you sure you are okay with this, Charlotte?  I know you barely know me and Jonah.”

“I adore Jonah.  I already feel like his big sister.  And I feel like I know you from things my Daddy has said over the years.  I also looked you up online and in your high school annuals.  Though you look much different now,” she smiled.

Merlin tilted his head back slightly and grinned, “Yes, I have changed a bit, but my feelings for your father have not.  I loved him even then.”

“I know.  I can see it in your eyes when you look at him,” Charlotte smiled.

“We do need to keep this relationship a secret until Merlin gets through training.  If we are found out, he will get kicked out and I will probably be fired.  So, this is between us…just family, okay?  After that, we will not be breaking any rules and free to be together.”

“I won’t tell,” Jonah said.

“Neither will I,” Charlotte smiled.  She moved toward the sofa and sat next to Merlin taking Jonah’s hand.  “Hey, little brother.”

“Hi, big sister,” he giggled.

“Thank you, Charlotte,” Merlin smiled, tears shining in his eyes.  Charlotte hugged him and kissed his cheek.

“I think I am going to like having you for a dad too,” she said.

“And I am going to love having you for my daughter,” Merlin tugged gently on a strand of her blonde hair.  “You look just like your father you know.”

“Yes, I know,” she beamed.

“I think we should head to the guest house and get unpacked.  We have to be up at dawn,” Arthur said.  “Let’s go say goodnight to Grandma and Grandpa.”  They walked into the kitchen.  Annis hugged them all.

“I am so happy for you,” she beamed, “Welcome to the family, Merlin and Jonah.”

“Thank you,” Merlin grinned.

Jonah tugged on Uther’s sleeve.  Uther looked down at him and then bent to pick him up.  Jonah threw his arms around his neck and held on tight.  Uther closed his eyes to hide his emotions as he cupped the back of his head.  Arthur shook his head in disbelief at the sight of his father holding Merlin’s son.  Maybe they would be all right, they could repair the damage and build a strong family.  Morgana would never believe it, not in a million years.  Arthur took out his phone and snapped a couple of photos.

“Jonah,” Uther said softly.

The boy drew back and looked into his eyes.  “Papa lost Mama like you lost Arthur’s mommy…I’m sorry you have been so sad.  It will be better now.”

Uther’s eyes filled with tears as he hugged the boy, a surprised, choked-off laugh erupting from his chest.  “Yes, dear boy, I think you’re right.”

Annis brought her hands to her mouth, fighting tears herself at the beautiful sight.  Arthur put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.  Charlotte hugged her from the other side.  Merlin met Arthur’s gaze, grinning from ear to ear.

“I love you,” he said softly.

“Love you too,” Arthur said drawing him into a warm embrace.  “We need to go get unpacked,” he said turning to his family.  “Jonah, Charlotte, say good night.  We need to go to the guest house now.  Merlin and I have a long day tomorrow.”

“Good night love you both,” Charlotte said then took Jonah’s hand leading him out of the kitchen.  She picked up his backpack and helped him put his jacket on.  Merlin and Arthur came out of the kitchen and together they headed for the front door.   Uther and Annis walked them out and waved.

“Good night, sleep well, my loves,” Annis said wrapping her arms around her husband, looking up at him fondly.  “You did a good thing, my darling.”

“Thank you for helping me save our family,” he smiled then kissed her.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Come, let’s go back inside and have a glass of wine.”

“It’s good to see Arthur happy after everything he has been through.”

“Yes,” Uther said, “Yes, it is.”  They walked back into the house.

Arthur unlocked the door of the guest house and they entered.  Merlin looked around, his eyes wide.  “I expected the guest house to be smaller,” he laughed, “This is almost as big as the main house.”

“It used to be the main house,” Charlotte said.  “Come on, Jonah I will give you the tour and show you to your bedroom.”

“You want the grand tour too?” Arthur asked Merlin.

“Yes,” Merlin grinned.  “Starting with the best part,” he said then kissed Arthur, wrapping his arms around him.  “Stunning…warm…inviting…spacious…” he whispered against his lips.

“Spacious?” Arthur huffed, “Are you saying I’m fat, Mer—lin?”

“God no, you’re perfect.  Adonis even.  Hot as hell.  This tour is brilliant so far.”

“Wait until you get to the bedroom,” Arthur moaned nipping at his bottom lip.

“Ah, yes, the bedroom,” Merlin smiled, “The view is magnificent.”

“You do realize, you’re going to make it impossible to function at work if you look at me like that.  I’m already hard,” he whispered.

“There is a remedy for that,” Merlin winked.

Arthur let out a groan and stepped away from him.  “Bags…unpack…shower,” he said picking up the larger bags.  He glanced back over his shoulder and then tilted his head toward the stairs.  “Come on, move it, Rookie.”

“Yes, Sir!” Merlin grinned then grabbed the rest of the bags following Arthur upstairs.

 

“Jonah, here’s your bag,” Merlin said as he walked into his son’s room.  It was a boy’s dream.  The walls were a warm deep shade of blue with white trim and crown moldings.  The furniture and the bed frame were shiny black wood.  The blue and black bedding matched the room perfectly.  “Wow, this is very nice.”

Jonah was sitting on the wood floor lining up the Hot Wheels cars Arthur had given him.  There were at least fifty of them.  “Papa, this is amazing.”

“Aren’t you spoiled?” Merlin crouched next to him ruffling his dark curls.

“Some are in the package,” Jonah beamed holding up a mint condition Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from the eighties.

“That is so cool,” Merlin said, “I’m going to need you to take your bath now then get into bed, okay?  I have to get up early.  Drea is going to come over in the morning and make you and Charlotte breakfast and spend the day with you.  I need you to be on your best behavior all right?”

“I will be good, I promise, Papa.”

“Good man, now put the cars back into the box while I fill the tub for you,” Merlin said then stood and walked into the adjoining bathroom.  He turned on the water added some bubble bath then returned to the bedroom to find Arthur there helping Jonah undress.

“All right, little stinker, in the bath with you,” Arthur smiled, and Jonah headed toward Merlin who sidestepped to let him by.

“We are pretty good at this tag team father thing,” Merlin grinned.

“Yes, yes, we are,” Arthur said as he wrapped his arms around him.  “I am so damn happy right now I can’t stand it.”

“Me too.  Where’s Charlotte?”

“She’s unpacking my things and putting them away so I thought I would come see if you and Jonah needed help,” Arthur looked around the room and smiled.  “This was my old room growing up.  It used to be red.  This looks better though.”

“Jonah loves the cars.  Thank you.”

“Now I have a legitimate excuse to play with them again,” Arthur grinned.

“I should go help, Jonah,” Merlin said.

“Okay, but I need to ask you a question.”

“Yeah?”

“You put your bags in the guest room.  I was wondering if maybe you would like me to move them into the master suite,” he said softly, and Merlin smiled.

“I would love that.  I was tempted to ask, but…”

“Great, I will go move them now,” Arthur said, sounding absolutely giddy.

Merlin chuckled and then went into the bathroom to help Jonah.  “Behind your ears and between your toes, little one.”

“Papa,” Jonah said then looked up at him.

“Yes, my boy?”

“Are you scared about tomorrow?”

Merlin nodded, “I’m a little nervous.  I’m just hoping I am ready.”  He looked at Jonah curiously.  “Are you scared?  I know this is a huge change for you.”

“I’m not scared.  Mama said this would happen.”

“She did?” Merlin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She told me that Arthur would come and take us to a place where we would be happy and loved.”

“Your Mama really does talk to you, doesn’t she.”

“Mmhmm,” Jonah said scrubbing behind his large ears which he had inherited from his father.  “Charlotte is really going to be my big sister?”

“Yes,” Merlin said.

“Good, she is nice, and she is fun to play with.  She really loves horses.  She’s going to teach me all about them.”

“I want you to be happy, Jonah, but I need you to tell me if, at any time, you are not.  Okay?”

“Okay, but you don’t have to worry, Papa.  I know this is where we belong.”

“Because your Mama told you,”

“Yep,” Jonah grinned, and Merlin chuckled then pulled a large, white, fluffy towel from the shelf.

“All right, finish washing up then let’s get you out and put your pjs on.  I am falling asleep on my feet,” he said.  Twenty minutes later, Jonah was tucked into bed with his Eeyore.  Merlin kissed him good night.  “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck,” Jonah exclaimed then threw his arms around his father’s neck.

“That’s right,” Merlin grinned, “Sleep now, I will be just at the end of the hallway.”  He turned as he heard movement behind him, and Arthur walked in with Charlotte.

“We came to say good night.  Charlotte brought a book to read to you, Jonah.  If you are interested of course,” he smiled.

“Yes!” the boy beamed as Charlotte lay down on the bed next to him.

“Good night you two,” Arthur kissed them both on top of the head then walked over to the door.  “See you tomorrow when we get home.”

“Night, Daddy, we will be fine, won’t we Jonah.”

“Yep, we are going to have fun.”

“I’m sure you will,” Merlin grinned then kissed Jonah’s forehead.  Charlotte pulled him into a hug as well.

“You don’t have to worry, Merlin.  I will take good care of him.”

“I know you will, sweetheart.  Thank you.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Charlotte said then kissed Merlin’s cheek.

“Me too, sweet girl.  You are so much like your Daddy.  Good night,” Merlin kissed her forehead then got up off the bed and walked into Arthur’s arms.  Arthur hugged him.  They watched their children as Charlotte opened the book and started to read to Jonah.

“Ready?” Arthur asked softly.

“Yeah, I need that shower now.”

They stepped out into the hallway closing the door partway then Arthur kissed him.  “This feels so right, Merlin.”

“Yes, it does,” he nodded, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared it could all go away.”

“We won’t let it.  You and I have had more than our share of pain and anguish.  It’s our turn to be happy and content.  Our children deserve to be happy and loved without fear and worry.  We can make this work.  We will make this work.  Losing Leon made me realize that life is too damn short to live in fear instead of taking chances and loving with all that we are.”

Merlin let out a breath and kissed him, “Speaking of loving…care to join me in the shower?”

“Mmm, don’t mind if I do,” Arthur grinned.

They walked into the master suite.  Merlin looked around the room and smiled.  “Wow, this is as big as some of the apartments I have lived in.”  There was a king bed on a dark wood frame in the middle of the room facing the windows.  Behind it was a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and entertainment center with a TV and a bar, a sofa with a comfortable armchair, and a coffee table.  The bathroom was gorgeous with floor-to-ceiling slate tile shower and dark wood cabinets.  The wall over the vanity was a large mirror with dark wood shelves on one side and a towel warmer on the other.

“Fancy,” Merlin chuckled.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin from behind looking at their reflection.  “We look good together,” he grinned then kissed the side of his neck.

“Yes, we do,” Merlin turned in Arthur’s embrace kissing him deeply.

“It’s getting late, let’s take that shower and get to bed or we will both be useless tomorrow.”

“I know,” Merlin breathed out, pressing their foreheads together, “God, I want you.”

They undressed quickly and then stepped into the shower.  Arthur turned it on and pulled Merlin into his arms kissing him as his hands moved slowly over his slick smooth skin making him shiver in pleasure.

“I want you too, but not tonight…I want our first time together to not be rushed.”

“Okay, but I need relief, or I am never going to survive the night in bed with you.”

“That, I think I we have time for,” Arthur said huskily. 

Merlin wrapped his large hand and long fingers around both of their erections slowly stroking and tugging, sliding his thumb over the head of their cocks.  Arthur moaned filthily losing himself in the sensations coursing all through his body.

“For someone who has never been with a man, you are very good.”

“I have an extremely agile mind, I’m very creative,” Merlin said as he nipped at Arthur’s bottom lip making him practically whimper with a pull and a twist of his hand.

“Fuck, Merlin…that feels so good.”

“That’s the idea.”

Arthur was so close when he turned Merlin around pressing him up against the cool tiles kissing his shoulder and neck, his hand sliding down along his sides to his hips.  He pressed his length into the cleft of that perfect arse.  Reaching around he gripped Merlin’s cock stroking him while rocking his hips into him.

“Arthur…oh, you are good.”

“I know,” Arthur said in his ear.

“Ah, God, yes,” Merlin panted, his chest heaving as Arthur’s hand moved faster and the head of his cock slipped between his thighs.  “Oh, Arthur,” he moaned pressing his forehead against the wall as his body shuddered and jerked spilling his seed over Arthur’s hand.  He turned around kissing him passionately then dropped to his knees taking him into his mouth swallowing him to the base and Arthur came, his fingers buried in Merlin’s wet curls.

“Holy hell,” Arthur stuttered pulling Merlin to his feet to kiss him again, tasting himself on his lips and tongue.

“I think we can sleep now,” Merlin chuckled breathlessly.

They washed each other from head to toe then got out, wrapping themselves in warm towels before heading into the bedroom.  They put on pajama pants and tank tops then got into bed.  Arthur used the panel on the wall next to the headboard to shut off the lights and to turn on the gas fireplace on the wall near the bed.

“This is really cozy,” Merlin smiled as Arthur wrapped his arms around him.

“Now that you’re here it is.  Before it always felt empty.”

“I love you, Arthur.”

“I love you too.  Sleep now…tomorrow is going to be a grueling day.”

“Do you really think I can pull it off?”

“Yes, I do.  But if you don’t get some sleep you are going to have a hard first day.”

“Okay,” Merlin kissed him then turned onto his stomach wrapping his arms around his pillow, “Good night,” he said the words muffled.

“Good night.  Don’t hate me after I put you through the wringer tomorrow,” Arthur said as he set the alarm on his phone for five in the morning.

“Never.”

“Everything is going to work out, you’ll see,” Arthur said then kissed the back of his shoulder before rolling over onto his side and closing his eyes.  He smiled after a bit, hearing Merlin’s soft snoring.  His last thought before drifting off to sleep was how good it felt to have Merlin’s warm body next to him and how much he wanted it to be that way for the rest of their lives.

Chapter 5: Hell Week

When the alarm went off, Arthur reached for it, hit the dismiss, and sat up to find the bed empty.  For a moment he wondered if he had dreamed it all and Merlin was never there with him.  Getting out of bed he stood up and went into the bathroom to get ready.  Thirty minutes later he went downstairs to find Merlin alone in the kitchen drinking some sort of smoothie.  He looked up as Arthur came in and then poured him one.

“Drink up,” he grinned.

“You’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning.”

“Woke up at four so I thought I would take a short run and do an easy workout in the gym.  Your father went all out on that…covered all the bases.”

“I still can’t believe he turned the sunroom into a gym.  I hope you didn’t do too much.”

“No, just enough to get the blood pumping and to calm my nerves.  I’m good…I am ready.  As soon as I finish this I will go upstairs and clean up.  What should I wear today?”

“Just your usual jogging pants and a T-shirt, good running shoes.  I will introduce you to everyone and get you fitted for your clothing and gear.  You might want to take a bag with a change of clothes and shorts if it gets too warm.”

“Sounds good,” Merlin nodded then downed the last of his smoothie and headed for the stairs.

Arthur took a drink and wrinkled his nose.  “I wouldn’t drink it for pleasure,” he said, shaking his head then drank it down.  Rinsing out the glasses he put them into the dishwasher just as Charlotte came downstairs.  “Morning, sunshine, you don’t need to be up this early.”

“I wanted to wish Merlin luck on his first day,” she smiled sleepily.  “Jonah is still asleep.”

“Drea just texted me, she will be here shortly.  She will make you guys breakfast.  I’m hoping we will make it home in time for dinner.  I will text you later and let you know so you can tell your grandma.”

“If not then just bring home pizza from Louie’s,” she said.

“Sounds good,” Arthur hugged her, “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“I just want to make sure you are okay with all this.  I know it is a huge change, having Merlin and Jonah here.  It’s a lot and I didn’t exactly talk to you about it beforehand.  I don’t want you to feel like you cannot voice your feelings.”

“Daddy, I am just happy that you have finally found someone who makes you happy and will love you the way you deserve.  Merlin is great and I adore Jonah.  I am happy.”

“Something was bothering you when we spoke on the phone the other day.  Do you want to talk about it?”

Charlotte lowered her gaze, “Nothing really…I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Daddy,” she smiled then rolled her eyes, “You need to focus on your job and helping Merlin.”

“Did I hear my name?” Merlin asked as he came bounding down the steps with his small duffle bag and his jacket.  “Morning, Charlotte,” he grinned, “Jonah is still sleeping.  Thank you for reading to him last night.”

“You’re welcome, I love reading books.  It was no trouble.”

“We better get going,” Arthur said, “Love you, baby girl.”

“Love you, Daddy.  Merlin, good luck.”

“Thank you, Charlotte,” he said, “See you later.  Tell Jonah I love him.  Oh, and he’s excited about the horses.  He has been around them before, but never ridden one.”

“I promise we will be careful.  Drea is an expert rider and I’ve been riding since I was four.”

“I know you will.  Thank you for taking care of him.  It means a lot to have my boy here with me.  I just finished a job in Cheyenne.  The thought of going another six weeks or more without seeing him…”

“I understand believe me,” Charlotte looked at her father, “I know how hard it is being separated from your dad for so long.  I’m genuinely happy to have you and Jonah here with us.”

“You’re an angel,” Merlin smiled then hugged her.

Drea walked in the door just then smiling brightly.  “Good morning.  Hi Charlotte, you’re up early.  I brought fresh blueberry muffins.  Would you guys like one before you leave?”

“No, thank you,” Merlin smiled, “Thank you for taking care of Jonah for me.”

“You’re very welcome.  Good luck, Merlin.”

“See you later,” Arthur said then put an arm around Merlin as they walked out of the house and headed for the detached garage.  He pushed a button and the door opened revealing a shiny red Jeep Gladiator with black trim.

“Oh, I have always wanted one of these,” Merlin said as he opened the passenger door.

“I bought it when I was home last.  Only got to drive it for a few days before I left for the Dragon Peak Fire,” Arthur smiled as he got behind the wheel and started the engine backing out of the garage just as the sun was rising.  “Maybe I will let you drive home.”

Merlin grinned, “That’s okay, I will probably be too exhausted to drive.”

“That is a very real possibility.”

“Thank you, Arthur.”

Arthur looked at him and shook his head.  “No need to thank me, Merlin.”

“Actually, I do need to.  When I left Cheyenne, I never expected my life to take such an unexpected and welcome turn.  To have this time with my son, to be with you, being accepted by your father…I am beyond grateful.  And to have this opportunity to finally become a smokejumper like my dad…” Merlin’s voice caught in his throat, and Arthur reached over to take hold of his hand.  Merlin linked their fingers looking down at their joined hands.  “Guess this is our last chance to touch like this, huh.”

“It’s going to be torture.”

“We’ll make up for it when we get home.”

“Yes, yes, we will,” Arthur grinned.  “If I am hard on you today, just remember that I am only doing my job.”

“I know,” Merlin nodded then released his hand as they drove into the parking lot of the training facility.  “This is it,” he said.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

They got out of the Gladiator, and Arthur locked the doors.  They walked up to the entrance as the doors opened and three men came out.  The first was maybe a couple of inches shorter than Merlin but stocky with brown hair, the second man was the same height as Arthur, lean, with dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, and reminded Merlin of a hawk.  The third man was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome.  With deep brown, friendly eyes, and an easy smile, he liked him immediately.

“You’re late, Arthur.”

“And you’re a moron, Valiant,” Arthur gave him a thin smile.  “Merlin Ambrose, this is Michael Valiant, he is another instructor.  You will be working with him on jump training.”

“You’re Merlin Ambrose,” Valiant gave Merlin a once over, “Not as scrawny as I thought you’d be.  I still don’t think you will make the cut.”

Merlin tilted his head slightly, “Guess we will see.”

Arthur gave Valiant a look and then motioned to the other two men.  “Merlin, this is Tristan Larsen and Lance Cabrera two of our other trainers.  Tristan will teach you everything you need to know about inspecting, repairing, and packing parachutes.  His wife Isolde will help with getting you fitted for your clothing, jumpsuit, and gear.  We manufacture all our own gear and clothing, so she will teach you how to use the machines.”

“Good job I already know how to sew.  My mom taught me.”

“Then you’re a step ahead of the others,” Tristan smiled, “It’s good to meet you, Merlin.  I know your father…good man.”

“Yes, he is,” Merlin nodded shaking his hand.

“Merlin, welcome,” Lance smiled putting a hand on his shoulder, “I help Arthur with the physical fitness stuff so you will probably hate me before this is all over.  My wife Gwen is on Arthur’s smokejumper team.”

“Oh, that Lance,” Merlin smiled, “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Lance smiled.

“I give him a week and he’ll be gone,” Valiant smirked.

“I love to be underestimated,” Merlin grinned then shrugged before raising an eyebrow.

Arthur put a hand on his shoulder.  “Come on, let’s go inside.  Valiant, you really need to work on your social skills.”  He steered Merlin around the three men and entered the building.

“Teacher’s pet much,” Valiant said.

“Shut up, Mike,” Tristan said, “You do need to go to charm school.  Way to encourage the newbies.”

“Fuck off, Tristan,” Valiant huffed then headed for the airfield.  Tristan and Lance looked at each other and laughed then went back inside the building.

 

“Merlin Ambrose, this is the indispensable Isolde Larsen,” Arthur smiled.  The beautiful blonde woman patted Merlin’s cheek and smiled.

“Aren’t you a handsome devil?  Welcome, Merlin.  I look forward to working with you.”

“You too, Isolde,” Merlin grinned.

“Merlin already knows how to sew,” Arthur smiled.

“Well, that makes my job easier,” she beamed.  “Unfortunately, the others in your group can’t even thread a needle.  If you’re any good I just may make you my apprentice.”

“I would like that,” Merlin nodded.

“Speaking of the group, everyone is here?”

“Yes, they are waiting out back by the obstacle course.”

“I guess we should get out there then,” Arthur said then he and Merlin went into the ready room.  They dropped their things in Arthur’s locker, then he grabbed his clipboard and stopwatch, and they headed outside.  There were twenty-two rookies, counting Merlin.  Only two were women.  “Good morning,” Arthur said.

“Morning,” everyone echoed as Merlin moved to join them.

“All right,” Arthur said as he switched into trainer mode.  “Just like in elementary school, when I say your name shout ‘here’ then line up along the fence.  “Merlin Ambrose, I know you’re here.  You are first.”

“Yes, Sir,” Merlin said then moved to stand by the fence.

“Mordred Alexander,” Arthur said.

“Here,” a young man with curly brown hair and blue eyes walked over to stand next to Merlin giving him a nod.

“Mithian Rodor…”

“Here,” the pretty brunette smiled then moved to stand next to Mordred.

“Ewan Valiant,” Arthur raised an eyebrow, “I take it you’re related to Michael Valiant?”

“Yes, Sir, he’s my uncle,” Ewan said with an all too familiar attitude and Arthur already disliked him.  He walked over to stand next to Mithian, who moved closer to Mordred.

“Kara Dowling…”

“Here,” the blonde girl said then hurried to stand next to Mithian.

Arthur made his way through the rest of the names.  Until all twenty-two were lined up.  He looked them over and nodded. 

“Welcome to Smokejumper rookie training, I’m Arthur Pendragon, your instructor.  I am not your friend, it is my job to prepare you for one of the most intense, difficult, and dangerous jobs you will ever do.  It is my job to give you the training and tools to keep you alive out there in the wilderness.  “If you are afraid of heights, tight spaces, bears, snakes, bugs, or have a severe aversion to dirt or body odor this would be a good time for you to go home,” Arthur smirked, and everyone laughed.

“I’m not afraid of anything and I’m faster and stronger than anyone here.” Ewan looked around, “You may as well send everyone else home.”

“Just as cocky and smug as your uncle, I see,” Arthur said.

“Yes, Sir,” the kid nodded.

“Well, Ewan, I have been doing this awhile.  I can tell you from experience that it’s the cocky ones, the rookies who think themselves invincible, who are invariably the first to cry for their mommies when things get a bit too tough.  Trust me, things will get tough, so I suggest you leave your ego at home and tone down the snark.”

“Right,” Ewan huffed a laugh.  “It doesn’t matter, my uncle will make sure I get through no matter what you say.”

Arthur moved quickly, catching him off guard as he got in his face.  “See, that’s where you’re wrong.  There is no special treatment, no free pass, you do the work you graduate.  Don’t do the work and you go home.  It's as simple as that.  I hold the ultimate decision as to who gets through and who doesn’t.  Do not think for one moment that your uncle has any pull other than when it comes to jump training.  Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Ewan took a half step back though his expression did not change.

Merlin could feel Ewan’s anger simmering.  Arthur was going to have his hands full with that one.  He glanced at Mordred and smiled, rolling his eyes.  Mordred grinned giving him a slight nod.  Mithian looked at them and smiled.

“All right,” Arthur said, “Let’s start with some stretching and warmups then we are going to do a run…by we, I mean you.  I will be waiting at the finish line over there to see which of you makes it there first.  Follow the orange flags and make sure you pace yourselves.  You don’t want to get injured or burn out on the first test.  It is a dirt trail, with uneven ground, and steep inclines.  Grab water and get ready, you will go in thirty minutes.  And let’s drop the ‘sir’ and call me Arthur.  We are training to be a part of a team, after all.”

“Arthur,” Mordred said, stepping closer to him, “Thank you for this opportunity.  I am looking forward to learning from you.”

“Brown-nosing little twink,” Ewan muttered as he walked past them, earning him a withering look from Arthur.  The kid smirked and then walked over to the table to get a bottle of water.  Mordred glared at him and shook his head then followed.

“That one is going to be a problem,” Merlin said.

“Yeah,” Arthur nodded, “I shouldn’t be surprised, his uncle is a giant prick.  Keep an eye on him, let me know if he causes trouble.”

“Will do,” Merlin nodded.

Arthur watched the rookies move around, stretching, bouncing up and down.  His eyes wanted to linger on Merlin, but he forced himself to look away.  The last thing Merlin needed was for the others to figure out there was more going on between them.  Ewan would be all too happy to expose them if given the opportunity.

Merlin kept his gaze averted bending over to stretch then doing side lunges and arm swings, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.  He had already gone for the short run that morning, so he was feeling surprisingly good.  Ready to go.  He looked up as Mithian approached, handing him a bottle of water with a bright smile.

“Thank you,” he nodded, accepting it.

“I’m so nervous,” she said with a sigh and a melodic laugh that made Merlin smile.

“Just do your best and it will all work out.”

“You don’t seem one bit nervous.”

“I am a bit, it’s just I know that I’m as ready as I will ever be.  This is my dream, and I am going to make it happen.”

Mithian smiled, “You make it sound so easy.”

“Oh, it won’t be easy, believe me.  My father was a smokejumper.  He’s the reason I need to do this…one of them anyway.”

“And the other reasons?” she asked.

“My son,” Merlin said proudly.

“Oh, you have a son?  How old is he?  What’s his name?”

“Yes, he is five, his name is Jonah.”

“So, the other reason is your wife?”

Merlin risked a quick glance toward Arthur then shook his head.  “My wife died when Jonah was born,” he said.

Mithian looked stricken, “Oh, God, I am so sorry.  That must have been so hard for you.”

“It was, Freya was a wonderful woman and I miss her.”

“I am sorry to bring up sad memories.  I didn’t mean to…” she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine, really,” Merlin smiled.

“I would really love to meet Jonah.  He’s got to be adorable, just like his father,” Mithian smiled.

Merlin grinned, “You should really do some stretching.  We have fifteen minutes.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” she beamed giving him a wink.

Merlin looked up to find Arthur watching them with his lips pressed firmly together.  He met Merlin’s gaze for a moment then looked away focusing on his clipboard.  It almost seemed like he was annoyed…or maybe jealous.  He felt a rush of warmth at the thought of Arthur being jealous that he was talking to Mithian who just happened to be gorgeous.

Fifteen minutes later, Arthur walked to the line and gestured to Lance who had just come outside.  He approached, looking over Arthur’s shoulder at the clipboard.  “What do you think?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

“Did you know Ewan is Valiant’s nephew?  That one is going to be a troublemaker.  I need you to help me keep an eye on him.”

“I heard.  I will definitely watch him.”

“All right, line up boys and girls,” Arthur shouted, “You will go on the sound of Lance’s whistle.  It’s a long hard run, pace yourselves, and do not push so hard that you get injured, or you will have to drop out.  Take care of yourselves and your teammates.  There will be three drones overhead watching your progress.  We will go back and study the footage collected by the drones to look for strengths and weaknesses or if anyone decides to break the rules.  Understood?”

“Yes,” everyone said in chorus.

“Good, get in position.  I’ll be waiting for you here at the finish line.  Do your best, rookies…good luck,” Arthur said.  “Lance, when you’re ready.”

“Good luck,” Lance said then blew the whistle.

Merlin glanced back at Arthur and then took off running.  Mordred was right next to him, Kara and Mithian just behind.  Ewan, ignoring Arthur’s instructions had shot out ahead running at full speed.  Mordred huffed and shook his head.

“Dumb fuck,” he said, and Kara laughed.

“He will pay for it later,” Merlin smiled.

“Is it wrong to hope he falls on his face?” Mordred asked with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Mordred, that’s not nice,” Mithian said then giggled.

“Just try to steer clear of him as much as possible,” Merlin said.

The four of them kept up an easy pace, steady and sure.  Ewan had already dropped into the ravine so they could no longer see him.  Merlin knew where he was though, he could sense him.  Call it a gut feeling or his mind’s eye he had always been able to find his way through things by trusting it.  And right now, it was telling him that Ewan was up to no good.  He was the kind of person who would do anything to get what he wanted.

As they passed beneath a line of trees Merlin shook his head.  “Everybody move to the left side of the trail,” he shouted.  Mordred and the girls listened, along with some of the others.  The ones who didn’t nearly crashed into a pile of rocks and broken branches that had magically fallen into the path.

“Fuck, how did you…” Mordred asked, looking at Merlin.

“Just a funny feeling,” Merlin shrugged.

“Was that…” Mithian asked.

“Just be careful,” Merlin nodded, “Ewan is not going to play fair.”

“The drones wouldn’t have been able to see that with the trees,” Kara frowned.

“And Ewan knows this trail,” Mordred muttered.

“Keep to the left and focus,” Merlin said.

“We are following you, Merlin,” Mithian gave him a quick nod.

Merlin picked up speed as they went down a steep hillside covered in small boulders and cut logs.  The orange flags marked the trail and as they climbed the next incline he caught a glimpse of orange in the brush.

“He’s pulled some of the flags, he is trying to throw us off,” he growled, “I really don’t like this guy.  This way,” he said, gesturing to the left fork in the trail even though the next flag they could see was on the right.  “That one has been moved.”  He ran left, followed by most of the others.  A few shook their heads giving him a look of ‘whatever, idiots’, and went right, quickly rounding the next bend only to find themselves at a dead end with no hope of catching up.

“You’re a genius, Merlin,” Mordred chuckled, shaking his head.

“He’s pulling this crap in places the drones won’t see,” Kara huffed, “He’s going to get someone hurt or killed.”

“Not with Merlin around he won’t,” Mithian smiled.

“All right, he is not far ahead now,” Merlin nodded, “He thinks he’s in the clear and he's tired, so he is slowing his pace.  Move to the right, we are going to blow past him and take him by surprise.”

“You heard him,” Mordred shouted to the others who were still behind.  Everyone fell in line with Merlin and Mordred, the girls running side by side behind them.

“Ready?” Merlin asked then smiled, “Now!”  He poured on the speed taking the lead easily.  Rounding the final bend Ewan barely had time to react as Merlin flew past him.  He was so stunned that he nearly tripped.  Recovering, he ran faster, but the others swamped him, and he ended up trapped in the middle of the group.

“Move, dammit,” he shouted but the other runners closed ranks on him completely cutting him off.  “Fuck!” he roared.

Merlin slowed just enough to check that Mordred and the girls were okay.  Pushing on, the trail widened, and he spotted Arthur at the end, grinning from ear to ear, when he saw Merlin was in the lead.  He overshot the finish line coming to a stop in the shade about fifty feet beyond.

Mordred crossed, then Mithian and Kara followed by the others and a red-faced, seething Ewan.  He charged Merlin, shoving him up against a tree, and gripped him by the front of his shirt, his eyes wild.

“You little fucker,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Is there a problem, Ewan?” Merlin asked with a glint of amusement in his eyes and a crooked grin.  “Are you upset that your little sabotage attempts failed?”

“I don’t trust you,” Ewan growled.

“The feeling is mutual,” Merlin said his eyes narrowing, “You could have seriously hurt someone.”

“What the hell is going on?” Arthur asked with a clear note of threat in his voice.  He pulled Ewan off Merlin shoving him into Lance’s waiting grip.  “Someone better talk, now!”

“Ewan tried to sabotage the rest of us.  He ran out ahead, pushed rocks and debris into the path, and moved the orange flags,” Mordred said to Arthur, “The bastard could have hurt someone if not for Merlin’s sixth sense and quick thinking.”

“Is this true?” Arthur asked Ewan, his eyes blazing.

“Of course not, that is ridiculous,” Ewan laughed but that laugh faded when everyone crowded around him, and Arthur got in his face.

“Do not think for one second that you are protected just because your uncle is Michael Valiant,” Arthur said coldly.  “Consider this your first and last warning, Ewan.  Pull anything like that again and you are gone!  Is that clear?””

Ewan glared at Merlin.  “Clear, Sir!” he snapped.

“Get out of my sight,” Arthur hissed shoving Ewan backward nearly knocking him on his ass.  He watched as the kid headed for the building.  “Fucking smug piece of shit,” he muttered under his breath then turned to Merlin, his gaze softening.  “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he grinned.

“Lance, I want that drone footage on my laptop,” Arthur said, “If I find even one piece of evidence, he is getting written up.  He pulls anything like this again and he is out of here, I don’t care who his goddamn uncle is.”

“Got it,” Lance nodded then took off jogging toward the building the rest of the rookies followed except Mordred and the girls.  They hung back rallying around Merlin.  Arthur gave them a nod.

“Thank you, Mordred, you are all dismissed, except Merlin,” he said.  They left reluctantly and as soon as they were out of earshot, Arthur reached for Merlin.  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes, I’m all good.  Just pissed off.  He could have really hurt someone.  Putting that debris in the trail…” he shook his head.

“How did you even know?”

Merlin shrugged, “I just do.  I feel things.  It’s hard to explain.”

“Like when you found Faline?” Arthur asked and Merlin nodded.  “Good job, Merlin,” he smiled.”

“Thanks,” he grinned.

“Seriously, impressive run,” Arthur put a hand on his shoulder as they walked toward the building.

“Seeing you waiting at the finish line was great motivation.”

“I thought maybe you were trying to impress Mithian.”

Merlin grinned, “You’re jealous.”

“I’m not…”

“You are…”

“Shut up, Merlin.”

“Mithian is stunning and strong.  She said I’m adorable and wants to meet my son.”

“So, you’re interested in her?” Arthur asked, his voice breaking.

Merlin smiled, “Admit it.  You’re jealous.”

“You’re mine, Merlin.  And if I could, I would make sure everyone knew it.”

“We know it…that’s what matters.”

“Watch yourself, I don’t trust Ewan,” Arthur said, wrapping his hand around Merlin’s wrist.  “His uncle has been a thorn in my side for years.  We went through smokejumper training at the same time, and I scored at the top where he barely made it through.  Needless to say, Valiant holds a grudge and I do not doubt that he has influenced Ewan.”

“I’ll be careful,” Merlin nodded, “We should probably go inside with the others before people start wondering what we are doing out here all alone.”

“I am dying to give them something to wonder about,” Arthur breathed out.  When you crossed that finish line I wanted to grab you, pull you into my arms, and kiss you senseless.”

Merlin grinned, “You have my full permission to do so later.”

Arthur smiled, “I can’t wait.”

“I love you,” Merlin whispered then turned around and jogged up to the building leaving Arthur standing alone with a soft smile on his face that he quickly covered with a hand before following him.

 

The group showered and changed then spent the next two hours with Tristan and Isolde going over gear and parachutes and instruction on how to sew the harnesses and inspect them for wear or damage then learning to make repairs.  After an hour-long break for lunch, they started jump training with Valiant.  Arthur was on hand to watch the team and give instructions while keeping an eye on Merlin to make sure Valiant and his nephew didn’t try anything.

The first day was brutal and Merlin was dragging ass by the time they finished.  He grabbed his bag and headed out the door to find Arthur waiting near the Gladiator talking to Lance and Tristan.  He looked up and smiled.

“You look beat.”

“Please,” Merlin huffed a laugh, “I am ready and raring to go.”  He winced as he put his bag in the truck then rubbed his left shoulder while rotating his arm and grimacing.

Tristan smiled, “You did well today, kid.  See you tomorrow.”

“See you, Tristan, and thanks,” Merlin nodded.

“He’s right, Merlin,” Lance said, “You did great today.  Don’t let Ewan get under your skin.”

“I won’t, thank you, Lance.”

“Oh, and you and Arthur should be a bit more careful.  Maybe it’s just because I know him so well…I see there’s something between you two and I am happy for you both, but if you aren’t careful you will be kicked out and Arthur will lose his job,” Lance said, raising an eyebrow.

“We will be more careful,” Merlin nodded.

“Good,” Lance smiled, “I am glad he finally found someone who will be good to him.”

“I would do anything for him.”

“I know.  Just be careful I would hate to lose either of you.  Merlin, you have immense potential.  I think you will make it through rookie training and graduate at or near the top.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.  Keep listening to your instincts.”

“I always do,” Merlin smiled.

“See you tomorrow,” Lance nodded then headed for his own truck.

“Lance!” Arthur called out and he turned.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” he nodded.

“You’re welcome,” he grinned.

Merlin met Arthur’s gaze and shrugged his sore shoulders.  “We missed dinner.”

“Picking up pizzas on the way home.  Charlotte and Jonah are waiting for us, let’s go.”

They got in the truck and Arthur drove into town stopping just long enough to run into Louie’s to grab the three pizzas he ordered.  Merlin slumped in his seat, fighting sleep.  He was exhausted.  He felt good though, he had given his all and busted his ass.  Not even Ewan’s bullshit could bring him down at the moment.

Arthur returned with the pizzas putting them in the backseat.  He got behind the wheel and smiled reaching over to pat Merlin’s chest.

“You still with me?”

“Mmhmm,” Merlin said, “That smells good.”

“Best pizza in the state,” Arthur grinned then started the engine, backing out onto the street then turning for home.  “Can you stay awake long enough to eat it?”

“Sure,” he grinned sitting up straighter in the seat.

“You did well today.  There are very few rookies who can get the practice landings right on the first day.  Just how much skydiving have you done?”

“My father is Balinor Ambrose,” Merlin grinned, “I’ve been jumping out of planes since I was seventeen.  He used to take me every chance he got when he was home.  Even in the fall and winter.  Once we even jumped in a remote area near Stanley and camped for three days in an old cabin.  We got hit with a blizzard the second day and ended up being out there five days before the weather cleared and we were able to hike down to the road to be picked up.”

“Sounds like you two had a great time though.”

“The best,” Merlin smiled.  “Just me and Dad, no distractions, no worries.  Mom was not exactly happy, but she took it in stride.  He may have been gone a lot with the job, but he never failed to make the moments count when we were together.  That’s what I want for Jonah.  I can do the job and still give him a good life…be there for him when I am not working.”

“It’s not easy, I know I have let Charlotte down at times, but she understands.  I need to do better though.”

“We can do this, right?” Merlin asked.

“Yes,” Arthur nodded reaching over to rub his thigh, “We can, and we will.”

“I know it isn’t going to be easy.”

“We will be on the same team, so we will be together and when we are home we will focus totally on the kids and each other.”

“And if I don’t make it through training?”

“You will.”

“If I don’t…I still want to be with you.  I want us to be a family.  Even if it means I stay home with the kids while you are out there.”

“Merlin, I watched you today.  There is no reason at all that you cannot graduate.  You have all the skills, you have the strength, the stamina, the courage, and mindboggling instincts.  I was not able to see what Ewan did on the drone footage…damn, I would give anything to be able to prove what he did and kick his ass out.”

“I can handle him.”

“He’s gunning for Mordred too.”

“I know.”

“What did you think of him?”

“Mordred is good, he’s strong and has skills.  The girls are both determined and strong.”

“All three of them trust you implicitly already.  That is important for a team.”

Arthur pulled the truck into the driveway parking it between the garage and the house then shut off the engine.  They got out and Merlin grabbed the pizzas then they headed into the house as Drea was just leaving.

“The kids are waiting for you.  I have to run, I have a family thing to go to with my fiancé,” she smiled.

“Thank you, Drea,” Arthur nodded.

“You’re welcome.  Merlin, how did it go today?”

“Good, but I am beat.”

“I’m sure.  I will be here in the morning.”

“Night, Drea,” Merlin smiled then followed Arthur inside.  “Where’s my boy?” he called out and Jonah came around the corner as he placed the pizzas on the table.

“Papa!” he said jumping into Merlin’s arms.

“I missed you.  Did you have a fun time with Charlotte and Drea today?”

“Yes, we went to the stables.  Papa, can we get a kitten…there’s one in the barn it is so cute, and it loves me.  I think it’s a girl kitty and it is all black except for one white spot.  You said Mama loved black kitties.”

“Yes she did,” Merlin kissed his forehead, “Not sure getting a kitten is wise right now though.”

Arthur looked up and smiled, “I don’t see why not.”

“Really?” Merlin grinned and Arthur nodded.

Charlotte came into the dining room then and hugged her dad.  “We can bring the kitten home?” she asked excitedly.

“It will be up to you and Jonah to take care of it.  If you can do that then it is fine with me if it is okay with Merlin.”

“I’m good with it,” Merlin smiled, and Jonah ran over to hug Arthur.

“Thank you, Arthur,” he said.

“You’re welcome, now you and Charlotte grab us some Pepsis from the refrigerator before the pizza gets cold.”  They headed for the kitchen and Merlin kissed him.

“You are something else, Arthur Pendragon.”

“So are you, Merlin Ambrose.”

 

When the pizza was gone, Merlin stepped outside on the patio and looked up at the night sky taking in the stars.  A moment later he saw a meteor shoot across the sky followed by more.

“Kids…Arthur, come quick,” he called through the open door.

“What is it?” Arthur asked as he came outside. 

“Meteor shower,” Merlin said, pointing up.

“Oh, wow,” Charlotte gasped then took Jonah by the hand leading him out onto the grass.  Arthur and Merlin followed.  The four of them sat down on the lawn and then laid back.  The kids in between Merlin and Arthur.  “Isn’t it beautiful!” she smiled.

“Yeah,” Jonah said, his mouth opened in awe.

They remained there until it got too chilly to remain outside on the damp grass.  Charlotte got up, and then she and Jonah ran back into the house, leaving their fathers alone.

“Merlin, are you awake?” Arthur asked as he reached his arm across the previously child-occupied gap between them and Merlin reached for him, taking hold of his hand, entwining their fingers together.  “You're quiet.”

“Just thinking…”

“About?”

“You…”

“Yeah?”

“Wondering what would have happened if I had told you back then how I felt about you.  But then I might never have married Freya and had Jonah…”

Arthur shook his head slightly, “I was an immature ass back then.  I was too stupid to even admit my feelings to myself much less to you.  I’m afraid I would have ended up hurting you worse than I did.  Maybe we were always meant to find our way back to each other when the time was right."

"You really think so?”

“Yes,” Arthur said.

“I’m scared that it will all slip away.  That I will lose you again.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don’t know that,” Merlin’s voice quivered a bit and he let go of Arthur’s hand to sit upright drawing his knees to his chest.  “Freya and I thought we would always be together, and I lost her.”

Arthur sat up and moved closer to Merlin, placing a hand between his shoulder blades.  I can’t even begin to understand what you went through, Merlin.  Losing Freya, raising Jonah alone.  It had to be so difficult.  I used to think my father resented me and blamed me for my mother’s death, but now I know that shutting down was his way of trying to cope with his grief.  You somehow found the strength to carry on and you have a strong bond with Jonah to show for it.  That boy worships the ground you walk on.  That is what Freya would want for you both."

“I know,” Merlin nodded, “I just…I feel…fuck, I don’t know.”

“You gifted Jonah with your memories of his mother.  You have always let him know that she loved him, and you made sure that he knew everything about her, right down to the fact that she loved black cats.  My father wouldn’t even talk about my mother.  He would get angry anytime I mentioned her.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that you are a wonderful father, and I know Freya would be so proud of the way you have raised your son.  And she would be happy that you are going for your dream and that you have found someone who loves you so very much.”

Merlin turned his head slightly and gave Arthur a hesitant smile.  “When did you get so wise?”

“It comes and goes,” Arthur chuckled then shrugged.

“Thank you, I needed to hear that.”

Arthur slid his arm around Merlin drawing him closer.  He cupped his cheek then kissed him tenderly.  “I am so damn grateful to have you back in my life.  I admit I am a bit scared myself, but I love you and I want us to work.  Whatever it takes.”

“I love you too,” Merlin said, then deepened the kiss, sliding his hand beneath Arthur’s T-shirt.

“Better now?” Arthur asked, moving a stray curl back from his face.

“Yeah, much better.  But I think I should go take a shower and get some sleep.”

“Good plan.  You had a tough day and tomorrow is going to be even harder.”  Arthur got up then helped Merlin to his feet.  They walked into the house to find Jonah and Charlotte playing Jenga at the dining room table.

“Want to play with us?” Charlotte asked.

“I’ll play for a bit,” Arthur said, taking a seat.

“I’m going to shower then I’ll probably turn in.  Jonah, you should come upstairs with me so I can put you to bed.”

“We can do it, Merlin,” Charlotte said, “Go on, see you in the morning.”

“Are you sure?” Merlin asked, “Jonah, will you go to bed when you are told?”

“Yes, Papa,” Jonah hugged him, “You go sleep.  I love you.”

“Love you too, my boy.  Good night, Charlotte,” he smiled then looked at Arthur.  “See you upstairs,” he said then kissed him and the kids giggled.

“Hush,” Arthur winked at them.  Merlin laughed and then headed upstairs.

 

For three days, Merlin was focused and determined.  Ewan seemed to have made it his personal mission to fuck with him and Mordred every chance he got, but they stuck together and didn’t back down when he pushed them.  Friday finally arrived and they were preparing for the grueling obstacle course race.  Ewan was being unusually standoffish, eyeing Merlin from a distance in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and his stomach twist.

“Mordred,” Merlin put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Ewan, he’s being particularly shifty.  Be careful.”

“You too,” Mordred nodded.

“We need to keep an eye on the girls too.”

“Will do,” he said then grinned, leaning closer, “Mithian has a can of mace in her pocket, if Ewan tries anything with her he is going to get a face full of it.”

Merlin chuckled, “Couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow.”

“I cannot believe he is still with us.  He’s a useless piece of shit.”

“Yes, well, Uncle Mikey has pull, apparently.”

“So do you it seems,” Mordred grinned, “With Arthur.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.  We were classmates in high school, that’s all,” Merlin shrugged.

“Right…just classmates.”

“Well, there is the fact that I was the nerdy weakling, and he was the class bully who would make my life a living hell day after day,” Merlin laughed.

“Really?” Mordred asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Really…”

“But that’s no longer true now.  You’re friends.  You arrive and leave together.”

“Yes, I am staying in his family’s guest house with my son while I am here.  If not for Arthur I wouldn’t have him with me and that means more to me than I can ever say.  I spend far too much time away from Jonah so when Arthur offered, I jumped at the chance.”

“That was nice of him.  I can’t really relate I have no kids…no family.  The only person I care about is here,” he smiled, glancing pointedly toward Kara.

Merlin smiled, “You’re lucky to have her.”

“And you’re lucky to have Arthur.  Even though you’re just friends,” he winked then walked over to where Kara was stretching.

Merlin rolled his eyes, “At this rate, the whole base would know about them before training was done.  They really needed to do a better job of hiding their feelings for each other.”  He grabbed a bottle of water took a drink then bounced in place before stretching.  He glanced over to see Ewan still watching him intently.  “Yep, you are definitely planning something,” he said under his breath.  He was tempted to go tell Arthur, but it would only make things worse.  Whatever Ewan was plotting he would be ready for him.

“All right, line up boys and girls,” Arthur called out.  He glanced at his clipboard.  One week down and they had gone from twenty-two down to sixteen rookies.  Two quit on their own, and the other four washed out and were sent home.  Unfortunately, Ewan Valiant wasn’t one of them.  The smug little weasel had managed to stick around despite Arthur’s best efforts to remove him.  Valiant had connections and kept pulling strings and calling in favors to keep his useless nephew in the running.  Ewan was watching Merlin, which meant he was planning something.

“Arthur,” Lance said, “We should get started, there’s a heavy rainstorm heading our way.”

Arthur nodded glancing up at the darkening sky.  “As you can see we have rain coming, so let’s get this show on the road or this could turn into a literal mud bath.”

“Ladies mud wrestling,” Ewan wagged his eyebrows ogling Mithian and Kara.  Mordred stiffened, clearly itching to jump his ass and beat him senseless, but Merlin put a hand on his shoulder. 

“He’s not worth it,” he said softly, and Mordred nodded, looking at Merlin, his eyes wide.

Arthur noticed the exchange and walked boldly right up to Ewan getting in his face.  “Care to repeat what you just said, Rookie?” he asked, daring him to do so.

“I said nothing, Sir,” Ewan smirked.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” Arthur said then motioned to Lance.  “On the line.  At Lance’s whistle, you will attack this course with everything you have in you.  Tomorrow is the endurance run, it is a brutal mountain trail with extremely steep terrain and natural obstacles and you will be competing for the chance to move on.  The top twelve who finish will continue training and the other four will be sent home.  The top three will have Sunday off while the rest will be here at base doing chores for Isolde.  Is that clear?”

Everyone nodded and echoed in agreement then lined up ready to go.  A few drops of rain hit the dry dirt just as Lance blew his whistle.  They all took off running through the first obstacle, the tires, just as the sky opened up and dumped on them.  Merlin didn’t let up for a second, he was on the ground army crawling in the wet dirt by the time the next person cleared the tires which was Mithian.  Mordred and Kara were right behind her.  Ewan made it through the tires then lunged forward ‘accidentally’ knocking Mordred down.

“Oops,” he laughed then took off after Merlin while Mordred scrambled to his feet and charged after him.  The girls fell back a bit but managed to get through the army crawl and back on their feet, running to try and catch up.

Merlin reached the wall which the rain made extremely slick, but he made it to the upper part which was the rope obstacle.  He glanced down to see Ewan closing in on him.  “Fuck that,” he muttered then climbed like his life depended on it, up and over and down the other side.  He felt Ewan grab his foot through the ropes, he tried to yank it, to cause Merlin to lose his balance and fall, but he gripped the ropes with both hands and swung out dropping to the bottom in one smooth motion.  He looked up to see Ewan glaring at him.  “Better luck next time,” Merlin grinned and took off for the next obstacle.  The deepening mud was unforgiving as he cleared the low hurdles and jumped over the ditch which was no longer dry.

Mordred scrambled up the wall and the ropes over the top then down as Ewan was nearly to the bottom.  He let go and dropped landing on the ground before Ewan and took off running.  The girls were over and down just behind him.  Ewan glanced back at them and then ran after Mordred.

“We are so not going to let him beat us,” Kara said as they ran for the hurdles.

“No, we aren’t,” Mithian smiled.  They cleared the hurdles, jumped the ditch and both of them poured on the speed in the slippery mud.  The rain was relentless but so were they.

Merlin reached the pole climb which was made more difficult by the rain.  He slipped a couple of times nearly losing his grip but managed to get to the top and make his way across the extremely shaky rope bridge to the platform on the other side.

Mordred made it up the pole just ahead of Ewan and reached the bridge.  When he got to the middle Ewan grabbed the ropes and yanked causing him to lose his balance.  Mordred yelped and started to fall but felt a strong hand on his wrist pulling him onto the platform.  He looked up to see Merlin and smiled gratefully.

“Go,” Merlin said, clearly planning to wait for Ewan to cross.

“Merlin, no, like you said, he isn’t worth it.  Let’s just go.  We’ll beat him the right way.”

Merlin nodded then both he and Mordred jumped together landing on the thick pad below rolling the way they were taught then ran like hell.  They hesitated, looking back to see where the girls were.  They had just reached the platform.

“Merlin, Mordred!” Mithian shouted, “Go, don’t worry about us!”

“If that bastard wins, we will never forgive you,” Kara shouted.

Merlin and Mordred nodded and grinned then took off running with Ewan hot on their heels.  They cleared the ditch again climbed the slippery inverted wall, grabbed the ropes, swung across the pit, and dropped to the ground.  Mordred stumbled on the landing but recovered quickly.

“Merlin!” Ewan growled as he cleared the pit.

“Sounding a bit winded there, Ewan,” Mordred laughed.

Merlin grinned.  He reached the bars grabbed the first one then swung to the next.  He was halfway across when he heard Mordred behind him.

“Go, Merlin,” Mordred said, losing confidence, “You can beat him.  I’m not going to make it.”

“Mordred, don’t you dare give up, we are both going to beat him.  Push through, I mean it!”

“Fuck,” Mordred groaned, reaching for the next bar, his arms were burning, his hands slipping, but he managed to hold on.  He reached the other side and Merlin grinned.

“Home stretch, let’s show him what we’re made of,” he said.  Mordred smiled and nodded.

They ran like the devil himself was on their tail.  Down the slippery path over the seven-foot rock wall and around the curve.  They could see the finish line, it was a straight shot.  Ewan was twenty yards behind them and closing fast.  Mithian and Kara were over the rock wall and rounding the curve just behind him.

Ewan sidestepped in an attempt to force Mithian off the path, but in doing so, he created an opening for Kara.  He roared, grabbing Mithian trying to shove her down but instead, he howled.  His face was suddenly on fire, and he couldn’t see.  He still somehow managed to keep a death grip on Mithian’s forearm.

“Let go of me, you piece of shit,” she shrieked, kicking him in the balls so hard that he dropped to his knees.  Kara grabbed her hand, and they ran for the finish line.

Merlin and Mordred charged across the line and then turned to find the girls only a few yards behind.  Mithian collapsed into Merlin’s arms, tears streaming down her face.  He held her and looked at Kara questioningly.

“That fucking Ewan attacked her, tried to throw her off the path.  She maced him and kicked him in the nuts.”

“Shit, are you okay?” he asked Mithian, cupping the back of her head.

Arthur came running toward them with Lance and Valiant close behind.  “What happened?” Arthur asked.

Merlin handed Mithian off to Kara, the girls hugged each other.  Ewan finally stumbled across the finish line behind the rest of the team.  Merlin lost it, he lunged forward grabbing him by the shirt, shoving him down on his back before catching him with a well-placed right hook to the jaw.

“Merlin!”  Arthur shouted, somehow managing to pull the furious rookie off Ewan, pressing his hand against his chest.  “What the fuck, Merlin?”

“Ewan has to go,” Merlin hissed, “He grabbed my foot on the ropes trying to make me fall, he nearly caused Mordred to fall off the rope bridge.  If I hadn’t been there to pull him to safety he would have been severely injured or worse, and he just attacked Mithian trying to shove her off the path.  She maced him and kicked him in the nuts.”

Arthur turned just as Ewan was slowly picking himself up off the ground.  “Ewan, get your shit and go.  You are finished!”

Ewan rose to his full height and got in Arthur’s face.  “Fuck you, I’m not going anywhere, Sir!  Uncle Mike?”

Valiant moved to stand next to Arthur, arms crossed over his chest.  “You attacked the girl?” he asked.

“I didn’t even hurt her, the stupid bitch maced me…she kicked me!”

Valiant moved to stand next to his nephew and put an arm around his shoulders, comforting him.  “You attacked a girl.”

“Tell him that he can’t send me home,” Ewan yelled.

“Oh, don’t you worry, dear nephew, Arthur is not sending you home.”  Valiant tightened his arm around his neck until the kid winced.  “I am.  Get your shit and get out of my sight.  You are out of rookie training, and you will never be allowed back in again.  You are not worthy of being a smokejumper.”

“Wha-what?  You can’t be serious!”

Valiant looked at Mithian apologetically.  “Are you certain you are okay?  I understand if you want to press charges.”

“I’m all right.  I just want him gone,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly.

“Lance,” Valiant said, “Would you mind escorting my nephew off the base?  I will have a wee chat with his parents later.”  Lance nodded then grabbed Ewan, dragging him toward the building.  “You really maced him and kicked him in the balls?” Valiant asked Mithian, and she gave him a firm nod.  “Strong work,” he smirked then gave Arthur a nod before following Lance and Ewan.

Arthur shook his head, “That was unexpected.”

“No kidding,” Mordred huffed.

“The man actually has some integrity,” Arthur said.  He then turned to Merlin with a stern look on his face making him immediately avert his gaze.  “Fighting, Merlin?”

“I know…but he deserved it.  Look I understand if you need to write me up or kick me out too.  I get it, I fucked up and you know it’s not the first time that I’ve lost my temper,” Merlin said, looking at him with a shrug of resignation.

“Arthur, please, you can’t,” Mordred said, “Merlin saved my ass back there.”

“Please, Arthur, don’t punish him.  It wasn’t his fault it was mine,” Mithian said.

Arthur looked at each of them, ending with Merlin, then huffed a laugh, “I can hardly punish you for doing what I have been dying to do since the first day.  Just don’t let it happen again, yeah?”  He patted Merlin’s chest, and his shoulders immediately relaxed.

“Yeah,” Merlin nodded, “Thanks.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” Mithian beamed.

“No need to thank me.  You four…you make an effective team, you work well together,” Arthur said then looked up at the sky, “This rain is not showing any signs of letting up.  We may have to postpone tomorrow’s run.  That trail is dangerous enough in good weather.  Let’s go inside and dry off, have some coffee then we can spend the rest of the day teaching you all the basics.”

Mordred and the girls went on ahead Merlin hung back to walk with Arthur.  “Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure, Merlin.”

“If I were any other rookie…”

Arthur shook his head, “If you were any other rookie, Mordred would likely be on his way to the hospital right about now, Mithian could have seriously been hurt too.  And you still won the race, despite everything.  That is damn impressive.  You looked out for your team, you got them to the finish line.  In the end, that’s what matters.  That is what makes a good smokejumper.”

“Yeah?” Merlin asked with a soft smile.

“Yeah,” Arthur said.

“Survived the first week at least.”

“How are you feeling about everything?”

“Good…confident…really fucking tired and sore,” Merlin grinned rubbing his shoulder.

“What you need is a full body massage,” Arthur said casually, and Merlin raised an eyebrow.

“Mmm yes, that would be good, do you know anyone who can give me one?”

“I might know someone,” he said with a wink as he opened the door.  Merlin grinned before stepping inside.

“Is he good?”

“Very,” Arthur said huskily.

“Then I shall surrender willingly to his expert hands,” Merlin whispered just before they walked into the room where the remaining rookies were seated with coffee mugs in hand.

“What the hell?” Gwaine asked as he came out of the office with a tablet in his hand.

Arthur glanced around the room at the remaining faces then cleared his throat.  “Ewan put others in danger intentionally and not for the first time.  Just this time he got caught.  If anyone else feels the need to cheat and hurt people you can walk out of here right now.”  One by one each of them shook their heads, looks of disgust on their faces.  They all knew what Ewan had done.  “Good,” Arthur nodded.

“Come into the office, you have to see this,” Gwaine said handing him the tablet as they walked into the room.  He closed the door behind them.  “The trail cams we placed along the route, brilliant idea.  Caught the little bastard in the act.”

“The cameras were Merlin’s idea after that first day,” Arthur said as he watched the screen with Merlin peering over his shoulder.  The cameras had caught the moment he yanked Merlin’s foot on the rope climb nearly causing him to fall.  It looked much worse than it had felt in the moment.  Merlin flinched as he watched it on screen.  If he had gone down from that height he could have broken a leg or worse, and he would have been out of the running for good. 

The cameras also caught Ewan knocking Mordred to the ground and trying to make him fall from the rope bridge before Merlin was able to reach back and pull him to safety.  They also caught his attack on Mithian and her fighting back.  The camera at the finish line had been facing the wrong direction to capture the actual fight, but it definitely caught the flicker of fear in Ewan's eyes as Merlin rushed him.

“Fuck, he should be in jail,” Arthur shook his head angrily.

“What good would that do?” Merlin asked, “He’s lost his chance at becoming a smokejumper because of his actions, that’s punishment enough don’t you think?”

“He could have hurt someone…he could have hurt you,” Arthur said, his eyes filled with emotion.  “You could have broken your neck from a fall from that height.”

“I didn’t, I am fine,” Merlin smiled, leaning forward to kiss him, “I’m fine and Ewan is gone.”

Arthur looked at Gwaine handing him back the tablet.  “Send that footage to Valiant right away, so he can show Ewan’s parents proof of what he did.”

“Will do.  Do you want to postpone the run tomorrow?”

“Let’s see what it looks like in the morning,” Arthur nodded then pulled Merlin into his arms kissing him tenderly.  “I think we should just go home early.  It’s pouring rain, there’s not much we can do indoors today.  Tell everyone they are free to go whenever they’re ready.”

“You got it,” Gwaine said with a smirk, watching his friends, “If you two want to be alone I could disappear.”

“Are you still here?” Arthur asked him with a look of mock annoyance.

“I’m gone,” he laughed then left the office.  Arthur reached over, locking the door.

“Um,” Merlin raised an eyebrow, “You and me alone in a locked office…”

“Fuck it, as far as they know I am disciplining you for fighting.”

“Yes, bad…bad Merlin…” Merlin sighed as he captured Arthur’s lips with his own, kissing him deep and hard.

“Very bad,” Arthur moaned against his mouth, hands sliding down Merlin’s back to cup his perfect arse.  “What am I going to do with you, Merlin?”

“I think you might need to start your own list.”

“Mmm tempting…see which one is longer.”

“Mine…definitely, mine,” Merlin nipped at Arthur’s bottom lip.

“Is that a size joke, because mine is definitely bigger.”

“If you say so.”

“We definitely need to go home before I take you right here on Gwaine’s desk.”

“I don’t think he would mind.”

“Probably not, but when I make love to you it is going to be in our bed.  Let’s go home.”

“Lead the way,” Merlin grinned.

Arthur unlocked the door, kissed him, and then grinned.  “You better look like a whipped dog when I open this door, or they will know.”

“I think I can pull that off,” Merlin said, then shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, he lowered his head, reaching up to scratch his neck as he slipped out the door and stepped back into the main room.  Everyone gave him a look of sympathy except Mordred, of course, who tried and failed to hide his knowing smirk. 

Mithian noticed, her brow creasing in confusion as she looked between him and them.  Then it must have dawned on her because she let out a little meep of surprise.  Mordred shook his head ever so slightly in warning not to say anything, so she inhaled sharply giving Merlin a soft smile to which he responded with a shy grin.

“Let’s go home boys and girls,” Arthur said then grabbed their bags, handing Merlin his.  We will send out a text in the morning and let you know whether the run is postponed or not.  Have a good evening.  I am well aware that it’s Friday night, but I would avoid getting drunk.”

“Yes, sir,” everyone laughed and then quickly gathered their things heading out the doors.

On the way to the Gladiator, Arthur huffed a laugh and shook his head.

“What?” Merlin asked.

“Just thinking how glad I am I didn’t end up on the receiving end of that mean right hook of yours back in high school.”

Merlin laughed throwing his head back, the rain soaking him through.  “Back then my mean right hook was little more than a weak slap.  Wouldn’t have done much damage to your hard head, believe me.”

They got in the truck and Arthur’s phone chimed with a text message.  He swiped the screen reading it and smiled. 

“Annis wants to know if Jonah and Charlotte can have dinner with them and stay the night in the main house.  They want to make caramel corn and have an all-night Harry Potter marathon.”

“Sure, yeah, Jonah loves Harry Potter.”

Arthur texted her back and then put his phone in his pocket.  “Looks like we have the house to ourselves tonight then.”

“Whatever will we do with ourselves?” Merlin grinned.

Chapter 6: Alone Time

“It’s early, we could stop by the store and pick up ingredients and make dinner together.”

“That sounds good.  About that full body massage…”

Arthur smiled, “You got it.”

“This feels kind of like a real date.”

“I guess it is then.” 

Merlin put on his seatbelt and turned on the radio.  They drove out of the parking lot and headed for the grocery store.  It only took them an hour to get what they needed.  They got home and put everything away.

“I’ll start dinner if you want to shower and change first,” Arthur said.

“Okay, I won’t be long,” Merlin smiled then ran up the stairs.  Twenty minutes later, Arthur was just putting the chicken into the oven when he came back downstairs dressed in black jeans, a blue-gray, long-sleeved button-down shirt, and black dress boots.

“The shower is all yours.  What do you need me to do?”

“It will take about forty-five minutes for the chicken to be done so why don’t you start the pasta and veggies in about thirty minutes or so,” Arthur said then turned around, immediately forgetting everything he had been about to say.  “Good lord, Merlin…” Arthur said, his blue eyes taking him in from head to toe, “You didn’t have to dress up, but damn!”

“It is a date.  I wanted to look good for you.  You’ve mostly just seen me in my workout clothes and such,” he shrugged.

Arthur moved closer as if compelled to do so by some magical enchantment.  “You are beautiful.”

“I’m not sure that’s true…” Merlin shook his head, giving him a soft, shy smile.

“Oh, I am,” Arthur said, looking deep into his eyes, “There is not a man on this planet that I would ever think of as beautiful, none but you.”

“Well, there’s you,” Merlin said, wagging his eyebrows.  Then he slowly leaned forward, brushing his lips over Arthur’s.  “Gorgeous, hot, sexy man…I could definitely get used to this whole domestic thing with you.”

“Now I need to go take my shower and dress up for you,” Arthur grinned.

“I’ll be waiting.”  Arthur headed upstairs while Merlin went into the kitchen to gather what he needed to set the table for a romantic dinner for two.  He still couldn’t believe that they were really doing this…that they were going to build a life together with Charlotte and Jonah…to be a family.

He thought about Freya and what she had told him before she died…a heart was never meant for only one person.  He closed his eyes and smiled.  “I will always love you, my sweet Freya…always…” he said softly.

I know, my love…I know.  Arthur will look after my beautiful boys.  I love you both so much…

Merlin opened his eyes and lowered his head as a single tear slid down his cheek.  He smiled, letting out a slow breath, and nodded.  He finished setting the table and then lit the candles.

When Arthur came downstairs half an hour later, Merlin was stirring the sauce and the pasta.  He looked at the beautiful table then wrapped his arms around him from behind, kissing his neck.  Resting his chin on Merlin’s shoulder he watched him.

“You’re very good at that,” he said.

“I have many talents.”

“And I look forward to discovering each and every one of them.  Have you checked the chicken?”

“I did, will be done in maybe fifteen more minutes.”

“What would you like to drink?  We have wine or beer?”

“I’m not much of a wine drinker, but whatever you want is fine.”

“Beer it is,” Arthur said then went to the refrigerator.

Merlin turned to look at him and let out a whistle.  Arthur looked amazing.  Wearing gray jeans like a second skin with a rich, red fitted pullover shirt that showed off his upper body and gray shoes with a red stripe.

“Fuck me, please,” Merlin blurted out, biting his bottom lip.

Arthur grinned, “Oh, don’t worry, that is absolutely on the menu tonight, Merlin.”

“Thank God for that.  I’m going to lose my mind with want.”

“You and me both,” Arthur said as he placed the beer bottles on the table then reached for Merlin, drawing him closer, his eyes taking him all in.  “You have no idea how incredible you are, do you?”

“I’m not…” Merlin said but Arthur cut him off with a deep and intense kiss that stole not only his words but his breath.  “Arthur…” he panted against his lips.

“Kissing you…it’s intoxicating.  Your lips…” Arthur whispered huskily as he kissed him again.

“If you keep this up, dinner will end up going to waste,” Merlin grinned.

“This is a date…our first date.  I’m doing it right.  Treating you the way you deserve to be.  Dinner, dessert, conversation…kissing…” Arthur smiled leaning in for another kiss.

“Kissing, then…” Merlin grinned.

“Then…” Arthur smiled, his lips moving to Merlin’s jawline and his neck.

“Oh, definitely looking forward to then,” Merlin moaned.

“Me too,” Arthur said before stepping back, “Dinner first.”  Merlin let out a breath, struggling to get his body under control.  He reached out to grab the back of the dining room chair to steady himself.

“Holy hell,” he huffed a laugh.

Arthur pulled the chicken from the oven.  “It’s done.”  Merlin poured the sauce over the pasta and added the veggies.  They worked together seamlessly to put the food on the table and then sat down.  “We are very good at this domestic stuff.”

“Yes, we are,” Merlin grinned.

Arthur reached over to take hold of Merlin’s hand.  “I am so damn happy to have you here.  I love you and I love Jonah.  I want you to know that this is everything to me.”

“Me too.  I am still pinching myself, though.  I never thought in a million years that you would feel the same way about me.  I am so grateful for this chance.  I’m scared I will mess it up.”

Arthur let go of his hand and picked up his knife and fork.  “You’re not going to mess it up.  There’s nothing you could do to change my feelings for you.”

“Yeah?” Merlin asked with a crooked grin.

“Yeah,” Arthur nodded then gestured toward Merlin’s plate, “Now eat so we can move on to dessert and other activities.”

They ate and talked about everything for more than two hours.  Dessert was a mouthwatering cherry cheesecake.  They put the dishes in the dishwasher.  Arthur then slid his arms around Merlin and kissed him.

“That was delicious.”

“Mmm yes, it was.  You taste like cherries.”

“Come here,” Arthur led Merlin to the sofa in front of the gas fireplace.  He pressed a button to turn on the flames then they settled down together, Merlin kissed him.  Arthur laid back against the pillows while Merlin stretched out on top of him.

“Hold still for me,” he said then pressed his lips to Arthur’s throat.

“I’m completely at your mercy,” Arthur breathed out as Merlin’s fingers slipped beneath his shirt lightly tracing the contours and lines of his hard stomach.  “Merlin…”

“Shh, let me…”  Arthur nodded inhaling sharply as Merlin’s fingers trailed up his sides rucking up his shirt at the same time, exposing his chest.  “You are gorgeous,” he said as his lips closed around his left nipple.  “So, hot…”

“Fuck…Merlin,” Arthur panted as he moved to the right nipple his lips and teeth teasing, his tongue and warm breath setting his flesh on fire.

“Okay?” Merlin asked and he nodded.  “Feel good does it?”

“God, yes…please…”

Merlin kissed his way down Arthur’s chest and stomach then unfastened his belt.  His heated gaze was locked on Arthur’s as he mouthed his erection through his jeans eliciting a soft whimper from the man beneath him.

“You want me to suck you?”

“Merlin…fuck, yes…your mouth, please…please…”

“Only if you promise to hold very still,” Merlin said huskily.

“Merlin…” Arthur shivered nodding enthusiastically.

Merlin smiled and then quickly freed Arthur’s hard cock from his jeans and boxer briefs.  “You really want me…”

“So much, please, Merlin…”

“Anything for you,” he said then swallowed him down, the head of his cock hitting the back of his throat as he licked and sucked with abandon while Arthur struggled to be still.  Merlin moved his head up and down stopping to suck on the tip and pressing his tongue into the slit tasting his pre-come.  He pulled off for a moment just long enough to unbutton his own shirt and his jeans, palming his hard length as he looked down at Arthur.  “You’re so good for me, Arthur.”

“More please,” Arthur managed to breathe out as he took in Merlin’s body and the look of sheer desire in his blue-gray eyes.

Merlin leaned down to kiss the head of Arthur’s cock, running his tongue around the tip before swallowing him down again, hollowing out his cheeks as he moved up and down on him.  Arthur trembled, his hands clenching into fists to keep from touching Merlin’s hair.  Wanting to delve his fingers into his dark curls and thrust into the warm, wet heaven that was Merlin’s mouth.  The sight of his full pink lips wrapped around his shaft was enough to drive him mad.

“Fuck, I’m so close, Merlin…stop please,” Arthur panted, and Merlin moved off him, his cock slipping from his mouth.  “I don’t want to come yet.”

“Okay,” Merlin grinned then kissed him deep and hard, thrusting his tongue into Arthur’s mouth.

“Damn, your mouth is incredible.”

“Thank you.”

Arthur kissed him back filthily as his hands pushed Merlin’s jeans and underwear down, freeing his cock.  “My turn,” he said then eased Merlin back on the sofa kissing his hard stomach and chest.  “Hold still,” he grinned then kissed the head before swallowing his full length.

“Ah…Arthur, fuck yeah,” Merlin gasped, gripping the sofa cushions tightly to keep from moving.  He let his head fall back on the pillows, his mouth opening in a soundless cry of pure ecstasy.  He licked his lips, arching his back slightly as Arthur continued the exquisite torture.

When he was on the edge of release, Arthur pulled back and then shifted his body over him to kiss his mouth.  He grinned as their cocks aligned and Merlin took them both in hand.  They breathed out rough and desperate for release.

“Merlin…now…please…” Arthur panted, thrusting into his hand their lengths sliding together.  “Fuck, yes,” he whimpered in pleasure.

“Come with me, Arthur…now,” Merlin moaned, and they both crashed over the threshold at nearly the same exact moment.  Their combined seed coated Merlin’s hand and his stomach as they trembled and shook with the aftershocks of their release.

“Oh, that was…”

“Yeah,” Merlin chuckled breathlessly, “It was…”

Arthur smiled his tongue and lips exploring Merlin’s bare chest, collarbone, and throat before capturing his lips again losing himself in the intensity and heat.  He moaned as Merlin brought his legs up wrapping them around his waist.

“God, Merlin…this feels so good,” he said against his mouth.  “I never knew it was possible to feel so close to someone…it’s like we are one heart, one soul.”  Merlin looked up into Arthur’s eyes, his own eyes pooling with tears as he shook his head ever so slightly.  “Merlin, what is it?”

“Sorry,” he huffed a laugh wiping his eyes, “I didn’t mean to…just I cannot lose this…you, Arthur.”

“Hey,” Arthur smiled running his fingers through Merlin’s hair, “You’re not going to lose me.  I’m not going anywhere.  I love you.”

“Yeah?” Merlin smiled.

“Yeah.  Now, come on upstairs and I will show you just how much I love you and want to be with you in every way possible.”  Arthur moved off him drawing him to his feet.  They kissed as they pulled their underwear and jeans up.  “Go on ahead.  I’m going to lock up and shut off the lights.”

Merlin headed for the stairs, climbing them quickly.  He headed into the bathroom to clean up, taking off his shirt and running his fingers through his hair as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.  He almost didn’t recognize the man looking back at him, there was a light in his eyes that had been missing since Freya died.

“Arthur,” he said softly.

“You all right?” Arthur asked him from the doorway.

Merlin turned to face him and nodded, “I love you.”

Arthur smiled his eyes roaming slowly over every inch of Merlin’s body.  “I want to see you…all of you…show me.  Merlin took off his boots and socks then removed his jeans and boxer briefs.  He was already half hard again and growing more so the longer Arthur looked at him with such intense longing.  “There’s no other word for it…you are a beautiful man.”

“Thank you…”

“Touch yourself for me, Merlin,” Arthur said, his voice rough with arousal.  “I want to watch you.”

“Okay,” he said as he wrapped his hand around his cock slowly stroking himself, swiping his thumb across the head.  “Fuck,” he moaned, “The way you are looking at me…”

“I plan on spending the rest of our lives looking at you…touching you…loving you.”

“Arthur…” Merlin whispered, his eyes closing as he tilted his head back his hand moving faster.

“I’m going to put my hands on your body…explore every single inch of your warm flesh, work every muscle until you are completely relaxed and at my mercy,” Arthur said, taking a step closer with each promise.  “I’m going to have you begging for more, then I’ll open you up with my fingers and my tongue before claiming your body with my hard cock, fucking into you again and again until I can no longer hold back, and I fill you with my seed.”

“Oh, fuck yes, Arthur,” Merlin whimpered as his knees nearly buckled with the force of his orgasm.  Arthur was there to catch him, pulling him close.

“I’ve got you,” he said then kissed him.

“Please…please, Arthur…”

“All right, come to bed with me.”  He led him into the bedroom guiding him to lie down on his stomach.  On the nightstand was a bottle of massage oil.  Arthur picked it up placing it on the bed next to Merlin then he undressed before straddling his legs.  “I want you to let everything go, Merlin.  When I am finished you’re going to feel as light as a feather.”

Merlin moaned as he felt Arthur’s hands, slick with oil, kneading and pressing the backs of his calves then moving to his thighs.  He closed his eyes, a contented sigh escaping his parted lips.  Arthur’s hands felt like pure heaven on his flesh, he definitely knew what he was doing.

“Okay?” Arthur asked, smiling as Merlin hummed and lifted his hips slightly, “Patience, we’ll get there soon enough.  Just breathe and focus on my touch.”

Merlin put his arms out to the side, his cheek pressed to the cool sheets, eyes closed.  With every press of those hands, every slide of his fingers working the muscles in his legs and back then his shoulders.  He even took the time to massage his neck and down his arms to his hands and fingers.  He had never felt such a deep sense of calm.

Arthur smiled pressing his lips to the back of Merlin’s shoulder then kissing his way down the middle of his back to the swell of his perfect arse, he let his tongue continue down the cleft making him shiver.  He massaged the soft flesh making Merlin writhe beneath him.

“I think you have waited long enough,” Arthur said, warm breath on slick wet flesh.  Merlin made a pleading sound and tried to raise his hips again.  “So, eager, love…” he grinned, flicking his tongue over his tight entrance.  “I’ve never done this before except to myself, I will be gentle.”  Arthur added oil to his fingers, pushing his tongue into him first.  Merlin jerked and whimpered, his fingers tangling in the sheets.  “Too much?”

“No…fuck, please…more,” Merlin panted.

Arthur pushed his tongue inside him again working it around the rim then slowly inserted the tip of his middle finger, the oil working to ease the way.  He bit his lip watching Merlin’s body respond drawing him in.

“So, good for me, Merlin…” he smiled pressing his lips to each of his arse cheeks.

“Arthur…” he moaned filthily.

“That’s it, breathe and relax and I’ll take care of you.”

“Oh, God…more, please…”

Arthur withdrew his finger pushing his tongue as deep inside him as he could go, and Merlin let out a cry of sheer bliss lifting his hips to meet Arthur’s mouth.  He bit down on his bottom lip, afraid they would hear him in the main house if he got too loud.  Arthur worked his tongue in and out of him until he was unable to hold back the sounds of pure ecstasy.

“You really like that, don’t you?”

“Yes, fuck…so good,” Merlin breathed out.

“Ready for another?”

“Yes!”

“Good boy,” Arthur smiled then added a bit more oil before inserting his middle and index fingers working them in and out slowly at first then faster as he felt Merlin’s body opening for him.  “Soon you’ll be ready to take my cock inside you.”

“Arthur…more…I’m ready…”

“Are you sure?”

“God, yes…”

Arthur eased a third finger into Merlin and smiled at the sounds he made.  “You’re so hot and tight, Merlin.  I don’t want to hurt you.  I need to make sure you are prepared.”

Merlin nodded eagerly moving his body trying to take in more of Arthur’s fingers.  He felt like he was coming apart at the seams and if he didn’t have Arthur inside him soon he would quite literally explode into a million tiny pieces.  Arthur must have realized he couldn’t wait any longer.  He added oil to his hand slowly stroking his fully hard cock.

He ran one hand up Merlin’s spine then back down as he moved between his parted legs aligning the head of his cock with his opening.  With a slow thrust, the head penetrated and Merlin gripped the pillows struggling to keep from pushing back and impaling himself fully.

“God, Merlin,” Arthur moaned his hands massaging Merlin’s arse his cock going deeper inside him until he could no longer hold back and drove in the rest of the way punching the breath from their lungs as their bodies shuddered with absolute pleasure.  “Holy hell, you feel good.”

“Arthur, fuck me…” Merlin gasped.

Holding him by his hips, Arthur withdrew to the tip and then thrust into him again.  “Ah, too good…Merlin…I’m not going to last long.”

“Do it…I want to feel your come deep inside me.”

Rolling his hips faster and harder, Arthur pounded into Merlin with abandon, hitting his prostate over and over driving him toward yet another climax.  He chanted his name with each and every thrust until their chests were heaving, hearts racing.  Merlin cried out, not caring who heard as he pushed back meeting every thrust as Arthur wrapped his arms around him and let out a low growl, his release pulsing into him.

“Merlin…” Arthur whimpered kissing his back and tightening his embrace.

“I love you…love you so much,” Merlin said with a breathless laugh, his entire body shuddering with his own release before he collapsed on the bed with Arthur clinging to him like a lifeline.

“I love you, Merlin.”

After a few minutes, Arthur pulled out of him and rolled onto his back on the bed next to him, his eyes closed.  Merlin kissed his chest then his lips.

“I never knew it could be like that between two men,” Merlin said grinning from ear to ear.

“Only between us, Merlin…only us,” Arthur chuckled opening his eyes to look at him and then reaching up to run his fingers through his dark curls.  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Merlin shook his head, “It was brilliant.”

“There will never be anyone else for me but you, you know that right.”

“And there will never be anyone else for me but you, Arthur.”

“You realize, I am going to have an even harder time keeping my hands off you at work now.”

“Won’t hear me complaining,” Merlin grinned then bit Arthur’s nipple before running his tongue over it.  “Maybe we can find a place to get lost in the woods.”

“As soon as you graduate we are going to tell everyone.”

“I have a feeling they will already know by then.  Mordred and Mithian figured it out.”

“They won’t say anything.”

“No, I trust them.”

Arthur sat up and slid his legs over the side of the bed.  “Let’s clean up and get some rest before round two.”

“I think you mean three…” Merlin said kissing his bare back.

“Ah, yes…three,” Arthur moaned.

They got up and went into the bathroom putting the massage oil back on the nightstand.  After a long leisurely shower, they crawled into bed and held each other close.  Arthur kissed Merlin caressing his chest as he sucked gently on his kiss-swollen bottom lip.

“I will never get tired of kissing you.”

“Me neither.”

“Are you happy?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, are you?”

“Absolutely.”

Merlin kissed him then moved his way down his chest.  “Oh, look someone is ready for round three.  He took Arthur in his mouth licking and sucking him to full hardness.

“I’m all yours,” Arthur moaned.

Merlin reached for the oil reaching back to prepare himself again, which didn’t take long since he was still open and relaxed.  Straddling Arthur, he guided the head of his cock to his entrance and impaled himself on it in one go, biting his bottom lip to keep from crying out.

“Easy, Merlin,” Arthur huffed running his hands up his chest.

Rocking his hips, Merlin rode Arthur slowly, enjoying every slide, every motion.  He closed his eyes, losing himself in the joining of their bodies.  He moaned and panted leaning forward, bracing his hands on Arthur’s stomach feeling the rippling muscles beneath smooth flesh.

“Look at you,” Arthur whispered dragging his fingers downward until they wrapped around Merlin’s cock stroking him slowly in time with his downward thrusts.  “So beautiful, my Merlin.”

“Arthur…this feels so good.”

“Does it?”

Merlin nodded fervently.  “Ah, that spot inside me…fuck so intense.”

Arthur tightened his grip on Merlin’s cock sliding his thumb across the head.  “Come for me, Merlin…I love to watch you come.”

“Fuck…so close…ah, yes,” Merlin rolled his hips, lifting up only to drive down on Arthur again hitting his prostate dead on, and that sent him over the edge.  He came hard and his body clenched around Arthur’s cock taking him along for the ride.  They clung to each other riding out the waves of their release, trembling and kissing each other with abandon.

“Merlin…”

“Hmm,” Merlin said unable to move from his current position on top of Arthur.

“Never mind, just stay there,” Arthur grinned, kissing his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around him.  “Just stay right there.”

“I’m too heavy.”

“Don’t care…stay…”

“Okay, but just for a bit.”

“Merlin…”

“Hmm?”

Arthur ran his fingers through Merlin’s hair and smiled fondly, tears shining in his eyes.  “I am just so in love with you,” he said softly.

Merlin turned his head into the crook of Arthur’s neck and pressed his lips to his skin.  “Me too…”

“We are going to be together and happy.  I promise you,” Arthur said, smiling as he realized that Merlin was snoring softly.  “Sleep my love, sleep…”

 

The sun streamed in through the windows waking Merlin from a dead sleep.  He groaned and stretched, rolling over to find Arthur on his phone.  He smiled sleepily.

“How long have you been awake?”

“About an hour,” Arthur said then placed his phone on the nightstand and moved on top of Merlin kissing him.  “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Merlin said sliding his hands down Arthur’s back to cup his arse.

“Are you too sore?”

“No, not at all.”

Arthur eased his thighs apart pushing his fingers inside him.  “I need you again.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Merlin asked kissing him deeply.

“I am never going to get enough of you, Merlin,” Arthur said against his lips.

“God, Arthur…take me now, please.”

Pushing into him in one long slow thrust, Arthur let out a rough breath, closing his eyes as Merlin wrapped his legs around his body.  “Merlin…ah, yes…you feel so good.”  He couldn’t move, just held still, fully sheathed inside his lover.

“Can we just stay here like this forever?” Merlin asked.

“If only that were possible,” Arthur kissed him tenderly.

Merlin loosened his legs and kissed Arthur back looking into his blue eyes.  “Fuck me now…please.”

“With pleasure,” Arthur devoured his mouth as he snapped his hips.  He moved in and out faster and harder until they were rocking into each other, desperate for release.  “Ah, yes…Merlin!”  Arthur reached down lifting Merlin’s hips up off the bed driving into him fully as he came.  “Fuck…yes,” he panted kissing him with everything he had trying to show him how important he was to him…how much he loved and needed him always.

“Arthur…so close,” Merlin moaned reaching for his straining cock.

“I’ve got you,” Arthur whispered kissing him as he wrapped his hand around his length and with only a few strokes Merlin cried out in pleasure spilling his seed over Arthur’s hand, between their still joined bodies.  “There now…that’s better, yeah?” Arthur kissed him sucking lightly on Merlin’s swollen bottom lip.

“Yeah,” he huffed a laugh and nodded.

“I love you, Merlin…I love you more than I can ever say.”

“Love you too, Arthur…so damn much.”

They held each other drifting off to sleep again.

 

“Merlin, wake up,” Arthur said, kissing him, “The kids are home.  The run is on for this afternoon.  They want to come with us.”

Merlin opened his eyes and stretched, raising his head to look around the room.  “The kids…”

“They are downstairs with Annis and Drea.  They are making breakfast for us and the kids.”

“You’re dressed already.”

“I’ve been up for a while.  You needed sleep.”

Merlin smiled, running a hand through his messy hair.  “Guess I should make myself presentable then.  “Shower, then get dressed…”

Arthur kissed him, “Last night was incredible.”

“Mmm yes, yes it was.”

“Come now, up and at em,” Arthur grinned pulling him upright.  “If we don’t hurry the kids will come up here.”

Merlin laughed, “Go on, I’ll be down in a bit.”

“Ah, Merlin,” Arthur walked backward toward the door with a wide grin and a glint of mirth in his eyes.  “Only you could wake up looking so damn hot and fuckable,” he wagged his eyebrows.

“Insatiable,” Merlin grinned.

“Damn right,” Arthur nodded then walked out of the room closing the door.  Merlin laughed then got up and made his way to the bathroom.

 

“Papa,” Jonah said as he saw his father come down the stairs and into the kitchen.  Merlin hugged him tightly.

“Did you have fun watching Harry Potter?”

“He fell asleep in the middle of the third movie,” Charlotte giggled.

“And you, my darling granddaughter, were asleep before it ended,” Annis laughed then looked at Merlin fondly.  “You look well rested…happy,” she smiled knowingly.  “I take it you and Arthur had an enjoyable evening on your own.”

“We did,” Arthur kissed Merlin, “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Merlin smiled.

“The weather has cleared.  Gwaine checked the trail, it is safe enough for the run just have a few mudholes to avoid,” Arthur nodded.

“We are going with you,” Charlotte said.

“I heard,” Merlin kissed the top of her head without hesitation, and she smiled brightly at him.  “Is that okay?” he asked, suddenly uncertain.  She nodded.

“My daddy is smiling again because of you, Merlin.”

Merlin sat down in a chair and then took her hands in his.  “I love him…so much.  I swear to you I will never hurt him or you.”

“I know,” Charlotte nodded then hugged his neck, “Thank you, Merlin.”

Annis and Drea both looked like they were about to cry watching the exchange between them.  “Merlin, would you like coffee?” Drea asked.

“Yes, please,” he nodded then looked from Charlotte to Arthur who nodded and smiled.

“Waffles and strawberries,” Annis said, placing the platter on the table.  “Eat up, the run starts in three hours.  Uther is bringing the van around so we can get there early to give you a chance to warm up.”

“Uther is going too?” Merlin asked raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“Yes, we all want to be there to support you, Merlin,” Annis hugged him, “Now eat my boy.  I have bacon and eggs coming right up.”

“Papa loves bacon,” Jonah giggled, “Me too!”

“Bacon for you too then, sweet one,” Annis winked.

Arthur sat down at the table moving two waffles to his plate and covering them in strawberries and whipped cream.  “This looks delicious, thank you both,” he said then looked at Charlotte who was staring at something on her phone.  “Charlotte, phone down please, eat,” he smiled.

“Yes, Daddy,” she rolled her eyes.

Jonah sat down in his chair and Merlin helped him with his waffle.  “There you go.”

“Thank you, Papa.”

Merlin glanced over at Charlotte noticing that she was staring at her phone which was lying face down on the table.  She had a look of concern on her face and sadness in her eyes.  There was definitely something bothering her.  Something she was keeping to herself.  He wasn’t sure if she was comfortable enough with him yet, for him to meddle in her life, but whatever it was, she was not telling Arthur.

“Charlotte, are you okay?” he asked, leaning closer to her.

“I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile.

“Sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Merlin decided to let it go for now.  Maybe he could talk to her later on, after the run, if she would even open up to him.  He was not her father, but something inside told him that she needed to talk to someone and maybe he would be able to help her.

Chapter 7: Test of Endurance

They arrived at the trailhead just before noon.  Merlin slid the door open and got out with Jonah while Arthur and Charlotte got out on the other side.  Annis and Uther joined them a moment later to look up at the mountain.

“You ready for this, Merlin?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, I am,” he grinned.

“Good, then let’s get changed and start with a warmup.”

“You’re going to make the run too?”

“Unless you have any objections, yes,” Arthur nodded.

“But don’t you have instructor stuff to do?”

“Actually, no, Gwaine and Lance can handle things.  Tristan and Isolde will be manning the drones and keeping an eye on the trail cams for any trouble.”

“You think there will be, with Ewan gone?”

“Better safe than sorry,” Arthur nodded then grabbed his bag from the van.  Merlin already had his.  “Come on, we can change in the lodge.”

“Jonah, stay here with Charlotte.  We will be right back,” Merlin said.

“Okay, Papa.”

Merlin grinned then ran to catch up with Arthur.  They came out twenty minutes later to the sight of Uther, with Jonah on his shoulders, chasing Charlotte around the small park.  Arthur huffed a laugh.  He couldn’t believe the change in his father.

“Unexpected,” Merlin smiled.

“You can say that again,” Arthur said as they walked over to put their bags in the van and then shut the doors, locking it.  “If you all want to follow us, there’s a place with picnic tables just up the path a bit.”

“Grandpa!” Jonah shouted, and Uther put him down, “Grandpa, you’re here!”

Balinor approached scooping him up in his arms and kissing his cheek.  “I wouldn’t miss my boy’s first big trial.  It’s a tough run.  I figured he could use all the support he could get,” Balinor grinned then embraced Merlin.  “You look good…doing well I hear.”

“Who told you that?” Merlin asked with a smile.

“A little bird,” Balinor winked then nodded to Arthur who shrugged.

“I just texted him updates.”

Uther extended his hand to Balinor who shook it.  “Balinor, you’re looking a bit haggard, old man.”

“You too, Uther,” he smiled.

“How’s Hunith?”

“She is good.  She wanted to be here but couldn’t get away from the Lazy Lantern.  Two of her kitchen staff are out sick.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Dad,” Merlin smiled.

“Me too, son.”

They walked up the path to the picnic tables and Annis put down the picnic basket she had packed with food for after the run.  Charlotte and Jonah ran down to the creek to play in the water.  The sun was warm and there was no wind. 

“Merlin!”

Merlin turned to see Mithian, Mordred, and Kara coming up the path.  She hugged him then he introduced them to Balinor.  “Are you ready?” he asked them, and they nodded.

“I know I am,” Mordred smiled, “Especially since we don’t have Ewan to contend with.”

“Thank God for that,” Mithian sighed.

“All right let’s warm up,” Arthur said then the five of them took a short run down the lower trail and did some stretching exercises, bouncing in place until they were joined by the rest of the rookies. 

Arthur climbed up onto one of the picnic tables, putting his hands on his hips.  “Good, now remember at the end of this run there will only be twelve rookies remaining.  The four slowest times will be sent home.  The top three finishers will have tomorrow off.  The other nine will be doing chores on base for Isolde and believe me, she has a lengthy list of things that need to be done,” he smiled.  “I will be doing the run with all of you.  And just so you are aware, there are trail cams and two drones in the air to keep an eye on things.  Ewan found out the hard way what happens when you cheat and physically assault your teammates.  There will be absolutely no more of that kind of behavior.  Anyone caught doing it will be sent home immediately no questions asked.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” everyone shouted in unison.

“Gwaine and Lance will be in charge of the run,” Arthur said, nodding in their direction as they approached.  “Good luck and don’t hold back because this endurance run will test your strength, stamina, and grit.  I believe in you.  Believe in yourselves and in each other.  See you at the finish line.”  He jumped down from the table and then walked over to Merlin who was talking to Jonah and his dad.  “Merlin…” he said, giving him a meaningful look.

“Ready,” he nodded.

“Line up!” Gwaine shouted.

Once everyone was in position, Lance counted down the blew his whistle and everyone took off running up the trail.  Arthur and Merlin are in the lead, running right alongside each other.  Mordred and Mithian were close behind followed by Kara and the rest.

The trail narrowed fairly quickly and almost instantly began to climb up into the trees.  Birds took flight as they passed beneath.  Merlin edged just a bit ahead of Arthur and he laughed. 

“Don’t let me hold you back.  This is your chance.”  Merlin gave him a sidelong glance and a wide grin.  With a look back at Mordred and Mithian he nodded then surged ahead, putting a bit of distance between them.  Arthur smiled and nodded.

“Go, Merlin, go,” he whispered under his breath.

Mordred passed by Arthur a few minutes later and Mithian caught up and ran alongside him.  She smiled and winked then took off, running past Mordred as Kara caught up.  Arthur wasn’t about to let his rookies beat him, so he poured on the speed and soon passed them all.  Merlin was out of sight around the bend ahead.  The trail narrowed to a point where they had to run single file with Arthur ahead of them still.  They soon reached the point where the natural obstacles were.  Fallen trees, a creek to cross, hopping from one stone to the next, rocky ground, and a sheer cliff face they had to climb.

Arthur looked up to see Merlin just reaching the top of the cliff.  He smiled and followed him with his eyes along the ridge he was moving along at a steady pace.

Merlin looked back to see the others just below and kept running.  He wanted to beat the record time for the trail that had been set by none other than Arthur Pendragon years earlier when he had been a rookie.  He was pouring off sweat and his heart was pounding, but he was focused.  He could do this.  He just needed to get to the top of the mountain.  The run down it would be much easier.

The longer he ran, Merlin felt an uneasy feeling creeping into his focus.  Something felt off.  He reached the halfway mark, glancing up to see one of the drones flying over him.  Shaking off the feeling, he kept running.  There was no room for doubt now.  He would finish this race, proving not just to the many people who’d said he couldn’t do it, but also to himself, that he deserved this chance.

Arthur reached the top of the cliff with Mithian right behind him.  Mordred was just reaching the base.  He ran as if he needed to win this race as well, he ran because he needed to be there for not just Merlin, but his rookies and his team…for Leon.  This endurance run was even harder now that he was nearly thirty, but he could do it, he needed to prove he was still capable.

The second half of the trail was brutal, Merlin felt every muscle in his body burning with the effort it took to climb that mountain.  The air was much cooler, and the trail was a bit muddy from the rain.  He slipped a few times, nearly losing his footing but recovered and kept going.  He smiled as a startled deer crossed the trail and bounded into the brush.

“Don’t worry little one, I won’t hurt you,” Merlin said, stopping for just a moment to catch his breath.  He glanced back to see Arthur coming up the trail behind him.  They locked eyes for a moment then he turned and started running again.  It took another thirty minutes for him to reach the top of the mountain where a tent was set up with water and energy bars for a quick break before starting back down on a different trail.

“Merlin,” Valiant said giving him a nod before tossing him a bottle of water which Merlin drank down and then grabbed a second.  “I have to say, I didn’t think you had it in you.  Strong work.  Keep it up and you will graduate at the top of the class.”

“I bet that hurt,” Merlin grinned.

“Oh, so much,” Valiant chuckled.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about Ewan,” Merlin said with a slight nod.

“Don’t worry about it.  Get your ass down this mountain and cross that finish line.  You’ve got this.  You have what my nephew never did…honor and strength of character.”

“I appreciate that.”

Valiant looked up as Arthur ran toward them and grabbed a water.  “Look at you, old man,” he laughed.

“Fuck you, Valiant,” Arthur grinned then looked at Merlin.  “You’re doing great.  You need to go, the others are right behind me.”

Merlin wanted so badly to kiss Arthur, but there would be none of that with Valiant and two other people watching.  “See you at the bottom,” Merlin grinned then turned and ran for the trail and the next leg of the race.

“That kid’s got guts, I’ll give him that,” Valiant said.

“Yes, he does.”

“Why are you even running this?”

“Because I still can,” Arthur said plainly, then downing the water, he took off after Merlin.

Valiant watched him go, shaking his head.  No way in hell he would ever attempt this run.

Arthur spotted Merlin half running, half sliding down the trail ahead of him.  The ground was even muddier on this side of the mountain.  One wrong step and it would be over.  He started to worry when he saw Merlin struggling a bit, but he smiled when he saw him turn and look back at him with a huge grin.

“Go, you idiot,” Arthur huffed.  He moved to the far edge of the trail where he would have more traction and kept moving down the mountain.  Merlin was out of sight again and he pushed on hoping he was all right.  Glancing over the edge there was a steep slope that ended up at the bottom of a rocky ravine.  The first year he ran this, one of the rookies had slipped and fallen into the bottom, breaking his leg.  Shaking off that memory, Arthur focused and kept moving.

Merlin’s body was rebelling as he reached the halfway mark on the downside.  The trail leveled off for a bit, but it was narrow and made up of loose rock and dangerous roots that could trip him up and send him careening off the side of the mountain.  Moving slow and easy he picked his way through the worst of it then the trail started to climb again.

“All right, Merlin…home stretch, let’s do this,” he said to himself then pushed himself up that incline and down the other side.  He could see the roofline of the lodge below.  “Almost there,” he smiled.

That uneasy feeling began to force its way in again.  Merlin stumbled a bit, his gut telling him that something was wrong.  Shaking his head, he pushed on, pouring on speed, drawing from every reserve of strength and stamina he had.  Jonah…his father…they were waiting for him at the finish line.  He smiled pushing through the pain and exhaustion the trail leveled out and the finish line was there ahead.  Jonah was bouncing up and down.

“Papa…Papa!” he shouted, and Merlin gave it everything he had, charging across that line to pick up his son, holding him tightly in his arms.  “You did it, Papa!” Jonah squealed, “You won!”

“I love you!” Merlin said, hugging him, tears in his eyes.

Balinor embraced them both, kissing Merlin’s forehead.  “I knew you could do it, my boy.”

Cutting into the euphoric happiness at finishing, Merlin felt a twisting sensation in his gut and a rising alarm.  “No, no, no,” he shook his head.

“What is it?” Balinor asked.

“Take Jonah, something’s wrong…” his words were cut off by the sound of gunshots.  “No!” Merlin said, “Take Jonah, I have to go back…Arthur!” he said then took off running.  He ran back up the trail.  “Arthur!” he called out.  “Fuck, Arthur…where are you?  He knew he had not been that far behind him.

“Merlin, get down!” Arthur yelled, and Merlin ran in the direction of his voice finding him on the ground behind a bolder and a fallen tree.  He was bleeding from a gunshot wound to his shoulder and another in the side of his thigh.  “You shouldn’t have come back for me.” 

“Yes, I should have, and I’m here now so shut up and let me take care of you,” Merlin said, pulling his T-shirt off, and ripping it into strips to stop the bleeding.  “I am a paramedic remember.”

Arthur winced as he tied it off.  “Did you see him?  It was fucking Ewan.”

“I didn’t see him, but I am going to kill him, I promise you that,” Merlin said.

Mordred came down the trail and another gunshot rang out.  He ducked and slid down to where Merlin and Arthur were.  “What the hell?”

“It’s Ewan,” Merlin said, “Arthur saw him.”

“The girls are not far behind me, he will kill them,” Mordred said.  He turned to Arthur.  “Where is he?” he asked.

“On the fire tower, just the other side of those trees.  Mordred don’t.”

“I have to do something, he hates Mithian, he will hurt her.”  He nodded to Merlin then took off running through the woods crossing over the trail.  He spotted Ewan too late as he got onto an ATV and took off.  “Fuck!”  He turned and ran back to Arthur and Merlin as they climbed back up onto the trail.  Gwaine and Lance were helping get Arthur onto a bright orange rescue stretcher.

“I’m all right,” Arthur insisted, “Just grazed me.  The bastard is a lousy shot.”

Mordred reached them just as the girls came down the trail.  “The fucker got away.  He’s on an ATV heading down the road.”

“Police are on him,” Gwaine said.  “Mordred you and the girls finish the race.  We’ve got Arthur.”

Merlin nodded, “Go, finish this.”

Mordred and the girls nodded then took off running down the trail.  Arthur pulled Merlin down for a quick kiss. 

“You shouldn’t have come back.  He could have shot you.”

“This is my fault,” Merlin said pressing his forehead to Arthur’s.  “I felt something was wrong, but I ignored my gut, and you…” he choked on the words.

“Hey, no…don’t blame yourself, Merlin.  I’m all right,” he held him close.  “You made it across the finish line?”

Merlin nodded, giving him a slight smile.  “Yeah, I did.”

“He broke your record, Arthur,” Gwaine chuckled.  “Broke it by a full three minutes.”

Arthur winked at Merlin, “There’s no one else I would rather relinquish my title to than you, Merlin.”

“Let’s get you out of here,” Lance smiled then he and Gwaine lifted the stretcher carrying him down with Merlin leading the way.  The rest of the rookies passed by hesitating for a moment before Arthur told them to keep going.

Isolde came running toward them as they came down the trail, panic in her eyes.  “Arthur, what the hell happened?”

“Ewan shot him,” Merlin said, his eyes simmering with rage.

“Oh my God,” she said just as the ambulance drove in and parked in front of the lodge.

Arthur was loaded into it and Uther went with him.  Annis took hold of Merlin’s arm.  “Come, I will drive us to the hospital.”

“I have to go after Ewan,” Merlin said.

“No, the police will handle it.  Arthur needs you.  Your son needs you.”

“Merlin,” Charlotte said, tears streaming down her face and fear in her eyes.  Merlin pulled her into his arms and then dropped to his knees.

“He’s all right,” Merlin said looking into her eyes, “He’s going to be fine.  I’m a paramedic remember.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte hugged him.

All thoughts of Ewan slipped away, along with the rage, as he held Arthur’s daughter in his arms.  Merlin smoothed back her blond hair, gently swiping his thumb across her cheek catching a tear.  “Let’s go to the hospital, yeah?” he smiled, and she nodded.  They walked over to the van where Balinor was securing Jonah in the back seat.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” he said then hugged Merlin and touched Charlotte’s cheek.

Gwaine and Lance waved then Merlin got into the van with Annis and Charlotte.  He closed the door, his hands were shaking a bit.  Mordred and the girls were standing beside the lodge as Annis turned the van around and headed out of the parking area.

 

Merlin had showered and changed clothes.  He was pacing outside the emergency room.  Uther and Charlotte were inside with Arthur.  Annis put her arms around him.

“He’s fine, Merlin.  You got to him in time before he lost too much blood.”

“I know…just…” he shook his head.

“If you hadn’t gone back…”

“If I had listened to my instincts maybe he wouldn’t have been shot.”

“Merlin, stop it,” Annis said firmly.

“Sorry, I am just…I’m so scared of losing him,” he shook his head, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn’t hear him.  Mordred, Mithian, and Kara were sitting at a table with Jonah playing Go Fish.  Balinor was on his cell phone talking to Gwaine.

“You’re not going to lose Arthur.  My son has far too much to live for and he is stubborn as hell.”

“What if his injuries are so bad that he can no longer jump fires?  That will kill him.”

“Arthur is going to be fine,” Uther said as he came out of the ER.  Merlin turned to face him, and he put a hand on his shoulder.  “The doctor said you did everything right.  It could have been so much worse.  Thank you, Merlin.”

“Can I see him?” Merlin asked.

Uther nodded, “He’s asking for you.  Go on in.”

“Go, Merlin,” Annis said, “We will look after Jonah.”

“Thank you,” he smiled then walked through the doors to see Charlotte waiting for him.  She took his hand and led him into a curtained room.  Arthur was sitting up on the edge of the bed, fully dressed, and Merlin let out a relieved breath then stepped into his arms kissing him deeply.  “You’re all right.”

“I am, thanks to you,” Arthur said.  “Doctor confirmed they were just flesh wounds.  They removed the bullets and stitched me up.  A few days’ rest and I will be good to go.  I refused to be admitted so I am getting out of here.”

“Arthur…” Merlin shook his head.

“Take me home, Merlin,” Arthur grinned, “I am fine.”

The nurse came in with a wheelchair and Arthur maneuvered himself into it.  He put Charlotte on his lap and Merlin took hold of the chair pushing them out of the room and through the doors.  Everyone was surprised and relieved.

“Arthur,” Mithian said embracing him, “Thank God you’re okay.”

Balinor approached them, “Ewan is still out there.  Police are still searching.  Valiant called to see how you are.  He is helping police in the hunt for his nephew.”

“Your father went to bring the van around to the doors,” Annis said, kissing the top of Arthur’s head.  “We will get you home and you can rest.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Arthur smiled.

“Morgana is at the house now, getting things ready for you.  You know how she is, she needed to keep busy or go mad with worry.”

“Yes, she has always been that way.”

Merlin pushed the wheelchair out through the doors just as Uther pulled up in the van.  Charlotte opened the door and Arthur got himself up on his feet and limped to the van.  Merlin helped him into the seat.  He held his hand longer than was appropriate with witnesses.

“Let’s go home,” Arthur nodded.

Merlin fastened his seatbelt for him then closed the door.  He turned to Mordred and the girls.  “Ewan is still out there.  You stay with Mithian and Kara,” he said, and Mordred nodded.

“Will do.  I will watch out for them.”

“I’ll call you later,” Merlin said, and Mithian hugged him.

“I know what he means to you, Merlin.  Take care of him.  We will be fine,” she said in his ear.

Merlin nodded then smiled, kissing her cheek.  He put Jonah in the van fastening his seatbelt.  Balinor left in his own vehicle.  Uther waved to him as they pulled out and drove onto the street.  Annis looked back at Arthur giving him a comforting smile.

They pulled up in front of the guest house and Arthur unfastened his seatbelt with a grimace as it pulled on the stitches on his upper arm.  Charlotte scolded him with a look, and he smiled.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not!” Charlotte said emphatically with tears in her eyes then opened the van door.  “Let us help you, Daddy.”

“Come here, angel girl,” Arthur said, pulling her into his embrace, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to upset you.  Would you help me get out of here, please?”  Charlotte swiped at her eyes and then looked at him with a determined nod.  She grabbed his bag then got out helping him slide off the seat and got him standing.  He kissed the top of her head and smiled, “Thank you, darlin’.”

Merlin handed his bag to Jonah and got under Arthur’s good arm to support him as they walked into the house.  “Upstairs?” he asked.

“Not yet, I’m wide awake.  Just help me sit in the recliner.”

Morgana came down the stairs then and hugged her brother.  She was in tears and forming words seemed impossible.  It was not like her to fall apart.  “Sorry, pregnancy hormones,” she choked back a sob, looking him over head to toe.  “You’re still in one piece,” she said, biting her bottom lip.  “I was so scared.”

“I’m okay, I promise, Morgana,” Arthur kissed her forehead then Merlin lowered him into the recliner and Charlotte covered him with a soft blanket.  “Thank you,” he said to her then reached for Merlin’s hand keeping him close.  He leaned down for a kiss that made Morgana giddy.

“I take it we are out of the proverbial closet?” she asked.

“Not at work,” Arthur said, but yes, “We told the kids and Mom already figured it out.  Father accepting us was a welcome surprise.”

Morgan looked up at their father as he walked into the room and sat down on the sofa.  She stared at him as if he had three heads.  “You did…you accepted them being together without starting the Apocalypse?”

Uther laughed, “Morgana, I may be old, but even I can see when two people are in love and belong together.  Though, for the life of me, I still can’t figure out what you see in Gwaine.”

“Well, Gwaine is about to be the father of your grandchild so I guess you should accept him too,” Morgana said bluntly, and Uther’s eyes widened.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked.

Morgana nodded, “And before you say anything, we are legally married already…months ago.”

Uther stood up and hugged her tightly, cupping the back of her head.  “Oh, my beautiful daughter, I am delighted.  Genuinely happy for you both.  I know I give Gwaine a tough time, but he is a damn fine man,” he released her, and she was in tears.  “I’m so sorry for the way I have behaved.”

Morgana tilted her head to look at Arthur.  “Is he sick…dying?  Alien abduction?” she asked then gasped, looking at their father again.  “Doppelganger!”

Uther rolled his eyes, “I am fine.  Can’t an old man change his ways without creating such drama?”

“Not when that old man is Uther Pendragon,” she huffed a laugh.

Merlin sat on the arm of the recliner linking his fingers with Arthur’s.  “It’s real Morgana.  Believe me, I was completely caught off guard as well,” he chuckled.

“Well, in that case, I think I need to make dinner for you…right after I go to the bathroom.  Be right back,” Morgana said then headed for the bathroom just down the hall.

Uther watched her go then laughed.  “I’m gonna be a grandfather again.”

“Can you be my grandpa too,” Jonah asked, taking hold of his finger.  Uther picked him up and kissed his cheek.

“I would be honored to be your grandfather too, Jonah,” he smiled, and the boy hugged his neck.  “You are a wonderful addition to our family.  You have stolen all our hearts, young man.”

Merlin was grinning from ear to ear despite the tears in his eyes.  Charlotte noticed and stepped closer, he put his arm around her.  She kissed his cheek.  “Thank you for saving my Daddy,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

“Merlin, in all the excitement, I didn’t get the chance to congratulate you on winning the race,” Uther nodded, “Good job, that’s a tough run.”

“Not only did he win, but he beat my record by a full three minutes,” Arthur said proudly.

Morgana came back into the room just then and smiled.  “My brother, King Rookie, is happy about losing his crown to a newbie?” she asked.

“Only because that newbie is Merlin,” Arthur said, pulling him down for a kiss.

“You two are adorable,” she smiled.

“One big happy family,” Annis beamed.

“What would you like to eat, Arthur?” Morgana asked.

“A big juicy steak, please,” Arthur grinned.

“You got it.  I’ll have Gwaine pick up some on his way here.”

“Tell him to bring enough for everyone.  I think we should celebrate,” Arthur nodded, looking up at Merlin.

“You should be resting,” Merlin said.

“I’m good, really.”

“Are you sure, Daddy?” Charlotte asked.

“I am, baby girl.  Why don’t you go help Aunt Morgana?”

“Okay, but you’ll tell us if you get too tired and need to lie down.”

“I will, I promise.”

Jonah and Charlotte headed into the kitchen with Morgana.  Arthur turned to look at Merlin.  “Did they catch Ewan yet?”

“No, but Valiant is helping the police track him down.”

“He’s helping in the search for his own nephew?” Arthur asked raising an eyebrow.

“Gwaine said he was furious when he found out,” Uther nodded.

“Merlin, you need to be careful.  Mordred, Kara, and Mithian too.”

“Mordred has the girls, he is staying with them.  I asked Lance to check on them and make sure they are safe,” Merlin said.

“Hopefully, taking out his wrath on me was enough, and he will leave them alone.  But he hates you, Merlin.  I could see it in his eyes.”

“I’ll deal with Ewan.  You need to focus on healing.”

“The doctor said I will make a full recovery.  A few days of rest and I will be back to training.”

“Training has been canceled until Ewan is caught and the police have completed their investigation,” Merlin said.  “They are worried he might go after the other rookies given the opportunity.”

Arthur shook his head, “His grudge was with us…you, me, Mordred, Mithian, Kara, for certain…possibly Lance.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Merlin said, “I need to use the bathroom.  Be right back.”  He got up and walked around the corner and down the hallway.  He was about to go into the room when he noticed Charlotte sitting on a lounge chair on the patio.  She was looking at her phone and wiping her eyes.  He went outside closing the door behind him.  “Charlotte?”

“Sorry, I just needed some air,” she choked as tears slid down her cheeks.

“Your Daddy is going to be all right, sweetheart,” he said softly as he crouched in front of her then looked at her phone, her hands were trembling.  “Or is it something else?” he asked.

Charlotte shook her head letting out a sharp pleading cry.  “You can’t tell him…please, Merlin.  You can’t tell him!”

“What is it,” Merlin cupped her cheek, “I know you barely know me, but I want to help.  Please, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Daddy, can’t find out, he will be so mad.”

Merlin moved to sit next to Charlotte, wrapping her in his arms as he kissed the top of her head.  “Talk to me, please, then we will figure it out together, okay?”

Charlotte put her phone in his hand and then buried her face against his chest.  Merlin looked at the screen, it was open to a messenger app.  He scrolled back through over a month of messages, reading through them.  They were from someone calling themselves Sidhe Princess.  At first, the messages were harmless talking about movies and TV shows, books, and music as if she were just another young girl Charlotte’s age.  Then the messages grew bolder telling Charlotte specific things about her birth and about Arthur.  Merlin struggled to contain his anger, needing to remain calm.  He was an outsider and Charlotte had chosen to let him in…to let him help.

“Charlotte, do you know who this person is?” he asked.

“I think it’s my mom,” she choked.

“Is this all she had sent you?”

“No, I have gotten cards in the mail with no return address and a few packages…gifts.  A beautiful bracelet, a journal, and other things.  I have them hidden in my closet.  Merlin, the things she says…it has to be her.  Things only my mother would know, right?”

Merlin shook his head, “Some of these messages are generic, but yes, much of what she has told you sounds like personal things only she would know.  Charlotte, I know you think you can’t tell your dad, but this is serious.  From what he told me, your mother vanished without a trace when you were five years old.  Some of these texts sound like she is trying to convince you to meet her, to go away with her.”

“I know.  I would never leave, Daddy, but Merlin, she is my mother.  Despite everything I want her back in my life.  I need her.”

“Charlotte, we have to tell Arthur.  There is a very real chance that this person is not your mom and using Sophia's memories to coerce you into meeting them.  There are dangerous predators out there who use the internet for that purpose.  I have warned Jonah repeatedly not to trust anything or anyone on the internet.  And even if it is her, she gave up her right to be your mother when she abandoned you and your dad.  I know you don’t want to upset or anger him, but sweetheart, this is serious.  If she were to ever get you alone…”

“She would try to take me away from Daddy,” Charlotte said softly.

“That could be her intention, but I won’t let that happen,” Merlin held her close.  “I’m not letting anything happen to you or Arthur.  If he lost you it would destroy him.  We need to tell him about this, Charlotte.  He has to know.”

“Will you help me?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” Merlin smiled.

“Thank you, Dad.”

“You’re welcome,” Merlin held her a bit longer then drew back.  “You ready to go tell him?”

Charlotte let out a breath and then nodded.  “I’m scared.”

“I know, but this is the right thing to do.  I would do just about anything for you, Charlotte, but I love your father deeply and I cannot keep something like this from him.  He needs to know, and the proper authorities need to be contacted.  If this is your mother then we will handle it.  And God forbid, if it is someone preying on you, then they could be doing it to other kids and they need to be caught.”

“I want so bad for it to be my, mom,” Charlotte said, her voice breaking, “I want to know that she still loves me.  That I matter to her.”

“I know,” Merlin said.  “Come on inside with me, wash that pretty face, then we will go and talk to Arthur.  I’ll hold on to your phone, all right?”

“Okay.  I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, Charlotte,” he grinned then kissed her forehead.  They got up from the lounge chair and walked into the house.  Arthur looked up as they walked in together.  He saw the look of fear on his daughter’s face.

“Charlotte?  What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk to you about something,” Merlin said.  Uther stood up and moved to the other chair so they could sit down on the sofa near Arthur’s recliner.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked.

“Daddy, you asked me if something has been bothering me,” Charlotte lowered her gaze, wringing her hands.  “There is something…”  She looked at Merlin imploringly and he nodded.  Swiping the screen on her phone, he handed it over to Arthur.

“Someone has been messaging Charlotte on her phone and sending her cards and gifts in the mail,” Merlin said.  “I saw her on the patio, she was upset and crying.  I convinced her that we needed to tell you what has been happening.  It’s either Sophia or someone pretending to be her in an attempt to lure Charlotte away from you.”

“I would never leave you, Daddy,” Charlotte broke down, tears streaming down her face.  Arthur placed the phone on the arm of the chair, screen down.

“Come here, angel girl,” he said, gathering her onto his lap, and holding her close as he kissed her temple.  “God, I knew something was wrong.  You could have come to me.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy…I was scared.  If it is mom…” she choked then buried her face against his chest and shattered.

“Shh, I’ve got you, my precious girl,” Arthur murmured, “I know, baby…I know…”

“I—I want my, mommy,” she gasped for breath, “But I hate her for leaving us.”

Arthur struggled to keep it together.  “It’s okay…it’s all right to feel that way, Charlotte.  I understand…she hurt us both.”

“And I don’t want her to mess things up between you and Dad,” Charlotte said, giving Merlin a sad smile.  Arthur looked at him too, with fondness and love.

Arthur kissed Charlotte’s forehead, “Nothing is going to come between me and your dad, sweetie.  I promise you.”  He reached for Merlin’s hand.  We are a family now.  Your mom has no say in that.  She gave up her rights the day she walked away, but I know you miss her.  She is your mom and despite everything, I know you still need her.”

“What if it isn’t her?” Merlin asked.

“It’s her,” Arthur said, “No one else would understand the meaning behind that name…she grew up being told she descended from the actual Sidhe.  Believed it.  She collected everything and anything to do with fairies and sprites.  When she left, I put everything in storage in case Charlotte would want it all one day.  She used to refer to herself as a Sidhe Princess.  That, and the few messages I read, tells me it’s her…it’s Sophia.”

“What would you like me to do?” Uther asked him.

Arthur picked up the phone and continued to scroll through the messages.  “We keep up the ruse, lure her out,” Arthur nodded.  “Charlotte, I am going to need to hold on to this.  We will get you a new phone, a new number.  Can you go up to your room and bring me everything she sent you?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Charlotte said then slid off his lap being careful of his injuries, and ran up the stairs.

Merlin looked at him, “She asked me for help.  I couldn’t keep this from you.”

“Thank you, Merlin.  You did the right thing,” Arthur drew him close for a kiss.

“Are you sure you are all right with it?”

“It makes me very happy that she has you to turn to,” Arthur pressed their foreheads together, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Merlin smiled.  “Do you need something for the pain?  The doctor gave you the good stuff.”

“Not yet, maybe at bedtime.  I need a clear head right now to deal with this Sophia thing.”

“If I can use your laptop I can try to find a trail back to her.  A phone number or an IP address, maybe even figure out where she is now,” Merlin said.

Arthur nodded pointedly down the hallway, “My office is the last door on the right.  Whatever you need, do it.  Find her.”

Merlin got up and ran to the office returning a few minutes later with the laptop and everything he needed to connect to the phone.  He looked at Arthur and shrugged.  “What I am about to do may or may not be legal.”

“Do it,” Arthur smiled, “I’ll deal with the consequences later if anything comes up.”

“If anyone has anything to say about it, they will hear from my lawyers,” Uther said.  “Do whatever you have to do, Merlin.  Sophia has to be dealt with once and for all.  Arthur, you need to be free of her so you and Merlin can move forward with your relationship and Charlotte deserves closure.”

Charlotte came back downstairs with a small cardboard box full of stuff, placing it on the coffee table.  “This is everything.  I kept it hidden in my closet.”

Arthur winced a bit as he lowered the footrest on the recliner and leaned forward to go through the contents while Merlin was working on the phone.  Inside was a purple velvet box, he opened it to find a beautiful silver and blue bracelet.  It was clearly expensive, made with pure silver and azure glass, edged with crystals and tiny gemstones.

“I never even wore it,” Charlotte said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Arthur reached out to cup her chin.  “It’s okay…she’s your mom.  She gifted you this bracelet.  You can wear it if you want to.  I won’t be mad.”

“Are you sure?”

“Come here, let me see your arm,” Arthur smiled and when she held it out to him he fastened the gorgeous bracelet around her wrist.  “It looks beautiful on you.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” she said biting her bottom lip as she struggled to hold back more tears.

Arthur went through the other gifts.  There was a journal with a fairy on the purple leather-bound cover and a lavender, blue, and pink sparkly pen for writing in it.  He placed it on the table and then pulled out a dozen envelopes with cards in them.  He opened the first one pulling the card out.  Inside was a hundred-dollar bill and a beautiful bookmark made of white lace and lavender ribbon.  He looked at the card, immediately recognizing Sophia’s delicate flowing cursive and the tiny symbols she worked into the letters.  Any lingering doubt that it was his wife faded away as he read the words of the poem she had written.

Delicate wings take flight

To carry a secret aloft

Listen little fairy

Hear the softest note

The sweetest song of light

My whisper my tears

Hold on tight

To the wild breeze

Hide your fears

The sweetest note

Beats from your heart

As we take flight

And soar into the trees

Flitting from one to another

Love and hope and faith

Sweet little one of my heart.

 

Arthur put the card back into the envelope leaving the money and the bookmark on the table.  The next card was small, inside was a drawing of a fairy and another hundred-dollar bill.  He placed it with the other one.  One by one he opened them all finding more money and more poems.  None of them were signed, but they might as well have been.  Twelve hundred dollars in cash, not counting the value of the gifts.  Sophia had somehow managed to get her life together and she was reaching out to their daughter.

“Daddy?” Charlotte asked, watching him closely.

“I’m all right,” he smiled reassuringly.

“You’re not angry with me?”

“No, baby girl, I am not angry with you.  I understand why you felt you had to keep this from me, but no more.  From now on, you are to come to me if your mom sends you anything at all.  Promise me, please, Charlotte.”

“I promise, Daddy,” she hugged him carefully.

“Gotcha!” Merlin exclaimed, and Arthur smiled at him.  “Sorry, took some doing, I won’t tell you exactly what I did…plausible deniability and all,” he shrugged then turned the laptop toward Arthur.  “She is in Boise.  I narrowed it down to a one-block radius and on that block is the Grove Hotel.  I hacked into their system and was able to access the guest registration.  She is staying in room 408 on the fourth floor under the name Sophia Aulfric.”

“That’s her father’s first name,” Arthur said, “She isn’t even trying to hide from me anymore.  Why now?  For three years I had private detectives searching for her with no luck.  Why stop hiding now?”

“What do you want to do, Arthur?” Merlin asked.

“I need to think,” he said then picked up a velvet pouch from the bottom of the box.  He loosened the drawstrings and tipped the contents into the palm of his hand.  It was a stunning iridescent blue stone, polished to a high shine.

“Labradorite,” Merlin said.

“It’s beautiful Arthur said, handing it to Charlotte.”

“Can I see it?” Merlin asked her and she nodded placing it in his hand.  “This stone is said to have magical qualities.  To help with spiritual enlightenment and promote psychic ability and intuition.”

“How do you know all this?” Arthur asked.

“Freya…her grandparents, Gaius and Alice were healers and taught her everything about crystals and herbs, potions and magical spells.”

“Really?” Charlotte asked as Merlin gave her back the stone.

“You don’t actually believe in that stuff?” Arthur asked him and Merlin shrugged.

“I believe there is magic.  Just people have forgotten it exists…forgotten how to access it,” he smiled.  “Maybe Sophia does have some Sidhe in her ancestry.”

Arthur pulled the last few items from the box.  There was a pendant on a silver chain that looked to be made of the same stone with tiny, silver fairy charms hanging on either side of the stone.  He put it around Charlotte’s neck, and she smiled, lifting it with her fingers.

“Charlotte, I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” she said, “No matter what happens with mom, I will never leave you.  Please, know that.  She’s my mother, but I will never willingly go anywhere with her.”

“Until we figure out what Sophia is planning, I need you to stay close.  Do not go anywhere alone.  She may be your mother, but I know what she is capable of.  She manipulates people…bends them to her will.  God knows she did it to me often enough.  We don’t even know if she is clean.  She may still be using and most likely drinking too.”

“Okay.  I promise I won’t go anywhere alone.”

“I’m sorry, baby girl, but your mom is very adept at vanishing and hiding.  If she were to get her hands on you…” Arthur’s voice caught in his throat.  “I can’t lose you.”

“Daddy, I’m sorry to put all this on you when you’re hurt.  You should be thinking about healing.”

“Don’t be sorry.  You and Merlin did the right thing coming to me.  I needed to know.”

“I’ll protect Charlotte,” Jonah said, hugging her tightly and Merlin smiled.

“I believe you will,” Arthur nodded.

“Come on, little brother,” Charlotte beamed, “Let’s go help Aunt Morgana.”

Uther watched them go, smiling.  “Merlin, that’s a fine boy you have there,” he said as he moved to sit next to him on the sofa.

“Thank you, he is,” Merlin smiled.

“If you want, I could contact people I know in the FBI to look into this.  I guarantee you there are laws that Sophia has broken.  We could let them deal with her.”

“No,” Arthur said, “She is still Charlotte’s mother, and I don’t want to see her in prison.  I’d prefer to handle this quietly unless she chooses to force my hand.  At least we know where she is…now we just have to figure out what she is planning.  I need to go to Boise…confront her face to face.”

“I could call my dad.  He would fly us there,” Merlin said.  “We could leave in the morning and be back in the afternoon.”

“Arthur, do you think that’s a good idea?” Uther asked, “You’re injured and in a lot of pain.”

“If it means keeping my daughter safe, yes.”  He looked at Merlin and nodded, “Call him, make arrangements.”  Merlin pulled out his phone and dialed his father’s number.

Chapter 8: Estranged Wife

Balinor called in several favors.  He was able to get a helicopter and flew them to Boise early the next afternoon.  They were on the ground in a rental car driving to the Grove Hotel in less than an hour.  Merlin sat in the backseat, with Arthur, holding his hand.

“Are you sure you are up for this?” he asked.

“Yes, it has been a long time coming,” Arthur nodded.  “I need to do this, not just to protect Charlotte, but to finally be free of her.  I have the divorce papers right here,” he patted his leather jacket.

“What if she refuses to sign them?”

“She won’t.”  Balinor pulled up in front of the hotel.  Merlin got out first then turned to help Arthur.  “I’m good,” he grinned then limped through the front doors.

Balinor shook his head as Merlin leaned in the passenger side window.  “Stubborn ass,” he grinned.

Merlin rolled his eyes and nodded, “Yes, he is.  Do you want to find a place to park?  I’ll call you when we are finished.”

“I won’t go far.  Just in case you need help.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Merlin grinned then went inside to find Arthur at the front desk.  He gave the young woman at the computer his best loin-melting smile and she fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

“How can I help you, Sir?”

Arthur leaned closer to the counter and grinned.  “Well, you see, my wife is staying here in room 408.  My business trip was cancelled so I was able to come to Boise after all.  I would like to surprise her with dinner and a night on the town.”

“That is so romantic,” she smiled brightly, “Can I see your ID please?”

“Of course,” Arthur said then took out his wallet showing her his ID and if he just happened to have his and Sophia’s wedding photo tucked in there too it was no one’s business.

“Oh, you two are such a stunning couple.  Your wife is incredibly beautiful.”

“Yes, she is,” Arthur glanced over his shoulder at Merlin, giving him a wink.  Merlin had to bring his hand up to his mouth to smother his laughter.

“Wonderful, Mr. Pendragon, you two should definitely check out the new comedy club down the street.  They just opened a few months ago.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Your wife has a different last name?”

“Yes, Sophia is a strong woman, determined to keep her own identity.”

“Of course,” she smiled.  “Is that your daughter?”

“Yes, her name is Charlotte, she is eight.  She’s home with her grandparents.  We haven’t been alone together in what seems like ages,” Arthur said, wagging his eyebrows and making her blush.

“Here’s your keycard, Mr. Pendragon.  I must say, I do envy your wife.”

“Please, call me Arthur.”

“Arthur,” she nodded, “I’m Daphne, if you should need anything I will be here until midnight.”

“Thank you, Daphne,” he grinned then headed for the elevator motioning for Merlin to follow.  He did so, trying not to draw attention to himself.  Arthur held the elevator doors open and he slipped inside.

“Well, one thing is for certain, you can always take up acting when your smokejumper career is over,” Merlin laughed.

“Shut up, Merlin,” Arthur chuckled then held up the keycard.  “I was good though, wasn’t I.”

“Yes, yes, you were,” Merlin grinned leaning in to grab Arthur’s leather jacket pulling him close for a kiss.  Arthur drew back slightly and smiled.

“I’m here to surprise my wife with a romantic evening and I'm kissing my boyfriend in the elevator.”

“You’re not going in that room without me,” Merlin said, “I’ve got your back.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Arthur kissed him just as the doors opened.  They stepped out into the hallway and walked to the door of room 408.  He quietly put the keycard in the lock and pushed the door open.  They walked in and looked around.  There were open suitcases and shopping bags full of merchandise scattered all over the room.  A half dozen pairs of expensive shoes were lined up on top of the dresser.  “We’re definitely in the right place,” he muttered.

The sliding glass door that led to the shared terrace was open.  Merlin checked the bathroom and then shook his head.  They made their way to the door and then stepped outside.  Arthur spotted Sophia.  She was standing at the railing of the terrace, sipping a glass of wine.

“Some things never change,” Arthur said, keeping his voice calm as he limped toward his wife.  She immediately spun around a startled look on her face.  “Sophia…long time no see.”

“Arthur!” she gasped.

“Surprised to see me, dear wife?”  Arthur looked her over and shook his head, clenching his fists as he struggled to control his emotions.  She was barefoot, wearing a low-cut red top with tailored black slacks.  Her eyes were bright and alert.  “Seems you got your life together.  You’re clean and sober?”

“Other than the occasional glass of wine,” she smiled as she raised the glass and then took a sip.  “I’ve been clean for going on eighteen months.  I figured it was time to rebuild some bridges.”   

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out that you have been communicating with Charlotte?  That I would just let you waltz back into her life…into our lives after what you did?”

Sophia huffed, “I knew you would figure it out.  I just wasn’t expecting you to catch on quite so quickly.  And I certainly never expected you to show up here.”  She looked at Merlin tilting her head slightly.  “Do I know you?  Wait, yes…you’re Arthur’s little whipping boy from high school.  Well, haven’t you grown up pretty,” she smiled predatorily, “Merlin, isn’t it?  Still tagging along after Arthur, begging for whatever scraps of attention he throws at you?  Pathetic boy.”

“Fuck you,” Merlin said, glaring daggers at her.  He hated the bitch already.  Everything in him screamed that she was far more dangerous than she appeared.

“Actually, Merlin and I are together now,” Arthur said. 

Sophia raised a well-groomed eyebrow in surprise.  “Well, well, Arthur Pendragon in a gay affair with his favorite whipping boy…how kinky,” she laughed.  “This is rich, indeed.  What I would pay to see the look on old Uther’s face when he finds out.”

“He already knows and has accepted us.  He is happy that I finally have someone who will love me the way you sure as fuck never could.  If it weren’t for the fact that Charlotte wants to see you I would make damn sure you leave the state, if not the country.”

“Charlotte wants to see me?” Sophia asked, her eyes going wide.

“She does, and God help me, if you hurt her again…”

“Arthur, please, I beg of you.  I just want to be in her life.  To know my baby girl.  I bet she is just beautiful,” she shook her head.  “I know I don’t deserve it, but I swear I won’t interfere in your lives if I can just spend some time with our daughter.”

“It will be supervised.  You will never be allowed to be alone with her.  Is that clear?”

“Yes, yes, thank you, Arthur.”

Arthur reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out the divorce papers.  “I’ve been waiting a long damn time for this.  Sign them.  The terms of your supervised visits with Charlotte are spelled out in there.  I retain full custody and if you dare hurt her or try to pull anything, what little rights you have as her mother will be forfeited and all contact with her will cease.  Your choice, Sophia,” Arthur said as he handed her the papers and a pen.

Sophia sat down at the table and began to flip through the documents.  She looked up at Merlin who had moved to stand next to Arthur their fingers entwined.  She smiled and then looked down at the papers again.  She read through the ones pertaining to Charlotte then glanced at the last page which Arthur had already signed and dated.

“What the hell,” she shrugged then proceeded to initial and sign each page where required.  When she was finished she stood up and pressed them to Arthur’s chest before kissing him passionately.  “I did miss you, my handsome husband.”  She looked at Merlin and winked, “Shame, would have been fun to have a good fuck for old times’ sake.”

Arthur made a show of wiping his lips giving her a look of disgust.  “I wouldn’t sleep with you again for anything.  How many men did you cheat on me with in the years we were married?”

“Oh, poor Arthur, did I bruise that giant Pendragon ego of yours?” she giggled, “I slept with an entire Hotshot team back in the day.  Who knows, one of them could be Charlotte’s father.  Wouldn’t that be a kicker?”

Arthur smirked, “Please, I already know Charlotte is mine…it’s called DNA.”

“You did a DNA test on our little girl?” Sophia asked, “Does she know you doubted her?”

“Actually, it was her idea.  She wanted to make certain that she was mine.  She knows what you did, Sophia.  I kept nothing from her.  Consider yourself lucky that she even wants to give you this chance.  Fuck it up and it’s over.”

“Fine,” she said then handed Arthur a business card, “My contact information.  I will be expecting a call to plan a time for me to see Charlotte.”

“Next weekend…Sunday,” Arthur said, “I will text you the details.”  He turned to Merlin and nodded toward the door of her room.  “Let’s go before I do something stupid and punch her.”  As they walked toward the door Sophia noticed Arthur was limping.

“Arthur,” she called out.

“What?” He turned to look at her.

“You’re hurt.”

“As if you care,” Arthur shook his head and then went back inside the room.  They walked out the door and headed for the elevator riding down to the lobby.  At the desk, Arthur slapped the keycard down startling Daphne.

“Is everything all right, Arthur?”

“Caught her in bed with another man,” he huffed then walked out.

Daphne raised an eyebrow and shook her head.  “Shame, I would have loved to offer that gorgeous man some comfort for the night,” she smiled, watching him go.

Balinor drove up just as they came out of the hotel.  Merlin had texted him when they left Sophia’s room.  Arthur grimaced as he got into the backseat, clearly in pain.  Exacerbated by the tension in his body after confronting his bitch of a wife.

“Here,” Merlin said, reaching into his jacket pocket.  He took two pills from the prescription bottle and placed them in Arthur’s palm then reached for the bottled water his father was holding out to him.  “Take these now.  You’re in pain.  Stop being a stubborn arse.”

“I’m good,” Arthur shook his head trying to give the pills back to Merlin.

“Dammit, Arthur, take the pain meds or I will shove the bloody things down your throat.  You are hurting.  Charlotte would never forgive me if I let you keep up this tough guy bullshit.  I know you haven’t had anything since the ER.  And after what you just went through with Sophia, you are tense and stressed.”

Arthur looked at him then the pills.  “Fine,” he said then downed them as Merlin opened the bottle of water and gave it to him.  “Happy?” he asked giving him a soft smile.

“Yes,” Merlin said then kissed him tenderly, “I’m proud of you for standing up to her and keeping your cool.  I wanted so bad to slap her.”

“Yes, Sophia has that effect on people.  When I first met her, she was a completely different person.  Sometimes I wonder if she put some kind of enchantment on me.  All she wanted was the Pendragon name, the family money, and to have a baby by me to cement her place in the family.  After Charlotte was born, she started to drink heavily.  When getting drunk was no longer enough, she turned to drugs.  By the time Charlotte was three, Sophia had been in and out of rehab, only to go right back to using again.  She nearly died of an overdose a year before she up and vanished.  It was after the overdose that I found out she had been cheating on me with multiple men.  The doctor who treated her told me that she had been six months pregnant and that the baby did not survive.  I don’t even know if I was the father.”  Arthur ran a hand through his dark blonde hair, huffing a sad laugh. 

“I’m so sorry,” Merlin said.

“I’ve never told anyone any of this,” Arthur said, looking at him.  “What kind of father am I that I was relieved when my daughter’s mother up and vanished?  That I was actually glad she was gone?  I hated her.  Part of me hoped that she was dead,” Arthur choked, tears pooling in his eyes, “She was my wife, the mother of my child and I wished her dead…what kind of man does that?”

“A good man in an impossible situation,” Merlin said softly.

“Charlotte cried for her…for days after she left.  She was inconsolable.  Then it was like someone flipped a switch.  She stopped crying for her mother…stopped asking for her.  As if she just woke up one morning and realized that she’d abandoned her and would not be back.  A five-year-old should not have to accept being abandoned by their mother.”

“She’s a strong girl, like her Daddy,” Merlin said.

Arthur turned to look out the window.  Balinor drove up to the helipad and they got out of the car.  He handed the keys off to his friend giving him a nod of thanks and embraced him.  Merlin helped Arthur into the helicopter.  The pain meds were kicking in.

“Sorry,” Arthur said softly.

“For what?” Merlin asked.

“You shouldn’t have to take care of me.”

Merlin cupped his chin and kissed him.  “I love you.  I will always take care of you.”

“I love you too,” Arthur smiled.

“Let’s get you home and you can sleep for two days.”

“I can’t…need to deal with Ewan and get back to training.”

“Training can wait.  And Ewan will be found.  I got a text from Valiant.  Ewan stole money from his bank account, and he was spotted stealing a car from the airfield.  He’s running, but he won’t get far.  You need to focus on healing and leave it to others to track down his useless ass.”

“I’m worried he will come after you,” Arthur said, grabbing Merlin’s hand.

“I hope he does because I am going to kick his ass for hurting you.”

“I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Merlin climbed into his seat and fastened both of their seatbelts.  Balinor got into the cockpit, pushing buttons, and flipping switches as the rotors began to spin.  He glanced back at them.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah, let’s go home,” Arthur said then took hold of Merlin’s hand letting his head fall back against the seat, closing his eyes.  The pain meds won out, and he fell asleep.

 

Charlotte and Jonah were sitting on the bench in front of the house, holding hands and waiting.  She was anxious, her stomach aching from worry.  Jonah put his arms around her.

“Don’t worry, Charlotte…Papa will keep him safe.”

“I know.  Just my mom…” she said wiping her eyes.

“I think she still loves you…all moms love their kids, right,” Jonah said.  “I don’t have my mama, but I know she loves me.  I can hear her voice sometimes…she tells me things.  She told me that your Daddy would look after me and Papa and we would be happy.”

Charlotte smiled, “I am so glad you’re here, Jonah…I love you, baby brother.”

“Love you too,” Jonah grinned.

They both looked up as the Gladiator turned into the driveway and pulled around to the house.  Merlin was behind the wheel.  He shut off the engine and then got out as Charlotte and Jonah both ran into his arms.

“Your Daddy, is okay, Charlotte.  I made him take his pain meds, so he is a bit groggy.  I’ll get him.  Can you go upstairs and turn down the bed?” Merlin asked and she nodded.

“Come on, Jonah,” Charlotte said then the two of them ran into the house.  Merlin smiled and went around to the passenger side of the truck.  Arthur was already unhooking his seatbelt when he opened the door.

“All right, lean on me, let’s get you up to bed,” Merlin said.

“I feel useless,” Arthur muttered.

“You’re not useless.  Come on…easy,” Merlin got under his good arm, wrapping his arm around his lower back for support.  He kicked the door closed and they made their way to the entry of the house.  Uther came out and held the door then helped Merlin get Arthur upstairs.  They worked together to undress him down to his underwear then tucked him into bed.  “I need to check your stitches and change your bandages then you can sleep.”

“I can have Annis bring you up something to eat,” Uther said.

“We ate in town before coming home,” Arthur said.

“Good…good,” Uther nodded, “Let me know if you need anything, Merlin.”

“Thank you, Uther,” Merlin smiled.

“I’ll see you downstairs in a bit then,” he said then leaned down to kiss Arthur’s forehead.  “I love you, my boy.”

“Love you too,” Arthur smiled.

“Well, I will leave you in Merlin’s capable hands and see you in the morning.”

“Night, Father.”

“Good night.”

Uther left the room heading back downstairs.  Merlin focused on taking care of Arthur’s wounds as he drifted in and out of sleep.  He smiled when Arthur started to mutter incoherently.  He turned his head and chuckled over something.

“Remember that purple and pink striped shirt you used to wear in high school?” he asked, his words slightly slurred.

“Yeah,” Merlin said, raising an eyebrow, “What about it?”

“I thought you looked so pretty…”

“Did you really?” Merlin asked, laughing, “I seem to recall you telling me I looked like a circus clown whenever I wore it.”

“I lied…you were hot…always were,” Arthur smiled sleepily.  “Wanted to kiss you…even then…”

“So, instead of kissing me you made fun of me relentlessly,” Merlin grinned.

“Sorry…sorry…I didn’t mean it.”

“I know.  Just sleep now.  I love you.”

“Love you…so much,” Arthur said then drifted off to sleep.  Merlin covered him with the sheet and blanket then pressed his lips to the corner of Arthur’s mouth.

“Rest now, I’ll be up to bed a bit later.”  He stood up and turned to see Charlotte waiting in the hallway.  “You can come in, sweetheart.”

“I just want to stay with him for a little while.”

“Sure, yeah, he is a bit out of it.”

“That’s okay,” Charlotte said then moved toward the bed.  She hesitated a moment then looked up at Merlin.  “You found her then?” she asked.

“Yes, we did.  I think I should leave the rest to your father to explain.  Okay?”

“Just tell me…was she okay?”

Merlin nodded, “She is well.  Seemed to be anyway.”

“That’s good.”

“Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No, I think Grandpa is waiting to talk to you.  You should go.  I’ll be down in a little while.”

Merlin hugged her and then kissed the top of her blonde head.  “Love you, kiddo,” he said.

“Love you too, Dad,” Charlotte smiled.

Merlin let go and walked to the door.  He hesitated then turned.  “For what it’s worth, your mom, she was happy to know that you want to see her.”

“She was?” Charlotte smiled.

“Yeah, she was,” he nodded then left the room, closing the door partway.

Charlotte crawled onto the bed snuggling up to Arthur.  He opened his eyes and smiled.  “Hey, baby girl…” he said groggily.

“Hey, Daddy…shh, sleep,” Charlotte kissed his cheek, “Love you.”

“Love you…” Arthur closed his eyes.

 

Merlin came down the steps to find Uther and Morgana sitting in the living room.  He walked over to Arthur’s recliner and sat down leaning forward to run a hand through his hair.

“How bad was it?” Morgana asked.

“You mean the uncontrollable urge to wrap my hands around Sophia’s throat?” Merlin asked with a slight grin.

“That too,” she smiled.

“That woman is a piece of work.  How can someone like her be Charlotte’s mother?”

“When Arthur first met her, she seemed like a good person.  But there was always some underlying nastiness that would rear its ugly head when she was angry.  He was so taken by her, I really believed he would break it off, but then she managed to sink her claws into him, and he married her.  Then Charlotte came into the world, and it was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  She stopped hiding her dark manipulative side, treating Arthur horribly.”  Uther shook his head, “I tried to talk to him, but it was like he was under some kind of spell.  He couldn’t see what she was doing to him.”

“By the time he did, it was too late.  She was so far off the rails.  The alcohol and drugs and the physical abuse.  Arthur had bruises and scratches he would claim happened on the job, but we knew it was Sophia.” Morgana frowned, “Once I saw her slap him then she tried to scratch his face.  I grabbed her by the hair and yanked her off him.  I slapped her so hard my hand stung and told her if she ever touched my brother again or hurt Charlotte it would be the last thing she ever did.”

“Arthur would never fight back, no matter what she did to him, he would never raise a hand to her…he would never hit a woman,” Uther said.

“I don’t trust her,” Merlin said, “Sophia may have signed the divorce papers and agreed to Arthur’s terms, but I have a bad feeling she has a contingency plan.  I need to protect him and Charlotte.”

“We will all do our part,” Uther nodded.  “I’ve already called our lawyers, they are working on a few contingency plans as well.”

“Gwaine is tracking Sophia’s movements thanks to the little GPS tracker you put into her luggage.  You’re a genius, Merlin,” Morgana smiled.

“Yeah, I should probably tell Arthur about that,” Merlin winced, “I should have asked him before I did it.”

“No, that was good and quick thinking, Merlin,” Uther nodded, smiling.

“And a bit illegal,” Merlin chuckled.

“You let me worry about that.  I’ve got you covered.”

“Thank you, Uther.  Where is Jonah?”

“He went with Annis and Drea to the main house.  They are keeping an eye on him for you,” Morgana said, “I will go and get him if you want.  They are baking cookies though, so…”

Merlin smiled, “He can stay with them for a little while.”

“I’ll text Annis and ask her to have Drea bring him back before bedtime.”

“Thank you.  I appreciate everything you are all doing to help me with my son.”

“No need to thank us, Merlin, you’re family now,” Uther said.

Morgana’s phone rang then, and she answered it, quickly switching it over to speaker.  “Gwaine, putting you on speaker, what’s the latest?”

“Hey, babe, Ewan is in police custody.”

“Thank God for that.”

“How’s Arthur?”

“He’s asleep, Merlin gave him pain meds so he will probably sleep for a good while.  Charlotte is with him.”

“I’m going to be late picking you up, I’m waiting with Lance to speak to the cops about what happened.  They will want to talk to Merlin and Arthur as well.  Mordred and the girls were already interviewed.”

“Morgana can stay with us in the main house, Gwaine.  Join her when you can,” Uther said.

“Should I drive over there?” Merlin asked.

“No need, they said they will come to the house to speak to you and Arthur.  Valiant is pissed off as all hell.  Ewan’s parents are refusing to speak to him because he helped bring in their son,” Gwaine chuckled.  “Hey Merlin, Sophia is staying put so far…or at least her luggage is.”

“That’s good news at least.”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m all right, just worried about Arthur.”

“I know.  I gotta go they are calling me to come into the interview room now.  I will see you later.”

“Thanks, Gwaine,” Merlin said, and Morgana ended the call.

“At least now we know where our enemies are,” Uther said.

The front door opened, and Jonah came into the house with Drea, making a beeline for his father.  “Papa, we brought cookies.  I made a really big one just for Arthur…to make him feel better.  He handed Merlin the carefully wrapped chocolate chip cookie.  It was still warm.

“Oh, he will love this,” Merlin grinned, kissing his son’s forehead.

“Where’s Charlotte?” Jonah asked.

“She’s upstairs resting with Arthur.  Shall we go up and check on them?”  Merlin stood up and followed Jonah to the stairs.  “I’m going to get him bathed and ready for bed,” he said to the others.

“Good night, Jonah,” Uther smiled.

“Night, Grandpa…night Aunt Morgana and Drea,” Jonah said then ran up the steps.

“He is just the cutest,” Morgana smiled.

“I think I am going back to the main house,” Uther said, “Would you ladies care to join me?”

“You and Drea go ahead, father.  I’m going to hang out here a bit longer just in case they need anything.”  After Uther and Drea left, Morgana cleaned up the kitchen and the living room then went upstairs.  She quietly opened the door to Arthur’s bedroom, smiling fondly as she saw her brother and Merlin with the two kids cuddled between them on the king-size bed, all four sound asleep.  She slipped into the room reaching into the closet for an extra blanket, covering Merlin and the kids with it.  “Good night,” she whispered then went back downstairs.

 

Arthur woke up feeling extremely warm and content.  He opened his eyes to the sun coming in the windows.  Merlin was asleep, his forehead on Arthur’s shoulder.  Between them Charlotte was lying at an odd angle, wrapped around Merlin’s arm and Jonah was lying across all three of them, his legs on Merlin and his head on Arthur’s stomach.  He smiled and lifted his head a bit to take in the three of them.  Reaching for his phone on the nightstand, he took a few photos and chuckled.  This was his life now…his family.  And he couldn’t be happier.

Merlin stirred, jerking awake instantly.  “Arthur…are you in pain?”

“Shh, don’t move, I believe we’re surrounded,” Arthur whispered, glancing down at the kids and Merlin grinned.

“Morning.”

“Morning,” Arthur brought his hand up, tenderly brushing Merlin’s cheek before running his thumb lightly across his bottom lip.  He smiled, his blue eyes wide and bright.

“Are you okay?” Merlin asked.

“I am,” he said.

“I’d kiss you, but…morning breath.”

“Don’t care,” Arthur said, closing the slight distance between them, kissing Merlin with a depth of emotion he never knew he was capable of.  “If you think a bit of bad breath is going to keep me from those lips…”

“Silly me,” Merlin grinned.

“This is what I want for us…to wake up a family for the rest of our lives.”

“I want that too, Arthur.  More than anything.”

“Me too,” Charlotte smiled sleepily, and Jonah hummed in agreement.

“Me three,” he said then carefully shifted his position, pressing his face into the crook of Arthur’s neck.  “I love you, Daddy.”

Arthur held the boy against his chest, kissing the top of his dark curls.  “And I love you, Jonah…so much.”  He looked at Charlotte who gave him a bright smile and a nod.

“Is anyone else hungry?” Arthur asked, wiping a stray tear from his face.

“Starving,” Merlin said.

“I brought you a cookie!” Jonah said then pointed toward the bedside table, “It’s cold now, it was warm, but it's still good.”

“I cannot wait to eat your cookie, but I need some protein and fruit first, little man.  I will save your cookie for later.  “Is that okay?”

“Yep,” Jonah nodded then he and Charlotte scrambled off the bed and ran downstairs.  Merlin and Arthur looked at each other and chuckled.

“Our family,” Merlin said.

“Come on, help this invalid get dressed and go downstairs,” Arthur kissed him.

“Yes, Sire,” Merlin grinned then got up, putting on his boots.

Chapter 9: Up a Tree

“There he is!”

Arthur got out of the Gladiator and walked up to the building with Merlin beside him.  He looked up, surprised to see Valiant and Tristan coming toward them.  Valiant extended his hand and Arthur shook it.

“It’s good to see you, Arthur.  I am so sorry for what my nephew did.  I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but deep down I have always respected and admired you.”

“How much did it pain you to say that?” Arthur asked with a smirk.

“Shut up, Pendragon,” Valiant chuckled, “Get your arse back to work.  We have rookies to get to graduation.”

Arthur gave him a slight nod, “Thank you, Valiant.”

“Merlin,” Tristan said, “Isolde is looking for you.  She said you will know how to run that new sewing machine.”

“Ah, yes,” Merlin said then looked at Arthur questioningly.

“Go ahead, I’m fine,” he smiled.  Merlin nodded then went inside to find Isolde.  Valiant and Tristan watched him go then turned back to Arthur.

“Merlin has been taking good care of you, I see,” Tristan said.

“Yes, his skills as a paramedic come in quite handy,” Arthur smiled.

“You two seem awfully close,” Valiant said, folding his arms across his chest, eyeing Arthur intently.

“Extremely close,” Tristan said.

“We are friends.  We have known each other since high school, though he was a few years behind me.  We get along,” Arthur shrugged, heading toward the door, hoping to avoid further discussion about him and Merlin.

“Friends,” Valiant said with a huff, following him.

“That’s right, now, can we get to work?” Arthur asked.

As soon as they walked into the main room all the rookies stood up and applauded then embraced Arthur.  Mithian and Kara kissed his cheeks.

“We are so grateful you are all right, Arthur,” Mithian beamed.

“Are you certain you’re feeling up to this?” Mordred asked.

“I’m good.  You’re the ones who have to do all the work from here on out.  I just won’t be doing any endurance runs for a while,” Arthur chuckled.  “Doctor says I am good to go for regular training.”

“That is good news,” Isolde hugged him, “This place goes to hell when you’re not around, Arthur.”

“What are we, chopped liver?” Tristan asked teasingly.

“You have your moments,” she said then kissed her husband.  “Valiant…well, he’s a lost cause.”

“Thanks a lot,” Valiant huffed.

Arthur looked around at the remaining eleven rookies and Merlin.  “All right, as it stands right now, the top four are Merlin, Mithian, Mordred, and Kara.  I have been monitoring all your progress from home and I must say I am pleased.  Pleased, and damn proud of all of you.  You are the best bunch of rookies we have seen come through here in quite a while.  Now, I am going to sit on my arse and watch you all from the ground while you take turns jumping from the tower and practicing your landings.  You have already had a couple of practice jumps from a plane over open areas.  At the beginning of the week, Tuesday, we are taking you up in a jump plane for the real thing, a wilderness jump.  Be ready and prepared because while there may not be a fire, there are still very real dangers.  From erratic wind gusts to inconvenient trees and even more inconvenient sharp rocks.  You will treat it like a live wildfire situation.  As you know, with what happened training was delayed by three days, we have a lot of time to make up.  Let’s move.  If you work hard you can still graduate on time.”

“You heard him, suit up and get to the tower in twenty,” Valiant said and everyone headed for the ready room.

“They missed you,” Tristan said nudging Arthur’s elbow, “Maybe you should think about giving up the smokejumper gig and training full time.”

“Not a chance,” Arthur shook his head, “I enjoy this, I do, but I belong out there with my team.”

“And Merlin…” Valiant said.

“If he makes it through, yes,” Arthur said, “I want him on my team.  We need him.”

“I think you mean you need him,” Tristan smiled.

Arthur looked at them both sternly, “If you are suggesting…”

“Please,” Valiant held up his hand, “Merlin is a good man.  He has even impressed the hell out of me.  I never in a million years expected him to make it this far.  Whatever this is between you and him personally, is none of our business.  Right, Tristan?”

“Exactly, not my business.  Merlin is a great guy.  Isolde talks about him constantly,” Tristan said, rolling his eyes.  “Mordred…he idolizes Merlin and Mithian’s crushing on him almost as hard as you are,” Tristan said, keeping his voice low as he leaned close to Arthur.  “You’re very bad at hiding it, my friend.”

Valiant and Tristan then walked away leaving Arthur pinching the bridge of his nose and laughing to himself.  He looked up as Merlin walked toward him in his jumpsuit and gear.

“Ready?” Merlin asked.

“I think the question is are you ready?”

“Absolutely,” he grinned.

“Then let’s do this,” Arthur said walking beside him as they headed out of the building through the open bay door that led out to the airfield and the jump tower area.

“Why were Valiant and Tristen looking at me funny when they walked past me?”

Arthur chuckled, “Let’s just say I suck at hiding my feelings.”

“Oh,” Merlin said, looking worried, “What does that mean for me?”

“Nothing, Merlin…they won’t say anything.  They want you to succeed too.  You have impressed the both of them, which is no easy feat.  Trust me.”

“And you won’t get into trouble?”

Arthur shook his head, “No, let’s just focus on training.  Get your arse up that tower.”

“Yes, Sir,” Merlin saluted with a wide grin then ran ahead.

Arthur kicked back in the folding chair someone was kind enough to place for him.  He hated not being able to participate fully, but this was better than the two weeks he’d spent at home recovering.  Part of him had enjoyed being home with Charlotte and Jonah who were inseparable.  Jonah even refused to leave his sister’s side when Sophia had her first supervised visit on Mother’s Day.  It had gone better than expected.  Sophia gave their daughter a few gifts and they spoke.  Charlotte was hesitant and anxious at first, but after a while, she relaxed a bit.  Sophia was on her best behavior, barely speaking to Arthur.  It only lasted a couple of hours.  When it was over, Sophia was in tears hugging their daughter tightly before leaving with her boyfriend, Cenred Baron. 

Arthur trusted that man even less than he trusted his soon-to-be ex-wife.  He was shifty and sleazy, most likely a fellow recovering drug addict slash alcoholic.  He would definitely be digging into his background before the next visit. 

A shout from above snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Mordred leap from the tower swooping down, gliding along the ground from wires to the rise, landing properly.  Arthur smiled.

“Nice job, Mordred!” he shouted.

“Heads up!” Merlin yelled as he jumped following him.  Landing a bit harder.

“Good job, Merlin,” Arthur grinned, and Merlin bowed like a stage performer.

The girls were next, followed by the other rookies.  Everyone made their way back up the tower for the next round.  Valiant climbed up behind them.

“Okay, for this round, I want you to jump one after the other.  You will have just seconds between each.  Try to land and move fast to get clear before the next person lands.  When you’re jumping from a plane you will be following each other out one after the next and having to control your flight and landings without crashing into each other or a wayward tree.  This is a straight shot to the landing, but you will still need to learn control of your landing and how to get out of the way.”  He put a hand on Merlin’s shoulder.  “Merlin, you will go first.”

“Yes, Sir,” Merlin said as Tristan hooked him up again and adjusted the tension in the wires.  Merlin sat on the edge as if they were in a plane then pushed off, soaring through the air with a whoop.  Arthur watched him closely.  This time his landing was perfect.  His long legs carried him across the uneven ground getting him out of the way as Mordred and the rest followed on his heels.

Mithian landed awkwardly stumbling a bit but was steadied by Kara.  “Oops, that was bad,” she said, her face tightening with worry.

“It was fine, you saw my first one?” Merlin grinned, “Graceful right?”

“Good job all of you,” Arthur said, “Mithian, you did fine.  Don’t doubt yourself.”

After four more jump rounds, everyone gathered up their gear.  “Coming down!” Valiant hollered then jumped sliding down the wires to the ground.  Tristan followed.  “Lunch time.  After that, we will work on your landing rolls.”

“Arthur, will you be joining us for that?” Tristan asked.

“Might do,” he said as he walked next to Merlin, “I have some reports to catch up on over lunch.  I will come out if I get them done.”

“Arthur, you need to eat,” Mithian said.

“Don’t worry, that’s what he has me for,” Merlin smiled then bumped his shoulder against Arthur’s, “I’ll make sure he eats.  I haven’t been nursing him back to health for the last two weeks just to let him starve to death now.”

“Careful, Merlin, you’re starting to sound like a doting wife,” Valiant grinned.

Arthur blushed while Merlin’s smile broadened.  “That wouldn’t be a bad thing,” he said with a shrug and Arthur looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Mithian giggled, Mordred chuckled, and Kara just looked confused.  “Am I missing something?” she asked.  Mordred put his arm around her and whispered in her ear.  Her eyes went wide, and she let out a gasp.  “Oh, my God, how did I not see it?”

“Just don’t go announcing it,” Arthur said, “I don’t want to risk Merlin’s position here, he’s worked too damn hard to get to this point, as all of you have.  I won’t have anyone questioning his status because of our relationship.  Is that clear?”

“We are a team,” Mordred said, “We have your back.”

“That’s right,” Mithian looked pointedly at Valiant and Tristan, “That goes for you two as well.”

Valiant held up his hands in mock defense, “I won’t say anything.  After what my fucking nephew did to Arthur…”

“Tristan?” Mordred asked.

“My lips are sealed.  Isolde would chop off my balls and shove them down my throat if I did anything to hurt Arthur or her precious Merlin.  And I am rather attached to my balls.”

“Eww, didn’t need to hear that,” Kara wrinkled her nose.

“There goes my appetite,” Mithian said, rolling her eyes.

Arthur threw his head back and laughed heartily.  “You guys are the best,” he grinned.

“And don’t you forget it,” Mordred smiled.

“I won’t,” Arthur stopped outside the door and turned to them.  “As a matter of fact, I have already started the paperwork.  After the four of you graduate from training, which I have no doubt you will, you’ll be joining my team, so keep up the good work and finish this.  I know if Leon were here, he would be so damn proud of you all.  I’ve never had rookies form such a tight bond during training before, and to work so well together.  After what happened with Ewan, you four pulled together and supported each other through it all.  There is no way in hell I am letting you all be split up and sent to separate smokejumper teams.  You’re mine,” he grinned, looking at Merlin who gave him a nod.

“Brilliant speech, now can we go eat?” Valiant asked with a smirk.

“Way to ruin the moment,” Mordred said, as he and the girls walked into the building.

“It’s a gift, what can I say?” Valiant chuckled then went inside.

Tristan put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder, “Good choice, my friend.  You have a great team already, these four will be a strong addition to it.  Isolde will be pleased because she will get to see her Merlin fairly often.  At least now I don’t have to worry about him stealing her away since he has you.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Isolde is pretty hot,” Merlin winked, “And there’s more than enough of me to go around.”  He laughed, then went inside, leaving the two of them looking a bit flummoxed.

“Did he just…” Tristen frowned.

“He’s joking…at least he better be,” Arthur huffed then followed Merlin.

 

Arthur looked up from his laptop when the door opened.  Gwaine walked in with a grin on his face and his phone in hand.

“You have to see my baby,” he said, and Arthur grinned, beckoning to him.  Gwaine flipped through the photos on his phone from the 3D Ultrasound.  “It’s a girl!  The due date is around September twenty-fourth.

“Oh, my God, poor girl, I hope she looks like Morgana.”

“I think she has my nose.”

“I think you’re right,” Arthur nodded.

“I can’t believe I’m going to have a baby girl,” Gwaine said, running a hand through his long brown hair as he sat down on the chair next to Arthur’s desk.  “Morgana is thinking about leaving the team.  She wants to tell you herself, so don’t let her know I told you.”

“I had a feeling she would.  I was actually planning to talk to her, to suggest it.”

“I am leaving the decision up to her.  I learned long ago not to tell Morgana Pendragon what to do or not do.”

“What do you want, Gwaine?” Arthur asked, “You are married to her, you have a right to express your feelings on the matter.”

“I want her with me on the job, but I also want her to be home with our baby girl.  She needs one of us at least.  And if something were to happen…” he frowned lowering his head to pinch the bridge of his nose.  “I want the best of both worlds.”

Arthur leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin.  “What if you were both to leave the team?” he asked and Gwaine’s gaze shot up his lips parting ready to protest but Arthur raised a hand.  “Hear me out.  They need a full-time trainer here.  What if you were to take it?  The pay is better anyway.  And you two can get a house here, put down roots.”

“You really think I can train rookies?”

“Yes, absolutely.  You have been doing this just as long as I have.”

“I don’t know, I really love the job…I would miss it.”

“I know and I would miss having you on the team.  But I think you should at least consider it.  Talk it over with Morgana.  If she still wants to work, she can work here as well.  Isolde could use the help and there is far too much testosterone around this place.”

Gwaine gave him a short nod, “I will talk to her.”

“Good…”

“What are you and Merlin going to do?  With two kids to think about now?”

“That is a good question.  Just to let you know Valiant and Tristan know about us.”

Gwaine chuckled, “Not surprised.  You two are horrible at hiding your feelings for each other.”

“So, I’ve been told.”

“Charlotte and Jonah, they are so close, like actual siblings now.”

“They are.  Charlotte absolutely adores Jonah.  I never realized before, just how lonely she must have been, not having anyone her own age around.  Being homeschooled…she needed Jonah, and he needed her.”

“Why don’t you take the job?  You are far more qualified, and it is what Leon would have wanted.”

Arthur shook his head, “I’m not ready to hang up my parachute yet.  I need to jump fires and I need to do it with Merlin.  My parents have already said they will be happy to keep both kids while we are on the job.  Merlin has busted his ass to get a spot as a smokejumper and I am going to be by his side.  I would go mad being back here while he is out there.  I love him, Gwaine.”

“I know you do,” Gwaine smiled.

“I cannot believe how drastically my life has changed in less than a month.  I have Merlin and I have a son.  My wife is finally about to be my ex-wife and I will be free to marry again.”

“You’re really going to do it?”

“If he will have me, yes.  I want to marry Merlin and raise our children together.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Gwaine nodded, “When will you propose?”

“After graduation.  I’m thinking we could get married at the end of the fire season before everyone goes home for the winter.  We can live in the guest house and when we are working the kids can move into the main house.”

“You’ve really been thinking about things.”

Arthur smiled, “Yeah, I will do anything to make this work with Merlin.”

“Back in school, did you ever imagine yourself here, considering a life with the boy you picked on all the time?” Gwaine asked with a crooked grin.

“No, but I can’t say I didn’t think about him…”

“Do you remember the night of your eighteenth birthday?  We got drunk as hell at the party by the lake.  It was hot as hell and Merlin was with his friend Will swimming in the lake.”

“Vaguely,” Arthur huffed, “I remember seeing him coming out of the water and thinking he looked like some ethereal sea creature, pale and glistening in the moonlight.”

“I know,” Gwaine smiled, “You said as much that night…out loud.  I was the only one who heard it and I never told anyone, but I knew even then that you had it bad for the boy.”

“And all these years, and you’ve used that for blackmail,” Arthur chuckled.

“I would never do that,” Gwaine said feigning offense.

“Right.  Where is my sister anyway?”

“She, Annis, and your kids are baby shopping.  Now that we know we are having a girl.  We have three names picked out…Amelia, Gabriella, and Zoe.”

“Zoe Amelia Dawson,” Arthur smiled and Gwaine raised an eyebrow nodding.

“I love it.  I’m going to text Morgana,” he typed it and sent the text.  She responded immediately.  “She says that is perfect.  Zoe Amelia Dawson it is.”

“Good,” Arthur grinned, “Now I need to go check on the rookies.”

“Don’t you mean Merlin?” Gwaine asked knowingly.

“Shut up, Gwaine,” Arthur rolled his eyes then smiled.  “Coming along?”

“Sure, why not.”

 

“Merlin, wake up,” Arthur said, smiling fondly as he nudged him where he slept on the patio lounge.  “It’s getting dark, come inside.”  Merlin looked around groggily.

“What?  Where is everyone?” he asked.  The last thing he remembered was watching the kids playing with their new kitten, she was pure black with bright blue eyes, they’d named her Echo.  “What did I miss?” he smiled stretching and yawning.

“You’re exhausted.  You fell asleep right after dinner.”

“Sorry,” Merlin frowned leaning forward to rest his forehead on Arthur’s shoulder, “Today kicked my ass.”

“You did well though…very well,” Arthur smiled running his fingers through Merlin’s hair.

“I need to do better though,” Merlin sighed then drew back looking at Arthur.

“I saw your stats, you’re number one in the class, Merlin.  I am so damn proud of you.”

“And to think you ever doubted me.”

“You’re amazing.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m good…happy,” Arthur kissed him, “I love you.”

Merlin grinned, “I am never going to get tired of hearing those words from your lips.”

“And I am never going to get tired of saying them.”

“That’s good,” Merlin kissed him tenderly, “I love you too.”

“Come on, let’s get you upstairs.  A hot shower and bed.”

“Maybe you should carry me.”

“Ah, I am healed but not that healed,” Arthur laughed then stood up, “Come on, on your feet.”

Merlin got up and they walked toward the patio doors together.  “I need to put Jonah to bed.”

“Charlotte and Annis have it handled.  He’s had a bath, and they are reading to him.  Echo is asleep on his pillow.”

“I’m a shitty dad,” Merlin frowned.

“No, you’re an exhausted dad.  Everyone understands and they adore Jonah.  He’s a good boy.”

“Yeah, he is…I wish I could take credit, but I can’t.  My parents helped me raise him.”

“While that may be true, it is you he looks up to, Merlin.  It’s you he is proud of,” Arthur said as they climbed the stairs.  They reached the door of Jonah’s room and stopped to peek in.  Merlin stepped into the room smiling at the sight of Charlotte and Jonah cuddled up together with Echo reading a book while Annis sat on the end of his bed.

“Jonah,” he said, “I just came to say good night.  I’m sorry I fell asleep on you all.”

“It’s okay, Papa,” Jonah said standing up on the bed to hug him.  Merlin kissed his forehead and smiled.

“Do you know how much I love you?” he asked.

“A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck,” Jonah said then hugged him tighter.  “I love you too, Papa.”

“You’ll be good?  I have to get some sleep.”

“Yes, I’ll be good,” he said then returned to his place next to Charlotte.

Merlin leaned down to kiss the top of her head.  “Thank you for being such a great big sister.”

“You’re welcome.  I love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, baby girl,” Merlin said then embraced Annis.  “Good night, Annis.  Thank you for everything.”

“No need to thank me,” she smiled up at him patting his chest.  “Go get some sleep.  Sunday we are planning a picnic by the lake.”

“That sounds like fun.  I can’t wait.”

“Arthur,” Annis smiled, “Get your boy to bed before he drops.”

“Working on it,” Arthur laughed then steered Merlin down the hallway to the master bedroom.  He walked him into the room and then closed the door.  Wrapping his arms around him from behind he kissed the back of his neck.  “Lift your arms,” he said, and Merlin obeyed.  He pulled his T-shirt off, tossing it, then slowly ran his hands down Merlin’s chest as he lowered his arms.  It only took him a moment to unfasten his belt and jeans.  Merlin kicked off his shoes and the jeans followed leaving him in just his black boxer briefs and socks.  “Think you can handle the rest because if I keep touching you like this, I’m going to want to do more than undress you.

“I’m not opposed to Somnophilia if you should be so inclined,” Merlin smiled sleepily, leaning back against Arthur’s chest.

“Tempting,” Arthur kissed his neck running his hands down Merlin’s arms to link their fingers.  “Let’s get you into the shower and I’ll give you a massage until you fall asleep.”

“Mmm, yes, massage…massage is good…very good,” Merlin said then headed into the bathroom while Arthur turned down the bed and undressed as well.  He’d already had a shower while Merlin was asleep outside, so he resisted the urge to join him and instead got out the massage oil.

Arthur was sitting on the bed watching the TV above the gas fireplace.  Merlin walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.  He yawned then flopped down across the king bed on his stomach and sighed, resting his cheek on his forearm.  Arthur grinned and shut off the TV then leaned forward to kiss the back of Merlin’s shoulder.

“Are you ready for your massage then?”

“Mmhmm,” he smiled keeping his eyes closed.

Arthur shifted his position reaching to dim the lights.  Standing at the edge of the bed he put massage oil on his hands and started with Merlin’s feet.  He worked every inch of both of them before moving up his calves.  His long legs were strong and toned with defined muscles that had gotten more defined in the last month.  Arthur worked every muscle, rubbing, pressing, rolling his hands over Merlin’s lower legs working until his fingers reached the edge of the towel.

“Still with me, Merlin?” he asked with a smile.  Merlin’s response was reduced to hums and moans and whimpers of pleasure.  “I take it you want me to continue?”  Merlin nodded ardently.  “I need to get this out of the way,” Arthur said loosening the towel, “Lift up.”  Merlin raised his hips, and he pulled the towel free.  Arthur smiled and added more oil to his hands before working over his thighs.  Merlin moaned loudly as he moved his hands between working the muscles there.  “All right?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, just a little sore,” he mumbled.

“Just try to relax, I’ll take care of it.”

Working his thighs until the muscles finally relaxed, Arthur moved onto the bed straddling those thighs, and went to work on his lower back, his hands moving over his arse and hips as well.  Merlin kept his eyes closed smiling and Arthur chuckled.

“What?” he asked.

“You really love my arse,” Merlin mumbled.

“What’s not to love?  It’s absolute perfection,” Arthur said then leaned over to kiss his lower back.  “Just can’t help myself,” he kissed and gently nipped each cheek making Merlin tremble.  “You are perfection,” Arthur kissed his lower back again then continued the massage upward before he got caught up in the desire to do more than a massage.  This wasn’t about sex at the moment it was about helping Merlin to relax so he could get some rest.

“How did you get so good at this?” Merlin asked with a stuttered moan as Arthur’s hands worked his back and shoulders then his neck.

“I took a six-month class,” he smiled, “Figured it would come in handy one day.”

“God, yes…”

“Better now?”

“Mmhmm…”

“Roll onto your back,” Arthur moved off him so he could do so, and Merlin folded his arms behind his head and glanced pointedly at his hard cock.

“What do you plan to do about that little problem?”

“That is far from a little problem, Merlin,” Arthur grinned.

“I’m going to have a very hard time relaxing unless you have a contingency plan.”

“I always do.”

“Then by all means,” Merlin smirked.

Arthur put oil on his hands and then worked his way up Merlin’s calves and thighs watching his eyes and how his body responded.  His cock twitched then he moaned filthily when Arthur straddled him again and moved his hands over his hard stomach careful not to touch it.

“Arthur, need…please…” Merlin panted, arching up into him.

“What do you need, Merlin?”

“Hand…mouth…fuck, don’t care just you.”

Arthur smiled then wrapped his slick hand around Merlin’s swollen shaft.  He licked a stripe from base to tip then swallowed him down.

“Ah, God, yes…Arthur…”

Managing to kick off his own boxer briefs, Arthur took himself in hand, stroking slowly and deliberately as he pleasured Merlin with his mouth.  He let him slip out from between his lips then moved up to align their cocks slicking both with oil.

“God, what you do to me, Merlin.  You are beguiling,” he said, his voice thick with arousal as he kissed Merlin’s lips, devouring his mouth as he moved his hand stroking both their lengths together, thrusting his hips slowly.  “It’s impossible to resist you.”

“Arthur, feels so good,” Merlin breathed out against his neck, his kiss-swollen lips and teeth grazing the warm skin he found there, his tongue and hot breath making Arthur shiver.  Merlin grabbed for the massage oil coating his fingers then he moved his hand to Arthur’s arse.

“Fuck, Merlin,” he groaned as a long slender finger penetrated him slowly.

“Stop?” Merlin asked and Arthur shook his head.  Merlin smiled and pushed in a bit more.

“Merlin…oh, yes…”

“More?”

“Yes…more…Merlin,” Arthur panted struggling to focus on what his hand was doing with Merlin’s fingers inside him.  “Merlin, I want you…I want you to fuck me.”

“I want that too,” Merlin kissed him, “Ride me, please.”

“I’m too heavy.”

“Don’t care…I want to watch you.”

Arthur shifted his position a bit and Merlin continued to work him open.  “Holy hell,” he gasped as he felt Merlin’s cock sliding along the cleft of his arse.  “Definitely never did this before,” he huffed a laugh.

“We can stop if you don’t want to.”

“I want to,” Arthur kissed him, he added a bit of oil to his own fingers and then reached back to help Merlin prepare him fully then Merlin held his cock in position pressing the head to his entrance while Arthur eased down on him.  “Ah, fuck…” he said, his breathing stuttered.

“Go slow,” Merlin whispered reassuringly, his own body shuddering beneath Arthurs as he took him in more and more until he could go no further.  “Arthur, you feel so good, so tight and hot.”

“Give me just a minute,” Arthur said huskily tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling as Merlin ran his hands over his stomach and chest then stroked his cock.

“You’re gorgeous,” Merlin breathed out, his eyes wide and bright.

“And you are much bigger than you look,” Arthur laughed breathlessly.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be, it is amazing, Merlin.  It feels so good, so right.  I love you.”  He moved his hips, lifting up again as he found a rhythm and started to ride Merlin.  “Oh, this is good…so good,” he moaned, biting his bottom lip to keep from crying out in utter bliss and alerting everyone in the house to their activities.  The angle caused direct pressure on his prostate making him tremble and whimper in pleasure.

“Arthur, I’m close,” Merlin said reaching for Arthur’s cock again.

“Fuck, yes…touch me, Merlin…” Arthur gasped, rolling his hips.  He closed his eyes and lifted up driving down on him again and Merlin started to chant his name as he crossed the threshold and spilled his seed deep within his lover.  “Oh, God,” Arthur panted and came, spilling over Merlin’s hand and stomach.  He slowed his movements, his entire body shaking with the aftershocks.

“I love you,” Merlin smiled, and Arthur kissed him.

“I need to move, I’m too heavy,” Arthur whispered against his lips, but Merlin wrapped his arms around him.

“Stay,” he said.  Arthur stayed until Merlin softened and slipped out of him then he rolled onto the bed and let out a sigh.

“You okay?”

“I’m brilliant.”

“That was incredible.  We are definitely doing that again,” Merlin smiled.

Arthur reached over to grab the towel and wiped Merlin’s stomach.  “Now we need another shower.  Are you relaxed enough now?”

“God, yes,” Merlin chuckled, “Don’t want to move.”

“Stay here then,” Arthur kissed him, “I’ll go clean up then come back with a wet towel.”

“You’re too good to me.”

“I love you, Merlin.”

“Love you too.”

Arthur got up and headed into the bathroom, Merlin watched him go and grinned then closed his eyes.  He was drifting off to sleep when Arthur returned to wash him then he maneuvered him until he was on his side of the bed and covered him with the sheet and blanket.

“Good night,” Merlin muttered.

“Night, Merlin,” Arthur kissed his forehead.  He couldn’t even begin to define all the emotions and feelings going through him in that moment.  All he knew for certain was that Merlin was his and would always be his.  He smiled then got into bed next to him and shut off the lights, setting the alarm on his phone.

 

“Arthur!” Gwaine shouted as he ran into the building and hit Arthur’s office door pushing it open.  “Arthur, it’s Merlin, hurry.”

Arthur was on his feet and running after Gwaine.  He climbed into the passenger side of the four-seater UTV just as Gwaine hit the gas.  His mind was spinning, his heart racing, imagining what had happened to Merlin.

“What happened?” he asked, bracing himself for the worst.

“They were practicing tree climbing and cutting dead timber,” Gwaine shook his head.

“Fuck, how bad is it?”

“Lance yelled for me to go and get you, that’s all I know.  Merlin was hanging upside down, about twenty-five feet up the tree.  Mordred was just above him holding onto the broken strap to keep him from falling to the ground.”

“Shit, step on it, Gwaine.  Get me there.”  They reached the trail and drove up into the narrow canyon.  The moment Arthur spotted the yellow shirts he hopped out and started running before Gwaine could even stop the UTV.  He looked up and saw Merlin, he was moving around trying to secure another line through his harness, still hanging upside down, his helmet had either fallen off or he had taken it off.  “Fuck,” he said, “Merlin!”

Merlin wrapped the rope around, tied it off, and then waved to Mordred to let go.  Mordred reluctantly released his grip letting out a relieved breath when the line held.  His face was bright red from the strain of holding Merlin’s weight while keeping himself from slipping.

Pulling himself upright, Merlin reached for the broken strap and looked up at Mordred huffing a laugh.  “Thank you for that,” he said, “You saved my ass.”

Mordred grinned, “No problem.  Couldn’t let you get splattered all over the ground.  Arthur would kill me.”

“Merlin!” Arthur shouted from below.

“I’m all right,” Merlin waved down to him, “I’m okay…just a little dizzy.”

“Can you get down on your own?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, I can…just give me a second.”

“Mordred, are you all right?” Arthur shouted.

“I’m good, just a little rope burn.”

Arthur let out a shaky breath reaching up as Merlin let himself down the tree.  As soon as his feet were on solid ground he pulled him into his arms and then checked him over.  He had blood on his cheek and forehead from scrapes and cuts probably from hitting the tree after his helmet had fallen off.  He held out his hands, his palms were red and scraped up and he had a couple of torn fingernails.

“You idiot,” Arthur shook his head, “What happened?”

“The strap securing me to the tree broke.  Not sure why, but I am fine, Arthur.  Believe me, I have had far worse.  I hit my head and knocked myself out for a couple of minutes, so I am a little dizzy, but I am okay, I swear.”

Mordred made his way down the tree, landing on the ground behind Merlin.  Arthur checked him over, looking at his hands.  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yes,” Mordred nodded then Merlin hugged him.

“Thank you, buddy.”

“Just repaying a debt,” he grinned.

“Let’s take a look at your head, Merlin,” Lance said, leading him over to the temporary shelter they had set up for the day of training.  He sat him down on a bench next to a folding table with the medical kit open.  He cleaned his cuts and scrapes and checked him over for signs of a concussion finding none.  “You’re a lucky man, Merlin.”

“I just have a hard head,” Merlin chuckled.

Mordred sat down and Arthur cleaned his hands checking him over more closely.  Take it easy for the weekend.  “That’s an order,” he said putting a hand on his shoulder.  “Thank you for what you did.  You saved Merlin.”

“I couldn’t let him fall,” Mordred shook his head.

“Get your gear together you can ride back with us in the UTV,” Arthur said, and Mordred nodded before walking away.  He turned to Merlin just as Lance finished with him.  “Is he really okay?”

Lance nodded, “Yeah, he’s good.  No signs of concussion.  A couple of days off and he will be good to go.”

“Where are the others?” Arthur asked.

“They are on their way back.  They were just over the ridge practicing fire line building,” Gwaine said.  Just then Mithian and Kara came running toward them, worry on their faces changing to relief as they saw Merlin.

“Are you all right?” Mithian hugged him.

“You’re hurt,” Kara said gingerly touching his arm.

“I’m good, Mordred saved my ass,” he told her, and she smiled.

“Where is he?”

“Over by the UTV,” Arthur nodded pointedly.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Merlin,” she said, kissing his cheek then she took off running to find Mordred.

“Thank God you’re okay,” Mithian touched his cheek, and Arthur had to suppress a rush of jealousy that rose up in his chest.

“Everyone, get your gear together break down the shelter, and let’s get back to base, get cleaned up.  It’s Friday night and we are going out together for pizza and beer at Louie’s.  My treat.  Monday is Memorial Day so a three-day weekend.” Arthur said, and everyone whooped and cheered.  He turned back to Merlin and touched his shoulder.  “Unless you would rather go home.  I could have Gwaine drive you…”

“Are you kidding?  I’m not missing out on pizza and beer,” Merlin grinned.

Arthur smiled and then leaned in to kiss him.  “You scared me to death.”

“I’m tougher than I look,” Merlin said, then wagged his eyebrows, “You of all people should know that.” 

Lance overheard and chuckled.  “I don’t want to hear this.  I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Thanks for patching me up, Lance,” Merlin smiled.

“No problem,” he said as he packed up the medical kit and then headed toward the other UTV.

“I’m okay, really.”

“Fuck, Merlin…”

“I need you to stop this, Arthur,” Merlin said, his tone serious.  “If I am going to be working with you on the jump team, you cannot be focused on me the entire time, or you will end up getting yourself hurt or killed.  Promise me.”

“I promise,” Arthur nodded, knowing Merlin was right.  Distraction out there spelled certain death.  He would not just be putting himself at risk, but every person on the team.  “I’ll get it under control.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I am touched that you worry about me, but you have to let me do my job.”

“I know and I will.  Just the thought of losing you…”

“And I worry about losing you, but we cannot let that get in the way of duty.”

“How did you get to be so wise?” Arthur asked with a fond smile.

“My hot and extremely fuckable instructor might have something to do with it,” Merlin kissed him.  “It’s a miracle I can even concentrate around him.”

“I see,” Arthur grinned, “It must be such a hardship.”

“Quite hard,” Merlin said huskily.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Arthur laughed, “Come on, let’s go, before I am tempted to take you deep into the woods and give you some special one-on-one instruction.”

Merlin grabbed all his gear.  “You said something about pizza and beer.  I’m starving.  Nearly falling to my death…I really worked up an appetite.”

“Merlin!”

“Too soon?”

“Just a bit…” Arthur rolled his eyes.

“Sorry,” Merlin grinned.

“Idiot.”

 

“Have you seen Merlin?” Arthur asked as he walked into the main house and found his father and Annis in the living room.

“He went for a walk.  Said he needed to clear his head,” Uther said.

“I saw him walking toward the lake,” Annis smiled.

“How long until dinner is ready?”

“About thirty minutes.”

“I’m worried about him,” Arthur frowned.

“I’m sure he is fine.  He is probably just feeling a bit overwhelmed,” Uther smiled.  “Isn’t tomorrow his first actual rough terrain jump?”

“Yes, it is, but he is an experienced skydiver that can’t be what’s bothering him,” Arthur said.  “The kids upstairs?”

“Yes, they are playing in Jonah’s room.”

“I’m gonna go find Merlin,” Arthur said then headed out the back door, following the path toward the lake.  It didn’t take long to find Merlin sitting on the shore with his knees drawn up, tossing rocks into the water.  Arthur stopped to study him, silhouetted against the setting sun and the lake, he was truly a beautiful man.  “Merlin?”

Merlin turned his head and looked up as Arthur approached and sat down next to him.  “Hey…”

“Hey, are you all right?”

“Yeah, just a bit tired.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, after your close call on Friday?”

Merlin nodded, “I’m fine.  Believe me, I have had far worse scares than that.”

“Are you worried about the jump tomorrow?”

“No, I am ready for it.  Just…I don’t know…sometimes I get this way and I have no explanation for it.”

“Then it isn’t us?”

Merlin smiled giving Arthur a wide grin.  “Arthur, I am happy.  I have my son with me, and I am in love with a gorgeous man.”

Arthur smiled, “Is he a good guy?”

“The best.”

“Good, because if he treats you badly I will personally kick his arse.”

“I’ll be sure and let him know,” Merlin smiled, leaning over to kiss Arthur’s lips then looked into his eyes.  “I love you, Arthur.”

“Love you too,” Arthur said brushing Merlin’s cheek with the side of his hand.  “Dinner is almost ready.  Shall we head back?”  Merlin nodded then got to his feet pulling Arthur up with him.  They held each other close, foreheads pressed together then walked hand in hand back to the house.

Chapter 10: Graduation and Wedding Bells

The morning dawned clear and cool.  Not a single cloud in the sky and the winds were calm.  Merlin was suited up and ready to go, standing on the tarmac waiting for the others.  He had checked, double-checked, and triple-checked all his gear not wanting to risk another equipment mishap.  He was excited and anxious.

“Merlin, you ready for this?” Gwaine asked as he walked toward him from the waiting plane.

“I’m ready,” he grinned, “Are you spotting?”

“I am.  Arthur decided he is jumping with you.”

“He is?”

“He is.  Oh, and you might recognize the pilot too,” he grinned and nodded toward the plane as the door opened and Balinor hopped down.  Merlin laughed.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” he asked embracing his father.

“I happened to be in town and Keith couldn’t fly today because his wife went into labor.  So, you get me,” Balinor grinned.

“I’m glad,” Merlin smiled.

The rest of the rookies came walking across the airfield with Arthur in the lead.  He shook hands with Balinor.  “Thank you for filling in on such short notice.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Everyone, on the plane, now,” Arthur nodded.

“Are you sure it is a good idea for you to jump?” Merlin asked, “You’re still recovering from being shot.”

“Doc cleared me to jump, I’m good and I am not going to miss this for anything,” Arthur grinned.  “Now get your arse on the plane.”  Merlin ran to the plane.  Arthur then turned to Balinor, “He’s done well, top of the class.  You can be proud of him, he is going to be a smokejumper.  I have no doubt.”

“I am not surprised, and I am immensely proud of him.  Let’s go,” Balinor grinned.

Thirty minutes later, they were in the air, flying over the jump zone.  It was located on the side of a mountain in a thick forest near a small lake and a rocky ridge.  They would be jumping from the plane, landing as close as possible to the target then hiking to the top of the mountain and down the other side to the bottom where they would be picked up and taken back to base.

Gwaine communicated with Balinor, dropping colorful streamers to check the wind and guide them to the right position to get the jumpers onto the ground safely.  Merlin met Arthur’s gaze just before they both put on their helmets.

“All right,” Gwaine said then grinned, “Ladies first.”  Mithian came forward sitting down on the edge with her feet on the step.  Kara gave her words of encouragement then she was off, jumping out of the plane and falling, her chute opening perfectly.  “Yes!  Beautiful.  Kara, you’re up.”  Kara got into position and waited for the signal from Gwaine then jumped.  She pulled her chute flawlessly and steered herself toward the jump site.

One by one the others jumped until there was just Merlin, Mordred and Arthur left.  “Mordred, go,” Arthur said, “Then Merlin…I’ll jump last.”

Mordred jumped and Merlin got into position.  He looked up at Arthur.  “See you on the ground,” he grinned then Gwaine gave him the signal and he was gone with a whoop and a holler.  Arthur laughed then sat down watching Merlin’s chute open below him.  He jumped and let out a shout as he pulled his parachute.  He loved this part, soaring high above the wilderness like an eagle, able to see all around, to take in the beauty of mother nature.  When there was a fire there was little time to focus on anything but the flames scorching timber and earth below.  Days like this were few and far between for a smokejumper and he had no intention of giving it up any time soon.

Balinor brought the plane to a lower altitude circling the jump sight to watch.  Lance was on the ground with Valiant and Tristan, having been dropped earlier by helicopter.  Mithian landed and perfectly executed the roll followed by Kara.  They were only a few yards off the target.  Mordred landed just ten feet from the target.

“Great job, Mordred,” Lance grinned slapping him on the back as he gathered up his chute.  Merlin came down with a smooth landing and a perfect roll right onto the bright orange target.

“Show off!” Mordred said with a wide grin.

“Yes!” Merlin laughed, “Gwaine owes me fifty bucks.”

“You hear that, Gwaine?” Lance said, “Merlin says you owe him fifty bucks.  He landed right on the target.”  Lance laughed, “Gwaine says, he knew you could do it with a little motivation.”

Arthur landed just a few feet from Merlin.  His eyes were bright, and his face lit up as he pulled off his helmet and grinned.  “Beautiful!” he called out, “God, that never gets old.”

It only took an hour or so for everyone to pack up their chutes and gear and then start the hike up the mountain.  Arthur, Lance, and Valiant followed the rookies while Tristan led the way.  They stopped at the top of the mountain to rest and eat before starting their descent over rough and steep terrain.

“Great job today,” Arthur said as everyone ate and drank water, “All of you.”

“Strong work,” Valiant nodded standing next to him.  “Merlin, impressive…you too Mordred.”  Merlin and Mordred looked at each other and grinned.  “I have to say in all my years of training that was the smoothest first rough terrain jump ever.  No one ended up in a tree or in the lake.”

“Merlin,” Lance said, “Arthur tells me you have been skydiving for years.”

“Since I was a teenager,” he nodded.

“It shows.  I was watching and noticed you caught an updraft and yet you still managed to control your chute and land where you needed to.  I know many a smokejumper who would not have been able to recover that easily.  Beautiful job.”

“Thank you,” Merlin smiled.

“I’m damn proud of all of you,” Arthur said, “You are all the best and I have no doubt that all twelve of you will graduate as long as you keep working hard.  Now, let’s pack it up and head down the mountain.  Watch your step and keep focused the trail is steep and narrow.”

“Let’s go,” Valiant shouted.  Everyone got to their feet, donned their packs then made their way to the start of the trail.

Arthur and Merlin walked together with Mordred and the girls just ahead.  “Mithian, your landing was near perfect I hear,” Arthur grinned.

“I’ve been practicing in my off hours as well,” she beamed.

“Good work.  Proud of you.”

No one spoke when they reached the roughest point.  Littered with loose rocks, the switchback trail was uneven, dissected by twisted tree roots and washouts.  One trip or wrong step would surely end in broken bones or a broken neck at the bottom of the rocky ravine.  Everyone walked single file with a hundred pounds of gear on their backs.  Dressed in their uniforms, green Nomex pants and yellow shirts with yellow hardhats…their jumpsuits and helmets packed away.  They made good time reaching the last stretch of trail, which was much wider and more even ground, so everyone started to walk faster.  Arthur glanced at Merlin and nodded.

“Pick it up, I want everyone to run this last half-mile!  Pretend you have a wildfire on your tail and run,” he shouted and all the rookies including Merlin took off running as fast as they possibly could, carrying all the weight.  Arthur, Lance, Tristan, and Valiant picked up the pace but did not try to keep up.  By the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, everyone had shed their packs, they were drinking water, and trying to catch their breath.

Merlin was leaning up against a van wiping sweat from his face with a towel.  He looked up as Arthur approached.  “Hey,” he grinned.

“Hey, excellent job today.  I am proud of you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Merlin said, then lowered his head pressing his lips together.

“Are you all right?” Arthur asked, worry in his eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just tired.”

“Are you sure it isn’t something to do with your fall?”

“No, I’m okay, just have a funny feeling.  It’s probably nothing.”

“I trust your instincts.  If you feel like something is wrong…”

“Yes, but I have no idea what it is.  It could be nothing,” Merlin shook his head.

“Let’s get everyone loaded up, and head back to base.”

“Okay,” Merlin said then grabbed his gear tossing it into the back of the van.

Arthur turned and whistled sharply, “Load up, let’s go.  Isolde has pizzas on the way if we can get there before they get cold.”  Everyone whooped and piled into the vans.  Merlin got in and closed the door.  Arthur got behind the wheel and Valiant in the front passenger seat.  They made it back to base just minutes before the pizzas arrived.

Merlin and Mordred sat on the sofa with one pizza between them.  Mithian and Kara ate at the table with the others.  Arthur went into his office and closed the door.  Mordred nodded pointedly in that direction.

“Everything all right?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think he’s just worried about me.  I keep telling him I’m fine.”

“But you’re not,” Mordred said.

“It’s not the fall or anything like that.  Just something feels off…wrong…and I can’t put my finger on it.  Gut feeling…”

“Well, I for one will never doubt your gut feelings, Merlin.  Not after everything that happened in the last few weeks.  What can I help with?”

“I wish I knew.  I’ll figure it out.  When I do, if I need help I will ask.”

Mordred nodded then grabbed another slice of pizza.  “Anything you need, Merlin, I am here for you…you and Arthur.”

“I know, thank you, my friend.”

“You should probably take the boss some pizza,” Mordred winked.

“I should definitely do that,” Merlin smiled then grabbed a paper plate loading it with four slices then grabbed a bottle of water taking it to the door of Arthur’s office.  He knocked softly, “Arthur?”

“Come in…”

Opening the door, Merlin walked into the office kicking it closed behind him.  “You need to eat too.  Here you go,” he set the plate down in front of Arthur and handed him the water.  “What’s going on?”

“When you said you had a funny feeling I thought I better check on a few things.”

“You mean Sophia?”

“Yeah, according to the private investigator I have watching her, she is in Boise.”

“That’s good.  But isn’t she supposed to have another visit with Charlotte this week?”

“Yes, next Sunday.”

“She seems to be cooperating with all your stipulations though, right?”

“Yes, and the divorce will be final on Friday.  I will finally be free after all these years wondering where the hell she was.”

“Not much longer until graduation,” Merlin said.

“You’re going to be a damn fine smokejumper, Merlin, there is no question after what you did up there today.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” Arthur said then got up from his chair rounding the desk to take Merlin in his arms, “I am so proud of you.”

“I couldn’t have made it through without your help…your belief in me.”

“You would have made it without me.  You have everything it takes to be the best.  Your scores are top of the class, and you have skills that none of the others have.  I will be honored to have you on my smokejumper team.  Even if I wasn’t madly in love with you.”

“Good to know,” Merlin grinned then kissed him.

A knock on the door had them pulling apart.  Gwaine peeked his head through the opening.  “Merlin, your dad is out here, he wants to see you.”

Merlin looked at Arthur who nodded, “Go on.”

Walking back into the other room Balinor embraced him fully ruffling his already messy hair.  “My boy, I am so damn proud of you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Merlin grinned.

“I’m just getting ready to take off, I’m flying home tonight, I wanted to say goodbye.  Your mom and I will see you at graduation.  She is thrilled for you and so proud.”

“Tell her I love her, and I can’t wait to see you both there.”

“My son,” Balinor patted his cheek then kissed his forehead, “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Arthur came out of his office and waved to Balinor as he walked toward the door.  “Arthur, see you again soon.”

“Later, Balinor,” he nodded, “Safe flight.”

“I will walk you to your plane,” Merlin said then followed his father out the door.

Gwaine grabbed a pizza box and sat down on the sofa to dig in.  Arthur smiled before going back into his office to make some calls.

 

“Everything okay with you and Arthur?” Balinor asked as they approached his plane.

“Yeah, everything is great.  I’m anxious to get through graduation, but then I go on the jump list and will be separated from Jonah again.  I’m not sure whether to let him stay with the Pendragons or have him go back with you and Mom.  He and Charlotte have grown so close I hate to separate them, but I know you and Mom miss him too.”

“You will do what is right for your family, son.  That is what matters.  Your mom and I will always be there for you and Jonah, but he has found a family with the Pendragons now too.  I have seen how Charlotte is with him and it would be hard for both of them to be parted.  Your mom and I understand that.”

“Everything has changed so fast,” Merlin shook his head.  “I mean I am so damn happy, I love Arthur and Charlotte has become my daughter too.  I guess I am just scared something is going to happen and derail this life we are building together.”

“You cannot go through life looking for things to go wrong, Merlin.  Focus on what is right in front of you.  Find your place in this new life and build on it.  Everything will work out.  Arthur loves you and will do anything for you.  I am glad you have him.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Merlin hugged him tightly.

“Love you, my boy, now I gotta get in the air.  See you in two weeks.”

“Love you, safe flight.  Text me when you land,” Merlin said then watched as his father boarded the plane.  He waited until he’d started the engines then walked backward a few steps before turning back to the building.

Arthur met him halfway with their bags.  “Let’s go home,” he smiled.

“Can I drive?” Merlin asked.

“Sure,” Arthur nodded and tossed him the keys to the Gladiator, “We need to stop at the store.  Charlotte texted me, she and Jonah want to make S’mores over the firepit tonight.”

“Sounds good.”

They got into the Jeep and Arthur looked at Merlin.  “Still have that bad feeling?”

“It’s still there, but it could be just the fact that in two weeks I will graduate and go to work, and I’ll be separated from Jonah again and I don’t know what to do.”

“That is understandable,” Arthur nodded.  “I know we need to sit down and talk about everything.”

“Yeah,” Merlin drove out of the parking lot toward the road.  “I mean, I know we are together, and we are a family now.  Charlotte and Jonah have grown so close, and I don’t want to separate them to send Jonah back to my folks.  He is used to spending time with them when I am working, and I know they miss him.  But I also know that Charlotte will miss him, he would be lost without her, and he loves Echo.”

“You’re right,” Arthur said.  “What if we buy a house near your parents?  We can divide our time between there and here.  We can fly out of the airfield there with your dad if we need to get to a fire.”

Merlin looked at him, “That would be great, but…”

“The guest house will always be there for us.  I have been considering buying a new home anyway.  I wouldn’t mind living close to your mom and Balinor.  It’s a beautiful area.”

“That’s a huge step, Arthur.”

“We will talk about it more later.  Just try not to worry about it so much.  Things will work out.”

“Yeah, you’re right, there’s no hurry,” Merlin gave a slight nod, “And either way, we both know our kids will be cared for while we are on the job.”

“Exactly,” Arthur smiled, “Is that what was bothering you or is it something more?”

“That was definitely part of it,” Merlin said then pulled into a parking space in front of the grocery store.  “Maybe it was all of it…sometimes these funny feelings are a curse.”

“Well, I will always trust your funny feelings, Merlin,” Arthur leaned over and kissed him, “I love you.  Let’s go get the stuff for S’mores.”  They got out of the Gladiator and locked the doors then walked into the building.

 

“Messy,” Jonah grinned as he wiggled his chocolatey, marshmallowy fingers in Charlotte’s face.  She squealed and ran around the backyard while the little sticky monster chased her.  Merlin and Arthur were in stitches watching them.  Uther and Annis had already gone to bed.

“Get her, Jonah,” Arthur called out.

“Nooo, Daddy, you’re supposed to protect me!” Charlotte pouted and she ducked and dodged her little brother.  Echo was curled up in the crook of Merlin’s arm purring away as content as could be despite the utter chaos going on around her.

“You guys stay clear of the firepit,” Merlin called out, “We don’t want an ER visit.”

“Yes, Papa,” Jonah said then charged Charlotte tackling her to the ground before rubbing his sticky hands all over her face.

“Aye, you got me!  Now you’re in trouble,” she scrambled off the ground and Jonah ran as fast as his legs could carry him.  Charlotte wrapped her arms around him, and they rolled and laughed so hard they had tears rolling down their mutually sticky, messy faces.  “I got you now, you little stinker!”

“Papa, help me!” Jonah pleaded.

“Sorry, my boy you got yourself into this mess…” Merlin chuckled.

Charlotte and Jonah stopped and then looked at each other, their eyes full of mischief.  They both jumped up and rushed their fathers.  Merlin barely had time to get Echo to safety before the attack.  Arthur laughed as the kids rubbed their stickiness all over their faces and shirts.

“You little squirt!” Arthur laughed grabbing Jonah up in his arms.

Merlin wrapped his arms around Charlotte while she squealed and laughed so hard she couldn’t breathe.  He kissed her cheek, and she threw her arms around his neck holding on tightly.  “You know this means revenge,” he grinned, “When you least expect it.”

“Oooo, I am scared,” she giggled even harder.

Jonah calmed down and fell asleep in Arthur’s arms.  Charlotte went inside to clean up, while Merlin held Echo.  Even the kitten had not escaped the S’more War.  He looked down at his son and nodded pointedly. 

“I have never seen my son so happy.”

“I know, same with Charlotte,” Arthur smiled and then kissed Jonah’s forehead.

“We can do this right?” Merlin asked, “Do the job and still be the fathers they need us to be?”

“Yes, we can, because we have strong, loving families behind us and two very special kids who understand that what we do is important.  The trick is to make every second count, so they know they are loved, even when we cannot be with them.  They will have each other now which is going to make a huge difference.”

“Arthur, I was thinking…” Merlin said softly.

“Yeah?”

“What if we were to get married right after graduation?  I know you wanted to wait…”

Arthur’s eyes widened and his lips parted.  “You want to marry me in two weeks?”

Merlin lowered his head, pressing his lips together before looking up at Arthur again.  “I want to be a family.  I want us to be married and have all our bases covered before we go out on a fire together.  If anything should happen to one or both of us, I want to know that our children will be secure in all the ways that matter.  I know it is a lot to ask, but it is what I want.  Please, think about it.”

Arthur shook his head, “I don’t need to think about it.  It is all I have been thinking about for the past week and a half.  I had planned to propose after graduation, Merlin.  I want the same thing you do.”

“Then it’s a yes?”

“Yes,” Arthur smiled, then kissed him deeply, “Absolutely, yes.”

 

All twelve rookies made it through graduation.  The celebration following was a raucous event at the local bar.  The families had gone home hours ago. 

Jonah and Charlotte were staying in the main house, with Uther and Annis since Arthur and Merlin would be getting home so late.  Balinor and Hunith had left the bar forty-five minutes ago, heading to their hotel.

Merlin and Mordred were shooting pool in the back, drinking beer, and eating pizza.  Arthur watched from the counter where he and Gwaine were working on their own beers.

“So, you two are really going to do it?” Gwaine smirked.

“Do what?” Arthur asked keeping his face expressionless.

“Please, you have Morgana planning it on the down low, but she can never keep a secret from me.”

Arthur grinned, “Should have known she would spill the beans.  Rather ironic, considering you two got married in secret.”

“I am damn happy for you both,” Gwaine said, lifting his mug.

“Thank you, my friend.  I was actually going to ask if you would be my best man.”

“Of course, I’d be honored.”

“I said, I was going to ask, now I’m not so sure…maybe Valiant…”

Gwaine clutched his chest, “I am wounded.  You wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Of course not, Gwaine, you are my brother-in-law and my best friend.  There’s no one else I would ever consider.”

“Good,” Gwaine grinned, “I’d have to sic your sister on you, and that wouldn’t be pretty.  So, when is the big day?”

“Saturday, at the house.  Just an intimate ceremony family and close friends.”

“That’s two days away.  I guess that makes this your bachelor party too.”

“No, no, you’re not making a scene,” Arthur shook his head, “Let the rookies have their celebration.  They worked damn hard to get here, they deserve it.  You can throw Merlin and me a party another night after the wedding.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Gwaine nodded.

Mithian and Kara left Merlin and Mordred to their game then walked over to them, “Arthur, we are going to take off, we just wanted to thank you for everything.  For your encouragement and faith in us.”  They hugged him tightly.

“You both earned it,” he smiled as he released them, “You two are more than ready for the job.”

Mithian leaned in close and then winked, “We will see you on Saturday, for your special celebration.”

Arthur nodded, “See you then, have a good night.”

“Thank you too, Gwaine,” the girls hugged him and then left the bar.

Arthur looked around at the other ten rookies still celebrating and smiled.  “I do believe this is the best group we have ever turned out.”

“I would have to agree, especially Merlin and Mordred,” Gwaine nodded pointedly at them.  “They graduated one and two.”

“I am so damn proud of Merlin,” Arthur smiled, “I will be the first to admit when I first heard he wanted to be a smokejumper, I thought he was out of his bloody mind.  He more than proved himself and then to graduate at the top of the class…”

“He’s full of surprises,” Gwaine grinned.

“That he is.”

“Well, I have to go, Morgana is pulling up outside as we speak.”

“Leaving so early?”

“Yes, we have a doctor’s appointment early in the morning.”

Arthur stood up with him and they embraced.  “Thank you, buddy, for everything.”

“No problem,” Gwaine ruffled his blonde hair and headed for the door.

“Where’s Gwaine going?” Merlin asked as he and Mordred approached the bar.

“The wife is outside waiting for him,” Arthur grinned.

“Ah, yes,” Merlin chuckled.

“I think I am going to head out too,” Mordred said, “I am beat and I’m a bit drunk.”

“You need a ride?” Arthur asked, “I’m driving tonight, I have only had this one beer for two hours.”

“I was going to call an Uber, but if you are ready to go now, I wouldn’t mind a ride.”

“Merlin, are you ready to go or do you want to stay longer?” Arthur asked.

“I’m ready, I am exhausted and a wee bit drunk as well.”

“All right, let’s go then,” Arthur nodded.  They waved to the others and then left the bar, getting into the Gladiator.  They dropped Mordred at his place and then headed home.  Arthur reached over to pat Merlin’s thigh.  “How does it feel?”

“It feels damn good,” Merlin smiled, “I made it through.  I’m a smokejumper just like my father before me.  I wasn’t sure I could do it.”

“Now the work begins.  The next fire call that comes in, we will be deployed for certain.”

“I’m ready.”

“I know you are.”

“I’m also beyond ready for Saturday,” Merlin grinned.

“Me too.”

“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

“I would like for you to officially adopt Jonah,” Merlin said, and Arthur immediately pulled the truck over to the side of the road, his eyes wide.

“You want me to adopt Jonah?” he asked.

“Yes,” Merlin nodded, “He and I talked about it, and he wants you to adopt him.  I understand if it is too much to think about now.”

“No, it’s not,” Arthur shook his head, “I would love to adopt Jonah.  I am also planning to get Sophia to completely sign away her parental rights so you can adopt Charlotte.  I’m not sure she will, but it is what Charlotte wants so I think she will agree.”

“Charlotte wants me to adopt her?”

“Yes, Merlin, we will be a true family and the kids will be protected.  The last thing I want is for something to happen to me and Charlotte is sent to live with her.  She and I both want her to remain with you if anything should happen to me.  She knows Sophia will never be the mother she needs her to be.  And I swear to you that Jonah will be protected if, God forbid, anything happens to you.  He will be a Pendragon.”

Merlin smiled and nodded, “That’s what I want.”

“Good,” Arthur kissed him, “I already have my lawyers handling everything for Charlotte, I will have them start the process for Jonah as well.”

“Have I told you how much I love you?” Merlin asked.

“Hmm, not today,” Arthur grinned.

“I love you, Arthur Pendragon…I love you more than I can ever put into words.”

“And I love you, Merlin Ambrose,” Arthur kissed him, “That reminds me…we need to talk about you taking my last name or keeping your own.”

“I rather like the sound of Merlin Pendragon actually.”

“Me too, but I understand if you want to…”

“No, I talked it over with my parents and they are fine with it.”

“Then Merlin Pendragon it shall be,” Arthur kissed him again.

“Let’s go home, where we can continue this celebration in private,” Merlin wagged his eyebrows.

Arthur pulled the truck back onto the road and drove the rest of the way home.  He parked the Gladiator beside the garage, and they got out heading into the house.  Merlin turned on the lights then headed to the refrigerator to pull out a six-pack of beer bottles and a plate of cold cuts and cheese then grabbed a loaf of bread and placed everything on the coffee table while Arthur was in the bathroom.

“Hungry?” he asked him as he came back into the living room.

“Yes,” Arthur said then stepped over Merlin’s long legs to sit next to him on the sofa.  “When you said we can continue the celebration I was thinking more along the lines of getting naked.”

“Mmm, that is definitely on the agenda.”

“Good to know,” he chuckled then opened a beer.

“So, what if we get a fire call before the wedding?”

Arthur shook his head, “You won’t be officially added to the jump list until Monday.  We are free and clear until then.”

“Guess a honeymoon will have to wait,” Merlin grinned.

“I was thinking we could go somewhere after fire season.  There will be plenty of time for traveling then.  We could go alone for a couple of weeks, then I was thinking around Christmas break we could take the kids somewhere.”

“I will have to put Jonah in school this fall,” Merlin said, “Can’t believe he is old enough for school.”

“Or, if you prefer he can be homeschooled with Charlotte.  She has an excellent private teacher, Jenny Colton, who would be more than happy to teach Jonah as well.  She started as Charlotte’s teacher when she was just a bit younger than him.”

“Isn’t that a bit expensive?” Merlin asked.

“Jonah is going to be a Pendragon, he will have the best education.  And Charlotte will be thrilled to not have to be alone in her schooling.”

“Okay, I accept the offer.  Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, Merlin.  We are going to be married.”

“I have so little to offer Charlotte.”

“You already give her what she needs.  Love…pure and unconditional love.”

“That’s the easy part.  She is a great kid.”

“We have a great family,” Arthur said then kissed him.

“Yes, we do.”

“Are you happy?”

“I am absolutely miserable,” Merlin grinned then pushed Arthur back against the arm of the sofa, straddling his thighs.  “What are you going to do to cheer me up?”

“Mmm, I have a few ideas,” Arthur’s fingers gripped Merlin’s shirt pulling him down for a filthy kiss then nipped at his bottom lip.  “Is it working?” he asked cheekily.

“Oh, yes, I’m positively perky now.”

“You?  Perky?  Not a word I would use?”

“Frisky then…” Merlin kissed him.

“Frisky works,” Arthur said, his hands sliding beneath Merlin’s shirt, splaying over his hard stomach.  “By the way, have we ticked off every item on your to do to me list yet?”

“Not even close, funny it keeps getting longer.”

“Shall we go upstairs and do something about that?”

“Actually, can we just stay here for a bit?” Merlin asked then shifted his position until he was stretched out alongside Arthur, between him and the back of the sofa.  Arthur wrapped his arms around him.

“This feels good.”

“Yes, it does.”

“The rest of our lives, Merlin,” Arthur sighed then kissed him, his chest filling with love and contentment.  In that moment something settled into place, easing all his worries and fears.  No matter what the future held for them, he and Merlin would always be.  In a couple of days, their bond would be cemented in marriage, never to be broken.  There was a soul-deep love and trust between them that he had never had before with anyone.  “I love you.”

“Love you, Arthur,” Merlin said softly, then tucking his face into the crook of Arthur’s neck, he fell asleep. 

“Merlin?” Arthur asked with a fond smile.  He then kissed his forehead reaching for the blanket on the back of the sofa to cover them both.  “We’ll just sleep here then,” he whispered then closed his eyes.

 

Saturday morning was overcast with light rain.  The clouds cleared out before noon and the sun came out warm and beautiful.  Merlin stood on the balcony of the bedroom he’d slept in.  He’d stayed in the main house with the kids, while Arthur slept in the guest house.  Neither wanted to tempt fate by seeing each other the night before the wedding.

There was a knock on the door.  He stepped back inside just as Morgana and Charlotte came into the room dressed in matching lavender and white floral sundresses with their hair done up in gorgeous ringlets, pulled back with barrettes, with lavender flats on their feet.

“You two look stunning,” Merlin grinned kissing their cheeks.

“Look at you,” Morgana beamed as she helped him with his tie then fixed his hair while Charlotte took his jacket off the hanger.

“You look so handsome, Daddy is going to faint dead away.”  She helped him put on the light gray jacket.  It matched the light gray trousers and vest he wore with a white dress shirt and a lavender tie.  “My handsome dads.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Merlin smiled.

“Are you nervous?” Morgana asked.

“No, not nervous…maybe a little…”

“You and Arthur are meant to be.  There is no doubt in my mind.  Even back in school, I knew Arthur had a soft spot for you.  Do you remember that time those older boys were picking on you?  The ones from the nearby college?”

“Ah, yes,” Merlin nodded, “They were pushing me around and trying to get me to go into the store and steal stuff for them.  I refused and they punched me in the stomach.  Next thing I knew they were laid out on the ground with Arthur and Gwaine standing over them.  Arthur was so angry.  I thought he was just mad that they had the nerve to mess with his favorite mark.”

“Oh, no, Merlin, Arthur came home that night spitting nails, going on about how they hurt you and that he should have called the police, but you had told him not to.  He was not angry he was protective.  That’s when I knew for certain that you meant something to him.  You were special to him even though he bullied you.”

“I guess I can see that now.  Back then not so much,” Merlin chuckled.

“I’m so glad you and Daddy found each other again,” Charlotte said.

“Me too,” Merlin said then hugged her, “Where is my boy?”

“Annis is getting him ready,” Morgana said, “He looks just as handsome as his father.”

“I’m ready, let’s go.”

Charlotte hooked her arm through his and they walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the French doors that led to the beautiful flagstone patio and path that would take them to the gated lawn area surrounded by trees where the ceremony would take place.  They stopped just shy of the gate and waited in the shade as Annis and Uther came out of the house with Jonah.

“Don’t you just look dashing,” Annis said, kissing Merlin’s cheek. 

Uther shook his hand and then reached out to adjust Merlin’s tie.  “There you are, young man,” he smiled, “I know you will make my son happy.  Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“That won’t do,” Uther shook his head, “You must call me father just like Arthur and Morgana.  After all, you are about to become a Pendragon.”

Merlin nodded, “I would like that, Father.”

“Good, now my lovely wife and I shall go take our seats,” Uther smiled then took Annis by the arm leading her around the corner and through the black wrought iron gate.

Morgana smiled as the music began to play.  “That’s our cue,” she said, “See you at the altar.  She followed her father and Annis.  Jonah was the ring bearer and took his place in front of Merlin and Charlotte.  It had been decided that she would walk with Merlin down the aisle to her Daddy.

“Go ahead Jonah,” Charlotte motioned.

“I love you, Papa,” he said, giving him a huge grin and then started walking.

“Shall we?” Charlotte asked taking hold of Merlin’s arm, “It’s time to go see Daddy.”

“Let’s do it,” Merlin nodded.  They walked together through the gate and down the aisle to where Arthur stood in his dark blue suit, looking gorgeous and grinning from ear to ear, his eyes shining with tears.  Merlin could not look away from those vivid blue eyes so full of love and happiness.

“Daddy, may I present your Merlin?” Charlotte beamed as she placed his hand in Arthur’s.

“Thank you, angel girl,” Arthur said taking hold of both Merlin’s hands.  “You look incredible,” he whispered.

“So do you,” Merlin said softly wanting so badly to kiss him.

“Shall we begin?” Balinor asked as he stood with his hands together, smiling as Merlin and Arthur faced him.  As an ordained officiant, he’s been honored and delighted when they asked him to marry them.  Jonah stood proudly with best man Gwaine, at Arthur’s side, while Charlotte and Morgana stood beside Merlin.  “We are gathered here today, on this beautiful June Saturday, to unite my son Merlin Ambrose and his other half Arthur Pendragon in marriage.  I was so happy that they asked me to perform the ceremony.  I have known them both since they were boys in high school.  They always had an unusual and unique relationship, to say the least,” Balinor grinned, and everyone laughed.  “I am truly happy for you both.”

“Thank you, Dad,” Merlin said with tears in his eyes and a wide smile.

“Merlin Ian Ambrose, do you take Arthur James Pendragon to be your partner and husband in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to honor, love, and respect him for all the days of your life?”

“I do,” Merlin grinned, and Arthur gave him a slight nod.

“Arthur James Pendragon, do you take Merlin Ian Ambrose to be your partner and husband in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to honor, love, and respect him for all the days of your life?”

“I do,” Arthur said then squeezed Merlin’s hands.

“As you have both chosen to write your own vows,” Balinor said, “You may now begin, Merlin.”

“Arthur,” Merlin said, his voice trembling just a bit, “I have loved you since the first time I saw you.  Even though I was too young back then to understand, a part of me always knew that you were the other half of my soul, the one I could always count on no matter what.  I am so grateful to fate for bringing you back into my life.  Whatever destiny has planned for us, I promise to always love, protect, and support you.  To be your best friend as well as your husband.  To raise our two amazing children together and build a home and family that will stand strong in every storm.  I give myself over to you and to Charlotte until my last breath on this earth.  I love you.”

Balinor turned to Arthur and nodded, “Arthur, your turn.”

Arthur took a deep breath and smiled.  “Merlin, you are the love of my life, you live in the space between my heartbeats.  I never dreamed that I would be sitting on a stool in the Lazy Lantern and look up to see you walk in the door with your familiar grin and those laughing blue eyes, making me believe in soulmates.  You changed everything for me, you settled me.  Suddenly, everything made sense.  You gave me a second chance to prove myself worthy of you, a chance I will never take for granted.  I will protect, respect, and support you as my husband and my best friend.  I want to raise our incredible kids together.  I give myself to you and to Jonah until my last breath on this earth.  I love you.”

“Jonah,” Balinor said, and the boy stepped forward with the rings.  Arthur and Merlin repeated the words and slipped the rings on each other’s fingers.  They were so focused on each other that they barely heard the words Balinor uttered.  “I now pronounce you Arthur and Merlin Pendragon, may you love well and long.  Would you like to kiss your husband, Arthur,” he grinned.

“Yes, please,” Arthur said then leaned forward capturing Merlin’s lips in a tender, deep kiss that went on and on while everyone whistled and clapped.

Gwaine put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder, “Come on boys, you’re delaying the celebration.”  Merlin drew back from Arthur and laughed.  Jonah and Charlotte threw their arms around them.  Arthur scooped Jonah up in his arms and Charlotte slipped her arm through Merlin’s and the new family made their way back toward the gate with Gwaine and a crying Morgana behind them.

“Just so beautiful,” she sobbed, hanging on her husband’s arm.

“Are you all right?” Merlin asked her.

“Pregnancy hormones, just ignore me,” Morgana waved a hand.

They reached the patio where everyone gathered.  The caterers began serving the food and wine.  The kids sat down at the table reserved for their little family.  Arthur hugged Merlin, kissing him, his eyes shining with love and pure happiness.

“We did it,” Merlin grinned.

“Yes, we did.”

“The adventure begins,” Merlin said then kissed Arthur.

Chapter 11: The Angel Ridge Fire

The Angel Ridge fire was started by dry lightning, high in the mountains.  It had already scorched over five thousand acres by the time the team dropped in on the blaze.  High winds made the jump even more difficult, but the whole team managed to land without incident.

“Mordred, Kara, you’re with Gwaine,” Arthur said, “Mithian and Merlin with me.  The rest of you spread out and start working on digging a fire line.  Helitack and Air Tankers are enroute.  Let’s take this thing down before it reaches the western slope which is a tinderbox of dead timber.  Radios on, grab your tools and move out.  Keep your heads on a swivel and do not take stupid risks.”

Everyone moved off to follow his orders as Arthur motioned to Merlin and Mithian.  “With me,” he said, and they followed him heading for the western edge of the blaze.  “All right, let’s see what you two can do.  Plan of attack?” Arthur asked.

“We can use the creek,” Merlin said, “A buffer…set a backburn between it and the fire.”

“Good idea,” Arthur nodded, “Do it.  Mithian help me clear the undergrowth along this flank.”

It took Merlin forty-five minutes to burn off the dry grasses and brush between the creek and the fire.  His plan worked perfectly cutting off the fuel source.  Unfortunately, that victory was short-lived when the winds picked up and shifted direction suddenly, pushing the fire right toward them.

“Mithian, Merlin!” Arthur yelled out, “We need to move!”

Merlin grabbed Mithian by the arm urging her toward the creek.  More smokejumpers joined them, pushing it back as best they could, but the winds were relentless.  The fire was literally generating its own wind, swirling, and gusting, it soon felt like they were caught in the bowels of hell as a wall of flames erupted shooting up to the tops of trees faster than they could run.

Arthur pulled his radio from his belt, “Gwaine, talk to me.”

“Son of a bitch,” Gwaine responded, “Damn thing has a mind of its own.”

“We need help on this side.  The wind is pushing it right where we don’t want it to go.  Merlin backburned, slowing it down for a bit, but the wind has shifted.”

“Already heading your way,” Gwaine said.

“Where is Percival’s team?”

“They are attacking the ridgeline.  Not having much luck either.  Here comes Balinor,” Gwaine whooped.  Arthur looked up, hearing the plane flying low overhead, dumping water over the fire.

“Go, Dad,” Merlin shouted, waving his arms in the air.

Gwaine, Mordred, Kara, and the others on their team joined them.  Mithian and Kara started digging a fire line while Mordred and Gwaine, wielding chainsaws, quickly took down a burning tree that was already leaning dangerously.  Arthur and Merlin headed along the opposite side of the creek starting another backburn.  They worked hard and focused, in perfect sync, knowing exactly what the other was doing and where they were at every moment.

“Merlin, we need to head for that slope,” Arthur pointed.  “Mordred, watch Gwaine’s back.”

Mordred nodded, “Be careful.”

Merlin continued backburning all along the creek.  The fire was only a few yards from the creek edge.  His heart was pounding, his senses heightened.  He turned back to check on Arthur just as a huge burning tree came down.

“Arthur!” he yelled, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him out of the way as the tree dropped across the creek cutting them off from the rest of the team.  “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, thank you,” Arthur nodded, putting a hand on Merlin’s shoulder.  They were trapped between the fire, the fallen tree, and a steep rocky slope.  “That was too damn close.”

“Arthur!” Gwaine’s voice came over the radio.

“We are okay, Gwaine, we just need to find another way around this,” Arthur said, the heat and smoke making him hoarse.

Another tree came down on top of the other one, and the flames began to spread, heading up the slope further cutting them off.  There were just too many large dead and dying trees and the fire was devouring them like kindling.  One by one, trees, already weakened by disease and bugs, were succumbing to the flames.

“Fuck!” Merlin shouted, “Arthur, this way.”  He headed along the base of the slope and scrambled over rocks and brush and downed trees.  Arthur was hot on his heels trusting Merlin’s instincts as he led them away from the inferno.  The heat was intense, like they were in a brick oven.

“Merlin!” Arthur yelled, “The fire is coming down that ridge, we are trapped.  This thing is going to blow up any second.”

Merlin stopped and looked around for a moment.  He was surprisingly calm as his eyes narrowed against the flying embers and hot wind.  He looked at Arthur.  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” he said, “What are you thinking?”

“If we keep going this way we are going to get caught by the flames.  We can’t go around we need to go through.  I know it sounds nuts…”

“Let’s do it,” Arthur said.

“Come on,” Merlin nodded, then scrambled down the high bank with Arthur close behind.  They waded through the creek, then climbed up the other side ending up between the water and the fire.  The heat was unbearable, but they pushed on.  Merlin, running on pure instinct and adrenaline, and Arthur, putting all his faith in Merlin, knowing without a doubt that he would get them out of this.

The blowup Arthur predicted came at them with a low roar, flames shot high into the sky, licking up every tree around them.  He ducked down following Merlin beneath a fallen tree and up a trail that emerged near a cliff.  He could hear rushing water and realized they were heading toward the waterfall.

“Merlin, you’re a genius,” he said to himself, shaking his head slowly as they ran.

“Here!” Merlin called out and stopped in his tracks.  Arthur caught up then Merlin shoved him into a gap in the cliff face behind the waterfall.  “Go, get in there as far as we can.  It’s our best chance.”

Burning embers were falling all around them, and the snapping, popping, and crashing of trees coming down, followed them into an opening just behind the waterfall that was barely large enough for the two of them to squeeze into.  The cold mist was a welcome relief from the unforgiving heat.  They sat with their backs against the rocks as Merlin took hold of Arthur’s hand, linking their fingers together.

“We are going to be okay,” he said breathlessly.

“I’m sorry I got us into this.”

“You didn’t,” Merlin shook his head.

“I fucked up.”

“Arthur, you didn’t.  We are safe here.”

Arthur grabbed his radio and pressed the button.  “Gwaine, do you read me?”

“Arthur, where are you?  Please tell me Merlin is with you.”

“We are together.  Merlin got us to a safe spot.  We are hunkered down in a crevasse behind the waterfall below the ridge.”

“Stay put, Balinor is making another pass in fifteen minutes,” Gwaine said, “I will direct him to the area where you are.  Percival and his team will head your way as soon as they can.”

“Sounds good,” Arthur said, “Keep us posted.  Over.”

“Will do,” Gwaine responded.

Returning the radio to his belt he pulled Merlin close and kissed him deep and hard pouring every bit of emotion into the contact.  “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Merlin smiled, “We are getting out of this.”

“I know,” Arthur said.  He got up to assess the situation just as a burning tree fell against the cliff showering him in sparks.  He fell back against Merlin, eyes wide with fear.  “Fuck, Merlin, if you hadn’t found this place…how did you even know this was here?  Have you been here before?”

Merlin shook his head, “Never…I just trusted my inner senses.”

“You’re amazing.”

Arthur moved back into the space next to Merlin.  They looked at each other, their faces were covered in soot, ash in their hair, and smiled despite the situation.  They heard the sound of Balinor’s plane overhead dumping water over the fire.  It took over an hour before they were able to emerge from their refuge.  The fire had moved past them, but there were still spotfires and scorched earth.

“Arthur, do you read me?”

“Yeah…yeah, Gwaine, we are in the black,” Arthur said into his radio.

“Thank God,” Gwaine said, “Percival’s team is closing in on your position.  Lance is with them.  Are either of you injured?  Do you need a helicopter evac?”

“No, neither of us are injured, thanks to Merlin.  We can walk out.”

“Arthur,” Percival’s voice came over the radio, “Where exactly are you?”

“By the waterfall,” Arthur said.

“Gotcha, be there in ten minutes,” Percival responded.

“Did you get that Gwaine?” Arthur asked.

“Loud and clear.  See you both back at fire camp.”

“How much of this monster is contained?” Merlin asked Gwaine via his own radio.

“Looking at sixty percent at this point.  Another team has been dropped on the other side of the ridge to attack it from that direction.  Hope to have it to eighty by late tonight.  Merlin, your backburn kept the flames from reaching the western slope, great job.”

“The wind had more to do with that, but thanks.”

“Where are the others?” Arthur asked Gwaine.

“All accounted for,” Gwaine replied, “Mordred is still working on the fire line, Mithian and Kara are cutting back brush.  We have a damn fine team, Arthur.”

“I know we do,” Arthur grinned then looked at Merlin.

“Arthur!” Percival shouted as he came down the narrow trail with his team.  Lance was right behind him.

“Arthur…Merlin,” he grinned, handing them both canteens of water and checking them over for injuries before embracing them.  “You two had us worried.  What happened?”

“Burning trees came down between us and the rest of the team.  We had to run for it, and Merlin brought us here.  We hid in a space in the rocks behind the waterfall.”

“Following your gut again, Merlin?” Lance grinned.

“It hasn’t let me down yet,” Merlin nodded.

“Good job, I knew you would make one hell of a smokejumper,” Lance nodded then turned to Percival, “Percy, this is one of our newbies, Merlin.”

“Ah, so you’re the one,” Percival said, placing a huge hand on Merlin’s shoulder, “You actually married this stubborn jackass?”

“Hey!” Arthur exclaimed, even as his eyes glinted with mirth.

“Seriously,” Percival grinned, “Congratulations.  Arthur is a good man…the best.”

“I know,” Merlin smiled.

“Are you sure you two can walk out of here?  You’ve both been through an ordeal, we could bring in a helicopter to lift you out and take you back to camp,” Lance said.

“No need, we can make it.  Just a little smoke inhalation and we’re a bit crispy around the edges, but we can walk,” Merlin chuckled.

“All right,” Percival said then ordered his team to spread out and work at putting out the spot fires along their escape route.  Watching for any trees that could come down at any moment.  It took two hours to reach the mouth of the canyon and the road where a bus was waiting to take them all back to the fire camp.

Arthur got on his radio before climbing aboard the bus.  “Gwaine, we are just getting on the bus.  Can you make sure our jump gear gets back to camp?”

“Will do, glad you are both safe.  See you back at camp when I can get there.”

“Be careful, Gwaine,” he said then put his radio in his belt and climbed onto the bus taking the seat across from Merlin who had his back against the wall and his long legs folded up in the seat.  “Merlin, are you sure you’re all right?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good.  You good?”

“I’m good,” Arthur grinned.

At fire camp they had barely stepped off the bus before Morgana was on them, arms wrapped around their necks.  “Thank God, you’re both safe, I was so scared.”

“We are fine, Morgana,” Arthur kissed her cheek.  “What are you doing here?”

“I came in with Isolde and Gwen as soon as I heard you two were missing.  Come now, let’s get you cleaned up and fed,” Morgana said then hooked her arms through theirs, tilting her head, she pressed it to Arthur’s shoulder as they walked toward the tents.

“Merlin!  Arthur!” Isolde exclaimed as she came out of the main tent and embraced them both.

“Isolde, we are good, Merlin got us out of there.”

“I knew you were a hero, Merlin,” she beamed kissing his lips.

“Hey, that’s my husband you’re kissing,” Arthur teased.

“Hush Arthur,” Isolde smiled, “If you let anything happen to my sweet Merlin, I will kick your arse.”

Arthur laughed and rolled his eyes, “Yes, Isolde…”

 

Merlin stirred, sitting up and rubbing his eyes when Arthur crawled into the tent next to him and collapsed on top of his sleeping bag.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Just need a few hours of sleep,” Arthur said, “The fire is still not controlled.  They are bringing in more help from other bases.  And there is a second blaze that started up just over the state line.  It’s going to be a long haul.  Get some more sleep, that’s an order.”

“Yes, sir,” Merlin grinned then kissed him, “I love you.”

“Love you too, Merlin, now sleep.  We may be called back in.”

They both went to sleep and sure enough they were awakened just three hours later, and scrambled to the bus which took them to the airfield where they met up with the team.  At four-thirty in the morning, they were suited up and on a plane with the others, ready to be dropped on the second fire, the Larkspur River blaze, which was out of control and spreading fast down the valley, heading for two small towns.

“All right,” Arthur said, “This is a big one boys and girls, we attack it hard and fast.  We must keep it from reaching the grasslands down the valley.  If it gets that far, there will be no stopping it, and the towns of Hopedale and Starkville will be in immediate danger.”

“Arthur, where are they dropping us?” Merlin asked as he looked at the map that was spread out in front of them.

“They want us here,” Arthur pointed at a spot on the map.  Merlin studied the area.  It was the slope of the mountain on the east side of the valley.  He shook his head and frowned.  Arthur noticed.  “Merlin?”

“It’s not my call, but I think we should be here…further north on the west side of the valley.  There’s no team there, is there?”

“Gut feeling again?” Arthur asked and Merlin nodded.

Gwaine studied the map and smiled at Arthur, “He’s right…this area makes more sense.

Merlin touched three points.  “We can use this wash and the ridgeline here.  If we can create a fire line there and a backburn here, we cut off the fuel.  The river here will form a barrier on that flank and stop it cold before it has a chance to move down the valley.

Arthur grinned at Merlin then grabbed his radio communicating the change with the base while Gwaine spoke to the pilot.  Merlin studied the map further and nodded, his gut was telling him it was the right move.

“All right it’s a go,” Arthur nodded, “Get ready we will be over the drop area in ten minutes.”

Fifteen minutes later they were out of the plane, parachutes open, and descending toward the target area.  The eerie glow of the fire was beautiful in its own destructive way.  Merlin expertly guided his chute toward the open meadow where they needed to be.  He landed and rolled then immediately got to his feet shedding his jumpsuit and parachute gathering it all together and putting it into the bag.  Arthur landed nearby doing the same.  Mordred, Kara, and Mithian soon followed.  It would be just the five of them on this flank of the fire.  The plane dropped their supplies and tools shortly after.  They quickly grabbed what they needed and got to work.

“Merlin, let’s do this,” Arthur nodded.

“This way,” Merlin said then they followed him down the wash and along the ridge into the valley ahead of the fire, between it and the river.  “Mordred, help me start the backburn,” he said.

“Mithian, Kara,” Arthur waved, “With me, we need to build the fire line on this side.

It took two solid hours of backbreaking work in dangerous conditions.  By the time the sun rose in the sky, they had worked their way across to the eastern side pushing the blaze back as they went.  They reached the spot where they had originally been directed to land, and Arthur realized Merlin had been right.  As it was, the fire had been cut off completely from the lower valley and the grasslands.  If they had stuck with the original plan they would have quickly been overrun and probably would have lost the fight and been forced to retreat. 

Balinor’s plane passed overhead dumping water while a second plane dropped fire retardant further up on the mountain to slow the fire’s progression toward the peak.

“It worked,” Mordred smiled coming to stand next to Arthur, “Merlin is a bloody genius.”

“That he is,” Arthur said, putting an arm around the young man’s shoulders.  “You did a great job too, so damn proud of my team.”

Merlin touched off the last of the backburn, watching as it met the fire.  He smiled and let out a relieved breath.  His plan had worked.  He looked over to see Mithian and Kara tossing dirt on spot fires and stomping them out.  Mithian glanced up, meeting his gaze, and smiled before moving toward him.

“That just about does it,” she beamed kissing his cheek and he hugged her.

“Good work,” he grinned.

“I should be saying that to you, my friend,” Mithian giggled as he released her, “I wish I had just a fraction of your instincts.  You’re amazing.”

“Instincts would be useless without my team,” Merlin shrugged.

Kara joined them a few minutes later as they watched the fire slowly burning itself out, starved of fuel and cut off by the river.  She hugged Mithian then Merlin.

“We did it!” she whooped.

“Great job all of you,” Arthur said as he and Mordred approached.

The team kept watch on the flames, stomping out embers carried by the wind and cutting down burning trees and brush.  They worked tirelessly until well after noon before reinforcements arrived and took over the mop-up.  They gathered their gear and tools and then walked down the valley to the road where a truck was waiting to drive them back to base camp.  Covered in sweat, dirt, soot, and ash they were exhausted and more than ready for showers and food.

 

“They are home!” Charlotte squealed and she and Jonah ran out the front door.

Merlin and Arthur got out of the Gladiator just as their kids quite literally jumped into their arms.

“Daddy,” Charlotte kissed Arthur’s cheek, hugging him tightly around the neck.

“I missed you, baby girl,” he grinned.

“Papa!” Jonah said, hugging Merlin.

“How’s my little man?” Merlin asked.

“I’m good, just missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“How long can you stay?” Charlotte asked.

“We are off for four days,” Merlin grinned as Charlotte came over to hug him and Jonah reached out for Arthur who took him in his arms.

“What a welcome home,” Arthur grinned.

“Echo missed you too,” Jonah smiled hugging Arthur.

Uther and Annis came out of the house with Morgana.  Uther laughed.  “Charlotte, Jonah, I think you should give your fathers a moment.  Go inside and finish your lunch.”

“Yes, Grandpa,” Jonah giggled then grabbed Charlotte’s hand and they went back inside the house. 

Uther embraced Arthur pulling Merlin in as well.  “When Morgana told us…God, I was afraid we would lose you both,” he said.

“Merlin got us out of there,” Arthur smiled.

“Thank you, Merlin,” Annis hugged him, “Come inside and I will fix you both something to eat.”

Morgana waited for Annis and Uther to go back into the house then threw her arms around them both.  “My heroes.  I love you both so much.”

“Love you too.  Are you doing okay?” Arthur asked.

“I’m good, but the doctor said I need to stop going out in the field now.  I am confined to base, which I suppose is okay.  Could be worse.  Isolde has plenty of work for me to do.  Come on you need food then rest.  You both must be exhausted.”

Following Morgana inside, they went into the bathroom to wash up and then joined everyone at the table.  Annis served them club sandwiches with potato salad and then poured them fresh squeezed lemonade.

“It is a relief to have you both home,” she said then sat down.  “When do you go back?”

“Monday morning,” Merlin smiled then took a bite of his sandwich, “Mmm this is delicious.”

“The bread is freshly baked,” Charlotte beamed, “Jonah and I helped Grandma make it.”

“No wonder it is so good,” Arthur said.

Merlin looked at Jonah and grinned, “You have been helping out?”

“Yep,” Jonah nodded.

“Merlin, he is a wonderful boy, so eager to learn and help with chores,” Annis said giving Jonah a wink.  “I just love having him here.”

“So, you’ve been on your best behavior?” Merlin asked his son.

“I’ve been very good, and Miss Colton says I am smart too.”

“Just like his father,” Morgana smiled, and Merlin blushed.

“Do you like learning from home rather than going to actual school?” he asked Jonah.

“Oh, yeah…we have so much fun.  Miss Colton takes us on field trips and nature hikes.  Charlotte helps me with my homework too,” Jonah said excitedly.

“As long as you don’t interfere with her schoolwork,” Merlin said.

“It’s no trouble, Dad, I love helping him,” Charlotte said, “Not that he needs much help anyway, he learns very quickly.  He is already reading at a second-grade level.”

“Really?” Merlin asked, looking at Jonah, who nodded.

“I love reading.  Grandpa said when I get really good at it I can read some of the books in his library.”

“You will be very careful with his books if he lets you,” Merlin said.

“I will be, I swear.”

The doorbell rang then, Annis started to get up, but Arthur beat her to it.  “Sit, I will get it,” he said then headed for the door.  He opened it to find two men standing on the doorstep.  “Can I help you?”

“Are you Arthur Pendragon?” one of them asked.

“I am, what can I do for you?”

Both men held up their FBI badges.  “I am Agent Denver, and this is Agent Badger, we are here about your ex-wife Sophia Pendragon.”

Arthur stepped outside and closed the door.  “What about her?”

“I’m sorry to inform you that she is deceased,” Agent Denver said.

“What?” Arthur asked, his chest tightening, “What happened?  And why is the FBI involved?”

“She and her boyfriend, Cenred Baron, were involved in multiple serious crimes including drug and sex trafficking across state lines.  They were about to be taken into custody when Sophia shot Cenred and then took her own life.  I’m sorry, Mr. Pendragon, we understand that the two of you shared a young daughter.”

Arthur shook his head, running a hand through his blonde hair.  “God, I knew she would never change.  Yes, my daughter is inside.  I don’t want her involved in this if we can avoid it.  What do you need from me?”

Merlin was getting worried when Arthur didn’t come back inside right away.  “I’m going to see what that’s about.  Stay here,” he said then got up and went to the door, slipped outside then closed it behind him.  “Arthur?” he asked and the moment he saw the look in Arthur’s eyes he knew it was bad.  “What’s going on?” he asked the men.

“I am Agent Denver this is Agent Badger with the FBI, and you are?” Agent Denver asked.

“Merlin Pendragon, I’m his husband.  What’s wrong, Arthur?”

“Sophia is dead,” Arthur said, and Merlin’s eyes went wide.

“What happened?”

“Merlin, I’ll tell you everything.  Right now, I need you to go back inside and keep Charlotte from coming out here,” Arthur said, placing his hand on Merlin’s shoulder.

“Yeah, sure, I can do that.  Are you all right?”

“I’m okay, I just don’t want Charlotte to know until I have a chance to tell her myself.”

“Okay, I’ll go back in,” Merlin said then looked at the men before opening the door and going back inside.  He quickly collected himself and then went back into the dining room.

“What’s going on?” Uther asked warily.

“Everything’s fine, just some men needing to talk to Arthur.  Charlotte, sweetheart, would you mind getting me more of this delicious lemonade?”

“Sure,” Charlotte said then picked up his glass and went into the kitchen. 

“I’ll help,” Jonah said then jumped up and followed her.  Once the kids were out of earshot Merlin looked at Uther.

“The FBI, they are here about Sophia,” he whispered, “It doesn’t look good.  Arthur wanted me to keep Charlotte inside and not let her hear what they were saying.”  Uther glanced worriedly at the door but did not get up to go investigate for himself knowing that would only make Charlotte more curious.  She and Jonah returned to the table.  “Thank you, darlin’,” Merlin grinned.

Arthur came back inside twenty minutes later after the men had finally left.  He was pale, his lips pressed together in a straight line, his eyes filled with worry and pain as he sat back down.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” Charlotte asked.

“Nothing, angel girl, finish your lunch then we will go for a walk together.”

“Daddy?”

Arthur forced a smile, “Everything is going to be all right.”

Charlotte wasn’t buying it, she could see the sadness in his eyes.  Something was very wrong, but she pushed down her fears and pretended not to notice when Merlin reached for her father’s hand squeezing it reassuringly. 

Annis reached over to pat Charlotte’s hand and smiled, “Eat, sweetheart.”

Merlin, Arthur, and the kids went for a walk after lunch.  They walked down to the lake and Merlin helped Jonah with his fishing pole while Arthur and Charlotte walked along the shore.

“Papa, what’s wrong with Daddy?”

“He will tell us when he’s ready.  We need to be patient because it’s something that he needs to tell Charlotte first.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Papa…it’s about her mom isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Merlin nodded, “Now let’s see if we can catch a fish.”

Charlotte walked out on the boat docks with Arthur right behind her.  She reached the bench at the end took a seat and waited for him to sit down with her.

“It’s mom, isn’t it,” she said softly.

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded.  “Charlotte…

“She’s dead isn’t she?” Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears and Arthur met her gaze.

“Yes, baby girl,” he choked then pulled her against his chest holding her tightly as she sobbed into his shirt.  “God, I’m so sorry.  I really thought she would change if it meant being back in your life, Charlotte.  I was wrong.  I should have…I…” Arthur said, his voice breaking.

“No, Daddy, there’s nothing you could have done differently.  Mom made her choice a long time ago and nothing you or I could have said or done would change that.  She said she loved me, but I know deep down that she didn’t…not really.  You and Dad love me, that is all that matters.  I know she was my mother, I should be sad, and part of me is, but part of me is relieved too.  What kind of daughter am I to feel that way?”

“You’re a daughter who has been hurt and disappointed too many times, and it is understandable.  Are you okay?” Arthur asked.

“Can we go back to Dad and Jonah now?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes, if you’re ready.  I wanted to tell you first.”

“I’m ready, I want to go help Jonah catch a fish with his new fishing pole.  I love you, Daddy.  It’s okay…everything will be okay.”

“I love you too, angel girl,” Arthur hugged her and then watched as she ran back to Jonah.  Merlin left the kids to it and walked down the dock to where Arthur was still sitting on the bench.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he sat down next to him.

Arthur shook his head and looked up at the sky.  “Sophia killed her sleazy boyfriend then took her own life to avoid arrest for trafficking crimes.”

“Fuck, Arthur, I’m sorry.  How did Charlotte take the news?”

“She’s conflicted,” Arthur lowered his gaze to his hands.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I need to make some sort of arrangements…I have to go to Boise.”

“I can go with you.”

“No, I need you to stay here with Charlotte.  Please, Merlin.  I know it is a lot to ask, but I need you to be here with her while I take care of things.”

“All right,” Merlin nodded, “At least let me see if Dad can fly you.”

“I would rather drive.  I need time to think,” Arthur said.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.  I will leave early in the morning.  Hopefully, I’ll be back by evening.”

“Okay,” Merlin hugged him, “Let me know if there is anything I can help with.”

“I will.  Can you hang out here with the kids for a bit?  I need to go back to the house and make some calls.”

“Sure…I love you.”

“Love you too,” Arthur smiled then got up, shoved his hands into his pockets, and headed up the trail to the house.  Merlin watched him go wishing he could do something to help him.  He got up and walked back to join the kids.  Jonah let out a squeal as he reeled in a fish and Charlotte giggled helping him get it to shore.  She looked up and met Merlin’s gaze giving him a tearful smile.

 

Arthur left Boise around sunset, to drive back to McCall.  The arrangements had been made.  Sophia’s body was identified.  She would be cremated, and her ashes sent back to Wales to her father.  He’d decided not to have a memorial service, not wanting to subject Charlotte to it.  He would let her decide what she needed to do for closure.

He was exhausted and should have spent the night in Boise, but he wanted to get home.  He now regretted not taking Merlin up on his offer to call Balinor to fly him.  He could have been home hours ago.  Instead, he had to drive another hour and a half before he would be with his family.  Turning on the radio he sang along to eighties songs at the top of his lungs.

Traffic was light as he drove the crooked two-lane highway along the river crossing the old bridge.  He watched out for wildlife crossing the road, not wanting to hit a deer or an elk.  He was driving his red BMW instead of the Gladiator because of the gas mileage.

Rounding a sharp corner, Arthur slowed down for a car in front of him that was turning off and then sped up, and as he came around the next corner there was a car in his lane heading right for him with a mountain on one side and the river on the other.  At the last moment, the driver swerved back into their own lane leaving Arthur shaken and breathing hard, his heart pounding.  He pulled over at the next turnout to collect himself.

“Fuck,” he breathed out, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.  Just then his cell phone rang, and he answered it through the car’s Bluetooth.  “Merlin…” he said his voice still a bit shaky.

“Arthur, are you all right?”

“Yeah…yeah, I am.”

“What’s wrong?” Merlin asked.

“Just a close call, but I am fine.  I will be home soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.  Funny feeling again?”

“Yeah, since you left today.  Couldn’t shake it.”

Arthur pulled back onto the highway.  “I’m okay.  I should be home in less than ninety minutes.  Is that feeling gone?”

“Not completely, but it isn’t as strong.”

“How is Charlotte?” Arthur asked.

“She is okay.  Jonah insisted that they watch Pirates of the Caribbean for the tenth time.  They made brownies.  She is more worried about you.  So am I.  Is everything taken care of?”

“Yes, it is handled.”

“I wish you had let me go with you.”

“I know, Merlin, but I needed to do this myself.  Please understand.”

“I do…I get it.  She was your wife and the mother of your child.  I know you loved her.”

“That love died a long time ago,” Arthur said, “I just feel like I should have done more for Charlotte’s sake.  Sophia was a shitty mother, but she was her mother.”

“There was nothing more you could have done to save Sophia from herself.”

“You’re right, I know.  I’m going to hang up now, I need to watch for deer and elk.  I love you.  See you in a little while.”

“Love you too.  Be careful.”

 

Merlin was pacing the floor when it opened, and Arthur walked in.  He let out a relieved breath and surged forward into his arms.

“You’re home,” he said softly.

“I’m home,” Arthur said holding onto him tightly letting all the tension and worry drain from his body.  “I’m sorry…”

“I’m just glad you’re here and you’re okay.  You are okay right?”

“Yeah, I am.  It was hard, but it’s done.  Where is Charlotte?”

“I sent them to bed early.  I didn’t want them to see me freaking out.”

Arthur kissed his lips and nodded, “I’m glad you did.  I’m not sure I’m ready to answer her questions quite yet.”

“I won’t ask,” Merlin said lowering his gaze.  He took hold of Arthur’s hands and led him over to the sofa and sat him down.  “Can I get you something to eat or a drink?”

“I would really love a beer and if you wouldn’t mind making me a sandwich.”

“There’s leftover brisket or I can make you a burger.”

“Brisket would be perfect.”

“Great, be right back,” Merlin said then headed into the kitchen.  He reheated the brisket making Arthur a sandwich with potato salad and grabbed a beer.  He returned to the living room to find Arthur pulling papers out of his briefcase.  “Put that away, it can wait.”

“You’re right,” Arthur said then put everything back in the case, closing it, and then placed it on the floor between the sofa and the side table.  Merlin placed the plate in front of him and handed him the open beer.  “Thank you, Merlin.”

“You’re welcome,” he smiled then curled up in the recliner, his long legs beneath him, “I missed you, Arthur.”

“I was only gone a day,” he smiled.

“I know.”

“What are you going to do when we end up on different fires?”

“Probably freak out,” Merlin chuckled.

“Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen…at least not for a while because I don’t think I could bear to be away from you either.”

“What a couple of lovesick fools we are.”

“Yes, we are that,” Arthur grinned.  He finished his food and then took his plate to the kitchen while Merlin shut off the lights and locked the door then they went upstairs together.  They looked in on the kids before going to their own room.

“Shower?” Merlin asked.

“Yes, please,” Arthur nodded taking off his shirt while Merlin went into the bathroom and turned on the shower then undressed.  Arthur joined him and they just held each other close, reveling in this connection between them.

“Are you okay?”

“Getting there.”

Merlin kissed him tenderly, sucking lightly on Arthur’s bottom lip as he proceeded to wash every inch of his flesh sending shivers of pleasure coursing all through his body with every touch, every caress, every tickle of warm breath on wet skin.  He smiled and Merlin dropped to his knees, his tongue lips burning a trail on his way down before wrapping around the head of Arthur’s engorged shaft making him moan in utter bliss.

“I will always take care of you, Arthur,” Merlin said huskily then swallowed his length making his knees weak.  Arthur tangled his fingers in Merlin’s wet dark curls, his hips moving to meet the sweet heaven that was his mouth.

“God, Merlin…” he gasped.

“Better?”

“Oh, most definitely.  You are like a drug I never knew I needed, to which I am hopelessly addicted and will never get enough.”

“Good job I have an unlimited supply then.”

“Good job indeed,” Arthur breathed out as Merlin stood up and kissed him long and hard.

“Turn around,” Merlin said, his voice deep and rough.  Arthur turned and Merlin ran his hands all down his back to his hips.  He pressed him against the wall, kissing everywhere his hands touched.  “I want to make you forget all the dark stuff for just a little while.  Let me…”

“Yes, Merlin…please…”

Merlin moved against him sliding the length of his cock into the cleft of Arthur’s perfect arse.  “God, you are hot,” he whispered then kissed the back of his neck, “What you do to me, Arthur.”

“I know the feeling,” Arthur huffed a breathless laugh and growled low in his chest as Merlin continued to thrust against him, teasing him mercilessly.

“Do you want me?”

“Do you even have to ask?  I am going to come apart at the seams, Merlin!”

“Oh no, we can’t have that, now can we?” Merlin smiled as his fingers penetrated Arthur working him open.  He dropped to his knees again thrusting his tongue inside him along with a finger and Arthur cried out in utter bliss.  “Feel good does it?” Merlin asked.

“God, yes…” Arthur whimpered in pleasure, one hand gripping the glass shower wall and the other reaching back to grip Merlin’s hair as he fucked him with his tongue.  “Merlin…oh, that feels incredible.”

Merlin kissed his way up Arthur’s back then slowly pushed into him.  “So, hot and tight…Arthur!”

“Fuck…fuck, yes harder,” Arthur panted losing himself in the joining of their bodies.  They rocked together, Merlin closed his eyes, thrusting harder and faster, rolling his hips into Arthur over and over again until they both came with a shout and a moan, their bodies shaking with the aftershocks of their release.  “Holy hell, Merlin…” he gasped.

“Feel better?”

“God, yes…thank you,” Arthur grinned and kissed him.

“My pleasure,” Merlin said looking into his eyes. 

They kissed and washed each other then got out of the shower and climbed into bed falling asleep quickly in each other’s arms.

Chapter 12: Mayday...Mayday!!!

Fourth of July weekend spawned a new fire, and that Monday morning, Arthur and Merlin were back on duty.  The team had been called out to a fire on the border with Montana.  A blaze started by stupid humans with fireworks on a hiking trail that quickly got out of control.  People became trapped in the campgrounds and the trailheads were cut off by the blaze.  A massive fire camp popped up in an open meadow at the base of the mountain.  An old unused road through the meadow became an airstrip for jump planes and supplies and there was a flat area where helicopters could land and take off.  It was a bustling tent city, with citizens of nearby towns providing food and services for the firefighters.

Nearly two weeks into the firefight, Merlin was distraught because he was missing Jonah’s sixth birthday, and the internet was spotty, so their video chat kept breaking up.  “I’m so sorry, my boy,” Merlin said, trying not to show his frustration and sadness.

“It’s okay, Papa, I understand.  We can celebrate later.”

“I love you, Jonah, so much.”

“Love you more!”

“Don’t worry, Dad, we will have a big party when you and Daddy can be here.  I’m making him a birthday cake.”

“You are?” Merlin asked.

“Well, with Grandma’s help.”

“What kind are you making?”

“I want a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream!” Jonah exclaimed.

“Of course,” Merlin grinned.

“Hey, there’s the birthday boy,” Arthur said, peeking over Merlin’s shoulder, “Love you, kiddo!”

“Love you too, Daddy!” Jonah beamed, “Is the fire almost out yet?”

“No, unfortunately not, but hopefully the weather will cooperate, and we will have it out and be home in another week or so,” Merlin said.

“We miss you tons,” Charlotte said, wrapping her arm around Jonah.

“Miss you too, angel girl,” Arthur smiled.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Dad, Grandpa Balinor and Grandma Hunith are here for Jonah’s birthday.  Grandpa said he will be flying supplies over to the fire camp on Friday,” Charlotte smiled.

“That’s good they could make it over, I know they miss Jonah,” Merlin said.  “Are they staying in the main house?”

“Yes, and Morgana is here too.  She couldn’t take being at home without Uncle Gwaine.”

“We love you both so much,” Merlin said, “We have to go now the signal is cutting out again.  Be good, Jonah, and Happy Birthday, my boy.”

“Thank you, Papa.  Love you too.”

“Bye Dads,” Charlotte blew them kisses then they ended the video call.  Merlin dropped his gaze and pinched his forehead.  Arthur put an arm around his neck and then kissed his temple.

“I know, this is the part that sucks.”

“Yeah, you would think it would get easier at some point, but it never does.”

“No, it definitely doesn’t,” Arthur said, “Come on let’s go get some food and sleep, we are needed back on the fire line in four hours.”

 

“Grandpa, please, take us with you,” Charlotte pleaded as she and Jonah ganged up on Balinor.  “There are regular people at the camp, it’s perfectly safe right?  We just want to see our dads for a little bit.  Gwaine said they would be back at the camp for their break late this afternoon.  It will work out just right.  We can surprise them.”

“Please, Grandpa,” Jonah said holding onto his hand.

Balinor chuckled and looked at Hunith who shrugged and smiled fondly.  “All right, but only if it is okay with Uther and Annis.”

“I don’t see why not,” Uther smiled.

“Who can say no to those faces,” Annis laughed.

“Yes!” Charlotte and Jonah both jumped up and ran upstairs to pack.

“You’ll have your hands full with those two,” Uther chuckled.

“It will be fine.  I used to take Merlin with me to base camp sometimes.  He loved it.  I think that’s when he decided he wanted to be a wildland firefighter.  Something tells me these two will follow in their fathers’ footsteps as well.”

“Most likely,” Hunith nodded.

The kids came tearing back downstairs hugged everyone and ran out the front door to pile into Balinor’s truck.  He kissed Hunith goodbye and then waved to the others before following.

They reached the airfield to find the plane already loaded and ready to go.  Balinor went through his ritual checking, double checking, and triple checking everything.  Charlotte and Jonah climbed aboard and fastened their seatbelts.

“Ready?” Balinor asked.

“Ready!” Jonah said.

“Let’s go!” Charlotte beamed.

Balinor started the engines and taxied down the runway until he had the all-clear to take off.  The flight would only take a couple of hours, round trip.  They would be able to stay at camp for a few hours and easily make it back to McCall before dark.  Worst case scenario they would camp out and fly back in the morning.

“All right, you two stay buckled in until we land,” he said.

“Yes, Grandpa,” Charlotte smiled, “They are going to be so surprised.”

“I can’t wait,” Jonah said.

Balinor noticed a thunderstorm building over the mountains and steered away, skirting the edge to avoid it.  He checked all the gauges, everything was looking good.  They were half an hour out and could see the smoke from the Hell’s Acre Fire.  It was a massive blaze having burned well over forty thousand acres and still growing.  Damn people and their fireworks anyway.  They will never learn to be responsible.  Turning the plane away from the storm he flew over the mountains.

“Supply plane incoming, ETA thirty minutes, avoiding a surprise thunderstorm.  Over.” Balinor said into his headset.

“Read you loud and clear, Balinor,” Gwaine’s voice came over the radio, “I assume you have our special cargo aboard.”

Balinor chuckled, “Yes, I do.”

“I knew you couldn’t say no,” Gwaine laughed.

“Are the boys on schedule?”

“Affirmative, will be rotating out and back to camp within the next hour or so.”

“We will be landing well before that.”

“Safe flight, see you soon, over,” Gwaine said.

Balinor brought the plane down to a lower elevation.  Threading the needle between the thunderstorm and the smoke while battling the wind created by both.  He flipped a switch and adjusted as needed.

A moment later there was a blinding flash and a clap of thunder.  Lightning hit the plane, the right engine took a direct hit.  A second strike took out the electronics.  He heard the kids scream as the plane dropped sharply.

“Gwaine!” Balinor said, “Mayday…mayday…lightning struck the plane twice I have lost the right engine and all my electronics.  Gwaine, you read me?  Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.  “Mayday…Mayday…Gwaine we are going down.  Can’t get enough elevation to clear the peak.”

“Balinor!” Gwaine said, “We can no longer see you on radar.  Where are you?”

“East of the camp,” Balinor said, pulling back on the stick, “Can’t hold her in the air.  The left engine must have taken a hit as well.  Going down!”

Gwaine yelled into the mic, “Balinor!  There was only silence.  “Fuck, Balinor!”

Lance came into the tent.  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Balinor’s plane just went down.  Charlotte and Jonah are with him,” Gwaine said.  “I need to find out where he was last spotted on radar.”

“On it,” Lance nodded and picked up the phone.

Gwaine pulled out his radio and inhaled sharply.  “Arthur…Merlin, do you read me?  I need you to hear me dammit.”

“Go for Merlin.  What’s wrong, Gwaine?”

“Where are you two right now?”

“On the north side of Griffin Creek why?”

“Merlin, your father…he was flying in supplies.  His plane was hit by lightning, and he has crash-landed.  Merlin, the kids are with him.  They were planning to surprise you and Arthur.”

“Fuck,” Merlin said then looked around for Arthur.  “Where are they?”

“Lance is working on getting me the last radar location.  As soon as we have that I am sending help to the area.  We will find them.”

Merlin felt his entire world tilt on its axis, and he shook his head.  “Gwaine…” his voice broke.

“We will find them, your father is the best damn pilot there is.  They will be fine.”

Merlin nodded, fighting tears as his chest tightened.  He spotted Arthur and shouted.  Arthur heard the panic in his voice and turned around heading toward him.  He gripped Merlin’s shoulders knowing by the look in his eyes that something was very wrong.

“Dad…Dad’s plane went down, the kids are with him,” Merlin choked out.

“Fuck,” Arthur said grabbing the radio, “Gwaine, Arthur…details.”

“Lance just got the data.  Texting you the coordinates of the last place it was spotted on radar.  They are east of your location.”

“Right, okay…Gwaine, keep us posted.  Merlin and I are going to head east on foot.”

“Arthur, that will take you right into the damn fire!” Gwaine said.

“It will take too long to go back to camp first,” Arthur said, “We can make it.”

“Be careful.”

“Ready?” Arthur asked Merlin and he nodded.  “Mordred, Percival you’re in charge we have to go.  Balinor’s plane went down on the other side of the mountain and the kids are with him.”  They gathered up their packs. 

“You need help,” Mordred said.

“Keep fighting the fire.  We will make it,” Arthur said.

“Watch yourselves,” Percival nodded, “Follow the river and cut across through the wash into the lower canyon.”

Merlin took off running along the riverbank with Arthur close behind.  The fire was burning on both sides and at some points, they had to get into the river to pass by the flames.  He pushed down his terror and focused.  He slipped on a slick rock and nearly went down, but Arthur was there to catch him.  They ran until they came to a literal wall of fire.

“How are we going to get around that?” Arthur shouted.

Merlin closed his eyes for a moment focusing his inner sense then looked at Arthur.  “This way,” he said then charged between two burning trees, slid down a burnt slope, and charged across a creek where it joined the river. 

Arthur followed without question.  They had to get to the kids and Balinor.

 

“Grandpa,” Jonah cried gently shaking Balinor until he stirred and opened his eyes.

“Jonah…Jonah, are you hurt?” he asked, his voice shaky, his vision blurry, “Charlotte!”

“I’m here, Grandpa, we are okay.  You’re bleeding,” she sobbed opening a medical kit she found in the back of the wreckage.  “I’m sorry, Grandpa…”

“Shh, angel girl,” Balinor put his right arm around her.

“We need to get help,” Jonah said.

“The radio is broken,” Balinor said wincing as he tried to move.  His legs were pinned, and his left arm was wedged between the fuselage and his seat.  “I managed to get a mayday out to Gwaine.  He will send help as soon as they get a location from the radar.  Everything will be okay.”

“Grandpa, you’re losing too much blood,” Charlotte whimpered, tears streaming down her face.

Balinor looked out through what was left of the windshield and shook his head.  He could see the smoke from the fire, it was spreading fast and soon it would overtake them.  Everything in him wanted to keep the kids close, but he knew he was trapped, and he would not be able to protect them if help did not arrive before that happened.

“Grandpa, we have to go get help,” Jonah said.

Trying again to free himself, Balinor let out an anguished cry.  It was no use, he was not going anywhere until help came.  He looked at his grandchildren with tears in his eyes and nodded.

“Charlotte, find a couple of smaller packs that you two can carry.  Open the boxes.  Put food and water in your packs and grab flashlights.  There is a compass in my bag.  The camp is west.  If you follow the canyon until you reach the river you can follow it west right to the camp.  You need to hurry, angel girl.  The fire is spreading.”

“We will make it…we will get help and bring them back here,” she said, hurrying to do as he instructed.

“Good girl, don’t be scared.  Your fathers have taught you all you need to know about wilderness survival.  I know you can do this.  I love you both so very much.”

“Love you too, Grandpa,” Charlotte hugged him gently then pushed the medical kit closer so he could reach it.  “Maybe you should stay here, Jonah.”

“No, you two are safer together,” Balinor said.  He knew if they stayed they would be caught in the fire along with him.  “You will make it.  I have every faith in you both.  Now go…hurry.”

Jonah was crying as he hugged his grandpa.  “We will be back for you.  Don’t worry.  Love you.”

“Love you too, dear boy.”

Charlotte handed Jonah his pack then they climbed out of the wrecked plane.  She checked the compass then took hold of her little brother’s hand and held tight to him as they slid down a steep incline.  She looked up at the smoke rising in the sky and then glanced back at the plane.  They needed to hurry.

“Come on, Jonah, stay close to me, and don’t be scared.”

“I’m not scared,” Jonah said even as his bottom lip quivered.

“We can do this,” Charlotte hugged him, “For Grandpa.”

Jonah took a breath and then nodded.  “For Grandpa.”

 

Merlin’s senses were overwhelmed.  Between the heat of the fire and the sheer terror of knowing their family was out there somewhere possibly injured.  Maybe even dead.  “No,” he said under his breath, “They’re alive…they have to be.”

“Merlin,” Arthur put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m okay, come on, this way.”

Arthur checked his phone surprised that he even had GPS out here in the middle of nowhere.  They were heading in the right direction according to the coordinates Gwaine sent him.  “We need to go that way,” he said, pointing toward and narrow wash that Percival told them to follow.

Merlin nodded in agreement then climbed up between the boulders dropping over a ledge and landing on the hard-packed dirt.  They were protected from the flames for the moment and stopped to take a drink of water to keep from getting dehydrated.

“Let’s go,” Arthur said then took the lead for a bit to give Merlin a reprieve.

“Arthur…”

“I know…” Arthur nodded then slid down an incline into the canyon.  He looked up to see the fire creeping its way down the mountain.  They were running out of time.

 

“Jonah, this way,” Charlotte said then helped him over a downed tree and several boulders.  She checked the compass it was still pointing them west.  Taking a step, she tripped over a tree root falling hard on her stomach.  She screamed as she looked at the shattered compass lying on the rocks in front of her.  “Oh no!” she cried.

“Are you hurt?” Jonah asked as he helped her up.  She had a cut on her chin and her jeans were torn, her knees scraped up.  “Charlotte?” he asked, tears pooling in his eyes.

“I’m okay, we’re okay, we don’t need the compass anyway.  We just have to follow the canyon to the river like Grandpa said.  We can do this.”

“Can you walk?”

“Yeah…let’s go,” Charlotte nodded then he took hold of her arm helping her over the rough ground and the evil tree roots.  He let go when the trail leveled off.  “Yes, we are in the canyon.  Not much further now,” she said with more confidence than she felt.  “This way,” she smiled, and Jonah gave her an uneasy grin.  “Hey, we are the children of heroes, little man, we can do this.”

“Yes, we can,” Jonah said.

“So, no more tears.  We are going to reach camp and get help for Grandpa, and everything is going to be okay.  I promise.”

“Okay,” Jonah nodded then took her hand.

They followed the canyon but the closer they got to the river the more smoke and flames they could see.  The fire was going to cut them off from the river.  Charlotte started to panic when she realized that they had to get out of the narrow canyon, or they would be trapped.

“Charlotte,” Jonah said, his voice trembling.

“Okay, change of plan,” she said then took his hand leading him to the far side of the canyon following a trail up to the rim, walking along the narrow path.  The elevation gave them a clearer view of the fire.  The whole mountainside was burning.  There was no way out.  “Come on, we have to keep moving.”

Jonah walked behind her as the trail was too narrow.  He slipped once nearly falling off the edge, but Charlotte caught him by his arm and pulled him close holding him tightly as they both sank to the ground in tears.  They couldn’t move forward, and they couldn’t go back.  The fire had closed off both routes.

“We are going to be okay, Jonah,” Charlotte stuttered between sobs, “I promise.”

“I want Papa,” Jonah whimpered, “Papa…”

“I’ve got you, baby brother.  I won’t let anything happen to you.”  Taking a breath, Charlotte got to her feet again, pulling Jonah up with her.  “We need to keep moving.”

Jonah nodded and they moved along the trail until Charlotte laughed and pointed.  “There’s a stream.  Come on!”  They slid down the incline and ran for the water.  There was a deep hole in the stream and Charlotte stepped into the icy water her teeth chattering as she reached for Jonah.  “Get in, it is our best chance,” she said taking his hand and pulling him into the water just as the flames blew up catching the brush at the mouth of the canyon on fire.  It wasn’t long before they were completely cut off from any hope of escape.

“Papa!” Jonah cried out as he clung to Charlotte.

“I’ve got you,” Charlotte whispered fighting tears, “Just hold on.”

 

Merlin stopped cold looking around and listening intently.  Arthur waited. 

“What is it?” he asked.

“Jonah…I heard Jonah!” Merlin shouted then turned around in a circle.  They were surrounded by flames.  Trees were popping and cracking around them.  They needed to move.  Jonah was out there.  “Jonah!” Merlin yelled at the top of his lungs then listened.  His gut pulled him in one direction, and he charged through burning brush and crawled beneath a toppled tree.  “Jonah!”

“Jonah!  Charlotte!” Arthur shouted.

“Papa!” Jonah’s voice came through loud and clear.

“Jonah!  Charlotte!” Merlin shouted, “We’re coming!”

“Over here!” Charlotte cried out in relief.  Merlin ran into the water grabbing both kids tightly in his arms overwhelmed with relief.

“Thank God,” Arthur choked as he jumped into the water with them.  Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck and shuddered, huge sobs coming out of her.  “You’re safe now, baby girl,” he kissed her forehead.

“Papa, you found us,” Jonah choked.  “Grandpa is hurt bad…he needs help.”

“Grandpa is safe, the smoke jumper team reached him.  He is being lifted out by helicopter.  He told them you two were trying to reach the camp to get help.  You were so brave.”

Arthur turned and had Charlotte hop up on his back while Merlin had Jonah wrapped around his front.  “Which way?” he asked.

Merlin pulled out his radio.  “Helitack one, we need help down here.”

“Got a lock on your position, Merlin.  Heads up!”

The helicopter flew overhead dumping its load of water over the area dowsing the flames enough that they were able to get through to the river and then make their way along the bank to the west.  As soon as they emerged from the woods Gwaine was there with a Jeep to meet them.

“Thank God,” he said as they piled into the vehicle.  He then turned it around, driving toward camp.  By the time they arrived, it was nearly dark, the thunderstorm was now over the camp and dumping rain like there was no tomorrow.

Lance checked over both kids for injuries finding nothing serious.  Charlotte’s skinned knees and cut chin were cleaned and then bandaged.  Jonah had a bump on his head from the crash, some bruises, and a small cut on his leg.  They were incredibly lucky.  He then turned to their fathers and smiled.

“They are okay, just minor injuries, they are fine,” he said, “Nothing a little food, water, and rest won’t fix.”

“Thank you, Lance,” Merlin said as Jonah wrapped his arms around his waist.  “Any news about my father?”

“He was transported to the hospital in Boise.  He has a dislocated shoulder and lacerations to both legs, but he is going to be fine.  He told me to tell you not to worry about him that your mom is with him.  He said you two have a job to do.”

“Tomorrow,” Gwaine said, “Right now you four need to get some food and rest.  I have a larger tent for you all.  Get some sleep.  Morgana will be driving in tomorrow to pick up the kids and take them back to McCall.”

“Thank you, both,” Arthur nodded then scooped Charlotte up in his arms carrying her out of the medical tent. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice breaking.

“What are you sorry for, baby girl?” he asked.

“Jonah and me…we talked Grandpa into bringing us here to surprise you.  We didn’t mean for him to get hurt or to cause so much trouble.”

“Charlotte, the plane was struck by lightning, sweetheart.  It could have happened just as easily if Grandpa had been alone.  It was not your fault.  It was a welcome surprise to have you come visit us here at camp.  You did nothing wrong, it was just an accident.”

“But Grandpa got hurt,” Jonah said.

“Grandpa will be fine,” Merlin kissed his cheek as he held him, “He has had far worse believe me.  What do you say we go and see if we can get internet access?  We can video call him?”

“Yes!” Jonah exclaimed excitedly.

“All right, but let’s get you two some food first,” Arthur smiled.

 

“Charlotte, Jonah, you’re all right?” Balinor asked.

“Yes, Grandpa, we are fine.  How are you?” Charlotte asked, tears pooling in her eyes, “We’re so sorry you got hurt.”

“Hey now, none of that,” he grinned, “This old man is tougher than nails.  It will take a lot more than a couple of lightning bolts to get me.  I am so proud of you both for not giving up.”

“I broke your compass when I fell,” Charlotte said,

“Oh, I have others.  All that matters is you two are safe.  I love you both so damn much.”

“Love you too, Grandpa,” Jonah said then kissed the screen making Balinor and Hunith laugh.

“I’m here with Grandpa, he is going to be just fine,” she said, “Don’t you worry.”

“Dad, I can talk to Gwaine and see if I can get leave from camp to come be with you,” Merlin said.

“No, son, you and Arthur have a job to do.  I am fine.  I don’t want to see your faces until I get back to camp on my next supply run.  Understood?”

“Yes, Dad,” Merlin grinned.

“Listen to your father,” Hunith smiled into the camera.

“Yes, Mom.”

“Good, love you all…see you soon,” Balinor said then ended the video call.

“There, better now?” Arthur asked the kids and they nodded. 

“Come on let’s get to our tent and grab some sleep.  As soon as Morgana picks you two up tomorrow we need to get back out on the fire line,” Merlin said.  The four of them walked to their tent and went inside.  They laid out their sleeping bags and pillows and then slid into them.

“Good night, kids,” Arthur said.

“Night Daddy…night Dad,” Charlotte responded.

“Night, sweetheart,” Merlin smiled.

Jonah was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, snoring softly.  Merlin leaned over and kissed his cheek.  Charlotte draped her arm over her baby brother, snuggling up to him, and closed her eyes. 

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other and smiled then Merlin turned out the battery-powered lantern.

“Good night, Merlin,” Arthur kissed him in the dark.

“Night, Arthur,” Merlin said then they went to sleep with their foreheads together and fingers entwined.  They were both still shaken by how close they had come to losing everything.

“They are safe now…” Arthur said softly hearing the catch in his voice.

“I’ve never been so scared.”

“I know, me neither.  We have them back and everything is going to be okay.  Your dad is okay.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too.”

 

“Thank God, you’re both okay,” Morgana cried, dropping to her knees to embrace Charlotte and Jonah, tears streaming down her cheeks.  She laughed and looked at her brother and Merlin wiping her eyes.  “Sorry, pregnancy hormones, I cried all the way here.”

“Love you, Aunt Morgana,” Charlotte giggled, hugging her.

“Love you too, sweet child,” Morgana kissed her then turned to Jonah, “Now, let’s get you two back to civilization and ice cream and shopping.  Tell your daddies goodbye so they can get back to work.”

“Bye Daddy,” Charlotte hugged Arthur, “Bye Dad.  I love you both.”

“Love you too, angel girl,” Arthur said then Jonah hugged him.  “Okay, big man, you take care of our girls, yeah?” 

“I will,” Jonah nodded then hugged Merlin, “Bye, Papa.  See you later.  Love you.”

“Love you too, my boy.”

They watched the kids get into Morgana’s SUV then she hugged them both.  “You two be safe, I love you.”

“Love you too,” they both smiled.

“Thank you for coming to pick them up.”

“No problem, however, I should warn you, I plan on buying them anything their little hearts desire,” she beamed at them.

“Of course, you do,” Arthur laughed.

“See you two later, be careful,” Morgana said then got behind the wheel.  Arthur and Merlin waved as she started the engine and then pulled out onto the road.

“Boys, back to work,” Gwaine hollered.

“Duty calls,” Merlin smiled, and Arthur put an arm around his neck and together they went to get suited up and board the drop plane to be taken back up to the fire line.

 

The Hell’s Acre Fire was finally contained in late August and out by the first of September.  Arthur and Merlin came home only a few times in the weeks of battling the blaze.  In the end, it devoured over a hundred and fifty thousand acres and destroyed countless homes, businesses, structures, and took the lives of wildlife and livestock that could not escape its wrath.  It all started with irresponsible people and their fireworks.

Merlin sat by the lake, looking out over the water.  The moonlight sparkling on the surface, the waves gently lapping the shore, and his son sitting in his lap looking up at the stars in the cloudless sky.  In that moment, all the tension slipped from his body.  The stress and worry, the soreness in his muscles all faded to nothing.

While the fire season wasn’t completely over, there were no new blazes and the ones that were burning were mostly contained.  It was Labor Day weekend, and they were home with family.  His father had recovered from his injuries and was doing well, but he had made the decision to retire and take his mother on a cruise to Alaska.  They would be leaving mid-week.  Uther and Annis had considered joining them, but they didn’t want to risk missing the birth of their grandchild due in just a few weeks.  Gwaine had decided to take the full-time training position that Arthur turned down.  He and Morgana bought a new house and were busy getting ready for the arrival of their little girl.

“There you two are, should have known I would find you out here,” Arthur grinned taking a seat next to them.

“Hi, Daddy,” Jonah smiled then pointed up at the sky.  “Papa says that star is Mama’s window.  She can look down and see us.”

Arthur smiled and nodded, “I bet she has a beautiful view.”

“She was right,” Jonah said.

“Right about what?” Arthur asked.

“She said you would come into my and Papa’s life and make us happy and safe.”

“I remember,” Arthur smiled.  “Who knows, maybe my mom is up there with her, looking down on us too.”

“She is,” Jonah said then moved into Arthur’s lap to hug him.  Arthur met Merlin’s gaze over the boy’s head and nodded.

“Are you okay?” he asked, “You were quiet at dinner.”

“Yeah, just sitting here thinking.  So many changes in such a short time.”

“Speaking of changes,” Arthur said, “I believe I may have found us a house.  I would like to take you and the kids to look at it on Monday.”

“Can we, Papa?” Jonah asked, his eyes going wide.

“I don’t see why not.”

“It’s a log cabin right on the lake, I think it is perfect, but I don’t want to make an offer until you all see it and decide.”

“A real log cabin?” Jonah grinned.

“Yes, with a fireplace and a large yard for you and Charlotte to play in.  It’s only a ten-minute drive from here so we will still be close to family when we have to go out on a fire.”

“I’m gonna go find Charlotte,” Jonah said, then hugged his dads before running up the path to the house.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude on your father-son time.”

“You didn’t intrude,” Merlin smiled, leaning in to kiss Arthur.

“Are you happy?”

“I am.”

Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin and looked up at the sky.  “Me too.”

“Are you sure?  You’re not regretting turning down the full-time training position?”

“Not at all.  Gwaine will do an excellent job and he needs to be home for his little family.  It’s best for all involved.  Besides, I would much rather be with you.  I couldn’t handle having you out there on a fire and me stuck at base.”

“Well, I have come to a decision.”

“Yeah?”

“Whenever the day comes that you are ready to walk away from this life, I will step away as well.”

“Merlin, I cannot expect you to do that.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the job and it is everything I wanted, but you and the kids are more important.  If I need to give it up for us I will in a heartbeat.”

“Well, I have no plans to retire any time soon.  So, we don’t have to think about that yet.”

“Good,” Merlin grinned.

“Shall we go back to the house and get ice cream?”

“Yes, let’s go in.”

 

“The kids asleep?” Merlin asked as Arthur came downstairs.

“Yep, out like a light,” Arthur grinned then settled on the sofa next to Merlin.  “Are you tired?”

“A bit.”

Arthur pressed him back against the pillows crawling on top of him.  “Do you have any idea how absolutely beautiful you are?”

“Hmm, I do believe you are a tad biased,” Merlin said, welcoming Arthur’s lips against his, parting them for his insistent tongue.  “You should really look in the mirror my incredibly hot husband.”

“I am so completely addicted to you, Merlin.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“Do you think Freya really said that to Jonah?”

“I have no doubt.  Freya was a special person and Jonah has always been able to sense her, to hear her.  Even when he was first learning to talk I would hear him babbling away and he would say mama.  Clear as day.  So yes, I believe.  I told you magic exists in many forms.”

“Forms like you and your inner sense…funny feelings.”

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

“I really love magic,” Arthur said then kissed him, “I really love you.”

“Show me,” Merlin whispered huskily.

Arthur kissed him deeply, his hands roaming all over his body, rucking up his T-shirt, fingers tracing every inch of exposed skin.  Merlin moaned as lips, teeth, and tongue followed the trail his fingers blazed.  Arthur smiled looking into his eyes then kissed a path along that long slender throat and traced the line of his collarbone.

“Mine,” Arthur said, his voice deep and thick with desire.

“Yours always,” Merlin panted letting his head drift back giving him more access.

Arthur pulled Merlin’s shirt over his head then unfastened his jeans dragging them down with his boxer briefs before swallowing down his hard length drawing sounds of pure bliss from his lips as he writhed beneath him.

“Ar—Arthur, God…” his breath stuttered, “You’re mouth…”

Increasing the suction and pace, Arthur took all of him into the back of his throat, hollowing out his cheeks as he did so, and Merlin had to bite his bottom lip to keep from crying out in pleasure and waking the household.  Arthur then drew back and produced a bottle of lube from the front pocket of his jeans.  He opened it, coating his fingers as Merlin spread his thighs.

“I plan on showing you every single day for the rest of our lives how much I love you,” Arthur said, kissing him tenderly as his fingers worked him open.

“Ah, Arthur…please, I need you…” Merlin gasped and reached for Arthur’s belt.

“Patience, baby,” Arthur whispered against his lips.

“Baby?” Merlin asked with a cheesy grin.

“You love it.”

“Mmm, yes…God, Arthur…I do…”

“Ready, baby?”

“Yes…yes…now, please.”

“Is this what you want?” Arthur asked then brought Merlin’s left leg up against his shoulder rocking his hips into him, his hard cock still confined in his jeans.

“Arthur!” Merlin panted writhing beneath him, desperate to get Arthur to stop teasing and fuck him.  “I’m going to come apart at the seams if you don’t get on with it,” he huffed a laugh.

“Oh, we can’t have that,” Arthur grinned then finally unfastened his belt and jeans pushing them down just enough to free his hard, throbbing cock.  He pressed the head into Merlin, and he whimpered, his hands gripping the cushions of the sofa.  “Beautiful,” Arthur breathed out as he pushed into him in one hard thrust.

“Ah, yes, like that…just like that,” Merlin laughed breathlessly.

They moved together in perfect sync, rocking, thrusting, and moaning until they both came apart spilling their seed and kissing as if each were the oxygen the other needed to breathe.  Their hearts beating together as if they were truly one.

“That was…” Merlin gasped, his chest heaving, skin glistening with beads of sweat.

“Guess I showed you,” Arthur chuckled.

“Oh, you definitely did…wow…”

“Mine…”

“Yours…”

“We should probably go upstairs,” Arthur kissed him.

“In a bit,” Merlin said wrapping himself around Arthur as he pulled the blanket over them both and tucked his face into the crook of his husband’s neck kissing the soft skin there.  “It will always be like this for us, right.”

“Absolutely.”

“Good,” he said, then looked up at Arthur, his blue eyes glistening with tears.

“Hey, hey,” Arthur said softly, cupping his cheek, “What’s wrong?”

“It just hit me how fragile life is.”

“Yes, it is, but we are strong, and we will face whatever it throws at us.”

“We have an amazing family,” Merlin smiled.

“That we do,” Arthur kissed him.  “Come on, let’s go upstairs and get some sleep.  The kids will be up early.”

“Okay,” Merlin said then sat up retrieving his clothes then wrapped the blanket around him, and climbed the stairs while Arthur shut off the lights and locked up the house.  He paused to look out the window toward the lake and smiled as he heard a soft feminine voice in his mind.

Love them for me, Arthur…

“I will, Freya…I will…” he said, then headed upstairs.

Chapter 13: Worst Fears Realized

Arthur was just leaving the NIFC Campus in Boise, and getting into his rental car when his phone rang.  It was Merlin.  He smiled and then answered it.

“Hey, what’s up, miss me already?” he asked.

“Always,” Merlin smiled, “Hey, just wanted you to know we are on our way to a fire.  It’s over the border in the Oregon mountains.  Not sure when we will be back.”

Arthur’s chest tightened.  “Send me the coordinates, your dad is waiting for me at the airfield.  I can borrow some gear and meet you there.”

“I’ll text them to you, but Arthur you’re not on duty remember?  You don’t have to worry, the team can handle this.”

“It’s not the team I am worried about, Merlin.”

“I know but remember what I told you…I have a job to do, and you have to let me do it.  Just get your arse home and I will see you when I get back.”

“All right, fine…but you will be careful.  I love you.”

“Love you too.  Bye, Arthur, we are boarding the plane now.”

The call ended and Arthur felt a heaviness settle over him.  This would be the first fire Merlin would be out there fighting without him.  He’d known this day would come, that it would be difficult, but the feeling of dread was overwhelming.  Was this what Merlin’s inner sense felt like?

Starting the car, he drove to the airfield where Balinor was waiting to fly him back to McCall.  Everything in him wanted to head for Oregon, but Merlin was right.  He had a job to do, and Arthur had to let him go.  He knew his husband was perfectly capable and the team would watch his back.

Balinor met him as Arthur walked toward the plane.  “I take it you heard…Merlin called you?”

“Yes, he did,” Arthur nodded.

“They will be fine…he will be fine,” Balinor said, placing a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.

“I want to go to Oregon, but Merlin told me to go home.”

“Then that is what you should do.”

Arthur let out a breath, “All right…let’s go.  I guess I need to let him do what I trained him to do and trust that he will come home safe and sound.”

Balinor smiled, “That’s right, now come on.”

They boarded the small plane and within twenty minutes they were in the air and on their way home. 

 

“Merlin, good to see you again.  It has been a while.”

Merlin embraced his old friend and then turned to his team.  “This is Will Farmer, we worked together as Hotshots.  Will, this is part of my team…Mordred, Mithian, Kara, and the others are unloading the gear.  What do we got, Will?”

“Lightning touched off two separate fires here and here,” he pointed at the map.  They have merged and are spreading down this narrow canyon.  It’s treacherous terrain, steep and rocky, dense forest, not a lot of open space for you guys to drop in on.”

“We need to get up in the air and have a look,” Mordred said.

“All right, let’s go,” Mithian said.  They followed her out, boarding the jump plane which was fully fueled and ready to take off.  They were in the air and flying over the fire within fifteen minutes.  “This is going to be a bitch,” Mithian said.

Merlin studied the area and the terrain, his gut echoing Mithian’s sentiments.  “All right, Mordred,” he said then looked at the topographical map.  Will leaned over as well and pointed to a tiny flat spot in between two creeks.  Merlin nodded, “That’s where we are going to aim for.  Are we ready?”

“Ready,” everyone nodded.

Will, as their spotter, dropped streamers to test the wind direction and speed.  “This is as good as it is going to get.  Winds are fairly calm for now, but there is bad weather heading this way late tonight that could cause winds to increase and possibly more lightning.”

“All right, let’s do this,” Merlin said then stepped to the open door preparing to jump.  As soon as Will gave him the signal, he was out of the plane and pulling his chute.  Mordred followed, then the others, one by one.  The wind, thankfully, took him right where he needed to go.  He landed on the bank of the creek on the west side of the clearing then scrambled to gather his chute and get out of the way.  Mordred landed with a grunt on a patch of grass on the far side.  Everyone managed to land safely and got out of their jump gear.  Their supplies were dropped on the next pass.  They quickly grabbed what they needed and headed for the fire.  They had only a few hours before darkness fell and the bad weather would move in.

“Mordred, this way,” Merlin motioned.  He had his Pulaski and Mordred a shovel and they set to work creating a fire line while Mithian and Kara started a back burn.  The rest of the team set to work clearing brush and digging another fire line further up the rim.  Merlin knew their only chance was to try and keep the fire down in the canyon where it would hopefully run out of fuel and burn itself out.  They needed to keep it from coming over the rim.  The ground was beyond rough, the soft dirt and rocks would crumble and slide, falling over the edge.

The heat was tolerable for the moment, but the smoke was blowing right up into their faces.  It was difficult to see and breathe and it made every step even more dangerous.  The wind was already picking up, the flames were being pushed up the canyon.

“Mordred!” Kara yelled.  She started to slide down as the ground beneath her feet gave way.  Merlin didn’t hesitate, he lunged forward landing hard on his side, arm outstretched.  Kara caught hold of his wrist and he pulled her back up.  She threw her arms around his neck, shaking violently.

“I’ve got you,” Merlin said, “Are you hurt?”

“No,” she shook her head, “Thank you, Merlin.”

Merlin looked up at Mordred as he dropped to his knees next to them and hugged Kara.  “Are you all right?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Take her back to the drop point and get her some water,” Merlin said.

“Come on, Kara,” he said helping her to her feet, “I’ll be back as soon as I take care of her.”

Merlin smiled and nodded then got back to work.  Mithian moved closer to him, taking Mordred’s place.  They worked diligently, digging and cutting brush away from the rim of the canyon.  Mordred returned, picking up his discarded shovel and getting back to work while Kara was being looked after by the team’s medic.

“Is she okay?” Mithian asked.

“Yeah, scraped up a bit, but she will be okay.  Thank you, Merlin.”

“No problem,” Merlin grinned then moved down the rim a bit, treading carefully over tree roots and sharp rocks.  He made it to a flat spot where he dug a fire line then backburned between it and the rim.  It was two hours before they made any headway.  The sun was going down and the winds were picking up.  He started to make his way back toward the others when he heard a strange rumble followed by a rushing sound.  Suddenly flames shot up, reaching high into the sky above the rim.  Burning embers flew all around Merlin, catching the vegetation behind him on fire, and quickly cutting him off from the others.

“Merlin!” Mithian screamed.  She saw him turn to face her and a moment later he was gone.  “Merlin, no!”

Mordred tried to get through the wall of flames, but it was impossible.  He could see the spot where Merlin had been working and he was no longer there.  “Merlin!” he yelled then got on the radio calling for help.  “Firefighter down…repeat firefighter down!  Will, we need help up here Merlin…Merlin is…he’s gone.”

 

Arthur was flipping through channels, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong.  When the phone rang he grabbed it and swiped the screen.

“Pendragon…”

“Arthur, this is Will Farmer, you need to come…you and Balinor.  Merlin is missing.”

“Fuck,” Arthur said, “On my way.  Call me if you hear anything.”

“I will.  Hurry.  Search and Rescue made their way up the canyon, but they can’t find him.”

“I’ll be there,” Arthur said then hung up the phone.  He started to call Balinor’s number, but the phone rang first, it was him.

“I’m five minutes from the airfield.  I’ll have the plane ready.”

“Be there as quick as I can,” Arthur choked, fighting to keep his emotions under control.  He hung up the call and got dressed.  He opened Charlotte’s bedroom door startling her.

“Daddy?”

“Charlotte, I need you to get Jonah and go to the main house.  I have to go.  Merlin…” he said struggling to not panic her, “Something has happened.  They said Merlin is missing.  I need to go.”

“Daddy…” she started to tear up.  He hugged her. 

“Charlotte, I need you to be strong for Jonah.  Get him to the main house.  Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, yes, I will…go, Daddy…find Dad.”

“I love you, baby girl,” Arthur said then turned, running out the door before he completely shattered.  He got into the Gladiator, started the engine, and tore out of there.  Hearing the ruckus, Uther came out of the main house just as Charlotte and Jonah ran toward him.  He scooped Jonah up in his arms carrying him inside.

“Grandpa,” Jonah cried.

“Shh, everything will be okay,” Uther said.  Balinor had called him to let him know what had happened.  He knew he needed to try and keep the kids as calm as possible.

“Papa,” Jonah sobbed into his neck, his little body trembling. 

Annis came into the room and took Charlotte’s hand, leading her into the kitchen while Uther rocked the boy gently.  “Don’t you worry, Jonah, Arthur will find your Papa and bring him home.”

“Mama,” Jonah wailed, “Mama, help find Papa!”

Uther cupped the back of his head, his heart breaking for the child who he loved so much.  All the mistakes he had made with Arthur, the cold man he’d once been…he had changed and the little one in his arms was partly responsible for that change.  All he wanted was to give him comfort and reassure him that his father would come home safe and sound.

“Jonah, can I tell you a story?” Uther asked, smiling gently when the boy nodded ever so slightly.  “When Arthur was your age, maybe a bit older, he was always going on these adventures in the woods.  He loved being outdoors and he loved animals.  He had a dog that he named Killy.  He found Killy as a puppy, and found him in the woods stuck in a deep mud hole after a bad rainstorm.  Arthur broke off branches and used pieces of firewood from a nearby campground.  He laid them out carefully on top of the mud then crawled out on his little makeshift bridge saving that puppy.  Those two were inseparable after that.”

“He saved Killy…” Jonah said softly.

“Yes, and he will save your Papa.  Arthur never gives up.”

“Do you have a picture of Killy?”

Uther reached over to open the drawer on the end table and pulled out a photo album.  “Let’s look in here, shall we?”  He smiled as Jonah shifted in his arms and turned to look at the photos as Uther slowly turned the pages.  Jonah pointed to one, his eyes going wide.

“That’s my Papa!” he exclaimed.  It was a photo of Arthur and Merlin when they were teenagers with a beautiful blue-eyed Husky.  “Is that Killy?”

“Yes, it is.  I remember that day.  Arthur and your Papa and a bunch of other boys were down at the lake swimming.  Killy loved Merlin for some reason.  That dog would always run to him whenever he was around.  Arthur used to pretend he was annoyed that his dog had a strange bond with Merlin.”

“So did he,” Jonah smiled, and Uther nodded.

“Yes, and that bond will always be there.”

“Daddy will find Papa.”

“Yes, he will,” Uther kissed his cheek.

“Is there more pictures of Papa?” Jonah asked then turned the next page.

 

“Will!” Arthur called out as he and Balinor ran toward the group of search and rescue personnel and firefighters.  “Anything yet?” he asked, and Will shook his head.

“Mordred is on the radio,” Will said handing it to Arthur.

“Mordred, it’s Arthur…I’m here at camp with Will.  What the hell happened?”

“Arthur, thank God,” Mordred’s voice sounded breathless and panicked, “Merlin was there one minute…the fire blew up and he was just gone.  We can’t see a damn thing, it is too smoky, and the fire is out of control.  Arthur, we can’t find him.”

“Merlin is fine!” Arthur said firmly, “Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you,” Mordred choked from both the smoke and emotions, “Merlin is a bloody genius.  He will find a way out of this, just like always.”

“That’s right, now tell me exactly what happened,” Arthur said, fighting his own panic.  Everything in him said that Merlin was alive.  He refused to believe otherwise.  He listened and looked at the map Will had.  He pointed to the spot where the team was and pinpointed the area where Merlin had vanished.  “All right, Mordred keep doing what you can from above.  I’m going to gear up and make my way into the canyon on foot.”

“I’m going with you,” Balinor said.

“Me too,” Will nodded, “I got him into this, I will help you get him out.”

“Did you catch that, Mordred?”

“Yes.  We will make our way along the canyon rim.”

“Just be careful,” Arthur said.

“You too,” Mordred said.

Will motioned toward the tent.  “Everything we need is in there.  Let’s do this.”

Arthur ducked through the tent opening.  They grabbed gear and packs, putting them on, then grabbed radios and flashlights.  He was trying so hard to separate his emotions and focus, but all he could think was Merlin…his Merlin was up that canyon somewhere hurt…trapped…lost…but not dead.  He was alive and they would find him.  Arthur would not stop looking until he had Merlin back in his arms, safe and sound.

“Let’s move,” he said then he and Balinor headed out with Will right behind them.  They followed the trail that would bring them into the canyon from below.  They had a good three miles before they would even be in the area where Merlin was last seen.  “I’m coming, Merlin,” Arthur said, “Just hold on.”

The fire was shooting up into the air, trees were snapping and popping, swaying in the high winds that were roaring down between the canyon walls.  Arthur moved to the right, trying to find a way through.  They worked with their tools digging dirt, cutting back vegetation, and plowing their way through burning brush.  He wanted badly to just run blindly into the middle of the inferno, but he would be of no use to Merlin if he got himself injured or killed and Jonah would be left alone if neither of them returned from this.

“Arthur, we need to head up that way,” Balinor pointed toward a trail that would take them away from the main canyon then eventually it would wind around and back down a bit further up.  “We can’t get through that, Arthur.”

“I know, fuck,” Arthur said running a hand over his mouth then nodded, “Let’s go.”

 

Merlin struggled to force his eyes open, blinking slowly.  All he could see was bright orange and he felt hot and cold at the same time.  He lifted his head to look around trying to remember where he was and how he got there.

“Ow,” he groaned.  Lying awkwardly across a large flat rock with his pack twisted around, the straps cutting off his circulation.  “Shit…fuck…damn…” he swore, trying to move, to shift his weight so he could free himself from his pack and reach his radio, but his right leg was pinned beneath the debris that had followed him down.  Rocks, dirt, and a burning tree branch had him trapped.  His leg was likely broken, but he couldn’t feel anything.  His left leg was free, but he couldn’t get any leverage to move.

His paramedic brain kicked in and he began to assess his injuries.  He was clearly in shock.  He let out a sharp breath and then sat upright as much as possible.  He managed to get one strap undone then another and finally his pack fell free.  He found the radio, but it was smashed from the impact of his fall.

“That’s not good,” he muttered then looked up.  He could see nothing but fire above the rim.  It was a miracle he’d landed where he did.  He was wedged in a narrow crevasse.  Burning embers drifted down toward him, but there was a natural spring trickling down from a gap in the canyon wall and flowing beneath him which is where the cold was coming from.  “Think, Merlin, think…”

He went through his pack.  Finding his fire shelter, he pulled it out, placing it next to him, ready to deploy it if needed.  He found his cell phone which had miraculously survived the fall, but there was no signal, not even one bar.  He put it back in his bag and took out a bottle of water and a package of beef jerky.  He needed to stay hydrated.  There was no doubt that help would come.  He just hoped they would reach him before the fire did.  The fire shelter would protect him, but he would have a hard time keeping it in place while not being able to free his leg.  Closing his eyes, he tried to focus, to feel anything, but his head was pounding.  He reached a hand up to touch the back of his head and it came away wet with blood.

“Definitely not good,” he frowned and winced.

He had no idea how long he’d been down there.  How long he had been unconscious?  Where was his team?  Surely they were searching for him.  But then they wouldn’t be able to see him from above and the fire…he was royally fucked.

“Arthur…” he choked out, “Jonah…Charlotte…I love you all so much.”  Tilting his head back, scrubbing his hand over his face, he felt tears on his cheeks.  “I’m sorry…” he gasped.  Anguish and longing crushed his chest as he realized he wasn’t getting out of this.  No one could get to him in time, even if they knew where he was.  The fire was coming closer and closer.  “I love you…” he whispered then laid back on the rock with his jacket beneath his head.  It felt like it was splitting in two.  Flames were catching the grass just a few feet away.  He reached for his fire shelter opening it up and just as he went to pull it down over him he heard her.

Merlin, my love, don’t give up…don’t give in.  Arthur is coming.  Hold on, my darling.

Merlin pushed the shelter down and looked around.  “Freya?”

Hold on, Merlin…Arthur will come.  You will be okay.  Just don’t let go yet.  Jonah needs you.

“Freya!”

I’m here, Merlin…I will protect you.

Merlin looked again and a familiar figure moved toward him through the flames.  His beautiful wife was smiling at him, her arms spread wide.  Suddenly, he could no longer feel the heat.  It was like a pocket of cool air wrapped around him, even the sound of the fire was dampened.

“Freya,” he smiled, “You’re beautiful.”

Merlin…just a little longer.

“Arthur doesn’t know where I am…no one does.”

Arthur just has to reach for the bond you two share, and he will find you.  Have faith.

“Are you real?  Are you here?”

I have always been with you, my love, and I will never leave you or Jonah.

Merlin’s eyes drifted closed, he felt safe and protected by Freya.  Arthur would come.  He would find him before it was too late.

“Arthur…” he said as he longed to give in to sleep.

Merlin, you must stay awake…stay with me…hold on.  You need to stay awake.

“I’m so tired…”

I know, my darling, but you have to stay alert…stay awake.  You know that…rely on your training.

“You’re right,” Merlin nodded forcing himself upright again, “Need to stay awake.  Please don’t leave me, Freya.  I don’t want to die alone.”

You’re not going to die.  It is not your time.

“You can’t know that…not for certain.”

I know Arthur loves you and he will not give up.  You must not give up either, Merlin.

“Jonah…Charlotte…” Merlin breathed out tilting his head back as he looked up.  The flames and smoke seemed to part for just a moment and the stars came out.  He could see it…Freya’s star.  She really was there with him.  “Freya…”

I’m here…

“Freya…I don’t think I can…”

Merlin, you will be all right, I promise, my love.  Just hold on a little longer.  Arthur is coming.

 

Arthur reached the fork in the trail and headed back down into the canyon.  He knew that’s where he would find Merlin.  Balinor followed him and Will stopped to radio Mordred and the team who were coming down the trail toward them. 

“Merlin!” Arthur yelled, choking as the smoke and heat hit him.  “Merlin…please, Merlin!”

“Can’t see anything,” Balinor said, his voice tense with worry and fear for his son.

“I’m not going back up, he’s down in the canyon, I know it,” Arthur said.  He then pulled a blanket from his pack and soaked it in the creek.  “I’m going through, Balinor.  Go back up the trail.”

“I’m not letting you go alone,” Balinor said then took off his pack and his jacket.  After soaking the jacket in the creek, he put his pack back on and the jacket over his head.  Arthur draped the blanket over himself, took a deep breath then ran over the burning ground, through the inferno until he reached the black, still smoking earth.  He stopped and turned to wait as Balinor came through the flames and reached his side. 

“Are you all right?” Arthur asked.

“I’m good, I think we are through the worst of it…for now.”

“Come on,” Arthur nodded then they picked their way along the trail stomping out spot fires and beating down flames with the wet blanket and throwing dirt on them with a shovel.  They reached some sort of forest service road and stopped.  He looked at the map, pointing out the road and tracing it back to where Merlin was last seen on the ridge.  He motioned to his right.  “This way,” he said and Balinor followed.  “Merlin!” Arthur yelled.

“Merlin!” Balinor shouted, moving toward the bridge that spanned the creek and had been miraculously spared by the fire.

Arthur crouched down, crossing his hands over the back of his neck, fighting tears.  Merlin had to be alive…he had to find him. 

“Please, I need help,” he choked out, and as if in answer he saw movement in the still-smoldering trees.  A figure appeared, shimmering like water, and he recognized her from the photos.  “Freya…”  She wore a flowing pale blue dress.  Around her neck was a silver and blue necklace that seemed to glow with an inner light.

“What?” Balinor asked, then looked at Arthur.

“It’s Freya!” Arthur huffed a relieved laugh, “Merlin’s alive, he has to be.”

Balinor looked in the direction Arthur was heading, and he saw her too.  “Thank God,” he smiled then followed.

“Freya!” Arthur called out when he lost sight of her.

This way, Arthur…Merlin is this way.

Arthur spotted the silver fire shelter wedged in a crevasse and nearly wept, running down the trail, praying with every step.  “Merlin!”

 

Merlin lay beneath the fire shelter shivering.  He was wet from the spring running beneath him, and now that the fire had passed him by it was getting colder.  “Death by burning, to death by hypothermia,” he said, his teeth chattering.  “Freya, are you still here?” he asked, but there was no response and he wanted to cry.  Maybe she was never there at all, it was just his mind playing tricks on him.  She was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.  “Fuck…” he said then gave in, letting sleep overtake him just as he heard a voice in the distance.

“Merlin!”

“Ar—Arthur,” he said softly, not believing his own ears until he heard it again, closer.

“Merlin!” Arthur shouted as he reached the rocky slope and started to climb up to the crevasse.

“Arthur?” Merlin sat up uncovering himself just as Arthur reached him.  “Arthur, how did you find me?”

“Freya,” Arthur grinned then kissed him, “She led me to you.”

Merlin smiled, “So, that’s where she went.  She was here with me, Arthur.  She protected me from the flames.  I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t have to,” Arthur carefully embraced him then pulled the fire shelter away to assess the situation.  His right leg was pinned under debris from the cliff above.  “Fuck, Merlin…”

“Yeah, I fucked up royally.”  Balinor reached them and Merlin looked up.  “Dad!”

“Are you all right, son?”

“Been better,” Merlin grinned.

“Let’s see what we can do to get you out of this,” Arthur said then grabbed his radio.  “Arthur to Will or Mordred, do you read me?”

“Go for Mordred,” his voice came over the radio.

“We found him…we have Merlin, he is alive.  We need help down here though.  His leg is trapped, and he is in shock and borderline hypothermic.  We are in a crevasse just south of where you last spotted him.  He took one hell of a fall, and it looks like half the cliff came down with him.”

“Thank God,” Mordred said, relief in his voice.  “Arthur and Balinor found Merlin…he’s alive but they need help.  Will, we need an evac.  Arthur, can we get a chopper down there?”

“If you have a damn good pilot yes, but it won’t be easy.  Visibility is nil from the smoke and the heat from the flames.”

Balinor took the radio from Arthur.  “Will, if you can get a chopper to land on the forest service road, we are not far away from it.  Mordred, do you have rappelling gear?”

“Yes, Sir,” Mordred said.

“Okay, here’s what we are going to do…”

 

Mordred and Mithian came down the cliff lowering themselves into the crevasse from above and between the four of them they managed to clear the debris and free Merlin’s leg.  It was badly bruised and bleeding but thankfully did not appear to be broken as far as they could tell.  Balinor used the medical kit Mithian brought down with her to clean the open wounds and stabilize the leg just in case it was broken, then they waited for the helicopter.

“I can hear it,” Balinor said then he headed for the forest service road with two handheld signal flares.  He’d always kept a couple in his pack for this very purpose.  With them he guided the chopper to the widest and safest spot to land on the road, then he led the medics back to Merlin.  “He’s my son, he’s badly injured.”

“We’ll take care of him, Balinor, thank you for the guidance,” the pilot said as the three men worked to get Merlin onto the rescue stretcher and then carried him back to the helicopter.

“I have to go,” Arthur told Mordred and Mithian.

“Go,” Mithian smiled, “We will take care of things from here.”

“Balinor?” Arthur asked.

“You go, my son needs you, not me.  I will work my way back with the team and see you at the hospital as soon as I can.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, go…” Balinor hugged Arthur, “You found him.”

“I had help,” Arthur smiled, nodding toward the shimmering figure at the edge of the woods.  “Thank you, Freya,” he said then he took off running for the chopper, hearing her words in his mind with every step.

Of course, Arthur…I will always be near.  I will love them forever, as will you.

Merlin raised his head to look for Arthur as he climbed into the helicopter and took hold of his hand.  He was given a headset which he put on so he could talk to Merlin who was already wearing one.  “Did you hear her?” Merlin asked.

“I did,” Arthur smiled, “Magic does exist…magic and miracles.”

“I told you so,” Merlin chuckled wincing a bit.  Now that the cold was wearing off, he could feel all the pain from what felt like a few cracked or broken ribs, his head felt heavy, and his leg was throbbing.  “Ow…fuck…”

“Yes, you told me so, now try to be still.  I love you.”

“Love you too,” Merlin said as the helicopter lifted off the ground.  The smoke had cleared to some extent, and the pilot had little difficulty getting them up out of the canyon and on their way to the nearest hospital.

“I was so afraid…” Arthur said.

“I thought I was going to die, I almost gave up hope, but Freya came to me.  She told me you were coming, that you would find me.  That I just needed to hold on.”

“Merlin…” Arthur lowered his head, fighting tears.

“I’m okay.”

“I could have lost you.”

“You didn’t…you found me.”

“I would go to the ends of the earth for you, Merlin.”

“Me too,” Merlin smiled, reaching up to touch Arthur’s face.

Arthur turned his head, kissing his palm then smiled.  “You do realize that I’m never letting you go out on a fire without me again, right.”

Merlin laughed, “Okay…I don’t think I want to anyway.”

 

“Mr. Pendragon?”

“Yes,” Arthur said as he stood up.  He had been waiting outside the ER for two hours while Merlin was being examined and put through a battery of tests.

“You can go into the room with your husband now, the doctor will be in shortly to speak with you both,” the nurse smiled.

“Is it good or bad news?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, I do not know, but the doctor will fill you in,” she patted his arm.

Arthur let out a breath, he didn’t like the sound of that.  What if Merlin’s injuries were more serious than they thought?  What if his head injury was worse or if his leg was actually fractured?  “Only one way to find out, Pendragon,” he said then walked through the door into the corridor.  He saw Merlin through the glass door and entered quietly.  His eyes were closed.  “Merlin, are you awake?”

Merlin opened his eyes and looked at him then grinned.  “Hey, gorgeous man…you’re really hot…who are you?  Are you my nurse?  If you are, I could really use a sponge bath.”

“Very funny,” Arthur chuckled and kissed him.

“Mmm, whoever you are, you can definitely do that again.”

“They gave you drugs?”

“Oh, yes, the good stuff.  For a second there were two of you and I thought I’d hit the jackpot.”

“You couldn’t handle two of me, Merlin.”

“Yeah, but it would certainly be fun trying,” Merlin winked.

“I called the kids and let them know that you were safe.  They want to video chat with you when you are feeling up to it.”

“Maybe tomorrow when I’m not high as a kite.”

“Did the doctor tell you anything?”

“Nope, he just said he would be in to talk to me…to us, in a bit.”

“How do you feel, besides high as a kite?”

“I’m alive.  Happy to be out of there in one piece.  It was touch and go there for a while.  I don’t know how Freya did it, but she protected me from the flames.  It’s crazy, I know.”

“I believe you.  I saw her with my own eyes and so did your father.”

“I wonder if we will ever see her again.”

“I am sure you will, Merlin…you and Jonah were everything to her.  She will always be around, watching over you both…loving you from beyond the veil.”

“Merlin…Arthur,” the doctor said as he walked into the room and shook Arthur’s hand.  “I am Dr. Sydney Green.  We have run tests on Merlin, he is suffering from some smoke inhalation, he has a concussion, his ribs are bruised, but thankfully not fractured.  Amazingly, there were no broken bones, though there is a lot of muscle and tissue damage to the right leg.  You will need rest and possibly some physical therapy if it isn’t getting any better in the next six weeks or so.  You will definitely not be jumping out of any planes for the rest of the fire season.”

“Lucky the fire season is almost done for the year,” Merlin said.  “But I will be good to go next spring, Doc?”

“I don’t see any reason why not.  As long as you follow my advice and don’t do anything to aggravate the injuries.”

“That’s good,” Arthur said.  “I’ll make sure he does what he is told.”

“I’m certain you will.  Merlin, I will say, you were very lucky.  A fall like you suffered could have easily been fatal.  You must have had a guardian angel.”

“I did, Doc, but I don’t think you would believe me if I told you.”

“You would be surprised what I believe, Merlin.  If you say you had a guardian angel there with you, then I believe it.”

Merlin looked at Arthur and smiled, “It was my wife who died a little over six years ago when our son was born.  She was there with me, and she helped Arthur find me.”

“Well, thank God for her because if you had been out there in the elements all night, I’m not sure you could have made it through.  I need to go speak with another patient.  I will see you tomorrow and we will discuss getting you out of here.”

“Thank you, Doc,” Merlin nodded.

“You’re welcome.  Good night to you both.  Arthur if you want to spend the night I can have a rollaway bed brought in.”

“My father-in-law will be here shortly, he already got us rooms at the hotel across the street, but thank you for the offer.”

“Good, I will see you in the morning.”

“Thank you, Dr. Green,” Arthur said then shook his hand.  He turned to Merlin after the doctor left and smiled.  “Unless you would rather I stay here.”

“No, it’s fine.  You should sleep in a bed.  I am really drowsy anyway.”

“There are my boys,” Balinor said as he walked into the room.

“Hey, Dad,” Merlin smiled.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m good.  I think I will let Arthur fill you in on what the doctor said.  I wanna sleep now, love you both,” Merlin said.  Balinor bent over to kiss his forehead.

“Love you, get some rest we will see you in the morning,” he smiled then walked to the door to wait for Arthur.

“Are you sure you want me to go?  I could stay and watch you sleep.”

“You need to eat and get some rest too.  You’re exhausted.  Both of you.  Go and I will see you in the morning.”

“All right,” Arthur smiled then kissed him, “I love you.  Good night.”

“Night,” Merlin said then yawned and closed his eyes.

Balinor and Arthur walked out of the room.  They stopped at the nurses’ station to make sure they had both their phone numbers in case something happened during the night then they left the hospital and walked across the street to the hotel.

“I got us connecting rooms we can leave the doors open in case the hospital calls or something,” Balinor said.

“Good idea.”

“How are you, Arthur?”

“I’m okay.  Just glad he is safe and on the road to recovery.  I couldn’t bear to lose him, and the kids…” his voice trailed off as he shook his head.

“I know.  Hunith was so distraught.  She wanted to fly over, but I told her we would be flying home as soon as the doctor releases him.  She was already on her way to McCall.  She will be at your parents’ house when we get there.”

“I hope she wasn’t too upset with you.”

“No, she’s used to it.  Being married to me for nearly thirty years,” he huffed a laugh.

“Well, Annis thinks the world of Hunith so she will be delighted to have her there.”

“I have to say, your father sure has changed from the man I knew years ago.”

Arthur chuckled, “My father has changed from the man I knew months ago.”

“Funny how that happens.”

“You haven’t changed a bit.”

“No, I’m afraid I am set in my ways.”

They walked into the lobby of the hotel and headed for the elevator.  Balinor handed Arthur his key and they went up to the third floor.  They unlocked their doors and then opened the connecting ones.  Arthur sat on the bed and let out a breath.

“Shall I order us a pizza or something?” he asked.

“Yeah, go ahead.  I’m going to take a shower.”

“Any pizza specifications?”

“Just no anchovies…I hate anchovies…and no pineapple for God’s sake.”

“Pineapple on pizza is sacrilege,” Arthur grinned.

“Tell that to my wife.”

“No, no, your wife is nearly as frightening as my sister.  I think I will keep my mouth shut.”

“Wise man,” Balinor chuckled then went into his bathroom and closed the door.

Arthur picked up his phone and opened the app to order pizza and drinks then turned on the TV.  His phone rang a few minutes later.  He swiped the screen and answered without looking at it.

“Pendragon.”

“Arthur, how’s Merlin?”

“He’s good considering.  A head injury, bruised ribs, and some muscle and tissue damage to his right leg.  The doctor said a fall like that could have easily been fatal and that if we hadn’t found him when we did, he would have succumbed to the elements if left out there all night.”

“I am glad he is safe.  There’s someone here who wants to speak to you.”

“Okay,” Arthur said.

“Daddy…you found Papa?” Jonah’s voice came over the line.

“Yes, your Papa is safe, Jonah.  We will be flying home as soon as he is released from the hospital, and he won’t be working anymore for the rest of the fire season.  He will be able to stay home with you and Charlotte.”

“That’s good, but he will miss it.”

“I know, little man, but everything will be okay.  Papa has some injuries, but we will take care of him and make sure he is ready for next season.”

“Okay.”

“Are you okay, Jonah?”

“Thank you for keeping your promise.  You said you would find him.  I asked Mama to help you.”

Arthur smiled, tears shining in his eyes.  “And she did, my boy…she did.”

“I knew she would.”

“It’s late, sweet boy, time for you to get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” Arthur asked him.

Jonah giggled, “A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!”

“That’s right.  And so does your Papa.  Get some sleep we will call as soon as the doctor releases him and let you know when we will be landing in McCall.”

“Is Grandpa there too?”

“Yes, he is in the shower.”

“Okay, tell him I love him too.  Night, Daddy.”

“Night, Jonah...”

“I’ll be upstairs to tuck you in in a bit,” Uther said then held the phone to his ear.  “Are you all right, son?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Arthur, I should have asked you that first thing.  You must have been so worried and terrified for Merlin.”

“It’s okay, father…I appreciate it.  I was for sure.”

“You will let me know if you need anything.  I will cover Merlin’s medical bills, it there is anything his insurance doesn’t cover just let me know.”

“I think we will be okay, but thank you.”

“All right, I have a grandson to tuck in and read to, so I will say good night.  I love you, son.”

“Love you too, good night,” Arthur smiled then ended the call.  He still couldn’t get used to this new and improved version of his father.  He was getting quite used to this Uther version 2.0 and hoped it was here to stay.

Twenty minutes later the pizza arrived.  He and Balinor ate and watched a ridiculous movie until they could no longer focus on it then went to bed.  As soon as Arthur’s head hit the pillow he was wide awake, his mind going over everything again.  His chest ached with how close he had come to losing his Merlin.  The thought brought tears to his eyes, and he sat up to find Balinor standing in the doorway between their rooms.

“I know, Arthur,” he said with a slight nod, “Try to sleep, son, Merlin is going to need you and you need to be rested.”

“If only I hadn’t gone to that fucking conference, I would have been there with him.”

Balinor shook his head, “No, Arthur…let it go.  You did your job and Merlin did his.  You of all people should know that bad shit happens and there isn’t a fucking thing you could have done to stop it.  Had you been there, and Merlin had fallen you would have been in the same situation as Mordred and the rest of the team, instead of being down where we were, which allowed us to get to him faster.  So, just stop beating yourself up over something that was out of your control.  Get some sleep, son.”

“You’re right,” Arthur nodded, “Thank you.”

Balinor gave him a slight smile.  “Now if you can just convince me…”

Arthur huffed and chuckled, “Yeah.”

“Good night, son.”

“Night, Dad,” Arthur said, and the older man winked then went back into his own room.  Arthur got up to go into the bathroom.  He washed his face and looked at his bleary-eyed reflection in the mirror then went back to his bed.  Crawling beneath the covers he bunched up the pillows beneath his head and closed his eyes.  “Good night, Merlin…I love you,” he whispered.

 

“Good morning,” Arthur whispered as he walked into Merlin’s room and approached his bedside.  It was just after dawn, he hadn’t been able to sleep more than an hour or so at a time, so he had finally given up trying, got dressed, and walked back to the hospital.  Balinor’s talk had helped ease his guilt, but it was still there lingering just beneath the surface.

Merlin stirred, opening his eyes slowly, and grinned.  “You look like shit?”

“Last night you said I was gorgeous and hot and now I look like shit?” Arthur asked with a grin.

“Mmm, I was under the influence of painkillers then…” Merlin smirked.

“Are you hurting, do you need more pain meds?  I will get the nurse.”

“No, no, I’m okay…it’s not so bad.”

Arthur kissed him tenderly, “I just couldn’t sleep without you…knowing you were here all alone.”

“You need to take care of yourself, Arthur.  I’m going to be out of commission for a while.  Besides, I was hardly alone…the nurses kept waking me every two hours for vitals and to ask my pain level.”

“Knowing you, you’ll be back to a hundred percent in no time.  I believe that.”

Merlin closed his eyes and shook his head.  “I really fucked up, didn’t I?”

“No, Merlin, you did your job and shit happened.  It was not your fault.  Mordred and Mithian told me everything.  They said you were amazing out there.  You saved Kara’s life.”

“Are they all okay?  I think I remember Mordred and Mithian being there last night…everything is kind of fuzzy at the moment.”

Arthur suddenly appeared worried, taking hold of his hand.  “Merlin, are you having difficulty remembering?  Or is it just the pain meds?  It could be your head injury.”

“I remember you and Dad there…and seeing Freya.  Everything else is a little blurred.”

“You need to tell the doctor when he comes in.”

“I will…Arthur…I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“I don’t know…just still feel like I messed up.”

“You didn’t.  You stuck by your team, you controlled the situation.  You did nothing that I would not have done myself.  I’m sorry I wasn’t there for all of you.  I should have been there.”

“You weren’t even supposed to be on duty.  You were at the conference in Boise.”

“I shouldn’t have gone to the stupid conference.  I should have sent Gwaine,” Arthur said, his voice breaking.  “God, Merlin, if I had lost you…”

“I’m here…you found me.”

“I will always find you.  I was supposed to protect you.”

Merlin pulled Arthur down for a hug, tears sliding down his face.  “Arthur…” he choked.

“Easy, I don’t want to hurt you.  Your ribs.”

“Don’t care, just hold me, please,” Merlin whispered, and Arthur gave in, wrapping his arms around him carefully.

“I’ve got you.”

“Sorry, it just hit me,” Merlin huffed a laugh, tangling his fingers in Arthur's shirt.

“I know…I know,” Arthur kissed his forehead.

“Can we go home?”

“As soon as the doctor releases you, we are out of here.  Your dad is working on getting us a flight.  Calling in favors.”

Merlin smiled, “Dad is owed a lot of favors.  He always taught me the value of having people indebted to you, when the day comes that you need help.”

“Smart man.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too.  Better now?”

“Yeah,” Merlin smiled then settled back on the pillow.  “Could really go for some bacon and coffee though.”

“I will get you all the bacon you can eat and all the coffee you can drink just as soon as we get out of here.  We just need to make sure you are okay first.”

Arthur’s phone went off with a video call alert.  He swiped the screen and opened it smiling when he was greeted by the faces of Jonah and Charlotte.  “You two are up early,” he grinned.

“Morning, Daddy…is Papa okay?” Jonah asked.

“I’ll let you ask him,” Arthur said then looked questioningly at Merlin who nodded and reached for the phone.

“Hey, there’s my boy,” Merlin said, his blue eyes glistening with tears, “I’m okay.  I miss you.”

“Miss you too, Papa.  I love you.  I was so scared.”

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Merlin said then noticed that Charlotte was in tears and trying to speak.

“Dad…” she sobbed, “You’re…you are hurt.”

“Charlotte, angel girl, I am a bit beat up, but I am going to be fine.  I promise.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.  I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too, so much.  Grandma Hunith is here.  She wants to talk to you too.”  Hunith put her arms around both kids and looked at the screen.

“There’s my handsome son, how are you feeling?” Hunith asked.

“I’m alive and I am on the mend I swear.  Arthur found me.”

“Thank God for that.”

“Mama helped him find you,” Jonah said, “I called out to her to help, and she did.”

“Yes, she did, son.  Thank you.”

Hunith put her hands on the kids’ shoulders.  “You two go eat your breakfast now before it gets cold.  I want to talk to my sons.”  They threw kisses at Merlin

“Love you, Papa,” Jonah said then they headed to the table.

“Are you really okay?” Hunith asked, keeping her voice low.

“I am, Mom.  I’m safe.  No broken bones.”

“That’s good news.  I talked to your Dad, he told me what happened.  You must have been so scared.”

“I was.  I didn’t think I was going to make it out of there.”

“Freya really helped Arthur find you?”

“Not just that, she was there, Mom.  I saw her.  She somehow protected me from the flames.  I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t have to.  Freya loved you so much.”

“I know she did.”

“Well, I am going to let you go so you can rest.  I will be here when you get home.  I have closed the Lazy Lantern for the next two months so I can help you recover.”

“Mom, you shouldn’t have done that.  How will you make a living now that Dad has retired?”

“Don’t you worry about that.  Your old parents have earned a break.  And I need to be here for my sons and my grandkids.  That’s what is important.”

“Hunith,” Arthur said, “The renovations are completed on our new place.  If you and the kids want to go there, Annis has the keys to the house.”

“I know she gave them to me.  We are going to head over there this afternoon to get everything ready for when you return.  I will stock the kitchen, make the beds, and do a good deep cleaning.  Your father has someone handling the landscaping.  Everything will be ready when you get home.”

“Mom…” Merlin shook his head.

“Merlin, I want to so let me.”

“All right, thank you.  But make sure the kids help out.”

“You get some rest and heal.  Let me know what the doctor says.”

“I will call you as soon as we know anything,” Arthur smiled.

“Love you, my beautiful boys.”

“Love you too,” they both said in unison.

“Talk to you later.  Bye.”

“Bye,” Merlin grinned then ended the call.

“Better now?” Arthur asked and he nodded.

“Much…we have quite a family, huh.”

“Yes, we do.”

“Good morning, Merlin,” the nurse said as she came into the room, “Let’s check your vitals and see how you’re doing.  Dr. Green will be in soon, he had a surgery early this morning.”

Arthur moved to the window and texted Balinor to let him know the doctor would be there soon.  His response was almost immediate.

I have transportation to the airport and a flight arranged.  We just have to call when we are ready to go.  Ten minutes away from the hospital see you in a bit.

“Merlin, your blood pressure is slightly low, and your temperature is a bit high.  I’m going to call Dr. Green.  Be right back, honey.”

“Thank you, Maddie,” Merlin smiled then turned to look at Arthur.  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, your dad is on his way here.  He’s got us transportation and a flight to McCall on standby as soon as we are ready to go.”

“Where is the team?”

“They are still fighting the fire.  It’s about sixty percent contained.  Mordred said you are not to worry about them, they have it handled.  You’re to get healed up and get your ass back to work in the spring.”

“That sounds like good advice,” Maddie said as she walked into the room with Dr. Green in tow. 

“Merlin,” the doctor said, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, but I really want to go home…no offense.”

“None taken,” Dr. Green chuckled.  “Maddie tells me your blood pressure is a bit low and you have a slight fever.  I’m going to adjust your meds.  I don’t believe there is a risk of infection, but your body went through trauma, and it could use a little help.  If all goes well, I think I can let you go tomorrow.  Let’s take a look at your leg and your head injury.”

Balinor stepped in the door and motioned to Arthur.  “I’ll be right back,” Arthur said then stepped out into the hallway with him.  “What’s up?”

“A bunch of firefighters just returned to their base here.  Will sent this for me to give to Merlin.  He found it on the ground near where Merlin fell and figured it belonged to him.”  Balinor handed Arthur the necklace.  It was delicate, a shimmering blue stone set in a silver oval.  The chain was also silver.  “Do you recognize it?”

Arthur nodded slowly, his lips parting in a smile, eyes shining with tears.  “This is Freya’s.  She was wearing it last night.  She really was there…not just her ghost.”

“So, it would seem.”

“Magic is real,” Arthur said with a short laugh.  “Come on let’s go back in and see what the doctor says about his injuries.”  Turning to go into the room with Balinor, Arthur walked over to the bed and took hold of Merlin’s hand placing the necklace in his palm.  Merlin stared at it, his eyes going wide as his gaze lifted to Arthur’s who nodded. 

“She really was there.”

“She was,” he smiled.

“I mean, I felt her…but I thought it was just her energy…her spirit.”

“Freya would do anything for Jonah and for you.”

Dr. Green finished the examination of Merlin’s wounds.  “Merlin, the damage to your leg, you are very lucky you did not break it.  I think we can let you go home tomorrow.  I will have you fit with a padded brace just to protect it and keep you from injuring it further.  You will need to use crutches at first, at least for a few weeks.  I have contacted a colleague in Boise.  They will help you with your recovery and work together with your regular doctor in McCall.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Merlin grinned.

“You’re welcome.  Arthur, Balinor, I should have his paperwork and discharge documents ready before noon tomorrow barring any further complications.”

“Thank you, Dr. Green,” Balinor nodded then shook the man’s hand, “For taking such good care of my boy.”

“You’re welcome.  He’s a tough young man with a mountain of courage and a guardian angel.  I will see you all a bit later.  I want to check in on him again this afternoon then I will be in tomorrow morning for a final assessment then we can get you all on the road home.”  He turned to Maddie and handed her Merlin’s charts giving her a nod.  “Keep a close eye on his blood pressure and temp.  Keep me posted if anything changes.”

“Yes, doctor,” she smiled.

“Any chance I could get some bacon and coffee?” Merlin asked batting his long eyelashes making her giggle.

“Anything you want, my love,” Maddie said with a wink and handed him the menu then leaned closer.  “Anything you want on that menu.”

“Which does not include bacon or coffee,” he frowned.

“Sorry, no,” Maddie smiled.

“Just when I was thinking of leaving my husband for you,” he huffed.

“Excuse me?” Arthur asked raising an eyebrow.

“I’m only kidding, Arthur…just sweetening her up to get the bacon and coffee.”

“Not happening,” Maddie shook her head, “No matter how much you flirt with me.”

Balinor chuckled as she left the room, “Amazing, a woman who is immune to your charms, son.”

“Good thing,” Arthur muttered lowering his head.  Merlin reached out to take hold of his arm, pulling him closer.

“Arthur…” he said softly, “You know you are everything to me, right.”

Arthur let out a breath and nodded, “Sorry, old wounds left behind by Sophia.”

“God, I am so sorry…I didn’t think.” Merlin shook his head.  “I would never leave you for anyone.  You know that…I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.  I know you were joking.  Just yeah.”

“I love you,” Merlin reached up to touch his neck.

“Love you too,” Arthur said then nodded toward the necklace.  “Freya left that behind for you, it must have meant a lot to her…to both of you.”

“I gave it to her on our wedding day,” Merlin smiled, “I bought it for her in an antique shop.  She loved old things.  She used to stare at something and try to sense its history.   She was convinced that this necklace was enchanted, that it had called out to me in that shop, and she was so happy that I bought it for her.  She wore it on every special occasion.  She was wearing it when she went into labor with Jonah.  When she died, I buried her in her favorite blue dress and this necklace was around her neck.”

Arthur smiled, “The blue dress she was wearing.”

Merlin nodded.  “She was really there with me.”

“Yes, she was…there can be no doubt now.”

Merlin placed the necklace in Arthur’s open palm.  “Will you keep this for me?  Keep it safe.”

“I will,” he nodded.

“I think Charlotte should have it,” Merlin said.

“Charlotte would love it, but shouldn’t it go to Jonah?”

“No, Freya would want it to go to my daughter…Charlotte is my daughter.”

Arthur smiled putting the necklace in the zipper pocket of his jacket.  “I’ll hold onto it, you can give it to her yourself.”

“Good,” Merlin smiled.

Balinor sat down in a chair by the window.  “Merlin, you should order something to eat.”

“Yeah, okay…I want bacon and coffee,” he pouted.

“As soon as we get you out of here I’ll get you bacon and coffee,” Arthur laughed.

“Promise?”

“I promise.  And I never break a promise.”

 

Two days later, following a few complications with his injuries, Dr. Green finally released Merlin from the hospital.  After an early morning flight, he was exhausted as they pulled up in front of their log home in Balinor’s truck.  Merlin opened the door, hopping out with his leg wrapped in a protective brace.  He reached into the bed of the truck to grab his crutches while Arthur and his father grabbed their things.

“Damn, it is so good to be home,” Merlin grinned, looking at their beautiful home.

Charlotte and Jonah came running out the front door with Hunith close behind.  “You’re home!” Charlotte squealed as she and Jonah ran straight for Merlin.  Jonah carefully wrapped his arms around his Papa.  Merlin bent over to kiss the top of his head.

“Papa,” he choked back a sob looking his father over, noting all the bandages and bruises, “You’re hurt real bad, huh.”

“It looks worse than it is, little man,” Merlin grinned, “I’m okay.  I just need a little rest and time to heal.  He reached an arm out to Charlotte, bringing her into the hug.  “I missed you both so much.  I love you.”

“You kids, give your dad a little room, please.  He needs to use the crutches for a few weeks at least,” Balinor said.

“Sorry, Dad,” Charlotte said then helped him position the crutches properly, “We will take good care of you.  Grandma is here too.”

“I’m so glad to be home,” Merlin kissed her blonde hair.  He moved forward toward the front door of their new house, glad that the renovations were complete, and they would be able to just relax and enjoy it with their family.  “Mom,” he grinned as Hunith hugged his neck and kissed his cheek.

“You look like you went three rounds with a grizzly bear, my boy.”

“That might have been easier,” Merlin chuckled.

“Come on inside, I have lunch ready then you are going to get a shower and go right to bed.  I’m going to be here to take care of you.  Arthur has already invited your father and me to stay in the guest suite as long as we need to, so there will always be someone here with you and the kids even when Arthur has to go to work.”

“Are you certain that is what you want, Mom?”

“Yes, it is.  I have put the Lazy Lantern up for sale.  I already have three offers for it that I am looking at.  My family comes first always.”

“But you love that place.”

“And I love you, Arthur, and my beautiful grandchildren more.  I am not changing my mind.”

“All right,” Merlin hugged her tightly, “I love you.”

“Let’s go inside, and get you settled.”

Arthur was just coming back outside, “Do you need some help up the steps?”

“I’ve got it,” Merlin kissed him.

“This is our first home together, I was rather hoping to be allowed to carry you over the threshold,” he smiled.

“Then by all means,” Merlin grinned not expecting Arthur to actually do it.  Arthur took his crutches, handing them over to Balinor.  He then picked him up and carried him up the steps and through the front door.  Leaving the kids and grandparents laughing hysterically in their wake.

 

Epilogue

“All right, I am not your friend, I am your instructor.  By the end of these six weeks, you will either love me or hate me,” Merlin grinned as he looked over the new team of Smokejumper recruits.  “That is if you even last that long.  Take the next thirty minutes to grab water, stretch, and warm up then you are going to run the trail all the way to the finish line and show me what you’ve got.  Be ready to go…you have twenty-eight minutes and thirty-two seconds.”

“I hear the new instructor is a pain in the arse.”

Merlin turned around and raised an eyebrow.  “Well, I did learn from the best,” he winked.

Arthur laughed, “Are you regretting this decision yet?”

“No, not at all,” he shook his head, “I mean, I get to work with my hot boss every day.”

“That is definitely a fringe benefit,” Arthur pulled him close and kissed him as the rookies whistled and whooped.

“Everyone is watching us.”

“Let them,” Arthur said, kissing him again then he looked at the recruits and smirked, “They are just jealous.”

“I think you’re right,” Merlin smiled.

Arthur finally released him.  “Give ‘em hell.”

“You got it.”

“Good, I’ve got to get back to work.  Gwaine and Morgana will be here soon.”

Merlin watched him go back inside the building and blushed as the rookies chuckled.  “Keep that up and you will be running the trail twice,” he smirked, and they instantly went back to what they were supposed to be doing.”

When he was in their shoes so long ago he never imagined that he would be on this side of the clipboard and holding the stopwatch.  The smokejumper training base was now family-operated, for the most part.  Balinor was head of the pilot training, Arthur was in charge of the day-to-day operations, and Merlin and Gwaine handled the training.  Morgana now did Isolde’s job.  Mordred and Kara were married and still jumping fires.  Mithian had married Percival two years ago, and they were expecting twins in July.

Merlin would always miss jumping fires, but after one too many leg injuries, he just couldn’t do it anymore.  This was best for him and his family.  Charlotte was fourteen, Jonah would turn twelve in July.  They were thriving, and both of them would graduate high school early.  Charlotte was already taking college courses online.  She was set on going into forestry and land management.  Jonah was planning to become a smokejumper, but Merlin secretly hoped that he would change his mind.  Not that he regretted his own decision to become one, he would never regret it.  He just didn’t think he could handle the thought of Jonah out there doing such a dangerous job when he was smart enough to be anything he wanted to be.

Hunith and Balinor were living with Arthur, Merlin, and the kids full-time now.  Hunith had opened The Smokejumper Bar and Grill in McCall, and it was a huge success.  After losing Tristan to a massive heart attack, Isolde went to work with her there.  She could not bear to continue working at the jump base without her husband.  Hunith had taken her under her wing and helped her get back on her feet after his death.

“Merlin,” Gwaine said as he walked out of the building, “Are we ready?”

“Are we ready, Rookies?”

“Yes!” they all shouted.

“Good, line up now, let’s see how many are still on their feet at the end,” Gwaine said, “Merlin, would you do the honors?”

“I would be happy to,” Merlin grinned then blew the whistle.  The rookies took off running.

“What do you think of this bunch?” Gwaine asked.

“We shall see.  They have promise.”

“Yes, they do,” Arthur said as he wrapped his arms around Merlin from behind.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“I’m working…” he grinned, “Extremely hard.”

“You two are adorable,” Morgana said, slipping her arm around Gwaine.

“Yes, yes, we are,” Merlin smiled then turned to kiss his husband, “I love you Arthur Pendragon.”

“I love you, Merlin Pendragon.”          

Chapter 14: Forest Fire by A-ha

Forest Fire by A-ha

Goes around
Comes around
It doesn't really matter, yeah
Something wrong
A false alarm
Doesn't ring that true

Watch it flare up
Where do we begin?

We are flames in the forest fire
Dancing from within
That's where we begin
And we take you far and wide
And like always
Leave a silver lining scar

The stores in town
Are closing down
And everything's in ruin, yeah
Borderline
Just turn around
Out of every ditch, a path

Watch it flare up
Time to reign it in
So let's begin

We are flames in the forest fire
Rising from within
That's where we begin
And we fuel desire
And like always
Leave a silver lining scar

Now we flare up
Now we can begin

We are flames in the forest fire
Rising from within
That's where we begin
And we fuel desire
And like always
Leave a silver lining scar
Leave a silver lining scar

Songwriters: Paul Waaktaar-savoy, Morten Harket, Peter Kvint, Magne (mags) Furuholmen, Martin Jonas Ola Terefe. For non-commercial use only.