AN: Well, this is it, my lovely readers. The final chapter. It took my a while to write it, and I finally realized why...I knew what I wanted to write (I've known it since I started the story), but I just didn't want to be done. Writing is one of my greatest pleasures, and I'm absolutely thrilled that some of you have come with me on this trip.Sandhopper, thanks for your comments! Chapter 19 is one of my favorites, and I cried while writing chapters 20 and 21 too...and this one!I have one favor to ask: I would love writing prompts. I don't get my email alerts from the fanfiction website for whatever reason, but if you write a comment with an idea, I'll try to honor it. I just don't feel like I'm done writing Merlin stuff.Muah! Love y'all!

CHAPTER 22: All's Well that Ends WellFive years later

Merlin stood on the upper bailey of the Citadel, looking over the city as it woke up. It was early enough that hardly anyone was in sight. His eyes weren't on the city, however, they were on the mountains in the distance. His staff leaned on the wall next him. He'd been putting a lot of work into it, and arcane symbols were now carved nearly halfway down its length. Leaning hard against his right hip was, oddly, a hell hound. Gwaine had showed up with it after one mission, saying only that it was a long story. The hound promptly transferred its affectation and undying loyalty to Merlin and the royal family, to Gwaine's annoyance. It was extremely protective, and had intimidated more than one important visitor. Over time, they had learned that hell hounds were drawn to the dragon lords and, though they were typically dangerous, would not harm Merlin or Gwaine. And, with effort, they could be taught not to set the curtains on fire every day. The hound pushed so hard Merlin had to brace himself against the wall. "Not so hard, Yanni," said Merlin, absently scratching its ears. Gwen had named it in honor of her brother Elyan once they discovered that he would steal food at every opportunity.

The thought brought a brief smile to Merlin's face, but he was still very distracted. He had a feeling, maybe a side effect of his visions, that Gwaine would be returning to Camelot that day, and Merlin had some news for him. He'd been on another of his trips to fetch a dragon egg and return it safely to the sanctuary at the Valley of the Dragon. It was a closely-guarded secret, but below the druid town was a place where the dragon eggs were cared for and protected. The white dragon, Aithusa, stayed with them, and watching over the eggs, curling around them every night. It seemed to bring him peace. He still did not speak, but he no longer cried in the night.

Merlin had wanted to go on this latest trip with Gwaine, but his duties had prevented it. Thoughts of the Fisher King and memories or dreams of the time before he'd changed time had haunted him lately, and he thought a trip might be help erase them, but it was not to be. He wouldn't miss the next trip, though. Gwaine was going to name a dragon, and at its hatching, would meet a woman who would change his life. Good luck to her, thought Merlin.

Thinking about the happiness that his Sight showed him in Gwaine's future was a nice diversion. In his dreams, Merlin mostly saw the future so long away, places he'd never heard of, so far away it hurt his mind to think of. He could get lost in all of the visions. He saw herds of centaurs roaming Siberia, a massive canyon in Arizona teeming with kobolds and hobgoblins, Nepal a hotbed of Sidhe, especially banshees, the largest river on earth home to giant, toothy fish called pirarucu, and cities larger than imagining with tall, tall buildings called skyscrapers with dragon aeries on top. And across the globe, countries and kingdoms would create groups of protectors based on Arthur's knights: bagatyres, Amazons, paladins, domovois, and more. Sometimes Merlin saw so many things his head throbbed. Yanni, always seeming to know when the visions were becoming too much, leaned even harder against his leg.

"Mer!" A high-pitched squeal broke the quiet, bringing a smile unbidden to Merlin's lips. Knowing he had only a second, he turned from wall and knelt, opening his arms wide. Two tiny figures bowled into him, and he wrapped them in his arms.

"Leila, get a message to the king and queen that the girls are here, and that I will watch them." The servant girl he'd seen nodded in relief. Gwen and Arthur's two year old twins had an excess of energy and were known to escape their watchers. Most likely, they had gotten into their parents' bed during the night, and then crept out quietly before the adults were awake. Anna, the more forward of the girls, switched her hug to Yanni, before begging to be lifted up to see out. Elaine stayed nestled in Merlin's arms, a soft, sweet weight, and he couldn't resist a little kiss on her head. Where Anna was wild and Thomas was clever, Elaine was quiet and loving, and probably his favorite.

Anna was dancing with impatience next to him, and Merlin said a short incantation, causing her to float up in the air high enough to see past over the low wall. Her giggles pealed out loud enough that several people nearby stopped what they were doing to look up and smile. It was a common enough sight that nobody was alarmed at the sight of a princess bobbing in the air. He turned with Elaine on his hip, knowing she was happier to stay in his arms.

"Is my daughter floating?" asked a mock-angry voice. Merlin twitched a finger, and the giggling girl floated to her father's arms. Gwen and little Thomas were with the king. They all knew why Merlin was up here. The king's fake scowl turned into a fond smile and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Stop being such a mother hen. Gwaine and Percival and Galahad will be back soon." The unusual trio had headed to the north when Gwaine got one of his overwhelming feelings that there was a dragon egg to be saved. Lionel couldn't go because of illness, so the other two volunteered to go along.

"I know...actually..." Merlin turned. He always knew when the seven were all in Camelot. "I think they're back." He and Arthur turned together to see the three riding in, definitely worse for the wear.

"That's still a little creepy," grinned Arthur. He changed the subject. "We need to improve the way we guard the Lake of Avalon." Although there was a patrol permanently stationed there, people still snuck through, and some of them reported seeing a beautiful woman in the water. Some saw a lady with green eyes who preyed on their fears and pain, and always turned them into enemies of Camelot. Others saw a lady with compassionate brown eyes who gave encouragement and hope. Merlin pictured Freya's face and wished he could see her face again, and Arthur noticed his friend's distraction. "You know what? Let's all have breakfast together. All of us."

"I'll meet them at Gaius' and let them and my mother know." Merlin handed Elaine over to her dad, who juggled the two wiggly toddlers with the ease of practice. Retrieving his staff and gesturing for Yanni to go with Arthur, he walked away, ruffling Thomas' head as he went. "Wanna come see Grandma Hunith, Tom?"

Gwaine, Galahad, and Percival beat Merlin to Gaius' and the physician was already cleaning a nasty-looking bite on Gwaine's arm. All three were scratched up and filthy and smelled like a bog. Merlin wrinkled his nose and began to fetch the supplies Gaius would need. Gilly and Enid, now married, were technically Gaius' assistants, but with Enid heavily pregnant, Gaius was hesitant to wake them.

"What did this?" Gaius was asking.

"Well, the egg was on a little tiny island in the middle of a swamp," explained Gwaine.

"A tussock, really," added Galahad, who was a stickler for precision.

Gwaine ignored him. "Percy and I went to swim for it – "

"You went in without any kind of plan, and I followed you when you were attacked," argued Percival.

"And it turns out there are these really ugly water horse things. Big teeth." Gwaine pulled his arm from Gaius' ministrations and mimed a big mouth full of teeth, making Thomas giggle. Gaius pulled his injured arm back down.

"Hold still." He resumed cleaning the wound. "Sounds like you encountered a kelpie. You were lucky to escape."

"Three of them. And it wasn't luck. It turns out they wanted to eat the egg but can't go on land, so they couldn't get it. They were so desperate to get it they agreed to let us live in exchange for getting it for them. Of course, they chewed on us a little first." He winced as Gaius spread a stinky paste on his arm.

"I know you didn't give them to egg," Merlin made it a question as he wiped off a cut on Percival's face. Gwaine protected the eggs above everything except the lives of his friends.

"Nah, Galahad here has a tongue as golden as his locks." Gwaine rubbed Galahad's head, aware that nothing irritated the young man more than having his head touched – unless it was referencing the poetry a would-be suitor had read loudly during knights' training. The even tempered knight scowled and ducked out of the way. He was the least scratched up.

"It's a good thing. You and Percival were half drowned when I convinced them to talk to me."

"And...?" Merlin loved hearing about Gwaine's quests almost as much as he enjoyed going on them.

"And, I convinced the, uh, kelpies that they had never tasted anything as delicious as an omelet, and they needed to allow the egg to get to shore so I could build a fire and make them one."

"And it turns out kelpies are terrified of fire," Percival grinned.

"Best of all, Galahad actually lied," Gwaine said it with relish.

"I did not!" Galahad sounded terribly offended. "I told them an omelet would be delicious, and that I couldn't make one without a fire. I never said that I would actually make one."

Merlin shook his head. He started to say something, but Thomas spoke up it his sweet, high-pitched voice. "What is an your bag, Gwaine?" The bag seemed to be wiggling.

"It's a much better present than the last one I brought." Gwaine was very proud. His last gift – daggers for the girls in honor of the second birthday – had not been well received. "It's for you and your sisters, and your parents will love it!"

All of the other adults in the room winced, but Thomas opened the bag and his eyes lit up as he pulled out... "A kitten?!"

"Wow, have you ever heard all of them talk at once like that, Tommy?" asked Gwaine.

Around an hour later, everyone was finally cleaned up and dressed and breakfast was served. Merlin was the last to arrive, and he stood in the doorway of the room where Uther had so often eaten alone. The long table was nearly full, and the room was filled with talk and laughter. Arthur sat at the head of the table. He was holding Gwen's hand and laughing at something she was saying. Anna was climbing Gwaine like a tree, which, honestly, was the knight's own fault, since he'd taught her to climb. Lionel was holding the tiny orange kitten Gwaine had brought back in his outstretched hands looking at it with utter confusion. Merlin guessed a child had handed it to him and he had no idea what to do with it.

Also seated was Hunith, who had Elaine on her lap. The girl was stealing from "grandma's" plate, but the woman looked indulgent rather than upset. Gaius was seated, too, and seemed to be moderating an argument between his assistants. Gilly and Enid argued no less than before they were married, and possibly more since Enid refused to slow down during her pregnancy. Though they were technically Gaius' assistants, the elder was doing less and less work. Percival was eating, and sneaking food to Yanni under the table.

"C'mon in, Mer," Thomas tugged at Merlin's hand. The boy showed empathy beyond his years, and never wanted anyone to be left out. Merlin took the sticky hand and let himself be drawn into the room. The seven were together again, and Albion was strong.

Arthur's head lifted and his eyes met Merlin's. "You good, then, Merlin?"

Merlin smiled. At least for now, the once future and the new future, the past, and what might be all disappeared and it was only the present. Merlin lifted his chin and walked into the room with Thomas in tow. "Yeah, Arthur. All good."