Post Season 5. Arthur is given a second chance at life in an alternate universe, in which he learns from his mistakes and tries to 'set things right'. Little does he know that Merlin from his old universe has coincidentally travelled to this dimension, and his faulty cognizance of past sticky situations may lead to disastrous consequences…

DISCLAIMER: Nahhh not mine yet.

A/N: Written purely for fun. The ending for Season five was somewhat depressing, so writing this helped lighten my spirits somewhat =). It's been sitting on my laptop on ages… so I thought I'd simply share the idea. Have fun!

Chapter 1

He cracked open his eyelids by a margin, wincing as bright light immediately attacked his eyes viciously with pitch-forks similar to those held by the guards at the Lake of Avalon. Upon reflex he squeezed them shut, but still it burned red against his skin, and he felt warmth build up and finally seep out from the corners of his eyes.

Someone must have been watching him sleep – the thought was not at all reassuring – for the moment he turned for his back to face the offending light, there was a loud clatter and someone, a vaguely familiar voice called out "Sire!" in an almost overjoyed, ecstatic manner. It was as if the King had officiated rules to lift all forms of taxes from the land. He groaned and tried to fold his pillow over his face while simultaneously lying on it.

"Sire! You're awake sire!" the voice cried again.

…and every household was entitled to receiving a carat of gold in gratitude for their loyalty towards the Pendragons' reign over the years.

There was an excited whoop of delight, a clatter, then silence. Arthur groaned and pulled his pillow over his head fully to muffle out the noises – and the horrid light. He didn't want to wake up yet… couldn't Merlin just leave it for today? And why was there no irritatingly cheery 'rise and shine' or an apple hurled in his direction? Where was Guinevere?

He stirred slightly, his befuddled brain jumping through scenes and pictures to focus on recent events, before he suddenly sat bolt upright with an icy feeling in his gut.

It had worked. It had actually worked! All those manure about not fulfilling his destiny and Albion, of meeting the Lady of the Lake, of second chances, of being shoved into a whirlpool to supposedly bring him to another universe… it had all happened. Frankly he had expected to end up at the bottom of the lake tasting mud, but now… he was lying in his Chambers, and morning sunlight was pouring through the open windows.

Not the King's Chambers, he noted with a sudden wrench of his heart – which meant he was still a prince in this universe, and that Uther – his father was still alive. His breath jarred in his throat went he remembered the faded ghost of Uther. Back in his mind he could still remember the burning rage in his father's icy tone, 'A servant as a queen; commoners knighted!' You have failed me - …

Footsteps were steadily approaching as he sat leaning heavily against the headboard, caught in a turmoil of thoughts. Hopefully it would be Merlin (finally) arriving to serve him his morning meal.

" – it is not possible – " he heard a voice say and someone with a head full of white hair and wizened features came into view. Gaius.

He blinked at the physician, barely withholding the smile that threatened to break out on his face – he'd thought he would never see the man again!

Caught up in his own emotions, he never realized that Gaius, too, had stilled, staring at him agape in shock.

"Sire," the physician began slowly, and crossed the room in quick strides to reach his bed. He pressed his hand against his forehead and pulse, before frowning deeply, but there was something else dancing behind the physician's narrowed eyes. "You are well," he said, in some kind of reverence.

Beneath the blankets Arthur's hand sub-consciously jumped to the stab-wound by Mordred what felt like ages ago, but it no longer hurt – it hadn't ever since the Lady of the Lake had healed him. All that was left was an old scar close to his heart.

Why shouldn't he be well? Where was he standing in the timeline? He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a fever – he had always been strong… then it hit him. The Questing Beast! He had been struck by a severe sickness then, hadn't he? That would certainly explain things.

Confident with his deduction, he smiled at the physician. "Of course I would be Gaius," he said, "and as soon as I am fully recovered I shall ride out to fight the beast."

Immediately Gaius' expression changed, the joy dimming slightly to be replaced with suspicion. Arthur however did not notice anything wrong. "…and to fight the Questing Beast I would require energy," he continued. "Now where is that toad of my servant, and why hasn't he served me breakfast?!"

There was a pause when Gaius turned around slowly and exchanged glances with a terrified looking boy hovering at the edge of Arthur's bed. When Arthur's narrowed eyes landed on him, he gave a shocked squeak which sounded like an apology and fled, presumably to the kitchens for breakfast. Arthur gave the foot of his bed a questioning glance, frowning, before looking up to meet Gaius' equally bewildered gaze.

"What was that about?" he asked.

Gaius shook his head slowly, eyes on him. "I have no idea Sire."

As he slowly followed the events for the rest of the day, Arthur was forced to come to the conclusion that Merlin was not his servant, and was in fact nowhere to be found in Camelot. (Needless to say, the Questing Beast was nowhere in the equation). He didn't dare ask nor mention his former manservant's name though, afraid that Merlin's arrival at Camelot had yet to pass; but the combination of fear to hope blindly and not knowing if Merlin would show up at all made him feel oddly miserable.

He had imagined another chance at life to be great, that he would repair all the flaws and mistakes he'd made the first time round and their lives would be perfect. Yet he'd failed to consider how he wouldn't be able to tell a soul about his real identity, which made him feel detached and separated from the outside world. For all he looked and sounded like Prince Arthur, he wasn't. Back in his world he had ruled as a King for a few years, made crucial decisions, forged alliances and led his men through bloody battles… he wasn't the young spoilt future monarch everyone expected to see anymore. Even his appearance had not changed; he looked older, and the scars that littered his back and chest from all his adventures the first time round were still there, worn proudly on his skin. For that he was grateful, though he hoped it wouldn't raise questions against him in the future.

All in all, it was lonely in Camelot. There was only Leon and Gaius with him, Guinevere was probably still Morgana's servant – he hadn't seen her at all – and the rest of the Knights of the Round Table were of course scattered far and wide outside his kingdom, where they wouldn't meet for several years.

As if things weren't already bad enough, Arthur had been restricted to bed for further 'rest and recuperation' for the rest of the day. Seeing as his supposed fever apparently had been fatal, he did not dare argue even if he was bursting with energy, and lying uselessly in his chambers made him antsy and irritable.

"Arthur, can I come in?" a soft voice sounded on the other side of the door.

Upon hearing the agonizingly familiar voice, he shot out of his chair on pure instinct and tried to control his wavering voice.

"Sure," he said, his voice cracking slightly out of disuse and something else even at the monosyllable.

Morgana appeared at the doorway. He could tell it was her even if he tried not to look at his sister, long ebony hair and light eyes, lips pulled into a concerned frown. He pretended to turn around and walk towards his bed, where he lay down face-first in a childish attempt to avoid looking at Morgana altogether. It was stupid, and he couldn't possibly put this off forever, but he just wasn't ready for this. He was afraid that he would slip-up, that Morgana would read his thoughts and emotions more than anyone else would, that she would be suspicious. Or perhaps he was afraid that this time round he would only find similarities between his sister and the powerful High Priestess that had sought to destroy him and Camelot, dark bitter and bent with revenge. Smiles and sweetness coating her hard edges and second intentions. Waiting and lurking for the chance to stab him in the back.

"…Arthur are you alright? You don't look good, should I call Gaius?" he could hear her worried tone as she approached his bed.

I will be the moment you leave! A part of his mind screamed. "Just dizzy," he replied instead, his voice muffled by the pillows. "Don't bother. Why did you come?"

It wasn't very courteous of him to lie face planted in his mattress leaving a lady hovering by his sickbed, but he considered it acceptable for today's sake – he was supposed to be suffering from a grievous ailment anyway. And he was certain Morgana wouldn't complain.

"The King intends to throw a banquet in celebration of your miraculous recovery," she began, even though her tone still suggested concern. "But of course, that would only be after you have recovered sufficiently…"

A banquet? Wow, he really must have been very sick, he thought. It was as if he had been on the verge of dying; he remembered Uther and Morgana rushing in to his Chambers when he was having a very awkward breakfast with Gaius and his apparent-servant scrutinizing him, as if expecting him to keel over any moment. Their overjoyed and disbelieving yet relieved expressions had alarmed him more than he let on though.

"…I was going to ask you if there were any particular entertainers we should invite," she said, "but obviously that can wait until you're stronger – "

Entertainer?

It was as if lightning had struck down on his head and dropped the final missing piece straight on the gap in the puzzle.

"Lady Helen!" Arthur shouted, springing up from his bed with such vigour that Morgana stepped back and crashed into the chair behind her. She stared at him, completely taken aback at his sudden change. Immediately he felt his smile freeze in place.

Over-enthusiastic! His mind chided him. You're supposed to be recovering from a fever that nearly claimed your life last night!

"Arthur?" she asked hesitantly.

His limbs locked, not daring to move – which was highly inconvenient seeing as his arm was half-supporting his weight in a very awkward position. "Just… saying," he said, rather lamely.

"Are you quite alright?" Morgana said, her voice slightly sharper than before, her frown growing pronounced. "Perhaps I should get – "

"I just got… excited!" Arthur defended himself. "I mean it's opera – and she's famous. Who wouldn't be thrilled?" he said. The muscles holding onto the smile on his face were taut and struggling. 'Me, for instance,' his mind supplied unhelpfully.

She tried for a smile, but it was evident that she was growing slightly alarmed at his demeanor. "Right, I'll be sure to add Lady Helen to the list," she said with a tight smile. "Get some rest, Arthur."

"Thanks Morgana," he said, taking refuge back under his pillow. It was second-best to a deep dark hole where he could hide and die.

Her features softened visibly at the last bit, even if he wasn't too busy feigning exhaustion to notice. "I'm really glad you're recovering Arthur," she said, before leaving.

Arthur lay awake, face-planted in cotton, mind racing. His heart was thumping so fast at the sudden revelation that he almost couldn't hear the sound of Morgana's footsteps drawing further away from his chambers. When he at last deemed it was safe enough to do so, he straightened and jumped down from his bed, almost giddy with excitement.

The sooner Lady Helen arrived, the sooner Merlin would, he reasoned. He'd first saw Merlin days before Lady Helen's arrival – which meant Merlin might be arriving anytime soon!

Unconsciously he began to pace up and down the length of his room, brows furrowed deep in thought. The first time they had met, Merlin had been defending another servant; the memory of that particular moving target practice was still etched clearly in his mind. What day had it been? For the life of him he couldn't remember, which made him feel irritated and uneasy. What if he missed the chance? What if Merlin wandered by, and he wasn't in the battlements – and the chance for them to meet was gone forever? He couldn't let it slip by!

With that his resolve hardened; starting tomorrow he would be waiting at his training grounds. If he waited for a week, he was absolutely certain that his lanky no-good servant would turn up.

Then another thought struck him – what was he supposed to do there? If he went on with practice like he usually did, odds were nothing interesting would happen, and – what if Merlin didn't bother to stop by and reprimand him? What if Merlin just walked past him? He couldn't well approach a commoner in front of the other knights could he? And even Arthur did approach Merlin, what would he do?

Perhaps he would get Merlin to carry the target board. The boy was sure to refuse, and he could say something like 'I am the King, Merlin, you do what I tell you to'.

Except that it wouldn't work, because he wasn't the King.

He stopped by his chair and rapped his knuckles against the desk in frustration. What to do?

Then another thought struck him. Better yet, he could change Merlin's first impression of him! Perhaps he could impress Merlin enough for the boy to stop and watch him defeat an opponent in an honorable sword-fight.

Nah, Merlin wouldn't care less about fights, no matter how impressive they actually were. And besides it wouldn't give him an opportunity to talk to Merlin, unless Merlin singled him out to congratulate him… in which the moon would sooner turn bright green and fall from the sky like a ball of cheese.

Whatever, he would be sure to come out with something when the time came. Besides, they were bound to meet some time – how many times had he been lectured on the 'two sides of the same coin' prophecy-destiny thing?

With that thought in mind, Arthur grabbed his coat and made to exit his chambers. If he couldn't do any sort of physical training yet, perhaps his father would allow him to go on a ride.

For the rest of the week, Arthur had stubbornly insisted he was well, and started skulking around the training fields.

Gaius had expressly forbidden him to wield a sword or engage in any form of fight, so he was left feeling very much out of his own element as he stood by the sides and watched his knights compete to prove their best. It was better than idling around his chambers anyway, he felt horribly restless whenever he was faced with the sheer nothingness and lack of activities his day provided him. Morgana's frequent visits didn't help much, though he was getting better at replying whatever she said while looking at her – sideways – in the eye. She might have suspected something, but on the whole she kept quiet about it and didn't voice her thoughts.

On the fifth day of his return to life, Arthur began his training routine once more; nothing too rigorous (even though inwardly he was simply itching for a bloody fight) because Gaius and Morgana would have his head if he did. Speaking of which, he suspected they were having many discussions about him, but he decidedly ignored them on the whole.

Still Merlin didn't appear for one whole week of his efforts, and by the second Monday he was growing agitated and cross. Why was he the one skulking the training fields in the hopes of catching his servant? It didn't make the least sense. He was acting disturbingly like a maiden trying to catch the eye of a knight, and the similarity in the comparison made him want to retch.

Even so he continued his routine, assuring himself that it was what he used to do anyway. Even if he never used to pay half as much attention to the passing peasants as much as he did now.

It wasn't until Thursday morning, when even the knights were beginning to note his sour mood, when he finally thought of something – as far as he knew, Mary Collins had yet to make an appearance. It struck him with the severity of a goblet whacked into the side of his head; how could he not have remembered that bit?He wasn't supporting an execution of another innocent's life, but without the death of Thomas Collins, there would be no impersonation of Lady Helen… the events right from when Merlin first stepped into Camelot would be altered. And what was the point of knowing the future if the past would just proceed to head in a completely different direction? That would be like riding a horse that refused to be controlled.

On impulse he whirled around to face his fellow knight – which happened to be Sir Leon. Excellent. He motioned for the man to step outside the training fields to the sides, where there were targets set up in preparation for their knife-throwing practice after lunch.

"Sire?" Leon enquired when they reached the edge of the field.

Arthur looked up. "Have there been any executions recently?" he asked, voice low.

Leon looked at him. If he was taken aback by the sudden question, he didn't show it. "The last one I believe was a few days before your recovery Sire," the knight replied, "he was executed for practising sorcery."

"He wouldn't happen to be a Thomas Collins would he?" Arthur said at once, almost not daring to hope.

"I think that is his name Sire," Leon said neutrally. Arthur could tell he was becoming more and more confused as to where this conversation was headed to, but was still withholding his questions.

"And his mother spoke out against my father's ways?" Arthur persisted, the bubble of excitement in him growing. "The guards failed to seize her? And she promised revenge?"

Leon's suspicion was bordering on alarm at the smile that was threatening to blossom over Arthur's features. "Yes sire," he said a tad warily.

Arthur's insides soared with triumph.

"Excellent," he exclaimed, before he caught himself. "I meant that sarcastically of course," he added hurriedly.

Leon gave a strained smile. "Of course sire."

Gaius would be having another visitor tonight.

A/N: Yep, it's purely humor/friendship. It won't be a retelling of the season though, there will be quite a few different decisions the characters will make. Hope you liked it! Tell me what you think? =)