It's been a while, so hello. I've been working on this since before I even finished Heartlines.This is inspired in part by Gallifrey Records and the Merlin cast interview in which Katie called Colin a great singer. My imagination went a bit wild. I have no idea how a record label or tours works. I'm guessing at this stuff, and if anyone has corrections for me, I'll be glad to hear them.

AU - Morgana (22), pianist and lead vocalist for Along Avalon, has a bit of a reputation as a wild child. Her bandmate Nimueh (27) and sister/bandmate Morgause (26) are more responsible and put-together, but Morgana thinks as long as they make good music, no one should care what she does with her free time. They've released one album, but writing a sophomore album is proving to be difficult for Morgana. Their manager and Morgana's best friend, Gwen (24), thinks all she needs is to focus.

Merlin (24) is the drummer and lead vocalist of Last Dragonlord. Lancelot (26), Freya (23), Will (23), and Gwaine (25) round out the band. They've garnered a great deal of success, and are in the midst of writing and recording their third album at Camelot Records. Writer extraordinaire Merlin is suffering writers block for the upcoming album, and thinks everything he comes up with is actually crap-not that he'd confide his fears to his friends, or manager Arthur Pendragon (25).

Head of Camelot Records, Uther Pendragon (53), has the brilliant idea to send two of his most successful groups on tour together, much to the chargin of Morgana and Merlin, who despite having met a few times at events, don't quite know what to make of each other.

In this world, the Arthurian legends don't exist, but mythical figures with similar names do, just as a reference.

Trouble in paradise?

by Dolores Umber, Entertainment

Singer of girl group Along Avalon, Morgana Lefay, pictured above, has been seen around town without actor boyfriend Alvarr Mawr. She reportedly kicked out her boyfriend of one year, tossing his belongings out of the third floor of their flat due to allegations of cheating. A source close to Mawr claims that it is Lefay's heavy drinking that led to the end of their relationship.

As of yet, neither Lefay nor Mawr have commented on the rumours nor have their publicists issued statements.

Morgana scowled and tossed the newspaper aside. What a load of shit. They weren't a 'girl group'. The Spice Girls they most certainly were not. They were musicians and they played instruments and wrote their own songs, thank you very much. She looked at the picture they used, and at least she looked good. She'd give the paper that.

She chugged some lukewarm coffee and checked the time. Ugh. She should be heading to the studio right about now to record. She stood and finished the last of her coffee and carried the empty mug over to the kitchen sink. She made a sour face at the stack of plates and cups that had accumulated over the past few days and resolved to do it when she got back from work.

She kicked off her house slippers and put on sandals. It was early spring and she was going to enjoy the uncharacteristically warm weather. She shrugged on a jean jacket to go over her outfit of a too-large shirt and leggings. She took her handbag and slung it over her shoulder once she made sure her sunglasses were there.

It was lucky that no one seemed to recognise her when she was out and about. She supposed she looked like a regular person when not on stage.

She walked towards the tube station, all the better to blend in. Morgana always seemed to get lost in the crowd, thankfully.

She knew she was in for a lecture when she reached Camelot Records, though. The receptionist, the always pretty Vivian greeted her with a tense smile as she informed her that Morgause and Nimueh were already waiting in the recording studio.

Morgana thanked her and trudged up the stairs to the studio, past the plaques and awards lining the corridor. She wondered who'd get to chastise her first for her apparent misdeeds.

Morgause, a small, thin blonde, greeted her sister with a smile while Nimueh didn't even look up from her book.

"You're late," Nimueh said from her perch.

Her brown hair had been left long and straight, and her blue eyes were focused on the book she was reading.

"Gee, sorry mum," Morgana made a face at Nimueh, who hid a smile.

"Uther wants to meet with us," Morgause informed her, earning an eye-roll from her fellow band mates.

"Looking forward to it," Morgana frowned.

Uther Pendragon, the head of Camelot Records, had lectured them (read: Morgana) on the importance of their public persona, and how thousands upon thousands of girls looked up to them.

"I never signed on to be a role model," Morgana grumbled. She slouched, leaning back on the plush red couch.

"None of us did, but that's the price we have to pay," Morgause said diplomatically.

Morgana made a face but she didn't argue further.

"Can we go record now? That's how you get money off of us, you know," Nimueh said finally in her eerie calm voice.

"Go along, then," Uther said, "Gwen, a moment. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Of course, sir," Gwen, the band's manager, nodded, waving goodbye to her friends.

Morgana and Gwen had been friends in school, despite Gwen being a few years older, already ready to graduate. They had met towards the end of the fall term in the cafeteria and struck up a lively conversation about the upcoming Strokes concert. It was before Morgana decided to drop out her first year in order to pursue a music career. Morgause and Nimueh had already graduated when she did so, and the three struggled until a "chance discovery" by Uther Pendragon himself. He had been friends with Gorlois, Morgana and Morgause's dad, for years, but the two sisters wanted to make it on their own merits. It was Nimueh who had sent Uther a demo with just an email address to contact them: no names given.

Two years and an album later, they were one of Camelot Record's most loved music groups. They fired their old manager, a bloke by the name of Aggravaine, and hired Gwen in his place. Uther only allowed it because he thought it'd help their 'girl power' image and because he didn't trust Aggravaine to do what was in the girls' (read: his) best financial interests. There was also a minor (major) incident in which he made a pass at Nimueh, a woman practically half his age, and she punched him. Not that Uther would admit that he cared about Nimueh (and Morgause and Morgana) that much. He had a cool, calculated exterior to keep up.

Morgana's fingers glided over the piano keys in the recording studio, and were joined by Nimueh's guitar and Morgause's bass. They were an oddity as they didn't have a drummer, but a drum machine that Morgana programmed with the keyboard for their live shows.

Morgana leaned in closer to the microphone and started to sing, "If you leave now/ don't come back again/ we were never friends…"

Morgause and Nimueh added back up vocals, and then the sound mixer motioned for the to stop.

"What's the problem?" Nimueh arched a brow.

Dhaegal, the tech guy, was afraid of her.

"Morgana's voice sounds different," he noted.

"You mean since she was nineteen?" Morgause raised a brow, "people's voices can change between nineteen and twenty-two, you know?"

"I know, but it's raspy. I thought Uther said no smoking," Archie said carefully.

"He can control our image as much as he can, but he can't control that," Morgana said harshly, "can we continue?"

"Sure, sorry," Dhaegal said.

In a few recording studios away, a small rubber ball went flying into the air. A man with shaggy dark hair caught it without even looking up from the notebook he was scribbling in.

"Nice try, mate," Merlin smiled at his friend and bassist, Lancelot.

"I swear he's got a third eye," Gwaine, the guitarist said.

"Leave him alone," Freya rolled her eyes. She was the band's acoustic guitarist and sung duets with Merlin, the singer and drummer. When Merlin had to sing a duet, he tended to let Will, usually the keyboardist, take over and use the keyboard for the drums if need be.

"Aw, are we picking on the tortured, mysterious soul that is the Last Dragonlord?" Will snorted.

"Shut up," Merlin rolled his eyes, knowing his friends' jokes were good-natured.

"Are we actually going to do something today?" Freya asked, plucking a few strings on her guitar.

"Maybe. Uther's yelling at Arthur about something," Gwaine shrugged.

"How do you know he's yelling?" Lancelot asked.

"Don't all dads yell at their kids?" Gwaine asked in surprise.

"That's just you," Will said, "you're special."

Gwaine flipped him off and turned his attention to the paper he was reading. Heh. Morgana Lefay strikes again. They'd met her and the other members of Along Avalon a few times, what with attending the same award shows and being signed to the same label, but they never got to be 'friends'. Gwaine was a bit afraid of them, quite frankly. They always looked like someone pissed in their coffee.

"Play nice, boys," Freya said, still plucking random strings.

"There's a blurb about you here, love," Gwaine told Freya.

"What now?" she frowned already.

"Guitarist of the Last Dragonlords, Freya Donnelly, is reportedly dating fellow band member Will Joseph, after breaking up with the band's resident recluse, Merlin Emrys."

"I wasn't aware I dated either of you," Freya scowled.

"Who writes this garbage?" Lancelot asked, annoyed. He looked between Will and Merlin, as if part of him expected them to profess their love to Freya then and there, ridiculous as that was.

"Who cares?" Merlin waved it off.

"Oooh, Mr Mysterious here doesn't care," Gwaine snickered.

"No one outside of this room even knows your real surname, mate. You're rarely seen outside without one of us, no one knows where you live, besides us, no one knows where you grew up," Will started, "hell, only reason I know your surname is because we went to primary school together."

"What he said," Freya nodded, slightly amused.

Will, Freya, Merlin, and Gwaine had practically grown up together, and had met Lancelot at a bookstore, of all places, years ago whilst they were in sixth form. Merlin and Lancelot got to talking and then he joined the band. After a being seen at a gig by Arthur Pendragon a year after forming the current line-up, they were signed immediately. Camelot Records used to be all about the rock n' roll, but gave into the hair bands of the 80s, then the boy bands of the 90s. Uther wanted something fresh, as they'd had mostly solo artists signed to the label at the time (starting with, but not limited to, a man named Edwin Muirden) and Arthur basically handed it to him on a silver platter. A while later, Along Avalon were signed to the label as well and Uther had been seeing the money roll in ever since.

"It's no one's business," Merlin shrugged.

"They make stuff up anyway," Lancelot shrugged, understanding where Merlin was coming from.

Everyone nodded in agreement. This wasn't exactly what they signed up for.

"They make me sound like some kind of whore you all share," Freya took the article from Gwaine and wrinkled her nose, "last year it was Lancelot, right?"

"And a lesbian encounter with Nimueh," Lancelot added, remembering how his mum had called and asked him what he was doing seeing two girls at once.

"That wouldn't have been so bad," Freya tilted her head thoughtfully, "she's quite pretty." She had met Nimueh all of two times.

The men in the room exchanged a look.

"No fraternizing with the enemy," Gwaine said, tossing the forgotten rubber ball at her.

She caught it, "We're not enemies. Besides, you fraternize with Percival."

Percival was the roadie and one of the tech assistants. He did a lot of heavy lifting.

"That's one way to put it," Gwaine smirked.

"Can you keep your sex life to yourself?" Merlin asked from his corner of the couch.

"Only if that means you'll get a sex life," Gwaine said easily.

Merlin rolled his eyes and Will snorted. At that moment, their manager, Arthur Pendragon, walked into the room.

"I have news about your upcoming tour. It's going to be a double act," he said with a tense smile.

"No," Morgana shook her head vehemently.

"Morgana," Gwen tried to sound kind but firm, "it's a great opportunity to raise ticket sales."

"I will not go on tour with those pretentious prats," Morgana said, crossing her arms across her chest. She didn't even know if they were actually pretentious. She was being difficult because she felt like this was her being punished for having fun.

"They're not that bad," Nimueh rolled her eyes, "some of their stuff is actually good."

Morgana fought the urge to glare at her. Nimueh usually didn't defend anyone, but of course she had to go and defend Merlin 'Magic Man' Emrys and his "incredible songwriting and playing, it's like magic" (a magazine's words, not hers).

"And it's a great publicity stunt. You know, good publicity," Gwen added.

"I thought all press was good press," Morgana grumbled.

"Not if it's about you being passed out drunk or throwing your ex's belongings out a window," Morgause said in that sisterly way she was used to.

"But-" Morgana tried to protest.

"It's done, Morgana. Arthur and I signed the papers today. Uther thinks it's a great idea, we need your signatures, and the tour buses are getting ready as we speak."

"We get separate buses?" Morgana asked suspiciously.

"Yes," Gwen nodded, brown curls bouncing.

"Fine," she sighed, giving in. It wouldn't be that bad, right?

All members of the two bands were sitting around a round table in the conference room, waiting to sign their contracts.

"Don't you think our styles clash a bit?" Morgana asked the assembled group.

They all leaned back against the black leather chairs, looking as bored as the next person.

"They're both classified as alternative rock," Freya piped up helpfully.

"But you're all so…Death Cab for Cutie, and we're more Florence and the Machine meets Joan Jett," Morgana tried to explain.

Merlin snorted from his seat next to Freya, who smiled slightly, and Morgana narrowed her eyes at him. Was he mocking her?

"You have a problem with the comparison?" Morgana asked.

"I love Death Cab, and Florence. No problem," Merlin said politely.

"I think we're more the lovechild of The Who, Postal Service, and Bon Iver," Gwaine said thoughtfully.

Morgana set her jaw firmly, ignoring Gwaine. She had met Merlin briefly a few times. He was extremely private, quiet, and polite to a fault. When an interviewer accused him of writing bland lyrics, because he'd never been in love or expressed any emotion in his life, he calmly said everyone was entitled to his own opinion. No one had any dirt on him, ever. The only scandalous thing the press ever reported about him was his on-off relationship with Freya, as far as Morgana was aware. There had to be something somewhere of some unwholesome activities, but Morgana wouldn't bother trying to look it up herself.

"Can we please play nice?" Arthur crossed his arms, and Gwen bit her lip.

"Hold on," Merlin said, glancing through the contract, "what's this about a collaborative effort?"

"Ah, that," Arthur scratched his brow, "the label thinks it'd be a good idea for you two to write a song together and perform it as a duet on the last day of tour."

"No," Merlin and Morgana said immediately.

They looked at each other across the table. At least they agreed on this.

"Why the hell not?" Arthur scowled.

"I only duet with Freya," Merlin said stiffly. That was a bit of a lie. The entire band sang, but he would not write a song with Morgana Lefay and perform it live with her. Her lyrics always toed the line between genuine and angst for the sake of angst. Sometimes it all sounded forced, like she was making herself feel something instead of actually feeling it.

"It's fine," Freya said, "I don't mind."

Morgana narrowed her eyes at the woman sitting next to Merlin. Brown, wavy shoulder-length hair, large doe eyes. Morgana had to give her credit for being a good singer, too, from the little she'd heard.

"I write alone," Morgana said. A half-lie. Morgause and Nimueh wrote as well, they just never wrote together as a team.

"That makes two of us," Merlin smiled thinly.

"Hold on," Morgause interrupted after scanning the contract papers, "so we're going to be at each venue for two nights and be each other's opening acts? What about the fans who want to see both full sets?"

"They'll get the second ticket for the following night half off," Gwen said easily.

"Fair enough," Morgause conceded.

"Still not writing with him," Morgana muttered.

"Likewise," Merlin's smile didn't even falter.

"Fine, forget the duet," Arthur gave up.

Morgana smirked and Merlin's smile widened.

"We done here? We need to record, since you know, that's how we make money for the label," Morgana said after a beat.

"Go," Arthur rolled his eyes while Gwen smiled apologetically.

"Florence my foot," Will sniggered after the meeting.

"Morgana's voice isn't bad," Lancelot tried to point out.

"It's not as strong as Florence's either," Merlin said with a shrug.

"Well, whose is?" Freya asked.

"Mine," Gwaine grinned. Freya rolled her eyes and they finally entered the recording studio, "yours darling, yours," he batted his eyelashes at Freya, who snorted.

Merlin and Freya sat next to each other to record the vocals, and Gwaine, Will, and Lancelot went to their instruments.

"We ready?" Lancelot asked.

The two nodded, and Lancelot gave the thumbs up sign for them to start singing.

Morgana tinkered with the piano, annoyed that both Morgause and Nimueh seemed to be fine with the thought of going on tour with Last Dragonlord. Annoying pricks.

"You staying late again?" Morgause asked as she shrugged on her jacket. Nimueh had left already once her vocals and instrumental portions were recorded. She had an interview with some paper about her artwork that she did on the side for local galleries later that day, so Gwen let her leave. Gwen had disappeared into her office to file the paperwork.

"Thought of a new tune. I'll be at The Pulse later," Morgana said.

"Again?" Morgause raised a brow.

"I like dancing," Morgana sent her sister a 'don't you start' look.

"Fine. I'm meeting Cenred for dinner, so I won't be there," Morgause said.

Morgana smirked, "You two are getting serious."

Morgause shrugged noncommittally, "I guess. Bye."

"Bye," Morgana waved.

Once Morgause left, Morgana began to play the piano, making up words.

"Demons come from every side/Pulling me on a downward side/Getting hot the deeper I go…"

Merlin turned the lights to the studio off. He always seemed to be the first one in and the last to go. It helped that he didn't have much of a life outside of work. He walked down the corridor, only to hear the soft music of a piano and murmured singing. He slowed down and crept into the watched as the whirlwind of a girl that was Morgana Lefay worked on what seemed to be a new song. The lights in the sitting room were turned off, and Morgana was the only one of her band left to work on what he supposed was new material.

He stood by the glass and watched as she played the piano and scribbled something in a notebook.

"I live my life in one straight line/the future ahead and the past behind/I don't know how…how long…I can run this way," she paused and wrote something else down.

Merlin let himself smile. She seemed to be dedicated to her music. He supposed he should be glad that they were going on tour with another successful group. He shook his head and crept out the studio the same way he crept in. He had a photo shoot to get to with the rest of the band early tomorrow morning; he shouldn't have stayed so late.

The lyrics from the song Morgana's working on is from the So Weird theme song. For the concert part of the story, I've actually written bits and pieces to songs; they're not particularly good, but we can pretend they are.

Please review and let me know what you think.