A/N: I'M SO SORRY! I want to start getting out chapters a lot quicker now I'm on summer break but I won't promise anything because I obviously can't keep promises. Anyway...

Thanks to Scarlettwolf, hi, cmr2014 and Lil One 529 for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

Scarlettwolf: I am very glad you like the story and thank you for your advice. Sorry that some previous chapters seemed rushed. I'm done editing them so they'll stay as they are, but I'll keep in mind what you said in future.

hi: I'm glad you like the story and yes I am continuing it! I'm loving writing it and I will not give up, no matter how long it takes me.

"Sam..." Hot breath tickled Sam's cheek as a quiet voice whispered in his ear. "Come on Sam, wake up."

Sam groggily opened his eyes and lurched back in panic as he saw who was standing over him - or tried to; he was tightly bound to the bed.

"Now, now, let's not be like that," Toni chastised. "Just a few more questions and then it will all go away."

"No. No. Dean! Dean, he- argh!" Sam yelled as Toni pressed a sharp object into his side. She tutted softly, tracing the weapon across his skin. "Really Sam. I thought we were past all this unpleasantness."

"Screw you."

"I should've known better," she continued, as though Sam had never spoken in the first place. "You American hunters are a disgusting breed. Still, my superiors think that some of you could be helped, and they think that you pair are the key to it."

Sam laughed mirthlessly. "Really? Dean and I don't exactly have that wide a social circle."

"That's not what we care about. We need to know how your country got in such a state. You see, we understand that you and your brother are legends in America. Hunters admire you. So we think that understanding you will unlock the doorway to all America's hunters." Toni smiled wickedly.

"You seriously think they'll help you? You're stupider than you look."

"For what it's worth, I'd rather kill the whole lot of you, but someone needs to take care of the situation in America, and we can't spare the men to do it. So. I want information on your contacts; names, locations, specialities, anything that comes to mind. Oh, and do tell me about how you ardently abused your psychic powers to the point of starting the Apocalypse."

Sam shifted uncomfortably, his mind racing to come up with a plan to escape. "How did you find me?"

"Please. Did you really just think we'd just let you go? I ought to thank you for leading us to that warlock; the Men of Letters have been after him for a long time. Now then, information."

"No."

Toni let out a snarl and suddenly lashed out, cutting a deep gash across Sam's chest. He cried out and tried to jerk away, but the bonds kept him in place. "Then let's see if I can't change your mind," she muttered darkly.

Toni sat back and wiped Sam's blood off her blade, sighing impatiently. "This act is getting you nowhere. We know your brother's alive, which means you lied to us before-"

"Didn't... know..." he panted. Toni shrugged.

"I don't care. Besides, we have plenty more to talk about, don't we?" She grinned and dug the tip of her knife into one of the fresher wounds. "For example, your role in setting not one, but two primordial beings free from their cages to wreak havoc on the world. Or consenting to two angels taking control over your body, both times ending in a trail of bodies in your wake. How about your failed attempt to close the gates of Hell? Am I shaking anything loose yet?"

Sam flinched back as her words struck home. "You already know everything you need to know."

"I disagree. In order to set things straight, we need to understand you so we can adapt to how American hunters see things. We could use other sources, of course, but you and Dean have been at the centre of almost every supernatural disaster in America for the past decade. I can't help but feel like you'd be our best port of call for information on them." She sighed long-sufferingly and glanced almost pityingly over at him. "Why do you insist upon this... this defiance? We just want to help."

Sam, too tired to reply, turned his head away. Toni was tame in comparison to Lucifer but that didn't mean the torture didn't hurt like a bitch. She frowned for a moment then nodded decisively. "Well, then," she said brightly. "We have the whole night ahead of us. Let's have some fun." She leered over him, grinning wickedly, and Sam's eyes widened in horror as her face shimmered and melted into Lucifer's features. "Hey there bunk buddy."

Dean awoke with a start as screams echoed through the house. His sleep addled brain took a moment to catch up, but when he realised where the sounds were coming from he was up and out the door before he had time to think about it. He ran the short distance down the hall to where Sam was sleeping, just barely catching himself on the door frame as he skidded to a halt, and shot to his thrashing brother's bedside, hovering uncertainly as he debated whether to wake him or not. He was still deciding when Sam suddenly shot upright with a loud gasp, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. His hands shot to his chest and he began to claw desperately at the skin there. Dean, fearing that he could do some real damage to himself, reached over quickly and grabbed Sam's wrists, causing him to look up.

"Sam! Sammy, it's just me, it's just me, you need to calm down, okay? Come on, Sam, focus on me," he encouraged quietly. A tense few seconds passed before Sam's breathing slowed down and he focused on Dean's face, slumping back down onto the pillows. They lapsed into silence as Dean studied the tense lines around his brother's eyes and the slight tremors that spread over his body every so often. He sat down on the floor with his back against a dresser and turned his head towards Sam.

"Wanna tell me what that was about?" he asked, not expecting an answer. Unsurprisingly, Sam wordlessly shook his head and continued to stare at the ceiling. Dean heard footsteps outside and looked over to see Mary standing in the doorway with her gun held loosely in one hand. She was looking sadly at Sam, and Dean could swear he saw tears in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner," she whispered. "I went to head off Merlin and Arthur; told them this was something we could handle ourselves." She walked a couple of paces into the room, but stopped abruptly, glancing at Dean uncertainly. He nodded and she sat down on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on Sam's leg. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry."

Sam shifted at that and turned to face Mary. "Not your fault," he mumbled. He attempted to sit up, but both Mary and Dean pushed him back down firmly.

"Get some rest, Sam," Mary told him firmly. "I'll see you in the morning." She headed out and back to her own room, smiling sadly over her shoulder at the pair of them. Dean raised a hand then shifted his position to get more comfortable as there was no way he would be leaving his brother alone, not tonight. A look over at Sam told him that neither of them would be getting anymore sleep; his brother's eyes might be closed but Dean knew there was no way Sam would let himself rest in case of any more nightmares.

Morning came eventually, and with it came the smell of bacon frying. Merlin danced around the kitchen, juggling several pans and appliances as he cooked up a full English for his guests.

"I didn't know you could cook."

Merlin whirled round at the voice, almost dropping the tin of tomatoes he had been holding. He grinned at Arthur before turning back to the hob. "I didn't know you got up before ten," he shot back.

"Couldn't sleep," Arthur quietly admitted.

Merlin sighed. "Guess that makes six of us then. Castiel informed me that he apparently doesn't sleep, and I heard the others moving around and talking." He cleared his throat and noticed Arthur's awkward stance. "Help me with this?"

Between the two of them (mostly Merlin, but that was usual) breakfast was set up within 15 minutes, and ten minutes later the others started trickling in. There were dark circles under all their eyes, particularly Sam's, and Merlin guessed he wasn't much better by the knowing looks that were being thrown his way. They picked at their food in silence, with the exception of Arthur, who ate like he hadn't in... Well, in millennia.

"This food tastes very different to what he had in Camelot, although it looks very similar," he remarked curiously.

"The joys of modern technology. You'll get used to it."

Arthur hummed non-committally and turned back to his plate, piling it high with seconds. Merlin twisted his hands together and tried to figure out how to phrase his next proposition but, before he could, Dean interrupted him by pointing his knife and fixing him with a stern glare.

"You gonna tell me what you're chewing over or am I going to have to beat it outta you?"

"Dean, what the hell?" Sam admonished, glaring tiredly at his brother and swatting his arm.

"What? I was joking, but clearly he's got something to say."

"Yeah, but-"

"It's okay." Merlin gathered his courage and looked at Sam. "I'm guessing you had a nightmare last night."

Dean's face darkened and Merlin's palms started sweating at the very real possibility that Dean would start throwing punches in his direction. "That's none of your business," he snapped.

"Please." Merlin raised his hands placatingly. "I think I can help."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, leaning forward in interest.

"Back in Camelot one of our... friends," he started, glancing guiltily at Arthur. "She suffered from nightmares so Gaius - the court physician -" (Dean snickered slightly at that part) "made her a potion to dispel them. It worked quite well, for a time anyway. I have some stored up if you wanted to try it?"

"What do you mean, 'for a time'?" Dean questioned.

"Our friend-"

"Morgana was no friend of ours," Arthur interrupted angrily, glaring at Merlin. Merlin held his gaze coolly and sighed.

"She was, once."

A tense silence settled over the group for a moment, broken only by the sound of Arthur violently shoving his chair back, rising, and stalking out the room. Merlin sighed softly and stared into his lap, unwilling to meet the raised eyebrows and unwelcome - and unspoken - questions of the others. He had never forgiven himself for allowing Morgana to get so desperate she turned to dark magic and vengeance and he didn't believe he ever would. She had asked him to help her and he could have done, but he chose to cast her away and protect himself, dooming Arthur and Camelot by extension. But it wasn't that realisation that stung the most. He had loved Morgana and maybe - maybe - she had loved him too but that hadn't mattered in the end, because he had driven her away and she grew to hate him.

He never forgot the look in her eyes when he had driven Excalibur through her, as it had reminded him of her face when he had poisoned her to stop Morgause's attack on the city - it was betrayal and pain and heartbreak. It was because of that look that he couldn't bear to leave her to rot on the forest floor as he perhaps should have done. It was because of that look that he had taken her and buried her next to Mordred's grave, a league or so away from Camlann. It was because of that look that he had shed a few tears over the task, and was dangerously close to doing so again.

Merlin shook himself slightly and rose from his seat, clearing his throat. "I'll go and fetch some for you anyway," he declared, hating how his voice shook. "You can use it if you want and if you don't... keep it anyway. I have plenty."

He turned on his heel and strode purposefully out the room, lifting a hand to brush away the few traitorous tears that had begun to snake their way down his cheeks.

Dean let out a long sigh. "Well that wasn't weird at all."

"They were both behaving extremely oddly," Cas agreed, inclining his head in Dean's direction.

"They mentioned Morgana, right?" Mary's brows furrowed in confusion. "Wasn't she the evil sorceress who worked against King Arthur and Camelot? Yet he called her a friend? Or, that she was," she amended.

Sam shrugged. "Guess the history became a bit skewed over the years. Wouldn't be the first time the lore hasn't quite matched up."

"Yeah, well, that makes me wonder if she's going to be involved in this now. Whatever this is," Dean inputted. "I mean, if King Righteous managed to make it back here, wouldn't it make sense that she'd claw her way out of whatever doorway was created? What even was she to him anyway? Archenemy?" He snorted softly. "Some lover who got pissed because he ditched her?"

Sam opened his mouth, presumably to reprimand Dean, or spout more nerdy facts about the legend, but a soft laugh from the doorway interrupted him. Merlin stood there with a vaguely amused expression on his pale face. "You're not far off there," he remarked, making his way back to the table and easing himself into his chair. "Morgana was supposed to marry Arthur at one point, but she was having none of it. There was also the issue of her being his half-sister-"

Dean choked loudly and looked at Merlin incredulously. Merlin smirked at his expression, amusement lighting up his eyes and continued - "Which we didn't know at the time. But they were always more like siblings anyway, and Arthur was so clearly in love with Gwen that anyone who had eyes knew that Arthur and Morgana would never have worked out." A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips and his eyes were focused on a point in the distance, something akin to wistfulness dancing in them.

He blinked suddenly and turned his attention back to the group of hunters. "In answer to your question, Morgana won't have come through the doorway Arthur did." A shadow crossed over his face. "Trust me, she didn't go where Arthur did after she died. Something dark is coming though, and I don't know if Morgana will be involved, or if it is nothing to do with her, or if she is masterminding the whole operation. We'll just have to deal with things as they come and, judging by your history, I don't think you're strangers to that."

Dean barked a laugh. "Well, you're not wrong there," he acquiesced.

Merlin smiled, then started suddenly and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small vial and pushed it across the table in Sam's direction. "Just add a couple of drops to a glass of water and drink it immediately before you go to bed. It'll fend off any normal nightmares."

Sam's brow arched slightly as he studied the liquid before him. "Normal?"

"The potion will, unfortunately, be useless against any dreams of magical origin," he sighed. "If it wasn't I'd have been using it myself."

Sam winced sympathetically and tucked the bottle into his coat. "Thanks."

"No problem. I-" Merlin grimaced and brought his hands to his temple, his eyes screwed shut. "No," he mumbled. "No no no not now, this can't be happening."

The rambling continued in that fashion, and Sam and Dean stood abruptly, hovering uncertainly as they exchanged shocked looks with Mary and Cas, none knowing what to do. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it ended, and Merlin slumped forward with a groan. Sam, who was closest to him, managed to grab him just in time to stop him from face-planting the leftovers of breakfast, and eased him into a more comfortable position. He hovered cautiously as the younger man recovered then backed away a couple of paces when it seemed like he was no longer about to keel over. They waited in silence as Merlin massaged his temple, groaning slightly, and tensed as he made to push himself to his feet. When that didn't work, he slumped back into a seated position and looked up at the four of them with pained, tired eyes.

"Something's coming," he told them. "Something big, and it's coming now."

A/N: How was that? I wanted to include more but I think I reached a good (?) ending point so it will be in the next chapter. Which should be posted soon because I have at least half of it planned out and I promise there will be some action there. Please leave a review if you have a moment! Bye!