THIS IS NOT A SEQUEAL TO 'HALLELJUAH' HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE COMING!

**

"What if she's dying... she sounds like she could be dying!" Merlin cried as he watched his daughter, Alana sleep. She had been sent home from school earlier in the day with a cold, and had passed out on the sofa as soon as she'd have her medicine.

"Merlin. She has a cold and a sore throat. She's fine," Arthur said from behind his paper. He didn't even bother to look over.

"But she's so pale!" Merlin whispered as he compared his skin tone to his daughters.

"And so she should be. She'd most likely be faking it if she weren't," Arthur sighed. Inside however, he was laughing. Merlin was so overprotective. He'd once carted their daughter to hospital after a local girl caught the measles. The girl lived three miles away, was in high school, and had never met any member of their family. To top it all, Alana had received a measles vaccine when she was a baby.

"Arthur you prat! Please, I'm serious, I am really worried about Alana," Merlin cried as he stormed over to Arthur. He snatched the paper out of Arthur's hands. Arthur sighed. He got to his feet and pulled Merlin close, forced his eyes into his own.

"Merlin Pendragon, she has a cold. Nothing more, nothing less. The school nurse said half the kids have it. Not one of them has died, have they?" He asked softly, not wanting to upset his husband any further.

"No! But..." Merlin said. Arthur cut him off.

"Didn't I have said cold just last week?" He asked, fighting the urge to smirk with all his willpower.

"Yes! But..." Arthur cut in yet again.

"Am I dead?" Arthur asked, his urge to smirk overpowering the fight not to.

"No! But..." Arthur kissed him this time.

"But what?" Arthur asked as he pulled away, trying his best to sound concerned.

"But... I'm a bad father." Merlin muttered as he ducked his head. Arthurs eyes widened in shock.

"What? Why on earth would you say such a thing?" He questioned, bending down to meet Merlin's eyes. They sparkled with tears.

"I'm supposed to protect her... and now she's ill," Merlin whispered, his voice hoarse, his eyes overflowing.

"Oh honey," Arthur whispered. He pulled Merlin into his arms and allowed him to sob on his shoulder for a full five minutes. Finally, when he deemed Merlin calm enough he continued. "You're not a bad father, not at all Merlin. I have never seen anyone as devoted to a child as you. You make sure she eats fresh, healthy food every day. You make sure she does her chores, and her homework, yet at the same time, you make sure she has time to just be a child. You read or sing her to sleep every night, and are there to wake her with breakfast first thing the next morning. You love her with everything you have, and more so. You can't stop children getting colds darling. These things, they happen. You just have to deal with them when they come along," Merlin was laughing at this point. He knew he was being ridiculously stupid and emotional.

"I'm being stupid aren't I?" He asked, flashing Arthur his favourite goofy grin. Arthur stroked his cheek affectionately.

"You're being a parent," He whispered. "And a damn good one at that,"

"So I'm not a bad father?" Merlin whispered, still desperate for reassurance.

"Not at all..." Arthur replied, his tone soft. But then he smirked his best cocky grin. Merlin knew that meant trouble.

"What?" He questioned uneasily.

"You are however, a bad wife," Arthur said with a slight giggle.

"That's because I'm not your wife, I'm your husband," he stated as if Arthur was a bit 'special'.

"I'm serious," Arthur said with a mock serious expression on his face.

"And whys that?" Merlin questioned, an eyebrow raised, goofy grin on his face.

"Because you are not taking this priceless opportunity to let me fuck you senseless," He whispered seductively, licking his lips for adding bonus.

"Prat," Merlin said. But he followed him upstairs all the same.