The teleportation was terrifying, but quick. Merlin didn't even break stride – he was walking in front of Percival, and then there was a loud sound, Percival felt as though his stomach was being left behind, and then Merlin was walking in front of him but they were in a very different spot. Percival, however, staggered and nearly fell under the weight of the things he was holding.

Merlin looked over his shoulder and grinned. "Okay," he said. "That was the last mean thing I'm going to do."

Percival gave him a sour look. "I think I'll tell Guinevere that you're a dangerous madman."

Merlin laughed, and Percival noticed that Merlin opened his mouth and put his head back when he laughed. Like Arthur used to. Had Merlin always done that? Surely not.

"Does anyone call her Gwen anymore?" Merlin asked.

Percival thought about it, his brow furrowed. "Leon, occasionally."

Merlin nodded. "She needs that, you know."

"I think she's used to being queen."

Merlin shrugged. "I don't think she'll ever be really used to it. Come on, I've got a mother waiting for me."

Percival lagged behind as they walked down the dirt road and into the small little village called Ealdor. Percival couldn't remember if he'd ever actually visited, but he had heard the story of the time the young nobles of Camelot, along with their servants, decided to save the town for Merlin. Merlin didn't see that, of course. He just saw an old home. And even if he didn't remember it, he looked as though he hadn't been back in over two years.

"Mother!" he called when he was not far away.

Hunith was bent over in front of her house. Percival had met her, once, though he didn't remember when – perhaps when she'd come to visit. She was getting gray, he saw as she stood up. And her face lit up when she saw them.

"Merlin!" she called, but her voice cracked. "Merlin, my boy!"

Gaius called him that, too.

He ran to her and threw his arms around her, but gently, as though she was fragile. And then he held her close and let her cry into his shoulder. Percival smiled gently as he walked around the two, seeing that Merlin was not crying, but he had his eyes closed and he was leaning on his mother as though trying to absorb her presence.

Percival waited patiently, adjusting the packs on his back and smiling absentmindedly at any townsperson that happened to look his way. After a while, he heard Merlin say behind him, "They're probably wondering if I'm going to reduce the town to ashes the way I tend to do when I come visit."

"No fires, please, Merlin," Hunith said. "It's been so peaceful."

"They'll be sorry to see me back."

"They missed you," Hunith said as she walked to her house, her eyes still on Merlin. "I'll get you something to eat," she said.

Merlin walked to Percival. "She was lying," he told the big man. "Most of them rarely ever talked to me."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Merlin smiled, but there was no heart in it. "Suddenly I miss Will," he said. "You never met him. You'd have liked him."

Percival nodded, still looking around the town. Most people were giving Merlin slight smiles, no more. That made the large man unexpectedly a bit angry. When Merlin came back to Camelot, even the scullery maids were grinning for several days. Merlin had always been a ray of sunshine in Camelot – a doom-predicting, overprotective ray of sunshine, but bright and funny nonetheless. It was like these people didn't appreciate what a good friend they had a chance to make.

"I was lying," Merlin said to Percival. "You'd have hated Will. He was a rabble-rouser, a trouble causer… He was always complaining and making himself a victim and refusing to do what he was told."

"What happened?"

"He died saving Arthur."

Percival swallowed. "I would have liked him," he said. "Where are the rest of your old friends?"

Merlin shrugged. "In Camelot, it's a lot less well-known that I'm the bastard son of a wanderer."

Percival looked at Merlin. The man looked conflicted, but he was trying to hide it behind his still-healing look of boredom.

"They missed out," said Percival. "They never get to go out drinking with you."

Merlin laughed gratefully. "Don't tell my mother about that."

"Not even about the bar-dancing?"

"Hey, I bet I learned a dismembering spell while I was missing," Merlin warned.

Percival grinned. Then they went inside to eat.

Hunith practically fell in love with Percival right away. Her cooking was awful, but he ate seconds with a smile, and she patted his head in motherly glee, bustling about her wooden kitchen. "I'll make you some more," she said. He accepted while Merlin looked vaguely horrified.

After dinner, she went to sleep, and Merlin went outside. Percival followed behind him, keeping a nice distance in case he wanted to be alone.

"Your concern would be sweeter if the queen wasn't paying you to have it," Merlin told Percival.

Percival looked at him.

"I said I wouldn't be mean anymore."

Percival looked away.

"Sorry."

Percival was even more taciturn than usual because he was full. Instead of speaking, he just turned his patented "what's wrong" face on Merlin.

"I'm fine," Merlin said. "Fine. Really. You know, you're really quiet tonight. That's kind of exasperating, because you know I won't stop talking. Okay, I'm mostly fine… I just… I thought that coming home, seeing my mother… That would make it all a bit better, right? I didn't think I'd get my memory back." He stared at the stars. There were trees all around. Merlin was the most powerful sorcerer ever, and Percival had a sword. And yet – Merlin didn't feel as safe as he once did. "Well, naturally I was hoping I might, but I didn't expect to. But I guess I still think a mother can fix everything, right, so I thought maybe she could do a bit to fix this, just by being there."

Percival really hadn't asked for this, but he knew how it was to start talking and not be able to talk. "She didn't?"

"My chest still hurts, and I still feel dizzy, and it just hit me again that Arthur's dead and I can't fix it. There's no going back this time, like there used to be. I defied nature so many times. She can't fix this."

Percival stared at the trees. "It fades," he said.

"Does it?"

"Yes. It's easier to stop thinking about it now."

"Have you… made peace with it?"

Percival sighed. "Gwen and Leon, they've mostly moved on. Little Arthur helps. He'd probably help you, too."

Merlin sighed. He hung his head, but continued speaking to Percival. "You ever have that feeling like you want to go home, but you don't know where home is?"

Percival nodded.

They stayed for about two days, but Percival could see Merlin beginning to crack around the edges whenever he smiled. Even the knight had to admit that Ealdor could feel very small. Soon enough they made their excuses, and Merlin pointed out that with his new ability, he could visit his mother any time he wished. He promised to stop by for dinner once a week. He promised to bring the queen to visit whenever he could. (He didn't say "whenever they trust me to", but Percival understood it.)

And then, loaded down with their things and motherly love – Hunith even hugged Percival, tearfully thanking him for watching over Merlin – they wandered back to the woods, and Merlin took them back to Camelot.

The guards let them in the city, and Merlin dismissed Percival, saying as kindly as he could, "You go report to the queen. I'm going to go steal food from the kitchens, and then I'm going to sleep in my own bed."

Percival smiled back at him. "Fair enough," he said. "Leave enough food for me."

"My friend, there is never enough food for you."

"Percival, back so soon? Is Merlin okay?"

Percival bowed to his queen. "He's fine, Your Highness… Gwen." She didn't even flinch at the nickname. Her servant continued to play with her hair as the queen looked up from the papers she was holding. "He just used that teleportation spell to get us there and back. I think he liked seeing his mother. They talked long into the night… It was good."

"But?" Gwen asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Merlin feels as we did two years ago, but he's recovering and scared on top of it. And he thinks he failed."

Gwen nodded. "Perhaps we should do something about it."

Percival studied the tapestry above her head. "I was thinking," he said, and his mind filled in the 'don't hurt yourself' quip that Gwaine would have supplied, "that Merlin could use a holiday."

"He hasn't been working."

"You two used to go on picnics."

"Well, yes, but Arthur was always with us… I see what you're saying though… A holiday, with fresh air outside, and the baby, and you and Leon – just the old friends from the original table. Give Merlin some company other than his own thoughts. That might be just what he needs." Gwen's brown eyes were suddenly sparkling. She dropped the papers she was holding. "Oh, Percival, that might be brilliant. Of course, free time might be hard to find… But I'll do it. We all need to get to know each other again, that's what we'll tell Merlin." She giggled. It was almost girlish.

The woman doing her hair was new, and had never heard the regal queen make such a noise. Her nostrils went wide in surprise for a moment.

"I haven't had a chance to plan a good cheer up for Merlin since before I was married. I'm going to do it, I think. Percival, thank you. You're dismissed." Her grin was so loud, he could practically hear her planning as he bowed and left the room, smiling a little to himself.

A/N: Not entirely sure when Percy POV took over, it just felt more natural. It'll probably switch between him and Merlin for much of the story. But yeah, I think next chapter will be more of the cheering up variety – a bit of the fluff you all mistakenly thought you were in for when you started the story. But yeah, after that, it stands to perhaps get a bit dark in the traumatic-events-are-hard-to-get-over way. I'm just trying to avoid getting too trite and inspirational-speechy, so please tell me if you think that's a problem… Sorry updating took so long…