Kellie groaned as the sun began to shine into her room. After leaving Circe’s amusement park she had returned home alone, raided her fathers liquor cabinet and drank almost all of his scotch. Now she was paying the price as her head throbbed in pain. Blinking her eyes she now tried to focus on the very grumpy man glaring down at her.
“Did you drink my scotch?”
Kellie blinked once more, noticing Merlin giving her a stern look. “Yeah that was me,” she groaned, rolling over.
“Aren’t you a little young for alcohol?”
Kellie sighed, she obviously wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep. “Technically I’m 46 years old,” she grumbled. “So I don’t see what the big deal is. But if it helps I’ve got a splitting headache.”
Merlin sighed, he had seen how the timeline had splintered off into several directions following Kellies visit to Circes kingdom. Lilith had used the spilintering of that point in time to jump into another world, removing Circe and sacrificing her followers to the Kitsune in this timeline. Kellie was uniquely tuned to these reality alterations meaning she (like Jack and Morgan) sensed somehting was amiss, even if they couldn’t figure out what it was. As a result Kellie had become overly stressed and needed a release. Merlin was just annoyed that she had taken his scotch.
“I would advise you not try that again Kellie,” he said sternly. “Otherwise I’ll make those years, months or even days. I’d like to see you get into my liquor cabinet if your too small to reach it.”
“Duly noted,” she mumbled. Stretching she now slowly sat up in bed. As she tried to focus she looked at her father, confused by what he was wearing. Merlin had discarded his usual robes for a button down shirt, suede jacket and khaki pants. The ancient wizard now looked as if he were ready to give a college lecture. “Um dad,” she asked curiously. “What’s with the outfit?”
“Oh this,” He stated. “Well you missed out on quite a bit after you fell into a drunken slumber. Baba called, she wants to meet with me. Apparently. Circe and Lilith have been argueing non stop since they returned home. She is seeking my assistance.”
“So your going on a date?!”
“No,” Merlin said quickly. “I am merely meeting an old acquaintance of mine at a quiet restaurant for lunch. She has grown concerned about the infighting between Circe and Lilith. They may have negotiated a peace agreement with the Kitsune but their are hard feelings on Circes end. She is outraged that Lilith would make a move against her even in another timeline.”
“Dad that sounds like a date,” Kellie sighed. “Just you and Baba having a quiet lunch to talk? Face it, it’s a date.”
“That is your opinion,” he grumbled. Kellie could only roll her eyes as she gazed at Merlin. The ancient wizard seemed to have gone all out for this meeting. Merlin almost never dressed in anything aside from his robe. Kellie tried to rack her brain to remember the last time he wore anything beside his robe. As she looked at him a little closer she could see he had even gone so far as to trim his beard and tame his wild, long silver hair. “Wish Lisa was here,”she grumbled. “She was always better at getting someone ready for a date.”
“Dad look,” Kellie groaned. “You can call it whatever you want but your dressed up and meeting your ex girlfriend alone for lunch. If this isn’t a date I don’t know what is.”
Merlin could only glower at his daughter, snorting at the idea that he was trying to dress up for Baba. “If you think it’s too much than I will go change,” he huffed. Kellie made a quick grab for his arm, holding him firmly in place. “No it’s fine,” she said quickly. “Younlook good. Have fun.”
“I’m not quite sure how much fun it will be,” he mumbled. “Circe fears for her kingdom and followers. From what Baba has told me she and Circe have been scream like banshees at one another. She fears the two could come to blows. We are going to have to brainstorm to come up with a suitable plan of action.”
“Right,” Kellie responded, raising an eyebrow.
“So,” Merlin said quickly. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Honestly I’m not sure,”she shrugged. “Still a little pissed at my friends for changing themselves like they did even after Inasked me not too. What would of happened if Circe took control of them?”
“I doubt your friends were in any real danger,” Merlin said softly. “But I would not let your anger fester. Talk with them soon, clear the air. Once everything is out in the open I am sure you will be able to work it out with them.”
Kellie could only nod as Merlin gave her a quick hug before leaving. “Oh Kellie one more thing,” he said. “When you get a chance talk with your daughter Katie. She wishes to know if you will be attending Samantha’s wedding.”
“How am I going to call her,” Kellie asked, slightly confused. “She’s in the other timeline.”
Merlin smirked as he reached into his pocket, producing a small cellphone. “True however your daughter is quite clever. It appears her and my doppelgänger were able to design an inter dimensional phone. Now you can get in contact with the other timeline without having to constantly travel back and forth.”
Kellie gazed dumbstruck at the phone before looking back to Merlin. It amazed her that her daughter had been clever enough to devise a way for the two timelines to keep in touch. Promising her father she would she waved him off wishing him well, For now though Kellie needed some Tylenol before starting her day.