Chapter Text
If there was one flaw in Dave’s plan, he was starting to realize, it was that metal eagles are not comfortable to sit on for any extended amount of time. Flying around New York was fine, but on long trips like this, it was like it was pinching his ‘nads. Literally.
“How’re you doing back there?” he asked Becky. He had to yell to be heard over the rushing wind.
Becky had long since unwinded her arms from around him and seemed more comfortable looking over the side and down at the ocean below. “I’m great,” she yelled back, grinning widely. “This is awesome!”
Dave grinned right back at her. He was still a bit in shock. Morgana was dead, Balathazar and Veronica were both alive, and he had somehow managed to get the girl. He wondered if perhaps he was dreaming, but the metal eagle they were on was definitely real.
“It is pretty awesome,” he agreed. “And you were awesome too,” he added, because apparently Dave was incapable of going five minutes without complimenting Becky. “You got over your fear of heights!”
“Uh, well, I definitely still have a thing about heights,” she said. “But I was pretty awesome. And so were you. Holy crap, Dave. Magic!”
“Yeah. Magic.”
“Tell me about it,” she said.
“Once we get to Paris, I promise I’ll tell you everything. It’s hard to hear with the wind.”
Most of their flight passed in silence, save for the wind. Dave took comfort in Becky’s presence, the firm pressure of her against his back was actually very calming and grounding.
They could see land in the distance, and Dave started to realize another flaw in his plan. How was he going to explain the flying metal eagle to people?
He should really start thinking about things before he does them…
“Becky, I know you have a thing about heights, but I think we might have to park somewhere high up,” he yelled over his shoulder.
“I feel like I can handle anything today, Dave,” Becky hollered, a wild grin on her face. “Let’s do it!”
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“I don’t think I can do this,” Becky said nervously.
They stood on the edge of the Notre Dame, peering cautiously over at the people milling about the streets.
The balcony they were on had a thick stone railing that was crumbling to the touch. Two massive stone gargoyles with fearsome expressions watched over the city. Their ride blended in with the rest of the cathedral, but it was still best to keep it hidden.
“Just step away from the balcony, Becky. We’ll go through the cathedral, you won’t even have to look at the ground until we’re down.”
Becky nodded, swallowing nervously. She stepped back, her warm hand slipping into Dave’s. His heart skipped a beat.
It took a bit of maneuvering, and quite a few minutes of hiding, but they soon stood in the dazzling Paris sunlight. “Wow,” Becky said, blinking quite a few times. “This is…. amazing. We’re actually in Paris!”
“Yeah we are,” Dave said. But as he stood there, he realized the final flaw in this plan. “Becky…. can you speak French?”
“…. No.”
“Ah. Neither can I. I’m… sure we can probably fake it, right? I mean, it’s only for breakfast.”
Becky laughed. She still hadn’t let go of his hand and Dave honestly felt like he was losing his mind. “What do people normally eat for breakfast in Paris? Croissants? I’m feeling a croissant.”
Dave nodded, because every idea Becky had sounded like a good one. “I like croissants,” he agreed. “I’m sure we can find a bakery or something that sells them.”
In the few blocks surrounding the cathedral, there were many little shops. They found a bakery nearby that had several little tables outside. They ordered their food, and sat. It was very nice. People were out on the streets, soft music played from the shop’s speakers, and they had a perfect view. Including, of course, the Eiffel Tower, in the distance.
Becky ordered a small latte with her croissant, and she sipped it quietly. “So, Dave… are you gonna tell me about magic or what?” she asked eagerly.
He huffed out a laugh, settling back a bit and crossing his arms. “Yeah,” he said. “Where to begin? Uh.. well, first off, I guess it’s important to say that I’m the Prime Merlinian. Basically, I’m kinda… descended from Merlin himself?”
Becky blinked at him. She blinked again. “No way.”
“That’s the way Balthazar explained it to me. And no, he’s not actually my uncle. … You probably figured that out already, though. But he was Merlin’s apprentice, or at least, he was one of them. That’s… kind of like an uncle, right? I mean, in a weird way?”
“He was Merlin’s apprentice? Dave, how old is he?” she asked incredulously.
“I’m not sure. He looks very good for his age. He said that… Merlin cast an anti-aging spell on them, until he found the Prime Merlinian. Which… is me.”
“Right,” Becky said, like this made all the sense in the world. Dave supposed that, in some way, what they had gone through would certainly make things like this seem more believable.
“And Veronica was one of Merlin’s apprentices too. So was Horvath, but… he turned out to be a bad guy. Anyway, now I’m Balthazar’s apprentice. I’m… not sure what happens next.”
“Maybe you’ll move on to harder spells? I mean, I imagine that the apprentice of Merlin probably knows a lot that he could teach you.”
“That’s true,” Dave said thoughtfully. “Plus I’ve got a whole Encantus to work through.”
“A… what?”
“Encantus. It’s a spellbook, basically.”
Becky nodded again. “Well, that sounds like it’s going to take up quite a bit of your time..”
“Maybe. But I know that Balthazar and Veronica are going to want to spend more time together, and there’s not a terrible evil that I have to destroy right now, so maybe that’ll be a bit of a break.”
She smiled at him, reaching over the table to take his hand. “Well… we can hang out more then, right?”
“Yeah, of course. I’d… I'd like that a lot.” She smiled at him.
“Me too.” He smiled back.
They finished their croissants as the sun rose higher, then they took their time strolling along the streets, holding hands. Dave even kissed Becky on the Pont des Arts, because he’s a walking cliché- and maybe a little bit romantic.
It was around noon (thanks to several time differences) by the time they made it back to their metal eagle on top of Notre Dame. All told, they made it back around mid afternoon. Dave dropped Becky off at her apartment, promised to meet up with her later, and went back to his lab.
Bennet, his best friend, was fast asleep on Balthazar’s plushy red armchair, Tank curled around his feet. To Dave’s surprise, Balthazar and Veronica were nowhere to be found.
He supposed that they were probably catching up, just as he and Becky had been. Then again, Balthazar had also died, technically, so maybe not. It didn’t really matter in the end, as long as they made it back.
He pet Tank for a bit, threw a nearby blanket over Bennet, and headed back to the little futon he kept, for instances not quite like this, but, well, it worked out great. He fell asleep quickly, dreaming of fire, and magic eagles, and bookstores long past.
He awoke, some undeterminable time later to a loud bang. Dave startled with a yelp and fell out of his cot. He heard a faint chuckle and opened his eyes. “…. Balthazar?”
“Your powers of perception never fail to amaze me, Dave.”
Dave scowled, scrubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms in an effort to wake up. “Well- did you have to wake me up?”
“Yes. We have work to do.”
A quick scan of the room showed that Veronica was playing with Tank, and Bennet was gone. There were scorch marks littering the floor. They seemed fresh. Dave rubbed his eyes again. “What do you mean? We defeated Morgana, right?”
Balthazar looked at him with a piercing gaze. “Evil never sleeps, Dave. You might be the Prime Merlinian, but you still have much magic to learn. Your training is not over.”
Dave sighed, but scrambled back up. “Okay… but we can’t take a break?”
“There are no breaks when it comes to magic. Let’s begin.”