Timing is Everything; Merlin Modern AU
Title: Timing is Everything (2/5)
Authors: mydoctortennant
Pairings/Characters: Arthur, Gwen, Merlin, Morgana. Special guest appearances from Gwaine, Lance, Leon, Percy, Freya and Uther. Plus others inc OCs. (Eventual Arthur/Gwen and Merlin/Morgana. Slight Gwaine/Gwen and Merlin/Freya)
Warnings: Occasional spouts of bad language.
Disclaimer: Not real. Despite birthday wishes and night time prayers to Santa (all Hail Amy Pond!) Merlin still isn't mine!
Rating: PG13
Summary: Their lives were never meant to be intertwined... but you can't rewrite destiny.
Author Notes: Today, December 2nd 2010, is my one year Merlin fic anniversary! Woohoooo! To celebrate I am starting to post my 50,000 NaNoWriMo story that I wrote for the gorgeous Queen of Jenalot; mustbethursday3.
As usual these days, thanks go to sgmajorshipper for her beta work on this part.
My Merlin Prompt Table
PART One | Two | Three | Four | Five a | Five b
Morgana sat in the corner of the coffee shop with her hands cupped around her drink. She felt numb. Everything around her had shortly fallen to pieces and now Al was sleeping with somebody else and lying to her simultaneously.
The world really was full of shit. A lot of it.
A cheerful face appeared before her; the smile on it quickly disappearing when he realised that his new friend wasn’t smiling back at him. “What’s wrong, Morgana?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on; that’s not nothing,” he said as he noticed a tissue in her hand, crumpled and very used. Merlin pulled out his chair and sat opposite her.
“My boyfriend cheated on me this morning. Probably not for the first time. I don’t know what I did. I did nothing but be there for him. I mean the last few weeks with Arthur have been hard I’ve been working for him a lot more and not seeing Al. But he usually understands. I travel everywhere with Arthur. He knows how much our life means to both of us.”
“Both of you?”
“Arthur gets the glory and the limelight but I love it. I get to see the world. I get to cheer on my family day in day out and he pays me to do it. I couldn’t ask for an easier job than the one I have. So why do I feel like I have to give it all up to be completely happy?”
“You don’t have to,” Merlin reached across the table and rested his hand on her wrist, he gently rubbing his thumb over her exposed skin, “When the right guy comes along he’ll make the effort to go with you. He won’t cheat on you with somebody else whilst your back is turned.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I just didn’t know who else to call,” Morgana didn’t have any friends outside of her friendship group that she shared with Arthur. She didn’t have any girly friends (unless you counted Percy after a few drinks) and she didn’t trust any of them not to tell Arthur. That was the problem when your closest friend was your brother. You couldn’t tell him some things without him going ‘protective-action-hero’ on you.
“I don’t mind. Gwen was driving me crazy anyway.”
“Don’t you have any other friends?”
“Not really, no,” he said sombrely.
“Oh. Sorry, I-“
“I’m joking,” he said mouth breaking into a toothy grin, “I just spend the majority of my time with her,” he said honestly. Branches, that was what he needed. Not twigs. Strong limbs that could hold the weight of new friends and not just snap off as time went on.
“Oh. Ohh,” Morgana shook her head and mumbled something to herself, “That makes sense, you know.”
“What does?” Merlin looked positively perplexed. His brow creased as he frowned at her. It might have made perfect sense to her but she had lost him.
“You and Gwen.”
“Me and Gwen what?”
“You’re a ‘Merlin and Gwen’.”
Merlin snorted, “Nooooo,” he laughed, unable to contain his giggles, “Oh God no.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Morgana asked taken aback. From what he had seen Merlin had thought the world of Gwen. He’d laughed at her when he’d run Arthur over; only a true friend would do that before promptly helping them.
“Nothing, no, it’s not that. She’s just like the little sister-who-is-actually-older-then-me I never had,” he shrugged. He knew his Mum would happily adopt Gwen into their family. Back in the day it had been in the ‘you have the potential to be my daughter-in-law’ one day but over time it had developed into ‘you’re the daughter I never had’ which suited Merlin just fine, “We’ve never even kissed.”
“Not once?” Morgana had a lot of male friends. She only had male friends. And she had kissed all of them at least once since she had known them. Either out of a dare or because she was very drunk and feeling affectionate.
“Never properly,” Merlin said with a shrug, “Never on the lips. Just the sort of kiss you’d give your Grandmother on Christmas Day. Only without feeling repulsed by it.”
“Oh, okay. Sorry,” Morgana smiled. She was feeling better now she wasn’t wallowing in her own pity all the time Avoidance was the best way of dealing for her. She would happily forget that that morning had ever happened and move on with her life forgetting about Al’s existence and re-writing her past without him in it. He wasn’t a note-worth individual in her life. It was fine, “So is there someone who’s not Gwen?”
“No. I don’t really meet many women in my line of work. I mean there’s Freya, she’s nice enough but really quiet and then there is the receptionist, Brenda, but she’s old enough to be my Great Aunt.”
“Well, some people dig that kind of thing.”
His nose wrinkled in disgust. The thought of doing anything with Brenda apart from chat on his way in and out of work was something that made his stomach churn. He’d made her a cup of tea once, but she was ill and he took pity on her for coming into the office when she really shouldn’t have been there. Had she not been sat down and at waist height he could have sworn she would have pinched his cheek, “Some people. Not me.”
“Well, you see like a great guy. Whoever gets you is lucky. I don’t see you cheating on anybody. You’re far too nice for that.”
“Thanks?” they both laughed, “I’m going to get a drink, can I get you anything?”
“I’m okay thanks. I shouldn’t drink too much coffee. Does funny things to my head,” fully acknowledged, Merlin took off towards the counter.
x
It wasn’t late when Morgana got home. She came in the front door just as Arthur and Gwaine were retreating back upstairs towards the game room. Gwaine had a tray with drinks, multiple bags of crisps and other sugary snacks on whilst Arthur slowly followed him up the stairs on his crutches.
“Where’ve you been?” Arthur asked once he clocked that Morgana had shut the front door. He hadn’t noticed her leave.
“Out.”
“Out where.”
“None of your damned business,” she threw her bag down onto one of the bottom steps and unbuttoned her jacket laying it on top. She moved off towards the kitchen.
“Oi!” Arthur shouted now at the top of the stairs and looking down over the banister. Gwaine had stopped beside him. All he wanted to do was eat and drink. He didn’t want to wait for sibling wars to be over, “You can’t leave that there. I might fall over it!”
“Then be more careful!” Morgana shouted back from the kitchen.
“Bitch,” Arthur grumbled under his breath moving away towards the games room.
“Prick!” Morgana shouted. Gwaine started to laugh at Arthur. The blonde couldn’t help but smile. He loved his sister dearly; he knew she didn’t mean it.
Most of the time.
x
Merlin Emrys was a scientist who believed in reliable numbers and research. He didn’t believe in maybes and could best, everything either was or would be. Everything was definite. Yet he still used Wikipedia as a quick source. Only about the likes of the Pendragons. He’d never believe what it said about quantum mechanics.
The Wikipedia page about Morgana Pendragon was even briefer than the one about her brother and pretty much told him the same thing Arthur’s page had told him about her. It had no information of interest at all. At least he had conclusive proof that she was single now (and he knew her birthday was April 19th).
Merlin sighed; so much for finding out if it was worth seeing if she wanted to go out sometime. Maybe not now. She needed time for the rebound period to pass.
“Merlin?” a gentle female voice called across the lab; a short brunette appeared at the other end. She leant against the door frame and watched him, “Monroe wants to know when you’ll be finished with his samples.”
He quickly closed his internet browser and opened the results he had already gathered; “I think I’m done. He can have them back.”
“Cheers,” she came over to him and took the small tray; “Merlin,” she said, her voice more timid than usual, “I was wondering if you were free tonight?”
“Well, I was going to spend my evening with a rather challenging sudoku.”
“Oh-“
“I’m kidding.”
“Would you care to join me for a drink?”
Merlin beamed back at her, “Sure.”
“Excellent, I’ll meet you on the way out?”
“Okay,” he couldn’t help but notice as she walked away how far her hair came down her back and how it swayed with every step she took. She was stunning. He had always known it. Despite being shy and beyond continually anxious; she had always had a quality about her that had intrigued Merlin. Though they’d never said anything more than “Can I have those slides?” before now. Yesterday he’d spent three hours chatting to Morgana about anything and everything.
Why is it that everything like this happens at once? He’d not shown any interest anybody for years; not even Gwen - which his mother had often wondered about - and now he had two equally beautiful women who had taken his interest. And both of them seemed to have taken an interest in him too.
Merlin made a mental note to ask Gwen about the situation later; she would know what to do.
x
On the 17th of November seven years ago Merlin had met Gwen at a tea society meeting. They’d both gone for a laugh. Gwen had bee told by her own father that she didn’t go out enough and Merlin - among his group of friends - had pulled society out of the hat. He’d been hoping for the Sci-fi Soc or something like that, but afterwards he was grateful he’d gotten the Tea Soc. Gwen was a breath of fresh air compared to his sciencey-minded uni friends.
He’d turned to her whenever he needed help and advice on something that his geeky male friends would be no use with. His times of need decreased slowly over the years but occasionally he utilised his friendship and asked her something. Usually about his current relationship or weird feelings he was having about issues like his job or his new flat.
He’d refused to sleep there for a week and ended up on Gwen’s sofa because there was something wrong with the place. Gwen had humoured him and even gone along with him when he’d printed out some banishing ‘spell’ from the internet. She’d mostly stood then with her lips clamped together with her teeth so she didn’t laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it. It got him off of her sofa in the end.
It was Gwen that told Merlin that going out with Freya was a good idea. If she was showing interest in him and he liked her, what was the harm in it? If it wasn’t enjoyable or didn’t work at least then he would know. She’d also said there was no point thinking about Morgana. They’d known her for two days and had hardly spoken to her without regards to Arthur.
Merlin was relaxed. Going straight after work meant that they would both be in the same clothes they’d been wearing all day and he wasn’t at risk of dressing up too much or dressing down too much. He already knew that she was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt under her lab coat and that suited him perfectly.
x
Five o’clock came around fast after he’d hung up the phone to Gwen. It wasn’t everyday that he would be so helpless and have to pick up the phone during Gwen’s lunch break and phone her in a panic. There hadn’t been many times over the last few years that he had met any other women - that weren’t Gwen - thus none that had taken his fancy.
Merlin shrugged off his lab coat and discarded it on the back of his desk chair. He straightened his t-shirt and checked that he didn’t smell too bad. Once satisfied he grabbed his bag and headed for the door.
Freya was waiting in the reception for him when he appeared.
“Hi,” she greeted quietly. Brenda behind the reception smiled at him and winked. He smiled at her and granted her farewell.
“Where did you have in mind?” Merlin asked once they were out in the street. He hadn’t thought it through himself so he was hoping she had. It was her idea after all.
“I was thinking of this little pub down the road? It does good chips and it’s not too busy.”
“Sounds like an excellent idea.”
x
When they arrived Merlin held the door for her. She nervously thanked him, tucking her loose hair behind her ear, “Thank you.”
Merlin smiled at her. They took the table near to the window. Merlin threw his bag by his feet and sat comfortably in the chair. The menus were in the middle of the table. Merlin took it from the hold and began to read over it. It didn’t have anything particularly spectacular on it; the usual pub cuisine, “Large chips?”
Freya quietly agreed.
“Great, I’ll be right back,” he turned to go towards the bar, “Oh, what do you want to drink?”
“Half of the guest?”
“Okay,” he smiled, trying not to make the situation any more awkward than it could potentially turn out to be.
Merlin came back minutes later with their drinks and his change still in his hands. He put the two glasses down on the table and pocketed his change. Freya held out a closed fist; “Here.”
“Oh, no, don’t worry about it. These are on me,” she smiled meekly at him, “Food should be about five minutes. I got some garlic bread as well ‘cause I could smell it when I was at the bar and it was too tempting to pass on.”
“Fair enough,” she smiled tentatively and timidly took a sip from the head of the beer, “they do it on ciabatta here. It’s quite nice,” Merlin smiled reassuringly at her, taking the seat next to her on the circular table rather than opposite.
“Sounds good to me.”
X
“It wasn’t a complete disaster,” Merlin said into his landline as he led on his bed with his night light on. They’d left the pub by seven. They’d eaten with light conversation, mainly talking about work and how they’d gotten into it. Merlin had told her stories about playing in the garden as a kid with a pooter in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other. He’d taken many the bug apart one leg at a time.
“But?”
“She was really quiet,” for every story and anecdote that Merlin had told Freya had barely given him anything back, “I know we have a lot in common but she was so nervous. It was sweet at first but towards the end of the night I wondered why she had asked me to go with her at all.”
“She’s a nice girl,” Gwen said in return sounding as if she was concentrating on something else rather than what Merlin had to say, “She was nervous. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. It was just hard to carry off a one person conversation all night.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“See what happens I guess?” he shrugged.
“You could always take her somewhere else next time. Like to the cinema. Or somewhere where you don’t have to talk so much.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“She’s nice, Merlin, she’s a good catch. She’ll settle her nerves soon,” Merlin sighed. He supposed she was right but until that time it would be hard for him to try and get closer to her whilst she was so closed off. You needed to give to get in Merlin’s point of view, and he was giving her a lot and getting nothing back; “She’s just over come with nerves; she’ll get over it.”
“This is why I love you,” he said through a sigh. He knew that Gwen was right. He did. But that didn’t make it any easier.
“I know.”
“Night, Gwen.”
“Sleep well, Merlin.”
X
Being a teacher it wasn’t often that Gwen would go out on a school night. Not when she had to be up at 6:30 the next morning to shower, dress and eat something sufficient to see her through to lunchtime (sometimes it would have to last until 5pm when she got home.) Yet somehow Merlin managed to convince her that going clubbing on a Thursday night was a good idea; “It’s cheap night!” he’d argued, “It’ll be fun!”
Fun if you didn’t have Sixth Formers the next morning, some of which she might run into and then they’d pick up on her hang-over, if she had one, and ridicule her for the next month. They wouldn’t show her any mercy. She didn’t hold back on them if they came crawling in after a heavy night out.
Merlin spent nearly an hour on the phone telling her it was a good idea. He’d even pay for a dress for her to wear if she decided to come; “I know you want to drag me around Southgate. They have a Pizza Express. I’m down with that,” she’d laughed and told him she had a dress she could wear and he could save his suffering for another day.
She’d been able to hear his sigh of relief down the phone line, “I love you, Gwen, but I’m not willing to die of boredom. Even for you.”
“I know. I wouldn’t think of it,” she reassured him. She’d dragged him shopping many times in the past and had always ended up with a headache from his constant complaints. She’d learnt her lesson.
“So you’ll come?”
She conceded as she looked at the pile of marking she had to do; “I’ll come.”
“Thank you! I-”
“You love me, I know. I love you too, mister, otherwise I wouldn’t do this.”
X
The spring evening wind was warm compared to chill it had held the past few weeks. The sun was still in the sky, ready to set behind the cityscape. Groups of twenty-somethings gathered in the streets ready to meet their friends. Some already carried half empty wine bottles. Joining the partiers against his will was Arthur Pendragon. He had his crutches in one hand as he sat in the back of a taxi with Morgana as it pulled up to the curb outside of the club, “I’m going to look completely out of place,” he complained as they climbed out of the taxi, Morgana handing him his crutches one at a time.
“You can stand in the corner and drink and sway. It’ll be great fun,” she said as she straightened out the bottom of her black dress. She pulled it down so it was covering the top half of her legs. She had her hair down and over one shoulder. She stood taller than Arthur in her four inch heels and she revelled in it.
“Remind me again why I’m here?” He said looking up at her; he slouched against the handles of his crutches.
“Because you need to stop moping and get out of the bloody house.”
“I do get out of the house.”
“And out of the yard?” She said, she raised her eyebrows at him and looked at him with that look she got when she knew she was right. It was the look that said ‘You can’t argue with me.’
“It’s out of the house isn’t it?” Arthur relented, any other form of argument would only get shot down, much like he considered she would do to this one…
“You’re depressing yourself…”
“You’ve been speaking to Gwaine, haven’t you?” he rocked back on his crutches and looked to the floor. He knew it was the case but he hadn’t not ridden a horse every day for the last ten years. Hanging out at the yard was the closest he got and it was true; he did start to feel a little bit down when he couldn’t get on CK and put him through his paces. The Livery Owner’s daughter had been helping him out running the usual drills with him so he didn’t get unfit.
“Yes,” Morgana said, not to Arthur’s surprise, “and Lance and Leon and Percy and-“
“Okay, I get the point. But honestly, Morgana, crutches in a club?”
“Well fine, we’ll meet everybody outside and go to the pub,” She said throwing her hair over her shoulder, “just as long as it’s out of the house and not at the yard!”
“I can compromise to that,” Arthur stepped down, he leant back against the building they were stood next to. He could see several pubs close by, he just hoped they weren’t seedy and horrible.
“Good,” Arthur rested his head back against the stone and closed his eyes, “Merlin and Gwen should be here in a minute.”
“Gwen?” his eyes snapped back open again and he glowered at Morgana, “You invited Gwen?”
“Yes. You have a problem with that?”
Arthur looked down at his crutches and looked up at Morgana again, “You could say that, yes.”
“Oh get off your high horse, she’s apologised a hundred times,” quite literally. Since Morgana had started talking to Merlin on a daily basis she had given him their home number; they got free evening calls so it would eat into their contracts. He in turn had given it to Gwen who spoke to Morgana and always finished her conversation asked Morgana to apologise to Arthur which she would do. But he wouldn’t let it go.
“Well thanks to her I’m not on my high horse, I’m not on a horse at all!”
“Oh you’ve got a month left of crutches. Get over it, for Christ’s sake!”
“Easy for you to say. You do realise if I can’t compete you’re out of a job, right?”
“Then I’ll get another. I’m sure plenty of people out their need an assistant. Oh maybe I could work for that band you really hate! They’re nicer to look at than you.”
“You’d rather work for me. I’d pay you better than any f-list boy band.”
“I’d rather work for a f-list boy band than a z-list sportsman who is also my brother.”
“Oi-“
“Alright children, enough,” Gwaine interjected as he arrived. He greeted Morgana with a swift kiss on the cheek.
“Tonight is your lucky night,” Arthur said dryly.
“Oh yeah?”
Arthur looked over Gwaine’s shoulder as a taxi pulled up behind them. Gwaine turned to see a women, similar to their age, climb out of the back seat, followed by a wiry male. Her hair was half pinned up with curls cascading down her back. She wore a simple black dress and a pair of silver leggings. A pair of killer heels finishing off her outfit, “Are we late?” she asked Morgana who greeted her enthusiastically.
“Not at all. Gwen, Merlin, this is Gwaine. Gwaine, this is Gwen and Merlin.”
“Gwen?” Gwaine quirked his eyebrow, he reached to shake her hand, bringing it to his lips, “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much.”
“I’d say all good things-“
“You managed to take Arthur down a few pegs before actually meeting him; that’s good in my book,” he released her hand and took in his surroundings, “A-ha! Lance! So glad you could make it,” his friend was wearing nothing but a thin t-shirt and jeans, and although it wasn’t cold the breeze made it a little nippy, “Meet my good friend, Gwen!”
“Night off,” he confirmed. He looked at the female his friend was introducing and smiled, “Nice to meet you,” he smiled at her and looked at his friend, “You don’t have any friends called Gwen.”
“As of thirty seconds ago, I do,” Gwen laughed, she couldn’t help it. She felt at ease with these guys, they weren’t giving her a cold shoulder like Arthur was. He hadn’t even looked at her since she’d gotten there, he’d busied himself with glaring at his flirting friend.
“I’d watch out for that one Gwen,” Lance said, “He befriends everything.”
“Seems like quite a nice way to go through life to me.”
“He has six hundred Facebook friends. He knows about six of them properly.”
“People like me, what can I say?”
“Leon!” Morgana waved out at a man walking down the street, it wasn’t until he stooped to hug Morgana that Gwen noticed how tall he was, “Meet Merlin and Gwen. Now we can go find a pub,” she reported to Arthur.
“Pub?” Gwaine protested, “I thought we were having a party.”
“Mr Grumpy Pants has drawn a line through that plan. Says we can’t club if he can’t.”
“You can drink for cheaper in the pub,” Arthur said before Gwaine turned his attack on him.
“Pub it is.”
x
They found a secluded spot in the corner of the first pub they’d come to. None of them had been in there before but the alcohol was cheap and there were bar snacks on offer, they didn’t need much else. Merlin sat talking animatedly to Leon and Morgana about how it was a possibility that the world could end in 2012, but there was a bigger chance of you winning the Lottery three weeks in a row than it happening; “Besides,” he said, “If the world ends, we’d have spent so much money on the Olympics for no reason.”
Gwen was talking to both Gwaine and Lance, they seemed to take an interest in the play she’d been directing and were both asking her questions about it. Arthur could see right through Gwaine, it was what he did every time. He picked up on what it was that the girl was proud of or liked to talk about and suddenly it because his biggest interest too.
Arthur sat on his own, wishing that Percy hadn’t decided to suddenly get the flu and wasn’t coming. Talking to Merlin about the apocalypse didn’t interest him and he wasn’t about to speak to Gwen unless his life depended on it. He’d tried to get Lance’s attention from her but it hadn’t worked. The pair of his friends were like a child with a new toy. It was pathetic really.
Gwen, in a moment of silence, looked at Arthur. He caught her eye. She smiled at him, trying to bridge the gap between them but he looked away from her and rolled his eyes.
If that was how he was going to be, Gwen decided she wouldn’t try again. She turned her attention back to Gwaine and Lance and laughed. They were easy to get along with; even if they were mostly just flirting, they were making her comfortable in a new group of friends.
“How many hours a week do you rehearse?”
“About ten. Three hours after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays then lunchtimes every day bar Friday. Though we’re rehearsing all day Monday. First curtain Monday night.”
“Lucky kids.”
“Why’s that?”
“Getting to spend so much time with you.”
“I’m not sure they see it that way.”
“Of course not. They just love Miss…?”
“Leodegrance.”
“They just love Miss Leodegrance for her teaching.”
“I like to think so.”
“So naïve.”
“Even if that was the reason why, at least they’re good.”
“All to do with you, I’m sure.”
“Well of course,” she grinned, “What is it you do?” she asked, too long now had the topic of conversation been about her. Despite his tactics to seem interested in her working, she wanted to know about him as well.
“He’s a bum,” Lance replied for him, “Aren’t you, Gwaine?”
“Some would say that. I do odd jobs. Mainly help out my neighbour with the things she can’t do at seventy-eight,” Lance snorted into his glass, choking on the swig of beer he had just taken, “Well I do. Ask Dot yourself. She makes a killer cup of tea.”
“I’m sure she does.”
“She pays me in meals and tea. It’s a good deal.”
“Mainly so he doesn’t have to cook,” Lance said in Gwen’s ear. She laughed, catching his eye and smiling at him.
Arthur watched the exchange. It served nothing but not annoy him. She was being welcomed into their fold easier than any of the others had even been. She didn’t even have to wear a low-cut top to win Gwaine’s approval. She just had to be there.
And have broken his leg.
Gwaine looked over at his friend as he drank his Guinness; Gwen and Lance talking about him next to them. Arthur didn’t see him, but the sour look on his face spoke wonders. Gwaine smirked to himself; oh yeah, he really hated her. With her perfect, freckled skin and wild ringlets. He’d never pegged Arthur to be one who was into that sort of thing; but whatever floated his boat. If he wanted to get off on pain who was he to stop him?
x
Ellis had forced her on the door. She smiled and welcomed the parents. She wanted to be backstage with the cast. She wanted to make sure they were okay. They’d been panicked all day, she wanted them to be confident.
A hand covered her eyes from behind. She squeaked, “Mer-lin!” he laughed, appearing in front of her with Morgana by his side. She hugged him quickly.
“We are here to show our support,” Merlin declared, showing her his tickets.
“You should have said I would have gotten you in for free.”
“Now she tells me!” Morgana and Merlin exchanged a look. They both turned to Gwen with a smile on their faces. They were there for her, they were willing to pay the measly five pounds for a seat to watch something she had put so much effort into.
“You guys should find a seat it’s going to start soon.”
“Sure thing,” Morgana beamed ready to go into the hall.
“Merlin?” a small voice said behind them. He turned suddenly to find the source; he hadn’t been expecting to know anybody else here.
“Freya? Hi,” he beamed, still in remote shock but covered himself well, “What are you doing here?” he realised straight away he could have said it in a nicer way. He’d seen Freya a few more times; never once did it lead to anything more than him holding her hand. It was all too polite. She’d never subsided her nerves and it got to the point where Merlin had given up trying. If she wanted for anything to happen then she would have to make the next move.
“My brother’s in the play,” she said sheepishly, “You?”
“Gwen is in charge of the whole thing. You know Gwen, right?” he said playfully shoving his friend forward with every intention of using her as a shield should the need arise. He stood between the two women of interest to him. Morgana’s glare boring into the back of his head.
“Yeah, I’ve seen you around work before,” she shook Gwen’s hand.
“This is our friend, Morgana. Morgana this is Freya,” she smiled politely, but it never reached her eyes. Gwen looked between her and Merlin; the niggle that her friend had been lying to her quite spectacularly set in. ‘Nothing happening with Morgana, eh?’
“I’m going to go find some seats near the front,” Morgana decided, with a flash in her eye that Gwen didn’t miss, even if Merlin did, “Do you want me to save you a seat by us, Gwen?”
Gwen nodded, “Please.”
“Okay, we’ll see you in a minute.”
“Would you like to sit with us?” Merlin offered; Freya smiled.
“I’d like that.”
‘Morgana won’t,’ Gwen thought to herself, she excused herself. She wanted to get in backstage before the curtain was opened, even if Ellis wanted her out the front, she was going to talk to the kids; wish them good luck.
x
The curtains were closed. Gwen walked backwards and forth across the stage, she corrected every costume, every prop. She adjusted her own dress. Her main cast were all sitting nervously and waiting. Gwen checked her watch, five minutes, “Everybody onto the stage please,” she called down one side. She crossed the stage and repeated herself.
All of the cast gathered in front of her, she stood on a chair that was meant for part of Mrs Lyon’s dining set and clapped once loudly, “Okay guys; opening night! Curtain in four minutes. I’m nervous, so I can’t imagine how you guys are feeling. But you are amazing. You’ve worked so hard, nothing is going to go wrong. Just do what you did this morning and you will blow this lot away.
“All that’s left to say is good luck. You will do brilliantly I can assure you of that! Go, be ready! Curtain in three!” She jumped down from the chair with a hand from her Mickey, “Thank you. Good luck Tom, you’ll blow them away.”
“So you just said.”
“You’re all kinds of funny; you made me cry this morning remember?”
“You sure that wasn’t from how awful I was?” she tapped him on the bicep in reprimand.
“Go, get ready, Tom. You’ll be fine,” Gwen sought out a girl by the name of Amy, she was playing Mrs Johnstone, she was the one who got to say when they went ahead, “Get into position, and once I’m out of the way, you can start whenever you like, okay?”
“Yes Miss,” she smiled nervously in response.
“You’ll be fine,” Gwen walked out from behind the curtain and slipped down the side of the audience to find her seat between Merlin and Morgana. Freya sat on her best friend’s other side looking nervous and a little out of place.
“Okay?” Merlin enquired.
“Good to go,” she settled down into her seat. She waited with baited breath, this was it. This was her big show. If this went wrong Ellis would never let her be in charge of a play again. The butterflies in her stomach were raged.
The curtain opened, it was beginning.
x
Gwaine was busy. Lance was busy. Leon was busy. Even Percy was busy.
Arthur sat staring at the ceiling making shapes out of the swirls in the white-painted plaster above his head. He blew a raspberry between his lips and drummed out an irregular beat on his stomach.
He was bored.
Morgana had gone out to spent time with the enemy and he was stuck with nowhere to go. He’d managed to grab the bunch of grapes from the kitchen and had entertained himself by throwing them in the air and trying to catch them in his mouth. He’d gotten steadily worse and soon given it up as a bad job and just ate them. All too quickly.
Over three hundred channels on the television and nothing was playing anything he wanted to watch. The music on the video channels weren’t to his cup of tea. He could have watched a film but that would mean having to get up and it was too much effort to make.
He’d even read one of Morgana’s trashy gossip magazines in one last ditch attempt at curing his boredom. There had been an article about how two women who had met on holiday in Malaga who had fallen in love and eventually found out, after they’d had a baby, that they were related through their fathers. At that Arthur had put the magazine down and sworn never to touch the creepy things again.
Arthur pulled the coffee table towards him. From one of the draws beneath it he pulled out random objects and laid them out on the tabletop. He grabbed the spoon he had had in his tea cup that Morgana had given him before she’d left and the knife from his dinner and started to tap out a rhythm on the objects. It was more than enough to amuse him.
x
Gwen looked around, there were tears in the eyes of some of the parents, one lady was dabbing her cheeks with a handkerchief. She smiled, it couldn’t have gone any better. Merlin elbowed in her in the side, she looked at him and he grinned fro ear to ear, “Congrats Miss Director; jolly good show.”
She stood and made her way up onto the stage before the kids could run off after their bows. She clapped Tom on the shoulder. Amy hugged into her side, “I’d just like to say,” Gwen shouted over the applause, “That these kids have worked so hard over the last few months. I never thought when we started out with this that we would be this good. They were all amazing, as I’m sure you’d agree.
“Thank you so much for coming! It means so much to all of us. Thank you for your support and thank you to my colleague, Peter for letting me do this. It was a great opportunity for me and for the cast. But mostly, thank you to these guys for making the last few months as stress-free as possible and generally being quite fantastic!”
“We’d like to thank you, Miss. You’ve been a great director and teacher all year and this is a great last hurrah before we leave and for the younger ones it’s a great way for them to start their drama careers here. We all hope you stick around for a good while yet.”
“Thanks, Tom,” she grinned, he quickly hugged her before jokingly pushing her away. The audience laughed. The cast bowed one more time, taking Gwen down with them. “Thank you!” she saw Merlin whistle at the loudest volume. Morgana was clapping loudly.
The curtain closed.
“Great show guys, only three more nights to go!” they all groaned at her, “Party on Friday. Look forward to it. Perform excellently. Have fantastic careers.”
“As a drama teacher in a private school,” one of the older boys heckled.
“As a drama teacher. Though I don’t think you guys could do my job.”
“No Miss,” the same boy said back with a laugh, “We’d do it better.”
x
The desk that Gwen had situated in the Drama Department looked out over the playing fields. The boys were currently out at football practise. She had the window open and she could hear the constant calls to Rick to ‘pass the bloody ball!’ She laughed. She knew Rick well. He was one of those incredibly popular sporty people who made it cool to be into Drama. It was thanks to the likes of him that she had managed to rope in a lot of the more burly players to play a part in her production.
The young drama teacher had been staring at the blank word document before her. She was meant to be writing a letter to the parents of the children in the play thanking them for their cooperation over the last few months. It was all a load of bullshit that none of them would read and would only end up in the bin (not recycling). Ellis had told her she had to write it. Something about her needing to show her willingness to recognise others assistance.
Gwen had nearly scoffed at the idea to his face. One of the parents didn’t even come to pick up their son after a late night rehearsal. Gwen had given the boy the taxi fare herself.
She relented and had decided she would utilise her free time and write the damned thing.
She liked to read words out loud, not write them…
Gwen jumped when her phone vibrated in the desk draw - out of sight from the students - she was baffled as to who would be phoning at this time. Everybody knew she worked until four and it was only two now. She eyed her phone; Morgana.
“Hello?”
“Gwen?”
“Morgana?” She didn’t know why on Earth Morgana would need to phone her during the day, unless she had accidentally murdered Merlin and needed Gwen to be her ally.
“Hi; I have a favour to ask you. A huge favour, actually.”
“Go on?”
“Arthur’s got an appointment at the hospital in half and hour and I’m stuck in Bristol. I’ve called everybody we know and I can’t get hold of anyone or they are all incapacitated elsewhere.”
“Okay?” Gwen didn’t like where this was going. The last time she’d seen Arthur he had made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t interested in being friends with her; he hadn’t been particularly pleasant all evening.
“Is there any remote possibility that you might be able to pick him up from the livery and get him there? I’ll owe you big time.”
“I would Morgana but I’m still at school.”
“Are you teaching?” there was a definite sense of pleading in Morgana’s tone already and she had barely started the conversation; whatever it was, Gwen knew she wasn’t going to like it.
“On a free lesson…”
“Plead family emergency?” she said doing exactly that to Gwen, pleading.
“I would, Morgana, but-“
“Please? I’d get him to take a taxi but the hospital doesn’t like it. He should be getting his cast off today and they like to have a second person there to make sure he gets home okay,” Gwen knew that was true. When there was any possibility that they needed to do any sort of procedure they liked to send people home with somebody just in case of side effects. She had been that person for her father many a time. The last time she’d let alone.
“Arthur doesn’t like me, Morgana,” she stated simply. It was one of the more obvious things in her life right now unlike everything else, “He won’t want me there.”
“Don’t be silly,” Morgana said flippantly, “he does like you.”
“He has a funny way of showing it.”
“Please, Gwen? I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate!”
Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She let out a long breath, “Fine. You owe me.”
“Thank you; thank you; thank you!” Morgana reeled off the instructions on how to get to the livery yard and thanked her again. Gwen was just grateful it wasn’t too far. Gwen hit the ‘out of office’ button on her email and left Ellis a note. He could take any phone calls of great importance; he was head of the department after all.
She headed out, turning up Lansdown Hill and hitting the gas. The Livery wasn’t all that far, she just had to go as far as the main road about two miles down the road she was on now and double back on herself for a mile then turn off down the other side of the hill that she was currently on to the hospital.
It only took her five minutes before she was pulling up to the turning for the livery. She spotted Arthur standing by the edge of the field, leaning helplessly on the fence as somebody else rode his horse about the field. He looked dejected.
She pulled up to the main barn and killed the ignition of her car.
Arthur hadn’t even noticed her pull up. He’d only ever seen her battered old car in the dark before now so he probably hadn’t registered who it was having been expecting Morgana. He looked completely enthralled watching his horse go about the course with precision.
Gwen slowly made her way up behind him, her feet crunching into the gravel path. Arthur looked over his shoulder at the noise, he frowned; “What do you want?” he said rather coldly. It wasn’t a surprise to Gwen.
“Morgana didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” he said looking back into the field.
“She’s stuck in Bristol; needs me to take you to RUH.”
Surely there was somebody somewhere that wasn’t Gwen that was available? Arthur pulled his phone from his pocket, “No signal.”
“Well there you go then,” an awkward silence fell. Gwen stepped up so she was level with the fence, watching the rider guide the horse about the small course that had been set up, “We should go. You’re appointment is in about twenty minutes.”
“They’re always late,” he didn’t like to leave. If he couldn’t ride he didn’t want somebody else riding him without him there. CK could go lame or get injured in another way. He wasn’t the most trusting horse; he only liked to go back into the stable with Arthur there.
“The sooner you get there the sooner you get that off and the closer to get to being able to ride again,” Arthur sighed, he knew she was right. He waved over the girl from the livery yard and she came trotting over.
“Everything alright, Mr P?” she asked. She was no more then sixteen; she must have been one of the daughters of the farmer who owned the yard.
“I’ve got to go,” he said running his hand up the side of the horse’s neck, “You okay taking him round a few more times then taking him in?”
“Yeah,” she beamed, “He’s an awesome ride.”
“Yeah, he is. Thanks Soph,” he kissed his horse on the nose.
“Any time, Mr P.”
“Just be careful going into the stall okay? If he starts kicking up put the blinkers on that are next to it. And feed him as you go in and he should be okay,” he explained. The girl looked like she had been told this a number of times before but she nodded and agreed anyway.
Arthur picked up his crutches from where he had leant them against the fence and turned to Gwen as Sophie rode away on Arthur’s horse; “We should go,” he followed her with a look on disdain on his face; he wasn’t most pleased by this arrangement. He figured Morgana had eventually asked Gwen because she felt that he should get to know her properly. She was convinced he would be her friend before long.
x
Hospital waiting rooms were officially dull. All the magazines were out of date. The papers consisted of The Sun and The Daily Mail and Arthur would rather read neither. Gwen had taken to staring at a spot on the ceiling and concentrating on it to the point where it had nearly disappeared because her vision had blurred. She had done very much the same last time she had been sat waiting in the hospital for a prolonged period of time. She kept replaying it all in her head.
The doctor had appeared in the corridor with a grim look on her face. She’d opened the conversation with an apology and that was all Gwen could remember. It hurt to know any more. Her father had had bad lungs for years. They had never suspected it was anything more than the amount of sawdust he must have inhaled on an average day at the work site. Turned out to be a lot more than that.
Gwen screwed her eyes shut to stop herself from crying. She didn’t need Arthur asking her questions. She wouldn’t be able to speak about it without crying. A year wasn’t long enough to forget about it. She had nobody left. She didn’t need him knowing that. She opened her eyes again and found her spot and stared at it with an increased intensity.
There was a poster opposite Arthur telling the public all about the dangers of Swine Flu and how you had to wash your hand after every little thing; touching your face; running your fingers through your hair; coughing; sneezing. It was like every news report they had had for the last few years. It was starting to grow old.
“Arthur Pendragon?” a nurse called; he pushed up from his seat and started to hobble forwards without his metal aids. He put some weight on his left foot but found it too difficult to walk in his cast. He grabbed at the crutches. He accidentally knocked one of them to the floor.
“I’ve got it,” Gwen said, the kafuffle tearing her away from her spot on the ceiling. She bent to grab the crutch from the floor and handed it to him; “Do you want me to come in with you?”
“No,” he snapped. Gwen shrank back into her chair.
“I’ll wait here then,” he didn’t apologise; he just turned away from her and started to gently go up the corridor, following the greying nurse. Gwen crossed her legs and started bobbing her foot.
“Bit uptight, isn’t he, love?” the lady who had been next to Arthur asked her over the chair between them, “Your boyfriend.”
“Yeah,” she didn’t bother to argue that he wasn’t anything to actually do with her. It would only pose more questions that she couldn’t be bothered to answer or reason with herself right now, “He’s fed up of hospitals. He’s a sporty type, doesn’t like not being able to do stuff.”
“I understand. He shouldn’t be so mean to you love.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it,” she realised that it really seemed like a bad relationship to be stuck in, even if it was a lie. He deserved to be mad at her, it was her fault that he couldn’t live his life how he normally did, “He’s not usually like this,” she said, feeling the need to save his fake reputation a little, “It’s just the hospital brings the worst out in him.”
x
“All looks in order, Mr Pendragon. Everything has aligned properly, you’ll be glad to know. The cast can come off but you’ll have to wear the support still and use the crutches for about anther month, but you can start to use your foot again, build up the muscles.”
“Okay,” Arthur nodded, wanting very much to free his leg of the hard casing. He had had a permanent itch for the last four weeks and it wouldn’t go away. He couldn’t wait until he could attack it.
x
Arthur hobbled out of the room. He used his crutches to walk slowly back down the corridor towards Gwen. She had picked up a magazine in the time he had disappeared, but she looked equally as bored as she had when he had left her there.
“Good to go?” she asked trying her hardest to smile at him.
“Yeah,” he kept walking past her; it would take him longer to walk to the car than it would her anyway. He wanted to build up the strength in his leg as quickly as possible; relying on the crutches to move him around wouldn’t help.
“What did they say?” Gwen enquired, her jumper folded over her arm and her car keys in her hand ready to unlock it the second they got near.
“Not much,” he grunted in response.
“Oh, only Morgana told me to tell her everything-“
“I can tell her myself,” he said abruptly.
When they reached the car Arthur shoved his crutches into the back seat of Gwen’s banger and slumped into the front seat, not being quite as careful about his leg as the doctors would have wanted.
He clenched his jaw as he slammed the door closed; he should have been nicer to her. She was doing him a favour. He looked over at her as she climbed into the driver’s seat. He offered her a small smile, he had to start building a bridge, he decided. She’d built her half, it was time he met her in the middle.
x
The ride back to the Pendragon sibling’s home had been a silent one. They didn’t have anything to say to each other and with the knowledge that within the next month he’d be back riding without so little as a hint that he had ever been injured; he could no longer be angry with Gwen.
But he didn’t have anything to say. He pretty much been nothing but rude and arrogant to her for the last six weeks; he couldn’t just take that all back with the snap of his fingers.
She pulled up outside the gate and kept the engine running. She had no intention of staying longer than necessary. Gwen looked out of the opposite window and tapped on the steering wheel with the tips of her fingers.
Arthur cleared his throat, “Well, thanks.”
“No worries,” she half smiled at him and nodded once.
Arthur made to open the door but stopped before he clambered out of the car and looked at his driver, “I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”
“I ran you over and broke your leg. You’ve had every right to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” he suddenly declared. Such an impression he had made. He didn’t like it and he didn’t approve of the man he had become around her. It wasn’t fair. As much as he had believed it in the past he didn’t believe it now. Why had he been acting like such an arsehole for the last six weeks?
“Yeah?” the disbelief in her voice wasn’t a surprise, “You do a good job of showing it.”
“I haven’t been the most welcoming of people; true,” he shifted in the passenger seat to look at her, “How about we start a fresh? Forget all of it. Start again?” He offered, it was the only thing he could do without ruining what dwindling friendship they had already. If they started again it would be easier for him to patch back together. Even if his attitude might have made that a difficult manoeuvre.
“I’d like that,” she replied genuinely. She seemed open to new things and to forgiveness, which was good for Arthur. This wasn’t likely to be the only mistake he made.
Arthur smiled. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt, “Right. Thanks.” He pulled his crutches from the back seat and stood out of the car putting most of his right on his right leg. Before she could drive away he had started to walk (albeit slowly around the front of the car to the driver side window. He knocked on the glass.
Confused; Gwen hit the window down button and waited as the window scrolled down, “Hi?” her brow was knitted but she looked mildly amused.
“I’m Arthur; nice to meet you,” he held his hand out through the window. She accepted it with a smile and firmly shook his hand.
“Guinevere, though most people call me Gwen.”
“Well, Guinevere, it’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“I’ll see you soon. Bye Guinevere,” he gave a short wave and started off on his crutches again this time swinging quickly on his right foot so he got out of the road. He leant on his right crutch and waved with his left hand before she left.
Maybe he could make this work.
END NOTE: So when sgmajorshipper was reading this through for me, she had no idea what a pooter was… it looks like this and you use them to suck up bugs… I was a Merlin as a kid; what can I say...
Authors: mydoctortennant
Pairings/Characters: Arthur, Gwen, Merlin, Morgana. Special guest appearances from Gwaine, Lance, Leon, Percy, Freya and Uther. Plus others inc OCs. (Eventual Arthur/Gwen and Merlin/Morgana. Slight Gwaine/Gwen and Merlin/Freya)
Warnings: Occasional spouts of bad language.
Disclaimer: Not real. Despite birthday wishes and night time prayers to Santa (all Hail Amy Pond!) Merlin still isn't mine!
Rating: PG13
Summary: Their lives were never meant to be intertwined... but you can't rewrite destiny.
Author Notes: Today, December 2nd 2010, is my one year Merlin fic anniversary! Woohoooo! To celebrate I am starting to post my 50,000 NaNoWriMo story that I wrote for the gorgeous Queen of Jenalot; mustbethursday3.
As usual these days, thanks go to sgmajorshipper for her beta work on this part.
My Merlin Prompt Table
PART One | Two | Three | Four | Five a | Five b
Morgana sat in the corner of the coffee shop with her hands cupped around her drink. She felt numb. Everything around her had shortly fallen to pieces and now Al was sleeping with somebody else and lying to her simultaneously.
The world really was full of shit. A lot of it.
A cheerful face appeared before her; the smile on it quickly disappearing when he realised that his new friend wasn’t smiling back at him. “What’s wrong, Morgana?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on; that’s not nothing,” he said as he noticed a tissue in her hand, crumpled and very used. Merlin pulled out his chair and sat opposite her.
“My boyfriend cheated on me this morning. Probably not for the first time. I don’t know what I did. I did nothing but be there for him. I mean the last few weeks with Arthur have been hard I’ve been working for him a lot more and not seeing Al. But he usually understands. I travel everywhere with Arthur. He knows how much our life means to both of us.”
“Both of you?”
“Arthur gets the glory and the limelight but I love it. I get to see the world. I get to cheer on my family day in day out and he pays me to do it. I couldn’t ask for an easier job than the one I have. So why do I feel like I have to give it all up to be completely happy?”
“You don’t have to,” Merlin reached across the table and rested his hand on her wrist, he gently rubbing his thumb over her exposed skin, “When the right guy comes along he’ll make the effort to go with you. He won’t cheat on you with somebody else whilst your back is turned.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I just didn’t know who else to call,” Morgana didn’t have any friends outside of her friendship group that she shared with Arthur. She didn’t have any girly friends (unless you counted Percy after a few drinks) and she didn’t trust any of them not to tell Arthur. That was the problem when your closest friend was your brother. You couldn’t tell him some things without him going ‘protective-action-hero’ on you.
“I don’t mind. Gwen was driving me crazy anyway.”
“Don’t you have any other friends?”
“Not really, no,” he said sombrely.
“Oh. Sorry, I-“
“I’m joking,” he said mouth breaking into a toothy grin, “I just spend the majority of my time with her,” he said honestly. Branches, that was what he needed. Not twigs. Strong limbs that could hold the weight of new friends and not just snap off as time went on.
“Oh. Ohh,” Morgana shook her head and mumbled something to herself, “That makes sense, you know.”
“What does?” Merlin looked positively perplexed. His brow creased as he frowned at her. It might have made perfect sense to her but she had lost him.
“You and Gwen.”
“Me and Gwen what?”
“You’re a ‘Merlin and Gwen’.”
Merlin snorted, “Nooooo,” he laughed, unable to contain his giggles, “Oh God no.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Morgana asked taken aback. From what he had seen Merlin had thought the world of Gwen. He’d laughed at her when he’d run Arthur over; only a true friend would do that before promptly helping them.
“Nothing, no, it’s not that. She’s just like the little sister-who-is-actually-older-then-me I never had,” he shrugged. He knew his Mum would happily adopt Gwen into their family. Back in the day it had been in the ‘you have the potential to be my daughter-in-law’ one day but over time it had developed into ‘you’re the daughter I never had’ which suited Merlin just fine, “We’ve never even kissed.”
“Not once?” Morgana had a lot of male friends. She only had male friends. And she had kissed all of them at least once since she had known them. Either out of a dare or because she was very drunk and feeling affectionate.
“Never properly,” Merlin said with a shrug, “Never on the lips. Just the sort of kiss you’d give your Grandmother on Christmas Day. Only without feeling repulsed by it.”
“Oh, okay. Sorry,” Morgana smiled. She was feeling better now she wasn’t wallowing in her own pity all the time Avoidance was the best way of dealing for her. She would happily forget that that morning had ever happened and move on with her life forgetting about Al’s existence and re-writing her past without him in it. He wasn’t a note-worth individual in her life. It was fine, “So is there someone who’s not Gwen?”
“No. I don’t really meet many women in my line of work. I mean there’s Freya, she’s nice enough but really quiet and then there is the receptionist, Brenda, but she’s old enough to be my Great Aunt.”
“Well, some people dig that kind of thing.”
His nose wrinkled in disgust. The thought of doing anything with Brenda apart from chat on his way in and out of work was something that made his stomach churn. He’d made her a cup of tea once, but she was ill and he took pity on her for coming into the office when she really shouldn’t have been there. Had she not been sat down and at waist height he could have sworn she would have pinched his cheek, “Some people. Not me.”
“Well, you see like a great guy. Whoever gets you is lucky. I don’t see you cheating on anybody. You’re far too nice for that.”
“Thanks?” they both laughed, “I’m going to get a drink, can I get you anything?”
“I’m okay thanks. I shouldn’t drink too much coffee. Does funny things to my head,” fully acknowledged, Merlin took off towards the counter.
x
It wasn’t late when Morgana got home. She came in the front door just as Arthur and Gwaine were retreating back upstairs towards the game room. Gwaine had a tray with drinks, multiple bags of crisps and other sugary snacks on whilst Arthur slowly followed him up the stairs on his crutches.
“Where’ve you been?” Arthur asked once he clocked that Morgana had shut the front door. He hadn’t noticed her leave.
“Out.”
“Out where.”
“None of your damned business,” she threw her bag down onto one of the bottom steps and unbuttoned her jacket laying it on top. She moved off towards the kitchen.
“Oi!” Arthur shouted now at the top of the stairs and looking down over the banister. Gwaine had stopped beside him. All he wanted to do was eat and drink. He didn’t want to wait for sibling wars to be over, “You can’t leave that there. I might fall over it!”
“Then be more careful!” Morgana shouted back from the kitchen.
“Bitch,” Arthur grumbled under his breath moving away towards the games room.
“Prick!” Morgana shouted. Gwaine started to laugh at Arthur. The blonde couldn’t help but smile. He loved his sister dearly; he knew she didn’t mean it.
Most of the time.
x
Merlin Emrys was a scientist who believed in reliable numbers and research. He didn’t believe in maybes and could best, everything either was or would be. Everything was definite. Yet he still used Wikipedia as a quick source. Only about the likes of the Pendragons. He’d never believe what it said about quantum mechanics.
The Wikipedia page about Morgana Pendragon was even briefer than the one about her brother and pretty much told him the same thing Arthur’s page had told him about her. It had no information of interest at all. At least he had conclusive proof that she was single now (and he knew her birthday was April 19th).
Merlin sighed; so much for finding out if it was worth seeing if she wanted to go out sometime. Maybe not now. She needed time for the rebound period to pass.
“Merlin?” a gentle female voice called across the lab; a short brunette appeared at the other end. She leant against the door frame and watched him, “Monroe wants to know when you’ll be finished with his samples.”
He quickly closed his internet browser and opened the results he had already gathered; “I think I’m done. He can have them back.”
“Cheers,” she came over to him and took the small tray; “Merlin,” she said, her voice more timid than usual, “I was wondering if you were free tonight?”
“Well, I was going to spend my evening with a rather challenging sudoku.”
“Oh-“
“I’m kidding.”
“Would you care to join me for a drink?”
Merlin beamed back at her, “Sure.”
“Excellent, I’ll meet you on the way out?”
“Okay,” he couldn’t help but notice as she walked away how far her hair came down her back and how it swayed with every step she took. She was stunning. He had always known it. Despite being shy and beyond continually anxious; she had always had a quality about her that had intrigued Merlin. Though they’d never said anything more than “Can I have those slides?” before now. Yesterday he’d spent three hours chatting to Morgana about anything and everything.
Why is it that everything like this happens at once? He’d not shown any interest anybody for years; not even Gwen - which his mother had often wondered about - and now he had two equally beautiful women who had taken his interest. And both of them seemed to have taken an interest in him too.
Merlin made a mental note to ask Gwen about the situation later; she would know what to do.
x
On the 17th of November seven years ago Merlin had met Gwen at a tea society meeting. They’d both gone for a laugh. Gwen had bee told by her own father that she didn’t go out enough and Merlin - among his group of friends - had pulled society out of the hat. He’d been hoping for the Sci-fi Soc or something like that, but afterwards he was grateful he’d gotten the Tea Soc. Gwen was a breath of fresh air compared to his sciencey-minded uni friends.
He’d turned to her whenever he needed help and advice on something that his geeky male friends would be no use with. His times of need decreased slowly over the years but occasionally he utilised his friendship and asked her something. Usually about his current relationship or weird feelings he was having about issues like his job or his new flat.
He’d refused to sleep there for a week and ended up on Gwen’s sofa because there was something wrong with the place. Gwen had humoured him and even gone along with him when he’d printed out some banishing ‘spell’ from the internet. She’d mostly stood then with her lips clamped together with her teeth so she didn’t laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it. It got him off of her sofa in the end.
It was Gwen that told Merlin that going out with Freya was a good idea. If she was showing interest in him and he liked her, what was the harm in it? If it wasn’t enjoyable or didn’t work at least then he would know. She’d also said there was no point thinking about Morgana. They’d known her for two days and had hardly spoken to her without regards to Arthur.
Merlin was relaxed. Going straight after work meant that they would both be in the same clothes they’d been wearing all day and he wasn’t at risk of dressing up too much or dressing down too much. He already knew that she was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt under her lab coat and that suited him perfectly.
x
Five o’clock came around fast after he’d hung up the phone to Gwen. It wasn’t everyday that he would be so helpless and have to pick up the phone during Gwen’s lunch break and phone her in a panic. There hadn’t been many times over the last few years that he had met any other women - that weren’t Gwen - thus none that had taken his fancy.
Merlin shrugged off his lab coat and discarded it on the back of his desk chair. He straightened his t-shirt and checked that he didn’t smell too bad. Once satisfied he grabbed his bag and headed for the door.
Freya was waiting in the reception for him when he appeared.
“Hi,” she greeted quietly. Brenda behind the reception smiled at him and winked. He smiled at her and granted her farewell.
“Where did you have in mind?” Merlin asked once they were out in the street. He hadn’t thought it through himself so he was hoping she had. It was her idea after all.
“I was thinking of this little pub down the road? It does good chips and it’s not too busy.”
“Sounds like an excellent idea.”
x
When they arrived Merlin held the door for her. She nervously thanked him, tucking her loose hair behind her ear, “Thank you.”
Merlin smiled at her. They took the table near to the window. Merlin threw his bag by his feet and sat comfortably in the chair. The menus were in the middle of the table. Merlin took it from the hold and began to read over it. It didn’t have anything particularly spectacular on it; the usual pub cuisine, “Large chips?”
Freya quietly agreed.
“Great, I’ll be right back,” he turned to go towards the bar, “Oh, what do you want to drink?”
“Half of the guest?”
“Okay,” he smiled, trying not to make the situation any more awkward than it could potentially turn out to be.
Merlin came back minutes later with their drinks and his change still in his hands. He put the two glasses down on the table and pocketed his change. Freya held out a closed fist; “Here.”
“Oh, no, don’t worry about it. These are on me,” she smiled meekly at him, “Food should be about five minutes. I got some garlic bread as well ‘cause I could smell it when I was at the bar and it was too tempting to pass on.”
“Fair enough,” she smiled tentatively and timidly took a sip from the head of the beer, “they do it on ciabatta here. It’s quite nice,” Merlin smiled reassuringly at her, taking the seat next to her on the circular table rather than opposite.
“Sounds good to me.”
X
“It wasn’t a complete disaster,” Merlin said into his landline as he led on his bed with his night light on. They’d left the pub by seven. They’d eaten with light conversation, mainly talking about work and how they’d gotten into it. Merlin had told her stories about playing in the garden as a kid with a pooter in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other. He’d taken many the bug apart one leg at a time.
“But?”
“She was really quiet,” for every story and anecdote that Merlin had told Freya had barely given him anything back, “I know we have a lot in common but she was so nervous. It was sweet at first but towards the end of the night I wondered why she had asked me to go with her at all.”
“She’s a nice girl,” Gwen said in return sounding as if she was concentrating on something else rather than what Merlin had to say, “She was nervous. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. It was just hard to carry off a one person conversation all night.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“See what happens I guess?” he shrugged.
“You could always take her somewhere else next time. Like to the cinema. Or somewhere where you don’t have to talk so much.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“She’s nice, Merlin, she’s a good catch. She’ll settle her nerves soon,” Merlin sighed. He supposed she was right but until that time it would be hard for him to try and get closer to her whilst she was so closed off. You needed to give to get in Merlin’s point of view, and he was giving her a lot and getting nothing back; “She’s just over come with nerves; she’ll get over it.”
“This is why I love you,” he said through a sigh. He knew that Gwen was right. He did. But that didn’t make it any easier.
“I know.”
“Night, Gwen.”
“Sleep well, Merlin.”
X
Being a teacher it wasn’t often that Gwen would go out on a school night. Not when she had to be up at 6:30 the next morning to shower, dress and eat something sufficient to see her through to lunchtime (sometimes it would have to last until 5pm when she got home.) Yet somehow Merlin managed to convince her that going clubbing on a Thursday night was a good idea; “It’s cheap night!” he’d argued, “It’ll be fun!”
Fun if you didn’t have Sixth Formers the next morning, some of which she might run into and then they’d pick up on her hang-over, if she had one, and ridicule her for the next month. They wouldn’t show her any mercy. She didn’t hold back on them if they came crawling in after a heavy night out.
Merlin spent nearly an hour on the phone telling her it was a good idea. He’d even pay for a dress for her to wear if she decided to come; “I know you want to drag me around Southgate. They have a Pizza Express. I’m down with that,” she’d laughed and told him she had a dress she could wear and he could save his suffering for another day.
She’d been able to hear his sigh of relief down the phone line, “I love you, Gwen, but I’m not willing to die of boredom. Even for you.”
“I know. I wouldn’t think of it,” she reassured him. She’d dragged him shopping many times in the past and had always ended up with a headache from his constant complaints. She’d learnt her lesson.
“So you’ll come?”
She conceded as she looked at the pile of marking she had to do; “I’ll come.”
“Thank you! I-”
“You love me, I know. I love you too, mister, otherwise I wouldn’t do this.”
X
The spring evening wind was warm compared to chill it had held the past few weeks. The sun was still in the sky, ready to set behind the cityscape. Groups of twenty-somethings gathered in the streets ready to meet their friends. Some already carried half empty wine bottles. Joining the partiers against his will was Arthur Pendragon. He had his crutches in one hand as he sat in the back of a taxi with Morgana as it pulled up to the curb outside of the club, “I’m going to look completely out of place,” he complained as they climbed out of the taxi, Morgana handing him his crutches one at a time.
“You can stand in the corner and drink and sway. It’ll be great fun,” she said as she straightened out the bottom of her black dress. She pulled it down so it was covering the top half of her legs. She had her hair down and over one shoulder. She stood taller than Arthur in her four inch heels and she revelled in it.
“Remind me again why I’m here?” He said looking up at her; he slouched against the handles of his crutches.
“Because you need to stop moping and get out of the bloody house.”
“I do get out of the house.”
“And out of the yard?” She said, she raised her eyebrows at him and looked at him with that look she got when she knew she was right. It was the look that said ‘You can’t argue with me.’
“It’s out of the house isn’t it?” Arthur relented, any other form of argument would only get shot down, much like he considered she would do to this one…
“You’re depressing yourself…”
“You’ve been speaking to Gwaine, haven’t you?” he rocked back on his crutches and looked to the floor. He knew it was the case but he hadn’t not ridden a horse every day for the last ten years. Hanging out at the yard was the closest he got and it was true; he did start to feel a little bit down when he couldn’t get on CK and put him through his paces. The Livery Owner’s daughter had been helping him out running the usual drills with him so he didn’t get unfit.
“Yes,” Morgana said, not to Arthur’s surprise, “and Lance and Leon and Percy and-“
“Okay, I get the point. But honestly, Morgana, crutches in a club?”
“Well fine, we’ll meet everybody outside and go to the pub,” She said throwing her hair over her shoulder, “just as long as it’s out of the house and not at the yard!”
“I can compromise to that,” Arthur stepped down, he leant back against the building they were stood next to. He could see several pubs close by, he just hoped they weren’t seedy and horrible.
“Good,” Arthur rested his head back against the stone and closed his eyes, “Merlin and Gwen should be here in a minute.”
“Gwen?” his eyes snapped back open again and he glowered at Morgana, “You invited Gwen?”
“Yes. You have a problem with that?”
Arthur looked down at his crutches and looked up at Morgana again, “You could say that, yes.”
“Oh get off your high horse, she’s apologised a hundred times,” quite literally. Since Morgana had started talking to Merlin on a daily basis she had given him their home number; they got free evening calls so it would eat into their contracts. He in turn had given it to Gwen who spoke to Morgana and always finished her conversation asked Morgana to apologise to Arthur which she would do. But he wouldn’t let it go.
“Well thanks to her I’m not on my high horse, I’m not on a horse at all!”
“Oh you’ve got a month left of crutches. Get over it, for Christ’s sake!”
“Easy for you to say. You do realise if I can’t compete you’re out of a job, right?”
“Then I’ll get another. I’m sure plenty of people out their need an assistant. Oh maybe I could work for that band you really hate! They’re nicer to look at than you.”
“You’d rather work for me. I’d pay you better than any f-list boy band.”
“I’d rather work for a f-list boy band than a z-list sportsman who is also my brother.”
“Oi-“
“Alright children, enough,” Gwaine interjected as he arrived. He greeted Morgana with a swift kiss on the cheek.
“Tonight is your lucky night,” Arthur said dryly.
“Oh yeah?”
Arthur looked over Gwaine’s shoulder as a taxi pulled up behind them. Gwaine turned to see a women, similar to their age, climb out of the back seat, followed by a wiry male. Her hair was half pinned up with curls cascading down her back. She wore a simple black dress and a pair of silver leggings. A pair of killer heels finishing off her outfit, “Are we late?” she asked Morgana who greeted her enthusiastically.
“Not at all. Gwen, Merlin, this is Gwaine. Gwaine, this is Gwen and Merlin.”
“Gwen?” Gwaine quirked his eyebrow, he reached to shake her hand, bringing it to his lips, “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much.”
“I’d say all good things-“
“You managed to take Arthur down a few pegs before actually meeting him; that’s good in my book,” he released her hand and took in his surroundings, “A-ha! Lance! So glad you could make it,” his friend was wearing nothing but a thin t-shirt and jeans, and although it wasn’t cold the breeze made it a little nippy, “Meet my good friend, Gwen!”
“Night off,” he confirmed. He looked at the female his friend was introducing and smiled, “Nice to meet you,” he smiled at her and looked at his friend, “You don’t have any friends called Gwen.”
“As of thirty seconds ago, I do,” Gwen laughed, she couldn’t help it. She felt at ease with these guys, they weren’t giving her a cold shoulder like Arthur was. He hadn’t even looked at her since she’d gotten there, he’d busied himself with glaring at his flirting friend.
“I’d watch out for that one Gwen,” Lance said, “He befriends everything.”
“Seems like quite a nice way to go through life to me.”
“He has six hundred Facebook friends. He knows about six of them properly.”
“People like me, what can I say?”
“Leon!” Morgana waved out at a man walking down the street, it wasn’t until he stooped to hug Morgana that Gwen noticed how tall he was, “Meet Merlin and Gwen. Now we can go find a pub,” she reported to Arthur.
“Pub?” Gwaine protested, “I thought we were having a party.”
“Mr Grumpy Pants has drawn a line through that plan. Says we can’t club if he can’t.”
“You can drink for cheaper in the pub,” Arthur said before Gwaine turned his attack on him.
“Pub it is.”
x
They found a secluded spot in the corner of the first pub they’d come to. None of them had been in there before but the alcohol was cheap and there were bar snacks on offer, they didn’t need much else. Merlin sat talking animatedly to Leon and Morgana about how it was a possibility that the world could end in 2012, but there was a bigger chance of you winning the Lottery three weeks in a row than it happening; “Besides,” he said, “If the world ends, we’d have spent so much money on the Olympics for no reason.”
Gwen was talking to both Gwaine and Lance, they seemed to take an interest in the play she’d been directing and were both asking her questions about it. Arthur could see right through Gwaine, it was what he did every time. He picked up on what it was that the girl was proud of or liked to talk about and suddenly it because his biggest interest too.
Arthur sat on his own, wishing that Percy hadn’t decided to suddenly get the flu and wasn’t coming. Talking to Merlin about the apocalypse didn’t interest him and he wasn’t about to speak to Gwen unless his life depended on it. He’d tried to get Lance’s attention from her but it hadn’t worked. The pair of his friends were like a child with a new toy. It was pathetic really.
Gwen, in a moment of silence, looked at Arthur. He caught her eye. She smiled at him, trying to bridge the gap between them but he looked away from her and rolled his eyes.
If that was how he was going to be, Gwen decided she wouldn’t try again. She turned her attention back to Gwaine and Lance and laughed. They were easy to get along with; even if they were mostly just flirting, they were making her comfortable in a new group of friends.
“How many hours a week do you rehearse?”
“About ten. Three hours after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays then lunchtimes every day bar Friday. Though we’re rehearsing all day Monday. First curtain Monday night.”
“Lucky kids.”
“Why’s that?”
“Getting to spend so much time with you.”
“I’m not sure they see it that way.”
“Of course not. They just love Miss…?”
“Leodegrance.”
“They just love Miss Leodegrance for her teaching.”
“I like to think so.”
“So naïve.”
“Even if that was the reason why, at least they’re good.”
“All to do with you, I’m sure.”
“Well of course,” she grinned, “What is it you do?” she asked, too long now had the topic of conversation been about her. Despite his tactics to seem interested in her working, she wanted to know about him as well.
“He’s a bum,” Lance replied for him, “Aren’t you, Gwaine?”
“Some would say that. I do odd jobs. Mainly help out my neighbour with the things she can’t do at seventy-eight,” Lance snorted into his glass, choking on the swig of beer he had just taken, “Well I do. Ask Dot yourself. She makes a killer cup of tea.”
“I’m sure she does.”
“She pays me in meals and tea. It’s a good deal.”
“Mainly so he doesn’t have to cook,” Lance said in Gwen’s ear. She laughed, catching his eye and smiling at him.
Arthur watched the exchange. It served nothing but not annoy him. She was being welcomed into their fold easier than any of the others had even been. She didn’t even have to wear a low-cut top to win Gwaine’s approval. She just had to be there.
And have broken his leg.
Gwaine looked over at his friend as he drank his Guinness; Gwen and Lance talking about him next to them. Arthur didn’t see him, but the sour look on his face spoke wonders. Gwaine smirked to himself; oh yeah, he really hated her. With her perfect, freckled skin and wild ringlets. He’d never pegged Arthur to be one who was into that sort of thing; but whatever floated his boat. If he wanted to get off on pain who was he to stop him?
x
Ellis had forced her on the door. She smiled and welcomed the parents. She wanted to be backstage with the cast. She wanted to make sure they were okay. They’d been panicked all day, she wanted them to be confident.
A hand covered her eyes from behind. She squeaked, “Mer-lin!” he laughed, appearing in front of her with Morgana by his side. She hugged him quickly.
“We are here to show our support,” Merlin declared, showing her his tickets.
“You should have said I would have gotten you in for free.”
“Now she tells me!” Morgana and Merlin exchanged a look. They both turned to Gwen with a smile on their faces. They were there for her, they were willing to pay the measly five pounds for a seat to watch something she had put so much effort into.
“You guys should find a seat it’s going to start soon.”
“Sure thing,” Morgana beamed ready to go into the hall.
“Merlin?” a small voice said behind them. He turned suddenly to find the source; he hadn’t been expecting to know anybody else here.
“Freya? Hi,” he beamed, still in remote shock but covered himself well, “What are you doing here?” he realised straight away he could have said it in a nicer way. He’d seen Freya a few more times; never once did it lead to anything more than him holding her hand. It was all too polite. She’d never subsided her nerves and it got to the point where Merlin had given up trying. If she wanted for anything to happen then she would have to make the next move.
“My brother’s in the play,” she said sheepishly, “You?”
“Gwen is in charge of the whole thing. You know Gwen, right?” he said playfully shoving his friend forward with every intention of using her as a shield should the need arise. He stood between the two women of interest to him. Morgana’s glare boring into the back of his head.
“Yeah, I’ve seen you around work before,” she shook Gwen’s hand.
“This is our friend, Morgana. Morgana this is Freya,” she smiled politely, but it never reached her eyes. Gwen looked between her and Merlin; the niggle that her friend had been lying to her quite spectacularly set in. ‘Nothing happening with Morgana, eh?’
“I’m going to go find some seats near the front,” Morgana decided, with a flash in her eye that Gwen didn’t miss, even if Merlin did, “Do you want me to save you a seat by us, Gwen?”
Gwen nodded, “Please.”
“Okay, we’ll see you in a minute.”
“Would you like to sit with us?” Merlin offered; Freya smiled.
“I’d like that.”
‘Morgana won’t,’ Gwen thought to herself, she excused herself. She wanted to get in backstage before the curtain was opened, even if Ellis wanted her out the front, she was going to talk to the kids; wish them good luck.
x
The curtains were closed. Gwen walked backwards and forth across the stage, she corrected every costume, every prop. She adjusted her own dress. Her main cast were all sitting nervously and waiting. Gwen checked her watch, five minutes, “Everybody onto the stage please,” she called down one side. She crossed the stage and repeated herself.
All of the cast gathered in front of her, she stood on a chair that was meant for part of Mrs Lyon’s dining set and clapped once loudly, “Okay guys; opening night! Curtain in four minutes. I’m nervous, so I can’t imagine how you guys are feeling. But you are amazing. You’ve worked so hard, nothing is going to go wrong. Just do what you did this morning and you will blow this lot away.
“All that’s left to say is good luck. You will do brilliantly I can assure you of that! Go, be ready! Curtain in three!” She jumped down from the chair with a hand from her Mickey, “Thank you. Good luck Tom, you’ll blow them away.”
“So you just said.”
“You’re all kinds of funny; you made me cry this morning remember?”
“You sure that wasn’t from how awful I was?” she tapped him on the bicep in reprimand.
“Go, get ready, Tom. You’ll be fine,” Gwen sought out a girl by the name of Amy, she was playing Mrs Johnstone, she was the one who got to say when they went ahead, “Get into position, and once I’m out of the way, you can start whenever you like, okay?”
“Yes Miss,” she smiled nervously in response.
“You’ll be fine,” Gwen walked out from behind the curtain and slipped down the side of the audience to find her seat between Merlin and Morgana. Freya sat on her best friend’s other side looking nervous and a little out of place.
“Okay?” Merlin enquired.
“Good to go,” she settled down into her seat. She waited with baited breath, this was it. This was her big show. If this went wrong Ellis would never let her be in charge of a play again. The butterflies in her stomach were raged.
The curtain opened, it was beginning.
x
Gwaine was busy. Lance was busy. Leon was busy. Even Percy was busy.
Arthur sat staring at the ceiling making shapes out of the swirls in the white-painted plaster above his head. He blew a raspberry between his lips and drummed out an irregular beat on his stomach.
He was bored.
Morgana had gone out to spent time with the enemy and he was stuck with nowhere to go. He’d managed to grab the bunch of grapes from the kitchen and had entertained himself by throwing them in the air and trying to catch them in his mouth. He’d gotten steadily worse and soon given it up as a bad job and just ate them. All too quickly.
Over three hundred channels on the television and nothing was playing anything he wanted to watch. The music on the video channels weren’t to his cup of tea. He could have watched a film but that would mean having to get up and it was too much effort to make.
He’d even read one of Morgana’s trashy gossip magazines in one last ditch attempt at curing his boredom. There had been an article about how two women who had met on holiday in Malaga who had fallen in love and eventually found out, after they’d had a baby, that they were related through their fathers. At that Arthur had put the magazine down and sworn never to touch the creepy things again.
Arthur pulled the coffee table towards him. From one of the draws beneath it he pulled out random objects and laid them out on the tabletop. He grabbed the spoon he had had in his tea cup that Morgana had given him before she’d left and the knife from his dinner and started to tap out a rhythm on the objects. It was more than enough to amuse him.
x
Gwen looked around, there were tears in the eyes of some of the parents, one lady was dabbing her cheeks with a handkerchief. She smiled, it couldn’t have gone any better. Merlin elbowed in her in the side, she looked at him and he grinned fro ear to ear, “Congrats Miss Director; jolly good show.”
She stood and made her way up onto the stage before the kids could run off after their bows. She clapped Tom on the shoulder. Amy hugged into her side, “I’d just like to say,” Gwen shouted over the applause, “That these kids have worked so hard over the last few months. I never thought when we started out with this that we would be this good. They were all amazing, as I’m sure you’d agree.
“Thank you so much for coming! It means so much to all of us. Thank you for your support and thank you to my colleague, Peter for letting me do this. It was a great opportunity for me and for the cast. But mostly, thank you to these guys for making the last few months as stress-free as possible and generally being quite fantastic!”
“We’d like to thank you, Miss. You’ve been a great director and teacher all year and this is a great last hurrah before we leave and for the younger ones it’s a great way for them to start their drama careers here. We all hope you stick around for a good while yet.”
“Thanks, Tom,” she grinned, he quickly hugged her before jokingly pushing her away. The audience laughed. The cast bowed one more time, taking Gwen down with them. “Thank you!” she saw Merlin whistle at the loudest volume. Morgana was clapping loudly.
The curtain closed.
“Great show guys, only three more nights to go!” they all groaned at her, “Party on Friday. Look forward to it. Perform excellently. Have fantastic careers.”
“As a drama teacher in a private school,” one of the older boys heckled.
“As a drama teacher. Though I don’t think you guys could do my job.”
“No Miss,” the same boy said back with a laugh, “We’d do it better.”
x
The desk that Gwen had situated in the Drama Department looked out over the playing fields. The boys were currently out at football practise. She had the window open and she could hear the constant calls to Rick to ‘pass the bloody ball!’ She laughed. She knew Rick well. He was one of those incredibly popular sporty people who made it cool to be into Drama. It was thanks to the likes of him that she had managed to rope in a lot of the more burly players to play a part in her production.
The young drama teacher had been staring at the blank word document before her. She was meant to be writing a letter to the parents of the children in the play thanking them for their cooperation over the last few months. It was all a load of bullshit that none of them would read and would only end up in the bin (not recycling). Ellis had told her she had to write it. Something about her needing to show her willingness to recognise others assistance.
Gwen had nearly scoffed at the idea to his face. One of the parents didn’t even come to pick up their son after a late night rehearsal. Gwen had given the boy the taxi fare herself.
She relented and had decided she would utilise her free time and write the damned thing.
She liked to read words out loud, not write them…
Gwen jumped when her phone vibrated in the desk draw - out of sight from the students - she was baffled as to who would be phoning at this time. Everybody knew she worked until four and it was only two now. She eyed her phone; Morgana.
“Hello?”
“Gwen?”
“Morgana?” She didn’t know why on Earth Morgana would need to phone her during the day, unless she had accidentally murdered Merlin and needed Gwen to be her ally.
“Hi; I have a favour to ask you. A huge favour, actually.”
“Go on?”
“Arthur’s got an appointment at the hospital in half and hour and I’m stuck in Bristol. I’ve called everybody we know and I can’t get hold of anyone or they are all incapacitated elsewhere.”
“Okay?” Gwen didn’t like where this was going. The last time she’d seen Arthur he had made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t interested in being friends with her; he hadn’t been particularly pleasant all evening.
“Is there any remote possibility that you might be able to pick him up from the livery and get him there? I’ll owe you big time.”
“I would Morgana but I’m still at school.”
“Are you teaching?” there was a definite sense of pleading in Morgana’s tone already and she had barely started the conversation; whatever it was, Gwen knew she wasn’t going to like it.
“On a free lesson…”
“Plead family emergency?” she said doing exactly that to Gwen, pleading.
“I would, Morgana, but-“
“Please? I’d get him to take a taxi but the hospital doesn’t like it. He should be getting his cast off today and they like to have a second person there to make sure he gets home okay,” Gwen knew that was true. When there was any possibility that they needed to do any sort of procedure they liked to send people home with somebody just in case of side effects. She had been that person for her father many a time. The last time she’d let alone.
“Arthur doesn’t like me, Morgana,” she stated simply. It was one of the more obvious things in her life right now unlike everything else, “He won’t want me there.”
“Don’t be silly,” Morgana said flippantly, “he does like you.”
“He has a funny way of showing it.”
“Please, Gwen? I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate!”
Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She let out a long breath, “Fine. You owe me.”
“Thank you; thank you; thank you!” Morgana reeled off the instructions on how to get to the livery yard and thanked her again. Gwen was just grateful it wasn’t too far. Gwen hit the ‘out of office’ button on her email and left Ellis a note. He could take any phone calls of great importance; he was head of the department after all.
She headed out, turning up Lansdown Hill and hitting the gas. The Livery wasn’t all that far, she just had to go as far as the main road about two miles down the road she was on now and double back on herself for a mile then turn off down the other side of the hill that she was currently on to the hospital.
It only took her five minutes before she was pulling up to the turning for the livery. She spotted Arthur standing by the edge of the field, leaning helplessly on the fence as somebody else rode his horse about the field. He looked dejected.
She pulled up to the main barn and killed the ignition of her car.
Arthur hadn’t even noticed her pull up. He’d only ever seen her battered old car in the dark before now so he probably hadn’t registered who it was having been expecting Morgana. He looked completely enthralled watching his horse go about the course with precision.
Gwen slowly made her way up behind him, her feet crunching into the gravel path. Arthur looked over his shoulder at the noise, he frowned; “What do you want?” he said rather coldly. It wasn’t a surprise to Gwen.
“Morgana didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” he said looking back into the field.
“She’s stuck in Bristol; needs me to take you to RUH.”
Surely there was somebody somewhere that wasn’t Gwen that was available? Arthur pulled his phone from his pocket, “No signal.”
“Well there you go then,” an awkward silence fell. Gwen stepped up so she was level with the fence, watching the rider guide the horse about the small course that had been set up, “We should go. You’re appointment is in about twenty minutes.”
“They’re always late,” he didn’t like to leave. If he couldn’t ride he didn’t want somebody else riding him without him there. CK could go lame or get injured in another way. He wasn’t the most trusting horse; he only liked to go back into the stable with Arthur there.
“The sooner you get there the sooner you get that off and the closer to get to being able to ride again,” Arthur sighed, he knew she was right. He waved over the girl from the livery yard and she came trotting over.
“Everything alright, Mr P?” she asked. She was no more then sixteen; she must have been one of the daughters of the farmer who owned the yard.
“I’ve got to go,” he said running his hand up the side of the horse’s neck, “You okay taking him round a few more times then taking him in?”
“Yeah,” she beamed, “He’s an awesome ride.”
“Yeah, he is. Thanks Soph,” he kissed his horse on the nose.
“Any time, Mr P.”
“Just be careful going into the stall okay? If he starts kicking up put the blinkers on that are next to it. And feed him as you go in and he should be okay,” he explained. The girl looked like she had been told this a number of times before but she nodded and agreed anyway.
Arthur picked up his crutches from where he had leant them against the fence and turned to Gwen as Sophie rode away on Arthur’s horse; “We should go,” he followed her with a look on disdain on his face; he wasn’t most pleased by this arrangement. He figured Morgana had eventually asked Gwen because she felt that he should get to know her properly. She was convinced he would be her friend before long.
x
Hospital waiting rooms were officially dull. All the magazines were out of date. The papers consisted of The Sun and The Daily Mail and Arthur would rather read neither. Gwen had taken to staring at a spot on the ceiling and concentrating on it to the point where it had nearly disappeared because her vision had blurred. She had done very much the same last time she had been sat waiting in the hospital for a prolonged period of time. She kept replaying it all in her head.
The doctor had appeared in the corridor with a grim look on her face. She’d opened the conversation with an apology and that was all Gwen could remember. It hurt to know any more. Her father had had bad lungs for years. They had never suspected it was anything more than the amount of sawdust he must have inhaled on an average day at the work site. Turned out to be a lot more than that.
Gwen screwed her eyes shut to stop herself from crying. She didn’t need Arthur asking her questions. She wouldn’t be able to speak about it without crying. A year wasn’t long enough to forget about it. She had nobody left. She didn’t need him knowing that. She opened her eyes again and found her spot and stared at it with an increased intensity.
There was a poster opposite Arthur telling the public all about the dangers of Swine Flu and how you had to wash your hand after every little thing; touching your face; running your fingers through your hair; coughing; sneezing. It was like every news report they had had for the last few years. It was starting to grow old.
“Arthur Pendragon?” a nurse called; he pushed up from his seat and started to hobble forwards without his metal aids. He put some weight on his left foot but found it too difficult to walk in his cast. He grabbed at the crutches. He accidentally knocked one of them to the floor.
“I’ve got it,” Gwen said, the kafuffle tearing her away from her spot on the ceiling. She bent to grab the crutch from the floor and handed it to him; “Do you want me to come in with you?”
“No,” he snapped. Gwen shrank back into her chair.
“I’ll wait here then,” he didn’t apologise; he just turned away from her and started to gently go up the corridor, following the greying nurse. Gwen crossed her legs and started bobbing her foot.
“Bit uptight, isn’t he, love?” the lady who had been next to Arthur asked her over the chair between them, “Your boyfriend.”
“Yeah,” she didn’t bother to argue that he wasn’t anything to actually do with her. It would only pose more questions that she couldn’t be bothered to answer or reason with herself right now, “He’s fed up of hospitals. He’s a sporty type, doesn’t like not being able to do stuff.”
“I understand. He shouldn’t be so mean to you love.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it,” she realised that it really seemed like a bad relationship to be stuck in, even if it was a lie. He deserved to be mad at her, it was her fault that he couldn’t live his life how he normally did, “He’s not usually like this,” she said, feeling the need to save his fake reputation a little, “It’s just the hospital brings the worst out in him.”
x
“All looks in order, Mr Pendragon. Everything has aligned properly, you’ll be glad to know. The cast can come off but you’ll have to wear the support still and use the crutches for about anther month, but you can start to use your foot again, build up the muscles.”
“Okay,” Arthur nodded, wanting very much to free his leg of the hard casing. He had had a permanent itch for the last four weeks and it wouldn’t go away. He couldn’t wait until he could attack it.
x
Arthur hobbled out of the room. He used his crutches to walk slowly back down the corridor towards Gwen. She had picked up a magazine in the time he had disappeared, but she looked equally as bored as she had when he had left her there.
“Good to go?” she asked trying her hardest to smile at him.
“Yeah,” he kept walking past her; it would take him longer to walk to the car than it would her anyway. He wanted to build up the strength in his leg as quickly as possible; relying on the crutches to move him around wouldn’t help.
“What did they say?” Gwen enquired, her jumper folded over her arm and her car keys in her hand ready to unlock it the second they got near.
“Not much,” he grunted in response.
“Oh, only Morgana told me to tell her everything-“
“I can tell her myself,” he said abruptly.
When they reached the car Arthur shoved his crutches into the back seat of Gwen’s banger and slumped into the front seat, not being quite as careful about his leg as the doctors would have wanted.
He clenched his jaw as he slammed the door closed; he should have been nicer to her. She was doing him a favour. He looked over at her as she climbed into the driver’s seat. He offered her a small smile, he had to start building a bridge, he decided. She’d built her half, it was time he met her in the middle.
x
The ride back to the Pendragon sibling’s home had been a silent one. They didn’t have anything to say to each other and with the knowledge that within the next month he’d be back riding without so little as a hint that he had ever been injured; he could no longer be angry with Gwen.
But he didn’t have anything to say. He pretty much been nothing but rude and arrogant to her for the last six weeks; he couldn’t just take that all back with the snap of his fingers.
She pulled up outside the gate and kept the engine running. She had no intention of staying longer than necessary. Gwen looked out of the opposite window and tapped on the steering wheel with the tips of her fingers.
Arthur cleared his throat, “Well, thanks.”
“No worries,” she half smiled at him and nodded once.
Arthur made to open the door but stopped before he clambered out of the car and looked at his driver, “I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”
“I ran you over and broke your leg. You’ve had every right to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” he suddenly declared. Such an impression he had made. He didn’t like it and he didn’t approve of the man he had become around her. It wasn’t fair. As much as he had believed it in the past he didn’t believe it now. Why had he been acting like such an arsehole for the last six weeks?
“Yeah?” the disbelief in her voice wasn’t a surprise, “You do a good job of showing it.”
“I haven’t been the most welcoming of people; true,” he shifted in the passenger seat to look at her, “How about we start a fresh? Forget all of it. Start again?” He offered, it was the only thing he could do without ruining what dwindling friendship they had already. If they started again it would be easier for him to patch back together. Even if his attitude might have made that a difficult manoeuvre.
“I’d like that,” she replied genuinely. She seemed open to new things and to forgiveness, which was good for Arthur. This wasn’t likely to be the only mistake he made.
Arthur smiled. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt, “Right. Thanks.” He pulled his crutches from the back seat and stood out of the car putting most of his right on his right leg. Before she could drive away he had started to walk (albeit slowly around the front of the car to the driver side window. He knocked on the glass.
Confused; Gwen hit the window down button and waited as the window scrolled down, “Hi?” her brow was knitted but she looked mildly amused.
“I’m Arthur; nice to meet you,” he held his hand out through the window. She accepted it with a smile and firmly shook his hand.
“Guinevere, though most people call me Gwen.”
“Well, Guinevere, it’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“I’ll see you soon. Bye Guinevere,” he gave a short wave and started off on his crutches again this time swinging quickly on his right foot so he got out of the road. He leant on his right crutch and waved with his left hand before she left.
Maybe he could make this work.
END NOTE: So when sgmajorshipper was reading this through for me, she had no idea what a pooter was… it looks like this and you use them to suck up bugs… I was a Merlin as a kid; what can I say...
