Camelot Investigations
Summary: Camelot Investigations is known for being the best of the best in the private investigation business. But a new case will make or break them. When a new client comes in asking for their help Gwen becomes flustered, Arthur gets in way over his head and Merlin is enjoying the show.
Rating: PG-NC17
A.N: Modern AU. This story is about Gwen and Arthur with a smidge of Lancelot. Other characters will make an appearance.
[Chapter 2]
It had been a long and grueling day at the office for her. Arthur had stayed locked in his office barely coming out to acknowledge her and Merlin all day. He canceled all other appointments and requested that he not be disturbed. Gwen was annoyed that he'd made her take messages all day. There were only so many messages she could take from his mother before she started to hate the lovely woman.
She began shutting down her computer and gathering her things when he reappeared for the first time since his meeting with Lance.
"Guinevere…" he seemed surprised. "I didn't realize anyone was still here." He looked around the office. "Merlin left?"
"Merlin always leaves at five on the dot Mondays, Arthur. You know that… he has to pick up your sister at her flat. It's their date night."
"I still don't know what she sees in him…" he shook his head.
She shrugged. "He balances her out… she's high strung and he's laid back. They work."
"I suppose you're right." He smiled softly. "And it riles my father up… he hates that she's dating the photographer on his payroll."
"That too."
She picked up her bag and attempted to walk around him.
"Do you need a ride?" he asked suddenly.
She looked up at him with a soft smile. "Thank you… but I can take the Tube."
"It's late…" he started.
"It's barely seven…" she cut him off.
"It's dark outside." He shrugged. "I can take you home…. I'd feel better making sure you got home safely."
"My flat is completely in the other direction from you. Are you sure?"
"Morgana and Merlin would kill me if I didn't." he answered. "Just let me shut down in my office."
She smiled and nodded.
He began his nightly ritual of shutting of his laptop and looked down at the USB in his hand. He turned toward his safe behind his painting of Monet's Starry Night and placed the drive inside before locking it completely. When he walked out of his office he found her standing by the door waiting.
"Sorry…"
"It's alright." She shrugged. "You're saving me a long trip as it is…"
He led her out the door and waited for her to lock behind them. "Thank you. I keep forgetting my keys inside."
"I already had mine out anyway."
"I'm in the car park across the street." He pointed.
She recognized the sports car immediately. Everyone knew Arthur Pendragon's cherry red Ferrai 458 Spider. He unlocked the door with the click of a button and stopped her when she attempted to open the door. He opened it for her and slid inside with a smile. Arthur may be a prat but his manners instilled by his parents were always present.
She watched him walk around the front of the car and sit in the driver seat.
"Thank you…" she said. "For the ride I mean…"
He shrugged. "It's nothing. You're my sister's best friend…"
She nodded with a tight smile.
"So… today was intense…"
He glanced at her as he pulled out of the car park and onto the street. "A little bit… yeah…"
"That new client is…"
He looked at her with furrowed brow.
"He just looked important…" she finished.
"He is." Arthur confirmed. "He is a research analyst for pharmaceuticals. He didn't introduce himself?"
"Not with a title, no…" she shook her head and turned toward him. "Believe it or not… titles don't matter to some…"
He shrugged. "It's an accomplishment. He should carry it with pride."
She scoffed.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No Detective…" she shook her head.
"Guinevere…" he smirked smugly. "You haven't used my title since we met."
"Well, being as titles are so important to you… I thought it might be good to start using it again."
He shook his head. "It's not like that."
"What did he say?" she continued. "What case is he pleading?"
"That's confidential." He answered.
"Since when?"
"Since I don't want to discuss it with you… yet."
"It's just the two of us here, Arthur." She kept her gaze on him. "You can tell me."
He sighed. "He thinks the company he works for is creating an illicit designer drug that could cause hallucinations."
"They wouldn't be the first ones to do that."
"This drug can use someone's worst fear against them. Turn them against one another." He continued with a glance. "It could make you so afraid of someone that you'd feel you have to strike first before they do. It could be one massive bloodshed. If it fell into the wrong hands… it could mean disaster. Assassins would be unknowingly created around the world."
She eyed him carefully. "Do you believe him?"
"Guin…"
"You must… if you took the case." She continued.
"I don't know…" he shook his head. "It sounds like something out of a movie… but it doesn't hurt to look into it. If all else to confirm the good doctor is off his rocker."
"I don't think he's insane." She shook her head. "He seemed balanced to me."
Arthur eyed her with confusion. "He was supposed to leave you his contact information…"
"He did."
"Where did you leave that?"
"Relax Arthur… I know my job. The hard copy is in the safe under my desk and the information is saved in my locked file on the computer."
"Good." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I know that you…"
"You know… it'd be nice if you trusted me once in a while…" she frowned as he pulled up to her flat. "I might just surprise you."
She opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle before slamming the door shut behind her. "I do trust you… and you always surprise me." He mumbled to himself as he watched her walk up the stairs.
She walked into her flat and closed the door behind her as she sifted through her mail. She jumped and looked down when she felt something rub against her leg and smiled when she found her white Persian cat sitting in front of her. "You scared me Athiusa." She chastised.
The cat meowed at her and she smiled softly. "You must be hungry, baby."
She walked through the living area and placed her discarded mail on the dining table on the way to the cabinet. She pulled out a can of food for Athiusa and began to prepare it quietly. Her cat was spoiled. Merlin had given her to Gwen on Gwen's birthday last year. The cat got along remarkably well with Morgana. It's like she hated everyone except her raven haired friend. Gwen liked to tease that Athiusa liked Morgana more than her but sometimes she felt it to actually be true. Athiusa hated Arthur though. Gwen couldn't understand his antagonistic relationship with her cat but it was one of the reasons she enjoyed having Athiusa around.
She set the cat's bowl on the ground and washed her hands before attempting to find dinner for herself. The phone ringing distracted her. "Hello?"
"Gwen!"
"Hi, Morgana…" Gwen smiled. "Aren't you with Merlin?"
"He's fumbling with something electrical again. The Blu-Ray player isn't playing." She shrugged on the line. "I swear that he has magic or something."
Gwen laughed. "Merlin is not a wizard, Morgana. He can't fix everything you break."
She turned back toward her cabinets and frowned when nothing appealed to her.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for something to eat." She answered. "But I have to go to the market soon or else I'll starve."
"Want to come over?"
"No car." Gwen reminded her friend.
"I'll send Merlin."
"No, it's alright. I'm tired. It was a long day of lying to your mum."
"Arthur's avoiding her again?"
"In his defense he was actually working today…" she frowned.
"Merlin said a strange client walked in today."
"Not so much strange as important." She answered.
"Merlin also mentioned your flustered reaction to said client."
"Merlin is an idiot and a liar."
Merlin can hear you!
Gwen groaned. "Am I on speaker phone, Morgana?"
"Yes." Her friend answered guitily.
"Take me off."
"Only if you tell me about him." Morgana smirked.
Gwen sighed. "Fine." She waited a beat before continuing. "He may have been… good looking."
"Describe him." Morgana continued.
"Exotic?" Gwen tried.
"Exotic?" Morgana asked with confusion.
"He's not from around here…" she responded. "At least I don't believe he is."
"Did you talk to him at all, Gwen?"
"For a minute." She defended herself. "I know he's a doctor!"
"That's intriguing." Morgana smiled knowingly.
What is?
Gwen could hear Merlin in the background.
"Lance is a doctor." Morgana supplied. "What else?"
"He's working on something very highly confidential with your brother and cannot say anymore or you're brother will sack me."
"My brother would never sack you, Gwen." Morgana answered.
"How do you know that?" Gwen asked with a scoff.
"Because he's my brother." Morgana shrugged. "I know that prat better than anyone…"
Except for me!
"Well, except for Merlin…" Morgana amended. "Those two have a strange relationship."
"Arthur is strangely fond of Merlin…" Gwen agreed.
"He's fond of you too, you know…" Morgana continued.
"He tolerates me… because of you and Merlin…" Gwen corrected her. "Mostly because of you though."
"I don't believe that to be true." Morgana defended with a smile. A crash on the line distracted her. "I'm sorry Gwen… I better go… Merlin's knocked over something expensive."
"Goodnight, Morgana."
"I'll swing by tomorrow. I'll bring lunch for you all."
"I'll see you tomorrow then…"
"Goodnight."
Arthur stepped into his empty flat and shut the door behind him. He tossed his keys and mobile phone on the small table by the door before walking into his office and sitting at his desk. He opened a web browser on his home computer and typed Cenred Pharmaceuticals into the search engine. He glanced at the page in front of him detailing the company's profile.
The information in front of him was starting to make his eyes blur. On the surface, the company was top notch. Everything seemed legit. But he knew better than to trust the pretty façade he was presented with. He sighed and sat back in his chair rubbing his eyes. Folding his hands across his middle he groaned. "What are you hiding, Cenred?"