The homophobic language in this chapter is used only for the story and is in no way a reflection on the author's views. I have no intention to cause offence.

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Merlin did think hard, and it didn't take long to make up his mind not to agree to it, it sounded almost vindictive and he didn't think he could cope with the press. He had told Arthur but said he would phone Morgana the next morning so it looked like he had at least given it some thought, after all Morgana was trying to help. It was just as well because within hours it was Uther himself that made Merlin's mind up to go ahead after all.

It was later that evening and they had finished supper, that everything changed. Arthur had given Merlin a new phone, which he had brought him the day before. Merlin had decided to take a new picture of Arthur to put on it, but was having trouble getting a good one. The doorbell had rung and Merlin thought it might be a good idea to try to get one as Arthur turned back round, every other one he had taken that evening Arthur had ruined by Arthur pulling a funny face. As Arthur opened the door he found his father outside. From where he was Merlin couldn't see who it was, but started to take pictures. As he did Arthur came flying back as Uther threw an ineffectual punch at his son. "You put your sister up to that didn't you?" Uther shouted "I spent two hours this evening with the chief whip and the PM because of you, well let me tell you something it hasn't worked. What's more I know you're bluffing about the press, the drunk couldn't cope with the press on your door, not without drinking himself to death" Uther had clearly been drinking himself. "And as for you, you pansy, getting a woman to do your dirty work, to limp wristed to do it yourself"

Without even thinking Merlin ran forward dropping his phone, to check that Arthur was alright, the blonde hadn't been hit, but had stumbled backwards in surprise and caught the sofa to stop himself falling as he lost his balance. His prosthesis made him more unstable, particularly going backwards quickly.

Merlin looked up at Uther in a rage "You bully get out, how dare you hit Arthur, I will got to the press and don't think I won't, no one and but no one hurts Arthur" he walked towards the much larger man, clearly very angry "I might be a drunk but I'm not a two faced piece of garbage like you" with that the slammed the door in Uther's face and locked it before turning back to Arthur, who to Merlin's amazement was laughing.

"What you laughing for?" he demanded

"Oh Merlin only you, only you" Arthur laughed some more "You won't stick up for yourself but are like a mother protecting its baby when Uther tried to hit me! He missed, and wouldn't have managed another one he was drunk!" Arthur smiled "I wish you would stick up for yourself like that!"

"He had no right coming here like that!" Merlin was still angry "I'm ringing up Morgana. He won't get away with it not now!" Merlin was on a roll and nothing would stop him. He picked up his phone before Arthur could stop him.

"Morgana get your friend here I'll do it" he cut Morgana off as he turned once more to Arthur. "Morgana's right, I was going to say no, but he can't get away with it and I can't be a coward"

Morgana rang back to make sure Merlin was sure. She hadn't held out much hope. As Arthur told her what happened Merlin could hear her laugh down the phone and shout "Good on you Merlin"

Once he had calmed down Merlin rang Lance and George Black to say what he was going to do and had got their full support. Lance just asking Merlin to make sure he really wanted to go ahead, and George telling Merlin that if the press got too bad to come and stay with him and bring Arthur. As Arthur had predicted George said if they did the press wouldn't get near them there, nor would they get anything from any of them, nor the shop keeper who had sold Merlin his whiskey, it was one of George's son's, mother in law. Despite Merlin being there for three years no one else had ever had much to do with Merlin.

First thing the next morning Morgana arrived with her friend Crystabe, who worked for one of the more respectable papers. After spending some time talking to Merlin and Arthur, as well as looking at Morgana's evidence she agreed as long as they could verify the facts the paper would be only too willing to run the story. Merlin also gave her the photo he had taken the night before, it showed an angry Uther with his fist up and Arthur begin to stumble back. It didn't take long for the reporter to check the facts and she rang later to stay the paper would run the story the next day. Arthur popped out that evening and bought in supplies so they wouldn't need to go out for a while, should reporters try to bother them and they waited for the story to break.

It turned out more of a story than the two men had anticipated, by the time the papers hit the newsstands everyone one wanted part of the story. Gwaine came round later with a copy of the newspaper and some more milk and bread. Within hours there was knocks on the door that the two men just ignored. They had the curtains pulled and were keeping themselves unavailable. Even Dragon hardly went out of the door. As they watched the television and listened to the radio they realised it had become big news, several politicians asked for their views and as always they were hedging their bets and being non-committal at this stage. The paper had printed Morgana's visit to the chef whip so the party hierarchy couldn't deny knowing anything. The Prime Minister refused to be drawn on whether Uther Pendragon would be suspended from the party saying they needed all the facts.

Merlin's photo was on all the front pages of the newspapers by the next day. Arthur was getting phone calls from their friends most of whom had been asked for information. They hadn't tried too hard with Lance and Gwen after Lance told them he was Merlin's GP and thus couldn't comment. As to the scrap yard. it hadn't taken long before the reporters turned up there. But George had closed the yard and had all his boys around so no one got in or got comments they could print. As a precaution Merlin's old container had been cleaned completely and set up as an office leaving no trace as to its former state.

Arthur and Merlin stayed indoors and ignored the press who had at one stage camped outside their door. Gwaine and Percy making sure they had all they needed. For the most part the story had run its course in less than a week as more important topics hit the news. But it slowly rumbled on and eventually led to so much bad publicity that Uther jumped before he was pushed and resigned prompting a by election. Morgana had also did as she was threatened and legally severed her ties with her father.

As the main focus of the reporters, Uther he was the one that came out worse off, there had been too much about MP scandals in the press over the past few years and the public were sick of it.

Merlin did have to cope with his back story coming out, even pictures of him were published when he was at his worse. No one ever found out where they came from. But on the whole he was treated sympathetically, Arthur of course was the golden boy, being a wounded hero who had been decorated. As promised the charities both received publicity, MIND and the missing person Charity that Arthur worked for, and also a donation from the paper.

When the couple got married a month later the photos were in the papers, which showed a much improved Merlin. The wedding was a good time for the couple, they had reach a place where they both wanted to be and went off on honeymoon and had a good break form all the fuss that had gone before. Morgana had paid for them to go to Norway on a cruise and they also got to see the northern lights. Although if they were honest they spent more time in their cabin than anywhere else.

In a strange way the whole publicity thing had helped Merlin come to terms with what happened to him and he was able to get good from it, mainly because he felt he had helped others. Two of Uther's previous secretary's had come forward with cases for bullying and intimidation in light of the newspaper reports.

The couple still had problems but the worse was over, they had no secrets from each other and their love saw them through, as well as their very close set of friends. After a couple of years Uther tried to mend his relationship with his children but they weren't interested and he was left to contemplate his actions and live with what he had created from his life. He never got to know his grandchildren as Morgana refused to change her mind, feeling they were better off without out him, having Leon's parents to provide that relationship.

So in the end he reaped what he sowed and suffered for his actions by not having his family around him as he grew older.

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MIND is The major Mental Health Charity in the UK their link is .