Chapter songs:

Merlin S2 Soundtrack: Gwen and Arthur Romance Suite

May I by Trading Yesterday

The alternating pain in Merlin's side and arm made the walk back to the cottage slow and difficult. Each step in the uneven dirt road made him cringe. He held onto Della's shoulder for support and she took on a great deal of his weight, helping him without a single complaint. Only the sound of her strained breathing and the beads of perspiration along her hairline told him how much physical effort she was using.

She kept her gaze forward and her grip around his back firm. The warmth and gentle strength of her hand on him made his heart race. He'd missed her more than he realized. He couldn't help but secretly delight in being close to her again, even if it took his idiocy to bring them back together. At least for the moment.

They finally arrived home and Hunith opened the door ahead of them. "We'll have to shuffle in sideways," Della said. "Watch your step. I don't need you making your injuries worse after we made it this far."

Yes, mother, he teased.

She squinted at him and pursed her lips in what initially looked like irritation, but the corners of her mouth twitched as she fought back a smile.

They entered the cottage and Della helped Merlin onto his cot. Bending down again aggravated his broken rib and he winced as the pain coursed through his side.

"Thank…you." He received stern looks from both his mother and Della for talking. Again.

Hunith leaned down and pressed a light kiss on his forehead. "Just a little longer, then you can talk."

He gave her a strained smile through his gasps for breath. She knew how hard it was for him to keep quiet for long.

Hunith turned her attention over to Della, who had walked over to ladle two cups of water. "Is there any way I can help you?" she asked.

Damp strands of hair stuck to Della's forehead and along the outline of her face. She took a sip of water before she answered. "We'll need to make a comfrey poultice for Merlin's side. It'll help ease the soreness that'll linger."

She put her cup down and walked over to the table where Hunith placed her medicine bag. "I have leftover cloth strips. Not much comfrey left." Her voice turned quiet at that last part as she absentmindedly rubbed the side where she'd been injured just a month prior.

"I believe I have some here," Hunith replied as she walked over to her small shelf of herbal remedies. She looked amongst the few jars. "Rosemary, rue...Ah! Here we go. I'll have this made up in no time." She went over to the table and started preparing the poultice.

Della came over to Merlin and handed him a cup of water. "I'm sure you're thirsty." His fingers brushed hers as he took the cup with his uninjured hand and their eyes locked briefly.

The moment was broken as she let go. He almost spoke out loud again but caught himself as another twinge of pain shot through his side. Thank you. He took a long drink of water, draining the contents in only a few sips. He hadn't realized just how parched his throat was.

She sat on the cot next to him, close enough that her leg brushed against his. She took his empty cup and placed it on the floor. "I'm going to heal your rib 'll make it easier to breathe again." She gave him a half smile. "And talk."

Merlin returned the smile as she placed her palms on his rib cage. Even though he still had his shirt on, he found himself struggling to suppress a shudder of pleasure at her touch. He inhaled deeply then instantly regretted it as he winced with the sharp protest his rib gave him.

She heard his discomfort. Am I hurting you? She asked through their mental connection.

No. Quite the opposite.

Her cheeks turned pink and she nervously brushed one of her loose strands of hair behind her ear. No more cheeky comments from you until this is done. Another well-deserved scolding.

He should've refrained, but he couldn't help it. Being this close to her made him lose all common sense—or what little of it he had.

Another moment longer and the ever recognizable but gentle forces of magic gathered around them as Della's fingers spread over the injured rib. "Ahlúttre séocnes."

A soothing warmth spread through his side as the magic infused itself into his bone. Breathing became easier as the pain eased into little more than a lingering ache. He knew it would take a day or two for that to subside—much like it had been with Della—but at least now he could breathe without gasping.

Merlin exhaled deeply, feeling rejuvenated from that simple spell. The throbbing in his arm was still apparent, but without the combined pain of his rib, easier to tolerate.

Della moved her palms from his ribs. "I take it by that nice intake of air that it worked."

"Almost as if I hadn't broken it at all."

"Good." She shifted in her spot next to him and clasped her hands together in her lap. "I'm not sure the next spell will be as easy. I'll be honest, I haven't done a magical bone setting before. Ealhwyn only ever mentioned the theory behind it once or twice. But, there might be a spell for it in the book you gave me."

"I'm glad that book is proving useful."

She gave him the smallest of smiles. "I need to check and see if it's in there first."

Della stood and walked over to her medicine bag and pulled out the Gwillem of Cambria book. He watched as she leafed through the pages for awhile before she stopped. "Here it is." Her brow furrowed in concentration as she silently mouthed the words.

"The spell is complex," she said as she closed the book, marking the page with her finger. "It'll likely be uncomfortable, but much less than if I had to set it normally." She took a breath. "There's a second part, too. After I magically weave the bone back together, I'll need to make a tonic to help permanently bind it back in place. Only I don't have all the ingredients and I'm not sure where to find them—"

"What do you need?" Hunith spoke up.

Merlin smiled. If anyone knew where to find herbs around Ealdor, it was definitely his mother.

"Willow bark, yarrow and coltsfoot," Della said. "The coltsfoot may be difficult to find this time of year."

"Oh, I know of a few places to look," Hunith said, rolling down her sleeves. "I've finished grinding up with the poultice so it's ready when you need it." She walked over to Merlin, bent over and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Della will take good care of you, I'm sure." She smiled and looked back to Della, who immediately blushed and turned her attention back to her book. Hunith picked up a basket next to the door and headed out without another word.

"What was that about?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Della shrugged unconvincingly. She placed the book on the table next to the bandages.

"I think you do," he teased. "Your face doesn't lie."

She pursed her lips. "It's nothing. Just a discussion we had. That's it." Embarrassment was evident in her tone, despite the words.

He nodded, not pushing the matter further. Maybe he didn't want to know.

Della broke the silence. "Anyway, are you ready? For me to heal your arm?"

Merlin nodded, grateful that she'd refocused on the matter at hand.

She came over and sat next to him again, whatever earlier awkwardness having passed. "I'll need you to try and stay quiet as I'm casting the spell. I don't want to inadvertently make your arm fall off instead."

"Wait—it can rebound like that?"

"I'm teasing you." A playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Your joking nature must be rubbing off on me."

He let out an uneasy laugh. "You had me worried there for a moment."

She reached behind his neck and untied the sling. He cringed as the movement sent a shot of pain up into his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'll have to hold your arm at a better angle in order for the spell to work."

He nodded as he bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to think about the stabbing pain.

"Rest your arm in my hand," she said. He did as she instructed, his arm tense with discomfort.

"Try and relax the muscles as much as possible. I know it's difficult."

"That's an understatement," he said through gritted teeth. The bone in his forearm grated together and his eyes watered at the feeling.

Della placed her right hand over the injury while she supported the weight with her left. "This will be unpleasant."

He was just grateful she was willing to try this instead of the traditional method. He'd been present at enough bone settings over the years with Gaius to know the level of pain that brought. Merlin took hold of the edge of the cot with his other hand in preparation for whatever came next.

Della let out a quiet breath. The air stilled and Merlin felt the magic settling around them as finely as the dust motes in the sun.

"Hefeldian wundorhælu, ácennan hrúse." Her eyes glowed as she uttered the words without hesitation, her voice calm and ethereal as the magic coalesced around his arm. Merlin sensed its intricacy; it was harder to grasp, to focus on, easily tangled among the stronger elemental magic that came so naturally for him. The magical strands permeated his fragmented bones.

"Batian bánbryce. Áwefan fullgearwian."

The discomfort in his arm grew as the strands wove tighter, realigning and resetting his bones. The tightness increased and he cringed, gripping the edge of the cot and trying his best to hold as still as possible.

Della held his arm still, unwavering in strength. She hadn't moved at all as her eyes focused on his arm. The pulling and twisting eased as the sharp pain ebbed away, becoming only a mild ache, much like that in his rib. He relaxed his grip as Della's eyes returned to their normal brown.

She let out a long sigh as she removed her hands from his arm. He felt her trembling beside him and he realized just how much it had taken from her to cast the spell. She blinked rapidly, almost as if she were trying to keep awake.

"I think…it worked," she said. Her breathing was still shaky from the after effects of the magic. "For a moment there, I thought I'd forget some of the wording."

"I never noticed." He sat up and moved his arm carefully, relieved he could physically bend it now. "How you were able to keep your concentration?" He was still amazed. The amount of focus she had was astounding.

"Years of practice. You'd have felt the magic fading if my attention drifted even briefly," she said. "I'm surprised I was able to do it successfully the first time."

"I'm not."

She gave him an uneasy smile. "You're not fully healed yet, remember? I still need to make the potion for the second part. Or else we'll be doing this again tomorrow. So," she said, easing his arm down from him moving it around, "you need to keep it as still as possible or all my efforts will be for naught. And remember, you're going to have to pretend it's broken for a few weeks yet or else Nerys will rally the town again and chase me out before the sun sets."

"I know." Truthfully, he'd almost forgotten, the dolt that he was. "I can keep it sling-free here at home, right?"

Della picked up the cloth and wrapped his arm. "Maybe. If you'll be able to put it back into a sling when someone knocks at the door." She took the two ends and tied it behind his neck again. "For today, I'd like you to keep it wrapped up. You're lucky this wasn't worse." She removed her hands from around his neck—much to his dismay—and lowered them to her lap. "I was…really worried about you when Owen came and told me." She swallowed and he could tell she was fighting back tears.

He hadn't known she was so upset, but he cursed himself for making her feel that way. Merlin reached over with his uninjured hand and tucked one of the many loosened locks of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry I worried you," he said. She was so close he could almost count the freckles on her cheeks. The urge to kiss her was strong and he leaned in closer, focusing on her lips, hoping, praying she'd lean in too, to make things right between them again—

"I should get that poultice for your side," she said, pulling back and breaking the moment. "I'm sure you're still pretty sore." She got up and walked across the room and retreated back behind that wall of hers.

Merlin sighed in disappointment. Returning things to normal between them was going to be harder than he thought.

What's wrong with me? Della thought. Merlin was trying to reach out, trying to initiate a reconciliation, and she turned her back. What irritation she had at their conflict was fleeting, but she still clung to it. It was far easier than facing the truth and pain of the past. Yet something had to give-she couldn't keep delaying a resolution unless she wanted to drive a permanent wedge between herself and Merlin.

Gods, how she wished things could just be simple for once.

Merlin stayed silent from his place on his cot and she wondered what he was thinking. Likely hurt and confused again from her pulling away from him.

Della picked up the mortar with the comfrey paste and gathered the bandages Hunith left on the table. She paused as she realized she would have to be the one to wrap these around Merlin's ribs too. Her throat went dry and her heart beat faster at the thought of him shirtless.

She shook her head, chiding herself for having such adolescent thoughts. Hadn't she done this countless times before as a healer in training back in Havenswood? It wasn't as if she'd never seen a man without a shirt.

"Della, are you OK?" Merlin's voice broke through her runaway thoughts. Concern laced his words. "Is another vision coming on?" He made a move to stand before she stopped him.

"No, don't you move!" She chided. "I'm fine. No visions. Just...tired." She walked across the room as he settled back on his cot. "Healing spells just take a lot out of me."

"You look as if you're on the far side of the Five Kingdoms. Something's troubling you."

"I promise, everything is fine." She didn't have time to dwell on her silly anxiety now.

He didn't look convinced but to her surprise—and relief—he didn't push the matter further. Perhaps he sensed her nerves at what was coming.

Della placed the bandages on the end of the cot. She struggled to keep her hands steady—she was worn out from both spells, and she still needed to make the potion. This situation only added to her unsteadiness. Prolonging it was only going to make this more awkward. Where had all her earlier confidence gone?

She placed the mortar on the floor and stood in front of him, drawing up the courage. "I…um…need you to take off your shirt." It still sounded more suggestive than she wanted.

"I'd have had it off already," Merlin said, an edge of teasing in his voice, "only…I think I'm going to need a little help." He lifted his arm stiffly, trying not to bend it. "You suggested I don't move it much, remember?"

Della rolled her eyes at his sassy comment. "Yes, of course," she mumbled. "I'm not thinking clearly."

"I understand," he said. "Who would when faced with seeing me shirtless?" He broke into a wide, cheeky grin.

A nervous laugh bubbled out of her. "No, I suppose you're right." Merlin always found a way to try and lighten the mood. She took his arm and helped guide it out of his sleeve. "I'm sure all the ladies swooned when faced with such a sight."

He snorted. "Not when they had any of the knights to fawn over." She pushed the tunic sleeve back, gathering it around his neck, and focused on the strips of bandages on the cot next to him rather than his now half-bare chest.

"Percival and Gwaine always had a large crowd of women watching during summer training." Merlin paused. "I'm sure they miss Gwaine. He loved the attention." The words were strained and he swallowed hard as he absentmindedly raised his other arm while she tugged on that sleeve. "I wish you could've met him. He would've liked you. Probably a bit too much. He had a weakness for exceptionally pretty women."

Della flushed as she finished helping him work his other arm out. "I'm not exceptionally pretty."

"You are to me." She felt him studying her and she met his eyes. The air stilled and the atmosphere in the room changed. She could hear every beat of her racing heart echoing in her ears now as he sat there, shirt hanging loosely around his neck, looking at her with such admiration.

Admiration I don't deserve. She cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "We should get that rib of yours bound up before the poultice dries." She bent down to get the mortar she left on the floor, making an effort to look away while Merlin pulled his tunic off over his head.

Della kept her gaze averted as long as possible as she resumed her place next to Merlin. She took a breath as she dipped two fingers in the green clay substance before she finally turned her attention back to him.

The bruising on his side was still visible, dark and mottled, a sharp contrast to the pale skin around it. However, the edges were already showing the signs of rapid healing, the yellow color of a bruise's last stage already present. That surprised her: with her own injury, that had taken a full week to heal properly. It was just another reminder to her just how special this man in front of her was.

Merlin noticed her pause. "I won't bite," he said. "Promise."

She gave him a half smile. "Well, one can never be too sure."

Della finally gathered enough nerve to rub the poultice on his injury. Merlin took in a sharp breath through his nose and his side tensed as her fingers gently applied the paste. His skin was warm to the touch and she could almost feel his blood pulsing beneath her fingers.

She was single-mindedly focused on the area of his injury, refusing to give into the temptation of looking at the rest of him. Merlin watched her closely, almost inviting her to do so.

They both remained silent, and she was keenly aware of the strained breathing coming from him, certain her own matched its uncertain rhythm.

"That…should be enough for now," she said, her voice barely coming out above a whisper. The back of her neck was damp with nervous sweat and she was grateful she was nearly done. All that remained was to wrap his chest with the bandages. A part more awkward than the first, as it would require her to get very close to him. And she'd not be able to avoid looking this time.

Now or never, she thought. Best not to prolong the inevitable.

Merlin moved his arm behind her as she positioned the first bandage over the layer of poultice. Her thoughts strayed as she imagined him wrapping that arm around her and drawing her to him. Unrealistic and irresponsible, seeing as that was the arm she just healed. Yet the image lodged firmly in her head, unwilling to disappear.

She kept her eyes lowered as she reached around him. He was so close, she felt his breath warm on the back of her neck. It sent a tremor through her and she fumbled with the strip, nearly dropping it on his lap.

That's when she noticed something odd out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw a faded burn scar right over the center of Merlin's chest.

She pulled back, her mouth open in surprise. It was slightly smaller than her palm. It radiated outward, the skin taut and wrinkled.

Merlin noticed her reaction and glanced down at the scar. "Now you know why I don't take my shirt off in the fields like all the other village men. Don't want to have to try and explain that."

"Was that from your fight with Nimueh?"

His eyebrows rose in momentary surprise. "Yes. You had a vision of it then?"

"Some, yes." It had only been the second vision she had of him and she hadn't seen him struck down in it. "I didn't realize…."

"It's been so long, I hardly think of it," Merlin said. "Well, except when I'm without a shirt." He paused. "You know, I think I might have a few more scars than most of the knights."

"That many?" She was suddenly very aware of just how many times he'd faced death—and just how many times those scrapes had left him with a permanent mark.

"Mmhmm. This one here," he said, pointing to a very light, but stippled scar just below his left collar bone, "Mace wound from one of Morgana's Southron soldiers. She ended up healing it and then using the fomorrah on me. It controlled my mind and made me try to kill Arthur. Let's just say she didn't plan on me being a terrible assassin." He scratched the back of head and chuckled—but Della didn't see any humor in it.

Merlin pointed to another scar on his lower left side. "Serket sting. I thought I was being cautious following Morgana when she met up with Morgause. I was wrong. If not for Kilgharrah, I would've died." Then he pointed to a fourth on his left side, this one looking much more recent. It was a crossbow wound—very similar to the one Della now had on her thigh. "Kilgharrah's healing magic saved me from death here too. Happened only a few months ago. Again, tied to Morgana."

He let out a long, world-weary sigh. "If only I'd been honest with her all those years ago, when she was frightened about her magic awakening, maybe things would've turned out differently." Merlin rubbed the old wound and bit his lip. "Instead, I abandoned her to the likes of her vengeful sister and destiny's whims. Just one of many things I'll always regret."

"All the pain you've borne...all you've gone through…" How many more wounds did he have that were invisible, battering his heart and soul? And how in all that was good and great was he not consumed by it?

If anyone on the face of the earth had any right to be broken by fate, it was Merlin. How he hadn't been twisted and malformed by everything he'd endured, how he hadn't turned into another Morgana….Destiny's path for him had been cruel indeed.

Yet here he was, still as kind, selfless and good-natured as ever. And here she was, still dwelling on her own personal, seemingly insignificant tragedy that paled in comparison to everything he'd gone through.

If she'd gone through half as much as he had, it was painfully clear to her which road she'd follow.

Merlin noticed her distress and squeezed her hand. "Everything I've gone through made me who I am now. Destiny hasn't always been kind to me—until she led me to you."

Della swallowed back the warring feelings in her chest. She wanted to believe it, to hold onto that small fragment of hope, but the encompassing doubt overshadowed it quickly.

"Are you sure about that?" She let go of his hand and resumed wrapping his wound. "You seem to forget the circumstances of our meeting and all the…all the consequences that followed." Her vision blurred with tears as she remembered everything that occurred in Havenswood and the loss of Ealhwyn.

"Della—"

"Merlin, please. I can't." She pinned the end of the bandage strip in place and picked up his shirt. "Here. I'll help you guide your arms through again."

He let out a frustrated sigh as he put his shirt over his head and pulled it with his left hand, tousling his already messy hair. She stood and helped guide his arms through again in strained silence. It continued until after she helped bind his arm in the sling again.

The silence was too much for Merlin to maintain. "You don't always have to be strong, Della," he said as she finished tying the knot at the back of his neck. "It's okay to cry, to grieve—"

"No." She shook her head vehemently as she bent over and picked up the empty mortar. "No, I'm not strong, Merlin. I'm not…" Her wall was crumbling rapidly. "You know what I realized now? After seeing all your scars? That I'm the complete opposite of strong." She looked down at the mortar and focused on the stains left behind from the paste. "You were right in comparing me to Morgana. Because I'm more like her than you realize. Bitter, angry, vengeful."

"Enough." He stood up before she could stop him and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You are not Morgana. You never will be. I was a total ass to ever draw such a stupid comparison. I'm sorry I ever made you doubt how beautiful, compassionate and brave you really are."

"You never made me doubt. You just pointed out the truth." Beautiful? Compassionate? Brave? She was none of those things. "A compassionate person doesn't wish for the death of the man who ordered their mother to be burned at the stake. A brave person doesn't avoid the only family she has left."

She walked to the table and straightened up the discarded bits of comfrey. Her hands trembled as the effort to keep the approaching grief away physically took its toll.

Merlin was close behind her and placed his hand over hers, stopping her from her frantic cleanup. "I wish I knew the right words to say to convince you otherwise," he said. "You don't know how much I'm sorry for reopening this wound for you. To see you hurting like this… I wish I could take the pain away." He rubbed his thumb over the top of her knuckles.

His total selflessness shattered what remained of her crumbling resolve. "Please don't apologize. I was so horrible to you and here you are, trying to take the blame for it, when this whole mess rests on me."

The words came forth like a rush of water pouring from her heart. "Seeing Leon again…it wasn't just remembering my mother dying. He reminded me of Havenswood, and losing Ealhwyn—all the loss I experienced not once, but twice. Seeing him brought back everything I tried so hard to bury and forget."

"Oh, Della, I hadn't realized…."

"How could you?" Della interrupted. "I didn't tell you anything. You were only trying to help. I knew that, deep down, but I held onto the pain instead, afraid it would consume me again like it did back then. I thought it was…easier that way. And you've enough heartache of your own without adding mine. I didn't want to be another burden." She looked down and gripped the edge of the table as hard as she could, focusing on the pain of the wood digging into her palms.

"Look at me." He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. "You are never a burden. You don't have to face your grief alone. I'm here for you."

All the anger, all the resentment, the sorrow that she'd locked away came to the surface and rushed forth in a torrent of tears. "I'm so sorry, Merlin. Sorry for pushing you away...and for so much…."

He drew her into an embrace and she tucked herself under his slinged arm, taking shelter against him. She sobbed into his shirt, her shoulders shaking with the release of emotion. Merlin's free arm held her tightly as he rubbed her back with his hand. He stayed silent, kissing the top of her head every few moments in reassurance and support.

After so many years, her heart was finally healing itself from the heavy burden of the tragedies she'd faced.

Della finally stopped crying, thoroughly spent. She took a shaky breath and looked up at Merlin.

"I know how hard it was for you to share that with me." He wiped a stray tear on her cheek away. "See? You are brave. It takes great courage to face the shadows of the past."

"I don't think I could've done so without you." She untucked one of her hands and placed it on the back of his. "I wish I could help you the way you've helped me."

Merlin touched his forehead to hers. "You have," he said. "Do you remember that night, when you told me I was still Albion's greatest hope?"

"Yes. And I still believe you are."

He smiled. "You've no idea how many times those words have echoed in my head. If I hadn't met you that day in the woods, I don't know if I ever would've found reason to hope again." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "I might be Albion's greatest hope, but you're mine."

He leaned down and kissed her. It was a balm to her heart; whatever sorrow she had ebbed away as the peace and healing of his kisses surrounded her.

Della brought her arms up and around his neck and pulled him closer. His hand moved from her cheek at the same time, lightly trailing his fingers down her neck and shoulders to her waist. The feeling sent a shiver down her back and the world faded away as she parted her lips, inviting him to do likewise. Their tongues met, tentative, hesitant, and wonderful.

They continued kissing as she felt him taking a few steps back. Merlin pulled away briefly as he sat down on the edge of her cot, taking her by the waist to gently guide her into his lap. She followed, though she hesitated briefly as she maneuvered between the sling and his upper body.

"Are you sure this is wise?" she asked, gently looping her arms about his shoulders.

"Of course." He smiled that half grin of his. "This is the best medicine either one of us could ask for."

Well, she couldn't argue with that.

Merlin initiated their kissing again with a fervency that sent her heart racing and threw all questions from her mind. She longed for him to wrap his arms around her and she drew closer, still mindful of his injury. He tightened his embrace as best he could, their chests now pressed as close together as physically possible. She melted against him as their kisses deepened.

Della brought her hands up his neck, threading her fingers through his hair, relishing the feeling. She'd imagined doing such on quite a few occasions-but the reality was far better than her daydreams. He shuddered against her as a low moan escaped him. She smiled at his reaction, enjoying that she could elicit such from him.

Merlin moved his lips from hers and peppered her jaw with feather-light kisses, making a trail down to the hollow of her neck. She gasped at the new and pleasant sensation. Each touch of his lips to her skin sent fire through her veins; each brush of his hand as he moved it over the curve of her hip and thigh dwindled what little restraint she fought to maintain.

Rationality struggled to take over as consequences of further progression lodged themselves in her Merlin-addled mind. She wanted him—and she knew he wanted her—Gods, she didn't want him to stop with those kisses—but reason must take over. Head over heart, at least for now.

"Merlin," she struggled to get his name out, to push past the desire to continue. "Merlin…I think…we have to stop."

It took a moment for the words to sink in on his end. "Mmmhmm," he finally mumbled, lightly kissing her now along the top of collarbone. "Just," A kiss, at the base of her neck. "One," Another, planted further up. "More." His final kiss was just below her ear, his quickened breathing matching hers. He nuzzled his face into her shoulder.

Della couldn't resist planting one final kiss of her own where his hairline met his forehead, running one hand through his hair for the last time. Merlin closed his eyes and smiled against her and she was now firmly convinced that was a weakness of his.

"I never want to move," Merlin said. "I could sit here this close to you forever."

"That could make for a very awkward conversation when your mother returns and sees me sitting on your lap."

He sighed, his breath a caress against her neck. "You're right." He lifted his head from her shoulder. "But she is taking a conveniently long time to find that coltsfoot." He focused on her lips. "Maybe we have time for a little more…."

Della laughed as she put a palm on his chest to stop him, still a bit shaky as she tried to regain her own senses after such a passionate kissing session. "Another time, perhaps." Merlin reluctantly moved his arms as she slid her legs off his lap and stood.

He pretended to pout. "That's it? Just perhaps?"

She rolled her eyes, but still riding the edge of joviality, leaned back down and kissed him full and deep, teasing him with the tip of her tongue. She pulled back and grinned. "Perhaps."

Merlin shook his head and chuckled. "The things you do to me…."

"I know," Della said. "I was sitting on your lap, remember?"

He turned scarlet and scratched the back of his neck. "Ah, yeah…I guess you would've…um, noticed."

"It's only natural," she said. "You don't have to hide it." She realized once the words came out of her mouth how blatantly suggestive that sounded and now it was her turn to grow warm. "I mean, not show me actually, but not…oh damn, I don't know what I'm saying." She hid her face in her hands, laughing along with Merlin, who was obviously enjoying her word slip up.

After another moment or two of laughter, Merlin said, "Well, at least something good came of my clumsiness today."

"If I didn't know better, I'd almost suspect you planned it."

"Not the fall exactly," he said, rubbing his arm. "But I was planning on making you dinner." He sighed. "I wanted to bring you your favorite flowers and—" he stopped, his eyes lighting up. "I just remembered something." He started to get up but suddenly looked sheepish. "Actually I still need a few more moments for…um…."

"It's all right," Della said, understanding what he meant. "What do you need me to find?"

"On the other side of my cot are two brown packages."

Curiosity piqued, she went over to his cot and saw them, the smaller one stacked on top of the larger. The one on top had a small, dried sprig of lavender tucked under the twine. She remembered then the day Leon came that Merlin was headed to Engerd on an errand—one that he teased her would remain a surprise.

"Go ahead and open them," Merlin said. "Start with the larger first. Careful though—it's fragile." He had a look of anticipation in his eyes that reminded her of a child waiting for a sweet.

Della moved the smaller package and carefully picked up the other. She was surprised at the weight as she heard faint clinking of glass. Now she suddenly felt like a child again, eager to see what was inside.

She unwrapped the cloth covering, her mouth dropping open in surprise. A dozen or so glass apothecary vials were in a small wooden box along with a small scale and weight set, similar to the one she'd left in Havenswood. "Oh Merlin… you brought me so much." She was overcome with his generous nature once again.

"It doesn't replace everything you and Ealhwyn had, but I wanted to help you start rebuilding your supply again."

"You didn't—"

"I know I didn't have to," he interrupted. "But I wanted to."

"I feel like saying thank you is entirely inadequate."

"Well, you have one more parcel to open first. Then you can thank me however you see fit."

Della bit back her smile and shook her head as she opened the second one. She hadn't any idea what this could be. Her breath caught though when she saw a lovely, rich green bolt of linen fabric inside. It reminded her of the forest at the height of summer.

"It's beautiful!"

Merlin beamed, his smile as wide as ever. "I figured you'd like to make a new dress for the midsummer festival in a few weeks. When I saw that color, I couldn't stop picturing how pretty you'd look." He chuckled. "So…that gift wasn't entirely for you."

She folded the cloth back up again and came back to sit next to him. "I love it," she said. "All of it. Thank you." She kissed him deeply, and despite her better judgment, easily lost herself in him as he wrapped his arm about her waist and drew her close again.

The sound of the cottage door opening barely registered in Della's mind, and when it finally did, she and Merlin were still quite close, lips only an inch apart.

Hunith paused in the doorway, her basket full of the herbs needed for Merlin's tonic. "Seems you two have been quite busy since I've been gone." Della put a more respectable distance between herself and Merlin as Hunith grinned.

"Oh yes, a very productive afternoon," Merlin quipped. "Lots of healing going on." Della hid her face and timid smile, rolling her eyes. He would say something like that.

"Healing indeed." Hunith placed the basket on the table. "Well, whatever happened, I'm glad to see you both happy."

Della met Merlin's smile. Yes, it was good to finally be happy again.

A/N: I hope you all liked that little bit of reconciliation between Merlin and Della. It was beyond time to give them a break from all their sorrow. And of course they took comfort in one another. Truly "the best medicine" ;)

I made a lot of references back to the series in this chapter. There was of course, the Gwillem of Cambria book from s3 episode 'The Wicked Day' and which I had Merlin bring back from Camelot back in chapter 11. I totally made up the spell from it though after an hour of researching. The spell essentially is "Begin the web of wondrous healing, Heal the fracture , weave it fully together." Not the most poetic, but I wanted it complex enough for Della to really have to focus on but not lines and lines of Old English words.

Of course, all of Merlin's scars are from throughout the series. I'd been waiting FOREVER to do a scar reveal for him and this was the time. Those four were the only ones I could think of from the show (Chest scar from s1 finale, mace wound from s4 'Servant of Two Masters', serket wound from s2 'Tears of Uther Pendragon', and the most recent one from s5 'The Kindness of Strangers').

Ok, I must give a big thanks to my beta Requiem17 for all the brainstorming involved with this chapter, all the talks on chat and helping me clean up the mess that was the first version. And I have her to thank for helping me with the chapter title too!

Of course, thanks to Jewelsmg for going over it and finding repetitive parts that I totally missed, as well as the encouraging and funny chats we have. :)

And as always, thanks to my readers!

Oh... and one more surprise for you. I commissioned an artist, Grace Fong, to draw a picture of Merlin and Della :) It's currently my temporary profile pic, in case you are interested!