Title: Ungodly Hour

Authors: Cassy27
Words: 1844
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Merlin.
Spoilers: Spoilers from both season 1 and 2

Summary: Morgana returns to Camelot and Merlin seems to be the only one who understands why she is back. Why does no one listen to him and what consequences will it all have? Emotions run high, but Merlin must decide where his loyalty lies.

AN: Any and all mistakes are completely my own.

Thank you, those that reviewed my previous chapter!

Yep, this is it: the last chapter. I just wanted to write a nice ending and I hope I succeeded. Let me know if you enjoyed this story :)

Chapter 13

As two days had passed, Merlin found himself back into his daily routine. It didn't seem real and Merlin couldn't believe how everyone was just picking up their lives again. Staring at Arthur, he wanted to scream at him for acting so...normal.

Morgana had betrayed him, she had been willing to kill his father and yet, there he sat on his bed, like nothing had happened. Merlin wished he could somehow smack a Prince on the head.

"Have you been listening, Merlin?" Arthur asked, annoyed.

Merlin hadn't, though, and he didn't even bothered to act otherwise.

"What's wrong with you?" he simply asked in return. So perhaps he would spent an afternoon in the stocks for speaking like that to the Crown Prince of Camelot, but Merlin didn't really care, he just wanted to know. He wanted to understand.

"Merlin," Arthur said, sounding shocked to have been spoken to like that, "what has gotten into you?"

"It's like nothing happened," Merlin explained, throwing his arms into the air, "you just go on and pretend-"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Arthur yelled. His eyes widened as he gazed into Merlin's. It seemed the Prince had been having a hard time as well.

"Something," Merlin said, his voice hard. "Morgana is gone."

"She is," Arthur sighed. His attitude had completely changed, like he understood now what Merlin wanted from him. "She is not coming back either."

Merlin shook his head, refusing to believe Arthur's words. He had wanted to hear a lot, but not this. "She saved you," he whispered, "she saved all of us."

Arthur nodded.

"If she hadn't fought Morgause," Merlin took in a deep breath, trying to gain back control over his voice, "those Doomed Ones would have killed everybody."

"I'm sorry, Merlin,"Arthur sighed, "she's not the hero."

"That is not what I am saying," Merlin yelled, completely ignoring the fact that Arthur was of royal blood. "She just doesn't deserve this."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, frowning.

"To be forgotten." Merlin pressed his lips together as a tear rolled over his cheek. He quickly rubbed it away, though. The last thing he wanted was Arthur to think that he was weak and sad. Merlin wasn't sad, he was angry. "You act like nothing happened, like Morgana didn't even exist. Even Gwen refuses to talk about it. She was your friend!"

"And then she wanted to kill my father!" Arthur almost hissed. He needed Merlin to understand him as well.

Merlin let out a long sigh. "What if she's dead?"

Arthur got up from the bed now, taking a step closer towards his servant, his gaze cold. "Maybe that would be better."

"How can you say such a thing?" Merlin asked, shocked. He took a step away from Arthur.

"What is it with you anyway?" Arthur asked. He didn't care anymore about Merlin's feelings. "Since when do you care about her in such a way? You never even really spoke with her and then when she was..." Arthur swallowed heavily, not being able to finish his sentence. He had heard Morgana that day, he had simply decided to ignore it.

"We spoke enough," Merlin answered. He thought back to all the little moments they had shared. There hadn't been many, but there had been enough to make them realize there was something between them none of them could break.

"What if all this is just part of her magic?" Arthur asked. He tried to sound warmed again, but his voice still sounded distant.

"I love-" Merlin almost chocked on his own words. Why was it so hard to say three little words? Morgana had been able to say them while she had been dying. "I love her." Finally saying them didn't felt like a relief. Merlin had always thought that it would make him feel lighter somehow if he shared this secret with someone. It only made him feel worse. He was finally able to admit how he felt about Morgana, but it was too late.

None of it mattered anymore.

"Merlin," Arthur sighed.

"I love her," he repeated, his voice stronger now. Letting himself drop down towards the floor, he leaned back against the wall. He suddenly felt so weak, so miserable. "I wish I could see her again."

"You can't," Arthur whispered. He finally seemed to understand how hard this all was for his servant. "If Morgana ever gets seen in Camelot again, my father will have her executed."

"So you believe she is still alive?" Merlin asked. His gaze was blurry by all the tears in the corner of his eyes. Blinking a few times, his vision sharpened again. He looked at Arthur as he wanted to read in his eyes if what he would say was something he truly believed in.

"Yes," the Prince answered, "I believe Mordred will have done anything to save her. They always had a special connection and I think that is what saved her in the first place. With what little I know about magic, I think Mordred sensed somehow she was in danger and you calling out to him only confirmed it."

Merlin nodded. That had exactly been his thought. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Arthur let himself slide down to the floor next to Merlin. He stared into the distance as well. "I wish I could say something helpful," he sighed, "but I really can't. She still wanted to kill my father and I can not forgive her for that."

Merlin swallowed slowly. "Do you mind if I do?" he asked carefully.

Arthur didn't say anything for a moment. "I truly believe you, Merlin," he spoke eventually, "when you say that you love her, that you mean it. I can even accept that Morgana loves you. I can't understand it, though." A sad chuckle escaped his lips. "You can forgive her," he said, serious again, "you convinced her to save us after all."

"How did you know?" Merlin wondered. He looked at the Prince now.

"I might have been surrounded by flames," Arthur explained, "it doesn't make me deaf. I couldn't hear all of it, but I heard her shout for you and you for her."

"Life continues," Merlin sighed. Pushing himself up from the floor, he gazed around seeing all the work that still needed to be done.

"Exactly," Arthur agreed, standing up as well.

He was right, Merlin thought, life did continue. He couldn't dwell too long as it would only raise suspicion. Arthur might know, Gaius even, but if the King found out, Merlin would be running for his life.

Uther would find the threat too great which was funny considering that it was he who actually saved his life.

M M M

Needing to get some supplies for Gaius, Merlin was glad to be away from all the activity. The silence and calm allowed him to breathe somehow. Reaching the edge of the forest, Merlin dropped to his knees to collect some herbs that grew underneath the shadows of a large oak tree.

A wind rustled by and Merlin could swear he smelled the familiar perfume of Morgana. Straightening his back, he tried to glance through the thick trees. Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the green eyes he knew so well.

"Morgana?" he asked. He couldn't believe this. Blinking, he tried to make himself see reason. Morgana was still there, though, walking away from him now. Merlin didn't hesitate. He forgot everything that he should be doing and he simply started running.

Morgana was strangely fast and it was only after five minutes that Merlin caught up with her.

"Morgana?" he asked again now that she stood completely still. She appeared good, healthy and Merlin couldn't see any trace that she had been wounded only days before. Her long red gown seemed to embrace her body.

"You look good," Morgana smiled, looking over her shoulder at Merlin. Only now did she turn to fully gaze at him.

"How are you?" Merlin only wanted to know. He took a step closer towards her and relief filled him when she didn't step away from him. Again, her perfume surrounded him.

"I'm fine," she answered, "the Druids I am with are taking good care of me."

"You shouldn't be here," Merlin sighed, "if Uther knew-"

"He doesn't," Morgana quickly said, a faint smile playing around the corners of her lips. "Nobody can see us here, Merlin."

"I thought you didn't make it," he said. He took another step closer. "I was so afraid that I would never see you again."

"Don't worry about me," Morgana assured him. She sounded sure of her words. "I am safe and trust me, I will not return to Camelot soon."

"You are leaving?" Merlin wasn't sure if he had understood her right.

Morgana nodded, her long curls jumping up and down. "Like you said, if the King knew I was here, he would have me killed. I learned my lesson, Merlin, I just want to be left alone now."

"What about Morgause?" He couldn't help but want to know.

Morgana closed her eyes and the young warlock could feel the magic suddenly surrounding her. It was gone as soon as it came. "I still can not feel her," she said, opening her eyes again, "I can't hear her either."

"You think she is dead?" Merlin asked.

Morgana chuckled sadly. "No," she answered, "she is still out there, but she is blocking me out. She will not contact me again, I know she won't."

"That's good," Merlin only said.

"You can not contact me," Morgana sighed.

Merlin's eyes widened. The thought that he never would see Morgana again seemed to be suffocating him slowly.

"You're going to stay with Mordred?" he asked.

"No," Morgana answered, "I am going my own way. I will not harm more souls so you rest assured."

Merlin smiled. He embraced Morgana then, breathing in her perfume one last time. The King's ward raised her head, her fingers sliding over Merlin's lips. Gently, he kissed her then, their lips locking for the first time. This felt natural and Merlin wished he had done this sooner. It was too late now and regretting it wouldn't get him anywhere.

"I love you." Merlin wanted her to know that as he looked Morgana straight in the eyes.

"I love you, too," she whispered. Her eyes changed color suddenly, her green becoming lighter. "Goodbye." Another wind rustled by Merlin and then she was simply gone.

Merlin stood there, alone, but he didn't feel that way. A smile played around his lips. This had been all he needed. Saying goodbye had been all that he wanted really. This was it, a chapter of his life he would never open up again. Morgana was gone and no matter what Merlin would do, she would not come back.

Life really did continue.

"Goodbye," he whispered into the air. The leaves rustled around him and with that, Merlin turned around. Work needed to be done and he was ready for it.

The End

AN: It's done, my first story that couples Merlin and Morgana is over. I can't believe how fast it went. I really didn't want to drag out the story too long so I just wrote this last chapter and I hope I ended it well.

I wanted to thank everyone that read and reviewed my story. They are what kept me going and I hope this end has been satisfying.