Title: In Our Own Skins (8b/8)
Author: ceecee_05
Rating: M (this chapter contains swearing)
Characters/Pairings (In this chapter): Gwen, Merlin, Lance, Mordred, Elaine, Gwaine, Arthur, Uther, and Morgause
Spoilers: NONE
Disclaimer: MERLIN's not mine, just the grammatical errors.
Summary: Arthur's fighting to stay alive, and emotions run high as everyone tries to cope with the situation.
Author's notes: Damn, so we are finally at the last chapter of the story before the epilogues! I'm sure there were a lot of people worried we would never make it to this point, but here we are. Again this chapter is from everyone's POV, so when -o- is shown it means the character perspective has shifted to someone else. I hope that this shift is clear enough for those reading. This is probably the longest chapter because of all the different perspectives. Be forewarned that I'm the only one who's edited this. I apologize in advance for any errors, and happy reading!:)

Everyone II

I'm doing my best not to panic like Gwaine said, but I can't stop thinking about the possibility that Arthur will die. One second we're talking about potential baby names, and the next he's in hospital from a stab wound!

I can't help feeling like I'm in some sort of nightmare, but after I close my eyes I always open them to the same sight.

I hate this room. The waiting is intolerable, and I can't take not knowing how Arthur's doing. I just need to know that he's going to be okay, and not one of these nurses or doctors has told me that yet!

Arthur and I are supposed to be together forever, so I don't understand why any of this is happening.

At the sound of the doors opening I quickly look up expecting to see Merlin returning. After he left I assumed he went to get a bag of crisps or something, but the appearance of a very intimidating looking Uther Pendragon sends a rather icy chill down my spine. His eyes eventually land on me, and he quickly strides forward.

He looks anything but pleased to see me.

-o-

I can see Gwen's body quickly tense, and so I glance in the direction where her eyes are locked. When I spot the man from all the posters around Albion my shoulders straighten. That's Arthur's father!

Uther Pendragon looks a little haggard, but is dressed in a well tailored three piece black suit with a white shirt underneath his black vest, and a blood red tie. His hair is clearly graying, but he still looks good for his age.

He's almost right in front of us, and I can see Gwen visibly readying herself for what is sure to be a rather nasty confrontation.

"What the hell are you doing here? How did you even hear about Arthur's condition?"

I'm expecting Gwen to cower away from Mr. Pendragon, but she actually surprises me when she rises from her chair and glares at him. I'm sure Gwen meant to intimidate him by standing, but really she's so petite that the action barely gives off that impression at all. Though, it does successfully draw Mr. Pendragon's attention to her very rounded stomach.

"What in the bloody hell is that?"

Gwen moves to open her mouth, but it seems Mr. Pendragon wasn't really looking for a response.

"I kept telling Arthur you were nothing more than a whore, and now look at you! Do you even know who the father of your bastard is? And don't you dare bother claiming it's my son's child. I won't see you get a penny out of him!"

Gwen cowers back at little, and unconsciously puts her hand on her stomach, almost as if to shield the child from Mr. Pendragon's cruel words. He'd uttered them with such disgust and contempt that I can't help but be angered on Gwen's behalf.

I quickly lift my hand and strike him as hard as I can across the face. I know that I must be mad to hit the Mayor of Albion, but I couldn't stand to see how he was treating Gwen. I'm sure if Arthur were here he'd have done the same. So as insane as I know I am for laying hands on THE Uther Pendragon, I find solace in the thought that it would have made Arthur proud to know someone was looking out for Gwen and their unborn child.

"How dare you! You do not want to make an enemy out of me girl."

He gently rubs his hand across his reddening cheek as he glares daggers at me. I can admit that his threat makes my heart beat much faster in my chest, but I will not let him intimidate me. Gwen's kind of my friend now, and it was Arthur that taught me that friends look out for each other.

"And you Uther, should watch the way you speak to young girls. Wouldn't want it getting in the papers that our wonderful Mayor threatens school girls now would you?"

I watch as Mr. Pendragon turns and narrows his eyes at the blond woman who has just entered the waiting room with Gwaine and Lance flanking her on each side. The woman is openly mocking Mr. Pendragon, and I have to bite my cheek to stop myself from laughing at him when he notices all the other people in the room are now staring at him curiously.

"No of course not! I would never threaten anyone, let alone a child. I was merely trying to explain to this young lady how unbecoming it was of her to strike me. I only meant to educate her on how rude her behavior was…"

"You mean like when you called my friend a whore, and your unborn grandchild a bastard?"

The look Uther Pendragon gives me actually makes me shiver, and I try to move as far away from him as I can without falling back onto my vacated chair. His eyes actually look like he's trying to murder me with his mind.

"You what?"

Gwaine quickly rushes forward, but the blond woman immediately pulls him back. Mr. Pendragon's lucky she did, because from the look on Gwaine's face he wouldn't have hesitated to hurt his uncle.

"Mum let go!"

Oh wow she's Gwaine's Mum! They really don't look anything alike. I would have never guessed.

Gwaine's mother ignores him, and keeps her eyes locked on Mr. Pendragon.

"Now Uther that isn't true is it? Surely you wouldn't speak so crudely to the mother of your future grandchild? Only a monster would do something like that."

I'm somewhat amused when it looks like Mr. Pendragon's shrinking away from Gwaine's Mum's icy glare. I wonder why she's able to make Arthur's father so scared?

"Of course not! I was merely trying to impress upon this young lady the severity of lying about the paternity of a child. It would not be fair to try and con my son into raising a child she knows isn't his."

"HOW DARE YOU!"

I actually have to step in front of Gwen when she tries to jump on Mr. Pendragon so she can hit him. Sometimes I think she forgets just how pregnant she is.

"This is Arthur's baby! And regardless of whether you accept it or not our child is going to be a part of your family!"

Mr. Pendragon slowly strides towards Gwen until my body is the only thing blocking his way, and then lowers himself so he's eye level with her.

"Your bastard will never be accepted into my family! Arthur will soon realize the mistake he made in dallying with such filth, and when he does I will ensure that you never darken my doorstep ever again."

I glare at Mr. Pendragon before turning to embrace Gwen after his nasty words, but she side steps me, and moves directly in front of him.

"I want to, but I can't even bring myself to be angry at you Mr. Pendragon because I know that treating me the way you do will only push Arthur further and further away from you."

Mr. Pendragon looks anything but convinced by Gwen's words, yet his bravado does seem to slip just a bit.

"You will spend your entire life waiting for Arthur to stop loving me because he never will; and I will never stop loving him. No matter how many times you threaten or bribe me to."

Mr. Pendragon looks like he's going to hit Gwen, so I quickly move in front of her, but the blow never comes. He just stands there watching her, for what I'm not exactly sure.

"Is there anyone here for Arthur Pendragon?"

All of us waiting there for Arthur seem to still at the sight of the nurse and doctor standing at the waiting room door. Then we immediately gather our bearings and run to them both yelling question after question that we never give them enough time to answer.

-o-

I grasp tightly to my mother's hand unable to look anywhere but the two sets of eyes in front of me. Everyone around me is yelling for answers – even Lance, but I can't bring myself to formulate any words.

Both the doctor and the nurse have expressionless faces, and that only makes me even more anxious. Surely if Arthur was alright they wouldn't be in front of us looking like they've never smiled a day in their lives?

"Alright, if you can all quiet down for a second we can tell you how Mr. Pendragon's surgery went."

The room is immediately blanketed in a deafening silence, even the sounds from the few quiet conversations that were happening behind me seem to have stopped.

They've gotta say Arthur's going to be okay. I…I just can't imagine otherwise.

"There was some difficulty during the surgery, and we lost him…"

I know my mum's squeezing my hand harder, but I can barely feel her touch on my skin. I can't even hear the rest of the words leaving the doctor's lips because I feel like I'm about to pass out. Arthur can't be…He wouldn't just leave like that. I never even got to say goodbye.

I can almost feel myself starting to go numb, but before I succumb to the temptation not to feel anymore, I finally notice the relief on so many of the faces around me. The sight of it slowly brings back my hearing, and I quickly turn away from my mother's reassuring smile and back to the doctor.

"We're hoping that he'll be fully recovered in a few weeks, but with a surgery like that there's always the possibility of complications. The stab wound was very close to Mr. Pendragon's heart, but from what we gathered there doesn't seem to have been any contact. If there was there's nothing more we'll be able to do for him, so we just need to make sure he survives the night without hemorrhaging."

He's not dead…Arthur's not dead!

-o-

I hear Gwaine's heavy sigh of relief, and I quickly turn to him but he keeps his head bowed.

I steal a glance at Gwen, and have to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. She's pulling on her shirt to keep her hands in place because it's obvious she's trying not to throw herself into the doctor's arms at the news.

I watch her sadly, but not for the reason I thought I would. I'm sad because she had to go through this, not because Arthur's okay. I'm actually quite happy to hear Arthur's made it out of surgery alive. He and I may not have ever been considered close, but he's important to so many people that I love.

It still hurts to know that the girl I've loved since I first laid eyes on her is completely over me, yet I have to admit that it doesn't hurt as much as it did before. Gwen and I were good together, but we weren't good enough. She's always been fond of Arthur, and now I know that regardless of what happened with Morgan and I she'd still have found her way to him. Who knows maybe I'll find someone else too? Maybe I'm still allowed to find my own happily ever after?

I unconsciously turn my eyes to Elaine, and notice that she turned her head away from me as soon as she saw me looking at her. Had she been watching me?

She's staring straight ahead at the doctor as he speaks with Mr. Pendragon about Arthur's current condition, and anything that can be done to secure he survives the night, but I know she's not really listening to them. Elaine's biting her lip the way she always does when she's anxious, but Arthur getting out of surgery should have made her less edgy, right?

I take small steps towards her and cautiously entwine our hands. I'm a little nervous because she doesn't acknowledge me in any way, but she doesn't remove her hand either. I can feel the coldness seeping from her body in waves, and so I squeeze her hand to get her to relax, but it seems to have the opposite effect. Instead of Elaine smiling at me like she usually does when I hold her hand, she looks at me with anger, and what I can only describe as hurt before pulling her hand firmly from my grasp, and storming out of the room.

Gwaine gives me a pointed look, and then nods his head in her direction. He wants me to go after her, but why? I didn't do anything. She was the one who went barmy for no reason.

I must have been hesitating for too long because Gwaine's actually just walked up to me with the coldest look I've ever seen him direct my way.

"If you don't move your arse, and follow that girl right fucking now…I promise that I'm going to fuck up your shit in front of all these people."

I watch him in shock for a few minutes before his face softens.

"Just go after her Lance. You know you want to."

I look at the door Elaine stormed out of only a few moments ago through the corner of my eye, and then to the floor. I do want to go after her, but for some reason I'm scared.

"Why am I scared?"

I close my eyes, and then bite my tongue when I realize I've said that aloud. I was not meant to say that out loud! Shit!

"Why don't you go find out?"

Gwaine is looking at me expectantly; with a hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his lips, and for some reason that look has always been infectious.

He gently pats me on the shoulder before pushing me towards the door, and I gulp before continuing on my way outside of the room.

-o-

I feel like I'm floating on air at the news, and can't even formulate words of thanks to the doctor for what he's done for Arthur. I don't care that they've been making us wait in here with no information because that doesn't matter anymore. They've saved him, and that's all that matters.

I jump a little when I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders, but relax when I'm pulled into Gwaine's arms. I can feel the salt on my lips, but I hadn't known I was crying. I don't care though because these are tears of joy. Arthur's alive!

I tune out the sounds of Mr. Pendragon and Gwaine's mother speaking to the nurse and doctor to focus on my own relief. I had been so scared I was going to lose him, but to know that he's alright…words can't describe my happiness.

"It's going to be okay now Gwen."

"I know"

I allow myself to sink further into Gwaine's embrace, and gently wrap my arms around him. I know everything's going to be fine now. Arthur hasn't left me.

-o-

Mordred eventually calms down enough to tell me the entire story, many parts of which I wish I had never heard. I couldn't even look at him as he spoke to me, and had to force myself not to be sick on the floor when he told me he'd forced himself on Gwen. After those words I'd listened to his story almost as if I were in a dream, and couldn't even register any emotion on my face when Mordred told me that Morgan had stabbed Arthur to save him from being strangled to death. I love my brother, I truly do, but at his words I couldn't help but want to strangle him myself. He's the reason for all of this! If he hadn't hurt Gwen Arthur would never have attacked him, and Morgan would never have stabbed Arthur.

When he's finally finished recounting his story I stare at the wall before me in stunned silence; the only sound around the two of us is Mordred's hushed sobs. After a few minutes of my silence Mordred eventually breaks down again, and begs for my forgiveness, but I still can't bring myself to look at him. How can I ever forgive someone I don't think deserves it? Brother or not, I can't just forgive Mordred for what he's done.

I slowly lift myself up off of the floor, and shakily run my hands over my trousers as tears form in the corners of my eyes. I'd always known Mordred wasn't the kindest person in the world, but I'd never thought him capable of something as heinous as rape. Yes, Mordred had always liked to torture me, but he'd never done anything to other people, well besides Arthur, but that had just been because of his association with me.

I turn away from Mordred and begin my journey back down the poorly lit corridor that led me here.

"Merlin"

I stop at the sound of my brother's scared and defeated whimper. I know he's sorry for what he's done. Mordred may be a lot of things, but I know deep down he's not an evil person.

I try to bring myself to turn around and look at him, but I can't. I just can't look at him right now.

"Yes Mordred?"

The words feel heavy on my tongue in a way they never have before. I can feel my fatigue draining me, and my legs buckle a little, but I refuse to allow the weight of this new found knowledge to break me.

"What do I do now?"

I close my eyes and bite my tongue to stop myself from lashing out at him. He sounded so lost and meek that I can't even recognize the strong boy I've grown up with these last sixteen years. Right now Mordred needs guidance, and I know what to say to him even though it's something I know he's not going to like to hear. Hell, I wish I didn't have to say this to him either.

"You've gotta do the right thing and take responsibility for what you've done Mordred."

I bow my head towards the floor as I open my eyes, and then swallow down my tears.

"There are coppers everywhere in this hospital. Maybe it's time you told one of them what you did."

I don't wait for Mordred to react to my words before running as fast as my tired legs will carry me away from this tainted hallway.

I know Mordred will do what I told him to. He did something horrible, but he's not a bad person. Regardless of what happens to him I have to try and remember that.

Mordred will do the right thing and take responsibility for his actions. I know he will. He has to.

-o-

I can't believe Lance! What is it about Gwen that he's so in love with? Yes she's a kind person, but she's not perfect!

After hearing that Arthur made it safely through surgery I couldn't have been happier, but then I turn my head and see Lance watching Gwen… as usual. Why is nothing I do enough? Why can't he see me instead of her? Aren't I good enough for him to love? Is there something wrong with me? Well there must be because I'm the only one stupid enough to believe that I have a chance against Guinevere bloody Leodegrance!

I fall onto the chilly wooden bench in front of the main entrance to the hospital, and wring my hands with barely suppressed tears. I shouldn't blame Lance when it's really my fault our friendship is never going to work. My feelings for Arthur were never as strong as they are for Lance now, and no matter how much I want to be in his life I also know I'll never be able to watch him date girls that aren't me.

I wrap my arms around my shoulder when a cool breeze makes me shiver, and sigh in resignation as my eyes lock with the bright full moon in the sky. Uh, who am I kidding? I can't blame Lance for not returning my feelings. I knew even before my heart started accelerating at the mere mention of his name that he already belonged to Gwen, and now it seems that no matter what happens he always will. Maybe him going away to France is a good thing? With him gone I'll have the opportunity to move on, and then hopefully find someone who can return my feelings.

The damn oaf just had to be so bloody amazing, even with all his flaws. Lance is always trying to be perfect, and he convinces so many people that he is, but I know that he's just as lost and insecure as the rest of us at Camelot.

"Umm…Would it be alright if I sat with you? I mean you're not going to leg it again if I do right?"

I jump a little in my seat, and then quickly turn my head to look up at Lance standing only a few feet beside me. I don't know whether or not to be angry or happy at the sight of him, but I quickly settle with anger when his words finally resonate.

"I didn't leg it! I just wanted some air!"

I know it's probably not the most refined thing to yell at someone outside of a hospital, but Lance's ignorance has finally pushed me to my limit. Does he really not understand my feelings, or is he just trying to pretend they aren't there to protect our friendship? Honestly isn't he supposed to be a romantic? Shouldn't he be able to notice love when it stares into his eyes every time I look at him?

"Sorry, I guess I shouldn't have assumed. I just…uh…Shit. I …I just don't really understand why you're angry with me, and I don't like you angry with me. If I did something wrong can you just tell me so I can fix it, and then we can go back to being friends?"

I want to glare at him for looking so damn adorable in his nervousness, but I can't seem to find the energy. All of a sudden I feel so tired, and I just really want to tell Lance I love him so I don't have to worry about hiding my feelings anymore.

My eyes wander back to the soothing light of the moon, and I shake my head to rid myself of all the insecurities I have about finally telling Lance the truth. If I never tell him I'll wonder about what could have been for the rest of my life, and I already have enough regrets as it is.

"We can never go back Lance."

"What, why?"

I hear the desperation in his voice, and I can no longer fight back my tears as they gently slide down my cheeks. I never knew he valued my friendship so much.

"Elaine, please tell me what's wrong. You know how much I hate to see you cry."

He drops onto the seat beside me, and gently cradles me in his arms. I know he's trying to soothe me, but his actions seem to be doing the opposite. When my tears turn into heavy sobs Lance simply holds me tighter, and softly rubs my back until I'm able to get myself under some semblance of control.

"Elaine, I'm sorry for whatever I did that hurt you. You know I wouldn't do it purposely. I mean I care about you a lot. I pretty much…"

I don't know how to react when Lance stiffens in my arms. What's just happened? What was he going to say?

"Lance?"

I can hear the evidence of my tears still laced in my voice, but I ignore the sound of my earlier weakness and try to be strong. If I don't finally embrace my feelings they're going to destroy me from the inside out.

"Lance I…"

I can't bear to look him in the eye as I make the declaration. I'd rather just hear Lance's rejection, than to also see the pity in his eyes when he tells me he doesn't return my feelings.

"I love you"

I know there's no question of whether or not the words are true, and I grab onto Lance's jumper a little bit tighter when I register that he's the one who's said them. I quickly turn to him in shock, and he just looks at me, but in a way he's never looked at me before. This is the look he's always given to Gwen, a look of complete and utter adoration and love.

"You love me?"

He gently lifts his arm from around my body and brings it to rest on my cheek, and I can't help but melt into his touch. He doesn't say anything, just nods his head with a smile and that beautiful look of love still blazing in his eyes. Lance loves me.

I always knew I'd be happy if by some miracle Lance was ever able to return my feelings, but this sort of joy is overwhelming. I always used to think those stupid lines in books about people's hearts feeling like their actually bursting from their chests was bullocks, but now I finally understand. I never want the warmth caressing every part of my body to ever fade away, but more than anything I don't ever want the bright light of love in Lance's eyes to ever dim.

"I love you too, you complete idiot."

I smile at him in utter happiness, and he laughs as his head lowers towards mine.

"I am an idiot aren't I?"

His face is now so close to mine that I can actually feel his breath on my lips, but he doesn't move any further. He just keeps his eyes locked on mine as he waits. Oh Lance, forever a gentleman.

"Yeah, but from now on you're my idiot."

"Is that right?"

"Uh huh, now why don't you hurry up and kiss me before I have to go find someone who will."

I'd always dreamed about how wonderful a kisser Lance would be, but damn did that boy give me a pleasant surprise!

-o-

The walk to Arthur's room is silent, and filled with an overwhelming anxiousness. I follow closely beside Gwaine as his mother and Mr. Pendragon keep a steady pace in front with the nurse escorting us. I know all three of them are hesitant at what we'll find once we enter Arthur's room, but it doesn't matter to me as long as he's alive. I've had to deal with death before, and I honestly don't know if I'd have been strong enough to deal with it a second time.

"Alright, so I ask that all of you remain conscious to the fact that Mr. Pendragon has just come out of a truly delicate surgery and should not be put under stress of any kind. We have informed him of the possibility that he may not survive the night, and he's taken the news surprisingly well considering. He is still suffering from pain, so I would advise that you all touch him as little as possible if you can. He's also groggy from all the medication he received during surgery, so don't expect him to be too lucid right now. If there are any issues that you have please come and find me at the nurse's station, or press the big red button on the console attached to Mr. Pendragon's bed."

With one final smile the nurse leaves the four of us to loiter outside of Arthur's door. I keep my eyes locked on the floor as I wait for one of them to open the door, my hand unconsciously rubbing soothing circles on my stomach. I know that Mr. Pendragon will find a way to keep me away from Arthur if I draw too much attention to myself, and being the first one to walk into Arthur's room is about as presumptuous as I can get right now, so I wait impatiently for someone to muster up the courage to open it.

The minutes that tick by quickly begin to feel like hours as we all simply stand in silence before Arthur's door, and I nudge Gwaine in the side none too gently to force him into some kind of action.

"So um…Uncle, maybe you should do the honours of opening the door?"

My nod to Gwaine is the only thanks I give as I wait for Mr. Pendragon to finally turn the knob, but he hesitates. What the hell is he waiting for? I need to make sure Arthur's really alright, and all this waiting is driving me insane.

Eventually Mr. Pendragon takes a long inhale of breath, and then opens the door to Arthur's room. I allow everyone to walk ahead of me so I don't draw too much attention to myself, but I can't help the small gasp that leaves my lips at the sight before me. There sitting up in his rather large hospital bed is my Arthur. He looks tired, and his hair is disheveled, but to me he's breathtaking.

When his deep azure eyes land directly on me I can no longer fight back the tears brimming in my eyes. I've never felt so relieved in all my life.

"Arthur, I don't want you to worry about anything while you're in here. I'll take care of everything, and you'll have the very best care that money can buy."

"You know you're a right nob for making us all worry the way you did."

"Gwaine!"

"What? He is."

"We're just glad you're doing alright Arthur."

They're all talking to him, but his eyes don't leave mine, and eventually I grow shy under his penetrating gaze. He's drawing too much attention to us, and I know his father will not approve of that.

When I lift my eyes up from the ground I notice no one has moved any closer to Arthur's bed, and they all just look awkward watching him the way they are.

I know I shouldn't do it; I'd already planned on blending into the background so as not to incur Mr. Pendragon's wrath later on, but right now I can't bring myself to care. Arthur's here and conscious, and really that's all that matters to me.

"Hello Arthur"

I slowly make my way closer to his bed, sidestepping everyone on my way, and ignoring the look of hatred Mr. Pendragon sends me as I pass him.

"Guin…ev…er…e"

His voice is gruff as he says my name, and he's forced to take his time as he speaks, but it still sounds like music to my ears. I feared that I would never hear him say my name ever again, and now… I swallow the lump in my throat as more tears begin to pour down my face.

"Do..n't…cry"

I take great care to watch the many tubes attached to the machines by his bed as I lay beside him, and gently take his hand in mine. I stroke it softly so as not to hurt him, and from the contented look on his face I gather that I'm not.

"I've missed you, so much. I was afraid I'd never see you again, and I…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"Uther!"

I ignore Mr. Pendragon and the argument my presence has caused between he and Gwaine's mother, and softly turn Arthur's face towards me when his eyes stray to them. He looks so vulnerable and pained, and I feel useless because I know there is nothing I can do to take away what has been done to him.

"Well I don't know about you two, but I feel like a bit of a voyeur right now. I think it would be best if we gave the happy couple some time alone to talk, or cuddle, or whatever the hell Arthur's capable of doing right now. I mean he is my family, so I wouldn't be surprised if he can still… you know… after only being out of surgery for a few hours."

I can't help the little giggle that escapes from my throat, and notice Arthur's wearing a small grin of his own.

"Good…id...ea"

Gwaine smirks at Arthur, and I roll my eyes at their vulgarity in such a situation. Arthur will be lucky if he gets a peck on the mouth.

"Absolutely not! I will not support this farce of a relationship between my son and this wh…"

"Uther! I know it was a hard concept for you to remember, but the nurse did say not to give Arthur any stress. I may not be a psychiatrist, but his scrunched eyebrows and prominent scowl seem to imply that you're giving him an unhealthy dose of stress, so perhaps it would be best if you take a walk to cool down."

Again I ignore the voices of Mr. Pendragon and Gwaine's Mum as I carefully lift my hand to caress the tension from Arthur's jaw. He slowly begins to calm, and closes his eyes in relaxation as I continue upwards to stroke his cheek.

I can hear the rather loud clatter of expensive shoes stamping on the floor, and then the immediate slam of a door. Mr. Pendragon's certainly not going to be happy with me the next time he sees me.

"I'm so happy to see you alive and well Arthur. None of us were quite ready to see you go. I hope you start to feel like your old self soon."

"Thanks… Au…nt… Mor…gau…se."

"Of course darling, and don't forget to get some rest."

I hear the door for a second time, yet this time much softer than the last. I don't know Gwaine's Mum all that well, but I quickly decide that I like her very much.

"So, I guess I'm the last straggler."

I can hear footsteps moving closer towards Arthur and I, but I stay situated at Arthur's side. However, I don't want to infringe upon Arthur and Gwaine's moment, so I keep my eyes closed to create the illusion that I'm sleeping.

"You know I wasn't joking earlier. You really did scare the crap out of all of us."

"Sor...ry"

"Don't worry about it. Shit happens right. Just…you know, don't do it again. I don't have any other cousins I know about, and I've already got you trained and all."

The both of them laugh. Arthur's a little more subdued and harsh than Gwaine's.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't make you laugh; you sound even more terrible when you do, but I…I did want to tell you that I'm really happy you're okay, and you know…I love you or whatever."

I smile to myself, and can tell that Arthur's struggling not to cry.

"I…lo…ve…you…too…Gw…aine. Bes…cou…sin…ev…er!"

They laugh once again, and Arthur's sounds just as horrible as before.

"Nice try, but I'm you're only cousin. Nevertheless I'll take it. A compliments a compliment, and it doesn't hurt that it's actually true."

There's silence, yet there isn't any awkward tension in the air, just a calming peace before I hear footsteps moving away from the door.

"I'll come by to visit you later Arthur. Make sure you don't die or anything before then."

"I'll…do…my…bes"

"Well, I can't ask for anymore than that. Goodbye Arthur."

"Bye… Gw…aine"

The door shuts softly behind Gwaine, and now it's just the two of us. I open my eyes to see Arthur's staring directly at me, and once again I take his jaw gently in my hand and caress his stubbly face.

"Gwen"

His voice brings more tears to my eyes, and I begin to wonder if I'll ever stop crying.

"Arthur you shouldn't talk; you need to save your strength."

"I…lo…ve…you"

I nibble on my lower lip to contain the need to weep uncontrollably at his words.

"And I love you too Arthur. God do I love you. I thought I would never see you again, and I couldn't have bared it if anything had happened to you. You don't know how happy I am to see you alive and well."

"Not…too…well."

"No, but alive is certainly a start."

"Yes"

I notice Arthur's eyes drooping a little, and smile at his attempt to try and hide his fatigue from me. He never could just admit to being tired.

"I think maybe we should take a nap. I haven't gotten any sleep, and baby doesn't make late nights very easy on me."

Arthur smiles, and then slowly drags his hand across the bed to my stomach where he rests it rather tenderly.

"My…son…can…be…a…han…ful."

"Or daughter. Remember we didn't want to know when we went for the check up?"

"I…can…see…the…fu…ture."

"Is that right? Well, then tell me we're going to live happily ever after."

He looks away from me and over my head to his monitor steadily beeping in the background.

"I can…'t…see…ev…ery…thin"

"Well all you have to do is open those pretty blue eyes for me in a few hours, and we'll get our happily ever after."

He brings his eyes back to me, and I can no longer fight the urge to kiss him. I lift myself as carefully as I can towards him, and give him a small peck on the lips before retreating to my spot on the bed.

"Ag…ain"

I chuckle at his pout, and give him three more pecks for good measure. We then cuddle up as close as we can without risking pulling out any of his tubes, and slowly drift off to sleep, all the while Arthur's hand remains fixed on my stomach.

-o-

I sit by myself in the waiting room nursing a now cold cup of coffee. Uncle has finally decided to be a parent and made it his mission to get all the information needed to ensure Arthur's safe recovery, and Mum just stepped out for a minute to use the loo. Lance is off hopefully realizing he has romantic feelings for Elaine, and Merlin's God only knows where.

I know I should feel relaxed now after seeing Arthur alive and even speaking, but something doesn't feel right. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but my gut instinct is telling me that something's still not right, and no matter how much I tell myself I'm overreacting the feeling won't go away.

I've also just now noticed that someone who should be here is suspiciously absent from the list of hospital attendees. Under normal circumstances Morgan's nonattendance would be expected, but with Arthur just coming out of life threatening surgery I can't imagine why she wouldn't be here sulking in the corner by herself. Uncle hasn't even brought up her absence, or made any mention of Morgan at all since he arrived.

Why isn't Morgan here?

I quickly dial Morgan's number, but it immediately goes to her answering machine. Now I'm certain something's wrong! For as long as I've known Morgan her phone has never been off. She's always been the type to make herself available so she's constantly aware of what's going on around her. For her phone to be off at a time like this can't be a coincidence. What is it Uncle's not saying?

"Gwaine"

I give a quite noticeable jerk in my chair at the sound of my name, and quickly look up to see my Mum standing right in front of me watching me with a teasing smirk. Yup, I definitely got my smirk from her.

"Where were you Gwaine? You almost dropped your coffee on your trousers."

I chuckle a little bit at the news, and calmly place the full cup of coffee at the foot of my chair. Best not to risk a potential accident if I can help it.

"I was just thinking."

"Well I would hope so. Any chance you can tell me anything a little more specific?"

I shake my head, and stare at my shoes so as not to let Mum see the grin that I'm desperately trying to hide. She always knows what to say to make me feel better.

"I was thinking about why Morgan's not here. It just seems strange that she wouldn't be here, even if she and Arthur aren't that close they're practically siblings."

Mum stays silent for almost a full minute, so I lift my eyes from the floor to watch her curiously. She seems to be in deep thought about something, but what that is I cannot say.

"Mum?"

She takes a moment to compose herself before turning to me, and my breathing quickens at the serious expression on her face.

"Mum, what is it?"

My Mum's always looked younger than she is to me, but right now in this moment I can't help but feel like she finally looks her age.

"Uther told me that she's in…"

My focus swiftly shifts because of the loud noise the waiting room doors make when Merlin slams them open. Talk about making an entrance and completely shattering an important conversation.

Merlin hastily rushes over to me and Mum, and I stand when I finally notice the alarm on his face.

"Merlin, what the hell mate? This is a bloody hospital. You can't just go around throwing doors…"

"I was talking to Mordred earlier, and…"

"Mordred, what the hell is he doing…"

The epiphany finally comes to me, and I start to mentally scold myself for not thinking of it earlier. Who hates Arthur? Who has always been one step away from seriously injuring him – Mordred. Mordred must have stabbed Arthur. He's the one that tried to kill my little cousin.

"He was the one wasn't he? The one that put Arthur in that hospital bed?"

My angers blinding me, and I can feel my fists breaking through skin because I've tightened them so much.

"I swear I'll kill him!"

I can feel a hand on my arm, but I instinctively shake it off of me. There's no calming me down right now. Mordred's gone too far. If he thinks he can try and kill my cousin he's got another thing coming. I bet he even tried to make it seem like an accident so he wouldn't get thrown in prison, but I'll get Arthur justice.

"Gwaine, darling, you need to calm down."

"CALM DOWN! That piece of filth tried to murder Arthur, and I'm supposed to just stay calm about it. Well fuck that! As they say, an eye for an eye. Arthur gets a stab wound in his back, so Mordred should get one too.

"Gwaine, stop, my brother didn't stab Arthur. He was just there when it happened. He was the rea…"

My crazed laughter bounces across the room, and I just begin to realize how silent everything around us has become. I can't really blame the other people in the room though; if I were them I'd be listening too.

"He's you're brother Merlin and I know you want to believe him, but can't you see he's using your love for him against you. Stop being so naive! I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you're brother is a sick bastard, and he always has been. He told you it was an accident, but the truth is he tried to kill Arthur. He hates him!"

"MORDRED DIDN'T STAB ARTHUR!"

"SURE HE DIDN'T!"

I'm seething with rage, but I'm able to restrain myself from attacking Merlin because he's defending Mordred.

"Gwaine, it wasn't Mordred…"

"Then who was it Merlin? Did Mordred say Arthur fell back onto a sharp knife that just happened to be facing upward?"

I can tell by Merlin's red face that he doesn't appreciate me questioning his intelligence the way I am, but he has to be daft if he believed a word Mordred told him.

"IT WAS MORGAN!"

The anger seems to drain from my face as confusion quickly takes over. Morgan? That doesn't make any sense. Why would Morgan stab Arthur? Mordred has to be lying. Morgan may be a lot of things, but she's never been violent, especially not to Arthur.

"What? That can't be right. Mordred must have lied to y…"

"Morgan stabbed him Gwaine."

"But…"

"He's telling you the truth darling."

I take a small breath and lift my eyes to stare into Mum's tired ones. I immediately realize that this was probably what Mum was going to tell me earlier. Morgan stabbed Arthur, not Mordred. Merlin's not lying.

"Why?"

I feel defeated, and it's the only thing I can think to ask. Why would Morgan hurt Arthur. What could he possibly have done to warrant such a response from her?

"I don't know darling. All Uther would tell me is that she's in hospital now. They're planning… on having her committed."

Committed? What the hell happened? I catch Merlin's eye and he immediately looks away. I know he knows. He said himself that Mordred told him.

"Merlin…"

"Hello everyone!"

Merlin and I break eye contact when we hear Elaine's happy voice echo through the room, and he quickly looks back to me and mouths later. I'm not happy about putting our conversation on hold, but he's right we can talk later in private. Elaine looks really happy, or at least she did before she saw the emotions on the three of our faces.

"Why do you all look like something's happened? Is it Arthur? Is he okay? Where's Gwen?"

Elaine's not the toughest looking girl, but when she runs up to me and grabs my arms in a panic I can feel her practically ripping my muscles in her grip. Damn that girl is stronger than she looks. Though luckily, Lance pries her away from me before she's able to do any serious damage.

"Relax Elaine! Arthur's fine - he's conscious and everything. Gwen's with him right now. We left the two of them in his room about forty minutes ago to have some time alone."

Elaine looks satisfied with my response, and I smirk when she seems to melt into Lance's arm and he tightens his hold on her.

"Where have the two of you been? Mum and I have been waiting in here for a while, and I haven't seen either of you around in all that time?"

I smirk when I notice the rosy blushes on both of their cheeks, and force myself to forget all thoughts of Morgan and what she did to Arthur until later. Lance has finally stopped being such an idiot, and I don't want to ruin this moment for either of them.

"Well, after Lance made it very clear that he loves me we went to go get some pizza, but don't worry we bought a whole one for everybody. We figured nobody's really had anything to eat, and so…"

"Wait, Lance said he loves you? So you two are together? As in boyfriend and girlfriend together? Like O M G! Lance I'm so happy for you."

Lance gives me a dirty look, and Elaine tries to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter, but she's failing quite miserably. Merlin just looks happy for the both of them.

"Congratulations"

"Thanks Merlin"

"Yes congratulations all around, but let's remember the truly important part of what Elaine said, which was definitely the food. So where is this pizza that's waiting for me to consume it?"

Lance glares at me, but I can tell he's only taking the piss.

"That was really nice of you two, but I can't really eat pizza, so…"

"Oh Merlin don't worry. We thought that pizza might not be good for you so we got you a garden salad."

"Weeds"

"Gwaine!"

"Sorry Mum"

I lower my head at the embarrassment of being scolded by Mum in front of everyone, and let the laughs completely die down before lifting it back up.

"Thanks, that was very thoughtful of you both."

I don't know why, but I get the feeling that Merlin isn't actually happy that Lance and Elaine were thoughtful enough to get him a plate of weeds. I wonder why?

"Soooo…What exactly are we waiting for?"

Lance rolls his eyes and takes Elaine's hand as we all leave the waiting room. I'm sure they're a few people that wished we'd never leave. We gave those people a level of entertainment they'll never get again.

Once we leave the hospital building Mum takes her keys out and begins to veer off in a different direction.

"Mum?"

She turns to me with a smile and a small wave.

"I'll see you a little later Gwaine. I have to go pick up Percy and Leon from the airport in an hour. As soon as I told them what happened to Arthur they decided to come straight home."

God, just when I was getting happy news this has to happen.

"Ugh no! Now I'm going to have to deal with them home for the next few weeks."

"Gwaine, don't start. They're your brothers…"

"More like my terrors"

"and they want to be here for Arthur."

"Ugh fine!"

I run over and give Mum a hug before she's able to walk any further because I can't blame her for spawning such horrible little demons. Perfection took three tries.

I follow her with my eyes until she's safely in the car, and then join Lance, Elaine, and Merlin who are standing not too far away waiting for me.

"You know what, I think I might just move into Arthur's house so I can be his personal bodyguard."

I can hear the snickers around me, but choose to ignore them. I think it's a good idea.

"Sure mate"

I know the pat that Lance is giving me is meant to be patronizing, so I gently knock his arm off my shoulder.

"No seriously! I think I'd do well in security, but I'd definitely have to get a gun. All real bodyguards have a gun."

The laughter quickly dies, and I look at everyone's uneasy eyes in confusion. What did I say?

"What?"

"The last thing you should ever have is a gun mate. Leave that to the coppers. Wouldn't want you to go and hurt yourself."

Lance and Elaine laugh, but I notice Merlin doesn't. He stops and turns to stare back at the hospital entrance, and I know he wants to go back. He must want to see Arthur.

Lance and Elaine continue walking without us, and in their lovey dovey haze I'm sure they don't even realize that Merlin and I are no longer with them.

"I think you should go back Merlin."

He jumps at the sound of my voice, and quickly turns to me before shaking his head and staring at the ground.

"No, Arthur and Gwen are with each other. I don't want to be a bother and take away their time together."

Merlin's gaze lifts back up to stare at the hospital, and I watch him sadly as he does.

"Just go Merlin. They've had almost an hour alone. I don't think you stopping by for a few minutes is going to cause too many problems, and besides. He's your best mate. I'm sure he wants to see you too."

Merlin slowly brings his eyes from the building to me, smiles, and then nods before starting his walk back.

"Don't forget we still need to finish that conversation later!"

He raises his hand in acknowledgement of my words before starting a slow jog towards the hospital. I watch him all the way to the building to make sure he makes it safely before turning back to the couple cuddling on the side of Lance's car, and begin the short walk to them, but more importantly, to the food.

Later everything will hopefully start to make sense, and maybe in a few years I can pretend this horrible night never happened.

-o-

I gently turn the knob on the door in an attempt to be as quiet as possible, but as I move to close the door behind me I trip over my own feet and slam it much harder than I'd planned. I swiftly turn to make sure I haven't woken the sleeping couple, and give a small sigh of relief when Gwen stirs but doesn't wake.

"Smooth… as… al…ways… Mer…lin."

Arthur's eyes slowly open, and my heart beats a little faster at the sound of his whisper. Just a few hours ago I thought I'd never hear him say anything ever again, and now…My emotions quickly get the best of me, and I can soon feel tears sliding down my cheeks, and hampering my vision.

"You bloody tosser."

I can hear the traces of my sobs in my whispered reply, but can't really bring myself to care that I'm behaving so emotionally.

Arthur simply laughs as he usually does with that huge ass grin of his, but this time harsh coughs soon rack his body, and I hastily run to pour him a glass of water out of the ewer by his bed. Arthur makes sure to gently push Gwen away from his body so as not to wake her as he slowly moves to take the glass from my outstretched hand.

"Ta"

I watch Arthur closely as he takes careful sips of the water. He looks to be in pain as he drinks, and I can't help but cringe as I watch him struggle to even lift the glass with both of his hands. When he looks like he's drank as much as he can stomach I instantly take the glass from his hands.

Once the still full glass of water is sitting on Arthur's table silence quickly descends upon us. Both of us avoid each others' eyes, and I take the opportunity to wipe away all traces of my tears. Right now Arthur doesn't need to see my sadness.

"Your dad should be by soon. I saw him outside on the phone making some calls. And your aunt went home to pick up your cousins from the airport. They got the first flight in after they heard what happened to you. Oh and Elaine's got some surprising news."

I don't really know why I'm telling Arthur all of this, but for some reason I can't stop rambling.

"What's…that?"

"Well, I probably shouldn't, but I know you'll hear it eventually. Elaine and Lance are now officially together, so you and Gwen aren't the only happy couple around anymore."

"Bout…time."

Arthur's smile is so wide I can't help but laugh at his display of happiness for Elaine and Lance. He's probably just relieved Lance has finally started moving on from Gwen.

"You're going to have it so easy when you get out of here. I know Gwen's going to be treating you like a King until you're fully recovered, and Gwaine's already said he's going to be moving in with you so he can be your personal bodyguard. That was actually pretty funny until he started talking about how to get a license to carry a firearm. The idea of Gwaine being able to walk around with a gun quickly wiped the humour right off our faces."

I chance a glance at Arthur to see if he's returning my smile, but swallow back a grin at the sight of him looking rather forlornly at Gwen's sleeping figure on his uncommonly large hospital bed.

"Arthur?"

He doesn't take his eyes off Gwen, but I can tell he's heard me. I hesitantly take a seat at his bedside and wait for him to speak. I've known Arthur for so long now that I can always tell when he's got something on his mind.

"Mer…lin, I…I wan...no, I need... you… to look… af…ter Gwen… and... the baby… for me. I know Gw…aine... will be... there… for her, but…I really... wan… you… to be... there… too."

I didn't notice it before, but Arthur's voice sounds hoarse, and it's almost like he's in pain every time he says something.

"Arthur…"

"You've al…ways been… my best... mate Mer…lin, and… I'm sor...ry… that some…times… I act…ed like a…a wan…ker… to you. I was... only ev…er…tak…ing… the piss. I really could…n't… have ask…ed… for a... bet...ter… person… to share… my chil….hood… with, and... I just…hope... that you…"

"Shut up"

I can easily tell that Arthur's having trouble breathing, and his speech is starting to sound too much like he's saying goodbye.

"find happ…iness…in life…Mer…lin. You tru…ly…de...serve…it."

This time it takes me longer to notice I'm crying because my eyes are so focused on the tears coursing down Arthur's face.

"Just stop talking crap Arthur! You're acting like an idiot. You're fine."

You have to be.

The heart monitor observing Arthur's vitals starts to beep erratically, and my breath instinctively catches in my throat.

What's going on?

He looks like he's falling asleep.

I should go get a nurse?

No, they'll be alerted because of the beeping. They'll be here soon, and right now Arthur needs me with him.

I immediately run up to Arthur's bed and slap him as hard as I can across the face to wake him up.

"Bl...oo…dy… h...ell…Mer…lin!"

"You need to stay awake, okay Arthur. Just stay awake."

"I…can…'t... so… tire...can…'t..brea...th. I'm…sor…ry."

"The doctors are going to be here soon. Just hold on until they get here."

"Lo…ve… you…Mer…lin."

"Fuck! Just shut up! You're going to be fine. Just be quiet, and stay…"

I can see his eyes closing again, and I really begin to panic when it takes more effort to wake him up than before. No matter how many times I hit him he won't open his eyes.

"SOMEBODY HELP! ARTHUR!"

"Arthur"

I startle at the sound of Gwen's calm voice in all the loud noise and madness that surrounds me. She's just starting to wake up, and she looks around Arthur's large hospital room in confusion for a moment before her tired eyes land on me. It doesn't take long for Gwen to realize something's wrong, and she finally looks down to see Arthur lying nearly lifeless on the bed.

"No"

Her whisper is so heartbreaking it takes everything in me not to completely breakdown at the sound of it.

"Gwen, he needs help."

"Arthur sweetie, you need to open your eyes."

I can tell by the somewhat crazed look in Gwen's eyes that she's quickly losing it, and I know I'm not too far behind.

"Arthur, please, you need to wake up now. Remember our happily ever after."

She's shaking him as hard as her petite frame can muster, and I harshly grab onto my hair and pull in an attempt to reclaim some of my sanity.

This can't be happening.

Where is everyone?

We need help!

Arthur needs help.

It feels like hours since Arthur's heart rate started going down, but deep down I know it's only been a couple of minutes.

"ARTHUR! Please, don't leave me."

Gwen's words make my stomach drop, and I slowly back away from the bed when I notice the beeping noises from the heart monitor have calmed to one daunting sound.

I know what that sound means, but I can't bring myself to believe it because if what I'm hearing is true it means that my best mate since primary… that Arthur's… that he's…

I can make out nurses and doctors flooding the room through my blurry vision. They're struggling to separate Gwen from Arthur as she kicks and screams in protest, but I can hear nothing at all as the blood rushes to my head.

I can feel myself becoming faint as the situation finally starts to resonate, yet I do my best to fight my body's need to escape.

The nurses have finally succeeded in prying Gwen away from Arthur, but their attempts at resuscitation seem to be failing. I think I spot Mr. Pendragon yelling, though I honestly can't tell who exactly his screams are directed at.

I can tell I don't have much longer. My body feels too light, and I can see spots at the corner of my vision. The entire thing just doesn't feel real anymore, and I almost feel like I'm having an out of body experience.

The last thing I see before my body falls to the floor and I lose consciousness with the rest of the world is blood. So much crimson blood dripping down Gwen's legs as a nurse clutches her arm and screams for what I can only assume, is help.

Alright so that is the end before the epilogues. It took me forever to finish writing this because I couldn't bring myself to write the ending. I know many people are going to be sad about the way things ended for Arthur (even as the Author I can relate), but if you've ever seen Skins you know they usually don't end too happily. They're will be either two or three more epilogue chapters just to tie everything up, and then we'll really be done. Thank you again for reading, and I hope that you won't give me too many angry reviews for the ending.