Title: The Vault of Emrys

Author: Kitty O

Rating: T

Epilogue

His own bed again.

Arthur had only been away about two days (though he later discovered he'd spent the night in the basement—was that three?), but it felt like weeks. There were other mysteries and problems to be cleared up, of course. Why had Morgause and Agravaine taken so long to reach the Vault, for example? (The answer was easy. Agravaine couldn't figure out how to work Kilgharrah.) And would the four people ever get their cell phones back?

But Arthur didn't particularly care about any of that. He would let Merlin and Morgana worry about cellular devices.

He was glad to be home, but not as glad as he had thought he would be. Home was peaceful, he realized, but he was glutted on peace. He was not made for that.

He didn't admit it to Gwen. Instead he focused on the one thing he was undeniably joyful about; he could sleep in his own bed again.

It was two weeks later, and it was two in the morning. Arthur was sleeping. Gwen was next to him, on her side, one hand splayed on his bare chest because she always shifted in her sleep.

And then Arthur woke up. He couldn't say why, but his senses were on high alert. Was there danger? He wondered at once. Or perhaps he'd simply had a bad dream.

He was still as he took in his surroundings. Gwen was warm next to him, and he was glad that she was not on the other side of the bed, avoiding him. They'd fought again this afternoon; over chicken, this time, though they both knew it was really about Camelot, and how Arthur wanted to stay retired, and how bored they both were.

Other than her, the room was still, cold, and dark, and—

Something moved.

Gwen woke up silently beside him.

Arthur kept a gun under the bed. A man with his training, of course he did. Slowly his hand inched away from his side as he reached for it. He was still far away when he heard the voice.

"Please don't, you might shoot me on accident."

"Merlin!" he gasped, sitting up. Gwen grabbed the covers and held them up over her shoulders.

"Merlin?" she echoed sleepily. "What in the world are you doing in our bedroom?"

"Sorry," he said. "I know it isn't polite, but you didn't answer when we knocked."

"We? Morgana's here?" This time Arthur pulled the covers up a little.

"I'm by the door," Morgana said, and opened it. The hall light leaked in, but the visibility in the room was still low. Probably why Gwen hadn't already ordered Merlin out of the room.

"We are sorry," Morgana went on. "Merlin's just so impatient. And clumsy. We didn't mean to wake you up by knocking things over and startling you."

"How did you get in?" Gwen asked.

"Morgana can pick locks," Merlin said.

"Liar," Arthur returned. "Not our locks."

"Okay, I used magic. I'm getting the hang of it. Now you need to get up!"

"Why?" Arthur asked, wishing his shirt was in arm's-reach. "Why are you here? Why do we need to get up?"

"Well," Merlin explained, waving his hand, "Alined is hatching some scheme again, and we think he's trying to take over the world. Again. But in order to infiltrate his place, we need a married couple he won't recognize, because he's throwing some sort of party for married people. It's part of his plan. He's a bit outlandish. But, well, he'd recognize Morgana and me, and so we thought to ourselves," and he paused to lean against the dresser, "'Wouldn't it be nice if we knew a couple he hasn't met, who are actually married, who are bored out of their minds currently and capable of helping us take him down?' And then—violà!"

Arthur blinked. "It is two in the morning," he said slowly, pointing at his digital clock to make his point.

"Yes?"

"And you are in my bedroom trying to convince me to become a spy – again! At two in the morning."

Merlin laughed, sounding happy and confident. Gwen had been right—it wasn't really arrogance that he had about him. "Arthur," he said half-accusingly and half-amusedly, "you woke up because practically touched your dresser! When did you stop being a spy?"

There was a pause.

Then Gwen spoke for them both. "Sounds like fun," she said. "Now you two get out and we'll get changed and join you."

"Now you're talking!" Merlin cried.

"You have three minutes," Morgana said as she left, cracking a grin as she dragged her new boyfriend along. Before the door shut and the room fell into darkness, he could be heard laughing.

And even when Gwen turned on the lamp, Arthur didn't try to hide his excited grin.

End.

A/N: Heeeeello! Well, usually I would wait for people to catch up and stuff, review last chapter and all that. But this chapter is so short, so I figured, what the heck. I'll just post it. So I have. Thank you all for reading this story! And please leave a last review and tell me what you thought of my work xD