Nimueh stood in an old musty cave, it wasn't as homely as her usual hideout but it would just have to do. Bayard's men would be leaving the next day and she had to know why the warlock intrigued her so much. The scrying fount had always provided answers when she needed them most, to see when to strike Uther and who had spoiled her plans. Now it was time for her to use her powers of foresight but they weren't her greatest strength. It took a lot of effort to see the future clearly, dreams would come and go and she'd be lucky if it would even involve him, she had to steer her powers. Merlin's future, however, was obscured from her but that didn't stop her. Arthur's future was far clearer and it showed Merlin by his side every step of the way. To her it meant a destiny, one of greatness but still being written. Should she reveal herself to him and try to guide him? Somewhere that felt rather selfish as Gaius was doing a pretty good job and she might just end up corrupting him with her vast knowledge.

Nimueh, known to everyone as Cara, returned to Camelot in the dead of night. As she walked the streets, the doors of one of the taverns opened and out stumbled Merlin along with a girl, giggling uncontrollably.
"Enjoying yourself, I see." She said rather cold. Why did I say it like that? She asked herself. The girl clung onto him a bit possesively and it sent a pang of jealousy through her. She thought it silly to be jealous, of course Merlin would have other people who were important to him.
"Cara!" Merlin exclaimed, still grinning like an idiot, she could see he was rather intoxicated.
"Gwen, I'd like you to meet Cara. Cara, this is Guinevere."
"Call me Gwen, everyone does" she said. Nimueh hated these pleasantries but couldn't really refuse. Nimueh said she had to get to her room in the castle, which was previously a locked room, and Merlin told her to tag along with them as they were headed the same way. And why not, what harm could come of it? They dropped Gwen off at her house and were making their way to the castle when the sad truth came to Merlin's mind.
"Tonight is your last night in Camelot, isn't it?" Merlin asked.
"Yes, it is." Nimueh replied.
"And after tomorrow we might never see each other again and forget."
She didn't know how to take that. Being sorcerers on opposite sides they were bound to meet again but would he have forgotten her before then?
"Would it be stupid if I said I don't want to forget you?" Merlin asked shyly.s
"W-What?" She stuttered, and it infuriated her. First he made her doubt her motives and now he had gotten her to stutter, how the hell did that happen?
"I know we've only just met but you're different from anyone I've ever known." He continued. She knew the feeling, it was exactly the same for her. There was a connection between them, not magical but emotional, it was difficult to explain and completely unexpected but it was true.
"There's just something about you I can't put my finger on, I feel... normal when I'm around you." He explained.
"Normal?" She almost exclaimed, 'normal' didn't sound like a good thing at all.
"When I'm around Arthur, I'm the servant. With Gaius, I'm the apprentice. With Gwen, I'm the colleague and with you I'm... I don't have a role to fill or meet expectations to meet, with you I there's room for me to breathe and be who I am."

A friend at last.

"I won't forget you." Nimueh replied.
"I want you to have this." He said as he held out a small leather bracelet. "I know it's nothing special and you don't have to wear it but I..." He chuckled. "I just wanted to give you something to remember me by."
"Thank you." She said, and she meant it. "I'm afraid I don't have anything to give in return."
"You don't have to. Whenever I see blue eyes I'll always end up comparing them with yours."
She knew how blue her eyes were but couldn't help feeling flattered, finally someone would remember and smile doing so.

Her heart sank, he wouldn't remember her, he would remember Cara.

"What's wrong?" Merlin had picked up on her saddened mood.
I can't tell him, he's the only person who'll remember as a good person. If I ruin that I don't know what I'll do. She noticed things were getting worse. SHE wouldn't know what to do? Since when did she care about what he thought of her? What anyone thought of her?
"You can trust me." His words made her look into his eyes again, the only shade of blue to ever contest hers. His eyes, his words, she should call it poison only it didn't hurt her, it brought back to life so many things she thought dead. In the hayloft above the stables his words had revived memories and shed the tears she had held back for so long. But he would forget her eventually and the thought nearly brought her to tears. If she'd begin crying again, what would he think of her then? She would be a whimpering child and she wouldn't allow him to remember her like that, there was fire in her and she would let it show. The sudden urge, another emotion she thought dead, she acted on it. Her hand had made its way into his hair and her lips were on his. She would make sure he would never forget. Her tongue touched his lips and they were all too happy to oblige. Forget the hayloft, this was the moment which she would remember him by.

She would never forget him and now he would never forget her. She had done it on a sudden whim and it wasn't love. Not until he kissed her back. How could she have fallen in love with him? They had only met a day ago.
Just because he comforted me and understands how I feel and that he's kind of cute and a remarkably good kisser and...
She noticed there were too many 'and's in that and feared the feeling really was genuine. Why did he have to care so damn much about her? Why couldn't he just have ignored her or something?

Their lips parted and, panting, she took a step back.
"I thought it was just me." He said short of breath. Nimueh smiled at his innocence, he really was adorable all flustered like that.
"It's like you said, my last night in Camelot. I wasn't going to leave with regrets." Nimueh replied.
"We could write." Merlin suggested.
"No, Merlin. I have a life back home and we don't even know what this is, we should move on."
Merlin's jaw clenched, this was the last thing he wanted to hear.
"Can't you stay for a few more days?" He pleaded.
"It would only make things worse."
Merlin fought back the tears behind his eyes, he thought her cruel to kiss him like that and then tell him to leave it all behind. He understood why but that didn't soothe the pain in his heart. Nimueh began moving away from the warlock, things were complicated enough as it was. She had to leave before she'd give in to his tempting words. Stay a few days, he said, but knowing how she felt for him it would become more and she couldn't let that happen. Uther was still alive and the only thing that had changed was Merlin's importance. She would avoid putting him in the line of fire from now on and only fight Uther, no collateral damage.
"Will you ever come back?" Merlin asked.
"I don't know." She spoke with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry." Were her last words before turning around and running away from him, into the darkness beyond the gates of Camelot.

AN:

A bit of credit goes to 'knightofthecart' of the Merlin Wikia, who posted a picture of Merlin's bracelet (found on the "Merlin's Wardrobe" page).
I don't want to force an ending, be it adventures and marriage, her leaving for another life or sacrificing herself for Arthur's sake, all those things I'll leave in the capable minds of the readers.

One day I might look back at this story and go for a lengthy sequel but it'll be a while before I do.

Now, this might come off as arrogant but I'm going to say it anyway.
Should anyone want to use this as a base/prequel for another story, you're free to do so. However, I would like a PM because I enjoy MerlinxNimueh stories and there are so few of them.