Case Closed

Gwen was sitting in the ambulance while Tauren's crew was being ushered into the police cars. She watched Renfield be placed in the backseat of a car, wailing about Tauren and being manipulated. He could still be heard when the car door was closed.

The EMT bandaged Gwen's cut, wrapped her in a foil blanket, and gave her a paper cup of tea. She grimaced at the murky brown liquid, tossed it out, and crumbled the cup in her hand. Arthur had just narrowly avoided the steaming fluid. He gauged her for a moment before asking for a minute alone. The EMT stepped out, and Arthur hopped in and sat on the bench across from her.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like a baked potato," Gwen frowned, tossing the cup out onto the street and slipping the blanket off.

Arthur chuckled. "It's for shock. And I should fine you for littering."

"I'm not in shock," she said, insistent. "How did you know where I was?"

"I stuck a tracker in your phone when Morgauses' people were following you."

"That day in the café when that woman said you were checking my phone?"

"Yeah."

Gwen leaned back in the seat, trying to find a comfortable position. "And you didn't think to take it out after Morgause was taken in?"

Arthur shrugged. "It slipped my mind."

A smile formed on Gwen's lips. "You're not the type to forget things."

"You're welcome," Arthur said and got out of the ambulance. "They're going to take you to hospital, give you a once over." He noted her uncomfortable look. "I'll meet you there, and I'll bring you home when they're done."

Gwen was finally discharged from the hospital some hours later. She had helped herself to a pair of sneakers in the lost and found and was on her way to meet Arthur outside.

But first she made a detour.

She stopped at a room with a police officer guarding the door. "Can I see her?" Gwen asked him.

The officer stared hard at Gwen until he recognized her. "You're Guinevere Leodegrance, right? I don't think it's a good idea."

"She tried to kill me and I need closure," Gwen pleaded and batted her lashes. She was tired and her eyes itched, so it wasn't hard to make them water. She was ready to let the tears fall if she was told no, and she'd be dramatic if she had to.

The officer looked both ways down the hall then moved away from the door. "You have five minutes."

"Thank you," Gwen said, and let herself into the room. She stood at the head of the bed and stared down at Morgause, unrecognizable with her face wrapped in bandages. Gwen picked up her chart and read it. "Medically induced coma. Facial reconstruction, pending." She snickered and put the chart back down.

She walked over to Morgause's side and sneered down at her. "I bet you look like one of my dog's chew toys under there," Gwen snorted. "They're wasting a perfectly good bed on you." She stepped away and wandered around the ventilator. She studied the life support machine and saw the plug in the wall. "I can literally pull the plug, but then all signs would immediately point to me." She nudged the outlet with the worn toe of the sneaker, and the plug lifted slightly. "It could be an accident. Some resident accidently bumps it and the plug just…falls out." She pushed it securely back in with her toe. "No. That's not fair them," Gwen sighed. "I'm tired and this is too much effort. Don't wake up anytime soon." She left the room and gave the unsuspecting officer a polite nod.

The receptionist let her know that Arthur was waiting for her outside. When Gwen walked out, she saw him leaning against his car parked out front.

"Nice shoes," was the first and only thing he said to her.

The drive back to Gwen's was a silent one. When they arrived, Gwen reached for the door handle but then stopped. "Could you…" She began quietly, but then paused. When she saw him staring at her, waiting for her to continue, she looked away. Taking another glance at him, she saw that he was now looking out the window. He was being patient with her and she appreciated that. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Do you have time to come up?"

Arthur was already opening his door before she finished asking. "Just don't drug me with that sleepy tea like you did the last time."

They bickered about her herbal concoction all the way up the stairs. "Are you going to take a drug test every time then?" Gwen teased and opened the door. When she wasn't greeted by her dog, panic flared. "Oh, God. Where's Ti—"

"Merlin has him," Arthur quickly said. "I forgot to tell you. I'm sorry."

Gwen immediately relaxed, and she gestured for Arthur to make himself comfortable on the couch. He offered to make tea for her but she gave him a look that made him feel silly for asking.

They didn't speak while the water boiled and kept their backs to each other. Every time Gwen looked over her shoulder, she expected to catch Arthur watching her but she never did. "I could slip something in your drink and you wouldn't even know it right now."

Arthur finally turned to look at her. She smiled and so did he.

When the tea was finished, Gwen set the steaming mugs on the coffee table and sat next to Arthur.

"Did the doctor suggest seeing a counselor?"

And there it was, the ice broken. "Yes, and I'm not doing it," Gwen firmly replied.

"No one's forcing you, but talking to someone could help."

"I talk to you."

"I'm not qualified." Arthur's tone went serious. The kind he uses when he talks to victims. "You've been through a trauma—"

"You don't need to use your detective voice on me." Gwen rested her head on his shoulder. "You don't have to say anything. I just don't want to be alone right now."

But after sitting in silence for a full minute, Gwen changed her mind and decided that she needed Arthur to talk. "You killed someone," she said.

"I did," Arthur confirmed.

"Keep it up and one day we'll be tied," Gwen teased, grinning into his shoulder.

Arthur scoffed.

"Who did you do it for? Me? Yourself? Your father?" Arthur didn't answer so Gwen continued. "Helios never killed for me. He always did it for himself to show dominance."

"Tauren was going to slit your throat right then and there."

"He could've moved his hand," Gwen played devil's advocate.

"He wasn't going to," Arthur said. "I'm sure of it."

"Are you saying that to convince yourself or…"

"No. I'm sure. If I hesitated—if I didn't act fast, you would've been dead."

Gwen sat up and her hand went to the bandage on her neck. And when she turned her body to him, what she was about to say vanished from her mind because suddenly Arthur's hand was covering hers.

"When I was a rookie, I couldn't save someone, a woman being held hostage by her psycho boyfriend. He had her by the throat. I tried talking him down instead of acting. The man was a monster, and I knew that he wouldn't listen to reason, but I kept trying. He cut slit throat like it was nothing. The other officers came in behind me and arrested him. I tried to stop the woman from bleeding out but I couldn't. She died in my arms." Arthur couldn't look at Gwen anymore and bowed his head, but his hand remained where it was. "I couldn't save her…"

Gwen leaned forward. "Hey," she whispered, getting his attention. When he lifted his head, she touched her forehead with his, offering comfort. "Thank you."

The tea remained untouched.

Arthur saw Gwen briefly the following week when she had to come to the station. Statements were given, a few more arrests were made, and the case was closed. Morgana told him of their shopping trip and she let him know that Gwen seemed fine. Nothing a little retail therapy couldn't fix, she told him.

He hadn't seen Gwen since she gave her final statement. He supposed it was for the best.

When he was done tidying up his office, Arthur opened the door then went back to his desk. He picked up the last case folder and dropped it a box full of identical manila folders. The one folder about Helios' murder had amassed into a box full of trouble. Arthur placed the lid on the box, picked it up, and looked at his clean desk. The snow globe paperweight George gave him looked useless while not on top of a pile of documents. And it would remain that way until he came back to work. Gaius' suggestion of a vacation turned into a command, and Arthur wasn't going to fight it this time.

He looked up just to see Merlin come in and lean against the doorframe. Arthur walked over to his partner. "Don't take any of the good cases without me," he said, shoving the box in Merlin's arms.

Merlin faltered at the unexpected weight of the box. "Is that an order? You're on vacation now. You can't boss me around."

Arthur turned the chair on the other side of his desk around to face Merlin, and he plop down in it. "It's not an order. Just don't have too much fun."

"I don't think you can say it without it sounding like an order," Merlin laughed, "but I promise you that I won't." He then gave Arthur a steady look.

It made Arthur uncomfortable. "What is it?"

"Are you going to be okay? You've taken a vacation…never. You're not going to go stir-crazy, are you?"

"Stir-crazy? That's a bit of an exaggeration."

"Is it? You tend to get a bit squirrely when you have nothing to do." Merlin looked him hard in the eye. "Please tell me you'll be fine."

Arthur crossed his arms. "You made a bet with Morgana, didn't you?"

Merlin adjusted the box in his arms and turned to leave. "I'm gonna put his away. See you later!" he called over his shoulder.

"Merlin!"

Before Arthur could chase after him, he heard his phone vibrate on his desk. Going to it, he saw Gwen's name on the screen. He smiled and picked up. "Now what?"

A/N: A full length arwen fic with no kissing!? I feel like I punk'd you guys and pulled a series 5. Sorry.

Each series of Luther ends with a "Now what?" so I thought I'd throw one in. I'm not actually ending this on a cliffhanger. Maybe little side adventures from this universe will appear in Him and Her, but things will definitely pick up again in the sequel. So don't worry! (did I worry you?)

But most importantly, THANK YOU to everyone that read, favorite, followed, and reviewed this story! See you all next time!