Season 2, Episode 4

Story 17: Does it Make it Better

Chapter 10: It Makes it All Better

For a moment, no one responded. They couldn't have if they wanted to. No one knew how to respond. What are you supposed to do or say when the impossible had happened?

It didn't seem possible that Merlin was gone. Merlin who was so full of life. Merlin who always put everyone else before his own needs. Merlin who had been on the receiving end of the dagger meant for Arthur. He was gone.

Gaius recovered first. He clutched Merlin's wrist. At first Arthur didn't understand what he was doing. "He's still alive," Gaius said softly. He didn't allow the smile to cross his face. Merlin was alive, but weak. He may be too far gone for even magic to bring him back. Arthur felt hope rise up in him. Merlin was alive. That meant there was still the possibility that he would survive this. Arthur ignored the grave look on Gaius's face. He didn't want to think about what that look meant. The more Arthur tried to ignore it, the more he thought about it. He knew that look meant that Gaius had already given up. "There is movement in his wrist. He doesn't have long, but he still has a chance." Gaius turned to Iryna. "You need to put everything into this spell. If you cannot do this, he will die."

Gaius felt guilty pressuring Iryna with that knowledge, but it had always worked to motivate Merlin. Gaius hoped it would do the same for Iryna.

Iryna closed her eyes, allowing herself to feel her magic. She concentrated until she was no longer a girl who had magic. She was magic. "Efencume aetgaedre eala gastas: gesticie pis lic forod!" She screamed. She shaped her magic around the words she had shouted, concentrating more than she had ever concentrated before. She willed the magic to do her bidding, to bring Merlin back to them. She opened her eyes in time for them to flash gold. She had never felt anything like it before. The power that washed through her into Merlin was nearly overwhelming. It symbolized all things good and right. Surely something like that would work and would heal Merlin. When her spell was complete, Iryna slumped against the table exhausted and Arthur quickly rushed to her side to steady her. She had never attempted something like this before and was surprised by the sudden fatigue that had followed it. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then Merlin's hand went slack in Gaius's hold. Gaius squeezed his wrist, praying to feel the faint fluttering that had been there before. There was nothing. The grim look on Gaius's face gave them their answer.

Iryna turned to Arthur and buried her face in his chest and let her sobs wrack through her. She hadn't been able to do it. She had failed.

Gaius gently placed Merlin's hand over his chest and turned away from him. He couldn't bear to look at Merlin and know that he would never see him smile again, he would never hear him complain about Arthur, he would never see the determination that consumed him whenever Arthur was in danger. Gaius had never wanted children and he had been reluctant to take Merlin in in the first place. But Merlin had become a son to him and Gaius had never experienced such pain before. He thought it had been bad when he had lost his love, Alice, but at least she had been alive. He had thought it had been bad when he lost a good friend when Uther passed away, but that didn't compare to how he felt now.

The unimaginable had happened. Merlin was the reason Arthur and Iryna were together in the first place. Merlin was the reason everyone in the room was still alive. He had saved all of their lives at some point or another. It was hard to believe that someone that held so much good was gone.

Arthur tightened his hold on Iryna, fighting the grief that threatened to consume him. He had prided himself on being strong and never letting another person control his emotions, but Merlin was making it difficult. Arthur was too shocked and overwhelmed to be able to respond. After a moment he rested his forehead on Iryna's and allowed the tears to fall. He knew he was gripping Iryna tightly, but she wasn't complaining and he couldn't make himself loosen his hold on her. He needed something to cling to, something to give him hope that somehow there was something to look forward to outside of this tragedy. A sob wracked through Arthur and he couldn't hold it in.

"Cheer up. You're getting married, shouldn't you be happy?"

Arthur spun around, barely able to believe his eyes. He quickly dried his eyes as he looked at Merlin. "You-you're alive?" Arthur asked uncertainly.

"No, I'm a ghost come back to haunt you," Merlin teased.

Before Arthur was aware of what he was doing, he threw his arms around Merlin and engulfed him in a hug. As impossible as it had been to believe that Merlin had died it was even more difficult to believe he was alive now. Once he came to his senses, Arthur quickly stepped back and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm glad you're not dead," Arthur said sincerely.

"Thanks," Merlin said, rolling his eyes.

After Arthur, Iryna hugged Merlin. "You're alive!" Iryna screamed through her tears. Words couldn't describe what Iryna was feeling in that moment. She was relieved that Merlin was okay, still terrified that they had almost lost him, proud that she had succeeded in casting the spell, guilty because if she hadn't been able to cast the spell Merlin would be dead. Those emotions and more were all a swirling whirlwind inside of her that was threatening to drive her mad.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Merlin asked them amused. Once Iryna stepped back from their hug and rejoined Arthur, Merlin turned to Gaius.

Gaius was like a father to him, Merlin knew his injury must have taken its toll on him. When Gaius met Merlin's gaze, he allowed his pride to show. Merlin had turned into a truly spectacular man.

Merlin swung his legs to the side of the table and stood up. He was a little wobbly, but he was quickly able to steady himself. Gaius embrace Merlin, much like a father would embrace his son. "I'm proud of you m'boy," Gaius said gruffly, as he tried to hide how emotional Merlin almost dying had made him.

"I'm proud of you too," Iryna said with a small smile. "That you for saving Arthur. You have no idea what he means to me."

Iryna glanced at Arthur expectantly. When he didn't say anything, she elbowed him and looked from him to Merlin. "Oh yes," Arthur said quickly. He didn't want to get elbowed again. Iryna had really bony elbows and she hurt! "Thank you for saving me and for killing Morgana. It is much appreciated."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Your words are too kind," Merlin told him. Merlin suddenly became serious. He glanced at where Arthur and Iryna held hands. "So when's the big date?" Merlin asked with a small smile.

"I wouldn't know. Someone came barging into the clearing right after my heartfelt proposal," Arthur teased.

"Heartfelt proposal," Iryna said with a snort. "I thought you were telling me that you were dying or something. He sits down across from me and says, 'I don't know how you are going to take this, but there's something I need to tell you'."

"She froze and her eyes got all big. I was worried that something was wrong with her," Arthur said with a small smile. "She held up her hand and said 'If you're dying, lie to me and tell me you're not dying'."

"Then this prat goes 'I'm not dying'. Of course I thought he was dying. I just told him to lie to me," Iryna said defensively.

"It took me several minutes to calm her down and assure her that I really wasn't dying," Arthur explained. "The entire time she was blabbering about how I needed to tell you and Gaius because surely one of you would be able to help me."

"What else was I supposed to think?" Iryna asked. "Finally he just asked me to marry him."

"If someone wasn't freaking out so much it would have been much more heartfelt," Arthur pointed out.

Merlin watched them go back and forth. They were a match made in heaven, they were. Both stubborn and hard-headed, but they both were kind and compassionate. Arthur was a great king and Iryna would make a wonderful queen.

Four days later, they married. Arthur was clutching Iryna's hand for dear life as they sat down on the new thrones and listened to the calls of "Long live the queen!"

He didn't let go of her hand as many noblemen and ladies approached them to give them their good wishes and congratulations. After the nobility, Arthur knights approached him. Then the common folk that had been huddled in the back, fortunate enough to have gotten in before there wasn't any more room.

The last people to approach them were Merlin and Gaius. Arthur barely registered what Gaius was saying, his eyes were locked with Merlin's. It was almost overwhelming how much pride Arthur saw in Merlin's eyes. It made Arthur realize that if Merlin was proud of him, he must be doing something right.

"Does it make it better?" Merlin asked Arthur quietly. He didn't look away from Arthur. Arthur knew exactly what he was asking him.

Arthur ignored the strange looks that Iryna and Gaius were shooting them as he considered Merlin's question. He had known the answer to it before he had even known it was a question. "Yes," Arthur said with a huge smile, glancing at his beautiful bride. When he looked back at his best friend, his heart swelled with happiness. He couldn't imagine being in a better place right now. "You were right. It makes it all better."

The End

I really do try this whole one-shot thing, but then chapters happen and it stops being a one-shot. I hope you enjoyed this! Let me know what you think! Did you love it? Hate it?