Hey everyone. Thanks again for all the support. I am sorry but this is the last chapter, a bit sudden I know but I am completely having writers block and have 17 (yes 17) bits of homework. Real life is catching up with me and I really don't have time to make this fic any longer. I hope you are not too disappointed, I will probably start a Supernatural story soon, maybe a collection of short stories, but do not have time for something this long. I hope you all enjoy the last chapter and that it isn't too much of a let down!

Chapter 9

Merlin woke the next morning drenched in sweat and found himself absentmindedly wiping the sheen of salty liquid from his forehead and cheeks. His hand was throbbing dully but he didn't care. He wondered whether he would ever care about anything again. He dressed silently and pulled a chair over to his window, causing his breathing to hitch with exertion. His body was screaming for sleep but the nightmares that plagued the boy's night were extremely undesirable, he would go without closing his eyes again for as long as possible. The piercing blue eyes darted from side to side as Merlin watched the hustle and bustle of town life around him. Women were shopping with their baskets, children clinging to their hands without a care in the world. How Merlin longed that he was so carefree and that his life was so simple.

That was when he saw the knights hauling large logs around the courtyard and using wooden carts to wheel branches to an erect stake in the middle of the square. Merlin felt a bout of nausea roll through his body and swallowed hard in an attempt to settle his stomach. Tears were filling and burning his eyes like acid, but he did not let them fall. Maybe he did still care. Now he wished that he was oblivious to emotion again. A pyre. They were building a pyre. A pyre for Morgana.

Lost in his thoughts Merlin jumped and fell sideways from the chair when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't watch my boy. It will be ok. Just don't look." Merlin picked himself up and stood staring wide-eyed at Gaius, one hand resting protectively over his still-sore stomach.

"Merlin, are you hurt? Can you talk to me?" Merlin ignored the old man, feeling even worse when he saw that his crinkled eyes were also full of tears.

"Please. I want to help you." You can't. There is nothing you can do. I am lost. Gone. Merlin did not voice his thoughts, instead turning, grabbing some clean clothes and moving pointedly behind a changing screen. With a sigh Gaius took the hint and left the boy to it, instead washing some fruit and leaving it on the table for when Merlin came out.

After two hours of waiting Gaius sighed and poked his head around Merlin's door, bowl of fruit in hand.

"You need to eat my boy. You must be starving." Gaius had a false smile painted across his face, hoping that it would rub off on the child. He was disappointed.

When he came back the bowl was lying untouched and Merlin was still sitting in the same position, on the bed with his thighs pressed against his chest and his chin resting on his knees.

"Merlin?" Merlin's haunted eyes said it all. Leave me alone.

Once again Gaius left the room and he had to wipe the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief. He was completely at a loss and found himself wandering to Morgana's chambers before remembering she was not there. That at that current moment Morgana was awaiting her death in a cell. Gaius continued to wander aimlessly until he came across Arthur slamming a door and storming down the corridor.

"Arthur. Is there any news about the Lady Morgana?"

"I can't make him see sense!" Arthur's voice cracked with despair and he balled his fists, rubbing his eyes angrily. He would not cry. By the look of Gaius' face there had been enough tears she for one day.

"How about Merlin?" If possible Gaius' face fell even further.

"He will not let me anywhere near him and he hasn't touched any food since he was kidnapped. If I can't get him to eat soon he will starve himself to death." Arthur sighed, that was definitely not what he wanted to hear and did nothing to lift his spirit.

"Wonderful."

"It will be fine."

"Really?"

"I hope so."

Everything was not fine. Morgana had been dragged kicking and screaming to the pyre with ropes tying her hands behind her back and around her waist, securing her to the stake. She had tried her hardest not to cry but tears were cascading down her pale face.

"Uther please!" Morgana began to beg.

"Father please!" Arthur began to beg.

"My Lord, maybe…"

"…Reconsider."

"…Always a way…" Voices kept bombarding the king, telling him to see sense, but Uther was a stubborn man. Morgana had used magic. Magic is punishable by death. Therefore Morgana had to die. He would never admit it, but he had been blinded by his hatred of magic to the extent that it had clouded his judgment.

Gaius was standing numbly beside the pyre. He didn't want to be there but it was his duty as court physician, and he felt as if he should be there for Morgana. She was like a daughter to him and he was damned if he would let her suffer alone. He had told Merlin to stay in his room and had put a blanket up over the window so the child would not be able to see anything. The next few moments passed by in a blur, a knight was walking forward with a flaming torch, his expression blank but his eyes revealing his sorrow. Gaius was vaguely aware of a high scream and saw Morgana thrashing wildly as flames began to lick at her ankles.

I am burning. Oh god my leg is burning. I can smell it. Someone help me. It hurts.

Morgana was soon unable to form coherent thoughts, terrible shrieks of pain being wrenched from deep inside her chest.

Gaius felt someone tugging at his robe and looked down, horrified to see Merlin staring at him wide-eyed and trembling. Gaius resisted the urge to scoop the child up. Merlin didn't need to see this. He couldn't let the child see Morgana in so much pain.

"Merlin! What are you doing here? I told you to stay at home. You have to leave right this instant." Merlin shook his head wildly and began to point at the castle's stone steps where Arthur and Uther were standing.

"You can't be with Arthur now. I am sorry but he needs time alone. This is not the place for a child." Gaius reached out to guide Merlin away, desperately trying to block out Morgana's screams. Merlin flinched back and tears began to spill down his cheeks but he continued to point.

Gaius looked up again. Too late. He was just in time to see one of the guards lunge forward and Uther falling to the ground.

Arthur was staring in horror at Morgana, she was screaming but the noise did not reach his ears. He felt numb, almost as if the scene in front of him was not really happening. It was all just a bad dream. He would wake up soon. He tried to convince himself that this was all just a really bad, really realistic dream. But it wasn't. He quickly wiped the tears that were streaming down his face, and that was when he felt something heavy hit his side.

Everything seemed to suddenly speed up and the noises around him blared into life. He could hear screams, cries of shock and a strange gurgling sound coming from the floor next to him.

"Father?" Realization suddenly hit Arthur and without hesitation he drew his sword and plunged it into the chest of the dark-haired guard who had been standing behind them. He knelt down and his hands began frantically scrambling at the wound on his father's side, but part of him already knew he was too late.

"Please. Somebody help!" Arthur felt his breath quickening and began to sob. Damn it all to hell. He was a prince. Princes should not cry, but he couldn't bring himself to try and stop.

In all of the commotion no-one appeared to have noticed that a young boy's eyes had glowed bright gold, that the flames enveloping Morgana had been vanquished, that her flesh had been repaired and that she was no longer tied to the pyre, but was running towards the castle stairs. She too fell down at Arthur's side and began to feel for a pulse.

"Arthur?" Arthur's stricken face looked up for a moment and he just blinked at Morgana. She was alive? Well stranger things had happened recently. Everything had happened so quickly that Arthur was no longer able to process any more information. He was only vaguely aware that he was unable to find the pulse he was searching for.

"Is he…" Morgana could not bear to finish her question and Arthur could not bring himself to answer. No-one could.

Arthur was sitting slumped at his table with his head in his hands. Morgana had fallen asleep on a scroll of parchment and Merlin was cross-legged on the floor staring miserably at his hands.

He should have gotten there sooner, should have told Gaius that it was Dean on the steps with Uther and Arthur. He should have used his magic to save the king. But he didn't. Not that anyone had blamed him, in fact all Arthur had done was to break down thanking Merlin for saving Morgana's life and Morgana had personally thanked him for putting out the flames. To be honest everyone was in a complete state of shock, Merlin included. After all of the turmoil that Dean had put him through, he was now lying dead underground. Everyone was trying to go back to normal, Arthur had been made the king of Camelot, Morgana was free and taking potions for her nightmares and Gaius was creating potions for colds rather than infected wounds.

Merlin however was finding it much harder to adjust. He still hadn't said a word since he had been taken by Lucifer and Dean and no-one had been allowed close enough to touch him. The child would scurry around the castle, avoiding all eye contact and jumping at every slight noise. The knights and Arthur were all doing their best to cheer him up, playing hide and seek or no-contact tag, always allowing Merlin to win, but he had still not calmed down enough to smile, laugh or let down his guard around them.

There were still so many questions left unanswered. There was nothing Gaius and Arthur wanted more than to ask what had happened when Merlin was kidnapped? Why wouldn't he talk? How had he known that Dean was on the steps? What could they do to make him happy? But they had no way of finding out, at least not until Merlin was in a fit state of mind to tell him.

It was just over three weeks later when Merlin finally spoke.

It happened out of the blue, the child had tripped and fallen down a rabbit hole, twisting his ankle in the process. Merlin had whimpered weakly and thrashed around trying to pull himself out hole. Arthur and the knights had watched in silence until the boy let out an agonised cry. That was when Arthur stepped forward quickly. He knew that Merlin didn't like people touching him but seeing the poor child writhing in pain he knew what he had to do. As soon as he felt Merlin tense under his touch Arthur wondered whether he had made the right decision, but instead of screaming and crying Merlin remained quiet and allowed Arthur to lift him out of the hole and hug him tightly to his chest. Merlin cried softly as he was laid on the ground and nodded his consent when Gwaine bent down with some bandages to strap his ankle with. Merlin buried his face in Arthur's neck and relaxed slightly when Arthur rubbed his back in concentric circles.

"Hey, hey it's alright. I've got you. Everything is ok now. Don't cry Merlin." Arthur wasn't one-hundred percent sure how this breakthrough had occurred but he wasn't going to question it, just hope that Merlin would continue to improve. When they were almost home Merlin pulled back from Arthur slightly, looking him straight in the eye as the king carried him.

"Arthur?" Arthur almost felt his heart stop. Merlin had actually spoken and his mouth felt as though he had been chewing on sawdust.

"Y-yes Merlin?"

"Thank you."

"What for?" Merlin didn't answer but rested his head back on Arthur's shoulder, although the skinny arms wrapped around his neck told him all he needed to know. Arthur was certain that if Merlin had spoken again he would not have answered his question about 'what for.' He knew that what Merlin really wanted to say was I love you.

After a moment of silence he whispered, "I love you too Merlin," and felt tears of joy prickle in his eyes when the young boy snuggled closer to his flesh and kiss Arthur's cheek softly.

Even if Arthur's questions were not all answered, it did not matter. He would carry on ruling Camelot as best as he could, and the first thing he would do when he got home was sign the last piece of parchment that would legalise the use of magic in Camelot.

The End

Sorry for the ending, I am not totally happy with it but kind of wanted to wrap up rather than leaving you all hanging for weeks. I hope that you enjoyed it. Please don't throw brick at me! *ducks… ok ok…sorry! *ducks again. :S

As always reviews mean a lot!