Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or anything recognisable from the T.V. series.
A/N: This is just a small one-shot I wrote cos I couldn't get it out of my head and I needed to write something.
Gaius thought about what he was going to do as he snuck down to Alice's cell. He could still go with her, leave Camelot and stay with Alice. It was too late to live the life they could have had, had he left with her the first time. But they could still live out the remainder of their lives together. That would be the selfish choice. He wanted that so badly; a life where they could practise magic and just live in peace, without fear of being executed like so many others.
But he couldn't do that. Not now. It was his duty to stay in Camelot. No one would be able to tolerate Uther long enough to help him as Gaius had. No one else knew the reason behind Uther's loathing of magic and the true story of Ygraine's death. And who would be there to look after Merlin? Lord knows, the boy needed it. Gaius knew that he'd come into his own in regards to his magic, but he needed someone to guide him. He often went to the Great Dragon for help, but Merlin needed someone that could be more like a parent, who could make sure that he was looking after himself and stop him from doing something incredibly stupid.
No. No, he couldn't go with Alice, now. Going with Alice would mean leaving the boy who was almost like a son to him. He would live out the rest of his life peacefully, and knowing that Alice was safe, and happy.
As he crept back to the living quarters that he and Merlin shared, he was grateful that Merlin wasn't a light sleeper. He didn't want to face him yet. He had to apologize to the boy; he shouldn't have shouted at him like that, or mentioned Freya. But then, maybe mentioning Freya will have helped Merlin to understand the choice he made. He wouldn't find out until morning, when he spoke to Merlin, and although the poor boy had every right to be angry at him, Gaius knew it was Merlin's nature to be forgiving. Hopefully he wouldn't be pushing it to ask his forgiveness this time.
oOo
Alice looked back at the city behind her, but there was no one around to see the mournful look that crossed her face as she did so. Camelot hadn't changed much since the last time she was here. But then, neither had she or Gaius. The only thing that had changed them was old age. After all, here they were in exactly the same situation they were then. Well, maybe not exactly the same. Some people have no idea how things can be exactly the same yet entirely different at the same time. But they are for Gaius and her.
Once again she was fleeing Camelot because of Uther's fear of magic. Once again Gaius had stayed behind. Last time, she let it hurt her that Gaius refused to go with her, but this time, the best choice was for him to stay behind. He'd spent years building his life there, and she knew that Merlin was like a son to him; it was selfish of her to ask him to leave it. But the young girl inside of her wished that he would, just for her. Oh, how she wished that she could stay with him. But Camelot could never be her home, now, and she had no choice but to leave it behind.
That was another thing that hadn't changed; Gaius was lucky. He had what she didn't: the freedom of choice.
Let me know if you like it or not.