Summary: Part 3 of the Cycle Series. Reincarnated once more and Arthur is sick of the supernatural keeping him and his husband apart. It's nearing yet another Christmas and he is alone without Merlin with no idea who or what is after them once more.

Merlin is struggling on the street unable to use his magic to help or find Arthur. He doesn't know if he can survive another year without Arthur... or another winter.

Hi! *Waves*

So it's been a while since I've posted anything and I'm so pleased to be back! This story is part 3 of my Merlin Cycle series (you can find the first two of my account here until I transfer all the stories to here)

This 3rd part is curtsy of white tiger freak who prompted: I was thinking it would be really cool if in the next reincarnations cycle the witchfinder is accusing merlin for a crime (I was thinking murder, but anything would work). Something that the witchfinder frames him for. You should have Merlin be homeless in this cycle and Arthur finds after Merlin has been arrested or right before? On or off the streets is your choice entirely...

Thank you for the prompt! I've been wanting to write another part to this series for a while!

Sorry for any mistakes and happy reading!

The Continuous Cycle

Chapter One

"Oi! Get back here you little shit!"

Merlin glanced over his shoulder to see the towering cart manager chasing him. His feet collected with the edge of another cart that lined the street and he stumbled. He managed to stay on his feet, still clutching the hot bag of caramelized nuts he had just stolen. He was already exhausted from running a few minuets and his ankle throbbed as he put weight on it. Thankfully the crowds were large tonight and he managed to lose himself in the sea of people, the large vendors angry shouts dying in the growing distance.

As he left the street market at the opposite end, he shivered violently as the bitter chill of the winter wind sunk through his thin jacket and settled into his bones. He was sick of being cold. The caramelized nuts were still warm in his hands and he ducked into the nearest ally way. He tore into them eagerly, moaning as the sticky sweetness made him sag against the cold bricks. He wanted to savor the few morsels that he had managed to steal but found he couldn't, devouring the bag in a few bites.

His stomach gurgled ominously. It was the first 'meal' he had eaten in a few days and his stomach protested at the amount of sugar he had just crammed into his mouth. His stomach clenched, pain making him curl up slightly. Merlin pushed off the wall and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

The market, despite being outdoors, had been warmer due to the amount of bodies filling up the space. The streets however were emptier and the winter wind was picking up. The coat Merlin wore had seen better days and did nothing to prevent the chill from seeping into his thin frame.

Arthur would berate Merlin for being so thin. The thought made Merlin smile briefly before it fell and the back of his nose begun to sting. He blinked away the tears that sprung so easily these days. Crying would only make things worse and he still had to find a warm place to sleep tonight. He longed to use his magic and find Arthur, to be with his soul mate, his husband but that would be suicide. Even the simplest of magic, like warming himself up, would be dangerous. Instead he trolled the trash for newspapers for any sign of Arthur but so far had found nothing.

Merlin knew the streets and it didn't take him long to return to where he had been camping since the snow had started. There were several others who had made semi permanent lodgings and someone had started a fire in a barrel. He nodded at several familiar faces he had come to know, but none of them knew who he truly was.

The sound of scrunching paper caught his attention and he looked to his left. A homeless woman who called herself Ricki had a newspaper and was balling it up, stuffing it into her clothing.

"Is that todays?" Merlin asked. He winced as his lips tugged and cracked as he spoke. He couldn't feel any blood but his face was so numb he doubt he would feel if someone punch him in the face.

"Yesterdays," Ricki sniffed. "So what?"

"Can I read through it quickly?" Merlin asked. It didn't matter if it was yesterdays or the days before. He hadn't seen a paper in the week.

Ricki huffed and hissed but reluctantly handed over the few pages she had left, keeping her narrowed eyes on him.

Merlin flicked through the paper as slowly as he dared. He picked through every article, ignoring Ricki's huffs of displeasure. His heart sunk when there was nothing about Arthur. Merlin wasn't even sure what Arthur had become in this lifetime but he hoped it was far better then the current situation he found himself in.

Handing back the paper, Ricki snatched it from his hands and instantly resumed balling it up and stuffing it into her clothes. Merlin didn't watch, instead he stumbled away from the fire as his exhaustion kicked in. He almost tripped into the cardboard box he had found and he limbs trembled as he struggled to hold himself up.

Clumsily he maneuvered himself into the thin sleeping bag that had been with him since he was a child and snuggled down as deep as he could. He was still cold but he closed his eyes and tried not to shiver. Instead he pictured Arthur's arms around him, drawing him into the heat of his body, kissing his neck and murmuring goodnight into his hair.

Merlin didn't even have the strength to wipe away the tears that rolled down his cheek.

"We're back!"

Arthur grunted as Morgana's voice drifted down the corridor and into the living room. He didn't take his eyes of the flickering flames in his fireplace and brought the glass of whiskey to his lips. He drained the remaining drops as Morgana entered, dropping her shopping bags on the couch cushion beside him.

"Our Christmas shopping is the officially completed," Morgana said, dropping down on the other side of Arthur with a tired sigh.

"Congratulations," Arthur drawled as he set his glass down on the glass coffee table.

"I think Morgana went a little overboard with the Christmas food," Gwen's voice drifted from the kitchen. She had already started unpacking the food, moving expertly around the kitchen.

Arthur apartment was, in a word, huge. It held several guest bedrooms and with the money he and Merlin accumulated throughout their reincarnations. Arthur had chosen the large and extravagant apartment to keep his friends and family close. A place where anyone could stay should they need it.

"We have the knights of the round table for Christmas dinner plus Uther and Gaius," Morgana said. "We need all the food we can get."

"I would be offended but she's right," Lancelot said. He walked into the living room, handing a fresh drink to Arthur. "Find anything?"

Arthur took the drink and sipped it eagerly. "No," he said once he had swallowed. His eyes drifted to the newspaper and articles he had printed out on the coffee table. "Thanks for the drink."

Morgana leaned forward, hands drifting over the pages. "I can use these tonight. See if I can have a vision."

Arthur nodded, to tired to offer her a thankful smile. They both knew that nothing would come up.

Morgana had been scrying for Merlin since they were children but it was as if something had been blocking her magic. They tried every angle but no matter what they tried they found no sign of Merlin.

They found the other knights and Gwen, all attending the same school and so they grew up together, all remembering their previous lives. Nobody had seen or heard anything about Merlin, not even Gaius who worked with Uther and had the resources to search for Arthur's missing husband.

Nobody dared float the idea that maybe Merlin had not been reincarnated or that perhaps, fingers crossed and knock on wood, that he was dead. Arthur knew that Merlin was alive. The magic that encased them when they were married assured them both that neither would be re-born without the other and he refused to believe that Merlin was dead.

Nothing explained why Arthur couldn't feel Merlin or where the hell he was.

Morgana's nails digging into Arthur's arm told him that he had missed the conversation going around him.

"Sorry?"

"Everyone is arriving tomorrow," Morgana said. "Have the guests room been set up?"

Arthur cleared his throat and shifted his weight, dislodging Morgana's grip. "Yes, mother, it's all done."

"Excellent," Morgana grinned wickedly. "Christmas will be a hit."

"Not exactly," Arthur grumbled and down the rest of his drink in one go. He put the glass down with more force then was necessary causing the apartment to fall silent. He regretted it instantly. He had worked hard to not be so bitter and angry with everyone. He always found Merlin, always but it was hard everyday without him. He was more than ready to be back with his husband. He was tired of having supernatural forces out there keeping them apart.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"We will find him," Gwen said. She had moved from the kitchen, standing by Lancelot in front of the fire. "I'm sure of it."

"Yeah," Arthur tired to smile but judging by Gwen and Lance's mirrored looks of sympathy he wasn't fooling anyone. He rubbed a hand over his blonde hair and jerked his chin at the staggering amount of shopping bags that littered his couch. "Find me anything good?"

Gwen lunched for the bags, spilling a few on the ground as she did so. "No! I mean- well yes, but you can't look!"

Morgana dug her fingers into Arthur's arm. "Spoil our fun and I'll turn you into a toad."

Arthur grinned, for real this time. "I'd like to see you try."

Merlin shivered as he was roughly jolted awake. He bolted up as snow fell into his sleeping back, working it's way down the back of his coat, cooling his already icy skin.

"Get up," a rough voice demanded. "You can't be here."

Merlin scrambled to his feet, twisting out the sleeping bag. His foot got caught and he fell landing in fresh snow. His cry was muffled in the snow as his chin collided with the ground. His arms shook as he tried to push himself up.

"Get up," the rough voice demanded again.

Merlin got to his feet and squinted as torchlight shined directly in his eyes.

"You can't sleep here. Move along." The authoritative voice belonged to a thick looking police officer.

"What?" Merlin asked dumbly. His body was wracking with shivers and he was mind was working so slowly as he fought against the pain radiating through his chin.

"You need to grab your things and move along," The police officer ordered.

"But, where will I go?" Merlin asked through chattering teeth. Pain flashed through his teeth and through his jaw and chin. Merlin wasn't sure but he thought he might have broken a tooth.

"There's a shelter half an hour from here," The officer said. "Maybe they have some room."

They didn't, Merlin had checked earlier that day.

"Please," Merlin shivered. "Can't I stay until morning? It's so cold."

"Sorry," the officer said, looking apologetic for the first time. "Grab your stuff."

It was too cold and Merlin knew he didn't have it in him to walk half an hour to a shelter that had no room and would only send him on his way again. He just wanted to be warm.

That's what he told himself when his arm pulled back and he struck the officer. Not hard, Merlin was far to weak to do any damage. He fell easily to the ground when the officer shoved him back. The cold snow bit into his skin as he was roughly flipped over, making his gasp.

It was a relief when the cool steel of the cuff wrapped around his wrists and he was hauled to his feet, shoved roughly towards the police car.

Please review! Happy reading everyone :)