A/N: Bonus points to anyone who finds the stolen line and knows what it's from : )

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There were two things left that she could be thankful for. Morgana was alive and the few times that she had woken up, she hadn't seemed to remember what happened. During her sleep she often relieved that horrid afternoon, but never while she was awake.

Those nights were the hardest for Morgause. Watching her sister in anguish and not being able to do a thing. She'd tried every sleeping remedy and spell she knew. Nothing helped when the fever came. Each night she sat at her sister's bedside and watched over her. The nightmares were getting more intense and she wondered if that was a sign of things getting worse or better.

The spell she'd used seemed to help Morgana forget during her brief moments of consciousness, but once the fever came, it seemed the memories were pouring through tenfold. She began to wonder if she should just let Morgana remember. She was still weak physically, but the toll of the nightmares seemed to be doing as much damage as anything else.

Emotionally raw and deprived of sleep, Morgause sat next to the younger woman's bedside. All was silent until her own ironic laughter broke the stillness. She had failed. Hadn't it been her that asked Morgana if she was willing to destroy Uther no matter what the cost? Hadn't Morgana turned her back on her entire world in order to make that happen? Yet, Morgause was the one to break.

She had told herself that meeting Morgana was dangerous. No matter how much of an in it gave her into Uther's personal world. It was too risky. She had been right. Her plans and all future plans were ruined with that first meeting. She hadn't one chink in her armor until the day she'd stood face to face with the younger woman.

Before Morgana, there was little worth saving in Morgause's life. Plans of Uther's demise outweighed even her own existence. They didn't outweigh the young brunette, though. Her safety meant more to Morgause than a lifetime of training and planning. She'd proved that when she broke down at the hand of that boy.

Morgana's moans broke the silence and the gasp of breath that followed signaled another nightmare. Biting her bottom lip, Morgause made a decision. Grabbing the younger woman's hand she began to repeat the words that would remove the spells she'd placed to protect. It was time for them both to face the truth.

Climbing into bed, she pulls the beauty into her arms and sooths away the worst of the terrors. "Shhh love," Morgause whispered, as the younger woman's cries fell against her shoulder.

Incoherent words slipped from Morgana's lips, repeatedly reminding the blond of how close to the brink her companion really was.

Just as Morgause was drifting off, Morgana tugged on her hand. "Hmm?" Morgause asked, barely keeping her eyes open.

"You still owe me a new pair of boots," Morgana replied, still half asleep.

Morgause looked at the younger woman perplexed, but eventually discarded the comment as more rambling. She promised herself that she would move before Morgana wakes up, but for that moment she just needs a few hours of sleep.