So this was supposed to be a short chapter with Gwen's and Gaius' POV to give some perspective on the pack and their situation. However, Gwen's part sort of got away from me as I enjoyed showing her interactions with the pack and their personalities, so she got her own chapter. It's probably for the best as I plan to do some backstory with Gaius' POV and it will probably be longer than I was planning anyway. But don't worry, I will be back to Arthur and Merlin's POV after that and the big reveal will be coming soon. Well, as soon as I can, my next week is a little crazy so I might not get the next chapter out till the week after that, but it is all coming. Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is enjoying it.

Chapter 3: Family is What You Make It

Gwen looked up from the counter she was wiping down for the fourth time when she finally heard the front door slam shut. She locked eyes with Elena, who had kindly been keeping her company during her anxiety driven cleaning spree, and they both ran out to the hallway. Her shoulders slumped when she saw it was only Elyan and Percival. "Anything?" she questioned.

"We ran the perimeter and sent out a call, but we didn't hear or scent anything to indicate they were close," Percival answered her as he pulled on the shirt he had left by the door before he had shifted.

"I'm sure they're all right Gwen," Elena said as she wrapped a slender arm around her friend. "They've been late coming back from a city patrol before."

"Yes and usually one if not all of them are injured when they are." Gwen continued to fret.

"Those injuries have been minor," Gwen's brother Elyan consoled as he came over and gently pulled her from Elena, only to wrap her up in his own embrace. "You shouldn't worry so, Gwen. All of them are great fighters and Arthur is a strong alpha, he won't let anything happen to them."

"I know I'm just being silly," Gwen sighed as she pulled back. "Worrying about everyone is just my job, it's what I do best," she said with a small smile.

"Hmmm, well I'd say your cooking ranks at least as high as your worrying skills," Elena said impishly. "And your cleaning skills too," she nodded to the rag Gwen was still clutching.

"Oh stop it," Gwen laughed, snapping the rag at her friend. "You make me sound like the maid, like all I do is cook and clean all day."

"Well, you are in the kitchen a lot," Elyan mused. "And the den is extremely clean…" he trailed off as he had to dodge the rag his sister turned on him.

"Like any of the rest of you would even think about it," Gwen failed to suppress a smile as she sighed dramatically. They all chuckled for a moment, but then sobered as the clock in the hall chimed the time causing Gwen to tense back up. "I'm going to go sweep," she stated turning towards the kitchen. She didn't miss the concerned but understanding looks the three wolves shared as she moved away nor her brother's muttered "there isn't any dust left". She simply chose to ignore the comment because cleaning always made her feel useful in moments when she felt things were out of her control, so more cleaning it would be.

Before Gwen could reach the kitchen she noticed that all three wolves suddenly tensed. She turned to face them and could instantly tell from their focused expressions that they had all heard something too far away for her human ears to pick up. She wanted to demand an answer immediately, but knew if she made a sound they would not be able to focus on the distant call.

"What is it?" she questioned as soon as their faces relaxed and lost the looks of intense concentration.

"It's the pack," Elyan answered. "They're still a bit away from the den, but something definitely went wrong. Leon is the one calling out, not Arthur, and he sounded concerned, letting us know to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Gwen asked, her worry ratcheting back up. As Alpha she knew it was Arthur who usually sent out the call to the rest of the pack, the fact that he didn't meant he was either hurt or not with the pack. But why wouldn't he be with the pack? Her mind began running through various scenarios, each one worst than the last, until a warm hand gently touched her cheek.

"Breathe," Elena commanded gently. "It's all right, Leon didn't sound like he was panicking, just concerned."

Gwen nodded a relieved sigh at her blonde friend and followed the wolves out on the porch to watch for the rest of the pack.

Another ten minutes passed before Leon and Mithian came loping into view. Gwen craned her neck to try and see the others, but they were not behind the pair.

"What's the news?" Percy asked as Leon and Mithian shifted back to their human shapes.

"The others are alright," Leon answered, knowing that would be their first concern. "They'll be up in another ten minutes or so, Arthur sent us on ahead to let the rest of you know what happened."

"What did happen?" Gwen was the first to get the question out, although she could tell the others had been about to ask as well.

"Arthur ran into a group of hunters after we had split up for recon," Mithain answered as she pulled her clothes from the place she had left them on the porch and began dressing. Nudity was not something that bothered a wolf pack not with all the shifting between forms that occurred, eventually all wolves just accepted that they would have a passing acquaintance with clothing. Most believed that being seen naked was preferable to ripping all of one's clothes everytime they shifted. Even Gwen, as a human, had adjusted to seeing so many naked bodies all the time. And despite Gwaine's many hints, she refused to join in, she was still human after all and liked her clothes just fine thank you.

"We were already looking for him since he was late for check-in, when we heard him call for us." Leon took up the tale as he pulled his pants on. "By the time we got there Arthur had led the gang to an alley, but he didn't realize their numbers and would have had a hard time of it if a good-Samaritan hadn't come along."

"Good-Samaritan?" Elyan repeated as he handed the pair their shirts.

"Yes," Mithian answered. "A man walking by apparently heard the commotion and went in to the alley to investigate. When he saw what was going on, Arthur said he jumped in between him and the hunters and tried to talk them down. Quite told them off, actually according to Arthur, and most importantly managed to stall them until we were close enough to help."

"Damn, brave man," Percival murmured.

Elyan nodded in agreement while glancing at his sister. "Not many humans would get involved like that," he said, remembering when Gwen had done a similar thing for him in his youth before they had found the pack. He often felt as though he had pulled her away from the normal life she could be having if not for her loyalty to him.

Knowing her brother's regrets, Gwen took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, she loved her life now and would never change anything about it. "As Percy said then, a brave man. I hope Arthur remembered to thank the poor chap." She tensed as she saw the worried and guilty glance Leon and Mithian quickly exchanged. "Is he alright? What happened to him?" she demanded.

"Arthur's bringing him," Leon told her. "That's why the others are so far behind. Gwaine and Lancelot are guarding them and Arthur is carrying him here."

"Why? Did he get hurt?"

Mithian and Leon exchanged that guilty look again and there was a long pause before Mithian answered. "The Hunters were carrying werewolf venom, we don't know why. But while we were fighting the hunters, several of them managed to drag the poor fellow off and inject him with the venom, I guess in retaliation for helping Arthur. He's unconscious now, but the change has already started."

Gwen gasped and felt Elyan's arm wrap around her, keeping her grounded and assuring himself of her safety. She knew that had been and probably still was his fear for her, that staying with him and the pack would eventually cost her her life or her humanity.

"We don't know how familiar he is with werewolves or what his family situation might be like so Arthur thought it best to bring him here and have the pack watch over him during the he survives it, then we can figure out how best to help him. Which reminds me," Leon turned to Gwen fully "Arthur asked if you could call Gaius and see if he'll come and try to help the poor kid."

Gwen nodded and immediately turned to go into the house. She didn't know if there was anything Gaius could do to aid the wronged man, the transition killed almost as often as it worked, but Gaius was constantly looking into new ways to treat wolves and if there was anyone who could actually help it would be him.

By the time she finished her call, she could hear additional voices from the yard and was deeply relieved to hear Lancelot's calm tone asking where she was. She ran out of the house and into his arms, savoring his gentle kiss to her forehead that assured her that he was unhurt. Only then did she turn her attention to Arthur and the body in his arms.

"Oh the poor boy," she whispered as she stepped forward to gently brush dark hair off of his pale forhead, creased in pain even in unconsciousness. She looked up to see Arthur's guilt-laden expression and just as gently as with the boy, she brushed the Alpha's blond hair from his eyes. "It wasn't your fault, Arthur" she told him firmly. "No," she said, seeing he was about to argue. "He made his own choice, we all do, and he choose to help someone in need, no matter that he didn't know you or that you were different than him."

"And look what it got him," Arthur muttered.

"We'll do what we can for him," Gwen stated calmly. "And Gaius is on his way to see if he can be of any assistance. He said to put the boy on one of the beds and keep him warm and as comfortable as possible until he gets here."

"Where do you want to put him," Lancelot asked as he held the door open for Arthur to walk through with his extra burden. "We don't have any extra beds at the moment, although we do have some spare rooms where we could set something up."

"That would take too long," Arthur answered. "I'll put him in my room for now, it's got the biggest bed and the most space for Gaius to work in."

"Plus it's a lot cleaner than most of the other rooms," Gwen teased as she threw disapproving looks at Elyan, Gwaine and Elena, whose rooms were the stuff of her nightmares.

"Oi," Gwaine yelled. "I'll have you know my room is not dirty. It's not," he told the disbelieving looks he was given. "It's just got character."

"Yeah, well your rooms 'character' is starting to spill out into the hallway." Percy told his friend as the whole pack followed behind Arthur as he carried their new charge down the hallway and into his own room.

"Everyone out" Gwen ordered as all seven wolves tried to crowd into the room with her and Arthur. She shooed them all out into the hall and shut the door as Arthur gently eased the shivering form onto the large bed.

"Idiot, never should have got involved," Arthur muttered as he lightly pushed dark sweaty hair back from a translucently pale face.

"The way I heard it, you'd have been in some trouble if he hadn't" Gwen chided softly, pulling Arthur's warm blanket over the sick man.

"But look what happened," Arthur argued. "His bizarre morals, might have just gotten him killed."

"He seems strong," Gwen soothed, "I think he'll pull through."

"And then what?" Arthur challenged. "What will his life be? He'll be an outcast like the rest of us, he'll hate us… hate me…" Arthur trailed off.

Gwen gave her friend a strong hug, she had never seen him looking so lost and forlorn. She knew Arthur felt guilty for what had happened, but this seemed to go beyond that. Arthur appeared strangely attached to the boy and unusually concerned with what the man would think of him when he awoke.

"Gaius will be here soon," she stated as she checked over the patient. "He'll let us know how things are looking and we'll go from there. You never know, he may even want to join the pack," she said with her usual optimism.

"And what will that mean for us?" Arthur cryptically asked in such a low tone that Gwen understood he was mostly asking himself. As she watched Arthur stare down at the raven-haired stranger she wondered what his question and seeming attachment could possibly mean.