Another Merlin fic. I don't own it, BBC does though. This came to me after much reading of Merlin fanfiction. (I've become obsessed with Merlin fanfiction.) It will be slightly dark, not sure how dark, but there will be some violence and of course lots of smut, though that's later in the story. [sigh] I just love this pairing. Again I don't own these Merlin characters and be warned that this is a YAOI story, so don't read if you don't like that style.

Until Next Time

~Reiya

Chapter 4.

She was exhausted. Who would have thought that teaching someone how to talk would have been so hard. They'd barely scratched the surface. Though he did seem to be enjoying himself. It was like a game to him, to keep him busy while he mended.

"So, how did it go?" Arthur leaned closer to her, trying to keep their conversation as private as possible.

"He learns fast, but it will still take some time. We've only just started on him." She gave him a small smile.

"Good. I'll go by Gaius's to see how everything is. Would you like to come?" He asked, softly.

"Yes, I think I will." She nodded than went back to her food.

They both walked in later that evening to find them both still eating. "Oh, Gaius, we didn't mean to disturb you. If you want w can come back later." Morgana said.

"No, no. We're almost done as it is. Come sit." He gestured for them to take a seat. "Give me your bowl Merlin." Merlin handed it to him, but instead of looking at them, he turned to stare at the fire.

"Merlin, is there anything wrong?" Morgana asked him. He just shook his.

Finally he turned to them and smiled. "O-okay, Morgana." He drew the word out, his voice distorted from lack of use and over use.

"Hmm, Merlin, would you like to go out tomorrow?" Morgana asked him. "It might be helpful and it will get you out of the castle and outside for a few hours."

His smile just grew bigger at the thought of going outside. "Yes." His voice was excited.

She turned and saw Arthur was looking at something on one of Gaius's many shelves. "Merlin, I believe I taught you how to greet people." He just looked at her in confusion, but when she pointed at Arthur, he seemed to get what she was saying. "His name is Arthur."

"Oh. Hello, Ar-Arthur." HE stammered over the name, but he smiled when the full sentence came out right.

"Hello, Merlin." He smiled at the joy he saw on Merlin's face for such a simple victory. "How are you feeling?" He sat next to Morgana.

"Okay." He smiled again. His voice was becoming more sure.

He gave a large yawn a moment later. "I think it is time you went to sleep. You have had a long day." Gaius smiled down at the brunette. Merlin just nodded, and stood.

"Good night." He said softly to them and went to find his cot that was pushed up against the far wall.

"I think we should be going." Morgana said, and grabbed Arthur by the arm, towing him out of the room.

"You certainly taught him a lot." Arthur said as they walked down the hall.

"But not enough yet. That as I said was barely scratching the surface. Right now, we're just trying to find something that will trigger his memory of the language."

"Oh. Well, I guess I should say good luck." She nodded and left, going down a separate hallway towards her own rooms.

Merlin walked along the street with the two ladies, trying not to let his eyes pop out of his head. He'd never seen anything like this, people were every where, selling, buying, mingling with others. It was making him nervous to be around so many other humans after so long.

"Merlin, this way." Morgana's call brought him back to himself, and he limped after her. He smiled at what she stood in front of. Morgana really loved to shop for dresses.

He was standing there watching her, when an odd smell came to him. It smelled like something was burning, but that couldn't be right, they weren't near a fire. He jerked around when he heard a scream and froze at what he saw. A large black plume of smoke was rising into the sky, not far from where he stood. He didn't even act, just let his legs carry him towards the flames.

"My Lady." Gwen pointed behind her, and she turned in time to see a limping Merlin disappear into the growing crowd.

"We need to go after him, before he gets hurt or in trouble." She cast worried glances at the fire and smoke, but followed the male's trail.

Merlin just stood there staring at the roaring flames, but in his eyes another set of flames covered it, burning just like this one, consuming everything in it's path. A scream tore his eyes away and he saw a woman pointing at the building. He followed her finger and saw what she pointed at. Someone was stuck on the second floor, trapped by the flames.

He saw the same image of the original fire, of smoke pouring out the window. Anther person trapped inside and him unable to help. To small and weak to do anything but stare. He didn't hear Morgana and Gwen calling his name. He just ran. Strait for the door, ignoring the pain in his leg and the heat of the flames. He didn't hear himself crying out no, the vowel drawn out as he ran into the burning shop.

"Morgana, what is going on? Where's Merlin?" Arthur demanded, striding up to her and Gwen. They were just staring at the fire.

"Arthur, you have to do something. It's Merlin, he…he ran into the building. If we don't do something, the roof will collapse on him."

"Why did he run in there?" He asked stripping off his armor and belt, handing them to Morgana and Gwen.

"There's someone trapped on the second floor." she said.

"Alright, I'll-" he was broken off by a large snapping sound and as they watched as the roof caved in sending up sparks and flames into the air.

"Merlin!" Morgana cried out.

The heat was suffocating, making sweat drip down his face, neck, back, any part that was exposed and at the same time burning it, making it blister and burn, but he ignored the pain. He just rushed up the burning stairs, towards the room that the person was trapped in.

He could hear them screaming. Knocking the broken door out of the way he peered in, trying to see them in all the smoke. There by the window. "Come here." He screamed as loud as he could. They turned and seeing him, raced towards the door. They had to move. He could feel it. A pressure of some sort, pressing down on him. He knew if they didn't hurry, they wouldn't make it out alive.

He pushed her ahead of him, down the stairs. He heard it than, a sort of high pitched groan and than a huge snap. He pushed her away from the stairs, towards the front door. "Go." His voice was raw from the smoke and heated air. She nodded and ran. She had just made it into the front of the building, close to the door, and was just getting ready to follow, but than something snapped over head.

He felt it scrap down his back, burning flesh and clothe as it landed on him, on his good leg. He didn't have the strength in his bad leg to get any perches on the floor. He was stuck. He continued to struggle, but it didn't help. He was pinned in the burning wreck of this building. He was going to die in the flames.

He felt tears well up, from fear, pain, or smoke he wasn't sure, but he didn't see the shadowed figure headed towards him. He couldn't hear the sound of foot steps over the roar of the flames or his own wheezing breath.

And than the weight on his leg was gone. He looked for the reason and saw him standing there, blonde hair turned golden orange in the flames, even as it and the rest of him steamed. He was soaked, a protection against the flames and immense heat.

He reached down for Merlin, and Merlin took the hand offered. But when he tried to stand his legs couldn't take his weight. He tried to tell him, but his throat was raw and clogged with smoke. A look of understanding crossed his face though and before he knew it, he was being lifted, and slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

It was getting hard to concentrate as they ran from the room, towards the open door and away from the flames and heat. And than they were through the door, into bright sunlight and fresh air and he was hacking and coughing, trying to clear his lungs.

He felt himself being slowly set down on the ground. He looked up and saw the other two standing next to him, looking down at him, worry engraved on their faces. He tried to smile, but his face hurt from the movement, so it probably came out as a grimace. The look didn't vanish, but he couldn't do anything to reassure them. He was too tired, and he could feel the darkness coming in on his vision. He had to say something before he blacked out. Finally he just smiled slightly, and breathed out "Thank you." His voice soft yet rough as his eyes closed.

They could hear people around them murmuring, and than a voice shouting at them to move aside. Gaius came towards them, walking as fast as he could in his age. He saw Arthur crouched over Merlin, Gwen and Morgana to the side, worried looks on their faces.

"What happened?" He demanded, as he drew near, looking down at the pale boy in front of him. Though he wasn't pale at the moment. Where the skin that showed it was covered in soot and smoke, it was bright red and splitting in some places.

"He…he ran into the fire, trying to save someone." Gwen finally answered as Gaius kneeled on the ground, taking out his medical bag and pulling out everything he needed.

"Merlin, why were you so foolish?" He asked softly. He squared his shoulders. "Gwen, I need you to go and get me clean water." She ran off and appeared a few minutes later, bucket in tow. Gaius had already stripped Merlin of his shirt, examining the skin that had been protected slightly from the fire's heat.

"Will he be alright?" Arthur finally asked him.

"Yes, but it will take him some time to heal. Ah, set it right here." He dipped a rag into the water and started to wash away the soot . By the time he finished, the water was filthy and Gwen had to go get another bucket full.

Gaius washed the burns as best he could and applied aloe and a disinfectant to them as an added measure. Taking out clean bandages, he wrapped up the more severe burns on his arms, neck, and face. "Arthur, I need you to carry him to my chamber while I check the others that are here. I will be there as soon as possible. If he wakes up, give him some water, but make him drink slowly and try to keep him from speaking too much." Arthur nodded as he picked up the pale boy in his arms.

Morgana and Gwen followed closely behind, unsure of what they should do. Merlin just lay in his arms, oblivious to what as going on around him.

xXx

Here is the end of this chapter. I'll explain more about what Merlin was thinking when he ran into the fire and finally, I will be able to make him sound like a real person and not a child as he will soon remember how to speak. I'll also be adding what exactly happened to him to him and his mother. So I hope you enjoyed this and look forward to the next chapter.

Until Next Time

~Reiya