Author's note: sorry for the short chapter, it just didn't really fit with chapter 3 or 5. Hope you enjoy anyways, and with any luck I might be able to get up chapter 5 a bit later tonight :D x

She was curled up on the sofa her head stuck in a book when he returned two hours later.

She was so absorbed that he had to knock for several minutes before she answered the door.

'Sorry' she said as she let him in, 'I was miles away'

She retuned to her place on the sofa and quickly found the correct page.

'Gwen?' he said tentatively.

'Uhuh?' she mumbled, her eyes focused on the words in front of her.

'I'm sorry'

'Uhuh'

'Guinevere?'

'Yes?' she said finally lifting her eyes from the book.

'I got your dad a birthday present while I was out. Is that okay?'

'Um, yeah, sure' she shrugged, 'what is it?'

'Just a CD' he said.

'Right'

'It's by some American band. It's their first album but I remembered you said your dad really likes Led Zeppelin, and Merlin mentioned this band once as having a similar kind of sound.'

She laid her book down on the coffee table, 'he will really appreciate that'

'I'm sorry' he said again.

'It's okay' she said though she was still unsure of what it was exactly he was apologising for, was it for being mean to Merlin or for his incessant flirting, or was it for something else entirely?

'Do you have any wrapping paper I can use?'

'Its on the shelf in the closet, there should be sellotape and scissors with it.'

He opened the cupboard and had to raise himself onto his tiptoes to reach the roll of paper. However as he pulled at it the roll caught a cardboard box which fell to the floor sending its contents flying.

Gwen leapt up from the sofa to gather up the scattered contents of the box and Arthur bent down to help her.

There were letters written on lavender writing paper, there were a child's drawings, a pearl necklace, a half empty bottle of perfume which thankful had not smashed, a wedding and an engagement ring and

many photographs. He studied one carefully. There was a little girl who he instantly identified as Gwen by her warm eyes, unruly curls and wide grin, she could not have been more than three or four in this

picture. Crouching down beside her was a woman who could only have been her mother. She had the same brown eyes, the same face, though it was rather thinner and paler than her daughter's and where

rebellious curls should have been a colourful headscarf sat in their place.

He felt he throat constrict.

'Sorry' he said as he handed a pile of letters and photographs to her.

'It's okay, nothing's broken' she said, putting the lid back on the box and replaced it back in the cupboard.

She returned to her spot on the sofa and an awkward silence fell as she put her book back up in front of her face.

'Guinevere?' he said gently taking a seat beside her, noticing that her eyes were unmoving and unfocused.

'Was that-'

'Yes that was my mum.'

'When...'

'She was diagnosed when I was two and fought it for five years' she said replacing her book on the coffee table.

'She must have been some woman' he said placing his hand over hers and giving it a tender squeeze.

'She was'

'I'm sorry, I didn't know'

'Its okay' she said smiling weakly, 'you see we're more similar than you thought'

'Could you tell me about her? I mean don't worry if you don't want to-'

'I don't mind' she smiled faintly, 'I don't really get to talk about her much so maybe it'd be nice'

He inched a fraction closer to her.

And so she told him. She told him about the good days mostly, when her mum had still seemed so full of life, when they had played in the park, when they had spent whole days painting in the back garden

and hours on end playing imaginary games which had generally involved Gwen being a beautiful princess who fought off dragons, witches and monsters in order to save her Kingdom and her prince. She told

him a bit about the bad days. The days that Gwen had thrown tantrums because her mum hadn't made it to her school play or when her mum hadn't been able to give her the piggy-backs she had asked for,

the days her mum's existence had been nothing more than a series of blips on the screen of a monitor.

And she told him about the letters. A letter for every eventuality. These letters were full of the kinds of things that Ava Leodegrance had wanted her daughter to know. It had been in these letters that

Guinevere had found comfort after the death of her Grandfather, after being dumped by her first boyfriend, after finding out her father would be remarrying and after she had first had her heart broken. But

most importantly it was how she had really come to know her mother.

'She sounds like one hell of a person' Arthur said once Gwen was done speaking, running his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand as she leant her slightly damp cheek against his chest.

`Time for some P&P I think' he grinned, flicking on the TV.

'Thanks Arthur' she said into his chest.

'No problem' he said gently, resting his chin on the top of her head.

It was several minutes before Gwen collected herself to become aware of what she was doing. What was she thinking? Sitting here with him like this. Blubbering on him like that. Telling him her innermost

thoughts and feelings. It was just asking for trouble. Okay yes, when he was around her head got a little foggy, her thoughts a little muddled, but that was no excuse to take leave of her senses entirely. He was probably

oblivious to the confusion he was causing her. The way he gave her double vision, seeing two people in him. The first, the prat she had always believed him to be, the face he showed the world, the pompous, rude,

self-centred prickwho Merlin was constantly complaining about. And yet this man's doppelganger was harder for Gwen to handle, he was still flawed but he was also gentle, caring and a great laugh. How could two such

different halves be reconciled to form a coherent whole?

'I need a cup of tea' she said standing up suddenly.

He nodded, his eyes trained to the screen.

'Do you want one?'

He nodded.

'Milk, one sugar right?'

He nodded.

When she returned she took care to sit at the opposite end of the sofa to Arthur, something that did not go unnoticed by him.

'Stop talking!' Arthur shouted at the screen as Darcy began his proposal.

'He was so not expecting that reaction- ha!'

'Had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner- wow harsh'

'I had not known you a month before I felt you were the last man in the world I could ever marry! That was pretty cold. Poor Colin Firth, he looked so sad'

Gwen remained silent throughout his commentary, her mind too occupied in the unravelling of her own thoughts.

They ate their dinner of fish fingers and mash potato without much conversation and completed the washing up in silence. Arthur felt rather uncomfortable as he dried the plates and put them back in the

cupboard, feeling as though he had done something wrong, though having no idea what. Perhaps it had been the box thing, or mentioning her mum, was she upset that he hadn't paused the video while she had

made the tea, was she annoyed that he hadn't help cook dinner, though she had insisted she was perfectly capable of doing it by herself and he had needed to call his dad's lawyer? He racked his brains but did not

manage to come to a conclusion.

After dinner they watched the fourth instalment, then Gwen took a shower. It was half past ten when Gwen finished drying her hair, emerging from her room only to give Arthur a mumbled 'Goodnight.'

She read a few pages of her book before giving up, unable to focus on the words in front of her eyes. She threw it aside and switched off her bedside light as she crawled into bed, throwing herself into the

spinning darkness.