Later when Merlin has changed, ready to go out, he went downstairs to meet up with Arthur and Gwaine. As he walked in the lounge he nearly walked straight back out again. Merlin was used to seeing Kilgarrah in a suit, which was obviously better than his one and only one. But it was clear even to his inexperienced eye that the two men in front of him had suits on that were of better quality than anything he had seen before. Merlin hadn't really noticed Arthur's clothes on the day he met him in his office, he had been too nervous.

"I think I'll stay here after all." Merlin told the two men.

"Why would you do that?" Arthur said looking at Merlin.

"Well I'm obviously not dressed to your standards." Merlin said in a scathing tone.

"I told you don't worry, your suit is perfectly acceptable Merlin." Arthur smiled "As long as you are smartly dressed, they won't mind what brand you're wearing. As I said I will have a couple of suits made for you so you feel more comfortable. Now come on." Arthur walked out of the room and Gwaine waited for Merlin to follow.

"Don't fret Merlin you look fine to me." Gwaine winked.

Merlin went out but he still felt very underdressed and awkward. Then he saw the car waiting for them "Is that a Bentley?" he asked Gwaine.

"That it is Merlin."

The car was something Merlin never expected to ride in, it was chauffeur driven for a start, or rather Eylan driven, with Percy sitting by the side of him. In the back were four seats facing each other, with loads of leg room and all leather and walnut interior. They all got in, and Eylan drove off. Once they reached The Savoy, Percy got out and opened the doors for them, and followed them into the building. The three men were soon sat at a table with Percy stood against a wall nearby, he was joined by Eylan and they constantly scanned the area. Merlin soon forgot about them as he ate his meal. Arthur and Gwaine started to tell Merlin about their adventures as children and young adults, in the hope of drawing the younger man out of himself. They'd known each other since they were five years old. Merlin found the differences in his and their childhood vast. As they started dessert Gwaine asked Merlin about his family.

"It's just me and Mum and Killi, although Killi isn't really family, but he's always been there for me." Merlin told him.

"No brothers or sisters?" Gwaine asked, noticing almost immediately Merlin's face changing and closing off.

Merlin looked at Gwaine then at Arthur "No I said just me and Mum." Merlin looked down at his plate refusing to look at them.

Arthur looked at Gwaine and raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Then he started to reminisce with Gwaine once more. Merlin said nothing, but after a while he stood up and walked toward the back of the room. The men assuming he was headed to the toilets said nothing until he was out of earshot.

"I wonder what that was about." Arthur was puzzled by the young lad's behaviour.

"Unhappy memories I guess, give him a minute and if he's not back I'll go and check on him." Gwaine offered.

When after five minutes Merlin still wasn't back Arthur stood up "I'll go and check, we need to get back soon." He was a bit worried; Merlin had really shut off when Gwaine had mention siblings. He walked out the back and was followed discretely by Elyan. As Arthur entered the toilets he could see immediately Merlin wasn't there. He quickly checked the stalls and they were all empty. He looked at Elyan who had come in "Is there anywhere else he could have gone?"

"He didn't go out any of the other doors boss, he came in here." Elyan was as puzzled as Arthur.

"Go and have a look around for the idiot please." He told the bodyguard. After Elyan had left he went out to Gwaine. "He's disappeared, but how and where I have no idea" Elyan came back and shook his head.

"He hasn't gone out any of the other doors boss. They checked the cameras." Now Arthur was worried, getting out his phone he called Kilgarrah's number. He told Kilgarrah what had happened and Kilgarrah immediately became very businesslike.

"Go back to your place, don't worry about Merlin, I'll make a phone call and be with you." He told Arthur.

Arthur and Gwaine settled the bill and the four men went back to Arthur's London home. "What I don't get is how he got out without any of us seeing him." Gwaine said.

Arthur said nothing, he at least had a good idea how Merlin had done it, it was the why, that puzzled him. By the time they got back it was to see Kilgarrah's car already there. Going in they found the older man in the lounge waiting for them.

"What the hell is going on Kilgarrah? I employed a bright young man, I didn't expect a moody teenager, I'm going to be paying him top wages and I don't what to have him running away at the drop of a hat." Arthur demanded his anxiety coming out.

"Sit down Arthur, and you to Gwaine, don't worry I know where he is. Look I wasn't expecting problems like this, and perhaps I should have. I think I owe you both an explanation." Kilgarrah sounded and looked more worried than the two men had ever seen him. He looked at Gwaine "Well reprobate, Arthur already knows some of this but I guess you'll need to know as well. What I am going to tell the both of you is to go nowhere else….Merlin's life may depend on it."

Arthur looked at Kilgarrah "I've already given you my word and if I need to know more so be it, I'll keep your confidence, but this better be worth the effort because at the moment I want to tell you to make sure Merlin doesn't come back." Kilgarrah nodded and then looked at Gwaine.

"Kilgarrah I won't say anything you have my word, I must admit I'm curious the lad seems a strange mixture to me, but I like him." Gwaine looked genuinely worried.

"It's a long story and his to tell really, but needs must."Kilgarrah paused. Arthur thought he looked older than he had ever done before. "Gwaine, Arthur has already seen Merlin's special talents first hand, Merlin is a Warlock, he can do instinctive magic to a high level, and you will need to see it to believe me, but go with it for now please."

Gwaine looked at Arthur who nodded "Believe me I have seen it."

"Merlin's story goes back before he was born. I was friends with his grandfather years ago, he had some magic but not like Merlin. He had a son Balinor, who I knew from a child, a bright lad, not a genius, but bright he also had magic. It's gone through their family, one per generation for over fifteen hundred years, they have a remarkable history. Balinor was like Merlin he wouldn't see a fly hurt if he could help, we managed to keep his magic secret for years as the family always did before. They've had a history of persecution though the ages. Balinor's dad died quite young, but I kept in touch. Balinor met a young lass, Hunith, and they fell in love, he told me one morning that they were going to get married. That same morning he was going to work when a bus full of school children went past. A lorry was coming the other way and it was obvious it was having problems; it was going far too fast, and headed straight for the bus. All the witnesses thought the children would be killed. Balinor used his magic to save them. The trouble is he did it in front of several people, he had no choice, but he saved the children. Nothing was said, but someone somewhere got to hear about it, and two days later Balinor disappeared." Kilgarrah paused again. It was clear he was upset at the memories.

"I tried to find him; I looked after Hunith, she was distraught by now, she knew of Balinor's secret. I couldn't find him, I used all my contacts in the business. I was in MI5 at the time. Then Hunith told me she was pregnant. I supported her of course. Set her up in a small cottage near my country home, where no one would notice her and gave her a cover story. There she had Merlin; we knew we had problems, when at three months he started using magic. His father had been five before he'd used any. When Merlin was six months I found out Balinor had been in America, in a secret government research lab, against his will, he never got out, he'd died while they were testing him to find out if they could synthesise his powers." Kilgarrah stopped the memories getting the better of him and for the first time ever the two other men saw the tough old man with tears in his eyes. He took a deep breath and continued.

"Hunith self taught Merlin, she was too frightened to let him go to school, he was too young to understand what his special ways would do to him. I helped her. It was soon clear he not only had amazing gifts, he was also very intelligent. He has always been a loving and gentle boy, the thought of him being experimented on was too much for either of us to bare. A few years later Hunith met a nice and kind man, and fell in love again; once we were sure of him we told him the truth. He loved Merlin and treated him like his own. When Merlin was six his Mum has twins, a boy and a girl. Merlin adored them. He had never had anyone to play with, they filled a void in his life, and he would spend hours with them. By the time Merlin was nine we couldn't keep up with him, he knew by now to hide his gifts, so he went to school, he was soon let to progress well above his age group. He was in secondary school two years early and still far ahead of his class. On his tenth birthday his step father had the day off work, he was walking to school with the twins to meet Merlin as a special birthday treat, Merlin still didn't have friends, he was a quiet lad and learning with older children, well it wasn't easy." Pausing Kilgarrah looked at Arthur and Gwaine who were amazed by Merlin life.

"One of the local rich lads had been given a fast car for his eighteenth birthday. He was showing off speeding through the town, he lost control mounted the pavement and killed Brain, Freya and Will, they didn't stand a chance. Evidently when it happened Merlin screamed and screamed. The school put it down to a terrific thunder storm that started at that moment. It wasn't, Merlin sensed their deaths, and it was his magic that caused the storm. When his mother got to the school she found her son collapsed in his grief. When I got there to take them home Hunith was in a state of shock, they had lost their family. Afterward Merlin was in a rage he talked of killing the boy, but then in typical Merlin fashion, once he calmed down, said the driver was probably suffering enough knowing he had killed three people, two of them children. How wrong he was. The lad was charged with death by dangerous driving, everyone expected him to be jailed. But his father was a wealthy man and paid a good lawyer. He got off with a smack on the wrist and a twelve month ban. He never expressed any remorse, and was caught speeding again within days of getting his licence back."

"Merlin was so angry, but he started to lose himself in studying, he wouldn't let anyone get close to him again. Because he was always in classes with older children, he didn't relate to them, and suffered bullying and isolation. He worked out how to protect his mother; she has a ward so strong that she can't even accidently cut herself when chopping vegetables. I have one as well, but he doesn't realise I know. But he has become a different boy through it. He hates his birthday, and wherever he is terrific storms happen that day. He has a fantastic intellect, but no friends, and as a consequence he is younger in many ways than he should be at his age. He can't enjoy himself. Even his ipod isn't music, it will be helping him learn another language I expect. His magic has been a curse to the boy I had hoped by giving him a reason for it he would come to accept who he is. I love Merlin as if he were my own and fear for his future."

Kilgarrah looked at Gwaine "When you asked him about siblings I expect it triggered something. Their funeral delayed because of the trial and the eight anniversary was two weeks ago. He's never been away from either his mother or me; he lived with me when at university. I knew what he had done as soon as you rang; he'd transported himself in a blink of an eye to Wales, and his family's graves. His mother found him there when I phoned her."

"One of the people that was headhunting Merlin, was that same man who killed his family, Valiant Mellor, he's still arrogant and uncaring. I thought long and hard before bringing Merlin to you. I think you will be good for one another, but I won't pretend it will be easy. Today has shown that." Kilgarrah looked emotional drained by the time he had finished his story.

Arthur sat silent for a few minutes before speaking "Thank you Kilgarrah, I really appreciate you telling us, it explains several things, his attitude to wealth for one thing. If he wants' to stay I will help him. I know Valiant and I agree with you, someone like that shouldn't be allowed near Merlin, even without the history."

Gwaine spoke up "I agree as well Kilgarrah, I like Merlin and am more than willing to help the boy, and it sounds like he's had a shit hand dealt him. When you said about the magic I thought it was cool, but I see now it isn't. Like you say it's a curse." Gwaine was clearly speaking from the heart. "Now all we need to do is get him back, what say you Arthur do we get your chopper out, it's quickest and I bet Merlin would like it, even if it is a bit posy on your part."

"What do you think Kilgarrah? Would he like that or will he transport himself back?" Arthur looked at his old friend.

"I doubt he will bring himself back, his mother said he was ashamed of his actions, he may need a bit of persuading. I think he's boy enough to like the idea of a helicopter ride. But can I suggest we don't crowd him." Kilgarrah was pleased with how the two men were dealing with his revelations.

"Would it help if his mother came back here as well for a bit, I have loads of room, we are off to America in ten days but Merlin can stay here if he'd rather." Arthur offered.

"That's kind of you Arthur, I will phone Hunith and ask her, she may well like that." Kilgarrah stood up "I'll ring her now."

Kilgarrah looked at both men "I'm going to make that phone call. Arthur can I have one of your best brandy's please. I need one after that. None of your rubbish mind" with that he walked out to make the call in private.

"Do you keep rubbish Brandy Arthur? I'm surprised at you." Gwaine tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere that had descended on the room. He wasn't one to be too serious for too long.

"It's strange Gwaine, we've both known Kilgarrah all our lives yet we never even knew about Merlin, yet he's clearly the closest thing he has to family. I guess you never really know anyone that well."

"You know me Princess, no secrets with me, but I know what you mean. I never thought I'd ever find Kilgarrah's soft spot but I have now. You'd best get that brandy, in fact I think I'll have one as well."

I better not since you've volunteered the helicopter! Pity I think I could use one." Arthur glared at his friend.