Arthur turned and walked out leaving a shocked Hunith and Merlin behind. Hunith sat down and looked at her son "Oh Merlin, he's right you know, much as I hate to admit it, you are worth anyone's love, and you are a kind, good looking and thoughtful young man. If you want nothing to do with him that's fine by me, but never ever believe you aren't worthy of anyone, anyone at all."

"But Mum I'm a no one, what do I have to offer anyone?" he paused "I know I'm broke but even without that I'm not in his league" Merlin looked at his Mum "You are my Mum so you're bias anyway. I have spent most of my life listening to people mocking my ears, my clumsiness and how gangly I am. Now all of a sudden I have to believe I am some sort of….man magnet"

"Oh love you aren't broken! As to a man magnet you certainly seem to attract both trouble and Pendragons. If people mock you, then they are stupid, you make me so proud and always have." Hunith gently hugged her son. At the same time wondering what Arthur had meant about Balinor. Did she really have the chance to see him again? And what would Merlin think of him and vice versa. There was so much she had kept from her son.

Arthur left both the Emrys with more questions than answers. But Hunith also wondered what Merlin would make of Balinor if they met. And would he hate her for not telling him about his own father. She had always meant to, but things always got in the way, there never seemed a right time. Now it looked like she had no choice. The minute Gaius came back she asked him to mind the shop "I need to make a phone call" she told him. "and I don't want Merlin to overhear."

With that she grabbed her handbag and coat and was out the door and on her way to the park. At least there she could find a place where she could be overheard. She had never felt as nervous in her life as she did putting in the number Arthur had given her.

After leaving the shop Arthur had headed for a meeting with a shopkeeper, who had decided he would no longer pay protection money now Uther was gone. As he headed for the shop Arthur saw Will sitting outside on a bench, in the street. He was waiting for the girls to finish trying on clothes in one of the shops. Arthur told the men with him to wait while he went and sat next to the surly young man, who glared at him. "I know you don't like me Will, but you do like Merlin, I have just been speaking to him and he seems to have a low self-esteem. You're his friend, is it due to what happened to him? Or has he had other problems?"

"What do you think? Of course, it affected him, it took him ages before he would talk to anyone when he arrived at his uncles." Will snarled "You and your gangs, lot of homophobes the lot of you."

"Hardly, you know I'm gay so don't be such an arse." Arthur told him "I want to help him, so did he have other problems?" Arthur's voice went hard. It was clear to Will he was close to upsetting the gangland boss.

"So, I tell you, and you get them bumped off? Look I get what happened to the bastard that did Merlin over, but you can't kill everyone who looks cross eyed at him." Will glared at the mob boss "He won't like it for one, hell he hated me smacking them one."

"So he did have other problems ...Why? Help me to understand" Arthur held his temper, he knew that if he touched Will it would upset Merlin.

"You clearly have never been at school or college when you're one of the poor have you? Added to that Merlin didn't have father. Anyway do people like you need a reason, jocks I mean. Hell, Merlin was quiet, clever and hated sports. He worked hard and got good results. That was enough, he was beat up three times in his first week until we found him one day. After that we kept an eye on him. Merlin won't fight back, he hates violence. Another reason why you two would never work. After all that's your job ain't it?"

Arthur hissed under his breath "I want to protect him" he told Merlin's friend "I can keep him safe, you have to help me get to know him."

"No way hosay! Merlin needs you like a whole in the head. Leave him alone." Will stood up "You know I think I'll go and watch the girls pick out some more clothes, more fun than out here." he went to walk away when Arthurs hand shot out and grabbed him and Will found Arthur face very close to his.

"Get this I will succeed with or without your help, we belong together and a punk like you won't keep us apart. Nothing will." Arthur let go of Will "For some reason he likes you, but don't push your luck."

Will stared after the blond as he walked down the road. "Christ he's serious" he muttered to himself rubbing his arm. "I need to get Merlin out of this dump and back home."

It was half an hour later after Arthur had taken out his frustration on the shopkeeper that his phone rang. "Pendragon" was all he said.

"Mr Pendragon its Hunith Emrys, I am in the park so can speak to you, please tell me about Merlin's father." Hunith was both excited and nervous.

Arthur calmed himself, he had to get Hunith on board and this was his chance. He couldn't believe his luck when he found some documents in one of his father's safety deposit boxes. He wouldn't have even looked for it if he hadn't found a photo in his mother's desk of his parents and Hunith with a man. His father never left a paper trail for anything. "Ms Emrys thank you for ringing. I'll come and pick you up and we can go to my flat and speak in comfort. I'll be there in 5 minutes."

He was there in less than four, in his signature red car and they were soon on their way to the flat. Once there he closed the door. No one would disturb him with the door shut, not even his sister. Hunith looked round nervously. "Is that a new picture?" she asked looking at Ygraine, but didn't admit she knew who it was.

"My mother" Arthur said shortly. "But you know that." He made Hunith a coffee and asked her to sit down. "I won't waste time Ms Emrys. When my father left the country, I took possession of my mother's desk and found this." he handed her the photo. "Now that made me very curious, so I went through some of Uther's papers and found reference to an incident nearly nineteen years ago. I was curious Uther never wrote anything down. It was about a disagreement he had with his second in command and best friend of the time Balinor Dragoon, it was about Uther's homophobia and increasing violence towards them. I thought to start with this Balinor was gay, but a mention was made of his fiancé, but no name, but I really didn't need that did I?" Arthur paused and looked at Hunith.

Hunith looked at Arthur "That's me, you said you had found him, I thought he was dead!"

"I found a contract to kill him, one of the other gang bosses offered to do the job, at the time the boundaries were all being settled. The main fighting to establish the areas had finished and the peace were settling. By then the government started to stop caring for the poorer people, only interested in the richer areas. But you know that. That's why the contract was in writing. It was with Sarrum of the Amata district. Uther paid him a great deal of money and that should have been that, but it seemed Balinor got wind of it and ran. He left you behind not wanting to put you in danger, I suppose. Why did he think you would be safe I asked myself? Then I found out that your uncle, Gaius, had been a friend of Uther's for years, since childhood in fact. It started to make sense. Clearly Uther didn't want to upset Gaius but why? Uther was never generous of spirit; a friendship wouldn't have made that much difference, or would it?" Arthur paused "Then I found out that Gaius had something that Uther wanted, and wanted badly, he had proof of some dealings Uther had been involved in when he first moved into Camelot. Something that would bury him if it came out. So you were safe at least for now. Am I right?"

"You know you are." Hunith said bitterly.

"But it didn't last did I?" I digress" Arthur said clearly he had done his homework. Hunith could see even more clearly how he ran the largest gang in the country "I found out that Balinor got away, no one knew where. So, I followed his trail to France, then of all places China. He was still there. I spoke to him, it took a while, he thought I was like my father but I convinced him otherwise. Then I found out he didn't even know he had a child."

"He left before I knew." Hunith whispered "He knows?"

"No, I didn't tell him, but I did try convince him to come back and join me, have his old place back. He's will leave China soon but he wanted to know about you first. He still loves you and wouldn't come back if you had found someone new, or made a life for yourself. I told him you had a great shop selling cakes that melted in the mouth. He laughed saying he had bought it for you. I have his number he wants to talk to you before he decides whether to return." Arthur paused "But one thing puzzles me, if your uncle had a hold over Uther why did your son get hurt? And the loans, why pay them? So, I spoke to Gaius, you didn't know did you? Not until Merlin had been assaulted and you'd sent him to your uncle. As for the loan's you paid them because you were to proud not to."

Hunith by now had tears running down her face Arthur pulled her into a hug to comfort her.

"Gaius told me you'd fallen out before Balinor left. He didn't want you to marry a gangster, so you never knew you had the means to protect your family. Uther realised it and exploited it to get back at his friend, he was in it for the long game. When he knew you were pregnant he ensured you took out the first loan, his plan was to wait and when Merlin grew up ensnare him to get back at Balinor. But when he found out Merlin was gay he decided to use that instead. Merlin was targeted for revenge as much as his orientation. The 'punishment' for gays, with the dildo was started with your son, but Mordred enjoyed it so much it continued for others. Both my father and Mordred where clearly tainted with the same sadistic streak. When you sent Merlin to your uncle Gaius didn't even know you had a son did he? When he did, it was too late the damage had been done. Gaius said he wanted you to move to him, but you wanted to stay in case Balinor was alive, so he could find you. You were so bitter and independent you wouldn't even allow Gaius to stop the loans. No wonder you don't want your son to have anything to do with a Pendragon."

By now Hunith was sobbing uncontrollably. Arthur held her and waited for her to finish. Then handing her his hanky he tilted her head up. "Balinor will come back if you want him to, if he doesn't want to work for me you can have the retirement you should have had. I forced Uther out and before he went I broke him down, he will never bother you again. I have checked, he is a broken man living in a word of his own, not seeing anyone or doing anything. His wife has left him, he just has his butler to look after him. I will tell Balinor where he is if he wants to kill him I won't stop him."

Hunith at long last pulled away and spoke "I hated you, and I didn't know you, just your name. Gwaine kept telling me you were different but I didn't want to believe it. You found him!"

"I wouldn't have bothered if you hadn't been Merlin's mum, but you deserve your man and Merlin deserves his father. But if Merlin still doesn't want me that's his choice. That's all I ask that you don't interfere." Arthur looked up at his mother's picture "She sent me a message from the grave, when I saw that I knew I had no choice. I didn't have a mother and my father was worse than not there. I want Merlin to have what I didn't."

Arthur looked at Hunith "Do you want to speak to him now?"

Hunith nodded Arthur dialled a number and handed her the phone. "I'll give you some privacy. I'm next door when you need me"

The phone rang for three rings then a voice changed with age, but still recognisable spoke. "Balinor speaking"

"Bal…..it's me" Hunith was hesitant and she didn't know why, this was the man she had loved all her life, the father of her son.

"Hunith, oh my god he did it. I never thought I'd hear your voice again. How are you my love?" Balinor's voice cracked with emotion.

"Oh Bal I have so much to tell you, I'm still waiting for you, when will you come home?"

"Home….that's a word I never expected to hear again. I will come the minute I can get a flight if you still want me that is?" Balinor told the love of his life.

It had almost killed him to leave her behind but he had no choice. Not knowing where he was going or if he would get a bullet in the head any moment. By the time he had found a safe haven so much time had passed he felt sure such a wonderful woman would have found someone new. They spoke for nearly an hour but still Hunith didn't tell Balinor about his son that would have to happen face to face. When they finally said goodbye Hunith was shaking.

She went to find Arthur who was sat having a coffee. "Well is he coming?"

"He is, I will never be able to thank you enough." Hunith admitted "He will phone you with a time of landing once he has booked a plane. He still doesn't know about Merlin, I need to tell him in person." Hunith told Arthur.

"That's reasonable. I will let you know and we can pick him up from the airport." Arthur looked at Hunith "I feel my family has done you a great disservice in so many ways."

Hunith went and hugged him "You have found Bal for me, nothing else matters."

Arthur was taken aback and couldn't help making a flippant comment "Does that mean you now approve of me for your son"

Hunith drew back and frowned "I'm sorry no… I don't want this life for him, it has taken so much from him already, even his father….until now. Surely you can see that?"

Arthur looked at her "Then at least don't block him making his own mind up, surely you owe me that much!"

"Oh Arthur, things don't change just like that, what do you think Balinor will say when he finds out a Pendragon wants to have a relationship with his son!"

"Relationship! I want to marry him!" Arthur protested.

"You can't know that. You don't know him well enough." Hunith protested.

"And how long did you know Balinor before you knew he was the one for you?" Arthur demanded.

Hunith didn't answer she couldn't. Because she knew she couldn't argue that point. There had never been anyone but Balinor for her, right from when she had seen him. Arthur remembered in that moment what Morgana had said to him and he switched on the charm.

"Hunith you know your son better than anyone. I can make him happy, I know I can. Just as you will be happy with your Balinor. Some people are just meant, born for one another. I would do anything for him, as I would for you. Please help me make him happy like he deserves to be."

Hunith hesitated "That's Merlin's choice, but let him met his father first?….please"

Knowing he was beginning to win Arthur said magnanimously "Of course, from the photos he is a big man I don't want my first meeting to be a fight" Arthur smiled "Not that he could beat me of course! Now let's get you back. I will phone the minute I know anything."

Before they could leave the phone rang, Balinor would be flying into the airport in twelve hours. Hunith nearly fainted at the news. Arthur immediately became all business "Right everyone but you and Merlin will be moved out to a hotel. You need time alone. I'll sort it and we can tell them before we leave to collect him, when will you tell Merlin? And how?"