Author: LadyFromPoland

Disclaimer: I don't own "Merlin", though it'd be great. "Merlin" belongs to BBC.

Warnings: SLASH MerlinxArthur.

English is not my mother language, so sorry for some mistakes.

Chapter 9

"Drops"

Prince Arthur woke up with a strange feeling. He looked at the empty place on a bed. Merlin didn't come back to the bedroom. For one precious moment young Pendragon hoped that the warlock did.

Suddenly Arthur became even more sad because of the weather. It was still raining outdoors.

Man sighed. He got up and took some clothes that Chris had brought him and Merlin before. He changed the clothes that he wore. Prince hoped that the fresh one would make him feel better. However they didn't.

He looked again at the cold part of a bed. He had told his friend so many unfair words. It hurt.

Arthur went out. He was sure that he would find Merlin sleeping on a couch. In the middle of the stairs he met Lena.

"Nice to see you," she sad quietly, trying to hide the curiosity. "I just wanted to call you for a breakfast. Where's Merlin, by the way?"

"He sleeps in the living room," Arthur answered with heard hurt in his voice.

Lena looked at him carefully. There was something worrying in her eyes.

"No, he doesn't," she said frowning. The girl didn't know what had happened.

"He has to," the blond man said firmly. He thought that there was no way that Merlin hadn't slept there.

Arthur ran down the stairs. He burst into the living room but he didn't find friendly sorcerer there. Prince couldn't believe that.

"Arthur, what happened?" Lena asked him when she came into the room.

"He has to be in the bathroom," prince said. He didn't want to believe that Merlin could go away.

"No, he's not," she told him firmly. "I woke up very early today. I didn't see him." It was not easy for her. "I'm sorry... I really am."

"But..." he felt big emptiness inside of his heart. Arthur didn't want to think that it was true.

"Tell me what happened!" Lena ordered him. "Did you talk with him yesterday's evening."

Arthur looked at her very confused.

"I... he..." prince hesitated. "he wanted... wanted to tell me something," Arthur said stammering. "But I didn't let him. I told... told him so many bad... wrong... things. And he... he left me in the bedroom... alone. I thought... I was sure that he slept here." There was a moment of silence. "Damn it! He had to... go away."

Lena went out and after a while Arthur heard as she yelled: "Amy! Wake up! We have a big problem."

Then she came back to Arthur. Girl found him with tears in eyes. She didn't suppose that he would react this way.

"It's my fault," he whispered. "I am really a prat. Merlin was right." The man took a deep breath. "I didn't want..."

"I know," Lena told him softly. "We'll find him."

Arthur looked at the window. "It was raining whole night! Where did he go?"

"We'll find him," the woman repeated. She had to calm him down.

Amy appeared in the doors.

"What happened?" she asked them.

Lena told her, in short, everything what she knew. Younger girl listened to her carefully. When her sister finished, she looked at Arthur.

"Why didn't you talk with him?" Amy asked. "It was important."

Prince didn't ask her why she was sure that it had been important. It didn't matter then. It didn't matter at all. The most important thing was to find Merlin. Arthur swore that he would listen to his magic friend. He would say sorry and would try to stop his sick jealousy.

"Do you think that we should call up Ten?" Amy said turning to her sister.

"Yes, it's a good idea," Lena agreed. She took her cell phone and went out for a while.

When she came back, the scene was not changed. Arthur was still as sad as before and Amy stood in the same place.

"She'll back as soon as possible," Lena stated.

" I think that we should separate in our searching," Amy said. "He couldn't go too far. He doesn't know the city."

The elder sister thought for a while. "Arthur doesn't know it as well."

"He can go with one of us," the younger woman suggested.

Lena looked at the prince.

"You'll go with me," she said. "It'll be better."

Amy nodded with agreement.

***

Merlin opened an eye. His head was aching so much.

Suddenly he felt cool gust of wind with some rain's drops. Warlock moaned.

"Good morning mysterious stranger," he heard young woman's voice.

"Where am I?" sorcerer asked looking at her.

"You don't remember, cute boy, do you?" she said winking.

Merlin frowned.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"We're near the river," the strange girl said with her sweet voice. "In my hiding place." It sounded as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Oh..." It didn't say him anything at all. "I have some gaps in my yesterday's memories," he told her. "And my headache!" he moaned.

"Well..." she looked at him with sympathy. "I think it's all because of my beer. You definitely drank too much."

Merlin thought for a while. The past day was horrible but this day didn't seem to be a better one.

Abruptly he looked at the woman madly.

"Did I...? Did we...?" Merlin didn't know how to ask her.

The girl frowned but after a moment she understood.

"No. You were too overwrought." She laughed. "I had to satisfied myself alone." Woman said it winking.

The warlock looked at her very oddly.

"It was a joke," she told him laughing.

"What's your name?" he asked suddenly.

"You really have gaps in your memories. I told you yesterday." She sighed. "People call me Cinderella."

"It's not your name, isn't it?" Merlin said.

"No... of course not." The woman admitted. "What a silly idea!"

"You let me spend the raining night here," he told her. "I want to know your real name."

"Some drops got here," she said innocently.

"Come on..." Merlin looked at her carefully. "Tell me."

"Alright." Woman sight. "But you'll tell me your name as well."

Sorcerer nodded.

"I'm Isolde," she said. "I know it's stupid," the girl added.

"No, it's okay."

She smiled at him a bit.

"Now your turn," Isolde reminded him.

"Right." Man smiled sheepishly. "My name is Merlin."

"Did your parents like the legends?" she asked surprised.

Merlin hesitated. "Yes," he said. "They definitely liked them."

"Just like mine." Isolde sighed.

Suddenly they both laughed.

"You know..." woman started. "You were talking when you slept."

"Was I?"

"You called one name," Isolde admitted blushing a bit. "It was Arthur."

Then Merlin remembered all that cruel words that he had heard from prince's lips.

"He's my brother," he lied immediately.

"Oh," she said. "I even considered that you were... you know..." Isolde flushed more. "His boyfriend."

"No..." Merlin said hiding the sadness. "He's not my boyfriend."

Now Merlin looked carefully at the girl. He discovered that she was really young.

"How old are you?" he asked.

Isolde frowned. "Why are you asking?"

"Did you run away from home?" Merlin didn't give up.

Young girl looked down. "I had to," she admitted slowly.

Man didn't want to judge her. "What happened?" he asked.

Isolde sighed sadly.

"After my mother's death my father has changed. He started to beat me." She pulled one of her sleeves up. Merlin saw many of bruises.

"How could he?" he asked.

"I don't know." Isolde sighed again.

"What are you going to do, then?" the dark haired man looked into her eyes.

"My mother's sister will come back to London soon. She'll let me live in her flat... I'm sure." Isolde smiled sadly. "Now I have to wait and hide."

Merlin nodded slowly with agreement.

"And what with you?" the girl asked him.

"I'm adult," Merlin answered her.

"I told you my story! Now your turn." Her voice sounded hurt.

"I argued with Arthur," he said finally.

"That's it?" she asked surprised. "I thought that it was something worse."

"That's all," Merlin said. "I'm not an interesting person."

"But you have really cute ears," Isolde told him smiling softly.

"Thanks."

Warlock started coughing.

"It doesn't sound good," Isolde said worried.

"I'll be fine," Merlin told her but his voice was a bit weak.

***

Lena took Arthur back home. However it was not easy. The prince didn't want to give up. But there was already late afternoon and they had to eat something.

"I don't want to eat," he said when the woman sat him down on a kitchen's chair.

"You have to," she answered sighing. "You need the strength."

After twenty minutes Amy went into the house.

"Nothing," she said looking sadly at Arthur. "I'm sorry."

"And Tenra?" Lena asked her.

"I have no idea... she's still looking for him."

They all sighed.

"We'll find him," Lena promised looking directly at Arthur.

"It's still raining," prince said worried. "He's..." the man hesitated. "That's my fault and my fault only." He looked at the window. "I... I miss him."

Tenra came back an hour later. She didn't find any vestige of Merlin too.

"We should rest," the eldest of the sister said wisely. "We'll start looking for him in the morning."

"No way!" the blond man protested. "I will not fall asleep!"

"Arthur," Ten said sighing. "We will not find him after dark."

She was right.

***

River... dark... fever... Merlin...

Lena opened her eyes and looked around. It was middle of the night. She couldn't be sure but she felt that it was not a normal nightmare. She felt that it was some kind of vision.

Woman didn't think too much and she got dressed quickly. Witch didn't care that it was night. She knew where she could find Merlin. Ill Merlin.

When Lena went down the stairs, someone's voice stopped her.

"Where are you going?" It was Arthur's voice.

She turned around. Witch knew that lie was hopeless.

"I had a dream," she said slowly. "I think that I know where he is." Lena did not mention warlock's illness.

"I'm going with you," Arthur decided without any hesitation.

Lena knew that she couldn't stop him so she nodded. Witch was only surprised that prince had been full dressed already. It looked as if he waited, as if he stayed up through the night.

***

Young woman parked her car. She and her companion jumped out of its inside.

"You told me that you had seen a river," Arthur said suddenly. "But how can you know that he is right here?" he asked. "That river seemed to be very long."

"It is long," Lena admitted simply. "However I recognised that area. At least I hope so."

Prince didn't say a single word. He just followed the girl.

"I feel that we are near. I..." she stopped immediately.

"What?" Arthur looked at her carefully.

"Follow me," Lena whispered and ran down the empty street.

After a few moments she stopped again. Girl took a several breaths and said: "there!"

Arthur turned around. He saw it. He didn't know what it was but Merlin was there. However he noticed someone else as well.

Prince started running to him, leaving Lena behind.

"Merlin..." he whispered. Warlock didn't look good. He was 'burning'.

"You know him," strange girl said.

"We have to bring him home," Lena said when she stopped by Arthur's side. "He looks really ill."

"He has had fever for several hours," Isolde told them. "He is not recognising anything now. He lost a contact with reality," she explained.

"I'm sorry," Arthur whispered to his unconscious friend. "I am so sorry. This is all my fault." He turned to Lena. "If anything bad happens to him... I'll..."

"Arthur," Lena told him softly. "He'll be ok. Trust me," she tried to comfort him.

Prince nodded slowly. He looked at thin sorcerer and raised him carefully.

When they came back to the car, Lena looked at Arthur's face. She saw drops there but it wasn't rain. Prince was looking at Merlin's face almost all the time. His eyes were full of love. Lena's sisters wouldn't notice it but she did. She had a gift.

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