Chapter 10: Tearing down walls

After spending the entire day with her mother, helping her with various house chores, practically avoiding Arthur, Gwen goes upstairs to her room in search of him. Shutting the door behind her, she looks around, and sees the room is clearly empty, she even knocks on the bathroom door, and gets no response, deciding to search for him elsewhere she goes to open her bedroom door and finds Arthur standing there in a wet grey tee-shirt.

"Arthur." Gwen says in surprise. "I was just coming to look for you. What have you been up too, why are your clothes wet?"

"Oh I was helping your father clean Camelot. It's a fantastic yacht by the way."

"Oh yeah he loves that boat." Gwen replies with a smile remembering the first time Arnold took the family sailing. "Thanks for helping dad with Camelot, you didn't have to."

"I know I wanted to I enjoyed spending time with your dad."

"Really?"

"Yeah he's really cool to hang with, he told me loads of stuff about sailing, I've never been on a boat."

"Oh Dad can talk about sailing for hours if you let him. I hope he didn't talk your ears off."

"No it was great. So you were looking for me?"

"Oh yeah well we need to talk."

"Oh." He says stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

Okay Gwen just tell him that your sorry about groping him up last night.

It might not be the most embarrassing conversation you've ever had.

What no I'm certain this will be the most embarrassing conversation I've ever had.

Just open your mouth and talk to him.

You can do this.

Just tell him I'm sorry I felt you up.

"Um I wanted to say well, umm.."She shifts on her toes nervously. "Are you allergic to shellfish?"

"Shellfish?" He repeats.

"Yes we're having a clam bake at the beach in a few days and I wanted to know if there is anything that you are allergic to?"

"No I'm not allergic to shellfish."

"That's great."

"Was there anything else you needed?"

"Nope that's all."

"Oh, okay." He responds slighty disappointed. "Well I'm going to shower off. I need to get out of these wet clothes."

"Okay I'll just um, let you um do that." And she rushes out of the room leaving Arthur alone.

A few hours later the four of them have settled down at the table for dinner. Gwen and her mom made rosemary and lemon infused tilapia with grilled asparagus, and roasted red potatoes. Dinner was great, they all laughed and talked, after they had finished eating. Arthur offered to clean up the kitchen and Gwen to help but sent her off telling her he would handle it.

"Would anyone like to watch a movie?" Gwen's mom ask.

"Sure." Gwen replies.

"That sound lovely." Arthur answers from the kitchen.

Gwen gets comfy on the couch while her mom and dad sit down on the love seat. Arthur finally comes to join them and he sits right next to Gwen, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, even though there is plenty of room on the couch. As he sits down he places a brief kiss on Gwen's temple causing her to blush, making her dad to smile and her mom to almost watch quietly. Boy he is really laying it on thick, Gwen thinks, he doesn't have to pretend in front of my parents. Why I am feeling so hot all of a sudden, god I hope I'm not blushing, it certainly feels like I'm blushing, Yep I'm certain that he's made me blush. Why can he always do this to me?

"Aww. Look at them Arnie they're so adorable. That was just precious, did you see Arnie?"

Arnold shakes his head.

"Oh kiss her again Arthur." Elaine asks and commands.

"Elaine don't embarrass Gwen and Arthur." Arnold interrupts. " Let's just watch the movie."

Arnold looks at Gwen and she mouths thank you. He winks at her and they enjoy the movie in peace.

"That was a really great movie. Thank you." Arthur says politely.

"Yeah great choice mom and dad."

"That was fun. But I'm sure I'd better get some sleep." Arnold states standing up and stretching. "Elaine? What are you doing baby?"

Gwen's mom is searching feverishly through cabinets and bookshelves looking for something that she can't seem to find.

"My photo albums. I can't find one of my photo albums. I wanted to show Arthur some pictures of Gwen."

"Oh god mom please don't." Gwen begs.

Arthur just smiles quietly.

"But Gwen has this adorable baby picture where she's naked in the bathtub, Oh Arthur you would have loved it." Elaine says still searching for her photos.

"I'm sure I would have." Arthur is now quietly laughing and Gwen elbows him in the gut to silence him, but he continues to laugh.

"Elaine it's late I think we all need to get some rest." Arnold advises.

"Alright I'll try to find them tomorrow Arthur you're in for a treat."

"I can't wait." He says cheerfully.

"Night mom." Gwen says giving her mother a hug.

"Night sweetie. Good night Arthur." Elaine says hugging Gwen a heading to the master bedroom.

"Good night." Arthur replies.

"I still don't know what could have happened to my albums." Gwen can hear her mother say as she enters the bedroom.

"Night dad." Gwen gives her dad a big hug."

"Night Gwennie. Don't worry about the photos, your mother won't find them anytime soon."

"Dad." Gwen gasps. What did you do?"

"I hid them in Camelot, before you and Arthur arrived." He whispers in her ear.

"Did I ever tell you how brilliant you are?"

"You could stand to tell me more often." He replies playfully.

"Well you are brilliant and I love you." Gwen says kissing her dad on the cheek.

"Love you, Gwennie. Good night Arthur." Her dad replies as he joins his wife in their bedroom.

"Good night sir." Arthur smiles as Gwen's parents shut the door behind them.

After dinner and a movie with her parents, Gwen and Arthur return to her bedroom and prepare for bed. Gwen showers, practices her nightly facial routine and gets dressed in her pajamas set. Tonight she wearing a Capri short bottom pants mint green and rose plaid with a pale rose tank top to match. Arthur is already in bed, dressed on in a pair of forest green boxer briefs, on the left side of the bed. She climbs in bed and grabs the pillows to reconstruct the walls of her pillow fort, and she decides not to build a pillow wall tonight. I'd probably just knock it over again. And it took ages for me to build my wall fortress last night, way too much trouble. Nope no walls tonight.

"Good night Arthur."

"Good night Guinevere."

She slides into bed and lays down when her head hits the pillows she realizing she inst the least bit sleepy or tired. She could grab her laptop and do some browsing until her sleep finds her or she could read one of the novels that she's brought along with her. But she'd have to get out of bed, turn on the lights and that just seems like a lot of work. Staring at the ceiling isn't helping either, perhaps she should just lay here bored and maybe sleep will come eventually. She props herself up on her elbows at glances over at Arthur his eyes closed, while he lies on his back, she can't tell if he's asleep already. It has been a few minutes could he be sleep already? Should I ask? If I ask I could wake him up if he was asleep.

"Arthur?"

"Guinevere?" Arthur replies shifting his body to turn and face her. As he turns he is surprised to find she hasn't built a wall of pillows between them again.

"Are you sleepy?"

"No not really. Why?"

"Oh well I can't sleep either."

"You wanna talk?"

"Sure."

"Okay about what."

Gwen thinks silently she's not sure what to talk about.

"Have you ever done a wedding before?"

"No, I haven't. You are the first client I've escorted to a wedding."

"Oh."

"I've done a funeral before."

"A funeral?"

"Yeah a funeral."

"But someone's dead."

"I know, can you imagine facing something like that alone?"

"So why?"

"Why what?"

"Why haven't you ever done a wedding?"

"I don't know, I just haven't."

"Have you ever been asked to do a wedding?"

"I've had request to attend before, but I usually decline."

"So why did you say yes to me?"

"There was something in your voice, that night we talked on the phone. Something that I couldn't say no to."

"Desperation?"

"No I think it was hope."

They lay there quietly both reflecting on each others words. After a few minutes Gwen is not even sure where you take a conversation after that so she decides it's best to get some sleep.

"Well I think I should get some sleep now. Good night and thanks for doing this with me."

She can hear the smile in his voice. "You're welcome. Sweet dreams Guinevere."

A/N: AWWWW! SO CUTE! Heads up you guys chapter 11 with be posted this weekend. This story just won't stop, I dream of it when I sleep and I'm thinking about it when I'm awake. I think it's possible that I might even be writing in my sleep now. Actually that would explain a lot, um, yeah... okay, I should probably see someone about that. LOL!