It is still Tuesday, just about, so I have managed to get this up in time. :D Huge thanks to all you amazing people who have been reviewing, I love you guys. I know the last chapter was a little shorter than the others but this one's a bit longer for you all. Enjoy!

"How...what...I..?"

Merlin was lost for words as he stared at the woman in front of him. Guilt clawed at his insides as, once again, he realised what he must have put his mother through by disappearing. However he held his resolve, he wasn't going back to the tower until he had seen the lights.

"Merlin dear I was so worried!" Nimueh spoke as she swooped towards him, enveloping him in her embrace.

Taken aback by her reaction Merlin stared at Nimueh stunned as she released him. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting but this wasn't it. He knew that his mother's temper was volatile at the best of times and he didn't think that there wouldn't be repercussions for his actions.

"I'm so glad you're okay darling."

"How did you find me?" Merlin asked, finally regaining use of his voice.

"Oh darling; I always know how to find you." She replied, smiling serenely, "Now let's get you back home."

"No."

Merlin pulled away from Nimueh as he spoke. There was no way he was going back to the tower now, not after everything he had been through. An angry look flickered across Nimueh's face; however she soon hid it behind her concerned mask. Though she wasn't quick enough for Merlin not to notice it and he watched his mother warily, wondering what her next move was going to be.

"What do you mean no?" Nimueh asked frostily, "Merlin you have no idea what the real world is like, there is no way you're going to be able to survive out here without me."

"I've done fine so far." Merlin replied stubbornly.

He stared at Nimueh obstinately and she realised that he wasn't quite the same boy she had left in the tower. Merlin had an air of confidence around him that he had never had before. Although he had only been out of the tower a day it seemed being in the real world had made him much more secure in himself.

This was what Nimueh had always feared would happen if she let him out of the tower. When he had never seen anything of the world outside his window he had been totally reliant on her and would never have been able to cope on his own. However, now he had had a taste of the outside world, he was no longer dependant on her. She no longer had complete control over him. If she was going to be able to keep him in the tower once again after this was all over she would have to find a way to destroy this new found confidence.

"But you haven't been completely alone though have you?" Nimueh replied knowingly.

She watched as a guilty look flashed across his face and Merlin's gaze flickered from her to the trees where the prince had disappeared and back again. She could see the sickening look that had appeared in his eyes at the mere thought of the Pendragon brat. It seemed the prince had inherited the family trait that drew people to them with no thought of the others around them.

"That's not the point." Merlin spluttered nervously.

For some reason, that he couldn't quite explain, he didn't want his mother getting involved with Arthur. The blonde was his friend, something he'd never had before, and he didn't want his mother taking Arthur from him.

"I'm not coming home until I've seen the floating lights mother." Merlin continued, stronger this time, "Once I have seen them I'll come straight back, until then I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Merlin this is a foolish venture and you're only going to get yourself hurt." Nimueh tried to reason with him.

"I'll be fine mother, I can look after myself. My magic will keep me safe from injury."

"It's not just physical injury I'm worried about."

"What?" Merlin asked confused.

"I've seen your attachment to the prince." Nimueh explained, "I know that you're letting your heart rule your head. I just don't want to see him hurt you."

"He won't." Merlin replied stubbornly, "He's not like that."

Nimueh noticed how Merlin had chosen to dispute that rather than his feelings for the prince. This confirmed what she had already worked out. However she was having to restrain her hatred towards the younger Pendragon, she was sick of his family taking what was hers.

"You think he cares for you, I understand that." Nimueh replied soothingly, "But is it really you he cares about?"

Merlin's brow furrowed as he tried to digest Nimueh's words. He wasn't sure what she was talking about, of course Arthur cared for him. He ignored the niggling doubt that appeared in the back of his head as he thought this.

"Of course he does." He replied, however the certainty in his voice wavered.

"Are you sure it's not this he cares about?"

As Nimueh spoke she pulled a pouch out from beneath her cloak. Merlin didn't need her to open it, he recognised it instantly. It was the pouch Arthur had had with him when he had entered the tower. The pouch that contained the crystal which was his only leverage over Arthur. His heart constricted as he finally realised the full impact of Nimueh's words. He didn't want to believe that Arthur was only helping his so he could regain the crystal.

"Yes I'm sure."

However Merlin's voice didn't sound so convincing, even to his own ears. He didn't know how his mother had found the crystal, or how she knew that it belonged to Arthur, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to linger on that thought.

"Prove it."

His mother's two words cut him to the core. Fear, deeper than any he had felt since he had left the tower, flooded through him. He was petrified of loosing Arthur. It only just hit him quite how attached to the blonde he had become. The thought of Arthur taking the crystal and leaving made him feel physically sick.

However something inside of him told him he shouldn't tell his mother this. Instead he tried to smooth his face into the expressionless mask that he had seen Arthur use. Though the expression on his mother's face told him it may not have been quite as effective as he had wished.

Nimueh had to control the smirk that wanted to appear on her face as she saw the look that flashed across Merlin's face before he tried to hide it. Despite the way he tried to make his face expressionless she could see the doubt written in every inch of his features.

Knowing that it was time to make her final move she held the pouch out towards Merlin, indicating that he should take it. She watched him hesitate for a moment before striding towards her and snatching it out of her hand.

"Fine." He replied shortly.

A small smile slipped onto Nimueh's face and she stepped back, watching the indecision that was still battling on Merlin's face.

"Just prepare yourself darling." She said smoothly, "I will be here for you even if he is not."

Merlin watched as, with that, she turned and disappeared into the trees and he was left alone. Silence seemed to fill the clearing, pressing in on him from all sides. He was used to silence, having spent so much time alone in the tower, but now it seemed to be suffocating him as he tried to decide what to do.

On the one hand he was determined to prove his mother wrong. To show her that Arthur did care for him, whether he had the crystal or not. However there was a voice in the back of his head, a voice that scared him more than he liked to admit, that was saying what if his mother was right? What if Arthur did take the crystal and leave?

Opening the pouch Merlin poured the crystal into his palm. Once again it glowed blue at his touch and he marvelled at the beauty of it. He wondered just how important it was to Arthur and whether it had anything to do with the person he was looking for.

However before he could expand on that thought any further he heard movement in the trees and knew that Arthur was on his way back. Panicked he swiftly placed the crystal back into its pouch. He just managed to get it in when Arthur walked back into the clearing. Merlin hid the pouch behind his back, still uncertain as to what he was going to do with it.

"Here we go." Arthur announced as he dropped the pile of firewood he had been carrying, "This should make us a good fire."

Arthur smiled as he glanced up and Merlin and the young warlock felt his stomach do summersaults. And suddenly it clicked; he worked out what that strange emotion he was feeling was. He closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath as it finally sunk in.

He was in love with Arthur.

In love with the obnoxious, often self centred, irritating prince. The realisation hit him like a blow to the gut. He hadn't known what the feeling was before, having never experienced anything like it. But now he realised it was true he knew that he should come clean, give Arthur the crystal and tell him everything.

"Arthur I have something to tell you."

The prince glanced up from where he had been building the fire to look at Merlin. The open, inquisitive look in his eyes made Merlin's insides squirm. Cold fear flooded through him as he realised that he could be rejected by Arthur. Because in what world would a handsome prince like him be interested in Merlin? He had no chance. And anyway there was this mysterious stranger that Arthur was looking for, the one that caused the faraway look in Arthur's eyes. Merlin couldn't compete with him; he was foolish for even thinking he could.

"Merlin?" Arthur prompted, "What is it?"

Merlin hesitated. This was it, now or never. He had to tell him, he just had to.

"Nothing, never mind." Merlin mumbled turning away.

Shame coursed through him as he realised that he wasn't brave enough to take the risk. He knew in that moment that he wanted to keep Arthur in his life for as long as possible, even if he had to lie to do it. Averting his gaze from Arthur Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the pouch and the crystal inside shrank so he could tuck them inside his pocket without Arthur noticing.

Looking back at the blonde Merlin saw the confused expression on his face and tried to smile reassuringly. Seemingly satisfied that it was merely Merlin being his usual self, Arthur turned back to building the fire and Merlin muttered a quick spell, lighting it instantly. Arthur's eyes widened in shock before he turned to look at Merlin impressed. Merlin's insides clenched, no one had ever looked at him like that before, and he glanced into the trees, hoping that his mother hadn't witnessed his cowardice.

x-x-x

Nimueh drew back into the trees in frustration. Her plan hadn't gone the way she wanted. She should have foreseen that Merlin wouldn't have the courage to give Arthur the crystal. She was confident however that his fears weren't unfounded and that the prince would have taken the crystal and gone on his way, leaving Merlin to return to her.

However she had not factored in Merlin's behaviour. She had thought she had bated him sufficiently that he would want to prove her wrong. But it seemed that his insecurities had overcome that feeling and Merlin had backed out.

Storming through the trees Nimueh knew that she was going to have to resort to plan B. Coming to an abrupt halt she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, calming her anger. Once she was in complete control again she sent out her magic, looking for other magical presences. She felt Merlin nearby but ignored him, looking for a different source.

It wasn't long until her magic located two more magical presences. A smile appeared on her face as she located the sisters. Nimueh knew enough to be able to hide her probing from them. She couldn't tell what they were doing however she had a location, and that was what she had been looking for. Releasing her magic she turned and heading in the direction of the two sisters.

To her frustration she found herself retracing her steps back to the river. It seemed that the sisters hadn't made it very far from where she had last seen them.

Eventually Nimueh slowed as her magic told her she was close. Pulling it around her she made herself blend into the background, effectively invisible to the human eye. She didn't want the sisters to see her until she wanted them to. Moving quietly now she stepped through the trees, entering the clearing where the Le Fay sisters had set up camp.

A fire crackled in the middle of the clearing that Nimueh had been unable to see until she had passed through Morgause's wards. Although the older sister had shielded their camp well it was no match for Nimueh's skill and she easily slipped through. The two sisters were sat next to the fire and, now she had passed the wards, Nimueh was able to hear their conversation.

"...we will have to get it back from the prince to be sure but I do not believe I am mistaken." Morgause was speaking.

"But how did he do it?" Morgana replied, "After all this time with no news."

"Destiny I suppose. They are drawn together." Morgause said simply.

Although Nimueh had missed the beginning of the conversation she knew exactly what they were talking about. Factoring Morgause's discovery into her plans she decided now was the time to act.

"It seems we will be able to help each other then." She spoke.

Dropping the magic that concealed her, Nimueh stepped further into the clearing. She rolled her eyes as Morgause's first response was to throw a fireball at her. Stopping it with ease she watched the two sisters, waiting to see what their next move would be.

Morgause seemed to have realised that she wasn't going to break through Nimueh's defences and instead she was watching the older woman carefully, dislike written all across her face.

"Nimueh, it's been a long time." Morgause said slowly, "You haven't changed a bit."

Nimueh smiled internally, knowing that the years had treated her much better than they had Morgause, thanks to Merlin.

"Yet the years have been less kind to you." Nimueh smirked, "Though I hear you've moved up in the world. Still trying to usurp other people's positions?"

Satisfaction flooded through Nimueh as she saw Morgause clench her teeth in anger. Although the blonde had been barely an adult when Nimueh had left Camelot, she had still been a powerful sorceress, one who would stop at nothing to move on up through Camelot's ranks.

Whilst Morgause fumed Nimueh turned her attention to the younger sister. Morgana was sat quietly, watching the dispute between the older sorceresses. She clearly knew who Nimueh was however Nimueh could tell that Morgana would follow her sister's lead, no matter where it led her.

"What is it that you want Nimueh?" Morgause asked, barely containing her frustration.

"I think it is more what I can help you with." The older woman replied, "I hear that the Pendragon prince has something that belongs to you. Well he has something of mine too, something I want back."

Nimueh could see Morgause's mind working furiously as she tried to work out what Nimueh wanted.

"The warlock?" She asked, realisation finally dawning on her, "What is he to you?"

"A commodity. One I am loathed to lose." Nimueh answered coolly.

She knew that she couldn't let on just how much she needed Merlin back as it would fuel Morgause's suspicions. Nimueh was fully aware that Morgause had worked out who Merlin really was and she could see the blonde's mind working furiously as she tried to come up with a way she could exploit Nimueh's help and get both Merlin and the crystal for herself.

However Nimueh knew that Morgause was no match for her and, whatever plan she came up with, Nimueh was certain that she could outwit her. After all, with age brought experience.

"So do we have a deal?" Nimueh asked.

"What is the plan?" Morgause answered with a smile.

Airabella: Thank you for the review. Don't worry about not keeping up, I'm just glad you're still enjoying this.

Michelle W: Thank you! I'm glad you like this and I hope this chapter lives up to the rest.