A/N: I dedicate this chapter to my wonderful beta – Nicola. She's really the only reason this is getting done so fast. Also, thank you all for your kind comments and reviews, it's the fuel to my passion and I look forward to seeing what you guys have to say. Thank you all so much!

The layout of the hall was bright, much brighter than the parties Richard had thrown in the past. The papers had been quite clear about Richard and Mordred's relationship. Mordred was the adopted son of Richard; his IQ was through the roof; he was already taking classes at Oxford. The boy never talked, however, and that added a layer of mystery that Richard's P.R spoon fed to anyone willing to listen.

Arthur, Mithian, and Morgana casually mingled. Their ear pieces were wired to an outside com that Gwen manned, in disguise as a limo. Mordred was bound to be here, but that wasn't what they were after entirely. They were sure this is where the operations were being held, the hundreds of missing people created an arc in which the Richard Mansion sat in the middle of. The plan was to find these operations, shut them down, and kill Mordred at any cost.

Morgana had a knack for being seductive. Only an hour into the party she had extracted a good bit of information from the older, drunker, males at the party. Mordred did in fact live here, and the mansion received quite a lot of medical supplies, similar to a hospital, and most importantly, there were levels under the mansion that were not on the official blue-prints that were sent to the government.

Morgana had just learned that last piece of information before she felt a wave of magic fill the air. Nostalgia filled her lungs and she inhaled deeply, letting the aura engulf her. Morgana turned to the door to see a beautiful young woman walk in. She was in a red dress down to her feet that gently skimmed along the floor, and she had dark brown hair and beautiful blue eyes.

Morgana was almost fooled.

Merlin entered the large hall. It was disgusting, to be in the same room as Richard. Merlin couldn't see him yet, or Mordred for that matter, but he was quickly distracted as he saw an angry Morgana walking towards him.

There's no way she can see me... can she?

Merlin's thoughts were quickly answered as Morgana grabbed him by the arm and dragged him across the floor, drawing the attention of the crowd and of Arthur and Mithian. Merlin didn't notice Arthur, but Morgana did, and Arthur gave her a curious look that she ignored. Together, Morgana and Merlin went into the designated "Women's" restroom, which really was just a regular toilet with a sign on it. Morgana turned and quickly enchanted the door, to which she turned around and struck Merlin as hard as she could.

"You fucking little shit!" Morgana screamed, outraged. "How long have you been alive?"

Merlin just stared at her, his hand on his face. His fake face quickly became red and Merlin turned to the floor, his eyes wet and his face flooded with shame.

"A year or so, I think," Merlin whispered.

Morgana nodded her head and paced around the room, trying to regain herself. "Do you... Do you understand what you've done to Arthur?" she coolly asked. She stopped pacing and gave Merlin a thick glare.

"By the time I woke up... He was already m-m..." Merlin struggled on the word, his voice catching in this throat. He thought he was over this, over Arthur. The past few months with Will had been great, albeit he was no Arthur, but he would do. But now, now Merlin had those entire original feelings just torrent their way back into his heart, into his mind. He felt himself begin to crack. He shook his head and walked to the sink, placing both hands on the edges for support. He stared into the mirror, watching Morgana behind him. He regained his composure and took a deep breath, looking Morgana directly in her eyes.

"He's happy now, alright. There was nothing I could do, do you understand that? This is my destiny, and... I've almost had him killed, I don't know how many times, and... You left Gwen... remember."

Morgana took a step back, she didn't show it in her face, but that struck a nerve deep in her heart.

"You left Gwen for the same reasons I didn't tell Arthur sooner, because I was afraid... I still am," Merlin confessed. He looked away from Morgana and down into the sink. He had never really confronted his abandonment of Arthur – Mordred. Merlin had a job to do. This wasn't the time to sit around and wallow in his own self-pity.

"Listen, Morgana," Merlin began again. He turned around and faced her. "I'm here to do one thing, kill Mordred, and then I'm gone. Arthur cannot know anything about me being alive, okay? Otherwise... I don't know what he'll do." One tear, one single tear fell from Merlin's face as he finished that sentence. A dark smudge under his right eye formed where his make-up began to run. Merlin was doing everything he could to hold himself together. He had a job to do, the world was depending on him, he couldn't break down now.

Morgana unclenched her fists and loosened her jaw. She took a few steps towards Merlin and pulled him into her arms. Merlin rested his head on her shoulder.

"They're here for the same reason, you know," Morgana said.

"Hmm?"

"Arthur, Mithian, me, Gwen… We're here to find Mordred," Morgana replied. "I'm strong enough to see through your magic but, if you're going to do this, you need our help."

"Right," Merlin said, talking a few steps back. "Okay then."

I have to do this, even if it kills me, I need to work w-wtih Arthur and find Mordred.

"What's your name, as this... tramp?" Morgana asked, a sly grin crawling across her face.

"My name is Freya, and she is NOT a tramp," Merlin corrected a half smile showing. Morgana placed her hand on his shoulder and they left the restroom, returning to the hall to find Arthur.

To find Arthur.

Merlin entered the room to find Arthur lying on his large bed. He was more sprawled than lying exactly, relaxing with the break he had, now that everything was over. And it was. It was done. They'd won. Morgana had been finally stopped, Camelot was safe again.

Merlin regarded Arthur. The blonde's head was flat on the bed, his eyes closed and his mouth open ever so slightly, and his chest rose and fell steadily with each breath. He'd filled out. Arms that had once been strong but shapeless now formed patterns from underneath his tunic; his newly formed muscles—however new they could be, after countless months, anyway—made something curl in Merlin's stomach, something he hadn't felt in a very long time, not even when he'd... Not even because of his betrayal.

Merlin's clothes were just as tattered as they had been… before, but Arthur was still wearing his noble clothes. It was like nothing had changed.

"You can come lay with me," Arthur said, causing Merlin to jump ten feet into the air. Arthur had cracked open one eye and had titled his head to regard Merlin in the same manner. "Merlin. It's okay."

Merlin lifted up the bottle of wine he brought with him and managed a crooked smile. "I nicked this from the kitchen. Don't tell the guards."

"Don't need it, but nice thought," Arthur replied, seeing through Merlin's plan, and he closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto his bed again. He was tired, so tired, all he wanted was Merlin to come and lay down with him, to feel his heat against Arthur's body, to feel his lips against his.

Merlin swallowed thickly and let his legs carry him to Arthur.

I'm here. I'm home. I love you, his mind seemed to scream, but his throat was dry and he couldn't form the words he so wanted Arthur to hear.

Arthur said them for him. It seemed to be nothing but pure instinct when Arthur reached for Merlin's fingers and laced them with his own. Merlin let the wine bottle fall beside him and roll into a crease in the blanket and he closed the gap between the two of them so they were side by side.

Merlin shifted onto his side, keeping his fingers twined with Arthur's. Arthur tilted his head again, this time opening both eyes to stare openly at Merlin.

"I didn't get much chance to say anything earlier," he said.

Merlin shrugged into the bed, letting his head fall onto the back of the pillow beside Arthur's. "S'ok. I wasn't... you know, I wasn't expecting a lot, considering," he croaked, his throat still dry and unused. There'd been so much shouting and then so much crying and he hadn't acknowledged anybody until now.

"Break into the wine," Arthur said, tilting his chin.

"Sure?"

"Mmm."

"Um. I didn't bring glasses."

"Helpful, Merlin, really," Arthur said, but he laughed.

He wanted to open the wine, he did; he wanted to share a drink with Arthur, just because he could; he wanted to get a little tipsy, just because they could; he wanted to remember what it'd been like before. He just didn't want to tear his hand from Arthur's. Arthur didn't seem all too willing, either, and let the matter drop, not offering to open it because Merlin wouldn't.

"So," Merlin said, after a while, the wine now forgotten beside him. He could only see the blue of Arthur's eyes, and the blonde of his hair that reflected in them from the little bit of light they had in the room.

"Mmph," Arthur replied eloquently, his eyes closed again. He was tired, so tired. He would celebrate after he'd slept, after he'd had time with Merlin, after they'd gotten the worst out of the way.

"How have you been?"

And then they were laughing uncontrollably, and it felt good to laugh, with each other. After everything, everything that had happened, after their closest friends dying and winning a magical war, after defeating Mordred and Morgana, after training so long to be able to do it, after being away from each other for so long, Merlin wanted to know how he'd been.

"You… Idiot," Arthur managed, still breathless.

"I try."

They laughed again, short, happy, booming sounds that echoed through the room, until they quietened, and they were no more than small giggles that eventually died altogether. They were carried away with the slight draft that moved in from the poorly insulated castle windows, and Arthur felt nostalgia over come him.

"I missed this."

"I missed you," Merlin replied.

"Me, too."

"A lot's happened," Merlin said after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Oh really, Merlin? Thank you for enlightening me with you ever so vast wisdom," Arthur replied.

"You know me."

"I do. I mean, I hope—if it hasn't changed. I mean, I know—"

"Nothing's changed, Arthur."

And then, after months of waiting, months of pretending, they crashed together, fitting together in a way they couldn't with anybody else. It wasn't brilliant. It was marvelous, and it wasn't because of the alcohol they hadn't even shared. The way Merlin licked his way into Arthur's mouth; the way he squeezed Arthur's waist and held on as Arthur's legs wrapped themselves around Merlin's middle; the way they moved in sync and how he felt Merlin tug on his hair and nip ever so slightly on his bottom lip, only to give a throaty laugh afterwords and pull back to smile through half-lidded eyes at his lover. Arthur could smell the light scent of wintergreen and vanilla, and then everything came back to him, his love, his passion, everything he wanted in Merlin, everything he needed, needed to survive. Merlin attacked his lips again and shamelessly press himself into Arthur's crotch, and, oh—

"Are you—I..."

"Don't stop, you idiot," Arthur said from underneath Merlin with a growl, who was suddenly pushing his away, stumbling over his words and shaking violently. His breath came out in heavy gasps.

"It's been... Arthur..."

"What, Merlin," Arthur drawled, already back to his old self. He kept his legs around Merlin, refusing to let him gain the distance he was so desperately begging for. "I want this. You want this. Nothing has changed. It hasn't. It should be simple, really. I'm your king and your husband and I demand it."

Merlin bit his lip, reluctantly meeting Arthur's gaze. "But are you sure? Really and truly?"

"Yes, Merlin, now come on."

Morgana taking over the kingdom more than once, Arthur being distant, then close, then distant, then close; it was all spinning in his head. Merlin couldn't help but lose himself in Arthur. He was a sorcerer, had betrayed Arthur more than once, had left Arthur for a long time, but in the end Arthur was still his husband and they were still in love.

That's all that mattered.

Morgana lead the way and she and Merlin quickly made it to where Arthur and Mithian were still mingling. There had been no sign of Mordred or Richard yet, which was weird considering it was Richard's party for Mordred. Arthur gave Morgana another curious look.

"Arthur, Mithian. This is Freya. A very... special girl, who's going to help us," Morgana explained. Merlin and Arthur's eyes met and Merlin thought that time was going to stop. He felt his magic bubble and boil inside him and he could barely contain himself. It had been so long, so fucking long. That hair, those teeth, that smile. And there she was, Merlin thought, the woman who stole Arthur. She was pretty, and tall—taller than Merlin. Maybe Arthur really wasn't gay; maybe it had just been an experiment.

These thoughts, they were bitter sweet. At least now he could life a half life with Will, instead of living in the fantasy that Arthur was going to come back to him. Merlin still couldn't help but remember. It was like yesterday that they were out on the river, that they had gone to the movies, that Arthur was on top of him, kissing him, licking him, biting him, loving him. It was like yesterday that Arthur was inside him, that they were on Merlin's bed. But those times we're over now, those times were dead.

Then their eyes locked. Blue against Blue, Merlin against Arthur. Merlin felt sick, like he was going to vomit all of his emotions, organs, and probably his soul. Arthur looked to him, then to Morgana, then to him, then back to Morgana. But before Arthur could question Morgana's judgment, Richard stood up at the front of the hall. No one had seen him enter and he was standing with Mordred and his "creation". Richard tapped his glass with a spoon and the room fell silent. Arthur subtly lifted the collar of his suit and spoke quietly into his mic.

"Gwen, we have a visual. Both targets."

"Roger that. Stand by."

After Richard's long and boring speech about how amazing Mordred was and the hard work and teamwork needed to support such a powerful mind, everyone was escorted to the dining hall for dinner. Arthur and Mithian sat on one side of a rather large table with Merlin and Morgana sitting across from them. The dinner was actually really good. There were three courses of food that Merlin couldn't recognize but ate anyway.

As he did, he watched from across the table as Arthur took bites of his food and fed them to Mithian, like she was a dog. Merlin laughed in his head, she did kind of look like a dog. Merlin used his wit to hide from the fact that he was hurting inside, hurting like he was dying, like he could fade away at any moment.

Arthur kicked Morgana from under the table and they all turned to see Mordred walk out of the room and down a flight of steps before the doors closed behind him. Morgana nodded at Arthur and quickly said a few enchantments. The people beside them didn't seem to notice and that was the point—Morgana had bewitched anyone looking their way to forget they were there, and had cloaked them all in a thin sheet of invisibility, a gray tint surrounding them, made of reflective crystals. They had to be careful; if they were too loud their voices would shatter the makeshift barrier and expose them. Together they slowly moved from the table and followed Mordred. Morgana bewitched the area again so when they opened the doors the people who noticed would immediately forget.

Together they moved down the deep flight of stairs, being very careful to not make a single sound. Merlin was uncomfortably close to Arthur, so close he could smell his breath, his shampoo, deodorant, and the slight smell of musk from his natural body odor. He felt himself become aroused and that just added salt to the wound.

It wasn't just Merlin who was aroused. Arthur could smell a slight hit of wintergreen and vanilla coming from "Freya". It immediately reminded him of Merlin but, thankfully, he didn't connect the two, and Merlin's disguise stayed intact. Arthur's mind still wandered, however. He was thinking about what Merlin would be saying if he was here instead of Mithian. Probably whispering complaints into his ear, or trying to get them to stop for a break. Arthur chuckled in his head, the slightest hint of pain there, and he subconsciously moved closer to "Freya", his mind trying to get more of the scent.

They reached the bottom of the steps to what looked like the door to an elevator with a keypad beside it. Morgana raised her hand and whispered an enchantment, but nothing happened. Merlin nudged her and he held out his hand. White strings entered the keypad and Merlin's eyes rolled into the back of his head; he could feel himself editing the core software, changing it, which was actually easier than trying to guess the code. The strings pulled back and then gently pressed 46683969. Merlin chuckled at the numbers he had used and hoped no one caught on.

"Ready?" Arthur whispered. The team nodded quickly. Arthur pulled his collar up again. "Gwen, we're going in the elevator."

"Roger, keep me posted."

The doors opened and they slowly walked in. There was only one button on the panel and it was red with a white 'x' in it. Morgana lifted the veil as the doors closed and Arthur reluctantly pressed it. Together, they descended into the depths of hell, in hopes of finding the devil, and slaying him.

The elevator dinged as they reached their destination. The doors opened to a large white room. At the end was Mordred, sitting in a chair.

"Well, I was wondering when you would get here."

The team slowly exited the elevator. Arthur pulled his sword out. It extended from a small block into a full claymore in his hands. Morgana pulled a notebook from her back pocket out and held it in front of her, a make shift tome. Mordred stood up from his chair and began to laugh, his shrill voice echoing through the room.

"Mithian... please?" he said.

The team barely had time to react to that statement before Mithian responded.

"Yes, of course," she replied.

She extended her hand and struck Arthur hard on the back of the head, sending him into the floor so hard Merlin could hear his jaw break. His sword clattered to the floor and was folded back up. She turned to Morgana and quickly leapt at her, sending her foot into her stomach and smashing her against the wall, instantly rendering her unconscious. As for Merlin, he tried to jump back, but she simply turned her hand and a green mist shot out from her palm, apparently from a little hole in her skin.

Mordred continued to laugh as Merlin lost consciousness and his disguise faded, revealing his real self. Mordred walked up to their bodies, eying over his prizes, wondering what they would look like naked, cut open, their organs, their souls exposed on his table.

"Mithian, throw them in the cages, please. Make sure to keep the witch in a separate one."

Mithian giggled. "Yes, daddy." She carefully picked all of their bodies up and carried them to the end of the room, through a set of doors, and down a long hallway. There she opened two cells that were about ten feet apart, and place Arthur and Merlin in one, and Morgana in another.

Mordred caught up to her and intently watched Morgana. There was blood trickling from her ear. Mordred licked his lips in anticipation and arousal, he couldn't wait to slice her open first.