A/N: This is dedicated to lickitysplit, without whom this chapter would not have happened.

Hopefully Holmes fans will recognise the references to The Final Problem.

The atmosphere in Baker Street was so tense the air was practically vibrating with it. Escanor picked at the skin around his nails, his eyes darting from Merlin to Gilthunder and back again. The detective kept checking his phone, sighing and biting his lip as Merlin, arms folded across her chest, tapped her fingers against her sleeves.

All of them stared at the door in response to the thump of boots running up the stairs. Jericho had been dispatched to her brother's house, despite her rather forthright protests, so there was no introduction as Howzer burst into the room. "There's been another explosion," he gasped, his hair uncharacteristically out of place and sweat gleaming on his forehead in the electric light. "You were right. They went for that bartender you told us about."

"Did you get them out in time?" barked Merlin sharply.

"Yes." Howzer flopped down onto the sofa, rubbing his face with his hands. "That Ban guy made a bit of a fuss but I evacuated the bar and the surrounding buildings and took the three people who live in the bar itself to a safe house. By the time I got them settled and then back to Dalston…" Howzer rubbed his face again. "No one was hurt but there's nothing left of the bar but rubble. A gas explosion our experts say, but…"

"It was them ." Merlin began to pace around the room, ending up at the window where she leaned on the sill to look out into the street. "It is too much of a coincidence for it to have been an accident. Arthur knew Meliodas had talked to us. He must have been watching the house. He ordered his people to kill Vivian and then went after Zeldris's brother because he divulged information to me . I… I am very glad to hear that they are safe," Merlin said as she turned to face Howzer. "I put them all in great danger."

"We are all in danger." Gilthunder's voice was a harsh rasp. His face was pale and his eyes underscored by dark shadow. "Until our operation is complete and the gang are under arrest, every single one of us is a target.

Escanor's hands worked more feverishly in his lap as Merlin nodded, her foot tapping softly on the carpet. "How much longer?" she asked.

Gilthunder extracted his notebook, leafing through the pages. "You were right about Vivian having second thoughts," the police officer said. "The notes she left in her home were enough to identify every single person working for the organisation, with names and addresses and everything. All most satisfactory were it not for the circumstances. But we need to go for them all at once, get the whole lot together. If some of them get wind of what we're up to and run then we're done for. So we need dozens of warrants and loads of personnel in place…"

"I said how much longer."

Gilthunder sighed. "Hard to say, but I think we'll have the whole lot in custody in another three days."

"And there is nothing I can do to speed things along?" the detective asked.

"Unfortunately not," Gilthunder replied. "We just have to wait."

"Then we will leave the capital." Escanor looked up in surprise as Merlin strode towards him, holding out a hand. He took it, allowing her to help him to his feet. "I will not risk your life again," said the detective as Escanor glanced down at their still-clasped hands.

"M-Merlin," muttered Escanor, his face flushing with heat. "I don't want…"

"You are, in all probability, the gang's preferred source of information," Merlin said, the usual authoritative notes to her tone softened considerably. "It is imperative that you are kept away from them. I know you want to help, but the best way you can do that is to leave the country, for the time being."

Their eyes met. Escanor opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat. He felt utterly miserable, his chest aching with distress and worry and hurt. "This is all my fault," he managed to whisper.

"It is not ," Merlin emphasised. "You have done nothing . The fault lies with those who would terrorise our city. And they will be caught. Trust me," she urged, her grip tightening on Escanor's hand. "Please, come with me now. It is the best way." Escanor watched, his chest twisting as Merlin's face worked. "Please Escanor," she said softly. "I just… I have no idea what I would do if anything happened to you. And Gilthunder has this in hand. No one is more qualified than he to carry out an operation of this magnitude. Please."

Merlin's face relaxed as Escanor gave a nod. "If… if it is to please you, how can I say no. I do want to help though," he added more firmly as he looked round at the police officers. "I feel like I must be able to do something."

"You will undoubtedly be of use," Gilthunder agreed, "but this next bit is police work, and in all honestly I don't think I could get permission to take either of you to execute the warrants. The Commissioner is nervous enough as it is. Once we've got them all, I'll be delighted for your help with questioning the suspects. You really know how to read people."

Escanor gave another nod and Merlin smiled. "Good, I have packed for the both of us," she said briskly. Escanor coughed his surprise and the detective shot him an apologetic look. "I… I should have consulted you first, but I really think this is the right thing to do. And we need to leave now. Our train departs in two hours."

The Eurostar train began to pull out of the station, the whistles and hisses and the familiar bumping sound as they moved over the rails the mechanism jarring in his ears. Escanor wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing deeply as he tried to relax but his heart was racing and his pulse was ticking uncomfortably in his veins. His thick woolen coat was altogether too hot, and he fumbled with the large buttons as he tried to peel off the layer.

"You will have to excuse me for the melodrama. We had to cover our tracks," the detective panted as she and Escanor threw themselves onto the roomy, beige seats of the train. "If they find out we're leaving the UK…" The hollow look in her eyes which raked over the carriage and along the visible portion of the platform outside caused Escanor more worry than the recent explosion. Merlin did not relax until the train cleared the station and pale sunlight streamed through the windows to highlight her pale face.

He was out of breath. Their journey to the station had been more than a little circuitous. Rather than taking the tube straight to the station, he and Merlin had gone to Waterloo on the underground before changing lines and heading back across central London. They had been forced to run hard onto the train, passing a huge Christmas tree tastefully hung with red and gold baubles, their heels clacking across the polished floor as they pelted to the Eurostar. The guard had waved them quickly by with a pale face as he gave a cursory check of the tickets Merlin had grabbed from a man waiting for them just outside the station. Usually passengers had to arrive half an hour before boarding, but Merlin and the police had evidently managed to get that requirement waived.

Merlin sat in silence, her eyes tracking as she looked out of the window at the brown stretches of land and the trees bare of leaves. Winter had well and truly established itself and the greens of England had morphed to a nondescript sludge. Escanor thought of conversation openers, one after another, rejecting each one as he watched his partner's lips purse with worry. He felt uneasy seeing Merlin like this, the confident woman, the superhero he had come to rely on, showing her doubt so plainly.

It was only after an hour or so and once they had passed through the tunnel under the English Channel and so to France that Escanor dared ask, "Um… Merlin, where is it we're going exactly?"

The detective's eyes snapped to his and she gave him a wry smile. "That will be a surprise," she murmured before leaning back in her seat. "I am not sure myself yet. I can confirm that we will change trains when we get to the Gare du Nord, but other than that…"

Merlin ground to a halt as the breaks of the train started to squeal. Escanor snuck a look outside. The Eurostar had arrived at Calais station at the very edge of France. He was about to remark on how grey everything was - the platform was a slab of concrete and the sky a pewter mess of dark cloud - when the detective shot to her feet, her eyes wide. "The train is not scheduled to stop here," she whispered to Escanor as she retrieved her bag from her seat and slung it over her shoulder. "Something is amiss."

Before he could reply, a message cracked over the tannoy. "Mesdames et Messieurs. Nous sommes arrivés à la gare de Calais-Fréthun. Mes excuses pour le dérangement. Nous nous arrêtons brièvement ici pour les vérifications de maintenance et nous allons bientôt nous déplacer."

"Quickly, Escanor," Merlin hissed at him and he rose at her command, his legs trembling slightly as he stuffed his coat onto his arms and reached for the bag he had stowed on the shelf overhead. "We have to get off this train, immediately. Maintenance my foot," she muttered darkly over the guard's statement, now being repeated in English, as she sashayed down the corridor to the nearest door. With a sharp tug, she pulled on the emergency handle which released the mechanism. "Come on," she called over her shoulder, hopping down onto the platform below. He followed, pulling the bags with him, carefully descending the rather steep steps of the train.

"What should we do?" Merlin groaned.

Escanor swallowed hard to hear the indecision in her voice, but rallied himself, his eyes sweeping to the electronic display which gave notice of the imminent arrival of several trains. "We could…"

"There you are," a voice growled behind them, cutting off his words. Escanor turned, his jaw dropping as the man he recognised from the photographs on Merlin's whiteboard stalked towards them, his hands curled into fists and his long, dark hair whipping around in the wind. "You did well to evade me in London. But you cannot escape. My will is indomitable."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Fraudrin, or should I call you Dreyfus," replied Merlin as she took a step towards their foe, placing herself between him and Escanor. "Not a step further," she warned as Dreyfus gave a leer. "I have no desire to harm you."

The laughter that followed made Escanor's blood run cold. "You still do not understand," Dreyfus said as he continued on his path towards the detective. "This is the end of the line. For both of you. I have been instructed to terminate you and I never fail to carry out my orders."

"No!"

Before he knew what he was doing, Escanor made a grab for Merlin, pulling her to the side as Dreyfus leapt at her, a knife glistening in his outstretched hand. Escanor just about managed to yank the detective out of the way of his swing, his heart sinking as Dreyfus pirouetted in the air, aiming another blow for the detective's head. For a large man he was decidedly agile. "Merlin, look out!" Escanor yelled and, with a deep breath, steeling himself for the impact, he hurtled himself at their opponent, screaming as he aimed a punch straight at the man's solar plexus.

He made contact! His hand was radiating with pain, but Escanor barely noticed it. He had done it! Finally, he had proven his worth. But before he could congratulate himself, Escanor was hauled into the air by the collar of his shirt, his windpipe crushed by the fabric as Dreyfus picked him up like a sack of rubbish.

"This is all very tiresome," Dreyfus said with a sigh. Escanor spluttered, white spots appearing behind his eyes. Then, suddenly, he fell to the floor, gasping for breath like a landed fish, his lungs screaming with relief as his throat was released from its ligature and oxygen flowed through him. He heard Merlin's footsteps on the ground beside him, then a harsh cry and a strangled gurgle made his heart seize in his chest, his ears ringing with the following bevy of screams.

He shook his head, unable to reorient himself before he was dragged to his feet, his throat stinging as he gulped down more air. "Come, we must board that train. Now!" Merlin cried into his ear as she hauled him across the platform. Sure enough, as he had expected a train was drawing into the station, wheels clattering on the rails before pulling to a stop. The doors slid open, and quick as a flash Merlin pulled him past the disembarking passengers, some of whom tutted while others shot them sour looks.

He glanced around the carriage, collapsing into a seat and massaging his neck. "W-what did you do to him?" he managed to rasp our as Merlin sat down beside him. His throat was raw and painful, and he fought hard but failed to suppress a cough that burst forth from his chest, wincing as it stung his larynx. "Is… is that man okay?"

"He will live, I expect," Merlin intoned as the train started to move, slowly at first, then picking up speed as it cleared the station. Escanor looked out at the platform and could see a crowd of people gathering together, their bodies shielding Dreyfus from view. "I hope he will be conveyed to a hospital without delay. I should have killed him, perhaps, but it would have been more awkward than it was worth to dispatch him. Do not concern yourself," she added as she looked at Escanor, taking his hand. He averted his eyes from the window. "Dreyfus is no longer in a state to alert his masters of our presence in this country, or to follow us further. He will never lay his hands on you again. We are safe, for now."

Escanor's mouth ran dry, and he started to splutter out an apology but Merlin rushed on, "Do not dare to say you let me down." Her grip on his hand tightened and she moved closer to him until their sides pressed together. "You were so brave. But, please, in future leave these thugs to me. I am trained in many of the world's martial arts."

They stayed together, her warmth sleeping through to his arm and shoulder and Escanor's breathing returned to normal. "Merlin, I…" he began, then ground to a stop. This was the moment. Too many times they had nearly lost their lives, and who knew if they would survive the next occasion. It was now or never. I care about you. I want to be the one to protect you. I love you. Can you love me too? he asked over and over again in his head, but each time he tried to vocalise the words they would not leave his lips, no matter how hard he tried.

"Did you hear that?" Merlin asked sharply, pulling away from Escanor as a hum of indistinguishable crackle sounded over the tannoy. "We, my dear Escanor, are on our way to Switzerland. This train is going to Zurich. I do not think we are still being tailed, but just in case we will take another train to somewhere obscure when we arrive in the capital."

Escanor nodded, swallowing once more. He felt the urge to relax back into his seat, to shut his mouth and never speak another word again. But the phrases he wanted to say kept running round in his brain. I love you. Can you love me too?

"Merlin… I-I care about you," he managed to rasp out, ducking into the collar of his shirt like a tortoise as he felt his cheeks flame. "I… just want you to know that."

"I do know that, Escanor." He forced his eyes to meet hers. Merlin was smiling at him, but with none of the teasing or insouciance he had come over the months to expect. "I do know you care about me. I care for you too. I know you did not want to leave London," she said as she leaned back in her seat so that their shoulders were touching once more. "And I want to thank you for agreeing to come with me."

"I just want to be of actual use." Escanor fixed his gaze on the seat opposite and the yellow lines snaking across a bright green fabric background. "I should have stopped him. I should have…"

"Your attack gave me the chance I needed to disarm him." Escanor's eyes snapped to hers, his heart skipping a beat as Merlin smiled. "I know I said you should leave these people to me, and I know you feel like you are somehow not good enough, but I was wrong and so are you. From the very first moment I saw you in our consulting room, when you were searching for a room you could afford, I knew you for a remarkable man who has been through a tough time. You are still that man. You are still the kind, resourceful, determined person I chose to be my partner. And I want that still, and always."

She took his hand in hers and he wondered if she could feel his pulse racing. Was he hearing her right? Could she really be feeling the same way as he? He was about to ask when Merlin continued, "I know that was a setback but this is the right thing to do. Gilthunder is very capable and to have us there, amateurs with no official standing who are targets of the organisation, would have done nothing but distract him from the upcoming operation. I am sure he will be successful."

Escanor nodded, but his disappointment was assuaged as Merlin took a deep breath and declared, "We will return to our home, testify against Arthur and his employees, and you and I will go back to the way we were before. And that is what I want, for both of us," she said softly. "I care for you too, and I always will."

Their heads rested together, Escanor's heart still aching, but his worry had gone as the train zipped through the snowy, mountainous countryside.