Out of Time

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: YAY to Devious Neko Boi to getting me to 60 reviews! I'm glad I made your evening as you made mine too! If I had a prize I'd give you one!

So here's the next bit of the story, I hope it's still pleasing people. It definitely looks like I'm on track to have it finished for next chapter and then we move on to episode four. I'll have a bit of a poll for you guys by then, I hope everyone participates in it!

I've also made a cover for story that I'm not 100% happy with, mainly because the words don't fit in and I'm too lazy to redo it all over again. If you guys would like to make me one, or any sort of artwork of the characters I don't think you realize how happy that would make me. Just PM me a link to the pic or I'll send my email so you can send it to me. Legit that would make my life complete!

Shoutouts: Devious Neko Boi, Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967 (Thanks for always being one of the first people to review), Sarah (I usually take a while to update, sowwee), AmalieNico (Haha! I have great timing!), rach-florance, Shiranai Atsune, CanadianMapleLover, Fanficqueen306, TheOneWithAllTheDreams, CheesieBrie, witchlouise, The Wind Whispers To Me, and

Chapter 12: Out of Trouble

Merlin had gotten Gwen into this mess so Merlin was going to get her out. Yes it would mean doing something so completely and utterly stupid, but if it saved her life it would be worth it.

Merlin had just left from visiting Gwen in the dungeons where the girl was putting on a weepy but brave face. He had promised her she wouldn't die that he wouldn't let her die. He stormed through the castle, practically running before he could change his mind, until he got to the throne room. He had a plan, a stupid plan and he took a deep breath before he threw open the door and burst in.

"It was me! It was me who used magic to cure Gwen's father!" he shouted silencing everyone in the room. Gaius looked horrified, stunned silent by this stupid plan, Arthur looked like a cow had kicked him in the stomach, he was clearly is such a state of disbelief that he could barely talk or breathe.

No one seemed to say or do anything. No one seemed to believe him, they all stood there staring at him dumbly. So Merlin continued. "Gwen's the not sorcerer. I am!"

Gaius stood quickly. "Merlin are you mad?" he hissed.

Merlin leaned in quickly to snarl: "I cannot let her die for me!" hoping he sounded more courageous then he felt.

Merlin turned his full attention back to Uther who was still appraising him with cold eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I place myself at your mercy," Merlin told him.

Gaius quickly turned back to Uther. "He doesn't know what he's talking about," he said in a sharp tone.

"I do!" Merlin argued. Couldn't Gaius see that Merlin had to right this wrong somehow?

Uther seemed to shrug as if he couldn't care less who got executed as long as someone died by dawn. "Fine, arrest him," he said and the guards went for him.

Arthur knew two things. One, there was no way Merlin was a sorcerer. He would know if he was, he just would. And Two, if Addison found out he let Merlin go to his death when Arthur could have stopped it he wouldn't hear the end of it. And he'd rather not watch Addison grieve over someone other than him, so he moved quickly.

"Father! Please I can't allow this, this is madness" he cried, moving away from the throne Uther was settling himself into so he could go to stand beside Merlin. God Addison better appreciate him for this. "There's no way, Merlin is a sorcerer."

He made certain to say Merlin's name in a tone that implied he thought Merlin was about as bright as a worm. His father didn't seem to care.

"Did you not hear him?" Uther asked.

"Yes!" Arthur snapped.

"He admitted it," Uther reminded him.

Arthur paused briefly. Yes that had just happened. He needed to stall as he thought of a way out of this. "He saved my life remember?" Arthur shot back.

"Why should he fabricate such a story?" Uther wondered.

Arthur paused again. That was also true. What the hell was Merlin up to? The most he could gather was that Merlin was trying to save Gwen. He was a loyal friend like that. Oh… or…

"As Giaus says," he said gesturing to the old physician. "He's got a grave mental disease."

Gaius turned to look at Merlin who was silently pleading with him not to agree. Uther sat forward in his chair. "Really?"

Damn now Arthur would have to think of some sort of disease. Or he could just go with…

"He's in love," he suddenly blurted out.

Merlin was suddenly flabbergasted. "Wait… what?"

"With Gwen," Arthur continued and Uther cracked out in a grin.

"No, I'm not," Merlin argued.

"Yes you are," Arthur said firmly. I mean really why was this boy so ready to dive onto the sword of martyrdom? Why couldn't he just let Arthur save him, he was just as bad as Addison when it came to the saving of ones life.

"No way!" Merlin cried.

"Now come on, I saw you with that flower she gave you," he said.

Merlin half laughed. "No, no I'm not in love with her," he repeated. Gaius was sitting down a smug smile on his face, he knew what Arthur was doing, knew he was saving the boy and that he didn't have to worry as much for Uther would surely believe his son.

Arthur put an arm around Merlin's shoulder. "It's all right, you can admit it," he said gesturing to the whole table watching the display very carefully.

"I don't even think of her like that!" Merlin cried. Arthur knew this to probably be true. No one would dare fall for another if Addison was giving her love to them freely. Arthur knew that first hand.

Uther chuckled again. "Perhaps she has cast a spell on you," he said and then started to laugh.

Merlin and Arthur were standing breathless, both were waiting to hear what Uther would think, who he would agree with. This had swung in Arthur's favour and even though Merlin looked crestfallen Arthur couldn't help but be happy for this. "Merlin is a wonder, but the real wonder is that he's such an idiot!" he locked eyes with Merlin so he could see just how dead serious he was. He was putting his honor on the line here, betting on Merlin to not be as stupid as to be a sorcerer after all.

"There is no way that Merlin is a sorcerer," he repeated. The nail in coffin, the final affirmation that it was true. To say otherwise would be to question him and no one but his father would do that. Uther chuckled and waved for the guards to let him go.

Merlin looked around to all the faces and he knew that there was no way that anyone would believe him if he tried again. At this moment he hated Arthur. Didn't he want Gwen to live like Merlin did? Like all of Gwen's friends did. Why couldn't Arthur care about Gwen like Gwen cared about everyone else? Merlin didn't trust himself to just sit there and not blast them all with Magic so he ran away before he could anything else that was seriously stupid.

Arthur found Addison with Gwen. She had let herself out of her own cell and into Gwen's at some point during the day. She sat with Gwen, Gwen's head in her lap as she stroked her hair and sung. Arthur stared at her, in awe at how kind this girl was.

"I told you to behave," he reminded her as he unlocked the cell door that Addison must have locked behind her. Obviously it had to be her, because he didn't want to think that the guards were taking orders from her again and letting her out at her command.

"Oh? But I have. I'm still in a cell aren't I? It's not like I've left."

Her tone was prim and proper, for a second he might have thought her an actual lady. He looked down to his toes as he suppressed a grin.

"Come, let's go for a walk. I wish to speak with you," Arthur said. Addison bit her lip as if concerned. She glanced down to Gwen who was still sniffling.

"I don't want to leave her," she whispered even though Gwen could hear her.

"It's alright Addison, you can go," she said.

"Nonsense, I can see Arthur any old time. I rarely get to spend time with you," Addison said softly before turning back to Arthur. "Maybe tomorrow Arthur."

Gwen sat up. "No, I will not have you here with me in my misery. You should go with him, I want you to go."

Addison stared at her. Arthur could tell she wanted to argue but she also didn't want to upset Gwen further. "Alright, if you're sure," she said as she got up and moved towards Arthur. "I'll bring you back something special, something to look forward to, I promise."

Arthur took Addison's arm before shutting the cell door and locking it behind them. They walked in silence, Addison's hand on his arm through the hallways of the castle until they made it out of the courtyard and into the streets. Addison had no idea where Arthur was leading her, for he rarely let Addison outside of the castle walls, but it was a welcomed change.

He ended up walking her all the way out to the hills. It wasn't the farthest they had been, but it was the farthest he had let her go in a while. The flowers were blooming and the grass was fresh and it was honestly quite a lovely day. If only it weren't marred by such a tragic event looming before them.

Addison wanted to run wild in the flowers, knowing that Arthur would just stand by and watch with an appreciative smile on his face. She may even be able to goad him into chasing her, maybe drag him to a shadowed woody area to kiss him once more in secret. It was hard keeping her desires tucked away, knowing that if anyone were to figure out how easily she could convince the prince to come to her Uther would kill her. She knew that was why Arthur kept his distance from her and she didn't wish to make it any harder on him, or herself.

She smiled at Arthur, very grateful he took her somewhere beautiful to cheer her up and then very pointedly asked: "What do you plan to do to save Gwen?"

Arthur blinked his eyes and frowned. "What makes you think I have a plan?" he shot back. He looked uncomfortable, he squinted at her as though the sun was in his eyes, and he crossed his hands over his chest defiantly as if she had verbally attacked him.

Addison huffed back. "Come now Arthur. You have plenty of plans to save me if the situation should arise. Why can't you use one of those for Gwen? She is our friend after all, you mustn't want to see this happen as much as the rest of us."

"Firstly, Gwen is merely one servant. Am I fond of her? Yes, but no more than I'm fond of any other servant. Secondly, I have those plans for you for a reason, and if I use them my father will be wiser the second time, then what will I do? How will I save you then?" Arthur shot back.

Addison closed the distance and put a hand to his shoulder. "You are so much better than this, I know you are," she whispered.

Arthur frowned at her. "I could get her out, maybe, I don't know, it would be risky. She'd die if I fail."

"She'll die anyway," she argued.

Arthur sighed. He looked tired and cross, but that was usually when she managed to get him to agree to pretty much anything. "You have me doing too much for you. First I save your lover and now you're asking me to save your friend. When will it be enough?"

Addison recoiled. Her what? "My lover? Arthur what are you talking about?"

"Merlin! He burst into the throne room today spouting all sorts of nonsense about how he was the sorcerer to try and save Gwen's life," Arthur told her. Addison stiffened, her eye wide with fear. Arthur wanted to forgive her but how dare she be so concerned for Merlin's well-being? Did he not just say he saved the stupid twit?

"But you stopped him?" Addison asked. She sounded so concerned, the sentiment burned at Arthur, making his stomach twist into knots of disappointment and dread. She really did like him after all.

"Yes," he snarled through grit teeth. "I didn't want the fool to martyr himself for Gwen when you are obviously so very besotted with him."

Addison was staring at him with wide eyes of surprise. She suddenly covered her mouth and started giggling. He could tell that she was trying to hold it in by the way her shoulders shook before the giggles started to escape.

"What? Do you think it's funny that you've cuckold me? That I would save him for you when it's clear that… well... that I don't quite like the man?" He demanded suddenly grabbing a hold of shoulders and giving her one good shake. To his fury all it did was make her laugh harder. Arthur was close to shaking sense into her, didn't she see how much this hurt him? How could she betray him in this fashion? Yes they hadn't anything official, he had never courted her in the open or asked for her hand but he had thought that there was a silent understanding that certain privileges were his and his alone and with kisses as heated as theirs there couldn't be any other way she was besotted with anyone else but him.

Yes she had told him stories of how women in her world had frequent affairs and many lovers before settling and sometimes many more after they were settled behind their husband's backs but she had always implied that she was not one of them and now it seemed like she had lied.

Suddenly Addison put her hands to his face. "Oh, you wondrously silly man!" she cried and the pressed her lips to his. Arthur's hands moved immediately, crushing her to his chest he held her tight to him as his mouth claimed her with a ferociousness he didn't realize was inside him. He really shouldn't have been this careless, they were in full view, anyone looking off the battlements could have spied the couple in the hills kissing, his armor, newly polished by Merlin surely stood out, but he couldn't have cared less.

After a few breathless moments where their kisses stopped time and were the only thing that mattered Addison pulled away. "I don't know what possessed you to get that idea in your head but if this is how you're going to act I might as well keep letting you think it," she whispered against him.

"Are you not with him then Addison?" Arthur whispered breathlessly and Addison only giggled.

She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth and said: "I think I'll let you continue to come to your own conclusions."

Arthur's grip tightened on her, he wanted a straight answer. He needed to know if she was teasing him, if he had been mistaken. He would gladly admit to being wrong if she would just admit that she wasn't with Merlin and was his alone.

"Tell me Addison," he ordered and she grinned devilishly. She was waiting for something, waiting for him to propose something. "I'll talk to my father about Gwen. Please, you must tell me. Put me out of my misery."

Addison ducked away from him, he let her dance a few steps away. "I don't know what you speak of, but I do believe I should reward Merlin's bravery with a kiss," she said in a mocking voice. Arthur growled at her and she tapped a finger to her chin as she thought. "I wonder where I shall plant this kiss. His cheek? His mouth? What do you think Arthur?"

She had to be teasing him, this had to be a joke. He had shown her his weakness, his jealousy and she was going to flay him alive with it. "Don't you dare!" he growled. For the moment it would serve to play her game, only if it kept that smile on her face and that twinkle in her eyes. If it kept her from thinking of Gwen and how Arthur most likely wouldn't be able to save her from his father's suspicions.

"Well isn't that the great thing about being a time-traveller. I don't actually have to listen to you!" she cried and then turned running down the hills heading back to the castle.

Arthur watched her go, smiling at her, briefly just taking in how she ran through the grass so carefree and perfect, with her black hair flying out behind her and her smile wide and joyous. He let out a mock roar of rage before giving chase which only illicit a cry of fear and a string of giggles from his quarry. She was faster than him, but he easily kept up with her, so she was letting him stay close. She intended him to catch her and he fully intended to. For the moment he was just going to enjoy the view and the chase.

Merlin was heading to the catacombs to check the pools once more. He knew that the water had been poisoned by magic but he didn't know how. Gaius wanted him to take samples so he could figure out what was poisoning the water and whether or not he could cure the water or find a way to purge the water clean. Merlin planned to find the source and prove it wasn't Gwen who was behind the poisoning before she was set on fire that evening.

He had been heading down when he heard someone call his name. Merlin turned and found Addison rushing towards him, he wondered briefly if she was afraid of something, if she was running in fear. He knew he'd do what he could to protect her, a thought that surprisingly came easy to his mind, but he suddenly wished for Arthur who could do so much more and not having Merlin risking using magic in public after Arthur had just saved him from his own confession. The smile on her face, however, told him that she was not afraid but just excited to see him.

As soon as she was close enough Addison fairly pounced on him, her lips sliding onto his before he could stop her, her arms around his neck. It was a soft kiss, and he could tell by the way she was giggling that she wasn't doing it because she was interested in him.

"Addison!" came a roar and then she was pulled right off of him, with a surprising force that Merlin recognized. She didn't go far, but stood her ground in front of him and stared up at Arthur with a sly grin on her face.

Arthur was glaring down at her, shaking and almost red with fury. It looked like he had a great deal to say—or shout—at her, but he shoved her aside and bore down on Merlin instead.

"Oh come now!" Addison cried, once she realized Arthur obviously meant to pummel the life out of Merlin who was wide eyed and trying ward Arthur off with the torch he was carrying. Not that it really would have helped him. "He's merely a pawn! Can't kill the pawn for being used in the game."

"I can and I will," Arthur snarled.

"Face facts Arthur, if I want to kiss Merlin I shall, whenever I please to do so and there's nothing you can say about it. You could fire him but he'd still be here in the castle with Gaius and you can't keep me contained so what do you plan to do?" Addison asked, her hands on her waist as she confronted him.

"Run him through!" Arthur snapped never once taking his eyes off of Merlin. He eyed him with disdain before asking with much malice: "I thought you fancied Gwen."

"I told you I didn't," Merlin reminded him and Arthur's eyes bugged out. Clearly that answer was not the correct one. Arthur was going pale and his eye was twitching so Merlin continued. "But I don't fancy Addison either. I mean, she's pretty but she's your girl…"

"Addison is clearly not my girl. I just think she could do better than a common servant like you," Arthur spat out. He shot a glare at Addison. "I have duties to attend to. Your precious Merlin can escort you back to your cell."

Addison watched Arthur storm off and sighed. Now that she didn't have to defend Merlin and stand her ground her shoulders sagged as if a great weight had been put on them or she was just plain relaxing. She had definitely taken that joke too far. She had put a new strain on not just her relationship with Arthur—whatever that relationship might be—but also one on Merlin and Arthur's which had enough strain without her added meddling. She honestly didn't know what had come over her, maybe it was a bit of malice for Arthur not helping her with Gwen as she had asked, maybe she just wanted to see that deliciously cute look on Arthur face that she know recognized as jealousy. Either way it had been a stupid move and she should have kept her lips to herself.

Merlin turned to her and Addison winced. He clearly wanted an explanation. She really did owe the poor boy a lot of explaining. "I... uh… I went too far with a joke and he did not take it well," she told him. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to just attack you like that."

Merlin blushed, now that it was confirmed that Addison was only doing it for a laugh he wasn't as happy as when he had thought that he was just being kissed by a beautiful girl. "It's alright, but… if you could refrain from including me in your schemes to mess with Arthur I'd be grateful."

Addison nodded. "Sure thing, uh… you going down there? I need to go too, want to check on the iced-lollies. Wanna make sure they're not contaminated or anything. If they've got ice on them I'm going to see if I can get one open and get it to Gwen."

"You can give her mine," Merlin offered as they stepped down the stairs into the darkness, the only light coming from his torch and for some reason it wasn't penetrating the shadows like a torch usually would.

Addison laughed, hoping that her nervousness wasn't obvious, after all she had always been scared of the dark so that was probably what was wrong with her right now. "And you could share with Arthur then, I'm sure he'd love that," she said. Merlin glared at her and her smile softened a bit. "Sorry, you're right, I shouldn't include you in my schemes anymore."

Merlin nodded happily and mumbled something along the lines of: "Thank you" so Addison waited a good five seconds before adding: "But it would be much more fun if I did."

Merlin had nothing to say to her at that point. They had made it into the caverns and she was already skipping towards the stake to fish out at least one of her containers. Merlin busied himself taking samples of the water, as he had promised Gaius he would all the while looking for signs of magic around or anything that could have done this. He didn't have to be discrete, firstly Addison was so preoccupied that she wouldn't have noticed and even if she did she already knew about him so it wouldn't have mattered.

Addison had been humming to herself as she pulled the chain up. It was heavy work and progressing slowly, but she patiently pulled it up inch by bloody inch even though it hurt her fingers and hands, she figured she had to woman up and do it if she wanted to give Gwen one last little bit of happiness before she was sent to the stake.

She could already see the bubbles coming up from the canister, but it was a lot more then she expected. The buzzing she felt, the one that had been residing in her chest all through this ordeal was suddenly a lot worse. She had been ignoring it, she had assumed the attack Camelot's water was magical and that was why this was bugging her so much, it had to be powerful to cause this much disruption but it hadn't even been this strong before.

Addison briefly wondered if the thing that administered the poison had gotten caught up with one of her canisters. Was she pulling it up to the surface? But suddenly something burst forward from the water. A giant slimy creature thing that was roaring loudly. Addison didn't even have time to fully scream, it was already screaming at her. She threw herself back, one hand swiping up in a desperate measure. The water crystalized at her motion shooting a giant icicle up from the surface and threw the creature. It didn't kill the creature, but it definitely wounded it, but not before it raked its burning claws up the other arm Addison had raised to defend herself.

Addison landed on butt, still screaming, and the creature roared in what might have been pain or just annoyance and disappeared beneath the surface. Merlin was shouting something and rushing to her side. He was probably asking if she was okay but Addison could only think of one thing to say.

"What the fuck was that?!"