Out of Time

AvalonReeseFanfics

A/N: So this one's going to be a two chapter one as well, It was longer than expected, a whole 15 pages, I hope that's okay. I hope you guys like where this one went. There may be hope for Ardisson yet. Do you guys like Ardisson or should it be Adithur. I'm not good at this whole pairing name thing. Can you guys come up with some for me?

Thanks to zoegrhm for being my 220th favourite. Thanks to Melissa Pond for being my 160th Follower!

Shout outs to: Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Guest (Sarah) [welcome back btw, long time no review], Galucky77, Amaya Senju, weirdperson1867, Melissa Pond, mickey 1415, zoegrhm, Ayane-Hale, silverharafox, and Sparrow Odinson.

Chapter 26: Out of Uncertainty

A lot had happened in those two days in which the Druid boy hid somewhere in Camelot. Arthur attempted to talk to Addison again but failed and made things much, much worse and after that vowed to avoid her until she begged him to return. Addison, herself, had only been difficult because she was trying to stay strong. She had a heart to protect, and Arthur was dangerous to that heart. Of course, after his disaster attempt, she was never going to talk to him again.

The real action, however, was happening with Merlin, who was gratefully left much to his own devices during those two days. Arthur had ordered Addison to stay in her cell where she could cause the least amount of trouble and he was too busy searching for the druid boy to give Merlin any chores to do.

The druid boy had stayed with Morgana. There had been a scare once, when Arthur came into Morgana's room to search. Merlin had had to magic the boy's shoes out of sight. Morgana had flat out told Arthur where the boy was hiding, but convinced that Morgana was just teasing him Arthur hadn't bothered to look, even though the druid boy was, in fact, hiding behind the screen.

Then the druid boy's wound got infected and Merlin was forced to learn some healing to try and help him as taking the boy to Gaius was out of the question. The druid boy told Merlin that Merlin's real name was Emrys, speaking telepathically of course, but refused to tell Merlin his name. Morgana and Merlin had many moments together and though there was the option for her to get attached to Merlin, she actually became super attached to the boy even though he hadn't said a word to her. When Merlin's treatments had not worked, they were forced to include Gaius, who was very disappointed in both Merlin and Morgana but helped anyway.

Morgana was determined to get the boy out of Camelot herself. It was her responsibility she said. Merlin had been forced to use his magic to steal keys from Arthur so she could get through the door to the way out. She had borrowed a cape from Gwen and taken the boy out through the door in the armoury, the one that would lead her to the lower city and therefore make it easier for her to get out of the city with him.

Poor Arthur, being made a fool so many times in those two days, had not been in the best of moods to being with. Those keys jangling all over, eventually dropping into his soup, made him think he had a hearing problem. But he realized what had happened when someone sounded the alarm and he was told that the door in which someone saw the boy go through was locked and he was missing his keys to it. Arthur then surmised the exit strategy and went with his men to cut them off. And that was how the boy was caught, and Morgana was caught red-handed with him.

She had begged Arthur to let her go, but they were surrounded by guards. He couldn't let her go now, so instead of taking her to the dungeon's he took her straight to Uther.

For the life of him, Arthur had no idea why Addison was summoned. Just like he had no idea why the boy was kept in the throne room with Uther and Morgana, or why the boy had immediately crossed to Addison the second she appeared in the throne room and put his thin arms around her waist. And of course, Arthur had also had no idea why Addison would welcome the child's embrace either.

Uther had been furious of course and rightfully so. His ward hiding the druid boy in his very castle. He seemingly ignored Addison and the boy to berate Morgana. Which was exactly what Arthur wanted in this instance.

"How could you betray me like this?" he asked. In this surprising turn of events, he didn't sound angry. He seemed genuinely hurt to find out that Morgana was behind this.

"I would not see him executed," Morgana replied trying her very best to keep a level head and not to burst into tears or scream profanities at Uther. No matter how deserved they be.

"I have treated you like a daughter. Is this how you repay me?" he asked finally turning to face her.

"I did what I thought was right," Morgana replied. Arthur, with his arms folded across his chest stared down at his toes. Personally he believed Morgana was right, it was a child after all, and it hadn't harmed anyone. But that wasn't his place to say, and he just hoped that Addison had the good sense to keep her mouth shut about this whole affair.

"You think it's right to conspire with my enemies against me?" Uther snapped.

At this Addison put her hand up, Uther turned to her, outrage in his eyes. "Okay, two things. Firstly how did you come to that conclusion? Jesus, Evil Kenevil couldn't have made that jump. Yeah, she helped the boy, but that doesn't mean she's plotting your downfall with the druids! You said women were very susceptive to children's charms, remember? Well she's a woman and she was very susceptive to the child, you know, motherly instinct and all."

Addison fell silent and just stared at him, until Uther was forced to sigh aggressively. "You said you had two things?" Uther reminded her after Addison seemingly forgot to continue on.

Addison nodded. "Mhmm, why in god's name have you woken me up for this? I thought we established that I wasn't involved?"

Arthur stifled his groan as his father looked down to the boy who had hidden his face in Addison's skirts. He pointed at the child and Addison looked down and looked back up. She put a single arm around the boy's quaking shoulders and the other hand went to her hip. "Oh come now, this mean's nothing. You're a thing of nightmares to the boy poor, Arthur's the one with the sword who brought him here, and you're screaming at Morgana because she helped him, obviously I'm the only safe choice left."

Uther cocked an eyebrow at her and she huffed. "I swear, I was not involved with anything! I haven't spent much time with the boy."

"Much?" he echoed.

Addison's eyes went wide. "I mean, I might have bumped into him on his way into the castle," she replied with a wave of her hand, trying to feign innocent disinterest.

"Might?"

Addison blinked her eyes again. She was going to crack, Arthur knew it. "Oh god! Fine, I personally held his hand and got him into the castle! After that I kind of lost him, honest I had no idea that he was with Morgana after that."

And there it was. It could not get worse.

Uther continued to glare at her while Addison squirmed under his gaze. "Okay, so I might have had the teeniest of inklings, but it was basically a theory and to bring it to you would have been idle gossip and if I had been wrong, you would have flogged me for even daring to insinuate…"

"Oh shut up!" Uther raged and Addison fell quiet.

And Arthur had thought it couldn't get worse. Addison was never good when it came to interrogations, she cracked under the slightest bit of pressure. Now he wanted nothing more than to put a hand out, to hold her in his strong grip. He wanted to prove to her that he could be there for her, was there to support her, that he had been waiting on bated breath to throw himself in the way if his father raised a hand or sword in her direction. But after their last argument, Addison wouldn't have appreciated that, she wanted him to leave her alone, and to never touch her again. So instead all he could do was let out that breath he had been holding in one long shaky exhale and hope that Uther was done with her.

"You are here because the boy will be kept with you," Uther replied.

Addison's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Because I won't let him out?" she asked. "Because you know… I totally will."

Arthur shot her a warning glare, why couldn't she just shut up?

Uther turned back to her. "Because if you lose him I will execute you in his place," he explained.

Addison nodded as she took that information in. "Oh, yeah, that's a pretty good plan actually," she said absently. She jostled the boy softly until he looked up at her with stunningly similar blue eyes that Arthur could have sworn he had seen somewhere before. "You know it isn't so bad, my room's kinda nice. And I've always wanted a roommate, it gets kinda lonely. I'll teach you how to play poker so you can play with me and the guards on pay night and we'll get bunkbeds, so we don't have to take shifts sleeping on the floor…"

"I want him executed at dawn!" Uther shouted to shut her up and the boy hid his face back into Addison's skirt.

"But he's a child!" Addison cried, genuinely confused as to how it had gotten this far. At the same time as Morgana cried: "You can't do this! Please!"

"He will be executed at dawn," Uther repeated a little more loudly, if that was even possible.

"You know there is a special place in hell for child murder's," Addison said softly and Uther went to strike her. Addison said something like "Oh. My. God." In a very, very distant voice, but Arthur didn't hear, he merely stepped in the way blocking the two of them from his father.

"I heard you father," he said lowly, but Morgana was frantic.

"How can you do this? What has he ever done you that you should hate him so?" she cried and Uther whipped around, his hand around Morgana's neck immediately.

"Let this be a lesson to you!" he snarled. "Don't you dare speak to me unless it's going to be an apology!"

Addison put a hand to Arthur's shoulder. "Arthur," she urged but he was frozen, afraid that if he stepped out of the way Uther's rage would be taken out on her instead.

His father promptly let go of Morgana and stormed off and before he could say something he'd regret he followed after letting one of the castle guards take care of Addison from there.

Once he was done arguing with his father, which led to no success, Arthur wanted nothing more than to go down to the dungeons and check on Addison. But his pride stopped him. He had gone to see her the day before, checked her cell in case she was hiding the boy in her bedding. He had thought that they were possibly getting better, that they had moved in the tiniest of steps towards being friends again, to her trusting him again. But he raised a hand to carefully move a piece of hair from her face and she flinched. Flinched as if she expected him to thrash her there and then, and that reminded him of the guilt he should feel and he found himself backing up, putting as much space between he and her as he could. She would never, never, let him forget what he had done. Even though it had only been once through out the years of knowing him. When he was in such a state, so drunk he assumed that he hadn't been in the right mind to know what he was doing. How could she hold that against him?

Instead he went to his rooms and found Morgana sitting in his chair awaiting him. A pathetic, red-rimmed she-had-obviously-been-crying-and-was-clearly-frantic look about her.

She stared at him in a way that he knew all to well. He had seen it on Addison's face every time he drew close to her. Fear. Apprehension. For she had no idea how he'd react after what she had done.

"Make yourself at home," he snarled ripping off his brown coat and throwing it over the nearest chair.

"You can't let your father execute the boy!" she cried, urgency clear in her voice.

"You're lucky he's not executing you," he told her. He advanced on her quickly, though slightly started Morgana held her ground. "Are you telling me that he really was behind the screen when I came to search your chambers?"

Morgana winced and then nodded which just caused Arthur to swear. Oh, he had been the prized fool in all this and now Addison was mixed up in this as well. "And Addison?" he asked.

"Played only a small part. She found the boy first and got him into the castle." Well wasn't that just like Addison, she must have gotten separated from the boy, probably lead the guards away while the boy went in a different direction. That was the real reason she had been running that day. He knew she was lying about something.

There was a beat of silence before Morgana added: "I know you believe your father's wrong to execute him."

"What I believe doesn't matter. My father's made up his mind and he won't be talked out of it. I tried," he told her, hoping that that would be enough. Hoping that maybe that was ease his conscious in the morning when the boy's head rolled despite how the execution of child made his stomach queasy. But if he knew anything about his conscience, it wouldn't be quelled with a simple "I tried."

Much like Morgana.

"Then the time for talking has passed!" she cried launching to her feet.

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not going to happen," he growled, turning his back on her so he wouldn't have to see her disappointed face.

"We have to get the boy back to his people," she continued.

"No! Forget it! He's put Addison's head on the chopping block if the boy fails to show up," Arthur reminded her, in the hopes that that would shut her up.

"So we find away so that we save both of them," Morgana offered. When Arthur stayed silent she continued to rage. "I can't believe you'd let an innocent child die! What would your precious Addison think of you then?"

Arthur said nothing to that because he knew exactly what Addison would think but he was already out of her favour so it didn't matter much now. "It's too late! He's been caught! There's nothing I can do now, and to try would lead to her death," he snarled, turning back to the window he was staring out of.

"And this is how you will rule when you are king?" Morgana asked. "Will Addison take that excuse when they pry the boy from her arms and dislodge his head from his shoulders? Will she thank you for saving her then?"

Arthur turned to look her.

"You are not like your father," she reminded him. Arthur wanted to tell her that he would not betray his father, but he knew if it were Addison's neck on the line he would in a heartbeat. "If you won't do it for the boy, do it for me? And if not for me, to stop Addison from shedding any tears in the morning" she pleaded.

And that there was his undoing.

Merlin had walked by the executioner as he sharpened his blade. It seemed awfully early to get the blade ready for the boy, but there he was, sitting by the chopping block putting a deadly shine into his axe. Merlin hadn't been able to put what the dragon had told him out of his mind. About how he had said that the boy shouldn't be saved. That was strange of him. Usually the dragon was all about saving people who had magic, of sticking it to Uther anyway that he could.

There had to be a reason for that. A reason he wasn't getting. And while it weighed heavy on him, maybe the boy really was destined to die.

He made his way up to Arthur's chambers, to ask if he wanted Merlin to check on Addison and the boy, but found that Morgana was there in the chambers already. The two seemed to be talking about something.

Merlin stopped, half in the doorway and half out. "Sorry. Was I interrupting something?"

"Nothing you need concern yourself with," Arthur answered quickly and a bit too coldly for Merlin's liking. "Go make yourself useful. Muck out my horses."

Merlin knew they were up to something, and it wasn't his place to say that it was a stupid, stupid idea. Maybe that was a good thing, him not being involved, he could just back away and not have to be a part of…

"I trust Merlin."

Oh. Goddamn it!

Arthur turned to Morgana who had stated her trust and then waved Merlin in. Merlin shut the door behind and Arthur immediately said: "We're going to break the druid boy out of the dungeons."

"You can't do that!" Merlin said quickly.

"We have to!" Morgana cried just as fast. "Uther's going to execute him at dawn!"

Okay, that was the wrong way to go. "I mean…" he started desperate for a new line of attack, anything to make them see that this was all a big mistake. "It's too dangerous. You've already been caught once, if you're caught again Uther will never forgive you."

There, that was it, now they'd see.

"I'm not worried for myself," Morgana said with a proud tilt of her chin, she probably meant it. She'd die for that boy if she had to, Merlin knew this.

"Merlin's right," Arthur said, obviously thinking about it harder now. "When my father finds out the boy's escaped he will suspect you of being involved."

Yes, yes, see! "It's suicide!" Merlin added for emphasis, desperate to stop them.

Arthur turned to Morgana quickly. "You must go to my father and apologize. Dine with him. He cannot hold you responsible if you're with him when the boy escapes."

Ah shit, no, that was a good plan. Why did Arthur have to come up with a good plan? Morgana shook her head. "You need me if the plan is to work. You can't do this on your own"

Oh, no, no, that's not good.

Arthur's eyes found Merlin and he inwardly groaned knowing what was coming next. He smiled smugly as he said: "Merlin will take your place."

"Me?" he cried hoping he sounded as outraged as he intended.

"I'm going to take the boy out through the burial vaults. There's a tunnel that leads beyond the city walls. Get my horse from the stables and meet me there. There's a grate that covers the entrance to the tunnel. Bring a rope and a grappling hook to pull it off," he ordered, as if all of this was easy.

Merlin shook his head. "No, no, I can't," he whispered.

"Merlin," Arthur said with great impatience. "Do you understand? If you're not there to meet us, we will surely be caught."

He was staring right at him, his determined gaze demanding that he realize just what it was that Arthur was asking of him, the importance that Merlin be there, to help him because just like Morgana, Arthur was putting his trust in Merlin. Merlin had no other option but to nod. And as soon as he was able he went straight to the dragon to figure out why it was that Merlin shouldn't save the boy.

Because the boy would kill Arthur one day.

And now Merlin most certainly had a decision to make.

Addison had found a note in the meal that was brought down to her and the boy. A note from Arthur. A note telling her to slip out to see him, like they used to, when they were still kissing everywhere and anywhere they could afford to do so. Normally a note such as this would have made her heart leap for joy, but now it filled her stomach with dread. She shot a glace at the boy, who had still not spoken, but instead stared at her with those all knowing blue eyes and she knew that if Arthur wanted to see her now of all times, it wasn't to find some dark corner to kiss in.

He was going to try and break out the boy.

So when the time came, Addison brushed off the skirts to her deep purple dress and ran a hand lovingly over the boy's head as he lay curled up under one of her many furs.

"I will be back," she whispered. "You must do us both a great favour and just stay here until I've returned."

He nodded to her and she smiled. "When I come back I'll teach you a new game, how does that sound?" she asked him and after he nodded to her once more she made her way to the door, pulling a hairpin out of her hair she began to pick the lock.

Thank you, Song Bird.

Addison turned back to the boy, who had spoken in her mind and smiled. Don't worry, I'm sure Arthur has thought of something. She replied in her mind. It took a few minutes but the lock sprung open and Addison quickly left the cell, leaving the door a little bit ajar so that she'd be able to slip back in.

She walked in the direction away from the guards, heading towards the back of the cells, she wasn't certain where it was that Arthur was waiting for her but she figured if she kept walking it would end as it always did.

And she was right.

She had turned the corner towards the empty cells when a strong hand darted out of the shadows and yanked her into one. Arthur pressed her up against the wall and put a hand to her mouth to keep her from yelping.

Addison found herself looking back up at him, into those eyes wanting nothing more than to throw her arms around his neck and press her lips to his. Her body burned to know him, her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt anchoring him to her. She couldn't stop herself from wanting him, from her tears from burning her eyes because she knew that they were never to be. She couldn't fall any father for the one who was destined to leave her Gwen. She couldn't pull him off his destiny's path.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, his free hand wrapped around her waist with no intention of moving. "I'll be quick. We have a plan to save the boy."

Addison quickly let go of his shirt and pulled his hand away from her mouth. "And what of me?" she hissed. "What happens to me when Uther finds out he's gone?"

"I have a plan for that too," he said. "I won't let him blame you, you must trust me."

Addison wanted to say that she trusted him more than anyone else she had ever known. But those were words she couldn't say to him, no matter how true it was, so she stayed silent and waited for him to continue.

After a moment of those lovely blue eyes searching her face for any sign of her affirmation of her trusting him, he lowered them from her expectant gaze. "I need you to do something for me."

"And what is that?"

"Is tonight still poker night?" he asked. Addison nodded and he smiled. "I need you to be a distracting as possible."

Addison thought this over and then nodded. "Yes, alright," she whispered. "Is that all?"

"Yes," he whispered, disentangling himself from her. "I'll be down again tonight, don't forget to be distracting."

Arthur moved to sneak out of the shadows when Addison, against all her logical thinking, acting upon a desperate impulse and grabbed his arm. As he turned back to her she jumped up onto her tippy toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Arthur stiffened, but accept it from her. She felt his hand move, to come to her hair, to deepen the kiss and she stepped back from him.

"For luck," she whispered huskily. "For the boy."

Arthur's eyes searched her face again, she could see his heart breaking, the pain clear on his face. After a charged moment he nodded again. He vanished, disappearing out into the hallway and after a moment she wandered back to the cell and tried to smile. She was happy the boy was going to get away, after all, but sad because her and Arthur were never going to be able to go back to the way things were. If she was going to save his destiny and save her heart, she was going to have sever every bond and connection between them, and that meant possibly leaving Camelot. For that boy was too much temptation for her, and she was too much of a temptation to him.

As Morgana apologized to Uther while having dinner with him, Arthur was making his way to the dungeons.

Just as promised, Addison was playing poker with the two guards who were on duty that night. This was a pay night tradition, that Arthur had no idea how Addison ever got involved in in the first place as she had no pay. She was being loud and unruly just as she had promised him she'd be. He tried to shove the memory of his leg being between hers earlier that day, even though just being that closer to her had set him on fire, he had been proud of himself when he throw himself at her. He was equally as astonished to have her throw herself at him. A good luck kiss. She had given him a good luck kiss. He thought he wasn't ever going to get one again. Granted she said she did it for the boy and not for him, but still, it was a step in the right direction. Maybe he could salvage their relationship after all.

He lit fire to the ball of canvas he had tied to a string. It was filled with herbs, the smoke would be inhaled and the guards would fall asleep and luckily so would Addison. He blew it out so the smoke would start billowing and then slowly began to lower it. Addison was the first to notice that something was wrong, she started coughing and swatting away the smoke, she stood but the other guards were intent on their cards, already becoming drowsy. She took one step away from the table and fell, her face hitting the table on the way down, before landing on the cold tiles. Arthur winced. He let the bag drop, for the guards were already asleep and he rushed down the stairs.

He went to Addison's side, already the left side of her face was inflamed. She was going to have a horrible bruise tomorrow morning, but that would definitely help with his story. He picked her up carefully and cradled her to himself. As he walked he pulled the piece of fabric he had tied around his mouth off.

"I'm so, very, very sorry Addison," he whispered to her. "I didn't think you'd fall, I didn't want you to hurt yourself again."

He got to her cell, which the door was left open to, and found the boy sitting there, the blankets piled around him like he was shrouding himself in them. His eyes were intent on Arthur, staring at him in such a strangely intense manner that Arthur was slightly unnerved.

"Just give me a moment," he said to the boy who was already disentangling himself from the blankets. Arthur waited for the boy to walk to the door before pressing the softest of kissing to Addison's pink lips.

"For luck," he whispered. And then placed her on the floor amongst the straw and positioned her so it looked like she had fell.

He then turned to the boy and followed him out, leaving the door to the cell wide open. Arthur held the boy's hand as they ran down the corridor that lead to the catacombs. "I've sent word to your people," he told him.

The boy said nothing to him, just held his hand and followed after him. They made it to the catacombs without a single problem, and they got to the grate that Merlin was meant to meet them at.

Arthur called out for Merlin but he didn't come. The boy turned up to him and Arthur tried to smile. "Don't worry he'll be here," he said with as much confidence as he could muster, but even he, at that moment, was shaken.

Across the castle Merlin was sitting in the dark, hating himself for doing this, but knowing that it had to be done in order to fulfill his destiny. The bells started tolling and that guilty feeling hit him full force. He tried to ignore it, tried to reason with himself. This boy would grow up to kill Arthur one day, and rescuing him now would put Addison in danger. Uther had said that if the boy wasn't executed he would execute her in his stead. So, he was saving Arthur and Addison at the same time. Seemed worth it.

He didn't know that across the castle, the guards were getting ever closer to where the boy and Arthur were hiding. That Arthur had had to stomp out the torch so they wouldn't be so readily noticeable. Nor did he know that the boy was watching as Arthur frantically scoured for anywhere they could hide or another way out only to figure out that it was a dead end and they were stuck. All he knew was that the voice of the boy was in his head again.

Emrys! Emrys? Where are you, Emrys?

Merlin couldn't move. He had to stay out of it. This was the right thing to do after all, no one else saw that, but Gaius understood and so did the dragon. Arthur would forgive him, wouldn't he?

Emrys! Help us! Please! They're coming!

Arthur glanced to the boy and saw the fear in his eyes. He took out his sword, he'd have to fight to the death to get them out. Addison would be punished severely, if Arthur survived Merlin would be punished even more severely. Arthur would have to run away with Addison. God, lately that seemed to be the plan for everything Arthur found himself entangled with. Maybe, if he got out of this, he should just take her and run off seeing as that was what he so desperately wanted to do.

I'm scared, Emrys. They will kill me. Don't do this. Don't ignore me.

It was too much for him to listen to, Merlin put his hands to his ears to block it out, try stop the guilt from crashing in but it did nothing to stop the voice ringing in his ears.

I know you can hear me. I thought you were my friend. We're the same. I don't want to die.

Finally, it was too much. Merlin rushed to the rescue, coming just in the nick of time. Arthur turned on him immediately. "Where the hell have you been?" he hissed.

Merlin shrugged. "I had trouble getting out of the castle," he replied. A complete lie of course, he had no trouble, he had practically sprinted there and no one had stopped him. Man, the castle guards were dumb, or just oblivious.

"Well get this grate off. They're coming," Arthur ordered. He completely didn't notice the boy glaring at Merlin, obviously not believing what he was saying. Nor did he notice Merlin pointedly avoid the boy's eyes.

Merlin merely turned and hooked the grate to the horse. It took one little pull and it was gone. Arthur practically vaulted up onto the back of the horse, allowing Merlin to hand the boy up to him.

"If my father asks, I've gone on a hunting trip. Addison should be safe, there's a wicked bruise on her face that should attest to someone attacking her to get the boy. Make sure that's the story she tells. Now, make yourself scarce or they'll execute you in his place," Arthur ordered.

They boy linked eyes with Merlin again his voice rung out in his head.

Goodbye, Emrys. I know that someday we will meet again.

And then Arthur rode off into the night and Merlin disappeared back into shadows of the Castle.

Arthur rode through the dark forest, slowly as to not disturb the boy. He dismounted and met the druids standing in the forest clearing.

"We are forever indebted to you for returning the boy to us, Arthur Penndragon," the lead druid said. He was a normal looking man, nothing about him spoke of evil or magic. He seemed, almost nice.

Arthur nodded to him politely. "You must not let it be known that it was I who brought him to you," Arthur said.

"We will tell no one. You have my word," the druid said. And Arthur half smiled. They turned away without another word leaving Arthur there alone in the moonlight.

"Wait!" Arthur called after them. "I don't even know your name." They all stopped and turned to stare at Arthur. "At least tell me your name."

The boy turned to the elder who merely nodded and whispered: "It's alright."

The boy turned back to Arthur with those pale, pale eyes and replied: "My name is Mordred."

Arthur nodded, a strange feeling of dread coming over him. Still he forced himself to say: "Good luck Mordred," and then waited for their backs to be turned before turning himself and going back to his horse. He needed to return to Addison.

Uther had called Addison up to the throne room and then called for Arthur. Addison came up with Gaius in tow, Arthur did not show up, but instead his servant stood before him. Addison was sitting at the great table, her head resting on her arms, seemingly asleep.

Arthur's man servant bowed to the king and kept his hands behind his back. "Arthur has gone out on a hunting trip," he said.

An odd coincidence, but probably credible. Uther waved him away and then walked over to where Addison was slumped over. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head up causing her to groan. He caught her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. One side of her face was almost completely swollen, a redish purple bruise was spreading from the hairline all the way down to her cheek, a small gash was barely visible in her dark hair, but he could tell that her hair around the area was matted with blood.

"I have not gotten a chance to clean up her wound, sire," Gaius whispered standing somewhat to the side of them.

"And what do you think did the damage?" Uther asked.

"They hit me over the head with a tablet!" she growled. "A fucking tablet. I don't even know if it was stone or wood, just bam, right in the head."

Uther looked to Gaius who nodded to him. "Looks to be like it was done with a bit of wood, yes. Something with a sharp corner."

Uther let Addison go and her head slumped back to the table, groaning as she went. "So who ever took the boy had to ambush her?"

There came a series of unintelligible growls and mutters from Addison and Uther pulled her head back from the table. "What are you saying now?"

"I did not just hand over the boy. My head was on the line. I was all like who the hell are you? And they hit me before I could defend. Bunch of ungentlemanly cloaked men, going about attacking women! So much for safety in cells!" she repeated and Uther dropped her head again allowing her to slump back to the table.

He didn't want to admit it but it was really not her fault after all. And there was nothing to prove that Morgana was behind this either. It looked like he wasn't executing anyone today and there was no one he could blame for that.

Arthur came back with a single stag and a bunch of rabbits to make rabbit stew for Addison would probably need it if that hit to her head did any real damage to her. His father was proud with his catch, especially of the stag. So, it seemed that Uther bought the story of him going out to hunt.

As Arthur was on the way to kitchens to give them the rabbits so they could go about making rabbit stew for Addison when Merlin came barreling down the hallway calling his name. Arthur turned, forcing himself to remain calm as there was nothing to indicate that whatever it was Merlin needed him for had anything to do with Addison.

"It's Addison," Merlin said breathlessly the second he got into range. And that shot the hope that Addison wasn't involved right out of the sky. God, his father hadn't found a way to blame her, had he? "She has a laceration on her head and she needs stitching but she's refusing. Gaius said to get you as you were a great help last time."

Arthur felt an icy dread spread through his stomach and up into his chest. He knew what Gaius wanted and he wasn't sure he could do it this time, not with her as mad as she was with him. He had barely been able to stomach doing it the first time and they had only been friends at the time. "Has he given her something for the pain?" he asked.

"Yes, and it's not working. She needs you," Merlin whispered.

His heart practically broke in his chest. Yes, Addison did need him right at that moment, but did she want him there? He looked at Merlin's worried face and then thrust the rabbits into his hands. He knew what he'd have to do, and besides she could hate him afterwards, it wouldn't change much in their current predicament.

"Take those to the kitchens and have them make Rabbit Stew, tell them Addison needs it," he said. Merlin nodded taking the rabbits and walking off. Arthur walked, with feet dragging, towards Gaius's chambers. He didn't want to have to do this again, but there really would be no other option, it was the only way to get Addison stitched up. God, how could he live with himself knowing that his plan had caused her yet another injury?

He made it to Gaius's chamber and found Addison sitting on the cot, with her arms folded across her chest, glaring at him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him. He could tell by the way she was swaying that whatever potion Gaius had given her to numb the pain had already started to take effect. Arthur knew from experience that this particular potion made her quite loopy.

"Thank heaven's you've come. I can't hold her and stich her at the same time," Gaius said. "And she kicked Merlin quite painfully in… well… you can imagine where she aimed."

Arthur tried not to laugh at the image that popped up into his head. Instead he carefully made his way over to Addison who was staring at him with untrusting eyes. Her face was red with darkened signs of purple. He could see that her hair had been combed back and slightly sheared in the spot that needed stitching. He would have to get her a hair comb or hat to cover it until it grew back.

The laceration was much larger than he thought it would be.

He positioned himself behind her and before she could do anything about it he had his arms around her. As he held her to his chest he got himself better positioned. He spread his legs and pulled her between them, her back to his chest. One arm strongly kept her still while Addison screamed and struggled, the other grabbed her by what was left of her hair and held her head still.

"Best get stitching Gaius," Arthur whispered trying very hard not to get aroused by Addison's squirming, or have his heart torn asunder by her cries for him to stop. "I can't hold her still long."

Gaius was on her in seconds and as he stitched Addison cried out. The pain in her voice stabbed him hard, having sworn to do everything to keep her from getting injured it went against every desire in his body to let Gaius abuse her so. But he had to let this happen, it was the only way she would heal. Addison whimpered and cried in his arms, his heart crying out with her wishing for nothing more than to soothe her pains. But all he could do is press small kisses to the back of her head and whisper to her that it will be okay and all over soon.

And it was. After a few deft stitches Gaius was finished, four stitches in total before he patted on some salve and wrapped a bandage around her hair. She had such a silly look about her that Arthur had trouble not laughing. But as soon as his let her go Addison shot to her feet and whirled on him.

"What a hor… terr… perfectly… horrid thing to do to me," she stuttered then before he could open up his mouth to protest, she had slapped him across the face as hard as she could and then consequently lost her balance and toppled over.

Arthur shot a worried look at Gaius who helped her up and put her back into Arthur's arms. "The blow to her head has left her dizzy and weak, I believe she called this…"

"A concussion, yes. I remember," Arthur said. For how could he not? Addison had had several injuries and she had told tales of how she had gotten injuries like this before, and the name for them where she came from. But this was the worst he had witnessed to date.

"I'll take her back to her cell," he told Gaius.

"She won't be able to walk," Gaius warned him and Arthur answered by swinging her up into his arms and holding Addison close to his heart, her head on his shoulder.

Gaius nodded and put a vial into Arthur's hand. "For if she's in anymore pain," he said.

"Thanks," he whispered and then began the long walk to her cell.

They walked in silence, Addison's fingers playing with the trim of his jacket and the hair on the back of his neck, and Arthur pressing kisses to her injured head, when she finally decided to talk to him. "Did you get the boy back safely?"

Arthur smiled down at her softly. "Yes, my dear, I did," he whispered. "He's safe."

"You truly are a Prince in Shining Armour," she sighed and Arthur tried very hard not to chuckle.

"You know you're the only one who calls me that," he reminded her.

"You're not a Princely Prince to me," she muttered. "This is the second time you've left marks on my face."

Arthur's heart stilled in his chest. Her words did have some truth to them. "That not entirely true. You didn't have to stand Addison. Had you stayed seated you would have come out of this uninjured."

"I would have come out of it without a head," she shot back.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, that's true. So maybe it's a good thing that you've managed to crack your head open on a table."

"My splitting head says otherwise," Addison snarled and Arthur laughed again.

The guards let Arthur go through to the cell, disappearing up the stairs as soon as Arthur went through the archway. Her cell had been left open, so Arthur just had to walk through the door to get her to the bed. He was going about tucking her in when she grabbed a hold of his collar and held him there, his nose a hair's breadth away from hers.

"You are a wonderful, wonderful man," she whispered. "You are dangerous for my heart."

Arthur's hand cupped the back of her head and pressed her forehead to his. "I swear to you that the safety of your heart is always at the forefront of my mind," he whispered.

Arthur would have reminded her that he cared for her a great deal and this severance between them had wounded his heart just as badly as it seemed to have wounded her. He would probably have also reminded her that this was her idea in the first place and he had done all he could think of to try and quell the sudden fear she had of him and his swinging fists, but Addison let him go and flopped back down to the bed with a sigh of: "He never even told me his name."

Arthur was lost for a moment before he realized that she was talking about the boy.

"His name was Mordred," he answered absently as he began arranging her multitude of blankets around her. All his work was put to waste the second she bolted up, quicker then her injury would allow her, her fingers digging into his scalp and she grabbed out for him to steady herself.

"Easy, easy," he urged, his arms wrapping around her waist to steady her to allow her to put her hands to his shoulders which could withstand such a death grip, unlike his scalp which was protesting greatly.

"What did you say his name was?" she asked, a note of desperation in her voice.

"Mordred," he repeated and Addison smacked his shoulder hard.

"We shouldn't have saved him! Why did we save him?" she cried, big tears in her eyes. "Oh god, oh god, oh no, oh no, no, no, no."

Arthur's grip on her tightened as he searched Addison's panicked face. "What ever has gotten into you?" he asked.

"Remember that book I told you about?" she asked. "The one from my time."

"The death of me, yes, I remember," Arthur replied with a bitter note. "And I told you what I think about that book."

"But Arthur… Mordred… he's the one that…"

"Addison, that book has gotten everything wrong," Arthur interrupted. "It told you Morgana was my half sister, that I was borne through trickery and magic to another man's wife, and probably the best case to prove that book wrong is that you are not mentioned even once. That book is nothing but pretty words that basically only got my name and city right. I refuse to believe anything that book has to say."

"But Arthur…"

"No, do you hear me? There is no way that book could have no mention of the most important person in my life, do you understand?" Arthur argued.

Addison fell quiet and stared at him. "He kills you Arthur," she whispered. "I don't remember why, but he does. I don't want to watch him hurt you, please, please, please don't make me."

Arthur's hands framed her face and he pulled her into a soft kiss. "I won't, I promise," he whispered. Before he could pull away she deepened the kiss, pulling him to her and then practically on top of him.

Arthur shamelessly allowed it to happen, allowed himself to find that sweet spot between her legs, even if there were the blankets between them. He kissed her with all the love he felt in his heart, the love he couldn't bare to tell her in fear of loosing her. He could feel the heat coming from her and it doubled the heat coursing through him.

This was what he had been dreaming about. Her hands on him, his hands on her, and her lips that always tasted sweet no matter what. This was everything he missed and desperately needed. He wouldn't be able to go back to keeping his distance after this. She may not realize it yet but she had changed things for them and there was nothing she could say to make him go back to what they had become, they had crossed back into the realm of familiarity once more and he was not ever going back.

"You'll be the death of me Arthur Penndragon," she whispered against his lips before going limp in his arms.

Arthur held her briefly before forcing himself off of her and to go back to tucking her in. He'd have to have Merlin come check up on her at some point in the night, or maybe he'd come down and do it himself. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her pale face and found that even though he was worried he was smiling.

"I swear that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, but I will never be letting you go again. I hope you know that," he whispered to her sleeping form.

He'd remind her again when she awoke. They may need some time to adjust, but Arthur wasn't losing her again.