Welcome to the next chapter of TFR!

So this chapter came quick. I've written two chapters in the past three days; I'm on a roll, and I needed to post this chapter because it might be a while till I get the next one up. I am sorry in advance for this chapter, and if you have any questions, I WILL ANSWER WHATEVER YOU ASK. Just make it aware if you DONT want spoilers

Thank you to my beta CaptainOzone. The girl manages to get the chapter back with 12 hours of my sending it to her. It's amazing.

In this chapter, Tom is Cenred. Colin is Merlin. Laura is Freya. Joe is Will. Richard is Gaius. Emilie is Morgause. Santiago is Lancelot. Eoin is Gwaine. Tom is Percival.

Remember to check my website whenthestormisthrough which is my TUMBLR url. I post chapter updates and some excerpts as well as all things Merlin on there.

Enjoy the chapter, and please review. I like to hear what you thought of the chapter, what you didn't like, any questions or concerns, your favorite parts, and any suggestions/comments about my writing in general.

Onto the chapter,

Erin

Recommended Reading: Intension by Ryne42.

After TFR, I have 3 story ideas that I will possibly write next. You guys can vote on whichever one you would like to see. Check on my profile and see if I put the poll up if I find out how to do so.

Arthur's Bane - in which Merlin is Arthur's bane, prophecized to be the one to kill the king he's sworn to protect.
Once and Future - in which Sefa is the serving girl to Queen Guinevere; she has magic and is destined to protect the Queen, but she doesn't know Merlin's duty as Emrys.
One More Miracle - in which, at the end of Season 4, Agravaine kidnaps Merlin and brings him to Morgana when the servant tries to warn Arthur of his uncle's betrayal. Morgana gives Agravaine a potion to make him look like Merlin and convince the king that his friend is the traitor (follows Season 4 finale; AU end to 4x11, 4x12, 4x13)

WARNING: child abuse, graphic violence, character death

Chapter Ten
"And now I sit here on my own.
And dream of a girl that I used to know.
I can't take her off my eyes again,
'cause she's my living addiction."
-"Living Addiction" by Alex Goot

Colin was a clumsy idiot.

Or at least that's what Joe thought.

Attempting to sneak back into Tom's apartment in the middle of the night wasn't the best idea the warlock ever had; however, when the nightmares featuring Laura and Joe as Tom's victims took over his every waking hour, Colin knew he had to return. Richard understood, of course, but before Colin had a foot out the door, the doctor made him promise to return on a regular basis. Colin would continue to study and learn to control his magic, and Richard would keep him updated on the custody battle for his guardianship.

Night had settled over New York City, and the dense cocoon of stillness stalked the warlock like a ghost. He pulled the winter jacket closer to his body to conserve body heat, pulling the stocking cap further down his head to cover his ears. Richard had been kind enough to gift him with new winter clothes, even though the season was coming to a close in a few weeks. The gesture was well-appreciated, but it was gauche to receive such offerings from someone who barely knew you.

For some odd reason, though, to Colin, it seemed as if he had known Richard forever. He hoped that the doctor would settle his custody case soon so that he could live with him. Whenever he was with the older man, he felt as if he had found his family, and he never wanted that feeling to end. After the two days Colin had spent in his care, Richard was quickly becoming the father he had never had.

His bubble of joy burst in his chest, however, when he approached the apartment door after climbing three flights of stairs, the happiness dissipating at the knowledge he'd have to spend more time with Tom before he could be transferred anywhere.

He ambled across the apartment with the utmost care, hoping to return to his bedroom without pulling anyone from their slumber. His footsteps were relatively quiet up until his elbow brushed a pile of books perched on the wooden table near the entrance of the hallway. Colin scrambled to clean the mess when the light suddenly flicked on in the far corner of the room.

"Welcome home, son."

Tom's voice was low and had an undercurrent of bitterness even though it was uttered in a sugar-sweet tone. Fear trickled through Colin's body like poison, his pulse rapidly increasing. He couldn't breathe; he couldn't move. He was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to break the surface. Something inside him screamed that this confrontation, of all the confrontations he had had with Tom in the past ten months, would be different.

So very, very different.

Suddenly, a blur flashed across the room, and before he could react, Tom's fist came barreling towards him, pain exploding across his ribcage. He sunk downwards, clenching his torso in pain, moaning as a rush of vertigo hit him. He heard his foster father's footsteps scruff across the carpet, the sinister chuckle reverberating through his pounding head.

"Did you have a fun vacation?" Tom had bent down to Colin's level, his words slithering through the warlock's ear, hot breath tickling his cheek. "How's that Santiago fella doing?" The older man pulled away, but Colin kept his eyes closed.

His ears, having become accustomed to the sound of footsteps outside of his door, strained to hear the heavy thuds and the light whooshes of air stirring signaling that Tom was moving, but they never came. Cautiously, he raised his head only to meet a fist to the face. Colin curled in on himself, trying to protect whatever he could, but it was useless as Tom strode off into the kitchen. He could hear the soft clinks of silverware and the slam of a drawer. Before he knew it, a hand had gripped a handful of his hair, dragging him in the direction of the living room.

Colin's legs gave out, and his head screamed in agony. He gritted his teeth together against the pain and seized his strength, defiance filtering through his body, and he pulled back suddenly. It startled Tom when he put up a struggle, and his foster father tried to regain his grasp on the seventeen-year-old.

"Leave me alone!" Colin cried out as Tom loomed over him.

"You're not getting off that easy, Colin," Tom sneered, withdrawing a silver knife from behind him, running the flat edge along the young boy's cheekbone. "No… You see, Colin, it's my duty to keep you in check, and I just have to make sure I don't loose you, or it'll be my head on a stick."

A shiver ran down Colin's spine, and he fought even harder against Tom's hold. It only caused him to jar his old injuries. He bit his lip to hold back a cry of pain, hissing through gritted teeth. The world went spiraling out of control as Tom pulled up to his feet and sent him sprawling into the living room. He landed on his dislocated shoulder, and a small whimper escaped. He tried once more to scramble away and only stopped when the knife pressed into the base of his neck. He snapped his eyes open, staring deep into Tom's malicious brown ones.

"You don't want me to hurt Laura and Joe, do you?" Tom murmured, dragging the knife across the warlock's neck. "It'd be so easy. I'd just enter Laura's room, right now, while she's asleep. You'd come with me, of course. I'd cut open her throat while you watched, and you'd try to stop the blood, but there'd be so much. It'd stain everything. So much blood… And think of her pain… Think of Joe's pain… You did promise to protect them, after all… How would it feel, Colin? How would it feel – to know that you caused her death?"

Colin was unable to breathe as the image seared into his brain. He could feel the knife zigzagging up his neck, but he paid no attention to it. All he could think of was sweet, innocent Laura caught up in a situation that she had no control over. He pictured himself hovering over her, blood staining the sheets beneath her still body. Her skin would turn a porcelain color, making her appear to be more fragile than she had ever been in her life. Her brown eyes, clouded with terror, widened as death took over. Joe's own azure eyes would be unforgiving. They had promised to protect Laura; Colin wouldn't let anything hurt her!

"You won't touch her," Colin seethed, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Watch me," Tom responded, and he tried to stand, bringing Colin with him.

The teenager only had one option left. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs to their full capacity, and bellowed out, "Laura! Run! Get out of here!"

The scream echoed through the apartment, and Colin could hear someone making a mad dash down the hallway towards him. He wanted to yell at them to go out the window, leave the apartment and go to Richard's clinic a few blocks away. The doctor had already promised to protect the three foster children. Colin hoped it was Joe coming to his rescue; he'd saved the warlock before. However, last time Tom had been drunk; there was no denying the fact that, this time, their foster father was sober.

Tom leaned down and pressed his mouth to Colin's ear. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that. Oh, Colin." He sighed helplessly. "Now there really will be blood spilled tonight." His voice was a growl, and Colin couldn't mask the tremor that shot through him.

"No, ple-" Tom clasped his hand over Colin's mouth, preventing his protest from being heard.

"Get away from him, Tom."

Laura stepped into view, and suddenly, Colin lost all grip on his sanity. He saw Tom smirk threateningly, and a spike of fear lurch across Laura's face. He reacted on instinct, his magic rushing to the surface. He had no time to pause and consider the outcome of his actions; all he knew was that he needed to prevent Tom from getting to Laura. His eyes flared a molten gold, hand outstretched, pressing against his foster father's chest. The man barely had the time to so much as widen his eyes in disbelief before he was sailing across the room, his back hitting the wall with a solid thud.

Colin bolted to his feet, swaying slightly, but managed to make his way to Laura without any hindrance. She grabbed his arm in blind panic, holding him tightly, her body shaking with horror. "You used magic!" she gasped out, and Colin's world took a turn for the worst. However, at seeing his panic, she quickly reassured him. "No! No, Colin! I already knew! I've always known! We… Get Joe! We need to get out of here!"

Laura may have continued talking, but Colin could hear nothing over the blood pounding past his ears. She knew. The girl who loved him had accepted who he was, his abnormalities, his magic. Colin felt like he was in heaven, soaring past cloud nine, on his way to cloud ten. His heart thumped at the speed of a hummingbird's wings, and he felt the bubble of joy build in his throat until it was about to burst. He wanted to engulf Laura into his arms and never let her go. He wanted to….

A dark chuckle was heard behind them, and Colin's heart thundered to a halt. He didn't dare think twice as he positioned himself between Laura and Tom. The world had come to a stand-still, and yet he remained the man who couldn't be moved. He wouldn't leave Laura in danger with the apathetic sociopath.

A smirk played over Tom's lips. "Dear me… It looks like a pretty girl came to the wrong gun fight." He raised the knife as if he was placing his weapon at an art school to impress his peers. "Step away, Colin, if Laura here wants to join in the fun-"

"Leave her alone! Leave us all alone!" Colin said.

Tom's eyes traveled over to the duo just as Laura lowered her hand, clutching Colin's t-shirt between her fingers. He snickered, shaking his head. "Are you two… together? Well, well, Colin. You've certainly been busy." He cocked his head to the side as if observing an experiment. "Knocked her up yet?"

Colin growled lowly under his breath, his gaze flickering from Laura's hand to Tom's knife. "You'd know, wouldn't you?" he retorted, desperate to divert Tom's attention "You always bring that blonde around… Emilie? Yeah, how many bastards have you sired with her?"

There was no time to stop him. At those words, Tom lunged at Colin, hand outstretched, ready to drive the knife through his heart. He flinched back and managed to turn around, shielding Laura from their foster father's attack. Suddenly, he saw Joe scrambling towards his sister and roommate, intent on stopping the assault, and before he had time to react, the younger man had shimmied between Colin and the oncoming knife.

Tom's eyes widened and a smug smile adjourned his face as he twisted the knife which was currently embedded in Joe's chest.

"No! No!" Laura shrieked, attempting to grab her brother, but Colin held her back, numbness shooting through his body. "Joe! Joe!"

Tom pulled the knife out of Joe, and Colin saw red. He opened his mouth and roared, magic following his scream, mixing with the heartbreak he was currently facing. The room shook with the sound, power vibrating through the apartment. It sent Tom flying once more into the opposite wall, and it provided Colin to regain his bearings, thoughts flooding his mind a million miles per second.

He'd go to Richard's… No, he couldn't. He needed to get away, hide them both. Joe… He cast a fleeting glance over his shoulder at the boy who had quickly become his brother in the two months he had known him, the person who knew his fears and insecurities, the person who carried a burden almost as big as his own… Colin would miss his friend terribly, and he didn't know how long it would take to recover from his dead.

Joe's blue eyes gazed back at them, glazed over with so many emotions it was a wonder that he could see. "M-Merlin," he stammered in a weak voice, and Colin leaned closer to the boy. "I'm… I'm scared."

Joe was dying, Colin realized, so he didn't correct the younger man's name. He was confused and terrified; Colin couldn't blame him. He was scared too. "You…" Colin had to offer him some form of comfort. "You're not going to die."

Joe chuckled, a thin trail blood slipping from the corner of his mouth. "Y-You're a good man, C-Colin. A great man… You'll… It'll all be okay one day."

"You're a good man, Merlin. A great man. And one day, you're going to be servant to a great king. Now you can still make that happen."

Colin shook off the phantom words, choosing to run a tender hand through Joe's shaggy, blonde hair. Laura mimicked his actions, her sobs breaking his heart. "Protect… her." Joe said between gasps for air. "Take… Take care of her… She's… She's yours now." Colin nodded in understanding and gave Joe's hand a reassuring squeeze. "One… more… thing… you need… to know." He adjusted his body with what little strength he had left so that he was staring his foster brother straight in the eyes. "I… I remember, C-Colin."

Joe's eyes rolled back into his head, and his hand fell out of Colin's limp grasp. He was dead.

Colin stifled a cry and pulled Laura closer to him. The two didn't have time to mourn, however, as Tom unexpectedly lunged across the room, forcefully digging the knife into Colin's side. Laura's screech of protest rang out, and Colin felt the blood begin to flow from the wound. However, he paid little attention to it and merely pushed himself to feet, pulling Laura with him. He was running on pure adrenaline; he wasn't going to let Tom take away Laura.

He grabbed their winter jackets from the coat rack and headed out the door. Tom followed them, and Colin ran towards the staircase that would take them out the back exit. They bolted down the first set of stairs, Tom at their heels. Colin couldn't move any faster, and Laura was terrified, a lost puppy merely tailing the one who was supposed to protect her.

And then, all at once, everything exploded.

Tom gave Laura a hard shove from behind, and she went tumbling, head over heels, down the staircase. Colin didn't even know it was possible to scream so loud, but he turned to face Tom, his eyes already glowing, and the man went sailing back up the staircase. He crashed into the wall, and this time, he didn't move. Colin didn't want to risk the spare time, though, and picked up Laura's still figure, noticing the blood gushing from her temple.

She was injured; she could be dying.

He didn't know what he would do if he lost her.

He rushed out onto the New York streets, running blindly with no destination in mind. His world was starting to blink out of existence, the shock of the night taking over his entire being. Protect Laura. Protect Laura. It became his constant motto and one he would not divert from. There was too much noise, too many thoughts. Everything was fuzzy and disorienting. Joe's death was fading from his mind, but the questions still raced through his head. Why had he been too slow? Why couldn't he protect Joe? Why couldn't he have stopped Laura from Tom? What good was his magic if it couldn't protect the ones he cared about?

Pure determination was the only thing that kept him going, and he ducked into an alleyway after a short few minutes of running. He placed Laura down in the corner of the alley before turning to make sure no one had followed them. When he was aware that no one could see him, he grabbed a few pieces of trash and, using his magic, lit a fire. He wasted no time in wrapping Laura's still form in her jacket. He slipped into his own and sat back, his gaze transfixed on the neckline of her pajama shirt, the bright scarlet staining it in a mesmerizing pattern.

He leaned back against the dumpster, losing all feeling and thought for everything around him. He had failed. He had failed. He felt like a puppet cut from its strings, unable to bring himself to act out his desires. His heart resumed its anxious pitter-patter for what was to come, but Colin couldn't bring himself to care. He had forgotten just how much it hurt to suffer from so much loss. After the past two months, feeling as if he had found a home and a family, it had all come undone.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream to the heavens for cursing him in this life.

He wanted to destroy everything that ever caused him pain, but instead, he merely resigned himself to the exhaustion that was consuming him.

Suddenly, movement at the end of the alley caught his attention. He saw three figures walking towards him, and part of him noted that this was the same alley he had found himself in last December. There was a back entrance to a popular night club here.

Colin huddled closer to the fire, warming his hands over the open flame, attempting to shield Laura from view. The trio of men wandered further down the alleyway, their rambunctious laughter singing to the tune of his thundering heartbeat. As one stumbled over his drunken feet, the others reached out to steady him, and Colin felt a flash of recognition flicker in him. Something pulled him towards the group of friends, drawing him into a feeling of comfort and safety, telling him that it was alright to seek aid from them.

For some unknown reason, Colin decided to act on the mysterious feeling, calling out in a hoarse voice, "Please… Help us."

It caught the men's attention. Their gazes locked on his shivering form and Laura's still one. Before he had time to fully comprehend the current situation, one of them dashed forward at a blinding speed, stamping out the burning newspaper in the process. Hands clutched at Colin's sweatshirt, and he found himself staring into the dark eyes of Santiago. A wry smile wormed its way onto the warlock's face as he chuckled lowly in the back of his throat. Santiago felt his body shiver, and instinctively he mistook the movement as a reaction to the bitter cold. The older man tore the winter coat off his own back and nestled it around Colin, attempting to bring some warmth back into his limbs.

"How is it," Santiago gasped as he fumbled to zip up the jacket, "That I always seem to find you in the allies?"

"D-Destiny, I guess," Colin replied, licking his dry lips.

Santiago laughed and gestured towards his friends (Colin recognized one as his roommate from the first night Santiago save his life) to check on Laura. "Well, let's make this a two-time thing, alright?" He swung Colin's arm over his shoulder, rocked back on his haunches, pushing off the ground, and brought them both to their feet.

Glancing over at Laura, Colin saw Santiago's friends maneuvering her onto the roommate's back. "B-Be caref-ful with her. T-Tom p-p-pushed her d-down the stairs." He cast Santiago a panicked look, concern and worry etched across his face. "S-She won't wake up."

Santiago turned towards his friends, cautioning them with her injured body. "Let's get them back to the apartment. They can-"

"No," Colin slurred, his world tilting on its axis. "Tom knows. H-He knows about y-you. He'll f-find you. Y-You… H-He'll l-look for us there. You c-cant go home."

The roommate's voice sounded over his confusion, and Colin struggled to make out the blur of words. "… Dad knows…? How…? Are we… danger… like….? Where…go? Where… is… safe?"

"Richard's," Colin whispered under his breath, but he knew Santiago could hear him, "S-Safe at Richard's."

By this time, Colin could barely keep his eyes open; the surrounding's colors and shapes were wavering furiously before him. His body felt heavy, like he was carrying a wooden cross on his back, and he vaguely wondered how he was still moving. He concentrated on placing one foot in front of another, merely following Santiago's movements until they reached the sidewalk. He could hear the man hailing a taxi, and he let his eyelids flutter shut, the lashes resting against his cold skin.

He was physically and emotionally drained; the events of tonight had taken their toll on the young warlock. Joe's murder and Laura's attack; Tom's hunt and his own fear – it had sent his world spiraling out of control, and he didn't know what it would take to fixate it in its proper position again.

"You're going to be alright, Colin," Santiago murmured, and Colin felt himself being seated in the back of the taxi. The older man called out the address of Richard's clinic and ordered his friends with Laura to meet them there. "We'll sort this out and… Oh my god, are you bleeding?"

Colin flinched at the statement and tried not to show his pain. Tom's knife had struck him when they were fighting. It wasn't that big of a deal. Colin had gotten away; Laura was still alive. In his mind, that was all that mattered.

He pried his eyes open and caught a flash of Santiago's hand; it was stained a scarlet color. Colin could hear him screaming orders at the taxi driver, but he couldn't make them out over the pounding his ears. Suddenly, pressure was applied on the same spot the knife had touched, and his whole world turned white. He hissed in agony through gritted teeth, clenching his jaw shut to prevent the sounds of protest. What was happening? Santiago loomed over him, and Colin followed his gaze down to his side. The man's hands were pressed against his wound.

Colin wanted him to stop. It hurt.

Sweat prickled across his forehead, and he placed his own hands atop of Santiago's. "Stop. S-Stop." Santiago refused to move.

Colin had to figure out what was happening; everything was swarming past him in a blur of colors and emotions. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and pushed the hands away. One grabbed his wrist, halting his actions, and as he tried to look through the pain-induced haze, he saw the crimson color stand out against the glare from the traffic lights.

"Lie back, lie back," Santiago said, attempting to lay him across the seat.

"Where-Where have you been?"

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, startling Colin back into reality, its tone so familiar despite the fact that he had never heard it before in his life. He looked left then right, trying to find where it had come from, but all he saw was Santiago hovering over him.

The older man was muttering reassurances under his breath. "It's fine, Colin. You're fine."

"M-My side," Colin gasped out, finally joining Santiago's attempts to stem the blood flow. Moving from the corner of the alley must have reopened the already deep wound.

"Well, you are bleeding." Santiago flashed Colin a comforting smile and redoubled his efforts.

"That's alright. I thought I was dying." The words escaped so quickly, falling off his tongue like habit, that Colin wondered if they were even his.

"It hurts," Colin whimpered, scrunching his face up to show the strain the injury was taking on him.

Santiago shook his head. "I'm not going to stop."

"You don't have to continue on this journey with me, you know."

Something was tugging at the corner of his mind, so tangible that if he just reached a little farther he'd find it. It was a warmth so recognizable that Colin could swear he'd felt it before. The words continued to ring throughout his head – crystal-clear, sharp, and defined. If Colin gave into the urge to envelope himself completely in the warmth, the tangible pull would overcome him. He'd change, and he didn't feel scared about that fact. Through the pain and confusion, Colin stretched out towards the warmth, feeling it flood through his chest, embracing the very core of who he was.

"Try and stop me."

"Colin," Santiago breathed out above him, "What are you doing?" His voice was like a whisper, drowned out by the howling winds of an oncoming storm.

He could feel his magic, restless underneath his skin, tingling at his fingertips. He wondered if his eyes were glowing the dreaded gold, like a beacon in the winter night – bringing comfort to some and fear to others. Santiago knew his secret though, Colin realized, so it wouldn't cause the older man to leave him in his darkest hour.

"Colin, you need to stop this," Santiago said, hissing the words quietly in his ear. "Your eyes are glowing. If you're healing yourself then hurry. The driver-"

"I'm not sure what I'm doing," Colin tried to say, but his sentence slurred together to form an incoherent string of noise.

"I'm not sure what I'd have done."

He tried to reign in the magic, but it just caused the warmth to fade farther into the shadows of his mind. It seemed as if his magic was preventing him from attaining the warmth, like a defense pre-programmed into him. He didn't understand.

"And I didn't want to put you in that position." The voice sounded like his, but Colin didn't know why he was saying that. Was he even speaking? Reality seemed to have disappeared altogether, the pain vanishing and leaving the numbing perplexity in its wake.

"Colin!" a voice yelled, and he recognized it as Santiago's. He was calling him back, away from the warmth. "Colin, you idiot, don't you dare give up on me!" Colin fought against the pull; he wanted the warmth. It was safe – it was home.

"So you're not an idiot - that was another lie."

"No," Colin murmured. He was closer to the warmth than he had ever been before. "That's just another part of my charm."

"What's going on?" Santiago moved his hands to Colin's shoulders, shaking his to rouse him from his reverie. "Colin, can you hear me?"

His fingertips grazed the warmth, just a quick touch, and a man came into view. However, Colin couldn't tell who he was. He stood tall and confident, poised as if nothing would ever faze him, but Colin could see the burden he carried etched across the lines in the corners of his eyes. His eyes were a brilliant sapphire-blue, the azure orbs glittering as if they were looking into the noonday sun. A nonexistent breeze ruffled his golden blonde hair, the locks falling across his forehead. His gaze met Colin's, and a smile graced his face. Something clicked inside him, and Colin concentrated on his identity. He knew this man. He was like a friend. Who was he?

"You're the only friend I have, and I couldn't bear to lose you."

"Arthur," Colin said, the name rolling off his tongue. It swirled around absently in his head before dispersing, evading his grasp, like smoke dancing through the air. His magic lashed out, pulling him away from the warmth and the man. He struggled valiantly, only surrendering when the pain returned ten-fold, and Santiago's voice broke through his concentration.

"Merlin! Merlin!" Santiago was yelling, but Colin couldn't understand it. Was this an insult since he had magic? "Colin, oh God! Can you drive any faster? He's losing too much blood!"

Colin tried to call out to the older man, but his throat felt swollen. His world was twisting, turning, twirling away… Joe's dead eyes flashed through his mind. Freya's still form following. His own blood drowning him.

Like a leaf caught in the wind, Colin let himself drift away.

He didn't know if he would ever come back.

He didn't know if it was worth it.