Uther looked at the sketches with interest. Arthur had arranged to see him on New Year's Day, to hand over the work Merlin had done.

"How is Merlin?" Uther asked as he spread the pictures out on the desk, eyeing each one in turn.

"He's doing all right."

"And he did all of these the other night?"

"He seems to think he could do more but I don't want him pushing himself too hard."

"No, there is no need. I know the press have hinted at the possibility of other victims but they didn't make it too obvious. If these are anything to go by we should be able to follow up some other leads, but Merlin still needs to consider himself in this. For that reason I intend to keep this as confidential as possible."

Arthur nodded. "I've labelled them. Two were Morgause's victims while Merlin was catatonic. Three, he thinks, might have been prior to, perhaps during, the other known victims and one he isn't very sure of."

Uther nodded as he read Arthur's notes and carefully slotted the pictures into order.

"We can run them through missing persons. Once we match them we can speak to the families again, and see if we can get any DNA matches with some of the samples taken from the farmhouse."

"If Merlin does any others I can get them to you. I know he wants to help, but it's tiring for him and I don't want him overdoing it."

Uther listened, staring at Arthur before adding.

"But doing something like this may help him?"

Arthur nodded. "I think so."

Uther moved the relevant portraits. "You said these two were killed while Merlin was catatonic?"

Again Arthur nodded.

"Before he reacted with you?" Uther clarified.

"When he was in the main hospital. It might have been at a point when he was too weak to react."

"Or maybe he hadn't found you. It was quite obvious he had connected with you."

"Morgause said I had a similar talent to Cenred. Empathic she called it."

"That's plausible. Although I wonder if as well as understanding and feeling emotions there is also an ability to project."

"You mean I can affect people, or make them feel what I'm feeling?"

"I think so. You react to people's moods but the way you work gives the impression that perhaps you have a subtle affect on people."

Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"Not to say that it is the be all and end all of what you do to help people. But you have a knack of making them respond to you."

"That's what I have started to think. I haven't spoken to Merlin about why he responded to me."

"Is that something you intend to explore?"

"We need to discuss some of it but I'm not going to push Merlin too hard."

"Or yourself either I hope."

Arthur looked at his father in surprise.

"You seem to keep forgetting that you were just as much a victim as Merlin was."

"And a perpetrator," Arthur added. Uther sat back.

"Not one person could say that you didn't do anything without severe provocation, or as a last resort. You not only had yourself but also Merlin to think of. To be quite honest I would not like to contemplate what those two would have done if they had managed to take control of both you and Merlin."

"I hadn't really thought about that."

"Versions of the scenario have been playing over in my mind," Uther confessed. Arthur saw the darkening in his father's eyes, usually a sign that he was getting angry. He didn't think it was just about Morgause and Cenred harnessing whatever power Merlin and himself had. Arthur's mind briefly replayed Cenred getting his hands all over him. Uther knew the full extend of Cenred's depravity, and had to consider that Arthur had been a near recipient of it. He felt the utmost sympathy for Merlin, and the other victims, as a policeman. But as a father the thought of it happening to Arthur filled Uther with terror.

The rather uncomfortable moment between them shattered as Arthur's phone began to ring. He picked it up off the table and glanced at the display.

"Sorry, Dad," he said, and then. "Hello, Freya," as he answered it.

Uther watched Arthur nod.

"Yes, Merlin and I will be there for about eight. I promise. If you want ring me when you get there and I will come out and meet you." Arthur smirked and then after a pause said. "See you tonight."

Uther raised his eyebrows. "Tonight?"

"Lancelot's birthday party. Freya invited herself when she overheard him and Gwen talking, but her parents will only let her go if I'm there."

Arthur shifted in the seat to stuff his phone into his pocket, lifting his hips to gain access. Then he thumped his backside back down in the chair. Uther looked at him curiously.

"And you're taking Merlin?"

Arthur shrugged in embarrassment. "He overheard me talking to Freya about it and at least he can socialise with people who understand that he might not be entirely good in groups."

"It's everyone he knows from the hospital?"

"Most of the staff, and Percival, and Leon, and I think Morgana and Gwaine as well. They have got to know everyone pretty well over the last few weeks."

"I have never known you to go."

"Most of the time I've been with mum, but she's busy."

Uther rolled his eyes at Arthur's intonation. "No, she mentioned this morning that you were going out, so she invited me to dinner."

"What are you two playing at?"

"We're not playing at anything," Uther said, with ill-concealed irritation. "I think too much time has passed for us to consider ever getting back together."

Although Arthur knew his father had thought about it.

"But we are at a point when to keep on as we are is ridiculous. I have always loved your mother, I always will. And I can only hope she might feel the same."

Arthur sighed heavily "You know she does."

He decided not to react to how happy his father looked.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

That night Arthur pulled his car up onto Lancelot's driveway. Merlin looked at the house nervously, hearing the music from inside. It didn't reverberate too much - Lancelot was considerate of his neighbours - but it hinted at the activity inside. Something that Arthur dreaded as much as Merlin.

"What are these parties like?" Merlin asked.

Arthur unfastened his seatbelt. "I don't know. I've never been to one before."

"But..." Merlin looked confused as he copied Arthur's action of releasing his seatbelt. "You're Lancelot's friend. He must have invited you before."

"Yes, but I've never really been good at that sort of thing. And I've always had my mum. I always stay with her over the holidays."

"I used to like parties," Merlin mused as he opened the car door. He jumped as something pinged and Arthur hurriedly turned off the lights. Looking at Arthur he said. "You must have gone out at college and stuff."

"I had to study a lot," Arthur said as he got out of the car. "University was better than college though."

"Really? You don't sound to enthusiastic. I would have thought you would have been out all the time."

Arthur locked the car, leaning on the roof and raising his eyebrows. Very slowly he shook his head.

"I didn't exactly win any popularity contests, and I never got invited out, certainly not when I was in school and sixth form."

"Why not? I mean... you look like..." Merlin gestured and Arthur grinned.

"Thank you, that was all very well but who wants 'the copper's son' hanging around, spoiling things. Not that I ever did. I wanted to go out and drink underage and pull heads off flowers and lounge about where people didn't want me to sit. Well, maybe not the flowers thing, really, but you get the point."

"I guess."

"My parentage didn't make me very popular. In fact, rather unpopular."

"Didn't Uther do anything about it?"

"I kept most of it under wraps. My father sticking his oar in would have made it worse."

"That's weird. I never got bullied and I did all that sort of stuff. We sort of look as if it should be the other way round though."

Arthur chuckled. "Appearances can be deceptive. You were a party boy?"

"Me and Will always went out. I used to like it. Will was the one who always wanted to go, so he could meet whatever girl he was after, but I didn't mind being in the crowd, chatting to people. I supposed that's why I liked my jobs. It was sort of the same thing."

"I was never good with crowds. It always felt oppressive to me. So many people just made it all difficult. I always seemed better with just one or two people around me. One on one interaction is best for me. I'm socially awkward according to Morgana."

"Really?" Merlin said, with such interest that Arthur paused walking across Lancelot's neatly mown lawn.

"What do you mean?"

"Thinking about it, about the crowds when you were younger. Maybe you were just the right age. Late teens. It's when it all happens."

Arthur stared at Merlin, slowly processing what Merlin was hinting at. It would have been the age when his talent was developing, if the evidence they had was anything to go by, just like the other boys Cenred and Morgause targeted. Now Merlin had pointed out that simple fact the trials of his teenage years started to make even more sense.

He had felt uncomfortable in crowds, odd sensations rippling over him, making him feel oppressed. He had never really stuck it for long, another things that did nothing for his reputation; when he left the few events he was invited to early. He could always just sense the animosity, and the furtive ripples that no one could really do anything with him around - because he was bound to tell.

On the flip side in small groups or with just one person Arthur had been fine. He got on well with people, he understood them in that capacity.

His contemplation stopped as he heard someone hollering his name.

Freya had clambered out of her father's car and she waved enthusiastically at them with one hand, while propping something tightly against her torso with the other. Arthur waved back, waiting as Freya slammed the car door, said something to her father through the driver's window and then trotted towards them. Arthur waved again at the occupant of the vehicle. Freya turned again to wave as the car drove off.

"Hello!" she said with her usual exuberance.

"Hi."

Freya beamed at Arthur and then glanced at Merlin.

"Hi, I'm Freya."

"Merlin, hi."

Arthur watched them appraise each other for a moment. Freya had been discharged on the day that Merlin had arrived. They had never crossed paths. Freya stared at Merlin with wide eyes, and Merlin assessed her in a similar fashion. Each one looked rather intrigued by the other but didn't seem inclined to say anything. Arthur stepped forward, moving between them. He put his hand on Freya's back to guide her towards the door. On the other side he was a tad more careful with Merlin, merely putting his arm out without touching him.

They all paused again at the sight of two figures walking along the pavement. Vivian had her arm looped through Leon's. Freya waved again, bounding across the lawn towards them, jumping to avoid the small border of flowers that Lancelot had planted.

"Hey Viv!"

"Hello."

"Are you lot planning a party on my lawn?" Lancelot asked as he opened the front door. Freya's bounding changed direction towards him, hopping up the steps to the door. Vivian watched her, raising her perfectly groomed eyebrows.

"I swear that one of these days that girl is going to sprout wings."

"She is enthusiastic," Arthur conceded as Freya's voice carried back towards them, while she held up the burden she had been carrying.

"Hi, I brought bottles! Non-alcoholic bottles, but bottles all the same."

"Thanks," Lancelot said, stepping back to let her in. Arthur chuckled again, and his hand connected with Merlin's back as Merlin inched closer to him, presumably for comfort. Vivian glanced at him.

"Are you all right Merlin?"

He looked a little surprised but he gave a slight smile. "All right, I think. I'm not sure I'm ready for this though."

"You'll be fine. The good thing about this party is most people here are nuts, or know how to deal with people of that capacity."

"You're not nuts," Arthur corrected. Vivian looked at him steadily and Leon rolled his eyes.

"Have you ever seen her play Trivial Pursuits?"

"Humm," Arthur murmured.

"I can't help being competitive," Vivian said holding up the bag she was carrying. "Two bottles, and one birthday present."

Lancelot frowned at her, taking the bag. "Thank you."

"I know my proper etiquette for parties," Vivian told him primly as she headed into the living room.

"Nice shirt," Arthur murmured to Leon as he herded Merlin over the threshold of the house. Leon had stepped back to allow Arthur to stay close to Merlin.

"Designer. It was a present."

"From Vivian?"

"No Olaf, he said I needed something better tailored than my usual casual wear."

Arthur paused, in front of him Merlin stopped at the same time, his instinct to stay as close to Arthur as possible.

"Really?" Arthur asked, thinking that he had never seen Leon anything less than well-dressed. Leon shrugged and looked mildly offended.

"I think the best thing to do with him is just take it, nodding meekly while you do so."

"He can't argue with you really. Viv's rediscovered lunch thanks to you."

"When we first went out to dinner and she ordered risotto I thought he was about to fall out of his chair." Leon sounded very smug and Arthur laughed. He pushed Merlin further in and stayed on his heels.

"Oh look, the sad hermit's out of his shell!" a light voice announced. Arthur felt Merlin tense and he leant forward to whisper in his ear.

"She means me," Arthur told Merlin as Elena drifted up to them grinning at Arthur.

"Hello Merlin!" she said brightly turning her attention to him and reaching out she gently hugged him. Elena did so in an entirely natural fashion, she had dealt with Merlin in such as way for months. All the nurses had by necessity and Elena, naturally tactile, did so without thinking.

Merlin looked dazed. "Hi."

"You look good, still got the neckerchief."

"Yes,." Merlin said reaching up to adjust the material. "It hides the scars, and I would have hated roll necks."

"So Gwen was right for that fashion tip. I think you would have looked bad. She does take her fashion very seriously."

"Oh," Merlin said, pulling on his scarf again. Elena shifted subjects.

"Drinks, you guys? Merlin do you want something alcoholic or a soft drink?"

"I don't know," Merlin said, then completely contradicted himself by saying. "I'd like to have a beer."

"Then have one. If you don't want it all dump the rest on Gwaine; literally if you like, it wouldn't be the first time," Morgana announced. "Have a beer Merlin."

"Okay."

"Don't bully him," Elena said. Morgana raised her eyebrows.

"I didn't. I said try it and Gwaine will take it if you don't want it. Lancelot has some low alcohol stuff anyway."

"Okay then," Merlin said a little more confidently.

"Coke, Arthur?"

"Yes, thank you Morgana."

"If you want a drink Arthur you can cab it home," Lancelot said as he started getting drinks together.

"No, I'm taking Merlin home."

"He can have a cab too."

"No, I need to take him home," Arthur said sternly but with patience. Merlin looked grateful by the insistence, only looking away as Lancelot offered out a beer.

"Try that."

Reaching out Merlin took the glass very tentatively, eyeing the bubbling contents with mild apprehension. Carefully he took a tentative sip. Leon turned to engage Morgana in a conversation about a subject loosely relating to work. With a sharp glance around she took the hint and answered turning her attention away from Merlin as he sipped at his beer. Arthur took his coke from Lancelot and swallowed a mouthful.

Vivian came back to link her arm with Leon and she listened to the conversation with Morgana. Lancelot wandered off and Elena went silent, the conversation happening but she was no part of it.

Merlin had no idea that Leon had spoken to distract the others from him, and that the rest of them realised that and acted accordingly. While that happened Merlin dealt with the taste of the beer, feeling it bubble on his tongue before he swallowed it. The first few times his throat tensed, and the drink tasted strange, almost clinical. He paused and looked at the amber drink, bubbles drifting around and Arthur's hand rubbed up and down his lower back. Reassured by that Merlin tried again, sipping the drink, deciding that it wasn't all that bad.

"Okay?" Arthur asked.

"I think so. I'll only have two or so though, as I haven't drunk in a long while. Don't you ever drink?"

Arthur eyed his coke. "Not really. Only if my mum opens a bottle of wine for dinner, or my father gets around to taking me out for a drink... and that sounds really sad doesn't it?"

Merlin gave a slight smile, nodding with it sounding amused. "You really are socially awkward."

"Yeah, although at least around here, most people know how to deal with me in that capacity."

Merlin's eyes brightened at the reiteration of Vivian's words and he laughed. Arthur felt not only Merlin's body but also his mind relax, and that was something. Merlin also turned and looked around, pausing sipping his beer to say.

"By the way, is there something going on between Lancelot and Gwen."

"They're good at hiding it," Arthur said.

Morgana raised her eyebrows. "Someone ought to tell Gwaine that."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"So, what about you waking up? Did you just decide to do it? Or did it just happen?"

Gwaine had asked the questions openly, directly to Merlin, regarding his recovery. Arthur couldn't work out how subject came up. He had been talking to Gwen and Freya. Merlin, close by, had been chatting to Gwaine, who had come over to ask about Kilgharrah's repaired wing.

"Good, not dropped at all. You are a regular Mr Fix-it."

"Glad to hear it."

"Arthur bought me another dragon for Christmas," Merlin said proudly, which made Arthur's chest warm with pride. Gwaine grinned.

"Really?"

"Yeah, although it looked really expensive," Merlin said guiltily. "And I didn't think to get him anything."

"I wouldn't worry. I think you walking and talking is present enough for any of us. Does the new dragon get a name?"

"Athusia," Merlin said. Gwaine frowned and shrugged.

"How did you think of that?"

Merlin mirrored the shrug. "Dunno, just did."

Letting that pass Gwaine altered the subject. "So, you remember all of that, everything going on around you?"

Merlin nodded. "Yeah."

Then Gwaine had asked those questions. The people around him had paused, some regarding him in shock, others glaring at him for his tactlessness. The sudden silence made his eyes widen and Merlin looked around.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure. I think I..."

"Gwaine!" Morgana snapped. Gwaine looked nonplussed and Merlin raised his hand.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad someone asked."

The small group clustered closer, music playing in the background while they all waited. Arthur moved nearer to Merlin, standing next to him.

"I don't think anyone thought to question it. Everyone was just glad that you came back," Arthur said.

Merlin blinked, and nodded. "I don't know the answer really. I saw everything around me, and I knew I was safe, in the hospital... I knew where I was, but I wasn't always there. Doing two things at once, having to think about them..."

As he paused and frowned Merlin shook his head violently.

"I couldn't stop, Morgause was still there and I needed Arthur. I had to use him to make everyone see. Then it took a little while to work out so... sorry I made you jump," he added, looking at Elena. "And I like the scarves, they were nice. But I couldn't let her see, I couldn't let her in and... It was Arthur. He did it."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Tesco didn't seem that frightening. It was a short drive out from the area and as Merlin looked around he didn't see anyone really looking at him. They were shopping and concentrating on their own lives. The previous night had changed his perception and Gwaine had helped, asking questions that nobody else would; but that was why Uther thought Gwaine was always good in interrogations. Merlin thought the beer had helped him answer and Arthur, being so calm and accepting.

"Do you want Pringles, Merlin?"

Merlin turned his head and looked around, he also let his gaze drift to another brand.

"They're cheaper."

"I've never tried them," Hunith said.

"Half the price," Merlin pointed out. "Try them."

Hunith shrugged and placed the selected crisps in the trolley.

"You didn't tell me if you had a nice time last night."

"Oh, didn't I? Yes. Sorry I stayed with Arthur but I didn't want to drag him out further, and..."

He paused as Hunith put a gentle hand on his arm.

"I don't mind you staying out Merlin, especially not with Arthur. By now you should have been leaving home and getting on with your own life. I don't want me to be a reason that you don't."

"You're not, mum." Merlin reached out to put his other hand on Hunith's. "I want to stay at home, I know that..."

Hunith watched as Merlin stopped talking, his eyes widened, his gaze drifting but he saw nothing. Fury crossed her son's face and she tried to pull her hand back as the hand Merlin had on her arm started to burn.

"No!" Merlin roared; rocking the shelves and the trolley in front of him. Hunith squirmed to try and get her hand free.

"Merlin! Merlin, you're hurting me sweetheart!"

"Merlin!"

At the second shout Merlin turned his head, looking in confusion at Will as he abandoned the trolley he was pushing and ran down the aisle towards them. That was one thing in Will's favour; Merlin couldn't scare him.

Merlin turned and let go of Hunith, recoiling back in horror but he realised he hadn't hurt her and he still vibrated with tension.

"Merlin?!" Will snapped. "Hunith!?"

"I don't know. I don't, he was fine, we were choosing the other crisps, not the Pringles and then..."

They paused as Merlin flailed. Both of them knew Merlin's moods of old and knew to be wary of them.

"Merlin, sweetheart?" Hunith asked. She didn't care about the shoppers suddenly leaving the aisle, or the fact the crisps on the shelves were shaking, and shuddering in their packets. Not even the staff dared to intervene. At least she had Will beside her and despite everything, he stood with her, watching Merlin as his eyes gazed at nothing and fury animated his face. Then Merlin's hands started to roam over his body looking for something.

"Don't you damn well dare!" Merlin snarled as he fiddled with his phone, anger flashing off him like sparks. He got what he wanted and put the phone to his ear.

"Arthur?!"