I haven't forgotten any of these stories, I am still writing them!

"I didn't agree exactly," Arthur argued the next day as he and Merlin picked the equipment out of the back of the car.

"You didn't say no."

"I said I would pass the information to Gaius, he has to agree any placement within the facility. All things considered, I don't think they will agree a move from the prison without serious consideration."

Merlin looked mollified by that.

"What did they say about Gilli?"

Arthur looked a little happier as they switched to that subject. He tucked the board under his arm and shifted his equipment bag to his shoulder.

"That looks hopeful. The charge was minor, he was only jailed because he's had a few offences before that. I might have been able to prevent it, given the short sentence, except it was just around the time that... things happened."

"You weren't working at the time," Merlin simplified.

"Yes, I was on my leave of absence, and it got passed to Nimueh."

Merlin's mouth lifted into a knowing smile as he heard the condemning tone of voice. "Goodness. Is there actually someone in this world that you don't try and like?"

Arthur put his shoulder to the door, easing it open and stepping over the threshold. Carrying the equipment as he was he shuffled sideways, still propping the door to keep it open for Merlin. Merlin sidled through and looked at Arthur expectantly.

"I did try to like her."

"Trying not enough for you."

Arthur pouted stepping away from the door and letting it close behind him. Merlin looked around the building as Arthur smiled at a few people passing by before making his way down a corridor and heading up a flight of stairs.

"I think Nimueh is very good at her job."

"But do you like her?"

"Merlin," Arthur paused, turning on the landing as he reached it to used his backside to push the next door open in what looked like a very practiced gesture. "Just because I don't always agree with her doesn't mean to say I don't like her."

"You're being very tactful there," Merlin mused.

"I am not, I just try to see everyone's point of view."

He eased his way through the door and then used his foot to hold it open for Merlin. Merlin smiled as he eased his way through.

"You do try to see the good in everyone."

"And that's a bad thing?" Arthur asked.

"It is if you nearly get your head blown off," Merlin announced primly as Arthur paused by an open door.

"I said I was sorry."

He turned to face Merlin, who turned to eye Arthur as if assessing that statement carefully. Merlin shifted the equipment, some of which he had borrowed from Arthur, in his arms.

"I know, but I don't trust this Mordred. He's involved somewhere but I don't know how he fits in."

Arthur privately wondered if there was some jealousy on Merlin's part, but he wisely didn't comment on that. Instead he turned as Katrina appeared in the doorway.

"Hello Arthur."

"Hi," Arthur said, he shuffled across the threshold with Merlin in tow. Katrina smiled at them both.

"This is Merlin, Merlin... Katrina."

"Nice to meet you," Merlin said. Katrina smiled back.

"You too. I set Merlin up next to your usual place," Katrina said, continuing with what she was doing setting up easels and putting out papers and materials. Arthur went over to a pair of easels set up over the far side of the room. Merlin trailed behind him, looking around, not exactly in awe, and he couldn't say he felt intimidated, but there was something fascinating in watching Arthur moving in an environment different from the hospital but one he felt comfortable in.

Merlin glanced at Katrina, who gave him a vague smile as he caught his eye before carrying on with setting up. As Arthur started to set up his equipment, Merlin did the same, slowly, taking in the atmosphere of the quiet, austere, classroom, and he knew why Arthur liked it.

"You haven't made much progress," Katrina mused as she paused to look at Arthur's portrait.

"A few things have come up recently."

Merlin concentrated on setting up his own things, not wanting at that moment to interact with either of them. Katrina nodded and walked away, Arthur looked at the portrait.

"It's good," Merlin said.

"Yeah," Arthur mused uncertainly. "I just haven't felt very inspired lately. Maybe I'll get back into it."

He reached out to grip Merlin's wrist for a brief moment before he turned to Katrina again.

"Do you need us to help? The hoards will arrive any minute."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Arthur had a fan club.

The class, of twenty or so people, were either disabled or had some mental issues, and every single one of them had been pleased to see Arthur. One girl, with Down's Syndrome, had run over to hug him. Arthur hugged back, looking mildly embarrassed, pleased and also relieved at the same time. Merlin realised these people had not seen Arthur since the kidnapping and Arthur, when he went back somewhere, worried how people would react to him. Merlin could relate, he saw the reactions every day, he thought it worse than what Arthur went through, but maybe not. He was a victim; Arthur saw himself as a perpetrator.

In the end Merlin had watched in amusement, especially when Katrina said they could draw whatever they liked and the girl had announced brightly, after Arthur had explained his own project.

"I'm going to draw Arthur!"

That necessitated turning her easel slightly and she now moved her gaze between Arthur and her easel with a look of intense concentration on her face.

For a while the class remained quiet, the odd whisper of conversation interspersed with Katrina's low comments as she moved around the room. Occasionally Arthur paused to do the same, talking to some of the group, but he stayed away from Merlin's easel, although he talked to him.

"Are you all right?" Arthur asked as he came back again. Merlin frowned.

"You're avoiding looking at my picture."

"I don't want to think that I have influenced it in any way. I'll look at the end of the class."

"I don't see what that has to do with you looking at it," Merlin said, which was the moment Katrina passed Merlin and she paused.

"That's good Merlin. Very inspired."

Arthur shrugged and getting up, shuffled round to look at the picture. Merlin had been working quietly, and steadily, since the class had started but he had not commented on what he wanted to draw.

"Wow," Arthur said as he looked at the sketch of Kilgharrah; a very animated looking Kilgharrah, stood in a clearing of a forest. Arthur smiled as he saw the way that Merlin viewed his most prized possession.

"Where did you get your inspiration?" Katrina asked.

"Arthur," Merlin said. "A bit. And Kilgharrah is a toy I've had since I was five."

"You've put in his dodgy wing," Arthur mused. It was not entirely obvious, but the right wing remained dropped, lower than the left.

"Gwaine did a good job but it doesn't hold up as well. It's part of his character now, and he is quite well preserved for a twenty year old toy."

"He certainly seems to have his own distinct personality," Katrina said.

"Definitely so," Arthur agreed. Merlin flushed, looking both embarrassed and pleased at the attention he was receiving. He sketched a section of the tree canopy as his cheeks infused with a light spot of colour. Arthur scanned some of the background Merlin had filled in around the dragon, a scene just as intricate as the dragon that dominated it. He frowned as he noted a figure hidden in the shadows of the trees.

"Who's that meant to be?"

"Don't know really," Merlin said. "He was always part of my comic book stories when I did them. Like a sort of artist's signature, whenever I put Kilgharrah in I put him in there. Will calls him Dragoon the Great."

Arthur laughed. "And you don't."

"Not really, I sort of leave him as a kind of guide, for the dragon. I'm amazed you noticed him considering the other guy there."

Arthur turned his attention to the other side of the clearing, which was less sketched. There was another small figure, from the rough lines Arthur guessed it was a knight in armour, holding a sword. He moved closer to Merlin, peering over his shoulder to get a better look at him.

"Is that meant to be me?"

"It's a sort of king Arthury type person, like a knight in shining armour... so... maybe..."

"I'm honoured. As long as I'm not St George. I don't think you would forgive me for trying to kill the dragon."

"Certainly not," Merlin announced in outrage. They were both distracted as the girl, so enamoured with Arthur, announced.

"I've finished."

Merlin looked and admired the picture but held back a little as he watched Arthur, watching the ease with which he dealt with the group. There was something about the scene that soothed Merlin, that he could think at the end of it, when all of the others had drifted away, that Arthur was...

mine...

The word flickered into his head, possessive and strong. It caused Merlin to slam his mental blocks into place. Arthur clearly felt something because he glanced in Merlin's direction. Merlin smiled at him, and clearly looked normal because Arthur smiled back, looking relaxed and happy.

Merlin took several deep breaths and told himself, very sternly.

'I'm not like that.'

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"You've got this room," Arthur said.

"Vivian's old room?" Gilli asked as he tailed Arthur into the large, sparsely furnished room. He looked behind him again, staring nervously at Percival lingering behind him. Percival smiled, which did nothing to reassure Gilli.

"Yes, Percival's in your old room."

Gilli again eyed the smiling Percival, still looking very unsure. Not that he could argue with the whole set up. He rejected this then he would return to prison, which he didn't want, and Arthur had put in a hard amount of work, even getting Uther on board to help and pull a few strings. Arthur had even got him a solicitor, some bird who sounded clever and posh. But whatever she was, Gilli knew she had helped get him here. He had fucked up last time, actually several last times.

"Okay. It's okay," Gilli heard himself say, almost desperately. Arthur frowned in concern.

"Are you all right? There is always the room at the end of the hall."

"No, I'm fine here." He put his plastic bag on the end of the bed to prove that. Slowly he opened it up to extract some items and he started to put them away. Arthur turned and looked at Percival.

"Go away for ten minutes."

"Why?" Percival asked.

"Because previous experience states that smiling does not equal friendly."

Percival frowned, which clearly didn't help as the little blond kid looked even more terrified. Then it occurred to Percival where he had previously been and he turned and walked away leaving Arthur to deal with his newest patient. His only patient, but at least Arthur had one of those. The hospital board had tentatively allowed that first step. An old familiar case that Arthur could deal with, others would follow on the outcome of this one. So the kid had to get it right, for Arthur's sake. Hence why Percival continued to linger at the hospital.

Weirdly, he sort of liked it. It was calming, and Elena made for a very pretty nurse. Percival grinned as he thought of her. At least his assignment meant he got to stay around her for a little longer. He could just ask her out, on a date, or something. As far as he could tell, she wouldn't say no, but God knows what would happen when they actually got round to going out. Percival didn't want to think about that. But then again, she worked in a mental health hospital, surely a little idiocy from her date she could handle. Maybe he could ask Gwaine.

Percival widened his eyes, stared out of the window at the nice scenery and scratched that thought seconds after he conjured it up. Why would he ask advice from a man who was determined to catch one woman that would never look at him twice, and Percival had seen Gwaine's attempts at seduction. He didn't need help with that, he was nowhere close to that stage to worry about it. Arthur would be better. He didn't date much, but at least he would sound sensible.

He turned on his heel and made his way back to the other room. Arthur and Gilli paused in their intense conversation. Gilli appeared to be agreeing eagerly with whatever Arthur was saying. Percival felt sorry for the poor kid and he got why Gilli was scared of him. That was half the reason he got used for jobs, because he was big and scary. Sometimes Percival got sick of it.

"Hi, Bargain Hunt is starting in a minute," he said, then he looked at Gilli. "Wanna come and watch."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"So has crime stopped?" Arthur asked as his father put a pint of lager down on the table in front of him.

"Arthur don't be facetious."

"Since you tell me not to be that an awful lot, it appears to be an integral part of my personality. Seriously dad, when was the last time you took me out for a drink? I don't really drink, not since..."

"A pint of lager will not hurt you. And I am sorry, I know my job does not make for quality time. I have been aware of that failing for a good number of years. This probably would be the time to then say I will make up for it, but that is hardly an easy promise to make, besides, I don't think I am that bad of a father."

"No, you are not."

"Glad to hear it."

"I've never thought that, mum's never thought that."

"I do recall her being very unimpressed by your trips to incident rooms."

"Despite actually never hearing any of the words you uttered to each other, I know that. I stopped telling her."

"I know. But that is quite firmly in the past. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I have my first patient. Thanks for that."

Uther shrugged, sipping his own drink. "I did very little. Do you really think your efforts will be worthwhile."

"Yes," Arthur said firmly.

"And your new found friend will do as he is told."

"He's not newfound, I really want to give him another chance. He's been in prison since I was not there to help and now, it's all dependant on me making sure it works. I think the board want me to sink, rather than swim. They thought he was a dead loss and I have to prove them wrong, and you."

"The hospital board do not think you are a dead loss."

"I didn't say that, I said I think they want me to sink. They were against Gilli's admission last time, when Percival found the drugs. I ended up with no choice but to terminate his stay. They don't like me spending funds on 'unfocused projects'. What does that even mean? I hate jargon."

"It's irritating, I agree. I also agree with you. Your new patient is not inclined to want to go back to prison, which is what will happen should he fail this time. His release is conditional."

Arthur could easily read between the lines of what his father was saying.

"You looked at the prison reports?"

"Yes, some will be released to you, but I don't doubt that eventually Gilli will tell you some, if not all, of what happened to him."

Arthur stared into his pint, taking a small sip. He didn't say anything for a moment, his fingertips tracing patterns in the condensation.

"I'm not sure I can do it anymore."

Arthur's voice was quiet, so for a moment Uther wasn't entirely certain he heard that right. Then looking at Arthur's face, so tightly focused on the glass in front of him Uther concluded that he had.

"What do you mean Arthur?"

Arthur lifted his head. "My job. Now I'm actually going to do it, I'm not sure I can handle it. My head won't let me."

"Are you talking about something psychological or a deeper issue."

Arthur bit his lip. "I wanted to go back, I still sort of want to go back but my head... what I know I can do and how it works. It makes a lot of things now make sense but it also makes it harder. From what I can work out, it was part of what I did, but I never thought about it, I never knew it was there."

"And now you do," Uther said. "Are you afraid to use it, or afraid that you will rely on it?"

"Both, neither, I'm not sure. It was fine when the board weren't letting me practice, I didn't have to think about it."

Uther watched as Arthur rubbed his eyes, and he wondered if his son was sleeping properly, or was something in his mind preventing him. Probably many things were, but the idea that Arthur could not do what he had loved doing would be killing him.

"Did you talk to Gaius about this?"

"Not yet, but I guess I have to. I just didn't want to scupper Gilli's chances of getting readmitted by admitting my incompetence."

"I hardly think you are incompetent Arthur, and I don't think you need to exercise too much of your 'talent' on Gilli, you are familiar with his case and what he needs. Don't talk to Gaius, at least not yet. Talk to someone who can help you."

"Gaius is the psychiatrist."

"You don't need to talk to a psychiatrist," Uther said, leaning forward and stressing every word as he uttered it in a low tone. "You need to talk to someone who understands. I suggest you talk to Merlin."

Arthur frowned, glaring at his father.

"After what happened I don't think Merlin is up to talking about any of it."

Uther sat back, and took a long sip of his drink before he answered. "Quite frankly, considering what has happened to him, it is probably the only thing he can talk about."