CHAPTER 8 : CAUGHT IN THE ACT

It was Thursday, the week had been great until that morning when their group were conscious of raised voices from the adjoining table and realised that Baxter and his friends were back. It was noticeable because a few of the other people who usually sat on that table picked up their food and moved elsewhere. It seemed everyone had had enough of him.

For a change, Merlin was taking Arthur out for supper. They would be visiting three restaurants to be able to get exactly what they liked. Arthur had laughed saying that it sounded like a milk train. "You'll like it, believe me," Merlin had said.

They made their way up the stairs hand in hand, no one was around and it helped Merlin feel special…stupid as he had left his bank card in his coat pocket; nevertheless special because he and Arthur were on the staircase hand in hand.

They reached the corridor and hallway, Merlin suddenly froze and turned his head as if picking up some sound foreign to the noise of their feet. He pulled Arthur towards him and Arthur thinking that he was fooling and expecting a kiss was surprised to hear Merlin say, "Arthur, there's someone in my room!"

Pulling back Arthur still felt it was a joke, maybe kidding him so that he would go into his room with him. However taking another look at Merlin's face, he realised he was in earnest. "Are you absolutely certain there's someone in there?"

"Yes! You go and listen."

Arthur slipped off his shoes and walked towards the end of the corridor making as little noise as possible. He realised what Merlin had meant about the cracks and groans of the old building but he masked the sound of regular footsteps by stopping at odd times.

He put his ear to the door and listened. It sounded to him as if there was someone moving around in the room but then again it could have been Richard, Merlin's next door neighbour or even some noisy person on the floor above. He backtracked stopping at Merlin's neighbour's door but there was silence. He nodded at Merlin as he reached him.

"Arthur, what should I do? Apart from you and me there is no one around."

"Stay here and watch your door. I'll go downstairs to tell the Porters' Lodge that there is someone in your room. Whatever happens, don't go near the door or challenge anyone who comes down the hall."

Slipping his shoes back on, Arthur ran down the stairs and back to the Porter's lodge. He reported that there was a possible intruder on the first floor and Dunn phoned security asking them to come to the Porters' Lodge.

Dunn had had a busy day as someone reported a squirrel on the third floor of St. Swithun's residence and it had turned out to be a cat. There had been a variety of missing and lost keys and someone's camera had gone missing. A Senior reported a leaking fridge in Grove and one section of Quad would probably be on a generator as the electricity had gone off and maintenance was still working on it. He preferred it to sitting twiddling his thumbs, which seldom happened in his job.

"Maybe, it's Mr Quilley".

"No, Merlin said that he's at his parents for supper."

Security arrived and Arthur explained the situation. The chap in charge said something to Dunn who nodded and then explained to Arthur that as Mr Bates Head of Security was in the office he would want to be involved and would meet them at the bottom of the stairs.

Arthur was worried that if someone came out and caught Merlin standing in the corridor he might get hurt. He'd honestly thought that with no disruptions for three weeks that whoever it was had either been warned off or a least lost interest.

Merlin waiting upstairs was not able to figure out why Arthur was taking so long. He was really too upset to go any closer to his door than the corner of his corridor. No one had come out of his room and unless they climbed out a window they had to still be in there.

He removed his shoes and sidled slowly along the wall to just past Richard's door. He held his breath, he could still pick up movement in the room but more muffled than before. He slid back to corner and waited. He was glad that the other rooms at the end of the corridor seemed to be empty. He knew that Toby was home but didn't know where Richard or Dev were.

Remembering that the door was locked, he took out his key just in case it was needed.

Arthur was surprised to see Drake accompanying Mr Bates. He nodded at Arthur as he continued to talk to Bates, "This has gone on long enough, it is just one thing after another and we are getting no closer to solving the problem. All keys are accounted for."

Two security men and Bates led the way up the stairs, Arthur had been waved back but he still followed at a distance. If it had been in a movie it would have been funny, two burly security guards in uniform, then the Head of Security and Drake in his uniform and tie creeping up an old staircase which creaked ominously with every footstep.

As they reached the top, Merlin saw them and Arthur motioned for him to stay where he was against the wall. The two guards made their way as quietly as possible towards his door and then Drake in a flash had the door unlocked and open. To Merlin, there was a deafening silence but he could tell by the later muffled voices that they had disturbed someone. He moved slightly around the corner and waited. He was pulled in half, one part of him wanting to know who it was and the other never wanting to know.

-0-0-

He clearly heard Drake say, "Cover yourself, man!"

Bates was heard to yell, " Stand up, now!"

Arthur had no intention of staying where he had been told and pushed his way into the room… sitting on the love seat legs spread and underwear at this ankles was Baxter. He saw red, all the worry which had bottled up in him from watching Merlin's reactions to all the nasty going ons boiled over and he said, "You fucking bastard!"

Before anyone could stop him, he had launched himself at Baxter. One of the guards stepped forward to stop him but it took more than an arm on his shoulder before they could separate them. Arthur finally let them pull him away and stopped, realising that he was only making matters worse and would probably be charged with assault, well deserved but assault nonetheless.

He turned on his heel and left the room seeing Merlin's worried face all the fight went out of him and he said quietly, "They've got him…Merlin."

Merlin's face broke and he started shaking, "It wasn't all in my head was it Arthur? What made him pick on me? I don't even know him!"

Arthur didn't think that now was the time or the place to tell Merlin a few things which he had learned while he had been trying to figure why a Junior would pick on a Fresher. He had the right to know but Arthur felt that away from the residence was the opportune place and now was not the time. However, he needed to tell him before he spoke to any Discipline Committee or Council.

Arthur heard Bates say, "I think, Mr Baxter, that you will be staying with us for the time being." Realising that they were coming out, Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm, he pulled him around the corridor out of the way as he didn't want Merlin to have to face Baxter.

As it was, as they passed, Baxter spat in Arthur's direction and yelled "Spawn of the Devil!" but the spittle landed on the guard who in response wrenched Baxter's arm further back and up.

Bates was heard to say, "You're making things worse for yourself."

Baxter opened his mouth and cursed both the guards, Bates and finally Drake.

Drake ignored it and came over to Merlin and Arthur saying, "Mr Pendragon, I think you should go into the room and I will stay here with Merlin." Merlin felt a shiver go up his back as Drake using his first name meant that something unpleasant had happened to his room.

"Merlin, stay with Drake, and I'll be back as quickly as possible."

Drake said, "Maybe you'd like to come down to the Lodge and I'll get you a hot drink." Merlin shook his head.

Arthur could tell that Merlin wanted to stay near his room and he said to Drake, "I'll take a quick look and then come back." As he turned Richard walked up the stairs and he said to him, "Stay with Merlin, someone's been in his room again."

Merlin could be heard saying, "He has a name Arthur, say it!" Arthur glanced at Drake who shook his head. Merlin caught it and said angrily, "Don't tell me, 'Innocent until proven guilty'! What about the stress he has caused me and my friends?"

Arthur didn't try to answer him as there was nothing he could say as Merlin was technically right. He took a deep breath and walked into the room. Fearing the worse, he opened the en-suite door but everything was all right there. He turned and looked at the bed, it was rumpled, he pulled back the bedspread and it seemed clean. He didn't worry about fingerprints as Drake knew that he was in the room. Merlin's computer was still on his desk. His camera wasn't on the shelf. He saw it and went to pick it up to turn it on and then had second thoughts, it wasn't in its usual place and he had a feeling that it had possibly been used as the lens cap was attached by its cord but not in place; Merlin automatically replaced the lens cap after using it.

He opened the computer but it seemed fine. Some of Merlin's paper work was on the floor and had been scuffed with shoe prints. He noticed that the cupboard was opened and a few of Merlin's sweaters were in a pile on the floor instead of on the shelves. There was also a pair of slacks and some underwear on the love seat. He recognised the slacks as Merlin's and decided not to touch the underwear.

Once again a photo had been removed from the wall but it was on the floor near the love seat. It was of Merlin as a baby on the donkey with his father. He thought about it and picked it up and put it back where it belonged. Merlin didn't need to know that Baxter had been possibly using it.

He was satisfied that there was nothing else disturbed and he walked back to Drake. He glanced at Merlin saying, "Everything seems to be there."

Merlin was thrown by that and said, "My computer?"

"Seems fine…'

Drake said, "Well, that seems to be all for right now. Take some photos on your phone of anything that seems out of place and I can assure you, Mr. Baxter will not be roaming these halls again tonight! Have you eaten supper?"

"Not yet, we were coming back to get my bank card which I'd left in my coat."

Drake nodded saying, "Remember eleven o'clock, Mr Emrys."

Arthur said suddenly, "I think Mr. Emrys will be away overnight but back in time for tutorials tomorrow." He glanced at Merlin to see if he was agreeable and he could tell that he had made the right decision.

"Noted!" Drake said. "I'll tell Dunn to enter it in the book. By the way, the weather is going to change so you might consider taking a raincoat with you."

-0-0-

Arthur could tell that Merlin was nervous about walking into his room. He said, "It's all right just some clothes off your shelves."

The first thing that Merlin noticed were the displaced clothes. "What is it with my clothes? Every time someone is in there, they make a mess," he started to pick up the sweaters but Arthur stopped him.

"Drake mentioned taking some photos of the condition of the room for the report."

Merlin's eyes went to the shelf where he camera usually stood. "It's gone! Where's my camera?"

Arthur put his hand on his shoulder to turn him and pointed out that the camera was balanced on the arm of the love seat with the lens cap hanging by its cord. "He's touched it!" Merlin said, before going quiet and beginning to blush as he said, "Arthur, did he take photos when he was…"

"I don't know and I don't think we should open it, you can get me a plastic bag to put it in and we'll drop it off at the security office for Mr. Bates to check it. I'll just take some photos with my phone."

Merlin insisted on replacing the lens cape before lowering the camera into a bag. He remembering the computer fiasco the last time and looked really worried. Arthur promised, "They won't need to keep it."

It didn't take long for Merlin to get his sweaters sorted. He looked at the underpants on the love seat and getting another plastic bag, turned it inside out and scooped them all up and threw them in the corner near his laundry basket and in turn threw the pants which had been on the love seat on top of them.

He grabbed a clean sweater and some underwear and shoved them into a small bag. He looked at Arthur apologetically and said, "I feel dirty in these clothes, grabbing another pair of pants and a sweater, he walked into his en-suite to change.

It broke Arthur's heart to see Merlin apologising for something which had not been his fault and being so upset by these feelings; besides he knew there was nothing he could say or do to alleviate them. He decided the best thing was to get Merlin away from the room so, as Merlin slipped on his shoes, he said, "Come on, let's go!" and grabbed the small carry-all and motioned for Merlin to get his camera.

There was a method in this as he wanted Merlin to claim ownership of the camera regardless of what was on it as he was attached to it and Arthur wanted him to have that same feeling when it was returned to him. It was his and whatever shots someone else had taken without his permission were of little importance."

They went down the stairs and Merlin put the plastic bag with the camera in it on the counter saying, "Dunn, I have reason to believe that the person who was in my room took some photos with my camera, could you please see that Mr. Bates gets it? We have not even turned it on to see if there is anything but…I have a bad feeling about it." He then added, "I'd really like it back, please, once whatever is on it has been copied."

Dunn glanced at Arthur who nodded so he said, "Mr Emrys, I will see personally that Mr. Bates gets the camera and also tell him that you want it back when they are finished with it."

Merlin then placed his key on the counter, saying, "Thank you and goodnight, Dunn!"

-0-0-

Neither of them felt much like going out for supper. However, instead of going straight back to the condo Arthur stopped at Curry-Ina-Hurry. Merlin was all for sitting in the car but Arthur insisted that he also went into the shop so he could order what he wanted, knowing that left alone in the car, Merlin would have gone over everything and worried himself sick.

Once back in the condo, Arthur popped the containers into the warming oven and got some plates smiling he said, "Sorry, Merlin, curry and yellow sofas don't go together." He had the satisfaction of seeing Merlin almost smile, so set the table so that they were facing out over Oxford.

Merlin joined him at the table and took his plate and walked around so that his back was to the window. He said sadly, "Oxford is not my favourite place at the time being. This way I can see you and feel better."

They ate their meal in silence, nevertheless at one point Merlin had slipped his hand over the table and Arthur had taken it as he clung onto it with all his might. He let his thumb stroke Merlin's skin and he felt him relax. At that moment, he remembered the saying that actions speak louder that words. Merlin needed to feel safe not be told that he was safe.

Merlin had hardly touched his meal he had picked out a few things but left most of it. Arthur had surprised himself in not scraping his own plate clean which he usually did with curry takeaways. Finally, Merlin said, "Sorry, I seem to have lost my appetite…" he got up and took his plate and containers over to the counter.

Arthur followed him, "I wasn't that hungry either!"

Merlin bumped him gently in the side and said, "Well, that's one for the books…Arthur tell me what you saw…!"

Arthur got himself a beer and Merlin a sparkling water and they sat on the sofa. "Maybe we should watch the news," he suggested.

"Arthur, you can try to get out of it but if you don't tell me I will go to Mr Bates and he will, I'm sure, let me know what was going on."

He in no way wanted to tell Merlin what he had witnessed. Realising how furious he would have felt if he had walked into his own bedroom and found that situation.

Merlin said, "I guess, it was pretty disgusting for you to have hit him."

Arthur was surprised as no one had mentioned him going for Baxter. He said quietly, "How did you know?"

"I could hear them telling you to stop as it was only going to make matters worse."

Arthur was torn but looking at Merlin and knowing everything which he had put up with since Michaelmas, he decided to tell him the truth. Merlin listened without interrupting. Arthur held back only one piece of information and that was about the photo of Merlin and his father which he had replaced on the wall.

"Try to put it in perspective, he's a sad, sick character who has so little in his life that he needs to pick on other people and then…"

"Do you think, he would have hurt me if I had been in the room?"

Arthur thought carefully and said truthfully, "No, I think he is too much of a coward to do anything like that, He lurks around and takes his pleasure in opening locked doors and leaving a trail of petty destruction."

"So by catching him in the act, you stopped him doing any further damage." Arthur nodded saying a quick prayer as Merlin continued, "I won't have to look at any of the photos he might have taken will I?"

"No, they will be kept by security."

He felt Merlin cuddle into him saying, "Am I being too sensitive? It's just that that room it is my home in Oxford and I hate that someone has broken in, gone through all my things and sullied them."

"Merlin, you are just behaving as anyone would behave, you feel taken advantage of and in some way unable to fight back. I'm sorry that this year at Oxford has been so difficult, I was so hoping that it would be filled with wonderful memories…"

"It has…" Merlin said, shifting his head and letting his fingers play across Arthur's lips until he tried to capture them and then he replaced them with his own lips.

Arthur didn't push his luck and held back, Merlin would be making the decisions tonight. He was glad he had played it low key as when Merlin crawled into bed he said, "Arthur, my mind is all over the place…can you just hold me tonight?"

-0-0-

He smiled as he looked at the dragon on Arthur's windowsill, he stood for love and family so he got out of bed and brought him back to sleep with him. He wondered what Toby would think if he saw him hugging a dragon, but he didn't care as it felt right. His mother still had a teddy and a doll from when she was little, true they were in the back of her wardrobe, however he wondered if she ever took them out just to remember how it used to be.

Arthur had seen Merlin reach for the dragon and he felt that between the two of them they should be able to keep Merlin safe overnight…