Merlin woke up when he heard the door open. The sound made his mind go back to his room and to his fearsw. His eyes snapped open and he jumped up. He felt a cold sweat run on his forehead while he realised he was looking at a bit confused looking Leon and a woman he had never met. He let his shoulders drop and he glanced at Arthur whose hand was still in the same position it had been around Merlin. He blushed a little and looked again at Leon so he didn't have to see what kind of face Arthur was making. "Merlin, this is ms.-"
"Freya, pleased to meet you." The woman interrupted Leon who just nodded and continued "She will be taking care of your examination." He made way for the petite woman who nodded approvingly at Leon "If we could step to the examination room? I'm sorry but you will have to either stay here or Leon will find you somewhere else to wait." She directed her last sentence to Arthur who had made a move to rise from where he was sitting.
Arthur looked a bit confused and then a bit ashamed. Of course he couldn't come in… that would be awkward and weird. "Actually, Arthur, I would like to ask you a couple of questions in the meantime." Leon told Arthur who was a bit relieved that he would have something to do. He nodded and looked at Merlin "I'll see you soon." Merlin waved at him and followed Freya through the other door. It was double door so if Arthur had stayed, he wouldn't have been able to hear anything from the other side.
Arthur watched them until the first door closed and sighed. He felt unable to help Merlin, unable to be there for him, but he still turned to Leon and followed him out of the room. He was taken to the same room Merlin had been interviewed.
Leon sat to one of the chairs and Arthur to the couch. "We will have to wait for a moment, Gwaine will join us soon… would you like anything to drink?" Leon asked Arthur and Arthur shook his head. He felt a little nervous but he was glad that he could also tell what he knew. He would do everything to help.
Still, in those short minutes when they waited in silence, Arthur had time to feel many feelings. It felt like he had a dam inside of him and the gates opened every time he had nothing else to concentrate on. Taking care of Merlin had kept his thoughts clear, but now that he wasn't here, Arthur started to go in circles inside of his head. That shouldn't have been a surprise. He was cutting himself from the life he had known all his life. His father had been his only parent for all his life and in a weird sense he felt like he was betraying him. On the other hand Arthur was angry, his father was the one that had betrayed not only Arthur but his new wife not to even mention Merlin…
Arthur played his memories of his somewhat distant father who had always valued Arthur's accomplishments more than Arthur as a person. The more he remembered the more he felt that he should have seen earlier what kind of a man his father was. He lied too easily and protected his own front with everything he got. He thought of his sister and how she had suddenly turned sour and angry and rebellious telling how she hated their father. How she had done everything in her power to manipulate and hurt their family and how in the end she had moved out as far as she could with still using Uther's money to do that. Arthur remembered all the times Morgana had stormed to her room and how many times their father had gone to 'give her a talk'. Arthur shuddered. That was exactly the same room and the same thing he had done with Merlin. Arthur felt sick of the thought of the same thing happening to Morgana. No wonder she never called or kept in touch. She must have hated Arthur too. For not noticing and for not being in the same situation.
Arthur knew it right then. His father didn't deserve any protection on this. He would tell everything he knew not just because he knew he would stay behind Merlin and protect him from that man, but because it was the right thing to do. For everyone who had gone through something like Merlin, Arthur would tell everything as he had seen it. The truth deserved to be known. For Merlin, for Morgana, but for Arthur himself too.
He would end the life as he had known it for that and in his heart he felt right and sure of his decision. It would probably be hard at times not to have father and he knew he would be ashamed of him for the rest of his life, but the more he thought about it the more he realised that his and Uther's relationship had been based more to Arthur's will to please him than anything else. His father would have disowned him if he had told him that he didn't want to continue his business and that he was in love with a boy.
While thinking it like that made Arthur sad, he knew that there was really nothing he could do. Even if this had never happened, Arthur would have had to choose to be either Uther's son or do what he himself wanted to do in his life.
When Gwaine finally stepped in the room, Arthur was feeling strong and sure. He would protect Merlin. The boy he knew he would have ended the life as he knew it either way.
Gwaine had just finished his second beer and was stupidly thinking of getting a third one when his phone rang. It was too early to be his father so he opened it reluctantly and yes, it was an unknown number. It was probably one of his regular customers and he would have to make up an excuse for why his door said 'be right back' for how many-th hour… But it was Leon who asked him to come back to interview Arthur with him.
Gwaine groaned. He hadn't yet agreed to work on this case and he was somewhat worried of how much Arthur would want to talk to him. Also he had forgotten to ask his father what he was going to do for the fact that Gwaine wasn't employed there… it could wreck the whole case if whatever expensive lawyer Uther was sure to get for himself got wind of the fact that the officer who had lead the arrest was a civilian.
Still he promised to be there soon and he paid for his beer and tried to joke when the bartender commented on his unusual appearance "I'm not even sure I should have sold to an officer on duty." Gwaine smirked at him. "I won't tell if you don't." Gwaine had visited this place since he had been nineteen with or without Percy and he knew the bartender well. Nowadays he even liked Gwaine because Gwaine didn't have a tab to its max all the time.
Gwaine walked back lazily and bought some gum on his way. This would have been like his days in academy if he wasn't so invested in this case personally. 'After this is over, I'll take Merlin to drink somewhere. Damned his age and me being a responsible adult.' He thought that he could even invite Arthur but he would first invite just Merlin as loudly as possible in front of Arthur. He grinned to himself feeling a bit better. He had seen a long time ago how they were looking at each others. Actually that was one of the reasons Gwaine had taken so much time to realise something was wrong, he had thought that Merlin was troubled about his crush on his step brother or even being gay.
How he had seen Arthur take care of Merlin today and the way he was protecting him when they were locked in his room… That didn't leave much doubt of the nature of their relationship and that made Gwaine happy. He hoped that they would find comfort and love with each others, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to tease them at every change he got. He didn't believe that being serious all the time helped to solve horrible situations and feelings either.
When Gwaine walked in the interview room, Arthur looked determinate and ready. Gwaine smiled at him and Arthur nodded at him. There was an understanding between them. They would both do everything in their power to get everything right for Merlin.
When Gwaine had sat down and Leon had explained the recording and told Arthur they could have a break at any time he wanted or wanted to ask something they started. Arthur told them how he had found out about what was going on. He told how Merlin's mother was often out of the house at nights because of her studies and he told them how Merlin had seemed scared of Uther and how he had days when he was silent or seemed to be in pain of some sort or just slept too much. He told what had happened today and what he had seen. He told them how Merlin had thrown up and how there had been blood. He talked and talked until he felt that he had said everything at least twice.
After he had no more words, Gwaine smiled at him and told him he had done the right thing and that he was proud of him. To Arthur this was a new feeling. He had decided for himself what was right and someone was proud of him because of that. He wished bitterly that his father had been more like Gwaine.
After Arthur had drunk some water and Leon had showed him from where he could get more coffee, Arthur was allowed to go to wait Merlin to the private waiting room. Gwaine asked him if it was alright if he joined him and Arthur was actually glad to have someone with him. Gwaine was the best option around, so he agreed with a smile on his face. They closed the door behind them and sat down. Gwaine took a glass of water and gulped it down fast.
After that, they were silent for a long moment. Arthur was feeling tired but also relieved and he felt lighter. He understood what Merlin had said to him earlier. He wished he could also sleep for a moment resting his head to Merlin's shoulder but that really wasn't an option and the hell would freeze before he would sleep leaning on Gwaine…
"So you and Merlin huh?" Gwaine finally broke the silence. Arthur snapped his head towards Gwaine and stared. He wasn't sure what to tell him. He hadn't asked Merlin if he wanted to date him after all this and he didn't know that even if Merlin did, would he want to tell it to anyone and Gwaine's question wasn't the clearest either. Suddenly Arthur was afraid that Gwaine thought that Arthur was the same as his father. He even found a new fear from inside of himself. What if he was like Uther? What if he would someday hurt Merlin the same way?
The silence was dragging and Arthur found it harder and harder to open his mouth. Gwaine seemed to study his face silently and Arthur wasn't sure what he saw in it. He dropped his gaze and finally said with a quiet voice "I don't know…" His previous strength gone and a fear of him not having a life with Merlin ahead of him was crushing his heart.
"You don't know if Merlin wants to be with you or you don't know if you like him that way?" Gwaine asked him with a face that felt to Arthur that he would determine what he really thought of Arthur with his next answer.
Arthur looked up and his answer came quickly and surely if somewhat desperate. "I love Merlin." There was nothing else to say and Gwaine searched his eyes for a moment and then smiled at him brightly. "Yeah, I can see that. You have to talk to Merlin and work things out, but if you ask me, everything will be alright in the end." This made Arthur feel better and he found courage to speak with Merlin. He would. At the first change they were alone.
Gwaine then decided that he had been too serious for too long and he started to tease Arthur mercilessly and soon they were joking and Arthur even found himself laughing couple of times. He felt high with all the emotions he had gone through today and Gwaine's company made the best of that.
After a while his stomach rumbled and he remembered that he hadn't eaten lunch or dinner today and it was getting late. "What will happen after Merlin gets out from there?" He asked and Gwaine swallowed his next joke.
"They are contacting Merlin's mother and after her story has been heard, we will decide if it's safe for you to go with her." Arthur had to say something to this. "I'm sure Hunith didn't know, she and Merlin are really close and I have seen them together, it's just not…" but Gwaine held his hand in front of him to calm him down. Another thing he had hated when his father had done it but now found himself doing exactly the same. He was getting old. In fact he felt like this day had made him catch all those adult years he had somehow successfully avoided.
"Merlin also said a similar thing but we will have to hear everything we can to make sure. I'm quite sure that you can return home today with Merlin's mother. My advise would be to get a room from a hotel or something but that's your choice." Arthur breathed in and out and let it all sink. He hadn't even thought that he would have to go back to his home and now that he did, it felt horrible. If he could, he would never even want to see that door that lead to Merlin's room.
"I have a question for Merlin when he gets out, but after that I suggest that you take Merlin to a nice date and get something to eat. Make sure Merlin eats a strong meal and if you can pass as an adult, buy him a beer too." Arthur looked at him amused feeling relieved that food was mentioned. He was sure that Merlin was hungry too.
"Are you supposed to give me that kind of advise when you are dressed like that?" Gwaine grimaced at him. "Don't bring my uniform to this. And besides it's Leon's. That guy is overly neat, look! He even irons the pockets!" Arthur just smirked at him and decided that if Gwaine was going to tease him about Merlin, Arthur would never let Gwaine forget this uniform. He was curious about what Gwaine wanted to ask from Merlin but he figured that he would find out soon enough so he asked instead if Gwaine knew any place they could go to eat and Gwaine told him how to get to the place he had eaten just a while ago.
After that they just waited and talked some more. Arthur understood why Merlin had been so happy to get to see Gwaine every week. His company had calmed Arthur and made him feel like there was hope and a future waiting and that he didn't have to take it too seriously right now. He would deal with the things when the time was. He wasn't sure if Gwaine was aware of what he was doing but it didn't matter, he was fun and serious when the time called for it and he was a great company. Arthur hoped they could be friends after this.
Merlin was stressed. The moment the door had closed behind him, he had been getting more and more uneasy. He had no idea what was going to happen and he dreaded the moment he would have to take even a part of his clothing off. He was embarrassed and even though the nurse looked kind and was kind of small, Merlin felt intimidated.
"Please, have a seat." Freya told him and pointed a hospital bed in the middle of the room. Merlin did so hesitantly and was relieved when Freya also sat down on a chair next to her desk few meters away from Merlin. "We will first do a medical examination to make sure you are in a good health and that nothing that had happened will affect you physically afterwards." Merlin nodded at her fearing the word 'second'
"Second we will do a forensic examination to collect evidence and get a full picture what has been done to you." Merlin nodded again but he felt now faint and there was a lump in his throat. "I will be telling you every time I'm doing something what and why I'm doing it and if you have any questions, you can ask me anytime and I'll try my best to answer to you." Merlin again just nodded but he felt a bit better at that. Freya smiled at him warmly and rose from her seat.
"Lets start with an easy one, I would like to measure your height and weight and get your temperature." Merlin stood up and felt extremely relieved that they could start like this. He followed Freya to the other side of the bed and stood against a wall where there was a measuring scale. Freya took his height and wrote it down and told Merlin how tall he was. Then she told him how to stand in the scale and she frowned at the number that she saw. Merlin didn't dare to look. He had weighed himself many times at home and he knew about how little he weighed but he hadn't eaten almost anything today and he dreaded to know what Freya would write to his papers.
Freya took Merlin's temperature from his ear which was quick and easy. After telling Merlin that his temperature was normal she told Merlin that she would next need some blood samples and a urine sample. Merlin was glad that he could go to a locked bathroom to pee in a cup he was given. When he had given it back to Freya, blushing and embarrassed, Freya had just calmly taken the cup and put a lid on it and put a sticker with no doubt having Merlin's info in it. Merlin started to relax a little. He was getting used to the petite nurse and he was starting to realise that she had probably done this hundreds of times and was obviously indifferent with stuff that made Merlin blush. That made him feel safer somehow.
The blood test went well and Freya's hand was steady and professional. It didn't even hurt. There was a short break when Freya told Merlin to sit for a while and press the puncture point so it wouldn't make a bruise. Merlin didn't much care about one small bruise but did as he was told while Freya packed his samples to a box designed for that purpose and writing something on the top of it. After that she made a brief call with her desk phone and put the box to another room that had a metal desk and some equipments stored in there. After she had closed the door again she turned to Merlin and explained that someone from the laboratories would come and get it soon so they would have the test results as soon as possible.
Soon after Freya was again sitting about two meters in front of Merlin. Merlin was now quite sure that the woman knew that it calmed him, when she was also seated and not too close to him. "I'll ask you a couple of questions now to decide in which direction we will take the examination. Some of the questions may feel difficult to answer but I assure you that there is nothing to be ashamed of and that I'm only asking what I need to know to help you the best way possible." Merlin again lost his ability to speak so he just nodded. He was doing that a lot today.
Freya smiled at him encouragingly and looked at her notes. "First I would like to ask about your weight, is there any reason you can tell me that has made it so low?" Merlin swallowed once and tried to sound as calm as he could. "I have sometimes thrown up and I- I sometimes don't have much appetite…" Freya nodded at him and wrote something down "Have you vomited on purpose or…?" Merlin shook his head and Freya looked a bit pleased. "I'll make you a recommended meal plan to get your weight to rise, right now the way it is not healthy." Merlin nodded again. He knew this already.
"Now for the act itself, were you restricted in any way?" Merlin nodded and told her about the handcuffs. "Did he physically abuse you? For example hit you or choke you?" Merlin nodded. Uther had done both. Freya seemed to wait and Merlin understood that he had to say it out loud. That wasn't easy. "Both… he would press my neck if I wasn't quiet…" There was something in Freya's eyes for a moment but she said nothing. Merlin realised that she found no pleasure what had happened to him and that she was actually compassionate person. That realisation made Merlin like this nurse a bit.
"Did the predator penetrate you?" That question made Merlin turn his face away but he nodded squeezing his hands into fists. "Did he use any lubricant or condom when he did that?" Merlin shuddered and he said with a voice he didn't recognise as his own "He used lubricant but never condom. He always came inside me." Freya nodded and somehow Merlin caught a sign of revenge in Freya's eyes. He wondered why.
"Did he ejaculate this time too?" Merlin had to think and for few seconds his mind was blank. "...No." He finally answered. Uther had stopped in the middle when Arthur had come. Freya nodded again and wrote something down. "Can you remember the time of the act?" Merlin could. He knew when he had been back at school and it wasn't hard to estimate how long it had taken for Uther to drive them home. "A bit less than half past twelve." He answered relieved that all the questions weren't embarrassing.
"Was the predator you blood relative?" To this at least Merlin was happy he could answer no. He also was happy that Freya hadn't asked him to tell her of the family status. This question also told Merlin that Freya hadn't been told of the whole shameful story and he felt really happy about that. It made him trust a bit more to Gwaine's word of this all being confidential.
"Were you in any kind of pain during the intercourse?" Merlin nodded before he could even begin to think. Most of the time he had been and today had been one of the worsts. It took awhile for him to list everything that had hurt today and Freya kept asking him questions to help him through the more embarrassing parts. It made it easier for Merlin who was not too sure if some of the things were supposed to hurt or not and how much because Uther was his only experience.
"Did you bath or shower afterwards?" Merlin nodded, not sure why it was relevant. "I always do…" Freya smiled at him a kind but sad smile. She really seemed compassionate. "I see… Have you ever had any symptoms afterwards? Like bleeding or itch or fever?" Merlin told her about the wound on his back and that sometimes he had bled afterwards. Freya again wrote something down and seemed to think fast.
"That would be all for now. We will now examine all the damage and collect all the evidence we can get. I'll have to ask you to remove your clothes and lie down to the bed." Merlin felt terrified but he knew he would have to do this sooner or later. "I'll get you a blanket and if you want to have a break at any time, just tell me." Merlin felt again a bit better. He had some control on this.
Freya exited the room and closed the door behind her. Merlin moved to one corner and took his shirt off slowly. He wasn't comfortable and he was cold without his shirt. Freya knocked the door before entering which Merlin was thankful for and she gave him a blanket. "You can wrap it around you when you are done. I'll be in the next room, just call me when you are ready." Merlin nodded and put the blanket on his shoulders.
When Freya was gone Merlin took the rest of his clothes off. He wrapped the blanket around him and sat to the bed. He took a moment to just sit there and he wondered how long Freya would let him make her wait. After a while he called that he was ready and Freya entered the room feeling that he wanted to keep pretending he had the control over the situation. She had a small metal cart with her full of instruments and sample bags and stuff Merlin didn't recognise and to his terror, a camera.
"Here…" Freya said and Merlin snapped his eyes from the camera. In Freya's ext anted hand there was a small tetra of pineapple juice. "Thank you…" Merlin muttered and took the offered juice. It tasted overly strong to him and it made his stomach clench, but he drank it anyway. "Not a fan of pineapple?" Freya sled him conversationally when Merlin made a face. "Not really…" Merlin muttered hoping that he hadn't seemed ungrateful. "Me neither, we used to have orange and apple too, but it seems that most of the people don't like pineapple so that's all that we have now…" Merlin managed to smile a bit. It would be great if they could just continue talking about juice instead of what ever Freya was going to tell him to do next.
"If you would first lie to your stomach and remove the blanket. I'll first look at you under an UV-light to see if there are any hidden bruises. I'll also take photos of everything I find for the police. Don't worry, you can see all the photos I take if you wish and they will not show any more of you than necessary." Merlin lied down and closed his eyes. He tried to forget where he was and he squeezed the blanket under him trying to be prepared.
The UV screening was actually surprisingly easy. Freya didn't touch him and she dimmed the lights. The only hard thing for Merlin was to hear the shutter go when Freya occasionally took some pictures, but the shutter sound was different to that Uther had and Freya always told him before she took a picture so Merlin soon found himself getting used to that. When he had to turn around he felt self conscious and he felt heat rise to his face but when Freya seemed indifferent Merlin again relaxed. It was actually better now that he could see Freya's face.
When Freya was ready she told that she was going to put the lights on and take pictures of those bruises visible in normal light. She told Merlin she would again start from his back and that he would remove the bandage that Merlin had on his shoulder blade. Merlin made haste to turn before the lights went on.
Freya was gentle and she told all the time what she was doing. She also told Merlin that she hadn't seen anything that wouldn't heal in time. That made Merlin relieved. When Freya had taken the bandage off she praised whoever had put it in place. Merlin smiled at his blanket which was again under him and thought about Arthur. Arthur who had helped him so much. Arthur whom he loved. Arthur who would have to live with Merlin being tainted and used. This thought made Merlin heart sank once more. He wanted to be with Arthur and he wanted Arthur but he felt it hard to feel confident that Arthur would want him or that he wouldn't eventually get disgusted with him. Merlin also felt it very hard to think of the possibility of showing himself to Arthur like this. He felt his eyes get moist and he breathed in a shaky breath. He couldn't cry now.
"Am I hurting you in any way?" Freya sounded worried and Merlin shook his head. He didn't look at Freya and kept his eyes closed, but he could imagine her smiling gently "It has been a long day hasn't it…?" Merlin nodded to his blanket and Freya continued her work. She took a photo of the wound too before dressing it again. "That will probably scar, I'm sorry to say." That felt like a stab in Merlin's heart. He had feared as much. Now there would be something carved to his skin by Uther for the rest of his life.
"Now if you could turn to your back. Merlin opened his eyes and slowly turned. He kept his gaze in the ceiling and didn't even glance at Freya. She took some more photos, always informing him before hand. When it was time for his legs she asked him to open them a bit. That made Merlin highly uncomfortable, but he didn't want a brake when Freya suggested one, he was sure that if he stopped now, he wouldn't be able to continue anymore.
There were some bruises where Uther had forced his legs open and Freya made some questions of them. She also noticed the scar Merlin had in his leg. "How did you get this wound?" Merlin was hesitate to answer because he felt deep shame with the truth. "I did it myself… I won't do it again." Merlin was quick to add.
Freya nodded and made few notes. She also asked what had been the instrument and if it had been clean or if the wound had infected afterwards. After Merlin had answered the best he could painfully obvious that he was still laying there naked Freya asked one last question that surprised Merlin "Was there a specific reason that made you do this you would like to talk about?" Merlin felt shame and he remembered exactly why. He tried to keep in his mind what he had read after he had stormed out of Lance's class and suddenly he didn't momentarily feel embarrassed and his curiosity and will to find out more won. "I wanted to forget… I- I once… came when…" He turned his face away from Freya. He felt weird saying that out loud. When Freya answered her voice was calm and light but serious. "I understand that you wanted to forget, but I want you to know that male body is built so that it is not only pleasure that makes a man get erected or even ejaculate. Sometimes when the situation is scary it can happen. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Merlin let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. "So I'm not a sick masochist or…" He had to make sure and now he could look straight at Freya's eyes who returned his gaze with a calm certainty "No. Never think that. Whatever the predator had told you or made you believe, remember that there is nothing wrong with you and you are not to blame of anything." Merlin relaxed and he finally managed to forget that he was laying naked in front of a woman.
"Just Merlin, I can call you Merlin right?" Merlin nodded at her. She could call him anything she wanted. "I want you to remember that even if you feel the life hard or unbearable at some point, never hurt yourself again." Her voice was serious and even though Merlin had already decided a long time ago that he wouldn't do that again he found himself surprisingly serious when he said "I promise." Freya smiled at him warmly, relieved. Merlin felt warm inside. He felt like Freya truly cared what had and would happen to him.
"I'll now proceed to genital examination and collecting possible DNA samples. This might feel uncomfortable, but please bear with me. This is the best way to get undeniable evidence against the predator." Merlin swallowed but nodded. "If you would first sit on the edge of the bed, I'll start with genital examination." Merlin did as he was told and he saw Freya change her rubber gloves to a pair of new ones. When she sat directly in front of him, Merlin closed his eyes. Freya was telling what she was doing but Merlin didn't want to hear or feel so he concentrated on the noise inside of his head and imagined himself far from here. He snapped out of it when he felt his penis twitch and he moved fast to cover himself with his hands and blanket.
Freya looked at him and smiled kindly again "There is nothing to be ashamed for. As I told you your reaction is totally normal and there is nothing unusual. And believe me I have seen much worse." Merlin almost smiled at her comment. He relaxed a bit and removed his hands slowly. Still he needed to somehow explain to this nice person that he really wasn't lusting over her or something so he blurted out "I'm gay…" Freya rose her gaze looking surprised and Merlin immediately regretted what he had said, but Freya soon smiled at him again.
"See, just like I told you." Merlin relaxed immediately. He was starting to feel that he really would be alright and that he wasn't sick on his mind. Maybe there would be a time he could live a normal life even if he was gay… He again thought of Arthur but he quickly pushed those thoughts away. This really wasn't the time or place to dwell on that.
"Lets do it this way, put your hand on top of mine, it might help you feel more comfortable." Merlin put his hand on top of Freya's gloved, small hand hesitantly. When Freya moved her hand, Merlin's hand moved with hers. At one point when Freya moved too fast, Merlin's hand tensed and Freya's hand froze on the spot. When Merlin relaxed again, Freya continued. This made Merlin feel like he was in control of what happened in a whole new way and that felt very good.
When Freya was ready she told Merlin that now he could turn to lie on his side. Merlin didn't want to let go of Freya's small warm hand so he followed it with his hand when Freya pulled back. Freya smiled and removed her glove. She turned her hand and for a moment she held Merlin's hand in hers. Merlin liked Freya. He was happy to have her as his nurse. Merlin squeezed her hand briefly and lied down to his side.
"Alright, are you ready?" Merlin nodded. Freya put the blanket to cover Merlin's upper body so he wouldn't feel cold and then she took a pair of new gloves. Merlin flinched When he heard a same kind of cap pop Uther's lube had and when Freya explained what she was going to do and showed him what was going to go inside of him Merlin felt his throat dry. "Can- can I again put my hand on top of yours?" He asked and Freya told him he could. Merlin let out a deep breath and Freya guided his hand on top of hers.
The anal examination felt horrible but Merlin concentrated on keeping his hand on top of Freya's and that kept him calm enough. When it was all over Freya cleaned his behind with something soft and told him that now he could put his clothes on. Merlin wrapped the blanket around him and almost ran to his clothes. Freya sealed some bags and she was turned to another direction so Merlin didn't dare to ask her to leave and he just dressed himself partly under the blanket. Freya didn't turn around until Merlin told her that he was ready. Merlin wanted to thank her so much for being so patient and considerate but he didn't know how to.
After that everything was easy. Freya warped a wooden stick inside of his mouth hand took some dirt from under his fingernails and clipped the ends of his nails. She found something that she told him looked a lot like skin. She asked if Merlin had scratched Uther when he was trying to resist. Merlin didn't remember if he had, but he told her that maybe when Uther had pulled his arm and made him fall he had tried to take a hold of something. Freya wrote that down and she then told Merlin again for what reason each and every sample would be used and she also showed him the pictures she had taken when Merlin told her he wanted to see them. He was happy to see that the pictures were really showing only his wounds and bruises and the bare minimum so one could tell from which body part was in question. The DNA samples made Merlin a bit uncomfortable until he realised that at least if Uther told the police the same lie as he had told to Arthur that he had seen some man exit the house and he had found Merlin like that, it wouldn't work. If anything could make Merlin more miserable in this situation it would be everyone thinking he had lied and that he had an older boyfriend and that Merlin liked being handcuffed by him and getting beaten while having sex.
"If you have any concerns or if you feel unwell or there are any symptoms of illness like fever, rash or soreness, please call me anytime to this number." Freya gave Merlin her card and a piece of paper folded in two. "There is some brief information of the most common symptoms and what could have caused them and what you should do if you notice any of them. Please read it through." Merlin took them and nodded at Freya. "Thank you…" He could finally say to her.
Freya smiled at him and said "It's just my job, but I'm happy to make a difference. That's why I'm here." Merlin felt warm and he squeezed the paper against his chest. He was glad that there were people like this in this world. He thought about Gaius and how he had been a doctor. Maybe his reasons had been similar? Merlin would have to ask next time he saw Gaius, he was sure that he had been as amazing doctor as Freya was a nurse. He told Freya good bye and Freya walked him to the door he had come from. Merlin wondered if Arthur was waiting for him at the same time he tried not to dwell on how he had to tell Gaius and probably to Gwen and how his mother would at least find out rather sooner than later.
Freya opened the inner door and Merlin turned the handle of the second door. He was pleased to see Arthur sitting in the waiting room and surprised to see Gwaine with him. They sounded like they were having fun and Merlin smiled at that. He was happy to see something normal.
Arthur jumped up at the sight of Merlin and Merlin saw Gwaine roll his eyes behind him. Merlin blushed a little. "I'll give you a call as soon as the tests are ready. Take care Merlin." Merlin turned to smile at Freya and hoped he could see her again someday. "Thank you, I'll be fine." he said and for the first time in a long while he really felt that way. Freya smiled at him and Arthur and Gwaine telling Gwaine to make sure that Merlin got something to eat and drink soon and she waited Gwaine to nod at her before closing the door.
"Merlin… " Arthur started but Gwaine cut him off. "As much I would enjoy seeing your lovely reunion, I need to talk to you Merlin." Merlin was surprised at Gwaine's tone and he feared for the worst, a habit he had grown during the last years. Merlin nodded Arthur took a hold of his hand "Can Arthur stay…?" Merlin asked a bit embarrassed. Gwaine looked a bit amused and Merlin relaxed. "Yeah, sure. I don't want to be the one to tell your boyfriend that I want to be alone with you in a small closed room." Merlin blushed deep red and even Arthur had enough sense to let go of Merlin's hand. "Shut it Gwaine!" He snarled at him. Arthur was fine with Gwaine teasing him but he couldn't laugh at it yet when Merlin was present. "Ok, ok! Just calm down! Lets all sit down, shall we…" Gwaine rose his hands up in surrender and sat down again. Merlin followed suit but Arthur took a deep breath and huffed before he sat in the corner next to Merlin his arms crossed in front of his chest. If Merlin wasn't so uneasy he would have concentrated more on how childishly cute Arthur looked at the moment.
"The thing is that I have been asked to participate on your case because I was there and all." Merlin understood immediately what that meant. His friend would see and hear everything. He would meet Uther and he would know everything Merlin had kept hidden from him and he would get to know every lie Merlin had made during the time they had known each others. "You will see the photos…" He said in a quiet voice looking at his lap. That somehow summed up everything he was uneasy of.
He saw both Arthur and Gwaine shift "What photos?" Gwaine had totally forgotten that Merlin had mentioned them in his interview. Merlin squirmed where he sat "He- he took pictures of me with his cellphone…" Merlin didn't even have time to react when Gwaine had jumped up from the chair and opened the door "Leon! Leon!… Coleman! Tell Percy to get Uther Pendragon's cellphone five minutes ago! And tell Leon as soon as you see him to sent it to IT asap!"
They heard a woman's voice reply to him before Gwaine closed the door again. Merlin looked at any direction but to neither of them. He could almost hear Arthur's brain turn next to him, but he remained quiet. Merlin was thankful of that. Gwaine sat back to the chair and once more looked directly at Merlin "I wanted to ask you, if it's alright if I join the team?" Merlin looked at his eyes surprised. He was actually given an option. Gwaine looked serious and Merlin knew that it was important to him. Gwaine wanted to do everything to help him.
Merlin felt torn. He didn't want Gwaine to see especially the photos but he trusted Gwaine and in a way he felt relieved that there would be one less stranger seeing his most embarrassing secrets. Finally he took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright… just- just please don't hate me for …" Gwaine didn't even let him finish "I won't. But I'll have to make Percy make sure I won't punch that asshole in the face the second I see him." Merlin half smiled at that.
"Now, as an official police officer, I want you two out of here and get something to eat. I'll give you my cell, there is Percy's number in speed dial number two, just call him if you need something." Merlin nodded at him. He was happy to get out and even if his sense of hunger had dulled and it was mainly irregular he knew he would feel better with the world after he ate something. Arthur wondered briefly why Gwaine had Percy's number in his first speed dial but decided against asking.
Gwaine walked them to the elevator after giving Merlin an old cellphone with no touch screen nor camera. It felt a bit nostalgic to Merlin and he felt he liked this one better than the one Uther had bought him. Gwaine also gave them instructions on how to get back to the seventh floor. "If there is an old man on the front desk that looks like he eats lemons and little children as breakfast, tell him Percy told you to get here. If you mention my name he won't let you pass, I can promise you that much." Arthur moved towards the elevator to call it up while Merlin hugged Gwaine. "Thank you…" He muttered to his shoulder and Gwaine patted his back. "No, thank you for giving me a chance to make myself useful." Merlin shook his head against his shoulder. Gwaine had saved him and Arthur also. He would be thankful for that the rest of his life. When the elevator beefed to signal the doors were opening, Merlin let go of Gwaine and was about to follow Arthur to the elevator when Finna stepped out of the said elevator.
Merlin had in no way prepared to see this woman and he took an unconscious step back. In a twisted way he was afraid of her. It had nothing to do with how she had talked to him or what she had done or how she looked, but for a moment Merlin felt that he would be punished for seeing her. Then she spotted him. "Oh! My goodness you are here! Merlin, you remember me? We met just a week ago…" She seemed like she had run or something along the lines and she seemed genuinely happy to see Merlin and somehow when she walked towards him, Merlin relaxed with every step.
"Yeah… I remember you…" He said timidly. Like he would ever forget any of them, but he suddenly felt shy and very much sorry that he had lied to this woman. Finna stopped just a pace in front of him making Merlin remember how everyone had stayed at least a metre apart from him today. Even Arthur had not been in front of his face like this today, but it was alright and when Finna talked to him (obviously knowing what had happened), she didn't talk to him like she thought he was broken or fragile and that made Merlin feel momentarily that maybe he wasn't.
"Love, how are you feeling? Has these savages let you eat anything? I bet all you have had is some bad coffee and donuts…" Her voice was just the right amount of concerned and joking and Merlin was kind of starting to feel that if this woman had asked the questions from him a week ago, he wouldn't have been able to hold it together. "In my experience it's more take away sandwiches and lukewarm soda…" Gwaine muttered a step behind Merlin and Merlin felt a small smile tuck his lips. "Umm, I'm going to eat now…" He managed and Finna smiled at him brightly.
"You do that love. Oh, hello Arthur, wherever I must have lost my manners today…" Finna turned to Arthur who was now standing next to Merlin too. Merlin had no idea when he had moved.
"It's alright, nice to meet you again." Arthur replied in the same polite tone he had used with his father the last weeks and that was a dead give-away for Merlin that Arthur didn't like Finna. At all. Finna gave Arthur a look that said that she was not clueless, but that she was… used to this? Merlin found himself thinking that her job must not be the easiest one. Her job… yes, this was just work for her, Merlin was just another day at work for her… That thought made the slightly warm safe feeling evaporate and Merlin again felt fragile.
"Merlin, before you go, I'd like to tell you that your mother is downstairs, she is with Percival right now." Finna had again turned to Merlin and he felt every muscle tense in his body. He felt sick.
"Merlin… can you hear me?" Finna asked gently and Merlin focused back to her. He must have looked awful. "You are underaged, so we had to contact your mother, but I want you to know that you have the absolute control of this situation. Everything you have told today, will remain confidential. We will only have to interview her and tell her that her husband is under arrest and for what crime. I'm afraid that your name will be mentioned, but that is all. If you need time to think of when and how you want to see her, you will have that time. I will make sure of it."
It felt like having to learn how to breath again, but if before Merlin had needed straight questions to even be able to open his mouth, now hearing Finna say that he didn't need to see his mother just yet awakened a new desperation inside of him. He wanted to see his mother. "I need her… She didn't know anything, I swear! Please…" He almost begged and Finna's features softened to a gentle smile. "Whatever you need, love. You can see her whenever you want, but I want you to know that I will need to be present, is that alright to you?" Merlin nodded while wiping some moisture from his eyes.
"But I don't want to be there when… I- can- could you tell her?" Merlin continued feeling that even if he would have to see what his mother thought about him after this, he didn't want to see her when she first got to know. "Yes, I can tell her. How much do you want her to know?" Finna told him gently and Merlin gave something that was between a short laugh and a sob "I don't care… everything." Finna nodded at him, understanding. "Alright love. Now… why don't you go and have some food and I will take care of everything here. We will see each others soon." Merlin just nodded at her, but when she was about to step back, he blurted out "Thank you… even if it's just work for you…" He wasn't sure why he had said this, in a way it felt like there was no filters anymore and if it had crossed his mind, it had to come out of his mouth.
Finna stopped dead before she reached for Merlin's hands. "Merlin, that this is my work doesn't mean I care any less. Remember that, we all care about you and your wellbeing here." She said in a firm but kind and the tiniest bit pitying voice. Merlin felt embarrassed but the warm feeling was back. "Oh…" was the most intelligent thing his brain could come up with apparently. Finna just smiled at him. "Now off you go, Arthur, you will take care of him right?"
"Yes, I will." Arthur replied and he didn't sound sour anymore. Merlin felt that he could live with this. It was a very weird feeling after all this time and he wasn't sure if it made him feel glad or devastated, so he choose not to think about it right now. He would just go and eat something, with Arthur. "Merlin, get yourself a strong meal, I'll be there when you get back, alright?" Gwaine patted Merlin on his shoulder and Merlin again remembered that he had legs so he replied 'ok' to Gwaine and started to walk towards the elevator.
Gwaine and Finna stayed until the doors were fully closed and then turned on their heels to go to different directions. Gwaine to his father's office and Finna to get them a private room. They had a long night ahead of them.
In the elevator Arthur was unsure of what to do. He knew he had been overly eager to touch Merlin at any given excuse today and he wasn't sure if Merlin wanted him to. He also was the tiniest bit of jealous of Gwaine and Finna. They had helped Merlin so much and Arthur would be forever grateful of that, but he also felt inferior to them. He hadn't been able to do what they had done and in a way he could understand that they were adults, there was many of them and they were professionals and they had the authority to make an arrest and actually change Merlin's life, but he wanted to be there as well. He needed Merlin and he needed to be with him. He tried to remember what Gwaine had told him when they had been waiting for Merlin and he decided that he would talk with Merlin right now. He had just opened his mouth when the lift stopped and some officers walked in. Arthur cursed his luck. He was impatient but he couldn't talk to Merlin like this. He hoped the restaurant Gwaine had recommended was quiet…
They walked out of the building in silence and Arthur soon found the place Gwaine had been talking about. 'Of course it's a pub…' he thought but walked in anyway. The menu was placed next to the cashier and Arthur had to confess that the food sounded good. He chose himself a steak and Merlin told him he would take chicken with mushroom sauce. Arthur looked at him a bit surprised for not taking the vegetarian choice and decided to ask about that also when they were seated.
Arthur told Merlin to get them a table and he rang a bell that was on the counter. From the kitchen came an elderly man who looked just like this pub. A bit worn on the edges but clean and strong. Also his little bit crooked smile was welcoming and his voice warm if a bit coarse. "And what can I get to you, boy?" Arthur grimaced at the word 'boy' but ordered the food politely. "…and one small beer, thank you." He hoped he sounded like he had ordered beer many times before. The bartender looked at him a bit suspiciously but he didn't seem to care too much so he just gave Arthur one small ale from the nearest tab and told that he would get the food to the table when it was ready.
Arthur thanked him and searched Merlin with his gaze. He wasn't far away but Arthur was pleased to see that the table was in a quiet corner and that there was not anyone else sitting nearby. It was monday after all and lunch time long ago ended… Some quiet music was playing and Arthur was quite sure no-one would hear them talk if they didn't raise their voices.
"Here…" Arthur said and Merlin rose his surprised gaze to see the beer Arthur was carrying. He had not waited for one but when Arthur put the cold beer in front of him, Merlin felt like kissing Arthur on the spot. He restricted himself and just took the glass in his hand "Thank you…" Arthur sat next to him and watched as Merlin took a sip of his beer. Merlin closed his eyes for a moment and leaned to the couch he was sitting. He let out a slow breath and looked so relaxed and calm that Arthur felt envious of him. "It's so much better than the one I had in my closet…" Merlin sighed still his eyes closed. Arthur smiled at that. Merlin was talking to him and that alone made it worth buying the beer.
"Glad you like it…" Merlin opened his eyes lazily to look at him and Arthur wasn't sure if he had forgotten that Arthur sat there for a moment. "You are amazing, Arthur… " Merlin told him and smiled a bit shyly. This was all Arthur needed to encourage him and he opened his mouth to talk "I- Merlin, I wanted to talk to you… " Merlin's smile turned sad which made Arthur pause "I'm sorry for dragging you into this." Merlin said with a sad voice and Arthur had to shake his head to make any sense of that. "If I remember correctly, I sneaked into your closet and almost kicked your door down to get into this." Merlin actually laughed at that a little and Arthur felt relieved. He could do this.
"I just, I don't know how you would like that but, would you be my boyfriend?" Merlin stopped his movement of drinking a sip of beer in mid air and stared at Arthur wide eyed. He blushed and for a moment looked like he was going to say something, but then hesitated and finally looked down "I- are you sure you would want me to? I mean it wouldn't be easy and your father-"
"Not my father anymore." Arthur cut Merlin's speech. He didn't want to add his father to this conversation, it wasn't about his father right now. Merlin looked guilty and Arthur tried to make up something to make him feel better fast "I don't want a father who can do things like that to anyone. Really Merlin, and none of that is your fault. I- I love you and that's the only thing that matters right now. I want to be with you just, just if you will let me…" Merlin put his beer to the table. He covered his face with his both hands. He had held his teas so many times today, but now he had no will to even try.
"Of course I'll let you… I just… I'm afraid that you will change your mind, that I can't be the way you would want me to. That you will ha- hate me someday because I- I'm not anymore…" He couldn't say that he was afraid that Arthur would get disgusted when he really understood that Merlin had had sex with his father and that he had even come to him but Arthur didn't seem to see it that way. At least not for now.
Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin feeling his heartbeat with relieve for himself and sadness for Merlin. "None of that matters. I love you and I could never hate you." Merlin laughed in relief shortly through his tears. Arthur gave him a napkin and Merlin blew his nose and dried his eyes before leaning to Arthur's shoulder once more and Arthur automatically wrapped his arms around him. Merlin couldn't feel certain for future but at least he would enjoy this while it lasted.
"Thank you… It has been a long day, but it feels nice… to be able to say that you are my boyfriend." Arthur murmured to his hair and Merlin felt his heart jump with joy. He had never thought this possible and the word 'boyfriend' rang in his ears pleasantly. He repeated it in his mind many times that he was Arthur's boyfriend. Eventually his tears stopped and he felt light rush into his veins. After all that had happened today, he didn't feel so dirty on the inside anymore, just on the outside.
Arthur let go of Merlin when they heard the bartender open the kitchen door. Merlin blushed a little and looked to another direction. "I hope that beer is for you and not him…" The bartender commented and pointed at Merlin while looking at Arthur. "He is the same age than me…" Arthur told him understanding what he meant. Merlin looked a lot younger than he really was being this thin… "Then I hope that you are closer the age you look like than him." He said and Arthur quickly told him that that was the case. The bartender put their plates in front of them and hmmph-ed. "Then make him eat more, he looks like a sack of bones." Merlin squirmed and Arthur wasn't too pleased that the bartender was talking like Merlin couldn't hear him. When he left Arthur gave Merlin his cutleries and Merlin started to slowly cut his chicken.
To Arthur's delight Merlin got more animated and became to eat faster after first few bites. He was hungry. Arthur also started to eat. The steak was delicious and Merlin's portion didn't smell bad either.
"How come you suddenly eat meat?" He asked when Merlin stole a bite from his plate. Merlin blushed a little "I don't really care… Gwaine told me to eat and I'm not telling him that I had tofu salad as a dinner." Arthur smiled at that and was about to continue his meal when Merlin surprised him by continuing "I actually started it because one day I didn't want to eat. And then I continued mainly to annoy Uther…" Arthur stared at him wide eyed and then something shifted inside of him. He laughed. So hard that he had trouble breathing.
Merlin looked at him amused and glad that he could make Arthur laugh like this. Arthur looked at Merlin wiping tears from his eyes and feeling that Merlin was the most amazing person in the whole world. "You annoyed the hell out of me too…" Merlin smiled at him deviously "That was an unexpected bonus." Arthur kicked him lightly under the table and Merlin grinned at him. It felt good that Arthur was treating him like he normally did.
After Merlin had eaten and drunk his beer, he felt better, more normal and more stable. He didn't know what he would have to face the moment they walked back into the police station, but he knew that he would always treasure this memore. 'boyfriend… Arthur had asked him to be his boyfriend…'
They just sat there resting and talking a bit about anything that had absolutely nothing to do with what had happened today before they finally felt that they couldn't possibly avoid the inevitable any longer. Arthur paid with some money that happened to be in his pocket, for a moment there he had totally forgot that they would have to pay and that he didn't have his wallet with him. It was still in his car.
When they found the front desk and told the grumpy looking man sitting behind it where they were going and that Percy had told them to go there, the man came to flash his electronically key card to the elevator door. When the elevator came he pushed the right button and again flashed his key card and stepped back to let the doors close. When they were alone, Merlin finally found some courage and he took Arthur's hand. Arthur looked at their now linked hands and smiled. He leaned towards Merlin and kissed him softly on the lips. Merlin closed his eyes and savoured the kiss. When Arthur pulled away just before the elevator stopped he whispered to Merlin's ear "I hope I can get another one soon, love…" Merlin blushed and didn't look at all like he minded. Arthur smiled at that and let go of Merlin's hand just when the doors opened.
Merlin didn't even realise that Arthur had let go of his hand before he was already halfway out of the door. He didn't think anything of it, he was just playing Arthur's words in his mind feeling like he was walking on a cloud.
Arthur wasn't sure If Merlin wanted to let everyone know they were together so he walked in a reasonable distance from Merlin and tried not to look as ridiculously happy as Merlin at the moment. He wanted to let everyone know that Merlin was with him as soon as possible but he realised that Merlin might not be comfortable with that yet and for a good reason. He made a mental note not to push Merlin on anything he wasn't ready. Mentally or physically. He would make sure Merlin was comfortable with everything he did, how much ever it would take time, he would wait. He would make sure he never turned out to be like Uther.
Gwaine was nowhere to be seen nor Percy or Leon so they settled on waiting on Percy's desk. They followed the buzz in the office that hasn't lessened much even thought it was close to eight in the evening now. They talked with quiet voice about this and that and Merlin wondered where his mother was right now.
Arthur hoped they could go somewhere to sleep soon. Merlin was looking tired and he himself felt like he could be knocked over with a feather. He wondered what Gwaine had told him about a hotel and that did sound very tempting. When he mentioned this idea to Merlin, Merlin nodded at him and told him it sounded great. He had no problem of sleeping in Arthur's bed but he didn't know if he could trust that Uther wouldn't come home in the middle of the night. He was aware of what it could mean to go to a hotel with one's boyfriend but he didn't even mind right now. If it was Arthur everything would be alright and Merlin was quite sure that Arthur hadn't thought it like that anyway. He could be quite innocent (clueless) with these kind of things. At some point they were both so tired that they didn't have any energy to talk anymore so they just let their mind wander their legs touching slightly. This was going to be a long night…
A/N Hello! I'm at my grandmother's place this week. I was led to believe that there would be an internet here... There is, but, it needs this stupid program to work and the program needs 'Java SE 6 runtime' -thingy to work and, you guessed it, I don't have it so I need to download it from... the internet! I arrived yesterday and by God I had a moment there I wanted to hit my head on a wall. Now, I'm in the nearby village, in a restaurant that has wifi. I had to cyckle 15 km to get here. It's raining.
So... as you could propably guess from that, I might not be able to update as often while I'm here. I'll get back home 27th. But, I'll try to upload the stupid Java -thingy now and even if the stupid program will not start working for some reason, I'll come back to this restaurant next week if I have to. It just happens to be closed for sunday and from monday to thursday it's only open for lunch time because it's summer or something, but I'll try my best.
Moving on from that... I hope you didn't find the 5 000 words worth of medical examination boring... I remember replying to someone's review that police work is not exactly my field, well, this is. So I might have gotten into the details a bit too much maybe... If you are interested, Merlin's examination took over two and a half hours. That is usually the case. In the last chapter, this chapter and in many chapters after this, there are lots of legal, medical, social service and police stuff and I have read a lot to get everything to be as realistic as possible, so if you notice a mistake or difference to your country's system, feel free to let me know :) Just keep in mind that most of the stuff I have taken from my country's system, so it might differ from the system you know because of that.
I thank you all for being patient with me, I hope that no-one gave up on me now that I have been late with my update two times in a row... I really am sorry about that.
And you who reviewed, you are awesome! You have such interesting comments and I find myself thinking differently and from new perspective some stuff I thought I already knew, so what can I say but thank you! Please do continue making me see the world a bit differently for that is the most valuable thing for me :) Did I already say that you are awesome? You are awesome!
CoolBeans100 Hunith we will see in the next chapter, for Gaius we will have to wait a bit more, but it will come :) I'm so happy that you like the last chapter!
superwholockotps Thank you so much for reading this storry :) And reviewing, it means a world to me that there are people who like my story.
thejammysod Yes, finally! You made a very interesting analysis of how Merlin felt about having Arthur with him in the confession. You were also right that Arthur would want to know everything so he could help Merlin better, but in reality getting to know that much that fast would have been too much. Also that kind of conversations are best to have alone, with time and when it actually is a conversation, not just one talking to someone else, fearing what the other thinks while the other listens not able to ask for time out or any questions on his own. Cute moments like that are what they need right now and just each others to hold on. I'm happy that many found it adorable, I have much more in store, hope you will like those too :) It was so cute what you said about protecting your little brother, he is lucky to have a big sister like you :) I'm so happy that you liked my decision to make Leon younger too, it felt kind of right because of how cutely honest and a bit simple he was at times in the tv show, like in the 'Two masters' episode :D that always makes me laugh! Leon really wasn't disgusted with Merlin and because he is an open person, Merlin can see that and the feeling that came with the word was forgotten soon enough. What a lovely thought that Leon would be like a big brother to the two of them, I might have to think about that :) Your migraine sounds horrible, seriously. I couldn't live with insomnia, I sleep very little yes, but I have to sleep at the same time every night or my next day will effectively ruined.
bubzchoc Thank you :)
Angel Dove1 I'm so happy to hear that I was able to make your day better! I hope you will have better days from now on even if we can't always choose the people we work with... You on the other hand made my day better when I could read your awesome review, so I think we are even :) I'm glad that you liked the detective work, I was a bit worried of that and all the police work + legal-stuff because that is not my field exactly... Yeah, Gwaine's father has some connections and he really used those because of the tone Gwaine used when he asked for help. He trusts Gwaine and he wanted to give him his full support if Gwaine himself went that far. Gwaine doesn't ask help easily. The interviewing guestions were actually made in a bit interesting way, if I may say so myself. There is a page in internet for those who have gone through rape and can't affort to get themselves medical help in USA and they have like this kind os guide (?) with questions like 'if interwied by police, were you asked ...' or 'did you have a choise to have a male or female nurse' and so on so forth and I tried to make this interview as ideal as possible. I hope I succeeded :) Deciding to make Leon younger, was quite a natural decision for me, if you think him in the tv series, he was always a bit more naive and a bit more... I don't know the word, but he would listen Merlin (servant) and brake king's orders if he came running and shouting loud enough... And just think of him in the 'two masters' episode :D Thank you so much for your lovely, long review! I wish I could draw too... but we can be happy that we have a good imagination instead :)
Emrys00 I'm so happy to hear you enjoy my story so much! I'll keep updating, promise! :)
Chibi . warlock Yes he is! Merlin is having a courage to change all his life as he has known it. Even if it can hardly get worse, in a subconscious level he doesn't know that and he is frightened. Still, he keeps talking and trying and baring himself for evenmore pain and regret. That is very brave. Lest see how he will be rewarded for that later in his life :)
Guest Yep, finally! I am so glad to get of Uther, I was so tired of writing about him! Now we will see him in a totaly different environment and boy will I be happy when we get him what he eserves. There are still some chapters before we see Morgana and I'm still not going to give anything away ;) To see Hunith, we will have to wait till next chapter, but I hope you will like it :)
Insanereviewer I think that after all this time we don't want to see anyone who dares to be like 'Oh, alright' about Merlin's suffering... but especially Hunith, we want her to show how much Merlin means to her. I totaly understand the want to see her suffer a bit, but I hope not too much. As a mother she will be hurt and she will suffer and she will think that she deserves it, but I don't think anyone deserves in that kind of a situation that someone comes and says or lets them believe that everyone thinks that they deserved it... Just a thought, I know you are not a mean person :) As you propably got from this chapter, you were right, there would have been no way Merlin would have wanted anyone to the medical examination with him... The problem with young wictims is often the lack of knowledge of where the line of illegal is crossed and from where and how to get help. I actually read one study that told that a very high persentage actually first talks to the predator if they are feeling uncomfortable before going to authorities. They might even tell the predator that they have thought of going to authorities or that they are planing on telling to someone... That is why I think raising avareness on the subject would be a key of avoiding this kind of cases. Merlin too has grown up in a remote vilage, how much do you think their society or school talked about this kind of things? Oh, Uther will try to get out of the blame alright... and unfortunately, there is quite a lot what he can try to do, but, oh well, you will see ;) As a minor detail, I have actually counted the rapes... I have that document somewhere... I just don't remember where, but Gwaine's estimate is not actually accurate because he only used this summer and that four times a week as reference and just took some off because Merlin said sometimes it was not so often... IF you are interested, I can dig that information from somewhere. Actually.. maybe I could add it to the story somewhere... Thanks for the idea! You are very sweet worrying of my health, I'll make sure I have a life outside of work and this story, I promise :) And I'll try to update as many times as possible next week and a half too! I'm looking forward to your next insanely long review!
mersan123 I might have made you to wait till the next chapter to find out how Hunith will react :P I'm sorry! Uther will surely try everything in his power to avoid any punishment and unfortunately money is power in this world. Even in this kind of situations where it surely shouldn't be. That parents wouldn't believe when their child came to them and told something like that would be... I have no words. When I did my re-search for this story, I actually found some stories that were like that. For example I found a story about twin boys that were molested by their schools priest and when they told about it at home at some point, their parents didn't believe them... I found that highly disturbing, but I don't think that I'm not giving anything away if I say that it is quite impossible to not to listen if authorities come forward and tell a mother that their husband has been arrested because he has raped their son... That would be another level of... I don't even know what, but just no... I hope no-one is that stupid. Loved your review, as always :)
8OrangeMatilda8 Good question, good question, I have it explained kinda in the next chapter, but Gwaine did leave, but his father kept his contract and never terminated it incase Gwaine would come back and even when Gwaine opened the shop, he did pop by to see Percy now and then so his father kept the contract. That's why he also still has the electronic key card, for having one he needs to be employed actually (Gwaine just don't think... is that a surprice?) and he has gotten some information for Percy in the past too... so he is basically a freelancer, his father even pays him for those hours, he just doesn't tell Gwaine. We will get back to this later, but I hope this answered to your question :) I'm still making you wait to see how Hunith reacts :P Sorry about that, but in the next chapter, I promise! Many has been interested about Morgana... We will see her, but I still don't want to give anything away ;) I just hope you will like what I did with her when we will reatch that point.
Skypeoplephoenix732 Yeah, it has been a long time... Merlin moved in with Uther just before his 14th birthday and the molesting started at autumn when he was still fourteen... He's sixteen now. I second the 'yaaaaay' It's really the high time for Uther to pay for his crimes. Lets just see how much Uther will try to fight to get out of this ;)
Guest Hi! Thank you so much for your compliments, I was a bit hesitant on uploading this story because I thought that everyone might find it boring for it's so slow... but on the other hand I wanted to make it slow for that is how it is. Real life is not that dramatic all the time. Also Thank you for the recomendation, I'll read it :)
Cool Thank you :) I'm happy to hear that you found the scene emotional, I was a bit afraid that it would be boring...