Greetings Readers! Here's the next oneshot.

I really enjoyed writing this oneshot – it got a bit darker than I had planned, but it still has hardcore, protective, BAMF!Merlin in it, which was my main plan. The idea of a protective Merlin story came from Forever Day, so thanks for that! I plan on some funny, bromancy stories to come soon!

Warning: After season 4, post-reveal fic. Protective, BAMF! Merlin

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or any of its characters.

Whoever first coined the phrase, "sleep like a baby," ought to be stood in front of a line of Camelot's finest archers and shot.

Gwen turned over in bed and groaned as the little one in her womb gave another strong kick, far too energetic for the late hour of the night. If there was anything worse than being alone in the large bed or having an overactive child who moved at ungodly hours of the night, it was being alone in the bed and being kept awake by an overactive child in the middle of the night.

Even in her sleep-deprived mind, Gwen knew she couldn't be mad at Arthur for being gone. Given how he'd hovered over her for the past few months, she knew he'd been loath to leave her alone, especially so close to the date of the expected birth. But the skirmishes near the northern border had grown so severe that they required the king's personal attention, and so he'd ridden off with his closest knights early that morning, promising to be back as soon as he could. Not even Merlin was around to keep her company – something about the manner of the skirmishes seemed to be magical in nature, and so Arthur had insisted that the Court Warlock accompany him and the rest of the knights.

Both Arthur and Gwen – and Elyan, who'd also had to come and investigate the skirmishes – would have preferred that Merlin be able to stay behind. Arthur, because he trusted his friend with his and Gwen's lives, and Gwen because she preferred her friend's company to the near-perpetual hovering of her lady's maid who, God bless her, was a bootlicker.

Arthur had set up a double guard around their chambers, but he still felt distinctly uneasy about leaving. Gwen had put on a brave face as they'd left, and hoped that Merlin would be able to calm him down and keep him focused. The last thing any of them needed was for the king to get killed during a minor skirmish because he'd been distracted by thoughts of his pregnant wife.

Gwen sighed and rolled into a more comfortable position. She would have faith. If anyone could keep Arthur safe, it was Merlin.

A chill traveled across her skin, and she shivered. A goose walking over my grave, she thought sleepily but then stopped as noticed the swathes of cloth attached to the bedposts were swaying, as though in a breeze. But the windows were closed – Gaius had advised against night chills when they'd found that Gwen was pregnant – so there shouldn't have been a breeze.

But before Gwen could manage to puzzle it out, a hand on her mouth and a blade at her throat answered her question for her.

"Keep still, your highness," a hoarse male voice whispered as he turned her onto her back.

"Who are you?" She asked as he pulled his hand off her mouth.

"My name is unimportant," the man said as he pressed the blade closer to her throat, "As is everything but my purpose for being here." His eyes glittered maliciously in the moonlight. "Revenge."

"What have I done to you?"

"it is not you, your highness," he laughed bitterly, "but for your fleabitten husband that I seek revenge. He had taken everything from me," he snarled, "and is so arrogant he doesn't even realize it." He removed the dagger from her neck, replacing it with his hand. "But he will know my pain now. Now I will be taking the one he loves from him."

Gwen's heart began beating at a terrifying rate. If only she had been closer to the sword they kept at the other side of the bed, she might have been able to defend herself.

The man brought down the dagger towards her belly, and she could feel the point of it poking through the fabric of her nightgown.

"It will kill him to know his sins have caused the death of his child."

And Gwen's heart stopped. She began struggling then, a mother's love overruling her common sense, as she tried to move so that the blade was above anyplace that was not protecting her child. The man gripped her mouth so tightly that his fingernails cut into her cheek. "Don't struggle, your highness. I have no quarrel with you. I simply cannot allow his spawn to live."

He drew the dagger delicately across her stomach, not enough to cut but enough to make her tremble in fear and anger. "I studied once with a physician," he commented lightly, far too lightly for the situation, "and I learned several things. For example, how to slice into a woman's belly in a way that will not kill her, to retrieve a child." He shrugged. "Admittedly, it was to perform a birth, but the principle is the same. If you keep quiet," he looked at her, "you may keep your life. But should you scream, I will kill you and your child will die anyway." He smiled at her, with no sincerity in the action. "Aren't I being merciful?"

"You will never get away with this!" Gwen spat and the smile slipped from the assassin's mouth, only to be replaced with a smirk.

"So be it," he sneered, and began to bring the blade back.

Suddenly, the handle of the blade glowed with a strange red light and the assassin dropped it, howling with pain.

"Step away from the queen and her child," a steely voice said from the shadows, "now."

A cloaked figure stepped forward just enough so that his silhouette could be seen by the others in the room. The figure took a glance at where Gwen was unharmed in bed before facing the assassin, who was still shaking his burned hand. "This is your only chance for mercy," he said authoritatively, "I suggest you take it. Leave now."

"Never," the assassin hissed, "I've come too far to stop now." And he sprinted toward the bed.

The cloaked man held out both hands, and the assassin was launched back into the wall and pinned there. Gwen looked over to her rescuer to see that the force of his spell had pushed the hood of his cloak back. It was Merlin.

"Who are you?" The man gaped, in genuine fear of the man's power. He hadn't spoken a word to send him into the wall.

"A friend of the queen," Merlin said dryly, "and you will regret trying to harm her."

The assassin began struggling. "I had good reason. You have no idea what I've been through."

Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and the man cringed slightly. When the gold faded from his eyes, there was anger and disgust in his face. "I have every idea." He began walking forward. "You are a greedy man who has brought his every misfortune upon himself. You blame Arthur because you cannot bring yourself to take responsibility for your actions, even though his only 'crime' was to save the village you nearly destroyed rather than take the time to defend your spoils."

There was barely an inch between the two as Merlin glared at the shocked man. "And you would harm two innocents to punish a man who is guiltless."

If Gwen hadn't been reeling from shock, she might have been amused at the sheer terror on her attacker's face.

Merlin took a step back. "I ought to show you the same treatment you would give to others," the other man flinched and closed his eyes, "but I won't."

The assassin stared dumbly at him. "I will show you mercy for two reasons: one, because my friend has known enough violence this night. And two, you can warn the rest of those that plot against the queen and her child that they are protected by me. None shall harm them as long as I breathe, and any foolish enough to try will regret it." With a wave of his hand, the assassin crumpled to the floor as he was freed from his bonds.

"And if you ever return, Gyrnes," Merlin said, "I will show you no mercy. Go."

Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and the almost-assassin found himself in the middle of the courtyard where he promptly fainted.

As soon as Gyrnes had vanished, Merlin rushed over to the bed where Gwen was shaking. "You're safe now." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Most people would have asked if she was all right. Merlin knew better.

"How…" Gwen swallowed, trying to get her voice back, "How did you get in here?"

Merlin laughed and rolled his eyes. "That's what you say first? I think Arthur's starting to rub off on you, and that's not a good thing." The teasing glint in his eyes made Gwen start laughing, and the tension left her shoulders.

She reached up and laid her hand over Merlin's. "Merlin," she said seriously, "I don't know how I can ever thank you for this."

"You don't have to," Merlin assured her. "But if you want, you could always name me godfather. Arthur's been a bit cagey about the whole thing…" Merlin trailed off as eh noted the curious way she was reaching for her stomach. "Do you want me to check on the little one?"

Gwen nodded, and Merlin reached down gently to place his palm over her stomach. His eyes glowed and she could feel a warm, soothing presence seep below her skin, punctuated by a sharp kick. Merlin pulled back his hand. "All's well."

"Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin grinned down at her and stood up, walking around the perimeter of the room. "I don't sense anything – you're both safe now."

"'Sense anything?'" Gwen sat up. "Is that how you knew to come here?"

"Yep," Merlin nodded, "It's like when Arthur needs help, only far less prattish." He snorted. "Speaking of which, he's going to be a real prat when I see him – didn't give him much of an excuse before I left." He walked back to the bed. "But I'll let you get some sleep now."

"All right," Gwen nodded and laid back down, but her body was still shivering.

Merlin noticed. He sat down beside her and put a hand over her trembling one. "Gwen," he said gently, "would you like me to stay?"

"Would you?"

"Of course," he squeezed her hand. "Sleep well, Gwen, I'll be here. You're safe."

Gwen smiled gratefully before slipping into sleep. Merlin pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down, keeping his hand on his friend's wrist.

And that was how Arthur found them the next morning when he rushed in to check on Gwen. "There you are, Merlin! We wondered where on earth you'd gone off to –" He stopped, seeing his wife asleep and Merlin just blinking weariness from his eyes and rolling his hunched shoulders in the chair beside her. "Oi! What are you doing with my wife?"

Arthur and Merlin both got the joke, but Gwen, who woke up at the exclamation, did not find it nearly as funny. She, after all, was a very pregnant woman who had had only a few hours of sleep and had been threatened the night before. "Arthur Pendragon," she began slowly and menacingly, and both men flinched back, "you better have a good reason for waking me up at this hour!"

Arthur winced and looked pleadingly at Merlin, who simply shrugged before grinning impishly and disappearing with a golden flash. He was smart enough to escape when he could.

He'd fought witches, sorcerers, magical beasts, assassins, and the undead – but a tired and pregnant Gwen was truly terrifying.

The next morning, two interesting things happened: an alleged assassin was escorted to the dungeons from where he had fainted in the courtyard, all the while babbling about keeping the madman away from him.

Also, the court warlock was named godfather of the unborn heir.

A/N: That's it! I hope you liked it!

Thanks for reading and please review! I like to know what you all think, and they make me happy! Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far!