Part 5: Lessons learned
"Fag"
It was disguised as a cough, but the word was clear – and offensive - enough.
Arthur glared at his sandwich, but didn't grace Valiant with his attention, which was exactly what he wanted.
"Dickhead"
Leon smirked to himself from behind his hand, proud of his comeback. Arthur smiled and rolled his eyes; Valiant glared, but didn't say anything. It was like being in school, Arthur thought sadly.
Valiant stamped out the staff room, Arthur and Leon looked at each other for a minute, before erupting into a fit of giggles.
"You should start bringing baguettes, really give him something to stare at" Leon giggled. For a grown man, he had a pretty girly laugh, and that was coming from the gayer one.
"Or a hot dog" Arthur agreed. "Thanks for that, though."
"It's alright; I'd love to knock that man down a step or two"
Arthur nodded in agreement. "Damn homophobes. This is exactly the reason I waited to come out"
"Ignore him, he'll soon get bored and move onto bullying the apprentices."
"With any luck he'll drop off the face of the earth, him and Cedric"
"Couldn't agree more. Speaking of, you heard anything more about his trial?"
Arthur glared at his sandwich wrapper. "No, Merlin won't tell me anything" he muttered.
"It's hard for him, years of abuse finally being put into light; he's handling it better than I thought"
"He's handling it brilliantly; I'm just worried he might be handling it too well"
"You think he's going to crack?" Leon sighed, he'd thought it himself, but didn't want to say anything.
"I hope he doesn't, but he never really talks about it, aren't you supposed to talk about these things? Getting it off your chest and all that?"
Leon shrugged. "People cope in different ways, I suppose. Gwaine's been round there a lot, so has Gwen and Lance, maybe he's talking to them about it, he was never really that close with us before, I know he's gotten a lot closer with you recently, but he might still feel uncomfortable."
"Maybe" Arthur granted, though not fully convinced.
Merlin had to remind himself not to jump half a mile every time someone came to the door.
He had to remember that Cedric was in custody, he didn't get bail, and he wasn't coming out. Besides, he didn't know where he lived now anyway.
He looked through the peephole, there was an older man, wearing an expensive suit and holding a briefcase. Strange, Merlin thought as he opened the door.
"Uther Pendragon" The man nodded curtly. "I assume you're Mr. Emrys?" Merlin nodded dumbly. Uther held his hand out, and then retracted it when he saw the cast on Merlin's hand. "Sorry" He coughed. "Mind If I come in"
Merlin stepped aside, still not really knowing what to say, Uther Pendragon as in Arthur and Morgana Pendragon?
"Morgana sent me" He explained, opening his briefcase on the coffee table.
"Okay" Merlin said slowly, "Would you like a...erm...drink?"
"No, thank you."
Merlin sat next to him on the sofa, tapping his leg nervously. "Morgana wanted me to give you some sort of an idea what would happen at Mr. Sigans court case." Uther gave him a pointed look.
"Oh, that's very kind, thank you" Merlin squeaked, wide eyed, he stared at the papers in the briefcase. He could have sworn there was a picture of his battered face in there.
"From the evidence given by you, Arthur and witnesses – "
"Witnesses?" Merlin interjected, shocked.
"Police went to the neighbours to see if they heard or saw anything, two of your neighbours gave statements from things they overhead previously"
"Oh" Merlin swallowed.
"There's not actual sentence for domestic violence, but Mr. Sigan's looking at charges for unlawful wounding, grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, aggravated assault, common assault, and putting a person in fear of violence. Unfortunately, Mr Emrys, today's justice system is not in the victims favour. He's looking at 5 years at the very maximum. Since he pleaded guilty, though, it's doubtful he'll get that." He gave the papers he was holding a severe look. Merlin was surprised they didn't burst into flames. "But know this, Mr. Emrys, he won't have a job after this. No one wants to employ someone convicted on them charges. This will stay on his records; new partners will be able to see that he's been convicted. He may not get a long jail sentence, but he will not get away. I can help you get an injunction against him, so he won't come back."
Merlin swallowed, lost for words, it wasn't sinking in. "Thank you" He whispered. Fighting back tears.
"It's the least I can do...I read your medical report from the hospital, and I saw the photos the police took as evidence. If I were the judge, he'd have 30 years minimum. Unfortunately, the justice system is failing people like you. I'll see myself out. I'll send you an appointment to file an injunction, good day, Mr. Emrys."
"Thank you, Mr Pendragon."
"I'll be keeping an ear out for what happens, Mr. Emrys. You deserve much better... When you're ready, my son's taken a keen interest in you" With that, he closed the door behind him, and Merlin was left dumbfounded.
Arthur sat on the sofa next to him, watching Futurama. He rarely left him alone anymore. Not for too long, anyway.
"You're Father paid me a visit today" Merlin didn't take his eyes off the TV.
"Morgana said she was going to get him to talk to you. Was it helpful?"
"He said Cedric would get 5 years maximum. But it was doubtful he'd get that"
Arthurs hand tightened on the remote, skin stretching firmly over his knuckles, but he remained silent, just nodded curtly.
Merlin didn't say anything about it again, until Arthur finally said "How do you feel about that?"
Merlin shrugged. He didn't want to say what was going through his head. He was angry, disgusted, confused, upset all in one go. How can the man who knocked him down so many times, made him want to end it all, get away with such a little sentence? He remembered what Uther had said to him. 'The Justice system is failing people like you'. But, still, he was going down for it. He had to go down; else Merlin didn't know what he'd do. Move to Australia, probably. As far away as he could get.
He jumped when Arthur put his larger hand over his.
"Hey, it's okay. He'll pay. One way or another, he'll pay"
Merlin nodded thanks, unable to speak.
'When you're ready, my son's taken a keen interest in you'
2 Years.
Merlin's knees buckled under him, and Gwaine caught him as he fell.
2 years maximum. 1 year if he's good.
1 year and he'd be out. Back living his usual life and Merlin would still be here. Shaking with fear every time the door went, or if someone moved too quickly, talked too loud.
But he was going down. He held onto Gwaine tightly. He was going to be sick, or pass out, or something but oh god no. In 1 years time, he could be out ruining some else's life, ruining his life.
"I've got you" Gwaine reassured him. "It's okay, let's go home, get away from here"
They drove back to Merlin's apartment in silence, his hands shaking and his stomach in knots. In all the scenarios he'd made up in his head, Cedric would have gotten at least 3 years. No getting out early for good behaviour.
But he got 2 years maximum. His remorseless face as he pleaded guilty would be forever singed into Merlin's brain. That little smirk that he'd seen so many times before made his head pound.
He didn't know how, but he was lying on his bed, staring at the cream wall.
Arthur banged in, he didn't know how much time later, and wrapped himself around Merlin, muttering "I'll kill the bastard"
Sometime later, Arthur moves, and Merlin clings onto his arm.
"Don't leave me" He gasps out, frightened to be alone with his thoughts.
"I'm not leaving you; I'll be here for as long as you want me here."
But Merlin didn't want him to leave.
Dinners with Uther were awkward at the best of times. Arthur had never really felt comfortable around his father. Yes, he had his times where he was kind and gentle, but most times he'd been spending too much time in the office, and all his years as a lawyer had taken its toll on him.
Morgana never helped, though. She was like hawk, never missing a beat.
"Father" She said in a warning tone after he'd finished his meal "Eat your greens, it's good for your blood pressure"
"My blood pressure is fine" He muttered, but ate the vegetables anyway. "So" He quickly changed the conversation, before Morgana could ask any more questions about his blood pressure. "How's it going living with Leon now?"
"It's great" Morgana got this dreamy look in her eyes that Arthur needed to remember so he could mock her about it later. "Couldn't have worked out better, actually" Arthur rolled his eyes.
"Arthur, do you not approve?"
"I approve of Leon, he's my best mate, but its weird watching my sister and best mate shack up, it's like something off of friends"
"Whose friends?"
Morgana and Arthur both snickered behind their hands. Trust Uther not be up with the times.
"No, father, the TV show"
"Never heard of it"
"That's because you still thought Buffy was running" Morgana scoffed.
"Okay, if we've quite finished mocking my lack of knowledge of TV shows?"
"For now" Morgana agreed.
"I kept up with Mr. Sigans court case" Uther watched Arthur carefully as his jaw jutted. "Disgusting, what he got"
"I tried to get Merlin to appeal and try and get him re trialled, but he didn't want to"
Uther nodded. "The best thing for him is to put all this behind him. Although, if he does want to appeal, send him my way, and I'll do my best for him"
Arthur stared at his father in surprise. "Thank you, Father. That's very kind."
Uther sighed solemnly. "I read the case before I went to see him the other day. Sick, what that man did to him for all them years. I read the witness reports, as well from that night"
"I didn't know there were witness reports" Arthur sat up straight in surprise, Morgana looked just as shocked as he did.
"Yes, apparently the police had been called out 4 times in the past 2 years because the neighbours had been concerned, there had never been enough evidence, though. And Merlin had never wanted to say anything. The neighbours had said what happened that night wasn't much different to what they heard other nights, maybe it went on for a bit longer"
Morgana had paled and looked at her lap. Hands shaking on the table. Uther held her hand lightly. "Its okay, Morgana. It's not your fault. I've dealt with abuse victims before. They hide it very well; they don't want you to know"
"I should have seen it, I should have done something"
"Morgana, stop. He didn't want you to know, so there's nothing you could do. He dealt with it in his own time"
"Look where that got him" Arthur muttered irritably.
Uther sighed. "Indeed, but, I've seen men get six months for the occasional assault, which is what Cedric would have got if Merlin went to the police without provoking Cedric. It was an unbelievably hard thing to do, but I read his statement, Arthur, he knew what he was doing"
"What?" Arthur stuttered.
"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but in his statement, Merlin said 'I knew he'd beat me within an inch of my life, I just needed the courage to tell him, and he'd either beat me, or kill me. Either way, he'd get caught."
"But" Arthur tried to clear his head. "He begged me not to take him to the hospital"
"Until someone could stay there in case Cedric came back for him."
"That stupid man" Arthur shook his head.
Uther watched him for a while, before saying, "So, would I be right in thinking you had feelings for him?"
Morgana coughed out a laugh from behind her napkin, Arthur turned bright red.
It was Saturday night, and Arthur sat with Merlin on his battered up sofa watching re runs of old game shows, drinking cheap cans of beer. It was silent for a while, but comfortably. Arthur didn't like Merlin being on his own, and Merlin didn't really like being on his own.
"Thank you, by the way" Merlin finally spoke up.
"Huh, yeah...for what?"
Merlin quirked a smile. It reminded Arthur of that time he was smoking on the balcony and he almost smiled at him. "For, you know. Staying with me. You don't have to, I'm sure you have better things to be doing with your Saturday nights."
Arthur smirked. "Surprisingly enough, I don't have better things to do, and it beats listening to Morgana and Leon having sex all the time. Besides, I like spending time with you" He nudged him softly.
"Really?" Merlin raised an eyebrow
"Yeah, is that so hard to believe?"
"Kind of" Merlin shrugged. His mind went back to Cedric; he always told him that no one but him would want him, that without Cedric, he was nothing.
You wouldn't last five minutes without me sweetheart.
"Hey" Arthur said gently. "Stop that"
"Stop what?"
"Thinking about him. You did it, Merlin. You got away, and he's in jail now, albeit not for as long as anyone hoped, but it's done, he's gone. You can move on with your life. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you'll do it. You survived for that long, surviving should be effortless now"
For a brief moment, Merlin thought Arthur was going to kiss him, but he didn't. And for that, Merlin was eternally grateful.