Disclaimer: I only own the plot. The rest is property of the BBC.

Sorry about the late update. Uni has just started for me and I've been really busy with orientation and the like. As promised, I bring action and a bit of a cliffy at the end. Sorry - couldn't resisit. :P Don't hate me too much for it. Thank you ever so much to Lys - I totally owe you for all the errors you pick up on. :D

I have also begun to realise how hard it is to write the Weeping Angels. So I am totally amazed at anyone who can pull it off well. Not sure I have. But please leave me a review and tell me what you think. :) Enjoy!

Fifteen

Seconds later the angels were there, forming a loose circle around the three with sonic screwdrivers. No longer were they the innocent looking weeping angels. Their faces were twisted horrifically, pointed teeth bared and claws out stretched. Nobody had expected such fearsome expressions from such docile looking creatures.

"Look at them!" the Doctor exclaimed, as soon as the angels came into view; his head turning at such a speed to glance at each of them in turn. "It's ok, you've done it. They're here. Just keep looking at them," he continued, allowing a soothing quality into his voice, as he spoke to Morgana, Gwen and Arthur.

Beside the Time Lord, Rose and Merlin kept their own eyes on the angels, not taking their gaze off the horrid statues.

"Doctor?" Rose questioned and he knew she was asking 'what now?'

"Morgana, Gwen, Arthur," the Doctor shouted their names in quick succession. "Get out of here now. Slowly! Just back away slowly and keep your eyes on them."

The three of them nodded and began backing away. Merlin took his eyes off the angel he was watching for a moment, to glance at Arthur and was relieved to see he was actually moving with Morgana and Gwen.

As though sensing Merlin was looking at him, Arthur turned to glance at his manservant. And for a moment the two of them completely forgot about the angels. Something they instantly regretted when Gwen's terrified voice rang out.

"Arthur... no, Sire!" she yelled it and even in her panic she remembered to correct herself; ever the maid.

The Prince barely registered her voice as a cold tremor shuddered through his body, concentrating on his shoulder. It was the icy hand on death and Arthur knew it. Looking up, he gazed into the soulless eyes of the stone creature, just as he knew he would.

"Arthur!" the Prince heard them shouting again.

"Let him go, angel!" the Doctor's voice was commanding.

"Why?" The voice sounded inside his head and the Doctor knew, from the gasp behind him, that Merlin could hear it too.

"Spare him!" the Doctor continued. "Surely you must know of his greatness as King?"

"Why?" The question was repeated and Merlin couldn't help but notice how child-like the voice sounded. This was what it did to survive, he realised. It had never been questioned before. It was the equivalent of asking why humans should stop eating. It had no idea it was wrong.

"This man will go on to be one of the greatest Kings this planet has seen. Without his guidance, Albion will never be born. Take him away now and the whole of this history will be destroyed." The Doctor spoke again, but this time only the angels and Merlin heard him.

There was a long pause.

"What's happening?" Morgana asked, her eyes wide as they shot between the Doctor and the angel holding Arthur. And for some reason, Merlin suspected the ward already knew the answer. The way she looked between both the Doctor and the statue was similar to someone following a conversation. Perhaps her being a seer was the account for her apparent telepathy.

"He's speaking telepathically to them," Rose answered. Her voice interrupted Merlin's thoughts and he mentally kicked himself. Now was not the time to be questioning Morgana's actions.

"We know of the one you call King Arthur and of his death," the angel spoke again and Merlin suppressed a shudder.

"Then you know of his greatness and why I cannot allow you to take him."

Another pause. "Yes."

"Then you will spare him?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," the Doctor spoke it out loud, before turning to the others. "Briefly take your eyes off the one holding Arthur,' he told them.

"What?" "Are in insane?" Rose and Merlin spoke at the same time.

"Listen, they are going to let him go. But I need you to look away so they can move," the Doctor assured them. "I promise you, nothing bad is going to happen to Arthur."

Everyone nodded and complied. Arthur let out a sigh as the icy chill left him and automatically reached up to rub the spot on his shoulder where the creature had held him. The stone grip had been painfully tight; it was bound to bruise.

"Now go!" the Doctor was shouting again and Morgana and Gwen needed no further telling. As quickly as they could the two of them, walked backwards, keeping their eyes on the statues before disappearing inside the castle.

"You too, Arthur."

"But, I..."

"Arthur," Merlin's tone was pleading again. "Please. Go."

The Prince swallowed as though he was considering arguing.

"Go!"

Arthur nodded quickly before turning and running back into the castle. He didn't stop running until he rounded a corner to find Morgana and Gwen already seated at the bottom of an abandoned staircase.

"They have to go up these stairs to get back to the main castle," Gwen stated simply as Morgana leapt up and encased the Prince in a hug.

"Morgana," Arthur said wearily. "I'm fine."

"I'm just checking," Morgana told him, pulling out of the hug and giving him a fierce look. "And you should sit down."

"Why? I don't need to rest. I should be out there, helping! I can't believe you convinced me to sit this out. If anything happens to Merlin..."

"We know, Arthur," Morgana replied with a sigh. And for once she didn't try and argue with him. "We know."

* * *

"Merlin, now!" the Doctor yelled it as soon as he knew Arthur was out of earshot; the thick stone walls of the castle were thicker than they looked.

"Fríesest stánas maxímatus," Merlin cried out, needing no further encouragement. And beside him, Rose caught a glimpse of the golden glow in his eyes, wondering why she hadn't noticed it from before. Tucking the thought to the back of her mind, she turned her attention back to the angels.

"Well, Doctor? Are they...?"

"Only one way of finding out," he replied and Merlin nodded.

Slowly they turned away. The Doctor closed his eyes, as Merlin looked down at his feet and Rose turned away. Seconds passed.

"Well?"

The Doctor opened his eyes as the others turned to look at him again. Slowly his face broke into the largest grin, instantly replicated on the others.

Rose let out a cheer and gathered Merlin up in an unexpected hug, as the Doctor watched on laughing slightly. His laughter faded, however as he turned his gaze to the angels and a pang of guilt sprung up inside him. He had tricked them. He'd convinced the angels to release Arthur, only to have them frozen for all eternity. Was that really fair?

"We did it!" Merlin cried out and the Doctor was brought out of his thoughts.

"No, Merlin," Rose replied as she released him. "You did it. And don't think you're getting away with no hug, either," she turned her attention to the Doctor.

"Never would have dreamed it," he replied sweeping her up in his arms. They spun for a moment, before he carefully placed her down. "We're not done yet, though," he told them. "We still need to move them into the correct positions for looking at each other and then unfreeze them."

"Of course and then they will be like that for all eternity, right?" Merlin replied with a confirming question.

"Well, actually...." the Doctor trailed off, running a hand through his head, sheepishly as Merlin and Rose looked at him with wide eyes.