*AUTHORS NOTE* I'm really sorry about the shortness and lateness of this chapter, it's been a busy week, trust me. I'll try and make the next chapter longer but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it up (I'll try to be quick, I promise!) xx

Merlin sat on the sofa in the Torchwood hub, hands cupped round a steaming mug of hot chocolate and staring into space.

"He'll be okay" Ianto sat beside him, sipping from a cup of coffee.

"He has to be, he just can't die." Merlin paused for a moment, "I wonder what's going on back in Camelot. With Arthur missing Uther's going to be going mad. Especially if he thinks sorcery is involved."

"Sorcery?"

"Magic. Uther banned it from Camelot 20 years ago. Now the punishment for anyone caught practicing it are immediately sentenced to death."

"That's not very fair"

"Uther's not a fair king." Merlin took another gulp of his hot chocolate. "Arthur will be different, I know it."

"I see. Camelot sounds very different to Cardiff."

"Yes, it is. Cardiff is very…" Merlin paused to find the right word, "strange"

Ianto chuckled. "Cardiff has been described as strange by more people than I like to think. I like it though, its home to me."

"Everybody has a link to their home I suppose. I feel I belong in Camelot but I still miss Aealdor sometimes. That's where I was born."

"Really? I haven't heard of there"

"Not many people have. It's just a small peasant town with a few houses and fields for growing crops. Not really much but its still part of me."

"It sounds nice. I guess this whole experience is pretty traumatic for you. Not many living things fall through the rift. The last one was Mafanwy."

"Who?"

As if in reply, the pterodactyl circled above and let out a loud screech before disappearing up in the cavernous roof. Ianto looked up and smiled. "There she is."

"What's that?"

"She's a pterodactyl. An old creature. Fell through the rift last year. She lives with us here. We don't have the heart to send her back, she seems pretty contented here."

"Will you send Arthur and I back?"

"Of course, once we work out how to do it. We can't just simply open the rift though, that can cause cracks in time and it's really quite dangerous."

"I won't leave without Arthur. He came here to find me. Now he's dying."

"He's not. Trust me, Merlin. Arthur's in the best hands there."

"Can I go and see him in the morning?"

"Of course." Ianto smiled and ruffled Merlin's hair.

"I like you, Ianto." Merlin drained his hot chocolate and set the mug down on the coffee table. "Can I explore?"

"Sure, just stay in the main hub area." Ianto smiled warmly and riffled his hair again. Merlin nodded and wandered down towards the middle of the hub, still taking in everything he saw.

"Send riders to the outlying villages and beyond. I want my son FOUND!" Uther stood before the court of assembled knights and they nodded and left as his shout echoed around the hall. They were followed by the rest of the court. Gaius sighed as he watched the agitated king and kept feeling his eyes drawn to the empty spaces where Merlin and Arthur would be standing. He felt Uther's gaze fall on him as he turned to follow the others out of the room. "Gaius"

Gaius stopped and turned back to face the king. "Yes, your majesty?"

"Do you know anything about Arthur's disappearance?"

"No, no. If I did I would have told you."

"Gaius, you are my trusted advisor. I know you would tell me if you knew anything."

"Yes. I have a feeling maybe Arthur went looking for Merlin."

"Merlin's just a serving boy!"

Gaius felt a jolt of anger at Merlin being spoken down like that, but then remembered that Uther was right. "I know, but it seemed that he and Arthur had a strong friendship between them." He paused, "was nothing found at Aealdor?"

Uther shook his head. "No. Hunith knew nothing and there was no evidence of either of them passing through there."

Gaius sighed. "I still have an uneasy feeling that sorcery of some sort is involved. I've looked up disappearances and reported missing persons at the library, but it didn't come up with anything conclusive or linked though."

"Gaius, sometimes I wonder what on earth I would do without you."

"Thank you, my lord."

"You may leave. I will call on you again if I get any news."

"And the same for you. Thank you, Uther." Gaius gave a small bow and left the room, his footsteps echoing off the walls. As the heavy doors closed behind him, Gaius breathed a small sigh of relief and started off towards his chambers.

On the way, he passed Gwen.

"Gaius! I heard about Merlin, I'm so sorry. He'll be found soon, you'll see."

"Thank you, Gwen. But now Arthur's gone too."

Gwen gasped. "So Morgana was right." She paused for a minute, and then sighed. "Do you think Arthur went to find Merlin?"

"He could have done, but there's been no evidence found so far."

"Uther must be worried. You know what he's like ever since…" she trailed off, but Gaius knew what she was referring to.

"Yes, well who can blame him? Arthur is his only son, he has the right to be protective."

"Sometimes I think a little too protective."

Gaius chuckled. "Arthur probably agrees, but don't let Uther hear you saying that!"

Gwen smiled. "Truth hurts"

"Very true" Gaius nodded and Gwen smiled back.

"I'd better get going, it's late and Morgana will be wondering where I've got to."

"Yes, yes I suppose she is. Be careful, we don't want anyone else disappearing!" As Gaius walked back to his chambers, he remembered a conversation he had with Morgana about a peculiar dream she had had the night before Arthur disappeared. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He stopped, turned back and made his way back to Uther.

Arthur woke up and forgot where he was. He panicked and tried to move, but found himself restrained by something around his neck. He gave a cry of terror, but it was muffled by something which was placed over his mouth and nose. After a few moments of terrified panic, the steady throbbing in his head and now familiar view of a plain looking ceiling and background noise of beeps and a disturbing silence, punctuated occasionally by the closing of doors and distant voices. As he lay there, Arthur thought about Merlin, and wondered where he was, and who the people he had seen him with were. After a few more minutes, Arthur heard the door opening again and footsteps coming towards him. Someone entered his field of vision and smiled when Arthur looked at him.

"Hello, Arthur. Nice to see you're back with us."

Arthur gave a sleepy reply of. "Hello. Who are you? It hurts."

"I'm Janice; I will be your nurse for tonight. If you need me, press this and I'll be with you as soon as I can."

Arthur took the strange looking object from Janice and held it over his head so that he could see it better. It was long and smooth, and had an array of buttons on it. The one in the centre had ASSISTANCE written on it. He half moaned a "thanks" and rested his arm back on the bed. After a few seconds, he remembered Merlin being here. "Where's Merlin?" the words were clear this time. "Where is Merlin?" Arthur asked again.

Janice frowned. "Who's Merlin?"

"You know where he is!" Arthur was getting angry now. "Have you hurt him?"

"I don't know who-" Janice paused. "Oh, the Torchwood boy? He's fine, he's staying with Torchwood. He'll be here in the morning."

"Who's Torchwood?"

"To be honest nobody really knows. They're very secretive. Some band of the MI or something. Heck knows what they want with you or that kid, but they seem to know what they're doing. I suppose I'm rambling now."

"They have Merlin" Arthur slowly took in Janice's words. "They have Merlin!"

"So that's his name? Merlin? That's rather unusual. I haven't heard that name in a while."

"I want to see Merlin!"

"He's not here, love. He'll be here in the morning" something beeped and Janice looked down at something on her uniform. "Oh, I'm being paged. I have to go but if you need someone press that button I gave you and a nurse will come and help you." Janice withdrew from Arthur's view. Arthur suddenly felt very tired again, and felt unconsciousness pulling him down. He tried to fight it, to stay awake, but to no avail. He sighed and gave up, and let darkness fold in on him once more.