Note: I'm sorry that this took so long to publish! I've been sick recently, so I've had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on. Unfortunately this had to go on the backburner for a bit, but finally here it is!

Chapter 13

And so December trudged on, and the New Year snuck up on everyone once again. It was Merlin's birthday on New Year's Day, and normally he and Arthur threw a combination birthday/New Year celebration at their house. However, this year was greeted in a much more somber in attitude by all.

Gwen, recently being broken up with Lance, was still recovering from their break-up. She was mainly coping by ignoring the problem, and volunteering anywhere one was needed at hospitals, primary schools, and homeless shelters. She was also diving head first into a particularly difficult case which Mr. Jarban had assigned to her upon her request. It was to take place in May, and she only had five months to prepare for it. Needless to say, Gwen was quite busy. Too busy to focus on the destruction of her longest and most serious relationship she'd ever had due to the fact that she met Arthur. Never mind the fact that she was still very confused about how she felt towards him. Due to this fact, however, she decided that time away from Arthur for a little bit was the best for all involved. After waking up in his arms on Christmas Day, she decided that she couldn't handle being in his presence for the time being, and courteously, albeit awkwardly, showed him out.

Because of this, Arthur was in a rather melancholy mood. He was forbidden to see Gwen for two weeks, and it was enough to drive anyone mad. He was constantly worried about her, and inquired about her well-being from anyone who was remotely associated with her. Merlin was frustratingly ignorant of her current state, although Arthur couldn't figure out why. He regularly disappeared for hours now, and when he did come home, either locked himself in his studio for hours or passed out. 'It was odd', Arthur thought, 'Where on earth does Merlin go in his spare time?' He had forgotten that Merlin was not his personal assistant so many times due to the man's constant presence in Arthur's life, and his appearance at most of the public functions Arthur had to attend. Yet, reality had smacked the young Pendragon full in the face, and Arthur had to hire a new assistant. George was his name-apparently he had all of the credentials (and many more) needed for the job. However, his company was so dull that Arthur frequently wished to spend as little time as possible with him.

Meanwhile, Lance was busying himself in other ways. Like Gwen, he preferred not to confront his problems face on. Rather, he busied himself as much as possible with campaign duties. He threw all of his energy into making sure everything was lined up for his win in May.

However, he needn't have worried. The press, if possible, favored Lance even more after his break-up with Gwen. The tabloids immediately swarmed on both him and her about the fallout of their relationship, but neither wished to comment. As a result the sympathy from many corners of Britain (admittedly, many of the sympathizers were female), and Lance surged ahead in the polls at the beginning of New Year's.

Thus, New Year's Day came about. As Lance charged ahead with a 3% lead over Arthur, Gwen was volunteering at a local children's hospital, attempting to put them all in good spirit about the upcoming year. Meanwhile, Arthur was despondently out in a bar with Leon, Merlin once again disappearing somewhere he wasn't privy to. 'Wherever that man is,' he thought, 'I hope that he's feeling better than me.'

….

January trudged on by, and to the relief of everyone February had dawned on them.

It was the first weekend in February, and Arthur had not seen Gwen in almost a month. He had agreed to give her space, and so it was. He had been putting extra efforts into his own campaign in retaliation to the extra amount of compassion Lance was receiving. The work was tedious, and Arthur was annoyed that he had to go to extra lengths to once again gain the lead. However, he couldn't quite muster up complete irritation knowing that the reason behind it left a very single and available Guinevere.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Arthur's caller ID flashed before him: Guinevere.

He answered it immediately, "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Pendragon?" her sweet voice came through the line.

Arthur groaned inwardly. Apparently they had gotten back to square one in which Guinevere decided to address him formally. It had taken him ages to get her comfortable with saying his first name, but it was worth it. When it danced on her tongue it somehow sounded better-more regal.

"You know you can call me Arthur, Guinevere," he responded

"I would prefer it if I addressed you as Mr. Pendragon."

"Very well, what can I do for you?"

"I'm working with a particular case of a sensitive issue that I need your assistance on, if it's not too much trouble. I hate to bother you, but it really can't be anyone else."

Her tone was formal, colder towards him. It felt wrong. Arthur wondered where that compassionate, warm, loving Guinevere from a few months ago had went. He was curious where that broken-hearted angel had flown off to.

"Of course, no bother at all. You should know that you can ask me for anything. I'm not free until tomorrow, though. Does a particular time work best for you?" he inquired politely.

"Actually, if it's not too inconvenient, I hope that you can come at 7 o'clock sharp. It may be an all day event, you understand."

"That sounds great to me," Arthur responded. However, he couldn't help but add, "I look forward to it, Guinevere."

….

The dial tone was still in her ear, and his parting words echoed around in her head, "I look forward to it, Guinevere."

She had done her best to adopt a cold demeanor towards him. She had not talked to him in months, and it was secretly driving her mad. There was just something about him that Lance never had. Of course, once she thought about that she would feel guilty about breaking Lance's heart all over again. It was a vicious cycle. She analyzed the situation from all the angles she could possibly think of-broke everything down into the smallest pieces-before reconstructing everything and beginning the process all over again. As far as she could tell, the facts were these: 1) She had been dating Lance happily for two years. 2) She had thought it was true love. They both respected each other deeply, and were very compatible. They were both very self-less, and agreed on a lot of the same morals. 3) She had met Arthur Pendragon while she had been in a relationship with Lance in November. 4) Within the course of a month her life had been turned completely upside down. 5) Because of Arthur she had said no to a proposal from a man she would've sworn was her true love. 6) She was very confused about her feelings towards Arthur.

Making lists had helped Gwen breathe a little easier, but not much. It still amazed her that it only took a month for Arthur to change her life completely. She took a mental inventory of how their relationship had progressed.

-Flashback-

November-First Week of Meeting Arthur

Arthur was too handsome for his own good. Within the first few hours of seeing him, her dreams were consumed with images of him burned underneath her lids. She assumed it was just appreciation for his good looks, however, and nothing more. After the initial awkward meeting between herself and Arthur on the tube (and the subsequent walk to the intersection of their two neighborhoods), Gwen sincerely hoped never to see him again. She wasn't sure she could stand something more mortifying-yet strangely wonderful-again.

However, fate was not kind to her. Indeed, the very next day after meeting him she was supposed to escort Lance to a debate against Arthur. It was strange that she had never met him before, but then again why would Lance want her to meet his opponent? During the debate she noticed how the media's rather scandalous reports of Arthur may have been slightly tilted. He had been courteous to her on the tube, which the media said he wasn't (courteous or into taking the tube). He was also sharp, and seemed to be a perfectly lovely guy. She wasn't even sure what Lance was saying, as she focused all of her attention to the man Arthur really was. Despite their awkward meeting, she had a feeling that Arthur was a good man-and that the media were living in the past.

Yet she was proven wrong before her misgivings had even come to full fruition. As the event came to an end, so did Gwen's hopes that he wasn't a completely terrible person. For before she could leave she caught him snogging the blonde girl rather fiercely in the relative privacy behind the stage. She wanted the day to come to an end-hopefully one which didn't involve the golden haired man. But Merlin had other plans. By inviting her to lunch with him, she had happily agreed (hoping to take her mind off Arthur). Merlin seemed like a nice enough guy, and she looked forward to get to know him. At the restaurant, though, Arthur appeared again. However, Gwen found that as much as she tried to hate him, his easy nature and disarming compassion caught her off guard. 'And technically,' she thought, 'we're not even together so it doesn't matter who he kisses.' She left the restaurant feeling even more confused about the man then before.

To round off her first week of knowing him, she attended Merlin's art gala-which was amazing. Merlin's art really was a thing of beauty. She understood why he was such a world renowned artist. And everyone there was perfectly lovely and friendly. Arthur looked particularly dashing. His golden hair gleamed in the lighting, and his diamond cufflinks did not go unnoticed by herself. He, in short, looked absolutely amazing-he cleaned up very nicely. She was actually beginning to regret-almost-bringing Lance. He looked handsome enough, but Arthur was something else. Gwen chalked it up to simply being used to seeing her man looking like her own prince charming. But deep down she knew that something was different. The evening was spent in fantastic conversation with the blue-eyed man, who once again proved his reputation wrong. By the end of the night Gwen saw why he was so far winning the election, despite the press' penchant for reporting negative things about the young Pendragon.

November/December-Second Week of Knowing Arthur

The beginning of the week had started off well. She had gotten a few texts from Arthur, and they quickly became texting friends. It still amazed her how much they had in common. They usually went something along these lines:

HEY :) –Pendragon

HEY :) –Gwen

HOW R U? –Pendragon

FINE THX. AND U? –Gwen

GREAT. WHATS NEW? –Pendragon

And then she would begin telling Arthur was indeed was "new". It was nice to know that there was someone every morning who would ask how she was doing. It wasn't like Lance never did that, but it was different with Arthur. He didn't mind "wasting his day away", so to speak, by talking with her.

However, by the end of the week Gwen had fallen ill. It had pained her to call Arthur to help her back on her feet, but she really had no choice. She was amazed to learn his prowess at taking care of people who were sick. When she felt better, she profusely thanked Arthur as he went on his way out the door. She had thought that would be the end of it. However, he did not stop texting her every half hour to check-up on her, see if she was feeling worse, etc. When she was little, she had always promised herself that one thing her husband HAD to have was the ability to take care of the sick, or infirm. Lance was an amazing man, but he most definitely did not have that skill.

December-Third Week of Knowing Arthur

Since the luncheon the very first week they had met, Arthur had been trying to get Gwen to call him by his first name. Yet she still maintained the belief that it was more respectful to go along with titles, and had a difficult time calling him "Arthur". She had used it several times before, but only on special occasions (and one of them she was practically delirious when she had said it). Yet by the second week of December, it was official. No longer could she pretend that he was only "Mr. Pendragon, opponent of Lance in the Prime Minister elections". Instead, he was "Arthur", the man who was quickly becoming one of the best friends she had ever had.

She and Arthur were able to hang out together a few times throughout the week. Mainly during times Lance had an interview on the other side of the city (Gwen still couldn't shake the feeling that Lance probably wouldn't approve of her "fraternizing with the enemy"). However, they had to be careful. If the press received wind that she and Arthur were together things would get ugly. Not only would it be seen as a betrayal politically to Lance (who was obviously opposed to Arthur), but also personally. She was still his girl, after all.

Each time they hung out, Gwen found herself liking them more and more. Merlin was a riot-always optimistic, and ready with a quip against Arthur. He was a caring man, who always seemed to know everyone on the street (there wasn't a single hour in which he stopped and talked with someone he knew). Also, he was always open-minded and up for anything. He was a perfect foil to Arthur's rather coarser nature. Yet Arthur wasn't that way with her. With Gwen, he was gentler, kinder, and generally more pleasant to be around (according to Merlin). She didn't know how Arthur was without her, but she was beginning to deny most of the stories of the press about him.

Arthur was constantly proving his media image wrong, and she wondered how he came about it. In fact, she decided to ask him about how it occurred at the end of the week.

They were at Arthur's house-just the two of them, for a change of pace. Elyan was away that week on vacation with Percival and Leon in Italy. Gwen was happy that he was having a change of scenery, but felt lonely without him in the house. She said something to that affect to Arthur on Saturday, and he immediately invited her over. He said that Merlin was out doing something or other, and the people who worked on the mansion were having a day off. She agreed, and before she knew it she found herself drinking tea at his kitchen table. It was lovely, just the two of them. They talked about many things before Gwen finally braced herself, and initiated the conversation she had been dying to know.

"Arthur, may I ask you something-it's a little personal," Gwen said as the precursor to her question.

"Of course, what is it?" Arthur said, setting his mug down. He looked at her seriously, and held her eye contact.

"Well," Gwen squirmed a little, "I was wondering-uh-you know how your reputation is, well, not so-um-great in the papers? I was wondering how that got about. I mean, it's not that I think you're like that at all! Because that's why I'm asking-I mean-you don't seem like the person they portray at all. Yet every story must have an ounce of truth in it?"

Arthur sighed. He hoped to avoid this question, yet he knew it was only a matter of time. He never wanted to lie to Gwen, though. He could tell that he was falling fast for her, and no relationship was built upon lying. So he decided to tell her the truth.

"Well, my father, Uther, he was never the most caring man in the world. My mother died when I was younger, and the only one who was with me was Morgana. I was older than her, though, so I was the one who had to raise her. It wasn't like we didn't have someone to 'raise us', so to speak. My father always left plenty of nannies. However, they indulged me on almost everything I wanted. It was probably what led to my foul temper. Eventually, I grew up, but I wasn't exactly the man my father was hoping for. I was a spoiled prat, who was also a bit of a womanizer. I was young, and I wanted to try new things. Most mistakes and experiences made in adolescence are forgiven by society. However, when you are the son of the famous Uther Pendragon it doesn't work out that nicely. You're always supposed to be perfectly poised-something Morgana didn't have as much as a problem with. That's what got my image originally ruined. I never had a shot before I went out the door, really.

"Eventually, well the story about my dad's death, and my sister isn't exactly a secret, but that's what changed me. Dealing with it all-I just realized it was time to grow up. Merlin-I know I couldn't have done it without him. He was my support for a long time. I know that he still is-and he never asks for anything in return. I don't know if I'll ever be able to help him in the way he's helped me.

"Anyways, after my change, the 'bad boy' image stuck. It's a money spinner if nothing else, although people don't believe it as much as the press think they do. Thank goodness for that, otherwise I wouldn't have a shot at this election!" Arthur concluded.

At the end of his story, Gwen felt sorry for Arthur. It was obvious that although he skimmed over most of the details, it still hurt to talk about. In fact, it looked like-aside from Merlin-this was the most anyone would know. She wanted to tell him just how much she appreciated the fact that he opened up to her, but a simple "thank you" didn't seem like enough.

"Arthur," she began, "Thank you for opening up to me."

She smiled, and squeezed Arthur's hand affectionately.

"So what about you, then? You know everything about my past now. Who IS Guinevere Leodegrance?" Arthur changed the subject.

"Well, there's not much to little old me, honestly," Gwen said, "I've lived in England my entire life. I wouldn't change where I live for anything in the world. I guess you could say that I was born into a poor family. We lived on welfare for a long time. My mother died when I was three. She contracted breast cancer. We were too poor to afford the check-up bill, let alone any type of treatment. So she died pretty quickly after that. My father hung on for a long while afterwards. He worked as a carpenter for many years until he became too old to do so anymore. He eventually switched to working as a mechanic-which is what started my brother's interest in the profession. He died a few years ago-he was in a car accident. Elyan's the only one I've got, and he helps me pay the rent. We had to work hard to get a good education, and my father was happy to see the fruits of his-and our mother's-labor."

Arthur wasn't sure what to say in response to Gwen's answer. He knew that she was a successful lawyer, and that her brother lived with her, but that was about it. She was so well put together, had such a great profession, Arthur was surprised to know about her history. 'Although,' he thought, 'You really can never judge a book by its cover.'

They drank their tea in silence for a few moments, collecting their thoughts. Eventually, Gwen broke the silence, and stillness, with her departure for home.

The next day, Arthur decided to call her. He kept calling, but she decided not to answer. She was busy, and didn't have time for him. On top of that, she really didn't want to investigate her feelings pertaining to the man. She had a feeling that Lance (and Elyan) would somehow not approve. Eventually, though, she answered and plans for chatting in a café were made.

December-Fourth Week of Knowing Arthur

Gwen was beginning to have a hard time finding a reason to not be with Arthur as the weeks went on. She knew that they were beginning to be great friends, but more than friends? She wasn't so sure. She couldn't be sure. She thought she loved Lance, but Arthur's presence had this knack of always getting in the way of her feelings for Lance. She wasn't sure what it was about him that was so compelling, but whatever it was bode no good tidings for Lance.

And sure enough, later that week she told one of the people she cared for most in the entire world the worst answer you could ever give someone to the question: No. She wasn't even sure what had exactly compelled her to do it (aside from the self-doubt). Yet here she was, looking foolish-and like an idiot, rejecting one of the best people in her life.

-End Flashback-

Gwen didn't believe in love at first sight, but now she wasn't so sure. Everything about Arthur practically screamed it. But she was still confused. It wasn't like Arthur wasn't a good man, he really was. It was more concern over preserving Lancelot's dignity and their own special relationship in a special place in her heart. She didn't want Lance to think the past two years together had been rubbish. Nor did she want to lose the memories associated with them.

Thus, Gwen's emotional state was clear. She was confused whether or not to name her and Arthur as friends or more, or if it was too soon after Lance to even be considering that . So when she found out that her court trial required the services of Arthur Pendragon-and Arthur Pendragon only-she wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Yet she knew that she had to be strong-even if she hadn't sorted out all of her priorities, she wasn't sure if she ever would.

So she called him, yet made sure to keep her voice as devoid of emotion as possible. She wasn't sure how the case would go over between them. It would either be really bad or really good (somehow, though, she couldn't escape the remembrance of how cases brought herself and Lance together). But whichever it would end up being, she wanted to prepare herself for the case and confrontation the next day.

To be continued