Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine.

Gwaine shook his head and sat up. He didn't know what he had hoped would happen by his remembering of the circumstances of their first reunion. Perhaps he had hoped that recalling the maturity and consideration with which they had both treated and concluded their meeting on that fateful night, before he knew of Gaius' death and before Merlin chose to take his vigil in the physician's chambers. Perhaps he had just hoped that taking the time to relive the conversation would give him enough time to cool down and face Merlin with as much maturity as he had before. After all, Merlin technically hadn't taken off and abandoned anyone yet. All that Gwaine had based his growing fury upon was the rumors dealt him by a fluttery manservant.

He shook his head again, still seated on Arthur's bed, and looked once more at Merlin, expecting to see on his face the same sincerity and earnestness that he'd worn when he'd first opened Arthur's door, the look that indicated that he was seeking pre-emptive softening on Gwaine's part, beginning the quest for forgiveness before he even started speaking.

Yet there was no more trace of earnestness on his face. The sincerity was still there, yes, still discernible, but what had been earnest had turned into urgent and all of Gwaine's childish remonstrance's disappeared from his mind immediately. He suddenly had the distinct impression that, whatever it was that was drawing Merlin away on his rumored flight from the citadel, it was more serious than a desire to scare Arthur by doing loops in the air on the back of a dragon or trying to retrieve his horse from where he had left her, choosing the speed of travel by dragon over horseback in his haste to return to Camelot to bid a final farewell to Gaius before the possibility was lost to him forever.

He also realized immediately that, not only were the rumors that had reached him completely true, they had failed to convey the seriousness of the matter. Merlin looked almost frightened under all of his urgency, anxious and fearful and eager to begin and full of dread for whatever it was that he was off to do at the same time, and so very determined that the gravity on his face was more pronounced than Gwaine had ever seen it. A chill ran down his back, and he became very glad that Merlin had come to see him.

It was therefore completely inadequate when he heard the first thing that Merlin had to say.

"Hi, Gwaine."

Gwaine waved his hand vaguely in front of him, as though he could brush away the feebleness of the forced casualness that Merlin was clearly trying to imbue in his voice.

"Merlin, what is it?"

Merlin spoke as though Gwaine had not given any response, and Gwaine had the impression that Merlin had had the forethought to think about what he needed to say before facing him. "I've been looking all over for you. I finally had to ask Gwen if she knew anything, and I'm glad that she did but now I'm afraid that she might have noticed that something was going wrong from how I was babbling and from the look on her face, she did, so I really need you to listen to me and help me and not ask too many questions right now because I need to be gone before anyone knows anything. Please."

Gwaine took half of a moment to absorb this. Merlin had some nerve, coming in and demanding Gwaine's help and demanding that he know nothing about it and demanding that he deceive the queen regarding what he was almost positive involved the disappearance both of Merlin and of her husband and demanding all of this after running off like an idiot the last time that he'd disappeared and how could he expect Gwaine to do all of this for him?

In the second half of that moment, Gwaine opened his mouth and said, "Tell me what you need me to do."

He stood up, strong and solid and determined and not at all doubtful.

Merlin smiled and began to speak.

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Okay, I know that this was crazy short, but I'm kind of excited about this chapter, and I might not be able to finish it today, so I thought that I would post what I have so far.

Reviews are always appreciated!