Author's Note : I got this done just in time for Christmas. Hope you enjoy it and don't worry about the other characters of Merlin. I will get around to them.
Chapter Five
It was Christmastime and Arthur and Gwen had plans to spend it with her family in Boston. They had taken a train up to the city and hailed a cab at the station to take them to Gwen's former childhood home. There was only one tiny drawback in the Christmas plans. Gwen's family only knew Arthur by letter and email. In the whole of their one and a half year relationship, she had never sent them a picture of Arthur or told anyone that he was white. Her father had told her about buying the house on an impulse after realizing that he had never met her fiance. The Christmas plans were then made up with Arthur accompanying Gwen to Boston to meet the family. The whole family. It was going to be interesting. Arthur's fingers were tap dancing on his leg before Gwen finally took his hand with hers and gave it a squeeze. "Penny for your thoughts."
"How could you not tell them I was white?" he asked.
"It never occurred to me to do it," she said. "Race was never a subject in my family. In fact, they loved Lance until he broke my heart and started stalking me," she said. "Daddy is now a little hesitant about me dating white guys."
"Which is why you haven't told them about me being white?" he asked.
"It shouldn't matter whether you're black or white," she said. "They should just be happy that I'm happy."
"Are you happy?" he asked.
"I wouldn't have said yes if I wasn't," she said and kissed his softly. She went to pull away, but Arthur wasn't having it and followed her. Gwen giggled at her fiance's antics and allowed him to deepen the kiss. The driver of the taxi glanced in the mirror before chuckling although there was some jealousy that this white boy got a hold of Mr. Rylee's beautiful daughter. Arthur and Gwen pulled apart as the taxi turned onto the street Gwen grew up on. "I don't want you to worry about anything," she said patting his leg. "They love you for who you are, not the color of your skin."
"Thanks," he said. "I needed that." Gwen kissed Arthur on the cheek as they pulled onto the driveway of a big house. "Wow," he said. "And I thought Uncle T's house in Georgetown was huge." Gwen giggled as she got out of the cab to see her father and stepmother coming out of the house.
"I'll help you with the bags, sir," the driver said.
"Thanks," Arthur said. He and the driver unloaded the trunk as Gwen ran up to her father.
"Daddy!" she shouted launching herself into her father's arms.
"Oh, my little girl," Thomas said. They continued to hug as the taxi driver came up to them and placed some bags next to them. "And this must be Arthur," he said letting go of Gwen. "Thomas Rylee, wonderful to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too, but I'm .." the taxi driver said as Arthur came up with the remainder of the bags.
"Daddy, that's .." Gwen started to say.
"Just leave the bags on the doorstep my good man," Thomas said. "Little overdressed for a taxi driver aren't you?"
"That's cause I'm not the taxi driver," Arthur said putting up his sunglasses. Camille, Gwen's stepmother, held in her laugh as Thomas took it all in.
"Daddy," Gwen said coming up next to Arthur, taking his hand with hers. "This is Arthur," she said.
"What?" Thomas asked.
"Thank you," Arthur said to the taxi driver paying their toll.
"Good luck, man," he said taking the money and headed back to his cab. Thomas looked as though he still hadn't processed what his daughter had said.
"This is Arthur?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "Arthur, this is my father, Thomas Rylee and my stepmother, Camille," Gwen said.
"It's nice to finally meet you," he said.
"And you," Camille said getting in front of her still silent husband, "since you are marrying Gwen, I think it's only fair that we go meet you." She gave Gwen a motherly hug and kissed Arthur on the cheek before elbowing Thomas out of his silent stupor. "Thomas, aren't you going to greet your daughter's fiance?"
"Oh, yes, sorry," he said. "Thomas Rylee," he said again this time extending his hand to Arthur.
"Arthur Pendragon," he said causing Camille to raise her eyebrows at Gwen who just shrugged.
"Like the legend?"
"Yes," Arthur said.
"Let's get inside before we all freeze," Camille said and everyone grabbed some bags. Inside it was warm and cozy and several of Gwen's relatives were standing in the hallway. "Everyone, this is Arthur," Camille said and everyone started to look at Thomas for a reaction.
"Why don't Arthur and I get settled?" Gwen asked.
"We have your old room set up," Camille said. "You two can ..."
"No, absolutely not," Thomas said. "Arthur can sleep in the guest room," he said.
"Dear, your parents will be in that room when they arrive tomorrow," Camille reminded him.
"Arthur and I live together, Daddy," Gwen said. "Where do you think we sleep?" Gwen grabbed Arthur's hand and took him up the stairs to her old room and once they were all out of ear shot, the family started to gossip.
"Sorry about that," Gwen said once they were in the safety of her old room.
"It's all right," he said putting the bags he had down. "Good thing he didn't see this yet," he added pulling up his shirt to reveal his service weapon.
"I thought you were on vacation?" she asked.
"I am, but SOP …" he started.
"Oh, right," she said.
"Is there somewhere I can hide this?" he asked taking the Sig off his side. "I don't want your younger cousins to find it."
"In here," she said opening her closet. She opened a drawer and removed some old clothes of hers and Arthur placed his gun into the drawer and then she placed the clothes on top and closed the drawer. "My secret hiding place." He chuckled as he went back to his suitcase and opened it to get out his toiletries. "You will be interrogated at supper tonight, no doubt."
"I have no doubt about that," he said taking out his toiletry bag and headed into the bathroom. "You had your own bathroom growing up?" he asked.
"My very own," she said with a smile and he chuckled as he placed his small bag onto the sink.
Meanwhile downstairs …....
Gwen's aunt, Sarah, was a tad livid. "How could she not tell us he was white?" she asked Thomas.
"I don't know," her brother said.
"Perhaps she thought we wouldn't mind," Camille said.
"You remember what happened with her last white boyfriend, Lance?" Sarah said. "He cheated on her with a former girlfriend and then started stalking her when she began to move on."
"From what I hear, Arthur's helping her deal with Lance," Melissa, Gwen's cousin of the same age, said. "He a prince charming, if you'll pardon the pun. I don't mind him being white."
"Neither do I," Camille said. "In fact, he's quite handsome."
"Do you think he really cares for her?" Thomas asked.
"She didn't get this far with that Lance character," Sarah said. "She's living with Arthur and well into wedding plans with him. When is the wedding by the way?"
"Late summer," Camille said, "and it'll be down in Maryland or Virginia,"she added. "I think Gwen mentioned something about Mt. Vernon."
"Really?" Thomas asked. "That's a nice venue." There was some footsteps on the stairs and everyone stopped talking as Gwen and Arthur walked into the living room.
"Yeah, that doesn't make me paranoid,"Arthur muttered getting an elbow in the gut from Gwen. "Oh!, Hey, I get enough of that from Agatha."
"Who do you think taught me it," she said.
"All right, no more hanging around my partner." Gwen chuckled as she pulled Arthur further into the living room.
"Dinner will be done shortly," Camille said. "Arthur, would you like something to drink?"
"Some iced tea, if you have it," he said. Gwen sat Arthur down on the couch and he found a little girl sitting next to him.
"This is Jasmine," Melissa said. "She's mine."
"She's very cute," Arthur said causing the little girl to hide behind her mother.
"What's that on your belt?" Jasmine asked.
"That's my badge," Arthur said. He unhooked it from his belt and handed it to Jasmine for her to look at it. "I'm a cop."
"That's right," Sarah said. "You're with NCIS."
"That's right," Arthur said.
"Do you like it there?"
"I love it," he said. "Best job in the world." Gwen smiled as she came back into the living room with an iced tea for him. "Thanks, love," he said taking it as she sat down.
"All right, girl," Melissa said. "Let's see that rock." Gwen sighed before extending her hand for Melissa to see her engagement ring. "Oh, wow," she said. "That is a beauty." Camille and Sarah got closer to look at it.
"It's beautiful," Sarah said. "It looks like an antique."
"I had grandparents who were married for sixty five years with that ring," Arthur said. "My mum was hoping it would bring me and Gwen some luck."
"Sixty five years?" Thomas asked. "That's a lot of luck," he said causing Arthur to smile.
Dinnertime soon approached and it passed by with questions about their relationship, the house and their jobs. The next day, Arthur met Gwen's grandparents who loved him from the start and then the real test came. Christmas Eve arrived and with it, the rest of the family for the big dinner. Arthur was dragged around by Gwen being introduced to every relative. He was sure he wasn't going to remember anyone. He was exhausted by the end of the evening. Thomas was still unsure about Arthur until Gwen got a phone call during the dinner.
Gwen groaned seeing caller ID had identified Lance as the caller. "I thought you changed your number," Arthur said.
"I did," she said.
"Who is it Gwen?" Thomas asked.
"Lance," she said causing everyone at the table to stop conversing.
"Give it here," Arthur said holding his hand out for the phone.
"Don't say anything stupid," she said.
"Would I do that?" he asked as she handed him the phone. He excused himself from the table and headed into the hallway. He opened the phone and cleared his throat.
"Gwen?"
"Is there a reason you're calling?" Arthur asked.
"Oh, it's you," Lance said. "I want to talk to Gwen."
"You can't," Arthur said. "She's with family on Christmas which is where you should be instead of on the phone calling your ex."
"Look, I want to ..."
"What is it going to take to get you to leave her alone?" Arthur asked. "You've been badgering her ever since she started seeing me. Is it because you think the two of you are made for each? Or because your mother likes the Arthurian legends so much she's got you believing that you are really Lancelot?"
"Hey, you leave my mother out of this," Lancelot said.
"Stop calling her before I do something I'll regret," Arthur said and he hung up the phone. He turned it off and looked up to see Thomas.
"How bad is the stalking?" Thomas asked. "I've asked her numerous times and she's says it's nothing she can't handle."
"Well, moving into the new house didn't do any good," Arthur said. "I saw him outside it a few weeks ago."
"Damn," Thomas cursed. "That boy has been nothing but trouble since she met him." Arthur remained quiet as Thomas paced the hallway. "Isn't there something you can do?' he asked.
"I am doing it," he said. "I'm being there for her. Lance hasn't really done anything that can be done legally," Arthur said trying to remember what the Legal Department told him. "Gwen told me she already filed a restraining order, but it was temporary and she couldn't get a permanent one. He has to turn physically violent in order for something to happen."
"I know," Thomas said. "I tried to help her in any way I can." He stopped in front of Arthur and looked him in the eye. "I wasn't happy at first," he said, "you being white. You understand why I was hesitant at first."
"Last white guy hurt your daughter. I understand, sir," Arthur said. "I would never do that to Gwen. I love her too much."
"I understand as well," Thomas said. "Take care of my daughter, Arthur," he said.
"I will, sir," he said. "I promise." Thomas chuckled as he put an arm around Arthur and they walked back to the dinner. Things would be much easier from now on.
