Author's Note: Thanks for all the favourites, favourites, comments etc. so far. It is much appreciated. This is the final part to the Pendragon's Big Plan. In this concluding chapter to the trilogy, Arthur and his cohorts only have a matter of time to return to Gaius' house, where the procedure of trying to heal Merlin is taking place, going on an incredibly slow path. Arthur also confesses his father's actions to Merlin. Merlin in return has a proposition for Arthur.

Although an oxygen mask had covered his face, giving him extra support to continue to live, Merlin was out and unresponsive. Morgana observed the steady rise and fall of his chest, his body temperature slightly cooling, as she continued to wring the flannel over the dish, soak it in water, changing it every fifteen minutes to fresh produce from the tap, and gradually nurse him back to health.

On the other side of town, Mordred, had made it out of the building without injury and pain. Arthur and Nimueh, on the other hand, weren't as lucky. As the foreign words were recited, Arthur scooped the frail Nimueh into his arms, and made the run for it, Nimueh withdrawing her hand once the spell had been fully recited. Running for safety, Arthur and Nimueh barely made it out of the building, as the explosion carried them down into the grass from the force.

The explosion could be heard from miles off. Uther, Catrina and the Essington's had taken to the front room that evening to embark on recalling tales from the past, a box of after eight's and a tea pot with milk and sugar on a tray stood on the coffee table. The heat of the explosion could be instantly felt, as well as the noise. One of the top windows from the front room shattered into small fragments, Catrina directly standing at the motion.

Vivian, the blundering creature she was, screamed and sprinted straight for the piano at the other side of the room. "What was that!"

Rupert, the braver of the three, dodged his way between the glass, as Catrina took to the kitchen for a dust pan and brush to clear the mess, and opened the front door. His scurried down the path until out on the street, many other folk joining him from their houses, all wondering what had occurred.

"By jove!" Rupert started as he returned to the door step, raising his voice so all could hear. "Uther, your factory is up in flames!"

"By gods! Don't be ridiculous!" To prove a point, Rupert lifted Uther - who was still unable to walk - and carried him out into the street, some women giving crude looks, some sympathising with them.

Noticing the rising heat of the flames engulfing the factory, "My work! Everything I've lived for! But how?"

"Who knows. Maybe a fault, maybe an arson attack."

"Call the police. I want a full investigation into this."

"Arthur!" Mordred shouted as they all went down, Arthur and Nimueh lucky to escape. Mordred crawled over to the pair, burns covering their bodies. "Guys! I'm going to need some help!"

Mordred carrying Nimueh, and Percival carrying Arthur, Gwen recieved another text from Morgana, insructing them to quietly enter. Gwen replied that both Nimueh and Arthur had burns on them from escaping the building, and Mordred was suffering from shock, and all needed treating. Gingerly entering, Edwin continued making the antedote for the victims as Gaius opened up the other rooms of his house to provide extra space for the two extra victims.

"Morgana, fetch me the orange box from under the kitchen sink." Morgana did as told, and then dealt with the team. "Right, all who are sorcerers, reside to the front room for now. As for the rest of you, thank you for your help, and we shall meet again." Until Arthur, Mordred and Nimueh were treated, no other could be dealt with, so all the sorcerers would have to wait.

As Arthur was led up the stairs and into a room to be checked over and dealt with, one question repeated several times came from Arthur, wincing in pain. "How is Merlin?"

Finally, he was addressed. "He's downstairs resting."

"Morgana, is he well? Please tell me he is well."

"He's..." Morgana turned to Gaius, who was quietly attending to Arthur, who stared back at Morgana. "Gaius, shall I tell him?"

Gaius was cleaning up the wounds, Morgana fetching the correct bandages and taping it to the unaffected skin using micropore. Given a glass of water and some painkillers, Arthur knocked them down his throat, and continued to be nursed by his sister. "Tell me what?"

"Yes, I think you should."

"Arthur, Merlin's still alive, but he's fallen into a coma. We don't know how long he'll be in this coma, we're hoping not that long." Hearing the words, Arthur tried to leave the room, but fell back onto the mattress as soon as he moved, wincing in pain from the sudden pull where the burns had not been properly attended to.

"Can I see him? I need to be with him."

Gaius solemnly answered. "Once we've got you patched up."

In next of no time, Arthur had sterile patches coated across him, which would need to be replaced every two days in order for fast recovery. His t-shirt from earlier was of no use, and would need discarding. Leaving the bed for the next patient to be dealt with, which was Gilli, because he was the weakest of the sorcerers, Morgana aided Arthur back down the stairs, and in to meet Merlin.

Merlin, as before, hadn't moved an inch, his breathing back to normal. Sitting in the chair next to the bed, Arthur took Merlin's cold hand into his own, and silently wept, waiting for the other to awake. "Merlin?"

No response.

"Merlin, hun, don't die on me please. I love you Merlin, and we have so much more to do together." Arthur leaned down and kissed Merlin's forehead, followed by cheek and finally lips.

Falling asleep in the chair, Arthur never took note of how late it was, until he was woken from a quiet whisper.

"Arthur..."

Immediately, remembering where he were, Arthur eyes jolted open, noticing the small figure beside him. He was met with a calm, secluded Merlin. Slightly twitching, Merlin's limbs began to move about, reawakening to reality, a little moan escaping his lips. "Arthur..." Arthur reached a hand out to stroke Merlin's hair back, as two eyelids flickered open slightly. "Merlin..."

Merlin's voice was quite rasped, and so only managed to breathe out, giving a small grin afterwards, "Arthur... I'm alive."

"I know..."

"You came back..."

"I told you I'd be here when you woke."

Merlin noticed the burns across his face, and the dressings across his body, grin dropping, a frown replacing. "Arthur... You're hurt!"

"I don't care. If it meant saving every sorcerer, and more imporantly, you, it was worth it."

"You'd hurt yourself just to be with me?"

"I'd die for you." Unable to fight the resistance, Arthur jumped out of the chair, and leaned down to kiss Merlin, Merlin reaching up to meet half-way, his weak left arm reaching behind Arthur to pull him down into the bed. Slipping his trainers off, Arthur pulled the covers across and slipped in, regardless of whether the bed did not fit two people. Easing him gently into the bed, Merlin allowed Arthur, who was clearly more hurt than Merlin was, to rest his head on him, as Merlin stroked the blond strands of hair.

"No Merlin..." Arthur started as he pulled away, having a little regret in him. "I can't do this."

Merlin leaned up in shock as Arthur edged to the foot of the bed, cowering away. Merlin kneeled up from his position and crawled to Arthur, protectively, but softly, wrapping his arms around the blond, leaning his head near, but not entirely, on Arthur's shoulder. "Arthur, what's wrong?"

Arthur felt guilty over his father's words, that he was expected to marry Vivian at an earlier date, and felt that by being forced to marry her, he was continuing to hurt Merlin, and he couldn't allow that to happen, regardless of how much he loved Merlin. The best thing was to tell Merlin.

Arthur turned to face Merlin, resisting to lean into the touch, but his brain was defeated over contact, thus leaning into him. "You don't deserve this. You've done nothing wrong, but I can't hurt you like this."

Merlin patted a hand down Arthur, stroking down the one side of his body, as he showered him with delicate kisses. "Arthur, tell me. If something's troubling you then tell me dear."

"I'm leaving Merlin."

"Leaving, where?"

"I'm to be transferred within a couple of weeks. I'm to attend a special school over in Mercia until father thinks I'm cured from my advances towards men, and then to be trained at home. I'm to make no contact with you. He doesn't even know I'm here, or of the plan, or I'm with you right now."

"You can't cure your desires on sexuality Arthur. He needs to understand that if you like men then you do, and that's that. He should appreciate the fact that you actually love someone."

"Exactly!" Arthur then went silent, knowing not all had been told, but soon would be.

"Arthur? There's more to it isn't there?"

"I'm to marry Vivian much earlier as well. Early December to be exact. I know that's less than three months, and I've tried to tell dad. But he won't listen to me. I won't even be able to write to you when I'm gone."

Merlin had also kept something from Arthur, and since Arthur was being the better man and admitting the truth, Merlin would do also. "I'm to leave college as well, after the new year. I'm moving back to Northern Ireland. Mother can't live here anymore without father, and it pains her. It's killing her."

"I understand. Your mother has been very close to the area through your father."

"You know, you could write to me through, using Gaius' address. I'm sure he'll understand."

"That wouldn't be fair though Merlin, and it would hurt me even more, as it would with you."

Merlin had the sudden urge to bring Arthur with him, knowing that this could be the final moment between them, and Merlin was in no position to lose the only happiness his had. "Come with us Arthur."

"Come with you, and Hunith, to live in Northern Ireland? I can't."

"Yes you can, you're eighteen next month, and therefore it's your own motives, not your father's. Live with me, we can finish our A-Levels and then go to university together. No one can stop us, and I asure you mother won't."

"Are you certain? Me and you, living together?"

"I've never been certain of anything else. I want you Arthur, and nothing else."

"Well, as long as your mother agrees to it, then yes, I'll live with you."

It was these heart-to-heart moments that they enjoyed the most. Although sometimes painful, other times sweet and full of happiness, knowing that they could only confide in each other and that they trusted one another was all they needed to know that they loved each other, and it was only them they wanted to be with.

Crawling back up the bed so that Merlin could lie down in the bed, Arthur followed, resting against Merlin, brushing their cheeks each other. Switching off the light, Arthur whispered as he raised himself on an elbow, "I still have no intention of marrying Vivian."

"I know, but don't worry. I'll sort that out."

"What's your plan?"

"You'll see."

"Tell me Merlin."

"I can't. It'd spoil it. You'll find out soon enough though. I'm going to end this between you two." It would be Merlin who raised up and kissed Arthur, short but sweet. "I love you Arthur."

"As do I, get some rest." Arthur sank back into Merlin, as they lay back down in the bed, and slept in each other's arms, Arthur knowing that these moments were running out.

Back in Camelot, Uther and everyone at the Pendragon's slept, all soon being awake the next morning, as Catrina turned the news on, the headlines focusing on the blaze from the night before. The telephone rung at nine that morning, Gaius on the other end, phoning to say that Morgana and Arthur were at his, and although Morgana was safe, Arthur was injured from the flames.

Catrina drove out to pick up the pair, both sitting in the back of the car on the journey home. "What have I told you about injuring yourself Arthur?"

"Sorry, but I was protecting Nimueh from dying."

"Who?"

"Another sorceress. That's how we had to destroy the source."

"You found it then?"

"Yes."

"You do realise that your father is in a horrible state, knowing his career is well and truly over, thanks to you, not that he knows that part."

"I know. I know people are going to ask questions. Oh, and Gaius will attending to Morgana and me every few days, to check on Morgana's recovery from magic theft and to replace my bandages and dressings."

"I understand."

In fact, Gaius was playing the role of Doctor to many, his house becoming a mini hospital for the sorcerers conflicted with Uther's cruel pendants. Treating Merlin first, Morgana had overcome her batch of queasiness earlier that morning, one of the last to be taken care of. The pendant had been removed, and she'd been given a bottle of the antedote, which was prescribed to her, Gaius explaining the procedure to Catrina. Phoning everyone else's parents to collect them, Gaius found himself in a free house, but was using his bicycle to pay all his patients visits to fully treat them, which within two weeks, everyone should be cured.

As for Arthur being treated from his burns over the time before returning to college, Vivian stayed behind, playing the role of nurse, as Rupert departed the Pendragon household to return to work. Uther thought it was a grand gesture, the wife-to-be performing her duties to her loved one. Arthur, on the other hand, couldn't stand it. Being left in his room for the majority of the day, which was already a bore by the second day in, every time Vivian entered made things much worse. Arthur would shift himself to face the other side of the bed to make sure he didn't catch Vivian's face. Her voice was bad enough.

Arthur could easily, well almost, take care of himself, Morgana could help out with the things Arthur couldn't do himself. He could roam around without help, but Vivian insisted that he ought to stay in bed until he needed to attend college, or that she left to go to back to wherever she came from, Arthur had forgotten, as nearly as every other detail of her. Simply, there was no need for Vivian to be here, ever.

Vivian came in on the late afternoon, bringing up some soup she'd poorly prepared. Doesn't that school teach her anything? Arthur himself, could easily admit, that he was a rubbish cook, but even he could heat some soup over the hob in a saucepan. Vivian spoke in a sing-song style, closing the door behind her. "Arthur, how are you feeling?"

In his mind, the answer would have been 'Fine, until you came in', but ought to keep that to himself, and just so replied with 'Fine thank you.'

Vivan trotted over in her heels to the other side, placing the tray of soup on his desk, and came over to the bed, Arthur knowing he couldn't escape. It was torture, so when he had to meet her face, he pretended that it was Merlin in the room. "Thank you for the soup," was all Arthur could say.

"My pleasure dear." Vivian dropped to her knees, and stroked Arthur's hair. Her sharp nails dug uncomfortably into Arthur's skull, and gritted his teeth. Why did he have to marry her of all people?

"Now get well soon honey. Need you well for our wedding." Arthur, still imagined that it was Merlin saying these words, wondered what it would be like to marry Merlin instead of Vivian, and found that thought much more heart-warming, his stomach doing flip-flops. Vivian kissed Arthur as she departed the room, a gigantic smile plastered onto Arthur's face as he thought of Merlin mirroring her actions.

The lovestruck Vivian, went downstairs to sit with Uther.

"How is he?" Senior Pendragon would ask.

"He's fine. He loves me for sure."

"We all know he loves you," Morgana lied, keeping her thoughts under control, who was on the sofa relaxing.

"Yes, but when I kissed him, his face was wide with a grin."

"That's good then." Morgana thought in her head 'he was probably thinking of Merlin.'

Of course part of this was correct, Arthur's face was with a grin after she kissed him, but the image of Vivian was actually Merlin nursing him, all pale skin, plump rosy lips and black stick-up-everywhere hair brushing against him. Arthur was never going to be cured, as long as Merlin was in his life and Arthur could help it.

Having no job to attend, Uther would continue to work from home, dealing with scouts-related things. Two weeks later, everyone was back in college for their second year. Merlin felt right as rain again, and the burns were slowly healing on Arthur. Arthur couldn't take part in any physical activity until the skin properly healed up, but could undertake his other classes, as well as the theory side to his Sports Studies A-Level.

Only texting between the time kept them bonded, and Vivan paid regular visits to the house, so Merlin was unable to see Arthur often. The first contact they had was when Merlin was back in the gymastics centre during the lunch period one particular Thursday afternoon, preparing for his charity event, which none knew of. Arthur dropped his bag by the music player, and made his way over to the pole, where Merlin was practising. With Merlin high in the air, Arthur gazed seductively at his lover. "Hey sexy! Working your magic?"

"Ah Arthur, don't spoil it. I'm just rehearsing. You'll get to see it later."

"Later?" Arthur asked suggestively.

"Yeah, I've got a charity event coming up in two weeks. It's on a Saturday night." Merlin jumped down from the pole, and went to his bag, showing him the flyer and flirtatiously winked. "I'm hoping you can come?"

"I should find a way to come, if it means seeing you being awesome."

Merlin handed the flyer over, which Arthur pocketed, and gave Arthur a slight shove, knowing not to hurt the bandaged up burns. "Hey, I'm awesome anyway."

Arthur pulled Merlin in so that they were pressed up together, Arhtur's hand slipped down to Merlin's arse, rubbing circles into the cheeks over his tight lycra leggings. Arthur breathed hot into Merlin's ear, before suckling Merlin's earlobe, grazing slightly with his teeth, before leaving it unattended with a lick. "I know you're awesome Merlin. Gorgeous, luscious, hot and sexy. Just the way I like it."

"Arthur, we can't here," Merlin yelped, gasped and moaned as kisses were planted on him everywhere, Arthur going crazy over his body, tasting anywhere he could.

"Why not? It's just us, all alone." Arthur ran a finger down his chest, circles continued to being rubbed into him, as he wedged a knee between Merlin's thighs, Merlin's hands working across hair, shoulders and arms, as he threw himself back against the pole, eyes fluttering shut.

"Oh gods Arthur! No, I'm serious. We can't! Someone will see us!"

Merlin of course, no matter how much he objected, gave in. "Lean against the pole for support." With the middle finger close to Merlin's lips, Merlin stretched and somehow managed to sink Arthur's finger inside his mouth, sucking and licking at the digits on his finger, as a hand came south of Arthur, noticing under darkened lashes Arthur's obvious growing errection, as a hand began to undo his jeans button, pull the zip down and stroke. "Merlin," Arthur gasped, "oh Merlin." Merlin backed into the pole, Arthur pressing him in, leaning into Merlin's touch, as he went to lift Merlin's lycra top off, Merlin returning to Arthur's member soon after, hands roaming at each muscle found on Merlin's body.

Just then, the sports teacher Patrick walked in on the pair. Patrick coughed, causing both to jump and turn, hands letting go of each other, both focusing on the elder. "Merlin, I allow here to come and practise, not for you to have moments with your boyfriend."

"Sorry Sir."

"I should think so. If you don't keep this out of here then I'm reporting both of you to your parents."

Arthur grew cold and worried at that, "Please Patrick, don't report this to my father. He'll have my guts for garters."

"Don't let me catch you again." Patrick stared at his watch. He initially turned to warn Merlin of the time, that he should be heading off to class, and that Patrick had a class of his own in here after the lunch break had ended. "Haven't you got class to attend Arthur?"

Arthur did himself back up, back turned to Patrick, having to attend to their heated moment later. He checked his watch, and noticed his lateness. He should have been there nearly five minutes ago. "Damn! See you around Merlin."

"Not if I see you first."

"Stop the flirting!"

"I'll text you later Merlin," and with that, Arthur slipped out of the door.