Next one – well, half of one because I've decided to upload this chapter in two parts, otherwise it would've have been really long.
Thank you for your reviews! It made me happy to know that a few people found Morgana exploding a mouse in a microwave funny, as that was the intention!
Oh, and those people who live in England may recognise an event I put in here from something that happened in 2011.
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit.
"Hunith thinks I'm pregnant."
Merlin stops packing clothes into a travel bag and looks to where she sits on the bed. "Since when?"
"Last night. I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs and we were talking and then she just said she 'knew' I was pregnant and there was no point denying it and she wouldn't let me say anything and then she was saying how she couldn't wait to become a grandmother and, and-" she'd planned every word so carefully in her head and no it was all coming out in a huge rush.
"Why didn't you tell her that you weren't?"
"I tried!" Morgana says desperately. "But she kept interrupting me!"
"Where is she now?"
"Out. Shopping or something, I don't know."
Merlin nods and continues shoving fabric into his bag. "We can tell her when she gets back, then."
"No!" She says quickly. "She'll hate me!"
Merlin shrugs. "Right, well I'll tell her then."
"But then she'll think I'm a coward!"
"Fine, we'll both tell her," he compromises.
"What? That's it?" She asks, unnerved by his calmness. Sometimes it annoyed her, his ability to stay level-headed in a situation when she'd just lose it and break something.
"Yeah, that's it," he says casually.
She sighs, still a bit unhappy with the decision. "Why are you packing now? You don't leave until tomorrow evening."
"I wanted to get ahead. So that I can spend the rest of today and tomorrow with you and my mother," Merlin explains, zipping up his suitcase and then going to sit next to Morgana.
She nudges him with her elbow. "You big softie."
"Yeah, well. Being soft never hurt anyone."
"I'm not complaining," Morgana informs him and brings her knees up so that she can lie down with her head resting in Merlin's lap. He starts running his fingers through her hair, untangling some of the dark strands. She turns onto her back to look up at him which prevents him from doing this, so he brushes the locks out of her face instead.
"What is it?" He asks her.
"What do you think I should apply for as a job?"
He lets his body fall back against the mattress and she moves her head up to rest on the softer skin of his stomach.
"A chef," he decides and they both laugh.
"Hmm, maybe not," Morgana disagrees, still giggling.
"I don't think it's a good idea that you go back to offices," Merlin thinks out loud. "What GCSEs did you get at school?"
"Oh God, um, English, Maths and Science were compulsory," she tells him. "I also did Business, German, Religious Studies and History."
"Pass them all?"
"Yep. With help from Gwen," Morgana says to the ceiling, becoming defensive at Merlin's sigh. "I was going through a rough patch!"
"A rough patch?" Merlin asks mockingly. "Like what?"
"I lost my father."
His hand comes up to smooth back her hair again. "I'm so sorry."
"It happened nine years ago. I'm over it," she says quickly.
"But you still miss him." It was more of a statement than a question.
"If I said everyday, then I'd be lying. But I do still miss him. I think you and him would've got on well," she says with a sad smile that Merlin couldn't see.
He frowns. "You've never said anything about this before."
"I did. You weren't really listening."
"How did he die?"
"Car accident," she says simply. "You know that massive one they had on the motorway? The one where the lorry crashed and they think it was because there was smoke from a fireworks display hanging over the road?" She stops and Merlin hums his agreement. "Well, he got caught up in that. He was in a taxi at the time-"
Merlin sits up suddenly and her head falls painfully back against his knees.
"Was that the one in 2004?" He asks her excitedly.
"Yeah, I guess so."
"On the 23rd of October?"
"How on Earth did you remember-"
He jumps to his feet and she falls to the floor, landing with a thud on the carpet.
She yells at him. "Merlin!"
"Oh, sorry," he helps her to her feet and hugs her tightly. "But that was the same one my father died in," he whispers.
Morgana pulls back and smiles, a wild look taking over her features. "Really?" She breathes.
He nods and pulls her into another bone-crushing embrace.
"Merlin... c-ould you let g-go now?" She manges to choke out and his arms drop back to his sides like there is ten times more gravity.
"Sorry," he grins sheepishly at her and her earlier resistance melts into a puddle of goo.
"No, it's okay, it's just, um, you know... I'm shocked," she says, mainly out of guilt. "The same crash? Maybe we've got it mixed up."
"The one near Taunton, right? Where the lorry exploded and about 60 people were injured?"
She blinks. "Maybe not, then."
"Can we talk about this later? Only it's that I've just heard the front door go and right now we have other things to discuss. With my mother," he reminds her and she groans. "Come on, it'll be fine."
...
"Here, let me help you," Morgana offers to take some of Hunith's bags out into the kitchen and then strains under the weight of just two of them. "What did you buy? These weigh a tonne!"
"Oh, Morgana!" Hunith rushes out and takes the bags from her. "Silly girl! You shouldn't be doing that in your condition!"
Morgana shoots Merlin an I-told-you-so look and he sighs.
"Mum, could you just, um," Merlin trails off as Hunith continues to unload what seemed like a limitless number of shopping bags.
"Just what?"
"Stop unpacking for a moment?"
"Yeah, give me a minute, then. I'll finish doing this lot and meet you in the living room," Hunith says, not really looking up.
"Okay, well, do you want me to help?"
"No, dear. You and Morgana go and sit down."
"Alright, then," Merlin agrees and takes Morgana by the hand and leads her towards the front of the house.
"She's going to hate me," Morgana repeats over and over again as the walk. She spots Aithusa perched at the bottom of the stairs and scoops her up, rubbing the fur for comfort.
"She won't, I promise! Stop worrying yourself about it. She'll probably just be a bit upset that you aren't pregnant," Merlin tries to reassure her, failing miserably.
"She will! She'll think I'm a, a -"
"Morgana, since when have you ever really cared about what people think of you?" Merlin asks, pulling her sit down on the sofa.
She pauses. "I haven't. But it's your mother. So it's different."
"What's different?" Hunith asks as she walks into the room with the kettle in her hand.
"Oh, nothing, we'll tell you in a minute," Morgana smiles sweetly at her. "Why have you got the kettle?"
Hunith holds it up. "Tea?"
"No, Mum, just stop faffing and sit down," Merlin instructs her and she does so, setting the kettle down at her feet.
"Alright. Come on, then, what did you want to tell me?"
"You seem to have gotten it into your head that Morgana is, well, pregnant," Merlin starts cautiously.
Hunith smiles brightly at him. "Well, she is, isn't she?"
"No. But she was."
Hunith claps a hand over her mouth in horror. "Was? Did you lose it?" She whispers.
"Yes, but it wasn't-" Merlin tries to get her attention again, but she just rushes over to Morgana and throws her arms around her, squashing Aithusa in the process.
"Oh, my dear, I'm so, so sorry, I had no idea. When did this happen? I mean, you two haven't even been together that long, so-" She stops hugging Morgana and turns to Merlin. "Why the hell didn't you tell me, idiot?"
Merlin opens his mouth to get his point across, but Morgana beats him to it.
"It wasn't even his child," she says bluntly, avoiding Hunith's eyes.
"Whose, then?"
"It was from a... previous relationship. I only found out about it myself after Merlin and I were together. A few days after we found out, I lost it," she explains, eveything seemed so complicated in her mind, yet in reality it was all so simple.
"Does the father know you've miscarried?" Hunith asks, every word spoken quietly. She didn't even look that angry. Just concerned.
"No. He never even knew I was pregnant in the first place. Which I'm glad about."
"Glad?"
Merlin clears his throat and both women turn to look at him. "I'll go and make the tea," he says and then leaves them to talk – Morgana looked like she had everything under control.
"Nevermind."
"No, no. Tell me. I want to know," Hunith disagrees, moving up to sit where Merlin previously had.
"He was just a bit of a waster, that's all," Morgana tells her – technically it wasn't a lie.
"I see," Hunith says, clearly unconvinced. "And how does Merlin feel about all of this?"
Morgana glances at the door, checking Merlin was out of earshot for whatever reason. "At first he was angry – and I can't really blame him – but, then he was... I don't know. A few days ago he said he would've helped with the baby, which was surprising, really. Most guys would've probably left," she says, the words new to her, too. Any other man would've left. She resists the sudden urge to go out into the kitchen and hug Merlin.
"He was always like that. Always wanted to help people. To see the good in them."
Hunith was right and she hadn't even realized it before. Merlin had gone from agreeing that they were both relieved about the miscarriage to saying that he would have raised the child as his own. Morgana sits there, stunned. It was quite a change of opinion.
He walks in a few minutes later, trying to hold three mugs in two hands without burning himself. She smiles at his efforts and as soon as he sets them down on the coffee table, she flies off of the sofa and winds her arms around his neck.
"Thanks," she whispers.
"That's the best reaction I've ever had to a cup of tea."
Sorry for the wait for this chapter, but I hope it was okay! Now Hunith knows what's really going on, it's a bit easier.
Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! Do you think Hunith was OC? What about the car crash thing?
I am also starting a new Merlin/Morgana story, which probably isn't the best idea, but it's quite short and will probably only be about 7 or 8 chapters. Feel free to read it!
Thank you for reading!
Next chapter: Morgana finally gets that letter from Afghanistan.
