Replies:
YesthenLucky9: Haha, thank you!
Merlinlovr: Here is the update, sorry if it wasn't soon enough!
Sjritts: I love writing plot twists, haha.
Mickey.G.B: You'll find out what happens…. Now! Thanks for reviewing! (And I'm hoping to change your mind about Morgause.)
Lightbane1905: Thanks for your reviews!
Gespav: Haha, thanks, I like to write things that readers aren't expecting! I'm glad you like the progress between Merlin and Morgana and their relationship. I love reading all your theories about what's going on and here is the update! :)
Renaissancebooklover108: Yep, Alvarr's still a villain (I never liked him in the show.)
Scarletbanner: Morgause and a flamethrower… tempting, haha. Oh, the bodies are going to be fun to explain, aren't they? I'm juggling two ideas around in my head and can't decide which one to go with. I don't watch Once Upon A Time (it looks AMAZING), but I'm going to take your comment as a compliment. Now READ!
XXX
Morgause is dead. She must be. Because ever since the gunshot two minutes ago, Morgana hasn't heard any indications that she is still alive. So now she is completely alone with Sarrum and whoever is downstairs – most probably Uther. Her step father is a killer.
"I suppose you'll want to know what this is all about," Sarrum says quietly. He finishes tying her hands to one of the attic beams, with the tip of his gun pressed against her forehead. He smiles wickedly as she tugs weakly at the restraints. "Don't want you going anywhere soon, do we?"
"Who are the bodies?" Morgana stares over his shoulder at the decomposed corpses, wishing she could block out the sight and smell.
"All in good time, my sweet." His voice is sickly and bitter at the same time. "First, we're going to talk about me and you."
Sarrum sits down in front of her, playing with the trigger on the gun. He reaches into his pockets and pulls out a series of blades and a box of matches, setting them out on the floor in front of him.
"What do you know about me, Morgana?"
Morgana eyes the blades cautiously. "You threatened Alvarr and blackmailed him into hurting me."
Sarrum laughs, shaking his head like he pitied her. "Oh, sweetheart. He did that willingly." He pulls a mock sad face and caresses her cheek with the flat side of one of the blades, smoothing it along her skin.
"But there was a letter…" Morgana protests, shrinking away from his hand.
"And you believed it, just like Uther said you would. Just like he knew you'd come here. He knew you wouldn't be able to resist. You see, he knows you even better than you know yourself. He knew exactly what to write. It was all part of the plan."
"But I thought-"
"You thought wrong, you stupid, ignorant bitch." He makes a small incision above her eyebrow with the blade, smiling. "Remember when we did this the first time? I used to think I'd grow tired of doing this to you over and over and over, but it's even more fun now. Just look at yourself. You're even more pathetic now than you were then. Now you can't even defend yourself." He pokes his finger in the cut and smears the blood across her cheek.
Morgana shakes from the loss of Morgause and the hot sting from the pain of the cut in her forehead. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Shh." Sarrum presses his bloodied finger to her lips, keeping them shut. "Only I get to talk now. I've waited a long time for this."
Shouting echoes from downstairs, giving Morgana a flutter of hope. Sarrum glances over to the attic hatch and then back to her. He sighs and stands up, walking over to one of the corpses. He drags it across the floor and piles it on top of the loft entrance. Then he sits back down again as it was the most normal thing in the world.
"I don't like interruptions," he says, like this justified the act.
"Why do you want to hurt me so much?" Morgana blurts out before she can stop herself.
"Tut tut, Morgana, speaking out of turn again." He strokes the box of matches lovingly. "Who's your loyal friend that's busy being murdered downstairs?"
Her blood runs cold at the mention of murder. Sarrum and Uther are planning on killing her. And Morgause? No one would ever find them if they both died. They'd just be more bodies for the loft. No one would ever find out. Merlin and Mordred… they might never know. A quick jolt of realisation that an unheard death could be just around the corner almost stuns her.
All she had to do was keep Sarrum talking and then pray that Morgause would be able to come up and rescue her. But for now, her life rested solely in the hands of the blonde downstairs.
XXX
"Fuck…" Uther stumbles back, clutching his jaw as blood spills from his mouth, where Morgause had landed a hard punch. "I forgot you could fight."
He scrambles around for the gun she had knocked out of his hand, but Morgause gets there before him, scooping it up and pointing it at this skull before he has started to move.
Uther laughs harshly and spits blood out on the carpet. He holds his hands up as surrender. "Go on, then. Shoot me. As long as your son knows you're a killer."
The mere mention of Mordred evaporates her concentration and Uther lunges at her before she can do anything, crushing her against the floor and hitting the shotgun out of her grasp. The impact steals the oxygen from her lungs and she gasps for air, struggling to suck it in. Uther reaches for the gun and pockets it. He drags her by the shirt, pinning her up against the wall with his hands wrapped around her neck.
"You used to be so powerful. Just like Morgana. But now you're nothing."
"Tell me about her," Morgause chokes out, "About Morgana."
"Morgana?" Just saying her name brings a manic glint to his eye and he squeezes her throat tighter, strangling her. "You turned her into a monster. You poisoned her mind with thousands of lies and turned her into a twisted, manipulative serpent that cared nothing for the family who once loved her. You are capable of nothing but evil and hate."
"I am capable of love," Morgause protests, her voice coming out as a whisper. She slips her good hand in Uther's pocket, pulling out the gun and holding it up to his crotch. "Which is something you will never understand." Without another word, she pulls the trigger and then blacks out from the lack of oxygen.
XXX
The hatch to the loft opens with a loud creak that makes Morgause cringe as she climbs the ladder. She reaches the top, but hesitates as she takes the first step into the attic, her vision shrouded by the darkness. Her head swims with the recent lapse of unconsciousness and she sways on her feet.
A rotting smell stings her nose and gets stronger with each tentative step forward. Morgause stops dead in her tracks as the floorboards moan and shift under her weight. This could be a trap. Sarrum might still be up her. Morgana might still be alive.
She slips the revolver into her good hand and holds it out in front of her. She is out of ammunition but no one else needs to know that.
"Morgana," she calls out. "Are you up here?"
She practically runs towards the whimper coming from the corner, but still can't seem to find her. Morgause extends her other arm, reaching out to try to touch her. Her fingers come into contact with something cold and smooth, like… bone.
"Morgana?"
"I'm over here."
Morgause snatches her hand away and wipes it on her jeans, shuddering with unease. She reaches out in the other direction and feels something soft and silky; Morgana's hair. She drops the gun immediately and moves her hands down, cupping Morgana's cheeks with her palms. Her eyes are damp and there is a warm, sticky substance plastered down one side of her face.
"Oh, Morgana. What has he done to you?"
"Please just go," Morgana begs. "You have Mordred. You should be with him."
"I'm not leaving you up here."
"Please, Morgause. He'll kill you as well."
"No he won't. Is there a light up here?"
Morgana hesitates, fighting some kind of internal battle. "No. But there are some matches near to you."
Morgause roots around for the tiny box and strikes a match shakily, her hands trembling for a reason she doesn't know. The pale yellow flame makes a huge difference, lighting up their section of the attic.
For a moment, Morgause just takes in Morgana's appearance; the flow of dark red emerging from above her eyebrow, the consistent dripping of tears down her cheeks and the glaze over her eyes. Then the match burns out and she has to light another.
As soon as the ropes are loosened from around her wrists, Morgana seems to deflate, as though a heavy weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She won't stop looking over her shoulder.
"Morgana, where's Sarrum?" Morgause asks gently, not wanting to pressure her.
"Did you miss me?"
Morgause whips around; following Morgana's gaze to a man standing in the corner with a shotgun in his hand.
"Killing you both would be really fun, don't you agree? And I'm feeling… trigger-happy."
Morgause steps in front of Morgana, shielding her and pointing her useless gun at Sarrum.
"It'd be a good show, wouldn't it? Of course, I'd kill you one at a time so one of you would have to watch the other die," he muses.
"But you're not going to?" Morgause asks, hopeful.
He shrugs and steps out of the shadows. "I was, had it all planned and everything. But I think I'd prefer to leave you with something more… memorable."
Morgause moves her hand back and covers Morgana's eyes in fear of what could happen next. "Like what?"
Sarrum grins and presses the gun to his own forehead.
Morgause shuts her eyes as he pulls the trigger on himself.
Morgana flinches violently at the quick sound and again at the thump of his body landing on the floor.
They sit in shock for a few minutes, until Morgause says, "Let's get out of here." She helps Morgana to her feet and steadies her as they climb back down the ladder.
Morgana looks lost. "Now what are we going to do? Are we going to tell the police?"
Morgause shakes her head. "No. Imagine this hitting the headlines. Have you still got your phone?"
Morgana reaches into her back pocket and hands it to her. "What are you going to do?"
"I'll get my team in to come and take us to the warehouse. I want one of our medics to look at the cut above your eye. And you're in shock."
Morgana makes a noise that sounds like a scoff and a sob mixed together. "I'm not in shock."
"You are. Your skin is clammy and you're shaking," Morgause says quietly, dialling a number. "Sit down, now. I don't want you collapsing. It's understandable. You just witnessed a suicide."
Morgana does as she says, tucking her knees up under her chin. "So did you."
Morgause crouches down next to her. "I've seen worse."
"Morgause…"
"Pick up the phone, Mithian. Christ," she curses, biting her lip impatiently.
"Would-"
Morgause finally gets through. "Mithian, what took you so long? Yeah, yeah whatever, it doesn't matter now. Can you send Percival out to 28 Victoria Street? Send one of the assistant medics with him and tell Zohra that I want her in the med centre in 20 minutes… Yeah, that's right. I've got some deep slashes in my left hand."
Morgana frowns, only now noticing the cuts that covered Morgause's hand. She reaches out and dabs at the blood with her sleeve, trying to wipe it away. The two make eye contact.
I'm with another woman, mid-twenties, suspected shock and a head wound. Oh, and get the forensics in. We've got some bodies to deal with. I'll explain it all when I get back." Morgause ends the call and turns her attention back to Morgana again, stroking her hair with her good hand.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course. You can ask me anything. And I mean that."
"If… if Sarrum hadn't, you know, killed himself… if he had attacked us, would you- would you have…" Morgana struggles for the right words.
"I would've killed him if it meant protecting you, if that's what you mean."
Morgana looks confused. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I just… care about you. That's all." It was half of the truth, but the only part she wanted Morgana to know so far. Now wasn't really the perfect time for a family reunion.
XX
Too much? Not enough? And where's Uther? What did Uther and Morgana talk about?
Woo-hoo, I've returned and it's only taken me three weeks to get this chapter together…
Anywho! Enough about me, what about you guys? How's school/college/work for you all?
I love writing Morgause and Morgana together, especially when Morgause is a bad-ass chick who goes round shooting bad guys in the bollocks – woo!
What are your thoughts for this chapter? What do you think is going to happen? Please review and tell me what you think!
Thanks for reading!
Next Chapter: A cameo appearance, Morgause makes a confession and Merlin and Morgana are reunited. (Probably.)
