Whoever reviewed this today, asking for an update, it was funny you should ask... I have been having problems trying to think of a way to get this one going again, so I just decided to dive into the next plot thread without preamble.

The Daily Chronicle

THE DEBATE CONTINUES

It is not unbelievable to note that the entire country has been divided over the events reported the previous week. On the one hand, there are many that say magic users have been maligned and mistreated over the years, and the actions of Uther Pendragon's young ward seem to be justification for this viewpoint. In short, he performed a good deed, with no small risk to himself.

Whereas others display concern about the sheer power that the small boy appears to possess, citing other instances, such as the unnamed youth currently on remand for nearly killing a homeowner who challenged him while attempting to burgle his house. The man remains in a coma following the violent attack that saw him slammed into a brick wall by force of magic.

Neither act, despite their differing intentions, were benign, their sheer power shocking public on both sides of the argument.

Many people have spoken out, including the young woman who was saved by Mr Pendragon's ward, also pointing out the reason for the act was to allow the emergency services to free her, and her four-week-old child, from the car in which they had been trapped. Comments have also been made by the firemen who saw the act and said that although it may have been possible to save the child the mother's life would undoubtedly have been lost without the intervention.

However, those from the Blessed Care Home - which was shut down after an investigation by Mr Pendragon - and other institutions of a similar ilk have argued this was the reason for the confinement and control of those with magic. One of those from the Blessed Care Home, known only as Morgause, commented that 'while under observation at the home it was clear the boy has no limits, such power corrupts easily, and it is necessary to keep these people contained. Although, acts such as these can be interpreted as good, they have no place in this world...

Uther snarled and folded the paper so he couldn't see the words of the woman he so wanted to see behind bars for child abuse. As he moved lower he caught another section of the article.

The Pendragons have naturally closed ranks, although when asked to comment, Gwaine Green, a close friend of the family, merely said, "Why don't we just build some gas chambers and be done with it?"

No member of the Pendragon family has made any comment at this time.

Uther huffed and snarled, sifting through a few more articles that said more of less the same thing. In the absence of his words the reporters, when not camped outside his gates, were looking for anyone to say something on the subject. Many people outside of his control were talking, but many that knew him, and Merlin, were staying firmly silent until he said something. He couldn't leave it, but he wanted to time it right.

Uther wanted to make sure, he had the last word.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Arthur smiled into the camera as Gwaine's image appeared on his laptop. All Gwaine could see was Arthur's face, a sliver of Merlin's body, and an awful lot of Teddylot as Merlin used him as camouflage in the safety of Arthur's lap.

"Hey," Gwaine said to Arthur, then his tone softened. "Hello Merlin."

Merlin didn't respond. Arthur shifted his legs to jiggle Merlin in his lap.

"It's only Gwaine."

"Thanks," Gwaine said to Arthur. Merlin's head turned slightly to peep warily at the laptop.

"And me," Leon said, putting himself into the line of the camera. "Hi, Arthur, and Merlin."

"And Teddylot," Gwaine said.

"That name's annoying," Lancelot announced appearing on Gwaine's other side. "Hey Arthur."

All three of them settled down, jostling a bit so they could all fit. Arthur watched them, feeling a little emotional at them all just being normal when everything seemed to be in utter chaos. Normality seemed kind of fun as he watched Leon elbow Gwaine in the ribs, for almost shoving him off whatever Leon had precariously perched on.

"Anyway," Gwaine started, with a wheezy huff. "No issue with handing in your stuff. They let you off the whole you coming in and signing everything off, and I did your presentation thing for you, with my lovely assistant," Gwaine waved at Leon, who glowered at him and then smiled at Arthur and Merlin, who had turned slightly to look at them.

"Cool. Let's just hope I pass now."

"Course you will," Gwaine said breezily.

"Did you get yours handed in?" Arthur asked him.

"Of course, we were fine. We also did celebrate, although a bit quieter than expected," Gwaine said.

"We just went to the pub for a few pints," Lancelot elaborated.

"Very quiet?" Arthur asked.

"Ish..." Leon said with a sidelong look at his companions.

"Gwaine..." Arthur started.

"Not me! I only said that one thing and it was meant to be sarcastic."

"Intonation doesn't actually come through in print," Arthur said.

"If anyone took that seriously then, they are..." Lancelot paused.

"Tossers?" Gwaine offered.

"Yeah, that," Leon said. Which was extremely uncharitable for Leon, so therefore taken seriously.

"Anyway, they tried to get someone in the pub to comment, and we were ignoring them, then it got a bit nasty and we got help, from an interesting source..." Gwaine appeared to pause, as if drumming up dramatic effect, it was certainly worth it when he added. "Cenred."

"Really?" Arthur asked. They all nodded.

"Yeah, he paused from sticking his tongue down your ex's throat and pretty much threw the reporter out. Something about a cousin of his who had magic."

"Okay," Arthur said.

"Apparently her ex-boyfriend, who broke up with her because of it, got together with a few of his mates to set about her."

Arthur put a hand over Merlin's ear. Leon grimaced.

"Sorry," he said. "But in the interests of equality, Cenred saw fit to help us out, although he did tell us not to get used to it."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Morgana listened to Elena with barely concealed amazement. She had missed out on school over the last few days. Uther thought it was best she stayed at home, and the school had agreed, so Morgana had been confined to barracks like the rest of them. Although Uther made sure she still did her work, which Morgana didn't mind. Given the current turbulence, something normal, and boring, was quite welcome. Even the banal sameness of school might have been a relief.

"Seriously?"

"I am so not joking," Elena said. "You could expect Alvarr and Valiant to be idiotic but Viv went berserk, more when they started on you than talking about Merlin. I was just going to tell them to fuck off but..." There was a pause where Morgana could imagine Elena shrugging. "I'm guessing Vivian did pay some attention in those karate classes she took, rather than just eyeing up the teacher as per expectation."

"Ah ha. What did Al and Val say?" Morgana asked giving them the comedy double act title that they used for them. There was another pause, clearly Elena thinking of, and filtering, the information she knew. It took her longer than most people. If Morgana was able to talk to Vivian she would have got a direct answer. To a point Morgana could work it out, they baited her, and the other girls, and as far as Alvarr was concerned, Morgana knew the bating had a basis in desire. He couldn't talk to her unless his gaze was fixed on her breasts.

"You can tell me what they said about me, just not about what they said about Merlin."

Poor little Merlin, who had saved someone's life, and ruined his own as a consequence. Morgana shook her head. They'd get over this, people were on their side.

"My dad sends his best," Elena said, breaking the pause. Then her voice went distance. "What? My dad said he did try to ring yours but the line was busy, he'll try again, or tell your dad to ring."

"I will, thank you Mr Godwyn."

Elena reiterated that to her father. At least he was being friendly.

"Do you know if Viv's dad said anything," Elena asked.

"Not a clue," Morgana said. "It's not as if he can blame dad for Viv getting suspended, she did that all on her own."

"He doesn't tend to hold grudges anyway," Elena said. "I'll try ringing the house, see if I get him. I dare say Viv didn't explain herself very well, I was there, I can say it was justified, and so way cool you wouldn't believe it."

Despite herself, Morgana couldn't help but laugh.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Mordred lay still trying to block the images from his mind, of the news reports on the television, and the papers. But he couldn't unsee it. It had been laid before him, and there was no way to ignore it.

Perhaps he had known that one of these days it would happen. He'd always thought that he could ignore it, after all, he had run away from it, leaving everything he cared about behind. Nothing he did mattered, at least not to him. Now he was in deep shit, especially if the guy he attacked ended up dying.

And then something else had been lain before him, so obvious, so subtle and so impossible to ignore.

Getting up from the bed, he went and pressed the buzzer. Locked away, in the secure warded cells the only contact you could get with the world was through that. He saw no one else day to day, and certainly no one with magic. Putting his hand on the bell he leant on it, keeping it ringing. They would sometimes take their time in getting to you. Why rush to someone like him.

Because he made so much noise the shutter opened within two minutes.

"Give over with that!"

"I want to talk to that Pendragon bloke again!"

"I think he's a little busy."

"Just ask him," Mordred snapped. "Please."

He at the satisfaction of the guards eyes widening at the sudden pleasantry.

"May take a while."

The grill slammed shut again. Mordred sat down, his heart hammering as he realised that however long it took, a chain of events had started, and he had just jumped into the flow of it. His eyes flickered with an image, and his voice put the words into the air, so he couldn't ignore them.

"He's my son."