A/N: Hey guys! it's me again! So yeah, just really want to say I'm sorry for making you wait this long. It's almost been a year since I've uploaded some chapters because believe it or not, college has been really keeping me very busy and I just got through a bunch of term papers and my finals last week so I didn't have the time to update. For those who are still keeping tabs on this story, you guys are the best! I can't thank you enough for being so patient in waiting for updates. It's just been really hectic so kindly bear with me but, I promise you, I have upcoming stories and updates for you all. Updates today will be until chapter 10 and the following chapters soon. Also, if any of you here are keeping tabs on my other story, Fight for Me, I'm also going to update that and I'm also going to post a new story... or two this Christmas so, I hope you enjoy reading those as well once I start to post them. Thank you all so much!
Sorry for the long message, I know you want to read the story already. So without further a do, here's chapter 8. Please review and hope you enjoy it ;)
*sigh* so this is it… this day has finally come. The day the only woman I ever loved is going to be back and there's nothing I can do but sit here in this pub and nurse this hell of a drink. What is this, my third or fourth? Honestly I don't care. She's probably arrived already and on her way to Morgana's place for the gathering… Guinevere. The one who has my heart under lock and key. The one whose feelings I hurt… and I hate myself for that. I miss her so much. I want to go there and tell her how sorry I am. I want to tell her how wrong I was for hurting her, for letting her go… I want to tell her how much I love her, how I never stopped loving her ever since she left. I just want her to come back to me. *breathing deeply*
As Arthur sits in a corner, contemplating on the past and present, his thoughts were then interrupted by a phone call. As he stared into space, he lets go of his drink, acknowledges his phone and looked at the caller ID. He shrugged at it but answered the call.
"Hello?" he answered in an almost drunken-state-like voice.
As they go in, Gwen was instantly met by a group of people with open arms, waiting for a group hug.
"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed as she hugged them all, laughing in joy.
As they all pulled away, they started to converse.
"Ah the Miss New York finally arrives." Gwaine says teasingly as he bows down and takes her hand, kissing it. He then stands and winks at her.
Gwen giggles amusingly and said "Nice try, Gwaine. Better luck next time because your girlfriend is actually right here." she warned as she noticed that he suddenly became a bit serious, turning to Morgana with her raised eyebrows, although obviously amused by his actions.
"Well, of course I was just welcoming you home. Where as I," he says as he pulls Morgana into his arms and looks at her "I was just saving my best time for this very beautiful woman." he smirks at her.
"Oh really?" Morgana says sarcastically as she brings her arms around his neck.
"Why? Wasn't I giving you most of my time last night?" he coyly whispers as he wiggled his eyebrows at her and smirked.
Morgana giggles knowingly "Oh yes." she mutters as she leans in and kisses him softly.
Just as their kiss lingered, the others groaned and walked away rolling their eyes or shaking their heads while Gwen clears her throat looking at them expectantly.
"You do know I'm still here right?" she asked as she stared at the couple, who looked back at her a bit embarrassingly as they pulled apart.
"Of course. Come on, let's go get some drinks." Morgana happily said as they went to the mini bar after she whispered to Gwaine "I'll be back for you later." seductively.
In the other side of the city, Arthur receives a call from Merlin and answered.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Arthur?" Merlin said back.
"Merlin." he muttered, sighing deeply "is she there with you?" he asked hesitantly, wanting to hear the confirmation that Gwen was indeed back in London. He then hears Merlin sigh and answered
"Yeah, she is. We just got here at Morgana's." he whispered.
Arthur knew that his heart just leapt out of his mouth though he dared to say something further.
"Please, Merlin. I have to see her. I need to see her. I just… I just have to let her know how sorry I am. She has to hear it from me." he said desperately.
On the other side of the line, Merlin was panicking and at the same time worrying as he realized that Arthur may be drunk.
Damn it! He's drunk. May be not that drunk but he's not sober either. Merlin breathed deeply.
"Arthur, you're in a pub. I can hear it. You've been drinking haven't you?" he asked knowingly.
He hears Arthur sigh "Yes, I have but you know I'm not drunk, Merlin. I still know what I'm talking about." he admitted.
"Yes, but you and I both know you're not sober too." Merlin stated.
He hears Arthur sigh again, deeply this time "Well, what was I supposed to do, Merlin? Be happy even though she's here, knowing that I can't even see her? Because you have no idea how I'm feeling right now." he answered begrudgingly.
Merlin groaned then reluctantly comes to a decision and said.
"Fine. Don't move. Just stay where you are, I'll be there in a few minutes." he instructed and hung up the phone. As he walked to the door, he passed by Leon, who noticed that he was about to leave.
"Hey, Merlin. Going somewhere?" Leon asked as he took a swig of his beer.
Merlin then turned back and looked at Leon "Uh… yeah, it's…"
Just as Merlin hesitated, it suddenly dawned on Leon and didn't need his suspicions to be confirmed.
Leon sighed and knowingly said "He's been drinking hasn't he?" looking him in the eye.
"Yeah… and he's begging me to take him here." Merlin muttered.
Leon's eyes went wide slightly "We both know you can't do that. If Arthur's been drinking all night then that could lead to a disaster." he stated. Knowing Arthur almost all his life just as Merlin, he thought it best if Arthur stayed away for now, especially now that he has alcohol in his system.
Merlin scoffed "I know. But even if I take him home, we both know it won't stop him…" Leon sighed as he listened "… it's going to be fine. I'll just have to take him here and sneak him into the guest room. This place is huge. Gwen doesn't have to know." he whispered confidently.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Merlin." Leon said and walked away, buying time for Merlin to leave without being seen.
In another corner of Morgana's place, Gwen finally had the chance to talk to the ladies who had kept her friends on their feet while she was away.
"You know, it's finally nice to meet you all. I've never seen the blokes acting like this before. I mean, they're always lively and cheerful but now… it's like a new light has been shed onto them. They look like they're happily contented. And I want to thank you all for that. I always thought they deserve to be happy." Gwen reminisced.
"Oh well then, you're very welcome, Gwen. And it's finally nice to meet you. I mean the lads never fail to talk about how kind, sweet, and beautiful you are and how you always tend to think of others than yourself and they say most of the time you think about them. We have to admit, everything they say is true. Especially when it comes to the lads." Mithian teased, now comfortably talking to her after realizing that Gwen was such an easy person to talk with.
Freya and Elena chuckled at their agreement with Mithian muttering "Yeah."
"Well, I do consider them as my family so, I think you could say that Morgana and I have been the wise sisters they never had since uni." Gwen retorted and giggled. The women giggled with her and they all pause to take a sip of their drinks.
"Oh, excuse me ladies, Percy's calling for me." Elena excused as she went toward Percival, who was holding out his hand as soon as she was near him.
"Me too. Just going to the loo." Freya muttered as she went her way.
And there was just Gwen and Mithian.
"So Gwen, how was your life in New York?" Mithian asked.
"Oh well, you know. Most of the time it's been boring really. If it wasn't for my career, the thought of me leaving would've just been a waste of time." Gwen said casually and both of them chuckled at her statement.
"Come on, there must've been something. Oh, has any men took you fancy?" Mithian asked excitingly.
"No, not really. It's just all about work for me while I was there." Gwen muttered, a bit nervous now that this conversation could lead to something she wouldn't like to talk about.
"Really?..." Mithian asked, unconvinced.
"Yeah, I know. It's unbelievable. I just never had the chance to meet someone else, you know." Gwen said casually.
This made Mithian confused, as if she'd heard it before but from someone else. Her narrowed eyes widen slightly.
"I have to admit, it's funny you should say that. I just remembered someone else saying something like that. In fact I think I've heard it just a few days ago." she said smiling slightly to herself in confusion.
"Really?" Gwen asked confusingly.
"Yeah. It was just after a lunch meeting when Uther and my father were still talking and Leon had gone back to work… " Mithian muttered, still deep in thought.
"Oh now I remember, it was Ar-"
"Arthur?" Gwen asked as she finished Mithian's sentence for her. Mithian looked at her and smiled.
"Yeah it was Arthur. Must be a coincidence, then. How did you know?" she asked curiously.
Just then, Gwen was stunned into silence and she felt as if everything that Mithian said was a big revelation. Gwen realized she was looking at nothing and cleared her throat.
"Oh I- I just… It was just a guess." Gwen muttered.
"Oh… well you know, I was wondering why he's not here." Mithian replied. She then noticed that something changed in Gwen, who was in a joyful mood when she came in and now suddenly gloomy and quiet.
Elena and Freya just sat down again at their corner with new drinks in hand.
"So, what did we miss?" Freya asked as she settled down in her chair.
"If you would excuse me, ladies. I- I think I need some air." Gwen muttered softly as she started to get up and walk to the door, leaving a group of confused and concerned women.
As Gwen, walked to the door, she bumps into Leon and Gwaine.
"Hey Gwen. Where are you going?" Leon asked, noticing her distracted demeanor. Gwaine, on the other hand, also noticed Gwen acting in a different manner and got a little concerned.
"Hey. I um… I just need to go outside for a moment, I won't be long." Gwen muttered looking at them plainly.
"O-kay. Are you all right, Gwen?" Gwaine asked as he reached out to lightly squeeze her shoulder.
"I'm fine, don't worry… If you'll excuse me." Gwen as she softly patted Gwaine's hand and went on her way out of the penthouse.
Leon and Gwaine watched Gwen walk away and turned to look at each other, as if they were thinking the same thing.
What happened?
Gwaine apparently shrugged it off and walked to Morgana and Leon then tried to find where Gwen came from before she left and he sees the confused looking women at a corner. His eyes met with Mithian's and gestured for her to come over.
I wonder if they talked about something that might've made Gwen upset.
Gwen was finally outside, alone in the hallway, being able to think for herself as she leant heavily on the wall.
Why did I even mention his name? Why can't I get him out of my head?! … Damn it! I knew it. I knew that if I came back, everything was going to come back to me. The awkwardness, the hurt, the lies! … and unfortunately the love I had for Arthur. It all came back to me. Ugh! Who am I kidding? If I see him again, I'm done.
She thought as she banged her head to the wall repeatedly with her eyes shut tightly.
"Guinevere?"
And Gwen slowly opened her eyes.