Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin if I did I would not be working night shift!
This chapter is set the same nights as the last chapter but with the rest of the boys and girls. It's not as long as chapter eleven.
I am very grateful to all of you with your comments thankyou for taking the time to let me know what you think about the story!
Hope you chapter twelve, again all constructive comments greatly appreciated.
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Chapter Twelve
The first night that Arthur and Gwen were in London Gwaine had taken Morgana out for diner in Lincoln. He had asked Arthur if, seeing he was in London he (Gwaine) could borrow Arthur's car to take Morgana out for diner.
"Alright Gwaine," Arthur told him, "but you put so much as a scratch on it and I will kill you!"
"Alright Princess, thankyou." He smiled.
Morgana had agreed to go to the Camelot nightclub with him as she had heard what a great night Gwen had had there with Arthur, Gwaine also had heard Arthur rave about the place for days after they had been there.
Gwaine was waiting outside the main gate with Arthur's car when Morgana walked towards him from the guard house, his jaw dropped. Morgana wore an emerald green silk cocktail dress (she also had this one from before the war) with her pale complexion and black hair she was stunning!
"My god Morgana you are absolutely gorgeous." Gwaine said as he swept her up in his arms and kissed her hungrily.
When they broke apart Morgana said "You don't scrub up to bad yourself." He was wearing full uniform.
"Shall we?" Gwaine gestured towards the car.
"Certainly" Gwaine held the door open for her as she got in.
As drove along Morgana looked at Gwaine's profile "Very handsome "she thought.
They parked near the nightclub and made their way inside arm-in-arm. They checked Morgana's wrap and Gwaine's cap and headed to the bar.
Gwaine asked the barman for "Whiskey Irish please Bushmills for preference, and the lady will have…"he looked at Morgana.
"The same please." Morgana smiled.
They got their drinks and went and found a table-it happened to be the same one that Gwen and Arthur had had.
After a few minutes a waitress came over with menus, they both ordered cottage pies.
After the waitress had left Gwaine turned to Morgana "Cheers to the best looking girl here!" and raised his glass to her.
"Thankyou Gwaine." She took a sip of her drink, "nice just like I remembered, I haven't had Bushmills since before the war."
"Well I'll make sure you get some." He told her.
"What do you mean?" she was curious.
"Arthur is not the only one going against his father's wishes, after I graduated from accounting at Dublin University I took a job in an accountants firm."
"So why did your father disapprove?" Morgana asked.
"He wanted me to go straight into the family firm."
"Your father is an accountant?"
"No my father is probably one of the richest men in Ireland." Gwaine told her.
"What does he do?"
"He owns a few distilleries, in fact one of them is the one that makes this-so your helping with the profit margin, as the future owner I thankyou." Gwaine smiled at her.
"You're making this up."
Gwaine shook his head "It's all true, Dad wanted to parachute me into management, but I wanted to work for someone else for a while, he agreed to twelve months and then I was to start in the company."
"What happened?"
"The war got going so I thought I'd come and see the show and eke out the time until I'm chained to the desk that is behind the door that already has my name on it."
"Here's to freedom then." Morgana toasted him.
"Freedom." Gwaine smiled at her.
Their meals arrived, as they ate Gwaine said to Morgana "Now you know the awful truth about me, so tell me about yourself." He raised an eyebrow and grinned at her.
"Nothing so vulgar to tell I'm afraid, Dad is a doctor, Mum is a nurse, they met in London at St Thomas's where Mum was doing her training and Dad was on the staff.
"So they played doctors and nurses?" Gwaine laughed.
"Yes they did but after they were married first," she hit his hand "naughty, naughty, I have two younger brothers- Peter is at uni doing medicine and Phillip is still at school. Mum and Dad live in Nottingham, Dad has his practice there and mum is the practice nurse- no jokes about needing the practice believe me I've heard them all before."
"Ok no jokes," Gwaine promised, "how did you and Gwen meet up?"
"We met when we both started our training at Guy's Hospital, we were in the same group and were friends within a week."
"What St Thomas's didn't want another Swan?" Gwaine asked.
"No I was like you and wanted to go somewhere I wasn't known. When we graduated Gwen and I enlisted and we have been lucky to be posted everywhere together."
It's good to have friends." Gwaine said putting his hand over hers on the table.
She looked him in the eye "Yes it is." And smiled.
They stared at each other for a few moments.
"Would you like to dance Morgana?"
"I would love to Gwaine."
Gwaine was out of his seat and around the table in a flash, he helped move her chair back and then escorted her to the dance floor as the band started to play a slow song.
"May I?" Gwaine asked arms open, Morgana stepped into his embrace, she put one hand on his shoulder and the other at the back of his neck and rested her head on his chest. One of his hands rested just below her shoulder blade and the other went to her waist.
"That feels so nice." Gwaine told her as they swayed in time to the music.
"Yes it certainly does." Morgana agreed.
They stayed on the dance floor for five songs, four slow and one quick.
When they were leaving the dance floor they got some more drinks- another round of Bushmills, back at their table they both took a sip and looked at each other.
Morgana had a smile on her face, curious Gwaine asked "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, just how lucky I am to be here dancing with the most handsome man in the place." She blushed.
"Don't be embarrassed because I was thinking that I was the lucky one to be here with you." He reached over for her hand, "I will never want to be with anyone else my love." He kissed the back of her hand.
"I don't think I will either." She told him.
They danced some more and then at 220hrs left to be back at the base before shut down.
Gwaine pulled up near The Block, cut the engine and was around the car to Morgana's door in no time, he opened it and helped her out. As she stood he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her deeply.
When they came up for air he asked "The boys are going to The Rising Sun tomorrow night will you come?"
"Yes Gwaine I will." She smiled at him.
"1900hrs, front gate darling is that ok?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds good to me." She told him.
"I can't wait to see you." He kissed her deeply again.
"Tomorrow night," she panted as they broke apart, "I'd better go the ghouls are let loose at 2300hrs."
"Goodnight sweet Morgana." Gwaine kissed her softly on her lips.
"Goodnight dear Gwaine." She kissed him back and turned and walked into The Block with Gwaine watching her- once she was inside he got back into Arthur's car, started it and drove it back to the Officer's car park.
The next night at 1900hrs found the boys, Morgana and Freya all meeting up outside the main gate. Freya had organised it with Mary to get a ride to and from The Rising Sun in the back of a four ton truck.
When Mary had dropped them off after they had organised a pick up time they headed into the pub.
Gilli saw them as they came through the door "Lookout everyone the boys are back!" Everyone turned from what they were doing and cheered when they saw who had appeared- the crew was popular at the pub.
Leon made his way over to Gilli "We're celebrating 'the Skip' getting his DFC in London today, he left me this £50 to cover the drinks for tonight ok?" as he handed the banknote.
"That's fine by me Leon." He smiled, the boys had become some of his favourite customers too, they felt like friends, they never once asked why he wasn't in uniform- a heart condition had put paid to his chances of serving, so he always made sure that any boys in uniform had a good night at his pub.
"Thanks." Leon said "Can I have a shandy, two Bushmills if you have it (Gilli nodded) four beers and a stout please Gilli." Elyan and Percy had come over to help get the drinks while Lance, Merlin and Gwaine organised the tables.
After everyone was seated and the right drink found the right people Leon raised his glass "To the Skip getting his DFC today and getting to spend time with the woman he loves away from all of us."
"The Skip" everyone chorused.
After they had taken sips from their drinks Gwaine asked "Leon you've known 'The Skip' longer than any of us is it my imagination or do you think he might propose to Gwen?"
"I think you're right Gwaine, but as to when I don't know- I mean he has not got a ring yet and knowing Arthur he would want to do it properly."
"Well he would be a lucky man." Lance said and turned towards Elyan "how do you feel about having 'The Skip' for your brother-in-law?"
"I have no problem with it, he loves her, she loves him, it's all I could ask for." He said taking a pull on his pint.
Percy turned to Morgana "You've known Gwen for a while if 'The Skip' asked her would she say yes?"
"Definitely- he could have asked her after their first night out and she would have said yes. I think people we are going to have to put our heads together and come up with some ideas for an engagement party and wedding presents. Just one thing though when they tell us we cannot not look surprised ok?"
"You're right Morgana." Leon said, he turned to Gwaine "You'd better keep hold of her Gwaine- she's a smart one!" he said with a smile.
"I know Leon thanks, I intend to." He put his arm around Morgana's shoulders and kissed her cheek.
They soon found the dartboard was free and the competition was on again, first up was Morgana and Freya, Gwaine was coaching Morgana while Merlin tried to help Freya. There was a lot of laughing and eventually Freya won. Percy got everyone's drinks.
Gwaine and Merlin were next up, Merlin won, Percy did ask aloud "How did you ever shoot that 110 down if you can't hit a dartboard sir?" the pub rang out with laughter, Elyan refreshed all the drinks.
Leon and Percy were the next up, Percy won- Leon claimed he tried to tell the darts where to go but they didn't listen! Gwaine handed him his fresh drink "Maybe you could bribe them with a drink." Everyone was laughing again.
Elyan and Lance were the last game of the evening. Elyan won, it was a close game. Lance got the drinks and then they all sat down again and enjoyed their drinks and the company.
Then Gilli called Leon over "I'm just about to call time, here's the change of the £50 for Arthur." He pushed £22 over.
"No Gilli Arthur said you were to keep the change- if he and Gwen were here you would have got most of it anyway." Leon said with a smile.
"Well tell him thanks very much." He then turned to the rest of the bar "Time Ladies and Gentlemen please!" he nodded towards Morgana and Freya.
The boys and girls bid the other customers goodnight and went outside to wait for Mary to return, the boys stayed close to the side of the road.
Morgana and Gwaine went a little way away from them. Gwaine wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her deeply, when they broke apart he said huskily "I love you Morgana, I don't want to be with anyone but you."
"Gwaine I feel exactly the same- I don't see myself with anyone but you either." She lightly kissed his lips.
"Are you working tomorrow?" he asked.
"Afternoon shift." She told him.
"Ok I'll walk you to work, 1300hrs ok?" he asked.
"That sounds good to me darling." They began to kiss again.
Merlin and Freya were near the back of the car park. He held her close to his chest "Freya are you working tomorrow?"
"No I have two days off." She said as she looked up at him.
"Could I take you to the pictures tomorrow night I don't know what's playing but I want to be alone with you, so I don't care what's on."
"Ok I'd like to be alone with you too Merlin." She kissed him.
He wrapped her in his arms and deepened the kiss.
They all heard the heavy engine of the four ton truck start to slow down, they knew it was Mary coming to pick them up, everyone went to the side of the road to wait for her.
When she pulled up everyone got in the back amongst the supplies for the kitchens, Leon tapped the back of the cabin and Mary set off, as was arranged she pulled up ¼ of a mile from the main gate and let them off. Leon went up to the cabin and gave her £5 for her troubles, she bade them goodnight and drove away.
They walked along together, Gwaine and Morgana, Merlin and Freya were a little way from the boys but close enough to be together.
Once through the main gate and everyone bid the others goodnight, the boys headed to the NCO's mess, Leon headed to officer country while Gwaine and Morgana and Merlin and Freya headed over to The Block, they separated and said their goodnights in private, organising when they would meet tomorrow.
After the girls went into The Block, Gwaine and Merlin headed back together until Merlin peeled off to go to the NCO's mess.
Gwaine got to his room wondering when he might get the chance to buy a ring.