Arthur wasn't quite sure what possessed him to do it. Probably nobody else did, which was why the event was so well attended. People now milled around his lawn, with the dogs trotting around the garden. Arthur had banned them from the decking, as the BBQ was placed there, cooking burgers and sausages. Somehow Elyan, Gwen, and Elena had ended up in charge of the food and were buttering rolls and baguettes, adding salad or onions as people required. Mithian had taken up work on the bar, although most people were helping themselves. Gwaine sat at the bottom of the steps, watching them all avidly, tongue lolling out of his mouth and nose twitching as he smelt the meat cooking. Arthur had given them a decent meal before the party had started, but all of them had been pilfering treats throughout the afternoon.

"Gwaine!" Arthur's stern voice announced as the little dog started to sneak up the steps. He paused, slinking back down again. Instead the little dog turned his charm on Arthur, sitting up, tilting his head and wagging his tail. Arthur smirked and pulled a dog treat out of his pocket and handed it to Gwaine. The terrier grabbed it in his jaws and ran off. Merlin nudged Arthur's leg. Arthur leant down and petted Merlin's head.

"You've had a treat," Arthur said. "Maybe a bit later."

Merlin licked his hand and his tail wagged. Gwaine ran back over and snuffled around Merlin. Whose tail wagged and he sniffed Gwaine.

"Bloody hell!" a familiar voice announced behind him. Arthur turned to look at Kara, who stared around his back garden with awe. Next to her Mordred located the dogs, and he looked down at Gwaine, who trotted over to investigate him. Mordred reached down to offer his hand for Gwaine to sniff, and then he ran his hand over Gwaine's head. Gwaine's tail wagged enthusiastically and he clearly decided this new arrival had potential, he stayed on Mordred's heels as he and Kara walked over to Arthur, both of them looking around avidly. Mordred in awe, Kara with slight distain.

"Hello," Arthur said. "Glad you could come," he added, meaning it. He liked them both, especially Mordred, who had dealt with the dogs given to him valiantly. Gwaine looked up at them, watching with interest. Merlin shuffled forward to sniff at Mordred, his tail moved slightly and he settled as he recognised the scent, he also sniffed at Kara's foot and his tail wagged again. He looked up at two people he knew, quite well, and although Arthur knew the moment he walked away Merlin would follow, he was happy with these people in his part of the world.

"What's so funny?" Kara demanded.

"Merlin likes you," Arthur said, smiling beatifically as he spoke. Kara looked down at the dog and took a step back as if he was an unexploded bomb. Mordred glared at her and bent down to offer his hand out to Merlin. Recognising the gesture Merlin lifted his paw and Mordred solemnly shook it.

"Bar is there, go up and help yourself to food, and mingle. Please don't overfeed the dogs, and only meat if you give them anything. Please excuse me a moment," Arthur said, his voice going distant, and sounding immediately tense to Kara, to the point that she stiffened knowing exactly who was behind her, to the point he could have been breathing ice down her neck. She turned slightly to register Uther and then turned back to go on her way with her cousin. Gwaine followed on their heels as they headed towards the bar, Mordred keeping an eye on the little dog as they walked.

Arthur watched his father looking around at the party. The group on the decking watched just as carefully. All of them knew what an upsetting affect Uther could have on Arthur. Even Morgana excused herself from the conversation she was having with Mrs Lord, Arthur's next door neighbour, to head over and watch carefully. She walked over to the bar, which was closer to her father and brother, on the pretence of getting more orange juice. Mithian poured her drink for her, while also carefully viewing the interaction. Sharing a long, understanding glance with Morgana.

At Arthur's feet, Merlin rumbled in the pause. Uther looked down at the dog who inched forward, his tail wagging slightly. Then, much to Arthur's surprise, Merlin held out his paw to Uther. The lurcher's ears stayed lifted, and he waited. Uther frowned as he looked down at the little dog. Arthur marvelled at his newest dog, and his intelligence, almost to the point of cunning. Because it was the very same moment that Bayard strolled into the garden, holding the hand of a little girl dressed in a pink party dress.

"Uther! Arthur!" Bayard boomed amicably. "Merlin!" he added as he saw the dog, with his proffered paw. He pushed the little girl forward, who looked equally nervous and keen as she looked at Merlin.

"Say hello to Merlin, shake his paw!" Bayard told the little girl. She shuffled forward. Merlin waited, his paw flailing in the air. The little girl glanced at her Grandfather again, and he nodded. Arthur crouched down by Merlin, putting a hand under his leg to keep it in the air.

"Don't worry, he's fine," Arthur assured her. The little girl tentatively took Merlin's paw and shook it. Merlin's ears lifted, and she let go and shuffled back towards her grandfather. Merlin wagged his tail, rose up from his sitting position and looked up at Arthur.

"That's right, good boy," Arthur told him.

Gwaine yapped to grab everyone's attention. He trotted up, tail wagging, sniffing the air. Arthur raised his eyebrows as he looked at the pink clip that now graced the top of his head. The neighbour's daughter followed behind him, clutching a hairbrush in her hand. Clearly Gwaine had been enjoying a good grooming, and wouldn't mind clips in his hair as a result.

"You look very nice Gwaine," Arthur said, which caused Bayard to laugh. The two little girls looked at each other shyly, and Gwaine yapped and chased his tail for a moment before sniffing around the little girl holding the brush, in the hope of getting some more attention.

"Do you want to?" she asked shyly, holding the brush out to Bayard's grand-daughter. Gwaine looked from one to the other, his tail wagging shaking his entire back end.

"He won't mind," Arthur said, knowing that Gwaine wouldn't. He watched both girls glance at Leon as the setter ran past, chasing a ball thrown by Mordred.

"Don't try it with him, stick with Gwaine."

Gwaine seemed to agree, he watched the girls, or rather he stared at the hairbrush intently, waiting for someone to use it on him.

"Let me show you," Mordred announced, leaving Leon to Arthur as he ran over to his master with the ball in his mouth.

As he stepped forward Gwaine yapped again, bounding over to him and he petted Gwaine's head.

"Don't you look pretty," he told Gwaine. Arthur laughed. Gwaine's tail wagging increased, and he jumped about. Mordred looked at the two girls.

"Have you got any more clips?"

The trio moved to one side, Gwaine following, clearly unbothered about his level of cool. Arthur felt quite surprised by Mordred; not for the first time. Mordred would keep the girls occupied and Leon would be left alone. Gwaine was the only one who would tolerate such things, and it would keep him distracted from bothering people for food.

"You haven't brought that one to the office," Uther pointed out. Arthur shrugged.

"As much as Mordred might get on with him, Gwaine is an asbo waiting to happen. Has been an asbo waiting to happen. He's a menace, good with kids though."

"Who's catering?" Bayard asked looking towards the decking.

"My dog walkers and vet," Arthur said. "That was not intentional, it was supposed to be self service, with me flipping a few burgers, but they have made themselves right at home.."

"So might I. I love a good barbeque."

Bayard took himself away, and as Morgana had moved closer, it left the three Pendragons together. Uther regarded his daughter, whose protruding bump was hard to ignore. She had, over the last few months, increased her time working from home, and Arthur had increased his hours at work, leaving the dog walkers to pick up the slack with whichever canines he left at home. It was working out quite well.

Until now.

"Morgana. How are you?"

It was not said a way of any father speaking to his pregnant daughter. She put a hand to her belly, which had swollen significantly recently, as far as Arthur could work out. One moment she had looked slightly thickened at the waist, the next moment, a belly seemed to have sprouted, aided by the maternity dress that Arthur had bought her two weeks ago, and which she had looked at uncertainly, until she now proudly wore today. Probably because it was Arthur's party, and Arthur had bought her the dress. The pattern was plain enough, the materials velvet and silken, which would appeal to her. Arthur thought she would have liked it, but her initial reaction told him she didn't, but she was now wearing it very publicly. Gwen and Mithian had both complimented her on it, and so had several of Arthur's neighbours, who could not have been prompted, and caused Morgana to proudly announce 'Arthur bought it for me.'

He had been shifting that part of the puzzle that was his sister in his brain for a little while, as he dealt with party attendees, who needed, he realised; no attending. They were getting on with it fine, he didn't need to speak to anyone, all of them were chatting amongst themselves, petting the dogs as they passed, and enjoying themselves. Apart from the fact that when he walked past them they spoke to him, Arthur could have been entirely incidental to the situation. It was all very unthreatening and he rather wondered why he hadn't done it before.

"I think I'll get a burger, I'm hungry."

I'm pregnant, don't want to deal with my father and have a perfect excuse, those last two words said. Arthur let her go, after years of Morgana handling Uther on his behalf Arthur found it entirely un-daunting to do so on hers. Merlin sat on his left foot and his nose rested on Arthur's leg to remind him of his grounding presence. Percival trotted over to investigate the situation, and Leon brought the ball back to him. Arthur took it out of his mouth and lobbed it into a clear space of garden. Both big dogs ran off. Merlin stayed put.

"How are you dad?"

"Perfectly fine, you saw me yesterday."

"I know, but it's polite to ask, and that was work, this is social. You can say different things. You need to talk to Morgana, properly."

"I have tried."

"Have you tried talking, or have you just been trying to dictate to her and patronise her. She's a grown woman dad, she knows her own mind and what she is doing. She doesn't have to be locked in wedlock, or even a relationship to have a child."

Quite frankly, Arthur thought, as Percival brought the ball back to him and Arthur lobbed it again, Morgana preferred the idea of the father not being involved; he hadn't exactly asserted his rights so far. Although she had done nothing to stop him.

"And what about someone there for the birth. I presume that is a done thing," Uther said.

"Yes, she can have whoever she likes, so far that's me. I've been with her to her antenatal classes, I am becoming quite an expert."

"You're hardly someone to be around a baby."

Arthur eyes widened. He took a very deep breath. On some levels Uther didn't entirely realise what he was saying. He counted to ten and focused on Merlin's weight against his leg.

"You will hardly be able to bring the dogs around her," Uther ended. Arthur released the breath he was holding.

"Of course I won't have the dogs around, although I don't doubt that they can be trusted. If I am busy with Morgana I stay with her and one of the dog minders sits in for me."

"That's expensive."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. He had a running spreadsheet, several in fact, which related to the dog's expenses, which he could easily afford.

"Some things are, plus I look for good deals online and they are all insured, just in case. And anyway, I do not live beyond my means."

Uther looked at him carefully, clearly planning questions that might upset him, and he was levelling that against the fact that Arthur had been less antsy recently. Arthur knew that sometimes, most of the time, Uther knew he got Arthur wrong, and handled him badly. But he could only do what he was capable of and both of his children ran interference for the other. Morgana had done more recently, while Arthur had been struggling with aspects of his life, that many dogs tended to help with. His friends did a good job too. He had employed Mithian, Elyan and Elena, when they were just starting out, and gave them enough work to keep the business going, more than he needed them occasionally, because he knew they were struggling and he had wanted them to succeed. In the course of that, none of them were stupid, and knew what Arthur was doing, they became friends. He had tried not to be patronising, and gave them work, rather than just giving them money for no reason.

Arthur realised, at that moment, just how far he had come mentally, without realising it.

"I am not mentally fit to be with someone, or deal with children, except Morgana's, and dogs are my life, they are very uncomplicated; like children that never grow up. Oi!"

He turned and yelled at Leon and Percival, whose tussle over the ball appeared to have turned nasty. Percival lashed out, grabbing Leon's shoulder causing the Setter to yelp. People backed away, gasping and muttering. Gwen left the decking. However, Arthur was already there.

"Oi!" he yelled again, sternly. Without any fear he grabbed Percival's muzzle and the dog let go, lurching back. Leon slunk away, curling around Arthur's legs.

"Sit!" Arthur snapped at Percival. He obeyed, ears dropping, even as he licked around his teeth, tasting blood. Leon also sat. So did Gwaine over the far side of the garden. Mordred debated getting up to help, but the little girls looked shocked and shaken, even moving a little away from Gwaine, who had done nothing. So instead he stayed with them, trying to keep them interested in the little dog in the middle of them.

"Lie down!" Arthur added in a stern tone that brooked no argument, and he was clearly confident of the response. Percival went down and stayed down. Arthur knew Percival wouldn't move now, until he paid attention to him. Instead he looked at Leon's shoulder. It wasn't bad, but his vet was on hand.

"I'll get the kit," Elyan said heading into the house. Arthur was prepared; and with a house full of dogs there were always scraps. Gwen came over and examined the bite.

"Not too deep," she said. "I would advise a stitch or two, but I can patch him up for now."

"Do him here, I want to keep an eye on them still. Good boy." Arthur gently brushed Leon's head and rubbed an ear. The dog nosed into his wrist. Arthur petted him again and then reached for Percival's collar. He gave a gentle tug and the dog rose up, letting Arthur lead him to the decking and up the steps. His ears were plastered down, and his tail between his legs, and he whined several times. At least he didn't pee, which Percival did when full on fear struck. He hadn't done that for a long while, but it now looked like Arthur was about to do something awful to him. A hush had fallen over the party as Arthur led the dog into the kitchen.

"Sit."

Percival did, looking up at him pitifully.

"Don't look at me like that," Arthur warned him and he went to the door to the hallway and locked the gate there, then he turned and left, locking the gate on the back door to leave Percival in the kitchen.

"If anyone needs the bathroom, you'll need to walk round and go in the front door," Arthur announced from the decking. "It's all right, I get that sometimes, no harm done?"

"None more than usual," Gwen said, releasing Leon, who trotted over to Arthur to get some reassurance. Leon wagged his tail as Arthur ran his fingers over Leon's ears. Arthur fed him a treat, and Merlin leant forward, sniffing at Leon. The bigger dog rumbled as Merlin's nose quested towards the bite. Merlin retracted, ears shifting on his head and he licked Leon's nose. Leon slowly wandered away, trotting around, sniffing the area. The party guests looked at him warily. Arthur gave a whistle and threw the ball again. Leon darted off to the far end of the garden, with Lancelot chasing after him.

Arthur gave it half an hour, wandering around and reassuring his guests. He owned a group of dogs, three of them rather large, and claiming dominance in their own right. Scuffles were not unusual. Gwaine never got involved and never seemed to cause any arguments, and Merlin hadn't done either. He stayed close to Arthur, and Mordred did some good work, talking about the dogs, and clearly describing, with good humour, some of the things that had happened to him while Arthur's dogs were in his custody.

After the appropriate length of time Arthur excused himself, went up onto the decking and opened the gate. Percival eyed him warily for a moment.

"Come on then," Arthur said.

Percival gave the merest wag of his tail, and he inched forward to Arthur, putting his head under Arthur's outstretched hand. His tail picked up momentum and Percival bumped against Arthur's legs, licking his hand and whining as he fussed around him. Arthur fed him a treat and walked Percival across the decking and down into the garden. Merlin stayed with Percival, rumbling as he licked at Percival's side, clearly trying to be reassuring. Percival's aim, however, seemed to be pleasing Arthur. He hung next to him, being attentive and insecure. Merlin retreated slightly letting Percival get close to Arthur. Although the lurcher still stayed as near as possible.

Arthur paused talking with Gwen to watch as Leon ambled over, sniffing warily. And he and Percival snuffled each other. Arthur pulled out more treats and fed them to the bigger dogs and then dropped one of the floor for Merlin to snaffle. Arthur handed a treat to Gwen to give to Lancelot, who lingered around her, staring at her adoringly. And Gwaine, never missing a trick, hurtled away from his audience to get to Arthur, scrabbling around him, and behaving as if he had never met anyone else as wonderful in his entire life.

The watching crowd viewed the scene with varying degrees of amusement and confusion.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"That went well," Gwen said, as they all lounged around on the decking. It was now dark, the glow of the remnants of the charcoal added light to the lanterns Arthur had set out.

Only Gwen, Elyan, Mithian, Elena and Morgana remained. Morgana was staying the night, as she occasionally did now. Using Arthur's third bedroom and nearby bathroom. He had used one of the gates to lock the dogs away, not that they often strayed into those rooms, as Arthur never used them. Gwaine, however, couldn't keep his nose out and followed Morgana around with interest. And one time was found snoozing in her suitcase.

The other dogs got the hint that Morgana was to be left alone. Merlin watched her warily, and hung in vigil around her. But the dogs were getting to know her, and were happy with her in their world. Since Arthur was accepting of her. That made her acceptable in the dog's opinions.

"It did," Arthur said, feeling very pleased with himself. He sat back as Merlin popped his front feet on the edge of the lounger, and studied the scene. Then Merlin jumped up into Arthur's lap, curling up on his thighs. Arthur petted his head and Merlin snuggled up.

"Aww," Elena said. "He's cute."

Merlin tucked his nose under his paws, his ears moving on his head but his gaze rested on Arthur. Arthur ran his hand over Merlin, who closed his eyes and settled down. He was the only dog that ever seemed to want to sit on him. Three of them were, quite obviously, too big. But even Gwaine had never bothered to try sitting with him. Instead Gwaine ran up to Arthur, holding one end of a toy in his mouth, batting the other end against the chair in a hint.

Arthur obligingly took hold of the toy and Gwaine went into a round of tug-of-war, pulling on the toy for all he was worth. Lancelot turned his head away from Gwen to watch for a moment, then he went back to resting his head on her leg. Percival and Leon didn't react where they were sprawled on the decking, their earlier spat long forgotten.

"Gwaine, had a good time as well. He looked very fetching," Elyan added. They all chuckled. Gwaine had enjoyed himself so much he had refused to let anyone remove the hair clips, darting away from Mordred as if the whole thing was a wonderful new game, until Arthur's voice had rung across the garden full of authority. Morgana thought that he spookily sounded like Uther. Uther had thought the same.

"Gwaine!" Arthur's voice had warned, going over to make him sit down so he could extract the clips. Gwaine then rolled over to make Arthur rub his belly, then when Arthur paused he rolled upright and hurled himself on Arthur, as he did in the moments that he decided Arthur was the best person in the world.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Morgana said. "Sleeping for two here."

Arthur chuckled. "I'm not sure that's a thing."

"You would know, you've done more homework than I have." Then she petted his hair and said goodnight to the others and went into the house. Leon followed her as far as the kitchen, then went back to Arthur. He sniffed at Merlin, snuggled up on Arthur's lap. The lurcher raised his head and nudged his nose against Leon's. Then Leon sprawled on the floor by Arthur.

"I think we should be going as well," Gwen said looking at her watch. Lancelot gave a whine as she stood up, ears drooping.

"Yes," Mithian agreed.

"Thanks for helping, you weren't meant to be doing that."

"It's fun," Elyan said. "We enjoyed it. Don't get up,"

Arthur did as he was told, as Merlin was well settled. Lancelot trailed after Gwen as they went out of the side gate, sitting there for a while looking forlorn. Mithian and Elena both kissed the top of Arthur's head.

"You did good today," Elena told him. Arthur gave a huff of laughter, which jostled Merlin slightly. The lurcher lifted his head and looked at him.

"Sorry," Arthur said, rubbing the top of Merlin's head, and the little dog settled down again. Gwaine got bored of the tug of war and instead went to clamber on Percival, curling up with the large dog. Percival grunted in irritation and shifted his legs to get Gwaine into position. Arthur sat back, closing his eyes and viewing the darkness with satisfaction. Around him he could hear the snuffing of the dogs, and feel the reassuring warmth and weight of Merlin. He closed his eyes, resolving to get up the moment he started to drift off, otherwise he would end up spending the night on the patio.

For the time being though, he was happy to sit there. With his dogs contentedly around him, and all being well with his world.