Okay, so I'm a newbie at Merlin Fanfics, but I fell in love with the series and I couldn't stop thinking about this one. May DP fans forgive me for neglecting other fics.......

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MERLIN!!!! I wish I did... BUT I DON'T!

"Merlin, I'm not going to tell you again, SIT!" Gaius grabbed the young warlock's shoulder and forced him down.

"Gaius, I told you, I'm fine. Nimueh's gone, the balance is restored."

"Yes and that is all fine, but she still managed to inflict harm to you before her demise. You may be a warlock who can control the balance of life and death, but you know nothing of healing, Merlin." Gaius rummaged through his potions and books, turning his back to Merlin.

"I'm fine Gaius," Merlin repeated, despite his wince as he moved to get up. "I need on check my mother before anything else." Gaius looked at Merlin and sighed.

"Your mother will have my head if you run in there looking like that. I understand your needs, but if these wounds don't get treated, they'll cause you more pain than you can imagine. They're magic inflicted, they are cursed."

Merlin looked at Gaius with challenging eyes. "I don't care," he said, "My mother is all I have Gaius, I'll risk it."

"Merlin," Gaius said, his voice laced with anger. The boy in question quieted, looking away from his mentor. Gaius, sighed, walking towards Merlin with a bottle in his hand. "Merlin," he said a little more gently, "I've seen what you would risk for your family, for your friends, but you must realize that you too are important to this world. You mustn't over look it. Your mother shall be fine, as you said, the balance has been restored." Merlin sighed, looking down. "Take your shirt off, I need to see that burn," Gaius ordered, moving to grab bandages. He heard the young warlock grunt in pain as he did what he was asked, but ignored it, knowing that making a fuss would only irritate Merlin. Gaius poured some of the potion onto a cloth and turned to face Merlin.

There was a large bruise on his chest, that seemed to spread like a rash ever so slowly, as if it moved only when someone wasn't looking. Merlin's shoulder faired no better, a black bruise graced itself around his shoulder, from where Merlin dodged one of the high priestess' spells. Gaius refrained from speaking and started to treat the wounds. Merlin stayed quiet, letting out small gasps of pain whenever he couldn't refrain from it. Gaius knew Merlin was hurting way more than he was letting on, and that only made Gaius' prouder.

"Gaius?" Merlin asked tentatively as Gaius managed to bandage his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Did you really mean what you said? In your letter?" Merlin asked. Gaius looked up at him. Merlin's blue eyes sparkled with the curiosity of a young child. "Am I the son you've never had?"

Gaius looked upon the boy. The truthful answer was yes, however for him to ask when Gaius had plainly said it in front of him many times was unnerving to him. "Yes Merlin, you are." He went back to tending the cursed wound when Merlin's words stopped him yet again.

"Then I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten you into this," he said. Gaius looked up at the boy, but Merlin did not look at Gaius. He stared at the wall in one of his little trances, like he was seeing something else.

"Merlin," Gaius put his hand onto Merlin's good shoulder. "You've got nothing to be sorry for. You've got a good heart, and even if you do off like an idiot sometimes, you are in fact one of the smartest men I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Don't you ever forget that." Merlin said nothing as Gaius returned to his wounds. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter."

Gwen walked in, looking slightly relieved. Her demeanor changed as she saw Gaius tending to Merlin. "What happened Merlin?"

Gaius and Merlin exchanged looks. "I... got injured..." Merlin said, inwardly cringing as he said it.

"I can see that, I meant, how?" Gwen said testily, walking towards Gaius.

"Merlin got a little injured while helping me gather some supplies needed to cure his mother," Gaius said, returning to Merlin's wound. Merlin winced as Gaius cleaned the center of his wound.

Gwen looked at Merlin, exasperatedly. "I knew you were going to do something stupid." Merlin gave her a quizzical look and she looked flustered. "Not that you're stupid or anything, but from the way you were talking last night, and your rash nature, I mean-"

"Don't worry Gwen," Merlin said, smiling slightly. "I know what you mean."

Gwen looked down, embarrassed. "So... are you alright?"

"He's fine, a little bruised, but in a couple days time he should be healed," Gaius said, looking at Merlin and hoping he got the hint. Gaius finished bandaging Merlin and smiled. "All done." Merlin jumped up from the chair and raced up the stairs to his room. Gaius chuckled to himself as he turned to Gwen, however footsteps back downstairs returned his attention to the stairs. Merlin stood there with an unreadable expression on his face, then it broke out in a small smile, a smile Gaius hadn't seen on the warlock since before Arthur was attacked.

"Thank you Gaius," he said, "For... well... well for everything."

Gaius shook his head. "No Merlin, it is I who should be thanking you. Go, tend to your mother."

Gaius turned back to Gwen, who smiled at the small scenario. "Now, Gwen... what brings you here so early?"

"It's the lady Morgana... she had another dream again..."

:--=--:

Hunith woke to see her son, slumped over her bedside, asleep. She smiled as she stroked his hair, careful not to wake him. How she missed her son, but knowing he was safe was what gave her happiness. She barely saw the bandages near his shoulder and sighed; she knew what he was willing to give up, but she couldn't have stopped him. When Merlin made up his mind about something, there was no way getting around it.

Gaius entered the room and saw Hunith watching her son reminiscently. He smiled as he saw the interaction, imagining a life without Merlin. He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the woman who asked him for help only months before.

"How are you doing Hunith?" he asked quietly, trying to preserve Merlin's peace.

"Better, knowing he's safe," Hunith said. Her voice was hoarse and tired, but it was full of relief.

Gaius smiled knowingly. "He's had a couple exhausting days, emotionally and physically."

"As have you, I believe," she said. "I knew you would help him Gaius, and to know that you've bonded makes me happy." Hunith stroked Merlin's head again. He murmured something in his sleep, but his mother hushed him.

Gaius said nothing, he watched the sleeping warlock and his mind escaped him again. It was true, Merlin made his way into Gaius life within seconds, he never knew what he was in for. And to think, Merlin was willing to end his life for three people over the last few days because he believe he was not worthy of them. He had no idea what was at stake. "He's grown much... he's learned things I've never imagined... and yet..."

"And yet you find yourself wondering how much he's left to grow..." Hunith said knowingly. "He's special, my Merlin is. I knew it from the beginning."

Merlin mumbled in his sleep, his peaceful expression gone within an instant. "No...no.... not them... take me... no.... no... I won't let you... I won't"

"Shhh... Merlin, it's alright..." Hunith said, stroking her son again. He calmed slightly and returned to his fretful slumber.

Gaius knew what he was dreaming about; Nimueh's death. He couldn't have killed her that easily, Merlin may be part of the old religion, but he definitely wouldn't practice it. "Merlin's not a killer... and yet... he had to make a decision that he couldn't have made so easily. It's easy to forget that he still is, just a boy."

Hunith watched her son; Gaius was right. He wouldn't harm anyone, sure he did it to save his kingdom... but Merlin would never, ever, take a life without giving a second thought. "He's no murderer."

A pounding on the door caught Gaius' attention. Merlin stirred from his sleep and Gaius sighed. "Let him rest Hunith, he needs it." She smiled as Gaius ran down the stairs in a flurry of activity that was not to be expected of a man his age, and quickly opened the door to see a furious looking Arthur in the doorway.

"Sire?"

"Where's Merlin Gaius?" he asked, walking into the man's workplace.

Gaius sighed. "He's resting."

Arthur's fury died away in an instant, Gaius knew that it was all an act, Arthur's temper was never that easily dismissed. "Resting?"

"Please sire, he's had a stressful couple of days."

"Oh, he's had a stressful couple of days, I was bitten by that retched Questing beast... and he's had a stressful couple of days? Yes, poor Merlin," Arthur said sarcastically.

Gaius said nothing, if Arthur had any idea of what Merlin has gone through... he'd be singing a different tune. "His mother is ill, sire,"

"Hunith? Ill?" Arthur asked, his voice changing to compassionate.

"Yes sire, she turned up the same night that you cured. I myself didn't think I could cure her, until I found an antidote. Merlin rode out the next morning in a hurry to find the ingredients, albeit I told him not to go, he's a walking catastrophe waiting to happen. He was injured, but we were able to get the antidote to Hunith in time. He's with her now, but the boys exhausted."

Arthur looked at Gaius, his face full of understanding. "So that's why he was acting odd in my chambers the other night."

Gaius nodded, continuing the lie he found himself wound into. "He was worried, blamed himself for everything that had happened."

"But that's absurd! Merlin couldn't do anything to have stopped the beast from biting me! He can't be of blame for his mother's illness!" Arthur exclaimed, rubbing his injured arm.

Gaius refrained from answering, reliving Merlin's distresses from the past few days in his mind.

Arthur watched the physician curiously, but remained silent. After a few moments, he spoke again. "I thought he was going to do something stupid. The 'till the day I die' speech sounded fishy to me."

"I must admit, I knew of his actions before he did them. It's easy to know what Merlin will do for his friends and family, he would sacrifice anything and everything to do it," Gaius said, his eyes watching the prince to see if he picked up the hint.

"I always said he was keen to die for me," Arthur said, smiling.

"Speaking of dying, shouldn't you be resting? No matter what you think, sire, you are not invincible or immortal," Gaius said, rushing the young Pendragon to the door.

"Honestly Gaius, you're worse than my father," Arthur whined. When he was at the door, he turned and faced Gaius. His face betrayed his feigned anger and a look of compassion took his face. "Tell Merlin, that I hope his mother is alright, and that he should be at work tomorrow, bright and early." Gaius smiled; at these moments Arthur Pendragon showed a side that the king rarely showed, one of compassion and loyalty. Arthur had befriended Merlin, even if he didn't admit it.

"I will, sire, and I'm sure Merlin will be happy to know that you were worried for him."

Arthur's face grimaced at the idea of feeling such an emotion, but as he walked, Gaius knew he would be smiling.

Gaius closed the door and reflected on the day's events. It all came down one thing: Merlin. Merlin was the one who will return magic to Camelot, and is the only person that Gaius could not be any more proud of.

Review.... please?

MATW