amarie_authielTitle: Arousing suspicion (Momo 12).
Rating: PG- 13
Pairing/s:
Character/s: Uther, Arthur, Merlin, Gawin (Gwaine), Mordred, Mentioned: Ag(g)ravaine, Morgana, Morgause, Gaius, Gwen.
Summary: Arthur makes some calls and new wheels are put in motion.
Warnings: Mentions/hints at an (canon) immorally fascination/attraction.
Word Count: ~780
Prompt: #86 Arouse.
Author's Notes: Feelings, lots of feelings. This got too long so I had to split it. Here's hoping I can make the next promt fit.
Part 1: Momo
Part 2: Observation
Part 3: Revelation
Part 4: The Hunter
Part 5: The Thief
Part 6: Face to face
Part 7: Retreat and regroup
Part 8: To bare your soul or to sell it
Part 9: So here we are
Part 10: I go la la la
Part 11: Last chance.
Uther Pendragon had a lot of people at his command. He had a few he considered reliable allies– or at least predictable foes - and only a selected few he trusted. Aggravaine was the most reliable and loyal man the Pendragons had. But all it took was a phone call from Arthur before Uther had certain someones go looking where they hadn't looked before.
In time they would find that Aggravaine had embezzled money from the company for years. Only stopping the years when Morgana had been living with them. But for now Arthur sat in his hotel room with his folder and the pictures of Merlin and Mordred, waiting for news from his father. If Merlin was right and not just convincingly misleading it meant that Aggravaine had all the reasons to sabotage this from the beginning. Holding back information about Morgana's disappearance was unforgivable, he would have lost everything. All these years, and nothing but lies. He remembered being young and his uncle telling stories of his mother when she was a child. Arthur had always assumed that Morgana didn't like him because she missed her own parents, and didn't care for uncle's attempts to make her feel a part of the family. As they grew older Aggravaine often invited them both to travel places with him, or to come along with him and Uther on business trips and such. Now it made him queasy to think about. He was relieved that Morgana always refused and instead traveled with her cousin Morgause or Gwen. That is how Gwen and he met, actually.
Hours later Uther returned the call, tearing Arthur from his gloomy thoughts.
- Yes, Father?
- It appears Aggravaine has conveniently left the country. To Bahamas, we believe. He booked several tickets to several locations, so we cannot be sure.
Arthur swore.
- Yes, Uther answered dryly. My thought exactly. He seems to have been playing us for fools for years. But I fail to see why he chose now to run.
- I imagine, Arthur said with a sigh, that he came here to investigate Merlin and realized that Merlin was an obstacle he couldn't avoid. He is not at all what the report made us believe. Aggravaine must have realized it was only a matter of time before we found out. I am guessing he thought he was buying himself more time if Merlin remained hostile towards us. Seems he didn't count on Merlin not doing what one would expect.
- You may be right. It is fortunate that he didn't get a long head start. He will get what he deserves.
- I hope so.
- This Merlin Rhys. In two days he has managed to turn this company upside- down and done us a great favor at the same time. Tell me about him.
...
It was nearing midnight when Gawin heard the doorbell chimes. He left his papers grudgingly. They were having another meeting the next day with social services and both parties present. This had better be important.
Outside stood a courier.
- I have a delivery from Caerleon & Associates, sir. Identification, please.
After signing and opening the package he had to sit down. He then called Gregory Gaius at social services to confirm. He apologized for the late hour and for calling his home number, though it seemed the older man had been waiting for the call.
A while later Gawin stood at Merlin’s door grinning like a Cheshire cat at the sleepy man and the red eyed boy hiding behind him.
- Merlin, I don’t know what you did, but he caved in. And he didn’t just give up his own claim on custody, but he is backing yours 100%.
Merlin’s jaw dropped. He grabbed the papers from Gawin and fell down on the first seat he could find to read. The seat happened to be the shoe rack, but it did the deed and didn’t break. Gawin plowed into the flat, struck his arms out and shouted:
- Pirate captain More Dread of the interstellar space ship GawinRox, who’s your daddy?!
The boy’s face lit up into a smile which could melt the polar ice caps in seconds.
- Merlin is! Merlin is my daddy!
The celebration continued with chocolate milk, head banging and air guitar far into the night.
At the Ealdor Grand Hotel Arthur had more collapsed than fallen asleep, after trying to convince himself that some people simply weren’t meant to have a family and that he would be too busy repairing the damage Aggravaine had done to the company to have time for a family anyway.
Just one meeting to go and it would all be settled once and for all.
Part 13