Fira slept soundly through the night. She didn't mind the occasionally bumpiness of the cart, she was just glad to be able to sleep somewhere. Her body still ached from overuse. To her surprise, she didn't see many of the knights during the second day of riding. Mostly her time consisted of either sleeping or convincing Merlin she felt alright. It was a lie, of course. Her sleeping was more accurately described as periods of forced unconsciousness. Her magic and thus her body seemed out of sync. Often she couldn't wake up, even when Merlin tried to rouse her. He knew, but didn't let on.

As the second day drew to a close, the ramparts of Camelot’s citadel appeared in view.

Fira found herself trembling in fear like she hadn't experienced in a long while. The sight of Camelot terrified her. All the memories of her murderous acts flooded back. She began to gasp for breath, desperately trying to stave off the panic which began to set in.

Merlin jumped instantly to her side. Confusion was written all over his face. “We're almost home. Is it your heart again?”

“I can't go back,” Fira shook her head, her movements jerky and her eyes darting to and fro. “Merlin I can't! If someone recognizes me, I'm dead, rightfully so.”

Merlin swallowed a retort about her not deserving death. Now wasn't the time for that. Instead he sat down next to her. “Fira, you’re going to be fine.”

Fira shook her head violently. “I can't! I can't face her.”

“Her?” Realization dawned on Merlin. “Gwen won't hold what you did against you.”

“You don't know that,” Fira growled, panic laced in her voice.

“I do know that.”

Fira looked at him closely. She searched his eyes for uncertainty, but there was none. Slowly she allowed her body to calm down. With a nod, she laid herself back and tried to get a handle on her breathing.

Within the hour, they reached the city. Fira had fallen into one of her periods of unconsciousness. Merlin tried to wake her, unsuccessfully. As the cart stopped, Percival came around the back.

“She okay?” He asked in concern.

Merlin sighed and shook his head. “Sometimes I can't wake her. Could you carry her up to Gaius?”

“Of course!” Percival got off his horse and took Fira in his arms.

She slumped against his body, unable to free herself from slumber. Percival joined up with the other knights of the Round Table as they walked through the quiet, sleeping lower town.

“She alright?” Tor looked at her in concern.

Percival shrugged. “Merlin just wants to get her to Gaius.”

They hurried through the streets up to the citadel. Arthur and Merlin came behind on horseback. Percival went straight for Gaius'. Fira began to wake as they got close to the physician chambers and she looked up to figure out who carried her.

“My chest hurts,” she murmured to him. “Like before.”

Percival nodded in alarm. He opened the door to Gaius’ chambers and placed her on the cot as the man began to stir from sleep. He had to go get Merlin.

Percival darted back to where the knights, Arthur, and Merlin stood in the throne room. He went as quick as he could.

“Merlin!” He spoke quickly.

The warlock looked up in fear. “What's wrong?”

“She woke up, said her chest was hurting again.” Percival shook his head. “I left her on the patient's cot but she might need you.”

Merlin agreed. He tore off in the direction of his chambers, the knights and Arthur following him. He sped into his chambers to find Gaius awake and standing over a horribly in pain Fira.

“Merlin, you probably know a lot more than I do,” Gaius nodded, standing back from her.

The warlock nodded and went to her side. The knights stood watching just inside the door, fear etched on their faces.

Fira cried out, curling as far in on herself as she could. Tears stained her face. Merlin grabbed her arm as her hand tried desperately to hold onto something. He placed his other hand on her chest and began using his magic to feel through her body.

“It's her heart again,” he said quickly to the others. “Removing the stone must've weakened it.”

“Can you do something to help her?” Elyan asked him.

“Please,” she murmured to Merlin as he tried to find a way to stop the pain. “Please Merlin, let me die.” Another agonizing wave of pain washed through her. She shouted, “Please!”

Merlin and Gaius exchanged a glance. The warlock didn't know if the others had heard her first plea, but from the way Gaius exchanged several glances with the knights, he guessed yes.

Gaius left Merlin’s side and joined the others. He beckoned them closer into a corner of the room. Gaius’ heart went out to Galahad who looked absolutely destroyed by Fira’s current state. He turned to the others. “Tell me what happened.”

As Arthur and the knights explained what happened, Merlin dealt with Fira. Suddenly, she fell much too still and quiet. Merlin, after several attempts, manage to use his magic to revive her, to breathe life into her once more. He then put a spell on her to sleep.

“She wanted to die,” Arthur finally said a moment later. “Why?”

Merlin put his head in his hands and sat down, exhausted from the last five days. Between the battle and the two and a half day journey back to Camelot, he could barely stand now.

“She’s just not in a good place right now. And she was in a lot of pain.” Merlin shrugged. “I actually think it’d be best if she doesn't see any of you for a while.”

“We’re her friends,” Galahad protested.

“You're also who she thinks she betrayed the deepest.”

Suddenly the door opened to the chambers. Guinevere hurried inside. She kissed Arthur before turning to the others. At last her gaze rested on Fira’s sleeping, broken form.

Gwen paused. “Is she our friend again?”

“Yes,” assured her husband. “I wouldn't have brought her back if she wasn't.”

The queen nodded. “Alright. Then… is she alright?”

Not much of Fira remained visible since Merlin had placed a blanket over her. Merlin shook his head at Gwen and beckoned her over. As she came with him to Fira's bedside, he drew back the blanket to reveal her severed arm and the burn over her heart.

Gwen’s hand flew to her mouth. “What happened?”

They launched into the tale yet again. Gaius meanwhile looked over Fira’s entire body, double checking the work his nephew and ward had done.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Guinevere asked Merlin and Gaius sadly. “Anything at all?”

“Actually…” Merlin sighed and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “I need to find a spell to strengthen her heart. If anyone wants to look through spell books…”

In the end, Galahad, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Guinevere, and Elyan all stayed behind to look through the books. The group insisted Arthur go to bed and rest. Merlin and Gaius handed out several spell tomes and books to each volunteer.

The read to all hours of the morning. Guinevere bowed out half way through, eager to join her husband. But the knights remained. No one was having any luck until nearly dawn.

“Merlin come look at this one,” Galahad beckoned. “This might be it!”

Merlin left Fira’s bedside and joined Galahad at the table. He glanced through the words on the page and nodded.

“That's it.” But he frowned. “It's a powerful spell.”

“You can do it, though, right?” Gwaine asked quickly as they all put down their books.

“Probably.”

Merlin told them all to clear the immediate area around Fira’s bed. Gaius looked over the spell and got Merlin a chair so he could sit beside her. Rarely, even since his reveal to the knights that he had magic, had Merlin ever done complex spells.

He placed his hands on Fira's chest. Slowly he began to chant the words from the book Gaius held in front of him, quietly in a hush at first but growing steadily louder until he spoke in a normal tone. He closed his eyes and began to feel himself weaving a wall around her heart. He strengthened the muscle carefully. One wrong move and she might have another heart attack.

The knights watched in concern. For the past twenty-five minutes, Merlin had silently been working at his spell. Fira lay still and Merlin’s breathing synched with hers. Eventually he opened his eyes and spoke a last phrase. The others saw his eyes flashed gold as the spell ended. He sat back in exhaustion.

He nodded. “Well, she should be alright now.”

“Physically,” Gaius warned. “Emotionally, she obviously is not healed. Give her some time before you come visiting.”

They agreed, some grumbling more than others. There was much work to be done anyways. Arthur had decided the time and place for the next assault: Camlann, in a week and a half. They had to prepare.