Silence Is Golden (Isn't It?)
Disclaimer: All canon characters belong to TNT and any other respective owners.
Jenkins adores silence. The quiet helps him think, and it allows him to escape into his own world. A world filled with magic, knights, love, war, and kings not only inhabited Jenkins' mind, but had also once existed on the planet many, many years ago. Camelot doesn't just run through Jenkins' mind. It gallops with the speed of twenty horses trying to bolt in a rain storm on particular days when Jenkins is in a rather excited or curious mood, such as when Charlene and Judson send a new artifact his way to be tested. Jenkins loved being utterly alone in the Annex in Portland on days such as that. Oh, the new Librarian brought back a truly impressive tooth from a giant that needed to be examined for the beast's chemical make-up and overall weaknesses? Jenkins could run all the required tests on the tooth with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back. Had anyone inhabited the Annex with the famous Knight of the Round Table, they would have heard Jenkins mumbling softly to himself as he solved magical formulas and applied his educational foundations in both science and magic to the artifact or sample in question. The job suited the old caretaker well; he could accomplish tasks of world importance all in the peace and tranquility of an empty Annex. And, of course, there was the almost unlimited supply of jasmine tea at the older man's disposal within the Library's Annex. The tea was a deal-breaker in itself.
There were other days when Jenkins could only wish for silence. No, these days did not just appear when the new Librarians in Training, the Librarian himself, and their new Guardian came into his life and peaceful Annex. However much he tried to blame them as the root of interrupting, they weren't the first culprits. Before the Library's new arrivals, there were the memories. The memories kept Jenkins up most nights, prying their way into his heart, mind, and soul as he tried to sleep. Darkness called to Galahad, threatening to creep in and invade his pure soul and incorruptible heart. He had never strayed from the path given to him via a prophecy before his mother Elaine ever gave birth to him one snowy day in late December. Born the son of the great Lancelot and Princess Elaine, Galahad was decreed to be the greatest knight that ever was, even as a wee baby that could do not much more than eat, sleep, cry, and listen to his mother's songs and stories. Often while the immortal Knight of the Round Table fell asleep at the Annex, his mother's soothing and melodic voice would wake Jenkins up, sweat on his face and back as he thought about his compassionate and loving mother. It was then that the darkness began to taunt Galahad- for he always thought of himself as Galahad while dreaming of his mother Princess Elaine- though the darkness was not of his mother. The darkness that threatened to claim Galahad originated from his father.
Galahad was born to a father who was never around long enough to grow and develop into a fine young knight worthy of the prophecy bestowed upon him. Many people within the kingdom blamed Galahad's mother for the lack of paternal involvement in her young son's life; the boy in questioned instead blamed his father. It was well known that Lancelot only held romantic feelings and passion for one lady in the entire world: Queen Guinevere, the wife and partner of the famed King Arthur of Camelot. However, King Pelles- Elaine's father- knew of a prophecy that needed to come to pass, lest the Holy Grail could never be found. The prophecy stated that King Pelles' darling daughter Elaine would one day very soon fall pregnant with Lancelot du Lac's child, a child that was fated to become the greatest Knight of the Round Table the world would ever know. This child, born of the union between Sir Lancelot du Lac and Princess Elaine would become the man who could sit in the Siege Perilous and then go on a quest to successfully find the Holy Grail.
Right, the darkness. How could it be forgotten? Galahad was born without complications to Princess Elaine not very many days before Christmas. When he was born, Elaine had wept, holding her precious infant son up to her chest as she stared into his beautiful brown eyes that practically radiated with light.
"My dear Galahad," Elaine cooed, making sure not to jostle her son as she slowly shifted her still-sore body on the bed. "Please forgive me, my love, for the sin I committed in order to be blessed with a boy as brave, handsome, and strong as you," she continued, dropping a kiss to the tiny Galahad's head as the baby in question began to stir and make quiet noises typical of small babies. "I know you have heard these words from me before, my son," Elaine assured, resting one hand on her abdomen as she thought of those same words she had whispered to her precious Galahad when he was busy growing, making her own stomach swell in the process, as well as making Elaine crave food that could not be found except for in the kingdom two days' ride away.
Jasmine tea had quickly become a favorite of Elaine's early on during her pregnancy. In fact, Princess Elaine got to the point where she had one cup of jasmine tea when she woke up, at least four throughout the day's duties, and one at night while she sat in her bed talking to her unborn child. For such a pleasurable time in Elaine's life waiting on her baby's arrival, Elaine could not help but think of the darkness that would chase her son's incorruptible soul and pure heart.
The sin Elaine referred to when talking to Galahad was that regarding the boy's father. Upon King Pelles learning that his daughter was to give life to a child of the famed Lancelot du Lac, the king quickly began to craft a plan. He hired a sorceress that altered Elaine's appearance in front of Lancelot du Lac alone. For the time they spent together, Lancelot believed whole-heartedly that Elaine was, in fact, Queen Guinevere, the woman Lancelot pledged his heart to years ago. Thus, upon discovering the woman was Elaine, Lancelot fled and rarely came into contact with his son Galahad. The darkness of the deception watched over and followed young Galahad instead….
The deaths of those he came to know and love in Camelot follow Jenkins around to the current day. Hearing his fellow Knights of the Round Table being slaughtered one by one by either enemy forces or the quest for the Holy Grail still shatters Jenkins' heart. Seeing King Arthur killed in front of his very eyes during the Final Battle haunted Jenkins in the middle of the night in his dreams. Losing his mother, Princess Elaine, was just as hard as it had been every single year. During the day of her passing- for as many years as he has out-lived her- Jenkins had locked himself in his room at the Annex, taking out the painting he has of the two of them from his eighteenth birthday before he sheds more tears than a child who fell down and skinned his or her knee on particularly painful concrete. At least, that is the analogy Jenkins refers to when he brings the matter up to Judson and Charlene.
When Flynn, Eve, Ezekiel, Jacob, and Cassandra all end up at the Annex, Jenkins can practically feel and hear the silence shattering around him. The Librarian, his Guardian, and their Librarians in Training make so much noise all the time that Jenkins can feel himself going slightly more insane every time one of them shouts loud enough that he hears the conversation from his lab. Mr. Jones and Mr. Stone particularly can be heard shouting at one another even from downstairs, a fact which both displeases and annoys Jenkins to an extreme extent. One day, the caretaker of the Library gets absolutely fed up with all the shouting, so he heads downstairs, book in hand and a scowl on his face.
"Silence is golden, gentlemen," Jenkins coolly remarks as he comes into the room to find Ezekiel balanced on the top of a bookshelf with Jacob's wallet being held firmly in the thief's hands.
Neither man responds, but Jenkins knows he has made his point clear when both Mr. Jones and Mr. Stone become noticeably quieter in their squabbling. It's only been about a week since the five of them entered Jenkins' life, and he is already thoroughly convinced that he won't be able to stand any of them working in and taking up space within the Annex. The NATO colonel seems to be the only one Jenkins seems to understand at first; she is by far the one the once Knight of the Round Table gets along with the most. He keeps the Librarians in Training under his watchful gaze and a scowl, and their bags remain packed at all times in hopes Mr. Carsen will come to take them back where they came from.
As the months pass, all three LITs begin to succeed in their training under the protective eyes of Colonel Eve Baird. Jenkins must hand it to Colonel Baird; she was able to get Mr. Jones, Ms. Cillian, and Mr. Stone into better shape and was modeling them into the makings of both soldiers and future Librarians. However, much to the caretaker's dismay, Mr. Carsen still has not come to take any of them away. Pity. Jenkins had been looking forward to that.
The first words of encouragement that come out of Jenkins' mouth before the LITs' first mission without Flynn slip out without Jenkins' brain and mouth stopping him.
"Good luck," he barely whispers as Eve, Ezekiel, Jake, and Cassandra go to investigate mass disappearances, not knowing they would have to face the Minotaur in his new Labyrinth.
"What?" Eve inquires, shocked by the compliment escaping the caretaker's mouth.
"Nothing. Go away; I'm working," Jenkins recovers, but Eve lets out an "Mm-hmm" that lets Jenkins know he wasn't as smooth as he thought.
He couldn't believe his kind chose those two words for him to utter to the new Guardian. As common as they were to wish someone well on a journey or adventure, they hold special meaning to the purest Knight of the Round Table. They are some of the last words Galahad's mother ever spoke to him.
He had been a young man of twenty when those two fateful words were said to him one last time.
"Good luck," Elaine told her only child with the passion only a proud mother knows.
"Thank you, Mother," Galahad responded, embracing his mother with both arms as he straightened to his full height. "I will venture forth to make you proud and bring honor to you and grandfather," he continued, a smile on his face even as he realized he would be leaving the only life and home he had ever known to go on his first solo mission to become a famous Knight of the Round Table.
"You already have, my darling Galahad," Elaine beamed, a few tears trickling down her face and onto her son's suit of armor. "From the day you were born and I held you in my arms, I knew you were destined for great things, Galahad. Never forget how proud I am of you, my son, and how happy and fortunate I feel to be your mother," she continued, her arms wrapped around Galahad's torso since her son practically towers over her now.
"I shall never forget, Mother," Galahad promised, eyes glowing in love and pride as he prepares to embark on the biggest quest of his life. "So swears Galahad, son of Elaine, grandson of King Pelles. On my life, I will never forget thy love or thy pride in me, thy only son and child of Elaine of Corbenic," he finished, love apparent in his for the woman who gave him life and raised him with all the affection in the world.
And, no, there were not tears glimmering behind his eyes. That was simply the sun shining brightly on his face and making Galahad's eyes water. After saying goodbye to his mother and grandfather, Galahad mounts his trusty white steed, gifted to him by his grandfather King Pelles, before the prospective Knight of the Round Table flies across the land on one of the fastest animals in the kingdom of Corbenic.
With the three LITs, their Guardian, and Mr. Carsen all out on a mission, Jenkins revels in the silence he hasn't heard since the five first arrived to the Annex. It's shocking at first, really. Jenkins goes nearly five hours in almost complete silence, save a few frantic calls from Colonel Baird asking about magic. During his time alone, Jenkins works on cataloguing the artifacts like he has wanted to do for months now. Next, he practices his sword-fighting skills in his private chambers, just in case someone was to come back to the Annex ahead of schedule. He couldn't let them have any hints as to who he really is. After brushing up on his technique with a sword, Jenkins goes to make a new batch of jasmine tea to further his relaxation without distractions from the ever-present LITs. He should start allowing them to go on missions more frequently if for nothing else but to reclaim his previous silence once more.
As the year goes on, the new Librarians and their Guardian go on missions about three times a week, keeping Flynn's "saving the world twice before Friday" memo in motion. The quiet, as always, is welcoming to Jenkins. He can dutifully work on tests or organizing the Library in addition to anything that needs to be done in peace and quiet. Jenkins really enjoyed the quiet at first, but it soon became as smothering as the noise had been. In fact, the silence becomes ominous and unbearable when the LITs are on their solo mission in Peru while Eve and Flynn are who knows where on a mission of their own.
"Silence is golden," Jenkins says within his own mind as he picks up some books that Ezekiel left scattered around the Annex.
And yet, something suddenly seems missing in Jenkins' world, a sensation that gnaws at his heart. Whether or not Jenkins realizes his care and concern for Eve, Ezekiel, Jacob, Flynn, and Cassandra, the emotions are still present within the caretaker's mind and heart.
His mind races, coming up with another thought shortly after.
"Isn't it?"
Because whether Jenkins and/or Galahad admitted it or not, he was slowly starting to accept these five people- and their noise- into his life.
Author's Note: And there is my Jenkins contribution for the first day of the shipathon week for our amazing caretaker and Knight of the Round Table! For all of you who may have read my previous stories for the shipathon, I must apologize to you for not posting for this past week. I am in the middle of writing those stories now, along with my missing Evlynn story. I will try my hardest to get it up ASAP. Thanks for your understanding! Anyway, I may take some days of from the shipathon, such as when I have my second of my two college visits out of state coming up when I will not have my laptop or Wi-fi, but I will always try to catch back up. My first one went well, and I just got back in town with Wi-fi late Wednesday night since the college I toured is ten hours away from my house since we drove. Soooo… Yeah. In addition to the college tours, I'm still trying to finish up the last bit of my summer work for my upcoming senior year in high school! Well, that's about all I have to say other than I hoped everyone enjoyed this one-shot! All right, that's all I have to say for now. Have a good morning, afternoon, or night!