Hi everyone! This new story is kinda a sequel to The Necklace, another fic I did for Magic Tree House, but you don't have to have read the other one to understand this. Disclaimer: This is not part of the actual series or any part of actual Arthurian legend (even though I do use various characters). It's purely my imagination. Anyway, enjoy the story!

"Wow, I feel like I'm stepping back in time." Jack set his duffel bag on the floor and stared around his childhood room. Annie lingered in the doorway watching as he moved to sit on the edge of the creaky twin bed.

"Mom dusts and changes the sheets when we have company, but aside from that, nothing's been touched," she commented, gesturing to a slightly curling poster advertising a Brazilian soccer team.

Jack laughed and looked at the other odd trinkets on the shelves- reminders of their past adventures. It was always bizarre to think about such escapades; some days they seemed more fantasy than past events. After all, logically, time traveling into the past wasn't possible. Especially in a magic tree house.

"How're you doing, sis?" Jack mentally shifted gears before he had time to get himself into an internal argument. He hadn't seen Annie for a while- college plus a full time job plus a fiancée was a hard load to balance. It had been months since he'd been home to visit.

"Great. I guess. It's senior year so, you know, that always has perks. However, I still can't choose between a communications degree, an internship as a zoologist, or nursing school." Annie shook her head, dirty-blond hair shifting as she moved. Jack laughed at how different all her options were. Yet that was Annie. She wanted to do everything and be as helpful as she could to as many people as possible. He liked to think his job at the Smithsonian was pretty crucial, along with his studies in history and foreign cultures. In reality though, it wasn't nearly as vital as anything Annie wanted to do. Or Delphine. Jack's raven-haired fiancée was a researcher at a pharmaceutical plant. She worked everyday to invent lifesaving medicines. They'd only known each other two years, and they planned to wait two years until the wedding, but Jack was still over the moon that she'd agreed to marry him.

"Earth to Jack." Annie waved a hand in front of his face and he snapped back to attention.

"Sorry...I was um, thinking."

Annie rolled her eyes. "One weekend in Frog Creek and you already can't wait to get back to D.C. Or should I say, Delphine." She batted her eyes and Jack blushed slighty.

"So, um, what were you saying?" Jack steered the conversation back to Annie. "You were talking about your friends?"

"Right. Paul."

"Paul? I thought he annoyed you. Since when has he been your friend?"

"Boyfriend actually." Annie flounced on the bed beside Jack. "He's pretty stuck-up though. I still don't really like him."

"What?! Um," Jack felt like he was asking the obvious. "Why are you dating him then?"

Annie shrugged. "Life is boring since you went off to college. I needed some excitement."

Jack opened his mouth, ready to give some protective older brother advice, but Annie cut him off by grabbing Jack's coat and opening the closet to hang it up. "You can tell it's wet outside. You're getting water all over the bed." She shook the jacket off and slipped it on a hanger while Jack clicked his tongue. Paul was bad news- especially if Annie was willing to small talk about the weather to avoid discussing him.

"Hey, Jack!" Annie was grinning about something on the floor of the closet.

"What's so exciting? But don't think we're done talking about Paul." Jack threw in, before Annie had time to respond to his first question.

She flicked her shoulder-length hair, masking a sigh, and retrieved Jack's elementary school backpack. It was water stained and beginning to tear at the seams, but it held so many memories Jack hadn't been able to toss it. After all, it had been around the globe with them- it had gone centuries- millennia- into the past. And it was the hiding place for one of Jack and Annie's prized souvenirs.

"Hey, it's still here! The wand of Dianthus," said Annie in a dramatic voice. Jack's frown about Paul slowly morphed into a smile that rivaled hers.

"That wand is proof. Proof we didn't just dream it all." He was whispering, but he couldn't help it. Their travels were so unique, so special to them and them alone. It felt wrong to discuss the Magic Tree House flippantly. It was a thing of awe. Out of all the kids in the world, he and Annie had been chosen. He had no idea why, but he knew those adventures had changed him. Forever.

Jack stood up from the bed and moved to his sister's side, peering into the tattered bag. There were a couple books, several loose papers covered in random notes. A sketch of Penny, Merlin's penguin.

Annie had set down the wand and was also digging through the bag. "Hey, I don't remember this one." She held up a brittle strip of parchment. "It's from Teddy. He says..." She trailed off as she continued to gaze at the paper. "Jack, please tell me we already responded to this one. We already saved Camelot, right?"

"I'm pretty sure." Jack took the note from Annie. If they hadn't seen the note before, it could have been sitting in the backpack for a few years, at least. Jack couldn't remember even opening the backpack since he was a junior in high school. That was close to four years ago. If the note was that old...

He started reading the writing and his blood chilled. Sure, some days their memories seemed like nothing more than dreams- the scary parts only nightmares. But reminders like this...Jack read the note aloud, trying to remember if it was a cry for help they'd already answered. He was almost positive it wasn't.

"Help. Bring the wand of Dianthus. Camelot has fallen, trust no one. Hurry." Jack gulped. "It's Teddy's writing. What do you think he means, 'Camelot has fallen?'"

"How did he get the note to us? It just appeared in your backpack."

"Um, magic, he's a sorcerer, remember? I'm more concerned about Camelot. And the 'trust no one.'" Jack stood up to pace. "Annie, what if this showed up in my backpack the day after I tossed it in the closet. What if Camelot's gone because we didn't help?"

"Jack, I think you're overreacting." Annie rifled through the rest of the backpack, trying to look casual. Jack knew his sister too well, though. He could see she was also on edge.

"There's nothing else new. Just that one note." Annie stood up as well and sighed. "Well, why don't we take a walk."

"What?" Jack bit his lip. "Camelot is falling and you want to...Oh. You mean a walk to the tree house?"

Annie put her hands on her hips. "Jack, sometimes I think the more you learn the less sense you have. Yes! Let's go! Why wait?"

"Um," Jack didn't know why he was hesitating. As a kid he had constantly rushed into danger. And there was always a chance the Tree House wouldn't be there or that it wouldn't take them- he was an adult now. So why couldn't he shake the feeling that he was going to regret going?

"Look," Annie already had her hand on the door handle, the backpack containing the wand and the note slung over her shoulder. "Text Delphine, tell you love her or something mushy, and let's go have an adventure! It'll be like old times! We'll get to see Teddy and Kathleen and Merlin and Morgan!"

Jack forced himself to nod, to pull out his phone and typed out a quick oxox. He grabbed his jacket, almost unconsciously, and dashed out of the house after his little sister. Neither spoke until they were deep in the woods, until they saw the Magic Tree House in the same spot as usual, looking untouched by time.

"Let's go!" Annie cried, almost too excited. She grabbed Jack's hand, and they climbed up the long rickety ladder, blinking against the rain falling on their faces. It was like the sky was crying.

Once inside, Annie asked to go to Camelot. Jack felt like he was in elementary school once more. Everything started spinning, faster and faster.

And then everything was still.