9 – She's Everything – Brad Paisley

Lancelot watched her ride out of the stable. He wanted to stop her, but he couldn't move. He surprised that Cara had it in her to commit such a cowardly act to get away. Usually Cara was all about fighting fair, but that defiantly wasn't fair.

When he was finally able to pick himself up Lancelot set off at a run. Well it was more of a hobble due to the pain that still lingered each time he took a step. He burst into the tavern, searching for any of the knights. The first one he spotted was Tristan. The silent scout stood alone in the darkest part of the tavern simply watching everything that went on around him.

He watched Lancelot with curiosity as the curly haired knight approached him and the other knights. He recognized the way he walked and Tristan's face darkened slightly. Cara had gotten away. He could sense it. The other knights sat around the nearby table drinking and having a good time as always. Bors was about to say either a witty comment or invite him to a drink, but Bors didn't get a word out. "Cara's gone," were the first words out of Lancelot's mouth when he reached them.

Each knight shot up from where they sat or stepped forward to make sure they heard right. Gawain pretty much dumped the wench that sat on his lap. The woman looked up from the floor in disgust, but none of the knights noticed. Each one had a different expression. Bors looked angry and so did Dagonet. Gawain and Galahad just stood there, shock written all over their faces. Tristan didn't say anything. He merely left without a word. Lancelot knew that the scout wanted to get on Cara's trail as fast as possible. "Have you told, Arthur?" Galahad asked urgently, as he looked away from the silent scout that just left without saying where he was headed.

The rest of the knights were silent. They didn't know if they wanted to tell Arthur. They didn't know how he would act. Would he fume because she had outsmarted him? Would he forbid the remaining knights from going after her? Or would he join them in the search? The knights simply didn't know. Cara was walking a thin line with Arthur at the moment and his actions were unpredictable.

Galahad dropped his head and let out an angry sigh. He finally realized why all the knights had grown silent. Arthur may not want to bring Cara back. She might not be considered his friend anymore, but an enemy. She was a danger.

The knights looked to Lancelot and he realized he had been silently nominated to tell his commander and best friend that the woman who had tried to kill his wife was gone. Lancelot lowered his head in a small bout of anger. "Get the horses ready," he said, raising his head to look at them. "I'll meet you outside the stables." With that Lancelot set off to Arthur's quarters still slightly hobbling, but not nearly as bad as before.

The walk there was torture and when he reached the door his heart was thudding against his chest. He loved Cara and Lancelot didn't want to have to choose between his commander's orders and the love of his life. He knocked only once before entering. Guinevere was nowhere in sight and for that he was grateful. It was better if she wasn't there to hear this.

Arthur was leaned over a map that lay sprawled on a nearby desk. Arthur looked up from the map to see Lancelot standing by the door. "Lancelot?" His voice held question and acknowledgement at the same time. Lancelot breathed a deep sigh as he walked slowly toward his commander.

"Cara's gone," he said simply. Lancelot looked at his commander searching his face for any kind of emotion, but his face remained stoic.

"What do you mean?" he asked, straightening up.

"She overpowered me and ran off."

"You let a woman overpower you?" Arthur asked questionably. "Are you sure you didn't let her go?" Lancelot's eyes darkened.

"No, she kicked me in the groin and rode off!" Lancelot exclaimed hotly. He didn't like what he was being accused of. There was an awkward silence between the two friends. It took a moment for Arthur to realize what Lancelot had come to ask him.

"You want to go after her," he said as the realization dawned on him. Lancelot nodded. "Why?"

"She's alone out there, Arthur," Lancelot stated loudly. He was starting to get frustrated with Arthur which happened often when the two disagreed, but Arthur wasn't about to back down and give in so easily and neither was Lancelot. That's what frustrated him. The more time they wasted here arguing was the less amount of time they had to find Cara. She could be halfway back to Sarmatia by the time the two came to a compromise.

"Cara knows how to take care of herself," Arthur stated smoothly. Arthur had him there. Cara was very capable of taking care of herself. She had done it in the past, but Lancelot was always worried when she would go off alone. He often wondered if she would come back from the scouting missions she was sent on and sometimes when she was late he wondered if she was lying out in the forest somewhere. It was absolute torture and now she was really gone and Lancelot had no idea where she was.

"That's not what I meant," Lancelot said quickly, his voice slightly raised. "Cara doesn't have anyone, Arthur. She hasn't had anyone since Gareth's death." Realization finally dawned on Arthur. Cara had never been right after that and Arthur wondered if she had gotten over the shock. "I'm losing her, Arthur," Lancelot confessed somberly. "I need to bring her back."

Arthur breathed in a deep sigh. He lowered his head then raised it as he decided what to do. He knew he couldn't abandon Cara. He would help bring her back, but then she would face her punishment for trying to kill his wife, though he had no idea how to punish her. Arthur finally met Lancelot's gaze. "Let's bring her home."