Just love reviews!
Winged Seraph: Yeah, I felt bad too. He's my absolute favorite knight. It's the whole quiet, silent type, trying to figure him out deal. But I had this character insight to Lancelot from a look on his face in the movie and just had to go with it.
LANCELOTTRISTANBABY: Is this quick enough? I actually have about 33 chapters done, just need to get some of them checked by my beta, Tracy137. She should have them today.
I noticed some new names reviewing. Thanks as well.
Here we go…. (still don't own any of them, sigh)
Lancelot didn't stop at the closed door of Arthur's room. Still holding Laney's hand, he pushed the door open and pulled her inside as he stormed into the room. "What is your problem, Arthur?" he demanded. "Can't you be happy that we've found love in this horrible place?" His anger was apparent in how he spoke and how he held her hand tightly. Arthur didn't answer immediately, he just looked at the two of them standing there, Lancelot rigid with anger, Laney frightened as she timidly looked at him through her eyelashes.
Finally, after staring at them for a moment, he sat down heavily at the table where he kept all his maps and declarations from Rome. "Lancelot, it's not that I'm unhappy with your news," he trailed off. Then taking a deep breath, he turned to Laney. "You know why I have reservations. Have you not told him why you're here?" His question made her forget her fear as she spoke to him.
"Arthur, I promised not to reveal my secret that first night here. I may not do and say everything that I should, but I do not lie or go back on my word." She stated forcefully. She was about to continue when Lancelot interrupted. "That's enough! Will somebody just tell me what's going on so I can understand what the hell you two are talking about?" He sounded desperate to understand why Arthur was not rejoicing in his plans for the future. Laney looked from Arthur to Lancelot and pulled her hand from Lancelot's to step between the two men. When she saw Arthur nod his head, she tried to think of a way to explain so Lancelot would understand.
"The morning you found me at the bath house I had traveled a long way. Not in miles or kilometers as you would say it, but in years." She hesitated, and stepped over to face Lancelot. "Lance, I am not from this time in history. I come from the year 2005, not 452." She waited for him to look at her face. Until she said the year 452 he had been looking at Arthur, not her. He snapped his head to look into her eyes. The pleading she gave him in her look, softened his response. "How can this be?" he whispered.
Arthur took over the explanation then. "Merlin told me in a dream several months ago that I would encounter a woman. This woman is important to us all. Important to the outcome of something that is going to happen." He paused and took a drink of something from the cup on his table. "I was told to protect her until she fulfills her destiny. I knew it was Laney when I saw her red hair. That was the only description he gave." He finished. Then before Lancelot could respond, he told him, "the night she arrived, Merlin came to me again. This time all he said was, 'she is come'. That's why I was so distant with her when we met. I thought it a ruse to entrap us somehow." He waited for Lancelot to say something but all he was doing was staring into her eyes.
Finally, she took her eyes from his and moved away from him. She had seen the look that spoke of betrayal and it hurt her deeply to think she would resort to making love to him to get close enough to do whatever it was he feared she would do. When he saw her move away it gave voice to his thoughts. "Laney, what are you supposed to do?" he grasped at the only straw he could. When she slowly shook her head, he looked at Arthur.
"She doesn't know, Lancelot. She is as much in the dark as I am. Merlin might know, but he didn't tell either of us." Laney took that moment to tell Lancelot of her journey. "I was on a vacation in Bath when my guide told me about this place. I sat in the water there in Bath and dreamed of 'the days of olde'. As I started to leave I found a gold pendant. The next thing I knew I was standing talking to Merlin. He told me that I was 'born out of time' and that I was sent here to 'fulfill a destiny that fate required'. I didn't believe him and he offered to show me. The next thing I remember was waking to see you standing over me." She moved over and sat on the edge of Arthur's bed. Lancelot saw how upset she was and how vulnerable she seemed to be after telling her story.
Before anyone could say a word, he had walked over to stand in front of her. He reached down and took her hands in his, pulling her up to stand in front of him. She looked up and he saw the tears glistening in her eyes. Wherever she had come from, whatever she was to do, he still loved her and as he wrapped his arms around her, he whispered, "Laney, I don't care what this is all about. I love you like I've never dreamed I would love someone. Please, don't let this come between us. It'll work out." She heard the pleading in his voice and the tears flowed silently down her cheeks. Why did fate have to be cruel? Why couldn't they have just been happy like they both wanted so badly?
Lancelot felt her body trembling and he sat her back on the edge of the bed and sat next to her, holding her close with his arms around her shoulders. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head gently. "Okay, what is the plan?" he threw the question at Arthur. Looking at the couple sitting on his bed, he smiled before answering. "There isn't one. We're just taking one day at a time hoping something will reveal what she is to do. So far all she'd done is capture the hearts of my knights, as well as my own." When he said the last, Laney looked up to see him smiling. She had not expected him to be so open in front of Lancelot and when she glanced up at the man next to her she could see he too had caught the implication of what Arthur had said.
He sat there for a moment and she felt his hold on her shoulders tighten as he said, "Then I'm lucky to have won her heart with so many men in competition." He sounded pleased rather than angry and she felt herself relax against him. He had also felt her relax. Looking down at her, he said, "this changes nothing about my feelings. I still want to marry you. I'll just have to keep a close eye on the happenings around you. Whatever you do, I want to make sure you are not hurt." As he was finishing, Arthur stood up.
"Lancelot, you cannot interfere with Fate's plan. We will protect her as Merlin instructed, but we will not interfere should she place herself in a position that she feels is necessary. Do you understand?' he asked Lancelot. When his knight didn't answer immediately, he finished, "I think that only Laney will know when the time comes. We must trust her judgment and give her support should she require it." He looked at her and she nodded her agreement. "Lance, he's right. But I promise you, I will not put myself in danger until I am certain that what I plan to do is what I am meant to do. Besides, if I am fulfilling my destiny, nothing you or anyone else tries to do will matter in the end." She had suddenly come to the realization that no matter what she did while here, when the time came she would do what she had to do and that she couldn't do much to change whatever that was. She had chosen her destiny with her desire to live in these times and now 'free will' was just a term for doing what you were supposed to do, when you were supposed to do it.
She pulled herself out of Lancelot's embrace and stood up to pace the floor. Finally, she stopped in front of the two men. "Now that we've told Lance, what do you think about telling the rest of the men? I don't think we have anything to fear from them and they might try to hinder me when the time comes." She looked from Lancelot to Arthur. Lancelot only hesitated a moment before he answered her question. "I agree, we have never kept secrets from each other and it will not be good for them to be blind to the situation when it arises." Arthur took a moment longer, looking from one to the other. Then standing, he said, "Call a meeting, we will get this out of the way. We have a celebration to plan." The smile he flashed at Laney made her feel comfortable in the relationship she had with Lancelot. When Lancelot turned to leave the room, he reached out and held his hand for her to join him. She nodded at Arthur and took his hand and they left the room together.
The rest of Arthur's knights were curious as to why he had called a meeting at the Round Table when he knew they were all pretty well drunk. But they made their way as they had been bidden. When they walked into the room they were not surprised to see Lancelot and Arthur already sitting at the table, but when they saw Laney sitting between the two men they looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Bors, being the most vocal of the group, spoke first. "I take it this has something to do with the impending wedding?" Laney smiled at him and he took that as affirmation to his statement.
When they had all finally settled down, Arthur called the meeting to order in the usual way. He stood up and raised his cup, "Let us not forget that we are the lucky ones." The others stood up and raised their cups in salute to the men who had died valiantly in their service to Rome. Each poured a small amount on the floor before taking a sip for themselves. Laney felt reverent in the presence of such noble men and looked at Lancelot with admiration and love.
As the men took their seats one more time. She saw Arthur remain standing along with Lancelot. The quizzical looks she was receiving from Gawain and Galahad made her drop her gaze to look at the table top. She began tracing the patterns on the table with her finger. She knew they would be looking at her differently after this meeting and hoped it wouldn't mean they didn't trust her anymore. She had become fond of them all and didn't want to lose their friendship. She didn't look up until she heard her name. Arthur had been preparing them with what he knew of her story and Lancelot called her name to let her know it was her turn to address the others.
When she looked up she expected to see disbelief and suspicion on their faces, instead she saw sympathy and curiosity. She slowly stood up and cleared her throat. "I know this is kind of hard to believe. It was for me. But it is the truth, I can assure you. If you need to ask any questions, I will answer them as best I can." When she finished speaking she was surprised at the barrage of questions. She held up her hand and Lancelot spoke up for the first time. "Wait, give her a chance to answer one question before you ask another." She gave him a look of thanks before she turned to Galahad. "In answer to your question. I don't know how this happened. Merlin said I was chosen because of my desire to come here as well as Fate's need for me here." Galahad seemed to accept her words as truth. The others seemed to accept them as well, for when she looked around the table waiting for the questions they had been shouting earlier none of them voiced their questions.
Arthur took over the meeting again. "Men what do you think we should do?" He waited for one of them to answer, when no one spoke, he continued. "That's the same plan we came up with earlier. We do nothing except wait and see what will happen. Now that everything is in the open, let us plan for a happy celebration for if nothing else, the lady has captured the free heart of Lancelot." The others cheered and Laney saw Lancelot beaming. She smiled and reached over to take his hand in hers. He raised her hand to his lips and held it there as he looked into her eyes.
Gawain laughed and finally spoke up. "I don't think there is any rush. They've already begun the honeymoon." His teasing tone was meant to put them on the hot spot but Lancelot was not going to let it. "Yeah, Laney caught me in a weak moment and took advantage of me." Everyone laughed when they saw the look on her face as she jerked her hand away and said, "I never did any such thing!" Then realizing she had blindly stepped into the trap, she closed her mouth and shook her head. "Alright you dogs, you got me. Just remember, payback is a bitch." The laughter continued as they all stood up and headed around to give them their congratulations.
Laney was pleased when she saw Lancelot and Tristan clasp hands. The riff between them seemed to be healed and when Tristan moved to her and held out his hand she put hers in his without hesitation. He raised her hand to his lips and said, "I wish you both much happiness," she looked into his eyes and saw the honesty there as he finished, "and many sons to bless your house." She gave him a grateful smile and he released her hand and turned to leave the room. She knew he had been interested in her himself, his kisses had proved that, but he would not let her come between the friendship he felt for Lancelot, nor would he let his feelings cause trouble between the couple. She thought about what he'd said to her earlier that day and sighed. When she looked back at Lancelot, she found him giving her a questioning look.
"I'm glad this is over. I hate secrets and I've never been one to lie. I found it hard to pretend I didn't remember my past and I hated having to watch what I said for fear of giving something away." He smiled sympathetically and pulled her into his arms. "I know, I could see the battle whenever I put you in the position of having to lie. At least now I know what the lie was about." He kissed her and held her close for a moment before releasing her. "Let's go celebrate with the others for a while, then I'll show you again how much you mean to me."