Note: Just wondered how many of you have noticed that only three more stories and there will be 1000 KA fanfics on this site? I have one in mind, but I haven't really started yet, so I'm relying on some of you to put us at the one grand mark!

Thanks to all who reviewed! It really makes it worthwhile and inspires me when you tell me whether or not you like my story. I especially like the suggestions, I get great ideas from them, so thank you!

This part of the story is to fill in some gaps from earlier chapters. You know, when we make mention of something in passing and then someone (nikkitaqq) shows an interest in knowing more. So here is the talk she mentioned earlier that she wanted to have with Tristan.

Again I say I don't own any of this that you might recognize. Even some of the things you don't belong to someone else for they gave me the suggestions! This is just for fun and to immortalize the great movie Mr. Bruckheimer produced from the screenplay that Mr. Franzoni wrote, etc. etc.

Does anyone else ever wonder if any of the actors in the movies we write about get to read how well they portrayed their characters? I wonder sometimes if they would be impressed and feel thanks that they did such a good job or if they would be thinking 'these people need to get a life!'…

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her new traveling companion and he didn't feel it necessary to contradict her thoughts. After a moment she remembered the night he had looked so sad when she had talked of her relationship with Derek on the ride to her village. "Tristan, I know you are a very private man, but I saw something in your face once that I want to ask you about. Do you mind?" He regarded her for a moment, then shook his head, "No, but I won't guarantee that I will answer your questions. I won't even guarantee that I can answer your questions." She nodded, "I understand and I won't press if you decide not to even if you can. Do you remember the night I told everyone about my relationship with Derek? I noticed how sad the discussion seemed to make you. I wanted to ask you then, but felt it wouldn't be right to ask in front of everyone else. Why did my story seem to make you so sad?"

They rode in silence for so long that she thought he meant not to answer. She was determined not to go against her word, so rode silently, wondering what was so sad that he would not speak of it. When he spoke, his voice was low, not quite a whisper, but not as loud as was usual in conversation. "I remember." She saw him look out toward the horizon and saw the far away expression brought on by remembering things long past. "When the Romans came to my village I had just asked the woman I loved to be my wife. She said yes and we planned our future. It had been a long time since the Romans had come for any of our young men and we had been secure in our thoughts that, somehow we were being spared from our service." He looked back to Sarah, "Katrina and I decided not to wed until I return since it would be so long. We both promised our love would last until then. Mine has, but your tale made me wonder if, perhaps by some cruel twist of fate, that she had found someone to make our love pale by comparison. I had not thought about it overmuch until then, but if it could happen to you, maybe it happened with her." He seemed to be searching her eyes for reassurance, knowing that she could know nothing of the heart of his love. After a moment, she answered him.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean for my words to bring grief to anyone. I only meant to make you all understand that I wasn't with Gawain for any reason other than I had fallen in love with him." She waited for him to acknowledge her, and finally, he gave a slight nod, then turned to look back at the horizon. "Tristan," she said softly to get his attention once more. He looked back at her and she said, "I would like to say I'm sure your love was different than what I had with Derek, but, you know that would only be words to comfort and could not possibly be truth. How long had you and Katrina been a couple before you asked her?" He didn't hesitate this time in answering, "Since the day she became old enough to braid her hair, which is the sign of womanhood to my people. I had loved her much longer than that, but it is not our custom to speak of such things until both are of age to do so. She only hesitated for one day, to make me suffer for teasing her so ruthlessly before then, so she said. The Romans came three days later."

"Will you return home to find out if she waited for you once your service is over?" Sarah asked as quietly as she could. Tristan had said many more words to her than she had heard him speak before and she was afraid he might decide he had said enough and grow quiet again. He looked back to the horizon for a moment, then he turned to her and she saw the conflict in his eyes and something she had not expected to see, fear. "I am not a man to fear things. Even death does not make me afraid. It is a natural part of life. But fifteen years is a long time and when I think of her with another man, with children at her feet, I am both afraid and angry." Then he shook his head, "I can almost sympathize with Derek's anger toward you." When she started to protest because of the treatment she had received at the other man's hands, he quickly interrupted, "I said almost, the difference is I love her enough that I would do nothing to harm her or bring her unhappiness. I saw no such love on the face of the man you were to marry. So to answer your question, I do not know if I will be brave enough to face what I might find should I return home. That decision will be made the day I receive my papers of discharge. Until then, I can't say for certain."

Even though she knew he was a man who seemed to prefer his own company to that of any other, save his animal friends, she felt he was only hiding behind a façade, the same way she had until she met Gawain. She reached out and placed her hand gently on his hands as they held tightly to the reins, "Tristan, I am sure you will do what you feel is best for you and Katrina. But remember one thing, she made a vow to wait for you, and you promised to return to her. It will make your vow a lie if you don't return and at least show that you meant what you said. It will be hard for her to accept that she has waited only to find that you did not return as you promised. If she didn't wait, then give her a chance to explain why. Perhaps my words only brought thoughts that have no meaning. You will never know if you avoid your home."

He had been looking at her hand on his until she put the thought of Katrina sitting and waiting only to be disappointed in him. Then he turned to her and he saw the truth in her eyes. She honestly thought the woman would wait for him and he knew that deep in his heart, so did he. Their love had been different from the love she had told them about. Never had he done anything to force his Katrina to love him. She had done so on her own, of her own free will. He would return to her and face whatever he found in her heart. He owed her that much. He owed their love that much.

"Thank you for asking me about this. I have never told any of my fellow knights about her or my life before my service. They would not understand how I could be afraid to face a mere woman after facing so many fierce enemies over the years. Most of them were too young to have known love before being forced to leave home." Then he did something that both surprised and honored her, pulling one hand free from hers, he placed it over hers, "I am proud to call you a friend and will say that Gawain is lucky to have found you. I wish you both much happiness." She quickly hid her surprise, for she was sure he would be offended to think she expected him to remain aloof after opening his heart to her. "I am proud to have you call me friend, and I think I should thank you as well. Gawain told me you were the one to prod him into coming to me the night I thought he had a change of heart about me. If you hadn't, I don't think we would be where we are now. Thank you for being such a good friend to him and to me." She gently pulled her hand from his and they rode in silence for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts. Both peaceful and content to let the silence draw out.

Gawain broke the silence as they came up to where he was waiting for them to catch up. "Tristan," he nodded his greeting and wondered at the expression on his friend's face. "Sarah, Love, it seems that your brother has given his blessing, a little reluctantly, maybe, but given." She smiled at him and saw him get the crinkle of a half suppressed grin at the corners of his eyes. "Yes, he said he was going to find out your 'intentions' toward me when he left my side. I take it he was pleased at your response?" She teasingly asked him. When Tristan snorted, they both looked at the scout to decipher what he thought was snort worthy. "He only had to watch to know Gawain's intentions. It is written all over his face most of the time." Sarah saw Gawain nod his agreement, "I find it hard to hide how I feel about you, Wench." He teased, but she could tell it was only a half-hearted attempt at a jest.

"It was not always so, you womanizing brute," she threw back at him. Another snort from the scout made her look at him in challenge, "What?" she questioned, "If you snort one more time I may just have to show you what a shrew I can truly be." "I was only thinking that you were the only one who did not see his devotion from the beginning. You should have seen the wenches at the bar whenever they looked at him. Most were trying to figure out how you snared him so quickly when they had been trying for a very long time." She looked from Tristan to Gawain and smiled, "Then I shall have to explain to them when we return." Gawain let his mouth drop open a little and cocked his head at her, "And just what will you tell them?" She laughed, "That is for you to guess for I will never reveal my secret to you. That would only give you an advantage in our future." They both watched Tristan shake his head before he nudged his horse forward, "Love," he admonished, "I always knew it was trouble." They both laughed as he rode away toward the front of the caravan. Gawain moved his horse closer to hers, and she looked into his eyes as he reached over to take her chin to hold it in his palm. "Timothy also told me of your concerns. Know one thing, I love you for who you are and will never try to make you act differently than you wish to act." Then he stood in the stirrups and gently kissed her lips before settling back into his saddle, releasing her as he did.

"It is good to hear you say so, but, as much as I might complain and gripe, I would probably do anything you ask, so deep flows my love for you." She saw him turn so she could not see the huge grin that appeared on his face, then quickly making his face as blank as possible, he turned and nodded at her. "But don't think I will take everything you say with meek acceptance. You can expect many heated words should you try to assert too much control over me." She said as sternly as possible behind her mirth. This brought a loud laugh from the man at her side, "And hopefully, many heated nights of passion afterward." He said in response. Her blush as his words only made him laugh harder. Yes, the love that flowed between them was deep and she finally felt that she understood the love between a man and a woman as it was meant to be. Open, honest, with many levels to be explored in the time the gods allotted them. When it came time to stop for the night, she dismounted her mare and began preparing their camp along with the rest of the knights with a renewed sense of purpose. No one commented on the change in her mood, but even Arthur noticed how much more relaxed she seemed to be.