Out of Darkness Comes the Light - Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone you may recognize. I don't even own the title. If you think I have ripped you off, sorry. This came purely from my own imagination, such as it is. I don't even claim that my story is any good...

Teagan woke to insistent nudging from Aodh. Trying to swat him away, she pulled the blanket over her head, groaning. Hearing several male chuckles, she whipped the cover down and glared at the three men looking down at her. "Come here to gang up on me now?" She said grumpily as she stood and faced the knights.

Lancelot reached over and plucked a handful of straw from her red curls. "You know, you didn't have to sleep in the stables. You have a perfectly good bed in your room."

Teagan sighed and leaned against the rail. "I know. But I needed a friend." She pulled the blanket closer around her. "Thank you for the blanket."

The three looked at each other. It was Galahad that spoke. "Sorry Teagan, it wasn't us. We've only just found you."

She shrugged. "Oh well. What do you want?"

Gawain stepped into the stall and slipped his arm around her. "We came to see how you were."

"Dandy."

Lancelot chuckled. "Someone's grumpy."

Teagan whipped out of Gawain's arm, backing up until she was almost against Aodh. The horse nuzzled her ear and she swatted him away. When she looked at the men, her eyes were glittery with tears. Tears she refused to let fall. "You'd be grumpy to if your worst secret was spilled in a roomful of people."

Lancelot entered the stall and brought Teagan into his arms. "Sorry love, I know this is hard." He gave her a slight squeeze. "We are merely here to give you our support."

She sniffed into his chest. "Why would you do that?" He plucked another piece of straw out of her hair.

Lancelot rested his chin on her head. "You are our friend. To me, you are my sister." He turned Teagan around and bent to look into her eyes. He carefully tucked an errant curl behind her ear. "We came to talk to out of leaving."

Teagan's shoulders fell. "So you talked to Arthur." Is was not a question, it was fact. She knew they would.

Lancelot nodded. They had all talked to Arthur and decided that she should not be without someone until they knew what Tristan would do.

Aodh started snorting. His bed was getting a little too cramped for his liking. Gawain took her hand.

"We've come to ask you not to leave. What happened when you left here was not of your doing. We know this. Arthur knows this."

Teagan shook her head. "But Tristan does not know this." A silent sob left her and it was Gawain's turn to take her into his large arms. "But Arthur was right. And I leave as soon as I'm packed."

"How? And no you are not." This from Galahad.

Teagan peeked at the knight. "Yes. I am. What Arthur says makes sense. It is his duty to watch out for the well being of his knights. I am a distraction. Besides, he only suggested. I agreed."

Lancelot grinned, snorting. "Yes. Yes you are a distraction. But a welcome one at that."

The other two agreed with him. But Teagan did not. "I'm trying to be serious."

"We are too, my dear." Arthur had walked into the stables and was listening to the exchange. He had been impressed with the support that his men were giving Teagan. "I was hasty last evening." He brought his solemn eyes to hers. "Stay. As long as you wish. Vanora could use your help. And so could Dag." He wouldn't tell her, but Lancelot, Gawain and even Galahad had threatened to leave if Teagan did. He couldn't do without his best knights.

"We'll see." She whispered, her eyes suddenly growing big as she looked behind Arthur. There standing, was Tristan. And he looked as angry as he did last night. Gawain unconsciously tightened his hold of Teagan.

He took his time taking in what he saw. Seeing Gawain holding Teagan, his anger started to rise again. Jealously. "We need to talk." He said simply and walked out of the stables.

Teagan sighed. "He's right. It needs to be done." She pulled the blanket around her tighter. "Let me go face the guillotine and get this over with." She stepped out of the stall and followed Tristan.

All men noticed that she had such a dejected look on her face, her shoulders slumped. Lancelot made to go follow her, to offer support.

Arthur stopped him. "No, knights. They need to sort this out by themselves." He sighed and looked at his men. "If it goes ill, we can only pick up the pieces."

0o0o0o

Teagan followed behind Tristan, not even trying to keep up. With the murderous look on Tristan's face, and Teagan wrapped in a horse blanket , having straw in her hair, they were attracting a lot of attention. Teagan could just imagine what was going through their minds and the gossip that would surly follow. And thinking the worst, she could only sigh and follow.

Tristan didn't stop until he was outside the main gate. Leaning against a large tree, he watched her approach. His gut clenched. She was still beautiful. Her hair was knotted and full of straw. Her blue eyes held enormous dark circles. She hadn't been sleeping. This he could tell. She had lost weight and her skin had gone paler. Her tattoo standing out in sharp contrast. But she was still beautiful.

Stopping several feet in front of him, she brought her eyes to meet his. "Please say your piece. I need to go pack."

"Do not leave."

"Why not?'

"The other knights want you to stay. Arthur wants you to stay." He forced himself to stay calm.

She picked up her chin, defiant. "It don't care what the other knights want."

Tristan pushed himself away from the tree and came to stand just inches from Teagan. "If it helps, I do not fault you for the loss of the child. I want you to stay." He wasn't sure if that was truly how he felt, but right now, he would do or say anything to get her to stay. He would deal with one problem at a time.

Teagan looked at him, anger flaring in her eyes. "How could you not? You said yourself. I left the safety of the fort."

He shrugged. Inside his gut clenched. He had warred with himself all night, trying to figure out why he was not angry at the loss of the child. He was angry because she kept it from him, but in the end, he realized that he wanted her first. He did not want any child unless she was there with him. At least, this was what he kept telling himself. "This is a time of war. Things happen that we cannot control. I cannot mourn the loss of someone I did not know. I just want to know why you felt you needed to leave in the first place."

"You died. I helped bury you. I had no reason to stay."

He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, his calloused hand feeling the softness of her skin. "But I'm back." Bending down to her, he brought his lips to her neck, gently kissing her pulse point. Moaning softly, Teagan leaned into him. Her body betraying her. She missed him so much. Encouraged, he traced her neck, her chin, finally bringing his lips to hers. The kiss he gave was fierce, possessive, his tongue demanding entrance. He was back and he wanted to show her just how back he was.

Teagan's mind whirled as her mind and body fought. She pushed herself away from Tristan. She stumbled back. "No. Tristan." She whispered. "I will not do this. You fell in battle once. You can do it again. I will not survive it a second time."

"But I am here. Now."

She shook her head. Angry. Her eyes flashed. "You don't get it. I cannot go through it again. I cannot do this. I'm sorry. I cannot stay here. Not with you."

Tristan stood there, stunned. Things had started out badly and were just getting worse.

"For your information, Tristan, Lancelot knew nothing about this. The only one who knew was Cass. And Arthur."

"A Saxon! You told a Saxon but not me?" His anger starting to rise again. His brain didn't register 'Arthur.'

Teagan shook her head, sadly. "It wasn't like that. She helped me. She gave me water when those men did not. She patched my cuts, my wounds. She helped to make sure I didn't lose too much blood. She helped me survive the 'care' of her tribe mates and was punished for it. She is more than just a Saxon to me."

She turned and walked as calmly as she could back into the fort. She did her best to ignore the stares she received from everyone.

A/N: Unfortunately, Teagan will have a hard time leaving him.