A week had gone by. There was no progress on the way to get Arthur and the others back "home" again. The t.v. had been replaced but laurel had kept the broken one just in case. She had contacted the only person she could think of to help. Her twin sister Sofia. Sofie had arrived just a few days ago and was already settled. Her arrival had been much anticipated by everyone. Lancelot in particular had wanted only to see her "carriage". He seemed totally facinated by his new modern world and tried every nob, switch and lever in the house just to see what it did. This was greeted by roars of diapproval from Arthur, Bors and especially Tristan, whom was usually reading when Lancelot suddenly flicked off the light he was using.
"I dunno, sis." said Sofia one afternoon. "They may be stuck here. Permanently." Her tone was grim and her stare was that of a scientist. Both curious and wary. "It could be good, though. You know how mom and dad have been wanting you to get a roommate." her smile was not so comforting.
"Oh, yeah Sof, I just don't think they had six men in mind. Let alone the fact that they're from the sixth century!" Laurel's sense of humor had dwindled. She scowled at her sister. She hated having to ask Sofia for help. Her twin. Her "I'm better than you because I went to college and got a degree and made someting of myself while you sit alone in this house painting your pictures and writing you fiction" attitude really rubbed Laurel the wrong way. It seemed the guys had sensed it as well because they tried to keep the sisters as far apart from each other as possible. Always wanting Laurel to "come tell me what this is called." She welcomed it even if it was tiring sometimes.
Then it happened. A night almost exactly like the one that had brought them to her, and laurel was excited. Excited yet sad. She and Gawain had grown quite close. They would spend hours just talking and she would show him her paintings. He would gape at them and tell her how talented she was. He told her to not let her sister bother her. Her sister was smart but she lacked imagination. This made her smile. Those smiles were usually genuine.
Midnight drew near and everyone sat around the television. They sat and waited. The storm grew in intensity and was starting to frighten Laurel. Gawain put his arm around her. She smiled at him. Another hour went by. The cable still streaming a picture into the devise, then... BOOM! like a bomb, the thunder cracked. Sofia screamed and the nearest kinght to her, Galahad, embraced her. She frowned at her own foolishness but no one could see as the power had gone completely out.
"Now what?" asked Bors. His voice tinted with his usual irritation.
"We get candles." stated Sofia. She and Galahad went to get them out of the kitchen drawer.
"Well, this didn't exactly turn out how I planned." grumbled Laurel. "I hoped you guys would get to go back. You were so excited to go. I hate to disappoint you guys. Sorry." The arm around her tightened and Gawain's breath could be felt on her face.
"It's ok. We don't mind, really."
Light suddenly poured into the room. Sofia and Galahad walked in each with a candle in one hand and a bundle of unlit ones in the other. Laurel rose and helped her sister to put candles in holders and light them. After a few minutes the room was ablaze with the cheery glow of more than a dozen candles.
Time passed slowly. A half hour later, and several stories past, everyone was getting tired. Laurel was leaning back against Gawain's chest and Galahad had his arms loosly around Sofia's shoulders. Arthur was still, as he had been as soon as there was light, pacing the room. "You're going to wear a path in the rug." came a voice. Sofia was smiling, really smiling. "That's an expensive rug too. What'd it cost Laurie, fifty dollars?"
Laurel shrugged and laughed. "Maybe fifty years ago. I doubt it's worth fifty cents now though so pace away Arthur, you're giving us all something to watch." He stopped and smiled at her. The others let out little laughs of their own.
There was a humming noise from downstairs in the basement and everyone sat up. "What's that noise?" asked Lancelot. The tone of his voice was that of readiness. If it were some sort of monster, he would fight it and save everyone.
"It's the generator. The power's trying to come back on." replied Sofia from her comfy spot on Galahad's lap.
Laurel's yawn was broken when the lights suddenly popped on. The television was stil out though. "I still don't see why it has to be that gets electrucuted. Why can't you do it Sofia, it was you're idea." she whined as she rose and walked over to the box and took hold of the wire.
"Because. I wasn't here when it happened the first time. You were." Her words sounded sure but she looked worried that her sister could get seriously hurt.
"Alrighty then, here goes nothing." with a heavy gulp Laurel wiggled the cable wire. There was short pause and she was about to say "nothing" when the surge hit her so hard she flew backwards. The lights went back out and Laurel lost consciousness.