Disclaimer- King Arthur belongs to Antoine Fuqua, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, and Touchstone Pictures. I only own the story and all the original characters presented throughout the duration of this fic.

Pulse: The Future

Chapter Seven

It bothered him.

It had been deliberately placed there, and he knew it had been placed there so one of the girls, or even Aiden, would find it. Whoever had tied it to the fence hadn't meant for him to find it, probably didn't even know that he was staying with the Stratfords. What he couldn't figure out was why someone would do such a thing—kill, skin, mutilate, and then attach it to the fence so it would be found. He wasn't naïve, and was well accustomed to cruelty and just how far people would go; however, it just didn't add up. The Stratfords seemed like nice people, and seemed genuinely liked from what he had seen when Megan had taken him shopping a couple days ago.

And then, there was the character Tom who had coincidently just appeared seconds after he had found the rabbit, and was, according to him, just coming to see Megan and hadn't meant her any harm—had only been playing around. Still, something didn't set right with him. Just something about Tom…

And what of Aiden, Megan's sick nephew that was slowly but surly dying of some mysterious illness, and that had nightmares that he wasn't permitted to speak of because it made it "real." However, whatever it was that child dreamed, it was violent, and had some man that haunted him. Something else that was entirely too suspicious, especially with everything else that had happened recently—the strung up, tortured rabbit he had discarded, and Megan's alleged "friend."

It didn't set well with him, and he knew, without a doubt, that the Stratford sisters were, indeed, hiding something. It was just the "what" that was baffling him. Whatever it was, it gave Lancelot an eerie, ill feeling deep within him, and compelled him to figure it out before it was too late, whatever that meant. He wasn't sure, but he did not want to find out. He would just have to dig and find out all he could, not outright, of course, but he had to take on a more subtle approach. He would have to find out all he could of the Stratford sisters and of their relations, using the camouflage of mere curiosity and share with them as well. Possibly deceitful in their eyes, and especially Felicia's if she were to discover what he was up to, but it was much better than whatever possible alternative awaited ahead.

Therefore, he would have to share with them as well. First, however, he would have to figure out whom to focus his attention on first, and he all ready knew automatically. If he felt guilty for using Megan's trustworthiness, gullibility, naivety, and kindness against her and for his own gain, he pushed it aside; assuring himself that it was for her and her family's safety just as much as it was for his safety. And indeed it was, because whomever it had been that had left the dead rabbit tied outback, he or she had left it for a purpose: to make a statement. And it was neither a statement of goodwill nor was it directed toward him, and that put Megan in danger, which therefore put him into an ill state of unease.

However, Megan was not home at the moment. She was at work, teaching until three-thirty, and that left him agitated for different reasons. Also, it had him thinking, once again, about the many differences between this century and his century, and made him wonder if he would ever be able to adjust if they couldn't figure out how to get him back home. He was a knight with chivalry engrained into his very soul practically, and from what he had seen of this world and society and the roles of men and woman… chivalry was little more than dead, and that put him in an awkward position considering the obvious in his character and nature.

However, the twenty-first century was not important to him at the moment, and he had to stay focused. Since Megan was not home, and wouldn't be until the evening, that left him alone with Felicia and Aiden. Though Aiden, he was nearly positive, he could get more information out of, he knew he couldn't get anywhere near the child and ask him questions without alerting his mother and making her suspicious. Thus, that left Felicia as the only one he could talk to, and ask just for "curiosity's sake." However, Felicia neither liked him nor trusted him, and that made it a bit difficult, a bit risky for him to start his questioning. And so logically, the smart thing to do would be to wait until the younger Stratford sister returned home. However, Lancelot had never been much for patience, and now was no different.

The key was to seem like he was curious and genuinely interested for reasons that were the farthest away from diabolical, which they were. He was merely doing this for the safety of the Stratford family and himself, though he wasn't all that concerned about himself. He supposed it was partly due to fighting and risking his life for fifteen years…

Still thinking of the best way to go about collecting information from Felicia, he ambled through the house, a frown creasing his face when he entered the kitchen. He glanced up, spotted Felicia, and was not sure if he should go ahead and try to get her to open up, or if he should go back the way he had come and stew upon it some more. However, Felicia had all ready glanced up from the table where she was writing something on an odd piece of parchment, and was looking at Lancelot with a raised eyebrow.

After several seconds, Felicia asked, "Is there something you need?"

"No, I was merely—" and Felicia had all ready nodded her head and looked back down at whatever she had been down before Lancelot entered the room, dismissing him. Lancelot's frown deepened, annoyance flashing through him. Thinking fast, he said, "I would like to apology for how I acted with your friend the other day." Though he wasn't actually sorry.

Felicia didn't look up at him, only continued to scribble on the rectangular piece of flimsy parchment. "According to Megan you thought he was attacking her. If that's true, then fine."

Lancelot held back the annoyed, frustrated sigh wanting to escape. Instead, he forced his calm to come back, a difficult feat, and reminded himself that Felicia didn't like him, and wasn't a trusting person. Perhaps something to do with whatever secret the sisters was safeguarding?

"Felicia, I know you neither trust me nor like my presence, and suspect me of diabolic ulterior motives toward your sister, but I have no intentions of hurting Megan—I never did and I never will, and everything I have ever said has been nothing but the truth."

Felicia had looked up at him when he persisted on talking to her, and said after he was finished, "That may be or not be so, Lancelot. Only time is going to tell, but you just know that if you hurt my sister, you're going to regret it."

Lancelot accepted this, knowing that she wasn't going to budge on the matter. "It is a good thing that Megan has someone looking out for her like yourself." Felicia just glanced up at him again over the small-framed glasses; her eyes narrowed a fraction. "Were you so protective of her when Tom tried to befriend her, or is you're distrust solely for me?"

Felicia sighed, and he knew she was growing irritated with him—not surprising considering. "What do you think?"

Lancelot almost smirked, curbing it only because of Felicia. "How did the two of them meet anyways, if you do not mind my asking?" Just stay polite, and be genuinely curious, and perhaps she wouldn't tell him to go away and leave her alone.

Felicia leaned back in her chair, taking off her glasses and setting them on the table. "They met when she moved here after finishing college, at the school where she works."

"And do you trust him around her?"

Felicia raised an eyebrow. "He wouldn't hurt her. He loves her, that I do know and trust."

Lancelot frowned. "And you believe him?"

"They were going to get married, Lancelot. It was Megan that called it off, and after a year and a half, he's still trying to get her back. Yeah, I believe him."

Lancelot brows lifted in shock and surprise at this revelation. Tom and Megan had been going to get married? They had been romantically involved, and Tom still loved her? Did Megan love him still, never mind she had been the one to call the wedding off? A feeling that was more than just resentment for the man over what had happened yesterday settled deep within him. He really did not like him.

But he wondered…

"Why did Megan call it off?" he asked.

"That's her business to tell, not mine. You'll have to ask her," she said, adding, "But it wasn't because she didn't love him, because she did. Tom just loved her more. Now, if you don't mind, I have bills to write out."

Lancelot frowned at what she had said about Megan and Tom, and turned to exit the kitchen to leave her in peace. However, he stopped before he exited the kitchen, and turned to look sidelong over his shoulder, saying, "I am sorry about your son."

Felicia stilled, and looked up, her eyes narrowed and hard as a sudden tension snapped across the room. "What do you know about my son?"

"Megan told me about his affliction—'tis tragic," he said, knowing this very well could blow up in his face and she could tell him to leave. It wouldn't matter that it was technically Megan's house. "He has also said he has nightmares—that he sees… terrible things."

"I know Megan trusts you and everything, but you were right when you said that I don't. Now, I can't tell you what to do concerning Megan because obviously she's going to do what she thinks is right, but stay the hell away from son. You don't know anything about us; you don't know anything about Aiden. So stay the hell away from him."

She was glaring at him, hard and cold, with an unspoken threat hanging on the air. He was well accustomed to mothers, having been around a very protective Vanora for years, and knew that a mother would do anything to protect her child. And given that these were woman from the twenty-first century… His own eyes were blank and hard, and he gave a curt node of understanding before exiting the room. He went up the stairs, down the hall, and entered the yellow bedroom Megan was letting him use, thinking back to the conversation he had just had with Megan's sister.

While he hadn't found out anything that put him anywhere closer to figuring out the puzzle, he did, in fact, find out some rather interesting information concerning Megan. She had been betrothed once, and to the imbecile Tom no less. It would explain, though, much of the conversation he had overheard yesterday, and quite a bit of Tom's antipathy toward him. Jealousy. And it was only intensified when Lancelot had fought him, coming out the victor. He knew that if he had been trying to win back Megan's affections, came to her house, was attacked and found out it was by the same mysterious man she was harboring in her house, he would be thoroughly enraged. However, that didn't bring him anywhere closer to liking the man. However, he supposed, if what Felicia had said was true, then he could forget Tom having anything to do with the rabbit and the secret surrounding the Stratfords…

Unless, of course, he had done it out of enraged jealousy? It would fit. Megan didn't want him anymore, and he was trying to get her back, but was angry and jealous because Lancelot was there, and so therefore was looking for a way to get her back. But the secret… No, Tom Hanover could very much fit into that as well. Felicia had said Megan had cancelled the wedding because of a certain cause she couldn't mention, so perhaps… and Aiden had mentioned, when he had been speaking of the haunting nightmares, that he still saw "him." What if the him was actually Tom? Everything made sense… but it was just the exact what that kept eluding him. He had the main structure built, but the finer details kept escaping him.

He ran a hand through his dark curls, rested his elbows on his knees, and cupped his chin and face in his palms as he thought.

He knew he couldn't ask Felicia anything else, or try to worm information out of her anymore. It was clear to him she wouldn't be amicable about it, and wouldn't cooperate. That left only Megan and Aiden. He felt sure that he could worm something out of Megan; the whole truth… it was there his doubts started. It seemed, though Megan was better tempered and more open, that she was just as protective of whatever secret the sisters shared as Felicia was. He might be able to get the whole truth out of her in time, but he didn't think he had time, and that was a big if anyways. Thus, that only left one person.

Aiden.

Aiden was an eight-year-old child, and he knew, from experience, that eight-year-olds were very open, and very honest—most all small children were. They were better at keeping secrets at age eight, true, but they weren't that good, at least most of them weren't. He would just have to be careful when he did—careful for different reasons, but the main one being Felicia. If she caught him around her son… there was no telling what she would do, but Lancelot knew that it would not be good. Also, he would have to be careful so Aiden didn't accidentally let anything slip to Felicia or Megan. Because Megan may have been nice and kind and friendly and generally open to him, but he wasn't sure how far that would go if she found out what he was up to. Nor was he certain how she would react if he eventually had to come completely clean to her about what he was doing and what he suspected and everything else. Felicia—it easy enough to figure out. However, Megan…

He suspected she would be hurt, a feeling of betrayal settling deep within her. Felicia wouldn't be, only angry and probably murderous for him having hurt Megan (never mind it was unintentional), and, in her eyes, an endangerment to her child and unborn children. However, it wasn't Felicia that worried him… It was Megan, and the possible damage he could create if she found out. He wished not to hurt her, wanted that the least of anything… Thus, it was imperative that he be careful in his quest for the truth. So perhaps the main reason wasn't Felicia after all, but Megan…

He knew it wouldn't be that hard to weasel the information out of Aiden, but if the child let something slip…

He sighed; it was something he didn't want to think about, because he knew he would more than likely lose Megan… There was a possibility that she would understand why he did/was doing what he was doing, but with Felicia at her side… he ran another hand through his hair.

Why couldn't he have just stayed dead?

A/N- End chapter seven… nothing much happened, but it's still important… Anyways, thanks for the review feedback always appreciated.

SatiricalPhilosophy