Return of the Magic Tree House

by EscapingArtist

Summary:

It has been 15 years since the last time Jack and Annie saw the Magic Tree House. Jack is ready to move on, but Annie never will. One day, Jack gets a text from Annie that simply says "I found it"

Notes:

Do you have those children's books that you know you are supposed to take at face value...but you just can't? Something about the Magic Tree House series makes me want to delve into the past and future of the characters and explore a little

Chapter 1: I Found It

Black smoke curled around him. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the crackle as the fire ate up trees and...and books. Jack sat up with jolt. He fumbled for his glasses and pushed them on to his nose. Blinking at the clock he let out a long sigh "Oh brother" it was only 5am. Half of his sleepy brain expected to hear Annie tiptoeing down the hall to get him. But, Annie wasn't there, neither were his parents. It was just him.

He rummaged under the bed and pulled out a tattered back pack. Inside things clanked and shifted as he drew out a notebook. Flipping through it he smiled at his childlike seriousness

Cowboy Breakfast

bitter coffee

hard biscuits

His breath caught as he turned to the last page. Even though the newspaper was crinkly and worn he could still read the headline "Frog Creek Fire! Arson Suspected!" below the words was a picture of flames licking up tall trees, and a knot of people standing and watching. Jack thought he could see Annie's ponytails in the crowd, but he was probably imagining it.

Jack lay back down and exhaled softly. 15 years. It had really been that long. He knew it sounded cliche to say it felt like yesterday but, well, it did. He remembered it that clearly. He and Annie had just collected a book for Morgan. It had been a longer mission, more tiring, and they were both jumpy from the close calls. They had barely fallen into bed when the sound of sirens made them sit bold upright. They'd raced outside with their parents to see flames curling and leaping into the sky from the woods.

It took all night to bring the blaze under control. The sun came up over a soggy, barren field of ash. The trees were destroyed and the Tree House...was gone. He and Annie had waited, confident Morgan would find them, but nothing happened. No word from her, or Merlin, or Teddy or, his heart flipped, Kathleen. He pushed the bicycle off the cliff and flung his leg over it. He glided past the "Frog Creek Wood Multipurpose Development" that sprawled over the land where the Tree House used to wait for them.

Eventually, he'd decided that he was done waiting. Clearly the Tree House was gone and he was going to move on. But, if that was true, why had he never left Frog Creek? His parents had retired, bought an RV and hit the road but him? He woke up in the same bedroom and pedaled to the University where he taught bored 1st years and struggled towards tenure.

Not Annie, he smiled as he flipped on the light in his office. Annie had never given up hope. She'd decided if the Tree House Wasn't coming to them, she'd go to it. Jack smiled at the bulletin board where he'd stuck the picture of Annie and Jane Goodall, arms thrown around each other and laughing. She'd never lost her gift with animals and now she was the most popular host the Animal Planet had ever seen.

Jack shook his head as he gathered up the papers for his 1st class. He never let himself reminisce like this. It wasn't practical, or productive. He glanced sadly at the board. Next to Annie's picture was an evaluation from one of his students. "This professor makes me feel like I am standing in the middle of a historical event seeing it with my own eyes."

He'd just dismissed his last class of the morning when his cell phone buzzed. He glanced down to see a text from Annie. His breath caught . It was just three words

"I found it"

 

Chapter 2: Annie

He stared at the phone for a long time. His 15 year old self trying to punch through the fog with joy, but his grown-up, sensible (he reminded himself) brain was wary and doubtful.

That’s not funny he angrily wrote back to Annie

What a terrible joke.

Her reply came less than a minute later. No words, just a grainy picture, but Jack knew what it was at once. The Magic Tree House.

Jack pedaled home as fast as he could. Gasping slightly as his brain whirled faster than his feet on the pedals. He had tried to call Annie, but she hadn’t picked up. Instead he had sent a string of texts

This really can’t be a joke

How?

Where ARE you?

He dropped the bike and bounded up the porch stairs, almost colliding with Annie who was standing in the doorway. “Hi Jack!” she grinned impishly, brushing her very short, very pink hair out of her eyes. She gave him a tight hug then flopped down on a chair.

Jack paced nervously, how could she be so calm? But as he looked at her it dawned on him. This wasn’t a surprise to her. She’d always know they’d find the Tree House gain. It was just a matter of when. Annie grinned again, that look she gave him when he finally caught on. She tossed something towards him and he caught it without thinking. It was his old backpack “Everything is still there.” She said “I checked.” She hoisted a backpack onto her own shoulders “I also grabbed a few more things. Food, water, extra socks.”

“Good idea” Jack laughed “We aren’t 10 anymore.” Annie jumped off the porch and headed towards her car.

“Oh man” Jack breathed and followed her.

Notes:

In every Magic Tree House book Jack says "Oh man" and "Oh brother" at LEAST once. He also adjusts his glasses. He is thoughtful, tends towards books and wants to research first and act after (I think he'd get on well with Hermione Granger" Annie has pigtails and is impulsive. She has a kinship with animals, assumes the best in everyone and acts first and thinks later. I'm going to try to honor those characteristics in this fic.

Plus, of course, Jack's trusty notebook!

Chapter 3: Lost Creek

They’d been driving for about ten minutes when Jack finally blurted out “Annie! Where are we going? What are we doing?” Annie laughed and Jack sank into the seat, feeling unsettled and a little angry. He’d been doing fine, great even. He had a job he liked, research that interested him, and well, he was sure there was other good things he just couldn’t think of it with her laughing! Then, with three words, he’d just up and left it all. He didn’t tell his Chair he was cancelling classes. He wasn’t even sure he had locked the front door.

Annie wasn’t laughing anymore. She glanced at him for just a moment then fixed her eyes back on the road “I’m scared too.” Jack didn’t answer. He just stared down at the backpack he was clutching in his arms. “I always knew we’d find it” Annie continued “I focused on that. Made myself think about it like it was one of Morgan’s quests. I, I’ve made every decision based on what might help me find the tree House.” She took a long breath and Jack looked up in surprise as it caught in her throat. “And then” she continued “I found it and as I stood there looking at the ladder I realized I had never planned, never even though beyond that moment.”

She sounded a bit frightened and Jack squeezed her shoulder. “What happened?” She asked quietly “Why was there a fire? Where have they been all these years?  What if, what if everyone is gone?”

“Yeah” was all Jack could reply. It was exactly what he had thought 15 years ago as he watched the woods go up in flames and exactly what he’d avoided thinking ever since. They watched the houses slip by and slowly woods began to fill in. Jack finally broke the silence “So, Annie, where are we going?”

Annie smiled again “Lost Creek” she announced.

“You’re joking!” Jack spluttered. Lost Creek was only, what, an hour from home?

Annie shook her head “No joke. It’s fitting if you think about it. After all, the Tree House has been lost a long time.”

Jack’s mind whirled “But” he finally stammered “How did you end up there?”

Annie shifted uncomfortably in her seat “Dumb luck” she finally admitted “Animal Planet is working on this ‘origin stories’ bit for all of their hosts. We’re going to take people around where we grew up. Show off some local charm” She wrinkled her nose and made air quotes “Humanize the brand”

“And?” Jack prompted

“And I was scouting” Annie snapped “I was scouting and I saw Lost Creek on the map. I, I took off, told the crew I’d be back. It just felt, right, Frog Greek was where I’d grown up but it had lost what made it home.” Her fingers drummed the steering wheel nervously. “I was walking through the woods and I just felt like I was home. Then, I tripped and when I picked myself up there was the ladder.”

“Oh man” Jack breathed and Annie gave a ghost of a smile at his well-worn expression.

“I know how much you love research” she said as he fished under the seat. She tossed a small album into his lap. Inside were pictures of woods, a creek and Annie’s handwriting scrawled across the bottom.

“You made this?” Jack asked “Why?”

“So we can get home” Annie answered simply

“Of course”, Jack thought. The Pennsylvania book always got them home, but what if it wasn’t there? Or didn’t have Lost Creek in it? “Good thinking” he said aloud.

Annie eased the car on to the shoulder and shifted it into park. “Ready?” She asked. Jack adjusted his glasses and opened the door. He swung the backpack onto his shoulders and turned to face his sister.

“Ready” he declared

Annie took off into the woods and Jack hurried after her. “Impulsive as ever” he thought, but he didn’t slow down.

They trudged through the woods. Well, Jack admitted, HE trudged. Annie always seemed to float through the woods “Back in her natural habitat” he grinned to himself. He wasn’t paying attention so when she stopped abruptly he sent them both sprawling.

“Oof!” Annie grunted “Get off me!” She shoved at Jack. He adjusted his glasses and looked up. He knew it would be here but that didn’t prepare him it being here. He reached out to touch the rope ladder, but before he could Annie was scampering up.

“Hey!” He shouted “Wait for me!” Less gracefully then he’d care to admit he navigated the ladder and hoisted himself into the house.

It was…the same. Not just “Oh isn’t this familiar” the same but EXACTLY the same. He ran his finger along the spine of the book then turned to face Annie. She was holding something in her hands, which trembled slightly. “The woman…” she said trailing off. He looked at the flower in Annie’s hand and his stomach somersaulted.

Flashes of a memory. A woman, a spilled basket, Annie’s pigtails bobbing as she helped gather things up. The woman smiling and pressing a flower into her hand. 15 years ago. Their last mission. And here was the flower looking freshly picked.

Jack sank to the floor and leaned against the Tree House wall. Annie sat next to him turning the flower over in her hands. “Jack” she whispered earnestly “We have to go back.”

He laughed hollowly “Back? To what? Where?” He shook his head “Annie, we aren’t kids. We can’t just LEAVE.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes “Well” she reminded him “If, if the magic works we’ll get back at the same time we left. Remember?” She looked around the Tree House “We have to try. They could be in trouble.”

Jack touched her shoulder “What if they aren’t in trouble? What if they didn’t need us anymore? What if they are...gone.”

Annie blinked back tear “I have to know Jack. Whatever it is.” Jack took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair and adjusting his glasses again.

“Ok.” He nodded “Where do we go?”

Annie took a book off the shelf and it fell open “Camelot” she whispered.

Chapter 4: Camelot

Annie’s finger touched the page lightly “I” her voice wavered. She cleared her throat “I wish we could go there.”

Nothing happened. Jack looked around. Just as he opened his mouth to say something the wind began to blow. The Tree House began to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still, absolutely still.

Jack clutched his stomach and struggled to sit up. Annie was laying against the wall looking a little dazed. “That” Jack announced “Is much less exciting as an adult.” Annie nodded ruefully and blew hair out of her eyes.

Annie poked her head out of the window and leaned down. “Jack” she whispered “You have to see this.” He joined her at the window and gazed down at Camelot. There was the castle, the well, the knights with their horses…except.

“They’re frozen” he said, gazing around with wild eyes “Or turned to stone. Or”

“Glass” Annie interrupted, leaning out and breaking a leaf off the tree they were in. Jack turned the leaf over in his hands, watching it glint and catch the light. It was glass. Trembling he held the leaf out to Annie, but I slipped and shattered when it hit the floor.

Jack’s breath game in short gasps as his anxiety bubbled up in him. He was shaking violently. Suddenly he felt something shoved into his hands. “Here!” Annie said urgently “Write.” It was his old notebook and pen. He didn’t even question it, just opened up to a fresh page and started to write.

Camelot

• Tree House in Lost Creek
• Same condition as 15 years ago
• Flower still fresh
• Magic works
• Camelot appears the same but turned to glass. Objects break when dropped

Annie was back at the window studying intently “It’s only the living things that are glass.” She announced.

“Huh?” Jack asked, looking up. He was feeling calmer, more organized.

“Look” she said, waving out the window “The people, the plants, the horses. All glass. But the rocks, the clothes, they look the same.” Listening, they could even hear the water trickling in the well.

Jack crossed out his last note and amended

Camelot appears the same but all living things turned to glass

“Wait a minute” he said looking up “Are we going to turn to glass?” But Annie was gone. Cursing slightly he scrambled to his feet and looked out the window. She was already halfway down the ladder. He stuffed his notebook back in his backpack and took off after her.

When he reached the ground Annie was standing in front of one of the horses. Stroking its smooth glassy nose she was starting intently into its eyes “She’s alive” Annie announced, without turning to look at Jack “But she’s…asleep?”

“Maybe like, suspended animation?” Jack asked. He didn’t question how Annie knew. This was her gift. He trusted her. She nodded and took off across the courtyard. Jack followed her around the small tower and through the gate into Morgan and Merlin’s garden.

Annie gasped and gave a small cry. Jack could only stare. It looked like a piece of art, or one of those stupid sculptures people insist on putting in their gardens. Morgan grasped Merlin’s shoulder as she pointed to the sky. Teddy and Merlin had their hands clasped around something and Kathleen was kneeling, bending over, like she was protecting something.

Annie wrenched the backpack off Jack’s shoulder and fumbled wildly. Pulling out the Wand of Dianthus she pointed at their friends and shouted “Bring them back to life!”

Jack gently took the wand from her hand “It only works when all else fails. Remember?” He lowered her gently to the ground as she started sobbing. He rubbed her back and stared at their friends. His mind trying to grasp on to something, anything, that made sense.

A flash caught his eye and, without meaning to, he gripped Annie’s shoulder. She followed his gaze to the protective circle of Kathleen’s arms. Inside was a tiny, trembling plant. Two leaves curling out of the stem. The green looking eve more bright and vivid against the frosty glass of Kathleen’s arms.

Annie stroked one of the leaves and drew back with a hiss “it’s so” she paused, searching for the word “Alive” she finally finished. She stared at the plant for a long moment. “Be right back” she said to Jack and ran back the way they had come.

Jack shrugged helpless and, almost without thinking, pulled out his notebook

Green plant- two leaves he wrote

Protected (?) by Kathleen?

He looked up, startled, when he heard footsteps. Annie was back, clutching her backpack. She pulled out a water bottle and poured a little onto the plant.  She gave the leaves a quick kiss and Jack smiled. That was Annie for you. “I’m glad there is something alive” She admitted “I can’t. I can’t breathe without nature.”

“It is one of the secrets of happiness” Jack joked remember their long ago mission. Annie nodded slowly, looking thoughtful.

“We can’t just sit here” she finally declared. Jack groaned as he pulled him to his feet. She gave a quick kiss to each of their friends and they headed towards the castle.

It was eerie, seeing Camelot like this. It reminded Jack of those dioramas stuffy museums seemed to favor. Annie ranged all over the Great Hall but Jack felt himself being drawn to a familiar room. He stepped into the library and breathed in the musty, comforting smell. Annie might need nature but he needed books. They were alive to him, even if they weren’t living, breathing things. “Besides” he thought smugly “That means they won’t be glass.”

His eyes roamed the shelves looking for something, anything, that might help them. He pulled out a couple of books on magic, a history of Camelot. Then his eyes fell on the fairy tales. Without thinking he grabbed the nearest one and added it to the pile.

“Jack!” Annie’s panicked voice range out.

He rushed out of the library “I’m here!” He shouted back. She was holding an armload of…stuff and looked very relieved to see him.

“Don’t DO that” she reprimanded before spinning on her heel and marching out of the castle. Jack followed her sheepishly and was surprised when she headed back towards the Tree House.

“Right” she said, dropping her armload of stuff “We aren’t leaving until we figure out what is going on. So, I got us some supplies.” With Jack’s help they pushed and shoved the blankets and pillows up the ladder. Annie had also filled jugs with water and gathered up some fruit, bread and other food. Jack wasn’t sure why it wasn’t glass, or rotted, but he wasn’t going to try and find sense in the topsy turvy world they were in. He did make a mental note to write those questions down later in his notebook.

That night Jack lay on his back, listening to Annie’s quiet breathing. He tried to sort through everything “Be logical!” he though t to himself “List it out” but nothing made sense. He drifted off to sleep uneasily.

Notes:

In this chapter we were re-introduced to their magician friends. Merlin and Morgan and also Teddy and Kathleen who were apprentice wizards while they were going on their quests

Also, admit it, you recited along with me "The wind started to blow. The Tree House started to spin...."

Chapter 5: Nature and Nurture

It was dark when he woke up. He fumbled for his glasses and turned to see Annie thrashing. Her eyes were clenched shut but her was open. She seemed to be gasping for air. “Annie!” He shook her roughly, but she continued to hoke and writhe. In desperation he emptied the backpack, wildly pawing through it for anything that would help.

The books tumbled open and their musty scent gave him a moment of calm. “Of course” he thought, Annie had said earlier that without nature she couldn’t breathe and they were in a place where all nature was trapped in glass. Except, except for that tiny plant.

His hand brushed against the enchanted hazel twig. It had turned them into ravens once, could it help him get Annie to the garden? Without quite meaning to, he thought of the stretches he had seen in mountain rescue documentaries. It had barely formed in his mind when it seemed to flow out of the wand tip into reality.

Carefully, he rolled his sister on and strapped her in. She was pale now and still, but he forced himself to focus. Not really sure what he was doing he twitched the wand and the stretcher followed him out of the Tree House and down the ladder like an obedient puppy.

He picked up the pace when they got to the ground and raced across the courtyard and around to the garden. He stopped short at the entrance, instead of a field of barren glass there was a shimmering green carpet of grass. He could even see little tendrils of color starting to creep up the trunks of the trees. In the middle, their friends were still stood, sculpted and still.

Jack guided the stretcher near them and tripped Annie out, rolling her over so her face was near the tiny plant in Kathleen’s arms. He rubbed her back and brushed the hair off her face. “C’mon Annie” he pleaded softly, he didn’t know what else to do.

Annie gasped and coughed. She sat up dizzily and Jack threw his arms around her. He began to shake in delayed fear and relief. “What happened?” She whispered in a hoarse and trembling voice. “How did I get here?”

“Couldn’t breathe. Hazel twig. Stretcher” Jack stammered and Annie looked around in confusion. Jack steadied himself with a breath “I woke up to you gasping for air.” He said “I remembered you saying you couldn’t breathe without nature.”

“So you brought me here” she finished. The siblings sat quietly next to each other, just trying to understand what was happening.

“You should rest” Jack finally said “We’ll stay here” He pulled blankets off the stretcher and they curled up in the grass next to the still figures of their friends. Both were convinced they’d be awake all night. Too much had happened, it was too unsettling, too unexplained. There was no way they’d be able to sleep a wink, they asserted to themselves…as they both collapsed, exhausted, into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 6: Secrets of Happiness

Something tickled Jack’s nose. Sleepily he swatted at it, until he finally opened his eyes. He barely recognized where he was. The entire garden was a riot of color, everything that been still and glassy was moving and so very alive. He turned eagerly towards his friends, and his heart sank. They were still and unmoving, the contrast even more stark in the color garden.

Jack wanted to wake Annie, to get her help puzzling through this, but she looked so deeply asleep that he left her alone. Instead, he picked up his notebook and started leafing through the pages. Snippets of all their old adventures made him smile. He stopped at a page title

SECRETS OF HAPPINESS

He remembered those quests, they’d had to collect the four secrets of happiness for Merlin

Nature

Curiosity

Compassion

Taking Care of Others

He glanced around the garden “Basically everything we have here” he thought. He went to turn the page, but the thought wouldn’t leave him alone. “It IS what we have here. The little plant, Annie kissing it, us searching for answers and taking care of each other.” HE adjusted his glasses and was staring so intently he didn’t’ notice Annie sit up and rub her eyes.

“Oh man” she whispered, then laughed “Hey, that’s your line.” She glanced at the open book on Jack’s lap. “I get it!” she cried

“You DO!” exclaimed Jack in exasperation “How? I”ve been puzzling over it for like an hour and only just grasped it.”

Annie shrugged “Nature is my secret of happiness, remember?” Jacked sighed and rooted around in the backpack for something to eat. “But” she continued “What I don’t get is why the plants are back but none of the people or animals.” She laid a hand on Morgan’s chest “They are in there” she said with conviction “How do we get them back?”

Jack stopped at another page in his book. “Um” he cleared his throat “This may seem silly but…” and he turned it towards Annie.

SECRETS OF GREATNESS

Humility

Hard Work

Purpose

Enthusiasm

Annie took the book from him. Looking between their frozen friends and the words she nodded slowly “Yes” she said “I think you’re right.”

“Ok, that’s great and all” Jack replied “But HOW!? If bringin together the secrets of happiness is what woke up the garden, we did that by accident.”

Annie didn’t seem to hear him. She was running a hand through her hair and concentrating hard. She bent down to the little plant in Kathleen’s arms “She did this” she announced quietly.

“WHAT!” Jack spluttered “Kathleen froze Camelot?”

Annie rolled her eyes “No. She made this plant. She kept it alive. It’s connected to her.” Jack wanted to ask Annie how she knew that, what was her proof but he knew his sister, she would just shrug.

“Oh, ok” he said instead “So what does that mean?”

“Purpose” Annie declared forcefully “she was determined to break the spell. This little plant is the only chink in the armor. She’s kept it alive all these years. Look at her Jack! Did you notice Teddy still looks like a teenager? But Kathleen, she’s our age.”

Jack was startled, he hadn’t, well, he hadn’t really looked at the others. He’d mostly had eyes for Kathleen. But Annie was right. Teddy still looked the same as he had 15 years ago and Kathleen, he swallowed hard, she was all grown up. “So” he said slowly, trying to let his brain catch up “Kathleen has purpose.”

Annie nodded “Four friends, four secrets of greatness.” She rested a hand affectionately on Merlin’s shoulder “A great wizard, but not he most humble wouldn’t you agree?” Jack laughed ruefully, no, Merlin would not usually be described as humble.

“And Teddy took the easy way out whenever possible” he reminded Annie “Hard work wasn’t his preference.”

Annie smiled in agreement before turning to Morgan. “And that leaves Morgan” she touched the lines on their mentor’s forehead. “She was purposeful, hardworking and humble, but she didn’t always seem to be glad about what she was doing.”

Jack knew she was right. He had no proof, it wasn’t even logical, he just knew. He sat down his notebook and picked up the fairytale book he had grabbed on a whim. He remembered sitting with Morgan int eh library as she told him the stories were closer to parables then fiction. Real information wrapped up in a pretty narrative. He found the page he wanted and started to read aloud.

A FAIRY TALE

And then the three brothers bowed low before the queen

The first presented a bag of gold. Evidence, he insisted, of his hard work and prosperity.

The second brother unfurled a cloth woven with bright colors and shot through with gold. “How can you doubt” he asked “My talent in the arts and my eye for beauty?”

The Queen turned to the third brother, who nervously opened his empty hands. “I have tried to live for others my Queen” he said quietly “And because of that I have nothing to show you.”

The Queen looked at them thoughtfully for a moment before stretching her hand out to the third brother and inviting him up beside her.

Now it was Annie’s turn to look confused “Uh, that’s a ice story but..” and she trailed off with a shrug.

Jack pointed again at the plant. “That is Kathleen’s proof of purpose” he said “We need to find evidence for the others.”

Jack almost toppled over under Annie’s hug “I KNEW all your reading would be good for something!” She exclaimed “C’mon!”

“Hey!” Jack spluttered “What kind of backhanded compliment…” but Annie had already taken off for the Great Hall.

He caught up to her at the foot of the staircase. She was looking around thoughtfully and murmuring to herself. “Teddy” she said decidedly before taking off up the stairs.

“OK cool” Jack called after her “I’ll just, um” he trailed off and looked around. The small door to Merlin’s tower caught his eye and he turned the handle.

Chapter 7: Humility, Hard Work and Enthusiasm

The door creaked open and he slipped into the magician’s study. “Nothing humble about this” he thought with grim amusement. Huge slanted windows let in light, making the silver and glash of Merlin’s things flash and glint. Jack had always thought of this place as one part mad scientist lab and one part upscale country club.

Merlin’s tools were laid out on the table. A gold flecked hazel twig (Jack knew Morgan’s plain stick was more then adequate” and crystals of various sizes and materials. It had all the trappings of a man very sure of his power and privilege, and unafraid for you to see it.

Merlin’s big chair was in the corner and a table was pulled close to it. Amongst the jumble of books and papers was a framed portrait. It was small, but obviously well kept and turned to be seen easily from the chair. Jack picked it up and blew the dust off of it. A small boy with stern, dark eyes stared up at him. Small script at the bottom said simply “Mordred”

Jack flashed back to a memory of standing with Merlin look out over Camelot “I walked away” Merlin was telling him “I gave up on him. I thought it was beneath me.” They’d been talking about Mordred and the magician’s voice was heavy with regret, thinking about the wizard who had gone down such a dark path.

Jack picked up the portrait and carried it carefully into the Great Hall. It’s placement on the table, near the chair where Merlin spent so much time studying, seemed to him proof that the magician never wanted to forget his mistake.

Annie was practically skipping down the stairs, holding an enormous stack of blotted parchments. “I knew Teddy cared” she said gleefully and showed Jack page after page of script. Early drafts, he realized, of the spell book Teddy and Kathleen had given them. “He tried to hide it” she said smugly “Didn’t want anyone to know how hard he worked and how much he practiced.”

Jack showed her the portrait from Merlin’s study and explained what he thought it meant. She nodded thoughtfully and agreed “Ok” she said

“Morgan?” he finished

“Morgan” she agreed

Pushing open the door to Morgan’s library they stepped intot he calm quiet. “Which is sort of silly” Jack thought “All of Camelot is quiet” but the quiet of here didn’t hurt your ears like it did in the Great Hall and the garden.

They roamed around for a bit, looking for proof of Morgan’s enthusiasm, whatever that meant. Jack shook his head in frustration, he didn’t even know what he was LOOKING for. Then he heard a small “oh!” from Annie

Turning around he saw her carrying a small book. Inside was a familiar spidery handwriting “It’s about us” she said quietly and showed him a page. Descriptions of their adventures spilled across the page. It was more then just a record. It was a…story?

He read a few pages then flipped rapidly through the book “They’re all here” he marveled “Every mission, every quest.”

“I know it isn’t enthusiastic in the traditional sense but…” Annie looked at him hopefully

“I think it is exactly right” Jack said firmly. Gathering everything up they made their way back to the courtyard. The sun was directly above them now, making it hard to look directly at the statues blazing in the light.

Annie cleared her throat “Kathleen’s plant, thriving all of these years shows purpose.” She took the stack of papers and put it at Teddy’s feet “Teddy’s patience and practice shows his hard work>”

“Oh brother” Jack thought, rolling his eyes. It was all a little much. But, he didn’t interrupt her.

“Merlin kept the portrait of Mordred in plain sight, to remind him to be humble.” She carefully set the portrait down.

Turning to ace Morgan she gently laid down the collection of stories. “And Morgan wrote down all that happened, showing us that she was not only committed to her work but enthusiastic about all we did.” Jack thought it sounded a little weak, he hoped it was enough.

Chapter 8: Then Everything was Still

For a long moment they watched, waiting for something to happen. What were they missing? What else could they do? There wasn’t anything else to do!

At that thought, Jack fumbled through his backpack and drew out the Wand of Dianthus. Holding it out he said simply and sincerely “Please let it be enough”

The silence was broken by a howling wind. It tossed Annie and Jack back and they covered their heads as the light grew brighter and there was a sound of shattering glass.

Then everything was still. Absolutely still.

“Annie? Jack”” A soft voice said their name and they felt Morgan’s hands on their shoulders.