What have been?
Time heals every wound. So they say. And in time the others forgave Allan for his betrayal. some could say that his mistake hadn't torn him and Kate apart, rather brought them closer to each other; neither wanted to leave the other out of sight.
Allan because he feared more than anything to lose Kate, lose her as he'd lost his brother. And Kate because she'd realized that her fiancé would move heaven and earth to ensure her safety. And sometimes, heaven and earth were better of being in the right place.
Still, something was about to happen which would make Kate doubt her love.
It was a normal day in Sherwood Forest, as normal as a day can possibly be for a gang of outlaws that is.
Having brought out food to the surrounding villages they simply sat in the camp and talked about loose and fast. Will and Kate telling about their adventures as children, most of them coming from Kate's troublesome nature. Robin and Marian telling about their tricks to get rid of Much, wanting to be alone. Djaq telling about her life in the Holy Land with her parents and brother, before the war. Tuck telling stories both of his life before joining the monastery and after, stories which made them all laugh about the novices teasing the older monks. Even John was telling stories, about his and Alice's childhood and slow wooing. The only one not talking was Allan. Kate thought it was pretty unusual, she couldn't remember the last time he'd been silent for more than a few moments at the time, except when he slept of course, actually, she never thought she'd experienced it. turning towards him to tease about it she realized he was gone; he'd left the camp while they were laughing of one of Tuck's stories.
Leaving the camp as well she walked a little away and saw something which made her heart stop:
Allan, with his arms wrapped tightly around a young girl Kate's age. Making a small noise Kate had to lean towards a tree to support her.
It was only then Allan realized she'd seen them, letting go of the girl he walked over to Kate and attempted to put his arm around her but she pushed him away and went back inside the camp.
The girl, whose name apparently was Beth Cooper, were staying with them. How dared he? How dared that idiotic lying thief to Allan A'dale? Didn't he know he was breaking her heart by bringing another girl inside the camp?
She couldn't take it, couldn't take looking at them side by side, talking silently to each other, laughing of jokes which weren't for others but them. Leaving the camp she walked away from the camp and sat down in a small clearing; no matter how little she wanted to admit it she, Kate Scarlett, was deadly jealous.
"You're very lucky you know. Having a man who loves you so much."
She'd been so lost in her raging thoughts that she hadn't heard Beth coming. Did the girl have to brag about it?
"Loved me you mean." She spat, not even looking at the girl.
"No. Loves; I saw the eyes he was sending towards you. When you pushed his arm away, all the time while we talked. He seemed so sad but I couldn't make him tell me what was wrong."
How come she hadn't noticed? Had she really been so wrought up in her own thoughts she hadn't seen him being sad? But then of course; what had been wrong was the fact that he'd already broken her heart a little. Damn; she thought that wound was healed, clearly not; there would always be a scar.
"I'm…" Beth began uncertain, sitting down beside Kate, "I'm really sorry if you thought I loved him. Well… I do… but not like that… like… all you people probably love each other; as a friend. We were childhood friends. But… I never liked him. It was always… Tom."
Kate gasped and looked, for the first time really, at the girl beside her. Everything became clear then.
"He… he'd just told me… about Tom's dead… when you saw us. Oh Kate… I'm so sorry you thought anything else."
How could she have been so stupid? She'd seen it; their backs had been trembling.
"No! I am sorry!"
Together the two girls, having finally reached an understanding, went inside again. But this time Kate sat down beside Allan while Beth sad a little away.
"She told me." she whispered in her fiancée's ears and he seized her hands, holding it for a moment before he brought his arms around her, pulling her closer and placing a light kiss on her temple.