He had been with Isabella most of the day, we had flirted, and then kissed, again. He ignored the general nagging guilt, eating away at him. Marian was dead, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Sighing, he kicked a pinecone so that it skirted away across the forest, skimming the forest floor only occasionally.

He felt the need to see her. Isabella. Isabella who bore an uncanny resemblance to Marian, Isabella, who was so strong willed and passionate. Isabella, who was Gisbourne's sister... No, he reasoned with himself, he should not judge her just because she was Gisbourne's sister. They weren't similar, were they?

Sighing heavily he looked around to see where his aimless travels had taken him. He smirked at the irony of it. He was in the clearing, the one he had proposed to Marian under.

"It's ironic isn't it?" asked a voice from behind him.

He span around. What was that? Where was the voice coming from?

"Robin, it is nice to speak with you again." He span around once more and gasped. What was it? A hallucination? A mirage? Someone's idea of a cruel joke?

"It is me Robin." The vision in white told him gently.

He stared at her, drinking her in, her blood stained white dress, her dark curls cascading down her shoulders and framing her face. Her full lips, just as inviting as they had been when she had lived, and her eyes, her eyes caused him to step back. He had never seen her icy blue eyes so broken, so hopeless. They had lost their spark. Like her reason for living, or rather existing, had been extinguished.

"Marian?" He breathed, taking a step closer.

"Yes," she said, stepping backwards away from him.

"But, you're, you're, dead." He spluttered, blinking slightly.

"Yes Robin, you are correct, thank you for pointing that out." She smiled a wry smile. A broken smile.

"Why- why are you here? Are you even here?" He gaped.

"I am here, and I am not." She shrugged. "I am neither living nor dead, I am passing through the middle ground, though I can feel that my time is coming to a close."

Then she faced him. "So before I move away from this earth, I must ask you Robin, I must ask you to tell me. Am I that easily replaced?"

He stared at her, confused for a second, before it occurred to him. "How did you know?" He asked, desperately.

"I have been always with you since my death." She gave him a brief smile. "Thank you for not killing Gisbourne, I am proud of you."

"My pleasure," Robin breathed, shakily.

She chuckled lightly, and then her expression fell. "I have been with you all the time. My spirit has at least." She turned away again.

"Tell me." She said.

He gave a shaky breath. "I- I do not know what to tell you." He said sighing in defeat. "Let me say first, Marian, I'm so sorry for what we could not have, for everything we could have shared but did not. It is my fault, I should never have gone to war, I should never have left you. I should have given you everything you were ready for when you were ready for it."

"I was so ready to be your wife Robin." She whispered.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'll never stop loving you." He admitted, tears pouring down his face.

"Of course you won't." She said dryly. "How silly of me."

"Marian..."

"Do you love her too?" She whispered, brokenly.

"I- I, Marian, I may never have the chance again, I cannot allow the opportunity to pass." He said, sighing.

"Of course," Her voice was empty now, void of all emotion. "She is much more capable of holding your heart than I."

"No, Marian, I can't stay grieving over you forever." She gave him a sad smile and he felt his anger bubble. "You weren't always so faithful yourself, what with hanging on Gisbourne's arm all the time." He shouted at the ghost.

"I never felt anything for Gisbourne." Marian whispered desolately.

"What about his qualities?!" Robin bellowed at her.

"He had none." She said, and when she looked up at him he saw the tears pouring down his face and felt a wretched pull at his heart to know he had been the cause.

She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I died for you." She told him softly. "I died to show you my love."

"Oh Marian, I- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean those things." Robin implored now regretting his harsh words more than anything.

"This is the path you have chosen my love, and I understand." She smiled sadly at him once again.

"Marian, no..." She was fading now.

"I love you." She said, smiling at him. "I will see you in heaven my love, maybe as my husband, unless you have moved on."

"I could never." He whispered brokenly.

"I will wait for you." She smiled at him.

"Goodbye my love." He said, as Marian dissolved slowly into thin air. "I love you."

"Always and forever my darling." Whispered a voice from behind him.

And sinking to the ground, Robin sobbed.

He sobbed for the life he had lost. He sobbed for the pain of the people. He sobbed for Marian. He sobbed for the hope that he might see her again.

Okay, so I was actually crying when I wrote this, aren't I so sad! I was inspired for this by a really good youtube video called Running Away by fadedfrost, go watch it people!

Thanks for reading and please review, or my tears will have been wasted.

Thank u thank u thank u thank u!

Ray

X

=D