Brothers from Birth

I do not own Robin Hood BBC or the characters. Only my own thoughts and that's even questionable.

Knowing something of the loss of a brother-in-arms.

Dedicated to my best friend (Sasquatch). I held him as he died.

For where he has gone I have yet to follow.

(Calvin)

Prolog;

Much and Robin are twins that were separated at birth but did not know until after their return from the Holy Land, and like my twin tend to share a mental link which is mostly feelings and images represented by words here.

Were Robin has a gift with a bow, Much's is with a sword. His talking and ignorance is only an act so he doesn't have to fight since he tends to forget not to kill.

My stories link to themselves, with some background from others.

For some background to my stories please read: SilasBrandybuck, Mentor and beta reader.

s/8393870/1/You-ll-Be-the-Death-of-Me

Chapter (1) Their birth.

"Malcolm I think it's time!"

Malcom jumps up from his paper littered desk and hurriedly grasps his wife's arm as she leans heavily against the study doorway and guides her upstairs to their bed room. He then assists her to lie down on their large four poster canopy bed trying to make her comfortable.

Lord Malcolm, excited and nervous all at once, this being their first child tells her, "I'll have Thornton fetch Matilda. Just relax." He darts out of the room yelling, "Thornton! Go get Matilda! Thornton!" Lady Anne cannot help but laugh at his exuberance as it's her first baby as well, until another contraction hits full force causing her to scream out in pain once more.

Lord Malcolm, rushes back up the stairs reappearing at her side, for all the world more nervous than she is, but trying to remain calm for the sake of his wife and failing miserably says with a nervous voice, "Thornton's gone to get her and will be right back. Is there anything I can get for you?"

Lady Anne shakes her head while reaching for his hand which he holds tightly in his and gently strokes her long dark auburn hair. As he gazes at his wife he can't help but think how lucky he is to find a woman as beautiful, and intelligent as her, after all it seems that average black haired men are not rare and she had her pick of anyone her heart desired. He remembers back to their first kiss. Her so dainty that he was afraid that he would break her. But she tamed him, gentled him. The passion they share culminating to this wondrous point. Now he's afraid for her bearing his child. Lady Locksley can see worry in his eyes, grimaces and yells out with another contraction as she crushes Malcolm's hand in her own. Then after several unbearable minutes they hear the front door open with a slam.

Lord Malcolm, unwilling to leave his wife's side, turns his head toward the door and anxiously calls out, "Up here!"

Loud quick foot falls run up the wooden steps and in rushes Matilda and her apprentice. After putting down their supplies, Matilda firmly grips Malcolm by his arm and with determination in her voice to help Lord Malcolm to leave ushers him out the door telling him, "We'll take it from here. You go down stairs and wait. We'll let you know when you can come back up." With one final frightened look Lord Malcolm reluctantly closes the door behind him and slowly descends the stairs looking back worried almost every other step.

Matilda returns to Lady Anne's side laughing, "They're all the same. It's the only fun part about this, and of course holding your baby afterwards. Let's get you up so we can put these covers down to protect your bed. You don't want to have to buy a new one now do you?"

Matilda helps Lady Anne off the bed and with her apprentice's help strips it, puts down the very thick birthing sheets, then helps Lady Anne to climb back into bed and lean up against the head board.

Matilda sits down next to her on the side of the bed soothingly, "This may take some time." Just as she says this Lady Anne has another contraction. When she can breathe again, "They're coming sooner."

Matilda nods to her assistant Susan who leaves and comes back with two buckets of hot water and several towels, she leaves again and returns with another bucket of cool water and several small rags. Matilda wets the small rags and wipes Lady Anne's brow. Shortly Lady Anne has another contraction and another soon after that.

Matilda exclaims, "Oh! This one wants to be born quickly!" Matilda looks down to examine her, "Yes, you're getting there."

Lady Anne grits her teeth holding her breath as the most severe contraction hits her, then releases her breath, "That one was the worst so far." Matilda, remaining calm, having done this many times before tells her, "Then it's time. Now with the next one you must push!" Lady Anne screams as her newly born child enters the world.

Down on the first floor Lord Malcolm paces the full length of the main hall, his footsteps seemingly echoing louder with each passing minute while a nervous Thornton watches. With each scream from their bedroom upstairs, Lord Malcolm uses every bit of his strength not to charge immediately upstairs.

Shortly Matilda lifts up the boy and pats him causing the newborn to cry loudly at the abuse.

Matilda exclaims, "He has a good set of lungs!" Lady Anne smiles lovingly at her new born son and says, "His name is Robin." Matilda pauses a moment then says, "Robin, that's a good strong name." as she takes him to the towel padded bureau to tie off the cord and gently cleans him.

Matilda's assistant opens, leans out of the door, and yells, "It's a boy!"

Lord Malcolm walks swiftly over to Thornton and grips him by his arms, excitedly, "Thornton, it's a boy!" Thornton ever proper says, "Yes my Lord." Malcolm releases Thornton and walks swiftly to the base of the staircase in anticipation of seeing his new born son. As he stands waiting, every so often he repeats under his breath, "A boy."

Lady Anne, having relaxed believing that there is only one child, suddenly experiences another intense contraction, exclaiming, "I think… I think…" Lady Anne pushes along with the next contraction and another baby boy arrives. Where Robin has dark brown hair this one has light hair. A startled Matilda rushes over to Lady Anne and picks up the new born boy and pats him as well. But he doesn't respond. Matilda tries rubbing him and patting him repeatedly but still he doesn't respond. Regretfully she places the small blond boy at the foot of the bed and they all look at each other in grief. Matilda sighs and returns to attend to Robin but Lady Anne can't seem to take her eyes off her other son. She reaches out, picks him up, cleans out his mouth, gently massages, and pats him on his back holding him tenderly concerned that he's so small.

After only a moment Lady Anne excitedly calls out over the still crying Robin, "He moved! Matilda! He moved!" Just as she says this the new born boy in her arms begins crying as well. Matilda quickly hurries over and takes him from his mother and examines the newborn and can feel that he has a strong heartbeat and quickly takes him to the bureau next to his wailing brother, but when she lays him down next to his brother they both stop crying causing them all to exchange looks of wonder.

Matilda softly says, "Oh... He's so small. There's not much of him compared to Robin. What are you going to name him?" Lady Locksley thinks quietly for a moment, then says, "Well, he's not much." As she says this little Robin screams loudly. Lady Anne surprised says, "Well then, I guess he is much." She pauses for a moment a tells Matilda, "His name is Much." and Robin calms back down. Matilda nods her head and says, "Twins."

As Matilda's apprentice is about to open the door and announce the new arrival, Lady Anne calls to her, "No, wait!" and motions to Susan to come away from the door.

After Matilda finishes cleaning and wrapping the boys tightly, she brings them both to Lady Anne to hold. The new mother fondly gazes at her sons and says, "But there's a problem. I know they're twins but they look nothing alike. What would Malcolm say? What would the other Nobles say? We all have dark hair while Much is blond." She continues to gaze lovingly at both of the bundles she's holding tells them, "While I know Malcolm would love his two boys and not worry about them being non-identical twins, it's the opinions of the other noble's that are of concern. The scandal of a blond child would break him."

After a minute or two Matilda announces, "I think I have a solution. Mary the miller's wife just lost her only newly born son this morning and no one else knows."

Malcolm anxiously calling from below, "May I come up now?" Matilda calls to him, "Not yet! We're not done cleaning up. Please be patient. It won't be too much longer!"

Matilda thinks for a moment, "Susan, take little Much and wait for me at my home. When I'm done here I'll come get you and we'll take Much to his new family." Lady Anne with tears in her eyes gives Much one last kiss on his forehead and reluctantly hands him to Susan, "Please ask them for me that Robin and his brother will spend as much time together as possible." When Much is placed in Susan's arms both newborns begin to wail loudly. Susan hesitates but is waved out of the room by Matilda, the children's screams hiding her exit through the servant's hidden door leaving their mother in tears.

Matilda waits for the Lady to dry her eyes and sooth her remaining son by offering him lunch. Lady Locksley nods and Matilda opens the door for Lord Malcolm who hurries to the bed and looks lovingly at his wife asking, "Are you well?" Lady Anne nods hiding her grief for Much tells him, "Yes, I'm fine." Matilda helping, "The birth went smoothly, your wife will be just fine after a few days bed rest."

Lady Anne looking up from her son to her husband, proudly says, "Malcolm, you have a son!" Malcolm breathes, "A son!" He can't help but hurry around the bed to embrace Matilda giving her a long hug smiling the whole time then returns to his wife's side sitting on the edge of the bed gazing at her and his boy. He hesitantly places his large hand lightly on Robin's tiny head and whispers, "So small." Robin who has finished nursing is now sound asleep. Lady Anne carefully hands Robin to his father to hold. Malcolm hesitantly asks, "How do I?" He looks up at Matilda who walks over to his side of the bed and instructs him on how to hold Robin, and how he must always support Robin's head. Malcolm holds his son against his chest looking at him with a combination of love and pride and stands.

Lord Malcolm looks up at Matilda and asks, "I thought I heard two children crying."

Matilda speaking up first tells him, "No, my Lord, only Robin." Matilda smiles, "He just didn't like being cleaned." Lord Malcolm nods his head and looks back at his sleeping son not giving it another thought, "A boy. I have a son." He holds his son for a while longer then quietly whispers, "Robin." Robin opens his eyes and appears to gaze at him before closing them once more and going back to sleep.

While Malcolm is holding his son, Matilda opens her birth ledger and adds: To the Lord Malcolm and Lady Anne of Locksley; twin boys; Robin, black hair and blue eyes. Much, blond hair and hazel eyes. She also enters the date and position of the sun, then closes her birth ledger, and sighs at least there will be a record of the event for later. She then helps the new mother out of bed and puts new sheets on it and helps her change clothes. Malcolm hands Robin to Matilda and lifts his wife back into bed making sure she is comfortable, after she is Matilda hands Robin back to his mother.

Matilda stays with the new parents explaining what they may expect in the next year. She picks up her ledger and tells them, "I will be back with Susan later to pick up the bedding and the towels." She bows to the Lady and Lord and departs out of the main door of the manor and hurries to her home.

When Matilda arrives, Susan is waiting for her with a sleeping baby, "He's been asleep since I left the manor." Matilda looks fondly at the new baby, "Then let's take him to his new family before he wakes up." Susan follows her mentor down the outer path to the mill and once there she knocks on the door and calls, "Mary? It's Matilda." After a few moments Mary's aggrieved husband opens the door. Matilda asks, "May we come in?" Jason backs away as Matilda passes by and his eyes lock on the bundle held securely in Susan's arms.

Matilda and Susan followed by Jason enter the rear bedroom where Mary is still convalescing. Matilda gently takes the bundle from Susan and walks around the bed and says, "Mary, Jason, I have a favor to ask." She removes the cover hiding the sleeping newborn's face from the summer's afternoon sun and tells them, "His name is Much, he was born only this afternoon to the Lord and Lady Locksley. He is the twin brother of Robin, their son. Unfortunately, they do not look alike and Lady Anne is frightened of the scandal that this will cause so I told her about you and your husband."

She places the baby in Mary's outstretched arms and her husband moves to sit next to his wife on the bed as she unwraps the blankets from around Much. When Jason reaches over to touch the newborn, his eyes open and a small hand reaches out and grips Jason's finger drawing it to his mouth. Mary laughs as Jason removes his finger from the baby's mouth and offers Much a breast which he takes to hungrily closing his eyes once more. Mary looks at Jason and they both nod to Matilda. Mary gazes lovingly with tears in her eyes at the baby in her arms moving to once again cover him and tells her, "Yes. We will take young Much as our own." Jason looks up at Matilda with watery eyes and says, "Thank you. How did he get his name?" Matilda chuckles, "His brother named him. When Lady Anne said that he wasn't much, Robin started crying. When she said that his name was Much, Robin stopped crying." Both Mary and Jason chuckle at the story. Mary returns her gaze to Much and says, "Look Jason, his hair is the same color as ours." She looks up at Matilda asking, "What color is Robin's?" "Black, like his parent's." Mary nods in understanding as Jason reaches over and gently stokes his son's hair with his calloused hand and quietly says, "So small."

Matilda and Susan stay for a moment watching the new family then walk to the door and tells them, "We'll see ourselves out. Oh, this is to remain a secret from everyone as to Much's lineage. Even from him. The Lady Anne also requests that they spend as much time as possible together. " Jason reluctantly turning his attention from his new son tells her, "Of course, we understand." Matilda and Susan smile and leave the new family. Jason returns his attention to his wife and son. He kisses her on her lips and whispers, "We have our son." He then bends down and kisses his son's head. Together they sit serene in the feeling of being a family.