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Djaq's reaction to Will coming back in "Ducking and Diving" and them having a little chat later that evening.
It could not be true. Djaq knew there was no way it could be true. There was no way that Will was the traitor. Not her sweet, shy Will.
But he wasn't her Will, not really. They never got around to that. And by the looks of it, we never will. Djaq thought bitterly to herself. She had tried t to talk to Robin, tell him about her suspicions about Allan, but Robin would listen. He just went off to Marian to find out what Gisborne knew and told the rest of the gang to meet at the clearing at sunset.
Which was exactly what Djaq was doing. She could tell that sunset was near and had decided to get to the clearing before everyone else. Maybe she would get a chance to talk some sense into Robin. She looked around, hoping to see the bandit leader when something caught her eye. Djaq bent over to take a closer look.
It was Will's tag. Djaq vaguely remembered Robin holding up Will's tag for the others to see. He must have dropped it by accident. Djaq thought as she picked it up. She ran her fingers over the smooth wood, admiring the fine craftsmanship. Will did a fine job on these. Just the thought of Will made Djaq's heart jump to her throat. Would she ever see him again?
Just then she heard footsteps. She caught a glimpse of Robin through the trees and saw that Much and Little John was right behind him.
"Are we safe?" Much asked.
Robin didn't say anything, just looked around the forest, like he was searching for someone. "Will!" he called out.
A rustling sound came from behind the trees and suddenly Will appeared before them.
"WILL!" Much shouted and drew his sword, ready to attack, but Robin stopped him
"It's alright." He said as he gently held Much back. "It's alright, it wasn't him." Robin stated as he continued to walk.
"What?"
Djaq was not really paying much attention to the others and was focus mainly on Will. She walked over to him and gently laid her hand on his battered face. She had wanted to make sure that he was okay, but Will grasped her wrist and moved her hand from his face. For a brief moment, Djaq was hurt, but then she realized that Will just didn't want to be fussed over.
"It was a trap. I lied to ya, I'm sorry." He paused for a moment, as if he had to grasp the idea fully himself. "I had to lure the spy." He held up someone else's tag. Robin let out a sigh and tossed the tags to the side. "It was Allan."
"Is he alive?" Djaq asked. When Robin didn't reply, she knew the answer. "Where?"
"He's gone." Was all the Robin said.
"Allan? Why?" Little John asked.
"For money, John. Why else?"
"I believed he could have changed." Djaq stated.
"You knew it was him." Much stated in an accusing tone.
"I didn't know, I guessed." Djaq replied.
They were all quiet for a moment and then Much said, "I knew it was him, knew it was Alan."
Djaq rolled her eyes. She knew that was not true since he accused Will of being the traitor first.
"Will," Robin stopped walking and looked at the young carpenter in the eyes. "You forgive me?"
Will placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. "It worked." Was all that he said.
Robin looked at the others. "And the rest of ya."
Before anyone could say anything, they heard a horse neighing nearby.
"Travelers on the North road." Much stated.
"Right." Robin looked at the gang. "Are you with me?" Nobody even dignified that question with an actual answer. They all just smile and nodded. "Yeah? Well then, let's go." And with that, the gang of outlaws ran into the forest, getting ready to do what they do best.
Will was running through the forest as fast as he could, trying to get away from the Sheriff's men. If he had been part of the gang, that would be when they showed up to help him escape. But he had been banished from the gang and he was alone in the forest. He glanced behind him and saw that they were closing the distance. Just at that moment, his foot got caught on a root and made Will fall. It was at that point he realized that he was trapped. He saw a shadow appear behind him raise a sword. Will closed his eyes and waited for the bite of the cold steel.
Will sat up abruptly, breathing hard and his body covered in perspiration. Taking deeps breaths, Will looked around him. It was still night and by the looks of it, dawn was still a couple of hours away. Letting out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, Will rubbed his eyes. He would like nothing more than to go back to sleep, but after that dream, he wasn't sure if he wanted to. With a sigh, Will got out of his bunk and quietly headed towards the stream. Maybe if he got some fresh air and washed his face will help him go back to sleep.
But as it turned out, splashing cold water on his face only woke him up even more. Will was about to return to the camp when he heard footsteps come up behind him. He quickly whirled around, his axe ready when he realized it was only Djaq.
"Djaq, don't do that!" Will snapped as he lowered his axe.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to see if you were alright."
"Thank you for your concern, but I am fine."
Djaq gave him a look. "I don't believe you. I heard you back at the camp- you were having a nightmare, weren't you." It wasn't a question as much at a statement. Will thought about denying it, but then thought better of it.
"I dreamt that I had been actually banished from the gang was about to be killed by the sheriff's men." Will quietly admitted.
"You knew it was a trap, though. Didn't you?"
Will shrugged. "I kind of figured. I mean, Robin didn't go into much detail and I didn't get much warning. All he told me was that he was sorry and that it was going to hurt. Next thing I know, he's punching me."
At this point, Djaq was studying the bruises on his face. "Are you sure you are alright?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Robin was pulling his punches."
They were both quiet, mulling over what had happened that day. Djaq finally broke the silence. "I knew it wasn't you. I knew you couldn't have been the spy."
Will looked at her. "Why's that?"
"Because there is not a treacherous bone in your body. You are strong and true, and you fight for what you believe in." At this point, Djaq reached down her shirt and pulled up his tag. "I found this right before you came back. Even before I learned it was all just a trap, I was going to try and convince Robin to let you back in the group."
"And what if you couldn't?" Will asked quietly.
"Then I was going to help you any way that I could. You are one of my closest friends and I would never turn my back on you." Djaq firmly stated. She paused and then gave Will a small hug. "Goodnight, Will."
"Goodnight, Djaq." Will said as she walked away. He then looked down at his tag. He hadn't even realized that Robin didn't give it back to him. He quickly placed it around his neck. Suddenly he could smell Djaq- the slightly exotic smell of spices mixed with the scent of the forest. It was unique to Djaq and it was something Will would never get tired of.
Will stood up and started to walk back to the camp. He was pretty certain he would be able to go to sleep. Because even though he might lose everything, he knew things would be fine if Djaq was there with him.
I know I basically already used that ending in my last story, but it fit so well with this one. Besides, I am currently trying to type with a cat sitting on me, switching from trying to lick my hand to using my arm as a pillow (both things are annoying, so I lose no matter what).
So, I have reached the point where I pretty much read all the Will/Djaq labeled fanfics and I have moved on to looking through all the stories and seeing if there was any that I missed. If there is one that you enjoy or have written, feel free to tell me. I need Will and Djaq in my life (because I am still on break and bored out of my mind).
As always, feel free to leave a review and happy reading!