This is an outlaw bandit au that's a little different (I think) than anything out there. If the demand is there I'll make this into a new story (says the author with so many unfinished stories lol) but this idea wouldn't go away and I love oq and outlaw bandit so I wanted to give writing them a shot. I don't want to spoil what this one is about but I'll tease by saying that things worked out a little differently for our favorite couple and the infamous tavern. I do hope you like the change in events that I have written. The characters are not mine but the plot and the mistakes are. Enjoy and let me know if I should continue this.


Robin Hood was a famous thief, the most famous one in all the realms. His face seemed to be a wanted poster on every tree on, yet him and his men continued to steal. What made him different was that he lived by a code. He would steal from the rich and give to the poor. It justified his stealing and gave him a purpose. Having this code made him feel like he mattered. That he could look his wife in the eye every night and make her proud to be his.

At least it had before.

But now she was dead. And it felt as though he had no real reason to go on. Sure Robin still had his band of merry men to support but it wasn't the same. The love of his men couldn't compare to the love of his Maid Marian. Him and her had been through everything but they had made it through together. They didn't have a typical love story - after all they had met because he had stolen her father's last horse - but that's what had made them so unique. And Robin had loved Marian more than he had ever thought possible.

But then Marian grew sick and he had to sit and watch hopelessly for there was nothing that he could do for her. All the doctors and healers she had seen all said the same thing: it was incurable. Robin quickly grew to hate that word and almost didn't believe that the world could be so cruel. How could it give him such a great love, only for it to then take her away? It didn't seem fair, especially since he couldn't help her.

Robin often wondered if she was sick because of his past crimes. He hadn't always been the most honorable of people, and maybe this was all just karma's way of coming back to him. He had wronged so many people in his youth, that it was finally time he was wronged as well. Though it didn't seem fair that sweet, innocent Marian had to be the one to suffer for his crimes. On numerous occasions he pleaded to switch places with her, for him to be the one dying. Though he also never wished for her to mourn over him. To suffer because of him.

None of it seemed right.

Marian had so many people in attendance at her funeral. It helped with Robin's suffering slightly because he remembered how loved Marian was. She'd be missed and remembered in so many others hearts. At least he'd have others to grieve with.

Robin spent many of the years following Marian's death doing what he loved to do: stealing from those that had a lot and giving to those who had none. He had always promised her that he would stop his thieving ways once they were ready to start a family. Since she was taken before that could happen, all he had left was being a thief. He doubted that he'd love again.

He wouldn't open his heart up to that ever again.

xxxxx

Tinkerbell was a fairy trying to earn her wings. Every attempt to do so failed miserably and Blue kept denying her over and over again. Determined, Tinkerbell pressed on. There had to be some way to prove to Blue that she had what it took to be a fairy. It was why she was currently on earth.

She was looking for the loneliest of people and hoped to fill their greatest desires. If she succeeded, she'd finally get her wings and become a full fairy. If she failed, she'd be in a whole lot of trouble, something she didn't want to even think about. As she flew around using stolen magic (something else she'd get in trouble for if this didn't work out the way she hoped it would) she felt the perfect man before she saw him.

He reeked of loneliness and he was sending out an unspoken cry for help, one she was all too willing to answer. She knew his heart had been broken. Grown cold. Even though she had no clue what his desire would be - she'd only figure that out once she got to talk to him - she knew that he was going to be the one that she had to help. If she could ease his loneliness, if only for a little while, than she could earn her wings and help others too.

She took a deep breath and headed down towards the man once she saw him. He was alone drinking in some tavern and it would be safe for her to remain in her true form. Tinkerbell took one more breath and flew in front of his face, waving her arms to gain his attention.

He looked up at her with a frown and she offered a small smile.

"Hello. I'm Tinkerbell and I'd like to help you."

The man scoffed and looked away from the fairy, taking another swig of the pint before him.

"Not interested." The accent shone through even if it was a little slurred. Tink sighed and looked around before using her magic and making herself human sized. That seemed to shock the man as he looked warily up at the fairy.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I sensed your pain." Tinkerbell said with a small reassuring smile.

"I must be drunker than I realized. Now I'm hallucinating." The man replied, moving to stand up. But he quickly fell back down on the bench. He wouldn't be going anywhere with the amount of alcohol in his system.

Tinkerbell sighed. "I'm a fairy. Why are you so resistant for my help?"

The man took a small breath and looked up at her again. "Because you can't help me. There is only one thing I want. I need. And not even your magic can deliver that. I think you should try and help someone else."

He sounded defeated and Tinkerbell thought about if he was right. Was she wasting her time and magic on some drunkard in a tavern? But if she went back to Blue empty handed, she'd never hear the end of it and she'd lose her wings for good.

She sat and looked at the man before her. Really looked at him. There just was something in his blue eyes that showed he was more than just a drunkard. In his eyes held a lot of pain and suffering, probably the reason he was drunk in the first place. If she could convince him to let her in, she just knew that she could help him. Besides the greatest of challenges usually meant the highest of rewards. And she was finally ready for all the rewards she had once been promised to her. She took a deep breath and another and looked back up at him.

"How about you let me decide that on my own. Tell me all about you and I'll see if I can help you the way that I think I can." She challenged with a raised brow. He sat back and looked up at her, his expression unreadable, and her heart started beating faster. It was the most nerve wracking of minutes wondering if he'd say yes.

xxxxx

Robin couldn't believe the nerve of the woman before him. Though a part of him wondered if he was in some drunken trance - there was no way fairies were real or that they'd want to help him of all people - but she seemed genuine enough. And if she wasn't he was in no state to know the difference.

He continued to study her, to try and see her lies. He came up with nothing. He sighed and took another sip of his ale. At least he seemed less likely to question any of this if drunk.

He cleared his throat, unable to believe that he was about to share his story to some stranger claiming to be a fairy, but he figured that he's held in his pain long enough and telling some stranger would be better than one of his mates - less pity that way. He fiddled with his hands as he began to tell this Tinkerbell all about Marian. He spared her no detail about his wife or about any of his feelings and when the story was over, he felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his chest. She had asked a few questions here and there but mainly let him do all the talking. When he was finished he continued to study her, waiting to see what life altering advice she was about to give him (though a part of him still thought that this was all a scam or an alcohol induced dream).

A small smirk stretched across her features and Robin frowned softy. She gently laced her fingers with his and smiled. "I know what you need. You need love. Or at least someone to take the hurt away. Meet me here tomorrow around this time, sober, and I'll help you."

She flew away once the instructions were given and Robin sat there amazed. He didn't think she'd come back the next day (didn't think he would either for that matter). He simply shook his head and finished his beer before leaving. He was tired of the crazy people he encountered in this tavern.

xxxxx

After a night of not sleeping that well, from the anticipation and hope the next day brought, Robin spent the whole next day thinking of the fairy and wondering if he should go to the tavern. Of course because of his curiosity he wanted to go to the tavern but his hopeless made him weary of the whole thing. He was torn and sought the advice of his dear friend Father Tuck. Tuck had advised him to go because fairies helping people was a rare thing and if it was a real fairy, then she'd help Robin out of his funk.

Reluctantly Robin agreed which was why he stood freshly bathed and shaven outside of the tavern. The tavern was more crowded than it had been the night before and that didn't help with his nerves. He waited for the fairy and still wondered if he was doing the right thing.

When she showed up, his nerves only eased slightly but felt more hopeful that this was a legitimate offer. That he was finally going to get some help from the universe that kept screwing him. He looked at her and asked her what he had to do.

It was simple. She'd brush pixie dust on him and it would reveal his soulmate. He resisted the urge to scoff thinking that Marian had been his soulmate and that the dust would lead him to her grave. He said none of that and instead nodded, watching her sprinkle dust on him. Instantly he saw green and followed the trail. It led him inside of the tavern, to a woman with her back turned towards him. His heart stopped as he watched her.

She was alone and blissfully unaware that he and she were supposedly destined to be together. He still doubted that this was true and whether or not he should go in there. Tinkerbell tried to encourage him. Saying that "pixie dust doesn't lie." But he didn't know if he could love someone he never met before. Tinkerbell said that she'd give him some time to think about it and he was left alone at the window to gaze at his soulmate.

She had long brunette hair that went to her lower back and already he tried to think of what it would feel like to run his hands through it. She was dressed in clothes similar to his own, and he wondered what she did for a living. He seemed to wonder about every detail that made her her and wanted to explore everything he could about her. After all there had to be some reason that they were meant for each other.

He took a deep breath as he reached for the door. His curiosity was far too great and he knew he could never walk away from her without at least knowing who she was. What she looked like. He took one more breath and opened the door.

Quickly he made his way towards her and walked in front of her. Her head was down so she couldn't see him nor could he see her face. He took a small breath and put on a small smile, clearing his breath to gain her attention before finally speaking to her.

"Milady, is this seat taken?"

His words caused her to look up and he regretted walking into this bar right away. For his soulmate wasn't just some random woman. Instead he was looking into the eyes of his arch nemesis, the same one who was constantly taking his heists from him. He gasped and bit his lip, unable to say anything else to her and she looked at him blankly.

There had to be some mistake. Maybe pixie dust does lie. Because there was no way Regina Mills, the bandit, was the destined one for him.