I had so much fun writing this piece. Even though I have only seen the movie, I am submitting this in the book section. Tell me if I made any crucial mistakes with facts and so on! Also, I am rating this T. If enough people say it needs to be in M I will change it! Thank you for you reviews!- wearebroken


I ran towards the castle, breathing heavily. I couldn't miss it; she would be here any second.

I entered the gate with the key that Digweed had made me, and ran to the steps to await her arrival.

Maria. She had been off to boarding school for the past year, and I had missed her terribly. The way she made snarky comments at me, how her hair bounced when she flounced away, how blue her eyes were, her small statuesque, short for a 18 year old, so short that the top of her head barely tickled his chin. How infinitely soft her lips felt against mine.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and whirled around. My mother Loveday stood there, tall and blonde, her face stretched in a wide smile. Just behind her was her husband, Sir Benjamin Meriwhether, also Maria's uncle.

He was grinning as well.

"Oh Robin," Loveday sighed dreamily "Just think of what a wonderful young lady Maria will turn out to be, I daresay we will all be quite surprised!" She added with a tinkling laugh.

Benjamin and I laughed along, knowing full well that Maria would much rather still be a child than a "Wonderful young lady."

And then there was a clattering of wheels, and the sharp groaning of the fence opening. A carriage sat behind it, waiting patiently, very unlike me. My heart was beating out of my chest. I knew that inside that carriage was Maria, lady or not so.

And there was the carriage pulling up beside the Meriwhether castle. And there was a boot poking out through the door.

Maria.

She clambered out of the carriage and, tripping on the hem of her dress, she shouted out with joy and there she came, hurtling into our midst.

I thought she was headed towards her uncle for the first hug, but to my utter disbelief her long arms wound around my neck as she held on in a tight embrace.

I recovered from my shock and slid my arms around her waist, so as she would not fall, for given how short she was, her feet were a good 6 inches off of the ground.

Her long red ringlets fell into my face as she hugged me tightly.

"Oh Robin." She said contentedly, "How I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, princess." I whispered. We pulled back from our embrace and studied each other.

"You have gotten taller." Maria said, in an accusatory tone.

"And you haven't." I smirked

She rolled her eyes and grasped my hand for a second before turning to Loveday and Benjamin. As she hugged them both I noticed that there was something in the hand that Maria had held moments before.

It was a piece of paper. On it were directions, through some kind of secret passageway. The passageway ended up…In Maria's room?

Scrawled across the bottom were the words,

It is time.
****
**

I stood in front of my mirror, frowning. Robin was right, I had not gotten any taller. But there were significant changes that even I could spot easily. My hair had gotten more full and curly. What I lacked in height I gained with my figure, which was starting to take shape. I no longer had the blemishes all over my face that Mrs. Heliotrope had always fussed about.

Sighing, I flopped down onto my bed.

There was a small knocking at the secret passageway.

My heart skipped a beat as the curly head (complete with bowler hat) poked through the opening and smiled widely at me. His smile, so much unlike his smirk, was refreshing and nice.

I smiled back. Thee rest of Robins body emerged, and he invited himself to the chair beside the bed.

"So, how have you been princess?" He asked casually.

"Terrible. There is something that's been on my mind for a while."

He looked surprised. "What's that?"

I stood up and took a step towards him.

"Well, I…"

Another step.

"Never have…"

I was right next to him now. He was staring up at me.

"Seen the top of your head!" I yelled this last part and snatched the bowler from his head and stuffed it onto my own, gallivanting to the other side of the bed, so he could not get it back.

He groaned. "And now you have. Is it as spectacular as you expected?"

"Not really. It's quite a sorry sight to tell the truth." He scowled in mock rage.

"Come here you."

I giggled as he jumped over the bed towards me. I darted under his arm and went to the other side, he was gaining on me so I backed up.

Thump.

"Oh drat." I whispered. Robin was right in front of me, smiling evilly.

"Give me my hat." He said in a low voice that made my heart thump a thousand miles a minute.

I shook my head.

He put his arm up and rested his hand on the wall. He leaned closer.

"Give. Me. My. Hat."

His voice was so low I could hardly hear it. I was lost for words. I tugged the hat off of my head and went to place it on his. Quick as lightning, he swooped down and kissed me.

I threw the hat on the floor and wound my arms around his neck.

Robin pushed my body up against the wall and kissed me more fiercely. One of my hands moved to his hair, grabbing handful of curls to hang onto, as a lifeline. For I was floating so high right now, I might never get down.

His hands went down to my waist, wrapping around them like a vice.

He groaned as I pulled back. We both were panting, gasping for air.

"Maria?"

I smiled and nodded

"You mean…Are you sure?" I nodded again and kissed him. He tightened his grip around my waist and carried me to the bed. Once there he laid me down tenderly on the mattress.

He hovered above me for a second and said "Maria. Will you marry me?"

I laughed with joy and pulled him down on top of me in answer. One of Robin's hands went to the small of my back, making my whole body shiver in delight. The other reached towards the lamp beside the bed.