This is an idea I had after I'd watched season 3 of BBC's Robin Hood. I was very disappointed with the way Robin left things with Kate. I don't mean they should have gotten together, I mean the should have actually broken up. And Kate should be with Much. Maybe then more people would like her.
Disclaimer- I don't own Robin Hood or his merry men. If I did, the above would have actually happened. Scratch that: it wouldn't have because Marian would never have died in the first place.
"Dinner is ready!" Much shouted over the noise created by Allan and Little John. They dropped the argument and went for the food. Much batted their hands away with the spoon he'd used to cook the meal. "Ladies first!" He reminded them, glancing at Kate. She rolled her eyes at him and got her food. Everyone else fell in line behind her.
"This, I do not like." Little John said as he examined the food that was slightly burn in parts… and slightly undercooked in parts. Much glared at him as the others laughed. Even Robin found it hard to bit back a smile.
"I'm not being funny, but the food was better when Marian cooked." Allan teased. The laughing stopped as they all registered what he'd said. Five pairs of eyes turned to assess Robin's reaction. He had frozen, and the bit of food that was on his fork was suspended in the air.
"Sorry, mate." Allan apologized quickly as Robin rose to his feet. "I didn't me-"
"I'm going for a walk." Robin interrupted him sharply. He grabbed his bow and sauntered out of the camp. The other members of the gang watched as his figure retreated deeper into the forest.
"I'm not hungry." Allan stood up and emptied his stolen dish back into the kettle over the fire. He sat down on his bed and made a show of examining his weapons. Tuck and Little John followed suit, making themselves busy with other things. Much grabbed wood and started to stoke the fire. Kate made her way over to him.
"Much?" She said, hesitating a little. He didn't look up.
"Yes?"
"Who is Marian?" Much stared at her.
"Robin hasn't spoken of her to you?" He asked, seemingly shocked. Kate shook her head.
"Never." She looked back in the direction Robin had left. "Should he have?" She said, thinking about when he'd kissed her.
"Well," Much said, bitterness creeping into his tone. "I thought since you two were so close…"
"He doesn't mention her." Kate's voice was sad suddenly, and Much couldn't help but say the words that she wanted to hear.
"It isn't you," He said, trying to make her feel better. "We just don't want to bring her up."
"Yes, but why is that?" Her voice was angry, and Much was startled. He backed up, and his knee landed in the fire. He patted it with his sleeve to put it out.
"Unhappy memories." Kate bit her lip as she thought through the information, and then uttered the words that she didn't want to admit.
"They were lovers, weren't they?" She asked. Her spirits rose as Much shook his head.
"They were married." He clarified, and she could feel her stomach drop.
"Married?" She choked. Much didn't like to see the sadness on her face.
"For a short time." Her expression didn't change.
"Is that why you don't talk about it?"
"It… ended," Much swallowed down tears as he thought about it. "It ended badly."
"An annulment?" Kate guessed. They weren't common, but they weren't unheard of. Usually, they occurred when the woman of the relationship was found to be unfaithful. Kate felt a surge of hatred toward the unknown woman as she thought of the betrayal Robin must have felt. He was so good, brave, she thought, thinking about the time he'd saved her. How could anyone have done that to him?
"No." Much's voice had dropped to a whisper, and Kate had to lean in to hear him. He glanced around, making sure that Robin wasn't back yet. "She died."
"What happened?" Suddenly all of his dark moods and the look she saw on his face when he thought no one could see him made sense. Tears came to her eyes as she realized how much he'd loved her; how much he still loved her. She didn't have a chance of competing with that.
"She was murdered," A bit of anger crept into Much's voice, almost as if he'd had feelings for Marian himself, and Kate didn't understand the jealousy building inside of her that came with this fact. "by Guy of Gisborne."
In another part of the forest…
"How long have you and your men been following me?" Gisbone asked, his voice shaking slightly as he aimed his arrow at Robin Hood.
"You're jumpy," Robin remarked.
"Answer me!" Gisborne yelled at him, his bow shaking slightly. He knew how much Robin hated him for what he'd done to Marian. He knew how much he hated himself.
"Gisborne," Robin began, "I have better things to do with my day." He gestured with his arms to show that he wouldn't use his bow. "I'm alone."
Guy lowered his bow and drew his sword.
"Very well," He said, taking a few step toward Robin.
"Really?" Robin asked. He was in no mood, and, having recently been thinking of Marian, he was not sure that he'd be able to refrain from killing him. "You're really sure you want to do this now?" Robin repeated as he drew his own sword.
"Why not?" Gisborne insisted, but he already looked exhausted.
"Well, honestly?" Robin said as he surveyed him. "I don't think you have the energy!"
"I don't need food or sleep to drive me!" Gisborne refused to back down.
"Then what do you need?" Robin asked, preparing himself to fight.
"Revenge." Gisborne replied.
"On who?" Robin raised his eyebrows. "Prince John?"
"Prince John'll keep, Isabella will not." Gisborne pointed his sword at Robin as he spoke. "Neither will you." He ran at Robin, but was stopped with a well aimed dart.
"Gisborne?" Robin questioned, looking around the forest for his attacker. Perhaps one of the gang was trying to stop their fighting?
He felt the dart hit his neck, and could feel himself falling backward. The last thing he saw was a man in a brown cloak, and then everything was black.
"Shouldn't Robin be back by now?" Kate asked. The others were readying themselves to sleep, but she couldn't bring herself to sleep. She couldn't stop worrying about Robin. Tuck turned to look at her from where he was in his bed. She thought he'd been sleeping already.
"He'll come when he's ready." He assured her. "He needs time for himself and for Marian."
Kate climbed into her bed, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach.
"My father loved one woman only," Robin protested, glaring at the stranger who kept his face hidden. "and that was my mother!"
"That's just what you were told." Gisborne said, looking up at the stars. "The truth was kept from you by your precious father."
"What are you talking about!" Robin shouted at him.
"Stop!" The cloaked man yelled. He turned to face Robin. "It is possible to love more than one woman." He said softly. The light of the fire illuminated his chin, taunting the two men and refusing to reveal the identity of the cloaked one. "Is that not something you are acquainted with?"
"I've loved only Marian." Robin's voice dropped as he spoke of her. Gisborne laughed once without humor.
"And what of my sister?" He questioned.
"And Kate?" The cloaked man added. Robin glanced into the fire for a long moment, and when he met the eyes (or what he assumed were the eyes) of the cloaked man, there was regret evident on his face.
"I've loved only Marian." He repeated. The cloaked man studied his face for a moment, and determined that he was telling the truth.
"You always were more loyal then most." He allowed, and then continued on with the rest of the story.
"I'm off for more firewood." Allan announced the next morning. Much wondered if he was actually going to look for Robin. He could tell that Allan regretted bring up Marian. Kate's eyes followed him into the forest and watched as he took the same path that Robin had when he'd left the previous day.
"Kate?" Little John's voice was still as gruff as ever, and he didn't seem worried about Robin in the least. "Can you help me with this sword?" She helped him as he attempted to sharpen it. It was hard work, and she lost track of time.
"Everyone, quick, hurry!" She could hear Allan shouting, "Robin's in trouble!" She stopped work on the sword immediately at the sound of his name. "He's fighting Gisborne over the hill!" Allan announced. He was out of breath from running. "I don't know who else is there." Kate grabbed the sword and started to run. "Come on!" Allan rallied the others.
"You kill my wife, and you expect forgiveness?" Kate could hear Robin shouting. She knew she was close.
"I loved her as you loved her!" Guy insisted. "I'll never ask for your forgiveness." Kate could hear muffled grunts of fighting. "I can't forgive myself." Just a little further, she told herself.
Allan made it over the hill first, and Kate followed close behind. Much was the first to make a move. He fired a well aimed arrow at Gisborne. Robin screamed his name and threw him out of the way. Tuck managed to subdue Gisborne, and Kate grabbed her sword in both hands, ready to serve the final blow.
"No!" Robin was yelling at her, and it was only because it was him that she stopped.
"He killed my brother!" She shouted, turning to face him.
"He is one of us!" Robin protested.
"What?" Little John was glaring at Gisborne.
"I said," Robin repeated, authority in his voice. "he's one of us." Kate screamed in frustration and buried her sword in the ground near Gisborne's head. Tuck helped him up, but Kate continued to watch Robin with anger in her eyes.
"Kate," Robin wasn't looking at her. "I need to speak to you." Little John was furious, and he led the rest of the gang back to the camp. Gisborne followed slowly with a glance in Robin's direction.
"What is it?" Kate snapped.
"I haven't been fair to you." His voice was serious. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off.
"Let me kill him, and we'll call it even." She snarled.
"Kate," he repeated. Her fury ebbed as she watched his face. She suddenly knew that this was not a conversation she wanted to have.
"It's fine, Robin," She tried to dismiss herself, and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He backed away.
"Kate, we cannot do this." He protested, and she knew that she couldn't ignore it.
"This is about her, isn't it?" She asked quietly.
"Marian." His voice caressed the name, and Kate tried not to let her face show the grief she felt.
"You still love her." She said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes." He admitted. "I always will."
"I know," She said. "Much told me." She found that something stirred inside of her chest when she said his name.
"Well," Robin began. "about Much…"
I hope you liked it!
