A/N: If this is at all OOC, I'm sorry, I don't know the Robin Hood characters that well!

For Vicki! - Merry Christmas! - There, it's upload, don't moan when everyone else is reading their's nearer Christmas and you're not!

Outlawed Safety

Vicki had one option and one option only and she knew it. She had to find Robin Hood and the outlaws. She had heard so much about him and what he did and she truly believed they only way her and her little brother Jacob would be safe would be if she joined Robin Hood and his gang of outlaws. She was on the run, and she had to get out of Nottingham. She cursed in her head while holding Jacob's hand tightly. She had never planned to kill anyone, but she didn't regret it. She couldn't regret it, because she knew if she hadn't kill that guard she would never have seen her brother again. He was only six years old, but when he was caught stealing - one stupid little apple - the guard had tried to take him away, lock him out. Goodness only knew what they would've done to him if they'd actually managed to take him, Vicki couldn't even bare to think about it. And that was why she'd killed that guard, it wasn't some planned murder, but it wasn't a stupid accident, it was for her brother, but would the Sherriff listen to that? Of course not. He had ordered her death and Jacob's capture.

'Quickly Jacob' Vicki hurried her brother as he started to run slower.

'Where're we going Tori? Jacob said, using the name only he and her Mother used for her. 'I'm tired. I want to go home'

Vicki stopped quickly and turned to him. 'We can't go home, we've got to leave Nottingham'

'But why?' Jacob asked.

'I'll explain later, I promise' she said. 'But for now we just have to get out of here.'

'But I don't want to run' Jacob moaned.

Vicki sighed inwardly and picked up Jacob, and continued running. She didn't blame him, he was young, it wasn't his fault, she just wished she didn't have to leave Nottingham. It wasn't that she particularly liked it there, but they had been safe there. Now she just had to be away.

VAS

Vicki realised as soon as she was out of Nottingham how crazy this idea had been. Sure finding Robin Hood probably would be a good idea, but how was she supposed to find him? He could be anywhere. She only had a vague idea of what he looked like, having only seen him from the distance once. But it was that once from the distance, along with all the stories she had heard that made her so sure he was the person to find.

She was going to put Jacob down and tell him to walk when she realised he was asleep. All right for some, she thought softly. She was glad Jacob was able to sleep because she knew there was no way she'd be able to tonight. She walked slowly, partly so she didn't wake her brother, and partly because she was in no hurry, after all she had nowhere to go. She walked straight ahead, feeling slightly nervous as she entered the forest. She wasn't so much scared for herself, she was more scared for her brother. He was six years old, and when he was awake he didn't stay still much, it was going to be hard keeping her eyes on him all the time.

Once she was deep in the forest the placed Jacob down on the ground, where he automatically curled up in his sleep. She climbed up as high as she could on the nearest tree. She had always been a good climber and from the height she got too, she could see quite far into the distance, but she could still see Jacob and get down quickly if anything threatened him. She checked that her knife was still safely with her and it was, she always felt safer when she had her knife on her.

She didn't see anyone for ages as she looked around slowly in each direction. But eventually she saw Robin and his Outlaws heading straight towards where she was. Assuming they didn't change direction any time soon, then they would have to pass her and Jacob to get wherever they were going.

VAS

'Robin Hood' Vicki jumped out of the tree directly in front of Robin and the Outlaws. It was only once she had landed on the ground and spoke that she realised she may've sounded slightly threatening, which, of course, was the last thing she had wanted to do. Unsure what to say or do next, she held her hands up in peace. 'I need your help.' she hadn't meant to said as pleading and her voice came out. She started telling them what had happened, she told them everything about her brother, and the guard, and having to leave Nottingham, but she spoke so fast that none of them got any of it

'Stop' Robin said. Vicki did stop. 'I didn't understand a word of that. Start by telling me your name'

'Vicki' Vicki replied. She gestured towards Jacob. 'That's my brother, Jacob'

'Come with us' Robin said.

'Robin' Allan and Much both spoke, both sounding equally unsure.

'It could be a trap' Much continued.

Robin turned back to them and smiled. 'Yeah, it could' he sounded incredibly cheery about it. 'and it might not be. Even if it is, what are they going to do against us lot?'

Vicki did not appreciate this comment 'Be glad it's not a trap' she warned him. 'So you'll never have to find out.'

'Feisty' Robin laughed.

Vicki rolled her eyes. She turned to her brother. 'Jake' she shook him gently to wake him up. 'Jacob'

'Don't wanna get up' he moaned.

'We're moving' Vicki told him. Jacob didn't move. 'Jacob!' He still didn't move. 'Fine, I'll carry you' She lifted him off the ground into her arms. To Robin and the Outlaws she said 'Ready?'

'Ready' Robin confirmed, and they started moving.

Jacob fell asleep again in Vicki's arms. She wasn't surprised, the darkness of the sky told her it must be midnight at least.

'Why do you need our help?' Robin asked. 'And please, explain at a understandable speed'

Vicki laughed slightly and did so. She told them exactly why they had had to leave Nottingham, and that she knew the only way they'd be safe would be if she joined Robin. 'I never meant to kill anyone' she defended herself as she finished. 'but I'd do it again in the blink of an eye if anyone tried to hurt Jacob'

'Feisty, protective, caring, and you're clearly smart' Robin said approvingly. 'Something tells me you'll fit right in with us'

'What about the boy?' Allan asked.

'What about him?' Vicki replied.

'Is it really a good idea having a kid along with us?' Allan spoke to Robin rather than Vicki.

Robin looked to Vicki, who automatically said 'Jacob stays with me. No. Matter. What. The sheriff wants both of us, I'm not letting him out of my sight'

'There's your answer, Allan' Robin said. 'We have a duty to protect people from the sheriff. Vicki can help us with that, while we help her by keeping her and Jacob safe.'

'Will it really be safe for someone that young though?'

'We'll just have to be careful' Robin said. 'If Vicki alone can keep him safe, then we'll be keeping him safe by keeping her safe'

Out of arguments, Allan just nodded in agreement.

Vicki and Jacob settled in at the Outlaws camp, Jacob automatically curled up as close to the fire as Vicki would let him get and slept, not waking up until the next morning. Vicki, as she predicted, couldn't sleep that night. She just sat, staring into space. She didn't feel guilty for killing the guard, but she almost felt guilt for not feeling guilty. She had killed someone, and it she could do it over she would do the same thing, surely that wasn't good, was it?

Robin looked over at Vicki for just a moment before moving to sit next to her 'What you thinking about?' he asked.

She found herself talking to him. She found herself admitted she was scared to be on the wrong side of the law. She found herself saying exactly how she felt, even though she had opened her mouth all she planned to say was 'nothing'. As she shivered from the cold of the night, Robin put his arms around her.

'You'll be safe with us' He told her. 'I promise'

And Vicki found herself believing him. She felt as though she would always be safe as long as she was with Robin Hood.