Power of love

"He's with Gisborne now!" that was the words she'd been met with when her and Tuck returned from his monastery. At first she'd starred horrified at her cousin, refusing to believe. But somehow she knew that Will would never lie to her. That Allan really had betrayed the gang. Betrayed her.

Everyday she expected to see him come walking into the camp with a smile on his lips, telling it was all a joke. But it never happened. And she didn't want to go into Nottingham because she knew that seeing him there, as one of Gisborne's men, would destroy her.

Then one day she had, for one reason or another, sneaked into the castle anyway. Why she didn't know. She sneaked through the dungeons without really knowing why when her eyes caught something. Someone was being held in the farthest cell. Tortured, bound to a stake. Slowly her eyes got used to the darkness and she gave a small gasp of horror. It was Allan. But why? Why did Gisborne torture one of his own? It didn't matter. Quickly she went over an untied him. He was unconscious, falling immediately to the floor.

"I can't leave you here… but I can't carry you either! Come one… wake up! Wake up!" tears ran down her cheeks, why did she have to lose him like this?

"Kate? Oh God…" Marian's voice brought Kate back from her grief. "He… he refused to tell them where your camp is… so the sheriff ordered him tortured."

"But WHY? Wouldn't Gisborne want to protect his new man?"

"No… he said Allan had served his porpoise! But come one… we can't stay here…"

"No… help me! I know somewhere we can hide him!"

They managed to sneak out with him and Kate led Marian to the secret cave where her and Will used to play when they were children.

"Don't die!"

The next evening she was on her way to the little cave she suddenly heard yelling. Realizing that the person she heard was Will she raced towards the cave. Allan was pressing against the wall of the cave while Will mercilessly led one blow after another down upon him.

"WILL! STOP! STOP IT!" she seized her cousin from behind and yanked him away. Then she hurried over and kneeled in front of Allan who had fallen to his knees after the beating.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I'll be!" slowly he reached out and stroked her gently on the cheek.

"Kate! What is he doing here?"

"He's here because I brought him here!" she rose and looked at her cousin. Realizing that they'd both grown up. Met someone who meant more to them than each other.

"HE'S A TRAITOR!"

"WILL! I FOUND HIM IN THE DUNGEONS! HE'D BEEN TORTURED! I DON'T THINK HE'S REALLY WITH THEM!"

"WHAT ABOUT THE WAY HE THREATED YOU? YOU WHERE HARDLY GONE BEFORE HE JUMPED SIDES!"

"I didn't mean to Will! I'd never knowingly hurt Kate anyway! You know that! I love her!"

"THAT'S ANOTHER THING! HE ACTS LIKE HE'S THE ONLY PERSON WHO CARES ABOUT YOU!"

"BUT I KNOW THAT ISN'T TRUE! SO WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? GO AWAY!"

"What?"

"I said: LEAVE US ALONE!" violently she pushed Will out of the cave. When he'd disappeared between the trees she broke down on the ground, shaking with tears.

"Hush… it's okay…" feeling his arms around her she leaned back. They just sat like that for a moment. No words were needed between them. Then she turned and looked at him.

"Let's get some sleep! And tomorrow we leave! Go to Scarborough, or Rochdale, or anywhere, and get married!"

"Yeah!"

When they laid down Kate realized suddenly just how much she'd really missed him. Resting with her head on his heaving chest, feeling his arms around her she knew, knew they were meant to be.

"I know I'm not the only one who cares about you! But… you're the only one I care about!"

"That's not true… you know that… what about your brother? You cared about him, didn't you?"

"I'd never die for him! I'd die for you Kate!"

"Oh… please don't! I don't think I could live without you! Goodnight!"

They left at sunrise the next morning. Sneaking through the forest, knowing it wasn't safe for them, Kate couldn't help thinking it was weird that the only place there had been really safe for a long time suddenly wasn't anymore.

"You know you don't have to do this! It's me they hate, not you!"

"It's you I love, not them!"

However, they hadn't gone much farther when someone jumped out from the trees and yanked Kate away. Fighting desperately with the one holding her she to her horror realized who it was. And realized that Robin was holding Allan at arrow point. Slamming her head backwards so she hit Will in the face she managed to get free.

"No Robin! Kill him, and you'll have to kill me too!"

"KATE! NO!"

"This night he told me he'd die for me! And now I'm telling you I'd die for him! Because that's how love works; you're willing to die for each other. Isn't that true Robin? You'd die for Marian if you had to!"

Clearly confused Robin lowered his bow, looking at her.

"Yes… I would… but… what does that have to do with this?"

"Everything Robin! Everything! You and Marian! Allan and I! My parents, Dan and Jane! Even, I know, in some ways, Will and Djaq! It's all the same… sometimes you meat someone you just know are the right person. And… if that person does something bad you might hate them first but then you remember all the good things they did. All your happy times together!"

For a long time they all just stood, staring at her. Then Robin looked directly at Allan.

"Why did you do it?"

"They… told me they had Kate… told me the only way to get her free was betraying you… and… they said I couldn't tell you either! That they'd kill her if I did!"

No one spoke. Realizing just how mean the sheriff and Gisborne's scheming had been. Finally Kate regained her voice.

"So… all this… you did that… for me? To save… me! But… you knew I'd left with Tuck!"

"They told me they'd captured you on the way…" carefully he reached out and pulled her close towards her. They just stood like that for a moment, not speaking, and they didn't have to. Kate knew exactly what he felt because she was, after all, feeling the same way.

"We should get back to the camp!" it was only when Much spoke she remembered they were on the middle of the main road. And it was only now she realized that it wasn't just Will and Robin who'd come to take her back from Allan. John was there too. The only ones not present were Tuck and Djaq. Because they would've objected to it?

"You're right Much! We should! And Allan, you know perfectly well that Kate can hold her own!"

So! It seemed like they weren't going to leave anyway. Just the same. Kate still had an odd feeling that her parents wouldn't actually appreciate her choice of husband.

While they walked back towards the camp she turned and looked directly at her cousin. His nose was bleeding from her previous head slamming of him.

"I'm sorry Will! But you have to accept it! we've grown up! Well… I have! I'm not so sure about you! Acting like I'm a little child needing protection when the true is I'm only four days younger than you!"

"I know Kate! I also know that when we were children YOU were the only always getting into trouble while I was the one having to get you out!"

"We're a great couple then, Kate and I! both trouble makers!"

"Yes… if you… ever breaks her heart again!"

"I won't!"