A/N: Just so you guys are all aware I fully intend to carry on with this story, the reason I haven't posted in a while is because I was affected by flooding. If anyone is aware of the flooding that occurred in Brisbane, Australia at the beginning of the year... that's where I am so it's been a bit crazy and that's my excuse for lack of updates lol so sorry guys :) But everything is awesome now and on with the story writing. 3
Anyway...
Ok so this is where you will notice the major story line and how it differs form the original. Hope you like it, please let me know : ) I really appreciate all those who did review ILU all!
Disclaimer: I own nothing
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Robin and Much started the journey back to the camp site, Robin carrying Marian in his arms.
"So who do you think she is?" Much asked
"Well it's not really who she is but what she did. I mean she must have done something pretty serious to have been cast an outlaw." Robin replied looking down at the unconscious girl.
They continued their journey back to camp. Only making small talk, too anxious for Marian to wake up, when she stirred in Robins arms, showing signs of awakening.
"Much it might be better if we get the arrow out now. Run and get Tuck, bring him here with some supplies, he'll know what to do." Robin said as he knelt down, laying Marian on the soft ground.
Marian slowly opened her eyes. Nothing looked right, it was all blurry and fuzzy around the edges. The light shone through the trees, creating a shadow over the face of her rescuer. She could hear his voice but it was muted, as if he was talking to her under water.
Suddenly there was more voices, and she left the warmth of her rescuer and was being laid on the ground. She tried to sit up but the people were holding her down. She started to panic and struggle when all of a sudden there was white hot pain coming from her left shoulder where the arrow was embedded. Then everything went black.
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When Marian awoke next is was deep into the night. There was a small fire going and around it five people were sleeping soundly. She used her arms to sit herself up then gasped at the pain in her shoulder.
"Watch yourself." A man said sitting at the end of the bed.
He got up and walked over to her with a cup of water.
"Here drink this." he said offering her the cup
"Thank you." Marian replied
"Who are you people? Where am I?" Marian asked looking around the camp.
"You've been out of it for a day and a half now, but you are safe in Sherwood Forrest and I, am Robin Hood" He said smiling
Marian studied his face as he talked, noticing his tired eyes "You say that like its meant to be impressive. All I have heard about Robin Hood is that he is an outlaw that steals from people."
Robin smiled "Well looks like we are in the same boat then my lady, for you are an outlaw just as I am. I am at least fighting for the King and the people of this land. Not just running."
"You know the King?" Marian asked, very alert and interested all of a sudden.
"Yes I fought with him in the Holy Land."
"Can you take me to him! Right now. It is of the utmost importance." Marian said throwing the covers off of herself.
Robin grabbed her arms, stopping her in her attempt to get up.
"Calm down. You're still injured, and by the feels of it you're still not over the fever." He said feeling the heat radiating off her body and pressing his hand cold to her warm cheek.
"Now just explain to me what's so important. I promise you can trust me." He said looking into her eyes.
"I... I wish I could." She said tears falling from her eyes as she looked down from his gaze and shook her head "But this is far to important for me to fail. My family has already paid the price for me. The Sheriff and Gisbourne killed them all."
"Please, let me help. I will show you what my friends and I do in the Kings name. Will you then trust me if I show you?"
Marian nodded albeit a little reluctantly, and relaxed into his arms that still held her.
Robin wiped away a tear from her face with his thumb, when he heard a noise behind him.
Kate had woken and was watching the display of affection Robin was showing to Marian with anger and slight jealously.
"Feelin' better then?" she asked
"Yes much better thank you." Marian said sheepishly feeling the tension build in the room.
Robin dropped his hands from Marian and stood up.
"Sorry Kate did we wake you?"
"Yes you did and good thing as well. Now that she's awake... Robin how could you bring this girl into the camp! If the Sheriff wants her its dangerous to have her around."
"Kate now is not the time or place for this," he said through gritted teeth trying to quieten her.
"Well when is? We don't know anything about her. She shouldn't be here."
Robin was interrupted by Marian before he could say anything.
"Robin stop. You all have been more than helpful to me and I feel fine. I'll just leave now and make my own way." Marian said as she slowly stepped out of the warmth of the bed.
Once her feet were on the ground and she was standing her head spun and a spell of vertigo hit her, as black spots danced across her vision she felt herself falling.
Robin reached out and grabbed Marian as he saw he falling.
"Whoa just relax ok. Its the middle of the night lets not get carried away. You're still not well enough to travel anywhere. And Kate what's gotten into you?"
Marian interrupted again trying to quell the argument "You know what Robin, I'm um just going to get some fresh air for second."
"Marian you're too weak to go out alone."
"No it's fine. It seems you all have to talk." She said nodding in the direction of the others that had woken up. "I wont be long."
Robin sighed as he looked on at his friends. "Fine but you're only sitting just outside and I'm helping you out."
Marian smiled, nodding in agreement. Robin threw a blanket over his shoulder and grabbed her waist with his left hand and held her right hand in his as he guided her out. He took her about twenty meters from the camp and sat her next to a small trickling stream. One you could just step over without a second thought. He draped the blanket over her shoulders making sure she was warm.
"I wont be long." He said turning to walk back to the camp.
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Robin re-entered the camp to see his gang all awake and waiting for him.
"Alright what's this about then?" He asked crossing his arms.
"Robin, Kate's right you need to find out why the Sheriff wants her. She could be putting us in danger." Little John said
"So what, you all reckon Much and I should have left her to drown in that river? Unfortunately I have a conscience and I couldn't let her die"
"Robin the longer she stays here, the more men Gisbourne sends out to find her making it increasingly risky to stay here. It won't be long before they find our camp." Kate said
"So what do you want me to do Kate toss her out and let her go off by herself? I remember when you once needed a place to stay when you couldn't go back home, and we didn't say no."
"Robin it's not the same and you know it. She seems too important to the Sheriff to have her stay here."
"Maybe that's all the more reason to have her stay here and let us protect her."
"Robin, why don't you go out and talk to her now, see if you can get anything out of her." Tuck suggested trying to calm everyone down.
"Fine, but I did say to her that we would show her what we do before she has to say anything to us." That was all Robin said as he left the camp, and walked back to Marian.
He walked slowly watching her in the moonlight. She was laying down on the blanket looking towards the skies. The clouds had cleared leaving a clear sky full of stars.
He did not understand why he felt a pull to this woman but he felt he needed to protect her no matter what.
Marian lifted her head and looked I his direction, she smiled at him and put her head back down.
"I hope I haven't caused too much more trouble." She said
Robin walked over and sat on the blanket next to her. "Not at all."
Marian turned her head and looked to him. "Lay with me and look at the stars. It's very relaxing."
Robin shuffled forward and lay down, at that moment nothing felt more right to him than lying in the cool night air, listening to the stream, looking at the stars and lying next to this girl who was a complete stranger to him.
"You know Robin, most people look up at these stars and don't give them much thought. To them they are just there providing a little bit of colour and light to our world. For me it connects me to the father I have somewhere out there. When I was younger he used to point to the stars and say that whenever I get lonely all I needed to do was look at them and I would see him looking back, and he would do the same. Its comforting knowing that he's still out there somewhere looking at the same stars as me."
Robin listened carefully to Marian's story intrigued and confused by it.
"I thought Gisbourne and the Sheriff killed your family?"
Marian was silent for a moment, before turning to look at Robin.
"When I was eleven my father left me with a family here for protection. I haven't seen him since. That was thirteen years ago."
"And your mother?"
"She died giving birth to me. I never knew her, but what my father told me about her was all things wonderful. The way my father described her it sounded as if she lit up a room as soon as she entered it and was well loved by everyone."
"I'm sorry you never got to know her. How do you know your father is still out there?"
"I hear rumours of his whereabouts, that's all really."
Robin couldn't rid himself of this feeling that this girl was giving him but before he could contemplate it they had both fallen asleep under the stars.
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Robin opened his eyes to see beautiful eyes staring back at him. Marian smiled at him.
"Morning." she said
"Morning." He said back smiling
"How are you feeling? Does your shoulder hurt?"
"Better and yes, but I'm sure I will live."
Robin sat up stretching. The sun was rising indicating it was still early morning, so the others would still be sleeping. Robin knelt down next to the stream and splashed water onto his face. The freezing temperature of it waking him instantly.
"Come on we best get back to the camp and wake the others so we can show you what we do." Robin said stretching his hand out to help Marian up.
Marian grabbed Robins hand with her fine arm and he pulled her up. She felt slightly dizzy but he steadied her and made sure she was ok.
"Hows your fever?" Robin asked as he placed his hands on her cheek and forehead feeling for any signs of the fever.
He frowned slightly feeling the warmth still radiating from her.
"You still have a fever, its not as bad as last night but its still not good."
"Robin I'll be fine. Please lets go." She said smiling at him.
They both turned to see the whole gang watching them. Tuck with a cheeky glint in his eye and smile on his face, Allan nudging Much with his elbow pointing at them and whispering under his breath, John sighed frustrated with the silliness of it all and Kate was turned the other direction.
"Master the horses are ready, so is the food and gold." Much shouted form where they were standing.
"We'll be right there." Robin shouted back.
They walked towards the horses and Robins friends.
They all mounted their horses and Robin pulled Marian up in front of him onto his horse so he could hold onto her as she couldn't hold onto him with her injured arm.
They spent the day going to villages. Doing food drops and giving gold back to the people.
It had been as long day when they returned that night to the camp. Robin could see Marian was happy but she still looked pale and unwell, she had started to develop a cough and Robin feared that it was because of the cold of staying outside the previous night.
Much and Tuck were fussing over dinner and whose turn it was to go and get vegetables from the supply cave when Marian and Robin took a walk to the same spot they were the previous night.
They sat down near the small stream when Marian began to explain her story, as she had promised.
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Marian leant against a tree looking into the water. Her heart told her to trust this outlaw and tell him the truth, but her mind knew she could not. It would put them all in danger, and she could not risk people knowing her secret.
"So Marian?" Robin asked watching her face.
She looked up at Robin knowing she was going to have to lie to this amazing man she had just met.
"Robin, what you do for the people in these towns is amazing. I can't thank you enough for taking me in and showing me what you and your gang do, but..." she said. Faltering her words as she tried to talk to him.
"But you can't trust us?" Robin asked.
"No! It's not that at all. Please don't think that." She cried out shaking her head.
Robin got up and crouched in front of her, taking her hands in his.
"Marian I understand if you can't tell me yet, but please know I will be here when you can." He said gently, raising his hand to wipe a stray tear from her face.
As he placed his hand on her face he felt the heat on her cheeks and noticed the pale pallor of her skin and rosiness of her cheeks that were hidden from the moonlight moments before.
"Marian are you feeling alright? You're fever seems to be worse?" he asked feeling her forehead and wiping the hair from her face.
"Yes, I'm fine. Please don't worry about me." She said grabbing hold of his hand from her face.
"Come lets get back to camp. You need rest." Robin said standing up.
He offered his hand to her to help her up when he realised just how bad the fever had become. Her legs buckled beneath her as she tried to stand. Robin caught her as she fell and picked her up in his arms.
"I'm sorry." Marian whispered into his ear.
"It's ok. Let's get you back to camp.
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As Robin walked with Marian towards the camp, Much came screaming through the forest.
"Master! Master! Gisborne and his men are on their way! Hurry they're right behind me!"
Robin made a run for the camp before Much ran and pulled him to some bushes.
"Much what are you doing? We need to get back to camp!" He yelled silently at him, getting more worried about Marian.
"Master they're too close. They would have seen us go into the camp, and we cannot compromise that camp. I... I like it too much."
Robin rolled his eyes at his best friend.
"I knew this would happen." Marian whispered
"Let me go Robin, I need to leave or you and your friends will all be killed because of me." She said trying to release herself from his arms.
Her shoulder burned and her mind and body felt far away, as if she was moving in slow motion, but she had to leave and continue the mission she knew she had to carry on.
"No Marian, you will not run into the forest alone. We have fought Gisborne and his men many times and we are all still fine. We will help you and we will be fine."
All of a sudden there was movement and Gisbourne was in front of them.
"Hood. Nice seeing you again. Now just hand the girl over, she is of no concern to you."
"I don't think so Gisbourne. Marian get behind me." He said as he stood up to face Gisbourne.
"I don't have time for you Hood. I only want the girl. Guards!" He shouted as they attacked on command.
Robin charged out at one of the guards, knocking him down and taking his sword.
"Much! Go get help!" Robin shouted to his friend as he fought off more guards.
Robin saw Marian pick up another sword as she too tried to fight off the guards. Robin would have been impressed with her skill if he were not worried about her. She was week from fever and wounded so she could not be fighting at her full potential.
He fought hard as he watched Gisbourne go towards Marian.
"Marian!" Robin yelled to warn her of Gisbourne.
"Come now Marian, you know there is no use." Guy said holding his sword to her chest.
"I would rather die than go with you." Marian said raising her own sword to meet his.
"You will come with me Marian. You can't leave the Sheriff at the alter now can you?"
"I will never marry him. I will die first." She said.
"What?" Robin said turning to face them as the rest of the gang arrived. Taking care of the rest of the guards.
"You are to marry the Sheriff?"
"You mean she hasn't told you anything? She hasn't told the Kings right hand man, his most trusted man?" Gisbourne laughed
"You know nothing Guy of Gisbourne." Marian said lowering her sword as it became to heavy for her to hold, and beads of sweat formed, dripping from her face as black spots appeared in her vision.
"You best be leaving Gisbourne, you have no backup and I'm not feeling so generous as to spare your life if you stay much longer." Robin said
"Fine, but I will find you Marian. Have no doubt about that." Gisbourne said as he backed away, jumping on his horse and fleeing from the forest.
"Robin." Marian said as she looked up at him.
"Yes?" Robin replied sounding annoyed.
"I don't feel to good." She said as everything went black and she fell to the forest floor.
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A/N:... so? Is it to different? I know it is VERY different from the original but you know something different is good... right? Lol well let me know what you all think and if I should def carry on with it : )
Also really sorry again about the LONG delay but it couldn't be helped. There will be more updates from now on :)
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