Very early the next morning, Faith Hood awoke before Robin. It was before the sun came up. Of course, Marian was awake, probably helping the cook. Faith remembered yesterday morning, and she wanted payback. This is fun payback though. She never thought of hurting a man, it was wrong.
Faith crept over to her father's bed. He was still asleep. She uncovered him and rolled up his shirt. She blew a raspberry on his stomach and Robin jumped, immediately awake.
"Faith!" he cried.
"Yes?" she replied. Robin grabbed her, sat criss-cross-applesauce, and held her like a teddy bear. Then, he wiggled his fingers on both of her ribcages. Faith burst out into laughter and tried pushing her father away.
"Dahahahahahad! Nohohoho! Plehehehehehehease!" Faith begged. Robin stopped when the child started to whine. She curled up in his lap and when he thought that they were having a moment, Faith tickled Robin Hood's tummy. Robin jumped and pushed Faith off of him.
"What?" Faith murmured.
"Noho," he smiled, still giggling. "Stohop."
"Okay, fine," Faith agreed. They both went downstairs.
The next morning, when Marian woke up and left, Robin called Little John into his room. John quietly asked what he was doing and Robin explained to him that they were gonna scare Robin's daughter. Little John was going to be the Sheriff, and Robin was going to squirt deer blood on his blankets to make it look like he was killed. Robin discarded his sword next to the blood and slipped under the bed. John poked the girl with his sword and used a deep voice that sounded like the Sheriff's.
"Get up. We found you," he ordered. Faith rubbed her eyes. When she saw Little John/ the Sheriff, she froze. She looked at her father's bed and saw the blood.
No. No, it cannot be. Dad? she thought.
"That's right, Robin Hood is mine now. He is gone, killed, dead. You slept through the whole thing. I killed Little John, Will Scarlet, Robin Hood, and Marian," John/Sheriff smiled.
"DAD!" Faith cried. "MOM!"
"No need for crying, they are safer now," he comforted. Faith stared at him murderously. She quickly grabbed her staff and screamed. She brought it down and Little John dodged it. She began fighting him roughly. When he was about to hit her he whispered,
"It was a joke." Robin pulled himself from under the bed and John took off the robes revealing his Lincoln Green outfit. Faith ran to Robin and jumped into his arms. Robin sat down criss-cross-applesauce. John was smiling until he heard Faith whimpering and crying.
"I... I was really scared," Faith cried and clutched her father's shirt. Robin rubbed her back and whispered in her ear,
"I will never leave you. I'm sorry I scared you. It was just a joke."
"We scared her that bad?" Little John asked. Robin nodded.
"Please, please, do not do that ever again," Faith begged.
"We will not," Robin Hood promised. Faith only cried. She curled up into a ball and cried her heart out. Little John came and sat next to her. The two men soothed the girl to the point of her falling asleep. She didn't, but she was close. Little John ran his fingers through Faith's hair while Robin whispered to her. When Faith had calmed down a little, Robin began to sing.
"You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy,
When times are gray.
You'll never know Dear,
how much I love you.
You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine."
Faith fell asleep to the song that played out of Robin's lips. He had always had a good singing voice. Marian had come in right when Faith ran to Robin. She was delighted to hear her husband sing. She never could get him to sing, but somehow this time he wanted to. He probably was apologizing about the joke and showing her how much he loved her. Little John stared at Robin, who was blushing furiously. He hated it when he sang solos. Expecially in front of his Merry Men. Don't get me wrong, he would sing with others to no end, but singing solos was hard for him.
"Good job," Little John whispered, careful not to wake Faith up.
"Thank you," Robin blushed.
"I did not know that you could sing so well. You should sing more often," Little John offered.
"I... I do not think that is a good idea on my behalf," Robin answered, picking Faith up and carrying her to bed. It wasn't daylight yet, they still had a few hours. Little John left and Robin crawled into his bed. Marian lay next to him.
"Very well sang, my love," she smiled, causing him to blush again. She laughed quietly at his blushing.
"I was showing her I was sorry," Robin explained. "That expresses it most."
"Well, right now your face is about as red as a robin's chest so..." Marian trailed off. Robin turned over. "No, come back."
Marian pulled him close and tickled his stomach. Robin jerked away and curled up, giggling. Marian chuckled along and fell asleep. Robin finally fell asleep after her.
