Title: What Happens Now? Part 3

Disclaimer: The Characters of the BBC's Robin Hood do not belong to me in any which way, I am just borrowing them to satisfy my inner Will/Djaq shipper.

Rating: Teen, for now.

Summary: Set during and eventually after Peace? Off through to A Clue: No. A Djaq/Will romance eventually.

Note: Italics are used for a memory or event in the past


Will trailed slowly behind his friend as they headed farther away from the heart of Sherwood forest. What was he doing…he was going to leave…just…leave? Leave her?

Even if he did stay, who was to say that she would want his help…his love? She was a beautiful, intelligent, capable young woman who had made it very clear that she did not need or want a man.

Will kicked angrily at the stones in his path, one particular rock found its way into the back of Allan's leg.

"Oye!!"

Allan turned around, an annoyed look on his face.

"Do you mind?"

Will practically growled at his friend in response and strode past him.

Allan stayed where he was, clearly pissed with Will.

When Will noticed that he was not being followed by Allan he turned around, an irritated look on his face.

"Well? Are you coming or not, this was your bloody idea.."

Allan's brows raised at that comment and stayed where he was, one hand coming to rest on his hip.

"Ya, it was and you agreed to it. So what is the problem?"

"There is no problem…are we going or not?"

Allan rolled his eyes heavenward, "Right, then why 'ave you been all girly today then?"

Will stopped at that comment and strode angrily back to where his friend and the horse were waiting "Girly?!"

Allan grinned, "Yeah, girly. You've been all moody and such…what's got inta ya."

Will turned back around and continued walking "It's nothing, I'm fine."

Allan frowned and ran to catch up with Wills long strides, "Bullocks you are, mate. You are sore about supthin'…'ave been ever since…"

Allan stopped then as he came to a realization. " 'ang on a minute…is this about Djaq?"

Will continued walking, choosing not to answer the question.

Allan saw that Will wasn't going to stop and address him, so he let go of the horses reins, ran past him and blocked his path.

"It is, isn't it? This is about Djaq?"

Will pushed past Allan, only to be stopped by his comrades hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Will…give over…"

Will sighed and turned to face Allan, "How could you leave Djaq after what you said?"

Allan drew back slightly, taken off guard by the question. "Ok, you've lost me, mate. After I said what about Djaq?"

Will growled in frustration and stepped forward "After you declared that you loved her, idiot!"

Allan looked confused, then suddenly his eyes widened as realization dawned and a huge grin broke out on his face.

"I didn't declare I love 'er…that was all you, mate. I said that I cared for 'er."

Will rolled his eyes, his hands waving wildly in the air as he spoke "Fine, whatever you say…you made a declaration."

Allan let out a laugh "Yeah…I did, I said that I cared about her. Which I do…I care about you too, mate. And Robin, and John…and even Much…he really can cook a mean kababe…"

Will lost what little patience he had at Allan rambling and obvious amusement at the situation and yelled, "Enough!"

Allan hushed up, but the grin remained firmly in place.

Will narrowed his eyes at his friend, before turning back around and promptly tripping on a tree root and falling face first onto the muddy path.

Allan burst out laughing, clutching his sides as he shook.

Will pulled himself out the mud, wiped angrily at his face and gave Allan a scathing look.

He then walked over to the nearest tree and promptly threw himself against it.

It took a few minutes for Allan to regain some composure and come over to Will.

"You are so daft, mate."

Will gave Allan a look of exasperation as he continued to wipe the mud from his face, but did not reply to the taunt.

"You love her. Why don't you tell 'er?"

Will sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Because she does not love me back."

Allan's hands came to rest on his hips, looking for all in tense a purposes like a school marm trying to teach a stubborn young child.

"And you know that….how?"

Will looked off into the distance, imagining the exotic beauty who occupied so much of his thoughts lately. "I just do, she could never love someone like me. A boring bloke from Locksley, a carpenter, who has never been further then Nottingham."

Allan made a derisive sound, "Rubbish…"

Will got to his feet then, pointing a finger challenging at Allans chest. "And what about you? You don't care for her?"

Allan pushed away the offending finger, "I care for her…just not like you care for her"

"Then why did you say it like you did?"

Allan threw his hand up into the air. What would it take to get this man to see sense, he wondered. "Because I care for her and I didn't want to see her hurt. She's kind of like a sister, I guess. I've never had a sister 'afore…"

Will gave Allan a slightly disbelieving look, "So…you are not in love with her?"

"No…"

"Truly?"

"Yes, truly, now are we goin' back or wha'?"

Will looked up, his expression perplexed, yet hopeful. "Go back…to the cave?"

Allan shook his head in exasperation, "No…back to Lockesley Manor to return Sir Gisborne's bloody treasure…"

"What?"

Allan rolled his eyes, asking god for patience and then grabbed a handful of Wills shirts and pulled him to his feet.

"Eh!"

"Look, either we continue on to see your family, or we go back…to our family.."

"How could I have ever thought to leave 'er?"

"You thought that she was fully capable of taking care of 'erself and, in your own stupid way, thought that she would be better off without you."

Will turned to his friend. Allan seemed to know his head better than he knew himself. Without a word, he turned back towards the direction of the cave.

Allan smiled knowingly and followed after his friend.

Meanwhile, back at the cave, Djaq stood silent, waiting. She listened to the mourning cries of Robin in the next room. Her heart went out to him. Everyone knew how much he loved Marian.

"Robin" The Sheriff taunted from outside of the cave.

Djaq grit her teeth, she held her sword on the traitorous doctor. She was unsure of what would happen next.

Where is Will? Why is he not here?

The only thing Djaq was certain of in this moment was that she was most likely going to die, for she refused to be captured by that sheriff again.

Djaq knew that battle was inevitable at this point, and there were only four of them against who knew how many men outside.

Enough! Djaq pulled the doctor by the shirt into the room where Robin was grieving.

"Robin! What do I do with him? If he dies you have nothing against Gisborne."

Robin leant down, kissed Marian on the lips and then stood up.

He said nothing as he grabbed his bows and arrows and strode to the exit of the cave.

Djaq watched him walk away, incredulity written across her features.

Did he have a plan? She prayed to Allah that he did.

Turning back to her prisoner, she looked him in the eye and then punched him in the jaw.

The doctor fell back onto the ground and didn't move. She didn't need him as a distraction when the battle started. Djaq bent and retrieved a second sword, two was better than one.

Suddenly, the sound of yells filled the air. Djaq ran towards the entrance, only to jump out of the way of incoming arrows.

Djaq took a breath to steady herself, waiting for the barrage of arrows to stop and then ran to a nearby tree for cover.

Battle was nothing new to her. She had fought in many under the banner of Saladin back in the Holy Land.

Yet, somehow this time it was different. She was filled with sorrow instead of the vengeful fire which had fueled her in previous battles against crusaders. This time, she grieved the loss of a fellow female warrior, a woman whom she would have liked to get to know better and she felt pain at the thought of Will not being by her side, of possibly never being by her side ever again.

Djaq blinked back the tears that threatened.

Now was not the time for sentimentality, if she made it out of this alive, she would grieve then. And if she ever saw Will and Allan again, she would whip their hides for not being there.

Djaq watched as the enemy was felled by bow and arrows of her trusted leader. Most of them were dead before they hit the ground.

Something had changed in Robin. He was no longer playing safe, no longer saving lives. He was not after justice for all. He was after vengeance for the death of his beloved. Robin was out of control.

She could see Much and John taking cover behind a large boulder and a tree, they would occasionally glance dumbfounded at Robin, as if they did not recognize him. Much was also sending his own barrage of arrows towards the Sheriff and his men.

The time for games was over, the battle was on. Djaq gripped the handles of each sword more tightly; her muscles tensed and ready to fight.

Suddenly, there was a noise behind her to her left and she saw Doctor Pitts come rushing out of the cave and down towards Gisborne, the Sheriff and their men.

Djaq almost went after him, but thought better of it. If the man was fool enough to trust men like Gisborne and the Sheriff, then he had sealed his own fate.

Djaq grit her teeth in frustration and anger when the doctor fell dead before Robin. She knew that the last of Robins hope fell with him; and thus…some of her hope as well.

Robin suddenly threw down his bow, drew his sword and ran screaming at the enemy before him.

Djaq closed her eyes for a brief moment, an image of Will appearing. Goodbye Will Her heart constricted with emotion and a tear fell from her eye.

She then blinked away her emotions. Djaq narrowed her eyes, pulled herself up, and ran. Her battle cries joined in with those of her comrades.

The wind whipped against Djaq's cheeks as she flew into battle.

Today was a good day to die.


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