Hey its been a while hasnt it??? I've missed writing this story...ive missed hearing your thoughts about it...i actually took into account many of your suggestions and critisims..thanks again for thinking of how to make this story better...a note the reason the beginning of this chaptere is the way it is is because i started watching North and South...ever seen it?? its good anyway Thorton just called out to me and its hard now to see Guy as an awful human being...this is my attempt to futher huminize him...please dont hate it...or me please read and review

Chapter Four: Realizations, Complications

As Guy awoke that morning and the sunlight lightly touched the room, he let a small smile cross his normally rigid face. For the first time, in many, many, many years he could say that he was happy. And that was hard for him to admit, even to himself.

He turned slightly, maybe to make sure he was not dreaming, and he found Marian beside him. She was still sleeping and he watched her breathing. He was content, or almost content. But then he saw something he had not expected. Guy of Gisborne saw a black and blue mark on Marian's neck.

How had that gotten there?

Suddenly Guy was angry. Who had done that to Marian, to his Marian? Then the moment of truth crossed over Guy's face. He remembered what had happened the night before. He had caused that bruise to appear and many others as well all over her body.

What have I done?

Sadness just as quickly replaced the anger in Guy's heart. He had never wanted to harm her, at least not intentionally. So he lightly bent towards Marian's face and lightly kissed her cheek. She blinked her eyes and squinted at Guy.

Last night had been one of the worst nights of her life. So now she was officially married. She was Lady Gisborne, a horrid thought. It tasted like vomit in her mouth. But she had to continue swallowing the bitter bile and smile at the man beside her.

"Good morning," he whispered in an attempt to be seductive.

"Good morning," she answered automatically.

There was a moment of Nirvana as the two looked at each other silently. It was almost a tender moment, one of the only tender moments that the two of them had shared. But it ended as quickly as it had come. Marian winced as her brain remembered the pain in her legs, arms, and neck bitterly. She tried to hide it from Guy, assuming he would laugh at her or call her weak.

But seeing her in distress caused his blackened heart to weep. She was in pain because of him! He quickly leapt from the bed and put on the pants he had on the previous night. Guy was on a mission; a mission to be a…what was the word?

Good man.

Marian slowly sat up. "What's going on?"

Guy did not look at Marian as he walked out of the room quickly. Out of the room Guy ran down the steps of manor house his grandfather had built and into the kitchen where two generations of Gisborne women had labored for their husbands.

Now it was Guy's turn to labor for his wife. He set to work cooking breakfast for his weakened lady. Once the eggs were completed he put them delicately on a tray and walked back up the steps to the bedroom where he found Marian still in bed.

"I made you breakfast," he explained quietly. He put the tray in her hands and stood back. A blush escaped his cheeks as she examined the display on the tray. She looked up at him and smiled. It was a genuine smile that Marian did not believe she could ever give to Guy before.

"Why?" she asked.

Guy allowed himself to return to her side on the bed. "I wanted to apologize for my treatment of you last night. I should learn to control my passions better."

Marian shook her head from side to side. "It's okay, I'm fine, honestly."

And for that moment she was fine. Not great, not happy, not content with all of life but fine. And for her present state and circumstances, fine seemed a big step to recover for her. So she took up the knife and fork that Guy had placed beside the eggs and set to work eating them. She noticed that Guy was staring at her as she ate.

An emotion that Guy had never known before was slowly creeping into his heart. It was new, and therefore Guy's first impulse was to push it away in terror of the way it was making him feel. But he could not keep it silent as it flowed into his soul. It was love. Gisborne, the previous right hand man of the sheriff, had never before truly loved another being. He lusted after Marian, but until this moment, he did not love her.

He loved her now. He loved her as she glided the fork into her mouth. He loved her as he watched her swallow the egg.

Marian mistook Guy's staring as his lack of food. She kindly offered him a forkful of egg, which he took from her happily. There was a normalcy to this event that Guy had never known before. His parents had never acted in this manner when they were alive and married. So where had this behavior come from?

Genes, as they tend to do, often skip a generation. While Guy's father, was rude, and cruel to his wife, Guy's grandfather was a gentleman to his wife of many years. Perhaps, there was a small chance that Guy had managed to inherit bits and pieces of this gene from his grandfather. But he never knew the pricks of good in him aching to see the light of day.

Meanwhile in another country, Robin awoke thinking only of one thing.

Marian.

His Marian was somewhere out there in the world living life without him. Robin had spent the past couple of weeks packing and unpacking his few belongings. Each morning brought fresh determination to find his love. But with each evening, the setting sun reminded him that he had no idea where to begin his search. It was hopeless.

Robin was miserable. He would not talk happily with his gang as he had before. He would not eat as much. He barely slept. If only there was some way he could find out where she was! At least with a direction he would know where to begin. This morning as Robin arose he wished that he had kept sleeping.

The few hours had brought him a small amount of joy. He dreamt of the girl of his dreams laughing with him. But instead of returning to his dreams he leapt up to face his reality. The world seemed to spin before him like a never-ending arrow before it reached its final target.

Robin turned around and around with confusion picking apart his brain. John, Much, Will, and Djaq watched him do so from afar with sadness. Djaq closed her eyes and leaned her head against Will's shoulder. "Why did you tell him not to go after her from the first day?"

Much sighed and turned on Will as well. "More then that, why did you tell Marian to marry him at all?"

Will tried to maintain the anger that was building up inside. "He told me to look after her. He told me she had to live. She's alive isn't she?"

"We should not blame him," said John turning away from Robin's agonizing stance. "Instead we should be thinking of how to help him."

"What should we do?" Djaq asked opening her eyes and looking into the faces of her friends.

"I still think we should just start already and just search the kingdom for her," muttered Much bitterly.

"That we will not do," said John loudly making Much jump quickly.

While his gang pondered what should be done Robin ceased his pacing and listened to their conversation. He had no realized until then how his behavior had been affecting his gang. He did not want them involved, this was his problem, not theirs. With that he took his bow and threw his pack of arrows over his shoulder.

Robin walked out of the forest into Nottingham. There was so much determination in his stride and anger in each step that he found himself walking up the steps of the castle through the large wooden doors that led into the entrance. He did not notice any of this until he ran straight into the sheriff.

The sheriff had spent the past four weeks in great despair as well. Guy was gone. Its not like he cared one bit if Guy lived or died. But he could find no one suited to replace Guy. There was no other man who was as ruthless and evil as his wonderful henchman in black.

"Hood," said the sheriff absently, "this is not a good time. I am short a valuable henchman." Robin took out his sword and pointed it at Vasey threateningly.

"And I am missing a fiancé," he said bitterly. There was no point in hiding anything anymore. His Marian was gone, and the sheriff was not stupid enough to believe that even while Marian was living in the castle she was not in league, or in love with Robin.

"Well la-di-da-di-da," said the sheriff looking at Robin with a toothless grin. "Why am I supposed to care about that?"

"If you tell me where they went," said Robin. "Then I promise you, you will get back your beloved Gisborne."

"Really?" asked the sheriff.

"Do I look like I'm lying to you?" asked Robin impatiently.

"Well I don't know where they went off to," said Vasey.

Robin sighed and pressed the sword closer to Vasey. "You really have no idea where Gisborne might have gone?"

Vasey shrugged. "But that mini Guy behind you might know something."

Robin whipped his head around to find Allan standing behind him. He turned back at the sheriff and found that he had run off into another part of the castle. The hero sighed and turned back slowly to Allan.

"Here to laugh at me?" asked Robin.

Allan looked up and down at his former leader. Robin looked pale, thin, and completely unwell. Sadness glowed in his brilliant eyes. No, there was nothing to laugh at in the face of Robin Hood. Immediately Allan pitied him, for he loved Robin and all of the lads dearly.

"I was with her the day she got married," he said quietly.

Robin was a little interested now. He sheathed his sword and asked, "What happened exactly?"

"They got married here, I led her down the isle. Robin you should have seen her face through the entire ordeal. Her sadness nearly killed me. She also had a message for you." He gave Robin the ring that Marian had given to him.

"She told me that she was thinking of you the entire time, pretending it was you throughout the ceremony. She really loves you Robin, you must know that."

Robin fingered the ring in his hand and put it sadly into his pocket. He leaned his head against the stony walls of the castle. "Do you have any idea where they might have gone?"

Allan shook his head from side to side and Robin sighed. Then Allan got an idea. Allan got a really good idea. He started smiling. "I think I know a couple of lads who might know something about Gisborne."

He led Robin through the castle into corridors and through passageways until they reached a small, secluded, room where men were cleaning the floor.

Allan extended his arms to the workingmen. "Allow me to introduce you to Guy's personal servants. They know more about him than the sheriff, the guards, and myself combined."

At Allan's voice the men stopped their work and looked at the two intruders.

"You are not allowed in here," said the oldest man stepping towards Allan and Robin suspiciously.

"Your master is no longer here," said Robin. "Why are you still working in his room and cleaning?"

"It is more of a habit," said the second man joining the first and sticking out his hand to Robin and Allan. "I'm Gregory, this is Matthew, and the other man is Daniel. What can we do for you sirs?"

"Would you have any idea where Gisborne would go to if he wanted to start a family?" Robin asked directly.

Daniel stepped forward and nodded. "Probably his estate in France."

"Gisborne does not have an estate, the place Gisborne does not exist," interrupted Robin.

Daniel shook his head. "No, not an estate that he got for anything. It's been in his family for some time I think, and I know for certain that it is in Northern France. But that's all I really know of its location."

Allan clasped Robin on the shoulder. "You've got your answer."

"Thank you," said Robin to the three servants. "And thank you Allan, I am sorry for our past history. If you ever want to join the gang again, there will always be a spot waiting for you."

"Mind if I take you up on that?" asked Allan hopefully.

Robin nodded.

"We're off to France then?" asked Allan.

Robin smiled but then doubt hung over his head. "We have no ship. How are we going to get to France? I'm a wanted outlaw, there's absolutely no way we'd make it."

Matthew snapped his fingers with excitement. "I might be able to help you in that department. My friend runs a small shipping business, I'm sure she'd be willing to let you take one of the ships to sail on."

"Lead on," said Robin. And Matthew did just that, he led Allan and Robin out of the castle where they ran into Much, John, and Djaq!

"Did you follow me?" Robin asked suspiciously.

The outlaws hung their heads with shame. But Robin laughed. "Thank you my friends. Allow me to introduce you to the final member of our gang." He clasped his hand on Allan's shoulder. "It's time that he joined in our ranks again. Let me also introduce you to Matthew, he's going to show us a ship that might lead us to Marian and Gisborne."

Matthew led the way from Nottingham into the English port. There were many ships docked in the harbor. Matthew pointed to the ship at the far corner of the harbor. The back of a blonde woman was tying the ship to the dock with a rope.

"Is that her?" asked Robin.

"I'll call her to talk to you," said Matthew to the gang. "Sarah!"

Robin's stomach turned, and Much's eyes widened.

"No," he whispered. "That's not possible."

But sure enough Sarah, the same Sarah who had hindered their journey home two years ago turned around and started walking towards them.

When she finally reached them and realized whom Robin was she smiled at him and kissed him on the lips. "Hey handsome, what can I do for you?"

Rob/mar fans do not worry about Sarah...she is a distraction and probably nothing more...i thought it woudl be interesting to bring her back...guy/mar fans what do you think of guys bonding with mar?? Id love to hear whatever you guys want to tell me...really bad or good i love your feedback...happy december!!!