Robin

"She's a beautiful baby." Marian was cooing as the newborn gripped her smallest finger. As Marian rocked her, her cheeks were rosy and pink with health, and her forehead was relaxed, her eyes heavy with sleep.

"That she is." I agreed, unable to take my eyes off of her. I reached to take Marian's hand, and the sound of the shifting coins in purse in my hand reminded me of my purpose. I turned to the child's parents, handing them the small, but weighty sake of silver.

"To ensure that she's well fed." I said, pushing it away from me. The man nodded in appreciation, his wife's eyes growing wet.

"What is she called?" Marian looked up from the sleeping child as she surrendered her to the mother, stroking the babe's head once again. I took her open hand.

"Josephine." The mother supplied. Marian was beaming.

"That's lovely." She admonished. The mother adjusted the blankets that swaddled the child.

"And you said that Matilda delivered the child?" I asked again. "But you don't know to what village she was headed next?"

"I'm sorry." The woman shook her head. "She was careful not to say. She's wanted by the sheriff for consorting with outlaws- or hadn't you heard?" The woman smiled.

"We hadn't." I said, glancing at Marian. The door opened suddenly, startling us both. I had enough time to draw my knife and angle Marian behind me before I realized that the young blonde woman standing in front of us was no threat.

"Ingrid, when were you going to tell your favorite cousin about this baby of- oh…" She trailed off as her eyes left the new mother and found Marian and I. "You have visitors." I bowed to her slightly.

"I am-"

"I know who you are." Her voice was unyielding. "I don't guess there isn't a person in all of Nottinghamshire who doesn't know your name. Mayhap all of England." She continued to study me, as if she wasn't sure that she believed I was here.

"This is my cousin, Kate." Ingrid offered. Marian curtsied slightly, but the blonde didn't acknowledge it. She continued to stare at me uncomfortably.

"What are you doing in Nettlestone?" Kate asked as Ingrid offered her the sleeping baby. She bounced it slightly, and the babe woke, but didn't cry out.

"We're trying to track down Matilda. She's a medicine woma-" Marian explained.

"I know." She interrupted. "She was headed to Locksley. We crossed paths on my way here."

"What is she doing in Locksley?"

"My mother and I are potters." Kate said. "She orders jars from my mother to hold her supplies. She's due to pick them up today. She treats the villagers when she comes as well, so she'll be there a while longer." She told us. "I'm headed back straight away. You could ride on my cart." I looked at Marian. She hadn't complained a bit coming here, though we'd walked part of the way. We'd only managed to steal a very old mare, and it was unable to carry the both of us for very long, and we'd had to send it back. Marian brightened a little at the possibility of not having to walk back, and so I nodded to Kate.

"We'd best be off then." I said, tipping my head to Ingrid and her husband. I opened the door and held it for Marian.

We found Matilda in Locksley as predicted, as she exited the manor just after sundown. I snuck up behind her and put my hand over her mouth so she wouldn't cry out.

"It's me, it's Robin." I tried to ease her struggling. Marian and Kate stood on either side of me, watching for guards. Matilda ceased her struggling as the moon lit my face and she read my features.

"My boy!" She cried, her voice hoarse, as she embraced me. She arranged Marian's hair fondly before gathering her tightly in her arms as well. Kate ducked out of sight behind part of the manor to keep watch.

"It is good to see you Matilda." Marian said, her voice a little muffled by the shoulder of the older woman. Matilda released her.

"And I suspect that you will have need of my services in the coming months?" Matilda asked, looking pointedly between the two of us. Marian looked down at her stomach self-conciously.

"How-?"

"You've been married for some months now, children," Matilda answered Marian, "These things tend to happen." She turned to her cart, and rummaged through a bag, handing a small muslin sack to Marian. "Take these herbs daily." She instructed. "How far along are you, dear?" Matilda questioned. Marian opened her mouth to answer, but Kate rounded the corner of the building.

"You need to leave." She said. She was breathing heavily, but it seemed that it was due to panic more than anything else. "He's returned. His men are surrounding the village." Her voice was an urgent whisper. Marian stowed the bag of herbs underneath her cloak as I drew my sword. Whether or not the guards had assembled for us, it was going to prove difficult to sneak away without being seen if the village was truly surrounded.

"Robin?" Marian called asked as she drew her sword. I took her hand. We were crouched behind an old section of the manor that housed the servants. I could see the torchlight of guards glowing brighter as they drew closer to the manor. They would be on us soon. I gestured for the women to follow me as we rounded another corner of the familiar building. I knocked on the entrance to the servants' quarters as loudly as I dared with so many surrounding us. Nothing happened.

Then the door opened quickly and soundlessly, I pushed Kate, Matilda, and Marian inside before I raced in and shut the door. There was a small lantern lit that cast a dull light barely bright enough for me to make out Marian's face, though she was just before me, her hand still grasping mine. She turned to me embracing me quickly, her chin fitting snuggly into the space where my neck met my shoulder.

"Why would the Sheriff attack his own manor?" She asked.

"He wouldn't." Isabella's voice was quiet. She handed Kate the lantern she'd been carrying, and opened the same door that she'd used to let us in. "This isn't the Sheriff." She shut the door behind her, but my attention was focused on what lay beyond the window to the left of the door. The guards with lanterns had surrounded the manor. They were close enough now that I could see the crest that named them as Locksley guards. More importantly, they all were converging around a single man. As Isabella stepped through the door, he turned to her, and the flames from the torches danced on his dark face.

"It's Gisborne." I said, finally answering Marian's question. "He's back."

Did I totally have you thinking that I skipped all the way to their baby? And now we have Kate. She was hard to write, because on the show she was so obnoxious, and I feel that she didn't really have a consistant personality. But I want to like her. So I wrote her in. and it took forEVER. And now she is awkwardly following Robin around (like always, so I think it works), but I did find a legit purpose for her later on. Also, so excited that Gisborne is back. He's gonna be fun to write about. Once again, like i did in A Slip of the Tongue, I will probably steal some plot points and character deelopments from the third season so that it flows better, so, just a heads-up. Thank you!