Chapter Seven: "It was all happening again…"

That night, Will's mind raced in and out of feverish nightmares.

Robin stood leaning against a tree, watching, his hood up so it was harder for the others to see the worried concern on his face.

He had known Will his whole life, and even though they had not been good friends until a few months ago, they were a part of each other's lives. And now Will was dying.

Djaq worked feverishly all night tending to him, her movements so quick they almost appeared panicked, although her face remained passive.

Alan fidgeted all night, watching the baby and hoping, praying, even, that Will would be all right.

If God would forgive him for baiting Will into stealing the sheriff's purse, for egging him on and goading him into it, then Alan swore he would never lie again.

Will awoke with Djaq shaking him.

"Will! Will! Wake up! Will, it's only a dream! Wake up!"

Robin and Djaq were both shaking him now. Will's eyes flew open, his breathing coming out in short, hard gasps. "It was… all happening… again," he said, his eyes staring at the crackling flames of the fire.

He was covered in sweat, the nightmare had tortured his mind viciously during the night.

Alan walked over, holding the baby carefully.

It was still asleep, and Alan felt that somehow, he knew what to do.

As Will laid his head back down with Djaq soothing him to sleep, Alan laid the baby down next to Will.

"There you go, mate," he said, standing and suddenly looking embarrassed.

Djaq smiled sadly at him, and watched as the dying man and the baby slept.

Will awoke because something was giving him a headache.

He heard snickering and saw Alan standing there, his hand in front of his mouth.

"Sorry, mate," he said through laughs, "but you look so funny!"

"You try it," said Will, disentangling the baby's tiny hands from his unruly hair with his right hand. "It's not so fun when it gives you a headache."

It had been two days since Will had almost been hung, and he could talk fine, although Djaq claimed he was still 'wavering on the brink' and would not let him get up, move, walk, or eat himself.

It was starting to annoy him.

Sure, it hurt every time he moved, and sure, it even hurt to breathe, but he was not the type of person to sit around and do nothing.

If only he could use his hands! But Djaq had forbidden that, too, saying that his broken arm was not healed hardly at all yet, and he would have to wait.

Alan was still chuckling while Will glared at him.

"Sorry," Alan said again, before sitting down, looking once more at the baby girl, and laughing again

"What are you going to name her?" asked Djaq, walking up and pulling the baby away from poor, tormented Will.

He squinted at the sky, thinking. "I don't know. She should be named after a bird, though, I think," he said.

"Why a bird?" asked Djaq, who gave a small shriek as the baby chomped onto her finger. "Ouch!"

Will and Alan both chuckled at that, while Djaq gave them aggravated looks, then turned her attention back to Will.

"In honor of Robin," said Will.

"How about Wren?" suggested a new female voice.

Everyone looked and saw Marian dismounting from her horse.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Robin demanded, running out of the trees and coming to a halt in front of Marian.

"Being watched, that's where I've been," she said, walking down to the camp fire. "The Sheriff and Sir Guy suspect me. And before you ask it, Sir Guy was not really at my house the night Alan and Much came. I had to invent the story, because I knew you had to get away from there." She looked around at them. Much and Alan waved their hands, as if moving the apology aside.

"No offense taken," said Much.

"This was the first time I have been able to get away. Apparently, Guy told the sheriff he had had enough of my being a prisoner in my own home, and the sheriff accommodated him."

"Yes, it's very handy to have friends like 'Sir Guy of Gisbourne,'" said Robin, turning his head a little.

Marian pursed her lips and looked at him. "But that's not all, Robin," said Marian.

"What now?" asked Robin, facing her. "Could there be any more?"

"Yes!"

"Then what?"

"Well if you'd give me a chance to tell you, I'd tell you what it was!" cried Marian.

Much, trying to hold in a laugh at their small spat, snorted.

Everyone looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"Coughed," he said, focusing on the piece of meat in his hands. He took a defensive bite, watching them.

"Anyway, as I was saying," said Marian, turning back to Robin, "there is a small problem." She drew in a breath, glanced at Will, then back. "The sheriff is holding Luke hostage. He wants Will back so he can hang him."

Will immediately sat upright, but was pushed back down by Djaq automatically.

"Is Luke safe?" Will demanded anxiously, his eyes flicking between Robin and Marian's faces.

Marian sighed. "No. They are going to hang him tomorrow if you have not shown yourself by then."

"Aw, great," moaned Alan.

"Robin."

Robin looked at Will, then immediately shook his head. "No!"

"I've got –"

"NO, Will!"

Will's eyes widened a little – it was the first time he had heard Robin used that sharp of a tone with him.

Robin sighed and punched the tree next to him. "You're not going there."

Will's face hardened and he opened his mouth to say something, but Robin interrupted. "You're not going." He looked sternly at Will, although his eyes were sad.

He turned and walked away a few yards. Marian glanced at Will, then followed Robin.

"Robin, you're not going to just leave that poor boy to hang!"

"No, Marian, I'm not," said Robin, pulling his hands over his face and glaring at nothing in particular.

"Then you have a plan?" asked Marian, looking relieved.

"No, I don't," said Robin seriously. "But I will think of one."

"Good, because in case you hadn't heard, Will now has a wolfshead on him. Dead or alive."