The next day, Alice arrived.

The gang had decided to keep a round-the-clock watch on the Great North Road, to make sure they did not miss Alice, should she pass by. The Johns would stay on as long as they could, with one or two of the other outlaws accompanying them, rotating those shifts. Shortly after lunch, a familiar voice reached their ears, hints of panic and desperation in it audible even from a distance.

Little John!"

Little John frowned severely at Little Little John, who was instantly ashamed. He had explained that he instructed one of his playmates to tell her where he went, but once he was talking about it, he started worrying that his friend had forgotten. And even then, he should have realized that she would be beside herself, as his father pointed out.

They moved out of the forest and started down the road to meet her, Robin alongside them, as he was currently on watch with the Johns.

As soon as Alice caught sight of the group, her boy among them, she gave a cry of relief and ran forward, grabbing him without even noticing whom he was with.

Clinging tightly to him, her tears dampening his hair, she murmured, "Oh, thank God. My baby... Don't you ever do that to me again!" Once she finally convinced herself that he was unharmed, she glanced at his companions. When her eyes met Little John's, she quickly looked away.

"John has something to say to you," he said gruffly, nudging their son.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you," Little Little John mumbled.

She gazed at him sternly. "We will discuss this later."

"Yes, Mother."

To the others, she said, "I'm sorry for this; I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Alice, he was fine," Little John said quietly.

Robin added, "He even helped fletch some arrows, and he is very good at it. In fact, there are still some that need done; why don't you come back to camp with me and finish those, John?"

Little Little John was the only one who saw Robin's wink, as the outlaw had intended, and asked Alice, "May I?"

"I suppose," she sighed, realizing what Robin was so transparently up to.

Normally, Little John would have been upset with the meddling into his personal affairs, but actually appreciated it this once. He gave his leader a slight smile as Robin and Little Little John started back to camp.

The tension that had been present since he and Alice came into view of each other grew with the distance between them and the departing figures. When they were alone, the air was so heavy with discomfort that John almost felt itchy.

Her arms were crossed in such a way that she was nearly hugging herself, and he wished he could do it for her. "I suppose he told you what's happened," she said, breaking the silence.

John nodded. "Are you faring all right?"

She finally looked at him. "Yes. I found work with a seamstress, so I am not just going it on my own."

He paused. "I didn't only mean with that. How are you?"

A frown marred her brow and her arms tightened. "I... I'd really rather not..."

Holding up a hand for her to stop, he said, "It's fine."

Letting out another sigh, she shook her head. "No, it's not. Truthfully, John? I'm not doing well, at all."

"How can I help?"

She considered his words, finally letting out a little laugh. "Go back a decade and stop Roy White before he tried to rob that baron?"

His smile now was decidedly melancholic. "You'd be amazed how often I've done that in my mind."

"I wouldn't be amazed, you know. I have done it, too."

John took a good look at her, scrutinizing her more thoroughly than he had let himself do the last time they were facing one another. It was eleven years since they had actually been alone together; she had been so young then. Not that she was not young now; but her face had lost the smooth glow of youth, and he noticed a few grey strands here and there in her hair.

He found her even more beautiful like this than he had before.

"Will you go back, then?" he reluctantly asked.

While he had been studying Alice, she had been studying him. He wondered if she found him lacking, after so many years living in the wild.

"I guess so," she replied.

There were many things he wanted to say, and what came out of his mouth was not really one of them. "Why do you not come back to camp first, rest up a bit? We'll be eating soon."

She started to speak, but nodded instead. "That would be nice."

He held out an arm to gesture the direction they should go, and fell into step beside her once she started walking. They strolled in silence for a few minutes, until he said, "I think you'll like our camp. It's a permanent one, that Will Scarlett made. Though it's getting too small, and we've started on a new one."

"Dan's boy? He's very skilled," she commented. "He used to make toys for the children of Locksley. For Little John's fifth birthday, Will made him some toy soldiers; he loved those so much."

"He doesn't have them anymore?"

"No. Right before Robin's return, the sheriff's men raided the village, looking for poached meat. They destroyed things as they searched, and stepped on the soldiers until they broke. Will had promised to make new ones, but..."

"But, he got outlawed before he could," John finished.

"Yes."

They went a few more steps in silence. John glanced sideways at Alice, as she carefully picked her way over the forest floor, unused to doing so.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. She glanced at him in surprise. "About Luke," he clarified.

Not looking where she was going, she caught her foot on a tree root. John caught her, steadying her before she could fall. The motion brought them facing one another, and he found that he could not let go of her just yet. She did not pull away, either, so that was something.

"I'm not only sorry about Luke." The words spilled out before he could stop them. "And really, I'm not that sorry about it, only that it hurt you."

"It's all-"

"Wait. Please." Now that he had begun, he needed to finish. "I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you that day, when you told me not to go after Roy. I'm sorry that I didn't come back and tell you the truth. I'm sorry... I'm sorry that I failed you, and John."

"We've already been over this," she said softly. "I told you, I forgive you. I meant that."

"I know. But I have not forgiven myself."

"I wish you would. I want you to be happy."

His hand dropped to his side. "Happy. Right."

She frowned, but did not get a chance to say anything, because he heard footsteps stomping through the forest toward them. Taking her arm, he hid her behind his large frame, readying his staff as he faced the intruders.

As the group came into sight, he relaxed. It was only the gang, returning from working on the new camp; they spotted him and called out greetings. Guessing that there was no danger, Alice stepped out to see who was coming.

The others were not that surprised to see her, unlike with Little Little John the day before, and soon everyone was spread around the camp, while Much cooked kebabs and Marian assembled a salad. Little John had noticed Alice stiffen up when Marian greeted her, and recalled what Little Little John had said to him when the two of them had gone for a walk in the forest the night before, about his last memory of her. The boy had gotten to chat with Marian later, and was now relaxed with her; John hoped Alice would get a chance to do the same.

She did, and by the next morning, when Alice and Little Little John were climbing in the cart Robin had hired to take them back to Gloucester, the women were all friendly. Little Little John, on the other hand, was quiet, bordering on sullen. The gang made their farewells, and stood back while Little John said goodbye to his family yet again.

"I don't want to go," his son sulked.

Little John sighed inwardly, wanting to agree. "Behave. Listen to your mother. And take care of yourself." As he hugged the boy, he muttered in his ear, "Take care of her, too."

"I will."

He did not mean to touch Alice, but she took his hands. "Be careful, John."

"You, too."

She looked at their hands, and squeezed his as she said, "Please, be happy."

There was nothing he could say to that, so he simply let go and stepped back, and the driver clicked the horses onward.

John watched as his wife and child once more went out of his life, amazed that his heart could break all over again; he would not have thought the remaining pieces were big enough to shatter any further.

Suddenly, it was too much. He took a step, then two, and then broke into a run.

"John?" Much called, but got no reply.

"Stop! Stop the cart!" John yelled, and the driver was quick to obey, not wanting to upset the big man.

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Alice when he caught up to them.

"This! This is all wrong." He took her hands, as she had done to him. "Don't go. I cannot lose you again, you or John."

She stared at him. "Are you asking us to live in the forest with you and your friends?"

Realizing the shabbiness of the request, he released her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Of course we will." She shared a smile with Little Little John.

He was afraid to hope. "Are you sure? It's not easy."

"Nothing's been easy in our lives; we'll work it out."

So elated he was almost dizzy, he laughed and swung her down off of the cart, and then lifted Little Little John down, who exclaimed, "Do you mean it? We can really stay?"

"Really. Why don't you go tell Will that we'll need an extra room in the new camp?" Little John suggested, and his son rushed to do so, quick and steady despite his limp. The driver was waiting, uncertain as to what he should do. "Go on," John told him, and soon he and Alice were alone.

"Are you sure about this?"

She smiled warmly at him. "I am."

He hesitated, not knowing where they stood. "So... are we to be friends?"

"Oh, John," she sighed, and then grabbed his collar and pulled him down for a kiss. When she moved her head back, she added, "We were never just friends, not even when you tried to keep it that way."

"I really did," he chuckled. "When I promised your father I'd look after you, I did not mean as a husband."

She grinned at him. "When you told me you'd promised to look after me, I hoped you did."

He sobered. "We have a lot to work through."

Nodding, she said, "And we will, now that we have the time."

He had thought his time with her had passed, but as he kissed her again, he knew there was plenty more.