A/N: Sorry for the unannounced hiatus! School comes first and I was stuck with how I wanted to get from point A to point B in this story. But I haven't abandoned it! I've got so many projects going on though so frequency of posts will probably still be lagging compared to earlier this year until the end of April. Thank you again so much for all your comments, favorites, and follows! It's another way to get me to continue writing. Enjoy!
"So," Poe started to pace around the stables again, "you're telling us that Gisborne is willingly giving up a part of his hoard for the betterment of Nottingham because he suddenly cares?"
"Who's to say Friar Hugs didn't show him how giving a little sometimes means for a lot to be taken anyway?" Rose spoke wryly, referring to the incident with the grain. Already, there were hints of sprouts and the people of Nottingham were rejoicing and looking forward to a harvest in some four months.
Finn raised a thoughtful finger. "That is true. Gisborne wouldn't be too keen on getting strapped to some oak in the middle of Sherwood. No one would save him." Snorts of mirth escaped the group as they looked at Rey. She shrugged. "It almost does seem too good to be true."
"You didn't hear anything while Gisborne was there?" Poe asked.
Rey shook her head. "No, I was busy changing and…" She trailed off, remembering how she had inspected her body curiously before changing earlier that morning.
Finn was struggling with a grin as he asked, "So, does he have a little john like Poe claims?"
Rey felt her face go beet red at the blunt question. She couldn't manage to say anything in retort, still processing the events from last night. She had actually slept with the Sheriff. Twice. Her friends didn't need to know that.
"Your silence isn't doing his reputation any better with us." Poe teased.
Rose rolled her eyes and frowned at the boys. "What is it with men and measuring? Can we talk about more important things? Like how that arrow can buy Nottingham more food and seeds for future harvests?"
"How do we know that the Sheriff won't take the arrow, claiming it's for taxes?" Finn asked.
"We bring in the Hood, then. We let Rey do her thing under the guise of Robin Hood, take the arrow fairly, and steal it all the same." Poe suggested.
"Why would we try to win it if we can just steal it?" Rey wrinkled her nose.
Poe stopped pacing and shrugged. "My idea was to piss them off. We win it fairly, they get mad and try to take it as I am sure they will, and then the rest of our merry men emerge to take it by force. It sends a message and we get the arrow."
Finn waved his hands before anyone could reply, centering the attention on himself. "Hold on, hold on. Is this is a trap?" He looked at Rey.
"After what Poe said, it sounds like a trap." Rose stated.
Rey nodded. "It most definitely is a trap of sorts. Stealing the grain could have made Hux seek aid from Gisborne as a means of revenge."
"There's something wrong with that." Finn said. Rey raised an eyebrow and he continued, "I'm not saying it's unlikely. It's very likely. I'm only saying a man of the cloth seeking revenge is wrong. There has to be something in the Bible against it."
They all looked to Poe who sighed. "I don't remember! I barely know Latin anymore. But Finn does have a point."
"The morality of our dear old Friar Hugs isn't new." Rose inputted before guiding them back on topic. "Golden arrow. It's a trap. What do we do?"
"Since we know, we're a step ahead in one way. We just don't know how they intend to trap us beyond perhaps exposing one of the best archers in the world."
"I'm not that good, Finn." Rey wrinkled her nose at the compliment.
"You could hit a butterfly through one wing mid flight. With a longbow, I might add."
The three of them gave Finn a doubtful look before he amended. "Alright, alright. I was exaggerating but don't sell yourself short. Use your recurve and our chances are that much higher." Rey nodded then, understanding his view. The recurve didn't have nearly as much drawing weight as the longbow. Rey enjoyed using the latter recently to build up her back and give herself a challenge.
Rose stared at Finn a bit. "You want her to get into the competition."
"I- yeah. Yeah." Finn admitted. "I know it's a trap but what if we play them while they try to play us, like how Poe was saying?"
"That would still piss them off." Poe added, obviously on board with the idea. "We just need to know how they will lay out their plan."
"Luckily, we have someone on the inside now." Finn grinned at Rey. She returned the smile half-heartedly, distracted by all the logical outcomes that could occur if she were to start employing her new position. Seducing Ren wouldn't be hard given how easily they had caved into each other last night, but it felt...wrong. It made her mad to think that taking advantage of man with a wicked reputation felt wrong to her so suddenly. Earlier this week, she had detested him despite her quiet attractions. She didn't necessarily like him now and Rey definitely did not love the Sheriff but the idea of deceiving him gave her pause.
She didn't let her hesitation show as they continued to plot out how they could outsmart the wolves of their town. The next step they needed to get the plan rolling smoothly was for Rey to find out how Gisborne and the Sheriff planned to trap her. For Rey, it felt like the hardest obstacle. Fortunately, there was plenty of time for her to do so once she got past her scruple.
"In the meantime, I suggest that the Hood harasses Gisborne and others some until the competition. It gives off the illusion that we know nothing of the trap and are continuing our disruptive activities. Nothing unusual to give off suspicion." Poe looked at Rey for confirmation.
"We should and I'd like to come along when we go after Gisborne." Rey raised her head to show her determination. Seeing him that morning had rekindled a vengeful tempest and taking what she could from the greedy bastard would be incredibly satisfying. "Since I'm bait anyway when the competition happens, I don't see how I can't go to this."
"Wouldn't the, uh, Sheriff notice your absence?"
"He's agreed to have separate rooms."
That earned a few surprised looks.
"Well, if you're confident about it, then sure. Why not? Let's throw caution to the wind." Poe threw up his hands in exasperation before walking off.
Finn chuckled. "Like he's one to talk, eh?"
Rey answered him with a wry smile.
She didn't return to the Sheriff's house - her house - until later that evening, after supper time. Rey had helped with Rose's laundry work so as to make it less obvious that her comings and goings were suspiciously for talking with her mates in whispers. That drew suspicion. Trying to take back her mundane life? Expected from most of the staff, all knowing her defiant streak.
Her nerves made her stomach feel like there was a sea of worms roiling around as she entered the house. It was quiet and for the most part dark, only a single candle on the dining table was lit. Uncertain shadows danced around the walls.
Rey closed the door as silently as possible and began tiptoeing through the main room.
"I didn't think my company was bad enough for my own wife to avoid me all day."
Rey jumped, hand over her chest as the tall figure of her husband appeared from the shadows. "You scared me." She admonished, her other hand feeling for one of the wooden chairs around the table for support.
He approached her slowly, until the unscarred half of his face was clear in the faint light.
"Where are your servants?" Rey asked, realizing how quiet his big house was.
"I don't have servants. I believe a man should be able to make his own dinner and clean his own clothes." She couldn't read his expression as he spoke.
"Ah." Rey trailed off, nodding. There was a tension in the air laced with awkwardness, the remnants of earlier that day. It still took her a moment to process the previous night but the ache between her legs told her it had most definitely happened.
He took another step towards her. "Why were you gone all day?"
"I-I just wanted to have one more day before committing to all this change." If there had been more light, he would have seen how white her knuckles were from holding onto the back of the chair.
Understanding filled his expression. "Ah. And here I thought you were going to leave me to do all the chores from now on."
"I can if that is what you wish." The cheeky reply slipped before she could think. The awkward air between them faded until there was just the tension.
Humor glittered in his eyes. "The roles have switched have they?"
Rey gave a smile, not trusting herself with a reply. She had to play the complex game of gaining his trust without getting her feelings muddled.
"Have you eaten?"
She nodded. He took one more step closer so that her chest brushed his when she took a deep breath. Rey swallowed, her heart thumping rapidly in its cage. She raised her head to look up at him, her eyes resting momentarily on his full lips before flicking up to his dark eyes.
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, hands clasping just over her rear. Rey barely stiffened at the touch and it shocked her with how relaxed she was in his arms, her hands resting on his chest. It'd only been one night that they'd known each other biblically. How-
Her thoughts were interrupted as he leaned down, slowly once more, to kiss her. Without thinking, she was already rising on her toes to meet him halfway. Their lips barely brushed against each other before they were caving into each other, mouths moving in a rhythm of tongue and teeth. The fervor behind the kiss took Rey's breath away and she was caught up in it, like a poor little boat that was lost at sea.
Her hands moved up his chest around his neck, one tangling in his hair as she arched into him. The Sheriff made a pleasant noise in the back of his throat that made her stomach do excited flips. When his teeth started to tug at her lower lip, Rey remembered that seducing him like this was a part of the plan to gain his trust. The thought soured her stomach and she pushed against his chest to break the kiss.
"Something wrong?" He asked, clearly disappointed. Rey was too.
"I'm just...worn from today." She cleared her throat, backing out of his arms. "And last night." The greatest understatement she had ever uttered. Her body sang when he touched her and it was still uncanny to her. She should hate him but found she no longer could. Rey didn't even dislike him enough to continue their kiss that would eventually lead them upstairs, to his bed.
"I'd like to sleep." Rey looked up at him with honest eyes.
His gaze didn't reveal whatever was going on through his head as he nodded. "Alright. Are you-"
"In my own room, yes." Rey answered his unspoken question. She needed to make it normal for her to sleep elsewhere, so he wouldn't try to see if she had left one of these nights when they decided to go after Gisborne.
He nodded again. "Sleep well." The Sheriff pursed his kiss-swollen lips and brushed past her.
Rey turned. "You're not going to bed?"
He didn't pause or answer before leaving the house, the door closing heavily behind him.
Rey sighed. She might've made a mistake for giving into her guilt or compassion or whatever it was that had prevented her from finishing what they had started. At least she had been true to herself. But morals didn't feed people. Speaking of, an idea for tomorrow placed itself firmly in her mind as she climbed the stairs and went into her room.
When she was dressed in just her thin chemise, she climbed into the cool blankets of her bed and fell asleep with another plot on how the rich could give back to the poor.