Belle was awoken by yells and screams the next morning, she sat upright in the bed before realizing what was happening today. Taxes. It was tax day. How had she forgotten? She could have put money on the steps the night before. She could have done something besides leaving these people—her people now—on their own.

Belle got dressed quicker than she ever had before, pulling on her boots as she went down the stairs and putting on her black cloak, as she ran into Locksley, and was sadly not shocked by what she found. Men dressed in black armor were on horses, rampaging through the town looking for money.

For a moment, Belle didn't know what to do, until she saw the children, all younger than ten years of age running, almost getting killed by horses.

Belle moved quickly, calling whatever children she could over to the front of her house, making sure they were safe, they all trusted her, until she saw Timothy, the boy who had run up to her before her wedding, not seeing as he ran in front of a horse.

"No!" Belle screamed, running faster than she ever had, grabbing the child and getting him out of there, but she wasn't fast enough, the horse's hoof caught her calf, hitting it hard enough for the hoof to sink into her skin, and leaving a long gash as she pulled her leg out of harms way. She ignored the warm feeling of blood running down her leg, and looked at the child who was on her stomach and chest, cushioning his fall.

"Are you okay?" Trying not to show pain on her face.

The little boy nodded, hugging her as she hugged him back, kissing his forehead.

"Timothy, you need to go over to where the other children are, all right?" She told him, realizing they weren't safe where they were.

He pulled away and nodded.

"Run," she told him. "And stay there until I come and get all of you."

He nodded again, before taking off in the direction of the other children.

Belle looked around for something to help her get on her feet, but there was nothing, she started to drag herself towards a short stone wall that was behind her.

"Belle!" Guy yelled, coming towards her on his horse, before dismounting and reaching for her. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right to you?" She snapped, giving him a look of pure anger.

He knelt down to look at her leg, ignoring her temper.

"Don't touch me!" She seethed. "Don't you dare." She pulled her body away from him.

"I'm trying to help you." He hissed. "You're bleeding."

"I do not care." She told him. "It was your men that did this."

"Belle-"

"Don't bother coming home tonight." She told him. "Just go."

He did just that, looking at her with a mix of anger and remorse, before mounting his horse and having his men follow him out of Locksley.

Kate came towards Belle with bandages, and peeled away the leg of the tight pants she had underneath the skirt of her dress.

"Can you feel it?" She asked.

Belle nodded. "It hurts."

"Can you still say he's a good man?" Kate asked.

"He's not." Belle muttered, wondering why a part of her still wanted to defend him. "No good man would do that."

"You've never seen him do it before, have you?" Kate said.

Belle shook her head, before hissing as Kate wrapped the cloth around her wound. "I just need it not to get blood on the saddle, then I'll get someone to stitch it up."

"You're losing a lot of blood." Kate said, wearily. "A lot of it."

"I'll survive." Belle told her, as Kate finished, and helped Belle to her feet, letting her limp on her until she got to her horse, and helped Belle saddle her horse as Belle called for the children to go to their parents.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked.

"To get help." Belle said, as she used her god leg to get on the horse. "I'll be fine. But if you don't see me by nightfall, please tell Alan to tell Guy it's his fault. Alan won't hurt you, I promise." Belle clicked her tongue and the horse started at a walk, each bump causing her leg to hurt more and more.

She saw people cleaning up their shops or houses, but when she passed by Timothy's mother, she mouthed a thank you, before going back to her work.

Belle decided it was worth it.

Belle found her way through the forest, trying to get through to the outlaws camp.

"Djaq!" She yelled, but her voice was weak, and was just as loud as it was when she talked.

She was slouching on her horse, and she could feel the blood running down her leg, turning as cold as the wind which was biting her exposed skin.

"Robin!" She called again. "Someone!"

"Belle?" Little John came out from behind a tree.

"Help me," she said, as she started loosing consciousness. "Get Djaq." She fell towards him, and everything went black and cold.

XXXXX

When Belle woke up, Marian was looking down at her, a cloth in her hand that she was pressing against Belle's forehead. "What happened?" Marian asked, sternly. "

"You need to get food and money to Locksley." Belle whispered. "It was bad, so bad. The guards were beating people who wouldn't pay, and-"

"I know." Marian said. "What happened to you?"

"Water," Belle said, before Much handed her a glass.

"Thank you," she said after drinking some. "Timothy-one of the children was about to get run over by a horse, I got him out of the way, but my leg wasn't fast enough." She tried to sit up but Marian pushed her back down.

"You need to rest. You lost a lot of blood." Marian told her. "Is that all?"

"I've never seen anything like that." She whispered, closing her eyes as it replayed over and over in her head. "There was no need for it. If they pitched in as much as they could and then we pay the rest it would be so much better for everyone...all that money that goes unused..."

"She's in shock." Much groaned.

"Where's Robin?" Belle asked faintly.

"He, Little John, and Will all went to help Locksley clean up." Djaq told her.

"Okay," she sighed. "Okay."

"Belle?"

Everyone's heads shot up to see Alan, Much went for his sword.

"What are you doing here?" Much hissed.

"I was sent to make sure Belle didn't die, is she okay?" Alan said, taking a step toward Belle. "Belle?"

Djaq, Much and Marian closed ranks around the weak Belle.

"She'll survive." Djaq said.

"Can I see her?"

"She's weak, we won't be able to move her for a few days." Marian told him. "Go tell your master that she won't be home for a while."

"Can I see her?" He repeated.

"Why do you want to?"

"I need to make sure she's okay." Alan told them. "I won't stay long."

The three of them looked at each other, before letting him see her, a sickly pale with all the blood gone from her cheeks, and no more pink tinge to her skin. Her eyes were dark, but open as she looked at him. Her blue eyes were still clear, and threatening behind her weak exterior.

"What happened to her?" Alan asked.

"You don't know?" Djaq asked.

"No."

"She was hurt saving a child from one of the guards." Marian told him. "She came here for help, and lost a lot of blood doing it."

"Is she going to live?" Alan asked.

"Yes," Djaq said. "But tell your master she will be gone for a few days, don't tell him where, don't tell him that you know. Just tell him she will refuse to see him."

"Can I come back?"

"No." Much told him. "Not unless we get you."

"Fine."

XXXXX

Belle couldn't believe how much pain could be directed at one part of her body. Djaq kept giving her wine whenever a moan escaped her lips, sleeping or awake. Marian tried to visit as much as she could, but it wasn't too often, or only after dark. Robin would talk to her often.

"You can't do this any more." He told her. "You're Gisborne's wife, this is more dangerous for you than anyone else. You can't run away if things get too bad. You're bound to him."

"I don't want to be." She whispered, her voice almost sounding like a moan of pain.

"There's nothing I can do," he told her. "No matter how much I would like to."

She looked up at him, looking weak and sick as ever. She had taken on a fever that morning and since she did she had not been thinking straight. She had said a few things, only a couple of them comprehendable. "Kill me."

"No," he told her. "I don't do that."

"I'm dead anyway, Robin." She begged. "Kill me, and let me be free."

"I won't. I will try to help you, but you need to trust me." He told her. "I have a plan."

"What is it?" She asked.

"We let Gisborne know we have you, we say that the doctor wasn't helping you so we decided to heal you ourselves. That no girl deserves to be married to a monster like him." He told her. "When he tries to get you back, you give him an ultimatum, if he cares for you like everyone believes then he should do it. If not, then you will stay here with us."

Belle nodded. "What if he lies?"

"We'll get you out." He told her. "You have my word."

"Then you have mine. I will do what you ask." She told him.

"As soon as you're stronger we will act on this plan." He told her.

"Where does Guy think I am?"

"He doesn't know." Robin told her. "As far as any of us can tell, he's been at the castle, even Locksley has completely turned him out after they all found out how you got hurt. Some of them know you're with us."

Belle nodded, and looked away.

"What?" Robin asked.

"I love him, is that so horrible?" She asked. "Not the one that's cruel and heartless, but the one where he's sweet."

"Well, take no offense at this, but you have bad taste in men." Robin told her with a smile. "First Alan then Gisborne, you just can't pick the good ones, can you?"

She laughed, a weak sort of laugh, but still a laugh. "Maybe it is because the good men don't want me."

"Why wouldn't they?" He asked.

She smiled sadly. "I don't know, perhaps you and Marian are the only ones who can stay together both being good, perhaps there can't be two good people in a relationship."

"You don't believe that." He said.

"Yes, I do. You and Marian are one in a million. So rare that I will never find love. I am doomed to be with a man, who is like my father in evilness, and when I give him no child, or a daughter, he will kill me. Just like my father did my mother."

"Do you know that for certain?" He asked.

"Why else would my mother leave me?" She asked. "Even now I would not leave my child with such a man, I would run with her or him. I would go to some other part of Europe. Perhaps Prussia to live with that Count."

"You seem to have it figured out." He told her.

"If Djaq's herbs fail, then I will have to make these choices." She told him. "How could I let my son turn into someone like my husband? How could I let my daughter live a life like mine?"

"You are far too young to think about any of this." He told her. "Not yet seventeen."

"Just because Marian has freedom does not mean I'm blessed with it, nor are many other women." She told him. "Marian's lucky in many ways, with a father who loves her, with you, with her freedom. I would give anything to be her, but I would never ask her to be condemned to my fate."

"She wanted to trade places with you, you know. After she found out about the gash in your leg." Robin told her. "You were still out cold, and she said that you were still just a girl, and you didn't deserve this."

"Nor does she." Belle replied. "Does she know about this plan."

"She doesn't approve of us using you as a pawn."

"I am already one." She told him. "I would rather be used by you than him." She paused. "What of my father? What does he know about this?"

"I know that Gisborne left the castle yesterday with bruises and a cut." He told her.

She sighed. "So my father does still love me after all."

"All father's do. If I had a child I would never let anything hurt them." He told her. "Though I have to say I was surprised to hear that the Sheriff has a heart."

"What do you think he will do if he hears of this plan?" Belle asked.

"You know him better than I." Robin told her. "What do you think?"

"I honestly don't know." She told him. "He could do anything."

"Are you willing to take the chance?" He asked.

"It will more likely hurt you than me." She said. "If he struck Guy, then I don't want to imagine what he would do to get me back."

Robin nodded. "We'll take the chance." He stood up. "You need to rest, I'll tell you if anything happens."

"Are you going to tell them that the plan's on?" Belle asked.

"Yes,"

She nodded. "As soon as I am better."

"As soon as you are better." He promised.