Somehow despite their mutual distrust and slight immaturity Ashley and Robin managed to make it back to camp without further conversation or altercation—though it wasn't because of a lack of desire to beat the living daylights out of each other. By the time they actually entered the camp, dawn had already broken out across the sky. They could just make out the figures of Robin's and Ashley's men, still circling each other cautiously, though no longer making any moves to strike. Both groups had noticed the disappearance of their leaders and had called a tentative "time out" until further notice.

"Oi Robin!" Allan called out once he saw them coming closer. "What do you want us to do with this lot?"

Ashley abruptly stepped in front of Robin, smiling when she heard him grunt when he had to stop to keep from running into her. "'This lot' has come to an arrangement with your 'fearless' leader." She made sure to put the air quotation marks up as she spoke, earning another grunt from Robin as he stepped around her and headed towards his men.

Much frowned, "What does he mean Robin?"

"He means that I have agreed to allow a trial period for Gis-"

Robin's words were cut off when suddenly a few arrows came flying overhead, barely missing Much and Tuck, causing all of them to hit the dirt. Before any of them could figure out what happened, the "warrior" yells of pubescent boys rang out and suddenly Ben, Marcus, and Tim came flying down the little embankment just to the left of the group. Ashley remained on the ground near Gisborn, a proud smile on her face when she saw that Ben had their father's old sword, Marcus had an ax, and Tim had a skinning knife.

Robin's men quickly responded to the boys, trying their best to disarm them without being sliced to bits. Ashley signaled her men to withdraw. She only had to wonder where Maggie was for a few moments when suddenly Robin called out for the fighting to stop. Ashley looked over and observed—with great pride—Maggie's steady hand holding a rather sharp looking knife against Robin's neck with her other arm fastened tightly to his arms, holding them behind his body.

"Is this your 'wife' Gisborn?" Robin glanced over at Gisborn, who watched in proud fascination as Maggie continued to hold Robin steady.

Maggie paled. Robin had just called Guy by his surname. Did that mean-?

Gisborn watched her face pale and nodded, "Yes."

"Maggie." Ashley stood up then, a smile on her face. "You can call off them off. Robin and I have come to an arrangement."

When she saw Ashley unharmed and untied Maggie immediately relaxed and removed her hand from Robin's neck. He in turn leapt away, rubbing at his neck for a moment as he quietly studied her. The boys, for their part, noticed the turn of the tides and immediately stopped fighting—though Tim did managed to kick Little John rather soundly in the shin before stepping back, making Ashley doubly proud.

"I think you have some explaining to do." Robin watched the boys drift over to stand near Maggie as he spoke. "We've discussed about as much as we can without your side of the story."

Maggie cast Gisborn a nervous glance, noting the shadowed look in his eyes, and nodded. Now was as good a time to come clean as ever. The plan to rescue him had been foolhardy; the idea that he would not have been tortured or informed of the truth had been even more naïve. She spared a glance towards Ashley and took courage from her smile.

"I'm Magdalene O' Connor. That person there," she pointed to Ashley, who in turn gave a little wave, "is my cousin."

Robin nodded, "That explains a lot." Ashley shrugged as she bent down and cut through Gisborn's ropes, smiling at Robin as she did so.

"My family used to control a good portion of land on the outskirts of this shire." Maggie continued, also watching as Gisborn rubbed his wrists, his eyes carefully avoiding hers "We had a different surname then, one you would probably be more familiar with. However we had to change it after-" She swallowed quickly. "The O'Connor comes from my mother's ancestral claims in Ireland; we decided to adopt that surname after the incident." She glanced at Ashley and could tell that her cousin already thought she was being too honest, but Maggie didn't have the gift of lying smoothly on her feet so she opted for honesty.

"My father was an established manor lord, loyal to the crown. He never had any enemies, not even with the new French nobility when they moved into the area. However, before the first crusade to the Holy Land, Sir Gisborn, this man's father, approached my father and stated that he had permission from the king to expand his land and, in the process, would overtake some of ours. It was because my father was not participating in the crusades that this was allowed. My father had no choice but to give in, and he did so, still loyal to the crown."

Gisborn frowned as he listened to Maggie, trying in vain to remember the events she described.

"However, while Lord Gisborn was away on crusades, there were accusations against my father pointing towards treason, heresy, robbery, even murder, and adultery." She closed her eyes against the sudden memory of her father nearly weeping in anguish over the pain those lies caused her mother. "My father had caught the local bailiff pilfering money from the taxes he'd gained from his serfs and when my father took this to the Sheriff at the time, the Sheriff said he would look into it." Maggie fell silent, the memories crowding in quite strong now.

"What happened then?" Robin interrupted before her mind wandered too far.

"My father was on his way home when he was struck down. He did not die immediately; he bled out until there was nothing left. No one found the murderer, but everyone could only assume that it was the bailiff." Magdalene sucked in a shaky breath then slowly let it out. "After some time, the King rendered most of my father's lands to Gisborn as payment for his service in the Holy Land, leaving one small portion for my family." She gave a cynical laugh which Ashley mimicked. "However, the same bailiff tossed us out on our ear, took all the land deeds from my mother, leaving us with nothing. He even had his men throw us off our own land and ensured that we didn't reach the Sheriff with our protests."

Ashley closed her eyes, remembering hearing of these events whilst in Ireland with the rest of the family. It had pained her greatly and even at that time she'd blamed the young Gisborn—he was guilty by association.

"We managed to find a secluded area on the king's land where we built a home for ourselves, as simple and poor as it was, and survived. When we heard of Sir Guy's return and his immediate seizure of Locksley and old Gisborn lands our mother went to him with her pleas for justice." She sighed, "I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that Sir Guy ignored my mother, calling her a liar, and left us on our own once again. My mother died that winter and only my brothers and I survived."

Guy had watched Maggie as she spoke, doing his best to try to remember these events. However, only snippets of conversations and flashes of images came to him. Everything else remained blank as before. Despite this, he knew she was telling the truth. The pain he heard in her voice and the haunted look in her eyes confirmed it. Though she had formed a relationship with him under duplicitous means he felt a strong conviction that she would not lie about these matters.

Maggie, for her part, looked over at her brothers, trying to see how they were reacting to all this. They were standing quietly, merely watching the proceedings. Ashley looked exceedingly uncomfortable—at least Maggie could tell she was uncomfortable since the woman was quite good at hiding her emotions.

She glanced at Gisborn. He finally looked up at her and she winced at the haunted look in his eyes. She had two options. Leave him with Robin or insist on prior claim. Looking at his relatively beaten state she knew he would be physically safer with her. However, emotionally she would be safer if he remained with Robin. But could there still be progress with him in changing if he went with her back to the homestead, even after he'd heard all this truth?

Maggie tugged on her ear for a brief moment before she looked directly at Robin. "So you see, my claim to Gisborn, and my quest for retribution for all the wrongs he and his family have caused, is prior to any claim you have. I am asking for you to surrender him to me and my brothers so that we may deal out to him the justice we feel he deserves."

Robin frowned and looked out into the forest. What she said made sense and it was true her claim was prior to his own, however…

"What makes you think he'll willingly go with you now that he knows all this is a lie?" Tuck pointed out. "Even though he still claims to not remember much of anything he could easily harm you and your brothers once we set him free and place him in your care.

Maggie sighed, seeing the truth in his words. She'd only assumed that Guy would still be willing to come back with her, and that was a most naïve assumption indeed. She avoided making eye contact with Gisborn, not wanting everyone to see how vulnerable she felt at that moment. Ashley noticed the gesture and frowned. Maggie had gotten in deeper than Ashley had originally thought and now she wasn't so sure it'd be a good idea for Gisborn to return with them.

"I promise not to harm the woman or her brothers." Gisborn's words silenced Ashley's thoughts.

Everyone looked up at Gisborn's voice. Maggie made eye contact and saw that despite the pain she'd caused him there still was something inside him that kept him soft towards her. She knew he was telling the truth.

"What makes you think we'll trust you and your promises?" Kate stood and glared down at Gisborn. "They're as worthless as dirt."

Gisborn glared back at Kate, "In the past I may have been a lying, cheating bastard but if I felt anything like I do now, I can assure you that I never back out of my word. If I give you my word not to harm the woman or her family, then you can trust that I will not harm them. I have them to thank for my current health and safety. Aside from the lies they've fed me," Maggie ducked her head under his accusing stare, "they have sheltered me even with the danger of being discovered and the danger I my past presents."

"He has a point Robin." Tuck commented.

Everyone fell silent for a few moments while all pondered what had occurred. Ashley quietly watched Robin wrestle with his emotions—that man really needed to learn a few things from her in regards to masking emotions. After some time Robin spoke again.

"If Gisborn agrees then yes he can return with you and your family on a trial basis. However, if for any reason the old Gisborn surfaces or he tries to harm you, we take immediate action, no questions asked."

Maggie bit her lower lip. It was a sound plan, one she couldn't logically argue against.

"Tuck and John will take you back to your home." Robin nodded to the two and they in turn stood.

Gisborn stood as well and waited until the boys shyly wandered over to him before he started moving. Maggie glanced over at Ashley in question but her cousin waved her off. Maggie followed the others, keeping the boys between her and Gisborn. She didn't want to walk too closely, or talk. She was already afraid of what would be said once they were alone. She sighed, her shoulders slumped in defeat, as she trailed along beside her brothers.

"She's in love with him." Allan scoffed once they were gone.

Ashley stiffened, "I don't know what you're talking about." She really didn't want to admit the truth, especially not when it involved her own cousin and a man who could easily become a brutal monster once again.

"Now," Robin turned to face her again, "what are we going to do with you?"

Ashley smiled, "I'm not exactly 'something' to be dealt with."

"You still haven't told us who you are, what you're doing here, or who you work for." Much grumbled.

Bradley smirked, "The likelihood of you lot getting that information out of Ash unwillingly is very slim."

"Be that as it may," John broke in, "we still need to know if you are friend or foe."

Ashley was silent a moment, pondering what she should tell them, before she again smiled. "I can assure you that I am not your enemy, nor am I the enemy of King Richard or England. In fact I am currently on a mission to save England and Richard." Bradley raised his eyebrows, curious that she'd been so forthright already. She merely shrugged in reply.

"How are we supposed to know that you really aren't a spy planted here by the Sheriff?" Kate growled.

Ashley for her part continued to smile as she casually leaned against a tree facing Robin and his men, "Even after you lot captured my men and I, without first questioning our loyalties, we have not continued to try to kill you, save for that brief disagreement we had earlier. Certainly the more perceptive of you," Ashley smiled and heard Robin snort as she did so, "would see that we are in fact not in league with the Sheriff."

"Given the frail nature of our 'treaty' however, how can you expect me to believe anything you say?" Robin crossed his arms across his chest, mimicking Ashley's casual stance. "I don't know your name, where you came from, who you work for, and as to your mission…" Robin waved a hand in the air. "It would be insanity for us to help you with so many unknowns."

"What happened to the arrogant, know-it-all, impulsive outlaw that I heard so much about?" Bradley spoke up from where he finished bandaging the pageboy's arm. "I was so looking forward to meeting him. Even from," he glanced at Ashley and saw her warning look before he continued, "where we were we'd heard plenty of rumors about you. I can't tell you how disappointed I am to find that instead of an impulsive bastard I find a cowardly imbecile."

Robin took a menacing step towards where Bradley sat but was held back by Allan and Much when they quickly interceded. Ashley gave Bradley a supportive nod, thankful for the additional goading. She figured it would be helpful in spurring Robin into action—at least the type of action they needed from him instead of this pussyfooting around.

"He has good cause to be cautious." Much spoke up, apparently just as offended by Bradley's remark as Robin had been. "You don't know what he's been through."

Ashley faked a yawn, "Yes, yes we know. Gisborn killed his wife in a fit of rage. There's a new Sheriff in town, and it seems the Prince John is stronger than ever." The look of utter pain that crossed Robin's face did cut at Ashley's heart but she quickly pushed away the feeling and focused on her mission—she'd dallied around long enough. "Hate to sound cruel but pain happens. I'm sure we've all lost someone close in the chaos of our times." She'd lost more than she cared to admit herself. "However, unless we focus on something bigger than ourselves we'll only be wasting our breaths wallowing in self-pity." She pushed away from the tree and came to stand directly in front of Robin, her head tipped up to look in the eye. "I don't know about you, Robin Hood, but I'd rather not waste my life thinking about my own pain instead of focusing on finding a solution to the problems around me."

Robin stared down at her with an intensity that, despite the extent of her travels and training and despite the trials and dangers she'd been through, made the pit of her stomach church with discomfort. His pain was fresh and raw whereas hers had been buried beneath years of hardening herself in her work. She saw a reflection of an earlier self in his gaze and that was quite disconcerting. However, thankfully, his spoke before her mind wandered too far down paths best left forgotten.

"What are those documents that that boy carries? You have cleverly disguised it with some sort of code I don't recognize. "

Ashley nibbled on her lower lip, quickly debating what should be revealed and what should be held back. She knew her orders and she figured now would be a good time to loosely interpret the "whatever it takes" clause.

"They are the financial accounts of a number of nobles here in England as well as in Ireland, Scotland, and English held France."

Robin's eyebrows rose and he tipped his head to the side, "What on earth are you going to do with that type of information?"

"My employer wishes to see justice done in the realm of England." When Robin frowned Ashley smiled and suddenly patted his shoulder in a comforting gesture, earning herself a confused frown from him. "All you need to know is that I'm not against you and I'm not working for the Sheriff. All good things will be revealed in time. Surely you understand the necessity of secrecy even amongst possible allies."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, during which time the pageboy grabbed up his bundle of documents and held them to his chest like they were a warm blanket. Ash would reward him later for his diligence; she'd have to bribe him to not tell her employer about his wound though. He was one of her employers favorites and his wound would not bode well on her salary.

"Why are you here?" Much questioned, taking her focus off of Robin.

Ashley returned to her tree to lean against it, "We were on our way to Nottingham. They still retain some documents that we need."

"You were just going to sashay into Nottingham and ask for their private records?" Allan scoffed.

Bradley smiled, "I don't think there would be mush sashaying or asking involved."

"What we were going to do was break into Nottingham and retrieve the documents." Ashley continued, smiling at her second-in-command. "But you decided to interrupt and now we seem to be in a tight situation and time is running out."

"So you want us to help you break into Nottingham?" Much spoke up, eyeing the exchange between Ashley and Bradley.

Bradley nodded and Ashley smiled despite the fact that she continued to return Robin's gaze in a battle of wills. For his part, Robin churned over the information Ash had supplied along with the man's previous actions, weighing the pros and cons of aiding him. If he went along with this incredulous plan perhaps the true motives of Ash and his men would be revealed as well as the identity of the elusive employer. He could also find out what Isabella was up to, as it had been unusually quiet ever since Gisborn had gone missing.

"Do you have a plan?" As he spoke he heard Kate hiss through her teeth and Much groaning in distaste but he kept his eyes on Ash.

Ashley inwardly sighed. She could've pulled it off without his help, but things would go a lot smoother with his added help.

"Something you'll soon find out about Ash," Bradley stood up and came closer, "Ash always has a plan." Ashley grinned in response, the wheels in her head already turning.

Sherwood Homestead

Though Gisborn and Maggie said nothing to each other, the walk back to the farm was not silent. The boys kept jabbering, still on a high from their "successful" rescue attempt. Maggie also knew that it was their way of trying to apologize to Gisborn, without of course having to come out and actually apologize. Gisborn responded softly though firmly, his eyes focused ahead. Maggie felt a gnawing unease grow larger and larger until it encompassed her entire body by the time they reached the house.

Finding safety in routine, she ordered the boys to do their daily chores as she too set about fulfilling her daily duties. After he cleaned up and changed, Gisborn also returned to helping the boys, still avoiding looking at her or engaging her in conversation. She was surprised he hadn't demanded his belongings and promptly left them, even with Robin's warning. Though in reality, if he still had not regained his memories in full then their farm was the safest place for him to recuperate.

By the time night fell and they all gathered around the table for a late supper, Maggie thought she would scream in fear and frustration. She was mostly frustrated because she didn't know why she was afraid. Gisborn was, or at least should be, nothing to her. He was merely a former enemy whom she had played mind games with. That was the truth of the matter.

However, somewhere along the way, something changed. Perhaps it was when he'd kissed her, or maybe when she'd discovered his sense of humor and warmth, or perhaps when he saved her brother and comforted her. In any case, she no longer saw him as an inhumane monster. Even the new knowledge of his past treacheries, his murder of Marian for instance, did not completely dissuade her heart from feeling warmth towards him.

Gisborn also sat in silent frustration and fear, with a heavy dose of anger mixed in. He was angry at the turn of events, at discovering the truth so harshly. He was angry with Maggie and the boys for their blatant trickery. And yet he was frustrated with himself for not knowing where to go from here. What path should he take now that he knew the truth? Should he allow himself to become the man he once was? Should he reject this woman and her brothers because, out of a sense of vengeance, they had unwittingly given him a chance for a different future?

Guy shook his head as did his best to eat, not really paying attention to what it was he continued to shovel into his mouth. He was also afraid. He was afraid because he knew that whatever decision he made, whether it was to reject these people or embrace them, he would be jeopardizing them. If he truly was the puppet of such vile men then any association with Maggie and her brothers would only harm them. This was a no win situation for both he and Maggie and her brothers. He couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better if they'd let him freeze to death and drown in the river.

With these thoughts weighing heavily on their minds, Guy and Maggie retired to their room. Maggie stood awkwardly by the window while Guy hovered near the door. Nothing had been discussed about sleeping arrangements and so both understood that that discussion would come now. Neither, however, knew how to begin. It took Tim, purposefully oblivious to the tension between them, to break the ice.

"Here." He handed Gisborn a thick blanket. "It'll help keep you warm. There's also an extra blanket in the trunk over there." He pointed past Gisborn's shoulder. "Good night."

Tim left as quickly as he'd come and once again the room fell into an awkward silence. Guy moved first and quietly spread the blanket out beside the wall closest to the door. Maggie took this as her cue and moved to the bed to retrieve his pillow. She handed it to him, shivering when their fingers accidentally brushed. She turned and quickly retrieved the other blanket, all but tossing it to him from across the room, not wanting to risk touching him again.

Once his bedding was sufficiently laid out, he made the excuse of checking on the animals in order to give her time to change. By the time he returned she was already sitting in bed, the covers pulled up to her chest where she hugged her knees against herself. Guy removed his boots and was about to remove his shirt when he glanced over and saw Maggie making fists against the covers. He sighed and dropped his hands.

"Are you going to explain to me personally why you did this to me? Or are you going to leave it as you explained it to Robin?" He continued to face the window, his jaw tight.

Maggie refused to look up even though every nerve in her body willed her to look at him. The words tumbled out of her in a rush to get it over with. "When this all started I really didn't know what to do with you. At first I was tempted to merely leave you in the river, let you freeze to death, but then I realized that was too easy a death for you. Then, when you suddenly didn't know who you were, I don't know, something hatched inside my head." She sighed and leaned her back against the headboard. "I felt that maybe we could reeducate you on how to be humane. Perhaps even if you did get your memories back you would also remember what it was like to live life as a decent man and that could help you make better decisions."

"What right did you have to play God with my life?" She winced at the harshness of his words but he didn't stop there. "What you have done to me is worse than anything Marian ever did to me."

"How can you say that when you can't remember what she did to you?" Maggie looked up, her own eyes beginning to burn with anger at having been compared to the notorious Marian.

"I'm sure she never created such an elaborate lie that I started to believe I was someone whom I really wasn't. I'm sure she never manipulated her way into my head and mucked around in there long enough to where I began to doubt who I really was or what I should do. I don't think she ever created such a conflict inside me that I endangered myself in my own confusion." Guy leaned against the wall, finally facing her, his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't think I could love someone who did that to me and, according to Robin's men, I was desperately in love with her."

Maggie winced again, "Yes, and you killed her didn't you? What does that say about what she did to you?"

Guy was suspended over her in the blink of an eye, his eyes wild with rage, his entire body shaking with barely restrained anger. Maggie knew she should be more careful with her words but she couldn't stop the pain his accusations created inside her. She also couldn't stop her own anger, at herself and him, for this entire situation. He had plopped into her life so unexpectedly, at her mercy, and then he'd gone and wheedled his way into her heart where he now continued to wreak havoc. No, the pain was too great to keep silent anymore.

"You will not mention that again." He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper though it still held menacing power.

Maggie tipped her head up in equal stubbornness, "You will not compare me to her again."

His hand coming up and circling her neck silenced any defiance she'd felt. He pushed her down onto the bed until he crouched over her, his hand still firmly gripping her neck as the weight of his body crushed her into the mattress. He wasn't cutting off her air, at least not yet, but his grip was a sharp reminder that he was stronger and she was quite vulnerable to him, in more ways than one. She tried to struggle to sit back up again, but every time he used his grip on her neck to force her back into submission. When she finally lay quietly, though not at all relaxed, he took the time to study her.

As she watched him glare down at her, his eyes frantically roaming over her features, his breath coming in shallow pants, she felt the mood change. For her part, Maggie found it difficult to concentrate on anything. He was too close, the warmth of his body overwhelming, the fierceness of his presence too much. She brought her hands up between them and pressed them against his chest, a pathetic attempt to get him to move away. She felt his heart racing beneath her hand and knew that her own heartbeat matched the frantic pace. When she pushed at his chest again, he remained solidly placed against her, his wild eyes changing from frantic anger to forlorn sadness.

"Why?" His voice was again a whisper but this time it had vulnerability in it that Maggie couldn't help but soften towards.

She didn't know what answer he wanted. Why did she do this? Surely he already understood how it had all begun, as a mission of "pure-hearted" vengeance. Was he asking why the fates had done this to him? Everyone reaped what they sowed; at least that was what she believed. Or maybe he was asking why the truth had to be so different from what he'd been led to believe. Why did he have to be the monster instead of the man she'd tried to shape him into? She closed her eyes, ashamed when a warm tear leaked out of the corner of her eye.

As Guy watched the tear streak down the side of her face, his anger fully dissipated. He slowly released his grip on her neck, grimacing when he saw angry red marks left behind. He remained atop her for a few moments longer, willing her to look at him again. But when her eyes stubbornly refused to open he rolled away and sat on the edge of the bed, facing the window again.

He ran a hand through his hair and over his face. He was so conflicted. His anger had changed to remorse which had changed to guilt which had changed to fear. How in the hell was he supposed to exist now? It was true what he'd said. If he was indeed the monster everyone said he was, what Maggie did to him by showing him what being a decent man was like, was akin to sentencing him to death. How was he supposed to survive in the cutthroat world he'd come from now that he knew what it was like to live honorably?

Maggie kept her eyes closed. She knew he still sat on the bed as the side of his leg was pressed against hers. She didn't know what else to say now. They were both hurting, they both felt justified for their own pain—though she did feel guilt for what she'd done—and neither knew where to go from here.

"What are you going to do?"

Guy glanced over his shoulder when he felt Maggie shift onto her side, her back facing him. He sighed and looked back towards the window. "I'm sure you recall that your cousin managed to get Robin to agree to let me stay with you until either my memories fully return or I continue to learn how to be a decent man."

"Are you going to stay?"

Guy heard the hitch in her voice and closed his eyes at the sound. Damn it, why did his heart have to be so undecided in regards to her?

"Do you want me to stay even after all that I've done to you, even though I know the truth now and perhaps may not cooperate with your efforts to change me into a better man?" He knew his voice sounded bitter but he couldn't keep it from surfacing.

Maggie sighed as she finally sat up, readjusting her night gown in order to remain decent. She took a steadying breath before she faced Guy, her gaze open but firm. "Let me be honest with you."

He snorted, "That would be a first."

Maggie clenched her jaw, closed her eyes for a moment, and then again took a steadying breath. She was making herself even more vulnerable here but what the hell? What else did she have to lose, or gain, here?

"I want you to become a better man than you were, yes. I want you to become someone that people wouldn't be ashamed of, yourself included."

"Who's to say I was ashamed of who I was?" He scoffed.

She frowned, "Think about it Guy," it was the first time she'd used his name and he wasn't entirely excited about the pleasant sound it made coming from her lips, "given the character of who you once were, do you really think you were proud of being that way?"

"Who's to say I had a choice about what sort of man I was?"

"Everyone has a choice, Guy. I could've chosen to allow you to die. I could've given into my thirst for vengeance and just killed you. But I didn't did I?" She waved away his answer before he could give it. "In any case think of it this way. Since you still do not have all your memories it is too dangerous for you to return to Nottingham, not that you could anyway as I heard it was you who killed the Sheriff and are now a wanted man. And so you could have enemies that you didn't know existed and without that knowledge you are at a great disadvantage."

"So you're selflessly offering your home as a retreat for me to peacefully regain my memories?" Guy frowned. "Let me guess, I have to repay you with manual labor."

Maggie sighed and crossed her arms across her chest, "You don't have to do a damn thing Gisborn. If you want to go back to being a bastard then by all means go and be that bastard again. I'm not stopping you. I know what you were like as that bastard and I can tell you right now that, though you had money and lands, you were utterly miserable. Anyone could see that."

"So you think turning me into a yeoman farmer will ensure my happiness?"

Maggie growled this time, not seeing the smirk on Guy's face, "I think you attempting to continue to learn how to live an honorable, decent, albeit simple life, would benefit you, yes." She looked over at him, waiting for another snide comment. When he didn't offer up any right away she began to worry. What was he concocting inside that head of his?

"Robin and his men will not allow me to leave here, even if I wanted to. If I leave here I will end up in their hands. Given the choice between here and there I much prefer here." He stood up and went over to his makeshift bed. "Can't say the company is any more trustworthy though," Maggie glared daggers at him but he continued, "but it is a bit more comfortable."

After a moment, during which she bit back scathing remarks, she spoke again, "Are you going to help the boys or should I inform them tomorrow that we merely have an arrogant guest loafing off of us?"

Guy lay down, his smile hidden from her view. He didn't answer right away, curious as to what she'd do with his silence.

"Gisborn." She sounded angry and he found twisted pleasure in the knowledge that he'd managed to anger her.

Maggie stared at his back, willing him to get indigestion, before she huffed in frustration and lay down. She would get very little sleep because of him. That arrogant bast-

"I'll help." His voice was soft but she still heard it. "But don't expect me to be pleasant about it."

Maggie smiled to herself before rolling over and settling in for sleep.