"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Djaq asked.
Will sighed.
"I thought we talked about this," he replied.
"What if your aunt does not want me staying with her? Have you thought of that?"
Will ran a hand through his hair.
"You can't stay in the forest, Djaq. We've already been here two weeks and you were finding that hard as it was. And what are you going to do, deliver at the camp? We both know that won't work. Auntie Annie will be happy to have you, and you can stay there till the baby is born."
"And then?" Djaq asked, knowing that Will didn't have the answer.
Will flicked the reins so that the horse trotted along a little quicker.
They went over a rock in the road and Djaq winced, her hand flying to her bump.
"Still hurts?" Will asked sympathetically.
"It will hurt until the baby is born," Djaq said resignedly.
"I don't know what we're going to do then. But we will figure it out." Will said confidently.
Djaq yawned. They had been traveling since daybreak and she was tired. She hadn't been sleeping well recently as the baby would not let her be comeforable.
"You will come, won't you? When the baby is born?" she asked.
Will smiled.
"I wouldn't miss it. I'll be coming a week early, just in case. And I'll be coming every week, as often as I can."
"It's a shame Rafi couldn't come with us," Djaq said, grinning as she remembered the boy's scowling face.
"It's his own fault for climbing those trees and twisting his ankle like that," Will said, but not unkindly.
"It will be better by the time you come to visit me again," Djaq commented. "He can come then."
"At leas he's not glaring at Little John every chance he gets," Will said.
Djaq chuckled. Over the past few weeks, Rafi had become less wary of the large man, but still did not trust him.
"He still thinks Little John was intent on kidnapping me," Djaq said, yawning again.
Will put his arm around her shoulder.
"Go to sleep for a little while, love. I'll wake you when we get there," he said.
Djaq's eyes were already drifting shut. She laid her head on his shoulder and snuggled close. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep.
"Wake up, Djaq." Will was shaking her away from a pleasant dream she was having about Robin and Rafi and… a large camel. She shook her head. Not all dreams made sense.
They were nearing a medium sized village.
"Are we there?" Djaq asked.
Will nodded.
"Auntie Annie lives on the other side of this village," he said.
The thought Djaq had been trying to push from her head all day suddenly swamped her. When they got to Auntie Annie's, she was staying and Will was leaving for another five hour cart ride back to Sherwood. Tears stung in her eyes and she turned her head away, cursing the hormones that made her want to cry at the drop of a hat.
"You ok?" Will asked gently.
Djaq nodded her head vigorously.
"I am fine. Just fine," she said unconvincingly.
Will saw right through her attempt to hide her distress.
"I'll see you next week, Djaq, I promise. I'm not leaving you or the baby."
Djaq smiled. Will knew just what to say to calm her fears.
"I know," she replied, smiling.
It took a few minutes to get through the village, but soon enough they were driving up to a modest house with a tidy front garden. Behind the house were a barn and a sizable grove of trees.
"Let me go in first," Will said.
Djaq nodded.
Will jumped down and strode over to the house. He knocked twice on the door and getting no answer banged roughly on it a third time.
"Calm down, there's no rush," came a voice from around the corner of the house. A small red-headed woman came into view, wiping her hands on her apron. "I heard you the first time."
"Hello, Auntie Annie," Will said, grinning broadly.
"Will? Is that you?" Annie exclaimed, her face lighting up. Will caught the tiny woman up in his arms and hugged her tightly. "They told me you were in the Holy Land, or some such nonsense."
Will shrugged.
"I came back. Sun didn't suit my complexion," he laughed.
"So I see. You look as swarthy as a pirate!" Annie said, reaching up to tug a hank of hair. "To what do I owe the honour of a visit from my favorite nephew?" she asked.
"I thought Luke was your favorite," Will countered.
"You're both my favorite," she said with a laugh.
"We're the only nephews you have," Will reminded her.
"Even better reasons for you both to be my favorites," she replied.
Djaq couldn't help smiling at the family banter that went back and forth. Will seemed so at ease with this woman that she felt herself warming to her as well. There was something about the way her eyes twinkled, the way she tossed her red braid over her shoulder, that made Djaq like her.
Will turned serious.
"I have a favour to ask of you, Auntie," he said.
"Anything, Will, you know that."
"I need you to keep something safe for me. Something very precious to me," Will explained.
Annie nodded solemnly.
"I will hide anything for you," she said.
Will walked over to the cart and offered Djaq a hand down.
"Auntie Annie, this is Djaq, my wife. Djaq, Annie."
Djaq smiled.
"How do you do? I have heard much about you," she said.
Annie's eyes grew round.
"I see," she said. "Hello, dear, I'm very pleased to meet you. So this is what Will needs to keep safe."
Djaq made a face.
"In a manner of speaking," she said.
"You're part of Robin Hood's gang, aren't you? The Saracen woman?"
"Yes." Djaq was surprised that she knew this.
It must have shown because a smile spread over Annie's face.
"Luke may have mentioned you once. Or twice. Or ten times. It seems he was quite smitten. And now I see it runs in the family."
"I better warn him to stay away," Will joked. "Where is Lukey?"
"Apprenticing in a carpenter's shop in the village. That runs in the family as well," Annie said wryly.
The baby kicked and Djaq placed her hand on her bump to calm the child.
Annie caught the action.
"How far along are you?" she asked kindly.
"Seven months," Djaq replied.
"So you see our predicament, Auntie," Will said. "She can't stay in the forest in her condition. There are too many risks and she's too vulnerable. So we were wondering if perhaps she could stay with you for a little while…?"
Annie smiled warmly.
"Of course! You can stay as long as you want, Djaq. You are family now," she said.
Djaq smiled in relief.
"I am very glad to hear you say so. If I could not stay here, I do not know what we would do!" she exclaimed.
"Come in, dear, come in," Annie said, ushering Djaq into the house. Will went back to the cart to fetch Djaq's bag.
Djaq was very glad to come in and sit in Annie's cool kitchen. It was warm outside in the late spring sunshine and she was getting very tired.
"You'll stay to lunch won't you, Will?" Annie asked.
Will shook his head regretfully.
"I can't," he said. Djaq shot him a pleading look. She wanted to have as much time with him as she could. Will looked at her and then back at Annie. "Well… maybe just for lunch," he conceded.
Annie grinned, and began to set the table.
"I made stew. You're in luck, for I was just going to have bread and milk today, and then I changed my mind and thought I would actually make something. My cooking's not bad, but I hate doing it. It's so tiresome. Can you cook, Djaq?"
Djaq shook her head, a little alarmed by where this conversation was going.
"Nothing that you would want to eat," she said quickly.
"Shame. I thought I might be able to pass the duties on to you. But it seems not. Luke says you're a healer, though."
"One of the best you'll ever meet," Will said proudly. "She can raise the dead!"
"Now Will, don't go saying things like that," Djaq objected. "I will get a reputation I cannot live up to. But it is true, I do know about medicines and herbs. I have brought along my medicine chest and I hope to replenish my herb supplies while I am here."
Annie nodded.
"The village will be glad of gifted healer, I'm sure. The apothecary is rubbish." She made a face.
Gravel crunched outside. Annie stuck her head out the window and waved.
"That's Luke coming back for a bite to eat. He often does; he knows I get lonely all by myself."
Will turned towards the door eagerly as it was opening.
"Auntie, I'm home! You should see the…" Luke froze, the door halfway open. "Will?"
"Lukey!"
The two brothers embraced.
"Will! I thought you were in the Holy Land. That's what Robin told us," Luke said.
"I was, but I've come back to help Robin again. You remember Djaq, don't you?" Will said, indicating Djaq.
Luke smiled bashfully.
"Sure I remember. Hi, Djaq," he said.
Djaq smiled.
"It is good to see you again, Luke," she said, standing.
Luke's eyes traveled from her face down to her bump, and back.
"Wow!" he said. "You swallowed a pumpkin!"
"Luke!" cried Will, horrified at his brother's lack of tact.
Djaq just laughed.
"It will not be long before you are Uncle Luke," she said.
"Wow! I… wow. Congratulations!" he said, grinning.
"Enough shock. I'm sure everybody's hungry. Let's eat!" said Annie, dishing out the stew.
Will dawdled at the table as long as he could, but he knew a long ride home lay before him. Luke went back to work with a cheerful goodbye to his brother, and Annie busied herself clearing away the dishes. Djaq followed Will out as he hitched up the horse and got things ready. Djaq could see that he was fussing more than usual, not wanting to go.
Taking his hands away from the harness and taking them into hers, she smiled up at him.
"You should go soon," she said.
Will sighed and wrapped his arms around her.
"I know. But I don't want to leave you," he said.
Djaq smiled into his shirt at the reversal of roles since that morning.
"You will visit every week?" she asked, knowing it was so but wanting confirmation.
"Every week. Just to make sure everything's alright with you and the baby."
"And you will be very careful and not let Robin lead you into some half-conceived scheme that will end with you at the end of a hangman's noose?" Djaq asked.
"Don't say things like that," Will reminded her.
Djaq laid one of her hands on Will's cheek and gently stroked it, noting that he would need to shave soon.
"I want my baby to grow up with a father, Will. I want you to remember that when you plunge headlong into danger," she replied.
Will caught her hand in his and kissed it.
"I have a family now, and I won't forget. I love you, Djaq. Now more than ever."
He pulled her close and kissed her.
"And I love the baby, too. If anything happens to me, you be sure to tell him or her that, won't you? That Daddy loved them?"
"I thought we agreed we would not talk like that," Djaq reminded him.
He leaned his forehead against hers.
"I know, but I can't help thinking it. We both know it's a possibility," he replied.
Djaq leaned up and kissed him again.
"I love you," she whispered.
They stood in silence for a long moment and it suddenly occurred to Djaq that this was the first time in their marriage that they would be parted.
"I have to go," Will sighed.
He kissed her one final time and Djaq imprinted the taste and feel of him into her memory, to be called up later when she especially missed him.
Then, reluctantly, he pulled himself from her arms and got on the cart.
Djaq stood outside the little cottage and waved until his cart went round the bend and out of sight.
Author's Note: Yay school's finished! Which means I can finally write for this story. I've had the idea as to how to write the ending for this story in my head for a whole now, but I didn't have the time to do it, what with exams and packing and saying goodbye to friends.
The end is coming, though. Only two more chapters! (and maybe an epilogue)
Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, and stuck with it for this long even though I have been slow in writing chapters. Heaps of thanks also to Liz4, for her amazing comma control betaing.