Author note: I'm sorry, more than I could possibly say that it's taken me so long to get this up, as a writer I am shame faced and as a human being I apologise. Sorry guys, but I've got a very long chapter for you here and maybe you could forgive me. I'll stop talking now and you can get reading, I hope you enjoy it :)

Chapter twelve: protectiveness

Hudson Farm

John dropped me off last as he drove us all home that night. Wearing a sympathetic look John had gotten out of the van and given me a reassuring hug while I, in my pissed off state, only glared over his shoulder at the old fashioned lamppost in our farm yard, cursing George for being so bloody noble. I hugged my friend back but that was about as emotional as I got, which I was sure had John worried because he seemed reluctant to let me go for fear that I would do something stupid, like go back to the mansion for George. I'd be lying if I told you that the thought hadn't crossed my mind again, I'd been considering it on and off for the whole of the drive back but not even I would ever do something so idiotic. What good would I do George if I charged back in there, still dressed in my black sneaking about clothes and with my bow still in hand? I'd blow the very miniscule chance George had of actually convincing the B.A that he had simply happened to be in the mansion during our break in and had been trying to catch us. I might be pissed off and dealing with my boyfriend's overprotective tendencies, which were now putting his life in danger, but I wasn't going to risk George's safety by going back there.

So reluctantly John got back in his van and left me to be alone, I appreciated my sweetest friends concern I really did, but I wasn't physically able to feel anymore emotion right now, I was already being bombarded with a whole swarm of nasty feelings such as dread, horror, worry, fury, distress, etc. I think John understood though and was probably thinking about what he would do if he was in my situation, as well as considering how I could have reacted to this compared with how I actually was. John knew me well enough to know that this could have caused me to outright explode, well…more so than I already had about it, I think that he, just like everyone else, was just waiting for me to snap with this, though not really fully understanding why I would. I mean, it wasn't even as though the only thing bothering me was that George was risking his life by being found in the mansion, uninvited and with no one having seen him entering, or even just that his father hated us so much and had tried to kill us and him (though Baxter never knew that) on numerous occasions. This would be enough to have anyone braking down when they thought about potentially losing someone they loved that way. But to have made as much effort as I had at trying to keep George safe, well, it was all I could do not to just drop to the floor and scream. I wouldn't though, I was stronger than that, I was going to carry on and wait, we might get through this yet.

Numb I waited for John's van to disappear completely from sight before I walked to the house and tried the door, it was locked. Deciding that rather than risk waking up the whole house (which could include my parents and Joey if they were actually in) I opted instead to enter the house the same way I had left it, via my bedroom window which had mercifully been left open, unlike the door. Throwing my bow over my shoulder so that it rested across my body in a diagonal fashion I looked up at my bedroom window, conveniently located right above the porch roof, something which had unfortunately benefited Adam during his 'visits'. Using the drain pipe for support I pressed my foot against one of the plastic rungs that kept the pipe attached to the wall, and used it to boost myself upwards, grabbing hold of the pipe further up I pulled myself aloft and then snatched hold of the porch roof before hoisting myself onto it noiselessly. Pausing only to check that no one had heard anything I then scurried across the sloping porch roof and in through my open window.

Landing on the worn carpet I scanned the darkened room cautiously, knowing full well that Adam or someone equally as unpleasant could be hiding in here, waiting for me to return. But my heightened eyesight picked up nothing and after searching the room properly and finding that no one was in here but me, I proceeded to hide all of my belongings, including my bow and my quiver. The bag I had brought out with me earlier, which now contained the money we had stolen, was securely in a safe at Sherwood where no one but us would ever find it, with that in mind I changed for bed. In my night clothes but still tense (mostly because I was worried about George and partly because who knew what was lurking in the rest of the house) I slid my feet into my fuzzy slippers before crossing the room and opening my bedroom door, hands balled into fists should I need to defend myself. Yet again my search proved that no one was here that shouldn't have been and I had to question the accuracy of my senses, they were going crazy telling me that something was wrong but I just couldn't locate what that was. Maybe I was just over worked.

Walking past my parents bedroom I could make out snoring in their room, oh, I thought with mild interest, so they were here tonight were they? Unable to give my parents actual presence here any more thought than that, I then found myself walking to George's room, my instincts going haywire as I reached the door. Cautious but wanting to get to the bottom of whatever my problem was I quickly turned the handle and threw open the door; I didn't stand a chance of stopping my heart from sinking when I realised it was empty. Sighing quietly and feeling irritated I realised what my issue was and why I felt like something was wrong, it was because to me something was. I walked into the vacant room which George had managed to make his own, despite the fact that it still had pink walls and was really Alice's. He had filled it with all the things I was coming to associate with him, sketch pads and pencils for example, but also photographs of all of us together and some of just me and him, that along with his smell (a sharp clean scent mixed with the waxy smell of pastel crayons and paint), which seemed to be a fixed presence in the room had me both mad and upset. Stupid, beautiful, kind, self sacrificing idiot, knowing I was doing myself no good by being in here. My problem was that George had become such a fixed presence in my life, and I was so used to having him here with me that now that he wasn't it felt…odd, like George had always been here and his absence was unnatural even though he had only been rooming here a few weeks. Gawd, I thought as I folded my arms across my chest and bit my bottom lip, I really must have fallen hard here.

For some strange reason I had half expected to find George in there, lying in bed having miraculously gotten home before me, that stupidly, gorgeous, charming grin on his face as he told me I was being stupid for worrying and that everything was fine. It was too much of a let down that he wasn't. Deciding that sitting here and inhaling the clean cut, waxy smell that reminded me of George, had me about one more prang of worry away from being overwhelmed, was why I had quickly turned and left George's room, closing the door behind me and telling myself that he would likely be back here by the time I woke up. If Conner didn't make it so he couldn't.

Angry at my state of helplessness and once back in my own room I promptly crawled into bed, kicking off my slippers at the foot of the single, knowing full well that I wasn't going to get to sleep any time soon. And sure enough I spent a good few hours laying awake, staring at the ceiling, cursing George for putting himself in danger and making mental threats to anyone who dared to hurt him, I worried myself to sleep. The nightmare was ten times worse than usual; something I hadn't thought would be possible. Nothing within it changed, it still ran its natural, heart wrenching course but every second of it from the moment when I realised what was happening to the very bloody end was more painful than ever. Waking up raw and still stinging from my nightmare I had jumped out of bed and headed straight for Georges room, hoping that by quarter past five in the morning (I hadn't needed to look at the clock this time) he would be back from Baxters and asleep in bed.

Promptly throwing open George's bedroom door, sure he wouldn't mind me waking him up given the circumstances. I visibly slumped when my gaze landed on his empty, untouched bed. Despair coursed through me as whatever hope I might have had vanished, then outright fear hit me as I considered what this meant. If George wasn't back yet then that meant that Conner, or whichever member of Baxter's security staff, hadn't let him, because sure as the sky was blue George would have wanted to get back here and put my mind at rest after worrying me like this, I'd stake my life on that fact. George wasn't here, therefore he wasn't allowed to leave, which had the threat of meaning that he had been found out, my frightened mind reasoned. Worried out of my mind and shattered after yet another fitful few hours sleep I felt my restraint waver and my already strained control on my temper snap. Balling my hands into fists and feeling my arms shake with my furry I fought back an enraged scream. This wasn't right, not in the slightest, George and I were supposed to be a team, just like all six of us were, why did he have to go and make such an idiotic decision on his own? Did it never cross his mind what this would do to me? I know it had been a spur of the moment thing but didn't he even consider what he was actually doing? George's chivalry had put him in danger and here I was unable to do anything to help him, forced to sit her and wait like some dainty wife while George risked his life, useless, helpless and furious.

I hated it, I thought loudly as I struggled to keep control of my anger, I hated being so helpless, it was my job to help people, to save them, what kind of Robin Hood was I when I couldn't even keep my own boyfriend safe? Even after all my efforts to keep Adam from spilling George's secret, all of that was going to be a waste of time now, I had sucked up my pride and spent weeks at Adam's beck and call just to keep George safe and now he was going to throw all that away! I wanted to scream, I wanted to scream and rage and let out all of this pent up anger but I couldn't, I couldn't because of my sleeping family. I didn't know how long I could keep this up though, I was fast reaching boiling point and I was sure I was going to well and truly snap soon. I had to get out of here, to get away from my family so I could release this anger without having to explain it to them. Warm, angry tears welling up in my eyes and a scowl on my lips I stormed from George's room, leaving the door open so that I wouldn't be tempted to slam it shut, I dashed into my bedroom. Violently, I yanked open my cupboards, draws and wardrobe doors until I was fully dressed, hastily running a brush through my midlength brown hair and tying it up messily I felt the first warm tear slide down my cheek. I had to get out of here, I thought again as I gritted my teeth, not caring at all that it was half past five in the morning and the only people who would be out now were the weirdos. Snatching up my makeup bag and throwing it into my college bag, which already had all the books I needed for today inside of it, I violently threw it over my shoulder, gaining some satisfaction when it hit my back quite hard.

Angrily dragging the back of my hand across my cheek to wipe away my tears I pulled a thin jacket from my wardrobe, the coat hanger clattering loudly against the wood as I did so, and stormed from my room, leaving the door open again. Hurrying down the stairs before I burst from all this suppressed anger and worry I dropped my bag at the bottom of the stairs and was stepping into a pair of flats when a concerned voice from the top of the stairs quietly asked,

"Robin?"

I froze, but only for a moment, hope building up inside of me even though I knew that that wasn't George's voice, it was Joey's. Heart sinking when I looked up the stairs at my brown haired cousin I quickly snatched up my bag and went to open the door, I could see the worry on his face and knew he was concerned about me but I couldn't bring myself to stay and talk to him. I didn't normally pull the whole moody teenager thing, despite my short fuse I had never been one of those kids, but today I had had my patience tried, well it was more than just today when you thought about it, the past few weeks had been tough and I was fast becoming buried under all my responsibilities and fears, it had all finally caught up with me and I was snapping. But still, I never normally acted like this, which was why Joey was so obviously worried and it was probably why my friends were so concerned, but come on, there was only so much a girl could take.

"Robin, what're you doing?" my nineteen year old cousin asked as he started down the stairs and I turned to face him, cheeks shinning with tears, he spotted them and froze where he stood, I never cried.

"Leave it, Joey," I said, my voice sounding thick with my tears "I just need to go out for a bit."

"You cant, it's half past five in the morning and you'll get abducted or something, all the perves are out at this time." Joey said slipping into his role as substitute big brother, despite being touched at his concern I made a scoffing noise, if only he knew half the things I'd been up to and the foes I'd been up against, he wouldn't be saying this if he did.

"I know what time it is, Joey." I said hitching my bag further up my shoulder and turning towards the door again "and I think I can take care of myself."

"I'll bet you do," Joey said in a slightly doubtful and sarcastic tone as he reached the bottom of the stairs "I know what you're like Robin, you think you're this invincible girl but you're not, it's not safe to go out now. Besides you're in a right state, what's wrong?" he said as he neared me eyeing my tears again and causing me to blush a little with embarrassment.

"It's nothing; I just need to go for a walk." I lied easily, trying a little harder to appear less freaked out, I needed to get out of this house and I wasn't going to let Joey stop me.

"Oh, yeah, because I believe that," Joey said quietly, again in a sarcastic tone though his face was soft with honest worry "tell me what's wrong, I haven't seen you this upset since you found out about Adam." he added a little tentatively as he broached the sensitive subject, and rightly so, that was none of his business.

I frowned angrily at his words before hissing "that's nothing like this," and causing Joey to look sceptical.

"Is it George, then?" Joey asked me his tone going hard and causing me to look up at him, I had been glaring at the floor up until that point, mortified and unwilling to meet his gaze.

"Not in the way you're thinking," I said, alarmed by the threat in my cousin's voice, he and George had always gotten on so well.

"So it is George, what has he done Robin, what has he done to make you upset like this?" Joey asked, going into full on protective big brother mode and causing me to stare at him in disbelief as I hissed,

"Nothing!" quietly as I remembered my sleeping parents and grandparents "I am not having this conversation with you Joey, I'm goin out."

"No Robin, you're not," Joey said as he took a quick stride towards the front door and pressed his hand against the wood so that I couldn't open it, shocking me since Joey had always been laid back around me and never so protective " now tell me, what has he done?"

"Nothing!" I repeated in an exasperated tone "it's not what George's done, it's what might be being done to George." I said grudgingly, giving away more than I wanted.

"Why, what's happened to George, is he in some kind of trouble?" Joey asked, softening a little when it became apparent that George hadn't done anything to hurt me, consequently my back came down a little.

"I don't know," I admitted in a quiet voice before shaking myself as I realised what I had said, I was giving far too much away here.

"Tell me Robin, I know what it's like being a lad and I know how you can get involved with things that are a bit dodgy…"

"Oh for Christ's sake Joey you're still a lad yourself, you're nineteen not fifty and you're starting to sound like my dad!" I said reaching past him and turning the door handle only to find he was keeping it shut with his hand still, angry and wishing he would just move I continued to tug on the door "move, Joey."

"No," Joey said sternly as I continued to pull at the door handle "not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Fine," I snapped, hearing my voice getting louder and knowing I would be shouting soon. Letting go of the door handle and making an exaggerated motion of showing him that I had, I locked my hard gaze with his worried but unflinching one before spinning on my heel and heading towards the back door.

"Oh no ya don't," Joey said before hastily following after me, keeping a steady pace I reached the kitchen door before sensing him right behind me and making a swift U turn just as he reached out to grab my arm and stop me. I quickly turned and broke out into a run as I dashed past him and back towards the front door, throwing him off for a second or two before he snapped out of it and came after me.

"Robin, don't," he called no longer bothering to keep quiet.

"I'm sorry, Joey," I whispered over my shoulder just as I reached the door, I knew that he could hear me though "but I've just got to go."

I yanked open the door and with one apologetic look in Joey's direction sped off out into the farmyard.

"Robin, don't make me tell Uncle Alex and Auntie Jane!" Joey called; sounding like he really didn't want to have to do it since no teenager liked being a grass, but he was worried and I wouldn't expect anything else.

I didn't answer, I just took off, running in the darkness and knowing that I had to get as far away from the farm as I could given my short head start, knowing my cousin well enough to know that he had the Hudson determination and wasn't going to just let me go. He was likely pulling on his shoes right now and was going to come after me in the car. I wouldn't let him find me though. I needed to clear my head and I couldn't do that in the confines of our farm house, I'd be back home after college and I'd sort this out with Joey then. I knew Joey wasn't seeing my need to get out but only worrying about what might happen to me roaming the dark streets at this early hour, in truth it was something that despite my abilities I actually should be worrying about a little, but I wasn't and I just wanted to have the space to think this whole thing through. And with that thought I picked up my pace and sprinted up the lane, hoping Joey would forgive me for being such a brat.

As my feet pounded against the pavement and I put more and more distance between myself and the farm, rushing deeper and deeper into the heart of the Southside. My pace slowed a little as I turned my right for the third time since I had set off onto the fifth housing estate I had ran through, it was made up entirely of dark stone terrace houses thinking I could afford to slow down now since it was unlikely that Joey would find me here. As I walked down the silent street I felt myself regret what I had just done and the way I had spoken to Joey, it was the first real argument I had had since he came to live with us a few years back but it couldn't have been avoided, I had had to get out of the house. What was Joey even doing up at that time anyway? I wondered as I stepped around a big yellow skip, pilled high with old furniture and unwanted items, pulled up against the pavement. Joey ought to have been asleep so early in the morning, I knew that my dad and he did get up pretty early to go to work on the farm but he would have had at least another forty-five minutes or so left in bed before he had to get up. feeling like I was missing something and trying to figure out what that was, I opted to turn left at the end of the street, turning onto yet another row of terrace houses, the kind that used to home miners before the pits closed. Pushing all thoughts of Joey's early wake up call from my mind I carried on walking, finding that the rhythmic beating of my feet against the pavement oddly calming. My anger at being so helpless was slowly draining from me, seeping out into the concrete with each step I took. Pacing or else walking, I remembered, was one of the techniques the anger management councillor I went to see at Locksdale Upper had suggested, along with counting to ten which I used more frequently than this, though thinking about it now I may want to rethink that idea as walking was having much more effect on me than counting ever did.

One down side of gradually losing my anger though was that my worry became more dominant, expanding into the space that rage had previously filled and making me feel even more frightened. Glancing over my shoulder to see if anyone was behind me, even though I knew that it wasn't fear for myself I was feeling, I found that the street was still eerily quiet and empty. The sound of my beating heart and my steady pace were the only sounds I could hear outside of the normal sounds of the night, the whistle of the wind through the trees, the sounds of a fox, probably having come up here from the nearby woods, routing through someone's dustbin for example. Thinking myself stupid for getting a little spooked, considering how I probably spent as much of my time sneaking around in the dark as any being hiding in the darkness here, I turned to walk down a little snicket I knew from my childhood, as this estate was pretty close to the one Will lived on, would lead to the main road. Walking down the snicket, the spike topped metal fencing allowing me a glance into the gardens of the two houses the snicket ran in-between, I stifled a shiver at the cold temperature of the night, reminding me that it wasn't summer anymore and autumn was fast taking over. I was stepping out onto the pavement that lined the main road in no time and before starting to walk again I looked up and down the road for any sign of the familiar family car or my cousin himself, even though I guessed a bit of time had passed since I had left the farm. Joey wasn't anywhere in sight and with a glance at my mobile, which told me the time was no quarter past six and one whole hour since I had woken up, I started walking down the main road, past all the shuttered up shops that lined it.

The Southside was a little more awake here, the odd car zipped down the main road as early risers made their way to work or started the first leg of their long commute. A few pedestrians passed by me on the street, one or two of them staggering still from start of the week alcohol abuse and others rushing by heads down, trying to ignore how the Southside looked even more ugly in the early hours of the morning. And it did, as rough and unpolished as the Southside was by day it was twice as bad by night, the sense of community was absent now, no one talked to each other, everyone was too busy dealing with their own problems to notice anyone else, though I guess that I contradicted that. I was even more aware of everyone and everything around me now that I was putting off thinking about George and all my other problems, all of which seemed a thousand times worse in the stillness of the night. I never procrastinated, I never put things off or decided something was too bad to deal with; I met things head on and got done what needed to be done. Not now though, I couldn't deal with it just now and I had pushed it all from my head, focusing instead on the world around me.

Halfway down the main road I spotted a figure curled up in the doorway of one of the closed shops, a thin blanket wrapped around them as protection against the night, despite the significantly colder weather it wasn't so bad tonight and the figure had a blanket, which was more than some had, the coming winter was going to be bad for this person. My heart wrenched, as it always did when I saw a homeless person on the streets, I knew from being an outlaw and living in this town as long as I have that odds were this person was where they were now because of Baxter, Locksdale was a small town, the homeless population shouldn't be what it was for the size of our town, something tipped the scales and there were no prizes for guessing what. I hadn't realised that I had stopped completely until a busy looking man hastily walked past me as though I had been blocking his path, he was one of the people who had been walking around with their heads down as though ashamed of the area they lived in and he shot me a dark look as he passed. Returning his gaze with a glare of my own I span my bag around so that I could root around inside of it as he sped off without so much as a glance at the figure in the doorway who had held my attention, how people could be so oblivious and cold to the suffering of others was beyond me. Pulling my purse from my bag I found it empty but for two pound coins, remembering that I had to go to the bank to draw out some more money and knowing that they were all closed now. I zipped up my bag and put it back up on my shoulder, purse still in hand and heart bleeding I looked once more at the figure sleeping in the doorway, their thin dirty blanket pulled up over their head so that I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman and their muddy trainer clad feet sticking out from underneath the material.

Overcome by the desire to help and protect I looked up and down the street for someone who could do something, I found no one but what I did find instead was a early birds café open a little way down the road. Looking down at the two pounds in my purse and back at the café I thought which this person would most appreciate, two pounds to go and spend on what they wanted, but because of their appearance and social standing they would likely be turned away from whatever shop or eating establishment they went to for fear of thievery and them scaring away other potential customers. Or me going out on a limb. Deciding quickly I gave the person one last look, figuring they were so deep in sleep that they wouldn't be going anywhere before I got back, I then turned and carried on walking down the street, a edge of determination and purpose to my pace. Reaching the café I pushed open the door, flinching at the sound of the bell above the door ringing after the near silence of the street I stepped into the near empty café, the only person in there being a bored looking man behind the till, looking like he very much wished they didn't open at this time. Hurrying over to the man, who was slightly round and had greying hair atop his head, I ordered a tea to take out, pleased to find that it was just a pound. I could come back and get myself some with the other. Looking cautious and confused as to what someone like me was doing up at this time the man made my tea and I handed him a pound before rushing out of the café, careful not to spill the drink as I did.

I reached the doorway where the person was sleeping soon enough and debated about waking them, figuring that this person probably needed their sleep I left them be, stepping around them to set the foam cup of tea further in the doorway and up against the wall so that the person wouldn't knock it over if they moved. I was frightened by the proximity of the homeless person, I knew that this person was too weak and exhausted to even contemplate doing anything to harm me should they wake up and if they did it was only because I had made the mistake of invading their personal space, which was important to someone who had lost everything and was fighting to keep what few possessions they had left. I felt guilty too, I didn't know how long this person had been living like this, but I couldn't help but feel like I had failed them, like I hadn't helped them in time. Well I was making up for that now in some small way, I thought as I pulled back, stopping I looked down at my purse in my left hand and thought about the quid still inside it. Needing no more thought than that I took out the last pound and set it behind the foam cup, hidden from view but somewhere where the person sleeping here would find it, it still wasn't enough, but it was all I could give right now. Pulling back again I took a few steps back, wanting to kick myself for my weakness earlier and furious that it had taken seeing something like this again to figure out how stupid I was being. I couldn't afford to get like this again, feeling hopeless and helpless because all my troubles seemed too much to bear, I could bear this, because frankly people put up with a lot worse on a daily basis, I reminded myself as I came to a stop and continued to watch the homeless person. George was in a potentially life threatening situation and yes if there was anything out there that warranted me snapping that was it, but I wasn't going to be like this any more, I was a woman of action not worry and complaint, I wasn't going to sit here and be like this again. A first and last slip up, if something was happening to George now then the very second I found out I was going to do something about it, drop everything, rush over to save him, whatever it took. But I couldn't forget how much my heart was braking for the people of my town, I cared about them too and they deserved more attention than they were getting, tonight we would hand out all the money we had collected and hopefully things would start to look better for everyone and if they didn't then we would just keep trying and doing what we can. It was as simple as that.

Setting my jaw with determination but happy with the decision I had just made I was about to head back home, find Joey and apologise, then ring George since doing so couldn't possible get him into trouble now which was why I had been putting it off, when something stopped me in my tracks.

"Did he tell him?" a familiar voice asked, speaking quietly so as to avoid being overheard but failing do to the quietness of our surroundings, I froze where I stood, my back to the location I assumed the voice had come from.

"He did," a male voice I had never heard before confirmed though the very accent and aristocratic tone it had told me this person wasn't from around here. What were these two doing on the Southside? Wondered with a frown, especially HER, she was far too up on class pride to even consider slumming it down here and what where they talking about, did who tell who what?

"Good," the girl said a grin in her voice "he will be rid of those troublesome lowlifes soon enough if he follows my advise."

"Your cousin put the argument to him most persuasively; I should be surprised if he doesn't listen even if the boy is still young and very low down the hierarchy, he might not even mind being kept mostly in the dark about the plans if the results will be as good as you say." the male voice said in a hurried, secretive tone.

Curiosity and concern prickled inside me, this all sounded too familiar to me and I wasn't just talking about the first voice, was it possible that another aspect of my trip to the 'past' was true? Moving slowly so as to not attract suspicion should either member of the talking party I pulled up the hood of my coat, hiding my face in the shadow it provided meaning I could conceal my identity even though judging by the colour of the sky sunrise wasn't very far off. Still moving slowly I turned until the two people were within my line of sight; they stood a little way further up the road but not far enough that I couldn't hear what they were saying or that I couldn't make out their faces even in the dark.

"The best ideas come from the younger generations, we're the ones who will pave the way for the future and the sooner he realises that the better his business and this town will be. And let me assure you, the results will be every bit as good as I promised and even if my cousin does get the credit for the idea it will be worth it just to see it set in motion." Grace Gisborn said a sick dark glee to her voice as she stood there, standing close to her male accomplice dressed in a black version of the button up coat she wore in purple for college, the one with a tie around the waist so that her slim waist was even more exaggerated "let's go inside now," she whispered looking around but not noticing me "we can finish our exchange in there, I don't want anyone to overhear."

"Of course." The man replied as he looked down at her with a serious expression on his face where revolting happiness had been only seconds before. He was only young, maybe mid twenties at oldest though I was willing to bet that he was younger than that and it was only the long grey overcoat he wore, which probably covered a business suit, which made him look older. "Remind me again, why must we meet here?" he asked, curiosity and then disgust in his voice that made me hate him even as I started walking after them, unwilling to let this opportunity to find out if Grace really was the mastermind I thought she was pass me by, because it certainly sounded that way and I wanted to know what she was up to.

"It is important to know your enemies, to understand their way of life even indirectly." She answered as her low heels made a smart clicking sound on the pavement; my steps were now silent as I followed behind them.

The young man made a sound of respect, even though Grace was younger than him and often gave off the distinct impression off being a shallow airhead, though the shallow part was right if not the airhead description. Glaring at the back of the blonde girls head as a walked behind them I never stopped as they reached the café door and pushed it open, I kept my pace as they went inside before jogging after them, catching the door before it could swing shut and meaning I wouldn't have to risk exposure by opening it again and ringing the bell. Slipping inside I let the door slip shut, scanning the still deserted café, this time finding that the bored cashier had disappeared into the back, leaving the café completely empty, he would have heard the bell though and would likely be back soon.

Thinking briefly of the café I worked in, Café Locksley, and the shift I had there this weekend I spotted Grace and her accomplice settling into a booth at the back of the room, oblivious to my presence. Grace sat with her back to the door but the man who sat across from her would have been able to see me perfectly were he looking, he wasn't though and his mouth was moving soundlessly as he discussed something with Grace, something I was too far away to hear. Picking up an old newspaper from a pile by the door just in case one of them spotted me, I dropt low and crept my way down the café, out of sight and not making a single noise. Slipping slowly and carefully into the booth one space further forward than Grace's, meaning there was one empty booth between me and them, I rested my newspaper on the table, ready to pick up if spotted it was the one from yesterday, the one with that scandalous story about us in that as a group we had all decided the only way to sort this out was to find the imposters, something we would work towards tonight when Joe and Jess visited us at Sherwood. Keeping low in my seat I listened to Grace and the man speak, catching their words as they drifted over the booth between us, something I could only do from this distance due to the café's empty state.

"…but, that said, who is to say that your cousin is not going to help you establish yourself within the company now, after you handed him such a perfect plan, something that only you would have thought to do since your cousin doesn't have it in him to do it himself." The man said in a complimentary tone which had me wishing he would stop inflating Grace's ego any more than it already was and just get to the details about this plan of hers, it was all I wanted to know and the reason I had followed them in here.

"He wont, it is not the way we were raised. After all, would you do that? Help someone after they were stupid enough to give you your way in, you and I both know that you would betray them and step on their toes just to get yourself higher up, it is what any of us would do?" Grace said in a strong voice despite her seemingly agreeable if worrying (In terms of the human race as a whole) words.

"Then why bother?" the man asked sparking my interest "why gift him with this if you don't get anything out of this?"

"I never said that I wasn't going to get something out of this," Grace said that awful sly, stuck up tone to her voice which had me clenching my fists in anger just at the sound of it "my gain is a personal one, and I don't need my cousins help with getting into the inner circle, he isn't really there himself. No, I can do that on my own."

"So what do you get out of this?" the man asked, clear confusion if a little admiration in his voice. Wanting to hear Grace's response I pressed my head back further against the booth so that I was closer to them and perked my ear up more even though I doubted in would make any difference.

"It's very simple Henry, what I get from this is to be rid of the one thing that stands between me and power." Grace said sounding so pleased with herself, if not the cat that got the cannery the cat that had the poor little bird held down by the end of its tail feathers and I hated the thought of anything that made this vindictive and evidently dangerous girl that happy as once again I came to a conclusion. Grace was Gisborne, not Adam, he was dangerous and vile in his own right, but she was the real threat because I could take a good guess at just who stood in-between her and power.

"Hood?" Henry asked in a questioning voice and I strained to hear her answer, just to confirm my suspicions, however I never heard her confirmation.

"Are you back again?" a loud booming and considerably more awake than the last time I had spoken with it, voice asked causing me to jump because I was so wrapped up in what I was hearing.

Behind me Grace and Henry fell silent, cautious now that they knew that someone was in here with them and probably eager to silence whoever that was just in case they had over heard them. Damn it, why did the café owner have to come over?

Unwilling to use my voice in case Grace recognised it I only looked up at the round man who had served me earlier, not even trying to explain myself and my compromising position. Even I had to admit that sitting in his café, my hood pulled up over my head, a full bag on the bench beside me, slumped down hidden in a booth at something like seven o'clock in the morning, maybe earlier, didn't look too good. He probably thought I was a teenage runaway or something.

"Alright," the man said in a heavy Southside accent that probably would have had the two in the corner pulling disgusted faces if they weren't so worried about being discovered, though I wouldn't know since I couldn't see them "be like that, don talk to me then, but ya best be buying something if ya want to stay ere, this aint no charity."

Crap, I didn't have any money, not that I really wanted to stay here since then Grace and her accomplice would know who I was, if they didn't find that out thanks to this tactless bloke, and I could do without that. The look on my face must have told him that I was skint anyway as a stern look crossed his face and he moved to pull me to my feet, something which I didn't appreciated but rather than yell at him and risk Grace hearing me a ducked away from his grip and snatched up my bag, stepping around him I got to my feet on my own so that I could make sure my back was to Grace.

"Out," the man said in a harsh tone "if ya not going to buy owt, ya not staying in here, I don't need riffraff like you scaring away my customers." He told me as he went to grab me again and steer me to the door. Moving my arm out of his reach I thought of how unlikely it was that he was going to get anything other than 'riffraff' in here, it wasn't like Café Locksley which boasted playing host to the supposed middle class of Locksdale or Have Not's who were treating themselves, this was a proper Southside café, the majority of his customers would be people like me. Guessing that he was showing off for is obviously have customers, probably the first he had ever had unless Grace and Henry met here often at this time, I walked to the door under my own direction, trying not to hate the man who had ruined my chances of finding out what Grace was planning, he was only trying to make a living after all. I failed in not hating him though.

Muttering profanities the round man closed the door behind me the second I stepped out onto the street, that, I thought as I hitched my bag further up my back and brushed off the rude dismissal from the café as I'd received worse, did not sound good. Grace was plotting something, something that involved me or rather my alter ego Robin Hood and her rise to power. Whatever she had her cousin say must have been pretty important to have that kind of pull and I glared at the café door and the man beyond for throwing me out before I could find out what it was. Checking that no one was looking out of the café windows, no one was, I pulled down my hood and started walking up the main road again in the direction of the town centre, the half of which rested on the Southside homing my college, I was going to be early but I would take the long route so that I could think more about this. Now more than ever, I thought as I walked, I was determined to go and see Stephanie Kennedy after college today, from the security cameras we still kept up and running on the outside of her house just in case Baxter wanted to take another shot at them and George's conversations with her, I had learnt that Stephanie was currently taking a course at Highgate College and that she had the whole of Tuesday off. If I could catch her at home I could talk through my concerns about Grace with her and see what she knew about her, after all Stephanie had been close to George longer than I had, surely if anyone was going to know, she was. Of course, that thought brought me back to wondering what had happened to George and the helpless feeling that went with it, but, reassured by my new philosophy of action rather than worry I could control my fear somewhat better than before.

I mulled over thoughts of George, what I had just heard and what we were going to do if even the money we stole from Baxter wasn't enough, I soon crossed the distance I had to travel and found myself in town centre. Arriving at college at quarter past eight, bang on when the doors opened, I headed straight for the toilets, startling a cleaner who was still finishing up I walked into the toilets and headed for the mirrors. After putting on a bit of make up and retying up my hair, regretting the fact that I hadn't eaten anything yet but not the fact that I had given my money to the homeless person, I finished making myself look 'presentable' and exited the toilets. The college was a little busier now as students started to trickle in, in small groups, Jack was the first of my friends to arrive followed by Mark who still looked tired. George didn't have a lesson until second lesson so he wasn't going to be in yet, meaning I had an agonisingly long hour and a half wait to go until I found out what had happened. Jack and Mark understood my worry from the way that I fidgeted and frowned a lot, each of them telling me several times that George was going to be okay. Surprisingly though not one of them said anything about being worried about me or Joey having called them, I had assumed that he would thinking that I would want to be with one of my friends, however I appreciated that he hadn't, I had sorted myself out now and I didn't want my friends to worry about me any more than they already did.

Saying bye to Jack and Mark I headed to my first and only lesson of the day, law, which was unbearable given my increasing need to see George, as the time slowly ticked down to when I would be able to see him. I found law fascinating, mostly because I could see myself having a career in it, one which when I thought about I saw myself as a lawyer who made sure that the people who committed crimes paid for their actions and didn't get away with their crimes because they had enough money to pay for a good defence lawyer. I wanted to make sure that people like Baxter, though I'd never be called to work on such a case (If I was ever lucky enough that Baxter got what was coming to him) because the issue is too close to me, but I had to admit it was a thought that brought me much satisfaction, just imagining that I was the one who sent Baxter down. However, even the subject of law couldn't hold my attention as the hands slowly creeped round the clock, each minute passing so slowly I refused to believe that was all it was. I tried to distract myself, first with law and then with what I had overheard this morning, but neither could stop me from thinking about George and when an hour and a half finally passed I was the first one packed up and out of the classroom.

Pushing through the crowds of students I made my way outside and walked/jogged to the spot where I normally waited for George, just so that we could exchange a greeting before I went home and he went to his first lesson of the day. Waiting there I looked around, I spotted a few people from my classes, some of which smiled and waved at me and I returned their greeting the best I could, neither Jack nor Mark had made it out of their lesson yet and there was nothing to distract me, so I only stood their, anxiously waiting for George. I couldn't even bring myself to cringe at my pathetic behaviour, I was just so sick of doing nothing and desperate to see him. Tapping my foot I watched with mild interest as a black, expensive looking town car drove down the road that led to the college, catching my attention because it clearly didn't belong to anyone here. Then it got close enough for me to read the license plate, it read "B4X TR3" and I felt my heart start to beat faster in my chest, that was one of Baxter's town cars. The sleek black vehicle came to a stop a short distance up from the college and I stared at the tinted windows, wondering who was sat inside there and hoping it was who I thought it was. A few of the students walking down the road jeered at the pricey car, giving themselves pig noses as an insult to those inside, telling them how they felt about Haves, which was to say not too kindly. Normally I would have agreed with them, I wouldn't have pulled my nose up like they were but I probably would have laughed, however I was too preoccupied by how a smartly dressed driver was getting out of the car so that he could open the door for the passenger.

The driver stepped around the car and with a flourish that earned them even more laughter the man opened the back door; I waited with belated breath to see who would emerge from the black car, hoping it was George. It wasn't though, it was Grace, wearing her purple coat again now, who stepped from the car and eyed all of us 'little people' with superiority before proudly sashaying away from the car without so much as a nod in the driver's direction. My heart sank, it wasn't George, this wasn't good, I thought as my mind started rushing ten to the dozen at all the not so pleasant situations George could have found himself in after we had left him there. Fearing the worst but just about managing to keep my despair from my face as Grace shot me one of her superior looks, I watched and waited for the driver to shut the door off the car, trying to figure out what I should do next, if I should go to the mansion now or wait until after college when the rest of the gang would be with me. The driver didn't shut the door though; he waited there as though there was someone still inside and I felt my heart lift again as hope set in.

I can tell you right now, I have never felt so happy or as relieved as when George's blond head emerged from within the town car, his bright blue eyes were trained inside the car as though he were looking at someone still inside there, someone who was talking to him. There was a troubled and slightly angry look on his face as he took the sketch book that was offered to him by a hand, protruding from the car, but he was here; George was here and seemingly in one piece. He turned round then and I could see both sides of him face, I felt my heart drop a little when I took in the purple bruising around his eye and felt that dreaded déjà vue set in, it couldn't be could it?

My horror and anger didn't last long though as George said was looked to be thanks to the driver before turning fully to face the college and spotting me watching him, a slow building but dazzling smile lit up his face as his gaze met mine and it was all I could do not to run to him right then and there. I knew that I couldn't though people, especially Grace and whoever had been in the car with her and George, would get suspicious if I let on just how worried I had been about George, it would make it look like George had been guilty of something and that I was glad to see that he was still okay. I was of course, but not wanting George to be put in this position again I settled for smiling widely at him, an act which caused his smile to widen even more until I mirrored my own as he ignored the car behind him and Grace who had been watching our exchange with the look of a scorned lover, he then started towards me. Wanting desperately to run to him but knowing I couldn't I stayed where I was, itching to move towards him but letting him close the distance, wishing he would walk at a faster pace and wishing we didn't have to tone down our reunion. George continued walking closer at a leisurely pace, that gorgeous smile of his still in place but a look of restrained need in his brilliant blue eyes, I felt like my heart was going to explode we were so close and the look in his eyes was so intense.

George closed the last of the distance between us and pulled me into his arms, his grip around my waist firm and apologetic, feeling even more relief now that he was in my arms I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely, though no one watching us would have been able to tell. Gawd, it felt so good to hold him, to take in the scent of him first hand rather than suffering the ghost of his smell that hung around our house now, his cheek was pressed against mine and he buried his face him my hair but still he wasn't close enough for me, I had missed him so much.

"Robin," George breathed his breath tickling my neck "I'm sorry."

I nodded my acceptance tightening my hold on him a little though and whispering "you idiot, you self-sacrificing idiot, why do you have to do this stuff to me?"

George rubbed my back in a soothing fashion and I was too happy to do anything but accept that, I didn't think I could be truly angry with him right now, not when I'd missed him like I had.

"I know, but it was the only thing left to do," George murmured into my hair as he continued to rub my back "we'll talk about it later."

"You bet we will," I said threateningly though I didn't mean a word of it.

George started to pull away but I tightened my hold on him not wanting him to move yet, if ever, George chuckled at that and gave me another hug, a couple of lads were wolf whistling us and telling us to get a room but I couldn't have cared less and neither could George, but we were attracting attention acting like lovers separated for years not one day and I wouldn't have been surprised if Grace was getting suspicious so we pulled apart. I could see the reluctance that was undoubtedly in my eyes in Georges as well, neither one of us wanted to let go of the other just yet, but we didn't have a choice. Putting space between us grudgingly George still managed to smile at me, one which I felt in every part of me and seemed to warm me up inside.

"I've missed you," George admitted as the black town car drove off behind him, I nodded.

"I missed you too, but we wouldn't have had to if you weren't so over protective." I told him sternly; unable to even be annoyed when my words only prompted a chuckle from him.

"I wouldn't say over protective, but I think I have a right to want to protect you." he said taking my hand in his and squeezing it.

"You do, but then again so do I and that would be so much easier if you weren't being such an idiot." I retaliated tightening my grip on George's hand.

"Hum," George murmured, having eyes only for me as he raised my hand to his lips and gently kissed it, lost in his gaze I almost forgot my irritation and almost didn't see Jack and Mark standing a little behind George, looking relieved to see him safe, I smiled at them both before looking back at George "I'll try to be more accommodating the next time I'm saving you all." George said only the barest hint off annoyance in his voice, the rest was genuine regret.

"Sorry about that," I said realising laying into him wasn't the best way to tell him how much I'd missed him "I just don't like being helpless, and that made me feel helpless."

"It's okay," George said with a small sly smile "but you understand why I did that then."

I looked at him, a little stuck as to what to say now thanks to his logic, I could understand why he did what he did, I suppose given how I knew the feeling of helplessness would have driven me to do just about anything to be of use to George, so I could see why he stayed to distract the B.A if he thought it would help us get away. But that didn't make him any less of an idiot. I was torn between shouting at him and pulling him back into my arms again, though I doubted right now that I could yell at him so it was probably best to wait and let us deal with that later.

"I guess," I said to close to subject for now, but then I found myself looking at his black eye again and my heart dropped a little, thinking of my escapades in the 'past' and frowning angrily, something which caused George to pull a confused face though I had only one thought in my mind, Adam.

"What happened to your eye?" I asked resisting the urge to raise my hand to his purple bruise, it looked like it had hurt and I got a little concerned when George let out a hollow laugh that startled a couple of people walking past.

"It's nothing," He said "just Conner's way of making me regret giving cheek, pathetic really, because I'm not afraid of him anymore."

"It was definitely Conner, then?" I asked trying not to let my scepticism slip into my voice but probably not that successful "no one else?"

Confused and frowning at the question George said "Yeah, it was Conner. Who else would it have been?" the tone he used was so puzzled and I could tell that he really didn't know what I was talking about so I let myself drop it and laugh, Adam hadn't done this to him, it had been Conner.

"No one, it's not important, I was just worried is all." I said in an offhanded it doesn't matter sort of way which seemed to satisfy George as well as me as he gripped my hand a little tighter in a reassuring sort of way and nodded.

"All right, but you do know you worry too much, don't you?" he asked me with a cheeky smile that I couldn't help return.

"Yeah, I might have heard that before." I said jokingly and at that George's smile widened.

"I'll bet," he said before looking over my shoulder and noticing that all the other student were starting to go back inside for their lessons, he sighed "I really wish I didn't have to go inside."

"Me too," I said before looking at the sketch book in his hands and asking "why do you have that, you don't have art today do you?"

George looked confused for a moment before looking down at the book in his hands and saying "Oh, that." he smiled at me then as he looked at me and said "I told Conner that I'd come back to the mansion to get this, because I needed it for college." He shrugged and I grinned at him, glad he could think on his feet like that and proud that he was mine.

"Hey," George said looking over my shoulder "isn't that Joey?"

"Joey?" I asked turning around to look in the same direction that he was and sure enough, there was much cousin, standing outside the family car and looking at me and George. The memory of all the things I had said to him this morning came back and I instantly felt like crap, it looked like he wanted to talk. "Oh great."

Author note: so there it was, chapter twelve, what do you think? It would mean so much to me if you could just push that green button and review, I love hearing from you. A big thank you to you all for being so patieint! :) x