Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews. They keep me motivated to write this story. Anyway, this chapter started out much differently and darker than it ended up upon final edit, which I suppose is a good thing. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think in a review.
Disclaimers: Anything you recognize, I don't own…although believe me, I would love nothing more. Also, I make no money from this, it is purely for my own enjoyment and love of the characters. No copyright infringement or harm meant.
Spoilers: None, except that this takes place before Allan was Guy's man so an indeterminate part of season two as everyone is still alive and Allan hasn't betrayed anyone yet.
I was lying on the cold, stone floor of the castle dungeon and I could hear the constant drip, drip, drip of water or some other fluid nearby. I winced as I sat up slowly, reaching back to feel the back of my head as I groaned softly. It felt tender but when I pulled my hand away and looked at my fingertips, there was no blood there so I took that as a good sign.
"Ah….our guest has finally awoken Gisbourne," I heard the familiar voice say with an evil laugh and I cringed, pushing myself carefully across the floor of the dungeon cell into the shadows of the cell.
I should have known that it wouldn't do any good as I heard a key being pushed into the lock on the door and then the creak as the door was unlocked and then swung open. I heard the echo of two pairs of feet, one louder than the other and I tried to pretend that they wouldn't be able to see me, closing my eyes and letting out a soft breath. It did no good though as a minute later, Gisbourne stopped right in front of where I was sitting and kneeled in front of me, grabbing my forearm roughly and lifting me off the floor. His grip only tightened as he pinned me against the stone of the wall behind me, causing me to bang my head against the wall as he shoved me up against it and I cried out as pain shot through my whole arm as well as the rest of my body. Gisbourne used his free hand to grab my face and then I saw him smirk as he leaned closer, pressing his lips against mine, in what I assume he thought was a seductive manner. When he pulled away, I spit in his face and felt the bile rising in my throat as I felt myself trying to keep from gagging. I watched as the anger flashed across Gisbourne's features and a second later, he let go of my arm and slapped me hard across the face, which would have caused me to stumble backward if I hadn't already been standing pinned against the wall. I felt myself get lightheaded when my head hit the surface of the wall again from that slap and I used the wall to stay standing as I glared at him.
"Where is Hood and his gang?" he asked.
I kept my mouth shut but it wasn't to protect Robin or Will or any of the other members of the gang but rather to protect myself from anything else Gisbourne might do to me. I shuddered as I thought back to just hours earlier when he had tortured me. Unfortunately I didn't know what he had in store for me if I didn't talk.
"Why are you protecting him?" the sheriff finally came over and asked, grabbing my face much like Gisbourne had just moments earlier.
"I'm not protecting anyone except myself. I honestly don't know what you are talking or asking me about," I said, hoping that the pleading note in my voice would keep the sheriff from discovering the lies I was telling him.
"Oh how sweet? Do you hear that Gizzy? She's only protecting herself," the sheriff turned to face Gisbourne and I tried to pull away from him, which caused him to whirl back around so he was facing me again.
"Shall I call the jailer here to take her and torture her some more my lord?" Gisbourne asked, an evil smirk coming across his features as he said it.
I tried to keep my composure and not let either of them see how terrified I was but I couldn't help it when my eyes widened in shock at his suggestion or his tone.
"No Gisbourne, I believe you shall handle this on your own. I leave you to do what you will with her," the sheriff said, staring at my face and smirking when he saw my horror cross my features.
He let go of my face and laughed maniacally as he left the cell, leaving Gisbourne alone with me and making his way back toward the entrance to the dungeon. I felt the ice splinter in the pit of my stomach as Gisbourne came closer to me with that same smirk still on his face.
I sat up in the bed, sweat pouring off my body and gasping for breath as it took me a moment to realize where I was and that I was safe. My eyes darted around the dark silence of the camp as I took in my surroundings and my heartbeat slowed back down to normal and my breathing began to become more regular once again. I could hear Much mumbling to himself in his sleep and John's soft snores as he slept. I could also hear the sounds of Djaq shifting under the blankets in her sleep as she and Allan fought over the blankets on one or the other's bed and I could hear the steady, shallow rasping of Will's breathing and the occasional soft groan of pain from him as he shifted in his sleep. I felt the wind blowing softly through the tree branches as it brushed across my face as if it were kissing my cheeks lightly and I could feel the wetness from the tears that were sliding down my cheeks from the nightmare I had just woken up from. Finally, my eyes settled on Robin, sitting beside the fire, staring into the fire blankly as if his thoughts were thousands of miles away.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked softly, coming over and sitting down beside him on the floor.
Robin jumped slightly and I grinned apologetically when he saw it was me. He returned a smile of his own before turning back around so he was looking into the fire again.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked me in return.
I shook my head, partly in answer to his question and partly to try and clear my head of the nightmare that was still lingering in my brain.
"I….I couldn't sleep," I lied softly.
Robin seemed to know I was lying because he smiled and raised an eyebrow at me questioningly but he didn't push me any further to explain and we sat there together in the silence for a few minutes.
"So, how are you?" Robin asked after another minute of silence passed between us.
"I….I'm scared," I said, noticing how small my voice sounded in the dim light of the fire.
"Will is going to be fine. He's strong and besides, he loves you and that will help him pull through," Robin said.
This pulled me up short. I was about to protest about him misunderstanding me when I heard what he said.
'Will loves me?' I thought.
I closed my eyes and for a minute I could see myself being married and with a family with Will but that vision was replaced when I began to remember what Gisbourne had done to me.
"Will can't love me. I'm all but worthless at this point," I said softly, the bitterness clear in my tone.
"Is that what you think? None of what has happened is your fault. Djaq told me what she said to you when she was cleaning those cuts on your face earlier and she's absolutely right. Gisbourne is worthless and evil, not you. Will sees that and so can I. We will make Gisbourne pay for what he did to you," Robin said softly.
"Robin, Will tried and nearly got killed because of it. I can't let any of the rest of you get hurt or possibly killed on my account so please…don't do anything careless or reckless," I said, looking up at him.
Robin simply smiled at me and shook his head.
"We are all very good at disappearing and reappearing when it comes to Gisbourne and the sheriff so don't worry about us. We can all take care of ourselves and we will take care of you as well," he said, placing his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to his side.
I sighed but didn't say anything more as he was being too stubborn to reason with. I did however, make a promise to myself that none of them were going to be hurt or killed because of me again.
Okay, there it is. Chapter 14. Like I said, this chapter started out much darker and as I revised it, it still retained some of that darkness but in a very modified version, particularly at the beginning. Let me know what you think in a review as I appreciate each and every one that I do get.