Little bright eyes peered over the blanket and into Robin's.
He brushed away happy tears and gave Marian a fiercely joyous kiss.
"Ah! I love you! I love you!" he exclaimed.
She laughed and lifted up the baby in her arms to pass it to him.
John appeared, out of breath.
"Well?" he asked.
Robin turned, holding his son and smiled.
"Say hello to Uncle Little John," Robin cooed.
"Well, hold on, just how many uncles does this baby have?" Much blurted.
He got flustered when they all laughed at him.
"I'm just saying," he replied defensively.
"All right, all right. Here," Robin gestured for him to hold out his arms.
"What? Me?"
Much took the baby like a large, fragile egg everyone would yell at him if he broke.
Robin pulled John aside.
"Can Marian ride?" John said.
"I think so."
"Then go to Knighton."
Robin raised his eyebrow at the last word.
John nodded.
Robin went over and whispered in Marian's ear.
"Now?" she asked. "I'm a little tired, if you can imagine."
He looked at her intently.
"I'm really not up for your usual schemes—"
"Trust me?"
She took his hand. "Help me up."
"Marian!" Djaq rushed over. "What are you doing? You must rest!"
"I've never been one to sit still, you know that."
"You remember, she was up and visiting Gisbourne the day after he killed her," Robin quipped.
"Almost killed, and thank you for reminding us all."
"But still, Marian. I think you should rest," Djaq persisted.
"Robin Hood and the Nightwatchman and the littlest outlaw are taking a trip," Robin said definitively.
"The littlest outlaw? Is that really what you're going to name him?" Much asked.
Robin looked at Marian.
"No!" she answered.
He shrugged. "Guess not. Now, may we have him?"
Much handed him over to his mother carefully.
"You hold him tight, I'll hold you tight, and let's hope the horse knows where we're going," Robin said, climbing up.
"Um, I don't think so," Marian replied. "Little John?"
"You—hold her. Him—I'll hold."
Djaq shook her head as they left.
"Unbelievable," she sighed.
"I don't know. Those two taking a newborn on some kind of mission in the middle of the night in a forest where they're wanted as outlaws? Why wouldn't they?" Will said.
Djaq smiled. "You're right."
The new Locksley family and Little John arrived at Knighton to find Allan waiting out front with a torch.
"Well, well, well. Hello there!" he called out.
Marian grabbed the reins from Robin, pulled the horse to a stop and climbed down.
She stood in awe.
"My—my house!"
"More or less," Allan replied.
"Who lives here?" she asked eagerly.
"At the moment? You."
"But—"
"O' course you'll have to be out by dawn and leave everything exactly how it was, but for the next," he looked up at the sky, "oh say, five hours, it's all yours."
"You sure?"
"I'm in charge aren't I?" he shrugged.
Marian turned around and looked at Robin.
"I know I promised you Locksley," he said as he dismounted. "But will this do?"
She held her hands up to her face and sighed. Then she reached out to Little John. He understood and handed her the baby.
She held him close.
Robin came up behind them and wrapped his arms around them both.
"So," Allan interrupted their moment of bliss, "what's he called?"
Marian looked up at him with a smile.
"Allan," she replied.
"Allan?!" the three men said in unison.
"Well, we don't have an Allan in the gang at present," Marian suggested.
Robin coughed. "For a reason."
"Oy, I'm right here!" Allan countered.
"I think we should leave the new parents to settle this on their own," John wisely said, and cocked his head for Allan to move along.
"There's no furniture," Marian remarked when they entered the newly built house.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Robin said, throwing down a blanket.
He set the torch down in the fire place.
Marian winced as the logs went up in flames.
He noticed and gave her an assuring smile.
They set the baby down in its swaddling and cozied up to one another.
"Well," Robin sighed.
"Well," Marian echoed.
"It's been a trying day, hasn't it?"
"No more than usual," she murmured, laying her head on his chest and falling fast asleep.
Thank you readers! xo, maura