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Chapter Thirty-Four

…To Introduce Myself

Gisborne felt as if his entire world was unraveling; like some old rug. The life that he thought he was building with Charlotte was false. The love she expressed all those nights was nothing but a façade. He had been so alone his whole life and now this. With Marian he thought he found someone who he could be his true self with, but that turned out to be pretend. Then when he met Charlotte, it was like the sun coming out after a long storm. And here she was standing in front of him.

"What's wrong Gisborne? Feel betrayed?" She asked tauntingly. She untied her cloak and pulled it off her shoulders. She was dressed the same as Marian had been when he discovered she was The Nightwatchman. It was then that he saw the sword strapped to her hip. She then unsheaved the sword and turned it in her hand.

He could not speak.

He could not move.

He did not know what to do now.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I have not introduced myself. My mother raised me much better than that. Julia," she said as she bowed to him. "Lady of Devonborough. Kin to the Lord and Lady of Knighton," she announced, giving him her proper title. Gisborne's eyes opened a bit wider and his jaw clenched. She was slowly stepping around him; like a fox moving around its prey. "Does this look familiar?" she asked as she moved the sword in the fading light. Gisborne's eyes moved down to the weapon. "Ah. You do recognize it. You used it to kill my cousin!" She yelled and swung the sword at him. He jumped back to avoid the blade's tip. "You thrust this through her body and left her to die!" She swung at him again. He dove out of her way and twisted his knee as he fell.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. He tried to keep his distance; his hands out stretched in front of him.

"Why!?! He wants to know why!" She addressed her last statement to the heavens; as if she was addressing God. "Is it not obvious? I am avenging my family. My entire time at Locksley was all part of my plan. I must say, it went much better than even I could have imagined,"

And the fight was on!

Julia swung the sword at him and he had no choice but to draw his. The two of them sparred all around the small ruins. She thrust her weapon at him, but he parried. Her sword went wide and he struck her with his elbow. She felt blood pour into her mouth; her bottom lip was now open. She kicked at his stomach and he fell back. Julia advanced toward him and brought her sword down upon him. He rolled out of the way and back to his feet. Julia managed to slice at the man and cut deep into his shoulder.

Gisborne did not want to hurt her. As much as anger as he was feeling, hurting her was not something he could do.

Julia lunged at him, but Gisborne clasped onto her wrist and was able to disarm her. The sword was knocked out of her hand and fell out of reach. He twisted her left arm behind her back and brought his sword above his head. He was about to bring down the hilt when she looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were wild, she was breathing heavy, and her mouth had been split. Blood was trailing down her chin. Her blue eyes shined with pure rage and anger. They were Marian's eyes. He hesitated for a moment. She looked like the only two women he ever loved.

Marian and Charlotte.

His hesitation caused his grip on her arm to weaken. She pulled on her arm; freeing it. With her right she pulled his dagger from his belt. She shoved him with all the strength she had left and he staggered back. Julia, using a nearby boulder for height, delivered a kick to his chin. He head rocked and he sprawled back. She pounced on to his chest and kept him from moving. Julia pulled his sword away from his weak grasp, tossed it away, and put the dagger just under his chin. The feel of the cold steel on his neck brought him back to the here and now. Her hand was shaking as she held it there.

"How does it feel? Are you afraid? Hmm? How do you think Marian felt on that dry sand?" She asked and then pushed the blade tighter to his skin. "Knowing she was about to die! Tell me, how does it feel?!" She screamed and Gisborne could feel the blade break his skin. His breath staggered as he bit back a cry. The two of them locked gazes for what seemed like an eternity. Julia pulled the dagger away and delivered a hard blow with the back of her hand. His head rocked from side to side and he was out. Julia pulled herself to her feet and stepped away from him. She picked up the sword, the one that took Marian's life, and walked into the woods.

It was finished.

Robin sat quietly at the camp while the others talked. He just didn't have much to say. It had been a good day of outlawing today. They managed to take it a pretty penny from two separate caravans going through Sherwood. The money they were able to collect with feed several villages for at least a month. They were celebrating their take, when the sound of someone approaching pulled all of their attention. Robin was the first to his feet. He walked in front of the others toward the noise with the others right behind him. The intruder was walking at a rather irregular pace. Robin deduced that whoever it was, was injured. The person walking their way toward them was slowly being illuminated by the fire light.

It was Julia.

Robin was immediately on guard, as was Much and Will. That was until they say her. Her hair and clothes were disheveled and covered in mud. She was walking with a slight limp. Her face was starting to bruise on one side and he could see her lip was spilt. Blood was dried on her mouth and on a wound on her cheek. Robin put his right hand up to tell the others to stand down.

"What happened?" Robin asked as he stepped closer to her.

"It's finished," her voice was so quiet. She lightly dabbed at her mouth wound with the back of her hand. She visibly winced as the pain shot through her jaw.

"What about Gisborne?" Robin inquired.

"I've made me choice,"

"But what about…" Djaq was about to ask, but Julia cut her off.

"I've made me choice," she said in a voice so grave and with no emotion at all. Her eyes locked with Robin for a moment. She dropped the sword at Robin's feet and wandered into the camp. The others stared at her back as she walked past the fire and away from them. Much picked up the sword while Djaq, Will and John went back to the fire. Robin grabbed Allan's arm and held him back.

"Did you tell her?" Robin asked his friend.

"Yeah. I told her what you wanted me to, but I still don't get why,"

"It was for her own good," Robin answered. Allan shrugged and joined the others with Robin right behind him. Julia sat away from the others. She was sitting high on a nearby ridge. She could see the fire and hear the voices around it. The cold night was slowly seeping into her tired body.

She didn't belong anywhere.

She eased her sore body down and onto a bed of leaves. She hoped her exhaustion would cause sleep to find her and fix all of this.

Djaq sat with the gang, but she kept looking back in the direction of Julia. She felt for the poor woman. If she really did love Gisborne, but chose Robin… She decided to check on her. Djaq wandered over to her, but she heard Julia before she saw her.

The quiet sobs of a broken heart.

Djaq turned around and joined her husband by the fire. There was nothing she could do for her tonight.

The next couple weeks Julia kept to the camp. Her bruises made her a stand out. The outlaws were meant to blend in, but she had trouble doing that. She rarely spoke to the group. It was almost like she was a ghost, simply moving through life, doing what was expected.

Robin could see she was not well, but he did not know how to go about fixing it. He had done what he did to help her see reason. He did not regret his decision. Even as he watched day after day as the light slowly faded in her eyes.

One morning they were all sitting around the fire as Much made breakfast. Julia was sitting to the edge of them as she always did. Not with them, but yet not alone. Much was almost insulted that she had stopped eating his food. He made her a plate and walked to her.

"Here, you need to eat something," he declared and he put the plate in front of her. Julia's eyes shut rather quickly and she turned her head way.

"I'm not hungry Much," she said as she put her hands up in protest.

"You need your strength. Come now," he pushed the plate at her again. She groaned and then was up on her feet. She ran off into the woods. The men looked at each other and Much simply shrugged, but Robin could see his feelings had been hurt.

"I'll go talk to her," Djaq said softly as she got up to catch her. She found her near a stream. She was on her hands and knees. Djaq could hear her retching out her stomach. She stepped toward her slowly and waited for a moment. Djaq did not want to startle the woman.

"Julia? Are you unwell?" Djaq asked as Julia rinsed out her mouth and stood up. She had to catch herself on a boulder to prevent her legs from coming out from under her.

"I'm fine," she said plainly and made for the camp.

"No. You're not. Tell me Julia,"

Djaq took a breath before she said the words.

"You're pregnant. Aren't you?"

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Like I said, I've written the ending and now I have to write to that.

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