Hey here's another one. As always please read and review. Thanks to everyone who has. Enjoy

34

The vase smashed against the wall, narrowly missing the guard's head. The floor was littered with fragments of china. The Sheriff picked up a plate this time and threw it at the guard.

"You idiot! You stupid bumbling buffoon! How could you let them take her!"

The Sheriff threw another plate which smashed against the wall above the chief guard's head. He was keeping tactfully quiet letting the Sheriff vent.

"You incompetent fool! I am going to make you suffer!"

Gisborne sank into a chair trying to block out the Sheriff. He dropped his head into his hands, sinking further into despair. Once again Robin Hood had taken the person he cared about most. He had lost Marion to Hood and now Hood had taken Frankie from right in front of him. Gisborne was replaying the morning over and over in his mind, trying to work out what he could have done. The voice of reason in the back of his mind was telling him that there was nothing he could have done but despair had taken over and rational thought had escaped him.

All Gisborne could see was Frankie's pleading face, hear her voice full of fear calling his name. A tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. He brushed it away angrily; crying wasn't going to help Frankie. She was probably living through hell while he was sat here crying rather than finding a way to get her out of there.

He looked up to see the guard scurrying from the room and the Sheriff bent over the table, pouring over a map of the forest. Gisborne turned away. The resolve that had been inside him minutes before had evaporated as the despair crept back in to his mind. Frankie's voice echoed around his head whispering his name, pleading for his help, sighing at his touch. He pressed his hands over his ears, trying to block out her voice. He was glad he was sitting down as he didn't think his legs would have been able to hold him up.

A plate smashed above his head.

"You! You stupid idiot! You let them take her! You didn't move a muscle to save her!"

Another plate smashed by Gisborne as the Sheriff turned his anger towards him. Gisborne looked up at the Sheriff levelly. At the man who had controlled his life for so long, had blamed him for everything that went wrong and had made his life a living hell. The despair was changing into anger at this man. Did he think that he had let Hood take Frankie without a care?

He saw the Sheriff pick up another plate to throw at him. Without really thinking Gisborne crossed the room and grabbed the plate out of the smaller man's hand. The Sheriff staggered back in surprise. He looked up at Gisborne towering over him, bristling with anger. The Sheriff stepped back again alarmed by the look in Gisborne's eye.

"I let them take her? I let them take her?" Gisborne bristled incredulous, "You think I stood there and did nothing on purpose? You don't think that if there was anything I could have done I would have?"

Gisborne's pent up anger and frustration was pouring out of him. Despair had turned into rage and the only thought he had was hate for the man in front of him.

"You think you're the only one upset about this? I would do anything for her and it is killing me to be sat here uselessly."

The Sheriff looked at Gisborne unbelieving. He couldn't believe Gisborne was talking to him like that. Under any other circumstances he would have made Gisborne suffer. However the Sheriff grudgingly realised that Gisborne was probably right. Although even if the Sheriff had been willing to tell Gisborne that, which he wasn't, he didn't think that Gisborne would have listened to him. The feverish look in Gisborne's eye intrigued the Sheriff. Despite his worry for Frankie he noticed that Gisborne seemed to have discovered a backbone when faced with Frankie's kidnapping. The Sheriff made a mental note to use that later if they got Frankie back. When they got Frankie back he corrected himself.

"And you, stupid little man, have the nerve to say that I didn't do anything. Where the hell were you? I didn't see you jumping to Frankie's aid when... when..."

Gisborne, who was blazing with anger, faltered as grief started to seep back in, mixing with his anger and overwhelming him. As he hesitated he saw a glint of triumph in the Sheriff's eye. He took another step towards the Sheriff, rage pouring out of him. He had lost control and rational thought had left him.

As Gisborne was about to completely lose control there was a knock on the door.

Gisborne looked round dazed. He wasn't 100% sure what had just happened but what scared him the most was what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted. He backed away and slumped back into the chair he had just vacated.

The Sheriff was yelling at the guard who had just entered the room and Gisborne tried once again to block him out. His hands were shaking and he clenched them tightly together in his lap. He wondered what Frankie would have thought if she had seen him moments before. She adored her uncle, although she'd never admit that to his face, and she'd probably have kicked Gisborne's ass for shouting at him like that. Gisborne wished she was here. She'd know exactly what to do. She'd be flitting around, organising everyone with that cheeky glint in her eye. Gisborne could almost hear her laughter and soft footfalls as she danced around the castle. Although if she was here, he thought wryly, they wouldn't be having this problem.

He understood why the Sheriff had said the things he had and Gisborne felt guilty for the things he'd said in response. He looked up sheepishly, an apology on his lips, only to realise that the Sheriff had fallen silent. He looked at the Sheriff in surprise and the sight that met his eyes made his blood run cold.

The Sheriff was stood motionless looking at the three objects the guard had put on the table. A letter, a ring and a necklace. Gisborne jumped up and, ignoring the first two, snatched the necklace up. It was the necklace he had given Frankie that morning. He looked at the delicate gold chain that had been round Frankie's neck earlier that day. Tears welled up in his eyes as he saw her in his mind's eye descending the castle steps looking beautiful in her stunning green dress.

As he was staring at the chain something dawned on him. The chain wasn't completely gold. Part of it was covered by a rusty brown substance. His heart skipped a beat as he realised what it was; blood.

He looked back at the Sheriff ready to share his findings only to find he had grabbed the letter and was reading it aloud.

"...in the clearing half a mile east of the north road at noon tomorrow. I expect to see you Gisborne and Much only. If you bring anyone else we will kill Lady Francesca. I hope you haven't harmed Much or you may not get Francesca back in one piece. Hood."

The Sheriff looked up to see Gisborne's eyes full of horror staring at him. He looked back at the letter re-reading it again looking for signs of hope. At least she was alive, the Sheriff thought sadly, But as he re-read the last line he remembered the outlaw in the dungeons and his stomach twisted. They hadn't left him in very good shape.

"What are we going to do?" Gisborne asked meekly aware of his outburst earlier.

"Exactly what this says." The Sheriff said bitterly indicating the letter, "There's nothing else we can do."

The Sheriff turned away and barked at a guard to send a doctor down for Much. Gisborne clutched the necklace tightly in one hand and picked up Frankie's ring in his other. He moved over to the window vowing he would return them to her once she was safe. Noon tomorrow seemed a very long way away and Gisborne could imagine how awful Frankie's stay in the forest was going to be till then.