Marian was mumbling Robin's name in her sleep when he reached her bedside. "Shhhh… my love," stroking his fingers through her hair, "you are just having a bad dream." She seemed to calm down at his touch, leaning over he kissed her softly before turning to look at Matilda. "Are they alright," he asked softly.

His question was so tender, so sad. It reminded Matilda of a much younger Robin as he sat on his mother's death bed looking up at her with those same pleading eyes. "Marian will be fine. Djaq took care of her wounds and set her arm. She is a strong woman you have no more need to fear for her."

Robin noticed the words that were left unsaid and felt waves of agony wash through him. How could you grieve the loss of someone that you never met? "The child," his voice quivered with unshed tears.

Matilda sat next to Robin taking his hands in hers, "Marian was beat badly. She took a majority of those hits to her abdomen," she took a deep breath. "The child still rests within her, but I could not find a pulse. There is a very strong possibility that the child is no longer alive inside of her."

Robin allowed the words to sink in. Matilda was warning him that when his child is brought into the world there is a very likely chance that it will never smile, never cry, never reach out for its mother. "How," his voice cracked as his eyes filled with hot tears. He cleared his throat, "how long until we know."

Djaq took a step forward, "we will have to look for signs like movement or heart beat."

He nodded, "is there anything else that you need to do for her?"

"No," Djaq answered solemnly, "for now she needs rest."

"If you don't mind, I would like some time alone with her." His attention was so focused on his wife that he didn't even notice them leave. Tears began to fall down his face and he could taste saltiness on his lips as he bent over and kissed both of her cheeks, her lips, and finally her small rounded belly. "Now you listen to me little one, you will be okay. Do you hear me? Your mother and I need you more than we knew, and you have to be alright for her. You see we are both stubborn, and we put too much on ourselves. If anything were to happen to you we would both blame ourselves, and your mum, well she has been through too much heart ache. Most of it my doing. So you see, you have to be okay."

Marian woke to the feeling of tears sliding across her stomach. "Robin," her busted lip stung terribly as she spoke his name, "what are you doing?"

"Well I was about to count my new gray hairs. You scared me to death woman." He smiled softly before looking down at his feet, "I am so sorry my love; I failed you. I should have looked for you."

Marian sniffled, "no, darling, it is my fault. I have been so emotional. So stupid. You had no reason to believe that I had been captured. It is all my fault."

Robin stretched out next to her and wrapped his arms carefully around her as to not cause her anymore pain. He carefully brushed his fingers through her hair and kissed the tip of her nose, "Marian, my love, neither one of us could have predicted what Adrianna would do. You can not blame yourself."

Marian convulsed with sobs. Her already swore body was aching more and more with each new set of tears, "you don't understand Robin. I didn't want this child. I was afraid of our child." The lacerations on her face stung as her tears ran down her cheeks.

Robin tried to hide his pain at her confession, "Marian, it is okay to be afraid. Having a child is a huge change. None of this is your fault, my love." He knew that she was having a rough time, but he never would have dreamed that she would not want their child.

"I am a terrible person. I didn't want this child, and now," she sobbed, "now I would give anything, anything at all to know that our baby is okay. To feel it move inside me once more."

Will noticed Djaq walk out of the camp and run off into the forest. He immediately left everyone else and followed her quickly through the dense trees. When he finally caught up to her he found her in a clearing. She was kneeling in an odd way. She was sitting on her heels and leaning over to where her forehead touched the snow with her hands on either side of her face. Taking slow, quiet steps towards her he asked, "Djaq, what are you doing? It's freezing out here."

Will looked hazy through her tear filled eyes. She ran into the forest because she hated to cry in front of the men. She hated to appear weak, but she could not stop the tears as they traveled down her face and neck and soaked her sweater. Once she made it into this small clearing it only seemed natural that she bow before Allah, "I'm praying." She was touched when Will stepped forward and kneeled next to her. This is why she loved him. He did not understand her ways and her culture, but it never frightened him. Instead he tried to embrace it.

They stayed that way for what must have been an hour at least, praying for the unborn child and its parents, before they gave into the cold. Djaq looked up at Will with silent amazement. This man was so unlike the men her father would have chosen for her. In fact she was sure that her father would strongly protest any union between them. There was a time that she herself would never even consider loving an Englishman. They were the enemy. Yet somehow this one had carved his name into her heart and destiny. Their lives were forever intertwined. He never tried to change her, never treated her as if she was inferior, and that made her love him all the more.

She thought about Robin and Marian and the babe. She remembered Marian's happiness and ease at being married. Djaq was envious at how free Marian was. No longer did Marian need to hide her love or her passion; now she could embrace it. Djaq stopped walking and closed her eyes deep in thought.

Will turned to check on her as she opened her eyes. He shivered as their eyes seemed to lock onto one another. When she looked at him this way he could hide nothing from her. She could see all of his fears and his desires. He blushed slightly at that thought. There was something in her stance that told him that she was in very serious thought so he stayed quiet and waited for her to find her words. He felt insecure as he watched her eyes travel slowly down his body. He knew he wasn't much to look at. He was lanky and too thin, his arms and legs a bit too long, but he hoped that he was good enough for her. She was so beautiful and strong. She had an amazing passion for everything she did, and he often times found himself daydreaming about what it would be like to be with her completely. These thoughts of course were always left to his dream world. A world were he was confident in his actions and abilities to please a woman. In his dream world he could do things to her that would make her toes curl as she shouted out his name. In actuality he had no experience what so ever at bedding women, and was sure that if the time ever came with he and Djaq he would probably mess it all up somehow. That fear and insecurity is one of the reasons that he never allowed them to go very far, well that and he wanted to protect her honor.

She was slowly gazing at his body. There was really no need for her to stare in such away. She had long since memorized every inch of him. Well not every inch. She was slightly shocked by her scandalous thoughts, but continued to marvel at his beauty anyways. He had soft brown eyes that were full of emotion, wicked lips that begged to be kissed and to kiss in return. So many nights she found herself dreaming of all of the places those wonderful lips could travel. His whole upper torso, though slim, was very strong and muscular from his work with his axe. Her gaze drifted down further and she noticed that his pants were pulled unusually tight. She should have looked away. She should have been ashamed. Instead she studied the unknown. She felt a strange feminine pride knowing that the swelling was her doing. Noticing that Will was beginning to fidget at her attentions she brought her eyes back up to meet with his, "Marry me, Will Scarlet."

He stood there speechless unable to comprehend what she had just said. Surely this was another on of his little daydreams. She had not been starring at his bit of wood and she had certainly not asked him to marry her.

Doubt crawled its way into her thoughts as his silence continued. She knew he loved her, but maybe he did not love her that much or maybe he was not ready to be married. "I was just thinking that," she cleared her throat, "well life is short, and ours is not exactly the safest, and there is no time like the present, and, and," she stuttered, "and I love you."

He smiled at her nervousness. Only moments before she had been unashamedly staring at his body like a lioness looks upon its prey, and now she could barely look at him or speak. He took a step towards her, easily lifting her up his taller body and wrapping her legs around his hips. She gasped as he backed her into a tree for support, and kissed her passionately. Her fingers dug into his back as he nibbled and sucked on her lower lip. She felt him moan into her mouth as she moved her lower body against his hardness. He kept her pinned between his body and the tree as they pulled apart from their kiss panting for air. Once he caught his breath he whispered, "If anyone asks I popped the question not you. I can't have the lads calling me the bride, now can I?"

She giggled giddily, "so that is a yes?"

"Of course it is, my love."

I don't know about you guys, but I needed a bit of happiness. So I threw in the Will/Djaq bit.