After Marian had gone, Hannah repeated what she had asked Robin earlier. "She your wife?"

Unable to ignore the question as he had before, Robin at last admitted, "She was to be...once."

"Once," Hannah said. " 'Once upon a time...' Do you know any pretty stories? Tell me yours and hers."

Robin was surprised. This simple girl who lived the life of a tavern wench held a part within herself that seemed to have remained innocent and childlike. He liked her all the better for it.

"Alright," he said. "Seeing as how you helped save my life..." Clearing his throat, he began. "Once upon a time there lived a knight and his lady."

"The 'andsomest knight," she added.

"And the most beautiful lady. There was a war, and the knight fought for his king, leaving his beloved behind. And when he returned from war-"

"He turned outlaw," Hannah said, "and turned 'eads. Women's 'eads. But he loved the lady best, and so... you finish it."

"That's a clever line...turning outlaw and turning heads. You're a bit of a poet, Hannah."

"Finish the story."

Robin didn't know if he could. He rarely opened up to anyone. Not even to Much...not even to Marian. But Hannah seemed in many ways a child, and he certainly did not have to lead her. He felt she had earned it, and so, turning serious, he said sadly, "He had to wait. She'd lost her father, and needed time to heal. And he had nothing to offer her, nothing her father had wanted for her."

"I like 'appy endings," Hannah complained. "I bet she does, too. You deserve a 'appy ending, Robin 'Ood."

Robin was touched. "You deserve to be happy as well."

"Good!" Hannah cried, excitedly. "When you keeled over, I didn't think we'd get to at all tonight. But if you're up for it...I don't mind if you go fast. Let's start now before she comes back."

Maybe not so innocent after all, Robin thought, laughing under his breath. "That is very kind, but I'm not up for it. I don't know if I can even get home tonight."

"You stay 'ere and I can look at you. You look good. But I am losing custom."

"My men and I will pay for your trouble. I'll never forget what you did for me today, Hannah."

"Can you at least kiss me again?"

"Only on your cheek, or hand if you prefer. Much as the knight in my story would enjoy kissing you, his lady would not approve, and I'd have more than one bone broken if she found out. And so, I must decline the offer of your lovely lips."

He's said it in such a charming way that she did not mind, at least not too much. "I figured," she said with a sigh.

The door burst open and Marian rushed inside, followed by Much.

"Master!"

"I found Will," Marian said, dropping to the floor beside Robin and stroking his hair. "He'll locate Djaq and bring her here."

"And John," Much added. "Why are you on the floor? Why is he on the floor? You should be on the bed. Oh! That is disgusting!"

Much had caught a whiff from Hannah's blankets, and seen the stains.

"Apologize to Hannah," Robin ordered him, severely. "She's risking her neck, keeping us here."

"Sorry," Much stammered. "I didn't think."

Robin turned his attention to Marian. "You found Will? I thought you were just stepping downstairs, to find someone who could help."

"I was. And no one would, so I found Will."

"You shouldn't be roaming the streets of Nottingham, let alone by yourself! Not to mention, the streets are full of guards!"

"Oh, so it's alright for her to risk her neck, yet wrong for me to risk mine?"

"Yes!"

"I suppose you'll be giving her an outlaw tag next, and making her a part of your gang."

"You see what I have to put up with," Much muttered quietly to Hannah.

The door opened and Djaq entered, followed by Will and Little John.

Djaq immediately examined Robin's fracture. "It is bad. You should not be moved, yet I can do little without my medicine chest. You are suffering much pain?"

"A little."

"More than a little." Looking at Hannah, Djaq asked, "Is there wine? He needs to numb the pain."

"I'll get some." Hannah jumped up, swaying her hips as she walked out the door.

"Gimme some wine," she told the bar man. "I got a fancy gent upstairs. A real, true lord."

Before the man could bring it, Allan pulled her aside. "Gisbourne caught wind of the outlaws here. This place will be full of guards in two minutes."

Hannah turned and raced up the stairs. "Gisbourne's bringing guards! You gotta leave!"

Grunting from pain, Robin staggered to his feet and looked out the window. Two castle guards already stood beneath it.

"We'll have to run through the Trip," he decided.

But it was too late. Already they could hear the shouts of Sheriff's men below.

"Master, what do we do?" Much asked.

Robin thought hard for a second. "Take your scarf off, Much," he ordered, unwrapping his own from his neck and wincing as his arm moved.

"Let me help you," Marian offered, unwrapping Robin's scarf herself.

"Tie the two together," Robin ordered, "and tie an end around the bedpost. John, shift the bed to the window. Will, follow me. The rest of you, use the scarves to lower yourselves down, once Will and I take out the guards. Marian first, then Djaq, Much, and John. Hannah, will you be alright?"

"I'll move to the room next door, so they won't know I 'elped you. And I'll give the guards plenty of favors, for free. Just one kiss more?"

"Much," Robin ordered, "do the honors."

"Me? But, but, but...Eve."

Hannah grabbed Much and planted a kiss on his mouth.

Ignoring his injury, Robin leaped from the window and faced the guards. "Looking for me?" he asked, cockily. Will jumped next, with a harder, less graceful landing. In no time, the two guards lay silent on the ground.

"Now!" Robin shouted up to his gang, his entire body screaming in pain.

Once Marian had climbed down, she said, "Robin, you can't make it back to the forest, with a broken bone."

He forced himself to grin. "You made it, with a dagger wound to your belly."

"John, help him," Marian begged.

Before Robin could object, Little John picked him up and slung him over his shoulders.

"I'll slow you down, John," Robin said.

"We go, now," John answered.