Even before Thomas had disappeared, Daniel's vision began to blur at the edges. Before he could think, Annie and Laria were on either side of him, supporting him.

"We can't have you falling all over the place, now can we, Robin?" Annie asked with a gleam in her eye.

"No." agreed Daniel, a little stunned.

"Come one," prompted Laria. "We need to get you fixed up and then you need to address the people."

"I do?" Daniel's brain took some time to get caught up with the rest of him.

"Yeah, you do," retorted Annie. "Come on."

"Wait, where's Stephanie?" Daniel stopped dead in his tracks, searching the faces of the two girls on either side of him.

Laria cast her eyes downward. "She.isn't doing well. We're all worried."

"Where is she?" Repeated Daniel.

Annie studied him for a moment. "In Megan's room. Hers is the closest to the door, and we didn't want to move Stephanie too far. Why don't I find someone else to make that speech?"

The pair of girls led him up the stairs, down a long hallway and across the first bridge; they came too, into a large room. Annie pointed wordlessly to a clump of people around the bed in a corner.

Daniel rushed over as fast as he could without fainting. He pushed past many people in Rowan's high court, many faces tear-streaked. Stephanie herself was lying on the bed, the slight rise and fall of her chest the only fact that betrayed her sustained life. She had a bandage wrapped tight around her middle, and another around her upper arm.

"Shoo, shoo! You people need to give her air so she can recover!" A bustling middle-aged woman with the badge of a healer chased a few of the girls back. "I'm not joking! You need to get some rest as it is. And you! What happened to you?"

Daniel realized she was speaking to him when she set a bowl of water, bandages and slave on the table next to the bed and began to attack the wound on his arm.

"I got hurt in a fight," Daniel replied slowly, wincing from the pain.

"Well, that much is obvious," the healer returned sarcastically. "Who are you anyway?"

Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but Eva cut in. "He's Robin Hood."

The healer blinked at him for a moment, looked at Stephanie, and looked back at him. "Oh," she stated simply, a world of meaning in that one syllable. She continued her work in silence, except to chase more people away.

Hannah and Eva were dispatched to speak to the crowd outside the palace. Annie and Laria were sent to find and retrieve Carson, and Anna Kate and Megan were set to keeping people from overrunning Megan's room. People wanted to see their leaders, and Daniel had not yet shown any sign of leaving Stephanie's side.

After a couple days, Carson, Annie and Laria arrived back and made him get out for a walk in the forest once a day, as much to let the healer change Stephanie's bandages as to get Daniel out of the palace.

A week later Stephanie's eyes fluttered open and came to rest upon Daniel placing a flower on her bedside table. "What in the world do you think you are doing?" she croaked.

Daniel jumped. "You're awake!"

"Yes, I'm awake, but what do you think you're doing here? You're going to get yourself killed!"

Daniel carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his. "I'm not leaving until you do."

Stephanie opened and closed her mouth speechlessly until Hannah walked in. "Good! Someone with sense! Tell this idiot that he has to leave now."

"Hmm.no. Daniel, tell her what happened before she has a fit and dies from worry." Hannah left the room to go tell the others that Stephanie was awake, and not to disturb her and Daniel for a short time.

Daniel helped Stephanie sit up, then started his story with "Well, I got your note."

Half an hour later it became apparent Hannah allowed everyone into the room because everyone came tumbling through the door at once.

"Steph! You're awake!" Screamed Eva.

"Yeah, I am. But not for much longer," Stephanie yawned. "Why am I not in my own room?" She asked plaintively.

Carson adopted an evil grin. "He wouldn't leave you and we needed to keep an eye on him." She glanced at Daniel, who was bright red.

Stephanie blushed and fell back against the pillows. "It's nice to be back," she murmured, and fell asleep.

Everyone carefully crept out, leaving Daniel sitting on the edge of the bed.

It took another week for Stephanie to recover enough to move to her own room, then another week until she was well enough to walk outside.

By this time winter had set in, and the first day she want out she was bundled up so much that she could hardly walk. She waddled down the avenue beside Daniel, muttering to herself. "This is hardly dignified. I can't believe ya'll are making me come out here like this in front of everybody."

"You don't have to be so bundled up," Daniel pointed out.

Stephanie shuddered and pulled her outer robe tighter around her shoulders. "But it's cold!" she protested.

Daniel rolled his eyes. The pair sloshed through the snow for a while in silence. They came upon a small stream, and Stephanie sat down on a log with a sigh.

Daniel sat down beside her. "Everything okay?" he asked gently.

"I never did thank you for coming after me," ventured Stephanie.

"Don't mention it," Daniel replied.

"No, if you wouldn't have come along, well, I don't even want to think about it. It gives me the creeps." Daniel put his arms around her. Stephanie snuggled into his embrace.

"How could I do anything else?" he stated matter-of-factly.

Stephanie looked up. "What?"

"What did you expect me to do? Run away?"

"Well, I told you too."

Daniel looked at her.

"I didn't want you to get hurt."

"And look who got hurt in the end."

"Yeah, well, details, details."

They fell silent.

A few minutes later Stephanie piped up again. "Why did you come after me?"

"Why do you think?"

"Because you were being stupid?"

"No."

"Oh. Are you going to tell me why?"

"I don't think you need to know."

Stephanie gasped. "Can't you humor the sick child?"

"I don't think so."

"Please?"

"No, not now."

"Oh." Stephanie lapsed into silence again for a few minutes. "How about now?"

"Nope."

A few more minutes passed. "Now?"

"The more you ask, the longer it will be until I tell you."

Again Stephanie gasped, appalled by this new tactic. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because.because.just because!"

"'Just because' is not a good reason."

"Can we make it a good reason?"

"No."

"Not even since I'm the weak little invalid?"

"Not even."

"Aww."

Silence reigned for a while.

"We really ought to be getting back," muttered Stephanie with a sigh.

"Yeah."

Neither one moved. "This is the worst part," muttered Stephanie. She disentangled herself and stood up. "But we really have to get back."

"Ngh. All right." Daniel stood up too, and took Stephanie's hand in his. The pair slowly trudged back through the snow.