Hi all, here is another chapter and I hope you enjoy it. This is Much and Robin and Much and Robin alone. I hope you enjoy.

Also Isabella will be making an appearance but her arc will be differnt to the series mainly because she is a fully fleshed out character and not a love intrest for Robin who turns evil because he rejects her. So that will be an AU thing.

Disclaimer-Nothing here is mine.

Please Read and Review.

The Growing Good Of The World

Chapter 10-Too Fast, Too Furious

Robin and Much share a moment in the woods where they think about how far their lives have come since first arriving in Nottingham. Otherwise known as that scene where Robin apologises for being a shit friend that we didn't get in Season 3 (because Much deserves everything in the world). Slightly shorter chapter.

"You want a boy or a girl"

That was Much completely scaring away the game but Robin was almost glad for the distraction. Hunting was often a waiting game and he could wait with the best of them.

"Marian wants a boy. It's easier with a boy. She plans to call him Edward"

"Edward is a good name" Much said smiling. "Edward of Locksley"

"Much"

"What?"

"You know damn well what. We don't have a fix on this. My son or my daughter might be born under the badge of bastardy if we don't—"

"Make a deal?"

Robin turned to look at him and Much shrugged.

"You need to accept the fact that this might be the way it ends Robin"

"You mean bowing to Prince John"

"If we have too. If Richard dies then it's his by right of inheritance"

"Arthur Plantagenet—"

"Is a teenager. A teenager if rumour is to be believed always ill. As the King is rumoured to be now."

"Rumours Much"

"Yes, rumours. But rumours are often based in fact. He didn't look well in the Hoy Lands Robin. And you and I both know how quickly not feeling well over there can take you to death's door"

Robin carefully said nothing. Much didn't say anything either. Neither one of them could dare think of the King that they had served under dying without coming home and setting things to right. But the truth of the matter was the problem was not John. Granted the man was prepared to commit regicide to become King but the Sherriff had been their main adversary for so long. It was hard to imagine Nottingham without him.

"There is a price to pay for this conversation" Robin said finally

"I know this" Much said evenly. "But I would not be your friend if I did not say it?"

"My friend?"

"Yes" he said. He was not afraid of Robin anymore. Months ago he would have, afraid of losing the trust, the friendship, the constant companionship that had been in his life since the age of six. But things had changed since then. There had been that confrontation in the barn, the Holy Lands, Gisella dying, Gisbourne dying, Kate. Kate. Constant and enduring and loving Kate and her smile and her touch and…and whatever and whenever next came.

Things had changed, between Robin and him and Robin and him and the ghosts of their past. Things had changed. Things had always changed.

And all they could do was go along with them.

Robin was silent for a moment and then when he spoke it was with a vein effort to change the subject.

"Maud"

"Beg pardon?"

"If it's a girl. After my mother"

"Oh"

There was silence and then Much dared speak again.

"Robin…I want a future"

"Much…"

"I want a future with Kate. I want Bonchurch. I want a life…I want children. I want it with her. And I love the King and I love you but if Richard is dying and John becomes King and offers us a pardon then I am going to take it"

There it was. In the open. Straight and to the point, the way Robin once upon a time had been in battle.

Robin looked at him and there was the gaze of the man in his eye. Not the solider. Not the man who had been a soldier. Not the man who had been Much's master for so long and for such a long time. Just…Robin. Robin the man. Robin of Locksley. Robin of the wood. Robin Hood.

And some way along the way they had become friends.

Of that Much was confident.

Of that he was sure.

Robin sighed suddenly drawing him from his mind.

"I know that this could end in a way that I do not wish for"

And Much knew that was closest that he would get to Robin admitting that he would have to parlay with Prince John.

"And if it comes to that?"

"For Marian and my children? I will do it. You know I would Much. And you know it is not just about me. It is about my men. And with my men come my responsibility. I know I am the reason why Will and Allan bare the mark of Outlaw. I want them to have a life outside of the forest. Please do not think that I am above my pride to the point where I do not wish my men good, long and happy lives in peace"

Much nodded because he did understand that and he knew that Robin got it to boot.

"So if John…"

"If Richard dies without an heir"

And Much knew that, that was the closest that he was going to get on that.

"Well" he said reaching for his knife. "That's something anyway"

And then he flicked his knife with all the trained skill of a crusader and there was a flash of blade against the flash of light that came from the sun and Robin blinked and suddenly there was a bird pinned against the tree.

"Damn" Robin said finally (once he had gotten over being silently impressed and all that).

"I had forgotten just how good you were at stuff like that"

"Damn right you had" Much, had muttered.

Robin paused and then because necessity and friendship and love and loyalty and everything else and everything in between had compelled him to speak of such things he then said the things that he had wanted to say before the barn, after the barn and between the epic nightmare that had been the Holy Lands the first time and the second time.

"Much?"

"Hmm?"

"You know…when this baby is born, I want you to be godfather?"

It came out a question and he was utterly irritated because the last thing that he wanted was for it to be a question. Because he was Robin and Much was his best friend and his brother and it should never, ever be a question.

"Me?" Much asked in much the same tone that Robin had asked him in.

"Yes…you"

There was a delicate pause.

Much turned to face him.

"Me? Your serf? Your servant?"

But Robin was already shaking his head.

"You're not a servant Much. You are much more than that. You are my friend…my brother."

There it was. Out in the open for everyone and everything to see. Because it was the truth. Much had been more a brother to him than any noble boy or man that had dared cross his path. Because whatever had happened there had been a great comfort in knowing that Much was there with him. The man that had gone to war with him, the man that had followed him into the forest and the man that he had never known he had hurt so badly until he had looked at him in that barn and told him so.

And it had hurt him in ways that he did not know that he could hurt.

"You still treat me as a servant you don't treat me as a friend"

And he had said shaking his head that that was not true and then there had been nothing but silence that had greeted those words and so he had looked at his friends, Djaq, Will, Allan, John…all of them that had been with him from the beginning and he had looked them dead in the eye and he had asked them the question that he had suddenly been afraid of the answer.

Of what was going to be said. Or what as it turned out was not said.

And then he had realised the steady beating truth of the matter. That he had treated his oldest and dearest friend as if he was scum on the bottom of his shoe. He had given Much his freedom as if it was a gift. As if he was a slave to be presented with a bone like a beaten dog. It was Much's freedom, Much's life and he had laughed as if the idea of his delighted reaction was funny. And yet still the man had chosen to follow him into the forest without so much as a backwards glance. Even when he had been presented with everything that a man of his status could wish…including the blonde that had come with the house, he had still chosen Robin and Robin had all but laughed at it. With Malick and Harold and all that they had both been through it had been treated as if it was a joke.

Yes, he had treated Much appallingly. And yes, it had not been seen. As horrendous as it had seemed it had not been seen until that moment and there was nobody to blame but himself.

And even now the burden of leadership was pressing upon him. Even now it was as if it was a straight jacket tying him down. Something that they would put the mad people in to save them from themselves.

Because it was not just Much now, it was Will and Djaq and the life that they wanted to make. It was Luke and Carter and the love that they had that society would not give them. It was Kate and Much who deserved the life that they should have had…of good, ordinary people living under a good peaceful, England where the King was fair and the rule was just and every man was equal under the law. Allan and Erin too. John and Matilda especially. They all deserved long and happy lives with each other in peace.

Perhaps it was a pipe dream. Perhaps it was a dream of an England yet to come. Robin didn't know, but he hoped and that was the dream of the future. Hope. The thing that drove all men to ruin and all men to dust and yet still kept them going.

"You are my brother Much" he said finally. "My brother and my friend. And you would honour me if I was to fall, and you would stand in for my child. For Maud or Edward. I know you would be the friend that Marian would need, the father for my children. You are my friend for better or for worse, my friend and my equal. Perhaps I have not given you the title of such…but is keenly felt nonetheless"

It was a butch of the words that he wanted to say but it was all that he could say nonetheless.

Much watched him for a second and this arm came out and he pulled Robin to him and Robin grinned like he had done when he had been six and this had been the only friend that he had known who had not pulled his punches.

"I would be honoured brother" was all that Much said and Robin knew that despite it all they would be alright. Come heaven or hell, they would be alright. For it was Much and it was Robin and they were always two peas in a pod.

After all, how could there be a fight for England without Robin Hood and his right hand Much?

"Not as much as I am brother" was all that Robin said and they stayed like that for a very long time.

There was nothing else to be said for a while anyway. Too much had passed between them, events too fast and too furious but Robin knew he had much to make up for. Much knew he had much to forgive.

Perhaps that was enough for right now.

God knows it was a start anyhow.

They came home with six birds and a promise. Robin looked at the men and woman in his gang and knew deep down that while he might hope that the King of England would come home and help his people he didn't expect him to. John would be the next King of England.

Perhaps Carter was right and it was time to make peace with what they had. Perhaps Marian had been right oh so long ago and it was time they grew up and accepted their lot in life.

Perhaps it was time to make peace.

But just…but how did they go about it?

That was the question.

And there you go. Next chapter will be along shortly. Also the Sherriff is going to stay with us through the whole thing.

Next Chapter-Prince John comes to Nottingham, the Outlaws get a surprise waiting for them in their camp. Kate gets hurt and Much skates sanity as they try to save her.