Hi, so here is another chapter and i apologise for the lateness and here is another chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter and i will do my best to get the next one to you. There will be a lull in action for the remainder of this story but the sequel (which is in the works) does pick up at the beginning of Season 2.

Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just this chapter.

TRIGGER WARNINGS for this chapter and for this story.

Please Read and Review.

Faith Based Initiative

Chapter 13-Not Responsible

Matilda gifts the Outlaws one last thing before she departs, Erin receives a gift, Robin attempts to find out more information and Will and Djaq spend some time together.

Erin had woken to the sounds of something heavy hitting the floor of the forest. She lay under the covers for a second wondering what was going to happen and then she sat up. She was not in the darkness anymore she thought sternly. If she was going to do something with the rest of her life then she may as well start now.

She stood up and winced as her feet ached. Matilda had bandaged them up but the marks of her ankles were still there. She was suddenly very aware she had not washed in a long time as well. For a long time Erin had simply not had it in her to care but right now in a camp in the woods surrounded by men who didn't want to hurt her she found that she did.

Wrapping her one good arm around her waist she peered through the curtain. They were lugging something at least three of them and Erin realised that if she was going to stay here she was going to have to learn their names.

And that required her being brave.

She opened the curtain and hobbled a little to a wooden tree trunk that was used to sit down watching. Three men, the dark haired one called Will, the one she was sure called Much and the blue eyed one whose name she thought was Allan but wasn't sure were lugging what looked like a huge tub of wood that was lined with sheets. Behind them was John lugging a huge bucket that was filled with water.

"Ah Will" Allan said wringing his thumb. "Can you watch when you lower you end you just caught my nail"

"Oh well forgive me" Will said sarcastically his face damp with sweat "I mean we've only been carrying this for half the morning and across half the forest and Much is not helping"

"Well that's unfair" Much said holding a basket of what looked like herbs. "I was told to help Matilda and quite frankly she scares me more than you do"

"Wimp" Allan said before the tub dropped again.

"Ah fucking—"

"Allan" John said finally catching her sitting there. He flashed her a grin and Erin gave a small smile. It was easy around John she decided, even despite his size. It was easy and she needed easy right now.

One by one they all turned to see her sat there.

Now, Erin thought, now it when it got complicated.

"Good Morning" Much said finally. "I'm making lunch in a minute. We've got eggs and some ham and some cheese so do you want yours fried or boiled? Or do you just want stew with the rest of us?"

Erin dithered. It was typical really. First question of the day and she was already coming up short. How she was supposed to contribute to life at this camp she really didn't know.

"Just do stew Much" Allan said catching her eye before he looked away. Erin noticed that his eyes were very blue.

"Thank you" she said into the silence and then.

"Has Matilda left?"

"Aye" John said putting down the bucket. "But she's left clear instructions for Much to take care of injuries. All three of you are out of the immediate danger so that's good"

Erin nodded. It didn't feel good but she knew that she could hardly expect Matilda to stay here forever.

Already this was an improvement with or without her on where Erin had been.

As she thought of that she realised something and it sent a bolt of fear into her plunging her heart into her stomach.

"They know don't they" she said as Much began to chop some bread. "They'll know wont they? That I've gone. I mean…this Sherriff, he's going to know I'm with you?"

"Hey now" Allan said sitting on the tree.

"That's not going to happen. Even if the ones still up at the castle realise your gone there's nothing connecting you to us. Besides nobody knows where we are and believe me the Sherriff has been looking—were very good at what we do"

"So are they" Erin said breathing in and then wincing as her ribs flared a little.

"Yeah" Allan said and there was something in his voice that made her look at him. He was looking at her but there was something in his eyes that she had never seen before. She had thought it was pity—certainly when she had forced herself to look at Robin that was what had been in his eyes. But it was not.

This was something different, something that she had never seen in a man's eyes before.

Soft.

Much passed her a mug of water. It was a handmade mug and she snatched it drinking it greedily. Water and food deprivation had been an easy way to control her and never before had she had the luxury of having as much as she wanted whenever she wanted. Much said nothing but just refilled her cup and passed her a bowl of stew that had meat and potatoes in it and a huge hunk of bread slathered with butter. Erin had never had such luxury before.

Well…not for a long time either way.

"Now eat slow" Much said passing her a spoon. "It's pork, the last of it though I'm making a separate one with beef for Djaq as she doesn't eat it. But I've seen men on the crusades and what happens to them when they eat too fast. Besides if she has come all the way back Matilda will kill me. She's only just stopped moaning about the horse when it was time for her to get back on"

Erin took the spoon and did as instructed. It was delicious and she ate silently making eat bite last. The other outlaws took bowls and Much poked his head around the curtain.

"Asleep still" he said with a nod. "Alright they can have the eggs then, saves the last of the beef for when we need it. Hunting might be few and far on the ground for a while"

"Is that where Robin is? Hunting?"

"No" Will said shortly. He kept silent though Erin thought it was by choice and not by the fact that he was adverse to her being there.

"He's gone to town, gone to find out if there is any news. He'll be back. He's not looking to get himself caught. He wants to make sure Marian is safe either way"

Erin nodded. Her eyes were taken by the great wooden tub. John caught her looking she supposed.

"Bath" he said shortly through a mouthful of bread. "Matilda's idea. We've been getting water all day"

Erin blinked suddenly overwhelmed by the kindness. She was not sure for a second just how to respond so instead she ducked her head and let the matted blonde strands cover her face.

"Plus we got you somethings" Much continued. Erin snapped her head up to look at him.

"Well Robin and Allan did so it might not be the best for fashion but we got you a dress and some boots and stuff. Got some for Marian as well so if you don't like it I assume you can switch in the way that…well…anyway we can get the bath up and running. We've got some very nice rose scented soap which Robin pilfered from the Crusades and some cream with lavender and a hard bar which you can wash your hair with. Also a salt bar which we robbed."

"Gets the dirt out of the good places" Will said with a smile. He almost looked human when he smiled Erin thought. She wanted to smile back but her lip hurt and she felt her head throb and tears come to her eyes regardless. She ducked her head again.

"Guess I must look a dreadful fright" she said finally looking back down at her knees.

"Nah" Allan said gently. "We've looked worse. Trust me"

Erin laughed a little but she didn't look up. She didn't think she could.

She didn't think she would ever be able to do so.

And she hated herself for it.

The bath had been a surprise. The boys had filled it with hot water and then disappeared claiming they would wait outside the shut door of the camp and if there was anything in the woods they would shout so she could get behind the curtain. Erin had nodded and then after Allan had pointed out where the new things for her were she had stripped off the filthy shirt she had been wearing for too long and threw it into the corner. Somehow she thought If it wasn't properly dealt with soon it would crawl away. She couldn't remember when she had been given it and she didn't know how long it had been on her.

Erin didn't want to look at it again.

Much had filled the bath up with steam and then had sprinkled some lavender in it blushing when John had muttered something under his breath. Erin saw that they worked together as a family and it didn't seem to matter to them that she would be joining them. On the contrary they seemed thrilled to have extra company.

It was all strange Erin thought. That might not be the best word for it but it was the only word that she could think of in this moment.

She stepped into the hot bath and then sat down.

It was bliss.

It was beyond bliss.

She reached for the rose soap and began to scrub. And if she cried a little watching the grime come off then that was between her and the water.

They had been lounging around for about an hour and a half when a small voice was said through the wood of the closed camp that they could come in now and that Marian and Djaq were stirring. Will had stood up the second that Djaq's name had been mentioned and Allan followed.

"Wow" Much said as they trooped back in. Allan followed where he was looking and felt something inside him constrict.

Gone was the grime and the blood and the dirt. Her skin was pale from lack of sunlight but clean though it seemed to throw every cut and every bruise into a sharper focus.

Erin had cleaned herself up though. She was dressed in the dress that Allan and Robin had found. It was simple white dress covered in blue flowers and it had short sleeves. There were brown button leather boots on her feet and her hair which had once been a dark mess of sweaty, bloody, tangled blonde had been cleaned and dried. It was curling slightly Allan saw at the bottom but it mostly hung in waves of gold and now he could see that it was a shade or two lighter than it had been before. She was still bloody and bruised, still emancipated, and yet Allan had never seen a more stronger or a more beautiful woman standing in front of him.

He shook that thought from his head as soon as he thought it.

The last thing she—no—Erin needed was for him to pant after her like a mad dog in heat.

"Thanks" she said turning around with a soft smile. "Marian woke up, so I think she wants the bath refilled. I can heat some water if you want"

"Oh no" Much said looking pleased. "I can do that. You go and sit down. Robin will come back soon"

Erin shook her head as if she was resolute. Was there was something wrong with Allan perhaps? When he watched the blonde curls that were forming bobbing up and down and wondering if they were as soft as they looked?

Oh good God man.

Erin winced a little her hand on her ribs and then she sat down.

"Thank you" she said turning that full power of the blue eyed gaze on him. "But I do want to make myself useful"

"Don't worry" came a voice from the curtain. Allan turned away from that hypnotic gaze to see Marian wrapped in a sheet her hair covering the bruises that adorned her upper body but still clearly naked under the sheet. Allan once upon a time would have either winked (just to annoy Robin) or would have made a comment but he found that right now he couldn't and more to the point he didn't want to.

"I'll reheat the second lot of buckets" Much muttered. "Allan, John you'd better go and see if Robin plans to join us by nightfall"

Allan was about to say something but Marian interrupted.

"Djaq is awake"

Will moved towards the curtain without looking backwards and Allan sighed.

Well…he supposed a walk would cool his head.

Robin had been watching. Indeed it was an easy thing to do. He knew the castle of Nottingham well and he'd found a perch that overlooked the courtyard and gave him a clear view of who was coming in and who was coming out. He forced himself to stay still when Gisbourne rode in at the head of a gang of guards. The man had the audacity to look sad. Like he had not known (if not taken care of it personally) about the killing of Edward and the raising of Knighton Hall.

He watched Gisbourne speak to someone dressed in black. He had one eye bandaged with a rank looking cloth and three fingers on one hand. He looked like he had fought in wars and wars though on what side Robin was not sure. He looked at him and found his teeth gritting together. Gisbourne was saying something but Robin could not hear them. He could not see the Sherriff which he thought was a very good thing.

He did not think that his fury would be contained if he did.

Killing the King was one thing. Robin had known that had been the endgame for the Sherriff for sometime. He had bought his position under the Prince John's gaze who (even according to jokes by his brother) could be bought as easily as a whore in a whorehouse and he was not going to give up his power when Richard came home. The Sherriff had been backing this for a while.

What had surprised him was the amount of nobles backing it. What had nearly knocked him over had been the comment that Allan and Will had shared. He'd been gone from England a long time and Robin had seen first hand the taxes rising, most were issued from London and most were for the King's Crusade. Gisbourne himself had said truth when the people of England had wanted their King at home and not abroad. Will and Allan he knew had seen first hand the utter cruelty that had come with the taxation. Jane Scarlett had been a good woman beyond any kind of reproach. Ruth Lacey had been a good woman, the Miller family who'd lost their son. Countless others. He could understand it but loyalty to the monarch had been something installed in him since birth. His father had spoken of King Henry II with nothing short of reverence in his tone. He had followed King Henry's son to the Crusades with the same reverence. It had never occurred to him that it was not felt at home.

Robin shifted feeling as if the world was coming down around his ankles with nothing to show for it.

And Marian.

My God Marian.

The state she had been in when he had found her…it would give him nightmares for sure.

He watched Gisbourne move into the castle. There was an expression on his face, it was not the fresh humiliation and anger that came with Marian humiliating him at the alter. It was grief. Like he was genuinely grieving Marian.

Robin considered what that meant. What it meant for Gisbourne and the Sherriff is Gisbourne had not known that Marian was alive and it had been on someone else's orders that her death had been faked he did not know. But he knew it was significant. He watched silently and then dropped down so that he could not be seen. As much as he wanted to storm the castle he knew that he needed at least Much (if not more) when he did. The words he had thrown at the men who followed him when Marian had been upon the cusp of marrying he knew were harsh.

Dropping down from his ledge he was surprised to see Allan waiting for him.

"Marian?"

"Nah she's fine, taking a bath now. Much told me to come and get you. He would leave but Djaq's got a headache that he needs to tend to and I think he wants to prove himself. So I said I'd get you before you did anything stupid. Well I told Marian I would." He shot Robin a very pointed look as if he was under no doubts that he knew what Robin had been considering doing. Allan had always been direct in that sense.

"The—Erin?"

"Dressed, clean, trying to look us in the eye. Wants to make herself useful" Allan shook his head his lip curling a little. "She doesn't need to" he said finally.

"No" Robin said as they headed towards the forest.

"No she doesn't"

Will had been waiting, on edge, tense just for this moment and while Marian had been bathing he had ducked round the curtain at the first sign that Djaq would want to see him.

She was very pale and was shivering slightly under the sheets. Matilda and Much had both claimed it was due to adrenaline rather than fever but Will didn't…couldn't stop himself from sliding over to the bed and letting her rest her bandaged head on his shoulder.

He really would do anything for her. If she'd asked him to kill someone for her he would do so.

"Your going to be ok" he said finally. He could not…would not…acknowledge that this was the first time that they had been this close without the knowledge of impending death.

"I know" she said finally. "And I should not ask it of you. It's just a really want you here before I go outside and brave the rest of them"

"Why?" Will asked before he could stop himself. Djaq gave a little sigh.

"Because I trust you. Because…because you are a good man. And because I feel safe with you"

Will blinked back the emotions that sprang to the surface at that as well as the guilt that was building. Now was not the time.

Now she needed…well…he supposed a friend and whatever Djaq needed then…then she never had to look for Will Scarlett and find him waiting.

She was he thought bitterly for a second, not the love of his life, for nothing.

And there you go, i hope you enjoyed this chapter and i will get the next one too you sooner rather than later.

Next Chapter-Marian and Robin have a conversation which goes the same way as all their other conversations. Djaq recounts her memories and tells Will about her sister and Erin goes for a walk.