Disclaimer to all things RH as usual.

Here's Chapter 13! Thanks again for all the reviews. This chapter was really hard to write and I'm still not sure if I'm entirely happy with it. Maybe that's because its unluck 13...Anyways Enjoy!

Marian walked down the aisle in a gold dress that was too tight, and too low cut for her taste. An ugly lacey veil covered her like a present and was topped with white flowers. She felt miserable as she stared at the floor, not wanting to look up. Finally, however, she did look to the alter where she saw Gisborne standing at the end. She was tempted to roll her eyes at the fact that he was still wearing the same clothing that he wore everyday, the intimidating black leather. When she reached the alter, Guy grabbed her had and shoved a ring on it.

Feeling nervous, she looked around at the wedding guests. They all looked nondescript except for two sitting in the very back of the church. They both had hoods covering their faces so it was impossible to tell who they were. Suddenly a great wind swept through the church pulling back their hoods.

The first face was the king, or at least she thought it was, seeing as he was wearing a crown. The second face was Robin with the painful look on his face that was exactly like the one he had given her when he first learned of her engagement to Gisborne. It was a mixture of both sadness and pain.

Their throats were slit.

Instantly, she closed her eyes and looked back to Guy, whose hands were still holding hers. She was even more horrified when she saw that his hands were covered in blood.

Marian felt like she was drowning. She couldn't breath, she couldn't move, she couldn't do anything. She was trapped. The paths she had taken, the choices she had made all brought her to this very moment, and now, she didn't know what to do...

She woke up panting for air in her room at Knighton Hall. Her eyes darted about her surroundings, making sure that she had only been dreaming. Finally calming down, she took and deep breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment. However, that painful image of Robin's face flashed in her mind causing her to open her eyes and roll out of bed. She glanced out the window. It was early in the day, but not so early that certain outlaws would not be awake. Marian began to get dressed for riding trying to shake the images of her dream from her head.

It had been a little more than a week since Robin had first taken a fever from infection. After his spell of delirium, Marian had stayed in Nettlestone until very late at night when Robin's fever finally broke. She left shortly afterwards and had not seen him since. Gisborne had found countless pointless reasons to visit her at all hours of the day leaving her no time to get away to the forest. Today, however, she knew he was gone on business for a few days leaving her to do what she pleased.

As she mounted her horse and rode for Sherwood, Marian wondered for the first time if she should be going to the forest. She told herself that she owed it to Robin to look in on him, to see if he was alright. She would see him, make small talk for a few moments and leave. She had to avoid any subjects that would end up hurting both of them. When she entered the green forest, Marian involuntarily relaxed. There was something so soothing about this place. Maybe it was the smell of trees, the serenity, or just the fact that she was now far away from prying eyes. She slowed the speed of her horse until she neared the place where Much had told her the outlaws had made their camp.

Marian tied up her horse to a nearby tree and grabbed her bow and one arrow. She walked as quickly and as quietly as she could to the outlaws camp. Staying hidden amongst the tree, she saw that Robin was alone at the camp. He had his back leaned up against a tree with his bandaged injured leg stretched out and his other leg bent up bringing his knee close to his chest. His eyes were closed causing Marian to the believe that he had dozed off. Slowly Marian drew her bow and blunted arrow and loosed it so that it hit Robin in his uninjured leg. He jolted awake. Marian tossed her bow out of sight and tried to keep from grinning furiously.

"Marian." Robin said evenly looking around expectantly.

Marian walked up to him casually with a confused look on her face, "How did you know I was coming?"

Robin smiled, "Well, that," he said pointing at the arrow, "Was just a bit of a clue."

"What do you mean?" she asked inoocently, "I had nothing to do with it."

Robin let out a half-hearted laugh, "Right. Do you expect me to believe that?"

"Well, you expect me to believe alot of things, so I should expect that you would return the favour."

Now Robin grinned, "Touche" Marian also smiled allowing them to fall into a very awkward silence.

"You seem better." Marian offered, and she wasn't lying. Aside from the bandages, he looked remarkably well.

"I Heal quickly." He grimaced as he tried to get up. Marian offered him her hand, but he refused to take it, gripping one of the crutches Will had made for him and hoisted his way up. He had nearly steadied himself when he began to fall over. Marian instantly grabbed his shoulder and brought him back to balance. After a few seconds, Robin looked at Marian and she finally noticed that she was still holding on to his shoulder. He eyes widened a little as she stepped back, a tinge of pink touching her cheeks. A little more awkward silence followed.

"It seems," Robin continued, "That I have managed to squeeze out alive, again." he grinned as if he were proud of himself. Marian guessed that he probably was.

She rolled her eyes.

"What?" he looked at her quizzically.

Marian sighed, "It's nothing I haven't said before."

Robin snorted, " Like that narrows it down at all."

Now Marian was insulted, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You are always telling me the same things." he said accusingly, "It's always 'grow up, Robin' or 'You're a fool, Robin' and more recently, 'I have to marry him' and 'I have to protect my father.'" he stared right into her eyes, "Same insults, same excuses."

Marian opened her mouth to try and defend herself, but she had nothing to say. She wanted to tell him it wasn't true, or that perhaps that she wasn't making excuses, that it was the truth, but she knew she would only be talking in circles, doing just the thing that he accused her of. Quickly, she found her words to try and take away Robin's victory

"As a matter of fact, it is none of those." she said cooly with a hint of defiance in her voice.

Robin raised his eyebrows, "Really, then what is it about?"

"It is about you pretending that you are invincible." she stated seriously, "I have seen your scar from the Holy Land, watched you get shot in the arm and now find you with your leg nearly torn to shreds." there was now heat and anger in her voice, "And of course, all you can do is shrug and offer that silly grin of yours."

"Oh you mean my irresistable smile?" Robin teased, giving his 'silly grin' for good measure, but he lost all humour in his face when he saw Marian glare at him. "What? So do you want my to cower in fear just because I have been wounded?"

"No, I just which you would show some caution. You cannot help anyone if you are dead!" Marian cried

Robin smirked, "Ah yes, another repetitive argument."

Marian's eyes now smouldered with anger. "Do not speak to me about repetition. What about you and forever begging me to not to marry Guy?"

Robin limped a step towards her, "That is different." he said through clenched teeth.

"Is it?" she said quietly, challenging him all the same. So much for a little small talk, she thought.

Robin sighed and looked away. No one was going to win this argument. They were both pushing against a stone wall.

Another moment of silence passed.

"Djaq told me that you were there when I was talking in my fever." he said quietly, still not looking at her.

Marian froze. Her mind sped through all that had happened that night. Did Djaq tell me everything? She panicked inside her head, but faught to keep a straight face and the slight tremble out of her voice.

"Oh? What did she say?" she tried to ask casually, as if it were no large matter.

He looked at her calmly, "She wouldn't tell me. She said that I should ask you."

Marian tried not to look relieved but in her mind she thanked Djaq over and over. "It wasn't much really. You were shouting things in Arabic, and then you called out for your mother." she kept her voice neutral.

"What else?" he asked

"Well," she began hesitantly. There was no way that she was going to tell him the whole story. " Djaq told my to appease you so I pretended that I was your mother. You though you were in the Holy Land and you wished to come home." she bit her lip, hoping she sounded convincing.

"Did you say anything to me?"

"I told you that everything would be alright." was all she could say. At least she could give him a half-truth. That was all her mind would allow.

"And that's all?" Marian wasn't sure if it was just her, but she heard a little hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Yes." she said simply

Robin nodded and seemed satisfied with what she had told him. However, that look soon changed to one of hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me the whole story?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Marian was sure that he could hear her heart pounding.

"I mean," he said, keeping his voice low, "Why did you not tell me what you actually said to me? Are you ashamed?" his eyes locked onto hers and would not leave.

Marian tried to break the gaze and looked around uncomfortably, "What do you mean? You said Djaq told you nothing."

"Djaq didn't. Much did."

Marian's eyebrows furrowed, "But Much wasn't there."

Robin's lips curled into a smile, but his eyes remained in their same cold stare, "He was right above us. He heard everything." he leaned towards her more, now only inches separating their faces, "So, why can you admit things to me when I am delirious, but not when I am awake?" Hurt now crept into his eyes.

Marian felt trapped. She wished that she had never said anything that night. She wished she could just dissapear. "I said alot of things that I didn't mean that night Robin." Tears crept into her eyes. She couldn't believe that she was betraying herself like this, but she knew she had to. "I was not thinking clearly."

Robin pulled his face back. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked intently at the ground. "That night in the mine..." he tried to begin

"Robin, what happened in the mine is over. You were facing death. You were not thinking clearly. Can we please just forget it?" saying these words was tearing Marian's heart to pieces inside.

"So you meant none of it? What I said meant nothing to you?" Anguish was spilling over in Robin's voice.

It meant everything to me she wanted to say You mean everything to me. But, of course, the words would not come out. Instead, she settled for, "There was one thing that I said that I did mean." she whispered. Robin's gaze quickly turned towards her. There was hope in his eyes and Marian feared that she might not be saying what he wanted.

"When I said I had to forgive you for leaving." she said, her voice breaking, "I meant that because I do." she stopped, trying to find her voice again. Robin moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I forgive you." she whispered.

TBC

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