Two months had passed since Robin had told her how he felt. Two months in which he saw her almost every day. Months in which he fell deeper and deeper in love with each passing day. Months in which nothing really changed on Marian's side. Finally Robin's patience ran out and his frustration boiled over.

Marian had come to see him in Sherwood. They were walking hand in hand through the forest. He stopped turning to face her and lifting her chin so he could clearly see her eyes as he asked what had been on his mind for the past week.

"Are you ever going to trust me?" He couldn't help the sadness in his voice.

Her eyes became guarded and she looked away from him. He could almost see a wall go up between them. It made his frustration level go up considerably.

"I do trust you." She didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"To an extent you do but not like you used to nor will you allow yourself to love me again."

"I care about you a lot." She wanted to trust him but something prevented her from completely dropping her guard.

He laughed but it wasn't a happy laugh. "Care. That's pretty weak. Why can't you get close to me and let us be as we were?"

"I have changed. I'm not that naive girl who put all my hope for the future in you. I've learned to stand alone."

He put his hands on her shoulders trying to make her see the truth and what she was doing to them by holding back, what they could have.

"You are not alone and it's not that you've changed. You refuse to trust me. What is it going to take to prove to you that I'm not that foolish boy chasing glory anymore. I would never leave you again. Why would I when you are all that matters to me?"

"I don't know. I wish I could believe you."

She may as well have told him she hated him. He reacted by being cruel. "Maybe you should have married Gisbourne since you were so sure about his feelings for you."

She looked shocked for a moment but quickly recovered. "Maybe I still will. At least he would never leave me."

She turned and walked away he called after her "Fine walk away like you always do instead of just talking about the issue. Now who needs to grow up? If you would stop being so stubborn we could be happy but no that's the easy solution"

Robin watched as she mounted her horse and headed home. He stalked back to camp kicking a rock as hard as he could when he entered it. Much looked up at him questionably.

"I do not understand women especially that one. She calls ME stubborn and a fool. I have done everything to prove my love yet she still keeps a wall between us."

"Try to see it from her side, Master. You more or less abandoned her for glory which made her believe her love meant nothing. Glory meant more to you than she did. And what prevents you from leaving again."

"I would never leave again. I have changed." Robin sighed sadly. "Nothing means more to me than her. Why can't she see that?"

"Just give her more time. I'm sure she will come around."

"Time. I have been without her for five years. I don't know how much longer I can be. I'm going for a walk to clear my head. I don't know how long I will be gone."

Much watched Robin walk away and his heart ached for both his friends. Much saw the scars that Robin so carefully hid probably because he carried the same scars. They were scars that went far deeper and were much more damaging than the one on Robin's side and he knew Marian was the only one who could heal those scars and make Robin whole again. Maybe he should try talking to her. Maybe she would believe him and then Robin and Marian would finally be happy. Maybe he should let her calm down a bit before going to talk to her.