DD 7

Marian was beginning to regret her mental resolution. Over the next few days she had been meeting Robin every chance she could get, when she wasn't spending time with her father or Djaq, and Robin was teaching her all the dance steps she would need to know. But in all truth. It was hell. She never knew how unfit she was. Her legs felt like they were about to break into a million pieces of glass and then be trampled over. Her upper arms felt like an elephant had been lying on them all night. Even the simple job of reaching up to put her hair in a pony tail felt like her muscles were being put through a shredder. Dancing was a lot harder than it ever looked. Sometimes she thought that Robin was right. That she couldn't do it. But the thought of proving him right, made her go on. Even though the fact of having to go through all of it again, made her want to scream. This is the price of her stubbornness.

'No! Don't step on the one. You gotta start on the 2 find the 2. Understand?' Robin moaned as Marian got the step wrong yet again.

'I'm sorry OK. But I have never done any of these dances before.' Marian tried to explain, but Robin just ignored her.

'Now. It's one, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.' Robin repeated and took Marian in the dancing frame again. 'Now when the music starts you go on the two. Got it?' He stressed. This was harder work than he thought. She couldn't seem to get anything right. Either the move was to funny, or to hard, or to fast. But he would give her something. She didn't give up. That was for sure.

Marian went to step, but was at the wrong time yet again. Robin stopped her and she waited for the right step to come. They started dancing and everything was going fine. Then Robin made her do the dance again, and naturally it never worked twice. He started teaching her different steps and dances which she found all the more harder. Marian even started practising when she was walking to and from the lessons with Robin, meaning she took ages to get home, as she would go back to her spot and start the step again.

'The steps aren't enough. You have to feel the music.' Was what Robin kept telling her in all their rehearsals. He said you just can't dance to a song. You have to feel the beat, and match it with your own emotions. Marian thought he was crazy at first, but then as their lessons progressed, she began to understand him. She managed to dance the steps better so Robin thought it was time she started learning the more difficult ones, like twist, burls, spins and lifts.

Today was going to be good. Marian thought. She had just mastered the last dance Robin had been teaching her, and today she was learning a new one all together.

'It's not on the 2. Its not the Mambo.' Robin stated. Great. Marian thought. He had been smacking the 2 into her head for weeks now. And she had finally mastered it. Only for him to tell her to forget it.

'It's like a feeling. A heartbeat.' Robin continued, placing a hand to his heart and tapping his hand with every beat of his heart. Now he's gone crazy. Marian thought as she watched him. 'Ga-gum, ga-gum.' Robin whispered as he tapped his fingers against his heart. Marian then mimicked his actions, but was doing it to fast. Robin gently took her hand and pressed it against his chest and put his hand over hers. He waited for the beat of his heart and matched their hands with its gentle beating. He watched as Marian closed her eyes, and he gently began to step with the beat, as he spoke the numbered steps. Marian sighed contently. She could feel the warmth of his skin through his light blue shirt. Making her want to lean her head against it. She felt his heart beat, and began to move to the music as he did. She was in a dream like state. She just wanted him to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. To feel his warmth.

A few days later and Marian was meeting Robin again for another lesson. This time Sarah was going to be there to help her. Robin couldn't only teach her the moves, but she had to learn to move like a woman. Which was where Sarah came in.

'No, what's this spaghetti arms. This is your dance space this is mine. I don't go into your, you don't go into mine. You have to hold the frame.' Robin said. 'Again.' Sarah got up and started the song again as Robin and Marian made the frame. They started dancing as Sarah stood behind Marian and held her waist making her stand correctly. After a few more days Robin began teaching her the spin for the dance. Every time she spun Marian was to lock eyes with Robin for only a second and then into the next spin. But she couldn't manage to stop and look at him. Therefore. Robin spun her, the stopped and pointed at his eyes, showing her where to look. Which wasn't his best idea, as it caused Marian to loose focus and smash their heads together when she finished a twirl. Robin decided to move onto the next move, and leave the spin for later. The move was that Robin was to hold her hand and raise it up and place it behind his neck. Then he would slid his hand down her neck and under her arm, where they would hold hands and go into a spin. Seems simple enough. Only the fact that Marian was one of the most ticklish people you would meet, and any time Robin's hand went anywhere under her arm, it would cause her to burst out laughing. Which sent Robin crazy and moving onto another step. He began teaching her the twirl. All she had to do was twirl away from him and then back. One of the easiest steps. But all Marian did was come back crashing into his chest. Not that she minded. But he seemed to be getting rather annoyed and fed up with it all. Robin said she needed more practice with her leg and arm work, so had her and Sarah dance together as he watched, making mental notes of things she needed to work on.

Marian started to see a change in herself, as the lessons progressed. Her stomach was toner and flatter. She felt more comfortable in shorts and skirts, items of clothing she would try to avoid. She had also started wearing make-up. But it was not all the time. Only when she was going to see Robin. She would stopped on the small white bridge and put some on, then take it off before she went home, in fear that her father would see. In fact, she never wore it unless she was going to a lesson with Robin, but that didn't mean anything...right? She had also started to wear smaller items of clothing to her lessons. Before she would wear shorts or a skirt over the small dance pants. Where now she would wear just the dance pants, and a vest that would be tied up to beneath her breasts. Marian loved the feel of Robins hands as they wondered across her body...feeling it, holding it. He loved as they glided across her thighs and hips, and held her gently by the waist. But what she loves more. Is when he gets to hot during practices and takes his shirt of leaving his tones muscled dancer torso exposed. When he does this Marian gets to feel him. Get to lay her hands on his skin, and feel the muscles tense and move as he moves. She loved gazing into his eyes as they danced. Sometimes she danced on auto-pilot as she got lost in the emerald heaven of them.

It was two days before the show, and one of their few remaining practices. Marian was at the least to say. Petrified. Robin still hadn't taught her the lift that she had to do for the show, and to make matters worse. There was a thunderstorm. She was with Robin for one of their final practices and she was becoming more and more annoyed, at all his mocking comments towards her. She was trying her hardest, yet he expected more. They were practising when it came to the end and then had to do a backwards bow, which resulted in her almost braking Robin's back.

'Ahh. Are you trying to kill me! Come on you have to concentrate is this your idea of fun!' Robin growled holding stretching his swore back.

'Yeah. Yeah it is. We have two days before the show, you won't show me the lift. I am doing all of this to save your ass, where now all I want to do is land you on it.' Marian yelled finally snapping.

Robin was bending over leaning on his knees, panting trying to catch his breath covered in sweat. A look that would have fitted him perfectly, if it wasn't for the angry tension in the air. Marian thought. Robin just stared at Marian in dis-belief. 'Well lets get out of here.' He said. Marian frowned but took her coat when he handed her it. She put it on and put the hood over her head as he put his leather jacket on. Robin walked out into the rain and Marian followed him. The thunder made her jump a few times, but thankfully Robin didn't notice. The last thing she wanted was him thinking that she was scared. Robin walked down the pathway towards his car, and by the time they got there, they were both drenched. They finally reached the car and Robin searched in his pockets for his keys. But came out empty handed. He walked over and leaned on the window looking in.

'I've locked they keys in the car.' He moaned turning to Marian, who rolled her eyes. Robin walked over to one of the small wooden posts that located that parking spaces. He kicked both of the sides a few times and then pulled it out from the ground, as some of the wet mud fell from it back onto its usual terrain. Marian watched curiously, wondering what he was doing. She almost screamed as he walked over to the car and smashed the small back window in. Robin reached in and unlocked her door and opening it turned and starred at her. Marian couldn't move. She just stood gaping at him. He had just smashed the window of his car in.

'Your getting wet right?' Robin's voice cut through her thoughts and shock. Everything came back. Robin standing holding the door open for her, the rain battering down on her hood, the thunder and lightening raging on the sky. Marian walked forward quickly and sat down, as he closed her door and walked around the car and sat in the drivers seat.

'Your wild.' She laughed.

'What?' Robin shouted over the radio.

'YOUR WILD!' Marian shouted louder so he could hear over the music as she and Robin laughed hysterically.

Marian sat in the car as he began to drive, wondering where in the world he was taking her. But decided he was in no mood to answer questions. So she just sat quietly listening to the radio.

It was day by the time they had arrived. So Marian phoned Djaq and asked her to cover for her. She had told Djaq at the start what she was doing. She had to so that Djaq could cover for her. But it also worked both ways, as Djaq said she was with Marian which meant she got to sneak away and see Will. Marian had had to sit up many times at night and listen to her friend talk about the young carpenter. Marian only wished she could have that bond and friendship with Robin. But sometimes, she really felt like he hated her.

Robin had taken them out to a country side area. He said he was going to help her learn how to balance and also teach her the lift. Marian gasped as he took her to a log that went from one side of the ground across an opening an then to the other. It was obviously used to walk across as beneath it lay a small stream.

'Now. The most important thing to remember in lifts...is balance.' Robin said and walked onto the log to demonstrate, by jumping on it, which resulted in him nearly losing his balance so he quickly sat down on the log, making Marian laugh.

'I got it now.' Robin laughed walking back onto the middle of the tree.

'So where did you learn to be dancer?' Marian asked curiously. She had never spoke to Robin about how he had first started, and she was very interested.

Robin shrugged. 'Well this guy came into the luncheonette one day and...you know, we were all sitting around doing nothing.' Robin explained as he sat down on the log. ' And he said that a man named Arthur Murray was giving a test for instructors. So if you passed...' He continued as he stood on the log. ''They teach you all these different dances, show you how to break them down and teach them.' Robin finished as he stood like he was about to begin a sword fight, and beckoned Marian onto the log with his finger, like he had done that night at the dance.

'No.' Marian protested. If she went out there, she was sure to end up in the water below. But Robin was having none of it and walked across the log and got her. Marian took his hands and stepped onto the log, gazing into his eyes. She would have easily walked over burning hot lava, as long as she had those eyes to look into. They made the frame and began to dance, which almost caused Marian to fall but Robin thankfully caught her. He began leading her into the centre of the log dancing the steps. Soon she was dancing without grasping onto Robin, and was even beginning to wave her arms about. But Robin like usual had to start showing off and act cocky, as he started doing a silly version of the mashed potato. Making Marian to burst out laughing and join in.

Robin took her onto a grassy field like area to practice the lift.

'Right bend your knees. And go up.' Robin instructed as he got ready to catch her. Marian was nervous and shaking like a leaf. How she managed to make her legs run, as they felt like two slinkies. She ran but wasn't fast enough so Robin only manages to lift her from the ground and then put her down again.

'Good try. Now if you don't trust me. You'll hurt me all right?' Robin explained. Oh great fill me full of confidence. Marian thought. Here I am learning the dance routine for weeks. But two days before the show, I go and take out the only leading male dancer. Marian ran again, but only for a repeat of her first try. Robin ran backwards more to give her more room to run.

'Go, go.' He said as he got ready to catch her again. However, this time she ran, he caught her, but then both fell backwards causing her to land on him. Knocking the wind from him.

'You know this would be easier in the water.' Robin groaned as he tried to get his breath back.

Before she knew Marian was starring at the wet naked torso of Robin's body. How he expected her to concentrate now she would never know. This was all his fault. Robin moved his hands around her waist as he got ready to lift her. He lifter her and this time managed to get her above his head.

'Good. Now hold the position. Don't break it. Don't break it.' He called as he felt her shift her weight sending the both of the, backwards in the water.

'Right again.' Robin laughed as they both resurfaced, and swan back to each other, both panting. Robin noticed that Marian's est strap had fallen off her shoulder, and went to pull it back up. But the water making her vest stick to every bump and curve was too much to see if he were to control himself, so he quickly changed his mind and put his hand back under the water.

After an other hour of practising, and still not accomplishing the lift, they had to get back. Marian tried to dry herself off as Robin drove them back to Kellerman's.

'That was good work today. A few more practices and you should have the lifts under your belt.' Robin smiled encouraging her.

'I'm surprised that you could lift me.' Marian laughed dryly. Robin frowned and turned to look at her, but keeping one eye on the road.

'What you mean by that?' Robin asked frowning.

'Well Sarah's a lot skinnier than me.' Marian laughed. But Robin could sense the seriousness in her voice.

'Marian, Sarah may be a slight bit smaller than you. But you are in no way fat.' Robin stated.

'Yeah, well that's not what my last boyfriend said.' Marian whispered sadly and turned away from him to look out the window. Robin watched her reflection and as soon as he thought he saw a tear he pulled the car over to the side of the road.

'Come here.' He whispered stretching his arm out. Marian turned and smiled at him. She leant over and leaned on his chest, as he held her in his arm. Marian sniffed as she hugged tightly into his chest. Feeling every muscle through his semi-wet shirt. She would lay there all day if she could. She felt so safe in his arms. And she fit them perfectly. Like they had been made for her...and only for her. She closed her eyes and sniffed as he began to talk, and she listened to his comforting words.

'You are not fat. And your boyfriend was the most stupidest man in the world to tell you that.' Robin said softly. 'Your better off without him.' Robin felt the rage rush through his body. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, taking some of the anger out on it. How dare some idiot man, tell her that she was fat. She was in no way at all fat. All he wanted to do was go and find this loser and beat the hell out of him,. He must be low and pathetic to tell a beautiful woman like Marian that she was fat, and make her feel bad, and cry. No one told his Marian, that she was fat. And certainly no one made his Marian cry. After a few more moments of crying into his chest Marian sat up and dried her tears. Robin smiled at her.

'There's the Marian I know.' He smirked and winked at her, before continuing to drive home. It wasn't until after he had dropped her off and began driving up to his cabin to change, he thought about his earlier words. Had he really called her his Marian. But he had to remember what Kellerman said. He wasn't allowed. Or he would loose his job. The job he needed. Marian was forbidden to him. Which only made him want her more.