Author note: I'm sorry! I truly, truly am, this is pretty late I know but I do have good excuses, I've just been so busy and I just haven't had the inspiration to write. I got down to it today and here is chapter three, hopefully the length will make up for the delay, its 8,050 words and 14 word pages long. Also, just so you know, I was going to call this chapter 'Dick Dastardly' because of who it centres around, however I opted to choose another title, and the one I had now works because of how many times I mention it throughout this chapter. Dares to dream will understand my apprehension to using Dick Dastardly, however if anyone wants be to change the chapter title back I most certainly will if I get enough requests. Here it is, please enjoy. :)

Chapter three

The bus stop

I felt an unpleasant look cross my face and my upper lip curl a little in disgust at the man before me. Great, just great, exactly what I needed on a Saturday morning before going to work, a visit from my slave driving, wannabe toft of an ex-boyfriend. Ignoring Adam as best I could I put my iPod on shuffle and walked so that I was standing on the other side of the bus stop to Adam, I stared down the street in the direction the bus would come from and willed the giant hunk of metal to get here faster. I started to tap my foot irritably, well aware that Adam was watching me intently, that smug grin never leaving his face. Why couldn't he just leave me alone, wasn't it bad enough that I couldn't escape him on a night when he came to give me my jobs for the day, did he really have to pester me every hour of every day? I sighed and turned my head to look down the street again, come on, come on, I coxed the stupid invisible bus driver to no avail. I felt my frown deepen when I felt Adam take a step towards me, still I refused to look at him or even ask what he was doing here, because it would surely only lead to an argument and I was afraid that if I couldn't restrain myself then George would be the one to suffer for it. I could see Adam's new and improved Baxter taught grin getting closer to me from the corner of my eye, but I would not let myself turn to face my enemies Southside spy and my ex boyfriend. I swiftly pulled my iPod from my pocket and started to flick through the songs on shuffle in search of a song loud enough to block out anything Adam was going to say be me. I had just found Paramore's 'for a pessimist I'm pretty optimistic' and was about to turn the volume way, way up when Adam carefully curled a finger around the wire and pulled my headphones from my ears.

"I want to talk to you," Adam said, lowering his voice in an attempt to sound sexy, which of course he didn't.

I pulled my headphone wire from his grip and shot him a look "well I don't wanna talk to you," I said as I lifted my headphones towards my ears, desperate to block him out before he pushed me to the very edge of my patience, I cant tell you how many times he'd done that on his little late night visits. My headphones never reached their destination however as Adam swiftly grabbed the wire and roughly pulled them. I scowled at him, his superior grin never leaving his face but his dark eyes seeming to harden with purpose and intent. "Look," I said tightly, getting bored of Adam real fast "I'll get those shirts to you by tomorrow. God knows how since I doubt the house will be empty long enough for me to pull out the ironing board, but I will okay." I then pulled the wire from his hand a second time and folded my arms across my chest, urging the bus to move faster with my mind again.

"That is good to hear," Adam said, his recently acquired posh accent still sounding wrong to me, it sort of creeped me out to be honest, not that I'd ever tell him or anyone that "but I have decided I will give you an extension on the shirts."

"You have?" I asked in a completely shocked voice, ever since Adam had roped me into being his slave I'd never been given an extension, the deal traditionally was that I have whatever he wanted me to do done before twenty-four hours had passed. I felt my eyebrows, which had shot up at Adams words, knit together again as suspicion set in "why, what do you want?" I asked guardedly. I didn't trust Adam, not in the slightest, in the time space of a year he had gone from being my boyfriend, to being my cheating ex-boyfriend, to being my cheating ex-boyfriend/blackmailer, who was hell bent on seeing my current boyfriend in the clutches of the evil Baxter, unless I did whatever he asked of course. So forgive me if I wasn't naive enough to actually think that Adam would ever do something nice for me without expecting something back in return.

"Cant I simply want to help you? Why do you always have to assume I have some sort of ulterior motive?" Adam asked; a fake innocent look on his face.

"Do you have some sort of ulterior motive?" I asked dryly and bluntly, knowing this creep well enough to not be fooled by anything that came out of his mouth. Adam's smile widened and he folded his arms before resting against the bus stop sign and regarding me with one of those annoying looks of his.

"Yes," he said and I nodded a hard expression on my face.

"Thanks but no thanks," I said, admitting defeat grudgingly with the iPod and pulling it out of my pocket and wrapping the headphones around it before putting it back in my bag. "I don't need an extension."

"It's not optional," Adam said, pushing off from the bus stop sign and taking another step towards me.

"I'd step back if I were you," I said as Adam invaded my personal space and came to stand right in front of me "or else the next time you come to visit I'll take my iron to more than just your shirts." I said threateningly as I tilted my head back to look him in the eyes, Adam only laughed though, which only served to piss me off even more "and I think you'll find I do have a choice, and I say I don't need an extension."

"Robin, Robin, Robin," I said Adam raised his hand so that his index finger rested along my jaw line and his thumb pressed against my chin "I would have thought that you would understand this blackmail thing by now, its quite simple," he said lowering his voice so that only I could hear it "you do whatever I ask, whenever I ask and your beloved Crusader isn't unmasked in front of his father. Figuratively speaking of course."

Fuming I pushed his hand away and took a step back, checking to see if the street was still deserted (I didn't need any nosy neighbours seeing this and telling George) before turning back to face Adam with my most disgusted look. My anger was mounting now, and fast, he had me exactly where he wanted me yet again and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't even argue with the guy properly, for fear that he would turn around and say that he was going to tell Baxter about George. Making my expression as hostile as it could possibly be I balled my fists and channelled all my loathing into my eyes and glared at him, but of course he only smiled cruelly and said,

"Now that we've reached an understanding, do you want to know what I want from you?"

"Not particularly," I said coldly before folding my arms and trying to calm down a little, hate was still coursing through me strongly though and I could not unfist my hands.

Pretending not to hear me Adam carried on as though I hadn't spoken, "I want you to come to my house tonight, rather than me going to yours. I think my request might upset the rest of your household if they were to find out somehow and frankly, I don't need the hassle."

I felt my eyes go wide and my stomach drop, fear picking up around the edges of my anger, breaking through its defences. I regarded Adam, his cruel smile was still there but his eyes were once again as hard as stone, there was no missing the intent behind his words and his order (because it sure wasn't a request), it chilled me to my core. I had always feared that it would come to this, ever since we had struck this deal weeks ago, I had been worried that once he ran out of trivial crap for me to do he'd start to make things more serious. Every single visit over these past weeks he had slowly been getting more and more intimate, he had been trying it on more often but never making it an order, I knew Adam though; I had known it was only a matter of time. I was backed into a corner here and the rat was taking advantage of that fact, he knew I had no choice and he was going to make the most of the situation.

"No," I spat harshly, my anger promptly returning and pushing aside my fear and repulsion. There was no way I was doing as he asked, no way would I sink to that level, no way would I let Adam win this argument. "I'd rather you ask me to stick pins in my eyes."

I gathered up all of my anger, fury and disgust and pulled myself up so that I was standing tall. I wasn't going to give in this time, I had a choice and I chose my way, there was no way I was going to Adam's house where I'd be trapped by both the building its self and my stupid but necessary deal with him, not now and not ever. Where the hell was that stupid bus anyway? I thought, though I refused to take my determined gaze away from Adam.

Adam looked livid, his cool and calm demeanour (another lesson in evil-businessmen 101 I was guessing) cracked, clearly he had yet to master Baxter's indifference to emotion; though the other week when he had visited George Baxter hadn't had a very good hold on it now that I thought about it. Adam's hands were now in fists as well and I was conscious of the fact that we were all alone on the street, only the cars that passed on the main road could see us and even then I doubted anyone would stop to help, you kept to your own business in Locksdale, it was safer that way. I felt my gaze flick to Adam's fists, sure that I could take him if he tried anything, Adam hadn't been violent to me before but I knew as well as anyone that people changed, and aside from that Guy had had no qualms about attacking me in Nottingham. I caught myself then, no Robin, I scolded, you're not supposed to think about Nottingham, it was all a dream, it wasn't real.

"Yeah, am sure your BOYFRIEND wouldn't be too pleased about that would he?" Adam asked, his voice reverting back to its old accent now that he was angry, it only ever did that when he was seriously pissed off nowadays.

I felt my gaze narrow as I regarded Adam, he was reacting almost exactly as he had when he had found out George and I were together, furious for no good reason. He had had no right to act like that then and he didn't now either, he was my ex my cheating ex, he had no hold on me (other than the blackmail) and I didn't belong to him. Not that he had seen it that way of course.

Three weeks ago

I crawled into bed with a grin on my face, and a heart that seemed to be hovering slightly in my chest as though it was filled with helium, both were a result of my near perfect day. For the first time since waking up yesterday I was able to push the whole am-I-crazy-or-did-I-really-go-back-in-time internal debate from my mind and think about other things, my smile widened, though it wasn't like my mind was exactly going on more than one track right now anyway, I thought blissfully. If you had told me a year ago that George Baxter would be the one to make me feel this unbelievably happy I would have laughed in your face, or even more likely, chased you from the room for trying to take the mick. It was true though, finding out George felt the same way about me as I did about him had been the best thing to happen to me in a while, since we were frustratingly getting no further in our crusades against Baxter, and it was definitely the most unexpected. I had told myself long ago that I would never get this way about a guy, I never had with Adam (though is that really a surprise?) and I was sure that this kind of happiness was only real in books and movies, I had been wrong though. Now that I had truly tasted love there was no getting out of my blissful state and you know what? I wasn't ashamed of that, not in the slightest. My parents hadn't seemed all that surprised when we had told them either, they'd been hinting at this for weeks and taking bets on how long it would be until we actually did get together (my mum had won by the way in case you're interested), so like I said they hadn't been all that shocked. They had been pretty happy for us though, but also stern, my dad especially who had banned George and I from going into each others rooms out of pure fatherly worry more than anything else. I chuckled a little and pulled my covers up around myself, settling down for what was sure to be a peaceful night's sleep if my frame of mind was anything to go by.

I was half asleep when the sound of movement caused me to shoot upright, shaking off my groggy state I blinked and looked towards my bedroom door, half expecting to see George sneaking in with some news or maybe just to see me. The door handle never moved though and I felt my ears prick as I heard the noise again, it came from outside my open window, and it sounded like someone dropping onto the porch roof. Narrowing my eyes I pulled back my covers and stepped onto the floor, picking up my second pillow I hastily stuffed it under the bedcovers and arranged it so it looked like I was still sleeping there. I then snatched up my bow and quiver and moved silently to the shadows in the far corner of the room and on the same wall as my window. I attached a single arrow to my bow and aimed it at my window, waiting for my intruder to emerge. I knew that it was an intruder because if any of the others had been planning on coming here tonight they would have told me, also there was no way that it was George trying to jump from window to window as it would have been easier just to wait until he was sure my parents were asleep and use the door. The curtains were blowing slightly in the night breeze that blew through my open window as a medium sized male figure dressed all in black climbed through my window, using the front porch as a platform to stand on probably. The intruder had his back to me, his head turned in the direction of my bed from the moment he entered the room, and this meant that he hadn't noticed me. I moved from the shadows, following him as he took silent steps forward towards my supposedly sleeping form. He stopped at the foot of my bed, unable to notice that I wasn't really there because the room was so dark. Moving with intent and annoyance I stopped right behind him, my breathing shallow and inaudible to all ears bar my own as I rested the arrow head on the small of his back. He froze.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's polite to knock before you enter a room?" I asked, not moving from my attacking position and waiting for a response so I could assess the threat. Though to be honest anyone who sneaks into someone's bedroom in the middle of the night is somewhat of a threat, not that those times I'd snuck into both George's and the Kennedy sister's rooms on a night made me look all that good by that reasoning.

"You should know I've never been one for manners Robin," an irritating and familiar voice replied. I groaned internally but did not lower my bow, what did Adam want?

"Now that I can believe," I said as I shook my fringe from my face and glared at Adam's back "what are you doing here Adam?"

Confidently Adam turned; a self assured and cocky grin in place as he shrugged me off as a threat and ignored my bow as though it were only a child's toy. "I thought we went through this weeks ago, you should know why I'm here by now, or maybe that bump to your head made you forget a few things." He said, his fingers brushing over my forehead in search of the bump that was hidden by my hair and in fact no where near his touch. I jerked away from his fingers and shot him a disgusted look, suddenly remembering why Adam was here, the text I had received earlier appeared before my minds eye again, he had said that he had some clothes that needed washing and a favour to ask me. Irritation seeped through me, I had mercifully forgotten about my enslavement thanks to a few hours with George but now it was all coming back to me with infuriating clarity, Adam owned my soul now.

"What is it?" I asked crossly, lowering my bow reluctantly though refusing to put it down, I knew Adam too well for that. Flashing me his best smug smile Adam strode across my bedroom and lent out of my bedroom window, I had to remind myself of my own polices and values just to stop myself from pushing him out of it, and I can't even tell you how appealing that was. He then pulled a black bin bag (obviously he wasn't that well off yet) through the window, I assumed he had left it resting on the porch roof until he wanted it.

"Laundry," Adam said as he indicated towards the bag on the floor.

I cocked my hip and frowned "I gathered," I said testily as I glanced at the clock on the wall, the time I read there surprised me, I must have fallen asleep earlier seeing as more time had passed that I had thought. This reassured me a little though, because this meant that the rest of the house was more likely to be asleep, I had been worried about George (who had the sharpest hearing out of the lot of us) hearing this exchange "but what's this favour you want from me?"

Adam's grin widened and became even slyer; I fought back the urge to go over there and wipe it from his face with a swift right hook and gritted my teeth. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he said and I rolled my eyes, having enough of Adams games already.

"Look, I don't have the time for this, either tell me what you want or piss off. I've had a busy day and I don't want anyone hearing you." I said, keeping my voice down just in case anyone was still awake, there had been a few close calls with Adam's visits in the past and I had been worried my parents had heard him in here, to be honest I think they thought it was George, ergh, they couldn't have been further from the truth.

"I'm sure you have had a busy day, getting out of the hospital after a three day sleep must have been very draining. I trust you're feeling better now though," Adam said sarcastically as he took another step towards me and smiled slickly at me, I shot him a look which only seemed to amuse him more. "What happened anyway, you've not told me why you were in there?"

"It's got nothing to do with you," I assured him coldly, batting his hand away as he reached to touch me again and glaring at him. He might already know who I am and almost every single one of my secrets, however I wasn't about to tell him what happened to me or what I thought happened while I was unconscious. Ha, I was so keeping that one to myself.

"But Peter Perfect is allowed to know of course," Adam said as he continued to close the space between us just as I stepped back to widen it "I heard he spent the whole three days by your bedside, never leaving you, never sleeping, except to see his father of course. Aww, how sweet. How is he any way, moving out of his fathers house must have been difficult, but then again at least he has your shoulder to cry on?" Adam taunted and I felt my frown deepen, well even though my loved up heart hovered a bit at his claims of George staying by my side while I was in the hospital, if this was true then George really was beyond perfect. However I had no time for that as my defensive side came out and I said,

"It's none of your business, and how do you know that? No one else was there on the hospital ward; my parents never said you were there"

"That's because I wasn't, though I thought about bringing you some flowers and dropping off my shopping list." Adam said laughing at his own joke though I only made a disgusted noise "and how do I know that Georgie boy is living here now? Have you forgotten who I work for Robin, there's not much that I don't know around town any more."

"I'm sure there's not," I said unable and unwilling to keep the repulsion from my voice "being Baxter's spy has its perks then?" I said, remembering how Baxter had hired Adam to follow George when he first suspected he was up to something.

"And being the town saint doesn't?" he asked "it's not like you don't have sources around the town as well, like you don't know everything already."

Worry took hold of me suddenly, what did he mean by that, did he know something? Did Adam know more than he was letting on, had he found out about how much Joe, Jess, Josh and the Kennedy sisters helped us, were they in danger? I was anxious but I showed no reaction to his words but felt the very last of my defences go up and my hostility grow suddenly, I'd install cameras at all their houses, keep them all safe.

"That's got nothing to do with anything," I said, my grip tightening on my bow "tell me what you want Adam?"

"Oh, not in the mood to chat today are we?" Adam asked mockingly as he regarded me with interest "what is it, have a done something to upset you, or maybe you're frightened Mr Perfect is going to hear me in here?"

I felt my eyes narrow and I threw Adam a loathsome look but didn't dignify his comment with an answer, I didn't really want to give anything away here, my instincts were telling me that Adam ought not to know about George and I, at least not yet, and I was going to listen to my instincts for once. However a look of realisation dawned on Adams face and I worked my hardest to keep my face innocent and indifferent, I showed no reaction as Adam spoke.

"Of course that's it," he said as something behind his eyes darkened and his jovial and smug expression vanished. Despite this I showed no outward sign of emotion, though inside I was thinking, crap, crap, he knows. "You're still pining after him, I thought you'd given up with him by now, realised it wasn't going anywhere. Maybe you're not as tough and independent as I thought you were."

"Shut up," I hissed, my fury mounting at Adam's words and my grip on my bow tightening so much I was in danger of snapping it. Self righteous prat, who did he think he was, talking to me like that? I wasn't pinning, I never pined, George and I had something special and it was something that pain in the arse couldn't inspire in anyone. Least of all me! Who was he to talk, pinning, ha, what the hell was he doing here then, forcing his company on me when I wanted nothing to do with him? hypocrite! "I'm not pinning after George 'cause I don't need to."

Adam's brow frowned suddenly, it wasn't a cute or endearing motion like it would have been on George, no on Adam it was menacing and coupled with his flashing dark eyes it was down right worrying. Only my pride kept me in place and stopped me from stepping away from him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Use your brain Adam, what do you think it means?" I asked coldly, sticking my chin out in defiance and standing tall, noticing all the while how much Adam had changed these past months. He wasn't the same embarrassing, mean and common lad who had at one point had a side to him that I found attractive, no, now he was cruel, calculative and sadistic, he looked more and more like Baxter every day, more than even George who was a blood relation to the businessman did.

Adam glared at me threateningly, not appreciating the way I had spoken to him but I was past caring, he wound me up so much, I could hardly control my anger when I was around him, it was that bad. I hated him so much right now; words could not describe how much I despised him.

"You don't need to pine after him?" Adam asked, his voice taking on a dangerous and dark tone though I in no way backed down, if anything I matched his confidence and sounded proud and powerful when I spoke.

"No, I don't need to." I said as loudly as I dared for fear of waking someone up. Totally not caring anymore if Adam found out about George and me, instincts be damned.

"Then you're together, you and the Baxter brat?" He asked, his voice shaking but not from fear or upset, no it was malevolence that shook his voice and had him balling his fists by his sides. Adam looked terrifying, a threatening aura came across him and he seemed about ready to snap, but me being me I didn't noticed this and carried on antagonising him.

"And here I was thinking you knew everything." I scoffed harshly; he looked at me then, his brown eyes seeming black in the darkness of my room. Even then I didn't notice the change in him.

"You," Adam said taking a menacing step towards me, I took a step back, stopping when I sensed the wall not too far behind me and realising that maybe I had said the wrong thing. "And he?" Adam asked and I narrowed my eyes even though I felt a slight rush of fear for the man before me, this wasn't Adam, not even at his very lowest, something was wrong.

I nodded and Adam sprang forward, his right hand closed around my throat and the next thing I knew I was being slammed against the bedroom wall, Adam's body pinning me there and freezing me in shock. My bow fell out of my grip and hit the floor with a soft thud, my hands shot to my neck and I tried to prise Adam's cold fingers from my neck "what is you're problem Robin, do you want to see him dead? Are you trying to see how far you can push me before I make good of my promise and tell Baxter what I know about his son?" he asked and shot him a look as a clawed at his hands before saying,

"Its none of your business, you don't own me, not anymore…" I started to whisper shout before Adam tightened his grip on my neck and cut off my words before they even reached my mouth.

"Do you?" Adam hissed as he leaned in close. Anger and fear were holding me just as tightly as Adam was now, what was he doing? Adam was many things but violent in this sense was not one of them; he'd never done something like this before, not ever. I looked into his dark eyes and saw something I'd never seen there before, a deadly combination of hate and self pity.

"No," I wheezed as aggressively as I could as I lashed out at Adam, kicking out at him and pulling at his hands, it had no effect though, as Adam sudden mood shift had given him the strength to pin me there, rendering my inherited strengths and abilities useless.

"Good because you are pushing my patience to its very limit. Why should he get you?" Adam raged as he lifted me higher up the wall "what did he ever do to deserve everything; he has money, power, influence and now even you. He has everything and he even has to gall to walk away from it all, to turn his nose up at it." it dawned on me then, Adam's real reason for all this was jealousy, and not even jealousy over me, he despised George for everything he had and wanted to have something over him "I deserve more than this, I deserve to have what he has! I have slaved away for his father, I am a good employee, a good servant to Baxter, and I would never turn my nose up at all he has to offer, all he has to teach. But still Baxter wants him, even after all he's done, I could do just as good a job of running things as he could, I've earned it!" Adam said and I glared at him as my struggling slowed and my legs stopped kicking.

"That," I choked out as Adam's nails dug into my neck and I winced as I scratched myself as I forced a gap between my neck and Adams grip with the fingers on both my hands "is not my problem!" I said as I prised Adam's fingers from my neck, he looked shocked for a moment before I brought back my fist, feeling great satisfaction when my fist collided with his cheek and he went flying.

Adam fell to the floor, his hand instantly shot to where I had punched him and he turned to look at me with wide accusing eyes. My chest rose and fell furiously as I watched his face; he felt no remorse, not one single shred of regret for what he had done to me out of pure jealousy. But what had I expected? My neck was stinging as I clenched and unclenched my fists angrily and stared at Adam, willing him to say something cruel to me but he remained mute.

"Get over it," I hissed "life isn't fair and then you die, that's what the rest of us have to deal with why should you be any different?"

"The poor get you to give them money, who gives me status Robin?" Adam asked as he got to his feet, speaking as though they were the same thing, his callous and cold tone only infuriating me even more.

"Baxter does," I said scathingly "and if he doesn't then boo hoo, there are worse things to have to suffer than being stuck as a Have Not."

"There is nothing worse than being a filthy Have Not." Adam said, his distaste for his own social class ringing out in his words.

"You're deluding yourself if you think being one of them will make your life easier," I said before pointing at the window and saying "leave,"

"Ha, you still worried Prince Charming's going to see me in here and dump you?" Adam asked mockingly, as though he was in a position to taunt anyone.

Hastily I picked up my bow and started toward Adam, "Get out!" I shouted and Adam backed away, as though frightened I might hit him again but then stopped suddenly. I froze, hearing the creak of bed springs as someone sat up in the room next to mine. Adam flashed me a triumphant grin, showing all of his teeth before saying,

"Oh you've don't it now, Georgie boy will not be pleased to see me in here with you, especially with you looking so flustered."

I glared at him, ready to chase him from the room. I didn't need to though, with a mocking glance at me and a hateful look in the direction of the door Adam was out of the window and disappearing into the night. I was still glaring out the open window when my bedroom door was thrown open.

"Robin," George breathed worriedly as I turned to face him, dressed only in a pair of shorts and a T shit "are you okay, I heard shouting?"

"Did you?" I asked lightly, or at least as lightly as I could under the circumstances, tying to look innocent as I kicked Adam's laundry bag under my bed "I didn't hear anything, I just got up to close my window because I was a bit cold." I lied, hating myself all the while. George frowned in confusion, a motion that pulled on my heart strings and made me wish I didn't have to lie to him, but I had no choice in the matter, it was one of Adam's conditions and besides, I didn't think George would have reacted well to the whole Adam owning my soul just to keep George safe thing.

My gaze roamed over George as he stood there in my doorway, naked from the waist up and dressed only in a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms. He was truly a sight to be hold, standing there with that adorable expression on his face, his golden blonde hair sticking up at odd angles around his head and tousled from sleep, his eyes seemed to shine in the dark and light up the whole room, where as Adam's had seemed the colour of charcoal. To complete this vision of perfection George was bathed in the glow of the bedroom light he had switched on before running to my room, the light spilling from his room and out into the hallway gave him the impression of giving off a golden glow. I sighed, I hated doing this to him, making him doubt himself and question things just so that I could lie and get away with what I was doing, not that I was doing anything wrong, just not something right either. I crossed the room swiftly, longing to be close to my new boyfriend and make up for what I was doing to him. The betrayal was all the worse now we were together.

"How are you finding your new room," I asked as I reached him and wrapped my arms around his bare waist, managing, even in my guilty state, to gaze appreciatively at his chest.

George's confused expression vanished and he smiled down at me before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer to him, his blue eyes were twinkling as he gazed down at me. "It's very nice, much better than my old one. Though I have to say," George said as he raised his hand to tenderly brush a strand of hair from my face "that I like yours a lot better, the view is much nicer."

I laughed quietly and grinned up at him "I kind of like it right now as well," I said as leaned in to kiss him, George chuckled and followed my lead. A frown crossed his face though, his gaze had wondered from my face to my neck and he pulled away before our lips could meet.

"Robin," George said worriedly as he pulled back a little so that he could look at my neck properly, he never let go of me though "what happened to you?" he asked, his voice becoming more firm and protective now. Crap, I thought as I watched his frown deepen as he regarded the red lines on my neck, Adam must have left a mark.

"It's nothing," I answered instinctively, though I contradicted myself when I winced as George's fingers brushed the angry red marks, his expression became even more troubled but George lightened his touch as he gently traced the marks Adam had made "I'm fine."

"You are not fine Robin," George said as he took his fingers away from my neck and looked me in the eyes again "who did this to you?"

"No one, I'm alright." I said sternly, sticking to my story, I knew what would happen if I told him the truth and it would not be pretty. I would deal with this on my own, like a big girl.

"Robin," George almost growled as protectiveness took over him and he saw through my lie "tell me. I don't know who you think you're protecting by not telling me but they most certainly are not worth it."

I almost let out a humourless laugh at that, I'm protecting you, I wanted to say, and I'm pretty sure that you are worth whatever Adam can throw at me. For course I couldn't say that, and what I said out loud was, "I'm telling you the truth, it's nothing. I must have done it somehow I don't know, I can't remember it." I could hardly believe it you know, that I was lying to him, me who had made such a big fuss about him lying to me about being the Crusader at the very beginning of all this. If I had known then that I was going to turn into such a hypocrite I might not have been so hard on him.

"Why don't I believe you Robin?" George asked me with all seriousness, I resisted the urge to gulp, I couldn't believe I was doing this to him.

"Because you worry too much," I said jokingly, trying to steer George out of this conversation without me actually having to answer his question of who had done this to me.

"Only because I care about you," George said and I swear to you that I wanted nothing more than to kick myself for what I was doing to him, he didn't deserve it. I looked away, unable to look at him when I was doing this to him.

"And I care about you," I said, sounding pretty emotional. George's face softened, I could see it out of the corner of my eye. Gently George placed his finger under my chin and turned my head so that I was looking him in the eye, he then promptly leaned in and kissed me sweetly on the lips. It was only a quick little thing, but despite that I could feel the emotion behind it and still felt as though I was slowly being lifted off the floor, it had been so tender.

"I know that," George said as he looked at me, his gorgeous eyes shining brightly "and I trust you, tell me that you're okay and that you're safe and…and I'll believe you."

I looked at him, feeling like crap but knowing what I had to do. "I'm fine; you don't need to worry about me." I said without any hesitation or outward sign of guilt, on the inside however I was overcome by it.

"I'm glad," George said as he pulled me to him again, I tightened my grip around his waist and hugged him back, drinking in his sent and resting my head against his chest, well aware of just how lucky I was to be able to do that. "We should probably go to sleep; we're both up early tomorrow." I felt George say; even though I was filled with shame I still couldn't help but smiled at how his chest moved when he spoke.

"Yeah," I said and I reluctantly pulled out of his embrace so that I could gaze up at him "good night." I said before swiftly reaching up and kissing him, trying to apologise without words for something he didn't even know I was doing. As George kissed me back I felt our kiss become less and less chaste, I wrapped my arms around his neck, desperate to bring him closer and show him just how much he meant to me. George tightened his grip around my waist as he pulled me to him, clearly just as eager as I was to get his feeling across. I would have been happy to stand there like that all night, to kiss him without ever having to let go, unfortunately my lungs had other ideas and screamed for oxygen. When we pulled apart both of us were panting, gasping for air as though we had just run a mile, George rested his forehead against mine as he whispered,

"I love you."

He smiled at me and then we pulled apart, "I love you too," I said, guilt returning even though those two words were the truest I knew. George lent in and kissed me on my cheek, ironically the same side that I had hit Adam on, before stepping back into the hallway.

"Good night," George said sweetly as he smiled at me and made his way towards his bedroom.

"Night," I replied, smiling at him even though it was a little forced. George didn't seem to notice this however and with one last loving look disappeared inside his room.

I closed my bedroom door and let out a tied noise. I didn't deserve him. I ran my hand through my hair before I frowned and marched across my room, well, part of what I'd said wouldn't be a lie, there was no way I was leaving that window open. I was just about to close it when something outside the window caught my eye; Adam was crouched on the porch roof, looking up at me with a mocking and slightly strained look on his face, having heard everything that George and I had just said.

"I'll be seeing you." Adam said with a cruel smile before quickly turning and dropping from the porch roof, vanishing from sight as the dark night swallowed him up. I shut my window and glared at it for a moment, yeah well I hope you brake your ankle, I thought angrily, irritated beyond belief that he had heard the conversation George and I had just had. Something was definitely different about Adam now, he had looked dark and menacing when he pinned me to the bedroom wall, something had changed with him, something had happened to him. He'd be lucky if I so much as cared now though, I thought as I rubbed the sore spots on my neck, if they bruised tomorrow I'd kill him, blackmail and new dark side or not. Still feeling guilty and discontented I climbed back into bed, throwing the pillow I had used to fool Adam onto the floor before laying down and falling into a fitful sleep. I woke up a few hours later, covered in sweat with images of rain drenched fields and death flashing through my head.

Three weeks later

I looked at Adam cautiously, that dark and menacing look wasn't on his face now, he looked completely normal, that smug and sneering expression on his face once again.

"George trusts me, and probably wouldn't mind all that much," I said, more to make a point than anything else since George would have most definitely minded if I went to Adam's, what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn't? That wasn't the point though "however, I would mind if I went to your house, and I definitely wouldn't like it." I said shooting him an unimpressed look before looking over his shoulder in search of the bus, come on, how long did it really take to get here?

"I'm sure that I could make sure you enjoyed it." Adam said and I stifled a shudder at the slime ball's words.

"You're disgusting Adam, you know that." I said, still refusing to look at him and still trying to make the bus arrive faster.

"That or you just need to learn to loosen up a bit," Adam said boldly before adding "Penelope."

My head snapped in his direction then, I hated it when he called me that, and the fact that the last time he'd said it we (me, George and Adam) had been in Café Locksley arguing at the time didn't help things as it only brought back cringe worthy memories. "Don't call me that." I said bluntly, feeling my anger mount again, I really was tired of Adam now, he was exhausting and beyond difficult to be around these days.

"I think that it suits…" Adam started but I cut across him, beaming with relief when the bus rounded the corner and drove towards the stop.

"Thank God," I breathed as I pulled my bag round so that I could hut through it for my purse, I swear, I have never been so happy to see the huge, ancient hunk of metal in all my life.

The bus came to a stop before me and I waited for the doors to open, looking over my shoulder at Adam, who was resting against the bus stop sign again "not that this conversation hasn't been interesting and all, but some of us actually have to go to work and earn money, we don't all have slaves we can throw paperwork at and influential mentors to give us jobs." I said sarcastically, stopping from turning back to face the bus, now that the doors had just opened, when I caught the expression Adam was wearing.

A sly smile spread across Adam's face as he regarded me "no, we don't all have slaves to work for us; it's a privilege of the upper-class." Adam said, clearly renouncing his status as a working-class lad "and while we're on the topic of slaves, why don't you try and remember the definition of one is. I own you Robin."

"Like Hell you do." I said angrily, he didn't own me; he didn't, not now and not ever.

Adam just smiled at me; it was the smile of the predator that had just cornered its prey, I felt my jaw set and a frown grow on my face. He was reminding me of what it was that he had over me and that alone was enough to keep me silent and make me notice the figurative shackles he had around my wrists.

"Are you getting on this bus love?" The bus driver asked irritable through the open doors behind me, I didn't turn to look at him though and didn't answer, I just kept on looking at Adam, remembering the expression 'if looks could kill', all the while.

"As your slave driver I suggest you get on that bus and head off to your day job, you don't want to give Jordans another excuse to sack you." Adam said, nodding towards the bus "oh and I'll expect you at the house around eight-ish then?" Adam asked though I could tell it was in no way a question, his smile widened as he took in my furious expression and frozen stance. Deciding that his work was done and that he'd tormented me for long enough for now Adam turned on his heel and walked away, the faint sounds of his vindictive laugh reaching me even as he disappeared from sight.

Author note: ta da, it's not amazing I know but I had some fun writing it and there it is. I wanted to show you Adam's reaction to finding out about Robin and George and I thought now would be a good time to do it, is two flash backs in two chapters a bad thing? Do it mess it up in anyway, please let me know if so. Also I had a thought whilst flicking though my iPod the other day, let me know if you agree with it, I rather like Good Charlotte 'lifestyles of the rich and famous' as a Robin Hood song. What do you guys think? Also, if you have the time and interest to do so, please check out my new character icon on my page, I've made one for all my main characters and its on Robin right now, if you like it and want to see the others I'll show you them. Thanks for reading; much love goes out to you all. Please review and let me know what you think. :) x