Title: To Live Another Day
Author: Kate's Master, aka Emma
Summery: Obligatory response to the end of series two. Will be followed by some form of angsty oneshot, no doubt. Ten ways she lived. Many crossovers, verrry odd. Read at your peril. Spoilers galore.

Disclaimer: Not even our answering machine has my name on it – Robin Hood and the BBC definitely do not. So not mine. Neither is Maybelline, for that matter.

Authors Notes: I am here, I promise, battling on. It will be finished. Maybe even before the end of the month – I have nothing but two hours at work a day until the end of September, when I move to Uni. And I want to finish by then. Watch me go!

Ten Ways That She Lives

8. The excessive Maybelline mascara will suddenly gain conscious thought, and posses her body (like the black stuff in Spider Man Three). It'll take her to Nottingham, and try to do some dastardly deeds, sending Robin into one of his angsty mopes (which is why they've killed her off in the first place, I reckon), until Djaq and Will return home with the King, who's made peace with everyone, and the sight of them two in love reminds the bit of Marian that was woken up with her body about how she loved Robin. They expel the evil dark stuff, everyone gets married and they all have a nice party.

The excessive Maybellene mascara will suddenly gain conscious thought, and posses her body (like the black stuff in Spider Man Three)...

The Black was confused. Or it would have been, had such a basic human notion been known to it. Everything had been going so well, when suddenly…this. Utter and complete lack of anything. The darkness it did not mind – indeed, had it been able to, the Black would have felt quite at home – but the harsh, gritty warmth of the sand pushing down from all sides was not so good, and neither was the complete lack of anything from the host.

Cautiously, because entering a mind uninvited was never a pleasant experience, the Black began to sniff at the edges of Host's conscious. There was nothing there – no resistance, no fighting back, none of the defences that had thwarted its every other attempt to take over. With a glee it didn't know it possessed, the Black dived in.

Ten minutes later, the body of a dead woman stood beside the decimated grave. She automatically turned to face the north, and the Black sat back in its new mind and let her. Later, it would regret not realising what that movement should have told it. It was not just the body that had been reawakened when the Black pushed its way in.

--TWO YEARS LATER--TWO YEARS LATER--TWO YEARS LATER--TWO YEARS LATER--TWO YEARS LATER--TWO YEARS LATER--

…it'll take her to Nottingham, and try to do some dastardly deeds, sending Robin into one of his angsty mopes (which is why they've killed her off in the first place, I reckon)…

They were holding up a carriage on the North Road the first time they encountered her. John had just relieved the incumbents of their riches and sent the vehicle once more on its way when an arrow shot out of nowhere and buried itself in the soil at Allan's feet.

"Leave the bag by the arrow." a female voice called. "And leave. Or next time, I won't miss."

Robin and Much both made for their weapons, searching the surrounding undergrowth for the source, but the voice spoke once more.

"You even think of raising your bow, Robin of Locksley, and your friend will be dead before he's hit the ground. Put the money by the arrow and leave!"

"Do it, John." ordered Robin shortly, still searching for the voice's owner. The big man sighed, but their leader ignored him – a flash of green in the bushes, directly between himself and Much, and, with any luck, it's eyes would be too fixed on watching Little John and the money to be paying attention to him.

Moving with a speed he'd forgotten he possessed, Robin ran and leapt, landing almost directly on top of the woman. She began to struggle, and they rolled out of the bushes onto the road, until a final hard shake from Robin dislodged the attackers hood.

Robin leapt back as if he's been burnt.

"Ma…Marian?" he croaked, and the woman laughed, still lying winded on the floor.

"Hello Hood." she crooned, in a voice that was dry and crackly and not like his Marian at all. "Miss me?"

And then, before any of the men regained use of their bodies after the shock, she twisted away, grabbed the bag and disappeared into the forest.

…until Djag and Will return home with the King, who's made peace with everyone…

It should have been a day of celebration. King Richard was in Nottingham, Will and Djaq were home at last, and the Sheriff was to be taken to London to stand trial in a matter of days. But Robin, skulking around the forests edge, was having a hard time smiling.

"Does he ever smile any more?" asked Djaq sadly, regarding their old leader from a distance. Little John grunted, and shook his head.

"I think it was kinder when she was dead." shrugged Allan.

"I think, from the sound of it, she still is dead." Will countered. "Whoever is stealing from the villages, was helping the Sheriff, all that…that is not Marian. It's something making convenient use of her body. Even if it once was her, it's not any more."

"Do you think he will come and join us?" asked Djaq quietly. The gang were camped out near the forests edge, currently sitting round the fire and trying to enjoy the peace of the knowledge that tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, they wouldn't be fighting any more.

She needn't have asked – not three minutes later, the gaunt figure appeared between Much and Allan, taking the food Much offered him without a word. After a while of silence, Allan began recounting a story, remembering squirrel-meat and ivy leaves, and, by the end of it, even Robin was laughing.

…and the sight of them two in love reminds the bit of Marian that was woken up with her body about how she loved Robin…

In the darkness amongst the trees, the small party was being watched. Looking at the figure, it would have been impossible to guess the war that was waging inside its head. The Black's control on it's home was weakening with every passing minute, as the old incumbent watched the laughing group, heard the stories and memories they were sharing, lapping up every word that was spoken. Thing and Woman battled for control, until the body could bare it no longer, and turned tail, fleeing deeper and deeper into the trees.

All night it ran, tearing through the undergrowth, not caring about the branches that whipped at its face, the brambles that tore at its skin and clothes. And inside the body's head, the battle raged.

Eventually, dawn found it almost exactly where it had started, looking at the group of now-sleeping friends. It studied each face thoughtfully for a while, gazing at the younger, bearded man longest of all, and, finally, as the first birds began to make themselves known, the battle was won.

…they expel the evil dark stuff…

For perhaps the first time in living memory, it was Allan who woke first that morning. And so it was Allan who first saw the figure, in ripped, dirty clothing, with scratches all over her arms, huddled next to the remains of the previous nights fire.

He regarded her silently for a while, until she finally felt his gaze and turned to face him. Her eyes were as clear as the sky, unmarred by the darkness that had been lurking there for the past two years. A grin crept across Allan's face.

"Hello." he said quietly.

"Help me." whispered Marian. And they did.

This idea originated from my sister, who has been despairing over the mascara since the first episode.

Review, if you've a moment. And I'll update, when I've a moment. Tis a circle.