Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, as it is the property of the BBC

Chapter 19

When told to scatter, they knew it meant in groups of twos or threes, and there usually wasn't any time to think about it - you just went with whomever was nearest.

In this instance, Djaq was with Ava.

Whilst they were walking throught the forest, having no real direction, Ava looked over at the saracen.

' You don't believe it was Will, do you? ' she asked, although it was more of a statement than a question,

Djaq looked at Ava, her wide brown eyes meeting Ava's own bright blue one, as she said in her heavily accented voice, ' I know it was not Will. I know for a fact that the one who betrayed us was not Will. '

Normally, Ava would have left it there, but something in Djaq's voice made her think that Djaq knew more than she was letting on.

' Do you know who it was? ' Ava asked carefully.

Djaq felt panic inside her - there was no way she could tell the young woman who she suspected - but kept a cool voice and a straight face,' All I know is that Will is a good man - too good to betray us. '

Ava sighed inwardly, wanting to know who on earth had betrayed them.

She didn't suspect Much - because he was her suitor and she couldn't imagine him doing that. Or Allan - he was her father, he'd never betray her...betray them. Or Will, because he was the one who looked out for her like some sort of uncle, despite not being much older than her himself. Or Djaq, who seemed far too innocent and nice to do that. But that only left John, who was so fiercely protective over the others, that it couldn't be him either.

After a while more of wandering around the forest, awaiting sunset, when they were to meet Robin and the others back at the clearing, Ava decided that she was having no more of this.

She wanted to go to The Trip her self to find out who the traitor was.

She didn't care that she shouldn't - that she should be with Djaq.

But she wanted to go and she wasn't going to let anyone stop her, so when Djaq's back was turned, she just left.

Standing outside The Trip tavern later on, jusy before sundown, when she knew Robin was about to enter the tavern, it occured to her that this was the second time on a single day that she had disobeyed Robin's orders.

But she couldn't explain why - she felt as if she needed to be there, like she had to see what was going on, mainly - she supposed - to be reassured that Much and her father were out of suspicion.

Suddenly a hand clased to her shoulder and she whipped around to see Robin glaring down at her.

' Ava! ' he hissed angrily.

Ava suddenly realised that from Robin's point of view, this could look as if she were the traitor, coming back to the tavern to cover up her wrong doings.

Panic stricken, she looked at him, wide eyed, ' Robin,' she breathed, ' it's not what it looks like - I wasn't - I'm not - I just - '

Under his glare, she took a scared step back from him.

He shook his head in disappointment,' What are you doing here? You should be in the forest! ' he told her.

' I - I'm sorry...I just...I guess I had to know what was going on,' she stuttered.

Robin continued to glare at her and then he saw something in her eyes that told him it wasn't her.

Robin noticed the look of innocence in her clear blue eyes - there was just no way it was her. It couldn't be, because she idolised him, and would never do that to him.

With a sigh, he shook his head again, ' I don't have time to argue,' he told her sternly,' and I know it's no use telling you to go back to camp or to stay on one place, because you just don't seem to listen. Stick with me, because then I know you're not off disobeying my orders...again. '

' Sorry,' she whispered, following him in to the tavern.

And although Robin was annoyed that she had not done as instructed, he wasn't completely mad because he had a soft spot for that young woman, and couldn't help but think that it was partly his own influence that made her that way.

After all, she'd spent six or seven months in his gang, under his instruction. He'd become her mentor in teaching her how to fight and the basics of living as an outlaw. She'd watched him throw caution to the wind whilst on the latest mission against Gisbourne and th Sheriff. It was only natural that she'd start picking up some of his qualities.

And the fact that she was courting Much made her, in his eyes, all the more likeable to him, Because Much had been his best friend for as long as he could remember - and they considered themsleves like brothers. So if someone made his brother that happy, then Robin was all the more willing to spend time with her himself.

When they entered the door of the tavern, Robin knew that whomever was the betrayer would be in the back room of the tavern, trying to cover up their wrong doings.

Before they entered the back room of The Trip, he pushed Ava behind him slightly, as if tryin to protect her form who ever was in the room - protect her from finding out the truth.

Robin entered the room, shooting an arrow in to the wooden table.

He saw it before Ava did, and suddenly wished she wasn't there, so she didn't have to see this.

But she was there, and as she stood in the doorway, she saw a tavern maid and her father standing together, the tavern maid about to pass Allan a bag of silver coins.

In that single moment - just seeing him there - her heart plummeted, and her face fell through the floor - obviously not literally.

Robin looked back at her as he approached Allan with a deathly serious face, and he gave his youngest recruit a look that clearly told her to stay where she was and not do anything stupid.

Unable to do anything, and feeling almost literally rooted to the spot with shock, she watched as the next events unfolded.

Allan looked at Robin in wide eyed shock,' Robin,' he breathed.

He then looked past his leader - the man he had betrayed most - and felt truly awful when he saw his daughter there. In these six months, they had gotten to know each other and had formed a very strong bond. Now he had blown it.

Robin, keeping his eyes on Allan, raised a hand behind him and pointed at the tavern maid.

' Leave us, ' he told her, fighting to keep his voice calm.

' Stay there,' Allan said, fearing what Robin would do to him if left alone with him - well, Ava was there, but she couldn't defend him, and possibly wouldn't, he thought.

' Get out! ' Robin shouted, causing the young woman to decide that she had better leave quickly - that Robin Hood had a bad temper on him, ' I'd like to talk to my spy, ' he said quieter. He was almost whispereing but every word cut through Allan, and Ava.

' What was that with Will? You banished Will, ' Allan said in confusion.

' It was an act. Only that maid knew who was guilty and I knew that that spy would want to come here before me to cover his tracks. For all I knew, it could have been Will standing there...but it's not, is it? It's you, ' with his final two words Robin moved dangerously closer, his voice tainted with hatred.

' Robin,' Allan sighed, then looking over to where his daughter stood, a few feet away, glaring at him as if she could not believe it, ' Ava, it was over. Ask her...the maid. I made a decision.'

' Then what's this? ' Robin challenged, glancing down at the bag of silver coins Allan had been given.

' I was giving it back, ' Allan insisted, his voice laced his shame and sorrow.

' So you betrayed me, ' Robin spat, ' you betray your friends, you betray your daughter, you betray yourself and you betray your king. For what?...for a few silver coins...what have you told Gisbournel, Allan? '

Allan shook his head and stammered, ' Nothing, really. '

' Does he know about the camp ?'

' No, '

' Does he know about Marian ?' Robin asked, now sounding more dangerous.

' No! ' Allan cried.

' More lies? ' Robin asked, taking a step forward.

' No! ' Allan repeated, backing away slightly,' this was the last time - I promise. And I was wrong, but he captured me Robin, Ava, ' he pleaded, ' he tortured me, I had no choice. '

' Everything is a choice! ' Robin shouted, ' Everything we do! '

' That' easy for you to say though, isn't it? You get the glory...you get the girl...everyone loves you. And then when the King comes back, you'll have lands, property, a wife, everything. What will I have? '

Ava bit back a sob and said coldly, ' You'll have me! ' she hissed angrily, ' you'll have a daughter who loves you, a family. Does that mean nothing to you ?'

Allan quickly answered with, ' I love you, Ava. Of course it means something to me. But you'll get married, go and live with Much in Bonchurch, have a few kids and I'll still have nothing. '

Turning back to Robin, he continued, ' You are always in the sun and I am always in the shade.'

Furiously, Robin grabbed hold of the other man's clothing and roughly pushed him up against the wall, ' Is that meant to be an excuse, huh? '

' Give me another chance, ' Allan begged,' Please. I wouldn't have let Gisbourne hurt any of us - I've never, and would have never, told him anything like that. '

' Harmless lies, innocent betrayals? They don't exist, Allan, ' he snapped, practically spitting the traitors name.

' Robin, Ava, I've changed, how can I get you to believe that? '

' You can't, ' Robin declared, ' and the funny thing is, the painfully ironic thing, is that you might be telling the truth.'

' I am! '

' And how am I supposed to believe you anymore? ' Robin sighed.

' I swear to you on my life, ' Allan pleaded.

Robin then pulled out a sharp silver knife and held it up to Allan's throat.

And although Ava hated her father for what he'd done to them, to the gang, she couldn't let Robin kill him. After all, he was still her father.

' No, Robin, Don't! ' she yelled

' Don't kill me,' Allan begged, ' please...don't. '

Robin knew he could not kill Allan, for a number of reasons. First, it was too easy, whereas Allan deserved to be punished. Plus Robin tried not to kill people, despite their faults. And how could he kill a man whose daughter was stood right there, pleading with him not to. Whose daughter was one of his loyal followers and close friends.

Robin settled for hitting Allan across the face, hard.

' You're lucky I've left you with a life to swear upon, ' the outlaw leader told the other man, ' never, never, let me set eyes on you again,' he hissed before leaving the room.

On his way out he gave Allan's daughter a fleeting glance, ' We're leaving. ' he told her, ' Now. '

Ava nodded, but didn't leave the room.

And Robin accepted that she needed a short moment with her father before they left.

Tears drying on her cheeks, she stepped forward and looked up at the man she had so much respect for...the man who she had gotten so close to...the father that she loved.

' Ava, I'm so, so sorry, ' he told her, ' I didn't mean for any of this to happen. '

' Then why do it in the first place? ' she asked, her voice filled with disappointment, anger, mistrust.

' I had no choice, I had to do it, ' he replied, not meeting her eyes.

For a brief moment she managed to meet his eyes, and told him, ' You disgust me, Father. I can't bear to look at you, you know that? When I found out there was a traitor...someone willin' to betray us all, you never even entered my suspicions, because I wouldn't have thought that you'd do that to us...to me, your own daughter. You disgust me. '

' Ava, please, just forgive me,' he pleaded with his only child.

' No! ' she shouted, ' from now on, I'll consider my self an orphan and you should consider your self childless! '

At the force and meaning of her word, he was very suprised. Sure, he knew she was mad, but to go that far...although he could hardly blame her...

' Ava! Now! ' Robin shouted from the other room.

Robin had, of course, heard the exchange between father and daughter, and now decided that enough was enough, and he wouldn't have her getting so upset over a man who wasn't worth even her thoughts.

If it weren't for the fact that he didn't trust himself to go near Allan without killing him, Robin would have gone in there and dragged the young woman out of the room, but as it was, he settled for shouting at her, hoping she would listen to him.

And she did. On hearing Robin's voice, it meant that she had to choose whether to go back to the camp, and or to stay with the man who had betrayed them all - also know as, her father.

It was an extremely easy choice and with one last revolted look at Allan, she stormed out.

--

I know some of Ava's comments to Allan seem too harsh, but she's got a bad temper and she was very angry after finding the truth out.

I'm personally not sure about the emotions I managed to put across in this chapter, but hopefully I did justice to the show, and to the plot.