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

Chapter 21

That first night after the betrayal was hard.

Ava went to bed without saying a proper goodnight to anyone, and lay awake for hours, just thinking.

The more she thought, the worse she felt.

The others pretended that they didn't hear her small sobs, pretended that they couldn't tell how hurt she was, and pretended that they were unaffected.

After a full night of no sleep, Ava decided that the hour was decent enough for her to get up.

She sat on the ground by the fire, next to the only other person who was yet awake.

Will put his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to be the comforting friend. In his position as Allan's best friend, he was a sort of uncle figure to the teenager.

' Did you have a decent night's sleep? ' he asked her.

' No, ' she replied quietly, ' I couldn't sleep.'

Will sighed, ' I know - me too.'

' I just kept thinkin' about all those times when one of our plans would go amiss and Father - I mean, Allan - would just shrug and say there was always next time. He lied to our faces, and I don't understand how he could do that to us. '

Will was silent a moment, before saying, ' You can still call him Father, you know. '

' But after what he's done...I don't want to be associated with him.'

' I know you feel like that now, but he's still your father. Don't make yourself feel bad by torturing yourself about it. Yes, he's a stupid man who did a bad thing, but you can't go your whole lif ignoring him, now. '

Ava smiled slightly, ' You sound as though you do not care what he has done. '

' Of course I care. Part of me - most of me - wants to find him and kill him. But then this tiny little fragment of my mind says that there must have been good reason behind it, because Allan loves you so much, and wouldn't do anything that would hurt you without giving it serious consideration. Maybe that little tiny fragment, is something you should hold on to until you have the chance to confront him yourself. '

' If we ever see him again - Robin threatened to kill him if he set eyes upon him again. I don't know that he'd dare show his face again around here. '

' I think that he would, just because you're around.'

The conversation had to stop there because Robin joined the group and both knew he would not want this kind of talk - he would not want Will, or anyone, trying to excuse what Allan had done.

In a short while, when everyone else was up and about, and Much had made a quick breakfast of what he called chicken, but the others still supposed was squirrel, Robin insisted that they all went for a walk in the forest.

He stopped them all on a raised up area - kind of like a low cliff - and they watched a figure moving down on the ground.

The hooded, cloaked figure was touching a hollow tree stump, delving deep inside, as if trying to find something.

' Is this what you're looking for? ' Robin called out holding out a small sack, presumably full of coins, that he had taken from the stump minutes earlier.

The man whipped around and even with distance between them, his striking blue eyes were clearly recognisable.

' Your blood money? ' Will asked sharply.

' Betray your friends for a few measley pennies, ' Much said in disgust.

' Traitor! ' John bellowed.

' Fool,' Djaq said more calmly than the others, but still with a tone of voice that showed she was angry.

Allan looked expectantly at his daughter, awaiting her insults as she was the only one not to speak, but none came from her - in fact she refused to even look at him properly, instead setting her gaze on the ground several feet from him.

He took a breath and forced him slef to speak to his former comrades, ' Look, I'm sorry, alright? I'm reallly really sorry. I never meant - '

But exactly what Allan never meant to do, they didn't find out at that moment, because the sound of horses hooves and a horses' whinny made the outlaws duck down quickly, so as not to be seen, and Allan to take the chance to run away.

The outlaws watched as a rather familiar white stallion galloped past, followed by several dark brown, slightly smaller speciemens.

' What that who I think it was? ' Much asked once it was safe to seak again.

' It's the black nights, and they're heading for Nottingham, ' Robin nodded.

' What are they up to? ' Will asked in curiousity, something which they all felt.

' I'm going in,' Robin announced standing up and running a hand across his bow.

' What about Allan? ' Djaq asjed.

' Forget him, he's dead to us,' Robin said harshly, with a glare at them all and then added,' meet back at the camp in one hour.'

' Well! You can't just decide to go like this and go...without planning...without us, ' Much announced indignantly.

' Yes I can! ' Robin laughed.

' But it's the Black Knights! ' Much said as if that meant everything.

As Robin ingorned his life long friend, Much sighed and turned to the others, ' Why does he do this? Why does he always, always, do this ? '

' Do we have to go back to camp? ' Ava whined.

Much fixed her with a look that told her not to argue, ' You are a very strong willed young woman.'

The others exchanged knowing smiles as they lot of them made their way back to camp. They knew that this would turn in to one of Much and Ava's pointless disagreements, that they had so often and that only resulted in more nauseating kissing.

' Thank you ,' she smiled, although she knew it was not meant in a good way.

' And that is not a compliment. I've had enough of you wandering off when we're supposed to be together, and sneaking off to leave the rest of us worried after you. You're as bad as Robin. Sometimes I'd swear you were Robin's daughter with the way you act.'

Ava smirked, ' For heaven's sake Much! And sometimes I'd swear you were my father! '

Much glared at her, ' I do not act like a father, ' he said indignantly.

Will, John and Djaq exchanged looks of amusement at the argument - which had been had a few times before, and all three of them knew was not serious.

' Yes you do! You're always wanting to know where I am! Just like my father! '

As they entered the camp, Much refrained from making a comment about one very important difference between himself and her father.

Instead, he stormed over to the stand which held the jars of spices and herbs for the food, and leant on it, breathing deep to calm him self.

He locked his eyes on hers and spoke evenly, ' Well excuse me for loving you so much that it scares me when I think of you off in the forest alone with any number of dangerous things around. And I suppose if I'm so much like your father, you won't want to marry me, because that would be incest.'

At the word 'marry' Ava's mouth fell open slightly as she gaped at him. The other three outlaws were looking at each other as if to ask whether or not they had heard that correctly.

Much grinned in spite of himself and after snatching something from the stand behind him, took a step forward, getting down on one knee in front of her and holding out a glittering piece of gold.

Ava gasped and her suitor looked her in the eye as he spoke.

He beamed as he spoke, ' You, you stupid strong willed woman, are the most unbeliveable woman I have ever had the good fortune to meet. Will you marry me? '