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

Chapter 31

Ava awoke a few weeks later to find that she had slept in the same position she always seemd to sleep in.

She had long since given up sleeping in her own area of the camp like the others did, and had joined Much in his.

She was laid on her side, curled in to him, with her head up on his chest - using him as her pillow, as his heartbeat always soothed her.

He was laid sprawled out on his back, with one arm clamped around her middle, pulling her close to him, as if he were using her as his blanket. His other hand was laying on his chest, just centimetres from her face, as though it had started out on the back of her head, and gradually slipped down in their slumber.

Ava loved being this close to her Much.

She loved being able to just have him hold her, and to snuggle in to him, to find comfort in him.

Carefully, so as not to wake him, she lifted her head from his strring chest and and looked up at his sleeping face - he was so beautiful to her, if a man could be classed as beautiful.

Shifting slightly, but unable to move due to the arm around her waist, she propped herself up on one elbow so that she could see him better - he just looked so peaceful.

Just as she was about to bring her hand up to toy with a lock of blonde hair that fell over his eyes, she heard it.

' Stop staring at me, my love,' he said quietly, whilst keeping his eyes closed,' It's rather un-nerving.'

Giving him a look of disbelief - which of course he couldn't see - she asked,' How did you know what I was doing? '

' Because I know you,' he grinned.

Matching his grin, she leant down and planted a kiss up on his lips,' Did you know I was going to do that? ' she asked, breaking away at the exact moment that he had started to kisss her back.

' I had rather hoped,' he replied, finally opening his eyes and feeling the rush of warmth that flooded him at seeing her there.

Shifting herself, and laying her head back on his chest, as he played with her hair, she sighed in happiness,' Oh, I do wish we could stay here all day.'

' You and I both, my love, but we're supposed to be doing the hand outs in Nettlestone this morning.

' Robin can take some one else,' she muttered,' he doesn't need us two - he can take some other two.'

' As much as I love your logic, it is our turn. Will, Djaq and John went to Clun the other day, so we - and Robin - have to do Nettlestone today.'

Groaning she sat up and swung her legs off the bed to stand up.

She had only taken a few steps when Much called after her,' Aren't you going to put a cloak on? '

' I'm only going over there,' she told him, gesturing vaguely behind her with one hand.

'But you're wearing your night dress,' he pointed out,' and it's not too modest a nightdress actually.'

' Don't want other men seeing me in hardly any clothing, do you?' she asked jokingly, raising an eyebrow.

' Exactly,' he replied with a wink as he threw her the cloak that was beside the bed - Allan's, since Ava had long since lost hers, and refused to buy another one, when Allan's perfectly good one was sat in the store,' I fear that such a sight may drive them wild with passion, and make their actons uncontrollable.'

She smiled up at him - he was always so protective, and she loved that he was like that, because it proved he really cared. Though sometimes between he and Will - and Allan when he was around - it was annoying.

Throwing the cloak over her nightclothes to please him, she made her way over to the medical tent - the only place with any privacy, so therefore the place that she and the others got changed in. Well - mostly, but the boys weren't too modest and were often happy to strip off their shirts right there.

As she passsed through the middle of the camp, she saw that Robin and Will were already awake, and were sat around talking.

' Morning, Miss Sunshine! ' Will called, after catching sight of her scowl.

' Morning Uncle Will,' she said, trying to brighten up,' Robin,' she added, inclining her head to him.

' What's got you such a face on?' Will asked in interest.

' Much and I have got the hand outs for this morning, haven't we? And I'd really rather be curled up in bed,'

Robin grinned,' Curled up in bed ... with Much? ' he asked.

She blushed,' I will not answer such an undignified question.'

' Meaning yes,' he deduced,' and what's with the cloak? You going somewhere that the rest of us don't know about, because the hand out isn't until after breakfast.'

' Much made me wear it,' she blushed, ' he says he won't have me walk around in my night clothing, despite the fact that I'm only walking 20 seconds away.'

Much, at this point, walked in to the conversation and looked down at his beloved as he filled in,' Yes, but for the amount of time that you spend talking on your "20 second" journey, it's a good job I "made you wear it " '

Robin frowned,' What's so indecent about these nightclothes, anyway? '

Ava rolled her eyes,' For heavens sake, Much! Now look what you've gone and started! There is nothing indecent about my clothing! ' she hissed as she entered the tent.

As, from outside the tent, Much opened his mouth to argue her point, the three men heard her call out, ' And don't argue with me! '

' How did she know? ' he mouthed to Will and Robin, who were both smirking.

' They have some sort of 6th sense,' muttered Will,' especially her.'

Soon after, Ava, Robin and Much went to do the handouts, whilst John and Will went hunting, and Djaq went of to collect some fire wood.

It just so happened that as Robin, Much and Ava arrived back and were approaching the camp, John, Will and Djaq were too.

' Good morning's work Lads, Ava,' Robin said proudly as he looked around at the various items that the villagers had givn them during the handouts .. bread from the bakers, a litte meat from the butcher ... and the firewood and odd duck that the others had collected.

He chuckled as he watched Much struggling with the duck John had passed to him for the kitchen, and Will pulled back the lever to let them all in to the camp.

' Well I'm glad to see some one's laughing,' came the all too familar voice, as a familiar figure stood on the entrance to the camp.

The outlaws all drew their weapons at Allan, except for Much, who was holding the duck. Ava had drawn hers and immediatly lowered it when she saw who was there.

The absense of her weapons did not do un-noticed by Robin, who was stood next to her and saw as she lowered it, but now was not the time to ask - though he made a mental note to speak to her later about the correct use of self defense.

' I'm on my own! ' Allan yelled quickly, holding both hands up in the air, so that they could see he brandished no weapon, 'Honestly!'

' What do you want? ' John snarled.

' Marian said to show you this so you'll know I'm tellin' the truth,' Allan continued, moving forward after a nod of permission from Robin, and handing him something that the others did not see.

' She needs your help, and just for today, you've got safe passage in to the castle,' Ava's father told them.

' You don't expect us to believe that?! ' John growled.

Robin, however, after examining the thing he had ben given by Allan, seemed ready to play along, 'Why? '

' They've lost the Sheriff,' came the reply,' and if we don't find him today, then an army is coming to destroy Nottin'ham.'

Robin nodded and looked around at the others,' We're leaving, now,' he said firmly.

' We drop everything on the say so of a traitor, to go and help our enemy? ' John bellowed in anger.

' Don't call him names! ' Ava snapped, whirling around to glare at him before she could stop her self.

' But he is a traitor - he betrayed us all! ' John told him angrily.

' With good reason! He's a good man! ' she yelled passionately.

Robin frowned and decided that he would definitley talk about this later with her - had she been talking to him? She must have been meeting him, or else she wouldn't have forgiven him.

As John and Ava continued to argue, Robin grabbed hold of Ava's upper arm and pulled her away from the large man by a few feet and held on to her arm to keep her from moving.

' We don't have time for this,' he said,' let's just go.'

With that he turned and walked past them all, out of the camp.

Allan was the first to follow, and on seeing her father move, Ava followed him at once. The others noticed the closeness between Allan and Ava, and also deduced that they must have been meeting up.

Will and Djaq also left, followed by John, who had to stop and tell Much to put the duck down. Closing the camp, Much reluctantly left the duck alone and told it to wait there.

As they walked to Nottingham, the atmosphere was rater tense.

Robin lead the way in silence, hoping they would find the Sheriff, and save Nottingham from being burned.

Allan and Ava, behind Robin, didn't dare talk because of the others.

Much didn't dare approach Ava because of Allan being there.

They had only being walked a few minutes when Robin turned around to check that everyone was there, and his gaze fell up on the two A Dales.

Giving the elder a disgusted look he grasped Ava's arm and pulled her forward, in line to walk with him - for all he knew, Allan might be trying to corrupt her ... to make her switch sides!

Sighing, Ava reluctantly walked alongside her leader - hoping he wouldn't bring up the subject of Allan later.

This was going to be a long day.