Hey everyone....time for another update (you are free to say yay!!) anway so this one includes all three parts of our story...my least favorite is the vasey/edward part but i tried to make it funny at least...the guy/marian scene...the ending was inspired by Gizzysgirl and im sorry for not asking but i sort of borrowed your ideaish....dont hate me! anyway i loved to hear what you think of this story so far...things are beging to move faster...finally...reviews are lovely as always and i will try to reply to every one of them...again thank you...oh! today is my brother's birthday...so this is also like a presant to him!! happy b-day little bro!

Chapter Thirteen Duisgues, Suprises

"Is that really how much hair I have?" Vasey asked Edward.

The two travelers were currently studying a crude illustration of the sheriff. The illustration was on the side of a building. Underneath the picture were the words, "morts ou vivant voulus." Edward rolled his eyes.

"Apparently you are a wanted man." He could not hide the smirk from the sheriff.

The sheriff shook his head. He was determined to think on the bright side of this situation.

"You are mistaken. This means that I am a very popular man."

Edward laughed. "You do know that there is a price on your head? The authorities want you dead or alive. This changes everything." Edward decided to throw an evil hissy fit. "This is so unfair. Now it'll take even longer to track down Guy and kill him. Why do you always have to KILL people? Couldn't you just piss them off, steal their lands, and then walk away like normal Englishmen?"

The sheriff raised his eyebrow. That was quite a rant for someone who normally preferred to be silent and evil.

Eh…I'll let him get away with that now…but only this once.

"Calm yourself down, all we really need to do is find me a disguise." Vasey laughed as he thought of this. It had been only a few months ago since he had dressed up as an old man and fooled Hood's gang to gain entrance into their secret camp.

Fooling the French people shouldn't be such a challenge.

So Vasey bent down on the cobblestones and took off his shoes. He let the dirt and dust from his shoes fall onto the cobble stones. Quickly he began scooping the dirt and soot up into his hands and smearing it all over his face. Once he was satisfied he moved onto his hair.

Now that would be harder. It would be harder because he would either have to find a wig or grow a lot of hair in a very short amount of time. He would worry about the hair in a minute. Next he moved onto a different walking apparatus. If he was pretending to be an old man he would need a walking staff of some sort.

Edward watched in awe as the sheriff searched through the streets of the market and low and behold found an abandoned walking staff. The sheriff smiled to himself happily. Then he returned with the walking stick and unrecognizable face back to his companion.

"You can still see your sword my lord," said Edward pointing to the sheriff's sheath which held his sword.

The sheriff nodded. "This is where you come in Edward. I need you to go into these shops and find me a big, preferably old, robe to hide the sword. And then I need you to find a wig in a wig shop so that I can hide my gorgeous hair from the rest of France."

"And shall I buy us some milk as well while I'm running errands?" Edward asked sarcastically.

The sheriff smiled. Just like Gizzy. Watch it Edward that mouth of yours will get you into trouble.

The sheriff took some money from his pouch and gave it to Edward. Edward obediently took the money and ran through the streets looking for the finishing touches of his master's outfit. As Edward went into shops and stores in search of a wig and a robe he wondered what his father would say if he knew what his son was doing at this moment.

You are helping the sheriff? Roger would ask in awe.

Edward shook the feeling away and dutifully found each object the sheriff desired and brought them back to the sheriff.

Vasey fixed the wig on securely and tied the robe around his neck. His sheath was not noticeable to anyone passing by. And when Edward, as the final judge, looked Vasey up and down, he almost did not recognize him.

"Do I still look pretty?" the sheriff asked turning himself around to see himself better.

Ah, there is the old sheriff. Edward thought.

But then Edward worried. "What are you going to do about the tooth? It is really recognizable."

Vasey, always prepared, dove into his pockets and revealed a tooth. He placed it in the gap where his tooth had been and smiled. Now the sheriff looked just like anyone else on the street. Well, anyone who is and old man in need of a walking stick with long white hair and a full set of teeth.

"Absolutely perfect," Edward said.

"Now we need to test the disguise. The two of us will approach a local. You shall hold onto my arm like so." He put Edward's arm through his and with his other hand he held the walking stick. "Then you shall, in your finest French, tell the Frenchman that you and your dear sick grandfather desperately need a lift. The local, being stupid, will ask where you want to go. And you shall tell him that you want to go to Agincourt. Do you understand that?"

Edward nodded and took a deep breath. With the sheriff by his side he walked up to a local villager.

"Excusez-moi," he said.

The man smiled. "Oui?"

Edward said, "Mon père et moi avons besoin d'un ascenseur."

The man looked from Edward to Edward's "grandfather." Then he asked, "Là où vous devez aller?"

Where do we need to go? We need to go to Gisborne's godforsaken home and kill him!

But instead of saying what he thought Edward said, "Nous devons aller à Agincourt."

The man nodded. In a short while later Edward and Vasey were sitting in the back of a cart and on their way to Agincourt. Though they were on their way the sheriff did not find his seat comfortable. The driver of the cart was kind to them but Vasey despised sitting amongst sacks of food. It would begin to smell soon.

No more room my foot.

But though he was uncomfortable he grinned and relaxed. Soon they would reach Agincourt. Soon they would find Gisborne and his lady leper wife. Soon Gisborne would learn the punishment for abandoning the sheriff for a girl. He looked cautiously at Edward who was at the moment sleeping.

Now what was Vasey going to do with Edward when the returned? Should he truly replace Guy as his right hand man? The thought of someone else wearing Guy's leather sent a chill through Vasey's spine. He thought of Edward killing Guy. He could almost hear the cries of anger and regret from Guy. Obviously Vasey would force Guy to kill Marian. The woman was a leper after all and Guy would see reason. Then just went Guy thought he was leaving with the sheriff…Edward would step out and sink his sword into Gisborne's stomach.

The sheriff's forehead creased. Would he feel remorse at the death of his one time comrade? Would he consider showing mercy to Guy at the last minute and forbid Edward from doing the deed? Perhaps Vasey should let Guy live and the two of them could kill Robin and the rest of the outlaws together. Then they could go home to England and rule together and everything would be right again.

Vasey shook his head and chuckled.

A clue: No!

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"Stephan?" Robin asked in a whisper. He walked out of the confession stall and his brother mirrored his actions. "Stephan is that you?"

Stephan of Locksley put his finger to his lips and asked Robin to follow him out of the cathedral. Robin did so all the while studying the man his brother had become.

Stephan was still taller than Robin. His long blonde hair was shorter but still wavy. His eyes were still blue but there was deep sadness in them.

Once the two brothers were outside they were silent for some time. Neither brother knew quite what to say. Both brothers wanted to just jump into the other's arms. Both brothers wanted to confess to the other who he had missed him so much him so much it hurt. Both wanted to share their fears, hopes, and pasts with the other. But neither knew where to properly start.

Robin started, "How did you know it was me?"

Stephan shrugged. "When you started talking about how you had a brother who could quote passages from the bible. And also when you talked about that man who wronged you, I recognized that same passion in your voice you always have had."

Robin smiled and nodded. "I wish you had not heard that. I guess I must not have changed very much."

The older brother shook his head and looked down lovingly at his younger brother. "No, you have changed very much. And from what you told me back there, it seems that we finally understand each other. You went to war?"

Robin nodded his head. He did not like to think of his time in the Holy Land. There was too much death and fighting in his memories. How could he have known all those years ago that there was more truth in his brother's wise words and in all the deaths he caused?

So the younger brother said the words that were missing from his vocabulary long ago.

"I am sorry my brother, you were right. You were so right and I did not see it."

Stephan did want any older brother would do. He walked up to Robin and hugged him. The embrace was strong and long overdue. But an embrace does not last forever and soon the brothers parted.

"You never wrote me back," said Stephan with a sigh. "Not a single letter."

"But I remembered the Abbey's name," Robin pointed out triumphantly. "That is something."

"I missed you," said Stephan. "I missed you Robby."

Now Robin's eyes began to swell with tears. He was not ready to hear his brother's pet name for him. He was not sure he could hold back the tears much longer.

"I missed you too Stevie," said Robin. "I am so sorry I believed that you had betrayed us in some way. You followed your principles with the threat of being alienated. All I did was follow my king to a war I did not truly believe in."

Stephan shook his head and put his hands on Robin's shoulders. "No, for you say that you have done good in England. You tell me that you have helped those in need. That is true greatness to me."

"Thank you," said Robin.

Stephan looked at Robin curiously. He slowly began piecing together his brother's presence with the story of the man his brother previously told him.

"You did not come here just to see me did you?" asked Stephan knowingly.

Robin nodded his head. "How did you get to be so smart?"

"I read…a lot." Stephan shrugged. "But do not change the subject, why are you here, in France?"

"Do you remember Marian?" Robin asked.

Stephan crossed his arms and nodded. Yes he did remember her. He remembered the sweet little girl who had stuck to Robin like glue. He always thought they would have made a fine match. But he never told this to Robin. At thirteen Robin was more concerned with a bow than he was with a girl. Maybe things had changed.

"Yes, I do. Is she the important one?"

Robin nodded. "We are…were…engaged to be married a couple of months ago."

"Were?"

So Robin told his brother the entire story. He had to begin with a description of Guy of Gisborne. The rude black garbed man who stole Locksley lands from Robin while Robin was at war.

He recounted the evil deeds of this sadistic killer in the name of his master the sheriff of Nottingham. And Robin tried to make Stephan see the necessary course of action his little brother took when he chose to become an outlaw. True it was a disgrace to their father and mother but it had to be done for the people of Nottingham. Robin explained that they needed someone and Robin became their someone.

And then Robin recounted the sheriff's threat should anything ever happen to him while he was in power. Robin told his brother that six months ago that threat almost became a reality. While Nottingham was about to burn to the ground Guy had proposed to Marian.

"He proposed to her?" Stephan asked interrupting Robin's story.

Robin nodded.

"And she accepted?" Stephan's eyes widened.

Robin nodded again. "Because I told her that she had to live. If she had died that day, I could not go on living without her."

"But now she is alive and you still feel that way," Stephan wisely pointed out.

"Anyway, Guy brought Marian to France to his own estate. My gang and I are going to find them. And we are going to save Marian from Gisborne."

And that was it. He had explained what they were going to do in a way very similar to Much's explanation. But Robin knew from the look in his brother's eye that the rescue mission was about to become much more complicated.

"Are they still," Stephan hesitated slightly, "engaged?"

Robin shook his head. "They are married."

"Married," Stephan repeated to himself in a whisper. "What can I do about that? They have already knelt before God and declared that they will be together for the rest of their lives."

Robin, the hero of Sherwood, tried to keep his temper calm in light of his brother's response. "There are ways around marriage."

Stephan shook his head. "Are suggesting murder Robin?"

"If you agree to help me, murder shall not be necessary," said Robin. "But I need you to annul their marriage."

Annulment. The word sent a shudder through Stephan's spine. As a priest he knew what annulment was. Sometimes there were marriages made that were unholy and needed to be broken. Many different elements led to a marriage being considered unholy. If the priest conducting the marriage was not ordained. If there were no rings. But annulment was a last resort. You did not need to be a member of the clergy to know that marriage was sacred.

Stephan bit his lip. "Are there not priests in England who could do this for you?" asked Stephan.

Robin shrugged. "When we thought of the idea we were already on our way to France. And you are the only priest I know in France. And you are family."

Stephan crossed his arms. "So you were hoping your big brother would get you out of this mess?"

"No!" Robin shouted. "I did not get myself into this mess!"

Stephan rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Just like the old days. You want me to fix your mistakes."

Robin squeezed his fingers into fists. Then he unclenched his fingers and put them to his head. "I did not bring this on myself."

"Then tell me something," said Stephan, "who did start all of this mess?"

"Gisborne!" exclaimed Robin loudly. "I told you. He proposed to Marian and ran away with her. This is his fault."

"Then he needs to ask for an annulment. You have no grounds to ask for one. And did you even consider that maybe, just maybe Robin, he does not want to annul the marriage?"

"Of course he does not want to annul it!" Robin yelled angrily. "He has some strange obsession with Marian. He follows her everywhere and tries to woo her."

"Are you any different?" exclaimed Stephan just as angrily. He knew that this was not the way of the clergy. But this was a different matter. This was a family matter. All bets were off.

"I am her fiancé!"

"Robin, you are no longer her fiancé. She is married to another man. And you, who claim not be like Gisborne, have followed her all the way to another country. Yes, it shows that you love her and would do anything for her. But Robin, what if she has found happiness with him? What if she does not love her anymore?"

And Robin found himself in tears again. Because in the back of Robin's mind he was worried that his brother's words were, once again, true. But they could not be true. Marian could not love Gisborne. That was wrong. That was all wrong.

It has to be.

"She loves me!" And the yell could have awoken the dead. It definitely made the worshipers in the cathedral bring their prayers to a stand still. The choir stopped their singing and Robin's men quickly went outside to see what was going on. And to their shook they found Robin and a man they assumed was his brother, staring at each other in great anger.

"She loves me!" Robin repeated with just as much passion. "I would know if she did not. I would be able to feel it. You have never met Gisborne, he is not a man who women fall in love with. He is brutal, violent, and savage."

Robin's shouts took much of his energy and he found it was difficult to stand. He bent down towards the ground and clasped his knees.

Stephan did not know what to do. He looked from Robin's stance, to Robin's men, and then looked forlornly back to Robin again. He walked up to his brother and wordlessly hugged him. Both brothers fell on earth on their knees while they embraced for the second time that day.

"This time I get to be the sorry one," said Stephan causing Robin to chuckle. "It was wrong of me to say such things after all that you have been through. But legally, you do not have the right to annul a marriage. The only ones who have legal grounds to annul a marriage are the husband or wife. Or, sometimes other members of the family."

Robin shook his head and still held onto his brother. "Pity that Marian's father is dead, he would have called for an annulment in a heartbeat."

And while the brothers silently hugged and cried the gang looked on. Much held Eve's hand as he watched his master reunite with his brother. Will and Djaq held each other, and John looked on somberly. And Allan?

Allan-a-Dale thought about the day Marian got married. He remembered the event like it was yesterday. He remembered how Guy had ordered him to act as a witness. He remembered how the priest, with a worried look on his face, pronounced them man and wife. And then he remembered that he had held two parts in that marriage.

True he had been a witness.

But he had also given Marian away. Allan knew that only family members, mostly fathers, gave their daughters away on a wedding. Though Allan was not related to Marian the priest had still blessed the union. And he was not sure if he could argue that only family could give away a bride, he was sure of one thing.

He had given Marian away. This act, done by a father, and blessed by a priest, brought Allan to an interesting loophole. Could he now, possess the same rights as a member of Marian's family?

So Allan stepped forward and decided to prove himself to his former gang.

"Edward might not be able to annul the marriage, but I can!"

All eyes turned in unison to face Allan. Robin and Stephan parted from their embrace but both remained on their knees. Stephan looked up at Allan curiously and Robin smiled at him. But the rest of the gang were not so quiet about Allan's outburst.

John, usually silent, nudged Allan and looked at him curiously.

"I hope you know where you are going with this," said Will.

Much and Djaq asked loudly at the same time, "What do you mean you can annul it?"

"I would like to know too," said Stephan.

So Allan walked closer to Stephan and explained. "I gave Marian away on her wedding day."

Stephan shook his head. "Only fathers can give daughters away. Did the priest let you do this?"

Allan nodded, "Sure did mate. Blessed it and everything. So, I figure, I got the same rights as Edward did concerning Marian's marriage. I am her family now. I am her only family, apart from Gisborne. And as her, 'brother' I find something dreadfully wrong in their marriage. And I am calling for an annulment."

Everyone was shocked. Absolutely everyone.

Except for Robin.

He mouthed the words, "Thank you," to Allan and Allan nodded his head.

Stephan sighed and looked at his brother sitting in front of him.

You have not seen in for more than a decade. You must show him that you are different now and that you can finally see what he sees. Do this for your little brother, earn his respect again. But it will go against everything I stand for! I cannot allow that!

And then Stephan remembered that starry night all those years ago when he had told Robin that everyone was equal in God's eyes. And even though he meant every word he had not been so good in showing Robin that the two of them were just as equal in his eyes. Robin was not little anymore.

Stephan nodded. "Yes, I will help you."

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"This baby will come before you know it," said Gabriella feeling Marian's large belly. Suddenly she drew her hand away from Marian's stomach.

"It kicked me," she replied like a little girl.

Marian laughed. "It doesn't know any better."

Gabriella smiled. "So, are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

"I do not prefer one over the other," Marian replied.

Gabriella sat down on the chair by her desk. "What does the master of evil want though? A little soldier like his daddy?"

Marian shook her head. Her smile was gone. "Gabriella, I wish you would not speak of Guy in that way. He has tried to be kind to you when he has brought me here."

"Emphasis on tried," muttered Gabriella. "And you still have not told me about the mystery man."

"That was intention," said Marian sitting down, "because he does not exist. Stop asking me."

Gabriella tisked at her new friend. "Honestly Marian, you do not gain anything but refusing to speak his name. You know what they say about people who don't talk about the ones they love don't you?"

Marian shook her head.

"They stop loving them completely. They start to forget why they loved that person in the first place."

Marian rolled her eyes. "Lying isn't going to make me tell you any faster."

Gabriella clasped her hands together and pleaded, "Please, please, please, please? I need to know that you once did have a lover besides tall dark and dreary!"

"Stop calling him that!" Marian pleaded. "He is not evil! He is a good man I know he is! He is just a bit rough around the edges, but honestly who isn't? Don't we all have both evil and good within us all the time? It just depends on what we choose to act on. There is darkness in me, and there is darkness in you. I have lied, cheated, and stolen money, but that does not make me a bad person."

Where is this coming from?

Gabriella cocked her head to one side unperturbed by her friend's outburst. "Marian, generally people who steal are criminals. They are punished by the law."

Gabriella, if only you could understand.

"But the laws are not always just," said Marian fighting someone else's fight and using another's arguments. "The men who steal from those who are undeserving should not be locked up behind bars."

"Men?" asked Gabriella curiously, "who was talking about men? I thought we were talking about you. Actually, I thought originally we were talking about Guy. What is this all about?"

"Nothing," said Marian quietly looking down at her stomach.

But the wheels in Gabriella's brain were turning and she was beginning to figure some things out on her own without needing to be told.

"Marian," said Gabriella slowly, "was your mystery man an outlaw?"

Marian blushed. "No."

Gabriella snapped her fingers triumphantly. "I knew it. He was a baddie no doubt. Just like this one. But I'll bet he was a superior lover to your current husband."

"He wasn't like that!" yelled Marian admitting to Robin's existence for the first time in months. "He was good, and kind, and compassionate. And he was so sweet you know. Sure, he could get on your nerves a bit, tease you, but not always. And you loved him you know. Because how could you do anything otherwise? How could you take breaths without realizing that you loved him? It would be impossible. And the way he would fight for good in the midst of evil just astounded you. It just made you love him even more and more with each day."

Marian was standing up now and beaming with each sentence she spoke. But when her rant was over and her confession finished she began to cry. Tears ran from her cheeks like a river and she sat down again slowly.

Gabriella walked over to her and wiped her tears away. "And his name was?"

"Robin." Marian's reply was quiet and yet seemed to resound from every corner in the house.

Such a simple word with so much meaning behind it. It's existence shook the foundation of the shop and outside of the shop it had shaken one very saddened man. He had decided that he would listen one more time to the girls' conversation. And now he knew. He knew everything. His first instinct was to slam the door down and demand an explanation. His second instinct was to run away from Marian and never see her again.

So Guy began to walk away. He pushed angrily through the throngs of market dwellers and shoppers. He needed to be alone. He did not look where he was going and found himself in a field about a mile from town.

He sank slowly to his knees.

I am not going back.

If he had any hope of dignity left it did not make sense for him to ever go back to her. Promise or no promise. Love or no love.

But Guy's heart would not let him give up that easily. It forced him to think with a part of his anatomy that caused him pain. He thought with his heart. And through his mind's eye Guy saw a child.

The child, no more than five years old, was standing in the field looking at Guy. It was a girl. She had long black wavy hair like her father, and eyes that shone with love like her mother.

"Daddy?" asked the girl. "Do you love me?"

And though he knew the child did not exist Guy looked at his daughter. He wanted very much to reach up and hug this child. She looked so cold and alone. He had felt that way once when he was her age. He did not want her to grow in a world like he had lived in. A world of hate, and cruelty. A world that did not seem to want innocent children.

Like Guy.

A tear dripped from Guy's eye as he said, "Yes. I do."

And then, Guy knew what he had to do.

OOHHHH whats he going to do?? guy/mar fans...is gizzy turning out alright for you?? rob/mar fans yay for allan has followed through and soon robin will come with bro by his side!!! but will the sheriff get there first?? lets face it he is traveling by carraige...the gangs going on horses and they have to start from burgudny...ooh too few horses...i guess much and eve will have to share a horse....yay for much and eve!!!! and please review and enjoy this update! Gizzysgirl i hope you are alright with what ive done