And this is the chapter you've all been waiting for so patiently robin arrives!!! things are revealed!!! and i have to tell you that it was really hard to write this many a youtube vid had to be watched and rewatched for inspiration...so thank you FairyCutie86 for your "shattered" video...thanks Liisa for your mutiple inspirational vids like All of Me and If i Can't love her!! and besides the vids thanks for the amazingly sweet reviews from you fanfictioners gatewatcher gizzysgirl Liisa candyflossgirl willowdrake all of you get a shout out!!! note---somewhat strong langauge and little violence...cause you know...now read review and enjoy!!!

Chapter Twenty Two: Shattering Screams Shattering Hearts

"Edward Mann," said Guy, "we meet again. You have grown older since I last saw you."

Edward narrowed his eyes. "Don't talk so much Gisborne. Now, drop your weapon!"

Guy did no such thing. Instead he gripped the sword tighter in his hand and pointed it back and forth between the sheriff and Edward. "I knew you were not serious," he said to the sheriff, "Hood would never send another man to retrieve the woman he loves."

"Speaking of the leper," said Vasey, "where is she pray tell?"

Guy shrugged.

Edward growled at the sheriff's mild behavior. "Can I just kill him now!? He deserves it."

"Oh," said Guy rattled to his bones, "and tell me, boy, what did I do to you that your family did not already deserve?"

"Where to begin?" Edward's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You murdered my father in the middle of our village, and then you captured my older brothers and tortured them in prison. My mother died of grief."

Guy recalled the story a little differently. "Your father and I were friends Edward; did he happen to mention that?"

It was Vasey, and not Edward, who reacted to this news with the most surprise. "Friends you say? Gizzy, I didn't know you had any friends."

Edward shook his head. "I don't believe you."

"Your father, Harold Mann, he used to be one of my servants. But because he was such a loyal man and a good man, or so I thought, we became friends. Sometimes we would go hunting together. He would tell me that it was hard for him to provide for his wife Margret and his three sons with the little money he made. So I would lend him money now and again. Then, one day, he didn't come to work. I sent some guards to find out what happened and do you know what they found?"

Edward was silent so the sheriff asked, "What?"

Guy turned up his nose at Edward. "Your father had used the money I gave him to buy himself new clothes and a new sword. He was found not far from the North Road. He was planning to leave your family and run away."

"No!" yelled Edward. "My father would never do that. He was a good man!"

"The guards took him to the middle of the market square and he tried to deny everything. But the new clothes, the sword, and the bags of his belongings seemed to speak for themselves don't you think? He tried to put up a fight," Guy paused and pointed to the sword in Edward's hand, "with that weapon."

"And you killed him you son of a bitch," said Edward angrily.

"Language gentleman," interrupted the sheriff methodically.

"I had my men deliver the weapon and clothes back to your home. My men returned and tried to warn me that your older brothers were hostile towards them. They advised me that I should lock them in the dungeons so no one would get hurt. And I listened to them."

"Bored now," said the sheriff holding up a hand to stop Guy, "and as much as I would love to hear you defend yourself further Gisborne, I think it's only fair to my sanity to let Edward speak."

"You murdered my father, you locked up my brothers, and you made my mother die with tears in her eyes. You have singlehandedly wiped my family from the face of this earth. And now I am here to wipe your name off the face of the earth forever. No one will remember your name Guy, no one will ever think of you with fondness, or care about your death."

Guy was speechless.

"Start praying Gisborne, though I doubt God would hear your prayers," said Edward.

"Stop!" yelled a defiant voice from behind Guy. The three men momentarily stopped their battle and looked at the new comer.

Marian, with a sword in hand, walked beside Guy and pointed her weapon at Edward.

"Marian!?" yelled Guy. "What are you doing here?"

"What I should have done from the beginning," said Marian looking up at Guy. Then she looked back at Edward and glared at him. "Listen to me, there will always be people who remember this man. You cannot wipe his name from existence no more than your family's name was. You will pass the goodness of your family to others just as Guy has done. You have a chance Edward, to drop your weapon and leave this fight before it has begun."

The sheriff clapped his hands loudly. "I knew the leper was here! I knew it! Ha!"

And while the sheriff clapped his hands Edward thought about what Marian had just told him. There was something hidden in her words that she was trying to express without actually saying it.

Just as Guy has done.

There was a hidden meaning in that sentence. Edward had been trying to wipe the name of Gisborne off the world but Marian was assuring him otherwise. Where were relatives of Gisborne still living? That might have been what Marian meant. But Guy did not have a family still living. Guy only had his wife, and Edward was sure he'd kill both of them in only a matter of time.

But maybe…maybe there were not only two Gisbornes living in this manor.

Perhaps there was another.

Edward rolled his eyes at Marian. "I don't know you, but women who marry murderers are merely murderers themselves. Why shouldn't I just kill you both? I'd make my life, and the life of the sheriff, much easier."

Marian shook her head. "I don't think so."

She sprang with her sword at Edward.

"Marian!" yelled Guy. "Stop!"

But Marian did not listen and as she fought Edward, Edward fought back twice as violently. Vasey and Guy watched with shock as the two battled across the room. But Guy could clearly see that Marian was losing. Edward was backing her up into a corner and Guy knew that even in her fullest strength, Marian would not win a fight against a fighter like Edward.

Edward did back Marian into a corner and Marian lost her footing. She fell and dropped her sword. She tried to retrieve it but Edward cut her hand and Marian screamed with pain.

"Marian!" Guy screamed. He raced over to her side and was able to block Edward's possible fatal attack against his wife.

"Don't even think about it boy," Guy said furiously.

Edward laughed as he faced his nemesis. "I wouldn't have to fight her if you didn't insist on hiding behind women."

"I'm not hiding," said Guy, "I'm right here!"

Edward smiled brightly at Guy. He grinned and revealed his full set of teeth. "Yes, you are here, but you are hiding something Gisborne. Right now, this very minute, you are hiding something. You are hiding it from me, and from the sheriff. But guess what?"

"What?" Guy did not lose his ready stance. He was not in the least shaken by Edward's accusations and statements. Edward did not know Guy at all.

Meanwhile Marian stood up and retrieved her sword. She pointed it at the sheriff who pointed his sword at her. But both eyes were equally on Guy and Edward. There was not a sound in the room only the little drops of Marian's blood, which still trickled from her hand, hitting the floor were audible.

Vasey momentarily let his gaze drop to the little puddle of Marian's blood. His stomach turned and he straightened himself out. He shook his head.

The sheriff of Nottingham did not like blood. When he murdered he liked the victims to die without showing the extra unnecessary stuff like blood. He left the bloody murders to Guy or to his guards. Vasey killed without thinking about it, but blood sickened him.

Tut tut brother, you have not learned your lesson. And now you want to dirty your soul even more with the deaths of these innocent people. Vasey shook his head at the all knowing voice taunting him constantly. Why would she not leave him alone?

Marian bit her lip as she watched her husband face off Edward. Unlike Guy she was worried that Edward knew something he should not know. She automatically thought of Clara and had to push away the urge to rush into the baby's room and make sure she was already. Doing that would only put the child in greater jeopardy.

After the silence Edward spoke again, "You are hiding someone."

Guy's insides jolted. His brain put out a warning signal to the rest of his body. His mind flashed to the little girl he loved sleepy soundly in the next room. Guy looked fiercely at Edward. How could he have known?

Marian had a similar reaction to Edward's statement. Her heart beat quickened considerably and she bit harder on her lower lip.

But, once again, Vasey had the strangest reaction to Edward's statement.

"Edward," said Vasey helpfully, "you're a little slow on the times. We already have what Guy was hiding. Marian. See? She's right here, there's no one else here."

"Really?" asked Edward directing his question to Guy instead of the sheriff. "Do you agree with that belief Gisborne?"

Guy nodded. "Yeah, the sheriff is right, there is living here besides me and Marian."

Edward chuckled and shook his head. He looked to the sheriff. "Do you honestly believe him?"

Vasey shrugged. "Well, what are you suggesting Edward?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "My lord, don't you think so too?"

"About what?"

"Do you want me to spell it out for you?" Edward asked walking towards him. Guy followed him still holding the sword at Edward just in case.

"You're not really making any sense," said Vasey, "so yes, spell out whatever you think is going on here. Tell me, in English, what is dear Gizzy trying to hide that you and I have not already found."

Edward slowly turned to Marian. He winked at her.

She gave him a disgusted look back and stepped back from the group of men. Yet she too still pointed her sword at the sheriff, though her fingers were shaking. Not only was her hand in excruciating pain, but Edward knew about Clara. That thought, more than the physical pain, ripped Marian from the inside out. So much so that the great Night watchman trembled.

Guy saw the fear in her eyes and tried to meet her eyes.

Edward walked closer to Marian and pushed the sheriff and his sword away from her. Guy tried to get to Marian but the sheriff held him back. Edward looked darkly at Marian. "You brought another one into the world didn't you? You little witch."

That was too much for Guy, he shoved the sheriff away and, with all the force he could muster, grabbed Edward and pulled him to the ground. The two men began to fight with merely their fists as weapons, both swords were tossed aside.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" asked the sheriff. He then took up his sword and walked up the two grown men fighting on the floor.

"Having fun?" he asked them.

They did not reply. Then the sheriff walked over to where Marian stood. She was distracted and he easily tore her weapon out of her hands. Then he kicked her in her stomach and she fell to the ground.

Both Edward and Guy looked up at the sound of Marian's body hitting the floor. Guy's eyes flashed with anger as he saw the sheriff's sword pointed at Marian's neck.

"Now," said Vasey softly, "now that I have everyone's attention, I'm going to talk for a little while okay? So here's what's going to happen now. Guy, get off of Edward, if you want leper lover to live. Edward, if you want to live, you will tell me what the hell you have been blathering on about, for the past ten minutes?!"

The men did as the sheriff requested. Guy and Edward stood up and retrieved their weapons. Guy started to rush over to Marian's side but his first step brought the sheriff's blade closer to Marian's throat.

He stopped walking and the sheriff smiled. "Good thinking Guy, now, Edward, your turn."

"They have a child," said Edward flatly brushing himself off.

The sheriff raised his eyebrow. "They have a what!?"

"A child," said Edward, "you know, like an adult only smaller."

"I know what a bloody child is you idiot!" screamed Vasey. "I just am marveling at the fact that Guy would ever start a family without telling me."

"We didn't think you'd be in the neighborhood for the christening," said Marian quietly from her position on the floor.

"Trying to be funny?" asked the sheriff moving the sword closer to Marian's neck.

"So," said Edward to the sheriff, "what are we going to do about it?"

Vasey cocked his head at Edward. "Are you sure?"

Edward nodded. "Just take a look at the two guilty faces my lord!"

"I've never really been good at reading facial expressions," Vasey shrugged. "Besides, we've been making quite a lot of noise, and this supposed offspring hasn't made a peep."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Fine!" He then left where he stood and started banging on all the walls in the room with his fists. He started lifting up tables and chairs and then slamming them down. "Wake up baby!" he yelled. "Wake up!"

Vasey looked uncomfortably at Edward. "The boy is new," he explained to Marian, "he gets crazy sometimes. Once, he made me stop to bury a body, boy's off his rocker."

Edward continued banging and screaming like a lunatic. Suddenly there was another voice screaming with him. It was smaller, to be sure, but it carried an enormous scream.

*************************************************************************

"Did anyone else hear that?" asked Eve.

The gang had been walking for most of the night and into the morning without rest. So far they had not seen or heard anything out of the ordinary until now.

"Yeah," agreed John, "it's coming from that direction."

All bodies followed the direction John pointed to. They all broke into a run while each tried to think of what that sound could mean.

"It sounded bad," said Djaq. "Like pain or agony."

Robin squirmed slightly. He was really not hoping for Djaq's suggestion to be true.

Will shook his head. "It doesn't sound like agony, more like fear."

Robin nodded wordlessly.

"And it sounded small," said Much thoughtfully.

Allan gave him a weird look as they ran. "Small? What do you mean small?"

"I don't know," said Much defensively, "it just sounded small to me."

"Maybe you've just got small ears," guessed Allan.

"Better than your big nose," mumbled Much.

Allan almost stopped running at that comment. "What did you say?"

"I said," said Much loudly, "I said better than your big—"

Eve put a hand on Much's shoulder and showed him Robin's face. It was not a face that wanted to deal with the petty squabbles between his men. It was a face that showed passionate and fierce anger at the first being that crossed him. Much got the picture and he was silent while they continued to run.

But Much thought about the scream.

Small meant small and Much knew that. He and Robin had been around many different screams while they were in the Holy Land. They had heard the screams of men who lay dying before them. And Much knew that the scream was not like those had been. But Much remembered a time in the Holy Land when he and Robin had passed by a little village.

The King's men were marching through this village to show the inhabitants of power of the English army and to strike fear in their hearts. Though the King's guard had keep their eyes straight on the horizon Much had been looking at the faces of the people they passed.

There was silent fear and hatred in their eyes. But no one spoke aloud their disapproval. Until Much heard a little scream. He had turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw a woman holding a little child in her arms. The child was wailing and the mother put her finger in the baby's mouth to keep him silent for fear of causing a greater disturbance.

That little cry of the child in the village sounded, in Much's ears, exactly like the scream he had just heard.

He shook his head.

A baby? Marian had a baby? No. Surely not, but, then again perhaps it is possible.

Much took a quick look at Robin.

For his sake, I pray I am wrong. I do not know what Robin would do if Marian had a baby with Gisborne.

At last the gang reached the source of the cry. They all stared at a manor atop a hill. There was great noise issuing from the inside. Robin thought back to the manor in his dreams and shook despite his forced face which portrayed a calm emotion.

Stephan put his arm around his brother. "We enter at your command brother."

Robin was about to answer his brother when he saw something through the window. He saw the back of a figure move closer and closer to the window, as if forced. And then he suddenly saw the figure slide down the window to the floor. Robin's stomach turned into knots when he saw that the figure's hair was long and black.

Marian's!

He pushed his brother's encouraging arm aside and ran up the hill. He did not think, he just saw the beautiful hair plastered against the window. When he reached the top of the hill the gang were still below making their way up and shaking their heads at their leader's actions. The wise measure would be to wait for the rest of the gang to reach him. If Robin had taken a minute to catch his breath and think, perhaps he would have done that.

But Robin did not think rationally.

Robin was in love and he was done thinking rationally. He was sick of doing the proper thing.

He opened the front door and stepped into the manor he had spent many months trying to find. The very first thing Robin saw was the sheriff pointing his sword at a very familiar face. The face, the face that he had spent months picturing and dreaming about, was now really looking back at him. It was no dream this time, it was no fantasy which he yelled in the middle of the night, it was really her face.

It was really her.

It was really Marian.

His Marian.

"Marian!" he screamed.

She looked up at the man she loved. "Robin?!"

It was like he did not even see the sheriff! The look on his face could have brought down wars. The smile he wore would have forced many swords to drop and never rise again. The way his eyes seemed to dance upon seeing his lady, his true love, could have congregated the entire world in a binding peace.

There was so much absolute love in his being. He felt like he was able to breathe for the first time. And he started to walk over to Marian, not caring that the sheriff had a sword at her throat. Perhaps he would have kept walking if not for the blood.

Very small drops of blood from her pure white neck it the floor and sent shock waves through Robin's entire being. He tore his gaze from Marian to look at the sheriff.

He was laughing and not really looking at the outlaw.

Robin took out an arrow and pointed it at the sheriff. "Let her go sheriff!"

Vasey shook his head. "My dear Hood, I am so pleased that you arrived on time. And, like I thought, you have arrived before your little friends, in your haste to save your lady."

"I swear to God," said Robin, "let her go or I will kill you."

Marian looked at Robin and saw the anger in his face. Her reaction to his presence had been one firstly of shock. Shock that he could have found her. Shock that he even wanted to find her. And then, then she felt the outpouring of love and awe. Marian momentarily found herself lost in his gaze as he was lost in hers. Robin had not changed in their time apart. And then when he spoke her name…well then she could have very nearly fainted. The sound of his voice brought life back into her body and soul.

But the sheriff's blade and the pain brought her, like Robin, back into reality.

Now she wanted, desperately, to confess to him. She wanted to tell him what was going on.

"Robin!" she yelled. "Robin he's got—"

But the sheriff kicked her stomach to shut her up. This only made Robin angrier and the sheriff all the more happier.

"Release her!"

The sheriff cocked his head. "Are you sure about that?"

Robin was silent.

"You might want to turn around before you go jumping to conclusions," said the sheriff.

Robin raised an eyebrow but slowly turned his head around. He saw Guy standing dumbly and looking with rage at a man Robin had never seen before. This man was not looking at Guy, if he had, Guy's dagger eyes would have killed him. But instead he looked down with false affection at the bundle he was holding in his arms.

In his arms was a little baby with black eyes and dark hair.

"Who are you?" asked Robin.

Edward looked up and smiled at Robin. "Let me guess," he said, "the famous Robin Hood? I'd love to make your acquaintance but I'm a little busy at the moment." Edward looked at Guy and motioned for him to step forward. "I think I'll let Gizzy explain."

Gizzy? Robin thought, only the sheriff would call Gisborne a name like that and get away with it. What is going on here? Why isn't Guy doing anything to that man? And that stranger's voice, sounds so familiar, why?

Guy stepped forward. He looked into the eyes of the man who had tormented his dreams and sometimes, his reality. He stared at the man who he had tried, and failed, to kill and capture. He gazed at the outlaw of Sherwood who had sacrificed everything for the poor, and who had only committed one crime according to Guy.

One crime.

Stealing something that was more valuable to Gisborne than all the gold in England.

Robin had stolen Marian's heart.

"Things have changed," said Guy slowly.

"Not for the better," said Robin, "it seems."

Guy shrugged. He looked beaten and worn out to Robin.

"What are you doing Guy?" asked Robin.

"Exactly what he must," said Vasey with a grin, "if he wants her to live."

Robin stepped forward and put his hands on Guy's shoulders. "Guy," he said quietly, "Gisborne, why do you not fight the sheriff for her? Why let Marian undergo this torture if you want her to live?"

Vasey cackled and Edward laughed at Robin's silly suggestion.

"You are misunderstanding the situation Hood," said Vasey. "Explain it to him Gisborne!"

Guy nodded and took Robins hands off of his shoulders. "You do not understand Hood," he said. "One day, you might, but not today. There are many different kinds of urges in this word. You know that. We want to do what we feel is right, that is an urge. We want to protect the women, or in this case, woman, that we love. That is a stronger more powerful urge. And, trust me, if I acted on that urge alone, there would be no way you would see me this way."

"Get on with it!" bellowed the sheriff.

"I'm trying!" Guy yelled back.

Suddenly the baby in Edward's arms began to cry. Edward tisked and turned to Guy disapprovingly. He shook his head. "You woke up the baby. A better father would have—"

"Father?" Robin repeated dumbly interrupting Edward's taunting. He was being to feel shaky and his stomach began to ache.

Guy did not answer Robin. "Let me hold her," he begged Edward. "Let me hold her."

Edward ignored him and held the child tighter to his chest. "Or what Gisborne?"

And Robin understood. He stared at Guy. "You're her father." It was a statement more than a question.

"Very good," said Vasey. "Now, next question, this is a little harder so pay attention, who is the little bitty baby's mummy?"

Robin closed his eyes and felt that bile was about to come out of his mouth. "No," he whispered almost falling to his knees, "no."

Marian closed her eyes as she felt the weight of Robin's pain.

"So now," Edward said, "this is how you find us. We have the mother in the corner unable to do anything. And we have the father, here, also unable to do anything. Both are grounded at the spot and we didn't even have to lift a finger and fight. Do you know why they act this way? Because out of sickening love for this little one. You know, I came here to kill Guy, and you, in the process. But this is so much better because I'm killing Guy's soul just holding his daughter."

Edward turned to Guy. "What's her name?"

"Don't you dare harm her!" Guy yelled venomously.

Robin looked back at Marian. "You have a daughter."

The dullness in his voice nearly killed her. She nodded and looked away from him. Robin turned back to Edward. "When you finish tormenting him," he said, "you might as well kill me."

"Kill you just like that?" asked the sheriff shocked, "no. We have a job for you to do."

"What?" asked Robin nearly dead inside.

Edward looked at the sheriff and the sheriff nodded at Edward giving his approval to continue.

"This man ruthlessly murdered my family and has utterly destroyed my name forever. We need your help to destroy his name from existence."

Robin crossed his arms. "What are you getting at?"

"Let's just say it," said the sheriff loudly, "we can end your suffering and pain which we know you are feeling."

The hero of the forest turned once again to face Marian. He got on his knees and stared at her. Robin shook his head.

"I love you. There, I suffer! I have always loved you. There, I suffer! And, I will probably always love you! Marian I have spent these last months in the most excruciating pain, because of you. I have worried about you, and sulked after you, and lost sleep because of you! I thought," he shook his head and fought the tears in his eyes, "I thought I would feel a time when you stopped loving me. I thought that there would be this disturbance in time and I would have known if you did not feel for me the way I feel for you! Do you love me?"

Marian attempted to answer but the sheriff answered instead, "Shut up already!"

The entire room went silent at the sheriff's voice. "Hood, no one really cares about your little sadness. We are offering you a chance to end the pain you are feeling."

"How?" asked Robin standing up. "How could you, the sheriff of Nottingham, ever offer me help?"

"Because this is something that I benefit from too. I hate Guy, no offense Gisborne but I do, I hate that he abandoned me in England and left me to be found and dragged back to Nottingham by an outlaw! And I hate the man he has become around this woman! Look at him for God's sake! So if you do as I say, you cause Gisborne to suffer and Marian to suffer."

Robin shook his head. "I do not want Marian to—"

"Do you not understand what shut up means?" asked the sheriff. "Anyway, we have a proposition for you. Kill her."

Robin's eyes widened as he stared at the sheriff. "What? Who?"

"Her," repeated the sheriff.

"I'm not killing Marian."

Vasey rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I was talking about Marian. Sure. A clue: No! I mean the itty bitty Gizzy baby!"

"Are you suggesting…" began Robin.

"Yes," the sheriff nodded, "I want you to murder Gisborne's child. Kill the spawn of your personal Satan and you will feel free!"

First rob/mar fans lets all take a deep breath and revel in the fact that robbys finally back!!! only took the bloke 22 chapters to get to france...and i know his reactions might seem a little out of character but dont worry i mean how you react to that kind of news?? so guy/mar fans sorry about the lack of guy mar moments but robby needed one real one after all the fake outs and the question thats on everyones mind whats going to happen??? is robin going to kill the baby??? should he?? where is the gang?? read review enjoy!