Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from this writing. Only OC's belong to me.

I am updating sooner than normal after hearing about episode 12. Allan needs some love.

Chapter 15: The End of a Golden Week

She couldn't believe the last several days. The last week, since Allan kissed her at her window, were filled with stolen moments, secret kisses. The time was absolutely perfect. Their days were filled with their daily squabbles and their little rendezvous.

She wasn't sure which she loved more.

Allan had a knack for finding her when she least expected it, always surprising her and leaving her with a kiss. She enjoyed finding him after he returned from running his errands for Guy. He always seemed more depressed after a journey through Sherwood, even if he didn't have a run in with Hood.

"Now you are teasing me," Eleanor pouted as she leaned against Allan one evening. The moon was out, the chores were finally all done, and they had some precious time to themselves.

"Hey, I never said I saw this man in the moon," Allan repeated. "I'm just telling you what others say."

"A man in the moon is simply ridiculous. Now… a woman, however," Eleanor laughed as she turned round to face him and wrap her arms around his neck. "Aren't there tales that it use to be a goddess who controlled the moon?"

"You seem to know more fairy stories than I do, Nora," he acknowledged.

"One of the things I remember about my mother was her telling me stories," Eleanor admitted.

Another thing she was always surprised about Allan was the fact that things had gotten so intimate between them. She confessed secrets to him she never expected to be able to tell anyone, let alone a man. Some things she had only ever dared tell Gretchen, and perhaps a few she had buried deep inside.

Just as surprising and comforting was the fact Allan was able to talk about himself.

"You have that look," Eleanor accused.

"You see too much sometimes, Nora," Allan said leaning against the wall, pulling her with him. "It was nearly a year ago Luke was killed."

She lightly traced his face. "And now you are finding yourself wondering how you can work for the same man who killed your brother."

"See? That's exactly what I mean. You know way to bloody much it's frightening. Like how you always know what to have us do to keep me from mucking everything up. Why do you know so much?"

Eleanor grinned. "You seem to give me too much credit."

"You don't give yourself enough, Nora."

"It's because I pay attention—my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut— and I have an intense distrust of men," Eleanor explained. Allan laughed making her smile. Yes, everything had been so perfect.

She should have known it wouldn't last.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Allan!" Gisborne yelled the next morning. "Search the castle. The sheriff is missing."

"What?"

"Just look!" Gisborne yelled. Allan called the guards and began to search the castle.

A maid came down to tell Griswald the sheriff was not in his room for his morning meal, but his visitor was. "Take a tray up to him, then. Eleanor, go," she ordered.

She added the meal to the tray she was carrying for Marion. "I'll take Marion's," Sarah said. Eleanor grabbed the tray for the sheriff's friend and carried it upstairs.

She knocked, managed to handle the door, and dropped into a curtsey. "My lord, have you yet had anything to eat?"

"Just set it down here," he ordered. Eleanor quickly laid out all the food before him. "Do you require anything else?"

"Nothing you can procure," he said cryptically. She curtseyed and left.

"Marion needs you," a guard told her. She quickly arrived and knocked. Sarah left as she entered. She hoped Sarah wouldn't hold a grudge and think Eleanor was ousting her position. "What is happening?" Marion asked.

"The sheriff is missing," Eleanor said and Marion jumped to her feet.

"Do you have any idea what this means?" Marion asked quickly as she finished buttoning her top.

Eleanor nodded. "We all do, Marion. Murmurs are already spreading throughout the castle we are all going to be destroyed."

"Not if we can stop it," Marion said rushing off. She turned to look back at Eleanor. "Stay with me today. If that Griswald woman gives you any trouble, I will settle things with her." Eleanor nodded. She was terrified, as everyone was. She didn't know if they had enough guards to stop a force from Prince John.

"Wait here," Marion said as they approached the hall. She burst in to find Guy sitting there.

Allan and Eleanor shared a look as they stood on opposite sides of the hall, her next to the door, Allan opposite giving him a clear view of what was happening inside while she could only hear voices. Neither knew what to say. Neither had certainly thought something like this would happen. Guy stalked out and Allan followed him. "I need to get a message to Robin. Allan is the only one who can go," Marion said as she walked out and rejoined Eleanor.

"Robin will kill him on sight," Eleanor pointed out.

"No," Marion dug out a ring from her pocket. "No, not if he sees this."

Eleanor realized it must be the engagement ring. "I hope Robin can find the sheriff."

"If anyone can, he can."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Take care of whatever Sir Jasper needs," Guy ordered when he saw Eleanor and Gretchen. "Anything, anything he wants, you give him. Understand?" the two nodded as Guy stalked off.

"I highly doubt if we feed and, uh, attend his urges he will spare Nottingham," Gretchen grumbled.

"Maybe we just need to keep him busy long enough for something to happen," Eleanor offered.

"Like what, for the sheriff to toddle back in in his nightclothes, ordering for a change of shirt?" Gretchen wondered. She clinched her fists. "I did not imagine an end like this."

"We have till dusk. Something has to happen."

"Let's hope it is something good." They knocked on the door and waited to be allowed in. They brought wine and cheese, showed him to the battlements, fetched his water whenever he felt the least bit parched. The entire time hoping the sheriff would be found.

"Who'd have thought we would wish the sheriff good health?" Gretchen wondered. They had been sent back to the kitchen because Sir Jasper wanted riper grapes.

Only he had an appetite.

"Have you seen Allan?" Eleanor whispered.

"He is with the troops," Gretchen reminded her.

"I just… it can't end tonight," she said. "Here I was worried about him leaving me and it could all very well end tonight." She turned to Gretchen, the fear sinking in her stomach like a stone. "I want to at least see him one last time."

"Hey, I thought you were the optimistic one?"

Eleanor snorted. "Practical, not optimistic." Guy ordered for the larder to be prepared for a siege. Griswald was commanding everything to be moved to the strong room and others were drawing gallons of water to bring into the castle for both drinking and to put out fires.

"Forget jasper," Guy said seeing Gretchen and Eleanor. "There is no changing his mind. Find anything that can be used as a weapon and bring it to the armory." They nodded and organized the maids and man servants that could be spared to go through the rooms.

She happened to look out north and saw the dust from the troops. Fear, absolute terror like her father's presence always caused, settled in her stomach. The sun was already well past its midday point. Time was against them more and more every passing moment, and there was no sign of the sheriff anywhere.

She rested her hands on the window and happened to look down to see Allan talking with Will at the gate. "Well, if ever a time to patch things up, of course it would be now at the end of everything," she muttered. She pushed herself away from the window before she could see a dejected looking Allan standing alone as Will stalked off.

Eleanor was carrying fresh linens to the hall where they were setting up a corner to be used for medical purposes. She was walking through the halls when she heard Allan's voice, followed by Sir Jasper. She hid behind a pillar hoping they wouldn't cross her path. "I'm just saying Sir Guy would be useful in another county."

"And you, I suppose."

"Well, yeah," Allan stumbled out. Eleanor shook her head and pushed herself away from the pillar and headed back down towards the hall. "Nora, wait up," Allan's voice called behind her.

"Did you manage to save yourself?" she asked.

"What?"

"I'm not a fool, Allan. I heard you kissing up to Sir Jasper."

"Yeah, he is the only way out of here. The only way to get us out of here."

"I thought you would be going back with Will."

"He won't work with me even now that everything is ending," Allan spit out. "I'm telling you, that boy can hold a grudge. Did you honestly think I would leave you here?" he asked dumbfounded.

"I don't know what to think, Allan! The guards are gone, the troops are closing in on us, the sun is near setting, panic is everywhere! I hear you trying to save your own skin after not having been able to see you at all since all of this started…"

He cut her off with a kiss. "It can't end today. It hasn't even begun for us, not really." He took a deep breath. "Get Gretchen, go out the sliver in the south wall. You know I haven't told Guy about that one. The two of you can sneak out that way. Hide in Sherwood until I can come find you."

"What?"

He handed her a tag on a necklace, one she recognized as Robin Hood's gang. "Robin is a good man. He will help you even if he won't help me. Go, Nora."

"How did you get this? Robin took yours."

"I'm a thief, remember? I stole one back from when I was in his camp. Forgive Robin, and let him help you."

"He can help all of us now by finding the sheriff," she argued.

"Don't be stubborn, not now," he argued. "I don't have time, I have to go send out more guards while there is still time. I just need to know you are safe. Save yourself and Gretchen," he said running off.

She clasped the necklace in her hand, her heart pounding and her mind racing. She rushed down the stairs, dumped the bandages and ran around until she found Gretchen.

"What? What is it?" Gretchen asked, fearing the worse.

"Come on, you are getting out," she said grabbing her hand and dragging her friend.

"What? What do you mean?"

"The troops are almost here, they will soon have us surrounded," Eleanor said as she led them out of the castle. "Allan never told Guy about this sliver in the south wall that Robin uses. Get out. Warn your brother and his family. You can get people out of the county."

"What?" Gretchen yelled. She yanked her hand out. "Why me?"

"You saved my life, Gretchen. Twice, at least. This is the only way I can repay you," Eleanor yelled at her.

"Allan told you to save me?" she asked bewildered. "He would want you to save yourself."

"I'm not leaving," Eleanor said.

"I knew you were going to say that."

"You have family out there, Greta. Save them. I would simply be moving on to another county and starting over knowing I left Allan." She turned to run back to the castle.

"I can't just leave you!" Gretchen said running after her. The two of them ran into Will.

"You are that girl…"

"Eleanor. You are Will. Why are you here?" Eleanor demanded. "Everyone else is looking for the sheriff."

"Robin wants me to get Marion out."

"She should be inside. Take her through the south wall. Guy doesn't know about that," she kissed his cheek, startling him. "Thank you, for not holding grudges now at all times," she explained. She knew Allan thought Will was still holding everything against him, but surely none of Robin's men were that cruel, to carry such hatred through to death. "God speed," she said as she ran off, Gretchen at her heels.

They ran in to find the armory had been emptied into the courtyard and men of all ages where there to get weapons. "What are you doing here?" Allan demanded. "I told you to go," he admonished. "Not you too," he said when he saw Gretchen.

"Where would I go, Allan? And do what?"

"You would be alive," he said. "That is all that matters."

"Not to me," Eleanor said. She cupped his face as she leant up to kiss him. "This isn't how I planned for anything to go," she whispered.

"Not what I had planned, either. Get inside. Be safe," he said.

"Don't die," she ordered. "Gisborne has you stationed at the gate, you could be the first to die. Don't die."

She and Gretchen joined the town in the Castle. The village was built for siege, but the Castle wasn't meant for everyone to be inside. "It won't matter after long, anyways," Gretchen said with false cheer. "I'll help you here, just tell me what to do."

Eleanor nodded. She and Clara, the old wise woman who had tended Eleanor's wounds, were running the medicine bay should the occasion arise. Griswald was overseeing the food rations and Guy and Allan were overseeing the arms.

"You won't marry Gisborne?" Will asked Marion. "Robin will find you, Marion. He will move heaven and earth to find you!"

She saw Eleanor out of the corner of her eye. She had overheard Allan yelling at her for not leaving before the troops arrived. "You don't understand, Will." How could she leave when so many people, when Eleanor and Gretchen, refused to leave? She couldn't even contemplate marrying Guy just to save herself.

Everyone waited as the last rays of the sun shone on them. Allan ran in at the last moment as Guy mounted his horse. Allan pushed his way through the crowd looking for her. "She is over there," Will pointed. He couldn't understand Allan, couldn't reconcile the traitor with his old friend and this new man.

Allan saw Eleanor and Gretchen with some of the younger children. She saw him approach and she walked into his arms. "Are you and Will alright?"

"Good enough, I think." He leaned his forehead against hers. "If you see a chance to get out, take it."

"Stop asking, Allan. They aren't going to spare any women or children, Marion already tried. I'm staying."

"Stubborn till the end. I'm not being funny, but it wouldn't kill you to listen to me once in awhile."

She grinned as she held him. "I told you I always expected to move on. I am just glad it is with you."

He kissed the top of her head. "We are going to have to work on your outlook on life," he teased.

"Starting tomorrow," she promised sadly as the last rays of the sun were setting.

Chapter 14 had the most reviews of any chapter so far!! yay!

Huge thank you to Lollzie, dfriendly, Katieee (see my author's note!), smithyloverforever aka Becky (see my author's note!) katherine Moonhawk and Gruneberg (Hi! This story is going to have my own version of season 3. When I started writing it, season 3 hadn't premiered yet in the UK, so I just planned for how I wanted everything to end ^_^)

AUTHOR'S NOTE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED SEASON 3

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

I've mentioned before that this story is going to be AU season 3 because I have already planned out how everything goes (which is when we meet the OC meant for Guy). Because I didn't want to be influenced with my own story, I haven't been watching season 3 on BBC (I'm not even sure if it is airing yet in the US). However, after hearing about episode 12, all I can say is: WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINKING?! How dare they kill my Allan!

So after mourning and raving at stupid producers… I have come up with a plan! I hope. I've been trying to figure out how to use the character I want to use in my next story (based off season 3) and I think I have a new purpose for her ^_^ Someway, somehow, Allan will not die!

Okay, enough ranting.