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

Chapter 16: For One Night

Guy burst back in, surprising everyone. "To arms," he yelled. Allan kissed her deeply before withdrawing his sword and taking his position.

"Gisborne!" the sheriff's voice shrilled out. Everyone looked around as if they were hearing things, or it was a cruel joke played on them by the troops. "Gisborne!" The voice called out again.

"I never thought I'd say this, but thank God the sheriff is safe," Gretchen giggled. She was so relieved she couldn't stop laughing and soon Eleanor was laughing just as hard, trying to catch her breath. They hugged each other; they were so relieved they couldn't even stand so they sank to their knees.

"Don't make a big deal over this, but I promised God if he spared us I would act on these feelings for Much," Gretchen whispered as she wiped away a tear. "I made it out of fear thinking he wouldn't spare us over something so ridiculous. But now I feel beholden. He held up His end."

Eleanor kissed Gretchen's cheek. "I know why you don't act on it, but Much might surprise you, Greta. He may choose you over Robin."

"I think I may keel over in shock," Gretchen said looking over Eleanor's shoulder, here eyes wide. "Griswald is crying! And kissing that man! I feel faint," she said as Eleanor turned to ogle Griswald. "I think we are going to celebrate tonight," she said seeing all of the food being dished up.

"I think we have reason to celebrate," Eleanor smiled.

Guy and Allan supervised the return of the weapons to the armory as the kitchen staff dished up the food. The sheriff grumbled about the chaos that had happened in his absence but he seemed to know better than to stop the entire town's celebration and jubilation. "It is, after all, Sheriff, a celebration of your return and health," Guy told him.

"Hmph," was all the sheriff said.

"Nora!" Allan called out as he found her in the crowd. She smiled to see him running towards her. He nestled his face in her hair as she hugged him tightly. "Are you alright? Gretchen?"

"We are both fine," she laughed. "Come and eat. It seems there are no rules of propriety tonight as everyone is serving themselves."

"Did Will leave?" Gretchen asked looking around.

"Probably," Allan said, looking behind him at the gate. "Yeah, I'm sure of it."

She traced her finger along his cheek. "Why are you sad? Didn't things work out between you?"

"I'm hoping it is a beginning," he said. He held her hand as they went to get something to eat and he led her to a quiet, sequestered spot. "When I saw you came back, it was just as bad as when I found you after your father found you. You have to stop scaring me like that."

"I won't make it a habit," she whispered as he held her close, placing kisses along her jaw. "I thought you would die before I could find you."

"Stay with me," he whispered in her ear.

"What?"

"Stay with me," he whispered as he stroke a hand down her back.

Just as the night she made the decision to leave her father's house and run away, she knew this decision would change her life. "I want you to stay with me, Nora."

"Yes," she nodded as he leaned down to kiss her.

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

She stretched, feeling the weight across her stomach from Allan's arm. She rolled over and brushed a lock of his hair back, kissing his forehead. His hand gently stroked her back as he leaned forward to kiss her. "This is better than when I had to sleep on the floor outside," he teased as he gently kissed her, trailing kisses along her jaw before traveling further down.

"If you aren't careful, you may find yourself there again," she playfully threatened.

"Your hair is always up," he commented as he ran his fingers threw it. "the only time I ever saw it down—before tonight—was when you were recovering."

"It's practical."

"I like it down," he said as he played with it. "The color of fresh honey, a shade lighter than your eyes," he said. He lightly traced over the marks on her back. "Do they still hurt? Did I make it worse?" He saw some were older scars, making him furious she would forever wear those marks of brutality.

"No," she assured him quickly. "They are nearly healed."

"I was furious when Griswald went on her tirade against all of you. It's hard to feel pity for the cook when all of you are punished."

"You worry too much," she said as she ran a finger absently along his chest. "You are thinking about something now," she accused.

"Something Djaq said before I was found out."

She huffed. "I may be new at this, but I don't think now is an appropriate time to bring up another woman. Even if she dresses like a man."

He grinned. "I'm not being funny, but you are cute when you are jealous."

"What are you thinking about?"

"She said my brother wasn't an idiot, that he was a good man. I am wondering if it runs in the family."

"Yes. You are an idiot, too, but a good man, Allan. If you don't trust yourself, then trust my judgment."

He leaned in to kiss her and she eagerly welcomed him again.

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

She combed her hair into a braid and pinned it in place the next morning. "Stay a bit longer," he cajoled.

She threw a pillow at him. "Everyone is going to be gossiping, I'm sure…"

"Half the village would have been to drunk to find their beds and just slept where they could. Your reputation will be safe," he promised. "Stay with me," he pouted.

"The entire castle is out of order after yesterday. It is going to take us days to get everything in order. Griswald was to drunk last night to order us to begin cleaning up."

"No!" Allan laughed. "How did I miss that."

"You were to busy snogging me," she teased. He got out of bed and came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Before last night she would have been mortified by his nudity. Now she simply studied him admiringly. "True," he said kissing her slowly.

"And now I have to be going," she said as she slipped out of his arms and slipped quietly down the hall. She made it to the kitchen and tried not to act like anything was unusual with her. Griswald must have been feeling the affects of all the wine because she was mellow the entire day. Linens were sorted, the larder placed back in the proper places, the hall cleaned up, meals served on time.

"We need to talk," Gretchen said as she watched Eleanor. She dragged Eleanor outdoors to make more candles to finish their supply for the winter. "Where the bloody hell were you last night?" she demanded.

Eleanor looked around to ensure they were alone. "I was with Allan."

"With…" she trailed off. "Wait, am I understanding you and Allan…"

"Yes!" Eleanor said mortified she was going to yell it out for the entire town to hear. "You know what I mean."

"That is not like you, Elle."

"Yesterday was an usual day, Greta. You were going to act on your feelings for Much, remember?"

"Yes! As in flirt and see if he still flirts with me! But you! I mean, its you!"

"I am well aware of that."

"But you and Allan!"

"Yes, he was there, too," Eleanor smirked.

Gretchen snorted over that. "I am just shocked."

"It isn't happening again," Eleanor said and Gretchen shot her a look. "One night is already inexcusable, clearly by your reaction. Besides…"

"What? He was awful?" Gretchen had heard plenty of servant gossip, although she never would have applied their stories to Allan.

"No. Definitely not. That's not why. He said 'stay with me.'"

"Okay…"

Eleanor didn't know how to explain that. "I wanted it to mean 'stay with me forever.' I knew it was wishful thinking, but I thought he would come to mean it that way eventually."

"You don't think that now?" Gretchen asked.

"No, I don't," she admitted.

"What happened? And no, not those details," Gretchen clarified.

Eleanor laughed. "I wasn't going to tell you those details. Amongst other things we talked…"

"Okay…"

Eleanor went to trim the candles as she gathered her thoughts. "We talked about what happened yesterday. More than just how frightening the entire situation was. He told me Will told him he would never accept him back in the gang. Then he brought up something Djaq said about his brother."

"Okay, so he doesn't have the best bedside talk."

"It wasn't that, I liked he could talk to me. I don't want him to hide from me. It was intimate in so many ways. But…" she trailed off. "It was more how he was talking about them. I know now that he is going to chose Robin over me. It was in how he said everything."

"Are you sure he wasn't just being nostalgic?"

"No, I'm sure. He was heartbroken Will refused to welcome him back. He wants back with Robin more than anything. So I had a wonderful night I will always remember. I had one night with Allan. Mistake or not, I refuse to regret it since it is the only chance I had with him."

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

Allan methodically worked through his work that morning. He told himself not to feel guilty. He knew Eleanor wasn't a love them and leave them type of girl. He knew that long before he had the crazy idea of last night. But he couldn't regret it. He just had to make her understand he understood she was different, that he was different with her.

He knew everything was different with her. Now he just had to find a way of proving that to her.

Marion was taking a walk around to see how everyone was doing when she saw Allan walking up to Eleanor who was hanging up the linens that had been washed. She edged closer wanting to eavesdrop.

"You alright?" Allan asked, rubbing her hand with his thumb.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "How are things with Guy and the sheriff?"

"About how you expect them," he admitted.

"You have been thinking again," she accused.

"How can you tell?"

"My secret," she grinned. "What is on your mind?"

"You."

"I'm flattered," she grinned. "It is a confidence booster."

He laughed. "I wasn't meaning that, but that is definitely on my mind, too."

She waited for him to continue. "You know you mean more to me than a tryst, don't you?"

"I thought I did, but if this is where you…"

"No, its not," he said quickly. "I don't want you to think I wanted only a night from you. I want more."

"What?" she asked surprised. Marion listened closely hoping if this was Allan's proposal—which is was beginning to sound like—he did it slightly better than Robin's. At least it was laundry and not a fresh grave.

"I'm not satisfied with just a night, Nora."

"Allan…"

"Listen. I know you don't trust easily, and I never, ever want to hurt you or break that trust. It took too much to build it. And last night was amazing, but I don't want it to break this between us. So what do I have to do to show you I meant more?"

"Allan…" Eleanor said, clearly surprised. Marion wanted to know more about last night that had started this whole conversation. "Allan, last night was important to me, too. I am not expecting more, though."

"I thought you trusted me? What about all that about me being a good guy?"

"You are! That hasn't changed, what I see in you and feel for you hasn't changed. But I know I am not enough," she said surprising Allan and Marion.

"That's absurd. You are more than I ever wanted or expected."

"I'm flattered, Allan. I am. But Robin is eventually going to take you back one day. Not this week, or next, it might be next year. But he is going to take you because at the heart of everything, you are one of Robin's men. He will realize that, too. You aren't happy here in the castle, Allan. Not even with all your money and me. You won't be happy until you are back in the gang."

"I need you, too."

"And I what? Live in the forest? Or wait here twiddling my thumbs working at Griswald and the sheriff's whim as I constantly wonder and worry over what you are doing while the sheriff and Guy use me as a pawn against you? Let things be for now, Allan."

"So you don't want a future with me?"

"I want you Allan, more than anyone can possibly want another. I never even knew I was capable of loving anyone like this. But I love you enough to see you happy."

"I won't be happy without you," he argued.

"We don't have to worry about it right now," she insisted. She realized she had told him she loved him and he didn't say it back. She traced her fingers along his jaw. "Can we forget this discussion? Or at least all of it except the part about you thinking about last night?" she teased.

He gave her a small grin. "I'm not happy with your answer. I'll have to change it."

"You can try," she smiled. Marion watched as they kissed, hidden by the laundry and snuck away before they noticed her. Did being in Robin's gang mean that much to Allan? It couldn't if he sold their secrets to Guy. Even Guy, though, said it wasn't as simple as that.

Bugger it all, did nothing make sense any more?

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

Eleanor slid into bed next to Gretchen. "I thought you might choose your other bedmate," she teased.

"I told you it wouldn't happen again."

"Does Allan know that?"

"We talked." Gretchen gave her a look. "He insists on changing my mind," she grinned. "He doesn't agree with my assessment of the situation."

"Well, he is charming enough to persuade minds. Lets see which holds up: his charm or your stubbornness."

"And you?"

"Robin's men haven't been in today, at least not that I've seen" she frowned. "Grant it, I was stuck in the upstairs chambers all day, so I didn't see much."

"I don't care about all the mess in the castle. We are alive, that is all that matters," Eleanor sighed.

"See, you are the optimistic one."

"I am just happy. I think this is the happiest I have been in my life," Eleanor realized. "This can't be good."

"Just enjoy it, Elle. Before Nottingham is threatened again," Gretchen yawned.

Thanks to CrazyLilReadHeadGirl (I was so upset when I found out! I am going to try to save him in my next story), Lollzie (I have only seen 2 episodes of season 3 s far, but I am going to find a way!), L.A.H.H (I am so tired of the producers killing everyone! Long live Allan) and katieeee (Ah, thank you! I was glad someone liked her going back ^_^ My favorite line of the last chapter was actually the last line. Something about the sad irony of the whole situation.)