Sorry about making you wait so long for the next chapter. But don't worry it's here now :)

Chapter 17,

Leopards Do Change Their Spots,

Isabella was getting increasingly worried as she saw the number of her guards being reduced rapidly, so she did what the late sheriff would have done, she deserted her men.

"Robin Isabella is escaping." Tuck called out, as he knocked a guard to the ground,

"Let her go one day she will pay for her crimes." Robin called back as he dodged, and parried,

Gisborne was hit in the face with Madison's foot as he attempted to block one of her attacks, "I don't want to kill you Madison." He said still feeling the same towards her as he did before,

"Well you'll have to because I will kill you if I get the chance." She growled back,

"Out of the thousands of people you've hurt and killed you can't find it in your heart to kill me?" She asked as she stopped throwing attacks to stand defensively, and study him.

"I could not kill you even if I wanted to Madison." Gisborne replied,

"Why?" She demanded,

"Because you are the only one I have left that I care about." He replied tiresomely,

"Why what happened to Marian?" she asked,

"I destroyed her...I destroyed everything I ever cared about so don't make me destroy you too." Gisborne nearly pleaded,

"You're not the man I once knew Guy you've changed, you've turned into a peace lover...but there will always be war!" She yelled as she once again engaged in a deathly duel with her opponent, she kicked him in the stomach, and legs, making him weak, while she threw attack, after attack with her swords to his chest.

Finally, she struck him in the head with her foot and he lost his balance, he only had enough time to regain it and hold out his sword in defense when he saw her charge at him her swords ready to do some severe damage.

Their bodies clashed together, and there was the sound of tearing of flesh, as both remained still, as if frozen in time and space, the setting remained the same they both stood there their bodies pinned together, neither of them moved.

Robin and his men had just cut down the last guard; they were exhausted after they had just finished the battle for their lives, and now they all stood hunched over gasping for breath.

Robin was the first to regain his breath, as he looked around examining his men, they were exhausted too but there was someone missing.

"Where's Gisborne?" He asked, "Did Isabella get him?" He continued,

"I didn't see him Robin I was too busy making sure I stayed alive." Much replied,

"I saw him Robin he was forced away from us when Madison started to attack him." Kate replied,

"Where did he go?" Robin asked,

"This way." She answered him, as she walked in the direction she specified,

Moreover, no sooner since it began, the poised figure of Gisborne and Madison detached from one another slightly allowing daylight to be seen between them. Gisborne moved his head allowing himself to see Madison's sword protruding from his left side, she had driven it through his body, and all he could see was the Saracen marked handle that had once been in her hand. He had moved his sword to the side before they clashed so it would only be him who would meet with death; he had spared her life, sacrificing his own.

She smiled sadistically at him, as she began to chuckle, but with the last amount of strength he had left; Guy struck her in the face with force knocking her to the ground unconscious.

He soon staggered and hit the ground, falling on his right side; he had lost touch with reality when he went down, and so he had no idea if his blow had done its job.

A short while later found Kate leading Robin towards the stream, Robin detoured around her when he saw Gisborne's downed body. "Gisborne!" He called, as he ran over to him, Tuck also took his side to inspect his injuries.

While Tuck examined the wound, Robin placed two fingers on Gisborne's neck to check for a pulse, it was still there and still quite strong for the moment.

"Tuck how is it?" Robin asked,

"It's not looking very good, there's nothing I can do for him here, I need to get him back to camp to care for his injuries." Tuck diagnosed,

"Right Allan, Much, John find three long sticks that will support Gisborne's weight and bring them back here, we need to get him to camp." Robin ordered,

"How's Madison?" He asked,

"She's only got a scratch on her left arm, but she's unconscious, Gisborne didn't want to kill her." Tuck answered,

"I can see that." Robin said quietly as he kept two fingers on Gisborne's wrist, the three men came back with the required sticks and placed them by Robin and Tuck, who then slid them gently under Gisborne's body, when all three where in place Tuck spoke.

"Right Much and Allan take his head, Kate and Little John take his waist, and be gentle, Robin and I will take his feet." He said, "On the count of three we all lift...ready?" He asked, as everyone gave him a nod of their head, "One...Two...Three lift." He said as he gave the signal, allowing everyone to lift at the right time.

The journey back to camp was slow and cautious, but they made it without any difficulty, when they arrived they placed him on his right side on Tuck's bunk exposing the wounded side for treatment, they slowly removed the sticks from underneath him, that they had used as a makeshift stretcher.

Immediately, Tuck went to work in removing his tunic, he cut his clothes around the sword with the use of Gisborne's dagger that he kept in his belt, while Robin knelt beside him holding Gisborne on his side whilst giving John a silent signal.

"What are you going to do?" Robin asked,

"What can I do?" Tuck asked back,

"Well you can't just let him die." Robin protested,

"He saved our lives." Much and Allan said in uniscen,

"No that's not what I mean." Tuck defended,

"Then what do you mean?" Kate asked,

"I mean the sword has to be removed to leave it in would kill him." Tuck replied,

"So why don't you take it out?" Robin asked,

"If I do, it could kill him it went right through him, it might have severed a vital organ." Tuck answered, while studying the wound further, it was a clean wound, but it was larger than the width of the blade used, and the length of the sword had passed right through him, if the sword had severed any vital organs Gisborne was a lost cause.

"Is there anything you can do to tell if this has happened?" Robin asked,

"Yes but we need to take his shirt off, I'll hold him Robin while you slip his shirt off." Tuck answered, so Tuck lifted him gently while Robin slipped his clothes over his head, after this was completed Tuck observed further.

He glided his hands around the wound, both on his stomach and back, "What did you find?" Robin asked,

"There are no internal injuries, however the wound will bruise very quickly there must have been a forceful impact." He answered as he continued to search further, "His rib suffered most of the impact, it's fractured due to an upward force, but it will heal." He finished with a sigh,

"Well what's that mean?" Robin asked,

"It means that if I remove the sword the bleeding could kill him, if I don't remove it then he will die." Tuck replied,

"So what are you going to do?" Robin continued,

"The only thing I can after I do this I have to work quickly, Kate boil a pot of water, Allan fetch me some cloth I can use as a bandage, and Much find me some willow bark and metal to grind, and Robin." Tuck ordered, before he pulled the sword from Gisborne's side, "Hold that." He said as he handed Robin the bloody sword, after Tuck pulled it from Gisborne he had to stop the bleeding so after Robin put it away; he helped Tuck apply pressure to the wound.

"Where's John?" Tuck asked not taking his eyes off his work,

"I sent him to go get Madison and bring her here." Robin answered keeping his eyes on his work, several minutes past and Tucks requested items had been brought to him, he had made sure the wound was clean, by bathing it with the boiling water Kate had brought. Soon after Much had brought the willow bark, which he had ground and placed on the wound, and with the cloth Allan had brought, with Robin's help he bandaged the wound. While Tuck was dressing Gisborne's previous wounds with a healing salve, John walked in with Madison.

"Where is Gisborne?" She asked as she walked over to Tuck and Robin, Robin looked up at her and noticed that she had managed to transform herself into the lovely princess they once saw, Robin eyed John.

"She was a convincing woman." He simply said,

"Tell the truth John you are a kind person." Madison corrected, "Please Tuck let me help you care for Gisborne?" Madison nearly begged,

"What? You tried to kill him." Robin nearly shouted,

"I know and I was wrong, he dropped his sword just as I rammed into him and stabbed him, he did not even try and defend himself." Madison said sadly,

"So now you feel sorry for him?" Robin asked,

"No I want to fix what I have destroyed." She replied,

"And what's that?" Robin asked,

"Probably the only man who ever loved me for who I was." She answered; there was a small pause before Tuck spoke, "Allright I need you to lift him up while I wrap this bandage around his wounds." He said, so Madison seated herself on the bunk folding her legs underneath her so she could support Gisborne's head, while Tuck wrapped the bandage.

Madison looked down at his face, he was resting yet he looked so haunted, she had no idea what he had been through since their separation in the Holy Lands, his breathing was nearly impossible to detect as it came in shallow pants, but she could feel the warmth of his breath on her chin. After Tuck had finished bandaging Guy's wounds, he rose from his kneeling position and walked over to Robin, he gently grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the others, so they could speak privately.

Madison had slowly and carefully leveled Gisborne with the bed, so that his head remained pillowed on her lap, she continued to stroke his head, as if trying to ease that silent and unexpressed agony, she imagined him to be in.

Almost as if she had imagined it in her head, he seemed to change his expression slightly due to her caring touch, which made her attempt to fight back tears, which were welling up in her eyes.

"How does he look Tuck?" Robin asked, as he was cleaning his hands with a piece of cloth, after handling the bloody sword.

"Not good I'm afraid, I have managed to pack the wound with willow bark to try and stop the bleeding, but it doesn't look hopeful his blood isn't clotting fast enough to block the wound." Tuck answered,

"Besides that how is his overall condition?" Robin asked changing his question slightly, from that of before.

"He is very weak hardly breathing, no doubt he will contract a fever tonight and he will not be able to fight it." Tuck replied,

"Isn't there anything you can do for him? Maybe if we handed him over to Isabella he would live." Robin suggested,

"That isn't likely he would either die there or die on the way it wouldn't matter." Was the sorry reply,

"All we can do is make it comfortable for him until he dies." Tuck finished,

Sorry about Guy, but we can't have happy endings all the time. Or can we? Would really appreciate readers leaving their thoughts.