A/N I still do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and its plots. I only own my characters. Soon though. Anyway here is part two. I feel like these haven't been my best chapters as of late and the end of this one is a little too mushy so any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping to have the next chapter up next weekend and it will be less mushy, I promise. Thank you.
Chapter 7 Tattoo? What Tattoo? Part 2 or Missing Girls
Guy was tied up to a tree and once again, was unconscious. Much sat idly by and Robin laid against a tree in defeat. Marian had arrived at the request of Much to help Robin. She was shocked at all of this and needed to talk to him. She walked over to where he laid carelessly against a large tree, drinking water out of his flask and glaring at the "traitor" Gisbourne.
"What are you doing? You're a killer now?" she asked him upset.
"When I have to be." he curtly replied.
"Grow up!" she yelled.
"Gisborne made his choice. Everything is a choice. Everything we do. You told me that."
"What choice?" Marian looked down, confused at the outlaw.
Robin stared off for a moment, hoping not to have to re live the horrible events of the Crusade. "In the Holy Land, Saracens came to kill the King. But it wasn't Saracens." Robin paused, setting his flask on the ground. "It was him."
"Rubbish!"
"He stabbed me and left me for dead. And then he went to kill the King in his bed."
"I don't believe you. This is about—"
Robin interrupted her, "What?"
Marian paused and replied quietly. "You and me." Robin leant his head back against the tree, rolling his eyes. "I want you to know I didn't realise he was going to announce the marriage."
"Well, you didn't seem uncomfortable."
The conversation stalled as Marian glared at him and his obvious jealousy. Robin continued on, despite her annoyance. "I have proof... his arm. I wounded him. His tattoo."
"What tattoo?" Marian also added, agitated, "And I was uncomfortable."
'He has a tattoo on his arm." Robin paused and silently added to the side conversation, "You took his ring."
Marian practically screamed at him. "You took his ring! How could he have been in the Holy Land? He was here in your house!" Marian then paused and remembered something. She glanced at Gisbourne and remembered the weeks he spent ill and locked up in his stolen home.
Robin also glanced over and knew that Marian was thinking of something important. "What?"
Marian returned her focus on Robin. She desperately wanted Robin to be wrong, but was he ever wrong? She said reluctantly, "He was unwell for many weeks." Robin scoffed, shaking his head against the tree he rested on. "No-one was allowed to see him."
"That is why I have to kill him."
"No! Even if you are right"
Robin interrupted her. "I am right."
"A trial. The process of law."
"There is no law." Robin finally sat up from his previous reclining position and stared at Marian intently. "Until Richard returns the Sheriff is the law. Gisborne is the law. And that is why I have to kill him."
"No. I forbid you."
Robin returned back to his lazy, uncaring position against the tree and sighed. "You don't believe me."
"I don't know what to believe." Marian tried to contradict Robin with reason, but struggled. "Guy... is not a man who would... Surely…"
Robin replied bitterly. "Of course. He is to be your husband."
Marian retaliated angrily, "You know full well I agreed to that under duress. You know I have to play things this way!" Robin looked down and shook his head as Marian continued. "...from the inside, for my father if for nothing else. I do not have the option to just run off into the forest."
Robin looked at her and shook his head again.
"What?" she asked.
"Everything... is a choice."
Meanwhile, Much sat stabbing the ground, annoyed at Robin and everything he has done. He lied to him. Much was scared of this. Even in the heat of the worst bottles, Robin was honest and good and justified. What could this demon possibly be?
As Much was stabbing the soil of the forest thinking, the reminders of the gang dreaded into the camp. Little John angrily kicked a basket towards the general direction of the camp, and Much, upset on how easily they lost the girls.
Much surmised they were upset at him for letting Robin go and stood up and held out his sword. "Now, look, he's been my master for ten years. What do you expect me to do?" he reasoned. However, he got no accusation or response in return. He noticed the sad, tired faces of Little John, Will, and Allan walking by. "What happened?" The three men just threw off their cloaks and disguises off in resignation. Much then caught wiff of the most disgusting smell. "You stink! Hah!?" he chuckled, then realized the problem, "Where's Djaq?" He looked around once more. "Where's Alex?!"
Little John turned around and faced the smaller man. "It was a trap!" he yelled.
"We came out through the privy." Allan said.
"They was right behind us and they took her back." Will added with stressed and worried face.
"And took Alex too." Allan said, obviously distressed.
Little John approached Much and the tied, unconscious Guy of Gisbourne. "Him?" he asked noticing new cuts and bruises.
"Alive… It has been somewhat touch and go." Much replied, sheathing his sword. Little John frowned at him. "Not since the Holy Land, have I seen…" Much motioned his head towards his master. "It took all my powers to calm him…" He glanced at Marian, "and… and hers." Little John looked surprised at the sight of Marian, but returned to scowling at Much. "But it was I who fetched her, so you could say it was all my doing."
Little John just simply said in response, "We need him." He and the distraught Will and the anxious Allan approached Robin and Marian. "We go to Nottingham." he said to the leader.
Robin, with his arms crossed and still laying in the nook of a tree bitterly replied. "I thought you were going." He glanced up at Marian. "I have unfinished business here."
"Its Alex!" Allan yelled, "and Djaq!"
Robin's interest slightly peaked at the new development of Alex being taken, but he remained impartial. Much joined the group surrounding Robin. "The Sheriff will be expecting a rescue. It is better to wait… to think." he responded.
"Robin, wake up! It's Djaq and Alex!" Will yelled.
Robin sat up, looking angrily at his gang, "You are thinking of just two persons. I am thinking of the King and the whole of England."
"Djaq is not a man. She is a woman." Will responded. Marian look startled at this. She had no idea two women were in the company of Robin.
"Alex is already known as a woman and a witch and the Sheriff hates her. Have you even thought about hat could happen to Alex now or Djaq if the Sheriff realizes?" Will argued.
"Djaq is a woman? The Saracen?" Marian said, "A female Saracen and an accused witch. What an odd company you keep in the forest."
Allan replied, "Alex is not a witch."
Little John spoke. "He," pointing at Gisbourne, "can wait. Djaq and Alex cannot."
Robin just replied in a firm no.
"If they know we are coming, then we can all die." Much added.
"True, but it's Alex." Allan responded.
"It's Djaq." Will said at the same time.
Much was getting frustrated. "What does that even mean? 'True, but it's Alex' 'It's Djaq.' That's not even an answer."
Allan started talking, gesturing with his hand out of anxiety, "Look, the thing is…" Both Will and Allan said together, "I think I love her." Then the two best friends looked at each other, unsure who loved who and if they had to fight one another for their dream girl. Much stood agape, Little John was stunned, Marian had no idea how to comprehend this, and even Robin was put off a bit. Absolute, awkward silence filled the forest.
"You are talkin' 'bout Djaq, right?" Allan said, unconsciously holding the hilt of his sword.
"Ya and you like…" Will responded, puffing up his chest to look bigger.
"Alex." The two friends stared at each other, shocked at what they other had admitted and to make sure the other had no affections for their crush. Silence once again engulfed the forest and the gang.
"Well!" Much said, breaking the silence, "Well, even then, that is… no reason to knowingly walk into a trap."
Marian spoke. "Robin is right. You need to think." She looks over at Gisbourne. "Look. That is your solution. Trade him for the girls."
"No!" Robin said. Everyone glared at him. "I am not letting him get away with this." Robin stood up and started walking towards Guy. Little John was surprised and yelled for his leader. As Robin continued walking away, Little John punched him in the jaw once again and once again made his unconscious. Everyone was shocked, most of all Much, who raised his hands and placed them on his head in an exasperated manner. "Not sorry." was all John had to say.
Djaq and Alex sat across from each other in a cell of the Sheriff's dungeon. Neither Djaq or Alex had expected to end up in a cell again so soon after their last encounter with the horrible conditions of the dungeon, especially Djaq.
"I'm sorry about this failed rescue." Alex said breaking the ice.
"I'm sorry too." Djaq replied with a light chuckle.
"Ya know, we'll get out of here. We have great team of friends, even though Robin is acting like a jerk right now." Alex said.
"Why is he so upset?" Djaq inquired.
"Let's just say its about, King, country, and Gisbourne being a traitor and stabbing Robin and almost stabbing the King." Alex said with a smirk.
"That makes no sense." Djaq replied.
"That's exactly the issue." Alex said with her playful smirk and laughed. They again sat in silence. "Ya know, we are getting rescued. I know that the guys won't let anything happen to us."
"I fear we are going to be tortured first." Djaq replied looking at her feet.
"I know the no one will let that happen." Alex offered her the false words and the false hope. Alex also thought of how loyal the gang was, especially Will to Djaq. "I know that Will won't let anything happen to you." This peaked Djaq's interest; Alex was just happy to keep her distracted.
Djaq blushed and then smirked at Alex. "And Allan to you."
Alex turned multiple shades of red. "Allan and I are just good friends. Like you and me. Ya know, he does not like me that way at all."
"But you do, don't you?" Djaq replied cooly.
"I like him as much as you like Will." Alex replied raising her eyebrows.
"So romantically then." Djaq said.
"Possibly. At least you confessed. Ya know, now that I am thinking about it, I think I might just love him. Just promise me we will never ever speak of this again." Alex asked with her pleading blue eyes.
Djaq chuckled. "I promise, but why don't you admit your feelings?"
"We are from two different worlds. As much as I love fighting for justice and everyone here, I have to go home eventually or die trying. I have a family, friends, my education, and hopes and dreams are all there. I couldn't put myself through choosing love or my home. Besides, dating while you are fighting for your lives everyday is foolish."
"I am sure it could work out." Djaq said.
"Well why don't you confess your affections to Will?"
"The same exact reasons. I suppose that is the struggle we must have. At least we have our friendship." Djaq replied with a small smile.
"Ya know, you're one of my best friends."
"I know."
The two were soon silenced with the approaching footsteps of the Sheriff and the jailor. They had been so far left alone in their cell an not questioned, but they both knew it was only going to be a few minutes before the interrogations began.
"Have they talked yet?" the Sheriff asked the jailor, standing outside their cell.
"Just about to start." the jailor replied, snipping shears in his hand. Alex was terrified, but remained her composure and Djaq offered her comfort through a hint of a smile, which Alex returned.
"Well hurry up then." the Sheriff said pointedly.
The jailor opened the cell and was about to grab Djaq. Alex stood up, ready to defend her close friend, but Djaq gave her a look making Alex sit down again.
"Oh eager, are we, Hunter? Don't worry, you'll be joining pretty boy very soon." the Sheriff said with his sadistic grin. Alex glared at him from inside the cell. They were about to take Djaq away when Marian entered the dungeon running and out of breath.
"My lord Sheriff?" she said innocently, as if she had not been conspiring against him a mere hour ago. "I need your help."
The Sheriff left the prisoners in the dungeon and agreed to meet Marian in the Grand Hall. Marian did as the outlaws had planned and showed the Sheriff the tag.
"This, erm, this outlaw. He didn't rob you?" the Sheriff asked inspecting the tag.
"He was only interested in the exchange. Guy for your prisoners. My husabnd-to-be for a Saracen and a witch." Marian explained.
"You see, something's not right. How do I know this isn't an outlaw ruse?" the Sheriff held the tag to his mouth and thought.
"Guy is your lieutenant, your ally… your friend." Marian reasoned.
"Friend?"
Marian nodded with a worried face.
"We are talking about the same Guy? I mean, I hardly noticed he was missing." The Sheriff chuckled.
"My lord Sheriff, please. They have Guy. If they should do anything to him, I…" Marian then faked trying to hold back her tears.
"Yes, all right." The Sheriff got up and walked over the the other side of the table where Marian stood. "Might just stop your sniveling."
He concluded the meeting with an order to prepare the prisoners for travel and Marian sighed in relief.
Inside the mine that Alex had heard Robin destroyed, she and Djaq were tied up and then lead by a rope around their necks. It was undignified and uncomfortable.
"Robin Hood has gone to a lot of trouble for you, pretty boy." The Sheriff pulled Djaq's rope. "Not one rescue, but two." He looked over at Alex and pulled her rope as well. "Well I believe witchy here may have added necessity to the trade." Alex rolled her eyes in response.
"He did not come the first time." Djaq replied.
"Ah, are you feeling unloved? I bet witchy here doesn't get that. All those cold nights in the forest…"
"Am I being in correct in my presumption that witch is just synonymous with whore here? Or am I just crazy?" Alex replied bitterly.
"Oh I missed that tongue of yours, Hunter. Next time I shall have to cut it out." The Sheriff pulled both of their ropes with a smile, but Djaq was the one that ran into the Sheriff. The Sheriff stopped and thought, looking at the Saracen. He then opened each side of Djaq's vest. "Ah! Ah, pretty boy, not a pretty boy at all! Oh, no wonder they want ou back in the forest, hm? Both of you then. Very cold nights, indeed. Well, obviously" he gave a tug on the ropes, "you won't be going back. You see, Hood, he thinks there are two tunnels that are clear. One in, one out. Clever, but not clever enough."
Little John then appeared with Gisbourne tied up and obviously beaten in front of him. "Where's Hood?" the Sheriff asked. Little John set down his later and looked dead on at the Sheriff.
"Here" Robin said, appearing behind John and out of the darkness of the mine.
Little John turned around and shouted, "Robin, no!"
"I did not agree to this trade John." he said coming fully out of the shadows.
The Sheriff turned to the two girls. "Dissent in the ranks?" He chuckled at his own joke.
"I did not agree to this trade." Robin said once again, but more sternly. "But I should have done. Let him and the girl go."
"It's alright, Hood. Your secret's out, hm? Your pet Saracen" the Sheriff threw Djaq onto the ground besides the outlaw, "is a lady!" The Sheriff then threw Alex on the ground to. "Hm? The great thing is, she gave me this." The Sheriff opened the vial of acid and sniffed it only to recoil form its pungent smell.
"Your secret's out to. There is no way Gasbourne went to the Holy Land without your say-so." Robin replied. Guy then stood up next to the Sheriff and looked at Robin.
"Gisbourne? Holy Land?" The Sheriff said, mocking feigning innocence.
"I have proof. On his arm. His tattoo. People in the King's guard have heard about that tattooed when they return from the Holy Land, he will pay. And you will pay."
The Sheriff kept looking at Gisbourne and his tattoo in anger. "Tattoo?" He then poured the reminder of the acid on Gisbourne's exposed tattoo, making the beaten man scream. "What tattoo?"
"No!" Robin was charging, but John held him back.
Guy was still screaming. "Shut up, you big jessie." the Sheriff yelled at him.
"Let's go." Djaq said to her friends.
"Oh you are not going anywhere. Guards!" Guards began bursting through wood panels of the other tunnel. "Look, an old tunnel. Surprise. Gotcha!"
"Surprise." Robin replied as two ropes dropped down from above. "An old shaft. Surprise. Let's go."
John yelled at his friends to go and they all smiled at having the smug Robin back. As the Sheriff stared at them in anger at their great escape, they all climbed the ropes and reached the field above. As Robin is pulled and Little John is fighting off the guards, he says, "See you another time, Gisbourne."
Much, Will, and Allan pulled the rope to let their friends from above. Djaq was the first one out.
"Djaq." Will said and she nodded with a smile in reply. Allan smiled at her and then focused on another person on his mind.
Alex was the nest one to come out and she stood up and brushed the dirt off herself. "Alex!" Allan yelled. "Rooster!" She ran up to him and gave his arm a friendly squeeze and joined the rope tugging behind him. For the first time that afternoon, Allan relaxed.
Below in the mines, the Sheriff yelled at his incompetent guards. Robin rose above and yelled to get John out of the mine. With everyone at the rope, John made it out just in the nick of time. The Sheriff was left in the mine, gapping at the shaft ad Guy was moaning on the ground. "Stop mewling, Gisbourne! Maybe in the future, you'll think twice before painting your arm like a girl!" The Sheriff stormed away in defeat, dragging Guy by his un-tattooed arm.
Everyone was back safely at the outlaw's camp. Little John, Much, Will, and Allan all sat around the fire eating and Alex was laying down away from the men with Djaq sitting next to her and they talked in whispers. Robin, however, sat far away from everyone, ashamed of his actions of the day. Djaq nudged Alex and got up and walked over to Robin and Alex followed her with her arms crossed.
"Is it true? There would have been peace without this… Gisbourne." Djaq asked the dejected Robin.
Robin nodded slightly with his head down.
"And yet you gave him up for us?" Djaq asked. Robin only responded by looking at Djaq then hanging his head again.
Alex bit her lip and ruffled her hair thinking of what to say. "Robin" Robin continued looking down. "Robin, look at me."
The disgraced outlaw looked up at her as she softened her face. "Robin, I know I have often criticized your blind loyalty and duty to Richard, especially in the events today, but it still is an admirable quality. I can understand how this could have felt for you today, to know that the people we are already fighting are more despicable than we once thought. But we all need to be loyal to each other. Today could have ended in disaster, but we all managed to scrape out of it at the last second, especially you. You just can't be loyal to Richard anymore, you have to be loyal to all of us or how else can we function as a team." Alex sighed at the weight of what she said. To add some comic relief, she added, "If I am going to be tortured, it is not going to be because of Guyliner. You owe me a huge favor." Alex smirked and Robin only nodded weakly in response, causing Alex's joking face to resume to a worried look again.
Little John looked over and approached the three. Much and Will came over as well, each with two plates, with Allan following them. Little John sat besides Robin, but still did not look at him. He had no idea what to say. Will handed a plate to Djaq and Alex stole food from Allan's plate with a smile as Much sat down below his master an offered him a plate.
"Brought you some food." the servant said. Robin slowly took the plate as the rest of the gang sat. Will and Djaq sat on the other side of Robin. Allan and Alex sat together between Much and Will. Robin glanced down at Much, who nodded back. Robin tore off a piece of his food and John tapped his leg. "Hey" he said as Robin looked at him. Robin offered him some food and all was forgiven.
Soon the food was all finished and it was dark and the outlaws were preparing for sleep. Alex, like most evenings, was leaning against a tree and writing in her journal. She had a lot to write about today, especially what she admitted in the dungeon to Djaq. She stood by her reason for not acting on her feelings, though she hated the reasons. Everything had to be so complicated for her. Going back in time and becoming a outlaw with Robin Hood just wasn't enough, she had to have a crush according to the universe.
She soon finished writing down her frantic thought and joined the remanding outlaws by the fire, who included Little John, Much, and Allan.
"So crappy day, huh?" Alex said with a smirk at her pun as she sat down next to Allan and across from Much. She only received a small glare from Little John and a unimpressed look from Allan. Alex continued on smiling though, "Anyway, did I miss anything dramatic while I was away? Secrets being revealed? Confessions?" she said, completely unknown of what was said earlier by Will and Allan regarding the argument of rescuing her and Djaq.
Much looked at Little John nervously and Allan absolutely witless. Little John remained composed, but you could faintly observe amusement on his face. Allan glared daggers at Much. 'If he says anything to Alex, I swear…' he thought.
Alex looked at Much and Allan puzzled at their expressions. "Ya know, I think that something did happen. Spill."
"I'm not bein' funny, but nothin' happened." Allan replied with a cheery smile.
"Allan, I know you to well. Ya know you cannot lie to me." Alex said and looked at Much, raising her eyebrows at him, indicating she wanted him to respond to her initial question.
"Well, um…" Much struggled to find words. He did not want to upset Alex, but he did not want to have Allan angry with him. He could feel Allan's glare even though he wasn't looking and Allan was smiling. "Well, Will apparently likes Djaq and um, ya."
Alex knitted her brows and stared at the nervous servant. Much feared he would be forced to say what Allan had said. he frankly didn't even believe Allan said it. Allan in love? It was a ridiculous notion. In the time Much had known Allan, he never seemed like the loyal, sentimental type. But Alex had changed everyone's perspective on the world, and not just because she was from where she was from. She was independent, stubborn, and incredibly smart and loyal, in addition to her great beauty. 'Maybe Allan does really love her.' Much quickly thought.
Alex soon interrupted Much's stream of thought. "You guys didn't know that Will liked Djaq?!" Alex stared at the men in shock, not noticing their simultaneous sigh of relief. "Men! You don't notice a thing and never hide anything well. When a man likes a girl, they always stare at the girl of their affections when they aren't looking, completely oblivious to anyone else who is looking at them. I guess its romantic and what not, but if you just looked at Will when Djaq's back was turned, you would have noticed. Everyone should have noticed, except Djaq. That's the thing with men and their crushes, everyone knows about who they love except the one they love." Alex smiled and earned nervous chuckling from her companions. Much couldn't help but think how ironic this entire conversation was.
"Well any confessions from you and Djaq while you were captured?" Much asked not expecting nay serous response.
"Oh well, I can't repeat anything." Alex said with a slight blush, that went unnoticed due to the darkening sky.
"Look who is lyin' now!" Allan responded.
"I am bound by my word, Allan! But speaking hypothetically, someone in the cell may have admitted feelings to a certain axe wielding outlaw." Alex said. Little John chuckled and Much reported to her what had happened throughout the day while she was gone.
The remains of the sun light had totally vanished and John and Much had gone to sleep. Alex got up and put out the fire and walked back to her sleeping area with Allan following her. Alex laid down on her blanket and looked up at the sky and Allan laid next to her, however he did not look up at the stars, but looked at her.
Before today, he didn't think he had any feelings toward Alex. It was an instinctive thing to say when everyone debated to leave her behind in a cell. He could not bear being apart from her when she was at risk of being hurt or worse. Looking at her now, as she smiled up at the sky and her hair splayed out around her like a halo, she truly was an angel. Her pink lips, delicate nose, perfect skin, think eyelashes, and her dirty blonder hair tied back in a loose braid, but her fringe and bangs were still down and perfectly shaped her face. She was beautiful and this was the first time Allan had fully seen it. 'She is so perfect, and smart, and annoying stubborn, and hilarious. How could she ever be mine?' Allan thought looking at the girl. "Did you confess anything in the cell?" Allan asked to make idle conversation. But because of his distraction on Alex, he never noticed the three shades of red she turned when he asked this.
"Me? Confess? I have nothing to confess to. Though I did admit I once stole some jewelry from a store once. I just offered her, hypothetically, words of wisdom and sang a song to keep everything cheery." Alex said this still blushing and still masked by the darkness of the night in the forest.
"I'm not bein' funny. You got an amazin' voice. What song were you singin'?" Allan asked still looking at her.
"Take my Advice." Alex yawned. "It's a song about confessing love and stuff." She yawned again, obscuring the chuckle at the irony, and finally closed her tired eyes. "And since when did you know about me non-existant singing voice. You are always as- oh. I see you liar."
"I think we should start calling ya Songbird then. And you should know to never trust me." Allan smirked. Alex laughed faintly in reply.
"Alex, today, when you were taken, I wos worried sick and I realized that I-" Allan paused to say the three words and looked over at Alex again, but she was fast asleep and not aware of what he was saying. "I think I love you, but I suppose its better this way if ya never know." Allan looked up at the stars and then soon drifted off to sleep too, stealing once last look at his songbird.