A/N I do not own BBC Robin Hood, its characters, and plots. I only own my characters. So this is part two. Crazy, huh? If you thought that Alex dying and going home was bad, wait till you see what I have in store for this part. So thank you for everyone who has followed/favorited/reviewed for part one, but I really would like some more reviews and longer ones too. The first person who gives me a decent, long review gets a sneak peak of what I have in store. So review guys! Um this is kinda dedicated to my lil bro who I watched this episode with on his birthday and told me that I was like the Sheriff's sister and that he hoped I died. The worst part is that it's true. Also I will post the playlist for part two soon. Now to my reviewers. Mademoiselle Nathalie Yep, she is alive and well physically, but pretty bummed out and with a nasty scar. knarl Just wait for this chapter or the next. The after math is so depressing and the reunion is so sweet. They both really rely on each other for happiness. They are the only ones that can truly make the other laugh and smile. Ya, Alex's family and friends still kind know something is wrong, but you only really see Lily though there will be some flash backs about Alex's family in part two and mainly part three since family is going to be a very big theme there, bigger than it already has been. Alex and Allan will be reunited, but at what cost though?
So please please please review. First one gets a sneak peak, also if anyone gets the reference to Alex's new friend, you get a sneak peak at a very super secret project I am working on, which is in no way related to this fic, but you'll think its cool. Follow/favorite/review! Enjoy!
Part 2 Chapter 1 Sisterhood or Found Stories and Lost Loves
Alex stood in front of her mirror in her short pajama bottoms and her tank top. It had been a month since her return, since her recovery, since her loss and she had just been going through the motions in life. Nothing to matter that much except getting back to Allan. Her family had passed off her depression from the almost fatal accident, but Lily, her loving roommate and best friend, knew something was up. She had found Alex, almost completely changed physically and mentally. Alex had more muscle and quicker reflexes. She was aware of more things and slightly more paranoid out of instinct. The look in her eyes had changed; Alex had seen and experienced things. She was not only depressed, but suffering from some post traumatic stress. She was bewildered by the new and strange clothes Alex wore that night and the necklaces.
She had kept them until Alex returned and placed them on her bed while she was at class, saying nothing of it. When Alex saw them, she held them and a few tears left her eyes and she stormed out of the room, returning late at night bumbling about the room and her mind impeded by the liquid diet she had drowned her sorrows in. Lily had no idea what to do and so many questions were rolling through her mind. The most puzzling was Allan: the name uttered when she saw Alex laying in her blood that night, and the name spoken softly with tears in her sleep. Alex had never known an Allan in her life, so Lily had no leads to follow on this. She knew that this Allan was responsible for her wound.
Alex stood before the mirror and looked at the figure before her. She even recognized the dramatic change. University life and diet had made her gain the bit of fat she had lost hunting and fighting in the forest, outlawed from society. Her hair was thicker and healthier oddly and when she first arrived back, it reached to the middle of her waist. She cut it back and fixed up her fringed bangs. Allan loved how her hair was always in her face, no matter what she did to remedy it. Her hands were callused from all the work she did with her sword. Her right hand had more wear, but her left had also been practiced with a lot (and came in handy with close situations) and had the callused finger tips from her instrument.
Alex stared at herself, not believing this was her now. She was the same, but a new version. She had no mirror in the forest so watching her metamorphis was not possible. She just knew before and after. She knew the after a lot better.
Alex slowly lifted her her tank top, revealing the scar from that fateful arrow. It was red and narly as it has just been afflicted on her and looked as if blood were about to spill, announcing its presence whenever revealed. The contrast to her pale white skin made it seem as if it was still bleeding. She lightly touched it with her fingertips, slightly flinching at the cold touch. She missed Allan more than anything. She needed to go back.
She turned around with her shirt still raised and saw the entry wound of the arrow on her lower back, even worse than the exit. She could still feel the burning sensation there. Nothing could remedy it, except for a certain laugh. Her eyes were brimming with tears now at the thought of all she had lost. She stared at the transformation of herself when she was interrupted by the sudden burst of Lily.
"Okay, so Harry and I are over. Again." she said, throwing her things on the ground and throwing herself on her bed making the springs squeak at the sudden weight applied to it.
Alex quickly tugged her tank top down and turned to her friend, immediately putting on a facade with a smile. "Is that where you were last night." she asked with a smirk.
"No, yes, maybe. It's complicated. You wouldn't understand." she replied too quickly.
"You are right." Alex said sitting on her small bed, springs squeaking, across from her friend.
"You better meet some cute guys in London for me this weekend. I demand pictures of you having fun." Lily replied, sitting up to face her friend. "Or I will hunt you down and force you myself."
"You and London do not mix. Remember New Years? Besides, I am visiting my father and brother and my horrendous uncle who is just going to ask me to revoke my claim to his fortune." Alex said.
"So you should manipulate him and get money out of it to party and then don't go through with it. I have created a charity for you and your deprivation of fun." Lily smiled at her.
"Ah yes, forget the starving children in Africa, the many epidemics sweeping the world, dramatic poverty, crimes against humanity, wars, terrorism, and focus on my lack of fun." Alex said, rolling her eyes.
"It's a serious issue. World crisis if you ask me."
"I wasn't." Alex chuckled. Lily got up and sat next to her friend.
"Seriously, I am worried about you." She admitted.
"I'm doing fine." Alex said. "My class work is better than ever, I have been exercising, hanging out with you and other friends, and I had a speedy recovery from the injury. What is so wrong?"
"Alex, I know you better than you think. Since the accident you haven't written a single thing other than assignments. You did write a lot though once you got back here, but then you stopped and shipped off that manuscript. You sold your records and guitar. All you do now is lay around, listening to sad music and eat whipped cream out of the can!" Lily told her raising her eyebrows.
"I just have been busy and I needed the money. Besides, nothing came of that manuscript." Alex said, standing up, hiding from all the lies. She grabbed some clothes off her floor and began dressing herself. "Also, whipped cream is a very delicious treat."
"Stop distracting me! When will the lies stop! What really happened?!" Lily shouted, making a pint to face her.
"I can't tell you! You wouldn't believe me, Lily. I sometimes even doubt myself!" Alex yelled back. The two girls stood and sat in silence, unsure where to direct their gaze. Alex looked at her watch. "I should go so I don't miss the train." Lily just nodded in response and Alex left with her weekend bag slung over her shoulder.
Later that day, when she was on the train watching the country landscape fly by in the pane of her window, she held onto her silver pendant. She clutched it for a moment and smiled at the memories she had had with Allan back in that other life. She then felt her eyes brimming with tears as she thought about the memories she had lost because of her fear and selfishness. There was nothing she could do now though, except try to get back.
When Lily was fast asleep, sometimes she would go out and walk into the forest, hoping and knowing her efforts were frivolous. She was determined to get back though and she was going to come back strong and prepared. She had found a suitable place to hid a giant duffle of things, though cost worth it. She had to sell her record player, records, and guitar (after a lot of emotional pain) to afford all of it and her medical bills, much to Lily's disbelief. She packed everything she would want or need there: novels, pencils, journals (she certainly didn't need them her because of her block), books on native plants, instant ramen, chocolate, a swiss army knife, and some photos of her home.
She had printed out many photos on Lily's stupid hipster polaroid printer (she would never tell Lily this, but she did think it was cute) so she could carry them around with her with ease. She printed pictures of her family, one with her mother and one recent. She had a picture of the view from her home in London, an old one from her year in America, and one f her and Lily on campus. She had packed those photos away. She carried around a photo of the gang from when she first met them, months ago, and a photo of Allan and her. Djaq messed around with her phone in the first days se was an outlaw and snapped a picture of her and Allan smiling and laughing while sitting by the fire. Even in those first days of knowing each other, they looked at each other with loving eyes. She carried that photo everywhere.
"Excuse me?" a voice asked, "Is it alright if I sit there?" Alex looked up from her pendant. A young man of around 20 stood before her. He had dark long hair and a clean shaven face. He was smartly dressed with nice trousers, a button up shirt, a tie, and blazer, but he still wore converse trainers. 'He is probably heading to London for his first job interview.' Alex thought.
"Ya, go ahead." she said, wiping tears away.
"Right." he grinned and sat down across from her with his briefcase clunking behind him. "I'm Flynn." He offered her a handshake.
"Alex Hunter." she replied, firmly shaking it. "What brings you to London?"
"I am visiting a historian at the National Museum. I'm an archeologist specializing in medieval history in Nottingham. Or at least I want to be. I just started grad school." he replied.
"Oh I go to the university." Alex replied, making small talk. "It's a nice campus, huh?"
"Ya, I often go to the forest. Sherwood Forest that is. I mean it where the Robin Hood hung out. It's pretty cool being so close to history. Of source after that incident with the arrow and the teenage girl makes me a bit wary now."
Alex grimaced, but kept up a smile. "Ya I did here about that. Crazy LARPers."
"Ya. So why are you heading to London?" Flynn asked.
"Visiting my father and brother. They worry a lot." she replied.
"Why?"
"Ya know, the usual. Got shot with an arrow in the Sherwood Forest." Alex smirked. Flynn turned pale.
"Oh my God. I am so so sorry. I-I had no idea." he replied frantically.
"It's alright." Alex replied.
"I am so sorry. How about I make it up to you with dinner in the city?" Flynn asked with raised eyebrows.
"Sorry, I am kinda with someone else. It's a long distance thing though." Alex replied, subconsciously clutching her pendant.
"And how far away is your boyfriend living?"
"Far away. It feels like he is stuck in the medieval ages though." Flynn laughed at her comment. Alex smiled a fake smile and suffered through the pain of the truth inside.
Robin laid on the ground, an arrow in his eye as still as death. The wind blew the leaves of the Sherwood Forest across him, sticking the area surrounding his wound. A party of men and horses, protecting a large case stopped a few feet away from the still outlaw. One of the men got off his horse and walked over to the great Robin Hood. He held onto the hilt of his sword cautiously and nudged the body of the outlaw of legend and got no response of life. Gone to meet his maker." he commented.
A woman dismounted then, with long blonde hair and dressed in black leather trousers. She held a coiled whip in her leather clad hand. "Get rid of him." she ordered. The man bent down, explaining he was looking for any purse of money. He pat along the body, when Robin's good eye suddenly opened, startling the man.
"I'll show you my purse if you show me yours." he said with a smirk. He kicked the man in the groin as he pulled out the fake arrow and makeup off of his eye. The party and woman took back their man as more men stepped forward to fight off the robber. Robin stood up and the rest of the gang ran out to help him. Much and Djaq held up their swords, little John held his staff tightly, and Will and Allan had arrows drawn "This is an ambush!" Robin shouted, pride swelling his chest.
"You don't say." the woman replied with heavy sarcasm.
"This is how it goes!" Much started.
"There's poor people going hungry." Will continued.
"You tell us what you've got..." Allan added.
"… be honest with us…" Djaq continued.
"… and we take one tenth…" Much added.
"… so the poor can eat." Will added.
"Lie…" Little John said threateningly.
"… or resist…" Much added.
"… and we take it all." Robin finished. The woman just smiled in contempt at the robbers. "So what's it going to be?" Robin asked, spreading his arms wide.
Little John, Djaq and Will remained in their places, weapons drawn. Allan took a ring from the blonde woman as Much took the man who was kicked by Robin's knife. The woman glared at Allan. Allan didn't it, his mind was always focused on the missing, possibly dead, young woman he loved. He looked at the ring he had just stolen and though about how a ring, not this one of course, would look on Alex's left hand. It would have been the most beautiful thing he ever saw. If only he had the chance. He and Much moved on to the other men as Robin stepped in front of the woman and swept his gaze up and down, then heard a rattling sound. He stepped behind her and towards the large crate with a few holes drilled in the top.
The woman turned around, watching him. Robin placed his hand on a corner and playfully said, "Well, what have we got here?"
"My babies." the woman replied. She cracked her whip at Robin's hands just as he was lifting the lid. He snapped his arm away with a cry of pain. The woman then yelled to her men "Get them!" Two of her men stepped up to Little John as he jumped down the hill to face them. Another goes went after Allan. Little John was quickly beaten to his knees. Much dodged his man and then swung a full money bag at the man's passing shoulder. Allan's man waved his hands in front of his face menacingly, but Allan also swung a money bag at his face. Much then threw his bag at his man, spilling the coins. Little John's two men pulled out their knives and threw them, but Little John knocked them away with the end of his staff with ease.
The blonde woman advanced on Robin. "I don't want to hurt you." he told her.
The woman replied sarcastically, "How chivalrous." She kicked Robin in the chest. Allan ducked spinning kicks from his man. Little John used his staff to vault his feet into the chests of his two opponents. Djaq jabbed at the man who had been tricked by the dead Robin, but he grabbed her arm and put his other arm round her neck. "I've got the girl!" he shouted.
Will punched his foe then caught him from behind round the neck, but his hand axe is on the ground. He stepped on its hammer end, rolling it onto his foot, then deftly flipped it into the air and caught it.
"Time to disappear!" Robin shouted to his men. Will knocked out his man with the hand axe and let him fall to the ground. "My gang! This way!" Robin continued, swinging his arm like a windmill. Djaq throew an elbow into her captor's face and he fell form he blow. She sheathed her sword. "A woman, you'll find." she wittily replied. 'Oh Alex would be proud ' she sadly thought.
Djaq ran after Robin. Much, having stabbed the stolen knife into the thigh of his foe, turned and scrambled up the hill following them. Robin lead the way, but the blonde woman was closely following him, ahead of the others. Robin looked back and motioned for his gang to follow him more quickly. Djaq, the blonde's man, Will, Much, Allan and Little John ran up. The gang pulled several steps ahead. They crested a steep hill with the blonde woman and three of her men labouring to keep up. When the quartet finally reached the top, the way was empty. There was nothing but a carpet of dead leaves between two tall large rock walls.
"Where did they go?" the man yelled.
"Gone to meet their makers?" the woman said sarcastically, moving his earlier comment. "Take me to Nottingham, you idiots!" she continued bitterly. She and her men then left. After a moment or two, a large trap door, hidden under the carpet of leaves, opened up to reveal the gang underneath. Robin steps out first, beaming. He looked around, smiled, and motioned with his hand for the others to follow him. "Come on." he encouraged. Will stepped up next to Robin. Little John hopped out as well with Djaq behind him. Much stepped between Will and Robin. Allan remained alone in the back.
"Great work, Will!" Robin said, clapping Will on the shoulder and looking up in amazement. Will looked up at the trapdoor to see how it was holding. "Oh, it's nothing." he modestly replied.
"Nothing?" Much said, incredulous, clapping Will's shoulder himself. "Genius!" He put his fist into the air. "I love our camp!" All the outlaws then laughed laugh, delighted with their success.
Later that night, Allan sat alone, inspecting the goods of the day. Robin walked around to Allan. After Alex, Allan had been shutting himself off and been more irritable to the group. He could hardly blame him. He could have- and he had with Marian- done the same. "How are we doing, Allan?" he sad, not only referring to the loot, but to his mind and body.
"Could have been nasty." Allan replied, absent mindingly. Allan handed Robin a knife and the leader inspected it. Allan pulled another trinket out of a bag.
Robin turned to Allan, "Those men were well trained."
"The woman wasn't bad." he replied, "Certainly not as good as-" he stopped. He couldn't say her name ever since she left. It was too painful. He had no idea if she was even alive. He set the trinket aside. "Nearly had you for a minute there." he continued.
"Nah, I doubt that." Robin replied. Allan held up a silver ring with a design of a large hawk-like bird he stole from the blonde woman. Robin saw it and frowned. "What's that?" he asked, taking the ring from Allan.
"Boss lady's ring." he replied as lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Robin stared at the ring.
"Hang on." Robin said, pointing at the ring, "That's the Sheriff 's insignia."
Allan looked up. "So what?" Allan was much more bitter towards the mention of the Sheriff. It was his men that made Alex go away after all. Robin looked up curiously at the flashing lightning, then scowled at Allan. "Well what? We robbed a friend of the Sheriff. That's great for us."
"But it's more than a friend if she shares the Sheriff 's insignia." Robin held up the ring again and frowned up at the lightning flashing repeatedly as thunder crashed. Allan took a plate a plate of food from Much as the rest of the gang looked up at the omen of the storm.
Its was the next morning and Robin, Much, and Allan were by the castles east gate. Robin was still angry about the events of last night with Marian and the arrest of her father and the burning of her home. Robin, hood up, leaned on the corner of a building, watching the castle gate, as he gnawed on his thumb, deep in thought. The castle gate was closed with three guards in front of it. Much stood beside Robin. Allan leaned on a barrel behind them, also deep in thought, but his thoughts were focused else where. 800 years elsewhere.
"Something's up." Much said, interrupting the silence. "That is proper lock-down. It can't just be for Edward and Marian." Robin shifted his gaze as three horsemen went by, all cloaked in black. He watched them stop at the gate.
"Now who is that?" Robin said, pointing at the men. One of the cloaked men showed the guard his ring with the Sheriff 's insigne. Robin's eyes focused intensely on the ring.
"Oh, why don't you just knock on the door and ask the Sheriff?" Allan said, bored and bitter. Robin scowled back at Allan. This moping was sometimes very hard to deal with. "Well, we're not going to find out much standing around here all morning, are we?" he continued. Robin shook his head and resumed his watch.
"What do you recommend?" much asked Allan as the gates opened and the horsemen were let through. Allan stepped up between Robin and Much. "Since you ask," he began, "I was gonna go to the tavern." Robin and Much turned to face him. Allan had been going to a lot of taverns since Alex. "I've got some new tricks I want to try out. 'Ere, look at this." He pulled apart three brass cups, putting one between each finger and rattled them. "Three cups, right?"
"Come on." Robin said. Allan's way of coping was taking risks. He didn't understand how this helped at all, but he had to let Allan's pain run its course, or Alex had to hurry up and return. it had been two months and Robin was being eaten alive by the guilt of letting one of his closest friends die. He had promised Allan he would protect Alex with the Buckingham incident and he was going to uphold that promise in honor of Tom for as long as he could, but he had broken it so easily in the loss of his love. He knew it was nothing compared to Allan's pain. Loosing your soul mate is like loosing your soul. Robin walked away from the gate with Much and Allan following.
"No, no, come on. Robin, this is lovely, honest." Allan pleaded.
"Since when have we been tavern tricksters, Allan?" Robin asked his mourning friend.
'Since Alex left.' Allan thought. "If you're gonna get all funny about Marian, why'd you let Gisborne grab her in the first place?" Allan said switching subjects quickly. He could not talk about Alex.
"Be careful." Robin replied sternly. Much scowled back at Allan.
The three moved to the castle's main gate and Robin found a secluded place to watch it. Allan and Much followed, bickering.
"Marian's in there!" Much explained.
"Yeah, she's probably 'aving cakes and ale with the Sheriff." Allan said. He adopted Alex's slight hatred towards Marian after she left. It was kind of her fault in a way, Alex's wound. It was also Robin's. But mainly his. And she could be dead because of it. He might never know.
Mush pulled off his hood and said in Allan's face, "You just don't get it, do you?"
"No, I don't get anything. That's what I'm saying. You know, we risk our lives to get money, then we give all of it away. Wot's that about?"
"It—"
Allan ignored Much and continued, "Now, I'm not bein' funny. We should get something. If we don't get anythin', we're gonna get weak. We'll get demoralized. Then how are we gonna 'elp the poor?"
"You're not weak." Much replied.
"No, but I might get weak. Anyway, doesn't matter to you." Allan leaned on the wall.
"Why?"
"You've always been weak."
Much scowled at him with indignity. Robin had been watching the last few exchanges and turned back to face the gate, smiling. "Very funny. Funny. You know, why don't you just…" He paused, searching for the right word "... just…"
Allan was now in Much's face. "Why don't I just wot?"
"Why don't you just jigger off!" Much yelled.
"Jigger off? You wot? Wot does that mean, "jigger?""
Much pointed at Allan. "You know what it means." He turned his back on Allan.
"Right." Allan replied. He began to walk away, when Much continued. He shouldn't have continued.
"You know, I never could understand what Alex saw in you. You are selfish and annoying."
"What did you just say?" Allan said softly, hands clenching in anger.
Much opened his mouth, but Robin turned and lightly held his hand on his chest, staring at him, pleading him not to continue. Much closed his mouth and looked down, having just realized the gravity of what he just said. "Nothing." he simply replied instead.
"It better be nothing." and then Allan walked off.
Much turned around to look at Allan. "What? Where are you going? Master?"
Robin again held up his hand to Much. "Just let him go. He is grieving." Robin turned to watch the gate. "He needs to cool off. You know we don't mention Alex around him."
Much glanced after Allan, then joined Robin. "We aren't the only ones that miss her though. She would have liked us talking about her."
"The fact you refer to her in the past tense tells me she wouldn't." Much looked at the ground in shame. How could he have been careless? 'Me and my stupid mouth.' he thought. Robin continued. "We've forgotten about the poor today. We said we'd be here to hand down."
"Well, the Sheriff 's not forgotten about them. Look at that." Near the main gate, in the marketplace, a poor peasant woman is tied to a post. "Poor woman. Can't let a day go by without trying to humiliate one of them."
"For now, we'll try the west gate. Come on." Robin left and Much pulled up the hood of his cloak and followed.
Allan wandered up to the Trip to Jerusalem Inn and entered. He looked around and saw a man fiddling with a few coins in front of him. He sat opposite of the man.
"All right. Just had your wages?" Allan asked the man.
"What's it to you?" the man asked Allan with a bitter and defensive tone.
"I thought you might fancy doubling your money." Allan said, with a smirk (a sad one, he hadn't had a happy expression since she left) and held up each brass cup inbetween his fingers, tapping two together.
The morning grew into the afternoon which grew into the evening and Allan was having a fun night filled with gambling and ale, absent of companionship and love and hope. Many men now surrounded his table, each taking a turn at his game. They just kept loosing, he would occasionally let one win so he wouldn't be thrown out, and he was distracted from Alex for once.
He finished switching the cup around and the current player picked the wrong one. "Ohhh-oh-oh. Unlucky." he said. He lifted the first cup and grabbed its contents. Suddenly all of the gamblers and onlookers left. Allan was too busy counting the coins to notice the sudden movement. He felt the presence of another man sitting across from him, ready to play.
"Fancy a bet, mate?" he asked, not bothering to look up.
The man reached his hand over the table, putting his hand firmly on Allan's arm. Allan looked up and his face instantly fell into fear. "Gotcha." Gisbourne sneered.
Gisbourne dragged Allan to the dungeon, where he did not put up a fight at all. What was the point after all with Alex gone?
He was also shackled and when in the dark, damp cell, he was tossed into a cell. His cellmate was rugged looking and did not look sane. He tugged at Allan's leg and Allan yelled back, scared for his life, "What? What? WHAT?! What do you want?!" He pulled his leg from the insane man and stepped to the bars of the cell as Gasbourne approached him.
"So tell me, where are you friends?" the leather clad man asked.
"Wot are you talkin' about?" Allan asked, the lies coming out of instinct. Guy turned to head for the stairs and stopped when Allan spoke again. "Oh, not this again. You think I'm one of Robin Hood's men, don't ya? The one who looks like me, wot's his name? Rem… Allan, right? No, no, my name's Tom. Tom!" Allan lied easily in references to the truth.
Gisbourne turned to face him as a guard dragged a prisoner between them off to be tortured. Allan gulped at the thought. "Don't insult me." Gisbourne replied. "What's happened? Robin Hood kicked you out, hm? Tricking working men in taverns doesn't sound very Robin Hood to me."
"I told you, I don't know Robin Hood." Allan replied.
"Maybe you got kicked out after Alex Hunter disappeared." Allan stared cruelly back at Gisbourne. Guy just smiled at the reaction he had just given him. It was all over now. "Some say she died. Some say she left to become another man's whore."
Allan lunged at him. trying to hurt him physically in anyway. He managed to grab a bit of his leather jacket. "Don't ever speak of her" he said with clenched, angry teeth.
Guy shoved Allan back into his cell and smoothed out his black leather. "I see I struck a spot. Show me some respect and dignity and maybe we can about a deal." Allan said nothing.
A guard approached Guy. "Sir Guy, Sheriff says it's show time." he informed him.
Gisbourne looked at Allan and raised an eyebrow. "Torture him." he ordered the jailor.
"Hang on! I admit everything! I'm Allan A Dale." he said as the jailor unlocked the cell. is always weak when it comes to love." Guy said as he was taken out of the cell. He knew what love could do to a man more as much as Allan did.
"I want a deal! You said a deal!" Allan desperately shouted, instinct to live kicking in. He missed Alex so much that maybe death would be easier, but he made a promise he would wait. He would keep any promise to her. He would rather die than break her heart.
"Too late. No need any more." Guy said, smirking sinisterly.
Many more months had passed and it was now September, nearly October. Alex was doing fine, but still missing Allan more than ever, and feeling more helpless on returning to him more than ever. But she continued on with her life. She had finished her first year of university and began the next. The summer in between, her, Lily, Flynn, and a few other friends traveled together across the continent. Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. It was a great experience and a great distraction, but she felt so guilty that she had left England and the Sherwood Forest behind for all those weeks.
Flynn had become a good fired of Alex, despite his feelings for her. He had often asked her about this long distance boyfriend of hers, but her answer was always the same. She knew he thought that he wasn't real, but even if she admitted to her lie, she could never be with Flynn. He was just a friend to her and she would never move on from Allan. Not ever. They were destined to be together. They were an epic love story after all, even more epic once she found that blasted tree and returned home.
But yes, Flynn became a very good friend. Alex liked being around him and he didn't constantly hover over her like Lily because of the accident. She also found Flynn's study ad fascination of the time where she previously occupied funny and ironic. He always had a tendency to romanticize it, but she knew he would not fare well in that hostile world she craved. He once asked her if she would go and practice the art of medieval weaponry with him. She agreed, purely ironically. They practiced some archery, where she of course lost, but once the swords were out, though wooden, Flynn was so badly beaten by Alex, she accidentally fractured his wrist.
Alex was surviving and patiently waiting for her time to return to the outlaws. She had a strange feeling it wouldn't be long now, but it was probably just false hope. She had wandered every inch of the forest in secret and never saw anything that could lead to the tree. It was a sunny and slightly chilly Saturday in Nottingham and Flynn had invited her and Lily and some other friends to come to a party. Apparently there was a big announcement for the school of archeology going on and Flynn, being the most promising student, had to attend and he invited his friends. He as so excited to see their reaction to the announcement. He had known about it since before he met Alex, in fact he met her because of this discovery. He couldn't wait to reveal it and get his hands dirty.
Alex sat in her dorm room with Lily winging her eyeliner for her. "I think it is warm enough to wear that dress." Lily told her friend.
"Oh come on! You may be immune to everything in the world, but I am not." Alex replied, trying to stay still for her friend.
"Please wear it. For me." Lily pleaded with puppy dog eyes.
"Ya know, you are in my debt." Alex smirked. She was referring to the bet made in January where if she was shot in the forest, Lily would be her servant forever. She of course was going to take advantage of that with her circumstances.
"I hate you. And your stupid bet you made me make. I think you got shot on purpose sometimes." Lily replied.
"I know, but to lessen that hatred, I will wear the dress. It is awfully cute." Alex replied. She glanced over to the muted light blue dress she had found at some small thrift shop. It had a delicate layers of lace over the middle and on the hem. The top was button down and low cut. It was very cute and Alex had mostly worn simple clothing since she returned. She valued function more than ever since she believed she could go back any second. Nothing had happened before, so why not wear a dress, even if it was shorter and more revealing than the outfit she wore on her first trip there.
"Fantastic!" Lily shouted. "You are going to be very pretty. Can I do your hair now?"
"No way!" Alex replied. "I like it with the fringe very present." 'Allan liked it that way.' Alex thought.
"Fine. Go change and we will leave then." Lily said.
"Thank you."Alex stood up from Lily's makeshift beauty parlor. She changed into the dress and put on some light brown low cut boots with laces. She quickly looked at herself in the mirror. Despite the dressings of a happy, modern young woman, she could still see the pain and longing in her eyes. Lily could too. Alex clutched the silver pendant and the outlaw tag quickly, before tucking it into her dress. Lily looked at this now ritual mannerism and then turned to herself in the mirror, fixing her hair.
"Ready?" Lily asked.
"One second." Alex went over and grabbed her phone and tucked it into her right boot. She then took the photo of Allan and her and tucked it into her left. Lily also studied this new ritual and turned away again. It was almost of a bad habit as Alex's: turning away. "I'm good."
"Let's party it up with archeology!" Lily shouted.
"Just don't hit on everyone this time." Alex told her friend.
"I don't make promises I can't keep. I was with that prick who I must not name for years and now I am free. I have to take advantage of it."
"You really don't and I keep my promises though. Why shouldn't you?" Alex said to herself, thinking of her promise to Allan to return. Fo some reason, she she thought it now, with a strange feeling in her stomach. "I probably just miss him more than usual.' She didn't.
The two girls arrived at the outdoor party. Flynn saw them and ran up to them. "You made it." he smiled.
"I had no other department party to attend." Alex said. "This was my last resort for fun."
"You need more of it." Lily said. "Sorry we are late."
"Not a problem. The announcement is going to happen soon. I have to go. Get a drink, have food. Enjoy yourselves. I will find you later. I am so excited." And then he ran off towards the stage with the energy of the puppy.
"I think Flynn is cute. Why don't you go out with him?" Lily asked her friend.
"Because I am not into him. You can go out with him." Alex replied, walking over to a table filled with food. She snatched up a cracker with a slice of cheese on it and nibbled on it.
"He likes you though. Not really an option for me. And why did you tell him you had a long distance boyfriend?" Lily asked.
"I had known him for a minute. It seemed like a good excuse. He could have been a creep for all I know." Alex replied, proud of her quick lies.
"Then why not tell him the truth now?"
"It's too late."
"No it's not! There is more to this. Why won't you tell me?!" Lily yelled at her friend, earning glances and stares from other attendees.
"It's complicated." Alex whispered softly.
"That's no excuse. Ever since the shoo-" Lily was cut off by the whirring of the microphone. The two girls turned, wincing at the high pitched sound, towards the stage. The head of the department held the microphone with some other professors and some students, one of them being Flynn. Lily glared back at Alex and stormed off into the crowd. Alex just sighed, ruffling her hair and remained in the back, near the food. 'If Much could see this.' she chuckled to herself. She grabbed another cracker and a glass of champagne.
"Hello, I am Professor Brown, the head chair of the Nottingham archeology department. I have worked here for many decades and today that has all paid off." The crowd applauded. "We have a very exciting announcement to make." he continued on. "Could I have Flynn Carton come up here please." Flynn stepped forward with a his goofy smile as he crowd clapped for him. "Flynn here is the student responsible for this discovery. Because of this, he will be my personal assistant for this project. Now I am sure you all are wondering what discovery we have made?" The crowd cheered him on. "Well it is a discovery of adventure and legend. It is made up of epic stories. It is a story we have all known, especially here in Nottingham, and has transcended the generations."
Alex then had a very strange gut feelings, like the one from earlier, but intensified. She clutched her pendant in worry and waited for the much built up announcement.
"We have found and recovered document dating back to the 1190s, recording the adventures, in real time, of Robin Hood and his gang against the corrupt and treasonous Sheriff of Nottingham." Alex stood in absolute shock. She dropped her glass of the bubbly beverage. 'Shit. They found it.'
"These documents are written by what we believe in a highly educated member of the gang. They detail every member gang of the gang, and of course Robin Hood, but not themself. The author is a total mystery to us, but we thank him, wherever he is now. If he was here, I would kiss him." The crowd chuckled. Alex rolled her eyes, 'I would not let you kiss me. And why do I have to be a man. Didn't I make the presence of strong females extremely evident in my stories?'
"This is just an extrodinary find and we are just so happy to announce this. In only a few short months, we will have finished out examination. Based out on initial readings, surprisingly our author is very modern in their syntax and descriptions of female figures and their view on the Crusade for the time. But we have much more things to analyze. I, with the help of my assistant, will have a book all about it out within the year."
Alex couldn't stand this. Her work, her life, was being exposed to the world by her friend, who thought this author was a man and probably out of his mind. She went through too much pain for this too just simply be made into a book and have her story undermined and criticzed and analyzed. This was way worse than the time her writing professor grabbed her short story, with her notes and criticism and read it outloud to the class to explain how people need to take edits seriously and how valuable her comments were. It worked with her and the other students, but it was totally unnecessary. And it was worst than the time she had gotten all her edits from her publisher on the manuscript.
The feeling in her gut her was eating at her. She needed to get out of here. She needed to go into the forest. As Flynn approached the mic and Lily began walking towards her, Alex bolted. She bolted out of the party and into the forest, leaving her friends shocked.
She sprinted through the trees, not knowing where she was going. She just needed to escape. She kept running and then stopped, needing a moment to take a minute to breathe. She panted heavily and grabbed the photo out of her boots. She clutched her pendant and stared at the photo of Allan, tears trickling down her face. "Allan, I need you. I don't think I have laughed a single time since I came back." But she got no response, just as she expected. She let go of her pendant and brought both of hands to her side, holding the polaroid carefully, and began walking. She figured she might head over to her duffel bag for her return since it had chocolate in there. She needed something to pick her up.
She walked for ten minutes when she came upon her hiding spot. She bent down and pulled out the duffel bag with one great use of strength. However, the bag was not as heavy as she expected and she fell on her backside. "OW!" she yelled at the shock of falling and the pain of falling. She rubbed her injured behind and then laid down. She held up the polaroid again, staring at it, wanting, needing, longing to be there again. She sighed and got up, bending down to grab the duffel before she looked up. As she did look up she found herself at the ancient tree of fate.
"Of course." she said with a genuine smirk. "Now you show up." She held out her hand clutching the photo, thinking of her love, and she welcomed the whirl of traveling back in time, to her friends, her mission, and her true love.