Thank you so much again for your kind reviews. I didn't realise before writing this how helpful and encouraging reviews are. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My apologies that this chapter has taken a while. It's been difficult to write, maybe because it feels a bit like a holding chapter between meatier scenes and I've struggled to keep it exciting. I hope you still like it.

**DISCLAIMER **
I own none of the characters from the film, I have merely borrowed them for a time.

Night started to fall over Sherwood. The rag-tag band of outlaws and townsfolk had made it to the shelter of the trees without any sign of pursuit from Nottingham. Nevertheless, Robin had been cautious. He'd taken them on a circuitous route that eventually brought them into the forest a good way to the north of their previous settlement. The group was exhausted, but he continued to drive them as far into the woods as he dared before he finally allowed them to stop.

While they gave the newcomers among them a chance to catch their breath, Robin began calling orders to his men. A number set about lighting fires, while others immediately began to gather whatever materials they could find to form rudimentary shelters. The evening air was cold but thankfully, it looked like it would be a dry night. Tomorrow they could set to work constructing more durable lodgings.

Robin had left Will seated against a sturdy oak with a blanket, water and orders to stay put. When he returned to the spot, however, he found only the blanket and the now-empty waterskin. He sighed exasperatedly. He spotted the Little family among those stringing sheets to create makeshift tents.

"John," he called, "have you seen Will?" The large man paused for a moment, then reluctantly gestured above his head. Confused, Robin glanced upwards.

His heart stopped. What was Will doing? His brother, barely able to stand for a good part of the day, had scaled one of the largest of the trees that sheltered them and was weaving his way through the canopy. He paused at staggered intervals, tying off a series of ropes among the boughs and throwing the coiled lengths to the men below. Even from this distance, Robin could see the tremble in his legs as he tiptoed along the branches. He forced himself to swallow the words he wanted to scream at his brother. If Will fell now… Eventually, he tied the last rope and, giving it a sturdy yank to test it, slid down its length to land lightly on the ground.

Directly in front of Robin.

Will jumped, an apologetic grin appearing on his face. Robin opened his mouth to scold him, when something suddenly hurtled across the clearing to hit Will solidly on the temple. He dropped like a stone.

Robin whirled, his eyes scanning the trees, but he couldn't immediately identify where the projectile had come from. He heard a soft moan from behind him and he ached to check on his brother, but he wasn't going to turn his back on a potential threat. Especially if that he was the only thing standing between Will and further harm.

Robin's eyes flicked around the clearing and he was about to turn back to Will when he caught the slightest of movements at the edge of his vision. He stopped and sighed. "Wulf?" he called wearily. "Wulf, come out. I think we need to talk."

There was a long pause, then slowly, the boy stepped out of the undergrowth. He looked angry and upset.

"Why is he here?" he spat, jerking his chin towards Will's collapsed form. "He betrayed us! He's a liar and coward! He left us in the dungeon and he ran away in the battle. You can't trust him. He's a snake! He doesn't deserve…" Robin had heard enough. The boy's anger was understandable, but he couldn't afford to let this resentment fester.

"And you are the best judge of what people deserve, are you, Wulf?" he asked quietly, trying to ignore the small crowd beginning to gather around them. "I thought that right belonged to the Almighty alone. Will is no traitor. Without his help, we would never have known to be in that square when you needed us. He fought the same as all of us, and when he left the battle, it was to come to my aid. If he hadn't left when he did, I wouldn't standing here now. He saved my life. If Will is anything, Wulf, he's a hero."

Wulf paused, looking confused. Robin forged ahead.

"The two of us have an ugly history, I know, but Will had his reasons and, believe me, they were valid. But those secrets are his to tell, no one else's." With that, Robin's eyes flicked briefly over the six among them that knew what he was speaking of. They each nodded silently. "We have made our peace with each other. We've made a new beginning. Now I need the two of you to do the same. Can you do that for me?"

Robin could see the battle going on behind the young boy's eyes. He was angry with Will. He didn't know if he believed Robin's explanation, but his love for their leader finally won out. He dropped his eyes and nodded slightly.

Robin's voice softened. "OK. We've all been through a difficult ordeal today. We have lost friends and allies and many of us have lost our homes. But we are free and we are safe. For now. I suggest we all get some rest while we can." The last part he said with a pointed glance at those who had gathered to watch the exchange.

Wulf shuffled awkwardly away and the crowd gradually dispersed. Robin stood, forcing himself to stand watch until the last of them had departed. Then he whipped around, quickly falling to his knees. He realised with a start that both Azeem and Bull had moved quietly while he was speaking and were now crouched protectively on either side of his brother. He nodded to them gratefully.

"Will?" he asked urgently. "Will, are you OK?" His brother muttered something unintelligible, and Robin anxiously reached out a hand to brush the hair from his forehead, eyes scanning the slight lump forming on his temple.

"All is well, Christian, it was an apple that struck him. I think young Scarlett may have fallen from fatigue more than from the blow itself. It would do no harm to get him some rest as soon as we are able."

Robin nodded, his fearful gaze not leaving Will's face. Azeem shook his head, a quiet smile tugging at his lips. The Christian may think that he was being covert about their family ties, but the protectiveness and affection he focussed on Will would soon lead the others to the truth.

Together, they helped him to sit upright. Will blinked, dazed. "I'm fine," he grunted at Robin. "Living with you these past months has done my brain more damage than that apple." The older Locksley snorted. He was beginning to formulate a witty retort, when he abruptly remembered what Will had been doing immediately prior to the piece of fruit colliding with his skull. He sighed.

"Will, what were you doing up there? You nearly gave me a heart attack. You can barely stand. What made you think that capering through the trees forty feet in the air was a good idea?"

Will shrugged. "They needed a climber," he said simply. "I can climb. So, I climbed." Robin shook his head, irritated. "There are others who could climb," he protested.

"No, Rob, there aren't. Not anymore…Not like I can. I was the safest choice. Yes, wobbly as I am. And no, it couldn't have waited until tomorrow. There are small children here that need that shelter. It might not be raining, but it will be a cold night. I needed to do my bit." He fell quiet.

"I think we can safely say that you've done a lot more than 'your bit' today, little brother," he murmured gently. "Come on, you need to rest now, no arguments." Without waiting for a response, Robin scooped his brother off the ground and carried him carefully into one of the finished shelters. Will opened his mouth to protest, but Robin cut him off sternly. "No, Will. Rest. Now."

The night air was slowly falling quiet. Robin had left Will a short time ago in Azeem's care. The Moor had tended his wounds and promised to keep watch. Robin wasn't sure if he was more worried about Will trying something else foolish or the risk of any more confrontations, but his friend's reassuring presence left him free to check on the rest of the camp.

His men had done a good job in his absence. They had constructed enough cover for those that needed it, everyone was fed as well as they could manage with the provisions they had available and all that was left to do was to bed down for the night.

Robin let out an exhausted sigh and finally let himself sink down by the fire next to Marian. He could hardly believe that it was only this morning that they had set out from Sherwood to rescue their friends. This had been the longest day of his life.

Marian leaned into his side, resting her head tenderly on his shoulder. Robin wound his arm around her waist and squeezed her close. In the peace softly settling around them, he allowed himself to breathe a silent prayer of thanks. His loved ones were safe. For now, that was enough. They sat like that for a long time, basking in the simple comfort of each other's company. When Marian eventually spoke, he started.

"Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you for coming for me. I don't know what I'd have done if…" she swallowed, shaking her head as if to banish some dark thought. "When Will said you were dead, I…I was so scared, I didn't know what to think, but then I saw you in that square and…Oh, Robin. I was so scared for you." Her watery eyes met his. "Thank you for finding your way back to me."

Robin smiled shyly around the sudden lump in his throat. He gently brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek as his lips met hers. His kiss was tender and laced with all the emotions of the past few hours.

Minutes later, he pulled back, leaving them both slightly breathless. He gazed earnestly into her eyes. "I'd never leave you," he whispered. They smiled shakily at one another before Robin pulled her gently back into his arms. Marian rested her head on his shoulder once more.

It was a while before either of them spoke again. When Marian did, Robin wasn't surprised at the subject of her question.

"Robin, what happened with Will?"

He snorted. "That one took us all by surprise. He stumbled back into camp the morning after the attack and just kind of vomited everything out. He must have been building up to saying something for a while. He had always been so angry at me and I couldn't work out why, and when I pushed him, well, out it all came…"

"And you believed him?"

"I can't explain it. In that moment, I just knew him. I saw his life, his anger…I saw…I saw my brother. And he needed me." He fell quiet for a moment. His next words were so soft that she barely caught them before the breeze carried them away. "I don't know what I'm doing, Marian. I don't know how to be someone's brother. I definitely don't know how to be Will Scarlett's brother. Until now, all I knew about him was that he was great at throwing knives and he hated my guts. And now…I feel like one minute I'm looking at a reflection of myself, and the next I'm seeing a complete stranger. What am I supposed to do…?"

Marian sat back slightly, waiting until Robin's eyes met hers before she spoke. "No one expects you to work this out overnight, love. Most people have had a lifetime to know their siblings, to grow together. The two of you have been flung together from what must seem like the opposite ends of life. Give it time. It's clear for any idiot to see that the love is already there. But you need time to let the friendship to grow."

Robin smiled. "When did you become so wise?" he teased.

"Ah, my love, I have always been so, it was you that lacked the wisdom to recognise it!" Her voice dropped, becoming serious again. "Peter and I weren't always so close. We grew that way over months and years. Trust me, give it time."

Robin nodded, squeezing her close once again. They sat that way for a long time, their thoughts twining with the flames to flicker into the night.