A/N The usual disclaimer. The characters and Places of Robin Hood are the property of the BBC. Except of course for those whom I have created myself. This is purely for entertainment purposes. So, enjoy, and please tell me what you think!

UnglitteringGold

"Where is He?" The usually calm Will Scarlett shouted as he slammed his fist down on the counter.

"Oi! Watch it! That's our food cooking there that is!" Much snapped, annoyed by the younger man's impatience but more by Will's disturbance of the food he was so painstakingly working on with Djaq.

Will slumped into onto a bench and threw Much an apologetic look, "Sorry." He muttered quietly scanning the walls of the Outlaw camp taking comfort in his handiwork, "It's just he should have been here by now."

Much attempted a reassuring smile but it was lost on the young man now slouched forward with his head in his hands. From across the small camp Robin Hood glanced worriedly at his friend and follower. This was a state not common to Will, worried filled idleness could not be good for a man rarely found without something in his hands. Following the pull of an intense stare, Robin turned to face Marion seated cross legged across from him. She reached for the map on the floor between them and rolling it up gestured with a slight jerk of her head towards Will. Robin rose from his seated position and strode across the camp and sat himself down on the bench next to the dark haired boy.

"Will." He began, placing an arm around the other man's orange clad shoulder, "Luke is a smart boy. He knows what he's doing, or I wouldn't be allowing him to come here. He can take care of himself, I know he's your little brother, but when he's one of us, I can't have you being like this every time he leaves the camp. Am I going to have to send him back to Scarborough?"

A startled look on his face, Will's head shot up from his hands, "NO."

Robin nodded, "That's what I thought. He'll be here soon Will. It's not easy traveling here alone. But I'll tell you what. We give him one more hour and if he still hasn't arrived we'll head out to look for him, alright?"

Will nodded dully and Robin squeezed his shoulder as he pushed himself to his feet, shrugged towards Marion as if to say, "I tried" and returned to his original location by her side.

As Will began to fidget, pulling absentmindedly at his hair and tapping his foot, Much slowly reached around the counter to slip Will's axe around and place it safely out of reach. Djaq shot him a disgusted look as she dropped the last of the potatoes into a pot over a fire and Much looked away from her muttering about what could happen, and "you never know" probably recalling the breakdown Will had suffered after the death of his father. No sooner had Djaq taken a seat next to Will and ran her hand comfortingly down his back when he suddenly leaped to his feet.

"Will! What?" she exclaimed, hurt by his rejection of her touch. Will though held out a hand, "SSSSHHHHH! Listen" Even Robin and Marion fell silent as they all strained to hear over the hissing of boiling potatoes. Shortly a faint voice broke through crying out for Will. Without a moment's hesitation, Will bolted outside yelling back, "LUKE! LUKIE!" In almost the same moment, Robin, Marion, Much and Djaq were on their feet and out into the forest. They were stopped short by Will standing above a hill staring dumbfounded down. Following his gaze, the others gasped in shock to see Luke Scarlett standing at the bottom, collapsing under the weight of a traveling sack and the teenage girl he was holding limp in his arms.