Hello, boys and girls! It's me again.

So, here's the deal.

I got the idea for this ages ago, but I never got around to writing it down. Now, as usual when I had something else to do, my muse would simply not let me go until I wrote it down. You'll notice this is a little different from my usual work in that is a multi-chapter.

Now, I know what you're thinking: Really, Lady Marianne? Another multi-chapter? Have you learned nothing from your previous attempts at writing multi-chapters? Well, you can relax, since this story is all finished and waiting for me to post it (all 28991 words of it)-neat, right? So, in light of that, I'm going to ask you a small favor: like I said, the story is all done and I'm obviously going to post it regardless of what how many reviews it gets. However, it would mean the world to me if you could write me a word if you read this so I can know that I'm not just talking to myself here. It would really mean the world to me. (Come on, it doesn't need to be a nice word or even a coherent word. Just send me something). In turn, I promise to post every week.

PS. I do apologize for the title. I know it's been used before, but I do think it fits with the story. Also, I think it should be obvious by now that the only thing I own is a very bratty muse who only thrives under pressure -pressure to do something else, that is. Nothing related to Robin Hood whatsoever.

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SUMMARY. At the end of season II, Marian doesn't try to kill the Sheriff and consequently is never taken to the Holly Land. What will happen to those who do go, and those who stay behind? And what will happen when the King finally returns?

PART I

Everything was set.

The ship had been found. The crew had been talked to. The fees had been paid. The plans had been made. All that was left now was waiting for the tide and then they would be gone.

Robin Hood waited.

It was hard to believe that it had only been a handful of months since he stood here, at the very spot, gazing at the ship that had just brought him back home after a long journey and vowed that he would never, ever be in this situation again. And yet here he was, about to set sail to the Holly Lands for the second time in his life.

So much was the same as it had been before, and yet so much had changed in the last two years. For one, he wasn't Robin of Locksley anymore. That young nobleman who had come to Portsmouth looking to make a difference –maybe seeking some glory in the process, he might as well admit to that–, frustrated because the woman he loved didn't seem to understand just how important this was, had long since died –probably the moment he set foot in that desert, he thought.

He wasn't after glory either. He had the truth on his side: he was leaving because he had to, because he was the only one who could have any hope of saving his King and not even Marian could disagree with him this time.

That much hadn't changed, he reflected with a smile. Marian. It might be seven years later, but the fear of losing her was just as strong as it had been the first time that he had been in Portsmouth. Except that now, it wasn't his own safety he was worried about –or maybe it was, just a little bit. He wasn't afraid of not coming back to her, but rather of what he would find when he did.

She had told him the first time that she wouldn't wait for him, that, should he return, he would find her a married woman, surrounded by children, living the life he had obviously not wanted for himself. He had believed her, or at least tried to. Standing at the very spot where he was standing now, waiting for the ship to be ready as he was now, he had seriously considered the possibility of turning back and going to her. Because no amount of glory would ever compare to the joy of being around her, of holding her in his arms or running after her in Sherwood Forest. But he hadn't –he couldn't have. He had made up his mind and given his word to the King. If Marian didn't understand that... Well, maybe he ought to find himself another woman, one who saw how important his role was. And so he had left, and he had deluded himself into thinking that he didn't care about what became of Marian. But he had never given up on her completely. He had realised that as he saw her stepping out of her father's house –gloriously unattached and with no kids in sight. She had waited for him –whether she cared to admit it or not– and in that moment he knew that whatever happened, whatever came their way, they would be together. They were meant to be.

But it was different this time because England was different. Before, it had been their own pride that could have torn them apart. Now, there was some real evil lurking, and Marian was currently standing in the middle of the lion's den.

She would disagree, obviously. She would argue that she was perfectly safe, since the lions were currently out. But for how long? What if he failed? What if he succeeded but the Sheriff got away? What would be of her then?

And it wasn't just her that he was worried about either –that was different too. He had people now, people who counted on him to protect them, to provide for them. He couldn't simply disappear –he owed them better than that. But he couldn't go back now. There wasn't enough time –the Sheriff and Gisborne had already left, so they couldn't afford to miss this particular ship– and even if he could go, he knew Marian would never agree to being left behind again.

But what could he possibly do?

He cast a look around himself, as if he expected the answer to all his worries to materialize out of thin air. And that's when he saw it.

His gang.

We are Robin Hood, he had told them once, many months ago. He had meant it then and still meant it now. Because Robin Hood was so much bigger than himself: Robin Hood was the whole of Nottingham, every peasant that suffered from the Sheriff, every parent that didn't have enough to feed their family –they were Robin Hood. His gang was Robin Hood.

Robin had to go to the Holly Lands to save his king, but Robin Hood didn't. Robin Hood belonged in England.

Smiling now, he cast another look around himself, this time paying a closer attention to each of the members of his gang. He knew that he could only leave one –they would never agree to let him go alone–, so he needed to decide who was better suited for the job.

Much was the closest to him, as usual. He was getting everything ready for them, sorting their weapons and whatnot, at the same time keeping a vigilant eye on his master, should he require anything from him. Much was probably the least excited about taking this journey out the whole gang, next to Robin himself. But he would never agree to stay behind, not unless he could persuade Robin to stay too. He had decided long ago that he would follow the former master of Locksley to the ends of the world, regardless of his own discomfort. No, Much would not do.

A little bit further than Much stood Djaq, who was the polar opposite of the man. Her face was glowing with anticipation and she was practically bouncing as she talked amicably to Will. Robin knew that this was in part due to the conversation the two had shared a few hours ago and the revelations said conversation had brought, but there was something else. While all of them were going to strange lands, Djaq was going home. She would probably stay if he asked her, but he didn't think he could. She deserved to go back -he, of all people, should know what it was like being alone in a country that was not one's own, surrounded by people that looked down upon you for the colour of one's skin. He couldn't ask Will either. He would never part with her.

Allan stood the closest to the ship, trying to stay out of the way as much as possible. This was probably for the best. After all, one doesn't betray their friends and then expect everything to go back to normal when one sees fit to return, right? He had started on the right foot, what with saving their lives and tipping them off about Vaisey's trip to the Holly Land, but he still had a long way to go. The fact that he wasn't going out of his way to please everyone was a good sign: it showed that he at least understood their need to process this new development in their relationship on their own.

Robin eyed him for a moment longer. He remembered Allan's words –his reasons for doing what he had done– and he also remembered the fact that nothing overly bad had happened while he was acting as Gisborne's right-hand man. He could have easily given them away –given Marian away–, but he hadn't. No, Robin decided; Allan had not betrayed them so much as he had tried to save his own skin. His way of thinking was questionable, that's for sure, but he wasn't a traitor. He would trust him with his life if it came to it, but he wasn't sure he would trust him with England –at least not for now.

And then his eyes found the last member of his small group. John stood by the road that had brought them here, looking back at what they were leaving behind. He hadn't been to the Holly Land, but he had heard enough about it from Much to be dreading the journey. Robin considered John for a moment.

John was like a moral compass for them all. He was the one who was constantly reminding them of what they were fighting for, and when Robin was too caught up with his own personal agenda, John would be the one who told him to quit his antics and focus on the bigger picture. If there was one amongst them who could say that he was in on the fight purely because he wanted to help the people out, that was John Little. Everyone else had some kind of ulterior motif –revenge, money, lack of anything better to do or place to go, occasionally showing off... But not John.

He was also big enough to be able to carry most of the workload alone, and he had been in the forest for years now, so he knew it like the back of his hand. He had had his own gang before Robin's return, so he was used to making decisions and could recruit more people, should the need arise. More importantly, Marian trusted him and if he were to tell her to leave the castle, she would probably listen to him. (And, should it come to that, he could always forcefully remove her himself).

In short, John was his man.

Having made up his mind and recognising that there wasn't much time left, Robin made his way to the man that had become a sort of fatherly figure for them over the past two years. Much noticed the movement and made it to follow him, but he shook his head.

He stopped next to John and followed his gaze. They were too far away from Sherwood to really see anything, but that was not a problem, since it was all they could see in their minds' eyes.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked conversationally. "When I was a kid, I would spend as much time as I possibly could in the forest. Much always complained when he had to come and find me," he chuckled softly, remembering the times when he was young and carefree and most of his time was spent coming up with new places to hide from Much. "I never would have guessed that I would end up outlawed and living in the forest."

John smiled slightly.

"Life is funny like that," he said.

"That, it is," the young man agreed. "I wish we didn't have to go."

"It's not as if we have a choice. Vaisey is going to kill the King, and no amount of good deeds here is going to save us," the man replied sadly.

Robin smiled, pleased at the opening John had given him.

"No, I don't have a choice," he said, turning to face the man. "I have to go. I'm the only one the King will listen to, if he listens to anyone. You, on the other hand, can stay."

John frowned, clearly not catching his drift. Robin explained himself further.

"Listen, best case scenario, we go to the Holly Land, we warn the King, we stop Vaisey and we come back –that is, if we don't run into any complication, and let's face it, when have we ever not ran into some sort of complication. Even then we are going to be gone for months. We have not prepared the people for our absence –they will have no idea where we went– and they will suffer. Not to mention the fact that the Sheriff has probably left some kind of system in place to torture the peasants further. Robin Hood cannot disappear like that."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you have to stay. Help people, be Robin Hood. That's the whole point of this whole thing, is it not? What good would it be if we stop Vaisey but half the people in Nottingham perishes in our absence? Saving the King is important, but so is this. You know that, you're probably the only one who gets it!"

John was silent for a moment longer. Robin could see in his dark eyes how torn he was: on the one hand, he recognised the truth in Robin's words, since he had already considered the matter himself; but on the other hand, he couldn't just stay while the rest risked their lives in a far-away land.

"We are a team," he said finally, still apprehensive.

"Yes, we are. That's why I'm asking you this. It's no different than when we separate and go to different villages, except that this time..."

"You will be going to the Holly Land," he finished. Robin nodded. "But we'll still meet back at the camp to regroup, won't we? It will take us longer, but you will still return."

The former nobleman smiled slightly.

"I'll do my very best," he replied with a cheeky grin. He was surprised when John's expression darkened and he glared angrily at him.

"No," he said with certain ferocity. "No. If we are going to do this –if you expect me to stay behind and tell Marian that you are gone (I'm assuming she played some part in your thought process, she always does), you are going to have to swear that you will come back. Understood?"

Robin's expression darkened too.

"John, it might not be that simple..."

"Then you are going to have to find a way. Listen, I'll be more than happy to hold the fort while you are gone. But you need to come back. All of you. We are Robin Hood, remember? Your place is here."

"Djaq may want to stay. And Will will want to stay with her."

John rolled his eyes.

"Maybe, but you and Much are coming back. And Allan too –he's an idiot, but he's family. You have to promise that all three of you will do the impossible to come back or I'm getting on that ship with you to make sure that you don't do anything stupid."

Robin had to smile at this.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it. I'll get us safely back. That's a promise."

John nodded, satisfied.

"And Marian?" he asked. Robin's smiled disappeared from his face. "What should I tell her?"

"Tell her... the truth. Tell her that the Sheriff and Gisborne have gone to kill the King and that I have to try to stop them." He struggled to keep his tone light as he added: "Tell her she can murder me upon my return."

John nodded again. They were silent for a moment longer. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin could see that the preparations had begun for the ship to set sail and he felt a certain urgency gripping at his heart.

"She can't stay at the castle," he said quickly, turning to look at John directly in the eye. "She'll argue and say she's perfectly capable of looking after herself, but you have to make sure that she leaves. I don't know what sort of plans Vaisey has for her and frankly I don't care to find out. She has to go. She has a cousin in Sussex, I think. Tell her to go to her. Or tell her to join a convent. I don't care. I'll find her when I come back. But she's leaving Nottingham, is that understood? Use whatever means you see fit to take her out." John nodded. "And tell her that... Tell her that I'm sorry for doing this to her again –that I truly never intended to go back. She has to understand that, okay? Please."

"Robin!" Much called from behind them. "It's time."

Robin waved a hand in his direction to let him know he had heard, but continued talking to John.

"And tell her that I love her. That I have always loved her, from that day in the forest when I was fourteen and she caught me hiding her favourite hairpin and she shot one of my arrows at me... That day I knew that she was the girl for me, the only possible girl for me." He had never told anyone this, but Marian needed to know. "I've been in love with her for almost half my life. Tell her that, okay?"

"You can tell her yourself when you come back," John said, putting a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I will. But..." he trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

"I know," the man finished.

"Robin!" Now Djaq had joined Much.

"Here," Robin said, pulling the tag Will had made for them from his neck and placing it in John's palm. "Give this to her as a reminder that she is part of the gang."

John took it and clasped his hand tightly.

"Till we meet again," he said with certainty.

"Till we meet again," Robin agreed.

And thus he left the man standing there, and walked swiftly towards the ship that was to take him away from everything he held dear.

"What about John?" Will asked him as he passed them.

"He's staying," he replied with finality.

Much opened his mouth to ask something, but closed it when he saw the determined look on his master's face. There would be plenty of time for explanations. For now they had to go.

John watched them until they were but a dot in the horizon, Robin's tag clutched in his hand. Then, once he was certain there was nothing left for him there, he turned on his heels and set out on the long journey back home.

He had a mission to accomplish.

He was Robin Hood now.

So? What did you think? Worth sticking around? I do hope so.

I'll be sitting by the computer waiting to hear from you. Talk to you next week (probably on Monday, because there's no better way to start the week that reading a good, compelling fanfiction, right?)