All the Time in the World (English)

Chapter 34 - The Plan

Marian looked up at the small window and she pulled again the chain tied to her ankle, in a vain attempt to free herself.
Her only hope was to try to convince Guy to turn against the sheriff, but she didn't know if she would succeed. During that tremendous journey she had felt him distant and angry, full of rancor and nervousness.
She sighed. She hoped that Allan could get back to Robin to warn him, but since he had escaped, his absence had further aggravated Guy's mood and made the atmosphere even heavier.
She heard a noise outside the door and two Saracens descended the stairs quickly.
Marian jumped up, frightened: those were supposed to be two of Vaisey's allies and they certainly couldn't have good intentions.
"Don't scream, it's me!" One of them hurriedly whispered, revealing his face, and the girl's face lit up with joy.
"Robin!"
She ran to hug him and Robin held her tightly, covering her with kisses.
Marian looked at him, amazed: Robin had never shown his feelings so openly, and certainly not in front of one of his gang members. She realized, with even more amazement, that the outlaw had tears in his eyes and he was holding her desperately.
"Robin?"
"Hood, we need to hurry up," the other man whispered, and Marian looked at him, even more shocked.
"Guy?"
Gisborne took off the scarf that covered his face and Marian noticed that he also seemed deeply moved, but she couldn't understand why he and Robin were in the same room without fighting each other.
"I know, it seems strange, but you have to listen to us," Robin said.
Unexpectedly, Guy softly laughed.
"If this seems strange to you, wait to hear what we have to tell you."

Alicia stopped at the entrance of the castle's museum, without finding the courage to enter. The last time she had been there, she was with Guy and now she felt her heart tightening at the thought that she might never see him again.
When they had saved Robin, the leap in time lasted a few minutes, certainly no more than a hour, and she was beginning to fear that it was taking too long now, that she would never see Guy or Robin again.
"Ms. Little?"
Alicia turned and she recognized Peter Edwards.
The archaeologist smiled at her.
"So did you accept my invitation to visit the museum again?"
"Oh. No... I don't think I'm in the right mood... I don't know why I came here..."
The man looked at her, a little confused.
"I didn't want to impose my presence on you, I am sorry..."
Alicia looked at him, as if she had noticed his presence only in that moment.
"No, no, I'm the one to apologize. I didn't mean to send you away. I'm really too worried to be able to appreciate the museum."
"Did something happen?"
Alicia nodded and she found herself in tears again.
Peter looked at her, alarmed, without knowing what to do.
"Come with me," he mumbled, clumsily taking her by the arm and he hurriedly led her to the guardian's room, where he entered without even knocking.
Jonathan Archer looked up from the book he was leafing through.
"What happened?" He asked, worried.
"She's crying," the archaeologist replied, pointing at Alicia.
The guardian rolled his eyes.
"I can see that, I wanted to know why she's crying."
Peter gave him a lost look, realizing that he really should have asked.
Jonathan hastened to make Alicia sit and he handed her a pack of paper tissues.
"Be patient, doctor, he doesn't know how to deal with people, he doesn't do it on purpose. It's about Guy, isn't it?"

Marian turned around Guy, looking carefully at him until he felt uncomfortable, then, without warning, she grabbed a lock of his hair and she pulled it hard.
"Ouch! Are you mad, by chance?" Guy asked.
"That's what I'm trying to understand. Your hair is really so long and this morning it wasn't. This isn't possible."
"Unless you believe us," Robin suggested.
"I suppose I'll have to do it. Or I believe in you, or I accept the fact that I became crazy. And you, don't complain," she said, turning to Guy, "because if what you told me is true, you have pierced me with a sword, you don't have the right to complain if I pull your hair!"
Gisborne looked down.
"I'm sorry..." He said softly. "I'll never forgive myself for what I did..."
"You haven't done it yet, have you?" Marian said, trying to reflect on the absurd choice that she would have to make.
Escaping with Robin, saving herself from that frightful destiny and risking throwing the whole world into chaos, or letting herself to be struck like a sacrificial lamb, condemning Gisborne and Robin to enormous sufferings, and herself to an exile in a distant future where she wouldn't remember anything of her life.
She turned to the two men and kicked their shins, first Guy's and then Robin's.
"Why did you have to tell me?! How can I make such a choice?!"
Robin and Guy looked at her with an identical afflicted expression.
"How can we do it for you? It's your future," Robin said.
Marian was silent for a while, grim in the face, then she put her hands on her hips and she looked at them with a determined expression.
"And I reject both these choices."
"Doing nothing is also a choice," Guy said, and the girl glared at him with a dirty look.
"Who talked about doing nothing? We will follow my plan, which is undoubtedly better than both of your possibilities, but all three of us will have to make sacrifices. Are you willing to accept it?"
Guy met her gaze.
"I took your life, I'm willing to do anything to make up for it."
Marian looked at him and she saw that he was sincere. She gave him a sad smile.
"Good. Because yours will be the bigger sacrifice. Now come closer, I will tell you what to do."