A/N: I do apologise for the lateness of this chapter; however, I am currently going through a hard time in my personal life, but I am doing my best to write as much of this story as I can.
So, I want to thank all of you who are still sticking with me and this story. I really appreciate it.
This chapter was getting quite long so I decided to cut it in half. I have also tried to add some extra fluff to this chapter to make up for my absence so I hope you enjoy it. Reviews are always welcome.
I also just want to say that it is important now more than ever that us OutlawQueen fans stick together and show our support to both Lana and Sean and how much we love them.
Without further ado, enjoy! :)
____________________________________________________________
Once they got back to camp, it seemed almost as if the Merry Men hadn't known they had escaped the celebrations, enabling Wilma and Robin to avoid having to explain absence.
Alan is still strumming away as a few of the men dance around the campfire whilst the rest sit on their asses with a bottle of ale in hand. Giving her hand a gentle tug, the thief goes to lead the brunette over to a nearby log, however he is forced to stop when Arthur comes up to them and asks Wilma for a dance. Robin notices she hesitates before glancing over to him almost as if to ask for his permission. The blue-eyed man replies with a more than eager nod, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before releasing it.
The thief watches as a bright smile forms on her lips and she turns to take Arthur's offered hand, letting him pull her closer to the music.
At first, she's rather clumsy and struggles to get her feet moving to the steps of the simple jig but with Arthur's help, Wilma manages to keep up. Robin basks in the laughter that resonates from her lips and the pure joy that is written on her face. He's more than happy that she decided to stay because he honestly does not want to see her leave any time soon, not when he feels what he does.
Once the song finishes, Wilma makes her way over to him, but instead of sitting next to him as the thief expected she would, the brunette grabs his hand and pulls him to his feet. "Come on! You have to dance too!" she exclaims as Alan starts playing a tune similar to the last one.
"Who says I have to?" Robin retorts, though he makes no attempt to pull his hand away.
"I do." Wilma states simply, turning her head to give him a mischievous smile.
Smirking, the outlaw questions, "You're not really giving me much say in this are you?"
"Not really, no." the woman replies. "But I don't see you complaining." she adds, staring him dead in the eyes as the grin on her face widens before she turns her attention to reaching their destination.
Robin chuckles softly as he shakes his head from side to side. This woman is something else he muses just as they reach the centre of camp. Wilma wastes no time in joining the jig the Merry Men have resumed, however the thief is slightly more hesitant. The brunette must notice his slight hesitation because she makes her way over to him before taking his hands in hers with a reassuring smile and gently pulling him further into the fray. From there she continues to hold onto his hands as she leads him in the steps of the dance and he lets her, though he doesn't really need it as he knows the moves all too well. But rather than focusing on the painful memories that this jig manages to bring him each time it is played, Robin focuses on the woman in front of him. Focuses on her blinding smile and the way her whiskey brown orbs are shining up at him. And slowly, the pain ebbs away as a grin makes its way onto his lips.
Her own seems to grow just that little bit more and before long they're both lost within the dance as they match the pace of the other Merry Men.
And for what feels like the first time in years, Robin completely lets go.
____________________________________________________________
The celebrations lasted well into the night as they all continued to dance, sing and drink. But now the excitement of the day's events have seemingly caught up with them as one by one Robin watches the members of his merry band retire to their tents until only Little John, Friar Tuck and himself are all that remain.
"One thing's for sure," Tuck slurs as he raises his half-full tankard, "the forest of Sherwood people...will be fed come 'morrow mornin'." The others raise their own in response just as the friar stands abruptly and finishes his speech with a mumbled Cheers! before bringing the mug to his lips and downing its contents. Wilma follows his movements, draining the contents of her tankard as Robin and John simply wait for the inevitable. And surely enough, as Tuck's head continues to tilt back with every gulp of his ale he begins to sway. At first, it's nothing to be concerned about, however as soon as the mug is removed from his lips the inevitable happens as the friar loses his balance entirely and falls backwards, causing the brunette next to the thief to let out a gasp.
Having already anticipated this outcome, the two Merry Men are quick to catch him before his body collides with the floor, and with their combined efforts they manage to sit the now-passed-out-friar up against one of the nearby logs.
"Great," John mutters as he moves to retake his seat on the log he was previously occupying, "now we have the joy of getting the drunk friar to his tent."
Just as Robin reclaims his own seat, Wilma bursts into a fit of giggles drawing the outlaw's attention to the woman beside him. "Who knew a friar could love ale so much?" she manages to ask in between her chuckles.
"Well, to be honest none of us did," the blue-eyed man replies as he gestures to the knocked-out Tuck, "but that was before we got to know him and his usual habits."
Then the three of them are bursting into fits of uncontrollable laughter as the current situation seems to become even more humorous.
"Is he always this bad?" the brunette asks through her laughter as she makes an attempt to wipe the tears of laughter from her eyes.
"Just about." Little John snickers before raising his previously abandoned tankard to his lips and downing its contents.
"Careful there, John," Robin calls out as he points a finger at his friend, "you might join him if you keep going the way you're going."
Once the mug is removed from his lips, the bear-like man simply shrugs. "So be it," her replies, "we're celebrating after all."
"That may very well be the case," the outlaw admits before changing his voice to take on a more serious tone, "however, I want my men to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the start of our journey tomorrow morning, especially considering that I'll be putting you in charge John."
"And why is that?" John asks, raising the tankard once again to seemingly catch the last few drops of ale.
"Wilma and I are simply taking a detour to a nearby village to run an errand." Robin replies.
"Ah, well then, I suppose I should be going off to bed after all." his friend murmurs, placing his tankard beside the log before moving over to Tuck.
"Need any help there, mate?" Robins offers, receiving his answer when Little John manages to get Tuck conscious enough to get him off of the ground before making the friar to wrap an arm around his neck so that the bear-like man is able to support the extra weight.
"I think we'll manage." he replies, securing his grip on the friar before shifting his attention to Wilma. "We're all glad you've decided to stay with us," John tells her, winking for good measure, "no matter how long that may be."
"So am I." the woman replies with a soft smile on her lips.
John gives a small chuckle as he turns to face the direction of the tents. "Well, goodnight you two." he calls over his shoulder, leading Tuck and himself in the very same direction.
"Night." the pair call out in unison as Robin moves to sit next to Wilma.
For a moment they sit amongst the sounds of the forest's nightlife that surrounds them. Suddenly a chuckle sounds from beside him, so Robin turns to look at the brunette. "What's so funny?" he asks, curious as to what has her laughing.
After seemingly managing to gain control of her laughter, she replies, "Oh, nothing."
"Nothing, huh?" the thief presses, however his response only causes the brunette to break into another fit of giggles. Unable to help it, a smile forms on his lips as his heart skips a beat at the sound of her rich and velvety laughter. Shifting his position on the log so that he's properly facing the woman, he says with a slight chuckle of his own, "It certainly doesn't sound like nothing."
It takes her another moment before she manages to once again gain control of her laughter but a constant smile remains on her face "You're right, it isn't nothing." And just as he did, she shifts her position so that she's facing him. "Are all of your celebrations like this?" she asks with a slight giggle to her tone.
Robin laughs at her comment, the alcohol in his system mixing with his genuine amusement at the cause for her laughter. "Yes, I suppose they are." the thief manages once he's regained control over his breathing.
"Well if that's the case," he hears Wilma reply. "I don't want to miss a single one, especially if it means this much fun."
"Then I promise you, milady, that I will never allow that to happen." he tells her as he grips one of her hands within his own and intertwines their fingers.
"I'm counting on it." she murmurs giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
Suddenly she shivers and Robin immediately moves so he can wrap his arms around her. "Come on, time to call it a night."
"I agree." she replies with a nod.
The blue-eyed man helps her stand and keeps an arm wrapped around her, holding her close as he leads the woman to her tent. They remain like that for the entire duration it takes to reach her tent and Robin relishes in being able to hold her close.
Upon reaching the tent's entrance, the outlaw begrudgingly removes his arm from around her shoulders, however he finds himself unable to fully part from her just yet. So, bringing his hands up to cup both of her cheeks, Robin murmurs in the space between them, "Goodnight, milady."
"Goodnight, Robin." the brunette replies as a smile graces her lips.
The thief returns it as he leans forward and places a tender kiss to her forehead. He lets it linger a moment before pulling away and removing his hands from her face.
Giving him one last smile, Wilma turns to enter her tent. It's only once the tent flap has closed that Robin heads in the direction of his own tent, eager to go to sleep and dream of the woman who has captivated his heart.
____________________________________________________________
Robin has no idea where he is. He's completely surrounded by nothing but darkness for as far as the eye can see no matter which way he turns or what direction he travels in. Left with no other choice, the blue-eyed man blindly stumbles forward in the hope that he'll come across something that will bring him back to the light.
Suddenly some form of a figure appears ahead of him causing Robin to quicken his pace so that he can determine what it is.
As the figure becomes clearer, he realises that the silhouette belongs to Wilma. Feeling a grin overcome his lips, Robin runs towards her. "Wilma!" the thief calls out in the hope of gaining the woman's attention. However, instead of turning around and heading towards him as Robin had expected, the brunette starts to walk in the direction that she's facing.
The smile falls from Robin's face as his brow furrows in concern, causing his pace to pick up just that little bit more.
"Robin what were you thinking?"
The man in question startles at the familiar voice of one of his Merry Men, briefly slowing his run so that he can look at his surroundings. Finding nothing, the thief decides his imagination is causing him to hear things and with a shake of his head he continues forward.
"How could you bring her here?"
Rather than verbally responding, Robin briefly glances over his shoulder only to find that there is indeed nobody around him. Deciding that he is definitely hearing things the outlaw presses on and focuses on reaching the woman in front of him.
However even as he continues ahead, a multitude of voices start to echo within his head. In response, the blue-eyed man grits his teeth as he attempts to block the various voices that seem to surround him.
"She's a monster!"
Suddenly Wilma slows her walking almost to a halt enabling the thief to gain some ground. "Wilma!" Robin calls out only to once again receive no real response from the woman.
"You're endangering everyone around you!"
Feeling his frown deepen the outlaw pushes himself to run faster, desperately wanting to close the remaining distance that seems to drag on forever.
"She's evil!"
With only a few feet left to cover, the blue-eyed man stretches out his right hand in preparation to grasp her shoulder.
"That woman will kill us all!"
As soon as Robin's hand touches her shoulder, the brunette disappears in front of him. Confused, the outlaw lowers his outstretched hand before surveying the darkness that continues to surround him.
"You should listen to them Robin," states Wilma's voice and he detects a hint of remorse within her tone that echoes throughout the space around him, "you don't know who I really am."
"But I do, Wilma!" the outlaw exclaims as he frantically scans the surrounding darkness in the hopes of catching sight of the woman.
Suddenly the blackness clears only to reveal the image of a desolate village. Robin stands at the edge as a sickening feeling settles within the pit of his stomach.
Feeling the need to discover what lies further within the village, the outlaw ventures deeper into it, taking note of the abandoned houses as he does so.
Upon reaching the centre of the small town, Robin stops short. Hundreds of bodies lie before him, their limbs twisted in all sorts of unnatural angles. Horrified, the outlaw slowly backs away from the carnage.
Who could have done this? he asks himself before coming to an abrupt halt as he comes into contact with an object behind him.
Robin immediately whirls around, only for him to come face to face with a woman. Startled, the blue-eyed man takes a step back as he takes note of the expensive-looking red velvet riding cloak paired with appropriate black leather riding pants and freshly polished black riding boots. After scanning her clothes, his eyes land on the face of the woman only to discover her face resembles that of Wilma's.
"Wilma?" Robin asks but as soon as he utters her name, the familiar face of the brunette morphs into that of another woman. At first, he doesn't recognise the new face and it takes him a moment before it hits him. The Queen. The Evil Queen.
"You don't know me." the woman mutters regretfully before conjuring a fireball within her hand and releasing it in the thief's direction.
____________________________________________________________
Robin wakes up gasping as his body jolts into an upright position, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Upon recognising the canvas walls of his tent, the outlaw relaxes considerably before moving into a proper sitting position and running a hand over his face.
That was some dream he muses, allowing his mind to replay the events of the dream. If he was being honest, he hadn't had a nightmare that intense in years and even then, none of them were ever that involved.
However, what stood out the most to Robin was even though Wilma's appearance completely transformed into that of the Queen's, her voice remained the rich and raspy tone he has come to know.
Now yes, he knows it was only a dream, however the blue-eyed man cannot shake the feeling that his sub-conscious is trying to send him a message of sorts – that somehow Wilma and the Queen are connected.
But how could that be? the outlaw asks himself. After all the woman he has gotten to know over the last few days doesn't have an evil bone in her body.
However, before he allows his mind to wonder through each possible meaning that could arise from the dream, Robin decides he should do so with a clear head. So, it's with that in mind that the thief lays back down and pulls up the wool blanket, falling into a dreamless sleep.
____________________________________________________________
When Regina wakes, it's to a slight headache, courtesy of the drinking she had done the previous night. However, the feeling of grogginess is soon replaced by a smile on her face as a new feeling takes root within her heart. For what feels like the first time in her life, the disguised queen is excited to see what the day will bring.
Eager to get the day started, the brunette hastily makes herself presentable before exiting the tent and making her way into the centre of camp. When she reaches the campfire, few of the Merry Men have managed to make it out of their tents, which Regina doesn't find at all surprising.
"Good morning!" she announces to Little John and Robin who are already tucking away at the leftovers from last night's celebration.
"Someone's bright and chipper this morning. I can't really vouch for any of the others." the blue-eyed man quips, his eyes meeting hers once she gratefully accepts the broth-filled bowl that John is offering her as she sits down beside him.
Letting the grin widen on her face, the woman states, "Well, why shouldn't I be? I had the time of my life last night and I have the feeling that today is going to be a wonderful day."
"I don't think there would be a lot of men here that would agree with you. Especially Tuck." the bear-like man declares causing both Robin and herself to burst into fits of laughter, Regina managing to nod her head in agreement.
Once their guffaws have subsided, they resume eating their breakfast in a comfortable silence.
"So, what exactly are the two of you going to be doing on this quick detour of yours?" Little John asks causing a smirk to form on the brunette's lips as she places her empty bowl down on the ground beside her feet.
But before she can answer the man, she hears a reply come from the blue-eyed man next to her, "As previously stated last night, it'll simply be a boring trip to a nearby village."
"Boring huh?" John presses, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Moving to place his now empty bowl on the ground, Robin simply gives a firm nod with his response, "Exactly." The outlaw then stands before turning to Regina with an offered hand and adding, "Speaking of which, we better get packing, milady."
"Yes, I suppose we should." the brunette replies with a smile as she takes the hand that's being offered to her.
Without another word, the pair walk hand-in-hand towards where the horses are currently being kept. "Don't get into any trouble!" Little John calls out causing them to halt their walking as they glance at one another before simultaneously turning the heads to stare at the man behind them.
"Now what makes you say that?" the thief asks from beside her.
Regina lets a mischievous grin overcome her lips as she calls back to the bear-like man, "Really John, do you have such little faith in us?"
"Not you so much," the Merry Man counters as he lifts a finger to clearly point at the thief next to her, "it's him that I'm worried about."
The brown-eyed woman can't help the slight giggle that escapes her lips as a shocked expression overcomes Robin's face. "Well, you can rest assured I'll be there to get him out of any trouble he manages to fall into." the brunette responds with a slight chuckle before linking her arm with the thief's and leading him towards their previous destination.
____________________________________________________________
In a matter of minutes, the pair were saddled up and equipped with tents, food supplies and everything else they would need for a few days' journey. Ready to go, Regina leads both Robin and herself along with the two steeds to the makeshift trail she had used the previous day to find the village. Stopping at the start of the trail, the brunette swiftly mounts her mare with the thief following suit. Glancing over at the blue-eyed man beside her, she makes sure he's ready to start their journey. Once she receives a nod of confirmation in return, the brown-eyed woman digs her heels into her mare's flank, easing the horse forward as Robin does the same.
"Was there any reason in particular as to why you didn't want to join the dance last night?" the brunette asks after feeling a need to break the silence that had descended upon them.
"So, you did notice last night." the thief mutters.
"Yes, I did." Regina replies as she glances over at him, taking note of how his gaze remains ahead and the distant look that now appears within his usually bright blue eyes. Shifting her hands so that she's gripping the reins with one hand, the brunette reaches over to grasp one of his hands within her own. "What's troubling you?"
For a while, the thief remains silent as he simply stares at their joined hands.
"Look, you don't have to tell me," the brunette murmurs, "but I'm here to lend an ear if you need one."
So, after giving his hand a gentle squeeze and moving her gaze to the trail ahead, Regina goes to move her hand from his only to be stopped when his grip only tightens, causing the brown-eyed woman to turn her attention back to the man beside her, their gazes locking instantly.
"I always hesitate when Alan plays that particular jig simply because it tends to bring up a lot of memories that are painful to remember." Robin tells her as his eyes start to return to their usual shade of blue.
"Of your wife?" Regina asks, her tone soft and gentle.
The outlaw nods, releasing her hand and lowering his gaze as he admits, "She loved to dance."
A sad smile makes its way on to the brunette's lips as she nods her head. "Why haven't you banned the song then?" she asks out of pure curiosity.
The blue-eyed man sighs before replying, "It's one of their favourites and who am I to take it from them?" He turns his head, his crystal blue eyes once again meeting her brown ones as she smiles in agreement before he brings his attention to the trail ahead of them. "Besides," he adds, "Marian wouldn't have wanted to be the reason I stopped dancing. Something that you reminded me of last night."
"And why is that?" Regina questions, a confused expression written on her face.
A smirk forms on Robin's lips before he looks at her. "I had forgotten just how much fun it was to dance and let go up until last night. But it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you and that stunning smile of yours."
The brunette ducks her head slightly as she feels her cheeks flush before a broad smile overcomes her features as she looks back at him and asks, "Even with my case of being a clumsy dancer?"
"Yes, even that." the thief chuckles causing Regina's smile to only grow wider before the pair are facing the front of them.
"You know," he says after a few seconds, causing Regina to once again turn her head in his direction, "I forgot to tell you how much of a good rider you are."
"Oh?" the brunette replies, quickly turning her head to face the front as she feels another heat encroach on her cheeks.
"Yeah," the thief insists, "you have a real talent there."
"Oh, I don't know about that." Regina murmurs as she continues to keep her head lowered.
Suddenly he reaches across and intertwines his fingers with hers, causing the brown-eyed woman to look at their joined hands before looking up at him. "Well, you do." Robin presses as he gives her hand a tender squeeze, "Not everyone could weave their way through such a maze like you did yesterday. Trust me."
The brown-eyed woman can't help the small chuckle that escapes her lips as she continues to gaze into the depths of his blue orbs. "Thank you, but I still doubt my ability to ride is a talent."
"Believe what you may, milady," the outlaw tells her, "but I vow to try and convince you otherwise."
The disguised queen merely shakes her head, chuckling in response before stating, "Well, if riding is my talent then yours is clearly archery."
"What makes you say that exactly?" Robin asks, her heart involuntarily skipping a beat as his thumb runs over the back of her hand.
"If my memory serves," Regina replies, turning her head only to find his gaze already on her, "you had to have quite the aim to hit that black knight with such precision."
"Which black knight was that exactly?" the thief questions with a lopsided grin.
"Try the one that was trying to cut off my head." the brunette quips.
"Ah, yes." Robin says with an amused tone to his voice as he gives the hand that remains intertwined with his a gentle squeeze. "When you put it that way, I suppose I'm not too bad. But neither are you." he adds with a slight smirk on his lips as he releases her hand.
She chuckles at the comment before replying, "That may be, but I think I'll stick to riding for now."
The thief bursts into laughter at her comment and the disguised queen has no choice but to join his infectious laughter.
"You know," she says once she's gained control of her guffaws as she gazes at the trail ahead, "I used to ride all the time when I was younger, purely because it was the only time I ever felt truly free."
"What caused you to stop?" he asks gently, drawing her brown orbs to his blue ones once again. Whilst she becomes lost within the depths of his sky-blue eyes, her brow furrow in concentration as she tries to think of an answer to a question that she has never been asked let alone thought about herself. Robin must sense her distress because she hears him quickly add, "If you don't mind my asking that is."
"No, it's alright." the brunette is quick to assure him, offering a semblance of a small smile. "I just don't know the answer. I've never really been asked that question before." Regina admits, her hands fiddling with the edge of the reins. She remains silent for a moment as the disguised queen continues to ponder her answer to his question. After forming a response, she breaks the silence, "I suppose the main reason I stopped riding is simply because I became too caught up within my own misery." And I focused too much on getting my revenge she thinks but doesn't dare to say.
Once again, he grasps one of her hands and intertwines her fingers with his own as the brunette hears him say, "Then we'll have to remedy that."
Regina smiles as she meets his gaze and replies, "Yes, I suppose we will."
____________________________________________________________
A/N: Well, Robin and Regina have started their journey but what will they encounter once they've reached the village of their destination?
I'm going to try an finish the next chapter as soon as possible and hopefully will have it up before Christmas.
I hoped you enjoyed reading and please leave a review on your way out. :)