Marian slept late. Given the events of the previous evening, no one would have blamed her. That is, if anyone knew.

Which they didn't.

Not even her ever careful, ever vigilant father had an inkling of her late night visit to the castle. Or her last minute escapade to rescue Robin of Locksley, notorious outlaw for a day, from certain death.

With half the day squandered away in sleep, Marian decided a robust ride was in order. She headed to the stable and chuckled at Midnight's acknowledging whinny. "That is right, boy. We are off on an adventure today." Patting her favorite horse lightly, Marian gave him a once over and grimaced. "After we remove the evidence of last night's adventure, of course."

Choosing the nearest brush, she set about the task. She hadn't been employed for five minutes when she felt the change. The air grew warm and eerily silent. Even the flies seemed to pause in flight. Waiting. Watching.

Holding their collective breath for the delicious storm to come.

"Someone has a crush." The familiar, sing-songey voice came from behind her, announcing his presence.

Marian's hand paused in mid-air as she sighed loudly, exaggeratedly. "There really is no end to your recklessness, is there?"

"I could ask the same of you." Came the taunting reply.
Marian turned to face him. She instantly wished she hadn't.

He was casually lounging against a bale of hay. One knee was bent into a comfortable arm rest, while his other leg swung freely back and forth in a slow, hypnotic rhythm. His bow was haphazardly tossed to the side, but well within reach. A lone piece of straw dangled from his tilted lips as tousled hair fell lightly into his twinkling blue eyes.

In short, Robin of Locksley looked delectable.

"You could, but it would be a wasted question." Marian responded flippantly as she spun around and resumed brushing Midnight's mane. It took all her concentration to keep her voice light and steady. Especially steady. "After all, my actions are based on sense and reason, not emotion and impulse."

"You are right." His knowing smirk was lost on a seemingly oblivious Marian. She was not, however, immune to his sarcasm. "We two are nothing alike."

"What are you doing here, Robin?" She tossed the question over her shoulder, refusing to make eye contact. "And do not tell me it is to thank me. As I did not save your life, there is no need."

"You attempted, and that is something." Robin offered with a shrug. "After all, it was not your fault my own men interrupted your well-laid plans."

"Oh, you have men now?" Marian queried with an upraised eyebrow and a teasing quirk of her lips. She ran a gentle hand down Midnight's nose before stepping to his other side.

"I do." Robin confirmed with a proud nod of his head.

"Good. Maybe they can keep you out of all the trouble you so effortlessly fall into."

Robin chuckled. "Since when has it ever been effortless?"

His laugh warmed her. His teasing called to a side of her that had been in hiding for years. His over-confidence had always been a powerful motivator to one so willing and capable of bringing him down a peg or two.

Marian dipped her head and fought back a smile. He couldn't be allowed to see his affect on her. Especially after the events of the previous night. No, not after that.

She'd been tumbling. Pushed to the edge by the moment. Knocked into a vulnerable freefall by their hushed, heated argument.

"What is it with men and glory? Glory above sense and above reason."
"It's principle." He shot back.
"Principle? Principle is making a difference and you can't do that if you are dead. You could have stayed here in the first place instead of following your king to the Holy Land if you'd cared so much about your precious people. But you didn't. You chose war. You chose glory."
He caught her with a look. "What is this about?"
"It is about you…saying…that… you care about the people of Locksley when…the truth is…you ran off to battle…thousands of miles away."

And he saw her. Right straight on through the caustic insults and vague doublespeak. He saw her thoughts, her fears. The ache his leaving had permanently placed in her heart. And he responded with a gentle understanding that threatened to put her right back in the center of his world.

She had escaped him last night.

Barely.

No, she would not let him see her like that again.

"Not to be rude…" Marian began.

"Riiight. Why I am here?" Robin repeated the question before supplying a cryptic answer. "I came to see if you liked your reward."

"My reward?" Curiosity piqued, Maria's gaze met his over Midnight's back.

"You know…" A saucy wink and a kiss to the air completed his thought before the arrogant tilt of his lips caused her to roll her large blue eyes and shake her head in apparent disgust. "As I recall, that is the reason you gave for following me into danger."

"No, I did not. And I have done no such thing." Marian denied through tightened lips.

"No? Then your visit to the jail was…"

"Justice." She tossed the brush into the bucket with a little more force than was necessary.

"Ahhhh…justice." Robin sounded as if he'd just discovered a new concept.

Marian bristled. "Yes. You were to be hung without benefit of trial. I could not let that happen."

"Any particular reason?"

She scoffed at the obviousness of the answer. "It would have been wrong."

"Wrong. Of course." Robin agreed quickly then made his own observation. "And you could not let that happen because you rescue every wrongly imprisoned outlaw in England."

Marian spun on him, eyes flashing with fire. "What is your point?"

"Already stated." Eyes met. Lips twitched.

"And denied." An eyebrow rose.

"Ignored, perhaps." A smile spread. "Denied…no."

"Robin…"

With the agility of a lynx and the swiftness of an arrow, Robin bounded off his perch with a leap and a flip, landing dead center in front of her. Calm. Confident. Dangerously close.

Her chest hitched involuntarily. She took an unconscious step back. "Robin, can we talk seriously?"

"We can try." His gaze roamed her features openly. Then raked over her curvaceous form. He advanced slowly.

She retreated. "I do not want to see you dead."

"That much is obvious." He smirked. Then took another predatory step forward.

"And unless I am the one inflicting the injury, I do not want to see you hurt." In her frantic attempt to distance them, she nearly stumbled over a bucket.

An explosion of laughter lit his eyes. "With you so far."

"That does not…" Her back hit a hard wooden beam. "…mean that I still…" Her chest rose and fell with the sudden need for air. The pulse at the base of her throat pounded a rhythm so erratic, swallowing became almost impossible. Her voice lowered to a breathless whisper. "….still have…" Large blue eyes glazed over with desire as the heat of his body washed over her. "…feelings for you."

He took full advantage of their position. Forearm casually draped above her head, using the post to balance his weight, Robin's body pinned her in place. His intense gaze roamed her features as his free hand came up to lightly trail down the side of her face ending beneath her delicate chin. The pad of his thumb brushed against her bottom lip. His response was a heated whisper against her skin. "Right. Because I risk my life every day to save the one I despise."

"Why can you not be serious?" The plea in her voice brought his eyes to hers.

"Why can you not have fun?" An eyebrow quirked.

A mask fell into place. She knocked his hand away from her face, just as she had done the night before. Her eyes flared with pain and defiance. "You would not understand. You have not lived my life for the past five years."

As she angrily brushed past him, his sigh was the first hint of frustration from the overly confident outlaw. "I have lived mine without you. I think I can relate." Turning, Robin contemplated Marian's retreating form. Using the wooden beam for support, he casually crossed his arms over his chest, one foot swung lightly on raised toes. "Have you ever considered the possibility that you are wrong?"

"About you?" Flashing an unintended smile, Marian chuckled. "Never."

"About everything being a choice." A pause. "Take love, for instance." He watched as her head snapped up. "Who…we love. Not a choice."

Marian stopped dead in her tracks. She did not turn, but dealt her blow over her shoulder. "How we love them. Choice."

"How captured you are when they look in your eyes." His voice was a gentle caress across the distance. "Not a choice."

She fought to keep her voice steady. "Looking away." She turned to face him. Their eyes met. She was making a point. A few points, actually. "Choice."

Robin pushed himself away from the beam and advanced. "Feeling lost when absent from them." A short, quick, meaningful shake of his head. "Not a choice."

They squared off in the center of the stable. Each parry growing in intensity.

"Leaving them at all. Choice."

"Call to duty. Not."

"Search for glory. Choice."

"Forgiving. Choice."

"Forgetting. Not."

Robin rocked back on his heels, his eyes narrowed. "So, this is where we are."

Her chin rose in defiance. "It is, in fact, where we are."

"Except…"

Confusion clouded her blue eyes. "Except?"

A devilish smile burst into existence. The sing-songey voice returned. "Someone has a crush." He chuckled at the roll of her eyes. "Admit it. You were impressed today."

"Was not." She scoffed.

"Not even a little?"

"By what? Your capture? Your bowmanship? Or maybe you think I was impressed with your mid-air flight to freedom?" The questions rolled off her tongue as if the past few moments had never happened. As if she didn't still feel him pressed against her. Or the imprint of his fingers against her skin.

Interpreting her words with acute accuracy, Robin's rippling dimples appeared with a vengeance. "So, you were impressed."

Leaning forward at the waist, Marian emphasized her words with pointedly raised eyebrows. "Not. One. Bit."

"Someone does have a crush." Pleased, Robin rocked back on his heels.

"Oh, grow up." Marian spun on her heels and headed toward the stall where her saddle was housed.

Robin's voice followed. "Now, I thought we had already addressed this. You. First."

Coming from around the corner, she nearly plowed into him. "Robin…"

"Here." Taking the saddle from her hands, he pressed something round and smooth in her palm. "Take this."

"What is it?" She asked before holding it up to the light.
A coin. More precisely, one of her father's coins.

The seriousness of Robin's tone drew her gaze to him. "The next time you attempt to buy someone's silence so as not to be detected by the evil forces in the land, you might not want to use coins that are traceable back to your father." A pointed eyebrow rose. "And you."

An embarrassed flush settled over her cheeks. How could she have been so stupid? Again? A defiant gaze met his. "There will be no next time."

"That's what you said…last time." Robin commented smoothly as he placed the saddle on Midnight's back.

"Why can you not understand how serious this all is? Just what kind of position you've put us all in?" Marian asked suddenly.

"Why can you not understand how serious I am?" Robin turned to her, his hands on his hips. Blue eyes were blazing with determination. "This is not a game to me, Marian. Not this fight with the Sheriff. Not restoring Locksley to my name." He paused, pulled in a shaky breath and stepped up to her. "And not…" Gentle hands cupped her face. A soft gaze met hers. "…you."

"Maybe someone does have a crush after all." Marian whispered, eyes full of sudden understanding.

"Ah, Marian." His lips quirked. His eyes danced. "I never said you were alone in that state, luv." He stepped back, his hands slipping from her face. Her skin felt cold without his touch. "Enjoy your ride."

Bounding toward the door, he grabbed his bow and spun around for one last word. "Oh, and Marian...be careful. I hear the woods are full of dangerous outlaws these days."

With a chuckle, a wink and a smile, Robin Hood vanished into the afternoon sun.