Panic was one thing Guy could not tolerate, especially in a time like this. It was understandable, yes. Needed? No. Sure, the Sheriff of Nottingham was now back from the dead and was here to kill everyone, so there was definitely absolutely no need for a panic, right?

Guy and Robin loaded their horses, riding side-by-side on the path to the entrance. Much and John were setting Allan down in a crate, sad and regretful looks on their faces.

"He did this," growled Much, drawing his sword. "He did this!"

"Much! Much, you'll have time for that," Robin said.

Genevieve and Kate were at the balcony with a few peasants, literally right above them. "There's soldiers at every wall," Genevieve said. "Hundreds of them. The whole town's surrounded."

Guy shook his head. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. "I put the dagger in him," he mused to himself. "I saw him die."

"Well, that ghost has raised an army. Hiya!"

Guy and Robin jumped when they saw Linda bolt past them and out of Nottingham, the gate open for them. She didn't stop to wait for them, just kept riding until she was where her father and Blamire was. A guard was sitting right next to them on a horse, a white flag raised and waving in the air. Robin and Guy approached her side moments later.

The Sheriff chuckled. "Surprise," he said with a wave. "You thought I was dead. But you didn't check, did you? Very nasty wound." Vaisey pointed to above his heart. "Gisborne, we will have our reckoning. Right now, I want my town back." He sounded way too joyful.

"Not a chance," his daughter hissed. "You and your pathetic weapons are no match for the hatred that these men and I have for you at the moment."

Vaisey smirked. "Is that how you greet your father, dearie?"

Linda only growled.

Vaisey drew his sword, casting a look to Robin. "You tell your peasant army that anybody who resists me will die." Vaisey studied his sword casually. "Poor Allan. Squealed like a stuck pig when he died."

Linda sneered and made her horse trot forward.

"Linda," Guy admonished.

It was a good thing he called her, too, because she was close to slitting his throat on the spot. "You'll pay for that, you murdering swine."

"Sticks and stones, dearie."

The horse neighed, and Linda returned to her spot in between Guy and Robin.

Vaisey shrugged. "Give them a demonstration, Blamire."

Blamire raised his hand, and a block that was on the trebuchet was lit on fire.

"Loose."

The three outlaws watched as the block came whistling over head and landing in Nottingham, a big explosion following the impact. Linda swallowed and slowly faced her father again.

"You have until dawn to give me Gisborne, release Isabella, and then return Nottingham to myself and Prince John. Otherwise, you and your noisy friends, well, they'll be wiped off the face of the Earth."

Robin clenched his fist, turning around. Guy followed him, his mind reeling. Linda just stayed there, unmoving. The boys stopped halfway.

"Linda?" Guy asked with a frown.

She jumped, sighing and trotting forwards toward the Sheriff. "Change the deal up," she practically ordered.

Vaisey raised his eyebrows. "To what are you suggesting?"

"Something I can't believe I'm actually doing," she responded. "Take me instead of Guy."

"What?!" Guy exclaimed.

Vaisey tilted his head to the side. "And why on Earth would I do that?"

"Face it, Father, you want me more than you want Gisborne. He tried to kill you, but I turned on you fully. Face it, you want me back. You want to turn me again. You want to take me away from the one I love and try to control my life again. Don't you want at least one of your daughters back?"

Vaisey frowned. "So, you've finally met Genevieve."

"How dare you separate us because you thought we would overpower you."

"I had my reasons," Vaisey defended. "How is she?"

"Fine, now that she's away from you." Linda's eyes flashed a dangerous fire. "Take the deal or say good-bye to me forever."

Vaisey thought this over, and Guy crossed his fingers. He didn't want Vaisey to take his wife away. Guy knew that Vaisey would not only destroy her physically, but he would destroy her mentally. He would tell her lies and kill her, thus hurting Guy in the process.

"Bring her to me."

"You mad man!" Guy shouted, turning his horse around. "You touch my wife and I separate your head from your body!"

Blamire raised a hand, and the guards behind him raised their bows. Vaisey clicked his tongue and shook his head with a laugh, watching as his daughter cautiously unsaddled her horse and walked over to him, craning her head back to shake her head at Guy.

"I'll be okay," she told him. "You go back with Robin and protect my sister. I'll see you at dawn."

"Well, that would be nice, but you and I have some catching up to do, dearie," Vaisey interrupted, gripping her arm and smirking. "Run along, Gisborne. Go fetch your sister for me if you want to ever see your wife again."

Guy glanced at Robin, and then Linda. He was panicked, and for once, he didn't know what to do. Linda didn't look scared... well, maybe a little. She rose her chin and nodded shortly. Guy closed his eyes and looked away, riding back to the castle. Robin followed him shortly after, sneering at Vaisey one last time. Blamire turned to go rally the trebuchets and the soldiers. Linda was left alone with her father.

Vaisey chuckled. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

Linda ripped herself out of his grasp, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him forward. "You let me grieve and face the prince alone, then let me face Isabella alone, hide my sister away from me, and now this? You really think we can start over when I know that you're only going to drive me down to hell?"

Vaisey shrugged. "I was hoping."

Linda blinked. She shook her head sadly and pushed him away. "I am ashamed to be known as your daughter."

Vaisey rolled his neck back and forth. "Take her away."

Two guards grabbed her by the arms, and Vaisey would never forget the pure look of hatred on her face as she was dragged away from her father.

*****

Guy couldn't be more panicked. He followed Robin back inside the castle, where the citizens slammed the gate shut and locked it. The moved the horses around the town, finding Archer, Tuck, Genevieve and Kate sitting near a tavern and inspecting a shard of wood that was covered in black ash and oil. He unsaddled the horse and stood to the side, pacing while Robin started ordering away from his horse.

"Put  lookouts on every wall," he commanded. "Scour the town. Tuck, I want every able-bodied man armed and ready." Robin rode around in a circle. "We hold Nottingham for the king! We know the king's coming. He has loyal troops waiting for him at Loughborough. If we can give word to them—"

"Robin, you can end this now by giving me up to the Sheriff and getting my wife back," Guy interrupted, upset. "You could have done it back there. Why didn't you?"

"This is bigger than you, Gisborne," Robin answered coolly. "It always has been. We are fighting for the future of England. You have Isabella behind bars. That's what you wanted. Linda only gave herself up to protect you and buy us time."

"Wait, my sister did what?!"

Robin ignored Genevieve and kept his attention focused on Guy. "This isn't your fight unless you choose it to be."

Guy sighed and ran a hand through his black hair. "While the Sheriff lives and keeps what I hold dear, this is all our fight." Guy smirked and inclined his head. "I'm with you."

Robin nodded. "Get it done!"

But before Guy and Tuck could walk off, Much and John came out pulling a cart with Allan's body inside.

"There's something we have to do first."

They set the cart down gently.

"Honor the dead."

So it was decided that Allan was to be covered in sheets and burned with dignity and honor at the edge of the town. Guy leaned on a pillar and watched as the outlaws surrounded Allan's body on three-by-three logs that were stacked on top of each other, John and Much doing the honors of using the torch to burn Allan's body.

"To Allan," Much said with a waiver, raising his torch. "Our loyal friend."

John nodded and also raised his torch before the two of them lit the logs on and took a step back. Genevieve sighed and rested her head on Robin's shoulder, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. Guy's chin rose as he watched the flames rise, and Allan's ashes dissolve into the air.

*****

Being locked up alone in jail was not Isabella's idea of a good time. Especially not when she heard the keys jingling and turned around slowly to see her brother rushing up the stairs, angry and looking highly annoyed.

"Did you know the Sheriff was still alive?" he demanded, storming into the cell.

Isabella only chuckled, though it was cut short when Guy's hand came across her face, and then he was grabbing her and making her look at him. She sneered.

"I knew nothing of this," she answered lowly yet honestly.

Guy narrowed his eyes to see if she was telling the truth or not. But when he saw in her eyes that she was, he let go of her and stepped back an inch. He turned and marched over to the jailer and ordered him to leave before turning to his sister again, she of which was smirking like no tomorrow.

"You so want to kill me, don't you?" she challenged, stepping closer to her brother. "What's stopping you, Guy? Not the fact that I'm a woman, surely. You're so good at killing defenseless females."

Guy looked away and clenched his fists. "You're right," he said in a soft yet hoarse tone. "There is too much blood on my hands already."

Isabella chuckled in agreement, pursing her lips and nodding her head.

"Isabella, you will find no mercy amongst the outlaws now," Guy said, looking at his sister sadly. He pulled out a small bottle and handed it to her. "So when the time is right, you might want to use this."

Isabella looked at it. "Poison."

Guy nodded. "A single drop will act slowly and painfully. For it to be quick you must take it all."

Isabella let out a breath, still looking at the bottle. "This is your idea of mercy," she scoffed. "Your last brotherly gesture." Isabella chuckled lowly. "For who's sake, Guy? Mine or yours?" She made a quick attempt to escape, but Guy was faster and pulled her against him, slowly peeling her away from the bars. Her head was underneath his chin as he stroked his fingers through her hair. Isabella had no idea if this was his way of being sincere or if he was just being... well, she didn't really know.

"I do this for our mother's sake," he explained. "Though there's precious little of her goodness left in either of us."

Isabella stayed quiet, not fighting when Guy slowly let go of her and backed up, gently closing the cell door and locking it, turning away after.

"Guy," Isabella called quietly, but she got no response.

"Make sure she doesn't leave her cell," Guy ordered the jail keeper before leaving the dungeons to go to the great hall. As soon as he entered from the balcony up top, the commotion of outlaws stopped. There was a table out, a bunch of things on top of it. From weapons, from a few chests, to tools. He frowned when he noticed Genevieve not there.

"Did I miss something?" he asked as he went down the steps. "What's happened?"

"Genevieve," Robin muttered, pacing like a mad man. "Genevieve has taken it upon herself to go to Loughborough for the troops."

"Wow, the Sheriff's family is mad," Archer mused from the fire place, earning a quick glare from Guy and Robin.

"She knows what she's doing," John defended. "You taught her well."

"The Sheriff is playing with us!" Robin shouted loudly. "He knows he has the advantage. He already has Linda, and we have no idea if she's safe or not." Robin groaned and ran a palm down his face. "We have to hold this castle until the troops arrive."

"Can we?" asked Much. "I mean, how long until bombardment from Byzantine fire?"

Archer stared at the roaring fire. "He's got plenty of it."

Robin stood up straighter. "How do you know?"

Archer sighed. "Because I sold it to him."

Robin resumed to pacing, Much had his jaw dropped, and Guy was close to breaking something and he chuckled bitterly.

"For profit?" Much demanded. Archer nodded.

Guy snapped then, marching over to his brother and grabbing him by the collar, shaking him back and forth. "You sold your fire to the man who has my wife and killed her friend!" he shouted angrily through gritted teeth. "He has my wife! My wife!"

Robin didn't even attempt to peel Guy away from Archer. "Well, now your trade has caught up with you!" he added loudly. "And you're going to bombarded by your own weapons!"

Tuck grabbed Guy with John's help and peeled him off his brother. Archer frowned and leaned forward, pointing to everyone. "I've done you a favor by sticking around here," he said hoarsely. "I saved your ungrateful lives!"

Guy scoffed and looked down at the ground, his arms across his chest. "Our lives wouldn't have needed saving if you hadn't trapped the tunnel in the first place."

Much sprung into action, pointing at Archer accusingly. "We lock him up. We can't trust him."

Archer rolled his eyes and moved to leave, trying to ignore Robin's taunting.

"Well, what's the matter? Guilty conscience?" he yelled, and Archer stopped short from the door downstairs. "And what about all those people that are going to die from your greed?"

Archer turned back around, approaching Robin who was leaning on the table. "Well, what about about all those who have died because they listened to Robin Hood?" he demanded, slamming his palms on the table. "A few untrained, underquipped peasants against that war machine. So you think about what you got them into before before you ever try and judge me."

Archer left the room then, leaving Robin to feel guilty. The sad thing was that he was right. But he wasn't going to give up that easily.

"We have to take the trebuchets," he said. "A small unit. Tonight. Are you with me?"

"If it means getting her, then I'm in," Guy said, grabbing his sword

"I'll see you at the battlements," Robin said to Much and the others as the exited through the back, the other two exiting from the side.

*****

It was windy and raining ash. Yay.

The outlaws all set up ropes from the balcony walls, covering their faces and painting them so they looked camo-ish. Granted, the paint was going to fade, but they had to use what they had. Guy tied the rope around his waist, pulling it to see if it was strong enough.

"There's pockets of men around the walls," Much informed, coming up now.

"Regular patrols," John said, looking over the wall.

"Right." Robin tied the rope around his waist. "You all know what we're doing. We go up along the dry moat, then we head for that cart and then the tent. That'll give us cover until we make our way to the trebuchets. Gisborne, once we reach the tents, you'll look for Linda."

Guy nodded, stepping on the wall so his back was facing the landscape. The rope that was holding him was tied around a strong pillar, and he hoped that it would hold him up.

"Much, you're in charge," Robin told him slowly. "If we don't come back, you fight till the end."

"I'm coming, too, aren't I?"

"No, no, no, no. No, you're not." Robin sighed. "I need a cool head here, not a hot one out there."

"What?!"

"Listen to me," Robin said, gripping Much's shoulders. "You'll get your revenge for Allan, I promise."

Much sighed and nodded, stepping back as Tuck, Robin, Guy and John got ready. Robin let out a breath and looked to his sides.

"Right, let's do this."

They all jumped over the side, skidding down the castle with the help of the ropes. Guy got down last, untying the rope from his waist. They ran out along the moat like Robin said, using it for cover when two guards on horseback trotted by. When they were gone, they climbed over and ran over to the camp, ducking behind the cart. Robin looked back at his friends, nodding. Getting down low, he started to bear crawl to the tent. Then Tuck with the bag, then Guy, then John. They then rolled on the ground trying not to be seen until they reached the trebuchets. Robin and Guy worked on one while John and Tuck worked on the other. Guy carefully removed the boulder and put it in the bag, screwing with the wires until Robin said they had to go. They all crawled back to the cart, freezing when they heard Blamire.

"Come on you lazy rabble!" he shouted, appearing from the dust clouds. "Move yourselves! Get to your post! Weapons ready!"

The dude would not shut up, and Guy had to crawl faster. Luckily he made it, John right behind him. The only thing that pissed him off to no end was that he didn't have time to search for Linda.

But he didn't have to.

Vaisey was coming out from the shadows, and Guy heard the unmistakable sounds of grunts and the occasional French curses. Guy had the guts to look out from the cart.

"We attack immediately!" Blamire shouted.

"The Sheriff had no intention of waiting till dawn," Robin said.

"And I have no intention of waiting to kill him," Guy said. He was about to put them all in danger by rushing outside, but Tuck and John managed to keep him down.

Linda was being handled very roughly by the guards, being dragged over to her father. Vaisey chuckled and leaned on the front of his sword, looking at Nottingham. It looked so... peaceful. He hated it.

"You said dawn, you coward!" Linda screamed, struggling against her captures.

A guard who was huge in size and built like a truck grabbed her hair from behind and put a blade at her throat, causing her to cry out and grit her teeth.

"I wouldn't speak anymore if I were you, missy," he warned darkly. "Your lack in tolerance has already gotten you in enough trouble."

Vaisey glanced at his daughter before looking at "his town." "Time to wake them up, I think," he mused.

The remaining soldiers loaded the trebuchets, and Linda watched in terror. She swallowed, immediately wincing when she felt the blade poke the lump in her throat. Blamire cut his hand through the air, and the soldiers let the trebuchets loose. The stones whistled towards the air, shooting upright. Vaisey squinted at the town.

"What's going on, Blamire?"

Even he was at a loss. But when they heard the projectiles whistling and saw them coming back down, Blamire pulled Vaisey back and screamed, "Run for cover!"

The stones landed with a boom on the trebuchets, and Linda was knocked backwards. She landed with a grunt on her front. It didn't take an expert to know who disabled the trebuchets. 

"Linda, run!" Guy shouted from the cart, and he watched as she dashed off.

The four outlaws didn't hesitate to run after Guy yelled, though John did have to drag Guy away because he was still watching her. Vaisey and Blamire walked around the area, the Sheriff livid.

"The trebuchets!" he shouted. He caught sight of the outlaws running to the moat. "Robin Hood!"

"Run!" Robin cried.

"Get him!"

Indistinct shouting was what came from all of them when soldiers surrounded them. Guy drew his sword, the makeup gone and worn out. His mind reeled as he tried to find a solution.

Just then, he heard hoof beats and multiple shouts.

"Stop the horse. Stop the horse!"

"It's kind of hard when you're the one driving!" came the annoyed response. "Shoot the flaming arrow already!"

Another boom came from behind Guy, startling everyone. He looked back just in time to see Archer on a white horse with his arrow set, Linda right behind him. Guy let out a thankful sigh before attacking the guards in front of him. Linda managed to the horse moving again, Archer shooting yet another flaming arrow at the barrels of Byzantine fire.

"Run for it, Robin!" screamed Archer.

Linda ignored the constant screaming from Blamire about rallying archers, but she did look back to see her father just standing there, watching in horror and anger as she rode away. Archer rode hard to the castle, where Much screamed for the gates to be opened. The outlaws ran inside, then Archer, then the door closed. With Archer's help, Linda slid off the horse. Guy pushed past everyone and met her halfway, laughing in relief and spinning when she jumped in his arms.

"You're okay. You're with me. You're with me," Guy repeated over and over again, rubbing her back while she practically squeezed the life out of his neck. "I thought I lost you."

"You didn't. I'm with you now," she responded, letting a few tears spill and nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck. "We're okay."

Guy set her down, pulling away to inspect her. His eyes widened when he saw her bloodshot green eyes, a bloody cut on her cheek, and her messy hair. Her throat had the imprint of a hand, like someone had choked her.

Guy shook her shoulders a little. "What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't! The only thing that was going through my mind was you and the people!"

"So you let them torture you?!"

"Not specifically, but yes!"

Guy stayed silent for a minute before he started crying in relief, holding her by the waist and hiding his face in her neck.

"I love you. I love you so much. Don't do that again. Don't scare me. Don't make me think that I lost you. Promise me you won't do that," he pleaded.

"I promise," she answered softly, her eyes closed and her head resting on his shoulder. "I love you, too."

Robin let the two have their sweet moment as he approached Archer. "I thought you'd run out on us."

"Thought you needed a hand," was his easy retaliation. "Plus, I saved her."

"Which I'm thankful for," Guy said while protectively holding his wife. "Thank you."

Archer inclined his head. "By the way, I got you a little present, Tuck, courtesy of the Sheriff."

Tuck's eyes widened when he sniffed the circular water skin. "It's Byzantine fire!" he exclaimed. "If I can work out it's base components, I can make some more of this."

Robin grinned. "So we can fight the Sheriff. Do it!"

Tuck nodded and ran off. Linda flinched when she heard her father yell from outside.

"Destroy everything!"

"Storm those gates!" Blamire added. "Attack."

"Huh, he really did decide to wait till dawn," Linda said sarcastically as she followed Robin up the ladder. The sun was slowly coming up, and the sky was a mixture of baby blue and grey.

"We're going to need those king's troops fast," Much said from up top.

"Hey, has anyone noticed that Genevieve isn't here at all?"

"She went to go get the troops," Robin said coolly. The last thing he needed was to be reminded that Genevieve was missing. He didn't really feel like breaking anything at the moment.

"What?!"

"Relax, she won't let us down," Kate said from the top, extending a hand for all three of them to take. "I'm glad your back."

"Thanks," Linda said.

 Robin, Much, Linda, and Kate looked over the balcony to see eight guards total (four on each side) pushing a battering ram towards the gate.

"Brace the gates!" Linda screamed.

Guy complied from the bottom by helping numerous people put large branches on the door as if barricading it. The door rumbled as the battering ram smashed into it.

"The gates won't hold against a battering ram, and we don't have the men to take them on," Guy yelled from the bottom, storming to the door.

Linda screamed when flaming arrows came from overhead and fired into the town. "Take cover! Grab every arrow you can find and put it on a bow!" she ordered, drawing her own bow and arrows. "Guy, run! To the castle courtyard! Go!"

Guy nodded and gathered everyone to the castle. Robin and the others shot the oncoming soldiers from above, occasional hitting a guard. Linda didn't like the sound of the people next to her crying out when they got hit.

"Get to the castle courtyard!" Robin screamed. "We defend from there until the king's troops arrive!"

"Much," Linda called, kneeling down to take cover. "Abandon the tower. Take a company of archers. Try and hold them as long as possible. Take Kate with you. Robin and I are going to the castle.

Much nodded, yelling orders. Robin and Linda scurried down the ladder, finding the outlaws and a few citizens setting up a cart as defense. Much and the other archers went behind the cart, the swordsmen running off. Linda decided to stay.

"Steady," she commanded as the door shook.

It shook again. "Draw."

The people drew there arrows back as the gate shattered and broke open.

"Loose!" screamed Much, and everyone let their arrows go. About fifteen of the guards got hit in the chest, but that didn't stop them from coming in.

"Run!" screamed Kate, and everyone ran for it. It just so happened that halfway down the street, Tuck was with his own little band of merry men.

"Hold! Hold!" he commanded as the others ran by. "Nock!" Down on one knee. "Draw! Loose!"

More guards got hit, and they were slowing down. That group left, and John's group was directly behind them and preparing to fire.

"Nock! Draw! Loose!" he shouted, and the same process happened. "Fall back!"

Linda's group regained themselves. "Nock!"

"Draw!" shouted Much.

"Loose!" finished Kate.

The people let their weapons fly, but by now the guards were getting into the gist of things. Figuring that the plan was now useless, everyone retreated to the castle. Once everyone was in, Guy shut the doors. John looked through the slit between the door, groaning when he saw Vaisey and the remaining troops. When he heard the words battering ram, though, he panicked and looked at the citizens at the top controlling the doors.

"Portcullis!" he shouted, moving back as a large checkered gate was dropped. A cart that was tipped over was what everyone used as protection, Kate at the top of the tower.

Guy drew back his arrow, looking at his wife next to him. "This was a well planned honeymoon, don't you think?"

"Yeah, because all I wanted was to fight to the death and deal with my dead father," she snorted. "By the way, he does not approve of our marriage."

"Aw, so sad."

"Who would have thought that we were to be?" she asked with a smirk.

Guy shrugged, bringing his bow up. "It was fate."

The battering ram it the gates, and they swung wide open. Before everyone could loose, Robin and Linda screamed at everyone to wait.

Blamire dragged out a figure, hands bound and bag over the head. He ripped off the bag, revealing a woman. Her pearl hair was a bit crazy, her stormy gray eyes dangerous. She looked scared, but not for herself.

"I'm sorry, Robin."

It was no question: the Sheriff had Genevieve.