Isabella blinked a few times. In addition to knocking her brother out, she managed to make herself and Robin fall to the ground. With difficulty, she sat up.

"You were going to do it," Robin said in astonishment from the ground, just barely picking his head up.

Isabella gave him a look and rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about? I was tricking him. I helped you fight him."

"That was helping me?" demanded Robin as he sat up.

"I gave you the piece of wood, you fool."

"What do you mean, gave it to me?" Robin's voice went up an octave. "I took it from you."

"Oh, yeah, of course you did. 'Cause you are so perfect. In fact, for your information, I was the one who knocked him out."

"Oh, shut up."

They both stood and cautiously went to Gisborne's knocked out form. Isabella sneered and picked up the sword. The light bounced off it, and Isabella glanced at her brother. Robin looked at her.

"What are you doing?"

"What I've wanted to do for seventeen years," she answered. "Consigning him to hell."

Robin's eyes widened and he held his arm out in front of her. "Isabella, once you do it, there's no going back. There's nothing more to be said or done."

"This'll do all the talking I need."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Robin said just as she pointed the blade at Guy's neck. "What about what he may have to say?"

"The only thing I ever wanted to hear from him was a plea for forgiveness," she went to her knees, her voice breaking but the sword was still on his neck, "some admission of guilt that it was his fault I was so unhappy." Robin knelt down next to her, listening to her talk. "He sold his own sister to a man who made my life a misery and corrupted my best friend's mind."

Robin gently removed the sword from Guy's neck. "That's why you shouldn't let him off so easy," he said quietly. "Come on. Give it to me."

With reluctance, Isabella let Robin take the sword from her hands and place it on the forest floor. "You will pay," she whispered to her brother. "Someday, you will pay." She stood up and wiped a tear from her face.

Robin sighed. "Get the key," he said to himself. He opened up Guy's closed hand, only to rub his temples. "Great."

Isabella frowned. "Oh, no," she sighed angrily.

"Look, it's all right. We'll be fine. We'll go to Clun. I's nearer than the camp, and there'll be a blacksmith there."

"Take it back," Isabella suddenly demanded.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Take what back?" he grunted.

"The bit about being a rubbish kisser. Take it back."

"Fine! You're not a rubbish kisser."

"So why did you say it?"

"To make you angry."

Isabella's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"We need to tie him up," Robin said, changing the subject.

*****

"It's a fine line, isn't it, between love and hate?" The prince asked from his chair, flipping the coin in his hand.

Linda shrugged from the doorway. "It's complicated," she admitted quietly.

Prince John frowned and looked at his coin. "Two sides of the same coin, really," he answered blankly.

Linda frowned. "My lord...?"

Prince John was staring into space. "Maybe they need to learn to truly hate me before they can understand how to truly love me." Prince John let out a huff and squeezed the coin in his hand. "A penny a gallon," he said through gritted teeth. "Put guards on the roads along the river trent. Any water in there is now requisitioned by me." He smiled evilly and emotionless. "For the good of the nation."

The lead guard bowed his head and left the room, the other guards with him. Linda moved out of the way, watching them go. She gulped when she felt the prince's eyes staring through the back of her head. She sighed and stood in the center. "I have a request," she stated.

Prince John raised an eyebrow skeptically. "A request, you say?"

Linda nodded and intertwined her fingers, resting them on her stomach after. "Yes," she said as bravely as she could, her knees wobbly. "Bella shouldn't be... executed."

Prince John laughed blankly. "Are you saying that she should live?"

"Yes, and I swear to you it's not because she's my friend." Linda bit her lip. "Okay, yes, I am requesting it because she is my friend, but also for Guy."

Prince John leaned forward in his seat. "Gisborne? He told me that he had no problem executing his sister."

"Yes, but do you really believe that?" Linda sighed. "When Bella was thirteen, Guy sold her to Squire Thornton."

"So Guy sold his sister, but would have a problem killing his sister." Prince John chuckled. "I'm not buying it."

"Hear me out, though. He was trying to protect her, like he is now. She's naïve, she doesn't know any better."

Prince John stood from his seat. Linda stiffened, but still remained strong. Prince John approached her side, and Linda had to turn her head in order to see him. "Chances are, dear Linda, that Guy has already fulfilled his promise to me. I'm sorry, but like your mother, Isabella is dead." With an evil grin, he bounded out of the room.

*****

Guy in fact didn't fulfill his promise, and that wasn't a good thing.

His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he felt was stiff... and sore. His jaw hurt, and he could barely move his body. With difficulty, he turned his head both ways. Panic flooded into him when he saw that he was tied to tree. His arms were spread out, and both of the ropes were wrapped around a huge tree with a wide trunk. He started to breathe heavily, and fear started to take over him.

Calm down, Gisborne, and get a grip. Think. What would Linda do?

At that moment, her conscious entered his mind. She sighed, clicking her tongue while shaking her head. "The situations you get yourself into," she said in a scolding tone. "Move."

Guy frowned. "Move?"

She nodded. "Move around. Try moving your arms. Come on, Sheriff, you can do this."

With difficulty, he moved his arms back and forth and shifted around. "Okay, now what?"

"Keep moving your arms back and forth. The friction created by the movement should break your bonds. You better return to me, Guy of Gisborne, or I swear to God, I will kill you myself. Nottingham needs you, Sheriff. I need you." Her image faded.

Guy blinked a few times. With a breath, he shifted his arms back and forth, grunting and fidgeting while he tried to break his bonds. After about five minutes of difficult work, his bonds broke. He sighed in relief and ripped them off his arms, shooting up from the ground after. He looked around cautiously to make sure that he was not being followed before sprinting off to find his horse and return to Nottingham.

*****

Linda paced the floor of the room. Prince John sat there, not amused at all by her worrying. "Will you stop pacing?" he moaned.

Linda shot him a look. "It's been an hour, Prince John. He's been gone for a full hour. How hard is it for him to execute people?"

Prince John rolled his eyes. Their ears perked up when they heard the doors opening up and a familiar reprimanding voice screaming to the guards. "I need four men to go to the overflow entrance and block the chamber. Now!"

Linda flinched from the loudness of his voice, but she ran out of the room to meet him nonetheless. Thankfully, he was in the corridors walking her way. She didn't hesitate to jump in his arms and make him nearly fall to the ground. "You scared the daylights out if me!" she cried once she let go of him. "How hard is it–?"

She was cut off when his lips found hers. It didn't take long for her to get lost in the kiss, but it ended too fast for her liking. "I missed you too, but I need to go right now."

Linda huffed and placed one last kiss on his lips before letting him leave to go to the dungeons. She spun back around to go the room she was previously in, only to find Kate in there as well. She quickly rushed in there, grabbing Kate and puling her back from attacking Prince John–also saving the guards from having their eyes clawed out by the animal that was Kate.

"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" mused the prince.

"And you're the devil!" shouted Kate, and Linda struggled to hold her back. In all honesty, she wanted to let Kate go so she could rip him apart, but that would've been a terrible idea on both their parts.

"Feisty, too."

"I honestly don't think it's a good idea to antagonize her, sire," Linda admonished.

Prince John waved her off. "Hood certainly likes his ladies spirited, doesn't he? I bet he loved Isabella."

Kate scoffed. "Isabella?"

"Oh, come on, spill the beans. Has she turned up yet with an urgent message?" The prince stood from his chair and approached Kate. Linda handed a now calmed down Kate to the guards, stepping in between Kate and the prince so he wouln't get too close.

"Robin can't stand Isabella," snarled Kate. "Why on Earth would he have something to do with her?"

"Oh, how sweet," said the prince in mock admiration. "You're jealous."

"I'm not jealous of her!" Kate screamed. "Besides, he likes someone else."

"What now?" Linda was confused. How many women could Robin possibly take out at one time?

"Genevieve." Kate snarled at the prince. "Remember her?"

The prince grimaced at the name, as did Linda. Genevieve: the woman who broke Guy because of Robin. Linda balled her fists, trying hard to break something.

"Where is she?" Linda asked, her voice like knives.

"Like I would tell the both of you," Kate spat, giving Linda a "sorry but I can't tell you" look.

"Why should Hoody have all the fun?" the prince asked, inching closer to Kate. Linda pushed him away slightly, not wanting to be crushed between the two. "Why don't you go down and relax in the dungeons? I'll pop down later for a little chat. A deux, as it were."

*****

Robin and Isabella finally made it inside the chamber. Isabella looked around. "There's the trapdoor to the dungeons," she pointed out, looking up. She looked to the side, finding a small open passage way. "And there's where the water flows to the wells. The spring runs somewhere under there."

Robin took off his brown leather jacket and put his bow and sheathe of arrows on the floor next to the pile of rocks that was blocking the water way. "All right. Best get started then, eh?" Robin winked at her.

With a laugh, she and Robin started to move the rocks out of the way. It took a while–moving rocks was harder than it seemed–until they finally started to make an opening. There was this one rock that was in the way, and they both let out grunt as they tried to move it out of the way.

"Come on!" grunted Robin.

With one last effort, the two of them hauled the rock from its place. They both laughed and sighed in relief when water started flowing in. Isabella cupped her hands and filled it with water, taking a sip. She smiled and wiped her mouth. But they both panicked with they heard something scrape against the wall. Robin turned around fast.

"Wait!" he cried, trying his best to push the blockade black, but it was stuck in place. He pounded it with his fists. "Your brother must've escaped."

"You guessed right."

Startled, they both turned around and looked up, finding that Guy was standing above the trap door. "Guy, what are you doing?" asked Isabella, moving away from the blockade.

"My duty to Prince John," he responded coolly. "Executing a traitor and his accomplice."

Isabella glanced at Robin, he of which just arrived at her side with his bow and arrows on his back.. "Executing us?" she exclaimed.

Guy averted his eyes from hers and nodded to a guard at a wheel. He spun it, and Robin turned to the now closed exits and cursed.

"Now that all the exits are blocked, you're both going to drown." Guy looked at the stream of water that was pouring from the side. "The chamber will fill pretty quickly, and you'll try to tread water. You might manage a few hours, maybe even a day. Who knows? But in the end, you'll just run out of energy."

"I swear, if I get out of here alive, I'm going to kill you!" threatened Robin with a sneer.

"Swear all you like, Hood. It won't make any difference. The legend dies here. Slowly and painfully, I would imagine." A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. "Meanwhile, I get to be Sheriff. Life is sweet, isn't it?" His voice was raspy and dark. With one last look, he disappeared.

"Gisborne," called Robin. "Gisborne!"

"Save your breath," Isabella said. "I know him. He won't be coming back."

*****

It seemed that there was to be a royal lunch, to which the prince had no interest in. He sat at the head of the table, bored out of his mind. Linda was too, but at least she was eating. Her head turned to the side when she saw Guy walking in. He stood next to the prince, guilt registered all over his face.

He actually did it.

"Well?" asked the prince.

Guy sighed. "She was as you expected," he said lowly.

"She followed Hood?"

"She did."

The prince looked at Linda. "Did you know this?"

Yes, I did know. She took a drink from her goblet and swallowed, shaking her head after.

"And?"

Guy leaned on the table, his back facing the nobles. "And I solved the problem, sire."

Linda shot up from the table and walked out upon hearing those words. Guy watched her leave, feeling even guiltier than before. First her father, and now her friend. Who else could the prince and Guy take out of her life?

"Oh, please, don't go all enigmatic on me, Gisborne," he whined. "Are they dead?"

Guy kept his gaze forward and nodded slowly. "Yes." His voice was low and hoarse.

The prince chuckled and pointed to the table. "Well, have a drink, man. It's not everyday you can celebrate killing a national treasure and one's own sister."

"No, I don't want a drink, sire," Guy suddenly snapped, taking a breath to cool his nerves. "I merely ask you fulfill your side of the bargain."

The prince's lips tied in a knot. After a while, he nodded. "You're right," he admitted, searching in his belt. "You're owed that much at least. There you are. Keys to Nottingham."

Prince John held out the multiple rusted keys, putting it in both of Guy's hands. Guy looked down at the keys and smiled, his back still turned to the nobles. He couldn't believe it. Finally, after so long, he finally got what he deserved. All he needed now was one more thing.

Prince John stood up. "My lords, ladies, never let it be said that I am a man who does not deliver on his promises. Robin Hood is dead."

Guy paled, knowing that it wasn't true. The chamber was probably almost full by now, and the two were losing energy. Nonetheless, he kept quite.

"Executed by my loyal friend here," the prince continued, acknowledging Guy who slowly turned to look at the prince. "My lords and ladies, I give you Sir Guy of Gisborne, the new Sheriff of Nottingham." Guy smirked and turned around.

"Sheriff of Nottingham!" everyone said in glee, raising their goblets to him." Guy nodded to them all, and they applauded him. For once, Guy of Gisborne felt wanted, needed. He felt as if he deserved this title, after waiting practically his whole life. The prince turned to look at him.

"So, go one. Do tell," he pressed. "Did they squeal?"

Guy only looked at the prince and chuckled, a real smile on his face this time.

*****

Isabella waited, her energy at nearly zero. Robin suddenly popped up from the water, wiping his eyes and catching his breath. "I tried to shift the stone blocking the overflow," he explained. "it's too heavy."

"Would you mind holding me? I'm freezing."

Robin held her shivering body close, moving his arm and kicking his legs to try and stay afloat. Isabella laughed dryly. "We must be the only two people in the whole of England who are cold and wet right now."

Isabella started shivering like crazy, and she moved to actually get in a position where she was hugging him, one arm around his neck, and the other one moving around to keep herself and Robin afloat. "You know, I had a dream about you and me," she said.

"Did you? What was it?"

"I dreamt that we - we lived together. Lived in a – in a farmhouse. Had a few animals. Grew all our own food." Isabella smiled and chuckled weakly. "And we had children."

Robin put a thoughtful look on his face. "How many?"

"Four," she responded. "Two girls and two boys. Freckles on their little knees. The boys had your – your strength and your courage.

"And the girls, your brains," Robin finished with a chuckle.

Isabella also chuckled. "We were so happy."

Isabella sighed and looked up at the trapdoor. "You probably think it sounds ridiculous."

"No," Robin responded. "It sounds..." Robin thought about it. "Sort of perfect." He held Isabella closer, looking up at the trap door. He noticed a large nail with a hole and frowned. "What's that?" he asked quizzically.

"What?" Isabella asked, letting him go and looking where he was looking.

"There. That's a ring. Take your dress off."

"What?" Isabella couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Take your dress off, I can make a rope. I can get an arrow through that ring." Robin grinned. "We can get out of here, Isabella."

"Yeah, it sounds so simple," she muttered sarcastically. "Getting a tiny little arrow trough that tiny ring."

"You're forgetting one thing."

"What?" She frowned at him.

"I'm Robin Hood."

Isabella rolled her eyes and took off her dress with difficulty, only in her slip now. Robin took out his arrow and started to tie the dress around it. She handed him the bow, and he–difficultly–nothced the arrow.

"All right," breathed Robin. "Hold on" He aimed and shot, but the arrow veered left. With a plunk, it landed back in the water. Robin groaned and grabbed it, notching it again. Grunting, he aimed again, but it veered left again and plunked in the water. Frustrated, he splashed his hands across the water. "Come on," he growled. He aimed carefully this time and leaned back so that his head was barley above water. The arrow looped through the hole, and Isabella laughed in relief. "I told you I'd do it."

Isabella grinned and pecked his cheek. "I know."

Robin grinned. "I'll climb up first, and then I'll pull you up, okay?" Isabella nodded. Robin grabbed the dress and hauled himself up with his arms, his legs dangling. When he was about to open the trap door, someone else opened it. At first he panicked, but relaxed and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you about to open that?" teased Linda, holding out a hand to help him up. He gratefully took it. Grunting, she pulled up a soaking wet Robin Hood, he of which was also grunting and trying to make it to the top.

"What made you travel down here?" he asked breathlessly when he reached the top at last.

"I heard that the legend just died, panicked, came down here, and saved you and Bella," she responded nonchalantly, also trying to catch her breath. Just then, she heard heavy footsteps. "Robin."

He nodded. "I hear them," he answered. "Isabella, grab the dress."

She laced herself through it and wrapped it around her waist, grabbing onto it firmly. Robin and Linda grabbed the dress from the top, pulling it up. The footsteps were coming closer. "Robin, they're coming," admonished Linda through gritted teeth.

"I can hear them," answered an annoyed Robin. They kept pulling Isabella up. When she reached a certain point, Robin held out his hand. Isabella reached to grab him, but he was too far. "Reach!" She struggled, her fingertips finding his. Linda's eyes widened.

"The dress! Robin, the dress is ripping!" she exclaimed. "Bella, reach for the man, damn it!"

And she did, right when it ripped. With a cry, she dangled, Robin gripping her wrist. Linda reached out to grab her other arm. "We've got you," she said, mainly to herself. Grunting and groaning, they both hauled her up. Linda was panting by the time Isabella reached the top, so was Robin.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you both so much."

"You two aren't safe here," Linda hissed.

Now, no one—aside from Linda, who totally forgot about the other outlaw—noticed Kate. When she spoke and stepped out from the shadows of her cell, they all jumped. "Robin."

"Kate?"

"Oops," Linda whispered with a guilty expression.

"What happened?" he questioned, running to her cell.

"We tried to get to the river, but I got caught," she answered, glancing at Isabella. "You can't trust her."

"Robin," Isabella said, regaining his attention. "We've got to get out of here. It's only a matter of time before someone comes down."

"Guy and John will be here any minute," added Linda, who gulped and reached for her waist.

Robin walked away from the cell and tried to find the keys. "Can't just leave her, Isabella."

"We've got a chance to escape–"

"Robin!" shouted Kate.

"–our old lives. We've got to take this chance. Here, listen." Isabella grabbed his arm when he passed her with the keys to free Kate. He faced her, and Isabella put her hands on his shoulders. "What we talked about down there - the dream. It can be our dream. Our reality. But we'd have to go now."

"Isabella." Robin gave her a sad look and stared at her dead in the eye, putting his left hand on the side of her head. "I like you. I really do. But I'm afraid, for me, it'll always be just a dream."

"What dream?" asked Kate and Linda in unison.

"A dream that we could be together," answered Isabella, her bottom lip quivering. "Robin, please."

"Whether I like it or not—and believe me sometimes I hate it—but I am Robin Hood. I am an outlaw, and I can't change that."

"But surely, Robin – surely, in time, we can just start fresh," Isabella pleaded.

Linda sighed. "Bella—"

Isabella ignored her. "Become someone new. Come on, please."

Robin sighed and shook his head sadly. "No, no. I am who I am. I tried to have it all once before–"

"The hell you talking about? You still have Genevieve," hissed Linda quietly, causing Robin to shoot a confused and accusing look at her.

"But it just caused so much pain for everyone," Robin finished.

"No, I'm not her," Isabella argued, apparently not hearing about Genevieve or comprehending Robin's words very well.

"I'm truly sorry." Robin looked at her one last time before dashing off to Kate's cell.

Isabella's heart tore in two. "No!" she yelled through gritted teeth, tears falling out of her eyes.

"You," said her brother's voice, and she turned around. He had his sword out and he was pointing it at her, but it was soon pointing to the person who jumped in front. Guy looked to Linda, and his face—as well as his sword—fell. "You?"

She raised her hands in defence. "I swear, it's not what it seems—"

"You're with them?"

"No, I am not in league with Robin Hood," she corrected. "But you ahould've known that I couldn't just let her die." Her bottom lip quivered. "I'm so sorry, Guy."

"You betrayed me."

"You betrayed me first."

"I did what was best."

"For who, you?"

"For us!" Guy raised his sword again. Linda drew her own in response.

"Us?!" she repeated in astonishment, her hands shaking.

"I did what was best to gain us power! I sacrificed everything to get here!"

"Then you're going to have to sacrifice me, too, because I'm not going to stand here and watch as you end lives life to gain power." The tears were threatening to fall out of her eyes, but she remained tall.

"Stop it. Don't become Marian."

"I'm different than she is. This time I know what I'm getting into."

"Linda, stop it."

"I know that the man I'm going up against only craves power and the chair that my father once sat it and the keys he owned. He only claims to care for the woman who would die for him, when in truth he would do the exact same thing he did to Bella if that meant more power!"

"Stop it!"

Prince John stole the sword from the guard behind him. "Quick, go get the guards." He faced Guy and threw his hands out. ""Dead,' you said. 'Taken care of,' you said."

"He's always lied, sire."

"Shut up, Bella, you're not helping the situation here."

Isabella ignored her and pushed passed her, standing a little ways in front of the prince and Guy. "In fact, he was going to let me go an not tell you about it."

"No."

"Until I knocked him unconscious."

"No, sire."

"What part of 'shut up' do you not understand, Isabella of Gisborne?" exclaimed Linda.

"Who's side are you on?" she retorted.

"The side who's more sane, which is none of you, frankly."

Isabella sneered and looked at the prince. "It's true."

This caused Linda to be taken aback. "Is it?" she asked quietly.

Thus caused Guy to be silent, which answered all of their questions. Linda nearly tripped over air; she had misjudged him... again. Prince John scoffed, thus bringing her back to Earth. "You've let the team down, Guy. You've let yourself down. In fact, you're a liability."

"No."

"Gisborne, you're fired."

"No, no you will not fire me!" he shouted, sneering and tightening his grip around the handle. "I've waited all my life to be Sheriff, and I will not be fired by you!" He turned and turned his sword at the prince's chest. Isabella grabbed a torch rod and watched as the scene rolled out.

"How dare you?" the prince spat. "How dare you threaten the monarch!" He glared at Linda. "And you, his partner in crime. I should have killed you when you were younger instead of let you live. I should have killed you when I first laid eyes on you."

Guy inched his sword closer to John's chest while Linda just scoffed. "You're not a monarch," she snarled. "You're a pretender, a fake, a fraud!"

Isabella scoffed now. "Oh, no, not as big as a fraud as him," she accused, turning around and pointing the rod at Robin, who's face was darkening by the minute. "I've been a fool, sire. A weak, vain woman blinded by his flattery. But now I see the truth. And I beg you, sire, let me show you how sorry I am."

Robin could see where this was going. "Isabella, put it—"

"Save your honeyed words for someone who cares," Isabella said coldly through gritted teeth. "Hood."

"Be my guest." Prince John threw the sword at Isabella's feet and drew his own sword, clanking it against Guy's. Linda rushed to his side.

"I thought you were mad at me."

"I am, but let's save that for later, shall we?"

Silence took over the room until Isabella made the first move and struck at Robin. Guy and Linda exchanged a glance at each other and attacked. The prince parried both of their moves with difficulty while he also exchanged blows with them. Linda circled around attacked his backside, and the prince spun around and blocked her attacks, trying to throw her off guard. When her arms were wide, Prince John knocked her sword away and left her defenseless. Guy automatically pulled her behind him and took control of the situation. She backed up into a wall, and pretty soon Isabella knocked into her. Guy and the prince continued fighting, totally unaware of the situation. Isabella took this chance to elbow Linda hard in the ribs and use the back of her head to headbutt Linda. She grunted and threw Isabella off her, regaining her sword.

"I'm not your enemy," she said calmly.

"You're with my brother! You'll always be my enemy!"

"I saved your life!"

"You helped condemn me to hell!"

Linda yelled in frustration and cast her sword upon Isabella. Isabella blocked her hit, and they got in a sword lock. The two women stared at each other before breaking away and attacking each other once more. Linda managed to back up into Guy, where she pick-pocketed him and stole his keys.

"Robin, keys!" She passed the keys to him, and he scurried to Kate's cell.

Guy turned around, suddenly aware of his missing keys. He didn't have time to react, though, because he was suddenly being thrust into Isabella by Linda. Now it was Linda and the prince once more.

"You're going to pay for what you did to me," she threatened.

"How? Hoody's stole all my treasure."

Linda ignored that comment. "You killed my family, you twisted Bella's mind, you ruined Guy, and I'm going to make you suffer for it."

The prince laughed, obviously amused by her threat. He quickly regained himself and put his weapon in ready position, as did she. He struck with more force, forcing the woman to move back. Before she could fall in the chamber full of ice cold water, she hopped over the hole and landed on the other side. She knocked the sword of the prince's hands, watching in glee as it fell in the water with a splash. She grinned and punched him in the face, but her grin fell when she looked back. Isabella was defenseless, and Guy was slowly creeping froward with a sword pointed at her chest.

"Guy," she whimpered.

"Goodbye, Isabella."

Right when Guy was about to strike, Linda pulled Isabella out of the way. With a shriek, she fell back into the chamber after just getting out ten minutes ago. Guy stared at her in disbelief.

"I told you that I wouldn't let you kill your sister."

Guy didn't answer, he just glared at her instead. Their heads both snapped to she sound of Prince John trying to scurry away. They quickly stood in front of him and pointed their weapons at the man.

"But – it's not meant to be like this!" he whined. He glared at Guy and pointed an accusing finger at him. "Your days as a free man are over, Gisborne. "They're over!"

"Shut up, John."

Linda and Guy thrust their swords, and Prince John jumped in the chamber with Isabella, calling desperately for the guards. Linda sighed and rubbed her temple. She jumped when Guy suddenly got in ready position, his gazed focused behind her. He circled around the trap door, as did Robin. Linda slowly backed up to Kate's cell, she of which was trying to free herself.

"You're a dead man walking, Gisborne," he hissed menacingly.

"Never seemed to do you much harm."

Isabella and the prince continued to call for help, and Guy and Robin found it necessary to sword fight right then and there. Linda was rendered blank, not even noticing that Kate just exited her cell. Guy punched Robin hard in the jaw and made his sword literally flew out of his hands. All their eyes watched as the sword flew in the air. Just when it was about to drop in the chamber below, Kate caught it with one hand. She passed it to Robin, and Linda passed hers to Kate. The two outlaws advanced at Guy, he of which was hopelessly out numbered

"No," Guy murmured, staring at Linda in heartbreak. His expression quickly hardened when he look ed at Robin. "This isn't over, Hood." With one last glance at Linda, he sprinted off.

"You can count on it!" yelled Robin, running after Guy. Kate and Linda pulled him back.

"Robin! Robin! Leave him," admonished Linda. "You and Kate have got to go."

"You're coming with us. There's no way you're staying here with the prince and Isabella. They'll kill you."

"Better me than you."

"Linda, this isn't up for discussion."

She sighed in defeat. "Fine." She looked around. "Come on, this way."

"Wait," Kate said. They paused. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Robin's cheek. "Thanks."

"Come on, Kate," Linda said in annoyance, for the guards were coming. "We need to open the hatch. If the others are at the river, then we might as well give them what they came for."

The outlaws grinned and ran to the big wooden knob. Robin handed his bow to Kate as he turned the knob with difficulty. The knob spun fully, and he breathed a sigh of relief. With one last glance at the oncoming guards, the three of them ran off.

*****

Linda would've been lying if she would've said that she wasn't glad she left the castle to join the outlaws. By the time Kate, Robin and her reached Locksley, the people were rejoicing and cheering about the water was back. People grabbed their cups and filled them up, taking full gulps. She smiled. "This is what you do, Robin Hood."

"And you do it well." Tuck came up from behind them both and put his arms around their shoulders.

"No," Linda corrected, "we do it well."

Allan laughed from behind. "You staying with us, then?"

She shrugged. "Why not? I have a knack for getting myself into trouble. With you guys, I can just improve on it."

The whole group laughed and wandered around Locksley, making sure everyone was thirsting their quench. Now that she was alone, she could think. Her mind went to Guy, and fresh tears gathered in her eyes.

You're with them?

You betrayed me.

I did what was best.

For us!

I did what was best to gain us power! I sacrificed everything to be here!

Stop it. Don't become Marian.

Linda, stop it.

Stop it!

She turned and walked away, letting the outlaws and the people bask in their glory while she sulked in the forest, wishing that she was with him; wishing that she was by her side; wishing that Guy of Gisborne would come rushing out of the woods and come sweep her off her feet, and then they would ride off into the sunset together.

But none of her wishes came true.