The Force of Destiny, Chapter 7
Original Post
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/characters: Much/Eve
Word count: 1304
Spoilers: While this alters the end of S2, there are still minor spoilers for the whole run of the show, including S3.
Summary: Much and Eve start back to camp.
Disclaimer: No rights, no moneys, plz not to sue me. :)
previous chapter
-7-
He had thought of her, dreamed of her, all this time; but now that Eve was walking over to him, Much had no idea what to do. It seemd that she did not, either, as they just stood and faced one another for a beat. Then, she moved forward and slipped her arms around him, and his arms went around her, his eyes closing as he simply enjoyed the perfect sensation of holding her.
He could have stayed like that forever, but Sister Mary Clement cleared her throat pointedly. “I’m not being funny, but those guards will be back soon.”
Much gave her a startled look. He had thought the middle-aged nun looked vaguely familiar, with her wide blue eyes and long neck, but he could not place her... until now. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.
“Don't ask questions you do not want an answer to, young man.”
Eve stepped back and glanced between them. “Is everything all right?”
“Of course,” the nun replied. “Now, off with you.”
“What about Hannah?” asked Much.
“Mother’s decided to stay for now,” Eve said. “I think she might end up taking vows.”
“Now, with that settled, go.” Sister Mary Clement shooed them.
“Thank you, Sister. Please thank everyone for me.” Eve took her hands and kissed her on the cheek.
“Pish. We were only doing our Christian duty.” But, she snagged Much’s sleeve as they were about to start off. “Tell Allan A Dale that the sisters are praying for his soul. And Tom’s.” Her eyes welled as she mentioned Allan's brother, and he nodded in understanding.
“I shall.”
Eve slipped her hand into his and followed as he set out into the deeper forest. He did not run, not wanting to overtax her, and not being particularly fond of running through the woods, anyway. However, they did hurry, not wishing to run into any guards.
He glanced back to check on her, and realized that she was carrying a satchel he had not noticed earlier. Halting, he held out his free hand. “Here, let me take that.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine.”
“Please.”
Giving him a smile, she relented, passing the bag over. “Thank you.”
As he slung it over his shoulder, he took a good look around. “We should move back toward the road; I don’t know this section of forest well.”
“Won’t that put us in danger?”
“We'll be in greater danger if we get lost,” he pointed out. “But it is not far from here to camp; we can move away from the road again once I know where we are.”
She smiled again. “Very well; you’re the expert. Lead the way.”
"You’re the expert”? Nobody had ever called him an expert before. Much puffed up a bit. “Yes. Right. This way.”
They had just spotted the road when voices drifted through the leaves. Much tugged Eve’s hand, and they dropped down, out of sight.
“Like ghosts, they are,” one guard was grumbling to the others.
Another scoffed. “Nah, they’re men, all right. And one bird.”
“She’s a pretty one, ain’t she?” yet another put in. “Feisty.”
“Never seen her,” the first guard said. “But I don’t like ‘feisty’ women. More trouble than they’re worth.”
“That’s true,” the second agreed.
The conversation faded out as the men went around a bend, and after waiting a minute to ensure that they were not doubling back, Much nodded to Eve, and they resumed their trek.
Once he felt it was safe to speak, he remarked, “Djaq would rip out their tongues if she heard that.”
“I take it she’s the ‘feisty bird’?”
“That she is. And Will, her husband, would destroy whatever was left of them when she was through.”
Eve laughed. “I am looking forward to meeting your friends.”
“They’re looking forward to meeting you. Well, the ones you have not met yet. You already met Marian.”
“I’d heard rumors that Lady Marian was with Robin Hood.”
“She’s more than 'with' him; she is married to him.”
Eve’s steps faltered. “Is that why you’ve come for me now?”
Baffled, he stared at her. “What?”
She studied his face. “Did you come for me now because Robin has married?”
“No!” Then, he really thought about her question. “Not exactly.”
Dropping his hand, she crossed her arms warily over her stomach. “What do you mean by that?”
Upset because he had upset her, Much searched for the right way to explain. “I tried to wait, I did. I wanted everything to be in place first, so I could give you a home, and safety. But I kept thinking about you. I couldn’t help it. And then Robin and Marian, and Will and Djaq got married... I couldn’t wait anymore.”
By the time he finished, she was smiling again. Placing her hand back in his, she said, “All right. I just wanted to make certain I was not your Robin replacement.”
Much had no idea how to respond to that, so instead, he said, “We should keep moving. I am not sure we can get back to camp before dark; we’ll stop for supper soon, and decide then what to do.”
“Lead the way.”
About an hour later, Much found a good place to stop. “We can rest here. Are you hungry?”
Taking a seat on a large rock, Eve nodded. “I’m more thirsty, but food would be nice.”
He grabbed the flask from his pack and passed it to her. “You should have said something.”
She drank deeply, and then replied, “I didn’t want us to stop if it was not safe.”
“We’re safe enough here. Though we will be safest back at camp.”
With a glance around, she asked, “We cannot make it there by dark, can we?”
“No, but I know the way well enough, and there should be plenty of moonlight tonight.”
Eve watched as Much pulled a pan, wooden spoon, and the parcel of food from his pack. “Would you mind if we did not go back right away?”
Startled, he met her gaze. “Why?”
She gave a little shrug. “Last time, we only had one night that was real, when there were no lies between us. That night was wonderful; it was worth it to be so tired the next day, getting to stay up talking with you like that. I thought it might be nice if we could have at least one more, before going someplace where we’re surrounded by people. Unless they are expecting us?”
Memories of that night were drifting back to him, of stories shared, and laughter and heartfelt confessions, of not even realizing how much time had passed until the first rays of sun peeked through the window. “They are not expecting us,” he told her. “And that sounds lovely.”
Smiling, she said, “Good.”
While they did stay up late talking, they ended up going to bed this time, having had a long day, with the promise of another ahead. Much expected Eve to spread out her blanket on the other side of the fire from him, but was pleasantly surprised when she put it right next to his. He was trying very hard not to expect too much, too fast, and apparently she was doing the same. She cuddled up beside him, and he slipped an arm around her. They laid like that for awhile, and he thought she was asleep, but he was too aware of her to sleep, himself.
“Much?”
So, she was awake, too. “Yes?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Neither can I.”
He sucked in a breath when her fingers toyed with the lacing on his shirt, and then drifted down to his stomach. “I have an idea,” she murmured against his neck.
“I’m listening.”
Quite awhile later, they finally slept.
next chapter
*
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/characters: Much/Eve
Word count: 1304
Spoilers: While this alters the end of S2, there are still minor spoilers for the whole run of the show, including S3.
Summary: Much and Eve start back to camp.
Disclaimer: No rights, no moneys, plz not to sue me. :)
previous chapter
-7-
He had thought of her, dreamed of her, all this time; but now that Eve was walking over to him, Much had no idea what to do. It seemd that she did not, either, as they just stood and faced one another for a beat. Then, she moved forward and slipped her arms around him, and his arms went around her, his eyes closing as he simply enjoyed the perfect sensation of holding her.
He could have stayed like that forever, but Sister Mary Clement cleared her throat pointedly. “I’m not being funny, but those guards will be back soon.”
Much gave her a startled look. He had thought the middle-aged nun looked vaguely familiar, with her wide blue eyes and long neck, but he could not place her... until now. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.
“Don't ask questions you do not want an answer to, young man.”
Eve stepped back and glanced between them. “Is everything all right?”
“Of course,” the nun replied. “Now, off with you.”
“What about Hannah?” asked Much.
“Mother’s decided to stay for now,” Eve said. “I think she might end up taking vows.”
“Now, with that settled, go.” Sister Mary Clement shooed them.
“Thank you, Sister. Please thank everyone for me.” Eve took her hands and kissed her on the cheek.
“Pish. We were only doing our Christian duty.” But, she snagged Much’s sleeve as they were about to start off. “Tell Allan A Dale that the sisters are praying for his soul. And Tom’s.” Her eyes welled as she mentioned Allan's brother, and he nodded in understanding.
“I shall.”
Eve slipped her hand into his and followed as he set out into the deeper forest. He did not run, not wanting to overtax her, and not being particularly fond of running through the woods, anyway. However, they did hurry, not wishing to run into any guards.
He glanced back to check on her, and realized that she was carrying a satchel he had not noticed earlier. Halting, he held out his free hand. “Here, let me take that.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine.”
“Please.”
Giving him a smile, she relented, passing the bag over. “Thank you.”
As he slung it over his shoulder, he took a good look around. “We should move back toward the road; I don’t know this section of forest well.”
“Won’t that put us in danger?”
“We'll be in greater danger if we get lost,” he pointed out. “But it is not far from here to camp; we can move away from the road again once I know where we are.”
She smiled again. “Very well; you’re the expert. Lead the way.”
"You’re the expert”? Nobody had ever called him an expert before. Much puffed up a bit. “Yes. Right. This way.”
They had just spotted the road when voices drifted through the leaves. Much tugged Eve’s hand, and they dropped down, out of sight.
“Like ghosts, they are,” one guard was grumbling to the others.
Another scoffed. “Nah, they’re men, all right. And one bird.”
“She’s a pretty one, ain’t she?” yet another put in. “Feisty.”
“Never seen her,” the first guard said. “But I don’t like ‘feisty’ women. More trouble than they’re worth.”
“That’s true,” the second agreed.
The conversation faded out as the men went around a bend, and after waiting a minute to ensure that they were not doubling back, Much nodded to Eve, and they resumed their trek.
Once he felt it was safe to speak, he remarked, “Djaq would rip out their tongues if she heard that.”
“I take it she’s the ‘feisty bird’?”
“That she is. And Will, her husband, would destroy whatever was left of them when she was through.”
Eve laughed. “I am looking forward to meeting your friends.”
“They’re looking forward to meeting you. Well, the ones you have not met yet. You already met Marian.”
“I’d heard rumors that Lady Marian was with Robin Hood.”
“She’s more than 'with' him; she is married to him.”
Eve’s steps faltered. “Is that why you’ve come for me now?”
Baffled, he stared at her. “What?”
She studied his face. “Did you come for me now because Robin has married?”
“No!” Then, he really thought about her question. “Not exactly.”
Dropping his hand, she crossed her arms warily over her stomach. “What do you mean by that?”
Upset because he had upset her, Much searched for the right way to explain. “I tried to wait, I did. I wanted everything to be in place first, so I could give you a home, and safety. But I kept thinking about you. I couldn’t help it. And then Robin and Marian, and Will and Djaq got married... I couldn’t wait anymore.”
By the time he finished, she was smiling again. Placing her hand back in his, she said, “All right. I just wanted to make certain I was not your Robin replacement.”
Much had no idea how to respond to that, so instead, he said, “We should keep moving. I am not sure we can get back to camp before dark; we’ll stop for supper soon, and decide then what to do.”
“Lead the way.”
About an hour later, Much found a good place to stop. “We can rest here. Are you hungry?”
Taking a seat on a large rock, Eve nodded. “I’m more thirsty, but food would be nice.”
He grabbed the flask from his pack and passed it to her. “You should have said something.”
She drank deeply, and then replied, “I didn’t want us to stop if it was not safe.”
“We’re safe enough here. Though we will be safest back at camp.”
With a glance around, she asked, “We cannot make it there by dark, can we?”
“No, but I know the way well enough, and there should be plenty of moonlight tonight.”
Eve watched as Much pulled a pan, wooden spoon, and the parcel of food from his pack. “Would you mind if we did not go back right away?”
Startled, he met her gaze. “Why?”
She gave a little shrug. “Last time, we only had one night that was real, when there were no lies between us. That night was wonderful; it was worth it to be so tired the next day, getting to stay up talking with you like that. I thought it might be nice if we could have at least one more, before going someplace where we’re surrounded by people. Unless they are expecting us?”
Memories of that night were drifting back to him, of stories shared, and laughter and heartfelt confessions, of not even realizing how much time had passed until the first rays of sun peeked through the window. “They are not expecting us,” he told her. “And that sounds lovely.”
Smiling, she said, “Good.”
While they did stay up late talking, they ended up going to bed this time, having had a long day, with the promise of another ahead. Much expected Eve to spread out her blanket on the other side of the fire from him, but was pleasantly surprised when she put it right next to his. He was trying very hard not to expect too much, too fast, and apparently she was doing the same. She cuddled up beside him, and he slipped an arm around her. They laid like that for awhile, and he thought she was asleep, but he was too aware of her to sleep, himself.
“Much?”
So, she was awake, too. “Yes?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Neither can I.”
He sucked in a breath when her fingers toyed with the lacing on his shirt, and then drifted down to his stomach. “I have an idea,” she murmured against his neck.
“I’m listening.”
Quite awhile later, they finally slept.
next chapter
*