Denial, ch. 5: In the Kitchen With(out) Much
Title: Denial, ch. 5: In the Kitchen With(out) Much
Author: robinfanatic
Rating: G
Characters: Marian, Little John, Robin
Genre: Gen
Words: 822
Disclaimer: BBC & TA own; I just want to play in their universe
Summary: Marian gets a cooking lesson and talks to Little John about Much
Notes: This continues the 'Round-Robin' fic. 'Denial'. This story takes place in the afternoon just prior to 2x09, Lardner's Ring
Beta'd by darkentwisted (& thanks for the John-isms, DT!)
Want to play? Come join us! Check out the Rules and join in the Round-Robin fun!
Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4
>>>----------------------->
Denial, chapter 5: In the Kitchen With(out) Much
by robinfanatic
Marian stared over Little John's shoulder. "I don't know, John. It doesn't look quite ready--"
The outlaw glanced back at the lady, hiding a frown. They'd argued over a rabbit the evening before. Had she not recently lost her father and joined the gang in the forest, he would have been less patient. But he would try to hold his tongue. "I thought you said you had little experience cooking over an open fire, milady," he said calmly.
Marian dug a stick into the fire, nearly splattering them both with ash and dirt. "Well, yes--"
John knew the noblewoman had servants when she lived at Knighton Hall. He doubted she had ever prepared her own meals. "And little experience in the kitchen at all?"
Marian shook her head, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. "Not really."
"Then let me tend the meat," he said, carefully removing the stick from her hand.
"I realize I am not much use here in the forest," she replied. The feistiness she often displayed--especially in front of Robin--was absent from her deep blue eyes and she looked like a helpless child. "I do want to help, especially now, with Much gone--"
Little John sighed. "Aye. We did not know all the things he took care of, and without complaint--er, well, with little complaint."
Marian plopped down on the ground next to the man. "I thought he would teach me," she said.
John looked up at her with a surprised look on his face. "Really?"
She glared at the big man, but her eyes twinkled. "What is that in your voice, John? Don't you believe me?"
John couldn't help but chuckle. "Lady Marian, I fear you would have been just as ignorant as the rest of us and let Much carry on as he always did, keeping the larder stocked, making meals from nothing, meals that we could actually eat. I feel bad that I never told him that. I think we did little more than complain."
"Surely he knew that was in jest?"
"I hope so, milady." John turned the hen on the spit. "But learn we will, from each other."
She laughed lightly. "Djaq told Robin the same thing last night."
"Well, our cooking might not be near as good as Much's," John said, "but tonight we will eat, and make do, we will."
Marian stared into the flame and rubbed her hands together. "Robin misses him. I've told him he's not to blame for Much's leaving. I just don't know what else to say to him." She glanced sidelong at the big man. "Do you miss him?"
John scoffed, then his eyes grew a bit sad. He sighed heavily. "Him, I liked. I just wish I told the lad more often."
"Is it funny how we cannot tell those we care about how we really feel until they've left us?" She half-smiled. "I was always so jealous of his relationship with Robin when we were children. I was so... hurt... angry... when Robin left for the Holy Land and he took Much with him. And yet, I was relieved that Much was there for him! I don't think I ever told him that because of my stupid jealousy."
John nodded. "He knew. Much might be simple at times, but I think he may have been the wisest of us all." John pointed toward a bag on the ground. "Add some of that spice to our dinner," he told her.
"Much? Wise?" Marian smiled. She sprinkled the sweet-smelling herbs on the hen, leaned close, and took a whiff. "Like that?"
"Good," he nodded. "There were times when Much rubbed the herbs into the meat."
"Rather than sprinkled?" she asked.
"Aye."
"We shall try that next time," she decided. "Oh if he could hear us talk of him now."
"Good, I think not," John said with a smirk.
Marian laughed. "You are right! Much would never let us forget that."
Robin appeared over the rise. "My friends!" he shouted as he approached the campfire.
"What is it, Robin?" Marian asked.
"Are you two all right?" Robin eyed the bird on the spit then he looked from Little John to Marian. "Where is Will? After last night, I told him we should not leave the two of you alone in the kitchen!"
"We are fine," Little John replied. "Djaq and Will went to look for honey. That will help smooth the last of the coarse bread we have. Perhaps we will have honey enough to trade for more bread in Locksley tomorrow."
"The larder is empty, Robin," Marian said. "I'd like to go on the hunt with you."
"Marian--"
"I want to help," she insisted. "I am good with bow."
Robin pursed his lips and nodded. "That is true." He placed his hand gently atop her shoulder.
"Good."
"Tomorrow we hunt."
"Tomorrow," she replied, slipping her hand over his.
>>>----------------------->
Chapter 6 is this way...
Come to Denial... the place we go to make it all better.
Author: robinfanatic
Rating: G
Characters: Marian, Little John, Robin
Genre: Gen
Words: 822
Disclaimer: BBC & TA own; I just want to play in their universe
Summary: Marian gets a cooking lesson and talks to Little John about Much
Notes: This continues the 'Round-Robin' fic. 'Denial'. This story takes place in the afternoon just prior to 2x09, Lardner's Ring
Beta'd by darkentwisted (& thanks for the John-isms, DT!)
Want to play? Come join us! Check out the Rules and join in the Round-Robin fun!
Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4
>>>----------------------->
Denial, chapter 5: In the Kitchen With(out) Much
by robinfanatic
Marian stared over Little John's shoulder. "I don't know, John. It doesn't look quite ready--"
The outlaw glanced back at the lady, hiding a frown. They'd argued over a rabbit the evening before. Had she not recently lost her father and joined the gang in the forest, he would have been less patient. But he would try to hold his tongue. "I thought you said you had little experience cooking over an open fire, milady," he said calmly.
Marian dug a stick into the fire, nearly splattering them both with ash and dirt. "Well, yes--"
John knew the noblewoman had servants when she lived at Knighton Hall. He doubted she had ever prepared her own meals. "And little experience in the kitchen at all?"
Marian shook her head, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. "Not really."
"Then let me tend the meat," he said, carefully removing the stick from her hand.
"I realize I am not much use here in the forest," she replied. The feistiness she often displayed--especially in front of Robin--was absent from her deep blue eyes and she looked like a helpless child. "I do want to help, especially now, with Much gone--"
Little John sighed. "Aye. We did not know all the things he took care of, and without complaint--er, well, with little complaint."
Marian plopped down on the ground next to the man. "I thought he would teach me," she said.
John looked up at her with a surprised look on his face. "Really?"
She glared at the big man, but her eyes twinkled. "What is that in your voice, John? Don't you believe me?"
John couldn't help but chuckle. "Lady Marian, I fear you would have been just as ignorant as the rest of us and let Much carry on as he always did, keeping the larder stocked, making meals from nothing, meals that we could actually eat. I feel bad that I never told him that. I think we did little more than complain."
"Surely he knew that was in jest?"
"I hope so, milady." John turned the hen on the spit. "But learn we will, from each other."
She laughed lightly. "Djaq told Robin the same thing last night."
"Well, our cooking might not be near as good as Much's," John said, "but tonight we will eat, and make do, we will."
Marian stared into the flame and rubbed her hands together. "Robin misses him. I've told him he's not to blame for Much's leaving. I just don't know what else to say to him." She glanced sidelong at the big man. "Do you miss him?"
John scoffed, then his eyes grew a bit sad. He sighed heavily. "Him, I liked. I just wish I told the lad more often."
"Is it funny how we cannot tell those we care about how we really feel until they've left us?" She half-smiled. "I was always so jealous of his relationship with Robin when we were children. I was so... hurt... angry... when Robin left for the Holy Land and he took Much with him. And yet, I was relieved that Much was there for him! I don't think I ever told him that because of my stupid jealousy."
John nodded. "He knew. Much might be simple at times, but I think he may have been the wisest of us all." John pointed toward a bag on the ground. "Add some of that spice to our dinner," he told her.
"Much? Wise?" Marian smiled. She sprinkled the sweet-smelling herbs on the hen, leaned close, and took a whiff. "Like that?"
"Good," he nodded. "There were times when Much rubbed the herbs into the meat."
"Rather than sprinkled?" she asked.
"Aye."
"We shall try that next time," she decided. "Oh if he could hear us talk of him now."
"Good, I think not," John said with a smirk.
Marian laughed. "You are right! Much would never let us forget that."
Robin appeared over the rise. "My friends!" he shouted as he approached the campfire.
"What is it, Robin?" Marian asked.
"Are you two all right?" Robin eyed the bird on the spit then he looked from Little John to Marian. "Where is Will? After last night, I told him we should not leave the two of you alone in the kitchen!"
"We are fine," Little John replied. "Djaq and Will went to look for honey. That will help smooth the last of the coarse bread we have. Perhaps we will have honey enough to trade for more bread in Locksley tomorrow."
"The larder is empty, Robin," Marian said. "I'd like to go on the hunt with you."
"Marian--"
"I want to help," she insisted. "I am good with bow."
Robin pursed his lips and nodded. "That is true." He placed his hand gently atop her shoulder.
"Good."
"Tomorrow we hunt."
"Tomorrow," she replied, slipping her hand over his.
>>>----------------------->
Chapter 6 is this way...
Come to Denial... the place we go to make it all better.