fic: Where Our Hearts Lie
I can't believe I'm the first one to post for the Write Allan Right ficathon. I'm not comfortable writing Allan or Marian but this little plot bunny insisted I give them a try.
Title: Where Our Hearts Lie
Author: robinfanatic
Genre: gen; fluff
Rating: PG
Characters: Allan, Marian; mentions just about everyone else!
Words: 1048
Disclaimer: It all belongs to TA & the BBC, neither of whom knew how to TAR very often; I just want to play in their universe.
Summary: Allan and Marian have a chat about life, love, and loyalty; a lost scene that takes place immediately after 2x09, Lardner's Ring
A/N: for the WAR2009 ficathon on TAR
Where Our Hearts Lie
by robinfanatic
Marian heard the quiet footfalls on the battlement but did not bother to turn. She had no desire to see Guy nor talk to him when her only thoughts were of a certain outlaw who held her heart, who'd given her a ring. She sighed, closed her eyes, then started when the voice was not the one she'd expected.
"That was quite a show you and Robin put on earlier today."
Allan leaned both elbows on the wall. It was like being on top of the world, standing high on the wall walk and looking out over the windswept grasses beyond the castle walls that rustled on the cool breeze. Behind him, the streets of Nottingham lay quiet, the castle ward deserted.
Soft light from the full moon danced across Marian's face. The young maiden glanced sidelong at Guy's right hand man and hid a grin. "We didn't fool you." It wasn't a question just a statement of fact. Allan knew her well, probably from being in Robin's company for far too long.
"You fooled Guy. Shows how he feels about you, donnit?" Marian lowered her eyes but did not answer. "What are ya' doin', Marian? Why'd you come back to the castle?" he asked.
She finally looked up. The glint in her eye betrayed her feelings but only for a moment before her steely gaze fell on the trees. "I could ask you the same thing."
"Well we both know the answer to that one. I dinnit have much choice now, did I? I don't have many friends in Sherwood these days." His voice trembled with regret and he wondered if it sounded as desperate to her ears as his. "You didn't answer my question."
Marian sighed. "I had to come back."
"Nah. You could've escaped down Robin's little rope contraption instead of playin' the hostage." He had to admit the sheriff's henchmen wouldn't hold a candle to Robin and the gang and he missed the creative escapes.
"What's the point of going over this, Allan? I'm here. In the castle." Marian's lip quivered. "Robin is out there... risking his life for the king. For the people of England."
Allan chuckled. “Aren't we a pair?”
“What?”
“Made some bad decisions. The people we care about are out there,” he said, waving a hand toward Sherwood. “Couple a' desperate souls, aren't we?”
“So you do love Djaq,” she observed.
"Oi! I never said that!” Never admitted it 'cept in my heart, he thought to himself. “I was talkin' about the gang."
"All right." Marian decided not to argue. “You like her. Did you ever think it might be something more?”
Memories of Djaq's smile, her dark Saracen eyes, and the way her gentle touch made him feel sent shivers up his spine. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Will is better for her...” Allan's voice trailed off and for one minute he thought about the type of life he knew would never be within his grasp. He wasn't t the kind to settle down with wife and kids. He wouldn't know how. “I'd just end up hurtin' her. I'd never want to do that.“
“You already have.” Marian bit on her lip wishing she hadn't been quite so direct.
Allan flinched. “That was low, Marian. But you're right.”
“She believes in you, Allan." Marian laid her hand on his. "And so do I.”
Marian quieted again and stared toward Sherwood. Allan did not have to guess where her thoughts were. "Just ain't right. You in here... him out there," he said.
Reaching into her pocket, Marian fingered her engagement ring. A smile curled the edges of her lips. "He asked me to marry him."
"No kiddin'? Did you celebrate with the gang?" he asked, wishing he could have been there.
"There wasn't time. We had to find the pigeon," she replied with a smirk. "Someone trapped us up a tree. I think you know how that ended."
"What? The gang doesn't know?" Allan's eyes gleamed. "That means I'm the first you told."
Marian looked aside for a moment. Allan could tell that this wasn't how she imagined sharing one of the most beautiful times of her life--there would have been a party with food, friends, and drink--but when she smiled at him it really didn't matter.
"Not exactly what you'd planned, oi?"
"No, but that's all right. I'm glad you're here. Otherwise it would only be me and the moon." She planted a kiss on his cheek.
"So when's the big day?" he asked.
"When the king returns."
Allan took a deep breath. "You really think the king will come back?"
"I want to believe it. I have to believe it." Marian turned to the former outlaw. She smiled coyly. "You never want to get married?"
"Who would 'ave me? Thief, con man, poor beggar."
"That was the old Allan."
"Right. Look at me now. Gisborne's right-'and man."
"No," she admonished him, "I'm talking about the outlaw with a conscience. The one who helped Robin Hood feed the poor."
"The one who lived in Sherwood, slept on the ground, and ate Much's squirrel stew. Oi, they'll be comin' after me in droves, Marian."
"Allan--"
"Look, Marian, I can't go back there." He'd been over it a thousand times in his own head. Saying sorry to Robin would never be enough. He could picture the looks of disgust from John and Much... and a look of anguish from Will. What he couldn't picture was a way out of the hole he'd dug for himself. And he doubted the gang would offer him a hand if he really needed it. "It's better that I'm here, keepin' my eye out on you."
"Promise me something, Allan."
"Yeah?"
Marian pulled his hand into hers. "Think about doing the right thing. I trust you to keep my secrets from Guy and the sheriff." She brushed his hand with a soft kiss and pulled it close. "I hope you'll remember your loyalty to Robin--I know it's still in your heart. You're a good man, Allan. Don't you ever forget that."
Allan bit his lip and choked back a sob. He wasn't sure he believed that about himself but he'd try his damnedest to prove Marian right.
Title: Where Our Hearts Lie
Author: robinfanatic
Genre: gen; fluff
Rating: PG
Characters: Allan, Marian; mentions just about everyone else!
Words: 1048
Disclaimer: It all belongs to TA & the BBC, neither of whom knew how to TAR very often; I just want to play in their universe.
Summary: Allan and Marian have a chat about life, love, and loyalty; a lost scene that takes place immediately after 2x09, Lardner's Ring
A/N: for the WAR2009 ficathon on TAR
Where Our Hearts Lie
by robinfanatic
Marian heard the quiet footfalls on the battlement but did not bother to turn. She had no desire to see Guy nor talk to him when her only thoughts were of a certain outlaw who held her heart, who'd given her a ring. She sighed, closed her eyes, then started when the voice was not the one she'd expected.
"That was quite a show you and Robin put on earlier today."
Allan leaned both elbows on the wall. It was like being on top of the world, standing high on the wall walk and looking out over the windswept grasses beyond the castle walls that rustled on the cool breeze. Behind him, the streets of Nottingham lay quiet, the castle ward deserted.
Soft light from the full moon danced across Marian's face. The young maiden glanced sidelong at Guy's right hand man and hid a grin. "We didn't fool you." It wasn't a question just a statement of fact. Allan knew her well, probably from being in Robin's company for far too long.
"You fooled Guy. Shows how he feels about you, donnit?" Marian lowered her eyes but did not answer. "What are ya' doin', Marian? Why'd you come back to the castle?" he asked.
She finally looked up. The glint in her eye betrayed her feelings but only for a moment before her steely gaze fell on the trees. "I could ask you the same thing."
"Well we both know the answer to that one. I dinnit have much choice now, did I? I don't have many friends in Sherwood these days." His voice trembled with regret and he wondered if it sounded as desperate to her ears as his. "You didn't answer my question."
Marian sighed. "I had to come back."
"Nah. You could've escaped down Robin's little rope contraption instead of playin' the hostage." He had to admit the sheriff's henchmen wouldn't hold a candle to Robin and the gang and he missed the creative escapes.
"What's the point of going over this, Allan? I'm here. In the castle." Marian's lip quivered. "Robin is out there... risking his life for the king. For the people of England."
Allan chuckled. “Aren't we a pair?”
“What?”
“Made some bad decisions. The people we care about are out there,” he said, waving a hand toward Sherwood. “Couple a' desperate souls, aren't we?”
“So you do love Djaq,” she observed.
"Oi! I never said that!” Never admitted it 'cept in my heart, he thought to himself. “I was talkin' about the gang."
"All right." Marian decided not to argue. “You like her. Did you ever think it might be something more?”
Memories of Djaq's smile, her dark Saracen eyes, and the way her gentle touch made him feel sent shivers up his spine. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Will is better for her...” Allan's voice trailed off and for one minute he thought about the type of life he knew would never be within his grasp. He wasn't t the kind to settle down with wife and kids. He wouldn't know how. “I'd just end up hurtin' her. I'd never want to do that.“
“You already have.” Marian bit on her lip wishing she hadn't been quite so direct.
Allan flinched. “That was low, Marian. But you're right.”
“She believes in you, Allan." Marian laid her hand on his. "And so do I.”
Marian quieted again and stared toward Sherwood. Allan did not have to guess where her thoughts were. "Just ain't right. You in here... him out there," he said.
Reaching into her pocket, Marian fingered her engagement ring. A smile curled the edges of her lips. "He asked me to marry him."
"No kiddin'? Did you celebrate with the gang?" he asked, wishing he could have been there.
"There wasn't time. We had to find the pigeon," she replied with a smirk. "Someone trapped us up a tree. I think you know how that ended."
"What? The gang doesn't know?" Allan's eyes gleamed. "That means I'm the first you told."
Marian looked aside for a moment. Allan could tell that this wasn't how she imagined sharing one of the most beautiful times of her life--there would have been a party with food, friends, and drink--but when she smiled at him it really didn't matter.
"Not exactly what you'd planned, oi?"
"No, but that's all right. I'm glad you're here. Otherwise it would only be me and the moon." She planted a kiss on his cheek.
"So when's the big day?" he asked.
"When the king returns."
Allan took a deep breath. "You really think the king will come back?"
"I want to believe it. I have to believe it." Marian turned to the former outlaw. She smiled coyly. "You never want to get married?"
"Who would 'ave me? Thief, con man, poor beggar."
"That was the old Allan."
"Right. Look at me now. Gisborne's right-'and man."
"No," she admonished him, "I'm talking about the outlaw with a conscience. The one who helped Robin Hood feed the poor."
"The one who lived in Sherwood, slept on the ground, and ate Much's squirrel stew. Oi, they'll be comin' after me in droves, Marian."
"Allan--"
"Look, Marian, I can't go back there." He'd been over it a thousand times in his own head. Saying sorry to Robin would never be enough. He could picture the looks of disgust from John and Much... and a look of anguish from Will. What he couldn't picture was a way out of the hole he'd dug for himself. And he doubted the gang would offer him a hand if he really needed it. "It's better that I'm here, keepin' my eye out on you."
"Promise me something, Allan."
"Yeah?"
Marian pulled his hand into hers. "Think about doing the right thing. I trust you to keep my secrets from Guy and the sheriff." She brushed his hand with a soft kiss and pulled it close. "I hope you'll remember your loyalty to Robin--I know it's still in your heart. You're a good man, Allan. Don't you ever forget that."
Allan bit his lip and choked back a sob. He wasn't sure he believed that about himself but he'd try his damnedest to prove Marian right.