This fic was inspired by grayautumsky13's beautiful movie poster for Kate and Leopold, found here. Enjoy!

Robin was sneaking around the grounds of the sheriff's estate, He was planning on robbing the sheriff so that he could help feed the hungry mouths of the children at the orphanage, who were always begging for more. Madam Lucas, the woman who ran the orphanage, who everyone called Granny, was lost on what to do for the third time already that year, so Robin had offered to procure supplies for them.

The widow had shaken her head, well aware of Robin's unorthodox- and illegal- methods for obtaining anything- food, medicine, clothes. But Robin had known she was desperate, and when she was desperate, he always won the argument.

"Be careful, boy," Granny had warned just before he left to procure supplies for her. "You know Nottingham's had a price on your head for years-"

"And he hasn't caught me yet, has he?" Robin pointed out.

"No, but mark my words, one of these days, he will," the older woman cautioned. "And when he does, I won't be able to help you out of the mess you've gotten yourself into. You know we females have no power as it is in the world we live in, and the sheriff particularly dislikes me. So it's unlikely that I'll be able to get you out of whatever predicament you find yourself in."

"I know," Robin reassured her. "And I'll be careful, I promise. Just focus on taking care of these children, and I'll be back before you know it with supplies for all of you."

And with that he was off like the thief that he was, sneaking down narrow alleys and little-used paths to the sheriff's mansion.

Once in the shadow of the mansion's walls, Robin shook his head in disgust as he looked up at the place. Only by overtaxing the people was the sheriff able to afford the opulent four-story house, a fact that left Robin fuming and with a determination strong as steel to ensure that he did whatever he could to put the hard-earned money of the people back in their hands.

He lurked in the shadows underneath the windows of Nottingham's sitting room. The house was quiet for the evening, the sheriff and his wife likely out at one of the many gatherings of the wealthy that Robin knew they had to bribe their way into. For as much as the villagers loathed the sheriff, the nobility didn't like him any more than they did.

Robin knelt in the bushes and considered his options. He had broken into the sheriff's house on countless occasions, so he wasn't unfamiliar with all of the methods that he utilized to protect his home. The sheriff was under the impression that his dogs were the best defense against intruders, but Robin knew otherwise. The dogs, like many of the villagers, had taken an immediate liking to Robin, which had served him well over the years.

As he crept toward the house, he knew the dogs could hear him, as they went from being silent to emitting growls and loud barks. With the dexterity borne from years of mastering this particular skill, he picked the lock on the Notts' door and slipped inside.

As he opened the door, he reached into one of the many pockets he had asked Granny to sew into his clothes and pulled out miniscule pieces of meat he had taken from Granny's kitchen while he was there. The dogs were partial to fresh venison, and Robin always took advantage of this knowledge every time he visited the mansion.

As he predicted, once he held out the meat, the barking of both dogs ceased and they eagerly turned their attention to their treat, leaving Robin free to peruse the house for any valuables that he had neglected to steal on previous trips.

But that was the problem with the Nott residence. The entire mansion demonstrated that the Notts were far from paupers, as valuable trinkets and china were laid everywhere, ready for the right thief to come along and steal them.

Robin went even more slowly as he approached the cook's quarters. Unlike the dogs, Remi could not be bought, loyal to a fault to the family who put a roof over his head. And to some degree, Robin could understand. But he didn't know why the cook had picked the Notts of all people to work for. Surely, the man's morals were higher than that.

Thankfully, he heard the snores of the man in question, and he sighed with relief. While the cook was a formidable force to be reckoned with while awake, he slept like the dead, so Robin knew there was no chance that he would wake anytime soon, as he would be up before dawn to begin making breakfast for the household.

Once in the hallway outside of the kitchen, Robin paused for a moment. He had taken something from the dining room the last time he was here, so he should probably take something from their rooms upstairs this time. But suddenly, he reconsidered. What Granny and the children needed most was food, so he should start in the pantry first.

He crept back to the pantry, filling a bag he had brought with enough food for Granny and the others. While he loved all of the children Granny looked after, he was particularly fond of one boy, Roland, who constantly asked him to recount tales of his adventures. He happily obliged, but never told any of the children stories of his own childhood. He didn't want to frighten them, or make them think less of him.

The minute his sack was filled to the brim with food, he heard the dogs barking again. Fearing that this signaled their masters' arrival, Robin immediately closed the sack, then snuck out the back window just as he heard the main door of the house opening.

. Robin could still hear Keith Nottingham's bass tone in his ear as he rapidly stole into the shadows of the surrounding forest. Finally sure that he was far enough away to be safe, he looked into the sack of provisions he had procured for Granny and the orphans she cared for. Satisfied with his hull, he closed the bag again, marveling how what likely fed one couple for a night would last Granny and the children much longer than that.

He strolled through the woods to Granny's orphanage, knocking on the back door.

When Granny opened it, he could see the relief in her eyes. "Well, come in then, boy. Let's see what you've brought us."

Once he had followed her instructions, she opened the sack full of food. "Well, this will last only a little more than a week, but it'll do."

"I know," he groaned, wishing he could have brought more. "But you know I can only take a small amount, otherwise Nottingham'll know it's missing and come after me."

Granny nodded. "I know. And I do appreciate it, Robin, I really do, I just wish it wasn't necessary. I wish you didn't have to risk your neck like this for us, I wish that the leaders of this town saw the suffering of the people and actually did something about it- but I think I'll save those wishes for daydreams, because that's all they'll ever be. A dream."

Robin put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't think like that. That attitude is what ensures that nothing will ever change. If you have hope that circumstances will eventually work in your favor, they will."

She let out a harsh laugh. "With that sort of thinking, it's a wonder you haven't settled down, found a nice girl to marry, and stopped all of this dangerous thievery."

"You know my lifestyle doesn't lend itself to that, Granny," he reminded her. "A woman likely wouldn't want a life of running from the law. She would want a home, to build a family, and my lifestyle would clash with those desires."

"But if you'd just go back-" she protested.

"No," he stated firmly. "I'm not going back, and you know why. I can't subject myself to that again."

She sighed. "I know. But you could have that life one day, if you wanted it."

"But I don't," he reminded her. "If I hadn't walked away, I wouldn't have met you, Roland, and the rest of the children here. And you all mean the world to me."

"We know," the older woman admitted. "I just wish you didn't have to do this, that none of it was necessary."

"I know," he acknowledged, just as a little face peeked around the door frame.

"Roland," Robin whispered, walking toward him and picking up the four year old. "What are you doing awake at this late hour, hmm?"

"Couldn't sleep," Roland said.

"Were you not tired? I'm sure you had a busy day of playing today," Robin asked.

"N-no, I wasn't," Roland denied just as a yawn betrayed him. "And then I heard you, so I had to come say hi. Can I stay with you tonight? Please?"

Robin glanced at Granny. Personally, he could deny the boy nothing when he looked up at him with those dark brown eyes framed by dark curls, but he knew that Granny was set in her ways, so if she said no, Roland would have to stay home.

Granny sighed. "Yes, you can go. Only if you promise to go right to sleep, and not give Robin any trouble, all right?"

"Yes, Granny," Roland happily agreed, and with that, he and Robin set out.

They had only gotten to the clocktower, however, when Robin suddenly felt the air around them shift. He could feel the wind swirling around them, a tornado like they had in the western states of epic proportions. Above all, he could feel Roland clinging to him as they were both swept away- to where, Robin didn't know, but he had a terrible feeling that he was about to find out.