A/N: I've decided to rewrite series 2 a little bit. Recall the scene when Rochefort shoved Milady to the wall and the scene when she was thrown out of the palace? So, my fic is a little compilation of both scenes. What if the first one scene was held a little bit later, for example, during the time Rochefort was searching through her bag, but without guards standing beside them and without Athos seeing it? And what if Marmion hadn't tried to kill the king, so Anne hadn't helped Athos and the other Musketeers? That's why Athos and Milady still disgraced each other.
The title is in a progress. Status is Complete, but chapters may be added.
XOXOXOXOX
Athos was in the Palais du Louvre with Porthos, talking with le Comte de Rochefort about the ambush held against the archbishop. Charles-César was nonchalant about the established situation and rushed out of the room. It was starting getting on nerves of the patient and enduring Musketeers. With each passing day le Comte was getting closer to the King Louis. Neither of the Inseparables liked this friendship.
The best swordsman of France was now walking down the palace hallway since Porthos had somewhere disappeared. He suddenly stopped as he heard strange noises coming from the next corner. Like someone cried and struggled… And that someone was a female. Sensing something was wrong, Athos had increased the pace.
"You'll finally be mine! You'll like it! Because it's your job, you slut!" Heard Athos. Slap. Obviously, that bastard had hitted the woman. The blow was so loud that it still was ringing in Athos' ears.
The picture that revealed in front of the former Comte was nothing he was expecting to see. Rochefort has a girl trapped between himself and the wall. In the next moment he was shoving the girl to face the partition and holding her bare throat. Poor soul was so overwhelmed and stunned that she couldn't even struggle anymore. It was obvious that girl was scared to the hell.
Athos pull his sword out from its sheath and slowly approached the violator.
"You better let the girl go! It's not the way nobleman treats a lady." Said Athos drawing the tip of his rapier to the Rochefort' neck. The man startled and eased his held on woman's neck. That movement gave her a chance to turn around. It was the moment when Athos saw face of that animal's prey. It was Milady de Winter. No. Right now there was nothing of Milady in her features. It was his very own, still beloved wife. His Anne.
How dared that beast of a man lay his nasty hands on Anne? Who was he to treat her like that?
Anne slowly slid down the wall, starting to sob. Momentarily, Athos got furious. No one has a right to make this girl in front of him cry! He hated himself for hurting her. And he will definitely kill anyone who was in charge of her tears.
Unfortunately, Athos was distracted by the scream Rochefort let while attacking the brunette from his back. The next second men were fighting. Athos was too distracted by the sight of his crying wife and missed the blonde's lunge. He felt how his right shoulder was pierced with the pain. Nothing he hadn't endured earlier. Athos immediately disarmed Rochefort with his left hand and was now controlling the man by keeping him on the point of his sword.
People started to peer into the hallway to see what was happening. The King and the Queen came out as well. His Majesty was stunned on what was going on in here.
"What in the name of France has happened here?" Asked Louis only to confirm his suspicions.
"Your Majesty! Le Comte de Rochefort tried forcing himself on the woman." Explained Athos.
Ana of Austria noticed the woman still sitting with her back to the wall. She understood everything immediately and ordered to the guards to throw Rochefort to the cell, announcing he will be hanged the following morning. The Queen silenced her husband with her only glare. Maybe she detested Milady de Winter but no one has a right to treat women like that.
After order was accomplished, everyone started to go away from the hallway. The Queen casted last glance on crying woman and took Louis out of the hallway, letting Athos to handle his wife and to figure everything out. Athos rushed to his wife and sat beside her. He cupped her cheeks and looked into her lively green eyes. The moment their gazes met he saw the same expression Anne had on their last day in La Fère, almost six years ago. Desperation, devastation and fear were easily recognized.
So, she was not lying all these years ago? He hanged a poor, scared girl for nothing? Yes, she has killed his brother, but it was a self defense. He didn't think that the truth he learned from the letter was important enough to condemn her. It was all blurred and vague.
Athos hated himself even more now. There was nothing he could do to erase his mistakes, to make amends. Not an apology was able to wash all his wrongdoings out.
He brought a crying girl closer and hugged her tightly. That was the moment she started to sob audibly and violently. She was restless. Tears bathing the front of his shirt. Athos was stroking Anne's back, trying to calm her until her hysterics hadn't choked her. It was no way healthy to cry like that.
Athos kissed Anne all over the face, wiping her tears with his lips. He was whispering apologies to her ear. She was holding on him like he was her lifeline.
After few moments Anne calmed down a little bit. He picked her up in bridal style and rushed to his horse. The swordsman accurately mounted his wife on to the Roger, sitting behind her.
XOXOXOXOX
Already at the Garrison he was carrying Anne to his quarters when he was noticed by d'Artagnan, Aramis and Porthos, who left palace to return to the post in a rush, without even warning Athos.
The trio eyed the sleeping woman on their friend's hands, immediately recognizing her as a murderous Milady de Winter. Aramis noticed the blood that was covering Athos' right arm from shoulder to the elbow. The swordsman mouthed to them the word "Later" and carried his burden to his rooms.
Placing Anne on the bed awaked her. She startled and broke in the new series of inconsolable sobs. Athos rushed to the table and poured water in to the glass, moving it to Anne's lips and helping her to drink all the liquid.
After setting the glass aside he hugged his wife tightly and started murmuring.
"Anne, everything is going to be alright! I'm here! No one will hurt you anymore! I will kill anyone, who dares to lay his hands on you or threaten you! I will always be beside you! I will never ever hurt you! Never ever let you go! I'm so sorry! You're my everything! You're my soul. You're my heart. You're my second part! Nothing will ever come between us anymore! I swear! Forever for this time!" Athos was saying while rocking his Anne like a child.
When he kissed her forehead, he noticed she was abnormally hot. He immediately rushed to the outside, calling for Aramis. When the marksman and the others arrived, Anne already had a terrible fever. She cried herself to the fever! Aramis immediately started ordering his brothers around and treating the sick woman.
It was almost midnight when Aramis was able to ease Anne's pain and fought down her temperature. The woman was now sleeping changed in her husband's shirt and laying in her husband's bed.
Athos' pierced shoulder was treated by skillful Aramis as well. The swordsman had thanked his brothers and hugged them tightly. They already knew what had happened to Anne since Athos told them while Aramis was changing the wet cloth on her head two hours earlier.
Athos returned to his rooms and was standing in front of the bed, watching and listening to Anne's soft breathing. He let himself sink into the bed next to his wife and accurately tucked her closer to him, kissing her gently on the cheek. Anne had funnily wrinkled her nose and then nestled beside her husband. She doesn't have a fever anymore and her sleep was peaceful. So, Athos let himself get some rest, too. He knew, tomorrow would be a very hard day.
