The Musketeers doesn't belong to me
It Happened By Chance
Sylvie Bodaire had always known what she wanted. Her father had brought her up to be strong, to fight for what was right and follow her heart. Most of all, he had taught that she didn't need to depend on anyone, and especially not a man.
She closed her laptop and stared out of the window. She had been trying to finish her article for the past thirty minutes but hadn't written a word. She knew what she wanted to write but somehow she couldn't find the energy to write.
What was wrong with her? Athos was just a man, one like all the other men she'd met before and would meet again in her life. He certainly wasn't the best looking, well-dressed and most charming man, not enough close, and worse, he was a cop, a lowlife in her book. She didn't like cops at all, all the bad things that had happened to her so far had involved cops; added to which the first time they'd met he'd accused of impersonating a police officer – which she'd been doing – and arrested her. Fine, he hadn't really arrested her but he'd taken her back to the police station with him and questioned her, before letting her off with a warning.
That alone should have made him the lowest of the low, not worth her time at the very least but yet here she thinking about him. A lot.
She stood up, grabbed her coat and went out of the office. She needed some fresh air.
000
"Sylvie. Sylvie Bodaire is that you?"
She turned in the direction of the voice and smiled. "Constance," she hugged the other woman. "How nice to see you."
"You too," Constance agreed, "What are you doing here? I heard that you'd moved to Indonesia or what it Malaysia?"
"I volunteered with some peacekeepers, yeah," Sylvie said, "I actually home returned a month ago."
"That's great news," Constance said.
"How about you, tell me all," Sylvie said. "Did you marry Boney?"
"I was quite wild to marry him, wasn't I?" Constance laughed. "Everyone advised me against it, but I was determined to marry him, so I did."
"Am I missing something?" Sylvie asked.
"Poor Boney," Constance told her, "he was killed in a car accident a few years ago, we were actually on the verge of divorce; anyway I married again."
"You are?"
"To a wonderful man called D'Artagnan," Constance said.
"That's good," Sylvie hugged her, "you seem very happy."
"I am," Constance agreed, "it's actually been a great four years now."
000
"I don't know why we all have to go," Athos grumbled. "I'd much rather stay at my desk."
His sergeants just continued staring at him.
"You know I never eat lunch," Athos said, "and besides we have work to do."
"Not at this very moment we don't," Aramis said, "we just caught the Queen brothers and stopped their smuggling ring."
"And don't forget," Porthos put in, "we found the missing jewels, which case I might add we weren't even assigned to."
"And don't forget," D'Artagnan added, "my wife will kill me if you don't show up."
"Fine," Athos stood up and picked up his coat and hat; Athos always wore a hat to work, and put them on, "Just so you remember I'm only doing this for Constance."
000
"I'm just glad to be writing again," Sylvie said.
"You always wanted to write," Constance reminded her, "it's all you ever talked about." She was about to add something when she looked up at the door, smiled and said, "They're here early, good."
Sylvie looked up at the three men who had entered the café and were making their way towards them; smiled at each of them as Constance introduced them.
"It was nice running into you," Sylvie said, standing up and excusing herself, "I'm sure I'll see you again soon."
"I'll call you," Constance told her.
"Where's Athos?" Constance asked, after Sylvie had left the table. "He'd better be on his way."
"He's parking the car," D'Artagnan said, "he doesn't believe in valet parking as you well know."
000
Sylvie bumped into the person who had just entered the café.
"I'm sorry," she began and stopped short.
"And might you be trying to impersonate today Miss Bodaire?" Athos asked her. He knew that it rude of him but he'd been thinking about her and seeing her had thrown him off his game.
"DI Athos," Sylvie said, "Despite what you may think I don't go around impersonating people."
"Could have fooled me."
"Really?" Sylvie teased him, "little old me fooling you?"
"Whose life are you trying to ruin now?"
"I came for coffee, if you must know." She wondered why she was even trying to explain herself to him.
"Coffee," he repeated stupidly.
"Goodbye DCI Athos."
Athos looked at this friends' table to find them all looking at him.
"I take it you two know each other," Constance said.
"We've met," Athos pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Sylvie Bodaire. I knew that name was familiar. Hang on," Aramis began laughing, "Is she the woman you caught impersonating a police officer?"
Athos just shrugged in answer.
"When was this?" Porthos asked.
"More importantly," D'Artagnan added, laughing, "why is this the first time we're hearing about it?"
"You were out on a stake-out," Aramis told his friends, "I also only found out by chance, Brujon was telling a few of the lads."
"I believe we came here for lunch," Athos changed the subject, "not to discuss Miss Bodaire's indiscretions."
"Indiscretions? Really?" Aramis asked.
"I invited you here," Constance broke in, "to congratulate you on a job well done and also to tell you unofficially, of course, that you are going to be given commendations and maybe a reward as well."
"What?"
D'Artagnan grabbed his wife and kissed her while the other three hugged and slapped each other on the back.
"I'm not supposed to say this," Constance continued, "and Treville will have my head if he finds out but there's word of a special investigative unit that is going to be formed and you lot are the leading contenders to be that unit."
000