Precious Memories

by keelykelly

The musketeers were in a battle close to a mountain ledge… Del'Salvio smirked at the blond…"I can take away the most precious things to you."… Their swords locked and Corinne realized too late that she had just played right into his plan… he swung her around and sent her flailing over the ledge!... "I must warn you." The doctor said "She might not remember you."

The musketeers were in a battle close to a mountain ledge with an attempt assassinator

Corinne, Aramina, Viveca, and Renee, along with several of the other musketeers, had him cornered on the ledge.

"Give up Del'Salvio." Corinne snapped "You're out numbered and have no place to go."

King Louis was standing off to the side watching. He was now starting to breathe a little easier now that the musketeers had the man caught.

Corinne was standing slightly closer to the man than the others. Her three friends were three feet behind her.

Del'Salvio smirked at the blond "You know. You may have me beat, but I can take more from you than you can take from me."

Corinne's eyebrows furrowed as the man continued.

"I can take away the most precious things to you."

Corinne glanced over at Louis, then at her friends.

All the musketeers were trying to figure out what point he was trying to get at.

Renee took a step forward "Try anything, and you'll be lunch meat!"

Del'Salvio pulled out his sword and lunged forward.

Corinne leapt forward, her sword clashing with his.

Their swords locked and Corinne realized too late that she had just played right into his plan.

His free hand grabbed her right arm, and with a powerful swing, he swung her around and sent her flailing over the ledge!

"No!" The other three girls, and Louis, screamed.

Del'Salvio smiled with satisfaction "My deed is done." He looked at the other girls "Be glad she intercepted me, or that would have been you."

Renee's temper flared "You are lunch meat!"

Del'Salvio tried to run, but the other musketeers blocked him, but made no move to subdue him. They knew Renee give him his due.

Louis, Viveca and Aramina had managed to make it to where Corinne had fallen.

"We need to get her help!" Viveca shouted "Fast!"

Renee glared at Del'Salvio "I want you to know, I want nothing more than to lay into you right now, but my friend needs me." She shoved him into a musketeer "Hold him."

Louis pushed some of Corinne's tasseled blond hair from her face "You'll be okay."

Viveca shook her head "I hope." She pointed to large rock that was beside Corinne's head "That could be bad news."

Louis carefully slipped his hand under Corinne's hand then recoiled. One looked at his hand made all of their faces go completely pale.

"Her head's bleeding." Louis managed to say.

Renee made it to them "How are we going to get her back up this mountain? It was hard enough to get down!"

"I'll carry her up." Louis said with determination "I'm not going to lose her."

The three girls looked at each other. They just hoped he was right.

It turned out to be worse than any of them expected. The doctor informed them that she did in fact have a major concussion, and if she didn't find the willpower to wake up, she never would.

"Corinne's strong and stubborn." Renee said, lifting her chin in determination "She'll wake up."

The doctor began putting his instruments into his bag "She also lost a lot of blood. She's very weak." He snapped his bag closed "You might want to send for her mother."

Louis looked at the doctor alarmed "Yes… Sir."

Treville, who had been standing off to the side, left to do as instructed.

Corinne had been placed in one of the castle bedrooms, due to it being more comfortable and not as many stairs.

"Try to keep her comfortable." The doctor said standing "I'll be back to check on her later."

Aramina sniffed "I can't take it anymore! Are we going to lose her?"

"No." Louis said immediately "We're not. We can't."

The three girl musketeers looked at each other. They hoped as much as Louis did that Corinne would be okay. But the doctor obviously didn't think she would.

Corinne's mother arrived three days later. Her face showed her worry. She'd already lost her husband due to him being a musketeer. She didn't know if she'd be able to stand losing her precious daughter too.

Four weeks passed. Louis never left the bedside if he could help it. Marie didn't either.

Aramina, Viveca and Renee were there as much as cleaning and musketeering would allow.

The doctor came back in the mornings and evening. Every time he left, he'd just shake his head and mumble something about false hopes.

Everyone at the palace was quiet. Even the musketeers were worried about their female comrade.

At the end of the fourth week, Louis was in a meeting and Marie was getting some much needed sleep.

The doctor had come, telling the three girls to leave the room while he checked Corinne.

"She's been asleep too long." Aramina whispered "I don't think she's going to pull out of it."

"We can always hope." Renee said. But deep inside she had the same dread as everyone else.

Several minutes passed, and the doctor came to the door. His face was a mixture between shock and dread "She's awake."

"She is!?" The three girls asked in unison.

The doctor nodded.

"Can we see her?" Viveca asked.

The doctor nodded again "Yes. She's asking for her mom."

"I'll get her." Aramina turned around and ran to fetch Marie.

The other two entered the room.

"I must warn you." The doctor said "She took a very serious injury to the brain."

Renee and Viveca looked at each other "And?"

"She might not remember you."

The two musketeers gasped, the look of horror passing both of their faces. Then they slowly approached the bed where their friend lay.

Corinne looked over at them, her blue eyes looking confused "Where's my mom?" she whispered.

"Aramina's getting her." Viveca answered gently.

"Who?" Corinne glanced back and forth between them "Who are you?"

Viveca and Renee looked at each other crushed. It was true. She didn't remember.

"I'm Renee." Renee said sitting in a chair that was beside the bed "That's Viveca."

Aramina and Marie entered the room just then. Renee moved from the chair so that the mother could sit down.

"Corinne, Honey." Marie smiled slightly relieved "I'm so glad you're awake."

"Mom." Corinne smiled "What happened?"

Renee and Viveca went to stand beside Aramina.

"What's wrong?" Aramina asked, seeing the devastated looks on their faces.

"She doesn't remember us." Viveca answered trying not to cry.

"What!?" Aramina's eyes widened "She doesn't? But we're her best friends!"

Renee nodded, walking from the room "And we're going to have to stay that way. She'll remember in due time… I hope."

Aramina and Viveca followed her from the room.

"Do you think she'll remember she's a musketeer?" Viveca asked.

Renee shrugged "We'll find out later."

"What about Louis?" Aramina whispered.

Renee sighed "I'm afraid to say it, but I think he's going to be hurt worse than we are."

There were no words that could describe the look on the young King's face when Corinne looked at him and said "Who are you?"

He was crushed. The only girl in his life that had ever meant anything to him didn't even know who he was.

"That's King Louis." Marie answered, avoiding looking up at the young man.

Corinne's eyebrows lowered in confusion "Why is he here?"

"We're in the castle."

Corinne shook her head "Why?"

Marie scratched her head "Because, this is where you live now."

"I do?" Corinne stared at her mother like she'd just grown another head "Why?"

"You're a musketeer."

"I am?" Corinne managed to sit up.

Renee stepped forward "Yes. We all are. You, me, Aramina and Viveca."

Corinne looked at the three girls then sighed "I'm sorry. I don't remember."

Aramina's lower lip was quivering "We're the unstoppable team!" a tear ran down her cheek "At least, we were."

Corinne sighed and looked down at her hands that were folded into her lap "Where's dad?"

Marie stared at her daughter. How much had she forgotten?

"He's dead, Corinne."

Corinne gasped "He is?"

Marie nodded "Has been for nearly ten years."

Corinne fell back onto her pillow, her hands on her head "Why can't I remember anything!?"

Louis stared at her for a minute, then got up and left the room without saying a word.

Corinne lowered her hands from her face and stared after him "Is he okay?"

Renee shrugged "I guess we'll know in time if any of us are."

Corinne looked over at the three musketeers "How does he know me?"

Aramina sighed "You were his favorite musketeer."

Corinne raised an eyebrow "Really? How?"

"Well…" Renee smiled slightly "Let's just say you saved his life more than the rest of us, and he noticed."

The doctor peeked into the room "You should let her rest now. We don't want to wear her out."

The others nodded and after saying good bye left. They all had a mixture of joy and fear. Joy that she was awake and would be okay. But fear that she would never remember who she used to be and they would lose their musketeer partner forever.

It was a beautiful sunshiny morning when the doctor finally told the restless Corinne she could get up and walk.

Corinne flung back the blankets on her bed and jumped to her feet "Thank you!"

"Take it easy." The doctor ordered "If you try to do too much, it could land you on bed rest again."

Corinne cringed "Oi. Definitely not doing that again."

Renee chuckled "Good ol' Corinne. Can't stand to stay in one place."

"Come on!" Aramina grabbed the blond's wrist "There's someone dying to see you."

"Who?"

"Madame Helene?"

"Who?" Corinne was drug down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Madame Helene was working.

"Here she is Madame!" Aramina said, pulling Corinne into the room.

Corinne stared at her "I… I guess I'm supposed to know you."

Helene smiled gently "Don't worry about it. We'll get to know each other again."

Renee walked over to the older lady "Well, there's another problem. What are we going to do about training? She doesn't remember she's a musketeer."

Helene thought for a second "Then we'll teach her again."

Corinne looked at them confused "Teach me what?"

Helene turned to Corinne "A very few short weeks ago, you were a musketeer. Along with these three. Y'all were a team, therefor making you unstoppable."

Corinne nodded "They mentioned something of the subject a few days ago, but I don't remember." She looked at the other three girls "I know I always wanted to be a musketeer, but I don't remember actually doing it." She blew a strand of hair from her face "I don't even remember my father dying!"

"Don't worry." Aramina soothed "As soon as the doc gives his Ok, we'll start training again. I'm sure you'll pick up really fast."

Corinne smiled "Thanks." She glanced out a window, her eyebrows shot up "What on earth is that?"

The others looked out the window to see Louis' hot air balloon.

"Oh, that's the king's flying contraption." Renee answered.

"Looks dangerous."

"Oh, it is." Viveca smirked "That's why…" she gasped, then sighed "Never mind."

Corinne stared at the balloon. A slight image of someone hanging upside down from it crossed her mind. She shook her head "Well… So, the girls tell me that I'm a maid here?"

Helene nodded "If you don't mind. The girls can show you around and get you back familiar with the castle."

Corinne nodded "Thank you."

Louis was standing on his bedroom balcony, watching the girls show Corinne around the garden.

As he centered his attention on the blond, his mind wandered back through everything they'd been through together. Every time someone intended to kill him, she was always nearby, her friends not far behind her. She, personally, had saved his life on so many occasions, and if he had been willing to admit it, even to himself, I suppose the obvious would be that he had fallen in love with her.

As he watched them, he couldn't help but feel a part of him fading away.

Before the incident, he could have sworn he had her heart. But how could he have the heart of a girl who didn't even know him anymore. Which meant that it was possible for someone else to take her away from him. And if that ever happened, he wasn't sure he'd be able to take it.

She had been more to him than anyone he'd ever known. She had been his friend and protector. She had pushed him forward when everyone else had pushed him back. She had been the only girl that he had felt like he could tell her anything, and she'd understand it. Well, in a sense of the word, you could say she had become his life.

A knock on his bedroom door pulled him from his thoughts "Yes?"

Treville stepped into the room, his brown musketeer hat in his hands "Your Majesty."

"What is it Treville?"

"I'm sorry to inform you, but Del'Salvio has escaped the dungeon."

Louis spun around to face the captain of the musketeers completely "What!?"

Treville nodded "He escaped sometime last night."

Louis glanced back out at Corinne, a vivid image of her falling down the two hundred foot cliff flashed before his eyes. He shivered slightly "Find him."

Treville nodded "We're doing our best." He turned to leave, then paused "Do you know where the female musketeers are."

Louis nodded "They're in the garden."

Treville nodded "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Louis turned back towards the garden and sighed "This is far from over."

Corinne glanced up at the castle and spotted Louis standing on his balcony.
"Is he watching us?" She whispered to her friends.

Viveca nodded "Probably. He normally does, even if he doesn't realize it."

Aramina giggled "It's so sweet. I remember times when he'd come to ask us to do something, then he'd stand there forever staring at you!"

Corinne glanced up at Louis "Me? He's watching me?"

Viveca nodded "Probably. He normally does, even if he doesn't realize it."

Corinne shivered "Weird." She shook her head "The more I think about it, I remember you guys slightly. But I don't remember him at all."

Aramina gasped "It'll come with time. I hope."

"Musketeers!" Treville called, running towards them "I have bad news."

"Speak Captain." Renee said.

"Del'Salvio has escaped."

Viveca, Aramina, and Renee looked at each other.

Corinne glanced back and forth between the girls and the captain "Who?"

Treville raised his eyebrows in confusion "Del'Salvio. You fought him several weeks ago."

"I did?"

Renee cringed "Who forgot to tell the captain?"

"We all did." Viveca answered, and then she smiled at Treville "Captain. May I have a word with you?"

Treville nodded and followed her a few steps off.

The other three girls watched as Viveca whispered to him, then stepped back in shock "She can't?"

Viveca shook her head "No. She has no recollection."

Treville looked at Corinne sympathetically "Oh…"

"Captain." Renee said "You said that Del'Salvio escaped."

"Yes." Treville nodded, casting a sideways glance at Corinne "The king gave us orders to find him immediately."

Renee slapped her right fist into her left palm "He is so lunchmeat!"

"We'll find him." Aramina said "And he will get the reward he deserves."

Corinne shook her head "Who is Del'Salvio!?"

Her three friends looked at her.

"He's the reason you can't remember anything." Viveca answered "He said he could take away the things most precious to you. Then, we didn't know what it was. But now me know…"

"My memories." Corinne whispered. Then she looked up at the Captain of the musketeers, the determination that they were all used to, flashed through her eyes "I'm going to help find him."

"But the doctor said..." Aramina started.

"It doesn't matter." Corinne interrupted "We're going to find Del'Salvio. And the doctor can't stop me!"

The other four musketeers smiled. Del'Salvio may have taken her memories, but he hadn't taken her spunk and determination.

Louis looked out the window the next morning, and was surprised to see the four girls saddling their horses.

He looked over at Corinne. The look on her face told them they weren't just going for a ride.

"What are they doing?" He mumbled as he turned and hurried out the door.

"Girls!" he called as he walked down the castle steps "What are y'all doing?"

Corinne got into her horse's saddle "We're going after Del'Salvio." She said.

"What!?" Louis looked from the blond to her friends "You can't be serious!"

Corinne looked down at him "Yes, Your Majesty. I'm serious."

"But…"

"Del'Salvio's already hurt enough people. I'm not going to let him do it again!" Corinne turned her horse towards the gate "Let's go girls."

Aramina looked down at Louis sympathetically "Don't worry, Your Highness. We'll take care of her."

Louis just shrugged. He wasn't sure which hurt worse. The fact that she was going after the same man that had taken her memories, or the fact that she had called him 'Your Majesty'. Which was just another painful reminder that she didn't remember him.

As the girls rode towards the edge of town, Corinne leading, the others were silently following.

"Um… Corinne." Aramina finally said "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Oh yes." Corinne answered "I need to do this." She pulled her horse to a stop and turned to face her friends "The only thing I can remember is falling. Then there's all these nagging feelings in the back of my head that I don't know what are. I need to go back to where I fell. I have to get those memories back that I lost."

The other three girls looked at each other and nodded.

"We're behind you Corinne." Renee said "One hundred percent."

Corinne smiled "I knew you would be." With that, she turned her horse back around and set her at a gallop towards the place they had been a very few short weeks ago.

As the cliffs came into view, Corinne felt her heart start racing. The memory of swiftly falling through the air came to mind. Hearing someone shout her name, then hitting the hard rocks. She shivered slightly, and patted where her sword was hidden amongst the pleats of her skirt. She took a deep breath and let it out in one big huff.

"You okay?" Renee asked.

Corinne nodded "Yeah." She jumped off her horse's back and looked around.

In the back of her head, she could hear swords clashing and someone shouting "Try anything, and you'll be lunch meat!"

"Well well well." A voice snarled behind them "Returning to the scene of the crime, huh?"

The four girls spun around.

"I told you I'd turn you into lunch meat!" Renee snapped "And you're going to get it now!"

"Whatever did I do?" He smirked "She went running over the edge."

Corinne stared at the man. He didn't even look remotely familiar. But by the comment he'd just made, she was guessing he was Del'Salvio.

The man fixed his gaze on the blond "I told you I'd take away everything precious to you. You've lost your memories. Your friends. Your love."

"She didn't lose her friends and her love." Viveca snapped "We're still here for her! And we always will be!"

"But she didn't even remember you." Del'Salvio said "Apparently, you thought more of her than she thought of you. And apparently her 'love' was the only one who cared. If she had truly cared about you and him, she wouldn't have forgotten."

"Stop it!" Corinne shouted. A powerful surged through her whole body as she yanked out her sword and charged the man, who quickly unsheathed his sword.

Their swords clashed with such force that sparks flew into the air.

Once Del'Salvio recovered from his temporary shock, he rose to the challenge.

Aramina pulled out her fans and went to go join, but Renee stopped her "No. leave her."

"But…"

"She needs this fight." Renee said, having to hold herself back.

The others nodded and stood back, ready if their friend needed them.

As they dueled, Corinne's mind kept flashing back to fights she'd had in the past.

She remembered her first fight with Philippe. Becoming a musketeer. Training with her friends. Helene. And so much more.

"Do you really think a puny little girl like you can stop me?" Del'Salvio growled.

Corinne flipped back and landed in her most used musketeer pose "I'm not a puny little girl." She said, swinging her sword swiftly in a circle "I'm a musketeer!" she leapt forward, her blade swinging at lightning speed.

Del'Salvio's sword flew from his hands, the Corinne's foot flew out and kicked his feet from beneath him. The man went flailing backwards, then his head struck the ground and he didn't move.

Corinne sighed with relief, then she turned to face her friends. None of them moved for several seconds. Then Corinne smiled, and at the exact same moment, the four girls squealed and ran into a group hug.

"You're back!" Aramina laughed "Oh! I thought we'd lost you forever!"

Corinne sighed "That will never happen." Then she looked at her friends fondly "No matter what happens, I know I'll always have you four. And that's something I'll never be able to forget."

They all hugged one last time, then Corinne walked over to her horse while Renee prepared a place on the back of her horse for the prisoner.

Corinne had just put her foot in the stirrup when she suddenly heard a loud gasp.

"Watch out!" Aramina screamed.

Corinne spun around to see Del'Salvio rushing towards her, his sword in hand.

Viveca whipped off her ribbons and flicked them towards the man. They wrapped around his left foot.

Del'Salvio lost his balance and went stumble to the left trying to regain it. Then he slipped and went plummeting over the side of the cliff.

It happened so fast that Viveca wasn't able to keep her hold on the ribbons. They were yanked out of her hands and went down the mountain with Del'Salvio.

The four girls stared speechless down to where Del'Salvio had landed. He wasn't moving.

"Wow." Viveca finally said "How are we going to get him back up here?"

"We'll go get Treville." Corinne said "He isn't coming out of there anytime soon on his own." She then chuckled a little bit "I don't think he'll remember anything that happened today. Do you?"

Her friends laughed, then mounted their horses.

They were about to head back towards the castle, when Treville and some other musketeers came through the clearing.

"Perfect timing, Captain." Corinne smiled "Del'Salvio's down there." she pointed towards the cliff.

Treville nodded "And?"

It didn't seem possible, but the smile on the blond's face grew "Captain, I am ready and reporting for duty whenever you need me."

Treville smiled with relief "It's good to have you back." He then began to instruct his men to get the criminal from the bottom of the cliffs.

As the girls rode back to town, they chatted and laughed about all their many adventures. When they pulled up to the castle, Corinne sighed happily "I can't believe I remember everything!" she looked up towards the castle door, her smile instantly vanishing "Except him."

The others followed her gaze and spotted Louis leaning against the doorjamb looking at them.

"You don't?" Aramina said quietly "Not even a little bit?"

Corinne rubbed her forehead "I remember rescuing him in the balloon, and on the roof top. And I remember every mission we've done have basically been rescuing him."

"But you don't remember all the romantic stuff." Renee guessed.

Corinne raised an eyebrow "Romantic?"

"Nope." Renee mumbled.

"Do you remember him telling you to call him by his first name?" Aramina asked.

Corinne shook her head "No. I don't."

Louis came walking down the stairs just then and approached them nervously "Corinne. Would you come with me please?"

"Of course, You Highness." The girl said, dismounting and handing the reins to Renee. Then she followed the king around the castle.

Aramina sighed "Well, she blushed slightly. That's a good sign."

The others looked at her warily.

Louis led Corinne, to where his balloon was waiting.

Corinne halted "What…"

Louis rubbed the back of his neck "I was hoping you might want to take another balloon ride with me."

Corinne remembered her friends telling her she did it all the time. "This might fill in the gap." She thought. Then she nodded and smiled "I'd love to."

Louis sighed with relief then climbed into the balloon, then pulled her up.

After several seconds, they were high above Paris, looking down at the city.

Corinne sighed "It's so beautiful."

Louis chuckled "You say that every time."

Corinne shook her head "Your Magesty…"

"Louis." The young king said, winking at her.

Corinne looked back, heat creeping into her cheeks "I… I'm sorry. But all I know is that I've saved your life several times." She wasn't sure how to continue this subject, but she had to get it out "My friends said that we… were really good friends."

Louis sighed "I was hoping we were more than that." He said, staring at her.

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. She felt an unidentified feeling turning over inside her as she looked up into his deep brown eyes.

Louis slowly turned to face her completely, Corinne's body seemed to move on its own as she turned to face him.

Louis' hands gently took her shoulders and pulled her towards him, then he kissed her.

Suddenly, everything came flooding back. When he'd bumped into her in the hallway. The balloon knocking together. Him telling her to call him Louis. When she'd accidentally grabbed his arm. The time he grabbed her hand and they had defeated Philippe together. All their many balloon rides after the first one. All the times she'd felt so close to him she could hardly breathe. There had been times when she'd looked up into his brown eyes and couldn't move. All those things that had made her job as a musketeer even more important.

Louis noticed the blank look on her face "Are you okay?" he whispered worried.

Corinne snapped out of her reverie and stared at him.

Yep. It was the same boy. The same king. The same Louis. Her Louis.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she smiled "Louis!" She cried happily, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

Louis was shocked, but only for a second. He quickly returned the hug, not knowing if he'd ever be able to let her go now that he knew he had her again.

"Corinne." He said slowly.

She stepped back from him, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment "I'm sorry…" she mumbled, putting a bit more distance between them.

Louis grabbed her hands before she got any further away "Corinne." He said again, getting her to look at him "I…" her blue eyes unnerved him more than anything "I love you." He finally whispered.

Corinne's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open "You…do?"

He nodded, stepping closer to him "I think I always have."

Corinne looked down at her hands which were grasped in his. Then she met his gaze once again "I love you too." She said, then she smiled brightly "And as far as I can remember, I always have."

Louis laughed slightly, than quickly kissed her one last time.

He had her again. And this time, he wasn't going to lose her.

(A/N: Sorry if it was really long. But I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Thanks!)