A/N OK, huge apologies are owed to you all! My initial exile from this story was forced on me, but then I found it very difficult to get back to it. I will finish this, I promise. Please keep the encouragement coming – it's the recent reviews and requests for more that have given me the kick up the backside to get on with this! I hope it was worth the wait.

Sorry, again. B xx

Chapter 10

"We are in desperate need of your protection. We entreat you to return to us and honour the name of your family."

The words kept repeating over and over in d'Artagnan's mind as they made their way to Pinon. The sentiment behind them was what she kept clinging too; the suggestion that Athos had been taken purely through the desperation of these people, and not to do him harm. Athos, evidently, had believed that he was being watched or followed by someone else, and had dismissed these letters as requests from a people that he did not believe he could help any more.

Aramis had briefly tried to argue with Treville that Athos may have been correct, but Treville, apparently, had been taking his duties as Athos' carer seriously in their absence from Paris, and had been sending people to check on him regularly. One of his 'spies' had seen the musketeer being taken out of the city.

Of course, like everywhere else they needed to get to in a hurry, the journey to Pinon had taken them almost a day, and Charline was completely tense with fear as they covered the last couple of miles.

None of them had spoken much since they had left Paris.

"Move!" Porthos suddenly shouted from the head of the group, kicking his horse into a gallop. The others quickly followed suit, and d'Artagnan quickly garnered the reason for the change of pace. She could hear shouting through the trees on their right, telling her that they'd finally reached Pinon, but sending a bolt of horror through her that they may have been too late.

Rounding the corner into the village, the first thing d'Artagnan saw was several horses in retreat, hurrying out the other end of the small cluster of buildings, then a man lying on the floor. Several people stood around, looking scared or horrified, and many of them were gaping either at the four musketeers who had just stormed into their village, or at the thing that was hanging from a wooden frame in front of the sun, making it difficult for d'Artagnan to see what exactly it was.

She squinted at it, barely noticing when Aramis and Porthos threw themselves from the saddle, a loud curse from Porthos as they did, and ran towards the swinging effigy.

"Captain, you and d'Artagnan take that man inside and clean up his wounds," Aramis shouted as they ran.

Charline barely heard. Her brain was suddenly stupid, and she was staring uncomprehendingly as her two brothers reached their target and started working to pull it down. She couldn't seem to think clearly, although something in her brain was screaming to get through to awareness.

"D'Artagnan, let's go," Treville said from the ground next to her. She nodded vaguely at him, and swung herself from the saddle, moving to help him. A few villagers had brought themselves over to help the man up, and the group started making its way towards a tavern on the far side from the open space from where Aramis and Porthos had gone. D'Artagnan moved slowly behind them.

As they entered the gloom of the tavern, Charline threw a glance over her shoulder to see if Porthos and Aramis were following them yet, and for the first time she could see clearly what was going on.

She swallowed the scream that made its way out of the throat, but could not stop herself from running back across the open space, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. The sight of Aramis and Porthos lifting down Athos' body from where he had clearly been hanging was one that she knew instantly would stay with her.

"Athos," she gasped as she reached them, throwing herself to her knees beside where he now lay on the ground. "Athos!"

Her voice betrayed her panic, and Porthos quickly grabbed her shoulders. "He's ok, d'Artagnan. He'll be fine!"

"But he was hanging…"

Porthos looked at her in horror as he realised what he had thought. "By his wrists, d'Artagnan. His wrists. They were going to whip him, I think. He's fine."

Her hand was shaking as it flew to her mouth, the sob only just covered. Her eyes flew over Athos in a frantic attempt to see for herself that Porthos was speaking the truth. Aramis stood from the other side and called out to the remaining villagers who had hung around to head into the tavern, and that the Comte was fine and would join them shortly. While he spoke, d'Artagnan's hands began to follow her eyes over Athos' form, fluttering over him, afraid to touch but desperately needing to feel his warmth. The moment she had realised that the thing hanging from the wooden structure had been Athos, she had assumed in devastation that he had been hanged, that they had been too late, and that she had lost him.

After a few desperate moments, Athos groaned and his eyes began to flutter open.

"Athos? You with us?" Porthos asked. D'Artagnan couldn't speak.

"P'thos," Athos groaned, squinting to look at his friend. "Head hurts."

"Stop complaining, old man," Aramis shoved an arm under Athos and made him sit up. "You're absolutely fine. We came to your rescue, as normal."

"Athos?" d'Artagnan's voice was small when it finally came out, and Athos turned his head to look at her, clearly still a little fuzzy.

"d'Artagnan," he breathed, reaching out to grasp her hand.

"Here," Porthos was suddenly holding a cup of water under Athos' nose. Charline hadn't even noticed him moving away. "Clear your head."

Athos drank the water greedily, then guzzled another cup before refusing a third. He pulled himself to his feet, and his three companions followed suit.

"Aramis, Porthos," Athos voice was gruff, and his eyes were boring into d'Artagnan's. "Please go ahead and head into the tavern with everyone else. D'Artagnan and I will join you in a few moments."

With a snort and a pat on the back for Athos between them, the two musketeers left them standing in the sun, staring at each other. Abruptly, Athos turned away and started walking towards a building that stood behind them, and was clearly empty. Heart pounding, Charline quickly followed him.

She watched as he disappeared behind the structure, and she quickened her pace to catch up with him. As she stepped into the shadows afforded by the building's height, Athos' hand reached out and latched onto her wrist, pulling her into his arms.

Her hands immediately tangled themselves in his hair as their mouths found each other desperately. Athos's arms slid around her waist and puller her impossibly tighter against him. They kissed like this for several moments, both of them wrecked by the emotions of seeing each other for the first time in so long, and in such circumstances.

"I missed you, Charline," Athos was whispering against her skin as his mouth tracked across her cheek and down to her jaw. This time she couldn't stop the sobs when they hit. Athos pulled his head back and looked at her in concern. "What is it?"

"I thought…"she shook her head, not wanting to say it. Athos was looking at her in confusion, though, so she stroked her hands down his cheeks and leaned forward to rest her forehead on his chin while she pulled herself together. Athos hands were trailing gently down her sides, offering comfort. Eventually she pulled back up and looked at him, cupping his face in her hands and pressing a kiss gently to his sad mouth. "I couldn't see properly," she whispered. "I didn't see that it was you, and when I saw you being brought down, I thought, I thought…"

"Oh, d'Artagnan," Athos looked devastated as he pulled her into a tight embrace. She tucked her face into his neck as he leaned back against the building, resting the two of them for several moments. "I'm fine, sweetheart. I promise."

"I love you," d'Artagnan said, still squashed against him. She was basking in his warmth, in the smell of him after being away for so long. The arms that held her so securely felt like home, and she didn't want to leave again.

"I love you too. More than anything."

Their moment of sad reflection was quickly overtaken by passion once again, as Athos took Charline's face in his hands, pulling her out from her hiding spot, pressing their lips together once again. As the kiss deepened, d'Artagnan pressed her body against him, forcing him tightly against the wall as his hands began to roam her back.

"I can't even tell you how badly I want you right now," Athos practically growled against her.

"Then have me," she said lightly. She laughed lightly at the look on his face when he pulled away for a moment.

"Don't tempt me," he mumbled, before pressing their lips back together and very deliberately running his hands over her backside, squeezing gently when she gasped into his mouth.

"Athos," she whispered. "Please."

"We have to stop, d'Artagnan," Athos moaned back, making no effort to move away.

"I know," she whimpered. While neither of them ended it, the kiss did eventually simmer down to light pressed of lips against each other, then lips against cheeks, eyelids, foreheads.

"We have to go and join the others," Charline said quietly, as Athos' lips pressed against her jaw.

Athos sighed loudly, then tipped his head back to lean on the wall. Charline stroked her hands up and down his arms, sharing his frustration.

"If you don't stop that I'm never going to be able to move away from here," Athos said dryly.

"Oh, sorry," d'Artagnan giggled, stepping out of his embrace. "Better?"

"No," he scowled.

She laughed aloud. "Come on. The sooner we deal with this mess, the sooner we can continue our reunion, in a more private setting."

Athos's head fell forward and he looked at her. She smiled at him, but he didn't return it. Instead he looked intently at her, his expression giving away nothing.

"What?" d'Artagnan asked eventually, squirming a little under the intensity of the gaze.

"Marry me."

Her mouth dropped open. "Sorry?"

"Marry me."

"But, I, we…" Charline didn't know what to say. She knew what she wanted, but she also knew what it would mean. Evidently, Athos did too.

"I don't want to do this anymore, Charline. I don't want to have to hide around corners to touch you, or check nobody is watching before I kiss you, or even make sure we're alone before I say what I want to. I love you. You are my entire life, and I would happily give all of this up to live in the country with you, be your husband and raise our children."

"Athos," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

"I don't want to go through this again; to be separated at the whim of the King and have to sit and wait for us to be reunited. I don't want us both to get sent off to war, and spend years hoping that we both survive. I don't want you to have to hide who you are anymore, and I don't want nobody else to be able to see the beauty of the woman I love. So please, d'Artagnan, when this is over, and when we've dealt with Milady de Winter, will you please kill Charles and become Charline, and be mine?"

She laughed through the tears that were streaming down her face, and was shocked to notice that Athos' eyes were not dry either. She had thought that the decision to give all of this up would have been a difficult one, but everything that Athos had just said to her was what she wanted too. She didn't doubt it for one second.

"I'm already yours, Athos," she said. "And I can't wait to marry you."

She squealed as he suddenly reached forward and lifted her off her feet and into his arms. "You won't regret this, d'Artagnan, I promise," he said as he put her back on her feet.

"I know," she grinned at him.

"Come on," he said, moving back around the building. "We better wash our faces in that water trough and head inside."

Charline followed him, looking over this man who would be her husband. Who would be the father of the children that she suddenly realised she craved. Soon, they would live together honestly, with no more need to decide who she was, and no more need to hide who they were.

A sudden shiver shook her out of her happy thoughts and put a frown on her face. She tried to shake the ominous feeling off. She would marry him, and she would do it soon. Finally, they would be free to be happy.

They just had to survive until then.

A/N As if it would be that simple! More to come… B xx