Juliette hadn't been in this place for quite some time, not since Mathieu died.
She didn't think they still used it.
She was woken from her thoughts when she felt D'Artagnan standing beside her, anger radiating from him.
"Time to pay the reckoning for Cornet" Aramis spoke as he splashed water on Dujon, who awoke from his unconsciousness with a startle, confusion and fear.
"And I bet he's gonna say I have no idea what you're talking about" Porthos said as he came up beside Aramis.
"And then we'll have to hurt him" Aramis quipped.
Juliette couldn't help but grin at the exchange happening in front of her. She didn't realise how much she had missed their interrogation banter.
"At which point he'll suddenly remember he killed him. Why wait? Let's just hurt him now" Porthos had a menacing glint in his eye.
"It could go like that. Or we could just skip to the confessions part. It would save us time and you pain. A lot of pain" Aramis got down to Dujon's level and took a little bit of enjoyment from dangling the amount of pain in front of him.
"I was just following orders" Dujon sounded as terrified as he looked.
"He was just following orders" Porthos looked at Aramis amused as he spoke.
"Oh we better let him go then" Aramis joked as he looked at Porthos then back to Dujon.
"I can't tell you. They'll kill me" Porthos picked Dujon by his collar at this statement, the witty banter dropped momentarily and anger replacing it.
"No need for that. We're not brutes. We'll just shoot him" Aramis half-joked. Juliette could feel D'Artagnan tensing slightly beside her.
"What? No. Listen. You can't. Please" Dujon's voice was becoming frantic as Porthos tied him to the pole.
"You know? People say I'm quite good with these" Aramis spoke as he retrieved his musket from the corner of the barn.
"Good? He's the best. He's so modest" Porthos grinned at Dujon as he spoke, before stepping away to join Aramis.
"But the musket isn't the most reliable weapon. From 100 yards, I'll probably miss as often as I hit. From 50, well, I rarely miss. But from 10? It's just a matter of which vital organ do I choose to hit first" Aramis made it a point to clear and load the musket right in front of a now absolutely petrified Dujon. Red Guards really aren't a stoic bunch.
"No. No. No, please listen. Listen" Dujon feebly attempted to reason with them.
"Heart?" Porthos asked.
"Too soft. Liver perhaps? Or a stomach shot? Death is inevitable but you'll bleed for hours first" Juliette quipped as she placed a hand on D'Artagnan's arm.
"They aren't really going to shoot him are they?" D'Artagnan asked Juliette quietly.
"No," she whispered back, "But he doesn't know that,"
"You can't. This is murder" Dujon almost cried as Aramis pointed the musket at him.
"We won't tell if you won't" Porthos said as he stepped towards Dujon.
Dujon closed his eyes in fear and disbelief that the Musketeers would do something so cold-blooded.
"Bang" Porthos couldn't resist whispering in Dujon's ear, causing the Red Guard to jump.
"Oh. I forgot to load the ball. This time" Aramis laughed as he made sure Dujon saw him actually place the pellet in the musket.
"It was Captain Gaudet" Dujon blurted out just as Aramis made to aim his weapon.
"Of the Red Guards?" Porthos angrily asked.
"He told us to do it. He told us he wanted a few men for a special mission. Something unofficial. An ambush to steal the King's letters. But Gaudet went mad. He killed them all. None of us knew it would be murder" Dujon seemed almost relieved as he spilled the secret to his sworn enemy.
"You took this from Cornet?" Porthos showing Dujon the Spanish coin.
"His saddle bag were full of Spanish gold. Gaudet said we could share it between us" Dujon offered.
"Who murdered my father? Who?" D'Artagnan shouted as he ran towards Dujon.
"Gaudet. It was Gaudet. He did it to blacken Athos' name. I'm not like him. I'm not a killer. I'm a soldier, like you" Dujon flinched as he spoke, relief evident on his face when Porthos pulled the young man off him. Juliette reached out and took D'Artagnan from the older man, her hand never leaving his. She knew of the heartache D'Artagnan was feeling, and she knew there was nothing she could do to ease it. So, she settled for just gripping his hand tight. Human contact always helped, however small it may be.
"Where is Gaudet now?" Aramis asked as Porthos held Dujon up by his throat.
"He's camped just outside the city gates. I'll show you where. Just don't kill me" Dujon managed to say under Porthos' grip.
"That wasn't so hard now was it?" Aramis patted Porthos' arm as he spoke, signalling to him that he needed to let go of the man.
Both men turned and faced the two younger companions.
"Don't even think about it," Juliette said rather harshly before anyone could speak.
"Juliette, you cannot come with us this time," Aramis tried to reason.
"Athos is mine just as much as he is yours," Juliette huffed as she challenged Aramis.
"I think you should listen to them," D'Artagnan said as he slowly let go of her hand, "It will be bloody,"
Juliette flinched slightly at the tone to which D'Artagnan said the last phrase.
All eyes fell on Porthos, as he was the only one yet to speak.
"Don't," Juliette uttered meekly. She could tell be the look on Porthos' face that he was going to agree with the others.
"I can't let you come with us," his words being exactly what Juliette didn't want to hear.
"That's funny," she chuckled with no real emotion, "Because I don't recall asking for permission from any of you,"
"Athos would be the first to tell you that you shouldn't come with," Aramis hoped the thought of Athos would get her to agree.
"He says that every time," Juliette responded dryly, "and you know he caves almost every time,"
"Juliette…" Porthos patted Aramis on the shoulder and tilted his head in Juliette's direction, signalling him to get ready for the outburst that was coming next.
They had seen it building in Juliette. She loved her boys more than life itself, and when one of them was in danger she took it hard.
"He's not here!" she shouted.
No one said anything, they just stood there waiting.
Juliette took one look at Porthos and what was left of her resolve broke, "Please don't make me stay,"
Aramis rushed forward and caught her before she fell to the ground, her tears soaking into his clothes as she buried her head in his shoulder.
"Athos is precisely the reason we need you to stay behind," Aramis spoke softly, still holding on to her, "You know that no one can get through to him but you,"
"You're just saying that so I don't fight you on this. You don't think I can handle a little blood," Juliette said as she began to untangle herself from Aramis.
"He needs you," Porthos' voice causing her to look at him, "More than we do right now,"
That seemed to be the magic words, because Juliette stood, gave a small smile and made her way out of the barn.
She stopped as she made it to the doorway and turned back to look at the three men, "Don't leave me,"
D'Artagnan was very confused by her choice of statement, not knowing the significance of such a simple request.
"Never," came the reply from Porthos.
"Never," Aramis echoed.
Satisfied, Juliette turned and headed out in search of the Captain. She desperately needed his fatherly support right now.
Sensing D'Artagnan's confusion, Aramis turned to face him.
"Now's not the time," he spoke before D'Artagnan had a chance to ask, "We'll explain later,"
"Well come on," came Porthos' impatient voice from the doorway, "The Red Guards won't wait forever,"