Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to either Alexandre Dumas or his descendents.

Warning: This chapter contains non-consesual sex between two adults. You have been warned.


Chapter Nine: Judge and Jury

The endearment tasted like ash on his lips.

"Waiting on me Athos?" Elizabeth sounded confused. An actress through and through, Athos thought to himself. "How did you know I was coming? And how come you're free?"

Athos ignored the last question, the answer to that would be apparent soon enough without him needing to spell it out. "The Comte let some things slip, and I asked to see you for a moment."

"And he let you?" She shook her head, "That doesn't seem like him."

"Oh, we have an understanding now." Athos looked at her sideways, "You've led an interesting life haven't you?"

Elizabeth gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "I can explain-"

"How long have you known the Count?" Athos interrupted her.

"He was not a Count when I met him, Athos, simply a man, his real name is-"

"How long Elizabeth?"

"Seven years, but I haven't seen him in-"

"No more lies!" He roared, his temper finally obvious, "You've been playing both sides. Helping your cousins, it was a great story, or it would have been. Jesus, do you even have an uncle?"

"Yes, and he was murdered! Please Athos," Elizabeth was near tears. "I don't know what you have been told, or what you think you know, but I am who I say I am. Nothing more, nothing less."

Athos almost believed her, but years of bitterness had hardened his heart. "So you weren't sent to bring us here?"

"No."

"You're trying to seek justice for the murder of your uncle?"

"Yes."

"You and the Count have not had... liaisons?"

"No... well, yes, we've... but it wasn't really a liaison-" Elizabeth was trying to defend herself. What to call a few kisses shared? A moment? An affair? Lord, she'd nearly married the man, how to explain that? It wouldn't be easy, but Athos beat her to the punch.

"You've been his lover!"

"No!"

"Yes!" Athos was in a fury, and not Elizabeth, nor his friends, nor even God could have stopped him at that point, he was in too deep. He advanced on her, "You have been with him, you Jezebel. You have lain in his arms and felt his passion. You've felt his lips on yours and begged him for more." His voice was harsh with fury. Elizabeth wanted to deny it, but it would have been a lie, "You've craved his touch, and you deceived us."

"No Athos, please, you must believe me. I didn't realize-"

"What? That I'd find out, that your treachery would be discovered?" Athos backed her into the wall, "That I'd seek revenge dearest Lizzy?"

Elizabeth gasped in shock and Athos swooped down on her mouth. His kiss was brutal, ravaging. It was driven by rage, lust, and above all, jealousy. It was obvious how he felt. He took no mercy, nor did he expect a gentle reaction. He was not disappointed. Athos swore loudly and spit blood when Elizabeth bit down on his lip. He snarled, "You'll pay for that, sweeting."

Elizabeth's eyes were still wide with shock, but her voice was curiously empty. "You called me Lizzy." She repeated the phrase like a mantra as Athos looped the chains around her wrists over a sconce in the wall. "You called me Lizzy." She said it even as he jerked her head back and buried his mouth on hers again. His tongue thrust into her mouth, silencing her, and he prepared to pull back if she showed any sign of becoming once again violent. But she was surprisingly complacent. She hung limp from her chains.

"You called me Lizzy."

The words echoed in Athos' ears as he ripped the front of her under-dress open and he had the insane urge to tell her to shut up. What did it matter what he had called her. This was his revenge, he could call her whatever he damned well wanted to. He palmed her breasts roughly as he opened the buttons on his pants, then lifted her skirt to her waist. His hips pressed against the cradle of her thighs roughly as he leaned his head down to bite a nipple. Elizabeth gasped, and Athos prepared himself to hear her beg for mercy. This would be his moment. He'd pause, as if to consider, give her a moment of reprieve, then he'd snatch away her hope as she had done to him.

But she never did. The plea never came. She just kept repeating those damned words in his ear. His temper flared brighter. He had only meant to scare her, but all thoughts save one fled from his mind. Who was she to rob him of his revenge? It was his right, she had played him for a fool. His lust, held in check for so many years, sprang to life. Here was the opportunity to take with his body what he'd been too cowardly to take with his sword with Ann. He should have killed that bitch himself, all those many years ago, but this one here, this one was his here and now.

He poised his erection at the entrance to her womanhood for a long moment. Was he really willing to throw his honor, his nobility, his decency away for one slip of a girl? It would be a betrayal of everything he had once stood for. Could he take that last irrevocable step? Damn right he would. "For you Ann," he growled low in his throat before pulling back to thrust himself inside her.

She may have screamed, but he didn't hear it. She may have struggled then, but he didn't feel it. His world was suddenly centered around the pulse point of heat where his loins joined with hers. He groaned, a half mad sound that issued from the back of his throat and rumbled from his lips. He pulled himself back, then sank himself into her tight warmth. It was difficult, she was very rigid and her body was not prepared for his invasion. He could feel her body against his, twisting and writhing away from him, but he finished despite it, throwing his head back and groaning his satisfaction to the gods of lust.

He sank against her, his cheek against hers as he caught his breath. It wasn't her shudders that snapped his mind back to reality, it was the salty wetness he felt fall onto his lips. He pulled back to see tears streaming down her face. She had turned away from him, as much as she could with her arms still imprisoned above her. For a brief moment Athos felt remorse for what he'd done, but the prejudice and hatred for her sex that he'd harbored for nearly twenty years reasserted itself with a vengeance.

"You needn't bother crying." He pointed out, rather politely he thought, "Your tears won't work on me."

She ignored him.

He sighed to himself. He would simply wait her out. He crossed over to a chair nearby and sank into it, taking the moment to appreciate her womanly assets he'd missed in his haste before. Her breasts were really quite marvelous, full and round, yet still pert and high. Her skin was smooth and flawless, all the way up the graceful arch of her neck. Her lips were red from his kisses and her eyes...

Athos pulled back, startled by the hatred burning inside her. "I will never forgive you for this Athos." She swore, and despite the fact that she was his prisoner, at least for the moment, he felt as though he were at her mercy. He regained his composure.

"Forgive me?" He scoffed openly and rose from his chair to cross to her, "I am not the one who has betrayed her friends."

"You accuse me of betrayal after what you just did?"

Athos raised an eyebrow, "Are you suggesting I betrayed you?"

"It certainly looks that way from here." She jutted her chin to indicate her imprisonment and her state of undress.

Athos slammed a hand into the wall beside her head. "Come clean Lizzy, how long have you known this Count?"

Elizabeth turned her head away from him and Athos used his free hand to turn it back. "Ah, Lizzy, you thought you had us all fooled with your pleas and your plight. We were suspicious of you from the beginning, all except Porthos." A sly look passed across his face, "By the by, how long has he been a part of your little plot?"

Elizabeth gasped in outrage, "Neither Porthos or I are a part of any imaginary plot against you, you paranoid son of a pig-swilling bastard!" She pulled her head back and spit on his face. With a certain amount of satisfaction she stated, "And my name is not Lizzy."

Athos raised his hand to her. "Go ahead," she growled, "I'd expect nothing less from you. Here, I'll even turn my cheek." She suited action to words and when he didn't strike her she laughed, a hollow sound that grated against his memories of her true mirth, "You can rape me, but you can't hit me, what a paradox you are Musketeer."

At the way she said 'Musketeer', Athos grinned without any real humor, "I hate to disappoint you love, but that's not an epithet."

"Don't call me love. You're a disgrace to the Musketeers, I'm sure you would be cast out of your noble order if they knew what you just did."

Athos opened his mouth to reply, but the door to the chamber opened and Gustav entered with a number of other guards. They were followed closely by the Count.

"Ah, my dear friend," he walked over to Athos, "I trust you used your time well?"

Athos met him halfway across the room. "Yes, and you will keep your end of the bargain?"

"Of course." The Count smiled an oily thing that made Elizabeth shudder in revulsion.

"I don't know what he's told you Athos, but you can't trust him." She bit out, "Philippe has a long history of deception."

"My dear girl, you wound me with your sharp tongue." The Count held a hand to his heart in mock pain. "Athos made this bargain with little assistance from me." The Count lied.

"Bargain?" Elizabeth started as Gustav released her hands for above her head, then she turned suddenly on Athos, "You did this to me, for him? For him!?!"

Athos took perverse pleasure in explaining the situation to her, "He made me an offer I couldn't refuse, our freedom, and all I had to do was this." He touched a hand to her cheek and watched in fascination as she jerked from his touch. "I must admit, I think I got the better end of the bargain."

Elizabeth stood straighter, obviously trying to hide an inner pain. "I hope you got that in writing, he isn't known for keeping his word."

"Still sore over that are we Lizzy?" The Count asked, "That was years ago."

"It's hard to forget a murder Philippe." She pointed out.

"Murder?" Athos asked.

"Not if you try hard enough it's not. I had no particular problem doing it." The Count clapped suddenly, "Back to your cells then?"

As Gustav put chains back on Athos he protested, "I thought we had deal?" he pointed out.

"Oh did we?" the Count made a show of tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "I forget these things sometimes. Come along then, Athos, Lizzy."

Athos leapt forward but was caught by two guards, "You lying bastard!"

Elizabeth refrained from an 'I told you so', but her eyes stated the fact plainly enough for all to see. "Don't call me Lizzy." She said almost as an afterthought.