Disclaimer: I do not own Young Blades or any of the characters in this story.

I have posted this on the Fan Fiction page of the UYB website.

Jacqueline was surrounded by several people but all she wanted was to be alone. Nothing made her happy any more. She felt useless to the garrison. Looking over towards d'Artagnan, she could still feel the sword that she killed him with in her hands. Jacqueline couldn't help it. She nodded to Duval and left the room in a hurry towards her room. She quickly locked the door and spread out on the bed. The only thing she felt like doing was getting on her knees in front of all her friends, and then beg for their forgiveness. But that would be impossible. It would certainly cause her secret to come out.

Knock, knock, knock.

Jacqueline looked over towards the door. "Go away, d'Artagnan."

D'Artagnan's voice answered her. "Not until you tell me what's wrong. Let me in."

"No. I will not let you into my room," Jacqueline said offended. The last time she allowed him into her room…only she and the lord know what happened.

"Don't make me go and get Siroc's tools."

Jacqueline groaned and opened the door a crack. "What do you want?"

D'Artagnan looked worried. "You can tell me what is wrong, Jacqueline," he whispered. "Let me in. I don't want a bad reputation."

Jacqueline rolled her eyes and stepped aside. D'Artagnan walked in. She shut the door behind him and locked it.

Turning with her arms crossed in front of her, she said grimly, "Nothing is wrong."

"You don't need to lie to me. I know you better than anyone else."

"Why? Is it because I'm a woman?" she said. She saw the hurt on his face wand quickly added, "I know you do, d'Artagnan. I'm just not in the mood to talk."

"Well, I have better qualities than having talking."

"Oh, really? Like what? Chasing women?" she said sarcastically.

"No, Jacqueline. I meant I have a shoulder to cry on," d'Artagnan replied. He studied her for a moment. "Did I do something to offend you? You've been nothing but hostile to me."

Jacqueline uncrossed her arms and sat on her bed. She hid her face in her hands as she whispered, "No, d'Artagnan. You've been perfect to me."

D'Artagnan sat down next to her. "Then what has made your usual happy nature to get turned totally in reverse?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"I think I would if you told me."

"Have you ever had dreams of how something can go before it happens?"

"What do you mean? Like daydreaming?"

"Sort of. Remember at the palace a while back when that man started to kill everyone with his invincible sword?"

"Gunther and his Notong. Yes, I remember."

"Well, when I flew and hit the wall, I had a vision."

D'Artagnan took her hand. "Go on." He stroked her palm with his fingers.

"Gunther went to stab me but Ramon jumped in the way. He ended up slicing Ramon across the abdomen before I could kill him. The next few days seemed like real life. Everything that happened seemed like it was really happening. I received the sword from the king and then I started to change."

"In what ways?"

"You are taking this surprisingly well."

D'Artagnan chuckled slightly. "If it was a dream, vision, and it didn't really happen, then we have you to thank. You saved all of our lives that day."

"Well, I started to be possessed by the sword…"

Jacqueline continued with her story telling d'Artagnan all she could remember from it. When she got to the part when he came into her room, she knew to tell him the truth.

"You came into my room to offer advice to me. You could see how I was changing. You told me that whatever I needed you to do, you'd do it. And then…"

"And then what? Did you pull out the sword and tell me to keep my distance?" d'Artagnan joked. His smile dropped when he saw how serious Jacqueline was.

"No, you said as a friend. Then I kissed you."

D'Artagnan's eyes widened. "You kissed me?"

Jacqueline blushed and refused to meet his eyes. "Yes. I kissed you. When we were lying on the bed together, I told you that the assassin had died while I was interrogating him and you jumped off the bed."

D'Artagnan nodded slowly.

"You said that it was evil. What I did was evil."

D'Artagnan nodded again. "But you said it yourself that it wasn't you. It was the sword that made you do it."

"It was. But what I did, I shouldn't have. Let me finish the story before anything else. I went to the king…"

After what felt like an hour, Jacqueline finally told him what she did to him.

"You were pleading for my life and I took away yours."

D'Artagnan had his arm around her as she softly cried against her shoulder. "Now I fully understand why you threw the sword in the lake. You were very brave that day, Jacqueline. It wasn't your fault for what happened."

"It was! I should have stopped it!"

"You couldn't. Shh, Jacqueline. I don't blame you," d'Artagnan soothed. He pulled the ponytail out of her hair and proceeded to stroke her hair to calm her down.

"You…you whispered something to me before…before…"

"What did I whisper?"

"You whispered that you loved me."

D'Artagnan's hand stopped moving for a second. "I do."

Jacqueline pulled away and looked in his eyes. "You do love me? After what happened?"

"I have loved you since the day I thought the king of England was going to take you away from me. I love you still after this, Jacqueline."

"D'Artagnan…"

"Don't worry. You don't have to say anything," d'Artagnan said. He wiped the tears that had fallen off her cheeks. "You should get some rest."

"No, d'Artagnan."

"What?"

"I don't want to rest. I want to talk to you some more. I want you to hold me."

D'Artagnan smiled at her. "Why do you want me to stay?"

"I love you too. You are the only man I have ever felt this way about. At first it scared me, but now I know what it is. I know that I love you more than anything, d'Artagnan."

D'Artagnan nodded. He pulled her up against him, safe in his arms. "I will always love you."