They'd used all their ammunition.

Ellie had fired the last one, only just hitting her target.

Ellie sat down against the wall furthest away from the wall, resting her head on her knees as Porthos and D'Artagnan tried to work out what to do.

Ellie turned them out, closing her eyes and sighing. She'd pulled her necklace out from within her doublet and was twisting the ring on the end of it around and around.

D'Artagnan sat down next to her, Porthos on her right.

No one said anything.

D'Artagnan, noticing how subdued she'd become, put an arm on her knee. She put her arm through his, putting her hand on top of his and rested her head on his shoulder.

"After all the battles I've been in," Porthos said quietly, "I cannot believe that this is how I'm going to die…" he chuckled, "watching the last barrel of wine spill into the dirt."

"I'm sorry about that, by the way," D'Artagnan replied.

Porthos nodded. "I know." He sighed. "Death is mocking me."

Silence fell over them again and Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking away the tears.

D'Artagnan squeezed her hand tightly. "You know, we're not going to die today," he said suddenly.

"Optimist," Ellie teased quietly, nudging his shoulder.

"You might want to tell them that," Porthos said, nodding to the street outside.

D'Artagnan shook his head. "I'm not ready, not here, not like this, not now. I've too much left to do. And I can't die without seeing Constance's face one last time, can I? Or laying eyes on the children we'll have together…seeing them play…holding them in my arms…and teaching them how to fight and shoot…and love. No, this is not my day."

Porthos sighed. "I have none of that," he said sadly. "No wife, no children, no – one." He put an arm around Ellie. "Unlike you, Els."

Ellie paused, looking up at the wall in front of her as she pressed her lips together. "I need to tell you something," Ellie said softly.

Porthos looked at her, frowning. "What is it?"

Ellie sighed, hand pulling on her necklace. "Brujon and I." She paused. "We got married last year."

D'Artagnan and Porthos stared at her. Ellie turned to look at them, unsure of their reaction.

"I'm so happy for you," D'Artagnan said, pulling Ellie against him in a hug.

"Same here," Porthos replied, giving Ellie a smile. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

Ellie shrugged. "Nervous, I guess. Didn't really know how to tell you."

"I'm proud of you, Ellie," Porthos said, reaching over and squeezing her knee.

Ellie nodded, smiling. "I don't want to die," she said suddenly, her smile falling. "I mean, if it does happen, then I'll be content…but I don't want to die without him." She shook her head as the two men looked at her sadly.

"We'll all have a family one day," D'Artagnan said, kissing Ellie's head.

Porthos nodded. "And I won't let anyone take that away from us. They won't kill us today."

The three of them paused, glancing at each other.

"WE REFUSE TO DIE!"

Porthos and D'Artagnan stood up, pulling Ellie to her feet. Ellie straightened her doublet and sighed, standing up straight.

Before any of them could move, an explosion came from behind them.

Ellie fell forward, the blast throwing her into the floor. D'Artagnan coughed as Porthos helped him to his feet, both of them scrambling over to Ellie and pulling her to her feet as she struggled to keep standing. Ellie stumbled as Porthos dragged them over to the door.

But before they got there, another explosion was set off – this one directly in front of them.

It threw them all back, away from the door, and into the wall behind as the building began to collapse around them.

Ellie felt herself land painfully on a pile of rubble as the ceiling came crashing down around her. Something hit her head and she fell into darkness.

~ 0 ~

Athos turned his horse towards the building as it collapsed, charging through a wheat field. He had refused to panic before, but he allowed himself to now. His friends, no his family, were under the rubble, potentially dead.

Behind him, Brujon was trying not to let his emotions show as he charged towards where his wife was. He didn't want to show how worried he was, but his heart was hammering in his chest as they rode into the building.

Brujon didn't wait for Athos to give him an order, following his captain as he scrambled up the rubble, yelling for anyone to answer.

He couldn't face life without her.

He'd saved her once; he could save her again.

~ 0 ~

It'd been two hours and their urgency had died down.

They likelihood of anyone being alive under the building was decreasing. Athos had moved away, refusing to look at the rubble as he tried to contemplate the fact that he would be finding their bodies. Treville was standing next to him, trying to think of anything to say to him to make it seem better.

The cadets were still searching through the rubble, moving bricks and beams away. Even now, rubble was still settling, the occasional shift of the bricks causing beams to fall and rocks to tumble down.

Brujon paused for a moment, trying not to think of the possibility that he'd be the one to find the body of his wife.

~ 0 ~

Under the rubble, Porthos was slowly coming to.

He groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he felt the full force of the beams crushing him against the ground. He turned his head and caught sight of D'Artagnan's hand, his ring glinting in the small gap of light coming through. Slowly, he reached out a hand, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly.

"D'Artagnan," he groaned, trying to wake his friend up. "Please, please, please, D'Artagnan. Please."

D'Artagnan remained silent and still and Porthos sobbed a little.

"D'Artagnan, please," he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut.

Suddenly, D'Artagnan squeezed his hand back, grunting in pain.

"Porthos," he groaned, shifting against the rubble. "Ellie?"

D'Artagnan and Porthos tried looking around them, the action made harder by being trapped by rubble.

"Ellie!" D'Artagnan exclaimed, his voice hoarse, as he caught sight of her hair, covered in dust.

D'Artagnan reached out a hand for her, somehow managing to find her shoulder. He shook her gently, her body rocking lifelessly.

"Ellie!" D'Artagnan called, shaking her. "Ellie, come on, please."

Ellie didn't move. D'Artagnan's shaking had turned her head to face him and he could see her closed eyes, face covered in dirt, blood leaking down the side of her face.

"Ellie, please," he whispered, his voice cracking. He fell back against the bricks, tears falling down his face. "Please, please, don't do this."

D'Artagnan sobbed, his hand falling back, brushing against Ellie's face. Porthos watched, silently crying as D'Artagnan held on to his hand tightly, trying to comfort him.

Suddenly, Ellie groaned, her eyes squeezing tightly shut as she woke up. She waved a hand around blindly, grasping D'Artagnan's tightly as he grabbed it.

"We're here," D'Artagnan said, squeezing her hand.

Ellie coughed, struggling to breathe with the beams pining her down. "It's not our day," she whispered, wincing.

"WE REFUSE TO DIE!"

~ 0 ~

Above them, Athos slowly turned to face the rubble, eyes wide in disbelief.

One look at Treville confirmed that he too had heard the yell.

Athos ran over to the rubble, scrambling up the pile of rubble, throwing bricks away from where he'd heard the yell.

Brujon moved a large piece of wood and suddenly Athos could see Porthos, wincing at the light. Athos reached in and pulled his friend out the rubble and into the light, embracing him tightly, albeit briefly.

"You took your time," Porthos grunted as he squinted against the light. "D'Artagnan, Elle."

Athos crouched back down, disappearing inside and helping D'Artagnan out, letting him leaning against him as he tried to catch his breath.

D'Artagnan fell against the rubble, wincing as his rib ached from being crushed. Treville crouched down nest to him, putting a hand on his shoulder as he cough.

"Ellie," D'Artagnan wheezed.

Athos bent down and crawled back inside. He had to crawl further in to find Ellie, pushing a wooden beam out the way and lifting a few bricks out of the way.

He found her and pulled her out from under the beam she was wedged, hugging her tightly despite the confined space.

Ellie grasped Athos tightly as he helped her out, clinging to him as she tried not to sob with relief. She all but fell out into the air, landing on D'Artagnan as her legs gave way, her energy fading

Brujon was suddenly by her side, helping her up and leaning her against the rubble, wiping some of the dust off her face.

Ellie wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she let out a small sob. Brujon wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. He glanced over at D'Artagnan, catching him watching the two of them fondly.

Athos sighed, putting a hand on Ellie's back as he looked around at D'Artagnan and Porthos – bruised but alive.

Treville sighed as he opened the letter he'd just been handed. "Gaston has escaped the Bastille," Treville said, bringing the two back to reality. "And the King and Aramis haven't returned from the mausoleum." Treville looked down at Athos. "This is not a coincidence."

"We ride for Saint-Denis," Athos said, clambering over the rubble, pulling Porthos to his feet.

Treville helped D'Artagnan to his feet, steadying him as he swayed. D'Artagnan climbed over the rubble, holding a hand out for Ellie. She grasped it and D'Artagnan caught her as she fell into him.

"You good?" He asked, staring at her pale, dust streaked face. She had a deep cut at the side of her head, blood matting with her hair and she had several scratches across her face and neck.

Ellie nodded, holding onto D'Artagnan tightly. "I'll be fine. We," D'Artagnan caught her as her knees buckled, "we need to go."

D'Artagnan nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist, Brujon taking up her other side as they walked over to the horses. Athos called over Brujon and, after a moment's hesitation, kissed Ellie on the cheek and went to see what he wanted. D'Artagnan helped Ellie onto a horse, steadying her as she swayed in the saddle.

"I'm good," she said quietly, picking up the reins and shaking her head slightly.

D'Artagnan, unconvinced, headed towards his horse, watching, concerned, as Ellie began riding after Athos.

The adrenaline began to kick in as they frantically rode for Saint-Denis.

Ellie was focusing more on Aramis' life being in danger than the throbbing pain in her head and ribs.

She was, however, grateful that Treville was riding alongside her, just in case she did suddenly pass out and fall off her horse.

As they rode through the archway outside Saint-Denis, Ellie pulled out her pistol, expertly clicking the safety off without dropping it.

She could see the numerous men hiding behind the gravestones, firing at where Aramis and the King were hiding behind a wall. As she rode past one, she fired her pistol, hitting him in the chest.

Ellie had never been so surprised in her life as when she saw the King helping Aramis shoot at Grimaud's men, laughing in enjoyment.

She slowed her horse down as they rode past Aramis and the King, firing her pistol at one man who was trying to get a sneak shot in.

Ellie jumped down from her horse, picking up two fresh pistols and covering Aramis and the King as they ran past them.

"Get the King back to the palace, we'll cover you," Treville ordered, grabbing to spare pistols.

Ellie ducked behind a wall as one man aimed at her, the shot bouncing off the wall just in front of her head

Treville fired and without hesitating, Aramis and Louis rode past. Ellie kept an eye on the men as they turned towards Louis, shooting at any who turned their pistols towards them.

Once Aramis and Louis had disappeared from view, Ellie abandoned her pistols, drawing her sword and charging at the men still standing.

She met one with fierce ferocity, sparks flying as their swords met. She parried every attack he came at her with, even as he pushed her back towards the tombstones and to where D'Artagnan and Athos were finishing off their own opponents.

Ellie stumbled as she tripped over a body but kept herself, standing, dropping to her knees and stabbing upwards at the man.

He fell backwards as Ellie pulled her sword out and stood up, panting hard.

Looking around, the rest of the men had surrendered, throwing their weapons down as the cadets rounded them up.

Ellie was breathing hard as she turned to look at D'Artagnan, Porthos and Athos, checking they were alright. She dropped her sword as her energy left her and went to take a step forward only to fall down into the grass, barely making an effort to stop her fall.

D'Artagnan was suddenly in front of her, sitting her up and letting her lean against him as she fought the urge to just pass out in his arms.

"Ellie," Porthos said as he bent down next to her, gently grabbing her face in his hands. "Ellie, look at me, come on."

Slowly, Ellie focused on him, her body slipping forward as her eyes shut for a second. Porthos caught her and gently pushed her back into D'Artagnan as she struggled to stay upright.

"I'm fine," Ellie muttered, shaking her head and blinking. "I'm fine."

"You're really not," D'Artagnan replied, shifting so that she was fully leaning against him.

Ellie waved a hand clumsily. "I will be."

Athos was suddenly where Porthos had been and Ellie blinked, trying to work out where he'd come from.

"Can you ride?" He asked, his eyes scanning her face.

Ellie nodded, gesturing for D'Artagnan to help her up. D'Artagnan grabbed Ellie's hand and pulled her to her feet, catching her as her knees buckled, surprised by the sudden movement.

"As long as someone catches me should I fall, I'm good," Ellie replied, exhaling slowly as she tried to still her spinning head.

"Should? I think you mean when," Porthos muttered, shaking his head as he took Ellie's other side, putting a hand around her waist and helping her over to her horse.

~ 0 ~

Ellie wasn't really with it as they found Feron dead under a tree, Louis standing next to him. She didn't remember riding up to the palace, the journey a blur of pain and houses rushing past.

Porthos tapped Ellie's leg as they came to a stop outside the palace. She looked down at him and painfully swung her leg over, letting him lift her down.

"I'm good," Ellie said quietly, holding onto Porthos a little longer than usual. Porthos nodded and let her slowly walk away, hovering behind her in case she fell.

Aramis hadn't been best pleased when he found out what had happened to them all. Athos had been attacked by Grimaud that morning and was still recovering from that when he had to ride off to rescue the three being crushed to death by a building.

All four of them knew they were going to have to put up with Aramis fussing over them as soon as they got back to the garrison but, for once, they weren't complaining.

Seeing Ellie falter as she walked up the stairs, D'Artagnan silently offered her his arm, letting her leaning on him as they neared Treville's office.

As soon as they entered, Ellie made a beeline to the windowsill, clambering up onto it and resting her head against the cold glass, wincing slightly.

The rest of them filed in behind, sitting down in the chairs strewn around the front of Treville's desk.

Aramis threw his cloak over the back of his chair, taking his clothes off and tucking them into his waistband before he sat down.

Ellie slowly undid her doublet, leaving it open but on as she realised taking it off required more energy then she had.

"Gaston couldn't have escaped the Bastille, not without help," D'Artagnan said suddenly, shaking his head.

"Grimaud," Treville said quietly.

"What does Grimaud want with Gaston?" Athos asked, frowning.

Aramis opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. "The King…is dying."

Four pairs of eyes turned to face Aramis.

"What?" D'Artagnan asked, staring at him in shock.

"He told me today he's dying," Aramis elaborated. "He has…months to live."

Athos glanced over at Treville. "You knew?" Treville said nothing. "When were you going to tell me?"

"When you needed to know," Treville replied.

"I would've put Gaston under heavier guard," Athos snapped, standing up. "Now he's in the hands of Grimaud, ready to steal power the moment Louis dies."

The door swung shut behind him, leaving the room in a steely silence.

Ellie closed her eyes, moving her head away from the window, watching the rest of the room as they all sighed quietly.

"How are you three feeling?" Treville asked, eyeing them worriedly.

"Relatively fine," Porthos said, trying not to groan as he shifted in his seat. "For being blown up, I mean," he added, catching Aramis' face.

D'Artagnan shook his head. "I'm still trying to get over the fact we nearly died."

D'Artagnan's voice faded away as Ellie squeezed her eyes shut, her head pounding in time with her heart. She leant her head on her knees, trying not to throw up.

She found the ring on the end of her necklace and ran the pad of her finger over it, feeling the simple gold band.

The ring was her lifeline, right now. The only thing keeping her sane. Keeping her going.

In the four years she'd lived without them, she'd managed on her own. Every time she'd been injured, she'd fixed herself up. Before Brujon she'd relied on no one except herself.

Realising that she didn't have to do that anymore was difficult.

But as another wave of pain washed over her, Ellie suddenly realised that she wanted nothing more than to collapse and let them put her back together.

Ellie sat up, swinging her legs over the windowsill. She jumped down and slowly walked over to Aramis, nudging him with her foot.

He turned to face her, eyebrows furrowing in concern as he took in her pale skin, the blood on her face and the circles under her eyes.

"You alright?" He asked softly, grabbing her hand.

Ellie shook her head. "Can you come to mine when you're done?" She asked softly.

Aramis nodded. "Of course. I'll drag the others with me – for my own sanity more than anything."

Ellie smiled at him, squeezing his hand once before she let go and headed towards the door.

~ 0 ~

Brujon had been waiting for her when she stumbled into the house. She allowed him to all but carry her up the stairs and into their room and to take off her weapons and shirt.

"Why didn't you let Aramis do this?" Brujon asked quietly as he cleaned one of the many scratches on her body.

"He's coming later. I just wanted you," Ellie admitted, leaning against him. "I need you near me for a while."

Brujon smiled softly. "That's fine."

"I told D'Art and Porthos," Ellie said quietly as Brujon moved onto another graze, this one along the side of her ribs.

"About our marriage?" Ellie nodded. "How did they take it?"

"Surprisingly well," Ellie replied, hissing in pain as Brujon cleaned her wound. "Have yet to summon the courage to tell Athos and Aramis – and I doubt they'll tell them."

Brujon sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I think you should tell them, Lizzie. Any secrets anyone has, at the moment, are being discovered and I think you should tell them – not anyone else."

Ellie nodded, resting her head against Brujon. "I'll go find them tonight."

~ 0 ~

Ellie had moved herself downstairs to the main room as the cadets all finished for the day. Brujon and Clairmont had taken care of cooking them all dinner and setting the wine out as Ellie tried not to doze off in the chair next to the fire.

They were all keeping the noise down, aware of Ellie's brush with death that afternoon, and were all quietly talking amongst themselves.

A knock on the door woke Ellie up slightly and she stood up, groaning as her limbs protested the movement.

She opened it, leaning on it for support, and smiled tiredly at the four men standing on her doorstep.

"I brought food," Aramis said, holding up a bowl of fresh broth and bread. "I assume you haven't had anything."

Ellie shook her head, stepping back to let them inside. "I've been trying not to fall asleep," she replied, shutting the door behind them.

She slowly weaved her way through the cadets dotted around the room and up the stairs to her room. She let the four of them step inside before shutting the door behind her and following them in.

"Help yourselves," she mumbled, waving a hand at the chairs and the bed as she perched herself on the edge of it.

D'Artagnan sat down next to her, silently checking she was ok by grabbing her hand, as Athos sat down in a chair opposite. Porthos handed Ellie a bowl of broth and she took a tentative sip before realising how hungry she was and eating some more.

"Do you all feel as rough as you look?" Aramis asked after they'd been silent for a while.

"Rude," Ellie replied quietly. She laughed as Aramis glared at her but winced when her ribs and back protested it. She looked up at Aramis, who was now staring at her in concern. "You try being thrown into a pile of bricks."

Aramis sighed. "Even when injured she still makes the effort to be snarky," he muttered, setting aside his bowl and standing up.

Ellie smiled at him. "That's how you know I'm alright," she replied, shifting so he could sit next to her and look at her ribs.

"Brujon?" Aramis asked softly as he gently unwrapped the bandage wrapped around her middle.

Ellie nodded. "I just needed him," she said quietly.

Athos sighed and Ellie looked up at him. "If Gaston's escaped and he knows about Louis," Athos began, trailing off.

"We have to assume he's working with Grimaud to steal the crown," D'Artagnan finished.

Athos groaned, lowering his head. "And I thought things couldn't get worse."

Ellie looked up at the ceiling as Aramis finished re-wrapping her ribs and pulled out her necklace, looking at the ring longingly.

She sighed quietly but Aramis noticed

"What's wrong?" Aramis asked, noting her worried expression and slightly shaking hands. He turned to look at her, his knee bumping hers.

"I need to tell you something," Ellie said quietly, looking around, her eyes landing on Athos. "Brujon and I –"

"You're together, we know," Athos said, frowning at her.

Ellie pressed her lips together, still playing with the ring. She looked up at Athos as she spoke. "We've been married for a year."

Silence.

Ellie looked down, looking at Aramis and Athos as both kept quiet.

"Really?!" Aramis exclaimed, smiling at her. "Oh, is that the ring?"

Ellie nodded, taking it off and handing it to him. "That's also why I keep wearing his shirts."

Athos looked at Porthos and D'Artagnan. "Did you two know?"

"She told us before we got blown up," Porthos said, noticing the slight betrayal on his friends face.

Ellie looked at Athos, biting her lip. "Athos?"

Athos sighed, leaning back as he looked at her. "I thought we said no more secrets?"

"It wasn't, technically, a secret," Ellie replied, taking the necklace back from Aramis.

"So, everyone else knew?" Athos asked, frowning.

Ellie paused, realising she'd just made it worse. "Well, no…we didn't plan on telling anyone. We got caught out by Eddie."

Athos raised an eyebrow. "Did Treville know?"

"Treville walked me down the aisle…" Ellie said quietly.

Athos sighed and Ellie could hear the betrayal and upset in his voice.

"Athos, I would've told you! I just didn't know how!"

"Ellie, did you really think I would be anything other than happy for you?" Athos asked, staring at her.

Ellie sighed as Athos stood up, wincing from his injuries, and walked out the door.

"Athos…" She lowered her head, staring at the ring as her eyes began to burn. "You should go check on him," she said quietly.

"Ellie," Aramis said softly, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Go on," she said, nodding. "I'll be alright once I've slept." She looked at Aramis. "Go. He needs someone."

Aramis sighed but stood up, D'Artagnan and Porthos reluctantly following after him, shutting the door once they'd left.

Ellie sniffed, looking out the window as she struggled not to cry. She looked down at her ring, untying it from the necklace and putting it on her finger.

Unable to hold it in anymore, she let out a quiet sob, looking up out the window again.

Her bedroom door creaked, and Aramis poked his head around the door again, sighing sadly as he looked at Ellie.

Ellie looked at him, wiping away her tears. "Why are you here?" She asked softly, turning to face him.

Aramis stepped inside, walking over to her. "Because Athos doesn't need me, right now," he said, sitting down next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "My sister does."

Ellie stared at him as the tears began falling again and her shoulders sank as she sobbed. "I'm sorry."

Aramis sighed, shaking his head as he carefully brought her into a hug, hugging her as tight as he dared. "Don't be."

"This is why I was so scared to tell you," she whispered, hand Aramis' shut tightly. "I didn't know how Athos was going to react."

Aramis shushed her gently, brushing her hair back with his hand. "Athos will get over it, Elle, I promise." He lifted her head up so that she was looking at him. "Right now, however, you're my main concern."

Ellie nodded, falling back into Aramis' hug as he held her, slowly lulling her to sleep.