The first thing Athos did after d'Artagnan's funeral was resign from his post. He wrote a letter to de Treville, requesting to be released from duty, citing his years of service, and the recent loss of one of his closest friends as his reasons.

The King was unimpressed. He has long relied on Athos' presence when he felt most vulnerable, and he was not inclined to let him go. De Treville patiently reminded the King of all that Athos had done for him, about his recent success in foiling Milady's attempt to remove the Queen from the throne. It took the Queen's gentle persuasion that the man deserved a retirement. It took two weeks, and it would be another two before Athos could leave.

Athos spent those weeks working diligently, shaking off the condolences of his fellow musketeers at the loss of his young friend, and refusing to be drawn into conversation about him. Porthos and Aramis did their best to steer anyone away.

The day she walked into the garrison several groups of musketeers were practicing manoeuvres on the open ground, led by Athos, Porthos and Aramis. She could hear their voices calling out instructions before she even stepped through the gates. Aramis' voice was clear, encouraging, while Porthos was laughing and teasing, as expected.

Athos did not sound happy.

"You're not listening!" she heard him bellow. "You keep leaving your right flank wide open, and I keep telling you to protect it. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She smiled at the frustration in his voice, imagining the panic in whatever young musketeers were being put through their paces by him, and being shouted at for their troubles. She wondered if he had been this way to everyone since d'Artagnan's funeral a couple of weeks before. It wouldn't surprise her too much. He hadn't been too happy with this part of the plan after all.

She stepped round the edges of gate and took in the scene before her. It was exactly as she had pictured it, and it felt like coming home. She almost grinned as she watched them, but quickly remembered the part she was playing. She took a deep breath and stepped forward into the open space, waiting for someone to notice her.

"Can I help you, mademoiselle?" a voice said behind her. She turned to see a young recruit looking at her. She grinned in her head as she watched him puff out his chest in an effort to look tougher when she smiled at him.

"I'm here to see Captain De Treville," she said, kindly.

"Oh, of course. This way, ma'am," the boy said, turning to lead her towards the stairs up to the captain's office. She felt the moment Athos' eyes were on her. It took all her strength not to turn around and smile at him, run to him, but she played her part. She did not know him.

Half an hour later, following her reunion with a delighted deTreville, Charline d'Artagnan was being introduced to the all the musketeers in the garrison, while she stood on the balcony beside her former captain.

"Mademoiselle d'Artagnan is here to collect her brother's belongings, and to meet the men he served beside and share your memories of him. I wish her to leave here with a true understanding of how much he was loved, and how much he will be missed. Athos, perhaps you could begin by showing her around the city? Porthos, Aramis, I have a job for you."

She watched as he nodded at the captain, before smiling at her. He was doing an excellent job of keeping up a front, but she could see the joy in his eyes as he looked at her. She descended the stairs towards him, passing Porthos and Aramis, who each winked at her as they climbed. Aramis whispered a quick "see you later" at her, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of Athos.

"Mademoiselle," he said, bowing slightly to her.

"Please, call me Charline," she said. Her hands itched to reach out, but she held herself back. "Perhaps you could show me around Paris a little, before I visit my poor brother's grave?"

"Of course," he said, his tone clipped. She bit her lip to stifle her laugh. Apparently he wasn't handling this particularly well. He gestured for her to go ahead and they walked. She realised quite suddenly that nobody else had moved. Every musketeer was standing staring at her, at both of them, as they walked stepped out of the yard into the streets. She was sure there would be some chatter of her resemblance to her poor, dead brother. But she had planted the seeds of the existence of the sister well with her fellow musketeers, over the last months. There would be no suspicion.

Athos managed to play tour-guide for approximately three streets before Charline found herself pushed suddenly into a dark, empty alley, and pressed up against a wall with Athos' arms tightly around her and his lips pressed against hers.

"My love, finally," he whispered against her lips. "I have missed you."

"These weeks have been too long," she whispered back. "Never again."

"Never," he promised, his face pressed into her neck as he embraced her tightly.

They stayed there, pressed together in the darkness, hidden from the bustling streets by the shadows of the buildings they hid between, embracing and trying not to be overcome as they touched for the first time in several weeks, since they had separated to put their final plan into place.

Charline knew it had been hard for Athos not to see her after being told of 'd'Artagnan's' death, but she could not risk being seen and had retreated from the city until enough time had passed for word of his death to have reached home and for a sister to have travelled the miles to Paris. It had been too long.

Eventually they separated, and he gently placed his hands on her cheeks, gazing at her with nothing but love and happiness in his beautiful eyes. "Come on," he said, kissing her one last time. "Let's go and see your grave."

She grinned back at him. "And then you can take me to my lodgings, sir. I am tired from my journey, after all."

"As you wish, Mademoiselle."

They wiped the happiness off their faces as they timed their exit back on to the streets, steeping back into the persona of two people who were grieving deeply for their lost brother.

It was odd, seeing a grave that had her false name on it, and that she knew was actually meant for her. As they stood in front of it, she could not suppress a shiver, and she reached over and held Athos' arm. He covered her hand in his.

"It feels odd to be sad, but I am," she admitted.

"Of course you are. Our lives will change now."

"They will, my love."

She pulled at his arm, and they walked slowly away, leaving Charles d'Artagnan behind them forever.

"I am looking forward to it," Charline smiled softly at him, enjoying them warmth of his hand still covering hers.

Porthos and Aramis joined them for an evening meal, in an inn that was blessedly quiet enough that they could talk and enjoy a reunion without having to overthink everything they said.

"I hope Athos has been looking after you this afternoon, mademoiselle," Aramis grinned at her, as they finished eating.

"I have been very well looked after, Aramis," she smiled back at him, knowing exactly what he was getting at. The two of them had enjoyed several hours together in his rooms and then her rented ones. "Very well."

Aramis and Porthos laughed and leered at them, while she just smiled back and Athos rolled his eyes at their antics.

"So, what's next?" Porthos asked. "Everything as planned?"

"Yes," Athos nodded. "Charline will stay here until my retirement in 12 days, and then I will leave the city with her to escort her home."

"Except that at some point on the journey the two of you will fall in love, and decide to get married and return to Athos' house," Aramis raised his glass.

"Where you will live happily every after," Porthos' glass joined the toast.

"Indeed," Athos joined them.

"Without a single doubt," Charline grinned, warmth flooding her when Athos winked at her.

Later that night, Charline and Athos lay together in her temporary lodgings, wine glasses empty, bathed in candlelight and blissfully pressed together. Athos' hand stroked gently up and down her naked back, and she hummed quietly.

"Happy?" he asked, pressing a kiss to her head.

"Perfectly," she replied, turning her head from where it lay on his chest so that she could return his kiss wherever she could reach.

"I cannot wait to start living honestly as man and wife," he said. She could hear the smile in his voice. "To be able to go out together in public, to not have to hide how I feel about you when I look at you with others around me."

"Do you think you do that well just now?" she teased. He squeezed her and chuckled.

"Not well enough to get away with it much longer," he laughed.

"The it is lucky that we are going to fall in love with each other so quickly, and get married."

"Do you think it is too quick?" Athos' voice was quiet, but she could detect a hint of worry. "Do you think people will talk?"

Charline raised herself onto one elbow, and leaned over to kiss him fully. "Let them. People have married quicker than we will, Athos."

"I know. And I don't want to wait any longer to call you my wife, to move to out home and make it ours properly. But we could wait, if you want."

Cupping one cheek, Charline stroked Athos' face with her thumb and smiled gently at him. "No, we can't wait."

"Are you sure?"

Charline laughed. It was time. "I'm sure. If we wait much longer we'll give people a lot more to talk about than the speed of our marriage, love."

Athos squinted at her, his face adorable in its loving confusion. "What?"

Charline removed her hand from his face, reaching round to pull the one of his that was still stroking her back and pull it round to her stomach.

"This might become obvious a bit too soon if we wait much longer, Athos."

She waited patiently for the understanding to dawn across his face, and then watched as joy replaced the confusion in his eyes. "Truly?" he asked, and she could hear the emotion in his voice.

"Truly," she said, kissing him again. She grinned at him, tears filling her eyes. "Think of it as a wedding present."

She laughed as he sat up, grabbing her and pulling her into his lap. Soon his laughter joined hers, and they traded kisses between their smiles and tears.

"I love you, my darling wife," Athos said. "I was truly blessed the day that you walked into my life."

Charline playfully poked him in the shoulder. "That's not what you thought at the time!"

He pulled her face to his, stopping her laughter with a kiss that quickly deepened, and which she quickly reciprocated.

"Blessed," he repeated when they pulled apart. "My whole life I have been waiting for you."

"As I have for you, my Athos. I will be grateful every day that you are here, that you love me, and that we found each other."

As they kissed again Athos lay back, pulling her down on top of him once more. They quickly lost themselves in each other, and in their happiness, and for every single moment Charline thanked God for creating this beautiful man, just for her.

She thanked God for her stubborn nature, and for her Musketeers. And she would always thank God for Charles d'Artagnan.

The End