Showdown is so near guys ;)

Again thanks to Niagaraweasel you are the best

„Thanks for speaking up for me," Milady de Winter said, galopping towards the palace beside Athos.

"No need to thank me, I just confirmed what I heard myself," Athos answered, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Athos, I have made many mistakes, but I'm trying to make up for them, so give me a chance."

"You had more than one chance already and you didn't use it," he replied, urging his horse forward to join Treville at the head of the group.

Milady felt a stab of pain in her chest. She loved him. God damn it, she loved him and she longed for a kiss or a touch from him.

D'Artagnan was completely silent throughout the ride. Porthos knew that it was because he was worried about Constance. They had just found each other and now they were separated again.

"D'Artagnan, Constance is alright, we'll have her out of there in a few hours."

"She is not alright, Porthos. I promised her that I would protect her, that nothing would happen to her and now she's alone at the palace with Rochefort, who will stop at nothing." Rage and hatred rose in D'Artagnan's chest and angry tears started to pool in his eyes. D'Artagnan blinked furiously to hold them back.

Treville and Athos stopped. "We can't get any closer than this."

Milady came up beside them. "We have to leave the horses here. There's a passage through the garden, it leads through the jail and into the palace."

The men dismounted and tied the horses to a tree. Milady led the way, Athos close behind her.

"The guards pass this point once every hour, so we need to hurry," Milady cautioned, as she quickly made her way through the hedges of the garden towards the secret entrance in the palace wall. With nimble fingers she pressed a stone into the wall and the door opened. The men went in first, but Athos motioned for Milady to go in front of him. As soon as the others had rounded a corner in the dark passageway, he took her arm to hold her back. "Why are you doing this?"

A fire began to burn inside Milady, when she felt his touch. With his eyes fixed on her, she was unable to answer and her heart started to beat wildly. Automatically her head moved closer to his. Oh, how much she longed to feel the touch of his lips on hers…. A few months ago she had wanted him dead, but now she just wanted him back.

The fact that her lips almost touched his and yet he didn't move back gave her a little spark of hope.

"Why?" he asked again, his voice sounding almost husky.

"I want to prove to you that not everything about me is as bad as you would like to believe so that you can forget me."

"I cannot forget you and I cannot hate you," Athos answered. His eyes were fixed on hers and his heart was racing. "And I cannot love another woman."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she didn't dare close the final distance to cover his lips with her own. "Not everything I said was a lie, Athos. I have always loved you and the matter with your brother is true as well. I can't tell you how often I have wished I hadn't defended myself but just let it happen, so that you would have seen it with your own eyes."

Pain stabbed through his heart when he heard those words out of her mouth. "Is that the truth or just another one of your tricks to break my heart again?"

"Athos, I made a lot of mistakes, I am a murderess and a thief, but I have loved you with all of my heart. I wanted to be happy with you. When I came back to Paris I wanted to kill you for not believing me, but when I saw you lying dead in the marketplace, I felt no satisfaction, only emptiness."

At her words, Athos' feelings went completely haywire and that was something that he couldn't deal with right now. He pulled back, shutting his emotions away again. "We should take care of Rochefort," he said, motioning for Milady to precede him again as they tried to catch up to the others.

"Throw her in one of the cells," one of the guards told his colleagues.

"Why, the captain said we can do with her what we want," one of the men answered, stroking Constance's face.

The young woman's heart began to race. "Take your dirty hands off me!"

"Oh, she's a wild one, I think she's more your style, Henry," one of the men said, laughing.

"Looks like it," Henry said, entering the cell. "Hold her for me."

"No, no, take your filthy hands off me!" Constance cried out as loud as she could.

"The jail is down there," Milady said.

At that moment they heard the cries of a young woman. D'Artagnan reacted immediately. "That's Constance!"

There was no holding the young musketeer, as he ran over to the jail cells and found the four guards manhandling the woman he loved. Porthos was right behind him, followed by Athos and Milady.

D'Artagnan grabbed the first man, who just tried to kiss Constance, pulling him away and stabbing him without a second thought. Porthos grabbed the second one and Athos the third. The fourth one tried to flee but was struck down by a dagger in Milady's hand.

"Constance, are you alright?" D'Artagnan asked, as she held out her trembling, bound hands for him without raising her head.

"Please free me of these, I'm sick and tired of them. For the past few days the men have treated me without respect, like a piece of cattle."

Athos had already found the keys and opened her manacles.

D'Artagnan immediately wrapped his arms around her. "I was so afraid for you. I'm so sorry, I left you alone again, after I promised that I would let nothing happen to you."

"I'm alright and you did make sure that nothing happens to me, but please take me away from here as quickly as possible once we have the queen and the child."

"D'Artagnan, take Constance to the horses and come back to us," Athos ordered.

D'Artagnan nodded, placing his arm around Constance. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, but they had their hands in places where they have no business being," Constance answered.

D'Artagnan knew that the last few days had gotten to her more than she admitted, but she would need time to deal with all of it.

"We're almost outside. Do me a favour and stay with the horses, and when things get dangerous, save yourself. Don't try to play the heroine," he said, looking at her intently.

"But I can fight," Constance answered, fluttering her eyelashes at him irresistibly.

D'Artagnan's eyes sparkled and he had to smile. "Constance Bonacieux, I love you and as soon as this is over, I will ask the queen to annul your marriage so that I can marry you."

He took her face in his hands, kissing her passionately, and found it difficult to let go of her again. "I have to go back to the others."

"Go and save the queen and the boy," Constance said, biting her lower lip and giving him a smile. The youngest musketeer nodded and disappeared back through the secret door.