"Hello." Anna cooed as the child was placed into her arms.
"Marie Guillory." Treville introduces the child as the nursemaid scurried away.
"As in Pierre Guillory?" Anna asked as she pulled face at the gurgling girl.
"The very same." Treville confirmed. "He's in talks with the King and so the Cardinal wants you to ensure her safety."
"Who is Pierre Guillory?" Porthos asked frowning at Aramis as the Musketeer joined Anna in entertaining Marie with a variety of facial expressions.
"Ex-mercenary: he has valuable information on a lot of...missing people." Treville informed them. "And while that's good for us, little Marie is being targeted."
"Let me guess, someone wants to get her to stop her father from spilling secrets?" Athos sighed.
"Exactly. So Anna if you could..." He gestured to Marie.
"Why is it my job to look after her?" Anna frowned.
"Well..."
"It's because I'm a woman?!" She raised an eyebrow at the Captain who lowered his head.
"If it is an inconvenience...?"
"Nonsense. I'd just like to be asked instead of you all assuming that I will look after this little sweetheart." The men smothered smirks as her voice softened as she finished speaking. "But there is one problem..." Anna stopped the Captain from shooing them away. "Bonacieux won't want a child in his home, so...?"
"He's away this week." D'Artagnan told her.
"Good, then you're fine to have her." Treville smiled. "Off you go."
"How do you feel about a houseguest?" D'Artagnan asked Constance as Anna hid behind the entrance to the kitchen of the home.
"Will they be paying rent?"
"It's doubtful..."
"Then they'll have to work." She sighed.
"Once again..." Anna emerged from her hiding place with a beaming Marie in her arms. "...that's doubtful."
Constance rushed over to the woman and retrieved the child.
"And who are you?" She cooed.
"Marie. And that's all you need to know." Anna told her.
"One crib." Porthos' voice echoed through the space as he carried the wooden item into the room. "Where should I put it?"
"My room." Anna said as she led him into the room opposite D'Artagnan's. "Thank you."
"And some clothes suitable for Mademoiselle Marie." Aramis entered the room with a basket of clothes.
"Have you not brought a gift?" Constance asked Athos as he entered the room empty handed.
"Who do you think paid?" He replied smoothly as he placed his hat on the table.
"And you'll be reimbursed." Anna reminded him as she took Marie from Constance and smiled down at the child who began to play with her hair. "Now, please leave gentlemen; I do believe it is time for Marie's nap."
Constance happily shooed the Musketeers away before joining Anna in fussing over the delightful child.
"Rock-a-bye bébé , dans la cime des arbres,
Quand le vent souffle, le berceau basculera,
Lorsque les branche se casse, le berceau tombera,
Et vers le bas viendra bébé, berceau et tous."
Athos leant against the doorframe of Constance's kitchen the next morning watching Anna sang softly to the gurgling baby as she rocked her.
"My mother used to sing that to Thomas." Anna turned to face him with a startled gasp.
"How long have you-"
"Long enough." He smiled. "It calms her as it used to calm him, I see." He crossed the room and stroked Marie's head lightly.
"It would appear so." She murmured. "Anyway, I'm glad you're here." She passed him Marie who snuggled into his chest. "Constance is collecting fabric; D'Artagnan is at the Garrison so there was no one to watch her..." She motioned to her clothing and Athos noticed her still wearing her nightgown.
He nodded in understanding before she darted into her room and began to change.
"Oh and can you feed her, please?" He saw the bottle on the table and seconds later he was sat with Marie in his arms, feasting on the warmed milk.
"Good morning!" Aramis' voice filled the kitchen as he stepped into the home. "Just wanted to say hello to- oh, sorry." He smirked when he saw Athos' comfortable position with Marie. "Well don't you look domesticated?" Athos rolled his eyes at his friend's smirk as Anna bustled out of her room in a dress more appropriate than a nightgown.
"Good morning." She greeted as she stoked the fire Constance had instructed her to keep an eye on.
"You make such a lovely family." Aramis grinned at the sight of his two friends in a very domestic setting.
"Can we help you?" Athos grumbled as he removed the now empty bottle from Marie's mouth and kicked his feet onto the table allowing the child to sit up against his legs.
"I simply wanted to check in on Marie." Aramis smiled as the girl in question grabbed at the locket concealed by Athos shirt and began to play with it. "But I see she is well and so I will be in my way." He bowed slightly to Anna before leaving the home with a smirk.
"I didn't know you still wore that." Anna said as she stirred whatever Constance was cooking.
"Did you not notice it when we...?" He trailed off with a smirk.
"I was a little preoccupied." She reminded him. "But I am glad to see it now." As she spoke Marie found the latch and flipped the locket open to reveal a pressed forget-me-not sealed inside.
Her small fingers traced the blue flower with wonder as the light hit its petals.
"It's nice to see you like this." Anna quirked an eyebrow at Aramis as she haggled for bread at the market. "All relaxed and out of uniform." She looked down at her casual dress. "Even your hair is down." He watched the child in his arms play with Anna's loose hair.
"It would draw attention to us if a woman in a Musketeer uniform was carrying a baby." She reminded him as she placed the reduced price bread into her basket and handed the merchant some coins.
They moved slowly down the street stopping only to fill Anna's basket.
"She is inquisitive, is she not?" He laughed as Marie reached up and pulled at his beard.
"Very." Anna chuckled as he pried her fingers from his chin. "Do you want children?" She asked him, noticing how well he interacted with Marie.
"Eventually." He told her quietly. "With the right woman." He blew a raspberry into Marie's hand causing the girl to shriek with laughter. "You?"
"Eventually." She reached into her basket and held out a grape to the child. "But it seems more unlikely as the days pass." She sighed.
"And Athos?" She stiffened at the sound of his name.
"I do not know." She moved the basket so it rested on her elbow and retrieved Marie from the Musketeer. "Excuse us, Aramis; it is time for someone's nap." She smiled at the man before bustling Marie down the street and out of sight.
"Anna Beauchamp?" A gruff voice called out from an alley as she moved past.
"Depends." She replied. "Does she owe you money?"
"No."
"Then yes: I am Anna Beauchamp." She moved Marie further up onto her hip. "How can I-" A hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her and Marie into the alley, causing her to drop the basket.
"Anna!" Aramis called after the woman; she had forgotten her change at the fruit stall. "Anna!" He wove through the crowds in search of the woman and the child. "Anna?" He noticed the discarded basket on one side of the street and frowned when he saw her purse inside it. "ANNA?!"
"Who are you?!" Anna spat as the men bustled her into an empty building and attempted to take Marie from her.
"Give us the child and we shall leave you be." The one who spoke to her in the street offered.
"Who are you?" She repeated; her grip on Marie tightening as she attempted to calm the child.
"Friends of Guillory."
"I'm sure." She replied sarcastically.
"If you refuse to give her to us, we will take you both." He threatened.
"Looks we're going on an adventure." She spoke to Marie as the men exchanged looks. "Tell me you at least have food?"
"In the back." The younger of the two told her and she smiled.
"Am I ever going to learn your names?" She asked as she cut cheese for them.
"No." The one who appeared to be the leader of the pair said and with a grin she happily cut him less cheese than his accomplice.
"How about a reason as to why you want ma petit fleur?" She gestured to Marie who was happily eating bread.
"Her father-"
"Your friend?" She interrupted with a smirk.
"He owes us." He continued with a glare.
"And you would hurt a defenceless baby?!" She exclaimed as she pointed the knife at him.
"She isn't defenceless while you're around." He growled.
"I'm glad you noticed."
"Did you see anyone in the alley?" Athos asked as he stormed down the street towards Anna's abandoned basket.
"No. It was empty when I arrived." Aramis told him as Athos inspected the object.
"Did anyone see anything?" He asked as he studied the street.
"A merchant: he said he saw a man grab a woman and her child before dragging her down there." Aramis pointed to the alley.
Porthos sighed as Athos drew his musket and stormed into the gap between two buildings.
"If anyone's laid a finger on her he's gonna kill them." He told Aramis.
"And me..." He gulped before setting off after the normally reserved Musketeer.
"You can't be serious?!" She exclaimed and the younger man flinched. "You planned to kidnap a baby yet didn't think to buy milk?!"
"I-"
"Save it!" She cut him off. "Go buy some now."
"I-"
"Go!" He scurried away and Anna smiled when the door slammed. The older man had left earlier to 'send a message' no doubt to Guillory, it had only been a matter of time until Marie needed sustenance and she could send the other one away for it.
Gathering the child, Anna opened the door of the building and checked for any signs of a return. Feeling for the knife in her bodice she hurriedly rushed from the house and down a side street straight into the heart of France.
They had followed the alley until they came to an open door. Porthos had done a sweep of the abandoned home before calling for the others when he noticed the flower laying on the table and the small 'A' carved into the wood beside it.
"Marie was playing with a poesy of those this morning." Aramis told the others as he picked up the small flower.
"She was here..."
"I've got the-" The boy Anna had sent away returns and promptly dropped the milk as Athos pointed his musket at his face.
"Where is she?"
"Who?" He asked with a quivering voice.
"The child." Porthos cut across Athos as he began to say Anna's name instead of the child they were meant to be protecting.
"I don't know any children." He gulped when Athos prepared to shoot. "Fine! Fine." He dropped the gun. "They're in here-" He stopped when he noticed the empty room. "Oh..."
Anna scurried down the back streets of Paris as she headed to the one place she knew she'd be safe.
"I want to talk to..." She racked her brain for the name of the woman Porthos had told her to ask for if she was ever in the vicinity. "...Flee! I want to speak with Flee." The glowering 'guard' stared at her before reluctantly leading her towards the main rooms of the headquarters.
"And who should I say you are?" He sneered as he took in her dirty dress and child.
"A friend of Porthos." He nodded and left her to wait against the stone walls of the heart of the Court of Miracles. "She will see you."
"Why are you assuming she went that way?" Porthos asked as Athos headed down the remaining alley.
"She's carrying Marie." He reminded him. "The side street to the left is too narrow for her to fit through with a child on her hip."
"I suppose." Porthos mused as he followed his friend.
"And if she went to the right she would loop back to that house." They reached a small square at the end of the alley. "This is the only way to truly get away."