Aramis as a woman is my fixation from the moment a Japanese animated television series landed on my tv when I was little and I fell in love with it. For a while I completely forgot that it existed (Okay who I'm kidding? I shipped her with Athos back then and I continue to do it now, man or female it doesn't matter!) but now and then it comes to mind and begs to be written. And apparently, this is the right time.
Enjoy!
Ps. As usual I have to thank my amazing friend and beta Skep that helped me with this one too.
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It's the first day back at work and Aramis is excited and terrified by it. The last time she was there, a bunch of terrorists were keeping hostages, including her, with guns and bombs and she was one of the few casualties. She's still not so sure it's the perfect time to be back but her doctor and Treville think differently. In fact, it's the Captain that picks her up this morning and brings her here. It's him that opens the door to a renovated hall, the one that blew up months ago with most of the captors. A shiver runs down her back and she takes a deep breath, thinking of everything but what happened here.
"The others know to not celebrate your return but I think you'll find something on your desk just the same," Treville whispers, keeping a hand on her back, waiting for her to take the first step inside. "If you need to go home immediately just ask me, okay?" he adds when she still doesn't move an inch.
"Yes," she breaths back, opening her eyes, she didn't know she closed them. After a moment she starts moving, her shoulders straight and her step steadfast.
The first thing she sees as soon her desk is in sight is an enormous bunch of flowers and a big white box.
"Told you. If you don't want them, I'll take everything in my office and scold them," Treville says, his face already morphing to one of wrath.
"No, it's okay. I think I can handle it," she replies, a little smile on her face, thinking of her superior officer scolding her colleagues like a group of toddlers.
"Alright then. Constance is the one in charge to not let them be near you, okay?" Treville states, spotting the woman on her way to Aramis' desk. She is the only one except for Treville that Aramis allowed near her during her recovery. Constance smiles at her, waiting for a sign that Aramis is ready to be touched. The sniper smiles, nodding at the other woman and Constance leaps in, her arms giving a big but quick hug.
"It's good to see you back here. We ALL missed you," she whispers, before detaching herself from Aramis' arms.
"I know, you already told me a hundred times," she replies, finally sitting at her desk. She sighs deeply, enjoying the fact she is sitting again, her back still sore and stiff sometimes. She sniffs at the flowers, smiling at the perfect choice and then she peeks inside the box. Five big cupcakes are waiting only her. She wonders if the others asked Constance for her help for everything or not.
"The boys did everything. He wanted to do everything by himself but the others volunteer, Charles put together the money and bought the flowers, choosing the composition and Porthos went to the pastry shop and chose your favourite flavor," Constance says, reading correctly what Aramis has in mind.
She smiles, dipping a finger in the cheese cream of the red velvet cupcake. She's about to say something when a boisterous laugh resounds in the room. She flinches a little bit before spotting Porthos coming from the doors she came through minutes ago. The other two are behind him and she watches D'Artagnan jogging near Constance and gives her a quick kiss on the lips.
"No displays of affection on the workplace," someone drawls from behind Porthos. This someone still in his track seeing who is sitting behind the desk.
"Aramis!" Porthos shouts, noticing her for the first time. He smiles, turning around the desk and trying to hug her. She flinches, distancing herself from the big man before he even has time to process what's happening.
"Sorry," she whispers, hating herself for the wounded expression on her friend's face. Porthos shrugs, smiling at her. "No, it's me that should apologize, I should ask you before doing it. Treville warned us," he says, returning to his place next to the still motionless figure.
"It's good to have you back," D'Artagnan smiles, not even trying to move from his place next to Constance.
"It's good to be here," Aramis replies, resuming her place behind the desk.
"Now that the exchange of courtesies is over can you please go to work?" Treville asks from the threshold of his door.
Everyone scattered around, taking their places. Everyone except the person still looking at Aramis.
"Athos, do you need a writing invitation or are you ready to sit down and work?" Treville whispers menacingly at the only person still standing.
The man blinks, diverting his eyes from Aramis for the first time since he saw her and looking at his superior officer. "I'm sorry, Captain," he whispers back, blushing a little to being caught. He sits down on the desk right in front of Aramis' and he starts working. Treville gives a quick overview, focusing on Aramis a little longer before going back in his office.
As soon as the Captain is nowhere to be seen, Aramis looks up, smiling at them. "Thanks for the flowers and the cupcakes, you shouldn't have," she says, opening the box and taking the red velvet one.
"We know but after all, we want to do something for you. The rest of the team contributed," D'Artagnan says, gesturing for the rest of the room where every single officer is working.
"The Captain as well, even if he never admits it," Porthos adds, his eyes on the white box.
"I think this is too much for me, why don't you serve yourself and finish the rest of the cupcakes?" Aramis says, knowing exactly what her brothers, especially Porthos and D'Artagnan, are thinking.
"Are you sure? Because we bought them for you," Porthos replies, torn between accepting and refusing the offer. She went through a lot in the last few months and these are the only things they can do to show her their love and support.
"Yes, I'm sure. And if I want them I know you'll volunteer to buy them again," she says, smiling.
Both D'Artagnan and Porthos nod, taking the offered cupcake without asking twice, and Constance follows them after a nod from Aramis. The only one that still didn't speak is Athos, head down, writing what Aramis thinks is a report.
"Athos?" she asks, moving the last cupcake in front of him. He shakes his head, not looking at her. "I'll leave it here, in case you change your mind," she adds, her voice so small that even Athos has trouble hearing. After that, she returns to her desk.
Everything is quiet for the next hour until Aramis hisses under her breath.
"Aramis, are you okay?" Porthos asks, watching carefully for any sign of pain.
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm still not used to sitting still for so long and my back hurts," she says, hating to admit that, not used to confessing her weakness. Her brothers are about to offer to help her when she says that she needs to stretch her legs and back. She stands up with some hisses and curses, holding the edge of the table for support and then she is outside the room, leaving the others speechless.
"Why are you such an asshole with her? What did she do?" Porthos asks Athos as soon as Aramis is out of the room.
"I'm not an asshole," he replies, looking at his two friends.
"Are you sure? Because you didn't say anything to her from the minute you stepped in and you refused the cupcake she offered you even if you didn't look at her," D'Artagnan exclaims.
"What happened to make you be this awful toward her?" Porthos asks again, not understanding his friend's reaction.
"Nothing happened, that's the problem. She didn't ask for me from the moment she was out of the hospital. No calls, no message, no visits. She refused to see me even if I begged Treville to let me know something about her. So to answer your question, I'm not an asshole. I'm only not interested in getting involved with her again," Athos replies, returning to his papers.
"So you're acting like a three-year-old instead of a grown-up man, paying her with her own coin. Not thinking that she was suffering and in pain, recovering from one thing that you and I will never understand. So yes, you're a three-year-old asshole," Porthos states. He knows that even Athos is affected by what happened to Aramis but instead of helping her, he acts like a moron.
Clairmont and Brujon come through the door in that moment, bringing one of the drug dealers they were hunting for the last month. It's the first serious case they are working on without supervision and half the office cheers at them for the good job they have done. The drug dealer is sitting down and cuffed while both the young officers inform Treville of the outcome of their investigation. From an interrogation room emerges a man, one of the pushers in the trafficking that repented in exchange for witness protection for him and his family told them everything, and all hell breaks loose. The drug dealer jumps up from his place, shouting and cursing at the man, and the agents run to him to block him from attacking the informer. The prisoner continues to threaten the witness and his family while punching and kicking every officer that comes near him.
Porthos and D'Artagnan go to help while Athos leads Constance to Treville's office. As soon as he's back with the Captain he sees a chair flies above his head and he hears a strangled "No" coming from where the chair will probably end. He turns in time to see Aramis terrified and pale, frozen in the middle of the corridor. He runs toward her, moving her away in time before the chair crashes on the ground. They end up behind a low wall, Aramis still petrified on her back and Athos on top of her, trying to protect the woman from what's happening in the office.
"Aramis, look at me," he whispers, hoping that she will open her eyes soon.
"Aramis, everything is alright, now look at me," he tries again when she doesn't do as he said.
"Renée, please. Open your eyes," he pleads, trying to move his hand to stroke her hair. As soon as he does it she yelps and scrambles to the corner, frightened.
"Please, no," she sobs, her hands in front of her, stopping Athos to come near.
"Aramis, it's me Athos. You're safe," he tries again, taken aback by her reaction. He vaguely hears the office returns to normal. She still looks like a caged animal and doesn't look at him like she recognizes him.
"It's alright, you're safe," he goes on, crawling to her, a reassuring smile on his face and his hands away from his body. He repeats it at every step and he sees her lowering her arms.
As soon as he is in front of her she gasps, gripping his shirt tight. "Shhh, Aramis, it's okay, you're safe, just breathe, okay?" he whispers to her, while maneuvering both of them to a more comfortable position. She leans against him, still gasping for air, her face in the crook of his neck and her hands still gripping the shirt while he rubs circles on her back, rocking a little to calm her.
He doesn't know how much time passed, he's only aware that Aramis is quiet beside him and her hands are loose on his shirt.
"Aramis?" he enquires, still keeping her against him. She murmurs something that he doesn't understand and he coaxes her to speak to him.
"Ol?" she whispers, after some time.
"Yes, it's me" he replies, smiling that she is back.
"Don't leave," she adds, tightens her grip once again.
"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," he says, stroking her hair. The moment is interrupted by a little cough behind him. He turns his head, seeing both Porthos and D'Artagnan standing at the opposite side, watching them and ready to ask questions. He motions them to leave he and Aramis alone for another moment and he sees a glimpse of Treville moving in front of the other two musketeers, blocking the scene in front of them, before returning to Aramis.
"Ol?" Aramis calls him.
"Yes?" he replies, not stopping what he's doing.
"I'm gonna be sick," she states before moving away from him and throws up in the corner. He moves with her, resuming his rubbing her back. When she stops heaving, Aramis leans once again against Athos. "I think it's time to go back, what do you say?" she asks him.
"If you feel okay, why not? The others will ask where we hide," Athos replies, starting to, finally, stand up.
"Wait," she says, drawing him toward her and giving a little kiss on his cheek. "Thanks," she whispers, letting go. He doesn't know what to say but a little smile appears on his face. He helps her stand, walking back in the office. Nobody says anything, even if they see Aramis still a little bit pale. There are no trace of the drug dealer and the informer and the chair is in a corner with a stack of papers on it.
Athos eyes the cupcakes still on his desk and takes it. "Are you sure you don't want it? Because Porthos bought it for you," he says, showing it to Aramis. Her face becomes greenish and she closes her mouth, shaking her head at Athos.
"Please, eat it. I don't know if I'll be able to eat anything in the near future," she moans, not looking at Athos biting the cakes.
Treville appears in that moment, smiling at the familiar scene in front of him.
"Captain, can you please take me home? I think I have enough for today," Aramis asks, when she sees him. There no trace of discomfort in her, only the light tremor in her hands and the general paleness, so Treville counts today as a victory. He nods, helping her with the flowers and giving orders while passing between desks. She says goodbye to her brothers and Constance and every musketeer she encounters, congratulating with Brujon and Clairmont for the capture of the drug dealer.
She is about to go into the car when someone calls her.
"Aramis, see you tomorrow?" Athos asks when he stops in front of her.
"Of course. But warn me before someone starts throwing chairs at me," she replies, smiling. He nods smiling too. She gives him another kiss before going into the car. It was a hard morning but no matter what happened here, this is her home and she won't change it for anything in the world.