To Harm a Brother

Chapter 1

**Hello all! This is my first ever Fan-fiction so I really hope you enjoy, I have a good idea of where I want this story to go and I am so excited to share it with you. Please review as I want to make sure the fic is as good as I can make it make for you all!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Musketeer characters!

D'Artagnan woke up abruptly to excessively loud banging on his door at the Bonacieux residence. Only clad in his smalls he barely had time to quickly cover himself with a sheet before the door burst open and the large figure of Porthos filled the doorframe. Porthos, Aramis, and Athos quickly clambered into his small room all looking expectantly at the young Gascon. Unfortunately, d'Artagnan was just woken up from a very deep sleep having been exhausted from the training Athos put him through the previous day and was currently lying in bed, half propped up by his elbow, staring at his three friends with a panicked and dumbstruck expression.

"I told you he would still be in bed," sighed Aramis while running a hand through his hair.

"I guess I assumed the boy would be a little more concerned for his future," Athos quietly retorted, the same smug expression resting on his face.

"Thos…not everyone shares the same vigilance as you do when it comes to performin' less than optimal tasks. Let the whelp be, he's still a growing kid and doesn't understand the demands of a soldierin' life," Porthos replied all the while watching the "boy" in question carefully.

Athos sighed again, clearly still annoyed but less smug, "Alright, get up d'Artagnan…we have things to do so make haste."

"Mmm that reminds me I wonder if Madam Bonacieux would be willing to make up a quick breakfast for us, we left so quickly to come get d'Art that I forgot to eat anything," Aramis questioned while turning to leave the room with the others.

Athos gave him "the look" and retorted, "I doubt it considering we woke her up and she was less than happy with us. Also, who is hungry at this hour?"

"Me" "Me" Aramis and Porthos responded in unison.

Athos shook his head muttering something about being surrounded by children and proceeded to leave the room. Throughout this entire altercation d'Artagnan didn't move, just stared up at his friends trying to determine if he was still dreaming or not, and if he wasn't why his friends were standing in his room annoyed about him still being in bed when he clearly didn't remember having any plans today besides more rigorous training later with Athos.

As the three moved out of the room d'Artagnan quickly snapped out of his tired and dumbstruck mind and realized he still had no idea what was going on and what he was supposed to be getting ready for. And on top of that his mind quickly surmised that if his friends were here he either forgot something very important or something significant happened while he was sleeping, both of which now had the boy startled and confused.

"W-wait, hold on a second," he stuttered while wrestling his sheet to quickly clamber out of bed while trying to get the attention of his friends before they left his chambers. "What's going on? What time is it? Did something happen?"

Porthos was the first to respond to his clearly upset and frantic younger brother as he was the last to be leaving the room. He turned back with a gentle smile and a hint of playfulness as he walked back over to d'Artagnan and placed a large hand on his shoulder meant to calm. "Calm down whelp we are just messin' with ya, everything is fine as far as we know".

"What do you mean, as far as you know?"

"Treville summoned all of us to his office, we are to be there before dawn fit and ready for whatever orders he has. So we came to wake you as since you do not reside at the garrison, there is no other way to get a summons to you," Athos carefully chimed in.

D'Artagnan cast his eyes downward and sat back on his bed as he replied, "all of us?" He was still self-conscious of what he felt was his complete failure with Vadim even though everyone told him he did well.

"Yes all of us d'Art, why would you think you would not be included?" Aramis carefully sat next to his little brother, concern and an open look of expression passing over his features.

"No reason really…I just thought with me not being a musketeer and having almost cause the Queen to have all her valuables stolen I would be exempt from future missions," he muttered so quietly back Athos had to strain to hear from his standing position near the door.

Aramis sighed and smiled at the boy as he playfully ruffled his hair and got a less than impressed look from d'Artagnan, "Are you still upset about that? You have helped the regimen, Paris, the crown, and us more than you know these past couple months. You have been on many missions with us since that time and have proven yourself, you have not failed anyone". The Gascon looked up then at Aramis with a grateful expression, as the doubt in his heart and mind was slowly being etched away by his friends.

"In fact, you have done just the opposite pup, Treville and all of us trust you and see your potential. These missions are helpin' to train you up so one day when you do become a musketeer you will already have some experience behind your belt," Porthos said.

"It's true d'Artagnan, you need to prove yourself continuously. Not just anyone gets to become a musketeer, you are fighting for the King's commission and will need to go on many more missions before you are ready. We do believe you will one day become one of us, until that time training and missions will help give you the experience you need," Athos replied at first serious, but then a small smile bit ate the corners of his mouth, "that is when your dressed in a more acceptable way, you would not want Madam Bonacieux disgraced by seeing you in this fashion would you?"

Realization slowly dawned on d'Artagnan that he was sitting in only his smalls with the door wide open, and that Constance could walk by at any moment considering the early hour that she was awoken and the noise they were making. Quicker than the three musketeers have ever seen d'Artagnan move he was up and ushering his friends out the door muttering about putting on decent clothing and meeting them downstairs in the dining room.

"Well that got him movin'," Porthos laughed.

"My friend, nothing gets a young man moving faster than the thought of a beautiful woman seeing him in an embarrassing way," Aramis smiled back throwing an arm over his large friend's shoulders.

"Then how come you are always slow to move whenever surrounded by beautiful women? You have been put in many embarrassin' situations."

"What do I have to be embarrassed about? That's what separates the men from the boys, dear Porthos, I am confident in myself no matter the situation and that's why women flock to me…they can sense the superior man in me." Aramis laughed as he entered the dining room causing Athos to roll his eyes and Porthos to scoff in return.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Constance stormed into the room getting right up in the sharpshooters face, an almost feral look on her face, "First you bang on my door before the sun is even up waking me up so you can fetch d'Artagnan, then you don't even try to be respectful and keep your voices down while waking him, and then you have the audacity to say that you are superior and women flock to you in my dining room while still keeping me awake! You all need to learn some respect, but especially you Aramis, so hurry up and be on your way so some people can get back to bed!" With that Constance stormed back out of the room and brushed by d'Artagnan as he made his way into the living room while strapping on his weapons belt.

"What was that about?" d'Artagnan asked innocently.

"Haha, Aramis here was just getting' a dressin' down from the lady of the house for being his normal superior self," Porthos laughed quietly.

Aramis wore a half shocked and embarrassed expression as he reached up and scratched the back of his head, "well…at least she didn't slap me this time."

"I think it is time we take our leave, we do not want to disrupt Madam Bonacieux any further and we need to get back to the barracks," Athos the always ever serious and responsible brother opened the front door and waved his arm ushering his friends out into the early morning streets of Paris.

As the four walked back to the garrison down the quiet streets Aramis and Porthos continued their friendly banter with each other, as Athos and d'Artagnan remained with their own thoughts. Athos glanced over at his two oldest friends as they became louder in their jests with one another and laughed inwardly at how the two always seemed to be fooling around, and how if it wasn't for the color of their skin one would actually think them to be of blood with the way they acted towards each other. Of course Athos felt the bond of brotherhood just as strongly with both Aramis and Porthos, and he knew they felt the same about him…he would gladly give his life for the two men who never gave up on him even in his darkest moments. The three fit together and each offered something to the small group they made.

Aramis was the best sharpshooter in all of France, possibly the world. He always watched his brother's backs and was unbelievably deadly in a fight, especially if one of his friends were ever in trouble. Aramis's soft and gentle nature had many fooled to think he was the easy one to pick off in a fight, but when angered he was downright scary. Not only were his shooting skills in a fight invaluable, but he was also their healer and unfortunately on more than one occasion had saved the life of one of his fallen brothers. Aramis was the one who wound heal a wound, but also help to mend a heart, he knew what to say in hard times but also had a silver tongue that could sway many minds…which is why he was always in so much trouble with women.

Porthos was the brawn of the group, almost a giant he could easily take on more men than any of them and come out victorious. He was the best at hand to hand combat and preferred fighting with the fist or random objects then a sword, but was still a master with the rapier or musket. Porthos was extremely loyal to a fault, and would gladly walk through hell and back without a question if his friends asked him to. He grew up in the court and although sometimes self-conscious of his background and skin color, he never let it stop him from becoming what he wanted. In fact, the skills he had learnt from the court were greatly used by the regimen, he was proficient in lock picking, moving quietly over rooftops, and also had many connections that no one in the regimen could ever dream of having. They were his brothers and best friends and he didn't like to imagine where he would be without the two idiots…but he had always felt like something was missing in his life even with his two best friends that kept him sane all these years.

With that thought he glanced over to his right at the oddly silent d'Artagnan, the boy who made the impossible happen by shoving himself right in the middle of their tightly knit group and becoming such an irreplaceable part of their weird family. Many new and older musketeers have tried and failed to become one of the Inseparables, but this very young kid managed what many have been trying before they even knew what he was doing. Athos looked again at his young friend and found himself once again contemplating on how this Gascon has changed so much for their group. D'Artagnan's fiery spirit and youthcaused the three to find a new pleasure and excitement in their missions, trainings, and even hell patrol. The three had a new determination to train the boy and their pride increased tenfold every time d'Art achieved a new goal or concurred a new skill. Not only that but their relationship with one another became even stronger, and they found that fighting as a quartet rivaled how they used to fight as a triplet. D'Artagnan was exactly what they had been missing all these years and was why they all were so determined to get d'Artagnan his commission…to solidify his place with them forever. That was why he went on every mission with them, and Treville saw this too and therefore it was now custom to include d'Artagnan in whatever the inseparables were doing. That being said Athos still could not figure out how a boy, who is young enough to be his son, could become so easily and quickly a cherished friend and brother of the three much older and seasoned men.

"You okay there d'Art? I don't think you have ever been this quiet before," while Athos was deep in though Aramis snuck around to d'Artagnan's other side and gave him a quick pat on the back.

"Huh…oh yea I'm fine, still just kind of tired I guess," the boy replied quietly.

"You're not still thinking about the Vadim incident are you? Cause if you are then you have not heard a single word we have said to you all this time".

D'Artagnan sighed gruffly and glanced at Aramis, both Athos and Porthos remained silent. "Kind of, it just all comes back every time we are about to go on a new mission. The last words Vadim said to me, how I gave everyone the wrong information and almost cost the Queen and King a great deal. I know you all say I didn't fail and that I am one of the reasons their majesties did not get robbed…but it doesn't feel that way, and I don't want it to happen again."

Aramis shared a look with his two friends over d'Artagnan's head before he spoke, "Unfortunately d'Art, you will not always succeed in your missions. Sometimes you are going to fail miserably…its part of the job. We do the best we can, but sometimes mistakes happen, sometimes no matter how hard you try to make things go your way it just doesn't. You need to be prepared for that because it's how you learn, do you know how many mistakes and failed missions we have had?" Aramis looked down at d'Artagnan who shook his head no, "A lot…but that was good because it's how we became so amazing at what we do because we learnt from them, and in the end everything has always worked out". D'Artagnan was nodding his head and appeared to be taking in everything Aramis said.

"That's all true, but whelp you did not fail the Vadim mission…yes it got a lil hectic for a second, but if not for you we would still be searchin' for Vadim and the Queens jewels," Porthos added which gained a small smile from d'Artagnan.

D'Artagnan looked up at Athos then and Athos stared back at him, instead of giving him a long speech of how he did not fail and that missions are teaching tools, Athos simply gave him a small nod…a gesture that spoke a thousand words. The boy smiled brilliantly back and seemed to stand straighter like a weight had been lifted off his back. "You are all right, thank you my friends".

"No thanks needed, remember…no matter what you are never alone and you have your brothers by your side," Aramis ruffled the kid's hair again and dashed quickly away as d'Artagnan took a friendly swing at him.

As the easy banter between all three now started up again Athos thought back to the Vadim mission. How that mission changed so much in their…no his life. He was terrified they had lost the boy then and realized in that moment when he found d'Artagnan still very much alive that the young, self-less, and hot-headed Gascon found a way deep into his closed off heart and he wasn't willing to let him go any time soon. The three of them made a silent vow that night that the boy belonged to their group and that no matter what they would always protect him. Yes, d'Art was turning to be a very capable swordsman and they would trust him with their lives…but he was still their younger brother and they would probably always protect him even when he is much older.

As they entered the gates to the garrison they noted that as dawn approached some of the men were starting to straggle into the courtyard, getting ready for whatever the day was to bring. They quickly made their way up to Treville's office and Athos knocked on the door. They heard the authoritative voice bark a "come in" and Athos led the way into the captain's office the others closely following behind. Once the door shut behind them and all four men were lined up in front of Treville, their captain sat back in his chair like he had a thousand pounds sitting on top of him. Treville had his hand covering half his mouth as if he were deep in thought, struggling to make a decision. His eyes roamed over all of his men until they finally settled on d'Artagnan who shifted uncomfortably next to Porthos at the scrutinization he was receiving.

"Is everything okay Captain?" Aramis asked as all started to now feel uncomfortable with the way Treville was acting.

Treville did not take his eyes off d'Artagnan as he said, "No it's not."

"May I ask what has happened," Athos carefully asked.

Treville sighed then and broke off his staring contest with d'Artagnan, looking at all four in turn, "We have received intelligence that there is a plot forming against His Majesty".

"When is there not a plot formin' against His Majesty," Porthos grumbled back. Both Athos and Treville shot him a glare which cause Porthos to stand even straighter. "Well it's true".

"Porthos does have a point though Captain," Athos looked back to Treville, "there have been many who have tried to bring harm to the royal family, and we have always stopped them…what about this has you so disturbed".

Treville remained quiet for another moment before standing up before his men, "It is not so much the threat that has me concerned, but more so the way we are going to have to get to the source of the threat," Treville stopped in front of d'Artagnan a worried and concerned expression falling over his features that made Athos stomach turn. "It will require all four of you, but mostly you d'Artagnan, I have spent hours trying to come up with another plan but it seems there is only one that could possibly work…and none of you are going to like it".