Title: Forgive Me

Summary: 'Looking up at the burning house he made a promise, no matter the out come of this, he was going to look after Athos. He was determined, of that he was sure.'Oneshot!

Pairing: Athos/D'Artagnan

Characters: Athos, D'Artagnan, Porthos, Aramis, Bonnaire

Warnings: Slash (guy on guy) if you don't please stop reading and don't complain as you have been warned.

Spoilers: Hugh spoilers from the third episode of the first series, 'Commodities.'

Rating: 13+

Disclaimer: I don't own The Musketeers sadly :(, the ideas and characters belong to their respectful owners. No infringement intended.

Author's notes: Omg this episode! So much happened! Slash and non slash related, I know people have already written the fire scene but this is my spin on it :) please enjoy :) x Thanks to CrunchyScones for the beta :)

D'Artagnan slowly walked up the hill to where Athos was standing by the tree; he was worried about his lover. There was something more to this house than just the fact Athos owned it; D'Artagnan could see the older man was being haunted by something.

"What are you doing?" asked D'Artagnan as Athos turned round.

"There's someone I need to see in the village." Athos said instead, looking into the distance instead of at the younger man.

"Let me come with you." D'Artagnan grabbed Athos' arm as the man walked pass him. "You haven't been yourself since we got to this place. Tell me what's going on, please don't shut me out again."

"Again?" frowned Athos.

"The first time I hear that you have a brother was in the portrait room where you say he died and that's it. No hint of him before while we've been alone or any mentation of the house. I can see there is something here affecting you, please tell me what's going on."

Removing his arm from D'Artagnan's grip Athos started to walk away "Keep an eye on Porthos. Don't leave him alone with Bonnaire."

"No" shouted out D'Artagnan as he ran to be in front of Athos. "Don't do this, don't do this to yourself or us, please I can help." D'Artagnan cupped Athos' face to force the man to look at him.

"How can you help?" Athos shouted, pushing away from D'Artagnan's hands. "This is none of your business D'Artagnan!"

"You made it my business the day you kissed me!" D'Artagnan shouted back, getting into Athos' face, "I care about you, I can see the haunted look in your eyes, like you keep seeing ghosts. I want to help you so you don't have to go through this alone because that's what people do when they care about someone as deeply we do, or am I just wasting my breath?"

Athos lifted his hand to as if to touch D'Artagnan's face but stopped the movement half way and sighed instead. "Let it go D'Artagnan, the past is in the past."

"At least tell me where you're going." Asked the younger man, sounding hurt.

"Just get back on the road as soon as you can." Athos replied instead, refusing to meet D'Artagnan's eye as he knew not only would he find hurt but also disappointment, which he put there. "Get Bonnaire to Paris." He called out as he walked away.

000

And so they did, much to the protest of Bonnaire, saying he needed to take a gift for the King. D'Artagnan had also protested, saying they should wait for Athos, they may of fought but that didn't mean he didn't worry any less about the older man. However, Aramis had made it perfectly clear that they had to leave and trust Athos to deal with his own affairs.

Aramis rolled his eyes as Bonnaire started to rant off about another story of some island he had found and turned round to speak to D'Artagnan. Only he found the young boy's horse stood still, several feet behind, not close. Turning his own horse back, Aramis trotted towards him.

"What's wrong D'Artagnan? Your horse can't be tired already."

"I have to go back Aramis, you saw how he was acting in that house. We can't just leave him there alone, he needs us although he'll never admit it." Replied D'Artagnan, trying not to reveal too much the Musketeer.

After a few silent moments between the two men, Aramis sighed "Fine. Go but be careful and don't complain when he's not happy to see you."

Smiling, D'Artagnan turned his horse and kicked him into a canter back towards the house.

000

D'Artagnan's blood ran cold when he found the house up in flames, 'No!'

"Athos!" He yelled, "Athos, can you hear me?"

"D'Artagnan" Athos choked, trying to hold onto his wife as she got up, the smoke from the fire hitting his lungs.

"Athos! Athos!" The sound and sight of a galloping horse with a hooded rider temporally distracted the dark haired man before he ran into the house. "Athos!"

'He has to be alive, he can't be dead.' The young man panicked as he started to check the house.

"Athos! Athos!"

The older man tried calling out but every time he did a new wave of smoke would enter his lungs, causing him to cough.

"Athos" a wave of relief ran threw D'Artagnan as soon as he saw the other man on the floor, trying to sit up. "It's me. It's D'Artagnan" he said as he helped Athos to his feet "Come on, get up. Get up!"

Somehow they managed to stumble out of the house, with D'Artagnan carrying most of Athos' weight. Placing him within safe distance of the burning building, D'Artagnan ran to his horse, grabbed his water and ran back to Athos. The older man looked half unconscious as D'Artagnan poured the water over his head, rubbing his face and grabbing his chin.

"What happened? Who was that women?" D'Artagnan was frantic as he asked his questions.

"Since we arrived, I've felt her presence everywhere. I thought I was imaging it." Athos couldn't hold it in any longer, he couldn't stop his lips from revealing the truth.

"Who? Who?"

"My wife. She died five years ago now, by my orders." The older man sounded so broken as he watched his house burn. "She was a cold blooded murder, so I had her taken from the house and hung from a branch of a tree."

Shaking his head, D'Artagnan grabbed Athos' jacket "Look at me. Look at me!" he yelled, shaking Athos closer, trying to get the hazy eyes to look at him. "Are you saying the ghost of your dead wife tried to kill you?" he asked confused and hurt that this was another part of Athos' life he didn't know.

"She not dead, D'Artagnan" Athos slurred, shaking his head. "She survived"

"This was her revenge?"

"It was my duty." Athos spat out, grabbing D'Artagnan's jacket, "It was my duty to uphold the law. My duty to condemn the women I love to death." Athos was shouting now, shaking D'Artagnan as he did so "I've clung to the belief that I had no choice. Five years learning how to live in a world without her." Removing D'Artagnan's hand from his jacket, he fell back onto the grass "What do I do now?"

D'Artagnan's heart ripped in two at the sight of the broken man in front of him. His own feelings were hurt too as it was quite clear that Athos was still in love with his wife but D'Artagnan had to push them aside and help the man he loved.

"First of all you sleep off all the alcohol you no doubt drank." He replied calmly "then we ride to Paris to find the others and once this issue with Bonnaire is sorted I'll help you find her…as a friend."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Athos broke it with a quiet "forgive me."

D'Artagnan looked up in surprise and could see tears streaming down the Musketeer's face.

"Please forgive me, D'Artagnan." Athos said desperately, sitting up to face the young man. "After everything that I've put you through you still here for me. It makes me hate myself even more for how I've treated you." Athos grabbed D'Artagnan's jacket again and placed his head on the other man's chest. D'Artagnan could feel the tears going through his tunic.

"Please forgive me. Don't leave me. I don't want you to just be my friend. I care about you too much for us to go back to being friends." The last few words were whispered as the exhaustion and alcohol took over the Musketeer's body.

D'Artagnan stroked Athos' hair, holding onto him as the man slept. Looking up at the burning house he made a promise, no matter the out come of this, he was going to look after Athos. He was determined, of that he was sure.