A shout from upstairs made D'artagnan jump a little as 2 boys came rushing past him. One had a wave of brown hair and was being chased by an older boy with darker skin and a mop of black/brown curls. "Aramis! Porthos!" Treville shouted as they ran past. The first boy looked up and smiled a dazzling smile that had Treville roll his eyes and sigh. "Where's Athos?"

"Is our company not good enough for you Captain?" D'artagnan saw the roll of Treville's eyes as the older boy swatted the younger on the head.

"Just find him Aramis." Treville said, sending the two boys off with a glare, which was returned by two identical cheeky smiles.

D'artagnan was silent as Treville led him to his office, thinking of the events that had led him here. For all of D'artagnan's life it had just been him and his Father but now his Father was dead, a car accident and the man that did it wasn't even arrested. D'artagnan was 10 years old and was being placed into a foster home because there wasn't any family for him. But right now, the situation he was in hadn't yet sunk in.

"You'll be alright." Treville said, gently putting a hand on D'artagnan's shoulder. When Treville had come to take him away, D'artagnan had fought him but the older man had sat him down, gently telling him that Treville was there to help him but D'artagnan couldn't believe that. Not with his Father so fresh in his grave. "Athos, about time." Treville sighed when the door opened and a youth of maybe 16 walked into the room. His hair was a messy mop of brown on his head and he had a solemn look in his eyes.

"Aramis said it was urgent."

"No he didn't." Treville replied and the two shared a look of endearment as Athos nodded. "This is D'artagnan, D'artagnan this is Athos." Athos nodded once to D'artagnan who hesitantly smiled. "I need you to keep an eye on him for me."

"Aramis and Porthos will love him." Athos said, sarcasm in his tone, at least D'artagnan thought it was sarcasm.

"Just don't scare him off, he needs some comfort not a scaring." Treville said and Athos nodded. "Off you go D'artagnan, we'll bring your things up once your settled." As D'artagnan followed the older boy out, wondering what was going to happen to him.

…

"What do you think the Captain wanted?" Porthos asked as Aramis jumped onto the bed, grabbing an old book from his dresser. The younger boy shrugged, a wicked smile playing across his lips as Porthos threw a cushion at his head.

"Maybe it's' about the pup downstairs." Aramis suggested, remembering the younger boy with the captain. He'd had a look in his eye that told Aramis something bad had happened.

"He's a kid, not a pup 'Mis." Porthos said. "But maybe you're right. 'Course I don't think the Captain would actually let him come and stay with us after the last time." Porthos and Aramis both laughed at this.

…

Porthos had been the first in the foster care system, having been there since he was 5 after his Mother had died. Of course, it wasn't until he was 8 that he'd brought to this particular home. That was where he met Athos. When he'd first met Athos, Porthos had been curious as to why Treville had put him in a room with Porthos considering the two were completely different to one another. While Porthos was loud and brash, Athos was reserved and quiet but somehow t had worked.

When Aramis had come to the home, 2 years later, Athos and Porthos were firm friends and had become a terror for Treville in the home; Porthos having dragged Athos out of his shell a little and Athos having evened out Porthos' temper. Aramis had been 9 when he came to the home an easy smile on his face but a dead look on his eyes. Treville had moved the younger boy in with Athos and Porthos, both of whom decided they wanted the new boy to be there friend. Soon they managed to get the dead look from Aramis' eyes and find the mischievous boy within.

Treville regretted letting them all live together by now, after all the mischief they'd made. Now, Athos at 16, Porthos at 14 and Aramis at 12, they were the bane of the Captains' existence. Athos was the older and possibly the more sensible of the three but he was still mischievous, persuading teachers and even himself on the odd occasion, that they'd done nothing wrong. Porthos was a pain, getting into fights nearly every day within school over something or other. Aramis was nearly as bad as Porthos, getting into fights with older boys for flirting with their girlfriends, or sisters. Sufficed to say, they had caused a lot of headaches between them.

The foster home was owned by himself and Richelieu but neither of them got on. As it was, the two had their own favourites and had subsequently split the home in two, Treville getting the kids with the worst pasts and Richelieu the kids with more potential of getting adopted. Athos, Porthos and Aramis had some of the worst pasts Treville had seen, not unlike D'artagnan. And like the three before, Treville was sure D'artagnan would fit well with his 'sons'. Another little brother for them and Treville knew he'd cause him a huge headache, just like the others.

But he wouldn't have it any other way.

….

"Our own little pup." Aramis' excited voice stated as he jumped to his feet when Athos and D'artagnan walked into the room. Porthos snorted as D'artagnan unconsciously hid behind Athos.

"Not a pup Aramis and certainly not your plaything." Athos stated as he flopped onto his own bed, smiling slightly at his younger brother's antics.

"D'artagnan, these are my brothers' Porthos and Aramis. Ignore the two, they don't mean any harm." Athos said, seeing D'artagnan's hesitant look when Porthos tackled Aramis.

"You can have that bed." Porthos said, pointing to the bed next to Aramis.

"We put it as far away from Porthos as possible." Aramis said, dodging Porthos' swat as he pulled D'artagnan to sit on the bed. "He snores." He mock whispered as Porthos threw a cushion at Aramis' head.

Athos rolled his eyes, smiling at D'artagnan when the younger hesitantly smiled. "So what you in for?" Porthos asked in a joking tone. This sobered D'artagnan up.

"You don't have to tell us." Athos reassured him.

"My Father died." D'artagnan said, angrily rubbing at the tears running down his face. Aramis put an arm around D'artagnan, pulling the younger boy into a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry." He said, reaching for the cross at his throat, the one he'd always worn.

"Your Mother?" Athos asked, knowing the answer wouldn't be good.

"Dead." He said and Athos nodded as Porthos sat on the other side of D'artagnan.

"It's alright to cry, no one 'ere will think any less of you because of it." Porthos said as Aramis glared at Athos to come over. The older sighed, knowing his younger brother could be stubborn when he wanted something and right then he wanted Athos here.

Athos sat next to Aramis, reaching over to squeeze D'artagnan's hand. He wasn't tactile but he knew others wanted it and living with Porthos and Aramis, Aramis especially, had made his personal space issues fall away slowly. "You're our brother now so we'll look after you."

D'artagnan looked at the three with watery eyes but he smiled anyway. "Does that mean we can keep him?" Aramis said with a gleeful smile that had Athos roll his eyes, Porthos laugh and D'artagnan glare half-heartedly at him.

"Yes Aramis, we can keep him."

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