Evening My Lovelies :)

Eeep! I'm so happy with how well received this story has been after only one chapter :) I already have 10 reviews and over 20 followers :D I'm hoping you'll all stick with me as the story progresses.

Notes On Reviews:

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - I'm glad you liked it. I have everyone guessing at the moment as to who's awake and who's in dire straights... it makes the evil part of my brain smile lol :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Deana: Thanks for the review - Ask and ye shall receive :) Updates should be daily so I wont keep you waiting long. Enjoy the new chapter! x

romirola: Thanks for the review - I'm glad you like it, I've been debating publishing it for the last week or so but figured Christmas would be a good time to publish it. The whumpage doesnt start until around chapter 6ish but I have sooooo much planned that'll make up for the wait :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Tidia: Thanks for the review - I have everyone guessing with that chapter :) It'll be a while until we see who's who but what i have planned will hopefully be worth the wait. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - I'm happy to have a new story too :) Fraid it's gonna be a while till we find out who's who but there'll be plenty of whumpage and stuff along the way that'll make up for it :) I'm hoping you'll love it as much as my other ones. Enjoy the new chapter! x

jamepa: Thanks for the review - hehe your review made me grin :) All questions will be answered before too long i promise. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Guest: Thanks for the review - Glad you're liking it so far I'll be updating daily so you wont be waiting long for updates :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

newbeginning15: Thanks for the review - I've tried to avoid dropping hints as I thoroughly enjoy keeping you all on your toes lol :) I like your guesses but i wont be saying if they're correct or not. We'll be traveling back in time today to 'the beginning' so we'll see how it all started. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Oh your review made me smile :D It's good to be back too, I've missed publishing and writing... and of course getting all the lovely messages from you lot :) I've already written lots of whumpage, several protective and sweet musky moments :) No proper snuggly moments yet but there's one coming up so i'm happy. PLUS i've already got a couple of guilty musketeer moments which are also fun too :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

CaroH: Thanks for the review - Oooh yes our boys have suffered quite a bit before they woke up in the infirmary, so there'll be lots of good (hopefully) whumpage moments for us to enjoy :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Many thanks to everyone who is already supporting this story by following/favouriting/reviewing/reading. I love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Two: Back To The Beginning

Hearing the news from the doctor's mouth sent the injured musketeer in a fresh wave of panic and it was only when his many injuries violently protested against his attempt of moving from his bed that he registered both Treville's and the doctor's hands on him trying to keep him for doing further harm to himself.

"What do you mean it's up to him?" Treville questioned once he was sure his soldier wasn't about to make another attempt to get out of bed in his current state

"I mean his will to live and to fight" the doctor explained solemnly, looking at the two men with both sympathy and pity as he spoke, "I fear he has precious little strength… or desire, to do either"

"What!" growled the musketeer, fear and worry quickly being replaced by anger at the doctor's assumption that his beloved brother wouldn't want to fight.

Having expected an aggressive response to his words the doctor was able to keep his face neutral at the musketeer's outburst. "I mean" he explained, working to keep his voice as calming as possible, "that his injuries alone are quite substantial, not even taking into account the blood he has lost because of them. His body is weak and his mind weaker still that I worry he simply wont or does not have the will to fight the numerous infections that have already taken ahold of his body. Whatever happened to you and your men out there has impacted him greatly, so much so that when he was brought in he was incredibly delirious and undoubtedly in an enormous amount of pain but still insisted on doing nothing but apologizing and begging for forgiveness from the three of you until the pain of his injuries became too much for his body to handle and he passed out."

"The idiot" chided the musketeer fondly under his breath, though Treville could hear how his voice broke slightly as he spoke.

"Can I see him?" the musketeer asked tiredly, his eyes pleading with both the doctor and his Captain. "Please" he begged, hating how needy he sounded but willing to put up with it for his brother's sake.

"Normally I would say no" answered the doctor after a few moments of hesitation, a small smile growing on his face. "But being around family might just be enough to keep him from giving up. I will let him rest in the room for a few hours to give his body a break after enduring treatment but I'll see to it that he's moved in here before evening falls."

Smiling weakly at the doctor in an attempt to express his thanks, the musketeer closed his eyes as another wave of pain passed through his body. When he opened them again Treville was looking at him with his eyes full of concern and worry.

"I need to know what happened if you're up to it"

Really not wanting to delve into what he and his brothers had suffered and endured over the last few weeks, the musketeer hesitated in responding. It was only the thought of having help in ensuring that the scum who hurt his brothers sufficiently paid for their crimes that had him telling Treville their tale.

SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR

"So you think the whelp's still mad at us?" Porthos asked, smiling as he watched Aramis attempt to swat a fly that had been buzzing around his head for the last several minutes with no success.

"It was Treville's orders that kept him in the garrison not ours. Besides he's still recovering from his illness… why would he be mad at us?" Athos enquired curiously, obstinately ignoring the excited cheer from the Spaniard as he finally managed to rid himself of the infuriating insect.

"Besides" Aramis inputted, casually fixing his hat and sending his companions his customary grin, "this mission was hardly noteworthy, if anything he'll probably be glad he didn't come."

The other two men nodded at the marksman's statement. They had been sent on to a remote village, several days ride from Paris, to investigate rumors of dissent and unrest growing within. They tackled thunderstorms, broken bridges as well as the general discomfort that came from being in the saddle for extended periods of time, simply to discover that the source of the 'unrest' and 'dissent' was nothing more than a loud mouth ex-noble, who was constantly drunk off his ass, bad mouthing the King.

They had investigated the former noble, figuring the man was simply angry at being cast out of court and losing his title and lands but needing to be completely certain. Once finding him guilty of nothing more than being a morose, but very verbal drunk they cautioned the man and headed for home. The rain continued to delay the men as it refused to let up and made several of the roads almost impassable.

"Kids practically a puppy" Porthos teased fondly, barely holding back a chuckle as he remembered the pout on D'Artagnan's face when Treville denied his request to join them on this mission, "We went on a mission without him. Doesn't matter whose orders it was… Or that he was still recovering… Pup's gunna be mad at us" he finished with a shrug. Honestly he wished the kid had been with them, he never said no to a spar and the whelp's smart mouth was always something fun to listen to. Besides, if nothing else, the boy truly looked like a kicked puppy when it rained – that alone would have almost been worth the trip.

"I'm sure the Captain found something to keep him busy" Athos replied absent-mindedly, the musketeer could see the torches from the garrison's watchtowers and couldn't help but be distracted by the promise of sleeping in his own bed after so many nights sleeping on the sodden ground. "Come, let's deliver our report to Treville if he's still up and then get some rest"

THE NEXT MORNING

Arriving at their usual table in the garrison the three friends were surprised at the absence of their fourth. On the odd occasions one or more of them had been assigned a mission without the Gascon they always found him waiting for them at the table first thing in the morning upon their return. Much like the boy needed to reassure himself that they had returned safe and sound. They had little time to ponder his whereabouts however as they were quickly summoned by a wary looking Treville.

"You three!" the Captain called from the balcony outside his office as he headed towards them, a scowl on his face as he shrugged his arms into his thick leather jacket as he walked. Having waited until they turned to look at him before continuing he added, "With me, we've been summoned to the palace."

Exchanging curious looks between themselves, the musketeers were quick to follow their Captain. They did not wish to leave the garrison without seeing D'Artagnan – they had already arrived a day late from their mission thanks to bad weather and feared that they would be causing their young brother to grow concerned for their safety if he arrived to their usual table to find them still absent and a concerned D'Artagnan was a reckless D'Artagnan, the last thing any of them wanted was to have to track him down from whatever ludicrous rescue plan the boy had formed in his mind.

The anxiousness and irritability radiating off of their Captain also put the three men on edge… Something had happened and they had a feeling that they were about to be dragged into the center of it.

"Shouldn't we wait for D'Artagnan?" Athos asked once they'd caught up to Treville at the garrison gates. He, much like his brothers, did not like the idea of leaving D'Artagnan to worry over them. The last time they made that error it ended up with three of them having to rescue the boy from a duel he had initiated with a group of Red Guards, having decided that the men had played some part in the delay of his brothers. The boy had been confined to the infirmary for three days due to his injuries after that incident. Despite the fond smile this memory brought the swordsman he found his expression darkening at Treville's next words.

"D'Artagnan's not at the garrison" Treville stated, concern for the Gascon just ever so slightly bleeding through into his voice, "he hasn't been since the night you lot left."

"What do you mean?" Porthos questioned, his head tilting to the side as he pondered this new information, "where is he then?"

"A mission" Treville answered vaguely, pleased when people on the street made way for him and his men – he had a bad feeling in his gut about this meeting and he didn't want to waste anytime by having to fight through Paris's populace as they bustled through the streets.

"On his own?" Athos growled as he grabbed Treville's arm, concern for his protégé steeling his tone as the musketeer's mind instantly went back to the Gascon's first solo mission with Vadim, the lad had almost managed to get himself blown to pieces and since then the three of them had been hesitant to let him face missions alone. It wasn't that they didn't trust him, it was simply the image of their new young friend tied to barrels of gunpowder, all alone, assaulted their minds whenever the subject of solo missions came up. The three of them found that they had each grown quite fond of the youth and the thought of him facing danger without any back up from his brothers was worrying.

"It was not my idea" Treville replied calmly, choosing to ignore his lieutenant's lack of respect as he knew how much the man cared for the boy – even if he refused to admit it.

"What do you mean?" Aramis questioned, willing his heart to calm and for the band of fear gripping it to loosen.

"The mission came directly from the King" Treville explained, the anger in his voice confused the men until he continued, "Shortly after you lot left a messenger came for D'Artagnan and he swiftly left. He came back a couple of hours later, looking concerned and nervous. I tried to get him to tell me what happened but he said he couldn't and then he retired to him rooms. Then at morning muster the following day I noticed he wasn't there. After he still hadn't shown up several hours later I took a trip to the palace and inquired after him, only to find that the King had sent him on a top secret mission that he wouldn't tell me the details of."

The eyebrows of all three remaining inseparables shot up at this piece of information at the same time heavy weights gathered in their guts. Captain Treville was highly respected and, in some respects, idolized by the King. For the monarch to not tell the regiment's leader what he was sending out one of his men for couldn't mean anything good.

"So does this impromptu summons bode well or ill for our young Gascon?" Aramis inquired lightly after several moments, though the worry in his voice was poorly hidden.

"That remains to be seen" Treville said, his tone grave, "but one way or another I will have answers today."