First of all, thank you all so much for all of the comments, favorites and follows! Wow, you guys are the best! Second, I am so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I was assigned not one, but two big projects at work so my writing time has been cut drastically. I will probably finish this story up with one more chapter after this because I have no idea how much time I'll be able to devote to it. Dang work! Anyway, I'll let you get to it!

Cindy

Left Behind

Chapter 2

Marie stood inside the doorway, her worried eyes focused on the lone figure stacking firewood in the old shed behind her small cottage. It had been fifteen days since the young man she had grown so fond of had woken in confusion and pain in her daughter's bedroom, and seventeen days since she had been entrusted with his care by three men who had seemed to care about him, but who could really say given the length of time that had passed without word of when they would return for him.

d'Artagnan had rallied after their talk, but Marie knew it was more because he felt guilty for causing she and Yvette so much worry than the need to regain his strength for when his friends came back around. She could see it in his dark eyes, the pain and sadness of not knowing what had become of the three men, and the past several days she had seen something else in him…she was seeing a man in mourning. Whether it was because he felt that something terrible had happened to his friends, or because he felt, for some reason, that they were intentionally not returning, Marie had no way of knowing. Either way, it appeared as the young Gascon had all but given up on seeing his friends again, and for that, Marie could tell, he mourned.

d'Artagnan had been a big help around the house once he had regained most of his strength and mostly healed from his wound. When he had learned that Marie's husband had died the previous winter, leaving both Marie and Yvette alone, he had taken it upon himself to fix things that needed fixing and to help wherever he could. He had rebuffed any protest from Marie that he was still recovering and needed to take it easy. He had completely immersed himself in work, and Marie had the distinct feeling that it was as much as his way of repaying her for her help as it was in keeping his mind off of his missing friends. In any case, the hole in the roof had been fixed, the fence around the garden repaired, and now the firewood shed was nearly full with cut logs that would keep she and Yvette warm in the coming winter. In addition to all of the work he had been doing, he also took as much time as he could to take care of the horse that his three friends had also left in Marie's care.

Suddenly, d'Artagnan stumbled, his shoulder hitting the edge of the doorway. Marie stepped forward in concern when the young man leaned his forehead against the door frame and took a deep breath, his hand coming up to rest on the frame beside his face. Marie hurried across the expanse between her house and the shed, but stopped suddenly when she heard a strangled sob come from the Gascon. Wanting to rush to her charge, but sensing that he needed to be alone, Marie reluctantly turned and headed back into her house. She turned when she knew she would be shaded in the shadows and watched as d'Artagnan turned, his back pressed against the door frame, and slid to ground. He dropped his head to his knees as he wrapped his arms around his legs. His shoulders shook, and Marie could only assume that he was crying. Feeling like an intruder, Marie slipped further into her house to give the young man the privacy she was sure he needed.

It was twenty minutes later when d'Artagnan slipped into the small kitchen. He ducked his head when Marie glanced his way and murmured something about needing to go get cleaned up before supper, but not before Marie had seen his puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. Alone again, Marie sighed and turned her attention back to the stew that was simmering on the hearth. Satisfied that it was nearly done, she went to the table to prepare the freshly baked bread for the meal. An hour later, she, Yvette and a quiet and subdued d'Artagnan were seated around the table. They ate in silence, both mother and daughter stealing glances at their guest every so often as he mostly picked at his meal. Once the meal was over, d'Artagnan's only half way eaten, d'Artagnan finally looked at the two and smiled softly.

"Marie, Yvette," he softly said as he turned his gaze to the small window near the door. "I…I think it is time for me to leave…"

"No!" Yvette cried, her small hand reaching over the table to grab d'Artagnan's bigger one. "You can't leave! You still aren't fully healed and…and if you do, your friends will miss you when they return!"

"Yvette…" Marie started, but the tear filled eyes of her daughter as they turned her way stopped her words in her throat.

"No, mama! He can't leave. His side still pains him and he'll be all alone and…"

d'Artagnan gently gripped the young girl's hand and smiled when she turned back to him. "Yvette, I have to go. I am sorry, but I don't think my friends are returning. That is why I must leave. I…"

"d'Artagnan, you must have faith. They have only been held up…they will come!" Yvette cried.

"No…I don't think so. I think something has happened to them and I must find them. They may be in grave danger," d'Artagnan explained, his eyes filled with pain at the thought that his friends could be hurt, or worse.

"No…I…"

Marie reached out and gripped her daughter's arm as she sent a quick glance to the young man across the table. "Yvette, it is d'Artagnan's choice. If he wishes to leave, we cannot keep him here," she softly said.

Yvette turned toward her mother, hurt and anger flashing in her eyes. "But he'll be all alone and those bad men who hurt him could still be out there!"

"I promise I will be fine," d'Artagnan said as he gave the young girl's hand another gentle squeeze. "I am a trained musketeer after all," he said with a small grin.

"And yet you were shot…and knocked senseless!" Yvette spat as fresh tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

"Yvette!" Marie cried.

"It is alright, Marie," d'Artagnan said with a small smile, before once again turning his attention to the young girl. "Yes, Yvette, I was hurt, but my skills as a musketeer kept me from being killed," he explained softly.

"But you had your friends there to help you…if you leave, you will be all alone! What if…" Yvette began, only to be cut off by another gentle squeeze to her hand.

"I know, Yvette…I know that you are worried, but the fact that there could be more of the men out there who attacked my friends and I is another reason why I must go. I am the only one who can help my friends if these men have found and hurt them. Besides, if there are more of the bad men, they could be looking for me as well and that could bring them here and I can't chance that any longer. I must go, not only to find my friends, but to keep you and your mama safe. I cannot stay any longer," d'Artagnan sadly stated.

"Do you really think that men could come here, looking for you?" Marie asked worriedly as she pulled Yvette close to her side.

With a sigh, d'Artagnan looked at Marie and shook his head. "Most likely not, but I have no way of knowing if any of the men who attacked us got away since I was knocked unconscious during the fight. I'm sure if anything was going to happen, it would have by now, but I can no longer risk it. You and Yvette are too important to me," he replied.

Marie nodded, then stood to clear the table. "I will prepare you a satchel of food in the morning for your journey," she said.

d'Artagnan also stood to help with the dishes. "That won't be necessary, Marie…I've already taken way more than you can afford to give me," he said.

Marie turned and leveled a stern glare at the Gascon. "If you think I'm going to send you off with no food or drink, you may have scrambled your brains a little bit more than I thought! You will take the food I pack and that is all there is to it!" she commanded. At d'Artagnan's chagrined nod, she turned once more and placed the dirty dishes on the bench next to the wash basin.

d'Artagnan stepped up next to Marie and smiled when she glanced his way. "Thank you, Marie, for all that you have done for me," he said softly as he picked up a rag to help with the dishes.

Marie sighed and turned back to the chore in front of her. "You mustn't mourn your friends so soon, d'Artagnan," she said, her voice nearly a whisper. She sensed her young guest tense beside her and turned to once more meet his eyes.

"I…I am not mourning them, Marie. I am fearful for their safety…that is all," d'Artagnan defended.

Marie smiled and lifted a hand to gently cup the Gascon's cheek. "I know when I see someone in mourning. The haunted look in their eyes, the slump of their shoulders. I've seen that look in Yvette's eyes…in my own eyes," Marie explained. "I see that look in your eyes now. You are in mourning, whether you realize it or not, d'Artagnan."

The Gascon set his rag down and backed up until his knees met the bench at the table. He lowered himself down and dropped his face into his open palms. After a few moments, he lifted his head and met Marie's worried gaze. The pain she saw in those dark depth's stole her breath away.

"Oh, d'Artagnan. Everything will be okay," she cried softly as she rushed to kneel in front of the young man.

"Something terrible has happened…I know it has. They would never have left me for this long unless…unless they…"

"No, d'Artagnan! You do not know anything at this time! All we know is that they have taken longer than expected to return for you. We don't know why , we just…"

"You don't know them, Marie. They wouldn't be gone this long without sending word to me unless they were terribly hurt, or being held prisoner, or…or dead," d'Artagnan whispered, the last word coming out in a soft sob.

Marie sighed as she lifted her hand and gently rested it on d'Artagnan's forearm. "You're right, I don't know them. I can't tell you that nothing has happened to them, or that they are okay. I wish I could. I wish that I had words to say that would make you feel less pain, but I don't, and I'm so sorry," she cried softly.

"You have no reason to be sorry, Marie. You have taken care of me, nursed me back to health…all with no complaint. I owe you my life and will give it freely if ever it is needed," d'Artagnan said with heartfelt gratitude.

Marie smiled sadly and pushed to her feet. "Nothing of the sort is or ever will be necessary. Do not even speak that way," she said. "Yvette would never forgive you," she added with a wink, to which d'Artagnan smiled, nodding his head in agreement.

"Thank you, Marie. I don't know how I would have done this without you," d'Artagnan said as he rose to his feet. He took a step toward the wash basin, but stopped when Marie shook her head. She swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat, took a deep breath and lifted her chin, her eyes lowering as she turned away from the Gascon.

"If you are to be leaving tomorrow, you will need to take your rest. I will finish up in here," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument and covering the slight waver in her voice.

d'Artagnan smiled and nodded before turning and leaving the small kitchen. An hour later, when Marie had finished with the evening chores, she entered the living area and smiled fondly when she found d'Artagnan sleeping in her husband's rocking chair, his feet propped on a small foot stool, with Yvette curled up on his lap, her head tucked up under his chin and his arms wrapped protectively around her. She moved to wake them both, but decided that a little while longer wouldn't hurt anything. She sat down in her own seat and took up the mending that sat on the small table beside her. She watched the two sleep and thought about how lonely the house would be once the Gascon was gone. Her thoughts moved to the three men who had thundered to her doorstep all of those weeks ago, the three men who meant the world to her young charge. She prayed that nothing terrible had befallen them for she knew without a single doubt that if the men had perished before finding their way back to d'Artagnan, he would never recover from the loss.

Marie tended to her mending for an hour before she rose and softly shook Yvette awake. The young girl climbed slowly off of d'Artagnan's lap and sleepily stumbled off to bed while Marie woke her charge.

"Why don't you head off to bed now. You won't get proper rest sleeping in the chair," Marie instructed when deep brown eyes blinked tiredly up at her. d'Artagnan nodded and pushed up from the chair with a soft groan. Marie watched him disappear into the front bedroom then let out a soft sigh. Tomorrow would be here soon enough and she couldn't help but to think on what a difficult day it was going to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The morning had dawned bright and sunny, but the moods within the small cottage were anything but. Yvette hardly spoke through breakfast and ran to her room when Marie began to pack food and water into d'Artagnan's saddle bags. Marie rushed to follow her daughter, leaving d'Artagnan to finish. The two had emerged a short time later, but the silence continued on as Yvette sat sullenly at the table while her mother took over packing so d'Artagnan could go and ready his horse. Finally, all preparations were ready and d'Artagnan was ready to go. He stepped out the front door into the morning sunshine then turned when he heard Marie and Yvette come out behind him. He looked down at the young girl, held out his hand and smiled. A second later I was nearly bowled over when Yvette flung herself at him, her arms wrapping tightly around his slender waist, her face pressed into his chest. d'Artagnan tenderly wrapped his arms around the girl's shoulders and hugged her tighter to himself. After a few moments, he gently pushed her back, then knelt before her. He lifted a hand to her cheek when he saw that she was crying.

"It will be okay, sweet Yvette. I will be okay," d'Artagnan said softly as he tenderly brushed the tears away.

"I'll never see you again," Yvette cried as more tears streamed from her eyes.

d'Artagnan shushed the girl's protest before pulling her in for another hug. He pulled away and looked into her tear filled eyes. "I promise that I will come back to see you again as soon as I can," he said.

"You promise?" Yvette asked hopefully.

"I promise. I will be back just as soon as it is possible," d'Artagnan answered.

Yvette smiled shyly then rested a hand on d'Artagnan's shoulder. "You better. It isn't polite to make a promise and then not keep it," she said sternly.

d'Artagnan let out a small laugh then leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Yvette's forehead. After another hug, he rose to his feet and turned to Marie, who stood by patiently waiting for her turn to say goodbye.

"Marie, I can't possibly repay you for all that you have done for me. My heartfelt thank you is all that I have at this moment to give," d'Artagnan said as he crossed the short distance to where his caregiver stood.

"You keep your promise and that is all the repayment that I need," Marie said with a small smile. "Be safe and return to see us one day."

"I will," d'Artagnan answered with a slight nod of his head. He pulled Marie into a tight hug and whispered his thanks again. Finally, he pulled away a turned to look once more at Yvette.

"You take good care of your mama for me, okay?" he asked, his lips quirked up into an easy grin.

"I will!" Yvette responded with a wide grin of her own.

As d'Artagnan moved to mount his horse, the sound of approaching riders suddenly reached his ears. He looked back at Marie who shook her head in silent answer to his question…no, she wasn't expecting any visitors. A spark of hope filled the young Gascon, but then he remembered that he had no idea if all of the attackers had been take care of. He backed away from his horse and pulled his sword free from his belt.

"Take Yvette into the house," he commanded as he moved to have a better line of sight through the trees. He held his sword in front of him and prepared to protect those who had come to be so dear to him. He prayed that he would be enough when the riders finally came into view.

Dun, dun, dun! So, I can't tell you when the next chapter will be posted, but I can say I will work on it as often as I can and I will get it posted just as soon as I possibly can. In the meantime, please let me know what you think of this chapter. Thanks so much for reading!

Cindy