Evening My Lovelies (Or Early Morning My Lovelies)

So So Sorry this is late! I hit a major case of writers block whilst writing this. I actually ended up just deleting what I had written and starting again because I had sat there for over an hour without writing anything, hope what we've ended up with makes up for it.

Its also a bit late but happy birthday to MicheeO! xx

Notes On Reviews:

criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - I think Athos's too busy trying not pass out to be worried about leading their group... Though he might have some stuff to say as things develop. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Deana: Thanks for the review - Sorry about the wait, but we do get a lot of Aramis angst like you suggested :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Tidia: Thanks for the review - I'm not 100% if Marcel is completely on their side but we'll have to wait and see how evil my mind wants to be. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - I have a sneaking suspicion, knowing how my mind works, that we're going to end up being right about not trusting Marcel. Athos aint too happy to have to rely on Viv but he doesnt really have much of a choice. Enjoy the new chapter! x

watlocked: Thanks for the review - You've probably thanked me before but I'll take it :D I absolutely LOVE getting reviews daily from you all, always makes crappy days a bit better so the very least I can do is give you all new chapters daily as thanks. Plus I hate waiting for new chapters on fic's I read as well so ... :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - The truth of Marsac's death is going to come out soon and will lead to some awesome stuff that I have planned so stay tuned for that. Porthos is going to come clean about the truth behind his mood tomorrow so I dont want to go too much into that but you'll find out tomorrow :) We're seeing Treville again today, I enjoy making you all wait, sorry! Enjoy the new chapter! x

Jmp (Guest): Thanks for the review - Welcome back did you have a good binge? Knowing me it's probably a smart thing to not completely trust Marcel. I want him to change his ways and be a good guy but my evil mind's plotting and that's never a good thing for our boys. Hmmmm I have no idea why he's spanish... I think I read it in a bunch of fic's before I ever started writing stuff and just figured that he was, my own fault for not researching it better but we'll have to roll with it for now, I'll keep it in mind for my next fic though so thanks for letting me know. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Helensg: Thanks for the review - :D Glad you liked it. We'll have to wait and see if she'll need to shoot. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Zoe (Guest): Thanks for the review - I kinda get the idea that Aramis would've forced them to learn it out of worry for them but yeah it's coming in quite handy. It's not the same as having him there but I'm sure Porthos makes quite the charming nurse :) Oh Aramis is going to go all mother hen mode when he see's them. I think having a brother as a musketeer is helping Viv handle everything but I can't promise it'll last. ... I think you may be right, my evil mind is already plotting so we'll have to wait and see. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Yeah unfortunately no kitchen detour lol I was sooooo tempted to have them ambushed... oh well there's still time for something to happen :D My evil mind is already plotting several scenario's out. Poor Athos is definitely suffering and theres only more to come :D Considering the stories I write I think it's wise to keep some wariness over Marcel's motives but we'll have to see how evil my evil mind wants to be. We're back with Treville and the boys today although D'Art's not really saying much. Enjoy the new chapter! x

As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading

Sorry again for it being late. Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Twenty-One: A Stern Talking To

"Aramis."

At the sound of a new arrival Doctor Moreau spun around, his face a picture of frustration and irritation.

"Captain," nodded the doctor sharply, "about time, maybe you can do something about this," he grumbled gesturing to the apparently oblivious medic who was in the middle of wrapping an unconscious D'Artagnan's arm in a clean bandage.

Treville tried to ignore the worry building within him at the sight of D'Artagnan lying unconscious on the bed and a swaying Aramis fretting about him. Instead the Captain turned his attention to the doctor.

"How bad are they?" he asked quietly, needing to know what he was heading into before he approached his soldier.

Moreau sighed, running a hand through his hair as he let his gaze move from Aramis to the Captain. "The boy, he's in ruff shape. He's got several broken and bruised ribs, a broken arm, signs of a possible past concussion and a large gash on his torso that's heavily infected and causing his temperature to reach worrying levels."

At his words Treville's gaze shot to the unconscious Gascon. The boy's breaths were coming in short shallow bursts and despite the alarming pallor of his skin, the young man's cheeks were bright red with fever.

"Was it deep?"

Moreau nodded, "Enough to require stitching and had Monsieur Aramis not treated it in the field when he did it is very likely the boy would have bleed out. As it is the young man has lost a significant amount of blood and that plus his fever is most definitely a cause for concern."

"And Aramis?" Treville asked, not even bothering to hide the worry in his voice as he watched Aramis work from the corner of his eye.

This time Moreau's sigh was more of frustration then resignation. "Your musketeer is in a similar position as the young man Captain and if he doesn't stop and rest soon he's going to be putting his health at great risk."

Treville felt a lump in his throat but before he could do anything Moreau continued.

"His wrists are completely shredded by whatever was being used to restrain them and judging by the quick glimpse of them I managed to get before he tried to kick me out of my own infirmary, they're quite possibly infected."

"What else?" Treville asked, knowing Moreau wouldn't be so worried if it was just his wrists that were injured.

"Neither man was given much to eat or drink during their capture but I get the sense that Aramis hasn't eaten properly in some time."

Treville nodded sadly, knowing all too well the medic's habit of forgoing food when dealing with grief.

"Then there's whatever injury he's sporting under that bandage," doctor Moreau added causing Treville's head to snap up.

"Injury?"

Moreau nodded, "As I've said he wont let me check him over but I've caught glimpses of the bandages as he's been rushing around after the boy… Honestly with the condition he was brought in here in I'm surprised he hasn't collapsed yet, he was barely clinging onto consciousness when your men found him or so they told me."

Treville was stopped from responding when a loud noise drew his attention.

"Aramis!" exclaimed the Captain as he rushed over to his musketeer's side, placing one hand on his lower back and another on his shoulder in an effort to help steady the shaking man.

"This is why he needs to rest," huffed the doctor as he moved to pick up the bowl of herbs that had dropped from Aramis's shaking hands.

"Aramis," said Treville softly, the hand on the medic's shoulder giving a gentle squeeze in an attempt to get the musketeer's attention.

"C…Captain?" mumbled Aramis tiredly as he attempted to stand up straight again.

"Aramis you need to let the doctor look at you."

Aramis shook his head, immediately regretting the action when it caused the whole world to spin and sent him sagging against Treville.

Treville sighed, cursing his stubborn men under his breath before turning his attention back to Aramis who was now breathing deeply in an attempt to regain his composure.

"Aramis," he said his voice commanding but not unkind as he waited for the medic to look at him before continuing. "Don't make me have to drug you to get you to rest." Aramis's eyes narrowed into a glare but Treville continued. "I'd hate to do it but I'm not about to sit here and watch you endanger yourself and D'Artagnan further either."

Aramis reeled back as if the Captain had slapped him causing Treville's eyes to narrow both in suspicion and question.

"H… He's safe with me," snarled the medic though his exhausted, shaking voice negated some of the emotion behind the man's words.

"Really?" Treville asked rising a questioning eyebrow, internally hating to sound so harsh with the man but knowing that without Athos or Porthos around to temper him that he would have no choice but to be harsh to get the man to listen.

"Of course!" snapped Aramis as he glared daggers at his Captain.

"And had that been a scalpel instead of a bowl? Or a cauterizing iron?"

Aramis's mouth opened to retort the Captain's words but nothing came out, horror quickly replacing anger in his eyes as he realized what could have just happened.

Seeing this Treville continued.

"Any other day you know I would have no issues with you treating him… If anything I would almost insist on it given how much he trusts you." Aramis visibly flinched at this, causing Treville's eyes to once again narrow but he knew he needed to get the man to agree to rest before he could question it further. "But the state you're in." Sighing Treville ran a hand through his hair, not for the first time wishing Athos or Porthos were here. "In your current state you're likely to do more harm than good."

Aramis took a few steps back, his hand unconsciously coming to rest gently against the wound D'Artagnan had so carefully and lovingly treated, even at the expense of his own health.

For a few moments Treville thought he had managed to get through to the marksman but then Aramis' shook his head again, though with less force than before.

"H-He saved me I have to do the same," dismissed the medic as he turned back to D'Artagnan.

Swallowing the urge to throttle the man for being so stubborn Treville moved to stand by his side, his eyes going wide when he spotted something on the medic's shirt.

"Aramis you're bleeding!"

To Treville's great surprise Aramis merely nodded tiredly before placing a cold cloth on D'Artagnan's burning forehead. "Pulled a few stitches," he admitted quietly, his eyes never leaving D'Artagnan's face.

"Take off your shirt," ordered Treville as he spun the medic around to face him, his own hands coming up to undo the laces of his tunic.

"W-What?" blinked Aramis, thoroughly confused and mildly annoyed at the constant interruptions to his work.

"Doctor Moreau is looking at that wound," snapped Treville as he gestured with one hand for the doctor to come over. "Now shut up and take off your shirt"

"What? No!" Aramis exclaimed, batting away Treville's hands as his own crossed protectively over his chest. "I'll worry about me later, I need to help D'Artagnan."

At this Treville felt what little patience he had left snap. "Oh for the love of –" growled the Captain as he pushed Aramis into a nearby chair before forcing the man's shirt off, ignoring both the heated glare and the wince of pain that accompanied his action.

"Moreau?"

Taking that as his cue the doctor approached and began to remove the sodden bandages covering Aramis's chest. More than once Aramis tried to stand or move away so Treville was forced to stand behind him and hold him down by his shoulders.

"I'm not a child," snarled Aramis as he bit back a hiss of pain when the last part of the bandage got stuck to his skin.

"Then stop acting like one and let us help you." Said Treville sternly as he gripped the marksman's shoulder.

"I have to help D'Artagnan!"

"What your young friend needs the most right now is rest and you know it monsieur," chastised Moreau as he observed the stitched wound on Aramis's chest, tutting and shaking his head when he realized that in the man's pacing he had managed to actually rip a couple of stitches. "This is going to need redoing, you've already lost enough blood I don't want you bleeding out on my floor."

"Sir," Aramis pleaded, tilting his head so he could look at Treville, "Please I need to help him."

Treville sighed, his expression softening as he looked at the heartbroken, guilt-ridden man in front of him. "Why?"

As if simply waiting for that word the floodgates opened and Aramis couldn't stop what was coming out of his mouth.

"Because it's all my fault! I should have waited or told someone or something but I didn't and because of that D'Artagnan's fighting for his life and Athos and Porthos are in the hands of a man with a vendetta. That's of course providing they aren't already dead! D'Artagnan lost a lot of his blood because he was focused on helping me, his arm got broken because I wouldn't give Marcel the answers he wanted, his ribs are damaged because I refused to listen to him and get back up. I can't sit around and do nothing when all this is my fault!"

By the end of his rant the medic was crying and completely oblivious to Moreau finishing up the re-stitching of his chest wound. Once the medic realized what he had said he hung his head in shame, waiting for Treville's anger and disappointment.

"Does he blame you?" Treville asked softly, his earlier stern expression gone and replaced with a softer one that was rare to see on the Captain's face.

"W-What?" hiccupped Aramis as he stared at the Captain in disbelief; of all the responses he anticipated this was not one of them.

"D'Artagnan," Treville clarified, "Does he blame you?"

"I… I d-don't… How could he not?"

"D'Artagnan may see Athos as his mentor but do you honestly not see the way he looks at you and Porthos?"

At Aramis's confused look Treville gently squeezed his shoulders and explained.

"Aramis that boy sat outside your door in the middle of a rainstorm after you had punched him in the face because he didn't want you to be alone." Aramis flinched at the reminder of his actions against his friend, though Treville was undeterred, "He treasures the friendship he has with you three. He practically begged me not to punish you for punching him, even brushed off Constance's concerns in preference of defending you. Do you really think someone like that would blame you for things out of your control?"

"B-But…"

"D'Artagnan could've come to me before you set out if he really wanted to, he knew where you were going, he could've caught up easily."

"I… I suppose."

"The boy wants to be a musketeer, that means he understands that protecting information and remaining resolute under pressure are key parts of that job. If anything I think he would have hated it if you had given this Marcel the answers he sought in exchange for his safety."

Aramis hung his head, hearing the truth in his Captain's words.

"In terms of his wound." At this Aramis's head rose again, desperately needing Treville to assure him it wasn't his fault. "Had the situation been reversed would you have worked tirelessly on him, ignoring your own wound?" Asked Treville, his eyebrow rising in silent reminder of what the medic had just been doing.

"Of course," answered Aramis without a moment's hesitation.

"Then why can't he do the same for you?"

Once again Aramis was speechless.

"He may not have your training but clearly the boy did a good job and can you really fault him for wanting to save his friend when you're trying to do the exact same thing?"

"I … Guess…"

"Now the boy's going to worry regardless when he wakes but I need at least one of you to direct me to where you were being held so we can rescue the rest of your motley crew so you're going to follow the doctor's orders and rest for now and I'll be back in the morning."

"But sir!"

"Rest Aramis," stressed Treville, his stern tone from before retuning to his voice. "You're no help to anyone as spent as you are and it would kill the three of them if something happened to you."

Aramis waited until Treville's back was turned as the man went to check on D'Artagnan before he tried to stand, only then for the world to spin dangerously before blackness enveloped him.