Evening My Lovelies
Apologies for the lack of a chapter last night, writer's block hit me hard and it just didn't want to happen. Thankfully writing was easier tonight so hopefully, it was just a short burst of blockage... Oh, also :D seriously can't wait to see what you all think about the end of this chapter! :D
Notes On Reviews:
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Treville's plan is revealed a little more tonight. We're swapping between people a bit so I'm hoping it doesn't get confusing. Haha glad you liked that bit with Evan and D'Art :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
pallysd'Artagnan: Thanks for the review - :D Hmm, considering it's me writing I think it would probably be safer to just be worried about everyone :) *cackles* Enjoy the new chapter! x
Jmp (Guest): Thanks for the review - Hmm, I think Treville's plan is pretty sound, but that just might be writer's bias. We'll be seeing a bit more of it (the plan, not the bias... or well, I hope not) in tonight's chapter so hopefully, that'll clear some confusion up :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Oh I can't wait to read your reaction to the end of tonight's chapter :D Originally Enzo wasn't going to help but then I remembered how injured I had also made Porthos and that then made my original plan of him getting Aramis out on his own pretty much impossible (though if anyone could do it I imagine he could). We're getting a VERY brief showing of some of the other OC's tonight but they'll be showing up more frequently from here on out. Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the review - *sigh* oh okay. *pats head and gives muffin* Enjoy the new chapter! x
WelshEssex: Thanks for the review - Hmm I was wondering how many people might have thought that was him (and I was kinda hoping everyone would :D) Unfortunately (or well, fortunately, I suppose considering the threat), for now at least, Treville will not be joining the search. My lovely OC's are indeed making a return, I've missed them too much to hold out any longer lol :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
Love you all!
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Twenty-Five: Plans In Motion
Treville had not wasted a moment upon their return, directing the Gascon up to his office while he instructed one of the recruits to round up a specific selection of musketeers before he followed D'Artagnan to wait up in his office, a smirk tugging at his lips as he caught the displeased scowl at both himself and the situation the younger man was struggling to hide.
It was clear to Treville that D'Artagnan wished to be out searching for his missing brother and part of him wanted to grant the younger man's wish but, for now at least, he needed the boy with him.
"Captain," greeted a voice as the door to Treville's office opened and three familiar men entered, the sight of which caused D'Artagnan's tense frame to relax just a fraction.
"D'Artagnan?" queried Blaise gently as he noticed the boy's clearly worried and anxious expression. Neither he nor his friends had been informed as to why their Captain had needed them but upon seeing the Gascon, Blaise had a feeling it had to do with whatever had had the boy charging both in and out of the garrison upon his last visit, something he himself had missed but had been filled in with by a very worried Alain.
"Corbett," nodded Treville, responding to the man's greeting before repeating the motion for both Issac and Blaise who now stood, looking slightly confused, before both himself and D'Artagnan.
Catching on quick that something serious must have happened Issac's posture straighten out as he looked his Captain dead in the eye. "What has happened?"
Elsewhere, Porthos was doing what he could to distract himself from pain and worry by developing a rather dark and morbid list of ways he planned to kill Antoine by, once everything was over and he could take more than a few steps before feeling like his leg was going to crumple under his own weight.
Aramis was still unconscious, which was alarming in its own right, given how long it had taken the trio to escape Antoine's compound, both his and Porthos's injuries hindering how quickly the group could move.
Thankfully for Porthos's worried mind, Enzo had informed him only a few minutes ago that they were closing in on a place the man considered safe enough to hide out for a while so they could rest their injuries
Truthfully Porthos was a bit sceptical of the place and had almost insisted they headed to the garrison more than once but then he would catch a glimpse of Aramis's pale, wounded and unconscious form and know that he couldn't put the man through the journey, even if he wouldn't actually be walking it.
"It's just around this corner," announced Enzo quietly, pulling Porthos from his darkening thoughts. Nothing else was said between the trio as Porthos continued to follow the man in front of him until they arrived at a nondescript looking town house.
"Here?"
Enzo said nothing for a moment as he focused instead on elbowing the door open and walking inside with the unconscious musketeer still in his arms.
He remained silent until he had placed the man on a slightly ratty looking sofa in one of the rooms.
"I managed to get some supplies here earlier, they're not much but it should last until I can get a doctor here."
Porthos blinked, surprised by the generosity, "Tell them they can bill my regiment, I know they might not be willing to come to this part of town without some incentive."
Enzo nodded, an uneasy look settling on his face. "I should get back. Antoine won't question a short absence from me but if I'm gone too long…"
Understanding filled Porthos's eyes as he nodded quickly, brushing aside the sliver of his mind that was still clinging onto his earlier suspicions, choosing instead to offer his good hand out to shake as he gratefully thanked the man for his assistance, waiting a minute after the door behind a disappearing Enzo had closed before moving to his brother's side.
"You can't be serious Captain!" exclaimed D'Artagnan angrily once the door to the man's office had closed, Issac and the other's having left to fulfil the duties given to them.
"D'Artagnan," sighed Treville, already feeling a headache coming on as he raised a single eyebrow at the now fuming Gascon.
"Aramis and Porthos are my brothers! I should be out there looking for them! You can't ask me to stay here!"
"I'm not," interrupted Treville, a sting of guilt hitting him as he saw the glimmer of hope in the younger man's eyes before he continued talking. "I'm ordering you to."
"Captain!"
"You heard the King, D'Artagnan, "sighed Treville, his earlier headache growing in force. "I'm needed at the palace in the morning. I can't oversee the search from there so I need you here. Blaise's group is meeting up with Athos to continue his side of the search and we have Issac's and Corbett's groups patrolling and searching the rest of the city and both have instructions to inform any city guard members they see about what's going on so there are more eyes on the streets. This is a big operation, it's going to need someone able to focus a hundred percent on it if it's going to succeed."
"Then let me fill someone in on it!" snapped the Gascon as he paced the length of the office furiously. He was so frustrated and angry about the situation that it was taking almost everything he had not lash out and either punch or break something. Spinning on his heels D'Artagnan turned so he was, once again, facing his Captain. "Athos is waiting for me to return, I need to help him find them!"
Swallowing the guilt at the hurt he knew he was about to cause the boy, Treville pulled a small, and familiar to D'Artagnan, letter from his jacket, "Athos also wants you here."
The sun had barely begun to rise the following morning when D'Artagnan returned to Treville's office.
Treville had granted the Gascon use of his office to monitor the search for his missing brothers but had insisted the boy had gone to his rooms the night before when it became apparent he intended to work through the night, despite the fact that it was too dark out for any of the men to continue searching for the day anyway.
However it appeared Treville knew the Gascon had likely not actually gotten any sleep that night as he appeared in the very early hours of the morning to deliver his office key to him in person, stating that the King had sent a messenger late last night stating his intention to head out for an early morning hunt that would require his presence, hence why an exhausted Treville was prepped to leave the garrison before the sun had even finished rising.
Not one to waste an opportunity D'Artagnan had quickly dressed before leaving his rooms to head to Treville's office, intending to get a start on organizing the day's search.
It was hours later when the sun had truly risen, that he first got the sense that something was horribly wrong. A faint, but alarmingly familiar scent hitting his nostrils only moments before an explosion violently shook the room and everything went dark.