Evening My Lovelies

Okay this chapter was difficult to write, mainly thanks to my computer which decided to die for like an hour and then when it finally came back on it decided it needed to do an update that took FOREVER!

I am honestly surprised I managed to get this out in the time I had left and am now hoping it doesn't come across as rushed...

Today's chapter is VERY dialogue heavy so hopefully I've kept our pup in character.

Notes On Reviews:

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Well hopefully your feeling better today and it clears up soon for you :) Haha I did like reading the reviews where the person was like "No it wont be D'Art who shot him" as I was like MWHAHAHA "Oh how wrong you are!" Our boys are going to have quite the tense reunion when I have them all back together again... I'm looking forward to writing it :D Ohh I can't wait for our boys to get their hands on Antoine either... gonna be good :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Deana: Thanks for the review - He does indeed, hopefully this chapter is a good continuation from that :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Tidia: Thanks for the review - Aramis and D'Art's reunion in a couple of chapters should be an emotional one :) D'Art's uncle was difficult to write, hope you like him. Enjoy the new chapter! x

pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Yeah we've got a little bit until our boys all reunite again (which should be awesome to write) hopefully the confrontation with his uncle will tide you over. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Don't worry Aramis will set Athos and Porthos right when he's feeling better and they've all reunited. Enjoy the new chapter! x

guest (Guest): Thanks for the review - I have a fair few guest reviewers and I quite like responding on here so sorry but I plan to continue. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - Mwhaha I do like surprising you all :D I have a plan for Aramis getting Athos to calm down so should be a good chat once they're all back together again. Poor D'Art's not having a good day that's for sure. You'll need the cake! Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - You're welcome :D We'll see more of what Antoine will do tomorrow. Today is more focused on D'Art. I'm planning for a few more nightmare scenes coming our way soon so you have that to look forward to. Aramis will play a fairly big part in getting the others to forgive our pup, I have a couple of conversations planned in my head, should be good. Enjoy the new chapter! x

criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Well if it fits :) Very true, D'Arts not holding out much hope at the moment for any sort of reunion. Enjoy the new chapter! x

f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Aramis is going to play a key part in getting our boys back together again. The watch is indeed the one mentioned in that chapter. We'll have to wait and see what Antoine does... Enjoy the new chapter! x

GoGirl212: Thanks for the review - And there's still more to come! :D Glad you liked it. Enjoy the new chapter! x

MicheeO: Thanks for the review - Glad you think so :) I will admit I'm having quite a bit of fun with your idea. Enjoy the new chapter! x

WelshEssex (Guest): Thanks for the review - Oooh that sounds like fun did you have a good time? :) Yeah our poor pup is having a difficult time with everything right now and its only going to get worse for our boy... at least emotionally. There's still some anger with our other boys but I have a plan for how to deal with it...should be good :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - I'm loving having Aramis on D'Art's side. Athos and Porthos are still a bit angry at our boy but our lovely medic is going to make them see sense before too long. Aramis isn't going to stand for them being angry at D'Art when he himself doesn't blame the pup... Oh I'm getting all excited to write it and we're not even at that bit quite yet. D'Art's mind isn't going to quiet for a while. I'm hoping you like the continuation of yesterdays chapter here. We're focusing more on D'Art and I'm hoping what I've decided on doing makes sense. Enjoy the new chapter! x

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

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Thirty-Six: Confrontation I

"What are you talking about Charles?" asked Antoine with an air of confidence that made D'Artagnan realize the dangerous position he was now in.

"I defended you," whispered D'Artagnan brokenly as his less injured hand gripped the sheet until his skin turned white. "After everything they had done for me, everything they had risked to save me, I called them liars and defended you… But… But they were right all along…"

Antoine tilted his head to one side as he tried to bury the growing niggle of fear he felt inside. "You're not making much sense here Charles. Maybe you should sleep some more, we can talk when your not so out of it."

D'Artagnan didn't know what it was about that sentence that made him snap, whether it was the insinuation he wasn't aware of what he was doing or the familiar, yet mocking tone his uncle had used to speak to him but as soon as he had finished D'Artagnan swung his legs over the side of the bed, his body moving through the pain only because of the overwhelming wave of other emotions that were pushing through.

"You sold me out," hissed the Gascon, his eyes sad and hurt despite the burning anger he felt, which only grew as he caught the minute flinch Antoine hadn't been able to hide.

"You lured me back to my father's home just so you could what? Settle some pathetic debt?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about Charles," stammered Antoine, his skin paling as he realized his nephew knew the truth and, judging by his earlier words, so did his friends.

D'Artagnan barked out a short and incredibly bitter laugh, "Yet you carry around the proof in your pocket?" he snarled, nodding to the slight bulge in his jacket pocket that now contained the watch. "Did you really think I wouldn't recognize the only thing left of my father I had? That I wouldn't notice the date inscribed on it or its importance?"

D'Artagnan was once again standing at this point, though is body was shaking from the strain of it. Fury was the only thing keeping the Gascon upright at that point and even he knew it. Part of his mind was screaming at him not to push himself, that making his injuries worse just so he could confront the uncle he had never really liked was not worth the worry it would cause his brothers… but then the disgusted part of his mind rose up again reminding him that they likely wouldn't care and didn't consider him a brother anymore.

Despite his trembling body and the part of his mind screaming at him to stop D'Artagnan held his ground as he glared daggers at the man before him. "I had that put on it myself, to remind me why I was working so hard in training and to ensure I never forgot the man who raised me. Corinne told me it had been stolen from my room in Lupiac and there is only one reason why you would have it so don't you dare try to lie to me again."

Antoine's entire demeanor changed then as he puffed up his chest and moved closer to his nephew, anger burning in his eyes.

"You know nothing boy!" he snarled, backhanding the younger man across the face and sending him careering into the mattress with a scream of pain as he landed on his burned arm, something Antoine either didn't notice or didn't care about.

"I was doing what I had to in order to survive. Had the farm been given to me like it was supposed to have been then I could have leveraged that, but instead it was left to my brat of a brother – "

"Don't you dare call him that!" hissed D'Artagnan as he clutched his burned arm as close to his chest as he could, tears glistening on his eyelashes as he glared at his uncle.

Ignoring D'Artagnan's outburst Antoine began to pace, his nervous energy giving the anger and betrayal D'Artagnan felt enough time to push through the pain as he once again forced his body to move.

He had a sick feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with the mess his emotions were currently in, nor the pain that was nearly crippling him. Even when he had realized the truth part of D'Artagnan was confident that Antoine wouldn't hurt him… couldn't hurt him they were family after all… But after that slap he wasn't so sure. His uncle wasn't the man he remembered and the Gascon slowly began to realize that sick feeling was caused by the fear growing within him.

Despite what his, possibly former, friends frequently thought, D'Artagnan was neither ignorant nor oblivious to the limitation of his body and that slap had just proven to him how easy it would be to knock him off of his already unstable feet. He himself was unarmed and if this turned into a fight the Gascon knew he had no chance of walking away alive.

Maybe you don't deserve to, whispered the disgusted part of himself as the memory of Aramis crumpling to the ground flashed across his mind. NO! He yelled internally, forcing the memory away. Now was not the time to lose himself in grief and self-hatred. He needed answers, he might not deserve them but he needed them… needed them for both himself and Corinne, the man was her father after all, she did deserve to know the truth, no matter how much it was going to kill him to hurt her like that.

"Why?" he growled, drawing his uncle's attention back to him. "I would have helped if you had come to me. I sent mémé extra money when her and pépé were struggling. I would have done everything I could to have helped you so why?"

"Like the pitiful amount you could have sent would have made any difference to a man like Quentin," scoffed Antoine, apparently not liking the idea of asking his nephew for help.

"So you betray your own family?" snapped D'Artagnan, once again rising to his feet despite the tremors wracking his legs. There was also something warm and slightly sticky on his stomach and he had the awful feeling he had ripped a stitch of two.

Aramis is going to kill me for that, he mused with an internal grimace that only grew as the disgusted part of him reared its head again, If you haven't killed him first, it mocked and the Gascon had to physically shake his head to rid himself of the thought.

"You'd betray everyone in the village? People you grew up with, who helped you with Rin when Auntie died?" snarled D'Artagnan, feeling some small amount of pleasure from the guilt that flashed across his uncle's face. "They didn't deserve what you did to them, they have nothing now. Even those who were lucky enough not to lose anyone lost their homes and livelihoods. How could you do that to them?!"

Antoine opened his mouth to retort by D'Artagnan was on too much of a roll to be stopped now.

"And what about Rin?" he demanded, the anger in his voice reaching threatening new heights as he replayed the scene in which he had first found his beloved cousin during the attack. "Was she part of the deal too?"

"Of course not!" yelled Antoine, "I gave Quentin what he was searching for, he cleared my debt and Corinne was left unharmed. That was the deal."

"So almost being raped counts as unharmed!" screamed D'Artagnan, not even caring as Antoine's face lost all of its colour at his words nor that the man's mouth was open and gaping like a fish.

"Were you really that naïve to think they would leave her alone?" demanded D'Artagnan, memories of the almost assault replaying over in his mind as was the feeling of his cousin, who he loved like a sister, trembling in absolute fear and terror in his arms. "Good God Uncle if I had been even a few minutes later…"

As the truth of what almost befell the only person besides himself that he cared about washed over him Antoine felt himself sinking into the nearest chair, his elbows coming to rest on the table as his head fell into his hands.

"Tell me she's okay," he breathed, hating the images that were flying through his mind from D'Artagnan's words.

Seeing his uncle so deflated caused some of D'Artagnan's anger to fade just enough that it wasn't enough any more to stop him from feeling the full effects of his wounds, meaning he stumbled back on the bed with a gasp as his legs were no longer able to carry his weight.

Despite the diminishing anger he still felt the sting of betrayal and couldn't help the snarky comment that escaped him. "Currently nursing a sore hand from slapping my friend but otherwise she's safe… Unlike you I protect my family."

"You're my Alexandre's brat not mine, I have no obligation to you," snarled Antoine.

D'Artagnan reeled back as if he had been slapped. Part of him had always known that his uncle cared little for him and him luring him into a trap only proved it, but to verbally hear from the man himself…that was a hurt he hadn't anticipated.

"She defended you, you know," whispered D'Artagnan, the brokenness he had felt before returning in full force. He waited for Antoine to lift his head before continuing. "As soon as I told her about the accusations she instantly rose to your defense… Said that you were a good man, who wouldn't do such a thing… guess we were both wrong on that."

Antoine opened his mouth to say something but apparently thought better of it as he closed it again with a shake of his head and D'Artagnan felt his anger boil up once again at that. Corinne had fought tooth and nail to defend him, hell they both had. He had pushed his friends away, refusing to even look at Athos while she had gone as far as to slap Aramis several times in her rage. They had defended a man who had betrayed them both and he couldn't even be bothered to think up a reply or excuse.

Fury burned inside him and D'Artagnan was seriously considering throwing caution to the wind and just attacking him. In the Gascon's mind it wasn't like he had anything more to lose. His father and the man he considered a grandfather was dead. The woman he loved had decided to stay in her loveless marriage and he might have killed one of his best friends, even if he hadn't he knew the three of them would still not want anything to do with him. The only people he had left were Corinne and Maria and they were both strong enough to help each other without needing his help.

He had just decided that he couldn't stand his uncle's silence any longer when a wave of dizziness overtook him and everything went black.