Evening My Lovelies

Not entirely sure what to make of this, hopefully you like it but I'm on the fence.

Notes On Reviews:

Issai: Thanks for the review - Yeah I've been having trouble with the site too, hopefully it'll be sorted soon :) Damien's more sore than actually hurt so don't worry he'll be okay, we'll check in on him and the others soon. Constance needed a badass moment so I'm glad you seemed to enjoy it :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Tidia: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you seem to like him, I figured D'Art needed someone good to help him out with all I've put him through. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest) Thanks for the review - Haha I know, usually our pup has the worst luck, especially where I'm involved, but now something good has happened :D I have plans for our pup and he can't be on the brink of death for them so help and assistance was required. Haha true, D'Art's not the easiest patient to deal with :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Avioooor: Thanks for the review - Well I'm glad you like fillers as we've kinda got another today... I'm really glad everyone seems to be liking Yanis so far. I'd like to keep him as an OC but I don't think I will at this stage, I'm amassing a bit of a small army where OC's are concerned and I'm going to lose track of them if I'm not careful... though having said that my minds now figured out a way he could appear in the next story that I'm planning on so we shall see. The next story wont be a sequel to this though so technically D'Art wouldn't have met him before which might make it a bit weird to write... we'll just have to wait I suppose. Hmmm I'll probably go into Yanis's backstory a little bit when he returns to take care of our pup. Oooh I love how you think, great angst idea there... I'll see what I can do ;) Enjoy the new chapter! x

MicheeO: Thanks for the review - Haha I know D'Art actually had a moment of good luck for once :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - I kinda needed a way to move time along a bit as I'm missing Athos and Aramis (who we will be seeing very soon) and considering what I've put our poor pup through I figured that would be a reasonable and logical way for that to happen. Poor Yanis has no idea what he's in for though as our boy's not exactly the best patient lol :D Yep, we get to see a bit more of hallucination Aramis and Athos today, but they wont be around much longer unfortunately :( Enjoy the new chapter! x

WelshEssex (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yeah our boy needed some rest and to have something good happen after all I've put him through so I figured I'd send someone to help. Enjoy the new chapter! x

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

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Internal Struggles

"And just what do you think you're doing?" scolded Aramis as he looked at his now frozen younger brother, the medic's lips twitching slightly as he fought a smile at the expression on the other man's face.

"What's it… look like," huffed D'Artagnan as he gritted his teeth through the pain, the Gascon having spent the last five minutes trying to move without passing out from the pain of his injuries. His mind was focused on one thing, the memory of seeing Constance and Porthos in Rochefort's grip, his brother covered in blood and the woman he loved terrified out of her mind.

"It looks like you're trying to do something stupid…again," remarked Aramis with a stern look, his earlier amusement fading from his voice as he realized his brother had no intention of stopping, even with the near crippling pain he had to be in given his injuries.

"I need to get out of here."

Huffing in annoyance Aramis moved until he was knelt right in front of the younger man. "You need to rest. You're badly hurt."

D'Artagnan shrugged, his brows furrowing as he continued to attempt to move, even with the violent tremors shaking his body. "They're taken care of, I'm fine."

"D'Artagnan," sighed a different voice, the sound of it making the Gascon momentarily freeze before he shook himself and continued trying to move. "D'Artagnan!" snapped the voice again, more insistent this time as he noticed how pale and in pain his protégé was.

"I'm… Fine." Snapped D'Artagnan, anger now filling his voice as he lifted his head to glare at the image of his mentor and brother, his voice breaking as he spoke his next words, "You're not real… just in my head… leave me be."

The vision of Athos looked equally heartbroken at the younger man's words but then determination and anger took its place as he moved his arms to cup the Gascon's face, his ghost-like fingers freezing just before they reached his skin.

"In you're head or not doesn't change the fact that you need rest."

D'Artagnan scowled but after a particularly jerky movement left him gasping and clutching the heavily padded bandage that covered his recently cauterized wound, he conceded to his brother's words, silently deciding that he would rest for a few hours before trying again.

"I know that look," remarked Aramis and even though he had his eyes closed D'Artagnan had to fight the urge to rolls his eyes. "D'Artagnan you've only been awake a few hours, your body needs rest to heal."

"Yanis took care of it," protested the Gascon, but the defense sounded weak even to his ears, not one to give in even when the odds were against him though D'Artagnan continued, "I'm fine."

Aramis snorted, "I'll believe that when you can sit up and move on your own without nearly passing out from the pain." Aramis's expression softened then and even though his hand wasn't solid, he placed it gently on top of D'Artagnan's head, tears prickling in the corners of the Gascon's eyes as he fought to shake off the phantom feeling of his brother's touch. "D'Art," sighed the medic softly. "What Yanis did saved your life but you are in no condition to be moving… Please, just rest."

"Porthos… Constance."

"Will understand," soothed the medic, "You can do nothing for them if you can't even stand unaided, rest and let Yanis take care of you when he comes back."

He wanted to protest, to fight against his brother's orders, every fiber of his being wanting nothing more than to rush back to Rochefort's compound and put a bullet through the man's skull for what he had undoubtedly put those he cared about through but his body was having none of it and even as he tried to fight, he found his eyes closing once more as he slipped into oblivion.

Elsewhere, in a small dark cell Porthos tested the chains holding him. His body was beyond a mess and he was honestly surprised he hadn't passed out again yet but since moving to the new compound Rochefort had been taking extra steps to ensure the musketeer lived another day, meaning that he was receiving more food, water and medic assistance… even though Porthos was often convinced the medical assistance was worse than another round of torture as Rochefort seemed determined to keep his many wounds clean by frequently washing them out with alcohol, which, unfortunately for the musketeer, meant that his body was in an almost constant state of burning agony as the alcohol ignited a surge of pain whenever it touched a wound.

The musketeer had no idea what had spurred this change of heart from his captor but he wasn't going to question it, having learned early in life to pick his battles.

That being said, he was in no shape to actually fight, Porthos knew this, you didn't serve as a soldier for as long as he had without knowing your own body's limits and he was dangerously close to his. However the extra care and sustenance he had received over the last few days had given him a small surge of strength, which in turn had led to his current predicament that saw him stubbornly pulling at his restraints, ignoring the blood flowing from his torn up wrists and hands as he did so. This energy wouldn't last, he wasn't naïve and he would likely pay for pushing his weakened body so later on but he couldn't stop, not when his every thought was focused on getting out and getting, either to his brother or back to Constance.

The thought of the younger woman made the exhausted musketeer smirk weakly, he had seen no sign of the woman but had heard Rochefort muttering complaints and curses regarding Phillip's continued absence, something Porthos took to mean that his dear friend continued to evade her tracker.

Unfortunately those where not the only hushed whispered he had been able to pick up when the men who stood guard outside his cell thought him to be asleep. He had heard them mention D'Artagnan once or twice and it had taken everything in him not to react and let them know he was listening, fear that they would clam up and go silent outweighing his instinctual need to demand answers from the men. They had debated, at length, what the young Gascon might be enduring at the hands of his Spanish captors and the images those conversations produced in his mind made him feel physically sick. He knew that if and when he got out of this he had a lot to make up for. Many in the regiment might not blame him for getting captured, especially given he was outnumbered and trying to protect an unconscious innocent, but Porthos knew he would likely never forgive himself for dragging D'Artagnan into this, for being the reason the younger man had been forced to turn his back on his brothers and endure things no man, especially not one like him, should ever be forced to endure.