Evening My Lovelies

So... The cursed writers block has struck yet again (its getting really annoying now!) I spent god knows how long trying to write this tonight but it just didn't want to work the way I wanted. I'm assuming my writing struggle probably comes across in the quality of this chapter - especially the end where I got so frustrated I don't know if its actually a decent place to end or if my fed up mind just convinced itself it was.

Notes On Reviews:

criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you liked it. I had soooo much fun writing that cute scene. We have more on the way in the coming chapters once our boys return to the garrison. Enjoy the new chapter! x

pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Haha Yeah don't worry they're safe for the moment and probably will be until after they return to the garrison, don't think I can put them through much more before they actually collapse lol :) Oh I had such fun writing the nightmare so I'm really glad you seemed to like it. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yay I'm really glad you liked it and don't worry I'm planning quite the cute Athos/D'Art moment for when they return to the garrison :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - Hmm hopefully because they're adorable :) I had so much fun writing those scenes but I'm very excited for our boys to return so I can include Athos and Porthos in all the fluffy goodness :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Yes! I'm super happy you liked the nightmare. Nightmare scenes are one of my absolute favourite things to write... one reason being they lead to adorably cute brotherly moments XD So I get really giddy to hear people enjoy reading the dark scenes my mind conjures up for our boys subconscious's to deal with :D I was just going to have him sit by D'Art's bedside but that simply wasn't enough given the situation and we haven't had a puppy pile yet this story... Although this wasn't a true puppy pile as Athos and Porthos are missing... Damn now I really need to bring our boys back as I really want to write a puppy pile lol XD They'll have to be careful with their injuries though. Couldn't resist the kisses either so I'm really glad you liked it. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Avioooor: Thanks for the review - Aww I think your review might have just made my night :D Thank you! I'm so excited to include Alain in those cute moments, especially as he thinks our lovely little pup is dead. I'm also missing including Athos and Porthos in the cute brotherly moments so I'm quite glad our boys will be back at the garrison in a couple of chapters time so I can write some with them. Alain's moment will have to wait a little as he's still unconscious right now so he's not in the best condition to have cute fluffy moments. Hmm you could always save some of my other stories to keep you going when this one is finished and the next one is being worked on, though there wont (hopefully) be as long a wait between this and the next one as there was before. Ooh I like the way you think :) We might just have to keep our lovely pup as he is until after our other boys get back :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

WelshEssex (Guest): Thanks for the review - They're going to be sore for a while but don't worry they'll heal :) Poor Gaspard and Etienne are working their buts off with Alain, he's quite badly hurt. Ooh I love that idea, I'll definitely work out a scene for the pair of them... I can kinda see them both being confined to bed rest and just moaning about it to the other lol :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

MicheeO: Thanks for the review - Well it's me what did you expect? :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

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

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx


Chapter Fifty-One: Preparations

"Athos," greeted Treville with a weak nod before turning to do the same to Damien. He had allowed his men ten minutes to rest after they finished dealing with the aftermath of their fight but as much as he would dearly like to allow them to rest longer he knew that time was not something they had a lot of and they needed to start making plans.

"Captain," nodded Athos returning the greeting, only with a silent questioning look being sent to the man's bandaged head, something the Captain was quick to brush off. He was hurt yes, but his men had suffered worse and he would not complain.

"How the ankle?" asked Treville, his eyes betraying the concern he was trying to keep from his voice. "Can you walk? We haven't heard anything about Etienne's group and it has me worried."

"I'll help him," offered Porthos, cutting off Athos's reply before the man could even say a single word, waiting until his brother had give a grunt in acknowledgement before moving to help the man up.


Within minutes the anxious group were making their way towards the basement. The majority of the men had been sent out to secure the perimeter as well as begin preparations for their departure and as such only Treville, Porthos, Athos and a handful of other men were left in the building.

The men quickly found what had clearly once been Alain cell, given the blood stained ground and the dead guards by the door.

Neither Porthos nor Athos could take their eyes off of the blood staining the cell, memories of finding D'Artagnan, barely breathing in a cell much like this very one were replaying on a loop in their minds, making it very difficult to focus of think of much else.

"They must have moved rooms," mused Treville as he took in the room, doing everything he could not to focus on the amount of blood staining the ground, knowing that it was all Alain's and the man must have suffered greatly during his ordeal.

Treville's words snapped the two musketeers out of their thoughts as both nodded their agreement before the group began to continue further down the corridor, calling out for their comrades as they went. Given what they had been through, making so much noise was probably a reckless move on their part but the blood had unsettled everyone and they were fairly confident they had taken care of all of Moreau's men.

"ETIENNE!" Shouted Porthos, grunting slightly as his arm began to throb once again. "GASPARD! ANYONE!"

"PORTHOS?" called a voice, though a thick door heavily muffled it. "That you?"

Sharing a grin with his brother the musketeer pair shuffled closer to the door. "Yeah," he answered, nodding even though the man couldn't see. "You gonna let us in?"

The relief in the man's answering voice was clear as day, "Hang on," he called before the sound of moving objects filled the air for several moments before the door unlocked and was opened.

"Alain?" asked Treville anxiously, his words cutting off any sort of greeting from any of the other men.

With an exhausted sigh Corbett, who had been the one to open the door, shifted so they could see behind him. Gaspard and Etienne were still working on treating the younger man, who was still unconscious, while Blaise had yet to leave his post by his brother's side, not even noticing the arrival of the Captain and the others as he was so focused at watching for any signs of pain or consciousness from the unconscious man.

"He's in really really bad shape," explained Corbett quietly, exhaustion clear in his voice, "We've been doing what we can for him but the conditions here are only making him worse, we need to get him back to the garrison as quickly as possible."

"Is it safe to move him?" asked Athos quietly, not wishing to disturb the two men who were working tirelessly. The scene reminded him too much of their rescue of D'Artagnan and it made him long for his little brother more, he could only hope the boy had awakened by the time they returned to the garrison as he was in desperate need for some good news.

Corbett nodded, "Should be, Gaspard mentioned earlier there wasn't much else they could do until we got him out, we were going to try and risk leaving anyway within the next hour or so, so I think we'll be fine… He's in no condition to be put on the back of a horse though," he added as an afterthought, frowning as he began contemplating how they were going to get their brother home.

"It's fine," dismissed Porthos as he tore his eyes away from Alain's bloodied and bandaged body, "Damien mentioned seeing a wagon by the stables when you made your entrance, he and some of the others are prepping it as we speak."

Corbett sighed in relief, both at the news they would be able to get Alain out and at the knowledge that Damien had gotten out of the building safely as well.

"Well we've got the makeshift stretcher we used to move him here, so whenever they're finished we can begin moving him and getting back home."

"We're done now musketeer," stated Gaspard with a sigh, his eyes lingering over his still unconscious patient, he did not like seeing so many injuries on someone so young especially when he knew that the boy might still succumb to them even after the hours they spent treating them.

While the group wanted to get going straight away they allowed Blaise to have a few minutes alone with his brother as they stepped outside and Gaspard took that time to fill them in on the younger man's injuries, noting the growing anger on the faces of each of the musketeers the more he spoke.

When he had finished explaining the group moved back into the room, none of them commenting on the fresh tear tracks staining Blaise's cheeks.

"Captain," nodded the musketeers from his spot by Alain's side, his body tensed as he prepared to be yelled at for leaving the garrison whilst injured and against Treville's orders, despite having promised the man he would leave regardless of the order.

"Honestly," sighed Treville as he moved to help the rest of the men gently move Alain onto the stretcher, "I'm not surprised to see you here."

Blinking at the lack of reprimand in Treville voice Blaise couldn't stop himself from rambling, as if his mind had decided he needed to spout he valid excuse for coming despite clearly not being in trouble.

"I came to warn you all," he explained, a tired and slightly sheepish look on his face as he talked, "I spoke to Fabien and he admitted to knowing that Moreau had a spy in the regiment and that you were all riding into a trap."

"'Mis let you leave alone?" inquired Porthos, a frown tugging on his lips as he already knew the answer to that. While Aramis understood Blaise's need to find his brother, the medic in him wouldn't have let him ride off into a potentially dangerous situation unaccompanied and without backup.

Shifting uncomfortably Blaise shook his head, explaining quietly that he had left as soon as he heard the news and that Aramis had been busy with D'Artagnan at the time.

"D'Artagnan?" asked Athos, speaking up for the first time in a while, his concern for his younger brother evident in his voice. "Did something happen?"

Blinking in confusion it took several moments for Blaise to remember that D'Artagnan had been unconscious since they rescued him from Moreau's compound and the boy hadn't woken up before Athos and the others had left.

Grinning Blaise nodded, "He woke up."