This is the chapter previously posted 2 weeks ago. It seems to have disappeared after a day or so, and I have received pm's telling me they never saw it! The next chapter should be posted tomorrow, if all goes well. It will be either the last, or next to last, chapter of Brothers.

Turning from where he had seated Aramis, he saw a just awakening d'Artagnan. The Gascon was staring confusedly at his brothers through still-sleepy eyes.

"What were you thinking, d'Artagnan?" Porthos demanded, "He could have….." apruptly halting as his ears had picked up someone shouting his name from the direction of the gates.

Heading for the door, all three Musketeers saw the gate guard holding a cloth, and they took off at a run.

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As Treville came within sight of the garrison gates, worry clouded his brow and he kneed his horse to move faster. He could see Aramis, Porthos and d'Artagnan gathered around the gate guard, Porthos holding a cloth of some kind.

"Captain!" d'Artagnan shouted when he spotted him.

Jumping from his horse before he had even reached them, he strode rapidly to their group, demanding, "What's happened?"

Porthos held aloft what Treville could now see was a bloodied shirt, a dirty, but very familiar shirt.

"Athos!" he exclaimed.

"It came a few moments ago, Captain," d'Artagnan explained.

Treville listened, his eyes on a silent Aramis, the haunted look in his eyes pulling at his heart. 'He blames himself', Treville correctly surmised, and it's eating away at him.

Tearing his eyes away, Treville announced, "We are going to take him back. Mount up!"

Porthos said, "Wait! You mean you have an idea where he might be held?" both hope and confusion in his question.

"I don't have time to explain now. Just that he is in the Bastille and …."

"The Bastille?!" three voices echoed at once.

Treville said, "If you would let me finish?"

"Sorry, Captain," came three contrite, but still curious replies.

"I will explain later, but yes, he's somewhere in the Bastille. Mount up as quickly as possible. We have some Red Guards and other thugs to overcome, and bring Athos home. Be ready in fifteen minutes", striding off to pull several more Musketeers from various garrison duties to bolster their numbers. He had no idea how many men they might find opposing he and his men yet.

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Athos refused to give himself any rest, even though his body was in pain and aching in more places than he cared to count after the beating. His sole focus was getting that piece of stone free.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the stone literally dropped into his hand after a particularly aggressive yank on it. 'It is about time', he muttered to himself.

Giving himself a few moments break now, he waited for the guards to show themselves at his cell door again, stone firmly in hand.

Not more than ten minutes later, he was rewarded by the sound of the cell door being unlocked. He crouched, intent on getting a jump on them.

One thing he had noticed each time they came. There were always two of them, one staying at the door, the other coming inside. And not once had they had firearms, only swords and main gauches.

One of the men headed into the cell, and Athos barely let him get close enough before hitting him in the forehead with his stone. As the man fell, Athos lunged as far as he could, grasping the man's sword. Hurling it like a dagger, it hit the other guard dead center in his heart, dropping him, as well.

Barely stopping to take a breath, Athos felt around the body of the guard dead at his feet, luck still carrying him as he grasped a set of keys. Moments later, he was free.

Moving as quickly as his battered body would allow him, he limped out the cell door into a dark hallway. He could hear booted feet somewhere not too far off, so he went the other way, just hoping he wouldn't hear guards that way also, or he could get sandwiched in-between. The familiar feeling of a sword in his hand, and a main gauche (pulled from the dead guard's body) gave him more confidence as he cautiously moved forward.

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As Treville led his men back into the streets of Paris, he hoped he wasn't going to rub Louis too much the wrong way by not letting him know beforehand of his breaching the Bastille to rescue Athos, and hopefully finally to capture Mattieu and his band to finally bring their reign of terror to an end. He knew from experience that Louis did not like to be kept in the dark about his Musketeers doings.

But Treville hadn't felt that he really had the time to visit the palace beforehand to lay out the situation to his petulant king. That bloodstained shirt was still in his mind's eye, as he was sure it was in the minds of his men. Who knew what might be happening at this very moment? He just hoped Louis didn't come down hard on them for doing what had to be done in the situation.

Porthos was happy and relieved to finally be able to take some action about the situation. He was never comfortable about sitting around and twiddling his thumbs. He would much rather charge right in and butt some heads and take Athos back.

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He was worried about Aramis, though. The marksman was still unusually quiet. After adamantly insisting he was both well and strong enough to take part in their mission, he had gone, what was for him, exceptionally quiet again after Treville had almost reluctantly given his consent.

A talkative Aramis let them know his mindset. This mostly silent marksman had him a little worried. But trying to draw him out had gone nowhere, so he was leaving him be for now. But if he tried something reckless, endangering his life to save that of Athos, he would be ready to step in.

They could see the huge bulk of the prison looking before them now. Everyone checked their weapons, tension running high as they approached. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Athos reached the end of the corridor in which his cell had been, and cautiously looked around the corner. No one was in sight, so he eased his way onward.

But no sooner had he taken a couple of steps, than two Red Guards blocked his way, drawing their weapons. Athos had never known a Red Guard who was a threat to him with a sword, although he had never taken them on in the shape he was in now. Advancing with a show of confidence, he met them head-on as they both attacked at once.

They were nearly as bad as the others he had sometimes engaged, and he had one run through and the other unconscious from a blow from the hilt of his rapier without having to really work at it very hard.

He left them behind and continued down the corridor, hoping he could find a way out of the place soon. He had just spied a heavily-bolted door as he turned onto yet another corridor, when he heard a number of booted feet behind him.

Resolutely turning to face them as he had nowhere else he could go, he saw two Red Guards and two others, possibly Mattieu's men advancing, all heavily armed.

Rather than stay in a defensive posture, he did as before and charged straight at them, weapons ready.

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Just as the Musketeers reached the massive front of the prison, Aramis redirected his horse away from them, galloping around the Eastern edge of the building and out of sight, the sounds of his brothers shouting his name ringing in his ears as he disappeared from their sight.

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Tomorrow, we find out how Athos is faring, and where Aramis went.

Thanks so much for reading, and when you can, reviewing.