Aramis was late. Athos, Porthos and D'artagnan were already in the office, waiting for the fourth to show up. "Where do you think she is?" Porthos asked, concern lacing his tone.

"Maybe Aramis hear Treville's making us do paperwork and decided to stay off." D'artagnan added, a little bitterly as he looked at the paper in front of him. For some reason, ever since he'd joined all the paper work in the office seemed to end up on his desk and this moment was any different.

"Call her."

"I already have." Porthos replied to Athos.

"The call her again." Porthos only shrugged and rang Aramis' number. She didn't pick up. "Someone should go and see if she's alright." Athos said as Porthos put the phone up. He was going to stand up but D'artagnan was quicker.

"I'll go." The two older men shook their heads but D'artagnan didn't listen as he shrugged on his jacket. "You lot keep making me do the paper work so this time I'll go and see if Aramis is alright and you can do it." Athos and Porthos may have argued but D'artagnan had already grabbed the keys to his car and left the office.

…

A sharp knock on the door made Aramis stop what she was doing. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she wasn't running late so it shouldn't be Athos, Porthos and D'artagnan. Except they would be the only ones who ever called at her home.

Frowning, Aramis unbolted and unlocked the door and gave a little gasp of surprise at the man who stood there. "Marsac?" The last time she'd seen him was in the forest at Savoy and a hundred different emotions whirled through her as she looked at him.

"Aramis, can I come in?" Not knowing what else to do, Aramis nodded and stepped aside.

As he stepped in she saw that a bruise marred his jaw and she instinctively reached a hand up to touch it. "What happened?" Marsac put his hand over hers and she made herself take a step away. Marsac frowned but didn't comment on it.

"You look as lovely as ever." Aramis didn't reply.

"What are you doing here, Marsac?" She asked instead.

The other man looked down at his hands before answering. "I need your help, 'Mis. Please." Aramis didn't know what to say. Here sat the man that had abandoned her in a forest surrounded by dead friends. Left her alone injured. A man she had had a relationship with. And now he was asking for her help. Aramis felt a little dizzy as she sat onto the sofa.

Marsac went to sit next to her but Aramis only stood up as the other man sat down. "Help with what?" She needed to keep her head focused so Aramis started to wonder into the kitchen, making coffee.

When she was done Aramis brought the two cups over and handed one to Marsac. "You remembered my coffee." Marsac's tone was fond and Aramis froze in her seat on the armchair. "I missed you, you know." He continued, ignoring the way Aramis was watching him with mixed emotions. "I've thought about you every day since…" He trailed off but Aramis continued for him.

"Since Savoy." Marsac flinched and Aramis almost felt sorry for him. Except he should have been there with her after the incident. Marsac should have been the one to help her through the bad times months after it happened, not left her alone to deal with it. "You left me in a forest, half dead and surrounded by 20 of our dead friends. And you want my help." Her hands shook in anger.

"Please, 'Mis." They were both stood up, cups forgotten on the small coffee table. Marsac went to touch Aramis but before he could she belted him across the face. The man went down onto the floor.

"Don't call me that. And don't presume I'll help you."

"Don't you want justice for our friends?" Aramis almost hit him again then.

"Of course I do." Marsac opened his mouth to reply but a knock on the door stopped him. Aramis picked up her phone and swore in Spanish. Porthos had been trying to get a hold of her, which meant that was who was at the door. Sure enough before she could do or say anything, D'artagnan walked straight through the door.

He froze when he saw her and Marsac in the living room. "Aramis, who's that?" D'artagnan's hand was going towards the gun he kept in his back pocket and Aramis quickly realised what this must look like.

"D'artagnan its fine Marsac's just…" Just what though. Aramis knew what they'd been before but now…Aramis hadn't seen him in 5 years now he was a virtual stranger.

"An old friend. And who are you?" Marsac asked and Aramis glared at him, quickly shutting him up before he could say anymore.

D'artagnan looked a little affronted as he answered, "I'm a current friend. Aramis, can we talk for a moment?" Aramis nodded her head, relieved really to be able to get out of the same room as Marsac.

"Who is he and why is he here?" D'artagnan asked again as they closed Aramis; bedroom door.

"It's complicated." Aramis replied, because it was. Hell, she didn't even know the answer to any of those questions. A sudden thought flashed into her head and before she could fully comprehend it she said, "Don't tell Athos and Porthos bout this, they'll only worry." D'artagnan frowned, not happy about the request but Aramis breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded his head.

"What are we going to do about Marsac?" Aramis considered this for a moment as she stood p and went back into the living room.

"You can stay here but I have to get to work." Aramis said, not meeting Marsac's eyes. "I'll be back in a few hours." At this Aramis quickly vacated the room, leaving D'artagnan to follow her.

"Marsac as in the Marsac who left you in Savoy." D'artagnan asked as they climbed into his car. Aramis nodded her head and D'artagnan asked, "Why is he here?"

"I don't know." Aramis replied, moving her gaze to the window, effectively finishing the conversation.

…..

"Where have you been?" Athos asked as D'artagnan and Aramis came into the office.

"Nowhere." Aramis replied and Athos gave a disbelieving look at him.

"You're lying." Athos stood up and stood in front of Aramis' chair. "You to." Athos said, seeing the look that crossed D'artagnan's face.

"If you don't tell them I will." D'artagnan said, looking straight at Aramis who sighed in frustration. She had wanted to keep this away from her friends but it looked like she didn't have a choice in the matter. Then again, she never had been able to hide things from Athos and Porthos.

"An old friend came by this morning asking for my help."

"What old friend?" Porthos asked.

"Marsac." Porthos and Athos both stiffened at the name and Aramis silently cursed herself for telling them.

"Why the hell is he there?" Porthos growled and Aramis flinched at the anger in her friends tone.

"Where is he now?" Athos asked, seeing Aramis' reluctance to answer.

"My place." Aramis replied and both Athos and Porthos got to their feet then.

"Well, you wanted something to do other than paperwork." D'artagnan joked.

"On that comment, you can tell Treville we're taking the day off." Athos said, following Porthos out of the office.

…

"Don't do anything to him, please." Aramis stepped in front of Porthos and Athos before they opened her front door.

"He…"

"I know what he did but please." Aramis interrupted Porthos, seeing the look in his eyes. Neither Athos nor Porthos made any promises as they pushed past her and into the apartment, Aramis and D'artagnan close behind.

Marsac jumped to his feet as the four entered. "Who are they?" He asked, turning to Aramis. Marsac's fists were clenched at his side, ready to fight should the need come though Aramis knew he wouldn't last 5 seconds in a fight with Porthos.

"Marsac, this is Athos and Porthos." Aramis replied, pointing to Athos and Porthos in turn. Marsac frowned at them, moving towards Aramis as she stepped away from the others.

"Get off her." Porthos growled as Marsac's hand came around her waist. Aramis quickly sidestepped Marsac and Porthos looked ready to murder him right then and there.

"Who are you, her boyfriend?" Marsac's words made Aramis flinch a little.

"No, but if you don't step away I will kill you." Porthos took a step closer.

"Stop it." Aramis said, stepping in front of the two of them. "Porthos is friend, Marsac so don't." Marsac didn't move for a tense second but finally nodded and took a step backwards.

Porthos didn't move then until Athos put a hand on his shoulder. "Get rid of them, I don't trust them." Marsac finally said and this time it was D'artagnan who stepped closer.

"I trust them." Aramis glared at Marsac.

"Perhaps it's time you told us what you're doing here?" Athos said, keeping an arm on D'artagnan and Porthos so as to stop them from doing anything reckless.

"I know who killed our friends, Aramis." Marsac finally said, turning to face Aramis as if she was the only person in the room.

"Who?" Aramis said. She'd frozen in place when Marsac said this, not quite believing what he was saying. After all these years she'd get the truth of what happened.

"Savoy. It was Savoy." Ignoring the glares of the others in the room, he placed a hand on Aramis' shoulder. "We thought it was a random attack. How…why?" She stuttered a little, not fully believing that Savoy would do that. Why would they? What reasons would they have for killing soldiers on a training exercise?

"I don't know. That's why I need your help. Don't you want justice for our friends?" Marsac drew closer to Aramis this time and Porthos and Athos both tensed as D'artagnan stepped a little closer.

"Do you have proof?" Athos asked, pulling Marsac's attention to him.

"What do you know of it?" Marsac asked but as he said it, he noticed the way the other three were looking at Aramis. "You told them?" Aramis nodded in answer. "Why?"

"She doesn't need to explain herself to you." Porthos glared.

"Will you help me?" Marsac asked, keeping a wary eye on the bigger man.

"Aramis, think about this." Athos said, stepping away towards Aramis to stand on the other side of her. "You don't know what this will unearth."

"I need to know the truth." Aramis answered, letting her loose hair fall into her eyes so she didn't need to look at anyone.

"Then we will help anyway we can." Athos said.

"We don't need your help." Marsac glared.

"We weren't offering you our help. We were offering Aramis." Porthos replied, pushing Marsac away from Aramis. "And you're not staying here alone with Aramis."

"Porthos it's fine." Aramis replied, not wanting the two to come to blows and by the looks of his friends it may just yet.

"I don't trust him Aramis." Porthos said, keeping an angry eye on Marsac.

"Marsac can stay but one of us will stay also." Athos said, stepping between Marsac and Porthos. "Unless that's a problem."

"No, not at all."

Once again, longer than I planned so will split it into two chapters

As always, thanks for reading and please review :)