I know I am incredibly late with this chapter. I had a re-occurrence of the flu so haven't been feeling very well plus I must admit that I lost my inspiration for this story a bit. The waiting for season 3 and not knowing for sure how it will be aired in the US has been weighing on me and I've become quite dejected. But, I would never leave a story unfinished or languishing indefinitely so I tightened my belt and told myself to get over it and get this chapter written! I'm not sure how happy I am with it, but it is what it is. Thank you for sticking with me...I truly appreciate it! So now, on with the story :)

Chapter 13 – Home

A soft sigh escaped d'Artagnan when finally, his adopted home of Paris came into view in the distance. It had been a hard trek, painful and exhausting, but it was nearing its end and the young recruit felt relief wash over him. Paris was still some distance off and he knew that they would be stopping for one more night of sleeping beneath the stars, but that didn't stop the excitement, and trepidation from building up inside the Gascon. His hope was that Captain Treville had somehow managed to convince King Louis to hold up the execution of Amyot until they returned, but he understood that there was a bigger chance that the execution had already taken place. If that were the case, then so be it, d'Artagnan could hardly expect the King to grant a recruit he had never met such a gift. It was with this thought that d'Artagnan dropped his gaze away from the far off sight of Paris and let out another sigh. A soft pat on his leg brought his attention back up and he turned to meet the eyes of his self-appointed mother-hen, Aramis. The marksman smiled warmly when the two men's eyes met and d'Artagnan couldn't help but to return the smile with a tired smile of his own.

"We will stop here for the night," Aramis stated as he guided d'Artagnan's horse off the road to follow after Athos, Porthos and Jean, who had already reached a protected area in the trees to the right of the road.

After a whirlwind of setting up camp, preparing the evening meal and conversing around the campfire while sipping the last remnants of wine, d'Artagnan was finding it hard to keep himself awake. Athos, noticing his heavy eyelids, nudged Aramis and nodded toward the young man with a slight curl of his lip. Aramis nodded and took several ingredients from his bag and began to prepare the nightly pain draught he had been giving the Gascon to ensure a restful, pain free night of sleep. d'Artagnan didn't even fight it anymore, the young man knowing full well he was outnumbered and stood no chance what so ever against the three older men. He took the draught from Aramis and drank it down with hardly a grimace then handed he mug back to the medic without a word. Porthos, who was sat closest to d'Artagnan, helped the Gascon to crawl under his blanket, then tucked the edges under the already sleeping young man. He watched fondly for a few moments then turned to his friends and shook his head.

"Whelp needs a real bed t' sleep in," Porthos commented as he picked up his mug of wine and took a sip.

Aramis nodded his head in agreement as he too took a sip. "It will most definitely help his recovery to be off of this cold, hard ground," he said.

Athos remained silent for several minutes as he watched his protégé sleep before he finally tore his gaze away. "Once we reach Paris we will find out about Amyot and then we can see about him staying at the garrison until he is recovered enough to go back to his own bed at the Bonacieux residence."

"And if Treville will not allow for him to stay at the garrison?" Aramis queried.

"Then I suppose we will have to trust him to Madame Bonacieux," Athos replied.

Porthos gave a short chuckle as his gaze drifted to the sleeping Gascon. "I don't think either of those two would mind that one little bit," he said with a wide grin.

Aramis glanced at his friend and frowned slightly. "I don't know. He seems a bit…how do I put it…ashamed, or embarrassed maybe…about his injuries? I don't think he would want her to see him like that," he said.

Athos sat up straighter at this and looked at the medic. "Why would you think he feels that way?" he asked.

Aramis shrugged as he turned toward Athos. "He just…when I ask to check him, he seems to turn in on himself a bit I guess…like he turns himself off from me. He avoids my eyes and then when I'm done, he hurriedly pulls his shirt back down, like he's ashamed for me to see him," he answered.

"Ya don't think it's 'cause of what 'e overheard me sayin' do ya? About what Amyot said?" Porthos asked, his tone thick with guilt.

"I don't know what it is," Aramis said with a shake of his head.

"Ya don't suppose Amyot actually did…" Porthos started before Athos quickly cut him off.

"No. Amyot would have said so if he had. He would have wanted to hurt us…to hurt him more, by telling us so, no…that didn't happen." Athos' gaze returned to their youngest and renewed anger and guilt filled him at what the Gascon had gone through and what further tortures could have awaited him had they not gotten there when they did.

Aramis nodded as he too looked down at the sleeping recruit. "It could very well be about what could have happened…and the fact that we know. I'm just not sure. He seems fine, almost back to his normal self, other than when I'm checking his injuries…that's when his demeanor changes," he said.

"Should we maybe ask 'im about it?" Porthos asked as his gaze moved from one friend to the other.

Before anyone could answer, a soft, tired voice responded. "He can hear you, and he is fine." The three Inseparables immediately moved their attention to their now awake youngest and met his tired eyes.

"d'Artagnan…" Athos started, but stopped when the Gascon shook his head.

"I'm fine, Athos. I just don't like you seeing me weak. I need time," d'Artagnan said.

"We don't see you as weak. Quite the opposite actually," Aramis stated, the other two nodding their agreement.

d'Artagnan smiled sadly as he looked at each man. "Maybe it is I who sees myself as weak then," he whispered.

"Yer kiddin', right? Yer anythin' but weak, whelp," Porthos said as he reached down and gently squeezed the young man's arm.

"Porthos is right," Athos stated. "You have proven to us…to me…that I was wrong. I said that you weren't ready…I didn't think you could handle it if something like this were to happen. It was my deepest fear, you being taken and what could happen, but you…d'Artagnan…you proved me wrong. I wish with all of my heart that you could have been spared your ordeal, but the facts are the facts and you carried yourself like a true musketeer. We are proud of you, d'Artagnan…do not see yourself as anything but that," he emphatically pleaded, leaving Aramis and Porthos at a loss for words and d'Artagnan with suspiciously glistening eyes.

Finally, after several awkward moments, d'Artagnan slowly pushed himself up onto his elbow and gazed hopefully at his mentor. "Do you mean that?" he whispered as if he were afraid he had heard the man wrong.

"Of course I mean it. You handled yourself like a musketeer. I couldn't ask anything more from you," Athos replied with a small smile.

Porthos nodded, a grin stretching across his face. "Yeah, pup. We all feel the same," he said. His grin widened when d'Artagnan turned to him.

"Okay," Aramis quipped after another long silence. "I think, now that we have that all settled, we should turn in for the night if we wish to arise early to make it to Paris before mid-day."

The others nodded their assent before downing the rest of their wine and setting their cups on the ground. "I'll take first watch," Porthos said, and with respective nods, Athos and Aramis scooted into their bedrolls. Jean, who had been silent through most of the evening and the entire conversation also nodded and lay down where he sat several feet away from the rest. Porthos turned to d'Artagnan and dipped his head. The young man smiled softly then eased himself back down to the ground and closed his eyes. Porthos rested his hand on the Gascon's shoulder and d'Artagnan fell back to sleep, completely secure in the knowledge that he was safe.

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When they rode through the gates of the garrison, it was like they had been gone for ages. Musketeers and recruits alike turned as the five men entered the grounds and soon they were surrounded by men eager the help them from their mounts and hear about their adventure. Athos called a stop to the excitement though when he feared that d'Artagnan may be unnecessarily jostled. He slid from his saddle, allowing his horses reins to be taken from him, then he moved to help d'Artagnan down while Porthos and Aramis dismounted their horses. Jean remained on his mount, unsure of what he should do or if he was even welcome. Athos made sure that d'Artagnan was steady on his feet then looked up just as Captain Treville walked up to great them.

"You're back…and not a moment too soon, I might add," Treville stated as he looked his men over, his eyes landing on d'Artagnan and taking in his pale complexion.

"Sir," d'Artagnan said with a slight bow of his head. "I am sorry for our delay…that would be my fault I'm afraid."

Treville cocked his head and eyed the boy critically. "Nonsense. From what I was told, it is amazing that you are here at all," he said.

"I wished to be here, sir, for Amyot's punishment," d'Artagnan replied.

"Yes, I am aware," Treville said.

"So, did we make it in time?" Porthos asked.

"I was able to convince King Louis to hold off on Amyot's execution until all of his co-conspirators were rounded up. The last one was taken to the Chatelet last night," Treville responded. "I will send word of your return to the palace," he added as he turned to look up at the one man still mounted on his horse. "You must be Jean. I hear that a debt of gratitude is owed to you," he continued as the man nervously slid from his horse.

Jean bowed his head to the captain then straightened as he felt a soft grip on his arm. Turning his head, he smiled when he saw d'Artagnan beside him, an encouraging smile on his face. He once again faced Treville. "No debt is owed, sir. I only did what I knew to be right," he said.

Treville nodded as he motioned for the men around them to disperse. Once they were left to themselves, he turned back to Jean. "Be that as it may, we do owe you a great deal. Without you, we would have never known the full extent of the conspiracy against the throne, plus, we may not have our top recruit back to us safe and relatively sound," he explained.

"Thank you, sir. It was my duty to do what I could to keep d'Artagnan safe until help arrived," Jean said.

Treville nodded then turned to one musketeer who was standing nearby. "You…ride to the palace and make the court aware that our men have returned. Let them know that we will be there within the hour," he called. When the musketeer had rushed away to do his captain's bidding, Treville turned back to his men. "Go and freshen up. King Louis wished to see all of you upon your arrival and I don't wish to keep him waiting," he instructed.

"Me as well, sir?" Jean asked nervously as his gaze shifted from his new friends to their captain.

"Yes, you as well. The King has questions he would like answered," Treville replied before turning and walking back toward the stairs that would lead him back up to his office.

"Captain! A word please!" Athos called after Treville's retreating form. Treville stopped and turned his head, meeting his second in command's eyes.

"Can it wait until after our meeting with the King, Athos?" Treville queried with a sigh.

"I think we should get this out now," Athos replied.

Treville studied Athos, quite sure he knew what the man wished to speak to him about. He glanced at the other men then shook his head. "Word has already been sent to the palace that we would be there within the hour. We will talk once we have returned to the garrison," he said, then he turned and walked away, his men and Jean watching him go.

Athos dropped his head and took in a quick breath before looking up at his friends. "Come then, we can freshen up in my room," he said. He turned and caught the eye of one recruit and called him over.

"Sir?" the recruit queried eagerly.

"Have water…warmed and cool…brought to my room. Enough for all of us," Athos instructed. "Have some bread and cheese sent as well," he called as the recruit hurried away. The small group walked the short distance to Athos' room and disappeared inside.

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The musketeers stood in a line, Athos, Aramis then Porthos, as they waited for the King to arrive. Treville stood a few steps away, while d'Artagnan and Jean had been instructed to stand opposite the rest of the group. The Inseparables could see the effort d'Artagnan was putting in just to keep himself standing straight. They knew his shoulder and side had to be giving him much pain after all the riding he had done over the past several days. He needed a bed and about a week's worth of uninterrupted sleep, but here he was, forced to stand and wait for the King to decide to grace them with his presence. They'd been standing here, waiting, for nearly an hour and it had come to the point where Jean was now holding on to d'Artagnan's arm to give him some measure of stability. Finally, the door at the far side of the room opened and first Cardinal Richelieu walked through, following by King Louis and Queen Anne. The waiting men bowed before the King and Queen, none of them missing the soft hiss of pain coming from the Gascon. The royal couple took their seats before the gathered men, Richelieu taking his position a few arm lengths away from the King while Louis swept his gaze over the musketeers then to the two men standing opposite them.

"You there, step forward!" the King called out as his eyes settled on d'Artagnan.

d'Artagnan hesitated for only a moment before he stepped forward and bowed once again before the King. "Your majesty," the young man said as he lifted his eyes to his King.

"Are you the musketeer recruit who I have been hearing so much about of late?" King Louis queried as he studied the young man before him.

"I am, Sire," d'Artagnan answered softly.

"What is your name again? It keeps slipping my mind," Louis asked.

"My name is d'Artagnan, Sire," the Gascon replied.

"d'Artagnan…hmmm...interesting name," the King remarked. He shook his head as he looked the boy over from head to toe. "Are you well? You seem a bit pale," he asked.

"I am, your Majesty. I have been well taken care of," d'Artagnan responded.

Before the King could respond, the soft, kind voice of the Queen sounded. "I can see that you have been well taken care of, but I am sure that you have not fully recovered yet, d'Artagnan. Would you like a chair to sit on?"

d'Artagnan turned his surprised eyes to his Queen and shook his head. "Thank you, but I am fine to stand," he replied with a quick bow of his head.

Queen Anne smiled warmly and sat back in her seat as the King gave her a soft pat on the hand. "My Queen is always so concerned about her subjects," Louis said. "I have been hearing how brave you are, d'Artagnan. That even with your horrible treatment, you remained strong and loyal to your King. It is this kind of loyalty that is the backbone of the musketeers. I will be keeping my eye on you. You may step back now."

d'Artagnan did as he was told and stepped back to Jean's side. The King turned his attention to Captain Treville. "Is this the man who was with the criminal Amyot?" Louis asked as he pointed at Jean.

"It is, your Majesty," Treville responded.

Louis turned his sights on the man and eyed him critically. "Step forward!" he demanded as he leaned back in his chair.

Jean bowed his head then stepped up before the King. "Your Majesty. It is a great honor to stand before you," Jean said in a low, shaky voice.

"What is your name?" Louis asked.

"Jean Pierre Biguad, your Majesty," Jean replied.

Louis narrowed his eyes as he watched the man before him. "How did you come to throw yourself in with the group of criminals and bandits led by Amyot? Explain to me how you came to know so much about his plans," he said.

Jean swallowed nervously, but stood tall before the King. "My cousin introduced me. I listened to Amyot and at first he wasn't man he has become today. We were a group trying to make comfortable lives for our families. When he began to talk about rebellions and others who held his views who wished to do harm to the throne, I wasn't sure at first what I could do, but I knew I had to do something. I went along with his rantings and I secretly listened and spied on private meetings. I wrote down everything that I heard, hoping that some day I would be able to break free from Amyot and warn the court," he explained.

"How long were you with Amyot and his band of criminals?" Cardinal Richelieu asked from his spot near the King.

Jean startled at the question and turned to the Cardinal. "Two years, your Eminence," he replied.

"Two years? You were with that man for two years and you never spoke up about what was going on?" Louis cried indignantly. "How can I believe that you weren't with him that long because you believed in what he was doing?"

"Your Majesty…Amyot was very strict. He kept a very close eye on all of his men. Nobody went anywhere without someone else with them. We were watched at all times. We weren't even allowed to visit our families. M-my cousin…he snuck away one night, to see his fiancé, but…Amyot found out. My cousin disappeared and I never saw him again. I had to wait for the opportunity to get away."

King Louis considered the man's words then turned to Richelieu. The Cardinal gave a minute nod and the King turned back to the man before him. "I cannot believe that for two years you merely collected evidence of a conspiracy against the throne. What I see is a man attempting to save himself," Louis said.

d'Artagnan's eyes widened at the King's words, fear filling his heart at what he knew was coming next. Jean stood tall before him, but d'Artagnan could see the slight trembling of his hands as they hung at his sides. The Gascon tried to speak, but the King's words cut off anything he may have said.

"For your crimes against the throne, you will hang with Amyot and the other conspirators, tomorrow in the public square," King Louis proclaimed.

Athos immediately snapped his head toward his protégé, willing the young man to remain silent, but knowing that it would never happen. He was more than terrified when d'Artagnan staggered forward to stand next to Jean.

"Your Majesty! Please do not do this! This man saved my life! He risked his own safety to help me as best he could. He gave the names of all of the conspirators! Without him, only Amyot would be paying for his actions!" d'Artagnan pleaded, the young man hunched over as the pain from his injuries flared.

"Silence! How dare you question your King! I have made my decision!" Louis bellowed.

Treville could feel his men tense behind him and looked up at the smug face of Richelieu. Undoubtedly, this was his doing and the captain could barely contain his anger. He turned his attention to his young recruit when the young man spoke again.

"My apologies to his Majesty, but I must proclaim this man's innocence! He is nothing but loyal to the throne and to France! This is not an act to save himself. He came here willingly…knowing that this could be the outcome. Please, Sire, do not do this," d'Artagnan cried, dark eyes staring imploringly at his king.

The Inseparables could do nothing but watch as d'Artagnan pleaded for Jean. They knew he was walking a thin line and it filled their hearts with fear at what the outcome could be. Athos took one step forward, words already forming on his tongue, but a quick look from Treville had him stepping back beside his brothers, his blue eyes turning to his protégé. The young man was barely keeping himself upright and it was all Athos could do to keep himself from rushing to the Gascon's side. He swept his gaze to the King when Louis spoke.

"He will be executed along with his leader. There is nothing left to say in this matter," Louis coldly said.

The three musketeers dropped their heads at the King's words, all of them knowing what Jean's death would do to d'Artagnan. It was the Gascon's next words that had their blood freezing in their veins.

"Then punish me in his place. I owe him my life and I cannot stand by and watch him die knowing what he did for me!" d'Artagnan cried.

"No, d'Artagnan! Don't do this!" Jean cried, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at the young man beside him.

"You do not deserve to die, Jean," d'Artagnan said, his eyes never leaving Louis.

Aramis and Porthos gasped at their young friends words, but Athos…Athos was struck dumb by the new developments. He could only stare at the young man, his mouth open, but unable to utter even the slightest sound. Treville looked up at Richelieu and saw the delighted look that passed over the Cardinals face before he quickly schooled himself. Had Richelieu expected this to be the outcome? Had he hoped that d'Artagnan would offer himself up to save the man who had saved him? Or was this just an unexpected bonus for the man. The entire court was silent as the Queen leaned forward and whispered into the King's ear. Queen Anne leaned back, her kind eyes moving to watch d'Artagnan as he stared up at the King, waiting for his decision.

King Louis stood and walked to the edge of the raised floor that he and his queen's thrones sat upon. He gazed down at the two men before him and tilted his head to the side. "You would hang for this man? Freely give your life so that he may live?" Louis queried.

"I would, your Majesty," d'Artagnan answered.

"And what of your King and Queen? Would you do the same for us?" the King asked.

d'Artagnan forced himself upright with a strength even he didn't know he possessed and faced Louis with his head held high. Sweat beaded on his lip and forehead and his body trembled with exhaustion, but he stood tall and strong before the King. "In a heartbeat, your Majesty," he said with all of the conviction he could muster.

King Louis matched d'Artagnan's stance as he contemplated the Gascon's words. He took the two steps down from the raised platform and stood before his young recruit. "And you truly believe that this man has only good intentions?" he asked.

"I do, Sire."

Louis glanced over at the man beside d'Artagnan, then returned his gaze to the Gascon. "You truly are a brave man, d'Artagnan. I will spare your friend, but if a reward is expected for him, none will be given," Louis proclaimed.

d'Artagnan sagged with relief and smiled brightly at the King. "Thank you, your Majesty!"

"Yes, well, I cannot have my top musketeer recruit hanging in the public square now can I?" Louis said. "Go now before you fall at my feet," he added before he turned and ascended to his throne once more.

The three Inseparables wasted no time in rushing to their young friend's side and ushering he and Jean from the room. Treville glared up at Richelieu and sent him a smug look before he followed his men from the room. d'Artagnan was held firmly, yet gently between Athos and Porthos as they walked while Aramis carefully watched from where he and Jean trailed behind. Treville thanked God in Heaven that on this day, King Louis was in a giving mood, because the situation they had just left behind could have had a completely different outcome. Had the King decided on a whim to grant d'Artagnan his wish of taking Jean's place, Treville knew just by the way the Inseparables now acted toward their young friend that they would never get over losing him.

That's it for now. I'm thinking one or two more chapters left on this one and I will try as hard as I can to get it to you as quickly as possible. First of the month is fast approaching though so my time will be limited. Thank you again for reading! Take care :)

Cindy