A.N. Finally finished. Yes I know I was going to make this a longer one but I'm afraid I'm under a bit of time constraint here. So the shorter version of what I had planned is this chapter. I may still write a sequel to this but that won't be finished before next year I don't think as I'm planning at least a ten chapter story and I won't have time to write for a while with all my classes. So the last chapter to the story and I'm afraid still not much of Treville… Hope you enjoy… Thank you all for your wonderful support and reviews… They more than anything else helped me finish the story…

The minute the door closed behind Athos, Aramis and Porthos held another silent conversation. Aramis tipped his head towards a still stunned D'Artagnan who seemed to be silently staring at the door as if willing with just his gaze to wish the man back. Porthos sighed at the state of the young man, then gathered his weapons and Athos' sword before walking out the door following his leader out into the night.

The noise of wood against wood a second time seemed to bring the youngest Musketeer out of his trance-like state. D'Artagnan turned with purpose seemingly to gather his own weapons and follow his brothers but a gentle hand on his arm stopped him. He turned around almost angrily and was about to dislodge the hand stopping him from following his heart, however the look in Aramis' eyes stopped him. Instead his shoulders slumped and he walked back towards the bed sitting down on it in much the same manner as earlier, his knees drawn in what Aramis was beginning to understand was a position he assumed when he was truly afraid.

For a moment he did not know what to say to the Gasconian, however the healer in him took over and the next minute he strode towards the bed and as he had done with the mentor earlier, he gathered the protégé into his arms. And just as earlier he was rebuffed once before the young man allowed himself to accept the comfort offered. They stayed that way neither of them knew how long when a knock on the door brought them back from inside their heads.

Aramis knew it was neither Athos nor Porthos; after all the formed owned the place and the latter didn't ever bother when it came to one of their lodgings. Considering the lateness of the hour he knew that there could only be one man on the other side. Sighing he got up, walked over and upon opening the door was not entirely surprised to find the captain. He stepped aside to let the man in.

Treville on walking in was surprised to see neither Porthos nor Athos in the rooms. From what he knew when they parted at the palace he had been told they would be in Athos' rooms at the garrison discussing a strategy to find and somehow turn the Cardinal's assassin against him. The captain of the Musketeers silently took in the scene before him – the hunched form of D'Artagnan, the remnants of a well-eaten dinner and the two bottles of wine of which he was willing to bit his second-in-command had consumed the most. Turning back to Aramis, Treville found that the marksman was watching him keenly if somewhat warily. Something was seriously wrong and he didn't need a court astrologer to tell him that whatever it was had to do with Athos. D'Artagnan would not look so lost otherwise.

"Where is he?" was the question he posed to Aramis, who knew that the he in question was definitely not Porthos. He was about to open his mouth to answer when he was saved by the man himself.

"Where is who?" returned Athos in his normal stoic tones.

Twin gazes were directed at the older Musketeer; one in relief the other in hope, however if Athos noticed anything they could not read it on his face. In fact D'Artagnan realised with a sinking feeling that he could not read the older man at all. That fact alone more than anything else shocked him to the core.

True Athos was not someone who displayed his emotions on his face. His upbringing as a comte meant that he had been taught to suppress his feelings, maintaining a calm façade on the outside no matter what the situation. The first few weeks D'Artagnan had been at the garrison he had not been comfortable in the presence of the older man as he had never known what he was thinking. In fact it was only after the disastrous mission with Vadim that he had even realised that the other man was not as cold as he seemed and actually cared about him enough and wanted him around. After that their relationship seemed to progress by leaps and bounds and slowly D'Artagnan learned to read his friend. And after Pinon it was as if Athos himself had lifted some sort of barrier to allow D'Artagnan the key to his thoughts and emotions.

But now there was nothing. It was if the last few months had never happened, or worse yet they had travelled back to that day in the past when they had fought to avenge the death of Alexandre D'Artagnan. Only this time he was the one who was guilty.

D'Artagnan knew Athos well enough to know that the man lived for honour. Without it he felt he had nothing. That was the sole reason in fact for him to have ordered the execution of the woman he had loved more than life itself. And he feared that, the same honour would cause Athos to hate him. To exclude him from the brotherhood he shared with the other three. And if that happened… D'Artagnan could not even imagine a life beyond the Musketeers. If Athos decided he could no longer serve alongside him… He felt his breath quicken… No. He could not let that happen. He had to…

"Breathe", a gentle voice commanded, even as a hand rubbed soothing circles on his back but for once D'Artagnan seemed unable to obey the order given. Instead he felt spots dancing in front of his vision and his stomach once again lurched uncomfortably. "C'mon D'Artagnan, you have to breathe", the voice sounded more urgent now. D'Artagnan wanted to tell the voice that he was trying but that he was unable to do so because of the tight band around his chest that he could not for all his efforts seem to loosen.

"Aramis", the voice called to the healer urgently.

"He is just panicking Athos. Talk to him. Get him to breathe", the other voice responded.

"You heard Aramis. Listen to me. Just listen to the sound of my voice. Breathe D'Artagnan. Just breathe. In and out. In and out. Just breathe". Slowly but surely D'Artagnan felt the tight band around his chest lighten as he was able to take one breath after another. "Ath's", he mumbled as he felt the hand still rubbing soothing circles on his back and he all but leaned on his mentor, suddenly unable to hold himself upright. "Shhh. Just breathe", was the soft reply. "'m Ok", he managed to mumble again trying to pull himself upright, but a slight pressure on his back told him to stay put. And he was content to stay that way for a bit longer because he knew that Athos would never again give him this comfort…Never again would he be allowed to… He felt his breathing quicken at that thought…

"Shh. Don't think. It's all right. It's all right", Athos' gentle voice commanded and the hand on his back moved to hold him around his shoulders as the man all but hugged him with one arm. "It's all right D'Artagnan. I'm not upset. It's all right", even as he said that D'Artagnan once again felt himself breathe much better.

When had this man become so important to him that the mere thought of him not being around could send him into a panic attack he wondered. When had this life, the one he had never planned for, become everything to him? His brothers, his comrade in arms, the Musketeers, they were all he had and he vowed to himself that he would not let them go without a fight. He would not let Milady win. He would make Athos see reason, explain everything to him and if at the end of it all if Athos still did not want him around he would find Milady himself and make sure she was no longer a threat to his brothers. He owed them that much.

Feeling his resolve strengthen he brought his own hands up against the older Musketeer's shoulder and squeezed it gently before attempting to move away again. And this time Athos let him only to at the last minute palm his face and turn it towards himself. D'Artagnan met the other man's eyes with a shy, tentative smile. And was delighted to be offered a slight upturn of one corner of the mouth in return. Slowly he turned towards the others in the room somewhat surprised to find that the captain was not there anymore. He was sure he remembered the other man walk in.

"Captain Treville is content to wait till the morning for our report", Aramis answered the unspoken question. "Are you all right", he asked him gently.

Unsure of how steady his voice would be all D'Artagnan could do was nod. A snort was his only answer telling him he was not believed. He did not seem to have any energy left to be offended. Instead his eyes went back down as he wondered how to begin.

"I 'ate to ask this once again but how can you be sure it's the same woman", Porthos questioned.

"The flower", D'Artagnan's voice was unsurprisingly hoarse and Aramis winced at its quality before fetching him a glass of water. "Plus", here he hesitated as he took a sip of the cold liquid before his mentor's hand on his arm forced him to continue "I saw the scar on her neck". The arm was removed and D'Artagnan felt its loss keenly as if it was one of his own limbs which had gone missing. "She told me she had been given that scar by the man she loved", he finished his voice trembling slightly. "I never realised what it all meant till today. Even after Pinon I never thought to…" his voice wavered then stopped.

"When I said it was not your fault my intention was not just to offer you comfort", Athos began. "I meant it", he continued his voice growing decisive even as D'Artagnan looked up with so much hope in his eyes. Those eyes were almost his undoing even as Athos wondered if D'Artagnan knew how much he meant to him, how much he meant to all of them.

"Anne is a very smart and cunning woman. Once she knew you were with us she would have done all in her power to manipulate you", he added before he was interrupted by the younger man.

"No. You don't understand. I met her before I met you. I…" here he trailed off but Aramis once again filled the gap.

"You were lovers"

Shame filled D'Artagnan's entire being and he lacked the courage to look up at the others. "Yes", he all but whispered then continued with his tale recounting every meeting.

"So she never told you explicitly that she worked for the Cardinal", Aramis questioned him his tone thoughtful. "No. But it is her. Of that I'm sure".

"And you said her name was Milady".

"Milady de Winter. That's the name she gave Constance", he added unable to stop the grimace everytime he thought of the woman who had stolen his heart. And then broke it to pieces, his mind told him. "Constance told me she frightened her", he added voice thoughtful.

"And she voluntarily gave you the entry fee to compete in the tournament".

"Yes she said she had taken an interest in me and wanted me to succeed. But why would she…" he trailed off again. "It makes no sense. She warned me against joining the Musketeers once earlier", he added his eyes meeting that of his mentor's. "What is it Athos?" he asked the older man at the resigned look on his face.

"Athos", Porthos questioned once it became clear that D'Artagnan would go unanswered.

"She was hoping to turn you against me", Athos held D'Artagnan's eyes as he spoke concentrating on him and only him. "I once told you, you were more like me than you knew. Anne spotted that too. She was going to use your sense of honour into manipulating you into killing me". At this D'Artagnan's breathing quickened as he recognised the truth in his mentor's words. After all hadn't he himself offered to kill the man who…

"D'Artagnan look at me please", the quiet request from Athos stopped his wandering thoughts. Meeting the older man's eyes he relaxed considerably when he realised he could read him again. Athos was looking at him… Wait his eyes held guilt. "No", he told him firmly, "If you blame yourself for this I will never forgive myself. None of this was your fault. Athos please", he added when his words seem to have no effect, "You said it yourself. Your wife planned this".

"Yes", Athos conceded before adding, "In her quest to avenge me. Don't you see", his voice barely a whisper his rage and self-loathing evident, "She used you because you were close to me. She did everything in her power to rip us apart. You all would have been put in danger simply because you associated yourself with me".

"You know that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth". Porthos countered angry himself. "You seem to have forgotten we're Musketeers. We're in danger every single day with or without your wife's actions. 'eah she seemed to have caused a lo' of problems lately but it's not nothing we can't handle. But we can only do this if you stop this stupid stuff and get back to what we originally came here for tonight. Now we have a name, we find her an' put a stop to her".

"Well said Porthos my friend", Aramis commented. Then turning mischievous eyes to mentor and protégé, "Allow me to reiterate my earlier opinion. You. Are. Fools. Both of you", he finished with a grand smile.

Athos and D'Artagnan just looked at each other giving each other resigned smiles. They recognised the validity if their friends' words. Aramis and Porthos were right. They had a name, now they needed a way to find her and stop her from causing any further pain.

Porthos recognising the look on their faces just stood up and held a fisted hand forward. "All for one", he said with a smile.

"One for all", the rest of them intoned.