Evening My Lovelies! :D
Wow I'm loving the response to seeing Remy again. I've FINALLY decided what I'm doing with him now and his reasons behind helping which we'll be seeing a bit today and in coming chapters.
Also... We're at over 500 reviews!
Anyways back onto this chapter... I really really love how this turned out so I'm hoping you do to.
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - I was shocked too, I originally was going to have someone else but I couldn't resist, he's just too much fun to write. Enjoy the new chapter! x
GoGirl212: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you're happy to see him. He's too much fun to write to ignore for too long. We'll get to see a bit of his motivation today but I have plan to properly explain it a couple of chapters time. Enjoy the new chapter! x
FierGascon: Thanks for the review - Oh you love them really :) not an evil cliffy today so you'll be pleased to hear. Glad you liked seeing Remy again. Enjoy the new chapter! x
pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Haha Yep Remy's back :D I couldn't resist the 'princess' comment its too much fun to write him. We'll see today who's blade it was. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Oh I love how happy you are to see Remy again. I know! I can't believe how well this story is doing so thank you for your continued support. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Good to hear its beginning to clear up and that the fundraiser went well, from what you were saying about it sounds like it was a lot of fun :D I'm looking forward to writing punishing Antoine but we've got a little bit before then. Haha :D It's great having Remy back, he's soooo much fun to write :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
pheonixriv: Thanks for the review - Glad you liked seeing Remy again :) We'll be seeing who's blade it was today, worry not I wont keep you waiting too long. Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, hope you get better soon... though your comment about the cat made me chuckle :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
Helensg: Thanks for the review - D'Art's not having a good few days that's for sure though our boys are on the hunt :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Oooh it would be interesting if it was Corinne, you'll have to wait and see though. I'm happy to have Remy back, he's a lot of fun to write. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - I LOVE getting your reviews, they always put a smile on my face, so thank you! I've loved writing Remy, he's sooo much fun. I have also finally decided what's going to happen to him and whether he's completely genuine and helpful so thats good :D Things are going to be tense for our boys for a little bit but they'll be the brothers we know and love again before too long. Please don't die of a sugar overdose! I'd miss you! :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Well he might get a bit of good luck... it could happen :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the reviews - (chapter36) We will be seeing the story of how Antoine got all involved in all this in todays chapter. D'Art's definitely in a bad way but help is on the way. (chapter37) Antoine pretty much only cares about himself and Corinne which means bad things for everyone else. We'll be seeing a bit more of Remy today and we'll start clearing up all of your questions, though some will have to wait a few more chapters before they get answered properly. Enjoy the new chapter! x
WelshEssex (Guest): Thanks for the review - Remy's a lot of fun to write so I'm glad to see so many people happy to have him return. I'm pretty much trying to see just how much I can make you all hate him... it's going well so far :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the review - Maybe... Maybe not, read on to find out :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Thank you for the congratulations and for continuing to stick with me for this :D I adore writing Remy so much, so I'm really really happy that everyone else seems to enjoy having him appear again as well. Seems we had similar thoughts with regards to Bonacieux. I was originally going to have it be Constance that opened the door but decided it would be too much hassle for our boys to have to deal with a worried Constance alongside everything else I'm putting them through. Porthos is having another moment today, it's so cute (hopefully) :D We'll be seeing who's blade it is today so don't worry I wont be keeping you waiting too long. Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
Love you all!
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Brothers
SOMETIME EARLIER
"I may happen to know not only where you can find your misplaced pup but also who he is currently with."
Now that got the attention of both musketeers, though they did their best to not let it show on their faces, not wanting to let the man know just how much leverage he had over them.
"Where is he?" demanded Athos as his grip on his blade tightened, not liking the feeling that had washed over him at the mention of his little brother not being alone.
"In a tavern not too far from here," shrugged Remy, apparently unbothered by the attitude he was receiving. "He really didn't look too good, though I left when I saw who he was with."
It took everything in both the musketeers not to rush out after their brother, to know he was so close to them and to not be by his side when he was in such a bad way almost physically hurt, but then they forced themselves to remember they had no idea what they would be walking in on and so reluctantly pressed for more information.
"You don't seem the sort to rattle easy," mused Porthos as he critically observed Remy's face. "So why leave? Who was he with?"
"He doesn't rattle me," glared Remy though he calmed quickly. "I detest the man and given the look of surprise on your boy's face he certainly wasn't expecting him to show. I know the musketeers have reason enough to seek him out and given he is more afraid of you then he is of me it made sense to bring the information to Aramis, especially, as I said, it involved your boy."
Both men blinked in surprise at the amount of hate in Remy's voice as he spoke about the mystery man. Athos had a sinking feeling in his gut that he knew who the man was but decided to ask anyway, hoping he was wrong.
"Who?"
"Antoine D'Artagnan."
"I'm gonna kill 'im," snarled Porthos as he forced his blade back in its sheathe. "What's he doing in Paris anyway?"
"That's your business to find out musketeer," shrugged Remy, "I'm just a glorified messenger boy tonight."
"And how do we know we can trust you?" asked Athos stoically as he lowered his blade but kept it unsheathed. To him the man before him was part of the reason they were in this whole mess and after what he and his companions had put D'Artagnan through; well he wasn't going to fully trust him anytime soon.
"Do you have any other options?" sassed Remy as he crossed his arms over his chest, doing everything he could not to roll his eyes or glare at the musketeer before him.
"What do you get out of this?" asked Porthos skeptically though he was more inclined to trust the man that helped save Aramis.
Remy tilted his head to one side, "What part of 'I detest the man' would make you think I'm lying?"
"You definitely don't seem fond of him."
"Neither do you," sassed Remy with a small scoff.
"This doesn't clear you of the crimes you have committed, you are aware of this correct?" stated Athos with a look in his eyes that spoke to just how much he would dearly like to arrest the man and bring him in right that second.
"Contrary to what you seem to believe, I am not an idiot monsieur," smirked Remy, knowing that doing so would annoy the musketeer more than outright anger.
"We can deal with that later," remarked Porthos as he moved to help Athos stand, "Our pup's alone with the very man who sold him out. We don't exactly have time to spend arguing."
Biting back a retort Athos nodded over to Remy, gesturing for him to lead the way, all while watching the man move, ready and willing to deal with him should he try anything.
"How'd Antoine get involved with the likes of you and Quentin anyway?" asked Porthos as the group walked, curiosity finally getting the better of him. "We 'eard he was a simple merchant… That aint the sort of person you lot usually do business with."
Remy snorted, "It is when they owe us quite a large sum of money." Apparently this wasn't enough of an answer as the bandit now had both musketeers staring at him, waiting for further explanation, so with a sigh he continued.
"When Antoine was just starting out he approached my br-boss Quentin for funds. He made quite the pitch apparently as Quentin gave him the money, after making him sign a serious binding agreement regarding its repayment… Anyway, when he was established and actually had the money to repay my boss he decided to risk it on a new investment… Which turned out to be a bust, leaving him with an even larger debt that was growing faster then he could pay it back. His selling of your boy would have cleared the debt he owed Quentin, but with D'Artagnan as injured as he was the boy held little value and Antoine's debt became his to pay back again."
"So he sells his flesh and blood because of a shoddy investment?" Porthos asked, wide-eyed with anger brewing within him.
"Several of them I believe," shrugged Remy, "He's owed us money for years."
With that the conversation began to lapse into silence once again, until Athos surprised them both by speaking up.
"Why are you helping us?"
Remy raised an eyebrow and the musketeers could see him tense, "I owe your friend, remember?"
Athos shook his head, "Aramis let you go to repay a debt he owed you. That makes the pair of you even now. You have no obligation to help; yet you are… Why?"
Porthos watched with fascination as a light pink tinge appeared on Remy's cheeks. "He got to you didn't he?" chuckled the musketeer, having realized what had happened.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," refuted Remy as he tried to continue walking only to be stopped by Porthos's hand on his arm.
"You class him as a friend," stated the musketeer with an amused smirk, "You say your helping to pay back a debt but like Athos said, that debt's been cleared. You gain nothing by helping us. But you like Aramis, you count him as a friend."
"He's interesting," admitted Remy, though that was all he would admit to and thankfully he was saved from any more of Porthos's comments when Athos once again spoke up.
"What would your brother think of such a friendship?" he asked darkly, smirking internally at the panicked and surprised look on the man's face. Without waiting for him to speak Athos continued.
"You slipped up and almost referred to him as such earlier but it is the resemblance that gives it away. The only reason Porthos hasn't registered it is because he hasn't fought the man like I have."
With a dejected sigh Remy stopped and turned to face the man. "My brother's feelings towards me are no business of yours. You should remember however that it is because of those feelings I was allowed to treat your friend in the first place."
"Anybody want to fill me in?" asked Porthos, sounding thoroughly confused.
"Porthos," Athos said coldly, "Meet Remy Baulne, younger brother to Quentin."
"WHAT!"
"I came to help," snarled Remy as he glared at the musketeers, "Not to deal with this. The taverns three doors down, good luck," and without another word the bandit left.
"Well," breathed Porthos as he eyes remained locked on the retreating bandit's form. "Wasn't expecting that."
"A concern for another night," stated Athos as he moved towards the tavern door. "Come, we've got a brother to find."
PRESENT TIME
"If you like your head being attached to your neck I strongly suggest you remove your hands monsieur," growled Athos as he pressed his blade just hard enough into Antoine's neck to back up his threat and to cause a few drops of blood to trail down the blade.
"What gives you the right to stop me?" spat Antoine, his hands tightening enough around his nephew's throat that it caused the boy's eyes to shoot open in panic as he struggled to breathe.
Seeing this the fury in Athos reached new heights as he, ignoring the pain in his leg, pulled Antoine away from D'Artagnan with every ounce of strength he had and forced him into Porthos's arms, the larger musketeer not wasting a moment in slamming the older Gascon against the wall, smirking as he grunted in pain.
"He is our brother," snarled Athos as he stormed over to Porthos's side, pressing his blade back under the restrained man's chin as he spoke. "We have every right."
Antoine's eyes went wide as he took in what was being said to him, his eyes locked onto the matching pauldrons sitting proudly on both men's shoulders and realized just who he had been caught by.
"Come now gentlemen," he stammered, fear building in his eyes when he took in the rage burning in their eyes. "I'm sure we can work something out here."
"Porthos," growled Athos as he fought to keep his anger under control while keeping the senior Gascon trapped against the wall, "Check on D'Artagnan."
Not needing any further encouragement Porthos rushed over to the bed where D'Artagnan was now coughing and gasping for breath.
"Easy D'Artagnan," soothed Porthos quietly as he helped maneuver the young man into a position that would allow him to breathe easier, his heart breaking for the younger man as D'Artagnan flinched at his touch.
"…A-Ar… A-A-Aramis?" wheezed the Gascon weakly in between a series of harsh coughs. The look of pure heartbreak and desperation in the boy's eyes made Porthos push aside his lingering feelings of anger towards the man, knowing he would have to deal with them properly later, and instead decided to bring the boy into a gentle embrace.
"Alive and worried about you," murmured the larger musketeer as he dipped his head so he could whisper into D'Artagnan's ear. He could feel the heat coming off of his brother's skin and knew they needed to get the man back to the garrison sooner rather than later but he didn't have the heart to force the younger man away from him while his body shook with sobs.
"…'m so … so… sorry," sobbed D'Artagnan as he pressed himself further into Porthos's warm embrace. He could feel his head spinning and it was becoming increasingly hard to think over the pain but he knew he had to get it out; they needed to know he hadn't meant to do it.
"Shh D'Art," soothed Porthos as he ran his hand up and down the sobbing boy's back in an effort to comfort him. "'Mis is alive, that's all that matters so just focus on breathing okay."
"D…Didn't mean to," hiccupped D'Artagnan, his words becoming increasingly slurred as the effects of his wounds and illness began to over power his stubborn resistance, "…m'sorry."
"We know kid."
"…'m sor-"
Porthos looked down in worry when his brother stopped mid sentence, his worry only growing when he saw the gleam of sweat on his now unconscious brother's brow.
"Athos!" he called without even looking at the man, his eyes were locked onto D'Artagnan's form as he gently maneuvered the boy into his arms, smiling sadly for a moment when he felt the younger man nuzzle closer to him.
"We need to get him to the infirmary, NOW!"
It was as he finished speaking that Porthos noticed the condition of Antoine and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.
If he was being honest he had expected the man to have been beaten bloody, likely to nearly an inch of his life given what the pair of them had walked in on. So it was quite the surprise to see the man remained largely unblemished and was already restrained.
"Do I want to know where you got that rope from?" teased Porthos as he shifted his grip on the sick boy in his arms.
With a raised eyebrow Athos nodded to the curtains that were now missing the rope that had been holding them in place.
"Nice job on the restraint," added the larger man as the group began to make their way back to the garrison, both men stealing frequent worried glances at the now wheezing boy in Porthos's arms. "Treville would be proud."
"Corinne will see the truth better if he isn't black and blue when they meet," stated Athos, though it was clear in his voice that he was not happy about having shown such restraint.
"Leave my daughter out of this!" exclaimed Antoine as he struggled against his restraints, earning himself a swift elbow to the ribs from Athos's for his efforts.
"You lost that right a long time ago now get moving."