Evening My Lovelies :)
You may be pleased to know that I've FINALLY finished the chapter I was stuck on :D Hopefully now that's done I can get over this writer's block.
There's some serious whumpage coming to our boys quite soon so if there's anything in particular you would like to see happen then let me know and I'll see what I can do
Also today's got quite an emotional bit so be ready!
Notes On Reviews:
Tidia: Thanks for the review - I have a plan for getting the information back to Paris but it'll be a while until it gets there. Enjoy the new chapter! x
romirola: Thanks for the review - Your welcome :) We're getting some more brotherly moments today. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Deana: Thanks for the review - That's going to be the least of his troubles in the coming chapters :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
CaroH: Thanks for the review - Don't worry he wont die... What would our boys do without their trusty medic :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - D'Art'll be getting some food eventually but for now I think he's too worried to even register that he needs food. Unfortunately he wont be with our boys for too much longer :( Enjoy the new chapter! x
pain in the mikta: Thanks for the review - Glad you're back to normal now... though depending on how you take this chapter you might revert back at the end of it. There's still a bit more of the mystery to uncover but the general idea behind it has now come out. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Violet Eternity (Guest): Thanks for the review - Glad you're loving it. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Guest06 (Guest): Thanks for the review - Glad you're loving it :) As for how many chapters this will have I'm not entirely sure. I have loads of ideas for this story. I'd say at least 30 chapters but will probably be more then that, will have to see how well the ideas I have transfer to paper (or screen i suppose) Enjoy the new chapter! x
A reader (Guest): Thanks for the review - Bwahaha Oh your review made me smile. I completely agree, Porthos really should know by now that there's no such thing as 'undisturbed rest' in my stories :D You would be correct in your suspicion that there's more whumpage to come... I have plenty of whumpage ideas for our boys... none are going to left out. I think my writers block might be gone now I got that annoying chapter done... though I'll have to wait and see when I start on the next one to see if its still there. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - We get some more brotherly moments today so hopefully you'll enjoy them too :) I have some evil stuff planned for all our boy in the coming chapters so it wont be long until they're all quite injured... which means some cute comfort moments will be due as well, which I'm really looking forward to writing as it means more snuggly musky moments which I adore :D I've written some stuff for Athos that'll be coming up soon. I have some stuff planned for Aramis which are quite evil as well. It's just Porthos that I cant decide on... I have several ideas but cant decide which one would work best. Glad you like my response section :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always many thanks to you all for supporting this by following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Thirteen: All For One
Unfortunately for the three musketeers their hopes of an undisturbed rest for D'Artagnan were short lived as only a few hours into the night the boy began to twitch and shift under Porthos's side.
"Easy whelp" he whispered soothingly, hoping his voice would be enough to calm the injured Gascon back into a calm sleep. If anything though his voice seemed to do just the opposite and seemed to increase the boy's distress.
"…N…No" mumbled D'Artagnan sleepily, his uninjured hand grasping tightly onto Porthos's shirt.
When tears started to fall from D'Artagnan's closed eyes Porthos sent a worried glance over to his brothers who looked on with pure sadness in their eyes, unable to reach the boy let alone help.
"D…Don't … H…Hurt… Him" slurred the Gascon tiredly, tear flowing steadily down his face now as he pleaded with the shadow in his mind. "P'thos" he whined feebly, burrowing his head into Porthos's chest and making the larger man's heart clench as he realized his little brother was being tormented in his sleep by the memory of his attack.
"Hush D'Art" he soothed, rubbing circles into the boy's shoulder as he spoke in an attempt to calm him, "I'm alright… I'm right here," he added, squeezing the boy's uninjured hand for extra measure.
"We're all okay D'Art" spoke Athos firmly with more calm then he felt. Their brother had been put through hell and now even his sleep was torturous for him.
His words coupled with assurances from both Porthos and Aramis seemed to have an effect and after a few muffled whimpers D'Artagnan seemed to settle back into a somewhat peaceful sleep.
"He's getting warmer 'Mis" Porthos whispered when he felt that their brother was once again safely asleep. His hand was pressed lightly on the boy's forehead and a frown was on his face as he noted the warmer than before temperature of his brother.
Aramis sighed, "Not surprising, who knows what that dog had in his mouth when he bit his leg. That coupled with all the other injuries he's sustained since being captured as well as lack of food and water, his body's vulnerable to infections"
"Is there anything we can do?" Athos asked sadly, his eyes never straying from the sleeping from of his protégé nestled tightly against Porthos's side.
Sadly Aramis shook his head, "Without having the proper things to clear his wounds and the necessary herbs to treat him there's little I can do I'm afraid… Sleep's the only thing that'll do him any good at the moment. It doesn't look like he's managed much rest lately and that'll hinder his recovery."
His brother's nodded stiffly, they had expected such news but it was still hard to swallow that they would have to watch their beloved Gascon get sicker and weaker unless they got out of their cells.
"How you doing 'Mis?" Porthos asked, hoping to distract himself from the potentially heartbreaking situation currently sleeping in his arms.
Porthos had noted that Aramis was looking paler, something he figured was due to the shock and blood loss from his wound but still, having one brother in critical condition was all he could handle at once. He needed to hear that his dearest friend would be okay.
"Worried mon ami?" Aramis quipped with a cheeky grin, though his friends could see the lines of pain lining his face and noted how rigidly he sat to prevent himself from accidently jostling his arm.
"Just about my wallet" bantered the larger man with a beaming grin, "you still have yet to pay me for that bet I won"
"You cheated!" accused the medic, a genuine smile on his lips for the first time since their capture.
"You're just a sore loser," snorted Porthos, highly amused by the indignant look on his friend's face.
"Well you can stop worrying you money-grabber" grumbled the sharpshooter, though there was no malic or anger in his voice only fondness, "While it could really do with cleaning and stitching, it's only a shoulder wound so I'll be fine"
Athos added nothing to the conversation, simply content to listen to his friends banter while he watched his little brother sleep. His eyebrow rose however when he noticed a frown forming on D'Artagnan's sleeping face
"Porthos" he whispered warningly, nodding his head to D'Artagnan when Porthos stopped his quiet bantering with the marksman to look at him questioningly.
Noticing what his brother had seen Porthos quickly dipped his head low so it was level with D'Artagnan's ears and began whispering soothing words far too quiet for the others to hear. Fortunately this seemed to work and D'Artagnan settled before it could progress any further.
The three men sighed in relief when D'Artagnan once again settled, a silent vow to watch over the boy passed between them. However this was difficult for them to keep as the events of the day, especially for Aramis and Porthos, had drained their reserves and each man fell into a fitful dose several hours later.
But it seemed like sleep would not be in the cards for any of the musketeers as they woke several hours later to the sound of D'Artagnan screaming.
Porthos had woken before the screaming had started, his close proximity to the boy allowing him to notice and then waken to the telltale signs of a nightmare. As such he was already working to try and calm the boy when he started screaming.
When the screaming started and Aramis and Athos awoke however Porthos decided he could let his brother be left in the nightmare anymore and was trying to wake him up.
"Come on kid" he said under his breath, shaking the boy slightly as he spoke, "Wake up!"
With a huge gulp of air D'Artagnan's eyes shot open and his entire frame immediately went fiercely tense. Unsure of where he was and what new horrors awaited him the still muddled Gascon began fighting against Porthos's hold on him, whimpering quietly when the movements aggravated his injuries.
"D'ARTAGNAN!" Porthos roared, firmly gripping the boy's flailing wrists in his hands. "It's just me" he said when the boy froze at the sound of his voice, "You're okay… it's just me"
"…P'thos?" asked D'Artagnan weakly, his voice quiet as if terrified of getting a negative answer
"Aye whelp" soothed the larger man, removing his grip on the Gascon's wrists he chose instead to run a hand soothingly through the boy's hair. He had noticed it was something Athos seemed to do whenever the boy showed signs of nightmares on their missions when he thought no one was looking. His voice plus the familiar actions helped calm the last of D'Artagnan's nerves and the boy sagged back into Porthos's arms.
"…Sorry" he mumbled tiredly to the three men he had woken up, his cheeks were tinted pink though the musketeers didn't know if that was from embarrassment or from his growing fever.
"There is nothing to be sorry for D'Artagnan" Athos stated, brushing off the young man's attempts to apologize.
"Besides…" Aramis stated, the grim tone in his voice instantly gaining the attention of his brothers who looked at him questioningly. "It's practically morning now anyway" he explained, his eyes locked on the few rays of early morning sun that were filtering into the room from the tiny window of their cell.
Silence fell on the group then as they remembered Ortiz's parting words from the previous night.
"D'Art" Aramis called softly, though his voice was firm. The Spaniard waited until he had the injured man's full attention before speaking again. "Nothing that happens today will be your fault okay?"
D'Artagnan opened his mouth to argue, it was he that had stolen the documents, he who wasn't good enough to escape on his own which forced his brothers' to come to his rescue, only for them to get captured to. It was his refusal to speak that caused Aramis to be shot and Porthos to get beaten. No matter what Aramis or the others said, he knew it was his fault.
"He's right D'Artagnan" Athos interrupted, having read the boy's thoughts from the emotions flickering across his face. "We are musketeers… We are expected to give our lives for the service of France and her people. If our deaths help save all those at risk from Ortiz's plans then they will be willingly given and no fault will lay at your feet."
By the end of Athos's speech D'Artagnan had tears in his eyes, the mere thought of his brother's losing their lives hurt him more then anything Ortiz had done to him.
Whilst he still blamed himself he knew he also did not deserve forgiveness from the men before him. No matter what words they said to placate his guilt at the end, it was his fault they were about to die at the hands of someone he should have reported years ago.
"Gentlemen" Aramis said grimly, wishing he still had his beloved hat to tip or at least some wine to toast. His eyes shone with love and fondness for the men before him as he added, "It's been an honor. I truly couldn't have ever have been blessed with better men to call my brothers"
"Likewise my friend" Athos nodded, his eyes echoing Aramis's own, as he looked at the men who over the last few years had become closer to him then his own family had been at one point… The men who had never allowed him to push them away when he was at his worst, who had never pressured him into giving them more information about his personal life then he was comfortable to give, the men who would put aside their own enjoyment for the evening to ensure he made it back to his rooms okay if he was drinking too much, the men who followed his orders without question because they respected him that much… The men he would gladly die a thousand deaths to save.
"… All for one" Porthos said reaching out his hand to the middle of the room. From where they were all sitting it was impossible for them to place their own on his but they echoed his actions nevertheless.
"…One… for… all" answered D'Artagnan weakly as he placed his trembling hand over Porthos's own.
They stayed that way for a while, simply relishing in what could be the last few moments that they were all alive together to enjoy.
The moment was cut short by the sound of the door to their cell unlocking.
"Morning Musketeers"