Evening My Lovelies

I managed to get the chapter finished! I honestly wasn't sure if I would be able to, or even how to do it as I had two things that needed to happen in this chapter but the transition between the two is something I had no idea of. Hopefully it's all worked out okay and you like it.

I don't know if any of you have noticed but reviews aren't showing up for some annoying reason. Just be aware, should you be worried, they are still coming through to my email fine so I can still respond.

Despite reviews not showing up on here for some weird reason I am going to, once again, unashamedly beg for reviews for this chapter. This was one I was really excited to write and would love to know you're opinions of it, even if they're bad (though I hope they aren't) :)

Notes On Reviews:

Deana: Thanks for the review - Our boys will all be reunited tonight, though I can't promise it'll be a happy/smooth reunion :) Your feeling about Aramis... may or may not be correct, read on and see ;) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Wow I'm really happy you think so :) Issac's not having a good time but there's hope for Favier so things might be looking up soon... maybe. Enjoy the new chapter! x

watlocked: Thanks for the review - Oooh yeah Aramis is pissed :D Hopefully that comes across loud and clear today, I had a lot of fun writing his rant :D At this point I'd say it would be wise to trust the musketeers feelings towards Marcel, though we'll be seeing what exactly he has in store in a couple of chapters time. Glad yesterday's chapter wasnt as bad as I thought it was. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yep didn't go well at all, but then considering they knew who he was and what he had done I think their distrust was fairly warranted. Yeah poor D'Art doesn't seem to be getting any better. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you thought so, the chapter just seemed a bit clunky to me and I wasn't pleased with it but if you guys liked it that's all that matters :) Hopefully I can clear up the confusion that is Marcel when he reappears in a couple of chapters time. Henri's slowly becoming a bit of a mother hen which is something I hadn't originally planned on but it seems to be working so I'm running with it :D We're finally at the reunion, though tempers are going to be running high and there's plenty of drama ahead. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Helensg: Thanks for the review - Yeah I thought it was a bit clunky too but after all the hassle it gave me trying to write it I couldnt be bothered to try to fix it anymore so I'm quite glad people haven't hated it like I thought they might. I think you might like the end of tonight's chapter, it's alluding to something I promised you was coming :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - I was hoping you'd review so I can let you know I've decided on a deliciously evil bit of whumpage for our favourite little Gascon pup :D It should be appearing in two or three chapters time depending on how things go. All I'll say is that they'll be grateful for the bit of peace I gave them before all this goes down :D mwhaha. Enjoy the new chapter! x

f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think part of the reason I hated it was because of all the trouble it gave me to write. Whenever somethings that difficult to get down my mind instantly decides it must be bad. Worry not our boys will reunite without any additional trouble though I can't promise the rest of the reunion will stay trouble free :D D'Art can say he's fine till his blue in the face, our boy's aint going to believe him lol. Enjoy the new chapter! x

criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - All I can say is that you're right to be worried :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Tidia: Thanks for the review - Marcel wont be appearing for a few more chapters and hopefully everything will become clearer when he does. Our boys are back together now yay! Enjoy the new chapter! x

MicheeO: Thanks for the review - I'm glad you thought so, with all the trouble I had writing it my mind instantly assumed it'd be bad but it's been really well received so I'm quite pleased :D Haha I know right, the poor boy keep getting worse and worse. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Annoyingly I can't respond to all of your review as it's truncated and as the reviews arent showing on the website I can't read all of it :( I was tempted to have them arrest Marcel, it would certainly make the next part of my plan involving him easier to write, but I felt like their focus would be on the missing men, especially as they know they're injured and barely armed. Plus I think bringing Marcel in front of them any time soon wont end well for anyone involved. Oh i LOVE the idea of Alain and D'Art creating some mischief together... That is definitely happening, they can get on the regiments nerves once D'Arts all healed and whole :) Yay Reunion time :D It's been odd having them apart for so long I mean they've been separated for over 20 chapters by this point, I think it's safe to say that the reunion is LONG overdue (and full of drama as I'm evil like that) Athos kinda takes the approach most siblings take I think which is "the only person who can yell/bully you is me." I'm not sure if Athos's is aware he's acting like a big brother but it was nice to include so I'm running with it :) I want to say that they're getting back together so the whumpage will end but we all know that would be a hollow lie, I'm far to evil minded to leave it like that :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Creamy cupcakes to you lovely people who follow/favourite/review/read

Enjoy!

xxx

P.S Begging again, Please review!

P.S.S Longest chapter! Whoop Whoop!

Chapter Thirty-Three: Reunion

"So," remarked Porthos as he made his way over to where Athos, who was leaning heavily on a makeshift crutch, was helping the swaying D'Artagnan to his feet. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"

Athos turned to face his brother, his hand resting on D'Artagnan's back to help keep him steady. The short nap had done little to help the young man and Athos knew they needed to get him to Aramis quickly. "Good."

"Blaise is letting you ride his horse so you don't have to suffer walking or weighing down the whelp's mare."

Athos raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint appearing in his eyes. "Are you calling me fat?"

Porthos chuckled, letting his eyes roll over his friend's form in a very obvious way, "It's all muscle I'm sure."

Athos let out a short breathy laugh as he nodded, "and the bad news?"

Porthos cringed, "Blaise sent Alain ahead to warn Aramis."

D'Artagnan, still slightly swaying looked at the pair, thoroughly confused when he saw Athos cringe as well. "How is that bad?" he asked, unable to silence his curiosity.

"Alain will get to 'Mis several hours before us," Porthos explained, his words hinting at a secret meaning that D'Artagnan was sure he would have been able to understand if the drummer hadn't resumed playing inside his skull.

Seeing the confusion still present on the young man's face Athos joined in the explanation, "Meaning Aramis has hours to prepare for our arrival."

"…Yeah?"

"And to think on what he wants to say when he see's all of us again," finished Porthos, a smirk appearing when D'Artagnan groaned, his uninjured hand coming up to meet his head half way.

"I'm doomed," whined the Gascon, ignoring the soft chuckles his words drew from his friends.

"Not just you," sighed Athos, "he'll no doubt comment on my 'volunteering'."

D'Artagnan noticed the guilt in Porthos's eyes at Athos's words and decided to attempt to get rid of it. "At least you're safe Porthos," grumbled the boy as he begrudgingly accepted the larger mans help to get onto his horse. The Gascon swayed dangerously as a wave of vertigo hit him but both Athos and Porthos were by his side, steadying him as the last of it passed.

Seeing the embarrassment in D'Artagnan's face Porthos decided not to comment on what just occurred and instead returned back to their previous conversations. "Ah you know what 'Mis is like," grumbled the larger man, though the fondness he held for the medic was clear as day in his voice, "Once 'e get's started there's no stopping 'im. No doubt I'll get my turn for something at some point.

"Athos!" called Blaise as he walked up to the trio, followed by both Vivienne and his horse. "If you guys are ready I think we should head off, with luck we can get there before it gets too dark."

Athos nodded and mounted the horse, grumbling at the help he was forced to accept to do so. Part of Athos had wanted to decline the horse, but the pain in his ankle was quickly becoming unbearable and he knew that if they didn't get help soon then they would all be in trouble.

Aramis could feel the worry that had been building up inside him since Alain and Blaise left this morning to hunt down the missing men growing with each hour that passed. He tried to remind himself that no news was good news, no news meant they had gotten far away and were safe… no news meant he could keep the fragile hope that they still remained alive.

Before he could focus too much on his darkening thoughts a pained groan caught his attention and the medic in him snapped to the forefront.

"Easy Captain," soothed the medic as he gently lifted Treville's head to help him take a few sips of water, "You took quite a hit, you're going to be sore for some time."

"…D…Daviau?" wheezed Treville as he fought against his rapidly draining energy to stay awake.

Aramis sighed as he put the water skin down on the ground, hoping the Captain was too out of it to notice how his hands shook. "In the wind, I would have sent the men to search but with two injured I didn't want to risk getting caught unprepared in another attack."

Treville attempted to know, understanding the logic behind the marksman's words. It was several seconds later that he caught up with what the man had said, "…I…Injured?"

"You and Favier got the worst," Aramis explained looking sadly over his shoulder to where Favier laid unconscious, Issac still by his side. "He's in bad shape, as are you but everyone else got out with only superficial or mild wounds."

As Aramis brushed off his own injuries he noticed Treville's eyes lock onto the bandage wrapped around his throat and he couldn't help but sigh. Whilst he had managed to dodge enough to prevent the wound from being fatal it had still bled a surprising amount and the medic had been forced to wrap it to stop himself from bleeding all over his patients.

"It's fine," shrugged the medic when Treville's rapidly closing eyes remained, glaring, at the wound. "Looks and stings worse than it actually is and I'll prove it when you can keep your eyes open long enough to take it in."

Too weak to talk anymore Treville offered up a tired nod, his eyes fluttering closed as sleep took him once again.

Sighing again as his hands came up to wipe away the tiredness in his eyes Aramis contemplated interrupting Issac, who appeared to be praying, so he could check on Favier when the sound of hooves caught the group's attention.

Trained to reacted in an instant the musketeers quickly abandoned their jobs and moved to stand protectively by the injured men, Henri ensuring he stood in front of Aramis as they listened to the hooves get closer.

"Don't shoot!" cried a familiar voice that had the group relaxing, "It's just me!"

"Alain?" Aramis asked, pushing past Henri as the younger musketeer rode into their makeshift camp. Seeing the man return alone sent a wave of near crippling fear through the medic and it was only thanks to Alain's inability to keep the good news to himself any longer that stopped him from doing so.

"We found them!" exclaimed Alain, a beaming smile on his face as he dismounted his horse.

"W-What?" breathed Aramis, his voice full of disbelief as he felt the fragile hope he had been desperately clinging to grow larger.

"They're alive."

Those two simple words had tears of joy and relief falling from Aramis's eyes. Quickly wiping them away before anyone could comment he leaned to the side, desperate to see his friends alive and well.

"Where…"

"They're on the way, Blaise sent me ahead so you could prep for their arrival and so I could bring back some reinforcements just in case they encounter trouble on the road."

Aramis nodded sharply, instantly slipping out of relieved brother and into 'medic-mode' as he began searching through the supplies he had on hand. "Injuries?" he asked, his eyes not leaving his saddlebags.

"Athos has a broken leg and severe bruising. I think there's an issue with his wrist as well but I'm not sure. The woman looked okay but she moved stiffly so I'm assuming there's an injury under her clothing."

"And Porthos?"

"Looks exhausted and beat to hell but is actually the better off of the four of them."

This got Aramis's attention, "Four?" he asked, confused as to this fourth person

Alain nodded, internally cursing himself for bringing it up as he knew the information would only worry the medic further despite the fact he needed to know and would find out soon enough anyway.

"Who?" asked Aramis though he had a sickening feeling he knew who it was.

"D'Artagnan," admitted the musketeer, confirming the medic's fears.

"H-How bad?" he asked. He remembered the condition D'Artagnan had been in when he had left Paris, even if the boy was somewhat improved he was still far from being in any condition to go traipsing around the country. Aramis's mind tried to remind him that he had been in no condition either but had done so regardless.

"I didn't get a good look before Blaise sent me off but judging by how the others were worrying I'd assume bad."

Letting out a shaky breath Aramis dismissed the man, ordering him to take two of the men and meet Blaise's group on the road.

Dusk was just beginning to settle in when the men at the camp first caught sight of the approaching group. Aramis, who had been helping Issac change Favier's bandages at the time and trying to give the man hope for his friend as he noticed the unconscious man's hand occasionally twitch, was up on his feet so fast he was honestly wasn't surprised when the world span dangerously for a few seconds.

"Where are they?" growled the medic as he pushed through the group that had crowded the returning men. At the sound of Aramis's voice and the anger lying beneath it the crowd parted instantly, leaving nothing standing between the injured group and a very pissed off Aramis.

"You!" exclaimed Aramis as he rounded on a barely conscious D'Artagnan, a fact the medic failed to really register as he let his worry and anger take over. "What the hell were you thinking, leaving the infirmary, let alone Paris in your condition? Do you have even the slightest care or respect for your own life? I swear it's like you have a death wish or something the way you charge into these scenarios without sparing the barest thought for those who would mourn you when your luck finally run out!"

"Aramis," cautioned Athos having seen the pain in D'Artagnan's eyes as he listened to the sharpshooter rant.

Ignoring or not hearing Athos speaking Aramis continued. "Let's just ignore the fact that you put yourself at enormous risk by coming out here in your condition, did you even let anyone in Paris know you were leaving or did you lie to them and sneak out, leaving them to deal with the guilt of any injuries you receive in this little adventure of yours?"

"'Mis come on," said Porthos as he eyed the Gascon with both pity and worry but once again Aramis was having none of it.

"You're lucky you're injured right now as I want nothing more than to smack some sense into you right now!"

"ARAMIS!" bellowed Athos

"Oh don't even get me started with you," snarled the medic as he left the Gascon so he could face his brother, "We met Daviau, he was very descriptive about a lot of things regard your time in captivity and one thing he mentioned was the fact you volunteered!"

"I did," nodded Athos, not regretting the decision to do so at all.

"Why!? Why would you do that? Being forced into the situation I can understand but to willingly put yourself in harms way?" growling Aramis began to pace, not noticing the way the musketeers watched him with growing worry as he began to sway ever so slightly.

"You'd rather it was Porthos?"

"I rather it was neither of you!"

"I had a plan," stated Athos but before he could elaborate further Aramis continued ranting.

"You could have died!" screamed the medic, swaying even more dangerously than before.

"…'Mis are you okay?" asked Porthos worriedly though that only caused the medic's ire to turn onto him.

"I'm fine!" snapped Aramis although it appeared he spoke too soon as within seconds of saying that everything went dark as he collapsed to the ground.

"ARAMIS!" exclaimed the group as the rushed to the now unconscious medic's side.

"Huh," remarked Henri with such nonchalance the remaining inseparables and D'Artagnan couldn't help but stare. "I was wondering when that would happen."

"You… were expecting this?" D'Artagnan asked, unknowingly leaning against Porthos as his own reserves began to falter.

Henri nodded, offering the men a small shrug as he tried to explain. "The ride here really took a lot out of him and then between the ambush and Favier and the Captain getting hurt he's not really rested much at all, barely eats and seems completely unbothered by his own wounds… I figured it was only a matter of time before all this finally caught up with him."

"'Mis," sighed Porthos as he knelt by his friend. Knowing that he had just worked himself too hard had taken a weight off of the larger musketeer's shoulders though a smirk tugged at his lips as he realized he now had something else to lecture the medic for when he woke up.

"If you guys are hungry there food in the pot," Henri explained as he scooped Aramis up into his arms. "If you'd rather just crash we've set up a sleeping area for you over there. Aramis wanted to check you all over but seeing as how he's unconscious that'll have to wait for now."

"I… Think I'm just gonna sleep," murmured D'Artagnan as he started to shuffle over to the sleeping area.

"Oh no you don't," chided Porthos as he grabbed the Gascon by the shoulder, "You haven't eaten in who knows how long so lets go get some grub in ya before sleeping."

"But I'm tired," whined the Gascon though Porthos doubted he was fully aware that's what he was doing.

"D'Artagnan," sighed Athos, "Just do as you're told." Turning to Porthos he added, "I'm going to check on the Captain before I join you."

It was late in the evening when one of the musketeers, inebriated by the group's previous raid of the compound's kitchen and wine cellar, sank into the spot near the fire next to a weary Vivienne.

"How'd you do it?" asked the man, his words slurring so much Vivienne struggled to understand what he asked, though she also put part of that down the how exhausted she was, Aramis had woken an hour ago and she had helped him check over D'Artagnan, who was sleeping like the dead, as she had been the one watching over him before they arrived.

"Do what?"

"Work with 'im," slurred the man as he nodded sluggishly at Aramis, who was replacing the cold compress onto D'Artagnan's fevered forehead. "A't'r what 'e did."

Vivienne's brows furrowed in confusion, "What did he do?"

"Marsac," slurred the musketeer, not even registering the words that were coming out of his mouth, nor the impact they were having.

Vivienne's breath hitched, "Wh-What about him?"

"'e killed 'im ya know," mumbled the man, the drink in his system threatening to pull him under, "w's threatening the Cap, Ar'mis shot 'im… Died right in 'e's arms."

With that the musketeer's drink finally seemed to win over as the man passed out cold on the floor, leaving a stunned and betrayed Vivienne alone by the fire.

Because of the musketeer's drunken words an hour earlier Vivienne found it impossible to sleep, her fingers traced the grain of the wood of the pistol Marcel had left for them when they made their escape as she stared emotionlessly at Aramis who, unknowing of her gaze, was unwrapping the splint on Athos's ankle so he could check the bone.

She listened as Athos tried to get the medic to leave it until the morning and to how Aramis, so full of guilt and believing himself to be the cause of the injury, refused, stating adamantly that he didn't need light to check how a bone was healing. After several minutes of heated debate between the two Athos had sighed and waved his good hand dismissively, letting the medic do whatever he wanted.

The longer she sat there and watched Aramis laugh, fret and talk to his friends and brothers the more angry she felt and the darker her thoughts became. Marsac had been her whole world before Savoy. The massacre had broken her brother and he had stayed away to protect her from the nightmares that haunted his sleep and the obsession that had been slowly taking over her mind. But even with all that she still cherished and loved the man dearly and to learn that one of the only other people she completely trusted had been the one to leave her completely alone in the world broke something inside of her.

With her decision firmly in her mind she raised the pistol, which was already primed for firing and aimed it at the medic's back. She was so absorbed in her task that she didn't notice Athos, who had been watching her for a while now, react to her impending shot, his whole body launching itself forward in an effort to get his brother out of the bullet's path just as she pulled the trigger and the sound of a gunshot pierced the air.