Evening My Lovelies
Okay so this chapter took a completely different turn to what I originally planned. I'll admit I do quite prefer this to the original, I especially love the ending it allowed me to write :D
Vivienne is the main thing that turned out completely different and so I'm really hoping you still all enjoy the confrontation/conversation between the two of them in today's chapter.
On a totally happy dance worthy note I reached over 500 reviews! and not only that but we've also hit the 30k mark for views! You guy are the best ever thank you so much for the constant support it really means a lot.
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - Yeah not the nicest thing to have to find out. Hopefully you'll like how I've chosen to have him handle it. Enjoy the new chapter! x
romirola: Thanks for the review - Sounds good to me :D Oh and you're my 500th reviewer! Thanks! Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Aramis is not handling the news well and as absolutely amusing as your idea is I'm not entirely sure how i would work zombies into the story lol :D I'm still quite liking the idea of a wolf... we'll have to wait and see. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Haha Couldn't resist the cuddle moment so I'm glad you liked it. This story has been seriously lacking in the snuggly musky department, something I seem to be making up for lately :D Aramis most definitely isn't taking the news well, not that any of us could blame him, he's doing a lot of shouting today so he might need to share D'Arts honey-tea at this rate lol. Enjoy the new chapter! x
AllForOne (Guest): Thanks for the review - Despite how parts of this chapter might come across Aramis's guilt is still very high and will be impacting further discussions with/about Vivienne but our Captain and Porthos are doing everything they can to get him to see the truth before he goes to see her. Enjoy the new chapter! x
watlocked: Thanks for the review - Can't really blame you, I think most of the musketeers have forgotten about him by this point lol. Aramis definitely isnt having a good time with all of this. I'm hoping the way he's reacting to it is believable and not too much of a surprise/out of character. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the review - I just love me cliffies that much lol :D Vivienne was sane before all of this started but being tortured by Marcel and Daviau and then having to fight and kill to survive all on top of then learning the truth about how her brother died was a bit too much for her. Considering how I have Vivienne reacting today I think Aramis is definitely wishing she had been killed by the killer as no doubt it would hurt less then the pain she's causing him. Treville's protective nature is too cute not to include even if he's trying to be in serious-captain mode :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yeah, heart's definitely going out to Aramis in these last few chapters. I couldn't resist the snuggly moment so I'm really glad you enjoyed it... there's a teeny tiny moment of D'Art whump (i think i can get away with calling it that) today. Enjoy the new chapter! x
f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Can't have papa-bear Treville if he doesn't understand his men :D Taking it badly might be a bit of an understatement as you'll see here Aramis is hurt, betrayed and really really not handling it well. I can definitely see Aramis passing out again very soon, maybe tomorrow depending on how that goes :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the reviews - Ooh another mini binge for you did you have fun :) D'Art's definitely had worse then the poison (i'm an evil evil writer mwhahaha) Thanks for the congrats on 500 reviews :D I was going to have him forgive her... at least in part but then the roll i got into when writing their conversation kinda took it all in a different turn... He's still probably going to end up forgiving her as his guilt is like sky high at the moment. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Yay thanks :D I'm always ecstatic whenever I get more then like 50 reviews so to be on 500 is epic :D (may have squealed slightly when i realized i had reached it this morning lol). Aramis's emotions are running haywire today which means everyone in the medic's vicinity had better watch out. I'm hoping the reaction I wrote for him is a believable response to the pain and betrayal he's feeling. I think our pup makes quite the cute teddy bear :D I will admit to having quite a bit of fun with D'Art's reactions to all the snuggling :) With them not having known each other that long he's still quite awkward around them for things like that which means I get to let out the part of my fangirl mind that just wants cute moments to embarrass him with :D I'm really really glad your excited about the one shot idea :D It's been stuck in my mind for months but I was never sure if people would actually want to read it given I write longer stories. So when Issai requested it I was over the moon, now even more so knowing that you want to read it as well :D I have several parts of it planned out in my head but I haven't actually started writing it yet. I'll probably work on it once this story is over so you have something to tide you over while I work on my next one :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
Cookies and cream cakes to you epically awesome people who follow/favourite/review/read!
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Forty-Four: Handling Betrayal
It took some time for Aramis to calm down enough for him to take in what Treville was telling him. While the medic was processing the news Treville remained silent, offering the man his support without imposing on his need for silence.
"Aramis," he said quietly once Aramis had been silent himself for several long minutes. It took another few minutes but eventually Aramis allowed himself to look at his Captain and Treville felt his anger at the young woman growing at the look of complete betrayal and heartbreak in the marksman's eyes.
"Normally I would warn against seeing her," he stated, his eyes never leaving Aramis's own, his gut twisting at how unsure and vulnerable his soldier looked, "however I understand if you feel you need to see her."
"… I…" stammered Aramis, his mouth opening and closing several times as he struggled to find the words to express the mixture of emotions and thoughts racing through his head.
"There's also the matter of her punishment," stated Treville firmly, he wouldn't put it passed the medic to campaign for a light or lenient sentence but as one of his best me almost lost their life because of her the Captain was adamant about receiving justice.
Aramis flinched at the Captain's words, a sad sigh escaping him. "Captain… it's my fault I –"
"Enough!" barked Treville, the fury in the man's eyes startling Aramis
"Marsac was not your fault and neither is this! Mademoiselle Vivienne made her own choice just like her brother. Marsac chose to react the way he did and to come after me. He chose to desert both you and the regiment after Savoy. Vivienne chose to try and kill you. No one made her and certainly no one expected that reaction from her. She could have confronted you, petitioned the King, hell she could have even taken the information to Richelieu who would gladly take anything that might help discredit our regiment but she didn't. She chose to take it to the extreme. None of that is on you."
Treville could tell that Aramis didn't believe him but he hoped he had done enough to assuage some of the guilt eating him up.
"Why don't you go to your brothers," suggested the Captain softly as he nodded over to the clearly worried faces of D'Artagnan and Porthos, "They seem quite worried."
Aramis nodded jerkily before moving to walk over to his brother's side. As soon as he was close enough Porthos, who had eased D'Artagnan out of his arms as soon as he had seen Aramis approaching, pulled the medic gently into his arms, letting his friend and brother breakdown without the rest of the regiment being able to see his tears.
For several minutes they stood there, silent sobs causing Aramis's whole frame to shake violently and it was only thanks to Porthos's firm grip on him that kept him from crumbling to the ground.
"…'Mis," called Porthos gently as he continued to rub soothing circles into the medic's back with his thumbs.
"I… I need to see her," gulped Aramis as he pushed himself away from the larger musketeer's chest, sending a small nod D'Artagnan's way when he noticed the barely conscious, yet stubbornly awake Gascon watching him with worried eyes.
Porthos's eyes narrowed at the idea, "'Mis I don't think –"
"I need to see her Porthos," stated the medic firmly, "I… I need to look her in the eye and hear her reasoning"
"She's crazy," dismissed Porthos, missing the angry look that flickered across Aramis's face, "What reasoning could she have for trying to kill you?"
"I killed her brother," reminded Aramis, his body now tense as he fought the urge to glare at his brother. "It's my fault she's alone now."
"Bull!" snarled Porthos, startling the medic slightly at the anger in his voice. "She made herself alone when she tried to kill you. She was never alone until she did that… Hopefully now she's had some time to think on my words she's realized that."
Aramis, who in an effort to get away from words he didn't want to hear had been walking towards D'Artagnan and Athos quickly spun on his heels at Porthos's words.
"You… You knew!?" spat Aramis incredulously
Porthos scoffed, "Course I knew. Someone tries to kill my family and you don't think I find out who did it?"
"Why didn't you tell me!?"
Porthos's eyes narrowed into a glare, he knew his brother was angry and was taking it out on him but it didn't mean he had to like it. "When was I supposed to do that?" he spat, his hands clenched into fists as he fought to contain his anger, "After you worked yourself so hard saving a life SHE put in danger that you passed out. Or how about when we were trying to save D'Artagnan from dying from the poison, I bet you would have loved me to bring it up them. Or how about when Treville was being held at gunpoint and D'Artagnan was fighting for his life… Tell me Aramis, just when was I supposed to have told you?"
Silence had filled the camp as Porthos's voice increased in volume as his rant gained momentum. Aramis looked suitably scolded but the anger he felt at Vivienne's betrayal was too strong to be calmed right now.
Screaming of a slew of Spanish too fast for anyone not proficiently fluent in the language to understand, his hands connecting with Porthos's chest every so often, gaining in strength with each him.
During this whole exchange D'Artagnan had watched worriedly as he forced his barely stable legs to carry his weight so he could stand. Treville had left to speak to Corbett and any of the other musketeers knew better then to interfere in, what was, an 'inseparable' matter.
D'Artagnan himself had every intention of staying out of it, having decided that he probably didn't have the right to interfere. Every so often the Gascon's worried eyes would flicker to Athos whose body was keeping him unconscious for now, wishing dearly that the man would wake up and put an end to all of this.
Unfortunately a flash of pain in Porthos's eyes as well as the tightening of his jaw when Aramis's hands connected hard against his shoulder had D'Artagnan moving to intervene.
In a move that he would most likely be scolded for doing later on and with more speed then he had anticipated being able to reach, D'Artagnan stepped in front of Porthos just as Aramis, who was still ranting at him in Spanish, forcefully pushed his hands forward.
The medic's eyes widened in horror as D'Artagnan let out a silent scream, Aramis's hit had managed to land on his healing stab wound, forcing the already unsteady Gascon to collapse backwards into Porthos's gentle arms, his eyes screwing shut in pain.
"D'Art," breathed Aramis his eyes filling with guilt, the sight of his friend in obvious pain breaking through his anger.
Porthos, who had his arms wrapped around the young Gascon keeping him upright wanted nothing more then to go off at his friend, but seeing the wounded puppy look the man was embodying at the moment made it hard to do.
Sighing Porthos bit back his own anger as he patted his hand against Aramis's shoulder, "See the girl 'Mis, get whatever answers it is you're looking for but don't forget what she did. She almost killed Athos trying to get to you, don't let whatever misguided guilt you're feeling make you forget that," and with that he left the medic to his thoughts as he helped a heavily breathing D'Artagnan back to their sleeping area.
"Figured we'd be seeing you here sooner rather then later," remarked a voice, startling the medic who had been lost in his own thoughts up to that point.
"Blaise," he nodded in greeting, the musketeer replying in kind.
"Take it this means your pup pulled through whatever the hell that bastard Daviau gave him?"
For the first time since hearing the news of Vivienne's betrayal Aramis felt a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, he's weak but alive."
"Take the victories where you can," grinned Blaise as he raised his goblet in toast to the medic who once again felt a smile tugging at his lips.
"Are you sure you want to do this Aramis?" Blaise asked gently a few moments later, his eyes scanning the medic's face for any sign of doubt and any reason to deny him access.
"I need to."
Blaise nodded, rising from his chair to collect the keys for the door, deftly stepping over a lightly snoring Alain as he did so.
"She's been pretty quiet since Porthos's visit," Blaise informed as he moved to unlock the door, "She was all tears and apologies but something tells me it was more out of fear for safety then out of remorse."
"Thanks," Aramis whispered almost brokenly as he walked through the door.
When he entered the cell he was assaulted with the memory of Marcel breaking D'Artagnan's arm but he forced himself to push it aside and focus on the now stirring form of the woman he had come to see.
Clearing his throat Aramis stood tall and determined, "Vivienne…"
Vivienne's eyes shot open at the familiar voice and within moments she was on her feet, staring at the medic with wide, tear-filled eyes.
"Aramis…" she breathed, taking a step towards the musketeer, only to stop and frown when Aramis took a step back.
Aramis knew Porthos was right, no matter what guilt he was feeling he couldn't stop picturing the sight of Athos bleeding out in front of him as he and his brothers tried desperately to save his life. Aramis wanted nothing more then the believe in whatever plea he knew was about to be thrown at him, to believe in the innocent girl he had known her to be, but the fiercely loyal brother in him was fighting that instinct with everything it had… No one touched their family and got away lightly.
"Aramis I… I am so sorry," sobbed Vivienne, her arms wrapping around her waist as she stared up at her brother's friend. "I don't … I don't know what came over me… I was just so angry I…"
"You almost killed him Viv," stated Aramis, his voice unable to hide the hurt and betrayal he was feeling despite how his mind was working to see if Blaise's theory of her current motives were correct.
Taking a step forward a dark look passed across the medic's face, "I had to hold a burning blade against his skin to save his life and your only defense is that you were angry!? He could have DIED Viv!"
At his words Vivienne broke out into even more violent sobs, "I… I'm sorry."
"Why," sighed Aramis tiredly as he lent against the cell door, for once allowing the hurt and betrayal to show on his face. "Why didn't you come to me first? I would have explained, talked you through what happened. It was the least you deserved after all I had done, it was one of my reasons for asking you to come to Paris."
Vivienne scoffed quietly at this though her hard eyes did soften ever so slightly at the pain that flashed in Aramis's at the action.
"Savoy changed Marsac Vivienne," Aramis said softly, "Changed us both really but it made Marsac into a person I barely recognized. He was never a shoot first ask questions later kind of person but that's exactly who I saw when he came to Paris… Hell he tried to force himself onto a dear friend of mine for goodness sake, does that sound like the honorable man we both knew?"
Vivienne's eyes went wide at Aramis's admission but she was quick to hide her surprise. Her tears had long since stopped and a niggling part of Aramis's mind couldn't erase the thought that they had stopped because she saw what little affect they were having on him.
"He wouldn't," breathed Vivienne, her voice full of disbelief.
"He was not the man either of us knew Viv!" shouted Aramis, his pain and betrayal once again being channeled into anger. "I chose to protect the man I knew deeply regretted what his actions caused but understood why they were necessary. We're soldier's Viv, it is our duty to protect our country, with our lives if need be. Every single person there understood and believed in that."
"How can you defend him!" she spat, fury blazing in her eyes.
"Because I would have done the same thing!" roared Aramis, effectively silencing the now glaring woman. "I can't tell you why this happened as it's confidential but as soldiers' we follow orders given. When I… When I shot Marsac I was doing what any man would have done in that situation. Marsac refused to accept the information given to him and he left me no other choice."
Vivienne could practically feel the pain the marksman was feeling at the mere memory of her brother but her fury and grief was too much to allow her to register it.
"There's always a choice! You could have talked him down!"
"You don't think I tried that!" spat Aramis, "He was my friend! You don't think I regret how this all turned out, I spent nearly a solid week trying to drink enough that I wouldn't see his face when I closed my eyes. I ended up punching a friend in the face when he was merely trying to help and I even ended up cutting up my hands in an attempt to get Marsac's blood off of them! Don't delude yourself into thinking you were the only one who cared for him. He left me no choice."
Aramis's vehemence at that last sentence surprised even him and he felt a small piece of the guilt he had been carrying lift from his shoulders.
Blinking away his own surprise Aramis turned back to Vivienne, all anger gone from his face as he looked at the woman he used to call friend with a sad expression on his face, "What did you think was going to happen Viv? After you killed me I mean."
Vivienne refused to look at him, the fury on her face evident for the entire world to see. "The blood will never come off," she whispered brokenly, "You deserved to fell some of the pain you caused me. I'm alone now because of you. At least if I died after killing you I could die knowing my brother's murder was avenged."
Aramis flinched violently at her words. He knew he could hear no more of her venom-laced words and so without a word he turned and left the room, sparing his old friend a single look back as he did so.
Handing the key back to Blaise, who wisely refused to comment on the argument he had definitely heard, Aramis remained silent and composed as he exited the compound.
He knew he need to break down at some point, that keeping all his emotions bottled up like they were currently would do nothing but harm him and his brothers in the future, hell he had already hurt both Porthos and D'Artagnan and he hadn't been half as emotional as he was now.
His heart wanted nothing more than to seek out his brothers, to revel in the comfort and support they infallibly provided but after his earlier actions he didn't feel he deserved it. His only saving grace was that he knew neither man spoke much Spanish so would have been unable to understand the curses and threats he had been throwing at Porthos.
Leaving the compound Aramis was so wrapped up in his own head he didn't see the obstacle before him until he smacked solidly against it. Quickly realizing it was a chest Aramis went to step back and apologize when two familiar arms drew his closer, allowing the person's comforting warmth to seep into the medic's tired bones.
"…I've got you 'Mis."