Evening My Lovelies (or early morning I suppose its just turned 3am here)

Holy crap we're at chapter 80! This story is easily double the length I had originally intended it to be and we still have some more to go!

Even more exciting is the fact we're almost at 950 reviews!

This chapter starts off just before the shot that downed Issac as we're back with Porthos and the boys to begin with but we'll move back to present time during it - pretty rubbish explanation but you'll get it (hopefully) as you read :)

Notes On Reviews:

Deana: Thanks for the review - I don't think Aramis would have anything against that hug :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Hmm true he could have but I like the idea of Porthos and Corbett getting all protective over him because he's still unconscious :D We're seeing a glimpse of Marcel today as well :) Enjoy the new chapter! x

Helensg: Thanks for the review - BWHAHAHA! Oh that's a great mental image lolz :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Bwhahaha that's great! I'm all for getting reviews before your morning coffee if they're like that XD Enjoy the new chapter! x

f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - I loved writing the caring side of Athos as he refused to leave Aramis so I'm glad you seemed to like it :) Haha True, there was no way Treville wasn't going to win, he's badass :D I get the feeling that he's served long enough to have picked up the skill at some point. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Hmm havent been on archive in a while might have to go and check them out :) Haha true though it could also be karmic justice for all the marriages he's ruined by sleeping with women lol. The rescue is indeed finally happening... though I might be dragging it out a little longer than originally planned, hope your not hating me too much for that. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you liked it :) The idea was bugging me the entire day at work and then when you requested some Aramis whump I couldn't resist :D There are some more surprises to come but our boys are soooo close to being free! Treville was in papa-bear mode, he needed to protect his injured cub... No one was going to best him when he was like that lol :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - I'm having soo much fun keeping you all guessing about D'Art :) though I am slightly worried when we find out what I've done to him (which will be tomorrow I promise!) it'll end up being a bit anticlimatic, hopefully not as I really like what I have planned but still... Oh I think the fact we both love a good old bit of D'Art whump is a very good thing and definitely helps a lot my friend :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Of course it needs stitching, it would be too kind of me if I gave him a wound that was shallow enough not to need stitching lol, I'm far too evil for that :) Oh yeah Aramis fully intends on ignoring his own pain, especially as they're sooooo close. I know! I can't believe how long we've gone without a proper musky snuggle moment. The last one was where Athos held Aramis during his grief-driven break down... that seems ages ago now! I'm definitely giving them a proper puppy-pile when they're free from Marcel's clutches. Enjoy the new chapter! x

watlocked: Thanks for the review - Gotta love a good old bit of angst :D Glad you liked the Treville bits, he was in a bit of papa-bear mode in that chapter, no way Marcel's goon was going to best him. Hmm I don't think Porthos will have any right to lecture Aramis after how he's worsened his own injuries during all this lol... but the hug'll be happening though. Enjoy the new chapter! x

As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading. Love you all you epically awesome people you :D

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Eighty: The Rescue III

EARLIER

Both Porthos and Corbett had been trying, once again, to wake up D'Artagnan when they heard it. The second the sound of a single gunshot pierced the air every coherent thought left their minds as fear and panic took hold.

The musketeers knew that Marcel had no reason to turn on his men and neither did his men have reason to turn on him. Marcel needed men and clearly paid well if the clothing the men were wearing was any indication and the men were the type that were inordinately loyal to whoever paid them.

That left one heart-breaking, fear inducing option left… that the shot had been for one of theirs.

Silence had followed the shot for the chained men, both lost in their own panic and thus unable to register anything else, but when that moment had passed Porthos resumed his attack on his chains, this time with greater vigor than before.

"P-Porthos," breathed Corbett, his eyes wide with concern and fear for whoever the shot had hit. The optimistic part of his mind wanted to believe that no one had been hurt, that the shot had missed its intended target, but the lack of a second shot quickly squashed that hope.

"They're fine," growled Porthos through gritted teeth as he channeled the excruciating pain now pulsing through his body into the strength he needed to break free from his chains. With each pull he could swear he was gaining ground and so carried o his assault with reckless regard to his own health.

"You don't know that," snapped Corbett as he too started attacking his own chains. He refused to sit around doing nothing despite the pain in his ribs that was trying to make him do so. His own chains were nowhere near as loose as Porthos's but the knowledge that one of their comrades, someone who had risked themselves to rescue them, was hurt, possibly dead, was enough to ignite the protective part of him to such an extent that it overpowered the pained part of him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" exclaimed Porthos in fear as he noticed what his friend was doing. "Are you trying to die?"

Corbett remained silent, though that was more because the pain had reached levels where he knew if he opened his mouth that the only thing to come out of it would be a cry of pain. Instead he simply glared tiredly at the man and continued his assault on the restraints.

"Corbett STOP!"

The pure panic in Porthos's eyes seemed an odd match to the commanding tone his voice took on and it was enough to make Corbett freeze in mid-pull.

"You're gonna kill yourself doing that!"

"I need to do something!" roared Corbett, tears welling up in his eyes, though whether they were from frustration or pain he didn't know.

"You need to stay alive!" snarled Porthos as he glared hard at the man. "When we get out of here and Henri's better how's he gonna take learning that you killed yourself trying to get out?"

It was a low blow, Porthos knew, using Corbett's friendship with Henri, who was, the last time he knew, fighting a potentially deadly infection but he had no other choice. Corbett was as stubborn as any musketeer and it would take something serious and harsh to get the man to back off and listen to the pain in his own body first.

"Yeah," scowled Corbett, though to Porthos's relief he stopped his attempts to get free. "And what about you? You're hurt too."

"I aint got a cluster of broken ribs threatening to stab me in the lung or heart at any moment," shrugged Porthos as he started his attack on the restraints.

Corbett scoffed, "Try telling Aramis that, I dare you."

At that Porthos let out a huff of laughter, just imagining the look on his dear friend's face if he was to say it. "I think he may just kill me himself," he laughed, feeling lighter then he had since their capture at being able to laugh again… A strange thing he decided, to have something to laugh about whilst still being in chains and having their rescuers potentially under attack, though considering the dark atmosphere in the room since their capture he was willing to ignore the strangeness of it all and simply enjoy it.

That was… Until he heard it, a faint crash and a scream, but it was the person who screamed that had Porthos leaping to his feet, injuries and swimming vision be damned.

"ARAMIS!" he roared, pulling on his chains with a ferocity Corbett didn't even know the man possessed when he was in full health.

Porthos would recognize that scream anywhere, you don't spend nearly every day with someone for over five years and not recognize their voice when they're in pain, and judging by the scream his dearest friend was undoubtedly in pain.

"ARAMIS!" he roared again, only this time it was cut off as he fell to the ground, his latest frantic pulling being enough to break his chains free from the wall.

Unfortunately he had no time to rejoice in this as his body had chosen that exact moment that it could take no more and he was unconscious before he had even hit the floor.

"PORTHOS!" yelled Corbett his eyes wide with fear and concern as he saw the blood starting to pool on the floor by the musketeer's head.

Reynard's group had heard the screams also and reacted similarly to the chained musketeers. Everything inside them wanted to rush to the aid of their clearly injured comrade and brother but to do that would mean they would be, no matter how briefly, abandoning the search for brothers and friends that were in serious condition.

It also didn't help that they were in a risky situation themselves at the moment, being down two members left their group consisting of just Reynard, Alain and Blaise. This meant that they had less eyes watching for traps and less swords available should a fight occur. As it was they had already encountered a couple of additional traps since the one that nearly cost Issac his life but thankfully they were alert enough to spot and disarm them before they could do any real damage.

Both Alain and Blaise had followed Reynard's silent, unsaid order to continue onwards in their search for Porthos and the others. It hurt, not being able to help whoever was hurt but the pair distracted themselves from it by discussing the possible ways they could make Marcel pay for what he had put the missing men through while Reynard, who was walking in front, merely shook his head at the… creativeness, of their ideas whilst still searching for any signs of further traps.

"I'm telling you," stressed Alain as he kept his eyes out for more traps, "wild dogs, that's what we need."

Chuckling slightly under his breath at the latest idea Reynard couldn't help but speak up, "how would that work exactly?"

Alain grinned brightly, inordinately pleased that he had been able to pull the senior musketeer into their hypothetical discussion on how to handle Marcel. "Simple," he shrugged even though he knew the man couldn't see it as he had yet to turn his attention away from where they were walking. "We tie him up, maybe beat him up a bit so there's a smell of blood on him then we set the dogs on him, simple."

Blaise knew he should probably be concerned about how cheery the young man was at that idea but considering some of the ideas he himself had suggested he figured he couldn't really say anything about it. "And where would we get the wild dogs?" he asked with a small smirk.

Alain shrugged, "The wild I guess… I don't know, I can't do everything."

Blaise chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his young friends hair, laughing even more at the protest the man made at it and was about to say something else when he walked right into Reynard's back.

Instantly alert both musketeers reached for their blades, their eyes searching for what had caught their impromptu leader's attention.

"Rey?" Alain asked, his voice quiet as he turned slightly to guard their backs.

"…Tripwire," breathed Reynard, his entire body tense as he scowled at himself. "Stopped myself just in time."

At this both musketeers looked down, immediately seeing the thin wire straining against their friend's leg.

"Hold still," smiled Blaise though it was strained and didn't quite reach his eyes, "We've got you."

It took a few seconds to follow the tripwire to what it was connect to, both musketeers glaring at the pistol aimed at their friend, much like the one that had nearly killed Issac.

"How's it look?" Reynard called, hesitant to step back in case it set off the trap.

"Pistol," growled Blaise as he glared at the weapon, turning to Alain and whispering the plan to him, waiting until he received a nod from him before they put it in action.

They had no idea of knowing if they could disarm the trap without setting it off so instead Blaise grabbed the pistol while Alain brought a blade up to the tripwire. After sharing a quick look between them Blaise sharply twisted the pistol so if faced a different wall at the exact moment that Alain cut the tripwire. The resulting shot had both men flinching, remembering the sight of Issac crumpling from the impact of the bullet before they dropped the pistol and made their way over to a now very relieved looking Reynard.

"A bit of warning would have been nice," he scowled though there was no serious intent behind it and as such both Alain and Blaise merely grinned brightly at him, slapping him gently on the shoulder as they began their search again.

Marcel grinned as he heard the second shot pierce the air, he could only imagine the despair the musketeers, especially Treville, must be feeling knowing that another of their own had fallen to one of his traps.

He knew it would only be a matter of time however until the remaining musketeers found their missing companions and as such he decided it was time to make his appearance.

Turning back to the remaining associate he had beside him he couldn't help but mimic the man's smug smirk. "They're all yours, each one you kill I'll pay extra."

At this the man grinned darkly, his friend had been sent out to impede the musketeers earlier and he had envied the man's chance but now it was his time and he felt his fingers twitch with excitement as they reached for his weapons.

"If I come across the Captain or that medic?" he asked excitedly, both wanting to kill a servant of the King who made the lives of those who lived in the Court so harsh and painful but also not wanting to risk a large payday by killing someone Marcel wanted the honor of killing.

"Hurt him if you must but leave him alive… I want him to see the consequences of his actions. Only when his guilt and pain is at his highest and have him begging for death will I allow that to be granted to him."

The man nodded, not really understanding the cause behind his employer's vendetta but also not about to question it if it got him paid. Without another word he unsheathed his blade and left the room.

Marcel followed him out several moments later; a smug smirk on his face as he made his way passed all the traps to the basement.

Treville's heart clenched as he listened to the small muffled sounds of pain that Aramis couldn't quite keep hidden as they walked. His every instinct had been to leave Aramis where he was with another musketeer there as a guard while they went to investigate the basement and rescue their missing men, but he also knew that the missing men would need medical attention, possibly right away and he couldn't risk them like that just because it would be kinder not to force Aramis to walk.

He also knew that there would be little he could do to stop Aramis from following them save knocking him out and tying him up. So instead he had offered himself as a living crutch, letting the medic lean most of his weight on him and not on his injured leg.

The men he had sent to investigate the basement had returned shortly after he and Athos had begun to wrap the medic's leg, the man himself barely conscious but still cursing them out in Spanish.

It seemed like the information they received was correct and there was in fact an entrance to the basement where they had been told and now, with renewed determination, they had began the task of getting there.

"Porthos!" cried Corbett with relief as he saw the man begin to move and wake up.

Porthos groaned in pain as his chained hands came to cup his face, his head pounding and his vision swimming with dark spots dancing at the edge of it.

"Sorry," said Corbett, his voice quieter this time as he watched the man push as much of the concussion he undoubtedly had to one side and sit up, his eyes staring intently at the chains on his wrists as his mind slowly came to the realization that he was free from the wall.

"You did it," grinned Corbett in reassurance, as Porthos looked at his, his face a mixture of stunned surprise and concussion-filled dazedness.

Corbett opened his mouth to say something else but stopped when sounds could be heard approaching the door to their cell.

"D'Artagnan," he breathed, his eyes steeling with determination, as the noises got closer to the door. He could take whatever was about to happen but D'Artagnan was in a really bad way and was still unconscious, he would be easy prey to whoever walked through that door.

Porthos nodded in agreement at the look in Corbett's eyes and with a muffled groan of pain he stood shakily and shuffled over to stand protectively in front of D'Artagnan, determined not to let anyone hurt his injured friend anymore, concussion be damned.

As the room was filled with the sound of the door unlocking Porthos, who was mildly surprised he was still standing, grabbed his hanging chains in both hands, holding them like whips ready to lash out against the next threat to his friends.

With a growl the musketeer readied his stance as the door to their cell swung open.