Disclaimer: All Characters belong to their original owners.
Author's Note: I am Handicapped with Aspergers, Dyslexia, OCD, ADHD and a whole lot more so please bare that in mind if my spelling is off. I use spell checker. I also have a slight mental disability so please excuse any mistakes. I do the best I can with writing these stories and trying to post chapters. Also, I am a very sick person so there will be periods where I don't update. But ALL my stories will be updated eventually.
Also, when I come up with a story idea, I can't stop myself from writing it down and posting it. I literally can't sleep to I have written it down. So that is why there are so many stories.
At the moment I am having problems with my brain chemistry and it is hard to write for my older stories even through I know where they are going. So please, please hang on in there. I haven't abandoned ANY of my stories. But with my brain chemistry problem and my Mum's deteriorating health everything has been crazy.
Happy 31st Birthday too me! Also, Happy 57th Birthday to my Dad!
Enjoy!
Introduction
Too caught up in their own problems their own arguments the Inseparables don't even notice that the younger man they call brother is suffering. Until one day Treville informs they their youngest is the infirmary clinging to life. Treville also gives them a dressing down. How will Athos, Porthos and Aramis take this? How far will they go to prove they care for their youngest like a brother? And how will they take it that D'Artagnan's life is still in danger?
Chapter 1: Treville's Wrath
Treville was fuming with his Inseparables. His best team had been slowly unravelling for months and now they had literally ignored their youngest's trouble and pain. The cracks in the quadrat were noticeable to all. But the one thing everyone was commenting on was the fact that D'Artagnan was trying to be there for each of his 'Brothers' but the so-called Brothers had been less then grateful.
And now it has all come to a head and Treville was now going to step in after the young Musketeer had turned up at the Garrison near death.
He watched from the balcony for the Three to arrive. They do but they barely acknowledge each other. He didn't know what had caused this behaviour but it was going to stop NOW!
"ATHOS! PORTHOS! ARAMIS! MY OFFICE NOW!" Treville bellows.
The Three jump at Treville's shouting. Everyone was quickly disappearing as they could tell their Captain was absolutely furious and they were thankful it was the Inseparables and not them. And to many this had been a long time coming.
Athos was quickly up the stairs with Porthos and Aramis not far behind. They didn't know what they had done to incur Treville's wrath but it couldn't be good. So, they knew better then to keep him waiting when their Captain was in this kind of mood.
They silently enter and Treville slams the door behind them, making Aramis and Porthos wince, before going behind his desk and slamming his hands down onto his desk.
"What the HELL is going on with you three?" Treville asks them.
"We don't know what your talking about Sir", Athos replies stony faced.
"You know EXACTLY what I am talking about gentleman. You have been at each other's throats for months and not to mention your after-hours activities have been driving your youngest to the brink after he has done everything to help you. And what does he get for helping keep you safe? You are treating him like shit and dismiss everything he tries to tell you!" Treville exclaims, "And you have dismissed his OBVIOUS need for your HELP! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THREE THINKING?"
The Trio look at him confused for a minute and suddenly realised who wasn't in the office with them. D'Artagnan. Their youngest Brother.
"Where is D'Artagnan?" Porthos asks worriedly, "Why isn't he here with us?"
"Is he ok?" Aramis asks worriedly.
"Sir where is he?" Athos asks quietly.
"Oh, now you care where the young man you call Brother is? Where is this suddenly coming from?" Treville asks them.
They wince at Treville's tone.
"Sir we have always cared", Aramis states.
"You could have fooled me AND THE ENTIRE GARRISON!" he yells the last bit, "Even the Red Guards have noticed something is up with you lot! You haven't been kind to that poor young man in weeks!"
They wince at that.
"THE RED GUARD ARE ENJOYING THIS RIFT AND THE LAD'S STATE. AND THIS SITUATION IS STARTING TO BECOME THE TALK OF THE COURT! I HAVE EVEN BEEN ASKED BY THE KING AND QUEEN WHAT IS GOING ON! EVEN FLEA FROM THE BLOODY COURT OF MIRACLES HAS NOTICED! Rochefort IS GLOATING AND FINDS THIS SITUATION ALL SO AMUSING!" Treville yells at them.
They flinch at that. Had they really been that bad.
"ROCHEFORT AND THE RED GUARDS HAVE STARTED CALLING D'ARTAGNAN YOUR LAP DOG! I HAVE HAD TO TRY AS MUCH AS I CAN TO GIVE THE LAD DUTIES THAT DON'T INVOLVE THE PALACE OR THE RED GUARDS! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SHIELD THE LAD AS BEST I CAN BUT HAVE FAILED. AND MANY ARE CONFLICTED WITH DECIDING TO STAY OUT OF IT INCASE YOU LOT DECIDE TO TURN YOUR WRATH AT THEM OR TRYING TO SEPARATE HIM FROM YOU THREE AS MUCH AS D'ARTAGNAN ALLOWS!" Treville bellows, "WHICH SURPRISINGLY HE DOESN'T LIKE!"
Athos felt the need to punch someone. Maybe Rochefort about calling D'Artagnan their lapdog. He was NO such thing.
"He is NOT our lapdog", the Three growl.
"Oh really?" Treville asks sarcastically.
They look at him confused about his tone and his question.
"WELL BECAUSE AFTER EVERYTHING HE HAS DONE FOR YOU, YOU HAVE IGNORED HIS PLEAS FOR HELP!"
They flinch thinking about having betrayed their brother. Had they really done that?
What pleas for help?
"What pleas?" Aramis asks.
"SHUT UP AND DON'T TALK UNTIL I AM DONE!" Treville bellows.
The Three Inseparables were sure that the WHOLE Garrison could hear Treville yelling at them at the moment. (Which was true).
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING GETTING HIM INVOVLED WITH YOUR MESSES! I KNOW YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR IT BUT WHY THE HELL DID YOU NOT STOP CAUSING THOSE MESSES WHEN D'ARTAGNAN STARTED TO GET INVOLVED TO CLEAN THEM UP!"
"Sir we don't know…"
"HE IS A MUSKETEER AND NOT YOUR PERSON LAPDOG OR BUTLER!" Treville booms at them, "HE HAS POTENTIAL TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST OF US ALL, EVEN ONE DAY BEING CAPTAIN AND THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT HIM!"
"I can assure you Sir we don't see…"
"THINK BACK ALL OF YOU AND NOTICE WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE ALL ALONG! THINK BACK AND SEE JUST HOW MUCH YOU HAVE HURT THAT YOUNG LAD WITH YOUR ACTIONS! WHAT HAS HE DONE TO YOU THAT MADE YOU TREAT HIM LIKE DIRT!"
Aramis flinches back as his memories sure the tired looking Gascon coming to him to talk about something and he pushing him away. How D'Artagnan had distracted Athos's wrath on several occasions and Aramis didn't have the decency to thank him. Aramis also remembered seeing the dark circles under D'Artagnan's eyes and Aramis frowns when he remembers some bruises he saw on his younger brother and that he looked slimer.
Porthos flinched too. Remembering D'Artagnan had bailed him out of a few card games that had gone bad and flinched again at the fights he had gotten into and D'Artagnan stepping in and defending him and Porthos was sure that in a couple of those fights D'Artagnan had gotten hurt. And he didn't even try to make sure the Gascon got medical attention. He hadn't even thanked the Gascon. Only saying he could have handled it himself. Porthos also remembers D'Artagnan coming up to him saying something about him needing help and he just turning him away. How could he do that to the young man he considered a brother?
Athos reacted badly flinching back as he remembered all the times in the past few weeks that D'Artagnan had, had his back when he had drunken so much that he couldn't see straight and D'Artagnan having to help him home. Remembering on a couple of those occasions they had been attacked and Athos had basically let his protégée take care of the problem. Not even checking on him the next day to see if he was ok. He also remembers being unusually cruel and hard in their sparring sessions hard enough to make the Gascon flinch back in pain. Athos could see through memories that his Little Brother had tried to get his help numerous times but he had rebuffed him each time.
D'Artagnan had been nothing but kind, patient and understanding to them. And they didn't even have the decency to return the favour even through they had numerous times before told him his was their younger brother and they would always look after him.
So, what had they done?
"Did you know D'Artagnan's insomnia is back greater then before?" Treville asks them.
"Its back? When?" Aramis asks with concern in his voice.
The three knew of their brother's insomnia problem and they used to do everything in their power to help the boy sleep. D'Artagnan suffered from insomnia mixed in with nightmares and they had told him if he was having those troubles to come to them.
Why didn't he?
"We told him to come to us if those act up why didn't he?" Aramis asks.
"HE DID!" Treville yells at them.
They look at him confused.
"But like everything else these last few months you ignored him and didn't see how tired he was. Before a few months ago you ALL would have picked up on that immediately", Treville scolds them.
They wince.
That was true. They could normally tell when D'Artagnan was suffering from those two issues and they always found it best if one of them stayed with D'Artagnan at night. He seemed to sleep better with one of them near him.
How many times had he tried to get them to help him before he gave up?
"Did you know that Constance has severed ALL contact with the young man expect outside D'Artagnan's business at the palace?" Treville asks them, "DO YOU EVEN REALISE HOW MUCH THAT HAS HURT THE YOUNG MAN!"
Athos flinches at that. Knowing how painful that would be on his brother. Aramis had similar thoughts.
"Did you know that the Red Guards have taken an interest in starting fights with him when he leaves the Garrison? Making him have to be on his guard 24/7", Treville asks them, "Because they consider him not being under your protection anymore! But at least your Comrades-in-Arms are doing their best to curb the attacks when they are around to see them!"
"WHAT?!" the Three yell.
"Did you know on more then one occasion the Red Guards actually managed to land a hit in?"
"WHAT?!"
"WHO?!"
"Did you know that he has been having trouble with money and that he can barely afford to get new clothes or even feed himself and that is not very often since he has been paying for a few of your after-hours' damages?" Treville asks them his eyes flashing.
They stood still at that.
"Did you know the Lad has recently found out his Father was in debt to some pretty high up people and they are looking to collect from him since his Father is unable to pay it back, they expect him too?! And a few are not taking no for an answer!" Treville asks them.
The Three clutch their fists at their side.
"He could have come to me. I would have settled it", Athos mutters.
"HE DID! BUT YOU DIDN'T GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN!" Treville yells.
They wince they had to admit now they hadn't given him a chance.
"Did you know Milady has tried to stick her claws into him again?" Treville asks them.
Athos growls, "If she has harmed a single hair on MY Baby Brothers head a hanging will be the least of her worries for what I will have in store for her"
"Oh, NOW you call him Brother? Where was that these last few weeks?" Treville asks him, "We ALL know you three have been through a lot these past few weeks. But have you even spared a thought to how much HE has been through since he came to us?"
Imagines of the near year D'Artagnan had been with they flash before their eyes and they realise just how much the young man had been through in his short time with them. And he had only been a Musketeer for a short time.
"THE LAD HAS BASICALLY HAD HIS WHOLE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND WHERE WERE YOU?!" Treville yells at them.
They don't answer as they know Treville already knew the answer.
"DO YOU REALISE HOW MUCH YOU HAVE DESTROYED HIS SELF-ESTEEM?! DO YOU EVEN REALISE THAT EVEN NOW HE STILL LOOKS UP TO YOU AND STILL LOVES YOU EVEN AFTER HOW MUCH YOU HAVE DESTROYED HIM!" Treville booms, "HEAVENS KNOW'S WHY HE STILL LOVES YOU ALL AND LOOKS UP TO YOU THREE!"
Not only did Musketeers outside hear that but some even swore they saw the windows of Treville's office shake.
The Inseparables flinch violently at that.
How could D'Artagnan still look up to them and love them?
"GROW UP THE THREE OF YOU BEFORE YOU LOSE HIM FOREVER! GROW UP AND PUT EVERYTHING ASIDE TO HELP THIS MAN YOU CALL YOUR LITTLE BROTHER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!" Treville yells at them, "It might even be too late", he says quietly.
The Three Brothers go still. Just hearing the latest of the Captains words had fear going through their body. What could he mean? Was their Brother…dead?
"Is D'Artagnan dead?" Porthos chokes out.
"No", Treville states, "But is hovering pretty close to it now"
The Three Inseparables go to rush to the door and then to the infirmary but Treville's shout stops them.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING?!" Treville booms, "I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU THREE YET!"
They freeze. Before Athos spins around his eyes flashing.
"If you think we are just going to stand here when our brother needs us then you don't know us there well", Athos snaps.
"Well, you're behaviour the last few weeks tells me otherwise. Your Brother might not be in this situation if you all had BOTHERED to give him the time of day!" Treville points out.
They deflate in their anger. The Captain was right. D'Artagnan might not be this way if they had just listened to him.
But what had happened to him?
"I am not letting you in the infirmary unless you can prove to me you won't do that Lad anymore damage then you have already", Treville tells them.
"You can't do that!" Porthos exclaims.
"He needs us!" Aramis adds.
"Watch me", Treville snarls, "I have a list of people made up as many names that they are higher then my body height who are worried about how you have treated the Lad. I have several teams asking me to let him transfer to their team where they would treat him better! Like a actual person!"
They all stiffen at that.
"Over my dead body is he leaving us", Athos snarls not liking that idea in the least.
"He really is going to leave us?" Aramis asks softly.
"No, he can't", Porthos states.
Treville snorts, "I bought it up with him several times but for some CRAZY reason he has stayed loyal to you and refuses ALL offers from the other Musketeers"
They relax slightly at that.
"What have we done lately to deserve that kind of loyalty", Aramis mutters.
"I don't know. But what are you going to do with that knowledge?" Treville asks them.
"First go and be at his side", Porthos states.
"See to every injury he has and be there for any pain he is in. Do whatever we can to ease his suffering", Aramis states.
"Show him he is our Baby Brother and always will be and that his loyalty will not be wasted", Athos replies, "We will show him just how protective we can be and catch whoever bastard that did anything to him!"
"Basically, he is going to have three VERY overprotective older Brothers who will do anything and everything to make everything right", Aramis adds.
With firm nods of agreement from Porthos and Athos.
"The more injured he is the most his attacker will suffer by our hands in the end", Porthos adds smirking darkly.
Treville could see that these three meant their words. But to farther cement how serious the three were and to make sure this wakeup call stuck he was going to have to show them what had happened to D'Artagnan and Treville just knew if this wakeup called stuck there was going to be bloodshed.
For whoever attacked the Three Inseparables Baby Brother that is…
*~~Author's Note: What Do You Think? Please Review:)!~~*