Updated: 28/01/2024

AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ!

Sorry for the long wait but my computer crashed and is basically a ride off and I haven't got the money to get a new one at the moment. Today's update luckily was already on Doc's ready to put up and I have borrowed a computer to do this.

So everyone please hang in there and know I haven't abandoned ANY of my stories!

Chapter 7: Puzzle Pieces

Athos and Porthos had to carefully take more and more of their Brother's weight as they made their way farer up the stairs. Which was starting to worry them. They also worried because he seemed to be so light.

The sheen of sweat on the Gascon's forehead was troubling. And said Gascon was only half with it. They could hear very quiet whimpers and Aramis noticed his Brother's right leg was jerking again. Out of sync with his left.

But they continued following Helena down the hall to the last room on the floor and Helena lets them in.

D'Artagnan's room was pretty big for an inns room and it had its own fire roaring with a young girl tending to it.

"My Father sent me to start the fire Madame, Monsieur's. Is there anything else I can do for you?" The girl asks.

"Just a couple of cots, blankets and pillow's please Therese. Also have your Father bring up some wine and we WILL need some cold water to help with the hot flush from the pain", Helena tells the girl.

Therese bows her head and quickly leaves.

"VERY gently start to lower him down. Do your best not to jolt his right side and make sure the way he is laying so his right leg doesn't have too much pressure", Helena directs them.

Athos and Porthos try as gently as they could to lower their brother with Helena helping with positioning his leg. But even being as careful as they were they could hear the hissing and a little bit of a whimper leave their younger Brother's mouth. Which was making the Three Older Inseparables heart ache.

"We will leave his boots on for now. Right now, taking them off will only be causing him more pain and distress", Helena instructs.

"Is that wise?" Aramis asks trying to sus out what was wrong with his younger Brother.

"At the moment it is. You'll soon understand why", Helena tells them.

She gently brushes the hair out of D'Artagnan's eyes and that's when the Brothers realised how unkept their brother looked. Wild hair and he could do with a good shave.

"D'Artagnan, can you hear me?" Helena asks softly trying not to startle the young man in the throes of one of his pain fits. But thankfully not a really bad one. If you could believe that.

"Mmmm", D'Artagnan groans.

"D'Artagnan I'm going to give you a choice you can have a strong pain drought now that I'll admit would probably make you sleep through dinner, which is not a great option for you as you REALLY need to eat. Or I can give you a mild one which will help you for a few hours and hopefully let you be awake enough to eat a light broth and control the pain enough so you don't get nauseous and bring everything up. And I'll leave instructions and suggestions with Aramis for the rest of the night…", Helena starts.

D'Artagnan looks like he was going to weakly protest but Helena seems to have noticed what he was going to do.

"Don't even think I won't notice if you lie about the pain. You're getting a pain drought and I'll let the Brothers you scared convince you to accept their help. So, what will it be? You owe your Brothers some peace of mind Child. As you basically collapsed on them", Helena told him off lightly in her speech as she starts mixing the mild pain drought.

D'Artagnan seemed to focus on his Brothers. In the pain and tiredness haze he was in he nearly forgot doing what he swore minutes before his 'collapse' not to do…give them a heart attack.

"M…sorry 'Thos, 'Mis, Porthos", D'Artagnan mumbles halfway to sleep.

"It is okay Little Brother we understand. Rest now", Aramis murmurs comfortably.

"Here you go Child. Drink this and you will feel better", Helena says handing him the drink.

Aramis takes it out of her hand and sniffs it to make sure it was safe. He knew he was being rude but he couldn't help it. He just couldn't allow anyone else to treat his Brothers. And now especially his youngest Brother and the one at this time being the most vulnerable.

Athos and Porthos nod at his actions and Aramis looks to see Helena not looking surprised or offended but she was smiling approvingly at his actions.

"Would you like some help or can you drink it yourself?" Aramis asks him kindly.

D'Artagnan nods to being able to drink it himself without help. He was drawing on the last of his energy to not spill the cup and make an idiot out of himself.

Aramis, Athos and Porthos frown as the see the Gascon's hand shaking as he drunk the pain drought slowly.

But a look from Helena tells them not to question it at the moment. That now wasn't the right time for that conversation.

The Gascon hands the cup back and starts to move into a more comfortable position and they could all tell he was struggling finding a spot. His energy spent and the pain seeming to make him more disorientated.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" D'Artagnan mumbles as he starts to lose his battle with sleep.

Their eyes soften at the Gascon's words. It seemed like he had the same fears they did. That this was all a dream and they would wake up in their beds somewhere else. They knew they needed to reassure their brother so he could rest probably.

"We will be here Brother", Porthos tells him gently squeezing his left ankle.

"We aren't going anywhere", Aramis assures him.

D'Artagnan now looks at Athos and it seemed he needed Athos's reassurance the most.

"I promise we aren't leaving and I farther promise no more harm will come to you now. You're safe Little Brother. Rest easy knowing your Brothers now have your back", Athos says softly squeezing D'Artagnan's hand gently in reassurance.

He still didn't know if his touch was truly welcome. But it seemed to be helping…the both of them…for now.

He nods and lets his eyes close knowing finally he had the people he trusted most to watch his back. The townsfolk were great but if there was another attempt on his life, they wouldn't stand a chance. Now he believed he could sleep a bit better and heal better now knowing his Brothers were here to keep him safe…They were now there to watch over him.

But how did they find him?...

(Line Break)

The Three Inseparables watch as D'Artagnan losses his battle for rest and drifts off to sleep. Aramis gentle spreads the blankets over him with Athos gently tucking them in.

"Careful of his right leg. That will probably need more room to move", Helena advises them.

They decide not to question it at the moment and do what she advised.

"Care too tell us who you are?" Athos asks her as he moves a chair so he could be next to his protegee and Little Brother.

Aramis and Porthos knew now that trying to get Athos to move from D'Artagnan's side would be a losing battle. He wasn't going anywhere!

"My husband, Phillipe and I are Doctor and Healer in this small town. And when the Lad was found we both were sent for. We didn't think he would survive. But my husband and I took a chance and it paid off. It just is going to be a long recovery period. He is still getting over a few of his injuries and the ones that have healed are hurting in the cold or if his over extends himself. This is a VERY difficult time for your brother", Helena tells them.

"Can you tell us about his injuries so I can treat them?" Aramis asks her.

"I believe that D'Artagnan needs to be conscious for that discussion. As he needs to tell his story in order to heal. But know this your brother is a fighter and is a LOT better than he was when he was first found. He had no injuries that are life threatening now", Helena tells them with a soft smile, "And I can safely say he is just going to get better and better now"

"What did he mean early about being unable to contact us?" Aramis asks her.

Athos and Porthos look at him sharply. Not knowing that detail. Well, it is from when they were frozen like statues just staring at D'Artagnan.

Helena purses her lips, "He sent messages to Paris. To a Captain Treville I believe?" she asks looking at them for conformation of the name.

"Yes, that is his name", Porthos assures her.

"Well, he sent one message when he first recovered from a fever and he sent one other letter to you Monsieur Athos. But none returned. Then he tried again the last time a couple of months ago after he fought and won against death again. But I know that with his letters to Captain Treville, Monsieur Athos, Porthos and Aramis and that he sent two others. In the care of a Madame Constance and a Madame Flea I think their names were?...", they nod again to confirm the names, "…He said something if that the letters to his Captain and brothers/comrades didn't seem to make it. Then maybe another two letters that shouldn't be widely known to be associate with him might get through. But alas it doesn't seem any of them did", Helena replies sadly.

This was disturbing news to the Trio. If they had gotten those letters months ago, they could have been with their Brother sooner and saved them ALL the pain and grief that they had gone through. They knew Treville and Athos didn't get the letters and neither did Aramis and Porthos. But would Constance and Flea willingly hold back the knowledge that D'Artagnan was alive? Or did they too not get the message? D'Artagnan was right that neither would be widely associated with him. With Constance deciding to stay with her husband and Flea only briefly having meet the boy. So how is it those two messages would disappear?

"This stinks", Porthos growls.

"It doesn't just stink my friend. It reeks", Aramis growls.

Athos eyes were flashing dangerously. It would be a sure thing if he found out who took those letters the person who was responsible would be facing a VERY pissed off Musketeer. Who is angrier now then what he has been for nearly 7 months. So, any opponent going against him now would likely get killed. Especially if they did something to harm the now alive and clearly vulnerable Gascon who was being closely guarded by an overprotective Athos.

"You're friends are right Monsieur Athos. D'Artagnan believed something was up too. He believed if you knew his location you could have stormed this Inn and turned this place upside down to find him and just to get to him and know that he is safe and seeing as you did not do so today tells me this was unexpected, no?" Helena asks them.

"Indeed", Athos grunts shifting slightly closer to the sleeping Gascon.

"It is merely by chance that we were in the area. We…just took the roads that seemed right to us. We are hunting bandits and I don't believe Treville had any idea who we would truly run into up here in the North", Aramis admits.

"Then fate must have bought you together. Fate and God. So, you all are needed together. Take heed in this. Your Brother has been through much and is not coping as well as he lets on. Sometimes he acts like he is alright when he is not. My husband and I feared he would push himself too much to be able to get back to Paris that he would make himself sick again. Another fever might just finish him off", Helena admits to them, "Your timing was perfect actually. I couldn't have timed it better myself"

They didn't know what to make of that. What really could they say?

"How is D'Artagnan paying his way around here?" Porthos asks her.

That was a question on Athos and Aramis's mind too. This room couldn't be cheap. And it was obvious that D'Artagnan needed intense medical care. Even though they didn't know what was the full extent of his past injuries yet. Then there was his food, water, fire and clothes. So how was it that D'Artagnan able to stay here when he didn't have any funds?

Helena smiles at them, "First we just saw a boy who had been treated badly and needed help. And we saw a tortured soul. Then when his mind was clear he helped out on the bookwork here and at a few other businesses in town. They all have had nothing but praise for the work he has done. It has the bonus of when he has this bookwork to keep him busy, he doesn't over extent his physical limits as much. So, we try to find him as much as possible within his limits. But the town truly does like this boy. He has also been sitting with a few of the children and giving them sparring tips. He doesn't try to spar himself. Thank goodness! But he does lend a few pointers and that makes the children like him. That and the stories he tells them to amuse them. Parents actually leave their children in his care for short periods of time. Which also helps keep him distracted and it is an easy task for him to do"

Athos, Porthos and Aramis had to smile at that. It sounded like D'Artagnan had found a place to heal here. But it hit them hard that they hadn't been able to be the ones to provide what their Brother needed to survive. And provide the protection that he undoubtable needed.

It killed Aramis that he hadn't been the one here to be able to help his Brother. And it sounded like his Brother had been in a bad way when he was found by the townspeople.

"How close was it?" Aramis asks her.

"How close was what?" she asks back already knowing what he is going to ask.

"How close was he too...dying?" Aramis asks not sure whether he should have asked the question or not.

He knew they probably shouldn't know. But he couldn't stop himself from asking how close they came to losing their Brother, forever, for real. And likely without them knowing.

Helena looks at the men and she knew they needed to know. But it would cause them pain knowing the truth. But the truth leads to stronger bonds being formed. If given the chance with the truth to build on.

She takes a deep breath and prays she is making the right decision.

"When he first came into our care, we nearly lost him for the first time…the second was when his first fever struck him…"

She had only just started and saw how pale they had gotten in the first two bouts their Brother came to death.

"The third and fourth times was when he was struck down with fever for the second time. I must say it takes an exceptional and strong man to fight with death once and live let along four times battle Deaths Reapers. Take heart knowing that your Brother is in no way willing or ready to leave you yet", Helena tells them trying to bring them comfort.

The Trio looked ready to be sick and Athos desperately wanted a few bottles of wine to cleanse the memory of this information from his mind.

"He is out of danger now, yes?" Porthos asks her, looking worriedly at his sleeping Brother.

"Yes. As long as he doesn't get another infection in a hurry. He has had enough of that", Helena informs them.

"Then we are going to have to be extra vigilant", Aramis declares.

"I am sure with you three at his side he has little to fear. I doubt anything will get past you three", Helena says and they could tell she had no doubt of her words.

Even though they had plenty of reasons to doubt themselves. But they made a silent oath to D'Artagnan that they would do better with this second chance they had been given.

"I am going to see where those cots, blankets, pillows are that I asked for you. I'll also have a couple bottles of wine bought up. Clean cool water just in case. Have you ordered anything to eat?" she asks them.

"We did but we got distracted", Porthos states unashamed looking at her younger Brother.

Helena smiles, "Rightfully so", she says with approval.

They were stating to like this woman and they hoped her husband was too a good man.

"Now I am going to leave you herbs to make different levels of pain droughts, muscle relaxing droughts, sleeping droughts, something to help with his bouts of nausea and pain salve that can be massaged into his scars to help with pain. His nausea normally comes on when he is in a lot of pain and hasn't taken a pain drought. But pain droughts come with side effects of drowsiness and dizzy spells. So, he doesn't like taking them. I don't particularly like to give him them at night. Because my husband and I no longer stay with him full time, one at a time, so there is greater risk he can injure himself. But now you three are here I have no such worries", Helena instructs them, "But I assume Monsieur Aramis would prefer to use his own herbs…"

Aramis gives her a smile telling her she was correct in assuming he would like to make his own medicines to help his brother.

"I will leave the recipes for you just in case. But if you find something that works better, please let my husband or myself know", Helena asks for that curtesy.

"Deal Madame", Aramis says with a bow of his head.

"Very well", Helena replies packing some of her things, "Also I will leave some herbs for a tea he should drink if he can't eat and some salves that I have made for certain parts of his body"

She hands those items to Aramis who she was sure was going to look over them thoroughly.

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Athos asks looking at her distrustfully.

Helena wonders what else she could say without breaking the young man's confidence. But she also needed those Three Inseparables to trust her and her husband. This was going to be a difficult balance. It was going to be a fine line to walk on.

"He has distressing and violent nightmares so be prepared. I am afraid that is all I can tell you at this time. I'll come back in tomorrow hopefully with my husband to help D'Artagnan explain things if he feels like he is ready. But be warned even my husband and I don't know his full tale. Mainly only the aftermath but when the time comes and he decides the time is right to either tell you all at once or just one of you the full tale then please have patience and listen! He will need that and your compassion, protection, strength, support, love, comfort and courage most of all if he has a chance to help put some of this behind him", Helena tells them wisely, "Don't waste this chance to tell him what you couldn't do before and hopefully he will do the same"

She gives them one more encouraging smile before leaving the room to do the things she promised them she would have bought to them. So hopefully no more than one would leave the young man's side.

For sure she knew these men would be the pieces of the puzzle to help this man and bring whoever was behind this is to justice…

(Line Break)

Athos, Porthos and Aramis sat in silence for several minutes trying to gather their thoughts. Before Aramis got up.

"I'm going to get my bag from my horse and bring Athos's up too. Then Porthos can go get his. I don't think more than one of us should leave his side at any given time unless it is absolutely necessary", Aramis tells them.

"Agreed", the other two say quickly.

"Anyway, I don't think we have a hope in getting Athos to leave anyway", Aramis says with a cheeky smile before quickly slipping out of the room and escaping Athos's glare.

This was the lightest the atmosphere around them had been for so long. And it all had to do with one young man.

"You know he was right, don't you?" Porthos asks him.

"What about?" Athos asks as if he didn't already know.

"About you not leaving his side", Porthos grins, "Come on we both know the truth!"

Before Athos could make a scathing retort, a knock comes from the door and the girl from earlier comes in with their meals and the lad from the stables was carrying cots and quickly goes back out and comes back with bedding.

"Anything else Sirs?" Therese asks them.

"No thank you, you have done enough", Porthos says as the boy had come back in again with two buckets of clean water and some cloths.

They leave and Porthos drags Athos to the table. Which was met with some resistance.

"We are going to need our strength", Porthos tells him in way of explaining him pulling Athos to the table, "Knowing the lad he is going to keep us on our toes"

Athos snorts, "That sounds about right"

"He attracts trouble this one", Porthos states chuckling softly.

Aramis comes a few minutes later raising his eyebrow at everything that had been bought up here in the ten minutes he had been away.

"They work quick when they need to", Aramis comments.

"Good service", Porthos adds.

"That will be good for us", Aramis replies putting down his bag and taking a chair at the table.

Aramis could see that Athos was a little tense and uncomfortable.

"What has gotten you so tense old friend?" Aramis asks him.

"He didn't like that I bought him over here to eat. I believe he is going to stick by our Baby Brothers side like glue", Porthos chuckles as Athos throws him a dark look.

Aramis chuckles too, "Come on Athos are you going to deny it?"

When Athos doesn't comment that was all the answer Aramis and Porthos needed. But he does ask them another question.

"Do you even believe that he'll let me close to his side?" Athos asks them.

"Why wouldn't he?" Porthos asks him.

"Well he didn't exactly want it before", Athos states.

"Actually, he welcomed it. He was just startled and surprised when you suddenly touched him when he was distracted with Porthos", Aramis corrects him.

"Which I am going to have to apologies for. I should not have jumped on the Lad like that", Porthos replies taking in a spoonful of his stew.

"Maybe. But I don't know. I don't want to make him uncomfortable", Athos admits.

"I don't think it is us or you that are making him uncomfortable", Aramis states.

Porthos looks at Aramis not quite getting what he was hinting at.

Athos frowns, "I know. As much I hate to think about it. I believe that whatever happened at the beginning of his disappearance is far from good and is likely to be the route of everything. I have seen this before in people who have been…", Athos couldn't say it, he just couldn't.

And Porthos and Aramis didn't finish his sentence for the same reason. The reason being they couldn't imagine that happened to their Brother. Who was the most forgiving soul and was just normally a happy, mischievous, proud, courageous and outgoing person.

But in the short time they had reunited they noticed those qualities had changed in him.

"So, what do you think is going on here?" Porthos asks them.

"It seems like a lot of puzzles need to be solved here", Aramis adds.

"And we have only gotten a few pieces of the puzzle so far", Porthos adds.

"I don't know but I don't like it", Athos says with dangerous flashing eyes as he looks at his protegee who seemed to be at least for now resting comfortably.

"Should we send a message to Treville about D'Artagnan being alive?" Porthos asks changing subject.

"Do you think our message would even get through?" Aramis asks.

"Everybody knows we went on a mission to find bandits. There wouldn't be a reason for someone to intercept our messages. As nobody should know we are with D'Artagnan, as we didn't even know we were going to run into him. Whoever they are seem to be targeting him. So, I will try and send a message to Treville tomorrow", Athos replies hoping that his theory was true.

They go silent each of them lost in their thoughts about a certain Gascon that was fast asleep in his bed with his right leg twitching a bit.

The Inseparables knew they had a puzzle to solve and they knew it would take them a while to get all the pieces…

~~Author's Note: What Do You Think? Please Review:)~~