Evening My Lovelies

God this took ages to write! Sorry it wasn't up yesterday but given what chapter this is I needed it to be perfect and it just wasnt so I needed the extra day. Also I'm hoping that as this is quite possibly the longest chapter for this story that it will help you all forgive me for keeping you waiting another day :)

Well my friends the end has finally arrived. I can't thank you all enough for sticking with me for 102 chapters! The constant reviews and support have made this such fun to write and I absolutely can't thank you enough!

Notes On Reviews:

criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Ha! Yeah you'd think she'd have realized that, clearly she wasn't thinking properly. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Worry not Athos will be addressing the whole sword thing today :) I'm glad you enjoyed the chats with both Corbett and Jacques, they were long overdue but I really enjoyed writing them :) Poor Aramis is definitely Constance's usual target that's for sure :D Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Tidia: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you thought so, I was a bit nervous as I know I've rushed things healing wise before :) Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Deana: Thanks for the review - :D I couldn't resist it! Glad you seemed to like it. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Worry not, our lovely Aramis is safe from Constance's slap-worthy wrath right now :) Glad you liked the talks with both Corbett and Jacques, I was a little nervous how they would come across but I really enjoyed writing them. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - D'Art's doing a lot better now, especially in the latter half of today's chapter. We'll be checking in on Issac today as well, don't worry I haven't forgotten him :) Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

watlocked: Thanks for the review - I'm so glad you've enjoyed reading it so much :) Your daily reviews have definitely made writing this story a lot more fun as you always have such lovely things to say, thank you so much for that :D Haha I couldn't resist the Constance slap and argument so I'm really glad you liked it :D Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - Yeah, they'll probably rethink lying to Constance in the future after that lol :) Luckily for our lovely medic he's safe from any more slaps from her now (for the last bit of this story at least). I'm always a bit worried about writing Constance so I'm really glad you liked how I wrote her. Aramis and the others are doing okay now. I've realized I've kinda skipped passed it a bit, hopefully it doesn't ruin the ending of the story though :S Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Helensg: Thanks for the review - How odd the links haven't been working :( Though I'm glad they seem to be fine now and thanks for taking the time to review. Yep, our lovely Athos is far too stubborn to take pain meds unless forced upon him :) Glad you liked Constance, I always get a bit worried writing her so I'm glad you liked how she came across. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - I'm glad you're having fun on your holiday and thanks again for taking the time to review :) I loved bringing D'Art and Jacques back together again, although I much prefer their interactions here in this chapter instead :D Haha! Yeah I get what you're saying about Constance, she annoys me too some times, which is why I very much doubt I'll write a story where she plays a vital role... I can handle the odd appearance but anything more than that is a bit too much for me I think lol. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Yep our boys are all well on their way to being better *throws confetti and cheers* I couldn't resist the Constance slap so I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

MicheeO: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you liked it :) Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the final chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - D'Art's nightmares are definitely improving and are practically gone by the end of today :) Our lovely pup was getting a bit annoyed at all the mothering that's for sure but trust the lovely Porthos to come to the rescue :D I do quite enjoy when I end up remembering and referencing things people seem to have forgotten :D ... though considering that particular bit was AGES ago and there have been at least 70 chapters since them I think it's more than understandable that you forgot lol. Damn! That was such a good line I really regret not thinking of that now *pouts* I'm glad you liked the slap/argument without it though. I couldn't resist the slap once the idea was in my head :) I loved writing the brotherly interaction between Athos and D'Art in that chapter, the image of it all was just too cute. Today's chapter is indeed the last and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you so much for your continued support throughout this story. Your daily reviews made this so much more fun to write and never failed to cheer me up when I was frustrated with writers block so THANK YOU! Enjoy the final chapter! x

I can't thank you all enough for the continued support throughout this story but I'll try anyways ;D

Many thanks and much love for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter One Hundred and Two: Moving Forward

"Argh!" cried D'Artagnan as he dropped his sword onto the ground, his hand shaking terribly as he tried to breathe through the pain that shot through him.

"D'Art!' exclaimed Aramis as he and Porthos rushed into the garrison. The pair had been on a simple letter delivery job to one of the blacksmiths that serviced the garrison, both still on light duty while the rest of their injuries healed, and had just been entering the garrison when they heard D'Artagnan's cry of pain.

Without even thinking both men had rushed to the boy's side and although Aramis's attention had been instantly taken by D'Artagnan as he fretted over him, Porthos noticed Athos leaning against a nearby table, his own blade resting upon it. The larger man raised an eyebrow in silent question but Athos refused to look up from where he was staring at D'Artagnan.

"What were you thinking!" exclaimed Aramis as he forced D'Artagnan to sit down so he could check over his wounds.

"Ask him," snapped D'Artagnan bitterly as he gestured to Athos with his other hand. Part of him regretted the bite his words had but the pain was overriding that particular part of him right then. "This was his idea."

Aramis blinked and turned to his brother, shocked that Athos would suggest anything that would have put the Gascon's recovery at risk. "Athos?"

"Proving a point," stated the swordsman by way of explanation, his lips quirking into a smirk as he saw the look D'Artagnan was sending his way.

"Which was?"

"That D'Artagnan is not as 'good' as he would like us to think," shrugged Athos, referencing the conversation the group had had a few days ago when Constance stormed into the garrison.

"Hey!" pouted D'Artagnan, his mood improving as the pain began to dull, "I didn't lie."

Athos sent him a stern yet somehow still kind look. "You said you could handle your sword," he pointed out, nodding at the fallen blade, "Today disproves that."

D'Artagnan smirked, surprising the trio with his reaction to Athos words, but it was what he said next that had both Aramis and Porthos bursting out with laughter.

"No," smirked the Gascon, the cheeky look in his eyes instantly putting Athos on guard. "I said I could hold it, which I can. I never said I could handle it."

"Ha!" laughed Porthos as he took in the look on Athos's face, "told ya the whelp was fine 'Mis," grinned the man; referencing the brief but serious conversation they had had on the way back from the blacksmith's.

"Yes, yes," dismissed Aramis as he resumed his examination of his friend, "You were right, Athos was wrong and D'Artagnan here," he said, emphasizing the boy's name with a prod on one of his healing scars, which had the Gascon wincing. "Is an idiot for doing something he knew he wasn't ready for. Can we move on now?"

"That's cold 'Mis," sulked Porthos dramatically, his hand coming up to rest against his chest, "You wound me."

"Keep distracting me and I will," responded Aramis snarkily, though the smile tugging at his lips said otherwise.

Porthos was about to say something, enjoying bantering with his brother far to much to stop, despite the man's clear intentions to focus on other things, but just as he opened his mouth to retort a voice from the gates caught their attention.

"What are you doing here?"

The men turned their attention to the gate and were surprised to see a shamefaced, yet determined Durand entering the garrison. The man said something quietly to Blaise, who was on watch duty, before heading towards the inseparable's table.

"Durand," nodded Aramis tersely, his words coming from gritted teeth as the memory of Athos being shot played out in his mind.

Durand nodded in response before turning to face Athos, who was watching the musketeer with an expressionless mask on his face.

"I was hoping I could have a word?" he asked, nerves apparent despite his obvious attempts to both calm and hide them.

"Privately?" enquired Athos, his mask never slipping as he stared the man down, only for a brief flicker of surprise to sneak through when Durand shook his head.

"I would rather do it here, providing you have no objections?"

Curious Athos nodded and sat down, indicating with a raised eyebrow that Durand should start talking.

Durand took a deep breath, his eyes closing for a moment while he composed himself. Part of him was already regretting not taking this somewhere private but then he forced himself to remember why he had wanted to have it done in public in the first place. Talking about this in public made it harder and as such would show just how willing he would be to take and endure what ever reactions the men in front of him, though particularly Athos, would show.

"I need to apologize," stated Durand, ensuring his voice was loud enough to be heard by the men he had no doubt were listening in. It was one of the reasons he had decided to come now as this was the time where the garrison was at its busiest, another attempt to hopefully try to show Athos and the others how serious he was.

"I… I've had a lot of time to think during the last month of what happened. I'll admit, at first I was adamant that what happened to you was no fault of mine… The deserting of my post and the drinking? Those I could take responsibility for, but your shooting? That was something I was adamant wasn't my fault."

Porthos snorted, "Thought this was supposed to be an apology?"

Durand wanted to glare at the interruption but wisely held back, pushing the annoyed tone from his voice as he responded. "Past tense Porthos… As I said, I've had a lot of time to think."

Athos raised an eyebrow, "and?"

Durand took another deep breath; this is where it could all go horribly wrong. "And while I stand by what I said about not know she would fire the pistol," another snort from Porthos that Durand wisely ignored as he continued to speak. "I do however accept that I should have seen that as a possible outcome when I drunkenly ran my mouth about –" at this he sent an apologetic look to Aramis, "- things that I had absolutely no business talking about."

Aramis's hard expression softened slightly at the sincerity he heard in Durand's voice and the guilt he saw in his eyes, though before he could comment on it the musketeer was continuing.

"You almost lost your life, your friends almost lost a brother and the regiment nearly lost a damn good lieutenant, all because I was too deep in my cups and lacked any sense of decency."

"No arguments there," muttered Porthos, only to grunt in pain, as Aramis not so discretely elbowed him in the stomach.

"I know a simple apology can't undo the damage I've done and I also know that most of the regiment, including the Captain himself, want nothing more than for me to lose my commission…" with a sigh Durand rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I haven't touched a drop of alcohol since my suspension and am willing to do whatever it takes to make this right, even… even if it means giving up my commission… Just tell me what to do."

Silence fell over the garrison as all eyes turned to Athos, none of the musketeers even trying to hide the fact they had been eavesdropping in on the conversation. Everyone was eager to hear what Athos would decide, having all come to a collective, yet silent agreement to follow through on whatever their lieutenant decided.

Slightly shocked by the emotion that had been present in Durand's voice as he spoke Athos shared a subtle look with his friends. Aramis's looked uneasy but a lot more willing to forgive then he had been minutes earlier. Porthos was tense and looked like he very much wanted to punch Durand for what he did but judging by the smirk on his face he was remembering when he did exactly that. D'Artagnan's expression was a surprising one as his was the most neutral of the three, though he did raise an eyebrow when he caught Athos looking, clearly attempting to tell the man it was his decision.

"Do you still want your commission?" Athos asked, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with this conversation. "Even knowing what will come from keeping it?"

Without a second of hesitation Durand nodded, "Aye, I do… But like I said if you deem my commission to be the price I must pay for my actions then I will honor that without complaint."

"You'll have to work hard to earn back their trust," remarked Athos as he nodded to the blatantly eavesdropping men.

Durand shrugged, a small hopeful smile tugging at his lips, "Always good to have a goal."

"It would be a shame for the regiment to lose your skills… Keep your commission but don't think our trust in you will come easily."

Durand grinned brightly, a string of thank you's flying from his mouth before Athos dismissed him and he left to find Treville.

"It's not going to be easy for him," remarked Aramis absently as he stared after the man who had just fought for his commission.

Athos shrugged, picking up a bottle of wine that was sitting on the table, taking a long drink before speaking. "If his intentions are true he'll be fine."

The swordsman knew, as did nearly everyone else in the regiment, that the path to Durand's redemption, both in his own eyes and in the eyes of those he served with, would be a long and hard one so no one was overly surprised when it ended up taking over a year and a serious injury for the trust he had been regaining to solidify.

The inseparables, along with a few other members of the regiment, had been assigned guard duty at the palace that day; the King was throwing a large garden party for the Queen's birthday and a nervous Treville, who had heard whispers of an assassination plot against the celebrating royals, had increased security.

This soon turned out to be a wise move on the Captain's part as a few hours into the party a shot was fired, barely missing the King who had managed to duck in time thanks to the shout of alarm from Athos.

The failure of his shot seemed to spur the assassin on as the cloaked man jumped from his hiding spot and ran at the terrified King, sword drawn and ready to strike.

However what none of the men were ready for was a second assassin. With Athos focused on the first man the remaining musketeers quickly moved to get the royals and their panicking guests into the safety of the palace, because of this they all missed the gleam of another musket that was aimed at Athos's unprotected back.

Durand, who had turned to check all the guests had moved, spotted the gleam and moved, without thinking, to push the lieutenant to the ground just as the shot was fired.

Stunned by what happened but motivated by duty Athos wasted no time in quickly dispatching the man he had been fighting while Aramis, who had been returning with the other inseparables, made quick work of the other assassin.

It was only after things had calmed down slightly that Athos realized Durand had not moved since he pushed him to the ground. Panic had welled up inside the swordsman then as he rushed to the fallen man's side with a shout to Aramis as he moved.

After a quick inspection it became clear that Durand had taken a musket ball to his side during his attempt to save Athos and he was losing a lot of blood. Things moved quickly after that as they rushed to try to save Durand's life.

Fortunately the wound remained clear from infection and after a long few weeks spent in the infirmary Durand was eventually cleared to return back for light duty. Upon his return Durand then noticed the respect gleaming in his comrades eyes, each of them having heard what he had done to save their lieutenant.

Treville watched, from the balcony by his office, as his men celebrated in the speedy recovery of Durand's health, the man now once again completely one of them after proving his previous words to be true and his heart honorable. Treville couldn't help, nor did he want to stop, the fond smile that tugged at his lips as he watched his men.

Porthos and Aramis were attempting to pull Durand into mediating a drinking game the pair was trying to set up knowing that, as one of the only members of the regiment that didn't drink, Durand would be a smart choice for the role.

Both Blaise and Alain were curious about the game and found themselves quickly moving to the trio's side, despite the teasing banter that effortlessly flowed from the two regarding their ages and whether it was 'appropriate' for the other to be playing given how young/old they were.

Porthos laughed heartily at the banter and wasted absolutely no time in pulling the closer of the two, which in this case happened to be Alain, towards the table, sharing a smirk with the younger man as he handed him a full tankard.

Henri, who had returned to the garrison only moments earlier with Reynard and Corbett, loudly scolded his friend for even thinking of starting without them, quickly pulling Corbett to the table with him, ignoring the shaking head of Reynard who moved to greet Beaufort before making his way up to Treville to give his report on their mission.

Athos, D'Artagnan and Jacques were watching the proceedings with varying obvious levels of mirth. D'Artagnan had been granted his commission from the King only a few months ago and along with being almost ridiculously protective of his pauldron, he was also extremely eager to talk about his missions with anyone who would listen.

Fortunately for the exuberant Gascon, Jacques was always a willing and eager listener to the man's stories and so while they watched Porthos and Aramis organize the game, D'Artagnan regaled the teen with the tale of the group's latest mission.

Athos couldn't help but shake his head at his protégé's exuberance but there was also clear pride whenever he looked at the younger man. D'Artagnan had come a long way since the torture he had endured at Marcel and his men's hands. For months after the ordeal the Gascon struggled with both sleep and with looking at his scars. Even when he was healthy enough to begin training again the younger man still refused to remove his shirt, not wanting for his numerous scars to be seen by anyone.

Since earning his commission however it seemed like the Gascon's confidence had greatly improved as he began to not look so disgusted if he caught a glimpse of one of his scars and had eventually, much to their relief given the outrageous heat bearing down on them, gotten used to training without wearing a shirt that completely covered his arms.

Despite feeling a great amount of contentment at seeing all of his men relaxed and healthy, Treville knew his greatest relief came from a pair of men sitting at nearby table, quietly taking bets between them as to which musketeer would win the drinking game that seemed to have somehow pulled in even more members of the regiment.

Issac's recovery had been a source of huge worry for the Captain, as for a while it seemed like he was going to lose an incredibly talented soldier and fine man. Issac's health had, at one point, taken a dangerous turn when his slowly healing wound began showing signs of an infection his body was too weak to fight for long.

Thankfully the infection had been noticed very early on, thanks to some over protective mothering on Favier's part. Once it was noticed both Favier and Moreau worked tirelessly to ensure it would get no worse and because of their efforts the infection was contained and treated before it could do any significant damage, though it did result in a few very tense days for the regiment as they waited for news of their friend.

Treville smiled as he watched the two men laugh brightly as they encouraged the men not participating in the drinking game to place their bets on who would win. Hearing the laughter of his men Treville couldn't help but be reminded of the joy that had filled his heart the day Issac had finally woken up.

FLASH BACK

Treville sighed as he signed yet another piece of paperwork. The mountain on his desk seemed endless and it was keeping him from his sleep, as whenever he thought he was done, something else seemed to appear that needed his attention.

Fortunately this seemingly endless supply of work meant that he couldn't let his attentions drift to Issac, the only remaining musketeer that had not yet woken from the ordeal at Marcel's safe house.

Moreau had informed him several day's ago about the infection that had begun to set in on the musketeer's healing wound and now the entire regiment was waited with bated breath for any news. Moreau seemed confident that they had the infection under control and had caught it before it could do any serious damage to the already weak musketeer.

With another sigh Treville cursed under his breath. He knew that now his thoughts had gone to his injured soldier that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on his work until he had checked up on the man.

It was early evening when he entered the musketeer's room in the infirmary and Treville couldn't stop the sad smile that tugged at his lips at the sight of Favier curled up in a chair by Issac's bedside, one of his hands tightly holding onto his friends.

Quietly so he didn't wake the sleeping man the Captain took the chair on the opposite side of the bed, having decided to sit with the man for a few minutes to assure himself that the musketeer was still alive before returning to his mountain of work.

He was just about to leave when a soft groan caught his immediate attention.

"Issac?" he whispered softly, his voice full of hope as he searched the man's face for any sign that he was waking up.

"…C'pt'n?" came a tired and barely audible reply but for the Captain it was like a weight had been lifted off of his chest.

"Aye," nodded Treville softly even though he knew Issac couldn't see as he still had his eyes closed. "You're in the infirmary, you were shot thanks to a trap Marcel and his men had set up in their safe house."

Recognition flickered across Issac's face as he forced his exhausted eyes to open, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he noticed Favier sleeping beside him, though the smile faded to worry as he returned his attention to the Captain.

"…P'thos? The others?" he asked worriedly having remembered why he had been in the house in the first place.

"Injured but recovering well," assured Treville, "They will be relieved to hear you are awake, as will the rest of the regiment I expect, they've been eagerly waiting for news for a while now. Though… I doubt Favier will be pleased if they know before him, he hasn't left your side for more than a few minutes since you were brought back here."

Issac's smile grew at this and he couldn't resist being the one to wake up his friend. With what remained of his strength he gently squeezed the hand that was holding Favier's, watching with growing amusement as his friend struggled to shrug off the remnants of sleep to work out why he had woken up.

Sensing what was coming was a private moment Treville smiled at the man before exiting the room, returning to his paperwork with renewed vigor now his men had all woken up.

"…Hey Fav," smiled Issac tiredly, wincing at the pain that shot through him as Favier, in his excitement at seeing him awake, practically pounced on him, quickly engulfing him into a tight embrace.

"Sorry," breathed Favier once he realized what he had done, though even as he apologized the smile refused to leave his face and Issac found himself not minding the pain given his friend's obvious joy.

"Don't," scowled Favier, though Issac could see he was fighting the grin that wanted to return. "Don't you dare do that to me again Is. I thought I'd lost you!"

As he spoke Issac noticed the tears welling up in his brother's eyes and his heart clenched at the obvious pain his injury had caused his dearest friend. Biting back a whimper of pain the injured musketeer forced his weak body to move so he could pull his now ranting friend into another embrace, whispering soft apologies into the man's ears while Favier cried, releasing the worry that had been building up inside him for weeks.

END FLASH BACK

"Captain!" called Porthos joyfully, pulling Treville from his musings. When the Captain looked down at the man he couldn't stop the smile that grew on his face.

"You joining us?" Porthos asked with a smirk.

Treville shook his head, "I have a meeting with the King," he informed them as he began walking down the steps to the courtyard, "Though I would appreciate it if not all my men are hung over in the morning."

Porthos and the others laughed, though Treville was almost certain he heard a whispered "no promises" as he left.

Shaking his head at his men Treville left the garrison, feeling relaxed for once now that all his men were recovered and unified.

FIVE YEARS LATER

"Congrats Jacques," grinned D'Artagnan brightly as he took in what was now adorning his young friend's shoulder.

Jacques eyes filled with pride as he smiled back at his friend with equal measure. It had been a long and hard five years, not just for him but also for the entire regiment but the results, on his part at least, were well worth every second of it.

"Although," smirked Porthos as he flung an arm around D'Artagnan's shoulders, sharing a mischievous look with his brother, "It looks a bit new don't ya think?"

"Definitely," smirked Aramis, who threw his arm around D'Artagnan's other shoulder, the three of them bursting out laughing at the horrified look on Jacques face, as he seemed to understand what they were talking about.

"Don't you dare," protested the younger man, his hand coming up to cradle his shoulder protectively as he glared at the laughing men.

Aramis pouted, "You've got to break it in at some point."

Jacques turned his glare onto the now smirking medic, "You'll ruin it, don't touch it!"

"Ha!" laughed Porthos as he clapped D'Artagnan hard on the back, "Think you rubbed off on him whelp, he's acting like you did."

Scowling D'Artagnan elbowed his friend in the stomach, "Like you weren't protective of yours when you got it."

Before Porthos could respond, and before Aramis could complete his attempted theft of the item in question, Athos's voice caught their attention.

"Do I even want to know?" sighed the musketeer, his eyes full of fond amusement as he watched his brothers interacting with the younger man, who had instantly straightened upon his arrival.

"It's too new 'Thos," explained D'Artagnan with a smile as he pointed the Jacques's shoulder, the group laughing again as Jacques raised a hand to protectively cover it.

Unable to resist the smirk that grew on his face Athos shook his head at his brothers. "It'll get broken in soon enough, leave him alone we've got work to do."

With a sigh and overly dramatic pouts the remaining three inseparables turned to follow their friend. Only for Athos to pause and look over his shoulder at the still grinning Jacques, smiling softly at the boy he nodded at his shoulder. "Congratulations Jacques, you've earned that."

At his words Jacques practically beamed with pride, his eyes unable to resist glancing at the pauldron now sitting proudly on his shoulder. "… Thanks Captain."