DISCLAIMER: I do not own the musketeers.

Chapter One:

Aramis wasn't worried, nope… not at all. The fact that two of the three men who he would gladly die for were a day late from escorting the Lady Helena and her body guard back to her estate out of the city did not bother the sharpshooter at all. He certainly didn't keep checking the garrison's gate for any sign of them… No he definitely wasn't doing that...

"They're fine Aramis" came a voice to his side, startling the marksman and earning an amused eyebrow raise from his new companion.

"They're only a day late" the man continued, trying to calm the clearly anxious Spaniard beside him "There could be a dozen reasons for the delay. None of which are serious, life-threatening or warrant us riding out in the dark."

"I'm not worried Athos" Aramis replied, though if the look the older man gave him was anything to go by, he was not believed.

"Lady Helena has, on multiple occasions, spoken of her respect for the regiment, she most likely asked them to dine with her or offered them a bed for the night." Athos continued, he knew that Aramis, like himself and their brothers, had a tendency to worry when they were separated for missions. Aramis was just the most obvious with his concerns, well the most next to D'Artangan – the lad was young and lacked experience in hiding his emotions, especially from his brothers.

Athos might be starting to worry a little as well but he'd never let Aramis know that. As he said any number of things could delay a mission and being a day late wasn't unheard of. "They did not go alone remember" Athos started again, seeing Aramis's gaze once again travel to the entrance of the garrison. "Laurent and Gerard were assigned to go with them"

"Yes, yes I know that…" Aramis waved away the older musketeers attempt to placate his anxiety and worry.

"But?" Athos asked, mentally groaning when he realized he was going to have to force his friend to admit what exactly was troubling him before he could talk some sense into him.

"But?" Aramis questioned, sounding all too innocent. A stern look from his friend had him squashing all attempts at acting nonchalant at the situation I can never get anything passed you can I old friend? he thought – giving his friend a fond look before actually answering the question, finding himself unable to stop himself after he spoke the first word.

"But they are not us Athos! What if they're delayed because of an injury? D'Artangan has little medical experience, beyond stitching small wounds and taking care of minor injuries. Porthos can't sow a wound properly for all the gold in the France! Laurent and Gerard are newly commissioned – I have no idea what medical experience they do or do not have." Aramis took a breath, trying, and failing to calm himself and continued ranting before Athos could get a word in "They could have run into trouble on the road Athos! Heaven knows D'Artangan could find a way to attract trouble if he was alone in a locked room-" Athos smirked slightly at this knowing it was probably true, the lad had an almost unnatural aptitude for finding trouble. "- He's only recently recovered from the beating he took during our last mission together and he and Porthos are both stubborn enough to ignore any wounds until they keel over!"

"Done?" Athos asked slightly amused, now smirking at the panting Spaniard in front of him who had ranted all that in one seemingly endless breath. Receiving a glare with no underlying heat to it and a nod from his long-time friend Athos spoke again.

"Right then, tonight we rest-" ignoring the look Aramis gave him he continued "– we've only just returned from a mission of our own if you care to remember the reason we couldn't be with them in the first place. Then if there is still no news by midday tomorrow we'll set out after them. Agreed?"

Aramis stopped himself from flat out demanding that they left that instant when he recognized the tone of his voice – Athos was worried as well, he was just hiding it better. That and he had more sense than Aramis he realized, as evening was truly setting it and two men riding alone in the dark was just asking for trouble, he would be no help to his friends then or if he was too exhausted to keep his eyes open. With a resigned sigh Aramis looked his friend in the eye "Agreed."

Nodding, thankful Aramis had agreed to see reason, "Yours or mine?" he enquired knowing instinctively that Aramis would need the reassurance and comfort of being around brothers tonight.

Understanding what Athos was doing straight away he sent his friend a fond smile full of his gratitude for not leaving him alone with just his thoughts tonight, before his smile turned to a cheeky smirk "yours I think mon ami, you can afford much better wine than I can after all" the marksman laughed and quickly ducked to avoid the swat Athos had aimed at his head for that comment before heading to his friend's apartments, but not before sending one final glance to the garrison's gates.

Neither man saw the amused head shake from their captain who had witnessed the whole thing from the balcony outside his office, having been distracted from his work by Aramis's rant. He strongly suspected that the sharpshooter had an inkling that Athos had already decided to ride out after their absent brothers as soon as he heard of their lateness when he asked after them after he had given Treville their mission report. He also wouldn't put it past the man to have figured out that Athos had already asked for and received the go ahead to follow them if no news had reached the garrison by noon the following day. Those men would follow each other to hell and back if the situation required it.

With one final smile at his retreating men, who were now, it appeared, arguing over exactly how much of Athos's wine Aramis was allowed to drink, Treville returned to his office – praying that the morning would bring good news of his absent men.