Against my better judgment, I decided to start posting chapters to this fic – though it's not finished yet, and probably won't be for sometime – for the following reasons:
1.) I'm very excited about this idea, and it simply won't let me rest until it's written.
2.) I'm stuckish at a part in it, and some reviews/reader feedback/volunteer betas might help me figure out what to do next.
I have the next couple parts written, so I have something to post, but I won't post them one right after the other like I did my first fic, so that there's something to look forward to, and to keep you coming back for more =P lol
This will eventually include lemony content, so to keep people from getting into it, then not finishing the fic because of the rating change, I'm starting off with an 'M' rating. Soon enough, it will be worthy of it's 'M' rating.
Disclaimer time! No need to read that part, just need to post it for posterity sake:
The majority of the characters, settings, and the like involved in the fic's plot (as well as some of the dialogue) are property of Bioware/EA Games. I claim no ownership over them, but this story was written by me, and inspired by and based on the Dragon Age Universe, and it's story lines. Many of my references come from in-game videos posted on Youtube, the Dragon Age Wiki, and whatever resources I find on the internet associated with the game and it's fandom. If anyone wishes for direct links to my references, feel free to message me and I'd be happy to send them your way.
Thank you.
Thank you to my partner-in-crime for being my beta!
Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, please enjoy! ^_^
It would seem that something which means poverty, disorder and violence every single day should be avoided entirely, but the desire to beget children is a natural urge. - Phyllis Diller
"Momma, do I have to stay here? It smells again." Kaiya smiled at her little boy, his coarse blond hair getting in his eyes. He desperately needed a haircut; Maker, at this rate he would need to put it in a ponytail. Kaiya would prefer it not come to that.
"Yes Janath, I have to tend to some business in town. Besides, Auntie or Gramma needs to give you a haircut." Kaiya ruffled her son's hair for emphases. Janath batted away his mother's hand in irritation.
"Momma!" He whined. "I wanna grow my hair out!"
"Let's try that again," Kaiya said sternly as she crossed her arms again, "It's 'I want to', not 'I wanna'." Janath stared at his mother with wide eyed shame, his lip pouting out. "Go on, I'm waiting." Janath gave a small sigh, and said,
"I want to grow my hair out..." Kaiya smiled lightly and nodded before she let her arms drop back to her sides and went on.
"That very well may be, but who will take care of your long hair?" She lectured, "If it gets too long, everyone will think I've a little girl, and wonder where Janath went." Janath's eyes got wide at that.
"Gramma! Will you cut my hair?" He called, running quickly to the other room while flattening his hair.
"You'd best hurry now, sister." Bethany said as she entered the room. "You don't want to keep Varric and Aveline waiting." Kaiya Hawke nodded in agreement with her sister. Kaiya picked up her daggers from the shelf next to her armor stand and strapped them to her back.
"Of course." She headed out of the little room toward the door. "I'm leaving now, Janath. Come give momma a kiss goodbye." Kaiya said as she knelt to the floor. Janath ran into his mother's open arms and wrapped his own around her neck tightly.
"Bye momma." He said with a kiss on the cheek. "Be safe." The well-wish for her safety always warmed Kaiya's heart.
"Always, dearest." She said, kissing his forehead. She brushed his hair away from his eyes before she stood. "Be good."
"Always, momma!" Kaiya smirked as her son ran back to his Grandmother. He did try to be good, but he always managed to get into the trouble little boys would.
"I'll be back." Kaiya called to the room's occupants before turning back to the door. She shook her head, forcing her hair out of her eyes as she took on the role that anyone outside of Gamlen's hovel knew her as: simple 'Hawke.'
"'Bout time, Hawke. Those maps won't find themselves." Varric said as he spied Hawke walking into the Hanged Man.
"Sorry, I was tending to the daisies." Hawke explained. Varric, through his many information channels, knew Hawke had a little boy – much to her dismay. So to keep her precious cargo on the down-low to some of the less reputable folk at the Hanged Man in the afternoon, the two of them associated any of Hawke's mention of him to flowers.
Varric waved it off, shaking his head.
"Fine, fine. Let's grab Aveline and get going." Hawke smiled at Varric. He always seemed to get flustered at mention of Janath. He'd taken a shine to the boy, but Janath had a way of enthralling people so. She reminisced for a few moments as they headed out when she had seen such charm before, in his father...
The brush of magic hit her skin as they entered the small clinic in Darktown. Hawke's eyes scanned the room for the healer. She soon found him, leaning over a young boy. He looked to be trying desperately to heal the unmoving lad. Hawke's heart ached; the boy couldn't have been more than a few years older than Janath.
Hawke, Varric, and Aveline watched patiently as the Healer worked tirelessly over the child, letting his magic wash over him and cleansing his body of what ailed him. Then, with great relief, Hawke watched as the boy took in a deep, gasping breath of air. His back arched off the table, as if what was keeping him sick was ripped from his chest. The woman standing next to the boy's side helped him sit up as a young man helped the weakened Healer. Hawke approached him quietly, waiting for the young man to walk away. Once he had stepped away, she noticed the mage stiffen. He must have realized they were there.
The Healer grabbed his staff next to him and rounded on Hawke's party, ready to defend his dingy clinic.
"I have made this place and sanctum of healing and salvation!" He declared, and then paused with a threatening nod, "Why do you threaten it?"
Hawke froze, and her eyes went as wide as saucers. She didn't hear a word he said, it didn't even register that he was ready to attack them. No, instead, she focus on his warm, golden-brown eyes, as stern as they were.
This was the Grey Warden they were looking for? The infamous Healer of Darktown? Hawke didn't notice Varric's kick to her ankle, instead she continued to gawk at the blonde mage. Visions of a night long ago flashed before her eyes as she stared at him.
Kaiya made her way quietly into The Pearl, Denerim's well-known brothel. Her eyes scanned the room nervously. She fidgeted with the laces to her bodice and made her way to the bar. She had prettied herself up tonight, her usually roughed about bun was instead twisted into an elegant braid of black hair, and draped over her shoulder. She stole away her good dress, the one her mother helped her make for events such as town festivals and holidays. The bust was white, and the bodice was maroon, and tied in the front. The skirt was a simple black, and made its way to her ankles. Unfortunately, the only shoes she had were her leather boots. She figured those would do just fine; it wasn't like she was trying to wow anyone, just get someone's attention long enough to be over with it.
Kaiya was sick of hearing all the prissy girls talk of how 'perfect', and 'fulfilling', and 'satisfying' sex was – how it made them feel like women. Kaiya was older than those petty little tarts – if only by a few years, maybe less – and she was determined to prove them wrong!
She was here on a quest here; to lose her virginity.
Kaiya sat down at the end of the slightly hushed bar, rigid and uncomfortable as she placed an order for a drink. She rarely drank - only when her father had bottle of wine he would let them drink with dinner for special occasions; like for someone's name-day, or when they finished settling into a new place. She earned the money she was spending tonight by helping a few merchants at home, and she had a plan while her father was busy in Denerim. She was going to get good and soused, and then let someone have their way with her and be done with it.
Kaiya took a sip of her ale, and nearly spat it back out... It tasted like watered down piss.
"Excuse me, do you have anything stronger?" She asked the barkeep. Or better tasting... She bit back. The man raised an eyebrow and snickered at her.
"I've got this one, Cookie. And grab me a bit while you're at it." A young man said, taking a seat next to Kaiya. "In fact, make it my usual, with two glasses." The barkeep – Cookie, Kaiya assumed he was called – nodded to the man and headed to get the new drinks.
"Thank you." Kaiya said quietly. The young man didn't respond. He simply stared at her, with pure temptation eyes. His hair was long enough to be tied back into a loose ponytail, and he had a gold loop in his ear. He had scruff around his chin and jaw that looked to be purposely grown so. She never knew a man to do that. Most were either clean shaven or had a full beard, especially in the winter for the added warmth. The way this man stared at her – all heat and confidence – Kaiya found it unsettling.
"You're new around here." He stated simply. Kaiya looked to the man curiously.
"You must be a regular to have guessed as much." She replied curtly. The young man laughed - he had a rich laugh that warmed Kaiya inside and out.
"Hardly," He said, "Just passing through, but you stick out like a sore thumb."
"Says the man in the mage robes," Kaiya muttered as she forced down another sip of her piss ale. But the man heard her loud and clear.
"And you're not one for having the attention, are you?" He teased, leaning toward her. Kaiya remained rigid, not looking at the man. Instead, she looked to the barkeep as he approached with a bottle and two small glasses. Kaiya looked to them with a snicker. They looked like glorified, thick-bottomed glass thimbles.
"What kind of joke is this?" She asked, looking to the blonde.
"No joke, I assure you." He said as he handed Cookie a couple coins. He set one of the glasses in front of Kaiya, and uncorked the dark red bottle. He poured her a little of it, then did the same for his glass. The color of the liquor reminded Kaiya of the man's eyes, that same warm golden-brown that was fixed on her after he set the bottle down. "This stuff will knock you on your ass if you're not careful." He explained patiently. He lifted his glass and held it up. "The trick is to take it all in one gulp. Called a shot."
"Oh, really?" Kaiya said as she lifted her own glass. She could smell the alcohol in the small glass before she raised it to toast the mage. And with a small 'clink', the mage took the drink, and knocked it back in one swallow. After watching him, Kaiya copied him. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she felt more than tasted the alcohol on her tongue. But the taste wasn't what she was looking for. It was the path it burned down her throat she was wanted.
She slammed down her empty glass and shook off the burn and her watering eyes.
"Maker! That's what I'm talking about!" She exclaimed, sliding her glass to the mage. He smiled at her.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" He asked as he poured two more shots.
"Call me whatever you want," She said, waving it off. "Whoever I am tonight, it's not who I usually am." The mage laughed as he handed her another shot.
"Alright then, Blue it is." He said, raising his glass, "To your blue eyes and cold continence!" He teased. Kaiya smirked, toasting with the mage again before downing her shot with him.
"Since you're so intent on names, then," Kaiya said, placing her glass down on the bar, "Who is it I'm drinking with?" The mage smiled at her, and made her melt. Oh yes, this man had potential.
"Everyone calls me Anders."
The Healer watched the stunned woman carefully, with her short black – almost blue – hair tied back out of her face, and her wide blue eyes. She had such clear blue eyes, that he almost relaxed his stance immediately under her awestruck gaze. But then, her eyes hit him with the truth of what she saw of him. His own eyes went just as wide as her's as he slowly straightened up and set his weapon aside once more. His slow movements were similar to one made by one hoping not to startle a crazed or scared beast with sudden movement.
"What's happening here?" Varric asked Aveline quietly.
"Your guess is as good as mine, dwarf." She replied, eying the mage carefully.
"Maker preserve me..." Hawke said quietly, "I don't believe this."
"Blue?" The Healer finally said. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. "Wh-what are you doing here?" Hawke didn't answer him, still frozen to the spot. She remained motionless for the longest time, simply staring at him.
"Anders." She finally whispered. And then, everything went black.
"Maker's balls!" Varric exclaimed as Hawke's legs gave out on her and her eyes rolled back into her head. Aveline quickly reached out and caught her. She knelt to the ground with Hawke as the Healer – Anders – hurried toward them. He stopped next to Aveline as she shot him a nasty glare. Were he a less-seasoned man, he might have soiled himself under that gaze.
"What did you do?" Aveline seethed through grit teeth, each word drenched and punctuated with restraint.
"Nothing." Anders said, glaring back at the guardswoman. "She's simply in shock."
"You know her?" Varric asked, eying the mage suspiciously now. He looked as though his next thought was on the tip of his tongue.
"Well, you could say that." Anders said carefully. "I met her years ago."
"Really?" Varric said, placing his hands behind his back. "Years you say?" He went on as Aveline lifted Hawke and stood up to place her on the table the sick boy had previously occupied. "Now, are we talking two years, three years? Five? Maybe six or seven?" Anders felt as if he were being interrogated. He crossed his arms over his chest, giving the dwarf an impatient glare.
"I suppose a little more than five years, yes?" Anders replied cautiously, he didn't like how the dwarf was looking at him now with a grin of triumphant smugness that he looked to wear well, and often. "Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Anders stiffened as he felt a blade at his throat suddenly. He raised his chin, hoping to keep the sword from breaking skin. He glanced at the blade's direction, seeing the redheaded guard was glaring at him again. This time her eyes held more venom to them, as if Anders were the lowliest vermin to walk the face of the earth.
"How dare you?" Aveline said gritting her teeth at him again. "She deserved better than that!" She spat bitterly.
"Better than what? What are you talking about?" Anders exclaimed. He froze again as the blade pressed closer to his throat.
"Aveline, stop..." Hawke groaned, holding her head as she came to. "Please." Aveline hesitated, still glaring at Anders before slowly lowering her sword to his hips. Anders jumped as she tapped him – over his crotch – with the flat of her blade.
"I'll be watching you." She warned quietly.
"Will someone tell me what's going on here?" Anders exclaimed again, desperate for answers. Why were they here, and why the Hell were they threatening him?
Aveline returned to Hawke's side and helped her sit up.
"Nothing," Hawke said, waving it off. She shot Aveline a look, telling – begging – her to hold her tongue. "I've been under the weather lately." She said simply.
"Why didn't you say so, Blue?" Anders said with relief as he went to approached Hawke, but she shook her head.
"No, I'm feeling better. I supposed my body just need a quick restart." Hawke gave a small laugh. "Nothing like threatening to have my well-being checked out by a Healer to get it on the right path of health." She said with another laugh, a nervous one. Anders looked at Hawke oddly, and she coughed to cover her embarrassment while Varric gave a small chuckle. "Besides, that's not why we're here." Hawke pulled her legs over the side of the table and stood up. "I've heard you were a Grey Warden, is that true?" Anders tensed, taking a step back as he crossed his arms over his chest again. Varric noted this seemed to be a defensive stance the man took when he felt uncomfortable or threatened.
"Did they send you? I'm not going back," He said, as if that was his final say on the matter, "Those bastards made me get rid of my cat, poor Ser-Pounce-a-Lot..." Hawke looked to Anders oddly. Then she grinned at him.
"It shouldn't surprise me that you're a cat person." She stated. Anders relaxed a little at this comment.
"Of course I am. He was a noble beast. He was nearly ripped in half by a genlock once, swatted the bugger on the nose once, drew blood too." He said proudly. Hawke couldn't help but smirk.
"Aside from your love of cats," Hawke said, "We're here for a reason. Your Deep Road maps, Anders." Anders stiffened again.
"I'll die a happy man if I never have to think of the Deep Roads again." Then Anders paused. He tapped his chin before going on. "Although, a favor for a favor..."
Kaiya slammed through the door to Gamlen's home, looking pale and frantic. As soon as they were clear of the clinic, Kaiya was in a deep sprint back to the hovel, leaving Aveline and Varric behind her.
"Quiet, dear! I just got Janath down for his nap!" Her mother said. Leandra was sweeping hair left over from Janath's haircut.
"Where's Beth?" Kaiya said, hurriedly.
"What's wrong?" Leandra asked her daughter.
"Please, I need to speak to Bethany." Leandra paled as she assumed the worst.
"Is it the templars?" She asked in a hushed tone as she started to panic herself.
"No, no, not that. I just need to talk to her." Kaiya said, shaking her head hastily.
"I'm here, sister. What's the matter?" Bethany came from the back room, rubbing her hands with a rag. Kaiya hurried toward her sister and grabbed her arm. She hauled her back to the door with her, nearly pulling Bethany to the floor. "Kai! Wait! What's going on?"
"Let's go!" Kaiya exclaimed hurriedly, rushing out the door, and not bothering to shut it.
"We're not paying to heat the whole of Lowtown!" Gamlen yelled after them as they hurried down the steps.
"Gamlen! Quiet! Janath is sleeping!" Leandra shushed him before he shut the door.
"Sister? What's wrong? You're scaring me!" Bethany exclaimed, following close behind her sister.
"Hanged Man. Now!" Kaiya called. Maker, she looked like she'd been to the Void and back. Bethany simply followed her sister the short distance to the Hanged Man. Then she followed her inside and to the back, up to Varric's suite. Kaiya slammed through the door, startling Varric at his table. After Bethany was wrenched in by Kaiya, she slammed the door shut to see Varric looking rather amused.
"So, have you told your sister about the Gardener?" Varric said as he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.
"Shut up, Varric!" Kaiya snapped. She was pacing now as Bethany looked to her sister impatiently. Clearly, this wasn't as much of an emergency as she thought if Kaiya dragged her to Varric's.
"Gardener? What is this about?"
"Beth, I – I've found him. The healer!" Kaiya exclaimed, turning on her sister. Bethany sighed in relief.
"That's good to hear." She said.
"No, no it's not!" Kaiya said, seeming almost desperate. "Don't you get it? This is very bad!"
"What? Why? I thought we wanted to find him so we could get the Deep Roads maps?"
"You don't get it, Beth!" Kaiya said as she grabbed her sister by her arms and shook her.
"Knock it off!" Bethany shouted, batting her sister away. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Just spit it out already, Blue." Varric butted in again, chuckling. Kaiya shot Varric a particularly nasty glare, one that Bethany knew was only reserved for the lowest of the low, and Carver when he had pissed her off.
"The healer, Bethy," Kaiya said gravely as she looked back to her. "The healer, Anders, he's Janath's father." Bethany paused for a moment. As the words registered, her eyes went wide. Then she gave Kaiya a bright smile.
"That's wonderful news, Kai! I'm so glad you found him!" She said.
"What? No! No it's not!" Kaiya protested, shaking her head fiercely. "How the Hell am I supposed to tell someone I haven't seen in years that he has a freakin' kid?"
"Well, Blue-"
"Stuff it, Varric!" Kaiya seethed. Varric laughed, holding up his hands in defense.
"He might not take the news so badly, seeing as how the Joining makes Wardens all but sterile." Varric explained.
"See?" Bethany said, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "This can't be so bad."
"What if he doesn't want kids? What if he's glad that he doesn't have to worry about that now, and then BAM! He's got one landed in his lap!" Kaiya was in a full-blown panic now. Bethany looked to Varric before guiding her sister to a chair and forcing her to sit down.
"Everything's going to be alright, Kai." Bethany reassured as she knelt next to her sister.
"No it's not!" Kaiya exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. "What if anyone finds out who his father is? He could be taken away just because his father's a mage!"
"If they aren't taking me away, they won't take Janath. You know just as well as I do that the chances of that are unlikely." Bethany reasoned. "Maker, there's a better chance that I'll be found than Janath will be." Kaiya was sobbing in her hands now as Bethany hugged her sister. Varric watched the scene in front of him, feeling out of place and very uncomfortable.
"Wellll, that's my cue." Varric said, "If it'll make you feel any better Hawke, I'll have him looked in to, see what my sources can dig up about him." Kaiya didn't seem to hear him as she continued to cry. Bethany gave Varric an apologetic look before she said,
"Thank you Varric, please do that. And sorry." Varric just waved it off.
"Bah, I'll just see what I can do." He said as he grabbed Bianca and headed for the door.
After calming Kaiya down, Bethany got her to explain what happened.
"When that woman said his name was Anders, I thought it must have been a coincidence," Hawke hiccupped, "But it was him! I couldn't believe it! And worst of all, he remembered me. Then again, it probably doesn't help matters that I stared at him like a wide-eyed COW!"
"Then what happened?" Bethany asked. She had pulled up a chair at some point during Hawke's meltdown and was sitting in front of her, holding her hand. Hawke looked at her sister with tearful eyes.
"What else could I do? I passed out!" She exclaimed. Bethany bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at her sister.
"Kai, wasn't that a bit much?" She asked.
"I don't know, what would you have done in my position?" Hawke could see her sister was amused by this.
"Well, for one, I wouldn't have fainted in front of the poor man." Bethany said with a small chuckle.
"I'm glad you find this funny!" Hawke accused.
"No, I don't find it funny. It's just that I can hardly imagine you fainting." Bethany giggled. Hawke became flustered as she glared at her sister.
"It's not funny! You think I liked passing out in front of my one-night stand?"
"Calm down, getting yourself all worked up again isn't going to help any." Bethany said. "Do you have to see him again?" Hawke groaned and put her head in her hands.
"Of course I do, he wasn't going to just give us the maps!" She said into her hands. "Tonight, he needs help with a friend. After that, he said he would gladly give us the maps."
"Then that can be that!" Bethany reassured her.
"But that's not just it, Beth!" Hawke groaned, "He's practically a SAINT! Runs a clinic down in Darktown for nothing!"
"So? He's a good guy?" Bethany asked.
"I just don't know!" Hawke wailed, "He's good looking as he was then – if not BETTER! Maker, it should be a crime to be so good looking! And he's just as nice, and he has these eyes! They make you melt like butter on a hot roll!" Bethany gave her sister a sly smile.
"You like him, don't you?"
"How could I NOT?" Hawke buried her face in her hands again with another groan. "What am I going to do?"
"Well, for starters you can get to know him, and see where that goes." Bethany suggested as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "See if he really is how you've made him out to be, and decide if you want to introduce him to Janath. If that goes well too, then you can go from there." Hawke peeked at her sister from between her fingers with one eye.
"Could it really be that easy...?" Hawke's voice was muffled by her hands again.
"You won't know unless you try." Bethany reasoned. Hawke gave a shaky sigh as she dropped her arms to her sides and slouched in her chair.
"Fine..." She said. "Let's get tonight settled first."
"What is it you have to do?" Bethany asked.
"Anders has a friend that came to Kirkwall's Circle, to bring in more talent. He was going to try and help him escape. He hadn't heard from him in a while. Now he's gotten a message from him saying to meet him at the Chantry tonight. Anders is suspicious and wants us to go with him as a precaution."
"Sounds like a good idea." Bethany said, "I'll go too." Hawke became uneasy at this.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Beth." Hawke bit her lip as she began to fiddle with the fingers of her gloves.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Well, I'm assuming his suspicions have something to do with Templars being involved."
"Kaiya, I know you better, that's not the reason." Bethany scolded. The tell-tale blush of Hawke's face told her the real reason. "You don't want me to meet him, do you?"
"What? No! Don't be silly!" Hawke denied. Bethany giggled.
"That settles it then," She said, standing up, "I'm going."
"Bethyyyyyyyyyy!" Hawke whined.
"It will be fine, Kai!" She reassured. Hawke sighed and stood up.
"Fine, fine!" She said before stomping out of Varric's suite. "But if something goes wrong, it's your fault!"
"Where are we meeting him?" Bethany asked as she followed behind her sister.
"Outside the Chantry, after dark. So Mother will have to put Janath to be tonight." Hawke paused before spinning around to face Bethany, causing her to nearly run into Hawke. "Mother can't know a lick about this!"
"But she should be told sometime, alright?" Bethany reasoned. "If not before Anders finds out, very soon then after. I'm sure she would want to meet Janath's father."
"I can't imagine that going well..." Hawke muttered as she began to head for the exit again.
When Kaiya and Bethany arrived back home, they found Gamlen had disappeared again. But from the other room, she heard her mother reading. Kaiya smiled as she made her way to the side room. Janath was sitting on Leandra's lap, holding the book while she read.
"Now, it's your turn to read." Leandra said as Janath lifted his head.
"Momma's home!" Janath exclaimed before shoving the book at Leandra, and nearly startling her. Kaiya smiled as her son hugged at her waist. She hugged him to her before looking to her mother. She looked a little annoyed with her grandson's having abruptly jumped down and forcing her to take the book from him. But her eyes told Kaiya she was glad he was so eager to see his mother.
"Janath," Kaiya said, looking down to her son. He looked up at her, smiling brightly. She swallowed nervously. He most certainly had his father's eyes, and his coarse blond hair. He even had the same charming smile. She hoped that he wouldn't happen to run into Anders with someone in the market at some point...
"Yes, Momma?" He asked. Kaiya remembered her train of thought before too long.
"Apologize to Gramma, that wasn't very nice of you to scare her like that." Janath's expression changed quickly to one of shame before looking back to his Grandmother.
"Sorry, Gramma..." He apologized quietly, still hugging his mother. Leandra smiled at Janath.
"I forgive you, as long as you come back and continue your reading."
"But Momma's home," Janath protested softly. Kaiya smiled and stepped out of her son's grasp and knelt in front of him.
"How about this: I have sometime before I have to go out and work again. I'll get changed and read with you and Gramma before dinner." Kaiya's heart melted as her son's face lit up.
"Okay!" He said as he ran back to his grandmother. Leandra smiled as Janath sat in her lap again. He began reading the page she just read as Kaiya headed to the back room to change out of her armor. Leandra's eyes followed her before looking to Bethany as she lingered in the doorway. She could see the question in her mother's eyes. Of course she would want to know what Kaiya's stranger behavior was about earlier.
Bethany just shook her head. Leandra wasn't sure how to take the gesture, but she let it go for now, and continued to listen to her grandson read.
This AU/'What if...?' fic wouldn't leave me alone once the idea hit me. I like seeing fics of characters meeting Hawke before the game's storyline takes place, but I decided to throw in a (I'm sure was very obvious, if the title wasn't any indication) twist that probably made some roll your eyes and go '~.~; really...?', or be like 'Nowai! =D'. (The majority of you I'm sure were the former.)
So, here's to hoping I keep posting this, especially because I know I'm very excited about the idea =D But if I end up not finishing, I will post how the story would have ended, as well as anything else that was written in advance for the story – if that makes sense.
Thanks for reading! =D