A/N: I got the idea for this story recently and it wouldn't leave me alone so here it is. This is a retelling of the finale of Act 2 in DAII with some M!Hawke/Isabela because there is a serious lack of it around here.

Dragon Age: Rogue Heart

I: Rising Tension

Hawke:

"No!" Viscount Dumar fell to his knees in front the body of his son, Seamus. Picking Seamus up tenderly and cradling in his arms, Dumar said softly, "My son; murdered in the heart of the Chantry, by those who held a sacred trust. Why?" He looked back at me, sorrow shining in his eyes. "What hope is there for this city when we fail our own so completely?"

I hesitated before replying. "Look on the bright side! At least it can't get any worse!" I thought for a moment before adding "Well, at least not today, it's pretty late."

Dumar looked back at Seamus' body. "You'll forgive me for not finding the humor in the death of my son." I noticed the viscount's shoulders were shaking before he suddenly spoke up between sobs "Hawke… please… leave me."

I looked at the weeping viscount in sadness for a moment before walking down the stairs to where Merrill, Sebastian, and Fenris were waiting for me. "Terrible," Sebastian was saying while sadly shaking his head "The viscount's own son murdered by a Chantry Mother. Will the horrors never cease?"

"The Chantry is not infallible." Fenris pointed out glumly.

"The Chantry did not do this," Sebastian replied pointedly, "It was merely one misguided Mother."

"That we know of." Fenris mumbled.

Sebastian looked at Fenris disapprovingly "Must you always be so bitter?"

"Yes."

I interceded before Sebastian could start lecturing Fenris on the importance of a positive outlook on life. "You know, I think that could have gone better."

Sebastian shook his head, "Now is not the time for levity, Hawke."

"You clearly haven't spent enough time with him." Fenris said "It's always the time for levity with Hawke."

"My, my…" I grinned at Fenris "Did Sir Broods-a-Lot just make a joke? I should mark this day on my calendar!"

Fenris raised an eyebrow. "Sir Broods-a-lot? You lack Varric's affinity with nicknames Hawke."

I shrugged "If you say so Wolfy."

"Call me Wolfy again and I will rip out your intestines."

"Does nobody care that a man has just lost his son?" Sebastian said, clearly frustrated with us.

I sighed, "Of course I care Sebastian. I liked Seamus, he was a wise young man and I'm sorry that he died but I choose honor the dead by living." I shook my head to ward off the dark thoughts that threatened to overwhelm me. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a bath."

Merrill -who had, until this point, been staring dreamily at the statue of Andraste- immediately snapped out of her daze. "Oooh! That reminds me; Hawke, I need to wash my clothes at your house, the plumbing broke in the Alienage."

I sighed, "Again? I thought I fixed that."

"Varric says that you're not a very good plumber." Merrill stated cheerfully.

I sighed once more and turned to Fenris and Sebastian. "Could one of you please walk her down to her house and back?"

I hadn't really expected Fenris to offer to help so I wasn't surprised when Sebastian volunteered. I left Sebastian to escort Merrill back home to retrieve her clothes that needed washing and Fenris to go back to his usual brooding. The streets of nighttime Hightown were completely deserted ever since we took out the Invisible Sisters. Still, I kept one hand on my staff as a precaution; you never knew who might be lurking in the shadows at night.

Isabela:

"This is important! Don't interrupt with your selfish prattle!" Aveline said firmly, walking down the steps in Hawke's mansion after having looked for Hawke in his room.

I glared at the goody-two-shoes Guard-Captain. "Get of your high horse! I have problems too!"

Aveline scoffed "Oh really? 'What drink should I buy?' and 'Who's the father?' "

That did it! Nobody says I don't know what drink to buy! "Why you…"

I pulled back my fist to put that stuck-up man-lady in her place when an all too familiar voice said "Oooh, catfight! Are there any good seats left?"

I spun around to see Hawke casually leaning against the doorway, a smirk painting his face and still wearing that sexy armor of his.

Aveline stepped forward before I could speak "Hawke, the Arishok is sheltering two fugitives who have 'converted' to the Qun. He must be convinced to release them. He's already feared because of Peatrice, if people start thinking he's above the law-"

"I'm going to die!" I shot in before Aveline could continue. "See? Real problem!"

Hawke frowned at us in confusion. "I hear 'Arishok' and 'die'. What's this about?"

"You remember the relic? The one Castillion is going to kill me over? A man named Wall-Eyed Sam has it."

"I'm trying to keep the city from rioting against the Qunari!" Aveline said angrily.

"Well…" I shuffled my feet nervously "Maybe it's connected."

"What?" Hawke and Aveline managed to say at the same time.

"It's important to somebody alright?" I said quickly.

"So now you get responsible?" Aveline groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shit."

"Are you sure it's the relic?" Hawke asked.

I nodded, "I've had my ear to the ground for awhile. There was a description of the book, it's the right one."

Hawke frowned "Book? I thought you didn't know what the relic was?"

I mentally kicked myself for the slip-up. "Well I… I know it's a book, but that's all I know, it's written in a foreign tongue." I changed tactics and approached Hawke, lowering my voice seductively. "Does it matter? I believe I owe you a kiss when you get me the relic."

Hawke's eyes lit up. "We get the relic first."

Aveline frowned. "Hawke, are you sure…?" she stopped when Hawke promptly growled at her. "Alright, Hawke." Aveline sighed. "It's your decision."

Hawke nodded and turned back to me. "Isabela, go get Fenris and meet me and Varric at the Hanged Man." He then started to walk out the door when he stopped. "Oh, that reminds me. Bodahn!"

Hawke's little dwarven servant appeared. "Yes messere?"

"Sebastian is bringing Merrill over for her to do laundry. Can you make sure he sticks around to escort her back home?"

"Of course ser." Bodahn bowed.

"Sam is meeting Tevinters tonight in a Lowtown foundry to sell it." I said, heading for the door. "We better hurry if we want to catch him in time."

Hawke:

"And then Hawke blew the door off its hinges and…" Varric stopped recounting his wild tale to an intently listening crowd when he saw me enter the Hanged Man. "I guess we'll finish this later."

The crowd dispersed as I approached the dwarven storyteller. "Have you got a minute Varric?"

"Yeah, I've actually have been meaning to talk to you." Varric said. "I hear that you and Rivani have something going."

I frowned; I had a bad feeling about where this was going. "And? What's your point?"

Varric sighed "Listen, Hawke, I know that you care about Isabela but as your friend, I feel like I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't warn you. Isabela is a great girl but I'm worried that if you pursue this, you'll get hurt."

I opened my mouth to allay Varric's fears with a witty remark when a familiar voice said behind me, "Are, you ready to go?"

I turned around and grinned at Isabela as she entered the bar with the ever-broody Fenris in tow. "Almost, I was just about to ask Varric if he wanted to tag along so he can accurately retell the story about how the dashing Hawke returned the priceless relic to the beautiful pirate captain."

Isabela grinned mischievously while Varric rolled his eyes. "I think I'm starting to rub off on you Hawke."

Sebastian:

I strained under the weight of Merrill's dirty laundry bag. I had chivalrously offered to carry Merrill's clothes for her as any gentleman should and I was now starting to sorely regret it. I breathed a sigh of relief as Hawke's mansion came into view. I trailed behind the perky elf as she ran up to the door and lightly rapped it with her knuckles.

The door was opened by a cheerful dwarf "Ah, Lady Merrill, Ser Hawke said you'd be coming."

My knees started to buckle under the weight of the laundry. "Could somebody… Please…"

"Oh of course Sebastian!" Merrill said as she effortlessly lifted the bag from my shoulders. I watched in amazement as Merrill slung the bag over her shoulders like it weighed nothing.

"Well," I said, massaging my shoulders. "If there's nothing else I'll just be…"

"Actually Ser Hawke said that since he had business to attend to you would need to stay to escort Miss Merrill back home." Bodahn said plainly.

I nodded dejectedly, "Of course."

I followed Merrill into the washroom. "Um… Sebastian?"

"Yes Merrill?" I asked politely.

"Hawke… normally helps me with the laundry but… since he's not here… could you please?" Merrill asked with those big, innocent, eyes.

Part of me wanted to say no but the years of service and self-sacrifice in the Chantry won out. "Of course I will." I said, removing my gauntlets

Merrill's eyes lit up as she smiled "Oh, good! I have so much trouble with the bloodstains!" she said as she dumped the contents of the bag out next to the washbasin.

"I'm sure it's not…" My voice trailed off as I realized that all of her clothes were covered in bloodstains. It was going to be a long night.

A/N: How did you like the first chapter of Rogue Heart? I thought that having Sebastian and Merrill interact would be interesting. Review Please!