I walked into the Hawke estate, my back aching and I dropped my staff above the mantle on the fireplace as I usually did and it clanged against the metal rungs.

The estate was quiet for once, Sandal and Bodahn both in their rooms and Mother... well, she had a date. She had fussed about it all week and now it was strange for her not to be here. I hoped it was going well, for the man's sake. I would not tolerate Mother being hurt again.

Papers were piled high on the desk near the stairs and I sighed, thinking that I might tackle them later but knowing they needed to get looked over and I resigned myself to the pile, pulling the chair from under the desk.

"So... this is the Hawke estate then?"

I spun around, alarmed, only to find Isabela behind me, tucking something into her pocket.

"Isabela? What are you... I just came in and you weren't there."

Isabela grinned at me.

"I know. I wanted to see how easy it would be to pick your lock."

I stood back.

"What? You...picked my lock?"

Isabela laughed.

"Oh don't act so shocked, Hawke."

"I just... well why didn't you just knock, Isabela?"

Isabela wandered past me, smirking.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Of course...that wouldn't be fun to you."

I laughed a bit and turned back to my papers, scouting out for anything important quickly before I offered Isabela something to eat or drink and attended to her.

"I was going to ask you to join me at the Hanged Man for a drink, Hawke. Do you think you can tear yourself away from whatever it is you're doing there? It looks boring."

A letter from Bethany caught my eye.

"I'm sorry... what was that?"

Isabela sighed loudly.

"Oh never mind. Do you have anything to drink in this place?"

I opened the envelope and looked at Isabela.

"There should be some brandy in the other room. Aveline brought it the other night."

"Really? Now that sounds like fun."

Isabela disappeared into the other room while my eyes pored over the letter from Bethany.

"Everything all right, Hawke?"

Isabela set two glasses on the table beside me and looked over my shoulder at the letter.

"Yes...it's a letter from Bethany. She says she's doing fine but then talks of a Templar who has been hassling her."

Isabela topped both glasses off with brandy and immediately downed hers, nodding her head.

"Well, have to hand it to the old girl... she does know her spirits."

I sighed, putting the letter back onto the desk and picking up my glass of brandy.

"I just wish Bethany wasn't in the Circle. This wouldn't have happened if I'd been here. They wouldn't have dared take her then."

Isabela poured and knocked back another shot of brandy and shook her head.

"Oh they so would have. Those preachy Chantry sods can never leave well enough alone. They're good at only two things- oppression and ranting."

The brandy was very good and I took a few more sips.

"I just wish she wasn't in there. I can't protect her from out here."

Isabela cocked her head at me.

"Is that really how you drink, Hawke? No wonder I've never see you drunk."

I looked at Isabela, unsure what I was doing wrong.

"What? Am I supposed to gulp it like you do?"

Isabela laughed, obviously picturing me doing just that.

"That would be funny, wouldn't it?"

I shook my head, smiling.

"You are one of a kind, Isabela."

I moved towards the stairwell.

"I'm one of a kind? I hope it's a good kind."

I remembered Isabela's handiwork on the rung of the handrail and turned back to her.

"Yes of course. I meant to ask you this before. What exactly is this...artwork? I saw it the other day."

Isabela smiled and moved towards me.

"That, sweet thing, is an incredible pair of breasts."

I was not as shocked as I expected to be.

"Well I can see that but...who carves this sort of thing into a stairwell?"

Isabela laughed and poured more brandy.

"I figured you would be all right with it, Hawke. It's a tribute to you."

"You thought I would like breasts on my stairwell?"

"No, silly... those are your breasts."

I could not stop my mouth from falling open.

"How do you...you don't even know what mine look like."

Isabela smirked at me.

"I have a very good imagination, kitten."

I finished the brandy in my glass.

"Why would you..."

No, I really shouldn't ask that.

I held my glass out for Isabela to refill and she smiled at me while she did.

"Why would I what? Imagine your breasts? For all the right reasons and then some, darling."

Isabela was captivating and I could not help but stare back at her, feeling a bit nervous. I didn't think anything could ever happen with her, given our entirely different backgrounds but stranger things have happened. And it's not as if she was attempting to hide her intentions.

The nervous part of me won out.

"I should get back to these letters... I need to answer them before..."

Isabela took my hand that was rifling through the papers that covered my desk and turned me to face her again.

"Oh Hawke, I know you're not this boring, or at least I really hope you're not. Why don't you show me upstairs instead?"

My eyebrow went up.

"You..want to see upstairs?"

Isabela was so close to me that I could smell the brandy on her breath.

"Preferably your bedroom, yes."

There was one thing always constant about Isabela- she never held back if she wanted something.

Ever.

I couldn't just give myself away so easily.

"What makes you think I'd want to show you upstairs, Isabela?"

Isabela hovered around me, smiling mischievously.

"Because I always get what I want, darling. And right now, that's you."

Isabela's confidence was intoxicating but I still was not ready to give in just yet.

"Oh really? And what if..."

Isabela cut me off with her lips as she moved into me and pressed the two of us against the desk, banging it into the wall. I had to admit that the feeling of her lips and her body against me was something I hadn't felt in a while and I was stunned at first but Isabela's insistence made me forget everything but her.

In the next few minutes, Isabela hoisted me up onto the desk and pressed herself further against me, opening my legs with her body.

"Mmm, that's the way I like them..."

Isabela's pressure against me caused some noises to escape my mouth and Isabela smiled, looking into my eyes.

"A little anxious, are we?"

"Don't you blame me... you started this."

I wrapped my arms around Isabela's neck and brought our lips together again, my tongue exploring Isabela's. Her tongue was soft and I found myself sucking on it when she allowed me to but of course she left me wanting more.

Isabela suddenly pulled us away from the desk and, carrying me, moved towards the stairwell.

"Wait, are you... am I too heavy?"

"Not at all, kitten. You're like a bird."

Isabela laughed.

"A sexy bird."

Isabela made her way up the stairs, trying to watch her step and we kissed intermittently but I was more worried about her falling.

"Be careful, Isabela!"

Isabela laughed, looking down at the stairs.

"I've never been with a mage before... just how good are they?"

I returned Isabela's sarcasm.

"Well, I've never been with a pirate before...just how good are they?"

Isabela laughed wickedly.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

Isabela kicked the door to my bedroom open and we tumbled into bed, Isabela on top of me. I struggled to reach the blades on her back and tossed them to the floor when I did, making quite the noise. Isabela was kissing my neck and suddenly produced another blade from...somewhere and she tossed that to the floor as well.

My hands worked on the strings of Isabela's bodice and I smiled.

"You don't have much to take off, Isabela. That works in my favor."

Isabela was already halfway done with the buttons on my shirt and she pulled it open and off, grinning and cupping my breasts in her hands.

"Mhmm, I knew that's what they looked like... see? I know your breasts better than you thought."

I laughed and slipped what little clothing Isabela wore off quickly, my hands seeking refuge in her softness.

"You definitely will after tonight."

Isabela wasted no time positioning herself between my legs again but this time, it was a much stronger feeling than before when she thrust against me and we both cried out.

"Oh, hell... Hawke... you are so...mmm..."

I could feel Isabela against me, just as wet, if not even more so and it was driving me crazy. I wanted her, and badly.

"That's your fault, Isabel. Take care of it."

Isabela's wicked laugh resurfaced and she did indeed take care of it. I was clawing at the walls before she was done and our bodies were slippery with the sweat we'd worked up together until we just lay against one another, breathing heavily.

"Bloody hell, Hawke! You're an animal."

I looked at Isabela and scoffed.

"You should talk."

I rather enjoyed the feeling of lying with Isabela and my arms pulled her in closer to me, a smile on my face.

I felt Isabela fight my pull and she sat up.

"All right, time for me to go."

Isabela bent over to retrieve her clothing and I tapped her naked arse with my open hand.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Why not? It was fun but I've got other things to do."

I turned to my side, my elbow propped against the bed.

"Oh really now? What is so earth shatteringly important that you have to leave at such a late hour?"

"Just... things. Don't be getting all jealous now, Hawke. Just because...wait a minute..."

Isabela turned to face me in all her naked glory.

"You're not thinking of bringing feelings into this, are you?"

I couldn't recall a time when I hadn't had some sort of feelings for the woman before me. Since the first time I'd laid eyes on her in the Hanged Man, witnessing her fight with Lucky the moron and all of the events that had led us up to today... I indeed felt something for Isabela.

"What's wrong with feelings? They're not always so bad."

"Some people just don't do feelings and I am one of them."

I laughed.

"Sometimes we have no choice in the matter, Isabela. We feel what we feel. There is such a thing as love."

Isabela continued dressing.

"I don't care. Love can go and pester someone else."

Isabela was fiddling with the strings of her bodice and I slid my fingers across her back, smiling as I knew I would get a reaction.

Isabela sighed heavily and I thought she might be angry with me so I stopped.

"Did you know that I was once married?"

My ears perked up.

What?

"Now I know. What happened?"

Isabela paused for a moment.

"I was in Llomerryn with my mother at the market one day when he saw me... and he said that he had to have me. I was a prized possession, a trophy to be shown off. He said he'd never seen such a beautiful girl in his life. He even asked my mother for my hand in marriage right there on the spot and my mother sold me to him for a goat and a handful of gold coins. She didn't even haggle over the price or ask my opinion. Bitch."

I sensed immediately that Isabela and her mother had never had a decent relationship and it saddened me, considering how her mother up and sent her off with some strange man.

"I can't picture you married."

"Oh, it didn't last long. It's not as if I loved him but it was with him that I learned to love the sea as I do today."

I touched Isabela's back again, hoping to soothe her a bit.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Isabela paused for a bit but then answered.

"I allowed it to happen only once and even that turned to shit soon after. He asked for my hand and I swore that I would never be tied down again... so I left. I heard it broke his heart."

"Maybe it's not love that is the problem; maybe it's the fact that they're men. Or maybe they're just all wrong for you."

I chuckled a bit, hoping Isabela wasn't offended and she turned her head towards me.

"That is something that took a bit to realize, but it's true. On both counts."

This was turning out better than I had hoped.

"How did you get out of your marriage, if I may ask?"

Isabela sighed again.

"My husband took an assassin's blade to the back of the skull."

I tried picturing what Isabela had just told me and thought perhaps she was joking with me or trying to shock me.

"And before you jump to any conclusions, no- I didn't hire him. Though I did thank him profusely afterward for releasing me from that horrid bond."

That thought caught in my throat a bit.

"Oh, look at me... telling secrets in bed..."

Isabela shook her head.

"I have to go."

I pressed her to stay.

"Why? I am enjoying your stories."

"Well maybe you are but I'm not. No one in the world knows more about me than myself and it's going to stay that way."

Isabela sat up and began collecting the rest of her clothes and her weapons, but I could see she was a bit sad.

I moved towards her on the bed as she sat again to pull her boots on and I touched her shoulder.

"You don't have to go, Isabela."

She wouldn't look at me now.

"Yes, I do."

I let Isabela dress in peace as I knew her mind was made up and then she turned to me when she was done.

"I'll see you later, Hawke."

I pulled the covers around me, yawning.

"Are you ever going to call me Marian?"

Isabela smiled over her shoulder.

"Maybe."

I knew Isabela would never stay the night but that didn't mean it wasn't in the future.

Stranger things have happened, after all.

And they kept happening.