Act 2

Hawke spent the next few years rebuilding his family's name and estate, writing to Bethany, and occasionally going to the Hanged Man.

Hawke's domestic life's routine started to change when he went to speak to the Viscount.

A few nights later, Hawke found Willa on his doorstep.

"Hawke." She looked down.

"Would you like to come in?"

She shook her head and looked back up, "There's an animal. A bear. I want to set her free... I've tried speaking to her captor, but the man won't listen to reason. If I speak to him again, I'll..." She clenched her fists, "Can you speak with him?"

"Where is this bear?" He asked.

"On Sundermount. I was wondering with Blade when I saw her."

"Why do you want to set her free?"

Her jaw clenched, "The man abuses her. Keeps her in a cage. Chained on a collar. She doesn't deserve that."

"Alright. I'll see if there's anything I can do. We'll go out tomorrow."

She let out a slow breath, "Thank you. And bring the abom... Anders. She's injured."

Hawke smirked, "Spending too much time with Fenris?"

She rolled her eyes, "I spar with him sometimes, and he likes Blade. He's been helping me train him too. Fenris reminds me of Aaren... It's strange."

She punched Hawke's shoulder playfully, "We should spar sometime."

He smiled, "I'd like that."

…...

The next day with the hot sun beating down on them, Hawke, Willa, Blade, Anders and Fenris headed to a remote cabin on Sundermount. They encountered little resistance on the way.

Willa extended a hand and pointed as they drew near. "There she is."

There was a black bear outside the cabin, chained and in a small iron cage. She was being prodded at by an older man, with what looked to be a spear. The bear cried out in pain, and Willa ground her teeth.

Hawke slowly approached the man, and the rest followed.

When he noticed the group, the man dropped his spear and greeted, "Hello Messere. What brings you to my home?"

"I'd like to inquire about that bear you have there. Perhaps I could pay you for its release?"

The man turned his eyes towards Hawke's companions before regarding Hawke again, "The bear is mine. I will skin it and eat it when I want to. I've already told your elves."

Anders flickered blue and warned, "Hawke," as Willa slowly walked up next to him.

"I am not his servant," she snarled and punched the man in the jaw.

"You fucking knife ear! How dare you -" She punched him again. Hard enough to knock him out cold.

Anders bent down to check on the man as Willa stormed off to the wood's edge.

She wrapped her arms around herself and hung her head. Hawke slowly walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She spun around. Anger and unshed tears in her eyes, "He was going to eat her."

Before Hawke could register what he'd done, he wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a hug. She laid her head against his chest, under his jaw. He began to stroke her back, and his hand brushed against her shirt. Strange. I thought she wore leather.

That thought triggered a series of memories to pass in his mind. He remembered that she had said that she rescued Blade from hunters. That he's never seen her eat meat, even refused it when offered. That she's always turned her head when her wolf was eating. And how she's never killed a marbari, even though they attacked her.

He smiled. This woman in his arms would gladly beat a man into a bloody mess, and enjoy it, but was somehow empathetic enough to care about the well being of animals. Even go out of her way to protect them.

Perhaps because animals are innocent, and the men she kills are not, reasoned Hawke.

She put her hands on his chest and pulled slowly out of his arms, "I'm going to go let her out of that cage."

Willa regained her normal posture, and stood before the bear. She picked the lock, let the bear smell her hands, and removed the collar from her. She murmured soothing words to the black bear, and motioned Anders over. He applied healing magic from a distance, and then quickly scurried away.

"Coward," called Fenris as the mage walked towards Hawke.

The men watched as Willa stood aside with a small smile, and the black bear trotted off into the woods.

…...

A few evenings later, the joviality of jobs well done the nights before became overridden by Bartrand's death.

When Hawke went into Varric's rooms to check on his old friend, Willa was next to him with one arm over the dwarf's shoulders, leaned over and speaking in a hushed voice.

Willa noticed Hawke's approach out of the corner of her eye. She squeezed Varric's shoulder, and walked over to Hawke.

"Aveline wanted me to ask you to see her tomorrow." She pated his shoulder once, and left.

…...

After a failed attempt to get Aveline to speak to Donnic at the Hanged Man Hawke, Willa, Merrill, and Isabela went to speak to the redhead in the Keep again.

"I'm sorry Hawke. I couldn't do it..."

Willa interrupted, "You need to be forward." She stepped forward, next to Hawke, "Here. Look." She turned to Hawke, and pushed him to face her, "Hawke. I like you." She wrapped her hands around his neck, and pulled him into a fierce kiss.

Aveline's mouth hung open. Merrill squeaked, blushed, and covered her face. Isabela smirked, "I am so glad I decided to come along today."

As their mouths and bodies pulled apart, Willa smirked wickedly. Hawke coughed into his fist before he turned back to Aveline, "I'd have to agree. That would be the best way to approach this."

Aveline crossed her arms, "I'm the Capitan of the Guard. I can't do that."

A few hours later, they were on the Wounded Coast. After lighting the signal fire and killing some dogs – Hawke noted that Willa didn't kill any, but Blade killed most of them – the group watched a painful exchange between Aveline and Donnic.

"That was horrible," Willa mumbled.

"I mean, she was married before! She should know how to do this!" exclaimed Isabela.

"C'mon. Let's go light the next one," Hawke waved for the women to follow him down the path.

"I don't know why she wasn't honest with him in the first place," Willa said to Merrill.

Isabela sighed dramatically, "Well, some of us can't get away with making out in the middle of the Keep..."

Merrill interrupted, "Do you really like Hawke?" She asked Willa.

Willa smirked and gestured to the back of the man in front of them, "Of course. Have you seen his ass?"

Isabela tilted her head, "Well, it does look scrumptious."

Hawke stopped, "Okay. You can walk in front now."

"Don't mind if I do," Isabela walked forward and put more swing in her hips.

As they came up to the next torch, the area was littered with the bloody bodies of Raiders.

"What happened?" asked Merrill.

Blade started growling, and Hawke pointed, "Is that the bear you let go?"

Willa smiled, "It sure is." She waved, "Thank you girl!"

Hawke lit the signal fire, and the group watched the scene unfold between Aveline and Donnic.

"Maker. She is bad at this," grumbled Hawke.

They finished off the slavers at the next signal fire relatively easily and before long, Hawke and the women were standing before Aveline and Donnic.

"Hawke..."

"Cut the crap Aveline. Just tell Donnic you'd like to see what's under his leggings already," interrupted Willa.

"Uh..."

Eventually Donnic left and, well, Aveline didn't take it too well. But, it all worked out in the end for her.

…...

A few days later, Hawke helped Fenris kill Hadriana. Fenris seemed withdrawn, even after Hawke spoke to him.

Hawke had just finished a job and was on his way to the Keep to see Aveline, when he decided to stop by Fenris' mansion first.

When he stopped outside to knock on the door, he heard cursing in Arcanum and common tongue – and then a crash.

He put a hand to the door, and sure enough it was unlocked. He stepped forward and grasped the handle of his weapon, fully expecting Fenris to be in trouble. But he wasn't, not really.

Fenris was stripped down to his tunic and leggings, and was grappling with Willa. Blade was sitting on the steps happily chewing on an old bone too.

Fenris had Willa pinned to the ground, but she managed to wrap one leg around his torso and twisted. Just as Fenris was going to counter, he noticed Hawke standing there with one eyebrow raised.

Fenris turned the elven woman's head and, uncharacteristically, her face lit up when she saw Hawke. Truth was, Hawke didn't know what to make out of her relationship with Fenris, or his own relationship with her either. She had said Fenris was like a brother. Hadn't she? They also had not spoken about the kiss in the Keep yet.

She pushed Fenris aside and walked over towards the confused human warrior. When she reached him, she kissed his cheek in greeting, "We were just sparring. Want a go?"

The normally broody elf smirked, "Maybe he would appreciate sparring of a different variety with you."

Willa put a hand to her chest in mock disbelief, "Fenris. You have such a dirty mind."

Hawke put up a hand, "Wait a minute. I think I just stepped into the Fade. Where's the real Fenris and Willa, and what have you done to them?"

Willa punched his shoulder, "Why did you come over?"

"Just wanted to stop by before I headed to the Keep." He got an idea, "How about you two meet me at my estate for some drinks later? I could definitely use some."

Willa nodded, "Sure. Broody?"

He scowled briefly, "I will attend."

Hawke invited Aveline over too and oddly, she agreed.

A few hours later instead of enjoying drinks – Fenris, Willa and Aveline were standing around Hawke with his mother's mutilated body cradled in his arms.

He was not crying, but he looked immensely upset. No one knew what to do.

After a moment, Willa put a hand on the back of his neck and the other on his shoulder. She bent over and kissed the top of his head. She didn't say anything, but rubbed the bare skin of his neck in soothing circles. Within a few minutes Hawke sat his mother down, and said to no one in particular, "Please deal with... the body."

He turned towards Willa, "I need... some time alone."

When Hawke left, Aveline announced, "I'll get some of my guardsmen to clean this mess up." Then she left too.

Fenris looked at Willa, who's face was hard-set with her jaw clenched. After a pause, he said, "You're going after him." It was not a question.

"Watch Blade?" He nodded and she too left.

…...

When Willa entered Hawke's room, he was pacing. "Hawke," she walked up to him, and he turned to sit on his bed. She sat next to him, and grabbed one of his hands. She placed something in it.

When Hawke opened his hand, he saw a pendent of the Amell family crest made of woven wire, and hung on a silver chain.

He looked at the elven woman next to him. She said softly, "I had made this for her..."

She sighed and rubbed at her face, "You do not know this, but your mother... helped me." She paused, "A few months after the expedition, I came to your home intending for Sandal to enchant my blade. You were not home, but Leandra let me in. When she saw this," she gestured to the scars on her arms, "she asked me if I was all right... I don't know why, but I told her." She looked into his eyes, "I visited her many times after that. Always when you were not home." She adverted her eyes, "I didn't want you to know."

She reached up and rubbed her thumb on his cheek, "I'll leave you alone." She got up to leave.

He grabbed her wrist, "Don't go," and she sat back down.

Hawke didn't know what to make of this woman. He remembered a fight where she bit off the ear of a man, gouged out one of his eyes, and then proceeded to pound his face in – all while laughing. And then he remembered the sorrow he saw in her eyes as she removed the collar off of that black bear, and how happy she was to see her free. She was capable of immense violence, and kindness. Her kindness was rare – and right now it was directed at him.

"Stay... please," he asked.

Her periwinkle eyes shimmered in the candlelight as he placed the necklace around her neck, "This is yours."

She didn't say anything, but ran her fingers over the Amell crest against her chest.

They spoke about nonsensical things late into the night. When Hawke awoke the next morning, he was surprised to see that he was alone in his room. As he took the stairs to the lower level, he noticed Willa curled up in a chair in front of the fireplace. So she did stay. She stayed for the next five nights, even the cremation, and after the sixth, he found her again in front of the fireplace.

He walked straight back to his wardrobe. He opened the doors and pulled out a large bundle wrapped in blue cloth, and tied with twine.

He carried it downstairs and by then, she was awake and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She smiled as he approached.

"I was meaning to give this to you," he handed her the gift.

He had it ordered the day after she had kissed him, but was waiting for the right time to give it to her. He felt silly thinking about it as a courting gift. He shook his head. He should have never asked Varric, of all people, for advice. Perhaps it wasn't the right time to give it to her, but he saw no reason to wait anymore.

She laid the gift out on her lap as Hawke sat down on in the chair beside her. Her eyes widened. It was a set of armor. She ran her hands over the heart shaped breastplate. It was thin, light but strong. She absentmindedly wondered what type of metal it was.

She smirked as she noticed that the buckles were made of woven black wool, and not leather. There was a thick linen shirt beneath the breastplate. It was dyed periwinkle, the same as her eyes. It was sleeveless, and the neckline complimented the breastplate. Within the folds of the shirt, she found a matching pair of short fingerless gloves. And lastly, a pair of grieves that matched the breastplate. Both of which, she noticed, had very small engraving along the edges. She recognized it as simple characters from the distant, and still wild, lands her mother hailed from.

"Do you know what these say?" she asked.

He shook his head, "They look like some kind of elvish. I had thought they looked like the ones on your... kusarigama."

"They are of the same language," she sighed. "My mother never spoke about her home, or why she left. The only thing she taught us that was her own, was the kusarigama." She paused and pointed at the characters, "This one is strength. Will. Poise. Grace. Power. Honor. Pride. And speed."

She looked up at him, "How could a clerk know all this? This elvish is rare amongst Dalish clans."

"I asked him," Hawke said. "He said that someone had traded him a parchment with strange symbols on it. He liked them, so he's been using them. I don't think he knows what they mean."

She nodded in understanding, "I appreciate the gift, Hawke." She ran her fingers over the breastplate again, "I – I wish I had something to offer you just as meaningful."

"You do," he lifted the Amell pendent with a finger. "And I love it too."

His face darkened, remembering who the necklace was really for and what had brought Willa to his home. The distraction her gift provided was nice while it lasted. Now he was left with thoughts on his mother again, and her death.

She saw his mood shift. She placed a hand over his, "I'm here, Hawke. I'm staying." She twisted her hand to grasp his, and gave it a comforting squeeze.

He squeezed back, "I know."

…...

Time flashed before Hawke's eyes, and he swung his blade at the Arishok.

Willa's fingers were tightly wound around the pendent that lay on her chest, her other fist clenched at her side as she watched the battle with wide-eyed horror. If anything happened to Hawke, she was going to murder Isabela.

The thought of gouging her eyes out with a knife and then slicing her throat, brought a calming peace to the elf's mind, and she smirked slightly. That brief revive was short-lived, because both her fists tightened as she watched Hawke take a blow to his gut. She wasn't sure if it broke through his armor, it probably did.

"Now I'm worrying," muttered Varric next to her.

Fenris looked at the dwarf, he was confident in Hawke's abilities, "Why?"

He motioned towards the statue that Willa became, "I've never seen Elfy this freaked out before. She usually delights in the sight of a blood bath."

Fenris eyed the other elven warrior. Her knuckles were white, her eyes wide and fixed on the two dueling before them. Her breathing was uneven, and shuttered between her teeth.

Isabela shook her head, "Damn. Scary's scared. Now I'm even more scared."

"Hawke is a capable fighter," Fenris assured her. Isabela moved to stand closer to the elven woman, and, uncharacteristically, offer her comfort.

Willa turned a heated glare at her. Fire from the Void itself spilling forth through her glare and voice as she snarled, "If you take one more step towards me, I will cause you so much pain you will beg for death to take you!"

Isabela took a step back, and returned her gaze to the duel. No one dared to say anything.

After a few close calls and using his slight agility to his advantage, Hawke eventually wore down the Arishok enough to where he was able to make more damaging direct hits – and then his blade slid swiftly into the Arishok's gut.

The teammates saw from afar as the Arishok said something to Hawke just before his body slumped still. The qunari left, and everyone rushed to Hawke's side as he stumbled against his blade.

Just before his weight pushed over his sword and he hit the ground, Willa and Anders caught him. He passed out as Anders was applying healing magic to his wounds.

Once he was stable, Anders instructed, "Someone help me take him to his estate. He needs to rest." He looked around at the nobles and Meredith's men, "And we should leave."

Fenris and Aveline assisted without question, and the rest of the group followed quickly behind.

"Heavier than he looks," mumbled Aveline as she dropped her share of his weight on Hawke's bed.

"Is he all right?" Willa asked with a steely gaze at the healer.

"He needs to rest," he repeated. "He used up his strength. I've stabilized him, but I'll need to further examine the wound on his stomach." He began to unclasp his armor, and Aveline and Willa helped.

Anders manipulated the torn flesh further, and put a thick ointment on all of Hawke's wounds. Bandages covered the bigger ones just in case.

Sometime later, Hawke awoke, blinking at a warm fireplace and a shadowy figure sitting in his desk chair.

He partially sat up and groaned, rubbing his eyes. Everything hurt. His guest saw him stir, and headed over towards him.

"Willa." He relaxed back on his bed, "How long have I been out?"

"About ten hours," she replied and sat on the edge of his bed. "Anders is downstairs. Do you need him?"

He thought about it as he tentatively felt each of his injuries. They tingled, some burned slightly, but he thought they were fine. "No, I'm okay."

She squinted her eyes at him, "If only I could believe that." She walked over to the desk and back, handing him a vile. "Healing potion," she told him. He drank it eagerly.

They stared at each other for a moment, until Willa smirked, "It seems as though you'll live... Well then, I don't have to flay Isabela. Shame. I'd feel better if I did."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Note: Thanks for reading and such! Hope you're enjoying it so far! :D