Hawke Family Values

By: Adrienne Valentine

Summary: Twins run in the Amell family, it seems... A "What if" version of DA2 where both younger siblings lived, and the Champion had a twin.

Author's notes: Thanks for all the reviews and sorry for the delay, as usual. Between moving, some crazy dating adventures, and general life, things got a bit busier than expected. As for pairings, I'm relatively undecided on some of them, especially the ending pairings. Especially since Part one doesn't canonically have much in the way of romance. I'll let everyone make their guesses. I'm also adding some new stuff to the story format.


Chapter Three: Darktown and Grey Wardens

"What we didn't know, back then, was how much those maps would cost us. The price was much higher than we bargained for..."


Darktown was, as expected, dark, grimy and none too pleasant. She had been through the Undercity enough to know the smell, but she had never gotten used to it. Despite how hard Athenril had tried to get her little 'shemlen' nose used to it. She had been good at her job, but beyond that, the women had not talked much. They disagreed on some things. Like Ophelia did with many people. She glanced at her brother, who was looking around anxiously for any sign of the lanterns the woman had mentioned. The problem was, of course, that there were technically lanterns everywhere. Just which lanterns they were looking for was the problem. The clinic moved on occasion, the shop owner had told them. Having a central location, but moving around Darktown when the Templars got too close. It made it harder for the Templars to find the apostate healer, but it also made it harder for them to find it, as well.

It made her brother, Damian, anxious, and it didn't sit well for her either. The longer they wandered around aimlessly, the better chance they had of running into Templars, and despite that he was smart enough to hide his magic, she didn't like taking chances. She was about to suggest that they come back later, turning back round from watching behind them to face him when something caught her eyes. There were a pair of lanterns that looked distinctly different from the others. Flickering with blue instead of the pale yellow that most of the lamps gave off, she had the feeling that this was the place. It almost seemed to shift out of sight if you weren't looking directly at it, like a half-remembered dream. She tapped her brother's arm and nodded off to the side where the lanterns were.

"Finally." He muttered with a frown, and in return waved his hand to get Varric's attention.

The three of them slowly made their way towards the blue lanterns. A small frown graced Ophelia's face as they approached the doors that were underneath the lanterns. It was far too convenient. No one was even standing guard outside the door, her brother had mentioned that some Fereldan refugees had nearly accosted them when they had first asked about the healer, wanting to keep his location a secret. It still rubbed her wrong. There should be someone guarding the area, ensuring that Templars wouldn't coming near. A closer look at the beggar to their left as they approached, the quick glint of steel catching her eye. The beggar was watching them; she nodded at him, now more at ease with the location. She followed her brother as he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The sight that greeted her was not what she had been expected. He was just inside the clinic, healing, bent over a young boy, his mother standing anxiously to the side as the man's blue-cast magic washed over him. They stood there for a moment, just inside the door, as the magic seeped into the boy, and he gasped, sitting up abruptly. The woman let out a strangled cry of relief and rushed over to her son, gathering him in her arms. Ophelia smiled slightly at the scene. It was, after all, incidents like this that made her appreciate magic. The healer stumbled back slightly, and as the man (the boy's father, she guessed) took the short step to him and thanked him in hushed tones, they took their entrance.

Something sparked through the air at their movement and her hands flew to rest on her daggers uneasily. She had spent enough time with three mages to recognize the hum of magic, a subtle sound like a child humming in the distance, but from everywhere around them. She'd felt it ever since she was young. Most notably when her brother had started to cast spells. He would call forth fire and she would know without looking at him what he was doing. He turned towards them, grabbing his staff as he did so, preparing to fight them if need be.

"I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation, why do you threaten it?" He spoke, his voice carrying over them with the hum of magic and another voice laced overtop. She was struck, briefly, by a sense of familiarity, but ignored it and looked to her brother, who did not seem entirely surprised.

"I'm just here to talk." Damian said passively, raising his hands to calm the man. She did no such thing, still readying herself to step in if the situation began to go downhill, fingers curling slightly around the handles. If need be, she was prepared to take the maps off of his corpse, deciding that she would have to take the direct approach with the mage.

"We're interested in getting into the Deep Roads. Rumor has it you were a Warden, do you know a way?" Varric interjected, always far more diplomatic than either of the Hawke siblings.

"Did the Wardens send you to bring me back? I'm not going. Those bastards made me get rid of my cat." He said with a frown, the hum of magic had faded, and his voice lost the echo it had held, and then, more to himself than to them "Poor Ser Pounce-a-lot. He hated the Deep Roads."

She relaxed her stance slightly, moving her hands to her hips instead, waiting. She raised her brow at the man's comment. He had brought a cat... into the Deep Roads? She shook her head slightly, but didn't ask anymore about it. That wasn't why they were here, after all. Her brother didn't ask either, explaining that they were going to be headed into the Deep Roads and needed help. She resisted rolling her eyes when he said that it could save lives. While it was strictly true, she knew that her brother was bringing it up more as a way to get him interested. Appealing to the humanitarian in him, she surmised. If there was one thing her brother was good at, it was reading people. At first, he was quick to dismiss them, but he stopped and seemed to realize something.

"Although... A favor for a favor. Does that sound like a fair deal? You help me, I'll help you?" He asked, seeming a bit hopeful. Her brother was quick to agree, she noted with a frown.

"Help my expedition reach the Deep Roads and I'll do whatever you need." He started with a charming smile, and she stepped forward to cut in with a sharp look at her brother.

"What's the favor?" She asked curtly, sizing him up. He seemed slightly surprised that she had stepped forward and interjected. Perhaps he hadn't taken any note of her until then. Her brother was frowning at her. He had never liked it when she did this, but she was far more careful than he was.

He nodded, but explained what he wanted. A friend of his, a mage: he wanted to free him. While this was something that she supported, she was suspicious. Her brother prodded the man for more information. The circle here was like a prison, and they did agree amicably on the need for the freedom of mages. She smiled a little at that. Her brother had inherited their father's resolute desire for freedom. Her brother agreed to the terms, but once again, she stepped in when he started to talk about times.

"Damian, I'll go." She said, looking briefly between the two men. "The fewer mages we have to sneak out of the Chantry, the easier it'll be."

Her brother shot her a glare, and the two of them stood there glaring at each other in challenge for a few moments. Anders looked between the two of them, slightly confused, and just now seeing the similarities. As they were standing there boring holes into each other, it was very easy to tell they were twins. The same dark auburn hair, the same fierce blue-grey eyes. The mage looked towards Varric for some sort of insight, but he only shrugged with an amused smile. Finally, Damian huffed out a breath and a smirk spread across the woman's face. It was still there when she turned her attention to Anders.

"I will meet you tonight with a few of our companions." She said with a nod. He did not know her well enough to know how rare such a look was on her face. Her brother, who knew quite well, hid his pleasure at seeing her expression brighten. He nodded in return and watched as the group stalked off, unaware of what he was getting himself into.


A/N: I am up to chapter 8 finished, but because of NaNo and other obligations, I'll try to update at least once a month. At least until I finish the story.