Author's Note: Apparently, I felt like writing Alex and so this fill came into being. This was what I did in-game, house hunted until she commented "Now that's what I call a house" at the most expensive one there. So, I took every job on offer to get enough money for it, bought it and it kept her happy. Well, happy enough that she still hasn't divorced me like she did with my first Hero. Got a couple of ideas for this theme, thinking I'll do more than one fill for it.

As always constructive criticism appreciated.
This theme: Home


Home

Alex didn't have a home, she hadn't had one since she'd agreed to marry Sparrow. Instead, she lived in the pub where Sparrow worked all the hours he could and paid for her room. She was happy, happier than she thought possible when he'd proposed to her. However, when sitting in the smoky, smelly pub watching her husband-to-be pulling pints, it was not how she thought she would begin married life.

Even though they had no roof over their head, she loved Sparrow, loved him enough to tell him of Victor, something she still felt responsible for, after all these years. Sparrow understood and listened when she told him. When she was finished, he simply took her in his arms and held her. She hadn't wanted to leave and she knew then she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

She left the pub and went to her room. There she stayed until she dozed off, Sparrow finally finishing his shift and came upstairs to join her sometime later. She awoke to Sparrow lying next to her, already awake.

"I'm surprised you managed to get away," she said.

Sparrow sighed. "I'm sorry Alex. It was a busy night," he told her. He sat up from the bed. "Feel like going house-hunting today? To make up for me being chained to the bar."

She nodded then yawned and got up from the bed.

Sparrow beamed at her. "Great. Meet you down there then?"

Once more she nodded and Sparrow too got up, disappearing out of the room.

An hour later, they were wandering the streets of Bowerstone. They wandered into Old Town, where Sparrow grew up. She found one particularly nice house that overlooked Fairfax Castle. While she explored it, Sparrow stood outside, looking up at the castle. She went back outside, once she'd finished her inspection of the house, Sparrow barely noticing her. He smiled at her, it didn't reach his eyes and she frowned at him. He sighed.

"Rose and I used to stare up at the castle from here," he said, by way of explanation. "She always liked it in the snow..."

Alex took his arm and led him away. Bowerstone Old Town was out if it still held too many memories for him.

They returned to the market, back to the Cow and Corset. Sparrow nursed a pint for over an hour, one he pulled himself when the service wasn't quick enough for him, and sat quietly as she remarked on the houses she'd seen and the ones she'd liked. He listened and nodded every so often, smiled when she seemed to get enthusiastic about one in particular and all her plans for it. He stood up from the table.

"Well, why not go back for a second look?" he suggested.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Sparrow that was one of the most expensive ones, we can't afford that."

He shook his head and pulled her to her feet. "It can't hurt for a second look, though."

She let him lead her back to the house.

It was on the road to Fairfax castle, the last house before the path. It was large, grand looking and there was a little garden, of a sort, nearby. It had been love at first sight for Alex and she was sure this was 'the one'. Then she'd looked at the price and quickly scrapped the very thought of it from her mind.

Sparrow stood in the doorway then went in. He knocked dust off of the table that was already in it, opened cupboards and wandered up the stairs. She hesitated at the door. He returned downstairs a moment later and back over to her side.

"Alex, talk to me here," he said. He glanced around the house. "I thought you liked this one the best."

She sighed. "I did. I do. It would make a wonderful home," she told him, then looked over to the door, where the details of the house were pinned. "But the price of it..."

He smiled at her. "Don't worry about the price of it, really. Is this the one you want?"

"Well yes, but...What do you think of it? It's not just my decision."

He turned back to face the room, one arm around her shoulders. "It'll be nice once it's fixed up, plenty of room at least. And I kinda like that balcony upstairs."

"So, if we're decided then, now what?" She tilted her head, curious to see where this was going.

Sparrow put one hand on his chin and chewed on his lip. "Now...Now I think you may need to give me a little while." He faced her once more. "I promise Alex, this is the house we'll get. This'll be our home."

He disappeared that night when she was asleep, a bouquet of fresh flowers waiting for her on the bedside table. There was a note, in Sparrow's normally untidy handwriting saying "See you soon."

'Soon' was near two months later. He'd paid for her room for all the time he thought he would be gone, more than that in fact. He returned very briefly though she never saw him. The only sign of his presence were the flowers when he had been back and after a month and a half of absence, these lost their novelty and she simply wanted him.

A few days after the last bouquet of flowers greeted her, the next morning she awoke to a note. Groggily, she reached out and held it at arm's length while she came to. She read it over once, then twice. It said: "Meet you downstairs." It was in Sparrow's handwriting.

She quickly ate, dressed and rushed down the stairs, eager to find him. He wasn't there and her heart sank. Had he left already? Surely not. She turned when she heard the dog bark and there was Sparrow, attempting to creep up behind her and now giving the dog a mock-glare.

"Thanks buddy, really know how to ruin a surprise don't you," he said.

Alex was already in his arms while the dog barked again. Abruptly, he let her go, though he did still have a bright grin on his face.

"I missed you," she told him and let him lead her out of the pub.

"I'm sorry I was gone so long. Didn't think it would take that much time."

"Hero's business?"

"Not quite." He led her through the past the clock tower and down the street. She knew where this road led and she looked to him, one eyebrow raised as she wondered what he was up to.

He stopped at the house, her dream house. The for sale sign was gone. Despite what Sparrow had said, that that would be their home, she didn't really expect him to make good on the promise, not with the price of it.

"Sparrow, what..." she began and let go of his hand.

Sparrow could barely keep still. He reminded her of an overexcited puppy. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet and gestured for her to try the door. She obeyed, found the door open and the majority of the old furniture replaced.

"All right, what's going on?" She turned and faced him, her arms folded. "Sparrow? Why are we here? Has someone bought this house?"

He nodded. "We have."

She stared at him, her mouth agape.

"That's where I've been for the last few weeks." He bit his lip. "I heard there were some jobs going in Oakfield, the guard wanted some bounty hunting done and other stuff. The pay was pretty reasonable." He shrugged. "The only thing was the amount of time it took, I kept coming back here to make sure it hadn't been sold."

"You mean it's...ours?" Alex said, finally managing to find her voice.

He nodded. "I got some furniture, dunno if it's what you'd have picked, I can go back and change it if you don't like it and all." He rubbed the back of his neck, offered a smile then had the air knocked out of him when Alex threw herself at him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I take it you like it then."

She took his face in her hands and kissed him hard. "I love you."

And she did. In that moment, she didn't think she could love him more. He'd kept his promise, that the house would be theirs, the house would be their home, and now it was. She had a home at last and would finally marry Sparrow.