Sorry for the late update, I was really stuck on one part of this, but I figured it out finally. (hope you guys like this chapter I'm kinda nervous about it still) Anyways I'm hopeing to have an update before the new DLC comes out (tuesday), if I dont it will be probably be another week because I will be busy playing the game :D


"So, any idea where the lyrium came from?" Hawke asked conversationally staring at Fenris and I, while Daddy put away his supplies.

"Not a clue. It's not like even the smallest amount of lyrium is easy to find, but they are bloody drenched in it." He sighed, "Which means I have to wash them both tonight too. Otherwise they are going to lick it off and I would rather not have lyrium addicted cats."

Hawke snorted, "As funny as that sounds I think I will pass. I just want to have a word with… uh the cats."

Daddy turned around and lifted his brow, "You came all the way to Darktown, to talk to my cats?"

"Hey like you can say anything! I see you having conversations with Pounce all the time."

He chuckled and lifted his hands in surrender, "By all means then."

"Go away. It's kind of private."

"Private?"

"Yep."

"Hawke isn't very good with subtlety is he?"

"Not at all." Fenris sighed.

"You want to have a private conversation with them?" At least he looked more amused then suspicious. "I know they are great for listening to your private problems but I'm sure Anubus would work just as well and it's less of a walk."

"Nope this is top secret cat confessing things."

Daddy waved him off, "Whatever Hawke I'm going to get a small bath ready for them." I typically hate the word 'bath' and would run away immediately, but right now that sounds wonderful. It's taking all my willpower to not lick this wet and sticky stuff off. I hate being unclean almost as much as kids. Almost.

Once Daddy was out of the main room and out of hearing range, Hawke leaned down and took a deep breath before addressing Fenris.

"Okay, Remember when Isabela came in the first week you were here and she said I ordered a book from the Emporium? Good news, I got it yesterday. Bad news, it's written in Arcanum. And since you're the only person I know that can speak it, and you obviously can't translate in your current form, this is going to take significantly longer then I thought. I am so so sorry." It took awhile to even understand what he said through the apologetic tone and the fast rush of words, but I think I could see the exact moment Fenris figured it out. Apparently he had some hopes when Hawke asked to talk to us privately but now his face just dropped, and he looked annoyed or tired. Sometimes it's hard to tell with him.

"I'm working on it though. I'm meeting with my brother tomorrow and I'm going to see if he knows a mage in the circle who speaks Arcanum. But there is no guarantee even if he does find one; I will be able to talk to them. Meredith has been getting more strict everyday and I doubt she would let a known mage converse with a circle mage that's expertise is Tevinter language." He seemed just as frustrated by situation.

"Isabela mentioned letters that Hawke wrote to other mages. Maybe one of them will know how to reverse the spell?" I tried comforting him with something.

"If he truly believed those were to work he would not have come down here to tell me about the book. It sounded like a weak backup plan." he sighed, pessimistic as always.

"I wish you could just argue or yell at me like usual." Hawke scratched his beard in thought, "Everyone misses having you around you know. Maybe they don't say it out loud but I can tell. Varric has even started telling your story around the tavern, not the overly personal stuff mind you, but the lethal ex-slave that gained him freedom from the Tevinter Imperium and killed his ex-master. It's a really good story."

He didn't look impressed and I kind of felt bad for Hawke because it was obvious he was trying, but Fenris was in a bad mood already so he took to brooding off any attempt the mage made to redeem himself. "He's doing everything he can, you could at least acknowledge his effort."

"Do not intervene in things you don't understand." Well I guess that was the end of that.

"Hawke, are you done talking the cats?" Daddy shouted from his room

"Yeah, I guess I am. I'm going to go back to the estate though. I'll see you later Anders." He started heading for the door.

"Wait, I wanted to talk to you about the miners." Daddy came back into the clinic.

"The miners?"

"I've been having several come in every night needing to be healed as soon as their shift ends. Things at the Bone Pit have been getting worse, and needs to be cleared out again. They haven't been able to convince Hubert of this yet because there haven't been any casualties, but it needs to be done."

Hawke sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "Why did I ever get involved in that mine? It's caused me nothing but trouble."

"So you will go?"

"Yeah, I could use the time away from these damn books anyways." Daddy lifted his brow at that but before he could question it, Hawke continued, "I would like to have you come along, if that's okay?"

"Of course Hawke, I was beginning to think you found another healer, you never ask me to go with you anymore."

"Tomorrow night then. I'm meeting with Carver around midday so I'll need a bit of time to calm back down." I got it explained to me that his brother joined the Templars because he felt inferior and it was a soft spot to talk about around Hawke. Daddy looked sympathetic and rested a comforting hand on the other mage's shoulder. "I'll stop by the Hanged Man and grab Isabela and Varric on my way down here to get you."

Daddy looked confused by that, "No Fenris? Shouldn't we have at least one warrior with us?"

"Uhh no… Fenris is kind of…" He made some gesture with his hands that was probably suppose to communicate something by Daddy looked just as confused as me.

"Kind of what?"

"He is… missing…"

"Missing? What do you mean he is missing?" There was a surprising amount of concern in that voice and Fenris seemed to pick it up as well.

"Well, I went by his mansion one day and poof, he just wasn't there."

"Elves just don't go 'poof' Hawke. And you didn't go look for him? How long has he been missing?"

Hawke seemed taken aback by the sudden questioning, "Why the sudden concern about Fenris? I thought you hated each other?"

"I was wondering the same." Fenris chimed in staring at me. How was I supposed to know? Sure Daddy talked about the elf a lot but mostly about how annoying he was.

"I do hate him."

"You're not acting like it." Hawke pointed out with a small grin forming on his lips. I couldn't understand why.

"What are you implying Hawke." Oh that sounded like a dangerously low voice. "Even though he is my rival, I am still a healer and therefore concern is a perfectly normal reaction to someone who went missing for who knows how long. Especially someone so unconcerned about his own health."

"Right." The smirk only got bigger, "Well I'm going to go now, see you tomorrow!"

Hawke took off after the door and Daddy followed, "Hey, don't leave when we are in the middle of a conversation."

"See you tomorrow Anders! Bye Pounce, Sirnef!" And with that he was gone.

"That man drives me crazy sometimes." Daddy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, then closed the clinic door again, "Well, I guess we better get started cleaning that lyrium off. Follow me."

"I don't get what just happened." I confessed. Fenris just looked at me and I couldn't tell if he agreed with that statement or not.

When he got into the room all of his writings were put away and instead he had a tub with soap and a cloth sitting on his desk. I almost turned to run but forced myself to keep going. If it were anything other then lyrium I would not be willingly submitting to this.

"Sorry I used some magic to warm it up, but I figured the use of a little magic was better then a cold bath?" Daddy was talking to Fenris who looked at the water apprehensively. This time though I could tell it wasn't the magic that bothered him; cats have a natural aversion to water and it was just now hitting him.

"You first."

I rolled my eyes; of course he wanted me to go first. "No way kitten, I have seniority here and that means you get to be soaked first. Besides he hates giving me a bath so he will want to do you first anyways."

I meowed and Daddy picked me up and set me near the tub but not on the towel. As an afterthought he knelt down and offered his hand to Fenris, who looked at him skeptically. "I told you I wouldn't hurt you, and it's a long way up to the desk from way down there." He waited patiently and when the kitten finally relaxed and allowed himself to be picked up, Daddy couldn't help his smile.

Once Fenris was set on the towel he added, "See nothing bad happened."

"He does not need to coddle me." Fenris commented but it lacked any real heat.

"Well the way you've been acting, you can't blame him."

He ignored me and looked over the tub where the surface of the water was sitting undisturbed but under it you could see the white swirls of the soap, "It looks… unsettling."

"Welcome to the joys of water. After this you will understand why I lick myself clean."

"You okay to start?" Daddy was being surprisingly patient with Fenris; then again he sees a kitten that was abused by his previous owners not a full-grown elf. If that was me he would have already drenched me even if I was meowing in protest.

By the time Daddy got Fenris in the tub, he was struggling to get away again but he was held firmly in place as Daddy continued to wash out all of the lyrium. At one point Fenris even tried hissing but it came out more like air. Daddy couldn't help but laugh, which got him a glare in return, "I'm sorry. It's almost over. There are only a couple bad spots where it dried and above your neck."

Fenris took to brooding with the occasional angry twitch when he started actually scrubbing with vigor. I just laughed, "With all that gray fur you look like a drenched rat!"

If looks could kill, I would be so dead right now.

Daddy took the reaction as something he did and pulled his hands away from the shoulder he was working on, "Sorry, if that hurt." Instead he moved his hands up to the kitten's ears and almost instantly the tension in Fenris' body relaxed, his eyes fluttered shut, and he leaned into the touch. It almost looked like he was in a trance. Daddy looked excited by the reaction and adjusted his hand to scratch right behind his ear. Fenris pushed even further into the touch and to my amazement started to purr.

Unfortunately I think the sound of his own purring startled him and broke the trance because all of a sudden he jumped and was completely alert again looking for signs of a spell being cast. I rolled my eyes; of course he would think it was magic.

Water slashed out of the tub and Daddy got the front of his robe wet but he was still chuckling, "Never purred before? I suppose that would feel weird."

Fenris stared at Daddy but it wasn't out of anger this time, more like scrutiny. I was going to say something but I didn't want to ruin the moment. Daddy was smiling fondly at the kitten and Fenris was still looking at him in almost the same way he watches him at night but softer.

By the time Fenris was completely clean of lyrium the water was getting cold again so Daddy pulled him out and dropped a big towel over his head. Fenris tried peeking out from under it but Daddy just covered him again by grabbed the edges of the towel and started thoroughly drying his fur with quick swipes.

When the fabric was lifted again I cracked up laughing. Fenris had a dizzy look in his eyes and all that gray fur was poofed out in every direction, making him look like a little kid's fluffy stuffed animal.

Daddy wrapped him the towel but left his head uncovered this time while Fenris cursed at him, me, water, and something else but most of it was in Arcanum so I was kind of guessing at this point.

After Daddy heated the water again it was my turn, but it was a less dramatic affair. I stood still with the occasional low meow when he got my face wet, but otherwise it was a quick bath and I was glad to have that blue crap off of me.

After both of us were clean apparently he was calling it an early night, well early for him anyways. He fell back onto his bed with an exhausted sigh and looked to us. I jumped onto the bed and Fenris started to go under the desk again, "It's got to be uncomfortable under there." He looked over to the collection of wet towels on the desk, "I don't even have anything to lie down that you can sleep on."

Fenris gave him a 'what are you getting at' look and luckily for him Daddy was an expert on cat expressions, "What I mean is, maybe you should move up here. My bed may not be much more comfortable then the ground but at least it's warmer."

"No" was his only answer and turned to the space under the desk again.

Daddy got up and sat down on the ground next to the desk, "I know you're a bit of a special case and don't like touch much but how about you just try it for tonight? I'm worried you will catch a cold since you're not all the way dry yet."

"I said no." He meowed defiantly.

Daddy sighed, "You know, you remind me of someone else with that same mistrust and stubbornness. You don't know him because apparently he is missing, but he hates me for the actions of others too. He is such a pain in the ass to be around and unmoving in his views of mages. Then again I'm not the best example of a mage nor have I been that nice to him… I still stand by my claim that he started it." I could not believe how close he was to figuring out the truth but still not even have a clue. "Come to think of it, you have those same beautiful green eyes too."

Fenris was obviously caught off guard by that comment; he didn't even have a clever come back.

"Then again if I ever told him that, he would probably rip my heart out." Daddy sighed and stood up. "Well you are welcome on the bed; I'm not going to force you."

He came back to the bed and lifted the blanket so I could partially lay under it with him. He pulled me against him like every other night and buried his face in the fur of my shoulder. I looked back to Fenris, who still made no move to come over with us, before closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.


In the middle of the night I woke up to Daddy sitting up. I yawned and looked at him in question. He smiled at me and pointed to the end of the bed, I looked over my shoulder and saw a small ball of gray that had situated himself on the very end of the bed and was soundly sleeping.

Daddy reached over to him and carefully put his hand on Fenris' fur and started scratching under his ear with one finger. Fenris shifted to the hand, still asleep and started peacefully purring. Daddy took it as encouragement and used the hand not petting him to slide it under the sleeping kitten and lifted him up. Fenris was such a heavy sleeper he didn't even stir when he was picked up.

Daddy laid back and set Fenris between himself and me. I was going to protest the kitten taking my usual spot but Daddy was happily petting him and I didn't have it in me to interrupt them.

That night, for the first time, all three of us slept in one bed; Fenris comfortably squished between a mage and his cat.