True to his word Hawke came the next morning with plenty of food. When Daddy and me went outside to light the lantern the next morning he was fumbling up the stairs with a couple big bags, one in hand and one under his arm with a simpering pot of something balanced in his other hand.

I heard Daddy chuckle before coughing to cover it up and speaking, "Do you need some help?"

Hawke was so concentrated on getting up those stairs he was startled by the voice and almost lost the pot. Daddy was fast to catch it before the other mage burned himself with whatever was in it. When Hawke looked up he had the cheesiest smile on his face, 'Hi! I brought breakfast."

Daddy lifted a brow in amusement, "I see that, but don't you think this is a bit much?"

"Not at all. I wanted to bring extra stuff so you can have food around the clinic, but then I thought about it and I know you, your going to give all of it to your clients. So I brought two bags so you can have one and one to give out."

"And if I give both bags to my patients?"

"What?" Hawke tilted his head to the side like I do when I'm confused, "I guess I should have brought three bags then!"

"That's not what I meant." Daddy shook his head and led us into the clinic after lighting the lamp. He set the pot down on the counter, "What is this anyways?"

"It's some sort of stew Orana made last night. It was really tasty so I asked her to warm up the leftovers for this morning." Hawke set down the bags and stretched his back. "Now are you going to eat it or do I have to have a fight with Justice?"

Daddy's eyes darted over to his room, I wasn't sure if he was thinking about his manifesto or the book he picked up last night. "No, I can spare a bit of time."

"Good! Because it took a lot of energy to get all this food down here from Hightown."

"I'm surprised you didn't get attacked on the way."

"I'm the Champion of Kirkwall! No one wants to mess with me!" He made a show of flexing his muscles and I couldn't stop my snicker. It's hard to believe this was the same man from last night.

They both dished up some stew since there was plenty in there and sat on the counter eating in comfortable silence. Apparently it was good because Daddy actually went for seconds, he almost never does that. Hawke grinned and winked to me but didn't say anything about it.

"Oh yeah, I brought some fish for the kitties too. Where is Sirnef?"

"All I've had to give them is fish, so I think I burned him out on it." He chuckled. It was kind of true, Fenris did complain about all the fish once but it was under his breath so we never talked about it. "I think he is still asleep on my bed. Pounce will usually wake him up in the morning after we light the lantern."

"Does he… often sleep in your bed?"

"Just the last two nights. Last night he actually chose to sleep between us on his own." He smiled again and I have to admit I'm a bit jealous that the kitten can make him smile like that so easily, "I think I'm making real progress with him."

"I see." Hawke returned the smile, "Well, I'm glad its you changing his mind then."

Hawke continued to come every morning after that with warm food and would chat with Daddy until he would quietly leave once patients started coming in. During his visits I always let Fenris sleep in since we had started doubling our training efforts lately and he was still in a kitten's body so the rest was needed. When Hawke did leave I would wake him so we could eat and start practicing again. So little time left before the big day so I took advantage of every hour we had to keep him working on his hunting and stealth.

Since the miners stopped coming in the evening Daddy had a lot more free time so he put all of his effort into reading and taking notes on that grimoire. He even stopped writing his manifesto completely in favor of that book. Fenris still seemed wary of his actions but he wasn't distrustful of every little thing he did anymore. In fact he stopped watching Daddy for signs of corruption all the time. That may have had to do with all the preparation I've been putting him through not giving him the time, but I like to believe he just isn't as suspicious anymore.

Every night Fenris would join Daddy and me after we got into bed. He had taken up the spot between the two of us, and it was becoming normal for us to sleep in that pattern. He never gave any excuses or explanations of why he would sleep there but I never questioned it, so it became a silent agreement that didn't need to be debated.

We continued this for the next five days. When the morning came on the sixth day and therefore marked three weeks, I hesitated to follow Daddy. I watched the sleeping kittens face for a while, wondering if he would really leave like he had said he would. The training went well and he was bigger now after the three weeks of being here. He wasn't cat size obviously but he looked less kitten-like, and more like a small cat.

When I heard the door open and Hawke happily greet Daddy I turned around and jumped off the bed to find the two humans. Neither of them knew what this day signified so of course they wouldn't act any different, but I wished I wasn't the only one anxious right now.

"You look tired Hawke."

"Yeah I was up all night trying to figure something out." Hawke yawned. It was pretty impressive that he could study all night and yet still come here so early in the morning.

"Have you found any signs of Fenris yet?" Daddy misinterpreted it a bit; probably think he was up all night looking for Fenris, instead of looking into ways of reversing shape shifting. Honestly how Daddy hasn't connected the dots yet amazes me. It's not like he is an idiot or anything. If I had to bet on it, I think his is a subconscious denial because he doesn't want to loose his new kitten. That can happen right?

"I don't know yet." He sounded cautious of getting his hopes up, "I finally found a lead yesterday, which is why I didn't get any sleep, but it's kind of a long shot. Worth a try though."

Before Daddy could reply a crying mother came in with a sickly child in her arms. He immediately set the food he had been eating down and led the women to a cot. Hawke waved to me before leaving the clinic like he usually does when a client comes in.

This was typically the time I would go to wake Fenris for our own breakfast but I didn't want to do it. So instead, I hung around the clinic with Daddy, while he worked through the early morning patients.

It wasn't until a couple hours later I heard shuffling coming from the room. When I went back through the makeshift door he was stretching and very much awake.

"Good Morning."

He looked at me, "You didn't wake me this morning?"

"Yeah, I guess I didn't." I wanted to avoid this conversation as long as possible.

"Why not?" Did he not remember? Or maybe he was playing dumb? I kind of hoped for the latter, maybe he would just let this day pass by and if no one said anything he could conveniently forget about the whole thing.

"You looked too cute to wake up?" Not the best excuse I've ever come up with but he didn't bother replying, aside from rolling his eyes, so it was good enough.

He walked past me and started to where our breakfast had been laid out since Hawke started his morning visits. When he saw what it was his face scrunched up in disgust "Fish, fish, and more fish. Bah."

I couldn't help my snicker, "I don't know what your use to but fish is fine dining for us felines."

"Healer!"

Everyone's attention went to the women who just slipped through the door. When she turned around I recognized her as Lirene, she didn't come down here often unless it was important. "Templars! Some were seen entering Darktown so I had them followed but they are coming this way."

Daddy glowered and I saw a flicker of blue appear in his eyes before disappearing again. He nodded to Lirene and went back towards his room.

"Young and elderly clear out of the clinic. Everyone else, help cover and hide all potions and signs of magical healing before leaving. If you need help or can't walk speak up and we will get someone to help." Lirene was smart when it came to this. She has helped steer Templars off Daddy's track for years now.

"Templars come down here?"

"It happens every once in awhile. Most of the time it's a false alarm, I think they have only raided the clinic a few times, but better safe then sorry." I saw a small child walking away from the rest of the group. "Come on."

I jumped off the counter and swerved through the feet of the several adults trying to move the potions around. Apparently Lirene hired some help from other Darktown residents because there weren't this many people just standing around before. When I reached the kid, I started meowing to get her attention. Fenris appeared beside me looking at the organized mess of people in bewilderment.

"Kitty!" She made those grabby hands I hate so much, but thankfully towards Fenris this time.

"You might want to start moving. When children get a hold of you, they don't let go." He made an affirmative noise and we both started leading the little girl back the way she was supposed to go.

"Do this many people normally come to help him?"

"I'm not sure, this is only the second time it's happened while I've been here and the first time was in the middle of the night so only a few people came. But there are a lot of people who rely on Daddy around here, so they are eager to help when they can."

"Sarah!" A frumpy woman stopped us and picked up the girl in a hug. "Don't you ever wander away from the group like that ever again okay?" She turned to the door and made her way out.

"Your welcome!" A quick glance around the room told me most of the people had made their way out, with the exception of Lirene and a couple others who were helping an old man through the doorway.

"Pounce, Sirnef." We both turned to Daddy who had the book in hand. He gestured to the back of the clinic before walking over to Lirene, I assume to thank her for the warning.

"This way."

When I led him to the back corner of the clinic Fenris gave me a confused look but I just smiled at him. "You'll understand soon enough."

When Daddy caught up to us he started feeling around the painted wall until he found a very small an unnoticeable slash in the wall. He used his nail to get under it and pull. There was a shifting noise then a creek as a small door slowly swung open.

"We think it was used by slaves back in Kirkwall's slave days, since this wall has obviously never been redone since then." I pointed to the creepy painting lining the walls. "But it works nicely for hiding."

Daddy slipped inside and waited for us to do the same. Fenris looked hesitant but did it anyways, and I jumped in afterwards. It was a crowded space so we ended up on his lap since he was crouched down. Daddy had his hand on the door but stopped before closing it.

After a couple minutes of this Fenris spoke up, "Why doesn't he close it?"

"Uhm…" I wavered; unsure if was really my place to tell him. I decided to just not answer and meowed at Daddy to move before the Templars came.

He swallowed and took a very deep breathe before pulling it closed. There was no source of light but my eyes could see him close his eyes and bring his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. His mouth was moving, muttering something to himself. His other hand found my fur and grabbed it kind of hard. I didn't complain though, if he needed me I would endure whatever it took.

"He is shaking." Fenris observed. I knew he could see him just as well as I could, and it was obvious he was struggling with something. "Is he fighting that demon for control simply because Templars are near?"

He had that accusatory tone in his voice again that made me sigh, "No. It's not Justice."

Daddy started mumbling louder but the words were still indistinguishable. If I had to guess he was trying to tell himself to stay calm and not move or activate his magic. I twisted my body a bit so I could nuzzle his thumb. He quieted down again and started roughly moving his had through my fur instead of grabbing it.

"He is talking to himself, either it is his demon or he is crazier then we thought."

"He was locked in solitary confinement for a year you ass!"

…Okay so maybe that wasn't the best way to tell him, but he was asking for that last part. He looked taken aback by my little outburst so I figured I had to explain it all now.

"He was infamous at the Ferelden mage circle for escaping. After the fifth or sixth one of them the Templars decided to punish him by putting him in solitary confinement for a year. They just expected him to fall prey to a demon eventually and therefore get him out of their hair but he didn't. He survived the full year without becoming an abomination and was released. He doesn't talk about it much even to me but apparently he was pretty messed up for awhile after it, including a pretty severe case of claustrophobia."

"Why did they not simply make him tranquil?"

"This was more fun?" He looked doubtful, "You always lecture that power corrupts right? Well it goes both ways. The Templars have power and can do whatever they want to the mages under them. Does it really surprise you they would abuse it?"

That seemed to get through to him. "No… it doesn't."

We stayed quiet in that little room for an unknown amount of time but it had to be hours because by the time Lirene came back to say the Templars were gone it was getting dark again. Daddy practically leaped out of there and started taking deep breathes of fresh air. In the light, you could see how much he was sweating and how he was a bit paler then normal.

Lirene rubbed his back in comfort. She was the only person who knew about his phobia in Kirkwall, and he only reluctantly told her after she found him like this the first couple of times. "They weren't looking for you this time. They were searching for anything left from the underground resistance but they didn't find anything."

He shook off whatever he was thinking of and reached back into the small hideaway to grab his book, "Thank you Lirene."

She nodded and left us alone; she was never a woman for needless words. Daddy restlessly examined the clinic before going to work setting everything back up how it was this morning. Fenris and me silently watched him organize everything and followed him into the room where he pulled out all his papers from a hidden compartment in the floor. He sat on his desk and went to work reading that book again like nothing had happened at all.

I sighed and curled up on his lap looking over to Fenris who was laid out on the bed. It was the end of those three weeks and yet he had made no move to leave Daddy and me. I should have just kept my mouth shut but what can I say, curiosity got the better of me.

"The day is almost over." I said nonchalantly.

He gave me a look that told me he knew exactly what I was hinting too.

"I will stay."

Woot got past writers block! The original plans for this chapter was different, the whole scene with the Templars was cut out in the original layout but after shifting things around it came back. I kinda feel like I attacked Anders twice in back-to-back chapters but I guess that's just how it worked out. Hope you guys liked it anyways :)