Author's note: I'm playing a little fast and loose with the timeline in the next few chapters. The whole "3 years passed and nothing of interest happened" is hard to swallow in the game, but almost impossible in a story.
Things had been going so well. They'd escaped the crypt, gathered enough treasure to repay their investment several times over, and found their way the old camp to pick up their abandoned supplies. They'd even managed the week long journey back to the surface without getting lost, thanks to Anders' Warden maps. Varric was disappointed that they hadn't stumbled over Bartrand's corpse on the way, but even that was probably for the best.
But then Hawke returned to Gamlen's house to find Knight-Captain Cullen taking away her sister. All the success of the expedition suddenly seemed pointless. She'd failed in the job her father had given her; she hadn't protected her sister from the Templars.
There was nothing she could do. It was only through the intervention of the viscount that her family escaped retribution for having hidden an apostate mage. Even that shelter was only offered because Bethany had chosen to go quietly.
Hawke's friends were little help. Varric felt for Bethany, but was consumed with his own family problems. Anders cancelled out his genuine sympathy with too many attempts to use the situation to win Hawke over to his cause. Fenris was silent, which she took to mean he approved of what had happened but didn't want to offend her by saying so. Merrill offered empathy and Isabela distraction, but she'd never been very close to either of them, and found little comfort in their words.
Aveline was the only one who understood Hawke's guilt. The two of them might not have much in common, but they had fought their way out of Ferelden together; and in spite of the fact that her late husband had been a Templar, Aveline had a genuine affection for Bethany. She understood loss and the feeling of having let down those she loved. Aveline didn't offer false hope or tell Hawke it wasn't her fault; she just offered a shoulder and a sympathetic ear. It was Aveline who helped her focus on Bethany's last words to her sister: look after Mother.
So Hawke used her new wealth, traded on the viscount's gratitude, leveraged any information Aveline could give her, and won back the rights to the old Amell estate. She hired workers to clean it up, repair what could be fixed, and replace what couldn't. She spent hours with her mother talking over childhood memories so that she could restore the old house to what it had been. The project did put some energy back into her mother's step and some light into her voice. It didn't bring Bethany back, but it helped them move forward.
A few months later, Bodahn showed up on her doorstep, falling over himself with apologies for what had happened in the Deep Roads. He'd parted company with Bartrand as soon as they'd reached the surface.
"With all you've done for me and my boy, we owe you more than we can repay," he insisted, and set himself up as her steward. Hawke was a bit uncomfortable that Bodahn felt he needed to atone for actions that were not his own, but she couldn't deny his competency. He made her dealings with builders, merchants and - Maker save her - household staff much easier. The dwarves settled in quickly and easily, and she soon came to wonder how she'd done without them.
Hawke spent a lot of time on the move to Hightown; fixing up the estate, putting in appearances at the viscount's court, helping her mother reconnect with old acquaintances. Aveline came by to visit sometimes - the Amell estate was mere steps from the viscount's palace - but she saw less and less of the others.
"They miss you, you know," Aveline scolded her gently one evening, while they sat drinking tea from her mother's new china cups. Neither of them were quite at ease with the delicate handles and fragile edges. "Varric says he's entirely run out of things to write about."
"Somehow I doubt that," Hawke said dryly, as she carefully set down the cup in its rickety saucer. "How is everyone, Aveline? Do you go down and meet them at the Hanged Man?"
"Sometimes I do, when I've been out on patrol," replied the guard. "It's nice to hear what people are up to."
"I hear about Varric from Bodahn, sometimes - stories from the Merchant Guild. He has quite a reputation for disrespecting dwarvan tradition," Hawke said with a smile, thinking of Bodahn's scandalized tones. "What about Anders? And... the others?"
"Anders is still running his clinic, though there are fewer refugees than there used to be. He comes out to play Wicked Grace sometimes, but he says Justice doesn't like it when he drinks too much. Isabela... hasn't changed." She made a face, and Hawke laughed. "Varric has all but adopted Merrill. She's adjusting to city life a bit better, but she still hasn't a clue about being careful on the streets at night. I don't know how she's survived living in the alienage."
"Poor Merrill. Probably poor Varric too, if he's spending his money on protecting her," Hawke snorted. Funny that the dwarf should have taken such a shine to a blood mage elf; but for all his wild tales, Varric undoubtedly had a soft side. Even his crossbow was more of a pet than a weapon. She took a sip from her almost-cold cup, and hesitated a moment before asking, "What about Fenris?"
"I know he's still squatting in that old estate, because I've had complaints," Aveline said crisply, 'but I haven't seen him for months. I asked him to help train my guard in Tevinter fighting techniques, but he refused. I hardly understand why - he's highly skilled and it would do my guards a world of good - but we haven't spoken since. I don't think he goes out much." She finished her own tea with a gulp and stood up. "It's time I was getting back to the barracks. You should really go down to the Hanged Man sometime soon, Hawke. It would do you good."