***Author's Note***

Shit is about to hit the fan.

This is a build up for the next chapter, so I apologise if it's slightly annoying :/

Hope you enjoy!

Leave a review :)

Chapter 38

"You lied to me!" Sarah shouted at Anders in his clinic. Her brother and sister behind her, cold stony eyes from beneath dark hair. "You told me this was a potion from Tevinter! It's not!"

"Oh!? And who told you that?" He pointed at Sophie who immediately went on the defensive. "Her? The all-knowing mage hater!?"

"My sister does not hate mages. Just you!" Sarah screamed at him, he magic rippling from her in waves. "Why lie about it?" She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes wide with anger and upset.

"Because, I knew you would go crawling to Hawke or Sophie about it! I knew you would not trust me." He spat the words like acid.

"And with good reason." Sophie mumbled to Hawke beneath her breath.

"They are the ones who figured out your lie, you son of a bitch!" Her rage was almost hurting her as she shouted at him. "What are you planning to do with it!?"

"As if I would tell you now." His eyes narrowed at her.

"Ugh! You know what? Fuck you!" She was shaking. "You're just as bad as a magister, with your scheming, trying to push everyone who isn't a mage beneath you!"

It came so fast. A searing pain on the side of her face that pushed her to the ground, a blue light flickering around the clinic. Did he just..? She was about to defend her self, looking at the man who had once loved her as he glowed with the spirit of Justice and lightning flickering up his arms.

That was when a flurry of movement erupted behind her and a small figure leapt at Anders. Silver and black hair whirling around a face contorted with anger. "How dare you!" A fist connected with Anders' jaw and he flew to the ground in a heap, his lip split. Hawke followed after her, icy blue eyes alight with menace. Anders reverted back to his natural state, cupping his surely broken jaw gingerly. "You fucking piece of shit!" Sophie was atop him, her fists balled and repeatedly punching Anders in his face and chest, her knuckles split beneath the force.

Anders cried out and mind blasted the smallest Hawke away from him and she flew into the air only to spin gracefully and land on the ground like a cat. And then Hawke loomed above him and Anders looked up at him in fear.

"Are you going to hit me now, too?" Hawke's deep voice thundered around her as she watched her siblings defend her.

"No, Hawke...I-"

He held up a hand to silence the mage. "I don't want to hear it." He bent low and almost growled. "You are so lucky the others are not here to see this. I doubt you would live to see the night through." He jerked his chin in the direction of Sophie who was nursing her split knuckles. Sarah sighed and flared a bit of healing magic at her sister before directing it onto herself.

"Hawke, please! I don't know what-"

"Shut up, Anders!"

"What has the abomination done now?" Oh, shit.

Sarah gulped and looked round at Fenris who strolled into the clinic and shut the door behind him before flickering his eyes at the scene; Sarah, on the floor as she healed charred flesh from her face, Sophie, with blood on her knuckles and tunic and then Anders, sprawled on the floor with Hawke stood above him. His green eyes narrowed before helping Sarah of the ground.

"What. Has the abomination. Done. Now." He came and stood beside Hawke, his eyes flickering over to Sophie as she used a rag to wipe the blood from her hands, his sudden anger bubbling over as he saw fresh scars on her knuckles. His Lyrium flared and his fist became transparent. He whirled on the floored mage before he was pulled back with small hands and a firm voice.

"Fenris don't. He's not worth it."

Sophie dragged the elf to the door and left without another glance at Anders. Sarah was sad to see them go but she understood the necessity, Fenris would have murdered him.

"They're animals!"

Hawke roared. "You have no right to say that! If I ever see you near my sisters again I will kill you myself! Do I make myself clear?"

Anders stood and casually healed his face. A tight smirk was on his face as he grinned at Hawke and Sarah. Sarah did not like the look of it.

"Crystal clear. Now, get out." His eyes flickered blue as he gestured to the clinic door.

How could he just dismiss me like that!?

Sarah shuffled her feet as Hawke walked past her. She took one step toward the man she once loved and father of her child before he spun about in a blue haze.

"I said get out!" It was not his voice. She nearly ran to the door, wrenching it open and rushing into the stink of Darktown. In her haste she collided with the hard armor of Fenris. He caught her before she fell and pushed her gently to her brother. She gathered a handful of his robes as he held her too his chest, he muttered comforting things in her ear as the four of them made their way through the passageway that would lead to the cellar of their estate.

"That is not Anders, anymore." Sophie muttered as she walked behind them.

Varric sighed as Hawke told him the goings on with Sarah and Anders. How Sophie had split her knuckles on the mages face and how he and Fenris had almost murdered him in defense of the Hawke sister.

"Honestly Hawke, I kinda feel sorry for Blondie." Hawke's eyes flickered up to him as he read a letter from his desk. "I mean, he shouldn't have turned on Sunshine like he did. But in the space of about a minute, he lost control, struck his woman, got the shit beat out of him by Snowflake, threatened by you and almost murdered by Broody..."

"Did you just refer to Sarah and Sophie as Sunshine and Snowflake?"

Varric waved his arms. "Not my point, Hawke. Is he even allowed to see Tiny?" He got handed a letter to look over, as was their usual arrangement.

"That's up to Sarah." He mumbled as he scowled at the ground. "How come I don't have a nickname?"

Varric wasn't listening as he reread the letter. "Umm, Hawke. Did you even read this letter?"

"Not really no." He waved it of as he began to open another.

"It's from a Serah Delilah Howe."

He looked up then. "Howe? As in..."

"Indeed. Do you think dearest cousin is back in town?"

"Could be, does this Delilah say where to meet her?"

"Hightown, near the Chantry at around noon."

"Ugh, I hate noon time this time of year..." He sulked again.

"Why?"

"It's too hot."

"Get some rest Hawke. I'll be by in the morning for breakfast and to see Nathaniel and Riordan with any luck."

"Hmm." Varric looked back at his friend to see he had passed out in the chair.

"Runs himself too hard that one." Varric let himself out into the night, whistling to himself as he went. "Chuckles...or Hawke?" He pondered. Chuckles will sound shit when people read it, and you know it.

Hawke swaggered up to the young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Nathaniel.

"Delilah Howe?"

She jumped and looked around at the group that had approached her. "Master Hawke?"

He bowed at her "The one and only." Isabela chuckled behind him as she watched his arse shift beneath his leggings. Sarah and Sophie rolled their eyes and Varric simply chuckled along. Fenris pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, already sick of the day.

"I must speak with you. You are the only one that can help." She took a deep breath as her hands shook. She's clearly frightened. "The Wardens mounted an expedition to trace your route through the Deep Roads." Hawke flinched unconsciously at the thought of the place, a flinch that didn't go unnoticed by Sophie as she cocked a brow at him and rested her weight on one hip. "To discover what ever it is you found years ago. It's a fool's errand and my poor brother is with them. Nathaniel Howe." Shit.

Sarah gasped. "Nate? How is he doing? Is Riordan with him?"

"He's missing Serah. I'm unsure of the Warden-Commander. Haven't you been listening?" Sarah glared down at the woman and Sophie whipped her head around and stared at her with stony eyes.

"Pardon my sisters. They don't do well with strangers." He heard Fenris chuckle behind him.

Her eye's widened and Hawke almost felt sorry for her. "These are your sisters? I thought they would be more..." She trailed off.

"Demure? Ha, we would be so lucky to get these two out of their leathers."

"I take you and Nathaniel have history, Messere?"

"He visited a couple of years back with my cousin, the Warden-Commander." He smiled at her as she slowly made sense of their family. "Do you know any other details than...you know...Deep roads." He almost threw up saying it.

She shook her head and Sophie sighed lightly. "I know almost nothing, Nathaniel never speaks about the Wardens. It was only happenstance that I heard your name mentioned. Please! Go back to the Deep Roads, find my brother. You must!"

Then began walking away and he heard Sarah and Sophie mumbling to themselves. "Must we! Why is it that everyone assumes that we must do this, or do that!"

"They have a point you know." Fenris muttered into his ear.

"I know but it's Nathaniel, I'd like to think he'd do the same for us." Fenris simply nodded and walked over to Sophie.

He felt Isabela loop her arm about his waist. "If it's all the same to you, I'll stay here. I don't fancy the Deep Roads after...last time. I'll watch over Levi and the estate." She traipsed of the tell Sarah her plan who nodded along half heartedly. She's not been herself since Anders...

"By my estimate, Chuckles, it'll take a week for us to get there, a few days hunting and a week to get back."

"Chuckles?"

"You said you wanted a nickname." Varric grinned up at him.

"That...actually works." He grinned and tested it in his mind before he bumped into Sarah. "Oops, sorry." He looked up at her, her eyes watery and mouth in a thin line.

"I'm not going."

"Pardon?"

"I'm not going to the Deep Roads. And I don't want you to take Sophie." She crossed her arms.

"Why not?" Oh, Maker. Please don't make me go on my own, Sarah.

"I know what happened down there, brother." Hawke took a step back from his sister. "I know what happened to Carver. I don't want that to happen to Sophie or you. You don't have to go after Nathaniel, stay here. Please."

They carried on walking, following the rest into the estate. "You don't have to come, and neither does Sophie. But I'm going, I can't just hope Nathaniel makes it out. And what if Riordan's down there?"

"You can't ask Sophie to go. What if she gets the taint!?" Her nerves were still stricken from what had happened with Anders and she kept rubbing at the spot where a sun brand lay beneath her tunic. A sun brand she got for that bastard.

"Sarah!" She look around at flashing amber eyes. "I'm going with Hawke."

"Sophie! No! Don't go!" She began to panic and Hawke looked around for something that might calm her. Levi was stood at the top of the stairs with Bodahn and Sandal, looking at his panicking mother and probably wondering where his father was. "You can't leave me here alone! What if you die!" Levi began to cry quietly and Sophie's eyes flashed to him. Fenris moved to stand before Levi and gathered him up into his wiry arms and carrying him to his room. Isabela coughed and Hawke looked at her, she cradled her hands beneath her cheek and feigned sleep and Hawke nodded to her.

Sophie walked over to her sister and gently gripped her arms as Sarah's resolve broke around her like glass and her tears flooded from her eyes. Her fire licked up her arms and scorched the fabric of Sophie's clothing and burnt her flesh. She winced but didn't let go. Hawke gathered his will and directed it at Sarah, sending the soothing waves of Fade and urging her to fall asleep. Her head drooped onto her sister's shoulder and her legs gave out beneath her, Isabela caught her and lifted her easily into her arms. Sophie backed away and batted of the flames before they spread any further and Hawke hit her with a healing spell. He motioned for her to get packed and she nodded quickly running to her bedroom where she was joined by Fenris who decided he was coming along too.

When Sarah awoke they had already left.

As Varric had estimated, it had taken nearly a week for the to reach the entrance to the Deep Roads. Fenris wrinkled his nose at the stench that wafted from the caves. The smell of death. He didn't hold much hope in finding Nathaniel, but then greater things had happened.

He watched Sophie as she chatted with Merrill about the various plants they knew about. The elf's eyes were wider than usual as Sophie amazed her with her knowledge about all the plants and resources that could kill you in a heartbeat. Sebastian chuckled beside him as he too watched the women talk.

"What's so funny?"

Sebastian's cheekbones went slightly pink at their height as he realised he had been caught. "Ah, Merrill. She always makes me laugh."

Fenris cocked his brow at the rogue. "Oh, really? I heard an interesting tale about Merrill." His lips quirked as Sebastian's eyes went wide.

"You're playing a cruel game, Fenris." His thick brogue cracked and gathered the attention he clearly didn't want.

Varric clapped his hands. "Well done, Broody. What cruel game are we playing?"

Sophie and Merrill paused in their conversation and turned to look at Sebastian, only adding to the pressure.

"I heard an interesting rumour from a very small source, is all Varric."

A small squeak left Sebastian and his eyes flickered to Merrill, who looked as clueless as always. "Fenris. Please shut up."

"I haven't said anything yet." Sophie grinned at him and she poked at Merril with her own subtle hushed questions.

Merrill cracked first.

"Is this about me and Sebastian sharing a kiss?"

Hawke whooped as Sebastian cried out. "Merrill!"

"What did I do?" She shrugged as Sebastian led her away from the group and toward a likely campsite for the group.

That night, Fenris wriggled into the furs with Sophie beside him. He couldn't help feel oppressed by the tons and tons of rock above them but Sophie's calm composure helped keep him sane. That and the sly smile that spread on their faces as they watched Sebastian and Merrill bed down together not to far away from them. "Well played, dear. Well played."

No one slept as they listened to Hawke's nightmares. He screamed for his brother to stay home, to become a Templar and not risk himself. He cried for his dead sister and mother. Called out his father's name. Each time he cried out, Fenris felt Sophie wince against him.

Nathaniel shot a well place arrow through the last Hurlock's skull and Hawke ran to meet him. Sophie watched her brother, relieved that they had found Nathaniel alive.

"Nathaniel!"

"Hawke!? What in the Maker's are you doing her?" They shared a tight hug and clapped each other on the shoulders. "Where's Anders and Sarah?" He nodded his greetings to the rest of them and Sophie grinned back.

"Ah, We had a small falling out with Anders and Sarah has stayed behind with Levi."

"Levi! How is he? He must be four now, am I correct?"

Hawke chuckled, "Oh, he's fine. Growing up strong and clever thanks to those two." He gestured his thumb at her and Fenris and Nathaniel smirked in return. "where's Riordan." His smirk fell from his face.

"He stayed in Amaranthine. There's trouble with the Orlesian's we think, he sent us here to look into the old Thaig you and Varric found. He thinks it might have something to add to the problem." Sophie sighed in relief to hear her cousin was safe.

"Really?"

"Him and the First-Warden himself. You went deeper than anyone thought possible!" Varric snorted and Hawke rolled his eyes.

"Right, as much as I love the company, is there anything keeping us in these Darkspawn infested tunnels?"

Nate chuckled. "Unfortunately, yes. When we were attacked I was separated from the rest of my expedition. Some of them may yet live. We must go deeper into the tunnels to rescue them."

Sophie sighed and reached for Fenris hand who grasped to it gladly. She frowned. He really hates it here.

"We have survivors to find." He and Nathaniel began to walk toward a nearby tunnel. "Let's go."

"We should move. Stay alert for Darkspawn."

Damn it.

It was another two weeks before their group returned, and they were on the verge of collapsing before Delilah Howe. She was grateful to hear of her brother's safety and concerned about their exhausted states. She shooed them away but Sophie had an inkling that it was due to their mud on their clothes.

She nudged Fenris as they walked and he poked her playfully back. they waved to Varric, Merrill and Sebastian who all made their way to Lowtown, Sebastian making a lame excuse about walking Merrill home to the Alienage.

They entered their home and Sophie sighed in relief.

Then there was banging above them. Muffled barks and yelling. Why can't we get any peace. The banging moved along the ceiling, the barks and crying growing louder. The door to the foyer burst open and the rest of the family exploded into the room. Muttley floored Hawke to the ground as was joined by Isabela in and exuberant welcome home. Sophie was pinned to the wall as her windpipe was nearly crushed by the force of Sarah colliding with her. Fenris was about to turn and help his lover when he too was attacked by something that took his legs out from beneath him. He looked up to see Levi laughing as he planted a kiss on his uncles forehead.

There was a cough from the door and they all looked around.

In the doorway was Anders, gaunt and tired looking. His hair was down and his robes hung loose about him. He wasn't himself. Even Levi didn't get up to greet him.

"I need your help." Everyone looked at him, waiting on some sort of elaboration. "I Need you to get me into the Chantry."

Alas, this story will soon be over. However, I hope to make the ending as exciting as possible, so stay with me!

I would like to thank everyone who have been reading this from the beginning and I hope I haven't let you down massively.

The next couple of chapters should be up soon :)

Review please!

-Sophus xx