Disclaimer: I own none of the recognized characters. I am merely borrowing them to satisfy my muse

Chapter 28

"Kadan!"

"Over here, Bull! I need some help!" The qunari rounded the corner and barely slowed in his stride as he ran forward. CJ had expected him to grab the rope. Not grab her.

He hugged her tightly, surprising her.

"The next time I say wait, Kadan, you'd damn well better wait for me!" She would have protested his words, but she felt him shaking. Not enough to be visible, but she could feel it.

"Sorry, Bull." She murmured. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me, Kadan. I know you can take care of yourself." But his words came too quickly.

"Help me pull this bastard up." She said as he released her.

With Iron Bull's help, it was short work to get Michal and the girl back inside.

The moment Michal was untied from the girl, CJ slammed her fist across his face.

"You bastard." She hissed, fully intent on beating him. Iron Bull's arms around her prevented that.

"What is going on?!" Talon demanded as CJ struggled.

"Let me go, damn it!" She exclaimed. "It's his fault! It's all his fault! Why, you bastard?! I left! I did what you asked! Why did you send them after me?!" Her voice hitched. "Why?! I left, damn it! I did what you wanted! It's your fault they're dead! I should throw you out that damn window myself! Let me go, Bull!" But Bull's hold was firm. She didn't stand a chance at breaking free. "Let go!"

"Kadan, stop." He ordered, but CJ didn't want to. She wanted to hurt the man in front of her. Really hurt him. Make him feel every bit of pain and terror that that family had felt, seven years ago. That thought scared her.

"Why did you send them after me?!" She demanded. Michal had drawn back, his lip bleeding. Varric had drawn Bianca, leveling it at the man to keep him from running. "Answer me!"

"Answer her, or I will let her go." Iron Bull growled. "And she will kill you."

"I never wanted you!" Michal's voice was higher with fright. "I told Ari to get rid of you. Leave you in the wilds for an animal to eat. But she didn't! You were never supposed to live. But I moved on with my life. Was no longer a servant. And then you came along after all those years gone. I couldn't let you ruin everything I'd worked for!"

CJ flinched at the disgust in the man's voice. "But I left!"

"You could have come back!" Michal exclaimed. "You would have ruined everything!"

Iron Bull's grip loosened for just a second. But that's all CJ needed.

"Twenty people!" She tackled the man. "Twenty people died because of you! Nine of them were children! They'd never done anything to deserve that!"

By the time they were able to pull CJ off of him, she'd broken his nose. Michal was sobbing on the ground. Moaning that it wasn't his fault. She'd made him do it.

CJ looked at him in disgust. "Where is Blatt? Where is he going? Tell me everything you know about him."

"You've killed me!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up!" She retorted viciously. "You're not dying!"

"I'm in pain-,"

CJ cut him off with a swear word. "You know nothing of pain!" Michal was stunned into silence at her tone. She drew a dagger and sliced into her pant leg, ripping the fabric away easily. "Pain is spending six months having your skin carved for some sick delight of monsters your own father sent after you!" The scars were plain for everyone to see, but CJ didn't care. "Pain is seeing innocent lives taken away and not being able to stop it! You know nothing of pain," She spat, crouching and pressing the dagger against his cheek. Not hard enough to cut. Not quite. Not yet. "But you will," She hissed. "If you do not tell me what I want to know."

The smell of urine filled the air as Michal's bladder let go, but he talked.

Emerald Graves. Blatt was headed for the Emerald Graves. And CJ would follow him.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

"You wouldn't really have cut him." CJ looked at Cole, who was riding beside her. They were, finally, on their way back to Skyhold. CJ's plan was to restock supplies, see Tommy briefly and then head out. She would not rest easy until Blatt was dead. "Not like they cut you. You wouldn't have killed him. Though you wanted to. Why not? He deserved it. Rage and hurt boiling inside you, but you wouldn't. Why?"

She didn't answer for a long time. CJ wasn't even sure herself. "Because he was afraid." She finally settled on. "And he is no longer a threat to me. Hurting him, killing him, it would not bring any of those who died back. Wouldn't take away my scars. He is not the one I will take my revenge on."

"I want to go with you." She raised an eyebrow. "To the Emerald Graves. I want to go with you. Will you let me?"

"If you'd like, Cole. I won't stop you." She smiled at him. "Thank you."

BBBBBB

"Take care of him." She spoke lowly, so as to not awaken the child sleeping in her bed. "Don't let him out of Skyhold without an escort. An armed escort. Blatt could very well come after him."

"They'll keep him safe, Kadan." Iron Bull said, glancing at the child before focusing on her face.

"They?" CJ questioned.

"I'm coming with you."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No. You're not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Kadan,"

"Bull, the only way for me to catch Blatt is to travel under the radar. He's already going to be on the lookout for me. But I have ways of blending in. You do not."

"I can blend!"

"You're over six feet tall with huge horns! You couldn't blend in the middle of a sand storm!"

"But Kadan,"

"No, Bull." CJ said firmly.

Iron Bull scowled at her heavily. CJ just crossed her arms and scowled back.

"I don't like this." He announced. "I really don't like this."

"You don't have to like this. I'm doing this."

"I could stop you."

"No, you really couldn't." Her scowl turned into a dark glare.

"I could. I could tie you up."

But CJ knew that was a false threat. He'd only bind her for pleasure.

"You could." She agreed. "You're stronger than me. I really couldn't stop you. But you wouldn't."

"If I thought it would stop you. Save your life, you bet your pretty ass I would." He matched her glare evenly.

They were still standing there when Krem came looking for CJ.

"Uhm . . . .," His voice cut through their glaring contest. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No." "Yes." The answers came simultaneously.

"No." CJ restated firmly. "I'm leaving." She turned away from Iron Bull.

Her steps were stopped short by a hand grabbing the neck of her armor.

"You're not leaving like that." Iron Bull said firmly, turning her around.

Her protests were cut off by Iron Bull's kiss. It started out fiercely, as if Iron Bull was trying to make her stay, but it quickly gentled. Turned warm and passionate.

"You will come back." He pulled back just enough to speak. Though it sounded like an order, CJ could hear the plea buried deep in his tone. "You will come back."

"Of course." She closed the distance between them in a final kiss. "I'll come back."

"And Krem's going to make sure of that."

At first, CJ was going to refuse. Her party had grown from just her and Cole to include Varric, Solas, Sera, and Dorian as well. Granted, Solas and Sera would only be along for a part of the journey, but the more people there, the bigger risk Blatt would hear of them long before they got close. But the look in Iron Bull's eye, the set of his face, the worry that he tried so hard to hide, stopped her.

"As you wish." She began walking away.

"Kadan." She paused in the doorway, Krem right in front of her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And then she was gone, gathering her group and heading out of Skyhold.