Sorry for the delay, everybody! I meant to have this chapter done before now but things got in the way, so I'm mega sorry for the wait!
Okay, between this chapter and the prologue, there is a eight year gap, HOWEVER, I am planning on doing like flashback type things to the eight years through out the fic. The time skip works better with part of the story, I suppose you could say, mainly with the ages of children (warning right there, you don't want kids in the fic, don't continue reading...you have been warned)
Anyhow, read, enjoy and please review.
"Mother!" Mal yelled from where he stood in the door way. His white hair was sticking out and tinged, his gold eyes blazed with anger and his cloths were smoking. Emily sighed, shit, not again. Her daughter and son could just never het along, not since the day they had been born.
"Mal, she set you on fire, didn't she?" she asked and he nodded in reply. Third time this month, then she could count the frozen merchants, the horses hit by lightning, and countless other things. Lea Beth was a troublemaker, and worse then Emily herself had been at the same age.
"It wasn't on purpose!" Lea Beth ran in, pushing her brother out of the door way to get in the house. "He got in the way of my spells! I was trying to practice and he stepped in my way! It's his own fault!"
"You could have warned me!" Mal retorted. Lea Beth stuck out her tongue at him. Emily crossed her arms, was this what her and her siblings had sounded like? No wonder her mother and father had always been so tired and irritated, however, Mal had his father's temper and as for Lea Beth, she was like both her parents, in temper and in kindness.
"I tried! You didn't listen to me!" Lea Beth snapped. She looked at her mother with big green eyes. "I did, I really did try, mother." she blew a brown hair out of her face before turning back to her brother. "And your alive, Mal, come on, it could have been worse."
"Have you seen my hair, Lea!" he questioned. "Or my clothes! These are the best clothes I have for sword practice! You go and burn them just as I was going for father to show me new techniques!"
"Hey, you ruined my best robes by cutting them to pieces, and you also nailed the shreds to the bed tied with my hair last time, so I don't want to hear it, brother." she reminded and shrugged. He stormed off to their shared bedroom and slammed the door. Emily sighed heavily and Lea Beth looked back to her. "Sorry mother." she apologized.
"Go apologize to your brother, and Lea, I...just tell Mal to clean himself up, there is a new clothing for his dueling I just got, as well as new robes for you. Both are in the box just outside your room. Both of you change, and tell him he can go practice with your father." Emily told her daughter. Lea Beth gave a nod and ran off for her room.
There was a knock on the door and Emily sighed as she walked over and pulled it open. As soon as she did, her tiredness faded away instantly at seeing who it was. The woman was in a most casual outfit instead of armor, as was the man next to her, in front of them both was a child with red hair, just like her mother's.
"Aveline! Donnic!" she greeted, her grin getting wider. She hadn't seen the guard captain in so long, she had missed her. "Oh it's been too long!"
"Hawke, I told you I'd visit." the warrior replied but smiled. Emily shook her head slightly.
"Ah, but it's been two years too long. Your last visit was so long ago." the mage paused. "And may I ask who this little girl is? I do not remember her from last visit."
"I'm Tahlia." the girl said grinning. "You must be the Champion, Hawke. Momma has told me all about what you did in Kirkwall and from when you and her first met and fought that nasty ogre." she looked around. "I don't mean to sound rude but, is there anything I could do here?"
"Aw, how polite. I wish my kids were like that. But yes, Lea Beth will be glad to play with a kid who isn't Mal or Lari. She should be in her room, the second door on the right." Emily instructed before Tahlia ran off. She then turned her attention back to Aveline.
"Alright, you said hi, now ye better move over, wench!" came a voice behind Aveline. Isabela pushed her way between Donnic and Aveline so she could face Emily. "Hawke! Didn't I tell you that you hadn't seen the last of me?" Emily chucked.
"I believed you, Izzy. You haven't stolen any more qunari relics have you?" she joked. The pirate shook her head with a broad grin.
"No." there was a pause. "And also, I ain't the only one Aveline's battering-ram build was hiding." she added a wink.
"Goldie, you still owe me that pint." Varric called. "Choir Boy also has something for you. Well, we all do, but what he has is enough for a lifetime of ale!"
"So, I have my charming pirate lass, my guard captain, my trusty dwarf and my religious prince on my doorstep. Hm, who's missing?" Emily pursed her lips jokingly.
"Blondie is here to, Goldie, don't worry about that." Varric told her, moving into sight. "He just is upset that he couldn't bring his cat with for the visit. Plus he didn't want you to know he was here with us all yet."
"Shut up, dwarf! You know I have that cat with me at the moment!" Anders hissed. Varric chuckled.
"It's called sarcasm, and you know that you just gave yourself away, Blondie."
"Enough bickering, come in and make yourselves at home." Emily told them. "And Varric, I have some ale in the kitchen if you want, Izzy there are cards in the cabinet. I need to go and get somebody, or a few. A good reunion I say." she beckoned them in before leaving the room.
"You do know that your old rival is gonna flip out when he sees you, right?" Isabela pointed out to Anders as she went to get the card deck. "I mean, I still remember the day he almost killed you. Or the few times. But the most recent I remembered. What was it for again? Saying something about the twins or was it something about Hawke?"
"Shut up." Anders snapped at her. "It was neither. It was about mages."
"Either way, I'd be careful." the pirate advised, already shuffling the cards in hand. "And by now, you might have more then him to deal with. I remember Hawke told me about a year ago when I saw her that Lea Beth is quite a powerful mage and Mal is quite the little warrior who has the temper of his father."
"Does he wear spikes and brood yet?" Varric chided. "It's obvious he's the elf's son, but it would be uncanny if he did." the dwarf shrugged, setting down glasses of ale on the table.
"He just might, Varric. I mean, Tahlia has that red hair and she can lift a whole village like her mother. Anybody here who has a child or more, well, it's an uncanny resemblance." Isabela laughed.
"Shut up, whore. Don't forget she knows your a slattern, just like we all do and have." Aveline replied, referring to when her daughter had asked what a slattern was and all she did was point to Isabela. There was the sound of a door opening and closing before Emily appeared again.
"Back." she smiled. Fenris stepped into the room and glanced at them all, his eyes falling to Anders.
"Venhedis fassta vass." he muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Well look what the mabari dragged in." the healer replied. Emily gave them both a look and they were quiet but still glaring at one another with eyes of hate. There were the sounds of footsteps and Merrill, Carver, who was holding Lari, appeared.
"Oh it's nice to see you all!" Merrill greeted with her usual grin. "Creators only know what would happen if you all weren't alright too!"
"Good to see you, Daisy." Varric gave a nod then turned his attention to Carver. "Well Junior, glad to see you kept yourself and Daisy safe all these years, and little Lari." Carver nodded, being to focused on Lari to pay close attention and reply, but Lari saw the room full of people and squealed.
"Papa, are these the people mama told me stories about?" the young girl asked, pointed ears twitching. "There are so many...and they look so...strange."
"She's so kind." Anders muttered before Isabela elbowed him with a hiss. The healer doubled over from the sharp jab.
"Shut it, she's adorable. You're the only one that looks weird anyway. The rest of us look damn good." the pirate told him under her breath. Merrill took Lari from Carver and walked off in the direction of the bedrooms to put her with the other three children in the house. She then returned a moment later, still smiling.
"Alright, Goldie, we gotta tell you something." Varric said. "It has to do with the Seekers. They're tracking you, one already interrogated me about what happened and I told her I had no clue. Total lie, but I knew I'd have to make sure they didn't find you."
"Seekers? Ah blighted hell. That's worse then Templars." Emily sighed, crossing her arms. "Where'd they interrogate you?"
"Your old estate in Kirkwall." Varric shrugged. Emily nearly jumped when she heard him say the word Kirkwall, so many bad memories.
"Did they go through anything of the remains? Did they do anything? Oh maker, I hope they didn't. No, no, no. This can't be happening. I was already wanted by Templars, but Seekers now too? Shit." she managed, turning to Fenris. "You do remember what I hid beneath the floor boards, don't you?"
"I do...damn it." the elf replied with a slight sigh or irritation and worry. Emily turned back to the others before she spoke again.
"Before any of you ask, I'll tell you." she paused. "I put a box of personal belongings and a few gifts I meant to give you all. Shit. I...I'm screwed. My journal was in there, it had everything in it...and then mother's room key." she explained. "And some important letters..."
"You left all that in the maker damned estate, sister?" Carver interrupted. "What were you thinking?"
"Damn it all to hell." Emily muttered. "Isabela, your ship at the docks?" the pirate nodded. "Alright, I want you to take me to Kirkwall. I don't care if there's a chance I'll be caught, I have to see if they found my things." she paused for a moment. "I know you all just got here, guys, but...I just have to get this stuff."
"You are not going without me, Emily. You know that." Fenris told her. "I'm not breaking that promise, I never plan to either."
"Oh shit, Lea and Mal...um...Varric! Yeah, can you watch them? All of you can stay here if you want for a few days until we return, or go and live your life like before you came to visit."
"I'm going with you, sister. You'll need me." Carver put a hand on her shoulder. "If any templars or seekers show up, I can help you." he turned to look at Merrill. "Stay here with Lari, okay?" the small elven woman gave a curt nod.
"Hawke, you're insane." Anders commented. Emily looked at him with a smirk.
"Haven't I always been, Anders? You guys know me best, I'm a sarcastic crazy mage, but is there any other way to go?" she shrugged.
"Goldie, you be careful, alright?" Varric told her, Emily gave a small nod.
"I will. You guys just don't let my kids destroy everything and it'll all be okay." she said. "Isabela, let's go. Ready?" the duelist rogue smirked and headed for the door. "I promise all four of us will come back in one piece, it'll be fine." the mage headed for the door, grabbing her staff before she exited. Carver and Fenris each grabbed a broadsword, Carver quickly kissing Merrill before he did, and the two left as well. The house was quiet except for the dim sound of playing children in another room.