Brotherhood

Babette wraps her arms around my waistline tightly.

"Um.. Babette... Pregnant..."

"Oh of course. My apologies dear. I got a little carried away."

"A little?" I tease her. "Where are Nazir and Cicero?"

"Nazir is on a contract at the moment and Cicero is with the Night Mother, as usual." I walk quickly to the Night Mother's coffin and bow before the dead Dunmer.

"Cicero leave us. I have things to discuss with the Night Mother."

"But Cicero was playing a game!" Cicero exclaims, referring to himself in the third person.

"Mother has important things to discuss with me. Go and train." He leaves uttering cuss words under his breath.

"I see what it is you wish to know my child."

"Mother. Why do you do this to me?"

"I do not set the contracts."

"Please. Withdraw the contact or tell me who sent it in the first place."

"Nazir has gone to finish the contract anyway. It does not matter who sent it." Without further words I start to run out of the sanctuary. Babette then joins me in the running.

"What's wrong?"

"Nazir is about to kill my husband." I manage to say before I get an idea. I remove my armour and hand it to Babette. "Follow me if you can." I then release my beast form. Babette makes a disgruntled face at me. Then I run faster than I have ever run in my entire life.

I arrive in Whiterun in only three hours. My beast form runs out just before I'm in sight so I get back into my Brotherhood armour (Babette managed to keep up somehow) and run back into the city at top speed. By the time I get to Jorrvaskr there is a crowd drawing near. Do not tell me that it's too late. I sprint inside the mead hall to find Nazir, Aela, Farkas, Vilkas and Hadvar seriously wounded.

In one swift movement I pick Nazir up in my arms and attach a healing potion to his belt. Then I toss him over the city wall to safety. After that I rush to Hadvar's side. He is breathing and seemingly fine. The same goes for all of the Companions except Aela. She has sustained serious injuries during the fight and looks as if she could die at any moment. "Sister. No..." I pour a healing potion down her throat and she starts breathing better. After about an hour Farkas gets up.

"Where did he go?" He growls.

"Farkas. Easy brother. He got away but everyone is fine... Apart from Aela." I return to trying to nurse my closest friend back to life. She continues to breathe unevenly. Farkas rests his hand on my shoulder.

"Sister. Tend to Hadvar and Vilkas. I will take her to the temple." I bite my lip hesitantly before kneeling by Hadvar, giving Farkas permission to tend to Aela. I drip a bit of health potion into his mouth and my husband wakes almost immediately. He evaluates the situation before proceeding to distract me with more than honeyed words. When he pulls his face away from mine he looks at me apologetically.

"They came for me. I should have been stronger." I ruffle his hair lightly.

"You fought against the Brotherhood's most accomplished swordsman and survived. That's strong enough." I rest my forehead against his for a while. He is clearly exhausted.

"Where are Farkas and Aela? Are they... You know..."

"Dead? No. Aela came close but she will be fine. For now though, rest. Let's go home." I slip my arm under his shoulder and guide him back to Breezehome. Carlotta sees us on the way and stops me for a conversation.

"What happened?"

"Someone got a little drunk over at Jorrvaskr and tried to take on Farkas in a brawl." Carlotta laughs at the comedic cover story that I made up on the spot. Then we both return and I lie Hadvar down in the main bedroom upstairs. I sit downstairs myself, standing guard just in case the Night Mother sends another assassin. I sit in that chair all night, almost daring an assassin to appear.

My dare is met at midnight.

"Babette. So they sent you."

"Who were you expecting? Cicero?" I remain sat down as she enters my home.

"Please..."

"It's time for you to stop playing house, my dear. I have known you for almost your entire life and I can see how much you will hate me for this. It has to be done."

"Babette. If you can see how much this pains me then why do it? Just let this one go. The Night Mother may own our contracts but Sithis owns our souls, not her. Leave this contract be and blame me. If it means that the Brotherhood abandons me then so be it but please do not do this."

"Move out of the way, Listener." She curls her lip slightly. I pull out my dagger.

"You can't do this. It would kill me and my child." Babette tries to get past me but I slice at her arm, cutting it open. She lets out a disgusted and horrified sound. Then she runs up the stairs too quickly for me to keep up. "Hadvar!" I screech at the top of my lungs.

When I get upstairs both Vampire and man are facing off against each other. Babette bares her fangs and lunges at him but I slam into her, throwing her horribly off course and she misses him entirely. "Get the guard!" He nods sharply and I raise my dagger to end her. Then I look into her eyes and see a rather terrified expression looking back at me.

"You can't do this. We are family, whether you like it or not."

"You have no right to talk. You walk into my home, attempt to kill my husband, almost rip my throat out. All of this yet you say that we should be acting more like family. Run Babette. I will let you get away. I do not wish to end you." She nods and before I can blink she has disappeared. Hadvar runs inside with two guards only three seconds later. The guards start searching my home for evidence and Hadvar consoles me.

"She's gone now, love."

"Do you think Mother could forgive me?"

"Rikke? Yes. The other one? Not so much." I lean into his shoulder and cry weakly.