Fenris

"She's staying with me." I said moving to block Anders when he started into the garden. Abby was currently digging in the dirt with a stick. They hadn't gotten anywhere with the mage. Anders thought it best to give her some time to calm down. I was thinking we should just kill her if she wasn't going to help. We would do this his way for now. But there was no way he was taking Abby anywhere.

"I think we should let her decide." Anders protested.

"Hey, guys. Let's not fight. We have an audience." Varric said in a whispered and sing-song tone.

I turned to find Abby standing there looking at us worried. She was pouting again. "You two are fighting." She said and looked so sad I would have kissed Anders if she asked me to.

"No, Abby. We were discussing what we were going to do with you." I hurried to explain as I crouched down to her level. She leaned into me and bit her lip. She then looked up at Anders and Varric.

"Can I stay with you until Daddy comes back for me?" She asked looking back at me.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I said smiling at her. She smiled and hugged me for a second before she moved over to Anders. He bent down as she watched him.

"You really want to stay here?" He asked her. She nodded. "Even though I'm a mage?"

"You are?" She asked cocking her head to the side. She reached up and brushed a strand of his hair back from his face.

"I sure am. I ran away from the Circle. Just like your daddy did." He said. I hissed in a breath. That was a low blow. Playing the mage and her father card. Bastard.

"Then the templars are hunting you too." She said moving to hug him. He held her as she wrapped around him. It was all I could do not to rip his heart out right then. He glanced at me smugly as she curled into his arms.

"Not yet. I have this friend who is a mighty Champion. She protects me." He said smiling at her.

"A girl hero?" She asked looking at him with big happy eyes.

"Yep. A very beautiful girl hero. Strongest and best person I've ever met."

"Can I met her?" She asked.

"Sorry, sweetheart. She's not here right now. But she's going to be back real soon." He said looking pained for a minute.

"I want to be a hero when I grow up. I want to save the mages so they don't have to be scared all the time. Daddy says I'm going to do it too. Mother tells me to settle down when I say it. She says she wants a daughter not a hero." She said as she twirled his ponytail around her fingers.

"I bet you will be a great hero." He said looking at her as if she was the most precious thing ever.

"I know you will be. And I'll tell stories about you." Varric said. She grinned at him and squirmed out of Anders arms. She moved over and took Varric's hand.

"You tell stories?" She asked.

"I sure do. My favorites are about the Champion." He said smiling at her.

"The one Anders' is friends with?" She asked.

"The very one."

"Do they have a knight in them?" She asked.

"A knight?" He asked looking down at her.

"Uh, huh." She said and hurried back to me. I lifted her up as she wrapped around me. "Every girl needs a knight." She kissed my cheek. "Like my Fenris."

"You're right, sweet girl. Every girl needs a knight. And she does have one. They just haven't declared their love yet."

"Why not?" She asked frowning at him.

"Cause they are too afraid to."

"Why?" She asked looking confused. Her pigtails swinging as she cocked her head.

"They have both had hard lives and neither one wants to show any weakness. They think that having feelings or relying on someone else would make them weak."

"That's sad. He should tell her." She said with a sharp nod. I looked at her quickly.

"Why should he tell her?" I asked.

"Cause she probably thinks he doesn't like her." She said rolling her eyes at me.

"And why would she think that?" Varric asked smirking at me.

"Cause if she's doing all the saving, he can't be her knight. If he can't rescue her, how is she ever going to know how he feels?"

"Yeah, Fenris." Varric said with a laugh.

"So, Abby. Who are you going to stay with?" Anders asked frowning at us.

She looked at the three of us. She then tightened her arms around my neck. "I like you both, but you aren't my knight. I want to stay with my Fenris." It was my turn to smirk at Anders now.

"Are you sure?" He asked her. She squirmed until I put her down. She ran to him and hugged him. She kissed his cheek and then Varric's.

"I'm sure. Wanna come over and play tomorrow?" She asked smiling at them.

"We'll be here bright and early." Anders said smiling at her. She grinned and then ran back to me. "You sure you can handle this?" He asked looking at me.

"How hard can it be?" I asked looking at her as she beamed at me.

"Oh! Those are famous last words." Varric laughed. "Come on, Blondie. The sooner we leave the sooner we can come back and see how hard it really is."

"Come on, Abby. Let's walk them out." She held her hands up to me and I lifted her up. There was a pounding on the door as we entered the main hall. We froze and looked at each other before turning to her.

"Templars or hunters?" Varric asked fingering Bianca.

"Would hunters really knock?" Anders asked.

"Abby, I want you to stay in here. If something happens, run to my room and hide. Got it?" I said setting her down. She whimpered and clung to me.

"Don't leave me." She begged. The pounding was getting more insistent.

"Abby, do as I say." I ordered. She snubbed again but nodded. I moved with the others to the door. We froze as we heard the voice through it.

"Open this door at once!" Yelled the Knight-Commander. We glanced back at Abby who watched us from the doorway.

"Varric…" I started.

"I'm on it. No one is getting close to her." He nodded and moved back to her.

"Anders?" I asked turning to look at him.

"I'm trying to keep him leashed." He assured me. "Though if they try…"

"If they try, they die. Unleash him." I nodded. Anything for Abby.

"I'm scared." Abby said. I turned and looked back at her.

"It will be alright, Abby. Fenris is your knight. He won't let anything happen to you." Varric promised as he moved to shield her. He nodded to me and I went to the door.

Meredith was reaching up to pound again when it opened. She huffed an aggravated breath and crossed her arms. "I'm here for the child."

"Then you came a long way for nothing." I said holding the door so she couldn't barge in.

"Come now, Fenris, isn't it? We don't have to be enemies in this. We don't want to harm Hawke. We want to help her." She said eyeing me.

"And just how are you going to help her?" I asked.

"We have the mages working on the problem. As soon as Cullen told me what had happened, my heart went out to her. It must be horrible to be a frightened child without any family. We can't allow our Champion to suffer like this. Give her to us and we will take care of the problem."

"Abby isn't a problem." I snarled at her as she tried to shove past me.

"I wasn't suggesting she was. I was suggesting the mages being the problem. Haven't they taken enough from her already?" Meredith shook her head. "We can't let them get away with this. You know the importance of keeping mages secure."

"You aren't taking her. If your mages come up with a solution, let us know. I'll bring her to the Gallows then. She's scared enough already. We don't need you templars making her more afraid." I said and started to close the door. Meredith caught it and moved closer to me.

"But don't you see the opportunity before us? We can fix this. And her fear of templars. We can help her see that mages are the bad ones, not us templars."

"Don't even think about it, Fenris!" Anders protested.

"We could even make her get rid of him. I've seen the way you watch her. She would be all yours if he was out of the way." Meredith tried.

"And you are a fool if you think I would ever believe any of that. Hawke is her own person. I wouldn't change her for anything. And if I had to get rid of him to earn her favor, I wouldn't be worthy of her favor. You are not getting Hawke. Leave now before things get ugly." I snapped at her.

"Do not threaten me, elf. I give you an opportunity. If you resist, you will fall at my feet as so many others who tried to stop me."

"Try it." I growled and called the markings to life. I leaned closer to her daring her to make a move.

"Is there a problem here?" Aveline asked. Meredith's templars parted and showed that Aveline with several guards stood behind them. Aveline made her way to Meredith's side.

"This doesn't concern the city guards." Meredith glared at Aveline.

"Oh, really? Seems to me it does. You are causing a disturbance in Hightown. That makes it my business."

"It is templar business, Guard Captain. This man refuses to hand over Hawke. She has had blood magic used on her. We must take her so we can determine the extent of damage. And if she is possessed."

"She's not possessed, you idiot!" Anders yelled. I shoved him back as he tried to get around me. "You just want to take her to either kill her or use her!"

"We cannot know what happened. We must take her. We do not wish to harm her. We want to help her." Meredith argued.

"And I told you, if your mages come up with a solution, we can discuss it. But I will not allow you anywhere near her. Leave now." I snapped.

"We will give you escort back to the Gallows, Knight-Commander. This way." Aveline said motioning her to come with her.

"This isn't over, elf." Meredith glared at me as she left. I closed the door and leaned against it. I caught Abby up when she ran to me.

"It's alright, Abby. I won't let them hurt you." I promised hugging her close.

"I can't believe Meredith actually thought you would hand her over." Varric said shaking his head.

"I can't believe Anders thought I would." I glared at the mage. He at least had the decency to hang his head.

"I lost myself for a moment." He said with a shrug.

"Fenris won't give me up." Abby said smiling at me. "That lady looks mean."

"She is mean. And crazy." Anders said moving over to her.

"Don't scare her, Anders." Varric frowned at him.

"What? I'm just agreeing with her."

"You want us to stick around?" Varric asked ignoring him.

"No. We'll be fine. I have the place secure. And exit strategies if I need to flee. We'll be fine."

"We'll be back in the morning. If you need us before then…"

"I know where to find you." I nodded to him and then bolted the door locked behind them. I sat Abby down and looked at her. "Well, now what are we going to do?"

"I'm hungry."

"Right. Food. Hmm."