"We miss you around the house." He shifts, trying to get comfortable on a stool that is way to small to accommodate his size.
"We?" Bethany sets down her teacup. Some of the contents splash over the side.
"Me and Anders well and of course Chester! He misses how you'd scratch behind his ears while reading."
"I live not a block away brother, you can visit anytime." She rolls her eyes yet smiles at his efforts with the stool.
"You don't come to visit me anymore." He finally sits awkwardly with a serious look on his face. Bethany ceases smiling.
"And you know why." She did not want to just come out and say it...memories, flashes of that night, Anders' hand upon her, Anders tasting her, Anders inside her...and he had seen it all. He had watched with no jealousy only concern, in fact it was Issac who suggested Anders take her virginity in the first place.
"We don't have to make this weird. I'm fine with what happened! He's fine with what happened!" Bethany bites her lower lip in response. "Maybe..." Issac narrows his eyes in understanding. "Maybe now I do see why...you...you still want him don't you?" There was no anger or tone of accusation. Bethany says nothing choosing to avoid eye contact with her brother. Issac sighs deeply and then inhales a deep breath. "Bethany... how would you feel...about...doing me the biggest favor I could ever ask of you?" She furrows her brows.
"It would depend I suppose..." A very apparent blush appears on Issac's cheeks.
"You know with Mother and Carver passed on we are the only ones left of the family...well and Gamlen... but... he doesn't count because I am talking about the Hawke name as well as the Amell."
"Brother, you're rambling, you're nervous?" She knows him well.
"Ok...ok..." He takes another deep breath. "AndersandIwantchildren." He says spitting the words out as fast as possible.
"What, brother come on, repeat that!" She leans in close.
"Anders, Anders and I...we...want children, well one first maybe more...I don't know..." By now the warrior's face is scarlet.
"And what does that have to do with..." Her eyes grow wide, and her jaw hangs open. "You can't possibly...ask me to...I, I can't brother I...why can't you just...there are plenty of orphans in this city!"
"I know...just one to continue the family blood line...if we decide on others I'd have no objection to adoption." He wrings his hands, another nervous habit.
"It won't even be yours!"
"It will be as close as I can get with him and that's all that matters!" He takes her hand. "Just consider Beth, please, think of all I've done for you. This is the only thing I have ever asked, and I know it is a lot...please, just think on it?" Issac meets her eyes with his own.
"I'll consider it brother...just don't take it as a yes." Bethany drops his hand and turns away, her mind heavy with the surprising suggestion.