She awoke to the roaring fire, She stretched feeling the stiff muscles beneath skin loosen, but the space beside her empty. She looked over and sat up wuickly in bed before turning to the fire and gazing at Fenris, fully clothed. She wrapped the blanket around herself, "Is everything alright, was.. was it that bad? I know I'm a little inexperienced and I'm sorry, if it wa-"
He stopped her with a raised hand looking back at her, "I'm sorry, it's not- It was fine."
Jennifer looked at the bedding, securing herself more tightly with the coverlet. "No… that is insufficient. It was better than anything I could have dreamed." He stated with a small flicker of a smile.
"Did I hurt you? I know your markings cause you pain, if I was too rough I'm sorry."
"It's not that." He shifted from one foot to the next. "I began to remember, my life before, just flashes- it's too much, this is too fast, I cannot… do this." He gestured to her, his brow creasing and Jennifer's hand itched to smooth away the worried lines.
"We can work through this. You don't have to try alone." Jennifer whispered as she wiped at her eyes, it was all the same. I fell into this trap once again! She berated herself harshly.
"I'm sorry. I feel like such a fool." He looked away, clenching his fists. 'Perhaps it's better if she hates me.' He thought. "All I wanted was to be happy. Just… for a little while." He turned walking for the door. "Forgive me." He pleaded as he left the room, through the hall, down the stairs out of the mansion and away from her.
Jennifer fell to the floor, the coverlet draped around her haphazardly, sobbing into her open hands. She leaned against the bed, drawing her knees to her chest, her heart aching as the man, the elf, that had crept into her heart had crushed it as easily as Hadriana's. Rascal padded into the room whimpering as he inched closer to Jennifer. He whined as he laid his head upon her knee, now being to her thigh his head the size of hers, and looked at her with loving sympathy. He nosed at her hair, begging to give her comfort and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she sobbed into his chestnut coat. He nuzzled into her neck placing reassuring licks along her pulse.
She looked up with red puffy eyes and smiled watery. "You are a good friend. What would I do without you?" She asked as she continued to sob. "I'm sorry, boy. I got your fur all wet." Rascal snorted as if it was of no consequence and pawed at her foot. "Want to come to bed boy? Perhaps to morning will be better." He nipped at her fingers as he bounded onto the bed tapping his paw in her usual resting spot. She climbed in, removing the coverlet to wrap around the both of them before falling into a fitful sleep.
-ooo-
The next morning, Hawke awoke and roamed down the stairs to find Jennifer in the garden pulling weeds and grass from the plotters. She tossed them to the ground and continued on, unaware of her audience. "So either Meredith enacted the Rite of Annulment, or Orana called you 'Mistress' again. Either way the world is ending by the look on your face."
Jennifer jumped and turned to Hawke before looking away and wiping at her eyes. She sniffled and Hawke stepped forward. "Is everything alright? What's wrong?"
Jennifer held a hand towards him, waving him away. "It's nothing. I'm fine, just having a rough day." She gave him a small smile, one that did not quite show how she felt.
"Yes, and I'm the Queen of Antiva." He walked towards her kneeling down beside her.
"You would make a horribly ugly queen, Garrett." Jennifer replied dryly.
"True as that maybe, you are really bad at avoiding a subject." Hawke stilled her hands when she moved to remove more weeds from the plotters.
"I said I'm fine. Just something that I will have to work through in my own time." Jennifer pulled her hand from Hawke's as she began once again to pull weeds and grass from the plotters, when she looked back next, she found the garden empty save for her. She looked at her hands and the dirt caked beneath her nails and sighed. She threw the weeds as far as they would go before standing and heading towards the kitchen door.
After grabbing her armor and weapons, she walked through Hightown when she came upon the keep, she walked purposefully through the doors and towards the barracks, it was closing in on noon and the training grounds would be filled to the brim with guards, when she entered, she spotted Aveline and headed towards her, not looking; however, she bumped into another guard and fell to the ground. She sighed before sitting up and found a hand reaching out for her, she looked up at the man with mousy brown hair and a kind smile. "Sorry, I didn't see you there, lemme help you." He offered.
Jennifer smirked and took the offered hand. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm a bit beyond help." He chuckled and Jennifer looked at him more closely. "You're Donnic aren't you?"
"That's right, forgive me, but have we met?" He asked, he was shirtless and sweat soaked, obviously training, but Jennifer couldn't help but admire the well-toned muscles that usually laid beneath heavy armor. "Briefly. I was there when Aveline and Hawke took out those bandits after the official papers." She grinned.
"That's right, Jennifer wasn't it?" She nodded. "I'm afraid I'm not really good with faces. What brings you to the barracks?"
"Jennifer? What are you doing here?" Aveline, who had seen the stumble, walked from her position overseeing the guards towards her friend.
"Apparently running into hapless guardsmen." She smirked.
"I will try to keep my eyes on my surroundings more. Jennifer." He bowed. "Guard-Captain." He bowed again before heading into the sparring ring with his opponent.
Aveline smiled wistfully at his retreat, and Jennifer smirked wickedly. "Nice ass on that one, hmm?" Jennifer asked.
"Hmmm." She said before turning to Jennifer quickly. "W-what?"
Jennifer doubled over in laughter, "Oh you have it bad!" She proclaimed, drying her eyes. She looked to Aveline with a smile. "Have you said anything to him about it?" She asked.
Aveline blushed deeply before squaring her shoulders at Jennifer, "You came here for a reason, I assume."
Jennifer dropped her maces to the side before unlacing her corset and tossing that to the side as well. "Spar with me."
"Beg pardon?" She asked as Jennifer removed her belt.
"Spar with me. I need a partner to spar with and my usual is not… an option at the moment." She stretched her arms before looking around. "C'mon then! Lead the way, Guard-Captain!" Jennifer made a shooing motion with her hand. "And no taking it lightly, how can I train properly when my partner takes it easy on me?"
Aveline rolled her eyes as she led her way to another sparring circle. Whispers followed as the guardsmen watched Aveline remove her armor leaving her in leather breeches and a tunic. 'Captain's going to spar.' Some said, while other's started placing bets.
Jennifer rotated her shoulders, and stretched her legs before turning towards the carrot topped woman. "Fisticuffs, then?" she asked and Aveline nodded. Jennifer turned her body and shifted her stand, she bent her knees and kept light on her feet as she raised her hands loosely to her face. Aveline circled around, when she feigned forward, Jennifer stepped back. They bobbed and ebbed, like the tide of the ocean. Jennifer pushing forward, Aveline falling back. When the first blow landed on Jennifer's shoulder, the guardsmen cheered, and the dance began. Swings and misses, trips and grappling.
By the time the sun fell slightly in the sky, a good hour of fighting, both Aveline and Jennifer were panting. "You've gotten better." Aveline smirked, the right side of her cheek already swelling for a quick blow of Jennifer's fist.
"Thanks, you're not bad yourself." She smirked, favoring her leg from a hard blow from Aveline's leg.
"Jennifer!" Isabela waved her hand as she ran towards the sparring ring. The guardsmen whistled as she sauntered closely to Jennifer wrapping an arm around Jennifer's shoulders.
Jennifer looked to Aveline, as the red-head glared at the pirate. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from my men, whore?"
Isabela pouted, "Aww. It's not fair that you have all these men to yourself, share Man-Hands."
As Aveline left, Isabela turned towards Jennifer, "So?" She asked.
"Hmm?" She asked as she wove her way back towards her maces and armor, strapping everything into place.
"Don't 'Hmm?' Me. The whole house heard what transpired last night, which leads me to ask… So?" Jennifer's spirits dropped. She blushed enough to where Isabela smiled luridly at her, but when tears formed in her eyes, Isabela took Jennifer by the shoulders and looked into her face. "Sweet thing? What happened?"
"It's nothing. Just the same that always happens." She offered a weak smile as she wiped at her eyes.
AN: Alright, if you think this is a depressing chapter, that's the games fault, not mine. They did it so hate bioware. lol But don't worry, it'll get better, but what will she do? Will Isabela cure her ailments? Mwahaha! Later my pretties!