"Fen? Can I come in?" Cat asked from the hallway.

"Oh?" he asked grumpily. "Now you want to respect my privacy?"

Cat pouted, and Fenris could tell she was faking it. "If you think that will sway me, you know nothing of me," he added.

Cat's expression changed to one of annoyance. "Well, I guess I can apologize for tending to your every need, and nursing you back to health… since you are so ungrateful."

"Apology accepted," he said with a smirk, and Cat huffed. "And now, yes, you may come in," he said with a slight smile.

"Why are you only happy when I get angry with you?" she groused as she entered the room, heading over to the bed where he was laying.

"Misery loves company I suppose," he answered with a sigh.

"I know it's awful to be laid up like this," she said, sitting next to him. "But I'm just glad you're still alive."

"I suppose that is something to be mindful of, whenever I get angry at my situation," he mused to himself.

"Of course it is!" she exclaimed, pushing him, and causing him to grunt. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she said immediately.

He replied with a glare, and she gave him a sheepish look. In order to keep from hurting him again, she turned and leaned against the headboard next to him.

"Did you want one of my pillows too?" he asked with a smirk.

"No, I'll just share with you," she replied sweetly, and leaned over to lay her head next to his. He grumbled a bit, but inwardly he was pleased to have the company.

"You've been pretty quiet the last couple of days," he said, letting that statement hang in the air. She didn't respond, and he reached over to grab her hand. "You should know by now that you are not able to hide when you are upset from me."

"I hardly think this is something you want to hear of," she finally replied quietly.

"Perhaps not, but I will listen, regardless."

"Leaving out the details then," she said with a smile. "Hawke and I started something, and it was great! And then, he apologized. And left."

"And you haven't talked to him since…" he added.

"He hasn't come here since," she corrected. "He knows I'm not leaving you here alone, so he's doing it on purpose to avoid me."

Fenris rolled his eyes at her stubborn words. "How you and Hawke can be so oblivious when it is all so clear to everyone around you, never ceases to amaze me."

Cat turned her head to glare at him this time. "I don't know why I tell you things," she complained. "You're always so sure you have the answers."

"It's a wonder you wait so long to tell me then," he quipped back, enjoying the true pout on her face this time. "One would think you would learn to spare yourself days of brooding."

Cat laughed loudly at that. "That's rich, coming from you of all people!" She continued to laugh, as Fenris fought to keep a smile from his face. After a minute or two, she was able to calm herself. "Oh Maker, I needed that," she said on a chuckle.

"It's nice to hear you laugh again," Fenris said seriously. "It seems every altercation with Hawke leaves you unhappy."

"Not every time," Cat said in protest. "The banquet was amazing, and there have been a few times before that… Oh!" she said as the realization hit her. "But you were gone, so you didn't know!"

"Didn't know what?" he asked skeptically.

Cat snuggled in a little, not wanting to jar any of his injuries. "Let me tell you, it was wonderful!" she began. She told him of the last few weeks with Hawke, the fun times, the awkward times, the banquet, and subsequently their run-in in the kitchen two days prior, while leaving out the sexy details.

Fenris listened intently, though not so much to what was said, or what was done. The corners of his mouth twitched upward as her voice became cheerful and exuberant. He felt his own spirits lifting, as she weaved her tale, and thought he could understand, if only a little, how love was supposed to work. If this was love… it was unlike anything he had once supposed it to be.

He didn't have the answers for her, he knew that. He didn't have answers period, unless the question was about fighting. So he did as he always did, and asked questions, knowing that Cat would come to her own conclusions, and then thank him for his help.

"So that's what happened," she said, deflating again. "I just don't get it."

"You know Hawke as well as any of us," Fenris said. "What would cause him to stop and apologize like that?" he asked.

"Ha!" she blurted, "Hawke never apologizes, unless he's being an idiot."

"Oh?" Fenris asked, pleased that Cat was deep in thought.

"Well… or if he has hurt someone," she added. "You know how hard he works to avoid that. It almost reminded me of that time, years ago, when we had the big misunderstanding?"

"You mean when he called you a whore?" Fenris asked pointedly.

"You never will let that go, will you?" she replied. "And he never called me one."

"How did this remind you of that?" he asked, not wanting to get into the old argument again.

"He was so sad…" she said quietly. "Like he couldn't be forgiven, but needed to apologize anyway." She turned slightly, her head coming to rest on his shoulder.

"Based on the situation," Fenris said softly, "there aren't many reasons to feel that way."

"Hmm…" Cat murmured. "I think… I need to think about this some more," she said. "But I'd rather not think about it now," she added. "So now it's your turn. I want to hear about what you did while you were gone."

Fenris smirked, and decided to humor her. He had promised after all. "Varric gave me the names of several people that could help me to find out if the information I was given about my so called sister was true."

"And?" she asked.

"And according to three separate sources, she truly exists, and as the witch said, works as a servant for a magister named Ahriman. There was not much I could get with the coin that I had, so in order to get more information, I stayed and helped the man with a few problems he had as payment."

"He had you working for him?" she asked in surprise.

"Apparently, Varric gave him quite the impression of my skills," Fenris said dryly, and Cat rolled her eyes.

"One day, one of his embellishments is going to bite him in the butt."

"Agreed."

"So then what?"

"While they were not able to find out how she came to leave Danarius, and move from slave to servant, they were able to speak with her directly, and explain who was trying to establish correspondence with her. So now, she knows of me as well, and is waiting to hear from me."

"I see," Cat said, uncertain of how she wanted to proceed with this.

"I decided to wait another few days, to determine if there was a trap set by Danarius to recapture me, but I found no trace of anyone, so I came back. I have yet to decide if I wish to write and pursue this. Part of me wants to, of course… but another part…"

"Wants to forget the past and move forward?" she guessed, and felt him nod. She gave a sigh, and gripped his hand a little tighter. "I wasn't going to tell you this," she said, and he turned to look at her in surprise. "But when we found you, you were almost dead."

"Hawke said as much," he replied with a frown. "He said that he was forced to use magic to heal me, and apologized." He looked at her with a smirk, as he spoke of Hawke apologizing.

"Yes, though it was my decision, not his," she replied, not seeing his smirk. "I just wanted you to know that we agreed not to share with anyone how it affected you, and I wanted to tell you… that I understand a little better now… your aversion to magic."

He was silent as he took in what she was saying. Obviously, it had been bad, for both Hawke and Cat to feel that they needed to apologize for seeing him in such a state. He had told himself several times now, that he was a new person, that the past didn't matter, and yet there were times- like now- that he felt dragged back into it.

"I admit that I wish you had not seen me like that."

She nodded, and wondered if she should have even mentioned it, but it had been bothering her still, and she had wanted to apologize.

"Cat… are you… I mean, how much do you know of my past?" he asked, his hand gripping hers like a lifeline.

She paused, surprised that he had asked, for he always said he didn't want to know. "Um… quite a bit, actually," she said hesitantly.

"Do I even want to know?" he asked, his body tense.

"Probably not," she replied softly. "But if things go unchanged, you'll find out eventually, and be a little blindsided by it." She paused again. "But, it's up to you."

"While I am glad to have the freedom to make my own decisions, there are times that it truly vexes me," he muttered.

"The nice thing about this decision, is it doesn't need to be made right this moment," Cat replied, her voice becoming lighter to try to edge out the gravity of the subject. "Just keep me updated on what you decide, and I'll let you know when the time comes, before you find out the other way."

Fenris nodded, though he was still deep in thought.

"So…" Cat began cheerily. "When do you think you will be up for walking out to the coast? Hawke has decided he needs a vacation from being the Champion for a bit. It's a day of swimming and resting, and whatever we want to do that isn't work." She heard him chuckle softly, and gave his hand a squeeze.

"I think in two days," he replied. "I'll either need to get out of this house, or you'll be in mortal danger."

"Good thing I've hidden your sword then," she replied cheekily.

He glanced at her with his eyebrow winged up. "After the torture you put me through? The sword would be far too kind."

"Two days from now it is…" she said, knowing he was teasing, and yet still feeling a little bit uneasy.

"Hello Cullen!"

The knight captain turned, surprised to hear Cat's voice calling him. He could see her moving towards him with a smile, and found himself returning it.

"Cat, how wonderful to see-," he replied, stopping mid sentence as she threw her arms around his middle and gave him a hug.

He glanced down, uneasy, wondering what had happened to elicit this response from her. "Cat?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you… all right?" he asked.

She gave a sigh, and moved her head to look up at him. "Yes," she replied. "I just really needed a hug."

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of what to do. "Do you not have several friends that hug you whenever you need?" he asked. "Doesn't the Champion-"

"Yes, yes," she interrupted him, still not letting go. "But, I wanted a hug from you."

He stood frozen in place, feeling slightly overwhelmed, and Cat could tell by the rigidness of his stance that her plan was not working. "It's okay Cullen," she said, stepping back.

It was her turn to freeze, as his arms came around her, and patted her back. She looked up again, grinning, to see Cullen looking away, his cheeks bright red as he continued to rhythmically pat her back. She gave him another squeeze, and then stepped away, not wanting to torture him too badly.

"Thank you," she said happily, and he cleared his throat, trying to control his blush. "You have no idea how much I needed a hug from a friend right now."

"Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly, looking in her eyes.

"No," she answered, and his expression changed to skeptical. "Okay, yes, but I think I have an idea of how to fix it, but I'm not entirely sure it will work, and I just needed the support of a hug."

"So hugging gives you support?" he questioned her, and she nodded.

"Yes, it helps to remind me that there is someone who has my back, who is cheering me on, and wants me to succeed," she explained.

"Why did you not just tell me to tell you these things?" he asked, feeling slightly put out.

She looked at him in confusion. "Why would I, when I can get it all from a hug?"

He stopped, thinking it over, and realizing he didn't have a valid argument for that. "Well it is hardly proper-"

He stopped as Cat snorted, and looked at her, perplexed.

"Sorry Cullen, but I am the last person to care about what is proper and what isn't." Her look turned sorrowful as she continued. "Back home we were very affectionate with our friends, and I didn't think it would reflect poorly on you. To me, it feels like hugging a member of my family. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"No of course not," Cullen immediately said, though he had felt uncomfortable. He had no idea that this was how she viewed him, and their friendship. He thought that perhaps he had been so adamant in spending time with her, that she felt pity for him and went along with it.

He smiled at her, genuinely smiled. "It will just take some getting used to, that's all… being that we're… family?"

Cat practically beamed at him, and Cullen felt a bit out of his element. "Uh… care to take a walk?" he asked, gesturing out toward the cliffs, and Cat nodded.

"Speaking of family…" she said with a twinkle in her eye that he couldn't quite decipher. "You've mentioned your siblings before, but do you ever hear from them?" she asked innocently.

"Not in a very long time," he said quietly. "Though that is mostly my fault. I am not good at keeping up correspondence."

"Out of sight, out of mind?" she asked, and he thought on it a moment before nodding. "I can understand that," she replied. "My family and I are no longer speaking," she said it so matter of factly, that it took Cullen by surprise.

"I'm sorry, I was unaware," he said softly.

"It's been a few years now, so the pain is gone," she answered, giving him a brief smile. "I suppose that's why I keep trying to find friends that I can claim as family."

"I am honored to be considered as such."

She turned to him, and gave him another smile. "I'm the one who should be honored, silly. You're the knight captain of the templars. I'm just some girl who somehow gets involved with important people."

"I've yet to decide if your luck is good or bad," he agreed, teasing her. She leaned over to nudge him in protest.

They continued to speak of things that didn't matter, just enjoying each others' company. As they returned to the gallows, and Cullen saw the statues of mages, he tried once again to explain his concerns of the mages she chose to associate with, including the Champion, but Cat merely waved his concerns aside.

"They are my friends Cullen," she explained for what seemed the hundredth time. "They will not hurt me, and in fact help Hawke keep our city safe."

"For now, yes they do. I cannot help but worry. If even one were to fall…"

"It is in your nature to worry about mages, I understand," she said calmly, trying to keep him from working himself up. "I am very careful, I promise."

"That's not enough! I want you to promise me, that if anything happens, you will come here at once," he said suddenly, and she looked over at him in question. "The templars can protect you if the worst were to happen."

Cat felt like rolling her eyes. Every time it feels like we've taken a step forward, he insists on taking two steps back. "Will it set your mind at ease if I do?" she asked. "Very well," she nodded.

He turned, and grabbed her hands. "Promise me."

She sighed, but looked up at him, and in complete seriousness, said, "I promise."

She felt bad for him, as he seemed to lose a weight from his shoulders. She wished she could help him see the others as she saw them, just as much as he probably wished I would see mages as he did, she thought.

Seeing that they were almost at the gallows, Cat decided if she wasn't going to chicken out, she had better ask.

"So Cullen, I was wondering… is there a specific uniform for templar recruits to wear, or is it just the armor?"

Cat stepped to the door and knocked. She was having a hard time believing that she was here, but she had bullied herself mercilessly to get this far, giving up now would just be pathetic.

The door swung open, and the man smiled. "Cat! Did I miss something?" he asked.

"No Anders," she replied with a tight smile. "I just wanted to talk, if you have a few minutes?" she asked.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, concerned. "Is it Fenris?"

"No, nothing like that," she answered, and he stepped back to let her enter the clinic. She hadn't been here for awhile, and had given most of her deliveries to Anders to complete the last few weeks. He had not only needed more to fill his time, but the money as well.

She noted with a pang that the area that had been Olivia's room was now two small, curtained off rooms for patients. She was glad that he wasn't dwelling on his grief, but it still hurt a little.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, leading her over to a couple of cots where they could sit down.

"Well, first off, Hawke's responsibility-free day will be the day after tomorrow," she said, and he nodded. "We'll meet at my house, and go together from there. Fenris is sure he will be well enough, but we will most likely be taking it pretty slow."

"Okay," Anders replied. "Do you need my help with anything?"

"Just carrying the food and such," she answered, still looking around the room.

Anders looked over, trying to see what was so fascinating, then turned back with a confused expression. He stood up from his seat and moved in front of her, grabbing her face so that she would look at him.

"Cat. What is it?" he asked firmly.

"Uh, well…"

He stepped back, crossing his arms. "Well?" he asked.

He was surprised to say the least, when she blushed. "I need some advice, I guess," she said quietly.

"About Hawke?" he guessed, and she nodded.

He sighed and sat back down. "Okay, what did you need to know? According to Varric, you two have already, uh, gotten down to business."

Cat put her head in her hands, cursing the dwarf, which had Anders intrigued. "Come on Cat, tell me what's going on. How can I help?" he asked.

"Well yes, things were good, and then once we came up for air, he put me down, apologized, and left. And now he's avoiding me," she muttered, looking anywhere but her friend. "And if you tell Varric any of this, I will skin you alive."

"My lips are sealed," Anders promised, holding his hand up in solemnity. "I can't know what Hawke was thinking Cat. Did he hurt you somehow, or at least think he did?" he asked gently.

"I don't really know, but the sense I'm getting is that he thinks I didn't like it?" she knew she was voicing it as a question, but she still was still a bit uncertain. "I mean, we hardly did anything, we still had our clothes on, and were up against a wall…"

"Whoa, okay, I get the idea," Anders said, stopping her. "I don't need to get a mental image of the two of you."

"Sorry," she replied, wincing. "Well, the thing is, that I wanted to, you know, show him that I liked it, by um… seducing…him? I guess?" she said hesitantly.

"You guess?" he asked, skeptically. "If you want to be seductive, you need to not guess. And… you should probably be getting help from Isabela, not me."

"Well… I was kind of hoping that you and Hawke have talked about things before," she replied.

His brows furrowed as she spoke. "Please tell me you aren't asking me if I know Hawke's preferences in women," he said.

"Not exactly…"

"Then spit it out already Cat, this is becoming kind of uncomfortable."

"I'm not good at being a seductress," she said finally, and his eyebrow rose at the change in her demeanor. Now it seemed, she was certain in what she was saying. "But I can play a role. What I want to know from you, is if the templar recruit thing is something that will go over well or not."

Hawke stared at the letter, feeling that perhaps he had gotten something right, even if his own life was currently a wreck.

Dear Hawke,

Or is it now "Champion Hawke"? The story of how you handled the Arishok is very popular here, and I wonder how accurate it is? Though if you were made the Champion of Kirkwall, there must be truth to it after all. There are few things the people of Tevinter love more than a tale of Qunari defeat!

To say that the Imperium is a strange place would be a vast understatement. Men and women work magic in the streets while their slaves look on. I watched my own master kill a rival magister in a duel just a few days ago. Sometimes, I think I understand the templars back in Kirkwall a little better than before.

My studies are are going well. My dreams do not trouble me as much these days. I'm hopeful that, in time, I will master myself.I just wanted to thank you, and would you please pass that along to Cat as well? I owe the two of you more than my life. I owe you my mind and my future.

Feynriel

P.S. Please thank Cat for her suggestion of Magister Pavus. He was instrumental in my finding a home here with Magister Farian.

Thank Cat? He would like nothing more than to see Cat. See her, touch her… He shook his head in agitation. Obviously that wasn't happening, and he needed to school his emotions, and get his life back on track. He put the letter down, closing his eyes, and trying to find the inner peace that his father always spoke of.

He was having such a difficult time with it now, and while he would love to blame a beautiful brunette for his troubles, he knew he only had himself to blame. He never thought he would be so crass as to practically devour a woman against a wall in her own kitchen.

He could only be grateful that his mother hadn't found out. He winced at even the thought of the tongue lashing and look of disappointment that would come his way were that the case.

Hearing a knock at his door, he stood from his desk and went to open it. Looking down, he gave Bodhan a questioning look.

"Miss Cat is here to see you," the dwarf said, and gesturing behind him to Cat as she finished climbing the stairs, and walked over to his door. He glanced at the dwarf, wondering why he would bother to announce an arrival if he was going to escort them to his room anyway.

"Thank you Bodhan," Cat said to the dwarf with a smile.

"My pleasure miss," he replied, and headed back down the stairs. Cat looked over to Hawke, with a small smile.

"Hello Garrett," she said, and he just stood there, looking at her. He didn't want to say anything that would make her leave.

Cat tilted her head slightly, not understanding the hollow look he was giving her. She had hoped he would be happy to see her, but…

She decided she had better make sure, before she did anything… drastic. "Uh, if this is a bad time…" she said, turning back slightly.

"Don't go," he said softly, and she turned back, bewildered. Why did he sound like he was pleading with me? she thought.

"If you have time, I was hoping we could talk?" she asked hesitantly. She was confused once again, as he seemed to become almost… discouraged, but he nodded, and let her in.

She looked around the room, enjoying the atmosphere. There was a fire, though it was small, more for light than for heat. He had several candles lit at his desk, and they gave playful shadows dancing around the room.

She was nervous, she couldn't deny that. Her last attempt at something like this was in another lifetime, in another world, and with a vastly different man. She had been spurned then, but she felt that if she knew anything of Hawke at all- she knew he wanted her. Now, she just needed to convince him that she wanted him too.

"I like this room," she said quietly. "It's impressive, but not ostentatious."

She turned back to him, since he didn't reply, and found him still just staring at her. She tilted her head again, trying to understand what was going on with him. She remembered his apology, and what Anders' had told her, so she stepped over to the desk, and removed her cloak, hanging it over the chair.

"It seems… I have finally caught you… mage."

She turned around, seeing Hawke looking at her in confusion now, as he looked her up and down, taking in the small breastplate that was held to her by straps crisscrossing her back. Cullen didn't have much to offer her besides this, and full armor, but she figured it would get the meaning across.

She stepped forward, pulling out two of her daggers, one of them covered in blue leather, so he would know she wouldn't use them. This is all for show, but she wasn't certain if he understood that just yet.

"Tell me mage," she said quietly but firmly, "were you simply tired of running, or have you come to realize I would never let you go?"

"N…Never?"

Cat smirked. She wasn't sure if he was quite in it yet, but at least he was speaking. She stepped forward several times, quickly, putting her knife up near his throat, in mock threat. She leaned down, getting close to his ear. "Never," she whispered, seeing him shiver, and feeling a surge of something powerful.

"So?" she asked. "Should I end you now? Or will you try to convince me to spare you?" She lowered the blades slightly, rubbing the flat ends against his chest as she stepped closer, right in front of him.

He was looking up at her, as if afraid, and she began to think that perhaps this wasn't working. He was sitting on his bed, and with one step she would be standing between his legs. Yet he had hardly moved, had hardly spoken, and she worried that this had been a bad idea.

"Just, keep going, give him time to figure it out, if you're not going to explain it before hand. It may take time for his brain to understand that you're not actually joining the templars."

Remembering Anders words gave her another push, and she decided to make it easy on him. Throwing her blades over her shoulders, she put her arms around his neck, and got on his lap, her legs bent on either side of his.

"I've never been with a mage before," she said softly, their eyes meeting as she reached up to stroke his beard. She leaned over, moving toward his ear again. "Do you want me?" she asked, and hearing his soft moan, she smiled as she nibbled his earlobe.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly, teasing him. "Templars aren't supposed to fraternize with mages…" She moved back to sit up straight, looking at him again, feeling his hands finally moving over her legs. "Could you convince me?" she asked him, moving back away from him, moving her legs to stand in front of him again.

"I don't know…" she said, even as she smirked at him, seeing something come back into his eyes.

Hawke felt like he had been electrocuted. He didn't know how to react to Cat, seeing her in his room, he had closed himself off completely just to prevent himself from touching her.

He had almost fallen to his knees to beg when she had turned away, but she had turned back, and he thought for a moment that he was dreaming.

That dream had become a nightmare as he saw the insignia on her chest. She had come to tell him that she was leaving… she was going to tell him that that knight captain had finally convinced her that all mages were the same… all mages…

Then she spoke again, and he was so lost and confused… and he was losing his grip on reality. She looked like a templar, and was more enticing than any dream he could have conjured. He worried for a moment that he had somehow summoned a desire demon with the way he had been wanting her.

He waited for it to offer him a deal, holding himself back from enjoying the way it toyed with him while wearing Cat's face, while speaking with her voice. It was almost too much to hope for when it said it would never let him go, and he was able to stammer… "Never?"

He couldn't suppress his shiver as it whispered in his ear, and he wondered momentarily if it was such a bad thing to be caught in this dream. He could hear his own voice yelling to him, the voice of his father as he explained how to protect himself against demons, and he cleared his mind, focusing not on the one before him, but inside himself.

He looked up again, worried that it hadn't worked, when the demon Cat lifted up her knives and discarded them behind her. He noted with a thought that Cat would never use her blue knife, even to kill her worst enemy, and his mind began to wonder if perhaps his demon fighting didn't work because she wasn't a demon?

She moved to sit on his lap, and his senses were assaulted. He felt her hand on his face, stroking his beard, and he knew now there was no demon, for it had never been done, and therefore could not be a copy.

His body was responding to her, even as his mind fought its inner struggle, and he moaned and moved his hands over her legs, the closest thing he could touch. Her words all came back to him then, as if he was jolted by lightning, he finally understood what was happening.

She stood up, and smirked at him, and he looked back at her, the challenge hanging in the air between them.

"I don't know…" she teased.

Hawke might have been slow on the uptake, but now that he knew the game, he was more than willing to play along. He didn't know why, and he didn't care. She was giving him a second chance. Or was it third? Oh, right, because THAT'S the thing to focus on! He yelled at himself.

"You are in way over your head," he said, his own smirk blossoming. "Haven't you heard that mages are dangerous?"

She grinned back at him, and turned around to pick up her blades. "I can protect myself," she said without worry. "I caught you, didn't I?" she asked.

"Cornered is more like it," Hawke replied, leaning forward. She turned back, and gave him an appraising look. "And you know what cornered animals do?"

"Comparing yourself to a beast are you?" she mocked. "I shouldn't be surprised. I've heard what you mages are capable of."

"Oh?" he replied. "Do tell. What exactly… do they tell you recruits what we mages are capable of?"

She smirked at him again. "Mages can be quite charming when they so choose," she replied. "Anything to avoid capture or escape. Is that what you are trying? To escape from me?"

"My lady, perish the thought," he said with a devilish grin. "I only want a chance to convince you that I am not the monster you were led to believe me to be."

She stepped forward again, looking down at him. "And how do you think to do that?" she asked.

Cat felt her breath leave her, as he snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her down. Before she knew it, she was laying flat on her back, with Hawke at her side, leaning over her with a smile.

"I believe I can convince you, before this night is over," he said softly. Cat wanted to simply let him, but she held on to her character.

"Oh?" she asked, her eyebrow rising in skepticism. "I sincerely doubt it."

"Well, recruit…"

"Clara," she stated, and his eyebrow rose as he looked down at her.

"Recruit… Clara… I'm afraid you've gone and hit me where it hurts."

"Below your belt?" she asked with a smirk, and he grinned.

"No, this hurts even worse, a direct hit to my honor. Now I am duty bound to prove that I speak the truth."

"And I'm afraid that won't work," she said firmly, though she didn't move as he began toying with her hair, and touching her face. "I am duty bound to bring you in."