A/N This chapter's name was inspired by the song Smile sung by Nat King Cole. I picked this song because to me its a song about smiling and making it through the ache and pain of life to get to something better, something Elyssa and Solas are both trying to do. Please read and review! Let me know what you think about the story.

The sound of rubber soles echoing off the linoleum tiles of the hall rang through Solas's ears. No students should be roaming the halls at this hour. They should all be in the cafeteria eating and socializing. Solas rounded the corner to see Elyssa coming from the girl's restroom. She looked around timidly as if she were checking to see if anyone had noticed her.

"Miss Lavellan, can I help you find your way to the cafeteria?" He asked in a soft but authoritative tone. Students weren't allowed to wander around the halls aimlessly. Surely Elyssa was aware of that?

"Mr. Wolfe!" The small girl jumped at the sound of his voice. "I'm sorry. I was just using the bathroom before going to lunch." The way her head was turned downward and her eyes refused to meet his own didn't sit well with Solas. She seemed too nervous to have simply been using the bathroom before joining her peers.

"Well, then allow me to escort you there," he suggested. Elyssa nodded her head, though she still kept her eyes downcast. Thick tension hovered in the silence between them. They hadn't spoken since Solas had confronted her about her last assignment. Since then, Elyssa had turned in less grim artwork and scurried out of class before he ever had the chance to speak with her again. He had spoken to the counselor for the senior class, but Salem hadn't noticed anything unusual about Elyssa. It seemed that none of the teachers had noticed anything about her except for him. If it hadn't been for her grim and fatalistic drawing, would he have even noticed the young woman?

They arrived at the doors of the lunchroom. Through the thick paned glass, Solas could see the large crowds of students clustered together at the long tables. Along the far wall, the teachers that chose to spend the hour in the room supervising the students sat and talked amongst themselves. Solas saw the large horned figure of the History teacher and football coach, Hissrad - or as most people referred to him - Iron Bull. He sat next to his wife Salem Adaar, the senior class counselor. Solas decided to ask the smaller qunari woman to keep an eye on Elyssa while she was in the cafeteria. He preferred the quietness of his classroom to the bustle and noise of the cafeteria but he needed to make sure Elyssa would be alright before he retreated to it.

Solas opened the door for Elyssa, his eyes never leaving her. The young woman looked at the clusters of student cliques with wide eyes. Her feet remained glued to the tile she stood on outside the door. Her chest rose and fell in a short shallow rhythm. "Elyssa are you okay?" he asked softly. She slowly shook her head. "Would you rather come to my classroom for lunch?" Green eyes turned to finally meet his. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. Solas offered the woman a tentative smile, hoping to comfort her a little. He didn't know why she didn't want to join the rest of the students in the cafeteria, but he could see in the slight tremble of her blue jean-covered legs that she was upset.

He closed the door and led her down the hall to his classroom. He thought of how to approach the subject of the cafeteria without making her lash out at him as she had before. Perhaps he should just leave it be? Giving her an alternative to the place she was so clearly uncomfortable being in would have to be helpful enough for now. At least then he'd be able to see for himself that she was okay instead of having to rely on his coworkers. The thought of relying on someone else, even someone as dependable as Salem, to watch over and protect this girl churned his stomach. Having been the only one so far to see through the shy, quiet facade Elyssa put forth left him feeling protective of her.

She sat at her usual desk in the back corner of his classroom, furthest from his desk. She took a sketchbook and nothing else out of her worn backpack. "You didn't bring lunch with you?" he asked.

She shook her head, her eyes once again not meeting his. "I… forgot my lunch at home," she answered quietly.

The hesitation in her answer nagged at the back of his mind. Had she truly forgotten her lunch? Or was there something more she wasn't telling him? People forget things all the time. It was quite plausible that she had indeed forgotten her lunch at home. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the case. "Would you like me to get you a tray from the cafeteria?" he asked with soft kindness. Elyssa tilted her head to the side. She looked surprised that he was offering to do something for her. Was he that strict of a teacher that it came as a shock that he would be nice to one of his students? He didn't think he was very strict at all, but perhaps he was wrong.

"No thank you, Mr. Wolfe," she answered, "I don't care for the food they serve here. That's why I don't go to the lunchroom." Solas studied the young woman for a moment. Being an elf, she was naturally thin and petite, but she was thinner than most elves her age. She wasn't extremely small, just thin enough to make him wonder how many times she skipped out on meals while at school. If she didn't eat lunch, she likely didn't eat breakfast either.

"Okay," he hesitated. He didn't want to just let her not eat. It wasn't good for her health and he wouldn't be a very good teacher if he didn't do something for her. He let her concentrate on the picture she was sketching, while he went through his lunch bag. In it was a sandwich, an apple, some instant tea packets Josephine, the freshman counselor, had given him to try, and a few bottles of water. Solas looked at the girl drawing diligently at her desk and then again at his opened lunch box. He grabbed the sandwich, a bottle of water, and one of the tea packets and walked over to his pupil. He laid the food in front of her on the desk.

"What's this?" she asked. She used the long flowy sleeve of her shirt to halfway cover her drawing. Solas had already seen the beginnings of the picture. Half of the outline of a young girl balled up in a bed clutching a pillow was still visible. Instead of confronting her once more on the nature of her art, Solas decided to focus on the issue at hand - making sure Elyssa ate.

"It's food," Solas commented cheekily. Elyssa chuckled, a small smile showing on her full lips. Solas realized that this was the first time he could recall seeing her smile. She had such a lovely smile be it a small one.

"I can see that it's food, Mr. Wolfe," Elyssa rolled her pale green eyes, "what I mean is why is it in front of me now?"

"Because you need to eat," Solas answered.

"Mr. Wolfe, I can't take your food," she protested.

"I have more food," he argued, "you would just be eating what would otherwise go to waste." He didn't let her know that the remaining food he had consisted of an apple and a bottle of water. He could truthfully say he wasn't very hungry today; the way Elyssa looked with longing at the sandwich he could tell she was. "You'd be doing me a favor."

Elyssa hesitated for a brief moment. "All right, if it was going to go to waste anyway then I guess I'll help you out." Solas smiled approvingly at the teenager. Elyssa removed the sandwich from the plastic bag it was stored in without further hesitation. Her eyes widened in surprise, assumingly from having noticed after a large bite, that the sandwich had the nutty sweetness of peanut butter and the sugary tang of grape jelly. "You bring peanut butter and jelly for lunch?" She asked with a chuckle.

"On occasion," Solas answered, "is there something wrong with such a sandwich?"

"It's just… you're a teacher?" Elyssa answered, "I wouldn't expect you to eat something sweet like this for lunch. It doesn't seem very adult-like."

Solas laughed. "So because I am an adult, this means I can't enjoy the sweeter things in life?"

Elyssa's head turned in thought slightly to the right. "No, I suppose you're allowed to enjoy sweet things if you want," she answered with a small smile.

"How lovely it is to have your permission," Solas teased, "I can go forth enjoying sweets with a clear conscience now."

"You're quite welcome Mr. Wolfe," she chuckled, "I wouldn't want you having an unclear conscience on my account."

"Miss Lavellan, you are aware that I am the adult here?" Solas asked with humor, "it is I that should be worried about your conscience."

"I don't know, Mr. Wolfe," she raised a dark brow in teasing, "you don't seem very much like an adult now. You look so young and handsome, plus you bring peanut butter and jelly to school for lunch."

"You think I look handsome?" Solas asked with a sly smile. The young girl's alabaster cheeks turned a bright crimson at her slip up. Solas chuckled. It was not the first time one of his students told him such things. He had gotten used to the flirtatious giggles and notes left on his desk that came with the compliments. In his years of teaching, he had made sure every school girl crush was never encouraged, as was his job. Yet, he couldn't find it in his heart to discourage Elyssa from further comments. She had smiled more in the past ten minutes than he had ever seen her smile in the entire time he had been her teacher. What harm was one little compliment?

"How old are you anyway, Mr. Wolfe?" she asked instead of answering his question.

"I am 27 years old," he answered, "though, I will be 28 in a few weeks."

"Really?" Elyssa asked with interest, "you were born in October?"

"On the 23rd to be exact," Solas nodded, "what about you Miss Lavellan? It's only fair that I know your birthday as well."

Elyssa took another large bite of the sandwich before answering. "I'll be 18 on March 23rd."

"I'm not so much older than you then," Solas chuckled, "though, I'm still over the age of 18 and therefore the adult."

"Barely," Elyssa snorted, "though I think my preference for ham sandwiches makes me much more of an adult in this case."

Solas laughed at the young woman's consistent teasing. "I will concede the victory to you then, Miss Lavellan."

"Please, just Elyssa is fine," she insisted in a small voice. Solas watched as her demeanor turned sad and serious once again. What was it about being called by her last name that bothered her so?

"Forgive me, Elyssa," he sighed, "I did not mean to upset you."

Her green eyes bore into him with surprise. Had she thought he wouldn't notice the change in her? Or was she once again surprised at the kindness he was showing her?

"It's okay Mr. Wolfe," she forced a small smile to form on her full lips, "it's just weird hearing my last name used so casually."

Solas nodded in understanding. There seemed to be more she wasn't telling him; for now, that explanation would do. "In that case, you may call me Solas," he offered. Perhaps with something as simple as a first name he could begin building his pupil's trust. Then with more time maybe he would be able to unravel the mystery she presented.

"Solas?"

"That's my first name," he chuckled, "teachers have them too."

"Oh! I didn't even think," she laughed shortly, "of course you have a first name you probably prefer too."

"Only for you," Solas answered with a small smile, "I want you to be comfortable with me."

Elyssa continued eating the sandwich in silence while she pondered his words. He was showing her such kindness today. Not turning her in for wandering the halls. Letting her spend her lunch hour in his classroom. Giving his lunch to her. Now allowing her the privilege of calling him by his first name. She didn't know what she had done to deserve such kindness, but she was happy to have received it today of all days. Fridays were one of the worst days of the week. Most students looked forward to the weekend at home with their families, while she couldn't wait for the weekend to be over.

She watched as Solas returned to his desk. He didn't seem offended by her lack of an answer. Maybe he truly wanted her to be comfortable with him? Isn't that what teachers usually wanted for their students? For them to be in a comfortable environment for optimal learning? He was just showing her the kindness he would show any of his students. Still, she appreciated it more than he could know.

She finished the lunch he had provided her. With determination to show him the same kindness, she marched to his desk. "Thank you," she said softly, laying the plastic bag and bottle on his desk.

Solas smiled up at her, "You're welcome to my classroom any day for lunch."

The bell signaling the end of lunch buzzed through the halls. Elyssa hurriedly gathered her sketchbook and pencils. Before leaving the classroom she turned to look at the teacher who had made her day more bearable. "You're a pretty nice guy Solas," she smiled.