Varric Tethras | Dragon Age (taleweaver) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2012-11-25 13:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, helen magnus, varric tethras |
"You brought me a hobbit?"
Who: Helen and Varric
What: Helen brings home a little guest
When: Lets say Saturday
Where: Helen's place
Status: complete
Rating: Pg
The call had been unexpected. She could picture the man, he sounded young, reading her hastily scribbled name off a small scrap of paper as he stood in a sterile white hallway, explaining in a detached voice that she had been listed as an emergency contact. The only contact.
The room spun and she had to sit, staring blankly at the disconnected phone in her hand. Then she was moving again, collecting her keys starting toward the hospital, suppressing a shudder at the entrance. Hospitals only held the most unpleasant of memories.
It was hours later when she finally left, tears barely in check, determined to be strong. Alice needed her. She would not fail her in the same way she had failed Ashley. Glimpsing the little girl in her rearview mirror, she allowed the ghost of a smile. So young. Younger than Ashley had been when their life had fallen apart, just as in need of stability. She might never find that stability again. Her mother nearly hadn’t.
She hadn’t hesitated when they had requested she take temporary guardianship of the child. It was only meant to be until they could determine whether she had family willing to take custody, if her mother had made her final wishes known. She didn’t hold much hope that either would be found.
She was turning into her drive before it occurred to her that this was a decision she shouldn’t have made on her own. Her life was no longer hers alone. Her opinion was no longer the only one of consequence. She sat in her car until the little one in the back seat began to get restless.
Slowly, they were growing accustomed to one another, and the girl didn’t resist as Helen lifted her onto her hip, instead laying her head sleepily on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she tried the door, tightening her arm protectively around the child in her arms.
Varric had recently gotten in. He'd moved a few more things in, including a very old and very ornate chest. That (and the place he'd selected to hang Bianca) were the two biggest things that proved he was serious about moving in with her.
He was adjusting Bianca when the door opened.
Seeing him, she smiled, a little guiltily, adjusting the five year old on her hip as she carefully braced herself against the greyhounds coming to greet her. Once the “children” had been given appropriate amounts of attention, she looked back up at him, biting her lip as she shifted somewhat nervously.
“I’ve someone I’d like you to meet.”
Varric raised an eyebrow. He stepped away from the wall and came closer. "You brought me a hobbit?"
She looks confused for a moment, but then she shakes her head, her attention shifting to the, now sleeping, child and brushing blonde curls back from her face.
“This is Alice. She’s going to be staying with us for a while.”
"Dwarves don't actually spontaneously erupt from the ground." Varric said, looking up at Helen and the child. "Alice, huh? Do you think she likes Lewis Caroll?"
“Perhaps.” It was difficult to say. She had only just met her that afternoon. “I knew her mother.”
“What happened?” He stepped away, going into the kitchen to get Helen a drink while she figured out how to settle the kid.
She glanced anxiously at the girl in her arms before answering, reassuring herself that she was still sleeping.
“There was an accident. I was listed as her emergency contact.”
Gently coaxing Winnie off of the sofa, she carefully laid the girl down, lightly stroking her hair as she sat next to her. She would likely move her to a bed before the night was over, but she was hesitant to leave her alone.
Varric returned with a glass of wine for each of them, and handed one over to Helen. “I’m sorry about your friend. This has to be hard on that poor girl.”
She accepted the wine with a small smile of thanks, taking a sip before shaking her head. “I barely knew her.”
That wasn’t entirely true, but it was accurate enough. She hadn’t spoken to her in years, hadn’t even known she had a child. But at one time, she had thought of her as a daughter. Time lessened the sting, but it didn’t dull the ache completely.
“I’m not certain she understands yet.”
“It will be hard when she does start to understand,” Varric replied, taking a seat on a chair and looking up at Helen. His heart went out to the little girl, and he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what Helen was going to ask.
She nodded, absently rubbing Alice’s arm, needing the constant contact to reassure herself.
“We’ll be here for her.” It wasn’t voiced as a question, but there was more than a hint of pleading. “She has nowhere else to go.”
Varric nodded his head. “Good. Your heart is in the right place. You’re crazy. But it’s in the right place.” He gave her a sly smirk.
That earned a faint smile, and she gave him her full attention again. Mostly.
“You aren’t upset that I brought her here?”
“Why should I be?” He asked her, shaking his head. “You did the right thing.”
“This is your home as well as mine, your life.” She took another drink of wine, settling back in her seat. “I should have consulted you.”
“And what would have happened to Alice?”
“Temporary placement. She’d become a ward of the state.” It was a thought she didn’t want to dwell on.
Varric frowned. Most kids tended to not make it out of those sorts of situtations very well adjusted. “What’s the odds of finding family? Was the mother killed?”
She shook her head, stealing another glance at the girl beside her. “There was nothing they could have done. She was still so young. When I knew her, I was the closest thing to family she’d ever known. But I never imagined,” she trailed off, shaking her head again.
It had been the last thing she would have expected, to be entrusted with the child of a former client. To have made such an impact.
“I’m sorry.” Varric reached over, resting a hand over hers. “I still think you did the right thing.”
She twisted her hand to lace her fingers through his.
"Thank you."
“We’ll take care of her. How hard could it be?”
She chuckled softly, squeezing his hand. "More difficult than you could ever imagine. But it's worth every moment."
“If you think so.” He seemed to be taking this pretty well. Better than if he’d knocked her up, actually. Go figure.
He was taking it well. Better than she had expected, given her failure to consider his wishes when she had decided to allow the girl into their home.
“How did I ever deserve you?”
“By being very special.”
“So you keep insisting. There must be more to it than that.”
“Nope, not at all, Rabbit.” Varric grinned at her. “I’m far too amazing for you to not be special.”
She hummed softly. “When you put it that way, I can hardly argue with your logic.”
"Therefore, I win."
“This time.” She flashed him a small smile before turning her attention back to Alice, watching her sleep.
“I think I should stay with her tonight.”
"I think that's a good idea. I'll make a store run while you get her settled in," Varric replied. They'd need some healthier food better fitting a child.
“We’ll use the guest room.” She looked back up at him. “You’ll come and tell me goodnight?”
“Of course.” He gave her a kiss, then pulled on his jacket. “I’ll see you in a bit.” And then he was out the door!