Helen Magnus (britishcharm) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-02-02 18:28:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, helen magnus, varric tethras |
“Penny for your thoughts, Rabbit?”
Who: Helen & Varric
What: Comforting.
When: February 1
Where: Their house.
Rating: Low
Status: Complete!
Helen stood at the kitchen window, fingers curled tightly around her cup. The tea had grown cold some time ago; not that she'd noticed. Her mind was elsewhere. Just as her life was beginning to settle again, her small family growing, she was losing the most important part of herself.
For so long, it had been the two of them. And now, she was alone.
“Penny for your thoughts, Rabbit?” Varric entered the kitchen, dressed as though he were going to head out for the day.
She barely acknowledged him, long moments passing before she answered. "Ashley's gone."
"Gone?" Varric leaned on the counter. "Gone where?"
She half shrugged, shaking her head. “She left. She was needed elsewhere.”
“Did she say good bye?”
He only gets a tiny nod in response.
It was better than Ashley just leaving, but Varric took her hand and squeezed it. “She’ll be back.”
She set her cup down, finally turning to face him. “What if she doesn’t?”
“I don’t believe that in the slightest. I’m not saying she’ll be back tomorrow, but she loves you. She’ll be back.”
“I need her here.”
“Rabbit..Helen.” He took her hand in his own. “She has to do what she needs to do. You can’t keep her to yourself.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“She’s a grown woman.” Varric raised his eyebrows, as if daring her to refute that fact.
She didn’t see why that should have anything to do with it. Reclaiming her hand, she turned back to the window.
“It’s always been the two of us.”
"And it'll be that way again." Varric gentled his voice, trying to reassure Helen that it wasn't the end of the world. He’d never actually had children of his own, so he probably didn’t fully understand.
“Will it?”
“Yes. Not the way it was, completely. You have Alice and I now, too.”
“What if I caused this?”
"Helen..." Varric took her over to the table and sat her at the chair. He looked into her eyes. "You can't believe that, not really."
“Can’t I?”
Varric exhaled through his nose, and folded his arms stubbornly. “You didn’t chase her away.”
“For so long, it was only the two of us.” Though she doesn’t say it, the until you is clear enough.
“I’m adopting another child. How do you believe that made her feel?”
“I don’t think she felt like she was being replaced.” Varric stared at her.
“You can’t be certain of that. I know my daughter.”
“What do you think you can do about it?” He pulled a chair over so he could sit down and listen.
“Nothing.” And that was perhaps what hurt most. Alice was already too much a part of her life, a part of her family. If she was the reason Ashley left, it was too late to fix whatever had been broken.
Varric didn’t think that there was anything that had been broken but he wasn’t sure he could get Helen to see that. So he studied her, as if waiting for her to continue.
"I already miss her."
"I know, but you can't dwell on it."
Shaking her head, she stood again, moving back to the window, away from him. “I’m staying in Alice’s room tonight.”
Varric gave her an incredulous and slightly hurt look. He folded his arms, then turned and started towards the door. "I'll be out late"
“Not too late?”
"Probably not too late, depends on what I get up to." Varric shrugged a shoulder.
“Then we won’t wait up.” She probably would. But she was hurting, and he was an available target. Brushing past him, she went in search of their daughter.
Varric watched her go, then walked out the door. He couldn’t help Helen if she wouldn’t let him, and not for the first time she reminded him of Hawke. Stubborn as a nug.