Under Darkness [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

Seli sighs a little. Well, maybe he'll realize what he did was abandonment as much as Hawke physically leaving eventually. Not everything can be healed in one talk after all. Sometimes it takes dozens just to start with one thing. "You are," she says quietly instead. "Thank you for that. I... if you need... advice or... context, I'll try to help you. But I can't... I can't talk to him yet, I'm sorry."

[Carver Amell]

"I don't expect you to." He sighs. "I plan to get him working again, in Raplin's Oak. We'll be sending you money, to help pay for the twins' care. Eventually, when he's holding that down steady, maybe you two can start talking. But no, he needs to prove himself first, we both know that."

[Tethras Clan]

"He's not be near the twins. Even supervised," Seli says, voice tight. "I... I might change my mind. Later. Much later. But- they're not his kids anymore. Not until I say otherwise."

[Carver Amell]

"They'll always be his kids," Carver says, a darkness creeping into his voice. "That doesn't mean he gets to be near them, but he can't just walk away and pretend they don't exist. He does whatever you need done. Money. Protection. Clothes, books, toys, whatever they need, he provides, no matter the cost. He has to make it right, make up for what he did." 

[Tethras Clan]

Seli nods slowly. "I... I suppose I'm... okay with that. As long as he's..." She takes a deep breath, then her eyes widen. "He never- he was never violent. Or- it was- it wasn't on purpose, I don't want you to think that he would have-"

[Carver Amell]

"What happened?" he asks, studying her face. "He wasn't in a state to talk sense, but he did imply..."

[Tethras Clan]

Seli looks away, needing a minute to gather herself. "I... after he was fired, he... got worse. Fell back to his worst and... then worse than that. I had to start... Lovan left us a fair bit but with the two newborns, the house and two people... I started taking extra shifts, got a second job." She takes a deep breath. "I got called in, promised double time for the short notice and for working overnight. Andy promised he'd not... that he's watch our babies."

Another deep breath. "I got in two hour past dawn to hear little Tomas screaming from the nursery. Andy passed out in the living room. Gilly had a fever and..." She turns dead eyes towards Carver. "It wasn't... it wasn't serious, her fever, but it could have been. She's cried her throat raw and bleeding and he didn't-" She breaks into sobs then, arms wrapping around her middle and curling in as the tears come.

[Carver Amell]

Carver glances down, swallowing. "That's..." Bad. Fucking horrible. What the fuck, Andy? Drinking like that -- never. If I have to magic you into it, you're never touching another drop again. What the actual fuck.

"He's not drinking anymore. I won't let him. And he'll be working, so you won't have to pull double shifts. He'll pay for babysitting, if you need it. Someone trustworthy." 

[Tethras Clan]

Seli can't reply, she just nods before moving away, unable to continue talking right now. Across the camp, Andy watches her with shame and longing before Zevran rather pointedly moves in front of him.

[Carver Amell]

Carver closes his eyes, covering his face with his hand as Seli departs. Is this the right thing to do? But... it has to be. It has to be right, to put their family back together. Love above all else. Family above all else. That's the Astean way. 

[Tethras Clan]

Later that day, Andy and Carver were on first watch again, as had become the norm as they travel. Carver's a bit of a night owl and no-one else wants to partner with Andy so... Not that Carver likely wants much to do with him today, not after that talk with Seli. And the tiefling isn't making it more appealing, being deep in a depressed funk as he is.

[Carver Amell]

On the contrary -- Carver sticks closer to Andy than ever, determined to dog him and keep a close eye on him. When they are put on watch, he doesn't so much ask as thrust a stick at him roughly. "Here." 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy jerks way from the offered stick, too lost in his head to have noticed Carver approaching him. "Oh. Right. Okay," he mumbles, taking it from the human.

[Carver Amell]

"Get out of your head, kid," he says, gruffly. "You'll get lost in there." It's something his old master used to say, when he  was learning the blade. 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy shakes himself a bit. "Right... I... sorry. Bad day I guess," he whispers, closing his eyes for a moment. "Drills will help, right? Tire me out out so I can't... dwell."