Blood from Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"No," he growls, tightening his grip on her. "You're going to ask. You want to be married to him, I know you do. You love keeping house, you want his babies, you want to be his."

[Bethany]

"I will not," Bethany snaps back, straightening up. "You do not get to tell me what I want, Carver Hawke." She starts to say something else, then visibly stops herself. "Carver... please."

[Varric]

Varric, about to cut in to head things off, hesitates. Better if they can work it out themselves but... 

[Carver Amell]

"So you're going to raise bastards?" he snaps. 

Beth was always an outcast for her witchiness; she never quite fit in with the other kids, not when strange things kept happening around her. Carver was never as badly cast out as she was, but neither did he avoid his helping of bullying. They never called Carver Hawke a witch, though. 

They called him a bastard. A fatherless boy, son of nobody. 

[Bethany]

"I'm going to raise my children," Bethany says, paling. "I'd like if their uncle was a part of that, but if... if you can't..."

[Carver Amell]

"I'm not abandoning you!" he snarls, seeming hurt, angry, at the mere suggestion. 

[Bethany]

"Then I'll ask you not to call them that again. They're my children, not bastards. Not ever," Bethany says simply. "Not even from you."

[Carver Amell]

"You don't know what it's like, Beth! and, and what if you're having a boy? A boy needs a father. I won't-- I'll talk sense into Don. I'm not letting him just, just..."

[Bethany]

"Don't!" Bethany pleads. "Please, Carver, no. I don't- I'd rather raise he, she or them alone than trap him like that. I'd rather no father in the picture than one with their eyes always on the door."

[Varric]

"What did he say, exactly?" Varric cuts in. "When you told him you were with child."

[Bethany]

"Um." Bethany has to gather her thoughts as they scatter at the interjection. "Umm. He was- he was stunned. It was- It was a shock, to both of us. Because... But he was happy. Supportive. Until- until I confessed that I messed up my birth control," she confesses, brow wrinkling. "He was... really hurt and... he said he needed to think before he could talk more and then left."

[Carver Amell]

"This is why you should have stayed a lesbian," Carver snarls. "Men always fucking leave, don't we? I can't-- what am I meant to do, Beth? I can't just let Adonis break your heart and abandon your kids! I have to try, don't I?"

[Varric]

"He hasn't abandoned anyone Carver," Varric points out. "He said he needed time to think this out and that was only last night. Give him time."

[Carver Amell]

"He won't," grumbles Carver. "You were only ever temporary to him anyway, and then add in the whole... mishap... It's just like Malcolm. Except older, at least."

[Varric]

Varric reaches out to smack Caver, lightly, on the side of the head. "Supportive much?" he says pointedly as Bethany flinches.