Brand new story!

Usual warnings apply: Here be smut aplenty mixed in with some angst and sappy romance. This is a happy tale, light and feel-good but don't worry: Nothing is ever easy (Save Isabela).

"What if" things progressed naturally after the events following the end of Dragon Age 2? Hawke becomes Viscount and Fenris remains by her side, dedicated as ever, but yearning for more than her love? More than her body? But unable to ask because he feels out of place, uncertain that his past is the proper foundation for a healthy family. Hawke knows, though, that it's just a question...

A question of family.

Chapter: 1

Justina stood in the midst of chaos and searched the faces of those gathered reverently around her. All the templars, even Cullen, especially Cullen, knelt before her, helms in hand, heads bowed low. But there was one face, one pair of soft, green eyes she sought, one deep, graveled voice she was desperate to hear and one strong chest she needed to fold herself against before she could feel human again.

"Fenris?" she asked.

"I am here for you, Justina. What is your need?" he asked her softly as he approached from her right. He was always on her right. She hoped he never strayed from there.

She turned to him and felt his arms draw her against him tightly. "There is so much to do and they-they want me to lead them as Viscount. Haven't we done enough?" she whispered against his long neck.

"If there was anyone in this city who could lead it during crisis, it is you. But I will follow where you lead, even in this." Hearing his voice, listening to his words made her feel stronger, braver and ready to face the templars gathered before her.

She straightened her back as Merrill, Isabela and Varric gathered close to her. Fenris held her in the circle of one strong arm, sharing his strength with her. These were her friends, her companions and she loved each and every one of them. At her back, a shadow whose friendship, like her sword, had never faltered, was Aveline. She placed a reassuring hand on Justina's shoulder then gave it a gentle squeeze. "You can do this, Hawke."

"I guess I'm Viscount, then…" she said into the quiet. The thunderous sound of applause and cheers, pepper with her name and the word, "Champion" filled the Gallows as the few hundred templars and Aveline's guards cheered for their new leader.

"Let her speak!" bellowed Cullen, whose smile was broad as he stood near her. The cheers quieted and only the clank and clash of armor and shifting boots could be heard.

From Justina's left, Varric chuckled and shouldered his crossbow with an observation: "Well, assuming he didn't get himself killed, Bran's gonna love this!" A ripple of laughter lit up the courtyard by those who had had dealings with the red-haired politician. "Hm! He might even quit in a fit of pique."

"Are you asking for the job if he did, Varric?" Hawke asked with a gleam in her eye.

The dwarf stepped back and laughed, left hand in front of his face. "Shit, no! I have enough political drama to deal with now that I inherited Bartrand's job. No wonder he went crazy. Just an observation, Ruby."

"'Ruby'?" both Justina and Aveline asked at the same time.

"Yeah, it's Hawk's new nickname. You like it? Matches her hair…"

"I do…! But what about me?" Aveline asked the smirking dwarf as he stood before her, smug as ever.

"'Mon Capitan' work for yah? Heh heh heh." he quipped in a mock Orlesian accent. The guard captain sighed and raised her hand for her men to see. They stood at attention, backs straight as could be expected considering that so many were injured.

"One of these days, Varric…" she sighed with a shake of her light red tresses. "Hawke… Speech? We still have work to do."

Justina shook her head as if she'd been in a dream and faced the gathered people, men and women of war, people who had shed blood, even many mages, on behalf of the city. They met her eyes in silence.

"Today, all of you fought well," she began as she raised her voice as loud as it would go. "Heroes one and all, proud men and women who came together under one banner, one goal and we won. We did not just fight templar against mage or mage against templar. That may have been how it began but eventually we all fought for one purpose: Kirkwall. In the end, there was no right or wrong side. It was zealot against zealot and as the, ahem, thinking faction of the city, we rose up against them both and won, despite deplorable odds.

"We are still one side; no right, no wrong. Cullen, for now, you are Knight Commander since Meredith succumbed to Bartrand's brand of crazy and tried to wipe us all out. For now, there will be no, I shall repeat, zero tranquilizing of mages without a full convention of the proper authorities! Are we clear? In addition, I want the mages to have the freedom to work, live and aid in the repairs of the city without being watched night and day by templars-"

Fenris caressed her face with his fingertips gently as he interrupted, "Are you certain? They could still be a danger."

"We need them, Fenris. I need them. Their skills will help us rebuild and they will feel a greater sense of loyalty for having a purpose rather than being cooped up in that tower. No wonder so many of them went insane," Justina said softly to him. He nodded though his expression told her he remained unconvinced.

Her voice raised loud once again, Justine thrust her fist into the air as she proclaimed, "We will bring Kirkwall back to its former glory. We will rebuild her and we will make her better than she has ever been! Heroes of Kirkwall! We have defeated our enemies and now-"

"-To the Hanged Man for drinks, Hawke's treat!" Varric said with a laugh among the cheers. Justina shot him a look and sighed.

"I have work to do…" she grumbled to him as he latched Bianca in her holster on his back and started walking toward the stair to Low Town.

He made a face and patted her arm. "Work-schmerk, Ruby. You have just finished wiping out half the mages in Kirkwall, destroyed their circle, killed both the leaders of said circle and been made Viscount. If anyone deserves a few pints, on you, it's you. And you and Broody here can run off and plan your honeymoon before you have to kick people's asses to repair the city."

"Honeymoon?" Justina and Fenris snapped, both faces flushed. Varric ignored them as he reached the stairs, a happy tune on his lips though he was well aware of the lovers as they stared at his retreating back. "You do realize, Varric, that tomorrow your part in this rebuilding process begins," said the woman behind him. He paused and looked back them. "Aye. You're part of the Merchant's guild which means, my old friend, that you can get us some good Dwarven masons, engineers and craftsmen to help us rebuild the city at the best price. Once that's done, then we can discuss our 'honeymoon,'" Justina said with a grin. It was the only time in their years together she could think of when Varric had nothing clever to say.

He groaned and pulled himself up the stairs as he grumbled, "I think I need something stronger than a pint…"

Aveline walked up to Hawke and laid her hand on her arm. "You two should get some rest. The guard and the templars will comb the city for survivors and put out the remaining fires. Check on your estates… Fenris, yours was very close to the Chantry; there may be nothing left."

"It…doesn't matter," he murmured with a shake of his head. "I will find a place if I must..." His guarded expression met Hawke's smiling eyes.

Justina kissed his lips in reassurance, gently driving away the fear that he would have nowhere else to go if the mansion was destroyed. It was all he needed and he held her against him, protectively. She then turned and faced Aveline. "Are you certain that we can't do anything?" she asked.

The guard captain pursed her lips and said, "Well, you both live in Hightown. As I said, just see what remains of your homes and report your findings to the guard in the area. They'll find me. Whatever you do, be careful! I would prefer it if you just get a room at the Hanged Man but no guarantees on privacy there. Plus, I know you, Hawke; you won't listen to me anyway."

The captain walked away to rally with her men without waiting for Hawke's reply. Fingers entwined with Fenris', she looked up into his eyes and grinned. "Shall we see what kind of a mess Anders made of the city, then?" Fenris nodded and together they traveled into the heart of the blast.

It was horrific but not as bad as Justina feared it would be.

"Well, Hightown survived better than I thought it would, considering…" Justina remarked as they wound their way through the empty streets. Looters scattered as they approached, their blood-spattered armor and weapons giving them a foreboding appearance that said, "These warriors faced down death many times over… And they won. Face them now, and they will still win."

Eventually, they entered the region where the bombs' horrific explosions rocked the city to its core. No buildings within the close radius of the Chantry survived and what buildings remained were ruined by the debris flung out from all sides. Gingerly, they picked through the rubble to Fenris' mansion and Justina gasped at the sight of it.

Before them lay a partial shell of a large home, staircases dangling and windows shattered so that now they resembled square-shaped holes in the walls. At the top, Fenris' room remained, his bed strangely well preserved though only that small portion had survived.

He waved her back, motioned her to stay as he climbed over the broken puzzle-pieces of the walls that had once been Denarius' former refuge. He stood in the middle of it, his eyes missing nothing as he took it all in.

Behind him, Justina breathed softly into the late afternoon quiet, "Fenris… I am so, so sorry…"

"No, Justina, do not. This… This is good. This is closure. This is…freedom. I shall not weep over the last vestiges of my life as a slave. I do not know why I clung to it for so long but now, standing over the rubble of what had once chained me to Denarius even after his death, I feel empowered to finally move on and live free as I never have."

"Let's dig through the debris and see if there is anything worth salvaging-" Justina began.

"No. There is nothing, not even clothes. I never had much to begin with, just a few odds and ends…and the book of Shartan but I long ago placed that book in your house for safe keeping so… There is truly nothing left."

He turned to her, a hint of sadness mingled with hope in his angular face and said, "My one regret is that I no longer have a place to hold my Diamond Back games. Or… Do I?" A smile tugged at his lips, for he knew the answer to his own question before he even asked it.

Wasting no time nor the moment, Kirkwall's champion carefully navigated her way to Fenris' side and drew him against her, her lips close to his ear as she whispered with a chuckle, "You and your card games... My love, the answer is, and always has been, 'yes.' Yes, you will have a home and yes that home will be with me. Though I suspect we will be expected to eventually move into the Keep…" Her eyes slid up the tall towers of what was now the tallest building in Kirkwall. Somehow, the Keep's walls had stood strong against the intense blast. Still, she worried about its strength and decided that the dwarves Varric gathered would have to assess the structural integrity of the building before she even stepped foot into it.

"'We' now, is it?" he purred in his deep voice. "I like that… I like that very much. Justina? May we…go home?"

Smiling, she nodded and though she was long past fatigued, she picked her way through the remains of the Chantry region of Hightown with her arm around Fenris. Just who supported whom was anyone's guess as they both sagged with exhaustion. Two days or more of intense fighting with little rest for either had left both suffering with sleep deprivation, especially Justina, who was as much a figurehead as fighter and had to be available for moral support of the fighters.

At last, her own well-protected home loomed before her, beckoning to her with welcome. She dug through her pouches in search of the key as the elf behind her grumbled softly. Justina looked back at her lover whose back was sagging against the doorway, eyes hidden by his mop of silver hair. He was in a dark mood and she needed to get him inside and comfortable, perhaps in front of the fire... Oh… Right. No fire… No help in the house. She would need to get a new steward to run things eventually. For now, she was happy for the solitude, as would Fenris.

Gently, the new Viscount ushered Fenris inside and all but sank to the floor herself as lack of sleep rushed up to consume her. Though he was clearly exhausted, Fenris' arms were around her and together, they stumbled into the house, up the stairs and onto the bed, fully armored and smelling of smoke, blood and dank sweat. Neither cared as they enjoyed the moment of peace while they lay there, gazing into one another's eyes. Justina thought back over the years and the struggle it had taken to get him to this place, this moment.

For the longest time, she'd waited for him patiently. For the longest time, he'd remained silent about his feelings for her, though his actions made it clear that he loved her. And so she waited. And so he eventually gave in. She loved him as much as she could not recall loving anyone in her life, save her parents and Bethany, who was long gone from Kirkwall as Grey Warden. It was a revelation for her as it made her feel alive inside in such a way that she'd never thought possible. He completed her, body and soul and there was nothing she wanted more right now than him and this moment.

Softly, awed by the strength of her emotions and stripped bare of her pride, she whispered, "I'm so glad you're here with me…"

"I wouldn't have allowed it otherwise. I am yours for as long as you will have me…" he murmured in return.

She took his hand and squeezed it tightly, her eyelids failing her as she breathed, "Then I shall have you… Forever…"

"Justina… Or is it 'Ruby' now?" Fenris said with a throaty chuckle.

"Hmm? Oh, Varric can kiss my ass. What, my love?"

"I shall call you 'Beloved' then… We need baths and we need to get out of this foul armor before we ruin your bedding," the elf said with a hint of amusement.

"You do it… I'm sleepin'," Hawke muttered under her breath as she cradled her head in her arms and faded off into slumber.

A short while later, she awoke with a start and a sensation of drowning as she found herself neck-deep in a full bath of sweetly-scented hot water and a strong, lyrium-branded elven body against her. Fenris was carefully washing her hair and shushed her as he scrubbed out the blood and bits of flesh that had dried to her short, auburn locks. "Relax, Beloved. Just relax. I like doing this for you. One wonders how you managed before me…" He then began chanting softly in Tevene, the sound a soothing blend of harmony and poetry though it had no tune. She didn't understand a single word of it but feeling his bare body so tightly pressed to her was reassurance of her safety and soon, she was once again asleep and at his mercy.

Hours later, she awoke in a kind of dream-state, her body clean and her armor and undertunic propped against a chair. She looked over and Fenris was lying beside her, his green eyes open and a half-smile teasing his full lips. A candle's light danced on the nightstand to his left, a book in his hands. "Wha-?" she gasped as she slid up against his warm body. "You…? I passed out! I cannot believe I passed out!"

He chuckled, set the book down with it open to his page and enveloped her in his embrace. "Yes, I certainly did. You passed out and I managed to strip and bathe us both. Remind me to thank the engineers of this house for placing your bath so close to the bedroom; you are deceptively smaller than me but you are no feather. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Though I still get a bit nervous when I fall asleep with you…" she chided with grin.

With a touch of vehemence, he said, "I will not abandon you again. I gave my word. Have you recovered enough to eat? I put tea and meat on… I… Was taught how to cook while I was a slave. Those skills have come in useful over the years so, I have done both in small measure for you."

She gently moved her body so that she was straddling his lap and placed her hands on his face, his eyes on hers as she smiled sweetly, "'Us,' my love. Remember that. You're part of something now. You don't have to serve me as I am capable of serving myself. But if you want to provide for both of us… Hmm…" She leaned back slightly, grinding her pelvis against his and he closed his eyes in pleasure. He wasn't inside her but oh, how he longed to be.

His hands ran up her back and cupped her shoulders, pulled them so that her face and his were even. Their lips touched, their mouths embraced and she reached reached between his legs…

To be Continued...