Disclaimer; I don't own Dragonage

A prompt to write a story about a minor character. This is an Anders/Bethany romance one-shot.
*A/N* This is an AU in the modern world.

Christmas time is here and snow is all around. Bethany doesn't have the perfect gift for Anders and she is unsure that she will have the perfect gift

Bethany stared through the window of a shop in the mall. Odessa wrapped her hand around my arm to get me moving. "Beth, the mall closes in fifteen minutes." She turned towards her sister.

"I know. But the perfect gift has to be in here somewhere!" She stared at the window some more. It was a coat display. Did Anders have a nice coat? All of a sudden, she couldn't remember. Bethany couldn't remember what he said he wanted or needed or liked. She sighed.

"Why do you have to get it today?"

"It's a week until Christmas, Odessa," Bethany said. She allowed her sister to guide her away from the display and out the door of the mall.

"Why are you waiting this long?" Bethany smiled sheepishly. She had put off Christmas shopping as long as she possibly could because, as much as she loved her sister, her mother and Anders, she hated shopping. The crowds and people always pushing.

"You know I hate shopping." Most stores were not open at four in the morning. Except Wal-Mart and she had already combed through every inch of her local Wal-Mart, looking for something.

Odessa laughed at her younger sister.

Bethany went home to change for dinner with Anders. Maybe she could pull some present ideas from him over dinner. She changed into a maroon dress, white knitted leggings and brown boots. It was still fifteen minutes before she had to meet him.

She walked into the restaurant early, looking for a booth away from some people for privacy. Instead she saw Anders sitting in the corner. A smile instantly spread across her face. He made her happy. That is why she wanted to get him the perfect gift. Even walking towards him, she was wracking her brain for something. Something.

"Anders!" Bethany said as she got beside him. But it wasn't a smile that greeted her. It was a frown. His stubble was even more pronounced and he looked extremely tired. Her own smile disappeared.

She sat across him, reaching her hand towards his. He let her take it. It lay limply in hers and worry coursed through her. Then fear. It started at her heart, beating fast and dropped down to her stomach quickly. "What's wrong?"

"I'm being deployed," he said, running a hand over his stubble. He was in the Army reserves. His long golden hair was pulled back into a bun. It was pulled back so severely, it pulled at his forehead.

Bethany pulled her hand back in shock. "You're what?"

"They're sending me overseas…"

"But you're in the reserves. They can't do that!" She took a sip of water with a trembling hand. Absently, she pressed the cold glass to her head.

"They can and they have. I ship out the first of the year. I'll be gone between six to eighteen months. I guess it depends."

Tears sprang to her eyes. Why? Oh why? The tears fell silently. Bethany lowered her head, not wanting to show him how upset she was. Anders noticed anyway and moved into the seat beside her. His arm wrapped around her and she leaned on his shoulder.

"At least we can spend Christmas together," Anders said, trying to get a smile out of her.

She did smile, though it was bitterly. They had been dating for two years and this was the first time they would spend an extended time a part. Course they spent time a part when she went to visit family, but it wasn't for six to eighteen months.

"Is it dangerous?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Doubt it. They just need a medic," he said, picking up her glass to hand it to her.

She took a sip. This strengthened her resolve to find him the perfect Christmas present. "Let's eat."

Bethany was up the next day. Today she would brave the crowds and find something for him. It was only six more days til Christmas. Why was she panicked to get him something perfect? Why did she have to go through this every season, every holiday they spent together? What had she gotten him last Christmas?

For their first Christmas together, they had agreed to get no presents. It was too much pressure to try and think of something off of the top of your head when you barely knew someone. Instead of presents, they had spent the entire day in bed, ignoring calls from family and friends. It was a perfect first Christmas.

The next year, she remembered, she got him plane tickets to the Oregon coast. He hadn't been there in years and it was all he could talk about during the summer. She admitted that a visit to the Oregon coast wasn't as fun in the winter, but they didn't have to share the beach with anyone. They spent a glorious week there, doing whatever they wanted and eating whatever they wanted.

This year, she couldn't get him something that could send him off somewhere. It had to be something personal. What did he like?

Hockey, rock music, chocolate…ugh! There was so much more and she couldn't think of it. Pushing herself out of bed, she got ready in a pair of jeans and a long sleeved teal shirt. Odessa was meeting her for coffee in the shop right across the street from her apartment building.

Odessa was late as usual. Bethany nursed her coffee knowing it was any minute her sister could walk through the door.

Odessa walked through the door with her own boyfriend, Fenris, in tow. She dragged him through the small crowd. "Bethy!" Bethany sighed. It wasn't that she didn't like Fenris, however, she had hoped it was only them girls today.

"Hey Dessa and Fenris."

Fenris was not one for many words. He nodded at her though. It was as good as it was going to get today.

Bethany followed her sister to the counter to order two coffees. "Why did you drag him along?"

"He's complaining we don't spend enough time today and since I already had plans with you, I didn't think you would mind him coming along."

Fenris and Anders were best friends. If Bethany could get him to talk, maybe she could pick his brain about what to get him. There was suddenly a bright side.

"Fenris," Bethany said when she came back to the table. He turned his head towards her. "Is there a chance—"

"You could pick my brain for something to get Anders for Christmas?"

"Well…yeah." She felt like a bad girlfriend for having to ask his old college roommates.

"You aren't the first woman to ask. I know exactly what you can get him, but he's not materialistic. He would probably appreciate it more if you got him a memory instead of an object."

Frustration boiled over. She knew he would prefer memories to materials. She knew he preferred something to do together, but he was going overseas and he needed something to remember her by damnit! She didn't know if Dessa or Fenris knew this and kept her mouth shut. Though it was clear on her face she was angry and frustrated.

Fenris looked amused. "Cats. Crosses. Chocolate. Harry Potter. Walking Dead. Shall I go on?"

Bethany looked up and grinned. That was it. "No. I have to go. Love you, Dessa. Thanks Fenris!"

Christmas Morning

Bethany woke up to mewing. A small orange kitten had spent the better part of the past six days hiding. Now it looked like he was hungry. The small thing certainly didn't like her. She fed him anyway. Later Anders was going to come over and they were going to exchange presents.

She was dressed in a lacy blue dress and ankle boots. She had dinner in the oven cooking.

There was a knock at the door.

Anders stood there with his hair pulled into a ponytail and wearing a black button up and a pair of faded jeans. "You look beautiful," he said, holding a vase of lilies and a wrapped present.

"Thank you," she said, playfully curtsying.

They ate the chicken in companionable silence. There were no words needed for dinner. There were no words needed for the love was enough.

After dinner, she pulled out her own wrapped present. The cat was around there somewhere and she wasn't going to find him just yet. Anders stared at her with a certain gentleness in his eyes. "Let me give you mine first."

She took the present from him. Bethany was gentle in opening the paper. It was a beautiful silver with red poinsettias scatted across it. It was a small velvet box. Inside was a silver heart with a single stone embedded in the middle. The stone was emerald. When she opened the locket, there was a picture of Anders in his military uniform. "Oh, I just love it!"

He stood to clasp the locket around her neck. "Oh Anders, here." Her present wasn't as nice, but she still hoped her liked it.

Anders tore open the paper. Inside the box was a Celtic cross. But that wasn't the only present. As he was putting the cross around his neck and admiring it, she got up to go catch the cat.

He struggled in her hands. Bethany went back into the living room. "Oh, look at the cute kitty-witty!" Anders said, forgetting about the cross around his neck. "Ser-Pounce-A-Lot!"

Bethany laughed, sitting next to him. Ser-Pounce-A-Lot seemed perfectly content in his hands. "I know you're going overseas…but I was thinking maybe…they could make an exception and allow you to take him."

Anders stared at her. "This is the best present ever and this cross, this is beautiful Bethany."

He kissed her deeply. She was happy, truly happy.

She got gotten him the best, the perfect present ever.

Just in time for the holiday sesason right? Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

See you Across the Raynebow!