((I planned this to be mostly light-hearted, but that didn't exactly happen. It's still quite happy by my standards. The chapters are all rather short, but I found it a bit long for a one-chapter story so I split it into scenes.

The chapter headings are all taken from the Dragon Age: Inquisition tavern songs. The first one happened, then I did it on purpose. This one's from Once We Were.

Also, this first chapter and the next are actually before Dies Irae in the timeline, pretty much immediately after Bring the Dark Disaster.))

Chapter 1
Our Lives Assured

'Can I go with Mr Valentine, Mom? Please!'

Kalyna grinned. 'Sure. You take care of him, he always gets himself into all sorts of trouble.'

Shaun leaned forwards. 'Yeah, he says you saved his life!'

'He told you that?'

'Yes! And Deacon … hmm.'

'Deacon what?'

'Deacon says he's a synth, and you saved his life too.'

Kalyna snorted. 'Deacon's not a synth. But I did save his life a couple of times. As he did mine.' That wasn't what Deacon had meant, she believed, but there was no need for the kid to know that. And it was certainly not for her to disclose any of the details.

'He says it doesn't matter what he is, but I know that, of course. I mean, Mr Valentine's a synth, and he's brilliant.'

'That he is.' She swallowed. 'Don't keep him waiting if he wants you to run along. I'll have a word with Deacon.'

'Don't be mad at him, I didn't really believe him anyway. We'll come back soon!'

'I hope so.' She watched her son – for he was that, he was her Shaun – run to the bridge. Nick liked to visit the robots at the nearby farm, occasionally bringing them food to plant, and Shaun had taken to him, as he had to most of the others. That aside, visiting the robots would be very exciting for him. Kalyna was nervous about her child travelling so far without her, but if he was with Nick, she wasn't too concerned. The detective would guard him with his life, if he had to.

Some parts of life after the Institute were still strange. Watching X6, who now went by Extany, made it all even stranger. He was pumping water, his shades ditched, waving back at Shaun as he ran past. She remembered the shouting match – or at least the aftermath – between him and Deacon after she'd blown up the Institute. The courser had vanished, and when he'd returned he was capture without resistance by Danse and Hancock, who were both wary. But none of them like Deacon.

His normally calm and accepting demeanour had dropped, and he had urged Kalyna to kick X6 out if she was unwilling to kill him. It was the first time they fought, quietly but intensely, before Deacon had marched off to where X6 was being held. The result had been Deacon pushing his laser gun into the courser's chin and yelling – Deacon, yelling! – that he'd never been welcome to begin with and that now they no longer needed to keep him leashed so it was either walk or die. At least that was what Hancock had said when he'd run to Kalyna to sort them out. By the time she arrived, X6 had decided to become Extany (a name that had Deacon written all over it) and Deacon was discussing the pros and cons of getting his memory wiped. If Hancock hadn't been so obviously worried, Kalyna would have thought he'd pulled her leg.

Like Curie, Extany seemed a little lost, but he'd come round. For those two, the difference between their former lives and the new possibilities was the greatest. Apparently, the gist of Extany's thoughts as the Institute he'd always been loyal to went up in a huge explosion was, 'oh, fuck it'. At least, those were Deacon's words once she mustered up the composure to ask about it. She had hated fighting with her man, and if his wide-eyed expression when she reached him and Extany was any indication, so did he. Given his self-deprecating nature, she gave up on the thought to let him struggle and went straight to him, pressing her lips to his cheek.

Trouble was, it hadn't ended there. Only a couple of days later, she had revealed that she intended to tell Shaun what he was. Deacon wasn't thrilled, to say the least. After all, it didn't matter. And of course, it didn't. That Shaun wasn't truly the child she'd given birth to made no difference to her. But as far as she knew, what he was couldn't remain a secret because he simply wouldn't grow up. The problem was that Deacon didn't believe this was the real reason. Her Deacon. It hurt like hell.

'Hey.'

She turned away from the bridge over which her son and Nick had just vanished, the former skipping, the latter at a brisk walk to keep up. 'Hey.'

Deacon looked like a schoolboy who had been caught in a brawl on the corridor. 'Look, I get it. It's none of my business.'

This time, she couldn't let him off so easily, even if she wanted to. 'Let's take this inside.' She saw the fear flicker over his face, so readable to her now. It only added to her irritation. 'First … What the hell, Deacon?'

'I'm …' He swallowed. 'If you want me to leave, all you have to do is say it.'

'This is exactly my problem. Or one of them.' She turned away, didn't want him to see how her eyes were burning. After murdering the real Shaun, after letting her tears flow almost for the first time since she'd stepped out of the blasted vault, it had become difficult to keep them back sometimes. She hated that so-called Father for that as much as everything else he'd done. 'You don't really believe we have a future, do you? We made a pact, Deacon, but you have zero faith in it. In me.' Her voice had broken after the first sentence, but she'd continued bravely.

'No, no that's not at all what it is!' Deacon sounded almost shocked. 'I have … you know this is hard for me.' He embraced her from behind, rocking her gently. 'I know you love me, all right? I know you'll stand by me. But if I screw up too badly, you'd be a fool to stick with me, and I'm still not sure how badly is too badly.' He buried his face in her neck. 'And this was … quite bad. I'd be mad if I were you. I've known you for so long now, I know you make no difference between human, synth, ghoul, or super mutant, as long as there is a will to coexist and not declare themselves a God. I know it, Whisper, and I'm worried because I fucked up.'

Kalyna turned around, resting her head against his chest. She felt him relax at the intimate gesture. 'I'm not trying to sell resentment as reason, Deacon.'

'No. And you're right. He needs to know if he truly won't age. If they managed to create a synth that actually grows up, though, he's better off not knowing.'

'I'll still tell him.'

'Why? And why now?' he pulled away enough to be able to look at her. 'Don't get this wrong, it's your choice alone, but I hope you'll explain to me why. We recommended the synths we freed to get their memories changed so they don't know what they are. I don't get why you want that kid, who has the blessing not to know to begin with, to be aware of his nature, which is exactly what we hope the others will hide even from themselves.'

'Because,' Kalyna said slowly, 'I want people to accept synths as people. And if there are a few examples of them they know of, like Curie, like Extany, like Shaun, that'll be easier. They're safe here, they are protected, and they are normal. Just people.' She shrugged. 'I don't believe in living lies, Deacon.'

He nodded once. 'All right.'

'And no, I'm not the only one that has a say.' She cupped his cheek. 'He's a kid. And if they pulled off the miracle to get him to age, he'll hit puberty. If one of his parents never makes a decision without deferring the other, he'll realise that and exploit it. I suppose that being a parent to him is part of our pact, even if he wasn't there when we made it.' Suddenly wondering if she'd assumed too much, Kalyna tilted her head. 'Unless … you'd rather not. Be a part of him. I always just assumed that.'

'Whisper. I … always wanted kids and you know it. I'm thinking the constant radiation has killed every sperm in my balls, because … well. You know. So I'm all in. This is your kid. I love you more than I can say. I'll be a dad for him if you want me to.' He smiled, so honest, so sweet. 'And it seems you do want me to. Part of the pact.'

'I'm not going to lie to him.'

The smile on Deacon's face turned a little mischievous. 'Can't promise you that, beautiful.'

She grinned back. 'You'll need to do it better. He's learning to read you.'

'I hope so.' He made a face. 'I should get my head checked out.' Deacon let go of her and knelt at the cooking station to light a fire. 'Something else. How're you holding up? You seem your cheerful self after the Institute, but I don't buy it.'

'Me neither. I … this shouldn't be so difficult, and it wasn't when I did it. I knew I'd have to kill Shaun. I chose this path a long while ago.'

'Father.' Deacon looked up to her from his crouching position. 'Call him Father. Trust me, it makes it easier. Shaun's plucking mutfruit with Nick, Father's ashes.'

'I'll try that. And I know I have you to bawl my eyes out if I must.'

'Count on it.'

((When I played the Railroad ending, X6-88 decided to be bugged (at least I think it's a bug) and stayed peacefully in Sanctuary. Apparently that's a thing that happens, but for a moment I found it extremely suspicious. I even considered killing him but refrained.))