Sequel to Causes and Consequences

Partly because requested, partly because this story kind of wrote itself.. As always, comments welcome, don't own the universe (Dragon Age or otherwise)

He had a child. That was the undeniable truth Fenris had to face when holding the small bundle in his arms. Asking how or why would have been irrelevant. Fenris knew how children came to be and as for why, he'd already learned that fate had a tricky sense of humor. No, the question that came to his mind was, what now?

This far he had avoided anything that might tie him down. For this reason he had even tried to keep his feelings towards Hawke guarded. When he had felt the pull of belonging he had fled, too scared to admit the connection. But the small creature he held now bound him down more securely than anything he could have expected or prepared for. City of Chains indeed.

Would he be able to settle down? Was he even expected to? Hawke had made it clear enough that he'd raise the kid alone but had it only been to avoid Anders? Would it make a difference that the halfblooded child was clearly his? Hundreds of questions crossed his mind entangling into one big mess.

It took him a moment to realize someone was talking to him. It was Hawke, the mother, his love? To use the word 'love' felt unfamiliar. He'd never believed he had the right for it, that he deserved it. But he cared about her and was afraid to be torn apart from her. When he had forced that separation upon himself he had suffered and still he had stayed close to protect her in silence, even if seeing her without being able to meet her had been like turning a knife in a fresh wound.

But to his surprise he hadn't had to witness the shared happiness of Anders and Hawke. On the night Hawke had told the news of her state Fenris had felt she was finally completely lost to him. It had never crossed his mind that their common assumption could be wrong. Had she suspected and for that reason wanted to stay on her own? A repeated attempt to talk to him, this time accompanied with a demanding cry from the baby he was holding finally got him out of his thoughts.

He handled the baby back to the waiting arms of its mother, hesitantly as if he was afraid he'd break it. He'd never before held anything as delicate as that small living thing was. He had seen children before of course, even young ones. Common slaves were not actually encouraged to chastity as the resulting children were the property of the owner and even in Danarius's household there had been quite a few. But Fenris had not been a common slave and as such had not been granted the liberty of woman's touch not to mention a wife.

Fenris turned to look at his love who had started to feed the baby. The gentle happiness on her face was something new to him. He had seen her on a good mood before, joyful and radiant, but that had been nothing like this. When he stayed his eyes on her she looked back with a bit questioning look. He turned his gaze away, not wanting to be caught staring. After clearing her voice she told him with a brave smile that he didn't have to stay with her if he didn't want to, her voice breaking only for last few words.

Was that really what she expected from him? It was clear even for Fenris that it wasn't what she hoped. He would have wanted to crush her into a hug, to assure her that she was everything he wanted, everything he needed. In the loss of better option he knelt besides her bed and put her arm around her shoulders and told her that the only thing he feared would be to loose her, to loose them both, and that he would stay beside her as long as she willed. A faint cheer could be heard through the door from the corridor.