In chapter 1 forgot to mention that in upcoming chapters there will be minor Dragon Age 2 spoilers. I am not one to rewrite the game so for the most part DA2 will just be part of the background, however there will be a few exceptions. I also meant to stipulate in chapter 1 that this story, like Mirror Images, is an A/U.

Chapter 2

"Now and forever, you are a part of me, and the memory cuts like a knife
Didn't we find the ecstasy, didn't we share the daylight
When you walked into my life, now and forever, I'll remember
All the promises still unbroken, and think about all the words between us
That never needed to be spoken, we had a moment, just one moment
That will last beyond a dream, beyond a lifetime, we are the lucky ones
Some people never get to do all we got to do, now and forever, I will always think of you"

Now and Forever by Carole King

Alistair looked out his porthole as the sun began to set over the horizon, he reflected on the incident that had occurred with Sabrina earlier today. He was truly shocked at how their competitive game and playful banter had gotten so out of control. He knew that teasing her would get her riled up, but he had only wanted to put on a good show for the men. He had heard the guards talk enthusiastically about traveling with the Hero of Ferelden. He knew the men would enjoy watching their Hero in action and up until he mentioned the Archdemon she had given them a real treat. She had been correct in her assumption that he no longer knew what she was capable of. He had thought she was the best fighter he had ever seen before she ended the Blight, but she had definitely honed her skills and learned a few new tricks. The speed in which she moved to cut the buttons off his shirt was almost too quick for the eye to see and the men had loved her for it.

Looking back over the past six years he really shouldn't be surprised that she still hated him for his betrayal. He saw Tristen almost every other month either in Denerim when he came to visit their mother or when Alistair went to visit him at Vigil's Keep. During the past six years he only saw Sabrina once or twice a year. She was always conveniently away on Warden Business. He knew that she was avoiding him, but to honest that was okay with him. As much as he longed to see her, to be near her, it was easier if he kept his distance from her. When they were in the same room together she was always friendly and sociable, but he knew her too well. He knew that she was holding back, she was burying her true feelings; more than likely to try to keep the peace between all three of them.

Alistair had found it curious that Tristen had made the request for Sabrina to accompany him on this trip. He had a sneaking suspicion that Sabrina hadn't known a thing about it until Alistair had agreed and then she couldn't do a thing about it. Obviously, Tristen had seen that Sabrina was not addressing the issues that lay between Alistair and her. Tristen knew both of them so well that he had been able to masterfully maneuver the two of them into a situation that would force them to confront each other. Alistair had to chuckle at his brother's brilliance; he had played them perfectly. His brother had gotten them here; now it was up to Alistair to make it right.

There was a hesitant knock at the door. Alistair opened the door. He smiled sheepishly at Sabrina and she warily smiled back. Alistair stepped aside and waved her in. He offered her a brandy and she quickly accepted it. He couldn't ever remember seeing her this on edge.

He watched as she took a large gulp of brandy, then she looked directly into his eyes, "Alistair, I want to apologize for my outburst earlier. It was completely uncalled and extremely rude of me…"

Alistair stepped forward and placed his fingers on her lips to silence her. "Stop. That was the first real and truthful exchange that we have had since before the Landsmeet. I am not about to let you digress the conversation any further. Don't you see that you have to get past this or it's going to eat you up to the point that the Sabrina we know and love will be gone? You have to believe me, Bree I know what I'm talking about."

She said nothing she just stared into her now empty brandy glass. He looked at her for a long moment before he softly spoke, "Earlier today you said you wanted to hurt me and cause me pain. I understand the need to do that, Bree…I-I did that to you and it nearly destroyed me, you have every right to hate me for what I did to you."

"I don't hate you, Alistair. Honestly, I wish I could. It would probably be easier if I did, but I don't," she whispered.

Alistair smiled slightly, "Well, I'm glad to hear that, but you definitely have a lot of pent up anger towards me. Why?"

"Why?" She asked incredulously. "How could you even ask me that?"

"Because I need you to tell me why you're so angry at me," Alistair replied.

She looked at him and tears were brimming in her eyes. She started pinching the bridge of her nose to stop them from falling, but Alistair grabbed her wrist. "Damn it, Bree, stop being so in control and stop trying to rein in your emotions. If you need to cry then cry, if you need to scream at me then scream, if you need to hit me then hit me, but stop shutting off your emotions, stop closing down!" Alistair exclaimed.

She yanked her wrist out of his grasp as she glared at him and he smirked at her, he watched her eyes flicker with fury. If he had to force her wrath in order to get her to open up he would, but he would not let her shut down on him. "Stop being such a coward and face your own damn feelings, Bree," he spat at her.

"How dare you? You don't know anything about me anymore, Alistair!" She hissed.

"Sweetheart please, you aren't that complicated to figure out. You're still the same stubborn woman that I traveled with, that always had to be in control, who always had to do everything her way, which by the way was normally the hard way, and who was always giving advice, but never able to take any," Alistair said his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He watched as her eyes narrowed, her nostrils flared and her face darkened. This was the exact look she always got just before she attacked. "Come on, Sabrina, stop holding back. Tell me how you feel. I left the day after I proposed to you, I let you go fight an Archdemon by yourself with a man you despised, I forced you to remain in Denerim to watch my coronation and wedding, and then I fucked you like a whore. How did that make…"

Alistair never finished the question. Sabrina's fist connected with the side of his face at the same time she drove her knee into his groin. Alistair slumped to his knees as his vision narrowed as the pain shot through his body. As he pushed down the wave of nausea he moaned, "I believe we are making progress."

She glared down at him. "How did it make me feel? You abandoned me, Alistair and I felt used and disregarded. You promised to love and protect me and I felt unloved and unworthy. You promised to make me your wife and I felt the dagger slide into my heart when you made Anora your wife. You fucked me like whore and I felt I deserved it because I had h-hurt you." Her voice cracked as the tears slid down her cheeks. "B-but the worst was that you had promised to never leave me, to always fight by my side and I felt for the first time since my family died that I was utterly and completely a-alone and I was t-terrified."

She let the words sink and Alistair couldn't have felt worse if she had kneed him in the balls again. He struggled to his feet still quelling the need to throw up. He grasped her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes as he gasped, "Bree, there is nothing I can say or do that could possibly make up for what I have done to you, but I do want you to know how terribly sorry I am for the pain and heartache that I have caused you. I swear I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you. I know my word means nothing to you anymore, but may the Maker strike me dead if I ever break another promise to you."

She looked at him with tears still in her eyes and whispered, "What do you want from me, Alistair?"

Still trying to remain stable on his feet he tucked a loose hair behind her ear. "I want you to somehow, someday find it in yourself to forgive me. Not because I deserve it or for my peace of mind, but for yours Bree. Fiona once told me to forgive is to set a prisoner free and you will discover that the prisoner was you. After I almost lost you at the mines I realized I wasn't hurting you with my anger and unforgiveness I was hurting myself and if I wanted to have any kind of joy and contentment in my life I had to release the pain. I know you have found happiness with Tristen, but I want you to be completely happy in all aspects of your life. Don't you want to be happy again, Bree?"

She nodded as she wiped at her tears. "Then will you try to forgive me and give us a chance to be friends once again?" Alistair asked.

She sniffled, rubbed her nose and nodded almost like a little girl; she looked so vulnerable, yet so breathtakingly beautiful that Alistair felt such a strong surge of love for her flowing through his body. It took every ounce of his templar discipline to restrain himself from pulling her into his arms and comforting her.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Alistair asked. She nodded again.

"Will you do more than just nod?" Alistair asked and she giggled.

"Yes, Alistair I will converse with you," she replied as she gave him a reserved smile and took her seat at the table.

They spent the rest of the night slowly getting reacquainted with each other. It wasn't as strained as it had been in the past; at times he saw signs of the old mischievous Sabrina shine through and it gave him hope that all was not lost between them.

The following morning Alistair was up on deck training and sparring with his men, when Sabrina emerged from below the deck. She was wearing her training armor and carried her weapons with her.

He grinned at her, "Did you schedule a rematch that I didn't know about?"

She grinned back at him. "No, not unless you want one, your Majesty. That shirt looks very well made, I'd be happy to shred it for you if you like," she replied as she winked at him.

Alistair laughed, "Aaah, that's okay. I don't want to run out clothes before we get to Kirkwall."

Behind her the rest of her Wardens materialized all dressed in practice armor. "Alistair, you really should know better than to train without armor on. If you're not careful you could lose a button."

Everyone who had witnessed yesterday's sparring session between them broke out into laughter. "Funny! Really funny!" He said sarcastically.

"If you don't mind, I thought my Wardens and I would get some training in before the sun became too hot. If that's alright with you," she said.

"Please, the deck is yours," Alistair said. Alistair had mentioned to her last night that the guards were excited that the Hero of Ferelden was on board and that they had thoroughly enjoyed watching their sparring match. He knew this little demonstration was for their benefit.

Sabrina paired them off, Gabriel and Tess against Kaylessa and herself. "The rules are a chest or head blow is a killing shot and you're out. Otherwise we fight until someone surrenders. Understood?" They all nodded. "Now, Tess, don't go easy on Kaylessa because she is Gabe's girlfriend. You do her no favors by going easy on her," Sabrina said.

"And what about you Commander?" Gabriel asked.

Sabrina raised an eye brow, "What about me?"

"Should I go easy on you, Commander?"

Sabrina laughed. "Of course not, but you have to catch me first," Sabrina said as impish grin spread across her face. It was a grin that Alistair new well. She was about to have some fun. She leaned over and whispered in Kaylessa's ear. The tiny elf gave a curt nod of understanding, and then Sabrina beckoned the warriors to advance on them.

One of Alistair's guards leaned over and asked, "Your Majesty, her pairing makes no sense, why pair two warriors against a rogue and a mage? Wouldn't it make more sense to split the warriors up?"

"Well, in battle you never know what you're going to face. She could easily face this very scenario in combat. If you don't train for it you won't know to how handle it when confronted with it in a real situation," Alistair said. What he thought was that the two warriors would never get close enough to lay a hand on the mage.

Alistair watched in fascination as the two warriors advanced towards Sabrina and the mage. Before they had even taken five steps Sabrina charged into the warriors knocking Tess to the ground and causing Gabriel to stagger backwards. Still trying to find his footing, Sabrina came up behind Gabriel, she pulled her leg up and back to her chest, then shot her leg forward, her foot landed squarely in the center of templar's back, the knight stumbled forward, but remained on his feet. Gabriel spun to face her, arching his shield to strike as he spun towards her, but in a blur of motion Sabrina leapt backwards and as she landed on her feet several feet away Alistair heard the guard beside him gasp as she completely vanished from view.

"She has yet to draw her weapons," the guard stated in disbelief.

Alistair just shook his head, "Yeah, now she's just showing off."

Meanwhile, Tess was getting back on her feet when Kaylessa threw a stone-fist at her, knocking the warrior back again. Tess let out a slew of curses that would make a pirate blush. Tess regained her footing and charged at the mage. Alistair could tell that the mage didn't want to truly injure her fellow Warden because she threw low level element spells at her just to slow her down long enough for Sabrina to appear beside her and blindside her with a roundhouse kick to the chest, knocking Tess back.

Sabrina gave her friend a roguish grin and said, "You're dead."

Tess just glared at her and stuck her tongue out at her. Due to her brief interaction with Tess, Sabrina had briefly lost focus; she didn't hear Gabriel come up behind, until it was too late. She moved just in time miss the full impact of the pommel blow to her back. Sabrina staggered forward slightly, but before Gabriel could strike again Sabrina quickly leapt back evading the blow.

Alistair felt the veil shift as he saw Kaylessa cast a spell toward Sabrina, it enveloped her just as Gabriel charged at her, but his attack was repelled long enough for Sabrina to regain her focus and her energy. In the blink of an eye Sabrina vanished in a smoke screen and reappeared behind Gabriel with her sword now unsheathed, she slammed into the warriors back. Gabriel fell to his knees as she gracefully danced up to him, gently tapped his head and playfully purred, "You're dead."

The guards let out a loud cheer and Sabrina took a bow, but then she surprised Alistair as she asked everyone to gather around and evaluate the fight. She discussed tactics, strategy and counter-moves with them and the guards ate it up. Mesmerized, Alistair watched her teach, instruct and joke with his men and he realized that this is how she was everyday with her Wardens. This is what it would have been like if he had remained by her side, this is what it was like every day for Tristen and he had never been more envious of someone in his entire life.

That evening Sabrina and the Wardens joined him in his private rooms, Gabriel was the first to complain about the match earlier in the day.

"Don't you think it was a little unfair to employ some of your most lethal weapons today in what you had deemed an exhibition, Commander," Gabriel questioned.

Sabrina smiled at her Warden, "Lethal? I didn't even draw my weapons until the very end. I don't consider that lethal."

"Please, Bree, except for Zev you're the most skilled rogue I know…"

Alistair started to choke and nearly spit out his wine. Tess' eyes widened. She looked at Alistair, "What? You disagree, your Majesty."

"Aaah, yeah. He wasn't skilled enough to kill her and is only alive today by the mercy of your Commander," Alistair answered.

"What?" Both Tess and Gabriel asked in unison.

Alistair raised an eye brow and looked at Sabrina. "You've never told them the reason that Zev is in your debt."

Sabrina eyes narrowed and he knew he was walking on dangerous ground here. "Alistair you know damn well that Zev is not in my debt, that I released him from his oath after we killed Taliesen. Zev remains by my side because that is where he wishes to be," Sabrina replied coolly.

"I'm sorry that isn't what I meant. Have you never told them that Zev was sent by the Crows to assassinate you and that even though he failed, you let him live."

Tess' eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Sabrina and Alistair. "No she never told us. So why don't you?"

Alistair looked at Sabrina; she gave a curt nod so he launched into the tale of how Zev had come into their lives. The Wardens were captivated by the story and hung on his every word, then demanded more Blight tales. Alistair knew she hated talking about the Blight because it embarrassed her, so the longer the discussion focused on her the more she became uncomfortable. Alistair noticed her face was flushed and that there was even sweat on her forehead. Finally she claimed she wasn't feeling well and excused herself for the evening. He hadn't meant to run her off and felt bad that he had made her uncomfortable, but the things that she had accomplished in such a short period of time were remarkable and should be commended.
Alistair rose the next morning and immediately went to Sabrina's room to apologize. He lightly knocked on her door, but there was no reply so he knocked a little harder…still no reply. He knocked again and this time he heard a low groan. He gently pushed the door open, "Bree, I just wanted to…"

The words stopped dead in his throat when he saw Sabrina laying in bed as she shook uncontrollably, he ran over to her and he could see she was covered in sweat. He pressed his hand to her forehead, she was burning up. Alistair ran to the hall and told his guard to get Kaylessa immediately and to tell her that the Commander was ill.

A few minutes later Kaylessa and Gabriel came bursting into the room. Kaylessa immediately began to examine her. After examining her, the mage stood up, "The Commander is gravely ill. She is running a high fever, her lungs are full of fluid and she has shortness of breath. Considering that she just came back from a mission in the Korcari Wilds, right before she left for Kirkwall, I believe she has come down with Wild Fever."

"Wild Fever," Alistair said as the fear settled in; he knew Wild Fever was a life threatening illness that if the patient survived it could leave them physically or mentally impaired. Oh Maker, please no, not her…anyone but her. She still has so much to accomplish.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty. I will do everything in my power to heal her and make her comfortable. It will take twenty-four hours for the bacteria to run its course. I will know more then. Please be aware that due to the high fever and the nature of this sickness that she may not realize where she is. It's not like hallucinations, but it's like she is displaced in time. Things that happened ten years ago may appear in her mind to just have happened. She won't know when or where she is."

Alistair nodded as he pulled a chair up beside her, grasped her hand and began to pray. How the hell would he tell his brother that he couldn't save his wife? The thought sent a severe pain through his chest. Tristen was the strongest man he knew, but his one weakness was Sabrina. Losing her would destroy him. He looked at Kaylessa, "You have to save her. You have to do whatever it takes not to let her die. My brother can't live without her. Please?"

"And you Alistair, can you live without her?" Gabriel asked.

He looked at him for a long moment. "I've already learned how too. I don't know if my brother is capable of learning that lesson," Alistair replied sadly.

Kaylessa looked sympathetically at him. "I love her too and I will do everything I can to save her."

"Thank you," Alistair muttered as he buried his head beside her.

He had dozed off to sleep when he heard her thrashing around. He sat up and looked around. Kaylessa wasn't there, but Tess was in the chair beside him. She looked compassionately at him and smiled, "Kayle went to get more lyrium potions. She will be back shortly."

Alistair nodded, took Sabrina's hand, brought it to his lips and kissed her as he prayed. He felt Tess' eyes on him, studying for a long time before she spoke with deep compassion, "It's tragic, two brother…two twin brothers in love with the same woman. One happily married to her and the other resigned to love her in secret."

"Yes, it's a tragedy. One that I am sure the bards will thoroughly enjoy retelling years from now," Alistair replied bitterly.

Tess was about to reply when Sabrina shook violently and then focused her gaze on him. She smiled so sweetly and tenderly at him that his heart nearly melted in his chest. "Alistair, I wondered where you went."

"I've been here the entire time, Bree. I haven't left."

"No you left. I woke up and you were gone and the bed was so cold without you pressed up against me. Were you raiding the larder for cheese? Eamon is going to be upset with you."

Alistair felt his heart racing and his breath quicken. She was remembering the first time they had ever slept together. It was after they had returned to Redcliffe Castle with the scared ashes. They had spent half the night thoroughly exploring each others' bodies, she had drifted off to sleep and he had gone to the kitchen to find them food.

"No, it will be okay. H-he won't mind," Alistair replied, his voice a little shaky.

She smiled coyly at him. "Did you bring me back something to eat?"

Oh Maker, please don't let this conversation continue down this path. "I brought you some cheese," he replied tentatively.

"I don't want cheese to eat," she cooed. He glanced over at Tess who had an entertaining smirk on her face.

"Bree, I'm really tired. How about we go to sleep," Alistair tried to reason.

She faltered as if his reply didn't coincide with the memory and it didn't because at this point he was already ravishing her again. She looked confused, but then she fell back against the pillows unconscious once again. Alistair ran his hands through his hair and let out a sigh of relief.

Tess continued to study him. "Would you mind not doing that? It's nerve wrecking." Alistair asked.

"Do what?"

"Study me as if I'm a science project," Alistair retorted.

Tess laughed. "I'll try, but I find this whole thing so intriguing. Have you heard this theory that states for every act done, no matter how insignificant, it will eventually return to the doer with equal impact? Good will be returned with good; evil with evil."

"Yes, basically you reap what you sow," Alistair retorted.

Tess nodded. "So I'm wondering what you have done to reap such a cruel punishment."

Alistair closed his eyes and shook his head. "You don't want to know."

"Oh, but I do," she replied.

"It's not my place to tell. Someday she may tell, but I can't," Alistair answered.

Tess finally left and was replaced by Gabriel and then he was eventually replaced by Kaylessa. When she had left, it was in the middle of the night and he had expected Tess to arrive, but she never did.

He was exhausted, he pulled two chairs together, grabbed a pillow to rest his head and before he even realized it he had drifted into a deep sleep.

He felt soft fingers slide through his hair and he heard the soft call of his name. Mmm, he loved the way she purred his name when she wanted something from him…when she wanted him. He felt her warm fingers slide down his cheek to his neck. He also felt a weight on his lap as it pressed into his groin. He immediately snapped awake to find Sabrina straddling him in the chair.

She smiled at him, "Hi Lover, glad I could wake you up."

"Aaah, Bree it's late. We have a big day tomorrow."

She looked at him questioningly. "How is that possible if I'm still recovering?"

Alistair looked around the room and realized that this scene was very similar to when they had been ambushed in the foothills near Dragon's Peak. She had taken a brutal hit from an ogre that cracked her skull. They had found a nearby inn where Wynne and Morrigan had worked on her for days. When she had finally regained consciousness it was in a small room like this one and he had fallen asleep in a chair beside her bed. When she had woken up, she was completely refreshed and feeling very invigorated.

He looked up at the woman that he loved, who was now straddling him and pressing, oh so tantalizingly against him. As much as he wanted her, as much he wanted to take her and make love to her once again, he couldn't. She didn't want him. She was reliving a past memory and even if she wasn't, she was no longer his. He had accepted that, he had moved on and he wouldn't betray his wife or his brother in such a manner, but he had to laugh - the Maker definitely had a cruel sense of payback.

He gently eased Sabrina off of his lap and back onto the bed. "I'm sorry, my Love, but you need your rest. When you are fully recovered we will pick up where we left off." She smiled so lovingly at him it broke his heart. She use to smile at him like that all the time and the memory of it tore through him.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she cooed.

He kissed her forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

When she finally drifted off to sleep again he rested his head beside her and cried for all that he had lost.

A/N - In Mirror Images the primary focus had been on Alistair and his journey to come to terms with his anger and resentment, but Sabrina never really had the opportunity to face up to her own feelings of betrayal and to confront Alistair about it. I felt that the only way for these two to have the strong relationship that we saw in the epilogues is for Sabrina to deal with her unresolved feelings. As you can see over the past six years Alistair has continued to grow and mature and is now ready to help her face her anger over the decisions that he made. Unfortunately, as the Epilogues showed poor Alistair will struggle with his feelings for Sabrina all of his life and we will see some of that turmoil.

*Special thanks to Jinxy for working her beta magic on this chapter. You're a rock star! Thanks.