A/N: As usual I pay homage to the all mighty deity Bioware for allowing me to play within their wonderful little world, I don't own any of it I'm merely visiting.

Well folks here we are, chapter 7! This chapter is a bit more light hearted to give my dear readers a reprieve from the past couple of chapters which apparently had a good majority of you going all "Emo" on me. As I said to a couple of you, I'm secretly being paid millions by the Kleenex corporation to write these sad chapters so that you will cry and they can take over the world one drippy eyeball at a time!!

My little shout outs tonight go to Piceron whose story What Comes Next is absolutely beautiful a definite must read and Ladyamesindy who has a wonderful story called The Barkeep Diaries. It is told from the point of view of the barkeep in the Gnawed Noble Tavern...very very creative and something I would have never thought of, you should really check it out. And as always the incomparable Erynnar who is the genius behind Soulmates and who has given this chapter of my story the Erynnar stamp of approval. Please if you haven't already, show these ladies some love...they are extremely talented! Also thank you reviewers: Ariz0na-sky, Bingham Vance, LadyMetallica, Bdub, Erynnar and Piceron...your reviews and kind words are what keep me going and also what has addicted me to my inbox's refresh button.

As I said this chapter is a bit more lighthearted and we check in with both Zev and Alistair, as well as some mischief from the children. Also contains a shameless Monty Python reference...I just could not help myself. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!!!

~Love One Another~


"Uuuuuugh…" moaned Zevran as the morning light shone directly into his sleepy eyes. He rolled to his side and nearly fell backward out of the bed at the sight of Leliana sitting on the edge of the bed. Maldita sea!, Leliana what do you think you are doing!?

Sheepishly Leliana looked down at the bed. "After I saw you struggling to pick up Nelaros last night I began feeling just terribly for what I did, I was hoping you would let me take the children for the day so that you may rest; and possibly it can serve to help me make it up to you?"

"Ah my dear precious Leliana, I cannot stay angry with you." Zevran sat up and gave her a reassuring hug. "I do have one request of you if you would so indulge me."

Leiliana sat up and brushed a tear of joy from her eye. "Yes, anything…well…errrm….I mean…"

"Worry not my dear Leli for as you know I have come past that point in my life. Si?" Zevran patted the bard kindly on the shoulder. "No, the boon that I ask of you is this; Should bad blood ever fall between us again I beg to you that you direct your hostility toward me, not Little Zev…while I know he has gotten me in my fair share of trouble in the past, he was merely a bystander in this instance."

Leliana laughed as she hugged her friend "Oh thank you Zev, I couldn't bare you being angry with me."

Zevran squeezed her tightly. "Fear not for I still love you my dear."

"Love you too Zev." She said as she stood from the bed and composed herself. "Now as I said, I insist on taking the children for today so that you can have some time to yourself, and then you WILL come to my house and have dinner."

Zevran gave a sly smile "Ah my dear, you know what you tenacious, assertive women do to me…you are a cruel woman!"

"Zevran Aranai! I am a married woman, what if Soris should hear your libidinous suggestions?" She protested with a laugh.

"Jealousy need not be an issue my saucy friend, Soris is more than welcome to join in on the fun!" He gave a big smile "There is always plenty of Zev to go around!"

With that Leliana picked up a pillow from the bed and proceeded to whack Zevran over the head with it. "The children and I will be seeing you this evening for supper; I hope you enjoy your day."

Zevran nodded at Leiliana and as she walked toward the door called after her. "Leli, thank you for this, for everything; I truly love you as one of my dearest friends."

"Love you too Mon ami merveilleux." She smiled back at Zevran as she picked a sleeping Nelaros up off of a small couch near the front door. She looked at Rose. "Say goodbye to your dear Uncle Zev Rose, he'll be to my house this evening."

Rose ran into the room and threw her arms around Zevran who was sitting up on the side of the bed and nearly knocked him over backwards. She whispered into his ear "Remember only happy thoughts!" She kissed him on the cheek.

Zevran then gave the girl a big squeeze. "Si mi bendición, the happiest that I have!"

Rose smiled as she turned and ran to Leliana who was waiting by the door. They both waved and walked out into the early morning light.

Zevran placed his hands behind his head and leaned back onto the bed. "You are a lucky man Aranai…a lucky, lucky man." He then dozed off, with a smile upon his face that only comes from true and absolute happiness.

Within that same morning light Alistair made his way to the Chantry which stood just near the gates in the market district. He had with him the box of letters which had taken the place of his whiskey flask as his constant companion. While what he read only hours before was a lot to take in, he still felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of him somehow; a certain clarity had come to his memories.

Just outside of the chantry he approached one of the sisters who was telling a story to a group of children seated in the courtyard. She looked up at Alistair with a smile. "Did you need some help?"

"Oh, I didn't want to interrupt…I'm looking for Leliana, I was told that she did some work with widows and orphans here during the day?"

The sister gave him an affirmative nod "Why yes, she does but unfortunately she is not going to be here today. She came by this morning and said that she would be helping a friend who was not feeling well so she would not be able to stay." She pointed off in the direction of the Alienage "She lives on a farmstead just on the outside of the city, it cannot be missed it's the one with very large white house."

"Thank you my dear woman." Alistair gave her an appreciative smile.

"It was my pleasure; May The Maker watch over you." She said as she went back to telling her story.

Not in the bravest of moods Alistair decided it would probably be best for him to not show up unannounced at Leliana's house. Instead he paid a young man a sovereign to take a hastily scribbled note to Leliana's house for him; asking that she come and talk to him and to send word back with the boy as to when and where would be best for them to meet.

Alistair watched the boy run off toward the gates. He looked down at the box and sighed. "I've waited for eight years; I suppose I can wait just a bit longer." He then sat down along the wall outside of The Chantry courtyard, waiting to hear word back form Leliana; as he closed his eyes and listened to the Sister recounting the story of Andraste and The Maker. Like Zevran, he too was able to finally give at least a small smile as he relaxed in the warm summer sun.

Leiliana's house was bustling with life, everyone enjoying the day and each other's company. Nelaros and Drake sat on the floor of the sitting room playing with some blocks that Soris had carved with some scrap lumber left from building their woodshed. Leliana and Felsi giggled and joked as they drank wine and prepared a large dinner of roasted chicken and freshly picked vegetables. Oghren was asleep in a guest room upstairs and Shianni napped in her nursery.

Cyrion, Cecile, Slade and Rose were sitting in a circle on the floor playing a game that Bodhan had given to Ruthi as a show of gratitude for allowing himself and his son Sandal to follow them on their travels and camp along side of them. The game consisted of a board with squares drawn around it; the names of different places on Thedas on each one. Each child had a small token which was placed on the board and moved a certain amount of spaces depending on the number they rolled on a small set of dice. As they made their way around the board they could purchase the squares using small pieces of wood painted to look like sovereigns and as the squares were purchased the other players would have to pay a certain amount of money depending on the value of the square for every time they landed on it. The children took to the game quickly, especially Cecile who was proving to be quite the shrewd business woman; much to the chagrin of Rose whose token was forever inhabiting one of Cecile's properties.

Suddenly the door leading from the outside into the kitchen slammed as a flustered Anders came storming in with Morrigan right behind him apologizing through fits of laughter. Anders had been working with Morrigan to improve the healing skills that Wynne had tried to teach her before she gave up out of frustration. Anders insisted that she would learn better from someone she could speak to for more than 5 minutes without going into a rage; but upon their entry to the house it appeared he was beginning to change his mind.

"Anders dear be reasonable, twas an accident!" Morrigan stated as she tried to suppress her laughter and take on a serious tone.

"Accident my arse; how do you accidentally do that?" he questioned as he turned a cold shoulder to his wife. "You must think me to be incredibly stupid!"

"What happened?" Questioned Leliana who had never seen Anders angry with his wife; normally this type of scene played out in the completely opposite way. "Are her lessons not going as well as you had hoped?"

"That's putting it mildly." Huffed Anders, I now have a whole new appreciation for our dear departed Wynne."

Morrigan rolled her eyes. "Oh you are being such a baby, twas not that bad!"

"Not that bad??" Anders turned toward his wife with an uncharacteristically serious look upon his face. "You turned me into a nug!!!"

Not sure what to think Leliana turned to Morrigan who now had her hand on her forehead, looking at the floor. "A nug??"

Morrigan looked up and crossed her arms defensively as she snapped at a very agitated Anders. "I don't see the problem husband, you got better!"

Before Anders could reply, a commotion came from the sitting room where the older children were playing.

"Bloody thunder humper!" Exclaimed Rose as she watched a large pile of her sovereigns get scooped up by a grinning and giggling Cecile."

Leliana paused; a look of absolute bewilderment befell her face as she heard such unsavory language come out of such a sweet innocent mouth. "OGHREN!!!!" She was going to get him this time…it was obvious who was the source of such vile language. "I would suggest putting some haste into those short little legs of yours if you know what is good for you!!!"

"Andraste's flaming tits woman, I'm not in the Deep Roads and I do have a working set of ears, keep your sodding voice down!" Oghren grumbled as he stumbled (and nearly fell) down the stairs. "Now what is all of the sodding shouting for?"

"It would seem that we have a bit of a problem, dwarf." Morrigan crossed her arms as she glared down into Oghren's permanently bloodshot eyes.

"Ya? Well, no one forced you to marry ole sparkle fingers, so it isn't so much of a "we" problem as a "you" problem." Oghren let out a deep belly laugh, taking much appreciation in his own joke.

Anders waved his arms "Hey, watch it! Ole sparkle fingers is right here you know!"

Morrigan pointed her staff at the dwarf. "T'would be in your best interest to shut your booze drenched mouth dwarf, unless you relish the possibility of being reduced to nothing more than viscous pile of dwarfy goo.

"Or we could always subject you to Leliana's flying feet of fury." Anders chimed in and watched Leliana's cheeks turn red.

"Oh Sod it, I give!" Oghren threw his arms up in defeat. "What did I do this time?"

"Sodding thunderhumper!!" Rose once again cried out as her remaining sovereigns were swept up by an overjoyed Cecile.

With that, Leliana raised one eyebrow and nodded in the direction of the angel faced girl as everyone else shot discerning glances at the stunned dwarf.

Oghren, feeling much like the hound caught in the larder began fidgeting and looking around the room, straining to come up with some way to eject himself from the situation… and then the glow rune brightened…

"Oy, do you feel that?" He looked around the room, trying to avoid a dozen angry glances. "Darkspawn, I sense 'em….it would be un-wardenly of me to not attend to it…..ummm……now!

Anders gave him a skeptical glance. "Darkspawn eh? Why can't I sense 'em?"

"I've been a warden longer you skirt wearing nug humper, my senses are…errrm…..more sensitive!" He protested.

"You took your joining a mere five minutes before me, that hardly makes you my senior!" Anders argued

"Well you sit here and riddle over who joined before who, and I'll go and take care of the sodding Darkspawn for the both of us!" Oghren turned on his heel and all but ran out the door.

Leiliana looked at Felsi. "When is he due to go back to Amaranthine?"

"In three days……." Felsi groaned. "….Three…long…agonizing days."

"Give it back you sodding son of a whore!" Cecile exclaimed as Cyrion took off down the hallway with a handful of her gold.

With that, Leiliana's face turned a deep scarlet. "I must give you my condolences Felsi."

"Your condolences?" Felsi replied.

"Yes, my heart felt condolences for the impending murder of your husband." Said Leiliana, clenching her fists.

Felsi smiled "Forget the condolences, throw me a sodding party!"

Leliana smiled at Felsi and called out to the children. "Come my dear ones, let us go to the garden and I will tell you the tale of the serpant's tongue!"

As she started out the door she nearly ran over the young messenger that Alistair had sent for her.

"I've a message for you mum." The young man stated as he handed her the folded piece of parchment "I'm to deliver your response straight away."

She quickly read the note. "Tell him that I shall speak to him tomorrow as I am busy this evening. Tell him I will be at one of the tables in the private section of the Gnawed Noble Tavern around noontime…tell him also that I expect a nice lunch to be provided." She smiled at the young man as he nodded and ran back toward the city.

A couple of hours passed and the children once again sat on the floor of the sitting room playing their game. Only the sweetest words were exchanged between them after their lesson on the serpant's sharp tongue and how it always got him into dire trouble. Leliana felt very satisfied with herself and the lesson that she had taught them. No one had the heart to tell her though that it wasn't her story, but Felsi's threat to clean the nasty words out of Slade's mouth with a piece of soap that tied their tongues.

Just as dinner was placed on the large table in the dining room Soris and Zevran walked through the front door; conversing about Soris' day at the wood mill and Zevran's day of solitude.

Soris smiled as his wife greeted him with a kiss. "Good evening dear husband, I hope you had a good day."

"I did, a very good day and from the smell of it, my evening is shaping up to be just as wonderful." He kissed Leli upon the cheek and ran up the stairs to change out of his sawdust covered clothes.

Leliana turned to Zevran. "And how about you Zev, did you enjoy your day off? I must say you look quite refreshed."

"Si my dear friend, I spent a couple of hours catching up on my beauty sleep." Zevran grinned "And spent the remainder of the day counting down the hours until I could see mis ángeles preciosos. He then picked up his son who had stood at his feet grinning from ear to ear at the sight of his Dah and kissed him all over his smiling face.

The group sat around the large table joking and laughing. Oghren slipped in just as they sat down and gave his wife a loving kiss on her cheek (as he pinched her butt). Not a single angry or bitter word was exchanged and not a single voice was raised as the group enjoyed their dinner; as well as each others company. As different as they all were, as varied as each of their personalities was; still they were a family.

Alistair stood just outside the fence surrounding the little farm hold and watched the figures moving around in the large window; listening to the laughter and imagining himself inside laughing along with them. After he got Leliana's message, he decided to go for a walk; just to see where she lived and hopefully catch a glance of his little girl. That was three hours earlier, and he just could not tear himself away. The more he tried to keep the protective walls up around himself the more and more he wished that he had never built them in the first place; for while they helped to keep his pride firmly in place, they also allowed all of the love, friendship, and happiness that he once felt to be pushed out of the way, never to be allowed in again.

After another hour of watching what could have been play out in front of him; he arrived back at The Pearl. He was approached by a smiling Talah who asked him if he was in the mood for some "company" for the evening.

Alistair merely shook his head and said "No, thank you." as he made his way to his room.

There would be no more surrogate Ruthi's for Alistair. He walked into the darkened room alone and closed the door as a small piece of his wall fell to the ground.

The hour got to be quite late and it was decided that Zevran and the children would go ahead and stay at Leliana's house for the night. They had all had a wonderful time, remembering their companions that had gone to the maker and the fun moments that they had shared around the fire. They drank ale and wine, they laughed, they even cried as they began to talk about Ruthi and how much she meant to each of them and how she had saved each of them on numerous occasions; not only from darkspawn and bandits, but also from themselves.

Zevran pulled on a sleep shirt that he borrowed from Soris and slipped under the covers. "After today, the light around me should be blinding my dear Eruthiawen; I'll be waiting for you with open arms mi amore." Zevran blew out the candle on the table beside the bed and closed his eyes as a tear of joy slid down his cheek. For tonight, he would see his love again.