A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and alerted this. Thank you Saga for reading this over and making sure it wasn't too fluffy. Yes, there's fluff because there's angst on the horizon. lol Enjoy.

"Almost Alright"

I was sick of all the pain

Tired of all the shame that I felt

But you showed me a way to never have a doubt

And always to believe in myself

Now I see it was you that showed me who I am

And taught me how to stand

For what I know is real

-"It Was You" by 12 Stones

Alistair spotted the damned hounds chasing a deer in the woods. He let out a long whistle and the two turned around quickly. "Get over here mongrels!" He yelled with a smile. "Hey Lia we-" he stopped short as he turned around looking for the redhead. "Where is she?" How was it in such a small time that he managed to lose someone? The nagging in the back of his head that reminded him how he was never suited to be a leader started again before he quickly shut it out.

Nate and Anders looked confused for a moment. They looked at each other before turning and looking around. "She was just right here," Nathaniel said as he turned around to look at other parts of the forest.

Panic surged between the three men. It was never a good moment when someone was lost. It was even worse when the weather was as bad as it was starting to get. "Well we've got to find her," Anders said. Yes, he had known that much. He debated about splitting up but that was never a good plan, especially with the darkspawn attacks among other things. He whistled again for the two hounds.

Alistair knelt down as the two mabari's run up to the three of them. Barker nudged him slightly as Nike looked around. He put a hand on the side of the hound's nose. "Can you find her, boy?" He asked gently. Nike bowed his head and started off. Alistair stood up quickly to follow him.

A mabari should never be doubted. He had learned that with the time that he had spent with Barker. Their intelligence went beyond any normal comprehension and it was in moments like the one he found himself in that he knew why they were worth as much as they were. The connection a mabari had with its owner was unmistakable. He was only sorry that he was unable to share that connection with Barker, though he stayed by his side no matter what.

Alistair had been afraid of losing sight of Nike before he saw the hound abruptly stop and peer over a ledge. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he raced forward, Nathaniel and Anders at his heels as he did so. He stopped at the ledge and looked over as Nike let out a long howl. "Lia?" He called down to her. A hunter's trap. Damn it. Her red hair was dark from the caked on mud and she was drenched. She looked like she was shaking as thunder clapped above them. Could she even hear him?

He made a motion to jump down there so she wouldn't be alone when someone grabbed his arm. "You won't be able to get out with that armor on," Nathaniel yelled at him. "Let me go in."

Alistair stopped him, without even thinking, and unbuckled his chest plate. "Go back to the Keep," he ordered them. "Bring something for us to get her out. I'm going down there to help her." The dark haired man narrowed his eyes at him. "Go!" He ordered as the dragon bone armor clunked to the ground, revealing the white under shirt that he was wearing before he jumped into the pit.

He glanced up to see Anders tugging on Nathaniel's arm before they took off towards Vigil's Keep. Alistair turned his attention back to Lia. "Are you okay?" Stupid question but it had to be asked. She looked up at him and shivered.

"I…hit my head," she replied as her teeth chattered.

She needed warmth. Alistair sat next to her and pulled her against him, hoping that whatever body heat that he had left would be given to her. He wrapped his arms around her body and felt the shivering go down slightly. Good. "It's okay," he told her. "The others are getting help, we'll get you out of here soon." He craned his neck back to look at her. "Looks like you're making me turn into the one rescuing type." If she had hit her head hard enough, she needed to stay awake just in case she had a concussion.

Lia let out a laugh. Water sputtered around them as she did so. He felt her rest a hand against his chest and he felt his body reacting in a way that it shouldn't have. "I never use to be this clumsy," she replied. He ran his fingers through her hair without a second thought and cursed himself afterwards for overstepping a boundary.

"It's too bad we never got to meet before," he said.

She moved back to look at him. "We met once," she told him. "I thought you forgot so I never mentioned it when we first met after I stepped off the boat." Alistair didn't believe that he could meet her and not remember.

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her. "Maker, what are you talking about?" He asked. The rain poured harder around them.

"It was before you left for the Chantry," she told him, "my father brought me to Redcliffe. Nike bit your pants and dragged you into the lake for pulling my hair." She gave him a soft smile. "I went by Cecilia then…"

What were girls? They were such curious creatures, especially the one before him. Her red hair was like fire in the sunlight. The way she laughed as she punched him in the shoulder. He wanted to rub the spot where her fist had connected with his arm but he wanted to show her that he was much tougher than she was. Together they sat under a tree, on top of a hill that overlooked the village of Redcliffe. Her mabari ran in circles behind them as if it was trying to get their attention but it remained to be ignored.

"I'm going to be a warrior one day," she suddenly said proudly. "That's what daddy's here for, you know. He wants to recruit young boys to train in Highever."

Alistair made a face. "That's silly," he told her. "Girl's can't be warriors."

"Yes they can!" She stood up quickly and folded her arms across her body. "I was thinking about asking daddy if you can come but you can forget it!"

"I don't want to go to your stupid castle anyways," he snapped back at her before he stuck his tongue out. A fist crashed into his jaw.

"Take that back!" She yelled.

"No!" He yelled back at her before pulling her hair.

"Nike!" The mabari yelled and he felt teeth sink into the bottom parts of his pants. His mouth gaped open as heat rushed to his cheeks. She laughed as the hound dragged him into the river bed behind them.

"That wasn't fair, you know," he told her, "you had the advantage. Plus I'd never hit a girl."

Lia shook her head. "I proved you wrong though, didn't I?" Her eyes widened slightly in curiosity. It was almost childlike. He couldn't believe that he didn't remember meeting her before.

Alistair nodded. "Yes," he told her. "You did."

"Do you think he'd be proud?" She asked.

His arms were still around her and his fingers brushed against exposed skin where goose bumps erupted against his touch. Maker what was wrong with him? Alistair hoped that she hadn't noticed. He was just trying to be comforting, wasn't he? He gave her a small smile. He knew who she was talking about. "Yes," he told her. The look on her face after he said that had been too much. He looked away and bit his lower lip as he felt her move away slightly from them. Since their moment in the Deep Roads, he hadn't given it a second thought and now…now he was just confused. "The others should be back soon."

She nodded. "There's nothing between me and Nathaniel, you know," she said suddenly.

Alistair's mouth gaped open for a moment. "I didn't ask…"

Lia gave him a small smile. "You didn't have to." He felt his cheeks flush. So she had noticed. "Alistair I…"

"How's your head feeling?" He interrupted her.

She swallowed hard and looked away. "Better," she said. He couldn't tell if she was just telling him what he wanted to hear or not.

Silence fell between them and he wondered if he should say anything. There wasn't anything between them. He would tell her that and she would understand. The thought made him feel like a dirty little liar. It was his shame that didn't want to see it. It was his guilt that ate at him as he felt like there was some sense of betrayal towards Evie's memory by looking at another female in a less than platonic way.

A rope fell down the edge of the hole they were in. Alistair and Lia both looked up to see Nate, Anders, Seph, and Jax looking down at them. They were all just as drenched as they were and the storm was not letting up. "Are you alright?" Nathaniel called down. Alistair could tell that he was talking to Lia. The red head nodded.

The youngest Cousland stood up and Alistair after her. "Need help?" He asked her gently.

She gave him a roguish grin as her hands gripped around the rope. "Will you be there to catch me if I fall?" She asked.

He was a little surprised by her question but nodded in response. "Always," he found himself saying.

With that said, she dug her heels into the ground as she climbed her way to the top, Nathaniel and Anders helped her up. "Coming Alistair?" Jax called down with a grin. Alistair rolled his eyes and climbed up after Lia had reached the top.

Seph and Jax helped him up and he ran his fingers through his wet hair. He looked at Nathaniel and Anders. "Take her to the infirmary back in the Keep and make sure those damn dogs are back," he said before the three Wardens headed back.

He sighed heavily as he watched them go. He glanced at his two friends who were eyeing him suspiciously. "Why are you two looking at me like that?" He asked quickly.

"When's the last time you stay with someone who was injured?" Seph countered with her own question. She placed one hand on her hip and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"The last person in that situation was you," he replied. "And you had Jax. Now look at you too." He hadn't been needed.

"That's her point, Alistair," the mage replied. The Warden Commander narrowed his eyes at the two before him. What were they getting at? Jax tilted his head to the side. "You don't see it do you?" He asked.

Seph shook her head before linking arms with him. "Let him figure it out on his own," she said before tugging Jax away with her.

Alistair's shoulders slumped with defeat. He would never understand some people. He bent down and picked up the rope along with his armor that he had discarded earlier before heading back to Vigil's Keep. He was going to need a long nap… or cheese. His nose wrinkled slightly as he thought about it. Ah, yes, the latter would do. His stomach rumbled in agreement.

Alistair popped the last bit of his meal into his mouth and washed it down with water as Fiona came into his office. He gave her a small smile as she closed the door behind him. "I've sent scouts towards the Silverite Mines. There's been reported activity of darkspawn in the area," she told him.

"In this storm?" He asked as his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The First Warden nodded. "It's lightening up," she replied. "The men can handle it, yes?" They could. They both knew it. "It was a noble thing you did for the Cousland girl." She moved towards the right wall of the office. Her fingers grazed the bookshelves and Alistair wondered if his mother had a point to all of this. "How is she?"

"Well," he replied. "No concussion according to Anders. I had Jax double check."

"Very thorough of you," she said with a small smile.

"If that's what you want to call it." He sighed and realized what she was doing. It was the same thing that Jax and Seph had hinted at. It was the reason why Nathaniel glared daggers his way…and it was why he hadn't thought twice before jumping into a pit so Lia wouldn't be alone. "Can I ask you something?"

The dainty elf nodded her head. "Anything."

"Did you love Maric?"

He watched the elf stiffen. "Yes." She gave him a questioning look. He wanted to reassure her that he had a point but he couldn't find the proper words to let her know without sounding like a complete fool. "But I still wouldn't change the decision I made."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm a mage…an elf…Orlesian...and a Warden. Take your pick, son."

He understood the complications of all four. He had fallen in love with a mage. Being part elf and part Orlesian would take some time to get use to but he could imagine how Ferelden would have reacted if Evie had placed him as king. The only thing he had felt that he had been meant to be a part of was being a Warden. Alistair leaned back in his chair. "If he wasn't king, do you think it could have worked?"

Fiona was silent for a few moments before she decided to answer. She crossed her arms in front of her body and spoke slowly, "No. We were too damaged to even think about such a thing even without our own duties that we had to carry through."

He ran his tongue over his lower lip and looked at her. That hadn't been the answer he had wanted to hear but he had the feeling that was going to be a common thing with her. "Were you able to move on?"

The pain on her face made his heart clench. He needed to know. He needed to know that the ability to have that sort of strength could have been passed from her to him. Would the hole in his life be filled again? He thought that it wouldn't have been possible. He had been encouraged to look but hadn't wanted to. He thought that Evie had still been with him but that had been a lie. It had been a ploy from someone to keep him complacent. Well, when Alistair got his hands on the bastard he would make sure he felt exactly what he had felt the moment he watched Evie die. But now…part of him didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Yes," she replied, "but I chose not to. Don't make the same mistake that I did." He felt like he had been punched in the stomach. It hurt to breathe as Fiona made her way to stand in front of his desk. She leaned forward as she placed a hand over his. "It's okay," she told him. "I'm sure she'd want you to be happy." He nodded slowly.

"So who is she?"

He looked his mother in the eyes before he asked, "Who is who?" As if they both didn't know…

"The one who you're thinking about?" The mischievous glint in her eye was not lost on him. Alistair pushed back his chair and stood up. "Oh," Fiona said. "No wonder."

That knowing look made him want to hide. "It's nothing," he told her. Would it be so bad to at least try? Maker, it scared him more than anything but he had faced worse things before. He would take baby steps. That was all he was sure that he could let himself do at the moment. He swallowed hard and the thought as he brought up his hands to rub the tension away from his temples.

"I'm sure." The tone she had taken in that moment reminded him of Wynne when she tried to explain to him where babies came from. A small smile crept onto his face and Fiona laughed. "Start preparation," she told him, "depending on what the scouts find, we may be going to the Silverite Mines."

Alistair nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Fiona let out a snort of a laugh. "Don't call me ma'am."

Lia looked up from her book when there was a light knock. She smiled when she saw Alistair standing in the doorway. He smiled back at her as she set the book down by her side. "Hello," she greeted him. "Need me for something?"

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Pretty good. Ready to kick some darkspawn ass," she replied with a grin. Nike barked next to her and she snapped her fingers before she pointed to the dog. "You, ser, are still in trouble." The mabari bent his head and laid down next to her bed.

Alistair leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms in front of his body. "Do you think you'll be ready to go out tomorrow?"

"Of course," she replied. There was no way that she would stay behind if the others were leaving the Keep.

"I mean, not go out go out but going out." Maker, the way he stumbled over his words was adorable.

Lia let out a small laugh. "I know what you mean," she reassured him. "Where are we going?"

"The Silverite Mines. Our lovely First Warden thinks something is going on there."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what do you think?" He seemed a little surprised that she would ask that. She took satisfaction in the fact that she was able to surprise him like that. Lia tilted her head to the side for a moment, curious to see how he would respond. She knew that the First Warden was his mother but in her opinion, her Commander was who she was going to listen to. Whether that was the Warden way or not remained to be seen and honestly, Maker help her, she didn't care.

"I think that it could either be bandits or it could really be darkspawn. Either way, since not only am I Warden Commander, I am also Arl it is something that I have to look into," he told her. She couldn't help but smile.

"If only there had been more men like you among the nobility," she said, "it might have made me want to stay."

Alistair laughed. "Well I am glad that you're here."

She felt her cheeks flush at his admission. Lia glanced down at her hands as they fidgeted slightly and curled against the bedding. She didn't know what to say and by his awkward cough, he didn't know either. Part of her said that feelings for her superior were wrong and it couldn't happen. Oh the complications that it could cause.

"Alistair-"

"-Lia."

She brought up a hand and scratched the back of her neck. "You first," she said as she made a motion with her other hand for him to continue.

"When we get back, would you like…to do something? I don't know what but just me and you?"

He seemed nervous. Andraste's ass, she was nervous for him. She ran her tongue over her lower lip and wondered how to answer him. It wasn't like she didn't already know the answer that she wanted to give. "Are you sure?" She asked. "The last time I thought…" Her voice trailed off.

"I know," he said with a small nod. "I wasn't ready to try after everything…but I am now." She watched his eyebrows furrow together and she got up from her bed as he looked away. When she got close to him, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. She didn't want to question him further in fear that he might change his mind.

"Okay."