A/N: I had a couple of ideas for this chapter, but a lot of it will be playing out on its own. Let my fingers do the thinking. Heh.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of DA2, lands and characters, or otherwise. Story idea is all mine though!

Full Circle

Chapter Twenty-One: Reprieve

Hawke stood in the foyer of her estate with Sebastian while the others – Fenris, Anders, and Aveline – went about fixing up the rather sad state of her home; she had tried to tell them she was more than capable, but after what she had been through, they wanted to help where they could and didn't let her argue. She could hear them talking amongst themselves and the shuffling of furniture as things were set right, trying to give back some of the estate's former glory. Sebastian was silent as he sat on one of the benches, his arms set on his bent knees, his blue eyes watching her intently.

Softly, she sighed. "Sebastian…"

"Hawke," he sighed her name, interrupting her. "There are other options here."

As much as she cared for him, his insistent need to nag her on this choice was beginning to wear on her. She paced toward him and knelt, setting her hands atop his own. "Sebastian, this is the last time we will be able to see each other for a long time because this is the only option I have." He moved as if to cut her off and she set a hand over his lips. "For me, it is the only option. How much longer will the world tolerate mages, Sebastian? If I were not Champion of Kirkwall, I would have suffered the same fate as all mages; thrown into the circle, beaten and raped by Templars – it's even fallen to the point where that has happened to me. I cannot allow it to continue." She dropped her hand and stood, pacing away from him, not catching that he stood as well and followed her until she felt his hands on her shoulders.

"It could be different, Hawke. As princess of Starkhaven, no one would touch you," he whispered the words against the strands of her auburn hair. Again, she sighed. She pulled away and turned to face him, her silver eyes glinting with something he couldn't quite indentify.

"For how long, Sebastian?"

"What do you mean?"

"For how long would that title protect me? Champion of Kirkwall only lasted a few years before Meredith turned on me. Viscountess of Kirkwall probably won't last much longer than that; how long would Princess of Starkhaven buy me?" She shook her head and moved away from him again, his eyes stubbornly refusing to lose sight of her. "That isn't even the whole issue, Sebastian. How could I live with myself to hide behind a title when children are continuously being ripped away from their parent's loving arms, only to be thrust into the Templar's cruel hands?"

He frowned and folded his arms across his chest; as much as he hated to admit it, she did have a point. Not one his heart wanted to concede to, however. The selfish part of him said to forget the whole world – he just wanted to be with her. "Hawke…" He took a step toward her, but she shook her head and he stopped.

"Sebastian…that magic that killed Elthina, our beloved friend, is a part of me; you'll have to acknowledge that some day and when you do, you really think you're going to want to love me, much less touch me?"

"Hawke, I have acknowledged that," he asserted.

She only shook her head with a sigh. "Fine, then you haven't accepted it. If you had, you would have reacted a lot more strongly than you did. You're denying it, Sebastian. Just as you have been denying that being a mage draws me into any conflict against mages. If the whole of Thedas turns against the mages and decides to eradicate every single one – that includes me."

Sebastian sighed as well and hung his head in silence. After what seemed like hours but in reality were only minutes, he lifted his head and strode forward to pull the mage into his arms and hold her against him. She didn't resist and even wrapped her arms around his neck. They embraced for a moment before she pulled back from him. "I know it hurts, Sebastian, but it's the reality of our existence…and I cannot deny it, nor can I turn my back on Anders, not after all we have been through," she whispered; in turn his heart ached, but he knew he could not deny it as well, nor could he deny the fact the she was in love with Anders whether or not she realized the extent of that love was to left to be seen. He couldn't hang around for that, as much as he wanted to support her.

"Aye, I know, lass. It's alright. I accept my defeat for now," he whispered with that charming grin that had once swept her off her feet. He leaned and pressed a kiss to her brow, before stepping back away from her. "If you require aid, don't hesitate to call upon Starkhaven and her people." He saw her sad smile and returned it with his own, before sweeping into a bow and then turning to leave the estate, the door shutting silently behind him.

Hawke watched him go with a wrenching tightness in her heart; she knew she loved him, but it was better this way. The last year, and especially the last few days, had been enough to make her realize that; how she had been so blind to it before was the age old reason – being in love often made you blind to reality. She was startled out of her thoughts by a gruff noise, of someone clearing their throat. She turned and smiled when she saw Fenris.

"We've done all we can for now, Hawke. Some of the damage needs actual repairs," he said with a slight frown.

"Fenris, anything you have done is more than enough," Hawke said with a smile walking toward him.

Fenris inclined his head and then his mossy green eyes found the door for a moment, before returning to her silver ones. "How did your discussion with Sebastian fare?"

She grimaced slightly and shifted her fingers through her red curls. "Not as well as I'd hoped; he wanted me to deny reality and run away to Starkhaven with him. A mage would never be accepted as Princess of Starkhaven," she laughed softly, almost bitterly.

Fenris cocked his head and eyed her intently, as if he were debating whether or not to say something before he spoke a moment later. "Just like a mage would never be accepted as Viscountess of Kirkwall?"

"Exactly –" She started to agree with him before she caught the meaning in his words and stopped dead. "I saved Kirkwall, Fenris, that's the only reason they accept me…and even that is likely tenuous at best."

He nodded, conceding to her for now; he didn't want to press her on something she had determinedly decided upon. "Aveline would like to speak to you before she leaves," he said, turning to glance back at the Guard Captain and the mage as they spoke in hushed tones about something obviously private.

"What about you, Fenris? No doubt you don't want to stay at The Hanged Man for fear of becoming Isabella's latest conquest," Hawke chuckled.

Fenris scowled at the mention of the pirate and crossed his arms over his chest. "A return to my old mansion seemed the most likely scenario," he mumbled. He brushed a lock of white hair from his eyes and leaned against the wall just behind him.

"Don't bother," Hawke then said with a cheery smile, making him blink a few times in confusion. "My mother's room, or the study, or the countless other rooms, are more than welcome to you, old friend."

He frowned thoughtfully though he was touched by her gesture; they had a tenuous friendship at times and had clashed time and time again about every mage issue that came to them. It had made it hard for them to get along and they argued. When he had killed Hadriana and stormed from the Slaver caverns, she had spent hours looking for him only to find him in her home. They had argued for what seemed like hours, until her words struck him to the core, making him realize that it was him that was keeping himself a slave, not the former master that hounded his every step. She had stood her ground and in that moment he had found her the most infuriatingly beautiful woman he had ever seen. He hadn't been able to stop himself from pushing her roughly against the wall and claiming those sassy lips. Somehow they had ended up in her bed, coming together like two primal animals in the heat of passion, forgetting everything in the heat of the moment. Once it was over, he had admitted that it was a mistake, that he wasn't ready for this, couldn't handle the memories cropping up; she had agreed, almost begrudgingly and after that night they had never spoken of it again. Over the next three years they had found a way to use that to form an actual friendship and had grown closer than before; the fact the she opened her home to him like this in the face of all that astounded him.

"If you're sure, Hawke," he said gruffly, avoiding her gaze.

"Of course I am Fenris," She chuckled and moved past him, stopping for a moment to survey the almost restored room with a smile forming across her lips. "You came back for me, you helped save me; the least I can do is offer my home." She said nothing after that and moved further into the room, causing whatever conversation that Aveline and Anders' were having to cease entirely.

"Aveline, you wanted to speak to me?"

Aveline smiled to her friend and came forward, pressing a hand to her shoulder. "We can speak later, Hawke. I need to return back to the Keep to make sure everything is in order," she shook her head with a small chuckle. "No doubt Donnic will complain I work too hard."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Hawke chuckled and despite the fact that Aveline wasn't the touchy-feely type, she reached out and pulled the Guard Captain into a tight hug. The woman's arms came around her and returned the embrace. "It's so good to see you, Aveline."

"And you, Hawke; I worried how you were faring." The Guard Captain held her for a long moment before she pulled away stiffly and regained her normal gruff and tough demeanor. "I will return in the morning to speak with you. We can discuss your travel plans then, as well." She glanced toward the foyer before back to Hawke. "I assume you have given Fenris accommodations? Denarius' old mansion was restored and sold to some absurd and rather obnoxious nobles."

"I did indeed," Hawke chuckled.

"Then I shall be on my way. Make sure he guards you well, I am not about to have some ambitious idiot try to harm the new Viscountess," Aveline playfully jabbed at Hawke, knowing the statement was pure bullshit; anyone who tried to assassinate Hawke was bound to be in for the ass-kicking of their lifetime. With that she left the room and walked into the foyer where she spent a moment or two speaking with Fenris, before she left the mansion.

Hawke found herself looking at Anders, his warm amber eyes intense as they locked on her. She swallowed and found her heart was beating like an overworked drum within her breast. Fenris came in then and caught her attention, her silver gaze sliding over to him.

"I shall adjourn to a room, Hawke, after I see if you still have some of that delicious wine in the cellar," he said, a rare smirk making its way across his lips.

"By all means," Hawke said with a soft laugh and the elf nodded, moving past them on his amazingly silent feet and disappearing down the hall that led to the stairs that would take him to the basement where the wine cellar was; if it really had been Templars who had raided her home, she was sure there would be some of her stock left there somewhere.

"Alone at last," Anders' voice had her eyes returning to him. She smiled and nodded her head softly, stepping forward to take his hand. She led him from the main room, up the stairs, to her bedroom where she then softly shut the door behind them. She pressed him back against the door and crushed her lips to his, sliding her fingers into his blonde hair. He groaned and wrapped his arms around her, more than eager to return the kiss, his tongue caressing her lips before sliding in between them to mingle with her own. It lasted for a long time, until they were both breathless and forced to break apart; she stayed close, pressing her hands to his chest, her silver gaze intense as she peered up into his amber one.

"Hawke," he whispered her name and ran his fingers through her hair. "I thought you were in love with Sebastian."

She groaned and turned her head to press a gentle kiss to the inside of his wrist before nipping it sharply, where he then shuddered and sucked in a sharp breath. "I did love, Sebastian, Anders, but I loved you as well – I just didn't know it then. After the Fade…after seeing what you've been through, how you've suffered…reliving how I lost my family…I realized I couldn't stand to lose you, like I lost all of them. We could have gone our separate ways after Justice destroyed the Chantry but you remained by my side and protected me, just as I have protected you. You never faltered in your love for me, Anders," she whispered the last words and smiled, sliding a hand into his hair to pull him down for another kiss. "Sebastian could only ever love parts of me, but you have always loved me for the whole mage that I am."

His heart clenched as her words fell against his lips and he shuddered, her breath tickling his senses and causing his cock to strain painfully against his breeches. "You could never forget him, how can I trust that you can now?"

She pulled away from him and grabbed the front of his coat, pulling him with her as she backpedaled into the room. She then turned them and pushed him back onto her bed with a smile that made his gut clench with desire. "Anders, I sent him away and I am going to make the world see that there are good mages, that we aren't all evil," she said softly as she began taking the pieces of her Champion armor off one by one. "I would not want to have anyone other than you at my side for that. If it weren't for your love and dedication, I would have died, Anders." Her armor hit the ground with loud noises until she was left to stand before him in a simple blouse, her tight breeches, and her boots – the boots came off next, landing rather haphazardly as she tossed them away from her. Her bare feet then ghosted quietly across the carpet as she made her way toward him, coming onto the bed to straddle his waist, his hands clenching tightly against the mattress. She leaned down and kissed him breathless again. "I love you, Anders – if you have ever doubted any words of mine, these are the ones I beg you to believe," she whispered against his jaw as she moved her lips across his skin.

He groaned and shuddered, the words pushing him over the edge. With a growl he rolled her beneath him and kissed her hard, almost roughly, his tongue lashing against hers and his hands tight in her hair. She moaned into his mouth and he shivered, nipping her lower lip and tugging on it until she shuddered. His hands slid from her hair to her shoulders, before his long fingers grasped the edges of her collar where he proceeded to render the blouse in half down the middle. She squeaked and he chuckled, grasping a bare breast in his hand and leaning down to catch a stiffening peak in his mouth. His other hand found its twin and copied his tongue's movements with expert fingers until she was writhing beneath him in pleasure. He let the nipple pop free from his mouth and kissed her again, swallowing every delicious noise that spilled free from her.

"Too many clothes on," she gasped.

"Suppose I should do something about that," he mused. He leaned back and peered down at her. "You best not move," he mumbled as he rolled off of her to begin stripping himself from his coat. She braced herself on her elbows and licked her lips as she watched him strip himself down to just his breeches, her eyes admiring the strong and tan skin beneath his clothes; being on the run had had its benefits, they both had remained in good physical shape besides the weight she had lost from stress and fatigue. Once he was down to his breeches, he returned to the bed and stripped her of her torn blouse before eagerly untying her breeches and sliding them down her long, supple legs, shivering as his knuckles brushed over her soft flesh. He tossed them aside and came back to push her down on the bed, kissing her into a puddle of desire. He worked his hand into her small clothes and through the faint hair over her mound to find her silken lips that were wet with her desire for him; that knowledge alone almost had him come in his breeches. She gasped and arched into him as he pushed a finger inside of her, curling it to stroke that spot deep within that had her curling her toes and moaning his name. He worked in a second finger and did the same, her hands flying up to hold at his shoulders as she cried out and shuddered against him, her hips pressing back into his hand. He kissed along her jaw and then her neck, sucking skin between his lips as he began to stroke her, sliding his fingers in and out of her hot channel as it gripped at him like a lifeline. He stroked her higher and higher until she snapped, biting her lip to stifle a keening cry as she came around his fingers, coating them in her release as she quivered helplessly under the onslaught of pleasure. Once it subsided she fell back against the mattress and he pulled his hand from her small clothes, smiling as he licked her fluids from his fingers, her eyes darkening with returning arousal as she watched him do so.

"I have dreamed of this day for a decade," he moaned as he kissed her, letting her taste herself on his lips and tongue; it was the truth, really, he had dreamt of being the one she loved since the moment she had consoled him about Karl.

She moaned his name and he struggled with the ties of his breeches, managing to open them enough begin working them off his hips as he continued to kiss her. She slid her hand down his toned stomach to find his stiff arousal, beginning to caress him with her slim, lanky fingers. He ground his teeth and stopped her by catching her hand in his on his erection, shaking his head. "I have to have you now," he growled, pulling her hand away and pinning it over her head. She shivered and bit her lip as he took her other hand and did the same, before pressing his erection against her. He teased her, and himself, rubbing the head of his erection over her silken folds until she began to beg him to cease and desist and get on with it, which only had him chuckling with amusement. However, he did as she pleaded and with one swift thrust, he pushed himself inside of her scalding hot and silken wet center. They both gasped and moaned, arching into each other, shuddering.

After a long moment he began to pull from her only to thrust himself back between her supple thighs making her moan and writhe beneath him. Her eyes fell closed and her head fell back, teeth worrying her lower lip as she hooked her legs astride his hips to pull him even deeper within her. She tried to pull her arms free but he did not relent as he held them pinned, his hips slamming almost punishingly against hers as he thrust home inside of her again and again. It wasn't long before he drove her over the cliff, a cry falling from her lips, and his, as she tightened around his cock and bathed it in her climax. He grit his teeth and began to piston his hips faster, circling them even to touch every part of her womanhood. He drove her over the edge again, this time making sure she cried his name before he dared to give into his own release, a few frantic thrusts giving way to his jets of semen as he spilled himself inside of her. He cried her name in return and kissed her soundly, both shuddering together as they rode the waves of the aftermath before he pulled from her and fell to lay beside her. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly as they tried to regain their breath.

"I love you," she whispered against his chest and when he smiled and looked down at her, only smiled more with amusement to find that she had fallen asleep.

"I love you too, Hawke." He whispered the words against her hair and sighed softly, allowing himself to relax for the first time in what seemed like eternity. For the first time in over a decade he slept at peace, not plagued by nightmares of Justice or dreams of longing for a love that could never be his; content, and at peace with that very love wrapped within his embrace.

A/N: A lot of this chapter was written while trying to force myself through the wall of my writer's block, so I hope it went alright. Thank-you all for your continued support!