It was a quiet morning in the clinic, and Anders leaned his chair back against the wall, propping his feet up his desk. A book lay open across his thighs and he traced a finger down the page as he read. He looked up as the door opened and smiled as Hollie walked in. "Hello," he called and moved his feet. The front legs of his chair thumped to the floor and he stood up.

"Hello, Anders." Hollie looked around. "Slow day?"

He shrugged. "Yes, so far. I was just doing some reading."

"Looks like a heavy tome."

"Just some magical theory. I like to keep sharp on new ideas."

Hollie nodded and looked around again. "Bailey isn't here?"

"No, she usually does the archery thing in the mornings."

"Oh. I thought she'd be back by now. I mean, it looked that way when I saw her this morning…"

Anders tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms. "You saw her?"

"Yes. I was in Hightown; another meeting with the Viscount about the family home. But I was passing the public gate to the Chantry gardens, and I could have sworn I saw her leaving them. I figured she was heading back here."

"Mmmm. I haven't seen her since she left this morning."

"Well, she was accompanied by a dark haired man. I only caught a glimpse of his profile, but he appeared to be young and quite handsome. Who knows what she had planned, right?"

Anders lifted a hand and rested the knuckle of his index finger against his lip. If that had been Bailey that Hollie had seen, then who was it with her? Her instructor, perhaps?

"Anders?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Hollie. "Sorry. Just wondering about…"

Hollie gave him a half smile. "Wondering who she's keeping company with? The thought really does bother you doesn't it?"

He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "The question is moot. I explained it to you months ago. So, what brings you here this morning? You don't look ill or injured."

"Oh, I'm fine. Actually, I came to see you." Hollie stepped closer to him and reached out to lay a hand on his chest. "I was wondering if you felt up to a trip to the Bone Pit with me. Apparently, something else is going on out there and Hubert asked me to look into it."

Anders looked down at her hand and then at her face. She had stepped very close to him. He shifted back just a little and said, "Of course. When?"

"Oh, this afternoon. I'd like to get it taken care of as soon as possible."

"I do need to stay here until Bailey gets back."

"That's alright. I'll be back around midday. Will that be a good time?"

"Yes. She is usually home by then. If she isn't, well…I'll leave a note."

Hollie smiled and let her hand trail down over his stomach and away. "Until then, Anders."

She turned and he could have sworn she purposely put an extra sway in her hips as she walked away from him. He slowly shook his head, but he couldn't help smiling. He turned away from the door and walked back over to his desk, intent on finishing the chapter he'd been reading. However, he couldn't seem to forget what Hollie had said about seeing Bailey with a young, handsome man. It couldn't be Carver; Hollie would have recognized her own brother. Maybe it was the Chantry brother that she had told him about, the one that knew about her and this clinic. But no, didn't she say once that was the gardener and was older? Maybe this mystery man was her instructor. She hadn't ever said if he was young or not, just that he was someone the bowyer had known. And if it was her instructor, why were they leaving Chantry grounds?

He growled in frustration as he finally realized he'd read the same passage five times and still had no idea what it said. Slamming the book shut and dropping it on his desk, he stood and grabbed his staff. He quickly scribbled out a note for Bailey and left to seek out Hollie. Maybe she wouldn't mind heading out to the Bone Pit early.

It was early evening by the time he returned home. He, Varric, Hollie, and Merrill had managed to clear out an infestation of giant spiders that had thought the tunnels of the mine were ideal homes. Of course, the miners that had to work there disagreed.

He dragged through the front door of the clinic and found it quiet. Only one lantern was lit, and Bailey was nowhere to be seen. He shut the door and walked toward the back. "Bailey? Are you here?"

"In here, Anders," came her reply from the bathing chamber. It was followed by a rather loud groan of pain.

He stuck his head past the curtain and found her slowly filling the copper pots by the hearth. She moved with a pain he could almost see. Stepping fully through the curtain, his healer instincts kicked in and he said, "Are you alright?"

She groaned again and said, "I'll be better after a long soak in a hot bath. Can you help me get these to the tub?"

He grabbed the two large pots and emptied them into the tub, along with two more. When it was about halfway full, she gave him a truly pitiful look and said, "Could you heat it up? I don't have the patience to wait for the fire to do it."

He quirked his lips into a little smile and stuck his hands into the water. He called a heat spell and within moments, streamers of steam were rising from the surface of the water. "There you are, dear lady. One hot bath, as you ordered."

"Oh my god, Anders, I could kiss you. But now, you have to get out." She pushed him through the curtains that surrounded the tub.

He chuckled and stood outside of the enclosure, listening to her groan in an odd mixture of pain and pleasure when the water splashed softly. The groan was followed by a long sigh. He stood with his hands on his hips for a moment and finally said, "Bailey, what's wrong? You sound like you are in severe pain."

"I can't tell you. It's too embarrassing."

He snorted. "I've held your head while you…how did you put it? Puked your guts out, I believe is what you said."

"Ugh, don't remind me." There was the sound of splashing water, and then she said, "Anders? Um…could you bring in more water? This isn't quite deep enough to cover the bits that hurt."

He blinked rapidly a few times. "You want me to do what?"

"Bring more water, please. I'll cover myself with a towel, geez."

He gulped and turned around to fill the pots again. Grabbing one in each hand, he shouldered through the curtains, his head turned to the side so he wouldn't chance seeing anything. He could hear her laugh softly. "I told you I would cover myself. Nothing is showing, I promise."

He cautiously turned his head a bit and saw she had a towel draped across her body and over the top of her thighs. He quickly poured the water into the tub, pushed a hand in and started heating it for her. She sighed happily and leaned back against the edge of the tub. "Oh, that is perfect. Thank you."

He shook the water from his hand as he retreated and said, "You're welcome." Safely outside the curtains again, he moved to sit on the floor and lean against the wall close to where her head was. "Okay, tell me what you have done that is so embarrassing that has you in this kind of pain."

She was quiet for a moment, then said, "My instructor decided to expand my repertoire of skills."

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I spent the better part of my morning with my legs spread in a most unnatural position."

Anders nearly came to his feet. "You WHAT?"

She laughed then, hearing the obvious indignation in his voice. "On a horse, you silly man. He's been teaching me to ride a horse. Today was the first day I was actually astride."

He sat back down and said, "Oh." Then he did a double take and said, "Wait, are you telling me you don't know how to ride a horse?"

"Yes, I am."

He thought about that for a moment. "How is that possible? Pretty much everyone learns how to ride at an early age."

"Not in my world. Horses were a luxury there, mainly kept for either sport or for recreation. They aren't the main means of travel, so not everyone knows how to ride."

"Okay. So…why did he decide to do this?"

"He wants to take me on an extended hunt for larger game. The horses will make hauling the meat back easier. I told him I didn't know how to ride, so he said he'd teach me."

"How long has this been going on?"

"A bout a month, month and a half. I've been learning how to groom the horses, so I could get more comfortable around them, and learning how to saddle them properly. Like I said, today was the first day I mounted one."

He stretched his legs out in front of him and examined the toes of his boots. He needed to clean them. "Who's horses are you using?"

She was quiet for a moment. "His. He has two."

"Two horses? Bailey, just who is this instructor?"

"No one to be worried about, Anders. I told you, he is someone the bowyer knew and recommended to me. I even got references before I started meeting with him."

He brooded over that for a bit. "This hunt he wants to go on with you. Would it be just the two of you, alone?"

"I really don't know. He might hire someone else to go with us, to help. We haven't exactly reached that point, yet. I barely got the horse to walk today."

He snorted quietly. "I have to say, I really don't like the idea at all."

"Anders, you seem to have forgotten the part about me being a grown woman that can defend herself should the need arise." She was quiet for a moment, then said, "I appreciate your concern, though."

He pushed himself up to his feet and said, "Just be careful, alright?"

"I will. Um, Anders?"

"Yes?"

"Think you could make dinner tonight?"

He chuckled. "I'll throw something together. I can't guarantee it will be as delicious as anything you might do, but it will fill the empty spot."

"That's fine."

"Enjoy your bath, Bailey. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Thank you."

He went back out into the clinic and lit a couple more lanterns, then moved into the kitchen to find something for their dinner. Seeing a fresh round of bread, he grabbed it and sliced it open, then layered slices of cheese and meat onto the bottom half. After spreading some spicy mustard sauce onto the top half of the loaf and placing it back onto the top, he cut the round into 4 pieces and grabbed a couple of plates. Two pieces went onto each plate, which were then placed on the table. He stepped back over to the bathing chamber and poked his head through the curtain. "Bailey…it's ready."

"Alright. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Anders turned and went to pour two mugs of tea and set them next to the plates. He was halfway through one of his sandwiches when Bailey joined him. She sat down with a little sigh and gave him a pained smile. He furrowed his eyebrows and swallowed. "After dinner, I'm going to fix that pain for you. No arguing."

"I'm going to hurt like this tomorrow, too."

"Then I'll fix it again."

"Anders…"

"No arguing. It won't affect your lessons if you aren't in pain."

"It would be nice to walk straight."

He gave her a little smile as she bit into her sandwich. "The healers did the same for us apprentices when we were learning. But the pain will go away when your muscles have become accustomed to the exercise."

She nodded as she chewed and swallowed. "That's what Jonathan told me this afternoon."

"Jonathan? Is that your instructor?"

"No, he's the farrier that owns the stable where the horses are housed. But enough about me. Where were you this afternoon? Your note only said you were out for a bit."

"Oh. I was with Hollie. She asked me, Varric, and Merrill to help her clear out a nest of spiders that had taken up residence in some of the tunnels at the Bone Pit. The miners weren't very happy about their presence."

Bailey shuddered visible. "I should think not. In my world, spiders are small enough that you can step on them. They should not be big enough that you could saddle one and ride it."

"Well, you couldn't anyway. You're still learning to ride." He laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him. They finished their dinner and then he pointed her to one of the empty exam tables. She lay down on it and he placed both of his hands on the outside of her thigh. As his hands began to give off a soft blue light, he said, "You know, a massage could help this, too. I think you can get one at the Rose…"

She cut him off quickly. "No! No more massages at the Rose for me."

He gave her look, his eyebrow quirked. "What? Bailey, have you…?"

"Never mind, Anders. Don't ask. I'll just say that Isabela is evil, and leave it at that."

"Ah, Isabela is involved. Enough said." He removed his hands from her thigh and moved them to the other one. A few moments later, Bailey sighed with relief.

"That feels soooo much better. Again, Anders, I could kiss you." She sat up as he pulled his hands away and smiled at him.

He stood there gazing at her, a half smile on his face. "You have said that twice tonight." He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table on each side of her, bringing his face closer to hers. "So are you going to, or not?"

Her eyebrows shot up as her mouth fell open a little. The memory of the last time she had kissed him flashed into her mind. "Um…it's just an expression. Meaning what you have done for me is so wonderful, words aren't enough to thank you."

He continued to look into her eyes for a few more moments before he chuckled again and moved away from her. "I know, Bailey. I was only jesting with you." He turned away, unable to keep himself from remembering the feel of her lips against his. He sighed softly and pushed the thought away.

The rest of the week continued in almost the same pattern. Bailey would come home from her lessons sore, he would heal the muscle cramps, and they went about with their regular clinic work. Eventually, the pain did decrease for her, just as he had told her, and she began to actually enjoy the rides, often coming home with several bunches of herbs and plants that she had collected while she was out. He even managed to halfway forget about his jealousy over the time she was spending with this mystery instructor; that is, until Varric came to see them one evening after dinner. He strolled through the front door and gave them a wave. "Evening, Blondie. Blossom, you are looking as lovely as ever."

"Varric, you charmer. Careful, I don't want Bianca angry with me."

"She doesn't bite unless I tell her to, and she'd never bite you."

"So what brings you to Darktown, Varric?" Anders asked.

"Well, just checking on some rumors. And there was this," he said, pulling a folded square of cream colored parchment from inside his jacket. He extended it toward Bailey with a smile. "I was asked to make sure you received this safely."

Bailey cocked an eyebrow in confusion as she took it from him. Once glance at the handwriting caused her to smile. She looked up at Anders, his eyes asking the question. "It's from Carver," she said. She stood and said, "I'll go put it in my room to read later."

As she walked away, Anders turned his head to watch her. He'd forgotten completely about Carver asking if he could write to her. His eyes closed for a moment as he let out a breath. When he opened them again, he found Varric grinning at him. "Shut up, Varric," he growled softly.

Varric held up his hands, palms out. "I said nothing, Blondie."

"Exactly. But you have a talent for saying so much without speaking."

Varric shrugged. "It's a gift." He turned his head as Bailey walked back out to join them. "So, Blossom. How are the riding lessons going?"

Bailey started and said, "How did you know about that?"

"I have my ways. So? Going to answer or not?"

She sat down and made vague gesture with one hand. "They are going okay. The pain isn't as bad anymore, and Anders helps with that. I'm learning how to control her with my knees, since Se…my instructor wants me to learn how to shoot my bow from the saddle. He said it never hurts to learn that skill."

Anders looked over at her as it sounded like she had almost said the name of this instructor. She had been meeting with him for nearly nine months and still hadn't said his name. It made his danger senses tingle…not to mention a certain kind of paranoia about the man's identity. He turned his head again as Varric nodded and said, "It is a useful skill, especially if you are being chased by something…or you are chasing something yourself. Me, I don't really like riding horses. I am much more of a carriage kind of man. I'll let someone else drive for me, thank you."

He then turned to look at Anders. "Those rumors I mentioned; the Carta are starting to act up again. I don't think it has to do with Hollie and her family this time, but something has them worked up. Just wanted to give you a heads up."

"Thanks, Varric. I'll keep an eye out, especially in the evenings."

Varric gave him a nod and bid them both a good night. He left and Anders bolted the door behind him. As he turned to face Bailey, he found her on her feet and heading back to her bedroom. "I'm a bit tired tonight, Anders. I'm going to see what Carver has to say and go to bed early."

He tilted his head at her and said, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired. Good night, Anders."

"Good night, Bailey." She disappeared behind her curtains, leaving him alone with the thoughts running through his head. Most of them were unpleasant, and directed at Carver and this still unknown instructor. He raged silently until Justice broke through the tirade. 'Silence! Would you lock her away as you were and deny her the freedom to live her own life? You would be no better than the Templars.' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. Justice was right. And it was himself, after all, that had chosen to not be involved with her. So he couldn't really be angry if she had moved on, could he?

A few more weeks passed, and he found himself at the Hanged Man, enjoying a drink and a rousing game of Wicked Grace with Varric and Fenris when Hollie came in. She sat down next to him and gave him a smile. Varric dealt her into the game, and as she arranged her cards, she looked around. "Am I the only female here tonight?"

"Bailey was here, and Merrill, but then Isabela dragged them both out for some kind of 'girl's night', to use her words," Anders said. "I suppose they didn't know you would be coming tonight."

"Oh, I don't mind. It just means I have the best looking men in the room all to myself now." Her eyes lingered especially longer on Anders, and he shifted a bit uncomfortably on his chair. "So, what's the opening bid?"

As the games went on and the stakes went higher, the evening passed by quicker than they thought. Anders volunteered to walk Hollie back to her uncle's house, and as he did so, she brought up the subject of Bailey. "I've been seeing Bailey leaving the city, leading a very fine looking horse."

He glanced over at her. "She's been taking riding lessons. Her archery instructor thought she should learn."

Hollie lifted an eyebrow. "So she what? Bought a horse?"

"No, apparently the man owns two horses, and he's been letting her ride one."

"Mmm. Odd."

"What's odd?"

"Well, the past few times I've seen her, I didn't see anyone with her. Just her and the horse." Hollie looked up at Anders. "You know…I've also seen her going into a noble's house a few times, too."

Anders stopped and turned to face Hollie. "You seem to be hinting at something, only I'm not catching on. Out with it."

Hollie waved a hand in the air. "I'm just wondering how she is able to afford these lessons. I mean, things have been pretty quiet lately, so I haven't been paying you for helping me out on jobs. And I know she sells those soaps and such, but surely that can't be enough to cover everything."

Anders finally grasped what Hollie was saying and narrowed his eyes. "Are you accusing her of…of," he looked around and lowered his voice, "selling herself?"

"I'm just wondering where the money is coming from, that is all."

Anders stared at her. "No. Bailey would never do that. She has no reason to."

Hollie raised an eyebrow again. "Are you so sure you know her well enough to say whether she would or not?"

She turned to continue walking, and Anders turned to walk behind her. He scoffed inwardly at Hollie's accusation, but a tiny and dark part of his mind began to wonder, as well. By the next morning, he had managed to convince himself that Hollie was just making noise…until Bailey came home and dropped a large number of coins into the clinic's supply fund. When he asked her about it, she shrugged and said, "The soap and oils have sold really well this month. In fact, I need to get started on next month's batch. I'll be in the workroom."

The reasoning made sense to him and pushed Hollie's words out of his mind. He knew Bailey wouldn't go to such lengths, no matter what the need.

Then came the afternoon when a boy of about twelve showed up in the clinic. He was better dressed than the other boys of his age in Darktown, and he looked around nervously as he entered the clinic. "Hello, there. Can I help you?" Anders asked him.

The boy looked up and said, "I'm looking for Serrah Bailey."

"Ah, then you've come to the right place. She's in the workroom. That curtained doorway right back there," he said, pointing to the back. He watched as the boy walked to the back and knocked on the door frame.

Bailey walked out and smiled at the boy. She took the folded parchment he handed her and read it. Anders heard her say, "Tell him that the time change is fine with me, and I hope all is well."

The boy nodded and turned, giving Anders a small smile as he walked past him and out of the clinic. Anders pulled his eyebrows together and turned to walk to the workroom. He pushed the curtain aside and said, "Is everything alright?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Everything is fine. Why do you ask?"

He jerked his head once back towards the door. "Messenger boys?"

"Oh, that. It's just a standing appointment, and my client asked for a time change."

"Client?"

She sighed and said, "Yes, Anders. I do have other things that I do besides work here."

"Alright. I was just concerned that something might be wrong."

She turned and gave him a small smile. "I appreciate it. Now, go. Althea will be here soon, and I'm going to be showing her how to press oils, so I need to get things ready."

He left her to prepare, heading back into the clinic. 'Clients? She has clients? What sort and just what does she do for them?' He found himself starting to wonder if maybe Hollie had seen something he hadn't. That dark part of his mind began presenting him with all sorts of images, each one worse than the last. He shook his head hard to dispel them and thought, 'Stop it! She wouldn't! She wouldn't do what Hollie hinted at! She just wouldn't…'

He looked over at the large jar of flour in the kitchen where they kept the bag of coins hidden, and remembered the last handful she had added to it. 'Or would she?'

Author's Note: So...does that clear up who the dark haired woman in the last chapter was, and why she smiled like that? But seriously, how could Anders even consider that? As for just what Bailey has been doing...well, that will be in the next chapter...which is already halfway written! I was working on it simultaneously with this chapter, so you all won't have to wait so long for the next update! Again, thanks for sticking with me! And just because, more exclamation points! XP