A/N - I just want to say super cookies for alyssacousland and her wonderful reviews and a big thanks for keeping me distracted to all the cheeky monkeys on jinx1983's forum: Dragon Age Ridiculously Awesome Authors! If you ever get a chance, pop in and say hi! though you'll have to be careful, there's sneaky monkeys running amuck!

For all of you who are brooding about the lack of Alistair, never fear for he makes a small cameo here and a little insight as to what he's been doing and how he's gone through the past five years without knowing anything about Serene. There is also a surprise awaiting you further along... and I'm debating whether to drag it out another chapter or unleash it now... lol we'll see...


Serene was lying down on her back in a grass field outside of Weisshaupt. It was getting close to summer in the Anderfels and Duncan was getting heavier by the minute it seemed. Both Anders and Fiona swore up and down that he was due any day now, but they had been saying that for at least two weeks, to both her and Matthew. The First Warden felt like she had worn out her welcome and was ready to see her gone from his fortress.

Serene chuckled to herself as she thought of Matthew. Aside from driving her crazy with all the tests he had put her and Bella through and the neverending battles about how she ran her command, he wasn't half bad. He was probably in his late thirties, shoulder length black hair that had the occasional white hair, though more had appeared since Serene arrived in the keep. He had stunningly beautiful green eyes and his skin was almost the same color as Zevran's. He was actually rather attractive when he wasn't pissing her off.

After their last yelling match, they had become more civil towards one another. During the meals she actually joined the wardens for, he would banter lightly with her. There were a few times she snapped at him to hide the blush that would rise to her cheeks after one of his offhanded remarks. She wouldn't let him know he could have that kind of affect on her.

Serene had taken to wearing thin linen dresses that kept her cool enough during the spring. Duncan was going to be bigger than Bella had and the extra weight caused her to be irritable and hot all the time. The dresses left little to the imagination of her body's curves which made just about every warden in the keep stop to look at her as she waddled around. It pleased her that they would find her attractive even in her current state, but what pleased her more was the deep blushes Matthew would get when he would overhear her conversations with Anders and Brieanna.

Serene smiled and blushed as she twirled a lock of her hair around a finger. Matthew was an attractive man, not really her type, but then most of her lovers weren't her type to begin with. He reminded her of Duncan when she met him in Ostagar, saving her from Cailan. Matthew would have had a few lovers in his life as a warden and he would know what to do.

Serene grumbled under her breath in frustration. Before she had Zevran at her beck and call when she had certain cravings, even Teagan had been willing to indulge her. She had thought about asking Brieanna a few times if she and Anders would mind helping her out, but she decided against it.

Matthew wasn't hard on the eyes and as long as she wasn't trying to steal more wardens from him, he might just even say yes. She was ready to have the baby now, and she wanted her water to break. She only hoped that her water would break after Matthew had brought her to her climax.

As Serene continued to daydream of ways to seduce Matthew, something started to rustle around in the bushes. It was enough to pull her out of her daydream and she sat up to watch, perhaps it was just a small animal. Her sword slowly became unsheathed, just in case. After a few moments a cloaked man fell out of the bush and into the middle of the clearing.

Serene jumped to her feet surprisingly quick and had her sword pointed at the cloaked figure. He managed to push himself up and look at her, his hood falling off his head.

"Do you happen to have any water?" The man said, pleading with his eyes. Serene felt the shock run through her body as she held her sword stronger with both hands.

"What the fuck?" Serene snapped.

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Alistair collasped onto the bed in the small room he had been renting in Val Royeaux for the past five years. He had spent the first year wallowing in his own self misery that had set in after he arrived in Orlais. A month after arriving, he got into a drunken bar fight with another warden and was taken to the Commander of Orlais. That's where he learned that only a grey warden could kill the archdemon in order to end the blight. Since Brandon was now king and the rumors grew that Riordan and Loghain died before the archdemon, Serene must have dealt the killing blow.

Leonie Caron had taken it upon herself to keep Alistair from the taverns. Alistair had made it clear he wasn't a grey warden anymore and to humor him, she found him odd jobs here and there to keep him from falling back into the drink. He was kept so busy that he didn't hear about the crazy grey warden commander of fereldan or the rumors of a child born in the palace. He had never even heard about the painting of the real warden commander of Fereldan until Celene sent him to Antiva City to Baron Laren for the painting. He didn't look at it, for fear all the work he had done the past four years would be for nothing. He didn't want a reminder that it was his fault that Serene was dead.

He was just about to fall asleep when he heard his door open, close and someone plopped down on his bed. With a groan, Alistair turned his head to see Leonie. He rolled his eyes and buried his face back into his bed. Leonie laughed as she pushed him off the bed.

"Leonie, what in the maker's name do you want?" Alistair grumbled from the floor.

"I heard you were in Antiva City to see Baron Laren. Did you happen to get a invite to his ball this year?" Leonie asked. Alistair blushed deeply as he remember that night in Antiva. It had to be one of the best nights of his life and he didn't even know who it was he shared it with. Leonie giggled at his reaction and he glared at her over the edge of the bed.

"Someone sold me the ticket. Why do you ask?" Alistair grumbled as he managed to pull himself up off the floor.

"There are rumors going all over the place, even within the grey wardens. You must tell me if they are true or not." Leonie said. Alistair rolled his eyes and laid back down on his bed. He knew better than to think he would be going back to sleep anytime soon. He had an on again off again relationship with the woman, but it was mostly a deep friendship that filled the void he had caused in his heart.

"What rumors?" Alistair asked.

"Hm, I've heard several from a few friends that I have in the crows. One said the guildmaster was there in search of his lost love. Then there are the rumors flying around about the grey warden commander of Fereldan." Leonie said.

"I don't know about the commander, but I met a warden from Fereldan there." Alistair admitted.

"Just met?" Leonie asked, hoping he would tell her about the night. She had learned early on not to ask Alistair about his past relationships. She could see in the way he smiled that he would never love another person again as much as his first.

"Maker's ass, Leonie. What do you want to know? Just ask it already and let me go back to sleep." Alistair snapped. Leonie stuck her tongue out at him, she had fun coaxing information out of him and he was talking the fun out of it.

"Did you take part in any of the festivities at the ball, indulged a woman or two with you assests?" Leonie purred as she ran her hand up the inside of his thigh. Alistair blushed deeply as he remembed the woman he indulged with.

"Very much so." Alistair said softly. Leonie curled up on her knees and stared at him expectantly.

"Come, Alistair. You must tell me of this woman. She must have been quite a woman for you to retain such a reaction after all this time. I am quite jealous of her." Leonie said excitedly, reminded him of Leliana when she was talking about shoes.

"She was gorgeous. She was dressed as a phoenix." Alistair said.

"Oh, the Dalish worship the phoenix." Leonie commented. Alistair nodded.

"I worshiped that phoenix all night." Alistair said. Leonie giggled.

"You said you met a Fereldan grey warden there, was you phoenix her?" Leonie asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Alistair wondered.

"Oh, I was just wondering. Perhaps it was the warden commander. She's in Weisshaupt now, causing First Warden Matthew to have the worst headache ever. He demanded that she give up her children, a five year old girl and her unborn child. They said she threatened to show him what a rage bitch hurlock really was if he thought he would touch either of her children. She's also convinced him to release a few of his wardens to her as well." Leonie said. Alistair frowned.

"Rage bitch hurlock?" Alistair asked, wondering if maybe he heard it wrong.

"Strange, isn't it. Her warden mage and the noble that's traveling with her warned everyone she got testy when she was pregnant with her daughter, and that was during the blight." Leonie said. Alistair frowned at the bed sheets and then at Leonie. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"What is her name?" Alistair demanded.

"The commander or the noble?" Leonie asked as she struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"The commander of the wardens in Fereldan. What is her name?" Alistair asked. Leonie frowned and managed to pull away from him.

"Serene. Don't tell me you didn't know her name?" Leonie said. Alistair's face drained of all color. Serene wasn't only alive, but she had a daughter. If she was pregnant during the blight then it must have been...

"Is she still in Weisshaupt?" Alistair snapped out as he started to dart around the room, packing his bags.

"By the time you get there, she might be on her way back to Amaranthine. She's due to have her baby any day now. Matthew has no plans to hold her there longer than probably a week or two after the baby is born to make sure its ready for travel." Leonie said. Alistair's heart stopped. Nine months ago he was in Antiva city and Serene was due to have a baby again. Could the Maker have been that cruel to bring them together for one night after almost five years?

"What should I do?" Alistair said as he flopped down on his head. Suddenly all the pieces clicked for Leonie. Serene was his first love, the woman that he lost during the blight and now she was having a second child. He would most likely want to be back in her life, if she would let him.

"Do you think the second is yours too?" Leonie asked quietly, knowing she was about to lose one of the best lovers she had ever had, and a good friend. Alistair nodded.

"She was the phoenix. She said she was a grey warden in Amaranthine." Alistair said. Leonie nodded.

"Then let us wait to see if the news of the baby comes this way. It will take months to get the Weisshaupt, but if you stay here you might just catch her." Leonie said. Alistair looked into the brown eyes of the blonde woman he had spent his time with. He knew that she cared about him and knew it would kill her to let him go. Even when they were not lovers, they were still good friends.

"I think that is wise too. Thank you, Leonie. I know this can't be any easier for you than it is for me." Alistair said. Leonie smiled sadly and kissed him on the cheek.

"I knew you never truly loved me like I wanted you to. I wanted you to forget all about her. Now I just want you to be happy, my friend. We should see about presents. Women love to receive presents for their babies." Leonie said as she pulled him up and off the bed.

"We don't even know what she's having." Alistair whined, hoping the woman would let him go back to sleep.

"You have a daughter, yes? We can buy her things and hope perhaps this one would be a boy?" Leonie said. Alistair sighed and nodded in agreement.

"I wonder what she'll name it, if its a boy." Alistair said.

"What would you name him, if you were there?" Leonie asked.

"Duncan." Alistair said.

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"I don't have any thought of hurting you, I'm just thristy." The man said. Serene glanced at her waterskin and looked back at the man. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"Yeah, that's what you want now, but soon you'll be offering to help relieve tension or whatnot. This isn't my first time, demon." Serene snapped. The man eyed her waterskin, almost wanting to risk her slicing him open.

"How about this, you throw it to me so I won't work my demon magic on you, if I really am a fade demon that is." The man said. Serene glared for a moment, used her foot to kick the skin over to him. The man bowed gratefully to her and picked up the skin to drink from it greedily.

"So you come to me now when I think about lying with another man? Anders swore the veil was closed around me." Serene grumbled as she watched him. The man shrugged as he wiped the bit of water that escaped from his mouth.

"Perhaps I'm not a fade demon at all. Judging by that sword, I'm guessing you're not a mage. Don't they try to come after mages?" The man asked. Serene shook her head.

"They come after those that are weak minded or on the verge of giving up everything." Serene said sadly. The man took a step closer to her and found her blade pointing closer to him.

"You don't look like someone who is weak or giving up." The man said as he tossed her skin to her. Serene watched it fall next to her and turned her attention to the man.

"Well, if you're not a desire demon, what's your purpose here in Weisshaupt?" Serene demanded.

"Is that were I am? Maker's Breath that's a bit further than I thought I was. At least I still have my pants on." The man said with a slight chuckle. Serene growled slight as she took a step towards him.

"Not really helping yourself here." Serene snapped.

"What is your name, if I might ask? You speak with a Fereldan accent it seems." The man said.

"Serene. I'm the Warden Commander of Fereldan." Serene answered. The man frowned and took a few steps back.

"A new one already? I would have thought Duncan was still holding on, a constant reminder to Loghain of an Orlesian threat." The man said.

"What do you know of Duncan?" Serene snapped as she took a few steps closer to him, leaving a good foot between him and the tip of her sword.

"He was a good friend of mine. I traveled for a time with him." The man said. Serene looked at the man, taking in his appearance now that she was closer. It was the same face, same hair, same build, but his eyes reminded her of Cailan.

"You're not a fade demon?" Serene asked. The man shook his head.

"I think that would be a rather cruel joke to the both of us. I'm sure you don't want an old man like me, and I'm sure your husband would run me through if he were to find out I was trying to take advantage of you." The man said. Serene's temper flared for a moment and the suddenly another thought crossed her mind.

"You're not Alistair and you're definately not Cailan." Serene said. The man gave her an odd look before he noticed she had dropped her sword and the color in her face had left. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and Serene fainted. The man reached out and caught the pregnant Serene and looked helplessly around for help.

"Why would anyone let a woman wander around in this condition alone?" The man mumbled under his breath.

"Serene? Where are you? It's almost time for dinner. You've even got Matthew worried." A woman's voice called.

"Help!" The man called. He could hear the sound of running feet and suddenly a young woman came running into the clearing.

"Oh, Serene, what in the maker's name..." The woman stopped as she looked at the man who was trying hard to keep his balance with a pregnant Serene in his arms. The man squinted at the woman and thought he recognized her. Though it had been almost fifteen years since he last saw her, he was pretty sure who she was.

"Brieanna Cousland?" The man asked. Brieanna nodded and tried to speak, but the shock of the sudden appearance of the man in front of her had made her voice leave.

"Fate really is a tricky whore." Brieanna said as she managed to find her voice.

"Um, okay. So do you have some place we can take her?" The man asked. Brieanna shook the shock off her face and nodded her head. She turned around and led him back to the keep, all while thinking that things were just now getting interesting.


I'm sure you can figure out who the mystery man is, but I will reveal him in the next chapter. Please don't be shy, leave a review!