Ahh, me hearties! It has been a while since I've had the chance to work on this story. In a fit of insane DA2 passion I have been toiling away on another story, Let It All Burn, that you should definitely check out if you're an Anders/Hawke fan.

I must warn you all that this chapter will contain my first attempt at real smut. As you know, I generally kind of just fluff my way through those moments in my other stories, but after receiving some advice and a kick in the arse from the wonderful Erynnar I have decided to try my hand at something a bit more...racy. (THIS is your fault, evil N. Go mbeire an diabhal leis thu! No really, I still love you...UTAH!)I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you have a weak heart or you're easily embarrassed, then this would be a good time to avert your eyes. Those of you that don't, I hope that you enjoy some 'nekkid Teagan' because you're about to get an eyefull.

An extra thank you must be giving to Miss N and her POV coaching and also to Jinx for dealing with me the whole time I whined about getting this out of the way. Many thanks to you both for being EXCEPTIONAL!

As always, this pretty much all belongs to Bioware...and they generously let me poke it with sticks until I get the reaction I want!

The night had gone as smoothly as expected when a town was being attacked by the walking dead and they had put an end to the threat with few losses. Finally the endless stream of monstrous creatures had trickled to a stop well before dawn. As the crowd of ill-equipped men dispersed, she instructed those in her party to go to the inn for the rest of the night. They wouldn't be able to get into Redcliffe Castle until morning and there was no point in not resting up before then.

As Evelyn entered the small room a wave of weariness hit her. She sighed heavily as she pulled off her boots thinking about what a fool she had been standing there crying in Teagan's arms. Embarrassed and angry at herself for being so weak, she kicked the boots into the corner and stripped off her outer layer of armor throwing the leathers in the direction of the boots. Dressed in only the thin cotton tunic and pants she wore under her armor she fell over onto the bed. She hated to admit it, but it had felt good to finally grieve for her lost family. It felt like a massive weight off of her shoulders as the loss and guilt loosened it's death grip on her soul and her eyes slid closed.

She growled in irritation as a soft knock sounded on her door. Rolling off the bed, she trudged over to it and wrenched the portal open with a glare, only to find Teagan on the other side. His eyes took in her expression and he took a step back bowing as he went.

"I'm so sorry M'lady," he stuttered out casting his eyes to the floor, "please forgive my intrusion. I will just talk to you some other..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Teagan," she interrupted, "please, come in." She felt oddly giddy that it was him and not one of her traveling companions. He edged past her and entered the room looking around with a nervous pull at his collar as he did so. She watched him with a raised eyebrow as he fidgeted with his hands, still standing in the middle of the room. She had seen this behavior before in Alistair and it slowly dawned on her why he might have shown up at her door in the wee small hours of the morning. That thought alone made her feel strangely empowered.

"So," she said, her voice dropping to a sultry tone as she guided him to a chair nearby, "what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

She could practically feel his sapphire eyes burning across her back as she moved toward the bed, fluidly bringing herself to rest on its edge. Crossing her hands across her lap her intense emerald gaze flicked to his face and she almost giggled as she saw the fine skin of his cheeks slightly pink.

Evie watched him take a deep breath, clearing his throat as the rich voice that she loved rumbled out of him. "I didn't get a chance to properly...thank you...for aiding us last night, " he said rubbing his hands together as his eyes met hers. "And I just wanted to make sure that you're alright, Evie." His hand shot to his collar again giving it another tug like the skin it covered had become uncomfortably warm.

A small smirk crept across her lips and she turned up the charm. "That's funny," she said arching a raven eyebrow, "I was just about to ask you the same thing. You seem a bit...tense. One would think that you are about to confess to a terrible secret..."

A deep laugh rumbled out of his chest as he stood from the chair and crossed to her. His eyes remained locked on hers as he slowly sank to his knees in front of her taking her delicate hands into his. The tone of his voice was now spiked with the confidence it usually held, and that gave her a slight thrill.

"You read me a little too well, Evelyn Cousland," he chuckled lightly, "I fear none of my secrets are safe around you." Never breaking eye contact he brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently and letting his warm breath mingle with her fingers.

Instead of the slow burn the same gesture had brought the year before, fire seared through her blood. Her eyes darkened and she stood quickly, dragging him up with their still connected hands. His face registered no small amount of surprise as she shifted him around until the backs of his knees hit the mattress and forcefully pushed him onto the bed. She stood there between his knees staring down at him, emerald eyes glittering like a fire was set behind them. Reaching up, she snatched the band holding her hair allowing it to tumble like a raven waterfall across her shoulders and down her back.

"Maker..." he breathed, eyes wide with shock, "Evie, are you...I mean...is this what you really want?"

"If it isn't what you want you can stop me whenever you like," she answered with a seductive smile running her nails up his thighs.

She smiled as he closed his eyes and shuddered at the sensation she was causing in him, and before she could react he was standing before her again, one hand at the small of her back pulling her tightly to him and the other tangling in her hair as he crushed her lips with his own. She practically melted into his body as their tongues danced together in the heat of the moment. Groaning he pulled away from her lips, eyes boring into hers full of liquid fire.

"I never imagined..." Evie heard his breath catch as her deft hands slid under his shirt causing him to shiver as they skimmed from his muscled torso up, dragging the offending piece of clothing up over his head and tossing it aside. Her eyes wandered slowly across the planes of his perfect chest, hands snaking up his sides and around to his back. He stood absolutely still while her fingertips wandered his bare flesh birthing goose bumps in their wake.

She slowly licked her lips as her wicked fingers slid just below the edge of his pants tracing tortuously around his hips until they met at his belt buckle. A quick flick and a tug later and the belt joined the shirt at their feet. She looked up at him, another smirk forming on her perfect mouth as she lowered it to his chest giving his flat nipple a quick graze with her teeth. A feral growl erupted from his throat, he had had enough. She gasped as his hand wrapped in her hair and firmly tugged causing her to look up at him again. The fire she saw in his eyes made her knees feel like jelly and her hands dropped uselessly to her sides

His free hand burned a path up her body stopping at the V of her thin button down tunic. With a smirk of his own his finger looped in the fabric and each button's thread gave with a slight pop all the way down her front. She gave a low moan as he released her hair and both hands dipped beneath the now open fabric searing her skin across her collarbone and shoulders slipping the now useless garment from them. His eyes never left hers as his hands deftly popped the tie holding her breast band in place and it slipped to the floor between him.

Her eyes widened. "You seem to have some experience with that," she said with a short gasp and the quirk of her eyebrow. Another deep chuckle emerged from him as he took in the sight of her bare skin his warm hands skimming down her back and coming to rest at her hips. He moved closer pressing their bodies together reveling at the feel of her naked flesh against his. His face dipped to the graceful line of her neck, his tongue laving the delicate skin before giving her a nip at the jaw. His lips found hers for the briefest second as she felt his brush below the fabric of her leggings, looping through her underclothes and slowly forcing them lower.

She let out a small cry as he kissed a hot trail down her front stopping at each breast to worry their pink peaks with his teeth and continuing down her flat stomach as he slid the remainder of her clothing from her. He paused at her hips giving each side a quick kiss before standing again and picking her up only to lay her gently onto the bed. Sweat popped up in beads across her skin as she watched him kick off his shoes and release himself from the rest of his clothing. His defined muscles rippled as he slid onto the bed placing his body above her arms braced on either side of her shoulders. Heat rolled off of him in stifling waves as she felt the press of his need against her and she whimpered sure that if he did not take her now that she would burst into flames.

The war raging in his eyes was not lost on her as they teetered on the precipice of becoming one.

"Tell me that you've thought about this moment just as I have," he begged her, feeling her sweat slicked body squirming beneath him. She moaned in response pressing her head back into the pillow.

"Look at me and tell me!" he demanded through gritted teeth as he moved against her, causing her to arch up off the bed and rake her nails down his sides.

"YES, please Teagan!" she gasped out, eyes snapping open to stare into his.

With one fluid motion they became one and he cried out hoarsely. Her heart raced as their bodies rocked together in a rhythm that came as easily as breathing. He was perfect and she was a lost cause as they charged up the summit of passion.

She clutched his hips in desperation, digging her nails into his fine flesh as he drove her to a fever pitch. She screamed his name as the waves of pleasure rocketed through her, driving her to a place where the ghosts of her past could never hope to reach her.

At the sound of her hoarse yell she felt him tense as his body gave in to hers with a shudder. She watched as a look of peace and completion washed over his handsome face yet he remained braced over her, his body trembling in the wake of their exertions. Her hand pulled his face down to hers and she kissed him then pushed him gently with the heel of her hand against his chest. He rolled, collapsing beside her sighing heavily. His fingertips reached out and grazed the curve of her cheek as she turned on her side to face him.

"I feel like I've been holding that in for a lifetime," he said quietly as he searched her eyes, "I just did not believe that you would ever feel the same."

She smiled and snuggled closer to him. "And now you know that I do." she said grasping his hand and entwining their fingers. "What will you do with that information now that you have it?" she questioned.

His brow furrowed as he appeared to be thinking of how to answer her. "I would like nothing more than to see where this path takes us, Evelyn," he finally answered, "But I am no fool. I know that you have a task before you that pales in comparison to anything that I can imagine."

She saw fear tinge his gaze and that alone brought back the horror of reality more than anything he could have said. She had to raise an army, to slay an archdemon and defeat a blight and in comparison her feelings for a sole person did not count for much. Despite that, she could not handle the idea of losing him either. She realized that she did not want to be without him.

"I can promise you this, Teagan Guerrin," she said giving his hand a firm squeeze, "If there is life still left in me when this is all over I will happily return to your side, if you will have me there."

He gathered her up in his arms resting his chin on her hair. "I think that I would very much like that, M'lady." he breathed, smiling as he looked out of the window beyond.