This update is dedicated to Bonkzy, because of her long term support and all the help she has given me! Thank You! *hugs*

Anyway, we finally reach a point where James and Anders start getting somewhere!

I jumbled up some of the missions/cutscenes at the end of this chapter because I need them in that order to progress with my plotline. So don't hate me for doing it... It had to be done ;P

Enjoy! Reviews welcome!

'How could I be so stupid!' Anders grumbled as he stormed into the clinic. Luckily it was empty so he could rant as loudly as he wanted. He stalked into the backroom and splashed some water out of a basin onto his face. He sighed as the water ran down his neck and into his shirt. The soothing touch of the liquid doused his initial rage leaving him feeling momentarily hollow, but soon he filled up with sorrow.

He turned back to the clinic and shuffled over to his desk where he slumped into a rather rickety chair. At first he tried looking through some of the papers that lay strewn across the stained wooden surface, trying to take his mind off James but soon he found himself resting his head on his arms with his eyes closed. Slowly he drifted into a fitful slumber.

Mists swirled around him, making it hard to see. He stumbled around, blindly searching for something, anything. He soon stopped and squinted when he saw a figure approaching. Whoever it was, they stopped just before walking into his line of sight.

Anders... Anders, you must stop this... infatuation. It is serving only to distract you... The person said softly.

'Who- Why do you say that?' Anders said loudly, taking an immediate disliking to this person.

You have a task to complete; you cannot afford to be distracted. The voice said, slightly louder than before.

'Who are you? And how can you presume to tell me how I should feel!' Anders yelled at the shadowy figure, anger flaring anew.

You MUST end it! The person roared, its voice fuelled by some kind of power that Anders could not quite place. Then it hit him. This was Justice!

'Justice!' Is that really you? But how- I thought you were gone?' Anders cried out, shocked by the sudden appearance of his old friend. He walked closer to get a better look at the person but just as he reached him, Justice melted away into the mist leaving Anders all alone.

A faint whisper passed by him as if carried by the wind. It will only end in heartbreak... You know this...

'NO!' Anders cried out. 'No, it won't...' he whispered, feeling the tears well up in his eyes as he sank to his knees, '...because it's never going to happen.'

The healer woke with a start, almost falling out of his chair. He looked up to see that the clinic was dark. He stretched and rubbed at his eyes and was surprised to find that they were wet, almost like he had cried for real. He sighed and stood, casting his hand out towards the lanterns in the room, igniting the wicks with a thought. Instantly the room was bathed in a dull yellowish glow.

He gazed around the room, taking in the scruffy appearance of it. A sudden burst of pain shot through him as his thoughts jumped to James. He smiled sadly to himself. 'What would he ever see in someone like me?' He whispered and walked over to a heap of junk, hoping to clear a few things up when he suddenly had a thought.

He changed direction in midstride and headed for the door instead, mentally cursing as he swept his hand over the lanterns again, putting them all out. He closed the door behind him and walked down the small flight of stairs in front of the clinic.

Lowtown was rather empty Anders thought as he walked through the streets, yet it wasn't quiet. Far of in the distance he could hear a steady throbbing. It grew louder as he approached his destination, The Hanged Man. The throbbing grew clearer as he walked up to the door and soon he thought he could make out words in between the thumps. He reached forwards and opened the door and instantly he was hit by a wall of noise. The pub was packed. Large groups of people were standing about, drinking, dancing and laughing. Anders frowned as he stepped inside. He had hoped that today would be a slow day so that he could just sit quietly and have a talk with Varric, but obviously that wasn't meant to be. After a few moments he realised that the throbbing was part of some kind of music and that someone was singing. He pushed forwards through the throng of dancing people until he reached the bar. He ordered a large pint, not really knowing why since he knew that he couldn't get drunk anymore and moved towards the stairs in the back that led to the dwarf's private rooms. Surely Varric wasn't part of the dancing, he thought as he reached the steps.

'Blondie! Glad you could make it!' a voice called from above him. Anders looked up to see Varric standing at the top of the stairs, but soon his eyes moved to the person who was with him.

Anders nearly dropped his pint, causing some of the ale to spill onto the floor. The man next to Varric smirked, raising an eyebrow. Anders looked away quickly, feeling the blood race to his face.

'You must be Anders, right?' the man asked and walked down the steps, his voice oddly familiar. His bright green eyes glinted with amusement as he approached. Anders was at a loss for words. He mumbled some sort of reply but it was lost in the loud music. The man smiled and placed his hand on Anders's arm, which sent a jolt of pleasure through the mage's body. This was quickly replaced by a strong feeling of guilt as he suddenly thought of James. Slowly he twisted his body away from the touch and smiled gingerly.

The green eyed man saw this and frowned slightly for a moment before smiling again. 'Why don't we find a seat?' he asked and motioned to the tables in the far back, most of them being empty because of everyone dancing to the strange music. Anders looked towards Varric, unsure of what to do. The dwarf smiled and made a shoeing motion with his hands. Anders bit his lip, but finally agreed. He could tell that the man had been drinking for a while already because he was in a very happy mood, but he didn't really care. Secretly he envied the man.

They sat down at the table that stood against the farthest wall. At first Anders felt very uncomfortable talking to this attractive stranger, but soon he felt himself relax and start to enjoy the man's company. They talked and drank and occasionally laughed, up until one of the guards, who was enjoying his night off, walked up and started flirting with the beautiful stranger.

Anders felt jealousy flare in him like he had never felt before. He glared at the guard when he put his hand on his new friends shoulder. He wasn't liking this at all...

'Dance with me?' the guard said suddenly, grasping 'green eyes' arm and pulling him up. He led him away from the table, much to Anders's dismay, and disappeared into the crowd. Anders slumped back into his chair and closed his eyes.

'Sleepy already?' a voice said right into his ear, making him gasp and pull back.

He turned to look straight into those stunning green eyes. 'You- I thought you were off with that guard?' he asked in confusion.

The man smiled and took Anders by the hand, pulling him up. 'I told him to piss off, because he's a terrible dancer.'

Anders felt his face warm again. What was it with this guy? He barely knew him, yet he felt this deep connection to this green eyed stranger. 'Well, I suppose you'll have to tell me to piss of as well, since I'm a terrible dancer as well.'

The man laughed. 'That may be so, but I think I kind of like you, so that's forgivable.'

The two stared at each other for a while, not saying anything, until 'green eyes suddenly looked over at the crowd and smiled widely. 'Come on, this is my favourite song!' he called loudly over the steady drone of the music and pulled Anders along with him. Anders tried to resist but the grip on his arm was quite strong.

Finally they stopped in the middle of the mass of people. Slowly the man started to move to the beat and soon he was lost in the tide. Anders shuffled around nervously, trying to mimic the moves but he failed miserably. He focused on the words of the song instead, trying to move naturally and not to think of his appearance. Soon he felt himself swaying to the rhythm as if he had been dancing all his life. He smiled and moved around more energetically as the song built towards its climax

...Shaking through my skull, through my spine and down through my ribs...

...No more dreaming of the day as if death itself was undone...

...No more crowing like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden...

Anders gasped as he recognized the song. It was the one James had played for him. Guilt flared, causing him to turn away from the stranger in shame. Even though there was nothing between him and James he still felt as if he was betraying his friend.

He pushed through the crowd, heading for the door. He could hear the man calling out to him over the music but he chose to ignore him. He burst out of the sweltering pub and stumbled down the street. Soon he found himself running.

It was quite early when he awoke the next morning. Slowly he got out of bed and walked into his tiny bathroom. He looked into the small mirror and noticed that the bags under his eyes were significantly smaller than usual. He guessed that this was because of the good night's sleep he had had for once. He recalled the strange, yet satisfying dream he'd had and felt a stirring in his pants. He blushed at his reaction, mentally scolding himself for acting like a teenage boy.

He quickly washed and dried his hair before washing the rest of his body in the small tub that stood in the corner. Afterwards he rinsed his clothes and dried them using magic before getting dressed.

He walked out into the front of the clinic when he suddenly stopped. There in the doorway sat a cat. Joy burst through him as he examined the feline. Long had he wanted a new cat but he just hasn't seen any in Darktown.

Slowly he approached the small creature, but it darted off the moment he got to close. Anders straightened with a sigh. He turned and headed back into the backroom, emerging a few moments later with a small plate full of milk. He bent down to place it near the door but nearly dropped it when a pair of boots suddenly appeared next to him.

'What are you doing?' a voice asked.

Anders looked up and then fell over onto his backside. Standing before him was the green eyed stranger. 'I-I...' he began but he couldn't find the right words.

'Anders, are you putting out milk?' the man asked, a grin on his face.

Anders blushed. 'I miss having a cat around.' He said softly, before rising.

'I had a cat once.' The man said as Anders dusted himself off. 'Beautiful creature, but naughty. She would always run around and wreck the whole apartment, leaving me to clean up her mess.'

Anders started to smile but suddenly he stopped. 'You had an apartmen-'

'Yes, I had an apartment. I thought we had this conversation years ago?' the green eyed man said with a frown.

'James? Is that you behind those eyes?' Anders asked, total shock and embarrassment playing across his face.

'Took you long enough!' James said loudly, playfully punching Anders on the shoulder.

'But how- Ah... You found the mirror, didn't you?'

'Jip. What do you think?' he asked, twirling dramatically.

Anders could only stare. Finding out that the man he had feelings for and the beautiful stranger he was so attracted to were the same person had completely blown his mind.

'Anders? Hello? You there?' James asked, waving his hand in front of the healers face. He was just about to start laughing when Anders grabbed him by the shoulders.

'I can't hold back forever...' he whispered.

The grin left James's face. 'Hold back from what?'

'...This.' the healer breathed and pulled James close. He leaned in and kissed the dark haired mage passionately. James pulled away, shock evident on his face, but suddenly he threw his arms around Anders's neck and kissed him back.

They stood there in this passionate embrace until they finally broke apart, both of them needing air. Anders smiled slightly. James smiled back, but not for long. A pained expression crossed his face and he slowly backed away from the healer.

'James, what-' Anders began but he was cut off.

'Anders, I-I'm sorry...' James whispered and ran.

Anders moved to follow him but it was too late. He hung his head and turned back to the clinic. He stalked in and slumped against the nearest wall. Something to his left drew his eye. It was James's staff, leaning against the wall. He must have put it there when he arrived and had forgotten it there in his rush to get away.

Anders closed his eyes and banged his head painfully against the wall. 'Why didn't I just listen?'

James ran through the streets of Darktown, not giving a shit when people pointed as he passed. He turned corner after corner, not really paying attention to where he was going until he came to a dead end. He turned, feeling frustrated for getting himself lost, when he saw the templar's.

They moved in to block the entire passage, leaving him no room to escape. From behind them a man and woman pushed forward. The woman was dressed as a Chantry sister, while the man wore some official looking templar armour.

'That's the same one who was spotted at the Hanged Man last night.' The woman said.

The man nodded. 'One of my guards reported that this man used some magical snare to seduce him at the pub last night. He also stated that strange magic was involved, creating the most evil of sounds that seemed to hypnotise all who heard it.'

'Clear sign of Blood Magic.' The woman said, venom dripping from her voice. 'Mass influence over people, inducing crude behaviour in respectable individuals... Disgusting.'

James was utterly confused. He had no idea what these people were talking about, nut he knew that he was in trouble. Instinctively he reached for his staff but found that it was missing. Panic spread like wild fire.

Let me out! Garrett commanded, It's the only way to get out of this!

James sighed, closing his eyes. 'Fine... Do it.' He whispered.

With pleasure! Garrett roared and then everything went black.

Garrett, now in control on James's body, charged forward, magic flaring in his palms. He reached out and with a cry shot a ball of flame at the blockade. He grinned wickedly as the ball exploded, expecting to see a few burning templars when the smoke cleared but instead they all looked perfectly fine, some of them were smiling even. Garrett cried out in frustration but just as he moved to attack again he felt his power draining. He stopped, confused.

The leader of the templars was holding his hand out towards him, a blue-ish glow surrounding him.

Garrett stumbled forward, his vision becoming blurry. He fell down, flat on his stomach as the last of his mana drained away. Slowly he closed his eyes.

'Well... That was easy.' The woman said and turned to leave 'You'll take care of him won't you, Alric?' she said as she strode away.

'Of course, Mother Patrice. Dealing with filth like this is what I live for.' The man called Alric replied, a dark glint in his eye.

So... A little Anders POV for you there and a surprising evil duo. What will happen next? Stay tuned ;D