Previously... Hawke gets upset as Cullen picks up Cat in his arms to cart her off towards home, due to Issy's intervention.

"Problem, Hawke?" Varric asked slyly.

"It seems there is only an issue of me carrying her, I suppose," Hawke continued, his eyes narrowed and glittering dangerously. Before anyone could comment, Hawke strode off, leaving the others staring after him.

"Thank you for this, though I still don't think it necessary," Cat said, resigning herself to being carried.

"It is my pleasure," Cullen answered. "And it is the least I can do after what I did."

"Oh?" Isabela asked. "What did you do?" She smirked as they both ignored her.

"So you fought the blood mage as well?" Cullen asked.

"Unfortunately I was the damsel in distress this time, needing to be rescued."

"Ah, so Hawke the hero saves the day again," he commented.

"Jealous?" Isabela asked, only to be ignored again.

"You know, you and Hawke are actually a lot alike," Cat said, and Cullen scoffed.

"Perhaps if I had no discipline, or only cared for money," he said.

"Do me a favor, Knight Captain, and put her down," Hawke snarked as he caught up to them, causing Cullen to turn, almost hitting Isabela with Cat's legs.

"She is hardly fit to walk," Cullen responded, to which Hawke growled.

"And who's fault is that?" he asked snidely.

"Hawke!" Cat gasped out, though unable to do much in her current position. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting my crew," he answered, still glaring at Cullen. "This is the second time in as many weeks that you were injured because of him!"

"What?" Cat and Cullen asked simultaneously. Isabela stood back, enjoying the show with a smirk, while Fenris, Anders, Merrill and Varric stood watching from the house.

"None of this would have happened if the templars had done their job!" Hawke ranted to Cullen accusingly. "Your own man came to me about this blood mage because his superiors ignored it. And now what? He's dead, so is Olivia, and Cat, Hafter and I almost died as well!"

"I apologize for your troubles," Cullen replied tightly, and Cat could feel his hand flexing into a fist at her back. "Templars do their best, but we cannot always know where the malificar are hiding. This is a tragedy, but the templars are hardly to blame…"

"Oh?" Hawke asked. "And what about seeing malificar where they aren't? Your accusations led Cat into a fight where she barely survived!"

Cullen looked from Hawke to Cat, noticing that she hadn't tried to reprimand his words now, and saw that she was staring at her hands. He didn't quite understand how he had put her in danger, but obviously there was some truth to the words.

"Cullen, put me down," Cat muttered, and surprised, he did so. He held his hands up behind her, worried that she would fall.

"How dare you put this on Cullen?" she seethed to Hawke, but he didn't retreat at all in the face of her anger. "You didn't even take the time to see Emeric yourself, you were so convinced he had nothing!"

"That's not the point," he said in exasperation.

"It doesn't matter!" she yelled, wobbling closer to him. "Cullen is my friend! I won't let anyone speak badly of my friends, even to each other!"

Anders and Fenris glanced at each other in understanding of that statement.

"Your friend?" Hawke asked mockingly. "Since when? I thought he decided you were a mage lover, and couldn't be worth his time any longer!" Hawke smirked as Cullen looked pained, his head hanging down.

"Wha-" Cat spluttered, aghast at Hawke's rudeness.

"Friends accept each other as they are," he countered. "Friends don't abandon you when they hear things from others. " Hawke stepped closer and pulled her away from Cullen, and she crashed into him. Looking up, she glared at him.

"Oh?" Cullen shot back. "And you've never done the same? I seem to recall Cat visiting quite often last year because she was avoiding you…"

"I don't want you hurt anymore," Hawke said quietly to her, and she was speechless.

Picking her up easily, he turned back to the house. "You still need healing," he groused, ignoring the templar.

Cat, realizing what was happening, tried wriggling to free herself, only to feel as he tightened his hold on her. Knowing when she was beat, she looked back and called out. "Cullen, it appears I need more healing. I will have to see you another time!"

Cullen looked around at the group, also knowing when he was beat. He glanced over as Isabela stepped up beside him. "Sorry about that," she said, though he got the distinct impression she wasn't sorry at all. "Hawke is pretty protective of those he cares about."

"Not unlike Cat," Cullen responded, watching as Cat continued to argue with Hawke, but did little to move from his arms. He sighed, then looked back to Isabela. "I shall take my leave then. Please tell Cat I look forward to having my friend visit again."

Isabela nodded, understanding the meaning he was trying to convey. She smirked as she looked back at her friends, seeing the smiles the others were trying to hide. That went better than expected… she thought.

"Look I appreciate you looking out for me, but can you put me down now? I don't like being carried," Cat said in aggravation.

"We all do things we don't like," Hawke replied stubbornly. "Get used to it."

"Ugh, you are so… so… frustrating!"

"I'm frustrating?!" He stopped walking to look down at her. "Well you should know, since you're the most frustrating person alive!"

Cat fumed. How could this man get her so angry in so little time?! She took several deep breaths, trying to stay calm.

"You obviously aren't finished being rude this evening," she muttered.

"Oh believe me, I could have been much worse," he replied as he started up the stairs. "And the Knight Captain would have deserved every bit."

"He didn't deserve any of that!" Cat argued, crossing her arms and glaring. "You can hardly hold him to a different standard than yourself!"

"Fine," he said. "He hurts you again, and I'll kill him." He stopped at the landing, and caught her eye roll. He raised his eyebrow, daring her. She gave him another look, and he smirked, as he enjoyed their silent banter.

"I may not know everything yet, but I've caught on to plenty of what you say without words," he said, even as he grinned at her.

"Put me down," she replied.

"Not yet," he answered, and headed for the bedroom. "Since we're already arguing, this won't count as starting a fight, when I yell at you for not getting away from me earlier."

Taking her inside and using his foot to close the door behind him, he stopped and looked at her. She could sense the change in mood, and looked at him in question.

"I… " he began, but had to pause, before he started again.

"I almost killed you."

Cat forgot all her earlier frustration, the pain in his voice melting it away as her heart twisted. "Hey, I'm here. I'm fine."

He set her down to sit, and began pacing. "Obviously I'm overreacting…" he said sarcastically. "You don't even have the energy to walk on your own, while I feel as though I was slightly winded."

"It was a gamble, that's all," she replied. "Yes, I might have died, but it wasn't like we had a lot of choices. Besides," she said as she struggled to stand, "I can walk just fine."

He stepped up, just as her leg buckled, and she ended up with her face planted in his chest again. "Oh, I see…" he said, as he helped lift her straight. "Just fine."

"Please don't be sorry," she said, the corners of her lips upturning. "I'm not."

"It's not just that," Hawke said lowly, looking ashamed.

"What… is it?" she asked tentatively.

"Finishing him off, knowing we were safe, it was an incredible feeling," he started. "Even thinking that Hafter was dead, even knowing Olivia was gone…" He raised his head to look in her eyes, his hand moving to touch her face. "All I could think was… Thank the Maker it wasn't you."

She wasn't shocked… how could she be? She had felt the same way after all. Who am I in this story anyway? Hawke is essential! She looked over at her own hand, seeing her fingers playing across his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles.

She lifted her hand to his face, cupping his cheek. He closed his eyes and let out the breath he was holding. She watched, fascinated as all the tension seemed to leave him.

"Uh…" she started. "You, uh, said something about healing?" she asked with a smile.

He smiled back, and lowered her back to sitting, letting her arms slide through his hands until he had her wrists, and she hissed.

"That's what I thought," he murmured. Kneeling in front of her, he took her right arm in both of his hands, and began casting.

Cat's eyes widened, at the warmth from his magic, like a heated blanket moving over her wrists. True Anders had healed them enough to no longer be bleeding, but they were still raw from the ropes, and were painful to the touch.

She looked at him in awe as he moved to the other wrist, holding up her right arm and studying it. As if there never were ropes tied around me, she thought. Amazing!

After everything that had happened that night, Hawke wondered how Cat could still look at him like that, as if he were something precious, instead of something to fear and hate. Was it any wonder that she had others so wrapped up in her… if this is how she makes them feel? he asked himself. "Did Anders heal that slice I gave you?" he asked.

His hand on her thigh had her looking down again, and stiffening as she realized that she was on a bed. How did I not notice? she thought, dismayed.

"Cat?"

She looked up again, and smiled, though it looked more like a grimace. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

"The cut, on your leg?" he asked. "Is it taken care of?"

"I... have absolutely no idea…"she said, and lifted the fabric out of the way to check.

Hawke was a little surprised at her brazenness, especially considering the last time he caught sight of her legs. His thoughts quickly turned as he saw the large cut, congealed blood keeping it closed, but not healed at all.

The glow was the only warning she had, as his hand moved to her skin, and she gave a small involuntary gasp at the contact.

Hawke glanced up at the sound, seeing her eyes fluttering. Maker's breath, he groaned to himself. How does Anders do this every day?!

He stopped once he was satisfied with the healing, catching Cat as she pitched forward slightly. "Cat?" he asked. "You okay?"

The sleepy smile stretched across her face was the only answer he received, but he felt he understood well enough.

"Come on, I'll get you home," he said, standing up.

"Nuh-uh," Cat replied, and he smiled at her almost drunken behavior as he started lifting her up. "Sleep here now."

His smile was gone, and so was she, as he let go in shock, and Cat fell back to the bed, sprawled on her back. He looked at her in confusion, as she… slept. Laughing at himself, for thinking she meant something else, he looked down with a smile. Leaning forward, he put his hands down on either side of her, and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep well," he said softly, covering her with the blankets, extinguishing the lamps, and leaving the room.

Hawke was surprised to see everyone still there, but he just shrugged it off. "She's sleeping," he announced as he walked down the stairs.

"Is she all right?" Anders asked. "I know she needed some more healing."

"I took care of it," Hawke replied. "That's what took so long."

"Oh," Isabela pouted. "Not what I was expecting when you carried her up to your room."

"No?" he asked with a smirk. "Sorry to disappoint, but we're friends, remember?" He was a little surprised to see them all looking slightly disappointed.

"Well, I guess we can head home then?" Varric asked. "If everything is all right?"

"Yeah," Hawke replied with a smile. "Thank you… all of you, for coming after me."

"The least we could do," Isabela replied. "Next time, think first and just take us with you."

"I will."

"Do you want me to take Cat home?" Fenris asked.

"If you'd like," Hawke replied. "I'm fine with letting her sleep. We have extra rooms, if you'd like to stay close."

"I think I would… thank you."

"Anytime."

He waved Isabela, Varric and Merrill off as they were leaving and told Fenris to take the bedroom he had used before. Then, turning to Anders, he asked him into the study and had him sit before the fire.

He took a seat next to him, uncertain of what to say. True, they still had Cat, but Anders had lost his partner, and friend.

"If you'd prefer not to go back to the clinic yet… you are welcome to stay here," he offered quietly. "And anything you need, please let me know how I can help."

"It's… still a little unreal," Anders replied, staring into the fire. "Like she is just off on a mission. Not… gone."

"I'm so sorry," Hawke said, putting his arm around his friend.

"It helps a little," Anders continued, as if Hawke hadn't spoken, "knowing I couldn't have prevented it, though my mind keeps trying to think of ways. If I had done something different…" He looked despondent, and Hawke wished he knew what to do. "You would think I would be used to it, wouldn't you? Losing everyone, I mean."

"You never get used to it," Hawke replied. "No matter if it is sudden, or if you know it is coming."

Anders looked up then, questioning.

"My sister, Bethany, was killed by darkspawn as we were running from our home," Hawke said, getting lost in his own memories. "And my father died after a lingering illness."

"It seems we are destined for sorrow," Anders commented.

"Perhaps," Hawke replied. "But as my mother told me… if you remember them, then they are never truly gone."

"That… helps. Thank you Hawke."

"No problem," he replied, pulling Anders closer as he started to shake.

Cat woke, feeling uncertain of what had been her dream, and what had actually happened. Stirring, she realized there was another person cuddled next to her, and she rolled over, assuming it was Isabela.

Seeing Anders under her, had her sitting up rapidly, grateful that he was wearing clothes, though she noted as he stirred, they were both wearing clothes from the previous night.

"Cat?" he asked sleepily, and she smiled down at him.

"Good morning," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Sorry to join you, I just couldn't get to sleep alone…"

"Hey, it's all right. I thought you were Isabela, otherwise I would have let you sleep."

He sat up then, pushing her off of him in a teasing manner. He looked around then focused back on her. "Cat?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you… tell me about Olivia? From the story I mean?" he asked.

"Huh? Why?" she asked, feeling uncertain.

"I can't help but wonder," he said quietly. "You said you changed things for her, and I wondered how she was before? Did we make the right choice, dragging her into our circle? Did she die because of us?" He looked at her imploringly, and she put her hand on her heart as she felt his pain.

"She wasn't in the story long," she said in hushed tones. "A woman in the alienage asked Hawke for help in finding her son, who discovered he had magic. After finding those that had seen him, Hawke found some slavers in Darktown that pointed him toward a ships' captain in the docks that was transporting slaves."

"You mean, she was caught by slavers?" he asked, surprised.

She nodded. "When Hawke's group got there, Feynriel was gone, and there were slavers fighting an abomination."

He looked up sharply at her then.

"After fighting them all, Hawke found a note written to Thrask from his daughter Olivia. That was all they found of her."

"Then, this whole time we've known her…" he said with a small smile, "was extra time?"

"I guess so," Cat replied. "From what I knew any way. I can't be certain, as we all can change our futures, right?"

"True…" he replied. He looked at her, grabbing her hand. "Thank you Cat. I'm glad I had the chance to know her."

"Me too," Cat answered, giving him a hug, until they both heard his stomach rumble and started laughing. "Guess we'd better go see what there is to eat around here."

"I think cleaning up a bit would be better," he said, taking in her dirty, blood-stained dress. "Though I doubt Leandra will want that dress back."

Cat looked down and grimaced before looking back to him. "Not that yours are any better," she said with a smirk. "But I'll have to go home to change."

"Not a worry, we'll just borrow Hawke's."

"Hawke keeps extra clothes in his guest rooms?" she asked with a laugh.

He looked at her shrewdly. "This is Hawke's bedroom, Cat, and yes, he keeps plenty of clothes that he never actually wears. Besides, we'll return them."

"Okay, but if we get into trouble, I'm blaming you."

They spent a while looking through the armoire and closet, offering things to the other to try. Eventually, Anders handed Cat a black tunic, and when she took it, was amazed at how soft it was. She asked for pants as well, and Anders threw some leather pants to her.

"Turn around," she told him, and he complied.

"So Cat," he said. "What's going on with you and Hawke anyway?"

"Huh?" Cat said, tripping over the pant leg and falling onto the bed. "Nothing! Why do you ask?" she asked.

"Nothing?" he asked. "It's pretty obvious to all of us, that it isn't nothing."

"But, it is!" she insisted. "I mean sure, there have been a few almost moments, but that was before, and we're friends now."

"Mm-hmm," he said in total disbelief. "Look, I only ask, because it seems different than your other friends. Yes, you two are friends… but are you sure that that is all there is?"

She finished changing, and rummaging through the drawer, grabbed a tunic for Anders, throwing it at his back. "You want pants too?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Cat, seriously," he said with a frown. "Just tell me the truth, and I'll let it go."

"The truth?" she asked. "We're friends, and that's it."

He looked at her shrewdly. "Because that's the way it is? Or because that's how you want it to be?" he asked. She was quiet for a long time, before she finally answered.

"I can't do it again Anders…" she replied quietly, as she walked past him, keeping her back to him to give him privacy. "No matter how much I may want to."