Author's notes: The first time I posted this chapter, there seemed to be some kind of glitch with the review link. Some people tried to leave me a review and couldn't, some others could but I got the review a lot later. So I deleted the chapter and I'm trying to post it again, in hope that it will fix the glitch, because... well, I like reviews! Really, who doesn't? :)

So if you tried to leave a review before and you don't see it, it's because I didn't get it. Please, please review again! It's the last chapter and I so wanted to know what you guys thought!

The next morning, Kaylee opened her eyes.

Alistair was asleep beside her, on his knees beside the bed, his head cradled in his arms on the mattress. She smiled as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. He awoke with a start, and his eyes widened upon seeing her awake.

"Hum… Justice?" he asked hesitantly. She chuckled and shook her head.

"Oh, Kaylee, it's you," he breathed, and leaned in to kiss her. She stopped his movement by putting both her hands on his shoulders, frowning a little. He looked at her worriedly.

"Is something wrong? Are you feeling dizzy?"

"No, not at all. I feel… rested." Her surprise at the answer registered in her voice. "No weakness, no dizziness, no soreness. It's just…" She paused, looking confused, and Alistair watched in horror her face went suddenly white. "I'm going to…" she managed to say, before turning her head abruptly and throwing up all the content of her stomach over the opposite edge of the bed.

"Well that was… not what I expected," Alistair said, retrieving a towel from the cupboard next to the stone bath and wetting it in the washbasin before bringing it to her. "Are you sure you're not dizzy from the blood loss?"

She wiped her mouth and shot him an apologetic glance. "No, not at all. I don't know…" She suddenly stopped and her eyes widened as she seemed to recall something. A huge, ecstatic smile slowly stretched her lips. "Oh, that's right…" she mumbled happily.

"What?" Alistair asked suspiciously. "Is throwing up a good thing now? Because I don't see how…" He stopped, staring at her in shock as comprehension dawned on him.

"Really?" he whispered, and there was so much incredulous joy in that one word she felt herself tear up. She smiled at him through tears of happiness, nodding wordlessly.

"Oh, Maker…" he murmured in a hoarse voice, leaning again to kiss her. She stopped him by putting a hand over her own mouth and making a disgusted grimace. He settled for kissing her forehead, pressing his lips against her skin firmly, his eyes shut tight, and she felt his tears roll on her cheeks. His hand came resting upon her belly, almost protectively.

"Is it… is it okay? Did it get hurt when…?"

She shook her head.

"No. Justice told me it's fine. He's taking care of that too."

She did her best to ignore the doubt and fear that his face betrayed for less than a second, before he wrapped her up in his arms, laughing in her ear.

"You make me so happy," he whispered. "We're gonna be so happy."

It sounded like a promise. An oath.

Or a prayer.

The good news spread quickly, although quietly, and everyone of their friends stopped by the recovery room for a bit of the joyful but hushed celebration. There were still some things they didn't want the Wardens from Weisshaupt to know. Like the fact that the Commander of the Grey was untainted. And pregnant. And possessed. That was just too much to handle all at once for the poor Senior Warden Eckart, they assumed. With the welcoming committee that had awaited them upon their arrival at the keep, they deserved to take things slow for a while.

So after a few days of rest and quiet celebration, Kaylee and Alistair's departure was organized in secrecy. It was all hushed tones and smuggled supplies for a few days, until they finally departed at night, silently, discreetly. Anders left with them, to keep an eye on Kaylee's health during the trip as well as to draw the regenerating glyph again under her bed at the castle. That left Sigrun with the very delicate task to explain to the Wardens that the Commander had left the keep without meeting with them.

"To be a fly on the wall and witness this conversation," Anders sighed regretfully. "I told her to feign a sudden weakness due to her injury if things got out of hand."

Kaylee laughed out loud at that image. Sigrun was great at a lot of things, but acting certainly wasn't one of them.

Their arrival at the capital was as discreet as their departure, and they all quickly fell back into a familiar routine. Anders stayed only for a short while, returning to the keep after promising frequent visits to the happy future parents. Nathaniel, Leliana and Zevran settled back in their old rooms with no small amount of relief.

Kaylee's recovery was going better than anyone could have ever imagined. She felt no pain, no weakness or dizziness, none of the side effect that she could have expected under the circumstances. People kept complimenting her on how well she looked, and some of them actually commented thoughtfully that she seemed to glow. Rumours of her pregnancy started circulating long before the news could be officially announced. The day Alistair got to announce in front of all of the Landsmeet that they were expecting an heir was one of the proudest moments of his life. Fergus actually cried as he hugged his sister tightly, making her promise to come visit him with his nephew or niece as quickly and as often as possible.

Kaylee was revelling in her own happiness. Never since before the murder of her family had things been so utterly perfect. She had her friends close to her, she was married to the man of her dreams, and they had a long and happy life waiting for them, with the promise of a large family and without the dark shadow of the Calling hanging over their heads.

Life was good.

"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?" Nathaniel asked wryly, closing the door to her study behind him.

"Don't you dare call me that," she warned him playfully, throwing a ball of crumpled paper he evaded with ease.

"Well the summoning was so… formal, I figured the title had finally gone to your head," he teased.

"Well, this is official business, I'll grant you that." Her tone recovered some seriousness and he was immediately alerted.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not, nothing wrong. I'm… ah… I'm stepping down as Warden-Commander. This is the official paperwork that names you as my successor."

She handed him a stack of paper. He took it from her, realizing with surprise that his hands were slightly shaking.

"What? I mean, I thought… well, since Anders did such a fine job against the attack on the peak, I believed…"

Kaylee nodded. "Yes, he was quite impressive, but there's more to being Warden Commander than winning battles, even if it's… well… strongly advised that you be able to do so." She smiled. "It requires a lot more than that. Eloquence. Charisma. Knowledge of politics. Tact. A levelled head and a strong heart. I really believe you are the most suited candidate." She winked at him. "Probably even more so than me." She stood up and went around the desk, leaning back on it. "This is it, Nate. Your best chance. Nathaniel Howe, Commander of the Grey. With Delilah in charge of a part of Amaranthine, I'd say the Howe name is well underway to being as respected and honourable as it once was."

He was shocked beyond words. Kaylee's face creased in worry as she watched him struggle for words.

"Oh, Nate, don't cry," she breathed.

"I'm not… crying," he protested, but the words died on his lips when he suddenly realized that he really was. Without another word, he took a step towards her and hugged her fiercely.

"Thank you," he finally managed to whisper in a strangled voice, and she felt tears well up in her eyes as well. She bit back a sob, felt him tense in her arms.

"Are you… crying?" he asked, traces of laughter in his voice.

"No…" she drawled, hugging him closer to keep her face hidden. He chuckled. "It's these damn hormones…" she muttered, wiping her eyes discreetly. He patted her on the back before gently letting her go.

"Does that… does that mean I have to leave the castle?"

"Well, Alistair and I were thinking, you see. It's about time the Grey Wardens start maintaining a permanent presence in the capital. There will be a space in the castle's barracks especially reserved for Grey Wardens, with an adjacent training ground. So it would be only fitting that the Warden-Commander take up residence at the palace, wouldn't you say?"

He smiled. "Yes. Very fitting indeed."

"How did it go?" Alistair asked her when Kaylee joined him in their bedchambers.

"He was really happy," she answered, smiling. "I think he wasn't expecting it, which… baffles me to no end, honestly. I thought it was obvious I'd choose him."

"Well, maybe it wasn't that obvious to him," Alistair pointed out. He went to stand behind her, unlacing the back of her dress, and she sighed in relief when the pressure of the fabric loosened. "I'm not even showing yet and my clothes already don't fit me as they used to. I think I'm just getting fat," she complained. He laughed at her and made her turn so she faced him.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, gently brushing his nose against hers. She raised herself on tiptoes to kiss him tenderly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He grabbed her by the waist and whirled her around, making her gasp into the kiss and laugh helplessly against his shoulder.

"See? You're as light as air," he teased her, putting her back down. She shook her head, still laughing.

"It's just that you're so strong, Your Majesty," she said enticingly, pouting in a seductive manner. He caught her pouting lips with his in a tender kiss.

"Only because you are my strength," he whispered against her mouth and she sighed in delight, melting into him.

Zevran got into his room one night to find Leliana packing hurriedly. He froze mid-step, a hand still on the knob of the door. She interrupted her work to raise her head, looking at him guiltily.

"Are we going somewhere?" he asked hesitantly, closing the door behind him. She shook her head, her gaze lowered to her hands as they resumed stuffing clothes in her bag.

"No…" she said in a low voice. "I mean… yes. I mean…" She sighed, resting her hand on her closed stuffed bag. "I left you a note," she whispered, her voice breaking.

Fear coiled in Zevran's stomach like a snake, cold and heavy. He took a step towards her, but stopped when she raised her head to look at him and he was faced with the raging desperation in her eyes.

"You're leaving me?" he asked, his voice strangely devoid of emotion. She bit her lip, looking away.

"I love you," she said, her voice quavering. He let out a humourless chuckle.

"I do," Leliana said more firmly. "This is why I'm leaving. And you need to leave too, Zevran. There are things you need to be doing."

He raised his eyebrows at that, but kept silent.

"I thought I was helping you," she said her voice pleading. "I though I could do for you what the Chantry and our friends did for me. I thought I was helping you move on, to be at peace with yourself. But I'm clearly not. You're trying so hard to be where I am, but inner peace is not something that can be forced. You need more, Zevran, more than I can offer. You need to find self-respect. You need closure. I can't give it to you. You have to get it for yourself."

"So that's it, then?" he asked in a harsh voice. "You're giving up on me?"

"On the contrary," she answered, a desperate edge to her voice. "I'm giving you what you need. Freedom."

"I don't want it," he spat. "Do not put this on me, cara. You've had enough of the emotionally disturbed assassin and now you're running away. The things you said to me, it was all lies! I knew I did not deserve happiness, I've always known, and you shoved it in my face just to take it away again! Go if you want but stop lying to me!"

"I'm not lying. I never did, and you know that. You're just proving my point, Zev… You think so little of yourself. You think you're unworthy of love, of friendship. You think your life is worthless. And even if I said I love you a thousand more times, it would not make a difference, would it?"

He stepped back as if her words had physically struck him.

"Well why don't you tell me what I'm worth, then, Leliana?" he yelled at her, his fragile composure cracking. "Because I'm clearly not worth fighting for, and I'm clearly not worth staying for either!"

"Don't say that," she whispered, taking a step towards him. "That's not true."

He backed away from her. "Don't…" he breathed, the anger on his face slowly giving way to pain, as she stopped her movement then turned away slowly, grabbing her pack and throwing it over her shoulder.

"I love you…" he said to her back in a low, hoarse voice. She paused, inhaled sharply between clenched teeth, and in a second the pack hit the floor as she ran to him.

"Damn it," she breathed as her mouth found his in a hungry, desperate kiss. He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her back fiercely, holding on to her with all his strength. He felt it in her kiss, her love and passion for him. He tasted it on her lips, along with the saltiness of the tears she had been crying while packing. He heard it in her gasp, in the soft moan she did not quite succeed in muffling. He saw it in her eyes before she closed them under the savage assault of his lips. He felt it in her touch when her hands slid in his hair, gripping and pulling him closer.

"Damn you," she sighed, breaking away and resting her forehead against his cheek. "Damn your low voice and sexy accent, damn your rugged good looks and soft hair, damn your kind hands and strong heart."

"Well… right back at you," he breathed, and she chuckled softly.

"Couldn't you let me do this right?"

"What? Leave me? Of course not. I am nothing without you."

"That's not true, Zev. But you need to figure that out by yourself. Don't you see?"

"What would you have me do?"

"Go back to Antiva. Do whatever you need to do to get some closure, to finally be able to leave the past behind. Do it by yourself, so you can finally see what you can do, what you're worth. And then… if you still want to… come back to me. I promise I'll wait as long as it takes. I won't care what you'll have done. I'll forgive everything. If you still love me then… we'll see."

"Where are you going?"

"Back to Orlais, I think. But I'm not worried. Wherever I am, if you want to find me… you'll find me. Wherever I am, know that I'll be waiting."

She picked up her pack again and turned to face him. She kissed him, a soft, tender kiss goodbye.

"You need to do this, Zev."

A lingering, loving gaze, a last light caress on his cheek, and she was gone. He was left staring helplessly at the empty doorframe.

"Damn it," he murmured, shaking his head. "She is right. She always is."

Months later, as she was nearing her due date, Kaylee woke up one morning and sat up straight in her bed. Something was… wrong. It took her a moment to understand what it was.

Awakened by her sudden movement, Alistair rolled over and looked at her pale face through half-opened eyes. He groaned.

"Are you going to be sick again? I thought we were past this stage. You know I love you, but holding your hair while you throw up every morning is hard to go through on an empty stomach."

"I'm not going to be sick. Although… thank you for the show of support. It's… something else."

Alistair was immediately completely awake.

"Is something wrong? What is it? Is it the baby? Did I hurt it? I told you I would hurt it!"

She shook her head.

"It's not the baby. It's… Justice. He's… he's gone. I can't feel him anymore."

"Oh. It's… it's a good thing, right? It means you're all better, doesn't it?"

"I guess…" she said hesitantly. "But what happened to him? I don't even know if he's all right…"

"Aren't you supposed to see Anders this morning for a consultation? Maybe you can speak to him about it. Mages know stuff about spirits, don't they?"

"Maybe…" she said worriedly. "Alistair, what if…" She left the sentence unfinished, her hand almost involuntarily reaching up to stroke her pregnant belly. Alistair's eyes followed his movement and they widened slightly at the implication.

"What if he's not really gone, you mean? Wouldn't you feel it?" he asked.

"I don't know…" she breathed.

He took both her hands in his and kissed them tenderly, one after the other.

"Listen to me," he said fervently. "Whatever comes, we'll deal. If there's one thing we know for sure by now, it's that we can overcome anything. Archdemons, blights, talking Darkspawn, spirits and demons, massive loss of blood or scary pregnancies… As long as we are together, what can stand in our way?"

She smiled tenderly at him. "You're right. How can you be so right all the time?"

"It's a gift. And a burden. Now kiss your husband before that damned chambermaid come barging in to take you away again."

She chuckled softly as she leaned closer to him.

"Your desire is my command."

Author's notes: And… done! This story is officially complete!

I hesitated after playing Dragon Age II. I didn't know if I should change my ending to try and make it fit with the events of the game, or go with the ending I originally planned. I went with the original ending, but I tried to keep my options open in case the muse strikes again. The timeline doesn't fit, but that's all very fixable in fanfiction, isn't it?

I got a couple more one-shots ideas for this story. Something called "Velanna and the Architect's adventures in the Deep Roads," or something like that. Avernus and the First Warden's encounter after the meeting with Kaylee and Alistair. Leliana and Zevran's reunion. A sequel is also possible. I gotta say it might take some time though. I feel I am done writing for a while.

Thanks so much to all of my faithful reviewers. I am so grateful that you all took the time to let me know you enjoyed my story, and for the occasional constructive criticism. Receiving a review alert always made my day.

Thanks to my amazing beta, Dasque. Not only did she help me a lot with the story, making me a better writer with each of her helpful comments, but she did this amazing artwork for me based on this story. It's called "Out of time" and the link is on my profile page. Check it out, and please leave her a comment if you enjoy her work. I know I find it simply amazing, it brought tears of joy to my eyes! It was such an honor.

I may not be writing for a while, but I'll keep reading and reviewing other stories. I will also keep chatting merrily with my beloved cheeky monkeys on our awesome forum. The link is also on my profile page. Come check it out, you'll probably find a lot of your favorite ff authors are already there, we have loads of fun!

Finally, thanks to all of you readers, lurkers, people who put me in their favorites or alerts. It means so much to me to know you followed my story with interest. I hope you all enjoyed it, as much as I enjoyed seeing my visitors stats go up and up at each new chapter! I would really love it if you could take the time to let me know what you thought of the story now that it's finished, too!

It's been a fun, emotional bumpy ride! Thank you so much everyone!