AN: Here it is, the final chapter of OandA FOR REAL! I wrote this little epilogue because it was one of the things that I had planned since the very outset of the story. I hope you guys enjoy it, just like I hope you all have enjoyed the rest of this journey with me. I have worked incredibly hard on this story and, through thick and thin, many of you have stuck with me, and you don't know how much that means to me. To see your feedback, to know you guys are still out there, even when I can't update, is absolutely astounding and so incredibly uplifting to me that I don't know if you can really comprehend it, so thank you. Thank you SO much.

I am going on a bit of a hiatus for a while. I have an original story I want to write (and hopefully get published!).

If you want to keep up with me and what I'm doing, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or especially my website, found on my profile. Those are your best resources for finding out about future stories and endeavors.

And for those of you who started asking about SandF THE SECOND I was done with this story, you should really follow me on social media so you can stay updated, because I have answer the questions of "When will you be writing SandF again" probably a zillion times. Lol!

Thank you again for sticking with me this whole year, through this whole story. I have loved every crazy minute of it, and you have all given me such a wonderful means with which to express myself and I sincerely cannot thank you enough.

I hope I can keep creating things you enjoy for the rest of forever.

Sincerely, with gratitude, and always with great love,

Roarkshop.

Bethany Hawke was very young when her powers manifested. She was six when her parents found her in her room, making forcefields around her dolls so they would levitate. She had quickly tried to hide it, knowing how her father would react, but the damage had been done.

All she knew was that her father hadn't wanted her to have magic. She wasn't yet old enough to comprehend the fear he felt. The concern. The nightmares of demons and templars, the visions of blood magic and death. She didn't comprehend that, just like she didn't comprehend the unusual mix of pride and adoration he felt for her when he found out. She had just been afraid of disappointing him.

Yet, he trained her.

"Careful, now," her father said into her ear from behind her. His voice was deep and comforting and she could feel it through his chest as he held her. "Steady. Concentrate."

Higher and higher she lifted the stone out of the lake, her tongue sticking out as she held out her hands.

"Where does your power come from, darling?"

"Inside me," she answered faithfully.

"And who can make you use it?"

"Nobody."

"And why is blood magic dangerous?"

"It attracts demons trying to come to our world."

"Will you let them?"

"No. I don't need them. I have my own power."

"Very good," he said in her ear, giving her a kiss on the shoulder.

Pleased by the praise, she turned to smile up at him, only for the rock to crash back into the water and splash them both when she lost concentration.

"Oh, no," she lamented. "Papa, I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Fenris said, laughing as he wiped the moisture from her forehead. "I'm probably not the best teacher. Your aunt Bethany will be a much better mentor."

"I like when you teach me," she said, beaming up at him, giving him a smile that made her look so much like her mother it made Fenris' heart ache in his chest. She had Anara's bright, golden eyes, and dark, raven hair. But she had his dark features and olive skin. Her ears were already growing slightly pointed on the tops and, for lack of a better word, she was absolutely perfect.

Reading Varric's novels, Fenris had a hard time comprehending something like 'Unconditional Love'. How could you love someone so much that, no matter what they did, you would continue to love them? Even as much as he loved Anara, if she were to suddenly start worshipping demons or become something other than the woman he adored, surely his love for her would change also.

It all made sense, however, the day young Bethany was born. Love unconditional came easily to him then. He remembered that day so clearly, the tiny bundle against Anara's chest, her exhausted smile as she handed the child over to him. He had sat there for hours, they said, just staring down at the tiny miracle in his arms. In those moments he knew that there was nothing, not in all of creation, that she could have done to make Fenris' love for her change. He would move the entirety of the world for her.

Anara had wiped the stunned tears from his cheeks and he had leaned over to hold both his girls in his arms, and in a moment, his entire existence had changed. He didn't care about chasing down the remaining slavers from Tevinter, he didn't care about his past or the demons or even himself. He didn't care about the the hole in the sky or how it had been sealed, he didn't care about Corypheus and his glorious defeat. He didn't care about the Inquisition or their rise to power, he didn't even care about how Hawke had almost gotten herself killed in the Fade because of it. In that moment, none of it mattered. That woman and that child became his entire existence.

He had been terrified for little Beth when they had found out that she was magic-touched. He had almost reacted in anger, and if it hadn't been for Anara's steadying presence he might have. It was his gut reaction, walking into her room and finding her levitating her various toys. She was a mage, despite everything. He couldn't comprehend how it had happened.

"It's alright to be scared," Anara had said later that night while they laid together in bed, drawing patterns in his chest with her fingers. "I'm scared, too."

"It serves me right, I suppose," he said, squeezing her to his chest. "We should write to your sister. She'll know what to do."

The Circles of Magi still hadn't reformed, though there were still talks about it as the Chantry grew in strength again. With the Inquisition still in power, and the threat Corypheus had caused gone, Thedas seemed to have started settling into a nice, peaceful age. He had put up a bit of a fight, those years ago, when Anara had decided to stand with the mages even after Anders' betrayal, but in light of recent events, he was grateful for it. He did not want his daughter in one of the Circles. He wanted her there, always in reach, where he could protect her from demons and Templars alike.

She changed him every day, just like her mother.

He sat with her by the lake day after day, helping her learn to concentrate, to keep her will power strong, to fight off temptation. He taught her that spirits in any form, no matter how good intentioned, would corrupt eventually if brought to this world, and that the risk of blood magic was too high to trifle with. He taught her that power for the sake of power was a hole that could never be filled. The search for power, the greed it caused, was the surest way to let it start controlling you. He taught her that she had her own strength, her own power, and that so long as she believed in herself, she would always have enough to get through whatever was thrown at her.

On the night before they expected Bethany to arrive, Fenris tucked his daughter into bed, telling her how proud of her he was and how everything was going to be alright.

"Will you tell me a story?" she asked, clinging the little stuffed nug toy to her chest. "The one of how you and mama fought a dragon!"

Fenris laughed and sat on the edge of her bed. "You have heard that story a thousand times. Surely you'd rather your uncle Varric tell it to you when he arrives tomorrow. He has always been a better storyteller than I."

"But Papa," she said, batting her golden eyes at him, "I like it best when you tell it!"

He sighed, powerless to her just as he was powerless to his wife. "Very well," he said, settling against the headboard beside her. "We were trying to help a group of miners, for whatever reason…"

Anara watched her daughter sprint down the hill to meet the rest of her family, crying 'unca, unca!' and throwing herself into Varric's arms. The dwarf picked her up and spun her around, his laughter travelling all the way up to them.

"She's getting so big," Anara said, putting her head on Fenris' shoulder.

"It's only a matter of time before he's unable to lift her any longer," he said, wrapping an arm around her and waving down at Varric, Bethany, and Aveline as they all greeted little Beth. Varric carried her up the hill on his shoulders, and she was already chattering away with everyone.

"I hear you have magic," Bethany said, combing through the girl's hair with her fingers.

"Uh-huh. Papa says that if I practice I can be a great mage like you someday."

Bethany looked at Fenris with an eyebrow arched. "He said that, did he?"

"Children," Fenris said, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Always telling stories."

"Come on, Munchkin," Varric said, bouncing the little girl and practically galloping with her into the house. "I want to see what you can do."

Fenris groaned. "I shall go reign in the chaos," he said, reaching to squeeze Aveline's shoulder in greeting before following after Varric and little Beth.

Anara laughed and watched them go, her sister and Aveline at her sides.

"I bring news," Aveline said.

"Good," Anara said, still smiling as she watched Fenris take little Beth off of Varric's shoulders and hold her. "I want to hear everything."

Varric sat with little Beth as he tucked her into bed, telling her stories and epic tales that always managed to get her more riled up than calmed down. His little niece was absolutely one of his favorite things in the world. A perfect amalgamation of her two parents, with just enough of Varric in her life to make sure she didn't end up with Fenris' sense of humor.

Eventually he joined the rest of the family out at the kitchen table, thanking Fenris when he brought him a tankard of ale. It was just like old times, in a lot of ways. Sure, Daisy was busy sailing around Thedas with the Rivaini, and Blondie was still in hiding for the most part, but that didn't make it any less of a treat to be home.

Varric filled everyone in on the Inquisition, since he was the only one who really had the inside scoop. Bethany asked about Divine Cassandra, and he assured her that even though she was strict, she had a good head on her shoulders and kept the best interest of both mages and templars at heart. He didn't know what that meant for the Circles just yet, but he was hopeful.

"She seemed like a good sort," Anara said as she sat back down, "from what little I saw of her at Skyhold, anyway."

"I still can't believe you went all the way across the Waking Sea while you were already over a month pregnant."

"Well, I was already throwing up every day… seemed like a waste not to."

"Ugh, do not remind me of that fool's errand," Fenris groaned, turning to glare at Varric.

"Don't look at me," Varric said with a laugh, putting his hands up. "I tried to keep her hidden for as long as I could. She showed up on her own."

"I went willingly," Anara said with a nod. "I still don't see what you expected me to do."

"I expected you to stay at home and look after yourself, idiot that I am," Fenris growled. "Maker, that was a nightmare."

"You're exaggerating."

"Exaggerating?"

"Here we go…"

"I got a letter telling me to come home because you were with child, and what do I come home to? An empty house and a letter from Varric of all people."

"Hey," Varric interrupted, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"I couldn't just sit at home and do nothing," Anara continued, ignoring him. "Corypheus was our responsibility."

"I'm not having this argument again," Fenris said, getting up to refill the empty tankards. "You had no business making me fall through a hole in the sky to come and find you and that's final."

Varric let out a loud bark of laughter. "I still remember the look on everyone's faces when you showed up on the other side of that giant spider monster, brooding and snarling and frothing at the mouth."

"He was certainly not happy," Anara said with a laugh.

"That is an incredible understatement," Fenris mumbled.

"Hey, his added strength got us all out of there alive," Varric said with a nod. "I'm certainly not going to complain about it."

Anara put her chin on her hand and smiled up at Fenris as he put the mugs back on the table. "I'm certainly glad you showed up when you did."

"That's twice now you've made me go into the fade, and twice you've executed a potentially lethal plan without consulting me. It had better be the last on both counts." He kissed her eyebrow as he sat down. "Do not do it again."

"Yes, dear."

Varric smiled at them and leaned back in his chair, watching the conversation starting to flow once more. He was glad that, in the end, he had left this all out of his Tale of the Champion.

He was never very good at happy endings anyway.