Chapter Text
“That explains your whole ‘sexy, tortured’ look,” Marian smirks.
“Perhaps I should check a looking glass more often,” Anders chuckles with a slight blush.
She came by the clinic that night, alone. They had an ill-considered night of passion, desperation and loneliness driving him on. He told himself it shouldn’t happen again, he didn’t need the distraction. Justice had only tolerated it. But then it happens again a week later, again the next week. It quickly becomes a passtime, though why Justice allows it to continue baffles the mage.
He joins the rogue on her expedition, partly due to the attachment he is developing to her. Fenris and Bethany also come, much to Leandra’s distress. Marian is beside herself when her sister contracts the Blight sickness. He leads them to the Warden expedition, and convinces them to take the young mage.
Her mother cries and blames her for Bethany falling sick, and Marian comes to Anders’ clinic seeking comfort. They don’t talk. He just lays in his cot with her, holding her as she cries herself to sleep. She begins spending her free time helping him in his clinic while she waits for the profits of the expedition to come in. He isn’t ready for the day she comes to him with more tears in her eyes.
“Anders, I need to talk to you alone,” she says quietly, picking at her nails anxiously.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not now.” She glances at the dwindling line of patients. “After you close. I’m going to wait in your room.”
‘Room’ is generous. It’s just a hidden hole in the wall that he had managed to squeeze a cot into. He puts it out of his mind and focuses on his patients. It’s long since gone dark by the time he closes his doors and sighs. When he pulls back the camouflaged curtain, Marian is asleep. He sighs and shakes her gently.
“Marian, you needed to tell me something?”
She sits up and fidgets with her short hair with a heavy sigh.
“I don’t know how to say this delicately so I’m just going to say it,” she says shakily, looking down at her hands. “I think I’m pregnant.”
“What.”
“I said-“
“I heard what you said.”
He steps away from the cot back into the clinic, pacing. He’s a Grey Warden. How did this happen. As far as he is aware, Wardens never had children after their Joining. He needs to check. Anders turns to see Marian watching him, fear in her eyes.
“Hold still.”
He runs a glowing hand over her lower stomach and his fear is confirmed. She absolutely is pregnant. The mage curses and walks away, resuming his pacing as Justice berates him.
You see what happens when you give in to unjust desires, mage? Do you know the consequences of conceiving a child that may have been passed the taint? You must fix this.
It could be fine. I don’t even know how far along she is. It’s possible she doesn’t even carry to term.
And how would she handle losing an unborn child?
I don’t even know if she wants to keep it.
“Please say something, Anders,” Marian begs.
He stops and looks at her. She’s crying. Her hair and clothes are disheveled. He takes a deep breath.
“Do you want to keep it?”
“Is there an option not to?”
“There’s a potion I could make, it wouldn’t take much, it would be painless-“
“Stop.”
He runs a hand over his face, then lets his hair loose and tussles it anxiously. She walks over to sit at his desk and puts her head on the table. He hears her give in to her tears and he can’t leave her like that. Walking over to her, he rubs a hand up and down her back soothingly.
“I know this is a difficult situation, but you should make a decision soon. The potion only works until a certain point in the pregnancy.”
“...what do you want, Anders?”
He barely hears her as she mumbles into the desk.
You have no time for such a responsibility, Anders. Tell her to end it.
I’m surprised you don’t see that idea as an injustice.
What justice is there in making a woman bear a child that may never know it’s father? That might suffer bearing the taint?
What if I want it to know it’s father?
We came together for a purpose, mage. You would set that aside so easily?
Who says I have to set it aside? I can’t do both?
That would be an injustice to Marian. You would split your commitments? There is no guarantee she would not suffer from not giving her the time and attention she would need.
“Anders?”
She’s looking up at him. He turns away and groans, then shouts wordlessly, torn. Something snaps inside him and he looks back at her.
“Keep it.”
—
Marian has reclaimed the Amell estate for her mother, leaving Gamlen’s hovel behind. She invites Anders to move in and he eagerly agrees. Leandra surprisingly doesn’t raise much of a fuss when she finds out about the pregnancy. Someone else, however…
She gathers all her friends to Varric’s quarters in the Hanged Man, sweating as they all arrive for a game of Wicked Grace. After a game or two, Anders gives her a meaningful look and she nods.
“So, I have something important to tell you all,” the rogue announces nervously.
“Is something wrong?” Merrill asks worriedly.
“No, just unexpected. I’m not sure how to put this besides just saying it so… I’m pregnant.”
The room is silent apart from the distant sounds of the tavern outside. Everyone stares at her. Except Fenris. She notices he’s glaring at Anders suspiciously. The mage looks uncomfortable.
“Who is the father?” The elf asks.
“It’s Anders-“
Fenris darts over the table to grab Anders by the throat, scattering cards and drinks to pin him on his back against the table and phase a hand to grip the mage's heart.
“I told you he could not control himself! We should’ve killed him when we first found him, before he could force himself-“
“FENRIS STOP! It was consensual!”
The elf wrinkles his nose in disgust but doesn’t release Anders. An explosion of energy sends Fenris backwards as Justice surges forth.
“RELEASE ME, ELF,” the spirit booms. “DO NOT THROW ACCUSATIONS WHEN YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED.”
“Justice, back off!”
“How did this happen,” Fenris demands.
“It was just casual at first but we… became close. We didn’t plan on this happening but he did NOT force himself on me.” She reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder. “If you kill him it will hurt me more than anything Anders could do, and I will lose more people important to me.”
Fenris scoffs and stalks out of the room, Isabela rushing off after him. Aveline just sips at her mug with a ‘damn’ sort of expression as Justice dissipates and Anders sinks back to his seat.
“Well,” Varric drawls, “that went well.”
“I love babies!” Merrill whispers, clasping her hands together.
“I need you all to be here for me, this will be difficult enough without everyone trying to kill Anders. I need him,” she laughs breathlessly.
“You’ll always have me, Marian,” the Dalish smiles warmly.
“Is Anders still staying in Darktown?” Aveline asks.
“No he’s living with me now.”
“That’s probably for the best. It will be hard enough to deal with a pregnancy without worrying about the father’s health and safety.”
“I can take care of myself,” Anders protests weakly, drained.
“Of course,” Aveline scoffs.
“At least you’re not living with Gamlen anymore,” Varric points out with a smile.
“Gee, thanks for looking on the bright side, Varric,” Marian sighs.
“It’s what I do.”