Hey there, I had to re-upload this because I noticed I misspelled some important things. It's the first time I've written anything so here goes.

The sky was grey, the autumn weather was falling into winter, and I made my way to work through the busy streets of New York. I didn't particularly like being called in but Haytham wouldn't do that unless it was important. You see, our law firm recently got a call from Davenport Freight and Shipping. This would be normal if not for the fact that the company had flipped from a dying business to a prospering economic hub in the course of about six months.

As I got into the cab I told the driver to take me to the Knights Law Firm building (in all honesty we handled a lot of legal affairs really but the name would be too long if we tried to fit all of them in). It promised to be an interesting day from what Haytham told me. If I remembered correctly then the owner or manager of Davenport Shipping would be coming in today to discuss some trade agreements between it and businesses across state lines.

As the cab rolled up to the door I paid, tipped the driver, and made sure I looked as much the part of a specialty case lawyer as I was. Seeing how it could be a big deal for us I took care to make sure my suit was in good order. Some old co-workers said that the red shirt and black suit look seemed like my type of color scheme and I had to admit it was nicer than what I wore in my younger days.

A glimpse at my reflection in the glass as I entered reminded me how much had changed since I started working here. I started taking up Haytham's style of pulling back my hair and shaving became a must. I have to say I dressed better but I did so for my job and for the fact I just made the money to buy the clothes. I had changed in appearance so much I doubt that many people would connect me with who I was.

Occasionally thinking like that would make me wonder if it had changed me as a person as well. I wondered what person I would have been if I had stayed with Achilles.

"Shay, good to see you're early." Haytham stood there leaning against the wall behind him. Haytham also had an odd ability to control the room even when he had his eyes half closed. Although he could have waited in his office all day the man often chose to traverse the working areas rather than sit back. This made the others go about their work considerably faster and mad the interns walk on eggshells.

"Mornin', are we going to be expecting them soon?" I took the coffee that an intern handed me.

"The owner is delayed so we will have to wait to see him. However, he said that his right hand man will be here with the papers for us to look at before he arrives."

"Is the right hand also the manager?"

"Indeed. He's said to be a young man that every boy should aspire to, if you believe the suppliers with Homestead Inc.

"Ah," I've heard a lot of success stories of young men and women out of college that lucked into good places. Haytham could have been one if his father didn't go missing all those years ago. Soon the silence became awkward, as we had nothing else to talk about until those papers were examined. "So… you said Ziio called you?"

He looked about ready to punch me but didn't. "Yes," he went back to drinking his tea as he spoke, "She's going to be going around Europe for her job and needs someone to look after her son."

"Her son? Not yours?" The famous Kenway glare was starting to build up so maybe I shouldn't have said that.

"That's what I asked her. She wouldn't answer me but asked if I would watch him anyways. She had planned to leave him with his godfather but knew that she might be gone for a year at least." He seemed to let the usual emotional shield down as he said that. It wasn't very often he even let that side show for a second but it seemed to happen on occasions we spoke of Ziio or Edward's disappearance. Now he had to take care of a boy who may or may not be his son.

I was about to say something else when Haytham's secretary, Charles, came in. "Sir, you have an urgent call."

"Of course, Shay, I'll take care of that. If Davenport himself or his man shows up, you handle it until I get there."

"Sure thing."

He left and about thirty minutes later I was bored as could be waiting outside the empty conference room. I decided to go get more coffee but as I went down to the lobby a curious thing was waiting there.

A punk kid seemed to be lying on the lobby couch as if he was sleeping at home. He even put his worn down shoes up on the arm of the seat while his head was propped up on the other end. I couldn't quite see his face behind the messy hair, beanie, and grey hood. "Hey, what are you doing here, lad?" He wouldn't be the first minor to come to us but he was the first arrogant enough to act like he wasn't in the center of one of the most influential businesses in the country.

"I have papers to take care of." He didn't even turn his head to talk to me.

"Obviously. Who are you waiting on?"

He shrugged, "I don't know." This kid was starting to bother me. I'd have to take care of him so we didn't have clients seeing or talking to this punk. "Do you need something from me or are you wasting your company time?"

Arrogant punk…. "Ahem, if you don't know who you're looking for then maybe I can deal with you quickly."

He sat up, straitened up his worn but expensive looking jacket (surprisingly the hood must have been on another thing under it) and looked expectantly. He certainly had something familiar about his face and the stare he gave. "Lead the way."

"Sure, by the way, name's Shay Patrick Cormac."

"Connor."

"What's your full name?"

"It's just Connor."

"Why? Are you changing your last name while you're here? Are you just somebody's nameless bastard?" He froze mid stride. Shit. The boy stayed quiet for a second. His voice dropped to an even softer tone.

"Yeah, I guess so." I definitely hit a nerve with him. "But it's just Connor because it's the name I use for business." At least he recovered quickly from that comment.

"Ah, I get it. Here's the conference room." We can use it until anyone from Davenport shows up and then I wouldn't miss them. I took the seat at the end closest to the door and he sat beside me. "So what can I do for you?"

He took off his hood and pushed the hair back enough to see his face. "I have some papers for you to look at." He pulled a manila envelope from his jacket and placed it between us. I pulled it out and began to notice these were business documents.

"Huh, I thought you were a kid running from home with some legal troubles. I didn't think you were an entrepreneur." The records were impressive, the kid had made $45,000 in revenue this past month. As I kept reading I couldn't help but get distracted by the way he slumped his shoulders and looked over his hands as his arms were propped on the table. Everything he did had a weird sense of familiarity The way he shifted positions had a pattern that looked like I should have known him. His lips were familiar as well but in not in the same way as the rest of him. They had a shine and fullness to them that I had seen somewhere but I wasn't sure where. Hell, even his messy hair had a sort of familiar look.

Before I knew it I had stopped reading and was just staring at him. I didn't know I was scanning his face until suddenly I realized I was looking him in the eyes. He was looking back at me as well.

"uhm… is something the matter Mr. Cormac?"

"…"

"Mr. Cormac?" He tried to flick his eyes around the room to break the contact but I couldn't stop for some reason. My mind was too focused on how that guarded look that gave way and unwittingly revealed how there was something innocent and confused in place of the punk I had seen.

I didn't even know I had cusped his face in my hand. I held his face close to mine and he began to look at me as well. "umm, Mr. Cormack, I…"

"Call me Shay for now on" I could barely manage the words with how much I was focusing on him.

"Connor, why do I get the feel-"

"What the hell are you doing!?"

Back to the real world, I looked and saw Haytham and Achilles Davenport glaring at me.

"Well, we were looking over some papers when-

"When what? Before you tried to kiss my boy?" Achilles was ready to stab me with his cane.

"WHAT?" I looked back at myself. I saw that Connor also had reached for something in his jacket but more importantly, somehow I had moved from my seat to looming over Connor and I was still holding his chin with my thumb near his lower lip. So… I could see the situation implied… that.

"Connor you knew I wasn't doing something like that right?" He returned to the hard look in his eyes but released whatever he was holding in his jacket and took a deep breath.

"Let's just get on with business."

For the life of me, I never thought I would be the one making bad impressions.