"Rise and shine, Larry! Wakey, wakey eggs and bacon and all that." Paulina Lawrence let out a low groan when the sound of Johnny's much to chipper voice woke her from her emersion. The Animus hummed as it shut down, allowing Paulina to see the world around her. She blinked blearily. Johnny was above her, trying to wake her a tad more tactfully now.
"Come on, come on. Get up; we have to prepare the animus for travel." Johnny told her while ushering her out of the not too comfortable machine. Another moan and a twist of her back to pop her spine. She was really becoming stiff in that thing…was she getting fat?
Johnny shoved a wrapped muffin into her hands and told her to eat. Paulina did just that and watched as he, James (who Paulina affectionately called Jammes), and Clementine packed up their equipment.
"Why are we packing up?" She asked, unwrapping her muffin and taking a bite.
"Well," Johnny began with a grunt as he lifted a stack of stuffed folders and dropped them in a box, "While you were beginning your work in the animus we have been communicating with another group of assassins. They have been working with Ezio's descendant. We thought it would be to work together, as we have records stating that Paulia stayed by Ezio's side for years during their time as assassins." Johnny explained distractedly. He scratched his head, "now where did I put that put on Roman architecture?"
Paulina finished off her muffin, taking in what Johnny had said and wandering what use could come from them working together. She decided not to question it and tossed her muffin wrapper into the rubbish bin.
She tried to assist with packing, but after tripping three times and spilling the contents of a stack of folders she decided that watching them was the best she could do.
"Alright you two go get the dolly and I'll get the animus all ready to load up into the van," Johnny said after tapping the last box up. Clem and Jammes both nodded, running up the stairs of the old basement they occupied. Johnny turned to Paulina and waved her over, "you can help load some of these boxes up.
With a nod she picked up the nearest box and followed Johnny up to the van.
"Has he gotten to know Ezio the way I have?" She asked with interest. She wondered if he had gotten to know him through his childhood as Paul was.
But Johnny shook his head in the nugatory, "no, from what I hear he has been working with the memories of an ancestor in the Crusades. I don't think he has quite been introduced to Ezio yet."
Paul shoved her box toward the back of the van and dusted her hands off, "oh, well alright."
"We'll get the animus loaded up then we can hit the road…" Johnny had become distracted again and rushed back into the decrepit old wine house. Paul followed after him with her hands in her pocket. She had a slight hop to her step that gave away her excitement.
"how are you going to get that thing up the stairs?" She asked while watching Johnny and Jammes wrestle it onto the dolly. Getting it down had been easy. All they had to do was make sure it didn't careen down the stairs.
"By brute force and sheer will." Johnny grunted, yanking a strap tight across the machine. Once the thing was strapped in nice and tight Johnny and Jammes did indeed get it up the stairs with brute force and sheer will. Paul and Clem stood by and watched, not wanting to get in the way. They got it up and stairs and with panting relief wheeled it to the van. Once it was loaded Johnny got out his keys.
"Come on Paul, you're riding with me!" Paul and Clem ran up the stairs. Clem got into the passenger seat of the van, but Paul followed Johnny to his car. She slipped into the passenger seat of his sleek, black Audi and adjusted to seat to suit her shorter stature. Johnny ducked in behind the wheel, turning the car on and slamming his door shut. "Get comfy, this ride won't be short."
Paul grunted and turned on the radio, fiddling with the nob to try and find a good station, but she came up unsatisfied and just settled on some rock station. "Where are they stationed?" She asked suddenly, sitting back in her seat.
Johnny tapped his chin, "In a warehouse." And that was all he said. Paul suppressed a grunt. But Johnny caught her face and elbowed her playfully, "oh hush, just look forward to meeting new people." He smiled at her when she remained stubbornly aloof, "and it sounds like their tech might be able to fix the animus up, make it like new."
Paul did smile at this, "good cause, no offense Johnny, but Cletus is like a torture device."
"I still can't believe you named that thing Cletus."
"Yes you can."
"You're right, I can, but that doesn't make it any better."
Paul smiled, flipping through the radio stations again.
It was, indeed, a very long drive before they arrived to their destination. Johnny drove into an underground garage, rousing a dosing Paul as he parked, "come on Larry, we're here."
Paul stretched, popping her joints. Johnny rolled his eyes at her and jumped out of his car. It felt good to stretch his legs. Paul crawled far less gracefully from his vehicle with a luxurious yawn. Behind them came the white van carrying the animus. The van parked beside the Audi and Jammes and Clem immerged from their respective sides.
Johnny checked his phone, "alright, you two hang tight here. Paul and I are going to meet Lucy, we'll be back soon to unload the animus. Jammes nodded and opened the double doors. Johnny led Paul out of the garage and up to the actual ware house. There, waiting for them at the gate cutting off the warehouse from the rest of the building, stood a woman with blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun.
Paul thought the woman looked quite frigid with her ice blue eyes and stiff posture, but the woman offered them a smile that lightened the air slightly. Johnny returned the smile and offered her his hand.
"Hello Lucy, I'm Johnny, the man you've been talking to for the past few weeks." He chuckled, "and this is Paul."
Lucy took Johnny's hand and gave it a firm shake, "It's nice to finally meet you Johnny, and Paul too." Lucy turned her smile down to Paul, and Paul suddenly felt like a child. She didn't like it at all, but she smiled back and gave the other woman a nod. "I'll take you to the others. Rebecca will really want to talk to you." Lucy turned her gaze back to Johnny, who nodded knowingly.
"Of course, lead the way," Johnny said cheerfully.
Lucy turned and led them up a few flights of ramps. Johnny eyed them with growing relief and Paul had to hold back her giggles. Lucy didn't notice and just led them to the upper level. They came out into a narrow hall way the was lined with bricks and led off so other, similar hallways. They turned right and went through a pair of wooden doors into a spacious room that was lit mainly with natural light coming from a large window that took up most of the farthest wall.
Two more people occupied the room, man with light brown, spiked hair and glasses as well as another woman. She was the exact contrast from Lucy. She had short, dark hair and an easy going disposition. "Guys, this is Johnny and Paul. They're the ones I've been telling you about." Lucy stepped aside to let Paul and Johnny through.
The man turned around immediately at the sound of Johnny's name, "ah! Johnathon! I have heard much about you! A historian and a tech. Very nice." The man stood and took Johnny's hand with fervor, "you and I are going to get along swimmingly." Johnny grinned and dipped his head. The man had a very prominent British accent and an air about him that reeked of condescending. But Paul thought he was alright.
"This is Shaun," Lucy informed them, "he's our very own historian. He keeps our historical records up to date."
At the sound of all the excitement the other woman joined the group, "well, well, well! You're the ones we've been hearing so much about! I'm Rebecca, glad you guys could make it here."
Johnny nodded, "we are very glad to be here," he looked at the three of them and chuckled, "and please, just call me Johnny. Johnathon is much too old sounding."
Paul was silent for most of this. She gave nods and smiles, but didn't have much to say. But when the woman, Rebecca moved, she caught sight of their animus and let out a very loud and audible gasp before rushing over to it. She ran her hands along the deep red cushion of the head rest and marveled at the sleekness of the machine. Compared to this Cletus looked like a dentist's chair!
"Ah, I can see you appreciate my work," Rebecca said in a tone of haughtiness. "Yeah, Baby is my pride and joy, much better than anything you'll find in Abstergo." Paul looked up at her and nodded, a wide smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
"Much better than ours," She agreed. She just wanted to sit in this thing and feel how comfy it was.
"Speaking of which, I'd better return to Jammes and Clem, our animus is still in the garage. You guys have a dolly?" Johnny said, scratching his short, trim goatee.
Rebecca nodded, "oh, sure. I'll go with you to get a look at that bad boy. Sounds like I'll have my work cut out for me with this one." She gave Johnny a playful wink and he laughed. Together they went back to the garage, leaving Paul with Lucy and Shaun.
Lucy looked around the room. "I should introduce you to Desmond, but it seems he is still in his room…Shaun, can you go get him please? Tell them our guests have arrived."
Shaun grumbled at this, "What am I? His keeper?" But a hard look from Lucy had Shaun regretfully retreating from the room. "Fine, fine, I'll go fetch the little git for you. Don't know why they couldn't find someone more educated. Ignorant little…" his grumbling faded down the hall until they couldn't hear him anymore. So there was that condescending tone!
Lucy shook her head. "Don't mind Shaun, he can just get a little grumpy from time to time." Paul nodded and went back to admiring the animus.
Soon the sound of bickering came from the hallway, growing more audible as the two bickerers got nearer. "I don't know why have to find something wrong with everything I do Shaun, just lay off." A grumbling voice said as they entered the room. Paul stood straight from her kneeling position beside the animus. Shaun had indeed retrieved Desmond, and as soon as the man laid eyes on Paul his eyes widened in what looked like disbelief. Paul smiled and turned her head to the side. She had no idea what he had to be surprised about.
"Larry?" Desmond spoke the name as if he had been waiting to say it for years. Paul was now thoroughly confused. Only Johnny and her cousin Eva called her Larry. Only those who had known her for most of her life, and she was pretty sure she had never seen this man in her life. She eyed Desmond up and down. She was pretty sure if she had met him before she would remember.
"Um…Hello." She said hesitantly.
Desmond rushed over and scooped a very startled Paul into a tight hug that had her feet lifted from the ground. Paul yelped in surprise, eyes wide. He had lifted her up so that her chin rested on her shoulder. He did this with strange, practiced ease like he had done this many times before. She could she why he lifted her up. If he hadn't her face would be buried in his chest. Paul said nothing until Desmond set her down. He was smiling at her as if she were some precious loved one.
Paul blinked, unsure, "um…hi." She said, not knowing what else to say. Desmond's face began to fall and his brow creased in confusion.
"Paul…it's me, Desmond. Don't you-?" His voice died. It seemed he couldn't ask the question as he looked into her still blank face.
Shaun and Lucy looked just as confused as Paul felt, "Desmond, I didn't know you two knew each other already." She said gently. She seemed to be seeing the hurt that was flashing in his eyes. Paul bit her lip, she had no idea what was going on. "Well, why don't you show her to her room?" Desmond finally tore his eyes away from Paul and looked at Lucy.
"Uuh, right, yeah." He turned back to Paul, "right this way." He smiled at her, but this time it was strained and his eyes her filled with hurt confusion. As they walked out into the hall Paul tried to ask him how he knew her, but she couldn't think of a way to ask without pouring salt into his opening wounds, so she kept quiet.
They turned down a more secluded hallway with only three wooden doors set into the wall. Desmond walked to the middle door and opened it for her, "here, your room is next to mine." He gestured to the room right of hers. Paul looked into the room, taking it in. It was a rather plain space, a bed and chest of drawers taking up most of the room. One wall was made mostly of windows, much like the room where the animus was. Potted plants brought splashes of color to the room, and Paul was drawn to a collection of little purple petals and she stuck her fingers into the plant to gently stroke the flowers.
Desmond stood in the doorway and he remained there until Paul turned and gestured him in, "don't just stand there," She teased, turning from the flowers to face him, "thanks," She muttered when he had taken a few steps in. "It's a nice room." She said, looking around. There was an awkward, charged air between them.
"Sooo, who is she?" Desmond asked, rolling up the sleeves of his hoodie. Paul gave him a confused look and cocked her head to the side, "your ancestor," he clarified, scratching his elbow with a nervous twitch. He just didn't seem to know what to do with himself.
"Oh," Paul smiled to relieve some of the tension, but it didn't quite work. "Paulia," She answered, lowering her gaze for a moment. She opened her mouth to ask him questions, but they just sounded stupid, or hurtful, and she just couldn't bring herself to ask. So she closed her mouth again and Desmond didn't seem inclined to brooch the subject yet again either.
Loud thumps and bangs sounded down the hall and the two of them turned around, "it sounds like Johnny and the others are back with the animus." Paul muttered, going back out into the hall towards the double doors. Desmond followed close behind.
Johnny and Jammes had successfully lugged up the animus and were getting it off the dolly and set up beside Desmond's animus. The two of them stood side by side in the door way, watching. Rebecca stepped in from around them and looked the thing over.
"I was right," She said with a shake of her head and a smile, "thing needs a lot of work. It will take some time before it's finished." Rebecca rubbed her chin and ran a hand over it, "But it shouldn't be too hard." She mumbled more to herself than to anyone else.
"I want you two to start together, so Desmond, this means you get a break."
Desmond grinned, "That'll be nice." Paul laughed at the evident relief in his voice and he turned a grin down at her.
"Alright you two, go out and play. The adults are talking." Johnny waved them off. Paul stuck her tongue out at him and Johnny returned the favor, "go on!"
Paul laughed and turned to run out of the room. Johnny rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop his own smile. Desmond looked between the two, then turned tail and ran after her. The two of them ran all the way down into the warehouse storage and skidded to a halt panting and laughing amongst the crates and boxes.
"What was…that…about?" Desmond asked through pants.
"I…don't know," and more peels of giggling flowed from her mouth.
They became fast friends despite their awkward start. Over the next few weeks they spent most of their time together. Desmond would seek her out and they would go down to the warehouse and 'train'. Mostly it was them running around like children and climbing on the railing. Both enjoyed the break from the animus and neither brought up their awkward first meeting. Or what Paul thought was their first meeting.
Lucy tried to actually teach them something while they waited for Paul's machine to be updated, but she gave up when they nearly fell from the rafters after laughing at absolutely nothing. Johnny and Shaun actually got them to sit down to go over some of the relevant history they would find important while they were immersed in their ancestor's memories.
Paul enjoyed this much more than Desmond did, but then again she had always enjoyed history. They couldn't keep them to long before Desmond and Paul snuck off to good around some more. Johnny would simply close the book he had been reading from and Shaun would walk off grumbling about ignorant gits.
It wasn't until the third week that Rebecca found them down in the warehouse to tell them the animi was ready. At the time Paul and Desmond were shoveling the contents of a mysteriously smashed crate back into its shattered remains. Rebecca hadn't said anything about it that was Lucy's problem. "Paul, your animus is all fixed up and ready to go. I'll meet you two upstairs. We'll be ready to go when you are." And she walked back upstairs without a glance backwards.
Paul and Desmond exchanged grins and were off, racing up the stairs. Paul won by a landslide, bubbling over with laughter. She dashed into the animus room, skidding to a halt, causing Desmond to nearly run into her. He had to slam on the brakes to avoid tripping over her.
Lucy raised her brows at them, "you two are going to have to get serious if we want to win this war." She said from her station at her computer. She looked more stressed than she did when Paul had first arrived.
"Sorry Lucy, we were just messing around." Desmond ran a hand through his short hair and Paul cast her eyes downward.
Lucy looked like she wanted to say more, but Johnny raised his hand to quiet her. "Don't worry Lucy, I have no doubt they'll get the job done. Let them enjoy the free time they have. Lord knows we need to laugh as much as we can these days."
Lucy couldn't argue with this, so she merely nodded and went back to her computer screen. Everyone sat at a computer. Johnny and Rebecca sat side by side next to the animi, while Shaun and Lucy were in their respective corners of the room. Jammes and Clem had gone back out on the field, leaving the desk work to the six of them.
Rebecca gestured to Paul's animus, "well? Whattya think?" She asked, looking proud of her own work.
Paul smiled when she finally saw what had become of her animus. It was nearly as sleek as Desmond's, and looked much more comfortable. "It looks great! Cletus has never looked so good!"
"You named your animus Cletus?" Desmond raised a brow at her, but with a warning look from Johnny didn't question it further.
"Hop in whenever you like." Rebecca looked please from her reaction and waited for them to get situated.
Paul skipped over to her machine and lied down, smiling when it was indeed much more comfortable than it had previously been. No more stiff, aching back! Desmond slid into his own animus and shot her a smile as Rebecca prepared the machine for synch. Johnny did the same for Paul and her vision began to blur as the machine began to take over.
The white wasteland that was the animus home screen surrounded her and, much to her surprise, Desmond stood beside her, looking very used to being inside the animus. He looked down at her and looked just as perplexed to see her there as she was to see him.
"You may have noticed we've made some modifications. You two are now connected through the two animi. You'll be able to read each other's thoughts…sort of." Rebecca's voice sounded off from a distance and Desmond raised his brows at what she said.
"You mean we can read each other's minds?" He asked trying to make sense of what she was saying. It was a little farfetched to both of them. Read each other's minds?
"Not quite," It was Johnny this time, "You won't be able to enter each other's thoughts, but you can communicate through the animus, as well as get a sense for what the other is feeling. Nothing to strong mind you, we just thought this might help you connect better."
"You'll see what you mean when you get started, don't worry about it too much. Nothing major has changed." Rebecca reassured them. "Now go ahead and run around a bit. Get to know the feeling of connected animi while we get you synched up."
Paul and Desmond both nodded and Paul wasted no time in giving Desmond a shove in the chest, "You're it!" She squealed, running full force into the white abyss, peals of laughter wafting back toward him. Desmond felt the jolt of the sheer joy of running wild spike through him and he smiled. He was beginning to see what they meant.
He was after her in an instant, laughing all the while with her. He couldn't catch her. She was much too fast. But he kept at it, not tiring. He could do this forever. It felt good to just sprint freely, feeling the muscles of his legs work to move him faster and faster, like some swift animal pelting its way through the forest, such a liberating feeling. The two of them could be a doe and a stag running merely for the joy of being free.
Rebecca laughed at the two of them, "alright, get ready you two, your memories are loaded up."
Around them the whiteness began to brighten and blur away. Desmond shot Paul one last smile before she was blurred out of his sight into memories of her own. He would see her again soon. It was no problem…no problem.
"Alright you two, behave yourselves in here don't want anyone scrambling anyone's brains!" Johnny was teasing them; they could hear the chuckle in his voice.
Paul laughed delightedly and Desmond just caught the last sight of her smile, "no promises!"
Author's Note: Ah! Finally another chapter up! Sorry for the delay in this one you guys! To be honest not sure if I am entirely happy with this one, it could probably use some more work and probably needs fixed all over the place, but I wanted to get it up before I left for vacation. If it's to egregiously flawed I'll come back and fix it up. Please forgive me otherwise!