I slowly opened my eyes, cherishing the softness of Jacob's body next to mine. With my head still on his chest and his arm wrapped around my shoulder, I felt like I was in the safest place in the world. I started to look up at him and wish him good morning when his hand flew around my neck and covered my mouth. Startled awake by his reaction, I stared at him in confusion. His eyes quickly darted to my face before shaking his head; letting me know I needed to be quiet. A second later, I noticed his gun pointed at the door of our room followed by raised voices coming from the pub below.

"Stay here," he ordered in a whisper, finally letting me go.

"What's going on?" I asked, keeping my voice as low as his.

"Someone's robbing the pub." He slowly got out of bed then opened the door to check the hallway, which was surprisingly empty despite the commotion below. With a quick glance back at me, he repeated, "Stay here."

"Be careful."

He shot me one of his trademark smiles and crossed his heart before darting out. More afraid for him than of what might happen if I ignored his order, I got out of bed as quickly but as quietly as I could. Putting on the clothes he'd gifted me, I started to follow him but paused to grab the blade he'd given me. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I bolted out as well. Once halfway down the stairs, my heart stopped. Jacob was surrounded by six men, all closing in to attack him at once.

The next moments happened so quickly I barely registered them. First, one of his blades easily flew from his side before becoming embedded in the eye socket of one of the men. Blood sprayed as the blinded man fell backward onto the floor. Next, a bullet flew through the face of another man, bloody skull splinters scattering like dice on the floor.

Two men attacked him at once after he dispatched their comrades. He rapped the top of one's head with his cane hard enough to send him to his knees while unsheathing the hidden blade and plunging it deep into the chest of the other man. Turning quickly, he used the knife again to open the throat of the kneeling man before aiming a final shot at the man furthest from him. The bullet hit true and dropped him dead almost instantly.

"Gwen!" Jacob yelled as the last robber ran up the stairs, rushing headlong into me. When the man reached out to push me aside, I drove my knife deep into his belly. He grabbed my shoulders, his dark brown eyes bulging from shock. I felt a warm liquid slide down my hands and looked to see his blood covering them; its sickening thickness causing me to pull my hands away, leaving my blade in his stomach.

"I told you to stay in our room," Jacob snapped, ripping me from the robber's hands and shoving him down the stairs. "Are you all right?"

"I…I…" I stammered as my nostrils filled with the nauseating scent of blood. My vision started to blur and darken as I tried to speak again. "I…"

Then everything went dark.

I opened my eyes slowly. There was a moment of confusion before I imagined the robber's face, contorted in pain and disbelief, in front of me. The memories of what happened instantly came back to me and I bolted upright with a scream.

"It's all right, Gwen. You're safe." Evie said in an unusually tender tone as she grabbed my shoulders and tried to lay me down again. "You collapsed at the pub and Jacob brought you back to the train."

"Evie." I watched her face blur as tears welled up in my eyes. "Oh my god! Evie, I've done something terrible. That man, the robber, I…I…"

"You defended yourself." She smoothed back my hair. "And now you're safe. Just rest."

"No…I can't…" I struggled with my words as I kept seeing the dying face of a robber in front of me. "I didn't mean to. Oh, god! His eyes… Evie, his eyes!"

My stomach convulsed, igniting repeated heaving. She grabbed a bucket and held it under my chin while I emptied what felt like every meal I'd had since I arrived there. After what seemed like hours but was really only a few minutes, I lifted my head and fell back onto the sofa.

Still sitting beside me but pushing the bucket as far from us as possible, she rubbed my shoulders. "I'm so sorry Jacob dragged you into this. I can't imagine what you must be thinking. Please, forgive us, Gwen."

"I knew who y'all were from the second we met." I forced a smile. "You work in the shadows to protect the light."

"But that was out choice; not yours." She rose and paced in front of me. "You should've never been involved. Jacob's recklessness has drawn you into his madness and it's unconscionable."

"Like I said, I knew." When she came close, I reached out and grabbed her hand. When she turned to me, I could only shrug. "You guys are heroes to me and I thought I could be just like y'all, but I'm not an assassin. I'm just a coward."

"You're not a coward." She patted my hand. "It takes more strength to admit weakness than to deny it. I pray my brother understands that sooner rather than later."

"He will. I know it." I sat up and looked around, wondering why he wasn't there. "Where is he, anyway?"

She rolled her eyes. "Who knows? His capacity for transgression is boundless."

I chuckled. "That's part of what I love about him."

I looked up at Evie when I realized what I'd said, her shocked expression a mirror of my own.

You love Jacob?" She took a seat beside me. "Do you know if he feels the same?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he does." I buried my face in my hands. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I promise I didn't."

"It seems the heart won't be denied no matter how hard we try." She sighed. "You know you have my blessings, of course. One word of warning. Be careful with Jacob. His anger masks a very scared man still finding his way."

"I'm just as scared. I didn't want to get so close to him, but he's part of me now." I smiled. "Just like you."

She smiled as well. "Then perhaps you'll be a good influence on him."

Happy to change the subject to something other than death and my relationship with Jacob, I commented, "Like you are on Henry Green?"

She turned away as she blushed. "Has it been that obvious?"

"Only to somebody who's seen this road before. And trust me, the feeling is totally mutual. He's so into you it's not even funny. Doesn't hurt he's cute as a button too."

She smiled. "He is handsome, isn't he?"

"Girl, yes! That accent and those bedroom eyes." I pretended to swoon. "If he didn't already have his heart set on a certain Frye twin, I'd tap that."

She laughed. "I feel I should be offended, but I really have no idea what you said."

Sitting up straighter, I tried to mimic a posh British accent. "Miss Frye, I believe that Mr. Green is enamored with only one lady and, dare I say, it's the Lady Frye herself. However, were he not completely devoted to you and I not to your beloved brother, I would make every attempt to mount and ride that stallion all night long."

By the time I was finished, she was almost falling over in a fit of laughter. Tears ran down her cheeks as she held her side. "Good God, Gwen. Your English is horrendous."

"I also do a horrible German, but I spit too much when I do." I patted her hand. "Thank you, Evie."

Wiping her face with her free hand, she replied, "I should thank you. I've never had someone I could speak with about these sorts of things. Jacob and Father were… uncomfortable with it."

"Sorry to tell you this, but it doesn't get any better in the future." We giggled just as there was a soft knock at the car door. Turning to see who it was, I watched Evie's smile widened when she saw Henry before waving him in and whispering, "Anytime you want to talk, let me know."

Her smile let me know she appreciated the gesture. "Good afternoon, Mr. Green."

"Miss Frye." His eyes never left her even as he acknowledged me. "Gwen."

"Always a pleasure to see you, Henry." I shot her a sly wink. "Any news on my wheel?"

"I'm afraid not." He held a notebook to his chest. "Perhaps a trip to Bodiam Castle is in order."

I nodded. "Good idea. Once London's safe, though."

"A wise decision." He adjusted the book. "However, I have found some additional information on the Shroud."

"That's my cue to leave." I stood and headed for the door he held open for me. Pausing beside him, I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Don't be such a stranger, Henry. It's always a pleasure to see you… And those eyes."

Before either of them could comment, I shut the door and made my way to the other car used by the Rooks. Thankfully, it was empty, giving me time to sit down and think about what had happened. Looking down at my clean hands, I was grateful the blood was gone. Whoever rinsed them must've been concerned I'd be upset if I woke up with them still smeared with another human being's blood.

It had to have been Jacob.

I closed my eyes and tried to drive the guilt away, but the taking of another life was devastation and I could still see his eyes pushing almost out of his skull as the knife plunged into him. While I knew Evie was right that my actions were justified, it didn't take away the remorse for what I'd done. It didn't matter that he would've killed me. The fact that I'd killed ate me up inside.

I couldn't understand how it was so easy to accept we have that power over others. We weren't Gods; we didn't deserve to make the choice of ending a life because it hadn't been ours to give. What I'd done made me feel like a monster and I hated it.

I thought about Evie and Jacob. They were assassins. The name alone meant that they were forced to hurt others. However, they did it to save humanity from an existence of slavery. What they did was because it was necessary; not because they wanted to. Like a soldier in battle, they didn't take pleasure in the task but accepted it was a task that needed to be done. They accepted the guilt because they knew it was the only way.

I suddenly felt like such a coward. The fact that I couldn't get over this meant that I didn't have the fortitude to try and save the world like they did. I was just a weakling who would rather be compliance than do what's hard to make things better.

Jacob deserved someone better than me. He deserved someone who could stand beside him and fight the villains that would suppress truth and goodness. He needed a follower player and not an NPC.

I realized it was time I remembered my place and stop trying to force my square peg into their round hole. Staring out the window as Victorian England slowly chugged passed it, I no longer regretted the life I'd taken but the one I'd tried to fit into.

"Oh, Jacob," I whispered into the gloomy English afternoon air. "I'm so sorry."

I went to bed that night without seeing Jacob again. Laying alone, I couldn't help but miss the feel of his body pressed against mine. His warm skin was like a protective shield that kept me safe even in my dreams and I missed being beside him; knowing he'd be there when I opened my eyes again.

When he didn't return the following day, I was beside myself. I couldn't keep myself from jumping every time a door opened, hoping it'd be him standing there with that arrogant smirk and a lewd comment that made me blush. He'd become a fixture in my life I didn't know how to function without. While I tried to keep my façade, I knew by the way everyone around me kept conversations light and cheerful I was a clear mess.

By the second day and no word, I was stark raving mad. With Evie and Henry following leads on the Shroud, I tried to be of some use to Agnes. Of course, she wanted nothing to do with me when she realized how little use I was. Talking to the other Rooks who came and went only ended with me demanding to know if they'd heard or seen Jacob and getting angry when they hadn't. I needed to get out, but more than that I needed to see Jacob and find out why he was avoiding me.

"I'm going to the Thistle," I told Evie when she and Henry returned, not even noticing the concern clearly written on their faces. "I'll be back late so don't wait up."

"He'll return when he's done brooding," Evie said, trying to soothe me. "He's just angry with himself for what happened."

"I'm the one who should be angry," I snapped, not intending to be rude. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself, then continued. "I'm sorry for being irritable, but if he cared about me he'd be here making sure I'm okay. He's being childish and I'm going to call him out on it."

"Evie's right, Gwen," Henry offered in his ever-patient way. "Jacob will be back soon."

"Well, I'm tired of waiting for him." Throwing on my coat and Jacob's top hat, which he'd left behind, I turned to leave. "I'll stay safe. I promise."

Getting off at the station, I made my way through the cool afternoon streets until I was standing outside the pub where he'd faced down the robbers. The images of men being killed, including the one I'd killed, flashed in my mind. Still, I refused to be dissuaded from my mission. If Jacob Frye was in there, I was going to find him and, for once, we were going to talk.

"Oi, Chip!" Martha called, waving me over as soon as I walked in. "Come join us."

I forced a smile and pushed through the crowded pub, acknowledging the other Rooks who were there. I could almost smell the blood spilled on the floor but reminded myself that what I was doing was more important than the memories of what happened.

"Heard ya bested the Blighter again," Rupert announced as he pulled up a chair and handed me a mug. "Dirty bastards."

I took a long drink, using the liquor to calm my shakiness. "I was just there. Jacob did all the work."

"Aw, ya too modest, Miss Gwen." He patted my back. "Heard ya gutted 'um like a fish."

"And stopped them from burning the place to the ground," Martha added.

I shrugged. "Like I said, Jacob did all the work."

"Then to Mr. Frye." She raised her mug. "The hero of every man. May he always have the biggest whore-pipe there is."

Martha!" Rupert scolded.

She lowered her eyes, embarrassed. "Sorry, Gwen."

"It's all right. I'm not the whore he's piping." When they laughed, I raised my mug. "She's right, though. To Jacob."

"To Jacob!" They cheered, smashing their mugs together and drinking them down.

"By the by, Miss Gwen, where's Mr. Frye been? Haven't seen him." Dan, who was also there with Martha and Rupert, asked.

I shrugged and stared down into my mug, trying to hide my breaking heart. "Don't know. I haven't seen him since the night the pub got robbed."

After a long silence, Rupert playfully clapped the table and stood up. "Well, then. Since he ain't here, I can have that dance. C'mon, Miss Gwen."

As he pulled me to my feet, I shook my head. "But I don't know how."

"Ah, don't be a thornback." He teased, playfully pulling me into the starting position. "Just follow me."

Giving in, I let him lead me around to the music for several dances until I was too winded to go on. Thanking him and relieved he'd lifted my mood somewhat, I sat down again as he tried to talk Martha into a dance. His insistence resulted in a lot of profanity and a threat to chop off his ballocks before he gave up. I couldn't help but laugh and enjoy the company of the Rooks I considered to be close friends, giving up all my anger and frustration for the sake of them.

I was listening to Rupert tell a story about his mother and father that had us all laughing hysterically when I felt like I was being watched. Turning to the door, I noticed the cloaked assassin standing there. His eyes were invisible under his hood and I could barely make out the stern look on his face, but I knew exactly who it was.

Instantly, he was gone and for a second I thought I'd imagined the whole thing. Still, I got up, bid goodnight to my friends, and went after him. Just outside the door, I caught sight of him a walking away at a quick but completely trackable pace. I followed, close enough to see him but not near enough to ensure if I called out he'd hear me. After about a block, he stopped at an intersection and waited until I caught up.

"Hey, you." I said cheerfully when I was behind him. "Where have you been?"

"Do you still want to go to Bodiam Castle?" He asked, his tone oddly emotionless, as he continued to face forward as if looking for something.

I laughed nervously. "Of course."

"Then be ready at first light." He started to leave. "Good night."

"Jacob, wait." I caught his arm, causing him to stiffen under my touch. "I'm not angry anymore. Can we talk, please?"

"There's nothing to discuss." He lowered his head. "You were right all along. You don't belong here."

"So that's it then?" Anger outweighed the tears I felt gathering and I fed on it and spit it back out on him. "You decide and I just go along with it? We're done then. Is that it? Because Jacob Frye says so."

"You don't understand."

"Like hell I don't!" I shouted, slapping his back when he wouldn't turn around and face me. "You're a bigger coward than I am. Not willing to face up to the person you said you care about for what? Because you saw me pass out? That's so much bullshit."

"I wronged you, Gwen. I won't let that happen again." He jerked his arm, which I hadn't even realized I was still holding, away. "I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about? You haven't done anything to me. You saved me. Can't you see that? And because of that, I…" I bit my lip, fighting the words that still tumbled out. "I love you."

"How can you?" He finally turned to look at me with those stormy green eyes that washed away the anger and brought tears to mine. "I'm not worthy of your love."

"Where the hell is this coming from?" I demanded.

"When we stopped the robbery, I watched you shatter when you –" He stopped. "I took your innocence. It's unforgivable."

"Oh, shut up." I wrapped my arms around his neck and drew him close. In response, he seized my waist and pressed our bodies together until I couldn't tell where he ended and I began. I covered his cheek with kisses as he buried his face in my neck. "You could never hurt me. You were protecting innocent people from the bad guys. What happened wasn't your fault. It was an accident and I can live with that."

"I couldn't live with myself if I caused you any pain." He tightened his embrace. "The look on your face…"

"Proves I'm not cut out to do what you do." I raised his head and pressed our forehead against each other. "You protect the world and I'm just lucky to be in it with you. You're a hero and I'm blessed to love someone as wonderful as you. And I do love you, Jacob Frye. I've loved you since the first time I kissed you and I think I'll love you for the rest of my life."

"Gwen, I –"

"Don't." I pressed my finger to his lips. "Don't say it back. Let's just go for a walk."

"In the park, perhaps?" He teased, the sorrow slowly replaced by a smirk I adored.

"Wherever you want just as long as we're together."

Lacing our fingers together, I led us down the street away from the noise of the pubs to the relative quiet of the evening. The subdued sounds were unusual for the busiest of the city and I moved closer to him for comfort.

He chuckled as he slipped his arm across my shoulder. "Scared of the dark?"

I bristled but didn't pull away. "Of course not. I'm with the most dangerous man in this city. The only thing I need to be afraid of is…" I trailed off.

"Me?" He stopped and looked into my eyes. "Are you afraid of me, Gwen?"

"Yes," I confessed. "But not because of who you are or what you do. I'm afraid of how you make me feel. That I'll never feel this way again."

"C'mon." He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a nearby alleyway.

"Stop dragging me around," I chided, letting myself get caught up in his enthusiasm anyway. Finally, he stopped between two nondescript buildings. "Where are we going?"

Without answering, he pulled me into his side, causing me to gasp from the sudden heat emanating from his body pressed so close to mine.

"Put your arms around me." He whispered, a twinkled in his eyes. Once Id wrapped my arms around his neck, he looked up as if gauging something before raising his free hand which carried his bracer.

"Jacob, no," I begged only seconds before we were propelled through the air. With barely enough time to bury my face in his chest, we soared through the night to the rooftop. The momentum of our ascent kept us going until our feet touched solid ground a short distance from the edge. My heart was pounding when he released. I staggered forward before righting myself; the rush of adrenaline crashing into me once I realized I was safe causing me to laugh.

"That was awesome!" I threw my arms around his neck again before I could stop myself. Panting, I looked into his eyes as our faces drew closer. Afraid, I quickly let go and turned away from him to admire the view. "You can see everything from up here."

"That's how I saw what was happening with the Blighters," he said matter-of-factually. "The night we met."

"You know, I never properly thank you for that." I turned to him, his eyes now cast in shadow from his hood. "Thank you, Jacob."

He shrugged, seeming unusually submissive. "I couldn't very well let you get hurt. You were innocent."

"Were?" I teased.

He smirked. "Relatively speaking, of course."

"It's so beautiful up here." I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to block out the chill. "I wish I could stay here forever."

"You don't have to leave." He voice was barely a whisper, but it carried across the rooftop louder than a yell.

"I wish that were true, but I have to go home. I don't belong here. You and I both know that."

"Would you stay? If we'd met under different circumstances." He crouched next to me as I sat down and tried to make myself comfortable. "If you weren't from the Twenty-first century and you were just another lady. Would you stay?"

I didn't even have to think about it. "Yes."

"Do you want to stay?"

I looked across nineteenth-century London. The smoke from the factories left a gray haze across the moon, fracturing the light into a million beams that spread like the haze itself. I could hear the steamships on the Thames, their deep baritone horns still calling out occasionally even so late at night. Beyond that, I could see houses, pubs and the lives of a million people who had been so much like me before my adventure began. Now, they – and my life before – seemed small and distant.

Still, it was what I knew and was comfortable. The idea of staying frightened me to the core not only because of what I'd left behind but because of what I could have.

Glancing over my shoulder, I gave him the most honest answer I could. "I need to go home."

"But what do you want?" He asked, more insistently.

"I want to go home." I lowered my eyes so he wouldn't see it was a lie. "Where I belong."

"Can't say I'm surprised." He sighed as he stared across the rooftops. "I suppose I'd feel the same way."

I looked up at him. "Are you disappointed?"

He shrugged. "Yes."

"Don't be. Be glad to be rid of me." I bumped my shoulder again his. "Nobody to take care of. Nobody getting in your way. Your life will be normal again. Relatively speaking."

He shrugged again. "I suppose so."

"Jacob." I reached out and placed my hand over his, causing him to finally look at me. The sadness in his eyes cut me to the quick. "If it were different, I'd stay with you forever. I promise I would."

He looked down at our joined hands then back up at me, his eyes resting fully on my lips before meeting mine. "We leave in the morning."

I nodded. "Only a few hours away."

"But tonight…" His voice deepened as he trailed off.

I licked my lips as my eyes darted between his lips and eyes. I knew what he was thinking, mainly because I was thinking the same thing, but knew we shouldn't. Leaving him would kill me if we crossed the one line we'd never gone over. I needed him to understand that the feelings I had would be solidified if we went any further.

"Jacob –"

He closed the miniscule distance between us as he pressed his mouth to mine. I could taste the whiskey as his tongue passed over my lips and invade me. I happily accepted as he intensified the kiss by wrapping my hair around his hand to draw me in deeper. His tongue grazed my teeth before caressing my pallet, causing me to let out a whimpering moan. Slowly, he drew back and rested our foreheads together with a sneer.

"I've wanted to do that for so long. Funny how it never seemed right until just now." His voice resonated against my skin, causing me to shutter. "But now that I've had a taste, I only want more."

"We shouldn't do this," I said even as my hands reached for the lapel of his coat. "It'll make it harder for me to leave."

He chuckled as he playfully nipped at my lower lips. "Seems only fair, darling. Since you make everything hard on me."

Catching his reference, I was about to scold him for being crude but his kiss silenced any argument I might've made. Slowly, he eased forward, causing me to lean back until I was laying on the rooftop staring up at him.

"Now, what do we have here?" He teased, leaning back on his heels to look me over. He held up his bracer and shot the blade up with a wicked grin. "A gift? For me?"

"Don't tease me." I managed in a breathless whisper as he eased the blade to the valley between my breasts. "I need you, Jacob."

He stared into my eyes, complete earnestness looked back at me. "I want you to remember no matter what happens, where we go from here, I never want you to shed a single tear because of me. I'd never hurt you. Do you trust me to keep my words?"

Without a moment's hesitation, I nodded. "I trust you."

He smiled as he took the tip of his blade and sliced through the corset bindings; the razor-sharp steel making little work of them. Please with himself, he grinned. "Much better. Now, where were we?"

I laughed as I reached for him. Grabbing the back of his neck, I pulled him in for another long kiss. Once again, his tongue pillaged my mouth and took what he wanted. With oue shared passions rising, I felt the air become stiflingly thick. Pushing out of my coat while our lips stayed locked, I felt himremoveg his as well. Outerwear fell beside us until we were only in our shirts and trousers. For a long time, we explored each other while still dressed.

He lowered his mouth, raking his teeth along my jaw as he let out a guttural grown that made me smile. Teasing, I pulled his hair to bring his face to mind. "Hungry, Jacob?"

He made a display of licking his lips, ending in a massive lip pop. "Famished, darling."

"Not yet." I propped myself on my elbows before sitting up so I could push him back. "First, dessert."

He seemed confused as I forced him down in front of me, but intrigued by my forthrightness. Placing his hands behind his head as he laid down, he watched as I slowly opened the first few buttons of his shirt before placing several kisses long his collar bone. Another guttural growl escaped his lips and, in the heat of the moment, he reached for my head to bring me back for another kiss.

"Not yet. Right now, I want to take care of you." I teased as I continued my descent along his chest, opening the path as I journeyed his body at a leisurely pace. When I finally reached his waist, I raised my eyes. Even in the low lighting, they were dark with need. Seeing him fighting for restraint, I gripped his belt and pulled it loose.