Sorry for the delay! Finals are starting so I had less time to write! Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! And thanks again for the reviews! :)

It seemed as though the world had stopped for a second. Everyone paused in their work to acknowledge the scream. Ahmet sat up straight on his cushion, dropping his shisha pipe in the process. The smoke filtered out his nostrils as he looked around the room for another apprentice. He walked out of the empty room, a frown upon his brow. He had an idea as to what the scream was but he needed to be sure; he needed to find Halimah. He marched down the corridors, square shoulders held high and eyes darting from one corner to the other. If he would've really wanted the truth and nothing but the truth, he knew he could simply head to the mentor's study and ask him, but he didn't want that. A trainee peeked out of his room, sleep still apparent in his eyes.

"Brother, what is going on? I heard a scream; is someone in danger?" The man asked as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his gruff hands.

"Peace brother. No one is in immediate danger, you can go rest."

The younger man nodded and closed his door, leaving Ahmet alone with his thoughts. With long and confident strides he reached Halimah's room. He didn't bother knocking and entered, arms crossed over his chest.

"What happened?" he asked, a hint of irritation in his low voice.

Halimah turned around, visibly startled by his sudden appearance. She quickly averted her gaze from his scar that shone in the candlelight.

"The Templar girl… She got her vision back and she saw… She saw her markings…" She said in a defeated voice as she made small gesture with her hands. The woman shook her head in desolation. "Let's just say things didn't go over smoothly…"

Ahmet nodded in agreement. He had seen the girl's hands when Ezio carried her out to safety. He had seen those mangled fingers, the distorted skin… He sighed and sat down next to Halimah. He didn't know why but something compelled him to stay next to the woman, something urged him to comfort her. He hated it. It wasn't like him. He shouldn't be feeling this, not after what she had done to him.

"What now?" He asked after a long silence.

His voice seemed to echo in the small room and thicken the air they breathed. The small woman sighed and fiddled with her hands.

"I truly do not know… Mentor said we would only keep her until she got healthier, but now that she is, it seems as if… As if she is more damaged than ever…"

Halimah hugged her legs and leaned her forehead on her knees.

"Sometimes I think we should've left her in darkness, not give her her vision back…" she whispered with a voice trembling with shame. She couldn't believe she had said those words out loud. Ever since she had seen the girl's face drop, that thought had raced through her mind a thousand times. If it would have saved the girl from torment, should they have withheld the cure? If, in the end, it was for the greater good, should they have left her the way she was?

Ahmet looked at her with strange eyes. Part of him, the part of his soul that was red with anger and hurt, wanted him to berate her, ask her how she could say such a thing. He wanted to shake her from by the shoulders and ask how she thought it was alright for her to impose so much in others' lives. But he simply stared at her, knowing full well he wouldn't, couldn't, do it. Just like that night in the Templar hideout. He couldn't do anything else, even if he had tried to fight it, he knew the outcome would always have been the same. There was something deep within him the stirred when he was around her, something tugging at the fabric that constituted him. He hated it and he hated her for it. But each time he told himself that, he loathed that all he heard were lies.

"I'm so sorry Ahmet… Sorry for everything…" she whimpered in a broken voice. Halimah always felt like her apologies were never enough. There was something that shone in his dark eyes, something that wasn't there before that night, which both attracted and scared Halimah. She wondered more than once what Ahmed would do to her if consequences were subtracted from the equation of life. Every time she asked herself that, she always came up with different answers.

Ezio paced his study like a caged animal for the last hour or so. The urge to go in the girl's room was nagging at him like an itch he couldn't scratch. It was driving him insane. He looked at the floor, trying to concentrate on the tapestry and its intricate patterns. He twisted his fingers behind his back and sighed as he cast his gaze heavenwards to the cracked stone ceiling. If he squinted hard, he was sure he could find a secret map leading to the Garden of Eden in the grooves of the dark grey stone. He mused on the whimsical idea for a short time before continuing his pacing.

"Ezio if you walk anymore on that poor rug you will wear it out to the center of the earth!" exclaimed Yusuf as he entered the room, a large smile hanging on his damaged lips.

Ezio acknowledged the man with a small nod and watched as Yusuf flung himself on his leather armchair.

"What's got you so upset arkadaşım?"

Ezio walked towards him, a hand on his forehead and the other on his hip. He didn't know why it distressed him as it did; he only knew it did.

"It's the 'Templar girl'… She saw for the first time her…" Ezio trailed as he gestured his hand

"Oh…" was all Yusuf managed to say as he cast his glance to the floor. "What do you think happened to her anyways?"

Ezio sighed once more and noted that he had taken up the habit of doing so very frequently.

"I do not know… All I can say is it looks like it was fire or heat but that's as far as my diagnosis can go…"

Yusuf nodded in agreement. "She must be from out of Constantinople then."

Ezio perked up, brown eyes shining with interest.

"How would you know?"

"There haven't been any major fires since at least 5 years and from the looks of her scars they seem pretty recent. If they would've been older, they would be more… faded." Said Yusuf as he did a small gesture of his hand

"But what if she moved here only a couple of months ago?"

"Meh, I don't know… I was just putting ideas out." Yusuf said nonchalantly

His friend's ability to pass from one emotion to the next would've normally struck Ezio as suspicious but he knew the old Turk meant no harm to anyone... Anyone who wasn't Templar that is.

"I should go check to see if she's faring well." Said Ezio after a short pause

"When you come back I have news for you that you must hear."

Ezio nodded and strode out of his room, his cape flying behind his armor-clad shoulders. The walk seemed unnaturally long, as if the corridors were stretching into never-ending halls. He finally arrived at the wooden door and stopped for a moment. He wasn't sure if he should see her. She had made her choice clear enough. But he couldn't leave her alone, not after what happened. She needed comfort. He was certain of it. The door squeaked loudly as he pushed it in. She was in her usual position, in her usual spot. Her back was against the column and her legs were neatly crossed under her frame. This time, her hands were hidden away in a fold of her white dress. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly agape. Ezio sat down next to her in silence and stayed there next to her in silence. He wasn't sure if she was asleep but hoped that if she was he hadn't woken her. He looked more closely at her and noticed she was shivering, trembling in the pleats of her gown. He could almost feel waves of emotions, mixed feelings, shedding off of her. He did the only thing he could do and gently placed his hand on her shoulder like he had done many times before. She didn't open her eyes but her face wrinkled as tears started trailing down her face. Without warning she threw herself in his arms, trying to evade the growing darkness, the mounting fear in her.

In his arms, she felt like no harm could befall her. He kept her safe in his arms, towering over her like a benevolent spirit. He could feel her heart beating wildly against his chest as she shook with every sob.

"I'm so scared Ezio… I'm so… scared…" she managed to squeeze out of her throat between cries.

She repeated that phrase a couple of times, each time tightening her grip on his armor. He tentatively placed his free hand on her head but it somewhat felt wrong. He removed his hand, as if shocked. He didn't dwell upon the matter and simply placed his hand around her back, supporting her.

"Tu sei al sicuro … con me." He whispered in his low, lulling voice.

Do you guys have any clues as to what happened between Ahmet and Halimah? What do you think of Ezio's and the girl's relation? Let me know in the reviews!