The meal that evening was eaten in silence, Paige still feeling foolish about her actions toward Connor and Connor stating that he needed to catch up on his ledger work. As she cleaned the table and Connor retreated into the office near the front of the house, Paige's attention was drawn to movement outside the window. She rested a drying plate on the table and leaned closer to the pane…nothing. She still felt jumpy and on edge, but seeing the candlelight glimmering from down the hall was a comfort, Connor was not far away. He was too far away though to stop the rock that came soaring through the window, barely missing Paige's head. The spray of glass drew Connor's attention as he grabbed Paige and literally threw her out of the room. Several gunshots echoed off the walls as several men climbed through the broken window. Paige cowered in a corner and watched. Connor's movements were fluid and brutal. He wielded blades on his wrists, drenching the floor in blood. The gurgling sound of men choking on their own life before they even hit the floor rang in harmony with the scraping of metal on metal. Within minutes the battle was over, five men were either in their final death throes or already dead, drowned in their own blood. Connor's heavy breathing was the only sound, but Paige could swear she heard a gentle splattering on the floor from his weapons. She was unable to move from where she huddled until she saw Connor stagger and lurch toward the table for support. She rushed to his side, ignoring the bodies littering the floor, slipping on the gore.
"Connor!" In the dim light all she saw were dark stains on this clothing and could not tell what was his and what wasn't. A groaning from behind her caught her attention as one of the dying men tottered in their direction, finding strength in the end to try and take someone else with him. Without thinking, Paige grabbed the knife on the table and stabbed the man through the neck, screaming as she hit muscle, sinew, and finally bone. The man dropped to the floor joining his comrades in death. Paige stood still turning her sticky hands over in front of her, in disbelief of what she had just done.
"Dr. White…" Connor growled against the pain. Paige ran for the door and bolted outside to Dr,. White's home. She ran like she was being chased, tears streaming behind her. The darkness swallowed her whole, but she moved through it like a ship at full sail. She slammed into the door of her destination, pounding on the wood like one mad. She was still berating the door when it opened and she nearly fell into the house. Panting, she was able to get enough words out to have Dr. White moving as fast as her. Her raucous brought the attention of Norris and Big Dave who were loitering on the road after leaving the inn from a night of drinking. They railed to her side, assisting her in standing so out of breath she was and on the brink of a fit. Dr. White instructed for one of them to find Diana, while he collected some medical supplies and jumped on a horse. Big Dave ran back to the house with her, doing his best to calm her down, repeating that Connor was going to be fine and that she was also going to be fine. She felt so lightheaded and fear of finding Connor dead on the floor was more than she could handle, she began crying and slowing her pace. She started wailing and becoming hysterical. Big Dave took firm hold of her shoulders and forced her to look at him.
"Paige, I've seen Connor do some things I thought no man could do. Even injured, he can still take down a bear." She choked on her tears while whipping her nose on her dress sleeve. Big Dave was right and she knew it, she had just seen him take down five men and he was still recovering from that horrid wound. She nodded to him and he gave her a gentle slap on the shoulder as they ran up the front steps.
"Connor!" Dave shouted as he burst through the front door. Connor was sitting on the bottom steps of the staircase, leaning heavily on his knees. Even in the hazy darkness, it was obvious he was wounded, as he swayed to stay upright. Paige knelt next to him and took his hand; the other still gripped his tomahawk fiercely. Dr. White was not far behind with Diana. Paige scooted out of the way as the two came to Connor's aid. Dr. White asked Big Dave to help Connor get upstairs. The blacksmith hoisted Connor off the steps and draped the wounded man's arm across his shoulders. Connor complained loudly in groans and heavy, tense breathing. Slowly, the group ascended the stairs and entered Connor's room. Dr. White ordered more candles to be brought in and lit as he instructed Big Dave to sit Connor on the edge of the bed so he could be easily undressed. Paige helped Diana gather candles as Connor's verbal objections became louder and more irate. As Paige dug though drawers and cabinets for candle holders, Dr. White began calling for Diana. Weighed down by candles, the woman made her way back to the bedroom with Paige in tow. Big Dave was holding Connor upright as Dr. White was struggling to remove his weapons. Connor was attempting to explain how to remove the blades on his wrists, but he was in an injured stupor and was having difficulty explaining. Paige rested the candles she had found on a chair and came to their assistance. She knelt in front of Connor and began unfastening his bracers. She forced herself to ignore the blood splatter on his hands and clothes. Dr. White gave her a pat on the shoulder in thanks and began unbuckling the rest of Connor's gear. She stepped away with his blades in hand and placed them against the wall and when Dr. White began passing her his other weapons and gear, she gathered them together and placed them out of the way. Connor's painful outbursts drew her attention and she stood at a fearful distance at the foot of his bed. Dr. White was slowly pulling Connor's coat off and a wound in his shoulder was giving him grief. Paige felt a rush of déjà vu as Dr. White began unbuttoning Connor's shirt and easing that off of him as well. He tossed the stained clothing onto the floor and with Diana's assistance, maneuvered Connor onto his back. Paige pulled her gaze off the injured man and began lighting the candles and placing them around the room for more light. The room illuminated Connor's prostrate form as Dr. White sat on the bed next to him and examined his wounds. Diana thanked Big Dave and politely asked him to leave so as to not disturb Dr. White. As the blacksmith glanced worriedly at Connor from the doorway, he gave Paige an encouraging nod and made his way heavily down the stairs.
"Diana did you bring clean towels? I need to get this bleeding under control." Dr. White stated, grabbing a towel from Diana's outstretched hand and pressing it firmly into Connor's shoulder. Connor's grimace was excruciatingly obvious as he turned his head toward the wound and raised his hand to stop Dr. White.
"Connor, relax." Diana took his arm and held it against her. She began to speak in hushed tones to him to keep his mind off the injury. Paige watched as he flinched and his jaw muscles bulged against the pain. She felt helpless as the stains of red on the bed began to grow.
"He's been shot, Diana bring my tools over here I need to get the bullet out." Dr. White sounded irritated as Diana complied quickly to his request. The clinking of metal could be heard through the leather bag Diana carried over to the bed. Dr. White instructed her to keep pressure on the wound as he spread the metal instruments on the bed.
"Paige dear, find something hard for Connor to bite down on please." Diana asked softly, her voice barely audible under Connor's vocal complaints. As Paige looked around the room, her eyes continually strayed to him. The blankets under his shoulder were soaked with blood and he was drenched in sweat. His eyelids were blinking rapidly as though he was trying to stay awake. Dr. White had removed the bandaging covering Connor's older wound and was examining it delicately as he waited for Paige. She peered over and saw Connor squeezing his eyes tight against the pain and wringing the bed clothes in his fist. Spurred on by his agony, Paige found a piece of wood in the fireplace and offered it to Diana who nodded in approval.
"Bite down Connor." She said in a motherly tone as she mopped the sweat from his brow. As he took the wood between his teeth, Diana gently turned his head away from the wound and placed an alcohol bottle in Dr. White's waiting hand.
"Paige I will need your assistance. Please help Diana hold him down as best you can, she will handing me tools and won't be able to control him very well. He will be in intense pain, do not be afraid." He gave her an encouraging smile and turned his attention to his task. The first scream Connor attempted to muffle indicated Dr. White had begun to dig into the wound searching for the bullet. He arched his neck as the tendons seemed to want to burst out of him. His whole body tensed, his muscles flexing as he fought with himself to try and be as still as possible. He roared again as Paige swore she could hear the wood in his mouth cracking. She didn't need to restrain me as much as she would have thought, he knew he had to keep as still as possible. Dr. White was practically sitting on his legs with Diana stationed at his head within reach of the medical tools and towels to seep up blood that seemed to be bubbling from Connor's shoulder. Paige held a hand to his good shoulder and his wrist. She had been wary to hold his hand for fear he would crush hers. The bed shook with his torment as Dr. White continued to excavate the hole. The jingle of metal shards hitting the floor was the only indication that any progress was being made. Paige was applying pressure to his wrist in circular motions to try and keep his mind off the surgery. She could hear Dr. White talking to Diana, but Paige was trying to ignore what was happening as much as Connor was and she secretly had hoped he would faint to spare himself the torture.
"Almost done Connor…you're doing so good, it's almost over."Diana said leaning over him. He was gasping for air, his chest heaving, each breath bringing a grimace to his already pain twisted face. Paige felt her stomach turn as she glimpsed blood soaked metal tools being passed from Dr. White to Diana and vise versa. Connor began moaning softly and only breaks in his groaning indicated that Dr. White was probing the wound. Paige risked taking his hand in hers. She slowly lifted his sweat soaked appendage to her chest and held it against her heart. His eyes blinked open and she could see he was trying to focus on her. She smiled as she grabbed one of the unsoiled towels and cleaned some sweat and blood from his face. She held his attention for the remainder of the procedure and it was only broken when Diana carefully removed the wooden piece from between Connor's teeth. Even in the swift movement Diana performed, the indents could be seen clearly. Paige looked over at Dr. White, who was bandaging the shoulder, surprised that he had finished.
"You're going to be fine Connor, the bullet didn't break up too much and there was no shattering of the bone." He paused to glance at Connor, who was weakly turning his head in Dr. White's direction. Diana was collecting the blood marinated towels and wrapping Dr. White's instruments within them for later scrubbing. Dr. White began talking to Paige, explaining that Connor needed to be observed carefully and how often the bandaging needed to be changed and the wound tended to. She half listened as she watched Connor. He had tilted his head in her direction but he was no longer awake, the slow rise and fall of his chest clearly indicated he had either fainted or fallen asleep. The candlelight reflected the glistening sweat on his skin and the flecks of blood that still lingered around his wound. Diana was carefully removing the saturated sheets from under Connor. Her movements slightly disturbed Connor, which broke Paige's concentration. She stood to help Diana, who shooed her away, insisting Paige should sit. As she settled back onto the bedside Dr. White entered her field of vision as he checked Connor's breathing and pulse. He scrutinized the unconscious man, before speaking again,
"Paige, I will stay here tonight. I want you to get some rest."
"Can I sleep in here?" She was hesitant to ask but she still felt terrified, the events of that night were still fresh and those men's bodies downstairs were as well. She did not want to be alone.
"Of course." He replied sympathetically. He motioned to Diana, who guided Paige out of the room and into her own. The older woman closed the door behind her and grabbed a cloth near the wash basin. She dragged a chair over and had Paige sit down. She cleaned the girl of all the evidence that something gruesome had happened while talking about Connor to keep her mind off the more unpleasant incident.
"Connor did well in there. I've helped Dr. White on similar patients; they fuss and yell much more." She smiled as she helped Paige remove her boots.
"What is Dr. White doing in there now? Will Connor really be fine? What about the men…the people downstairs?" She couldn't hide the panic in her voice, Connor had saved her again and she felt dependant on him. She needed him.
"Cleaning him up and trying to make him more comfortable. Dr. White makes me leave sometimes after helping him with a male patient. Especially if the man fainted like Connor did. It's rare but he's just trying to protect Connor's privacy. Norris and Dave will help, it's fine dearie, don't fret." Paige felt the heat rise in her face and tried to hide it by unfastening her dress. She felt Diana touch her shoulder in understanding and compassion.
"I am fine, thank you for….everything."
"We look after own, dear and you are one of us." Diana stated helping Paige clean the blood off of herself and dressing in her night clothes. She was thankful again for Diana, the woman was kindly to her like Elizabeth and Gerald had been. How much did Connor tell these people about her? She didn't care; she was more than grateful for their kindness and welcoming reception. She felt like a lost lamb that had finally been reunited with its flock. Yet, she knew she was still fragile and what happened that night did not help. She was broken and cracked, but the people on the homestead seemed to know that and were extra careful. They wanted to aid her, to ease the process of repairs.
After gathering some extra blankets and pillows, Diana and Paige returned to Connor's room. The door was closed, but once Diana knocked and opened it slightly inquiring about entering, Dr. White said it was fine. He had cleaned up Connor and positioned him in the center of the bed. Gone was the layer of sweat he had worn earlier, as well as the rest of his clothes. Paige felt herself blushing deeply upon seeing the side of his hip poking out from under the blankets. His shoulder was more heavily wrapped and his arm was resting across his rib cage. His older wound was no longer covered, Paige noticed as she strayed over to his side. He looked much more peaceful and relaxed and she found herself smiling.
"Paige?" She jumped slightly at her name being spoken. Dr. White was standing behind her and he immediately apologized for startling her. Diana was near the wall directly across from the bed setting up a makeshift bed on the floor. When she glanced back at the doctor, she noticed he was looking at her intently.
"How are you feeling?" He reached for her arm as though he feared she might be dizzy. She was actually surprised that she was not more in shock. After Boston she had basically shut down and she still did not know how long she had been lying in that bed. Had she become accustomed to tragedy so quickly? She assumed it was because Connor would be fine and that she was being taken care of. She explained to Dr. White she felt fine and was only tired. He gave her a skeptical look but accepted her answer. She settled into the nest of blankets Diana had constructed and rolled to her side to watch Connor sleep. Dr. White was conversing with Diana in a muted tone; he motioned to Connor several times before Diana nodded and left the room. Dr. White then proceeded to snuff all the candles save the one on the small table next to the bed. He picked up a chair and sat it next to the bed within reach of Connor. As light vanished from the room, Paige found herself staring at the wavering shadows on the wall, these specters danced to the candle's illumination. The waltz was like a gentle lullaby, easing her into sleep.
She woke to find herself standing in Connor's room. As she slowly pirouetted she noticed the bed was empty and daylight was slowly invading the room. Paige noticed that she was wearing a dress and not her night clothes. As she was staring confused at the outfit, a pair of arms encircled her waist and the warmth of someone's breath stroked her neck before their lips tickled her hairline and then pressed firmly to her. She yielded, craning her neck to allow the kisser more access to her craving flesh. Paige shivered as the lips lightly waltzed up and down her neck; one of the hands abandoned her waist and pulled on the collar of her dress. She quickly yanked at the buttons, feeling the thread give way and the tapping sound at the fastenings hit the floor. She leaned into the kisses that were being planted against her neck and now her exposed shoulder. Reaching an arm behind her, she grabbed a fistful of her companion's hair at the nap of the neck and pushed their head forward, forcing their mouth harder against her flesh. Paige glanced briefly at the hand at her waist as it pulled her tighter backwards, she recognized those dark-skinned hands; Connor. She could the tearing of material as Connor ripped her dress down her shoulder and arm. His hands cupped her cloth-covered breasts and squeezed them in his palms in motion with her breathing. He began to nibble on her lust-enflamed skin and suddenly one hand left her chest and grasped her hair and forced her neck to ankle backwards, giving him complete access to the soft tissue of her collar. Like a vampire, he began to suck on her skin while he continued to feel the soft curves of her chest. Paige was paralyzed by Connor's touch, even though he began to handle her roughly. He tore at her bodice, demanding access to her naked breasts. He wrestled with her clothing, finally winning. He held a breast in each hand as he urged her toward the bed. Connor was delicately rubbing her body as he slipped her dress off around her hips and lifted her to help her step out of it completely. Free of her clothes, Connor began to undress himself. Paige turned around to face him and took of his hands. She placed them at his sides and began to leisurely open his shirt. She noticed the absence of all of his weapons, making it much easier to undress him. She untucked his shirt from his belt and opened it enough to see the sides of his pectoral muscles. She slithered her hand inside his open shirt and began to feel the ripples of his muscles. She pressed a palm against each side his rib cage and allowed her hands to gently rise with each breath he inhaled; the slow expansion of his body. She moved her hands to his chest, spreading his shirt open farther. His firm nipples rested against the flat center of her hands. She could feel the quickened beat as he lifted his own hands and placed them over hers. Escaping his grasp, she wrapped her arms around him, sliding her arms under the back of his shirt as the bare flesh of her naked body grazed his. The cool metal and supple leather of his belt pressed to her body made her feel protected; she was clothed in his body. As their skin touched, he lifted her to his lips and smothered her mouth with his own. She could feel his trousers struggling to contain his excitement and she broke the kiss to release him. He stood still and watched her unbuckle his belt and unwrap his red sash to reveal his erect manhood. She helped him step out of his pants and as she stood she felt him brush up against her and the sharp gasp as she rubbed herself against his tip. With her fingers spread wide, she ran her palms from his abdomen to his shoulders, separating clothes from skin. As his shirt and jacket slumped to the floor he scooped her up by her behind and laid her on the bed. He was upon her instantly, flipped her over on her hands and knees. He reached underneath her to caress her hanging breast and yielding nipples. She craved his touch as he journeyed along her sides and then to her back. He applied pressure to her spine, bending her head toward the bed. He took a handful of her hip and pulled her fiercely against him. He traced her shape before delicately opening her thighs slightly. She bit her bottom lip to suppress a groan as he entered her. He lingered inside her, relishing the warm tightness. Connor leisurely pulled out of her, savoring each taste of her body against him. She couldn't contain herself any longer and she cried out in pleasure….
"Paige? Paige?! Wake up!" The blankets flew around her flailing arms like leaves tossed in a violent wind. She sat up in a panic and saw Dr. White kneeling next to her with a look of shock on his face. She sat in her pile of comforters and sheets and tried to slow her breathing. Diana was standing in the doorway with a concerned look on her face. Connor still lay in his bed, presumably sleeping, Paige couldn't tell from where she sat.
"I am fine…" She said just realizing how sweaty she was. The morning sun was already thawing out the awkward mood in the room, as Paige rose and began to collect the pallet into a neat and folded pile.
"Are you sure? Your sleep appeared…troubled." Dr. White said standing next to her as she organized her make-shift bed.
"I…was having a strange dream. I am well." She reassured him. Diana seemed to visibly sigh in relief and commented that she would finish making breakfast and bring some up for everyone. Paige moved to assist her, but Dr. White touched her shoulder to stop her.
"Rest, much has happened recently. I would feel more at ease if you took everything slow. I would like if you could help me with Connor. I need to clean and apply a fresh bandage to the wound." She followed him to the bed and leaned over hesitantly. Connor was sleeping deeply, his chest rose and fell slowly.
"His sleep was relatively undisturbed. He did try to move which caused him some pain but Diana was sitting with him when that happened and she was able calm him down. I am going to have to wake him now, unfortunately." Dr. White sat on the bed and pulled the blanket down to Connor's abdomen and studied the older injury on his side. It was pink, swollen and coated in scab tissue. Paige winced just looking at it and took a step away from the bed. He seemed satisfied that it was healing well he placed a hand on Connor's good shoulder which he shook gently as he spoke his name.
"Connor, I need you to wake up for me. Open your eyes Connor." He repeated himself several times before receiving a response. Connor moaned low in his throat and began to furrow his brow. He rolled his head on the pillow a few times before blinking his eyes open. Almost instantly he winced in pain and as his lips parted he moaned loudly.
"Easy Connor, Paige call for Diana, he's in more pain than I thought." Paige dashed from the room and raced down the stairs, while calling for Diana over the banister. Without waiting to see if she followed, Paige ran back up the steps to the bedroom. Dr. White had gotten Connor to sit up in that short amount of time and was preparing some bandages. Connor was leaning forward on his legs, watching Paige and then Diana enter the room, his eyes like that of a wounded and caged animal ready to lash out even at those who would help. His breathing was heavy and each inhale brought a spasm of agony to his face.
"Diana if you could sit behind him, assist him in sitting up. Paige when I ask, you will need to hand me a cloth soaked with the contents of that bottle over there." He absently pointed at the small table next to Connor's bed. Diana sat behind Connor, grabbing a cloth to mop the sweat off his forehead. She offered some words of encouragement and placed her hands gently against his back for support. Paige picked up a towel near the bottle, uncorked it, and drenched the cloth in its contents. She stood ready as Dr. White, slowly unraveled the dressing, exposing the blood doused layers of bandage. He held Connor's forearm as he striped his shoulder bare and studied the wound. He held his free hand out to Paige who quickly handed him the cloth. Before pressing it to the wound he began asking Connor a few questions, if he could move his fingers, how he felt, how the injury felt and Paige realized he was trying to keep Connor's mind off what he was about to do. A sharp hiss escaped Connor's mouth mid-sentence and he growled low in his chest. Paige found herself digging her nails into the palms of her hands as Connor continued to be quite vocal about how much pain he was in. Dr. White tossed the used cloth on the floor by the dirty bandages and began to swathe the injury in fresh bindings. He continued talking to Connor, explaining the wound could take some time to heal and that he wanted to man to rest as much as possible. Connor seemed to be half listening, his head was turned away from Dr. White and he was staring at the floor.
"Connor?" Diana asked as she rose from behind him and came to his side. He didn't answer her. His breathing was slow and deep and he bent his head away from her inquiring gaze. Dr. White noticed as he hurriedly finished his work on the wound and instructed Diana to help him lay Connor back on the bed. With much cringing and grunts, Connor was again resting. He closed his eyes in relief as Dr. White checked how secure the dressing was and Diana cleaned the floor free of soiled bandages. Paige remained standing next to the bed until Dr. White broke her concentration.
"Paige?"
"May I sit with him?" She asked shyly. He gave her a warm smile and nodded.
"I'll bring some food up for you both dearie." Diana whispered as she closed the door behind her. Alone with Connor, she didn't know what to do. Paige hovered awkwardly by his bedside and finally decided to quietly drag a chair next to him and sit down. As she settled into the seat she glanced at Connor, who was staring at her. He looked exhausted. Startled by his gaze, she looked away.
"Are you…well?" He spoke with exertion, the pain of his injuries quite apparent. She nodded before replying with a simple yes. She gave him a side-ways glance and saw he was no longer looking at her, but at the ceiling instead.
"I am glad." He sighed.
"Thank you Connor." She wasn't sure what else to say to him. He had saved her twice and took her into his home. She felt embarrassed suddenly, as though she was afraid he knew about the dreams she had been having ever since she met him. When he took her hand and held it, she nearly jumped out of her seat from shock.
"You do not need to thank me…"
. . .
After several months of recovery, Connor was finally feeling like himself again. The wound in his side stung occasionally, reminding him of his success and at the same time his failures. His people were gone, the land in the hands of those who did not appreciate it and who raped it continuously. It was a sad truth that he wrestled with daily. He found solace in the fact that, at least for now, the Templar threat had been consumed by the flames of his rage and his optimistic belief in freedom. He found himself spending more time on the homestead and Paige was a welcome companion in the home. It had felt barren and cold since Achilles had passed, but Paige brought life back into its walls. She was a blossoming flower. The once timid and awkward girl, had become a confident and self-sufficient young woman, excelling under Dr. White's tutelage and learning all she could from the other people of the homestead. They had welcomed her without question. Like many of them, a troubled and dark past had brought her there and that was more than enough for her to belong. Connor was thankful she never questioned his absences or when she needed to tend to his minor injuries. She had told him once that she did not need to know what he did or where he went, she was thankful he had helped her and given her a place to call home. She knew what he did was dangerous and she told him she knew about the basement, but she had given him a good reason to keep her uninformed; the more she knew the more danger she might be in at some point. He had told her, just knowing him could be hazardous, but she had shrugged it off having full confidence in his abilities.
Paige did feel like she had grown during the time she had been assisting Connor with his recovery. Gone were the dreams she had been experiencing, in their place was a fondness and respect for him; he felt more like an older brother than anything else. She was happy at the homestead and she felt safe again…she felt like she was home.