I do not own any Assassin's Creed characters except for James and Moira Haywood!

April 1866

Moira turned the page of her book as she let her imagination run wild with the story unfolding. Moira was in her bed, happily reading the book that Jacob had given her. She had read it nearly five times now and couldn't put it down. She loved it so much and thought it was absolutely wonderful. She was broken out of her reading by the sound of pebbles against her window. Quirking a brow, she hopped out of bed and went towards the window to open it. She saw a figure on the lawn but recognized that it was Jacob.

"Jacob, what are you doing? Moira asked as she leaned out of the window to get a better look at him. He had his hood up so she couldn't see his face, "Why are you out so late?"

"That doesn't matter," Jacob replied hastily as he waved his hands in front of him, "I need your help."

"What did you do this time?" Moira sighed leaning on her arms.

"A fight happened," Jacob replied.

"Let me guess, you need to be patched up or else Evie and your father will pitch a fit?" Moira asked drumming her fingers on the window.

"I would be lying if I said you weren't right," he answered with a chuckle.

She rolled her eyes and sighed again, "Get your arse up here."

She stepped back into her room and grabbed a box of medical supplies from her vanity. She turned to see Jacob coming through her window and approach her. Placing the medical supplies down, she began to look him over to see where he was hurt.

"My, you look lovely this evening in that nightgown," Jacob replied trying to be smooth as he removed his hood, "Violet is definitely your color."

Moira looked up him and placed her hands on her hips, "Again, what did you do this time?"

"What makes you think I did something?" Jacob asked in a hurt tone.

Moira gave him an annoyed look and he rolled his eyes, "For once I didn't start the brawl. Some sod was sore after I won all his money at the pub. The lads I was with began to get rough with the bloke's mates which resulted in a huge fight. The bastard fought dirty and stuck me with a knife."

"Were you trying to start up another gang, Jacob?" Moira asked exasperated.

She knew how much Jacob wanted to start his own gang so they could show who was boss in Crawley. Of course, every time he tried to start a gang, it didn't end well and sometimes even a disaster while he didn't come out unscathed. Jacob told her about the scar that is on his left cheek due to a brawl his other "gang" started.

"I swear that I was doing nothing of the sort, love," Jacob defended. He pulled back his coat to reveal a bloodstain on his right side, "If you could stitch this up, I would be grateful."

Moira gasped then shook her head, "You're lucky, you git. Sit and remove your shirt."

Jacob did as she ordered and removed his coat along with his shirt then sat down on her window sill. Moira kneeled by his side to get a quick glance over his wound to see how bad it was. He definitely needed stitches to which she could easily mend. She then began to pull out everything she needed from her medical kit.

"I need to grab one more thing. Just stay here," Moira ordered.

Jacob nodded and watched as Moira left the bedroom. The impetuous Assassin began to glance around her room since he has never been in her room. His eyes fell upon her bookcase to see many books then along the wall he saw the photograph on the wall that he had given to her for her birthday. He looked at five year old Moira and thought she looked very adorable. Hazels then directed to her nightstand, seeing the book that he had given her and made him smile. His attention turned to Moira as she entered back into the room with a bottle of whiskey.

"You know me so well," Jacob chuckled as he reached for the bottle.

Moira smack his hand away, "For your wound, Jacob."

"You're no fun," Jacob pouted.

Moira rolled her eyes again and sat down next to him, looking over the wound again, "Bloody hell, Jacob Frye. You really pissed off that bloke."

"Again, he was sore cause he lost all his money to me fair and square," Jacob replied, "At least I knocked him on his arse after he attacked me."

Moira frown and poured some of the whiskey onto a rag, "How you are not dead yet surprises me."

"So much faith," Jacob said dryly then yelped slightly from the whiskey coming into contact with the stab wound.

"Shh!" Moira hissed as she slightly glared at him, "If father hears you, then you really will be dead!"

"Well you're not exactly being gentle," Jacob pointed out.

"Aw, do you want me to kiss it better?" Moira cooed.

"Shut it," Jacob growled.

Moira giggled slightly then began to clean his wound again but a little more gently. She softly dabbed and wiped away the blood and saw it wasn't bleeding anymore. Once the area was cleaned, Moira began to carefully stitch up the wound. Jacob winced slightly but it wasn't too painful since Moira was being delicate. Moira looked up at him to see that he was a little more relaxed, making her smile. She decided to break the silence between them.

"I'm reading the book you gave me again," Moira mentioned as she wiped some more blood away with the rag.

Jacob smiled to himself, "I am guessing it's a good read."

"It is wonderful," Moira replied while beginning to finish up her stitching, "It's certainly different from what I read before but I love it."

"I'm glad. I remember you liked reading books with a lot of adventure," Jacob explained.

Moira felt her stomach flutter as he said that, "You remembered."

"Of course," he replied.

Moira placed some gauze over the wound then taped it, "There, good as new."

"Perfect," Jacob said with a smile as he began to pull his shirt back on, "You're the best."

"Just make sure not to be stupid anymore," Moira replied standing up with the medical supplies.

"Where's the fun in that?" Jacob asked cheekily.

"Right, I forget who I'm dealing with," Moira said with a sigh.

"You love me," Jacob chuckled.

"Mmm, I love the twenty quid you gave me for patching up your sorry arse," Moira purred as she put the medical kit away on her vanity.

Jacob's eyes widened and looked through his money and saw twenty quid was indeed missing. He looked at her to see her smirk and hold up the bill note. He gave her a somewhat surprised yet annoyed look.

"You cheeky bird," Jacob replied.

"You love me," Moira retorted.

She expected a comeback from him or even him trying to steal the money back from her but only felt his lips press to her right cheekbone. Her whole face heated up from his soft, lingering kiss. She looked up at him once he pulled away to see a soft smile on his face. She was used to him kissing her forehead from time to time which showed he cared for her. This was new and made her heart beat faster.

"Thank you, Moira," Jacob said softly, "Evie and I will see you tomorrow then?"

"Y-yes," Moira replied with a nod.

"See you tomorrow," Jacob chirped as he left out the window.

Moira approached the window and saw Jacob heading home along the sidewalk. Her face still burned with a blush as she could still feel his kiss on her cheek. She didn't think that Jacob could be so gentle but he always was with her. She placed her hand on the spot that Jacob kissed and smiled softly but could feel her heart drop. What did she really feel for Jacob? Sure she cared about him a lot but didn't know this other feeling that was hitting her like a steam train. Shaking her head, she walked back to bed and slipped in, wanting to sleep to ignore her feelings.

Moira pulled on her coat and looked at herself in the mirror see if she looked presentable enough. After making sure there wasn't a hair out of place, she was down the stairs and out the door to go see Jacob and Evie. Evie had invited Moira to their place so they could go over Assassin history and have discussions. Moira walked along the sidewalk as she still thought about her encounter with Jacob last night. She placed her hand over her cheek as she felt her stomach flutter again. Why was she feeling like this?

Moira arrived at the Frye's home and knocked on the door lightly. The door then opened to reveal Evie and a smile immediately brightened up on her freckled face. Moira instantly smiled at her best friend, always happy to see Evie.

"Good morning, Moira," Evie chirped.

"Good morning, Evie dearest," Moira replied softly, "I hope I am not late."

"Not at all, you are on time," Evie replied inviting Moira in, "I put some tea on, would you like a cup?"

"That sounds wonderful, thank you," Moira said as she walked into the house.

"I figured that we would study in the backyard today since it is lovely outside," Evie suggested heading towards the kitchen.

"Perfect," Moira replied as she began to follow Evie.

She then stopped when she heard someone coming down the stairs and looked up to see Jacob coming down while wrapping his knuckles with tape. The younger Frye twin then looked at Moira and smiled wide.

"Ah, good morning, Moira," Jacob greeted.

"Good morning, Jacob," Moira said with a smile then leaned close so only he could hear her, "How's the wound doing?"

"Better since you took care of it," Jacob said with a smile, "It'll heal in no time thanks to you."

"I am happy to hear that," Moira replied as she felt relieved.

She was concerned for him last night even though she had made sure the stab wound wasn't fatal. She cared for Jacob very much and wouldn't know what to do if he had died even though the man is reckless. Moira then carefully wrapped her arms around his waist, "I'm relieved that you're all right."

Jacob held her close and planted a soft kiss on her head, "I'm happy to have someone as caring as you in my life."

Moira grinned while she stayed in his arms like this, feeling perfectly happy. Why did she feel so weak in his embrace? Why was his scent now intoxicating to her? This was new to her and she couldn't explain it. She didn't want this moment to end but suddenly heard someone behind them.

"Am I interrupting something?" Evie's voice broke through Moira's thoughts.

Moira quickly pulled away from Jacob to look at her friend holding a tray with tea and scones, "I just wanted to thank Jacob again for giving me the book. It's truly wonderful, Evie dearest. I'll let you borrow it so you can read it."

Evie cocked a brow at Moira's behavior but thought nothing of it, "Well, the tea is ready and everything is set up outside."

"Hope you don't mind me joining you both outside," Jacob pondered.

"As long as you don't crack jokes and act like a git, you're more than welcome to," Evie replied heading towards the garden.

"I would never do such a thing," Jacob gasped mockingly then glanced at Moira and winked.

Moira giggled slightly as she and Jacob walked with Evie out into the garden. As Moira and Evie settled down to read, Jacob had prepared a target so he could practice his brawling. While Evie was fixated on her text, Moira would occasionally glance at Jacob from time to time. As she continued to watch Jacob, she could feel her heart beat quicker from watching him move and the sweat rolling down his skin along with the heaving breath in his chest. Something stirred inside her and gave her this unknown feeling that overwhelmed her.

"Moira, what do you think?" Evie asked her friend but she didn't answer, "Moira?"

"Hm?" Moira hummed then looked at Evie, "Oh! I am sorry, Evie."

"Are you feeling all right? You looked flushed," Evie pointed out.

"Oh, it's just warm right now," Moira replied clearing her throat.

"Are you sure? We can stop if you'd like," Evie suggested.

"No, no, Evie dear," Moira reassured with a smile, "Please, let us continue."

Evie was still unsure but nodded at her friend as well as wondering what is going on with her today. Evie then began to talk about a few things Ezio Auditore did to revive the Brotherhood to which Moira still listened to what the elder Frye twin had to say but still glanced back at Jacob. He stopped what he was doing for a second to wipe the sweat from his brow and looked at her and Evie. He smiled softly when he saw Moira looking at him causing the female Assassin to turn away and blush a dark red. What was wrong with her?

Moira couldn't concentrate on her book without thinking about Jacob every few seconds. She let out a huff of breath as she placed her book in her lap. Rubbing her eyes, she then looked out her window at the moon shining overhead. Why was she feeling this way with him? Whenever she glanced at him or he would smile at her, she felt like her heart would burst from her chest, her stomach would do flips and her cheeks burned.

From all the books she has read, Moira had the telltale signs of falling in love. Moira didn't want to believe it and refused to fall in love with Jacob. It wasn't that she hated him or disliked him, she cared for him very much but she didn't want to ruin the friendship they finally built together. She felt if she tried to take their friendship further then he would push her away which would break her heart. She couldn't lose him again.

She couldn't continue reading or even think without seeing his cheeky smile. Moira grabbed her coat and left her home so she could go for a walk and think. As she continued to walk, she happened to pass by the pub and decided to grab a pint, hoping it would calm her down a little. Moira sat at the bar and ordered a pint of lager then leaned on her hand as she waited for her drink. Why was this tormenting her so much? Could she really be falling in love with her closest friend? Would he even feel the same for her?

She closed her eyes and already knew the answer to that. Even if he did feel the same for her, he would have told her by now. Jacob was very forward and didn't hold back, considering how he acted towards her in the past. If he had any kind of feeling like that for her, he would have brought it up. Moira thanked the man behind the bar for her drink then looked down at her lager with a sigh. She felt like fool right now for even feeling the way she did.

"A little bird like you shouldn't frown," a voice said beside her.

Moira perked up and blushed slightly only to look and see a man with striking blue eyes, dark black hair and a thick mustache. He smiled sweetly at her, "What's got you down?"

Moira's face was still flushed and looked back down at her drink, "J-just a lot on my mind."

"Can I do anything to bring a smile back to that beautiful face?" he asked.

Moira looked back at him and couldn't help but gaze into those captivating eyes. She blushed a darker red while smiling lightly. There was a certain charm about this man that made her feel comfortable.

"No, that's all right," Moira replied.

"Ah, but I just did," he said smirking, "You're smiling."

Moira chuckled lightly and admired his charm and witty aura. The man sat next to her so he could talk with her more. She wasn't expecting this but didn't mind the company at all.

"May I know your name?" Moira asked as she turned in her seat to get a better look at him.

"Oh, where are my manners?" he chuckled, "My name is Talbot Blackburn. And your name, my lady?"

"Moira," she said softly, "Moira Haywood."

"Ah, what a beautiful name for a lovely lady," Talbot said grasping her hand lightly to place a kiss on her knuckles.

"Surely not me," Moira replied looking away.

"But it is true, my dear," Talbot began, "I couldn't help but be drawn in by your doll like face, silky, dark brunette locks and deep blue eyes."

No man has ever made Moira feel beautiful about herself. This gentleman had her heart pounding faster with each word spoken that she couldn't ignore. She hung onto every word he said and was so intrigued by what he had to say. He told her tales of his travels as well as him being a writer. Once Moira knew this, she began to discuss with him all the literature they have read and the deeper meanings in the text. She was so drawn into everything that she didn't realize the time. She had to be up early tomorrow to continue studying with Evie.

"I must be going now," Moira said looking at her pocket watch, "It is very late."

"Will I see you again, my dear?" Talbot asked hopefully as he grasped her hand into his.

"O-oh, I... I am not sure," Moira stuttered.

"Please, I can't get enough of your contagious smile," Talbot replied.

Moira's breath hitched slightly but nodded gently, "I would love that."

"Perfect, let's meet here tomorrow at seven," Talbot said as he kissed her knuckles once again, "Until tomorrow, love."

"Goodnight, Mr. Blackburn," Moira replied softly.

She left the pub and began to make her way home, thinking about her encounter with Talbot Blackburn. She couldn't believe she had met someone who was so sophisticated, witty and very funny. He also knew a lot about books and spoke with her about some that she hasn't even gotten a chance to read yet. Never has she ever had a conversation like that, let alone with a man. Sure she had Evie but there was something different behind him.

She noticed that she was happily walking back home with a skip in her step. She realized that she was extremely happy at this very moment. It seemed as some kind of divine being had answered her prayers to help her with her dilemma. After spending that last couple hours with Talbot, she felt like she was beginning to feel something for him. Hopefully if she spent more time with Talbot, they both could become something more.

She finally made it home and began to get ready for bed. She hummed to herself while undoing the braids in her hair and brushing it out softly. She could now only look forward to seeing Talbot tomorrow night. Slipping into bed, she began to fall asleep with a smile across her pink lips.

A/N: This chapter was a lot easier to write since I had written parts of this chapter out months ago. I have done that with a lot of scenes in the story so it will move a little faster with me posting. Also, I wanted to give a big thank you to livelyheart and Vampuric Spider for your feedback. It has helped me a lot. Also thank you to Plush Vocalist for your latest reviews on this story. You guys are amazing, thank you so much as I do appreciate it immensely. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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