"Why is it already so hot?" Desmond moans as the group walks out of the terminal to grab their luggage. Megan, who was carrying Cas, snickers and rolls her eyes as she adjusts her grip on the child. Shaun and Connor agree with him, making unhappy little grunts as they find and retrieve their items. The rest do the same with Alex grabbing both his, Megan's, and Cas'.
"Here this way, gotta go get the rentals." Megan sighs out as she adjusts the diaper bag on her shoulder, dressed for the weather. She had warned them that the winters in Texas were different than the winters in Washington and that they needed only a long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. Did they listen? Of course not. She starts walking in the direction of the car rental place.
"Wait, how do you know where you're going?" Malik questions her, eyes drifting over to the drugged up Native who was somehow still on his feet even though his eyes told them that no one was home. She stops and turns to him, a brow raised.
"Do you realize how many times I've been to DFW? I've lived around here since I was born and had returned almost every year after I left. I still know my way around." She gives him a small grin and continues on her way. The men look at one another before chasing after her. After getting the rentals, a hassle she couldn't stand mostly because Cas was getting fussy and she herself was getting hungry, and feeding Cascade do they pile into them and Megan leads the way in driving. It wasn't often anymore that she did so but since they didn't have a clue where they were going she was going to have to. They stayed on south I-35 until they got to a town called Waco and then took a few exits to get on the road to Coryell County. At about 15 miles from a little town called Gatesville did she take a right on a dirt road and they followed that for a while. Right about the time that their rear ends lost feeling does a large ranch house appear to their left, nestled in the middle of sage brush and cedar trees, with a corral and giant barn just behind it.
"You lived here?!" Altair can't help but question incredulously as he stared out at the expanse of land.
"Yeah, I inherited it after they died. I just… couldn't sell it. So I thought about maybe turning it into like a winter retreat when I couldn't stand the cold anymore. There are still horses and cattle so there are one or two ranch hands that have to be paid, not near as many as when my parents were alive." She gives a quick shrug, her eyes still glued to the road as she turns onto the white rock drive. The sun was just beginning to hide behind the large flat top hills and everyone was yawning in exhaustion. They shuffle inside, dragging their luggage behind them, and stop long enough on the trek to the kitchen to drop off the bags in rooms. Because of the various amounts of people that used to be in the house there were plenty of rooms for them all. Alex stayed behind in the master to put together the little crib that had been brought out of storage by one of the ranch hands. In the living room she feeds the baby and then rocks her to sleep in a lazy boy, putting her in the rocker that had also been taken out of storage.
She was quiet, her mind wandering to past memories. While painful, they were still refreshing and she hadn't really thought about her family in a while. Now with her own child she wondered what her parents would think of Cascade. She knew they would love her but it was still a wonder, and she found herself longing for them to walk through the door and greeting her with open arms and home cooked comfort-food.
She then also wondered what they would think of Alex and the rest. Would they love them like they had any of her old friends? And would her father pull out his shot gun and give Alex the talk?
"Megan." She jerks back slightly and looks over to Leo. He had a slightly worried look on his face and she blinks a few times.
"Sorry, got lost in my thoughts. Did you need something?" She then questions, giving a heavy and tired sigh afterwards. He exhales quickly, with a small smile growing on his face, and he motions to the kitchen.
"The food is done if you want any." Did she? Her body was far to exhausted for much else other than sleep. She shakes her head in the negative.
"I'm just going to bed. It's late." She answers giving a little smile to him before getting up and stretching some. Leo nods and shuffles on into the kitchen as she picks up Cas slowly and carefully. She makes the short trek to the room and places her in her own bed before changing into pajamas and crawling into the large bed. She was out before her head hit the pillow. It wasn't long after that everyone else makes their own treks to their beds.
Megan awoke to the sun shining to her eyes. She gives a quiet little groan and turns over, away from the light. She wasn't ready to be awake, she was still exhausted from the day before. But something was calling her name and she felt like a child again, an urge that hadn't popped up since her family's death. With a bit of apprehension she gets up and checks on Cascade, the child still asleep and comfortably warm, then writes a quick note to tell Alex where she had gone. She changes into jeans, an old loose fitting long sleeve, and digs out some old cowboy boots from the closet while also taking a duster out as well. She then sneaks out into the hallway and out of the house, heading to the barn. She was going to take a little ride on a horse, not far from the home but distant enough that she would feel alone. Perhaps then she would be able to come to grips with the fact that she was here now, back in her childhood home without the people who made it such. But with the people she was with now could make new memories with her in it.
Once inside the barn she walks down the horse stalls, taking in the different creatures. And then she stops at a gray stallion who whinnies loudly and tosses his head. She smiles happily, patting the creature on the head, and she looks around for all the items needed for her to saddle him. Once that was done she pats his face and mounts, taking a deep breath before she taps his sides with her heels to get him to leave the stall and then barn. It felt familiar to her, like riding a bike. And she found herself lost in the feeling of just existing.
When she finally came around to thinking it was sometime around noon, later than she had wanted to be out but she felt better, more at ease really. She could go back to the house and perhaps really be happy. There couldn't have been anything better than canned goods and that alone was enough to warrant a trip into town. She makes it back to the barn and does the normal after ride cool down for the horse before she heads inside, her stomach making grumbling protests about having not been fed that morning. Her hand pauses on the doorknob and she slightly steels herself for the fact that she knew her parents weren't in there but her new family was; her lover and the father to her child, all the people she considered her brothers. A smile creeps onto her face and she turns the knob then pushes the door open.
"OH MAH GAWD THERE'S ONLY CANNED SPINACH!?" And a not anywhere close to being manly squeal emitted from Desmond as he backs up in horror from Connor, whom she had to admit had a fairly evil grin on his face while shoving the canned food towards the younger man.
Yep, she had her new family.
"Alright, now Gatesville is a prison town. You will see a lot of people in uniform. Don't worry about it, their off duty correctional officers or military since part of Fort Hood is just south of the town." Megan heaves a slightly heavy sigh as she sees that other than Alex, no one was paying any attention to her as they stood outside of Wal-Mart. She could feel the tick start up in her left eye as they continued to look about at everything but her. Desmond, Ezio, Altair, and Malik (how the two of them got into it she had no clue) were throwing looks over at the women who caught their fancy while Connor was just gazing at the many diverse vehicles the people where driving. She had to admit that there was certainly more trucks here than in Washington.
Her eyes catch onto one that had a rebel flag covering the back window and she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. In a way, she did kind of miss the rather uncouth and rebellious stance the people made on issues. Not to mention that she was happy for the warmth of the area, even though she knew that it was still cold just not the cold she was used to now. She hands off Cascade to Alex who takes the unsaid message and heads inside while she deals with their other children…
Oh hell, now he was thinking of them like that!
Megan puts her hands on her hips as Alex walks away, a frown on her face. "Boys." Attention was now on her with the tone she had used and it was one they were starting to realize meant they had done something that she was either unhappy with or they were in serious trouble. And they were getting the sinking feeling that it was the latter of the two.
"Did you happen to hear anything I was saying?" Her foot starts tapping on the ground quickly when they start looking at one another to see if any of them knew the answer. "No. So listen now and listen well, this is a prison town. Near all the max security prisons are here and these people do mean business. But they are no different than me, just working stiffs trying to get by in life. So if you would please keep all appendages to yourselves, your mouths shut, and try to keep your thoughts clean Desmond, Ezio." She gives them the knowing mother look she had somehow suddenly adapted. It made them all squirm a little which they knew was what she was wanting. She gives a curt nod to them and then turns around to head inside; she was getting a tad cold now.
"I think that we've ticked her off with this one…" Altair comments to them under his breath as they follow behind several paces from the woman. She gets a basket from the rows of them and heads further in, making her way to the food. They get the stockpile they normally do, after having met up with a rather uncomfortable Alex (whom quickly latched onto her side and refused to leave after motioning his head to several groups of women and teen girls who were eyeing him like a steak) and Cas. Megan then allows Leo and Ezio to take the little girl to the toys section to pick out a few things for her since they had left most of them back in Washington. While they did that the rest went to get a few other things they knew they would be needing; shampoos, soap, extra razors, and anything they could think of.
After about 20 minutes of this they then met up with Leo who had a shopping cart of toys that was not only for a baby but also for older children. Megan had a sinking suspicion that they, the Assassins, were planning on another water war or something. That's when it hits her.
"Where are Ezio and Cas?" She questions him as she stands on her tiptoes to look around at the people who were all taller than her. Leo then looks around in surprise.
"He was just behind me."
Megan's eyes widen and fear clenches at her heart as she goes back to being flat footed. "You-you don't know where he is?" Megan's heart speeds up painfully. The thought that not only had she lost Ezio but the Italian also having her daughter with him and they couldn't find them set her off. Somewhere in her mind she knew that her child was safe but it didn't mean anything until she was in her arms. And then she would be killing Ezio slowly.
"Megan, relax. You two, check out the bathrooms at the back." Connor and Malik nod at Alex and head towards the back. Alex then turns to Altair and Shaun. "You two, food." They head off on their assignment. Last was Leo and Desmond. "Clothing and Toys. We'll see if they went to the garden center." They were off as well, leaving the parents, err, well, parent to not only console the other but to make sure that they checked the area they needed to. After searching very thoroughly and then meeting up with the rest of them, none of them had found the missing two. Megan was near hyperventilating the longer her child, well children, were out of sight.
"What's wrong with all of you?" Megan turns around quickly at the sound of the voice, taking her child away from him and cuddling her close. Ezio looks at his empty hands then at the rather angry faces directed at him, even from Leo. He gives a nervous chuckle.
"You realize that you have now demoted yourself to Novice, yes?" Malik questions as he looks down his nose at the Italian whom shamefully hangs his head with a small nod yes. He knew he screwed up big time.
"How many more times do I have to say that I'm sorry?!" Ezio wails quietly as they carry in the groceries, Megan had Cas after the little incident she hadn't let her go. Again, the rational part of her mind said the little girl was safe with the Assassin but she still could not ignore the fear. What had ended up happening was Ezio had noticed the baby need a change of diaper and had gone to the front restrooms, assuming that Leo had seen him walk over in the direction. In the car ride home he was forced to sit up front with Alex while Megan took his seat in the middle beside the baby seat. In the back was Altair and Malik who were sending daggers to the Nobleman. Megan hadn't spoken a word to him.
She was upset, that much was true. But it was more at herself than it was directed at Ezio, but after the break in at the home in Washington she found that she would jump at the smallest thing.
Alex hadn't had a chance to talk to her about it. She was going to wear herself thin with it and burn out, burn out harshly at that. With her having left that morning and being gone for half the day it had given him a start until he found her note. This was a lot to deal with for a new mother and he had to admit she was dealing with it well. But for how long was what he was worried about, she could easily turn herself into a nothing more than a thing of constant worry. After depositing the bags in the kitchen with the rest of the men Alex passes off Cas to Altair, whom Megan suddenly had more trust in, and takes the woman in question to their room. He makes her sit on the bed then locks the door before walking back over to her, squatting down infront of her.
Megan stares at him, into the silvery-blue eyes that their child had. "I'm overreacting, I know… But-"
"Enough. You're not. You are allowed to overreact." He cuts her off, taking her face in his hands. It takes her a moment to release a heavy and weary sigh and relax into his touch. She then seems to fold into herself which he pulls her off the bed and into his lap, after switching his position, allowing her to just exist. No words were exchanged further between them.
Three days later; and many, many apologizes from Ezio featuring lots of dishes and drinks made from sweets, does Megan begin again with her training. Altair decided that since she was versed in horsemanship, they would begin with a form of archery while on horseback. She would train with Connor on this and after the first 30 minutes they found out that she did have considerable skill in archery. She was capable of nearly everything that Connor showed her to the point that she was on par with him. This caused her exhilaration, helping her to forget the troubles that were there in her mind. After an hour or two of this Megan went back to the normal regime they had her on, with a twist since they were no longer in their regular area. Altair thought it was perfect none the less seeing as an Assassin never worked with the same conditions twice and hardly in the exact same area as well.
Megan thought he was starting to lose the rest of his marbles.
"Again; and faster." He commands, hiding underneath his deep blue hoodie. He had taken a particular liking to this one if the wear and tear already appearing on it was any indication. But still he wore it like Ezio did his black one that was starting to look no better. Megan was currently doing more parkour moves but this time in the short, shrubby little trees (which were pines and cedars and other various ones that were nowhere near as tall as the ones in Washington) that were on the property. Connor was the one she was supposed to be following but really she was just scrapping up her palms, knees, legs, and arms though she was managing to get into the tress and out a little onto the branches she felt were strong enough to support her weight but as she watched Connor more or less monkey around branch to branch that she was sure wouldn't be able to hold her let alone him.
"But-"
"Again." She couldn't make out his eyes from under the hood but she was able to see the hard line that was his lips. She bit her lip, turning back to the gnarled hide that was the tree she was to be running up. She knew better than to argue with this man, this was the Master of the Assassins who did not take kindly to anyone questioning him or what he stood for. So once more she takes a deep breath and runs forward, using both her hands and feet to propel herself forward and up the craggily trunk. She grabs onto the first large branch she could reach, and crouches down with one hand on the trunk for stability.
"Now, no fear when you walk out. One foot infront of the other until you can go no further. Is that understood?" Connor questions from a tree several feet away and up. She nods in his direction before slowly, though not near as slowly as before, heading out onto the branch. Directly infront of her was another branch from a pine that she knew would hold her weight since Connor had jumped over onto it. Without hesitation she leaps over onto it but when she lands her ankle rolls knocking her off balance. She windmills in an attempt to regain her balance but doesn't, falling backwards to the ground. A short scream escapes her and she closes her eyes, preparing to meet the cold, hard, frozen ground with her body.
Instead she lands on top of someone, not that it was much more comfortable. The two collapse onto the ground and Megan opens her eyes to see Altair underneath her, groaning, and she scrambles off of him. She sits down on the ground, hissing in pain and clutching her ankle. A heavy thump alerts her to Connor having vacated his tree, and he was coming over to check on her with a worried look on his face. Malik was already at Altair's side, poking and prodding at what she could only hope was bruised ribs. Connor sits infront of her and pries her hands off her ankle, pulling off her shoe and sock to see it.
It was already starting to swell and the throbbing picked up when the constriction was removed. Her hissing increases when he starts to massage it as a way to decrease the swelling. He makes a grunting noise. "I believe we are done for the day now. Both of you are injured." He looks over to Altair who was sitting up, one arm wrapped around his chest and his torso stiff looking.
"I think your right…" Megan responds, wincing as Connor continues his ministrations. After a few minutes, and Megan grabbing her discarded sock and shoe, Connor picks her up and waits for Altair and Malik to do the same. Megan makes no fuss over her being carried and just waits for the inevitable barrage of questions and coddling that she would possible receive from Leo and Alex (Alex would do so if they were alone). She was more worried about Altair and how he flinched, just slightly, with every step he took. "Do you think your ribs are broken?"
"Possibly. Nothing can be done if they are, even in this time correct?" Altair questions as they continue on. Megan nods to him and begins thinking of things she could give him for pain. They had painkillers but if they worked well enough for broken ribs she didn't know.
"Alex." The man stops what he was doing, which was fluffing the pillow for her foot, to look at her. "You are turning into a mother hen. Its sprained, not broken. I'm more worried about Altair."
"He'll survive." And he goes back to the fluffing. Megan huffs, pouting a little at him, then looks down at Cascade who was sleeping happily on her chest. She didn't take pacifiers but that was just fine with them since they wouldn't need to come up with some creative way to get rid of the things.
"He got broken ribs from catching me."
"Because he was pushing you to hard. You weren't raised in their order, nor have you been trained as extensively at them." Alex gently picks up her foot to place the pillow under it. Megan gives a little wince as he does so; glad the pain was dulled by aspirin. She strokes the long locks of her child as Alex first sheds most of clothes and puts on a pair of pajama pants then crawls into the bed with them. He kisses Cascade on the top of the head then plants a gentle kiss on Megan's own lips, lingering slightly. They had talked and while she still worried, she now knew that he and the rest were ready to shoulder the weight of her worries. For this she was glad.
When he pulls back Megan gives a quiet chuckle. "We already have one child, I think two so early is pushing it." Alex responds by rolling his eyes and giving her another kiss.
WHOOT! New chapter! Sorry about the delay from last week. I actually have been busy, I got a job and have been kinda doing stuff for it. I haven't started it yet just doing all the crappola else. Its at Wal-Mart and I'll be an overnight stocker which is perfectly fine for me since I'm a night owl anyways.
But onto the thanks. For adding me to their alerts is Windkamikaze! Thank you darlin!
And for adding this story to their favorites is Enslaver J and Jasmine-angela. Many thanks to the both of you!
And for the reviews.
Hack Generation: Oh please don't wet yourself, that would be embarrassing. And at 3 am!? Perhaps that's my fault, I post these chapter most of the time very early in the morning for even myself. And that is hilarious, perhaps on the outtakes will I use it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please forgive me on the lateness of it! -bows-
Raychaell Dionzeros: Well, they said that's a little difficult. Megan says that either way she will love her daughter and kill anyone who breaks her heart, as any good mother would. Hope you like the chapter dear!
Anon 1: They are song names, solely from Linkin Park. I looked up their discography and picked the ones I liked. They really have no tie into the story other than that I like them.
Anon 2: You have no idea how painful it was when I read your review and had coffee shoot out my nose. XD Altair agreed with you on the fire, if they find her. And the plot bunnies are super glued to the floor so they ain't going nowhere anytime soon.
As always please review, pm, skype, tweet, tumblr, or even contact me on PlayStation. All information is on my homepage. Thanks to all of you and hope you have a happy Labor Day! If your going to a party, please be safe, drink responsibly, do notdrink/text and drive. All lives are important. I actually lost a friend in high school on Labor Day due to the recklessness of others. So please be careful.
Err... if yo don't know what that is here is a fun fact for today. It is the first Monday in September, it was created for the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economical of American Workers. In other words, its May Day in September.