Two days later, Amira and Altair set out from the city of Damascus. Amira winced as Loki's normally smooth gait jarred her injured ribs, wishing- not for the first time- that this foreign time had modernized medicine. What she would have done for a painkiller that wasn't a bitter tasting potion or root…

Altair set a quick pace until they paused for a short water and lunch break by a small grove of sickly looking trees. He watched as Amira pulled Loki to a halt, uncertainty written across her face as she glanced down at the ground.

"Is everything alright?"

Amira nodded after a moment and gingerly slid off of her mount's back. Her soft hiss of pain reached him as he walked towards her and he frowned worriedly. He took Loki's reins from her and the stallion followed after him willingly, his rider watching in confusion. Altair glanced over his shoulder with a stern look, earning a questioning stare from his partner.

"Go sit." He ordered as he walked their horses away and Amira reluctantly obeyed.

Altair watered their mounts, Loki bumping into his arm playfully and leaving behind a smear of wet fabric from his damp muzzle. His own mount bumped his hand gently and Altair scratched its forelock gently, earning a contented wuffle from it. After both horses had drunk their fill from the shallow stream, he led them back to where Amira sat and ground tied them nearby. Both horses immediately began cropping at the meager grasses they found there as soon as they were released and Altair rummaged through his pack for their own lunch.

The pair ate in silence as they watched their mounts graze. Amira drifted off when she had finished her small meal and Altair took advantage of the moment to study her closer. Even at rest, her expression was still pained slightly. As she shifted in her sleep, she winced occasionally as her healing ribs were disturbed. Altair allowed her to sleep for a short while longer before gently shaking her awake.

Throwing her partner a confused glance when he cut off her path towards Loki, Amira paused, unsure of where she was supposed to be going. Altair shook his head slightly, gesturing towards his own mount with a small jerk of his head. Her brow furrowed slightly, Amira moved to stand beside her partner's mount and glanced at him with a questioning look. Altair led Loki towards her, pausing to tap his mount's front leg gently before he tied Loki to his saddle.

At Altair's signal, his mount knelt slightly. Amira quickly caught on to the unspoken order and lifted herself gingerly onto the gelding's back. As she settled into place, the gelding rose and Altair swung up behind her. Snorting in quiet amusement at her squeak of surprise, he gently lifted her up and settled her into his lap. When she glanced back at him with a surprised expression, he gave her a small smile.

"Sleep. Loki will follow behind. You aren't healed yet, and travelling this way will keep your ribs from being jostled overly much."

Altair allowed himself a tiny grin when he saw her flush and chuckled at the way she nestled back against his chest.

"Promise me you won't let me fall?"

"I promise." He assured her, wrapping one arm around her waist as though to prove his point. The other held the gelding's reins loosely and snapped them lightly. Amira felt his legs tighten briefly against his mount's sides as he signaled them forward, her flush going unnoticed by her partner as she quickly faced forward again.

Amira tugged her hood back into place and forced herself to relax against her partner's broad chest. The gentle rhythm of his heart thudded against her back, lulling her into a light doze until true sleep claimed her moments later. Altair felt her relax against him, the tension that had lined her body fading as she drifted off. His grip around her waist tightened slightly as they traveled. When he felt that she had fully drifted off to sleep, he pushed his gelding into a smooth canter. Loki willingly followed behind as they cycled through gaits until they paused several hours later when they had reached the base of a high cliff.

As they slowed to a walk, Amira woke. Groaning, she stretched her arms upward, arching her back slightly as she felt her tightened muscles protest her movements before they relaxed. Altair made a soft, pained sound as her hips pressed back against him, one hand dropping from her waist to hold her hip in a bruising grip. Mid-stretch, she froze, realizing what she had inadvertently done. Clearing her throat uncomfortably, she settled gingerly back down. Altair jerked his hand back as though burned, a hot flush rising to color his face. He didn't trust himself to speak, let alone to apologize for his reaction.

Pulling back on the reins, he stopped them in front of a medium sized rock shelter and quickly swung down. Wordlessly, he lifted Amira from the saddle and set her on the ground next to him. He didn't dare look at her as he walked the horses beneath the shelter and began to set up camp. Amira recovered from what had happened and followed behind slowly, making her way carefully over the rough terrain. Altair remained tense in front of her, his movements stiff as he went through the motions of setting up camp. Amira frowned- it had been an honest lapse in thought. It wasn't as though she had intentionally done it to bother him, yet he behaved as though some great crime had been committed.

With a mental sigh, she began gathering firewood for the night. She ignored the way bending and lifting pulled at her pained ribs and focused on finding enough supplies to last them through the night. When she deposited them near the small stone ring that Altair had finished constructing, he glanced at her at last.

"You didn't have to do that. I would have done it." He commented, guilt flashing through him when she subtly shifted positions.

"You were busy and it needed doing." She replied coolly.

Altair's only reply was a slight tightening of his lips as he wordlessly began building the fire, keeping his distance from her as he did so. Loki made his way over to his rider and gently nuzzled the back of her head before lipping her long hair. Amira smiled, reaching back over her shoulder to stroke his velvety muzzle, snorting quietly when he rested his head over her shoulder. His warm brown eyes closed in contentment as she scratched his forelock and whickered in approval. After a moment, she rose and gathered feed supplies from their bags. Both horses eagerly watched her place food down for them and lipped at it as soon as she stepped back. Turning back, she noticed Altair watching her, his lips pulling down in a slight frown as he studied her from beneath his hood.

He watched her gingerly settle down and briefly wince as the rock behind her back dug into her sensitive bruises. Altair made a mental note to have her use some more of the rafiq's ointment before they turned in for the night and he was glad that he had the foresight to bring it, along with several lengths of bandage. The memory of her hips pressing against his resurfaced unbidden in his mind and he repressed a groan.

'Why is it that even the most insignificant, unintended actions have so strong of an effect on me? At least when it involves her…' Glancing over at his partner, he saw she had already removed her robe and weapons and now rested against the rock wall, her fingertips gently rubbing at her ribs. Firelight gleamed on her tanned skin, illuminating the white bandage wrapping her midsection as she tugged up the corner of her shirt to inspect the bindings. The memory of her pressed against him came without warning a second time. Altair nearly growled in frustration as he felt his body tense involuntarily.

'What was it she said,' he thought distractedly, 'that she's waiting for me to make a decision?' He realized abruptly that he was clenching his hands into tight fists and forced himself to relax. 'I don't think I'm left with much of a choice in the matter.' The urge to smash something- anything- whatever would help him work out some of his frustrations, came over him and he found himself wishing for a group of bandits or Templars to fight. Despite this wish, he knew it would only wind him further rather than alleviate the rising tension he felt.

Amira noticed the way her partner had suddenly tensed and cast her eyes about for any sign of danger. The sounds of the night world around them met her strained ears and the shadows were simply shadows to her questing eyes. Finally, having determined that they were safe enough based on what she could find, she turned her gaze back towards her partner.

"Is everything alright, Altair?" she asked cautiously and saw him start in surprise.

"Fine. Why do you ask?"

The gruffness of his response and the way his voice seemed to sound slightly hoarse made her brow furrow. 'What's bothering him?'

She stood and crossed the rocky ground between them, dropping into a seated position behind him before he could shift to face her. Her thumbs dug into the muscle of his shoulders firmly and a sharp hiss of pain escaped through his clenched teeth. Amira sighed, pausing in her task in lieu of wrapping her arms around his chest and pressing herself against his back. As she lay her head between his shoulders, the broad span of muscle beneath her cheek tensed to the point of quivering, bringing an unseen frown to her lips.

"You aren't acting like a man who is 'fine.' You're acting like a man who is wound tighter than a loaded crossbow spring." She commented. When he remained silent and tense, she repressed a sigh. "Talk to me?"

"There is nothing to tell." The feeling of her body pressed to his back vanished and he bit back a shout of pain as her fingers dug deeply into his already tense back. He glared over his shoulder at his partner and she fixed him with a flat, unamused stare in return.

"And here I thought we were past the point of lying to one another." One eyebrow arched as her expression darkened, her hands still pressing down lightly as she waited for a response.

Altair felt the hair on the nape of his neck rise at the irritation in her voice. Her next words did nothing to alleviate his growing tension and he felt his hair prickle further.

"Do not test me, Altair." Her touch lightened and he felt himself relax under her ministrations despite his mounting sense of apprehension, "You forget far too often that my hands have been stained with the blood of my victims, just as yours are. I can bring release and pleasure," her hands dug in sharply, causing him to arch away from her, "just as I can cause you to be wracked with pain." Her lips brushed the back of his neck lightly, "I, for one, would rather it be the former rather than the latter."

Her hands pressed deeply into the corded tissue beneath and she felt him try to arch away from her touch, a groan of pain escaping his lips. He tried to shift out of her reach- to stand, to free himself- only to find his body refused to obey. He sat paralyzed, eyes widening in pain as he tried in vain to arch away from her. His throat tightened as a high pitched whine escaped him, and Amira felt a brief flash of pity before irritation took hold again.

"Tell me what has you so bothered," Altair repressed a shiver as her breath brushed against the shell of his ear.

"I…I-Gods above, enough!" he gasped finally, his chest heaving as the pain her hands caused abated, but only slightly. "You!"

Amira's hands paused for an instant, "Me?"

Another hiss of pain escaped his lips, "Yes, you." He ground out finally. "Everything about you is tempting. I don't know how or why, but everything you do-kind, or, Gods help me, even this- makes my blood feel like it's boiling."

Amira hummed thoughtfully behind him, "Is that so?"

She felt him trying to squirm away from her hold and dug sharply into a pressure point. Instantly, his body tensed and she heard his throat click as he choked up. "Behave now…"

"And what would you have me do?" she asked curiously, relenting slightly so that he was able to reply.

"I don't know." He rasped, "As much as I've tried to keep a distance, you keep crossing closer and closer. I keep trying to pull back, to convince myself that it would never work, but I can't."

"Hush." Amira said softly, "We'll cross that when we come to it. The decision rests with you after all. Anyways, tell me, what had you so bothered tonight?"

Her hands were gentle as they soothed the places she had abused, kneading lightly at the tensed muscle until she felt him begin to relax. Beneath her hands, his shoulders sagged and he sighed heavily before glancing back at her.

"Allow me to keep some thoughts to myself?"

Amira gave a wry smile as she worked, making up for the pain she had caused him. "Silly man. Are they thoughts of what happened just before we arrived here?" At his stubborn silence, she gave a soft snort. The rise in tension beneath her hands gave her the unspoken answer. "If they were thoughts about that, you should know that it wasn't intentional. I didn't intend to unsettle you or to make you uncomfortable."

Altair gave a low groan of enjoyment as he felt the muscles in his neck relax finally. "I know that. I apologize for my behavior this evening."

Giving a small shrug, Amira continued working. Her fingers gently broke through the remaining tension and she allowed herself a small, regretful smile. "I apologize as well- both for my unintended actions and my…interrogation technique."

Altair chuckled softly as he cast his gaze balefully over his shoulder, "Is that what you call it? I'll keep tonight in mind should I ever find myself wishing to hide information from you."

Amira raised a brow slightly in acknowledgement, the corner of her mouth lifting as she repressed a smile. The pair remained as they were for a moment longer before Amira rose. Rolling his shoulders, Altair checked on their small fire and began preparing the meal for the night. As he worked, he cast quick glances at his partner. 'Former rather than latter…I…I don't know how to move from here. She is right though…I forget more often than I should just how dangerous she can be- woman or no.' As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he repressed a disbelieving snort, 'She really has changed me, hasn't she? Months ago, I wouldn't have thought a woman capable of anything that I do in the Brotherhood. Now I find myself at her mercy. Me, of all people…'

He handed Amira the small meal and sat next to her at the fire to eat his own. As they ate in relative silence, Amira spared him a covert sidelong look. The glow of the firelight reflected in his golden gaze and cast defined shadows over his solid frame. She admired him for a moment longer, remembering the flex of his legs beneath her and the reassuring heat of his body as she had drifted off. Altair looked at her when he felt her gaze rest on him for longer than usual, a small smirk touching his lips when she glanced away with red coloring her cheeks.

Their meal concluded, Amira lay back on the ground gingerly and stared up at the sky as she thought. She was unsettled by the feelings that she felt for the man- they were different than the ones she had had for Darius, and this fact left her flustered. As she reflected over the last several months, she realized how little she really knew about her partner other than his age and the fact that he was a member of the Order that had fallen from grace and was trying to prove himself once again. A frown touched her lips as she thought, her brow furrowing slightly as she cast about for any personal details he might have shared once and was frustrated to find she came up nearly empty handed.

'Not that I've been all that forthcoming either, but still. It seems odd how much we hide our pasts from one another.'

"What has you bothered?" Altair's voice broke through her thoughts and she rolled her head to one side to glance at her curious partner.

"I'm just thinking, that's all."

Altair twirled his hand impatiently, a gesture that made her grin with amusement. The number of mannerisms that they had picked up from one another was, to her, entertaining to say the least. Especially since he didn't seem to realize that he was doing it.

"We don't really know all that much about one another, do we?"

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously and she snorted softly.

"Let me rephrase that- I don't know all that much about you, do I?" Seeing him cock his head to the side as he regarded her, she continued. "I mean, you learned plenty about me when we first met thanks to your little question game, but I've learned next to nothing about you."

He held her gaze for a moment in silence before a small smile touched his lips, drawing her attention to the scar that bisected them. "What do you wish to know about me?"

Amira blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected him to so willingly offer up information to her. Propping herself up on her elbows, she gave him an impish grin, "You're going to regret those words."

"Ask, and we shall see." He retorted, amusement touching his gaze as he met her eyes again.

She began with simple questions.

"Where were you born?"

"Masyaf."

"Any siblings?"

Altair gave a small shrug, "None that I can remember. There may have been a brother or sister, but if so, I never met them."

Amira hummed softly in acknowledgement before moving on to the next question. "Childhood friends?"

"Malik and Abbas. Although both of those have become fragmented over the years."

At this, Amira glanced at him in surprise. "You and Abbas were friends once?"

Altair hesitated before answering, "Once, yes."

"What happened?"

Again, he hesitated and she saw pain reflecting from his eyes as he glanced away. "His father revealed who and what my father was while he was being tortured. It led to my father's death. He came to apologize to me before he ended his own life out of guilt. Abbas refused to believe me when I told him as much and his hatred for me has continued to this day."

"Why would you tell him that?" Amira asked and Altair sighed.

"He was so upset over the death of his father…I thought, ignorantly as a child does, that the truth might console him."

"I take it it didn't?" Amira said wryly and Altair shook his head.

"No. The day after I told him, he wanted to use real swords during our training. It ended up with him holding a blade to my throat while he accused me of lying. I told him I had lied in an attempt to calm him and to avoid further injury. We were both sentenced to a month in the dungeons together as punishment by Al Mualim. When we were released, he had decided that Abbas should remain in training for another year while I was elevated to Assassin status."

Amira was silent for a long moment before she sighed. "Alright, little darker than I was intending to go, but I suppose I was the one who asked…"

Altair cast a wan smile in her direction, "Indeed. Ask on."

Amira thought for a moment, "Favorite game?"

"I couldn't say. Growing up, there was little time for games."

His smile grew slightly at her displeased expression and she was relieved to see some of the seriousness fade. She studied him for a long moment before rising to approach him. He eyed her warily as she sat in front of him. Her cool fingers gently traced his jaw, pausing to investigate the scar on his lips. His lips parted slightly under her touch and she glanced up to meet his gaze. She was surprised to see to hunger in his eyes as they locked on her own and she felt a shiver run down her back.

"How did you get this?" She asked softly, hoping to focus him on her questions again.

The line beneath her fingers was deep, bisecting sharply between his lips as she traced over it once more. His lips brushed against her fingers for a brief moment and she brushed her thumb over the edge of his lower lip, feeling the full, slightly chapped sweep of it beneath her fingertip.

After a long moment's hesitation, he came back to his senses and caught her hand in his.

"It was during that same fight with Abbas. He had swung his blade at me and I just barely managed to dodge it."

Amira hummed softly, her mind already distracted. 'I wonder how many of his other scars have stories…Better yet, I wonder if I could find them all.' Amira shook her head firmly, 'Down, girl! He'll move at his own pace! But then again…that look in his eyes earlier…No, enough. Slow and steady. We both have enough baggage to deal with before we rush into anything.'

Altair watched the conflicting emotions war across his partner's features, confusion written on his own. He wondered briefly what could have her so wrapped up in her own thoughts. The hand that he had captured rested lightly on his leg and he traced across the ridges of her knuckles with one finger as he waited for her to continue. Small scars marking her fingertips gleamed in the firelight and he studied them carefully, much to Amira's amusement.

At her soft snort of laughter, he glanced up curiously. "Any further questions for me?" he queried and she shook her head ruefully.

"I didn't expect you to be so willing to answer, to be honest. I didn't really prepare a list to ask. Can I continue another night?"

Altair gave a small, indifferent shrug, "If you would like."

Amira rolled her eyes and watched him continue to study her fingers. He admired the slender, graceful sweep of her fingers, traced the linking tendons on the back of her hand, making her shiver slightly, and then turned her hand over to study her palm. With one fingertip, he trailed down the long lines cut into her palm. He smiled to himself as her fingers curled inward as he moved along, feeling callouses here and there beneath his fingertip.

"You know," he began casually, "You never answered all of my questions either."

Amira's gaze snapped to meet his and the wariness in her silver eyes made him draw back slightly. 'What happened to her?' he wondered, not for the first time. 'That kind of a question shouldn't merit such instant suspicion and fear.'

"Didn't I?" she replied, fighting to keep the nervous tremble out of her voice.

"Huh-uh."

"Well, what do you have left to ask?" she asked warily, watching his finger trace over her palm.

"What made you become an assassin?"

Amira's brow furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean? I was born into the Brotherhood, why wouldn't I become one?"

"You said your parents were…passed away, right?" At her nod, he continued, "Why did you seek out other members? Surely you could have followed another path?"

Amira paused for a moment and then spoke, a small half smile tugging at her lips. "To be honest, I never considered another life. Rika and I…We tried to find other members like Mom and Dad had wanted us to, but we never thought that there could be another life. Thinking about it now, even if we had, we would have been found out eventually. There was never an easy out option. Even those who did leave were eventually caught and found out by Templars."

Altair hummed quietly in acknowledgement and cast about for another question.

"Who gave you the mark on your back?" he asked finally, deciding that dodging around his real question wouldn't get him any closer to an answer, and felt her tense. Seeing her discomfort, he amended his question. "I should say, why does it bother you so much?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

Her softly asked question made him frown as he studied her. "…Once perhaps. Why?"

"Imagine all those feelings that you had for that person, the butterflies when you thought of them or saw them, the way you become tongue tied, goofy, carefree, relaxed. Think of all that and now imagine all those feelings, memories, intimate moments, and promises. Think of all this being thrown away in the cruelest fashion. Now imagine all of that being permanently etched into you so that every time your shoulder or back itches, you remember. Every time you change your clothes, you remember. It's like having a constant reminder of your mistakes and pain sitting on your back, poking and prodding you when you least want the reminder."

Altair was silent for a long moment as he watched her, head bowed and her hand unconsciously gripping her shoulder as she finished speaking. Wordlessly, he stood and pulled her upwards. As her eyes met his, he saw for the first time the depth of pain and vulnerability in her. With a soft sigh, he pulled her tightly to his chest and hugged her. After a moment, she relaxed against him slightly.

They stood like that for a moment longer before she drew back and smiled uncertainly at him. Wariness still rested in her gaze, but as he locked eyes with her, he saw a slight calm as well. He smiled at her gently and pressed his lips to her forehead, "Let's change up your bandages and get ready for bed."

XXXXXXXXX

Amira grimaced as his fingers gently worked the salve into her abused ribs, a soft hiss of pain escaping her lips as he worked. Even though riding with him had lessened the impact of the day's travel, she still found herself sore all over. Carefully, Altair wound the clean linen cloth around her ribs and tied off the knot. Amira gave him a grateful smile and moved to retrieve her bedroll for the night.

As the hours passed, Altair awoke occasionally when she fidgeted in her sleep, an occasional whimper of pain escaping her lips. Morning came finally and found her resting fitfully. Altair had risen already, deciding that he would find a different sleeping arrangement for his partner tonight. Amira rose and tiredly put away her bedroll and took care of their mounts, making sure that they were fed and their feet were free of rocks before starting to tack them up again. She jumped slightly when Altair intercepted her, taking the saddle from her arms as she went to swing it onto Loki's back. He cast such a stern look at her that she stepped back with a small frown.

She watched as he saddled both horses, ignoring her attempts to help. As he checked the last girth, he glanced back at her, noting how she stood watching him. Her lips pulled in a displeased frown and he heaved a sigh. Wordlessly, he tied off the last of their packs and steered her back towards the remains of the fire. Handing her a small cloth wrapped meal, he opened his own and the pair ate in silence. As she spread her robe over her lap and brushed out the traces of dirt, the memory of yesterday's events rose fresh in his mind. As she worked, dressed in her usual outfit, the graceful curve of her neck caught his eye. He followed the sweep of it with his gaze, noting the smooth contour of her collarbone and the small v at the hollow of her throat. His gaze trailed down her bare arms and then back up to her face, following the high curve of her cheekbones as he did so.

Amira glanced over when she felt his eyes linger longer than usual, one eyebrow quirking in question. She noted, with some curiosity, the way his eyes had darkened to a deep amber and the slight flush that colored his tan skin. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and rose to finish checking over their mounts before they set off once more.

The day passed quietly, neither speaking to the other much as they were lost in their own thoughts. Every now and again, one would glance at the other and find they were being watched, but neither commented on it. Lunch passed by in the same quiet way, riding as they ate as there was no place to stop and water the horses other than at small villages occasionally. They didn't pause for long in the villages, seeing increased Templar patrols passing through from time to time. By the time dusk began to fall, both assassins were exhausted and their nerves tightly wound from being on constant alert for an attack.

Amira repressed a whimper of pain as she lay down, the soft padding of her bedroll doing little to prevent the hard surface below from pressing into her sore body. Altair glanced over at her as she shifted uncomfortably for a long moment, trying to find a position that was comfortable to lie in. After a pause, a wry smile teased at his lips and he sighed softly.

"Comfortable yet?"

Amira paused for an instant as she spared him a glance, huffing quietly as she regarded him. He was propped contently up on one elbow as he studied her, a carefully schooled expression making it nearly impossible for her to tell what he was thinking. From what she could tell, he was either silently laughing at her fidgeting or exasperated with it. Her eyes widened briefly as he stood suddenly, and his golden gaze flickered to rest on her with a bemused seriousness.

"Up," he commanded.

Grudgingly, she obeyed. As she stepped back from her bedroll, he layered his own over hers and moved it towards where the dying heat of the campfire could still be felt. Amira watched his fussing for a moment with a furrowed brow, tilting her head curiously when he glanced up at her. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips and his eyes held a mischievous glint as he settled onto the doubled up bedding and raised an eyebrow at her in challenge.

"Are you joining me?"

"What are you playing at?" Amira asked, doubt coloring her voice as she regarded him.

"The padding should be thick enough that your ribs should let you sleep. I assure you, it's quite comfortable."

"I'm sure it is. I could have slept just fine in my own, you know."

"Yes, your fidgeting for the last half hour has proved how well you would have slept. This way, you can sleep comfortably and I don't have to watch you shiver while you do so."

"Are you sure there's enough room for me?" Amira asked archly, and Altair raised an eyebrow in mock offense. She could still see that teasing gleam in his eyes as he considered his next words.

"You'll never know if you don't try."

Amira rubbed a hand tiredly across her brow, sighing quietly, and Altair chuckled as he shook his head slightly. "Just come lay down." His teasing gaze softened as he watched her move towards him and settle tentatively down beside him.

For some reason, she found the closeness between them unsettling. Even though they had often slept beside one another, the only times that they had done so on any type of bed had been out of necessity more than anything. She shifted onto her uninjured side and felt Altair's bulk settle down behind her. His soft sigh tickled the back of her neck and she shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?" His lips brushed against her ear lightly and she shivered again.

"No, I'm fine." She responded quietly and made a soft sound of surprise as a pair of arms encircled her, pulling her tightly against the owner's chest.

"…You smell nice…"

The softly whispered words made her start and she felt his arms tighten around her, pinning her against him until she relaxed. "Somehow, being with you is…calming. I always sleep better when you're near." Altair admitted quietly and Amira smiled faintly.

"I feel the same. We should get some sleep though." Before the words had fully left her lips, she heard him snoring softly behind her and repressed the urge to laugh. Sighing to herself, Amira relaxed against her partner's chest and listened to his rhythmic breathing and the gentle thud of his heartbeat against her back until she was claimed by sleep.

A/N: Okay, so it's definitely a fluff chapter, but I thought a break from mission, mission, mission was necessary. That, and I've had this chapter and the next few floating incomplete on my computer for months now and haven't figured out how to finish them. This was the best way I could finish this one and I felt like writing something a little fluffy and non-gore related for a little bit, because trust me, the next few chapters are most likely going to merit a rating change…They make me shudder even when I read them and edit them, so I'll put a forewarning on the ones it applies to from here on out. Anyways, I hope everyone has been doing well and that you enjoyed the semi fluff!