Hi, everyone. I am so sorry about not updating sooner. I have been busy beyond belief and haven't had a lot of time to write. Plus, I have been experiencing a writers block (as I've said earlier) but I think I'm about to hit a breakthrough!

Thank you to every single person that has faved, followed, or reviewed! You don't know how much it means to me and how much it helps to read your reviews! It gives me an extra push that helps me write faster:)

"This does not look safe," Connor commented as the giant metal contraption was hung over the water.

"It ain't," Cookie replied. "The Cap'n doesn't give two shits though. If it helps us, she'll do anything."

Connor hummed as he stood by the bow of the Sicarious. Piper hadn't left her cabin, saying she needed to change in order to search the wreckage of the Century. Connor had never seen a contraption like the one Piper was using. Her crew called it a diving bell and Haytham had told Connor that it wasn't safe but the best way to get anything useful from the ship.

Connor watched as Anders came up from the lower decks void of a shirt and only wearing thin cloth pants. His toned upper body was dark and covered in tattoos. His black hair was tied with a red string, loosely hanging down his back as a smirk danced on his lips.

"What is he doing?" Connor asked Cookie.

"What does it look like?" Cookie asked, his Irish accent thick. "He going with the Captain."

Just as Cookie spoke, Piper emerged from her cabin. She was wearing loose pants and a sleeveless shirt, only held up around her chest. She moved casually like she didn't know or didn't care how revealing her outfit was.

"Let's get this over with," Piper said. She turned to her crew. "We'll be back within the hour. Hopefully."

Piper added the last part quieter than the rest but it wasn't missed by Connor's trained ears.

"Ready?" Piper said patting Anders on the back.

Connor didn't like that.

Anders nodded, throwing a charming smile and a wink to Piper. "You should wear that more often."

"Put your tongue back in your mouth," Piper growled as she shoved past him.

"It's just harmless flirting, Piper," Cindy said with a smile from next to Connor.

"Ready?" Piper asked Anders, ignoring Cindy's comment.

Anders nodded and stepped out of the way. "Ladies first."

Connor watched as Piper hopped onto the side of her ship, her hand holding the rigging, unknowing of Anders' eyes on her backside.

"Trust me when I tell you this, Connor, she will NEVER get with Anders," Cindy said once she saw Connor's intense glare.

Connor glanced at Cindy, his face softening. "What makes you so certain?"

"I know my sister," Cindy said watching Connor carefully. "She's got her eyes on someone else."

"She has told you this?" Connor asked as Piper started to bicker with Anders about where they should drop the bell.

"No." Cindy sniffed. "My sister is easy to read, given you know how to read between the lines. You see, it's all about the micro expressions."

Connor gave Cindy a confused look.

"Watch Piper closely," Cindy said pointing. "Every now and then, she'll get a scowl or a look of disgust on her face whenever she's talking with Anders. They last only a second but are noticeable if you're looking for them."

Connor stared at Piper and noticed that Cindy was right. The brunette would give Anders a look that read 'are you a few coins short of a pound?' Anders didn't notice the looks and it was probable no one else did besides Cindy and Connor.

Connor thought it was amusing.

XXX

I could see Connor staring at me from the corner of my eye but chose to ignore him. I hadn't spoken to the man, let alone looked at him since the incident last night.

"Over there is better," Anders argued.

I turned my attention back to my new first mate. "You may be my first mate now but that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything you say. We can't put it over there."

"Why not?" Anders asked.

"Sharks. The ones down here like to stay close to shallow waters," I said. "It's warmer and there's a reef over there with hundreds of fish. It's a perfect feeding ground for them and if we drop the bell over there we will be on the menu."

"But-" Anders paused for a moment before his shoulders slumped forward in defeat. "Yes, you're right."

I flicked his ear. "I always am and you'd better remember it. Drop the bell!"

I could hear the ropes sliding as the bell was dropped and gulped in air, diving underwater to search the wreckage.

XXX

Connor was pacing up on the decks while Cindy held back a laugh. Watching the man drop his usual stoic act and get visibly nervous made Cindy smile.

"The captain knows what she's doing," Cookie said picking at something between his teeth with a sharp knife. "She'll be fine."

"It has been a long time," Connor said.

"If I failed to kill her, I doubt that she'll die now," Haytham said crossing over from the Aquila.

Cindy rolled her eyes and turned, looking over into the blue water. "You're just mad because you couldn't even kill her when she was ten. Now what does that say about you?"

"This is rich, especially coming from a woman's mouth who sided with us and attempted to kill her own sister."

Cindy spun around on her heel with a nasty glare on her face. "And you're the man that-"

A rumbling from underwater interrupted the argument and shook both the ships. Connor stumbled and clutched the wheel along with Cookie.

"The hell was that?" Dean yelled from the crows nest.

Connor ran to the side of the ship next to Cindy, frantic brown eyes scanning the water. Piper and Anders hadn't come up yet.

Connor heard someone surface and turned to see Anders. He coughed before frantically looking around in the water.

"Piper?! Captain?!" Anders yelled. "Dammit, where are you?!"

Connor felt his body go cold.

That's when the girl surfaced, holding a small box in her hand. Piper breathed heavily as she swam towards the ship.

Connor was the first at her side and grew concerned at the worry that showed plainly on her face.

Anders pulled himself up onto the ship, whipping his head around to get rid of the water in his head. "Did you get it, Captain?"

Piper didn't answer, instead she threw the small black box at her sister. "Keep that safe."

"What's inside?" Cindy said rubbing her thumb on the lock.

"Something we're going to discuss," Piper said. Piper looked around to see everyone staring at her before she added, "in private."

"What was that rumbling noise?" Cookie asked. "We heard it up here."

Piper rung her wet hair out. "We were swimming through a cave and it destabilized. I barely got out in time to grab that."

Cindy's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Piper. "This isn't from..?"

"It is," Piper said grimly.

Piper pulled away from Connor's hand on her shoulder and hurried into her cabin with Cindy following close behind. He felt hurt and strangely jealous. Not of Anders but of Cindy. Usually it was Connor who Piper ran to if she needed to talk to someone. Connor wondered if last night had something to do with it.

Piper couldn't feel the same way as Connor did. She had never shown any signs of affection or interest like Dobby had and Piper was usually straightforward when it came to telling people how she truly felt. She'd say something or make a move. Wouldn't she?

Or maybe she'd be too shy to show her feelings. Maybe she was scared that he wouldn't return her feelings.

Connor pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Women were puzzles Connor was sure he would never figure out.

XXX

"You are exhausted," Cindy said. "You've been up all night with John and it's making you delirious. You know they can't move through time without your necklace. If you go, you'll be walking right into a trap."

"They are sure that they can go. If they are, I have to go," I said. "I have to protect him."

"You aren't going!" Cindy yelled. "It's too dangerous!"

We were arguing about what I found in the black box. There was a plan written up by Iris to go back to Ezio's time and get the apple from him. They were going to transport themselves a few years before Ezio found the apple and take the information he had, mostly by capturing and torturing him. The letter was in perfect condition considering the fact that the box was waterproof and from my time. The box was difficult to get and even harder to open, even though I had be the one to open it.

"I'm not going to give up an opportunity like this because I might get hurt!" I argued.

"There's always another way! This is crazy!"

"We know they'll be there and I can get Iris and get the hell out of there!" I yelled back. "This is the biggest break we've gotten in years! I'm not passing this up!"

"But I am," Cindy argued. "You don't know what you're going into!"

"I know more than you do! I've been there before and he is one of my closest friends, I'm not leaving him-"

A knock on the door stopped our argument.

"What is it?!" I yelled angrily.

"Connor and Haytham want you two aboard the Aquila," Anders said.

I sighed. "They can wait!"

"It is important," Haytham said from the other side of the door.

My jaw tensed as Cindy went to the door. I kept my gaze in front of me to calm down. I could see Connor, Haytham, and Anders in the corner of my eye but I refused to look at them. My fists were clenched at my sides as Cindy spoke with the men.

"I'm afraid we can't talk right now," Cindy said. "Piper is-"

"Anders, set a course for the colonies," I ordered.

"You aren't doing this, dammit!" Cindy turned to look at me.

"Do I look like I give a damn?!" I yelled. "Because I'm sorry if I do! I am not abandoning him just because you've got a stick up your ass that you can't seem get out!"

Cindy came stomping up to me but was held back by Anders. Connor saw me stepping forwards and held me back by my arms.

Cindy yanked herself away from Anders and stomped out of the room with my first mate following close behind.

"I see the temper runs through the family," Haytham muttered.

I threw a glare at the older man as Connor let go of my arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to clear the air," Haytham said. He look intently at Connor. "A certain someone thought it might be good to speak with you; let you know where I really stand."

I sunk to one hip, folding my arms as I waited for Haytham to continue.

"This time travel business," Haytham said waving his arm about, "I had nothing to do with it."

"I'm disinclined to believe that," I said.

Haytham ignored my comment. "I only worked with your family because my superiors demanded it. But, now things have gone amuck.."

I laughed and sarcastically snapped "You noticed?"

"I am here to hunt down and kill the remaining members of your family, mainly your mother. They've done things that have been unsavory to say the least."
"So, let me get this straight: you come to me on my ship and tell me you're planning on killing my family. You understand now that I really want to shove a knife through your eye socket, right?"

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Haytham asked.

I saw Connor shake his head before slapping his forehead at his father's words.

"If I was doing that, my sister and my brother wouldn't be alive, dumbass," I snapped. My anger was coming back. "Now, I suggest you get the hell off my ship."

I moved over to my desk and took the letter that Iris wrote, stuffing it back in the box before throwing that under the desk in anger.

Why did I have to be so stupid? Cindy had a point but when I thought of Ezio getting hurt because of me...

I was ripping my family apart while trying to pull it together.

XXX

"You are only making it worse," Connor whispered angrily to his father.

"Considering that you are the one that tried to make a move on her right after her first mate was murdered in front of her, I believe I haven't made it worse at all," Haytham whispered back.

Connor felt his cheeks heat up. He was going to retaliate but then he heard ragged breathing from behind him.

Connor turned to see Piper hunched over her desk, shoulders shaking.

"I'll leave you two alone," Haytham whispered as he backed out of the room.

Connor watched as Piper's fists close. She looked up from the desk into the mirror above it. Her brown eyes were full of anger and tears before she sat down on her bed.

Connor slowly removed his hat as he walked over to her. She was shaking her head, elbows resting on her knees.

Connor sat down next to her, watching as she bit her lip.

"It's like I'm shooting myself in the foot," Piper said. "I-I just don't..."

Connor hesitantly moved his hand to her knee. "If you need anything, I will be there. I promise."

Piper looked at the hand on her knee before resting her upon it. She squeezed his hand as she spoke. "Thanks, Connor."

Connor smiled and nodded as he stared at Piper. She was staring at her shoes, pink lips parted slightly. Connor couldn't look away from her face, her dark and long eyelashes fluttering as she glanced around her cabin.

Piper looked at Connor. He didn't know of the butterflies that plagued her stomach as she spoke. "I-I'm going to go check on John."

Connor cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, uh, I must get back to the Aquila."

Piper stood up along with Connor. They both made their way to the the door before Connor opened the door for Piper. She nodded her thanks before walking through the door.

Connor walked aboard the Aquila as Piper stepped down a step into the bowels of her ship. She turned, staring at Connor as he put his hat on.

He turned around and started to order his crew around, the setting sun behind him. He looked strong, handsome while he moved around the Aquila with a purpose written in his steady step.

Piper felt her heart skip a beat but ignored it. She turned and hopped down the steps into the Sicarious.