(A/N: Okay so I probably shouldn't have left you guys on such a sad chapter before jumping right into a special, but I didn't have the time (or inspiration) to write another chapter before those two...or three. I'd also like to apologize for that last special because I had a struggle coming up with a creepy cool Halloween idea. :P But now we're finally moving on!)

At 5:45 in the morning Connor had a bit over an hour to continue sleeping. He never got the chance though because the loud whir and buzz of a chainsaw echoed through the huge house. After almost taking a tumble off the guest bed Connor steadied himself into a sitting position. He checked the time on his phone and let out a yawn that was mixed with a groan. He got up and started getting dressed. There was still a whole lot of Shay's boxes and knick knacks lying around the room so Connor had to navigate his way to his duffel bag. After putting on a pair of comfortable jeans, and one of the stylish brand new shirts Leonardo had picked out, he threw on his ratty old hoodie and opened the door. As soon as there was a small opening both penguins bolted into the room and knocked over poor Connor, having him fall onto the junk that controlled the room. After rubbing the back of his head he sat up to see Hope and Liam trying to bury their heads under his pillow. The chainsaw ceased and they poked out their beaks, squawking to themselves and Connor. Then it started up again and they dove back under the pillow. Connor stood up, quickly checked to see if his fall had damaged anything, and then proceeded downstairs. When he got to the living room he noticed the cardboard box containing the videos and the music box from last night. As he took a few steps the chainsaw noise died down, and that's when he was finally aware of the stampede. He turned around to face the penguins and once more found himself crashing to the earth. He nicked the edge of the cardboard and all of its contents came flying out. The music box went over Connor's head and he had to quickly sit up and stretch out his arms to prevent it from cracking against the hardwood floor.

After letting out a sigh he glared at the penguins. "You two are nothing but trouble."

Hope squawked offended as Liam nodded his little head. Connor stood up and assessed the mess. Papers, photos, and personal belongings littered the area. Connor set the box on a nearby coffee table and decided that the right thing to do was to put everything back into the cardboard box. As he was organizing the articles one newspaper caught his eye. The front page had the pictures of everyone in Shay's friend group, except Shay's picture had him holding a prison identification sign. This is what prompted Connor to read the story's headline. "3 COLLEGE STUDENTS KILLED IN DWI CRASH". Connor was shocked to say the absolute least. When he thought about what had happened to Shay's friends he had assumed they were split because of a disagreement or long distance, but it was because they were dead. Killed no less by a thoughtless action. As he skimmed the article he felt more and more sick about Shay. To be drunk and make the decision to drive was a terrible one, especially when they could've just stayed with the Kenways or at a hotel, and then for Shay to, according to what Connor had read, deliberately swerve into an oncoming vehicle. Connor was disgusted, and even had a twinge of contempt for his boss. The chainsaw noise started up again as Connor walked outside of the giant house.

Shay was around the side with noise cancelling headphones and he was sawing blocks of wood into 2 by 4s. Connor tried waving his hands for some sort of attention, and he tried shouting a couple of times, but Shay either ignored him or couldn't hear. The penguins nudged Connor with their heads. Cautiously he approached the chainsaw wielding...not quite a maniac, but certainly someone who wasn't always thinking straight. He got close enough to touch Shay's arm and that's what he did...very slowly. As careful as the gesture was it was enough to startle Shay who swung the motorized saw at the intruder. Connor took a half step back so that the metal teeth only came close to biting into his face. Moving back, a few strands of hair had blocked his eyes; to reiterate there HAD been a few strands.

It was at this point that Shay finally turned off the chainsaw. "Connor! What the hell are you doing? Sneaking up on someone like that!"

Connor was shaking. "Wha...what am I doing? Sneaking up? But...but you...you..."

Shay took off the noise cancelling headphones. "Jeez you could've gotten hurt, and by hurt I mean killed." Then he gasped. "I can't let Haytham down! Oh and I suppose going to jail a third time would look bad on my record."

After reading that article Connor thought it best to let the jail comment go. "Uh...now that you can hear me, can I ask what you're doing with a chainsaw at 6 in the morning?"

"Huh? Oh this is just a little project I started after you went to bed. I was wandering around and that's when the idea hit me. These flower beds, that glimpse of water, and I thought 'You know what would look good here? A gazebo.'"

Connor still wasn't used to Shay' s thought process. "Riiight. So...you never got any sleep?"

"Nope."

"Uh huh. Well if I can make a suggestion..."

"Sure Connor! What's on your mind?"

"Oh, um." Connor thought of ways to lightly voice his concern. "I'm just thinking that I can just catch a cab to school, you can stay here and rest."

Shay looked slightly confused and hurt. "What? No there's no need for that. Haytham made you my responsibility for awhile, and making sure you get to school is part of that responsibility." Then he straightened himself up with a smile. "Besides I took a couple of shots this morning, I'm not tired at all!"

That last part did not make Connor feel better. Still he wasn't confident enough to speak up again. Instead he thought back to the paper he saw. "Oh, alright. I'll...I'll just pack up my things and get ready."

Shay started up his chainsaw and shouted. "I should have some breakfast ready by then! Only have a few more cuts to make!"

Connor smiled weakly back but when he turned away he rolled his eyes and sighed on his predicament. A tired drunk driver didn't sound like a good idea, but Connor just can't bring himself to be confrontational. Although as he was brushing his teeth and packing his duffel bag he was thinking of passive agressive ways to solve this problem. He was still contemplating his options when he walked into the living room. The box of Shay's past possessions were still on the coffee table. The cardboard flaps were folded in, and it could be assumed that it would be thrown back into the guest room to be forgotten again. Connor felt the slight disgust from earlier, Shay was just trying to hide his crime and forget about it! These thoughts were interrupted by a loud CRASH. He rushed into the kitchen where the sound had come from. Shay was standing with an unhinged cupboard door in one hand and a mug in the other. The noise had come from all the various bowls, Ziploc containers, even shattered crystal glasses. Connor was surprised Shay wasn't hurt. All this disaster around him, but he was unscathed. Before Connor could ask if he was okay Shay put the door on the counter and muttered. "Every damn time."

Connor was going to say something when the penguins went squawking past him. Shay looked down at them as they waddled around the room. "I don't need to deal with you too!" Then he noticed Connor standing in the doorway. "There you are Connor! Sorry about this mess, it seems like I destroy everything I touch."

"It's...it's fine. Do you need any help?" Connor started to bend down to pick something up.

"No no I've got this! You just eat your breakfast in the dining room, I'll clean up in here. Besides there's broken glass I wouldn't want you hurt yourself." Then he seemed to remember the mug. "Oh hey did you want anything to drink? I wanted to get you a real glass, but...you know."

Connor nodded. "Yeah sure. Um...do you have orange juice?"

Shay wrinkled his nose. "Orange juice? That's disgusting. I only buy apple juice, and I have non-alcoholic wine so that's kind of like grape juice."

"Mmm...I think I'll just have water."

"Coming right up." Shay stepped over the mess and opened his fridge. Then he took out two water bottles. "I should really start labeling these. You know what you go on ahead I'll be right there with the bottle that isn't vodka."

Again Connor held his tongue and walked silently into the dining room. There was a bowl, a spoon, a carton of milk, and a box of cereal. Connor sat down and sighed with a smile. "Lucky Charms?"

Shay poked his head in. "Of course! Because..."

Connor jokingly rolled his eyes and whispered. "Because you make your own luck."

"Because I make my own luck!"

"I should've seen that coming."

Shay slid a water bottle across the wood table. "Yep you walked right into that one."

Connor poured the milk on the super sugary cereal. "So did you take a break from your early morning work to have breakfast?"

Sitting in one of the 18th century chairs Shay kicked his feet up on the table. "Nah, but I did nibble on some herring while I was feeding Hope and Liam. Too bad I ran out of sardines and anchovies, those are easier to swallow raw."

The spoonful of cereal in Connor's mouth was almost spat back into the bowl, but with some difficulty he swallowed it. "Oh. Really?"

"Yep." Shay was picking his teeth. "Because when you bite into 'em the scales get stuck. Like this one, see?" He held the dislodged scale towards Connor.

Connor nodded slowly and pushed his bowl away. "Right. Well you can go make yourself something substantial and I'm...going to call a taxi." He lowered his voice and tried to rush the last part. Unfortunately Shay's a better listener than he's given credit for.

"Call a taxi? That's the second time you've mentioned that. Is there something wrong?" Shay put his feet on the floor and leaned forward on the table.

"Umm...no." Connor spoke quietly. "Not really."

"Not really? C'mon Connor spit it out, what's on your mind?"

"It's...it's just that you're tired, hungry, and..." There was no nice way to say 'probably under the influence' so Connor let his sentence peter out.

Shay sat back in the chair and was silent for a second. "And? And what? I'm fine Connor. Besides I've driven father in...way worse conditions. For example I was driving a Go-cart in a drag race across a half frozen lake when..."

"I'm sure that this is a fascinating and true story but I should really get to school." Connor stood up.

Shay jumped to his feet. "You're right! I'm falling behind in my responsibilities again. Wait by the door, I just need to grab my coat!" He rushed out of the dining room through the kitchen doorway, almost tripping on the penguins that were following him.

Connor sighed and walked out of the doorway leading to the "foyer". He had trouble understanding how someone so nimble could also be so clumsy.

Connor tossed his duffle bag in the trunk of the sports car and got in the passenger seat. As he closed the door Shay came rushing out, the bottom of his black coat flapping around. At this hurried pace his boot hit the first step wrong which sent him tumbling down the front steps. Although it wasn't so much a tumble, but a front flip that surprisingly landed Shay on his feet unharmed.

After brushing himself off he slid behind the wheel. "Holy shit did you see that?! Jesus, could've cracked my skull right open."

For a split second there was a thought in Connor's mind 'Well it's either crack your head on the stairs or in a fatal car crash.' Connor quickly shook this away as the engine started. He should try to have faith in Shay, but made sure his seatbelt was extra tight...just in case.

Fort Arsenal was closer to the bustling city than the Auditore Villa, but it still took some time to get there. Although with Shay driving things went much faster. Which is why at every intersection or turn Connor either closed his eyes or held on tighter to the door handle. He did this at one intersection in particular. A tiny blue car was headed towards them, stopped and planning to turn. From the left there was an SUV coming, but Shay had the right of way. Connor had just turned his head to the right to glance out the window when the sports car swerved to the left. Connor looked to see the scared, yet angry driver of the SUV and then the driver of the blue vehicle who was terrified as Shay's car took a hard right to narrowly avoid it. When all was done each of the three cars went down their own road. Shay got in the proper lane again and started accelerating up to the speed limit. He let out the breath he was holding in the form of a nervous chuckle. "Well...that was something wasn't it? You okay Connor?"

Connor was hyperventilating in the passenger seat, but gather enough air to respond. "Why did you swerve like that!? Were you trying to kill me like you killed your friends?!"

At this all the acceleration was for naught as the sports car screeched to a halt on the edge of the road. Shay glared at Connor, although it wasn't really as angry as it was hurt and sad. His lips were moving as if to say something, but they sat in silence instead. Then Shay un-clenched his hands from the steering wheel and got out of the car, slamming the door behind him. He paced forward then back several times and stopped a ways behind the car to, from what Connor could see in the rearview mirror, either scream or cry. Shay stayed still for awhile with his hands on his hips before marching back to the driver's door. He yanked it open and stared at Connor again. "Now what did you say again?"

The look was so full of...it couldn't be described as one emotion...but as a maelstrom of many that chilled every bone in Connor's body. Yet he still managed to murmur. "I...I read that newspaper and..."

"And you believed that bullshit?" The steadiness was scarier than if it had been screamed.

"Well...typically they aren't wrong..."

"Oh, of course. So you think I'm a bad guy too? You think that I would do something like that?"

Connor waited to see if this was a rhetorical question...it wasn't. "I...I just... Well for example you're driving drunk right now."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. You said you had a couple of shots this morning."

Shay's ferocity dimmed into confusin for awhile. "What? Oh wait...ohhh. Those were espresso shots, since I was kind of tired this morning."

Connor thought about this, and based on Shay's past actions, he should've figured this out. Still that only explained today. "But what about when..."

The mix of emotions returned to Shay's eyes in a flash. "I wasn't drinking then either! Were you not watching those videos? I wasn't the one drinking. And do you know why? Because I was the designated driver, and I was responsible."

There were a few moments of silence which allowed Shay to mellow a bit. "But I couldn't be responsible for everyone on that road. I couldn't tell them not to drink and drive. I couldn't tell any of the officers whose fault it was." The calm eye of the storm ended and the maelstrom returned with full force. "I had no control when the hospital's breathalizer tests were mixed up! And I couldn't stop the nurses who wheeled the bodies of Kesogawase, Liam, and...Hope. Sweet Hope. I could tell it was her under that white sheet; I saw her face. It was bloody but beautiful and for a split second I could've sworn she breathed, but...but..."

Shay's voice trailed off then he snapped back. "But because of that damned lawyer who used false information I couldn't even see her buried. And the nerve he had to put a fucking innocent man in jail! By painting him as some sort of villain; going straight from a hospital bed to a prison cell! But I'm not a bad guy...am I?" His head dropped slowly.

At first Connor wasn't sure if this was a question directed at him or the void. However after several moments of silence he figured a human response would benefit the situation. "Well...I...it's not that you're a...um...I'd like to think..."

As the silence was broken Shay looked up, the anger had faded and was replaced with despondency. The speed by which his feelings fluctuated was surprising, but understandable since this tragic event would warrant such a range of strong emotion. Connor stopped at this look, not knowing why, but thankful he didn't have to continue talking.

Shay spoke hoarsely. "You do think I'm a villain don't you?" He sighed and continued in the same tone. "Giovanni, Achilles, Anne...why does everyone think I'm evil?"

Connor tried thinking of what offense Shay could have caused the high school janitor, but pushed that to the back of his mind. "Shay...I don't..."

"Are you sure? Think about it if you need, just don't lie to me." The way he ended that sentence made it clear that Connor wasn't the only one to try and spare Shay's feelings.

So Connor did stop talking to think. He didn't really know Shay as well as he'd like, but from the time spent with the Irishman he didn't seem threatening. Sure his past involved drug dealing, homelessness, stealing, and unsavory people...however he's done very well for himself since. And yes he broke into the Kenways' apartment, but...actually there wasn't much of a redeeming quality there. It could merely be excused by Shay's altered sense of appropriate behavior. Then there was the newspaper article to consider. They typically aren't known for giving false information, but it could certainly happen. Then again the truth could be somewhere between both stories. Connor never really had to do a critical analysis or thinking like this, but after what felt like a good measure of inner debate he vocalized his honest opinion.

"Shay. I truly don't believe you to be evil, a villain, or a bad guy. However you've certainly done some questionable things, and you can be irrational or...inappropriately...eccentric. As for what happened to Hope and your friends; I know you could never do that."

Shay looked up at Connor. "Honestly?"

"Honestly. And that's coming from me, I'm the most honest person I know. Honest!" Connor smiled.

Shay smiled, then chuckled, then leaned over to pull Connor into the most awkward bear hug. "Oh Connor! You've got to be the nicest person I know!"

Connor waited a couple of eternities and then gave Shay a few pats on the back. "Uh...thanks. Now it's not like I don't appreciate heartfelt emotional moments with people who desperately need them but...I do still have to get to school."

Immediately Shay released him. "By God you're right! I completely forgot I'm sorry!"

"It's...it's alright." 'Especially after insulting your integrity' But Connor neglected to add that part. Instead he double-checked his seat belt and rode quietly to school.