Somethings never seemed to change, like Ezio and Desmond pranking Altair. Then the two of them running for their lives as said older man went after them. Shaun and Malik would be conversing over things that she hadn't heard before or even discussing the weather. Leo would be cooking or reading or painting (she having bought him a set of paints and couldn't wait for him to make something, procrastination be damned). Alex would read or get on her laptop or sleep or be gone for most of the day.

Connor had effectively thrown everything out of whack.

He was roughly the same age as Des and Ezzy and Alty but he was just so… naïve. That was the only word she could find in her extensive vocabulary that expressed her thoughts on the Native. He was naïve. The two dolts, A.K.A. Des and Ezzy, had found that he would do anything if told it was important or something along those lines. So now here she was, chasing after Desmond and Ezio after being told by Connor, who was hiding in his room after walking in on her changing clothes because he was told she had wanted to ask him something right away, that they were the ones who had told him that. She had a couple of guesses as to why the two of them were doing this, because this hadn't been the first time in two weeks since Connor began living with them, and she did appreciate the sentiment. She didn't appreciate the process.

"You two are dead!"

"Oh shit, Ezio move your fat ass! She's gotten faster!"

"Ti maledicono Altair! Perché si è di iniziare i corsi di formazione?*" Was Ezio's response. She knew the meaning of the words he said, all thanks to Leo. Or well, she knew the rough translation. And Altair had taken a keen interest in teaching her more than just throwing knives, he was teaching her how to do wall runs (many scraped knees and elbows thanks to that), fight hand-to-hand, use a sword (though they were using broom stick handles which still hurt), and even some techniques to incapacitate someone (mostly it was Alex would ended up being the guinea pig on that but it didn't stop her from practicing on Ezio and Desmond). She pours on the steam, taking a leap off of the porch as she follows them outside. Her breathing instantly becomes smoke and she notices the two were trying their best to get away from her, their own breathing becoming smoke too.

The chasing continued for several more minutes before she lost sight of them. She stops, panting from the exertion, and looks around. "Come on you two, I know y'all are out here. Its freezing and neither of you are dressed for the weather." The two of them appear from behind the trees to her left, shivering. They were wearing short sleeved shirts and shorts because someone had decided to turn the house into an oven. It was much appreciated.

"How are you not cold?" Ezzy questions, stuttering so hard she was surprised he hadn't bit his tongue off. Desmond was doing the same, nodding at her. She was barely shivering, having gotten used to the cold after so long. The only difference was that here shortly she would be shaking just as hard as they were.

"Used to it. But it won't matter; I'll be like you guys in not too long. I hate the cold." She responds, wrapping her arms around herself with a laugh. Desmond and Ezio grin and place her between them, using their body's temperature to keep her somewhat warm while they walk back to the house.

"I must admit, your skills are improving." Ezio compliments her once they re-enter the house. She filches the blanket off the back of the couch, earning a disapproving noise from Altair. He had been taking a nap, which was a feat considering the noise three had been making before tearing off out of the building. He just huffs, turns on his side, and closes his eyes to ignore everything. Malik chuckles, saying something that sounded a lot like 'Novice' under his breathe.

"Yay!" Megan cheers as she walks over to the kitchen, gets a cup down and fills it with water from the tap.

"You still have a lot to learn though." Desmond says making her choke on her drink. Her dirty look, whilst trying to get rid of the water in her lungs, only caused him to laugh as he walked over and patted her on the back. "You definitely get an A for effort." Once she gains her breathe back, she play punches him in the stomach which he returns and puts her in a headlock.

"Why do you allow him to treat her like that?" Connor says, surprising everyone. So he had finally come out of his room.

"Because she'll get him if he goes to far." Malik says and they hear Desmond groan in pain. Megan had elbowed him in the stomach when he started to give her a noogie and clutches at the counter top. She was grinning evilly at him. Malik gestures at the scene. "Like that. She isn't much of a weakling like she looks."

"I see…"

"Hi Connor." She says as she walks out of the kitchen and towards the people hanging out in the living room. Ezio walks over to the painter who was sketching out something. It looked like a bunch of half drawn circles and squares, nothing really to her. But it still made her excited, having the man paint or draw or really anything to do with pen and paper. Connor on the other hand flushes, his skin darkening just enough for them to see. He nods in response and walks away. She pouts.

"Give him time. All of us had to get used to this time period, it just may take him longer." Altair says, yawning widely afterwards. Megan nods in understanding.

"Can I ask something of you two?" At the nods she receives she continues her request. "Keep the two dolts from getting him into trouble? Hate for Alex to be around on something like that and him just be a smear on the wall." The older Assassins chuckle in agreement.

"For who to be a smear?" A deep rumble of a voice questions her, grabbing at her hips at the same time. She squeaks in surprise turning around quickly to find Alex behind her with a shit-eating grin on his face, hidden under his hood. She swats his arm and he atleast has the decency to look affronted, rubbing the offended appendage. She feels something snake around her waist and when she looks down to find a bio-mass tendril that lifts her overhead.

"Alex! Put me down!" She says laughing as she holds onto the mass of red and black around her mid-section.

"What will you give me?" Megan gives him a look while still laughing and he puts her down gently. He takes off his leather jacket and puts it on her, the warmth that was always with it comforting. It was something she loved about it.

"So guess what today is?" Shaun questions her as he comes inside. He had ran to town to get something, but what it was he wouldn't tell her.

"Uh… Groundhog day?" Megan answers with a shrug. Shaun rolls his eyes.

"No. Valentine's." There was a hint of something in his voice but she couldn't really figure it out. He hands Alex the keys and walks off to the kitchen.

"Get dressed." Alex says to her and goes to the stairs.

"Wait, why?" She says as she follows him to their room.

"Going out."

Alex waits downstairs for Megan. She was taking her time, which he should have expected. She was worth waiting on to him though. When she does finally come down the stairs she was wearing a long sleeved black dress with a high neck line and stopped halfway down her thighs. It was skin tight and her hair was straightened and hung down to her waist (she had gotten it cut about a week ago, citing it was too long now), it was swept to her left side leaving her right side bare. She had light eyeliner on, just enough to darken her eyelashes, with silvery shadow on her lids, pink lip gloss, and a pair of silver heals in her hand. She had silver stringy earrings on as well.

Her eyes lit up when she saw what Alex was wearing; A blue silky long sleeved button up, black slacks, and a black jacket over his arm. His ever present hood was gone along with the white button up and his boots. He looked really good.

His silvery-blue eyes roam her body, eyebrows raised. A whistle comes from the kitchen. When Megan looks over to see who it was; Des, Ezio, Leo, and Connor were leaned over it, mouths dropped open.

"Somehow, I think this outfit is better than the red one in Seattle." Desmond says, a chuckle escaping him. Altair smacks him upside the head.

"We will be gone for a few days." He says, nodding his head to the suitcases beside the bookcase.

"Where?" She asks in surprise.

"Seattle." Malik responds to her. He was sitting on the couch with a book in hand.

"So you guys... all knew about this?"

"After what you shared with us, we believed it to be the better option than all of us going. Besides, it'll be nice to get some fresh air and for the place to not be so crowded for the two of you." Shaun says with a smile.

"Let me guess, that was why you were gone earlier?"

Shaun nods. "Yes, Alex and I both." Her eyes cut to the dark haired male who shrugs good naturedly.

She eyes him a moment before a large smile breaks out over her face. She launches herself at him, giving him a tight hug which he returns.

"She looks much better like this, more appropriate for a woman." Connor whispers to Leo and Ezio who both roll their eyes at him.

"This is modern era clothing." Leo responds.

"You will see worse than this I am afraid. For them it is normal, but imagine how the old man felt when we were all going through this for the first time. It gets easier to understand." Ezio says to him with a good natured smile. Connor nods to him in understanding. They had said things would take time to become accustomed to. And this trip would help him in some way. It just made him worried, he had seen how they act when she was around and he could only imagine how they acted when she wasn't.

"So, me and Alex have the car and you guys have the truck right?" Altair nods yes.

"We'll be gone for several days." Megan raises her eyebrows at him.

"Ok... Don't get to drunk you guys, I know how y'all are. And no topless bars Desmond! They'll never be ready for them!" Megan calls out as Alex pulls her from the house, hopping to put on her shoes as she goes. He stops at the door long enough to put his leather jacket on her and then they were out the door.

"What is a… topless bar?" Connor questions the two more modern Assassins. Desmond laughs raucously and Shaun rolls his eyes and face palms.

"That was so much fun!" Megan says happily, several hours later as they re-enters the house. She wobbles from the heals, her feet tired. Alex shuts the door behind him, looking at the long column of her spine. He had found out the dress was low scoop in the back and the material gathered at the small of her back. They had eaten dinner and then went dancing afterwards at a local club. They didn't drink, not that the alcohol would really be able to sway him to well, but still they had fun. And she was really good at dancing, maybe not the dancing the older Assassins were used to but for this era she was.

He chuckles happily. "Yes. And it's late now." She rounds on him, taking him by surprise when she pushes him against the front door. She had that same look on her face that she did in Seattle, right before she had left for the club.

"And we're all alone now." She says, her lips a hairs breathe away from his. His lips twitch and he switches their positions, her pulled up to be even with him. He presses his against hers, a soft mewl escaping her at the contact. She wraps her arms around him neck, pulling him closer to her. More noises make it past her lips as they move around. He wraps one arm around her legs, keeping them to one side, and goes up the stairs not breaking contact with her. He tosses her on their bed, her bouncing a few times, and she leans against the headboard watching him stalk up to her.

Something inside quivers with anticipation and maybe a little apprehension. This was, after all, new territory.

"Desmond, focus." Shaun says, bopping the man on the head with a book. They were at a library in Seattle, researching. Desmond, Ezio, Altair, and even Connor wanted to pull their hair out. This wasn't really how they wanted to spend their 'vacation' time.

"How much longer are we gunna be here?" Desmond more or less whines, head dropping onto the book infront of him. It wasn't something he could understand so he didn't get why he was here.

"We need to see if there is anything even remotely interesting to get us home. To see if it would even be possible to do so." Malik answers, flipping a page to the book he was reading. Even he was starting to look bored and annoyed with it.

Not even twenty minutes later Shaun, Leo, and Malik call it quits and they all head to the bar, except Connor who refused. He wasn't much for drinking, especially after seeing how Redcoats acted. It wasn't something he wanted to join in on so he called it a night and went to the hotel they had booked, waiting for the rest to return.

"I wonder what Megan and Alex are doing right now?" Desmond questions hours and countless beers later. They were leaning on one another for support, unable to keep themselves upright. They were weaving all over the place, running into random people and into the walls and storefronts and poles. Ezio had even managed to get Altair, of all people, to do a strange but hilarious version of a pole dance. That was proof enough that they all had one to many and so they were heading back to the hotel. Maybe Connor would be able to take care of their drunk asses.

"Who –hic- knows." Leo answers with a laugh that was shared by Ezio. Des and Leo sway backwards, back peddling for balance. Altair and Ezio careen into a brick wall, laughing at the sight.

Shaun and Malik were several feet ahead, their movements unsteady. "Hopefully we aren't far from the hotel. Hate to wake up on a bench or something." Shaun says to Malik who nods slowly in agreement. They were definitely a sight to behold and one to make fun of when Connor woke up the next morning. Of course the barrage of pillows had him ducking for cover as they all complained about him needing to destroy the sun.

The large group of men had left not long after Megan and that man had. She waited for their return, fully prepared to spend several hours doing such. This was something she couldn't let go of. She loved Megan, adored her. She would do anything for the writer even keep her safe from these men. Men were evil. They used you and hurt you, left you after they had gotten what they wanted. She didn't want Megan to go through that. They weren't her family. She had found out that Megan was an orphan. There would be no one to come looking for her after she had gotten rid of them. She twitches, a tic she always possessed; a jerking motion of her head to the right, violent and sudden. She had been used by men, abused and mistreated and hated and hurt. They had called her names, cruel words she had heard all her life. She would save Megan. Save her and have her write only for her. No one else was worthy, only she was. She smiles, jagged broken teeth showing past tobacco stained, dry, cracked, peeling lips. Yes, no one was worthy of the brilliance of Megan's writing only she was. Her words spoke to her, told her she wanted to be saved from this hell. She wanted her to save Megan. She twitches again, grabbing the little baggy of white crystals. She pours some into a glass pipe, taking her lighter to heat it up and breathe it in; twisting the pipe around to heat the crystals evenly. She exhales a long plume of white, the smoke coiling around her greasy oily hair. Yes Megan wanted her to save her, her books said so. She needed to know how to destroy the interlopers. They were the ones holding the princess, the evil dragons keeping her in her keep. She relaxes, eyes focusing in and out on the door which shifts and changes. She needed… to protect… her brilliant princess… from the evil… dragons…

"Hey Megan, where are you?" Desmond winces as Leo yells for the girl as soon as they enter the house. It was quiet. A little too quiet if they were truthful. Instantly they were all on edge, every sound heightened. A giggle escapes from upstairs, putting them at ease.

"Alex! Quit!" was heard followed by a thud. Connor takes off upstairs followed by the rest to stop him. He flings open the door and enters but stops short, the rest doing the same as they stared. Megan stares back at them, clutching the towel tighter to her body and her eyes wide. They see the hickeys on her neck, darken marks against her pale flesh. She had just come out of the bathroom, water was still running and the door open; and a hand snakes out, grabbing her wrist, and tugging her back inside. She went willingly and the door closes with force.

"Uh… can we… unsee that?" Altair says as they all look at one another then flee the room.

"They know." Megan says, stopping Alex assault on her neck. She had enough of his love bites that she was sure she wouldn't be going anywhere soon without being stopped and questioned. Not that she hadn't returned the favor on him but he didn't seem all to concerned with it. If she was being honest, he seemed happy about it.

"So?" He responds, his voice low and with a growl following afterwards that send shivers down her spine. His attention moves from her neck to her collar bones, soft nips and bites being given. She gasps, breathless at the sensation. His attentions draw her away from her concerns.

Desmond throws back the shot offered to him, coughing as the liquor burns. The rest of the men follow suit, Ezio refilling the shot glasses. They needed to forget and their oath of not getting as drunk as they had be damned. That was their sister and they had seen her…

"There has got to be something stronger here." Shaun says after doing the next shot as Ezio plays bartender. Altair and Malik shake their heads no.

"Nothing. Just keep drinking." Malik says, choking out the words after the shot.

"This is improper is it not?" Connor questions them, his lids already at half-mast. He hadn't had half as many shots as the rest of them but was drunker then they were. He was obviously not used to drinking.

"Well, no but that doesn't mean approve. She's like our sister." Desmond answers, a chill crawling down his spine. That was not the image he ever needed to see. He throws back the next shot, the burn not as prominent now. He could feel the alcohol taking effect, his equilibrium was already swaying like the ocean.

Megan slowly makes her way into the room, watching as they throw back several shots without much pause in between. This was not good for them, especially Connor who looked ready to fall on his ass if he wasn't already sitting in the chair. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't fall out of the chair anyways. "Um, guys?" They all jump, turning quickly to face her. They looked like they were trying to figure out who she was and when they do, they throw back the newest shot in their glasses.

"Never…" Ezio says, his own eyelids fighting to stay open. Megan knew what he was talking about and she nods, a red tint crawling up her face. She takes the empty bottle from Ezio who was trying to get out more of the liquid.

"I think you guys have had enough." She says gently, helping Connor stand up. Most of his weight lands on her and she grits her teeth, leading him slowly over to the stairs. "Come on, it's bed time now." She says just as gently, catching any of them who seemed unsteady. She follows after them up the stairs, waiting as they change so she could tuck them in. She closes the blinds as tightly as possible, making sure only the bare minimum of light was coming into the room when she exited. She received various forms of good night; in Arabic, Italian, Mohawk, and English. Sleepy smiles were given as well when she kissed their foreheads and wished them good dreams. She returns to her room to find Alex asleep on their bed, arm behind his head. Half of his body was covered by the blankets, and she had a guess that that was all that he was wearing. She crawls into bed with him, surprised he was atleast wearing boxers. She smiles sleepily, her body aching dully.

They were back. Those evil men were back. The hydra needed to be destroyed. But which head was the one she needed to cut off? You cut the wrong one and two more grew in its place. Her princess needed her, needed her to save her. The evil dragons had merged into the hydra, becoming stronger. They knew she was there, knew what her mission was. She twitches as she lights up once more. They weren't going to be stronger than her for much longer. She just needed to find the weakness. It was the hard part, the weakness and finding it. But someone needed to save her, Megan was in trouble. They were using her, hurting her. Megan was pure. She needed to remain pure for the sacrifice. But now wasn't the time. The hydra needed to be killed first. They were confusing Megan, making her think they needed her. That they had no intention of releasing their claws. The princess was naïve. To trusting. To kind. No one but her deserved Megan's kindness. Her twitching increases as musings turn more violent, visions of blood and fear and glee and other emotions fly over her psyche, a turbulent mix of things revolving around and around her head. A cackle, dry and low and painful, escape her lips as her eyes rolls around to follow things only she could see. All these monsters needed to be destroyed. The maidens needed to be freed. They didn't know the evils of this world. That was why she was there to protect the maidens from the monsters. That was her mission until she died.

Okay, I wasn't sure if anyone would like the last chapter. I know it was dark but it was something that I felt needed for the story. There will be more darkness with the light parts. The italicized parts are new and there will be more of them. This story is my baby and I am going to see it through. This is really the first one I can say 100% that I want to see finished. It eats at me when I'm not typing and that's good. And your reviews help. I was nearly done with this chapter and there were no reviews for the last one. I need the reviews. They bring me joy but not only that, I want to hear about your favorite parts and I want to know if there are parts you didn't like and what I can do to make my story better. I don't know if anyone really reads these notes. But I do want to hear from you, my dear readers. Writers thrive by having feedback and having none, while not a deterrent, makes it hard on us. We get better by you guys telling us.

But, enough of that. I have a few people I want to thank. I want to thank QuietDragon13 for adding me to your favorites and for following this story.

Now, on to the reviews!

QuietDragon13: Thank you so much for the review on Ch. 5! I'm glad you think my story is addicting, I just hope you enjoyed this chapter!

ellozorro: I have to say, your review made me so happy. I try to make this story interesting and I'm glad you find it captivating. Character development, for me, is difficult. I find myself, normally when I write, making the characters develop to quickly or its just odd. I try to base them as best I can in reality. Megan and Alex's relationship is hard for me to write truthfully. With Alex being who he is, it's difficult. I have to give him some sort of vulnerability. The others relationships are extremely fun to write, I just think of what big brothers would do to protect their little sisters and how they would aggravate and pick on one another. I actually have to stop myself from getting carried away! And I'm afraid that your tumblr name didn't show up but I would really enjoy talking to you!

I haven't yet moved, so for now I still have internet. I am having to start anew though. I'm going to be going up to the University there in the town I'm moving to and going to be restarting classes for Archaeology. But I'm also going to be applying for Creative Writing. I want to get better.

So, here's the question of the chapter; If you could be any superhero who would it be and why? Self made superheros are fair game! For me, I'd want to be Batgirl. All the tech and gadgets and Bruce Wayne. -drools- Lol