There are eight of them staying over at the cabin in upstate New York that night. They get there in pairs and small groups, not all at once, coming as fast as they can (but not necessarily as fast as they would like). Edward and Desmond are first, nearly missing the place in the dark and doubling back when they realize they've gone too far. Neither of them has ever been there before, but Altair's instructions lead them there, eventually. Second, Altair, Haytham, and Rebecca, travelling together and eager to find out what will happen next. Connor, Ezio, and Shaun are the last to arrive, and Desmond can tell just by the looks on their faces that they don't quite believe what they've been told they'll find when they get there.
It's been hours since Desmond was forced back into his eagle's body, and the sheer excitement of seeing everyone again gives him the energy to change again. They're all gathered in the cabin's spacious main floor when Desmond shakes off his feathers right in front of the group. The three that have already seen this transformation (mostly) manage to watch this without batting an eye, but Ezio swears loudly and Shaun almost falls over backwards. They're both looking at him like they can't quite believe he's real, and Connor actually gets up and grasps Desmond by the arm. When he feels solid skin there, he smiles, just a little, and Desmond grins back. He's missed this. Missed them, all of them.
"I'm back," he says, and Edward gives an unhappy screech of protest from his perch behind them. Desmond rolls his eyes. "We're back," he amends.
"And there's a lot we need to talk about," Altair adds, speaking up for the first time.
"Like how it's possible for a couple of dead people to suddenly be…" Shaun splutters wordlessly and gestures to Desmond and Edward.
"No," Altair says, in a thoughtful voice that Desmond can see is driving Shaun crazy. "I think some things we just need to accept at face value. It's not worth trying to figure out the how or the why."
"So we're just okay with saying 'space magic did it' and leaving it at that?" Shaun demands.
"Because you don't have any experience with unusual first civilization phenomena," Haytham says drily, and Desmond is surprised when Shaun turns red as a tomato and stops arguing at once. Obviously something has happened while he was away, but this is just as obviously not the time to start asking questions.
"We need to figure out what to do next with Juno," Altair says. "We almost had her today, but-"
"I sort of interrupted, didn't I?" Desmond says, but he's not sorry. Altair had been acting rashly, dangerously, and he doesn't regret stopping him before he did something stupid.
"Yes," Altair says. "But we're still in a better position than we were this time yesterday. We know John's working with Juno now, and even if we don't know where she is, we know where to find him."
"Where?" Desmond asks.
"At Abstergo Entertainment," Haytham says, like this is supposed to help everything make sense.
"But how are we supposed to get in there?"
"Haytham and Rebecca have been undercover there for months," Shaun says.
"Wait, what-"
The surprise of this makes Desmond's hold on his form flicker and fade for a minute, and Ezio cocks his head in obvious alarm. "Does that happen a lot?" he asks.
"More than I'd like," Desmond admits. "But it's better than being a bird all the time, so I guess I'll take it."
"Hang on," Shaun says, and reaches across Ezio for his laptop bag, moving a little closer to the man than Desmond would have expected- Shaun's not the kind of guy that's big on the whole touching thing, but when Ezio puts an absentminded hand on Shaun's head, Shaun barely even seems to notice. No one else says anything about it either, so Desmond puts aside his confusion for the moment, watching instead as Shaun pulls open his laptop and starts scrolling through something. "I think I have something that can help," he says. "I've been looking through precursor records of some of the artifacts they left behind. There are a lot to go through, but specifically there's something in…" his face lights up and he jabs at something on his screen that only he can see. "Peru. I ignored it when I first saw it because the description had something to do with form stabilization and I thought it was useless for us. But I think that's how Juno stabilized herself into having a real body after you, ah… well, not died, I guess."
"And you think it could- what, make us human again?" Desmond asks. His heart is in his throat as he says it, because that would be the most insane thing he could imagine hearing right now.
"As human as you ever were," Shaun says, and Desmond stares blankly for a second before abruptly starting to laugh. He's not exactly sure why- relief, maybe, or surprise. The pure, tantalizing thrill of imagining himself being part of the group again is awesome, in the most literal sense of the word.
Desmond only realizes the others are starting to stare when Edward flies over and nips him on the finger. He stops laughing. "Yes," he says. "Yes, let's do that."
-/-
They split up after that, a decision that the rest of them seem to take in stride. But Desmond wants to argue (because after this long with no one but Edward for company, he feels childishly unable to say goodbye). But he doesn't, in the end. He just listens in silence as Altair decides where each of them will go. The scene has an air of familiarity about it, as if this has happened already. "Haytham, Rebecca, you two obviously need to stay in Montreal if you want to keep your cover."
"Of course," Haytham says, and Rebecca nods.
"Shaun, you're the one that knows about this artifact," Altair goes on. "And Desmond and Shaun are the ones that need it, so the three of you are going to Peru."
Ezio stirs uneasily from his place at Shaun's side. "What about me?" he asks. "The last time the two of us were split up, Shaun grew-"
"That can't exactly happen a second time," Altair interrupts, sharply. "He's already got wings, he's not going to get another set."
The only thing that stops Desmond from asking why (and how) Shaun got wings is the paralyzing confusion. And no one else seems at all surprised by this, just nod like it's old news, and the conversation moves on before Desmond can regain control of his mouth.
"Fine," Ezio says, in a voice that says clearly that it's not fine at all. "So where do you want me?"
"With me and Connor," Altair says. "I don't know about you, but I would really like to know what happened to Minerva."
Ezio's whole attitude seems to shift at this. He uncrosses his arms, and stops glaring at Altair long enough to nod. A moment ago, he'd seemed ready to argue for the chance to go to Peru (and Desmond would really like to know what his deal with Shaun is), but now he seems somewhat mollified. "You know I would," he says.
"Okay," Desmond says. "Hold on, I still have no idea what's going on here." He points at Shaun, half curious and half accusing. "You have wings?"
"It's sort of a new development," Shaun grumbles, and glances at Ezio. It's a complicated look, one that takes Desmond a second to process. And then it clicks.
"Oh!" he says. "You-" he looks back and forth between Shaun and Ezio. "You two are dating now?" There are probably less likely couples in the world, but Desmond's having a hard time thinking of any off the top of his head. He's known Ezio since before he was old enough to fly, and he never would have pegged Shaun as his type.
"No," Shaun says, firmly. "Absolutely not."
But there's clearly something going on, because everyone in the room is suddenly looking at the floor, or the ceiling, or anywhere except directly at the two men in question. "Sorry," Desmond says. "I shouldn't have asked, I guess."
"You didn't know," Rebecca says, suddenly looking Desmond straight in the eye. "I mean, how could you? No one will talk about it."
"Rebecca…" Haytham says, warningly.
"They went to some precursor site in Egypt," Rebecca goes on, completely ignoring Haytham. "And because clearly we haven't learned not to mess with those already, they did something there that bonded them to each other."
"Bonded?"
"They can't keep their hands off each other," Rebecca says, so bluntly that Shaun winces. He doesn't argue, though, and neither does Ezio. "Literally. And they have this mental thing, so they sort of know what the other one does. And Shaun grew wings because Ezio has them."
"Oh."
"And they made a kid together," Rebecca adds as an afterthought. She grins at Desmond as his mouth drops open and he struggles to find something to say. Edward makes a high pitched noise that Desmond alone recognizes as laughter.
"We didn't make a kid," Shaun snaps. "We don't have all the necessary parts. We just reincarnated Minerva. Completely different."
"Of course," Desmond says. "Um…" A memory flashes suddenly to the front of his mind. Over a month ago, he and Edward had tracked Juno up to Montreal, and had caused an accident that (somehow) everyone had walked away from without major injury. There had been a girl there, one Desmond hadn't recognized and barely taken notice of at the time. But thinking back on it now, there had been something familiar about her. He tries to think of something to say, and in the end manages a heartfelt "Shit."
"Yep," Ezio says. "That pretty much sums it up."
There's nothing else to say after that. Nothing that anyone wants to say, anyway. Desmond lets himself fade back into the eagle's shape, more out of a desire to hide than actual exhaustion. He's tired of the constant revelations, and the reminders that things aren't the same as they had been nine months ago when he left. In time, he's sure it will fade but for now it's still a constant, raw wound that keeps him from being wholly at ease here.
Haytham and Rebecca leave that night, since they can't explain extended absences without raising suspicions. But the others- who will be traveling farther with no clear expectation of what will be waiting for them at the end of their journeys- decide on a night of rest before heading out.
Desmond spends the night awake and restless, flying between different rooms and trying to get comfortable. The truth is, it's been a long time since he slept indoors, and the walls and ceilings here make him feel claustrophobic. Finally, at some ridiculously early hour, Altair comes downstairs to find Desmond perched unhappily on the back of the room's single couch. For a second they just watch one another in a silence that seems to perfectly compliment the predawn quiet of the room. Altair looks like he hasn't slept any more than Desmond has, and even in the dim lighting Desmond can see the lines on his face, and the gray starting to creep into his hair. Altair is older than he had been when last they saw one another, and Desmond knows he is as well. Things have changed.
Then Altair smiles, just a little, no more than a tiny quirk along one side of his mouth, and collapses unceremoniously onto the couch. Desmond half jumps and half falls into the narrow hollow between the couch back and Altair. And there, with the steady rise and fall of Altair's chest a reassuring presence and a promise of safety and peace, Desmond finally manages to sleep.
-/-
Next chapter: Juno makes plans