SO, this was a while in posting, but enjoy! :D

Maria's Apartment – 13:30

McDonald spent a while fixing the spikes of his hair before he knocked on Maria's door. As he waited for her to answer, he straightened the lapels of his coat, fixed his collar, reasoned with himself why it was better that he hadn't bought any flowers but when she did finally open the door, he forgot all that in an instant. Her eyes were wide and afraid, and she was looking over his shoulder wildly.

'Maria - ?'

'Come in! Quickly!' Maria hissed, grabbing his arm and yanking him inside. He stumbled forward as she let go of his arm to slam her door behind him, quickly throwing the bolts across.

'Maria, what's - ?' He was cut off as she dragged him forward into the living room, where another man stood up from her sofa. McDonald recognised him instantly as another Assassin – his nimble but heavy figure, free moving trousers and a red and white hoodie. His hood was down, and it showed McDonald a chiselled, hardened face with eyes almost the exact green of Maria's, and a white scar on his cheek. Beside him, Maria visibly relaxed as she re-entered his presence, and it sent a surge of spite up McDonald's throat. He attempted his tough guy look – legs spread and chest thrown out, but it didn't seem to bother the Assassin; he spared McDonald one glance before looking to Maria.

'This is the guy you told me about?' He asked. From what McDonald could tell, he was English. Maria nodded.

'Yes, this is him. Sit down Darren, I'll explain everything in a sec. This is Kevin, my brother.'

McDonald suddenly felt quite silly. 'Oh. Hi.' he said, gingerly shaking the hand Kevin offered. Mark shook hands once, before sitting down again, directing his gaze to an object on the table. McDonald followed it, and found the book Maria had shown him on his first visit. That bloke's diary – what was his name? Mach something?

'We've found something,' Maria said quickly, sitting beside Kevin and rubbing her palms together nervously. 'While he was there, the Doctor and the Assassins were betrayed. To the Templars.'

'What? By who?'

'One of their own – here,' Maria turned the book around towards her and read from it. She wasn't going to bother with the impressive Italian this time. 'I can't tell the date; it's been smudged, but it says: "We are betrayed! Attacked as we returned from the mission that would save us all! One of our own, working with Templars, all along – and they took – I can't make that out - Time is short, and things move quickly as we prepare for another attack. I curse he who betrayed us, and declare now that he is no son of the Creed!"'

'That doesn't sound too good.'

'It isn't. The Assassin who betrayed them was an undercover Templar. No doubt his name and what he did'll be noted in the Templar records, and if we can find it – '

'Then Abstergo can.'

'Exactly. We've no idea of knowing if they've any idea that their link to the Doctor could be in their archives, right under their noses, either.' Maria rocked nervously, lacing her fingers together and pressing them to her mouth. 'Our only hope is to get to the records before they do, and destroy them.'

'I'll get my guild to start searching,' Kevin interjected, pressing the earpiece he had on and standing up. 'We may be few, but we have contacts. We'll do our best.'

'What if the best isn't good enough?' Maria murmured, staring out into space. Kevin looked as though as though he might reply, but then the earpiece flashed, and he began to talk rapidly instead.

'We need to get a search team on the Abstergo archives we know of, looking for any reference to subject 933, code name Bad Wolf. Get the message out, get everybody available on it.'

'Yes sir.' The earpiece said. Kevin pressed it again, and turned back to Maria and McDonald.

'I'll get going. I need to get some stuff done, but I'll be on this with everyone else as soon as I get the chance.'

'Thank you,' Maria stood and hugged her brother quickly. 'Stay safe,' she murmured.

'I always do,' Kevin murmured back, before letting go of his sister. He made his way to the open window and vaulted out of it, launching himself over Glasgow.

Maria turned back to McDonald, looking at him helplessly.

'Shit?' He suggested.

'Shit,' Maria agreed, sitting heavily on the sofa and burying her face in her hands. She looked like she might cry.

'Hey hey hey…' McDonald murmured, sitting down next to her and, moving automatically, put his arms around her. He only realised what he'd done when she unexpectedly leant into him, burying her head in the crook of his shoulder as she shook with nerves. He almost froze in shock, the urge to snatch his arms away almost overwhelming him for a moment, but then he realised just how much he was enjoying the warmth of her, so close to him, and gently laid his head on top of hers. 'Hey…' he murmured again, his heart in his throat.

But it had never beaten faster.

Aw. Fluff.

ANYWAY. Phase three of four will be uploaded tomorrow! :D