Ohai guys! How've we all been? Sorry for the super slow update, but it was my birthday last week and I got a little distracted, and plus school work will forever be awful. Anyway, the last phase of 27 for you, and another chapter after this one. Hope you enjoy!

Maria's Apartment – 23:30

'Nothing?'

'No,' Maria sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she watched the Abstergo logo turn on her laptop screen, this time no different than the past five hours she'd spent watching it. She heard the shuffle of bare feet on the rug, and a mug of tea being offered to her. Smiling, she took it, and murmured her thanks as she sipped it. She caught the smell of coffee as McDonald sat beside her, sipping from his own mug and watching the laptop screen with her. 'They must've only just changed the passcodes this week – I could get in last week.'

'Mmm.'

Silence.

'Why're you still here?'

'Mmm?'

'You should've gone home hours ago.'

'Nah, we haven't finished here yet. I'll go when we do.' McDonald replied, grunting as he cracked his neck.

'Well, it doesn't look like we'll be making any progress, so I'm just about ready to call it a night.' Maria sighed, and reached behind her laptop to grope for the books laid open behind it. They'd turned the lights off hours ago, just in case they were being watched. She found the Machiavelli's diary and dragged it carefully towards her, scanning it futilely in the glow of the laptop screen. 'There's got to be something in here we've missed – or something in other documents I have that I haven't even thought of looking in yet. For all we know, Da Vinci could've written the word TARDIS onto some of his sketches.' She growled in frustration, waving her hand.

'Should we check…?'

She looked over to McDonald, who was looking at her expectantly. She laughed.

'I'm joking!'

'Oh,' McDonald said, and then grinned. Maria smiled at him, and then looked thoughtful.

'He designed a time machine, didn't he? I wonder if he based it on the TARDIS – if he ever got a look.'

'Well knowing what I do of the Doctor, he probably got a chance to drive it.' McDonald said thoughtfully, tugging on his earlobe.

Maria hummed in agreement. 'That'd be something.'

They both sipped from their drinks in unison as a silence settled between them – teetering uneasily on the edge of being companionable and awkward at the same time. They both sat there for a while, before Maria sighed.

'I'm calling it a night.' She said heavily, setting her mug down on the table.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah,' she sighed, and then rubbed her eyes with her hand. 'I don't know how we're meant to beat them.' She murmured.

'Hey,' McDonald nudged her. 'We will.'

'Thanks,' Maria replied, and then frowned. 'We?'

McDonald grinned bashfully. 'Those Templars ain't all that. I'll throw my lot in with you Assassins, see where that gets me.'

Maria grinned. 'Good to hear it.'

That silence again. McDonald gulped down the rest of his coffee. Something needed to be said, and he didn't know what it was, but it was on the tip of his tongue just threatening to burst out of him -

'Maria – '

'Do you want to stay the night?'

McDonald shut his mouth. 'What?'

'It wouldn't make much sense for you to walk all the way back home in the dark. I have an old blow up mattress if you want it, or you can sleep on the sofa?'

McDonald looked flustered. 'I – I thought you meant - !'

Maria looked perplexed, and then her eyes widened. 'Oh God, no! No, not like that! I barely know you!'

'Didn't stop you last time!'

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and when he saw Maria's face, he wished he could snatch them back. He searched her face frantically, and was relieved beyond measure to see it relax.

'Well, that was Assassin business,' She said after a while, and then sighed. 'It isn't something I'm proud of, but my superiors wanted me to check if you had any documents at home. I couldn't see any other way in.'

McDonald frowned. 'You went through my things?'

'No more than I had to. I didn't find anything, don't worry. Other than those magazines…' Maria trailed off, and then grinned at McDonald's horrified expression. 'I'm joking.'

McDonald grinned again. 'You need to stop doing that.'

Silence.
'So – sofa or mattress?'

'I'll take the sofa.'

'As you wish,' Maria said, closing her laptop, drinking the rest of her tea and motioning at McDonald's mug. 'You finished with that?' McDonald swallowed the rest of his coffee hastily – it burnt his throat but he didn't care, because their fingers touched briefly when he handed the empty mug to her. 'I'll go get you some blankets.'

'OK,' he managed. She smiled at him in the gloom and then was gone. As the kitchen light flicked on, McDonald allowed himself a moment of schoolboy panic to consume him utterly. I am staying in the home of a very beautiful woman who has turned my world upside down in a matter of days oh god she's coming back –

While McDonald had flustered in the wake of his own thoughts, Maria had returned with an armful of blankets. 'It's not much, but I hope it'll do,' she said apologetically, holding them out to him.

'Thanks,' McDonald said, taking them from her and awkwardly toeing off his shoes. He looked up at her and smiled, and she smiled back.

That silence again. They both searched for something to say, but there was nothing. Maria was the first to cave in.

'Well, good night.'

'G'night.'

With one last smile, she turned and left. McDonald shrugged off his jacket, rolled out the blankets, laid down on the sofa and willed for sleep to come. It wouldn't. His head was filled with thoughts of the woman sleeping a couple of doors away from him. Frustrated with himself, he moved awkwardly onto his side and half-heartedly punched the cushion under his head.

Stop it. Once all this is over, you won't see her ever again. Don't let yourself do…whatever you're doing.

But what if it isn't? What if she wants to see you after?

Of course she doesn't – look at her, and look at you. I'd run a mile from me.

But you're changing.

McDonald contemplated that for a little while. Yeah. He had.

And it was because of her.

He fell asleep smiling.

N'aw. Fluff. Anyway, next chapter up in a bit! Thanks for reading and reviewing, guys!