Summary: Altair can't forget what he was forced to do to his master and he can't cope with it, who will come to save him. Rated M for Angst, self harming, attempted suicide. Eventually Altair/Malik

Disclaimer: I only own a copy of Assassin's creed not the rights to it. I make no money from this story so I can't lend any to anyone.

To the bitter end

Bold: Peoples thought

Malik woke up to the sound of screaming. It took him a few moments to realise where he was and whose voice it was.

Altair?

He looked over and saw the young assassin twisting around with his arms flailing around. One hit Malik in the side of the face; he rubbed his jaw slightly before grabbing the arms and held them above Altairs head. He straddled the young man and tried to hold him down through the nightmare.

"ALTAIR WAKE UP!"

It got no response except for more screaming, Malik realised that Altair was saying something.

"Malik! No! Please I'm sorry!"

Maliks eyes opened wide in horror, he thought that Altair was relieving the tragedy at Solomon's temple.

"Altair, wake up it's just a nightmare!"

He tried to hold onto the man below him, his one arm holding the others two arms above his head. The man arched his back up suddenly, nearly throwing Malik off. The bandaged wrists flew down out of Maliks grip and some of the bandages came away.

Shit!

Altair had curled up into a ball with the small amount of space he'd been given and was now clawing at his own face in terror and panic.

"Malik please don't hate me, I'm sorry please."

Malik was desperately trying to pull Altairs hands away from his face, by now the doctor had rushed in as well and was trying everything he could think of to wake Altair up.

"Master, No, please I don't want to hurt Malik, no, NOOOOOO!"

Altairs eyes shot open. Through his fingers he could see the concerned face of Malik merely inches away from his own. He blushed and looked over his shoulder to the doctor. The doctor sighed and sat on the bed, exhausted from trying to restrain and wake up the writhing man.

"You were having a nightmare."

It was more of a statement than a question but Altair nodded his head. The doctor sighed again and looked at Malik.

"Will you tell me what's going on?"

Malik looked down at Altair, who simply shrugged still looking slightly shocked and breathing very quickly, and then back at the doctor.

"Altair is hearing the voices of the people he's killed; they are coming back to him. I suspect that he hasn't been sleeping because of them and tonight's fiasco just reinforces that."

Altair hung his head and Malik could feel that waves of shame and self-loathing coming from him. He put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. The doctor looked at Altair and put his finger under the assassins chin and lifted his head. He took a quick look at his eyes; he shook his head at the deep shadows that were under his eyes and the haunted look that marked them.

"You should have come to me sooner Altair, I'm used to dealing with this type of thing."

Altairs eyes widened in surprise. Malik smiled at Altairs expression.

"R…really?"

"Of course, you're assassins but you're still human, constantly killing people is bound to have a negative effect on you. At one time or another you're going to start remembering the people you kill. You can only turn your emotions for so long before they kick start with a vengeance."

The doctor stood up and looked at Malik.

"I'll go and get some herbs that will help him sleep, with no dreams. You're going to have to stay with him for a while, at least until he starts improving. I'll get some clean bandages and something for his face. I'll be back in a moment."

"Doctor?"

The doctor looked at Malik again who was studying Altair closely.

"Where are there bandages on both wrists?"

The doctor shook his head soberly and looked at Altair.

"There were fresh cuts on the other wrist. It seems that Altair has been very busy with that hidden blade of his, I can't say anymore I'm sorry."

The doctor spun on his heel and walked out of the room leaving Altair and Malik alone. Silence reigned between them for a few minutes as Malik absorbed this fresh piece of information and Altairs breathing became evener as he finally began to calm down.

"So Altair do you want to tell me about your dream?"

---

Altair groaned, he really didn't want to tell Malik about his dream but he knew that the older man wouldn't take no for an answer, and if he didn't ask about that he'd ask about the cuts to his other wrist.

"Its none of your business, really, it was just a nightmare."

Malik's face turned, if possible, colder.

"You were screaming out my name, and you sounded terrified. I think that qualifies it as my business."

Altair flushed deep red.

"I was talking in my sleep?"

Malik nodded soberly.

"Not so much talking as shouting and screaming."

Malik unconsciously rubbed his jaw with his hand and Altair took a closer look at his friend. He saw the big red mark on his chin where he hit him. He used this to change the topic of conversation.

"Did I do that?"

Malik chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, you hit harder when your asleep than when your awake."

Altair scowled, inside he felt ashamed that he'd hit Malik, even if he was comatose.

"Don't try to change the subject though what was your dream about? Were you reliving Solomon's temple?"

Altair nodded his head eagerly, this wasn't true but it was better than the truth. Malik grinned but it was dangerous.

"If it was Solomon's temple why were you shouting that you didn't want to hurt me?"

Altairs mouth opened and closed. He knew that he looked like a fish but he couldn't think of anything to say in response.

"Altair, what is so bad that you would rather tell an exceptionally obvious lie rather than tell me the truth?"

Altair closed his eyes trying to compose himself. He opened them and saw Malik looking at him, waiting for an answer.

"I was remembering how you acted after Solomon's temple but it was worse you wouldn't even speak to me when I came to the Bureau on missions, then when I faced my master he managed to control me and was making me kill you. I was standing over you with a bloody sword and Al Mualim was standing behind me with the 'piece of Eden' and he was ordering me to kill you. I was trying to fight him but he was too strong and I…stabbed you."

---

Malik was stunned, not by the dream he had expected something like this but by how Altair had reacted. He knew he had to press forward, if Altair had chance to reclaim his composure then he would never have a chance to get the information out of him.

"Why were you reacting so badly to a dream like that?"

Altairs face was a picture. He looked shocked and appalled at the same time.

"I KILLED YOU, how do you expect me to react? Killing your best friend isn't exactly something you simply shrug off."

Malik could tell there was more to it than that; Altairs face took a guarded expression that Malik knew only too well. It was an 'I'm not telling you anything' type of expression, to Malik it was a challenge.

"There's more you're not telling me, I know you too well by now Altair and you can't hide anything from me."

Altair blinked and paled, Malik grinned. He was going to enjoy getting whatever it was out of the dark haired man, he was getting sick of the 'twenty questions' and he wanted to truth.

"TELL ME ALTAIR!"

"NO!"

Altair tried to stand up and Malik pushed him back down on the bed. He was in the position from before, straddling Altair with his hand holding both of Altairs down.

"Tell me what's wrong! You are stronger than this Altair, simple whispers and ghosts wouldn't affect you this badly, there's something more and you ARE going to tell me!"

Altair bucked, trying to throw the older man off. Malik noticed with intrigue that Altair was blushing more and more with each movement. One of Malik's eyebrows rose and he leaned his face in close to Altairs.

"What's wrong? I haven't got a disease and I'm not so heavy that I'm crushing you so why are you blushing so much?"

Altair bucked up again, trying to dislodge the one armed assassin.

"I'm…not….blushing"

"Yes you are. Why?"

Things began to click in Malik's head quite rapidly. The 'real' Altair, his reactions to Malik sitting on him, the bad dreams and what the ghosts might be using against him. Malik grinned as he came down to the only logical conclusion, he couldn't believe he'd been so dense as to not have seen what was going on. He looked down at Altair who'd gulped at the look on Maliks face.

"Ah, Altair now I understand what's going on?"

He breathed on Altairs lips, smirking more at the shudder he felt run through the man.

"Now are you going to tell me or am I going to have to run it by you?"

Please R and R, no flames thank you.