Breathe Shay breathe you've talked to Hope hundreds of times. Somehow I wasn't convincing myself. I just... need someone to know exactly what happened in Lisbon. Not a report from an Assassin who came after or a story from a sobbing civilian. My account. What I saw... what I did... what happened as a result. Hope was always good at getting my head on straight; even though she would usually just insult me to do it. With that thought in mind I knocked on her solid oak door. Pretty but it'd probably stop a bullet and a few men pounding on it. "Come in."

"Here goes nothin'. " I murmured. It's not like I had much left to lose anyway. I twisted the nob stepped in and stopped... it's just she looked so beautiful sitting there that huge wall of windows painting her a rosy gold. I'd always thought she was pretty but...

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come in and explain why you're here instead of on the way back to the Homestead?" She was still Hope though.

"Just fixin myself after bein manhandled by your guards is all." It wasn't exactly a lie when those brutes heard Hope's first order I thought they were ready to toss me out the front gates.

"If you thought they were a threat then they would be dead and you would be halfway across the city by now." Fair enough.

"Killing your men hardly seemed like the best way to start asking you for a favor."

"If you need a horse you can have your pick from the stables. For anything else it can wait until I return to the Homestead."

"...Hope please just listen. I need to get a few things out before I talk to Achilles."

"I'm not going to help you avoid punishment Shay." That's what she thought this was about!

"Listen to me!" She jumped and looked away from those fucking papers she was reading. I could see her tense ready to drive any way for a fight. A fight she would probably win; I knew of three knifes she always carried there were probably more. "Sorry sorry." I tried to relax but it was hard. "I wasn't right when I accused Achilles of knowing what would happen but he needs to know. The Precursor artifact I found... it wasn't an Apple like the ones Ezio Auditore wrote about."

"Was it a crystal skull?" She had relaxed but sat up, finally she was paying real attention. "Edward Kenway, Adewale's captain had found one years ago in the Caribbean. With a drop of blood it allowed you to see through another person's eyes."

"No no it was more like... a black star just floating there. Just spinning on a little pedesta. It looked so innocent." and then... And when I picked it up I swear I was gentle... it just fell apart! Before I knew what would happen the city just fell apart... and I ran like a coward... all those people Hope please believe me." I couldn't bear to look at her anymore the horror on her face. Touching artifacts without knowing what they are... she must think I'm an idiot... no a monster. I put my head in my heads and wasn't to surprised to feel hot tears burning into my palms. "Just believe me Hope so no one else dies!"

I sat there for I don't know how long. It could of been seconds, minutes... it felt like days, just sitting there bawling like a little girl who scraped her knee. I was about to look up when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. "This is something Achilles, no the Brotherhood has to know. Good work Shay." And then I started crying all the harder.

"Thank God. Oh thank God!"