A/N: So this is a pretty quick update (Much quicker than it would be on a normal schedule, mind you) because I really enjoyed getting back into the swing of writing this. Though, be warned, this is kind of a filler chapter, because I just noticed that the previous chapters have all happened in the same night... Yeah, our assassins need some sleep, and I needed a way to ease them into it.

Shaun ripped his hand off Desmond's shoulder like he'd been electrified. Already, he could feel his dislike for Desmond bubbling up in his stomach, and it was only intensified by the awkwardness of their current situation.

"Desmond! What the fuck is going on?" Shaun hissed, jumping up from Desmond's side. "What the fuck are you playing at?"

Desmond stared at him blankly.

"What?"

Shaun glared at him. Desmond seemed generally bemused by his outburst. Shaun tried to take a couple deep breaths to calm himself down.

"What do you remember about tonight, Desmond?" Shaun asked quietly, hoping to concentrate only on the facts, and ignore what he knew was disappointment coursing through his body. He had been talking to Ezio Auditore tonight, for a short, glorious- if stressful and confusing- time, and now the wonderful possibilities he had been envisioning were crumbling before him- what if Ezio never returned?

But what about Desmond? A small voice asked in the back of his head. Shaun looked down at the man sitting before him. Desmond had his face screwed up, trying to account for all his actions of the previous hours, and his expression changed from thoughtfulness to anxiety as he realised he couldn't recall anything.

"I- I can't remember anything. The last thing I know for sure is talking with you in the little courtyard beside the building."

Shaun didn't respond immediately. He was still too busy dwelling on a question that made his stomach flip uncomfortably. Was he really more worried about losing Ezio- a man long since dead, Shaun had to continually remind himself- than Desmond's well being? Desmond, who was a person, no matter what Shaun would always say about him being a slightly dumber species of worm. Desmond, who was probably one of the most important people in the world right now? Would he really give Desmond up, if possible, to talk to Ezio again?

"Shaun, what's going on?" Desmond asked in a small voice that immediately reminded him of Ezio confirming, just a couple minutes ago, that he was, in fact, supposed to be dead.

Shaun couldn't help feel pity for Desmond, who really had no idea what was going on, and now had blank moments in his memory to boot. He wondered if he should tell Desmond. Would he run off and tell Lucy and Rebecca? Those two were the last people Shaun wanted to know about this, as he knew it would cause a full-scale panic attack in the stronghold.

No, for now, Shaun would keep it to himself. He would try to placate Desmond as well as he could, and figure out what to do when-if- Ezio made another appearance.

"You're fine, Desmond." Shaun assured him, his anger from a few minutes ago completely gone, as he tried not to display what he really felt- pity, fear, excitement, pretty much the whole spectrum of emotion was tumbling around in Shaun's mind right now.

"But you just asked what I can remember, and I can't remember anything! I don't understand!"

"Relax, Desmond. It's just a fluke of the Animus. You'll be fine. Go to bed, Lucy will be worried." If Desmond found it odd that Shaun was being surprisingly kind to him, he didn't show it, as he was much too immersed in his own problems to pay attention to Shaun's split personalities. He trudged off to bed, Shaun following right behind.

As soon as they entered the stronghold however, they came face to face with Lucy, who was tapping her foot expectantly.

"So?" She asked, stopping her foot tapping momentarily.

"Desmond and I were just… discussing the events from earlier tonight." Shaun answered a beat too late.

Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Does that mean you two have come to an understanding?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so." Shaun saw Desmond throw him a questioning look out of the corner of his eye, but luckily, he had the presence of mind to keep his mouth shut.

Lucy turned her calculating gaze to Desmond, who looked much more bummed out than usual.

"Are you okay with this, Desmond?" She said softly, taking a step closer to him. She put a hand on his arm comfortingly, much like Shaun had clasped his own hand on Ezio's shoulder earlier. His stomach constricted when he realized that Lucy obviously liked Desmond. What did that say about his current stance with Desmond/Ezio? With a shake of his head, Shaun mumbled a good night and hurriedly passed the silent main room, leaving Lucy and Ezio- er, Desmond, his mind quickly corrected him -, to do whatever they please with the empty flat. Obviously, Rebecca was already asleep. Shaun entered his room, shut the door, and instantly headed to the shower in the bathroom that the four of them had to share. If Desmond and Lucy were going to hold each other and share problems, he wanted to put as much dry wall and noise between them as possible.

Shaun turned the water on as hot as he could, hoping it would help him work out whatever the fuck had happened tonight. It really had been quite a day. Between exciting trips to the grocery store, Abstergo agents, Desmond's abs, near death experiences, compromising positions, awkward moments, Ezio's smirks, and even meeting Desmond again, Shaun couldn't help but admit it: As much as he disliked Desmond, as much as he complained and whined about the newest addition to their team, there really was never a dull moment when Desmond was around.

Turning the shower off, Shaun stepped out of the shower and towelled off. He went through his usual night time routine, and was just doing up the last couple of buttons on his pyjamas when he heard something that made his blood run cold.

"Ciao,bella signora."

A confused, but appreciative laugh followed, and then Lucy said:

"Desmond, have you been picking up the Italian from the Animus?"

Oh, God.

Shaun sprinted out of his room, wearing his red and white chequered pyjamas, only half buttoned up, which showed off the majority of his torso as the fabric fluttered at his sides. He looked like a salsa dancer who had escaped an institution, but still retained a shred of who he used to be.

"Desmond!" He exclaimed, trying to come up with an on-the-spot excuse to get him away from Lucy as soon as possible.

"Shaun!" Lucy scolded, obviously embarrassed that Shaun had caught her and Desmond in a reasonably intimate moment.

Shaun hadn't realized, when he burst in on them, that Lucy and Desmond had been reasonably close together, and Lucy's face was noticeably pink.

"I- sorry, Lucy, but I just realized... I remembered something and I need to talk to Desmond, right now. It's important," Shaun begged, now trying to look at anything but Lucy's pink cheeks.

He heard Lucy sigh.

"Okay, whatever, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Desmond." She smiled up at Desmond, who was currently shooting daggers at Shaun, and nodded curtly at Shaun as she passed him and entered the room that she and Rebecca shared.

As soon as the door closed, Shaun was right in Desmond's face.

"What the fu- Oof!" Before Shaun could finish scream-whispering at Desmond, he had been kneed in the stomach and pinned to floor. "I told you… not to… talk… to Lucy!" He gasped, trying to regulate his oxygen floor as quickly as possible.

"She is a beautiful lady, Assassin. I refuse to ignore her, especially if she has asked me a question and expects a response."

Shaun groaned.

"It's Lucy. She's hardly a lady, anyways. That girl has done things you wouldn't believe."

Ezio glared at Shaun.

"Watch your mouth, Assassin."

Shaun was about to pursue the subject, when he realized it was a lost cause. He had definitely seen enough evidence in the Animus to prove that Ezio loved the ladies like Shaun himself loved his work. (And Desmond's abs?)

"What's wrong?" Ezio asked, staring at Shaun's expression.

Shaun spluttered, for as soon as his favourite interfering sex drive kicked in, his face had turned hot enough to cook on, and his eyes bulged as he choked on the air he had just sucked in.

"N-nothing." He coughed, as Ezio started to thump him on the back, attempting to help his coughing fit.

Eventually, the invisible blockage in Shaun's throat cleared itself, and he could speak properly again, even though his eyes were rather red.

"Look, Ezio, you should probably sleep." Shaun gestured towards the bed in the main room that Desmond usually slept on.

Ezio glanced at the bed, then back at Shaun. His face suddenly crumpled, as though he just remembered what century he was in, and what century he was supposed to be in.

"I still don't understand anything that's going on. And… there are these blank spots in my memory. The last thing I remember is being in a large, gray room filled with boxes, almost to the ceiling!"

Shaun felt his eyes widen, Desmond's American accent ringing in his ears.

"I can't remember anything! I don't understand!"

"Ezio…" Shaun started to say, but was stopped abruptly when Ezio appeared right in front of him, grasping his shoulders.

"Please, tell me you can explain this." He begged, shaking Shaun slightly as he spoke.

Shaun scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Okay, how about I try to explain things tomorrow morning, okay?" Assuming you're still around, of course. "Sleep now and we'll discuss it tomorrow."

Ezio looked like the last thing he wanted to do was be left alone, but Shaun didn't give him much of a choice as he made his way back to his own room.

"Oh, and Ezio?" Shaun said, as he reached the doorway to his room.

Ezio looked up.

"Don't touch anything, okay? The last thing we need is you to get stuck inside the Animus or something, and keep reliving your own memories, trapped in some sort of quantum black hole of continuity. Good night!"

And with that, Shaun closed his door, leaving Ezio more confused than he had been all day.