The day rolled along and soon turned into night. Using the map that Hawk had provided, they were able to access the tunnel system under the city that was used by the Assassins. The tunnel was lit the same way it had been for centuries by torches. The walls were the same, though cracked in a few places, and several of the staircases had began to crumble. A few of them were broken while three were completely blocked off. It wasn't much longer before they reached the staircase that would take them into the cathedral. Vera paused in front of them and looked up the stairs for several moments before she turned and faced them.

"The pope should be asleep by now. And, his assistances shouldn't be roaming around either." She said, "But, we must stay on guard. Lucy and Rebecca, you two will stay inside the tunnel. Hawk and Desmond, come inside with Eluveitie and myself, but stand guard near the entryway into this place. If anything should happen, Lucy and Rebecca will be here for back up. Eluveitie and myself will search for the vault. Most of the people within this place have strong loyalties to the Templars, so if something goes wrong, don't be afraid to take them down. But, be careful, as there are Assassins amongst them who will most likely lend us a helping hand."

She turned back towards the staircase, "Alright, let's get to work." She lead the team up the stairs, then paused once the reached the top and saw a stone door right in front of them. She ran her hand along the door until she was able to find the way to open it. Carefully, she pushed the door open and stepped inside the dark cathedral. She looked around to see that they were in a small hallway that lead to a staircase that went to the second floor. She took Eluveitie's hand, then lead him in the opposite direction of the stairs as Hawk and Desmond quickly took their positions near the entryway of the tunnel.

Eluveitie followed close behind as he kept an eye out for any moment in the shadows and kept his ears open to any sounds. Soon, they had entered the main sanitary, "Do you know where the vault is?" He whispered to her as he looked at the bits of light coming in through the stand glass windows that filled the large room.

"I kind of feel like I do." Vera whispered back as she walked up to the alter, then went to the wall and ran her hand along it, "It's almost like I've been here before."

"Perhaps you're a reincarnation of Kida."

"I wouldn't be surprised by that." Vera paused once her hand hit something on a painting. She carefully peeled away a section of it and saw a button, "I'm guessing that's it."

"Let us hope so."

Before Vera touched it, she turned and looked at him, "I want you to stand guard out here. I should be fine by myself. If any Templars show up, take care of them, then hightail it out of here with the others. I'll meet up with the rest of you as soon as I can."

Eluveitie looked back at her. He was about to protest, but decided against it. Instead, he put his hand on her cheek, "You have my word." He leaned down and kissed her.

Vera blushed slightly as she returned the kiss. She placed her hand on his and kept it there for several long moments before removing it and pulling her hood upon her head. Slowly, she turned to face the painting and pushed the button. She watched as a door swung open. She stepped inside and it closed swiftly behind her.

Eluveitie watched for several moments before pulling his hood up and standing in the shadows.

Vera walked down a small hallway before entering the main chamber. In the center of the tall, circular room was a stone circular table with a faint light shining down from a window high above. Along the wall were benches and several old faded paintings. Across the way from her was a golden cross hanging several feet above the ground. Upon the cross, near the top of it, was a red oval shaped gem. She fixed her eyes upon the gem before slowly moving along the wall, her eyes never leaving the object. It wasn't until she got half way to it that a red beam appeared upon the table and slowly began to move in her direction. She paused and took a step back.

"Who dares enter this domaine?" A haunting voice rang throughout the room. It spoke in Celtic.

Vera stepped back again before saying, in Celtic, "I'm an ancestor of Kida Dubhthach. My name is Vera. I'm a vampire and I'm an Assassin."

The beam seemed to stop once Vera had stepped back, "An ancestor, you say? What business do you want in the vault?"

Vera felt as if she were in The Hobbit where Bilbo had run into Smaug and the dragon was playing mind games with the little hobbit. She had to chose her words wisely as they might alter her fate, "I have no business within the vault, as I know that the treasures are all missing. I can promise you that they'll be in Assassin power in no time."

"Will you bring the treasures to me?"

"It is not my power to return them, for they do not concern me or my family." She moved deep into the shadows and searched the wall for a place to grip it. She knew that she'd have to scale the wall in order to get to the cross. She figured she'd best start now.

"And, what does concern you?"

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps something that might possess more power than any of those objects that they're searching for." She was able to locate a grip on the wall and was soon working her way towards the cross, keeping close to the wall and keeping hidden in the shadows.

"Is there such a thing?"

"I don't know, you tell me, since it seems like you have the voice of one of my ancestors."

"Hm…what could have more power than the Treasures of Eden, I wonder?"

'Yep, I'm officially in The Hobbit right about now.' Vera thought to herself as she inched closer to the cross, "Perhaps something that grants eternal life to those who are worthy of such a gift." She turned her head slightly to see the beam searching for her. She was lucky to be out of its reach as it wouldn't be able to turn all the way to the side to get to her, "I have witnessed its power and it's an interesting thing."

"Hm…now that would be something that would be welcomed within the vault. Why don't you bring it here?"

Vera was right by the cross at this point. She reached out and grabbed it, "Because I left it back in America!" As soon as she ripped the cross free from the wall, she was blasted back against the far wall. She hit the wall with such force that the paintings within the room were knocked off the wall.

Eluveitie jumped slightly when he felt a slight rumble from within the sanitary. A candle stick and goblet fell off the alter while one of the nearby stained glass windows cracked. He felt a few bits of debris fall from the ceiling onto his hood. He glanced up for a moment, then quickly scanned the area as he listened carefully.

Vera's impact was so violent that it rattled the hallway Hawk and Desmond were standing in. Both men quickly became alert as they looked around the hall with their weapons at the ready. Their eyes quickly shifted to the staircase as they waited.

Vera groaned slightly as she held the cross in her gloved hand. It began to glow slightly as the wall across the way started to open up. She let out a loud hiss when a blinding light shined her way. She lowered her hood as far as it would go in order to rid her sight of the light. Within moments, she was greeted with a heavenly voice.

"One of our own has come to the vault. What is it you seek?" The voice asked.

"Just this." Vera held the cross up, "That is all I want. I don't want anything else."

"You plan to take the object that guards this vault? For what reason?"

"It belongs to my family and I wish to return it. If you're worried about Templars getting in, then allow me to seal the vault shut."

"What about the treasures? What will happen to them once they're found?"

"They will be in the safe hands of the Assassins. Now, allow me to seal the vault."

"You will not seal this vault until all the treasures have been returned!" The light began to make its way towards Vera.

Vera was able to see the brightness getting closer and closer. She quickly held up the cross and spoke, "By my power, I command this vault to be sealed! May no Templar or Assassin, human or immortal, open this vault ever again!"

The gem beamed a shining red light which filled up half of the room. It forced the light back into the vault. Within moments, the door sealed shut and blended into the wall as if it had never existed. The table in the center of the room began to crumble while the light from above faded to nothing.

Vera panted slightly as she allowed herself a moment of rest before pulling her hood back and rising to her feet. Slowly, she made her way back into the sanitary. Once she was inside, she saw Eluveitie standing right in front of her. She moved towards him, but quickly turned, once the door had shut, and spoke the same phrase.

Eluveitie's eyes widened when he saw the light coming from the gem. He quickly put his hand on Vera's shoulder, but had wished he didn't for once the spell had been cast and the door had blended into the wall, sealed shut, both of them were shot back. He hit the main alter while Vera went flying into a row of chairs within the sanitary. The blast had caused the room to shake and the windows within close range shattered to pieces while others cracked. He groaned slightly as he slowly rose to his feet. He quickly made his way over to Vera and helped her up.

Vera was able to stand, but was leaning on him for support. She felt like she had the life drained out of her. She was starting to look pale as well.

Eluveitie quickly lifted her into his arms and held her close to him. He was still feeling weak from being blasted into the alter, he could tell that he had been cut in a few places, but he was aware that she couldn't walk on her own and they needed to get out of the cathedral as quick as possible. He made his way back to the hallway and saw Hawk and Desmond still waiting for someone to come down the staircase.

"Quick! Inside!" He ordered to the two of them. His eyes shifted to the stairs as he saw a small hint of light beginning to ascend down towards them.

Hawk and Desmond were quick on their feet and rushed into the tunnel.

Eluveitie followed close behind and was able to get the door closed just in time. Before he could make his way down the stairs, he saw Vera raise the cross one more time and speak the same spell to seal the doorway. 'Oh, shit!' He braced himself for another strong blast, but he got lucky this time as only his back foot moved slightly towards the end of the step. Just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, he heard something clinking down the stairs. He turned and saw the cross falling down the steps. His attention quickly turned to Vera, who was limp in his arms. He quickly rushed down the stairs.

"What the heck happened in there?!" Lucy asked in a frantic voice as she saw him running down the stairs, "We felt the tunnel shake and pieces of it fell on top of us!"

"Um…Lucy, I don't think we should be worrying about that right now." Rebecca quickly motioned to Vera.

Lucy's fell upon Vera. She gasped, "What happened to her?!"

Eluveitie quickly laid Vera on the ground, then put his foot on the bottom of the cross. He pulled out a dagger that he had hidden under his shirt and used it to pry the gem loss. Once it fell off the cross, the cross slowly began to disintegrate into ash and the gem turned black. Using the bottom of his cloak, he picked it up and placed it in the bag on Vera's belt. He replaced the dagger, then picked her up again.

"We need to get her to safety and get her help right away!"

Hawk looked down the tunnel in the direction they were heading on their way to the cathedral, "Let's go that way. If anything, we'll end up at one of the Assassins headquarters. It's on Tiber Island, which is outside of the city. We will be safe there and we can get her help." He quickly lead the way and the others followed right after.

As they drew closer to the end of the tunnel, Eluveitie began to slow up slightly and even ended up leaning against the wall at one point. Desmond was quick to catch this, then made his way towards Eluveitie.

"Hey, man, you alright?" Desmond asked him.

"I just…need a moment." Eluveitie replied as he took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

Hawk paused when he heard their voices echoing around him. He turned and went over to them. He looked Eluveitie in the eyes to see that he himself was growing a bit weak, "Did you get hurt back there?'

"Just a little. I'll be alright. I can make it the rest of the way."

Desmond moved behind Eluveitie and saw a small shard of glass sticking out of his shirt, "I think you're hurt worse than you say you are."

Hawk watched Desmond, then looked back at Eluveitie, "Hand her over to Desmond. I'll help you the rest of the way."

"I will live. I can make it." Eluveitie said.

Hawk shook his head, "No. You'll just make your injuries worse. Let Desmond carry her the rest of the way." He turned his attention back to Desmond, "Take her."

Eluveitie watched as Demond took Vera from his arms. While he didn't much appreciate it, he felt relieved that he didn't have to carry her the rest of the way for he could tell that his wounds were, in fact, begging to get worse. He saw Hawk move closer to him. He allowed himself to lean on Hawk and walked next to him as they continued on their way to the island.

Within fifteen minutes, they had reached the staircase that would take them up into the building up above. Hawk went first with Desmond bringing up the rear. Hawk opened up the stone door and they all entered into the building to see that they were in some kind of fancy living room. They spotted at least four male Assassins sitting around a table playing cards. When the Assassins looked over at them, thinking them Templars, they quickly drew their blades, but Hawk was quick to stop them.

"We are fellow brothers." He said to them, "We seek aid as two of our own have been wounded."

The Assassins lowered their blades, then saw Vera limp in Desmond's arms. They all looked at each other for a moment before one of them darted off to retrieve someone. Moments later, he returned with a woman, who appeared to be in her sixties, who looked as if she were some kind of gypsy. She almost screamed when she saw the state Vera was in, then noticed that Eluveitie was looking weak. She ordered one of the men to help Eluveitie while she went over to Desmond. She placed her hand on Vera's forehead.

"Follow me and quick." She said to him and lead him to a flight of stairs to the second floor.

Three hours later, Vera slowly opened her eyes. Everything was a blur around her, but she could have sworn that she saw candle light. Once her eyes adjusted to the light of the room, she felt as if she were in a room that a physic lived in. She noticed that she was laying on a mattress that was close to the floor and she could smell incenses around her. She went to push herself up, but found that she was too weak. She groaned slightly as she allowed herself to fall back onto the mattress. She sighed a little, then turned her head slightly when she heard the woman speaking to her.

"You should rest, young one. You took a good beating." She appeared out of the shadows, then seated herself on the floor next to the mattress, "It took about an hour to pull that nasty hex out of you."

"Who are you and where am I?" Vera asked in a weak voice, "Great…I sound like death."

"You are on Tiber Island, one of the Assassin bases. I'm sure your ancestor's been here before. And, I'm Tess."

Vera waited a moment before she spoke, "Yes, my ancestor Kida came here with Ezio."

"I thought you looked familiar. I had a version of her before. But, I should ask, why did you try and kill yourself?"

"I didn't try and kill myself. I got the gem and used its power to close up the vault."

"Dear, you know that vampires and crosses don't work well together, with or without gloves on." Tess added.

Vera stared up at the ceiling for several moments before saying, "Yeah…I kind of forgot about that. I just…I don't know."

"You were just trying to regain something that belonged to your family, something that shouldn't be in the hands of the Templars, even though it was protecting something important to the Assassins."

Vera wasn't really sure how to respond to this. She was aware that she needed to reclaim the item that belonged to her family, but, at the same time, she felt guilty about taking it, as it was meant to keep the vault safe from the Templars. But, another thought passed through her head; if it had succeeded in the past from keeping the vault safe, then how could someone have gotten past it and stolen the treasures from within without being harmed by the gem on the way out? Surely there must be creatures working for the Templars as well. She let out a long sigh as she closed her eyes. Too many thoughts were clouding her already tired mind.

"There, there, dear." Tess stroked her hair, "Don't let it bother you. Just be glad that our enemy can't enter that place ever again."

Vera turned her head slightly and opened up her eyes to look at the woman, "Can I ask you something? How did you know I was a vampire? And, why did you have a vision about Kida?"

"Because I knew that you'd come here with your friends seeking our help, I just wasn't sure when. You have a lot of her within you. She was a proud Assassin and took her role very seriously. I do believe that you are a reincarnation of her. And, one of my ancestors had the honor of working with her when she came to Italy. I do my research. And, I happen to be like you…in a way. I'm just not a vampire."

Vera's eyes widened slightly, "Let me guess…you're a…"

"The thing you were called by those Templars back at Ezio's villa? Yes, I'm one of them. I'm sure I've been around just as long as you. Though, I age a bit differently than you do, dear. But, fear not, as I am a loyal Assassin myself. I've dealt with my fair share of creatures who've turned to the Templars, and those who wish to remain neutral, but have caused their fair share of trouble."

"Ok, I feel better now…somewhat. Well, 'spiritually' I feel better…just not physically or mentally."

Tess laughed a little, "I understand your concern, but you are in a safe place and you know that. After all, you did take a trip here once before…well, several times before."

Vera nodded a little, "Will you do me a favor and not tell the others about what I am? I'm trying to keep a low profile, and for good reason."

"Your secret is safe with me, and two of your other friends who are here as well."

"How are they doing? Is everyone alright?"

Tess nodded, "They're all downstairs enjoying themselves with the Assassins who live here with me. But, one of them has been sitting outside this room the whole time."

"Eluveitie…is he alright?"

"He was injured, but not too badly. He got some nice glass shards stuck in his back. But, it's interesting…it seems that you two have met before in the past many centuries ago."

"We…have?"

"Yes, you have. I can have a further look into that, if you'd like."

"That…would be interesting. I'll accept that offer."

"Very well." Tess rose to her feet, "I'll be sure to have a look. But, for right now, I'm going to allow you to rest up. You'll need about a week to recover."

"A week? I don't think I can wait that long."

"All us Assassins have setbacks. We must not run out into the face of Hell while being half injured. We must make a full recovery and be physically prepared to take on our enemies."

"I suppose it can wait."

Tess nodded a little, "Have a good rest." She walked over to the door, then opened it and stepped out.

Vera turned her head slightly and watched as she exited the room. It wasn't much longer before she saw Eluveitie enter. His upper body was wrapped up. She watched as he came over to her, then seated himself on the bed. She reached for his hand and held it tightly. With his help, she was able to sit up, but she leaned on his slightly, her body still weak. She sighed a little.

"I guess our little trip to 'Mordor' is going to have to wait. I'm stuck here for about a week."

"Is that really a nice name to call your native country?" Eluveitie asked as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Well, I wasn't born there and some annoying people live there, so I think I have every right to call it that."

"What about Mirkwood?"

Vera thought about it for a moment before replying, "Um…yeah, why not. Just hope there's no freaky spiders when we go there." She shivered slightly, "That was the most freaky scene in the whole freaking movie! Poor Peter! I don't even understand how he was able to get through editing without running out of the room. He's probably still traumatized from that."

"I'm sure he was screaming within himself during the whole thing."

"That wouldn't surprise me. Is there a TV here? I kind of want to watch The Hobbit now…and jump out of this bed when I see those bloody spiders!"

Eluveitie laughed a little, "If you did that, then you'd be stuck here much longer."

Vera groaned a little, "While I don't mind being at a safe place for our fellow Brothers, I do want to get this stupid thing back to Ireland, then take a break! I need it. Well, I think we both need it."

"Sadly, we Assassins never take a break. But, it would be nice to have one, I agree with you on that."

"If there's any money within that vault, I'm going to be a nasty little shit and take it. We're going to New Zealand when all of this is done."

"And…what will Lucas think about that?"

"It ain't like there aren't any other people there to teach for me. Spare those poor souls of having their asses thrown off of buildings." Vera rolled her eyes a little, "No, seriously, you've been trained, for a month, to move across roof tops without making a sound. How is that not complicated?!"

"They're young and stupid. They'll figure it out at some point. I'm pretty sure their ancestors have had their fair share of falling off buildings while trying to learn to scale them and run across the roofs."

"I really hope their intelligence kicks in soon, or I will drop kick every one of them over the freaking wall!" Vera released herself from him and fell back onto the mattress as she let out a groan, "Do you think Lucas will let me come live with you?"

"I don't think you need to get into any more trouble with him. Though, you seem good at doing that."

"No kidding." Vera stared up at the ceiling as she allowed the incenses to try and calm her.

Eluveitie waited for several moments before speaking, "I do have a question for you; after your session, why did you want to see the paper right away?"

"Because the top part of the paper was sitting on Ezio's desk. Kida must have had the sheet about the gem with her and they combined the two of them together before making adjustments to the writing. I'm going to guess that Kida placed the gem on the cross and Ezio put the cross over the vault before Kida put the spell on it. Damn! That thing really drained the life out of me."

"Why didn't you remove the gem?"

"Wouldn't have been possible. That thing was following me like a laser beam, but it could only reach a certain distance. Plus, I didn't think I'd have time, and who knows what else it could have tried to do to me."

"You'll be lucky to know I was able to pry it off of the cross. The cross disintegrated after it was removed. I used my cape to put it into your bag, though it had turned black. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."

"The cross probably drained the energy from it. It's probably dead by now. But, I still want to return it to the vault. I mean, it does belong to my family, so I have the right to return it…and steal a few things of my own."

"Isn't it bad to steal from your family?"

Vera turned her eyes towards him, "You should know that I don't care."

Eluveitie leaned forward and looked into her eyes, "Do you really want to steal from your father, Arwen? Though, I must say, he does have an impressive collection of items."

Vera glared at him slightly, "Ok, now you're just pushing it. I would never steal anything from Lord Elrond, nor anything from Rivendell. Though, I wouldn't mind stealing from Thranduil. He seems to have somethings that would be worth having. His kingdom might be difficult to get into, but it's nothing for someone of our skill level."

"You'd try and steal from Thranduil, Elvenking of Mirkwood? You're a brave and sneaky little thing."

Vera reached up and removed her earring, "We Assassins are suppose to be sneaky and little thieves. After all, those are some of the skills we need in order to survive. But, I'm sure a certain ranger wouldn't be caught stealing anything."

"Who says I haven't and he hasn't?"

"I'm pretty sure a lot of people wouldn't trust Strider if that happened."

Eluveitie shrugged a little, "That's true. Plus, he was living with Lord Elrond for most of his life. I don't think he would teach Strider to be a thief."

"I wouldn't think so either." Vera reached up and pulled him down next to her. She tried to get herself comfortable, the best that she could, and snuggled up to him.

Eluveitie groaned a little when he felt a sharp pain going through his body when he landed on the mattress. He had fallen on his side where a nice shard of glass had been removed; the shard had gone quite deep into his body. He put his head on the pillow, then rested his chin on the top of her head, "Do you plan for me to stay here?"

"If anyone has an issue, tell them to go to Mirkwood and take care of those spiders for us, so we don't have to."

Eluveitie laughed a little, "Of course. I'll be sure to send them off if they come to wake you."

"Wake me in a week. The sooner I get better, the better."

"Then rest." Eluveitie put his arm around her and pulled her close to him, "I will stay here for as long as you'd like."

Vera smiled lightly as she allowed her eyes to close, "Just make sure you put my earring back on me before someone walks in here."

"Of course. Rest well." Eluveitie waited several long moments until he knew Vera was out for good. He reached over and grabbed her earring, then placed it back on her ear, "Just in case." He whispered to her before he allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep.

"We hope that you don't mind us staying behind." Lucy said as they all stood outside the gate at the airport later that week, "But, we do have more 'work' that needs to be done."

"No, it's quite alright. Eluveitie and I will be fine on our own." Vera said, "But, I do want to thank you all for your help, but I'm still not going to forgive you for waking me up." She glanced at Hawk.

"What? At least it got you out and about, right?" Hawk moved out of the way when he saw her about to throw a punch at him, "Alright, I get it."

"Vera, we should get going." Eluveitie said when he heard their seats being announced over the intercom.

Vera nodded a little, "I wish you all luck in your journey and in locating those items. Please, keep in touch. I would love to hear how the journey is going." She moved closer to them and said, "Victory to the Assassins!" With that, she turned and followed after Eluveitie as she could hear the group bidding them farewell. As soon as they boarded the plane, she sat back in her seat, then took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

Eluveitie put their bags in the above compartment, then seated himself next to her, "Are you going to be alright with this?"

"I have no other choice at this point. I have the one thing that can easily be taken from my family in my hands and I don't want anymore of these annoying objects. I want to return this, get what I need, then leave. Let's just hope this all goes smoothly."

Eluveitie took her hand and held it tightly, "Let's worry about that when we're put in that situation."

Vera nodded a little as she held his hand, "Too bad that's all I'm probably going to be worrying about all the way there." She leaned back a little and closed her eyes, "Wake me when we get there."