They got back up for dinner when it was called, and Desmond found his way there as if he had walked the path a million times before. He saw Ezio standing there, wiping his hands off on a towel, the food all set out and ready. He grinned at his father.

"Looks good."

Ezio smiled softly at him as they sat. "I learned from your mother."

Desmond tilted his head as they dug in. Shaun was surprisingly quiet. "I meant to ask you earlier what happened to my mom."

Ezio fell silent. "She died in an attack from Abstergo."

Desmond looked away: he could feel tears welling. "I'm so sorry."

He looked when he felt Shaun's hand on his thigh. The once-prophet picked his hand up and kissed it, pressing it to his forehead.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't run away…"

"Desmond, it wasn't your fault."

"How is it not? If I hadn't run away, they never would have known we existed!"

"You couldn't have known."

"It was before they found you," Ezio murmured quietly. "They had caught wind that you where here and didn't know you had run."

"What?" Desmond perked slightly.

"Afterward, I had never been happier that you had run. It saved your life. They would have killed you at that point."

Dinner was silent for a moment as they dug in. After a bit, Shaun wiped his mouth and set the napkin back in his lap, looking confused.

"Is everything okay, Shaun?"

"Is that rosemary?" he looked at the master assassin.

Ezio looked shocked. "How could you tell?"

"I may not be gourmet, but I do know my herbs. My mother loves cooking."

Desmond laughed. "I remember when we went to see her! She made us all kinds of things!"

Shaun smiled almost wistfully. "Yes, if I recall correctly, you went through an entire pan of her brownies in one sitting, didn't you?"

Desmond blushed. "Th-they were good!"

His lover laughed. "I know. You made that clear."

"You know, Shaun," Ezio began, "I don't know anything about you. What line do you come from?"

Shaun quirked an eyebrow. "Ah, yes, the blood of an assassin. I'm a first generation; I'm afraid."

Ezio looked slightly impressed. "Really? A rare case."

"Yeah," Desmond said drily, "wanted for his massive ego, sense of sarcasm, and his general asshat-ery."

Shaun scowled. "I'll have you know it was no such thing."

"Really?" Ezio said with a humored smirk.

"Actually, he hacked Abstergo while he was over here in America. I've seen him work. He's pretty awesome."

"You hacked Abstergo?"

"Yes, and then they tracked me because of a leak from my friend that trickled around, and I was caught. I escaped and was picked up by the Assassins' Order. My intellect and love of history probably helped as well."

"So, you're pompous as well as an asshole."

"Pretty much," Desmond said as he bit into the chicken before grinning like a goon at Shaun, who scowled back at him.

"Let's not forget that I'm the one who solved the Truth."

"I know," the prophet laughed again. "And you're also the one that nearly ripped my head off when I made my own Boston Tea Party."

"You flushed my Earl Grey down the toilet!" Shaun said, appalled. "And if I remember correctly, I'm not the one who gave you a two hour lecture on saving money and conserving resources."

Desmond winced. "Right. I remember that."

"But you learned your lesson about making your own Boston Tea Potty."

Ezio had a warm smile dancing on his lips. "Tell me about your past."

Shaun looked at him. "Pardon?"

"Your past."

"Ah, that. There's not too much worthwhile to know. I was born, lived a happy life as a child with my brother, had my own punk movement with my friends in my teens—"

"No fucking way," Desmond said. His jaw dropped. "You? Mister Stuffy Asshole? Punk movement?"

"Yes, Desmond. I wasn't always like this. I cleaned myself up before heading to Harvard here in America—"

"Still, you were in, like, the ripped jeans and anarchy and all that crap?"

Shaun sighed. "Yes, and I still have the remainders of my piercings—"

"No shit!" Desmond shouted, rising. "You're messing with me! I've got to see them!"

He watched the historian roll his eyes and gesture for him to come over. He showed him the faintest outline of a piercing scar on his eyebrow and two on his lower lip. Desmond was wide-eyed as he sat back down.

"And I had the tops of my ears pierced twice, and both of my earlobes." He gestured to the respective spots.

"I can't believe I missed that stage of your life," Desmond breathed. "I feel jipped."

Ezio frowned. "I'm glad you cleaned yourself up."

"I didn't have much of a choice," Shaun said. "And once I settled into myself, I felt at ease again."

Desmond was crushed. "I can't believe you used to dress like a badass, and now you dress like a pansy."

Shaun scowled but turned to Ezio. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask? I hacked Abstergo just after graduation and was kidnapped."

"What did you plan on becoming?"

"A software developer, and when I was older, a professor at a college somewhere."

"High aspirations."

"I planned on moving my family over here eventually."

"So you a family man?"

"If that's how you prefer to classify it."

"Did you want kids before you found out your sexuality preference?"

"I've always preferred men, and I still plan on adopting, whether or not Desmond and I last."

Ezio nodded slowly. Desmond winced. "I feel sorry for your kid."

Shaun gave him a smug smirk. "Then you'd better stick around to make sure you can raise him properly when I'm not looking, hm?"

Desmond grinned. "Challenge accepted."

"I look forward to it."

"What position do you hold now in the Order?"

"Head of Intelligence. I had to ask for several days off to plan this visit. Then I'll start working from my laptop."

"A good position."

"How don't you know this?" Desmond asked.

"I have fallen out of touch with the heads of the Order since they told me to give up on finding you."

Desmond was silent for a moment. "I don't get it: you have so many other kids…"

"But you are the only one I've raised."

He was shocked. "Seriously?"

"On my honor, Desmond. You mean the world to me."

Dinner passed in a relatively light-hearted mood, and Ezio seemed to warm up slightly to Shaun the more he heard about him. Desmond was having a grand old time, despite how weird it was having Ezio as his father—and having lived through the beginning of his life. It was well into night before they decided it was time for bed. Desmond hugged his father tightly and smiled.

"Night. See you in there, Shaun."

He felt Ezio watch him as he pulled out of the hug and headed to the bedroom. Once the door clicked, Ezio looked at Shaun, who was scowling.

"You, sir, are the sorriest excuse of a parent I have ever seen for letting him suffer so much."

Ezio looked away, back at Desmond's door, and covered his face with his hands.

"I know, Shaun. I should have done more to help him."