Now or Never
Disclaimer: See previous chapters
Sorry this one is late, also this chapter is unbeta so please forgive me for any mistakes you may see. So, enjoy.
Chapter Six:
The song Highway to Hell came to mind as Anna stared at the stretch of road before her. Everything felt so real to her, the chill of the night air, the asphalt beneath her converse covered feet, and the twinkling of the stars. Pulling the leather jacket closer to her body she looked up to the stars, frowning when the small lights flickered out. Looking away from the night sky Anna began to walk down the stretch of road before her.
Walking for several minutes, Anna took in the unusual quietness of the surrounding area. No crickets chirping or the distant sound of wolves singing in the distance. If Anna was dead, this was a strange punishment, unless she wasn't dead. She could be dreaming. Dreaming was better than being dead, right? Unless she was dreaming of Freddy Krueger, then there would be problems. If that was the case then Anna was going to throw herself off a cliff and be done with it.
Anna stopped walking and covered her face with her hands, "I really need to stop drinking tea before I go to sleep," Anna groaned. She uncovered her face to see a dark haired woman standing in front of her with a small smile. "…hello?" Anna greeted after a moment's hesitation. "Are you my conscious?" What? Anna was allowed to ask questions in her own dreams.
The woman chuckled before answering, "No Anna, I am Juno, a friend of Minerva."
"Ah, so you're here to give me more cryptic answers?" Anna asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Time was short when the piece activated," Juno explained, "You were surrounded by Templars that were ready to kill you. We hoped that taking you from there would be safer but we were wrong and we apologize for it."
Anna waved away the apology and said, "If I can't deal with it then I don't deserve to be an assassin." She paused before asking, "So why me? What is so important about me that I have to be whisked away from 2010 and dropped into 1773?"
"Nothing."
"Ouch, what a way to kill an ego." Anna muttered, rubbing the back of her neck, "so I'm just a mistake?"
"No," Juno answered, holding a hand up when Anna opened her mouth. "There is nothing extraordinary about you, which makes you extraordinary."
"I don't follow."
"Your family is one of the few who remained loyal to one side." Juno pointed out, "everything your family do is for the people who have no idea about the fight between the Assassin's and the Templars. You are level headed which will be needed when you reestablish the assassin order and provide hope that the worst won't come to pass."
At some point during their conversation they had started walking. When it finally clicked to what Juno was telling Anna what she was supposed to do she froze. "Juno, what you're asking me to do is almost impossible," the woman stopped and looked at Anna, "The Templars destroyed the Brotherhood in America, there's no one left and you want me to rebuild it from the ground up?"
"Yet you, Ratohnhake:ton, and Achilles are still there." Juno stated gently, "And you will not be alone in this task. Anna," the girl looked up at Juno, "if this doesn't succeed the entire world will be lost."
"You are asking me to change history," Anna said slowly, "history that doesn't just affect America as a country but the entire world."
"It's a risk you must take, Anna." Juno stated, placing a hand on Anna's shoulder softly, "it is a terrifying request, one that I wish I never had to ask you."
Anna bit her lip looking down at the gray asphalt, unable to maintain eye contact with Juno's ancient eyes. "I guess this means that I won't be able to go back to my time then."
"I wish there was another way but this is the best chance that we saw, we are desperate creatures that cling to life and will do anything in our power to prolong it, even if it meant shaping your path to what we want instead of what you want."
Anna turned around and walked several feet away from Juno and bit her knuckle in thought. She sighed and turned back around, "What would happen if the Templars win? What will happen to the earth, to the people that live on this earth?"
It was Juno's turn to be silent, looking as if she was going to deny Anna's question. "If you truly wish to know what will happen, take this and go until you reach the end of the road." Juno answered, waving to a cherry red mustang convertible with the top down. "However, what you seek may not be what you want to find."
"I need to know what will happen if I do nothing and let history take its course." Anna spoke walking to the car. The leather was cool beneath her fingertips as she gripped the steering wheel tightly. The engine rumbled beneath Anna as she drove down the highway, the wind whipping her hair like a dark brown head cape.
As the miles passed by Anna clenched the steering wheel tighter until her knuckles were white with the leather creaking beneath her hands. Her stomach clenched when she looked up seeing more and more stars disappearing leaving empty patches of inky black sky. Something was wrong; Anna stopped and turned off the car before getting out. She smelled ozone and burning wood, getting back into the car Anna punched the gas burning rubber as she desperately drove to the end hoping, praying, that her overactive mind was just overactive imagination. Slamming on the breaks Anna barely stopped in time to a burning tree. Getting out of the car Anna stared at the horror before her unable to wrap her mind around what is happening.
Connor jumped out of his bed, tomahawk in hand when a scream disrupted the peaceful night of the Davenport homestead. Out in the hall, Connor zeroed in on the screaming coming from Anna's room. Without thinking, Connor slammed Anna's door opened ready for any attack only to stop short seeing only Anna. At some point of tossing and flailing limbs, Anna had fallen off her bed, her legs tangled up in a sheet.
Setting his weapon out of range, Connor moved further into the room. "Anna," Connor called dodging a flying hand, "Anna it's just a bad dream." He couldn't understand what was going on. Anna's eyes were open but glazed over and she was still screaming in terror. Anna's hand managed to come into contact with his nose before he could stop her moving limbs.
Cold water was dumped on the two eighteen year olds, silencing Anna's screams. Achilles, quietly moving as always, stood over them holding an empty pitcher. Connor looked back down at Anna who blinked eyes no longer glazed over, "Anna?" Connor's voice seemed to snap Anna out of her stupor. Suddenly, Connor found himself nearly tackled to the ground by a sobbing Anna. Unsure of what to do with this situation, Connor turned as best as he could to Achilles silently asking what to do.
"Hold her, try to get her to stop crying," Achilles stated, seeing Connor's lost look, "I'll go get her a new sheet."
Connor turned back to the sole female of the house who was currently sobbing into his shoulder. The only thing that Connor could think that was calming was a song that his mother had sung to him when he was a young boy. Slowly, Connor wrapped his arms around Anna and softly began to sing, his soft voice washed over Anna. The sobbing slowly tapered off and the tremors stilled. He continued to sing the familiar song as Anna's grip loosened and grew slack.
Something, Connor didn't know what, had him reaching up and smooth Anna's hair. Occasionally his fingers threaded through the dark brown strands realizing that her hair was longer than when he first met her. His other arm tightening around Anna's shoulders so she wouldn't collapse to the floor. Achilles walked back into the room with a dry sheet, setting it on the desk before sitting on the chair. Connor leaned back slightly biting back a frown when Anna pulled away and wiped away the stray tears.
"Care to share what made you scream like that?" Achilles asked.
Anna winced and muttered, "Not particularly," she shivered and looked down at her damp shirt, "why am I wet, and why is my door broken?"
Achilles bit back a chuckle as Connor's face turned pink. In his haste to be the hero he used unneeded force to break down an unlocked door. Achilles knew Anna was avoiding the question as he watched Connor try to come up with a reason as to why her door was barely hanging on its hinges, so for now he would let Anna keep her silence. Eventually, with careful prodding on his part, Anna would tell him what had caused such a violent reaction. Though Achilles had a feeling that he wouldn't like what he would hear. "Well," Achilles drawled standing up, "we should try to get a little more sleep before the sun comes up."
"Goodnight, Achilles." Anna and Connor muttered as the elder hobbled out of the bedroom.
"Will you be alright?" Connor questioned, watching Anna stand up and replace the wet sheet with the dry one and disappear behind a screen to change out of her wet night clothes.
Coming out Anna fiddled with the hem of her shirt before finally answering Connor's question. "Not right now," she sat down on the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I just…don't want to be alone or try to go back to sleep."
Connor sat down next to Anna, hesitating a second before wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. Jumping slightly before leaning against him, soaking in his warmth, "Do you think that you will go home someday?" Connor didn't know what prompted him to ask that question, he was scared that one day she would disappear to never return.
"No."
Connor opened his eyes and looked at Anna, "Why not?" oh why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? Why couldn't he just accept that answer and change the topic? Because you don't think, Connor thought bitterly.
"I can go back. No matter, I kinda like it here." Anna said turning slightly to look at Connor. "Who knows I may find a nice guy here and get married and have a ton of kids?"
For some reason, Connor didn't like thinking about Anna marrying a strange man and having his children. However, he didn't say anything in case he said something that he didn't mean. "Connor? Are you alright? I was just joking about the kids and marrying thing."
"It's a big thing to think about," Connor stated firmly, "joining with someone for the rest of your life and to raise his children."
Anna sighed and explained, "I highly doubt that I will find a guy, Connor we don't have a long life span. It's shorter than other people's because of the enemy's we have and the risks we take."
"Well you won't be alone," Connor said with a smile, "you have me and Achilles, you will never be alone."
"Thank you, Connor." Anna whispered wrapping her arms around his waist nuzzling into the crook of his neck. They stayed like that for several minutes before Anna spoke, "When I was five…" Connor listened to Anna regale her childhood, filling the early morning air with childhood memories.
Well...yeah...I really don't have much to say except that I hope that all the American reviewers had a wonderful Thanksgiving and can y'all believe that it's already getting close to Christmas? I can't believe it...however, when January 1st rolls around my first question I will ask...well you're going to have to wait :D
So please tell me what you think so far? There's a box just below this that will catalog your thoughts and send it to me.