I decided not to go on hiatus because this story it too much fun for me! Thank you all for your supportive words, thoughts, wishes, and prayers! Hearing them reminded me that attitude is really the key factor in every situation, so I'm going to plow through it and try to smile while I'm doing it. I'm pretty sure everything will work out fine. :D That aside, I'll get back to the story, which I guarantee is far more exciting than my drama. :P

Chapter Eighteen: Ambitiosus Decisiones

Lily jerked her head up when Sergio opened the door, but her pride and dignity kept the fear from her eyes. Desmond stepped into the room and nodded with a smile at Sergio, whom then closed the door, locking it behind him.

"Desmond, right?" She smiled at him, tilting her head. "Mr. Miles?"

"Yup." Desmond sat down across from her on the floor, eyeing the sparse surroundings. "Wow...not even a bathroom."

"Scheduled breaks." She sighed, still smiling pleasantly at him. "So what's your story? I saw your file and you didn't seem like much, yet here you are."

"Here I am."

"A trained Assassin." She nodded slowly. "And you think I'm a traitor."

"Well, spending all that time away from the Assassins has to have had its toll on you." He rubbed his neck, not wanting to look at her. "And Vidic saved your life, didn't he?"

"Vidic?" She gave a rough laugh, sounding every bit like she had rehearsed this. "As in Warren Vidic? You really think I'm that high up in the organization to know Vidic?"

Desmond shrugged.

"You can lie all you want, Lucy, but you won't fool me. I know what you are and who you really work for. Even I couldn't handle my dad's cold shoulder and that's why I ran away. Well, it's not the only reason, but it's one of the main ones. Vidic offered you a family you wouldn't have otherwise. You could feel safe and secure and you could connect with people rather than be distanced from them. William isn't the greatest guy to look for companionship of any kind with. Honestly, I don't know how my mom's been able to deal with it, but I guess that's love. Betraying the Assassins came easy to you. You had no emotional connection. In fact, you had no connection really with them at all. Rebecca? Sure, she's your friend, but when was the last time you saw her and how well did you know her even then?"

He ran his hand over his head, briefly wondering if he should grow out his hair again.

"I don't know, Lucy." He chuckled. "I mean, I thought I knew you too, but frauds are frauds and I have no problem destroying fakes."

Lucy grew incredibly still as his eyes rested upon hers. It was as if she finally realized he was capable of killing her and would if given any motivation. Had she really thought the Assassins wouldn't do her in just because they knew her?

"You really don't get it, do you, Lucy?" Desmond shook his head in disbelief. "You really are so...separated from us that you think Rebecca or Shaun wouldn't pull the trigger on you?"

His laugh sounded harsh in his ears.

"Wow...you are...you are really something else."

He stood, shadowing her, and he saw the first flickers of fear enter her eyes. He turned away, surveying the graffiti on the walls.

"You know, I know what the future holds and the Templars and Assassins...well, it doesn't ever end as far as I know, but if I'm not successful neither side is going to have anything to fight over. Do you understand that?"

"What do you mean?" Lucy swallowed down her anxiety and gave him a grin. "The end of the world? You expect me to buy that?"

"You honestly don't think it's possible?" Desmond laughed, knowing his tone sounded mocking. "You really think we can't suddenly all die from a great cataclysm? Our books are filled with possible apocalypses. Even the Bible talks about the end of the world and it happened once already in that book with Noah's flood. You really think we can't all keel over just because the likelihood is so slim? We're talking about a ball spinning suspended in the middle of space circling a giant ball of fire! And you think it's not possible for us to all be destroyed?"

"Possible, but not likely." Lucy replied shallowly.

"Maybe." Desmond shrugged. "Only I guarantee it. I know what I have to do and you could be an asset or not. Sure, it means going against your precious Templars, but if you don't help your Templars are going to lose anyways...we will all lose. Got it?"

Lucy's laugh was cold. "Oh, I get it. They sent you in here to negotiate with me. Well, I'm not a traitor, so there's nothing to negotiate. Of course, I'll help the Assassins."

Desmond shook his head, snorting to himself. "God, Luce. You really just don't get it. I know you're a traitor and they all agree with me. No matter what you say or do, you have to earn our trust back. You've got an opportunity here, but it won't take much to blow it. I told Sergio I'd give a go at getting you to see reason. I'll let you think about it. For now, I have work to do."

"Desmond!" Lucy started to stand, but his glare caused her to freeze. "How do you know anything?"

"I just do." Desmond savored her confusion, liking messing with her given she had fooled him before. "I'll talk to you later, Lucy."

Desmond took a seat in the mess hall across from Melissa, whom was currently enjoying a cup of coffee and looking every bit like she needed to go back to bed.

"Rough night?" He asked as he pushed food around his plate.

"Yeah." She brought the mug to her lips. "You?"

"Just dealing with two Syrians hanging out in the Animus room."

"I heard."

"Yeah..."

"You think he'll be fine?" She furrowed her brows at him as she set her coffee down. "I mean, he just traveled forward through time! That'd be hard! Especially from back then when time travel isn't discussed..."

"Isn't discussed?" Desmond laughed lightly, still picking through his food. "They know what time travel is. They have the same concept of time as we do. They simply do not have the technology. Altair and Ezio did fine."

"They had your memories to reassure them." Melissa reminded him. "Malik and, especially, Kadar do not. Kadar is going to stay here! He's going to have to get used to this and..."

"And people from third world countries get used to technology too when they come in contact with it." Desmond pointed out. "Time, place, origin...it's all irrelevant. Malik is a strong individual. He can push through anything and he can make it."

"And Kadar?"

"I don't know Kadar as well." Desmond shrugged. "He's impressionable. I'm sure he is absorbing this entire experience like a sponge. I just don't know how much he can take. The biggest thing is his brother. Losing Malik is going to be the hardest thing for him. Malik survived the loss of Kadar and I can only hope Kadar is as strong as his brother. If so, he'll be fine. If not...well, we'll work through it."

"Why did you save him?" Melissa questioned, narrowing her eyes at him. "Because you couldn't bare the idea of someone dying if you could prevent it?"

Desmond snorted, shaking his head. "No. I'm not that good a person."

"Than why?"

"Because I'm selfish." Desmond set down his fork.

"Care to elaborate?" Melissa watched him lean back in his chair, her eyes scrutinizing his every move as if trying to read him.

"Altair is one of my best...heh...was one of my best friends. Malik was certainly up there on the list. When I went into Solomon's Temple, I wanted to get my hands on the Apple, yes. I didn't want it to fall into Al Mualim's hands because I knew he'd use it for ill. I did, subconsciously, want to save all of those people who would die or get hurt because of him. There was, however, another part and it outweighed all other thoughts and ideas and desires. I didn't want Altair to face humiliation. I didn't want Altair to go through Solomon's Temple again because I felt his pain when he finally came to terms with the fact it was him who caused Kadar's death, that it was his arrogance that jeopardized the Brotherhood, and that it was his fault the Templars were able to hurt so many innocents. He was the reason why Malik was left with only one arm and without a brother and hateful towards him. I completely dismissed the fact that the Altair I knew best was the one who no longer walked that path because he had gone through with that memory. This experience and his hunt for the nine shaped him into the Altair I would later be such good friends with. Had he not gone through with it...but that didn't matter to me. The pain and hurt and humiliation and guilt and troubled spirit I understood kept floating around in the back of my head. He's my best friend! I didn't want him to go through that again, even though he hadn't gone through it at all yet. Malik also being my friend, I didn't want him to suffer and carry with him the burden of his brother's death. You see, he may have openly blamed Altair for Kadar's death, but he also blamed himself. If he had been more assertive towards Altair, perhaps he could have prevented the incident. If he had been a better Assassin, perhaps he could have protected Kadar. If he had had better judgment, perhaps he wouldn't have permitted Kadar to come along in case of problems from either Altair or Templars. I didn't want him to have to go through this turmoil as well. What I did was selfish. I selfishly thought I could protect my friends, no matter what the cost was. If it ended up ruining the image I had once had of them, I didn't care as long as I kept them safe. If it ended up destroying all I had been working for...well, I hadn't been thinking about it. All I cared about...was what I wanted."

Melissa nodded slowly, though her brows were pinched in worry.

"I'm glad you're so open about this and that you get why you did it. Most wouldn't admit they were in the wrong."

Desmond rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I've been in the wrong so often, I lost count."

Melissa grinned at him. "So, Des, if I can call you that..."

"Go for it."

"Do you date fellow Assassins?"

"You know I do." He grinned, feeling his heart rate pick up. "Though I really don't know you."

"True." She shrugged, a smile twitching on her lips. "And we really don't have time to be relationship building here."

"So what did you have in mind?"

Her fingers easily glided up his arm, causing the hairs on his skin to rise with excited tingles.

"I think you know."

"That lonely?" His grin was wolfish. When was the last time he'd been laid?

"Not desperate." She corrected, letting her nails press a little harder, but not scratching. "Just a mutual agreement. Not a lot of easy lays in the Holy Land during the Crusades."

"Not really." He admitted, licking his lips to remove some of the dryness. "You know, it's probably inappropriate."

"It's incredibly inappropriate." Her agreement only egged him on.

"We could get in trouble."

"Only if we get caught."

His heart was hammering loud enough for him to hear it.

"I like the sounds of that."

"Good." She stood, letting her fingers trail up his arm as she passed him. "Follow me."

Standing, Desmond didn't bother with his untouched food and tailed Melissa, feeling more nervous than waking up to discover he had spent the night with Luca and hadn't remembered a bit of it.

Phew...that seemed to take forever! :D I hope you enjoy!