Hey everyone, here's chapter 8. I've been trying to update more often. You guys all deserve it, after staying with me for the seven-month gap. So, thanks again for reading. Also, Ree will be in this chapter more. Sorry he wasn't there much last chapter.

-This Is A Line Break-

"I would like to court you Desmond. If you will allow me to." He held up a hand when the omega went to interrupt. "I want to show you how an omega should be treated. Please allow me this honor Desmond. "

Desmond flushed and looked at his feet, suddenly unable to respond.

-This Is A Line Break-

"I don't know, Mentor. I…My son, we. I have to put Ree first. If that means not mating, I won't mate. Ree is my child, he must come first." Desmond turned away, a bitter sadness filling his chest and creeping up his throat. His eyes burned and he stared at the ground, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes.

"Desmond, I will take care of your son. He already feels like my son. Please, let me prove to you that you are special and deserve to be treated as such." Ezio took Desmond's arm and pulled the smaller male into his chest. He felt the omega shake in his arm and give a half-hearted struggle in the alpha's arms.

"I don't know." The whisper wrenched at Ezio's heart and tripped his instincts so hard, he picked the omega up and carried him away from the crowd that had begun to form around them.

"I will prove to you that you are special and deserve to be treated as such. Your son is like my son. I will prove it to you. Just give me a chance." Ezio whispered in Desmond's hair as he carried the omega away. He didn't stop until they had reached the bureau. He had not wish to make Desmond a target for anyone. When they reached the door to the hide out, he paused. A small hand had wrapped itself in his clothes and tugged gently on his cowl. When he looked down he met eyes that put chocolate to shame. They glittered I the light of the sun that was setting slowly behind them. Ezio watched the omega nod slowly. A smile snaked its way onto his lips and he gently kissed Desmond's forehead before putting the omega on his feet.

Desmond did not move from Ezio's side when he was set down, instead, gluing himself to the alphas side before allowing himself to be pulled inside.

When the door opened, a small form darted into them and stuck himself to Desmond's side. Ree looked up at Ezio through his bangs and bright green eyes. Ezio smiled and ruffled the little boys hair with his free hand. The boy grinned.

Claudia watched from the far end of the room as the three moved into the room and way from the other Assassins. She smiled. It looked like her brother finally found a family.

-This Is A Line Break-

Ezio smiled at the young beta selling flowers out of a stand by the aqueduct. It had been a long time since he'd bought flowers. The last time he'd given anyone flowers was Christina. He smiled sadly at the thought of the beta he'd long ago left behind. She was dead now, he thought, happier where she was. He looked back down at the flowers in his hand.

He and Desmond had made their tentative relationship formal six months ago. Time itself had soared by in a happy blur as they slowly took steps together, and took the Borgia apart. Now, at Ree's request, the two were buying flowers for Desmond.

"Are these right?" Ezio asked, showing the flowers to Ree who looked them over carefully. Ezio had to stifle his smile when Ree's eyes narrowed in concentration as he examined them.

"Yup," the boy finally chirped. "He likes tulips." Ezio smiled and held out his hand out for the seven year old to take.

"Shall we go find your mother and take him to a nice dinner?" He asked the boy, who grabbed his hand eagerly. Ree nodded eagerly, tucking himself into Ezio's side and cuddling there.

Ezio smiled and allowed the boy to cling to him as they walked away from the aqueduct. For several moments they walked in silence, listening to many women coo over how cute it was for Ezio to take his omega son out for a day.

It wasn't until a woman gestured them over that Ree began to fidget.

"It's so great to see an alpha take his omega son out for the day. Good on you, young man." The woman patted Ezio on the shoulder and went about her business.

Ree snuggled deeper into Ezio's side when the alphas hand snaked into his hair.

"Come one Sweetie, let's go find your mother." Ree nodded and a grin split his face.

-This Is A Line Break-

Desmond groaned as Valeria came at him again, sword drawn. They had been sparring for a good hour and still hadn't taken a break. Finally, Valeria stopped swinging after Desmond blocked, ducked under her arm and rolled away from her.

"Ok, enough Desmond." Desmond sheathed his sword and bowed to her. She bowed in return and patted him on the back. "That was great! You're really showing your skill in this. Most of the upper level Assassin's can't keep up with your skill."

Desmond grinned and handed Valeria a skin of water. She took it gratefully and set about joking with Desmond for several minutes.

"Oh, look. Novice and the Whore are joking around." A voice came from across the training area. Both Desmond and Valeria looked over to the voice before turning to each other and ignoring him.

"Don't turn your back on your betters." The voice demanded. Steps stormed over and a hand reached out to force Desmond to turn. Desmond dodged the hand and glared at the beta reaching for him.

"I would respect my 'betters' if I saw any around here. All I see is a little beta playing alpha." Desmond shoved the beta's hand away from him and turned back to Valeria. She smiled at him before gesturing that it was time to go. The omega nodded and turned to leave when he felt a sword poke into his back.

"I challenge you. If I win, you become my omega. If I lose, you decide whose omega you become." The challenge hung heavily in the air and made both Desmond and Valeria stiffen.

"I do not accept your challenge. I already have a mate. Your challenge is invalid." Desmond's voice was strong as he turned back to the beta. He'd only seen the man once or twice before, at the Rose. He'd come by multiple times a week, asking to have Desmond's 'company'. Luckily, Claudia had kept the man away from him for most of the stay he'd had there.

Now here the asshole was again, trying, unsuccessfully to acquire Desmond. The man scowled before a smirk snaked its way onto his face.

"I know that's not true. Otherwise you wouldn't have been at the Rose when I first saw you. How you got into the Assassin's, I don't know. But I suppose sleeping your way through the ranks was a part of it." The man sneered at him and Desmond's pride reared its head. He growled low in his throat and glared at the beta, who smirked at him.

"I suggest you leave. Now." Valeria's voice cut through the stand off. The beta turned to her.

"I wasn't talking to you. Stay out of our agreement." He snapped at her. She glared at him.

"What agreement? He's got a mate already. Leave him alone." She sneered at him. The beta sneered and ignored her words.

"Well, how about it? Will you fight?"

"What is going on here?" A voice cut through the beta's words and caused both Valeria and Desmond to sag in relief. Ezio entered the training area, Ree following closely behind him, carrying flowers in his small arms.

The beta looked at the alpha and small omega in distain before speaking.

"I was just talking to my mate-to-be. It has nothing to do with you." He sneered and turned back to Desmond who was moving toward Ezio eagerly.

"Ezio, you're back! Ree, did you have fun with Ezio?" Desmond hurried over to the two, ignoring both Valeria and the beta. The beta growled in his throat and pointed his sword at Ezio.

"What's this? Trying to steel my omega? I don't think so. One on one battle, whomever wins gets the omega" Ezio and Desmond's eyes met over Ree's head and both nodded.

"You would really challenge an alpha for his omega mate in front of their child? That in itself makes me want to put you out of your misery. But my better half has asked me to spare you. So I propose that you fight Desmond. You win, you fight me. You lose, you step away," Ezio's eyebrow raised and looked pointedly at the man.

The beta smirked and changed his stance, preparing himself.

"I accept. Be prepared to say goodbye to your 'mate', you won't be seeing him after tonight." The beta was too pigheaded for Desmond's liking and he drew his sword before waiting for the beta to come at him.

The beta charged forward almost too fast for Desmond to see. He brought his sword in a large arch and brought it crashing down by Desmond's neck. Desmond turned and shoved his elbow into the betas gut before jumping away from the man, dodging a small knife to the side.

The beta charged again and again, raining blow after blow on Desmond until the Omega was panting for breath. Out of the corner of his eye, Desmond saw Ezio nod subtly at him before he changed to his eagle vision and changed his stance. His feet slid out a little farther and his knife found it's way into his other hand. With a smirk, he charged the beta and with a half step, ducked under his defense. His knife ripped through the beta's shirt and nipped his skin before Desmond ducked away, narrowly missing being hit by the man's own knife.

The beta growled and swung with more fury than he had before. Desmond dodged and quickly jumped away from the corner he was being backed into. He was not going to give away his footing.

As his movements and speed increased, he stopped the man from hitting several times before he knocked the knife from the mans left hand and dodged a sharp blow from the sword that sliced neatly through the side of his shirt sending a small splatter of blood to the ground.

Ree gasped from his spot by Valeria, the flowers almost forgotten in his left hand, clenched tight enough to send some petels to the ground in shaky waves. When he saw the blood appear on Desmond's side he let out a fearful sound that should through both Ezio and Desmond. Both growled deep in their chests and glared at the smirking betas.

Desmond's grip tightened on his sword and glared at the man. When the man charged forward Desmond moved. Ezio smirked when he saw the beta blinking looking for Desmond only to tense when he felt something behind him. Desmond held a sword to his throat and sneered in his ear.

"I win. Yeild." The man growled and shifted his weight, readying himself to attack, Desmond growled again and pressed his sword tighter to the man's neck. "I said yield."

The man tensed but showed the side of his neck to Desmond in submission. Desmond stepped back and toward Ezio. The beta made a muffled sound in through his teeth before standing and leaving. Valeria was staring at Desmond, stunned. After all the training that he'd already done that day he still had the strength to fight off a beta that was physically stronger than him. She shook the look from her face and smiled at her friend. Desmond was an Assassin she shouldn't be surprised.

Ezio approached the omega and took the smaller man into his arms and reached a hand out for Ree. The boy ran to the to adults and cuddled into them. Desmond sighed in relief before pulling away from his alpha's soothing scent.

"Thanks Ezio, I needed that." Ezio smiled down at his omega and nodded.

"Come, lets not let this ruin our day. Ree and I wanted to take you out to dinner." Ezio took Desmond's body into his side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Ree grabbed Ezio's free hand and pulled the two along.

"Come one Mommy, Daddy was going to show us his special eating place he likes. " As they left, Valeria watched their retreating backs and sighed almost wistfully.

"Wishing you had something like that?" A voice asked from behind her. Valeria jumped and turned to the figure hiding behind her.

-This Is A Line Break-

Desmond watched Ree ahead of him from his spot against Ezio's side. He loved seeing the little boy so free and happy here in this time. He hadn't seen that carefree smile on the little omegas face since he was a baby and James was holding him. Desmond's smile turned wistful and Ezio's arm tightened around him, a contented sigh leaving the omega's lips.

"What's on your mind Amore Mio?" Ezio's strong tenor broke through Desmond's dark thoughts.

"James. He would have liked you." Ezio felt lava lap at his throat and heart at Desmond's words.

"I can't replace him, Teroso, but I can be everything you need." Desmond's legs stopped moving, bringing Ezio to a stop beside him.

"What do you mean?" His brow was creased and he looked at Ezio in confusion. Ezio shifted his feet and Desmond didn't think he'd ever seen Ezio look so uncertain before.

"James, your former lover. I will never be able to replace him, but I will try to fill the spot he left behind." Ezio eyes were so sincere that Desmond couldn't bring himself to laugh.

"Ezio, James was Ree's birth father. He basically adopted me as a second son. I certainly loved him like a father. Nothing more. No one's ever…" He stopped speaking, red flooding his face as he shifted in the arms tight around his waist.

"Teroso?" Ezio coxed him and pulled Desmond's chin up so their eyes met.

"I've never felt the way I do with you with anyone before." The whisper was accompanied by a whine from in front of them.

"Mommy, Daddy, come one." Ree whined, several feet before them. He knew enough to not leave their sight. "I'm hungry."

Both Desmond and Ezio laughed and carried on walking down the busy street, allowing Ree to lead them to Leonardo's shop, where Claudia had instructed some of the girls to leave a meal for them.

Later, Desmond lay wake next Ezio and Ree and realized he knew the answer to the question Ezio didn't want to ask yet.

-This Is A Line Break-

Valeria sighed and cuddled into her lover's side, content.

"What are you thinking about, Love?" The question hung in the air for several minutes before the words finally came to Valeria's lips.

"You. How lucky I am." A chuckle was heard from her neck and a nibble was felt on the pale skin.

"I think you forget, dear one, that I'm the lucky one. You have always smelled like a beta but never were one. And no one realized until I saw you. So you became mine…" Valeria cut the other off.

"And you mine. I may not be a beta but I was raised as one and I will fight as one." Another chuckle slithered down her neck and through her sides. Finally a chin came to rest on her shoulder.

"You know my baby brother was like you. He had an incorrect smell for his place. Because he was often sick, no one realized he was an alpha. He just wasn't strong enough to hold his title himself. "

"He sounds like an interesting person. I wish I could have met him." Valeria leaned back in to her lover's shoulder and closed her eyes as she heard Claudia whisper in her ear.

"Me too."

-This Is A Line Break.

Thanks for reading the next chapter. If I didn't stop here, you wouldn't get this for another month and I would sleep through my class tomorrow.

Please review.

Ren