Author's Note: Finally I updated!!!! :faints: gosh I was on writer's block and it was annoying! But Assassin's Creed 2 (awesome game!) got me writing again, plus the storyline and ending helped me with some story development. But now I'm angry with myself because now that I know the AC2 story I want to get to writing the sequel of FoaE, but I'm stuck on this one ^^; Anyways, hopefully I haven't disappointed anyone. And I want to know if people want to get to 1191 A.D soon at all. If so, tell me in the reviews! Hope everyone likes this.

Chapter 6

Taylor stares at me with wide eyes. We had decided to take a seat at the dining table in the dinner room, which is located just to the right of the front door. I had just finished telling her what happened today, and she blinks.

"Okay," she starts slowly, "let me get this straight. You," she points at me, then at the front door, "and that hot guy-"

"Desmond," I interrupt, but she continues nonetheless.

"Went to Central Park, by motorcycle, hung out and ate ice cream, before you guys got chased by some FBI agent?" She says the last part dubiously, and I nod before she adds, "The same agent guy who bumped into me at the library?" I nod again, and Taylor clicks her tongue before leaning back with her arms crossed and a smile on her face. "Yep, sounds like you both had a date." I perform a double take, nearly knocking off the glass of water I have before me, and I gawk at my friend.

"What?! It was so not a date!"

"Of course it was," Taylor replies.

"How-"

She cuts me off with a question, "On the way there and back, how did you manage to stay on the motorcycle?" I blink, before leaning back.

"Uh, by holding onto Des..." I trail off at the look Taylor gives me, smirking impishly, and I immediately snap in disbelief, my cheeks turning red, "Oh my God, you're just digging all of this, aren't you?" Her smirk somehow turns into an innocent smile.

"Naturally." I groan and pick up my glass of water, bringing it up to my lips, my blush fading away.

"Even the fact that I could've been kidnapped?"

"He saved you, didn't he?" Taylor retorts wittily, and I wince as she gives a dreamy sigh and clutches her hands to her chest. "He swept you off of your feet and ran with you in his arms." She opens her eyes and looks at me with an excited grin. "He's like your knight in shining armor!" I blush at that and shake my head.

"We're just friends, Taylor. That's it."

"Sorry, but I don't think so." I roll my eyes as I lower my glass, before choosing to stare at the water inside of it. "Renia..." I tense at the softness in my friend's voice, and there's a moment of silence. "Do you like him?" I slowly blink, before taking a deep breath and calmly looking up into Taylor's expectant gaze.

"No." Taylor suddenly claps her hands together.

"Then that settles it! I'm going to get you and David together!" I sigh, before pausing with a confused blink.

"...Who?" Taylor gawks at me for a moment, and I quirk an eyebrow.

She leans towards me and says slowly, hoping I can make a connection, "David?" I wait for her to elaborate. "David Peterson?" Still no recognition on my part. "Cute, tall, blonde guy at school? The one who asked me at the mall if you like flowers?" I blink again, before it dawns on me.

"Oh...You mean that guy who helped me pick up my books after I was pushed in the beginning of the school year?"

Taylor nods excitedly, and I ask dubiously, "You think he...likes me?" There's another nod from my friend, and my eyes glance back and forth from the door and to Taylor as I struggle to come up with a reply. "...Didn't I tell you before? I'm not interested in him." She gapes at me, pausing in her move to pick up her glass of water.

"How can you-Why would you-" She cuts herself off a couple of times, before she shakes her head and looks at me dead on. "This is David we're talking about here! A total cutie, not to mention he's been really nice to you." I flash back to the multiple times David has helped me, whether it's when I dropped my books in the hall, or when I got stuck on a project in class. I sigh and look Taylor in the eyes.

"It's true that he's been nice to me, but I..." I trail off after that, and I groan in exasperation before burying my face in my hands. "I don't know..." There's silence for a few moments, before I slowly mutter, "This is why I don't spend my time thinking about this stuff. It frustrates me so much and I get so stressed out over it." I slightly part my fingers to peer up at Taylor. "It throws me off, Taylor, so I'd rather leave it be and focus on other things." Her eyes become sympathetic, softened, and he smiles disappears as she lays a hand on my shoulder.

"I understand." A soft silence passes between us, before Taylor looks down ashamedly. "Sorry that I keep pressing you about it." I smile from behind my hands and I shrug.

"Hey, you're the only girlfriend that I have. It's obvious that you would gush over these things around me." Taylor smiles softly.

"That's because it's so exciting, and you have no idea how proud I'd be if you fall in love or get a boyfriend." I chuckle as I lower my hands and pick up my glass again, raising it to my lips.

"Oh, I know," I say before taking a sip of my water. Taylor giggles at me, and she blinks for a moment.

"Ah, that's right. Amber called and she wants to know if we can all go hang out downtown at Wilson Plaza. Want to go?" I pause at this, lowering my glass as I think of a decision.

Amber is one of Taylor's friends. Unlike Taylor, Amber is more composed and sophisticated. She's a good friend, and she cares more about others than herself. To me, she's everything a girl wants to be. Kind, funny, empathetic, always knows what to say and do, everything. She also knows about my ancestry issue. At first Taylor urged me to tell Amber about it when I first befriended her, but instead I told her about it several months after. The same thing happened with telling her about my father. I'm still grateful that Taylor left me the choice of when to tell Amber both things.

I glance at the nearby clock. It's almost four, I muse, before I face Taylor again.

"I don't see why not." I stand up, picking up my water in the process before chugging down the rest of it. As I turn to walk to the kitchen, I ask, "Taking the city bus, as usual?" As I walk up to the dishwasher to dispose my glass, I can hear Taylor walk up behind me.

"Yep." I step out of the way so she can put away her glass as well. "You gonna leave a note for your mom?" I blink at that, and I suddenly remember the text that I sent Mom before I left with Desmond. I take out my phone and flip it open, before noticing that Mom hadn't replied. I frown, and Taylor doesn't miss it.

"What's wrong?" I look at her, and my frown fades with a sigh on my part.

"I sent Mom a text to let her know that I was leaving to hang with a friend." At Taylor's confused expression, I elaborate, "Desmond." I turn my attention back to my phone, staring at it quizzically. "But she hasn't replied yet..." My eyebrows furrow in concern, and I feel Taylor place a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry. She's probably too busy to reply." As Taylor withdraws her hand, I nod, before placing my phone back in my pocket, deciding that Mom probably thinks I'm still out, so there's no point in sending her another text.

"You're right." I turn to her with a smile. "Ready to go?" She grins happily.

"Yep." We both walk to the front door, and I open the door for my friend, who walks out into the front yard with a thankful nod. I follow her and stop on the threshold to turn around in order to close the door. I lock it, before I stuff my house keys into my left pocket. As I turn around, I catch a glimpse of Taylor's redhead hair disappearing around the corner, and I can hear her laughing at me. I gape for a moment before running down the driveway.

"Hey! Taylor, wait up!" I turn the corner and find Taylor jogging down the sidewalk several feet ahead, looking back at me with a grin.

"Hurry up, slowpoke! I want to get on the next bus before it leaves!" She laughs again, and I can't help but smile as I try to catch up with my friend.

I exhale in exhaustion as I sit down at the bus stop's bench. The city bus stop closest to my house is a few blocks away, and by walking it takes about 20 minutes or so to get there. Taylor and I made it in 10. I lean back with my arms draped over the back of the bench, and I close my eyes.

"Did we-," I huff, "Did we make it in time?"

I can hear Taylor pant for a moment, before she replies cheerfully, "Yeah! Look!" I open my eyes as I hear a loud rumbling noise, most likely an engine. The sound gets closer, and I stand up to look down the street. Indeed, there's the city bus, driving with its loud engine roaring.

As it nears us, it begins to slow down, its tires screeching against the blacktop, and I resist the urge to cover my ears. The huge vehicle eventually stops in front of us, and there's a loud hiss as it lightly jolts back. The doors open, and we ascend the steps.

Taylor insists that she'll pay for our tickets, and I reluctantly let her do so before finding us seats. I quickly change my mind as I find the bus packed with passengers and no seats left for my friend and I. I stand in the middle, taking ahold of one of the assistance straps that are attached to the suspended poles above. As Taylor walks over to me, her face becomes bewildered upon finding the number of people inside the bus, and I grin sheepishly at her, implying that it can't be helped. She sighs while she stands next to me, also grasping one of the straps.

"This is what I hate about city buses," she grumbles, and I chuckle at her. The bus doors close, and the driver puts the vehicle back into drive, before slowly merging back into the street. As the bus continues on its way, I take a moment to look up at its destination sign. Luckily, it's heading to Wilson Plaza next.

"So, how did it go between you and Daniel after school?" I blink and look at Taylor, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine. Why?" The redhead shrugs.

"I don't want you guys to break apart. I'm just making sure you two didn't get in a fight again."

I frown slightly, muttering, "We didn't get in a fight." I blink, before lowering my gaze shyly. "...Although, I did ask him about Desmond." Taylor groans and lowers her head.

"Oh, that's not good. What'd he say?" I shrug at her.

"That he doesn't trust him. I asked him to give Desmond a chance to prove that he's trustworthy." I close my eyes with a tired sigh. "He didn't give me a straightaway answer until I got off the bus."

"What was his answer?" Taylor asks, and I smile.

"He said that he'd try." My friend scoffs at that, rolling her eyes.

"Yep, that sounds like Dan alright. Trying isn't enough."

My smile widens as I reply happily, "It's enough for me." Taylor smiles back, and she leans against me with an arched eyebrow.

"But, how did you guys end up talking about Desmond? Random change of topic?" I gulp, realizing that I'll have to tell Taylor about my text conversation with Desmond during lunch. If I don't, she'll bug me to no end.

I chuckle, my voice wavering nervously as I inquire, "You remember when I left during lunch today? After I got that text?" Taylor's eyebrow arches even more, and she nods slowly, her expression expectant. "Well, I kind of left to have a text conversation with the person who sent that text." I blush embarrassingly as Taylor leans towards me, and she smiles knowingly.

"It was Desmond, wasn't it?" I tense, before sighing in defeat.

"Yes...Sorry for ditching you back-" I'm cut off as the bus makes a right turn, and I yelp before I pull on the strap to keep myself from falling over. The turn ends, and as I recover, I notice that Taylor didn't move one inch at that turn, her smile still on her face. I raise an eyebrow, considering that my friend can actually focus when satisfied, but I shake off the thought.

"It's no problem," she chirps. "I'm not angry." I sigh in relief, before looking out the window, watching as many cars and buildings pass. "So," Taylor drawls. "What did you guys talk about?"

I roll my eyes, muttering, "I asked him how he got my number, then he got all childish before..." I trail off, opting to shut up and not tell Taylor about Desmond hanging outside of the school today. Unfortunately for me, Taylor can always tell when there's more to say.

She raises an eyebrow, asking suspiciously, "Before what?" I lower my gaze, and I try not to look at my friend.

"Nothing..." I hear her move closer to me.

"My ass, it's nothing. C'mon, Ren, what happened?" I shake my head, not saying one word, but Taylor presses, "Tell me, Renia."

I inwardly growl to myself, before my eyes soften and I mutter softly, "He was there."

Taylor doesn't hear me over the bus' engines and asks, "What?" I bite my bottom lip, not wanting to repeat that sentence. I bring a hand up to my forehead to I rub my temples as I sigh.

"He was there," I say, my voice clearer than before.

I can hear her gasp, before asking in shock, "Desmond was on the school grounds?"

I nod. "Yes, he was." I turn to her, taking her hands in mine. "Taylor, promise me you won't tell anyone. Only you and Dan can know." She raises an eyebrow at me, and I look down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at her. "I don't want to get Desmond in trouble," I utter nervously. She stares at me for a moment, one of her eyebrows still raised, before she shrugs and pulls her hands away from mine.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." I still watch her, my gaze slightly worried and expectant, until my friend adds, "I promise." I sigh in relief, a grateful smile coming to my face.

"Thank you," I mutter softly, "You're a great friend, Taylor."

She chuckles. "Don't you remember what I said?" I blink at her and she grins. "What are friends for?" I flash back to when she told me that over the phone, just before we met up at the library, and I return the gesture before looking out the window again.

"So," my friend drawls, "What'll happen if your mom finds out about him?" I tense at that, my mouth twitching lightly.

"Hopefully," I began, "she won't find out at all."

"Oh, she will," Taylor replies, locking her hands behind her head. "That I'm sure of." I blink at my friend.

"How's that?" I ask, and she smirks, causing me to flinch, knowing full well about the way she thinks.

"Well, he knows where you live." I pale, chuckling nervously as she continues, "After all, I did see him at your house, and he does know your number..." Her eyes flash knowingly with a playful manner. "Am I right?"

"Hey, I don't know how Desmond got that information," I retort, trying my best not to ponder on the topic. It's a bothersome mystery, always poking at my mind, much like the thought of my ancestor, only I don't want to dwell on this one for long.

"That's what's weird, Ren. How did he get your number?" Taylor makes an inaudible gasp. "He's not a stalker, is he?"

I laugh, but I quickly stifle it after the confused glances from the other passengers. "No, he's not. He's a bartender, why would he-" I cut short, my eyes widening, and I cover my mouth with my hand. I watch as Taylor's expression turns into one of shock and curiousity. Maybe I shouldn't have said that...Bartenders don't exactly have good reputations most people.

"A bartender, huh?" she asks, and I reluctantly nod. She giggles, and pats me on the shoulder. "Maybe he'll ask you out for a drink sometime." I don't say anything at first, only nodding unconsciously nodding, before my mind registers what my friend had just said, and I perform a double take.

"T-Taylor," I sputter, "Stop that!" I playfully push her on the shoulder, which she giggles at and points at my face.

"Sorry, but you're just so cute when you're embarrassed," she replies teasingly, that familiar smirk tugging at her lips.

"Uh huh," I drawl sarcastically, rolling my eyes at my friend's antics.

The bus suddenly begins to slow down, and I glance out the window, catching a glimpse of Wilson Plaza up ahead.

Without moving my gaze, I say to Taylor, "Here's our stop." As the bus pulls over and parks beside the Wilson Plaza sidewalk, I release my hold on the assistance strap and begin to move to the exit. The bus door opens and I squeeze past several people, muttering "excuse me," and "sorry," every now and then, trying to reach the exit before the bus driver decides to drive off.

We finally get off the bus, taking in all of the shoppers and stores. As other people board the bus, we walk over to one of the bus stop benches, and Taylor places her hands on her hips, glancing around.

"Alright, Amber said she'd meet us here, so where is that girl?" I glance around as well, and spot a familiar black-haired girl standing against a building wall. I blink and turn to Taylor.

"There she is," I tell her, pointing at the girl. I jog over to said girl, waving with a warm smile. "Hey, Amber!"

The black haired girl looks up with surprised blue eyes, but that surprise disappears as she recognizes me. She smiles as I approach her.

"Renia, it's great to see you," she says, and I laugh softly before we embrace in a light hug.

"It's great to see you, too," I reply, and we pull back from each other.

"It's been a while since we've last seen each other," she notes pointedly. I muster an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I-" I'm cut off when Taylor suddenly tackles me from behind with a hug, laughing as I give a shocked yelp.

"That's because she's been investigating on her ancestor," the redhead explains, rolling her eyes. Amber laughs before she and Taylor hug as well.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" she asks before they withdraw from each other, and Taylor smirks as she crosses her arms.

"Actually," she drawls, "Renia's been seeing this older guy." I don't react as I usually would to this, having already expected that the redhead would tell Amber about Desmond. The black-haired girl blinks and raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" She turns her gaze to me. "How'd this happen? And I thought you said you weren't planning on having a relationship," she says, and I shrug.

"There is no," I give Taylor a pointed look, "relationship." I return my gaze to Amber. "His name's Desmond," I begin slowly, "I bumped into him on the way to the library. He was kind, and we introduced ourselves." I lean back against the wall, subconsciously grasping my left shoulder. "Turns out I dropped my wallet when we bumped into each other, and when I got to school the next day..." I smile at Amber. "There he was, waiting for me. He was there to give me my wallet."

"That was sweet of him," Amber states, and I nod with a grin.

"It was, and he's a really nice guy." My smile fades as I flash back to that chase in Central Park, and I look down, my eyes softening. "Although, Desmond's kind of...I don't know, mysterious." I slightly tighten my grip on my arm as I say those words, and I can feel my friends' eyes on me.

"...How's that, Renia?" I hear Amber ask, and I'm silent for a moment, before Taylor decides to answer.

"He...somehow got ahold of her cellphone number and address."

"What?" Amber asks slowly, completely surprised, from what I can hear. "Renia, if he has your number and address, should you really be-" I cut her off, my voice sharp with slight anger.

"Desmond's not like that." I look up at the black haired girl, and I immediately give her an apologetic look, which she accepts with an understanding nod. "When I pressed him about it, he became very...guilty." My expression turns into a pained one as I remember that look on Desmond's face. "He told me he wouldn't use that info to hurt me. And he admitted that he got it, but he said he can't risk telling me how..."

"Why?" Taylor asks, since I didn't give her any details about the conversation Desmond and I had. "Why can't he risk it?" I take a deep breath, and the force of that one sentence Desmond had said to me in my front yard, hit me again.

"I'm afraid that if I do, I would lose the only friend I have."

"He doesn't want to lose me," I mutter softly under my breath. "He can't tell me because he's afraid of losing me, his only friend."

"Now I know what you mean by 'mysterious,' " Amber states. "Does this mean that he might've gotten you in danger?" I look at her, opening my mouth to reply, but Taylor steps up to me.

"What about when you both got chased?" she asks. "Do you think that had something to do with it?"

"Chased?" Amber echoes, shocked. I look at her, sighing.

"Earlier today, Desmond asked me if I wanted to hang out with him. I said yes, and he took me to Central Park. We talked over some ice cream, and when we were done he suddenly said we had to leave. There was a man in a black suit there, and I've seen him before at the library. All of a sudden, he started...chasing us."

"That must have been terrifying, Renia," Amber says, her eyebrows creasing with concern. "But, why would he chase after the both of you?"

"We don't know," Taylor answers, "But I bet you that Desmond knows." She gives me an expectant look, and I roll my eyes before I push myself off the wall.

"I'm not going to ask him about it," I mutter. I look up at my friends. "I trust him, and that's all that matters." They're silent for a minute or two, watching me as I turn to stare at the plaza's stores.

Amber breaks the silence when she sighs, "Whatever you say, Ren." She walks up to me and places a hand on my shoulder. "And don't worry," she adds, "I won't tell anyone." She knows that I would have pleaded her to not talk to others about Desmond.

"Thank you, Amber," I say with a small grin. We both feel Taylor wrap her arms around our necks, positioning herself between us, beaming.

"Well, enough of this!" She looks at me, then Amber. "Let's go do some shopping!" I laugh as we begin to walk into the plaza, with Taylor still clinging on to Amber and I.

"Are you going to buy anything, Renia?" Amber asks me, and I look at her.

"I don't think so." I pause, before adding hesitantly, "Maybe some book on Italy."

"There she goes again," Taylor announces with a roll of the eyes. I chuckle nervously as I pull away from her and continue walking with my friends.

"Then would you rather have me go back home?" I ask wittily, crossing my arms over my chest. "After all," I add, "I have homework to finish." Taylor immediately shakes her head.

"No way," she replies, "We haven't done this in a while, Ren." I laugh as I stuff my hands in my jean pockets.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that," I say with a sad smile. "It's mostly my fault that we haven't been hanging out much, being so obsessed with my ancestor and all."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Taylor pats me on the shoulder, and Amber peers over her shoulder to smile at me.

"She's right. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it. Besides, we forgave you a long time ago. No need to keep apologizing." I blink at the both of them, before I grin and bring them into a group hug.

"You guys are the best," I utter softly. Taylor laughs as she pulls away from Amber and I.

"Yeah well, we friends got to be there for each other, right?" I give a small laugh before I glance around at the display windows.

"Yeah, that's right," I mutter, smiling. I stop in my tracks when my eyes land on an item on display in a clothing store.

My friends stop beside me, and Taylor asks, "What, see something you want?" I smile as I begin to walk over to the store.

"Yep." I look back at my friends, waving a hand dismissively with a kind smile. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up after I buy this." Amber and Taylor glance at each other, before they nod, and continue walking. I turn back around and stare at the product, before I happily walk into the store, asking the nearest employee for the item's sizes.

5:00 p.m

"See you tomorrow, Renia!" I laugh as I enter my house, before turning around and waving my hand.

"Yeah. Later, Taylor!" Taylor, with one hand holding a few shopping bags, waves back, before she turns and begins to jog down the sidewalk, disappearing behind the fence. I smile to myself, before I close the front door. Taylor had bought quite a lot of stuff at the plaza, while Amber only bought half as much as her. Me, I only bought one thing. I smile as I remember what I had purchased. I take my shopping bag and rest it on the small table, just beside the phone. I pull out what I bought at the plaza, and my smile widens.

In my hands is a light grey hoodie, soft and made out of cotton. I unzip the zipper, before I place my arms in the sleeves, and tug on the rest of the hooded jacket. I pull down at the bottom, before I fasten the zipper. I observe myself in the living room mirror. It's a bit loose, but it fits my form somewhat perfectly. I chuckle to myself, thinking back to the man who wears a jacket quite like this. Perhaps I bought this because it reminds me of him. I blink, shaking my head at that thought, a warmth rising to my cheeks. Alright, Renia, enough of that. You have homework to finish. My stomach growls all of a sudden, and I add, "Plus you have dinner to eat."