It was the strangest thing standing back in Monterigionni. I had no intentions of coming back, but yet here I stood, talking to three people who barely passed as assassins in my eyes. The people in this time were soft. Depending on their technology more than their own senses. I had left Altair and Ezio in the town. I did not want them here just yet. I had heard through the assassin grapevine that Desmond was a descendant of the two. I knew the boy was just like the two men I had known for too many years. He was as stubborn and pig headed as Altair, but had Ezio's agility and speed.

I listened to the briefing the blond, Lucy I believe, was giving me. She told me what they were up to, and how Desmond fit into the whole puzzle.

"Alanna, you need to get back here. We have a situation."

Great. That's all I needed today. I wouldn't doubt if it was the guys fighting over something stupid like the time they argued about who had killed more Templars. I shook my head. I turned to Lucy. "I will be back. My team is calling me for an update. I have two guys here with me patrolling. Let me check in with them and I will return."

I didn't wait for a response. I took off outside. "Alright Ezio, what seems to be the problem? What are you two fighting over now?" I answered his call as soon as I knew no one could hear me.

"We are not fighting, but I am trying to keep Altair from running the boy through. You know the one you were sent here to protect. He stumbled upon us. Altair has him trapped against the wall."

Ah damn. Just when I think things couldn't get any more fun, shit like this comes up and bites my ass. Sighing, I took off in a dead run. "Where are you?"

"Your old place. We thought it would be the best place to lay low."

Another place I had no intentions of seeing on this trip. "I will be there in a minute. Do not let him run Desmond through. We might need him alive, and I have something to tell you two when I get there."

I took to the roofs. It was a straight shot to my old place that way. Dodging and weaving around the derelict chimneys and the construction equipment, I made it there in record time. Dropping through the old skylight, I watched the dust swirl in the morning sun's rays. I exited the room that I had once called my own and saw Altair, Ezio and Desmond in the foyer.

"Let him go." I walked down the stairs and laid my hand on Altair's shoulder. "I do not want to explain why there is a dead body in here, and why we are still alive to too many people."

"He should not have trespassed." Altair growled at me, but released Desmond anyway.

I shook my head, and then focused on Desmond. "You okay?" I smiled at him.

He looked at me, eyes wide and slightly unfocused. Well, that might happen when you see two people you thought were dead, standing in front of you. "What in the hell is going on? How are they alive?"

I chuckled. "It's a long and complex story. Needless to say, it started with that thing you guys are hunting. We have kind of become guardians of it."

Desmond stood against the wall, watching his two ancestors. "This is nuts! This cannot be happening. I cannot be standing here, talking to you. I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming."

"This is no dream bambino. We are here, breathing, in front of you. Alanna, or myself will not harm you, but him on the other hand," he pointed to Altair, "has anger management problems. Has been like that for many years."

Altair looked over at the Italian, raising his middle finger to him. "Ha ha, Ezio. If I recall, you were the one hell bent of killing everyone in Roma until you got to Cesare. If that is not anger issues, I do not know what is."

I turned and looked at both of them. "Just stop, you two, before you drive the poor boy to a heart attack. You two are scary enough, and the bickering does not help matters any." I got the double middle finger from both. I just rolled my eyes at them. We had been doing this off and on for centuries.

I turned my attention back to Desmond. He was starting to slink towards the door. "You know, if you run, they will just chase you down." He stopped in his tracks. "Now, come and sit down and I will tell you what you need to know."

He eyed me warily, but did as I asked. I lead him into the living room. Some of the furniture was still there. I took a seat in the chair, Altair stood over by the window, Ezio watched us from the door, and Desmond took the small chaise lounge. "Now, what the hell is going on?" His voice was even, but his eyes betrayed what he was feeling. It was easy to read the eyes of men these days. Uncertainty was clear in their chocolate depths.

I looked at the men that had become my friends and allies. Ezio nodded his approval, but Altair looked at me with that stare. "Ezio, you know the story. Please tell Desmond about it. I think I need to have a talk with him." I pointed to the grump in the corner.

"Molto bene. I shall do my best." Ezio smiled that lopsided smile he had.

"Grazie mio fratello." I smiled back at him. I then turned to Altair. "Can we talk please?"

He walked out of the room and I had no choice but to follow. He walked out the door and waited for me to catch up. I shut the door and turned to him. "What do you want?"

"Why are you being so hateful towards everyone?" I glared at him. He glared right back.

"You seem to want to tell everyone in the world about us, like we are some walking freak show. I came to help you keep the Apple hidden, not give it to them." He growled at me.

"I have no intentions of letting them have it. I do not want any more people like us. As for telling people, I believe it was you that convinced me to tell our story to Ezio. I did not want to tell, but you insisted." I was not taking the fall for this. He was intentionly picking a fight with me, and I was not going to back down.

"Now, we are telling that boy inside. If you have not intentions of giving it to them, then why tell him? Knock him out; tell him it was a bad dream." He crossed his arms over his chest.

Oh he was starting to piss me off. I clinched and unclenched my hands, trying to calm myself before I did something that I would regret later. I got my voice under control. I looked up at him. "He is from your bloodline, Altair. He has a right to know. He would have found out sooner or later. They have a machine called the Animus. It allows the user to relive the memories of their ancestors. That is why he was freaked out. He thought you guys should be dead."

That stopped him. He looked at me like I had two heads. "The machine can do what?"

I sighed. I knew very little of the working of the machine. "I don't know all the aspects of it. All I know is that the user can see everything his ancestors saw. It uses the persons DNA. That is all I know. Now, if you are done, can we get back in there and get Desmond back to the villa before the others realize he is gone?" I turned to head back in. My hand was on the latch when he spoke again.

"Alanna, I'm sorry."

I faced him. "For what? You have done nothing wrong. You were just voicing your opinion. I should learn to listen to you and Ezio before I make choices that affect us all."

"It is not that. I should not have left you that morning. I should have stayed. Maybe things would have been different between us now. Maybe you wouldn't have left." I could see the regret on his face and hear it in his words. I wanted to run to him and say it was okay, then go back to the way we once were. But I couldn't. I made a promise to myself many years ago that I would not run back to him again. I would uphold that promise.

I lied to him. It took everything in me to lie and keep it convincing. "That is water under the bridge. Things happen and we both knew what we were doing would not last as long as we do. I am just glad we can now talk with it not being a fight. There is now nothing to be sorry for." The words were sour on my tongue, but I had to do it. I would not fall for him again.

I walked quickly back in. I could not be out there with him any longer. I headed back over to Desmond and Ezio. Desmond looked up at me first. "So, you are the oldest."

"Si. That I am. I was the first awaken. I was the first victim of the Apple. I now see it as my job to keep others from sharing the same fate. Some people, who shall remain nameless, do not know how to listen." I shot Ezio a look.

He shrugged. "My mother always had a problem with that as well. I do not listen well. But you enjoy having me around."

I rolled my eyes. He was such a show off. Even now, he still was like a child at heart. I liked that about him. I had lost my child like qualities in the Crusades. It was a rougher time back then. "Yeah well, I guess I am just stuck with you then."

He winked. "You like it, Madonna, admit it."

I looked at him, a smile on my face. I had not used my native tongue in many years. "أنت أبله (You are an idiot)"

He looked at me confused. I knew he did not know Arabic. I just kept smiling. "What did you say? You know I cannot speak your native tongue."

Desmond smiled. "She called you an idiot, Ezio."

I looked at him, so did Ezio. "You speak Arabic? Not many do. Well, not the form I just spoke. It is an older dialect, from my time."

"It's one of the side effects of the Animus. It is called the Bleeding Affect. I retain things from my time in the Animus. Like fighting abilities, different languages, the Eagle vision you guys have." He shifted slightly in his chair. I knew there was something he was hiding. I wanted to know it, but I would not be pushy. I would wait.

"That's pretty cool. Well, at least one other person will understand me when I go off on one of my tirades. I won't have to have Altair sit there and translate for me. Oh and as for the Eagle Vision. I don't have that." I confessed.

Now it was my turn to be stared at. I forgot I never told Ezio. "I thought all assassins had it." Desmond spoke first.

"Only true blooded assassins have it. Alanna was a petty thief before she came to us." Altair strolled quietly into the room.

"Thank you for that, Altair. I love it when you rub it in my face of what I once was." I couldn't help but be mad at him. He would always let me know I was not like him in many ways. He did not do it to be mean sometimes, but he still did it.

"It's the truth and part of your past. Get over it. So you do not have the vision, but you have us beat on speed. It is who you are." He laid his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes. I knew what he spoke was the truth.

I just sighed and shook his hand off. "Come on Desmond. We had better get you back before they check on you. I do not want to explain this to the others."

The younger man stood and brushed the dust off his jeans. "You guys hanging around for a while?"

"Yeah. We are here to protect you from the Templars that hunt you. We are the best at what we do." Altair did not move. He stood at my side. I wanted to move away, but I stayed right where I was.

"Okay. I really would like to learn more about what happened to you three." He looked at the three of us.

The guys nodded and I did the same. "Come on." I headed for the door. Desmond followed.

I noticed I have not been doing translations. Well, except on the Arabic.

Molto bene = very well

Grazie mio fratello = thank you my brother

Si = yes

Madonna = lady

Bambino = baby

There is nothing going on between Ezio and Alanna besides some harmless flirting. Thought I would clear that up right now. Desmond is a little OOC, but he will be back to normal next chapter. Heads up. I will not be uploading a new chapter until the 8th. I am extremely high on my internet usage. I only get 10GB a month and I am sitting at 9.76GB. One more day. I will have two chapters done by then. See ya on the 8th.