Hello once again Readers!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited/followed the first chapter. I'm very thankful and happy with the support! =^^= Soooo, here's another chapter!

This story does contain spoilers however the ending of AC3 is altered by me so they might not seem very obvious :P

Disclaimer: Any Assassin's Creed character's used in this fanfic are not mine, they belong to Ubisoft. The images used for the cover are also not mine.

II - Survival - Annora expects the death of the stranger brought to her house by Charles Lee, however what will unfold when the man wakes up in the middle of the night?

I hope you Enjoy! :D - AssassinSuzy

II

'Goodbye Father'

'I should have killed you long ago'

Monday 17th September

Images flooded his mind as he shot up from a dreadful dream full of blood and pain. His memories began spinning around and it took him a few seconds to verify the credibility of the previous events. Connor.

"I'm, I'm alive?", he whispered as he grasped at his neck, feeling something soft under his fingers. A bandage. He looked around the room suspiciously, his vision clouded with darkness, but the thing that disturbed him the most was the small figure that laid beside him. He pressed his hands to his chest and further discovered how he was covered in bandages. He was supposed to die.

"I shouldn't be alive". Suddenly, his hands started to tremble and a heavy sweat ran through him. He realized how weak he was and decided to lay back down, unintentionally causing the figure beside him to sway from side to side and wake up. Annora rubbed her sleepy eyes and the events of the previous day came back to her, automatically making her turn her gaze to the man, who was staring intently at her, his expression confused, weak and pained. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You're awake!", she almost screamed. She got up abruptly and hurried to the bedside table, lighting a candle which immediately illuminated the room, the man still watching her.

"You saved me", he whispered. She heard his deep voice, sensual and silvery, even in times of great weakness and pain. She dipped a cloth in a large bowl of cold water, squeezing it out and carefully placing it on his forehead.

"You must rest, you still have a fever, sir". He smiled politely at her kindness, taking in the gleaming color of her bright and liquid eyes, her only visible feature in this weak amount of light.

"I'm going to die aren't I?", he asked rhetorically. The question literally broke her.

"Don't say that", she muttered back. "Charles doesn't want you dead."

"You know Charles?", he inquired, his voice sounded extremely sophisticated, reflecting upon his age. Her smile turned into a look of sadness and regret.

"My Father knew his, I-, it's a long story."

"Nonetheless he should realize he is going to die as well", he stated tonelessly. Her eyebrows shot up and gave him a pained look.

"What? But who is-"

"My son did this to me", before letting her go angry and confused he continued, "as I have expected him to", he turned to her and smiled. Her lips came apart in slight shock and just as she was about to say something he cut in. "Do not fear, I was supposed to die, and if I do, my loss will not be in vain".

"How can you say that? No one is supposed to die", she hissed, almost letting out a stifled laugh. He gazed deeply into her stubborn eyes. "We are the makers of our fate". He in turn felt like smirking kindheartedly at how passionate she was about his survival and how much she wanted him to live on.

"You really don't want me to die do you Miss...", he searched her for a name.

"Annora", she looked away, not wanting to agree with his remark, however knowing he was right. She did want him to live, no matter if he felt like he had to or not.

"We all have our young days of freedom, ideals and hopes, Annora", a cloud of his own experience and intelligence shrouded her, overtaking her previous strong and clever façade. "But the world shapes our future whether you like it or not". He took a breath, that sentence must have caused him great discomfort. She placed her hand on the warmed up towel that rested on his forehead, attempting to replace it when she felt his strong hand grasp her wrist.

"Let the future take it's course", he whispered. She looked at him, her wrist warming up from the contact.

"I won't let you die", she stubbornly gritted through her teeth. His lack of faith shocked her, but a sense of great respect overcame her when she noticed just how well he was embracing and accepting his end. She got out of his grip and proceeded to replace the towel on his burning forehead.

"You're suffering, and yet you can still speak great words", she said calmly. Her eyes welled up but she pushed the tears aside as she turned around and added quietly, "my Father, he was killed, I watched him die, he was the one who encouraged me, who had faith in me", the tears appeared again. The man watched her back tremble in fear of her own memories.

"He was my mentor, he told me to understand that his death was for a greater cause, but tell me, what cause is greater than being with your child?", she almost shouted through tears. The man remembered how his actions were the same, his priority was his work, chosen over his own son. Guilt ran through him.

"But then I understood what he meant, he died to protect me, but when I finally appreciated the meaning of his words, it was too late", she carried on through tears. The man lifted his arm weakly and took hold of her soft palm. She turned and sat on the edge of the chair in despair, grabbing the man's hand with both of hers and putting it to her forehead. He rested his hand on her head, feeling her soft hair, his face turned to face her, his eyes full of compassion for the first time in his life.

"I never even got the chance to tell him I loved him", she finished. He then understood why she fought so much for his life, and why he should start fighting for it as well.

"I, I understand Annora", he whispered and she looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with hope. Suddenly he groaned loudly, clutching at his chest.

"Are you alright?!", she was immediately by his side, not even realizing her hands were on his chest. He gazed up at her and her cheeks heated up, he saw right through her as if she were an open book. She could see his crow's-feet wrinkle when he smiled, unable to avoid this expression when he gazed at her flushed cheeks, her glittering eyes and her full and puffy rosy lips. He reached his hand out painfully to grasp the ribbon that tied his graying hair into a short ponytail.

"If I die Annora, please take this", he pulled the ribbon and swiftly handed it to her, causing her to lift her soft palms off his chest, to his slight disappointment. Her eyes welled up, her façade completely broken through once again.

"As a piece of me, to remind you of the man who you have saved from an uncomfortable death," he smiled again, half jokingly half seriously. He isn't a Templar, he can't be the one they called the 'Cruel Grand Master', the one who her father planned to-

"Ow!", his groan broke her trail of thoughts. She held his hand tightly, tears reflecting the candlelight, she was kneeling before the bed now, realizing she had to at least attempt to show strength. To accept what this stranger was going through, this stranger she felt she knew for thousands of years.

"I don't even know you," she faked an empty laugh. She then looked down at his hand, his age suddenly shining through his robust character. "But I still find myself caring, still find myself-"

"Why?", he asked. She looked up at him awkwardly and almost scoffed, thinking he was mocking her. "I-I never prioritized my feelings over my work, over the good of my order, over the achievement of our goals"

"Do you have any regrets?", she whispered, somehow broken-hearted at his lack of emotions, empathy or the simple act of caring.

"I wish I didn't, but, I do," he replied and her gaze pressed him on as if to ask him for an example.

"I regret leaving my sons mother, had I embraced my love for her rather than letting it be destroyed nothing like this would happen, everything would have turned out differently", his expression showed some signs of sorrow, of him imagining all the possibilities. Annora felt her heart clench and then inwardly scoffed at her own idiocy, he was an older gentleman, of course he would have fallen in love, have a child, he was mature. Unlike her in some aspects. And then she focused on why she felt like that in the first place, she didn't even know his name.

'Did the lack of a man in your life finally get to your head?,' her mother chanted. She was the one who always encouraged her to pursue marriage rather than books. She could now see how much that lack had an effect on her.

"Well now that I got over my regrets, I can die peacefully right?", he hastily gave her a satisfied smile. She scoffed out loud this time. He suddenly discovered how he ignored her confession of caring, moments before, and felt horribly guilty when he saw the effect it had on her soft expression.

"Would you care for some tea?" she decided to dismiss her feelings and hide back under her cover, afraid to get hurt even more. His attempt to bring himself to words in order to fix the situation were faltered by her sudden proposal.

"Tea would do me good, please do."

"Will be back in a moment then," she muttered and turned, disappearing through the tiny corridor. He heard timber stairs creaking under her heavy footsteps and proceeded to slap his forehead as softly as he could, almost sneering at his own stupidity. He let her get away after she broke down her barrier to a complete stranger, without even muttering a 'thank you' or nodding and smiling, out of sheer politeness, which he seemed to suddenly lack.

"Way to go Haytham", he mumbled to himself. He laid his head comfortably, gazing up at the ceiling. "I was never that good with women, but now I certainly can't die in peace". After a few minutes he heard her carefully climbing back up the stairs and appearing through the door.

"Here's your tea," he heard her steps approaching the bed. She kept her eyes from his, and this time it was his heart that clenched in a wave of guilt.

"Listen Annora," she put the tea down despite his conversation starter, accompanied by a plate of chocolate muffins.

"Have a muffin, Charles always loved them", she whispered almost bitterly. His anger heated up and he snapped, grabbing her wrist, urging her to look at him.

"Annora."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry," her eyes expressed her shock which reflected his when he realized how rarely he apologized, the last time he did flashed back into his mind.

How is she?

She's dead.

I'm sorry-

Sorry? I watched her burning to death as she sent me away, my village burning by your order, and you're sorry?! Well I'm all out of forgiveness 'father'!

His eyes flashed back to Annora as she shook his arm gently.

"Are you okay?". He saw her eyes full of worry before him as she whispered gently. He reached out and suddenly let her fall into him all in a blur of motion. His arms held onto her waist delicately, still keeping some distance to make sure she doesn't get away. He didn't want her to. She was here while everyone he ever had were gone. His family, his accomplices, Ziio, even his own son could not see through his character, through his dedication to the order. But she was still here, and she was so young and fragile, so unaware. Unaware that she was caring for him. For a monster. A tyrant. He wanted to shout 'get away', 'don't get involved' before she became another victim. He didn't want her to suffer and despite his previous carelessness, he found himself comprehending the weight of the Templar path he took.

"I'm a beast," his whisper sounded more like a hopeless whimper, but she could still hear it. Confused, still lying motionlessly on his chest, she pushed herself on her palms and hovered over him. His wrinkles came on display again as he smiled sadly as she took note of every detail of his face, she would burn it into her memory so she would always remember him, even if he did leave. Her expression softened and she delicately rested her hands around his neck, pressing herself to him as carefully as possible, even if just for a few seconds, she wanted to feel him. Hear his heart beat, even if for the last minute or hour. His majestic and scarred heart beat, thudding like running horses, alive and free for the first time.

"I don't know what you're thinking, I don't know who you are but-," she took a heavy breath, holding back tears. "You're not a beast. No matter what you have done". His grip on her waist tightened and her breath hitched. "Now please, don't go, don't leave me, fight on", she lifted herself up again and gazed into his eyes remorsefully. "For me", she whispered, then, flushing at her own decision, reached out to place her lips on his grazed and unshaven cheek. His eyes closed peacefully and he loosened his grip.

"I will, I promise," he whispered weakly in her ear. She looked up and saw his extremely peaceful expression, just like the one she saw when he was locked up in his comatose state. A smile faded from his lips and his breathing became shallow as his eyes closed. She moved herself backward and rested the side of her face on his immaculate chest, feeling its softness on her cheek. She listened carefully and heard his heart beat, slow and quiet, but still beating strongly. She slipped off to the side of the bed and held his hand in hers, praying and pleading softly.

"Please fight on," she chanted before her eyes closed and she fell asleep, tears slipping down her rosy cheeks, her mind falling into a dream. One of the man next to her living on.

Well that was emotional T.T... kind of. Tell me what you think and correct any of my mistakes (pretty please) :o by posting a review (do that if you liked the chapter too :3) Thank you so much for reading! :)