Disclaimer: I dont own Assassins Creed or the OC's Tahir and Nijma.

He approached her slowly and cautiously. She had not moved from the spot on the wooden dock where she had passed over the letter to the courier. She just stood, tall and proud. Her black cloak rippling in the breeze. The red cross mocking him. Her eyes were hard, and her jaw was set. He kept coming, stalking closer, but she made no move either to escape or draw a weapon.

"So, I see the high and mighty grandmaster of the hashashins has ordained to leave his private study and quiet sanctuary to walk among the lowly people." She heckled him, loud enough to be heard by everyone around. He kept silent, pushing forward through the crowd. "I wonder if you brought your mistress with you. I bet you couldn't bare the thought of facing your own wife without the soft tones of that whore caressing your ear with her sweet sayings. ibn iš-šarmuuTa!" She spat the insult at him, venom dripping from her voice. The arabic insult which she had almost yelled at him had people moving away from her, gossiping in hushed tones. Leaving her in the open, exposed to the on coming assassin. He words hurt Altair deeply, especially as he knew they were a lie. He would not touch or look at another woman. But he was not about to show his feelings. Especially to her, not now, not after she had betrayed the brotherhood.

"So says the traitor." He said it slowly, deliberately, standing before her, letting his hood shadow his face. She merely snorted at his accusation before replying. "kuss ummak Altair." Altair slapped her hard. The sound seemed to be louder than physically possible. Maria slowly turned her head back to him. He could see the imprint his gloved hand had left on her cheek. Neither moved for a beat. It was as if they were frozen in place for a second. Then the spell snapped. Almost as one, they both stepped back, drawing the swords that hung on their hips.

The fight was fast and furious. The clash of metal reverberated over the water, the sun reflecting off the shine of the metal. Maria drew first blood, her blade catching Altairs thigh. No word passed between them, nor did they slow down. Despite his wound, Altair continued pressing his assault on Maria, slowly driving her down the dock. By this time, they were the only people left in the area, the citizens having run off screaming to hide, fearing for their own lives. The crew on the packet ship at the end of the dock were hastily making to shove off. The courier stood at the rail and watched the sword fight, praying that the woman would be able to hold the assassin off long enough to make sure he escaped. He didn't care if she died, as long as he got out with his own skin.

Altair watched his own wife put everything she had into getting through his defences. She was driven by anger, just as she had been all those years ago when she had attacked him for killing De Sable. Back then she had accused him of taking her soul, destroying her life. But he was at the advantage, just as he had been back then, and he knew that he was slowly wearing her down. Her step faltered on the uneven planks of the dock, and he saw his opening. Lunging forward he tangled his blade with hers, whipping it out of her hand. It clattered to the deck, before rolling off and splashing into the water. He lunged forward again and watched her trip and fall backward, completely exposed to his blade. He saw fear flash over her features, if only for a second, but it was there. He started to bring his blade down upon her, and instead of rolling away as he had expected she would, Maria struck out with her foot. He winced in pain as the hard leather of the sole connected with his wrist. His hand automatically opened, and his sword joined hers at the bottom of the sea.
In a flash she had hurled herself at him, kicking out his knees so that he would fall on his back. Altair went down hard as Maria straddled his chest, pinning down his arms.

"You never even realised I was gone." She yelled at him. "It had to be Malik who told you. Not once in those two days did you leave your private study. Not once. Not even to check on your own son. Or your brothers. ya gazma yibn ig-gazma!" Maria's fingers were digging in painfully to his biceps, but Altair ignored it. Struggling slightly to find her weak spots, but not really trying to escape her hold. He wanted to hear her speak. Wanted to try and understand what she was raving on about, hoped she could be saved.
"You were too busy with your whore to care about anything. Did you know Nijma had been injured? Or that Tahir had uncovered a plot to attack Masyaf? No, because you are just too self absorbed with what you think is so bloody important. Maybe you would have liked to have been around when Darim spoke his first word. But no, you missed it because you were too busy playing with you whore."
Altair had had enough. Bucking his his body, he reversed positions with Maria. With a slick click, he unleashed his hidden blade and pressed it against her throat.

"And there he is. The assassin I remember. Four times you have had your hidden blade to my throat. Are you going to kill me like you should have done on those previous occasions?" Altair noted that the heat had gone out of her voice. Her voice held a finality about it, a grim expectation. And although she gripped his wrist, she was making no move to push the blade away.

"I have not been unfaithful to you. I would never take another woman." He growled down at her. Anger flashed through her eyes again.

"kaddaab!" She spat at him.

"I am not lying." He ground out, pressing the blade tighter to her skin, a thin line of blood appearing on her neck.

"You lock yourself away for weeks at a time. You ignore everyone and everything. You derelict your duties as grandmaster. And I am left discarded by the wayside, surrounded by many who still do not trust me. Your son may as well be fatherless. So yes. I do accuse you of infidelity. And you know what, it would be a lot easier if it were a woman. I could just kill her, but no. You chose that damn apple over me, your son and the brotherhood." The fire was back, and he could feel her pressing her own neck against his blade. Disconcerted by this and her verbal attack, he sheathed the blade.

"Woman, you know not of what you speak. The study of the apple has greatly advanced the brotherhood" He reasoned with her. She had seen first hand how the knowledge of the apple had improved their lives. Why could she not understand that it needed to be studied?

"At What Cost?" She screamed at him struggling under his weight. "Darim's first word was mama. Would you like to know what his second word is? He spoke it for the first time last week. It should have been baba. Go on, guess what it is." Altair could feel the venom seeping from her words. And although he was the one pinning her down, he knew that he was the one who was being assaulted. "Yeah, you just have no idea do you. Well, let me enlighten you since you crave knowledge so much. He said Maic." He felt his brow crease with confusion, not understanding her words. "Your own son calls for Malik before he calls for you." She punctuated each word as if slapping him around the face with each syllable. He sat back stunned at what she had said.

Using his distraction and his shift in weight, Maria shoved him off her. Scrambling to stand up, she let her feet fly at him, trying to kick him in the face. He quickly rolled out if the way, and jumped back on his feet, but found that Maria had turned to flee over the small boats that littered the the harbour. He propelled himself forward, leaping after her. She was unsteady on the moving little boats and he quickly caught her up. Grabbing the back of her tunic, he yanked her backwards into his chest, wrapping an arm around her throat. His other arm snaking around her waist to restrain her arms. Maria struggled against his grip, violently rocking the small boat they were on. Increasing the pressure on her throat, he bent his head towards her ear.

"None of that explains why you would betray me and the brotherhood. Whatever you are to me, and to my son, I cannot allow you to live. Not after you have aided the Templars." He had hoped his words would still her fight. That she would plead with him. Offer some sort of apology, repentance. Instead, a strangled laugh reached his ears. He closed his eyes, the pain of what he was about to do tearing his heart apart. He would be merciful, and just break her neck. She would feel no pain, it would be his to bear alone. She pushed her head against his shoulder, trying to look up and address his face.

"I never betrayed the brotherhood. But you have been too blind to see it. Even now, you are not listening or thinking."
Altair growled at her cryptic words. He kicked out her knees, leaving him supporting her by her neck. She struggled to regain her feet and breathe, clutching his arm.

"Explain yourself woman" he snapped at her.

"Tahir and Rashid discovered that the Templars were going to mount another assault on Masyaf. They had already sent orders to build the forces. It would have only taken them 6 months before they were burning down the gates of Masyaf. So, I had the Jabal forge a letter from King Richard, re-deploying the troops that were bound for Masyaf into his force bound south for Arsuf. They needed the old seals I still carry to seal the letter to make it look authentic. And you saw me with your own eyes delivering that misinformation to save Masyaf and my brothers. And what were you doing, oh great and wise grandmaster?"

Altairs blood ran cold with the thought of what he had been prepared to do to her. He was going to kill her for protecting everything he held dear. She had taken responsibility for something he should have known about and should have been the one directing the action.

Too late he realised that he had loosened his grip on her arms. She twisted sideways, burying an elbow in his stomach. He let her go, gasping for air.

"Maria, please, I am sorry. I didn't know." He felt himself begging. She turned to face him with a disgusted look on her face.

"Oh, so you are sorry are you. Sorry for what? Neglecting your brothers and responsibilities? Ignoring your son? Accusing your wife of treachery? It's going to take more than sorry to make up for your misdeeds." She stood tall and proud, condemning him for his mistakes.

"Everything. I am sorry for being so consumed. I will make it right. I promise you, I will make it right. Take proper control of the order. Guide and lead the assassins, just as I had spoken to you about." He took a step towards her but she just moved back, keeping distance between them. "I promise to be the father to Darim that he deserves to have. I will spend time with him every day, I promise"

"And what about me? This is not the first time you have forgotten me. I believe it was at this precise harbour that you once forgot I was accompanying you. You abandoned me. Silently slipped away without one single thought about me. Back then that hurt me, and I didn't even really know you." She stepped closer to him, jabbing a finger in his chest. "You have already promised that you would never abandon me, and I made that same promise. For better or worse. And yet, barely not even two years later this is what happens. You haven't even slept in our bed for the last month." She stepped away, back handing him sharply He let her, at that moment he would have let her do anything to him. He felt numb, and guilty. The apple had distracted him, Altair knew as much. But he thought he had only spent a few days studying it. Surely a whole month could not have passed him by without his knowledge. No wonder Malik had been so scathing, he had shirked his duties without so much as an apology.
She looked as if she were about to say more, but instead turned and continued running. Altair bounded after her, determined to catch her. Her words echoed through his mind.
Skipping over the boats in the harbour, he ran after Maria. Pushing himself hard to out pace her. She was fast, and the fight and injury to his leg had worn him out. He was beginning to feel the effects of a month where he had not trained. But he was not going to lose her. He felt triumphant when he cornered her. The boats and poles ran out. An expanse of open water separating them from the stone sides of the sea wall. She spun on her heel to face him, panting slightly, he could see the hurt in her eyes. The anger had gone, and now it was just hurt he saw.

"I am truly sorry Maria. I have no excuse. I have made a mistake. Please. I love you habiti. There would not be a single place on this earth where I would not chase you just to be close to you. "

She stared at him, obviously thinking hard. Raising her chin, she defiantly threw down a challenge. "Prove it." And without waiting for a response, she turned and dived off the little boat into the water. Altair rushed forward, cursing her under his breath. She knew it was the one thing he struggled to do. He watched as she swam the distance and hauled herself out onto the dock side, dripping water everywhere.

"So, what's it going to be Assassin?" She mocked him over the water. He growled in frustration, his lip twitching in a snarl when he saw the triumphant amusement on her face. He couldn't swim the distance, and he knew that she would be long gone by the time he ran around the long way. Realising there was only one option open to him, he turned his back on her, racing across the harbour as fast as he could. In the 30 seconds it took him, Maria had disappeared. Jogging to the spot he last saw her, Altair scouted around. A sly grin spread across his face. She may have left, but the wet drips and footprints clearly showed which way she went.

Altair chased Maria right across the city. She never lost him, but he never seemed to gain on her. Gradually, the footprints and wet drips stopped, her clothes having dried in the chase. He took to the rooftops, trying to catch sight of her in the distance. Every now and then, he would see a flash of gold, but she was quickly gone again.
Altair pondered whether or not she would return to the rooms she had shared with Robert, for they were close by. But he knew she had laid that ghost to rest a long time ago. He had made sure of that.
Thinking of Robert made him realise how stupid he had been. Of course she would never be content with being barefoot and domestic. This was Maria Thorpe, the woman who had disguised herself as a man for 8 years in the English Kings army. Who had been second to the grandmaster of the Templars. Had fought in battles and lead armies. Who, even now, continued fighting for what she thought was right.

His eyes lighted on the tower of the Acre Fortress. He remembered how much she had wanted to escape to that place. How it was special to her. It had to be where she was headed.

Jumping down to the streets, he quickly made his way to the main gates of the fortress. None of the Crusader guards seemed to pay him any attention, strolling forward to the main gate, he took his time at scouting out what was going on. The number of guards was high, but for once, none of them were paying any attention to him. Suddenly, a flash of gold grabbed his attention. Maria was standing at the main gate to the fortress. She spotted him, and immediately dashed off into the fortress.
Throwing caution to the wind, he flew after her, blasting past the guards, who surprisingly gave no chase or shout of alarm. Ignoring the oddity, he ran into the fortress, spotting Maria climbing a ladder. While climbing he looked up, and saw Maria's feet disappearing over the edge. Climbing up after her, he was surprised to find that she had waited for him. Obviously it was not her intention to lose him. Pulling himself onto the roof, he decided he would let her lead him to whatever destination she had in mind. He was no longer hunting her, but she was leading him. Ignoring the guards who in turned seemed to be ignoring them, he jogged after Maria, jumping the gaps between buildings, and barreling along tiled roofs. When she climbed onto the ramparts, he saw her peek over the edge. Although her hood was up, shadowing most of her face, he saw a corner of a lip quirk when she spotted him so close behind her. She sprinted as fast as she could to the tower at the end of the rampart, her black cloak streaming out behind her. She slammed and locked the door behind her, and Altair smiled at her play. She knew as well as he did that it was only a small obstacle for him to climb the tower. Knowing that she would be waiting for him at the top, he climbed as fast as he could. The wind started whipping at his robes the higher he got, but it did not matter.

Finally hauling himself onto the top of the tower, he paused. She stood looking out over the sea. Now that he was here, he didn't quite know what to do. Only that he wanted to make amends. Jumping down onto the floor of the tower, he offered his apology.

"I am sorry Maria."

She slowly raised her hands to her hood, slipping it off her head, turning to face him.

"I need you. Please forgive me." He whispered, watching her lips tug up into a small smile. His heart soared when she beckoned him over. Striding over, he slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her body against his. Her hands reached up, tugging his head down to hers so that she could kiss him.

She kissed him with the passion he knew she always possessed for everything she had. Once her mind was made up, come hell or high water, nothing could change it. In that instant, he knew she would never leave him. Her hunger for him told him how committed she was. But he had a long way to go to earn her full forgiveness. But he would earn it.

"I will love you forever." He murmured against her skin as he gently lowered her to the straw, determined to show her right now how much he truly cared for her.

A/N
This is my interpretation of the events that lead up to Sef's conception. The quite frankly very odd dream Desmond had in AC2. I had been playing around with the idea for a while, and I know there are a few holes, but I am happy with how the story has turned out.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review. It would make my day.

I would also like to point you in the direction of the story The Crescent and the Cross. Some of the events and characters I referenced are from that story. And if you liked this short fic, then you are just gonna love The Crescent and The Cross. s/8252325/1/

Arabic Translations:

ibn iš-šarmuuTa - son of a whore
kuss ummak - Your mother's cunt; the equivalent of "Fuck you," except worse.
ya gazma yibn ig-gazma - You son of a shoe. Shoes are associated with dirt and connote impurity and degredation
kaddaab - liar