Chapter Two: Meetings

Altair

I waited until the cover of night to check out the address that Becca had given me. I could have waited a few days until she came back to get the laptop, but I could not. I had to know now. Ezio sat in the passenger seat while Desmond sat in the back. We each were wearing all black and watched the house.

"I could think of a few other ways to do this besides looking like peeping toms and stalkers." Ezio grumbled as he slouched in the seat.

I sat the binoculars down and turned to him. "Then go back. I could have done this by myself, but you two insisted on coming."I was not going to listen to his grumbling and whining. I had heard enough of it over the years.

Desmond rested his arms on the back of the seat and laid his chin on them. "Hey, here's an idea. Walk up to the front door, and ring the doorbell. Then when someone comes to the door, ask to see her. That way you don't freak anyone out and we won't get into trouble for scaring the neighbors."

I turned around and looked at him. The boy was really annoying. "And what do I say to to her. 'Hey, I know you don't remember me, but you are a part of a group of assassins that are immortal, and we have thought you dead for ten years. Oh, by the way, we are married and I want you to come back with me.' Oh yeah, that wouldn't freak her out. Not at all." I rolled my eyes at him. "You are an idiot."

Ezio chuckled a bit. "You are the idiot, Altair. All you have to do is walk up to the door, ring the bell and ask for her. Tell her she looked familiar. See if she remembers anything."

"I don't even think so." I shook my head.

"Uh guys. I think the choice has been taken from us, because here she comes now." Desmond's hand shot up and pointed out the side window.

Alanna walked up to the window and knocked on it. "Roll down the window right now."

I complied and looked at her. "Can I help you?"

She glared at me, gray eyes narrowed and hands on her hips. "What in the world are you three doing out here? You have been sitting here for over an hour, not moving and honestly, it is creeping my mother out. I want you to leave."

"Your mother?" What in the world was going on?

She nodded. "Yes, my mother. Well, adopted mother. Now, either tell me what you want, or get the hell out of here."

I cleared my throat. "May I get out of the car and talk to you?"

She blinked in surprised. Her arms dropped to her side and she stepped back. "Uh sure, I guess. But don't try anything stupid. I know how to defend myself."

I chuckled a bit. "I don't doubt that you do." Opening the car door, I slowly stepped from the car and closed the door. "Ezio, why don't you head on back. I think I will walk back."

"You sure? It's a distance." The Italian slid over into the driver's seat.

"I'm sure." I stepped from the car. "Get going. I will fill you in later."

Ezio started up the car and pulled away, leaving me there with Alanna.

Alanna

I watched the blue car pull away, leaving the man that had gotten out with me. I didn't know why he stayed, but I wanted to know. "So, why did you stay?"

He turned his eyes on me. From the light of the street lamp, I could tell they were a golden color. Something about this man was familiar, but I could not place it. It was like trying to remember a dream in the middle of the day. It was as if I knew him, but from another life.

"May I ask your name?" He placed his hands in his pocket and watched me.

"I..I don't know my real name. When I was found, I had no memories of my past. My mother, she called me Anna. It was her mother's name." I wrapped my arms around my waist, and cast my eyes down to the ground. I had never told another that. I did not like telling people that I did not know who I was, or where I came from.

"I am sorry to hear that. I am Altair." He held out his hand.

I looked up at him, and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, and now, are you going to tell me what you were doing out here."

He retracted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "If I told you I knew you, would you think I was making it up?"

I blinked at him. He knew me. "Is that why you are here? Because you know me?" He nodded. "How did you find me?"

"Becca. She owns the computer store you were at this morning. When you left, she called and had me come down. When I saw the security footage, I had to be sure that it was you." His eyes never left my face. "I have missed you. More than you know."

I stepped back from him. "If you know me so well, tell me something that I would know right now."

A small smile graced his lips, causing the scar that he had on them to stretch and stand out. "You have a scar on your stomach and one on your back to match. I was there when you got them."

My hand automatically went to the scar he was talking about. I had wondered how I got them, but I could not remember. "Okay, so you do know me. What is my real name?"

"Alanna Isabella La'Ahad."

I repeated the name to myself, to see if it would trigger anything, but it didn't. I was not surprised. I had no memories in so long that I had all but given up on ever getting them back. I laughed and he cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry. You must think I have lost my mind. It's just that, I had all but given up on learning anything about myself. It was to the point that I just did not care. Then you come here tonight because I crashed the laptop and had to take it in to be fixed."

I smiled at him. "Maybe this is fate. So tell me Altair, are you going to me my knight in shining armor and help me remember who I used to be?"

He nodded. "If that is what you want me to be, then I shall be that."

Life just got a bit more interesting.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

I invited Altair in for coffee, but he declined, saying he had to get back to the others. I asked him to return for me tomorrow. I wanted to know more about him and what I used to be. I know I was different. I have known that for awhile. The dreams, the nightmares, the reflexes. I could do things normal people could not do, but had no idea why. I knew about guns and swords, how to use them. I could defend myself against a mugger, but had no idea who I truly was. It was a difficult thing to handle.

Smiling, I walked into the house, shutting the door behind me. My mother, well the woman that took me in, Kate, walked from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "You seem to be in a good mood for chasing someone away from the front of the house. You did not hurt them, did you?" There was concern in her eyes.

I shook my head no, and walked over to her. Wrapping my arms around her, I gave her a squeeze. "I didn't hurt anyone. I have a good story for you, Mom." I pulled her over to the couch and told her what had happened.

"So, your name is Alanna La'Ahad. That is Arabic. Maybe you hail from there. I could do some research if you would like. Would you like me to start calling you Alanna?" Kate took my hand into hers.

I shook my head. "No, not yet. That name really means nothing to me. I do not know who that is. Maybe one day, but not today, alright? It still seems strange that I now know my real name." Looking down at our intertwined hands, I thought back on the time I had been here and with her. She took me in when I had no one. Gave me a name and a home. Made me part of her family. I would always be grateful to her. Til the day I died, I would always be thankful.

"Well then, if you are going to meet with this man tomorrow, you should get some sleep." She took her hands from mine and smiled at me.

"Okay. I will see you in the morning. We are still going out for breakfast right?" I walked towards the stairs.

"Yes." I nodded and headed up the stairs when she spoke again. "So, is he cute at least?"

I thought about him, and let a small smile spread across my lips. "I think so, but it was dark and not much light. I will give you a full report tomorrow when I see him again."

Twisting, screaming, burning. Same as every night, but so much more. I woke up sweating and gasping for breath. The nightmare was so real. Altair was there and I had stabbed him. They were getting more vivid and scarier. It was like I was there in battles and fights that were old. Altair was there in some and another man. I did not know his name, but he seemed like a brother. Others came wan went, depending on the fight. How old was I? How many lives were locked in my head wanting to come out? What was stopping me from remembering?

Grabbing the nearest thing to me, I wiped my face with the shirt I had worn yesterday. They were getting worse. It was like the gates of my mind were being battered and barely containing the flood of memories that lay behind. I wanted it to break. I wished for it to break. Give me my life back, but yet again, my pleas go unanswered and another day dawns.

Throwing the shirt in frustration, it landed in a heap near the window. "Why do they not answer? Why must I be cursed in this life?" I whispered as I hung my head, letting the tears fall onto the covers that was bunched at my waist.

It was always the same. The nightmares would haunt me until mid-morning when the daylight sun chased the darkness from my mind. I would begin to feel better after that time. The tears were always there after the nightmares. I would be lying if I said they did not scare me. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to have a life and not be afraid of the world that lay outside the front door.

"Anna, are you up yet?" Kate called from the bottom of the stairs.

Breakfast at the diner. I nearly forgot. I seemed to be doing that a lot in my life. I crawled from the bed, and walked over to the door. "Yes Mom, I'm up. I will be ready shortly."

"Okay, I asked Maggie to go with us, if that is alright? Her granddaughter went home last night and she has no one there with her now. I thought I was a nice thing to do."

"I like Mrs. Waters. She is always so nice to me. Let me get a shower and I will be ready, alright?" I walked back in my room without a response.

I went through my drawers and picked a cute sundress with my black boots. Laying them on the bed, I went over to bathroom.

Ezio

"Yeah, it's her." I held the phone between my shoulder and cheek while I made breakfast. Altair and I were the only ones up, so that was who I was cooking for. The man still could not cook. I guess the old saying was true. You can't teach old dogs new tricks. Sometimes I was surprised he was not skinny and malnourished, but hey, that's why they make fast food for people like him.

'Have you talked to her yet?' Jenna yawned into the phone. She had told me Marcus, our three year old son, stayed up half the night. I was his favorite person.

"No not yet. Altair talked to her for awhile last night, but did not tell her anything besides her name. She still wants to go by the name she was given, which I understand. I mean, she had not been Alanna in many years. It will take time." The eggs were nearly done and the toast had just popped.

She chuckled over the phone before another yawn overtook her. 'Are you sure you have never been a psychologist? You play one quite well.'

I laughed along with her. "I should, shouldn't I? Maybe I will get that degree sometime, but I have other things to worry about besides that. Now, how is everything else?"

'Fine, but I am going to let you go. I still have at least a few more hours to sleep before Marcus decides to wake back up. I will call you later.' I could tell sleep was claiming her once more from the way her speech began to slow.

"Have a good nap, and I will call you with an update when I get it." I plated the eggs and buttered the toast and hung up the phone after our goodbyes.

Turning to look at the table, I laughed at what I saw. Altair's head was laying on the table, light snores coming from his sleeping form. Sitting the plate in front of him, I nudged him. "Wake up. Your food is going to get cold."

His head slowly lifted. "I wasn't asleep." He mumbled and looked at the food in front of him. Eyelids drooping, his head began to tilt back towards the plate.

"Hey!" I raised my voice a bit, causing him to jump slightly, and me to laugh harder. "How late were you up?"

"Huh?" He turned his half open eyes on me. They were bloodshot and dark half moon bags lay under the amber orbs.

I repeated my question to him. I could tell the gears were beginning to turn, but it was not firing on all cylinders, if you know what I mean. "You haven't slept, have you?"

He shook his head no. "Not really. My mind would not stop running. All I could think about was that last moment back at Abstergo. If I had done something to stop her, she would still be fine. She would have her memories."

I sighed and forked some egg into my mouth. "You know there was nothing that could have been done. She was set in her ways and there was nothing that was going to change that. Maybe this is something she needed. It has kept her from Abstergo for this long."

His eyes began to droop once more. I just shook my head as I watched him try to eat almost completely asleep. No words were spoken as we finished our meal. Once his plate was empty, he stood and walked over to the bed and fell asleep. We were sharing a room at the local motel. I found one that had a kitchenette. There was no way I was living on fast food while I was here. Desmond was sleeping on the floor. He said he was going to get his own room today, but I told him don't worry about it. The boy had changed in his own exile. He was quieter, more reserved. He did not talk much, and did not come around everyone. He was turning into what Altair used to be, and that scared me more than anything. I could not deal with another brooding asshole. Now, the older had changed in his years. He had become more outspoken, but he did not like to come around because we had the one thing he did not. Hopefully having Alanna back in his life would help him.

"I smell food. Any left?" Desmond raised his head from his small nest and looked at me with those big puppy dog eyes. The only thing the boy had not lost.

"Bacon. Get up and I will fix you some eggs before I make another food run." I stood, topped off my coffee and set out to make more eggs for him.

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

The grocery store was a few blocks from the motel. I would have walked, but I knew I would be getting at least a few days worth of food. I was not about to carry it back. Parking the small car I had brought was no big deal. It was nothing impressive. Not like the Mustang or Desmond's Ducati. Both of them loved flashy rides. I went for practicality.

"Hello again."

I turned around to see Alanna walking up with an older woman. "Ciao Bella. Beautiful day, is it not?" I smiled at both of them, dipping into my Italian. Let's see what she remembered on her own.

"Lei sa italiano?" Her eyebrows shot up. "Io so italiano!"

I chuckled. "Yes you do. You also speak many other languages. I will let you learn that on your own."

"I know you and not from last night. This so frustrating!" Her face went scarlet and she cover ed it with her hands. "I'm sorry. I should not be talking this way. I guess we should start by introducing ourselves again. I am Anna, or as you knew me, Alanna."

"I am Eric Masterson." I was not about to say my real name in front of the woman that was with her. I did knot know her, and therefore would not say my real name.

Alanna nodded. "Quale è il tuo vero nome?"

"Later." The girl was catching on, and that was scary. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

"Okay." She smiled and it was strange to see her do that. She so rarely did that in the past, that this new Alanna was like a child in some ways. Looking around, she asked."Where is Altair?"

So, he gave his real name. That was so unlike him. "Asleep. He stayed up all night. He doesn't sleep much."

"Oh." I heard the disappointment in her voice. Even with no memories, she was still drawn to him.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am sure he will come to see you later."

Quale è il tuo vero nome? - What is your real name?

Ciao bella – Hello beautiful

Lei sa italiano?- You know Italian?

Io so italiano!- I know Italian!

The first two chapters were really to reintroduce everyone. The next chapter the fun will really begin. Thank you for reading.