I didn't realize this before but some of the terms I use for the British are kind of mean. For any British people who happen to read this story, please do not take offense, I do not actually think these things about you. This story is written from the point of view of a patriot woman, so it's going to be a little biased. Sorry. Anyways, I do not own AC3, though I wish I owned Connor. Yum.

Chapter 3: Hiding Place

I touched the tender bruise that was beginning to form on my left cheekbone and sighed. I'd certainly gotten the punishment I had expected. Aunt Patricia had been furious when I hadn't shown up to church. Apparently she had arranged for a few young men to come and meet me, potential suitors. She was determined to marry me off to someone by the time I was 18. Which basically meant only one more year of freedom for me. And I'd be damned if I ended up marrying that pervert James. I was serious when I said I'd rather be a spinster.

A carried the lone candle I had for light to the window and looked out on a sleeping Boston. Though tonight, it seemed, was less quiet than most. If I squinted I could just see some commotion on the harbor. A riot perhaps? I wouldn't be surprised. There was a riot practically everyday in town now, getting progressively worse. There hadn't been a day that went by in the past few weeks when there wasn't some poor colonist being hauled off to prison. I wished I could join them in protest. But if my aunt caught me doing anything even mildly out of line, I was sure to receive a much worse beating than I had today. Which also meant that there would be no more night trips to the woods.

I sighed again. I wonder how long it would take to get me off the hook. I don't think I'd be able to last more than a few weeks stuck in this house before I'd go insane. Acting like the well bred colonist woman that I'm not was a strain.

I looked up and out over the roof tops of the houses, dreaming of freedom to the back drop of the night sky over the harbor. That is, until I saw a dark figure run across the very rooftop I had been viewing. I lifted my head in curiosity. I could have sworn...

I saw a group of guards running clumsily over the roof tops behind the figure. Well, now I was sure it was Connor. Who else would be running on rooftops in the night being chased by guards? He certainly was a troublemaker, even more so than me. This was the second time today I'd seen him running from soldiers.

Briefly, I wondered what he did this time. James had said earlier that he had killed a group of soldiers and was interfering with tax collectors. At first I had been surprised that such an act was possible, defeating an entire group of soldiers single handedly. Not that I had a problem this.

Was he some kind of freelance revolutionist? One of those Sons of Liberty I'd been hearing about? But he seemed much too lethal to be a mere up-starter. No, he was something more. Though what, I wasn't quite sure. I knew I was going to find out, that was certain.

I opened my window to the chill autumn breeze and the smell of salt. I wanted to call out to him, but calling his name would be foolhardy. He looked to be in a bit of a jam, with those guards following him, probably looking for some place to hide or escape. I thought of what he told me earlier. Perhaps I could just...

I brought my fingers to my lips and whistled loudly, the sound resonating in the quiet hovering over the city. It almost sounded like some kind of strange bird in the night sky. For a moment he didn't change course. I whistled again and he looked over. I waved my arms, gesturing for him to come my way. He leaped across the distance of the road, a feat I would have thought impossible, and started running on the roof tops towards my window. I hurriedly stepped back. He sprung silently into the room through the open window and I drew the curtains after him, making sure none of the light escaped and gave us away. For a moment all I could hear was his heavy breathing.

"You can hide here till they're gone." I whispered. He nodded once, still looking out of breath. He just kind of stood there awkwardly for a while. I took a moment to recognize how out of place the hulking, weapon clad man looked in my room. He looked much more suited to the forest as I had seen him that first night than in my quaint little bedroom. He looked rather intimidating just standing there, with his body tense and ready to draw a weapon at any moment. It carried a similar feeling to a mountain lion suddenly slinking into my room.

"Well, make yourself at home. You might be here fore a while." I sat down on my bed and patted the space next to me. I wanted to talk to this mystery man, and this was the perfect opportunity. He was a puzzle that was just waiting to be solved, and the more curious side of my nature beckoned me to be the one to do it. He shifted uncomfortably in his place, his guard dropping a bit as he began to step forward. He stopped mid stride.

"Have you nothing...more appropriate to wear?" He asked looking away, the first time I've ever heard hesitation in his voice. I glanced down at myself and blushed, realizing I was dressed only in my nightgown. It was considered highly inappropriate for a man to see a woman in anything so revealing before marriage. Hell, it was inappropriate for a man to even see a woman's ankles before marriage.

"Oh right, well let's see," I got up from the bed and made my way towards the wooden trunk in the corner. I rifled through the clothing and came out with the heavy green hunters cloak I usually wore when going out into the woods, the one he had once seen me in. If you looked closely, you could just see a bit of blood where his wound had stained it on the left corner. It would cover all the necessary parts. I draped it over myself and quickly tied it in the front. "There. That's better." I went over and sat back down on the bed, motioning him to follow me. He did, albeit reluctantly, and sat down awkwardly on the farthest end of the bed. I pulled my knees up to my chest.

"So tell me about yourself, Connor." I said, leaning towards him and widening my eyes innocently. He leaned back, as if not knowing what to make of me. Granted I was strange so I couldn't hold it against him.

"What would you like to know?" He asked cautiously. I tapped my finger to my chin, picking which of my many questions I should ask first.

"Well, let's start with why it is you feel the need to point a weapon at me every time we meet." I asked with a hint of humor in my voice.

"I might ask you the same thing." He countered. An obvious attempt to avoid the question, but I let it go.

"Touché. Well then how about why it is that most of the times I have seen you, you have been chased by guards? Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty a situation where I've needed to run myself, just not quite so often. Were you involved in that little display down at the docks?" I asked, as it seemed the most likely cause. He nodded. I motioned for him to elaborate.

"Many of the townsfolk were not happy with the recent taxes on British tea. It was someone's idea that boycott alone was not enough. I am afraid the latest shipment is now floating in the harbor." He watched me carefully to see how I would react. I kept my face stone, though inside I was beating myself up. I wished I'd been a part of it. That sounded much more entertaining than my usual pranks on British soldiers.

"And you were part of this?" He just nodded. "You have my congratulations then. I'd been a participant in the boycotts against tea and paper for the past month, though I couldn't make due without sugar because of my father's cravings. I only wish I could have helped. Give those Red Devils what they deserve." He looked shocked to hear me say this, as shocked as the hood would allow, as if he was expecting me to call the guards on him. He should have learned by now that I wouldn't give him up to the dogs. I leaned back on my hands and looked at the ceiling.

"I have a few questions for you as well." He said unexpectedly. I looked over to him, surprised that he would initiate a conversation.

"Oh? What about a little colonist girl like me could possibly interest you?" I teased with a playful smile.

"I was wondering why a little colonist girl like you, as you put it, was wandering about the forest in the early hours of the morning, even before the hens are awake." The smile dropped off my face.

"Oh that." I looked away, embarrassed.

"Yes, that. You are aware that there are wolves and scouts around that area that could harm you." He told me in a bit of a lecturing voice. I did know that, actually, as I had come across them before. He didn't seem to think I could handle myself, which was reasonable, as he had never seen me fight.

"Or random wounded men that appear out of nowhere with a knife held to my throat?" I raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. He cleared his throat and I sighed.

"Well, as you might have noticed, I am not exactly what you'd call 'normal'. I'm unladylike and outspoken and sometimes I can be a bit rash. The people here look down on these qualities, so most of the time I have to hide them, if nothing but for my father's reputation. I have to be the perfect young lady everyone expects me to be. Sometimes, it's a bit smothering. It's those times when I go to the forest, just to be able to get away and be myself. If anyone had seen me walking around in those clothes I would have been the laughing stock of the town. An outcast. That would bring bad business to my father's store. I couldn't do that to him." He nodded as if he understood. Perhaps my story made sense to him.

"Which brings us back to you." I said, wishing to get the subject off myself. "How did you get that wound, that night in the forest?" He shifted uncomfortably, as if he didn't want to say.

"I had gotten into a fight with a group of guards, and was wounded. That is all." Something told me he was lying, or at least not telling me the whole truth, but I let it go. Despite my raging curiosity about him, Connor had a right to his privacy. That was not to say I would give up trying to unveil it anytime soon, but he had the right to try and keep his secrets hidden until I succeeded in unmasking them. I looked up into his hooded face, the most tantalizing mystery of all, and suddenly had the urge to actually see the man I was talking to.

"May I, uhm...see your face?" I asked, reaching out. He stiffened, but didn't move as I brought my hand to the edge of his hood. I held my breath as my fingers brushed the white fabric obscuring his face.

"I think I saw him climb through this window!" I heard someone shout right outside the room, on the roof. I gasped, surprised at the sudden break in the tension that had been building up unnoticed, and scrambled for the candle. I blew the flame out quickly and looked frantically around the room for a place that could hide the large white hooded man. He wouldn't be able to fit under the bed or in my small closet, his feet would be seen if he hid behind the draperies, and he would be heard if he tried to leave the room because my door squeaks loudly. That only left...

"Quick! Hide under the blanket!" I hissed under my breath through the darkness. I flopped back onto the bed, removing my green cloak and throwing it across the room to the trunk in the corner so as not to look suspicious.

"What?!" He hissed back, shocked. Impatient, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him down onto the bed beside me so he was sandwiched between me and the wall, flat on his back. The bed was not big enough for both of us so he ended up half way underneath me.

"Don't ask, just do it! And shut up will you!" I grabbed the blanket and pulled it over his head, tucking it under my chin so only my head was visible. I hastily closed my eyes and tried my hardest to appear as if I were asleep, trying to calm my racing heart beat.

The feeling of Connor's warm breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine. I heard the windows creak open and the curtains pushed aside and struggled to breathe slow and even, as believable as I could make it.

"Do you see him?" Someone whispered.

"No, it's just some girl sleeping." Another answered.

"Well check around the room, make sure he's not hidin' nowhere. But make sure not ta wake the girl! We don't want no screamin'!" A more illiterate third voice hissed. All right, I'll admit it, I was starting to panic a little. If they found him in my room I'd probably be arrested for treason. And if anyone found him in my bed, I'd be talked about like a whore.

I shifted quietly, rolling farther onto Connor so that most of my body covered his, willing them to overlook the oversized lump under the blankets. I shivered at the contact, acutely feeling the warmth of his body heat through the thin layer of my night gown. I'd never willingly been this close to a man besides Finley or my father before, and they were family. But the thought of being caught now terrified me, making the disregard of proper etiquette easier than it would normally be. I could only be glad that no one could see my blush in the darkness. My body was twitching nervously from the stress.

"Oi!" One of the men whisper exclaimed. My body went rigid against Connor's abdomen as I waited for them to pull off the cover and find the hidden criminal. I could faintly feel Connor clench one of his fists under the blanket. My heart was practically punching a hole in my chest, so loud I'm sure Connor could hear it. Let them think he is a pillow, let them think he is a pillow, let them think he is a pillow, "There's nothing in here!" I relaxed in relief.

"Well let's head out then." I heard their heavy footsteps creaking on the old floor boards and the window banged closed behind them. I waited a few moments. Nothing.

"I think they're gone." I whispered. He grunted in agreement, the sound a bit strained for some reason. I reached for the candle on the nightstand and sighed.

"That was a close one." I lit the candle with a match from the box I kept beside my bed. But when I looked down, my breath caught.

Connor's hood had fallen back and his face was no more than a few inches from mine, still resting on the pillow below me. And I had to say, he was one of the most handsome men I'd ever seen. He had a pronounced jaw and defined nose, with hair as black as a raven's feather and skin reminiscent of the Natives I'd heard so much about. And his eyes, such a beautiful golden brown, of the like I had never seen before. They looked so out of place on his dark skin, yet they seemed to glow from within, as if the candle had been lit from behind the irises. Those same beautiful eyes looked up at me, some unknown emotion swimming in their depths.

I blushed when I realized I'd been staring at him for a long time and looked away. I cleared my throat, still completely red in the face, and moved to get off of him. Untangling our legs, I sat up on the edge of the bed and started nervously fiddling with my hair. He sat up as well, looking as if his usual hard expression had been forced onto his face, and sat cross legged across from me.

"I'm sorry about that, I couldn't very well let them catch you though could I?" I rambled, trying to find a firm subject to grasp. I fidgeted with the edge of my nightgown, not caring that it was inappropriate anymore. I felt him touch my cheek and I winced when he caught the bruise, which was sure to have turned an ugly blue and purple by now.

"How did this happen?" He asked, referring to the mark. I quickly placed a hand over it, embarrassed. Was it just me or did his deep voice sound even better than it had before?

"Oh it's nothing. My aunt didn't like that I'd missed church this morning." I looked away, ashamed.

"Was it because of my appearance in the alley?" He asked, and I could hear the beginnings of regret in his usually unwavering tone. I was beginning to get the feeling that he was the kind of person that cared immensely about innocent peoples's well being when it came to matters that involved himself. He didn't want to drag others into his conflicts. Yet another admirable quality to add to the many I had witnessed one to acknowledge.

"No, no, of course not!" I rushed to reassure him. "I would have found a way to skip any way. It was luck that you came around and gave me a reason. Plus it's really that lout James's fault. I hate him, but he just doesn't want to take no for an answer." My tone got a little seething at the end. I really hated that man.

"Why do you continue to help me? What have I done to deserve it?" He demanded. I looked up in surprise. It had never really occurred to me why I did the things I did. Now that I thought about it, it would seem strange that I would help someone I barely knew, someone who'd almost killed me the first time we'd met, and the second. It was strange, yes, but it wasn't wrong. I felt a connection to Connor. I knew I could trust him from the very moment I had first seen his eyes that night in the forest. I yearned for that trust to be returned. For a moment, I struggled to find the right words.

"I fight, just like you. Always fighting. For the people I love, for the city I love, if something better will come of it. You need not ask for my help in order to receive it. I already know that you deserve it and more." I told him with a small smile, confident of my answer, strange as it was. His eyes narrowed and his head cocked to the side, as if not understanding why I would come to such a conclusion. I couldn't understand it either, but for some reason, I was sure he was a person worthy of assistance and loyalty.

I laughed at the familiar expression on his face. "I get that look a lot."

He shook his head and stood up, pulling his hood back over his head. I couldn't stop the twinge of regret I felt at the realization of him leaving. I'd just got him talking! I'd even got him to ask some questions...

"I must leave now, there is something I must attend to." He made his way to the window and I sighed, resigning myself to being alone once again. I felt a strange hollowness at the empty space beside me, the air colder now that the warmth of his presence was gone.

"Good bye then, and don't impale yourself on one of your many weapons." I teased and eyed said weapons, feeling the need to lighten the mood. He grunted in affirmation. He made his way to the window and opened it.

"Be safe," I whispered as he leapt into the night. I sighed as got up to close the window. I looked out to see if I could catch a glimpse of him leaving but saw none, only the empty roof tops and the remnants of the day's laundry still billowing in the breeze. I didn't really understand why my heart wrenched at the sight of him leaving. It felt like it might be crushed under a great pressure.

I put a hand to my chest, trying to give some support to my heart and sighed. I suppose there was no denying anymore that I was attracted to the man I'd barely known. How strange it was, to have my heart race and my face flush when he was near, just like a normal girls's would. The havoc he was reeking on my mind and heart was unfamiliar and...exhilarating. I found myself wishing to feel it again, to see him again.

I sighed once more as I closed the window and blew out the candle, anticipating what madness tomorrow would bring.

Oh how I love putting Connor and our heroine in awkward situations. Though you wouldn't believe how hard it is to write for Connor. Predicting what he might say and do in these kinds of instances, and then filtering it through Neela's point of view, is absolutely maddening. I don't think I've ever tried so hard to keep a specific person in-character and I still don't think I'm doing him justice. If you all are wondering, Connor will indeed be showing his badassness in the chapters to come, so read on and make sure to give me feedback on what you do and don't like, as well as plot suggestions. I am open to concept changes. :)