A/N: Okay, before I say anything, I love ALL of you. I love the reviews and the support and the love for this fic and I always smile and feel giddy when I get an email saying I have a new review/favorite/follow from any one of you. But I'm going to make one thing clear.

I do this for FUN.

This isn't my job. I don't feel obligated to do this over my schoolwork or my responsibilities to the softball team I play on. I also have a beta check my work and its not her first priority either because she's a student as well.

Again, I love you all. But when I get reviews saying things like "Hurry the f*** up" or something along those lines I feel like being the sarcastic asshole I am and taking even longer.

I have more responsibilities than this. This comes after all of my homework and other responsibilities. This doesn't decide my future. This helps me relieve stress and get my mind off some of the things that aren't going so smoothly in my life right now. But this wont help me get a career I want.

I love you all, but please try to understand that I have other priorities and I'm not being lazy or an asshat when a chapter takes longer than usual.

That is all I ask of you, my wonderful readers.

Now, to change the mood, here's the next chapter

That Sunday, Connor was greeted with silence as he walked inside his father's house. He set his bags upstairs, scratching his head as he searched for Haytham. Downstairs, he scratched his head again and looked around for a sign that Haytham was there. The keys to Haytham's Fusion were still on the counter, next to his father's briefcase. Puzzled, Connor listened for his father again; Haytham didn't go anywhere without that briefcase.

He turned to walk back toward the living room, jumping in surprise as he nearly ran right into Haytham.

"Dad!"

"How was your trip?" Haytham asked, not even paying attention to Connor's surprise.

Connor rubbed the back of his head. "It was good. I think Ellie had a lot of fun."

Haytham nodded, walking towards his briefcase. "Your mother's old home has its own charm. I used to like going to the creek near there with her," he sighed reminiscently.

Connor stuck his hands in his pockets. "Really?"

Haytham nodded, the corners of his mouth curling up a little. "Yes…I saw that she enjoyed it so I tagged along. I always saw a different side of her when we visited there."

Haytham walked toward the living room. "So, what did you and Miss Johnston do while you were there?"

Connor followed him, shrugging. "I showed her around. She got to meet my friends and we took some kids horseback riding out on the trails."

"Did your friends like her?"

Connor grinned. "Josh and Ahkso liked her."

Haytham smirked over his shoulder. "What did I tell you?"

Connor rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah."

Haytham set his briefcase down, looking at him again. "And you got all of your homework done, I presume?"

Connor nodded. If Ellie hadn't been with him, he would have ignored it. He vowed to never get between her and her schoolwork in the future. She was a mad woman about school.

"Ellie forced me to work on it."

Haytham chuckled. "And you being the pushover you are when it concerns her…"

Connor frowned, holding up his hands. "Hold on. I'm not a pushover."

Haytham pointed at him. "You're polite to everyone, but when it comes to Miss Johnston, you would do anything she asked."

Connor opened his mouth to argue, but soon realized it was pointless. He did kind of go along with whatever Ellie wanted most of the time, but he didn't really mind.

He just didn't like being called a pushover.

"I bet you were a pushover around Mom," Connor said, trying to retaliate.

Haytham chuckled again. "On some occasions, yes."

Connor frowned. He expected a different reaction... one that involved in Haytham admitting the opposite.

Haytham noticed Connor's look. "I might have cocked it up with your mother, but I know a thing or two about women. It's sometimes better to just go along for the ride, son."

He picked up his briefcase and walked up the stairs.

Connor was left with a puzzled expression, wondering if his father had a hidden message underneath the statement.

He decided that he was over thinking it and that he should go to bed.

It was likely he would have to deal with Hickey again tomorrow, so Connor wanted all the energy he could get.

Ellie stuffed her book in her locker, getting ready to go to her next to last class, French.

A tap on her shoulder turned her to face her friend. "Claudia?" she asked.

Claudia was supposed to be in the Senior locker bay and heading toward her class, not here.

"Can we talk for a sec?"

Ellie looked at her phone and nodded, seeing that they had five minutes. "Okay." They ducked into the nearest restroom.

"Connor took Hickey down today in gym," Claudia immediately blurted.

Ellie froze. "What?"

"Yeah, I saw the whole thing. It was boys versus girls today in flag football, which is really unfair. Anyway, Hickey said something to Connor and Connor just turned around and football tackled the guy. I was almost worried about Hickey's wellbeing, for once," Claudia said, crossing her arms.

Ellie shook her head. "Where is he now?"

"He and Hickey are both in the office. I don't know what's going to happen to them."

Ellie quickly texted Connor as the warning bell rang. She knew he probably wouldn't see it for a while, but she wanted to know what was going on.

"Thanks for telling me, Claudia."

Claudia patted her arm. "Any time."

The girls went on their separate paths. Ellie walked into French and waited for the teacher to walk in.

"Didja hear?"

"Yeah! That one guy finally stood up to Hickey! I heard he socked him in the jaw."

"I heard they started fighting over a girl."

"Bullshit. I bet Hickey said something to him and the guy finally snapped. I'm surprised he didn't before. I saw one of the pictures they put on the guy's locker."

Ellie tried to block out the theories and gossip of her classmates, reviewing the worksheet they had to do the night before.

"Aren't you that Connor guy's girlfriend?"

Ellie looked up at the group of people staring at her, waiting for her answer. She shook her head. "We're just friends. Why?"

Another senior leaned forward giddily. He clasped his hands together. "I was standing nearby when it happened. Hickey made a comment about his heritage and you. That's what set it off."

Ellie tried to not groan. Of course Connor would blow up if his friends were involved, but she never expected him to tackle anyone about it.

Their teacher came in, cutting the conversation short.

Ellie couldn't focus the rest of the time. She was far too worried about what was going to happen to Connor.

When she got to calculus, he wasn't there, so she assumed he was suspended.

After school, she checked her phone to see a message from him. "Meet me in the backyard."

She drove home, suddenly irritated. Why did he have to act like a child and start a fight?! There were better ways to handle these situations! Boys!

Parking in her driveway, she stormed toward her backyard. He was waiting outside, sitting on his back porch. She jumped the fence, stomping over and planting her feet in front of him. "You just had to start a fight, didn't you?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Connor stood and crossed his arms defiantly. "If you heard what he said, you wouldn't blame me."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "That's not the point!"

"Yes it is! I know I said I was used to it but what he said just –put me over the edge."

Ellie threw up her hands in exasperation. "Fine. Fine! What did he say that caused you to Hulk out this time?"

"'Did your Injun dick savage the little bitch this weekend?'"

Ellie crossed her arms, clearing her throat a little and looking away. Yep, she was mentioned.

"Wow."

Connor huffed, starting to pace. Ellie picked at the collar of her shirt, clearing her throat again. "So… What happened exactly?"

Connor sighed and sat back down on the steps. "I was minding my own business when Hickey started talking, sometimes about you. I ignored most of it. When he said that... I just had it. I took him down and got a few punches in before anything really happened."

Ellie sat down beside him, looking up at the grey sky, shivering a little. She hated this time of year. The November wind cut through her thick jacket as she hugged herself. "What did your dad think?"

Connor bit his lip. "I haven't seen him yet."

Ellie almost hugged him he looked so worried. He rested his elbows on his knees, propping his chin on his hands. She rested her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure he would understand," she said, trying to be reassuring. She didn't even want to think about what Haytham Kenway would do about this.

He nodded, still looking nervous.

The sound of a car in the driveway caused them to look at each other. Ellie squeezed his shoulder again before getting up and hurtling over the fence.

She hoped he would be all right.

Connor took a deep breath, sitting down at the kitchen table. The bowling ball was back and spinning and sinking more violently than ever. He actually felt sick. He knew how his mother would react to this, if she were alive, but his father was a different story.

The door opened and the sound of Haytham's footsteps sounded out ominously throughout the house. He finally walked into the kitchen, setting his briefcase on the counter and completely ignoring Connor. Haytham took off his jacket, setting it on the counter as well and opened the fridge.

Connor gulped down the hard lump in his throat.

He didn't know why, but the silence was nerve wracking.

Haytham pulled out a water bottle, taking a drink before setting it on the counter as well. He kept his back turned to Connor, crossing his arms.

"What in the bloody hell were you thinking?" he snapped.

Connor jumped a little, staring down at his hands.

Haytham turned. If looks could kill, Connor would have been a bloody pulp.

"I-"

"I know your mother raised you to be better than that shit! And you just tossed it out the window!"

"I know, I-"

"Did you not think of the consequences? This will reflect on everything you do from now on! Do you understand that?!" Haytham growled, towering over him.

"I know, Dad. I-"

"No. Don't 'I know' me! If you knew, you wouldn't have bleeding done it!"

Connor took a deep breath, trying to calm down. His mother would have at least let him explain himself. "Dad, I need to tell you what happened. I-"

"No bloody excuses. I know that you know better than that. I won't tolerate-"

"He was saying shit about Ellie! That's why I blew up today!" Connor roared, standing up.

Haytham's scowl grew, if possible. "What?"

Connor threw his hands up in exasperation. He wanted to punch or kick something-anything- really hard. "He said some stuff about me being an 'Injun' and then he asked if I screwed Ellie and shit like that and I couldn't take it anymore!"

He turned away, beginning to pace. "And I don't know, maybe Ellie was right when she told me their little pokes would turn into a big-ass sock in the jaw someday and I was just sick of him telling me that I was an 'Injun' that scalped people," Connor ranted. He stopped, taking deep calming breaths. There, he said some of it.

He finally looked up at his father, who looked genuinely shocked. Haytham stepped closer, gently pushing Connor to a chair. "You're going to tell me everything. No excuses," Haytham said, leaning back against the table.

Connor took a deep breath, starting with how he met Kadar.

Haytham remained expressionless as Connor told him about what was happening at school. He would nod every once in a while and he looked away a couple times.

"I really thought I was used to it and that it wouldn't bother me. Then Hickey started getting my friends involved and that's why I blew up on him," Connor finished, looking down again.

He was glad to get that off his chest, yet he was ashamed that he got so upset. Usually he could just ignore things like that, but it was different.

He and Haytham sat in a long, pensive silence.

"Why didn't you tell me about this right away?" Haytham finally asked quietly.

Connor gulped, shaking his head. "I didn't want to bother you about it…I never bothered Mom with it."

Connor felt the lump in his throat come back. He never told his mother about when he was harassed at school or anywhere else. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry about him. He rested his elbows on his thighs, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes before tears would start.

He really wanted her there at that moment. He needed her stern, yet gentle, way of handling situations like this.

His heart twisted when that little voice in his head reminded him that she was never going to help him again. She was gone.

A deep gasp escaped from him as he tried to stop the waves of emotion from rushing over him. His shoulders wracked as sobs tried to escape. A firm hand suddenly grabbed his arm and made him stand up. Before Connor knew what was going on, his father's arms were around him.

The embrace was different from his mother's, but it provided the same feeling of comfort that hers would.

Connor tried to calm down, feeling embarrassed yet not at the fact that he was crying in front of his father. He hugged him back, tugging a little at the back of Haytham's jacket. The little voice kept reminding him about his mother as he unsuccessfully tried to calm down over and over again.

Haytham let him go after what seemed like hours, resting his hands on Connor's shoulders. "You miss her, don't you?" he asked quietly.

Connor rubbed at one of his eyes, nodding a little. "Yeah," he admitted shakily.

Haytham sighed, letting his hands fall. He turned, walking toward the entryway. "I have something to show you," he said, beckoning to Connor.

Connor followed him to the living room and up to Haytham's room. He looked around his father's room in mild curiosity; he hadn't seen it before. It was actually the simplest room in the house. There were hardly any decorations and everything was…ordinary. Connor felt like he could actually touch things in here.

Haytham walked over to his bed, pulling something out from underneath it. He held out the shoebox to Connor.

Connor stared at it, wondering what it was.

Haytham shook it a little. "Take it."

Connor hesitantly grabbed it, gently taking the lid off. His eyes widened when he saw a picture of himself when he was young, playing in the creek next to Josh and Michelle. He looked up at Haytham again.

Haytham sat down on the bed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Those were the…things... your mother was kind enough to send me."

Connor sat down beside him, grabbing a small pile of photographs. Connor's childhood flashed before him as he looked at the pictures. Pictures of his first day of school and birthdays were everywhere. Pictures of him and his mother were there as well. He stopped when he saw a picture involving his father.

He was much younger with an equally youthful version of his mom. They were hugging and smiling, surrounded by what looked like a party of some sort.

"That was when we were still together."

Connor nodded, moving on to other pictures. Setting the photographs aside, he looked down at all of the old report cards and other odds and ends. He picked at a necklace he made in arts and crafts for his mother once. Connor always thought she had lost it. He grinned when he saw a tiny, wooden tomahawk sitting at the bottom. That had been one of his favorite toys.

"She sent me that many years ago when you stopped playing with it. I think there's a picture of you with it in there."

Connor gulped down the new lump forming in his throat. "Did you ever try to visit?" he asked, staring down at the mementos.

Haytham sighed. "I actually did a few times. Your mother's friends found me first, though. I don't know how she felt, but they were adamant about not letting me see you."

Connor nodded, tracing the edge of the tomahawk with his finger.

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened, if she and I had stayed together," Haytham said quietly.

Connor looked at him, a little surprised to see sadness on the older man's features. He took a moment to realize that he wasn't the only one who had lost a loved one. Haytham had a blank look on his face as he stared at the photos.

He remembered what Ellie told him when he first moved here. He always looks lonely…

"I really did care about her, Connor. I was just an arsehole and messed up the best thing that ever happened to me."

Connor stared at him, glancing down at the picture of his parents again. "When will you tell me what really happened?"

Haytham sighed. "I took on a case that could make or break my career. The thing is…it involved some personal issues that were important to your mother. A man was trying to buy the land the Reservation is on and he hired me to represent him. I would have refused if I knew your mother's family was involved. Your grandmother never told me much, which wasn't a surprise."

Haytham pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing.

"Naturally, your mother found out and she was furious that I would represent him. It put a large strain on our relationship. The sad thing is, after she moved out and went back home, the man decided to not buy the land."

Connor bit his lip. "Who was he?"

Haytham waved it off. "Some Italian fellow. Anyway, I didn't try to win your mother back. I had come to the conclusion that she wouldn't want to see me. I've been regretting that decision for years now."

Connor gulped down the lump. It was finally making sense. It wasn't his father's career per se. It was just a certain case. He thought it was odd that his mother would leave because his father worked all the time. She always seemed to be willing to work around tight schedules when she was alive.

Connor wiped his nose, looking down at other mementos. "Do you know why she wanted me to live with you?"

Haytham exhaled deeply, grabbing the tiny tomahawk from the shoebox, twirling it a little. "That, I do not know."

Connor nodded, looking at the necklace.

"She told me that necklace was her most favorite thing in the world. She sent it to me a few months before she died."

Connor picked up the necklace, grinning a little as a sunny day in arts and crafts came back to him. He remembered making this for her for Mother's Day when he was still in elementary school. She used to wear it all the time. The little plastic beads looked like they were made out of different types stone and Connor remembered thinking it was the coolest thing.

He had made his mother's necklace with many blue and red beads on a leather cord.

"I really want her back," Connor said quietly, setting the necklace in the palm of his other hand.

"I know."

They sat in silence, occasionally passing pictures to each other as they perused them.

Connor finally felt like he was beginning to understand a little of what his father was truly like, and he found that he enjoyed that immensely.

Maybe this was a turning point for them both.

"So you didn't get grounded or anything?" Ellie asked, rolling onto her stomach on her bed.

Connor had called and confirmed that he was still alive. He sounded... different.

"Yeah. He yelled at me a little bit and I told him all that's been happening. And-"

He paused.

Ellie switched her phone to her other hand, bringing it up to her ear. "And what?"

"Well…I started thinking about my mom in the middle of it all."

Ellie sighed sadly. "You really miss her, don't you?"

Connor sighed on his end. "Yeah, I do. I'm just glad to know now that my dad does too, in a way."

Ellie wished she could give him a huge hug at that moment. "Are you doing okay?"

There was a long silence on his end. "Yeah. I think I'm going to be okay."

They sat in silence again. Ellie was actually starting to relax to the sound of his breathing.

"Ellie?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought about the thing with Hickey and you're right. I should have reacted differently."

Ellie grinned, shaking her head. "Well, it's too late for my philosophies. But, personally, I think that you changed how people are going to react to Hickey. You might have just helped all of his victims."

She could hear the small grin in his voice. "Well, he called my best friend a bitch. I had to do something."

Ellie smiled, laughing a little. "Just try not to make the Hulking out a normal thing, 'kay?"

"Yeah, I know. I don't think my dad will be so forgiving if I do it again. He almost popped a vein when he got home."

Ellie chuckled, imagining the poised and stoic Haytham Kenway ranting at a flustered Connor. "Yeah…I wouldn't push your luck."

"Ellie?"

"Uh huh?"

"How much do you think about your mom?"

Ellie rolled back over onto her back, exhaling out of her nose deeply. "I think about her a lot. I see some things throughout the day and I start thinking about how I could talk to her about them. Or I wish I could ask her questions and stuff."

"Does it hurt anymore though?"

Ellie sighed. "I don't feel so bad now, but it was almost to the point of depression when I was younger."

"I just want it to go away."

Ellie nodded. She knew the empty, broken feeling he was talking about. "It will. It just takes time. At least, it did for me."

She heard rustling on his side, and the sound of footsteps. "Yeah," he replied.

Ellie bit her lip. "Well, I didn't get in a fight so I actually have to go to school tomorrow."

He chuckled a little. "Good night."

"Good night, Ox."

"Takhos."

"Are you ever going to tell me what that means?"

"Nope."

"Jerk."

"Good night Ellie."

"Good night Hulk."

He laughed as he hung up.

Finally pulling the phone away from her ear, she stared down at her phone. She couldn't stop the silly grin from coming to her face.

Ellie went to bed with a bubbly feeling in her stomach.