Another agonizing week went by for Connor. Connor brushed the snow off the top of his head as he walked into his house, slipping off his boots and leaving them in the foyer. He looked to the usual hints that Haytham was home. His coat and shoes were gone, as were the keys to his Fusion.

Haytham wasn't home.

Connor shrugged, walking back to the foyer and tugging his boots back on. He grabbed his coat and walked out, locking the door behind him. He loped over to Achilles' front door, knocking. Maybe the old man could help him out.

"Come in, Connor," he heard from inside.

Connor let himself in, brushing snow off his head again. He found Achilles sitting in the living room, setting a book down on the end table. "Hello," he said, resting his hands on his cane.

Connor nodded, taking a seat in one of the armchairs. "Hello."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Connor took a deep breath and looked down at his shoes. "Achilles…I need help."

"I figured as much."

Connor grinned. The old man seemed to have picked up on the mind reading trick too. "I…messed up with Ellie. I want to make it right again."

Achilles nodded, smirking a little. "Girl trouble then."

Connor opened his mouth to object, like he normally would, but he let it drop. It was girl trouble. "Yeah," he admitted, feeling defeated. He wished he could talk to his father about this, but Haytham always seemed to be gone whenever Connor was home.

"What happened exactly?" Achilles asked, leaning back in the couch.

Connor told him a short version of the story.

Achilles chuckled.

Connor frowned at him. "What's so funny old man?"

"Nothing. I just don't understand why you don't just go talk to her. Miss Johnston is not your average girl. She would listen to and consider anything you say, and I know you are aware of that," Achilles said, coughing a little.

Connor rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but what if she doesn't? What I said was pretty horrible."

Achilles shrugged. "Despite that, don't you think she knows you better than that? I'm sure she's as scared to confront you as much as you are about confronting her about it."

Connor buried his face in his hands. "She has every right not to!"

"Yes, but from what I saw, she valued your friendship as much as you did."

Connor sighed, leaning his head back against the chair. "Yeah."

They sat in silence, watching the snow fall out the window. "Achilles?"

"Yes?"

"Why can't I just go up and talk to her? Every time I want to…I just don't."

"It's the fear of rejection and failure. You're going to deal with that in many other parts of your life, boy."

Connor exhaled deeply, frowning at the thought. Achilles was right, and his father had said something similar to him at some point in the past few months. Ziio had also always stressed that he was going to run into conflict no matter what as well, whether it be school, a career, and even his family when she was alive.

"Anyway, is there anything else you wish to talk about?" the old man asked, hacking a cough into his sleeve.

Connor frowned at the sound. "Are you okay?"

Achilles waved the comment off. "Never smoke, boy. It doesn't do any good for you."

Connor shook his head. "Do you need anything?"

"I already took my medicine! You're worse than my doctor," Achilles huffed, leaning on his cane again.

Connor grinned, picking at the cuff of his sleeve. "I've been thinking about what I was going to do after high school."

"Yes, and?"

"I don't know what I want to do," Connor admitted.

"What do you enjoy?"

Connor shrugged. "I like construction, obviously…I also like yard work and animals."

"Vet, perhaps? You're smart enough for it."

Connor shook his head. "I've thought about it, but I don't know if I'm good enough for that."

"Remember when you and Miss Johnston worked on your homework here before you fixed that damn door upstairs?"

Connor remembered. He almost had to get stitches because of that door. "What about it?"

"You kids are so smart these days, I didn't know what the hell either of you were talking about. I think you're certainly capable if you're a good student."

Connor grinned. His mother used to grumble about not being able to help him with his homework when he was a freshman in high school. "Yeah…"

"I knew you were humble, but don't doubt yourself. You can do anything if you put your mind to it."

Connor grinned a little. "Thank you Achilles. Is there anything you need help with today?"

"You can change the light bulb upstairs before you leave."

Connor's grin grew as he got up.

He felt a little better now.

Connor eyed the Fusion in the driveway. His father had returned, but whose car was behind his? A little Suzuki was sitting behind the Fusion. Connor shrugged and walked in the house.

"Connor?"

Connor followed his father's voice to the living room. "Hey." He halted when he saw Jenny sitting on the couch beside his father.

"Hey Jenny," he said, trying to be polite.

Jenny nodded to him. Haytham stood up, guiding Connor to the weapon room. "Son, I might just need your help."

Connor arched a brow. "And that is?"

"I have to make a phone call. Can you please just sit with her for a bit?"

Connor nodded, not feeling too sure about it. "I guess…"

"Thank you."

Haytham walked out before he could say another word. Connor took a deep breath before walking back into the living room. Jenny was studying her nails, pushing some grey-flecked hair back from her face. Connor sat down in the arm chair, warily glancing at her every now and then.

"So, has little Haytham told you about me?" Jenny suddenly asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Connor rubbed the back of his neck. "A bit."

"What has he told you?"

"He said-…He said you got in the wrong crowd," Connor said meekly, looking away.

"God, he's such a coward."

Connor looked at her again. She was smirking now. "Let me guess: he told you that I would have to tell you what happened, huh?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah, he did."

Jenny sighed, leaning back on the couch. She suddenly looked haunted, staring at the TV with a blank look.

"You're dad wants me to give some FBI guys some info. Don't ever say that you'll do the bastard a favor," she mumbled, crossing her arms.

Connor suddenly saw how broken she was. She looked at him, and he saw the most intense mix of emotions he had ever seen. "A-are you okay?" he asked gently.

"No. I don't think I'll ever be either. Shit happens when you've been trafficked," she said, looking away.

Connor almost fell out of his chair. Trafficked?!

"Jenny, they're waiting for us," Haytham said, walking back in, tucking his phone into his pocket.

Jenny nodded, standing up and putting her coat on. She nodded to Connor before walking toward the door. Haytham looked down at Connor. "I won't be back until late tonight, most likely. I suggest not going anywhere tonight; the bloody snow is terrible."

Connor nodded, staring at Jenny as they walked out the door.

"Holy. Shit," he muttered.

Connor groaned and slammed his fist on the ringing clock, glaring at if from under the covers as his alarm went off. He sat up, running a hand down his face. What Jenny had said to him had been haunting him for the last five days.

She was trafficked. No wonder she was the way she was. Connor didn't know what he would do if he was in her situation.

He rolled out of bed, pulling on some jeans from the floor. He knew his father would have a fit if he saw his room, but he didn't care. Haytham had been gone more than ever since that night. Connor had never felt so awkward when he picked up the phone when his grandmother called to wish his father a happy birthday last night.

Haytham had been out, working on the case again.

His grandmother understood, though. She managed to remain cheerful as she talked to him about school and things like that. She teased him about Ellie, and Connor had to bite his cheek when she did.

He pulled on his t-shirt, grabbing an old flannel shirt from the closet. He yawned as he walked down the stairs, pulling the flannel on. He walked into the kitchen right as the phone started to ring. He frowned as 'Saratoga Hospital' flashed on the little screen.

Why would the hospital be calling?

Connor picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Connor Kenway?"

Connor shifted the phone in his hand, making an approving noise.

"I'm Dr. Auditore, Claudia's mom."

Connor almost dropped the phone. He had forgotten that Mrs. Auditore was a doctor. She worked in the ER. "Oh, hi."

"Connor, I have some good and bad news."

Connor stiffened. What happened? Did this have something to do with his father? Jenny? His grandparents? His friends?

"I'm just going to tell you the bad news. Your father was shot last night."

"What?!" Connor yelped, feeling his stomach literally drop to the floor. Everything inside him seemed to jump around. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Calm down. I told you I had good news. The bullet hit his arm. Muscle was only hit, no bones. He's going to recover. I would suggest coming down here though; I can call the school for you."

Connor quickly said goodbye, hanging up before she could say anything else. He ran toward the door, quickly pulling on his coat and tugging his boots on. He sprinted out to the Mustang and hopped in, skidding past the door because of the ice. Connor didn't even bother to buckle his seatbelt as he pealed out.

He took a deep breath as the car's back end skidded, focusing on driving before he got himself hurt. Once at the hospital, he sprinted into the lobby and up to the front desk. "Can you tell me where Haytham Kenway is?" he asked.

The woman took the pen out of her mouth, typing the name into her computer. "Second floor. Room 218."

"Thank you!" Connor said as he quickly walked over to the stairs. He made it to the second floor in no time, setting a brisk pace toward the room.

He walked in to see his grandfather and Jenny there. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Altair and another man standing beside Haytham's bed.

Altair gave him a nod before looking back at his father. The other man and Haytham were glaring at each other. "Haytham, we were just as surprised as you were and-"

"My sister was targeted. What makes you think that I'm still going to do this?!" Haytham snarled.

"Because if you don't help us, they'll be after everyone we know and care about," Altair cut in, crossing his arms.

Haytham scowled up at him. "That's easy for you to say."

"I have a friend, his brother, and a girlfriend here. I have just as much reason to worry as you do," Altair replied, not batting an eyelash.

"Haytham, we'll make sure you and your family is safe and-."

"William, if you say one more goddamned word I'm going to get up and strangle you with this IV," Haytham barked.

William frowned, opening his mouth to say something.

"Oh I'm sorry, were you expecting me to be forgiving and telling you it's all right that my sister almost got shot?" Haytham said.

Connor almost snickered. Again, he saw another reason to not piss his father off at all costs. But, the smart remarks told Connor that his father was okay. The bowling ball left as Connor looked at his father's left arm. The top part was completely covered with bandages and an IV ran into his right arm.

William closed his mouth, beckoning to Altair. "Let's go."

He walked out.

Altair looked back at Haytham. "We meant what we said about protecting your family. They caught us on our heels this time. It won't happen again."

Haytham scowled. "Whatever. You're lucky I'm still agreeing to help with the legal matters. Now get out."

Altair nodded, moving toward the door. He nodded at Connor again before walking out.

Edward sighed, patting Jenny on the arm. "Well, that's done with. I've never liked that you agreed to help in the first place, Haytham," he said, scowling at his son.

Haytham pinched the bridge of his nose. "I keep thinking about when Jenny was taken and I don't want it to happen to anyone else. That's the only reason."

Connor leaned against the wall. The mood in the room dropped, big time.

Edward looked at Connor. "Haytham, I think you should tell your son what's going on. Didn't you tell us he was an adult once?"

Haytham glared at him. "I will. Just take Jenny home, father."

Edward sighed, moving to get up. Connor quickly moved to help him. Edward gripped Connor's shoulder, smiling sadly. "It's going to be rough now. Let's see if you have the Kenway spine."

Jenny took over helping him, letting the older man hold on to her arm. She looked back at Connor, nodding before walking her father out.

Connor walked over to the chairs beside Haytham's bed, collapsing in one of them. He rubbed at his eyes. It wasn't even eight in the morning and he felt tired already.

"As you might have noticed, I have taken on a case concerning Jenny's previous predicament," Haytahm said, fiddling with the IV cord.

Connor nodded. "She said she was trafficked the other night…"

Haytham sighed. "Shit like that happens when you get in with the wrong crowd. She was taken shortly after your mother and I broke up."

Connor gulped, shaking a little as he clasped his hands together. "Was she forced to…"

"Was she sex trafficked? Yes," Haytham said, looking weary.

Connor nodded, trying to wrap his mind around everything. "So, what's going on now?"

Haytham pushed some wayward strands of hair back from his face. "Well, this is a cold case being revisited. William was the main agent in charge of it then. I prosecuted a man named Reginald Birch after Jenny was found. I had thought Birch was killed in prison a couple years ago. I'm only helping with this case again because it turns out that Birch is alive…along with some other men we thought had been imprisoned or killed."

Connor gulped. "And…one of them shot you because of it?"

Haytham pulled at the bandage on his arm. "Well, yes. This is a gang's way of earning a profit, Connor, and we are threatening it."

Connor ran his fingers through his hair. He had been in such a hurry that he didn't even pull it back like he normally did. "So this is a gang thing?"

Haytham nodded. "Yes. William and Altair know the names of many of the men who are second in command. Now they're trying to find the leader."

Connor rubbed the back of his neck. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Haytham sighed. "I might just send you to live with your grandmother until this is all over, but they know about the reservation," he said.

Connor frowned. "How would they know about it?"

Haytham scowled. "Remember that Italian man I told you about? The one that wanted to buy the land?"

Connor nodded.

"Well, it turns out that he is one of these men. I can't believe I almost helped them buy land they could hide their people on," Haytham said, rubbing his eyes.

Connor ran his fingers through his hair again. This was almost too much to wrap his head around. "Is-…is that another reason why you're helping?"

Haytham leaned back into the pillows, staring ahead. "Yes," he said, barely over a whisper.

Connor clasped his hands together again, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. He knew why his father wanted to do this.

"I understand," he croaked, clearing his throat roughly after the words left his lips.

Haytham looked at him. "Do you?"

"About wanting to fix things? Yeah."

Haytham stared at him, expression slowly softening. "Do you want to stay with your grandmother? I don't want you to be in danger here."

Connor shook his head. "You already said they know about the reservation. If I go there I could put them in danger," he said shakily, thinking about his friends and family there.

He tried to stop his hands from shaking. These guys almost got his dad, even with the FBI looking out for him. He ran his hands down his face. "Dad…will everything be okay?"

Haytham shifted, looking up at the ceiling. "I don't know."

Connor rested his head on the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling as well. "Is it okay to say I'm scared?"

Haytham looked at him; his expression unreadable. "Yes."

Connor nodded, taking a deep breath, feeling a little better. "So what's the plan?"

"We'll have to wait for Arsehole of the Year and Altair to tell us what they're planning, then we'll work around that," Haytham said, sitting up a little bit more.

Connor scooted his chair forward. "Should I not go to school?"

Haytham shook his head. "No. You will still go. You only have a couple weeks before the semester's over, correct?"

Connor scowled, looking away. Stupid finals.

"So what exactly happened last night?" he asked, gesturing to Haytham's bandaged arm.

Haytham made a face at it. "I was taking Jenny home from another questioning and we had just walked out of the police department when we were shot at. I ducked behind a car and pulled Jenny down with me before they could get another shot in. It was around midnight when it happened."

Connor shook his head. "Did they catch who did it?"

Haytham rubbed the back of his neck. "Some man named Sibrand. Altair caught him shortly after it happened."

Connor stared at the bandages. What if it happened again? What would happen if he was targeted? Connor tried to not think about it.

Haytham suddenly yawned. "Bloody hell, the drugs are kicking in," he slurred. He slowly fell asleep, grumbling as he did.

Connor pulled the blankets up a little before sitting back.

He closed his own eyes, feeling much older than he was.