Assassin's Creed (c) Ubisoft

The cat had come out of nowhere. Edward knew that every driving instructor under the sun would tell their students to hit the damn animal and not swerve, but sometimes instinct reacts faster than instruction. Edward remembering shouting, "Fucking hell!" as he yanked the steering wheel sharply to the left, the car groaning in protest. The cat scampered to the other side of the street. Edward saw the tree suddenly too close for comfort and heard the sickening crunch of metal and the jarring sudden jerk of going 35 mph to 0 mph in half-a-heartbeat. He had whipped forward, bashing his head on the steering wheel, warm blood oozing down his temple; suddenly he was violently pushed back by the air bag deploying. He last saw billows of steam and a woman running towards him before blackness.

"Mr. Kenway? Mr. Kenway? Mr. Kenway can you hear me?" a doctor asked, shining a bright light into his eyes to check the responsiveness of his pupils. "I need an X-ray," the doctor said.

"Uh," Edward moaned, his head hurt like an elephant sat on it. "Where am I?"

"You're at Boston General's ER," the nurse said.

"My… my son… need to call my son," Edward mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut. The voices of the nurses and doctors shouting orders over him. He just wanted to call Haytham, make sure he's alright. I'm sorry Haytham, we aren't gonna make it to Disneyland this year.

Haytham didn't register anything for several long moments, not until a hand was on his shoulder. He jerked, staring up into oddly familiar amber eyes. "Haytham?" Ziio asked, a seriously imploring look in her face. Haytham shook himself and realized he was sitting on the curb again.

"What happened? Did I pass out?" he asked.

"Not really, you just went really still and started to sway, I caught you before you could fall," Ziio said glancing over her shoulder to look at the two adults. Haytham recognized his Uncle Thatch but not the other woman he was talking to. "Is that man really your uncle?"

"No. He's my father's best friend, but I've always called him my uncle. In fact, I call all my father's friends uncle or aunt," Haytham said. "Who's that woman he's talking to?"

"My mom," Ziio said sternly.

"Oh." Haytham felt stupid for asking a question with such an obvious answer. "I hope my father is okay."

"I'm sure he's fine," Ziio said, and glanced over at the adults as they walked up to them.

"C'mon, Kaneihtí:io," Ziio's mother said, holding out her hand. Ziio scooped up her cookie container, waved bye to Haytham and grabbed her mother's hand. Haytham watched them walk to their car and eventually drive away.

"Let's go Haytham," Thatch said, "we're going to see your dad."

"He's okay right?" Haytham asked.

"I don't know, the nurse on the phone didn't say much. Your father tried to call you but you didn't pick up, so he called me," Thatch said, "or rather the nurse did."

"Oh." Haytham began to look through his phone, noting the most recent missed call was from a number he didn't recognized. The call must've came in during class and when he glanced at it after school he didn't recognize the number and thought nothing more of it. He climbed into passenger seat of Thatch's SUV and buckled up. He stared at the home screen of his phone. A picture of him and his father. He felt tears well up behind his eyes and eventually they rolled down his cheeks as he sucked in huge heavy sobs. Thatch didn't say anything as he silently drove to the hospital.

Edward turned his attention from the TV to the nurse as she pulled the curtain back. He caught a glimpse of the patient in the other room. It was a woman with her lover holding her hand. The curtain winked them away in a flash. "You have a visitor Mr. Kenway," the nurse said, smiling cheerily. Edward looked down at Haytham. His heart broke at the sight of his son. Haytham's eyes were red and puffy with tear tracks dry upon his cheeks. He looked dejected and he trembled, hands clasped together. "F-Father?" he whispered, almost as if he was unsure of his own voice.

"I'm alright Haytham," Edward said. Haytham sniffed. He ran to his father, climbing up onto the chair by his bedside and hugging him tightly. "I'm alright," Edward said as his son started to suck in great gulps of air, crying loudly. He pulled Haytham onto the bed with him, rubbing his back and pressing kisses against his forehead. "Shh, shh, I'm right here, not gonna go anywhere anytime soon, I promise."

"I'm sorry, Father, I'm so sorry!" Haytham mumbled, clutching his father's hospital gown as if it was an anchor. "I'm sorry."

"For what, sea urchin?" Edward asked, pushing Haytham away just enough so he could look into his boy's eyes. "Ya did nothin' wrong."

"But I… I ignored the call from the hospital and—"

"Hey," Edward said, pressing a finger to Haytham's lips, "it's alright. Ya got here. No need to worry."

"But…" Haytham began.

"If anyone should apologize it's me," Edward said, "the car's totaled. We'll need a new one. So, it doesn't look like we'll be going to Disneyland."

"I don't care about that, Father!" Haytham shouted, tears spilling from his eyes again. "I'm just glad… I'm just glad…" he choked, resting his forehead against Edward's shoulder. He forced out, "I'm not an orphan."

"Oh, Haytham," Edward muttered. "Look, I'm okay. Just got a bump on my head, the doctor says I'll be at home for a few days, just to make sure nothing adverse occurs, but I'll be right as rain in a flash."

"O-Okay," Haytham mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"How are you holding up, Kenway?" Thatch asked, coming in. He took in Edward's appearance, Haytham snuggled up against his father's side, and the dried blood in Edward's hair. "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit," Edward laughed, only to groan. "Doc says I also cracked some ribs. Nothing too terrible. He says I'm lucky, could've been worse."

"You're one tenacious bastard, Kenway, I'll give you that," Thatch agreed. "They discharging you?"

"Tomorrow. Head injury. They want to keep me over night."

"What? No!" Haytham protested, sitting up. "They can't do that!"

"Haytham, it's just for one night. You can stay with your Aunt Mary and Aunt Anne. Uncle Thatch and I'll pick you up tomorrow after school."

"But…"

"And tomorrow's Friday, we'll go for ice cream after school," Edward said, lifting Haytham's head up with two fingers. "I promise."

"Alright," Haytham muttered.

"C'mon kid, let's get going. I'll take you to get something to eat then we'll swing by your place and pack a bag for you," Thatch said.

"Thanks Blackie," Edward muttered.

"Eh? What are friends for," Thatch said with a shrug as Haytham wiggled off of the bed. "Everything always works out in the end." Thatch took Haytham's hand and left the room. Edward watched his son and friend go, feeling worse than he did a few hours ago.

"Shay Patrick Cormac!" Hope screeched, marching up to the seven boys as they played marbles beneath the big oak tree. Shay flinched, trying to inch his way behind the tree but Hope grabbed him. "I knew you snuck away!"

"Jeez Hope, lemme go," Shay grumbled.

"No, you promised to play house with me and Liam today! Achilles even decided to join in."

"Ah man, not Achilles, he always ruins it," Shay grumbled.

"Tough," Hope replied, not letting go of her grip on Shay's wrist. "Oh, Haytham, Ziio's looking for you."

"Why?" Haytham asked.

"It's your turn Haytham," Thomas muttered.

"Dunno." Hope shrugged. "She told me to tell you if I found you."

"Can I play house during lunch recess?" Shay asked as Hope began to march him off towards where she was playing. The others heard Hope reply in the negative before they looked at Haytham.

"Are you going to go find her?" Charles asked. "You don't have to, since she's in our class."

"Charles," Haytham sighed. "I supposed I should."

"Is this about your dad getting in a wreck yesterday?" William asked. Haytham never considered that that could be the reason Ziio wanted to talk to him. She was with him when he received the news after all.

"Maybe," he stood, "William will you—"

"I'll do it for you, Haytham!" Charles said. Haytham stared at Charles for a moment before giving a curt nod.

"Okay," he said and headed off to the pine grove where Ziio liked to play. He could hear Thomas loudly singing Haytham and Ziio sitting in a tree!

Haytham ended up meeting Ziio half way. She looked annoyed and flustered, an oddity for her, considering she was always so confident. "You wanted to speak with me?" Haytham asked.

"Yeah," she mumbled, looking at her feet. She scuffed the pavement with the toe of her shoe. "I told my family about what happened," she said.

"Oh, alright," he said slowly, wondering what this was about. "You can tell them my father is alright, he just had a really bad bump on his head."

"That's good… right?" Ziio asked. Haytham nodded. She took a deep breath and met Haytham's gaze. "My grandmother and I will be staying with you for the weekend and my parents can help find a new car if you need it. My Uncle Jim runs a used car dealership." Haytham stared at her, his jaw hanging open. She boldly reached out and shut it for him. "Close it, otherwise bees will fly in and sting ya throat."

"Why?" Haytham asked.

"Because your mouth is open, duh!" she said, as if he was slow.

"No, I meant why is your family doing this for me? We owe you nothing and I doubt my father will… want your help."

"It doesn't matter, it's what my people do," Ziio said, her tone broking no argument. "It's our way of giving back to the community. One good turn deserves another."

"Yes, but—"

"It's not an option!" Ziio snapped, her cheeks turning pink. "My mother is picking us up after school."

"I…" Haytham sighed, "alright fine. I'll see you after school then."

Haytham wasn't sure what to expect when he got home. It was strange though, not seeing his father's familiar old clunker sitting in the drive way looking like one good windstorm was all that it was needed to finish the poor decrepit thing off. Ziio's mother parked on the curb and Haytham scrambled out, muttering an awkward thankyou to Mrs. Clearwater. The door open to reveal his father, who was grinning in a nervous fashion. He briskly walked up to his son, Haytham noticing a silver haired woman that was slightly taller than Ziio's mother and wore turtle-shell jewelry and a beaded necklace. Haytham yelped in shocked when Edward grabbed him by the back of his shirt and marched him to the corner of the house.

"Haytham," Edward said in a low voice and Haytham was unsure if his father was upset or not. "Why are they here?"

"I… Ziio was there when Uncle Thatch picked me up. She heard about the accident and must've told her parents and grandmother. I'm sorry… it's just for the weekend," Haytham mumbled and looked up at his father. "Are… are you mad?"

"Mad?" Edward blinked. "Frustrated is a better word. Ziio's mother called shortly after I got home and then they showed up shortly after that. I tried to tell them I'm fine. They said they know a guy that'll get us a new car for real cheap."

"Yeah, Ziio's Uncle Jim," Haytham replied.

"Right well," Edward said. "Let's go and be good hosts then."

"Yeah," Haytham muttered. "Uh, Father… can…"

"Hm?" Edward turned back to his son.

"Yesterday… a social worker came to my school," Haytham muttered. "It's because of batty old Mrs. Müller… anyway, she asked if… if…"

"If what?" Edward asked, he closed the gap between him and Haytham, squatting down and putting his hands on his son's shoulders.

"She asked if you… touched me… in a bad way," Haytham kept his eyes glued to his feet. Edward sucked in a breath. "I told her you didn't and that you loved me! Mrs. Kirja the librarian made her leave."

"It's alright Haytham, you did nothing wrong," Edward said, his voice gruff. "I'll speak to the social worker people Monday and tell them again to ignore Mrs. Müller's calls when it's about this house."

"Okay, I just…"

"You did good lad, in telling me," Edward said and pecked Haytham's forehead. "Now, let's go help your little girlfriend and her relatives."

"Ziio is not my girlfriend!" Haytham snapped, cheeks tinting. Edward just laughed, a knowing smile on his lips.

Thanks to MohawkWoman for Ziio and her grandmother and mother helping out Edward and Haytham. ^^

Tomorrow Ziio and her grandmother help Edward and Haytham over the weekend! Expect a flustered Haytham, cute kiddie HayZiio moments, not so subtle matchmaking on Edward and Ziio's grandmother's parts.

I imagine Hope and Ziio as good friends.

Excellent song for Haytham and Ziio: The Promise by In This Moment. I think it fits them perfectly. :D

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To my followers that read and don't review, I know you hate this story.

Nemo