Sorry it's been exactly a month since I posted, but I had to think of a game plan. I will have a strong converstation between Catherine and SHay in our next chapter, but for now I wanted to show you Haytham's feelings towards Catherine. So enjoy guys.

-Moon

Shay waited outside as he watched a surgeon tend to Catherine. He could hear her smaller whimpers as the doctor was set out to work on her. The good news was that her wound was a through and through. She lost a small amount of blood, but thankful Edward was able to track down a doctor who happened to be one of his guests. A bigger blessing was that the fact that he carried his work bag with him. He carried his medical bag to parties in the likely event of pissing match between two gentlemen that resulted in a duel. The early morning sun was just peeking through the windows. Shay had stayed up all night to make sure Catherine did not pass in the night.

Though, she was strong. The musket ball nicked her side causing a through in through a wound. It was good that she stood so close to her friend.

Haytham walked towards Shay. "I managed to changed Lord Shippen's mind about having Catherine arrested. As soon as she is able to travel, we will need to leave." Haytham noted the amount of blood that stuck to Shay's clothes. It was all Catherine's blood.

He didn't respond a word to Haytham, he only starred ahead at Catherine.

The teenager was laying on a table a with her outer dress removed. "How does this happen?"

"Excuse me?" Haytham asked, becoming slightly worried about Shay.

Shay dropped his shoulder before speaking. "I left Catherine and Rose for years at a time, so I knew they weren't at risk. You gave me a choice about leaving and I choose to take it to hunt down the damn box. Maybe that wasn't the best situation."

Haytham blink in surprise. "Are you blaming yourself for this?"

Shay sighed as he took a seat outside the door. "Aye, I am."

"Don't. That girl made her choice about coming here. She followed the lead of her friend, I am very surprised that those children came up with the whole thing."

"She blames herself for her mother. I should have been here raising my daughter." Shay said. "I had to watch her grow up through written words not really knowing her."

Haytham saw Shay as a shell of a man he once knew. The man completely fell apart at the fear of losing his daughter. He felt a twinge of guilt for asking Shay the unthinkable a few months ago. He now understood that Shay may never be the one to hurt Catherine. Instead, he saw that Catherine still cared for her father. She took a musket ball for him. She argued with her childhood friend to protect her father.

If Catherine was not Shay's child, he would have honestly taken care of this in a manner where she'd be dead. The moment when he saw Catherine and the native boy standing on the rooftops. He had made his mind to eliminate them both. He knew that what they witnessed Lee do could get out. He had made his mind until he learned their family origins were.

Haytham could only laugh at the situation, it was a Greek tragedy unfolding in front of him.

"We honestly thought that the Assassins were coming back. It turns out two teenagers who have a taste for revenge. Due to the implanted notion thanks to Achilles and that boy." Haytham concluded.

"We need to eliminate the boy, James. He is reckless. Catherine needs to move from this mess. If possible Achilles."

Shay shook his head, "No, I'll take her back to Boston and decide what needs to be done."

Haytham nodded, "Alone time with you both might be better for you both." He patted Shay's shoulder.

The surgeon walked out with a tiered look. "She will be alright, the good thing is she is had been in and out the whole time, but she will only need rest to heal. I clean and cauterized the wound, so there should be only a slight chance of infection."

"Thank you," Shay let out a sigh of relief.

"If you wish to move her, you can, just be gentle and don't let her be on her feet until she is better. I gave her some medicine to knock her out for a while." He reached out to shake Shay's hand. "You have a strong young woman in there. You should be proud. She will be down for a while."

"I am," Shay replied as he slowly stood up from his seat. He wasted no time before getting a chance to look at his child. Even though she was pale, she retained some color in her cheeks. The make up she had been wearing smeared off from her crying while her hair stayed mostly intact.

Shay could only faintly smile as he reached out to pet his daughter's hair. He moving around to take off his coat to slide it over her body to keep her warm for the time. He swooped his arms under Catherine's legs to pick her up bridal style. She was like a small child that was easy to carry. She groaned softly in his ear as her cheek rested on his shoulder. Haytham didn't say anything as he followed Shay out of the room. He adjusted her weight to make it easier to walk down the stairs to a carriage that waited to the front of the house.

Connor gritted his teeth after a hard two-day ride. He was exhausted, but it was due to worry about Catherine. She could be dead for all he knew. He remembered the instructions that Catherine was given. She was to meet Charles Dorian in New York. Though, now she was captured by the Templars. He was suspicious of the circumstances of how it all happened, James didn't talk much about. Only that she was shot.

The Native young man pushed the door open to the tavern where Charles Dorian stayed. He noticed that at the back table sat Charles, with his young son on his lap. The novice Assassin crossed the room to call on the master Assassin.

"Charles, we have a problem."

He smiled at the sight of him. "Oh, Connor, I didn't realize you'd both be here soon. Where is Catherine?"

The young boy, Arno glanced up from his small toy to try to spot the redheaded girl.

"She was shot, I had to leave her behind." James swallowed. "The book was a fake, and they suspected us."

Charles looked troubled by the news, "Tell me exactly what happens."

"We ran into her father and Haytham. They caught us red-handed at the safe."

"Her father shot her?!" Connor's eyes widen at the statement.

James gritted his teeth, "No, I did."

The world moved in a slow motion as Connor looked at her with a glaring look. "You what?!" He grabbed the hem of his coat and slammed him against the wall.

"It was an accident! I was aiming at Shay Cormac."

Charles stood up putting Arno down. "Connor, enough! Yelling at this crétin won't help."

"She got in the way and fought to take the pistol away. I pulled the trigger on accident."

Connor shoved the boy taking a glance at Charles. "How are we going to get Catherine back?" He said in a harsh whisper. Connor tried to keep his voice lowered to not draw any unwanted attention to themselves. A few patrons of the tavern were beginning to stare.

"I don't know yet, but we will have to wait to hear from her. She's a clever girl, she'll know how to get out of this."

The swaying of the room was like being in a crib. That was Catherine's initial thought when she was waking from her drug-induced sleep. Her stomach felt tender from the wound, causing her to hiss as she pushed back her blanket to sit up. With a little effort she pushed off from the bed to stand, she stumbled from the bed to use the desk for support. Catherine hissed in the stabbing pain in her side, knowing it was the exact spot where James shot her. She gritted her teeth at remembering the shock and pain of the musket ball. Taking he bearings, she glanced around the cabin she had found herself in.

The red-headed girl had to rub her eyes to make sure she still had her sight. She was in her father's cabin. It had not changed since the last time she had seen it. She closed her eyes taking a deep breath to soak in her situation. She was safe, but for how long? Haytham and Edward Shippen did not look pleased with the sight of her theft. Catherine needed to find an escape route quickly.

The soft rocking of the floor indicated that the Morrigan was still dock. She could use this chance in the moment of isolation to escape to compounds of the ship. Catherine scanned the room for a change of clothes. The only ones she could find was her ballgown from the party. It had a huge blood stain on the side of her top and skirt. A sense of pity burrowed in her gut, it was such a shame to it ruined. The gown was the prettiest thing she owned. It turned her sick when she thought about the confrontation in the study. James had shot her to get to her own father. It made her mad, it was upsetting.

Catherine pushed the night out of her mind and went to the chair to grab her boots. They were sat up against the leg of the chair. She reached out to grab them to slip on quickly. The teenager worked through the pain to do this simple task.

Clicks of boots were heard outside the door. Catherine quickly reacted by diving back into the bed she found herself awaken in. She quietly hissed in pain as she fixed the bed. This her quick maneuver caused her a sharp pain. She shifted in bed trying to cover her body with her boots and whole body. The young teenager kept her eyes shut as the door open and shut.

"Don't worry Shay, I'll keep an eye on the girl. She is still asleep and won't go anywhere."

Catherine focused on her breathing to try to listen in on the conversation while her eyes were closed. The man was talking with a thick accent. She could recognize the voice, it was Christopher Gist.

She could hear an exasperated sigh. "I would hope she'd be awake by now," from the sound of the Irish accent, it was her father. His footsteps walk towards her, his lips pressed against her forehead. It was a moment of a fatherly affection.

"Shay we need to get going to see if we can scout the area where your daughter and her friend's little encampment. To see if there is any trace of there location." Catherine froze to her spot when she heard Haytham's cool British accent. He sounded stern and angry. "Those letters that were stolen had crucial information in them."

"I understand, it can be poisonous if they fall into the wrong hands. Just like the box which we need to still find." Shay cleared his throat, "Let's head out."

Catherine didn't hear Haytham reply to him. She heard the two gentlemen walk out with the door shut behind them.

The room was quiet before Gist spoke, "You know Lass, you can stop faking it?"

Catherine gritted her teeth at the old man. "How did you know?"

"Frist off, I saw your boots missin'. I am sure your not ready to talk to your father, so I didn't point it out."

Catherine opened her eyes trying to slowly sit up, but her pain bit her side. She hissed but Gist crossed her room.

"Lass your in no shape to travel, or run. You need to rest." He propped a pillow behind her head. "Once your father gets back, I am sure he will talk to you."

"Where did he go?"

Gist shook his head, "I am not allowed to say to you, but I can tell you this. You look like you need a proper meal. The cook had just finished a pot of stew, so why don't I go get you a bowl."

Catherine raised her eyebrow at him, "why are you being so nice?"

"Even though, you lied about your identity to me."

Catherine coughed in embarrassment, "sorry about that."

"No don't be...you remind me your Da in a way. Quick on your feet." Gist chuckled. "Now I will get your meal, is there anything else I can get you to keep yourself entertain until they get back."

Catherine sighed as she slowly kicked off her boots. She rubbed her face knowing she'd be stuck here for a while.

In a sigh, Catherine spoke. "Maybe some parchment and a stick of charcoal."

Gist tipped his old hat. "Right away miss. Cormac, I will see what I can get."

Catherine watched him walked out of the cabin with the door shut behind him. With the slam of the door, she heard a click. He locked the door.

Catherine groaned as she slammed her head back into the pillows. He accepted her apology about lying, but he didn't trust her.