Only Time Will Tell - Chapter Twenty Seven

A/N: This chapter's pretty short and it's got a lotta dialogue, but please - do enjoy ;)

July 23rd, 1754

Tia should've known it was too good to be true. Almost two months of being stuck on The Morrigan and she still wasn't allowed to leave, even after being docked for the past hour and a half at a small port in Sleepy Hollow. She didn't care that it was late or that it was about to piss down raining, she just wanted to step onto solid land for awhile.

As always, the trusty soil was so close, yet so far.

To her complete and utter surprise, it was Shay who forbid her from leaving. It was usually his first mate, but, for whatever reason, he decided to take matters into his own hands today. If it weren't for the massive crush she had on the young captain, then she'd have been off exploring the place and stretching her legs by now, rather than sitting here on her ass and staring at the wall.

"We won't be long, lass," Shay had told her with a light squeeze to her shoulder before slipping away. Liam had already left beforehand.

She knew they were here on Assassin business—it wasn't easy to forget such a profession—so she held her tongue to make it easier for everyone. They were just lucky she happened to be in a good mood today, else she would've raised hell about being imprisoned on the ship for any longer. Besides, Shay was extra nice to her this morning and returned her phone to her. He never did figure out how to unlock the device, though. A simple swipe of her finger would've done the trick, but she kept that information to herself, of course. His futile attempts were cute, though.

She had to give it to him - his method of curing her addiction had actually worked somewhat. Apart from checking the messages left behind by Mark, she felt no need to hang around with the device as she would've some weeks ago. Though, that could also be because she was bored of that dumb stacking game. Who knows?

It felt like forever before Shay decided to grace her with his presence once again, with water dripping from his form as he sauntered through the entrance. A large puddle began to grow by the door as he reached for a towel. Tia quickly crossed the room to close the door behind him.

"Wow, you were a lot quicker than I thought you'd be!"

"Aye, but we're not staying here tonight." Shay nodded, draping the towel over his hair and rubbing it vigorously to dry it off. "We're off to Two Bends so I can meet up with the others."

Her shoulders fell in disappointment - yet another delay to the search for her parents.

Not missing the action, Shay frowned and halted in his quest to dry the mop atop his head. "What's the matter?"

"I guess I was expecting to get to New York a lot quicker, that's all... I suppose it's my own fault for making you take me instead of finding my own way like I should've."

"I'd get you there faster, but I don't want to risk getting on anyone's bad side for being tardy all the time—which we all know I have a record for. Now," he hung the damp towel around his neck, "I have a little surprise for you, but I'd like to get out of these clothes first, if ya don't mind?"

She tilted her head in confusion. "A surprise? For what?"

"You'll see," he said, the beginnings of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Now, are you gonna turn around or are you gonna come over here and help me?"

"Yeah, right!" She spun around and let out a disgusted scoff for extra measure, despite the fact that her face was heating up at the very thought of it.

The next few moments went by with Shay getting changed into dry clothes and Tia struggling to imagine anything else but that. No matter how hard she tried, the image of those lovely, broad shoulders and those wonderfully sculpted muscles were too hard to resist and she found herself blushing even harder. She dropped her head in shame. I need Jesus…

She nearly jumped when he delivered a gentle pat to her shoulder, signalling that it was fine for her to look again. She must've zoned out at some point.

A simple white shirt now adorned his upper frame, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and emphasizing the feature she'd just daydreamed about only seconds ago. Dark gray breeches contrasted the top half and his feet remained bare over the wooden flooring - if only for the sake of dirtying less clothes, she wasn't sure - but she liked it. It was simple and laid back. It suited him.

He began to busy himself with clearing off his desk. "Now, I don't normally do things like this, so forgive me if this seems a tad last minute, but…" He paused, noticing she was still stood by the door. "Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.

"Huh?" She uttered, raising her brows. "Y-yeah, I'm good! Just… got lost in here," she offered, tapping the side of her head with a sheepish laugh. She walked over and watched him pull out a small, wooden box from one of the drawers before placing it on the table. "So, what's all this for?"

"Give me a moment and I'll show you," he told her, grinning all the while. He gestured to the seat across from him. "Take a seat, I won't be too long."

He was out the door before she could say anything else, so she quietly took a seat and observed the box with curiosity. What was he up to? What was in that box? And why did he seem excited? It was an odd sight to see, now that she thought about it. Not to say that he doesn't get excited about things, it was just unusual to actually witness it firsthand.

True to his word, he returned not a minute later, this time with bowls of food and two tankards balanced between his arms. He rounded the desk once more and distributed the items onto the table before getting comfortable in his chair. She peered inside the big cup and saw nothing but some sort of creamy froth.

"What the hell is this?"

He chuckled, already sensing her reluctance to try the new beverage. "We call it flip. It's alcohol, but it's a little on the sweeter side so I reckon you'd appreciate it since I know you've a sweet tooth. Give it a taste!"

"Are you sure?" She hesitantly lifted the tankard up to her nose to take a small whiff. It doesn't smell too bad, actually...

"Yes, but first—" he lifted his own drink into the air, "To another year of you - happy birthday, Tia!"

She blinked. "Oh, wooow. That shit's today?"

"Aye."

"It's the twenty-third of July?"

"I should hope so or I'll be sorely embarrassed."

A bright smile made its way onto her face and she giggled into her hand. "Wow, that's… I can't believe you remembered!" She beamed, somewhat shy now that she knew why he went to all this trouble.

"Of course I did. You're one of my closest friends," his grin softened and she nearly melted. "I probably don't tell you that enough."

"Try: at all." She snorted when he let out an exasperated sigh. "I know, I know, I'm just teasing! Really, though. I appreciate it."

They clinked their mugs together and drank—Tia took more of an experimental sip than anything. She swallowed slowly, taking the time to process all the flavours on her sensitive taste buds. It was quite a distinct taste at first—for a non-drinker like herself, of course—but then it slowly burned out into a subtle sweetness that lingered in her mouth.

She clicked her tongue, realizing that Shay was waiting for an opinion. "Okay, but why's it hot?"

"It's what makes the froth," he answered, taking another gulp of his own. "It's not bad, eh?"

She took another slow sip. "Tis satisfactory, yes."

"You like it, don't cha?"

"Tis satisfact—"

"Yeah, yeah," he chuckled, waving a hand in her direction. "Did you really forget it was your birthday today?"

"It's honestly one of the last things on my mind right now," she pointed out with a nonchalant shrug, finally placing her drink down so she could move onto her food. Boiled vegetables and bread.

Could be worse, she thought, taking a bite. At least it's seasoned…

"I know the feeling all too well." He confessed, leaning his elbows onto the desk, his chin coming to rest on a closed fist. "To be completely honest with you, I can't remember a time where I celebrated my own birthday. Not since I was a young boy, at least."

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask. Did you grow up here? In the colonies?"

He nodded, "I was born in New York; lived there for most of my life."

"With your parents?"

"My aunt," he corrected. "My ma died giving birth to me and my da was captain of his own merchant ship, so he wasn't around much."

Tia felt her heart clench at his words. Shay grew up barely knowing his parents and here she was complaining that she missed her own. They were completely different circumstances, yes, but it didn't make it any less painful. She wondered what it would've been like for him - when he was sick or upset or needing guidance. Did his aunt comfort him the way a mother would? Teach him the way a father would? Love him the way a parent would?

"O-oh… I'm sorry." She apologized, placing her fork down, no longer feeling the need to eat. She wasn't that hungry to begin with.

"Don't be. I came to terms with it a long time ago." He told her, taking another slow swig.

"My parents would love you," she blurted out without thinking. She coughed awkwardly into her fist, avoiding his gaze. "If they were here, I mean. They'd like you. You're nice."

"Thank you?" He said with a confused tilt of his head, but still smiling nonetheless. "I hope you're not sayin' that just to please me, lass. I remember how much you hated me in the beginning."

"What? I never hated you," she made a face and continued. "Disliked, sure, but not hate."

A short silence fell between them as Shay finished off the rest of his drink, tipping his head back to make sure he got every last drop. The empty tankard remained cupped within his grasp, however, his fingers gently tapping at its side every so often.

"Well, for the record, I didn't like you much either." He continued after a while.

"Hey!"

"I kid, I kid," he grinned. "But you did have a feisty attitude—"

"So did you!" She laughed, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "You wouldn't leave me alone half the time!"

"Can you blame me?"

She scoffed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a young and impressionable woman," he offered without missing a beat.

She paused. Was that his way of saying he was trying to flirt with her? Her heart began to race within the confines of her chest and she ducked her head down momentarily to collect her thoughts—though, she played it off as checking her skirts for food she never dropped.

"Some impression..." she conceded, lifting her head once more. "Do you know how badly I wanted to whack you with that mop?"

"But you like me now, don't cha?" He coaxed, leaning further forward in his chair in an attempt to entice her. "After all, you said I'm nice."

She gave him a look. "Yes, Shay, I like you now." A little too much. "Even if you are still annoying," she jested.

He clicked his tongue, "What can I say? It comes naturally with you. Would I be able to interest you in some more flip?" He asked, standing up once more.

She blinked, just now realizing that she'd managed to empty her own tankard in the good part of an hour. She wondered what the alcohol content of these drinks were. She didn't feel too bad so she figured it mustn't be too strong. Right?

"Yeah, I can go for another one." She complied, passing her tankard to him as he went by.

"Attagirl," he smiled, plucking it out of her hands with a smirk.

Thus, another round of drinking commenced between the two of them. Tia was less graceful about it than she'd hoped she would be, making it very clear she wasn't a frequent drinker by the time she'd surpassed the halfway mark on her tankard. Her words were beginning to slur, only slightly—or so she liked to think—and her body felt warm. She kind of liked it, though.

"Tell me, Tia," Shay began, watching her as she swirled the contents of her cup around, "Why are you so eager to leave?"

She froze.

"By all means, you're not obligated to stay, but," he caught her eye, "I know desperation when I see it."

"I… I think my parents might be here." There was no use in hiding it from him.

A thoughtful look crossed his face. "What makes you think that?"

"Mark did some research," she divulged, tapping her fingers on the desk as she thought. "There's been a lack of digital footprints on their part, so he's come to believe they disappeared around the same time as me, which means…"

"They could be here as well," Shay concluded, nodding slowly in understanding. "So, you're going to look for them, then?"

"Of course! I can't just sit here and wait around when they could be out there," she stressed, shifting positions on her chair. She felt restless—like she was wasting time. If there was a chance to see them again, she had to take it.

"And you think they're in New York?"

"Well, I ended up in that fort, remember?" He hummed in response and she continued, "They could be anywhere in this world, but New York is as good a place to start as any!"

"I could help ya keep an eye out for 'em," he offered. "What're their names?"

"David and Maria Ramirez. Mum sometimes goes by her maiden name, though. Montellano."

He nodded, tucking the names away into memory for later use. "What'll you do if you find them again?"

Truthfully, she hadn't thought of that yet. She was too busy trying to think for herself and what she'd do to survive once she reaches New York that she hadn't even spared a thought to the prospect that they might not even want to stay here. They could already have a way back to the future, for all she knows. She could be the last piece to their puzzle before they can finally go back.

She spared a glance towards the young man in front of her. But, I don't… I can't...

"I guess I'll find out when the time comes…"

Sensing her discomfort, he nudged the box from before in her direction, stopping once it reached her hand. Her curiosity peaked once again and she eyed it carefully, taking in the smooth finish of the wood and the way it practically called out to her, begging her to open it. He beckoned her onwards with a nod, and she reached out to open it, pulling it in close so she could get a closer look. A simple silver necklace lay inside, glinting in the light as she lifted it out and rested it over her palm.

"It's not much, but I figured you could add to it, y'know?"

"It's really pretty," she whispered, running her fingers across the length of it. She flipped her hair to one side and fingered the clasp, bringing it around the back of her neck to put it on. Shay immediately walked around to assist her, making sure that it was on properly.

"How's that?" He asked, stepping back to take a look. He grinned, "You look beautiful."

She smiled shyly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I love it, Shay."

September 9th, 1754 | Two Bends, River Valley

"Ouch!" Tia snatched her hand back, inspecting the little red mark now marring the otherwise soft skin. She glared at the culprit. "You're not very nice are you, you little brat?"

The white goat stared at her, completely oblivious to the damage it had caused. It's interests remained solely within her hand: a juicy carrot for the taking. It stared at her like it was being starved, when in reality, she saw get it fed by a man that walked by just before she had.

"Oh, you still think I'm gonna give this to you?" Tia scoffed, clenching a fist over the orange vegetable, about to take a bite. "Well, you can get fu—"

"Tia," Shay's voice interjected, making her flinch. He came to stand beside her, "What are you doin'?"

"Oh, nothing," she smiled sweetly. "Just chatting to Lucas here. He's a lovely boy when his teeth aren't digging into my goddamn fingers!"

Shay examined the reddened skin before eyeing the little animal in front of him with mild interest. "This little fellow's been known to nip fingers, lass. He's a cheeky one, ain't he?"

"Yeah, he kinda reminds me of someone."

"S'that so?" Shay questioned, feigning innocence.

She laughed, finally deciding to give in and drop the carrot onto the floor for the animal. The goat immediately dove in and she sighed, moving to stand up. "So, what'd Achilles want? Did he give you your next mission or something?" She asked, patting down her dress.

"That's what I've come to talk to you about." His expression turned serious and he crossed his arms in front of him. "My next stop is in Portugal."

Tia's heart sank. "What?"

"I leave soon—today, actually. They've already prepared a ship for me to cross the ocean with. Liam won't be accompanying me, however. He has…" His eyes trailed off to the side for a moment, "- other business to attend to."

"Why so soon? I mean, we only just got here! Surely—"

Shay cut her off, "It's an urgent matter. I'm being entrusted with this mission, and I'll follow it through if that's what's best."

"Will it be dangerous?" His hesitance was enough of an answer. She grimaced, "Shay…"

He cracked a smile and placed what was supposed to be a hand of comfort on her shoulder. "I'll be back before you know it, lass."

"How long will you be gone?"

"A year, at the least."

I won't see his face for an entire year?

She released a shaky sigh, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. This was his job, his livelihood. Who was she to stop him? Besides, she used to go months without seeing him before. What was the difference if he left now?

She remained stock still, even as he reached forward to hug her and wish her his last goodbyes. She was thinking—debating on what she wanted to do. She vaguely registered him talking into her ear about the plans he had for when he came back. He mentioned the brotherhood, the Morrigan, and, most importantly, her.

He eventually moved to pull away, but she held tight to the sides of his jacket, preventing him from doing so. She glanced up to find those captivating dark orbs of his staring right back at her in what she hoped to be anticipation. They briefly wandered to her lips, before trailing back up to her eyes again. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, loud enough that she swore he would be able to hear it too. Her eyes flickered down to his own slightly parted lips. Was she really going to do this?

No way was she going to back out of this now. She's already come this far.

She inched herself closer to him, so close that she swore she could hear his breathing hitch in his throat when she ghosted her fingers up the length of his forearm. Reaching his elbow, she tightened her hold and gently tugged him downwards. Angling her head to the right, their noses lightly brushed one another before her lips finally met his.

They were warm and slightly chapped from the dry weather, just as she imagined they'd be. She held them there for a few seconds before slowly pulling back, a soft noise reaching her ears as the kiss broke. She didn't even realize her eyes had fallen shut until she opened them to gaze into his own.

Wait, did that mean he kissed her back?

The thought hadn't even properly entered her mind when he connected their lips for the second time. She responded slowly but surely, her arms coming to curl around his neck and her balance shifting up onto her toes. He groaned quietly into the kiss as her fingers tangled into the hairs at the back of his head, tugging gently.

Their lips began to move faster, and his warm hands slowly drifted around to the sides of her waist, eventually coming to a halt on her lower back. Just like that, he pulled her body flush against his own, deepening the kiss even further as her head angled back to keep their lips connected. Her hands came to rest upon his chest, and for a moment, she concentrated on the fact that his heart was beating just as strongly as her own.

Eventually, the need for air became too much for them to ignore and they parted, a soft gasp escaping Tia's mouth. Their chests rose and fell with each intake of air, their warm breaths intermingling with one another as they continued to gaze into each other's eyes.

The question fell from her lips before she could think, "Did that really just happen?"

Shay laughed breathily, rendering her in a state of surprise. "It did."

She blinked as her mind began to process his words. "You kissed me back?"

"I did," he chuckled in confirmation, lightly pressing his forehead to hers as he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Believe me, I've wanted to do that for a long time now."

Her smile was brighter than ever.

A/N: Bringing out new chapters every 2-3 months seems to be my thing now, eh? Fuck. XD Like I've said though, I'd rather bring out something I like rather than rush it out, so I hope you guys, uh, enjoyed this chapter - lotsa fluff aaaand they ;) finally ;) kiSsED :D It only took me 2 fkn years! Stay tuned for the aftermath, hehehe

Also, fear not, I'm just barely touching the halfway point with this chapter soooo, yeah, I have plenty more in store for you! Let me know what you guys think? What do you think will happen now that they've established their feelings for each other? Any predictions as to what will happen with Shay's defection in the distant future? I love seeing your reviews, guys, thank you! ;)

imakemyownblog, signing off xx