Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Assassin's Creed.

This story was inspired after viewing a scene in AC when an Informant asked Altaïr if a woman by the name of Adah had returned to him, but to his disappointment, she had not.

So it has begun... Enjoy!

...

Beware, contains spoilers and takes place end game of Assassin's Creed I. Also contains minor spoilers for Assassin's Creed II.

An addiction to anything can be dangerous.

It creates a downward spiral of destruction.

Sometimes others can get caught in that spiral without knowing.

It robs you of almost all rational thought.

At times, you'll feel as you though you cannot survive without it.

Even find yourself doing just about anything to get it.

And once that chain of addiction has begun…

It is almost impossible to break.

...

'He said that he would be here. Five years since we've last seen each other… and he's late.' she thought irritatingly as she paced in the dark, her small sandals clicking softly against the smooth tile.

Walking over to the slowly pouring fountain below the drop-in to the Assassin's Bureau, Adah reached down to collect the cool water in her palms before splashing her face in an attempt to gather her ragged nerves. It was strange being here alone at this time of night, especially when she could be out pillaging Jerusalem's more interesting rich district. It was littered with excellent spots to swipe expensive garments, jewelry, and other various trinkets from the greedy merchants and townspeople to resell at a considerably higher price. Yet here she was losing moonlight by waiting around!

But her anger began to ebb when his face appeared at the forefront of her mind and all the memories of years past began to take hold. He hadn't even bothered explaining what this was about or why he wanted to see her, nonetheless given her a chance to turn down his request. Yet somehow she was positive that if she hadn't come, he would continue searching for her while she was here now that he knew of her whereabouts.

"Just come tonight when the moon is its highest. I will leave the gate open." he'd told her before slinking back into the shadows and clambering up the ladder of the Jerusalem hospital and out of sight. She sighed, shaking her head.

Typical Altaïr...

But his aloofness made her wary and left her head a buzz of unanswered questions. What could he possibly want with her now when their friendship had not exactly ended on the best of terms? She rounded on her heel to finish allowing her thoughts to tread a hole in the floor when the toe of her sandal caught one of the many rugs that had been strewn haphazardly across the tile. Springing forward with a yelp, she just barely missed a nasty landing.

Looking down at her feet in the darkness, her eyes squinted, trying to make out the object of her fall.

"Why on earth would there be rugs strewn about in here?" she said aloud to no one in particular while leaning over to inspect it, her thick Arabic accent reverberating off the walls.

"Still clumsy I see." a low deep voice boomed next to her ear.

Gasping, Adah whipped around in surprise and nearly toppled again over the still bunched ripples in the mat until a large hand fisted itself into the back of her loose black wrap, easily hauling her small form into the air and successfully breaking her fall. Wide-eyed and startled, she back at him from over her shoulder him and let out an exasperated sigh at the crooked grin smeared across his lips.

"My God, Altaïr!" she heaved, placing a hand over her heart to try and still the frenzied thumping deep within her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that. You know I always hate when you do that!" Her feet dangled several inches from the floor making her appear even more like a child than just her troublesome clumsiness.

"Hate is such an ill word for something I'm sure you do not truly mean."

Her mouth gaped open, working for some sort of reply that just wouldn't come forth. After lowering her to her feet, he then waved her off and slipped passed to kick the rug flat with the tip of his boot while she strained to make out his taller, looming figure through the darkness. She hadn't even heard the slightest sound when he'd jumped down through the roof. To this day, she had never understood how he became so capable of being so sneaky without even the slightest effort. An embarrassing thought of nearly falling to her death earlier crossed her mind when she tried to climb up the to the bureau ladder and past a rooftop guard of the adjacent Mosque next door. Thankfully, luck was her side. Boredom seemed to be to lulling the guard to sleep, offering the perfect opportunity to climb past and dip into the small room. How he couldn't have heard her sandals kicking and scraping against the patterned cobblestone as she tried to pull herself up, she didn't know, but she was forever grateful to the angel watching over her above. She had no desire to spend the rest of the night hold up in a disgusting cell under warrants of suspicious activity.

The cities security had definitely soured now that many of its threats had been silenced or driven out, leaving behind a group of unorganized hooligans to patrol the streets.

The soft whisper of cloth brought her attention back to her once childhood companion. Altaïr stood comfortably before her in the corner, his white robe giving off an almost ghostly appearance under the pale moon light. The opening of his hood was similar to that of a deep void, almost completely blackened out by darkness except for the vague outline of his long nose and lips. She watched him cautiously out of the corner of her eye when he leaned down to light a small burned down candle near his feet. He stood back to watch the flame illuminate the room softly then reached up to slowly lower his hood, his golden brown meeting hers for the first time in years.

Finally able to fully see him in the dim light, she tucked a loose curl into her bun and glanced up just in time to see him raise an eyebrow at her curiously. Immediately Adah huffed at him, still irritated with his unsuspecting drop-in a moment ago. He simply responded with a lopsided smile, her eyes rolling at his oddly carefree attitude, but eventually smiled back softly.

Pulling himself from the corner and padding around her quietly, Altaïr examined her while deep in thought over the many years that have passed since her disappearance. He had searched endlessly from city to city, but so few ever claimed to have seen her or knew of her whereabouts. Until three days ago. It was from a rooftop that he'd spotted her amongst the heavy crowds of people haggling with the merchants on cured meats and other useless knickknacks. He was trailing a rather suspicious looking outsider through Jerusalem, but quickly lost interest the moment he saw her running at full speed below him. He wasn't even sure it was her, but he had to find out. He ran along the rooftop after her, watching as she nearly toppled into the townspeople in an attempt to flee a small flank of angry guards shouting her out as a thief, among other obscenities. Finally, she came to a stop ahead and he was able to see her more clearly as she backed herself up into a corner once she realized she had inadvertently run an alleyway with a dead end. The guards closed in on her, sneering with disgusting comments about what her punishment would be.

Immediately, Altaïr hopped down the jutting wooden planks along the side of the building and wedged himself between the two opposing parties. He would never forget the frightened look on her face when he pulled several daggers from over his shoulder and dispatched two of the guards. Her hazel eyes bulged when he turned to her, his name slipping past her lips when he scooped her small form over his shoulder and hauled her up the side of the building and out of harm's way.

'Subtlety had never been one of her strong points.' he thought while looking her over.

Adah had changed so much over the years that he almost hadn't recognized her the moment he saw her. From what he could see through the thin form fitting wrap that stopped just below her knees, she had filled out quite generously since then. The scrawny little girl that used to grab onto the back of his sleeve and tag along with him as children had now blossomed graciously into that of a young woman. She was younger than him by a few years, but time had managed to age her perfectly. Her long brown legs, once so skinny as they awkwardly held her up had thickened to match the wide swell of her hips and her chest had filled out almost as proportionately, though just a bit smaller. Even those same almond shaped eyes, shadowed by thick smoke colored lashes were still as warm as ever.

After growing up in the poor district of Acre and never finding a husband to care for her properly when she was brought to Masyaf, Altaïr came to understand her choice and eventually gave up the relentless pursuit of trying to make her quit the strained life of a pickpocket. Only because unfortunately for her, she was cursed with the same opportunities in life that he had growing up, which were practically none. But even now he could see she still held onto her faith as he eyed the pearly white cross hanging from a thin cord atop the barest hints of her breasts.

Inwardly Altaïr despised the thought of her ever depending on another the way she used to with him and even remembered how her attitude towards being a thief had changed for the worse just before she vanished. When he was still training in the Brotherhood, she would spend all of her time looting through a city of her choice every week to resell the items she'd stolen at a different city the following week to lower suspicion.

"For a while I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

His eyes darted back to her face when her soft voice snapped him out of his reverie, her eyes averting quickly from his penetrating gaze.

She would never forget those eyes and the way they used to bore into her when she would return late in the evening, that disapproving and accusatory look silently telling her that he knew what she had been up to all day.

Adah began to wring her hands together nervously in front of her. Finally finding her nerve again, she greeted him with a respectable bow and whispered to the floor, "It has been a long, long time, Altaïr. I am grateful to God that you are well after all these years."

He just stared down at her quietly and responded with a slight nod when she approached.

"I see you are still with the Creed." she added with a somewhat sad sigh before running her fingers along the cured leather belt of his waist to admire the craftsmanship.

She held no animosity in her feelings towards the Brotherhood because she had grown up with most of them and it was the path he had chosen to lead in life, but it was also one of the barriers that stood between her and the life she had secretly wanted with him long ago.

"I am and have surpassed my Master. I'm sure you may have heard the news spreading through the towns as of late." he replied somewhat cockily before striding passed her to the back room and jumping over the counter to check its surroundings, hoping to find evidence that Malik had already departed for his trip and would not be returning for the night.

"Ah, so the rumors are true... Then I am happy for you, but I am a little confused, Altaïr. I heard that the Master of the Assassin's was killed..." she began as she stood in the doorway, watching him search. "What really happened between you and the Master?"

The whole situation had struck her as odd since Altaïr had grown to be so proud and appreciative of his Master's teachings in the beginning. What on earth could have transpired between the two to goad Altaïr into killing the old man?

"It is not something you should concern yourself with for the moment." he stated flatly to effectively drop the subject and continued on with his task.

"Oh. Then I meant no disrespect." She replied with irritation. "Perhaps I should just take my leave. You have things of your own to attend to and there is much this city holds for me tonight anyway."

His head darted up from behind the counter when she turned from the door to head back to the Bureau gate.

"Wait." He called out and quickly hopped over it and tracked behind her, grabbing her arm. She frowned and he ran a hand through his short dark brown hair, back pedaling his words quickly upon realizing his mistake. "I just would prefer not to waste the little time we have discussing the fall of my Master."

In essence, Altaïr had never been able to get the man off his mind. Al Mualim had been like a father and role model to him growing up when he had none... He was a stern and admirable teacher in every respect. Never had he imagined he would be raising his blade against him over what the old fool deemed to be "treasure."

Altaïr motioned for her to follow him, urging her away from the exit before he returned to the room, still intent his search.

"Whatever you're looking for is not there. There is nothing here in fact. I have already looked... " she replied quietly as she waited in the doorway, crossing her arms disappointedly.

"I did not ask you to meet me here so you could fill your pockets, Adah. Besides, Malik would know it was you." he called over his shoulder while giving the room a final once-over before returning to her side, satisfied with his findings that the Bureau was indeed gone.

She remained quiet as she stared at the floor.

"You will never stop this, will you? This thievery..." he stated, leaning his shoulder against the frame of the entrance way to look her over again now that she was in the path of the candlelight.

"It is my way of survival, Altaïr... not yours. So stop your worrying over matters that do not concern you." she retorted with his own response before turning her back to him. "If you wanted to meet just to argue about my way of life again then I am leaving."

Ignoring her frosty attitude, he reached up and plucked a golden pin from her hair that was most likely just a fraction of her undoubtedly stolen attire, watching the long ebony locks pool like silk down her shoulders and back.

She rounded to face him at just the right moment to catch him tossing it carelessly over his shoulder and into the back room, the sound of it pinging to the floor striking her ears. With a frustrated sigh, she moved forward to stalk passed him through the doorway, but a gauntleted arm suddenly shot up to bar her path.

"Altaïr, why have you brought me here? What is this about?" she said to him, attempting to lift his forearm out of the way.

Closing the distance by jerking her against him with same arm at around her waist, he reached up with his free hand and grabbed her chin roughly to smooth his thumb over her bottom lip. Knitting her eyebrows together, Adah stared up at him as a shiver crept up her spine under the intensity of his eyes.

"You are right, it is very good to see you again, Adah. But as much as I would like to sit and discuss your... disappearance," his voice deep and almost scornful on the last word, "there is not much time."

He turned to look up at the moon's position in the sky to judge the hour as Adah began to wriggle against him to loosen his grip.

"Not much time for what? What is this about, Altaïr? You know as well as I do that it is forbidden for us to even be here when the Bureau leader is not and you know how Malik can be. What if he returns early?" she stated, nervously looking up over his shoulder to the Bureau's fenced opening.

"He will not, I have made sure of that." he said in a low voice.

The letter he had sent Malik with a detailed description of where another part of the Piece of Eden could be found would keep him busy tonight until he discovered the map would unfortunately lead him to a dead end. He noted mentally that he would just have to apologize to him and give him a correct version of the map later.

"Then what is it that is so important that- AH!" Her breath was knocked out of her as she was hauled her up over his shoulder and carried to the corner to be dropped unceremoniously onto the various rugs and pillows she saw earlier.

"If you wanted me to sit you could have asked, Altaïr!" she blurted. "Now please tell me what is going on?"

This didn't appear to be going the way she had hoped and his aloofness was making her uncomfortable.

Altaïr said nothing and hastily began the task of unbuckling his right gauntlet. Adah watched him curiously as the heavy steel fell to the floor with a loud clink, his leather belt soon falling after it.

"W-what are you doing?" she questioned slowly, watching him work silently to divest himself of the many dagger holsters strapped to his body, each sounding noisily as they hit the tile. Once his robe began to come up and over his head her eyes widened in realization.

"No... You know I will not do this. I cannot." She blurted, standing back to her feet.

He continued on with his tasks unaffected, as if her words were nothing, but that of a jingling bell. She frowned and turned to stare at the shadows dancing across the wall from the flickering candle in the corner, trying to remember exactly how clear she had been in letter before her disappearance.

"You know, I am surprised that after all these years," she finally continued, "that you haven't changed in the slightest! If you had told me that this was what you were after-," her voice beginning to shake from the pent up anger, her hands gesturing to her body then balling back up at her sides, " then I wouldn't have wasted my time coming here. I thought you would have changed, but I see I am mistaken... It has always been only about this!"

She made for the gate to make her exit when the loud clatter of his long sword being thrown to the floor startled her out of her retreat. Suddenly, everything went a black and she winced against the blunt press of the brick wall against her back. Panic began to well inside her with a ferocity that was unchallenged by anything she had ever experienced before. She stiffened when Altaïr flushed himself against her, the pressure of his mouth attempting to devour her own while strong fingers wrenched themselves into her wrappings as if about to tear them from her body.

"Wait! PLEASE!" she cried, turning her head away from the silken lips burning against the skin of her neck. Pushing against his bare chest, she pressed back into the wall desperately wishing she could just fall through it.

It was all happening so fast! She bucked in an attempt to throw him off, but he ground his hips back in return, breathing heavily against her neck at the increased friction. Easily overpowering her, he grabbed her bottom roughly and hauled her up to eye level, wrapping her legs around his waist. His hips mashed into hers and he couldn't resist smirking against the skin of her neck at the way her hips were cradling his so deliciously as though they were designed for him alone.

Trapped against his weight, Adah rolled her head back against the rough mortar of the wall, whimpering quietly when the warm, wet trail of his tongue curled lazily across her throat. A familiar hardness was pressing into to her lower belly while a stray hand slid up her side to thumb a nipple firmly through the soft cloth. She squeaked when it began to circle the sensitive area around it before flicking back across the hardening peak that was betraying everything she stood for. Her mind was reeling for her to put a stop to this, but slowly she began to realize the sensations he was eliciting in her were slowly beginning to put up a very good argument...

With labored breath, her hips bucked into him instinctively when his head came up to softly trace her lips with his own, working effectively to melt her resolve. The strong, rough stubble rubbing against her chin and the feel of his lips skirting across hers so teasingly was quickly beginning to flood her belly with warmth. Large hands roamed over her feverishly to help remind himself of what had been lost so long ago.

'NO, you mustn't do this again. Not when you have tried so hard to forget!' said a small voice in her mind trying to push its way through the haze of lust that was spreading itself quickly throughout her body. She had promised herself.

But instead of following her instincts, she came to him anyway and now she was quickly losing control of the situation. She couldn't put herself through the heartache again... Especially when she knew how much the after effect he had on her could be so stifling. Never could she forget that horrifying effect of feeling completely used and awash with shame after the deed was done then disgusted with herself for allowing it to happen again no matter how good he made her feel. It was just an opportunity to couple... it always had been.

But for her it meant another part of her would crumble before him for allowing him to do it in exchange for nothing in return except a false hope that it could be something more. Then the overwhelming press of guilt and self loathing would always follow shortly after because as much as she hated to admit, she had been the one who started this whole mess.

+++Flashback+++

After her mother was killed when she was but nine years old, Adah had traveled with her worthless father on foot to Masyaf where he'd dumped her not far from the heavily guarded wooden gates. Barely able to feed himself nonetheless his daughter, he simply refused to be bothered with her anymore and bringing her to a small town like Masyaf would surely help her find refuge somewhere unlike the dangerous streets of Acre. Fortunately, it was the only good thing he had ever done for her because just days later an elderly woman caught her stealing pieces of bread and apples from her window and stuffing them into her starving mouth. The woman had snatched her up and promptly spanked her filthy hands, questioning where her parents were. But Adah could only purse her lips and remain as quiet as the dead.

She didn't need help from anyone...

Finally, after a thorough examination of the poor girls obviously disheveled appearance, the old woman decided to take her in. Adah had appeared to not have bathed in many days and if she did belong to someone, they would have a difficult time recognizing her underneath the layers of caked on dirt.

As time passed on, Adah soon came to realize and appreciate what it was like to have an actual home and as the woman began to care for her and not just keep her around for the work she did around the house. Plus, having a full stomach everyday could easily change anyone's sour attitude for the better. Eventually, Adah became respectful of the old woman and what she had done for if she hadn't, she most likely wouldn't be of this earth any longer by probably succumbing to starvation so early in her life.

The muggy heat was almost unbearable this time of year as the sun scorched the hot earth, punishing any inhabitants that dared to venture throughout their small town. Wobbling under an enormous freshly filled water vase, Adah followed the feverish dirt path back towards the lower residential area of Masyaf. This was the hardest part of all her chores, she thought grimly, but she didn't really mind. The sooner she did it the sooner it was over and she could relax in the cool afternoon shade. She smiled at the promise of a moments respite from the burning sun, but suddenly her thoughts were interrupted when she was mistakenly pushed by a small group of boys a little older than she that had been appeared to be arguing. Losing her balance and falling in an undignified heap in the dirt, the pot tumbled over her head, drenching her and her favorite green dress in water.

"Why don't you watch where you are going!" one of their voices rang out above her.

The heat from the dry cracked ground burned against the backs of her legs and she moved to get up and investigate when a hand suddenly outstretched, pulling her to her feet by the collar of her dress. She shrieked, thrashing against the hand that was dragging her up until she was placed on her feet and turned to find the golden brown eyes of a taller boy with short unruly brown hair looking down at her. His observant eyes scanned over the wet dirt clumps clinging to her long curly hair and dress.

"It was an accident..." she replied sheepishly to the ground even though she was well aware it them who had pushed her, but she wasn't looking to create even more problems for herself. As if a few hard spankings on her hands for coming home waterless and filthy weren't bad enough. She was still new to this town and did not wish to start a bad reputation with anyone. The boy remained silent and nodded as the trail of his eyes finally returned to her face.

She was tiny, he noted to himself.

"That vase must weigh more than you do." he stated flatly with a bit of sarcasm. Adah said nothing and continued to stare at the ground while picking small clumps of yellow dirt from the strands of hair around her shoulders.

"Hey!" he shouted over his shoulder to the other boys, "I will return shortly. Try not to get into any trouble while I am gone."

He then grabbed her wrist before leaning down to pick up the tall pot and shoved it under his arm.

"Hope the Master doesn't coming looking for you, Altaïr..." came a snide reply from one of the other boys with shorter cropped hair. He simply shrugged his shoulders and walked casually back up the path she had just come from with a disapproving little girl attached to his hand.

"What are you doing? I can fill it myself just fine! I do not need your help..." she whispered to him, looking around worriedly in hopes that he wasn't caught doing her chores seeing as it wasn't very becoming of a young boy to be doing so.

"It was my fault you were knocked down... I will refill it." he replied, leaving no room for argument in his voice. Giving up, she followed silently beside him as he dragged her through the busy passageways to refill the pot and allow her to clean herself up.

It hadn't taken him nearly as long to fill the vase as it did for her and it couldn't have been a moment sooner because the heat was threatening to cook them both. After thanking him for helping once it was full, she led the way to her home with him lugging the heavy ceramic vase against his shoulder. Most of the children seemed to think she was strange upon her first coming to Masyaf, but apparently that was a common they both shared which made talking to him much easier. He wouldn't elaborate much on his past and seemed to dodge the subject by twisting the conversation back to her whenever when she began to asking him too many questions. After a while she managed to pry him into telling her he was actually in training to become one of the Hashshasin she'd overheard the townspeople often speak of. She wasn't quite sure what that meant, but from the townspeople's words, it was someone very important.

Finally they stopped in front of the door to her new home. Adah thanked him again for his trouble, but he just shrugged it off. He placed the tall heavy pot over her head once again with little effort and reached forward to dust the remaining dirt from her shoulders.

"It is still much too big for you, but I can tell you're not as puny as you look... You'll be fine." He winked and threw a rather lopsided grin in her direction. Adah smiled back and attempted to wave as best as she could when he took off in the opposite direction towards the large fortress he told her was his home.

From that moment forth, she found herself coming to look for him every day at the large castle atop the hill when she was finished with her chores, unable to resist the urge to watch him train long and hard in the courtyard as an exciting way to fill the long days. He was such a mystery to her and she quickly found herself drawn into discovering what exactly he was to become.

Slowly as time progressed, she began to grow more fond of him, from going everywhere he went to even rough housing in the open field with the other boys. And to her surprise, he would always welcome her company as a nice reprieve outside of the castle where he could be free. If only for little while. He would even teach her some of his fighting skills secretly from time to time, unwittingly becoming her protector and her closest friend. Their bond grew even stronger over the years when the elderly woman that took her in eventually passed away, leaving her alone in this cold and unforgiving world...

She was forced to take refuge in the tall watch tower in front of the fortress after being put out of the old woman's house so it could be resold so sleeping in the hay was all she really had to look forward to anymore. Thankfully, Altaïr was sneaking away with food and lying with her at night so she wouldn't feel so alone. He was all she had now as a strong pillar of strength in a dark and lonely place.

And before they both knew it, Altaïr had also unknowingly become her very first love...

One night when the air was cooler than she would have liked, Adah lay quietly under her large afghan, trying to snuggle deeper into the warmth that lay beside her when she heard a low mumble and a heavy arm pull her close. The deep sound rumbled through Altaïr's chest and into her ear, pulling her from her thoughts. He had fallen asleep long before her, exhausted after a difficult assignment from his Master on the outskirts of Damascus. Shockingly, she had never really been afraid once she found out the true purpose of what it means to be a Hashashin. She was just very careful to never question any of his missions when he would return with angry specks of blood splattered across his white robes. It was better not to ask questions in fear of what the answers might be so she simply settled with praying for his safe return instead.

He had been a bit angry with her tonight, though. He stayed out searching all over the city after his assignment when she was nowhere to be found just to find out she had gone collecting "merchandise" again after he'd told her it wasn't necessary to steal and was dishonorable. She'd simply shrugged him off like always, but this time he seemed genuinely irritated.

After a long while he slackened up, relieved that she was back and settled down for the night. He'd said it was difficult for him to keep an eye out for her when she was out stuffing her pockets who knows where.

'I'm not a child anymore, Altaïr...' she thought matter-of-factly, looking up into his handsome face as he slept on.

Putting the argument behind her, she decided to begin her nightly ritual of examining his features that she enjoyed so much while he slept unbeknownst. It was the only opportunity she really had since she never actually found the strength to voice her feelings to him out of fear of his reaction and possible rejection, but she just couldn't resist admiring how attractive he truly was to her.

Adah's thoughts began to sadden as she mulled over the possibilities. 'Surely he wouldn't approve...'

The Assassin's had little room for loved ones in their lives, anyway. Not because of their lifestyle, but because of the dangerous possibility of their loved ones becoming a target. So to put it simply, it was strictly forbidden within the Creed.

She heaved a frustrated sigh and very gently began to smooth her fingers delicately over the bristly unkempt stubble peppering the strong curve of his jaw that just seemed to thicken more and more the older he became. Knitting his eyebrows together, his breathing increased as if he would awaken and she froze, refusing to relax until it steadied back into that of a deep slumber. Berating herself, Adah removed her trembling fingers and examined him intently to make sure he was actually asleep before she continued. She needed to be more careful not to wake him, but he was so adorable in his sleep that she simply couldn't resist.

Short, scruffy brown hair peeked out through the opening of his hood that had fallen back slightly in his sleep. It was always a tiny bit longer on the top than the sides and back, which he kept trimmed a bit more closely.

'Combs... They just don't seem to suit you do they, Altaïr?' she thought, giggling quietly to herself but that was one of things she'd always liked about him. Altaïr had grown into the epitome of masculinity in her eyes over the years, impossibly gorgeous in every respect.

The trail of her half-lidded gaze passed over the dark, prominent eyebrows that seemed to express what he was thinking almost as well as his eyes seemed to. She followed the tender path of her fingers until her eyes finally settled on the fullness of his lips, their round smoothness so impossibly tasty and inviting. She knew she never had the strength to do it, but what if she could get away with it?

'He would never know! Besides, Altaïr was a deep sleeper anyway,' she heard the little niggling voice in the back of her head. She smiled to herself, but it was too great a risk.

'Perhaps it better to not test the water. But my God, it would be worth finding out... Wouldn't it?' she thought, biting nervously on the tip of her fingernail.

Oh, how she wanted to!

Long ago had she grown fed up of always wondering, afraid of the possibility of denial, but what if he did accept her affections? But there were still too many 'what ifs' and not enough answers.

After a while her curiosity was getting the better of her.

It was either now or never again!

Slowly she inched up, pausing first to look around the room as if she was being watched then closed her eyes and ever so gently pressed her lips to Altaïr's for an unbelievably glorious moment that was too short lived. Pulling back quickly, her eyes darted over him to see if there were any signs that she had been caught, but apparently he slept on undisturbed. Growing bolder she inched back up and increased the pressure, reveling in the feel of them by prolonging the kiss and pouring all of her pent up emotions over his lips when suddenly she felt his tongue skirt across hers.

She gasped and immediately jerked away, flushing embarrassingly when his heavily drowsy eyes opened slowly.

"What are you doing?" his voice rough and laced with sleep.

"I-I-" she stammered and buried her face against his chest, gluing her eyes shut after failing to find anything else to look at for a change except his face. Mentally railing herself, she prayed he would think nothing of it and just go back to sleep! Why hadn't she just listened to her first mind?

Altaïr licked his lips of their strangely foreign taste and stared down at the top of her head for a moment, trying to push back the heavy fog of drowsiness. Was she doing what he thought she was doing or was his clouded mind playing tricks on him? But then again, if she wasn't then why would she hide from him?

When she didn't respond, he lifted her head up by her chin to search her face for an answer and from what he could tell, she was blushing furiously even in the muted glow of the moonlight near the balcony. Surprised and curious to find the answer was the latter of the two, he decided to put it to the test and very slowly leaned in. If she resisted he would relent and let her be.

He gauged her reactions very carefully as she remained stock still when his lips hesitated for a moment, just barely touching as they hovered over hers. When she didn't turn away, Altaïr finally sealed her lips to his own and she sighed, melting against him instantly.

His kiss was clumsy and inexperienced like hers, but to her, it was absolutely perfect. They soon found themselves exploring each other almost feverishly, ripping away any cloth that stood in the way and she loved every minute of it. Altaïr was exploring her body like a man starved of affection all his life. Her heart soared when she heard his voice against her chest asking timidly if he could have her, but it didn't seem like he waited for an answer because he began to attack all the areas that made her squirm and writhe the most, forcing her to cry out in the night against his nimble fingers.

And it was bliss...

But once it was all over her hopes of him returning those feelings never came and she felt like nothing but a foolish young girl because later that night he realized that that he probably wouldn't be able to give her what she wanted emotionally. Therefore an agreement was formed the two. It was only a chance to couple for solace. It could never be anything more. And with a desperate breath she agreed and every night that followed, Altaïr would come to her and slip under her afghan as she lay sleeping at the top of the watch tower. His warm hands would snake into her robes as he nuzzled his face and lips against her to quietly pull her from slumber's grasp and she would welcome his attentions every time hoping desperately that he would return her feelings one day...

But the feel of his heated skin pressed up against her as he buried himself deeper between her thighs under the cover of darkness was what she had to settle for.

Soon the weight of shame began to imprint itself deeper and deeper into her soul every time he appeared to smear himself all over her until she felt she would never be able to wash him away. She soon realized he was indeed a murderer, physically and emotionally because he was killing her inside... She may as well have been sleeping with the devil himself, but God help her she could not stop. He was a complicated addiction and it drove her crazy. His sometimes emotionless and over protectiveness of her had drawn her to him like a moth to the blackest flame. But the rules of their agreement assured there could be no devotion and never any strings attached.

Altaïr was still a newly emerging Assassin to the Brotherhood at the time and had too much piled on his plate at once to really worry himself with the feelings of an adolescent young girl. He tried to withdraw himself from the situation on numerous occasions to spare her feelings, but instead had unwittingly allowed their agreement to become his constant every night. Sometimes he even found himself seeking her out during the day whenever the time allotted and after several weeks it soon became obvious to him that he couldn't seem to get enough of her.

But eventually Adah had her fill of his tortuous disappointments and began to distance herself from him at night by shying away from his advances, hoping that he would subtly begin to catch on but he never did, or just didn't want to.

There shouldn't be any devotion and there shouldn't be any form of attachment, but Altaïr's own obsession with her soon became an addiction of his own just a little too late. He would find himself lying near her at night, searching for the right words to pull her back to him, but he wasn't good at such things and those words would never come. At least until the night he came for her at the top of the watch tower only to find everything that belonged to her was gone except a folded note and the afghan he'd given her so long ago still laying forgotten over the soft hay.

+++End of Flashback+++

To Be Continued…

Thanks for reading and review if you like!

-The Rusty Peach