One Day She'll Understand. Well, explanation- I've always been fond of Subject Sixteen and I love writing about him. True, this is the first oneshot I've actually finished with him in it, but there will be more in the future. I hope you guys enjoy this even though it's just a very small story I wrote in my graphic design class. Hooray for displaced productivity.

Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or any of its characters.

She thought no one noticed her feelings for him. Oh, she was too, too wrong. Rebecca knew from late-night pillow talks and soothing the blond when she woke from nightmares. Lucy trusted her enough to know. Shaun became aware after simple observation and somewhat from Rebecca confirming his suspicions. It's was painfully apparent- or so the two thought. However, no one would speak about it openly. The topic was like curse, only capable of bringing a dark, depressing cloud over the group, and it was better to be left alone. The team tried avoiding the subject at all costs, especially because of how it affected Lucy.

Desmond, who was out of the loop due to living a 'Second Life' in the Animus, slowly began to understand after each piece of the puzzle fit into place. The first time he came across a glyph and found an encoded file left behind, he thought he only imaged the small gasp that came from the outside the machine.

"Hello. This is… er- th-th-they call me Subject Sixteen." Sixteen's voice stumbled over words, his explanation twisted and filled with pure paranoia. "Listen, I don't have much time. There's something I have to show you."

Surely it was from the cruel experiments at Abstergo. The company and Templars ruined him completely, transforming him into a shell of what he used to be. He used to be a man… What was he like in his later days? Was he less than that or… More? He suffered extreme symptoms from the Bleeding Effect, the damage on his sanity apparent through the audio. Desmond swallowed the truth, thanking whoever was watching over him for not allowing him to follow the same fate. If he were to have any sort of side effects, he knew Lucy would pull him out the machine and tell him to give it a rest.

She always watched over him.

He was extremely thankful for the blond's help. At Abstergo, she gave him hope when there obviously was none. Now, he was well taken care of by all the team- excluding Shaun who only cracked snotty jokes about him for no reason. No matter what, he always thought he owed Lucy everything…

"We've been lied to this whole time. Everything we know, everything we've been brought up to believe. It-it's wrong." He laughed nervously and Desmond swore he heard a single sob from outside of the Aminus. "Can't be too careful."

It was then, when they reviewed the encrypted file and the team heard the voice of Subject Sixteen, did Desmond realize his own personal mission.

The team grew silent after the auto of the tape faded into silence. Desmond pulled himself out of the machine, wondering what was with the lack of communication. As he opened his eyes, he noticed Rebecca turned to work on the machine next to him. She had her headphones hanging around her neck and a frown plastered on her face. Shaun, on the other hand, had his back turned and worked diligently on his computer, his nose barely grazing the screen.

The two were completely silent, pretending not to notice Lucy crying at her station after hearing part one of 'The Truth.'

When out of the Animus, Desmond spent most of his time watching over her. Sometimes he even forgot about his own needs because he worried over her desires. He was worried and he did not feel like sitting on the sideline like the rest of the team. He wanted to be there for her, no matter what. When she tossed and turned during her sleep from the nightmares she experiences at Abstergo… Or even when she stayed up all night to work on the truth, listening to the man's shaky voice repeatedly as tears stained her cheeks… He wanted to be there for her.

Rebecca applauded Desmond's effort, silently cheering him on as he followed the blond around like Prince Charming. Offering help- and possibly his soul as Shaun said- he spent overtime in the Animus in hope that he would find what Lucy was looking for faster than expected. On breaks, he would hang around her desk and practically begged her to let him help. It was pretty cute to watch. She would smile at his kindness, which in turn made Desmond smile, which then made Rebecca smile, which only made Shaun mutter something about lack of productivity and would shove his nose back into the computer's monitor.

One morning as Desmond made Lucy a cup of coffee, Rebecca slipped into the kitchen for a little chat. When questioned about why he was being so nice to the blond, he simply gave a weak smile and replied, "I want her to understand I'm here for her that, no matter what, I will not leave her... She should see what is in front of her- how much she is helping others… How important she is. To the Creed, to the team… And to me… I owe her that much." He sighed, looking down into the cup, "And when she is ready... I'll be waiting..."

At that, she patted him on the back as he walked out, silently wishing him luck on his mission.

After awhile, the team was starting to see a difference in the blond. She smiled more often and spent most of her nights catching up on her rest. There was less time spent on overworking the possibilities of what 'The Truth' meant, causing her to keep most of her sanity intact.

That was until Desmond stumbled across the last of Subject Sixteen's encoded message.

"I can't do it!" A muffled sob escaped through the audio as his voice continued with a nervous question. "Can I do it? Will it set me free from this… endless, ring of time? I feel the guillotine cut my throat, the… bullet hit my chest, the water fill my lungs. The blood spills out, thick… and red!" Another shaken cry was heard from the subject before his voice fell into a pleading whisper. "It's time to get out."

Desmond wanted to leave. He did not want her to hear anymore. How hard it was for Sixteen… The Effect… His fingers gripped the arms of the Aminus, wanting the message to stop…

They all just wanted it to stop…

"Ah, the moon. I can see the stars… My mind is gone, Lucy. I can't wait any longer. I'm ready to go…"

The Truth… Well… His truth… It hit the four of them with such a force that instantly rendered the group speechless. His plea. He wanted to be relieved from the torture. Piece by piece, they rebuilt the message of a broken man. As well as that, each piece seemed to shatter something inside Lucy, causing her to regress back into loathing and blame.

"…She sees me raise the knife…"

Desmond exited the Animus to find the room dead. The tension was so thick that no one dared speak of 'The Truth' in fear of the woman's sanity.

Avoiding the situation all together, Rebecca and Shaun focused on their work while fidgeting under the pressure. Desmond shook his head at their reluctance and stood from the machine. He waited a moment, seeing if the two would grow a backbone and join him. No, of course not. With soft steps, he made his way to the desk of the working-on-edge blond.

Lucy never noticed him coming from behind her seat. Her eyes were focusing on the screen; she was desperately trying to take her mind from her past. Her nightmares. Letting out a deep sigh, his hand slid to her shoulder, giving a gentle and reassuring squeeze. It was not much, but he thought it got his message across quite nicely. Hopefully she would understand his message.

She saved him- risked her own life to save him. Now she was risking it for even greater goals! It's all for the greater good! He wanted her to know how highly she is thought of and appreciated. He'll try to be the best for her. He'll be there… She deserves only the best…

Her hand slowly moved up to cover his, holding him in place.

It was a gentle thanks for being there- but it also told him it wasn't necessary. She wouldn't look up to catch his downwards gaze and sat frozen under the comforting touch. There was silence, but he still understood. The action spoke volumes to him.

Sometimes.. The things that become lost overshadow the things they have gained…

Never looking up, she finally let go and he slid his hand back down to his side.

"Let's keep moving."

He gave the busy working woman a weak smile as he made his way back to the machine and had Rebecca hook him back in. One day she'll understand… He was not going to ignore her tears… Nor her cries for help at night. He'll be there to remind her of her accomplishments, the light in the world. He'll guide her. He'll be there for her…

Maybe she'll let go… Then maybe she'll realize he'll be there… One day…

It was his mission, after all…

Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

-End of One Day She'll Understand- Finished. I really like Subject Sixteen. Such an interesting character... This is the first Assassin's Creed Oneshot that I've made and I'm so glad that I'm finished with something… I've been trying to finish something… All these stories… I'm going to surely stab one of my eyes out sometime… Plus the dialogue is probably screwy because I could not find the true dialogue when they come across his last message.

Review if you wish, tell me what you think, tell me what's going through your mind, so on and so forth...

YourConscience813