AC Syndicate: Isolated Files [OS]

Thank you, Vic

[Chapter image by me]

For some time now, Jacob was not really the same. He was as if he were there, managing the London Brotherhood that was built up little by little after Crawford Starrick's death, doing different missions, but his mind was completely elsewhere. The other Assassins didn't really pay attention to this evasive and pensive... sometimes withdrawn attitude. They weren't close enough to him to notice. Even the few former Rooks he used to hang out with — now Assassins — hadn't noticed any difference. But the former waitress at Seven Bells had noticed the change. Having become close friends with the Frye twins — especially Jacob — during hes time as a Rook and during his apprenticeship as an Assassin, Victoria Reid was well aware that he was not his normal self. And she thought she knew why. He may have been a good friend to her, but she would never replace the intrepid sister: Evie Frye. The latter had left London with Henry to live with him in India. Jacob and Victoria might be soul mates, but the brunette from the Seven Bells would never be his twin, with whom the brash brother had a strong bond despite the occasional conflict.

Tonight, like the others, she entered the train through Jacob's carriage. Exhausted from her day, she did not relax, for it was not over — although the sun had been down for half an hour. She saw the brother Frye slumped in the chair beside the desk, one elbow on the armrest, a fist on his cheek to hold his head, one leg over the other, ankle over knee. He'd heard Victoria enter but didn't react. The sigh that escaped his nose could have been a sign of welcome, albeit a sad one. But it was only the result of chance. The heart weighed down by the sadness of such a picture, that of a twin suffering from a lack impossible to fill, removed his hood. As a result of chance, Victoria sighed as well. She approached him, removing her gauntlet and placing it on top of the Rooks' vault. She took the opportunity to remove her coat and place it on the sofa. Having got rid of her coat and a few other useless things in the train, she finally reached him. She knelt down in front of him, taking his free hand, to get his attention, his eyes on her.

"Jacob..." she could barely whisper

The Assassin, who was a shadow of his former self, barely looked up to see Victoria's saddened face. He didn't feel very good about causing her so much pain. But despite this he kept silent, but the brunette didn't mind, already happy to have his attention. She didn't need more.

"We all miss Evie, Jacob. And I know you feel it more intensely. But the Rooks need you, and so does the Brotherhood, and so does London. I need you as a mentor... as a friend and..." she paused, looking at the ground, as if to recover memories. "plus if there's a lot of beer..."

Despite his state, Jacob couldn't help but give a small, barely visible smile. Victoria had a gift for adding a little humour when situations were far too serious. Besides, he knew what she was referring to with her words... and it brought back pleasant memories. But he regained his seriousness when Victoria looked at him to resume:

"But I also want you to know that you are not alone, Jacob. I'm here and I'm not leaving London. Our friends, Assassins and Rooks alike, are here... Not to mention Frederic, Clara, Agnes... We're all here. And you can count on all of us, especially me."

"... especially you," he murmured at the same time as her.

He removed his hand from hers and placed it on Victoria's cheek.

"Thank you, Blackbird."

"I'm just keeping my word to Evie: 'look after you'," she said, standing up. "Come on, let's go to the dining carriage with the Rooks. It was a good day today."

She held out her hand for him to get up. He followed her to their destination. Victoria's words hadn't freed him from the pain of missing his twin, but they had managed to ease it, to make it more bearable. He could really count on her to support him, even in everything. Victoria was just loyal to the Frye twins, and to her loved ones. And Jacob was the one she cared about the most.

Victoria was there for him every day. She helped him when he had to devise a strategy to fight the Templars who were still trying to reclaim control of London. She was also in the field with him, Rooks or other Assassins on their side or not. When they were alone in the same mission, she eliminated those who wanted to attack her mentor, her friend — dear friend — and vice versa. Victoria's company was good for the Frye twin, who was happy to know that she would never let him down, and that it was the same for the other members of the Brotherhood or even the Rooks. And of course he sensed her love for him, although she would not tell him. But the attention she gave him, the way she cared for him, was far from insignificant. It was impossible not to see it.

This love for him was especially evident on days that were much more depressing than others in Jacob's life. Victoria was even more involved in consoling him. Although it could and did sound tiring, she continued to repeat the same things with empathy and great caring, after listening to the sadness of the Rooks' leader. He found comfort in the arms and words of his blackbird. When Jacob's depressed evenings ended late at night, Victoria would invite him to sleep in her carriage — which was Evie's before she moved to India with Henry — so that he could sleep soothed, in the softness of her embrace, under the warmth of the blanket. But not every sad night ended like this. Sometimes Jacob refused to sleep beside Victoria, preferring to be alone on his sofa. The brunette always respected his decisions and never insisted. And then other spleen nights, especially those when they were somewhat drunk, it ended in the blackbird's bed, flying to cloud nine with the rook in a close, carnal fight. Reid and Frye never really talked about it the day after those particular nights under the sheets. If that's the way it was for both of them and they didn't mind the idea, so be it. Perhaps they would talk about it later.

Another evening, the former waitress at the Seven Bells entered the train after helping the police. This time it was not a depressed Jacob she saw. Nor was he cheerful. Tonight she saw him concentrating on writing a letter. What he was writing must have been rich and intense in emotion. You could see it in his eyes and the slight movement of his jaw. He was expressing his feelings, but also emphasising Victoria's support. Writing to Evie was a piece of advice from the brunette, and she was happy to see that he was finally doing it. Throwing off her gear, her Assassin's accessories and her coat, she went to Jacob and put her hands on his shoulders as soon as she got behind him.

"I see you're writing to your sister."

Still concentrating, he confirmed. The young woman's fingers eventually massaged his shoulders lightly. The Frye brother paused, wanting to take advantage of Victoria's affectionate gesture. He put the feather on the table and rested his back against the back of the chair. He thanked her.

"You do thank me for writing the letters, don't you? Not for anything else?"

"Of course it's for your idea of a letter," Jacob retorted and began to relax.

Victoria laughed briefly and stopped the barely supported massage. Jacob was somewhat disappointed but said nothing as the brunette justified that she was tired, so she was going to sleep. As soon as she said this, she left Jacob's carriage for hers. The brunette followed her with his eyes. He smirked before continuing to write the letter. He wanted to finish it before he went to sleep.

Once he had signed, Jacob put the quill away and let the ink dry on the paper. He sat in the chair for a few moments, his eyes fixed on the desk. He was thinking. Then he got up and turned off the oil lamps in the carriage before heading for Victoria's own.

Tonight, without needing any comfort, without melancholy, he wanted the company of his dear friend. He couldn't see if she was sleeping or not, her position meant that he could only see her from behind, no matter if he was at the door he had just entered or the one opposite, at the other end of the carriage. But instinctively he felt that Victoria had already left the real world for the dreams. Without delay, he removed his scarf, then his grey jacket and finally his shirt before taking off his boots. Shoeless and bare-chested, he slipped under the sheets and took the brunette in his arms. Seeing that it was free, he allowed himself to delicately place a kiss on her neck. A tender and instinctive gesture, like a need to do so. Perhaps the flame she had for him was being born in his heart. Whatever it was, it brought a brief smile to the sleeping woman's face. She pressed herself a little closer to him, feeling his presence despite her sleep. This in turn made him smile. Barely audible, he wished Victoria a good night. After that, it didn't take long for the rook to join the blackbird in the land of dreams.