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Crossover Universe/Altami - An Unexpected Adoption

Summary: A year after the wedding and a few months after Altaïr and Tami's daughter Sabina was born, a boy who had run away from an orphanage hid in their library, and they had to decide what to do with him… Trigger Warning: Bullying and sad memories (and lots and lots of dialogue), but it gets wholesome in the end. <3

Another fanfic finished after a long time! This time it's almost 9,000 words long! I can't believe I'm actually able to write such a long one-shot story! 😵 Anyways here is Zeke's first appearance in Crossverse! :3

Enjoy! 💗

Behind the Gepardia's Orphanage playground, children were joyfully playing on a sunny day in June. They gathered in small groups, either in the sandbox, on the jungle gym, or playing with their toys. Among them, caretakers walked around watching over them, along with a few adults who were deciding which child to adopt.

Under a small, solitary baobab tree sat a nine-year-old human boy wearing a green hoodie, turquoise trousers, green sneakers, and a large teal toque that almost covered his dark gray eyes. He had light skin, long, shaggy brown hair, and barely visible freckles on the nose bridge.

He didn't play with the other children and kept his distance from them, since the other children found him weird and foolishly naïve. He frequently tried to befriend the newly arrived orphans, but never succeeded, as they soon joined the group of "cooler" kids and left him alone. So instead, the boy looked for comfort either in books and learning or in observing animals, the only ones who never judged him.

"Hey, Zeke!" A different boy and his two friends snapped him out of his thoughts. At first, it seemed like they wanted to hang out with him, but Zeke knew they weren't his friends, and he recognized their mocking grins.

"Leave me alone, eh," grumbled Zeke, avoiding their glances.

"What’s the matter?" asked the boy tauntingly, "Are you just going to sit here under the tree and wait for your mommy to come back?"

"You're orphans too," Zeke reminded them.

"The difference is that our parents died from disease or from the Templars many years ago. Meanwhile, your mommy left you," said the second boy.

"She must have had a reason, eh! She told me she loved me and gave me her toque!" Zeke was running out of patience.

"Oh… A toque? Let us borrow it!" The first boy yanked the toque off Zeke's head.

"HEY!" Zeke shouted, struggling to retrieve it. "Give it back to me right now!"

"Okay, okay! Here you go…" The bully was about to hand him back his toque, "Sike!" but he raised it higher and tossed it to his friend. They tossed the toque back and forth between themselves, laughing mockingly.

Zeke couldn't take it anymore, "ENOUGH!" he yelled and jumped on one of the boys, starting to punch him in the face.

"OUCH! AH! PLEASE! STOP!" the bully cried, while his two friends stood there in shock.

"What's going on here?" the caretaker suddenly called out sternly and approached them.

"Zeke is beating me up!" the bully whined innocently, rushing over to hug her with crocodile tears in his eyes.

"That's right!" his friend nodded.

"Yes! I saw it, too!" added a third boy.

"That's because they started making fun of me and they stole my toque, eh!" Zeke argued, holding his toque tightly to his chest.

"Ezekiel, why are you making things up?" Despite his honest defense, the caregiver sided with the bullies, glaring at him. "How many times have you played the victim when all they want to do is play with you?"

"But- but-"

"No buts! If you don't improve your terrible behavior, no one will ever adopt you," the caretaker coldly remarked, leaving Zeke stunned. She softened her gaze toward the bullies. "Boys, go play over there in the sandbox." The bullies walked over to the sandbox with their heads held high, and she gazed back harshly at Zeke, "And Ezekiel, go to the corner of shame!"

Zeke, with his head hung low, headed toward the building to sit in the corner of shame for disobedient children. Now he was there alone, since he was the only "bad" child here.

What was he supposed to do? This kept happening to him, and he didn't know what to do about it anymore. He always tried to avoid trouble, but occasionally he would accidentally get caught up in it and get punished by the caretakers, whom he was terrified of. He would always apologize to them, even for things he hadn't been responsible for. The adoptive parents who visited the orphanage looked down on him, saying he looked repulsive and behaved awkwardly.

He started to remember when he lived with his parents on a small farm, a couple kilometers northwest of Gepardia. It was a time when the Templars controlled the town as they pleased, arresting and even killing those who disobeyed them without mercy or justification. He became an orphan when he was less than four years old.

His home was in flames…

The animals were fleeing for their lives from the barn…

His father was fighting off the attackers…

And his mother was fleeing the farm in panic, holding him in her arms…

The last thing he remembered was saying goodbye to her as she left him at the orphanage. Her last words were: "If something happens to me… I hope you find a new loving family, eh… I love you, my little sweetheart…" Eventually, she gave him her toque, ran away into the unknown, and two caretakers found him.

The boy hoped that his mom, perhaps his dad or both would return for him and everything would be normal again, but they never came back… From that time on, every child hated him for some unknown reason, and he never understood why.

But then he realized something: could it be that his parents didn't love him either after all?

Could it be that they were still alive and glad to have gotten rid of him?

Did that mean he was born to be hated?

He thought about the caretaker's words. Could she have been right all along?

And was that why no one would ever adopt him? From these gloomy thoughts, he pressed his face against his knees and cried quietly…

Three days later, the caretakers took the orphans, aged eight to eleven, for a morning walk. They headed south of Gepardia, where there was a nearby forest. They passed by a badminton court where a game was in session and they stopped to watch.

Zeke was still feeling down from a few days ago and mostly stared silently at the ground. When the group stopped to watch a badminton match, he tried to see if it would cheer him up. "Hey, Zeke-eh-freak-eh!" a same bully shouted at him, "That's our spot!" And he and his friends stood in front of him, blocking his view.

Zeke remained quiet and tried to move somewhere else, but the bullies followed him and continued to blocking his view.

"Why won't you just leave me alone, eh?" Zeke growled in frustration, "Why do you keep bullying me?"

"You want to know why, Zeke?" the bully asked him disdainfully. "Because you're different from us. You're not like the others, and that means you'll never belong here, and nobody wants you."

"Doesn't Havaykia celebrate differences, eh?" Zeke pointed out.

"True, but you're a bad kind of different," the bully responded derisively. "By the way… I'm getting adopted by a family from Oakheart City in a month. Meanwhile, you'll be stuck in that rotten orphanage for good! Now go stare at that boring savanna over there and let us watch the badminton!"

Zeke felt his heart breaking, but he tried not to cry in front of them and stormed off the court, hearing the bullies' laughter. The caretakers didn't intervene, and even if he had complained to them, they wouldn't have helped him. They just kept watching the badminton match.

He watched the savannah, which was lush with tall grass; in the distance, zebras, wildebeests, and various species of antelope were grazing, and flocks of lesser striped swallows and moustached treeswifts were flying above him. Actually, this sight was far more interesting than badminton.

He noticed wooden direction signs next to him: one pointed toward town, and two toward the forest, labeled TaE Family's Ranch and Kauaʻi ʻōʻō Library.

Zeke's eyes widened. He had heard of these places.

TaE Family's Ranch was owned by the TaE Family, who helped abandoned and injured animals. Kauaʻi ʻōʻō Library had opened a year ago and was also owned by the TaE Family, but that was all he knew about it. He longed to visit these locations, but the orphanage wouldn't let him go there.

Suddenly, he came up with an idea…

He looked behind him at the orphans and their caretakers, who were still watching the game. No one was supervising him. He shifted his gaze to the forest, from which the songs of other birds and small dinosaurs could be heard.

He looked back at the group. The caretakers still weren't paying him any attention. Nor did the bullies, who would surely have exposed him. He returned his gaze to the forest again and took a deep breath.

'I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't even notice me missing,' Zeke thought to himself and started running at full speed into the forest.

The farther he got from the group and the closer he got to the forest, he felt more free. After reaching the edge of the forest, he stopped to catch his breath and looked back. No one had noticed him missing. No one was calling his name. It had worked! He beamed with pride and cheerfully continued down the path.

But he didn't realize that the ranch and the library were four kilometers away. After half an hour, Zeke's legs began to ache from all the walking, since he wasn't used to it. Despite that, he began to hear trumpeting in the distance ahead of him. He suspected it was the trumpeting of the hadrosaurs that lived on the ranch, but the noise was starting to disturb him since the hadrosaurs were loud.

Then he noticed a crossroad on his right. It led into the library.

"Well… I guess I'd better head over there first, eh," Zeke decided, "My legs ache already." And he headed for the library.

After five minutes, he saw a wooden library ahead of him and a large magnolia tree growing next to it. For some reason, the hadrosaur trumpeting was much quieter here than at the crossroads. Zeke was delighted, ran to the entrance with his last bit of energy, and carefully opened the door.

Except there was no one inside… Only silence… Didn't matter thankfully! It was better if no one noticed him or they might call social service and send him back to the orphanage, making his troubles even worse-

"Taino? Are you really sure you can give us almost all of your books?" Suddenly, Zeke heard a voice with an Arabic accent and quickly hid behind the bookshelves.

He leaned aside and watched the two men talking: one was a human man in a gray hooded robes, and the other was a tall night elf with turquoise hair, wearing a stylish shirt and light blue pants. Both of them carried empty boxes toward the exit, where they set them down.

"Of course, Altaïr. After all, you and Tami need more books so that the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō Library has a more varied selection than the city library," said Taino with a genuine smile, "Tanisa said that, surprisingly, the city library doesn't have these books. That's why we're giving them to you. Besides, it's much better to read here than at home, since we have hadrosaurs."

"Well, unless Sabi starts crying," Altaïr remarked apprehensively.

"Ha! But that’s nothing, my friend," Taino chuckled, "You should imagine when we adopted Tami and her siblings when they were four years old, Tarion was three years old, and the girls were the same age as Sabi is now. It was chaos raising seven kids at once."

"But you made it through."

"And you and Tami shouldn't have as much trouble with Sabina as we used to. Even if you're planning to have another child! And if anything goes wrong, we'll be there to help you."

"Sure, Taino. Thank you, my friend," Altaïr smiled a little, "By the way, is it true that Emma and Mike have a baby girl?"

"That's right! She was born yesterday! Her name is Jasmine, and in a few days Emma will be coming home from the hospital with her! Lennon and Clara want to be her godparents!"

"Really? Emma and Mike are parents?" an excited female voice spoke up, and a woman with curly hair, wearing a white-and-orange hoodie and blue trousers, approached them. She was holding a baby girl in her arms, dressed in white pajamas.

"Habibti," Altaïr smirked softly and hugged his wife, "And my little dove," and kissed his daughter on the head, which made the little one giggle.

"Yes, Tami! This is it! Taino confirmed with a nod.

"And is Emma okay?" Tami inquired worriedly, "Because when I gave birth to Sabi, I passed out."

"Emma and Jasmine are both fine," Taino assured her, "It went quickly and smoothly. And of course, Mike was firm with the doctors, making sure they kept a close eye on her. By the way, I brought you some more books."

"Thank you, Taino," Tami beamed, "And I can't wait to see Jasmine."

"And the whole TaE Family as well!" Taino exclaimed enthusiastically. "Sabi and Jasmine can play together when they grow up!" He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "Ah, I have to go now. The ranch needs me. See you later!"

"Of course, Taino. Thanks again for the books," Altaïr bid him farewell.

"See you later, Taino! Tell the others we send our warm regards!" Tami waved goodbye as well, and Taino walked out of the library.

'What a sweet family,' Zeke reflected with a wistful smile, 'Too bad I'll never have one like that…'

Maybe they could at least help him? They seemed like nice people. But he hesitated, fearing that he might ruin everything and get himself into more trouble.

"Is everything alright, habibti?" Altaïr asked gently to Tami, caressing her cheek.

"Everything's fine, drahý. Why wouldn't it be?" Tami answered with a small smirk and petted Sabina's head.

"Nothing serious, just checking in, my dear. You know, being a mother is exhausting after all."

"I'm sure being a father is pretty exhausting, too," she joked.

"You're right, habibti." They both snickered and cuddled together. "But tiredness won't stop us from loving you, our little dove," Altaïr murmured sweetly to Sabina, who was beaming at her father.

At that moment, the front door opened and someone came inside… It was the caretaker who had told Zeke that he would never be adopted… Zeke startled and hid to avoid being seen, but he stayed to listen to them.

"Excuse me? I know you're not open yet, but I need your help," the caretaker said alarmingly.

"What do you need, ma'am?" Altaïr inquired cautiously, while Tami gave her a suspicious look and held onto Sabina protectively.

"You see, I work at Gepardia's orphanage. This morning we went for a walk with the orphans, and one boy went missing. Have you seen him?"

"What does he look like?" Altaïr continued with questions.

"He's wearing a green hoodie, turquoise pants, and a big teal toque," the caretaker described the boy. "If you see him, please let us know!"

"Alright," Altaïr nodded, "We'll let you know."

"Ah, thank you so much, sir!" the caretaker expressed her gratitude and left.

'Oh no…' Zeke recoiled in horror. He couldn't trust the family either. They would send him right back to "hell". He had to hide somewhere else… He looked around and noticed a door leading to the storage room. 'I'll hide there for now and figure something out…'

"I remember that woman," Tami spoke up.

"Really?" Altaïr looked confused at his wife, "Was she working at the time before TaE Family adopted you?"

"Yes. She started working there shortly before Emma, Takuya, Gavin, and I fled the orphanage together," Tami responded seriously. "She was mean to us, easily believing the bullies as they shed crocodile tears, and she puts on a facade around the other adults. In fact, she was the one who suggested separating us. I'm still surprised she's still working there, even though I think a person like that shouldn't be working with children at all."

"Goodness. It's a good thing she didn't recognize you, right?"

"She definitely didn't recognize me, since that was over twenty years ago. I'm wondering if the boy might have run away because that woman did something bad to him."

"How can you be sure of that-" Altaïr didn't finish his sentence when they heard a door slam in the back of the library. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah… Was that storage room door?" Tami marveled.

Altaïr used his Eagle Vision. "Someone came here and went into the storage room."

"Isn't that boy?"

"I don't know, but the footprints in my Eagle Vision seem small. We have to go check it out-"

"Wait, Alty," Tami stopped him, "If it is that boy, I'll go there by myself. Stay with Sabi here."

"Are you sure about this, habibti?" Altaïr got worried and took Sabina into his arms. "What if it's not him, but someone else? Someone dangerous?"

Tami smiled warmly at her husband. "Ah, habibi… You're always worried about me. I'll be fine, don't worry." She kissed him on the cheek, opened the door to the storage room, and stepped inside. Sabina whimpered when her mom left, and Altaïr comforted her with a hug.

Tami turned on the light and carefully scanned the storage room. "Hello? Is anyone here?" she called out, "If it's you, boy, you can show yourself. I promise that we won't hurt you."

Zeke hid behind boxes full of books and cautiously eavesdropped on her. He couldn't decide whether he should trust her. He was scared that it was a trap, but he saw how she treated her daughter and husband… On the other hand, where else could he go? No one else would help him, and he would surely end up back in the orphanage anyway. Because no one would ever adopt him.

"Come on," Tami tried speaking again, "I know you're here."

This time, Zeke stepped out and revealed himself to her. "I-I'm here, eh," he said shyly, then began to tremble, expecting her to yell at him.

"Oh my Elune…" Tami lifted her eyebrows in shock. It was that boy. "What happened to you, little one?" she asked him concernedly.

"I… I ran away from the group when we went for a walk because… Because everyone hates me, eh," Zeke admitted, nervously scratching his back of neck.

"What do you mean by that?"

"They are just bullying me because I'm different, in a bad kind!" The boy started weeping, "And the caretakers do nothing about it! They see me as the bad guy, eh! But still, I'm sorry I ran away! I understand that you'll send me back there, because I know no one would never, EVER, adopt me, eh!"

Tami was stunned by his words. Memories from her early childhood immediately flooded her mind: how she had lived in an orphanage and been hated by the other children and the caretakers because… She was different…

The only exception was that she had found friendship with Emma, Takuya, and Gavin, and together they had become siblings, even though they didn't share same blood. And she would have lost them if they hadn't run away from the orphanage and been found by Talidea, who took all four of them under her wing, even though she, Elphina, Taino, and Talar took care of Tarion, Tanisa, and Relante. Despite that, she and her siblings became loved members of the family.

Although she was already Sabina's mother and, with Altaïr, wasn't sure if they could support another child, she didn't want to let this poor little boy meet a terrible fate.

She couldn't help but give him a pitiful smile and kneel down in front of him to his level. "Hey, little one… I'm Tami Fountain, and you are?"

"Ezekiel Miller, but I prefer to be called Zeke, eh," he introduced himself timidly, still staring at the floor.

'There would be confusion between him and our Ezekiel if he didn't have a nickname,' Tami thought playfully. "Okay, Zeke. Don't worry… You're not going back there," she whispered gently.

Zeke looked at her in disbelief, his eyes widened that Tami found it cute. "I-I'm not going back there, eh?"

"Nope," she shook her head. "I was just like you. You know, different. And the other kids and the caretakers didn't like me because of it. But then I met my siblings, together we ran away from that hell and managed to find a new home… Where we are all different… In a good kind of way."

"That's nice, but… Where will I go, then?" Zeke inquired uncertainly.

Tami offered him her hand, "You'll join my family."

"R-Really, eh?" Zeke couldn't believe it. He was actually going to be adopted into a loving family? "But… What about your daughter and husband?" he hesitated, "Will they hate me?"

"What? Absolutely not! Sabina will be happy to have an older brother, and my husband… Well… I hope he'll like you, but he definitely won't hate you!" she assured him.

Zeke grasped her hand, and Tami hugged him, causing him to freeze like a statue. It had been a long time since he had last experienced a hug. It was a wonderful feeling. He hugged her back and began to cry on her shoulder, but it was tears of joy.

"There, there, little one… Everything's all right," Tami comforted him with a gentle pat on his back. She felt him nod, and they stayed in each other's arms for a few minutes.

Behind Tami, they heard a door opening. It was Altaïr, still holding their daughter. "Tami? You’ve been in there a long time, and I was getting worried- What the- Tami? Is that the missing boy?" he exclaimed in surprise. Sabina simply stared at them curiously.

"Alty, Sabi," Tami turned to her husband and daughter with a smile, "Meet Ezekiel Miller, nicknamed Zeke. Zeke, this is my husband Altaïr and my daughter Sabina."

"Okay, honey…?" Altaïr looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"We're going to adopt him!" she announced joyfully.

"WHAT!?" Altaïr gasped, but held Sabina tightly so she wouldn't fall. "You can't be serious!"

"Listen, Alty," Tami soothed him, raising her hands in front of her, "Zeke ran away from the orphanage because he was bullied by the other kids and the caretakers, and he needs a loving home… Like my siblings and I used to…"

"But, Tami! We can't just adopt without considering it!" Altaïr countered uneasily, "And I don't know if we can take care of another child!" Zeke hid behind Tami, realizing that it wasn't a good reaction.

"My siblings and I weren't planned adoption either, and we were still accepted into the TaE Family, Altaïr," Tami argued, "What would have happened if we hadn't run away or if they'd taken us back to the orphanage? They would separate us! Maybe we'd end up in terrible homes! Maybe we'd grow up in an orphanage our whole lives and then get kicked out onto the street when we turned eighteen! Do you want something bad to happen to him?"

"No, but…" Altaïr glanced at the crying boy, who was hugging Tami tightly. He found himself in a dilemma. His mind and heart argued with each other. He felt sorry for the boy, but at the same time, it would be very irresponsible to adopt him.

But then in his eyes, Zeke reminded him of himself at that age. He was also a sad orphan who'd had a rough childhood and trained to be a weapon. Tami and her siblings had been adopted into the TaE Family without any planning, and despite all the obstacles, they'd managed just fine. If they adopted Zeke, the TaE Family would help them.

Altaïr sighed in defeat, handed Sabina to Tami, and knelt down in front of Zeke. "Kid, is it true that they hurt you at that orphanage?" he asked him gravely.

"Y-Yes, eh…" Zeke nodded bashfully, "And the caretaker who came to you was the one who told me I would never be adopted unless I improved my behavior. Except that I was just defending myself against those boys who were bullying me, eh."

Tami was aghast. "She said the same thing to me when I didn't obey her." And she hugged her little girl more tightly, but still gently.

Altaïr scowled, looking away. His blood boiled from anger. How dare anyone say something like that to a child? Especially an orphan? Just to have control and power over them? It reminded him of his own childhood, when Al Mualim had punished him.

"Mister Altaïr," Zeke addressed him despondently, "If you don't want to adopt me, I'll understand."

Altaïr softened his gaze toward the boy and slowly reached out his right hand toward him. Zeke flinched at first and pressed his face against Tami's back, but Altaïr gently placed his hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at him.

"Don't worry, little one," Altaïr said with a soft smile, "You won't go back to that terrible place… You're staying here… With us…"

Zeke gasped, beamed broadly, and hugged him, which took Altaïr by surprise. "Oh my goodness, eh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he wept with joy, "I'll be good and well-behaved, eh! I promise!"

Altaïr chuckled and embraced him back, "You don't have to promise anything." Tami was also glad that Altaïr had accepted Zeke into the family. Then Altaïr stood up and turned earnest, looking at his wife, "I still have to call the orphanage, but I'll tell them we're adopting Zeke."

Tami gave Altaïr a kiss on the cheek. "I'm delighted to hear that, drahý" She looked at Zeke cheerfully. "Come on, Zeke, we'll show you around."

"Sure, Mistress Tami, eh!" Zeke rejoiced.

Tami giggled and caressed Sabina's head, who was also smiling. "Don't call me Mistress. Just Tami!"

"Okay!" the boy nodded and followed her out of the storage room to show him his new home.

Altaïr stayed there, still in disbelief. Even though he had agreed to the adoption, he was still uncertain. "I hope we made the right decision," he whispered to himself and walked out of the room.

A few hours passed, during which Altaïr called the orphanage to say they were interested in adopting Zeke. Later, a kind social worker came to the library and had them sign the adoption papers, and so Zeke finally had a new home. The TaE Family and their friends already knew about it, and they will probably all come to visit soon to see the new family member.

For the first time in a long while, Zeke felt truly happy and excited as he followed Tami around, who showed him the library, gave him lunch, and was now organizing the books. Meanwhile, Altaïr was working at the cash register, and Sabina was sleeping in her crib next to him.

"Tami? I heard you say you're from the same orphanage as me, eh?" Zeke asked curiously.

"Exactly," Tami confirmed with a nod and glanced at him.

"And also your siblings, eh?"

"Emma, Takuya, and Gavin are also from the same orphanage. Even though we're not real siblings sharing the same blood, we decided to be like family and became inseparable. One day, we overheard the caretakers talking about deciding to separate us and send each of us to different orphanages across the island. We had to plan an escape, and we managed to do it that night. We ran away to this forest, and Talidea found us and took us to the TaE Family," Tami smiled gently as she recalled the old days. "At first, Taino, Elphina, and Talar were equally unsure if they could take care of seven children at once, but they adopted us anyway because they didn't want to send us back to the orphanage. Dea and Elphina became our other sisters, since they were already mothers, meaning my nephew Tarion and my nieces Tanisa and Relante. Despite all the obstacles, they managed to raise us, even though more members joined the TaE Family over the years."

"Wow, eh!" Zeke exclaimed in surprise, "Are there more of you?"

"Yes, there are a lot of us for one household," Tami's grin widened, "The Warden Maiev, Elphina's mother… The Hunter triplets Mike, Tyler, and Vincent… Ryland, Vincent's partner… The Scouts Lennon, Clara, and Jarrod… The Purifier Cleanth… later my husband Altaïr, and then our daughter Sabina. And just yesterday, Emma and Mike had a baby girl named Jasmine. I can't forget about our friends and other relatives who come to visit us, and of course our animals at the ranch."

"Whoa! You have a really big family, eh!"

"Just wait until you meet them! I'm sure they'll love you!" "Actually, Tami?"

"Yes, Zeke?"

"Do you know what happened to your parents? Do you remember them?" Tami's smile faded from her face and she grew sad. "A few months after I was born, my parents were killed by the Templars." "The Templars? Didn't they almost take over all of Havaykia?"

"Yes. The Templars didn't just want to control Havaykia. They wanted to control the entire region of Thansuokria. If they could cross the Ocean of Unknown, they could control the entire world. My father was a journalist and tried to expose the crimes they were committing in Havaykia, before Robert de Sablé manipulated the mayor of Gepardia and planned to form a false alliance with the queen, and for that they wanted to get rid of him. My parents owned this library, which the Templars set on fire and pursued us. To save me, they had left me at an orphanage, hoping they could return for me or that I would be adopted by a loving family, but they got murdered after that. Strangely, we had never noticed the library, since the path here was blocked by vegetation until almost two years ago, when I was chasing a cheetah that led me here. We found my parents' diary, and that's how I found out what had happened to them."

"And then you made it a home again, right, eh?"

"Yes, little one. That's how we carried on my parents' legacy, and here we are. Speaking of parents, do you know anything about what happened to your parents? If you feel comfortable talking about it, of course…"

Zeke raised his eyebrows and nodded sadly. "I can, eh… I lived on a farm with my mom and dad. I don’t remember much about it because I was very young, but I remember the flames… Dad's screams… And how my mother placed me in an orphanage, saying she would come back for me and that she loved me, and then she disappeared… All that's left of her is this toque, which she gave me as a farewell gift, eh."

"Aww, you poor little thing…" Tami gently patted him on the toque, "I'm so sorry for what happened to you-" she didn't finish her sentence as Zeke embraced her.

"But I feel so much better thanks to you, eh!" Zeke cheered up and hugged her tighter.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Tami laughed warmly and wrapped her arms around him in return. She was growing fonder of the boy. She noticed that he felt safe around her, even though they'd only known each other for a few hours. She patted his toque again, this time more playfully, and Zeke giggled. "Okay, I'm going to organize the rest of the books on the shelf. Do you want to help me? No pressure!"

"I'll help! I'll help, eh!" Zeke agreed cheerfully, and the two of them organized the books together.

From a distance Altaïr worked behind the cash register. Even though he still felt insecure about today's adoption, he couldn't help but crack a slight smile as he observed the boy helping his wife. There weren't many customers in the library today, so it was pretty quiet here.

But soon the door opened and… "Hello there!" Talidea greeted cheerfully, "We've all come to visit~!"

"Greetings, Dea- Hold on? You're all here!?" Altaïr exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Talidea nodded, "Come in everyone!"

Almost the entire TaE Family, along with Alizeh, the Hunter triplets' little sister, and Palins siblings with Naya, went inside. Everyone greeted a baffled Altaïr. Emma and Mike weren't among them, as they were still at the hospital with their newborn daughter. Sabina woke up at their arrival, fortunately without crying, and Altaïr picked her up in his arms.

"People? Why did you all come?" Altaïr asked in confusion.

"We want to see your new son!" Clara exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Where is he?" Relante demanded impatiently.

"He must be so cute!" Tanisa gushed.

"Uhhh…" Altaïr struggled to answer them until Tami and Zeke joined them.

"Guys! You're all here!" Tami expressed her delight to see her family and friends.

"Hi, Tami! Oh! There he is!" Talidea's eyes lit up even more and everyone rushed over to the pair.

Zeke was amazed by how many visitors there were. It was a really big family. But he hid behind Tami out of shyness. "Don't worry, Zeke. These are our family and friends!" Tami reassuringly said, "Say hello to them, little one."

Zeke gathered his courage, stood next to her, and quietly greeted them: "Hello, eh…"

"Hi, Zeke!" Tanisa was the first to say hello.

"Hi, little one!" Relante was the second.

"Welcome to our family, little one," Taino greeted him.

"Awww! You're so adorable!" Clara pressed her fists to her cheeks and her eyes sparkled.

"Hey, little buddy!" Takuya waved at him.

"What's up, pal?" Jarrod shook his hand. Zeke looked up at the ceiling in puzzlement, then back at him.

"Nice toque, little one," Elphina complimented him.

"And great hair, too!" Talar added playfully.

"Ishnu-alah," Maiev greeted him.

"Huh… I thought he was a toddler," Tarion muttered to himself, but he gave him a friendly wave.

"Howdy, little guy!" Ryland gave him a handshake.

Zeke couldn't believe what was going on. They were praising him and welcoming him into their circle, which… which he had never experienced before… Yet, he felt a comforting warmth in his heart.

Talidea walked over to Tami and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Well, Tami… I see you're keeping up our tradition: unexpectedly adopting more children into the family!" she joked.

"You bet, sis!" Tami chuckled.

Alizeh approached Zeke, and the boy froze. He was a little taken aback, since he had never seen Hunter in person and she had a scar running across the right side of her face, but he remained polite.

"Hi, Zeke! I'm Alizeh!" she greeted him cheerfully, "We can play together!"

Zeke raised his eyebrows and quietly gasped. "Play… with me, eh?" He couldn't believe it. Someone wanted to be his friend!

"Of course!" Alizeh nodded, bouncing around him.

"Alizeh, calm down, little sis," Vincent chuckled as he lifted her up and placed her on his shoulders. "You might scare him, because he's definitely never seen the Hunters before."

"Come on, big brother!" Alizeh complained playfully. "Put me back down!"

"It's… It's okay," Zeke grinned shyly, "We can play together later."

Alizeh clapped her hands happily. "Yay! I can't wait!"

Then Cleanth approached Zeke, and the boy froze when he laid eyes on the Purifier. "Bonjour, Zeke," he greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Errr…" Zeke turned pale with fear. "TAMMMIIII!!!" he screamed and ran to hide behind her, trembling with fear.

"Cleanth! What did you do to him?" Elphina crossed her arms strictly.

"I just said hello???" Cleanth looked confused.

"Aha! That makes sense: French is terrifying!," Jarrod burst out laughing, and Cleanth gave him a grumpy look.

Tami knelt down and hugged Zeke. "Don't worry, that's Cleanth. He's our friend."

"S-sorry, eh," Zeke apologized.

"It’s okay. We understand that this is all new and unusual for you," Tami chuckled, and Zeke calmed down in her embrace.

"No problem, little one," Talidea spoke softly, "We hope you'll get used to us."

Though they looked a lot different from the people he usually met at the orphanage, his new family was nice to him overall. "I'd rather be with you than back at the orphanage, eh, " Zeke's lips curled into a faint smile.

While everyone welcomed him with open arms, Ezekiel Palins was the only one who looked at Zeke suspiciously. 'Why does that boy look almost exactly like I used to when I was his age?' he thought to himself, 'Wait a minute… His name is also Ezekiel… His nickname is Zeke… Almost always saying 'eh' at the end of a sentence… That toque… The green hoodie…' His eyes widened in realization, 'Is he- No! No! It must be a dumb coincidence! It cannot be him!'

"Ez? Are you okay, dear?" his girlfriend Naya addressed him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine! And Ez? Why Ez?" Ezekiel wondered, "I prefer my full first name."

"Since you and Zeke are both named Ezekiel, it'll be better to call you Ez, duh!" his sister Tilly explained.

"Pfft! Whatever," Ezekiel rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You don't seem thrilled to see Zeke. You're usually fine with kids," Naya said in concern.

Ezekiel put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Hey, don't worry about me, pyaar," he flashed a fake smile. "I'm just… kinda shocked."

"Understandable," Naya nodded contentedly.

Zeke felt much better spending time with his new family. He was still unsure about the Hunters and Cleanth, but he started playing board games with Alizeh, and they had fun together until evening.

"Alright, everyone. It's time to go home," Taino announced, and everyone let out a disappointed sigh but got ready to leave.

"Can we visit tomorrow?" Alizeh asked her two older brothers.

"Sure thing, little sis!" Tyler agreed, messing up her hair playfully, which made her giggle. Vincent nodded as well.

"Yes!" she exclaimed happily and hugged Zeke. "I'm glad we're friends!"

Zeke grinned and returned her hug. "Me too, Alizeh, eh!"

"Zeke is a kind boy," Taino glanced at Altaïr and Tami with a warm smile. "I'm glad you did the right thing."

"Thank you, Taino," Tami embraced Taino, and he wrapped his arms around her in return.

"Yes… I just hope we can manage to take care of him and Sabina," Altaïr was still worried.

"But you can do it, Altaïr!" Taino gave him a gentle pat on the back in encouragement. "Since you take such good care of Sabina, you'll take good care of Zeke, too. And like I told you today: if anything happens, we'll help you."

"Annnnd by the way…" Talidea chimed in, "I forgot to mention that we brought you some old kid clothes for Zeke so he'd have something to wear."

"Really? Oh, Dea! You didn't have to!" Tami rejoiced, and Talidea handed her a bag of clothes.

"Come on! I knew they'd come in handy one day!" Talidea said.

"All right. Thank you very much again," Altaïr thanked them.

"You're welcome, friend. See you again tomorrow! Good night!" said Taino in farewell. TaE Family and their friends bid farewell as well and left the library.

"All right, then. We can close the library now," Altaïr voiced a bit tiredly and went to close up.

Tami lifted Sabina from her crib next to the cash register, who happily snuggled up to her, and turned to Zeke, "So, Zeke? What do you think of our family and friends?"

"They're awesome, eh! I can't wait to play with Alizeh again!" Zeke smiled and hugged her. "And you and Mr. Altaïr are awesome too!"

Tami chuckled and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad to hear that. Do you want some dinner?"

"Yes, please! I'm really hungry, eh!"

"Okay! Come with us to the kitchen!" Tami held his hand, and they happily walked to the kitchen.

Altaïr locked the library's front door and gazed out the window at the sunset. He sighed wearily, since it had been a difficult day.

"I hope we'll be good parents to that boy…" he whispered to himself, "But then again… I hope everything will be fine."

A week after his adoption, Zeke was feeling right at home. During that time, he also met Emma, Mike, and Jasmine, whom he grew to appreciate equally like with the rest of the TaE Family. He loved going to Tami to help with the books, and she showed him books about animals and dinosaurs, which he enjoyed.

But he noticed that Altaïr was always busy, either working at the cash register, organizing books, or taking care of Sabina. Most of the time, he would just say hello and then go back to his work. Because of this, Zeke thought Altaïr didn't like him and felt sad. In reality, Altaïr was only feeling awkward and worried that he wasn't a good father figure for Zeke, but he was thinking about interacting with him more, he just needed a little more time.

Today, Zeke was trying to find an interesting book in the library. He looked up at a bookshelf and noticed something he'd like to read, but it was too high up and he couldn't reach it. He considered asking an adult for help, but Tami was busy with Sabina, and he was afraid to ask Altaïr, who was sorting books nearby. He decided to manage on his own and started climbing up the bookshelf. But then he lost his balance and slipped.

"ZEKE!" Altaïr cried out in panic, rushing over and managing to catch him in his arms right before he could hit the floor. Zeke was shaking from what had happened a moment ago and began to cry.

Altaïr noticed this and hugged him, soothing him. "Hey, hey, kid. Everything is fine," he whispered gently, placing him on the ground.

"S-Sorry, eh," Zeke apologized tearfully, "I-I should have a-asked you f-for h-help… P-Please, d-don't be a-angry a-at m-me…"

Altaïr softened his gaze with sympathy and patted him on the toque, "Don't apologize for anything, boy. I don't understand why you didn't come to me to ask for help."

"B-Because…" Zeke sniffled, "B-Because I-I t-thought y-you d-didn't l-like m-me, eh."

"I… I don't hate you, Zeke," Altaïr admitted honestly, "I'm just… I'm just anxious about taking care of another child, because Tami and I had planned to have just one child for now. And then you suddenly showed up, and that made me feel like we wouldn't be able to take care of you too." "I understand that I'm nothing but a burden to you-"

"No, Zeke," Altaïr shook his head, "You're not a burden to us. You're just a child. I'm the one who should apologize to you for neglecting you during the week since your adoption, which, ironically... wasn't very responsible of me, and I'd like to make it up to you."

Zeke wiped his tears on his sleeve and raised his eyes to him, "What do you mean by that, eh?"

Altaïr smirked playfully, scooped Zeke up, and placed him on his shoulders, "Try to be a better parent to you."

"Really?"

"Indeed."

A smile spread across Zeke's face, "Okay, Mr. Altaïr!"

"Oh, please, just call me Altaïr," he laughed. "By the way, what do you like to read?

"That one right there, eh!" Zeke pointed to a book on the highest part of bookshelf.

"This one? Altaïr took it off the shelf. "That's Animal Farm by George Orwell. That's not really a book for children."

"Oh. Do you have any other books about farm animals or something similar, eh?"

"Of course we do. Let’s search for them," Altaïr agreed, and together they looked around for books.

Zeke pointed to the books that caught his eye, and Altaïr handed them to him to see if that was the one. If Zeke didn't like it, Altaïr put it back.

"Hey, Altaïr? I noticed you're missing your left ring finger. What happened to you, eh?" Zeke inquired curiously.

"I used to be an Assassin, and in my brotherhood, it was a tradition to cut off the ring finger as a sign of loyalty to the creed."

"You were an Assassin?" the boy asked in amazement. "So you fought against the Templars?"

"Absolutely. Tami was an Assassin too, the only difference being that the brotherhood we were in no longer allowed finger amputations."

"Does that mean… you're like heroes, eh?"

Altaïr chuckled. "Hard to say, but take it however you like."

"And why didn't you continue with it?"

"Because it's not the most enjoyable profession. It causes so much loss and sorrow. We want to live a normal, peaceful life."

Zeke nodded in understanding, and his eyes caught sight of one book. "Oh! Take this book, eh!"

"This one about dinosaurs?"

"Yes! Tami didn't show me this one yet."

"Alright, then," Altaïr took a book from the bookshelf, then sat Zeke down on the couch, sat down next to him, and they began reading together.

Tami, holding Sabina, came out of their home section of the library and noticed her husband and the boy reading a book about dinosaurs together.

"I see you two are having a good time," she approached them with a smile.

Zeke nodded happily, enchanted by the book.

"Yes, yes, habibti," Altaïr confirmed, smiling confidently, "We're reading about dinosaurs right now. Zeke said you hadn't shown him this book yet."

"Ah, right. Do you want Sabina to join you? I'll go ahead and negotiate at the cash register," Tami suggested.

"Sure, honey. Are you okay with that, Zeke?" Altaïr asked him.

"No problem, eh!" Zeke agreed enthusiastically. Tami placed Sabina on Altaïr's lap, and the little girl was delighted when her dad showed her the dinosaurs.

"Awww! You three are so cute together!" Tami put her hands over her heart and leaned in to kiss Altaïr on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're spending time with Zeke," she whispered to him.

"He's such a sweet kid," Altaïr responded, "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"Oh, come on, drahý. I know you were insecure, but you've finally welcomed him into the family."

"He deserves better. Right, Zeke?" Altaïr playfully ruffled Zeke's hair, from which the boy giggled at it, and the three of them continued to enjoy the book.

Two months later, on August the 16th, Zeke turned ten. The whole TaE Family arrived at the party along with his friends, and they celebrated together. Zeke couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a wonderful birthday, and he was enjoying every moment of it. He got a big cake, blew out the candles for making a wish, and everyone gave him gifts he never could have dreamed of, and he loved them all.

That evening, after the party was over and everyone went home, the family sat outside on a bench watching the sunset.

"Hey, guys, eh?" spoke Zeke, sitting between Tami and Altaïr, who was holding Sabina in his arms.

"Yes, Zeke?" Tami asked sweetly, "Did you enjoy the party?"

"Very much. I wanted to tell you what I wished for, eh," Zeke stepped off the bench and stood in front of them.

"Really, kid? Aren't you scared it won't come true?" Altaïr arched his eyebrow and caressed Sabina's head.

"Well… It's not really that big of a wish…" Zeke scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"So what is it?" Tami was curious.

Zeke took a deep breath and began to speak: "I wish that… I could call you… Mom and Dad, eh…"

Tami and Altaïr yelped in shock. Tami covered her mouth and tears welled up in her eyes, while Altaïr showed no emotion.

"Uhh…" Zeke was flustered by their reactions, "Is that bad or-" Suddenly, Tami stood up, hugged him, and kissed him on the forehead.

"Of course you can call me Mom!" Tami burst into tears of joy.

Altaïr rose from the bench and joined their embrace. "It's an honor to be your father!" Altaïr also shed tears of happiness. "And Sabi is your little sister!"

Zeke definitely started crying with joy as well, and he hugged his new parents and his little sister this time and whispered: "I love you, eh…"

"We love you too… Son…" Tami beamed.

Later that night, the library was closed and the family slept peacefully. Zeke slept in his own room, which had been empty before his adoption, since Altaïr and Tami didn't know what to do with it at first. The bed was much more comfortable than the one at the orphanage, and he had several stuffed animals by his side, which he had received for his birthday and kept him company.

Suddenly, he heard crying coming from the next room. He suspected it was Sabina. He had the sleep headphones Altaïr had given him so he could continue sleeping peacefully without being disturbed, but he felt bad for his little sister. He decided to climb out of bed and tiptoed toward the sound of crying. He walked down the hallway, opened the door to Sabina's room, and stepped inside.

Sabina was crying in her crib, and her parents weren't there yet. Zeke approached her cautiously. "Hey, sis," he whispered softly, "Why are you crying?" She turned to look at him. Her golden eyes were still filled with tears, and she whimpered. Obviously, she couldn't answer him, since she was only about six months old.

"You want me to cheer you up, eh?" he asked her and started making silly faces. Unexpectedly, Sabina stopped crying and started giggling. Zeke was glad his idea had worked and continued.

"Sabi! Are you okay, sweetie- Huh? Zeke?" Tami's voice came from behind him, and he got startled.

"Uhh… Hey, Mom," Zeke grinned innocently at her.

"What are you doing here, little one? You can go back to sleep," Tami said, picking up Sabina, who was delighted to see her, and giving her a hug.

"Well… I felt bad that Sabi was crying, so I wanted to cheer her up, eh," Zeke confessed, "And it worked!"

"You're here to comfort Sabi?" Tami looked surprised, but gave him a warm smile. "You're really taking your big brother role seriously, aren't you?"

Zeke lifted his eyebrows and blushed coyly with a shy smile, "Yeah, eh."

"That's so lovely of you, Zeke. You're really a sweetheart."

"Thanks, Mom," he grinned and hugged her. Tami giggled and caressed his hair.

"Okay. Sabina is all right, she felt lonely, so she'll be sleeping with me and dad," Tami stated and left the room. Zeke stayed there, feeling a twinge of sadness, thinking it wouldn't apply to him- "Are you coming with us, sweetie?" she inquired.

"Huh?" he exclaimed in surprise, "Really, eh?"

"You're one of us now, Zekey. Come on, son." Zeke was delighted and followed Tami into their bedroom.

There, Altaïr was lying on the bed and looked at them. "Is everything all right, habibti?" he inquired with concern, "Are the children alright?"

"They're fine, dear. Sabina cried because she felt lonely. Luckily, Zeke cheered her up," Tami answered him and lay down next to him, placing Sabina on her chest.

"Zeke cheered her up?" Altaïr raised his eyebrows, gazing at Zeke. "You could keep sleeping."

"I didn't want Sabina to be sad, you know, eh," Zeke explained.

"Ah, so you're a big brother now," Altaïr chuckled, "Come lie down with us, son."

Zeke climbed onto the bed and lay down between them. "Good night, eh," he whispered with a contented smile as he closed his eyes.

"Good night, little one," Tami murmured, and the whole family drifted off to sleep together.

Finally, Zeke felt like part of the family.

Six years later…

The TaE Family, their other relatives, and friends were having a sleepover at the TaE Family's house, and Altaïr and Tami began telling the story of how they met.

Suddenly, someone opened the door and walked inside. "Yo, yo, yo, guys! Sorry I'm late, eh!" It was Zeke, as a teenager. His hair was longer, he had a goatee, a thick Canadian accent, and he was still wearing his teal toque, which fit him perfectly now.

"Hi, Zeke!" everyone greeted him enthusiastically. Zeke did a brofist with Alizeh joyfully and went to sit down next to his parents and little sister.

"Zeke!" exclaimed Sabina, who was six years old, and hugged him. "You arrived just in time! Mom and Baba started telling the story of how they met!"

"Hey! What's up, little sis, eh?" He playfully ruffled her hair and giggled. Then he sat down, and looked at his parents. "Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!"

"Hi, son," Tami greeted him, "Don't apologize. We're glad you made it anyway.

"Welcome, son," Altaïr smiled, "We can easily start from the beginning again."

"Thanks, Dad, but if you guys don't mind," Zeke addressed the others, and they all shook their heads to show they didn't mind.

"Okay… Let's start over…" Tami resumed her story with Altaïr, and everyone listened.

Zeke cherished his family's stories, which inspired him to become an artist, and of course he was very grateful to them for being loved by them.

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