Hello to you if you are a new reader to this fic! You can just skip ahead and dive head first into this story.

If you had read "Teach Me", firstly, thank you for your support, reviews and PMs - I really do appreciate it, but that fic is dead to me. I started that story a year and a half ago, I believe. It was an excellent learning experience for me and my writing has improved vastly because of it - but I did not like where I started to take that story. I was also unhappy when I reread it with the inconsistencies, spelling and grammar mistakes that ran rampant through it; however, I still loved Alessa and wanted to write about her. I still liked Alessa and Ezio's relationship, I love writing about Roma and the Assassini but I could not continue "Teach Me". So now we're here, at the beginning of a new story with the same characters. I have a new game plan of planning chapters and fully creating characters before introducing them. I know a lot of you were hoping for something different, but I truly hope that you'll forgive me for my absence and read and enjoy this fic as you have my last one, and my other stories, in some cases.

Assassini

Chapter 1

Alessa twirled, dodged and slashed, doing her damndest to survive. The white-cloaked man was still in the fight as well, jumping away from a swing before leaping forward and hacking at the guards.

She'd been walking down the street when strong hands had grabbed her. She recognized the plumes of papal guards. She knew what they were planning, and she also knew that she'd never let it happen. She waited until they'd pulled her into a dark alley before she flung her head back to smash into the man's face behind her. His grip around her waist slackened and she twisted, grabbing the hilt of his sword and unsheathing it. The other four men stood in shock for a beat more before springing into action. Any civilians left began to flee as more guards came to the cries for help.

Alessa had been outnumbered already, and the reinforcements just further disadvantaged her – but she always did love a challenge. Jumping out of the way of a halberd, she sliced the throat of a nimble guard. Someone threw dust which she avoided before sticking her blade into their cheek and pulling them to the ground.

She'd been doing alright when a large man had grabbed her from behind, locking her arms to her sides. She'd kicked, struggled, screamed and tried to get loose, but his grip was a vice and nothing she did would loosen it. She thought she had been doomed, when the man holding her gurgled and dropped dead. Twirling on her heel, Alessa was greeted with a man she already knew from the posters, though they did not capture the true extent of his looks; deep chocolate eyes set in tan skin, a strong jawline with a thick beard, black to match his hair. He had a blade strapped to his wrist which was soaked in blood. An assassino, there was no doubt about it.

"Donna," he inclined his head before leaping past her into the fray. Alessa stood shocked for a moment before allowing herself a grin and jumping in after him.

He finished off the last guard with a flick of his wrist and both of them, Alessa and the assassino, stood straight. Alessa looked around at the corpses and at the man who saved her; his robes were spattered with blood, and his sleeves were deep red. Kneeling down beside a guard still struggling for life, he slit their throat with a blade on his wrist before wiping it clean on his pant leg.

"Requiescat in pace," he stood and looked at her with deep chocolate eyes. "Are you okay Donna...?"

"Alessa de Luca," she gave a sarcastic courtesy and, noticed in the process, her own ruined clothing.

He took a step closer to her and, giving a deep bow, he kissed the top of her hand.

"Ezio Auditore de Firenze at your service, Donna Alessa," unable to stop herself, she blushed crimson at his charm. He straightened and gave a whistle. A black horse galloped from a side street and he vaulted into the saddle while it was still charging.

Alessa chocked on her words for a moment. This was a chance, a chance to do something great and escape the cage that was a woman's life. She could not let it slip away.

"Wait!" Ezio pulled the reins tight and trotted back to her with a raised eyebrow.

"You're just going to jump in and save me like that, and then leave? I owe my life to you, Signore Auditore, isn't there some way I can repay you?" Ezio studied her for a moment with an amused glint in his eyes.

"I can think of a few ways, Donna," his tone dripped with unspoken promises. Alessa's jaw worked for a moment, her mouth hanging open. Ezio laughed, "I have places I must go." Alessa's answer was immediate.

"Take me with you," his eyebrows raised at that. "please." Much to her surprise, he held out a hand to her. As she clambered up on the horse, she was aiming to ride behind the assassino – but he had other ideas. The hand she'd been using for support now worked against her and pulled her into the saddle in front of him.

He leaned forward to grab the reins and Alessa was suddenly surrounded by his large form. If she looked to either side, she could just see Roma flying past through the crooks of his arms. His chest pressed into her back and held her steady as the mare flew over the cobblestone. When she inhaled, she did not smell the sour air of the city, but instead was greeted with the smell of hay and cold air, sweat and blood, steel and cloth; the smell of Ezio, which was none too unpleasant, Alessa found herself thinking, before she blushed once more.

After a while, Alessa relaxed. A laugh bubbled out of her throat; glancing down, Ezio smirked and jumped over a small fruit stand. The jolt of landing nearly tipped Alessa off, but she'd gotten used to the ride. It was actually nice; the speed of the horse created a breeze against the sweltering heat of mid-summer in Rome and the mare galloped smoothly through the streets. It was a disappointment when they crossed the Tiber River and reached their destination.

After helping her down, Ezio smacked his horse on the butt lovingly. She cantered away obediently as Alessa watched.

"She's a very beautiful horse, where'd you get her?" She earned herself a dubious look.

"Perhaps I will tell you another time. As for now, I need you to wait here," he turned on his heel and entered a plain-looking building. Alessa stared after him and chocked back outrage. She could not quite believe he'd take her all this way just to leave her at the doorstep. She tried the door, but it'd locked behind him. Glancing around, she spotted a door at the top of a building, but no ladder.

"Cazzo!"

"Problem, miss?" Alessa whirled around to an apparent thief. Her hand immediately went to her coin purse, much to his amusement. "I'm not here on business, Madonna. Your money is safe," the reassuring words were accompanied by a disarming smile. The man couldn't be more than twenty years of age, and had handsome features.

"A," she hesitated for a moment, what to tell this boy? "A good friend of mine appears to have locked me out and isn't answering my knocks." She attempted a sheepish smile. The thief laughed,

"Why not just climb up to the back door? There's a new man in town that's doing all the time!" He walked away laughing, no longer entertained with a pretty girl.

Alessa eyed the roof again; he may have been joking, but she was not one to be left to wait outside the door, like some page. Taking a deep breath, she charged at the wall and gave a tremendous jump. She caught the lip with her fingers and forced a leg up. Alessa gave a small puff of exertion and listened to guffaws and exclamations from below. Once standing, she saw her next goal. Jamming a foot in a nearby window, she pushed up with all her strength and grasped the edge and yanked herself up.

Surveying the roof, she spied her next climb that would be the last, but the hardest. Firstly, she pulled herself on top of a chimney before jumping at the closest edge. For a moment, Alessa feared she wouldn't make it but her torso slammed into the unyielding stucco wall. Screwing up her face, she used her aching, tired arms to grasp the next handhold. Scrambling slightly with her legs for fear of falling, she found purchase and stepped up. Her fingers curled around the lip of her final destination. With a final push, she reached the top.

Not taking a break, she opened the door and descends a brightly lit staircase into a large room. It was decorated luxuriously and sported a reoccurring symbol. The room appeared comfortable but fortified. A table had a map spread out of Roma with a number of markings.

Alessa took a few steps into the room and made herself comfortable in a large, cushy chair. She grabbed a dagger off the table and began to clean her nails. She heard footsteps and a conversation drifted down to her as Ezio and another man enter the room.

"-derground here to work with?" Ezio entered first, came up short and then laughed. There is only one other man with him, and he gave Alessa an incredulous look.

"Who is this, Ezio?"

The assassino did not respond, choosing instead to stride over to Alessa and pull her to her feet, but he did not release her hand.

"I should have known a woman who could wield a sword so deftly would not be suffered to wait outside. I apologize, Donna." Alessa raised one eyebrow and took her hand back. She strutted away from him and poured herself a goblet of wine from a flagon. She took a sip, savoured it for a moment, and swallowed. The other man, apparently at his wits end, gave an angry sigh and stomped from the room.

"What is this place?" Ezio had not followed her, but now he slowly sauntered towards her. Her eyes tracked him where he moved. Both of her hands cupped the goblet. He placed his hands on top and brought the cup to his mouth, taking a sip. He held her eyes the entire time.

"It is a hideout," his face did not show any signs of a lie.

"And who are you hiding from?" Ezio's hands began to creep up her arms, slowly.

"Surely there are more… pleasurable things to be discussing right now, Alessa?" Her name had never sounded so sweet as it did then, falling from his lips like a drop of liquid gold. She withdrew her hands from under his, allowing him to keep the goblet. She poured herself a new cup of wine, one eyebrow raised. She had not forgotten his words from earlier, the unspoken promises that had laced his voice. She must use that to her advantage.

"Perhaps – but they can wait. You have not answered my question." He was standing dangerously close to her. Each breath stirred her hair; his distinct smell was overpowering the sweet scent of the wine. She flushed again, though it was not her face that showed it this time. She retreated a few steps, leaning against the wall.

"There are dangerous men who would gladly have my head," he finished his wine and set the goblet down.

"That is very cryptic, Signore."

"Merely to keep you safe," he had somehow crept closer again. He had one arm braced against the wall, over her right shoulder. His whole body leaned towards her; they were not touching, but a scarce few inches separated them. Alessa had nowhere to go. "My line of work is not for the soft," she took note of his wince. He was well aware of his misstep in their subtle dance.

"Soft, Ezio? Tell me, do I seem soft to you?" She paused for a moment, and then leaned forward. She pressed her lips to his neck, "And if I was, is there anything wrong with being soft?" She whispered into his skin.

"I did not… I only meant…" The strain was obvious in his voice. His other arm had crept around her waist so that his hand sat on the small of her back. She let out a giggle and ducked under the arm he had braced against the wall, leaving him to hold nothing. She retreated back to the flagon and refilled her goblet, keeping her back to him.

"Work, Ezio? I know of only two jobs that would cause papal guards to want your head. There are thieves and-" she stopped her sentence when his arms crept around his waist. His lips were next to her ear, his breath tickling the skin there.

"And?" His voice was lusty, but held just the razor's edge of a threat. Alessa shivered.

"Assassini," She whispered the word. Ezio began to kiss the corner of her jaw.

"What would you know of assassini, Alessa?"

"Are they recruiting?"

I'm not going to lie, I so much prefer this opening to my last one. I hope you all feel the same.

Updates will still be sporadic, but I'm not using a beta reader this time so there will be one less step for chapters to go through before they're published (I mean absolutely no offense to my previous beta-reader, but they have a life [and I totally get that] and weren't able to devote themselves to beta-ing chapters that I sent them - which is fine, again. This time round I'm going to wait a day or two from writing a chapter to rereading/editing it.

Again, thank you so much.

-ANS