There was a familiarity to this Ezio, Claudia knew, but at the same time, he was completely the opposite of the brother she grew up with. He was rude, for one – rude to her, that was, and that had never happened the way it was happening now. Once he'd caught on to the fact that Claudia helped run a brothel, he made non-stop remarks about it. And horrid ones, at that! Claudia was ashamed of her brother (or was he not her brother at all?).

"Ezio, you need to stop lazing around and please, get to work. We need to get some things done around here." Claudia said, hands on her hips as she stared at her brother. "There are buildings that need repair and you're the one that has to get the contractors."

Ezio only made a huffing noise in response, going back to his toying with things on his (alternate's) desk. Quills and ink, and when one vial of black was spilled, he didn't panic or go to clean it up. He'd let his alternate self come home to that – if he ever did.

"...And one man in our history, Al Mualim, held onto this piece of Eden for a long while, until his student usurped him..." Ezio tapped his fingers against the hardwood of the desk, watching as his father strode back and forth, a large tome in his hands, reciting facts. He glanced over every few moments to make sure his son was paying attention. "Eventually, we hear that Altair's allies moved the Apple and the Staff to Italia. There are also hints that there may be some things in Constantinople, however, that is a discussion for another time."

Ezio felt as though he was going to fall asleep. He knew all this already!

"Are you even paying attention, Ezio? I have half a mind to smack some sense into you." Giovanni's eyes flicked over the top of his book to look at his son.

"Yes, father. I'm paying attention." Ezio almost rolled his eyes, but knew that that would earn him a smack. His father was beginning to get more and more irritable as days went on, ever since his initiation. The same was happening with Federico, it seemed, who didn't pay Ezio even the slightest of mind and refused to partake in activities they used to love.

At least Leonardo still paid attention to him.

Thinking of Leonardo, Ezio realised that he had yet to visit his friend this week. It was almost strange how often he visited his friend, now, but it was needed. Ezio fed information to Leonardo, who, in return, gave said information to the rest of the assassins. Their guild was actually rather well-sized, consisting of people in Florence, Rome, and Venice. Ezio had seen the map in Leonardo's workshop that noted where the assassin Brotherhood headquarters were – there were some as far as in the far East, and they even kept in contact with the Italian bases.

Ezio snapped back to reality when he heard Giovanni's book snap shut, and his father let out a sigh. "You're rather difficult today, child. Go. Get that energy out of your system, but I want you to be back here in two hours!"

Ezio snickered as he left the building, knowing that he wouldn't be back in two hours. Why would he take such a short time?

Back in Monteriggioni, Mario was pacing back and forth, arms behind his back, as Ezio sat in front of him. The younger of the two looked bored beyond belief, eyes drooping as Mario's mind attempted to work through the situation.

"You are saying that Giovanni is still alive, where you are from?" His uncle's voice raised for a split second as he spoke, and Ezio could only roll his eyes at that.

"How hard is it to understand? Someone messed with a damn piece of Eden or something, like Father always warned us not to do. Your nephew is probably stuck where I'm supposed to be, which is a hilarious thought in itself. Guy's probably so weak that he can't fight his way out of a home of Templars," Ezio chuckled darkly, watching Mario's eyes flash something threatening.

"Are you saying that the boy I helped to become the great assassin he is today is weak?" Mario said, voice hushed.

"Perhaps." Ezio fiddled with a stray thread on his shirt, pretending to be amused by it. "You know, the place I'm from – you're a Templar, just like father, and Federico, and what I was supposed to be." He scowled, "But someone had to mess with something and now your damned nephew is in my spot and is probably messing everything up! Damn him to hell! I wanted that position!"

Mario could only stare in disbelief as this version of his nephew complained about not being a Templar.

It was dark by the time that Ezio realised how much time he had spent at Leonardo's workshop, relaxed on a rug as he moved a his rook across the chess board lying on the floor, watching his friend for any type of reaction. Leonardo gave no hints to what he was thinking, aside from a light chuckle. The elder moved his knight, made of intricately carved wood painted black and shining, and made a move as he took Ezio's rook off the board.

"And I believe that with this move, it puts you in check, my friend." Leonardo rested his chin in his hands as he looked at Ezio, whose face was one of shock.

"That's the third time in a row! You're much too smart." Ezio shook his head as the board was cleared off, turned over, and the pieces put neatly into the compartment in the bottom. He held onto one for a moment, looking it over – and realised he saw a name carved on the base.

He paid it no mind, but he was sure the name was familiar...

There was a comfortable silence as the two friends sat near the hearth, deep in thought. Leonardo broke the silence after several minutes of silence, his face one of question.

"Do you want to go home?"

The question took Ezio by surprise, and to be honest, he didn't have a quick answer for it. He thought it through, speaking his thoughts. "I'm not sure. I want to get all the information I can, you know? And at the same time, I think I'd miss being able to be over here all the time. In your shop, I mean." He paused. "I don't really get to spend time with the Leonardo back home. Or Petruccio." Ezio broke into a smile as he thought of his young brother, who was currently asleep in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

"So you want to stay for now?" Leonardo looked at Ezio closely, blue eyes narrowed. There was something about the way he was asking that made Ezio nervous.

"Yes, I think, for now. Until I can uncover what information might be helpful against the Templar order – and, you know, when I can find a way back home. But all honesty, I'm going to miss this."

Leonardo's gaze turned down to look at the fireplace as he sighed. "I will, as well."

[A/N: A rather short chapter, but I've been having a slight writer's block lately.

Also, chess is a fun game, is it not?]