I can't thank you guys enough for the comments, I love getting them!

Just saying, again, I do not own any of the original Thief Lord characters, I only own my Acey.

The next day was a bad one.

Just plain bad in general.

Before the day really even started, Acey bumped her head on the floor. And, even from that, a few tears fell. Of course Acey had a better pain tolerance than that. There was another reason for her tears.

Later, she dropped her food on the dirty cinema floor. Then, she tripped over a chair. Of course, the list could go on and on.

After more than a few follies, Hornet and Prosper finally asked her what was wrong. She was much to desperate, upset and angry to keep in the truth, so she let it loose.

"Sci-Scipio..." she started, thinking about how to word what it was she wanted to say. "He's not what you think he is..."

"What? You going to tell us about your relationship with him?" asked Riccio, rolling his eyes.

Acey blushed and looked down, she hadn't been expecting that. "No," she said when she could finally speak again. This time, her anger surged through her words, making them hot and painful. "I'm going to tell you he's a liar."

From there, she proceeded to tell the others her story. When she finished, there was silence all around.

"Scipio...a Massimo?" Mosca wondered aloud, looking from one person to another.

"And why should we believe you?" Riccio asked, his arms crossed. "You just came here a few days ago! Maybe you're just pulling our legs."

"You want proof?" she asked, her eyes gleaming. "I'll show you proof."

It was settled. Acey'd get a phone book, locate the Massimo's house and then all of them would pay this Massimo boy a little visit.

"It's incredible!" Hornet said in awe, looking up at the floors above them. The Massimo house was even more grand then any of them could have imagined. It towered above the ones beside it, and beautiful carvings were all over it.

"It's so big! Scip doesn't live here!" said Bo, sticking up for the Thief Lord. "He's an orphan! Orphans can't afford these things!"

Acey sighed and knocked on the huge, black door. It was a few more minutes until a house maid opened the door. The young woman looked at them in surprise.

"We're here to see Scipio!" said Bo, looking up at her with a smile.

"Ah, va bene, come in," she said, looking somewhat relieved. The children followed her inside, and stood in the large hallway while she went to fetch the boy.

"He can't live here! We must have the wrong Scipio!" said Riccio, "This is just a waste of time."

A boy came down the stairs. A boy with chocolate brown hair and kind eyes.

A boy named Scipio.

"N-no," he muttered, looking from one child to the next.

"Scipio?" said Prosper, looking at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"He lives here," said Acey, glaring at him. "Just like I said."

Scipio gave her a hurt look, then averted his gaze. Acey was glad of it; she couldn't stand to look at him. It just hurt too much.

"Don't look at me like that..." he pleaded, looking at them. "I really was going to tell you..."

"Yeah, I bet." said Prosper, looking at him with disgust.

"You don't understand..." he muttered, looking at Acey again, this time with a pleading look.

"Okay then," she said coldly, giving him a matching, icy stare. "Explain this. Explain that black-haired girl. Explain everything. 'Cause believe me, we want to know."

Scipio was taken aback; they were going to let him explain?

"W-well," he said, trying to recover from his shock, "Just because of all this, I'm no different from you-"

"Right. You really have to steal for a livin-" started Riccio, but Hornet cut him off.

"Shush, Riccio! Let him talk." she scolded, though she looked as upset as Riccio did.

"I have my problems. Like my father. And that girl.

"My dad wants me to be an officer, to be perfect, to be like him. It's just not what I want. I'd rather be the Thief Lord full time than be... than be... a Massimo.

"That girl... she's my... my... fiancee. My father set up an arranged marriage to that spoiled brat. Acey- don't look at me like that. Please," he finished, looking at her.

Acey shifted uneasily, and looked away from him. His fiancee? Fiancee? That's crazy.

"Yeah, too bad it doesn't make a difference... you... you..." said Riccio, but he couldn't finish the sentence. Some things were better left unsaid in front of little ears like Bo's.

"Scipio! How many times have I told you!" came a stern voice from up the stairs, a voice Acey could guess was Scipio's father's. "Take your friends to your room, don't just stand around in the hall way!"

"It's alright," he said, looking down. "They're leaving."