The Confidant

Chapter 21: Decisioni

Weeks went by. Not a word was spoken to anyone since she ordered Ezio away. Her chest ached like it had been stabbed – and it wasn't even physical pain, a fierce, hidden regret burning in the pit of her heart that she tried to actively ignore. Every day was a lifeless blur as she sat and contemplated her fate. She was healing more quickly than she originally assumed and could basically walk on her feet without too much strain.

Dario rarely left her side. He'd give her all the space she needed and was there whenever she required anything. He was patient with her, understanding when she had violent outbursts and mood swings, always quick to snap her back to a rational train of thought.

Still, she could see it all taking a toll on him. Sometimes she would catch him staring out the window, a longing in his eyes to run, be free and to be a thief again. Gemma knew it all too well, because she shared the exact same sentiments. There was a difference, however.

He could easily return to that life.

She could never.

It ate away at her like a monster, the constant question of what she was going to do when she was healed ever present in her mind. Often, she'd glance at Dario and wonder if he knew what he was going to do. She wanted to ask him, but the words never came.

It was when the weeks turned into a month that she finally sighed sharply, a restlessness growing in the pit of her stomach. That night, she lied in bed with the usual nightmare, and when she snapped herself awake, her face covered in cold sweat, a single word stuck in her mind.

Apple.

Everything she'd been put through was for that one, single item. Ezio never really mentioned it or showed it to her, as he always kept it on his belt, close to him at all times. All that stress, all that toil for the small, round object covered in cloth. Gemma began to wonder how much human suffering it'd caused. The minds that had been lost to the power it gave mere humans. The lust for power bringing all to their knees to harness even a small bit of it.

What she had to do was then presented clearly in her mind.

The Apple. It had to be destroyed, then. For causing her so much suffering, for causing so many others so much suffering. Such power couldn't be left in the hands of mortals – it'd only cause more despair and madness.

The next morning, she sat in bed and stared at her hands, at a loss of where to go from there.

Dario seemed to notice. "Gemma … you seem troubled." She looked up quickly, shaking her head, feigning innocence. "You're up to something, I see it in your eyes."

Damn him and his perceptive nature, she thought bitterly.

She decided in that instant that she was going to need Dario. "I need weapons, clothes, armor, and a cloak. Do you think you could get it?"

"Yes," he answered immediately, a bit of excitement in his voice. "What are you planning?"

"Get me these things and I will tell you," she promised quietly. He nodded wordlessly and hurried out of the room. Gemma wondered why he was so eager and unquestioning … but it quickly dawned on her. He must have assumed she was going back to the thief life, to assume her role as Il Lupo again. She frowned to herself. Impossible.

She slowly stood up and examined herself in the mirror. The old beginnings of muscle definition in her arm had faded. She'd been eating well enough but she hadn't been running or jumping. Gemma stared at her hair, now long enough to reach near her mid-back, and weighed the option of chopping it again.

She didn't know where she was going to go when she had the Apple, but it had to be far away. She had to find a way to destroy it entirely, and it had to be where no one would find it.

She wanted a purpose, and there it was. Her hands clenched into fists.

Gemma knew she could steal it from Ezio if she could catch him in a rare moment when he was off guard. She wasn't the ex-master thief of San Gimignano for nothing. She didn't have hidden blades or poisons – merely her own skill. It would be a risk to her own life, but she had no other choice.

"Bastardo, I should have killed him where he stood!" Drago stormed into the room and plopped onto the edge of the bed. The usual rants about his brother-in-law. Gemma paused and casually placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, then lowered his eyes. "He frustrates me." She nodded knowingly, at a loss for what to say.

The door opened after a few moments and Dario walked in carrying a large pile of clothing and armor. She grinned from ear to ear.

"Put this on," Dario said, placing it on the bed. "I have a feeling it could be a bit large on you, but we will have to see first." Drago looked severely confused as Dario ushered him out of the room. Gemma took a deep breath and began to dress.

The armor that Dario managed to find was made of light, but incredibly sturdy material. The clothing he brought was a mixture of black and gray that would effectively let her blend in almost anywhere – which was exactly what she needed. It didn't hug her figure, which would have been a dead giveaway, and instead created a more ambiguous appearance. The hood of the cloak covered a good portion of her face so that her identity would be hidden. There were many pockets and hidden compartments for weapons, which she appreciated greatly.

"Come in now," she called out to them. The two thieves opened the door and nodded their approval to the ensemble. Dario then brought forth a sleek, expertly crafted blade that looked like it could cost two arms and possibly a leg.

"Finest one I could find," he explained, handing it to her.

Although she already knew the answer, she felt the need to ask. "And you got the money …?"

He smirked. "I feel you know how." She returned the gesture and tucked the sword in its new, rightful place at her side. He handed her three daggers, which she placed at three different areas – hip, shoe, and chest pocket. Finally, he encased her fist in a metal cestus, which she flexed, feeling the heavy metal weighing down on her hand.

"Grazie," she murmured.

"Di niente," he replied, shrugging.

"Does this mean … we're going back to San Gimignano?" Drago asked, his voice practically breathless with excitement.

Gemma didn't answer, and Dario took the intiative. "It would seem so."

"Yes!" Drago exclaimed, his fists clenching with delight. "Finally, we leave this shit hole." He rushed out of the room to tell Elario the good news, and Dario quickly followed in suit. Gemma lowered her eyes, exhaling heavily.

She felt horrible, absolutely and utterly horrible, but nothing could be done. The city would never accept her with the knowledge that she was a woman. She had to leave Roma, but in a separate direction – and alone.

Her men decided amongst themselves that they'd be leaving first thing in the morning. Gemma knew she had to disappear without a trace while they were asleep. After Dario had gone to such trouble to get her everything – but she knew she wouldn't have been able to get them on her own.

She'd used the only person in the world she remotely trusted. Gemma scowled to herself at how despicable she was as she wrote the note for them to find.

Amici,

I cannot go back with you all. It's impossible – I would never be accepted again. I'm a woman, remember? Dario, you are to be the new Il Lupo in my place. Drago and Elario, you both are to be his right-hand men. If anyone dares disobey you, kill them. You three are the new law, and I have faith in your ability to uphold our city's strength. As for me, I have something to do. I'll most likely not make it out alive. Grazie – for everything.

Mi dispiace,

Remus

Dawn seemed to be in a few hours as she made her way down the silent streets of Rome. She had a very good feeling of where Ezio was, if he was still in the city. Although her knowledge of the land was practically nonexistent, she assumed the brothel was in the more wealthier district.

She wandered for what felt like hours until finally, she came across an elegant, flowered and clothed building. Found it, she concluded, scowering the building for some form of entrance. It was then presented to her in the form of a dim light in one of the upper levels. Ezio would be the type to stay out so late, after all – it was her best bet. She scaled the building, leaping onto the balcony of the room. Remus peered through the glass and her eyes locked on to her target.

He was there, alright. And with a courtesan. Seeing him again sent a painful pang to her chest, but she ignored it for more pressing matters. She quickly assessed, however, that he was wide awake – and cursed to herself when she realized that meant she had to wait a few hours until he was asleep.

"No need to be so gentle, Messere," she could, unfortunately, hear the courtesan murmur.

A low chuckle. "Do not address me so formally, Fiona – call me Ezio – did I not tell you this before?"

Fiona giggled. "Many men enjoy it when I address them like that, I assumed you'd be the same."

"I am not accustomed to being treated with respect by women as of late, actually." Remus scowled – an obvious jab at her. "But it'd bring us closer if we did not use such formalities, no?"

"Oh, I agree," she replied in a sultry whisper, making Remus cringe. It was then that their business began, and Remus had to sit through every solitary moment. Every sound, every cry, every removal of an article of clothing. Her teeth clenched together – and she felt absolutely ridiculous for having such a reaction to something completely expected of him.

Avoiding looking at Fiona and Ezio, her eyes searched and finally locked onto the Apple, which was a sphere under a pile of his clothing. Target spotted – she simply had to be patient. Ezio finally blew out the candle that was in the room – but the sounds only continued – and got louder.

Remus put her hands over her ears, rocking back and forth and attempting to keep her mind on other things. It didn't work when she heard the final scream; which sent a cringe straight up her spine. The pathetic feeling she had was infuriating.

After it had finally gotten silent, she waited for a long while until the sun was beginning to rise. With no time to waste, she silently crept in, as soundless as a phantom. Hands began to grope under his uniform for the Apple – while she did so, she swiped the smoke bombs in his pockets for later use. It was when she did get a hold of the sphere wrapped in its case that she paused a moment to gape at it.

Remus could feel the energy coming from it. Foolish curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked inside the case – only to reveal a damn near blinding beam of light that shot through. She snapped it shut immediately, but it wasn't quick enough to avoid stirring the courtesan.

Remus concealed herself into the shadows as Fiona lifted her head, mumbling things to herself, half-conscious. She was so obnoxiously loud about it that it managed to wake Ezio as well. Remus took the time to glare at Fiona from her awkward position in the corner of the large room.

"What's wrong?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"I thought I heard something," she replied quietly.

"It was probably a nightmare," Ezio muttered, attempting to bury his face in a pillow. "Nothing could have gotten in without my noticing it." At that, Remus had to smirk.

Fiona yawned. "You're probably right, no one could have escaped such a powerful man's notice. I feel so safe with you, Ezio."

"And I you, cara," he responded – though in his half-conscious state, he wasn't very suave with his tone of voice. There was a long pause before both settled back to sleep, and Remus had to bite back a sigh of relief.

She took a tentative step forward. When she decided that all was well, she tip-toed as quietly as she could over to the exit. In her rushed haste, her palms had become sweaty, and the Apple had managed to slip out of her hands, falling with a loud thump to the floor.

Thump. "Who's there?" Ezio shot to this feet and Fiona followed warily in suit, covering her modesty with the sheets. As he bent over to the light the candle, Remus unsheathed her dagger, grabbed a hold of the courtesan and held it to the woman's throat. When the candle lit, his expression didn't even shift.

"Who are you?" Ezio demanded darkly. No answer, merely a warning by pressing the metal further into the woman's throat. She knew if she spoke, he'd recognize her. "Do not involve her in our matters – whoever has sent you has done so for me. Unhand her."

"Bastardo!" Fiona cried, though dared not move. "How dare you handle a woman in such a way!" The thief slowly bent down and grabbed the Apple, tucking it in her pocket.

"Of course it is the Apple you want," Ezio murmured to himself, chuckling maliciously. "Well? You have your prize. Let the woman go." Oh no, Ezio, I know how you play, Remus thought, her eyes narrowing as she took backward steps toward the glass doors. He took many confident strides forward, even reaching down for his sword.

"Ezio," Fiona's voice shook, "am I going to die?"

"No," he replied curtly, "I will make sure you are safe, Fiona." What a lie – poor girl. When they were both finally on the balcony, Remus moved quickly. She shoved the courtesan forward into Ezio's arms and threw the smoke bomb onto the ground. She had seconds before it would wear off, and so she leapt over the edge of the balcony and onto the ground, dashing off in the opposite direction toward a stable she'd taken note of.

Ezio was the only person that was faster than her that she knew of – which put her at a severe disadvantage. He was most likely barreling down the street after her. Using a horse would be too noticeable in the city – she had to find the exit and steal one from there. First, she had to get Ezio off of her trail.

"Do you think you can run from me so easily?" he cried, his tone arrogant. "Come, meet your fate, you cannot escape me." Remus knew the stakes at hand – if he saw her, he'd hunt her with relative ease. She had to utilize the darkness while there was still bits of it left.

Remus made a sharp turn down a narrow alley, her eyes locking onto a bridge that seemed to have the exit on the other side. She picked up the pace despite her exhaustion, and almost rejoiced when she reached the other side.

Almost.

He was standing there, smirking lightly. "Give me the artifact, and maybe I won't kill you." Remus returned the gesture, beckoning him forward. He took the challenge and she jumped onto the edges of the bridge. She did the same.

Remus was thinner and smaller than Ezio, and as he attempted to slash at her, it was easier to dodge. Ezio's larger size and heavier armor made him wobble in awkward imbalance, and in mid-stumble, she took the opportunity to kick him square in the stomach, and he plummeted downward into the river with a large splash.

She had no time to lose. As she positioned herself to run again, she noticed one thing – Ezio hadn't come up for air yet. After a long, agonizing fifteen seconds, she perhaps did the stupidest thing in her entire life. She dove into the river and found that he was simply sinking. Swearing to herself, she swam his body to a nearby edge, placing it up against the ridges of the small river.

It confused Remus greatly – Ezio knew how to swim. Remus quickly noticed the deep bags under his eyes, and she understood. He hadn't been getting enough sleep at all – and he didn't have the energy to even swim. She sighed quietly to herself.

"Idiota," she whispered. "I'm sorry it has to be like this." Unable to stop herself, she bent down and placed a kiss on his forehead, which made him stir and mumble incoherently. She removed her hood, adding to the illusion she was about to administer.

She could tell he wasn't conscious when his eyes dragged open. "Ge …?"

"Shh," she commanded softly, running a finger down his cheek, "sleep, caro mio."

"Res … tare," he mumbled in his dream-like state, "con … mi."

Her eyes clenched tight. "Sempre, Ezio." The lies she spoke burned her tongue the moment they left her lips. All for the illusion. She would be the only that would remember it – he'd just think it a bizarre dream and move on with his life.

Remus finally stood up and lifted her hood over her face. She wordlessly dashed to the stables, mounted a horse, and dashed off into the night, the Apple bobbing up and down against her aching chest.

A/N: This came to me very, very quickly. Hopefully this didn't seem too rushed – I just needed to get these words out because after I watched HP7 pt. 1, I dunno, my ideas flowed a little better after such an amazing movie with such amazing creative stimulation. Hopefully, this slightly makes up for my hiatus for so long. Heheh.

Italian to English:

Caro mio: Dear, sweetheart (masculine)

Restare con mi: Stay with me

Sempre: Always