"Smiles in the sunshine,

And tears in the rain,

Still take me back where my memories remain,

Flickering embers,

Grow higher and higher,

As he carries me home to,

The Mull of Kintyre."

Giovanni smiled at the song, his eyes still closed. He felt Isotta sitting beside him, clasping his hand as she sung.

"Did I ever tell you that you sing beautifully?"

"Gio!" She exclaimed, throwing herself forward, grabbing his face as she kissed him. "We thought you... You stopped breathing..."

"I'm still alive for now." Giovanni grinned, returning the kiss. "How did you escape?" He asked, pulling away.

"I don't really know, it was a bit of a blur, but I remember screaming and I threw the brute down, I don't know how. Then I tackled the captain and shot them both before lifting you up, finding a horse and running back here as fast as I could."

"That's amazing." Giovanni said, in awe of her strength.

"You're really heavy, you know. I think I sprained my shoulder."

Giovanni lifted a hand to her face, his thumb running along her scar that had healed from the cut, but would never disappear.

"I wish I could of stopped it."

"It's fine. I got off much better than some of the others. Your mother..." She trailed off, bowing her head.

Giovanni felt the stab of pain in his chest, right where the arrow had been as he remembered holding his mother as she died to protect him.

"I know. I was there."

"I'm so sorry. No one knew she was there, she must have stolen a uniform. I could have helped..."

"Don't blame yourself." He squeezed her hand.

"Your uncle told me to fill you in on what happened, should-" she winced, "when you woke up."

"Oh?"

"Well, we won. Ezio killed Cesare and he's hidden the Apple."

"Bene. Can I see him?"

"Depends if you can walk."

With careful movements, Isotta helped Giovanni to a sitting position and then to standing.

"The doctors did a very good job with stitching me back together." He noted, pawing at the clean bandages on his bare chest.

"They said you had a strong will to live."

"Only when there's someone to live for." He smiled and kissed her.

Before they left the room, Isotta stopped.

"When you were asleep, I told you not to leave me."

"I heard you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Ah, Giovanni, it seems it is not your time to depart from the world just yet." Ezio greeted as he stood from a desk.

"The same cannot be said for my mother."

"I heard. She is to be buried in Florence, beside your father in the Auditore crypt."

"Grazie."

"I trust Isotta has told you of our victory in Viana?"

"Sì, where did you hide the Apple?"

Ezio tapped his nose and winked.

"Mi dispace, but that you cannot know."

"Worth a shot." He shrugged. "Also, while I was unconscious, I met the gods."

"Huh?" Isotta said while Ezio nodded.

"Did they tell you of the prophecy?"

"Sì, they said they spoke to you as the Roman gods, Jupiter, Juno and-"

"And Minerva. Yes, they spoke to you differently?"

"As the Greek gods. It was strange, I was inside the body of Zeus, or Jupiter, but Athena and Hera saw me inside and spoke to me."

"So you walked on Olympus as Zeus?" Isotta asked, amazed.

"Sì, and I flew as an eagle..."

"Aquila." Isotta nodded. "Zeus's eagle form."

"How do you know this?" Ezio asked.

"She does her research." Giovanni grinned.