Chapter 16 Aftermath
The sky was a light pale blue when Abby, Scipio, Barbarossa, and Prosper got to Casa Spavento. Victor was waiting for them as Prosper opened the front door.
"What happened to you two?" Victor asked as Abby and Scipio walked in.
Just at that moment Ida came down the stairs, "Bo is in the living room safe and sound."
Prosper went to check on his little brother.
Barbarossa sat at the table and found the wine Ida had left out from the previous night.
"The merry - go - round worked" Abby said to Victor.
"Who is that midget?" Ida asked
"Midget? Who are you calling midget? I am Ernesto Barbarossa. I am a successful businessman and enjoy the respect of this fair city. You might you be" Barbarossa squeaked.
"You're not old enough for that" Scipio said as Abby took the glass of wine away from Barbarossa.
"Who are you? My father" Barbarossa said snarkily at Scipio. Barbarossa then just fell asleep.
Scipio smiled. That would be a laugh thought Abby.
"What are you two going to do?" Ida asked
"What about your assistants" Scipio looked hopefully at Victor
"Sure why not" Victor replied.
"I'll help you get your stuff to your office" Scipio told Victor as he got the tortoises off the counter and followed Victor and Ida outside.
Abby took the Barbarossa to one of the bedrooms. He couldn't go to sleep so she sang him a lullaby. Finally he finally closed his eyes. Abby left the room, closing the door quietly. She heard voices down stairs and a gunshot. Abby rushed down the stairs. There in the foyer stood Hornet holding Bo, Riccio and Mosca were on the floor. Prosper was against one of the walls. Across from him stood an ugly older man, who must have been Prosper's and Bo's uncle and a wrinkled old lady, who must have been Prosper and Bo's aunt. Prosper's and Bo's uncle had a shotgun pointed at Prosper.
"What is going on" Abby said as she walked down the last few stairs.
"What do you think you are doing" Scipio stormed in a grabbed the gun from Prosper's and Bo's uncle .
The two older adults were lost for words
"Get out, leave these boys alone and leave Venice. You don't deserve to raise tortoises, let alone children." Abby stormed toward them.
This made the two adults run away from the house.
Abby turned towards Prosper.
"You okay?" She asked
"Yeah, how did you do that" Prosper asked shock was clearly present in his voice.
"Sometimes it is good to be a grown up" Scipio replied.
"Look at you lot. It really worked" Riccio mused.
As Ida and Victor went to Prosper's and Bo's aunt and uncle to see if they would adopt 5 year old Ernesto Barbarossa. Abby, Scipio and the rest of the gang went to the Russio family lawyers.
"Hello, I am Abigail Russio. I am here to claim my what is rightfully mine." Abby said to the front desk lady. Who took her back to the attorneys. Everyone else waited in the waiting room. It was an hour before Abby came out of the office.
"It is all taken care of" Abby said as the gang stood up to walk out.
"How much money do you have" Mosca asked
"More than I count" Abby said checking the paperwork.
"I have a plan to get our money" Scipio said leading them to Barbarossa's former shop.
Abby picked the lock
"I thought you weren't good at that" Riccio stated
"I had to pick the lock on my window a few times" Abby replied
They entered the shop. Scipio made his way to the safe in the office. Abby sat in front of it thinking. Got up and looked around the desk, grabbed a piece of paper on it and sat back in front of the safe. She turned it until it opened. Riccio grabbed the money in the safe and Scipio replaced it with the fake money the Conte gave them.
Then they walked to the Russio Mansion. There already was a house staffing waiting for them, a cook, two maids, a butler and a waterboat driver.
"No worries about payment, your parents took care of that in their will" the butler stated as he let the group into the mansion.
The covers had been taken off the grand furniture.
"Some pieces are missing madam" the butler continued
"No worries Charles. It is great to see you again" Abby said giving the butler a hug.
"I would like if you could get some movers over to the Massimo Mansion to get Scipio's and mine belongings and bring them here." Abby stated as they turned to leave the mansion.
"No problem Abby, the movers have already started." Charles replied
Little while later Scipio bought a boat for Mosca, while Abby put the rest of their share into bank accounts for Riccio, Hornet, Mosca, Prosper, and Bo.
They met Ida and Victor in St. Mark's square. Scipio had disappeared for a minute while Ida and Abby were talking about the future of the rest of the gang. A little while later he returned a small velvet box behind his back. Riccio had seen it and took it from him.
"Give it back. It is a surprise for Abby" Scipio whispered at him. He didn't want Abby to hear. Riccio opened the box then immediately gave it to Scipio
"Um… Abby can I talk to you" Scipio asked as he walk toward her.
"Sure, what?" Abby said getting up and moved away from the table a little.
"I have to ask you a question" Scipio said as he got down on one knee.
Ida let out a gasp of excitement, which caused everyone to turn to see Scipio on one knee in front of Abby.
"Abigail… I have loved you since I can remember… Will you marry me" Scipio asked, looking loving at Abby.
" Scipio… I have loved you since I can remember… Of course I will" Abby said putting on the ring.
Scipio got up and kissed her in front of the gang and everyone in the square that day.
They went to join the others who were now heading over the boats they had arrived in. Ida, Victor, Prosper, Hornet and Bo filed into Ida's boat, while Riccio, Mosca, Scipio and Abby filed into the boat that Scipio just bought.
Hornet snuggled against Prosper as Bo sat on Victor's lap. Ida was surely telling them how she was hoping to adopt them. Like how she and Abby talked about.
On their boat Abby turned to Mosca and Riccio, "in order to go on the adventures to find your dad you are going to need to learn how to read map, do calculation and all that sort of stuff"
Mosca turned to Abby, "I know. But I don't know where to learn that stuff"
Abby looked at Scipio who smiled back at her in agreement.
"Riccio and Mosca, Scipio and I have been talking. How you like to live at Russio Mansion? Scipio and I would take care of you"
"Really" Riccio and Mosca looked at the two grown up Thief Lords, "Yeah"
"Good, because Hornet, Prosper, and Bo will be coming over for lessons. How does that sound?" Abby asked
Riccio and Mosca smiled at each other and waved at the kids in the other boat, who waved back in excitement.
"Hey boss" Scipio shouted to Victor, "See you in the office tomorrow?"
Victor gave a thumbs up in agreement.