OH MY GOD. Its been such a long time in coming, but here it is! Chapter thirty two, in eight phases! Exam time's come around again, so please be patient while I balance writing with my exams! D: Also, to my beta people: I am so sorry for not getting back to you all! I have been incredibly busy recently, as well as having some internet issues! I'll upload the next seven phases in the next week. A lot of effort concerning plot had gone into this, and I'd love to hear what you think.

Enjoy! :)

March 23rd, 1500. Rome.

Organising their disguises had been an effort, to say the least. The problems had begun when the Doctor realized he didn't exactly know where the TARDIS' wardrobe was, but only admitted it after half a day had gone by of I could have sworn it was here and I think its hiding. And then it had been a matter of teamwork to extract the suitable clothes. Leonardo and Ezio had no idea what they were supposed to be looking for, Rory and Amy searched in sullen silence, pointedly ignoring each other and the Doctor sat and insisted unhelpfully that tweed was acceptable for any century. But, somehow, they managed to successfully extract a set of clothes for Leonardo and Ezio, and now they were faced with one last hurdle.

How, exactly, to put them on.

'Leonardo,' Ezio hissed, holding up a pair of trainers by their laces. 'Do you have any idea what these are?'

'They look like shoes,' Leonardo murmured back, examining them briefly as he unlaced his shirt and pulled it over his head. 'But for all we know, they could be gloves in the future.'

'Nope, no,' Rory said as he brushed past them and out of the TARDIS. 'Those're for your feet. And I'm not helping you with anything else.' He added pointedly in a raised voice, moving his eyebrows in the Doctor's direction. But his back was turned to Rory as he fussed at the console, and so Rory rolled his eyes and walked out instead. Amy emerged from a corridor a moment later, carrying a man's white shirt and a rucksack.

'I think this is in your size,' she said to Ezio, passing it to him. He held it critically against himself.

'How impractical,' he murmured. 'Where am I meant to put my equipment if there are no pockets?'

'Here,' Amy tossed him the rucksack, and Ezio peered inside. 'That should do.'

Leonardo, his breeches discarded on the TARDIS' floor, hopped over with one leg in a pair of jeans to examine what Ezio fished out of the rucksack. It was a torch, and a moment of fumbling accidently turned it on – Ezio started and held it away from him, shining it Leonardo's eyes, who yelped and then fell on his side.

'Mio Dio Ezio, be careful with that thing!' He shouted at Ezio from the floor as his friend dropped the torch back into the rucksack and helped him up, barely concealing a grin.

'Mi dispace,' he said, fishing out the torch and handing it to Leonardo after he had pulled on the jeans, who took it with a fascinated expression.

'A way to transport light…' Leonardo murmured in fascination, finding the switch quickly and flicking it on and off. 'Incredible!'

'Careful of that, the power won't last forever,' Amy advised him, and turned to the sound of the TARDIS door opening: Rory emerged with a satchel.

'Stuff for Ezio,' he murmured to Amy, handing it to her quickly.

'Thanks,' she murmured back, taking it at a similar speed. Their fingers touched briefly, and they jumped away from each other. They shared a look of mixed emotions and things unsaid, before she turned away and he walked out. She sighed.

'Is everything alright, Amy?' Leonardo asked her gently. Amy nodded.

'It's fine,' she said, smiling. 'You don't look half bad!'

Leonardo had pulled on his shirt at this point, and was twisting around to examine himself. 'It's a bit dull, don't you think?'

Amy hummed gently in thought, hand on her chin, and then her eyes lit up. 'Here,' she said, taking the scarf from around her neck and looping it around Leonardo's. 'How does that look?'

Leonardo toyed with it for a moment before his face split into a grin. 'It is perfect! Exactly what I needed!'

Amy smiled. 'Good!' And then held up a couple of rolls of fabric. 'And now for socks.'

'Right!' The Doctor suddenly announced, spinning around from the console and clapping his hands together 'Are we – oh for heaven's sake!' The Doctor clapped his hands over his eyes – Ezio had removed his shirt and was giving the pair of jeans in his hands a confused look. 'Out Pond, out!' He shouted at Amy, seeing her expression through his fingers. 'Leonardo, you stay and – ' in midsentence, he saw Leonardo's expression. 'Actually, you get out as well. Rory!'

'Yeah?' Rory peered into the TARDIS, and, seeing Ezio, his expression changed into a deadpan look. 'I hate you.' He said simply.

'You're lying, I can see it in your eyes,' The Doctor grinned at him as he shepherded Amy and Leonardo from the TARDIS.

'No, no – I do just hate you.' Rory assured him as the TARDIS door closed. 'For starters, you can put your shirt on.' He said to Ezio.

Half an hour later, they were ready. Leonardo allowed the ladies to fawn over his scarf and Amy's good sense of colour, while Ezio stood and fumed quietly after Machiavelli, Bartolomeo and La Volpe had burst into laughter after he had stepped out of the TARDIS, and was still enduring their continued amusement when Claudia and Maria approached him. He kissed his mother on the cheek and hugged his sister.

'Please stay safe, Ezio,' Claudia said.

'I promise, sister.'

'Bah. An Auditore can always take care of himself, whatever century he's in.' Maria said dismissively, but held her son's face for a moment, looking into his eyes. Ezio silently promised her that he would do his best to protect himself and his friends, and she stepped away, satisfied.

'Right!' The Doctor announced after everyone had said their goodbyes. Amy and Rory were staying behind, and were deliberately standing on opposite sides of the room, having said their goodbyes and good wishes separately. The Doctor gave them both a measured look from the doorway of the TARDIS, hoping that for his own sanity they would sort out their row soon. 'We all set?'

'We are ready, Doctor,' Leonardo confirmed as Ezio shouldered the rucksack. The smoke bombs and knives clunking inside of it. He nodded.

'Off we go!' he jumped into the TARDIS, Ezio and Leonardo following him. Ezio stepped inside first, and Leonardo turned to wave one last time before closing the door. Their friends stepped back as the TARDIS began to disappear, enjoying the noise for a brief moment, and then a tense silence settled on them all when it was finally gone.

'They will be alright, won't they?' Claudia asked Amy quietly.

'Of course they will,' Amy said, and because she didn't really believe it herself, said it again. 'Of course they will.'

'So – ' The Doctor announced as Leonardo closed the door behind him. 'Are you ready for the future?'

'As we'll ever be, Doctor!' Leonardo called to him, grinning. At the TARDIS console, Ezio settled against the railings and tugged at his t-shirt, frowning.

'It's what they're all wearing in the future,' The Doctor attempted to reassure him. 'Depending on what one you go to.' He added under his breath as he started pulling levers and twisting dials. 'But never mind! You'll blend right in! Just…just don't climb anything.'

Free running was the last thing on Ezio's mind, despite rooftops being as familiar to him as the back of his own hand. 'Hm,' he said. 'Tell me, Doctor – what weapons are there in the future?'

'Ah, well, I wouldn't know much about that, but I 'spose they're all bit like yours, but a lot more powerful. Hopefully there won't be any where we're going, but don't touch anything, just in case.'

'So, Doctor, you say we are going to a museum…' Leonardo frowned, shaking his head. 'I am not sure that I understand the concept.'

'Oh, museums are big collections of stuff. Sciency stuff, history stuff, stuff. A bit like private collections, but, uh, free. But I'm a time traveller, so I don't pay attention to any of the stuff they put in there, 'cuz they always get it wrong,' The Doctor grumbled as he reached up to the screen and hung off of it thoughtfully. 'They thought those bones were dinosaur bones? Nothing of the sort.' He added grumpily before reaching down and pulling a lever. The TARDIS jolted as it landed, and Leonardo and Ezio stumbled back onto the railings. The Doctor turned around and ran from the console without a word, stopping at the doors and splaying his hand on the wood.

And then he asked a question.

One word: just one little word that he had asked hundreds before Leonardo and Ezio and would ask hundreds of more after them. One word that often meant the difference between life and death and another world that the person being asked had never even dared dream of.
And it was this:

'Ready?'

Leonardo looked over his shoulder at Ezio, who with a roll of his shoulders seemed to steel himself and nodded. Leonardo turned back to the Doctor, and nodded once.

'We're ready.'

'Good,' the Doctor said, a grin slowly spreading over his face as he opened the door and stepped outside, leaving it open for Leonardo and Ezio to venture out of.
Leonardo waited for Ezio to join him before he went outside, and shot him a nervous look. Ezio looked similarly worried, but he clapped Leonardo on the shoulder and squeezed in a gesture of comfort, Leonardo squeezing his arm in turn.

'We lied to him.' Ezio stated, staring at the open door. He couldn't see much past the blinding light of day, and it was doing nothing to ease the worry that was churning in his gut.

'Of course we did.' Leonardo replied.

And on that matter, there was nothing much else to say.

'After you,' Ezio said.

'Grazie,' Leonardo replied, and then walked out of the TARDIS and into the future.

WELL, first phase over. I've really missed updating. Be sure to tell me what you think. :)