I won't say much here: I'll leave that for the end. Lets just say that this update is a whole bunch of significant.

March 24th, 1500. Rome.

Machiavelli posted Giovanni in the hall of the Assassin lobby to keep a watch for the Doctor, Ezio and Leonardo when they returned. He had been fine with the arrangement when the sun was up, but now that it was well into the early hours of the morning, he was beginning to regret it. He teetered constantly on the edge of sleep and an almost comatose state of alertness, the grumbling of his stomach waking him up each time he threatened to doze off. He'd gone without supper, just in case they returned while he was away, and now all he could think about was sleep. Sleep and food. Sleep, food, sleep, sleep, Zita, sleep.

Zita.

Giovanni sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as the thought of her sat in the middle of his thoughts and expanded until it encompassed everything else. When this fancy had begun, he wasn't sure, but what he did know was that it wasn't going away and that it was only made worse by the fact that she was his partner outside of the hideout – shadowing the Maestro while they went about their own duties. The partnership had been awkward to begin with, what with him already a skilled Assassin and she a novice, but there was something about her that was mysterious. Alluring. It was the gypsy blood, had to be. His parents, nobles out in the country, would have warned him against her type.

And that made him want it just that little more.

He sighed and made an effort to shove her out of his thoughts. Sleep, food, watch. Sleep, food, watch. Sleep, food –

The door to the women's quarters creaked open. 'Giovanni?'

' – Zita!' Giovanni yelped, jerking awake and nearly falling out of his seat, clapping his hand over his mouth. 'Forgive me – I did not – '

Zita smiled, a small twitch of her lips. 'It's fine. I should have not have startled you.'

'I should not have been startled,' Giovanni murmured regretfully. It was true: not only was he meant to be a fully alert watchman, but now he just looked like a fool.

'I will not tell anyone.' Zita reassured him, her smile growing a little more. He smiled back, and then rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

'Did you, uh – did you need something? That is, I will get it for you. If it is in this room, of course. I cannot leave my…my post.' He trailed off, inwardly cursing himself.

'No. No, I require nothing.'

'Nothing? Nothing at all?' Giovanni asked, frowning.

'No. I only wondered that you did.' Zita said, and then she stepped out from behind the door she'd been peering around, and in her hands she held a steaming bowl of soup and a lump of soft white bread. Giovanni stared at her, the soup, and then laughed.

'How did you know?' He asked, grinning as he held out his hands for the soup and bread. She went to him, as graceful as anything, and handed them to him.

'I could hear your stomach from my bed,' she laughed, watching him eagerly as he drank from the bowl. He savoured the soup in his mouth for a moment, and then looked up at her with wide eyes.

'Zita!' He managed after swallowing hastily. 'I did not realise you were such a good cook!'

Zita smiled bashfully. 'My mother taught me a few recipes when I was a young girl. Careful!' she laughed quietly when Giovanni tipped the bowl back, drinking it all quickly. Her laughter escalated when he lowered the bowl and smiled at her with soup dripping off his chin.

'Why are you - ?' he murmured, his smile dropping as he began to paw at his chin. Zita laughed again, and took a handkerchief from her pocket.

'Here,' she said and, leaning over, took a gentle hold of his chin and wiped his face clean. Giovanni went very still, and Zita pulled back to find him staring at her – meeting her eyes, unashamed. And she felt herself gently lean towards him, her hand moving from his chin to cover his cheek and her heart was in her mouth when his head tipped back and they were inches away –

The sound of the universe ripped through the peace, and a wind was thrown up in the hall. Zita and Giovanni jumped away from each other to wheel around and be met with the TARDIS, fading into reality with more haste than what was usual. It had barely materialised when the doors burst open and Ezio stood there, Leonardo's arm thrown around his shoulders and the man himself limp at his side.

'Maestro - !'

'Fetch Bianca – quickly!'

Zita had taken off at once to the women's quarters to rouse Bianca, and inevitably the whole of the hideout. Word was sent to Machiavelli, La Volpe and Bartolomeo in the form of a few fleet footed Assassins who pulled on their clothes and took off to the stables without being asked. Ezio dragged Leonardo past the men's quarters when Rory and Valentino stumbled out.

'Maestro, what happened?' Valentino asked, shadowing Ezio as he made his way up the stairs to his room.

'Just fetch me Bianca!' Ezio barked back, struggling up the stairs. Without asking questions, Rory moved forward to help, throwing Leonardo's second arm around his shoulders. Behind them, Bianca burst into the room, a shawl draped around her shoulders and followed closely by Zita and Amy. She rushed past the stunned Valentino, shooting questions at Ezio as he and Rory half carried, half dragged Leonardo up the stairs.

'What happened?'

'A blow to the head – he fell against the floor of the TARDIS after escaping the guards.' Ezio repled, giving her as much information as he could as he struggled into his room. He and Rory gently manoeuvred Leonardo onto the bed, and Bianca pushed past them to sit by his side.

'How long ago?'

'A few minutes,' Ezio breathed heavily, hanging back and watching Bianca as she examined Leonardo's head gently. Her hand came away red, and she shouted over her shoulder.

'I need ice, immediately!'

'Here!' Amy replied, having gone to fetch it herself in case it was needed. Rory took it from her, their eyes met, and through their worry for Leonardo they were united again. He squeezed her hand briefly before handing the ice to Bianca, who promptly put it to Leonardo's head as she checked the wound again.

'Not as serious as I first thought. The cut is deep, but not deep enough. Give him a few moments, and he will come around on his own.' Bianca stated, standing and tipping her head in Ezio's direction. 'I will fetch him something to drink, he will need it.'

'Grazie, Bianca.' Ezio said, the gratitude clear in his voice as he laid a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, and left the room brusquely. A few thumps on the stairs announced the Doctor, who had finally caught up with them all – he burst into the room and stood awkwardly in the doorway when everyone looked around.

'Is he, uh – is he alright?'

'Bianca says he will be,' Ezio replied.

'Oh. Good. That's good, then.' The Doctor said, obviously relived as he tweaked his bowtie anxiously. He had enough blood on his hands – he didn't need much more – but there was obviously something about being responsible for the premature death of one of the world's greatest geniuses that bothered him. He'd barely cleared his throat when Leonardo suddenly groaned.

'Leonardo?' Ezio was at his side immediately, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder and pushing him back down onto the bed gently when he tried to sit up, bewildered. 'Stay there a moment. Bianca is fetching you something to drink.'

'No, no,' Leonardo mumbled, waving Ezio away and sitting up with difficulty. 'Doctor, the note, you need to – ' he groaned, and covered the back of his head with his hand as he stood. 'You need to see,' he insisted, swaying on the spot – Ezio took his arm.

'Please – '

'Leave me!' Leonardo groaned, groggy on pain, and weakly pushed past Ezio. Stunned, Ezio let him go by, and could only follow him as Leonardo staggered down the stairs, leaning heavily against the wall as his head swam. Bianca met him on the stairs and gaped in shock, but he didn't spare her a glance as he pushed onward, aiming for the TARDIS. When he got there, he pushed the door open, and staggered inside.

'Leonardo, what – ' Ezio began to ask, stepping in after him, watching as his friend fell to the floor and began to search for something.

'The – the note,' Leonardo managed, seizing the screwed up yellow note in a weak grip, sitting in the doorway of the TARDIS, his head leaning against the wood as he held it up to the Doctor, who was hanging back behind Ezio. 'Take it, Doctor,' Leonardo managed, breathing heavily. 'Face the truth.'

The Doctor met Leonardo's eye, and with a slow hand, he took the note from him. He smoothed it out, and stared at the words on it.

'You told me – you were the last of your kind,' Leonardo said. 'And if what is written there is true, then our – our situation is graver than you ever anticipated.'

The Doctor didn't look up from the note – he stared at it as the truth of what Leonardo was telling him sank in.

'You – you must act. Before it is too late. For – for us all.' Leonardo finished with a groan, his head falling gently back against the TARDIS doorframe. Ezio knelt by his side, and all eyes turned to the Doctor.

'Doctor?' He asked when he said nothing. 'What does it mean?'

'You better not be keeping something from us.' Amy said darkly, Rory nodding in agreement.

After a pause, the Doctor looked around, holding up the note. What was written was this:

+20.866638, -156.646667
96742

FANCY A HOLIDAY?
IN HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE.

The last line had been underlined again, just like it had been in the book.

'These notes…' the Doctor said. 'These notes were left by the one person who could leave them. Time is far more scrambled than we thought, and the situation…dangerous. Everything is at risk of collapsing, all across time and space, and we have to fix things before it all gives way.'

'And who left the notes?' Amy demanded.

The Doctor looked almost sad as the truth came out.

'I did.'

I REALLY hope nobody's overly confused right now: trust me, everything will be explained in the upcoming chapters. Please review! :)