It took a while before Ezio was able to get Sofia to make sense but once he'd broken through her initial surprise, she grabbed his hand and led him into the back room, "I told you I had a distraction, after that ship went down I was carrying a small delivery back to the shop and I came across him," She moved a curtain aside and let Ezio through, "He has not long fallen asleep, the drugs are quite strong so do not worry if he does not respond."

Ezio approached the makeshift bed in the corner, usually this room was for people who wanted to study quietly, it had been turned into a little infirmary for the figure laying still before him, "I...how did you get him here?" He sat heavily on the stool next to the bed, wanting to touch the man on the bed but unsure how, "Is there anywhere I can touch him that does not look painful?" It was Matteo, under the bruising, swelling and redness of burns, that was his son. Matteo was covered to his neck in a white sheet, the right side of his face was black and blue, his hair cut choppily short, "He is going to be furious when he sees his hair..." That was the smartest thing he could come up with?

"It had been burned, if he wants to make a complaint I will shave his eyebrows too." She stood beside the man and quietly observed him, "The other side of his face is relatively uninjured, so you can touch there, most of his left side is uninjured. Most of it is bruising, some burns that will heal without trace and some that will scar...his right arm is probably the worst of it." Ezio peeled the sheet away carefully, Matteo's arm was resting across his chest, bandaged heavily from elbow to his entire hand, "How bad is the damage?"

"I do not know, a doctor comes to treat him, all I know is that he lost a finger..." A noise behind them made the woman jump, forgetting her guest completely, "Should he see this, Ezio?"

"Si," He called Giovanni to him and sat the boy down on the stool after vacating it, "You are not alone any more – not that you ever were." Giovanni leaned close to his twin, fingers brushing so lightly over the left side of his brother's face that he may as well not be touching, "Sofia, you..." The assassin hugged her to him, unable to express his thanks in words that would convey how truly grateful he was. This woman had taken a complete stranger into her home, nursed them, paid for treatment and practically saved their life, somehow he would make it up to her, "Thank you, we thought he was dead, we buried what we thought was his body..."

Sofia hugged him back and pulled away before she wanted to melt in his arms, "I was hardly going to leave him to die – only...Ezio there is one more thing." She waited for his complete attention, a little apprehensive about her next words, "He...He was blinded, the doctor says it may me temporary, he does not understand that yet, when he is awake he is very confused and in too much pain to take anything in really. You probably want to take him home with you and I have to ask you to leave him here – you are welcome to see him, whenever you like! Just let him stay here until he is a little better."

Blind? Matteo was blind...it may be temporary though, he might get his sight back...maybe. "It is best he stays, Giovanni will probably refuse to leave, it might take some convincing to make him leave Matteo's side."

"Matteo? Is that his name? I have been calling him bambino for the last few weeks because he could not tell me." Glancing at the other man beside his brother, Sofia smiled a little, "I would not tear them apart, he can stay as long as he likes; besides the help would be appreciated. You might...want to take your son's belongings though...you know, his entire arsenal of weaponry, the interesting bits in his pockets and the armour. I will not ask."

"And I will not answer." He said, internally groaning at the things she had found, "Wait, he was wearing armour?"

"Under his clothing, it probably saved his life."

"Under...why was he...never mind, he is alive and he better stay that way, I will reimburse you for the doctor and supplies, Sofia."

Rolling her eyes, the red head gave him a sour look, "No you will not. You can pay for his treatment starting from now but I will not take anything from you – Capito?" She thought Ezio would argue but a rogue grin crossed his scarred lips, reminding her of a wolf in a chicken den, he was planning something, even as he agreed to her terms she just knew he was up to something!

00

After meeting the doctor and giving his own 'special' advice, Ezio returned to the Gelata hide out, his arms full of Matteo's belongings and feeling lighter than he had in a long time. "What is all that? Have you mugged a grandmother?" Yusuf abandoned his letter reading to poke through the things Ezio had dumped on a table, "This armour is no more than scrap, I think the merchant ripped you off, my friend."

He batted the man's hand away from the things, "You are such a child, they are Matteo's...he...is alive."

"...I thought we buried him..."

"We buried the thief that stole Matteo's ring from his unconscious body."

Yusuf threw his arms up excitedly, "This is wonderful news! I am guessing Giovanni is with him as he is not by your side, where did you find him?" He listened as Ezio explained where he had found his so, he listed the injuries sustained and the treatment that was needed. They made plans for Matteo to have a guard on watch until he was ready to be moved, no one seemed to know the assassin was there but it never hurt to be careful. "You Auditores will just not die!" He laughed at the amused shrug from the man and suddenly noticed a figure by the door, "Devrim! Excellent news; Matteo survived having his arse blown off!"

"What?" He had originally come in to ask his father a question but that knocked it from his head, "Matteo is alive? Where is he? Is he alright? Does Giovanni know?"

"He is alive, he is a Sofia's bookshop and he is...injured." Ezio supplied quickly, "He can not be moved yet and Giovanni is going to stay with him, I am sure extra help would be gladly received." That was the most subtle way he had of saying, 'I do not know why you are not talking to my son any more but go and make up before I stab you in the foot'. "It may do Matteo some good to hear familiar voices."

Devrim squirmed a little, wanting to see the man but he had been so carefully avoiding Giovanni, "I might do that. First though, whilst I remember Baba; have you organised a ship for Cyprus?"

"Nope." Yusuf replied nonchalantly, "And I am not going to – you want to go and nurse your broken heart, you organise it." And that was all he would say on the matter. Devrim wanted to go back to Cyprus to regather evidence, apparently, though Yusuf knew he just wanted to get away from Giovanni, that for some strange reason his son was doing everything within his power to pretend the Italian did not exist even though it was making him miserable. "How do you even fight with someone who does not speak?"

"I am not having this conversation in front of him!" Devrim hissed quickly in their language, Ezio still wrapping his head around the language would have trouble understanding, "You can not beat up every man who has ever wronged me and you can not tell me who I can or can not see! With or without your help I am getting on a ship." He stalked out of the room, muttering about his father the entire way and slamming the door shut behind him.

The Ottoman assassin sighed heavily and shook his head, he thought a teenage daughter was hard? Devrim in a childish tizzy was worse than any tantrum Ece could pull off. "And he is my most mature child."

Ezio smiled at his friend, knowing exactly what he was thinking about his oldest child and knowing he had done the same many times before, "We have spoiled them, we had to grow up so quickly to survive, both of us with heavy burdens before we were even eighteen. You can not say that our protection and want for our children to grow up happy has not made them into brats. They are still children and they do not learn as fast as we did. When are you going to tell Devrim that my understanding of your language has improved? He still thinks I have no idea what he is saying." Just because he couldn't reply quickly did not mean that Ezio wasn't a quick translator. "Is he angry with Giovanni because he broke Iram's arm? I was under the impression that Devrim disliked the man...but they are lovers?"

"...No..." How the fuck did Ezio mistake Devrim's heartbreak to be for Iram when he was blatantly and obviously pining after Giovanni, "Sometimes you are really slow."

"Leonardo used to say that to me." He said and his eyebrows creased as he tried to figure it out, "Devrim and Iram are not lovers? ...I do not get it."

Yusuf face palmed himself, "Seriously, you should be put in a home for old people." Even Yusuf's daughter had asked if Devrim and Giovanni were going to get married! "Iram hardly waited one day before pursuing Devrim after he had turned sixteen. That bastard acted like the most perfect partner anyone could ever hope for, made Dev fall so absolutely in love with him that he would agree to anything, fucked him and dropped him faster than a hot coal. Giovanni probably broke Iram's arm because it was brought up that Devrim's consent was very dubious – no one likes to hear that about someone they care for...get it?"

"So, Giovanni was defending Devrim's honour...they are good friends after all...wait..." Ezio thought it over for a long moment, Yusuf watching carefully as all the pieces clicked together, "Devrim is angry at Giovanni because Devrim does not need defending and it hurt his pride."

The Turk's face dropped, "You really do not get it!" He was sorely tempted to write their son's names and draw a heart around them.

00

Sofia's Shop

Giovanni watched with building excitement as gold eyes fluttered open, he waited for recognition to flit across them, a smile to be flashed at him and maybe a sarcastic hello – Matteo's eyes did not even budge from the ceiling. Was he still upset because Giovanni had been angry at him? Squeezing his brother's left hand only succeeded in making him jolt, a pained sound leaving his brother and summoning Sofia to check on them, "It is alright, Bambino," Matteo calmed a little at the woman's voice, he knew she was safe, he knew the doctor's smell, the herbs the man used were always strong, he did not know who was holding his hand. "He can not see you, you need to talk to him." She encouraged Giovanni gently, when he looked at her helplessly she sighed, so much for getting the silent boy to say anything, "Matteo, it is your brother."

"G-gi...vanni?" Feeling a firm squeeze on his hand confirmed it and he grinned widely, his face hurting as he did so but he was so pleased, "You got out? D-did Dev...rim, did he...he..." His hand was lifted to a firm cheek and he felt a nod, "Bene, did you...hurt..." He took a painful breath in, wincing as everything ached, "Your voice?" A shake against his hand.

"Your father said he has not spoken since he thought you were dead." She quickly got to work on fetching together the creams and salves Matteo would need, he would need food before she could give him something for the pain – she hadn't done that yet! Too distracted by work and Ezio and everything! "Giovanni, you know what these are for, can you help your brother while I make some food?" He took the jars from her, smelling one of them and seemingly knowing what it was for, giving her a nod he pulled the sheet from his brother and began applying it to the burns.

Matteo hissed with every little touch, it had been worse in the beginning where every touch was pure agony, "Is my face ruined?" A nod on his hand made him smile a little, "Brutal...it will mend, right?" Another nod, "I am glad...all I got...going for me." Nod. "You fucker! Do not agree, ass. What about...the rest of me?"

Giovanni treated the more severe burns on his brother's shoulder and part of his chest. If Matteo had not been wearing his chest plate, if he had not been messing around with Devrim's mask...he would be dead, he would have been blown apart. "I think you will heal." Giovanni winced as he heard Devrim's voice, "A few manly scars for the ladies to fawn over...I can not believe you are in one piece."

"Ladies love scars...I can not feel my arm...or my fingers." That bothered him the most, it was the only thing that didn't hurt. "Are they s-still..."

"They are still attached, my friend." Devrim patted the man's leg, unsure where else to touch with how raw every inch of skin looked, "Sofia said you get better everyday, you will heal and be as you were – though hopefully not as stupid." He bantered back and forth, trying to distract him from the pain he was no doubt in and all the while watching Giovanni. Why hadn't the younger twin said anything? If Matteo asked him anything Giovanni would pick up his brother's hand and nod or shake his head, there were a few other ways they communicated, something that was purely theirs. Somehow Devrim did not think they would have problems communicating if Matteo's blindness and Giovanni's voice never returned. "I can not get my head around this...how did you get out?"

00

Gelata HQ

Laying out what remained of his son's uniform, Ezio couldn't help but feel his gut churning, the outer robes, once pure white with gold and red trim, were torn and burnt. Fire had eaten through the expensive, Italian tailoring, the right sleeve was missing completely, threads from the seam at the the shoulder seemed to have been ripped off. The chest area was either burned through or scorched, the hood in similar condition...

Matteo could feel his skin burning, though he was dazed and his sight nothing more than white light – he knew he was on fire. He tore at his robe, ripping the clasps apart as he tried to free himself from the burning fabric, his nose filled with the smell of burning skin and hair.

Next he examined the chest armour, it was old, Ezio knew Matteo had something heavier at home but he had chosen the lighter one, Giovanni had left his completely. Carrying pauldrons, greaves and chest pieces around would have caused too much suspicion and the boys had left it behind. This was compact enough to go under clothing as protection but it was not bullet proof and it got hot very quickly – as much as it had saved Matteo's life, it had probably hurt him more. He picked at the fibres of material melted to the engravings, he needed to get these decommissioned or the robes made from something more fire resistant.

He tried to get out of his clothing but the right side was stuck fast to his armour, in his struggles he fell, cold, sea water covered him and he scrambled for something to grab. The cabin was filling with water, they were sinking! His only relief was that he wasn't burning any more, "Hello?" Matteo heard the voice and turned, "You are alive?"

The voice came a little closer and Matteo reached out with his hand, "Help me! I...I can not see and I - " The person grabbed his hand and he nearly cried with relief, "Thank you!"

"Do not thank me, there is no way you will survive," The Italian felt his ring slipped from his finger and then the stranger let him go, "The ship is turned on its side, you will at least drown quickly – I will not make it if I take you with me."

"Bastardo!" But was he really that injured? Fuck...where was his brother?

Ezio put Matteo's things down, each piece telling him a horrific story, "When the twins were born I promised never to let harm come to them." He knew the Ottoman mentor had snuck in to collect a few things, he'd been trying to give Ezio time to himself and apparently the old man was pretty good at detecting people, "I was always careful when I was with them, they did not even know what their Papa did...and when my back was turned they were attacked by nobodies and Giovanni's throat was cut. Carlotta was killed. And years later, after training those boys until they collapsed from exhaustion I nearly lose Matteo too. Sometimes I think fate hates me and others..." He picked up a small tube amongst the clothing, "They both have survived impossible odds – maybe they are lucky in some way?"

"Ezio...that tube..."

Matteo felt suction from the water pulling him under again, maybe there was a hole in the ship or...there had been that secret compartment! That lead to an escape hatch, they had explored it thoroughly after they had settled in. He took in a deep breath and let himself be pulled with the water, his fingers finding the frame of the doorway, skimming what he recognised as Devrim's evidence.

00

Sofia's shop

"At some point I came up into fresh air...holding onto a piece of wood for all I was worth." As for how he ended up on dry land and then into Sofia's shop he had no idea. "I thought I had that tube...I...I do not remember if...if I had it." Matteo's memory left much to be desired and he was really starting to hurt now, "I probably ended up here naked."

A little laugh answered him, the smell of food assaulting his nose, "If you had been naked in that street, I would have left you out in the cold." Sofia let Devrim take a few of the plates she was balancing, handing two to Giovanni with specific instructions that Matteo would eat the carrots or she would make him. She then took her own plate back from the Turk and smiled at his cheeks that were puffed out with food like a rodent, "Have you not learned to chew yet? One day you will choke and I will let you." they ate quietly for a while, the occasional complaint from Matteo as his twin shoved one of the offending carrots into his mouth, Sofia spoke quietly with Devrim about his travels, reminding him he had one of her books and watching as he tried to explain that it was somewhere safe – so safe he had no idea where it was. "This tube you were talking about, did it have a gold band around its middle? It was a scroll protector?"

"Evet, It had some very important documents inside, you have seen it?" Devrim asked quickly, his food long gone – having four brothers and a constantly hungry father had taught him to eat his food quickly if there was any chance for seconds, the habit stuck.

"I gave it to Ezio with Matteo's...things. Very pointy, stabby things..." Each man shrugged at what she was getting at, having no idea what she was talking about and that they must have accidentally gotten attached to Matteo. Somehow with their matching clothing, armour and the fact that Devrim's reading mostly consisted of bomb crafting, pressure points on the human body and how to dispose of a body, these boys were not scholars as Ezio himself claimed to be. "I will find out, if I have to beat it out of Ezio I will."

Matteo smiled at her, "I bet Padre would love for you to beat him." Giovanni tried to hide a grin behind his hand; he had seen the way his father went into flirt mode the second he saw the woman. Maybe his father would think about settling down? Sofia seemed nice and she was fiery, his father just loved a challenge.

"...Your father is..." She was blushing and she knew all three of them were enjoying it, "A very interesting person."

"The most interesting man you will ever meet." Matteo smirked.

"That is what he said to me when we met..." Both Giovanni and Matteo nodded to themselves, mischievous little smiles on their faces – what was she missing? "A-Anyway!" She gave Giovanni a syringe and bottle, glad she didn't have to fiddle with them any more, she had caused more bruises in the crook of Matteo's elbow than he needed, "That means you will not have to leave for Cyprus, Devrim, that tube was the reason you were asking for ship manifestos, si?"

Devrim blinked slowly as he thought about that. He had no valid reason to leave Constantinople, he had found a ship leaving the day after tomorrow...his father was a hard man to pin down though. Maybe he could pretend to not know his father had received the information and get on the ship anyway...by the time they told him he didn't need to go it would be too late. "I have things to do in Cyprus, left some things undone, let us not talk about that, we have celebrations to be had – Matteo is alive and I plan to get drunk on his behalf."

"Your ship leaves early a day from now, you have things to arrange instead of getting drunk and you need to find my book!" Sofia poked him in the chest, too busy chastising him to notice his eyes watching the way Giovanni's body tensed, very nearly dropping the syringe as he pushed the plunger; the wince from Matteo was probably from the hand squeezing his hand as opposed to the needle. He watched the older twin's lips move, 'What is wrong?' his hand squeezing back as he sensed his brother's distress, untangling their fingers he stroked Giovanni's face and that was when the younger man stood suddenly and walked out of the room in a hurry, "Giovanni?" Sofia chased after him.

"You are leaving?" Matteo asked, his voice making it sound like an accusation, "You have not said a word to my brother since you arrived, he grabbed my hand the second you arrived...when he is sad, he entwines his fingers with mine, he only did that when you came. You sat far from him too...and you are leaving – did you even tell him? I am guessing not as he left here crying, at least his face was wet..."

The Turk sighed, "I had to break things off, he thought you were dead and he was unpredictable...he just wanted something to help him stop hurting and I refused to become his crutch – I was not going to take advantage of him whilst he was like that...he nearly killed a man because they threatened me, he crippled him! What am I supposed to do?"

"Tell him he was being a needy little bitch and you did not want to hurt him – not runaway! He probably does not...not know...fuck." The Italian's head slumped back on the pillow, the drugs forcing him to sleep, "Just let him...explain...himself before you..."

Devrim covered the man with the sheet, rearranging the pillows so he would be comfortable and left the sleeping man to his rest, "You Italians are so high maintenance, I never know if I am up or down with you guys." He made his way to the main shop area and saw Sofia frowning to herself, she couldn't understand where Giovanni had run off to or why, he patted her shoulder with an apologetic look, "I did not tell him I was leaving...he is probably just mad at me. Please look after them – all the Auditores."

00

Docks

Staring at his home from the deck of the cargo ship, Devrim carefully avoided the disappointed, grey eyes of his father, he was stood on a rooftop across from him, arms folded as if that alone would convey his feelings. Devrim had succeeded in avoiding the man, pretending he did not know about the documents being found, the fact that his father was holding the tube made it clear Yusuf knew what he had done. As the ship began moving, Yusuf sent him a sudden smug look – then he was gone. What had that been about? Devrim huffed in annoyance and turned his back on his country...on Giovanni.

When he walked into his little cabin, he paused; the writing table had been cleared of its previous contents, a bomb casing sat on it – the same one he had seen before it had gone off in Matteo's face. Before he could act a rope flashed in front of his arms before it was firmly around his neck and his attacker was choking him. He clawed at the rope, the edges of his vision darkening as he wondered how he had ended up alone and in this situation.