6

"Madonna!" Ezio called out as he watched Jessica sway unsteadily at the sight of the view from the Colosseum. He reached out and just in time caught her as she collapsed backwards towards him landing with a thud onto his chest. He caught his breath and knelt down still holding Jessica tightly as he lowered her to the ground with one arm, he lent over her, "Madonna" he spoke again, this time softer as he tried to coax Jessica to come around.

"Who's there?" the voice of nearby stationed guard called out. Ezio's ears pricked up automatically at the sound of the threat, he kept still and silent listening for any further clues that would give the guard and his position away. He could hear footsteps fast approaching from the right, the small stones moving under the guard's feet revealing his movements as his boots pressed onto them. "Show yourself" the guard called again just as Jessica began to stir in Ezio's arms.

"Merda" Ezio whispered under his breath looking down at her. He scooped Jessica up into his muscular arms and before making sure the 'ball' as she had referred to it was securely in his pouch he jumped down from the ledge of the colosseum skimming the grass verge and onto the hard, gravelly road. Dust flew up in a flurry as his heavy boots hit the ground causing Jessica to splutter and stir once more in his arms, what was he even going to do with this girl he thought as he watched her. He began to make his way along the path and towards the city still carrying her in his arms, he didn't even know her name, who she was, where she came from or anything. He should have just left her there, but Ezio did always have a weakness for a damsel in distress...if you could really call her that. He looked down at her again just as she slowly opened her eyes returning his gaze.

"Wh...where am I?" she asked dreamily as she looked up at him. He was just about to answer her when a voice sounded out from in front of him.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" A guard asked who was gathered with the small group of men who were now blocking his path. "What are you doing with that girl?" asked the same man. Jessica now able to understand now that her mind had cleared was suddenly alert to the danger of the situation immediately shutting her eyes at the sound of his voice. Ezio noticed this and used it to his advantage casually throwing his cape over her as he took a step forward. She lay completely still in his arms as he allowed for the guards to peer down at her.

"Please, let me pass I beg you" he began putting on his best desperate voice, "It is my wife, she has collapsed! I need to get her to a dottore!" he replied.

"My apologies messere" the guard immediately apologised after having heard Ezio's explanation, "Please, let him pass" he said to the other guards, "We must have confused you for someone else" he smiled sympathetically.

"Grazie Messere" Ezio replied as he continued along the road and passed the guards. That was too easy Ezio thought to himself as he looked back to see the men slowly disappearing around the bend.

"Okay" he shook Jessica in his arms, "You can stop with the dramatics now they have gone" he said as she cautiously opened one eye still wrapped up in his cape.

"Are you sure?" Jessica asked nervously.

"Yes, positive" Ezio replied dropping her abruptly to her feet causing her to scowl.

"So I'm your wife?" she asked raising her eyebrow.

"You understood?" Ezio looked surprised, "Whatever" he continued not bothering to wait for her reply whilst waving his hand blowing her comment off.

"Where are we going?" She asked, still coming off slightly bewildered.

"WE are going nowhere" Ezio said harshly, "I am going in there" he said gesturing over to the city walls, Jessica gazed upon them in amazement.

"Wow" she replied not taking much notice of Ezio's harsh words.

"I do not know where you are going but good look getting passed the guards dressed like that" he said giving her outfit a disapproving look. She looked down at what she was wearing struggling to remember after the days confusing events. Denim Shorts, a use to be white blouse, sandals, sunglasses, Shit she thought to herself suddenly, where was her bag? She began to pat her body frantically, desperately trying to feel for the leather bag she had left the hotel with that morning whilst Ezio looked on curiously.

"What...are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh no" she wailed realising what must have happened, "Shit shit shit shit shit" she cried stamping her feet a little on the gravel.

"What? What is the problem?" Ezio asked looking slightly alarmed by her behaviour.

"I need to go back" she replied.

"Go back where?" Ezio asked.

"To the Colosseum" she replied flatly as though it should have been obvious to him.

"But why?" Ezio was really confused by this time, this girl was so strange he thought as he took in her erratic behaviour.

"I've lost my bag!" she cried, "It has everything in there, I need to get it back, it must be there!" she stated turning on her heal as she finished.

"You can't go back in there" Ezio said immediately grabbing her by the shoulder stopping her in her tracks it reminding her of Antonio stopping her earlier that day, before whatever it was that was happening now. "You will just have to leave it".

"I can't, I can't go on without it, it has my phone in and everything...I have to get it..." she began.

"Your what?" Ezio stood there for a moment watching the girl stress, his head was telling him to leave and just go back to the city seeing as though his mission had failed thanks to her. However for some reason unknown to him she interested him, he wanted to know who she was and where and why she had suddenly appeared in front of him in the colosseum whilst he had been trying to locate a secret vault apparently hidden beneath. He hadn't realised that whilst he had been pondering this she had already set off back down the road and towards the colosseum. Shit, he thought to himself rolling his eyes as he chased after her grabbing her by the wrist as she strode.

"Oww" she complained as his first tightly clenched around her thin wrist, "What do you want?" she snapped, "You were trying to get rid of me a minute ago!"

"You can't just march in there you know" he stated keeping a firm hold of her as she tried to pull away from him.

"I NEED my bag" she snarled through gritted teeth trying to pull away again. Jessica hated people restricting her and it had seemed to be happening quite a lot just recently.

"Oh for fuck sake" Ezio said to himself, "I will get you your bag okay".

"You will?" she replied her face lighting up.

"Yes" he reinstated, "As long as you keep out of sight until I get back, the less trouble you cause the better" he said as he scanned their surroundings.

"But where will I wait?" Jessica asked him confused as she looked around the dark fields.

"There" replied Ezio nodding directly behind her. She looked back to see a large stack of hay piled up.

"Oh...I can't not in there I have hay..." but before she could finish Ezio gave her a gentle push sending her falling straight back into the pile of hay with a soft thud, "fever" she finished with a sniffle now completely surrounded by the camouflage as Ezio unwillingly made his way back towards the colosseum. He stood by a small farmer's cottage across the road from the building scanning it with his eyes for any movement. When he had decided it to be clear he took a step out checking up and down the road for guards. He ran silently across easily scaling the vertical wall leading up to the first row of arches that made up the bottom of the building. Making his way through the tunnels and archways he heard the voices of two men. He stood still leaning against a column in the shadows as he eavesdropped on the two Borgia guards chatting in the middle of the building. They were stood next to three crosses which had been erected for the Passion play and seemed to be looking at something. Ezio had a pretty good idea of what it might be as one guard pulled out his spear and gently prodded whatever it was that was resting on the ground in front of them. He rolled his eyes, this bag better be worth it he thought to himself as he scanned the rest of the inside to make sure no one was watching. Releasing his hidden blades he set of into a sprint reaching the guards in no time and quickly plunging his blades into the back of both men's necks, a quick and easy death. Ezio waited till both men had dropped to the floor, he wiped his blades clean on the grass and slipped them away. He picked up the large leather bag that the men had been looking at inspecting it slightly himself before stealing off into the darkness.