"Dreaming of shiny masks and dancing silhouettes," Prosper yawned as he gently set a sleeping Bo down into his bed. Bo's hand slowly unfurled from his older brother's collar, where he had been clinging to it the way a newborn baby clings to its security blanket. Prosper gave Bo's forehead a kiss before he stripped off his dress shirt and his shiny black loafers.

"Look at this monkey," Mosca commented tiredly, carrying Riccio on his back, who was dead to the world. He flung him down onto his bed like a sack of flour, but Riccio didn't wake. He just gave a loud snore and rolled over onto his side, sucking on his thumb. Mosca didn't even bother shrugging off his dress clothes when he heaved himself into his hammock and passed out immediately.

Rae sat on the edge of the stage, kicking off her heels and rubbing her feet tenderly. She watched the patrons of the Stella like a mother pigeon dutifully watching over her nest. Prosper wished her goodnight before crawling in beside Bo, clad in his pale blue boxers. Scipio leaned against the stage next to Rae, crossing his arms and observing his little gang.

"I put all my babies down," Rae said, affectionately referring to the group of young boys passed out haphazardly across the Star Palace. Scipio gave an amused scoff, grinning at the motley crew. Rae slid down from the stage, her newly freed feet light against the wooden floor. "Well, you probably should get going," she said, breaking their companionable silence. She dropped her voice to a whisper as to not be overheard, "Your father will be missing you soon."

Scipio's face went hard. "Fuck him," he hissed. Rae was taken aback by his intensity, but she knew it was relative to the conversation they had earlier when they were dancing. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, murmuring into his shoulder,"I don't want you to be in trouble when you get home. I saw that bruise, you know. That once, the last time I was sick, when you took medicine from your house and he hit you."

Scipio tensed up.

"You don't have to live with him," Rae whispered, rocking Scipio back and forth soothingly. His eyes closed and he forced himself to breathe and relax again. "I've taught you everything you need to know; how to use a whip, pick a lock, pick a pocket, sell your earnings, save money, disarm a security system, how to be silent, how to be invisible. You can do everything. You don't need him for anything anymore."

"You expect me to what?" Scipio snapped, his efforts at being calm futile. "Pack up and say, 'Hey, father, I'm leaving to go raid the homes of your rich snobby friends with a girl in a harlequin mask who carries a whip?' Yeah, that'll go over really well, Ra--"

Rae abruptly dropped her embrace, skulking away with her jaw set. Scipio sighed.

"What, Rae? What is it? You upset because I won't sound like an idiot for you?"

"You already sound like an idiot," Rae spat. "I'm angry because you do nothing but make excuses!" She stormed over to the stage where her whip was hanging off the edge and snatched it up. Then she grabbed her new coat and wrapped it around herself tightly. "Puoi baciarmi il culo," she hissed at him, stalking past him towards the door. "You can kiss my ass."

"Puoi baciarmi il mio!" Scipio shouted after her. "You can kiss mine!"

The heavy metal door slammed shut, the clanging sound reverberating throughout the Stella. Scipio sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Where's Rae going, Scip?" a soft, tired voice asked. Scipio sighed again before crouching down in front of Bo, whose curly blonde hair was disheveled and tangled already. "It's beginning to rain. She's gonna get sick again." His lower lip trembled as though he might cry. "I don't like when Rae's sick."

"Shhh," Scipio hushed him, scooping him up and carrying him back over to his bed. "She just needed to take a walk." The Thief Lord thought of Rae's bare feet and mentally cursed her for being so stubborn. "I'm about to go get her right now, Bo, okay? I'll have her kiss you goodnight as soon as she gets back."

That was doubtful, however, seeing as Bo couldn't seem to keep himself awake for another minute. His eyes fluttered closed and he murmured softly before drifting off to sleep.

Scipio laid the sleeping angel back down next to his big brother before quickly changing back into his T-shirt and jeans and boots, then grabbed his own coat and whip before exiting the Stella in search of his headstrong partner.

Scipio dodged puddles and soaking wet rats as he slithered through the alley way that ran the way alongside the Star Lair. She wouldn't run far without her shoes, Scipio thought to himself. She's not completely out of her mind. His boots clicked against the cobblestones.

Then he saw it; Rae's cashmere scarf hooked onto the rung of a fire-escape ladder that led up to the roof of the Stella. It must've gotten snagged when she ran past. Scipio plucked the scarf off the ladder and tucked it into his jacket to save the softness from the rain. With a glance up the height of the ladder, a thought struck him. Unless maybe she didn't run past at all...?

And so Scipio stepped up onto metal ladder, and hand over hand and foot over foot, he began his climb.

And there she was, in her brand new dress, standing at the edge of the roof like some sort of a lovely gargoyle. Her whip hung limply from her hand as she stared out over the many winding rooftops, domes, and spirals of Venice. In the night, the blue moonlight made all the gold seem like silver. The lagoon stretched out into the distance, it's waters glimmering. The Isola di San Michele sat in the far distance, the dark water of the lagoon lapping at it's shore. Yellow and red lights bobbed in the distance from fishing boats, like little spirits floating in nothingness.

Scipio moved slowly and quietly towards Rae, trying to not to disturb her. Unfortunately, Rae's thieving ears were much more trained than his own.

"Don't even try," Rae said flatly. She didn't even turn to look at him. "I've told you a million times before that it's completely impossible to keep silent in those damn boots of yours."

"You're going to get sick out here, Rae," Scipio said softly, taking a place next to her at her shoulder. She glanced sideways at him, but said nothing else. Scipio slowly placed his hand on her bare shoulder, and watched as she moved away from his touch. "Why do you care so much, anyway?" Scipio said indignantly, off-put by Rae's stoicism. For a moment she didn't say anything, and then,

"Because believe it or not, Scipio, I care very much about you and I don't want you in that house anymore. It's not...it's not good for you to stay there." Rae's eyes were watery and pained. "I know he hits you, Scipio," she whispered. "I know, and you can't hide it anymore. There's always bruises of fingerprints on your arms, you sometimes walk as if you can't stand up straight..."

"I'm not a child, Rae," Scipio snapped at her, turning on his heel and tersely walking a few feet away. Rae grabbed his hand, stumbling slightly as Scipio ripped it away from her. "I'm not a weakling--"

"When did I say that?" Rae cried.

Scipio turned to look at her, eyes hard and stony. "I can handle being smacked around. I let my father do as he pleases, and in turn, he leaves me be." The Thief Lord looked away from his wine-eyed friend.

Rae's lip quivered, threatening tears that she tried so hard to hold in, to hide from him. "Please, Scipio," she begged. "I can't see you hurt, because it hurts me. Don't you know that? Don't you see me? I only want you. I only want you to be happy, to be safe. Please."

Scipio kept his head down, but slowly looked at Rae as if seeing her for the first time. Rae's breathing was hard, ragged, and she swayed on her feet as though she might faint.

"Please," she said again.

"Are you okay, Rae? Madonna, I knew you'd get sick in this rain..."

"Maledizione!" Rae shouted at him, a flood of tears bursting from her eyes. "Damn it, Scipio, just answer me!"

"Cara," Scipio said softly, taking Rae gently by the shoulders. Rae whimpered softly as Scipio searched her face with his dark eyes. "I will. I will leave him. Va bene?"

"Promise me," Rae said hoarsely, eyes boring into his with desperation. It was a frightening side of Rae, a scared little girl so different from the headstrong, confident one who had defied him not ten minutes earlier. Did she truly care about him so much to fling everything else aside? To be so frantic to see him safe and warm, away from the evils of the world?

Scipio then kissed her forehead before he could stop himself. It just felt like the right thing. "I promise you, cara," he said soothingly, "I will."

"Va bene," Rae whispered, and then her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed in Scipio's arms.

I know it's so short, but I just felt awful because I swore to update sooner and I didn't keep my promise.
So send in your reviews, because you know how much I love it.

--C.