The world was crashing around Ezio, the sounds growing more and more quiet. He was alone, only Eden's dead body clutched in his arms, his grief washing into the empty void. A dream…it had to be a dream, some trick of his broken mind ripping him apart with this cruel joke.

He couldn't comprehend it, his thoughts swirling with horrified understanding.

Eden Cleare was dead.

No, it was simply impossible. But yet he held the proof in his arms. The blood his thumb brushed from her lips, the peacefully blank expression painted along her face…it would haunt him for the rest of his days...

"Eden, amore mio, per fervore...please, please, wake up…" he fervently whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead, her cheeks, her hair. Trying desperately to wake from the nightmare, to alter reality from what lay before him. "Non può essere! Don't you dare do this to me, you hear? Wake up-"

She did not respond, her cheeks deathly pale and absent of their rosy coloring, her eyes closed, her lips slightly open, a long streak of red smeared down from the corner of her mouth. She looked so peaceful and innocent, that one might think she was only sleeping. If not for the blood and the long, ugly gashes on her stomach.

It'd been over a year since Eden was there for him every step of the way; his closest friend, his trusted partner, his unyielding ally. His beloved. The very idea of her being ripped away from him was utterly incomprehensible, the pain beginning to claw through him with vicious abandon, Ezio wanted to howl and whimper like a wounded animal. She couldn't be dead. She wasn't dead.

But she was.

The wretched, intense feelings of loss hit him with merciless reality, as it did when he watched his father and brothers hang.

He suddenly became aware that someone was shaking his shoulder, and the distant buzz of words finally reached his ears.

"-there's nothing you can do. It's like you said - she knew what she was doing."

Bartolomeo's voice was low and respectful, as well as filled with sympathy. He no longer shouted every other word, bristling at every supposed insult. Or perhaps it was just the dull roar in Ezio's ears. At least it seemed that in death, Eden managed to prove herself man enough for the mercenary.

"Damn it, Eden," he moaned, becoming more and more aware of tears burning his eyes as they fell down onto her skin. Crushing her limp form to him, he muttered it into her hair, rocking her back and forth.

She stayed immobile. His entire frame shaking, he finally lifted her up into his arms, though he nearly stumbled on the second try to properly stand up. Without looking at anyone, remaining silent, and not bothering to hide his tears, he walked past Bartolomeo and his men, stepping over Silvio's body without even sparing it a glance.

Now, he now knew exactly what she meant when she said she was going more and more mad with each loss that came to her. In one go, he'd lost half his family. It felt so long ago…almost a different lifetime.

Some months after their execution, under the cover of darkness, he made his way back to Florence with a company of his uncle's mercenaries. Bribing a guard allowed him to secret their coffins out of the prison's anonymous little graveyard for the condemned. The journey back to Monteriggioni with their precious cargo was a solemn and mostly silent affair. But he was finally able to give them a proper burial, in the Auditore crypt beneath villa. As the town priest recited the usual prayers and blessings, Claudia silently wept at his side, clutching his hand, nearly threatening to break it. And though he remained stoic, he struggled not to collapse into angry howls and terrified whines.

He thought he would never recover.

That was until Eden came along. Seemingly to almost drop from the sky, she appeared at the safe house Paola provided. A strangely dressed girl with short hair and more weapons than he had at the time, her eyes, stance, aura…everything about her was confident, cocky, and unarguably dangerous. She openly mocked him, he remembered. Played with her words as she did her daggers. But strangely, even with their sting, they proved an increasingly welcoming distraction. Made him forget for a little bit the loss he endured, the condition his mother was in, the fact that all of Firenze claimed him a traitor and criminal.

It was a mystery to him why she came with him in the first place. Why she taught him the basic skills of an assassin, helped him with his very first, and then second kill. He didn't understand why she insisted on escorting what was left of his family to safety. Already furious with rage at the time, he was irritated with her, and hell-bent on claiming the life due to him from the man that betrayed his father. Ready to set the entire world on fire with his thirst for vengeance, he railed at the fate that God had seen so fit to cast down upon him in just a matter of a few hours. His bloodlust blinded him to actually care why any of it was happening. But Eden stayed with him, regardless. All those days in Monteriggoni, she was at his side, teaching, distracting, helping.

It wasn't long before he saw her more as a friend, rather than an irritant to be alternately tolerated and avoided. And without warning, she quickly became more than that. Unique, skilled, smart, resourceful, she became a great friend. A beautiful woman, marred only by the two long criss-crossing scars on her left cheek and jaw. Even then, he'd come to accept them as irrevocable part of her.

She was no ordinary infatuation, all fluttering eyelashes, silken skirts, and coy smiles. She was not to be conquered, neither with pretty words, nor with charming smiles and false promises. With Eden Cleare, you got what you she gave you. And then some. For better, or for worse. But mostly, for the better.

Now, she was gone. Dead. There only remained blood and eternal peace.

Ezio wasn't sure where he was walking. The streets were silent, the citizens chased into their homes by the fighting, rain, and the nearly moonless night. The only sounds were that of his own hitching, labored breathing, the light splashing of the rain, and Bartolomeo's footsteps somewhere behind him. His men were likely securing the Arsenal now, clearing out the last of the Templars, relieving Silvio's mercenaries from their contracts with him, and cleaning up the mess the small war had made.

What did it all matter, though? He'd lost. It didn't feel like a victory if Ezio lost the person that helped him stay sane through his violent journey. If Eden couldn't survive this war, they may all as well just keel over and die. Jesus Cristo, it was all so utterly, utterly hopeless.

Somehow, they made it to the Palazzo della Seta, though Ezio barely even noticed. He registered only the few attempts that Bartolomeo made to talk to him. But the assassin was mute.

The palace greeted them with deathly silence. Though that was not due to the lack of people, for the thieves stood everywhere, scattered about the courtyard. Most of their faces were etched with expressions of disbelief as Ezio paused in the middle of the palace. Antonio shoved through the crowd towards them, face ashen and contorted with alarm. Rosa trailed behind him, eyes wide as she brought a hand to her mouth in soundless shock. Ezio didn't meet their eyes, just continued to walk. The thieves parted in front of him, allowing him to climb up the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Adel whirl around with a bounce of her curls, only to run away somewhere.

When he reached the room they used to share, he pushed open the door, carefully carrying Eden inside, as if afraid to bring any more harm to the body. Gently laying her down on the bed, he folded her hands upon her stomach. Fingers brushing her cold cheek, his shoulders shook.

"She…she isn't going to wake up," Antonio sadly said from the door. "Ezio, I'm sorry…but it's over-"

"Taci," he flatly cut him off, "Not one word." He wanted...no, it was vital he be alone with Eden. This was the end…he just wanted these last few minutes.

"You have to-"

"Get. The fuck. OUT," Ezio coldly growled, turning to glare over his shoulder at the man. Eyes glittering golden and narrowed with dangerous intent, he said nothing as Antonio just bit his lip, walked out, and quietly shut the door behind him.

Immediately, Ezio fell to his knees beside the bed. His hands grasping one of her cold ones, he slumped forward, pressing his forehead against her stomach.

It would've have proper to recite a prayer of deliverance, but that would be as though admitting that she was truly gone. Besides, she didn't care for the gods. And right now, neither did he, his rising fury cutting through his grief, like a knife through flesh. But was the use of anger? The ones responsible were dead. She was dead. And with her, he felt as if his heart had died as well.

"Eden, me despace, forgive me. This isn't fair...after all you've been through." His voice was just above whisper, shaking so much, his words sputtered past his lips, echoing off the cold, marble walls. "After you lost everything, I hoped I could finally give you a life…you stubborn woman, what did you think getting yourself killed would do?"

Her laughter was in his ears, ringing in the deathly silence of the room. When he closed his eyes, he half-expected her hand to land on his shoulder, her voice ringing with a silly comment, her warm presence drawing him to her again.

He would never hear it again. Her kisses were lost to him now. He would never feel his head swim when her arms were around him. He could never argue and laugh with her. Or watch her adorable pout as the rare blush flew to her cheeks when he complimented her. Her knives wouldn't flicker in her hands as she tore through their enemies. He would never again wake up to her curled next to him like a soft, lazy kitten. All of the countless things he'd grown to love about her, he'd never experience again...

The howl that tore through his lungs and throat sounded as though a mutilated, bleeding animal was dying in agony. It ripped through the laughter in his head. The silence of the palace destroyed, he swore everyone in the city heard it. All of Toscana, even all of Italia. Let the world feel it, damn them all.

When he was out of breath and out of strength, his head fell down to her again, the tears falling unguarded now.

They'd traveled together for over a year, yet it felt like mere moments. She found her way to him even through time, from a world that he knew nothing of. But he'd lost her, far too soon. Was this punishment? Were the gods truly laughing at them? They took nearly everything away from both of them, put them through living hell, forced them to witness the demise of those they love. Only to separate them, once again.

Again? somewhere at the back of his head, he felt confused. But it hardly mattered.

"…Ow."

It took him a few moments to figure out where the sound came from.

"W-what?"

"Your head is heavy, and I'm kind of tender."

He pulled away suddenly, his eyes wide and frightened as he realized that her eyes were open, and staring thoughtfully up into the ceiling. Dead people, he had seen plenty of before. But ones that came back to life...never.

She took a deep, long breath, her eyes half closed as Ezio quickly realized her face was slowly regaining its color. Moving her hand up weakly to her stomach, she felt along her throat, rubbing it. "Those bastards," she muttered, "Really, they could be more gentle, you'd think. Feels like I've been dropped from a ten story building, landed on the concrete, and then got run over by a truck…that then backed up and repeated." He was aware that his mouth was hanging open, gasping for an explanation as she looked at him, her eyes quite alive, and surprised. Then she suddenly smiled.

"Morning, sunshine. Weren't expecting this, were you?" She squinted at the tracks of tears that cut along his dusty cheeks, as well as his bloodshot eyes. And then she suddenly became serious. "You weren't going to pull a Romeo on me, were you? Oops, wrong century again..."

"Che cosa il diavolo è questo? I-I've fallen asleep…haven't I?"

"Asleep? I dunno. I can kick you and find out, though - Hey!" In a blur of motion, he lunged at her, embracing her tightly, and nearly breaking down again, but this time, in relief. "Um, just returned from the dead here," she grimaced, "Careful, please," she muttered. He didn't care though. The only thing that worried him slightly was the fact that she was as still as a rock.

"What's wrong?" he asked, finally pulling away and giving her some breathing room.

"Muscles don't work yet," she explained, "After effects of the-"

The full realization hit him suddenly as he finally managed to wrap his head around what had just happened. "Wait…you were dead. No pulse, no breathing…as in DEAD! You were like a block of ice…"

Expression neutral, she stayed passive, as if he told her she was simply shivering in her sleep. "Yeeesss," she slowly began, "Um…about that…can you get me another blanket or something, please? And some bandages."

"But…you're not dead anymore!" he furrowed his brows together in utter confusion, even as he quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Either that, or we both are having very vivid hallucinations. You didn't actually think I'd stay dead? Ezio, I don't do dying. And even if I did, it would have been a very long time ago, and definitely not now."

"Cazzo!" he cursed, throwing up his hands."You were dead," he stammered, pointing at her in near accusation, "But then you woke up. But you were dead…yet you are here now?...Do you seriously not see where I'm going with this?"

"Blanket first," she fleetingly grinned, "Explanations later!"

Her strange, but usual nonchalance snapped him into action. When Ezio obliged, calling for maid, the woman stared at him as if he's gone insane, but brought him the things he asked for. Actually, when the servant walked through the doors, her eyes became as big as saucers, everything falling out her arms. The next moment, there was an earsplitting screech, and the woman, swinging wild crosses with her arms, fled from the room like the Devil himself was after her. Eden began to giggle, and Ezio couldn't help but join in her laughter, though his own was more hysterical than anything.

It took almost an hour for everyone to finally calm down, though most of them in the room were still looking at me with a bit of fright; Bartolomeo's jaw was somewhere in the nearest canal, Antonio was in complete, silent shock, Rosa was cursing up a storm, Adel was still bawling her eyes out, and Ezio would not leave my side.

It was strangely satisfying to see people fluttering about me like that, though, I must admit. Hell, even the maids were wiping away their tears, the sheer relief of everyone else so strong, I swore I could taste it. As for Ezio...he refused detach himself from me for one moment, even while the shallow, nearly a day old wound on my stomach was properly tended to and I was brought food, which I happily began to eat.

Now, everyone present was watching me as if I was a crate of extremely dangerous explosives that would go off if they so much as breathed on me. "People, c'mon now! Stop staring at me, I'm alive and well, thank you for your concern," I grumbled as I ate. My arms moved sluggishly, slowly regaining feeling in them.

"I think you should tell us how you are still alive," Antonio grumbled, nearly twitching all over with curiosity. It was admittedly amusing.

"You had no pulse…I thought you were dead," Ezio nodded, eyes still slightly wide with surprise. Lounging in the plush chair next to my bed, he kept staring at me intently, as though I would disappear the moment he blinked.

"Well, yeah, I was. Sort of. They wouldn't have thrown me out if they didn't think I was dead," I stiffly shrugged. "Besides, it's not my fault you didn't bother checking the cause of death. You do realize I'm not nearly in bad enough shape to actually die, right?"

"Coming back to the original question," he snorted, "How the hell-"

"If you all just shut up and let me talk, I'll tell you."

"Do be kind and do so."

---The day before---

When I departed from Ezio and Adel, I had a good run through the Arsenal, raising at least fifty alerts on my way, and drawing the attention of every man in the entire fortress. And only then did I realize that it was a very, very stupid idea.

I bunny-trailed through the narrow passage ways, dodging arrows, and listening to the threats behind me. But in a closed space I didn't know well, it didn't take long for them to corner me. I turned sharply near the water, and I was almost unsurprised to find a dead end. Climbing was out of the question - the brick walls gave no easy access, and the guards were catching up, fast. Being hit with rocks and daggers while hanging onto a wall is never pleasant.

I spun around. They couldn't crowd me too much here anyway, not with my back against the wall. Hypothetically speaking, I'd be able to cut down every single one of them. But practically?There were a lot more than I expected, over a dozen of them and then some. And their leader was none other than Dante Moro.

I miscalculated slightly. I had no way out now.

I kept my eyes strictly on Dante, as he was the most dangerous man on the field once Ezio left. I'd seen him fight with his bare fists back at the Carnival, and I was almost amazed at the sight. The huge battle axe in his hands and the lifeless look that yielded no mercy did not boost my confidence either. I barely even registered his men, even if they formed a small battalion right there in the alley.

To my great surprise, no one tried to look for Ezio, most of them set on me. Most likely, because they knew that they'd wind up either chasing their own tails, or have the said tails shoved down their throats. I was still considered a less dangerous target. And certainty the easiest one to capture.

"Are we going to stand here all day or do we dance?" I asked mockingly, discretely eying the buildings around me. If I could get onto the roofs...but sadly, Silvio's mercenaries were not giving me such and opportunity, surrounding me completely. For once in my life, there was completely no way out.

In the matter of moments, I considered all the equipment still left on me. And suddenly, it clicked. The dramatic and probably extremely silly exit I planned fell into place within seconds. It was my only chance of getting out of here alive. All I had to do was reach to the third pouch on my belt, flicker open a switch blade without any if them noticing or worse, attacking, and then make it to the water...

"Yield," Dante called coldly.

I suddenly smiled. Actually, more like bared my teeth in an animalistic snarl, as with my free hand, I reached the knife and the tiny little vial I'd stashed previously. After we found out that the Templars wanted to capture me, I kept it close, just in case I'd get such a perfect opportunity such as this.

"Like hell," at the same time I hissed the retort, beginning to move, the only way that made any sense right now. Surprisingly, it was not into the ground, or up, but straight at Dante. I even overdid it slightly, and let out a small battle cry, trying not to sound too frightened. The men around me seemed to be simply shocked by the psychotically suicidal move, but the Bear was not impressed in the slightest. His face portrayed not even a hint of surprise, only simply prepared to cleave the idiot girl in half.

I had different plans, however.

At the last moment, I sidestepped the Silvio's guard dog as he raised his axe, not denying myself the pleasure of leaving a long gash on his cheek - I did not have the time for anything else. Shoving the remaining man that stood between me and the water and kicking his knee with all my might, I heard a satisfying snap and scream of agony. As I continued to move towards the water, I felt a quick slash of pain tear down my shoulder blade, but it was so meager in comparison to what they'd do to me if I lingered any longer, that I just sped up. When I reached the water, I slipped the vial into my mouth.

The idea of a rubber bottle came to me nearly as soon as I bought the poison. Though much of the credit, surprisingly, goes to the fake blood they sell for Halloween, the ones you put into your mouth and snapped with your teeth. After that, you could technically swallow the vial if you wanted, like taking a large pill. The idea seemed perfect; slip it into your mouth, chew through, swallow, and then, shazaam! fake death. And most importantly, no evidence left behind. I thanked all the gods that gave me the inspiration at that moment, because swallowing glass would have been a lot worse for my health. Not to mention, I risked choking on it, for real.

Stopping sharply right at the edge of the harbor, I turned back to my pursuers, smiling the same maniacal and creepy smile. Thankfully, it made them pause in confusion. Prey isn't supposed to start laughing in the face of the predator. It didn't matter, as it bought me a little more time. I was about to give them a good show as to how far an assassin would go to avoid capture.

"Your master is not getting me," I hissed at them. Without further ado, I made a quick gesture of plunging the dagger into my stomach. It must have looked awesome as hell, as they all froze, staring at me with huge eyes. It was so comical that I had to bite slightly harder than needed to contain my laughter. In reality, I grazed my stomach only slightly, though the illusion was enough to draw blood, and retracted the blade before I could do any real harm. At the same time, I snapped the vial with my teeth, swallowing the unpleasant, coppery liquid.

The effects were that of a…say, the drug they inject into your gums and jaw at the dentists. It was immediate, and it was cold, as if an icy snake slithered through my blood stream. My muscles grew still, my limbs slowly becoming more puppet-like. I smiled one last time at the mercenaries, displaying the red liquid that appeared as a lot of blood as it slid down my chin. And, as dramatic as these shows go, I spread my arms and dropped back into the water, allowing the knife to sink the bottom.

My last coherent thought before I completely passed out was just how amusing it was that Templars were outsmarted by a "mere" woman. And that the winning move was not that of strength or weapon mastery, but rather, my charlatan parlor tricks, good timing, and pure luck.

---Present---

"Poison?" Antonio repeated, leaning in slightly.

"Yes," I nodded along, "It's a special type of arsenic, similar to the one old Grimaldi used to murder Mocenigo. From what I understand, Silvio's men fished me out, barely checked if I was really dead or not, and then promptly threw me with the other bodies."

"Ingenious!" The Master Thief was visibly impressed. "Now they think you're dead, which means they will never expect you to attack again."

"One thing that is strange, though," I started, and Ezio finished for me, reading my mind.

"Why did they want you, specifically, and alive, as well?"

"We'll try to find something out," Antonio declared, patting my shoulder in reassurance, "There's got to be reasoning to Borgia's thinking-

"As twisted as that is," Rosa finished for him with a snort.

"Enough of that now!" Bartolomeo bellowed, gesturing for everyone to be quiet as he held up a large hand. Watching me with a lot more respect than before, I'm not sure what the man thought, but I guess I'd finally proved myself to him. "Silvio is dead, and the Arsenal is ours! Maybe now Venezia will actually have a bit of pace and tranquila! We should celebrate! What do you say, Auditore?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot join you," Ezio shook his head, his eyes solely trained on me, "It seems our work has taken a rather unexpected turn."

"What do you mean?" I shifted my eyebrows together.

"They were meant to sail...this was all a distraction."

"Sail? To what end?" Bartolomeo asked, just as confused as me.

"That, I need to find out."

"In the mean time, can everyone please get out?" I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable with so many people in the crowded room. Thumping me on the back with a friendly hand, and giving a sly wink of understanding, Rosa took off. Adel, who still sat at the foot of my bed, listened to everything with a slightly open mouth, as if it would help her take it in and understand more. Antonio and Bartolomeo finally cleared out, set on celebrating. Thankfully, Antonio pulled Adel away from the room, though she did not go willingly.

I was left alone with Ezio, as I'd wanted to be the entire time I retold my tale.

"Please don't be mad," I pleaded quietly when the silence began to stretch. I wasn't sure what the look in his eyes was, but I assumed the worst. "I did the only thing I could-"

"Do you realize," he interrupted, quietly standing up and turning towards the window, away from me. I felt something cold snake through my mind, not unlike the toxin. "That I thought you were dead and gone?"

"That was sort of the point-"

"And do you have any idea how…out of sorts I was?"

"Ezio-"

"Next time you are simply faking," he snapped, though his voice was so low, I almost imagined I couldn't hear him, "Do make sure you tell me beforehand."

I closed my eyes, a feeling of dread settling in my stomach. He was scared. Terrified, actually. Apparently, my instincts couldn't be suppressed. For I'd felt his grief while in the coma, even with most of my brain completely shut down. Nearly every moment of his agony echoed around me, somewhere up there in limbo.

Suddenly, I shot up from the bed, almost surprised that my body allowed me to. Ezio turned to me, hearing the movement, and I think he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Limbo-

"Alex," I muttered, my eyes widening.

"Eden, did you lose your memory, as well? I'm Ezio….Ezio Auditore." His voice sounded slightly hurt as I shook my head.

"No - I've seen Alex. I think."

"Excuse me? Eden, start making sense! You were not dead, how could you have seen him?" he asked incredulously.

"I was as good as dead...he told me - something." I blinked, trying to grasp at the vision, but it was slipping away, as if it was a dream within a dream. I instinctively reached for the dog tags. But when I grasped at nothing but my shirt, I remembered that I threw them out into the water not even a month previous. He said something important…but-

I slammed back into the pillow and let out a small groan. I desperately wanted Ezio to lie down beside me, so I could curl up into his warm side, and not think about my fake death that felt real enough. I needed answers about the translucent memories of my dead boyfriend. Not to mention, reassurance that I'd dodged the torture that Templars promised me if I was only a moment slower in my dramatic exit. And suddenly, I felt so tired, that I didn't even want to beg Ezio for forgiveness, or yell back at him.

"Ezio, can you yell at me in the morning?" I just asked quietly, "Please?"

A long moment later, I finally heard his heavy sigh, the rustle of clothing, and the low clanking of metal hitting the floor. A few minutes later, he lay down beside me, in just his trousers and tunic, and I hurried to press into him, seeking some warmth. Dead or not, I was still freezing. We didn't exchange another word, and I knew that in the morning, he'd likely kill me for real. But all that would be in the morning.

I joined the small squad of mercenaries and thieves that searched through the Arsenal, clearing the remaining traces of Templars. As far as I gathered, the place was mostly built and paid for by them, and had been one of their bases for nearly a hundred years. It was still swarming with men still loyal to their "Cause". Sadly, most of the evidence of what they were actually up to was destroyed before the Black Galley headed for Cyprus left.

"This is useless," I grumbled to Rosa, pushing aside some sort of manuals and a few scattered codices on the bookshelf of the what I suppose would pass for a main office.

"I'm starting to think you're right," she shrugged, sounding distracted. She continued searching for any hidden safes or niches in the walls and floor. "Everything they had, they most likely kept completely off the record."

"I have to hand it to them, though, they're smart people. Fishing boats...gondolas...ferries...trading ships...nothing of galleys or expeditions."

"Look in the trades, perhaps there's something about Cyprus. Or at the very least, Rome."

I swept the entire row of dated records off the shelf, dumping them onto the desk. I hated records. Rows of dates, ships and cargo…it was boring to the point where you began to flip the pages without actually reading any of it.

"Geez. No beginning, no introduction, no rising action, and no climax. This is a truly horrible book," I moaned once again, pushing away the second record I was going through. I got the urge to slam my head against the desk. Rosa leaned over the table, shifting through the small books quickly, before pulling out one. Then she flipped through it, and smiled.

"You were doing it wrong. Though I'll give you credit, you read fast."

"Hot damn. There's five minutes of my life I'll never get back...fine, what does it say?"

"Surprise, surprise, the ship is called the Black Galley. It's going to Cyprus, just like Ezio said. Hmm...strange...it's labeled as a trade ship filled with clutter that no one would ever even attempt to steal..."

"If they are trying to find something, they likely don't want to give anyone any motivation to try and rob them," I muttered, absently drawing in the dust.

"Yes...it says here the date for departure, two days ago, and the arrival is," she flipped through a few pages before she stopped, face falling, "In a year and half. Well, that's a bunch of bullsh-"

"Wait," I asked, my mood perking up, "So you're telling me we have at least sixteen months of peace and quiet?"

Eyes going wide, she suddenly smiled, "Yes. That seems to be exactly that. And now that I really think about, I have to say I'm looking forward to it."

"You're not the only one." I poked my side lightly, where under my shirt and cloak there was a bandage winding around my waist. "Don't know what we're going to do for that long, though..."

She sat down into the chair across the desk, tucking the small record book into her pocket. "Things will pick up. You know, there's still a hell of a clean up going on - it's almost chaotic."

"Lovely." I rolled my shoulder. "More nobles?"

"I believe so."

"Fan-tastic."

She snorted, carelessly tossing her legs up onto the table and crossing them at the ankle. "By the way, did you should hear the rumors going around about you."

"I did," I couldn't help but smile, "I gotta say, they're pretty imaginative. My favorite one was 'Even the Devil did not wish her in his realm, and sent her straight back to Earth.' Or, 'She is a walking corpse! Run, as the end of the world is nigh!' I won't be surprised if they consider me the second reincarnation of Jesus…or maybe a witch. Now wouldn't that be nice?"

"You are a very strange person," she laughed. I made a small bow.

"I do what I can. Now, let's get out of here - I'll get asthma soon with all this dust. You got the book?"

"Yes. I think it's best if I hold onto it for now, let Ezio gather his thoughts?" she raised an eyebrow, and I shrugged. I wasn't sure if that was the best idea, but I decided to leave it up to her.

Suddenly, a mercenary walked through the doorway. And after him, a small figure bounced excitedly. "Signorine, the girl says she knows something we don't."

"Adel? What are you talking about?" I asked, surprised.

"I know where their dungeons are!" she blurted out quickly, eager to share.

"Che?" Rosa nearly fell off her chair.

"When they caught me, the man took me into some dungeon! Silvio was there, and the dogs, and-"

"Wait a moment. You mean they have a secret location?" I made sure, shifting my eyebrows together. The girl nodded. "Maybe that's why we can't find anything in this place! Can you take us there?" she bobbed her head again.

"Should I get a few more men?" the mercenary asked, and Rosa and me exchanged glances, and then shook our heads.

"We can handle it."

"'We can handle it!' she says!" Rosa grumbled, and the nearest torch flickered at the disturbance. "This place is a labyrinth!"

"Don't be so pessimistic!" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not being pessimistic. Just admit it, we're lost."

"We are not lost," I denied truthfully. "The way back is through there, turn to the left, and then to the left again. If you're so scared, you can go now."

She just snorted, not taking the bait. Really, the most trouble we encountered in the halls that Adel showed us were a few leftover men and claustrophobia. I also found a very decent deck of cards in one of the rooms, and Rosa dug up some cash. So basically, she was complaining just for the hell of it.

However, it was only after a few corridors and rooms did we really find anything of real interest. The smell of wet dog hit my strained senses hard, making me cringe.

"Now what?"

"Dogs," I replied shortly, getting one of my long daggers ready as I pushed open the door. To my slight surprise, it was void of any sort of life, except from cages built into the walls with heavy metal bars. Some hay was littered on the floor, and in the middle of the room was a half eaten cow.

"Ew," I commented shortly. It only took a quick glance to realize that there was nothing of value in the room, so we moved on.

Silvio's office was nearly empty - a lot of his stuff was found on the boat he was supposed to leave in. So all there was in the room were half-bare shelves, a clean desk, and traces of blood on the carpet. After thoroughly searching the office, we came up with another blank, something that was beginning to irritate me. The base was carefully cleaned of evidence prior to the Black Galley's leave, everything of any importance either destroyed or taken. All that we were left with were a damp, stuffy dungeon, and a few records that only told us when the ship was coming back.

But, as Rosa said at one point or another (after stringing together a long chain of swears and curses), it could have been a mixed blessing that we didn't find anything. While our curiosity wouldn't be sated just yet, at the very least, we would have some peace. Maybe then we could at least mind our own businesses for the next year or so. The entire strange plot and twists were beginning to give me a head ache. So the craving for regular contracts where the people didn't fit into any sort of gigantic conspiracy was growing.

After a few moments of effort, I flipped over the desk. Rosa stared at me with surprise, not making any move to help, much to my disappointment - the table was very heavy. Finally, though, it creaked, and fell to the side. Nothing tumbled inside of it, and to tell the truth, I wasn't expecting it. "Well, they just have to make everything harder, don't they?"

"What on Earth are you doing?"

"Searching for secrets, safes or compartments...you never know with them." I shrugged. Bending down to tear away the rug in the floor, I suddenly let out a small noise of triumph, and tugged on the trap door that was hidden under it. To my surprise, it opened easily, but that did not help us too much - whatever was in there before was now flooded and buried. I cursed, and stood up again. "Let's just get out of here, there's nothing of use anymore. Templars know how to cover their tr-"

"Hello la-" The rest of the greeting was cut off, as my throwing knife was buried in the door, an inch away from Ezio's face. He blinked at it, and slowly turned his head towards us. "What did I do this time that you want to kill me so badly?"

"Sorry!" I apologized hurriedly, striding across the room and yanking the knife out of the door, "I'm a bit jumpy."

"When are you not?" he grumbled. I could tell that my reflexive responses to his arrival were starting to frustrate him. "What are you two doing here?"

"Searching for anything the Templars left behind."

"Did you find anything?"

"Well-" I glanced at Rosa, but she shook her head swiftly. "Nope. Nothing. Everything is cleared out, the men ran as soon as they realized Silvio was dead. There's nothing here anymore."

"Eden, you shouldn't be here at all," he reminded me, "If anyone sees and recognizes you-"

"I'm not going to be hiding from someone who isn't even here. And frankly, it won't matter. They weren't that enthusiastic about my capture before, either."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because you wouldn't love me any other way?" I suggested hopefully, to which I heard Rosa gagging. Ezio just silently shook his head, waving his arm in a gesture to say that we were getting out of there.

I guess the waters between us were still pretty frigid.

"Pleeeeaase?" I whined, rocking back and forth while basically sitting on Ezio's back. I found him in proud solitude in the one spot in the city that we could consider "ours"- the roof of the Rialto Bridge. And immediately disregarded the suspicion that he actually wanted to be alone, trying to get him to forgive me by force. "I didn't come back from the dead for you to ignore me! Fine, you stubborn, ass - I mean, assassin! What do you want me to do to make up for it?"

"Stop bouncing on me, for one thing!" he snapped. I froze, but didn't get off of his back. "Good. Now-" I made a small squeak of surprise as he swiftly twisted around so that I fell onto his lap, landing so that I looked up at his face. To my shock, he looked like he was barely concealing laughter. "You could promise me a few things..."

"Alright, stop right there!" I suddenly interrupted, a tiny trickle of unease running through my mind. "Let's get this straight. I am not giving up my lifestyle. I actually rather like my job. It sure beats accounting!"

"I wouldn't expect anything different. No, I just meant that the next time you're running off to do some suicidal plan, at the very least, have the decency to tell me."

"In my defense, you knew I was off to do something incredibly stupid-"

"Because with you, that's all that you ever run off to do."

"Hey!" I frowned. But he only arched a brow of silent retort, his usually bright and cheery hazel gaze dark and serious. After a pause, I shrugged, even as I took a deep breath. "Yeah. Fine. I promise you that the next time I feel like faking my death, I will tell you beforehand. Now will you stop sulking about and enjoy life?"

"I'm not sulking," he sniffed.

"Sure. Sitting here all alone, staring into the distance, letting out heavy sighs, and being all emo and ultra-dramatic is not sulking? My mistake," I rolled my eyes, settling into his lap more comfortably. "You know what? We are both due for a vacation. Or you'll crack right down the middle." I thought about the year and a half in front of us with longing. But somehow, I doubted my life would actually be quiet while we waited for the Black Galley to return with god knows what they were looking for.

"Yes, I think you're right. I haven't seen my family for a while..." his smile fell slightly. I reached up to gently run my fingers over his cheek in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. He leaned into my touch, and planted a kiss on my palm. I couldn't help but smile cheerfully.

And with that, I think I was forgiven.

Translations

Amore mio, per fervore - My love, please

Non può essere! - It cannot be!

Jesus Cristo – Jesus Christ

Taci – (you) Shut-up

Me despace – I'm sorry

Che cosa il diavolo è questo? - What the devil is this?

I have sad news people. There will be no update next week. Or the week after that. Maybe the one after it. The reason for that being the fact that I'm swamped at the moment- I have exams that are continuing to stress me as I just realized I didn't know anything of what we were supposed to know. Also, I have two paintings that I've been procrastinating on, a requested sketch, a few personal projects, I need to find a job, and take care of the house for the next few weeks, and a friend who is beginning to feel neglected.. So, yeah. I'm taking a break from writing, at least, until I finish up all those things. I am NOT abandoning the story, this is only temporary, and I promise I'll be back in three to four weeks.

And, as I expected, a lot of people guessed about the poison- I had half a mind of making a prank chapter that said something like "it was two years since Eden died..." just to see everyone's reaction. But I'm not that cruel. For all you know. :D