[A/N]: Thanks for reading! Feedback is always welcome!

Chapter 82

"You're going WHERE?!"

Ezio had barely had any time to explain the situation. It still seemed a bit surreal to him as well. Even as he thanked Leonardo for his help and bade him an emotional farewell, he was still lost in his thoughts about what he had just seen. He barely heard his uncle extend an invitation to Leonardo to visit the Villa Auditore. When he returned to the thieves' den, he began to pack the belongings he would need for the trip.

"Someone intended for me to have this Apple?" he thought of Mario's words as he was preparing. "Who? How?" That was around the moment Rosa had opened the door and demanded to know where the hell he thought he was going. His explanation had been quick and confusing, which had only served to make her more impatient and annoyed.

"I told you, I'm going to Forlì," he repeated. "It is only temporary."

"Where the hell is Forlì?"

"South of here, a little closer than Firenze."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I cannot say," he confessed with a sigh.

"Days? Weeks? Months?"

"I don't know," he repeated with a bit more frustration, trying to juggle his thoughts. "It depends on how long it takes for the others to locate and kill the Spaniard."

"That could be forever! Were you just going to leave without saying a word to me?"

"No, of course not. I-"

"You're just going to run off with your Assassins, then?" she interrupted. "Am I not important anymore?"

"That's not it, Rosa. I…I just…" Ezio didn't know how he should phrase his words, or how much he could really tell her about what he had just seen. Would she even believe him? She had just been through a turbulent couple of days as it was.

The hesitation in his voice was a mistake, as the silence prompted Rosa's eyes to water up a bit. Ezio knew it wasn't just his imminent trip that caused it. It was everything she had experienced in that short amount of time since he had fought the Spanniard: learning about Antonio, being invited to join the Assassins, being angry at them, watching as they and Ezio left her behind to attend to their business around the city, and now…this.

In an instant, all of Ezio's other thoughts disappeared as he dropped what he was doing and ran over to her. She shoved him away at first out of some mixture of anger and pride, but gave in after a few more moments and collapsed into him.

"I am not leaving forever, Rosa. I will return, I promise," he assured her, putting his arms around her.

"I know," she admitted, half laughing as she tried to compose herself. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from," she told him.

"It's alright, mia cara. You have a lot on your mind. We both do."

She looked up at him, letting him release her. "What about you?" she asked. "Doesn't any of this bother you? It's all happening so fast."

"Of course it does. I still have more questions than answers about everything," he said, thinking once again about what he had seen earlier. "But I have enough answers to know this is something I must do."

"Then at least stay safe," she told him.

"I will. We will be staying with an ally of the Assassins. She is a personal acquaintance of mine as well."

"Good, you seem to choose your friends well. Just try not to get into any troub...wait, did you say 'she?'"

"Sì, her name is Caterina Sforza."

"How do you know her?" Rosa demanded.

"It is a long story. Leonardo and I met her on our way to Venezia." Ezio raised an eyebrow. "Are you…jealous?" he teased.

"Is she pretty?" the thief demanded again.

Ezio shrugged, and was promptly met with a slap to the face. He knew it was meant to be playful, but also to serve as a warning. He smiled a bit. It was the reaction he was hoping to get from her. It meant she was feeling better.