47} After All This Time I'm Coming Home To You

I have mocks 😭 fml. 

I'm making this update longer because I'm shirking my responsibilities and I don't want to do geography revision.

the song is Gunslinger by Avenged Sevenfold, it's a good song and I'm listening to it whilst I write, enjoy! ----------

Ezio's POV

She's coming back. Tomorrow.

I barely remember to thank Rosa as I jump up and sprint down the crowded streets, headed for Leonardo's workshop to tell him and Ferdinand the news.

I round the last corner and clutch the book tightly as I finally reach the front door of the workshop, opening it quickly and pushing into the hectic workspace.

Leo and Ferdinand are both bent over books, pens clutched in scribbling hands but as I walk into the room Leo looks up and smiles, hugging me tightly.

"It's good to see you! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Leo asks, gesturing for me to sit down.

"It's (y/n)." I say as Ferdinand immediately snaps his head away from his writing and his gaze hardens.

"Where is she?"

"Her ship docks this evening, the last of the fleet to come in." I ignore the seat Leo offered me and begin to pace.

"I say we sneak on the ship and get her. As soon as possible." Ferdinand says whilst hitting his fist on the table.

"It's not that simple, they also have the apple."

"Ezio, Those codex pages you gave me, there was a hidden message within them. The prophet will appear when the second piece is brought to the floating city." Leonardo finds the pages and hands then to me, his translations scribbled alongside the words.

"The prophet, he can open the vault, my uncle said so." I start trying to piece everything together; the pieces of Eden, the prophet, all of it.

"Ezio, it also says that divine blood will be spilled on divine stone to pay for revenge's sin. I don't know what it means but it can't be good." Leonardo says, frowning and desperately trying to think of answers.

"I've heard of something similar." I say, suppressing a shudder as I remember what happened. "I had a strange dream, I saw (y/n) dying. A goddess appeared and told me that if I was to continue my pursuit of revenge then the dream would become reality. I brushed it off as nothing more than a dream, but now..." 

"Now your pride could very well be the death of (y/n)." Ferdinand mutters, glaring at me slightly.

I feel anger bubble up but I can't be sure who it's directed to.

It's not like Ferdinand is being unreasonable, it is my fault that I didn't take the message seriously.

If (y/n) dies it will be my fault; and that makes me angrier than anything.

~~(Y/n)'s pov

The bustling port's clamor penetrates the timber of the ship and reaches my ears, I leap off my bed and to the window. The bars don't let me out but they let me see the streets of Venice that are still unfamiliar to me.

"Not long now my flower." Piero's voice whispers in my ear, making me shudder and recoil.

"You're letting me go?" I ask timidly, clutching the window bars tightly.

"Not yet, there is still something we need." He strokes my hair with one hand and I feel his other trail down to my waist.

"What?" I hear the tremors in my voice and internally cringe.

"Oh you'll see what."

That night:

They kept me on the boat all day and into the night, locking me in my small room.

Two guards come to find me later that evening and bring me on to the deck where Piero and my father wait.

"Ah there's my girl." Rodrigo says, smirking at me and tossing some rope at the guards who brought me up here. "Tie her wrists. I want her leashed so she can't run away."

The men do so, leaving a meter of rope for my father to hold and drag me around with.

And that's exactly what he does. He takes us off the boat and walks me down the streets, pulling insensitively on my healing arm, which Piero broke at least seven times, making me hiss and wince.

After walking for no more than ten minutes we come to a more open space where three guards are waiting with a box.

Rodrigo signals one of the guards and they hand him a large glass vial and a stopper.

He stares intently at the middle guard before smiling and stifling a laugh.

"Your short-sword, give it here." He demands, presenting the guard his palm impatiently.

The guard grunts and hands it to him, albeit reluctantly.

Rodrigo turns back to me with this dagger and forces me to my knees, I don't have the strength to fight back anymore so I simply bend to his will.

He grabs a fistful of my hair and tugs my head back, exposing my neck.

"I hope this hurts putana." He hisses in my ear as he draws the blade across my cheek, causing blood to pour forth.

The guard in the middle of the men shuffles forward slightly before taking a step back again, father notices and smiles. He keeps smiling as the places the vial under my cheek and the blood dribbles into it.

The vial fills slowly, agonisingly slowly, but when it is full Piero grabs my wrist and drags me to my feet.

"Oh no, you've got blood on your pretty face." Piero grins, caressing my chin in spite of the hatred in my eyes and the painful clenching of my jaw. He tightens his hold and unexpectedly licks the blood off of my face before smirking and throwing me to the ground.

I hit it hard and my arm cracks yet again, making me bite my tongue to hold back a scream, only a whimper and a gasp break through. ~~~~

Ezio's POV

I clench the box tightly as well as my jaw, both my fingers and my teeth ache from the pressure. When he cut her I thought I wouldn't be able to stop myself from jumping in but I barely managed to hold on. Then that bastardo licked her face and threw her down. I drop the box and stab the men at either side of me in the neck with my hidden blade.

"I knew you would come assassin." Rodrigo taunts, nudging at (y/n) with his foot, although she doesn't respond, her body lying completely limp on the ground.

"I know why you are here but this profit of yours didn't come so give me (y/n) before I have to ask again." I unsheathe my sword and hold it loosely at my side.

"But you're wrong. You and I showed up did we not?" He laughs and takes out his own sword, his accomplice following suit.

The older man charges at me, swinging his sword, which I easily parry. We fight for mere minutes before I get the upper hand, thundering down viscous consecutive blows on him. He falters slightly, giving me and opening.

I raise my sword to strike.

"If I were you, Ezio...." A voice interrupts, staying my blade. "I would think carefully about who really has the advantage here."

I turn to see the man, Piero, standing over (y/n)'s unconscious body, sword in hand and hovering over her torso. I immediately back away from Rodrigo, heading towards Piero, my mind focused on getting him away from (y/n).

"Uh uh uh." He sighs and lifts the sword, threatening to thrust it downwards. "Let's not be too rash."

"Your people didn't come so just give up, hand over the apple and you can have the girl." Rodrigo says, circling around to join the other Templar.

"My people? What are you talking about?" I wonder out loud, noticing (y/n)'s fingers start to twitch as she begins to regain consciousness.

"The rest of your assassins, they failed to show."

"I-..." I begin but something catches my attention. Is that uncle Mario?

"It's too late anyway. Guards! Kill the assassin!" Rodrigo shouts and guards pour into the square, surrounding me. He quickly exits but Piero stays behind.

"Ezio!" I hear Ferdinand shouting from behind me and soon he is at my side.

Another joins me followed by another and another.

Mario, Bartolomeo, Paola, Antonio, La Volpe and Theodora stand with me and when the guards attack we fight together, aiding and protecting one another.

~~~~

(Y/n)'s POV

I separate my arms and feel the rope slipping away, only slightly straining my bad arm.

My eyelids gradually lift and reveal people, lots of them fighting. The sounds come next, clashing metal and slashes across flesh.

Cradling my arm, I stand and look around. My eyes lock onto those of another and tears sting at them. Two years.

I dip and weave around a few standing soldiers and jump into the strong arms that catch me, ignoring the pain from my arm completely. I squeeze as tightly as I possibly can and he does the same, neither of us caring if we can't breathe.

"Ezio..." I breathe, immensely relieved at being able to say his name to him and not just screaming it in torturous dreams and waking nightmares.

"(Y/n)..." His voice almost brings tears to my eyes, it's been so long since I heard that voice and were it not for the tight hug I could definitely feel then I would have thought this is another dream on that ship.

But I've learnt that nothing this good ever lasts too long.

I open my eyes and internally scream, seeing one of the remaining guards charging at Ezio's back, butchers knife ready to stab. I instinctively react, shoving Ezio to the side with my good arm.

The blade slides neatly through the flesh and I can only tell by looking down that he stabbed my lower torso.

I gasp and close my eyes, bracing myself for the pain. But it doesn't come yet.

When I open my eyes again I'm not in Venice. I'm in a garden, a big fortress spreading out in the mountain village and looming over me. The air is hot and the sun glints off the white pillars and the ornate stone barriers between the safety of this green garden and a fatal fall hundreds of feet of the mountain face.

Two men are shouting at each other in a language I can't understand, although some part of me seems to know what they're saying and who they are, both old but one obviously older and more frail.

Altaïr.

He's the older one, the one that I....that I love?

I look down at myself and see my body is completely different, I'm taller and definitely older, my hands are wrinkled.

A man, bald and malicious-looking, approaches Altair, reaching out to grab a golden sphere in his hand, speaking as he does so.

Suddenly, the golden ball emits strands of golden energy, enveloping the bald man who begins to shake.

Without hesitation, my body flies into action and I throw myself at Altair and the sphere, shouting,

"No! Altair, stop it!"

I feel the cold steel of a knife penetrating me and the man shouting, "Maria!" repeatedly, my eyes widen and then flutter shut.

But when they open again I'm back. Back in the darkening courtyard, the taste of blood in my mouth.

Before I can react, the guard who stabbed me is finished by one of the other people here.  I watch him fall the same time I do, although nobody catches him.

Before I can hit the ground however, Ezio's arms are there, supporting my neck and pushing down on the bleeding wound.

"Antonio! Quickly!" He shouts desperately at the shocked assassins. "Hang on (y/n), you'll be ok!"

"It didn't go all the way through, if we can get her to my office quickly I have the stuff to treat her." Antonio assesses, helping Ezio keep pressure on the spot.

"Ezio.... Don't mess around with that golden ball." I rasp before the next wave of pain strikes and I'm left speechless, I feel my eyes getting heavy but I fight with all I've got to keep them open, to keep looking at Ezio.

A hand clutching at mine shifts my attention though, enticing me to turn my head and look upon the other person.

"(Y/n) if you die today I'm going to be so mad at you." A shaky voice whispers, lifting my hand and kissing it.

The voice reaches my ear and tears pool in my eyes.

"Fer.... You bastard." I chuckle and wince, the laughter making my wound hurt. "I thought I'd finally got rid of you."

"Never." He laughs, clearly crying even though there were many watching.

"You owe me a hug and a damn good explanation when I'm patched up! And you-" I turn back to Ezio, eyes still damp. "You're never going to leave my side again, you got that?"

"You couldn't make me leave even if you wanted to." He replies gently, picking me up and whining to carry me, Ferdinand taking his outer-jacket off, folding it up and pressing it tightly against my wound, walking besides Ezio.

The three of us and Antonio pile into a boat, Antonio rowing us back to his office.

I feel my eyelids getting heavier and heavier until they start closing involuntarily, hardly opening between each slow blink.

"Stay with us (y/n), we are almost there." Ezio's voice calls, echoing and fading in my head until it's silent and I feel myself being sucked down into the abyss.