Recap:

"Oh, signora!" He put a hand on his chest, "You startled me." He looked back up, "It's a beautiful day, today. I'm glad I didn't make you stay in bed for it." He smiled, looking back at her and running his fingertips over her neck.

She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, "I'm glad too."

Mission Six: a place of comfort and healing

{Time Lapse: Two Weeks}

"Affrettatevi, Ezio! Sei cosi lento!" Alessa laughed, dashing across the clay rooftops of Venice. Ezio climbed up the stone decoration on the building she'd just leapt from and ran after her, grinning like a madman.

She stopped on the roof next to the Cathedral, seeing how far behind Ezio was. He caught up quickly, slow jogging to a stop and putting his hands on his hips.

"How do you manage such speed, Alessa? E ridicolo!" He huffed, and she smiled, taking off again across the rooftops. Ezio laughed and ran after her, jumping from rooftop, to chimney, to lower rooftop, across an alleyway, and so on.

He ran full speed after her; which was difficult because she moved so quickly and with such grace that he could hardly blink without losing her.

Alessa was on a mission to get to the Cathedral before sunset. She wanted Ezio to see Venice from the best viewpoint in the city. She stayed far enough ahead that he had to run to keep an eye on her, but close enough that he could hear her if she said something.

In this part of the city, there weren't many archers on the rooftops, so they basically had full reign.

She stopped on the edge of a roof after seeing that it was farther away from the roof across the street than she remembered. She looked down for a way across without having to climb down and saw hanging scaffolding, and she promptly hopped over to it. She let it swing for a moment, and then jumped over to the roof she was after, and took off again.

She ran Ezio around the Cathedral to the back where no guards were watching, then climbed down and waited for him to catch up.

He finally climbed down and looked at her with a look that said she was crazy, "Why did we come all the way around? The roofs connect right where we were!" He complained, and she placed a finger on his lips.

"We're almost there." Her eyes were as bright as the sun in spring, and she offered a wide smile, and then took off up the side of the Cathedral, getting a running start on a loaded wagon and jumping to catch a scaffold. From there, she climbed up a ladder and made her way around the building, ascending with each jump until she was on the roof. Alessa perched and looked over the edge, "Vieni, amore?" She called.

He looked up and laughed to himself, then set off up the Cathedral's backside the same way she had gone. "You're extremely hard to keep track of, signora!" He called after her.

She grinned, "Well I can't make it easy!"

Ezio chuckled and nodded, grunting as he pulled himself up onto the roof. "Apparently not." He smiled. He stood and Alessa watched him rest for a moment.

"Almost there." She grinned, and ran toward the bell tower.

He groaned and went after her, "Why won't you tell me where we're going?" He called, watching her quickly climb up the bell tower.

Alessa climbed up the tower, pulling herself over the ledge and letting her eyes take in Venice as the sun goes down. She sat on the opposite edge of where she climbed up and heard Ezio pull himself over the ledge. He walked over to stand behind her and rest his hands on her shoulders.

"My father used to being me up here." She said, watching the sky turn bright orange, "He said this was the safest place I could ever be, because no one can see me when I'm this high." She lifted her chin, feeling the cool breeze on her face and through her hair. Ezio ran his fingers through the ebony curtain and looked up at the sunset.

"It most certainly is beautiful." He said softly, admiring the pinks and reds of the horizon.

Alessa nodded, "I wanted to show you this spot because I knew you hadn't ever seen Venezia like this." She smiled up at him, "And I haven't been up here in a long time." She looked back at the city, "Papa would have loved to meet you." She noted to herself, tilting her head to the left, "As would Mama." She got lost in the sunset, thinking about her parents and grandmother. How gentle their hands were, how her grandmother would braid her hair and tell her stories about Alessa's mother, Tiana when she was only a child and how alike the two of them were.

Tiana used to take Alessa into the pastures that dotted the area around Venezia. She always had a love for horses and her mother promised her one when she was old enough. Unfortunately, Tiana was killed before Alessa came of age. She was never awarded for her patience.

"What are you thinking about, signora?" Ezio asked, brushing his fingertips through her hair.

She was silent for a moment, enjoying the warm breeze that they probably couldn't feel from the city below.

"I'm not sure." She said on a breath, "What're you thinking about?" She asked in return.

"Eh, something you could probably guess." Alessa could hear the smile on his lips. She turned to look at him, and smiled pleasantly when she saw he was smiling back. He hooked a finger under her chin and stroked her lip with his thumb. "Would you like to guess what I'm thinking, signora?" He asked playfully, caressing her face in the palm of his hand. She smiled and leaned into his touch.

She blinked slowly and shook her head, "I'd like you to show me, Ezio." She said quietly, turning to stand and face him. He didn't say a word in response, but leaned in and closed the distance between their lips, and she accepted the gesture, kissing him in return.

He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, and she accepted by resting her arms around his neck. Ezio deepened the kiss, pulling her closer and tighter against his own body. Her lips parted slightly, enough for him to slip his tongue into her mouth. She couldn't help but smile and close her eyes as she applied just as much passion as he had given. Running her fingers through the strands that dangled over his eyes, Alessa rested her other hand on his shoulder and smirked into the kiss as he started to sway back and forth. Dancing within the wind, it was the simplest, most graceful dance she had ever come into contact with. The only person she had ever slow-danced with was her Papa, when she was only big enough to stand on the toes of his large shoes. They would twirl and sway and little Alessa would laugh and grin at her Papa. This feeling; while vastly different from that of her childhood memory, brought her a sense of comfort and warmth. She rested her head on Ezio's shoulder, coming back to him from her own dreamland, and draped an arm around his waist. She could feel small throwing daggers just under the first layer of his clothes and longed to strip them away and feel his dark skin under her fingertips. Tucking her thumb into the sash around his waist, Alessa looked up into the dark chocolate eyes that awaited her and smiled.

"I think it's time for another race, mio caro." She kissed him hard and promptly pulled away, stepping back toward the ledge and running her fingers through the ebony strands that hung over her face from the wind. Reaching the edge, she spun around and hopped up, looking over the city. Deep oranges and bright pinks and reds lit up the rooftops and filled her with a joy that made her feel as if she were flying. In fact, with a cart of pink and white flowers just below, she thought she would fly for just a moment.

Looking over her shoulder at Ezio, she smiled, turned, and fell back into the open air, twisting into a leap of faith that landed perfectly in the cart below without jacking her shoulder or hip. Though they had healed impressively, every so often they were a little sensitive. Ezio had become familiar with these times and had learned to help comfort and calm Alessa when she was irritated with her body.

Sitting up and climbing out of the cart, she shot a daring glance at Ezio, who stood about to jump on the same ledge she had been on just a moment earlier. Folding her hands behind her back, she turned and started to walk away. She got around the corner before taking off down the alley, jumping to grab a window ledge about six feet off the stone street and climbing with ease to the roof above. Peering over the neighboring building, she noticed Ezio climbing out of the cart and looking around.

"Ezio!" She sang, letting her voice echo and draw his attention, "Non si sarà mai prendere me!"

He laughed and ran after her, and shortly after Alessa ran over the rooftop, jumping and swinging from roof, to porch, to scaffold, to roof again. Headed to the city gate, she picked up speed and made her way almost halfway across Venezia.

Climbing down close to the gate, Alessa had time to adjust her clothes before being snagged and pulled into the near dark alley. Crying out as she hit the wall, she barely had time to grab a blade before opening her eyes to the grinning lips of Ezio Auditore.

She pushed on his chest, frightened and amused all at the same time and dropped the dagger in her hand, clutching to his shirt. "Maleducato!" She hissed, "How did you catch up to me so quickly?"

Ezio chuckled and kissed her forehead, "Your route across the rooftops was not quite the fastest way across the city, il mio amore." He held her close and suppressed another chuckle as she calmed down and became irate. "Now, let's get back to your villa before it get's cold, yes?"

Alessa, now calmer but longing to backhand her companion, nodded and gave him a narrow glance before taking his hand and heading out toward her villa. She had her ways of punishing him, and he wouldn't like it, but a little teasing did need to take place.