A few days later Anna looked up from her research, trying to find any sign of the Assassins in Italy so they'd know where to go. She'd been working for the past few hours on that, and she was starting to feel irritable.

Altair had decided to stay away from the strange glowy box and had instead spent most of his time with Iris, doing whatever he could to help.

Ezio was also wary of the magical window of light, but managed to ignore it enough to stick near Anna, offering what help he could.

Iris was on her own laptop, doing similar research. She set it aside with a sigh.

"I think we just need to go and see what we can find," she said. "Start at the museum, maybe, and go from there."

Anna grumbled. "Yeah, I guess." Then she paused as something occured to her.

"Oh, Iris? How are we going to get there? I can't imagine these two fly well."

Altair stiffened a little at that. Flying? There was a reason humans didn't fly. He'd jump off things, sure, but that was different. He didn't try to defy all logic and fly. He glanced warily at Iris.

Ezio looked wary too, but for another reason. He still remembered Leonardo's flying machine.

Iris blinked. That was a very good question.

"We may not have a choice," she ventured. "Italy is on another continent, there's no land route from here to there, and they don't exactly sail there anymore. We may have to bite the bullet and get on a plane."

Anna groaned. "Well crap. You're controlling that one." She pointed at Altair.

Altair bristled at that, his eyes narrowing. Oh he didn't like the sound of that at all.

Iris sighed a bit. Yeah, she could see this going very wrong.

"If we can figure something else out beforehand," she said, "we should."

"Well, what about the Apple?" Anna blinked. "It took us through time and space. Twice. It should be able to manage a measly hop from here to Venice."

Iris blinked as well.

"It's worth a shot," she said, setting her computer aside and getting up from her seat. "It's upstairs."

"The Apple is here?" Ezio asked, his eyes widening a fraction.

"Yeah. How do you think we got you idiots here?" Anna grinned.

Altair glowered at her for that comment, satisfied when she shivered and looked away first. He'd caught sight of the Apple in Iris's room once or twice already, so he wasn't surprised.

Iris came back downstairs after a few minutes, the Apple wrapped in a bit of fabric. Sitting down on the couch, she held it for a moment.

"Anyone feel like arguing with it?" she asked.

"Nope. That's your job. I know you can argue with the thing." Anna shrugged. She still hadn't actually touched the Apple yet.

Iris rolled her eyes at Anna, but unwrapped the Apple a bit and laid one hand on it. The Apple immediately began to glow, and Iris started muttering to it.

"Don't give me that... I don't believe that. If you could pull me from fifteenth-century Italy and leave my pregnancy intact, then you can move us over to present-day Italy. I'm not in the mood for games right now." The glow of the Apple seemed to dim a bit, almost contritely.

Ezio had to admit, he was impressed. He'd never seen anyone bully the Apple into submission before.

Altair snorted at that. Really, only a woman would try to bully the Apple and succeed.

Once the Apple was appropriately submissive, Iris set it down on the coffee table.

"It should obey, I think," she said. She rubbed her eyes a bit and leaned back on the couch, one hand absently going to rub her stomach a bit.

"Alright. Well, I guess we'd better go pack some things up if we want to leave now. Otherwise we can pack later." Anna shrugged; it made no difference to her.

Altair didn't offer an opinion, just settling his arm over Iris's shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Doesn't matter to me," Iris replied. "Either is fine." Now or in a few minutes wouldn't make much of a difference, really.

Anna nodded but didn't get up just yet. She just watched the Apple for a minute before she shook herself and slipped away upstairs to go pack some things for her and Iris both.

Ezio followed her, giving Altair and Iris some time alone. He thought briefly about the argument Iris apparently had with the Apple.

"Iris is with child?" he asked as he leaned in the doorway, watching Anna pack a pair of bags. He paused for a moment. "I'm not sure whether to say Altair is a lucky bastard, or to wish him luck."

Anna laughed quietly, deftly folding her clothes before folding some of the clothes they'd gotten for the two males, putting Ezio's in with hers.

"Probably some of both. He's a lucky bastard now, up until she starts really having mood swings. Then he'll need all the luck he can get." She paused before tucking a few extra weapons into the bag. "Although Iris is probably going to get more weepy than pissed off, so he's lucky in that regard."

Ezio snorted.

"Maybe no so lucky," he said. "He doesn't seem the type to be able to easily handle tears."

"This is true. Either way, it's bound to be entertaining to watch." Anna grinned and packed clothes for the other two in the other bag.

"So, was that a hint of envy in your voice I heard earlier?"

"When?" Ezio asked, looking at her, although he sort of knew what she was referring to.

"When you couldn't decide whether he was lucky or in need of luck." Anna didn't stop packing, deftly tucking blades into both bags.

"Perhaps," Ezio admitted after a moment. "But I doubt now is really the right time to be considering such things, don't you think?"

"Agreed." But that didn't stop Anna from filing away that little tidbit for later. "Alright, I think I'm just about ready."