"I could say the same, la mia dolce," Ezio replied. He held her close and gently kissed the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "But today, I think we are both tired from training the recruits."

"Agreed." Anna smiled. "Little twerps. You know I caught one of them checking you out earlier."

"Let them," Ezio replied dismissively. "I am not available to them. Only to you."

"I know," Anna grumbled. "Doesn't mean I like it. Besides, I know I caught you glaring at one of the younger guys earlier."

"Point taken," Ezio said. He cuddled her a bit. "You need not worry about me, as long as I need not worry about you. Fair?"

"Fair enough." Anna smiled and yawned, cuddling into him. "Doesn't mean I won't occasionally give in to temptation and glower at one or two of them, though."

"Fair enough," Ezio replied. He held her close as she got comfortable. "Sleep, la mia dolce. You will need your rest for tomorrow. We start the recruits on target practice in the morning."

"I'm not setting up targets again," Anna grumbled, though she settled down to get comfortable.

Ezio just chuckled slightly and settled in with her.

Training that batch of recruits didn't take too much longer. It was much easier than training the future-Italians, and much much easier than the Americans. It wasn't long before these recruits were ready to take their Leaps and become fully-fledged Assassins.

Anna watched them with a broad grin, very pleased. Not only was the size of the Italian Brotherhood going up, but she knew that these recruits were well-trained.

"Think we can take a day or two off now that they're all trained?"

"I think we can manage that," Ezio replied as the former-apprentices scattered. He put an arm around her waist.

Anna grinned. "Good. I was thinking we could go on a mini-vacation. Go away somewhere so no one will accidentally walk in on us."

Ezio grinned a bit and pulled her closer.

"I think I can find us a place," he said. "I'm sure the Order can run without us for a little while."

"They damn well better be able to," Anna grumbled good-naturedly, grinning at him briefly. "Now I just have to find a way to get my hands on some chocolate..."

Ezio raised an eyebrow.

"I thought it was too dark for your tastes," he pointed out. "And it must be acquired from France or England."

"It is too dark, but I can still melt it down with milk," Anna said with a shrug. "Besides, it should be too hard to lighten the chocolate some, since they've already done the hardest part."

"If you think you can manage it, then I will see what I can get for you," Ezio replied. He kissed her forehead gently.

"Now you're just spoiling me. Again." Anna grinned, settling in there. "This is a bad habit of yours, you know."

"I feel no shame in doing so," Ezio replied with a bit of a grin. He pulled her closer. "Nor, I suspect, do you really mind."

"Nope, not really." Anna laughed quietly. "Oh, by the way... I'm not jumping off again. Did it once, once was my limit."

"Not even if I go first to wait for you there?" Ezio wheedled. Jumping really was the fastest way to get down.

"Nope. I'll climb down and see you at the bottom." Anna kissed him once, just for good measure, before moving over to the side and starting to climb back down the freakishly tall tower.

Ezio rolled his eyes and returned the kiss. Then, after giving her a bit of a head start, he jumped from the tower.

The two took their little vacation and came back, and nothing had changed. Including Anna not getting pregnant, which was sort of the whole point of the little vacation.

So it was with no small amount of shock almost five months later that she noticed she was.

"This is so not fair."

"What is not fair?" Ezio asked, glancing up from where he was sharpening his blade.