Title: Sniffles

Summary: When Ezio falls sick after his latest assassination, he attempts to hide what he thinks is just a cold from everyone, especially Claudia as she has been stressed as of late, it is dangerous to show weakness but it is even more dangerous to underestimate the power of elements…

Timeline: I'm making it the time of Brotherhood (Ezio's a BIT younger though…thinking like 23)

Chapter 1- Worse than a Cold

I shuddered again as the cold winds of the winter season were trying their hardest to dry off my multiple layers of clothing as I stood atop one of the taller peaks in the city dripping from my recent plunge into one of the channels to avoid the guards and shivering violently as the chill was forcing itself deep into my bones. The arrow wound in my side was throbbing with a vengeance, but I ignored it as my thoughts drifted to my little sister and her latest…"issue". I prayed it wasn't a man again,

"Where did he go?" I shot a bored glance down to the roof of the building, about twenty feet below me, and made out the red figures just scrambling up onto the uneven rooftop who just interrupted my musing, "There he is! Catch him!" A smirk came to my face: they always think they have me. Always.

Taking a deep breath, I threw myself over the edge of the plank I had been crouching on and took the time to notice their expressions as they thought that I was sending myself to God...the smirk became a smile as only I knew about the hay at the bottom at that moment. The cry of an eagle followed my plummet of faith into the prickly golden hay below; I waited a moment as the guards attempted to continue the search, one got too close and ended up joining me in the hay as a victim of my hidden blade, but other than him there was no one else to bloody the straw I hid in.

Leaping from my hiding spot and brushing the hay away, as it stuck to me due to the fact that I was wet still, before I felt a suspicious tickle in the back of my throat,

"Oh no…" I groaned quietly to myself and began to fight the urge, but it proved its strength when a few soft, dry coughs passed my lips which only served to increase the itch. "If Claudia finds out about this…"

"She'll what?" his smooth, quiet voice that could blend into any sound was very distinct to me as it emerged from the shadow of an awning along with its keeper,

"La Volpe!" I turned to him with a smile on my face that I knew was terribly fake, "I didn't hear you come up behind me." He raised an eyebrow before his violet eyes narrowed as they took in my dripping appearance,

"Yes…I know…and that fact worries me." He did not return my smile, "It is something that you rarely allow to happen."

"Oh please my friend, you are able to sneak up on me as easily as-"

"A cold perhaps?" Now he smiled and I rolled my eyes as an answer,

"Just because you were able to sneak up on me again you go and assume that I have-"

"Biagio (limping) has been following you since you finished with your target and leapt into the channel." I winced: Biagio was about as sneaky as a blind dog in a pottery shop…covered with bells…and bright paints… If he had managed to follow me for that long and not have me notice was a sign that I was either playing along, wasn't bothered by him, or something was wrong with me. And *sigh* La Volpe was no idiot. "I don't really have to wonder how he managed that seeing as it is the dead of winter and you decided to take a swim in water that would be frozen over if it had been still."

"…I have no answer for you my friend, but I can tell you that I am NOT sick." There he goes raising that eyebrow again!

"So you were just practicing your coughing for the latest play you will be starring in, is that right?" he chuckled lightly, normally a nice sound, but I was too busy planning my escape so that I would not be dragged back home and cause Claudia more worry. "Ezio, my good friend, if you hide it, which is impossible when it comes to me, it will only get worse."

"…"

"So why don't you come with me and we will go to Leonardo?"

"Isn't Claudia visiting him right now?" his brow furrowed as he slowly nodded,

"Yes, is that a…prob…lem…?" he trailed off as I bolted as fast as I could before scrambling up a building, "Ezio? What are you doing? Come back!" I gave him no answer.

XOXOXO POV CHANGE: LA VOLPE XOXOXO

His behavior is so strange now…I don't like it. He could get very sick very quickly in this weather if he didn't head for the Assassin's Den; I walked down the path towards Leonardo's home hoping that Claudia could shed some light on his behavior and maybe Leonardo could treat the young man because we all know that he doesn't completely trust the dottore.

I kept walking on, completely invisible in the crowd, until one of my own slid next to me with almost perfect silence,

"What have you found?"

"He isn't there sir; he managed to evade us by horse, the last direction he was seen heading was towards the city exit."

"Thank you." He dismissed himself just as he came and left me to my thoughts, 'What are you running from my friend?' I didn't have much time to ponder this thought as the entryway to Leonardo's home came into view; knocking lightly on the door, I calmly let my gaze wander about the area: very quiet and peaceful…perfect for the artist.

"Oh!" Claudia had come to the door and looked nothing less than shocked to see me, "La Volpe! Hello, come in!"

"Thank you Claudia." I entered carefully, fully aware of Leonardo's…wide spread artwork.

"La Volpe! What an exciting surprise*! What brings you here my friend?" the energetic artist greeted me with vigor before returning to scan over a codex that Ezio must have dropped off the prior day.

"Ezio." I sighed as my thoughts returned to me immediately, tinged with worry for my friend; instantly I had their undivided attention.

"What about my brother troubles you?" Claudia asked carefully, an alarm went off in my head at her tone, clipped and poised to strike. "What has he done?"

"It is what he isn't doing…" Leonardo still looked worried but Claudia…recognition flickered in her eyes instantaneously…impressive,

"He is ill, isn't he?" her hands came to hips,

"Yes." I said, smirking as her hands came to her hips indignantly,

"When I find that worthless assassin I will-" Leonardo stopped her with a nervous laugh,

"You should threaten after we know what has happened to our careless friend." He sobered,"It could be serious."

"Is it serious La Volpe?" Claudia asked, sounding tired,

"He was forced to swim in a channel to avoid the guards after his last target." Claudia sighed but the sound was over ridden by Leonardo's gasp; we both turned to look at the artist. "What is it Leonardo? What is so troubling about this?"

"The channels are filthy and can be fatally cold at this time of the year! If Ezio was injured at the time then the wound can be seriously infected, and with this kind of cold weather the water could bring on something more severe than just a cold or slight fever. Perhaps pneumonia or even…" Our eyes were wide now at the prospect of what could happen,

"We must find my brother immediately!" …it was serious.

XOXOXO POV CHANGE: EZIO XOXOXO

The cough shook me now aching lungs, my throat felt like it had been flayed, my head swam, and worst, and most worrying of all, it was getting difficult to breathe. I cursed softly and even that seared my throat…which made it itch, which made me cough, which seared it again, which….ah, yes! A lovely never ending cycle!

…fantastic, now I'm becoming sarcastic! …and talking to myself…I should head back and see a *shudders* dottore…

I turned towards the Den and started walking as quickly as my arrow wound would allow, it burned and agonized my side, but I was taught to hide injuries from the public eyes for it made you a target; I had made it about three fourths of the way back when a loud yell caught my attention.

Guards.

With a feral growl of pure annoyance and frustration, I whipped around with my sword and slit the first guard's throat in one motion before standing as steadily as I could to face the rest; the world was beginning to blur occasionally and my every instinct screamed that this was not a normal ailment, but there wasn't much I could do now.

The second guard rushed me and found himself impaled on my blade before I slid it from his stomach and yet again faced the others, four left…no, six…wait how are they moving like that? They all smiles and stepped back, as if a brute had just stepped up behind me with a mace, and it wasn't until I was on my hands and knees coughing brutally that I realized that they knew of my weakness.

I watched through blurry vision as they stepped closer as if to claim me as a prize, that Cesare would love no doubt, only to be blocked by a flurry of cloaks and blades; blood sprayed here and there until only the newcomers were left standing. They both turned to me, when did I fall to my stomach?, and rolled me onto my back before trying to speak to me. It was Claudia, La Volpe, and Bartolomeo; their lips were moving but no sound was presented over the roar that had grown in my head.

Someone laid their hand on my wound and the pain was so intense that I gasped before trying to curl into myself, but this motion just caused more coughing as my whole body seemed to revolt against me. I couldn't stop, couldn't breathe, couldn't hold on any longer. The darkness took me and the blessed painlessness that comes with it embraced me.