Almost one month ago I started Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead since I'd been meaning to get around to this book series for a couple years. I finished all SIX books in the Bloodlines series in ONLY TWO WEEKS! I regret nothing about this INTENSE binge-read! Those six novels were so wonderfully addictive and captivating...sucking me back into Richelle Mead's fascinatingly intriguing Vampire Academy universe. Oh how much I'd missed many of the characters especially the one and only Adrian Ivashkov! :P

This is my FIRST Bloodline series story. I got inspiration for this FanFiction story right after finishing The Ruby Circle. I was immensely curious what life was like for Adrian, Sydney, and Eddie after the epilogue chapter of The Ruby Circle. Then not too long after this story inspiration I found a way for the Bloodlines series to crossover with CW's Gossip Girl. You'll see how these two universes beautifully collide in the future chapters.

I do not own any of the characters! WARNING: There might be potential spoilers from the Bloodline novels sprinkled throughout this story. This is rated T for infrequent usage of mild language. I'll be either writing from Sydney's POV or Adrian's POV.

The first chapter is basically a prologue to provide important character background for the major Bloodlines characters involved in this story. This will set the backdrop for the next chapter! You'll meet new characters from Gossip Girl in the future chapters.

Now you're ready to read Life is a Box of Chocolate!

I'd greatly appreciate your constructive feedback! Hope you enjoy my story! R&R!

Goodbye Maine, Hello New York City

~Sydney's POV~

Two years ago, our family moved to Maine to give Declan, our adoptive son, some semblance of a normal life away from Moroi court. Nathan Ivaskhov financially cut his own wife and son as proof of vehement disapproval of his son's unorthodox marriage. Marriages between Moroi and humans was one of the many taboos within Morio culture. My ex-Alchemist background makes it worse. We had to be creative in making ends meet for the five of us. Eddie got a part-time job as a barista at a local coffee shop. Adrian's short-stint as art student at Carlton College back in Palms Springs gave him enough credentials to get few part-time jobs as a kindergarten art teacher. Adrian and Eddie encouraged me to pursue my dream of getting a college education. Despite their protests, I insisted on partially contributing to our family's budget. I got a paid internship as a student docent at archaeological museum. Daniella babysat Declan while the three of us were out working. We made the best of our situation despite how tight our finances were. Sure we weren't living the high life with all the finest luxuries, but superficial material wealth wasn't important. We've had to cut back on luxury items. The only thing that mattered is that the five of us supported and loved each other.

Queen Vasilisa Dragomir was a close friend of ours. She got wind of our financial struggles to make basic ends meet. I have no doubt Rose Hathaway informed Lissa of our current living situation. We went very off-grid with only a few people knowing of our location. We told Lissa there was no problem with our living situation. Yet, she refused to let us financially suffer all because Nathan was a pertinacious asshole. Her powerful position gave Lissa the right to order her subjects when the situation called for it. She diplomatically presented Nathan Ivaskhov an ultimatum: (a) pay a monthly allowance stipend to his wife and son or (b) be stripped of his royal privileges and banished from the Moroi royal court. Of course my father-in-law fulminated how the young queen was abusing her power. No other royal Moroi at court dared to speak on his behalf to protest against the Queen's royal prerogative. Nathan reluctantly agreed to pay a $5,000 monthly allowance stipend to his estranged wife and son.

After finishing two years at Central Maine Community College, I conducted extensive research of which four-year university to transfer to. New York University had a great history and anthropology departments in their undergraduate students. I didn't want to completely uproot and relocate our family since we had created a pretty good life in Maine. My husband, Eddie, and Daniella thought it was time to move on with our lives now that we had enough finances to live a comfortable life. Change wasn't necessarily a bad thing for us.

I immensely appreciate your support for my story! Stay tuned for the next chapter of Life is a Box of Chocolate!