Author's note: There will be some scenes in here that I have been wanting to do for a while. I hope you like it. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to voice them. I don't mind. In fact I like to know if you think there is anything that needs to be fixed.

The title comes from a musical Last 5 Years, particularly the song The Next Ten Minutes. I adore the song even though the play is about a rocky marriage that doesn't last. This one song is their wedding song in the middle. It's quite a unique play, but I won't bore you with the details and my nerdy-ness.

Happy reading!

Forever With You

A Sydrian Fanfiction

By Danielle Cheri

Chapter One

"Are you sure about this?" I asked yet again. We were standing in the middle of a jewelry store. I never expected to be in one of these with anyone, much less Adrian.

"Of course I am." Adrian replied. "I have been from the moment I met you. So are you going to pick one or am I?"

"If you were traditional about all this, you'd pick it."

"If I were traditional, I would have made a special dinner and got down on one knee. Instead, I asked in the middle of making out with you. I'm surprised you agreed. Anyway, you're the one who has to wear it, Sydney. And with the garage, I want you to have something you'll be able to wear with grease stained hands." He gave me his signature smirk. "So pick something. And don't just point at the first ring you see. You'll have to wear it the rest of your life. Well, except when you're working."

I smiled. "I just need something simple." I leaned over a counter. "You could have easily found something."

"And you could have easily refused." He leaned close to me. "I'm beginning to think the only reason you're marrying me is so that we can go to the next step after all this time."

I felt my cheeks turning red. "I'm not answering that one in public. Only to say that I'm not the only one."

"Hello." A woman stepped up to us on the other side of the counter. "Is there something I can help you find?"

Adrian spoke up before I could, "My beautiful fiancée needs an engagement ring. But something simple. And something that will compliment engine grease under her fingernails." He grinned at me.

I smiled back and leaned into him when he slipped his arm around my waist. "I like that one." I pointed to a silver band with a small diamond chip.

"No, definitely not. I'm buying you a diamond, Sydney. Not dust. What about the one under it?"

The one under it had a huge rock that almost dwarfed the gold band.

"No. It's far too big."

"Then that one." He pointed to one that was only slightly smaller than the one he'd just pointed out.

"Adrian, I'm not playing around. I don't want a big ring. You're paying for the entire wedding already. The ring isn't going to break the budget."

"And it won't. I have the money. I've been saving up for quite a while. You don't have to worry. Get the ring you want."

"Okay, I want that one." I pointed to the first again.

"And I say no."

"You said it was my choice."

"Yes, but I want something you can show off at Court."

"I can't go to Court with you." I hissed back.

He heaved a deep sigh.

"Then you pick it and give it to me later. I don't want to fight about this."

"Just try a few on, okay? We'll see what looks best and I'll make the final decision. Unless you fall completely in love with something."

I agreed and tried on a few. I was drawn to one that had a scroll design on the band that reminded me a little about the tattoo on my cheek. I didn't like how much I was compelled toward it.

"I kind of like it." Adrian said, picking up my hand and looking at it. "The stone is the perfect size."

"But the scrollwork—"

He brushed his fingers on my cheek. "I know."

"I want this one."

"Then let me do something I should have done the last time." He kneeled down on the floor of the jewelry store. He turned to the clerk. "I know you've probably seen this a trillion times and I apologize." He turned back to me. "Sydney Sage, love of my life, center of my universe, will you please do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?"

I smiled and pulled him to his feet. "Yes, of course I will." I said as I pressed my lips to his. I stepped away and turned to the clerk. "I think about a half a size smaller." I pulled the ring off and handed it back.

"Let me start the paperwork." She took the ring and walked away.

Adrian wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "I'll get you a nice ring stand to put it on while you're in the garage."

"You should come in and see me some time. I'd love to look under the hood of that beautiful Mustang of yours."

"You can do that any time."

"Any time you come visit."

"I'll be doing it a lot more. We have to find a house."

"I have a house."

"You have a shack. I need more rooms to rattle around in. And to fill with offspring."

"No kids." I said adamantly. "And you know why. I'm not going to talk about this with you here."

"Okay, my dear. Anything for you." He kissed me and then stepped away.

The clerk returned and checked the sized before she wrote it down. Adrian passed over his credit card and told her to put the whole price on it.

A short time later, we left. The ring would be ready in a week.

Adrian handed over his keys.

"You know me so well."

"Maybe I should have just bought you an engagement car."

I giggled as I started the engine and put the car into gear. "It would have been a little easier to pick." I changed gears and gunned the engine as I pulled out onto the highway.

"You can have this one." He said casually.

"You can't be serious."

"I am. I'll fly back to Court this time. Eddie can pick me up. And then I'll get a new car and drive back. I've got my eye on a place to rent in town. I'd move in with you, but you're the one who's traditional on that front."

"You could move in. But you're just going to have to sleep in the spare room."

"You mean the spare closet."

"I'm not making a lot, Adrian. That house is all I can afford."

"Not if you'd let me—"

"Stop. We need to stop fighting about your money. We have to come to some sort of agreement."

"A pre-nup?"

"Yeah, something like that. I don't like feeling like I'm a kept woman. And that's how it feels when you just hand me things. I can't take this car. I can't take a rent house you're paying for until we're married. I can't take all the extravagant things I know you want to give me for the wedding. Just let me do it my way. My father won't be coming and neither will yours. So there's no point in having anything big anyway."

He put his hand on top of mine on the gearshift. "I just want you to have everything you need."

"All I need is you, Adrian." I curled my finger around his.

"Aw, that's sweet. And all I need is you. Without your shirt on."

I slapped his chest with the back of my hand. "From sweet fiancé to sexist pig in a matter of seconds. I love you too."

"Yeah, well I'm a guy. I know I won't get sex, but I want it." He gave me a sardonic grin. "And it's not like I didn't have you half naked last night."

"Yes, well, I was wearing my bra."

"Like you have been for over a year. Can't we move on to completely bare chests at the very least?"

"And can't you just be happy that we're together?" I asked, frustrated.

"I am." He put his hand on my arm. "I am happy. I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if I wasn't. We'll work it out."

"Okay." My phone rang.

Adrian dug it out of my purse when I asked. "Your mom. You want me to answer?"

"If you want. But don't breathe a word of the engagement yet."

"No problem, babe." He put the phone to his ear. "Hello, Mrs. Sage. Your state is lovely this time of year."

My breath caught. I hadn't told her about Adrian's visit. I hadn't told her about the last one either. I just claimed to be tired every evening when she invited me home for dinner. Of course she knew I was avoiding Dad since I was no longer an Alchemist.

"Well, I think it's about time we meet in person, too. I'm beginning to think your daughter is ashamed of her vampire boyfriend."

I reached over and pinched his thigh. "Don't say the 'v' word." I scolded.

"Dinner tonight sounds great. You're cooking?... What can I bring?... I'm sure I can scrounge up something… She's driving my car right now… We're almost back to her place, we can keep talking. Tell me some embarrassing story about Sydney as a kid."

The last minutes until I pulled into my driveway were agony. I didn't know what my mother was telling him, but he was getting a kick out of it. I took the phone as soon as the engine was off. I handed Adrian back his keys in exchange.

"So dinner tonight? Is Dad home?"

"No, remember? He left a couple days ago and won't be back for at least a few days. And Carly is in town. She says you two never talk anymore."

"I've been busy. You know that. We work together."

"You get off at six."

"I'm not used to manual labor. I've only been there a few months." I put my purse and keys by the front door and watched Adrian make himself comfortable on my couch.

"Be here at seven." She said.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I can't wait to meet him."

"And I can't wait for you to." I finally got her off the phone and stretched out on top of Adrian. "I'm not going to tell them tonight."

"Good plan. 'Meet my vampire boyfriend, or rather fiancé.' Yeah, that wouldn't go over very well."

"A vampire boyfriend is enough for my father to hate me."

"He doesn't hate you." He said as he smoothed his hand down my back. "He can't hate you."

"Why?"

"Because you're his daughter."

"He would rather have had a son."

"But he has three great daughters. And if he doesn't get that, despite the company you keep, then to hell with him."

I kissed him softly. "But he's still my father."

"And he always will be." His hands slipped under my shirt. "We have an hour."

"We do." I pushed his hands away. "But I'm not in the mood for that. I have to mentally prepare myself for this." I sat up. "And you promised to bring something. I have to figure that out."

"I have that bottle of wine I brought."

"We don't drink." I got up and went into the kitchen.

"I can whip up a quick cake. No problem." He took over the kitchen and I watched him work in silence.