Hi! Hope you liked the last chapter. I DID forget to mention that the chapter names are the names of the people who said the quotes at the top of each chap. Also, there is no option to select Marcus or Carly when choosing characters to file the story under. I've decided that one week is too long (will change schedule around mid-terms and finals), so I'll update twice: Saturday and Wednesday. Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines or the characters.

'I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival' –Audre Lorde

CPOV

It turns out I don't have time to make the decision, it's made for me. Rose pushes open the door and I hear Dimitri mutter something that sounds a bit like Russian. No one turns but a tall blonde. She's too thin and too pale to be anything but Moroi, not Sydney. The blonde Moroi rushes over to Rose and embraces her. "Rose!" Again, no one turns. This must be normal around here. While the reunion occurs I take a moment to look around. A few more people dressed in Guardian gear stand around the edges of the room and there are more places to sit than people, but I'm more interested on the people crowding the couch.

Another Moroi, a brunette male this time, sits lazily against the back of the sofa. It'd be believable if not for the worry in his eyes. Such an odd blue color, one of the royals perhaps. A blonde sits hunched over a computer in sweats and a tank. Her brows are furrowed and she's frantically typing away, oblivious. Adrian sits on the other side of the girl and is leaning in to get a look at whatever she's doing. Another man, not Moroi, sits on the ottoman next to the sofa with his arms propped on his thighs. A Moroi woman with crazy curly hair sits next to him, her hand on his shoulder.

Sydney isn't Moroi, which makes her either the other male in the room–unlikely, but possible–or the blonde girl on the computer. "Syd?" The girl's head snaps up and her fingers stop. A wide grin spreads across her face and Adrian takes the computer. As soon as it's off her lap she vaults across the room and barrels into my arms.

"Carly!" I'm momentarily stunned and am frozen before I wrap my arms around her. She's as skinny, if not skinnier, than she was three years ago. It's frightening. "Adrian said he'd talked to you…how are you, with Zoe and dad I mean?" I shrug and pull away slightly so I can see Sydney clearly. The lily tattoo on her cheek is no longer gold, but silver. She's so different from the khaki-and-blouse-wearing girl she was at fifteen. Not just clothing wise either. Something about her seems freer, happier. Tears well up in my eyes despite me trying to hold them back.

"I was thinking about you after I'd heard the news. The lily it's…"

"I know, I broke the connection, like Marcus. Only I used a different seal. A clear one I invented." An almost indecipherable gasp comes from Marcus. He didn't know? "How are you? You look like you're about to cry."

"Just happy. I'm still dealing. Mom and dad split up, Zoe sided with him, and you were taken by freak Alchemists. I'm okay compared to you and Zozo." I wince at how that came out, but Sydney just smiles.

"Yeah. I was really hoping the Alchemists might try to convince me to testify for dad. Obviously they didn't. Dad's evidence was false and the fact of it is, if at some point if the judge decides to look up mom…dad's a goner. He falsified evidence. That's a federal crime you know." Still the same old Sydney in there it seems like.

"I don't want to talk about me, what's up with you?" She steers me to a love seat and motions to someone else in the room.

"I've been doing rape awareness events and started teaching self-defense classes."–I don't miss the grin she shoots Adrian.–"I'm double majoring in Pre-Law and Psychology." I also don't miss the wistful sigh that pops out of her mouth.

"That's amazing Carly…so you've…told someone?" Her voice lowers to a whisper at the end of the sentence and I bump her with my shoulder.

"Speak up little sis'. Yes, I told." Her grin is wider than it was earlier and even brighter. She leans her head against my shoulder and sighs again, this time contentedly. "So…you and Adrian?" I can't see her face, but I can feel her shifting around next to me. Her head picks up and she holds out her hand for me. I take it warily and look at it. Two rings sit nestled on her ring finger. The one closest to her hand is white gold with two rectangular rubies on either side of a square cut diamond. The band has circular rubies or all sizes sprinkled around the white gold. "Syd…"

"They're beautiful aren't they?" I nod, speechless, and glance up at her. Her smile is shy and her eyes wary.

"They're amazing…when? How?"

"When: after Adrian and Marcus popped me from Re-Education. How: Vegas."

"Vegas?"

"It was romantic Carly, we have pictures...we have all the pictures actually."

"I can pull them up!" I startle and drop Sydney's hand. I'd completely forgotten about the other eight people in the room as soon as Sydney and I started talking.

"Maybe later, I want to talk to Carly about something." They exchange a look and I feel a small pang of jealousy for what they share. Sydney pulls me up and out into the hallway. "Carly, I have a theory about something, but I'm going to ask you some really weird questions before I share it. Don't act like I'm crazy. 'Kay?"

"Okaaayy."

"Can you start fires with your mind? Or…make yourself invisible? How about…"

"You're asking if I have magic, right? I do." She nods slowly.

"I might be right then…when did you find out?"

"Shortly after Keith." A grin spreads across her face.

"I am right!"

"Explain now please." She manages to control her excitement at her discovery and breathes.

"Strigoi can't stand the taste of my blood, my blood which has a weird aura around it. Moroi can't either if you're wondering. My magic-slash-history teacher told me that magic is in the blood which is how I could break and seal my tattoo without the use of an actual seal…which I did create, by the way. So, blood. You're related to your parents and siblings by blood. So I started to wonder if it was passed through dad, only it wouldn't make sense because he's male and I'll explain the rest of that later. My theory is that it's a sex-linked, X-chromosome, dominant gene, triggered after a certain amount of time and chemicals. Think of AIDS, you can live forever carrying it as long as it doesn't activate, once it does…you have limited time…also, think of hemophilia only chemically triggered." She pauses and I put it together.

"Like after a surge of adrenaline mixed with estrogen?"

"Yes, exactly like that…but the only way to get that amount of estrogen is to be a post-pubescent female."

"So the magic came from mom."

"Yes, the trait will die off in males as they become pubescent. Which means all of mom's children should have it. Now, I know for certain it came from mom, because the more research I did, the more I found out. As I said, you have to have an X-chromosomes with the trait in order to inherit it, not triggered in males, blah blah. But, the trait has to be triggered or it'll die off."

"So definitely from mom?"

"Which means Zoe will get it. Which means if she's under any compulsion, it'll break."

"Unless she truly is loyal."

"Then she'll turn herself in." Damn. Welcome to Sage Family Reunions. I feel myself welling up again. Sydney spurting science nonsense feels normal, us worrying about Zoe. Normal. I can't believe how much I've missed it.

"What does this have to do with me?"

"I need you to team up with Marcus and first, tell mom I'm alive and send her here. Second, find Zoe and extract her. You'll have resources, money, and allies. I've already talked to Her Highness Vasilisa about it."

"Who is she? I've heard her mentioned a few times."

"The blonde girl who hugged Rose when you came in." I gape. Seriously? She looked more like a student from my college. "Another thing, we might need you both to either come here or got to Palm Springs…but that's a different subject we can discuss somewhere that's actually private. we'll announce the first mission now...if you're willing."

"Let's go."

MPOV

Sydney and Carly come back into the room with odd expressions. Sydney looks all-too excited while Carly looks nervous. "Alright, so if I could have your attention. My theory about magic being a dominant, sex-linked gene was correct. I'd like to proffer Carly and Marcus to find Zoe Sage. I know we have other priorities at the moment, but Zoe could end up in Re-Education if something triggers the gene that carries magic within her. Re-Education…whatever Adrian told you, it was an understatement. I'll leave it at that." I'm shocked by how much she revealed about Re-Education.

"Sydney!" I yell out an attempt to gain her attention.

"Yeah?"

"Just me and Carly?"

"Carly and me, and yes." I scoff at her correction, but nod. While I understand the importance of this mission, it screws with a couple of my plans. On the bright side, Sabrina can handle it and I might end up with another date with Carly.

"Ready to go sweetheart?" Carly glares.

"Don't ever call me that again." I grin mischievously. This should be interesting.

I'd like to add that I am not a geneticist and do not know if a trait can be chemically activated/deactivated. Again, updating Wednesday and Saturday until mid-terms and finals. If you want to check out the rings, go to Richelle Mead's website and click on the blog tab. There's a post from Halloween that has pics and info on the Sydrian wedding. The rings are under the spoiler cut. I do not own the designs.

R&R

Ciao