Excuse my absence. School is almost over, well the semester, and teachers stuff us with homework and whatnot so everything is so hectic. I wrote this today in class. Hopefully you like! Again, sorry for the mistakes I will correct them when I have time.

I didn't thank them earlier but thanks to GreekGleekSalvatore, cillyadrian, Disha (I missed ya, girl!), and your demonic assassin—for their wonderful reviews! Thank you! To all of you who review, but mostly for reading my story! I need your help, guys. I don't know what to name this story. What do you guys think?

I don't own. Richelle Mead gets paid to write these books. I just like borrowing her characters and making my "it would be cool if. . .".

Miserable and devastated, I sat alone in the living room couch of my apartment. The movie playing on the TV was quite comical to me but very depressing as it was about a woman who wanted to have a baby so she opted for artificial insemination to make her dreams come true, saying she was ready and did not unsupportive men to surround her. She wanted to have a baby. I was being forced to do this. . .baby experiment.

Adding to things, I was deathly ill. My illness was not exactly deathly but a dirt nap did sound appealing. Anything that would help me avoid a date—a date exactly five weeks from yesterday—I would gladly do. Never imagined I would be summoned so quickly after I told Andrea my official decision of accepting to become a mother. As mentioned, I would do anything to avoid that date.

I tried to see in the same point of view as Adrian.

Nine months and the—experiment—and I would be on our separate ways.

Adrian's view was an unreliable and glamourized outlook.

Infinite things could happen in those nine months.

God, I know you have my back in this and you are the only faith that keeps me here.

I was startled when I heard a loud knock on my window. Sane people would have knocked on the door. A sane person wasn't behind me door, or by my window, so I knew Adrian was the knocking person. He knocked a few more times until he finally realized I was not answering the door to anyone. I wrapped the blanket around myself tighter, closing my eyes at the sudden ache in my head.

When I opened my eyes again, Adrian was standing in my living room, staring down at me.

"If you didn't want to see me, you should have told me something."

"I am pretty sure me not answering the door would have been answer enough."

"You're being a little mean, don't you think? Yesterday you threw in my face you hated my kind, my race. If you're going to be that way—I am telling you, I don't enjoy hypocrisy."

I grabbed a tissue from a box nearby and wiped the mess off my face as I recalled my "tantrum" of yesterday. I was embarrassed of my actions and I knew had done wrong. I had almost insulted the whole world and damned my sisters for being unfit for the "rare alchemist mission". I had even disrespected my father and that was bad enough by itself.

"I am sorry. I went too far insulting you," I whispered. "I am not rational when I'm afraid. With how irrational I was. . .you can assume what my feelings were—are about this deal."

Adrian sat down beside me and took hold of my hand. Normally, those gestures sent my heart racing. Now, my mind was too distracted to notice. Distracted by him.

"Sydney, it will be alright. Stop being so pessimistic." Adrian reached over with his fingers, brushing a few strands of hair away from my face, all the while he started into my eyes and those distracting emotions took over control. It was an intimate moment, a beautiful moment. . .he leaned into me, already positioning his head to kiss me. . .such an admirable moment—ruined by a scary-sounding sneeze coming from me.

Embarrassed, I grabbed another tissue, wiping my nose and handing one to him.

"Sorry."

"You better be, Sage," he muttered but he was laughing.

"That was disgusting on my part."

"You are still so lovely," Adrian said with a smile.

A homey retort made itself known, accompanied by a smile. "When is sneezing on a guy's face so lovely?"

"It was. Your facial expression was lovely." Adrian laid down against the couch and pulled me down with him, my back across his chest. I already had accepted a deal with the devil and I was pretty sure giving into these distractions were less harming to myself than the deals with Abe. I made myself comfortable against Adrian. "Now that you have me here, I'll be your therapist."

"Therapist? Or psychologist?"

"Any of both. Or both. I can be whatever makes you happy."

"Right. . .I want you to turn into a parachute."

"Sometimes, you can't make everyone happy," Adrian muttered. "Serious now. Tell me your feelings, Sage."

"You're never serious, Adrian."

"I am now."

"Well. . ."

"You're not taking advantage of my great kindness, but I will take advantage of your hesitation. I have to tell you my feelings." Adrian took a breath, preparing himself to speak. "I am speaking from the heart now. . .I feel many thins towards you. They are very confusing sometimes. I can't ever really determine what those feelings are. But. . .one could quite possibly be. . .love."

The tissue box fell out of my hands. I stopped moving and I stopped breathing. The only thing I was aware of was. . .of how fast my heart was beating. Hopefully the noise wasn't as loud as my ears perceived it. He is not lying. I can see it in his eyes as he looks at me. He loves me!

His lips were on mine again, quite awkwardly because of the position we were in—his lips, so smooth, so soft, so placating. Comforting enough that I calmed and actually enjoyed myself. You can't be distracted—screw that. I was done being all reserved. You are welcomed to my word, Distractions. Especially if you come in the form of Adrian's kisses. I liked kissing Adrian. Very much.

I moved but the movement caused Adrian's lips and mine to disjoin.

"Something wrong, Sydney?"

"Oh, damn. We can't kiss anymore 'cause you're going to catch my cold."

"That is useless now. I can heal myself, you know, so it doesn't worry me." Adrian laughed under me. "Well, Sydney, it seemed you took pleasure in kissing me. That's quite hot."

"Like everything makes me paranoid, you think everything is hot. Is that a male thing? Or is just one of your bizarre things?" I, thinking it through again, enjoyed his bizarre things.

Adrian nodded. "Males are almost machines, expect when they fall in love. Their hearts are in control now." Adrian subtly, or maybe not, slid his hands around me. I liked that.

"Knowing you—I can tell love is something that doesn't happen to you, right?"

"If only you knew. I have one of the weakest hearts. Many people like me and when I love them, they can't return the sentiment and that sucks. For me, at least. I am hoping things will change this time around." Adrian's sentence was loaded with suggestion; he was referring to me. His green eyes found themselves on mine, giving me a meaningful look. "I am glad it was you, the new owner of my heart, Sydney."

I couldn't say anything. . .only because my mouth was busy coughing.

"Remember the royal court, when I came back from Europe? Something about doing it right, dating and being happy, not rushing into. . .stuff? I still owe you. . .remember what we talked about? I still owe you that favor, only it won't be a favor anymore because we'll both want to do this. . ."

I was confused for a slight second before my mind was filled with conversation from a few weeks back.

"I don't want it to be just a favor."

I looked at Adrian, confused. "What do you want it to be?"

He slipped the European ring, the one that had put me in his thoughts not long ago, or he'd told me so, on my finger.

He took my face gently in my hands. "We can start with a kiss. . ."

"I am having a baby," I almost cried out. "Not yet pregnant, but going to be. With a stranger's child. That is basically going against everything I have grown up with. I was given the order to wait till I was well into my marriage to think about being pregnant. And now I am having a stranger's baby! A stranger! Not that man I am married to. I can't ever have anything real with the man I care about—those are the effects of having a stranger's child. It sounds horrible and it is horrible."

Adrian stared at me for a while. "Sydney, surely your intelligence must realize that it doesn't have to be a stranger. I am Moroi, you know. And if that doesn't mean anything—I am male. And you are female."

"What?"

"I am not a stranger," Adrian said.

"What are you getting at?"

"I am capable of making your child."

Ooh! Finally we get what we want!

Short and sweet but got to the point! I promise next chapter will be longer!

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Thanks for the awesome reviews and for reading my story!

Take care

-Melissa