9th Chapter is up! Woot! I literally couldn't handle this chapter, it made me cry, and not because I wrote it, but because I actually imagined it in my head. *crying*... ENJOY.

So, on Monday I'm starting college, and I won't be able to update every day like I'm doing (until this Sunday, I'm afraid), so most likely I'll upload a weekly chapter, and hopefully I can make them longer, as I'll have more time to write. :)

I really like writing, even if it's not that good, I have fun. I'll be so sad to have to leave it to weekly times only. but yeah...

DISCLAIMER: RICHELLE MEAD OWNS VA AND BL.

SYDNEY'S POV

Adrian was holding my hand, guiding me through the alleys whilst Rose checked ahead and around the corners for any Strigoi. We went like this for a few blocks, when two Strigoi suddenly pounced on us from the roof of one of the narrowest alleys. I lost my grip on Adrian's hand, but he was soon jumping in front of me, protecting me from the Strigoi. I saw fear in his eyes before he decided to jump in front of me- not fearful for him, but for me.

He kicked one of the Strigoi, but the Strigoi grabbed Adrian's foot, and tossed him away as if he was weightless. Then the other Strigoi rushed to where I was, but Rose was too far away to save me.

'This is it,' I thought as the Strigoi ran to me. It was too fast for me to try to defend myself. And then it happened. The sharp cut of his fangs piercing through the thin skin of my neck. I wanted to scream, to yell, to get out of here, but then a cloud of numbness fell over me and I thought it was the most brilliant sensation, the best imaginable feeling that must have existed. It felt wonderful. But it ended too quickly.

The bite on my neck was oozing with blood, but I was not dead. The Strigoi must have carried me somewhere while in that haze, because I couldn't find Adrian or Rose anywhere. I was dizzy, and my vision was slightly blurred, but I could see the Strigoi a few meters away from me, on his knees spitting blood. He was spitting out my blood.

"Disgusting!" shrieked the male Strigoi in front of me. He stared at me with his red-ringed eyes, bright with red rage. Surrounded by darkness and full of fury and anger, he hissed, "I'm going to kill you! This blood... it's fucking burning my throat!"

There's nothing wrong with my blood, I thought, though I took it as a good sign, because I would be dead if he liked it.

Before he could stand up and move towards me however, I saw three black figures in the distance running to where I was. One of them was Dimitri, and two other guardians I didn't know. Dimitri moved almost at the same speed as the Strigoi, engaging into a fight that quickly concluded as he staked the Strigoi in the back. The other two guardians were by my side, aiding me to stand and walk. They helped me walk around the corner, when I saw Rose running to me.

"Sydney!" She rushed to me, the guardians releasing me as Rose placed my arm on top of her shoulders for me to lean on her. She gave a look to Dimitri and said," Adrian was left behind on the next alley turning the corner." He nodded.

Dimitri and one of the guardians rushed back to where Rose came from. Rose helped me walk with one of the guardians protecting us. We made it to the corner, when we found Dimitri halfway to where Adrian was. A Strigoi was drinking from Adrian, who had a dazed look on his face, and I felt horror watching him there, defenceless and dying.

I wanted to do something for him, to protect him, as he did when he threw himself in front of me. I wanted to run and get that Strigoi of him, but it would be useless.

Dimitri was already on top of the Strigoi, leaving Adrian lying on the floor. The fight lasted no more than 2 minutes, with Dimitri staking the Strigoi. She fell limp on the floor, as we all ran to where Adrian was. A couple of guardians surrounded him and shook him awake; he had his eyes open when I approached him, and he slowly fell unconscious once I got to his side.

"Adrian!?" I said kneeling next to him and shaking him awake, the first thing I've said since the explosion. It seemed ages ago, but it was barely half an hour that passed since then. "Is he alive?" I asked Rose, who knelt beside me too.

"He is," she said, placing two fingers on his bloody neck where the pulse is, "But his heartbeat is really low. We need to take him to the hospital right away. I can't sense Strigoi anymore, but we'll have to be extremely cautious taking him to the hospital."

"I'll go ahead and secure the perimeter," said Dimitri, "Rose you stay with Sydney and Francis whom will carry Adrian. John, you'll be behind with them."

"Comrade..." whispered Rose as she got closer to Dimitri, "Be careful."

"Same with you, Roza. You're still not completely fit to guard." Dimitri whispered back as he embraced her and gave her light kiss.

They pulled back as they realized they still had company. Both blushing, they each settled to follow their part of the plan.

The way back to the hospital was Strigoi-less, and I was getting dizzier with each step I took. I couldn't concentrate anymore on anything, because of the amount of blood I kept on losing from the bite. I fainted at the entrance of the hospital. Darkness surrounded my sight, from the outside to the inside.

I woke up in a white room, and I was lying on a bed. A hospital machine was connected to my arm through tubes. A hospital, I thought, I remember fainting at the entrance of the hospital. I wonder how much time has passed since then. I tilted my head to the right to see if my things were on the table beside me; instead, I found a more pleasurable—yet horrifying—sight staring back at me. I widened my eyes. What was I doing in a room with him? I know he wouldn't attempt drinking blood from me; he had had several opportunities already, but still. I sat up on the bed quickly.

"What... You've never shared a room with a guy before?" a smirking Adrian asked, as he scooped a spoonful of ice-cream to his mouth. He was lying on a bed too, connected to the same machines I had, too. Staring at me intensely, "I honestly expected you to wake up before me, and perhaps you'd give me a 'Thank-you-so-much-for-saving-me-Adrian' kiss- that would be a great way to wake me up."

I stared at him silently and narrowed my eyes. If stares could kill, this one would do the trick. I was going to say something, when he spoke again.

"Sage, it was a joke. I know you would prefer kissing frogs a million times more than kissing a Moroi," said Adrian, "Besides, you're not my type. Just saying Sage, sorry." He went back to eating his ice-cream and watching TV with a goofy smile plastered all over his face.

I raised my eyebrow at him and after a while added, "Well, you're not my type either." This time he stared at me with a comical look on his face.

"Sage, do you even have a type?" asked Adrian, with a devilish grin on his face, "Maybe that Brian dude that came with you to Court?" His grin became smaller at those words.

"It's Ian, and no. I don't... I don't know." I paused and blurted out, offended by the question he used, "I sure have a type and... why am I even talking about this with you?"

"Well Sage, I don't know, you started it." His grin re-appeared on his face. He laughed at something on the TV, and then turned to me again. "Do you want some ice-cream, Sage?"

"No way, ice-cream has too much sugar." I told him as I shook my head. "No, thank you."

"Your loss. It's low-fat... chocolate... yum. Mmm." Adrian said, trying to look like the people from ice-cream advertisements on TV. I laughed at his attempt to sell me ice-cream and shook my head at him whilst smiling.

I was doing a lot of smiling around him lately, it was weird. But I couldn't really believe the fact that he was a Moroi, an unnatural and evil being. Instead, he was easy-going, and I could easily forget the fact that I wasn't even supposed to hang out with Moroi willingly, but I did enjoy hanging out with him. Plus, he was very easy on the eyes, really cute. Also, let's not forget that he threw himself in front of me to protect me, even though he barely knew me. And seeing his broken side gave me a whole new perspective towards him—and Moroi.

"Sage? Are you thinking about how awesome I am?" Adrian asked while staring at me, "You seem lost in thought."

"Actually Adrian, I am," I answered back with a hidden mocking tone, not sure of what I was really doing.

"Really?" he asked surprised, straightening up on his bed.

"No," I stared at him as a laugh escaped me.

"Did you... did you just flirt with me, Sage?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side.

"Why would I flirt with you, I'm not your type, remember?" It was so easy joking with him. I always held this strict demeanour, and I felt free from it with him. "Don't assume everyone has to flirt with you when you meet them. And why do you call me Sage instead of Sydney? It's something that has been nagging me for days; you have done that since you met me."

"Huh, so you have been thinking of me these days. I see." An amused expression settled on his face as I started to protest, but he cut me off. "I call you Sage, because it sounds smart, like you are. Sydney is a nice name, but everyone calls you that, so I decided I'd have my own, unique way to call you." He said as he shot me crooked grin.

Why did he do that? I felt myself blushing and flustered because of it. It was one of those gorgeous, full-fledged grins from models. He even hid his fangs. I tried to hide my blush the best I could by pretending to remove some stray hair from my face, even if there wasn't any.

He lay down again as he swapped the channels of the TV, a faint smile on his face.

"Thank you," I blurted out with my head down. I couldn't look at him for fear of blushing again. "For protecting me from the Strigoi. It... It was very brave, so thank you."

"Sage, you don't have to thank me, I would have done that even if a Strigoi army went for you, and I was the only one there." he said as he stopped pressing buttons on the controller, and I raised my head. We locked eyes for a couple of seconds and he started blinking and then cleared his throat. "Plus, I'll always be there to protect a damsel in distress." He smirked.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to do it, you barely know me. For all you know, I'm just another Alchemist." I added frowning; suddenly imagining what would have happened if he hadn't stood in front of me. It would have probably had the same outcome, but he still had.

"I can't leave a friend in danger, Sage. And you're not just another Alchemist. You worried about me when I broke down, you stayed when I asked you to, and you made me laugh when no one else could, and you barely knew me. Plus, if you were just another Alchemist, you would have left me there in my own misery, drowning myself in my spirit." He paused and met my gaze.

"You wouldn't have stayed and I most definitely wouldn't have laughed with you. I already consider you a friend. Because all I needed was someone there with me, and you were that person. I could trust you with me- that's how much I trust you, Sydney."

The sudden use of the name Sydney coming out from Adrian was a slap to my face.

The realization of how close we have gotten to each other in this short period of time was a second slap to my face.

And the fact that I actually did consider him a friend was a third slap to my face.

I couldn't have gotten this used to vampires in this time, I'd only been here a week, but he had somehow become my friend.

"I should be the one thanking you instead, Sage, for listening to me," he said, a sad tone taking over, "No one ever did before." He gave me a small, sad smile that broke my heart. "But enough of these sad stories, I don't want to cry." He scoffed. "So tell me about the Alchemists."

I looked up at him, and with a sigh, started telling him the basics about the Alchemists.

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