Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to anything Rachel Roberts does.

A/N: Some of you might have noticed that I have changed my user name, I'm sorry if that has caused any of you problems! Okay, I did a lot of speculation on this chapter... (I guess that's why it's been done for over two weeks, but not posted on fanfiction...) I wanted to bring Zach and Adriane's relationship closer, and this is the opportunity I saw to do it. So many might not like it, and please let me know so! Send those reviews in, I really, really want to know what yall thought about this one! Thanks a lot for all of your past ones! They mean so much!

Chapter 11

Adriane rolled her black sleeping bag out closest to the door. Her eyes roved over Zach doing the same. He had changed into a pair of black pajama pants and shirt that she had sent him. Zach looks good in black, she thought. No, Zach just looks good. Adriane couldn't help the smile plastered on her face. Zach looked up, tossing the strands of hair from his face. He grinned knowing she had been watching him. Adriane shot her eyes to the floor.

"How many pillows do you need?" Emily asked gaining Adriane's attention.

"Uh, just one," the warrior caught the pillow thrown to her with a hand, and dropped it to the head of her sleeping bag.

"Everyone got enough pillows?" Emily asked holding extras in her hands. A surrounding 'yes' made her drop them to one side of the room. She collapsed to her own blue sleeping bag and zipped herself up in it. Adriane did the same, watching the boys follow suit.

"Okay, I'm turning the lights out," Kara said from the doorway.

"Wait!" Marlin said getting up from his sleeping bag. "You girls can't keep all the chips in there." He ran into the girls' room, hopping over Adriane, and taking two bowls of chips.

"Don't step on me," Adriane said covering up her head as Marlin jumped over her again. "I have no idea how you can still be hungry. You ate like all the s'mores!"

"I'm a growing man," Marlin said stepping over Zach, and settling into his own sleeping bag. Adriane could see Zach roll his eyes, but grab a chip too.

"Alright, now I'm turning the lights out," Kara said flipping them off. She tripped over Adriane and fell into her sleeping bag. "Sorry."

"Of course you are," Adriane said rolling onto her side, facing the doorway where the guys were. She heard Kara rustle into her own bag.

"My zipper's stuck," Kara said into the darkness. Adriane heard one of the boys snort, and couldn't help but laugh. "On my sleeping bag," Kara replied indigently.

"Do you need my help zipping up your zipper?" Lorren asked trying to keep the laughter from his voice.

"Oh, shut up!" Kara said tugging on the zipper. She pulled down then pulled up, and the zipper finally zipped up. "I got it on my own."

"Congratulations," Adriane said sarcastically. She heard something shift, and felt a cold nose on her cheek. "What is it, Dreamer?"

"I gotta go."

Adriane pulled herself from the sleeping bag to her feet. "Okay." She moved slowly to the doorway. "Coming through."

"Where are you going?" Zach asked as Adriane stepped casually over him.

"Outside," Adriane replied. She could see the outlines of the sleeping bags and walked around them.

"Why?" Zach inquired.

"Dreamer's got to go," Adriane answered walking out of the doorway. She followed the black wolf down the hall and to the front doors. She opened them and Dreamer shot out, then stopped. "What's wrong?"

"Someone is coming down the driveway."

Adriane's eyes grew wide. "Uh, Dreamer. Don't worry about it. I know who it is."

Dreamer turned to the warrior then looked at the approaching figure. "Alright." He took off into the woods.

Adriane walked to meet Garrett. He was taking his time, a cigarette at his lips. When they got close enough he spoke, "Looks like I'm right on time."

"Just a coincidence," Adriane said looking up as he blew out smoke. "You know those are bad for you."

Garrett looked at the orange light at the end. "So are a lot of things."

Adriane rolled her eyes, then caught him looking her up and down. "Stop staring at me."

"What do you expect me look at? Nice legs by the way," Garrett said breathing in deeply.

Adriane looked down at her black shorts. She suddenly wished they were longer. "Now why are you here again?"

"To collect my winnings from our bet," Garrett said dropping his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it. "I get the feeling your dog doesn't like me much," he said nodding behind Adriane.

Adriane turned around to see Dreamer standing back, but watching the two of them closely, ears pricked. "Hold on," she said holding up a finger, and jogging over to Dreamer. "Let me let you back inside."

"I think I should stay with you." Dreamer said following the warrior to the manor's doors.

"I don't. Dreamer, he's nothing to worry about. I do want you to do me a favor though," Adriane said stooping down to Dreamer's level.

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone that Garrett is here, okay?" Adriane asked glancing up at the tall boy approaching.

"Why?" Dreamer asked.

"Just because."

"They are going to wonder where you are."

"Just say I had to go to the bathroom or something," Adriane said opening the manor doors.

"Alright," Dreamer walked into the manor, and Adriane shut the doors behind him.

"Do you always talk to your dog?" Garrett asked with a raised eyebrow.

Adriane drug him to the side of the manor. "If I said yes?"

"I wouldn't think twice about it, but if you told me it talked back, then I would say you were a little crazy," Garrett replied taking another cigarette from his pocket. He lit it up, and tucked his lighter away.

Adriane mentally laughed at his last words. "Just to let you know, I don't have any cash on me right now. You're just going to have to wait until Monday like I said on the phone."

Garrett blew out smoke. "How many times do I have to say I don't want your money?"

Adriane didn't like where she thought this conversation was headed. "Garrett, I--"

Garrett hushed her as he pushed her back against the manor's hard wall. He had his cigarette between his lips as he leaned closer to her. "Just let me..." He said around the smoke.

Adriane felt his hand travel over her stomach, then slowly lift her shirt up. She grabbed his hand. "Maybe I gave you the wrong idea..."

"Adriane, come on. I'll make it fun. Besides you owe me," Garrett said taking the cigarette from his mouth and kissing her.

He was nothing like Zach. Zach kissed gently while Garrett was just rough. Adriane pushed him away. "I didn't agree on this."

Garrett held his hands up. "I knew you'd be scared."

"I am not scared!" Adriane said annoyed. "I just don't want to."

"Not scared? Then let me," Garrett said moving to her again. He moved a hand to her thigh. As he moved to go under her shorts Adriane pushed him again.

"No," Adriane said feeling her heart race. "Just don't," she went to walk away, and he pushed her against the wall again. Garrett moved against her so she couldn't move, kissing her. Her mouth was flooded with smoke. She tried to push him away, but he was much bigger than she was. Adriane felt the stone on her wrist pulse, and tried to calm it when she saw it faintly glowing. I can't use magic on him! She thought miserably. She couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes as his hands rove over her, and her mumbled 'please stop' went unheard. Adriane suddenly felt him pull away from her, his arm flailing and burning her arm with his cigarette. She watched Zach push Garrett to the ground. She slid down the wall to the ground.

Garrett jumped up and swung at Zach. Zach ducked smoothly, and Adriane watched his shirtless muscles bunch as he hit Garrett in the jaw. Garrett moved to hit Zach, but Zach grabbed his fist and twisted making Garrett pull back in pain.

Adriane looked silently at Garrett holding his wrist then to Zach, anger written all over his face. "Zach," she whispered scared he would really hurt Garrett.

Zach turned at her whisper, then back to Garrett. "I think you need to go back where you came from." Garrett's eyes went to Adriane. He licked his lips, making her look away. Zach saw this and hit Garrett so hard it knocked the goth to the ground. "I said go!" Garrett got from the ground and turned away, walking up the driveway faster than what he had come. Zach went to Adriane, kneeling down to look at her.

Adriane moved her eyes to Zach's. He looked angry, angrier than she had ever seen him. "I..."

Zach saw the tears in her eyes, and tried to calm his anger. He pulled her gently to her feet. She immediately wrapped her arms around him. Zach sighed into her, and wrapped his arms around her too. He felt warm tears on his bare skin. "Don't cry," Zach soothed. "It's over."

Adriane pulled away from him and wiped her tears away. "I don't even know why I'm crying."

Zach saw a circle on her arm and moved it into the moonlight. "You're burned."

Adriane stared down at the circular burn mark. "I'm fine." She looked at Zach's bare chest, there were scars all over it. Some were big, and some were small. She moved her hands over the largest that went from his collar bone to his bellybutton. Zach looked down as she traced it with her soft fingers. "What are all of these from?"

Zach shrugged. "I grew up on Aldenmor," he said it as if that summed everything up.

Adriane's eyes were filled with tears again as she looked up at Zach. "I'm sorry."

Zach brought her to him. "For what?"

"For everything you've been through. I could only imagine," Adriane said her heart hurting for him.

Zach put a hand in her hair. "Don't feel sorry for me."

"But I do," Adriane said. She rested her head on his chest, and listened to the steady beat of his heart. "Zach?"

"Hm?"

"Are you mad? Mad at me?" Adriane asked not sure why she was so worried.

Zach took a sharp intake of breath. "Not at you, no."

Adriane peered up at him. "You should be. I knew Garrett was going to be here. He called earlier at Gran's, and said he was coming."

Zach's brow furrowed. "You knew that that's the reason he was coming?"

Adriane pulled back from him. "Of course I didn't!"

"Then I have no reason to be mad at you," Zach said looking up at the half-moon.

Adriane followed his gaze to the sky. "Zach, where do we stand? I mean with each other?"

Zach brought his eyes down to hers. "I don't know. Where do you want it to?"

"I like you. I like you a lot. I mean, I'm pretty sure there's nothing about you I don't like. I even like the things you do that annoy me, and make me mad. Does that make sense?" Adriane asked biting her lower lip.

"It has to. Because I feel the same way about you," Zach said wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Will you... I mean...do you want to--" Adriane was too embarrassed to finish her intended question. Zach didn't look the least bit shy when he scooped up her chin and kissed her.

"Guys?"

Adriane heard Lorren's voice clearly, but put a hand to the nape of Zach's neck when he tried to pull away. He grinned against her lips, making her smile. She pulled away to look around Zach. Kara and Emily stared wide eyed at Zach's bare chest. She could have sworn she saw Lorren give Zach a thumbs up.

"Taking a stroll in the moonlight?" Kara asked recovering from the awe of Zach. The blond's thoughts roamed to what Lorren might look like without a shirt, and she blushed pink.

Zach started to disagree, but at Adriane's pleading eyes he answered, "Yeah, something like that." A mumbled 'thanks' made him put an arm around Adriane's shoulders.

"How romantic. Right, Marlin?" Emily asked pointedly to the prince.

Marlin turned to Emily confused. "I don't..." He started, but decided he ought to agree with the look the auburn-haired girl was giving him.

Dreamer appeared around the corner of the house, his ears flat on his head. He padded slowly over to Adriane's side. "I had to tell someone, I'm sorry."

Adriane bent down to the wolf. She lifted up his chin, and looked into his innocent green eyes. She smiled and gave him a big hug, almost knocking him over. "I'm the one that should be sorry," the warrior whispered so only she, Dreamer, and maybe Zach could hear. "I shouldn't have asked you to leave. You knew how he was, and I didn't. I hate myself for being so stupid. Forgive me?"

Dreamer's ears pricked up, and his tail started wagging. "It's already forgotten."

Adriane smiled and stood back up. "So curiosity got the best of all of you? Making you all have to come see what we were up to?" She asked eyebrows high in speculation.

The four looked to one another, and smiled slyly. "Well, when Dreamer came back and you didn't, and Zach got up without a word a little later, I think we all agreed we would see what it was all about," Marlin said sheepishly.

Zach smirked. "Can't keep anything from them, can we?" Adriane glanced up at him, and he winked down at her.

"Of course you can't. So there's use in trying," Kara said smugly. "Now are we all ready to go to bed now?"

The group nodded and they all made their way back into the large manor. They walked back into their rooms and settled into their sleeping bags once more. "Okay, for hopefully the last time, I'm turning off the lights." Everyone laughed, and the lights flicked out.

"Don't trip over me," Adriane said covering her head.

Kara had already stepped over Adriane, but nudged the warrior's sleeping bag with her foot. "Oops."

Adriane huffed, and stretched her her arm out, accidentally hitting Zach's. "Sorry," she went to move, but Zach held onto her hand. He squeezed it in reassurance, making her smile.

"Oh, yeah. I wouldn't be one of the first ones who falls asleep," Kara's voice sounded in the darkness.

"Why?" Marlin asked.

"I just wouldn't..." Kara said in a sing-song voice.

"Something you most likely won't like will happen to you if you do," Emily said simply.

"Great," Marlin said sarcastically. "Something to worry about."

"Marlin, you have nothing to worry about," Adriane said surely.

"I don't?" Marlin asked.

"I don't see how you can sleep. You ate the most s'mores. Do you know how much sugar that is going through your system?" Adriane replied.

There was a silence then a, "Yes! I can't sleep!"

"Are you sure that's a good thing?" Lorren asked flipping over onto his stomach.

"I think so," Marlin answered putting his arms behind his head.

"Little wolf?" Adriane heard her grandmother's voice, but was too sleepy to answer. She breathed in the smell of grass and dirt. Wait. She thought. Grass and dirt? She opened her eyes, closing them instantly because of the bright light. It was hot too. Adriane shielded her face, opening her eyes once more to see Gran leaning over her. "What?" She asked groggily.

"When Carolyn and I agreed that you should sleep in separate places we didn't intend for you to sleep outside and inside," Gran chuckled.

Adriane turned to her other side to see Kara and Emily asleep in their sleeping bags. "What time is it?" But Gran was already walking off humming a song of her own. Adriane unzipped herself and nudged Kara. The blond shuffled, but then just turned over. "Kara, wake up."

Kara covered her head. "It's too bright. Turn off the light."

Adriane laughed. "That's a little impossible."

Kara uncovered her head frustrated. "What do you mean impos--" She sat up and looked around. "We're outside."

"Can't put anything past you," Adriane said standing and stretching.

Emily rolled over, her auburn curls falling over her face. "Outside?"

"Yeah, I wonder how we got out here," Adriane said sarcastically.

"Three guesses who," Kara said standing along with Emily.