Author's note: I have finished my polish of my original story. If you would like to read it, go over to fictionpress and look for Between Friends by Danielle Cheri.

I'm going to try to update this again in a couple days. I have some great stuff planned. Thank you for sticking with me and for reviewing. Please let me know what you think.

Happy reading!

Chapter Eleven

"She's amazing, Sydney." Adrian said into the phone, leaning over Lorelei's crib. "She looks so much like Rose. And she and Dimitri are being so great about everything. I'm staying with them this week."

"And how is it all working out?" She was whispering.

"Pretty good. I feel at home." He paused. "I wish you could be here with me."

"I wish it, too."

"Where are you right now?"

"The back deck everyone is still asleep inside. You?"

"Walking back to the guest room." He sat down on the bed. "What are you wearing?"

She giggled. "A plain blue nightgown. What are you wearing?"

"Plaid pajama pants and my AYE shirt." He said proudly.

She giggled again. "I bet you look cute."

"Always, Sage." He crooned. "And I bet you make that plain nightgown sexy."

"Only to you, maybe."

He laughed. "Can I come to your dreams?"

"It's time to wake up. Tonight. I know you're on their schedule, but I'm not."

"Did you sleep well?"

"No." She admitted. "I keep worrying what my sister will give away."

"I'll be back soon to help keep an eye on her."

"I wish I didn't have to."

"I know." He sighed. "I just want all this over. I'll move here. You'll go to school nearby. We'll spend the rest of our lives together raising Lorelei with Rose and Dimitri."

"So you've finally dropped the subject of us having any?"

"I know your stance on it. I won't push it. We have Rory. She'll be enough. And if you ever change your mind..."

"Ask me again in about ten years."

"You think you'll have changed your mind then?"

"Maybe. And Rory shouldn't have to be an only child forever. I like having sisters. I bet Dimitri does, too. You and Rose don't know what you're missing." She chuckled.

"I've been up all night, baby. I'm exhausted."

"All right, honey, go to sleep. I'll talk to you later."

"I love you, Sydney."

"Oh, Adrian, you have no idea how much I love you." She sighed.

Adrian put his phone on his chest and stared up at the ceiling. The windows were covered in heavy curtains that blocked out the daylight, but a sliver peeked out of the side. He walked over and pulled it away. Dhampir guards wandered from one end of Court to another. No one else was about.

He dropped the curtain and went back toward the bed. It was true what he'd told Sydney. He had been up all night with Rose and Dimitri, taking turns with Lorelei. But after being on human schedule for so long, sleep was illusive. He felt like he should be doing something despite his exhaustion.

He heard Lorelei start to cry and rolled out of bed to see about her. He found Rose already fussing over her.

She sat down in the rocking chair and spoke softly to her as she unbuttoned her shirt. She noticed Adrian watching and smiled. "I thought you would be asleep."

He grinned "I thought so too, but no such luck."

She looked down at the baby in her arms.

"I didn't think you did that."

"Only a couple times a day. I'll need to stop soon. That's why we feed her formula. I'm already struggling with getting back into shape."

"You'll bounce back. I know you will. Partly because dhampirs do, but mostly because Rose Hathaway won't let anything hold her back."

She nodded.

"I'll stop being a perv now." He started to leave.

"Adrian, I know this isn't what either of us would want—"

He turned back. "It isn't what I wanted before, but it's what I want now. Rose, I want to help. As soon as I'm able to get back, I'll take more actual responsibility, I promise."

"I believe you, Adrian."

"I'm going to try to sleep now."

Adrian fell asleep, but he awoke every time Lorelei did. He poked his head into the room, but either Rose or Dimitri were already there when he came in. He stood awkwardly for a few moments, but then wandered back to the guest room, feeling like he was intruding.

Late in the day, Dimitri called to him, "I have to get ready for work. Would you take over? Rose just got back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Adrian asked anxiously.

"Of course." He kissed the baby's face and murmured, "Papochka lyubit tebya, Sasha. Byt' khoroshim dlya Mommy i Daddy segodnya." He kissed her again and then handed her gently to him. "You don't mind that, do you?"

"As long as you aren't telling her what a dick I can be."

"You aren't. And I'm not. I promise." He ran a finger over Lorelei's cheek. "I'm not an evil man, Adrian. I hope you don't think that."

"None of this was ever your fault. I take a lot of the blame myself." He looked down at the baby. "She's definitely not part of all the bad things. So we need to move past it. She's the best thing that could have ever happened to any of us."

Dimitri nodded. "Take good care of her." He walked around Adrian and disappeared into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Adrian heard the murmur of voices behind the door, but didn't catch any of the conversation. He continued to watch Lorelei as she looked back at him.

"Your eyes look a little lighter today, Rory." He said softly. "But just a little."

He continued to talk to her softly for a long time, even after she fell asleep and Dimitri left the apartment. He finally put her in the bouncy seat from the night before and went to work making breakfast.

Rose came in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Hi." She leaned over the baby. "Are you watching Daddy? Hm?" She pulled Lorelei into her arms. "Are you making pancakes?"

"Yes. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. I usually just pour myself a bowl of cereal." She paused and then spoke softly, "We haven't talked about it yet, but if something ever happens to me, I want you to look after her."

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Rose."

"I need you to promise me anyway, Adrian." She insisted.

He turned and gave her a stern look. "Don't do anything stupid. Ever. She needs you. You're just a bit more stable than me. She's kept me grounded, but I feel Spirit pulling at me all the time."

She walked closer. "I'll do my best. But you know the nature of my job and the way I have to live my life. I'll give up everything for Lissa. I'll even give my life for her; I've done it once already. I'll do what I have to. It's what these marks on my neck signify. I'm not planning on doing anything stupid, but I will defend our queen."

"Rose—"

"Adrian, I will protect our daughter. I promise you. But you have to promise me, too, that you will take over if I can't to that."

He clenched his jaw a moment and then nodded. "If anything happens to you, I'll take care of her. I promise."

She nodded. "Good. Now finish up those pancakes, I'm starving."

He chuckled and went back to the stove. "Are you learning Russian, too?"

"Yes. I asked Dimitri to teach me before we knew about Rory. Him talking to her in the language was an unconscious decision. He just started chattering to my belly one day."

"I guess that's kind of cute." He said reluctantly, placing a plate of pancakes on the table in front of her.

"It was annoying sometimes. Especially when I didn't know most of what he said."

"Did you hear him this morning?"

She shook her head. "No. But he mostly tells her how much he loves her or how beautiful and special she is."

"I learned a little in school, but I haven't used it in years, so I don't remember."

"If you want, I'm sure Dimitri would teach you a few essential phrases in case she starts talking in Russian first. We want her to be bilingual."

Adrian nodded and sat down beside her. "I wish I could stay forever."

Rose held out the baby. "I wish you could too."

He took Lorelei and held her to his chest. "I really wish Sydney and Jill could have come with me."

"Jill can't be here." Rose reminded him. "She has to stay hidden."

"I want it all ended, Rose. How much longer?"

"We're close. I know we've been close for a while, but it will happen soon. We'll contain the threat. Jill can come back. You can come back. Watch your daughter grow."

"If I get you a camera, will you send me videos?"

"Yes. If you think that won't just make it all worse."

"It will make it better, I think." He kissed Lorelei's tiny face. "I hope."

They sat in silence for a while, eating, lost in their own thoughts. Lorelei started fussing. Adrian tried to sooth her, but it didn't work.

"She needs to be changed. That's her wet cry."

"There's a difference in her cries?"

Rose nodded and reached out for her. "I was a little skeptical myself when the nurse told me. But it's true. If you were around her enough, you'd figure it out." She shut her mouth and looked away. "I didn't mean that in a rude way."

"I know you didn't." He still sounded hurt. He passed the baby over.

"Please don't do that, Adrian." She begged softly before she walked away.

He sat back and closed his eyes, letting his magic take over. But Sydney wasn't asleep yet. He couldn't find her. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number.

"Adrian, are you okay?" She said in greeting. "Jill said she just felt you go suddenly…off. She had trouble explaining it."

"I'm better now hearing your voice." He said smoothly.

"Tell me." She said gently.

"I don't want to leave here, but I know I have to."

Rose reappeared and he quickly left the apartment with a wave.

"You don't have to. Jill will be fine."

"No, I need to be there for her. I just don't want to have to leave my daughter."

He could hear her breathing on the other end.

"Sydney, say something." He sat down on a bench conveniently placed near the door and took out a cigarette.

"I know it's going to be hard, but you have other responsibilities."

"That word again. You don't think I fucking know that?" He snapped. He started rambling then. "Responsibilities. I have a lot of those. To you. To Jill. To Lorelei. Rose, Dimitri, Lissa. My family name."

"Adrian, please don't give in to Spirit right now." She begged softly.

He closed his eyes and took a long drag from his cigarette. "I miss you and I just really wanted to hear your voice."

"I'm going to bed soon. You're always welcome in my dreams. Especially right now. Come let me hold you a while."

"I may take you up on that."

They were both quiet for a moment.

"I'll let you go now." Sydney said reluctantly.

"Can I talk to Jill?" He asked.

"Yeah. Hold on."

A few moments later, Jill's voice filled the line. "I don't know what either of them do to you, but works."

"Either of who?"

"Sydney and Rory." She said matter-of-factly.

"Must be what unconditional love feels like." He admitted.

"Must be."

"How are you holding up, kid?"

She sighed. "Eddie's been flirting with me."

He laughed. "And that's a bad thing. I thought you wanted that."

"Not in front of Zoe and Angeline. It's weird. And Zoe is constantly judging me."

"Talk to Sydney."

"I have." Her voice was full of frustration. "No matter how many talks Sydney has with her, it won't change anything. She hates us, Adrian."

"She can't really help it, Jill. She's gone her entire life being told how unnatural we all are."

"So has Sydney." She pointed out.

"But Sydney got to be away from home for a while and experience a little more in life."

Jill let out a deep breath. "I guess that makes sense."

"The tattoo has a bit of Compulsion built into it. It's probably forcing her not to see the humanity in us all. Which is underhanded and very unfortunate. Just hang on a few more days and I'll be back and then you and Sydney can escape to my apartment."

"We could just go now. I have that extra key you gave me." She pointed out.

Adrian snickered. "Of course you do. You and Sydney are free to go there. Or you and Eddie so you can make out or something."

"Adrian!"

He laughed out loud. "If you do get with him, make sure you use protection."

"Would you stop?" He could almost hear the blush in her voice.
"I just want you to be careful. Some of us can't afford unplanned pregnancies."

She laughed. "I know. If it ever happens, I promise we'll be very careful. I don't think it would be smart for the queen's sister to have a dhampir baby, anyway. And this is just a crush."

"Seems quite a bit more than that."

"Adrian?" Rose said from the door. "I'm about to give Rory a bath. Would you like to help?"

He looked up and smiled her. "Sure." He spoke into the phone, "I'll talk to you later, Jailbait." He stood and took the baby from her mother. "Ready to get clean, baby girl?"

Adrian watched as Rose undressed the baby and sat her in a small baby tub in the larger bathtub. "Come closer." She reached across to the ledge that held the soap. "Give me that wash cloth there on the sink, please?"

He handed it over and kneeled down beside her.

Rose talked as she started the cleaning process. "She loves her bath. She's going to be a little prima donna, I think. Always clean. Probably going to freak out if she gets the smallest stain on her clothes."

Adrian chuckled. "I think it will be finny if she turns out to be one of those kids who loves to play in the mud."

She laughed. "I bet that's how it will be."

"She's going to be great, Rose. I can already tell."

"We'll always think it, at least. Hold out that towel." She lifted Rory out of the tub and passed her to Adrian.

He wrapped the towel around her, gently drying her face. He kissed her. "I can't get enough of you, Lorelei."

"It's hard, isn't it?" Rose stood and walked out of the room. "She can wear one of the outfits her Aunt Jill made for her."

"Aunt Jill?" Adrian asked as he followed.

"Of course." She handed over the clothes and diaper. "Get her dressed, Daddy. I need to take my own shower. I promised Lissa we'd come visit, if you want to join."

"I need to go see my dad."

She nodded. "Whatever you feel is necessary. But we'll be fine without you putting yourself in that position."

"I'm going, Rose."

"Okay." She patted his arm. "Best of luck. You should put her on her blanket on the floor for a while." She suggested as she walked out of the room.


Translation: Papochka loves you, Sasha. Be good for Mommy and Daddy today.