A.N: Hey guys!

I know it took over a week for me to post a new chapter but with work and the exams coming it's CRAZY. I used some of teaser quotes from Bloodlines in the story, I sure hope you appreciate.

Please guys show me some love and review .

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, wistful thinking.

Chapter 8 :

I received a text late afternoon from Eddie telling me that they were parking in the building now.

Adrian was in his bedroom where he spent the entire day, and I had to admit I preferred it that way. I had been able to keep a straight face while he was sipping his coffee. I was way too proud to show him that I had been fooled by his recent attitude and expected him to be less…well…less of a wimp really.

As soon as they opened the door, Jill ran toward to me, pulling me into a hug while burying her face into my neck.

I stood frozen for a while; I was not very familiar with such display of affection, especially coming from someone like her…a Moroi. I mechanically wrapped my arms around her, and threw a puzzled look to Eddie who simply shook his head wearily.

I looked behind him, still hugging Jill and met Dimitri's dark eyes. He was standing by the door, looking fierce, tall, and powerful. I could see why Rose loved him, they were so alike but as far as beauty was concerned I didn't think he had anything on Adrian.

"So how was the week?" Asked Eddie, finally breaking the awkward silence.

I made a small grimace while rubbing Jill's back. "I was okay. Yours?"

"I hated it!" Said Jill letting go of me. "I don't want to go back, ever! I don't like it there!" She added, storming out of the living room.

"That well?" I asked to Eddie once she left.

"Even better." He sighed. "But," he pointed to the general direction of Jill's bedroom after hearing the door slam loudly. "You get the general idea."

I nodded silently. I was starting to know Jill pretty well, and she was not a drama queen, something had to set her off. "I'll talk to her."

"Good luck with that." Replied Eddie with a snort.

"She'll talk to her" replied Dimitri with his deep, slightly accented voice.

He had been so quiet since they arrived; I almost forgot he was here.

"Guardian Belikov" I said formally.

"Sydney" he replied with a small smile playing on the corner of his lips.

I knew I was being silly, with everything we went through together, I should have called him Dimitri, but I didn't know why I couldn't or maybe I did know why, I just didn't want to accept it.

"Where is Ivashkov?" Asked Eddie, walking in the kitchen probably to get a snack. That guy was always eating something. He was actually lucky to be in the gym at least 3 hours per day or he'll end up weighting 300 pounds.

"In his room" I replied joining him in the kitchen.

"I see you told him about Dimitri tagging along" he said, pointing to the recycling bin full of spirit bottles.

"Yes he knows."

"He was doing so much better recently." Said Eddie, shaking his head sadly. I knew he liked Adrian and didn't like seeing him destroy himself.

"At least he is not using spirit so much…well I don't think so" I said really hoping I was right. The spirit was always pushing him to drink…I really hope that the major relapse was only due to Rose and Dimitri.

"Still drinking as much as he ever did." Stated Dimitri walking in the kitchen.

I shrugged. "It got a lot better" I said sounding slightly defensive. It was true the drinking went down from when we first moved in together, but I didn't know really what it was compared to before Rose entered his life.

"Let me show you our room" said Eddie with his mouth full.

"I'll go have a word with Jill." I said taking her suitcase on the floor.

"I will need to show Dimitri the surroundings." Added Eddie.

I nodded.

"I would be better if Sydney did that." Replied Dimitri.

I was so surprised by that statement that I didn't even see Adrian appear beside me.

Adrian snorted. "That is a ludicrous idea! She is completely useless as far as security Is concerned…no offense Sage" he added with a smug, cocky grin I hadn't seen on his face for a long time and its return saddened me somehow. "Belikov…Nice to see you again."

His lack of confidence infuriated me so much that I wanted to kick him in the shins so hard he wouldn't be able to walk for days!

"Lord Ivashkov" Dimitri bowed his head. "With all due respect, Sydney might not be the best as far as strategy is concerned, but I can make my own opinion and since one guardian has to stay here to keep the princess safe…Sydney seems like the logical option."

"I don't think she would be interested" said Adrian throwing me a small sideways glance. "You could have asked me." He grinned dryly. "Don't tell me that you're not enjoying my company?"

Dimitri looked at me, ignoring Adrian last comment. "Do you want to do it?"

At any other given moment, I would have said no but since Adrian seemed to think I was unfit… "Yes, absolutely."

Dimitri looked at his watch. "Let's go now then."

I went to see Jill, and promised her a girl night with pizza and even if she wanted to look smug she had a small smile.

"You are close of her" stated Dimitri as we walked to the pizza place.

I shrugged. "She is just a kid, and she doesn't have anyone. She is the one who have seen her life completely changed with no fault of her own but everybody is only concerned about Queen Vasilissa! People should cut the kid a break" I snapped not even realizing the level of anger I had in me before lashing out.

"I care" he simply replied, keeping his face as cool as stone taking in the surrounding. That guy was impossible to read.

I snorted shaking my head. "Just because she is the throne safeguard."

He turned to me quickly as if he wasn't expecting my comment. Did he expect something else? "Think whatever you like but it's not the case" he replied looking to the small alley besides the building, taking a couple of steps in it. "it's always sad to see a child lose the last of innocence they have."

"What happened to her there?" I asked not able to hide my curiosity anymore.

"I was supposed to protect her, and I failed." He said with clear defeat in his voice.

I looked at him and had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I thought Alchemists well self-righteous, but they had nothing on that guy.

"You are not God, and you are not a robot…nobody is perfect." I took a deep breath. "Anywaym that's not what I was talking about. She is a kid, but she is not idiot. She knows her life is in danger…much more than usual Moroi, it wouldn't have upset her that much."

"I'm afraid you will have to ask her yourself, she is not very communicative."

I was surprised by that; Jill was the kind of kid to never shut it. "I'll figure something" I replied getting in the pizzeria.

"Why did you want me to come with you?" I finally ask as we were on our way back to the apartment. I knew it might be my only chance to ask him.

"What do you mean?"

I snorted. "Really…How stupid do you think I am? You didn't need me to get a look at the area. You wanted to get me alone, and the question is why?"

"I know you are not the kind to wrap your words in nice little bows to come out nice, you say things the way they are even it hurts."

I nodded. I used to be like that before I tried to make Adrian feel better, before I started to have that weird feeling in my stomach each time he was looking at me…A feeling that was almost like when you have a stomach bug but not quite…I had no idea what It was. "What is it then?"

"How are things?"

"What do you mean by 'how are things'? Do you mean for me? In general? Or for a certain Royal Moroi?"

"I think you know the answer to that question, don't you?"

I gave him a wry smile. "Well I'm doing just fine even if I'm that close to end up in Christian brainwash camp."

"Is he adapting?" Asked Dimitri. "You know I can't help but feel guilty. I knew he loved her, and I stole her anyways."

I took a deep breath and sighed. "You shouldn't feel guilty. To be honest she was never his, even when she denied it, she was yours, she has always been yours, and I think…I think deep down he knows that. I think he is angrier at himself than at you. It's just…He is still in deep, like a recovering drug addict." I had a sad smile, I, unfortunately, knew only too well what a recovering drug addict looked like.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that she is all he sees when he closes his eyes. No matter how much he tries to forget her. No matter how much he drinks she is always there…Lurking in the corner in his mind. He can pretend otherwise, but I can see the look in his eyes, the pain mixed with longing, I'm not the most observant person but it's obvious. He loves her and probably always will…" I looked up at Dimitri but he was looking away. "Not really what you wanted to hear, right?"

He looked down at me, and he looked more thoughtful than ashamed. "I believe you, but it's not necessarily true."

"What is not necessarily true?" I asked hurriedly as we got into the elevator.

"That he will always love her. My grandmother always says that everything happens for a reason, and I start to believe it's the case. I hadn't seen such protectiveness in a long time." And he smiled. "It will work out."

"What will work out? Who is protecting what?"

Dimitri patted my shoulder before resting his hand on top of it. I was a straight A student, a good daughter and a good alchemist. I was not a child who you could pat on the shoulder. "You'll figure it out by yourself."

I opened my mouth to answer when the doors opened on Adrian.

He looked at Dimitri's hand resting on my shoulder.

"Bonding? That's cute" he said with his cocky sarcastic smirk. I hated that smirk. Adrian was so perfect when he was smiling a real smile but it was so rare, I was almost started to think I imagined that.

"I brought pizza; you want some?" I said stupidly. I just wanted him to stop looking at me as if I did something wrong.

Adrian snorted. "I have plans, I'm going out."

"Adrian—" I started but stopped when he glared.

"I don't think that's wise" added Dimitri apparently not impressed by the glare.

Adrian pressed on the elevator button. "Duly noted guardian, have fun at your slumber party."

Dimitri let go of the door.

"You let him go"? I asked incredulous.

"We all have choices to make…" He smiled." He'll be okay. He has you." He added before disappearing in the apartment.

"I…What?" I asked stupidly alone in the corridor. "Why do I even have to do in this equation?" I asked, or rather shouted as I got back in the apartment.

Eddie looked at me curiously.

Dimitri simply shook his head. "Go to Jill, she needs you. We'll talk tomorrow."

I put the pizza on her desk as she was on her bed, pretending to read a book but I knew better.

"Come on talk to me" I said nudging the Pizza toward her." I even order half of your horrible pizza…meat lover with pineapple" I added grimacing, and crossing my eyes.

Jill didn't manage to contain a small smile, and I knew I had won.

"I won't go back there…ever" she said her face set with determination.

I tried to stop myself from laughing. "You'll have to, eventually."

"Then you are coming with me, at least I don't feel like you hate me."

I would probably love to go at the Court as much as a bullet though my skull. "They don't hate you" I replied soothingly.

"She does, I can see it in her eyes. She doesn't care about me. If the throne was not in jeopardy, she would send me to Hell."

I open my mouth to say it was all in her head, but I knew it wasn't true. "She doesn't hate you, it's just…"

"Just what?"

I shook my head. "Her parents died you know, and well I think she always had this idea of the perfect family, the perfect father who loved his mother more than anything and you appeared, destroying that image of a perfect family, her father…the father she thought was perfect turned out to be a lying cheater." I took a deep breath. "And every time she sees you, she is reminded of all that."

"But it's not my fault!" Jill almost cried out.

"Deep down she knows that, just give her time and she'll come around." I said hoping that all the nice things Rose told me about Lisa were true.

She frowned." But you'll come right?" She asked again stubbornly.

"We'll see when the time comes." I replied evasively.

"Yeah, you'll come with me" she added, nodding as she was working on a plan in her head.

I simply smiled biting on a pizza slice. She was getting better, I didn't need to upset her just now.

Jill was probably exhausted as she fell asleep when I was still with her.

When I made it back in my room, I decided to check my emails before getting to bed.

The first email was from Ian.

"Hi Syd,

Sorry for being such an ass with you the other day. I have a way to make it up to you…I think I found your way out of this hell house. Give me a call"

I looked at the screen mouth opened with surprise. A way out? That should have made me happy, but the scary part was that, for once, I wasn't sure I wanted a way out.