A.N: Hey guys!

Yes it's me, I know it has been 3 weeks since I last updated but I had exams for two weeks and work was a bit crazy too. But I promise I'll do my best to update more regularly from now on.

If you want to see the dress there is a link on my profile for you to check out.

Okay now I'll stop boring you.

Don't forget to review you know how much I love reading you.

Take care,

Steffy2106

Chapter 11:

I was getting ready for the winter show, and just thinking about being around all those people was making me sick in my stomach. I couldn't believe I had signed up for it. What was I even thinking that day?

'Don't worry that whole show is just a major joke, people just go on stage for a A believe me. After the two first one will have been there, your stress will vanish. ' Matt had said during lunch earlier this week.

But right now I was not sure anymore.

"Ready?" Asked Jill, opening my door a little.

I nodded. I didn't want her, or Eddie and Mikhail to come but I knew it would have been pointless to try to stop her. She would have said "we're a family; even if only temporary we need to there for each other."

As we walked in the living room, Adrian was reaching for his car keys.

"Do you want to come with us?" Asked Jill. "I bought an extra ticket."

Adrian snorted putting his wallet in his pocket.

He turned around locking his eyes on me. "Really kid don't you think I have better things to do?" He asked her still looking at me.

"Oh…It's okay" she said, but her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"Did I forget to tell you? Adrian told me, he had a study group for his finals coming up….don't you Adrian?"

I saw Adrian eyes flicker toward Jill before looking at me again. "Yes, study group."

In a shabby bar or a strip club…maybe both I added to myself.

Jill nodded, but I knew she was far from convinced, but I couldn't say I was surprised since I had been ignoring him for the past two weeks. If he had decided to come it wouldn't have made any sense, even Adrian Ivashkov had some self esteem.

Jill settled in the back with Mikhail as I took the front passenger side.

"What happened with Adrian?" Whispered Eddie so low that I barely heard him.

Jill was engrossed in a conversation with Mikhail for which I was grateful.

I shrugged dismissively. "Nothing major."

"Whatever he did, he is just stupid, but I can see he is hurt, he is an idiot, but…but he likes you."

I sighed. "I know he is having a rough time, but it's not an excuse to…lets drop it okay?"

"Whatever you say, you are the star tonight after all."

I snorted. "Yes, I'm the new Cher"

"Cher?" Eddie grimaced. "We need to work on your musical references."

Matt had been right; there were not a lot of people there, and most of them were chatting not really caring of what was happening.

I was glad to see I was 4th on the list, the sooner I would be done, the sooner I could let the stress go and maybe the voice in my head that kept repeating it was a mistake would finally shut up.

"Okay, I'm going backstage" I said to Jill, but as I turned around my face connected with something crispy and soft.

"Well that was not really the way I wanted to give them to you" said Matt sheepishly extending flowers toward me.

It was a bunch of very colorful wild flowers.

"You take care of them for me ok?" I said to Jill giving her the flowers. "It's time for me to go backstage."

I decided to sing "broken arrow" by Pixie Lott except that I changed the lyrics as if I written the song for…for the man I loved. Instead of saying "I miss him" I changed to "you miss her" or "I'm trying to convince you she wasn't worth it" instead of "you're trying to convince me, He wasn't worth it,"

I was in the middle of the song when the lighting changed, swiping the room. I looked up and almost froze mid sentence because Adrian was there, standing in the back, just by the exit.

I had expected a lot of things but certainly not Adrian coming, and I kept my eyes on him for as long as I could before the lightening changed again, blinding me. As soon as the song was done I looked up again, but the spot were Adrian had been, was now empty. Was he even here?

I shook my head getting off the stage and I could hear Eddie whistle, which actually made me smile. I was surprised to find Matt waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"I thought that only the ones performing could be backstage?"

Matt smiled. "Haven't you figured out yet the extent of my influence here?"

I smiled too, but couldn't help to let my eyes wander around, if Matt had influence Adrian had too, he might have been here too, waiting for me.

"Fool" I whispered

"Looking for someone?" Asked Matt, looking around.

I shook my head. "No" I forced a smile. "So, did you come to tell me how awesome I was?"

"Of course! And I have good news."

"Really? Lay on me, I could take a good news right now."

"Guess who managed to finish the science project?"

"You did? That's awesome!"

He grinned, nodding. "Come on, let me show you the results."

"Now?" I asked incredulous. "It's just…not a good time I don't want my family to worry."

"Come on! You are supposed to stay backstage until the end of the show anyways, don't you? There is still at least 50 minutes left of show…Nobody will know we're gone" he added with the full force of his puppy eyes.

I sighed. I really didn't feel like going with him now, but I knew he had been working hard for months.

"Fine, but lets be quick." I said, knowing that Eddie would be pretty mad if I went somewhere without letting him know I was gone.

Matt grin was so wide that I understood I was doing the right thing.

"Lets use the backdoor" he whispered resting his hand on the small of my back, leading me out.

The building was so dark and quiet I had goose bumps. Being scared didn't seem to be so rational but I couldn't help it. It did feel like breaking and entering to me.

I froze as soon as I opened the door of the lab, hand still on the handle.

"How?" I frowned, turning toward Matt.

"How what?"

"How did you finish the experiment? Mr. Fredericks was very clear, only I could get the keys of the chemicals cabinet?"

Matt raised his hands in surrender, but his grin turned wolfish, scary. "Ah Sydney, it took you long enough to figure that one out….not so smart it seems."

I just had the time to see his hand form into a fist before feeling a sharp pain on the side of my face.

The blow was so violent that I fell into room hitting the side of my head again the lab table making my vision blurry and I could taste blood in my mouth.

When I came back to my right mind, Matt just locked the door behind him.

"Why?" I asked, trying to crawl away from him, toward the teacher desk where I knew he was hiding his medical experience tool such as his very sharp scalpel.

Matt laughed, "you can't go anywhere little alchemist."

I stopped with surprise as some blood started to run down from my temple to my cheek. "What did you call me?"

"I kept being the perfect guy for you. PERFECT" he spat, slowly walking toward me like a predator. "But HE is the one always on your mind. I buy you flowers, but you sing for HIM."

"What did you call me?" I tried again. Matt was just human, nothing special, he couldn't know about me.

"He is a Moroi, a vampire an abomination, and yet you want him and not your own RACE!"

"How do you know?"

He laughed. "Always the wrong questions. Why is that? You should ask what am I gonna do to you." He grinned wider. "Don't worry it will be fun, at least for me."

I winced knowing only too well what his intentions were. I was so mad, mad at me more than him. I was smart, too smart to end up in this situation.

I finally crawled close enough from the teacher's desk to reach for the drawer, but Matt wasn't as stupid as I thought he might be because I took a fistful of my hair and pulled me away.

He ripped my button down shirt, and I did my best to fight him off as he tried to go for my pants. I knew I wouldn't win, I had lost lots of blood, and I was only 140 lbs without any combat training. Matt was a huge 215lbs football player. I didn't stand a chance, but it didn't mean I had to give up, make things easy for him. I wouldn't fall without a fight.

Matt had managed to unbuckle my belt, when we heard a big, crashing sound.

Matt jumped up and sneered. "Oh here you go, you were about to miss the party."

I moved slightly and saw Adrian standing in the doorframe. He looked down at me, and I was not sure of what he saw but his face change in pure fury, I never saw him like that before.

"Look at me" said Adrian to Matt, with a very quiet soothing voice.

Matt blinked in a sort of daze.

"Go to the desk and take a pen and paper." Adrian added.

I looked at him confused, Adrian looked like he was suffering, my vision was a bit blurry, but it seemed he had some drops of sweat forming on his forehead, as if he was concentrating very hard.

Matt turned around like he completely forgot I was there, and reached for a piece of paper and pen on the desk.

Adrian walked slowly toward us. "Look up Matt, now write 'Dear mom and Dad, I can't continue like that. I'm sorry if my death hurt you, I just can't deal with all the pain I caused.'"

I was realizing, with sheer horror, what Adrian was doing. "Adrian?" I tried, but he ignored me still concentrating on Matt.

"'I will always love you.' And now you sign your name." He added still looking at Matt. "Now open the window and…."

"Adrian no! Stop, stop!" I said as loud as I could, but the blood loss and the pain really started to take a toll on me.

Adrian finally turned toward me like finally realizing I was here.

"No he hurt you, he wanted to…he wanted to…He has to die!" he said pointing toward Matt. "Nobody can try to hurt you and get away with it…NOBODY!"

I would probably have been touched by such protectionism, but right now all I could think about was trying to stay awake just long enough to stop him from doing the irreparable.

"He is not himself, Adrian please believe me, he knew about what we are…he is not supposed to know who we are."

Adrian stopped and looked at me with incredulity before turning to Matt again. "Why did you try to hurt her?"

"I had to." Said Matt still under compulsion

"What do you mean you had to? How did you find out what we are?"

Matt shook his head. "I don't know I just….knew. After the movie date I didn't want to see her anymore I knew it was an epic fail but, it was like a voice in my head, a voice telling me, I had to stay close to her, that I had to hate you, hate you for trying to steal her from me."

Adrian turned to me. "Compulsion?"

I could barely keep my eyes open now. "It sure sounds like it."

Adrian sighed. "You will go home, you won't remember what I did or wo we really are. However you will remember hurting Sydney, you will continue to live with that constant guilt and so help me god you will never even speak a word to her do you understand me human?"

Matt nodded.

"Now go and remember, never even approach her again."

After Matt closed the door behind him, Adrian came to kneel in front of me.

"How are you doing?" He asked, trying to pull my shirt together.

I blushed beet red realizing my breast had been on full view this whole time but I was just too tired to let it bother me too much.

Adrian gently moved some of my hair that was on my face and I saw his jaw muscle tightened. "He hit pretty hard didn't he?" He asked and I winced as his fingertips ran down my cheek.

I felt some warmth and a tingling soothing sensation…I sighed and almost immediately got out of his reach as I realized he was trying to heal me.

"No, no healing…no magic." I managed to croak.

"Please Syd, please be reasonable" he pleaded, coming even closer. He was so close, I could feel his body heat. "You already lost a lot of blood and I really rather Jill not see you like that." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "She has seen enough."

"I look that bad?" I tried knowing I probably looked terrible.

He gave me a sad smile. "Plus, I can't really take you like that to the ball tomorrow. A black eye won't do in the picture."

It made me laugh and wince at the same time. "Yeah I think the ball idea is pretty much dead."

"I beg to differ, it's very much on! If not, what will I do with that fantastic dress of yours?"

I looked at him confused. "What dress?"

"Can I heal you?" He asked already resting his hand on my bleeding temple.

I thought of Jill, and it override my fear of magic somehow. She would probably be shocked beyond words to see me like that, and I really didn't want her to know what almost happened to me.

I could feel the magic coming from him but this time, I didn't move and let him work on me.

"Thank you" he said as if he was the one who just been healed.

I had a humorless laugh. "You saved my life, and you are thanking me? You're wrong for once."

"I don't think so" he said shrugging out of his leather jacket helping me in it. "I'm sorry" he added.

"Sorry? What for?" I asked, snuggling in his jacket, that smelled just like him.

"I shouldn't have drunk as much as I did, I should have seen something was wrong with him, but I didn't and I'm sorry."

"You are not my protector Adrian, you don't owe me anything."

He looked at me, and for the first time, I could say he looked fierce. "I can try."

"What do we do for Jill? She can't…She can't see me like that."

He nodded, already dialing on his phone.

"Castile? Yeah it's me…not to worry I'm with Sydney right now, she is helping me with something. Why don't you take Jill for an ice cream? Yeah, later bye." He smiled to me. "Lets go home" he added extending his hand toward me.

"You know, I really don't need to go that ball, no need to have a guilty trip here."

Adrian really laughed this time. "Do you really think that's my reason?"

I shrugged.

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life" I admitted, surprising both of us.

He squeezed my hand. "Let me show you then" he said, pulling me close walking up back to the car park.

"Go put a shirt and meet me in my room" he said mysteriously as soon as we made it back.

I put my PJ shirt and looked at myself in the mirror, expect for my crazy hair and my eyes still full of fear it was like tonight didn't happen, it was a miracle….Maybe their powers were not as demonic as alchemists thought.

When I walking into Adrian's room, the first thing that caught my eyes was the gown bag that was carefully resting on his sofa.

He gestured me toward it. "Please, have a look."

I opened the bag carefully and couldn't contain my gasp when I saw the red dressed I dreamed to get. "How? When? How?"

He chuckled. "I followed you guys that day at the mall and I saw you looking at it. It was made for you Sage, I had to get it, and really, did you honestly think I would have let you wear that dress with anyone else?"

"What do you mean?"

"It was always supposed to be me your knight for the ball princess, no one else. Non of these guys, Matt included, were ever good enough for you."

"And you are?" I asked, trying to tease him. I kept touching the dress, as to make sure it was real.

"No I'm not" he answered seriously. "But at least I know it and I will do my best to came as close as possible of it."

I smiled. "You are a good friend and a good person Adrian Ivashkov. Maybe there is hope for you after all.:

"So miss Sage, is that a yes? Would you go to the ball with me?"

I laughed. "Yes Mr. Ivashkov, it would be an honor to go the ball with you."

And right at this moment I knew I was lost. There was no turning back, no pretending. I loved him, he changed me forever….My heart and soul was his even if he didn't and would never know it.