Author's note: Thank you so much for reading this and for the reviews. I'm so glad you like this. I think we really are nearing the end. I might to a Future!Sydrian fic soon to make up for it.

Happy reading!

Chapter Seven

Adrian and I shared our goodbye kiss in a dream the night before the trip. I woke up with the feel of his lips still lingering on mine. I lay there for a while, rubbing my fingers over my lips and thinking about how much I was going to miss him.

My phone went off and I looked at it to see a text from Adrian. "Missing you already."

"You're being overdramatic." I got up and dressed for travel.

"Whatever, it's true."

"Okay, so it is. But you can't talk like that. I have to delete these messages."

"Right. Sorry your dad will be around there."

"I am too. But I'll make the best of it. Hide in Mom's shop."

"You do that."

"And you're going to imagine me with my face smeared in grease?"

"Oh, yes! Hot!"

I didn't have time to reply. I rolled my suitcase out to meet the others. We all piled into the giant SUV Dimitri had rented when he arrived with Rose and Banwell. I ended up in the back seat with Branwell and Adrian. The latter reached for my hand and I jerked it away.

"No." I said sharply under my breath.

He sighed and looked away.

"Now you're mad at me, aren't you?" I asked quietly, knowing all the others in the car could hear.

"No." He said just as softly.

I pulled out my phone and opened up my texts. I deleted all the ones from Adrian and any other texts from Eddie, Angeline, and Jill that seemed too friendly. I knew there might be a chance my dad would see.

Parting with everyone was easy. Even Adrian and I, though we shared a lingering look, parted with ease. I sat in my seat and was given a note. "I ordered something special just for you. Perks of first class and my savings. –A."

I looked at it in confusion for a while. What sort of special "something" could he have prepared for me? There was no meal on a two hour flight and I couldn't drink, even if I wanted to. I settled into the extremely comfortable seat that I didn't deserve and called my mom who was going to pick me up at the airport.

"I'm on the plane." I told her after we exchanged greetings.

"Okay, I'll see you in a couple hours then?"

"Yeah, a couple hours. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, sweetie."

Then I sat back and listened to the safety drill. When the plane was finally in the air, the flight attendant came up to me with a smile and handed me a small cup of gelato and another note. "Enjoy it, Sage. I'll see you in a few days. –A."

I smiled and ate the gelato slowly, trying not to think about the calories.

Being in my mother's presence was comforting. For once in a long time, I felt free.

"Where's Dad?" I asked as Mom and I settled into work in her shop for the rest of the day.

"He's been away on business, but he never tells me where. He doesn't know you're here yet. Your friends who set this up said not to say anything." Mom examined the inner workings of an overused farm truck. "So how do you like it?"

"It's fine." I said as I handed her a wrench. "How are Zoe and Carly?"

"Carly is seeing someone. She won't say much more. Zoe is working hard." She smiled warmly. "She told me she wants to be just like you."

I smiled bitterly. "That's just lovely."

"It can't be that bad." She worked for a while and waited patiently for me to go on. When I didn't she climbed out from under the hood and looked at me critically. "What is it?"

I shrugged. "I think…our system's flawed. And…I just want more than what I'm supposedly destined for."

"These people we work for, the ones we're protecting everyone from, aren't as bad as they are made to be."

"Then help them to see it." She went back to work. "You're the next generation, Sydney. And you're bright. You can work to change it, little-by-little."

"At the risk of re-education?" I leaned over the engine with her. "No thank you."

We didn't say anything else the rest of the day. We worked well together, helping one customer after another on projects as small as oil changes and tire rotation to changing out a water pump at the end of the day.

Mom and I cleaned up and headed home.

Zoe came in and smiled. "Hi, Sydney."

"Hello, Zoe." I pulled her to me and hugged her tight to my chest.

She hugged me back and then pushed at me gently. "You smell like the shot."

"Then I guess that means I need a shower." I said with a chuckle and walked out of the room.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?" My father asked sharply as soon as he walked through the door and saw me.

"Everyone's entitled to a little vacation, right?" I asked timidly.

"Not when the world is in danger."

"They're working on it." I pointed out as we all sat down for supper.

"And are they keeping their distance?"

"I'm keeping them in line." I said.

Not that it did much good to ease his nerves. He scowled at me over his plate and waited for my mother to finish putting the dishes of food on the table. He said a blessing before we dug in. Then he looked at my plate as I filled it with meager portions, even for me.

"I don't suppose that's how you've been eating since you've been away." He said, after she swallowed a bite.

"Jared." My mother tried to scold, but he went on.

"Look at her, Sheryl." He went on. "How are you supposed to keep up with them looking like that?"

I looked down at my plate and then smoothed a hand over my stomach. I pushed my plate away. "Thank you for ruining a perfectly good day." I mumbled as I got up from the table.

I went to my old room and sat down on the bed. I felt the urge to talk to Adrian. I pulled out my phone and looked at it for a minute. I pulled up the contacts menu and scrolled to his name. I was just about to push the send button when there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" I called as I quickly put the phone away.

My mother opened the door and walked in. She sat down beside me and I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her neck as I used to when I was small. I hadn't cried in a long time and I didn't now. I just breathed her in and put my thoughts in order.

I sat back and smiled at her. "Thanks, Mom."

"Any time." She smoothed a hand over my hair. "Please come down and eat."

"What Dad said—"

"Your dad is under a lot of stress, Sydney."

"He's always under a lot of stress." I looked at my phone. "There's a guy…"

"Ah, a guy." Mom smiled knowingly at me. "I thought so."

I felt myself blushing. "He, um, he likes me a lot. And I like him." I stood and started pacing, putting the phone away once more. "He likes me for who I am. And I was starting to feel…" I shook my head and shrugged. I gestured toward the door. "He doesn't know the damage he's done."

"I know."

"He takes it out on me."

"No, he doesn't."

"Yes, he does. And you know it. And you let him."

"I don't let him. I fight for you girls every day. But you know as well as I do that no matter how hard you try, he's going to get his way somehow."

"Carly got out."
"She did. And if you decide you want to leave, then I will stand behind you every step of the way." She stood and placed her hands on my cheeks. "We work well together. You could always come and help me." She kissed my forehead. "Or whatever you wish for, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Mom."

She smiled. "Now, come on. Supper is getting cold."

"I'm not hungry."

"Would this guy of yours approve of you skipping meals?" she challenged.

I blushed again. "No."

"So come back down."

"I'll be right there." As soon as she left, I sent a text to Adrian, "Can I call you in a few hours?"

His reply came immediately as I was going down the stairs. "You can call me any time. Everything okay?"

"No. More later." I replied and then deleted the thread.

I snuck outside after the house was quiet. I sat in my mom's car in the garage. I was freezing, but I didn't care at that moment. I pulled out my phone and dialed Adrian.

"Sage! There's a party going on over here!" He said when he answered. I could hear music in the background and mingling voices. I heard a catcall and Adrian shushing the person.

I laughed. "Have you been drinking?"

"I've had a couple. But I promised Jill I'd pace myself. I'm on my first glass of water."

"Good. I guess." I said. I ran my hand over the steering wheel.

"So tell me what's not okay." He asked. I could hear the sounds of the gathering receding.

"I thought I would be fine with my dad here, but I don't know if I can."

"It's just a couple more days. Spend time with your mom and sisters."

"Yeah, but he's always around when he's home." I rested my head on the steering wheel. "I wish…I want to stand up to him."

"So do it. Or I can come out there and do it for you."

"That would work out so well. You come here and tell off my dad. And then he'll get upset mostly because you're a Moroi, but also because he'll know that you're my…Adrian."

He chuckled. "Just say I'm your boyfriend already. It makes all this so much easier than 'that guy that I like who has an ugly couch that we make out on sometimes'."

I laughed. "Yeah, but I'm not ready for that."

"I know. But can I call you my girlfriend?"

"Stop with the drinking, Adrian. I'm not your girlfriend."

"Just so you know we're only a few steps away from friends with benefits."

"Well, when we start getting closer to that, I'll say you're my boyfriend. Right now, you're still that guy that I like who has an ugly couch that we make out on sometimes."

He laughed. "I like the sound of that."

"I need to go. I'm working with my mom all day tomorrow." I paused. "She offered to let me come home and work with her if I decided to leave the Alchemists."

"That's good. I'm glad. Are you going to do it?"

"I'm not even going to consider leaving until this assignment is through."

"It could still take a while. There aren't many good leads here, from what I understand."

"Let it take as long as it has to. I like what we are. I'm in no rush to change any of it."

"Same here, Sydney." He said softly.

"Go back to your party. I have to get to sleep."

"I, um…Goodnight, Sage."

"Goodnight, Adrian." I sat in the car for several minutes after the call before I finally made myself go back into the warmth of the house.