A/N: I would like to thank you all for the kind reviews that you bestowed upon Chapter 1. It was nice to see some positive remarks and gave me the courage to write more. This chapter is set between 19 and 20 of "Shadow Kiss." Reviews are lovely but not necessary. Eventually this will expand and become more than just dreams, but for now that's all you'll get. ;)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; Richelle Mead owns this world.

Chapter 2

After leaving the chapel with Christian, they made it back to the dorm room where Lissa and Eddie were waiting patiently on them. Allowing them a few minutes alone in a spare closet, Rose and Eddie stood out in the hallway observing their surroundings.

Eddie broke the silence first, "Thanks for earlier."

Rose shrugged, "Don't mention it Eddie…really. It's not something that I enjoy thinking about, but I guess I'm going to have to get used to talking about it in therapy and all." Her voice faded as she soon lost herself in her own thoughts. Not only did Mason's face haunt her waking hours, but also in her dreams and as much as she wished she could forget him, she couldn't. A part of her felt like she shouldn't be allowed to since it was her fault he had been killed in the first place.

"Yeah, sure thing Rose," Eddie replied as he began pacing the floor to stay awake.

Christian and Lissa finished soon enough to the relief of both their guardians. Rose could feel through the bond that as excited as Lissa was with what they'd just done, she felt a bit embarrassed having to be waited on since they both she and Eddie knew what they had been doing. Rose hugged her and wished her a good night as she watched Eddie escort her over to her dorms. Christian ran an absent hand through his hair as he leaned against the wall pretending to catch his breath.

"Is there really nothing for me to worry about with her and Adrian?" He asked her casually as though he'd just asked her what day of the week it was.

"If you have to ask me that after what you both just did Christian, you'll never believe me not matter what I tell you."

He smiled, "true enough."

They walked silently back to his room where she reluctantly looked at the makeshift bed on the floor. They changed into their pajamas and were both fast asleep before either one could have counted to twenty.

Rose wasn't surprised when she found herself sitting in the same gazebo she'd been in several nights before. Adrian was becoming a constant in her dreams and as much as she acted as though she didn't like it, she didn't like lying to herself either. Adrian had been able to resist the desire to assist her through the whole ordeal on the plane, but they both knew he wasn't strong enough to resist her now, which was why she wasn't surprised to find him here.

Rose was wearing the same black dress he'd imagined her in the last time they'd meet in her dreams, and as he strode over to her in a tailored pin-stripped suit and tie something inside her flipped. "Hello my little Dhampir," he purred as she stood to greet him. He laughed, "Your manners are more than I could have asked for my love, but please do sit down."

He took the seat beside her and compelled her to look at him, "Why didn't you tell someone before now?"

Rose felt guilty as she spoke, "please don't do this. I expected it earlier when I told the lot of you but not now I'm just tired."

"I know your boyfriend was worried on the plane, and when he couldn't do anything about it made it all the worse for him. Alberta was screaming at him to do something but he wouldn't move. Do you know what that was like to watch? I couldn't do anything either because if I had I could have made it worse, worse on you and the rumors going around school, worse on what you were experiencing. I didn't know what to do, because I didn't know what I could do for you or to you if I got too close."

Rose placed a comforting hand on his back, "I'm ok now though, see." She stretched out her hands and smiled brightly at him.

"You can't lie to me Rose, I see your darkness and I saw what happened when Lissa used her magic earlier."

Rose looked defeated. "Adrian, I can't even put a name on what's wrong with me other than what Victor's told me about myself. How much stock can I put into that? I'm not sure anymore. At first I thought it was a joke, but now I just don't know."

"Did he say something to you while you were at Court?"

"He just said the usual stuff about how I'm shadow kissed, which was why Lissa and I were looking into some old Moroi legends about this guy and his guardian who shared a bond similar to ours. Nothing ever came of it though," she definitely did not want to tell him the whole truth about either of those topics. Doing so would mean something far too serious for her to acknowledge between them. Besides the fact that if she confided in him completely it would mean that she would have to tell him of Anna's eventual demise, which didn't seem appropriate given their current situation.

"You should tell me more about this next time I see you, not now though we never have enough time." He captured her face in his hand, "I wish to see you outside of your dreams the way we are here."

Rose frowned, "you're always drunk when we're together or smoking or just down right arrogant. I never know what to do with you Adrian; you're constantly grating my nerves."

"I know you're lying Rose, I can feel it."

"What do you mean you can feel it?" She asked curiously.

He shrugged pressing his forehead against hers. His lips were mere inches away from hers as he spoke, "It's hard to explain, but I can just tell. Your energy changes, just like now, much in the same way your aura does." Adrian smiled his trademark grin, and then tilted his head in to kiss her. It was innocent at first but the longer it went on the more she wanted more. She leaned into him, pressing more of her body against him running her fingers through his perfectly manicured hair.

The more she wanted it, the more he gave to her. Why had she resisted him for so long? So what if the Queen didn't want her to be with him, he obviously liked her and he was an awfully great kisser. But not the best one you've ever had. Rose thought half-heartedly as to who was the best kisser she'd ever experienced, when thoughts of Dimitri came floating back to her mind. As soon as his name came to mind, it was as if someone had dowsed her with a bucket of ice-cold water.

Rose instantly let go of Adrian and pulled away from him, her lips swollen and red from his kisses. "I can't do this," she finally managed once she'd caught her breath. Adrian seemed heartbroken but took it in stride, "One day my love. You'll see what I've known since we meet."

He stood to get up and she reached out and grabbed his wrist pulling him back to face her. "Please don't leave yet."

Adrian looked puzzled, "don't you want to sleep like you usually do? Forgive me for being confused, but you're usually kicking me out right about now, not asking me to stay."

"That's what I'm doing isn't it, you said so yourself before. I'm sleeping and this is all a dream." She smiled and moved over once more to allow him to sit beside her.

"Rose I really…"

"Please Adrian, don't leave." She was practically begging him to stay now. After everything that had happened that day she didn't want to be alone, but wasn't strong enough to admit it to anyone but him. The Queen had been right when she said that Adrian needed to move on to better things, so did Lissa. Soon enough she'd have to give up her life to guarding Lissa, whatever that meant, and if she could spend a few nights alone with Adrian in her mind before doing it was good enough for her.

Adrian resumed his seat beside her, "I'm more than happy to if it's what you want."

Rose rested her head on his shoulder as her clothes changed instantly to the pajamas that she had put on when she'd went to bed. "Do you think we could go somewhere where there's a little more room?"

They ended up in a spacious room with a wall of windows overlooking the most beautiful mountain scene she had ever seen in her life. The floor was covered in pillows and blankets until it drew near the fireplace that popped loudly as she glanced into its fiery depths. "Where are we?" she asked curiously, smiling over at him.

"We're in the French alps. This is actually a townhouse that I own and believe me, the minute you tell me you want to come here, I'll bring you without fail." Rose watched him more closely. Adrian was reclining against one of the mounds of pillows flicking his fingers around the way he did when he wanted a cigarette. Resisting it no longer, Rose grabbed a blanket and cuddled up beside him, "I trust you will."

Rose closed her eyes as she listened to the sound of his shirt rustling against the inside of her jacket as he breathed. "Don't you want to change into your pajamas?" She asked loosening his tie.

"You don't want to see what I sleep in little Dhampir."

"I mean it can't be any worse than what I've got on; I mean honestly did you see these." She pulled at her tank top and cotton pants emphasizing the lack of extravagance that she had when it came to picking out clothes.

"Trust me love, I know what I'm saying."

She laughed, "What do you sleep in bunny pants with ears on the feet?"

He growled slightly, "You wish it were that tame, I sleep in the nude."

There was something almost primal in the way he'd said it; something Rose would have never imagined him sounding like. She instantly stopped laughing, "Oh…well yeah then that's good since you know I don't really want to see you naked."

"You're lying to me again Rose."

She pinched his arm, "Stop that."

"I'm just keeping you honest."

She laughed again, and was surprised when he joined in with her. After some time, they simply laid there silently overlooking all that their eyes could see. She'd asked him to elaborate on his family and he did for a while but he seemed like he didn't want to talk about them much tonight. He had asked what his Aunt had really said to her when they meet in her chambers but she'd changed the subject. There was nothing like telling a boy that his Great Aunt, who just happened to be Queen of the Moroi, didn't want him seeing one of the few people he liked to start a family fight big enough to cause rifts.

"Why did you want me to stay with you tonight little Dhampir," he asked finally getting to the main question he'd been waiting to ask.

She hesitated for a while before finally answering him. "Because I'm scared to be alone Adrian."

The concern in his eyes was multiplied ten fold as she answered him finally. "I told you I'd be here for you Rose. I can take you away from all of this, from guarding, from the Strigoi, from the ghosts all of it."

Tears filled her eyes, "but I don't think you can. I don't think anyone can."

Adrian kissed her cheek, lapping up a stray, salty tear. "You have to wake up now Rose, I love you."