Author's note: Happy Mother's Day to any of you mamas out there. Thank you to everyone who favorited and followed and just read the latest chapter. Please let me know what you think.

Happy reading!

Chapter Ten

Sydney sat in the farthest corner of the living room. It was raining outside. It had been for the last several days. Everyone was going stir-crazy. Adrian paced and smoked and threw glances her way almost constantly. Rose stood by the front door, watching out the window. Jill sat close to Sydney with a computer in her lap. The look on her face told Jill that she was nervous with Adrian's activity.

Eddie came in from the rain and shook his coat off. "The others still aren't back?"

"You would have seen them before us." Rose said as she handed him a towel to dry his hair.

He nodded. "I guess so."

"Adrian, do you not have anything better to do?" Rose snapped, finally tired of the pacing herself.

"I have a few ideas. But no one in this room would be receptive." Adrian smirked. "A couple of you used to be."

"Uncalled for." Jill said as she closed her laptop and stood. "Sydney, I think it's our turn to cook supper."

Sydney nodded and stood. She followed Jill out, skirting past Adrian as he stood rooted in his latest spot. He watched Sydney hungrily. She grabbed Jill's arm and walked out faster.

Jill handed her a can to open. "Are you okay?" She looked up to see Eddie position himself just outside the kitchen.

"I'm still scared of Adrian. I know I shouldn't be. You've told me everything and it's starting to come back, but it feels like someone else's memories. Like I saw it in a movie or something." She looked over her shoulder and moved closer. "His face came to me twisted in anger. And his lips were covered in blood. I think they used that image somehow to scare me into submission."

"I can tell you all day that you have no reason to be scared, but it's just words."

Sydney nodded.

They worked quietly for a while. Eddie stiffened just before the front door opened in a burst of activity. Sydney moved farther into the kitchen away from everyone. Jill patted her arm and locked eyes with Eddie. He nodded and took the few steps into the living room. They heard his calm voice as everyone started to quiet down.

"You love him." Sydney said as she inched back toward the stove to stir the pan of ground beef they were going to add to the spaghetti.

"I don't know about love yet, but we like each other a lot."

Sydney smiled. "I can tell."

"You were like a sister to him before, Sydney." Jill told her in a whisper. "He'll fight to protect you just as fiercely as he would fight to protect me. I promise nothing will happen to you while he's around."

Sydney nodded. "I understand."

"In how long?" They heard Adrian ask loudly.

"Three hours." Abe said calmly. "We have to go. You knew it was going to be quick. We'll have time to eat and pack."

Jill and Sydney stepped to the kitchen door to watch the rest.

"And I have to go back to Court." Rose said calmly.

"We need you here, Rose." Eddie argued.

"Don't tell me you lost your confidence." She said back kindly. "You lasted in Palm Springs for nearly a year on your own."

"I know I can do it. But she trusts you more than everyone else."

Rose met Sydney's eyes. "Maybe not more. Sydney, you'll be okay. They'll send someone else to meet you at your next safe house."

They all nodded.

"Anyway, I'll escort you there and then fly back. I won't leave soon. And I have a feeling the next guardian will be just as trustworthy."

Adrian sighed. "I need a drink."

"You already had one today." Sydney pointed out.

He looked over at her with his heart in his eyes. When she dropped her head he said softly, "And you already had three cups of coffee."

She lifted her eyes to his once more and they looked at each other in the deafening silence of the room. With more confidence than she felt, she said, "And you've been smoking like a chimney all day. You made me some promises. Seems they don't mean much." She turned and went back to work finishing supper.

She heard Jill give a warning just before she heard his voice behind her. "I never stopped caring. And I was going crazy without you. So I took back up smoking to calm myself a little. I don't drink excessively to dull spirit anymore. You've been here a week watching me like a hawk. You should know by now I don't drink nearly as much as I did when I first met you."

"Please back up." She asked, holding out a spatula in front of her.

He looked down and saw the end of it was touching his chest. He didn't realize he'd moved that much closer to her. She was like a magnet to him and he a piece of metal. He needed to touch her and feel the warmth of her pressed against his chest.

All she felt was cold fear. Tears streamed down her face. "Please." Her voice shook. "I'm sorry, Adrian. I'm so sorry. I need you to go away."

Adrian swallowed the lump in his own throat. He stepped back and spoke softly, "I'll stop smoking if you try to remember how much you used to love me." He turned on his heel without waiting for her answer.

He banged around and cursed his way to his room. As he threw his things into his suitcase, the door opened and Jill walked in.

"What is wrong with you?" She demanded.

"What's wrong with me?" He scoffed.

Jill pointed toward the door. "She's had her mind altered by people she used to trust. She feels like she's been thrown into a nest of vipers. In just a week, I've gained her trust back for most of us. Except for you. You want that, you'll have to change your attitude."

"And how the fuck am I supposed to do that?" He snapped.

She took a deep breath. "She told me your face was the one she was shown the most. They put blood around your mouth in them. She's scared because they made her believe you were one of the worst because she loved you and they knew."

He dropped down on the bed. "I can't lose her, Jill." He said desperately. "I can't. I thought I was going to die when they took her. I thought she would come back and we'd get back to how it was before. Have I fucked up so badly in my life that I'm cursed in love?"

"Well, sleeping with any willing person with a vagina isn't the worst thing you could have done. At least they wanted you. I don't think that would be a mark against you."

"I love her so much, Jill." He was defeated.

She sat beside him and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I think I know that better than anyone else." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't think you realize how much it's hurting me too. She trusts me and looks to me to help her navigate our tiny world now. But she can't be in the same room alone with you. And I feel all of your emotions as well as mine. I ache for you, Adrian. And I am so, so sorry. If I could change her for you I would in a heartbeat."

Adrian turned his head and kissed Jill's forehead. "You stop worrying about me. Work on that block a little bit since we have nothing to do. Work on your studies. Next time I go out, I'll get you a sewing machine."

Jill smiled. "That would be awesome. Especially since you were so concerned with all this business you missed my birthday."

He chuckled. "I'll definitely make it up to you more than a sewing machine."

"Give Sydney some space. That's the other gift I want. It may take some time and it may never happen, but you need to channel that energy somewhere. Paint something. Draw something. Do anything but just pacing and smoking."

He nodded. "All right."

"I'm going to help Sydney finish cooking. You sit in here and calm down a bit more."

He nodded.

She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "It'll all work out. Just be patient."