Thank you to my reviewers and favouriters. sunayna4sho, biancaneve82, sarahhathawaybelikov-x, Ashes2Dust18, KrisIvashkov25, Maggie is a fan of books and yerkey. It is much appreciated.

I get the feeling that people are going to review now whatever, so I shall people review as they wish.

I don't think this is my best chapter but it was hard to write. I'm trying to slowly build up the attraction between Rose and Adrian but also have Rose feel conflicted about her feelings for Dimitri on top of that and I'm finding it hard to balance the two out. But I shall persevere!

Hope you enjoy and I really hope it's not as bad as I think it is.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. I am so finding hard to think of witty comments but then you probably don't care, right? ;)

Shit. and bollocks. Maybe the music and talking wasn't as loud as I originally thought.

I looked at the Moroi in front of me. Some were horrified, some were amused, and some just looked at me like I was a cheap whore. What was I supposed to do now?

"Ok, people. Show's over. Back to your idle gossip." I heard Adrian say.

Everyone appeared to listen to him and went back to their conversations. Adrian stood in front of me and I buried my head into his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt his go around my waist.

"How much did everyone hear?" I asked. Did I really want to know?

"Everything. My favourite part? I bet my Dad was a casual fuck in a broom cupboard." He laughed.

"This isn't funny Adrian. I'm so embarrassed."

"Oh my God, Rose! Are you ok?" I heard Lissa's frantic voice both aloud and through the bond.

"I'm fine, Liss. I might just go back to our room." I said, moving away from Adrian and turning towards the exit. I saw Dimitri standing there with Tasha, they were obviously about to come and talk to me.

This was my moment. "Adrian, will you walk me back?" I smiled sweetly at him. Not that he'd need much persuasion. Dimitri's eyes hardened, I could see the anger on his face. Tough shit, I thought to myself.

"Of course, sweetheart." Adrian wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I put mine around his waist and we made our way to the door.

We collected his coat and my cardigan and walked outside. Adrian put his suit jacket around my shoulders and pulled his coat on. He put his arm around me again.

"You and Janine really don't get along do you?"

"Really? What ever gave you that impression?" I said sarcastically.

"Rose, I'm being serious. How the hell do a mother and daughter talk to each other like that?" he asked, pulling me in closer to his side so I could lean my head on his shoulder, if it wasn't for the heels I would probably be too short to do that.

"She abandoned me to be raised by the Academy when I was five. This is the first time I've seen her in five years. She doesn't call or write; I don't get birthday cards or Christmas cards. All she does is criticise me. I don't ever remember her ever showing me once ounce of affection or love. She gave me this black eye for God's sake!" I know it had practically faded by now, but I know Adrian had seen it. "Does that sound like a mother to you? Does that sound like someone who you would want as a mom?" I asked.

He seemed to contemplate that for a moment. I had no idea about Adrian's family. I knew he was an only child but he never gave any indication as to what his parents were like.

"Well, all I know is, I bet you would have rather been left at the academy than at a blood whore community right? That does make what she did right," he said quickly, before I could shout at him, "but think about the alternative you could have had." He said. He did have a point.

"Yeah, but..."

"But, nothing, Little Dhampir. I know a mother is meant to be around more than yours was but I just think, Rose, if she hadn't of done what she did..." he stopped, he didn't need to finish.

"I know. I just can't help but not like her parenting skills." I muttered. Adrian laughed.

"Let's get off such a depressing topic. I want to see you smile." He said.

We had reached my door now and I grabbed my key from my clutch. What happens now? Do I invite him in? Do I kiss him goodbye?

"Do you, err, want to, err, come in?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Sure, but I don't think it'll be for long. I'm sure Lissa will be coming here to check on you." He followed me inside and sat down on my bed. I kicked off my heels and dropped my bag and cardigan on to the sofa.

"God it's good to be out of those shoes." I said, sitting next to Adrian.

"Want me to make them better?" he asked, picking up my left foot and massaging it.

I have to admit, it did feel good. "You know, I know barely anything about you." I stated. Adrian continued rubbing my foot as if he didn't hear me. "Wanna play twenty questions?"

"Ok."

"Question one. What are your parent's names?"

"Daniella and Nathan. What are your parent's names? He asked and chuckled.

"Not funny, Ivashkov. Anyway it's still my turn." I said, playfully hitting his arm. "Question two. Where did you go to school?"

"Alders Academy on the West Coast."

I had to think about my next question. "Question three. Blonde or Brunette?" I winked at him. I was neither, I had dyed mine red when I was on the run with Lissa and like it so much I kept it up. Well, Lissa would dye it for me I couldn't afford to have it done professionally.

"Blonde." He said seriously. My face fell. "Joke. Why'd you ask that? You're a red head which is so much sexier than just boring blonde or brunette." he commented.

We continued like this for about half an hour. He was up to asking me question number fourteen when I felt Lissa through the bond. She wasn't in danger or anything but Christian was getting her...excited. But she was staying with Christian so Adrian need never know.

"I suppose I should go. "He got up from the bed and picked up his jacket.

"Wait!" I shouted. He looked up, confused. "You don't have to go. I mean, Lissa is gonna stay with Christian tonight, so you can stay." I said, hesitantly. I know I was only using Adrian as a distraction but I could be his friend. And anyway, there was something about Adrian that I just couldn't stay away from, just like I felt with Dimitri sometimes. "Only if you want to." I said. He looked a bit taken aback.

"You sure about Lissa?" he asked and I nodded. "How did you know? You never mentioned it before when I said about her coming back."

Shit. He didn't know about the bond. "Oh...um..."

"It was the bond wasn't it." It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.

"How do you know about that?" I ask, stunned.

"Rose, I know what happened with Victor Dashkov. And in elite royal circles that information is easy to come by. I know it was an invasion of your privacy but I was curious." He looked into my eyes with remorse in his. "I am really sorry I did that. I'll leave."

"No!" I stopped and turned around. I mean, yeah I was pissed that he did that, but it also meant that he knew one of the most important things about me and we could our secrets out in the open. Like I thought before, I could still be his friend if nothing else. "I...err don't want you to go. I mean...we could carry on talking. It's nice."

He stayed. Christian had left some clothes here from when he stayed over before; I stayed with Jill, so Adrian had something to sleep in. Or at least he didn't have to sleep in just boxers.

I hadn't exactly planned for someone other than Lissa sleeping in here with me, so I had to wear the over-sized T-shirt I normally wore immediately wishing I had more... appropriate underwear. I ignored the lust filled gazes that Adrian through my way.

We resumed our positions on the bed and just talked. There was never any pressure for us to do anything else. I asked him more about his family, his friends, why he dropped out of college. I was shocked at how many rumours had been made up about Adrian, well according to him anyway. And I felt I could truly open up to Adrian, not about Dimitri obviously but how I felt about Lissa and the bond, being shadow-kissed, my mother, how I never knew my father. We talked about our interests, places we'd visited, his list was longer than mine despite mine and Lissa's two year runaway, places we wanted to see, people we'd love to meet. Just random stuff that wasn't really important for us to know about each other but we just couldn't stop talking. Or didn't want to.

"Ok, Little Dhampir, it is three in the morning, I think we need to sleep." He said lying down on his side, facing me. I followed suit.

"But I'm not tired." I yawned and he chuckled and pulled me against him. He laid on his back and put my head on his chest, he wrapped an arm around me and I placed mine across his stomach. I felt nice. Comfortable. Maybe, just maybe, if we had longer than a week or so here, me and Adrian could have been more. It was shame it wouldn't last.

He placed a kiss on my head and whispered "Sleep, my little dhampir." I wanted to kiss him more though. I tried to move my head up to place a kiss on those perfect lips but he shushed me and began stroking my hair. And I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, in the arms of Adrian Ivashkov.

Definitly not my best I don't think but after staying up all night trying to write it and after working nearly all weekend I couldn't really do much more to it.

Remember to review and tell me what you think!