Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

This one was something I had half written already and just put a little post-TIS spin on it. This actually thought of including something like this in the post-TIS story I want to write, but it wouldn't have worked so now it's a one shot. Born to lose 7 requested another chapter incorporating the whole gang, so I thought it would perfect.

And to answer Pixie's question: I'll see if I can come up with anything for a Trey/Angeline one shot, but we'll see. I'm not too sure how to write them. Love them so much though!

(THE INDIGO SPELL SPOILERS AHEAD)

Jill visiting her parents and Lissa at Court probably wasn't the best idea to begin with, considering all of the groups that wanted her dead. But there was no way that anyone could know that Strigoi would attack the car she was in and kidnap her. What would Strigoi want with Jill? And it was a kidnapping, not just a random attack. Random Strigoi attacks didn't end with wounded victims and a missing princess. They ended with dead bodies.

I thanked God, yet again, that the attack hadn't left any dead bodies behind. Adrian and I had taken our own car from the airport, not wanting to cram into the guardian-filled SUV with Jill, Eddie and Angeline. And also wanting a little privacy. And even though I knew it was stupid, particularly because the Strigoi who had attacked had used a type of sleeping gas bomb on the guardians inside the car, I still felt like if I'd been there with Jill I might have been able to save her.

Adrian had told me again and again that I shouldn't blame myself, that it wasn't my fault. But I couldn't stop the guilt from welling inside me. I'd failed Jill. I never failed, but this time I had and now Jill was in danger.

Thankfully, I was able to track her using a simple scrying spell once we'd arrived at Court. Angeline, Eddie and the other dhampirs who'd been in the attack were taken directly to the infirmary and I hadn't seen them, but Rose and Dimitri along with a few others had wanted to see us, since we'd seen the attack from our car. Adrian told them he'd gotten Jill's location by contacting her in a spirit dream, trying to avoid unnecessary questions about how I'd used magic to find her. But, as Rose, Dimitri, Sonya, Christian and Lissa planned a strategic way to break into the Strigoi lair where Jill was being held, I kept thinking that it would be easier with my magic for me to go in and get her.

Turned out Adrian seemed to feel the same way.

"Rose," he said, "everyone in this room knows you could kick their ass in a physical confrontation. With the exception of Belikov, of course, because he's a giant."

Rose smiled but I wasn't sure if it was because of the compliment or Adrian's jab at Dimitri. She had been trying to convince Dimitri that she should try to go in, pretending to be under the Strogoi's spell, so she could find and protect Jill from the inside while the guardians attacked from the outside.

"But your not really a big picture kind of person. Sydney on the other hand," Adrian went on, causing me to start at the sound of my name. "Sydney's a thinker. Not only can she come up with a way to get in, but she'll figure a way to get out too."

Rose looked just as stunned as I felt. "You want to send Sydney into a nest of Strigoi? Sydney Sage?"

Everyone looked just as shocked by his suggestion. I was shocked, even though I had been thinking pretty much the same thing. I just never expected him to suggest it. I guess even in dangerous situations he still had the ability to deduce exactly what I was thinking.

"She can do it," Adrian insisted. "She's the best at this sort of thing. We'll cover her tattoo and they'll just think she's any other human devotee. Besides, she's chomping at the bit to do it."

Suddenly all of the eyes in the room were on me. I stood up straighter, trying to look calm. "I can do it. I've done this before. I can do it now. It's too risky to send Rose or anyone else. They'll know you guys are dhampirs the second they see you."

"Yes, but we can defend ourselves," Rose interjected hastily. "We can fight—"

"So can Sydney," Adrian said confidently. My heart swelled at his trust in me.

"Adrian," said Dimitri. "I'm just... I'm having a hard time coming to terms with you suggesting this. You were the one who started yelling when Sonya and I suggested testing Sydney's blood. Now you're fine with sending her into a room full of monsters?"

"That was different," Adrian said simply. "You were pressuring her into doing something she didn't want to. She wants to do this. And, like I said, she can defend herself if need be. Probably better than you guys."

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked.

This was it. The moment I'd known was coming since Jill had been taken. I wasn't even nervous, I just wanted them to know the truth so that they'd let me do what I needed to do.

"You remember when Sonya was missing and I found her, but I never really explained how?" I asked Dimitri.

He looked at me for a moment. "You said you remembered about your friend having the same tattoo as the marking on the sword we found. You put the clues together and then asked him to set up a meeting."

"Well, that wasn't entirely true," I admitted. I shot a glance at Adrian and he nodded in support. "I did put the clues together, but I found the location... I found the location by doing a spell."

Everyone in the room was silent for a few minutes. They were processing my words. No doubt trying to figure out if they'd heard me correctly.

"A spell?" Rose asked cautiously. "Like an alchemist thing?"

"No," replied Adrian candidly. "Like a witch thing. Sydney's a witch. She's even part of a coven and everything."

Almost everyone in the room said some variation of, "What?" at the same time.

"What are you talking about?" Rose said louder than the rest. "What—is that even a thing? You're human."

"It's a long story," I told her, "but it's true. I can use magic, and I can certainly defend myself in a pinch. At least long enough for you guys to come bursting in." Thinking back to the battle royale I'd had with Alicia in which I'd burned Ms. Terwilliger's house down, I was pretty sure I'd frighten Strigoi enough for them to keep their distance.

They all looked perplexed. Dimitri was the one who finally composed himself enough to speak. "Sydney, none of us have ever heard of anything like this before. I've heard of witches back in Russia, but not ones who actually... you know. Fight or anything. They were more herbal healers."

"Well, trust me," Adrian said, sounding like a proud parent. "I've seen what Sydney can do, and it knocks every kind of magic I've ever seen out of the water." He smiled a little. "This girl can throw fireballs, create invisible ice—for those times when you just desperately need to knock a psychotic bitch on her ass—and she even conjured us up a baby demon love child. I'm pretty sure she can handle a few Strigoi."

Everyone looked pretty much exactly as you'd expect them to after that speech. Rose sputtered and took a step towards me, her brown eyes wide. "Demon love child? Sydney, what the hell is he talking about?"

I sighed. "Like I said, long story. But here," I held out a hand in front of me and gestured for her to back up. "Let me show you." She did and even Adrian stepped away from me and stood by the others.

I held my hand out, palm up, and conjured the flames. I'd gotten pretty good at this and the flames were definitely closer to blue than they had been that first time I'd tried this spell. I focused on heating the flame more, turning it a light purplish color that made me happy. I let it fade out so it wouldn't zap much energy from me. When I looked up Adrian looked smug, everyone else, however, looked a mix between shocked and scared. Well, almost everyone.

Christian rushed forward. "Holy shit!" he cried, his eyes wide. "How did you do that? You're human, but you can actually summon flames?"

I flashed him a small smile, grateful he wasn't scared of me. "I can do a lot of things with my magic," I said. "Fire's easy, but still I've, uh, had some mishaps with it. I'm only just learning the more difficult spells. That's why I joined the coven."

"According to her teacher, Sydney's a prodigy," Adrian said. "So if anyone can get in there and find Jill, it's her."

Rose was nodding, her eyes still huge and staring at my hands. "Okay, yeah. Sydney can go in." She looked up at me. "But still, if you need us we'll be close by."

I smiled at her concern.

"I know this is hardly the time," Sonya muttered. "But I'd really love to know more about your magic and this coven of witches when you have a chance."

"Of course," I said, nodding. "In the meantime, Adrian will fill you in on anything you want to know."

Adrian was nodding along. "Sure. I know almost as much as she does about it. I can answer any questions you have." He gave a rueful smile. "Besides, it'll help distract me from freaking the hell out while she's in there."

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head on his chest. "I'll be fine. You know I can do this."

"Just because I know you can doesn't me I don't worry." He pulled back a little and tilted his head down to meet mine. His lips brushed against mine once before he pulled me back to his chest. "I wish I could go with you."

I laughed softly and pulled away thinking about the last time he'd said something like that to me, just before I'd raided a Warrior camp. "Deja vu, huh?"

Adrian smiled. "A little. Except this time I can kiss you." He leaned and kissed me once more.

Remembering that time outside of his apartment I did something I'd done then as well. I reached up and unclasped my cross, handing it over to him. "You know I always get this cross back one way or another."

He took the cross and wrapped his arms around me. "I don't think I want to give it back this time," he teased.

I pulled him closer. "Good, because I want you to keep it. Besides," I laughed. "You already gave me that beautiful wooden cross." Thinking about it I reached down into my purse and pulled the wooden cross out. I reached behind me and clasped the brass chain around my neck. "There. For good luck."

Adrian brushed my hair out of my face and whispered words he'd said to me once before. At the time I'd thought they were cheesy, but now they felt like some great form of encouragement. "You make your own luck," he said.

We stayed locked in our embrace, lost in our own little world, until Dimitri cleared his throat. His face was blank when I looked over at him, unlike all of the other faces in the room. I'd forgotten these people didn't know about my relationship with Adrian. They'd obviously realized we were friends, but not the extent of that friendship.

"Are you ready to go, Sydney?" he asked. "Do you have everything you need?"

I stepped away from Adrian and mentally ran through the list of charms and chemicals in my purse. "Yeah, I have everything," I said, nodding. "Let's go."

Rose walked up with me, falling into step as we walked to the black SUV we'd be taking to the Strigoi lair. Adrian was on my other side.

"I'll help you cover your tattoo in the car," Rose said. "While you tell me all about you and Adrian." She looked between the two of us, giving us each a pointed look. She didn't seem upset that we were together, just curious. Maybe even amused.

Adrian laughed. "Well, guess I'm glad I'm staying here then. If only to avoid the interrogation."

I glared jokingly at him, but one glance back at the faces of Sonya, Christian and Lissa said he'd have more than enough questions of his own to answer tonight.

"I love you," I whispered as I followed Rose into the back of the SUV. I leaned out the door and kissed him. Hard.

He kissed me back, his lips just as desperate as mine. "I love you, too, cream puff." He laughed when I rolled my eyes at the stupid high-calorie nickname, but then his face went completely earnest. He reached out and traced my cheek with his fingertips. "Come back to me."

I gave him my best smile and said, "Always." He closed my door and I watched him through the window until we pulled away.

Once we were on the road I turned to find Rose watching me carefully. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. "No one will think less of you if you don't want to."

"I've got this," I said, my voice surprisingly calm. "I've been in worse situations than this, believe me."

She nodded and gave me a supportive smile. That smile faded to a smirk as I pulled a makeup compact out of my purse. "So," she said slowly, drawing out the word in a way I didn't like. "You and Adrian, huh?"

She waggled her eyebrows at me and suddenly I was more afraid of this car ride than I was afraid of the destination and the dangers that awaited me there.