Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

Ive had writers block like crazy recently, but this little scene popped into my head tonight and I kind of love it. Review and let me know what you think!

"You know," Adrian said, his voice distant through the phone. I wished for the millionth time tonight that he was here with me, or I was there with him. Or, you know, that I could see him without having to pretend to be scared of him.

Things were so different now that Zoe was at Amberwood. Now that she was an Alchemist. It took everything in me not to cringe every time I saw that lily glittering on her cheek. I hated it. I hated what it meant. I hated that my sister was brainwashed into following a group that did nothing but lie and use her. I hated that that same group had controlled me for so long. That it still controlled me. And right at this moment, I hated that it was keeping me from the one person I wanted to be with.

"This will all be different someday," Adrian went on. "One day we'll be old and gray and see each other every morning when we wake up and every night when we fall asleep. You'll be so sick of seeing me you'll long for these days."

He laughed and I laughed with him, but it was a little forced. On both sides.

"I just miss you," I said quietly. "I never realized how much time we spent together until we couldn't spend any together."

I heard him sigh and then he dropped something. Or it sounded like he did. "Shit."

"What happened?" I asked, smiling a little to myself.

"Nothing," he said quickly. Too quickly.

I laughed, and this time it wasn't forced. "You dropped your paint brush, didn't you?" I said. "Did you get paint everywhere? I told you to put plastic down—"

"Yeah, I know. I know." He chuckled a little, but I could hear him trying to clean something up while juggling the phone. "I just got a little red on the carpet. It's fine."

Something terrible popped into my mind and I snorted before I could restrain myself.

"What?" he asked. "Don't laugh at me, Sage. Or else I'll start calling you sugar plum again."

"I wasn't laughing at you," I admitted. "I just thought of something, something that shouldn't have made me laugh. I thought about what Zoe's reaction would be if she ever saw a red stain on your carpet. She'd freak out thinking it was blood. It's terrible but... It was kind of funny." I shook my head. "I'm a terrible sister."

"You're not," Adrian said gently. "You're a great sister. And you're right. She'd be upset if she saw the stain. I'll clean it up before you bring her over tomorrow."

"Adrian," I said softly.

"Yeah, Sydney?"

"I'm scared," I whispered. "I'm scared for Zoe. I'm scared for myself. I'm terrified she'll find out the truth and hate me. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep lying to everyone. I can't handle it."

"Yes. You can," he said fiercely. "You can handle this. We can handle this."

"How? How can we when we're not even allowed to see each other?"

"Just picture yourself next to me," he said. "Picture me with thick gray hair—because my hair will always be awesome—and all wrinkly and old—but still attractive. Picture us spoiling our grandkids and watching afternoon court shows. Eating dinner at four o'clock in the afternoon. It'll be great."

I smiled. "It will be. Although, don't you think we're a little young to be planning how we'll spend our evenings when we're sixty?"

"Never to early to plan ahead, Sydney. I would have thought you of all people would agree with that."

"Actually," I laughed, "I've been trying to takes things one day at a time recently. I met this guy and his bad habits must be rubbing off on me."

"I know what else he'd like to rub on you," he teased.

"Adrian!" I screeched, mortified, but I was laughing a little.

"I'm kidding, Sage. Well, sort of." He paused and I imagined him shrugging, a wicked smirk on his face. "I really do miss you. Are you sure we can't get together in a spirit dream tonight?"

"I thought you said I wasn't losing my virginity in a dream?" I teased.

"We can do other things without the clothes coming off. So?" he said. "What do you say? You want to see me as much as I want to see you?"

"Of course, I do." I fiddled with the edge of my comforter. We were having this conversation more and more often as the weeks passed. I knew it was only a matter of time before he brought it up again. "But not at the expense of your health. We'll see each other. Sometime soon. But not tonight, okay? I promise. I'll find a reason to see you."

"I know. It's okay," he said. "I'll wait as long as you need. I love you."

My heart skipped a beat, the way it always did when he said he loved me. Then it skipped again as I heard a key in the lock of my door. "I have to go, Adrian. Zoe's back. I'll see you soon." I paused, knowing Zoe would have the door open at any moment, but I couldn't say goodbye without telling him, "I love you."

Adrian sighed just as my door opened and Zoe walked in, a pile of books in her hands. "I love you, Sydney. I'll see you tomorrow when you drop the gang off."

"Okay, sounds good," I said. My voice had taken on a business-like quality that I found myself hating. I sounded so... phony. "We'll stop by tomorrow afternoon then."

"Okay," he laughed. He always found this fake voice amusing. "Bye, Sydney."

"Goodbye," I said, softening my tone a little, hoping it wasn't enough to make Zoe suspicious. I hung up the phone and placed it on my bedside table, before turning to Zoe.

"Who was that?" she asked, placing her books on her bed.

"Adrian," I said honestly. It felt like a rare occasion these days when I could actually be honest with her about something. "We're taking Jill to his apartment tomorrow afternoon. We were confirming." That wasn't entirely a lie, I told myself.

Zoe nodded, but looked visibly upset by the news. "Will we have to stay for the visit?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent. I had to respect her attempting to appeared unaffected.

"I'm not sure," I said. "We'll have to see what the plan is tomorrow."

She nodded again. "Okay." Then she turned back to her books and began sorting through her homework. She always did this. Sorted through her work and then completed it by order of importance. It always annoyed me when she would finish her reports for the Alchemists before even glancing at her school work.

"Well," I said slowly. "I have a lot of homework today. What do you say we study together?"

Zoe nodded. "Okay. I just have to send Stanton my report for this week and then we can head down to the library."

I sighed internally. Externally I smiled and stood up. "Sounds good. I'll meet you down there, okay?"

She nodded, already switching on her laptop and getting into her report. I walked outside, closing the door behind me.

Picture Adrian with gray hair and wrinkly skin, I told myself over and over again as I walked to the library. Surprisingly, by the time I made it there I was smiling and I felt a little less weighed down by everything. There might be a thousand things separating us right now, but it would pass. And until then, well, we always had our daily phone calls.