Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

I just can't seem to finish the one shot I've been working on, but I came up with this one for you guys. It was requested a while back, I forgot by who. Sorry! But anyway, hope you enjoy chapter!

I'm also working on another chapter of Through the Darkness for anyone interested in that. I got sort of stuck, but now I'm finally getting back to it. I've changed some things up in the first two chapters, not much, but just enough so that it now makes sense with the first two chapters of The Fiery Heart that were released, so if you're interested go check it out. A new chapter should be up soon :)

"Mmm," Sydney moaned, arching her back and pressing further into me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, fingers pulling lightly at the hair at the nape of my neck. Usually, any of those things would be enough to make me loose control. Usually, I'd already have her clothes off by this point. Usually, but not tonight. Tonight all I could think of was...

"I should have compelled him to keep his hands to himself," I said, pulling back from Sydney and leaning up on one elbow.

She rolled her eyes and pulled me back down to her, her legs wrapping around my waist. "She's fine," she said seriously. "Thomas is a good boy, and Adrianna isn't exactly helpless either. We raised her right, she won't let anyone take advantage of her." Then her gaze shifted to my lips, her eyes shining hungrily. "But right now I'd really like you to take advantage of me," she breathed against my lips, grinding her hips into mine.

Almost without my consent my body reacted to hers. I pressed her down into the mattress, my lips capturing hers in a passionate kiss. My hands moved on instinct to unbutton her blouse, my mouth moving down her neck to meet the newly exposed skin of her shoulder. It didn't matter how many years we'd been doing this, it was still amazing, even when I couldn't quite focus.

I pulled away again, causing Sydney to groan and fall back onto the bed. "But what if—"

"Adrian," she said sternly, as if I was one of the kids. "She's seventeen. What are you going to do? Make sure no boy touches her ever?"

"No," I said, rolling onto my side. Sydney sighed, probably because she'd realized I wasn't in the right headspace to have sex right now. "Of course, not. But it's hard to imagine my baby out there right now, some boy doing—"

"Exactly what I wish you were doing to me right now?" Sydney suggested deadpan.

I grimaced. "Yeah."

Sydney laughed a little, though I had no idea how she was so calm about all of this. "You've never acted this way when she's gone on dates before. She's even gone out with Thomas before. A few times now. You seemed to like him."

"Yeah, because he's a nerd," I said like it was obvious. "Geeky guys don't seriously stand a chance with girls. Not like that, anyway."

She leaned back against the pillows on our bed, staring at me with a look that said, "So, what's the problem?"

"This is prom, Sage," I explained. "Even the nerds get lucky at prom. And the popular guys... I don't even want to think about if that Thomas kid was cooler. You should have seen just how lucky I got at prom," I started to say, but Sydney's frown stopped me before I could make that mistake.

"Let's just remember that Adrianna is not like those girls you used to... spend time with, okay?" Sydney said, clearly not pleased with the reference to my past. It wasn't that she was jealous, or even mad about the way I used to be with women, but she didn't exactly like having to hear about it. "She has self-respect and knows what she wants and what she doesn't. Whatever she chooses to do, all we can do is trust that it was the right choice for her."

"You're very smart," I said, leaning down to kiss her temple. She smiled up at me and I pressed our foreheads together. "It can be very annoying sometimes."

"You know what else can be very annoying," she said, not missing a beat. I shook my head, making her head move too. "You talking incessantly when I don't exactly feel like talking."

I smiled and pulled her closer so that she was practically underneath me. "And what do you feel like doing?" I teased.

"I thought I was making that pretty clear before," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I kissed her jaw. "I'm sorry, baby," I whispered, kissing down her neck because I knew how much she liked it. "I'm just worried."

"I know." She pulled me back up to her mouth, kissing me hard enough to pull me back into the moment. "Let's see if we can make you forget about it for a little while, huh? Adrianna will be home soon enough, and she's picking up Lily on her way. Daisy will probably wake up when they get home. Let's just enjoy being alone for a little while, okay? We never get to be alone."

"You're right," I said and kissed her, knowing that she was. Sydney was always right. And Adrianna had promised to pick Lily up from her friends house on the way home. She'd gone to prom with a human boy, and a few of her friends from around the neighborhood. She didn't get much chance to hang out with them now that she was going to St. Grigory's at night. Tonight was just a night to have a good time with her friends, not to have too good a time with Tim or Tom or whatever his name was. Our girls were smart, just like their mother. Adrianna wouldn't let some guy paw at her unless she loved him. I'd met her date a few times, and I was certain that that wasn't the case with him.

Feeling less worried I finally let myself enjoy the feeling of Sydney underneath me as we lost more and more of our clothing.

It was only ten thirty when I heard a car pull up outside. Sydney and I had finished our... alone time... a while ago and were just cuddling together, but we both hurried to get dressed when we heard the slamming of car doors.

"I still can't believe you actually did that," Lily was saying as we made our way downstairs to see the girls standing in the living room. Lily was in her standard fair of ripped jeans, boots and a practically torn in half t-shirt. She dressed like some sort of punk rock homeless person, but what did I know?

Adrianna was wearing the expensive pink prom dress she'd made me buy her. You'd think for that much money they'd have thrown in a little more dress, but she looked beautiful in it, even if I felt it would have looked better with sleeves. And pants.

"Did what?" I asked worriedly as Sydney and I rounded the bottom of the stairs. In my head a mantra of don't say nothing, don't say nothing played over and over again. If they said nothing it was a sure sign that she'd done something I wasn't going to like.

To my relief (and delight) Adrianna turned around and grinned. "I punched my date in the face," she said proudly.

Sydney threw me a comically amused and slightly horrified look. "She's spent a little too much time with Angeline."

"Angeline would be proud," Lily laughed. "I knew Tommy was a jerk."

"What did he do?" I asked, hoping that a punch in the nose was enough of a punishment for whatever it was. I really didn't want to have to go kill a teenage boy tonight.

Adrianna sighed and flopped down on the couch dramatically. It's something I would've done. Sometimes it still amazed me when one of the kids did something that was just so me or Sydney. They were like mini-us's, though, looking at Adrianna, I had to admit they weren't so mini anymore.

"We were dancing and having a good time and everything," she explained. "But then he wanted to go outside and get some fresh air."

"Yeah, that's code for let's go do things our parents won't approve of," I told her and she laughed.

"Yeah, I know. Well, now I know, anyway. He got a little handsy, but I took care of it."

"Why couldn't you have just told him to keep his hands to himself?" Sydney asked, always the reasonable one.

Adrianna looked a little uncomfortable, but then shrugged. "I did," she said. "But he'd been drinking a little." She saw our reaction to that and hurried on before we could interrupt, her hands raised in front of her. "I know, I know. But I didn't drink anything. I figured a little spiked punch wouldn't hurt him, so I let him have some fun. I'm not his mother. We went outside and... you know," she blushed. "We kissed a little, and then, well he didn't stop when I asked him to. Drunk or not, that's unacceptable."

I smiled at my little girl sitting their like some warrior princess, looking exactly like her mother did when she got upset about things, and I couldn't be prouder.

"So," Adrianna went on, arms crossed in front of her chest. "I hit him and told him exactly what I thought of boys who don't take no for an answer." She smirked, looking proud of herself. "I'm pretty sure he won't ever try that with any girl ever again."

Sydney started laughing first, or maybe it was Lily. I'm not sure, but soon we were all laughing. I wasn't exactly pleased with... whatever that kid's name was, but I was more than happy with how Adrianna handled herself. And, well, I almost felt sorry for the kid. I'd seen my daughter spar with some of the best guardians I knew, and I'd even seen her win on more than one occasion. I didn't doubt her when she said he would think twice before messing with any girl ever again.

"Mommy?" a tiny voice called from the top of the stairs and we all turned to see Daisy, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Daisy, sweetie," Sydney said, hurrying up to grab our three year old daughter before she wobbled off the top step. "Are you okay?"

"I heard laughing," she mumbled sleepily, her words slurring together.

"Uh oh," I said, grabbing Daisy from Sydney as she came back downstairs. "The laughing police are here. Oh no! Don't laugh or they'll arrest you!"

Lily and Adrianna made a big show of not laughing, but Daisy was giggling like a maniac as I tickled her sides, all sleepiness melting away. Her adorable baby giggle was too much though and we all ended up laughing along with her.

"Now she'll be up all night," Sydney muttered, smiling, but shaking her head.

"She'll be sleeping again in ten minutes, I promise you," I said, throwing Daisy over my shoulder.

"No I won't, Daddy. I'm..." Daisy yawned hugely, "wide awake."

"Sure you are, kiddo," I said, turning around to face the stairs. "Say goodnight to your sisters."

"G'night," she giggled as I carried her upstairs.

"I'm going to bed, too," Adrianna said, following us up. "I want to see if I can get a hold of Stephen before I go to sleep."

"Stephen?" I asked, stopping in my tracks, a wriggling Daisy on my shoulder. There was only one Stephen I knew. "Ozera?"

Adrianna nodded and kissed my cheek before going off into her room. I heard Lily laugh and then she patted me on the shoulder before heading into her room. I turned to see Sydney standing behind me, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Since when does she talk to Ozera?" I asked, feeling thoroughly confused.

Sydney almost laughed, but didn't. "Since we were at Court over Christmas. She's been video chatting with him practically everyday since."

I made a face. "Seriously? Ozera?"

"Stop it," Sydney said, taking Daisy from me and going to tuck her back into bed. I sat on the edge of the bed while we got Daisy situated. I was right, it only took about ten minutes of bedtime stories for her to pass back out. The kid never managed to make it through to the ending. Never. Stories were like Ambien to Daisy.

Once we were back in our own room, the kids all safe and accounted for, Sydney continued on with the Stephen explanation. "He's a nice boy," she said. "I don't know why you're having an issue with this."

"You said that about the last one," I pointed out. "Look how that turned out."

She crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow in my direction. "I can't be right one hundred percent of the time," she said. "Besides, we didn't know that kid. We know Stephen. We've babysat for Stephen."

"Yeah," I huffed. "I know. That's why I don't like it. I can't hate him the way I want to. It's impossible to hate your daughter's boyfriend when you've had to tie his shoes for him."

Sydney laughed and kissed me. "He isn't her boyfriend yet, so don't worry too much, okay? But, I think they'd be cute for each other."

I sighed and rested my head on her shoulder. "This was so much easier before all the boy stuff started. Can't we just find a spell that will keep Daisy three forever? Or, better yet, let's leave her 'til she's eight. That way she's old enough to do most things herself, but still thinks boys have cooties."

I felt Sydney's shoulders bob up and down in a silent chuckle. "No can do," she said. "The good thing about them growing up is that maybe they'll move out and then we can have sex whenever we want."

I laughed out loud at that and pulled her up against me. "Just can't get enough if me, huh?" I asked, smiling. "Did I not please you before or something?"

Sydney reached up, pulling my head down and pressing a kiss to my lips. "Of course you did, but I wouldn't mind letting you try again." She grinned. "Remember when we used to have sex multiple times a day?"

"Yeah," I snorted. "That's how we ended up with three kids." But she didn't acknowledge that response other than to give me a quick smile. She pushed me down onto the bed, kissing and caressing and then kissing some more.

"Hang on," I said quickly, pulling away. She groaned and gave me an are you serious right now? look. "Just let me go get some things," I told her with a wicked grin. "How about a midnight snack?"

"Mmm," Sydney breathed, licking her lips. "Bring back some strawberries? And whip cream. And while you're gone, I'll change into... something," she grinned.

It was all I could do to walk to the kitchen, but on the way down the hall I started hearing voices. I realized Adrianna's door wasn't closed all the way.

"You should have hit him harder," a boy's voice was saying. It sounded tinny and I assumed it was Stephen's voice coming through her laptop speakers. I pictured the little black haired, blue eyed boy I remembered, trying to see him as a teenager. I'd just seen him not even six months ago, but for some reason I couldn't reconcile the fact that he was sixteen now and interested in my daughter.

Adrianna was smiling, I could tell without having to see her. "I hit him hard enough, trust me. The way his head snapped back, I was scared I'd really hurt him."

"He deserved it," Stephen insisted. "He had no right to touch you. You know," he added hastily, sounding embarrassed. "If you didn't want him to or whatever."

There was a pause and then, "Well, I did let him kiss me once. But... I didn't really feel anything so when he tried to kiss me again I, well, you know."

An even longer pause. "You didn't feel anything?" Stephen asked, sounding like a completely awkward teenage boy. Yup, I could picture it now.

"Nope."

"Cool," Stephen said, sounding relieved, and then realizing just how uncool he sounded. " I mean, you know..."

Adrianna giggled and I rolled my eyes a little at how clueless teenagers could be. I was almost certain I was never like that. But then again, maybe they're cluelessness was a good thing. I didn't really want either of them acting the way I did when I was a teenager.

"I've gotta go," Stephen said. "I'll call you when I wake up tomorrow night. And text me if you can't fall asleep, alright?"

"Yeah, I will." She hesitated a moment. "Hey, maybe I can talk my parents into visiting Court soon."

"Really? That would be cool. We could... I don't know, hang out."

"Yeah," Adrianna said, and I could hear her smiling again. "We could definitely hang out."

I shook my head, and finished walking downstairs. Sydney was right, Adrianna and Stephen were cute for each other. He was a good kid, and I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't try anything with Adrianna. And if he did he knew me well enough to know just what the consequences would be. I smiled to myself. I wouldn't even have to de-vampire whatever I threatened him with, since he was Moroi.

I gathered the strawberries and whipped cream, and hurried back upstairs to my wife, content in the knowledge that my daughter might have found a decent guy to date. And it was just an added bonus that he lived over eight hours away.