Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

This one is for Ezra, because she really liked Chapter 62 - Crazy and wanted more. And for the guest who requested some more hot makeout scenes. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think a did there's anything you guys want to see more of!

P.S. In case you missed it, I just uploaded a new chapter of Through The Darkness today as well :)

A creak startled me awake and I pushed the blankets away.

My room was dark, but I could make out the figure standing by the door, her back to me.

"Sage?" I sat up, rubbing the grogginess from my eyes. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"Yes." Her voice was so quiet. It had been ever since Zoe had brought her to stay with me at Court. Zoe was staying with me too, which wasn't something I'd ever planned on happening, but seeing as she'd helped Sydney get away from her psycho dad and was the only person Sydney felt comfortable with after being tortured and brainwashed in reeducation, I couldn't exactly tell her to beat it.

Zoe was only sixteen and her dad had thrown a fit once he'd figured out where she'd taken Sydney, but her mom was more than happy to tell him where he could shove it. Once she found out what he'd done to Sydney, of course. He'd been forced to back down because one look at Sydney and any judge would have him thrown in jail for a very long time, Alchemist or not.

Since she'd been staying with me here at Court, Sydney'd been to countless doctors and therapists. I was proud of all the work she was doing to get her mind back, something I worried might be stolen from her forever by the Alchemist torture techniques. But Sydney proved that worry wrong everyday. She was slowly, sometimes very slowly, gaining back pieces of herself. At first she'd been unable to communicate in more than a few words here and there. She'd been overstimulated by noise and people. But now she was able to hold full conversations, though they weren't quite the same as they used to be, and she could be around people without feeling the need to shrink into herself.

Even with all of the doctors and therapy there was one setback that she'd recently run into. Nightmares. I woke more than a few times a week to screaming coming from the room she shared with Zoe. The doctors said it was just her subconscious dealing with all of the memories being trudged up in therapy, but the way she sounded during her nightmares, it was like the Alchemists were right there in her room torturing her. It destroyed me to hear her screaming that way and not be able to do anything about it. The doctors said it would stop eventually, and she wouldn't allow me to visit her dreams to keep the nightmares away.

I figured the nightmares were why she was in my room now, but I hadn't heard her scream. And why wasn't Zoe handling it the way she normally did?

"Do you need something?" I asked as she stepped closer to the bed. I didn't attempt to get up or reach out to her. Sydney might have been doing better, but ever since her therapy sessions had managed to clear away some of that fear, a new fear had taken it's place. A fear of me. Or, more precisely, a fear of touching me.

She'd had trouble touching me since Zoe had shown up with her six months ago, but now she knew why she was so afraid. The Alchemists had programmed her to fear me, they told her I'd hurt her, that I'd bite her, drink her blood. She'd told me once she knew none of it was true, but still couldn't shake the thoughts. And she avoided touching me like this was first grade and I was covered in cooties.

"No," she answered now, then shook her head. "I mean, yes. I need to..." She paused and took a breath to steady herself and then sat down on the bed beside me. It was the most daring thing she'd done since she showed up. "Dr. Warner told me today that I needed to... to practice the things I used to be able to do."

"Okay," I nodded, completely set on helping her accomplish that goal, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. Ever since Zoe and Sydney showed up, I'd taken up a human schedule, trying to keep Sydney as comfortable as possible. The plus side of that was, whatever Sydney had her mind set on right now, all the stores at Court were open and all of the people were awake. "Just tell me what you need and I'll get it for you."

"I need..." She paused and took another, deeper breath. Her beautiful brown eyes fixed on me and I watched as they grew larger and larger. She was leaning in towards me, but somehow I only realized what she was planning a moment before her lips touched mine.

A flurry of emotions shot through me at her kiss. She hadn't kissed me since before reeducation. She hadn't been able to get that close to me in the past six months. She'd wanted to, she'd even mentioned it once, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd always end up having a panic attack before she got anywhere near me. But this time was different. This time her lips parted with mine and I could taste the sweetness of toothpaste on her tongue. Really minty, like she'd brushed her teeth just for the occasion.

As soon as her tongue slid into my mouth, any vestige of control flew out the window and I cupped a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer.

"Mmhmm," she murmured against my lips, her fingers finding my chest. I waited for her to push me away, but instead her soft hands slid under my shirt, causing my stomach muscles to tighten in pleasure. She was touching me. She was really touching me! Her hand slid further down my stomach. Wow, she was really touching me.

"Whoa, Sage!" I grabbed her hand and dragged it back up between us, even though every part of my body was telling me what an idiot I was for stopping her. "What's going on?"

"You don't want me to?" she asked softly, but there was no doubt in her tone. She could tell I wanted her to, it wasn't very difficult to tell just how much I wanted her to.

"I want to know why you're sneaking into my room in the middle of the night trying to molest me," I teased, grinning at her. She smiled back.

"Dr. Warner said to practice..."

"Practice the things you used to be able to do," I finished for her. "I'm not sure he meant," I gestured at the lower half of my body, "this sort of thing."

"He did," she nodded seriously. "I asked him."

Okay. She'd asked her therapist for sex advice. Okay.

"You're sure you want to practice this, though?" I leaned back against my headboard and studied her face for any signs of discomfort. I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. She actually seemed pretty damn comfortable. "You don't have to. Don't ever think you have to. I'll always be here for you, no matter what—"

"I don't think that," she said adamantly. "It's... I've been... I want to do this. I kissed you and it was okay. I didn't freak out."

"Yes, but kissing is one thing. This," I said pointedly, "is another."

"I didn't freak out," she repeated, "because I lose myself when I kiss you. I always have. I want this. Please. I need to do this. I have to. Dr. Warner says that it might be good for me."

"Okay, first of all" I said, reaching out for her hand. If she thought she was ready to have sex than she was ready for me to hold her hand. Her fingers tightened briefly, but she relaxed after a few seconds and another deep breath. That wasn't a huge selling point for her I didn't freak out argument. "I'm glad that therapy is going so well, but I don't know if sex is going to cure all of your problems."

"It won't. I know that. But I want to try. I need to. I..." She looked at me and her eyes sparkled, even in the dark. "I miss you."

"Sage, I'm right here."

She shook her head. "It's not the same."

I had to agree with her there. It wasn't the same. Nothing had been the same since the day she was abducted. But we were in a good place and it was getting better everyday. "We can take this slowly," I suggested. "You didn't freak out about he kiss. What if we just kiss for awhile and see how it goes?"

Sydney sighed, clearly annoyed I wasn't jumping her bones. Most guys would have been delighted with that response, but in this situation, the last thing Sydney needed was for us to move too fast. She'd had so many people in her life telling her what to do and I didn't want to be another one, but I also couldn't risk losing her if she did freak out on me. Finally, Sydney nodded.

"Alright, but I get to decide when we stop." She gave me a hard look and scooted a little closer to me. "I know you want to protect me, but I need to start taking bigger steps if I want my life back. And I want it back, Adrian. I want to be able to kiss you without a voice playing in the background, telling me how evil you are. I know who you really are, and that should be enough."

Her words startled me. Sydney was doing really well in therapy, I knew that, but somehow I'd missed this. I'd missed her coming back to me. Without thinking, I reached out a hand and ran it through her hair, pushing it away from her cheek. The faint shadow of her golden lily sat like a reminder of everything the Alchemists had done to her. They'd literally and figuratively branded her and this, being in my room in the middle of the night, was her way of fighting against it. I didn't hesitate as I leaned forward to press my lips to hers.

She sighed again, her hands resting on my shoulders. I could practically hear her heartbeat in her chest, but it was alright because it's fast rhythm matched mine. Her breathing became ragged as we kissed, her warm breath on my lips, my cheek, my neck. I wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly I was on my back and she was on top of me, sucking on my neck so hard she was definitely going to leave a bruise.

"Sage," I murmured, tugging her back to my lips. She allowed it, but her hands were once again traveling under my T-shirt. God, it felt so good. She felt so good. She slipped the shirt up over my head and we barely even broke our kiss. When I pulled back to glance at her she looked practically feral in the dark.

"Please, Adrian," she whispered against my ear. "I don't want to feel stuck anymore. I need you."

"I love you," I said, not kissing her, not touching her. I couldn't give her what she wanted until I knew for sure that she was feeling like herself.

"I love you so much," she cried without hesitation. A sob burst from her and she pressed her lips back to mine. "I love you. I know who you are. I love you."

After that it was too easy for me to get lost in her touch. Caressing hands, soft lips, smooth legs. I was in a heaven I'd nearly forgotten existed. She was so beautiful, straddling my waist, kissing her way down my neck. She sat up, smiling at me before ripping her T-shirt off over her head.

"So beautiful," I murmured, pulling her back to me. She was more than happy to comply and kissed me harder than she had before, squirming on top of me.

My door burst open, startling us both. Sydney froze, as if waiting for the Alchemists to come take her away again.

"Adrian!" A panicked voice cried out. "I can't find Sydney—oh my god! I'm sorry."

The door slammed shut a moment later, but I swear I could still hear Zoe hyperventilating in the hallway. Sydney made a small sound, a mix between a whimper and a groan, and let her head fall to the hollow of my throat.

"Sage, it's okay," I whispered gently, stroking her back. I knew Zoe hadn't meant to ruin this moment for us, but now I was worried about the effect it would have on Sydney. "This is okay. You aren't doing anything wrong."

She didn't look at me, but she did pull back and sit up. It was almost impossible to see her like this, in my bed, straddling my chest, and not pull her back to me. But I knew the damage that might cause. She didn't need any more setbacks.

"I have to talk to her." It was all she said. She rolled off of me and slid off the bed, tugging her shirt back on.

"Sage, you didn't do anything wrong," I said again, louder this time, wanting to make sure she was listening. "This is natural. I'm sure even Zoe recognizes that. She might not like it, but she recognizes it."

She paused, halfway to the door, and turned back. It was dark, but I could just make out the expression on her face. I let out a relieved breath when I realized it wasn't regret or shame sparkling in her eyes, but something else. Something much, much more intriguing.

"I have to talk to her," she repeated. "But I'll be back."

I shifted back, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. "Take your time, and if I fall asleep, wake me up."

She nodded, watching me. I could see her body tense to turn and run after her sister, but she stayed, just watching me for a moment. After a few seconds she stepped forward and leaned over me, placing a hand on the mattress near my waist. Her soft lips grazed my cheek before finding their way to my mouth. I responded, tangling my fingers in her hair and by the time we were done she was kneeling beside me on the mattress.

"Going to see Zoe?" I reminded her, smiling at her dazed expression. Sydney might not be back to one hundred percent, but I loved that she was acting like herself again. Maybe Dr. Warner had a point about all of this practice stuff. She pulled in a deep breath and nodded in response to my question, recollecting herself. The mattress shifted as she got to her feet once more and then she was gone.

I knew any talk with Zoe, especially this one, was going to take more than a couple of minutes, so I closed my eyes, preparing to wait. I startled awake a moment later when someone touched my shoulder. Sydney was sitting beside me on the bed, hovering over me with the faintest smile. I could see her much better now and for a second I thought she had turned a light on or something, but then I realized the light was blue. Dawn. I'd been asleep longer than I thought.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Are you alright?" I asked, pulling myself up into a sitting position so I could see her better. She looked okay. She was still touching me, so I figured Zoe's interruption hadn't destroyed all of the progress we'd made on that front. I reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. She didn't flinch away.

"I'm fine," she said quietly, climbing under the covers with me. The move surprised me, but I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to my chest. This time, she tensed instantly. "I'm alright," she said, wrapping herself around me before I could move away from her. "I need to do things I'm uncomfortable with. If I don't I'll never be me again."

"You'll always be you, Sage."

Her gaze had my stomach doing backflips when she smiled up at me. "Zoe's okay, too," she whispered. "Embarrassed, and claiming to be grossed out, but she said she was happy. She's trying to look at it as progress."

"That's how I'm looking at it," I teased, and she rolled her eyes, but the beautiful all-too-rare smile remained solidly in place. "And I think maybe we should get back to that, what do you say? Leaps and bounds and all that?"

"Leaps and bounds," she laughed gently. "Sure. Let's get back to that."

Then she leaned up and pulled my lips to hers. She still tasted of toothpaste, but there was also a flavor that was all Sydney. I pulled back.

"You've been drinking coffee all night, haven't you?"

"One cup," she laughed, pushing me flat on my back and crawling on top of me. At my disbelieving look, she rolled her eyes and dipped her forehead to mine. "Fine, two cups. But now I have all of this energy I need to burn up."

I laughed and flipped us around so she was beneath me on the mattress. "However shall we do that?"

She pulled my face close to hers, running her fingers through my hair. I'd missed having her do that more than I could even describe. "I have a few ideas," she murmured. "But I'm going to need your help."

"You know I'm always here for you," I whispered against her lips. "Whatever you need."

Then we were lost in a sea of kisses, touches and soft murmurs I'd somehow convinced myself I'd never have again. I should have known better. This was Sydney Sage, after all. She never gave up, even when things looked hopeless. Especially when things looked hopeless.

But we weren't hopeless. Not anymore. We just needed to do what Dr. Warner said and practice.