Who: Sydney Sage and Adrian Ivashkov What Arrival/Reunion When: May 15th-May 16th Where: The Room of Requirement, the Hospital Wing, the Great Hall Rating/Warnings: PG-13 at least. The Fiery Heart and Silver Shadows spoilers, references to being drugged and to eating disorders, slight nudity but not in sexual context. Status: Complete
Sydney had sealed her fate and she was now going into re-education. The only thing that was keeping her from taking back everything she had just said was the thought that once she was out of there and once the drugs were out of her system, Adrian would be able to dreamwalk her. He would be able to find her--and she could find herself. Everything would turn out okay. Or, it could turn out drastically wrong. She knew that this was a risk. It was a huge risk. She had to keep her faith, though. Adrian would find her and her magic would be enough to keep her from being brainwashed. Centrum Permanebit. It had to. She had to keep her strength because her true love was out there and he had to find her. He had to save her from this place.
It was as soon as the words were out “I fell in love with a vampire,” that the room flooded with light. It was worse than the opposite. Because she had been in the darkness so long, the light was blinding and bright. She didn’t know what was going to happen now, she just knew that wherever they were taking her, they couldn’t keep pumping drugs into the air.
The next thing she knew was that she was in a room with other people. The blinding light had gone, but it still caused that slight blindness. She knew there were people because she could see shapes. She could hear their voices. They were as confused to be there as she was. She was so disoriented and tired that she had no way of knowing how many voices. Nor could she recognize any of them. Not that she expected to. This was re-education after all, wasn’t it? None of the other Alchemists she knew would be here. Even Keith had been rehabilitated. She shuddered visibly at the thought of turning into a drone like that.
She stood in the room in nothing but her white shift, trying to figure out where she was and why she was suddenly here. Before she had a chance, exhaustion and the remaining drugs in her system took over and she fell to the floor as she passed out.
-Adrian had been trying desperately for weeks to find any leads on Sydney, with no luck. Everyone was trying; Even their friends back in Pennsylvania. Rose had originally wanted to go find the Alchemists and demand information on where Sydney was, or she’d kick their asses, but Dimitri told her that wouldn’t be helpful. He was continuously trying to get anywhere with the spirit dreams, but so far, he found nothing. Jackie tried to use tracking spells, to no prevail. Marcus said only few Alchemists knew where the re-education centers were, and he wasn’t one of them.
Adrian refused to give up, despite his worries and nightmares that she’d forget him. That she’d finally return, and be a soulless droid. He often awoke from the nightmares, screaming her name. Jackie tried to reassure him that compulsion wouldn’t work on her since she had the magic within her and had been practicing. Nevertheless, he was also concerned about what they were doing to her.. Were they torturing her? Would they kill her if they couldn’t re-educate her? Or would they exile her like Marcus? Perhaps they’d just lock her up. He’d tried to go to a few classes, but ended up falling asleep. Rowena often had to poke him awake to do his work. That was, when he actually went. He ignored his phone, unless it was somebody with possible news about Sydney. He was waiting for the call, maybe from Rose, or Marcus. ’We found her. He often had those dreams as well, dreaming of finding her, and getting her back. Then he woke up and realized she was still gone.
Adrian was trying to work on a piece of art, not going well, when he was suddenly transported to some strange room, with a lot of people he didn’t know, all confused. He frowned, looking around. That’s when he saw her. Sydney. She was in the corner of the room, limp on the floor, in a small gown that barely covered her. He watched her collapse as she passed out. He considered that he might be dreaming, but this was too weird, even for his spirit crazed mind. He made his way over to her as quickly as his body would carry. “Sydney,” He called, fighting back tears as he fell to his knees, grabbing her. She looked terrible. She was dirty, she was thinner than he’d ever seen her, and she looked extremely exhausted. He pulled her into his lap, holding her as close as he could get her, still trying to fight the tears of relief as he finally held his girlfriend for the first time in weeks.
Without the drugs pumping constantly into the air around her, Sydney didn’t fall into as deep a sleep as she had been before. She felt somebody moving her. Probably one of the Alchemists, moving her to take her to her new cell? Room? She couldn’t really be sure where she would be next. She had been told she would get a real bed, though. That would be nice. She could sleep off the drugs and the exhaustion in a real bed and maybe she would feel better. She almost didn’t care enough to open her eyes, but then she remembered that no matter what, the Alchemists were the enemy.
When her eyes fluttered open, an unexpected face came into focus. In fact, now she knew she was dreaming. “Adrian?” Sydney asked, her voice weak and dry. She knew she shouldn’t be giving into the dream, giving into hope that Adrian was really there… but what if he was? What if enough of the drugs had worn off that Adrian had managed to find her in a spirit dream? She still couldn’t give him any information on where she was, but gave her hope that maybe they could really get through this. If he could really find her in her dreams, he could keep finding her.
“Is this... a spirit... dream?” It was still hard to make sentences, so the words came out broken, but she had managed to get them out nonetheless. She didn’t know what dream-Adrian would tell her, or if it would even be the real answer. She could be hallucinating the whole thing, maybe a side effect of the drugs wearing off? She didn’t know. All she knew was that dream or hallucination, she was in the arms of the person she wanted to return to the most. And that was enough to give her hope.
-Adrian held her close, not ever wanting to let her go. He looked at her as she spoke, not realizing she’d woken up. It was so amazing to see her, remember the feeling of holding her, the look of the gorgeous molten gold eyes.. Even dirty and malnourished, she was beautiful, and he was so happy to see her. He shook his head at her question. “No. I don’t know what it is. I was trying to paint and all of a sudden I was here. I have no idea how, but we’re here, and we’re together,” He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. None of his dreams were this real. He could tell by how it felt to hold her. “I’ve missed you, so much,” He said, hugging her tightly to him, careful not to hurt her though. He didn’t care where they were, only that they were together.
Sydney didn’t know what to think of the answer that Adrian had given her. It didn’t seem real to her that they could really be together. Not after everything. And how would he have found her at that moment? It wasn’t as though the Alchemists would hand her right back to the vampire that had caused her to sin in their eyes. She knew better than that. If they had their way, Sydney would never see Adrian Ivashkov again. So where were they? How were they together? He didn’t seem to have the answers and neither did she.
She could hear talking in the background. It sounded like someone was taking charge and rounding all of the confused people up. She clung to Adrian, though it wasn’t tightly by any stretch. She didn’t have the strength for that. All she knew was that she couldn’t be away from him, not after everything. “Don’t let them take me away,” she murmured.
Adrian pulled her close. “I won’t, Syd. I’ll be right here,” He promised, standing up. He picked her up as he stood, doing so with ease. Adrian didn’t care what it took, he would stay with her as long as he could. He still couldn’t believe he was with her, and he didn’t know how, but he didn’t care. He was with the love of his life, and that’s what mattered.
He heard the people in charge tell anyone who needed medical attention to follow one of the other people, and the rest would go to some Halls or something. He wasn’t overly paying attention. Adrian wanted to get Sydney checked out, and make sure that she was okay, so he followed the person to get checked out. “Everything will be okay. We’re together and I have you,” He promised, holding her.
Sydney wrapped her arms around Adrian’s neck as he stood up, holding her. She wasn’t really listening to the people in charge and if she had been, she wasn’t sure how much she would have understood anyway. The difference between being here and being in that dark cell was that when they wanted her to listen, they had pumped stimulants into the air. Here, she had no drugs or stimulants, which meant that she would have to wait for the drugs to wear off completely.
She let Adrian carry her, trusting him with everything she had right now. She knew that he wouldn’t want to lose her again and there was no one she could trust more. Adrian would keep her safe, she knew it. She rested her head against his chest as he walked, following behind some other people. She didn’t know who they were either. She yawned as they walked, a part of her wanting to go back to sleep but a part of her afraid to. What if she went to sleep and Adrian disappeared? What if she went back to sleep and she woke up back in that cell? She couldn’t stand it.
Adrian looked down at her, seeing her yawn. “Get some sleep, baby. I’ll be right here when you wake up, I promise,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. He really wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t want to do it while she was half out of it. He carried her back toward the place that looked like a hospital, or maybe an infirmary. He carried her to a bed, laying her down. Still, he kept his arm around her, and sat on the edge of the bed until they came over to check on her. He was hoping she’d sleep, she looked like she needed it.
Sydney tried to sleep, but unlike her cell, it seemed like every little thing would wake her up. Her eyes opened again as he laid her into the bed. She looked up at him, then she looked around as best she could. They were definitely in a room that looked like an infirmary of some sort. Were they going to help her? Or was all of this some trick of the Alchemists? Maybe they really were making her hallucinate Adrian all this time. But no, she knew that deep down it had to be him. “Where are we?”she asked him. “What’s going on?” she still had no idea what had happened to get her here in the first place. Or where ‘here’ even was.
Adrian looked down at her as she opened her eyes, apparently unable to sleep. He stroked her hair softly, wanting to keep her calm. "We're in an infirmary of sorts. I want to get you checked out. You look terrible and beautiful all at the same time," he told her, twirling her golden locks between his fingers. "I'll keep you safe," he promised.
Sydney’s eyes closed as he stroked her hair, though she didn’t fall asleep. It felt good and reassuring all at the same time. She wasn’t at all offended that he said she looked terrible. She knew she must look awful. She had done her best to clean herself, but there were limited options. She knew she had lost weight and she supposed she could consider herself lucky that Adrian hadn’t brought that up yet. “I’ll be fine,” she replied softly. “The drugs just need to wear off.”
Adrian knew she'd lose weight, but he highly doubted that it was her fault. He couldn't imagine what the Alchemists had done to her. He held her close as she leaned against him, continuing to play with her hair. He had to shift to sit next to her in a chair as a doctor or nurse or something came over to check on her, but he took her hand, squeezing it. The doctor said she needed a good hearty meal, a bath and some sleep, and that she'd be fine. She said that there were baths and showers down the hall. "Can I take her?" Be asked, hopeful. He'd fight for her. Even if he couldn't bathe her himself, he'd be right outside.
While the doctor checked up on Sydney, she did everything she was asked and to the best of her ability. The doctor only confirmed what Sydney already knew, so it came as no surprise. She waited as Adrian was told where to find the baths and showers and his question to take her. Adrian had already seen her naked, so there wouldn’t be problems there, except that she was a lot thinner now than when he had seen her before. Still, there was nothing sexual about this, she knew that. Adrian just didn’t to leave her and after everything that had happened, she couldn’t really blame him. Maybe the doctor saw that there was no use in fighting, or maybe they really didn’t care what the people did on their own time, but a consenting nod was given before the doctor went to look at someone else.
Adrian relaxed as he was given permission to take her to the baths. He picked her back up, carrying her down the hall to the wash room. It was currently empty. He went back to a section, closing a curtain to give them privacy, and set her on a chair as he ran the bath, getting it all nice and warm before he placed her in it. He found soap, wash cloths and even some hair products nearby. He got a wash cloth and soap first, starting to wash her off.
Sydney wrapped her arms around him once again as he picked her up. She was sure she could wash herself, but she really didn’t want to be away from Adrian right now. Not after she had just gotten him back somehow. While he didn’t apply to the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ rule, it gave her more strength to see him and touch him than she had had when she was just determined to see him again. It also gave her more hope. She didn’t know where she was or why she was here, but she finally had her boyfriend back.
As he lowered her into the warm bath, her eyes closed. For so long, she had been cold in that cell. Those times of using the sink to clean herself had only made her colder. To have a real bath felt more amazing than she could express and she wanted to enjoy it. She relaxed in the tub as he started to wash her off.
Adrian could tell since she got there that she was cold. He could feel it in the way he held her. He was trying to keep his emotions in check; He was angry at the Alchemists for doing this, he was sad seeing the love of his life like this, but he was also overwhelmed with happiness after not seeing her did so long. He continued to wash her, letting her relax.
Sydney closed her eyes, appreciating the feel of a warm bath like she had never thought she would. It was one of those things that she had always had her disposal, no matter where it was. The water pressure might not have always been perfect and the temperature might not have always been the most idea, but she could always shower or take a bath, until the Alchemists captured her. After a few moments, she opened her eyes again, looking at the boy who was washing her. “Somehow, I don’t think you ever planned to bathe someone else,” she commented.
Adrian washed her the best he could, knowing she'd probably need a proper shower at a later date, when she had the strength. He looked over at her when she made the commented. "It wasn't in my plan, but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're here now," he said, his eyes glassed with the tears he was trying so hard to hold back.
Sydney reached out with one of her hands and stroked his cheek gently. She had known that none of this would be easy for Adrian. She might be the one who was being tortured, but he had had to go on with his life without knowing where she was or if she was okay. "You're right," she agreed. "I'm here now."
Adrian leaned into her touch. The smallest little things brought sparks, the little things he missed... The gold flecks in her eyes, the adoring look she gave him, the feeling he got when she touched him, even if it was something as simple as stroking his cheek. He placed his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze before he went back to her bath. "I'm going to try to find you something to wear. I'll be right back, I promise," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he got up.
Sydney could tell that the touch, as small as it was, was comforting to him. That was all she could do right now and for the time being it seemed to at least help. She helped it there until he squeezed her hand and she nodded as he told her he was going to find her something to wear. It would be nice if there was something that was a little more concealing than the white shift she had been wearing since they had given it to her. “I’ll be right here,” she promised softly.
Adrian looked around a little, finally finding some clothes for her. He also found towels and a blanket for her. He made his way back, setting the clothes and blanket aside, bringing the towel with him. "Can you stand?" He asked. She'd been so weak, he wasn't sure. He'd still had the intention of carrying her back to bed, but it'd be easier to dry and dress her if she could at least get out.
Sydney waited for him, still relaxing in the bathtub. She was still very tired and wanted to sleep, but she knew it would be best to stay awake while in the tub, especially while she was alone. Once he returned, she watched as he set everything aside except the towel. She nodded a little and pushed herself to a standing position, keeping ahold of surfaces nearby to keep her balance as she stepped carefully out of the bath.
Adrian did his best to help her keep her balance, wrapping the towel around her and helped her sit down, drying her off. Once dry, he helped her get dressed, knowing she probably just wanted to sleep. "I don't know if you're still cold, but I brought you a blanket if you need it," he said, trying to get her hair as dry as he could with the towel. "Ready to go lay down?" He asked.
Sydney cooperated the best she could as he dried her off and helped her dress. She hated feeling so helpless, but until the drugs wore off completely and she had a good night’s sleep, it wouldn’t change. She could only hope that she would sleep better tonight where she was. She had already had the chance to lay in a bed and while it wasn’t the most comfortable, it was a real bed. That was what mattered. “Thank you,” she replied as he explained about the blanket, then she nodded as he asked if she was ready to go lay down.
Adrian nodded, kissing her cheek, before he picked her back up. Even if he didn’t have to carry her, he wanted to keep her close. He made his way back toward the infirmary, laying her back in her bed. He sat next to her, interlacing their fingers. "Do you need anything?" He asked. He wasn't going anywhere, but he wanted to let her sleep soon. Sydney could have probably managed to walk with a little help, but she too wanted to be close to Adrian and she was too tired to fight him on it. She wrapped her arms around him as he carried her back to the hospital wing and she laid on the bed, once again glad for a real bed to lay on. She held to his hand, not wanting to let go. “No,” she replied, shaking her head to confirm that. She was hungry, but not unfed. She could sleep and then eat something in the morning. “I just want you.”
Adrian kept hold of her hands. If the beds were bigger, he would have slept in bed with her. But he was fine where he was. "Then get some sleep," he said, squeezing her hand. "I'll be right here, I promise," he said, leaning over and kissed her lips softly.
Sydney closed her eyes gently and kissed him back. “Will you stay here?” she asked him. It might be a little selfish to ask him to stay, but she needed him there right now. She wanted to know that he would still be close by when she woke up. What she really wanted was to curl up in bed with him, but she knew she couldn’t do that.
Adrian nodded in response to her question. "I promise. Right here," he said. He kissed the back of her hand, squeezing it. "Sleep. I'll keep you safe," he told her.
Sydney smiled softly, closing her eyes. She trusted Adrian to keep her safe and sleeping sounded really good. Maybe she would feel better after getting real rest.
Adrian was glad to see her beautiful smile again. He'd missed it. After she fell asleep, he laid his head down, keeping hold of her hand as he fell asleep, hoping he could get through the night without any nightmares, and that she could as well.
*****
Sydney hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in as long as she had been gone--and she still had no clear indication of how long that had really been. So that night, the first without the constant drugs pumping into the air or without stimulants waking her up later, she had been able to sleep through the night. She felt more rested than she had before, though the events of the previous night were blurry. She didn’t remember what happened. She could vaguely remember confessing her ‘sins’ so that they would get her out of the cell, and she thought she remembered Adrian, but that had to be a dream, right? She didn’t think it was a spirit dream either.
She shifted slightly, looking around the unfamiliar room. So this was reeducation? She had to share the room with other people? But then she realized there was a hand holding hers. She nearly pulled it away, but she looked to see a familiar head of hair laying on the bed next to her. “A-Adrian?” she asked. No, it had been a dream, she had been sure of it. But what if it wasn’t? What if the fuzzy events of the night before had been real? Where did that mean they were? Adrian woke up as he felt her move, and heard his name. He shifted, looking up at her, seeing that she definitely looked better than when he first saw her. It also proved that he was really awake and she was really there. He squeezed her hand, giving her a smile. “Hey, beautiful,” He said, leaning over to give her a kiss. “How do you feel?” He asked her, reaching over to brush her hair out of her face.
Sydney couldn’t believe this was happening. She was really with Adrian again. How or why almost didn’t matter at that moment--almost, but as was Sydney’s nature she did want to understand everything--all that she cared about was Adrian sitting there next to her. She kissed him back softly, taking in his scent. “I feel…” she didn’t know for sure. She was more rested, but she could still tell that the drugs weren’t fully out of her system. They were working their way out, though, that was what mattered. “Better,” she told him. “I’m hungry, though.” She hadn’t eaten anything but that disgusting gruel since her capture. She wanted real food, warm food.
Adrian was glad to see her feeling better. The doctor said she’d be fine with a bath, good nights sleep, and some food, so he wasn’t surprised to hear that she was hungry. “We’ll get you some real food soon,” He told her, stroking her cheek. He looked over as a doctor came over to check on her, telling them where to get lunch, and that they’d have to get their housing taken care of. Adrian really didn’t want to get taken away from Sydney again. He’d just gotten her back. But he wasn’t sure if they’d be able to room together. The thought made him frown. “Do you want to go get food?” he asked.
Sydney waited as Adrian talked to the doctor. She was glad that they seemed to be letting her go for now. She nodded in response and got down from the bed, stumbling a little once her feet hit the floor. She used the bed to steady herself, then she looked up at Adrian again. She didn’t want him to worry about her. She was still a little weak and unsteady, but she was doing much better than she had any of the time she had been in that cell.
Adrian slipped his arm around her to help steady her. He wanted to make sure she was okay, and he didn’t mind keeping her close. He wanted to stay with her, and never leave her, but he knew that was irrational.He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, helping her down toward where they would get lunch. He still had no idea where they were, but he had a feeling they’d start getting answers soon. All he cared was that he had his girlfriend back with him.
Sydney was glad that he hadn’t changed his mind and made her get back in the bed. She just wanted to go with him and to get food. She stayed close to him as they made their way through the castle--and it had to be. There seemed to be nothing modern in this building. She felt a little disoriented when she noticed that a staircase wasn’t where she thought it had been.Of course it didn’t move, though. They had probably just walked more than she thought. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said softly as they walked.
Adrian gave her a smile as he helped her. It wasn’t a burden to help her, he just just supporting her and made sure she was stable. He looked down at her comment, smiling even more. He couldn’t stop smiling now that he was with her. “I’m glad to have you back too,” He said, pulling her closer. “I’ve missed you so much,” he said, his smile faltering a little, and he had to fight back his emotions once more, not wanting to get all emotional and just have a good day with her, wherever they were.
Sydney continued to walk with him until they reached what looked like the bottom floor. There were the doors that led to the Great Hall, of course she didn’t know that was what it was called at the time. She stepped inside the room, keeping close to Adrian the whole time. The room wasn’t crowded, most people had probably had lunch already. “I guess we just find a place to sit?” she asked. There were four long tables all facing the same way and one table at the head of the room. Each of the four tables had decorations of different colors. Sydney didn’t know what they meant.
Adrian shrugged, looking around. “I guess?” He said, unsure. The doctor hadn’t given him a specific table to sit ay or anything like that. He went over and found a space that wasn’t busy, sitting with her. There was food on the tables already, and everyone seemed to be eating. It felt weird being in a place they didn’t know, but they had to get used to it, since they were unsure how long they’d be there.
Sydney walked with him until he found a place to sit and she sat down next to him. There was a lot of food around her, some of it fattening, but she didn’t really care about that for once. She just wanted to eat. She started to put all kinds of different food on her plate.
Adrian was glad that she was okay with eating whatever she wanted for once. She’d taken a lot of weight off in the few weeks she’d been gone. It was the smallest he’d ever seen her, and it worried him. But she seemed to be trying to fix that, and eat what her body needed. He was sure she needed protein, sugar, and a bunch of other nutrients. So did Adrian. The thought of needing nutrients made him think about the fact he’d need blood soon, and was wondering where he’d be able to get it. He’d figure that out later and focused on the real food in front of him, putting some on his plate and started to eat.
Sydney knew that he couldn’t be happy about the weight she had lost. She also knew that he wouldn’t misplace the blame on her. She didn’t know for sure how bad she had been the night before, but she had had to be bad enough that he would know she hadn’t been treated well in captivity. She started eating, not caring how much she ate, or even what. Her body was hungry and it wanted anything aside from the lukewarm cereal she had been eating. This food was amazing and she ate it like she hadn’t eaten in months.
Adrian let her eat, not saying anything. He could last a few days without blood as long as he got proper food, but he’d still need it relatively soon. He’d also lost a lot of appetite in the past few weeks, so he needed the food as well. He was sure if he had any weight to lose, he would have lost it, but he was already moroi-thin, and couldn’t get much thinner. Still, he kept close to her, every now and then resting a hand on her leg, or back. Just anything to remind him that she was really there, with him.
Sydney noticed that he kept touching her as they ate and she didn’t doubt that it was for reassurance. It reassured her too, it made her remember that he was really there with her. She wasn’t hallucinating and she knew it wasn’t even a spirit dream. She had noticed the difference the very first time she had had a spirit dream with him and she had enough now that even with a drug-addled mind, she could tell. She gave him a small smile as she ate, hoping that they wouldn’t have to be separated anytime soon.
Adrian smiled over at her, just wanting to appreciate her company for the moment. He kissed her cheek softly between bites, taking a sip of his drink. He was fairly certain they were in some kinda weird school, from what he’d seen while they were walking. He wasn’t really sure what kinda school, but everyone was speaking with some sort of an accident that he thought was british, so they had to be over there somewhere. He was just trying to piece everything together and understand what happened.
Sydney continued eating an amount that was very uncharacteristic of herself. She wasn’t being sloppy about it, of course, but she didn’t pick at her food like she usually did. She knew that for once she probably needed to gain weight, though she was sure that it wouldn’t be long before she felt like she needed to lose it again. For now, she was going to actually take advantage of the fact that she had food in front of her. Real food. “This is amazing,” she said after swallowing her latest bite.
Adrian smiled over at her, glad to see her eating. He never actually saw her eat readily, and he was happy for it. Sure, since her chewed her out, she'd been better about eating, but he knew she was still self conscious. "Yeah, it is good," he said, not wanting to comment on the fact he was glad she was eating.
If it hadn’t been for the conditions she had been in before coming here, Sydney wouldn’t have been eating like this. She knew she had to make up for the lack of food from the cell and she was definitely enjoying her food now. When she finally decided that she had enough, she pushed her plate aside. She had already eaten more than she had ever eaten in one sitting before. A part of her felt guilty about it, the part that would always feel like she had to watch what she ate. The rest of her knew that she had needed it.
Adrian finished up what he was eating and took her hand. She looked a lot better. Obviously it would take time before she looked really healthy again.. Whatever they drugged her with still had to get out of her system, and it'd take time for her to return to her old body shape, but she had some color back in her face, and was glowing a bit more.
Sydney held his hand as he took hers and she gazed into his eyes. She couldn’t believe they were really together again after everything that happened. “Centrum Permanebit," she said softly as she kept her eyes on him. It was those words that kept hee going when she had been in captivity. Those words and Adrian.
Adrian had been having a hard time holding himself together since he saw her, and he felt like he was going to break at that moment. The smile, that look in her eyes that he missed so much, the words he held onto to tightly, and ended up in a lot of his artwork, the feel of her hand in his.. If they were at home, everything would be perfect. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him, his head buried in her neck. “Centrum Permanebit,” he repeated.
Sydney wrapped her arms tightly around him and drew in a deep breath. It felt amazing to be in his arms again, to hug him and to know that they would find a way to be okay. They had to. If she hadn’t already known he was the one she was meant to be with, this proved it. Whatever had pulled them here pulled them together. That was no accident. It couldn’t be. “I love you, Adrian,” she whispered, tears running down her face. Her reactions were delayed, but after everything she had gone through she really didn’t think she could be blamed.
Adrian knew she’d been trying to process everything in the past few hours, and didn’t blame her for her delayed emotions. He’d been fighting his emotions since he saw her. He cupped her face, wiping her tears away. “I love you too, Sydney. So much. More than I could ever think to tell you,” He said, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes glassed with tears once more.
Sydney gazed into his eyes as he wiped her tears away. She drew in a deep breath and kissed him softly. She didn’t care where they were, she didn’t care if other people were watching him. She loved him more than she could express and they had been apart for too long as far as she was concerned. After a few moments, she pulled back. “Hopper,” she said, just remembering their pet callistana. “Where is Hopper?”
Adrian looked down at her when she asked about Hopper. He'd been sick and stuck in Rock form. He left him by his bed to remind him of Sydney. "At home, by my bed." He said. "I can't call him out of his rock form. Only you can," he told her.
Sydney had grown very attached to the little dragon and it made her sad that he wasn’t here. Adrian couldn’t have been expected to know that he was going to magically take a trip somewhere else, however. Sydney certainly hadn’t known, after all. She nodded a little, trying not to let it show how she felt that he wasn’t there. She didn’t want Adrian feeling guilty for something he couldn’t control. She just nodded, not sure she trusted herself to speak.
"I normally take him with me, but I was at home painting, so he wasn't on me," he said, holding her close. He'd missed the little guy. Especially since he was his tie to Sydney. "I love you. So much," he said.
Sydney nodded, not blaming him at all. She just wished they had a way to get him to them. “I love you too,” she replied, her arms still around him. “I’m just glad I have you."
"I'm afraid we're going to be split up when we get put in our rooms," he said with a frown. At least now he could dream walk her, but he'd still miss her. He wanted to actually hold her and wake up with her.
Sydney hadn’t even thought about that. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to believe it as a possibility. Now that Adrian had brought it up, it made sense for them to be split up, however, not that that made her accept the possibility any more. “Do you think they would really do that?”
Adrian shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seems like this is a school, so I imagine it’d kinda be like Amberwood, and the genders would be split up,” He said. pulling her close. “If you need me, I can always dream walk you, though,” he said, stroking her back.
Sydney didn’t want him to overuse his spirit, that was what had caused the problems with him hallucinating his aunt in the first place. She bit her lip gently, resting against him. “I don’t want you to use it too much,” she replied.
Adrian held her close, stroking her back. “I don’t want to lose you. It’d benefit me as well as it’d help you,” He said. He’d managed to go without nightmares last night, but he was still with her. “Everything will be okay,” He promised.
Sydney stayed close to him as he talked about how it would benefit him too. Maybe to an extent, but it would hurt him more. She couldn’t stand seeing him break like that again. “It’s too much of a risk,” she replied. He had to know that.
"Losing you is too much of a risk," he said, stroking her back. "I've been trying to get to you for weeks, and obviously it didn't work.. Being without you drive me more insane than the magic," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Sydney frowned as he told her it drove him more insane than the magic. She had never wanted him to have to deal with the pain that had come with her capture. “I’m sorry, Adrian,” she murmured, holding him close.
Adrian shook his head at her apology. "Don't be, Syd. It's not your fault. You're here now, and that's what matters," he said, pulling her close as he kissed her cheek.
Sydney was sorry, though. While she hadn’t planned on being kidnapped, she had always known it was a possibility and she had been playing with fire in more ways than one. She was bound to get burned and he right along with her. She rested against him. “Maybe we can work out a compromise,” she suggested, “but you can’t do it every night.”
Adrian nodded. "That sounds reasonable. Perhaps every other night and start to cut back?" He asked, raising a brow to see what she'd say.
Sydney wasn’t sure every other night was a good idea either. She pursed her lips together gently as she considered it. “That’s still a lot,” she pointed out.
"Sydney. I know my limits. I've spent the past few weeks without you and you might get ripped away from me again. I know I'll still have the nightmares, and I doubt you'll be scott free of them either," he said, stroking her back.
Sydney knew that the only reason she hadn’t had nightmares the previous night was because she had been too tired. No dreams meant no nightmares. Once she got back to a more normal sleeping pattern, she fully expected to have nightmares and she wasn’t looking forward to them. She had gone through a lot of unpleasant things when she had been in captivity. “I know I won’t be,” she answered, “but I do need you to be strong and that means not pushing those limits.”
"I'll be fine. Trust me?" He asked. Sure, he was notorious for pushing his limits, but he knew he'd be fine. He squeezed her hand, holding her close.
Sydney bit her lip gently. She trusted him more when it came to her than when it came to himself. “I hope so,” she answered him, gazing in his eyes. “I still don’t know about every other day though.”
“Do you have any other suggestions?” he asked, raising a brow at her. If it was up to him, he’d be with her every night, but he knew she wouldn’t allow that. Anything less than every other day bothered him. He was willing to try for a compromise though.
Sydney thought about it. If they really were separated for housing, it was true that she might not be able to go to him if she had nightmares. While she would prefer to keep it to an as-needed basis, she had a feeling it really would be more complicated than that. “I’m not sure,” she admitted.
Adrian frowned some. “Maybe we can do the every other night, and I’ll tell you if it gets to be too much?” He asked. He wished they could just room together, and then if one of them needed the dream walk, they could just tell each other. But he doubted that’d be the case.
“Alright,” Sydney agreed hesitantly. She still wasn’t thrilled about it happening that frequently, but she knew that she would have bad nightmares and was sure that he would as well. “We’ll have to talk about it, though,” she told him. “I want to make sure that the second you notice it affecting you, you tell me.”
Adrian nodded. “I will, I promise,” he said, taking her hand and interlaced their fingers, giving it a squeeze.They had to trust each other, and he knew he had to be honest. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, stroking the back of her hand. “We’ll be fine.”
Sydney nodded a little. It was the best she could expect at this point, but she did fully expect him to follow through on that promise. She held his hand, smiling softly. “I know we will, I just want to be sure that you’re fine.”
“I’ll be fine too, buttercup,” He said. He knew she originally didn’t like his sweet-tooth inspired nicknames, but he’d missed calling her them. Plus it gave him the slightest bit of feeling normalcy, which he was sure they both needed.
Sydney rolled her eyes at the nickname. They had already had this conversation and she really didn’t feel like bringing it up now. So instead, she just gave a nod. “I hope so,” she said softly. She glanced around the Great Hall. It had emptied more. There were now some people working on various things around the hall. “Would you like to go look around?” she asked. If they didn’t know how long they would be there, maybe it would be good to figure out where things were.
Adrian gave her a small grin as she rolled her eyes. He loved her, and loved that he had her back. He nodded in response to her question. “That’d be a good idea,” He said, getting up and held a hand out to her.
Sydney took his hand, standing up slowly. Eating had helped, but there were still drugs in her system and she didn’t want to push it too far. She smiled at him once she was standing. “Let’s go.”
Adrian slipped his arm around her, partly wanting to keep her close, partly wanding to make sure she was balanced. “Where should we start?” He asked, looking at her as they walked out of the Great Hall. The place seemed pretty huge, and he wasn’t sure how they’d ever find their way around.
Sydney leaned against him as they walked out of the Great Hall. She wasn’t really sure where to start, but she figured they might as well start somewhere. She looked around once they were out of that particular room. There was a large staircase, the last one that they had come down. Across from that, there were two very large doors. If Sydney had to guess, they probably led outside. “Outside or upstairs?” she asked.
Adrian thought about it. “Outside. We both need some fresh air,” he said, heading toward the large doors. He kissed her cheek, pulling her close, glad to have her with him. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.
Sydney nodded and let him lead her toward the doors. Maye fresh air really would do them both some good. She stayed close as they walked and even once they were out the doors, she made sure that some of her weight was on him so that he could help support her. “Let me know if we need to get back inside,” she told him. It was mid-afternoon, after all.
Adrian nodded. “I’m fine right now. I can handle some sun, as long as we try to stay in the shade as much as we can,” He said, keeping hold of her as they walked together.
Sydney knew that Moroi could go out in the sun, but she also knew it could be incredibly uncomfortable for them and she wanted to be sure that they didn’t stay out too long. “Of course,” she replied walking with him.
Adrian smiled, holding her close. He kissed her cheek softly, looking around, trying to figure out what was what. This place would take a while to get used to. If he was there with Sydney, he wouldn’t mind. He was just worried what would happen if they went home. Would she go back to re-education?
Sydney smiled softly as they walked along the grounds. She had gone to a boarding school recently, but it had been a human school and looked much like any other human school would. This looked like a castle as she had suspected, and was seemingly secluded. “Do you think we’re at a moroi school?” she asked. St. Vladimir’s where Rose and Jill had gone was only one of many in the world. She already figured out that they weren’t in America.
Adrian shook his head. "I don't think so. I haven't seen many, if any, dhampir or Moroi around. And I haven't seen a feeder room around, unfortunately," he said, walking with her. He wished they were at a Moroi school but it didn't seem to be the case.
Sydney hadn’t thought about what Adrian would do for blood. It was an aspect of his life that she didn’t really like to think about. While she had accepted him--even his magic--there were things that were still hard for her to accept. Like the fact that he drank blood to survive. “I’m sure they will find something for you,” she said softly. They would have to, right?
“I’ll find something. They’ve got a hospital wing, so maybe they’ll have blood bags or something? Won’t be perfect, but it’ll work,” Adrian said. They’d work the same, health wise, but he still preferred it from the source.
Sydney gave a nod as he said that he would find something. “As long as it keeps you sustained, that’s what matters, right?” she asked, not really wanting to talk about blood anymore. “So what do you think about all of this?”
Adrian nodded in response to her question, knowing she probably didn’t want to talk about blood, and could tell when she changed the subject. “I’m not sure what to think about it.. It’s weird, and I don’t understand how or why we’re here, but I’m also happy to have you here,” he said, interlacing their fingers.
Sydney appreciated that he had dropped the blood conversation so willingly as she changed the subject. She wasn’t really sure what to think about this place either. She knew it had to be better than re-education and she was very glad to be with Adrian again, but she had no idea what brought them there or why. “I’m glad to be with you, no matter where we are,” she replied as she squeezed his hand.
Adrian gave her a smile, squeezing her hand back. He kissed the back of her hand. "Right now I don't see any immediate danger. Jill is still at home, there doesn't seem to be any real danger here, so we should be fine. At least for now," he said.
Sydney nodded as he mentioned that there didn’t seem to be any immediate danger. “Do you think Jill will be safe at home?” she asked. Granted Sydney had been gone anyway and Adrian hadn’t been in charge of her safety anyway, but Sydney had been worried about the young Moroi, even before coming here.
Adrian nodded. "I'm sure she'll be fine. The new alchemist is a real bitch, but she's getting through it. I'm sure Angeline and Eddie will take care of her," he said. It was probably better for her that he was here. He could imagine what she'd been going through for the past few weeks, dealing with all of Adrian's emotions. The nightmares.. It had to be hell.
That didn’t surprise Sydney. Alchemists were naturally cold around Moroi and Dhampirs, but the new Alchemist was undoubtedly debriefed to an extent of what happened. Sydney was sure that she would have been warned about the evil creatures trying to befriend her, so perhaps she was making it clear from the beginning that she wouldn’t fall victim as the previous Alchemist had. “They can’t all be like me,” she commented. “I trust Eddie… and even Angeline.” The redhead dhampir could definitely cause trouble, but she could also step up when she needed to.
Adrian squeezed her hand. "You're just special," he said, kissing her on the cheek. He wished the alchemists were more like her. That people in general were more like her. She judged people based on impressions, not on rumors, stories, or what species they were. It was one of the many reasons he loved her.
That kind of ‘special’ had gotten her into a lot of trouble, but she didn’t regret anything that she had done. The Moroi and Dhampirs that she had befriended in Palm Springs were far more human than the Alchemists, especially proven after her capture. None of them would have treated someone like that for falling in love with the ‘wrong’ person. “I love you,” she said softly, gazing up at him.
Adrian smiled down at her, glad to be able to hear that again. "I love you too. So much," he said, pulling her closer to him. It would take a while until he eased up on the clingyness, but he doubted she'd mind.
Sydney really didn’t mind. He had been the only thing to get her through her time in captivity and she was glad to actually be with him now. She was sure that it was the same way for him. She stopped walking and she kissed him deeply.
Adrian paused when she did, at first thinking that she needed a rest. Instead, she turned to him and kissed him, which caught him slightly by surprise. Nevertheless, he smiled against her lips and returned the kiss just as deeply and passionately.
Sydney let the kiss linger a little longer before pulling back. Despite everything else, she was glad to be back with him and she was happy that he had been the one to find her the night before. It gave her one thing that was familiar in this otherwise completely unfamiliar place. “Don’t ever let go,” she murmured. She didn’t know what would happen when they got out of here, but she did know that they would find a way together again. They had to.
Adrian smiled against her lips, taking her hands and squeezed them. He rested his forehead against hers, shaking his head lightly. "Never, Sage. Ever."
Sydney smiled softly as she gazed into his beautiful green eyes. “I don’t know what will happen after we leave here, but just remember that I love you and we will find a way to be together again.” She had had a plan in the works before arriving. It was a very loose plan as she didn’t know details about re-education, but she knew that he had to be able to reach her once she was there.
Adrian looked down into her eyes, glad to see the look of adoration It was one of the things he’d really missed when he was without her. “And I love you, and I won’t ever give up on you, no matter what,” He said, brushing her hair out of her face, pulling her close to him.
Sydney relaxed against him as he pulled her close. She knew that he would never give up on her, but she wanted him to know that she wouldn’t either. The words she had said right before her arrival made her feel guilty, but not in the way the Alchemists had hoped. She didn’t see falling in love with Adrian as a sin. She pulled back only slightly, gazing up at him. “We will figure this out.”
Adrian gave her a reassuring smile as she turned to gaze back to him. "I know we will. We always will, together," he said. He pulled her close to him, stroking her back.
Sydney smiled softly, kissing his cheek. His resolve made hers stronger. She had already been determined to return to him, but she knew now how determined he was to find her. If she ended up back at re-education after leaving here, she would have that to push her forward. She kissed him again softly. “So now what do we do until dinner?”
Adrian smiled down at her, kissing her cheek in return, before he kissed her back. He wasn’t sure when they’d get their official housing, but he figured it would be after dinner. He really wasn’t looking forward to be torn apart. If this was a school, there was no way they’d let them stay together. “We’ve only explored the outside. We can go in and look around?” He asked.
Sydney replied when he suggested going inside to explore. It sounded like they would have to get used to this place anyway, at least for now. They might as well learn their way around. “That’s fine,” she answered.
Adrian slipped his arm back around her for support, and kept her close to him. He made his way inside. “Which way should we go?” he asked, looking over at her. He wanted to make sure she didn’t overwork herself.
Sydney went inside with him, looking up the grand staircase that rose in front of them. “I suppose we should start by going up there,” she commented. There were a couple of smaller doors in that room, but she wasn’t sure where they led.
Adrian nodded, walking with her up the stairs.”Let me know if you need to rest. You still need to take it easy as the drugs come out of your system,” he said, kissing the side of her head. He wanted to take care of her and make sure she was okay, and stayed that way.
Sydney walked up the stairs with him, taking them slowly. She glanced at him when he mentioned the drugs. “Is it that obvious they were drugging me?” she asked. She hadn’t mentioned it, but he also hadn’t asked.
Adrian nodded to her question. "I could tell with how drowsy you were, and the doctor mentioned that you had something in your system last night," he said, holding her close.
Sydney nodded a little when he explained how he knew. “I feel a little better,” she told him. “They started to wear off once I was out of the cell. That’s the only reason I was able to stay awake at all.” She continued walking with him, not sure she was ready to get into talking about what had really happened when she was in captivity.
Adrian nodded. "I'm sure a few nights of sleep, food and fresh air, and you'll be back to your perfect old self in no time," he said, giving her a smile. He doubted she wanted to talk about what happened in re-education, and he wouldn't ask.
Sydney smiled softly as he told her that she’d be back to herself in no time. He was probably right. The drugs had already started working their way out of her system and she had had a full night’s sleep and a large meal already. It didn’t make everything right yet, but it was a step. “I’m sure I will.”
Adrian held her close as they walked, squeezing her side. "I'll be here for you, no matter what. You know I'm good about sneaking in and out of places," he said, giving her a wink. They'd done it a few times before together.
Sydney laughed softly as he told her that he was good at sneaking in and out of places. “Yes you are,” she agreed. She just hoped that wherever their rooms were, they weren’t too far apart. She wanted to be able to count on going to him in the chance that she did need him. She walked with him through the school corridors, trying to keep an eye on things as they talked.
"I don't have a ladder though right now," his teased, kissing her cheek. He really just wanted to room with her, but they wouldn't know if they could until they got housing.
Sydney smiled as he kissed her cheek. “Might not need it,” she pointed out. They didn’t know where any of the rooms were, after all. Unless he did. She did get the reference, though and she appreciated the joke. “Maybe it’s easier to get in the rooms here than Amberwood.”
Adrian smirked down at her, resting his head against hers. "Mm, a man can dream," he said. They weren't guaranteed to be seperated, but they were clearly preparing for that, just in case. He held her close while they walked.
Sydney laughed softly and walked with him. “Well if you’re dreaming, I would think you would want to dream that we would end up together,” she commented.
Adrian squeezed her to him. "Always, babe," he said, kissing her cheek. He was hoping he'd be able to see her a decent amount, even if they didn't room together.
Sydney smiled softly, walking with him. “So… how were things in Palm Springs before you came here?” she asked, glancing up at him. He had mentioned a little and she was sure it wasn’t easy for him to talk about, but she did want to know everyone was okay.
“It’s been fine for the most part. We’ve all been looking for you when we can. I haven’t kill Marcus yet.. Which is a miracle. Even the guys back in Court are looking for leads,” he said, looking over at her. While he hadn’t killed Marcus yet, every now and then the ex-Alchemist would say something that would push his buttons, and Adrian would go after him. Eddie often had to pull the two apart.
Sydney listened as he explained how everyone had been working together to look for her. It amazed her that so many people would care what happened to an Alchemist, of course these were her friends. That went beyond what species they were. It may matter to the other Alchemists and to the majority of the Moroi world, but the ones she knew truly cared about their friends, no matter who they were. “It’s good to know everyone is looking.”
Adrian squeezed her closer to him, pressing a kiss to her head. “Ever since the second we knew you were taken. Rose, Dimitri, even Lissa and Christian. Marcus has been pulling all his resources, Eddie, Angeline and Jill are trying to get the new Alchemist to budge with any information. We love you, and we weren’t planning on giving up. Not until you were home safe.
Some of the names didn’t really surprise Sydney. Rose was her first friend from their world and while they didn’t talk often, she still valued their friendship. She didn’t know Dimitri well, but that was mainly because he didn’t open up to people easily. She had still spent a significant time around him, though she was sure that his relationship with Rose pushed him into helping. Marcus may not have many resources anymore, but he would be the closest to really finding any information. Eddie, Angeline and Jill didn’t even surprise her. Lissa and Christian did. She had met them both fairly recently and she didn’t know either well. Lissa had the whole Moroi world to lead. “It makes me feel good to know that so many people care.”
Adrian kept walking with her, glancing down to see her reaction. “I think part of it has to do with the fact I’ve been raising hell, trying to get anyone I can to help. But a lot of them were ready from the moment I asked for help. We all love you, Sage,” He said, leaning down and kissed her softly. While Lissa didn’t know Sydney very well, Sydney was important to Rose and Adrian, which was what caused her to do what she could. She had to be careful, but with the Queens resources, it was helping more than without it. Christian just helped because he didn’t believe anyone should have to go through that. He didn’t know Sydney, but he knew what she’d done -- For Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, Jill, Angeline, Eddie.. All of them. So he was ready and willing to fight.
Sydney kissed him back, blinking quickly so that she didn’t start to cry. She had never had anyone who cared that much for her before and it was a strange feeling to have it now. Strange, but very good. “I spent my whole life hating your kind,” she said softly. He knew that. While she had been a little warmer to them by the time she met him, she had still kept herself closed off to them. Things had changed, though. “And now those are the people who are fighting for me.”
Adrian pulled her closer. “You may have hated our kind, but you turned around and started helping us, once you realized we weren’t so bad. We care about you now, and we’re not going to let them take you away from us,”He told her, able to tell she was on the verge of tears. He kissed the side of her head.
It was true, Sydney had realized that they weren’t as bad as she had been taught they were. She was learning more recently that the Alchemists were the real monsters and her time in captivity only helped to prove that even more. “I care about you guys too. You, Jill, Eddie, Angeline, Rose. You’re all important to me.”
“And you are important to us too. Between Rose and I, we’d turn the world upside down, and then still we wouldn’t give up on you,” Adrian said. The two of them were very determined to get what they wanted, and they were both close with Sydney, so there was no way they’d be giving up easy. Eddie also cared about her, and Adrian was pretty sure he also didn’t want to lose another friend, like he’d lost Mason.
Sydney smiled softly, walking with him as he told her how much she meant to him and Rose. She was glad that they felt that way. She knew that as long as she could put herself in a position to be found, they would find her as soon as they could. It made her feel better about her choice. “I agreed to go into re-education,” she admitted. “I asked them about it and it involved being around other people… I don’t think they could have kept me drugged and I was hoping that would make it easier for you to find me.”
Adrian looked over at her, a little surprised. He thought she'd already been in re-education. He was afraid to ask what she'd been going through since then. "You're here now. That's what matters," he told her.
Technically, she hadn’t been. She had been in a cell where they spent their time putting her in the worst possible situation in hopes that she would be desperate for any comforts. And they had offered plenty that she would do just about anything for, but she had held her resolve. Until it had proven fruitless to do so and it seemed like it might actually be better to go into re-education. “But when they find out how to send us home, I might be back there.”
Adrian pulled her tightly to him. "I don't care. I'll find you again. I meant it when I said I wasn't giving up on you, ever," he said.
Sydney kissed his cheek softly, his resolve meaning more to her than she could ever say. “I think that once the drugs are out of my system there, you’ll be able to find me sooner,” she told him. “I don’t know what condition I will be in, but the center will hold.”
"I'll keep trying," he promised, pulling her close. He planned to keep the promise and never give up on her. He would keep looking for her forever.
Sydney smiled softly. “I know you will,” she said as she rested against him. She stopped and glanced at a staircase that they had just passed. “Did that just move?” she asked. Maybe the drugs were still affecting her more than she thought.
Adrian glanced over. "I thought I was just seeing things.." He murmured. He'd been using spirit a lot so he wouldn't be surprise if he's been having hallucinations. "This place is getting weirder and weirder.." He muttered.
It was entirely possible for them to have both been seeing things, but for both of them to see the same thing, that couldn’t have been a coincidence. “No kidding,” she said as she glanced at the staircase again.
Adrian shook his head, runnin his fingers through his hair, confused. He didn't know what to think about this place. But it was weird. "My head hurts.." He muttered.
“Do you need to sit down?” Sydney asked him. She might be the one with drugs in her system, but he had a lot to deal with with spirit as well.
Adrian shook his head. "I'll be fine. Just still trying to process everything," he said. He was starting to feel the need of blood but didn't want to worry her. He'd take care of it later after they had dinner and got housing taken care of.
Sydney nodded a little as he told her that he was trying to process everything. That made sense, she figured that was what they were both trying to do. “Let me know, okay?”
“I will,” He promised, kissing the side of her head as he pulled her close, walking around with her. Not much of it was making sense. “Can’t they give us like.. a map or something?” he asked, looking around.
“Have you asked?” Sydney asked. Surely a place this size would have maps available, right? She looked around, not seeing anyone they could ask.
“I didn’t think about it. I’ll ask when we go to dinner,” he said, brushing his hair out of his face, looking at a clock nearby. “If you want to head back toward the Great Hall. It shouldn’t be too long til dinner,” He offered.
Sydney nodded when he said they should probably head back toward the Great Hall for dinner. “Not a bad idea,” she agreed.
Adrian nodded and looked around, trying to remember how to get back to the great hall. He started walking toward a place he was pretty sure was the right way.
Sydney walked with him, trying to remember what way they had come from. With the staircases moving, that didn’t make it easy.
Adrian gave her a smile. “Trust me, I’m sure we can find it here in a few minutes. It’s another reason to head over early. We’ll find it eventually,” He said with a small chuckle.
Sydney smiled softly as they walked. “At least I’m with you in the meantime,” she commented. She didn’t so much care where they were right now or if they got lost, as long as they were together.
Adrian smiled brightly at the compliment, pulling her closer, leaning down as he kissed her forehead. "I love you so much, Sydney. More than I could ever tell you," he said.
Sydney smiled up at him. “I love you too,” she replied as he pulled her close. He didn’t need to tell her how much he loved her, just that he loved her was enough. His actions proved how much.