Disclaimer: I don't own Bloodlines.

A/N: OMG, I know that I'm a little late, but the Ruby Circle was so amazing, and sad, but mainly amazing. (You know if you ignore the fact that there wasn't enough Hopper time, and that Neil and Zoe didn't get together, and that there was a seriously lack of Malachi and Jackie XD) Also, there has got to be another series soon because there was no more mention of Carly/Marcus, Christian/Lissa and Mikhail/Sonya - and you can't just leave it like that!

Zoe and Neil arrived at the hospital only to find Eddie half asleep on a plastic chair, and Jill nowhere to be seen. Zoe ignored this as she flung the door open to Sydney's hospital room, preparing for the worst, only to see her sister sitting up, looking better than she had been in a long time.

"Zoe," Neil whispered, as if they were on a secret mission of some sort. "Are you going to go in?"

Zoe shook her head. "I... I can't."

"Why not?" Neil asked, confused to his girlfriend's sudden lack of enthusiasm of going to see Sydney.

"She's okay now, and she's got Adrian, and Jill, and Eddie - she doesn't need me. I'll just drag back the bad memories, and she doesn't need that. It's my fault that she had them in the first place." Zoe turned to leave, but Neil stepped in front of her.

"You brought her here - and you regret everything you've done. Don't you think that you've felt enough guilt for this in one lifetime?" Neil asked, as Zoe's eyes welled up with tears. "She's your sister, and all she ever wanted was for you to be happy, and for you to forgive her. And she'll forgive you. She is not going to forget all the good things that you did for her."

"No," Zoe answered. "I haven't felt enough guilt, and I deserve to feel more - much, much more! Don't you get it? I put her in that awful place, and I didn't even regret betraying my sister until I found out what they really did in re-education!"

"Yeah, but afterwards-"

"Afterwards what? It was my fault that she is in this mess, that she had lost half of her mind. It is my fault that she became a submissive doll that the Alchemists wanted, unable to think for herself anymore, it's my fault that she nearly had to get married to someone that she didn't love, my fault that she ran away, my fault that she tried to commit suicide, my fault that she didn't died again because of hypothermia! It is nobody's fault but mine! Don't you get that!"

"Zoe..."

"And the worst thing is, is that if I hadn't have met you... if you hadn't have opened my eyes to what was really going on... then I wouldn't feel much remorse, would I? I would have convinced myself that what the Alchemists were doing to her was for her own good, to cleanse, heal and better herself. I would convince myself that nothing was wrong with Sydney, ignore that there was nothing but a vacant look in her eyes, ignore that she couldn't remember or feel things. I would have let her walk up the aisle to Ian, to make dad happy, and I would never talk to mum or Carly again. I would have stayed an Alchemist for the rest of my life, doing my father's bidding, and believing that the Alchemists could do no wrong. Don't you get it! I deserve to feel everything that everyone I ever hurt has been through!"

Tears were streaming down Zoe's cheeks, and Neil gathered her into a tight hug.

"Oh Zoe..." he breathed. "You're a good person, you don't deserve to feel like this - the Alchemists should."

"C-Can we just go home and come back tomorrow?" Zoe asked, as Neil let her go.

"Of course," he answered, as he made way to hold her hand. But her fingers slipped away from his and she walked ahead of him. And she didn't look back.

. . .

Jill made her way into Sydney's room, carrying the biggest cup of coffee that she could find. Sydney was probably craving this stuff like crazy. She stopped at the door for a minute, admiring the scene of Sydney and Adrian finally catching up on all the years they had missed. Sure, Sydney was still a bit distant, and she certainly wasn't the same as all those years ago, but she was still there, and it made Jill smile as she observed the light coming back into Adrian's eyes. She glanced at Eddie, who was dozing on one of the chairs across the room. He hadn't intended on falling asleep, but he had been up for over twenty-four hours.

Jill pushed the door open, and smiled as she waved the rather large styrofoam cup of coffee in greeting. "I managed to just about score the largest cup of coffee in the world."

"Well actually-" Sydney began before Adrian cut her off and laughed.

"Just accept the coffee Sage." Sydney sighed and nodded, holding her hand out for the coffee. Jill couldn't help but feel sad as Sydney flinched when their fingers brushed.

"Thanks," Sydney said softly. "Where's Eddie?"

"Sleeping outside," Jill answered, the feeling of rejection not disappearing. "He's been up for ages and he really just passed out." She smiled thinking of her boyfriend.

Sydney nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "He could always have my bed."

"No Sage," Adrian interjected. "The nurse was very specific in her instructions - and scary about them too."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sydney pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. "And I don't like it in here."

"Yeah, well trust the expert opinions Sage, you are not getting out of here until their say-so. I cannot lose you again."

"You'll never lose me again Adrian," Sydney answered him softly, touching his hand gently.

Jill shook her head, sensing a bunch of soppy love confessions coming on. "I'm out of here," she muttered to herself. And she made her way outside, to the waiting room, to wake up Eddie so he could get some proper sleep.

. . .

Lissa was surprised when she was woken up in the middle of the night by one of her guards, telling her that her presence had been requested urgently.

"Sonya? Mikhail?" She gasped as she entered her sitting room. "What's wrong?"

"Our house was broken into, and Sonya was attacked," Mikhail said, not releasing his hold on Sonya's hand. "I thought that it was some teenage thugs at first, but this..." he shook his head. "This was serious. And Adrian was attacked in the hospital the other day, as well as Nina Sinclair being shot dead."

"And?" Lissa asked, fearing what they were going to say next.

"We think this attacker is targeting all spirit users - which means that..."

"I'm next," Lissa concluded grimly.