Chapter 2

Rose

When life hands you lemons you squeeze the hell out of them until you get what you want.

I had made it in just enough time to put on the dress code required tank top, footless tights and flowing dance skirt. I didn't care what they called it, I called it a tutu and I felt ridiculous in it, but I had learned after 4 years at this school that it was necessity and I wasn't allowed to dance without it.

When I strode out I noticed that all of the ladies were still checking out the new meat. I had to agree with this activity. No one had ever looked so good in a black tank and sweatpants. The other guys looked like babies compared to him. Every muscle in his body was thinly defined and his perfectly

tanned skin stretched tightly over every curvature of muscle. An Aztec type tattoo wrapped around his bicep and there was another on his shoulder blade that was barely peeping through the tank. I found myself very intrigued. He was beautiful, with what seemed to be a side of dangerous.

I found myself tilting my head in wonder at his amazing appearance. I had to get my head together. He could be the enemy after all. That pretty face needed to go back where it came from.

"You do notice that the two of you are watching eachother, right?" Mira jearked my attention away. He seemed to be studying me as intently as I studied him.

I shook my head, as if to clear it.

"Okay class, We're picking partners for the year, so lets round up." Mrs. Wells had a firm presence. She was a tall, thin woman, with black hair and very large teeth. She looked pretty intimidating.

"Jesse, so glad you could join us!" She turned and bowed to him as he walked in the studio.

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Wells." Wow… Someone was sour.

She rolled her eyes as she moved over to the stereo and started with a pop song. "Now, to mix it up this year, everyone is shopping for a new partner.

"Okay. Susan, you start." Susan had deep brown ringlets of curls in her hair, a very thin figure and vivid blue eyes. She was gorgeous. She seemed peaceful as she ran up and started moving to the beat. She was good. I could just feel everyone cringe around me as she moved gracefully through her dance.

"Derrick." Mrs. Wells directed and Derrick moved in to dance with Susan.

This was the way Mrs. Wells viewed the chemistry between two dancers. If they could improvise here, or in a club, she felt that they had enough chemistry to dance together professionally.

Apparently, Derrick didn't quite click with Susan, he almost got kicked in the head. He was a good dancer, just better on his own than with a partner. I felt kind of bad for him. He was shorter than a lot of the guys here, only about 5'7", with long dark hair and a very thin build. He couldn't lift or dip

80% of the girls here.

"Jesse." Mrs. Wells called out and Derrick fell back allowing Jesse to dance with Susan.

Susan kept dancing as Jesse moved around her. They definitely had something there. Something that Jesse and I hadn't had in previous years, even though we were in a relationship. It was amazing watching the two of them. She was graceful and he added a little spunk to her movements.

"Wow." I heard Mira next to me, but I couldn't look away to see her face. They were...

"They're good." Was all I could think to say.

"Okay, who next?" She scanned the group of us that were waiting. "Now Rose, it's your turn." She looked over her shoulder to me as I walked to the floor.

I felt through the beat of the music. The song had changed to a Hip Hop number. I recognized the song right away and it cliqued, so I started to move.

"Term, let's try you." She called. "Sorry, Derrick. She would take off your head."

I could tell by her body language that she wasn't happy to see me, she never was at first. I knew I would change her mind though. I always did.

I danced through the next Corus of 'right round' and started with a spin, then dipped down. Upon coming up with a pop Term grabbed my waist and leg doing a full turn and scooped me into a dip. The sudden flow of the invisible current between us shocked me. His magic. I thought. He smelled so good. Somewhat woodsy.

"Keep dancing." He whispered into my ear. As a true army child would, I fallowed my command.

We kept dancing like this until the song was nearly half over, by that time I had caught on to his style. There were even a few dips and tosses thrown in.

We were dancing without pause, like we had been dancing together for years. I had never danced that good with anyone. It was like he knew me on a personal level. I would have normally said that it was because he had spied on me, but ithis was something more. It was like I knew him too. It was amazing. He was amazing.

When we reached the end of the song he gave me one last spin then, with a paused dip for a dramatic finish, the song ended. His face was inches from mine. Forgetting where I was my eyes froze on his lips. He licked his fuller lip slowly, watching mine as they started to quiver. I had never felt this way. Never been completely caught off guard like this before. Not by attraction anyway. I looked up and our eyes locked.

In that instant his deep gaze started to swirl with a vivid amber color, before they moved back to their full deepened brown. I had seen such a thing happen before, but not in an amber shade. Not in the way mine were now speckling.

He suddenly stiffened. I knew what he was seeing. What was I thinking? I let my guard down. I needed to get away. This had never happened to me before. I scrambled around trying to think of an excuse, but his grip tightened around my waist.

"Oh-no!" I mentally screamed!

"Rose, you look awful tired. Lets take a bathroom brake, shall we?" Thank God for Mira! She came rushing to my aide and saved me from total idiocy.

I hoped no one else had noticed, as I moved to the bathroom with Mira I kept my eyes closed and let her guide the way. I could smell the change in the air as we entered the bathroom. The stale smell of urine and sweat. When I knew we were alone I opened my eyes. I was calm now, but I checked in the mirror anyway. Nope, gray again.

"What happened back there? You went all spotted!" She was obviously concerned.

"I don't know. There's something about him that I can't place. The way we moved, the way I felt in his arms. This is bad, Mir!" I started to pace. "Not like I planned it!"

"Oh." Suddenly she seemed to understand as she repeated slower. "OOHHH!"

"This isn't good." She shook her head. "He saw your eyes. We don't even know what he is or who sent him."

"I know. I need to go home. Now." I whined, then thought better of it. "No, I need to see Tate at the base. The only way he wouldn't have known would be if he had been hired by one of two people."

"You're going to the base?"

"I have to." I moved toward the door and pulled it open.

"You haven't been there for two years!" Mira called after me.

I changed my clothes and geared myself up to go to the base. It was a two hour drive from where I lived… If I fallowed speed limits. Which I never did.

Once at the gate I was welcomed by security. Joe, was a portly, older, balding man, but a sweeter man you would never meet. He was the man who would bake fruitcake for the masses on Christmas. The good kind.

"Rose! You're back!" He smiled to see me.

"Just have something to deal with real quick. I'm not stickin' around." I ground my hands into the steering wheel of my SUV. Yes! I may be little, but I liked big cars.

"Tate business?" Ah, yes.

"Tate business." I gave a nod.

"Head on in, you've got lifetime clearance, Dear." He motioned me through.

Walking in was different somehow, even though nothing had changed since I was young, but now I hated coming here. It was harder for me.

Marcus used to meet me as I exited the elevator, to fill me in on the way to Tate's office, we always ended up in Tate's office. My fault, ofcourse. I missed his ranting and raving. I could still hear it now.

"You're in for it!"

"I can't believe you blew up the network!"

"What were you thinking getting involved?"

"He found out!"

"Run away, the way you came. Fast!"

"We need to figure out what to say, before you go in there."

"You can't keep doing this."

I missed my brother.

I sighed, the thought of this place and my brother hurt more than anything. That's why I left over 1 year ago and hadn't come back.

When I marched into Tate's office, he hurried to close the open files on his desk as he looked up. What didn't he want me to see? I used to be his missionaire.

"Rose, What happened? Is everything okay?" I had to give it to him, he seemed genuinly concerned.

"Oh nothing too much." I sat in the chair across from him, crossing my feet on the desktop. "Just came for some info. You know... The usual."

Of course he was silent waiting for me to start. Wouldn't want to give anything away would he? "Who the hell do you have fallowing me?" I could feel my eyes bugging out of my head. I didn't bother to

try to keep my calm. It was Tate after all.

"I have no one fallowing you. After you hospitalized the last 2 humans and killed my vampire, I don't send anymore. I've lost some good men, Rose."

"It was four vamps and you learned."

"You are just like Cat." He shook his head in awe. "The last three were Bones' men. Don't you talk to him?"

"No I don't." His comment sent me off even more. "And I am nothing like her, nor will I ever be!"

"Why don't you come back to work?" He asked in sheer delight. "I know you need to get out some frustration.

"I told you, I don't have my strength back yet."

"Your blood results show your strength has been back since that week Rose." He stared. "Two years ago."

"I lost everything, Tate." I shook my head. "I won't go back to that."

"We all lost!" He stood abruptly.

"You lost 2 people you work with. I lost Marcus and an Uncle Don within one year. All due to my power. I won't use it!" I stood toe to toe with him. Powers or not, I never cowered.

"Don died for what he believed in, not your power!"

"And Marcus?" I started to tear, but fought it back. "What about Marcus?"

"Marcus loved you. He took care of you. We all loved him." Tate was nearly whispering again.

I froze. "He's still out there."

"Somewhere... Until we hear something substantial we can't jump the gun though. We're still searching." Hence the file on his desk.

"Who's this guy, if you didn't send him?" I needed to bring the subject back to the matter at hand. Before I lost my mind running through that day again and again.

"Try Bones." He smiled widely at me.

"That's the same as talking to a damn wall." I turned to walk out, the anger washing over me.

"You're telling me." He griped, more to himself than me. "Rose, come by more often. We do actually miss you around here." He spoke as if it was an order, not a request.