Authors Note:
Sorry this took so long! I wanted to have it written before I went camping with my friends but the day I wanted to write it one of my friends asked me to come round and help her set up her tent early xD So I've been without internet for like, 3 days ]: bad times. Any who! Hopefully will get a few chapters up today / tomorrow to make up for loss, sorry about that! Thanks to all those who have reviewed, I really appreciate it and it makes me go all fuzzy knowing you're all enjoying this ^_^
Also, out of curiosity, who do you guys think Rose should be with? Adrian or Dimitri? (: Personally I'm torn (why not have both :P ) I just can't pick between the two ): I'm looking forwards to Last Sacrifice soo much! :D
Answers to some reviews:
natalie9083 - haha I know what you mean XD When I start reading a fanfic I usually get right into it, and I hate waiting for updates ]: I'm usually pretty quick at updating, so hopefully this wont happen again [: Thanks for the review and for waiting for this!
laura the book lover - :D I know! He *tries* to ignore the attraction but what happens, happens! ;) I'm waiting eagerly for this lust charm scene D: That will be awkward to write lol :P I love it when he's jealous too, especially when he tired to deny it lol :D
ll-CrazyBear-ll - thanks! Hopefully I will be doing all the books in his POV, I'm really enjoying writing this ^_^
Disclaimer:
Do not own Vampire Academy or any of it's canon characters / places. The only part that are mine and those that I have added to the story - mostly Dimitri's thoughts. This is purely a fanfic for your reading pleasure - I do not profit from it except from reading nice reviews :D
Recap:
"Dimitri… I want a full report on what happened tonight on my desk by tomorrow morning. I expect you to tell me exactly what happened tonight since i assume the Princess will have informed you."
I nodded my head, and instantly Kirova relaxed, suddenly looking concerned and tired. It was obvious that this ordeal was tiring for her as well, and that she had been woken up form sleeping to see to this.
"I'm not sure what's going on here, but this is more than a teenagers idea of a sick joke. I want this to end, now. That girl has been through enough in her life without this added on top of it all…" She sighed, before giving me one last look. "Well, that's all. Get some rest Belikov. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day."
With a final nod to me - which I returned - she began to make her own way towards the Moroi dorms, leaving me alone outside the clinic.
I turned, giving the doors one last wistful glance before making my way back to my own room now feeling tired enough to sleep, my mind still going over who could have done this and their reasoning, the words in the note swirling in my mind.
Whoever it was, clearly wanted the Princess gone.
It took me most of the night to write up my report for Kirova, not that there was much of the night left, anyway. I decided that sleep was clearly out of the equation, I was far too worked up with pent up anger at the rabbit incident to even consider getting some sleep. Instead, I pulled on my sweat pants, a black vest top and my running trainers and decided to run some laps to calm myself down.
Pushing my legs to go as fast as they could I tore off around the track, my breathing laboured and my lungs burning from the push. I had ran almost 5 laps when a figure sprinting up to me from my left caught my attention. Turning my head curiously, I was surprised to see Daniel trying to keep up with me, his eyes wide and pleading for me to slow down which I didn't hesitate to do.
Bracing my arms on my knees I doubled over catching my breath as Daniel finally caught up to me, his own breaths coming out in gasps.
"Beli… Kov… Kir…ova… wants you." He managed to gasp out. I didn't bother to answer, instead I just nodded and tore off once again down the track, this time turning off towards my dorm. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I picked up the report I had spent the night writing and set off towards her office aware that the students were finally beginning to wake up and head towards breakfast. I had ran for longer than I had planned.
With a knock on her office door I hesitated outside before she called me in, her voice sounded weary. Making my way into the room, I gave her the formal nod of respect before sitting in one of the seats oposite her desk. She hadn't looked up since I had entered, instead she was hunched over papers scattered across her desk. I waited patiently for her to finish reading whatever was on that paper and for her turn her attention to me.
At long last, with a tired sigh she finally lifted her head, sitting back in her leather chair as she did so, her body sagging against it. Her eyes looked slightly unfocused, dark circles under them with her face looking haggard. She was clearly exhausted. Looking at my expression she rolled her eyes, lifting her hands in defeat with another sigh.
"I know I know, I look awful. I've already had this from Daniel…" I smiled slightly but before I could say a word Kirova got to the point. "Do you have your report?" I nodded, reaching into my jeans pocket to pull out the three pieces of folded paper. I handed them over calmly, and instantly Kirova was skimming over my words her expression serious.
"Hmmm…" Was all she said when she had finished reading them, however, before she folded them back up and placed them down on her desk. "I don't suppose you got any sleep last night either?" She asked me finally. I shook my head, opening my mouth to speak before she again carried on speaking.. "Me either. I just don't understand how all this has happened. Both Cathy and Miyaka swore blind that nobody other that Vasilissa and Natalie entered the room… It doesn't add up." Kirova shook her head, closing her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. I once again leaned forwards to ask questions of my own before she began to speak again, cutting off whatever I was about to say.
"Go get some rest Belikov.I suppose you'll need all the rest you can get before your training session with Miss Hathaway." With her eyes still closed, Kirova waved her hand at me idly, signalling me to leave.
I almost laughed at the gesture, but reframed from doing so, feeling slightly pissed that she hadn't given me the chance to speak once the whole time. I considered staying, speaking my mind but instead I just nodded my head before leaving the room silently. I wasn't in the mood for petty arguments, and any who, I didn't really have much to say. Making my way to my own dorm, I completely ignored the other students as I walked through the commons, hardly in the mood to see the admiring looks the teenage girls gave me or the strange idol worship the male Novices seemed to display.
There was only one female I wanted giving me that look, and only one novice I wanted to look up to me…
She was also the one person I had the most trouble ignoring my ever growing feelings towards lately, though I desperately needed too. It was most definitely…
Wrong.
I seemed to make it to my own room in a daze, my mind hazy with exhaustion of my own. It had been a long night, and after setting my alarm for an hour before my practice session with Rose, I welcomed the dreamless, Rose-free sleep, knowing that in just a few hours I would be seeing her again, and things wouldn't be so simple.
When I woke up it took me just 20 minutes to shower and dress ready for the practice session with Rose. I began to set the mats up, my mind in a comfortable hum as I waited for her to arrive, my body feeling tense from the wait. But it didn't take long for her to arrive, and instantly I felt my tension lifting just from the sight of her, all my other worries about the incident with the Princess lifting just by looking into her brown eyes - only there was something off about her that instantly had me worried and on edge.
She seemed to almost rush through the practices, her mind seemingly elsewhere and instantly I knew something was bothering her, though from the far off look she had I bit back the questions I would normally have asked her. Instead I left her be to her thoughts, and like any other practice she practically flew out of the door at the end without a word to me.
But unlike the other sessions, instead of just feeling the strange loss I usually felt - like apart of me was missing, I was now filled with worry. It was obvious she was unhappy about something and I was determined to get to the bottom of it. A part of my mind knew that I wasn't doing this as her mentor, nor was anything I felt for this girl teacher like in the slightest. My feelings were completely different to those I felt for the other novices, and deep down this knowledge pained me, but at the moment I pushed all those thoughts away. She was all that mattered right now.
Heading towards the Guardian staff room I pushed my way in, searching through the familiar faces of my fellow Guardians for one in particular. Spotting Daniel sat in a corner seat sipping his cup of coffee I instantly made a beeline for him, my actions swift as I agilely made my way to the seat next to him, causing him to look up sort of surprised. I usually went out of my way to sit by myself, so the sudden move to sit next to him obviously had flattered the young Guardian.
"Afternoon Belikov! You look flustered, feeling alright?" Idly I wondered what I looked like to everyone else. I had practically ran here from the gym, so my cheeks were probably slightly flushed. I knew, however, my expression would be calm, giving nothing away. I wasn't completely stupid.
"I'm fine Daniel. Just worried about the Novice I've been teaching. She seemed a little… distracted today." I decided to not beat about the bush here and tell Daniel the truth. As I spoke his face lost it's usual mirth and turned serious, his expression thoughtful as he shook his head slowly.
"The Hathaway girl? Yeah, I heard some pretty shocking things about her from some Moroi girls as they passed me. I wasn't sure to believe them of course, we all know what school girls are like" He laughed slightly, and playing along I laughed with him, though mine wasn't as joyful as his. I decided to press him further.
"Yes, we do… Out of curiosity, what were these girls saying?" Again he turned serious, looking down at his cup in his heads instead of at me. Obviously, it wasn't good and I braced myself for whatever was about to come, working on keeping my composure and my expression as uninterested as I could, as though the rumours were merely something that interested me, nothing important. Daniel coughed nervously.
"Well… I mean, I'm not saying I believe them, just that, well… they were saying that the Hathaway girl… that she, well…" Again Daniel began to fidget and I resisted the urge to shake him as I became more and more impatient. He cleared his through again looking uncomfortable.
"What? She did what?" I pressed, trying to keep my tone casual. Daniel finally looked up at me, his expression troubled.
"They said that she slept with the Zeklos boy…" I frowned. I had a feeling that Jesse wouldn't keep his mouth shut about the meeting with her In the lounge, but I had no idea he had took the story to that extreme. I felt my angry rise slightly, my mind filling with the images of me pounding this Jesse's face in for what he's done. Still, I didn't understand why this would have affected her so much. Surely she could withstand a couple of wishful rumours.
"Is that all?" I asked, confused. I didn't understand what the fuss had been about, why Daniel had been so uneasy. Rumours about students sleeping with other students went around all the time, this was no different. Still, Daniel continued to look uncomfortable as he shook his head. I felt my head pound quicker. There was more?
"No, apparently she didn't just sleep with the Zeklos kid, but also his friend, Ralf Sarcozy…" Again my anger flared up though I didn't let it show. It seemed I'd have to have words with the Sarcozy boy as well. But Daniel wasn't finished talking. After a brief hesitation he carried out speaking. "… at the same time." Now I was definitely going to have words with them. Still, I kept my face as calm as I could as I tried to laugh it off.
"That's ridiculous!" I laughed, though I was aware that Daniel still stared at me seriously. Clearly there was even more to it. Again my heart pounded wildly. "Wait… what? There's more?" I asked stupidly, wondering what more they could possibly have said, or rather, how many other boys had claimed to have slept with her.
"Well, the thing is, their saying that when Rose slept with them both, she also… well, she also let them drink her blood." Finally my control snapped, my expression darkening as I felt pure rage fill me as wild thoughts of me actually killing the two worthless Moroi flooded through me. They didn't deserve to live for this. Now I understood why she was so silent during practice, why she had seemed to distant.
Letting Moroi drink from you during sex was considered the lowest of the low in our world, and the fact that these boys both claimed she had left them both do it implied that Rose was the lowest of the low. A blood whore. I felt my anger take over me as I leaped up from my chair, my hands clenched into fists as I felt my anger flood through me. How. Dare. They!
I rushed out the room before Daniel could say anything else, if there even was more to say. I didn't want to hear it, I didn't need any more excuses to kill them. As I stepped out of the Guardian lounge I was hit by the blast of icy Montana air and instantly I felt my anger slip slightly as my sense began to return to me. Seeking out those two Moroi was clearly out of the question, as was it against my station. Rumours weren't something I could punish the two for, and I knew deep down that there wasn't anything in my power to do anything.
As I walked down the pathways not really caring where I was going it was then that it hit me. Although there wasn't anything I could do, there was something that I could do to help that didn't go against my Guardian training. Making my way over to the Moroi dorms, I slipped quickly passed Cathy and made my way up the Princess's dorm room, knocking on the door lightly. Instantly she was there answering it, her face questioning.
"Guardian Belikov? Is something the matter?" I shook my head, my mind still elated at my idea.
"No Princess. I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, but I was hoping that you could come see Rose." Again she looked at me confused.
"Rose? What's wrong?" I began to describe the rumours when she held up a hand to stop me. It was obvious she knew already.
"I was hoping she hadn't heard them yet… Where is she?"
"In her room. At practice she seemed sort of… distant. I was hoping you could have a talk with her, cheer her up a little bit?" The Princess nodded, her expression now worried. It was clear she cared for Rose dearly, and I was glad I had thought of this.
"Yes, let's go." With that I lead her down the staircase and out the back way that was usually kept locked, though I had my master key on me. Sneakily, we made our way to the Dhampir dorms, and I told the Princess to wait by the back entrance so she was hidden from anyone on duty. After It was clear she was well hidden, I made my way up to the dorm room which I knew Rose lived in alone. After a brief hesitation I knocked, my heard pounding. When she finally answered, I felt as though my heard had been torn in two.
She stood before me, hair dishevelled and clothes badly creased, her face baring the marks of tears and her eyes red rimmed and slightly puffy. It was clear she had been crying. The urge to reach out and hold her protectively in my arms was suddenly overwhelming as I looked at her, and instantly I forced my gaze to the floor, again wondering how those two bastards had it in them to say such things about her.
"Are you okay?" My question felt foolish. Of course she wasn't.
"It doesn't matter if I am, remember? Is Lissa okay? This'll be hard on her." Again I felt my heart swell slightly with Pride. Even when she was clearly badly hurting she was thinking about the Princess, always worrying about her. It was obvious she would make a great Guardian and seeing that quality in a Novice as young as she was took me by surprise. She was just so… different. Again I felt my emotions beginning to overflow - always dangerous, especially when they was about her - and worked on controlling my expressions.
Without another word, I beckoned for her to follow me back down the back stairs towards where Lissa was. She hesitated by the doorway leading outside as though I was tricking her. Impatiently I gestured for her to come outside, but she remained where she was, uncertain.
"Five minutes." I warned them both and I saw Rose step out curiously as though wondering who I was speaking too, and instantly her eyes locked onto Lissa, her expression shifting. Without another word I began to walk away so I wouldn't hear their conversation, retreating behind the building. It was obviously I private moment, and I would give them that. Instead I began to keep watch for any patrolling Guardians.
I gave them exactly five minutes, more for the risk of being caught. Already in the distance I had seen the movements of patrolling Guardians, and to remain out here any longer would raise too many questions. Hesitantly poked my head around the corner of the building.
"You've got to get back inside, Rose, before someone finds you." I kept my head poked round as she shot a look at the Princess, her expression panicked as the Princess began to walk backwards towards me so I could escort her back to her dorm.
"I'll take care of everything this time, Rose. Every thing." The Princess promised her, before fully turning her back to Rose and stepping around the corner with me. I looked back at Rose to see her shuffling towards the stair way, her expression worried. Before I could do something stupid - like go back there and hug her - I instead focused my attention on escorting the Princess back to her dorm safely. Once we had reached her door, I nodded my head in respect before turning away.
"Guardian Belikov?" I hesitated my retreat and turned towards the Princess. She looked worried as well. "Thanks for tonight. It meant a lot to me, and I'm sure it did to Rose too." I didn't answer. Instead I just nodded my head, not trusting my voice as my heart was filled with hope at the thought that Rose had appreciated this. Instead I just nodded my head again, before turning back down the hallway and made my way towards my own room, cursing my feelings.
I was too worried about my Novice. I was feeling... things for my Novice that i knew a Guardian, a Teacher shouldn't. My feelings were wrong. Sleep was difficult, my mind still going over the various painful moves i could use on the two Moroi who had caused my Rose so much pain. I was also glad for my ward - Vasilissa - for her help tonight. I wasn't sure what the two girls were worried about, but i knew that deep down that together they would work things out... these were the thoughts that plagued my mind and though i knew that worrying about students was normal, what i was feeling was not.
I was in too deep... And the thought of that scared me.
Authors Note:
Sorry this was so late! Again, hope you enjoyed it, and should have the next chapter up sometime today to make up for lack of chapters tomorrow (i'm out all day with friends sooo...) Let's see what i can get done today (: