I don't own Vampire Academy
Alex POV
I am so whipped. Rose just confessed that her heart was broken by someone she loves more than me, and I still can't leave her. I don't know what spell she put me under, but I am powerless against her charms. All she has to do is ask, and I'll give her anything she wants. Knowing that Belikov hurt her so badly makes me murderous. I want to inflict him with as much pain as possible. I also want to keep her close to me and put her heart back together for her. I will do whatever I need, to keep her from hurting again.
Luckily, today is our day off from field experience, so I can stay by her side all day if she wants. And it seems she does, because she hasn't broken contact with me all afternoon, whether it's holding my hand, sitting in my lap or holding on to me. It's like I'm her life support, and if she lets go, she might disappear. No way I'm letting that happen so I gladly stick to her like glue where ever she wants to go.
We go to Adrian's room so she can say goodbye to Lissa, who is flying back to St Vlads today. Adrian is going back with her, to Rose's dismay. "You're leaving me too? Do I stink or something? Everyone I care about seems to be running away from me as fast as they can." She then looks at me and smiles. "Well not everyone." I was a little worried there for a second.
"Don't fret Little Dhampir, I'll be back next week to work with Peter. We'll do something special, just us, when I get back." He walks over to Rose and kisses her on the forehead. He pulls away and glances over at me, right next to her, and gives me a mischevious smile. I don't think he will ever stop vying for Rose's affections. At least he won't be around for a week and I'll have her all to myself. Oh, except when she's dreaming. Damn him. Rose just smiles back and gives him a hug.
"Sounds good, Adrian." Hmm, doesn't sound good to me. She walks over to Lissa and gives her a big hug and they speak quietly to each other. I can't hear what they are saying, but it looks like goodbyes and promises to be safe and call. That sort thing. Finally we take them to the school runway to meet their plane. I know Rose is going to miss them and all, but the sooner they leave, the sooner I get her alone. I know I'm selfish, but with the bomb she dropped on me this morning about her mentor, can you blame me?
We spend the day cuddled up together in the dhampir common area watching cheesy movies and eating junk food. Rose's favorite, pizza and brownies. Her other friends she met when she arrived, Katie, Susan, Tim and Mike walk in and get caught up on everything that has happened since field experience started. Rose and Belikov's relationship isn't mentioned, obviously. Some things don't need to be made public. Rose hasn't had much time to visit them lately, so she is excited when they join us.
We are having fun laughing and making fun of the movie, when Belikov comes walking in. Rose instantly tenses and squeezes my hand. I look at her expecting to see heartache and pain on her face, but instead she looks annoyed. I turn to look at him and I just glare. He's making her uncomfortable, which makes me uncomfortable. "Rose, I need to speak to you. It's important." He tells her matter-of-factly.
"You're speaking to me now, so keep going." She doesn't budge.
"Privately." Oh. Hell. No. Is he insane?
"Fine." What? Is she insane? She gets up off the couch, but to my surprise she doesn't let go of my grip and pulls me up with her. He just looks at her and raises an eyebrow. "I don't go anywhere without Alex. That's as alone as you're going to get me. Take it or leave it." Yes, yes, yes! We follow him outside away from foot traffic.
"I thought you would like to know that this morning, when the guardians were transporting Guardian Bloom to the jail at the Royal Court, the plane went down. They can't find him in the wreckage. It looks like he escaped." Rose gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. I put an arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to me. Belikov doesn't seem to like that because he glances at me with anger in his eyes. "We have increased guarding rotations to ensure he can't get in, but you need to be on your guard and don't go off by yourself." She just nods.
"Don't worry, she won't be alone. I won't let anything or anyone harm her. Ever again." I see a flash of pain in his eyes but his face stays the same, stoic.
"Also, you need to keep this information to yourself. The Queen doesn't want it known that someone escaped from her security. So don't think about embarrassing her. She already doesn't care for you, and pissing her off more will not help your future with Lissa." he advises.
"Do you really think I would do that? Like I need someone else pissed at me." she seems offended.
"The thought occured to me, yes. Just, please, be careful." He looks into her eyes as if silently pleading with her.
"I can take care of myself. Besides, I have Alex here watching my back."
"Always." I say looking right at him. He nods to us and then takes off. Rose turns to face me and she looks a little freaked out. "Rose. I promise you I won't let Bloom touch a hair on your beautiful head." She gives me a little smile and I lean down and lightly kiss her lips. I wasn't sure what her reaction would be to that. After Belikov, I wasn't sure if she was ready. But as soon as my lips met hers, she kissed me back. Relief washes over me as I increase the intensity briefly before pulling away. I don't want to push her too far. I look in her eyes to see if she is okay. She gives me a big grin.
"Thanks Alex, I needed that." Anything to make her happy.
Rose POV
My first encounter with Dimitri since that night went a lot better than expected. I made sure Alex was with me and Dimitri was in full guardian form. Keeping it all business made it much easier. But the news he delivered wasn't welcome. Guardian Bloom had escaped. I don't know if he would try to come after me again or not, but I had to stay alert in any case. I asked Alex to stay with me that night, since I wasn't going to be guarding Peter that night, and he didn't hesitate. I don't know what I would do without him.
We stayed up for a few hours in my bed talking about the upcoming Real World Scenario of our field experience coming up in a few days. We were excited. We were going to be like real guardians with real silver stakes and ear pieces to communicate with each other. The location of the exercise was at a open air street mall in a nearby town. It's very big with lots of stores, restaurants, movie theaters and whatever else you could think of. We were going very early in our morning so we could experience guarding in sunlight and darkness. The darkness part made me very nervous. Strigoi threat increased when the sun went down. I decided I needed to tell Alex what Mason had told me about some Strigoi coming for me. He accepted everything I told him without doubt and said he would watch over me. That's what guardian angels do, right?
The day finally came for our trip to practice in the real world. The school chartered a couple of busses to take us to town. Alex and I sat together with Peter and Jacob behind us. Dimitri was coming along on the trip and of course he was on our bus. He was in charge of explaining the rules.
"Okay now everyone listen up. We will be there for four hours. Each novice will do two hours in partner guarding, an hour each of near and far guarding. He or she will also do one on one guarding of each of their two Moroi for one hour each. Each partnering will have two guardians supervising you and in constant communication. Keep your communicators on so we can hear you at all times. Remember the goal is to protect your Moroi from outside threats, mainly Strigoi. But you must be inconspicuous. If you look too obvious, a Strigoi will know you are a guardian and will be looking for the Moroi. You need to blend in. Also, please do not hurt the humans." He says this last part looking right at me.
"Why are you only looking at me when you say that? I lived among humans for two years and I didn't hurt many of them." I don't know why I'm being singled out. Well, maybe I do. Jacob just starts laughing behind me. "It's not my fault boys don't understand what 'hands off' means." I say as I look back and glare at Jacob.
Before we get off the bus when we arrive, we are handed our stakes and ear pieces. Our guardian supervisors are Guardian Rogers and Dimitri. I had a feeling he would be. Alex and I decide to do partner guarding first with him as far and me near guard. I walk around with Peter and Jacob with Alex staying farther back. Boys aren't really into shopping so it was a bit agonizing. We just strolled from store to store walking around but not really looking at anything. I start to notice that at every store we go to, the same group of 5 teenage boys go into it also. Every time I glance over to them they look away. They look to be about 14 -15 years old. "Rose, you seem to have some groupies following you around." Alex tells me as he laughs.
"I know, I see them. They're harmless boys, annoying but not threatening. They'll get bored soon and move on." I hope.
"Get rid of them Rose." Dimitri tells me through the ear piece.
"But you said not to hurt the humans." I remind him.
"There are other ways to discourage them from following you."
"Fine." I walk over to the boys and give them my best glare. They freeze with eyes wide. "If you don't stop following me, I'm going to beat the crap out of you." I say as menacingly as I can. I must sound pretty intimidating because they all took off running.
"Rose..." I can see Dimitri shaking his head in the distance.
The next hour I was guarding Jacob alone. We walked by a Victoria's Secret store and he thought it would be fun to drag me inside. "Rose, I want to buy you something nice that you can wear when you start guarding me at night." He walks over to a rack with lingerie that hides nothing. He holds up a pink one that was a sheer mesh flyaway babydoll with matching panties. "I like this one. You want to try it on?" He waggles his eyesbrows up and down.
"That one looks more like your style than mine. You can try it on if you'ld like, but I don't think pink is your color. Maybe this one." I say as seriously and loud as I can as I hand him another one in the same style but in black. I know he is just trying to get a rise out of me and I won't give him the satisfaction.
"But Rose, I wouldn't look half as hot in it as you would." he grins.
"Yes, that's true, I would look devestating in it. Too bad you'll never see." I put the items back on the rack and head out of the store. I take a quick look over at Dimitri and he looks a little ticked off. Jacob follows me out and puts him arm around my waist. I know Dimitri is watching and I don't want to get into trouble for beating Jacob to a pulp, so I simply remove his arm and keep walking. "What do you think you're doing?" I ask.
"We have to blend in, right? Well I think pretending to be a couple is the best way to do that." He says as he puts his hand on the small of my back. He then starts letting his hand slide down to my bottom.
"Dimitri?"
"Rose I am going to tie my shoe so I won't be able to see you for a few seconds." I know exactly what he is saying. I grab Jacob's hand off my butt and then punch him in the gut so fast no one around us sees. He starts to cough a little and holds his stomach.
"Your going to get in trouble. I'm sure Guardian Belikov saw that."
We both glance back toward Dimitri and he is just finishing tying his shoe. "I think he missed it. Sorry." He keeps a space between us after that.
The third hour I guard Peter. It's getting dark now so I increase my concentration. We talk about Spirit and how he is doing dealing with the darkness, classes and what an ass Jacob is. One topic we never brought up was Dimitri. Mainly because he can hear every word we say. He asks me about being shadow-kissed and I mention my latest discovery of seeing ghosts. I also let it slip about Mason warning about the Strigoi coming after me. I trust Peter and know he wants to help me.
"Rose, why didn't you tell me about this. It's very dangerous for you to be out here if there is any truth to that warning." Dimitri says.
"Would you have let me come if I told you?"
"Probably not." he answers.
"That's why." Nothing was going to keep me away from this.
For the final hour, we were back to pair guarding and I was for guard. It was actually a relief to be away from boys for a while. I did my job watching my surroundings. I noticed a man, about low to mid twenties following us. He's human. Ugh. Not again. He follows me for about ten minutes. "Alex, there is a man tailing us over by the Cinnabonn."
"Rose, you need to get rid of him." Dimitri tells me again. How come I always have to do the dirty work?
"And I can't hurt him?"
"That's correct."
"And I can't threaten him?"
"I would prefer you didn't cause a scene." I'm running out of options. Then I remember Lissa. I can try to use my Rose Compulsion.
"Okay, you asked for it." I warned him. I stop and glance over my shoulder to the man and give him my best man-eating grin. He smiles back. I turn back around and walk over to a store window and stop and look at it. I see his reflection in the window and I see him walking up to me. I turn and look at him and smile again. "You see something you like?" I hear Dimitri groan in the earpiece.
"Yes, actually, I very much like what I see." he says looking me up and down.
"I'm Rose by the way and you are?"
"Dan."
"Dan, would you go across the mall and get me a frozen yorgurt?" I put my hand on his shoulder and run it down his arm.
"Of course. What flavor?" he looks a little flushed.
"It doesn't matter. Whatever you choose I'm sure to enjoy. I'll wait right here for you and then we can get to know each other better."
"I'll be right back." he walks away in search of the yogurt.
"Rose, I told you not to hurt the humans." Dimitri says.
"I didn't. I barely touched him." I retort.
"Not physically, no. But when he gets back and your not here..."
"You left me no other option. It worked didn't it?" I reply. Why is he hassling me?
A few minutes later, we are told to head back to the academy. Alex and I walk on either side of our charges as we head to the bus. Right as we get to the bus, I am overcome with the worst nausea ever. I think I'm going to be sick. That's when I saw them.
I hoped you liked this chapter. Since the last couple chapters were pretty sad, I wanted to liven it up a bit. Tell me what you think by reviewing.