So here's chapter 25! Thanks to snowgoose, roseskyangel, bloodyXfangs, loventherussian17, MarianneNorthmanCullen, , edward-alexander-henry-angel, SassYNoles, Do'B, sherryangel, animebooklover14, and Marylou23 for the splendid reviews. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of VA or this plot except for a couple characters.
Chapter 25
"Come on!" I took Dimitri as we ran to the first floor of the mall. "So who wants to give it a shot?" The announcer spoke up. I ran up.
"I will. Here," I handed them the iPod. "Play track number five. Dimitri, I'll go first by myself if you don't mind. This will be for you," I spoke into the microphone. The crowd cheered wildly. But within the crowd, the loudest cheer was Dimitri's. Even I started blushing. When the music started, I got into a dancing mood.
You're the kind of friend who always bends when I'm broken
Like remember when
You took my heart and put it back together again
I've been wasting time with clueless guys
But now it's over
Let me tell you why
I'm through
I've met someone new
Who's just like you
You're it
You're the ultimate
It's automatic
I'm sure of it
No lie
So don't even try
To tell me that you're not the guy
Cause I've been waiting all my life
For someone just like you
But you're it
You're the ultimate, you
I started dancing and smiling. It felt nice to sing. To be honest, if I was human, I would probably want to be a singer. When the song continued, I started to sing again.
You're the kind of guy whose hands in mine send shivers up and down my spine
You took my heart and put it back together again.
You're the kind of guy that blows my mind
But now it's my turn
You've been right in front of me
Everything I need
Why didn't I see
You're it
You're the ultimate
It's Automatic
I'm sure of it
No lie
So don't even try
To tell me that you're not the guy
Cause I've been waiting all my life
For someone just like you
But you're it
You're the ultimate, you
When I paused, the crowd cheered wildly, starting to jump up and down to the beat. Dimitri simply smiled. But for me, that was more than enough.
You're it
You're the ultimate
It's automatic
I'm sure of it
No lie
So don't even try
To tell me that you're not the guy
Cause I've been waiting all my life
For someone just like you
But you're it
You're the ultimate, you
You're it
You're the ultimate, you
When I stopped and the song came to an end, Dimitri ran up stage to kiss me. I was caught off guard, but succumbed to his passion. The crowd awed and cheered at the same time.
"You think you can win? Think again," Dimitri told me.
"Oh, is this a challenge I hear?" I smirked.
"Guys, I think we have a karaoke battle between these two lovers!" The announcer riled up the crowd.
"You're on!" We said to each other at the same time. Dimitri took the mike from my hand, then looked at my iPod, choosing a song from it. There were some well worth him singing. 'Let's just see if he can find them.'
"Ah. Play track eleven," He spoke confidently before smirking at me when I stood on stage. I gave him a certain gesture.
"Show me what you got, cowboy," I teased him. He pretended to tip a cowboy hat then started to sing with the song.
I'm no superman
I can't take your hand
And fly you anywhere you want to go, yeah
I can't read your mind
Like a billboard sign
And tell you everything you want to hear
But I'll be your hero
Cause I, I can be everything you need
If you're the one for me
Like gravity
I'll be unstoppable
I, yeah
Believe in destiny
I maybe be an ordinary guy with heart and soul
But if you're the one for me
Then I'll be a hero
Could you be the one
Could you be the one
Could you be the one for me?
Then I'll be a hero
Could you be the one
Could you be the one
Could you be the one for me?
Then I'll be a hero
I started to cry. It was touching. 'This is a competition. Since when was I so emotional?' He smirked. I lost. He had touched me and the song wasn't even over. I just smiled at him, flashing the ring to him. He continued to sing.
Searching high and low
Trying every road
But if I see your face
How will I know, yeah
I'll put my trust in fate
That you will come my way
And if it's right
It's undeniable, yeah
I'll be your hero
When he turned to look at me, his eyes were glowing blue and it entranced me. It was almost like compulsion as it drew me to him.
I, I can be everything you need
If you're the one for me
Like gravity
I'll be unstoppable
I, yeah
Believe in destiny
I maybe an ordinary guy with heart and soul
But if you're the one for me
Then I'll be a hero
Could you be the one
Could you be the one
Could you be the one for me?
Then I'll be a hero
Could you be the one
Could you be the one
Could you be the one for me?
Then I'll be a hero
So incredible
Some kind of miracle
When it's meant to be
I'll become a hero, on
So I'll wait, wait, wait
Wait for you!
I'll be a hero
I started to dance on stage with him as he twirled me around.
I, I can be everything you need
If you're the one for me
Like gravity
I'll be unstoppable
I, yeah,
Believe in destiny
I maybe an ordinary guy with heart and soul
But if you're the one for me
Then I'll be a hero
Could you be the one
Could you be the one
Could you be the one for me?
Then I'll be a hero
Could you be the one
Could you be the one
Could you be the one for me?
Then I'll be a hero.
He was panting, slightly worn out from singing with so much power, but it was enough to take my energy. The crowd cheered, but my knees had buckled.
"Rose!" My mind started to blank. Something was wrong. That power he used, it was so much like compulsion. I shook my head, trying to shake the feeling, but it was subduing my power. I looked at Dimitri and the blue glint stopped. My powers seemed to return. I would need to ask Vladmir when I get back just what the hell was going on. When I got up, the crowd cheered. Dimitri suddenly kissed me fiercely. "Come on. We have a wedding dress fitting to go to," He pulled me off stage as we ran off. 'Wow…totally feels like we're eloping.' When we got to the store, I admired all the dresses. I never thought there would be day I would be buying a wedding dress. Right as I entered, Dimitri's phone rang.
"You go and look around. I'll join you once I've taken this phone call," He looked at his phone worriedly. I gave him a confused look. "Go. I'll join you in a bit," It was obvious to me he was pushing me away. He didn't want me to hear or see who was calling me. It was a stupid idea, but I let him have his space. Nervously, and awkwardly, I walked into the store. Now, the dresses were not the focus of my attention. It was on whoever was calling. As much as I wanted to listen in, he had distanced himself too so I couldn't listen. When I turned to him, he waved and smiled to me. I waved back as he soon hung up, joining me to find a dress.
"So what was that about?" I asked. He didn't answer me.
"So did you find a dress you like?" He completely changed the subject. My heart hardened quickly.
"What was that phone call about? You can tell me," I asked him again suspiciously.
"Drop it, Rose. Now, did you find a dress or not?" I flinched at his words as he started looking through the dresses. When he turned to me, he saw the hurt he had caused. "I'm sorry. That was too much. It was just from the school about work. Don't worry about it. Come on, don't let this ruin the day," When he reached for me, I flinched from him. "Rose…come here," I went to him willingly and he held me lovingly in his arms. "I'm sorry. I was too harsh. Come on, go pick out a dress you like," I shook my head. "Rose?"
"Can we go get something to eat? I'm not in the mood," I told him.
"Rose…look, I'm sorry about what I said," He was getting desperate. "I didn't mean for it to come out that rudely. It's just…I don't want you to know just yet," He admitted. Suddenly I shuddered as an odd chill ran up and down my spine.
"Rose, is everything alright? Are you cold? Here, take my duster," He took it off and draped it over me as he sat me down.
"Are you feeling alright?" He felt my forehead. "You're slightly warm. How about we go home for today? I can't let you go around feeling sick," I nodded. To be honest, it wasn't about what he had said to me. Something happened when Dimitri accidentally triggered his power. It was short circuiting my powers, sending little shocks to my body now and then. It wasn't painful, just annoying. He picked me up; making sure the duster was still draped over me. As he walked though, my body became warmer and my breathing was heavy.
"Rose, stay with me," He tried to coax me to stay awake. Now, he wasn't walking, he was running me over to the car. Placing me in my seat quickly, he reclined my seat so I could sleep.
"Rose, were you not feeling well this morning already?" He asked suspiciously.
"I've just had a headache. It's not too bad…well, until now," It didn't take long before we were on the road back to the academy. My consciousness had faded in and out during the car ride. Every time I lost consciousness, Dimitri would shake me to keep me awake.
"We're almost there sweetheart," He would whisper to me over and over again. When we got back to the academy, it didn't take long to get Vladmir's attention as Dimitri rushed me to the infirmary.
"What the hell happened?" Vladmir asked, still harboring some hatred for Dimitri.
"Nothing on my behalf. We had a mini argument, but she said she had a headache this morning. Now it's turned into an all-out fever," Dimitri explained as Dr. Olendski examined me, while hooking me up to an IV. Vladmir quickly came to scan me using his spirit powers. When he came across my heart, he looked at me oddly.
"You seem fine. Maybe you're just sick in general, like a cold or something," A sharp pain came through my head as I winced. "Rose?" When I opened my eyes suddenly, the vision of Dimitri's eyes came back at me.
"Dimitri!" I looked at him and Dimitri was caught off guard. His eyes weren't blue though.
"Rose, did something happen when you guys were at the mall?" He placed his hand on my forehead, trying to read my mind. It didn't take long for him to find out. He sighed. "You'll be okay. When you guys were singing, Dimitri, you accidentally triggered my powers. The powers I gave you were for you to protect her with or if she ever got out of control, take her powers. Somehow, you used the latter part of it and drained her powers so much. That's why. You short-circuited her powers," Dimitri sighed.
"My fault again, I guess," He almost looked disappointed in himself, probably knowing he was going to get a second beating from Vladmir.
"Actually, no. It's my fault this time. I should have warned you. Just as Rose's powers emit from her emotions, so do yours. That was my bad. I apologize. I should have warned you guys earlier. When you were singing that song, it was quite passive compared to Rose's. Whenever you have the intent of calming her, if you're not careful, you'll take her powers. Only if there is a threat, then your protectiveness will kick in, giving you the ultimate defense," Vladmir explained. Dr. Olendski looked lost.
"So this means…?"
"It means, keep her on the IV until the fever breaks. Just like a normal cold, give her lots of fluid and make sure she's relaxed. That's all there is to it," Vladmir bowed before leaving the infirmary. Dimitri took a seat next to me, holding me hand.
"I'm so sorry," He apologized while kissing my hand.
"It's alright. Like Vladmir said, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know," He just brushed my hair aside.
"I promise I'll make it up to you. For now, just relax and get some rest. I have to go take care of some things, ok?" He got up, gave me a kiss and left the infirmary. Suddenly I sneezed.
"Bless you," He smiled before leaving. 'Damn this IV.' I had to see what was going on so I braced myself as I took the IV out. I snuck out in my nightgown that Dimitri had bought for me way back when since I always hated changing to pajamas. The students were still in class so I could care less that I was wandering the halls in my nightgown. I draped a light blanket over myself before I left. Following Dimitri's footsteps, he headed to the teacher's lounge. I followed him close by so that I could enter the teacher's lounge, but still have enough time to hide behind the door. The door was already open which made it a few steps easier for me to see what was going on. I shuddered as another chill went up my spine. 'Damn darkness.' I hid behind the door as I heard another few guardians come in.
"So what is this about?" I heard Dimitri speak up. "You said that there were Strigoi on the move nearby. And?"
"And we need a team to spy on them. To see what's going on," That was the sound of Alberta. 'Wait, they wanted my Dimitri to spy on Strigoi?'
"So who's in the team?" Dimitri asked.
"It will be comprised of Guardian Yuri, Guardian Belikov, Guardian Alto, and Nathan," I slid down against the wall. 'That's what this is all about…I…I can't let them…I can't let them do that!' Now, all I had in mind was running to Vladmir. 'Running again?' I stopped myself. If I left now, they would see me as clear as day.
"We have prepared these mini microphones and recorders that will be attached to your clothing that we have prepared for you guys. This mission is to be only held out for a couple of weeks. The only goal is to get as much info as you can. That is all. Dismissed," Alberta spoke up. I had to think of something quick. If I closed the door before anyone left, I would be busted, but that would give me the opportunity to cause enough chaos and keep Dimitri from leaving. The other choice I saw was just to let them walk free and then talk to Dimitri personally. Problem with the latter choice was that Dimitri in no way would rebel against his manager so to speak. As I heard the other guardians leave, I noticed Dimitri stayed behind.
"With all due respect, Guardian Petrov, it's not a good idea for me to leave," Dimitri spoke up again.
"And why is that?"
"Rose just came back with me from the mall and I short-circuited her powers. She's in the infirmary at the moment and I don't think I should leave her side," Dimitri tried to persuade Alberta.
"Couldn't Vladmir take care of her for two weeks? He knows her better than you know her with her powers. And if you said you short-circuited her powers, isn't that an even better reason to distance herself so nothing of that sort happens again. She'll have time to recover when you're gone," I started growling quietly. My anger raged within me, but I still didn't move.
"Belikov, I don't think this is a choice that you have. I got this from one of the lords as a special request. You know I can't deny it. That's why maybe it's not a good idea for you to be in a relationship so soon with Rose. I know you guys are engaged, but this might hurt her in the long run. Have you ever considered what would happen to Rose if you get another mission like this, except longer in the future?" I was shocked. 'Was Alberta against our relationship all along? There's no way…but…'
"This isn't about the mission Alberta. Is it something about Rose?" Dimitri asked.
"Yes, it is. The Strigoi…they're extremely closeby," She reiterated.
"You said that. So what's different?" Dimitri asked back.
"They're after Rose and her powers. Like you said, she's weak at the moment which means we need to be prepared for any advanced attack," I noticed both of the them were facing the opposite direction from the door so I took my chance now to close the door quietly and catch them off guard. A sharper shock went through me and I bit my lip to keep myself from crying out. I leaned against the door to try to regain any strength to stand up. Problem was, I felt absolutely nothing. Dimitri was pissed and it reflected in his powers. He was growing angry because I could tell he had every intent to stay with me, but Alberta kept giving him all these stupid answers.
"I can't go! You know Rose wouldn't allow it to happen!" Dimitri yelled.
"Then it's an order!" Alberta yelled back. "I didn't want it to happen, Belikov. Things just happen! We put ourselves before the Moroi to protect them. That's the job of a guardian," Alberta reminded him. I winced at the statement. I've always hated it. It was so binding.
"Alberta, I don't mean to be rude, but I can't follow that order. I love Rose and I promised her months ago that I would always protect her. I would always stay by her side. She needs me. And you know that!" Dimitri yelled at this point. "I can't betray the little trust she has left in me. She is weak. I'll admit that. But her will to fight is strong. She took down a dozen Strigoi the other day by herself. She can fight and I will stand by her to protect her! You can't change that. Nothing in the world can! I love her and I will not be apart from her," Dimitri declared his love for me out in the open. I tried to force myself to stand even though if I couldn't tell if I was on level floor or not.
"Then I can strip you of your guardian status. Belikov, I don't want to do that to you!" Alberta protested.
"Then do it. I've been preparing myself for this day for a long time. If I have to throw away my title, so be it. But my heart, body, and soul belong to her. Nothing you say or do can change that," He restated.
"Then I'm sorry. I'll have to relieve you-" I intervened at this point.
"JUST STOP ALREADY!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face from sadness, anger, emotional pain as well as physical pain. The two of them turned, startled. I slid against the door as I couldn't keep myself standing.
"ROZA!" Dimitri helped me up. "How long have you been listening? Can you stand? Should I call Vladmir?" He was now devoted to me.
"I heard the whole thing. No, I can't stand. And you probably should get Vladmir down at the infirmary soon," I told him before kissing him. "Thank you," He kissed my cheek and picked me up so that I was sitting on his arms as he held me like a child.
"Miss Hathaway, you know I didn't want to do this," My powers bubbled causing a transformation in my eyes and fangs.
"You strip him of his rank, and I will kill you with no question," I growled.
"Rose…" She looked straight into my eyes. "Fine, I'll change it. But this is to be kept between the three of us. I'll try to get some other guardian in place of Belikov. Is this clear, Rose?" I nodded. All my strength finally was drained and I fell out of Dimitri's arms.
"Rose! Hang on! Vladmir, get down to the teacher's room, now!" Within seconds, Vladmir burst in. Dimitri laid me down on the floor as Vladmir sent his powers through me. I coughed up blood and breathing became painful.
"You'll be okay! Just hang on, Rose!" I felt Vladmir trying to push his energy in. Finally in one go, my body arched up and slumped to the floor as my body regained the much needed energy from Vladmir. I was conscious. That much, I knew.
"We have to get her back to the infirmary, now," Dimitri carried me on his back as Alberta and Vladmir came along. I was quickly reattached to the IV and had an oxygen mask now. I was weak from the near death experience and coughed.
"Shh…everything's going to be alright now. You're safe…" Dimitri held my hand tight and gave it a squeeze. Alberta quickly drenched a towel with cold water and laid it on my forehead. It was comforting. Alberta quickly notified Olendski of the situation, but Olendski just frowned at me. I turned the other direction.
"Careful of the IV," Dimitri turned me to him so that I was still on my side, but my arm with the attached IV was on his lap. He rubbed gently on my arm to distract me. "Are you scared?" He whispered to me. I nodded slightly. Dimitri pulled the covers over me more and kept comforting me.
"You're going to be okay. Just keep your eyes on me if you're scared. I'm not going anywhere. Trust me," I closed my eyes. "Hey, don't fall asleep. You need to stay awake!" Dimitri exclaimed. I shook my head and laid it over his hand. "Rose!" After that, I blacked out.
So, I hope you liked this chapter. It's definitely one of my longer ones. So you guys know what to do! Please review more! Thanks so much for all the support so far!