(I tried to put this one up last night but was down so here it is sorry it's a bit late! It's another split chapter, next one will be back to normal :) Enjoy and keep reviewing, it's the highlight of my day xx)
Rose Hathaway.
"What?!" I exclaimed, trying to make sense of what Abe had just told me. Had I really heard him right?
"You heard what I said. Adrian is your brother" He reinforced again with a careful expression.
"But ho-how can that be?"
"Ah dear. I was hoping I would never have to tell you this...your mother certainly didn't want me to"
"Tell me what! Abe what the hell is going on? Are you lying to me?"
"No I wish I was. Listen I'm not really your father" He started. I went to say something but he stopped me. "A long time ago when your mother and I were at the academy together, we were friends. She was set to be my guardian, and we were close, like how close you are with Lissa, except without the shadow-kissed bond. Your mother was a fantastic guardian, she always has been, but she had her slip ups. You see there was this boy...a moroi boy. His name was Andrew" I gasped. Andrew Ivashkov was Adrian's father, and a pig of a man at best! "Yes, I know you've met him before. He was a complete scoundrel, a real bad boy, and your mother fell for him, like most girls did. She never allowed any blood drinking to go on, she wasn't like that, but she did engage in an intimate relationship with him. Being as close a friend to your mother as I was it was me she came running to when it all went wrong. Andrew was only interested in sleeping with her, so after he got what he wanted that was it as far as being nice towards her went. He teased her to his mates, made inappropriate comments when she walked by, needless to say she became the talk of the school. They spread awful rumours about her...it was a real mess" Abe went on. I remembered back when Mia spread rumours about me being a blood whore. If what my mother went through was anything as bad as what I did then I can imagine her sorrow. I suddenly felt guilty for calling her a heartless bitch.
"I did my best to mediate the situation, got a few guys to slap Andrew around, but it didn't stop her from getting pregnant. She broke down in my arms, sobbing for hours. There was no way she'd get rid of the child, but she didn't want to give up being a guardian either. She didn't want anyone to know the child was Andrew's, so I offered to pretend it was mine. People thought we were dating anyway, since we spent so much time together, and I wanted to help your mother out anyway I could. Of course after that she couldn't be my guardian. We had to part ways as friends too, because having a Moroi man's child is one thing, having a relationship with one could destroy hers and mine reputation. It was a difficult time, but she came through it. And then she had you. I was there at the birth, and I saw her face when she held you in her arms for the first time. Her guard was fully down as she looked down at you. After months of pain and anguish I could see in her eyes it had all been washed away at the very sight of you. She loved you so much, and everyone thought she'd choose to give up being a guardian to bring you up. But she knew it would be better for you if you were brought up in the academy and taught to be a guardian. And she was right. You are a great guardian" He smiled at me, a sort of sad smile. I felt my eyes burning behind the sockets. I'd never realised the true extent of how difficult it was for my mother to give me up.
"I thought she regretted having me" I said sadly, close to tears. He placed his hand over mine.
"Rose. You were the one person she never regretted. She loved you, and she still does"
"But what I don't understand is why you helped her. I mean I know you were friends but it's a lot that you did. Your reputation had to be hurt a little by it, and it's not like you owe her anything. And then to keep helping me like I am your daughter...why?" I looked up and his face and it didn't take me long before my question was answered, without him even having to breath a word. "You were in love with her weren't you?" I said, as his eyes dropped to the floor, painfully remembering things that involved matters of the heart.
"Yes I was" He said quietly, not daring to look into my eyes.
"I'm sorry Abe"
"Don't be. It was never meant to be" He smiled bravely. "Anyhow, I'm sorry for being so harsh with you before. It's just...well if it weren't for the fact Adrian is your half brother, I'd still have to warn you away. Adrian is Andrew's son, the Ivashkov men have always been scoundrel's"
"Well Adrian isn't like that I swear to you. But it doesn't matter now!" I said doleful. The man I loved was my half brother...my life was turning into a season of desperate housewives!
"I'm sure he is. I'm so sorry Rose. I wish there was something I could say that could make you feel better"
"Yeah..." Tears started to fall from my eyes. "Why does love have to be so complicated?" I said wiping my eyes and sniffing. Abe chuckled sympathetically, placing his hand on mine again.
"If you ever find the answer to that, please let me know" He smiled. "Anyway, it's not worth it Rose. You should concentrate on your work, like I did. Work can't break your heart"
"That's true. It's just...well" And then it all came out. I broke down into tears and told him all about Dimitri, and why he meant so much to me. And that how Adrian was the first guy I had allowed myself to love since Dimitri.
"He means so much to me Abe!" I cried.
"I know. Oh Rose! If only I knew this was going on, I could of done something sooner"
"What could you of done?" I asked as he wiped my tears with a tissue.
"I don't know...perhaps pull you out of the academy and train you myself. That place has been disastrous to you"
"Well not completely. I was taught well I suppose, and I met some great people. It's just, it's hard. I feel lost now that Lissa's gone...I really have failed!"
"No! Don't you dare say that. You have not failed at all. It wasn't your fault Lissa got taken. Dimitri knows you so well, he's clever. But it's not the end. Never loose hope. Especially now I got you this" He said with a little grin on his face as he pulled out a little bottle of something.
"Oh my god...tell me that's not what I think it is..." I exclaimed in complete shock.
"It is" He smiled. "When Sydney told me everything that had happened when you went to visit Eliza I did some digging. It turns out Robert isn't the only person who knows about the cure. I can't tell you any more other than someone who was very concerned for you hunted this down and insisted I give it you. I checked it out...it is the cure, so it's yours to do what you please"
"Wow! Thank you Abe" I said relieved, although I was extremely suspicious on the so called person who just handed over this potion. It's not as if it's available in stores!
"Your welcome! So don't fret Rose. There's still hope yet"
"There is for you too you know...with love I mean. Don't give up, you can still find love" I said genuinely believing what I said. He chuckled again.
"Ah Rose, I gave up on that old chestnut a long time ago. But don't worry though, I'm happy" He smiled. Somehow, looking through those brave eyes of his, I didn't believe him.
"And just so you know, you've always been my daughter...no matter what biology says, you'll never be his" He winked over at me and smiled.
"And you'll always be my father" I said smiling back. And I truly meant it.
Abe left after that, leaving me to think about everything that had been said. It had been a real shock. And now all that was left to do was to tell the man I loved that we could never be together. It would crush him to know we were related...but there was no other way around it.
Edward Cullen.
I came out from Carlisle's office and went to find Rose to tell her the bad news. I saw Abe leave, and assumed they must be finished talking.
"Rose" I said knocking on the living room door.
"Yeah" She said. I walked into the room and found her sat crying.
"Oh my gosh Rose are you ok?" I said running over to her, and sitting in front of her. I didn't know what to do. Whether to hug her, or touch her hand with mine...I was completely at a loss. She wasn't my girl to comfort, even though I wished I could hold her in my arms as she cried.
"No I'm not" She said bursting into tears, and telling me everything that she and Abe had discussed.
"Oh dear! That's not good. And you and Adrian...did you? Have you...?" I asked awkwardly.
"Oh god no!" She said outraged. "But we could have...oh god, it's just a horrible situation. And now I have to tell him" As much as I didn't like Adrian, I felt bad for him. I could see he genuinely did care about Rose, as I cared for her, but something like this...it would destroy him. She did something surprising at that moment. She reached out her hand and grabbed mine, clutching at it tightly. Her touch sent warm, electric tingles throughout my body, and I started thinking things that I knew I shouldn't at this very moment in time. Too much bad stuff was happening. So I delve straight into telling her what Alice had foreseen, to take my mind away from her soft, luscious locks, piercing, beautiful eyes and supple lips.
"Oh no! It gets worse" She said digging her head into her hands and groaning frustratingly.
"I'm sorry I should of waited for a better time to tell you...but unfortunately we have two weeks to prepare. Carlisle's trying to call in more reinforcements but we will probably be outnumbered. From the looks of things Avery is behind it...and with her powers she can rein in a hell of a lot of vampires"
"Yeah I wouldn't be surprised. Well I guess we need to get our heads into fight mode. It'll help me get my mind of other things" She said sadly, bowing her head down. "I'll train you all in fighting strigoi and other moroi and dhampir. And you can teach me about your kind...it could work" She said, attempting to be hopeful but I could see the doubt behind those eyes of hers.
"Yeah...we'll be ok" I said adding to the fake hope.
"Well I have to go do something I wish I didn't have to do" She said standing up reluctantly. I stood up too and smiled as comfortingly as I could. She looked so vulnerable and broken I felt so awful. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She didn't protest though, wrapping her arms around me too.
"Thank you" She said, before pulling away and leaving. I watched her leave sighing mournfully. If only she loved me the way I loved her...but I couldn't allow myself to think that way now. There were bigger things to worry about now, and like it or not we had to get training. I was on my way to talk strategies with Jasper and Emmett when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and found two strangers stood there with beaming smiles. One was a small figured girl, with long, golden blonde curls, falling around her pretty, pixie like face. She held the hand of a boy with dark hair, dark eyes, and a strong, muscled figure.
"Hello can I help you?" I asked sounding a little irritable than I meant.
"Hi" The girl spoke, her voice as delicate as her frame. "Were here to see Rose and Adrian" She said with a sweet smile. Suddenly I felt very suspicious.
"Who are you?" I asked with a threatening expression. They would not get past me...no matter how good their powers might be.
"I'm Mia Rinaldi. This is Eddie Castile" She said still smiling, although a little frightened.
