Chapter Sixteen - The Ties That Bind

I tilted my head curiously at his hand as he gave a wry smile at me, and I narrowed my eyes. Cautiously I returned the outstretched hand, shaking his firmly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rose Hathaway."

"I know who you are, Rose." He gave me a fond smile as we both retracted our hands, a peculiar expression on his face. He laughed slightly, though it was a breathy one through his nose. "Apart from the hair colour, you look an awful lot like your mother."

I furrowed my brows curiously at that, swallowing hard as I hesitated on my reply. "You know my mother?"

He laughed again. "You could say something like that." He nodded, looking up at me with kind eyes. "I'm your father, Rosemarie. And I'm here to offer my protection."

My face dropped at that, and I felt myself subconsciously backing away from him as I rapidly looked him up and down for any sort of outward signs that he was lying. I shook my head, confusion filling my entire being. I glanced up at Alexei whom had been silently sat at his desk, fingers interlocked as he watched our interaction.

"That's not possible." I argued, still firmly shaking my head. "My father left when I was a baby. My father didn't want me - my father would not be coming to me, seventeen years too late." I pressed my lips into a tight line as I rose to my feet, running a hand through the front of my hair as I turned away from the man, still in disbelief.

"Rosemarie-" he began, but I sharply turned around and interrupted him with an outstretched hand which I slowly formed into a shaking fist.

"Don't-" I shook my head, "call me that. My name is Rose. The only person who calls me 'Rosemarie' is my mother, and even then she knows I don't like it."

"Forgive me, Rose," he bowed his head solemnly as he, too, stood to his feet, stepping forwards slightly towards me with a relaxed stance to show he wasn't going to hurt me. "I know this must be a shock to you, but it's true. I am your father."

"Prove it." I said deftly, my voice going up an octave as I spoke. "Prove you're my father."

"You're Rosemarie Hathaway, born March 21st, 1992 at precisely 6:03 in the morning at St Patrick's Hospital in Missoula." He said confidently as he continued to approach me, very slowly. I remained firm at the spot where I stood, looking at him challengingly as he recited all the precise details that he couldn't possibly know. "You have a birthmark on the back of your right shoulder in the shape of a heart. Your mother is Janine Hathaway, a Scottish Guardian who gave you up to the Academy when you were four years old."

I inhaled a sharp breath as I covered my mouth in surprise, the vague feeling of tears striking my awareness as they trickled down my cheeks. I choked back an incredulous laugh, wiping at the tears below my eyes with my sleeves. "You're my dad?" I squeaked up at the man in front of me, who had a sad smile on his face. I could even see a tear or two of his own threatening to spill. He nodded, and that was all it took for me to completely fall apart.

Immediately he enveloped me in his arms, and I found myself automatically responding. Something about his embrace was so familiar, making me feel so protected and at home. I buried my face into his chest as I embarrassingly soaked his silk shirt with my tears, while somewhere behind me Alexei got to his feet.

"Novice Hathaway, Mr Mazur, I assume you two would like some time alone." I pulled away from Abe - my dad - and saw Alexei heading for the door. He gestured for Dimitri to follow him suit. "Let's give the two some privacy, Belikov."

"No." I choked firmly through my tears, wrapping my arms around my torso. Alexei turned around and narrowed his eyes at me curiously. "Guardian Belikov stays here. Please, I would feel much more comfortable with him on guard inside here than outside the door."

"Very well, then." He nodded, leaving the office by himself.

I let out a shaky breath as I turned my back to Abe, walking away a few steps to allow myself some time to calm down. I could feel him awkwardly hovering behind me, though he made no move to comfort me or urge me to talk.

Eventually I found my way, ending up leaning against the wall besides some cabinets with my arms folded as I looked up at Abe. He had taken the opportunity to regain his previous seat, and Dimitri still stood firmly and blankly besides the door with an at ease stance.

"My mind is all fried and not completely helpful right now," I waved dismissively once I had regained my composure and was no longer crying. "So forgive me if I'm not my usual self... We just have a lot to talk about."

"Anything you want, Rose." He said with genuine honesty, raising his hands up in a submissive gesture. "Anything you want to know, I will tell you. I owe you more than an explanation."

I nodded in agreement, taking a breath as I scanned through the million questions I had in mind. "Start from the beginning." I decided. "Why did you leave before I could even remember you? What happened?"

I could see him visually tense up at my words, dropping his head down to look at his lap with an almost ashamed nature. Eventually he looked back up at me with sorrow and apology. "I didn't leave, persay." He said slowly, gauging my reaction carefully. "Your mother and I made a mutual agreement that it would be safer for you if I were not in your life."

"Safer?" I narrowed my eyes, stepping forwards as I dropped my hands to my side. "How could growing up without a father be safer? I barely even grew up with a mother."

"And for that I am truly sorry, Rose. I never would have wanted you to live a life without either of your parents." He cupped his hands together as he looked directly into my eyes. "But what I do isn't exactly the most traditional line of work." He explained. "I am a businessman, but in the loosest sense of the word. Some of my work isn't strictly legal, and some of it puts myself and those closest to me in danger. Your mother and I both agreed that neither of us were willing to put you at risk, so we thought it better you grow up without me."

I blinked a couple times with furrowed brows as I took that in, nodding slightly as I attempted to absorb everything. His reason of protection seemed like such a typical fatherly move, and I couldn't help but feel thankful for that, and a part of me knew it was unreasonable and selfish to be mad at him for it.

"How did you find me?" I continued warily, walking to lean against the office table in front of him with my arms refolded against my chest.

"I've been watching you ever since you ran away with the Princess Vasilisa Dragomir. I was in Turkey at the time, and news of your escape from St Vladimir's traveled the Moroi globe quickly. As soon as I caught word that of a Rosemarie Hathaway, I knew it was you. I had lost contact with your mother the day she left with you, and fifteen years later I finally found you again."

"So you've been, what, spying on me?" I said incredulously, honest to Vlad a little creeped out at the thought - even if he was my father.

"Not spying, Rose, but watching out for you." He stood up slowly once again, approaching me cautiously. "Every time something went wrong, I inconspicuously sent help. When you were in the human world, I was the one who sent you money to keep yourself going."

"You were the mysterious benefactor?" I gasped, remembering the money Lissa and I would get weekly through the door of the apartments we were staying. There was never any message, just a couple hundred dollars which would keep us going. Each time we moved state, somehow they continued to come. Lissa had become paranoid that it was Strigoi trying to lull us into a false sense of security, but I had forgone the paranoid part early on and decided to embrace it.

Abe simply nodded, continuing to speak. "When Arthur Schoenberg and the Badicas were killed by Strigoi, it was I who suggested to the Academy to temporarily evacuate the campus grounds. I wasn't sure if you were ready to know me then, so I stopped myself taking you out of there myself and instead offered protection to all of your classmates. When your friend was killed in Spokane, it was I who payed for his funeral on behalf of the Academy. I knew he was your best friend, and I knew as an Orphaned child to the system he wouldn't have an official funeral. That's why I did what I did."

"You were always there," I said thoughtfully, tilting my head to the side. "Every bad thing that's happened in the past two years, you were always there. Like a Guardian angel." I laughed incredulously with a confused expression, glancing down at my lap for a moment. "All this time I had a father who cared, and I didn't even know."

"I've always cared, Rose." He cooed, barely above a whisper as he hesitantly placed his hands on either of my arms. "From the moment I knew your mother was pregnant, I always cared about you. I was just so scared that my lifestyle would put you in danger, I didn't dare seek you out. But I was too selfish to give it up."

I looked up at him through the small distance between us, my gaze flickering between his eyes. It was difficult to describe his expression as anything else but thoughtful. His eyes were pure and innocent, slightly downturned as if with a frown. His lips were slightly pursed, a slight 'o' shape being made as his own eyes searched my face.

"Why are you here?" I said accusingly with furrowed brows, gently moving his hands from my arms - though not unkindly.

He let out a deep sigh, glancing over his shoulder almost questioningly at Dimitri for the first time. It was barely the first time I acknowledged him as well, for which I felt guilty. Abe turned back to me with a silent question, and I simply nodded.

"Guardian Belikov knows everything." I clarified, stepping out of his reach and skirting around him to stand slightly closer to Dimitri. Almost immediately I felt more protected, just by being within his vicinity. "You can say anything in front of him."

Abe nodded as he cast another hesitant look towards Dimitri, before finally settling on me. "I know about the Strigoi that are after you. I knew you got on a plane somewhere to hide for your safety, but I didn't know where. The moment I found out you were in Russia, my heart almost swell twice the size." He smiled affectionately at me, and I could see he had a slightly chipped right incisor. "I'm here to offer you protection - a safe haven, should the Strigoi come after you here in Russia."

"I can't go anywhere." I shook my head sternly as I pressed my lips into a tightline. "My protection is here at St Basil's."

"I understand that," he quickly said with open palms. "What I'm offering you is protection from a distance. I can watch over you while you're here at St Basil's, and I can use my international connections to watch out for any Strigoi who may be after you. If you need money to flee again, I will offer my services. If you need a secret escape house, or simply wish to leave the confines of the Academy for the weekend, then I will be there.

"I hope to use this as an opportunity for you to get to know me, and for me to know my daughter. I want you to know that I am here for you. As your father, or simply as 'Abe' - I can't expect you to welcome me into your life so easily. But I want to help you, and I don't want you to be alone." He began choking up at the end of his words, and I felt a wave of empathy wash over me.

I stepped towards him and outstretched my hand for him, which he graciously took. I smiled as I swung my hands between us, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. "Of course I want you in my life. As my father." I saw his face lift at my words. "It might take some getting used to, but my whole life I've longed to have a parent who stuck by me and loved me unconditionally."

"I promise, Rose," he squeezed my hand reassuringly. "I will be everything you want me to be. I will spend the rest of my life making up for the seventeen years of yours that I missed."

I shook my head as if to say he didn't have to do that, though words failed me. Instead I closed the gap between us and wrapped my arms around his slim shoulders as I pulled him into a hug, burying my face into the crook of his neck. I felt his own hands wind around my body, returning the hug with equal enthusiasm. I smiled at the feeling - at the feeling of finally having a father.