Hullooooo fellas! A big thanks to everyone who took the time to review. Just letting you guys know that uni has started for me so I'm not too sure at the moment of how often I'll update - hoping to keep it to at least once a week. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Rights go to Richelle Mead.

I couldn't remember being so nervous as I sat in leather desk chair and focused on looking picture perfect calm. I drummed my fingers on the armrest as I watched Hans take a sip of this coffee.

All the bravado I'd shown during Eddie's assessment had fluttered away and I was left feeling anxious and tense. I really had to give Eddie some credit when I was done in here. It wasn't that I really, really wanted the job or anything – it was just a chance to prove myself. To be deemed worthy of doing something by somebody other than my mother – that wasn't to say that she just approved of everything I did. She barely approved of anything I did but that wasn't public knowledge. Janine Hathaway's approval wasn't easy to gain but to someone who didn't know us – and the fucked up relationship we shared – it would look as though she was handing me everything. My entry to police academy, acceptance onto the force and later the FBI was something I'd been assumed to have got due to my mother. IN reality I had worked my butt off for everything I had. Still, it would be nice to have someone else's approval backing me up.

The whole thing had made me so edgy that there were still four doughnuts left on my desk. Just as he had with Eddie, Hans had brought food. My assessment had begun at 10.30am so instead of lunch he'd brought me morning tea. It hadn't done much to rest the nerves though. However, I was still a Hathaway and in true Hathaway fashion I had painted on a confident smile and sat with my back straight. I held eye contact and spoke steadily. In all honesty, Hans probably didn't even know I feeling even a tiny bit apprehensive about this. I glanced at the clock and inwardly cheered – only another ten minutes to go.

"Your records show you graduated police academy at the top off your class," Hans read from my file.

"Yup," I responded. "Didn't really have a choice with the beast as my mother, ya know?"

He ignored me. "So fitness shouldn't be an issue?"

"No, it wouldn't be," I told him firmly. It was true – working out was actually a hobby so my fitness levels were pretty good. I trained daily – even on days off.

"Your academics haven't always been the best."

"I passed in everything."

"Not with the best grades. Tell me why I should pick you when there are many agents with a much better academic record?" he wasn't rude when he asked me; just challenging. He had reason too. My grades had sucked at the academy sucked for a couple of months until I'd gotten a phone call from Janine. Somehow that woman had managed to kick my ass back into shape over the phone. A month later and I was at the top of my academic studies too.

"Because it's not all about academics, Special Agent Croft. It's also about skills and abilities. You already know I graduated at the top of my class so there's no question of my physical capabilities, as for my other skills - I can lie," I told him frankly. "Lying my way in will be a piece of cake – I've done undercover work before – and if by some fluke I get caught, I can lie my ass out it, just as well as I can kick ass out of it or flirty my ass out of it. I don't have family, Hans, so I've got nothing to lose. If you pick me and I'll dive right in. I'll give you one-hundred-and-fifty percent of myself."

He nodded thoughtfully but his face gave nothing away.

"Well, I thank you for your time, Agent Hathaway," he drawled as he stood up and stuck his hand out for me to shake. I stood up as well and met his hand with mine. The guy had a firm grip alright, it felt like an alligator was holding on.

"Thanks for having me," I replied politely. Huh, looks Janine had taught me something good after all.

He nodded and I showed him to the door, even though it was only about two metres from where we'd previously sat.

Once out into the hallway, I was a little surprised to find Mason and Eddie and Jesse leaning up against the wall next to my door. Jesse was another agent I worked with. He was actually the hottest agent I worked with and quite possible one of the guys I'd ever met. All three of them smiled when they saw me and I indicated for them to come in.

"How long have you been there?" I asked as we all sat down around my desk. I sat in my usual seat behind my desk with Mason and Eddie across me. I only had three chairs in my office so Jesse sat on the edge of my desk. As he placed a hand behind him to support himself, his muscles flexed under his uniform, leaving my mouth watering. I forced myself to look unaffected.

"A while," Mason replied vaguely.

"What for?" I frowned.

"I was actually planning on busting in," Eddie laughed. "Lighten the atmosphere for you like you did for me."

He actually wasn't being sarcastic. Apparently when I'd busted into his assessment and made an ass of myself, I'd somehow managed to ease his nerves a little. I was just glad he didn't kick my ass for it.

"Why didn't you?" I asked.

"Um, because you're Rose Hathaway," he told me, his tone obvious. "I figured you were sailing through, like you did when he was assessing me."

I groaned.

"Did it not go well?" Mason asked as he leaned forward in his seat, his face painted with concern.

"My academics weren't up to scratch."

"Didn't you graduate at the top of your class?" Eddie asked, frowning.

"Yup, but there was a brief period where I was in a state of funk. My work sort of reflected it," I admitted.

"Well, cheer up," Jesse said, speaking for the first time since entering my office. "We're all going out tonight. Now that all four of us have been assessed we can stop holding out breaths and celebrate."

When had we become 'all four'?

I liked Jesse – there was no denying it. I'd been into him for a good couple of months now and flirted with him quite frequently. Jesse, however, was a playboy. He flirted shameless back at him but never took the next step by asking me out (which fyi, I really, really wanted him to) because he was quite happy hooking up with practically every other woman he bumped into. Mason and Eddie – who were damn decent guys – didn't like him for this particular reason. They didn't actually know that I was into Jesse; they just didn't like him because of the way he apparently treated women.

"Yeah, we need to celebrate," Mason agreed.

"Bu-"

"-no," Eddie interrupted my protest. "I know you feel weird clubbing with a bunch of guys but man, Rose, we all need this. It's been such a shit week. I've already decided on it and we're going to 'Vlad's'."

I sighed and nodded, accepting defeat. He was right – it had been a shit week – and Eddie barely ever went out. If he decided it, who was I to argue? Besides, it wasn't like we could do anything more for our assessments. It was in Alto, Hans and the Hathaway Senior's hands now.

That night we went out and let loose. We let our stress about assessments go and it was a good thing that we did because two weeks passed as we still hadn't heard anything about the assignment.

That's why when on the Friday of the third week I was surprised to be called into Alto's office and even more so to find Eddie and Jesse already seated there. One empty chair remained and Alto gestured for me to sit. Once I was seated he made a move back to his own seat, settling into the black leather before leaning forward, his arms resting on his desk.

I leaned back in my seat knowing that due to our close proximity when he finally opened his mouth, the acrid stench of his coffee-breath would make want to retch. When Stan opened his mouth, it was never good.

"You're in," he said at last. Did he just say we were in? "For the 'Peak Fitness' assignment. You're in," he repeated.

I felt my eyes widen – Stan had just opened his mouth and for the first time in history, something good had come out.