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I don't own Vampire Academy. Like you didn't know.
Rose POV
I'm awaken by something squeezing the hell out of my arm. I open my eyes to see a nurse pumpming air into the cuff to check my blood pressure. You would think she could wait until I was awake. Now fully conscious, I feel my head throbbing and I can't inhale too deeply because of the pain in my side. Damn Strigoi. I roll my head over to see Adrian sleeping with his head and arm on the side of my bed. He's been here all night, even though I told him to go home to sleep. He never listens. I look at the clock and notice that he needs to be at work in two hours, and I don't think he's been to the feeders yet. He healed Emily last night, which I know drains his energy. I need to get him up and out of here before he's late for work. I gently run my hands through his tousled hair. I love his hair, it's so soft and silky. He begins to stir as my fingers stroke his cheek and lightly trace his luscious lips.
"Mmm, Rose." he mumbles in his sleep. I laugh lightly and continue to play with his hair and trace the contours of his face. He eventually opens an eye and I smile at him. He pops his head up and looks so serious. "Rose, how are you feeling?"
"I've been better, but I'll be okay. You on the other hand need to get ready for work." I remind him. "Don't forget to go to the feeders first. You look like hell." I tease. He lets out a big sigh.
"Here you are, laying in a hospital bed, yet you continue to worry about me." he takes my hand in his and begins to rub soothing circles with his thumb on my skin. "Why don't you let me take care of you for once. Work can wait." he tells me.
"Adrian, what are you talking about? You always take care of me, healing me, feeding me, buying a shitload of beauty products for me." I say laughing thinking about his shopping spree at the mall yesterday for me. He joins me laughing at the look on Emily's face when he did that. I calm down after a few minutes and lean my head back against the pillow and just look at him. He loves me. He loves me enough to put up with my resistance, thank goodness. "Thanks." I say simply. He smiles at me and brings my hand up to his lips and sweetly kisses it like they do in old movies.
"I'd do anything for you, Rose." he tells me, completely sincere.
"Well, then do me a favor and go to the feeders. I'll feel much better knowing you'll be okay." If I wasn't stuck in this bed, I'd drag his ass there myself. He sighs and drops his head on defeat.
"As you wish. but I'm coming right back afterwards. No arguments." he says firmly. I nod my head and smile knowing I at least won the battle. He stands up, but leans down and kisses my forehead tenderly. He rushes out the door as I yell after him.
"And take a shower while you're at it." I hope he heard me, he was running pretty fast. I look around the room wondering how long I'm going to be stuck here. I want nothing more than to go back to my own room and sleep all day. I become aware of the ever increasing pressure in my bladder. Of course now that I noticed, I feel like I'm going to burst at any moment. I quickly but carefully get out of bed and head straight to the bathroom. After what seems like forever, I'm finally empty and walk over to the sink to wash my hands. I look in the little mirror and gasp. My hair looks like small animals are nesting in it and my make up is all smeared. I grab a wash cloth and some soap and precede to wash the grime off my face. The warm cloth feels so soothing on my skin. I take my time and enjoy the comfort this small act brings me. I try to calm my hair down with some water and my fingers, but it still looks bad. Oh well. Hopefully I'll be released soon and can take a proper shower in my own bathroom. I walk back to my bed, only to find someone sitting in the chair Adrian occupied earler, and it isn't him.
"Guardian Hathaway, I'm happy to see that you're up and about." Lord Conta says as he rises from his seat in a gentlemanly fasion while I climb back into bed. Why is he here? He's sitting in the chair staring at me with an amused smile on his face. If I didn't know I'd get in trouble, I'd smack that look right off his face.
"Why are you in my room?" I ask getting right to the point. Just because he's royal doesn't mean I have to be nice.
"I heard what you did for my daughter last night. I wanted to thank you personally for protecting her the way you did."
"The way Emily was bitching last night, I would think you'd be filing a complaint against me for allowing her to be hurt. Besides, I didn't kill that Strigoi for her benefit." Just thinking about last night and her actions is pissing me off again. He doesn't say anything for a moment, but stares at me, making my skin crawl.
"I do appologize for my daughter's harsh words. And even though saving Emily wasn't your main focus, I'm still grateful to you. If there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask." I know he has an ulterior motive for being so concerned for my well being, and I bet it's got everything to do with what Adrian talked to me about the other night.
"Are you this nice to every guardian that protects your daughter, or just the ones you hope to get naked with?" I tell him letting him know I'm on to him. He laughs lightly at my directness, but doesn't deny it.
"I like you Rose. I hope the passion you use to do your job carries on into the bedroom." Whoa, talk about directness. He's overly confident that he's going to succeed in his little game.
"You'll never know." I say defiantly.
"You say that now. I feel confident that very soon, you'll come around." I get a queasy feeling in my gut when he says this. I wouldn't be surprised if he has something brewing in that sick little mind of his. I was so focused on what Lord Conta was implying that I didn't even hear someone come in the room.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Adrian practically screams. His outburst doesn't seem to faze the old pervert. He gets up from the chair and walks toward the door, all while smiling that sick smile of his.
"I'll let you rest now. I'm glad you're alright, but remember, call me if you need anything, anything at all." He nods to Adrian and then leaves out the door. Adrian just glares at him as he walks away. He turns his head toward me and a look of concern crosses his face.
"Did he hurt you?" he asks hurrying over to my bed. I resist the urge to roll my eyes since I know that he's just concerned for me, but I can take care of myself. At least it looks like he took my advice and went home to clean up.
"No, he didn't do anything. He just came to thank me for saving his darling daughter." I say sarcastically. I don't want to tell Adrian more than that since he'll just worry.
"At least you get the day off. I have to go spend the next four hours with her and that boring committee. And then she'll probably want to spend the evening with me." he sighs. I give him a sympathetic look, because it does sound a lot worse than suffering a mild concussion and broken ribs.
"Well, come by my place after you ditch her and keep me company. Hopefully I'll spring this joint and go home today." Hopefully being the key word. I hate hospitals.
"I'll just heal you now, and then you can get out of here this morning." he reaches his hand to my head, but I stop him before he can do anything.
"No Adrian. You need to keep your energy up for your day. You can heal me tonight, okay? I'll be fine until then." I look intently in his eyes, hoping he believes me. He smiles at me and puts his hand back down to his side.
"Fine, but I don't want you going home alone. Call another guardian to escort you back to your room if I'm not available." he says sternly. I nod, giving him this little victory. There's still about an hour until he needs to leave, so he hops up and sits in the bed next to me while we watch Jerry Springer and make fun of the guests. He has his arm around my shoulder as we laugh at the tv when Emily comes walking through the door. What is with this family just letting themselves into places they weren't invited to.
"Adrian, I was looking for you but you weren't at your apartment. I guess I should've figured you'd be with her." she looks disgusted at the two of us together. I feel Adrian tense next to me, so I rub my hand on his knee, hoping to calm him down. It's just an automatic response when I should really just let him go off on her.
"I came to make sure Rose was alright. I would think you would do the same." She exhales loudly and walks over the side of the bed Adrian is sitting on and looks over to me with a fake smile on her face. Like that fools me.
"Rose, I do appreciate everything you did for me last night. I'm sure you'll be up and fighting again in no time." she says way too sweetly.
"I'm sure I will be. Thanks for stopping by." I return the same sickly sweet tone. She switches her gaze to Adrian, waiting for him to leave with her. It's about time for him to leave anyway, so he gives my shoulder another squeeze and leans closer to me.
"I'll see you tonight, I promise." he whispers in my ear. I give him a smile as he gets off the bed. I suddenly feel cold with out him next to me. He leans back down and kisses my forehead, right in front of her. "Take care, Little Dhampir." he says with a wink. I don't think Emily likes the affection he shows me by the murderous look on her face right now. I can't help but let out a chuckle at her reaction. She grabs his hand as they walk out the door. But before they actually leave, she stops him and quickly stretches up and crashes her lips to his right in front of me. She pulls away before Adrian can object and drags him out down the hallway. Ooh, that bitch! She did that just to rub it in. Too bad she doesn't know his true feelings. I don't know how much longer I can stand this chick before she meets with an unfortunate accident.
For the next few hours, I let thoughts of different ways to torture Emily consume me. A couple of my favorites involve honey and red ants or blue dye and her shampoo. As I'm picturing her screaming in front of her mirror at her new hair color, the doctor comes in to talk to me.
"Well Guardian Hathaway, you seem to be stable, so I think we can release you today. You will be on bedrest until I tell you otherwise. Come back next week so I can take a look at your ribs and see how they're healing. You'll need someone to come pick you up. I don't want you leaving alone." Dr Brown looks at me intently, making sure I understand his instructions.
"Yes Doctor. Understood." He leaves and a nurse comes in to release me. Okay, now I have to find someone to get me outta here. Lissa, Christian and Eddie are at school. Today was the first day of the new school year. Adrian is still at work as is Tasha. I'll call Mia. Maybe she can help me. I dial her number and wait. I get her voice mail, so I hang up. Hmm. I guess I can try Guardian Conner to see if he's available. I start to calll him, when there's a knock on my door. Whoever it is doesn't wait for a repply, but let's themselves in. It's Dimitri.
"Rose, I just heard what happened. Are you alright?" he sounds worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a mild concussion and a few broken ribs. Don't worry, I'll be up and ready to kick your ass in no time." I tease him. He smiles and shakes his head.
"Oh Roza." He walks over and sits in the chair next to the bed.
"Hey, I'm glad you're here actually." I tell him and he raises an eyebrow waiting to hear my reason for my sudden interest in his presence. "I need someone to escort me home and I can't get ahold of anyone. Can you help me out?" I give him my puppy dog eyes that no one can resist. He smiles and nods.
"Of course. You just need to ask." He helps me get out of bed, even though I could do it on my own, and I go change into the clothes I wore last night. The tank top I have on doesn't entirely cover my injuries and I hear him gasp when I come out of the bathroom.
"It looks worse than it is." I try to reassure him. I think he knows I'm not being totally truthful, but doesn't say anything about it. He walks me to my door and into my apartment. He looks around, taking it all in since he's never been here before. There's really not much to see since I used to spend most of my time at Adrian's when I wasn't on duty. He picks up a picture on the shelf of Adrian and me. Adrian is giving me a piggyback ride and we're both laughing in the picture. He sets it back down and turns to look at me.
"Are you happy being Ivashkov's guardian?" Where is this coming from?
"Yes. It's not easy, that's for sure, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Not even to be Lissa's guardian." He seems surprised by my admission, but I can't tell him it's because Adrian needs my protection more.
"I thought protecting Lissa was what you wanted. The main reason I left was so I didn't interfere with your future career as her guardian. And now you tell me that you would rather guard Adrian..." he trails off, looking upset. "If I would've known, we could have stayed together." he sighs.
"No Dimitri. When you left, Lissa was the most important Moroi in my life. But then, Adrian was there for me when no one else was. He's shown me how important I am to him and he became important to me. He needs me and I need him." I shrug like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Dimitri stands there looking at me like he's trying to figure something out.
"He loves you, and you love him." he states. God, is it that obvious? I haven't told Adrian I love him yet, so I'm not going to admit it to Dimitri first.
"Adrian hasn't kept his feelings for me a secret, but we are just friends. Best friends. I'll always be there for him, no matter who else enters his life." I cringe a little thinking about Emily. Again, I don't think he totally believes me but is kind enough not to push it. He was always able to see right through me. "Well, thanks for helping get home, but I'm in desperate need of a hot shower and a nap. So if you'll excuse me." Dimitri walks to the door but stops and turns back to me.
"Take care of yourself and if you need anything at all, call me and I'll be right over." I nod and he walks out, shutting the door behind him.
All this drama and trauma that has happened in such a short amount of time is starting to get to me. My head is starting to hurt again but I'm not really sure if it's from my recent injury or just stress. I take a couple painkillers and go to take a shower. Washing my hair proved difficult since I couldn't lift one arm up enough and the cut on my head hurt to touch. I did the best I could and got out and dried off. I put on some comfy pajama shorts and tank top and crawl into bed. I'm hungry but too tired to go hunt something down in my bare kitchen. As soon as my head hits my pillow, I'm out.
I find myself dreaming of Adrian and I walking along a street in London, holding hands and talking intimately with each other. It's the same street we were on when the Strigoi attacked and almost killed me. This time, we seem to be a loving couple strolling down the sidewalk without a care in the world. Adrian leans in and whispers how much he loves me in my ear, when suddenly he is pulled back. I turn only to see a red eyed man biting into his neck. I try to pull out my stake and attack, but it's too late. Adrian's limp, lifeless body falls to the ground at the Strigoi's feet. I look up to see the Italian Strigoi from last night smiling at me with blood all over his lips, Adrian's blood. I wake up screaming Adrian's name. I sit up, sweaty and shaking and look around to see I'm back in my room. This dream is reminding me that I can't let myself get distracted or he'll die. My heart is pounding so hard I'm surprised I'm still alive. I slowly get out of bed and head to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My hands are still shaking as the images of Adrian's body laying bloody on the ground linger in my mind.
I don't want to go back to sleep, fearing I might have the same dream, or worse, so I sit on the couch and try to watch tv. I look over at the clock and see that it's well past dinner time and Adrian hasn't come over yet. My stomach growls at me for neglecting it for so long. Well, since I'm not going to sleep, I might as well eat. I look through the cupboards but don't find much. I pick up a can and find it's a can of corn. When did I buy this and why? Oh well. I dump it in a dish and pop it in the microwave. Who says I can't cook? When it's done I head back to the couch, bowl of corn in hand. I start eating when there's a knock at the door. I open it to see Adrian smiling at me, thankfully alone.
"Hey Little Dhampir, whatcha eating? He looks in the bowl I'm carrying and furrows his brow. "You're eating corn." he states, Well, duh. I walk back to the couch and sit back down and continue to eat my dinner. He follows, sitting right next to me. "That can't be very filling." he motions to my bowl. I shrug.
"It was between this and a can of stewed tomatos, which I have no idea why I have in the first place." I take another bite. He laughs and puts him arm around my shoulders and takes the remote and starts searching for anything good. We watch the end of some old black and white movie I've never seen before, before a huge yawn escapes.
"Rose, if you're tired, you should sleep. Come on." he says pulling me up with him. "Let's get you tucked in and I'll heal you too." He guides me into my bedroom, his hand on the small of my back. He pulls back my covers and I climb in. He kneels down by the bed and places his hand on my side and I feel the wonderful sensation of heat and cold throughout my body. He heals the wound on my head as well. Ah, I feel so much better. I pull the tape off my ribs and throw it in the trash can by my bed. "Sleep tight Little Dhampir. I'll see you later." He kisses my forehead and starts to get up to leave. The nightmare I had earlier flashes in my mind and I reach out and grab his wrist to stop him.
"I don't want to go back to sleep. Bad dream. Could you stay with me like you used to?" Back when Dimitri left, I had nightmares of being left alone in a large field. He would sleep next to me and dream walk with me to keep the bad images away. He looks over to me and nods his head. I scoot over to give him room while he removes his shoes and jeans, leaving him in his boxers and tshirt. I'm tempted to tell him to loose the shirt, but I don't. He slides in next to me and wraps his arms around me. I lay my head on his chest and listen to the steady beat of heart.
"Do you want to tell me what the nightmare was about?" he asks softly.
"No. You don't want to know." I hope he doesn't persist.
"Rose, you know you can trust me. Talking about it might help." I don't say anything for quite awhile, but for some reason decide to tell him. I don't even know if he's still awake.
"I failed you." I say barely a whisper. I don't think he heard me because he doesn't respond. He must have fallen asleep. Then I feel him pull me closer to him.
"You could never fail me Rose." he says.
"Yes I can. All it takes is for me to get distracted and you're dead. That's my nightmare, my greatest nightmare." I feel tears falling from my eyes onto his chest. I try to wipe them away, but he stops me and caresses my face with his hand.
"I trust you Rose. You're the best guardian and I know you'll do everything you can to keep me safe. Just as I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe." I love how he has such faith in me. I just hope his faith isn't misplaced. He puts a finger under my chin and tilts it up, my lips now barely touching his. He moves closer and genlty presses his lips to mine. I respond, our lips moving in synch, perfectly fitting with the other. All too soon, he breaks contact and moves up to kiss the tip of my nose and then my forehead. "Good night Little Dhampir. I'll see you in our dream." I cuddle closer to him, sleep finding me. Thankfully with Adrian by my side and in my head, nightmares stay far away from me.
Isn't Adrian just the sweetest? I wonder what Lord Conta could be up to. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think.