Chapter 24 The Birds & The Bees
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. If I did Dimitri would never have been turned and Rose would have had her happy ending. That being said here is the next chapter.
Lissa woke me just in time to run back to my room shower and change before meeting my mother for breakfast. As usual Janine was right on time and waiting for me as I finished blow drying my hair.
She knocked and waited for me to open the door.
"Hi." I said lamely opening the door so she could come in.
I think this is the first time she's seen my room and I mean ever.
"Come in." I said.
She looked uncomfortable, but came in anyways. She looked around the small, cluttered room and gingerly sat on the edge of my bed.
"How are you today Rose?" she asked politely. Well that was different. I assumed once we were back at the Academy that she would resume her usual bitchiness.
"Never better." I said grabbing my black hoodie and sliding into my converse.
"You look tired." She mused.
"Eh, nothing I can't handle."
"So breakfast huh?" I said trying to break up the silence.
"Yea, I thought we could go grab something and find somewhere to talk." She said thoughtfully.
"Sounds good to me."
We left my room and I followed her in silence to the cafeteria. As usual I was met with stares. Lissa, Christian, Eddie and Adrian were at their regular table. Lissa waved to me. I waved back.
I loaded my plate with the usual donuts and pancakes and grabbed chocolate milk. Janine didn't eat like me she grabbed fresh fruit, cereal and orange juice. Damn all these guardian's were alike. Dimitri liked to tease me about my poor eating habits at every occasion.
I followed her out of the cafeteria and over to the small indoor patio that Dimitri and I had had hot chocolate in after my early ghostly encounters. We ate in silence for a few minutes.
I observed my mother as she ate. She didn't have her usual guardian mask on . She looked nervous. She was fidgeting. I had a feeling she was on the verge of asking me questions I didn't want to answer. I decided it was best to get it over with.
"What do you want to know?" I asked more bluntly than I meant to. I really hoped she didn't bring me here to discuss the birds and the bees. Talk about embarrassing. It was bad enough she knew about me losing my virginity.
"Guardian Belikov filled me in on some things." She said looking slightly distraught.
"Rose I hate that our relationship is so strained that you didn't even tell me that you died." She said and for the first time in my life I saw hurt in her eyes.
"It wasn't a big deal." I said trying to brush it off.
"Not a big deal Rose? You died." She said angrily.
"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped. "I live with it every day. Why do you think Lissa and I ran away? If anyone found out about what she did they would be after her. I was trying to protect her. Look at what Victor Dashkov put her through when we were brought back. Being linked to her mind isn't exactly fun. You don't know what it's like. I am going to go crazy someday and you act like it's my fault." I was screaming by this point.
"Rose I didn't know that was why you left."
"Would you have believed me if I told you before?" I asked
"Probably not." She replied guiltily looking down at the floor.
"That's what I thought." I snorted.
"You just think that after all these years of ignoring me and berating me at every chance you get and I will just get over it and we can be best friends. I don't think so Janine!"
She was crying now.
"No Rose I don't think that. I hate myself for treating you like that. I was young I didn't know what to do. I took the coward's way out and I can't tell you how much I regret it."
I felt bad for being such a bitch, but I just couldn't stop my outburst.
"You didn't even let me see my father. You let me think he didn't want me all these years"
"I was wrong." She admitted. "I wish I could go back and change it, but I can't."
"What do you want from me?" I asked with a sigh.
"I just want you to give me a chance Rose. I want to be a part of your life. I want to know you."
" A little late for that don't you think?" I grumbled under my breath.
"I know I don't deserve it. Please Rose." She begged.
I didn't know what to say. All these years this is all I'd ever wanted from her and now that she was offering it to me I didn't know if I wanted it anymore. All the hurt and pain and loneliness I'd felt over the years. Every birthday she didn't call. She didn't even come to my eighth grade graduation. I wasn't sure if I would ever forgive her. I did know that I wanted to try.
She was looking at me as I sat there thinking.
"I'll try, but I won't make any guarantees." I said quietly.
"Thank you." She said.
"Does that mean you will be sticking around?" I asked.
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that." She said.
"Abe and I were talking and we thought it would be a good idea if I was reassigned to the Academy for a while." She said.
"They're short on Guardian's and Lord Seltzky has already found a replacement for me." She added.
"I mean if it is okay with you that I am here." She asked.
"I don't mind." I said absentmindedly picking at my cuticles.
We sat in silence again for a few minutes.
"So you're not staying just to keep an eye on me and Dimitri are you?" I asked.
The look on her face was priceless.
"Er uh no." she sputtered.
"Good because if you try and break us apart or if you tell anyone about our relationship that's a deal breaker on this whole trying to have a relationship thing." I said forcefully. I meant what I said.
" I won't stand in the way Rose. Just be careful. He's older than you and I don't want you to feel pressured to…"
"Really mom are we going to have the sex talk? I think you're too late for that." I laughed a little.
She blushed. I'd never seen her so unguarded.
"I should get back to my room." I said. It had been a long night and I was pretty tired. Also, I was going through Dimitri withdrawal. I wanted to see him.
I said goodbye to my mother and she actually hugged me. I felt like I was four years old again. I reveled in the moment for a minute as she clutched me hard against her body.
"I love you Rosemarie." She said.
"Me too mom." I responded.
DPOV
My morning shift was nearly over. I had a fitful night's sleep. I couldn't keep my mind off Roza. I wanted so badly to hold her in my arms and never let her leave.
I got restless and decided to go for a walk. As I was approaching the novice dorms I saw a figure running gracefully across the roof. A student was trying to escape. The Guardian on duty was oblivious. I waited for the right time to catch whoever it was, but as they leapt to the ground I realized that it was Rose. I shook my head and ducked behind a tree. We'd only been back for less than a day and already she was breaking the rules. I kept out of sight as she glanced around to make sure she was in the clear and then darted off to where I already knew she was going. When she reached the Moroi dorms she scaled a tree and swung herself deftly onto the roof. She tapped lightly on the princess's window and the lights flicked on.
Once she was safely inside I continued to walk around aimlessly. After a while I went back to my room and fell into a dreamless slumber.
I woke early and worked out some of my frustrations in the gym. I then had a shift patrolling the perimeter of the campus.
As I walked past the guardian buildings I saw Janine and Rose in a heated argument. Rose was screaming and Janine was sitting back taking it which was quite the opposite of usual. I had to hand it to her she was bold to expect Rose to accept a mother daughter relationship, but I think it would be good for them to at least try. I knew they weren't close like my family, but I didn't know how I'd get along without their support. I wanted Rose to have that too.
I continued walking the perimeter of the campus passing by the cabin where Rose and I had shared our first night together. It brought a smile to my face. I had had no intention of being with her like that until she was eighteen. I hoped to wait until after graduation, but that night we were both so vulnerable. It was perfection. I couldn't have planned a more romantic way to show Rose how much I loved her. I didn't regret it for a minute and if that made me a pedophile then so be it. I was through caring what other's thought.
I opened the door and went inside. The sheets on the bed were still rumpled from where we had made love.
I picked up one of the pillows on the bed and brought it to my nose. It still smelled like her shampoo.
When my shift was over I went straight over to the novice dorms. I couldn't help it I needed to see her. She was like a drug to me and I was definitely too far gone to stop now.
I knocked on the door.
Review and you might just get a Sexy Russian knocking on your door tonight!!! Also, seriously I have posted about half the story right now and I need some ideas for Strigoi attacks.; I am really bad at writing the unhappy parts of the story. If you give me a good idea I will send you a hint about future chapters. Please help. Dimitri would...=)
