Title: Hathaway Christmases
Author: bluegoldrose
Background: Glimpses into the lives of Janine and Rose through 21 Decembers. Some are short tales and others are longer. Most are Christmas themed, but not all.
The Holiday Compilation contains the first 12 stories, covering Rose at ages 0-10. The remaining 9 will cover Rose at ages 11-18, plus one a bit later. All 21 will be posted separately on my own account. Enjoy!
Five Months or there abouts
December 24, 1991
Moroi Royal Court- Poconos, Pennsylvania, USA
"My dearest Janine,
Although neither of us celebrate Christmas, some sentimental part of me couldn't help sending you this card and gift. I wish that circumstances were different between us, but for the sake of your child, our child, this distance is necessary. I would worry too much for you and the child if anyone knew I was its father.
I hope that you won't be confined to court for long. I can't imagine you sitting behind a desk every day for years on end.
The necklace is a nazar. Local superstition holds that it will ward off evil. May it keep you and our child safe.
-I.M."
Janine Hathaway ran her fingers over the smooth nazar bead, a parting gift from the man she loved. She was twenty, and in a few short months, her child would be born. She ran her hand across her lower abdomen, still astounded by the life growing inside her. A child.
She had no idea how to raise a child. Her mother had died years ago and her aunt was a blood whore in Scotland, so were several of Janine's cousins. They were hardly role models for parenting.
Janine was a guardian, sworn to serve the Moroi, and she planned for this child's life to be the same. Still, what if the child could have more?
No. Sadly there was nothing more for dhampirs than serving the Moroi as guardians.
Nine months
December 25, 1992
"No, you're holding her wrong." Janine's chastisement was ignored, much to her frustration. Little Rosemarie on the other hand, didn't seem to mind.
"She's my daughter. I think I know how to hold her."
Janine glared at Ibrahim. This was his first time meeting Rose, yet he acted as though he knew everything about their daughter. He tossed Rose lightly, causing the baby to giggle.
"She's beautiful," he said, very proud.
Janine smiled in spite of herself. "She has charmed everyone she meets. The other guardians watch her when I am on duty. She's like the child none of them had. Everyone loves her."
Abe kissed Rose, handing her back to her mother. "I wish I could be in your lives."
"I know." Janine turned away. "It isn't safe for her if anyone knows that you're her father. I will keep you updated."
To her surprise, Abe wrapped his arms around them and kissed the top of Janine's head. "I love you both."
She trembled, not trusting herself to speak.
"If you ever need anything, let me know. I will keep both of you safe."
She turned, giving him a small smile. "I'm a guardian, nothing can hurt me and some day, she will be a guardian just like me."
"I'm certain that she will make us proud."
"She will," Janine agreed. "Now shall we open her presents?"
"Of course," he laughed. "Presents are the best part of any holiday."
One
December 25, 1993
Since learning she was pregnant, Janine Hathaway had been assigned to court. She didn't mind the role. She was able to have an apartment for herself and Rose. There were more than enough people to watch Rose when needed. Janine felt like she needed people to watch her daughter more often than a mother should.
Entering her apartment, she was greeted by the sound of Christmas specials playing on the television. Sasha Vann, a nineteen year old court guardian, was bouncing Rose on her hip while singing along to The Year Without a Santa Claus. Sasha turned at the sound of the door shutting, a smile on her face. "Look little Rose, mama's home."
"Mama!" Rose squirmed in Sasha's arms until she was handed to Janine.
She held her daughter for a minute, giving her a quick hug and kiss. "Thank you for watching her. How did everything go?"
"All was well. Rose is a good baby." Rose was currently clinging to her mother's leg, wanting to be held again. "I love watching her. I'll be sad to leave her when I start my new assignment next week."
"I'll be sad to see you go." Janine picked Rose up again, settling her daughter on her hip. "Rose adores you."
"Rose is the most popular baby at court. I'm certain that you'll be able to find more people to watch her."
Janine gave a small smile. "I have yet to run out of volunteers."
"Will you maintain a position at court?"
"No. I miss being out in the field. I plan to send Rose to school when she is four."
Sasha smiled, touching Rose's cheek. "Do you know where you will send her?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"St. Vladimir's in Montana is a good Academy. That's where I grew up."
Janine looked at Rose, rocking her on her hip. "Was your mother a guardian?"
"No," Sasha replied quietly. "She lived in a commune and died giving birth to me." She forced a smile again. "Anyway, St. Vladimir's was a good place to grow up."
"Thank you. I'll keep it in mind."
They stood there for a few moments in silence. "Well, I should get going. Let me know if you want me to watch her again before I leave."
"I will."
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
Two
December 24, 1994
Dhampirs rarely get sick. Even so, dhampir children, just like human and Moroi children, were prone to many illnesses. Janine didn't know what to do with Rose. Her temperature was high. She couldn't keep anything down. After a day of trying everything she could, Janine took her daughter to the court clinic.
The Moroi woman at the front desk looked at them sympathetically. Janine's clothes and hair were a mess. Rose was wailing and squirming in her arms. "Guardian Hathaway, what seems to be the problem with little Rose?"
"Fever, vomiting." Tears of frustration welled in her eyes. "It's been over a day and I don't know what to do."
The woman stood. "Come this way. Doctor Gregson will be with you in a few minutes."
Janine and Rose were left in the room. Rose was crying, curled in a blanket. Janine began pacing, feeling useless. She didn't hear the door open.
"Guardian Hathaway."
She jumped.
"Sorry to have startled you, Guardian Hathaway."
"It's fine." She looked worriedly from him to her daughter. She told him the symptoms of Rose's illness as he proceeded to examine the little girl.
An hour later, after administering medicine and fluids, Rose was sound asleep.
"She can remain in the clinic for the next twenty-four hours to be monitored, or she can be released with you. Either way, she should be watched."
She watched Rose's sleeping face. Her color was still wrong, but at least she was resting. "I'd rather not wake her. Can I stay here with her?"
"Of course. The chair reclines and I can get a blanket for you."
Even when she was wrapped in the blanket on the recliner, Janine took a long time to fall asleep. She was so afraid. She had never imagined that fearing for her child would be worse than the fear she faced when fighting Strigoi. She felt so powerless here. At least with a Strigoi, she knew the risks. With a child, it seemed the dangers were never ending.
Three
December 25, 1995
"Mama! 'no!"
"Yes Rose, there's snow."
"Play? 'noman?"
Janine stretched on the sofa. Rose was standing on the floor, eyes wide and pleading. Janine had only been off her shift for ten minutes. Her legs and back were sore.
"You want to build a snowman?"
"Yes!"
Janine suppressed a groan.
"Peas?"
"Watch the cartoon, and we'll build one when it's over."
"Ok mama."
Rose only paid partial attention to the cartoon. She sang along to the songs of the cartoon in her childish way as she played with toys. When it was over, she looked up.
"'noman?" She walked to Janine, dark brown curls framing her round cheeks. "Peas mama?" She put out her lower lip, pouting.
Janine bit her lip. Rose had learned that pouting got her anything she wanted from nearly everyone. "Yes, we just need to get dressed."
Twenty minutes later, they were both dressed and ready to play in the snow. They worked together, rolling the snow into passable balls. It was terrible snow for snowman building, but the attempt was made. Eventually, they added candies to the small snowmen for eyes, nose, and mouth.
They observed their completed work- two small snow people with candies for features.
"The little one is the baby and the big one is the mama, like us." Rose looked up, smiling.
Janine knelt beside Rose, and hugged her. "Yes baby, like us."
Four
December 25, 1996
Rose
The elementary dormitory where the youngest pupils were housed had a Christmas tree. It was decorated by the dhampir and Moroi students who lived in the dorm. When Christmas arrived, very few children were left at the dorm. The teachers and school guardians would often place presents under the tree for each of their young wards who stayed at the school.
Most of the children were dhampirs, orphans or the children of guardians. The other children who remained were a mixture of dhampirs and Moroi whose parents were too poor to visit or bring their children home for the holiday break.
Alberta Petrov, a recent addition to the campus guardians, watched them opening their presents on Christmas morning. There were twenty children who received gifts from the school. Each of them had been given two new outfits and a blanket by the school. An anonymous benefactor had begun contributing a large donation to the school that year, which made it easier to buy gifts for all the children. Alberta was fairly certain that the donor was the parent of a student, though she didn't know which one.
"Rose!" Alberta shouted at the young Hathaway girl. She was running around the room, using her blanket as though it was a cape.
She stopped, large eyes looking up with utter innocence. "What?"
"You cannot run around with your blanket like that."
"Why?"
"You might trip and hurt yourself."
"I won't!"
"Rose," she warned.
The four year old stuck out her lower lip, pouting. "But I want a cape," she wheedled.
Staying firm with the girl was nearly impossible.
Alberta took a deep breath. "I will see if we can make you a cape, but you can't use your blanket as a cape."
"Ok!" She shouted, launching herself at Alberta. Her pretty new blanket now lay on the floor. One of the Moroi attendants picked up the blanket, putting it with Rose's other belongings.
Alberta picked up the girl, and walked with her to the caretaker's desk. Miss Wilson greeted them with a smile. "Merry Christmas Guardian Petrov, little Rose, how can I help?"
"Rose wants a cape. I was wondering if you have anything which she could safely use as a cape?"
The Moroi woman thought for a few moments before standing. "I think I have an idea." She walked away, and a few minutes later, she returned with a red silk scarf. She wrapped the scarf around Rose's neck. It fell down to her waist. "Does that work, little super hero?"
Rose was smiling broadly. "YES!" She began to squirm in Alberta's arms, so the older woman put her down. Rose very quickly began to run around, the silk floating behind her.
She ran back to the other children, shouting their names, giggling.
Janine
Badica Estate- Cannes, France
Janine Hathaway set aside the framed picture of her daughter and straightened her jacket. Being away from her daughter for so many months caused a deep ache in her chest. She hadn't thought that it would be so hard to leave Rose behind. She had thought that it would be easy to go back to being a non-court guardian. She was wrong. She couldn't go to Rose until March, for her daughter's birthday. As important as it was to be a guardian, she wanted to be back with her daughter.
She wiped at her eyes before leaving the room. Outside of her room, she was a guardian. She walked to the ballroom where Lord and Lady Badica were hosting a holiday party. She checked in with the lead guardian before taking her place on the upper tier of the room.
She watched the guests mingle. She watched the servers walking the floor. She watched the entrances. She watched her fellow guardians. Staying alert took her mind away from missing her daughter.
Someone was walking toward her. She turned. Her eyes widened at the sight of Abe Mazur. He smiled at her. She swallowed hard, her hand moving to the nazar which hung beneath her shirt.
"Guardian Hathaway," he said in greeting.
"Abe Mazur." Her voice trembled slightly. He leaned his back against the balcony, near her position. She stood facing him, her eyes still scanning the room. "What are you doing here?"
He grinned. "I was invited by Lord Badica. We have a few business arrangements to discuss."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course."
His amusement faded to concern. "How have you been?"
She straightened, avoiding eye contact. "Fine."
He took a step toward her, laying a gentle hand on her arm. "You're still a terrible liar."
She blinked several times, fighting back her tears. "Talk to me when I'm not on duty then."
He nodded. "I will."
He found her again when the guests were dispersing. He walked with her from the ballroom. She led him outside, into the balmy Mediterranean air. The sun was just rising above the water.
"It's nearly been four months," Janine said, breaking the silence. "I miss her so much. My job is important. I know that this is important, but being away from her is so hard."
"If my job was safer I would welcome you both."
"I know." She was looking away, toward the sea.
He laughed. "You wouldn't come."
"No, I wouldn't."
He stepped in front of her, gently taking hold of her arms. "Was I so bad to be with?"
"No." She had loved being with him. "But you aren't ready to be with one woman and I don't want to be part of your life until you are ready to be a different man. I don't want Rose to be in your life if you decide to leave."
He didn't defend himself. He didn't disagree with her. "I understand." He released her. "How is Rose?"
"She is doing well. I get a weekly report on her. She is very fond of the balance beams. The headmaster and head of the campus guardians have both said good things about her."
He smiled. "Good. I'm glad." They continued walking again in silence. "Do you want me to go?"
She stopped. "No. Stay with me tonight?"
He stayed.
Five
December 25, 1997
Rose
"I want my mama." Rose threw her gift across the room. The stuffed bear bounced off the wall, falling ungracefully to the floor. She glared angrily at Miss Wilson. "She promised."
Miss Wilson knelt so that she could look Rose in the eyes. "I know. Unfortunately, she can't come." She drew a deep breath. "Your mother was hurt by Strigoi. She's in a hospital, and will have to be there for some time."
Tears welled in Rose's eyes. "Why?"
"Why what sweetie?"
"Why they hurt her."
"Strigoi are evil. They hate everyone. Your mother is a great guardian, sworn to protect us from the Strigoi."
"And I'll be guardian too?"
"Yes little Rose, one day you will be a guardian, just like your mom. Do you want to write a card to her?"
Rose nodded. "I want mama better soon."
Janine
Moroi Hospital- St. Petersburg, Russia
"Glad to see you're still alive."
Focusing her eyes through the haze of pain and morphine Janine saw Mike Finn, her partner, standing at the foot of her hospital bed. She swallowed. Her mouth was cottony. Pain cut through her body like white-hot knives.
"How bad?" She rasped. The effort was excruciating.
"Three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a few hairline fractures elsewhere. Overall, you're doing pretty well."
"You?"
"Bruises. Our charges are all fine."
She attempted to nod, but stopped as another shock of pain ripped through her. She moaned, which also hurt.
"Not so fast there. You'll be in the hospital for at least a month. Those monsters nearly killed you."
"Just the one. Hendrix?"
"Broken wrist and femur. He'll be on permanent Academy or archive duty when he recovers. The rest are fine."
"Strigoi?"
"Dead, none escaped. You got two. I got the one who downed you."
"Thanks."
He gave a wan smile. "Anytime partner. I'm just sad that you weren't able to see your daughter."
She closed her eyes, letting her tears be hidden.
"Go when you're medically cleared. You won't be back to full duty for a while."
"I will," she whispered. She opened her eyes, studying him. "I hate this."
He didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.
"I am barely a mother. The school is raising her. I miss her."
"You could resign."
"And do what? I'm a guardian. I have no other skills. I believe in our job. We can't let those monsters live."
"I don't know. I do know that you are doing your best. That's all any of us can do."
"What if I died? What would Rose think?"
"That you died a hero."
Janine closed her eyes again. What would be best for Rose? A mother who was a disgrace or one who was dead hero? The only choice she had was to keep fighting and live.
Six
December 24, 1998
Rose
Several mothers had pooled their resources that Christmas so that they could spend the holiday on campus with their children and the children who never left campus. The children were delighted by the extra attention they were receiving from the mothers' of their friends.
Rose attached herself immediately to Eddie and Mason's mothers. They jokingly began referring to Rose as the girlfriend of both boys. All three children protested the term, wrinkling their noses at the idea.
When all settled down at the end of Christmas Eve, all of the children in the dorm gathered in the common room so that the adults could read them a story. Twenty children, mostly dhampirs, curled together beneath blankets to hear the story.
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there."
Janine
Moroi Royal Court- Poconos, Pennsylvania, USA
He found her when she was off duty. Janine was walking across the grounds of the royal court to one of the restaurants when Abe caught her eye. They fell into step beside one another.
"You don't know how glad I am to see you," he said. "When I heard about the attack last year…"
"I'm fine now." She reached for his hand and squeezed.
He pulled her toward a deserted path, and drew her to his chest. "I was so worried when I heard."
She looked up at him. "I thought that I was going to die."
He rested a hand on her cheek. "I'm glad that you're still alive. I don't think I would know what to do if you died."
"You'd keep going."
"I would, but the world would never feel the same."
She reached for him, kissing him. The kiss was hard and urgent, a reminder that they were both still alive.
"I'm still alive and so are you," she murmured, "but I do want you to be listed as Rose's father."
"Janine, I…"
"Only with the guardian council and the queen. If I die, you will be her legal custodian."
He nodded solemnly. "Of course."
She let out a heavy sigh. "I never realized how difficult all of this would be."
"Did you think it would be easy?"
"No. I never had anyone in my life who would tell me pretty lies. I never had anyone who offered me comfort or told me I could be anything I wanted. My aunt looked at me the day my mother died and said I could either live at the academy or become a blood whore. I don't want Rose to only be an academy child, but I have no choice. I don't know how to be anything more to her."
Abe wrapped his arms around her again, letting her hide her face. "Why don't we get something to eat? We can talk, and I'd love to see new pictures of her if you have any."
Sniffling, she pulled away. She took out her wallet. "Here's her latest pictures from school."
She passed him the pictures, watching as he studied them. "She's beautiful."
"Yes, she is. She has a lot of your coloring."
He touched the pictures with a delicate hand. "She's perfect."
Seven
Rose
December 20, 1999
"Lis, can't you stay?"
Lissa shook her head. "Dad, Mom, Andre, and I always go away for Christmas."
Rose pouted. "But I don't wanna be alone for Christmas."
"You won't be alone, you'll have Eddie and Meredith and the other kids who stay here."
"Yeah, but I wanna be with you. You're my best friend."
Lissa chewed her lip thoughtfully. Eventually, she looked at Rose with a big smile on her face. "I'll ask if you can come!"
Rose threw her arms around Lissa. "Yay! Thank you!"
"Come on, let's go!"
Arm in arm, the girls walked from Rose's dorm room to the guest quarters where Lissa's parents were staying. One of the Dragomir guardians opened the door for them, his formal mask slipping into a warm smile for the girls. "Vasilisa, Rosemarie."
Rose wrinkled her nose. "I'm Rose, not Rosemarie."
He laughed. "As you wish, Rose. Come in, make sure you take your wet shoes off."
Lissa was already taking off her shoes to prevent tracking snow through the apartment. Rose had been ready to dash inside while wearing her snowy shoes.
"Ugh," Rose groaned, bending down to take off her shoes.
When their shoes were off, the girls continued inside. Lissa found her mother in the living room. She was crocheting, using bright green thread. "Lissa, Rose, how are you doing dears?"
"Mom, can Rose come with us for Christmas?"
Rhea Dragomir set down her needles and thread, looking between Lissa and Rose. Both girls were looking up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.
"I will have to ask your father and contact Rose's mother for permission. If Guardian Hathaway approves, I'm certain that the school will as well."
Janine
December 26, 1999
Szelsky Estate- Odessa, Ukraine
"Thank you for letting your daughter come with us," Rhea said over the phone. "She is a delight."
"I'm glad that you showed so much kindness to my daughter," Janine replied.
"It was no trouble. Lissa adores Rose. Your daughter is a pleasure to have with us."
"I'm very glad to hear that."
"We'll return her to school with our children on the second, if that is fine with you?"
"Of course. I have to go on duty now. Thank you for the update Lady Dragomir, and please tell Rose that I love her."
"Please, call me Rhea, and I will."
Janine hung up the phone, biting her lip. She slapped the wall. It wasn't fair that some royal Moroi could spend time with Rose when Janine couldn't. She knew that she should be grateful that the Dragomirs cared for her daughter. She should be happy that they wanted Rose around.
She wasn't happy. She was angry. She was jealous. And she could never admit it, because Rose's future could very well depend upon this friendship with the Dragomirs.
Eight
Rose
December 18, 2000
"Look," Rose hissed. She held her paper airplane surreptitiously to the side of her desk, letting Mason look at it.
"Nice. I wonder how much lift it can get."
"We'll try it..."
"Miss Hathaway, Mister Ashford," Mr. Thomas interrupted, his voice pitched low. He had appeared behind them with no warning. "Pay attention or you will both be serving detentions when class resumes." He held out his hand to Rose. With a groan, she placed the paper plane in his hand. "Listen to Miss Ozera read the end of the story."
"Yes sir," they both replied.
At the front of the room, a Moroi senior was reading the end of A Christmas Carol. She had black hair and big blue eyes. Christian Ozera, who was seated near the front of the room, was her nephew. Rose forced herself to pay attention, but she thought the entire story was boring. At least this reader was better than the others had been.
Rose quietly tore another sheet of paper from her notebook and began folding.
"Rose!" Lissa scolded. "The story is almost over."
"It's so boring," she groaned.
"Do you want detention?"
Rose glared, laying her hands upon her notebook. She looked at the clock. This was torture. Literature was the last class of the day, and this was the last day of classes before the holiday break. She was excited for the trip she would be taking with the Dragomirs this year. They would leave in a few hours for Florida.
She began doodling on her notebook. She drew a picture of the beach and the sun. Not that she would see much sun with the Dragomirs, but maybe she could convince their guardians to take her to the beach in the mornings or early afternoon.
She clapped with the rest of the room when the story was finished, more excited for the class to be over than she was for the happy ending.
"Sorry about the plane," Mason said.
Rose sighed. "It's ok. I'll make a better one later."
Janine
December 31, 2000
Ivashkov Estate- Rome, Italy
Strigoi had been spotted nearby, too close for comfort. Janine was one of the guardians sent to investigate the report.
"Hopefully we get this over with fast," Mike said.
"Hoping for no Strigoi?" Janine replied.
"Yes. As soon as the bells toll for the new year, we won't be able to find anything out here."
She gave him a small smile as they walked toward the location. They kept alert for any sign of threat. They watched people pass- humans celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It would be the perfect place for Strigoi to lose themselves and pick up a drunken reveler to kill.
Janine, Mike, and Steffan walked several paces apart through the crowds. They maintained regular eye contact as they scanned. Janine saw Steffan shift his stance. The hairs on the back of Janine's neck stood on end. She saw the Strigoi on the far side of a fountain. Mike drew close to her, also seeing the creature.
So far, the Strigoi hadn't sensed them. It was unsurprising, given the number of people in the crowd.
The three of them drew together.
"We can't just fight him in this crowd," Janine hissed.
Mike scratched his beard. "We can watch him. He won't make a kill in public. We can follow him when he moves."
They agreed, and for the next several minutes they watched and waited. They moved closer, but not too close to the Strigoi. He began to move away, a female human on his arm. The girl appeared to be very drunk, which meant that the Strigoi hadn't needed to compel her.
Janine, Mike, and Steffan followed the Strigoi as he entered an alley. When they reached the alley, the Strigoi had the young woman pinned against the wall, his teeth in her neck. He dropped her to the ground as they surrounded him.
The Strigoi smiled, blood dripping from his lips. He lunged toward Mike. Mike dodged, sidestepping the Strigoi's hands. Janine and Steffan took positions around the Strigoi, assisting Mike as much as they could. Though they outnumbered the Strigoi, they couldn't get cocky.
The alley was narrow, maneuvering was difficult. The Strigoi backhanded Steffan, causing him to shout in pain. Janine and Mike both landed hits on the Strigoi with their stakes, causing the monster to flinch and fight back. None of them managed a critical strike, the Strigoi was too fast.
How old was this monster? He was faster than any Janine had faced before, except for the one who had nearly killed her. Janine also suspected that he had been a guardian before being turned, his moves were too well honed.
Mike landed a hit in the Strigoi's back. As the monster screamed in pain, he opened his chest. Steffan rushed forward, slamming his stake up into the Strigoi's heart.
Panting, they let the monster fall to the ground. Janine checked on the human. The woman was unconscious but alive. Mike called the local Alchemist while Steffan pulled the monster into the shadow of a stairway.
"It'll be awhile before the Alchemist can get here, too much traffic. How's the girl?"
"Alive, thankfully." Janine stretched, standing up from the girl.
A moment later, the bells of the city began to ring and fireworks were launched into the air. They looked at one another, smiling. "Happy New Year."
Nine
Rose
December 26, 2001
The recent snowfall had created the best type of playground at school. Since they had no classes until after New Year's Day, the children of the Academy all found ways to entertain themselves. Snowball fights were, in theory, not allowed. Still, the children weren't watched every moment of the day.
Rose had learned that, as she grew older, she was allowed more freedom. At nine, she was allowed to walk to the central playground by herself. The central playground was a bit of a walk from the elementary dorms. She felt grown up when she walked there alone.
So the day after Christmas, having been left at school, Rose decided to walk to the playground with Lissa. Lissa's parents had several important events to attend over the holidays, which meant that they had only visited for three days before leaving campus. It was Lissa's first Christmas on campus.
"It's not so bad," Rose said. "They're always extra nice to us when we're stuck here."
"Yeah, I guess." Lissa sighed. "I shouldn't complain though, you haven't seen your mom since summer."
"Mom's too busy being a guardian to see me."
"Being a guardian is important."
"I know, but I wish she wanted to see me more."
"She does. Just like my mom and dad wanted to spend more time with me but they had to leave."
Rose didn't respond. She scooped up snow, packing it together in her hands. She flung the snowball far away, watching it vanish in the mounds of snow around the paths.
They arrived at the playground a few minutes later and saw some of their friends playing. Rose scooped up another handful of snow, forming it into a ball. She looked at her friends. "Hey Eddie!" She hit him in the chest with the snowball as he turned.
Chaos broke out after that. All of the children gathered snow and threw it at each other. The battle lasted nearly ten minutes before two guardians saw and broke up the skirmish. As it was ending, Rose hit one of the guardians squarely in the face.
"Hathaway!"
"Sorry Guardian Petrov." Red cheeked, sweaty, and caked in snow, Rose and the other children were a mess.
Alberta drew a deep breath. "All of you, return to your dorms. You know that snowball fights are forbidden."
"But why?" Came the collective whine.
"Because that's the way things are. Now go!"
Janine
Szelsky Estate- Nepal
Travel was nearly impossible that year. She had wanted to visit Rose that Christmas, but flying in the U.S. had become a nightmare. She hoped that things would improve by Rose's birthday. She wanted to see Rose for her tenth birthday.
Instead of travelling, Janine remained at her charge's estate in Nepal. She liked the startling beauty of the country which was visible from every window of the estate. It was also rather easy to guard, given that there was only one feasible way up the mountain. Her charge was seldom here, but she knew that this was the place he called home.
They would leave soon, travelling to Eastern Europe. Her charge wanted to go to court soon, but didn't want to bother with the American airports yet.
Janine's thoughts drifted to Rose as she walked the perimeter of the building. Her daughter was excelling in her guardian classes, but was mediocre in her academic classes. She was also prone to getting detentions for acting out in class. Janine briefly thought that Abe would be proud of their daughter causing trouble, but unhappy that she wasn't doing well in her academics.
Janine sighed, thinking about Abe. She missed him, which was stupid. They hadn't technically been together in ten years, and hadn't seen one another for three years. They emailed on a monthly basis, typically about Rose.
She stopped at a window, watching the light of the rising sun illuminate the Himalayas.
There was no point in missing the ones she loved, it was too much of a distraction from duty. She had chosen duty. She couldn't afford to care too deeply for anyone. It was just the way things were.
Ten
December 24, 2002
Rose
Rose had wanted to go with the Dragomirs. Instead, she was at school. Her mother was visiting, finally. She had come twice already that year, so a third time was a shock. Rose couldn't remember the last Christmas she had spent with her mother. She supposed that they must have spent Christmas together before the Academy, but Rose couldn't remember life before the Academy.
Rose wanted to be with her mother, but was irritable the whole time. She didn't understand why.
Why couldn't her mother be fun? Why couldn't her mother give her hugs like Lissa's mom? Why couldn't her mom find anything for them to talk about or do together?
Why?
Janine
Rose was sullen. Janine tried to talk to her daughter, but she didn't know what to say to a ten year old. Since returning to full time duty and travelling as a guardian, Janine hadn't focused on anything other than being a guardian and checking up on her daughter. She didn't know how to be a mother anymore, though she desperately wished that she could connect to Rose.
Janine tried to draw out her daughter, asking her about her interests. Rose answered reluctantly, mumbling that she would rather be with Lissa. That comment cut Janine to the core. Her daughter was fast becoming a stranger, and she had no idea how to fix it.
Why couldn't she be a better mother? Why?