Merry Christmas for everybody. This year's mirracle is here: Finally, I got my VA muse back and wrote a new chapter :D I hope this makes everybody as happy as me. I don't ask for reviews because I know how terrible I was letting you all wait for months but you know if I get any, I'll be more than happy and promise to answer for all of you. Huge hugs for everybody, Dareia

ps.: Was I the only one disappointed with Last Sacrifice?

CHAPTER 5
LIKE PARENTS LIKE CHILDREN

PART 1-LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

Guardian Belikov is our father. I don't know how I feel about it. I need time to think. This man hurt my Mom so deeply I can't even imagine it. In all my life I've never felt anything for my Father. He was a phantom, just a man who was a coward, a man who doesn't deserve any kind of respect.

But with the truth out, it became confusing. He is one of the best guardians in the world, everybody talked about him with fear and respect, what I refused to give him as my Father. The whole situation is a big mess.

I believe my Mom should have told us Guardian Belikov was our father at the moment she got to know he was here. But I'm not mad at her. Not like my sister who is frantic, and spits angry word on the whole universe for betraying her.

For the very first time in our life I can understand her fury. Though I was only angry at the situation and not the whole world. With this new kind of realization I lost a role model. Yes, Guardian Belikov was famous and I meant when I said I would have given my arm for learning from him.

Mom and Sonja both left earlier, so I'm alone in the house, rummaging in my breakfast. I'm not really hungry but I refuse to let this absurd situation get under my skin. I look up from my bowl when I hear a knock on the door. It's firm, manly, something I don't hear everyday.

I open the door and there he stands, my Father. I stared at him, not knowing what to say other than go to hell and never look back. My previous calmness is out of the window at the moment I see him. This man betrayed my Mother.

„Is your mom here?"

I wonder if he figured the truth out. Even if he did, his face shows nothing. I should wear the same mask as him but I can feel my jaw clenching and my hands tightening to fists.

„No. But if she were here, she wouldn't want to talk to you. Neither of us have anything to say to you." I answer cooly, managing to keep my voice steady at least. I shut the door in front of him and lean against it.

PART 2-LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER

I wander around the woods surrounding the Academy. I'm furious. I can't believe my Father got the nerves to come here. How dare he? Who does he thinks he is? The famous Guardian Belikov. Famous about what? Leaving pregnant teenagers behind? That really is respectful.

And then there is my Mom. How the hell did she forget to tell us the truth? Now he was here she should have told us. Finding out the way we did… Well, it was terrible. My blood boils and my hands itch only by thinking about the man.

As I walk among in the trees I bump into a wall. Not a wall literally but a man almost as solid as one. I know who it is without looking up. His arms come around my waist to steady me so I wouldn't fall on my butt. A shiver runs over my spine as I feel his touch on me.

„Hey, are you alright?" He asks with concern in his deep caressing voice.

„Not really," I mutture, closing my eyes.

„What's wrong, Sonja?" He lightly lifts my chin so I have to look at him.

I stare into those deep blue eyes what always remind me of storm and angrily waving ocean and feel myself losing in them. I could stay like that forever. Just letting him hold me.

I know it's wrong and I shouldn't feel that way. He's a guardian, not to mention my brother's mentor. Still, I can't fight the overwhelming feelings I got for him. And every now and then I think I have hope he feels the same way about me. He's never done or said anything openly but there are little things.

„Guardian Bradley, what do you think you are doing?" The thick Russian accent woke me from my day dreaming.

James immediately let go of me and I felt my anger growing again because he stole a rare moment from us.

„It's none of your business, Guardian Belikov," I hissed.

„I didn't ask you, young lady. I will deal with you later. I don't think your mother would be happy if she knew what you're doing."

„Why do you mind what I'm doing? Not everybody is like you, Guardian Belikov. James is a good man. Not everybody leaves behind a pregnant woman. There are people who takes responsibility for their actions." I explain heatedly, hoping my words would hurt him.

„Go home, Sonja," he says, inhaling deeply and I feel proud that I managed to get some kind of reaction out of him.

„You don't tell me what to do. You are not my father!" I scream at him furiously, wanting to go against him, only to be hold back by iron strong arms. James murmures soothing words in my ear, trying to calm me.

„What's going on here?" My Mom appears in front of me as I still struggle to get free.

„That's what I'm trying to find out, too," Belikov answers. „When I arrived they were in each others arms."

Amazing. After 16 years now he finds his fatherly side?

„Guardian Hathaway, I swear…" James starts nervously, losing his grip on me, feeling I stopped struggling.

„You can go now," Mom cuts him off in midsentence. „Both of you."

„Rose, I hope you don't mean you just let them…" Belikov looks at my Mom with wide eyes, not believing she would just let us off the hook.

Honestly, I'm also surprised but I got a feeling we will talk about this later.

„This is none of your business, Guardian Belikov," Mom says in a calm voice, though I can tell she needs a lot of self control not to snap at me or at him. „What my daughter does and how I deal with it is my problem, not yours."

Even if I know there'll be concequences of this scene I feel triumphant when Belikov takes a step back with a shocked face. I glare at him as I walk by him, hoping my Mom would grill him in the old Hathaway way.