This started more to annoy a friend than anything, but then I actually kind of love the idea.

But, what if Rose had an older brother...

Ivan POV

The rain drizzled on the double-pane windows, more depressing weather. I felt worse for the guardians that stood outside in the rain. The large estate I was in required a lot of guards, even with the wards that were constantly maintained. There were more than Strigoi that wished death on the owner of the house.

I told Dimitri to wait for me downstairs, but I wouldn't put it past him to have gone out with the others. His sense of duty amazed me but didn't surprise me anymore.

A cup was placed before me, the strong aroma drew my attention as he sat across from me. He crossed one leg over the other and eyed me. Despite our relationship, every meeting felt similar to a business meeting.

Maybe that was because I preferred it that way.

"Congratulations on graduating; I saw the photos," he started, a hint of pride in his voice, "I would have been there myself, but…"

I laughed, picking up my cup, "I'm sure there would have been non-stop talking if Abe Mazur showed up."

The corner of Abe's mouth twitched. "I'm grateful you understand, Ivan," he breathed, and I could tell he was. Our relationship was strained but he held it in high regard. "It's not every day your son graduates university."

I smiled, accepting the praise from the father I barely knew.

I wasn't even aware that Abe was my father until I turned eighteen—a drunken mistake between him and my mother when they were both young. He told me that he didn't expect anything, only wanted me to know the truth and make my own choices from there. While I never looked at him the way I did the man I called 'dad', I didn't turn down the opportunity for a relationship.

Abe was more like an uncle than a parent.

"So," he continued, "you are able to teach now?"

I cocked my head, "If I want to. The degree was more to please my mother than anything." I didn't need to work, and he knew it. He asked me a few years ago what my plans were; when I said I wanted to travel after graduating, I woke to a bank account with half a million in it the next day.

"But if the opportunity presented itself, say at an academy, would you consider it?"

"An academy?" I pulled a face. All I could picture were the arrogant Royal Moroi I had gone to St Basil with. To be stuck teaching them wasn't a compelling offer.

Abe hummed, "I know one in America that is looking for a teacher." He threw in the location like it was a hidden gem. "You've always wanted to go there."

I had my suspicions that he wanted something when he asked me to visit, and now I was certain of it. "America," I repeated, playing along with whatever con he was constructing. "And what would my guardians do? I can't just leave them with no work."

His eyes glinted. "For any that choose to move, they can, but I know of an opening that I'm sure your guardian Belikov would be perfect for."

I dropped the act, my curiosity too much to keep up the pretence. "What is it you want? What is in America that you need so badly?"

Abe threaded his fingers together; expression serious as he stared out into the dark night. "There's someone that I need taken care of–"

"I refuse to hurt anyone," I interjected sternly. It made Abe laugh.

"No. I need you to look after her. Watch out for her. Protect even."

"Her?"

His eyes moved back to mine and I saw a familiar expression—one aimed at me often when Abe was feeling sentimental. "Your half-sister. Rose."

xXx

One Year Later

I ran through the halls, weaving through the students that moved about the halls. Lunch had finished and I only heard the rumours once they reached the teacher's lounge. Part of me wanted to hit Dimitri for not informing me himself—it wasn't that hard to send a text or make a call, and yet he made it appear impossible.

It was part of his way of showing his disapproval for deciding to move to Montana and teach. He knew I never planned to work and couldn't understand why I was so adamant about teaching suddenly.

Abe asked me to keep Rose's identity secret—even from herself—and so I did. Dimitri never knew that I had sent him to find my sister, he only knew that he was searching for the Dragomir Princess and the female dhampir that travelled with her. I sold it to him as a good experience, something to add to his achievements so that he didn't spend a year guarding a school.

I was excited to have my best friend back, someone I had greatly missed in the past month he had been searching for Rose and the Princess. I knew he would be able to find them, and I was right.

They would always leave for a couple of weeks, then return to the school when pulling up a blank. Rise and repeat. The last one, Dimitri was given full reins after too many failures from others. He had led the search and been successful.

They had returned twenty minutes ago. My sister was back, safely in the walls of the academy.

Abe wasn't able to tell me much about Rose, other than some photos he had received from her mother, Janine Hathaway. There was a fondness in his eyes that he never had for my mother; it made me wonder if Rose wasn't as much of an accident.

Most of what I knew about Rose was provided by the other teachers at St Vladimir. The stories differed in how they were told—irritation, fondness, humour, horror. Everyone had their own opinion, but one thing was for sure, Rose was a troublemaker.

By the time I reached the Headmistress's office, everyone had left, except for a disgruntled Dimitri Belikov.

His hair was longer, but only by a little. He still wore his duster, something that I believed could never be taken from him, even in death. For a moment I forgot everything else and just ran up to my friend and hugged him.

Dimitri was shocked, stumbling a step before returning the embrace. I was more open with my affections, never fearing to hug a friend. Dimitri took a long time to be comfortable with it, but over the years had become more accustomed.

The day Dimitri graduated from St Basil, he approached life as if a stoic guardian was all he could be; I was determined to make sure he lived his life as much as he could.

"You're back," I laughed when I stepped back. Dimitri smiled, but it dropped when I punch him in the arm. "You're back and didn't tell me! Did you even tell your mother?"

He scowled, "I was busy. These past hours… We almost lost them again because of a stupid mistake–"

I cut him off, grasping his shoulders with my hands. "So it's true? You brought them both back?"

I hadn't thought of how to explain my concerns for Rose to him without giving something away. Instead, I always made him believe I was worried about the Princess. It wasn't uncommon for Royal families to act as if blood-related despite never meeting each other before.

"Yes," he sighed, "the Princess is back."

I clenched my jaw. "And her friend?"

Dimitri was suddenly pissed off, cursing in our native tongue. "Yes, Rose Hathaway returned." He shook his head and began to stalk down the hall, me on his heels. "She's as bad as they say," he snarled, "Kirova almost expelled her."

I was thrown by his reaction to Rose; there were very few people that could agitate him in such a short amount of time. His words sunk in and I quickened my pace. "Almost? Only almost, right? They wouldn't actually kick her out?"

"No," he grumbled, "I had to open my mouth and now I'm stuck training her. I didn't come here to babysit."

I couldn't help but laugh at his anger. Dimitri wasn't expressive, he wasn't short-fused, and yet because of Rose, he was. He halted at my reaction, narrowed eyes pinning me in place.

"What's so funny?"

I bit my tongue. "You really don't like Rose, do you?"

"She is wild and disruptive," he argued, "she has no respect for anyone." I had expected that to be the end of his complaints, but then his frown eased, "She's brave and was willing to give her life to keep the Princess safe. It would have been an easy fight to win against her, but she would have kept fighting until the end."

"You're impressed?" I felt a swell of pride for Rose. No one impressed Dimitri easily.

Dimitri scowled again, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Of course not. She put the Princess's life in danger. She did the one thing a guardian is never meant to do." Again he stalked off.

I was bewildered by his impression of her; how quickly his opinion shifted, but it made me all the more intrigued and excited to finally meet Rose Hathaway.

If I ever did make this an actual story, it would be a crack fic lol

But gosh, it would be such a fun one to write :3