Incomplete (A VA Fanfic One-Shots & Shorts Collection)

Choice: Part 3

"Now this is perfect!" cheered Lissa and she pulled a shirt off the rack. It was black and lace, little more than a crop top and would cling to her chest.
"We aren't here for slutty clothes, Liss," Rose reminded and shook her head. Now, I'd been so sure she'd jump at the chance.
Tasha laughed. "Rose, it would look nice on you."
"Hardly," Rose snorted then made eye contact with Belikov. "I know what would look good on me, is right over there," she pointed across the aisle at a plain, red sweater dress.
"That's boring, Rose!" complained her friend. "You're losing your touch even more."
"I'm supposed to be," she whispered.
"I think it would look nice on you, Rose," I agreed. "Loose and practical without losing its effect." She was still a teen, she deserved a few months more of bright clothes.
"I didn't know you had fashion sense," she sarcastically retorted.
"I didn't know you could be practical."
"Just try it on," demanded Tasha and Lissa.
Rose shook her head. "It compromises you."
"We have your mother, Rose, we'll be fine," assured Lissa. "I'm not letting you get away with not trying stuff on today."
Rose grimaced. "Fine." She narrowed her eyes at me, "I'm entrusting you with my sister, Mom, if I come out and she has so much as a strange boy look-"
"We got it, Rose," Lissa assured.
"Go, Rose," I picked the the dress off the rack I thought was her size and shoved it at her.
She checked the size before shaking her head and putting back. If I was right, she grabbed a larger size before we continued to find more stuff for the three shoppers to try on.

"Oh, now this is what I'm talking about," moaned a delighted Rose at the sight of a short black dress. It went to about the knees, twisted between the breasts and scooped at the bottom. It was really loose and rather plain. I think it was either cotton-elastine or polyester because the top and sleeves clung.
"Far too short, Rose," I chastised.
She glared and pulled it off the rack then checked the tag. "As I thought, it's a top."
"You sure?" enquired Tasha.
"You're getting it, Rose," Lissa left no room for argument.
"There was no way I wasn't," my daughter laughed before making eye contact with a very tense Belikov.
"Then get two," the Princess returned the banter. "Ohh! Get the tie-die!"
Rose's eyes widened and she playfully snatched it off her friend. I was begrudgingly beginning to accept why most people wanted Rose to prove herself worthy of having Lissa as her charge. Humans would never suspect a thing.
Tasha laughed. "I agree, nice choice, Lissa."
"What are you going to wear it with?" I questioned.
"Leggings, jeans," Rose shrugged.
Lissa laughed and hugged Rose. "So typical. But I distinctly remember you commenting needing more."
Rose grinned while she scanned. "Well, yeah. I do. I also need more... you know."
"Let's try these on first, huh?"
"You know I hate you for making me do this?" Rose grimaced before smirking. "Right?"
"Yeah, I know. But you're not getting away with not trying it on."
"I still hate you. You're not letting me do my job properly."
"There's always..."
Rose smiled and shook her head, her eyes were still scanning. Maybe she was better than her high-and-mighty attitude let on. Maybe she was as good as she thought. "No, Lissa. We're not going back to that."
"Back to what?" Tasha and I asked. Tasha paused her perusing of the tops and leggings in the nearby vicinity, not straying too far from our moving cluster of adults and kids.
"You don't want to know. It's how we stayed safe while shopping while on "vacation.""
"If you did what I suspect you did, that's thinking beyond your years."
Rose's eyes rolled. "Knew that already. It wouldn't be the first time I've heard I'm smarter than I should be at 17."
My eyes whipped to Belikov's. He gave nothing away but I suspected he was the only one thinking that. He wasn't supposed to enlarge the chip on her shoulder, further inflate her already over-inflated ego.
Rose laughed. "You'll never know." With that, she disappeared into the change rooms.
"I want to see that dress and top, Rose!" I called after her.
"Hey, Lissa? Do you think these would suit her?" Tasha held a few pairs of leggings out to the Princess.
She flicked through them and selected three after studying them and their tag carefully.
"Thanks, Tasha. She'll also need jeans, but they can wait 'til she's done with this lot."
"Hey, Liss, whatcha think?" Rose exited wearing the red sweater dress.
"Another size up, maybe?"
"It's already nice and loose and long," I commented and Tasha mumbled her agreement.
Rose frowned and checked in the mirror, her focus was side on. Did she seriously think she was fat?
"Hmm..." With that frown still plastered on her face she twisted and checked the other side. "Mmm..." Again she changed her side on focus, back to the original, twisting in all different angles. "Liss, I'm inclined to agree; let's go another size up."
Tasha and I met eyes and confusion and shock passed between us. The girl was known for her taste in clingy, challenging-school-dress-code sexy clothes. What was going on?

Rose returned to the change room and came back out in her jeans and the black top. "Another size up?"
"It's fine, Rose," Tasha stressed.
"It is, Rose."
"How much training have you done?"
"Irrelevant much? And a lot."
Lissa concentrated with pursed lips before tilting her head to the side. "It can't hurt to check?"
Rose stared pointedly at Lissa. "How am I meant to know?"
"Check or I'll buy the next size and you can deal with it. Now check the tie-die."
With a shake of her head, Rose went to change. When she returned the first thing out of her mouth was, "Not gonna work without new jeans."
The Princess laughed. "We're getting new jeans anyway."

What is this? A complete overhaul of her wardrobe? And what was with all the upsizing? It's not like she can get fat- it's in her genetics and lifestyle.

"Hathaway," Belikov buzzed in the earpiece.
"Belikov?"
"Tell Rose two sizes up in that dress."
"It's already acceptably loose- everything is!"
Now her mentor was commenting on her fashion choices and judging her body size. What next?
"They... cling too much around... the chest..."
I resisted the urge to sigh. "Fine. Over and out." I turned to Rose, "Guardian Belikov suggested two sizes up," I whispered in her ear.
"That's just awkward," she whined quietly.
"He made a fair point though- they're too tight around your breasts."
"Ew! Thanks for that, Mom. Besides I can already feel that. I'm changing and then getting the bigger sizes."
I sighed. "What's going on, Rose? What are you hiding? And you are hiding something, that's all too clear."
"It's not your business!"
"If it affects your future then it is my business."
"No. It's really not. You left me at four. Nothing in my life concerns you since you never made an effort before this."
"Rose!"
She glared at me before turning away and returning to the change room.
"Hathaway!" Belikov reprimanded through the earpiece. "Don't stress her like that. It's not good for her when school's already putting too much on her."
"She's got nearly no stress!"
"She shouldn't be stressed. At! All!" I didn't like the threat in his low and almost growling tone. Especially considering I held seniority. And she's my daughter! He was sounding like an overprotective, coddling big brother.
"It's not like she's... oh Hell No!" I mentally screamed over a page's worth of obscenities. "I'm going to- I don't even want to say aloud what I've got planned for whoever did this to her," I growled.
"She's not going to spill. I've already tried getting it out of her."