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

Rose & Dimitri Blood Bond during the Cabin scene

Part 2
Emil'sPOV
Hathaway and Belikov had made majority of the kills without batting an eye. At times it was almost as if you blinked and they'd taken down the next Strigoi that had appeared. It was almost unnatural how efficiently they'd worked. It was more than just well-matched training partners who knew one another's fighting styles so well that they practically read each other's mind. It was as though they were one person in two bodies. Creepy.

"What are they getting up to in trainings?" muttered a panting, battered Celeste from beside me as we watched Hathaway and Belikov take out the last three Strigoi while Christian Ozera looked around himself, exhausted and stunned. "I mean, I knew they were both really good—and we've seen what they're like battling one another..." she shakes her head before continuing, "but I didn't think any of us could foresee this." She waved her uninjured hand in their direction, the kills made and the pair on guard for another threat.
"There's no more," I announced just loud enough to get their attention and the point across.
A matching confused frown marred their faces momentarily before their eyes met and reality set in, wiping any expression from their faces at all as they observed the carnage surrounding them.
"We lost a lot of life here," observed Belikov, causing Hathaway to flinch.
I nodded at them.
"Yeah, we did—in every sense," added Celeste.
"And we would have lost more if you three hadn't teamed up as you did."
It was foolhardy for Belikov to bring not just a Novice but also a Moroi into the heart of battle, and could potentially get him officially written up and in major trouble. But it had made a difference—a significant difference.
"Let's get going—Christian, you need a feeder," Hathaway murmured in a compassionate but definite tone, which Ozera didn't argue with. Thankfully.
Belikov pointedly narrowed his eyes at Hathaway, and even though she had no way of seeing it—her back was turned as she led her classmate outside—she nodded sharply.
"I mean it, Rose!"
"I'm going! I'm going! No need to nag, Comrade!"
They both sighed and shook their heads at the other, at the same time, but she was already out the door.

I saw amusement flash in Belikov's eyes before he returned his attention to the task before us and the amusement dried up immediately.
The five of us left in relatively good condition—Celeste, Yuri, Belikov, Jean, and I—all took stock of each other's bumps and scrapes and then our fallen but not deceased colleagues. I put a call into Petrov for spare hands—Senior novices if needs be—to come and rush our fellow survivors to the clinic for urgent care as we administered basic first aid to one another with the resources we had at our disposal.

Almost three hours later, the lobby was completely emptied of dead bodies, numbers logged, and our exhaustion was taking its toll on the five of us. Belikov scowled before murmuring that he urgently needed to go deal with Hathaway, excusing himself and not looking back as he strode purposefully out the door, cursing in Russian, his hands balled up in fists, clearly frustrated with her and likely pissed off too.
"What is it about Belikov and Rose?" groaned Jean. "Neither of them have been the same since they met!"
We all exchanged equally frustrated looks. Every time we turned around, the dynamics between the two had changed and morphed. We all knew that they shared something with each other that they shared with no one else, but we couldn't put a name on it.
"We're going to figure it out soon, I'm sure," Celeste soothed. "I'll interrogate Dimitri to within an inch of his life if I have to, to get him to trip up."

We were relieved by Alan, Alto, Kyle, Gregory, and Lara. They were here to clean up the blood splatters and other such marks; you would think that would be the last task on the list—assigned lowest priority—but for this dorm, it was highly important to swiftly return the lobby to a state that almost completely erased any evidence of the bloodbath that had taken place. Because the residents of this dorm were some of our youngest, most easily frightened and traumatized children. They didn't need the physical evidence 'in their face', just because we 'couldn't be stuffed' to clean it up at the first opportunity.

As a unit, we silently marched to Petrov's office, our hearts heavy and every muscle aching, protesting. We all understood that none of us would get any decent rest or sleep for likely a month as we went into damage control and recovery mode.

"Dimitri, really!" Hathaway's hiss interrupted our silence as we neared the door to Petrov's office.
"You've done all you can, Rose. If you want to be of use, you need to get a decent sleep. If Lissa's using her magic to excess, you're going to suffer even more if you haven't had a proper night's rest."
I shook my head. How does Belikov get Hathaway to do anything? Let alone something reasonable that she doesn't want to?
Hathaway turned her back to Belikov with a huff, crossing her arms across her chest.
Belikov grabbed Hathaway's shoulders and turned her back around, taking her wrists and uncrossing her arms, not letting go as he proceeded to speak with a heavy voice. "Roza, please—if you won't at least have a nap for your own health, would you do it for my peace of mind?"
Something about his tone eventually caused Hathaway to nod in reluctant resignation. "Just a nap, Comrade. Don't push your luck for anything more."
Belikov laughed once, releasing Hathaway's wrists. "I'll take what I can get. Now go."
He watched after her as she left; with a small smile, gentle sigh, and soft shake of the head, very evidently amused.
"Come now, Belikov," jibed Yuri, bumping his shoulder against Belikov's, "she's done as asked for once—you've worked your miracle—now let's go check in with Alberta."
Belikov let out a short bark of a laugh before closing his face down once more, joining us as we entered our Captain's office.