Cabin Change-Up (after first meeting Tasha) (A Vampire Academy fanfic)

Going shopping

"Other way around. It's if I've got my defences down."

"Fine. Once we're out the gate I'll switch out. Half an hour tops, Rose."

She grinned, "and I'll let you have control of the radio when you're in the passenger seat."

Damn you! "Fine. An hour," we hopped in the car and I drove us to the gate.

"What was that about, Dimka?" Tasha asked from the back once we were through the gate.

"I made her sit through ten hours of eightie's music to, and from, her qualifier. Five hours each way. That did not end well."

"Neither does not letting me drive." Roza glared at me, and I saw the playful twinkle.

"Who runs trainings, Dimka?"

"I do." I think. I pulled over. Time to test Rose's driving skills. "Switch out, Rose." My woman simply nodded and we switched so she had possession of the driver's seat, and I had possession of the radio. About twenty minutes later Tasha was asleep and I had to comment, "you're better than I gave you credit for."

"Thought that'd be the case." She grinned. "Seriously comrade, take a nap. Now you know my driving skills match my guarding skills."

"Fine," I let out a small yawn. I was obviously more exhausted than I thought, "you are exhausting, you know that right?" I teased.

"Says the one who whips my ass four hours a day!" she returned the banter.

"Forty minutes Rose."

"Forty minute-long winks." She kissed the palm of her right hand before placing it on my cheek.

"Sneaky!" I whispered as I grabbed said hand and kissed the back of it. "Night Rose."

"Night comrade." My eyes fluttered closed and I dreamed happy and guiltless dreams of her, of us.

"Switch out, comrade!" My Roza whisper yelled in my ear.

"Say what?!" I snapped to attention and she giggled.

"Do you want the steering wheel?"

"Naturally." I quickly switched places and Rose surprised me when we hit the road again. She turned off the radio.

"I'm sleeping comrade. I don't need music, I need a nap."

"Then sleep." I smiled softly and her breath caught. She was out like-a-light seconds later. God, the woman was beautiful when she slept. She looked so peaceful and carefree. One day, one day she'll be able to openly share that look while with me.

"Mmm. Dimka?" Tasha stirred from the back seat.

"Yes Tasha?"

"Why does she call you 'comrade'?"

'Why do you call me 'Dimka'?' I thought bitterly. "It's a nickname, of sorts. You have to know she hates titles."

"I have heard of her reputation for not using titles."

"Do you know how she and I met?"

"No."

"On a street in Portland. I caught the two of them and returned them to the Academy. At the time she simply, a- knew I was Russian, b- couldn't pronounce my name, and eventually c- saw me as her guarding partner. To her, it basically means 'colleague' or 'partner'. She came up with it before I'd taken her on as my student." God, that word was blasphemous, as was making the 'guarding' distinction. 'My student', my ass!

"Why hasn't she dropped it, if she can pronounce your name now?"

"Old habits die hard. That, and it's actually an insult if she uses your title." It's why I call her 'Rose' rather than 'Rosemarie', and certainly never 'Miss Hathaway'.

"Dimitri!" My Roza screamed about half and hour later, in, well, horror, and terror, and, pleasure? What the hell?

"Rose?" I tried to keep my voice steady, calm, professional-yet concerned. "What happened?"

"Stupid Lissa! That girl knows how to outsmart me."

"What?"

She turned to face Tasha with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry about this Tasha, but Christian's involved." She shivered in disgust over Christian's name.

"Rose?" I gently prompted.

"They're, well. Let's just say I'm traumatised. They just took 'love life' to the next level." After a second she bitterly muttered, "so much for sleep."

"Rose? How traumatised?" She knew what I was getting at, had I lost her to Christian through the bond?

"I'm still innocent. Despite rumours. And this hasn't changed it. Thank god." I think we both let out mental sighs of relief.

Five minutes later I quickly found a sensible, and safe spot to park and Rose was out before the engine was off. Clearly needing some air, and I didn't blame her.

"Rose?" I asked once I was out.

"Yes comrade?"

"You have my number? For emergencies?" I hope she hadn't been so pissed at me she deleted it.

"Yes. I do." I caught the 'I could never be that pissed at you'.

"Good. Now go! You're not being tied down this time."

"Sure?"

"Lesson one- never hesitate."

"Yeah, yeah. Lesson one- if at the mall, run." She ran, towards the shops.

"Tasha?" I turned to my old friend, and temporary charge.

"Come on. I've got a list a mile long." She started walking towards the entrance as I locked the car, remotely. "She is an interesting child isn't she?"

"Child?"

"Rose!" Tasha laughed.

I sighed, "she's no child Tasha. Not with all she's been through, not with the way she worries more about Lissa than herself." She's more of an adult than anyone gives her credit for. Myself included. She acts young occasionally because she feels stifled. Her two year gap was anything but fun, and it's gotten even tougher every extra week she's still in school.

Graduation was going to release some of the extra, building, stress. But it wasn't going to last for long, she'd be thrown into the throes of Court politics and college pretty quickly, and headfirst. She'd forever be in the Moroi public eye. And we'd be a non-stop gossip source when we came public.

"You care for her don't you, Dimka?"

"She's not a normal student. She has a tendency to simultaneously attract and avoid disaster."

"Do you think she'll get Lissa?"

"I'd hate to think what'd happen if she got Christian. I'm trying to train her to be able to get Lissa. It's all on her shoulders but. Her behaviour is the main thing they'll look at to make her anyone but Lissa's. She's got the skill and mental capacity. I want her to get Lissa. She needs to prove herself worthy."

"You have a point. About her and Chris. Especially after what happened in the car." She shivered before turning thoughtful. "Dimka?"

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why'd she scream your name?"

"To pull her out of it?"

"Yeah."

"Honestly? I'm not too sure." Yeah right! It was her non-existent sex life being messed up with her best friend's, clearly, active one. I was going to have to change that, at some point.