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

The Code Black Project

RPOV
"He cut off contact with me, so no, I won't be here while he is." Lissa was too like me sometimes— so damn stubborn. "I'll be outside the wards until you absolutely need me."
"You're not even going to challenge him to explain everything in one word?"
"He had the opportunity to explain and apologize the morning he left. So again, it's a no."
"Should I call Eddie and tell him not to switch?"
"Do that and you'll be guardian-less until they leave, and heaven help them if she's pregnant or they've already got a kid."
"You're overreacting, Rose."
"I'm being cautious, that's all."
"Gah! You're making me want to pull my hair out."
"Unfortunately, I know and it's doubling my desire to do so myself."
"You are aware if either look they'll see the signs."
"But not be able to link it to me. Not if I'm not there."
"It's him, he'll link it to you Because you're not there."
"You know, I'd never imagined planning your wedding would become such an impossible task."
"My wedding planning isn't the impossible task here, Rose, and I know you know it."
"I can't just drop everything."
"You can't avoid this though. You can keep putting it off, but you can't avoid it."
"Well now isn't the time. He left me. If he wants back in my life he'll need to prove to me he can keep up." Honestly though, a part of me knew she was right, the same part that knew I didn't want to acknowledge I would still drop everything to do as he says. That was the same part that was denying I already wanted to run into the arms he no longer held open for me.

DPOV
This trip would be incredibly hard. I wanted to sort things out with Rose, but I didn't know how, or where to start. I had been trying to figure it out for nearly a decade now and I was still as clueless as I was to why I left in the first place. That didn't even feel like it had been me doing it until I was on the plane with Tasha. By now I could be happily married to Rose if I hadn't been forced to leave.

As soon as we reached Court grounds I tendered my resignation. I could suffer no longer. Tasha was a great friend but constantly far too desperate for my attention, so ready to shame Rose on anything that wasn't guarding Lissa. And even then she had her limits. She was jealous and desperate, and I was just plain desperate to escape. With my resignation I also denounced our friendship.
Leaving behind a stunned and very angry, heartbroken Tasha, I headed to admin and Hans Croft therein. Only, behind the desk, in its seat I found the woman I had expected to earn such a position at such a young age.
"Guardian Hathaway," I greeted with the utmost respect I felt for her.
"Guardian Belikov. What is it I can do for you?" Her guard was well and truly up, but I could still read how hard she was fighting for her control, to not kick my ass; to remain professional at all costs.
I pulled out a form she was sure to recognise well. "I've resigned as Tasha Ozera's guardian, effective immediately, and am applying for a transfer to Court."
I laid the papers on the desk in front of her. Her eyes bore into me as if we'd never parted ways and I wanted to squirm now as much as I had previously. What was she seeing? What was she looking for? Her cell rang before she said a word or twitched a muscle.
"Head Guardian Hathaway here, how may I help you?" There was a response and her eyes darted nervously towards me and back to the wall. "She did what?" Another response had her eyes widening and then burning a hole in her desk as she shook her head. "Fine. I'll be right over." Rose hung up and darted out the door. She poked her head back in like a child playing a game, but her expression said she was doing anything but. "Don't you goddamn think about thinking of moving from this office, Belikov. We still have a few things to discuss." She called down the hallway, "Vladimir!"
"Yes, ma'am?" a young male voice asked.
"I need you to keep an eye on some dangerous goods in my office while I go and deal with an injured Ivanna."
"What was it this time?" he whined in what sounded like amusement. By his tone I gathered he knew this Ivanna rather well and wasn't particularly surprised by this news.
"Take a guess."
"Oh good god. Will she never learn?"
"She's your sister, what do you think?"
"She may be my sister, but she's nothing like me. Please go save her from herself. I'll behave, trust me."
As soon as the boy entered I heard a muttering from Rose as she walked away. "Why d'you think I asked you...?"