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

Had It Been Rose-The Ramifications

"Janine has to know, Belikov, she has to come see," Alberta softly addressed as we all rode back to the Academy. For a moment I thought she meant about my relationship with the woman asleep in my arms. Age wise, she'd been paused at seventeen, still legally a child, but her eighteenth had occurred while I'd been hunting for her, making her the young woman she'd been for a while.
"No, Petrov," I nearly growled protectively when I realised she meant Rose's restoration. "That's her choice. And she's not going to want anyone else to know she'd actually been turned. Anyone asks, she was not a Strigoi, she was, as is the usual cover, a snack or a captive." Exactly what she'd made me, but I wasn't holding it against her—I couldn't.

"You're a mess again, Belikov," Alberta's gentle voice pulled me back to my too painful present.
"Of course I am!" I cried.
"Pull yourself together, for heaven's sake. Rose has left you in charge of Lissa, so get your shit together and do as she commanded."
I didn't react.
"The love-bug screwed you over big time."

For the following four years life went on. But I hardly noticed. Rose's absence and rejection had left me more empty than Ivan's death. I became even more of a shell and did my duty as Lissa's guardian in the most professional sense possible. I still cared for her as my charge, but Rose meant so much more than anyone in my life ever had. She'd taught me how to live, love and lose. She'd showed me the lighter side of life, but also understood all the grave things a guardian has to to truly live out our duty properly. She'd taught me so, so, so much more than I had ever managed to teach her. Rose Hathaway had completed and balanced me when I hadn't realised I needed balancing and completing; until Rosemarie Hathaway and all our troubles and adventures I'd been content and happy enough with my lot in life. She'd been my dream Princess and 'damsel in distress', who hadn't believed she needed support from anyone; her strength was truly inspiring and one of the main reasons I'd hopelessly fallen in love with her.

Today was the day that changed everything all over again.
"Get back here, Comrade Jr! Oh no you don't, Jessy-Louiza!" I heard her frantic voice off to my right, a few dozen yards away and getting closer to where Lissa and I were, walking through Lehigh's main great court about to pass the on-campus child care centre.
"You heard her too, didn't you?"
I nodded. "I think so."
"Comrade! Jessy! Look where you're going!" she squeaked and came into sight.

She was half bent over, chasing after two laughing and giggling tiny tots, technique all out since she was chasing the two live-wire children. Still, I noticed the gleam of a stake and the scanning her eyes did. The children hid nearby, just off to my left, behind a tree as Rose nearly ran into me.

"Comrade Jr and Jessy-Louiza Hathaway, now is not the time for hide and seek." She completely ignored Lissa and me as she dashed behind the tree and they ran out. It was then I really registered these two live-wires were her kids. She had a family of her own and a pang of loss and envy hit me. And judging by her face Lissa was thinking and feeling the same way.
"Mommy, do we have to go?" the little boy with straight, light brown, shoulder length, barely successfully tied back hair pouted at Rose. The girl stayed silent, despite sharing her brother's straight, light brown hair—worn longer and in a high pony with a pink ribbon—and despite sharing nearly everything else of her brother's she seemed the polar opposite.
"Yes, Comrade Jr, you do. Mommy has work, but I'll come have lunch with you. Deal? Jessy?" She looked between the two kids pleadingly.
"With The Hungy Catpilla?" the little girl bargained.
Rose laughed softly and nodded. "You and your books, Jessy. At least neither of you like the Old West." She grimaced. "Yet. Now let's get you signed in, now you're behaving."

There was nothing wrong with the Old West, Rose.
"She didn't even notice us, did she?" asked a saddened Lissa after Rose had disappeared into the child care centre and we moved into the foyer of her next lecture theatre.
I shook my head. "I believe she may have. I noticed her eyes scanning exactly as I taught her," I whispered.