RPOV
"Bringing party crashers, Dimka?" A woman gracefully skated to a stop and immediately struck up a conversation with Dimitri. She was a Moroi, and very pretty, but a pink scar marred her left cheek and looked as if someone had taken a bite out it. When I spotted Lissa and Christian a ways behind her I immediately knew who she was. Tasha Ozera. Quickly, though I doubted it was quickly enough, I diverted my gaze.
"It's impossible to keep Rose from places she shouldn't be." Like your room, Daddy.
Tasha laughed and shook my hand. "I've heard a lot about you, Rose."
I glared at Christian.
"Don't stress, it was all good."
"No it wasn't!" indignantly cried Christian.
My left hand hid in my coat pocket when we toasted marshmallows over a fire in an old log cabin Dimitri had earlier told me was a disused watch post. We all shared lighthearted conversation, all catching up. Especially Tasha and Dimitri. My chest threatened to collapse under the pressure in my chest, the feeling of exclusion... and jealousy, I reluctantly admitted. My secret wouldn't be a secret much longer, but for the moment, it hurt so incredibly much it felt as though I was tearing in two. It had barely been 48 hours since I had found out and it wasn't sinking in, yet it was sinking in all too quickly.
That was further proved when I had to bolt from the cabin, feeling too nauseous after the marshmallows and just because of the haywire hormones. I barely made it to the closest cluster of trees.
Tasha'sPOV
"What's that about?" I asked Dimka after Rose bolted from the cabin.
"I'll be back," he rushed out and followed his student out the door.
I'd heard how pretty she was, but nothing could have prepared me for how... Mature her beauty was. No wonder she had the reputation and track record with boys that she did.
But I couldn't help but notice how she keep gazing at Dimka out of the corner of her eye... almost possessively. Someone apparently had a schoolgirl crush on her older mentor.
Lissa's expression changed to one of grave concern. Very few things made the Moroi and dhampir sick.
"Do you mind if I go see...?" Her eyes flicked between me and Christian.
"Not at all," I excused.
Christian grimaced but let his girlfriend go after her best friend.
"Do you have a clue what's up with Rose?"
Christian shook his head. "None." He turned musing for a few seconds before correcting himself. "Well... I have one, but it doesn't make any sense... She's been rushing out of class much like that for the past week and a bit... And eating differently."
"Are you alluding to what I think you are?"
Rose Hathaway, pregnant? I just couldn't imagine it. I mean, I get the male attention she clearly receives and plays up to, but I just didn't see it in her to not be safe. She was obsessed with guarding Lissa and was in the top three of her class again. So why would she risk her career with a child?
"She hasn't been around guys in that way- Belikov's been running her ragged and taking away her time."
"Then what's wrong with her? 'Cause I can't see her being that irresponsible."
"Don't ask her about it- she'll never confess. At least not until she shows, given she even is." He was protective of Rose, I realised. Much as he clearly fought with her.
I'd even noticed Dimka flicking his warm brown eyes in her direction, and there was a protective glint in them too, alongside the possessive.
DPOV
"Where's the closest place a girl can shop at this hour?" asked Tasha after Rose's bout of morning sickness- which was more like All Day Sickness.
"Missoula," the bound friends replied wistfully. Then Rose turned to me and pointedly pouted hopefully, oh hell no! She knows I struggle resisting that pout and those pleading eyes. "Maybe we could sneak along?"
Even Lissa was looking hopeful.
"I guess I should grab a coffee," I heard Tasha say as I deliberated.
Oh, fine! Rose was carrying my child and may not get another chance to go shopping. It was still dangerously early days, but she would be wanting to hide this as long as possible.
I cut off Rose's argument over Tasha having no guardians. "You wouldn't mind the girls tagging along if Lissa allowed me to guard you too, would you?" I looked at both Lissa and Tasha.
"Of course, Dimitri," Lissa granted, "as long as Rose and I get out."
Tasha laughed. "Then let's get going."
"And what am I to do?"
"Obey curfew," I told Christian. We were already pushing it for time.
"Humph."
"Don't be a sourpuss," jokingly reprimanded Tasha.
After twenty minutes of non-stop back-and-forth arguing with Alberta and Kirova I finally had permission to take the girls with me. With Rose on duty again and... Janine joining us. This was going to be brilliant. Just perfect. Absolutely perfect!
Janine'sPOV
"Dimitri!" Rose screeched. "Really? I mean, seriously, Her!"
"I didn't choose her," Belikov calmly replied as she approached the SUV. Just barely meeting us on time. "Now, does being on duty make you feel any better?"
"On duty!" I exclaimed. I hadn't been briefed my under-skilled and bad-mannered, uncontrolled teen was going to be helping us out.
Belikov shrugged. "More or less."
"Do I get a stake and earpiece this time?" She was attempting- and failing- to mirror Belikov's earlier single-brow raise.
To my surprise he unsheathed a stake and flipped it so it spun above his hand before he caught it by the hilt.
"Stop showing off!" demanded both Tasha and Rose. Then my daughter added, "That doesn't answer my question."
Belikov let out a short, single laugh. "I thought it was perfectly clear..."
"It's perfectly unclear, Comrade. Now, just sheath it or hand it over."
Belikov shook his head in what I gathered to be amusement. "Oh, Rose. You're impossible."
I was surprisingly scared of her responding glare.
"No need for theatrics."
Belikov handed the stake over and it was as if Rose became an entirely unrecognisable other person when her hand embraced the hilt like one would a newborn. Her whole demeanour changed as we piled into the vehicle. Rose rode shot-gun- much to Tasha's subtle displeasure. I sat in the back row between Tasha and Lissa. Belikov drove.
"What is the deal, Dimitri?"
"Rose," I warned from my spot, "it's Guardian Belikov." To my shock, Belikov ignored the reprimand just as completely as Rose.
"You're not getting the earpiece, but you've got the stake. You know how pair-guarding works, but this will be a little different."
"There's pair guarding or there isn't. So please explain your recent trip to crazyville."
Beside me, Tasha looked hopeful for some reason.
"There's one far guard and two near guards for this trip."
"And who's who?"
"You're near-guarding me, aren't you, Dimka? So we can catch-up more!"
In the rearview mirror I noticed a tense Rose and Belikov's eyes locked for just a moment, barely two seconds, but it was as if an entire strategic conversation occurred. What about me? Where's my input? I'm officially involved in this guarding operation! Rose is just playing pretend.
"I'm better off near-guarding- your proper charge is Princess Dragomir, here, Belikov."
Rose and Belikov's eyes met again via the rearview mirror. There was an uncomfortable tension about them, as if they were reluctant to pair or reluctant to not.
"Oh, come on, Dimka!"
Rose looked ready to cry. "Liss?"
The Princess looked utterly torn. Her eyes flicked between each of us.
"You're the guardians, you decide."
"I'll far guard," Belikov decided.
"But, Dimka!"
"It's the logical solution," Rose snapped then sighed.
"Settle, Rose. You're stressing too much," Belikov almost cooed, "it's not healthy."
"He's right, Rose, you need to calm down," agreed a compassionate Princess.
She sighed and curled back in on herself. She wrapped her arms around her torso and sank back into the car seat.
Tasha looked suspicious. I was completely lost. Why was she being told it wasn't healthy to stress? Better yet, why was she listening? The Rosemarie I knew never listened to advice from anyone.
While we moved from store to store and one section of clothes to another I didn't miss the professional job the novice- known as my daughter- was doing. She was using every technique she should while also interacting with her friend.
"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."