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

Brushing Death: The Prophecy comes true... Again

DPOV
"How long? Belikov? How long have you been with my daughter?" Janine Hathaway's voice was unusually soft and gentle as it barely floated through the haze in my head.

We were by Roza's bedside in the school's med clinic. She hadn't made it out of the caves with the rest of us, but she had also been left behind by the Strigoi. I'd thought I had managed to keep it bottled up, stay composed despite breaking inside, maintain some of our cover. But apparently not. A slap on my face from Alberta had refocused me enough to run from the caves, leaving half my soul behind and bringing that damn fortune to life twice in two days. This time had seemed even more permanent than the darkness battle. As it was, the love of my life's life was still hanging in the balance.

"Huh?" I mumbled, not certain I'd heard Janine properly.
"Belikov," she sighed. "You're more distraught than I am. How long?"

I simply looked at the woman who might as well be my mother in law in utter disbelief. How long? Did she have to ask? All year! All bloody year I'd loved the young woman lying on the bed with her life hanging by a thread, alongside half of my heart and soul with her.

The more I'd thought our actions of the past few months through, the more I realised just how obvious we were. Especially to the guardians who had a keener eye than their Moroi counterparts due to training. The possibility that some of them knew to some degree had also become clearer.

We'd been so obvious. So so obvious. So why did Janine Hathaway need to ask that question?

"Do you need to ask?" I gave an exhausted sigh.

I'd been by my Roza's side for nearly eighteen hours now. I sure as hell hadn't slept in the last forty-two hours. How could I? I was so worried and distraught. All I could think was that this was all my doing. Guilt riddled me and what if? questions tortured me. I knew I should've made her stay behind, that I never should have let her come. I wanted to punch the guardian who'd made the call that sent her into the caves. Did no one see how precious the Rose Hathaway was?

"All year? You've been with my seventeen year old daughter basically since you brought her and the Princess back?"

Her tone wasn't quite judgemental, but the surprise and a minuet amount of disapproval came through. Loud and clear.

"Basically. She didn't leave me with a choice, Janine. I never got a say in falling for her, for being made for her. We tried, believe me we tried to fight it. We tried to focus on Lissa, on duty." I was still so distraught I was practically begging and crying for Rose's mom to understand.

"It didn't work, did it? What went down over Christmas, the ski trip and Spokane relates to you two, doesn't it? You were avoiding each other, trying to move on but also playing the jealousy game, weren't you?" Understanding and something close to compassion lit the guardian woman's face. "Trying to pick duty only made you do a crappier job at it, didn't it? In picking Lissa, your ability to effectively guard her was impeded, wasn't it?"
"More than you know," I sighed.

"Have you," uncertainty and awkwardness radiated around her and rang in her voice. "Have you slept with her?"

There was no point in lying to her while her daughter, my soulmate was on the brink of death, yet again. I refuse to apologise for letting my Roza know just how much I love her when she was in so much need of that contact and that support. I sighed and braced myself before answering.

"You have." Janine took my preparation to answer as an answer in and of itself. I was expecting an explosive Hathaway Senior. Instead, Janine just looked resigned to the fact. She too hadn't yet slept and had been crying silently. She was just as distressed and exhausted as I was.
"When? And how many times?" She gave a weary sigh.