Collateral Damage

- SEVEN -

I was awoken from my slumber by a tremendous sound, I looked around the room while I tried to focus my eyes on the item that was causing the noise. Once I realised it was my phones ringtone, I made a dash across the room to collect my cell.

"Hello," I said, barely looking at the ID, notifying me that it was Scott.

"Morning baby," he said and I glanced outside to find that it was dark. He had made fun of the timetable I used to live by. He knows how I hated it, especially after returning to the academy after living in the human world.

"Morning," I muttered, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Can I ask a favour?" he said, there was a tone to his voice that I hadn't heard in a while. Something that told me that he was up to something.

"What favour?" I said.

"Come to the gates and tell the guardians on duty to let me in."

I stood from the bed quicker than I had moved in the last sixteen years, "WHAT?!" I almost screamed.

"Please babe?" he sounded sincere. The thrum of my heart had doubled in less than a second. Why is he here?

"I'm on my way." I said before hanging up the phone, I thought I had told him not to come. But I guess when had he ever done anything I have told him to do?

I crept across the apartment and knocked on Adrian's door. I didn't really need him to come with me but he was probably the closest friend I had at the moment and I really wanted him there to accompany me. "What?" he said. I opened the door to find him laying atop his covers with his eyes shut. A filled ashtray sat on his bedside table and he looked somewhat peaceful.

"Scott is here," I said. As if understanding the whole scenario he stood from his bed and slipped his shoes back on.

Adrian followed me to the door and as I turned around to thank him he wiped sleep from the corners of his eyes. His eyes met mine and as he looked at me, it felt like he was looking deep into my soul. "What?" I said.

"Dimitri is on gate duty," he said locking the door to his apartment. My heart sank and I knew that I would have to face him sooner rather than later. "You okay with that?" Adrian asked and I nodded. I am in love with Scott. Not Dimitri. I can do this.

I followed Adrian all the way to the gates running over what I was going to say to him and how I was going to approach the subject. I thanked Stan for dying so that I would have a believable excuse about why I had returned to the academy.

I saw Scott before I saw Dimitri. Scott stood before a few guardians and his eyes briefly met mine, "There she is, she is my girlfriend," I felt happy seeing Scott at the gates, for the last few years he had been the most important part of my life.

As soon as I had realised that I was happy, my heart dropped as I realised who was interrogating Scott. I resisted the urge to faint and throw up and cry and I took the last few steps remaining between Scott, Dimitri and I.

"It's okay Guardian Belikov, he is with me," I rushed out as I stood beside my boyfriend.

Scott and I hugged but I felt the tension as I released my hold on Scott. "I didn't realise you were back Hathaway," Dimitri said, there was no emotion in his voice, purely business.

"I got back yesterday, I guess word hasn't gotten out yet," I replied.

"It's good to see you are well," his words sounded like honey and I felt the need to tremble at the knees. "Why are you back?" he asked. If I hadn't had known Dimitri the way I did I wouldn't have detected the bitterness and sadness in that statement.

"I am a cop at a police department in New York, and I came to relay news of Guardian Stan Alto's death," I watched as the surrounding guardians looked to me as if urging me to continue, "His body was found with an undetectable maroi and a couple other guardians, suspected strigoi attack." I hadn't realised Scott and I were holding hands until his grip tightened, "Once I arrived I found out that there is a sixteen year old orphan that is missing," I saw Dimitri's expression tighten at my mention of Matilda, "So I thought I would put my detective skills to use and help with the investigation."

"You make this sound like a normal thing that the New York Department deals with, this is completely different." Dimitri said, I could sense the worry and anger in his voice, "The girl is sixteen and she was removed from the academy, she was taken by a threat other than strigoi, this is hardly a case that a cop would deal with on a regular basis," calm down Dimitri.

"I don't know if you remember, but Lissa and I ran away from the academy when we were fifteen, we didn't want to be found but you found us. I can help find her," I said, the desperation clear in my voice.

"Matilda is nothing like you Hathaway," ouch, "You were the one that left the academy after you helped bring me back, you are hardly in any place to help with this investigation because all you are going to do is cause a problem and then run away like you always do."

"Love fades, mine has. Or have you forgotten that?" Realisation hit Dimitri. I could see it in his eyes. He realised that he was the reason I left. "Let's go," I said to Scott and Adrian before Dimirti could come up with a reply. I have had enough for one night.