A Calling (A Vampire Academy Fanfic)

Chapter 4

RPOV
"Rose?" Of all the people I would expect to find in a royal guard uniform my mother was the last. Since when did she get that assignment?
"Mom?"
"You look like you don't recognise me."
"I almost don't." Her curly red hair was long- touching the bottom of her shoulder blades even in a high ponytail. She had grown even more leathery and the royal guardian uniform topped it off. "Especially in the royal guard uniform."
"Point taken. Now, introductions?"
"Mom" I turned to Adelai, "Come here baby girl".
"Yes Mom." She let go of Dimitri's hand, came and stood in front of me and I put my hands on her shoulders.

"Mom? Rose?" My own mother looked horrified and completely confused.
"Yes. Mom, meet my daughter Adelai Milaya Belikov. Adelai this is your grandmother, Janine Hathaway."
"Belikov?"
"Out of everything, that's what you pick up as most astounding?"
"It's impossible. You having a child is one thing but it being Belikov's is impossible- genetically and you..." It suddenly hit her.
"Yes?"
"Belikov? Is it true? Did you have a romantic relationship with my daughter when she was your student?"
"Yes." He sounded, well, almost proud. Then it hit me- he never regretted it. He no longer saw any of it as wrong, he hadn't at the time of the cabin. He was proud of ending up with a daughter- our daughter.
"Rose?"
"We did and I don't regret any of it- even twelve/ thirteen years apart can't split up soul mates. Without him, I wouldn't be the guardian I am and certainly wouldn't be the mother of this miracle in front of me that goes by the name of Adelai Milaya Belikov."

"Mommy?"
"Yes Adelai?"
"Can I show Bubushka what I'm capable of?"
"Which part?"
"Both. But I'm sparring with you- dad's crap." I laughed at her very rare show of cussing. It was true Dimitri was crap compared to her.
"Yep. I agree Adelai- he is compared to you."
"Rose! Don't encourage your daughter's language and attitude." Mom snapped.
"Oh come on. You don't know her- she almost never swears and she actually has considerable control of her attitude. She's not being cocky. She actually just sparred with Dimitri and had him pinned within a minute."
He groaned. "My most embarrassing moment. I was the self confident and cocky one. I didn't listen to the girls warnings."

"So, Mom?" Adelai asked.
"Show her. Show her your marks."
Adelai turned around and lifted her hair. My mom gasped.
"How? How is that possible? She's twelve!"
"My first kill was when I was nine. Mom trained me from the moment I could stand I was running, conditioning, training. Theory and prac. Real world experience and exposure. That and the genetics I get from these two called my parents." She had turned back to face my mom and pointed her thumbs to me and Dimitri, scrunching her face up while mentioning us being her parents. I assumed she was reliving the sickly sweet scene between Dimitri and me.
"Adelai! Some respect for your parents please." Dimitri chastised.
"Sorry Dad. Sorry Mom."
"Shall we spar Adelai?" I changed the topic.
"Yay!"
"Don't sound so disappointed." I laughed.

"What on earth?" My Mom was stunned.
"Now do you believe she's a purebred?"
"Yes. I don't get how, but I do."
"Thank you."

"Mom? Dad?"
"Yes baby?" Dimitri and I answered in unison and my mom made a gagging motion.
"Am I going to an Academy?"
"I'd like to avoid it but you need to stay behind wards and continue training. You also need to finish normal schooling." I hated the idea of her at an academy. I didn't know how readily she would be accepted, everything about her would attract attention I wasn't sure she was ready for. She was resilient, but like both parents she would likely snap at some point. I also knew that Strigoi would follow her, wherever she went she posed a risk, the wards would have to be relayed every day, the security doubled.

"Rose?"
"Yes Mom?"
"Why don't you want her at an academy?"
"Multiple reasons. I guess my biggest concerns are bullying and security. She's targeted by Strigoi, so, wherever she goes they're bound to follow."
"So why is she here? Why are you back?"
"Lissa's orders. She's been in on this from the beginning. Sending us into the field was her idea, she's kept all this secret. She now wants Adelai behind wards. She doesn't want to lose her at this age. Adelai is young and exceptional but she can't afford to be exposed to threats when she hasn't learnt everything yet."
"That makes sense." Dimitri added then kissed my cheek after ruffling his daughter's hair. That earned him a "Dad!" and a fit of giggles.

"I should have warned you- don't touch her hair unless you're styling it for her- then she's just fussy."
"I am not!" My daughter retorted.
"You are. When it comes to styling your hair you're fussy. A perfectionist when it comes to guarding but just fussy about your hair." I smirked at her.
"Humph!"
I had to laugh at that. So did Dimitri.
"Your attitude huh?"
"Not all of it- she has your self control." Ugh. I had to remember her love of the old west rivalled his- and beat it hands down. A cowgirl in the making. "And her obsession with the old west beats yours hands down." I groaned.
"What!"
"She's a cowgirl in the making. I have had to but her every book three times- once in English, another in Russian and again in French. And that's just the beginning- she's been through five dusters already, every John Wayne movie memorised- again in three languages. If there's a new book or movie remotely related to the old west she knows about it. Posters, figurines. Everything."

"She's my daughter then."
"No kidding Sherlock Holmes! It's not like she's your spitting image." I elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted.
"Roza" he groaned. "That hurt."
I chuckled. "Sorry comrade. I forget how much training Adelai has trained me."
"Clearly."
"God you two are too sickly sweet." My mother interrupted our moment.
"Get over it Mom. You'll likely be seeing a lot more of it."
"How did no one pick up on you two back then?"
"I was in training. And underage, well sorta."
"You do realise Alberta knew the whole time?" Dimitri turned to me.
"Yeah. Her I knew about knowing."
"How?"
"After you left. After the positive test."
Understanding lit his eyes. "Ahh."
"Yeah."

"Rose?"
"Yeah Mom?"
"I gotta go. I'll see you three around."
"See ya Mom."
She promptly turned and left.