A month outside the gates (a VA fanfic)ON HOLD

Chapter 34

Vika'sPOV
The Rose Hathaway had just said I had what?! I had just as much what?!

I'd been briefed the girl was a year older than me, but she had so many kills already- and a dangerous reputation before them. This living legend was my brother's student, and was clearly considered in the same league as her mother. She hadn't even graduated, yet was being considered as a better guardian than the one who was teaching her because he wasn't here to help replenish numbers and aid the rescue team. Unbelievable.

What was even more unbelievable was that she really didn't seem to understand what her last comment meant. She was basically saying I was better than my nearly twenty-five year old brother. "You really don't understand what that means, do you?"
"You sound like him!" she laughed.
"Is that a good thing?"
"Yes." She grinned. "That's a very good thing."
"You really don't get what a legend you are." I observed.
"And you can't seem to see I'm a person." she laughed again.
"Enlighten me." I requested.
"Well..." she told me a just a few main points that brought me out of my hero worship.
"Now I get it."
"Thanks." She smiled softly.

And it made her look stunning. She already looked pretty, beautiful even. But with that smile? She looked more like a grown woman than a seventeen year old girl. "Call me Vika." I offered.
"Call me Ro-" she cut herself off, almost physically biting her tongue.
"Rose." her mother warned. "Spit it out."
"Fine," she eventually sighed. "Vika, call me 'Roza'."
"You know the Russian nickname for 'Rose'?" I asked in surprise. Her mother repeated the question with a worried, yet curious, tone.
"Yes," she sheepishly admitted. Then turned on her mother, "and you're hearing no more about it." Okay... What had I missed?
"Roza?"
"Yeah?"
"Sit with me at lunch?" I offered.
"Sure." she smiled again.

Damn! I had to wonder if my brother liked her, because she really did look closer to his age than her own when she did that. Surely, surely, my caring, kind, big-softie-at-heart big brother couldn't resist that? Especially given she was, so clearly, as dedicated to duty and the Moroi as he was. From what little I knew, I could already tell there were similarities between their true personalities and true attitudes. Both wore masks, that was for sure- his being one of control and all anti-social, hers of recklessness and 'I don't give a shit'. They'd make an interesting match, and I wondered if I'd ever get to see them side-by-side.
"Right in there," I gestured to the door of Olga Kar's office, a minute later. "See you at lunch, Roza."
"Thanks Vika, for everything."
"No worries, Roza." I left them once the door was shut.

"Paul!" I called to my ten year old nephew when I found him, on elementary campus of course.
"Aunt Vika?" he looked at me curiously.
"What's with the look?" I asked as I pulled him into a hug and messed up his hair.
"What's with yours?" he retorted evenly. Seriously too much like the uncle he doesn't really know that well. "And don't touch my hair."
"I just met the Hathaway's." His mouth dropped before I could continue.
"T-the H-Hathaway's? Rose and Guardian?"
"Yes." I smirked. "And don't go all hero worship- Rose hates it. Her mother doesn't really speak. Rose is just another, regular, Novice at heart. She's just as thinking, feeling and caring as we are. And..." I built up the suspense.
"Aunt Vika!"
"Okay, okay. She's your Uncle Dimka's student. Rose, that is. Your Uncle Dimka is her mentor, her private teacher."
"Is he here? Is he on the team going after them, the Strigoi?"
"No. Sorry Paul. He's not been considered good enough. His student is more lethal than he is."
"Wow. Then why is he still teaching her?"
"I don't think he's teaching her new stuff, more like being someone she stands a chance losing a sparring match to."
"Wow. What does she look like?" I told him and his jaw dropped, again. "She sounds very pretty. "
"She is very pretty. So pretty you wouldn't think she was deadly." I sighed before continuing. "How are you feeling, Paul? Really? Please don't be like your uncle and say 'I'll cope by myself'."
"But I can cope on my own."
"Not this time- you're not allowed." He spilled. As I'd thought, he was trying not to worry, to not be scared and trying not to be in pain. I helped him through it, made sure he felt it and let it out. He was so much like Dimka, it was scary.