A/N: Yay, finals are finally over and summer has begun!!! Thanks for being patient guys! As always, let me know what you think, reviews are always greatly appreciated! =)

**I don't own Vampire Academy or any of its awesome characters. They all belong to the brilliant Richelle Mead!!!

After Hours

It had been a long day for Rose and me. Today was the first day of Rose being my "guardian" and it had definitely been more of an experience than I was expecting. Or not, depending on how you looked at things. It was Rose and me I was talking about here after all.

We had gotten back to my room not too long ago, and it was surprisingly easy for the two of us to fall into a comfortable getting-ready-for-bed routine. You'd think it would be awkward for a guy and a girl to do this without things getting weird or there being some sort of sexual tension, but Rose and I were able to avoid this and keep things casual since our relationship was more of the bickering brother-sister variety anyway.

I would never say anything out loud to anyone, but secretly I felt bad about her having to sleep on the floor. What can I say? Gentlemanly manners die hard I guess. This was a training exercise though, so it probably wouldn't be a good thing for Rose's grade if she were caught sleeping comfortably in the bed while her charge was on the floor in her place. So I cleared a space on the floor for her beside my bed, and then left her to get settled while I did my usual nightly bathroom routine.

When I returned, I saw with well-concealed approval that she had managed to create a comfortable nest of blankets. I walked across the room and flipped off the lights then climbed into bed, careful to step around her and the mass of blankets she was wrapped in. I was exhausted from the day, so it wasn't hard to get comfortable and relaxed enough to begin to slip into a coma like sleep.

After several quiet moments in which I had been on the verge of passing out for good, Rose interrupted my rest.

"Christian?"

I was more than a little cranky at being interrupted because I had just been entering a dream that included me, Lissa and some sexy lingerie. In an annoyed voice I said, "This is the time when we sleep, Rose."

I heard her yawn before she replied saying, "Believe me, I want that too. But I have a question."

Oh jeez, I'm in for it now I thought. Out loud I said, "Is it about Victor? Because I need to sleep, and that's just going to piss me off again."

"No, it's about something else."

"Okay, shoot"

"Why didn't you make fun of me over what happened with Stan? Everyone else is trying to figure out if I messed up or did it on purpose. Lissa gave me a hard time. Adrian did a little. And the guardians…well, never mind about them. But you didn't say anything. I figured you'd be the first one with a snappy comment."

I rolled my eyes at the shadowed ceiling above me and smirked, finding it funny how well Rose seemed to know me now. Usually this would have been true, but after the incident in Spokane, I had seen for myself how quick of a thinker Rose could be in tough situations. She was strong, and she was able to put other lives before her own without even thinking about it. Out of all of us there, she had been the one to concoct the plan that got us out alive. She was so passionate about protecting Lissa, and I knew even if she had been assigned to guard Jesse Zeklos she would have done all in her power to protect him. No matter what she thought about her charge, she wouldn't have let that affect her training or her chances of being Lissa's guardian after she graduated from the academy. Our discussion today in my cooking class had sealed the deal for me.

"There was no point in giving you a hard time," I said at last."I know you didn't do it on purpose."

She seemed taken aback by my answer. "Why not? I mean, not that I'm contradicting you- because I didn't do it on purpose-but why are you so sure?"

I sorted back through my thoughts and finally decided on the most direct answer. Though I admired Rose for her zeal, I didn't want her to know I actually cared about her as one of my best friends. I mean jeez, that would change our entire antagonistic relationship! I don't think either of us would be able to handle that change. I did want her to know I was serious though, so I replied honestly, "Because of our conversation in culinary science. And because of the way you are. I saw you in Spokane. Anyone who did what you did to save us ... well, you wouldn't do something childish like this."

"Wow. Thanks. I ... well, that means a lot. You're like the first person who actually believes I just messed up without any ulterior motives."

I wondered how Lissa of all people managed to think the worst of Rose in this scenario. Yes, Rose and I did argue a lot but even I knew Rose wouldn't do that to me. It's not like we hated each other. We just argued. A lot. I guess you could say our personalities clashed occasionally.

I remembered back to earlier today, replaying the "attack" in my mind and I recalled the haunted look in her eyes and the stunned expression that marred her pretty features.

"Well," I said, "I don't believe that either."

"Believe what? That I messed up? Why not?" she asked curiously.

Annoyed I replied, "Weren't you just listening? I saw you in Spokane. Someone like you doesn't mess up or freeze." She started to give me some excuse about how killing Strigoi didn't make her invincible, but I cut her off and said, "Plus, I saw your face out there."

"Out...on the quad?"

"Yeah." Her hesitation told me I was on track, although I didn't know precisely what had gone on out there. "I don't know what happened, but the way you looked ... that wasn't the look of someone trying to get back at a person. It wasn't the look of someone blanking out at Alto's attack either. It was something different.... I don't know. But you were completely consumed by something else-and honestly? Your expression? Kind of scary."

"Yet...you aren't giving me a hard time over that either."

I wanted to be honest with her again. Whatever she was going through or dealing with was hard enough. She didn't need to deal with my bullshit too. Well unless it was the normal kind, but I knew this wasn't the time for it.

"Not my business. If it was big enough to take you over like that, then it must be serious. But if push comes to shove, I feel safe with you, Rose. I know you'd protect me if there was really a Strigoi there." I paused to let out a huge lion-worthy yawn. "Okay. Now that I've bared my soul, can we please go to bed? Maybe you don't need beauty sleep, but some of us aren't that lucky."

After that she let me be, and I fell asleep knowing my guardian, my friend would be there to protect me.