"Liss, at what time do you need me this evening?" Rose re-tied her long dark hair in a ponytail and looked at her best friend of fifteen years.

"In 2-3 hours, give or take." Lissa finished signing the last document before shuffling the papers together in a neat pile. "I think the meeting will be done by then." With long, blond hair, brushed to perfection, jade green eyes, and an impeccable teal sheath dress, the young queen of the Moroi was a vision to behold.

"Are you sure you don't need me there?" asked Rose.

"Yes, Rose, I am sure. I can handle Lord Tarus by myself. And if he decides to misbehave I'm confident that Nikki and Jared can make him play nice."

"Lisaaa!" Rose scrunched her dark, exotic eyes and sighed. "You've been queen for less than two months. There are still many voices that oppose you, and your half-sister Jill isn't officially a Dragomir yet. I have all the faith in the world in Nikki and Jared. They're both skilled fighters, but they're not me."

"Nobody is. But that doesn't mean they're weak either. Rose, you know I adore you and that I appreciate your concern, but everything is going to be fine." Lissa smiled sweetly at her friend and started to make her exit.

"Humphh. Fine, I'll see you in 2 hours," said Rose with a pout. "I'm going to make some errands."

After an hour of running around court Rose stumbled upon a familiar face.

"Mia, Hi! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages." She almost crushed the Moroi girl in a bear hug.

"Heya, Rose! Easy there. I've been working out, but I'm still no match for the Protector of the Realm, the most badass Guardian alive, the one and only Rosemarie Hathaway." Mia took a little bow.

Rather small for a Moroi, with big, blue eyes and blond short ringlets, Mia looked like a sweet, innocent, little angel. Of course, her friends knew that she was anything but that. Rose's relationship with Mia had had many ups and downs, primarily because not so long ago the young looking Moroi took it upon herself to ruin Lissa's life, but the subsequent events radically changed Mia. Losing her mother suddenly to a Strigoi attack and then embarking on a basically suicide mission against the evil race took a toll on the young Moroi, toughened her up and changed her outlook on life and on the things that truly matter. It also made Rose sympathize with her, and now she considered Mia a friend, one whom she missed.

"Oh, stop it! Or do you want to see first-hand my out of this world skills?" Rose winked teasingly at Mia.

"Yeah, yeah. All bark and no bite. You can't harm me. Moroi, remember?" she replied, pointing to herself. "We come first? Besides, I've already seen you in action. You really do live up to your reputation." Mia put her right arm around Rose and steered her towards a moss-covered building.

They come first. Always. The Guardian mantra was so embedded in Rose's mind that it was part of her very being. Dhampirs were protectors, it was their sacred duty to guard the Moroi. To harm one was unfathomable. Their needs always took precedence.

Getting a bit lost in thought it took her a moment to realize that Mia was steering her somewhere.

"Um, Mia? Where are we going?"

"You'll see," she said, smiling mischievously. "You're not on duty now, right?"

"No, but Lissa…"

"Our beloved queen can spare you for an hour. You need some girl time. We haven't seen each other in forever. You're going! No but's."

"You know, for someone so angelic-looking you sure have a mean streak." Rose ruffled Mia's short blond curls and continued walking.

Rose never entered this moss-covered building before. As soon as they crossed the threshold they were surrounded by serene music. The air seemed spicy and rich, and in the corner there was a huge golden harp. Mia seemed to know her way around because she went straight to what appeared to be the front desk and started chatting the girl seated behind it. They seemed to come to a conclusion because in a few moments Rose found herself being whisked away and led through a maze of rooms and finally to a locker room. Stripped to their underwear and armed with fluffy white towels, the two girls entered a space that could only be described as an oasis. It was painted in muted tones, with a pond in the center and with fresh flowers flowing everywhere. The music here was even more otherworldly than in the foyer.

"Where the hell did you bring me? What is this place?" said Rose through gritted teeth. Mia seemed completely unfazed.

"Well, it's a spa, of course. I thought you could use a nice massage. When was the last time you had one?"

"I don't have much time for spas and massages."

"Yeah, yeah. You have to be Badass Number 1, 24/7. It's just a massage, Rose. You need to treat yourself once in a while. There's no harm in that. I'm sure Lissa would agree."

Slightly mollified, Rose took the seat appointed to her by a gentle looking middle-aged Dhampir woman.

"Just sit back and relax," said the woman. "Try to shut down all your thought processes and just be. Let the music carry you to another dimension."

Rose internally scoffed at the New-Age bullshit, but nevertheless tried to lay still. After all, the woman was just doing her job. Although, when she put her hands on Rose's sore muscles she had to suppress a moan. It felt so damn good. When was the last time anything felt so good? She had never had a professional massage before and she couldn't remember the last time she went on a date. Many months have passed since she indulged in that particular activity. There was nothing wrong with it, on the contrary. It could be quite fun. But it wasn't a priority. Lissa always has and always will come first. She needed to focus on her and stop thinking about unimportant things. Life wasn't a fairytale. Not for her, anyway. She wasn't some Cinderella, dreaming about finding Prince Charming and riding to the sunset with him. She was a Guardian and love wasn't on the agenda. And she surely didn't need a guy to rescue or complete her.

She knew that she came across as intense, and in a way she knew she was. Despite their duty, Guardians did have fun and enjoy life. She used to do that too. She used to party and flirt with the best of them and exasperate (and occasionally enrage) her instructors back at St. Vladimir's Academy with all her antics, while attending and often organizing many illicit parties. But then life came along. If she was honest to herself, this change was brought upon primarily by losing the psychic bond that she shared with Lissa ever since the Moroi used Spirit to save her life and make her the first known Shadow Kissed in recent history. The life-changing event didn't just straighten her friendship with Lissa, but made it so much easier for her to keep tabs on her friend and make sure she was alright. In truth, it made her reliant on the bond, as opposed to following standard Guardian procedures. And losing the bond was like losing a limb. She began to feel unsure of herself and of her ability to properly guard Lissa. So, she promised to do whatever was necessary to make sure she was the best Guardian possible, fit for a queen, but more importantly, fit for her best friend. If that meant losing a part of herself, her spirit, her carefree attitude, even some of her Rose-logic, then so be it. Lissa was worth it.

Uninvited, Mia's words from her last visit to Court came back to her: "Don't you ever get lonely?" At the time she rejected the notion entirely. But maybe deep inside a seed was planted. And this damn music and scented candles were playing havoc on her emotions. She wouldn't be having these traitorous thoughts otherwise, she was sure of it. Rose's loyalty was to Lissa and to Lissa alone. She wistfully remembered the moment when she first saw her at the Academy, all those years ago, in a perfectly tailored white dress, with blond pigtails and a sweet smile. They clicked instantly when Rose called their teacher a fascist bastard for making them spell their complicated full names. From then on, a tougher-than-steel friendship was born, stronger than even death. In Rose's mind, Lissa shouldn't be protected at all costs because she was Moroi or even the queen, but because she was her best friend since the age of five. And it wasn't like Rose was actually lonely. How could she be when she was always surrounded by so many people? In the end, she had Lissa and she had her friends. It had to be enough.

"Rose, you can open your eyes now. How do you feel?" The therapist's kind face came into focus.

"Fine, thank you. I think I needed that." Rose stood up and looked for Mia.

"She's waiting for you in the locker room. Through there," said the woman, pointing to a door.

"Yes, I remember. Thank you again. Bye!"

Mia was indeed waiting for her in the locker room, with a knowing look in her eyes. "She's amazing, isn't she? Even royals come to see her. One hour with her and you already look 2 years younger."

"I wasn't aware I looked old, but thanks," said Rose, with an eye-roll she patented over the years. "It's always nice to hang out with you, Mia."

"Oh, don't be like that. You know you love me." Rose may have mastered the eye-roll, but Mia was the queen of the puppy-eyes look and she made good use of it now.

"Love may be a bit of a stretch, but you're usually pretty tolerable," said Rose, smirking.

"Shut up." Mia gave a sharp laugh and mock-punched Rose.

"That hurt. A lot. Oh my God, the pain is unbearable," said Rose, in a monotone voice. "Come on, I have to get back to Lissa."

"Shoot. I have to go too. Maybe we'll catch up this evening, round up the old gang. If her highness has the time, of course." With a final wink, Mia left.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Rose rejoined Lissa in her private quarters.

"So, how was the meeting? Did his Lordship give you a hard time?" asked Rose, straightening her guardian-issued black jacket. Even though she wasn't actually on duty she still favored the standard Guardian attire.

"A little, but nothing I couldn't handle." Lissa added a bit more mascara to her lashes and turned to face Rose with a smile. "Do you think Christian was able to get Eddie to come? You know how he is about his new posting. He seems adamant to spend all of his time with his charge, even when he's off duty. Come to think of it, it reminds me of a certain someone." Lissa finished with the mascara and gave her friend a pointed stare.

"I really don't know what you're talking about." Rose pasted a conspicuously innocent expression on her face and looked at her friend. "Speaking of your lesser half, did you manage to get him that action figure he wanted?"

"Yes!" Lissa hastily rose from her antique stool and went to the wardrobe, where she retrieved a shiny box, which she showed to Rose. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Sparky will be over the moon." With an exaggerated eye-roll, Rose ushered Lissa out of the plush room. "Come on, we're gonna be late."

Gently squeezing the box in her designer bag, Lissa took Rose's arm and they entered an adjoining room, cozily lit by a massive fireplace. There were huge pillows strewn all over the floor, currently being occupied by Mia and Christian, while Nikki and Jared, Lissa's other guardians, were leaning against a wall. Eddie was nowhere to be seen. Despite the cozy atmosphere, there was an almost tangible air of anticipation in the room.

When she saw Lissa, Christian sprung from his pillow and hurried to her side, his Ozera crystal blue eyes sparkling with mischief and deep affection. "Finally, the party can get started. Come along, my lady." Taking his girlfriend's hand, he led her to the biggest pillow, in a jade green color, similar to her eyes. "You too, Rose."

"How gracious of you, Christian. You make me feel so welcomed. Don't I deserve to be ushered to a pillow too?"

Ignoring Rose's smirk, Christian retorted: "These fluffy bad boys would be wasted on you. Having known you for some time, I think it's safe to say that you'll choose to stand by a wall. But alas, things are as they are. No need to let you spoil the fun for the rest of us."

Having said this, he turned to retrieve something from a nearby cabinet, while Rose took up a pillow next to a wall that had a good vantage point. It was a nice compromise in her book. Sure, she wasn't on active duty, but she couldn't be careless either.

Rose was abruptly pulled out of her reverie upon seeing what Christian was carrying.

"Two cases of the finest Russian vodka, straight out of Novosibirsk. With compliments from Abe." Christian was beaming with pride and excitement, seemingly unaware of the daggers Rose was throwing in his direction. Abe. Of course her mobster father had to be involved in this. Who else would try to get the queen of the Moroi drunk? Besides her boyfriend, naturally. Rose had only recently met her father, who was apparently infamous in the Dhampir-Moroi world, and their relationship was still a little dicey. After all, there was a reason why he was called "Zmey", the Serpent.

"We must celebrate Mia's return to Court, right? We don't have to drink it all in one night, so you can stop with the murdering stare. Yes, I'm looking at you, Rose."

He wasn't completely oblivious to his surroundings and to the atmosphere in the room, which gave Rose a bit of hope.

Sensing the need to change the topic, Lissa took a sip of her glass and stood up, while Mia happily indulged in the imported liquor.

"Christian, stop causing trouble, or I might change my mind and not give you your present."

Eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree, Christian took Lissa's hand. "Present? What present?"

With a look of anticipation, Lissa took the box from her bag and gave it to her boyfriend.

Rose has never seen the snarky Ozera speechless, but he now appeared to be at a true loss for words. He kept looking between the box and his girlfriend, amazed beyond speech. The gift was a simple one, something that he could have bought for himself if he wanted. So why was the cynical Christian that touched? Looking at the happy couple, the answer dawned on Rose. And it was beautiful in its simplicity: love. Lissa's gift mattered so much because she mattered to Christian. For a guy who turned sarcasm and biting replies into an art form, he clearly worshiped the ground on which Lissa walked. It was amazing to see how love could change someone. As for Lissa… she had always been beautiful, but now she absolutely glowed. She shone like a goddess, in her bubble of happiness. With a painful twinge of her heart, Rose realized that she could never have what her friend had. She could never allow herself to love, to be loved, to show vulnerability. "Don't you ever get lonely?" Mia's words rushed back to her. It didn't matter either way. What good did it do to dwell on the impossible? But still… It had to be nice. With the Guardian mantra ringing in her ears, Rose slapped a cheery fake smile on her face and engaged Mia in a friendly banter.

The gym was almost deserted this early in the vampiric day, except for a lonely figure in the back. James, great. He was one of the best Guardian out there and she needed a good workout. Rose loved her friends and she had had fun last night, but the Christian-Lissa revelation still rubbed her the wrong way and she wanted to blow off some steam. The lights were muted, and the only noise in the gym came from the fans. The air seemed a bit stale, but that didn't bother Rose. Having spent so many hours training in gyms, both here at Court, and at 's, the combination soothed her. It was home for her.

"Hey, handsome! Are you up for some company?" she said with a wink.

James turned to face her fully and smiled. "For you? Anytime. It's been some time since we last sparred and I need a good challenge."

"Prepare to have your ass handed to you!" Rose retorted teasingly and got in position.

"Yeah, yeah. The queen personal guardian and all that. Let's see what you've got!"

James was lethal, but she was more so. They danced around each other for a bit and then they really got into it. Speed and agility were Rose's best assets, so she quickly went on the offensive, attacking her bulkier opponent with surprising moves. James blocked a vicious kick to his kidney and counteracted with a punch to Rose's jaw. She narrowly evaded it and retaliated with a textbook uppercut to James's nose. There was a crunching noise and blood started to flow freely, but the experienced guardian quickly recovered and sent Rose to the floor, using a technique he perfected over the years. Pinned down, but not out of the fight, Rose started to wiggle free, sending a knee to James's stomach before he had a chance to properly pin her to the mat. She was on him in the next second and again targeted his already damaged nose, when she felt an odd popping in her ears.

The popping turned into a ringing that drowned out all other sounds. Confused, Rose looked to James for help, but his features started to fade. Suddenly, there was a mighty roar and the lights went out.

Author's note

Hey everyone!

Thanks so much for reading!

I'm a huge Vampire Academy fan and I've been reading VA fanfic for some time now. Writing was always on my mind, since a young age, but I never took the final step and actually start putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard :)

But then the wonderful Gigi256 came along and she inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and take a leap of faith with this Disney challenge. I chose Beauty and the Beast because it's my favorite Disney movie, the go-to material whenever I feel down. And I thought that the mix will work nicely.

So I guess this is it. I hope you'll enjoy reading Rose's adventures in this strange, new world and I welcome any comments you might have.

Of course, I don't own any characters, just a huge amount of respect and admiration for both universes.