Getting up hours after Bella was already awake was starting to get real old. it made her feel disastrously lazy, a chaotic sort of embarrassing that made her feel like a useless teenager.

The door opened as she was searching for a pair of pants, tugging on a pair of jeans from the top of the laundry hamper. She spun, stumbling over herself as she tipped into Edward -- the boy catching her around the middle with a chuckle.

"You're up. I wonder why you've been so tired."

She grins. "Oh yes, I wonder as well."

"Jacob's coming over."

"Oh." It was strange how so few words could make her good mood plummet instantly. It was way to early to deal with the pissing contest over Bella when she was clearly taken because even if Edward wasn't in the picture, Roman still would be.

He was allowed to love her but he wasn't allowed to try and ruin her relationship. It was a terrible thing to do, a real dick move.

Even if she knew he was a good guy underneath it all.

"Would you like to step out with me while he's here?"

Roman shook her head. "I have to head over to the station, actually. I've been putting off my work long enough."

"You can't plan on going alone after everything."

"I assure you that I do," she said, stepping out of his arms. "I can't keep skipping work."

"You won't be working there for much longer," he bitterly points out, choosing to ignore why that was at the moment.

"I've been working there for years. I have put too much sweat and blood into it just to abandon it all now. I don't want to leave a mess for them when I go," Roman explains, grabbing a pair of socks as she searches for her work shirt. "God knows they're going to be lost without me and Marnie as it is."

"That isn't a reason to put yourself in danger," he argues, breathing the words between clenched teeth.

She rolls her eyes. "Then come and spend the day with me, but I'm going regardless."

He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, just don't go anywhere or do anything crazy just yet, alright?"

"No promises!" she sings, grabbing her bag from the closet. It was mostly empty and light on her back as she hooked one of the straps over her shoulder.

There's no trace of him by the time she turns around. Just her and the sound of loud conversation from the kitchen. Jacob was here.

She passes him on the stairs, grinning as she bounces the rest of the way down -- planting a kiss on Bella's cheek as she watches the dishes.

"Roman! Good morning," she blurts, voice surprisingly high as her face turns a soft pink.

"Morning. Hanging with Jacob or is he just visiting?"

"He's come to see about out visitor."

She scowls. "Right. Think Seth is going to overreact about it or is it going to be Edward level?"

"Isn't Edward level an overreaction, too?" Bella jokes.

Laughing, she shakes her head, pushing away from the counter to grab an apple from the small fruit bowl. It would be a small breakfast day, especially since she's going back to Sue's tonight. There would be more food than she could eat later.

There's steps on the stairs and she takes it as an invitation to leave. She wasn't planning on staying that long but she did need to get going.

Pulling on her jacket and boots, she greets Jacob properly as he comes down into the kitchen.

He spares her a look. "You're going back to Sue's tonight?"

"Yessir."

"Alright. Someone should call you before they come pick you up," Jacob tells her. "You should really get your own car."

Roman rolls her eyes. "Right, I'll do that after I give myself a rise so I can afford that on top of paying rent."

"You're still paying rent?" he asks incredulously.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do until I figure out what to do with everything?"

"I told her to just sell it all," Bella pipes up. "Charlie agreed with me."

"Yeah, just sell it!"

She blinks, looking between the pair of them gaping. "Do you realize how ridiculous it is that you're both ganging up on me?"

"We're not ganging up on you," they both say and it sends shivers down her spine.

"Right, well, I'm going to work," she says, backing out the door. "I'll call you, Bells, and I guess I'll see you later, Jacob."

She's out the door, grabbing her bike before they could comment again. They would appreciate the time alone anyway, just as they always did. Roman wasn't sure she wanted to know what they did together — Jacob has always been so eager to go along with Bella's reckless ideas — and if it was anything truly awful, she was sure someone would have told her.

But she trusted Bella just as much as she loved her and that really did say a lot.

Roman kicks off, cursing herself for not thinking to have her gloves on her knowing how dry the wind was going to make her hands.

They were still at her house and she had her to actually go into the place. She really was going to have to deal with that sooner or later, likely sooner — and that to the list of things she wanted to get done before the deadline... that Bella picked.

She wondered if there was any chance of moving it, or setting one for herself, instead of just going with it the same day as Bella.

Separating from them made her anxious. Already, it felt like she was left out on certain things and being away from them.... she shook her head. That was ridiculous. She was being ridiculous.

Roman had the tendency to do that, doubt everything in her life. It was like she enjoyed imagining the worst possible scenario just to make herself suffer.

Arms wrapped around her middle, easily spinning her from the bike leaving it to flatter against the road. She screamed a curse, wondering how this can honestly happen to her so often.

She put back down just as quickly, giving her the chance to glare at Edward straight on. "What's the big idea?"

"I thought I asked you not to go anywhere just yet?"

"Are you planning on kidnapping me again?" She demands.

"Roman, please, just come spend the day at my house. We have a lot to talk about and I would feel a lot better if I knew you were safe."

She looks at him, taking in the tense curve of his shoulders and the way he held he curled around her protectively. She hadn't gone too far, enough to have surrounded herself with trees on all side, open for anyone to grab.

But this was something more than that. It was the serious worry of a person that had just discovered a terrible thought.

"I guess I can just do paperwork at your house," she decides. "I didn't feel like going on in the rain anyway."

"Thank you," he mumbles, kissing the top of her head.

Picking up her bike, she begins the walk back with him at her side. It was strange to be walking when he was more than capable of running the length of the way back. She figured Jacob must have been nearby still, waiting to leave until Edward was able to bring her back.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on now?" she asks, tapping her fingers on the handlebar.

"There's a situation in Seattle. A massacre. Emmett wants to go down himself to check it out. Esme and Rosalie have been able to persuade him against it for now, but it's still a matter that we must discuss," he explains quietly. "You were correct in your assumption of the visitor coming from there."

"You think it's the same person?" she presses worriedly.

"Yes, I believe so. We can't be sure until we check for ourselves, but we don't want to do that unless absolutely necessary. It isn't our job, after all. Perhaps if we can talk to these young ones, explainthe rules, it can be resolved peacefully." He frowned like he didn't think the chances of that were good."We'll wait until Alice has an idea of what's going on... But it's good we have Jasper," he added, almost tohimself. "If we are dealing with newborns, he'll be helpful."

"Why's that?"

Edward grinned darkly. "Jasper is something of an expert when it comes to young vampires."

"How do you become an expert?"

"You'll have to ask him. It isn't my place to say."

Roman bit her lip, thoughtful. "Do you think he'll tell me? I haven't gotten the chance to know him very well."

He stops walking, pulling gently on her hand so she turned to face him. "Are you afraid that my family doesn't like you?"

"Well, I'm just not sure if they do, is all. I know Alice does, she's made that very clear. Carlisle and Esme are too nice to say if they didn't, and Emmett is very friendly in general, I think, but I... I can't tell, you know?" she says with a sad smile.

"They love you. They think you have an incredibly refreshing attitude," he tells her, brushing her jaw gently. "You balance us out, Roman, what isn't to love about you?"

"Your opinion is incredibly biased."

"Fine, they hate you."

"Edward!"

He laughs brightly, starting back toward the house again. "Won't you just believe me when I tell you the truth?"

"I guess I have no choice," she comments blandly, rolling her eyes as he continues to laugh.

"Come on. The sooner we get to my place, the sooner you can start on your paperwork."

"And questions."

"And questions."

Roman never gets to ask her questions. Jasper was gone when she got there, as were Emmett and Rosalie, but she didn't let it bother her much. She finished her paperwork with Bella's help as Edward talked to his family about the situation.

The situation that made her skin crawl with terror. Seattle was close and if what they thought was true, then all those innocent people were in so much danger. She felt terrible for them -- terrible for herself and Bella because they were most likely the people out to get her for some reason that she couldn't quite figure out.

There was nothing overly special about them that random vampires would be interested. On top of that, the Volturi had no idea who she even was, so if they had gone out of the way to take something that smelt heavily of here, then they did now. 

With so many possibilities, Roman wasn't sure what she ought to be most worried about. She wasn't supposed to worry anyway.

Alice would tell her when to worry.

Besides, there was no where safer to be than spending all of her time with werewolves and vampires.

It was only when she was back in LaPush that she let herself relax a little. Seth had a way of knowing when something was bothering her and she didn't want to over worry the boy as it was.

Already he buzzed around her nervously, asking too many questions about the visitor that she didn't have an answer to. Telling him that the murder spree in Seattle was the result of young vampires possibly out to get them wasn't going to help.

Still, Roman wanted to check her apartment. Everything could be clarified much more easily if they did. If they were there then they were looking for both her and Bella. If they weren't, then it was most likely someone from the past that Alice just couldn't see.

Victoria was still an option, no matter how much they dismissed her.

As were the Volturi. One meeting with them didn't give Edward an all knowing scope of their abilities.

She pushed those thoughts aside, watching as Seth Are more than he should be able to in front of the bonfire. Leah was quiet on his other side with her plate left untouched in her lap. If something was bothering the other girl she didn't say. Roman didn't blame her.

Bella was at her other side talking quietly to Jacob, greeting all the gossip about the few things Roman hasn't told her — which wasn't much, admittedly.

The one thing neither of them had known about was Kim. Rather, she knew about the girl, she had just yet to meet her in person.

"Aren't you going to eat more?" Seth asks, nudging her with his shoulder.

Roman eyes her plate. It was mostly potato salad with a few hot dogs that she had skillfully hidden from the hungry eyes of the pack.

She hands him one, ducking to hide her grin at his shocked gasp. "Of course. Were you trying to steal it from me?"

"Me? Never," he laughs. "Paul might though."

"Watch it, brat!"

They laugh, bending in together as the boy continues to mutter angrily about them.

"Should I offer him more?" She asks once she takes s moment to breathe.

"No way. He willed down gave the food by himself," Leah grumbles, her eyes twinkle as she hid her smile behind a deep scowl.

And suddenly she could see the flicker of happiness that was hidden under the deep seeded happiness. It was a look that she hasn't seen on her friend in such a long time that it was hard to remember exactly what awe and wonder looked like on her. Leah had meet someone.

That small fact spoke made her want to squeal and dance, made her want to pull her friend away from the bright flames she refused to look away from just to get her answers.

But she couldn't, not when there was still so much raw hurt that she couldn't think to put it aside just yet. Everyone grieved differently and the only thing Roman could do was support her... even if she was stuck in the anger stage.

And then the atmosphere changed around the low burning fire. People say straighter, the only sound on the beach being the wash of waves and cracking of the flames mixed with calm, even breathing.

Billy cleared his throat. "The Quileutes have always been a small people, and we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. That is because we have magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting — that came later. First, we were spirit warriors."

The stories — legends — were told like they were now. The rough poetic lilt to Billy's voice driving the image clear in her mind.

Roman closed her eyes and she could see everything form before her, playing out. Spirit  and Kaheleha. Taha Aki and the Third Wife. The Cold Ones.

The very thing that she wanted to become being the cause for this curse. How was it that they could stand to look at her knowing what she wanted? What she planned?

How could Seth be okay with everything after hearing the legend of his tribe?

No, he couldn't be. Wouldn't be. There was some part of him, she didn't know how small, that would hate her in the end for all the trouble she put him through.

The imprint was a sacred bound and Roman felt she was abusing it. She didn't belong here. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, she didn't belong.

The legends invaded her mind, consumed her every thought, until she realized that Emily was gently shaking her shoulder, telling her it was time to go.

Everything was nearly cleaned up, most of the others were gone. Seth was still frozen at her side. He had thought being a werewolf was cool. She truly hoped that hasn't changed for the young boy.

Taking him by the hand, she pulled him up before turning to his sister still staring into the low flames.

Leah came far more easily than I had thought.

She hoped they didn't have payroll tonight because she was taking them home with her.

The sight of the house seemed to bring them to life, Seth beginning to energetically chatter.

The wolves. The tribe. The cold ones that had devastated the village.

That could be you, some vindictive part of her mind whispers, all those boys dead. You can be the one to hurt Seth.

The truth of it was painful. Death was favourable to the thought of harming anyone that she loved.

The night was like magic, the words still echoing in her mind once she finally got to bed way after midnight, curled up on the couch with the blankets that smelled like fresh laundry soap pulled close around her.

Sleep refused to come, not when she was hailed by the sight of red eyes.

She was never going to let down the ones she loved. No, Roman was better than that. She wasn't going to be an enemy to the tribe, to Taha Aki's descendants.

The rain fell with a patter against the windows. She watched it fall early into the morning, thoughts filled with the magic of the legends.

Roman didn't have magic in her bones but she was still going to protect the ones she cared about one way or another.

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I have opted out of writing out the legends because a) I wrote this in bed while I'm meant to be sleeping, b) I didn't want to mess up the details, and c) there is nothing different from the original scene so you can either have it book version or movie version, whatever you like best

Plus, I sorta just assumed you all know what the legends are by now so I didn't want to just retell them.

Ps. I wore this from my phone so if any mistakes blame autocorrect

Unedited

2019-11-24