So here's the thing: Roman was a great test taker. It was like her brain flipped itself on and she was suddenly a genius because she was ready to go. There was not a single ounce of stress or doubt in her as she sat in the deathly silent room.

She either knew the answer or didn't and that was as much as she was going to waste on that. Why worry herself when she knew she didn't know? So yeah, she was a great test taker because she was suddenly in the zone

And as she was leaving the school earlier than Bella that Friday afternoon with Alice at her side, she didn't worry about it in the slightest. She had passed, that much she knew (the vampire may or may not have promised her that) and as she was supposed to spend the day with her anyway, they just decided to leave.

Edward was going hunting and Bella was spending the day with Jacob. Being babysat, with her permission, was a lot more like hanging out which was something she could handle easily.

They had a lot planned, anyway, so it was a good thing they had Jasper and Emmett there to help.

Walking into Marnie's small apartment was like entering an alternate universe. Everything was foreign to her now, untouchable like antiques in a museum of a time long since past. These weren't her things anymore. They weren't anyone's things anymore.

And it was time to clean up.

The boys were already there when she walked in. Emmett was poking around everything with a childlike curiosity that made her snicker despite the stabbing pain in her heart.

This has been the only home she had growing up. From the minute she was taken home from the hospital to the tragic end, this was her home and every inch was crawling with the echoes of bittersweet memories that would haunt her after this day. It wasn't her place to try and erase them or replace them with something happier, healthier — that would come on its own. It was too late for that now.

Everything has to go.

"What did you want to do with all the living room furniture?" Alices asks, no doubt already knowing what was to be done but having the heart to ask anyway.

Roman looks over the dust-covered surfaces. "I don't need any of it. We can just get rid of it all."

Emmett moves first, easily lifting the sofa and moving it out the front door. Jasper followed with the small kitchen table.

She had carved little animals on the wooden legs when she was ten. She wasn't sure if Marnie ever noticed.

The girls went to the larger bedroom. Not a master, it was too small of an apartment for any big difference in size, but it was slightly bigger and that was enough if a distinction.

It was bare for the most part. The clothes were cleared away, packed in suitcases that were still out in the hall. There were only a few things that needed to be dealt with, little things that would be donated or tossed. The room was taken apart much too quickly for her liking, furniture left bare as if it was just another room.

Working with vampires was quick that way, she supposed. She should have really known it would be this easy, but somehow she didn't imagine it to be so simple to just wrap up over eighteen years of memories.

The living room and kitchen are basically empty when she steps out, boxes she hadn't thought to bring filled and placed neatly to the side. Roman was just going to throw most of it directly in the garbage. She didn't consider that there would be much worth saving but since she wasn't doing it herself, it was good Alice had thought to look ahead for her.

She peeked inside one of them, brow furrowing at all the cooking appliances and pots and plans that they had hardly ever used before set away nicely. They were all practically new still -- Roman only cooked in bulk so there would be leftovers for days. Marnie didn't cook much.

"What's this for?" she asks, sitting back on her heels.

"I figured you might want to give it to your friend Emily," Alice tells her, closing the boxes faster than she could see. "You have a guest."

"What?"

"You have a guest. He's coming in through your room right now."

"Who?"

"Roman! Roman?"

She jumps to her feet, spinning as the boy comes crashing from her bedroom, knocking into the wall. Seth was fully dressed this time -- shirt and shoes and everything.

"What are you doing here?"

"I called Edward when you weren't answering your phone and he told me you were cleaning out the house. Why didn't you tell anyone? We would have..." he trailed off, looking around the small apartment. "Woah, it looks weird like this. What are you doing with everything?" he asked, motioning to the empty space.

"Oh, I'm just throwing it out I think..."

"Emmett and Jasper are handling it," Alice corrects, moving the boxes to the side.

"You're welcome," Emmett says, stepping into the room with too much of a ship to his step.

"Holy- you really are that big..." Seth gapes innocently. "Did you look like that before the whole vampire thing for real?"

He grins. "This is all me, bud."

"Don't encourage him," Jasper sighs, stepping around his brother to join Alice's side.

"Damn, how much do you weigh? Or does the whole vampire thing make you really heavy because you're like stone or something."

Roman groans, hiding her face in her hands as Seth seems to lose all control over his tongue. Silly boy.

"This is my little brother, Seth," she introduces. "Seth. This is Emmett, Jasper, and Alice. Edward's siblings."

"Your siblings," he snickers, deftly moving as she tries to hit him. "Why are you mad? It's true."

He was cheeky, childishly so, and Roman couldn't blame him for teasing when it was really the sweetest way he could do so. God knows what he could have picked up from those boys he occasionally shared a mind with.

Emmett chuckles. "Why doesn't this kid come around more often?"

"I'm pretty sure it's because I'm supposed to want to kill you."

Roman rolls her eyes. "Thanks for being a free thinker, Seth." Looking at the other boxes, because these couldn't be all kitchen stuff, she turns to Alice expectantly.

"Old records from that little chest you had."

"What happened to the chest?"

"Emmett put it in the back of his Jeep. I think he wants to keep."

"It's nice!"

"You can keep it," Roman tells him. "I think Marnie bought it from Lauren's grandfather or something."

She watches as Seth interacts with the boys easily, acting like they were just regular people that he could goof off with because he enjoyed spending time with people older than him now that he had a taste. Being surrounded by people he thought were so cool, he couldn't seem to have enough role models. And Emmett and Jasper were a new taste of older all together where one was the mellow type and the other goofy — it was going to be a riot now that they got along so well and so easily, apparently. The boy really needed to let her breathe a bit with this whole not understanding mortal enemies thing.

Sam was definitely going to kill her.

And then he was going to tell Sue and she was going to double kill her.

It was worth it. Roman understood the hatred the pack felt for the vampires, she really did, but she wasn't going to tell Seth what to think and how to feel if he wanted to choose otherwise. If he had no issue with the Cullen's then why should she force him to?

Going to her room was a little nostalgic and frustrating. It was her space, her personal space for years, and the mess that it was now, a mess that wasn't organized chaos but the pure destruction of a woman that had only one goal in mind without any thought to repercussions.

If Alice had an opinion in it, she didn't mention it as they stepped into the room together and shut the door behind them effectively cutting off the loud conversation that wasn't affected in the slightest by Jasper's soft spoken words. They were way louder than necessary but she wasn't going to mention that. It wasn't her problem anymore, after all.

Her clothes, or the ones she wanted at least, were already packed. What was left were the things she hadn't worn in months or years. It was nice to know that was noticed by her mother.

They went to the trash bags. It was a cleansing experience, uplifting. She wasn't the girl that lived here anymore. That girl was long gone now.

Roman was better than that. Better than the naive girl that believed the best in everyone.

She was the naïve girl that lived with a healthy dose of optimism and doubt.

And that was fine.

"Oh wow, thank you! I love it!" Alice sings from here small closet.

"What?" She asks, spinning from her drawers.

The vampire holds up a small package wrapped with a bow. It was leftover Christmas wrapping paper with little bears in Santa hats.

"I forgot all about that!" She whispers. "I got that months ago."

"Do I have to wait to open it?"

"I don't see the point. You already know what it is."

Each movement is slow, methodical as she unravels the bow and lifts the tape with a precise flick of her finger and nail. It was for her sake but each moment was devastatingly nerve-wracking.

The box was something regular and plain, a wooden thing lined with very old velvet. Roman cringed.

But inside... she had forgotten had beautiful the gift was. A graduation gift that had seemed like a good idea at the time. She wasn't quite so sure now.

It was a set of vintage and antique barrettes and hairpins. Some were nicer than the others, some fancier with small jewel stones or pearls, others simpler with basic designs or feathering. They weren't a matching set but an assorted collection she had put together when out searching pointlessly for gifts. Once she got the idea it had taken her as far as Olympia before she resorted to online shopping. Roman was thankful some people were crazy enough to sell their valuables for so cheap.

"Thank you. This is wonderful," Alice whispers, smile blinding as she faces her. "I don't know if anyone has gone through so much trouble to get me a gift before."

"It wasn't any problem at all," she quick to reassure, worried at how quiet the usually joyful girl was being. "I just hope it's better than the Porsche Edward bought you."

Alice laughs, hugging her as they both kneel on the floor. She wraps her arms around the tiny vampire, shrinking herself down as much as she could so they were even. Alice was so much smaller than her, but a million times stronger still.

"This is very different from what you got Edward and Bella," Alice comments.

"They don't really like to accept gifts, or whatever. They get weird about it."

"They'll love whatever you give them, but they do love your presents, Roman, no need to worry."

"They better. I've burnt to brain cells in my search."

Alice grins. "Because they don't like accepting presents."

"Yes, because they don't like accepting presents so I spent forever looking for something they couldn't refuse," she says, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand. "Though, I'm pretty sure it's just Bella that has issues and Edward goes along with it to make her happy. Crazy girl doesn't have any problem giving them, though."

Laughing, they talk a little longer, sorting through the closet together slowly as Roman explains one odd thing or another. It doesn't go as quickly as the rest of the house but it goes and eventually Roman has the rest of her room packed away in two boxes that she plans to keep and the boys are back to move things away.

Seth joins the vampires. Alice keeping her company as they move the boxes — something the human can do with ease — down to the back of Emmett Jeep. She didn't have a car still and she didn't plan to get one know. What she really didn't expect was the moving truck that was parked out front the apartment filled with the things that she didn't have a reason to keep.

"What's this?"

"Emmett has plans for it," is all she's told and she leaves it at that, not having a good reason to protest.

There wasn't really any sentimental value to any of the worthless furniture anyway.

It was a pity though, to see everything so barren. But what was she to do? To say? When her parents were gone, likely to never come back. This was a chapter of her life that was ending, closing to make room for times that were going to be happier and full with life because she was desperately in love, the type of love that took all of her being and made her wake each day only for them.

Roman was destined to be at Bella and Edward's side, surrounded by the people that were truly there for her to the end.

She wasn't sad when turned off all the lights and locked the door behind her.

There were other things to focus on right now like the weight of presents in her pocket and the dark feeling in her chest that wouldn't leave until she saw them again. If there was any time for them to be away, it wasn't now.

"It's sucks that your garden died," Seth says, rubbing the back of his neck.

She shrugs. "Nothing had even started growing before I left. I can just plant new vegetables."

"Maybe you can try fruits this time."

"Maybe next time. We'll see."

Seth groans. "You say that but that just means you're not going to try."

"That's not true!"

"Grow him some fruit, Roman! Why are you acting like a monster?" Emmett's voice booms.

"I'm not growing anything! Seth, I'll buy you a bushel of apples, alright?"

"It's not the same."

Roman sighs dramatically, stopping to stare up at the cloudy sky. "How can this be happening? How are you both teaming up on me right now?"

"This is what happens when you out children together," Jasper quips softly, the laughter in his voice contagious as she returns his grin.

"I think you should go to Bella's," Alice says softly, worriedly as she squints out at nothing.

She stills, mouth dry. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

Her phone rings, the familiar ringtone making her jump to answer it.

"Hello? Bella?"

"Roman? You're not busy, are you?"

She turns to Alice, brow raised in question. The vampire shakes her head, already handing over Emmett's keys. "We'll see you soon," Alice says, pausing thoughtfully, "Seth, would you like to come now or would you rather come later with Roman?"

The boy blinks, smile slowly growing impossibly big. "I'll come later with Roman."

"I'm not busy. What's up, Bell's?"

"I broke my hand and was wondering if you would like to meet me at Edward's."

"What do you mean you broke your hand?" she shrieks, already moving to the car, Seth faithfully following behind. "Isn't Edward, uh, not home?"

"He's coming. I was just about to call him."

The jeep thrums to life and Roman barely has the patience to wait for Seth to buckle himself in before she pulls away much to recklessly for her own taste -- but it was one of those instances where she couldn't care, didn't care, because there was something terribly frightening, humanly frightening about the way it felt to know Bella was hurt.

"What did you do? I thought you were with Jacob?" she asks, phone pressed to her ear with her elbow.

"He's the problem, actually,"  Bella grumbles and it irks her the wrong way. "I broke my hand punching him in the face."

The words rattle through her, taking a moment for them to register as she drives -- already pressing down on the gas to push them faster.

"What did he do?" she forces the words out.

"He kissed me."

Roman feels something crack, a sort of silence that sweeps through her dangerously. "I'll be right there."

And she was, the brakes squealing as she forced down outside the house, nearly hitting Edward's car parked perfectly out front. The seatbelt bit into her shoulder as she jerked forward with the motion, Seth's hand reaching across to press her back into the seat. Of course, he was perfectly fine. The wolves were made much stronger than humans, after all.

He was oddly silent the whole way, watching her nervously as if she would explode at any moment. Always a step away as she jumped down to the road and ran up to the house, shoving neatly by Edward and the arm he had wrapped protectively — positively — around Bella.

Jacob was right there, a stupid smug smile on his face as he taunted the boy she loved.

The sound that tore from her was purely animalistic. It was like every thought was ripped from her mind as she was filled with the one desire, one passion, to him apart.

She could make him disappear. She could. She might.

"You cocky little bastard!" Roman seethes, surging forward with every intent to find a way to cause physical pain without a weapon. A warm arm wraps around her waist holding her back. "If you ever touch her against her will again!"

"How do you know she didn't want me to?" He asks, unrepentant.

"Was my right hook to subtle for you?" Bella mumbles. It does little to soothe her cold fury.

"I'll kill you myself, I swear it," She promises in a shaky whisper, struggling against Seth's hold on her. "I'll kill you and bury you so deep in the forest that not even the rain will reach you, let alone anyone else!"

"This has nothing to do with you."

"Like hell it doesn't!" Roman screams, trying her hardest to kick him. "Let me go!"

His arms tighten. "Not if you're going to try and hit him. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"The only person I'm going to hurt is him!" 

"Roman, let's just go. He isn't worth it," Bella tells her, good hand reaching out to grab her arm. 

She stills, freezing under her touch before she slumps in Seth's arms, letting him pull her away back toward the Jeep. 

It doesn't stop her from looking at his face, catching sight of the broken expression that seeps across his features at her words before he bounces back to compose himself. He was disgustingly persistent. 

Rage continued to ripple through her as she was pushed back into the driver's seat, fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. The keys jangled, kept tight in Seth's grip as he waited for her to cool down -- probably a very good idea considering how dangerous it would be for her to drive right now... She might actually try to run the boy over. 

And she would, she really would. There were no blurred lines of consent when someone said no.  Because Roman knew that Bella had tried to say no or had at least tried to make that clear by the fact that she had hit the boy so hard that she had broken her hand, but still, he had the audacity to act as if he had done nothing wrong -- as if Bella was the one with the issues, as if she was the one in the wrong.

Roman shook, knuckles screaming in protest as she held the wheel tighter and tighter. He was still out there, stood on the small path up to the door as if it was nothing, watching as Edward helped Bella into his car. 

They drove past her slowly, Edward meeting her furious gaze as he did, and it was like he pulled all her anger away with him. He would handle this, she knew, but she didn't want to leave it to him. She wanted to do something just as much as he could. 

There was only one way to do it if she was going to do it right. 

She buckled herself in, telling Seth to do the same before she took the keys back from him as calmly as she could. 

If she was physically too weak to fight him herself and Edward was going to go about this the diplomatic way, then Roman would deal with it herself. 

Sam's word was law, after all. Maybe they could all use a nice lesson in consent.

"We have a few stops to make," Roman tells him as she pulls away, heading straight for the ranger station. "And then I need to have a long talk with Sam." 

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sorry for making y'all wait for the update but i've literally been struggling with how to end this chapter all week. on the bright side, i got a new phone and am positively jazzed about it. 

unedited 

2019-11-29