All she could see was red. Fire that stung her eyes as she struggled to breathe. She was alone this time, there was no Jacob to save her as she slowly lost the fight to live as it was choked from her lungs -- squeezed from her helpless, fragile body.

Victoria smiles, pretty, alluring. Eyes sharp and calculating like a cat. She was close. She was so close, leaning into her, nose pressed to the slope of her jaw.

No, she wanted to scream, leave me alone! But her tongue was too heavy, thick and swallow, drowned by the taste of blood.

A hand curls in her hair, yanking on the tangled strands, and she jerks, gargling a scream. 

"Scream," she whispers, teeth grazing her skin, "No one will be able to find you."

Jerking awake, Roman flings herself from the bed, stumbling over her feet as she claws at her throat, fingering the camisole that stuck to her chest. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe.

The room was spinning around her, the ground swaying at her feet. It was so realistic, so disgustingly real, that it was like she could feel her hand steely around her throat still.

"Roman, it's all right. Breathe," he says, golden eyes cutting straight into the darkness swimming in her vision. "It was just a dream. Breathe."

She tried to comply, swallowing greedy mouthfuls of air as he pried her hands away from her clawing, smoothing her fingers out with cold hands that draw her out of her sleepy daze. He was a sturdy place to focus on, a shock to the system that cleared her cloudy mind.

Collapsing into him, she gasped, eyes clenching to keep the tears away as she quivered against him — unable to get the image of crimson eyes and red hair made of fire from her mind.

"It's okay," he repeats, letting her cling to him as she shook. "She won't get anywhere near you."

"It's not that. I know that you guys won't let her close, but--" she shivers, wiping her tears away-- "But I... just that one time, I can't get it out of my head. The wolves talk about her all the time and they want my help plotting a route to find her, and I can't get her out of my head."

"You don't have to help them if it gives you nightmares," he says, smoothing the tears from her cheeks.

"It's not nightmares. It's- it's the same memory ever time, but instead of getting away Jacob doesn't come and my mind just goes wild with possibilities on what could have happened."

Edward winces, hands becoming more rigid on her cheeks. It takes him a moment to answer, the silence a comfort as she feels his coolness against her exposed skin.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asks softly as if he had to force the words out.

Roman looks at him closely, taking in the shadowed, metallic look in his eyes. "It wasn't that... she came out of nowhere. We were in a hunting party and she just showed up out of nowhere."

The memory comes up unwelcome and she breathes in sharply at the scene, forcing it to play out slowly, accurately, for his sake. Phantom pains shoot across her scalp, back aching at the reminder of being thrown against the slope just before Jacob arrives lashing at out at her.

She stops it there, refusing to let herself dwell on what happens next. "She was so close, you know, right there, and I have no idea why she didn't just kill me when she had the chance but..."

"She won't touch you again," he promises, touching the top of her head.

"I know. I know that, I do. Maybe I'm just worried."

"Victoria is dangerous, but Alice would warn us if she came," he says. "We'll get her before she even knows what happened. "

"She very smart, though," Roman reminds him. "You haven't managed to catch her yet."

"It's only a matter of time before she messes up."

"She'll be coming soon," She says, confident in the statement. "She has a plan and is slowly making her way back around."

Edward doesn't say anything as he helps her back to the bed, sitting up next to Bella that continued to sleep soundly. He held up the covers expectantly, waiting for her, and she crawls in beside him, curling up on her side. She reaches an arm over him, gently touching Bella's sleeping hand.

He places a hand on her head. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right here."

Roman nods, closing her eyes, head resting against his thigh. It doesn't take her long to fall back to sleep.

Waking the next morning is slow, groggy as she blinks stupidly, forcing herself awake as she faces the blinding sunlight that was beaming over Forks today. Roman's reaching across an empty bed, arms stretched out to Bella's bare side.

It isn't enough to make her crawl out of her comfortable position secured under the purple duvet.

She could hear Bella moving around the room, getting ready for the day. She really didn't want to go to school today, there was so much exam prep and studying she had to do and she had work. She didn't want to leave the bed.

Bella taps her foot, nudging her as she drinks her orange juice. "Get up. We'll be late if we don't hurry."

"Do I have to go?" she whines.

"Of course, it's the end of the year. We graduate and then no more."

"But then I have to work forever!" she complains, groaning into the pillow. "With my mom... I have to work with my mom forever!"

Bella laughs. "You don't have to if you don't want to. We have eternity to do what we want."

There it was again, the certainty that they would be together forever without a single doubt. Either she was entirely too optimistic to be healthy or she was trying to speak it into existence. She wasn't sure which was worse, that Bella was so determined or that she loved the constant inclusion.

"We don't know that for sure," Roman says, stirring up in the bed.

"What? You aren't changing you mind, are you?" Bella asks, face pale and eyes wide.

"No! No, that's not it at all! It's just... you don't know how Edward feels, neither of will until he does and I doubt he's the kind to believe in love at first sight."

"Vampires don't like to do things slow," she says, as if it was the simplest thing. "Besides, it's hard not to love you, Roman."

Blushing, she ducks her head, peeing up through loose strands of hair. "I love you too," she mutters, giggling at Bella's radiant smile.

"Good. So what's the problem then? What else are you worried about?"

"Well, uh, what if they don't want me around like they want you. It's really just Carlisle that knows me and that's because he's been my doctor so many times..." she admits. "It's a lot having me around. I'm not the smartest person and I'm really not that great, so even if Edward does decide to keep me, I can't just force the rest of them to accept a stranger."

"First of all, Edward doesn't get to keep you. We share," Bella teases, winking playfully as she scoots closer. "Secondly, they just have to get to know you. It took a while for them to warm up to me. And thirdly, they'll love you, Roman, I have no doubt of that."

She giggles. "You're such a flirt." 

Shaking her head, Bella stands, pulling Roman from the bed. "Come on, get ready." 

It doesn't take her long to get ready or for either of them to leave, but Bella lets her put on the radio to whatever she wants as she sits with her head leaned back and eyes closed. She doesn't care to question why it takes so long to get to school, she didn't want to go in the first place, but she does force herself to pay attention when the drive becomes monotonous, straight and steady -- looking around in confusion at the familiar round straight out of Forks. 

She isn't sure what Bella has planned, but she doesn't really mind. Marnie won't care if she ditches anyway. As long as she graduated it didn't really matter what marks she got. 

There wasn't much of a surprise when they pull up to the Cullen's house, no was it a surprise when Edward was standing out front waiting for them grinning. 

Leaving her back in the truck, she skips up the stairs, greeting him kindly as she ducks in and pulls off her boots and a light jacket, letting Edward take it from her without a fight. He had it put away and was back at their side before she could blink. 

He leads them toward his room, as he always does, away from everyone else, but Roman slows, listening to Jasper and Emmett argue over the NHL Playoffs and which team was going to get the cup that year. 

She teeters, debating. Roman didn't pay much attention to the team sports, but she knew what was going on and how the games were played. She didn't have the time or patience to follow league sports, is all. 

Glancing up at the pair that were waiting for her, she hops back toward the boys, glancing at the daytime sports that were playing on the flatscreen. 

"Anaheim is going to steal the cup this year," she states, trying very hard not to fidget. "They have Niedermayer who is perhaps one of the best defensemen of all time and that spends an insane amount of time on the ice. Selanne is as there leading scorer and even though he's getting up in age, they have Getzlaf as a starring up and comer. Mighty Ducks are gonna take it for sure." 

Emmett guffaws. "You're going to tell me that Anaheim are gonna beat my boys in Dallas? No way!" 

"Are you kidding? They're paired with Colorado, they don't stand a chance!" Roman argues, thankful she thought to check out the bracket lineup for this year. 

"Montreal could steal it," Jasper points out quietly. Emmett turns on him in an instant. 

"There team is garbage this year!" 

She winces at the volume of his voice. "He has a point. They have a sucky roster." 

"They have a history of surprising their fans. Obviously they aren't the best, but they could come out of nowhere." 

"Impossible. Literally impossible. Carolina's going to crush them." 

There's a tap at her elbow, gentle, hesitant. She glances up, nearly jumping back at the blonde that scowls past her to the arguing boys. 

"Please don't get them started on sports. It's almost as bad when Jasper tells Alice no more shopping," Rosalie complains, glaring at her partner. 

"She has too many clothes as it is. We have no room to fit everything," Jasper adds, speaking quickly before turning back to the debate. 

"There are never too many clothes!" Alice shrieks from somewhere in the house. 

Sighing, Rosalie pulls her away from the room, turning her to the kitchen where she directs her to the counter. Esme was moving around, humming as she listened to her cooking show. There were hot pancakes on the island, fresh maple syrup on the side. 

"Alice told us you didn't eat," Rosalie says, already leaving the room. "And for the record, Carolina is going to win." 

She's left with the food, two plates ready. Bella would be coming down in a moment, it seemed, since they were apparently skipping school to hang out here all day. Honestly, she didn't mind at all. Taking a fork, she digs in with a sigh. 

"You have more of an appetite than Bella does," Esme comments, placing a cold glass of orange juice with pulp in front of her. 

Roman nods. "I do a lot of hiking. I bike a lot too." 

The woman smiles. "Yes, Edward's told us about you biking everywhere. He's concerned about the distances you attempt." 

"I'm concerned about the distances you travel alone," he corrects, hand attached to Bella's. 

"You really shouldn't be biking to LaPush like a crazy person," the other human comments, hopping up onto the stool next to her. "Especially so late in the evening." 

Roman smiles. "Yes, dear."

Her elbow digs into her ribs. "Shut up and eat." 

"Yes, dear." 

"Eat, both of you," Edward says, coming around to the other side of the island to stand next to his mother. Esme pats his arms as she passes, leaving to give them some room. "You never mentioned enjoying sports."

"It's a time filler. I first got into it to impress my dad," she says, stabbing her pancakes. "He didn't care so I stopped watching the games." 

He watches her for a moment, eyes darting to Bella. "You don't have to impress anyone here." 

Roman looks at him, really looks, before she smiles with as much love and sincerity that she can manage. "I know. I was just trying to educate them. Anaheim is going to win the cup." 

There's a scream followed by a crash from the other side of the house. "No, they aren't!" 

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it's fluff and filler to make up for the time between end of NM and beginning of EC. SO please enjoy. leave me comments. leave me votes. 

unedited 

2019-11-10