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"Are you sure you want to be here? I know you're hurting." Elena asked Roman softly as they walked into history class. "I've gotten used to it Elena. It's just easier to try and keeping moving on instead of thinking about it." Roman told her quietly taking a seat. "Roman that's not healthy." Elena whispered. "Yeah well that's unfortunate." Roman snapped slamming back in his seat. He rested his head on his desk as he took deep breaths. "Good Morning everyone. Alrighty." Roman heard the man walk into the class and pick up a piece of chalk. The chalk screeched against the board making Roman wince. "Alaric Saltzman. It's a mouthful, I know. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins, my family emigrated here in 1755 to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston. Now the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great-grandfather, I will never be able to thank enough. You'll probably want to pronounce 'Al-aric' but it's 'Ala-ric,' okay? So, you can call me Ric. I'm your new history teacher." Roman finally looked up shocked that someone that attractive was a teacher of all things.
Roman sat quietly all through class, ignoring the worried glances from Bonnie and Elena. When the bell finally rang all of the teenagers ran out while Roman took his time walking to the door. "Hey it's Roman right?" Alaric questioned. "Yeah Mr. Saltzman." Roman nodded quietly, feeing emotionally drained. "Please call me Ric, I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a minute." The teacher smiled kindly. Roman nodded standing in front of his desk. "I noticed you've been missing for a few days and your brother isn't here, everything okay?" Ric questioned. "Y-Yeah, it's just I uh, I had some-" Roman tried to figure out how to word his issue. "-Family business to take care of." Roman cringed at the word, Katherine being anything but family. "That's understandable, and your brother?" "Our friend they um- she was in an accident yesterday." Roman shook his head taking a shaky breath. "She didn't make it." "I'm so sorry." Alaric said, sounding sincere. "I'm sure we'll both be here tomorrow though." Roman told him. "Don't worry Roman you and your brother are allowed to grieve." Alaric told him as Roman scoffed. "It's easier not to." Alaric furrowed his eyebrows at the teenager. The silence was broken by Roman's phone ringing. "That's my brother, can I?" "Yeah totally, I'll see you tomorrow." Alaric gave Roman a friendly smile. "What?" The vampire snapped into the phone. "What's your deal Roman?" Elena's voice flowed through the phone. "Just tell me why you're calling cause I don't have the patients for your self centered issues dopplebitch." Roman hissed, not caring that Elena didn't understand what he had called her. "Roman it's Bonnie." "Bonnie are you okay?" Roman's voice turned soft as he realized he hadn't been keeping up with Bonnie. "Yeah but your brother just tried to take my ancestors necklace from my dead hands." Bonnie scoffed lightly. "Emily's necklace?" Roman questioned urgently. "Yeah why?" "Bonnie I swear, please do not lose that necklace." Roman pleaded. "Ah, funny story we kind of threw it in the woods." Roman groaned dragging a hand across his face. "Damon can't have that necklace." Roman sternly said into the phone before hanging up. "Everything okay?" Roman jumped seeing as Alaric had probably heard part of the conversation. "Fine, my eldest brother is just being complicated." Roman said shortly. Alaric nodded and Roman stalked off trying to think of how to stop his brother.
❁
"Where the hell is it Elena?" Roman exclaimed pushing open the girls bedroom door. "B-Bonnie." Elena pointed toward the bathroom. Bonnie walked out of the bathroom with the necklace on and an odd look. "Emily." Roman whispered in relief. "Hello little Salvatore." She smiled. "Come, we have to hurry before Damon finds out what's going on." Roman grabbed the witch by the hand as he sped them to the woods above the tomb. "Hello Emily. You look different." Damon appeared a few feet away from them. Roman stepped in front of the Bennett witch guarding her from Damon. "I won't let you do it." She hissed at Damon. "We had a deal." Damon growled taking a step closer. "Things are different now. I need to protect my family." Emily tells him. "I protected your family. You owe me." Damon tried to reason with her. "I know. I'm sorry." Emily sighed. "You're about to be a lot more than that." Damon hissed speeding towards the two, but Roman pushed Damon back sending his chest into a tree branch. "This is how it's supposed to be." Roman growled at his brother. Roman walked back to Emily ignoring Damon. "Thank you for doing this Emily." Roman whispered to her. "No need to thank me." She shook her head. Roman heard a twig snap, looking over to see Elena and Stefan helping Damon. "Stefan." Roman glares. "Hello, Emily, Roman." "These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil." Emily told Stefan who looked confused. "What do you mean evil?" Stefan asked. "Emily. I swear to God, I'll make you regret this." Damon seethed as Roman growled at him. "I won't let you unleash them into this world." Emily shouted letting Roman stand in front of her. "Them? What part of the story did you leave out, Damon?" Stefan glares. "What does it matter Stefan?" Roman spoke up as his brothers head snapped his way. "Emily, tell me what you did." Stefan shouted. "To save her, I had to save them." Emily sighed holding onto Roman's arm. "You saved everyone in the church?" Stefan's voice came out shallow as his eyes widened. "With one, comes all." Roman told him. "I don't care about them. I just want Katherine." "Well you're the only one who wants her Damon! And none of us will let you." Roman snarled. "Damon, you can't do this." Stefan shook his head, ignoring Elena for once. "Why not? They killed 27 people, and they called it a war battle. They deserve whatever they get." "They were low life's who not a single person cared about. They deserved it." Roman glared. "This town deserves this." Damon hissed back at Roman, the two brothers taking the ordeal very personal. "You're blaming innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago." Stefan sternly told Damon. "There is nothing innocent about these people, and don't think for a second it won't happen again. They already know too much, and they'll burn your little grandwitch right next to us when they find out. Trust me." Damon directed at Emily. "Things are different now." Emily said calmly. "Don't do this." Damon pleaded. "I can't free them. I won't. Incendia!" A ring of fire appeared around Emily and Roman. "No! No please." Damon cried "Bonnie!" Elena shouted worriedly. Emily threw the necklace into the air as it combusted making Roman's worry subside. "Hey, Bonnie you're alright." Roman whispered holding the confused witch upright. In an instant Roman saw nothing but black, Damon having snapped his neck to get to Bonnie.
