BLOODY ROSES [3]

18

Roman was relieved and even more on edge now that Stefan was in the care of actual doctors.
He was on the verge of dying when Damon compelled two paramedics to keep him alive.

"Listen, thanks for coming all this way to help out, buddy. Means a lot."
Damon smiled at Ric who sat in the backseat.
"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly volunteer, Damon. Valerie sort of ambushed me."
Alaric sighed as Roman gave a sympathetic glance to him.
"Well, you know, she probably thought you'd feel good about stepping up for an old friend. Especially since you're planning on marrying his ex-"
"What?"
Roman asked softly looking at Alaric, the man finding the fogged windows more interesting then meeting the boy's gaze.
"You sure this is how you want to play it, Damon? You know, maybe you bought Marty an hour or so, but when the same thing happened to Jo,"
Alaric sighed shaking his head.
"I don't know, maybe you want to consider spending your remaining time just being with your brother."
Roman gaped sitting up as he looked at Alaric in shock.
"Are you kidding me Alaric?"
Roman glared as he scoffed slamming back into his seat.
Damon rolled his eyes looking to the man as well.
"Getting soft, Ric. More than soft, your brain has liquefied."

"So, what'd I miss when I was gone? What's been happening?"
Damon tried to make conversation as Roman stared out the window.
"Wouldn't know."
Alaric said shortly.
"Oh, come on. Maybe you buried your head in a Dallas sandbox, but your wife-to-be? She's always in everyone's business. Which is why I find it hard to believe that she wouldn't drop some details about her best friend over string cheese and chicken nuggets."
Damon grinned sarcastically.
"Damon, if you're fishing for information about Bonnie, why don't you ask your brother. Him and his fiancé are always with Bonnie. He's going right back to them both after you save Stefan."
Alaric told the raven haired boy as Roman sent him a heated glare.
"Stay out of it Alaric."
Roman growled.
"Still just your fiancé, what happened? Trouble in paradise?"
Damon gave a grin to the boy, not missing the way a look of sympathy washed over Alaric.
"No actually. My twin was on the run and my eldest brother was desiccating next to one of my best friends,"
A frown settled onto Damon face as he listened to his brother.
"What's a wedding without any family there?"
Roman asked rhetorically going back to staring out the window.
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't be. I'm used to it."
Roman seethed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Damon gaped at his brother.
"Nothing."
Roman mumbled throwing a hand over his eyes.
"Stop the car."
"What?"
"Stop the car."
Roman repeated pulling the emergency break and stepping out.
"You did this Damon so you're gonna fix it."
"And What are you gonna do?"
Damon furrowed his eyebrows.
"I'm going to go sit with my twin brother and hope he survives."

❁

"Hey Stef."
"Hey Ro."
Stefan mumbled tiredly as Roman sat beside him in the ambulance.
"I'm gonna tell you a story big brother,"
Stefan chuckled nodding as Roman smiled softly.
"A long time ago there were three brothers, two of them were twins. They loved each other more then anything, and the youngest brother wanted to be just like his twin. Selfless and brave, kind. He wanted to protect his brother from their monster of a father."
Roman whispered as he talked resting a hand on Stefan's arm.
"You're not gonna cry on me now are you baby brother?"
Stefan asked wearily as Roman chuckled softly shaking his head.
"I've shed enough tears brother. Don't you think?"
"Yeah,"
Stefan mumbled softly nodding his head.
"Listen to me Stefan, you're going to get your old body back. You are going to get up and be yourself again, and you are going to be with Valarie or Caroline or whoever you want to be with,"
Roman smiled as did Stefan.
"And you are going to live, and you are going to get exactly what you want."
"You think so?"
Stefan mumbled.
"I know so. Plus you have to stick around to see me get married."
Stefan laughed as Roman grinned at the sight.

We got him, on our way- Damon

Roman leaned down hugging his brother tight.
"I love you Stefan."
"I love you too brother."

❁

"You were gone too long love."
Enzo smiled kissing the back of Roman's hand as they walked into Bonnie's room.
"Agreed."
Roman laughed kissing his cheek.
"The hospital left a message with your doctor. Said you had an incident with another patient."
Enzo clicked his tongue as Bonnie rolled her eyes at the couple.
She rushed over kissing them both on the cheek as she wrapped them in a hug.

Ever since Bonnie had been admitted to the mental health center she and Enzo has become best friends, and her connection with Roman had only became stronger.

"But it was all worth it, because guess who knows why I'm on the Armory's Most-Wanted list?"
"Virginia St. John."
Enzo smirked as he laced his fingers with Roman's.
"Turns out, there's some kind of vault in the basement of that pretentious building-- sealed by a Bennett witch. Alex St. John wants me to open it."
Bonnie grabbed her pills going to take one.
"Now, we just have to figure out what's inside and the best way to leverage my freedom.
After you two check me out of this place and take me out for dinner, because if I have to eat another piece of runny, beige casserole, I might actually lose my mind."
Roman glanced worriedly at the pills catching Bonnie's attention.
"You can't take those anymore Bonnie."
Roman sighed slowly taking them from her.
"I got a lead, not all the answers. I still need to stay off the Armory's radar."
Bonnie told her best friend with wide eyes.
"The pills are making you sick."
Roman told her softly, his heart falling in his chest at her scared expression.
"What are you talking about? I feel fine."
Bonnie shook her head looking to Enzo.
"We didn't know, but the Armory was experimenting on Mary Louise. They forced these pills down her throat every day for the past three years, and as a result, she became very very ill."
Enzo explained shortly to the Bennet witch.
"I thought she blew herself up?"
Bonnie asked looking between her best friends.
"It's because she knew she was dying."
Roman told her, his voice cracking.
Bonnie looked at him with tears in her eyes as his heart broke.
"I'm-I'm so sorry. I-I thought I was protecting you."
Roman whispered as tears gathered in his eyes.
"I'm gonna die? Is that what you're trying to tell me? Because I've done it once or twice before, and it's not all that fun-"
"No. We will not let that happen. We will not let you die, Bonnie Bennett. You have my word."
Enzo reassured the witch, stepping to Roman's side.
Roman pulled Bonnie into another long hug as Enzo rested a hand on his fiancé's back.
"Bonnie?"
The three jumped seeing Damon in the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers.
Bonnie pushed past her friends as she made her way towards him, Roman being able to see the regret and anxiousness in his brother's eyes.
"I'm sorry-"
Before Damon could get another word out the girl slammed the door in his face, turning back to the couple with a blank expression.