To all fans of Outside,
I've been writing for you all for a very, very long time. Truth be told, I started the story back in 2014, I was extremely weary. Normally when I write for another fandom besides The Vampire Diaries, it always ends up getting put on the chopping block for a variety of reasons: I'm bored, no one really pays attention to it, or I found myself criticizing it so much I get nervous and kick it off. I would be outright lying if I said that I never suspected it would happen with the story, because I genuinely thought that it would happen eventually from the second I put it up online. But I figured I'd give it a try.
Now, a little less than two years later, I find that Outside is one of my most popular stories (and it's not even close to being done!). I couldn't be more grateful to all of my fans that have stuck through my sadistic measures, as I've been told by my best friend that I apparently hate everyone because of all the shit I put you through with Bellamy and Alessia's struggles. It puts a smile on my face every time I see a review or a follow or a favorite come through, or even looking to see how many people have read my latest chapter. It is truly an honor and a privilege to be sharing Bellamy and Alessia's story with you all, and I couldn't be happier to publish this story for everyone today.
We've stuck through a lot of things together. I started Outside a little before things had gotten bad in my life, but despite that, you were all here for me and waited patiently for another chapter to be enjoyed. Then, there were several plagiarizers that wanted to steal my words, and every time there was, everyone had my back. For that, especially, I can't thank you enough.
Because I know myself and because I know how easily I am distracted by life, I went ahead and wrote all 10 chapters (including an epilogue) in advance before publishing this story...which is why it took me so long to get it up here. I didn't want to give everyone a token of my appreciation without making sure that I had all my ducks in a row. With AU stories, it's a little harder for me because I don't have a set cannon and when I end up only writing 2,000 words in a chapter, I get frustrated and call it a day. Therefore, I made sure that every word was written and I was satisfied with them all before sharing this.
So without further adieu, here is Roman Holiday!
IMPORTANT STORY INFORMATION
Updating Schedule (Biweekly): Following this update at an ungodly hour on Sunday, Roman Holiday will be updated Fridays at 9PM EST barring one or two hiatuses that won't last for more than two weeks.
Author Content Disclaimer 1: Not that I think this is going to be an issue with you guys, but there are always trolls on the internet looking for something to criticize, and although this might be valid, that's why I'm telling you this in advance. There is a lot of work that goes into the US Army and I will never claim to know and or pretend to know any and all of the details. I did as much research as I could with my resources on finding the ranks and procedures, but this is a story and I will never claim it to be up to realistic standards. I apologize if there are any mistakes that bother someone who reads this story, but I ask you to keep in mind that this is a fan fiction, I have a life, and although I am the daughter of a veteran, I am not an expert on the US Army. If there is an issue that you think may be able to be corrected (something small like a rank issue or a term not being used correctly), please PM me with your concern and I will be sure to get back to you.
Author Content Disclaimer 2: Although this story is not rated M because I do not want to give off the impression that I am writing certain scenes that are associated with M-rated fan fiction, this story has a very high T-rating for language and sexual content.