Roman looked up as Brock entered the station, but it wasn't Brock that held Roman's attention. It was Brock's girlfriend Luna standing next to him. Her long, wavy, hazelnut brown hair and her moss green eyes that seemed to be forever in pain. Her left eye was black, but that was nothing new. Brock had loose hands, and no one seemed to care about it.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Brock raised his voice.

Brock always had everyone's attention. He was one of the most feared cops, and all the others did what he wanted. It seemed like Roman was the only one hating Brock with a burning passion, even though he kept that to himself. Almost. One other person knew about that hatred, and she was standing next to Brock.

When Roman decided to get transferred and try his luck in a small town half a year earlier, he had thought he would go to a quiet town where he would write a few tickets and help old ladies' cats down from trees. He didn't think there was this crazy hierarchy with Brock on top, and he sure didn't expect to fall in love with another man's girlfriend. He had wanted a quiet life after a take down of a drug ring had gone wrong, and he had almost been shot because of it.

"We're getting married," Brock announced.

Roman started coughing, and Brock narrowed his eyes. Brock always hated getting the attention taken away from him.

"Someone wrong, newbie?" Brock asked.
"Just choked on my coffee by accident," Roman managed to fake a smile. "Congratulations."

The station started buzzing again. The other cops congratulated the couple, and everyone seemed to forget about Roman. Everyone but her. She was sneaking glances at him like she always did.

"Sorry, guys, I gotta write my future wife another ticket. Can you believe she broke her tail light again?" Brock laughed.
"That one's trouble," Brock's biggest fan Ryback chuckled.
"I know," Brock said. "Go home, Luna, and stay home."

Brock kissed her cheek. It was all for show. Everyone knew he wasn't the loving boyfriend, but he always played pretend. She hurried out of the door like always. When Brock gave the green light, she was gone in a flash.

"Do you want me to write her up?" Ryback asked.
"Would you?" Brock asked. "Much appreciated."
"Just making sure she stays with you. We can't have her running out on you," Ryback said.
"Leave it in my desk drawer as usual," Brock said.

Roman knew Brock and his buddies caused these smaller incidents to write her tickets. He had no idea why though. Brock sat on the money. She wasn't allowed to work or do anything. She was trapped in a small town with no one by her side. Or at least it was like that before Roman moved there.

"Are you done for today?" Brock asked.

Roman looked up from his desk and found Brock standing there.

"Yeah, just finished my report," Roman answered. "Kofi thought he had intruders on his farm again."
"Kofi needs to lay back on the weed," Brock snorted.

Roman chose not to answer that. Kofi didn't smoke. He didn't even drink. He was just a bit paranoid by nature, and Roman sometimes suspected that Kofi was just lonely and making up stories to get Roman to drive out there. Kofi always had coffee and freshly baked cookies ready as if he had planned for the visit.

"I'm leaving now," he stood up.
"What are you up to tonight?" Brock asked.
"Catching the latest episode of Game Of Thrones. You know I never miss that," Roman answered.
"Good choice," Brock said.

He turned around and raised his voice.

"Ryback! Curtis!" He yelled. "You're patrolling tonight."
"On it, boss," Curtis answered.

Roman went home, and waited for the darkness. He knew that patrolling meant them going by Brock's house once or twice each hour to make sure she didn't leave it or get any visitors. For a long time she didn't. Not until Roman moved there, and he wasn't stupid enough to be caught.

Once the sun had set, he left his house. He kept the light on and the curtains closed to indicate he was home. He left his car in the driveway, and ran through the backyards between his and Brock's houses. They didn't live far apart. He knocked on the back door, and soon Luna opened.

"Baby girl," he said.

He pulled her in for a kiss while moving into Brock's house. Ryback and Curtis could drive by out in front as much as they wanted. They would never know Roman was in there. He had been sneaking in and out of this house for four months now, and no one had caught on.

It was just one of those things that had happened. After seeing her bruises and how Brock treated her time after time, he suddenly found himself alone with her at the station. They had gotten an emergency call involving a shooting, and Brock had told Roman to stay back and watch her. She had opened up to him, and he had promised to come by that same night for a longer talk. That was the first time he had snuck in, and their affair had started that same night.

"Why did you say yes?" He held up her hand to look at the ring.
"I wasn't given a choice," she said.

She pointed at her black eye, and he carefully traced the edge of the bruise with his thumb.

"Would you come with me if I left?" He asked.
"Where to?" She asked.
"Anywhere away from here," he answered.
"He'd find me," she said.
"So? He's got no power in other towns than here," he said.

She sighed, and moved out of his arms. She went to the fridge, and took out a bottle of water. She was stalling, trying to find the right words.

"That's what the tickets are for," she said.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Do you have any idea how much shit he's written me up for over the last two years? If I run with them in the system, he can get a warrant for me. One call to the cops in whatever town I'm in, and it'll all snowball from there," she said.
"And you can't afford paying them," he said.
"Bingo," she said. "And I don't actually get them. They're only in the system. I don't get them, so even if I could pay them, I wouldn't know how. It's a fucking weird security system he's created."
"And an illegal one," he said.

She screwed the lid off the bottle, and took a sip. He walked over to her, placed his hands on her hips, and gently trapped her between his body and the fridge door.

"But you didn't answer my question," he said. "Would you come with me if I left? Assuming he had nothing on you."
"In a perfect world, yes. In a heartbeat," she leaned her cheek against his chest. "I love you, Roman."
"I love you too, baby girl," he said.

He did have a plan. He had already put it in motion. He was ready to leave very soon, sooner than she could ever imagine. He hadn't told her about it though. He knew Brock was always suspicious. He could handle her accidently telling Brock about their affair. That would probably just get him beaten up and fired. He couldn't handle her knowing his plans and accidently telling them to Brock. That would make Brock lock her away somewhere Roman couldn't get to her. No, he was getting her out of there. Tomorrow.