A\N Thank you so much for the favorites, follows and reviews! I am so glad people are enjoying my story. I will keep reviewing more chapters in jessica 619's amazing stories too. You are so welcome that I found yours and I am eager to read more! I welcome any more suggestions of your favorite author or favorite Roman stories here too. I have more time to dig into more reading this weekend too and reviewing.

Thanks for much for Florencia7 and scarlett2112, Celina, jessica 619, Tammie, Baby Pittie I love hearing from all of you.

I had introduced Dean before and now we meet Seth here too in this chapter but if you have any requests of people you might like in the story please let me know or any suggestions too I am not nearly done yet so I am open to requests!

Drama time and angsty chapter but I still hope you like it. But that is bound to happen. Sorry in advance.

It had been a long night already and yet he had no idea how late it actually was. Time seemed to just go on forever and yet so much had already happened. It was likely well after midnight by now and Roman had been waiting for Dean to get out of another surgery to come and stitch him up.

He had leaned his head down on the wall behind him and fell asleep faster than he realized. All the excitement must have just burned through all his adrenaline and he crashed hard.

His head flew up fast from a deep sleep at the startling sound of a slamming door nearby and he looked around. A quick glance at the clock and he saw he had slept for almost an hour while he waited. Shit!

Emily!

Roman jumped up and was just about to storm out the door and check on her. Already mad that he had been away from her that long. He had promised her he would be right back. Was she worried? Was she okay? She didn't sound like she had a person in the world she trusted the way she was clinging to him. And he did not want to let her down.

He nearly crashed into the door opening as he reached for it and glancing up saw Dean's surprised face looking back at him.

"Whoa, sorry man for the wait but you need to sit back down," he motioned back behind him.

Roman shook his head and started to push forward and try to get past him. He could feel the knife wound bleeding more and soaking through the scrub top but he did not give a damn. "No way. You had your chance...I've been away from her too long already. She doesn't have anyone!"

Dean stood firm, blocking the door and Roman just glared at him but felt himself start to waver in his balance. Blinking his vision got fuzzy too. Damn it, not good. He felt the doctor grab his arm and slowly walk him backward into the center of the room and back to sit on the bed. He let him and helped peel the blood soaked shirt off him and lay down.

He felt like a scolded child under the other mans hardened stare but he relented and just sunk into the mattress and sucked in another shaky breath. "Just hurry then please," he pleaded between clenched teeth.

Dean nodded and chuckled. "Man they are right, doctors do make the worst patients."

Roman glared back at him again but he knew he was right. He swallowed any snappy reply and just let the man work, the quicker the better. He shut his eyes and blocked out the sting of the needle in his skin and just disappeared into his memories of that night.

She had kissed him. More than once and he had even kissed her after everything too. Not when she was in pain or desperate for pain to stop. That last moment they shared there had been no panic or pulling her away from everything that had been hurting her. He chose to kiss her before he left the room. Nuzzle her nose, stroke his fingers in her hair and gaze so deeply in her eyes as she held her stillborn baby in her arms.

He wanted her to know she had more to live for. She wasn't alone even though she felt like it and had cried that very thing to him minutes before. Damn it he needed to get back to her.

Roman opened his eyes slowly, pulling himself out from his thoughts and back to the brightness of the hospital room to see Dean was sewing up the last threads before cutting them. He cleaned the wound once more and then wiped the area clean and unsnapped his gloves.

"There you go. All done!" The blonde man pushed his chair back and tossed his gloves and all the used supplies in the waste basket.

Roman sat up slowly and leaned down and examined the wound as Dean unwrapped another large bandage and taped it up tight over it. It looked clean and sealed and as fixed up as if he would have done it himself too.

He nodded in thanks and was already looking around for another scrub top to wear. Dean was already pointing up higher on a shelf to a pile of folded up clothes and Roman nodded and smiled again, grabbing one from the bottom of the pile and pulling it over his head. He wanted to say more, to thank him more but he just felt so emotionally and physically fried and not good company at all right then.

He opened his mouth to say something more but Dean leaned forward, his hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I know whatever you are thinking you need to apologize for...don't worry about it. I know you are just freaked out about your girl man."

His girl.

He liked the sound of that.

Roman smiled back at him and nodded, not wanting to disagree to any of what he said.

The other man spun around after quickly writing in what was presumably his chart and washed his hands and mumbled something about having another call to look after.

"You should take it easy a couple days and not risk tearing those stitches. Take a couple more days before you come into work and no heavy lifting. We can cover for you here at least till Monday but after that I might not be able to hold back the demands of the interim attending from wanting a break doing your job. He's an older guy here and we are all just ready or him to retire and he's a huge dick if you ask me so he will be bitching if I make him work too much overtime.

Roman looked wide eyed at that. Crap he didn't mean to make things worse on anyone. "Shoot, sorry man. That isn't my intention to cause any.."

But Dean cut him off. "No, it's be fine. I've wrangled the guy before and I think he kind of respected me for standing up to him. After what you have been though tonight you need to take care of that wound and not make it worse. So if you can take care of you and her, I'll handle old man grumpy here." Dean chuckled and smiled at Roman but sounded firm in his instructions. He looked seriously at him and made sure Roman understood him and waited for him to nod in agreement before he turned with another reassuring nod and smile and he was almost out the door.

"Okay I will. Thank you, again," Roman called out and the door closed behind him leaving him alone in the room. He looked around for his wallet, realizing it was still in his jacket that he had wrapped around her when he carried her to the SUV.

He practically ran back down the hallways to her room only remembering about halfway that he should be careful with his stitches and slowed to more of a walk. Roman passed a nurse carrying a bundle in a blanket as he turned the corner her door. Was that Hope? The nurse hurried along past him on the other side of the aisle and didn't even look his way. That felt strange.

He rounded the corner of her doorway and was and had been rehearsing in his mind something fun or flirty to say or anything to tell her he was back and she wasn't alone. But the words died on his lips the second he saw a man leaning over her bed and kissing her!

He froze mid step as he took in the scene in front of him. She was sitting up, looking exhausted but this man was holding her chin, pressing back on her one arm, kissing her, sitting on the bed beside her and she was letting him...?

Shock he was sure was all over his face. They looked like they had not seen him yet and he willed his body to move and get out of this insanely awkward situation. He had no idea what was going on? Who the hell was that?

He started backing out of the room. He had nothing in him at that moment to face that kind of situation. He had been falling hard for her, so freaking fast and had kissed her and felt sparks flying between them. And now he felt betrayed and angry and hurt and confused and just wanted to get the hell out of there.

But fate was not so kind.

As Roman was trying to leave, two other guys in police uniforms strode into the room and blocked his path, slowly pushing him back in.

"Hey Doc, there you are. We have been looking for you," one man said, still walking more forward and pushing Roman to go further back into the room. "Hey Hunter, I found the Doc for ya," he motioned to the man leaning over Emily.

Roman drew in a deep breath and saw Emily looking back at him with a very shocked expression on her face. She even looked scared. Why would she be scared? That made no sense. Scared she got caught kissing the guy?

The man Hunter was his name he heard had turned toward him but still had his one arm draped over Emily's shoulder, pulling her in against him. She looked uncomfortable and yet seconds ago the man was kissing her.

He was a tall man it looked like even from his sitting position on the bed. He had a more or less shaved head and heavy build, and his eyes were dark. They could have been blue Roman had no idea, but his stare was dark, and his eyes empty of warmth. The room had a dark feel in it completely with this man in it.

Emily herself looked so different, so small in that bed like she was trying to shrink away when before he had seen such light and beauty and even in her tears for her daughter Roman saw her glowing with strength.

Now everything felt like a dark cloud was over the room and that dark cloud was this man's presence.

Hunter seemed non the wiser at the surprised looks between Emily and Roman. She shook his arm off her shoulder and curled her body more in against her knees as Roman watched, having no idea what was going on.

Roman wanted to go to her, to hold her just like he had been doing for most of her labor. Who the hell was this man? He sure as hell didn't look like he knew what she needed. And yet he still stayed sitting on the bed and reached out to her again, this time clasping her hand in his and holding it tightly.

Emily's eyes were down, her head against her knees and she was rocking back and forth slightly, like she was comforting herself and he heard her whisper out the name Hope.

Roman saw Hunter hear it too and lean in closer. "Hope?" he spat out. "You mean you named that fetus that you couldn't even keep alive?"

Roman cringed at that. He already hated this man. Who the fuck was he? But the creep now turned to him and he swallowed thickly under the mans heavy glare. Did he know about them? Did Emily tell him that they had kissed? That he had rescued her?

But Hunter merely glared at him without a word at first before he finally spoke. "Doc, tell her that wasn't an actual baby. She thinks she lost a baby. She's just been so damn emotional!"

Roman was stunned by the man's insensitivity and as much as he didn't want to know, he had to ask. He had a feeling he already knew the answer. He fought to not clench his jaw as he spoke. "Well man. I'd say woman are entitled to whatever emotions they want. And especially when they are pregnant all their emotions are very heightened. Who are you to her?" he asked.

Hunter looked back at him while sitting back down beside her and pulling her in against him again. Roman then saw he too had a police uniform on. They were all cops here. "I'm her husband Doc. Father of the baby she just killed."

Roman locked eyes with her at that revelation and saw her dark brown eyes find his for the briefest of moments before they fell from his hard gaze on her. Her husband?!

He had lots to say to her about that but nothing he wanted everyone in the room to hear too. The two other cops that must be the husband's buddies were both lounging on chairs by the window and on their phones and a ringing in the room Roman saw Hunter say it was the Chief and he needed to take this. He answered the phone quickly and turned away from the bed, walking toward the bathroom and partially closed the door.

Emily saw him leaving and Roman caught her eye instantly and the pleading in her expression back at him. He moved closer to the bed on the side opposite the bathroom and stood beside her. He didn't know if he should be glaring at her or demanding an explanation or just get the hell out of there. He saw her glance back toward the bathroom at the still mostly closed door before reaching for his hand and pulling him closer.

"Roman," she breathed out, her voice barely a whisper and leaned in closer to his arm. He let her pull him in and she laced her fingers with his. He stiffened at the intimacy that before made him melt with how much he already was feeling for her.

"You are married Emily?...What the hell do you want with me?" he whispered angrily, his eyes darting back and forth from the two cops glued to their phones and the still mostly closed bathroom door. She was rubbing her thumb up and down on his hand and he fought to swallow a moan, because any touch from her still felt like fire to his skin and when he tried to unlace their fingers, she held on, shaking her head back and forth ever so slightly.

He saw tears in her eyes now as one slipped down her cheek. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled. "I just wanted to feel safe...You...made me feel. You... feel so safe Roman..."

He paused a second, debating if this was even worth talking about at all and pulled her hand out of his and held his finger to his lips. "Wait here," he mouthed and saw her nod slowly, her eyes wide.

Roman moved quickly to the two men lounging in the chairs and whistled to get their attention. "Hey, um, I need to do a quick physical exam on the patient. She was complaining of pain after the delivery. So I am just going to have to ask you to leave for a few minutes please. You can come back when we are done."

The two cops just looked at him and then each other and got up without a word and walked out. Roman moved next to the bathroom and knocked on the half closed door and her husband looked up. He repeated the same words to him, but knowing it was her partner said he was welcome to stay. Hunter merely shrugged and said Go ahead and pushed the door all the way closed telling Roman it was an important call.

Emily was sitting up in the bed and Roman pulled the curtain around the bed as he came back as one more barrier between them and her husband still in the room with just the bathroom door between them and stood there at the side of the bed.

"Okay Emily, everyone's gone...talk to me..." Roman stated sitting down the bed beside her and speaking as monotone as he could and his eyes were focused somewhere on the knit blanket over her legs. He did not want to look into her eyes at all or be close enough for her to touch him. He wanted a damn explanation.

He could hear her breathing and sniffling and saw her hands in her lap. "Roman please look at me..." her soft sweet voice pleaded. "I don't know how much time we have. I need you," she begged him.

Roman was furious and felt emotional whiplash from his anger and her deeply intimate words. He said he wanted to hear from her but for her to say she needed him...

His head flew up and he moved forward fast to grab her shoulders, not hard, but just to steady himself as he felt he was shaking and he looked right in her eyes, his own pure fire in their gray gaze.

"You don't get to say things like that to me! Do you have any idea how fast I was feeling things for you? That helping you through your labor was so intimate and so deep. Saving your life in that alley and you wrapping your arms around me and closing your eyes like I was the safest thing in the world...do you have any idea how messed up you made me to find out you are married?"

Roman squeezed lightly on her shoulders, not to hurt her at all but he was reeling in his shock at what was going on, as he was whispering all this, his eyes glaring into hers. "I was ready to give you everything, as insane as that sounds. Clearly I was not thinking straight at all. But I felt I could actually trust you, when trust had been shattered in my life. I was in awe that any touch from me made you melt. I ached for your pain. I wanted to fix everything in your world."

He was breathing harder now too and just watching her eyes so wide looking back at him as he hissed at her. "Kissing you felt like home Em. You felt like home and I was finally starting to feel hope in relationships, in people, in my feelings again...and I hadn't felt like that with anyone in so long. Now all it confirms in me is that feelings and hope just gets you hurt. All my ex wanted was someone else when I thought she cared about me."

Roman released his grip on her and dropped his head to her chest. He was hurting and yet aching for comfort at the same damn time. He didn't even look at her anymore and couldn't bear to see the sadness in her eyes as he shared. But he felt like he needed to at least tell her about his past, at least part of it so she understood why he felt so hurt.

Emily started running her fingers though his hair as he lay there on her chest and he forced himself to hold back a moan that wanted so badly to be free. Her hands in his hair felt so good. So soothing. Yet her damn husband was in the next room and could come back in at any moment. They could not do this. He couldn't do this.

He wiped a tear wanting to fall, sniffling stubbornly to force himself to finish his story. "I thought I was home to her and she had someone else for months without my knowing it! She broke my heart and I thought I would never feel anything for anyone again till I started feeling something for you tonight. And I find out you are married. "

His head lifted and his eyes were glassy with unshed tears when they found hers just once more and his expression bordered on pleading. She was still stroking her fingers in his hair as he spoke and his eyes fell closed once more at how soothed he felt before he forced them open again.

He had to know..."Why, why couldn't you just tell me? So I didn't start feeling hope again. I thought you had no one. I was so stupid."

Emily was quiet looking like she had no idea what to say, but he looked to have gotten through to her how much this had hurt him. She reached for his hand and pulled it to her heart, holding it and stroking it and kissing the top of his hand. She looked like she was going to say something back but the door to the bathroom swung open with a slam he was quick to untangle their hands and she wasn't even given a minute to process what he said and then Roman had quickly gotten up off the bed and switched to doctor mode, ignoring the ache of just wanting to kiss her again and go back to when it was just them a few hours ago.

Everything had changed.

Emily's head had dropped as soon as his hand fell from hers. The curtain was pulled back and they jumped apart and nothing looked out of the ordinary. Her husband stood over her as she practically cowered behind him but Roman forced himself to keep his eyes off her and turned away and swiped at the tears in his eyes to sniffle them back.

If he caught her gaze again, knowing she had tears in her eyes from him too, he was afraid her husband would see everything between them in an instant. Every ache, every feeling, every single spark would just light up like freaking lightning in the night sky.

So he gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus on her health alone. Just to tell him what the hell they needed to know about what happened and how to take care of her but he had no idea how much the creep even heard or cared at all. He barely looked like he had heard him and thankfully hardly looked at him or he might have seen the redness in his eyes from his tears too. The other two cops wandered back in as he was talking and sat back down too.

Roman gave them her prognosis and that she needed to stay overnight just to make sure the bleeding from labor was under control and the ultrasound tech wanted to do some x rays too but she was clear to go in the morning.

He said a quick good bye to the group in the room and it nearly broke his heart to turn away without even looking back at her one last time. He wanted to SO badly. Roman could feel her sadness without even seeing it in her eyes. Somehow he could feel it and that alone made him want to just rush back to her side, pull her back in his arms and take her away from all those men that looked like they didn't give a damn about her. But who was he to know anything. He sure shouldn't be in the business of a police mans wife.

So when so much of him wanted to rescue her again...he was out and around the corner in the hall, away from her and everything that felt so messed up. He did not need complicated in his life. He had just moved away from everything like that to find some semblance of peace here.

But it already hurt to leave her. Everything hurt too much and he barely knew her so he didn't even know why it hurt that much at all. How could he care so much so fast?

Leaning his head back on the wall he closed his eyes and just shut it all out. She was none of his damn business. And at least by morning he would not have to see her again. Small town and all, he was determined to avoid the woman who had that much power over his heart that fast, as much as possible. Hell she wasn't even his patient .

He stumbled towards the staff room and found the nearest couch and fell into the cushions. It was too late to go to the motel tonight anyway and he was exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open and in minutes he was fast asleep.

Roman woke up a few hours later to the sound of his friend Seth shaking him. "Hey buddy. Rome? Wake up."

"Hmmm?" he mumbled and brushed his hand across his face and rubbed his eyes. Blinking he could see Seth sitting on the chair beside him. He was in full uniform too. His brown eyes were wide and he was holding a cup of coffee out and waving it under Roman's nose. The aroma wafted up his nose and pulled him back from the deep sleep he was trying to stay in. He sat up slowly and snatched the cup from his friend's grasp and took a long swallow of the warm liquid.

"What do you want Seth. It's the middle of the night. Can't it wait till morning?" Roman grumbled.

Seth sighed and nodded, flipping his wavy blonde and dark two tone hair back and reaching for his cup of coffee on the table. The man almost never went anywhere without caffeine . "Yeah it could. I just was here already anyway so I figured I would drop off your keys to you since I went by the motel and you had not even made it there at all. It's just been a slow night and I was bored and the boss wanted a favor here so I was here anyway."

Roman took another large swallow and stretched his arms and yawned. "Your boss was here tonight?" Seth nodded and kept talking and Roman stretched more, his muscles aching from the awkward sleeping position. The couch was not long enough for him to fully be comfortable but it was better than nothing after the night he had. He reached for the keys his buddy was passing to him. "Thanks man. And thanks for the rental. I really appreciate it and I think it will be good to have police presence in the area."

Well anyone but the police that were in her damn room he thought. Those guys he would just as soon never see again.

Seth shrugged and leaned back in the chair. "Anything to get me away from living so close to the boss. You are a life saver to me man. Really," Seth affirmed. "Besides H parties with his buddies pretty loud and you know how light a sleeper I am and you sleep like the dead so I think its a win win all around."

Roman perked up his ears at that "H?" No, no, no. Seriously, things could not possibly go that wrong could they?

Seth nodded. "Yeah Hunter, parties pretty hard on the weekends..."

Roman did not hear whatever else Seth said. They were neighbors? He was their freaking next door neighbor? He opened his mouth ready to beg Seth to take his damn house back but realized that he was the one that signed the lease. He committed to this. Unless he could find someone to take it over he was stuck.

Seth got a call on his walkie and said he had to go and Roman just nodded, waving the keys and fake smiling at him, pretending he didn't just want to strangle him for what he was now locked into. He wasn't sure the night could get any worse.

Well if this was going to work they would need some sort of boundaries. So he decided he was going to march over to her room and set some right now, while he felt all noble and strong. One look at her and he might totally throw it all out the window, but right now he felt like he could stand his ground and tell her they needed to respect each other.

He walked fast down the hall toward her room and pushed open the door only to find the room dark and empty. What?

He flagged down a nurse who told him she was checked out, against doctor orders and had left with her husband an hour ago and they had just packed up and left.

"She what?" Roman cursed out loud. She left against his orders. Why the hell would that happen? He stormed down the hall and found the staff member who tried to stop them from leaving and sure enough she had been dressed and the other cops had just escorted her out of there and her damn husband had signed her out.

Well there went his plan to catch her alone that night and at least find out what the hell was going on and tell her they needed some serious boundaries if they were going to be neighbors. Especially after everything he felt when he kissed her.

Roman's next stop was the X ray department. He hoped at least she had gotten the x rays that had been ordered before she left against doctors orders. But a quick conversation there too and he found out she had never even made it down to see them. The tech there too had been worried about her since he did the ultrasound and told Roman he suspected she had more internal damages from the mugging but her labor and delivery had taken priority and so anything else had been told to wait.

Slamming his hand against the wall he cursed again. Damn it this was not his business. If she didn't want more treatment that was not his choice! He growled out loud and just shut his eyes. So why the hell did he care so much?

Maybe cause he could not get the words she had whispered to him out of his damn head. How he had been safe...She hadn't felt safe in so long...She felt like he was her Superman.

She was married to a freaking cop... so how on earth did she not feel safe?

He slid down the wall and rested his head on his knees and just closed his eyes. Oh his head was hurting from how messed up the whole situation was and how much he knew he should stay far away from everything and anything more about her.

The keys to his new place jingled in his scrub pants pocket, teasing him...reminding him of how close he lived to her. His messed up and very fried brain reminded him that his wallet was still in his leather jacket that he had wrapped her in. It wasn't in the room now either and than meant she likely took it with her. He would not be getting very far without his wallet the next few days so he might as well face her sooner than later.

Roman walked back to the ambulance bay and saw his SUV parked further down and the lights off. The doors were unlocked and the keys still inside but he nearly jumped back when he saw the blood all over the seat still. He had nearly forgotten about that. Looking back there was blood all over the back seats too, where she had been laying and bleeding out from losing the baby.

He sighed and tried to block out all the emotion those terrifying and very intimate moments were bringing up in him and moved to the back and scooped up a blanket to lay over the drivers seat. It would be enough for tonight.

The roads were clear, the night silent till he pulled around the corner to his block. It was the weekend and sure enough to what Seth said it looked like his boss had a bunch of people over and there were lights on in every room in the house beside his and loud music coming from it.

Roman groaned and felt bad for Emily, leaning back in his seat and turning off the car, he shook his head and just watched the people in the open window of his neighbors place. This was how her husband handled losing his own child? His own wife getting mugged and hurt? Throw a damn party?

He couldn't believe it. She needed rest and quiet, not blaring loud music and this kind of insanity. Damn it he needed to stop thinking about her. She wasn't any of his business at all. She was taken and she was now already home and likely in her own bed. She would be fine.

Stepping out of his vehicle he moved first to his house and unlocked it and went inside to look around. He hadn't been here yet and all he had heard was Seth's raving about the nice space and open floor plan, big island for great cooking, plenty of storage and that he would love the yard and covered patio for BBQ's if he wanted. It had an outdoor hot tub all tucked behind privacy lattice too. He was even told a previous tenant sprung for a fancy pool table in the basement and never took it with them later so it had been there ever since too.

Roman peeked into the master bedroom seeing the big windows where the bed would stand between and a big walk in closet and ensuite bath with tub and shower. He only flicked lights on and then back off again, enjoying the peacefulness of the moonlight streaming in the big living room windows.

He pulled the door open to the back deck and stepped out to check out the yard yet and sat down on the steps and just leaned on the railing, enjoying the cool fall air as it drifted lightly over his skin. He still wasn't wearing more than the scrubs and yet wasn't feeling very cold out, even without his jacket.

The music was still loud from next door and even more so since he had been outside but the song stopped and there was a pause between and he could hear arguing inside possibly in deciding what to play next.

Soft cries carried on the wind that he would not even have heard if it had not been for the pause in the music and Roman sat up more and turned his head toward the sounds.

Crying, he could hearing crying.

He stood up fast and spun towards the neighbor's house, still standing on the top step on his deck. Emily was crying. He knew it in his heart it was her.

Squinting in the darkness he saw her, curled up on the back steps. She was hardly visible because her dark hair was the only part of her not hidden by Roman's black leather jacket he could see she was clearly still wearing and pulling tighter around her.

His stood there staring, aching, already missing her, even after snapping at her that she had hurt him. And she had not even been given a minute to reply before Hunter came back so he had no idea what she all thought of his mess of feelings.

Roman leaned on the railing of his deck and watching her, hearing the music come back on, drowning out her small cries into the dark night. But he could still see her shoulders shaking and knew she was crying more, still hurting and he wished he could fix it, when he knew he was the one that had hurt her and rejected her.

But none of this was right. He needed to leave it alone. Her husband needed to be there for her, not him. He needed to just go there, ask for his jacket and his wallet back and then just avoid them. Maybe after a few weeks this whole crush they were both feeling would just go away and everything would be fine and they could be neighbors or maybe even friends.

Yeah, he could do this. Just be strong and go over there and get his stuff. No more emotions getting in the way.

Just be strong...