Roman had just finished his breakfast and morning coffee next morning when someone rang his door bell. Outside a police officer stood and seemed rather nervous about the task he had been sent out to perform. He had explained as fast as he could, and all Roman got was that Meadow wouldn't talk, except for constantly asking for him. The young cop asked if Roman would get in the car and go with him to the safe house they kept her in.

To Roman it hadn't even been a question he needed to think about. He had almost knocked over the young man to get to his car fast. The only thing that mattered was that Meadow had asked for him. Repeatedly.

The young man drove them both to the safe house. Roman felt his hands get clammy as he walked through the front door. He quickly dried them on his jeans while following behind the cop.

Two minutes later he walked into a room where Meadow sat on a couch. She was clean and in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Both items too big for her. Her hair was still a mess unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Her knees were close together, her hands folded and resting on her legs, her eyes down at her hands. She was closed and not inviting anyone in.

"Hi sweetheart," he said.

Her head snapped up, and her sad eyes looked into his. He walked over and sat down next to her. She promptly took his hand and held on to it as if she was scared he would leave again if she let go.

"You left me," she said.
"Not by choice. Everything went so fast, and suddenly we were apart. They wouldn't let me see you again," he said.
"Why?" She asked.
"Yeah, why?" He looked at the few people in the room.
"Standard procedure. If it's worth anything, we're sorry," someone answered.
"It's not really, but it doesn't matter now. Who are you?" Roman asked.
"My name's Dan, and I'm the one assigned to this case, but Meadow won't talk. She only asks for you, so we were hoping you'd help us out a bit," Dan answered.

Roman looked at her, but her eyes were down at their hands. He reached his free hand forward, gently placing it on her cheek to make her look at him again.

"You gotta talk, sweetheart. You gotta tell your story," he said.
"I don't want to," she said.
"I know it's painful, but talking about it is part of the healing process," he said.
"Will you stay?" She asked.

He looked over at Dan and got a nod in return.

"Yeah, I'll stay," he looked at her again.
"Here beside me?" She asked.
"No one's gonna make me get up from this couch unless it's you asking," he answered.

She sat back against the backrest and pulled her knees up. She wrapped her arms around them and looked down at the table in front of her. And then she started talking. The words came in one long stream.

15 years of fear and abuse came out in record speed without a pause. Roman heard it all. Pain and anger took over inside him, his heart breaking for each thing she revealed. Harvey had taken an innocent child, barely a teenager, and turned her into a woman by force. Day after day, night after night, year after year, for 15 long years, trying to create a family with her that luckily never came. He was a man obsessed, and she had been unfortunate to be his target.

"Thank you," Dan said when she was done. "I can promise you he'll never get out of prison. We need to take a trip though. You gotta lead us into the pipe and show us where he kept you."

She blindly reached for Roman's hand. He quickly grabbed it and felt her squeeze him hard.

"I don't wanna go back there," she said.
"You have to," Dan said.
"No!" She whimpered.
"Meadow, look at me," Roman said.

It was the first time he had spoken since he promised to stay. She looked at him, and he smiled reassuringly.

"Just one last time. No one's leaving you in there," he said. "And..."

He looked over at Dan and got a nod in return. Dan understood the unasked question. He looked back at Meadow and smiled again.

"And I'm going with you," he said.

Seeing the place she had been kept a second time wasn't any easier. He had to stand back while the cops did their work with taking pictures and gathering evidence. She pointed everything out while telling parts of her story. Hearing how she lost her virginity in this place on that bed had Roman feeling heartbroken all over again. And it hadn't just been that once. 15 long years with that man. She had been chained up for years until she had given in completely and done whatever he wanted. Broken and too scared to leave. If Roman was allowed, he would kill Harvey with his bare hands.

It took hours, but finally they were allowed to leave that place again. Once again they were in a back seat of a police car, holding each other's hands. She constantly felt the need to hold his hand, and he wasn't gonna deny her the comfort. Once back in the safe house, he didn't want to leave without her. He wanted to take her with him, but he knew that he couldn't.

"Come back tomorrow," she pleaded.
"I start training again tomorrow," he said.
"Training?" She asked.
"He's the great Roman Reigns," Dan chuckled. "I subscribe to the Network, so let's spend the rest of the day watching a bunch of his matches. I bet you'll even be a fangirl of his tomorrow."
"I don't care what I am, or what he is. I want him to come back tomorrow," she said.

Her eyes were begging him. He couldn't say no to her even if he had wanted to.

"You can come with me to training. It's just me, my cousins Jimmy and Jey, and Jimmy's wife Naomi. They won't mind," he said.
"I don't think so," Dan said.
"Is she arrested and forced to stay here?" Roman asked.
"Of course not," Dan answered.
"Then I'm picking her up at 9.30 AM. Training starts at 10. And we'll do lunch too," Roman said.
"I'll be ready at 9.30," she said.

She smiled at him, and this time her smile reached her eyes. For a short second the sadness inside them was pushed aside, and he saw something else. Hope. He was her hope for some strange reason. He wasn't anyone's hero or savior, yet she looked at him like that. A lost girl wanting to be found. Without thinking about it, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her. He felt her hands on his back, clencing his t-shirt as if she didn't want to let go.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said.
"Promise?" She asked.
"Yeah, I promise," he answered. "No one's gonna force me away from you again."