Peter watched as Selena tossed and turned in his bed, her body shimmering with sweat as a pained look crossed her face. He'd woken up when he felt an unusual warmth against his back and had turned to realize that the girl next to him was running a fever.

"Holy shit," he cried out as he placed a hand against her forehead and felt her temperature. She was burning up quickly. Peter rushed to their bathroom and immediately started to fill the tub with cold water before grabbing the ice bag they had in their freezer and dumping it in as well.

"Lynda!" He shouted as he stormed into his mother's room. She woke up startled and confused. "Selena's got the fever," he said in a panic. Lynda's eyes widened before she began turning her drawers inside out.

Peter ran back into his room and picked Selena up, his hands burning as they felt her skin. Her eyes remained shut and he could barely hear her breathing. Without hesitation he threw her into the tub.

Selena let out a gasp at the cold contact. Her eyes flew open to find herself in an ice-filled tub. The cold felt like needles against her hot skin and she shivered at the sensation.

Lynda ran in with a needle and a bag of mixed herbs and didn't hesitate to rip Selena's shirt off and rub the mixture onto her chest. She held Selena's arm as she injected her with a clear liquid. She then proceeded to rub the same mixture to her legs and finally handed Selena a wad of the herbs.

"Eat it," she commanded as the young girl took it weakly. She did as she was told and cringed at the taste. It had a rancid taste that reminded her of milk that had gone bad. She forced it down and looked at Peter who stood gazing at her worriedly. In the back of her mind she was aware of the fact that she was bare chested and that he could see everything but she didn't have the energy to cover herself.

Lynda felt the young Nekojin's forehead and sighed in relief as her temperature was stabilizing.

"It's best she stay in the water for a while. Just to be safe," she told Peter. He nodded and crouched next to Selena. She was now leaning her head against the tub, watching him with half open eyes.

"Hey, you look like shit," he joked as he made an attempt to get a reaction out of her. She smiled weakly but her body felt numb from the cold and her energy level was at an all time low. Peter checked his watch and realized he'd agreed to see Destiny soon. He debated whether he should stay and keep an eye on the young cat or meet his cousin.

"Go," Selena said weakly. She wasn't a mind reader but she had developed a talent of perceiving people's body language. It was clear Peter needed to be somewhere. "I'll be fine."

Peter struggled internally. He wanted to stay and keep her company but he knew the savage wolf needed to be dealt with before more innocent people got hurt. He convinced himself to go.

"Alright," he agreed as he gave her head a kiss and disappeared out the door. Lynda stared at the young girl in front of her and sighed.

"It's not your time yet honey," she whispered as she stroked her cheek. Selena nodded weakly, understanding well that she'd only just escaped death. The fever had left her debilitated and she leaned on the edge of the tub to rest.

"Hello?" Peter answered his cell phone as he approached Destiny's place.

"Hey, you and Selena at Destiny's yet?" Roman asked over the phone.

"Not yet. And it's just me. Sel's at home."

"What? Why?" Peter growled in annoyance at the young upir's questioning.

"She's sick."

"Is it bad?" Roman's voice was filled with genuine worry and Peter frowned at the fact that he might actually be developing serious feelings for her. He wished Roman had just stuck to his usual pattern of fucking random school girls for a night and ignoring them the next day.

"Yeah, pretty bad. Look I just got to Destiny's. I'll talk to you after your dad's gala thing," he replied.

"Yeah, sure." Peter hung up the phone before walking into Destiny's small place. She looked up as she heard the door open and smiled at her cousin.

"Hey Peter," she greeted. She looked behind him as she noticed that he'd shown up unaccompanied. "Where's Sel?"

"Home. She got the fever this morning," he explained as he took a seat. Destiny instantly sat up at his words.

"What? Is she okay?" She asked with concern in her eyes. Peter nodded glumly.

"Yea, but this means we have to be prepared for next time. The only reason I even realized it was happening is because she was asleep next to me when she started burning up." He admitted.

"Peter, she can't keep sleeping alone on that couch. Not when this is happening," Destiny said seriously. Peter made eye contact with her and the anger in his eyes made Destiny shrink back into the couch.

"You think I don't know that?" He asked exasperated. "Let's just do what we had planned okay?" He said as he walked over to the jar that held the worm from the other night. Destiny stood and joined him without another word.

The knock on the door startled Lynda, who had fallen asleep in the chair she had been seated at for hours now. She looked at Selena's sleeping figure in the tub before making her way to the door.

"Roman," she said surprised to see the young man at her door.

"Hey, I'm here to see Selena. Peter told me she's sick," he explained as he fidgeted on the doorstep. She nodded and moved aside to allow him to enter. Roman scanned the room and noticed the girl wasn't in her usual spot on the couch.

"She's over here," Lynda directed as she walked towards the bathroom. She signaled for him to stay before she entered the bathroom and let Selena know that he was there. Lynda gestured for him to enter and he felt his heart drop as he observed the scene in front of him.

Selena lay in the tub with what appeared to be different types of leaves sticking to her wet skin. She looked pale and drained. Roman was well aware at the fact she was nearly naked but felt nothing but concern for the girl in front of him. Selena watched him with weak eyes as he strode over to her and kneeled down to her level.

"Hey," she smiled weakly and Roman couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke her wet hair. Selena eyes Lynda who was standing at the bathroom entrance."Can I get out now?" She had been in the tub for hours now and she was sure if she stayed any longer she'd come out resembling a raisin more than she liked. Lynda nodded and grabbed a towel before rushing over to help her to her feet. Roman moved aside to allow her to wrap herself in the fabric. Lynda led her to her room before emerging with her now fully dressed.

"I've got her," Roman stated as he gently picked her up in his arms and walked towards the couch. He laid her down and took a seat next to her, Selena immediately laying her head across his lap.

"You're not supposed to be here," she said knowingly. Olivia would be at home freaking out over the fact her own son wasn't ready to attend an event so important to her.

"I'd rather be here," he replied honestly. The annual Gala was just another gathering where his father's old colleagues would make comments amongst themselves over his mother's attractiveness and the disdain about the fact that he, Roman, would soon take over such a prestigious institute. It was something that he was more than happy to miss. Something soft brushed against his hand and he looked down to see that Selena had fallen asleep, and like always her ears had popped up.

"That's a good sign," Lynda commented as she took a seat at their small table. She had been worried when after hours of being in the tub she had remained in her full human state.

"What happened?" Roman asked as he stroked Selena's hair. A slight rumble came from her throat that made him chuckle.

"Selena's people, the Nekojin, they all go through several fevers at her age. I guess you could say it's a form of natural selection. Only the strong live through them," she looked at the sleeping girl with sad eyes and Roman immediately understood that she wouldn't have made it.

"How did you save her?" He asked quietly. He never thought of Selena being anything but strong, but a strong personality wasn't the same as a strong body.

"The nekojin developed an antidote. They watched each other closely and would immediately help out whenever one of them went through the fever. That's how their people grew-they watched each other," she explained. "I was there when her mother went through it. She barely made it. You have to act fast or else it's too late."

Roman watched as Lynda disappeared before emerging once again from her room. She handed a needle and a tiny bottle of clear liquid to him. He took it questioningly.

"If you ever feel her developing a fever, inject her with that. Get her in cold water and rub these on her," she instructed as she handed him a small packet of herbs. He recognized them as they were the same ones that had floated in the bathtub. "Make sure she eats some as well if she still has the energy. Not totally essential but it helps speed up the healing process."

"How many times does this happen?" He asked concerned.

"Twice. It's worse the second time. Peter carries the antidotes with him everywhere he goes. I thought I'd give it to you too, just in case. She seems to be spending a lot of time with you."

He nodded as Lynda excused herself to go run some errands. His phone vibrated several times with incoming phone calls from his mother before he eventually turned it off. He knew she'd make a speech about it later but he couldn't be bothered with it at the moment. Instead he kept gently stroking Selena's hair as she slept.

He didn't understand what was happening to him. Selena was attractive so it was natural for him to want to fuck her since the moment he laid eyes on her. Yet here he was, taking seemingly good care of a girl who he had no sexual relationship with. It was out of the ordinary for him and he didn't know just quite how to feel about it.

From the moment Peter had told him that she was sick he knew he wasn't going to be attending anything tonight. Seeing her in such a fragile state left him feeling as though he needed to protect her from everything.

She finally stirred after a while and looked up at him with confused eyes. He helped her sit up and watched as she took in her surroundings.

"It's already night. And you're still here. What about the gala?" She asked in a small voice. He simply shrugged as if it was of no importance.

"There'll be one again next year. I'd rather make sure you're okay," he answered honestly. She gave him a look that he couldn't quite understand and he wondered if he'd made the wrong choice. She was full of pride and maybe she'd taken his presence the wrong way.

"Why?" He was startled at her question. He didn't expect to be asked why he'd stayed. He'd expected a "thank you" or even a "get out, I can take care of myself" but not why.

"Well, I care about you I guess. We loner misfits stick together," was his reply. He felt odd admitting that he cared for the young nekojin girl but he was tired of denying it. The people of Hemlock Grove had always seen him as a rich brat who was incapable of caring about anyone else. It was an idea so ingrained in their minds that eventually Roman had started to believe it too. Then she showed up and proved that he was more than what people said about him.

Selena looked at him in surprise and admiration. She knew how difficult it would've been for him to admit caring about someone else so she felt both flattered and confused. Could it really be that a simple gypsy girl like herself was enough to defrost the young upir's heart? He'd been so guarded since they met, often hiding behind his witty jokes and arrogance.

"Thank you," she said as she took hold of his hand. He stared down at her thin fingers intertwined with his and smiled softly.

"Anytime kitty cat," he said with a smirk. She laughed at his usual bravado coming back and shook her head. She attempted to pull her hand back but Roman held on tightly to it, pulling her closer. She let out a yelp as he picked her up,laying her on top of his now outstretched body.

"This is a very compromising position, Roman," she said as she took notice of what it would look like to anyone walking in. He smirked and wrapped his arm tightly around her to keep her in place. She stared at his blue eyes and noticed the mischievous gleam in them. Her usually feistiness was absent, her energy too drained to fight back. At least that's what she told herself as she lay on top of his body with no intention of moving.

"I have no problem with this position," he said cheerfully as he lifted one hand and brushed her cheek. He lifted himself onto his elbow, his other hand grabbing the back of her neck to pull her closer. She let herself be drawn in as her eyes gazed at his lips. They were pink and pouty, not something common among males. They looked inviting and she let him push her own soft lips against his own in a tender kiss. His lips lingered on hers, softly pressing against them in a delicate manner before he pulled away to examine her reaction. Her eyes had fluttered closed at the touch and still remained shut. She smiled softly as she opened her eyes and met his intense gaze.

"That was sweeter than I thought it'd be," she confessed. Roman seemed like such a brisk and controlling person that she never expected anything tender from him. It came as a nice surprise.

He chuckled at her response and watched as her ears perked up. She stood up causing Roman to frown at the lack of contact between them.

"Peter's here," she told him. He sat up to allow her space and she took a seat next to him just as the werewolf walked in.

"What are you doing here?" was his immediate response at seeing Roman seated next to Selena. He noticed that she looked much better now. The color had returned to her face and her eyes were bright once again.

"Taking care of Selena," Roman replied bluntly. There was tension between the two friends as Peter stared at him.

"Right. Well I'm here now so you can go home."

"Peter!" Selena hissed at his rudeness. She didn't understand the two boys' friendship at all.

"No, he's right. It's late anyways." Roman said looking at her. She frowned. A part of her didn't want to see him go. "Bye kitty cat," he said as he placed a kiss on her cheek and headed towards the door. He was pleased with himself and the fact he'd successfully stolen a kiss from the usually wild girl.

"Tomorrow. We have a lead. Meet us at 9." Peter told him as he opened the door. Roman nodded before exiting. Selena could hear his footsteps as he walked up the stairs and eventually turned his car on, the sound of the purring engine filling her ears.

Peter took a seat next to her quietly. She turned to look at him and deciphered that he'd had a rough day.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

"The girl was apparently invited to some party or something. We're gonna go check her house out tomorrow to see if we find anything," he informed in a bored voice.

"You don't have to be so rude, you know," she said annoyed at his behavior. He scoffed at her remark.

"You don't have to smell so much like an upir," he replied. She frowned as he met her eyes accusingly.

"Why do you care so much what I do with Roman?" she asked angrily. He growled in exasperation before pulling her into him abruptly. He placed his mouth on hers desperately, his anger and passion filling the kiss. It was rough and heated and Selena was almost sure she'd have bruised lips.

He pulled away, leaving her panting and flustered.

"Does that make it clearer?" He asked before walking towards his room and slamming the door behind him. He ignored Destiny's voice in the back of his head reminding him not to leave her alone. Instead he threw himself into his bed and plugged his headphones into his ears as he listened to music that matched his angst.

Selena reeked of Upir, the kind of scent you can only get from close contact from one. He hit his mattress in frustration as he realized that he was losing her to him. He cursed himself for leaving her side, allowing Roman to swoop in. He never thought that he would skip out on the gala to see her, but obviously he was wrong.

Selena slumped into the couch behind her and groaned. She had a soft spot for both boys. She loved Peter, she'd loved him since she was a child. He was comforting and reminded her of a better time. She loved him, but she wasn't sure she was in love with him. They were two different things. And Roman. That mess of a boy had a hold on her that no one else did. He was exhilarating to her and she knew there was a possibility that she could fall in love with him.

"God, what am I going to do," she muttered to herself.

Roman arrived at his home nearly after one in the morning. He sighed when he saw that the light was still on in the study, indicating that his mother was still awake. He opened the door and was met with an angry Olivia.

"Roman. Where in god's sake were you?" She asked angrily. He didn't have to answer. She could smell nekojin on him and instantly knew she'd been with Selena.

"My friend was sick. I couldn't make it," he said bluntly. His answer only infuriated her even more as he seemed to be nonchalant at missing his father's gala.

"Do you have any idea how bad you made me look? That my own son wasn't present on such an important night?" She argued, nostrils flaring.

"That's all you care about! How people look at you! I don't care about any of that!" he yelled back at her.

"Donot raise your voice at me Roman," she hissed angrily. He glared at his mother finally seeing the selfish side of her after hearing people speak of it for years.

"The world doesn't revolve around you. There are people I care about. People who are actually alive right now, so if I have to miss a stupid gala to make sure they're okay then that's what I'm doing." he stated as he kept her gaze. The intensity in his eyes immediately made Olivia uneasy. He'd never been so rebellious towards her and she wasn't sure how to react.

"Very well. Next time let me know then," she finally answered. He nodded before turning and making his way up the staircase. "Roman," she called out. He turned to look at her expectantly. "Selena, is she okay?" she asked.

"Yea, she's fine." he replied before disappearing into his room. He threw himself onto his bed, puzzled at his mother. He knew damn well he hadn't mentioned Selena's name in their conversation.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows! For those of you asking, I haven't completely made up my mind about who Selena will end up with yet. I am leaning more towards Roman but I'd love to hear who you think she should end up with. If there is anything that you'd like to see happen shoot me a message or leave it in a review and maybe I can work it into this story. Again, thank you for reading and your support! Hearing what you have to say always makes my day a little brighter.