Broken Planchette ~ Prinxiety

71

Warning~ More angsty backstory for Roman (lolz), Mentions of death

"Where are we going now?" Roman mumbled quietly as he watched all the gravestones pass by. They hadn't left the cemetery yet but had gone to a whole other section of it making Roman narrow his eyes in confusion. "Virgil?"

"Not far, Ro. There was more you needed to see." Roman's only frowned as he turned back towards the window. He didn't understand the point in all this. Yes, remembering how His father had died did make him feel a tab bit better. If only over the fact that he had protected his sister again. The problem was he didn't care about his father. Out of everyone, Roman could handle never knowing what happened to the man that killed him. He was far more concerned about-...

"Mrs. Avalon Marie Kaine..." Virgil put the car in park making Roman's eyes dart up in shock.

"What?" He choked as Virgil chuckled a bit with a nod. Virgil simply got out of the car making Roman after him. "Virgil, what did you-..." Roman froze like ice the second he spotted the plots. "Ava?" Virgil smiled softly as he gently pulled Roman in rubbing the demon's back as the older broken down. "Its... It's Ava. A-Ava... Mi Hermana?" Roman's eyes darted about seeing the stones only to crash and slowly set himself onto the grass, feeling his knees want to give out. There were several plots around them. But three of them caught Roman's eyes... "Roman Ashford Payne... Maria Lanyard Payne and... A-And..." Roman couldn't stop the tears spilling from his eyes. "Avalon Marie Kaine... Kaine. Virgil, She's a Kaine?"

"She got married not long after your father's death." Virgil sat down beside the other as he took Roman's hand in his. "In that time she managed to be the first woman in town to successfully set charges against another. It was all over apparently. I sort of... spiraled in all the news articles I could find from back then."

"Charges? What... What charges?"

"Murder and Child abuse." Roman's eyes shot wide as Virgil only smiled more. "Despite being dead she refused to let your father just... get away with all of it. She went and campaigned... spread her story every day she could. She basically forced the sheriff to set the charges despite Carter's death. And then proceeded to take it all to court..." Virgil gently rubbed his thumb over Roman's hand as he let the words sink in. "Just so she could move you and your mother far away from your father's grave."

"That's why Mama's here." Virgil nodded as Roman's eyes started to sparkle in awe. "She... She moved us?"

"According to the article I read about it, She said she refused to let you suffer a moment longer. To be buried next to the man that took your life... She just couldn't allow it." Roman eased a bit as he melted into everything. "She wanted you all to remain together... as a family."

"Papa..." Roman started as he leaned against Virgil's shoulder. "Papa wasn't my father, not biologically." Virgil frowned as Roman just stared off at the plots before him. "Mama and I were from Spain before here. She... She did everything she could for me, but it was too much. My birth father was not a good man either. He was kind to us but not to others. He worked with some very bad people and it put mama in danger." Virgil sat there in silence just letting Roman talk and get it all off his chest. "She was scared. I can remember cuddling up with her as she shivered. The sounds of screaming and just... Everything was loud and dark. I was scared."

"Mama took me and ran." Virgil's eyes were soft as he held Roman close feeling how the other nuzzled into him. "We stowed away on this boat. She kept telling me I had to be quiet and not move. Eventually, we got to this new place and... Mama was still scared. She was scared people would find her and send us both back so... To protect me she married the first man that showed her he wouldn't let that happen." Roman fidgeted with his fingers as he tried to get all his memories in order. "At first Papa wasn't a bad man. He wasn't good but he didn't hurt us. He was just... vocal... controlling. Mama fell into the role he wanted for her and I did as I was told. As long as Mama wasn't so scared anymore, I was happy. Then... Then Mama got sick. I didn't know what was going on. Papa... Papa started to close off. No more family dinners. No more playing out in the yard. Papa turned to his drinking and Mama became bed-bound. It was the first time I was actually honestly terrified." 

"Mama never told me she was having a baby." Roman shifted a bit wrapping Virgil's arms further around him as he tried to drown himself in it all. "She never told me I was getting a sibling. She never told me she was sick because of it. I never blamed Ava. It wasn't her fault at all. Even still, I watched as Mama died after giving birth to her. Papa tried to drag me out. I think it was the last time he was actually trying to help me. Shield me from seeing that, you know. He did care about us... before. I can't remember the exact time he stopped and turned dark. But he did at one point care enough to not want me scarred like that."

"I guess... That's why I refused to leave him. Why I helped him? Why I still cared for him despite all the pain he caused me. I could still remember how he passed me Ava and told me to care for her. I could remember the tears in his eyes as he made me promise to be the best big brother before finally pushing me out of the room to tend to mama." Roman sighed as he pulled away and stared up at the sky with this sad look in his eyes. "Papa was not a good man but he cared for Mama... and it broke him more. I will never forgive what he did to me... to Ava... but I can understand. When Mama died, he lost that last bit of good he had left in him. I..." Roman choked as he pulled his knees up and started to cry. "I feel bad for him. Does that make me horrible?"

"No." Virgil shook his head with a soft smile as Roman crashed. "No, Roman. It means you have empathy. Despite everything you went through, you can still feel for those who have hurt you. You see their pain and understand it. That's doesn't make you bad at all."

"But... I feel bad for the man that hurt Ava and me. I feel bad for his death... for his suffering. How does that not make me a bad person. I have sympathy... for a bad guy!" Roman jumped as Virgil took his hand again only to melt into the loving look his human was giving him.

"That right there is your answer, Roman. You have sympathy. To feel despite the pain... To hold on to your empathy despite all the agony. Your soul is a strong one, Ro. It's no wonder that Demon wanted it so much. I'm human... and I can still see how brightly it shines." Roman smiled as Virgil gently brushed his hair back.

"Really?" Virgil nodded only making Roman's smile brighten more. He turned back to his sister's plot, his eyes lingering on the name before laughing softly. "Kaine."

"What?" Roman laughed more as he placed his free hand over Virgil's who was still holding his other one. 

"Ava... She married a Kaine. She's a Kaine. She's an ancestor of Fiona's." Virgil's eyes widened as Roman completely lit up. "It makes sense. Fiona always did make me feel... something. Even before this soul, I was always drawn to her. It was why I was persistent about getting her. And then... When I got the soul... she made me feel so protective."

"As if you protecting your sister again?" Roman nodded as took a deep breath. 

"I'm glad." Roman blushed softly as he hummed. "It may have taken a while... she might have been long since gone, but I'm glad I made that deal with the Kaine's. Thinking about it now that I remember it all, it makes me feel as if I was keeping my promise. As if deep down I was still caring for her. Besides... It was Fiona that saved me. She brought me back. Gave me a soul. If it wasn't for her... Roman would never have come back."

"You've grown a lot since then, Love." Roman purred as Virgil pressed his lips against the demon's hair. "I'm so very proud of you."