The Legends Daughter

Please Don't Leave Me

A/N 

Warning, this chapter is long...Second warning there may be errors because I continually cried during this chapter so please forgive me. 😓😩

Sitting in in the living room Roman drops his face into his hands and runs them back and over his hair. After the longest day of his life that lasted from the mid-morning to the late afternoon he was finally given what he was asking for. Sole legal and physical custody of his daughter, but at what costs?

Melanie had barely been able to keep it together on the stand as the videos played, not that he blamed her because he was barely able to keep it together himself, but during the last video that showed her being sexually assaulted a few minutes in she just lost it. Unable to stand there and watch her be torn apart and go through that pain any longer Roman stood to his feet and bolted to the witness stand, and instantly threw his arms around her to protect and console her.

Evelyn's lawyer objected but Judge Linwood allowed not only the outburst but also allowed for him to stay there to hold her as the rest of the video continued to play.

Since then she hadn't uttered a single word unless it was to the Judge or Joelle but to everyone else especially to Roman...radio silence.

Even once they returned to the house Melanie excused herself and went upstairs to take a nap, and she hadn't resurfaced since.

That was two hours ago.

Feeling a soft hand on his shoulder he lifts his head to come face to face with his mother, who was flanked by his father on the left and Mark on her right.

"Talk to me my son, what troubles you?"

Leaning his hands in a fist against his face "Well for starters the fact that Melanie hasn't spoken to anyone but Jo since we got back that's one, the fact that she had to sit on the stand and relive the hell that she went through with that evil piece of shit Walker is two and the fact that I feel like I lost even though I won...that's three"

He says as he again runs his hands over his face.

Patricia takes a deep breath and pulls the coffee table closer so that she could sit in front of him as Mark and Sika sit at his sides.

"Give her a minute Joe, like you said she just relieved the worst time of her life, there is no way she was going to be able to just bounce back from that and be her normal self after opening that type of a wound." She says as she caresses the side of his face.

Feeling a hand on his back he turns his head and comes face to face with Mark.

"I know you're hurting right now Joe, because I know how much you love my daughter but imagine the worst time in your life, then multiply it by ten." Pausing Roman watches as tears fill Marks eyes

"Then imagine finally digging within you to gather the strength that has always been inside of you the entire time and deciding enough is enough and getting away from whatever that was. Fast forward" he says as his voice cracks

"And then think about how you would feel if you have to return because that situation, that person that you fought tooth and nail to get away from threatened the two people that you loved most in the world." He said as he gripped Roman's shoulder and let a tear roll down his cheek.

"How would you feel after that? Don't answer now" he says as Roman slowly bobs his head

"Just know that if you magnify that by 10 that is how my angel feels right now. It doesn't mean that she loves anyone any less it just means that at the moment she doesn't have anything left, she is emotionally depleted" he says his emotion on full display as his tears continue to fall.