Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews, they really do make my day. Just a quick note to say this chapter does contain some sensitive material to do with sexual assault and it does also contain some upsetting premature childbirth scenes. I've tried to get this as medically correct as I could but by no means I'm not a doctor and I'm not a midwife so I apologise if anything is incorrect.

He threw her onto the floor.

"I'm sorry." She screamed up at him.

"You have no idea what you've just done." He snarled.

"Please.. My baby." She begged.

"You should have thought about that."

His foot harshly collided with her body as she winced in pain.

She wrapped her arm around her bump to try and protect her baby.

He grabbed her top and made her sit up. "You stupid bitch." He said as he slapped her face.

"Frank please stop!"

"I've not even started yet."

He pulled at her top. She tried to fight away but his two previous blows to her body had made her strength go down. She ached all over.

He held her down as he pushed her to the floor. He tore his filthy hands all over her clothing. He began to undo his belt and forced himself on top of her, exactly like last time.

"No, please." She sobbed.

He slapped her again.

"Shut up."

His hands were all over her and there was nothing she could do.

"I need to make sure you'll never try that again." He said angrily as he continued to force himself on her.

He threw a few more blows to her face and the side of her body. Once he was finished, he stood up and leant over her terrified body. He delivered one final kick to her body before he leant back down to try and kiss her.

Carla's body was exhausted and she was in pain everywhere. She was fearful for her baby as Frank's kicks had been painful like no other pain she'd ever experienced.

Before he had the chance to kiss her, his body was all of a sudden being lifted off hers.

Two police officers were dragging him off Carla.

She looked up in shock and slowly tried to sit up.

"Frank Foster?" The one asked as they arrested him.

Carla pulled at her clothing to cover herself as best she could. How did that happen? How did they know?

The other police officer spoke down his radio for an ambulance.

She watched unable to believe her eyes as Frank was dragged away.

She placed her hand on her small bump.

"Carla we're going to get you to a hospital as soon as we can, okay?" The police officer spoke softly.

"How..?" She asked.

"The neighbour across the road saw you with him outside. He phoned us as he thought the situation looked aggressive."

"Nick.."

"We'll let him know."

Carla then felt a puddle of water beneath her.

"Oh no. Please" she whispered.

"Where's that ambulance?!" She screamed at the police officer.

"They're on their way."

"My waters have just broken." Carla sobbed.

"Hi Carla." The paramedics came rushing in. "How many weeks are you?"

"Twenty two." She sobbed. She knew the chance of survival at this stage was slim.

"Don't worry honey, we're going to get you to hospital as fast as we can." The female paramedic smiled.

"What's he done to you?!" Nick was shocked at the state of Carla as the paramedics took her in.

"Nick." She cried as she grabbed his hand. "My waters have broken."

"What?!"

The doctor came to see them as soon as they got Carla into a room.

"You said you were twenty two weeks?"

Carla nodded.

"I know it's really hard but we need you to be as calm as possible right now. We're going to examine you and see what's going on."

Nick squeezed her hand. "You're okay.."

"Nick I've just been held captive, raped, beaten up and now my waters have broken far too early. I'm not okay!" She yelled at him.

"Right Carla the stress and strain that your attacker has put your body under during his attack has sent you into an early labour hence why your waters have broken."

"We will try everything we can to stop the labour but at the moment I'm not sure how likely that'll be to happen. The strain on your body might mean it's best to deliver baby. We're just a little fearful that the blows to your body has caused damage to your baby."

Carla began sobbing again. Nick grabbed her hand as he tried to be the strong one.

"I love you so so much." He whispered.

"They won't survive this early." Carla sobbed.

A different doctor entered the room.

"Hi Carla." He said. "We've taken the decision to deliver your baby with an emergency c section. They're a bit distressed looking in there and we're a bit worried you may have some internal bleeding from your attack so we need to get baby out as soon as possible."

"No." Carla cried.

Carla and Nick's hearts sank as they got everything ready for the birth.

"Darlin, I'm going to be here the whole time okay?" Nick tried his best to reassure his already distraught wife. "I'm not leaving your side."

Nick grabbed Carla's hand as they began her c section. There was silence between the couple. Both just hoping for a miracle.

Minutes seemed like hours as Carla focused her eyes on the roof. She couldn't even look at Nick.

Her eyes were drawn away from the roof when she saw doctors and nurses rush past her. They were holding her baby. But there was still silence.

"Nick what's going on?" She whispered as more tears fell down her cheeks. There was sheer panic between the medical team surrounding their baby.

Nick squeezed her hand as he also began to cry.

"We need to resuscitate" they both heard one of the doctors say.

Carla let out the loudest cry she'd ever done when she heard those words.

"Carla please." Nick begged.

"Nick our baby's gone." She sobbed.

"Open the airway. He's not breathing." The doctor said.

"It's a boy." Nick whispered as he now also joined his wife in tears.

Again, minutes seemed like hours.

A doctor approached the couple.

"I'm so, so sorry. We did everything we could. He just wouldn't start breathing again." He said with sadness in his eyes. This was the one part of his job he hated.

Carla completely broke down as Nick sighed and put his head on her head as he also cried.

"Carla we'll get you cleaned up and back into a private room."

Carla hadn't stopped crying since they got the news.

"I'm so sorry Nick."

"Hey? Why are you apologising?" Nick asked. "This is not your fault. It's Franks."

"I couldn't keep him safe." She cried. "If I hadn't tried to escape this wouldn't have happened."

"And if you hadn't tried to who knows how long he'd have kept you there."

"At least I'd still be pregnant."

"Carla it's not your fault."

A nurse entered the room.

"I'm really sorry for your loss." She apologised. "I just wondered if you'd like to spend some time with your son? Some couples do but some don't. Both is completely fine. Just whatever you both decide is best."

"I want to see him." Carla spoke straight away.

The nurse nodded.

"You are the most amazing woman." Nick spoke. "I love you."

"Even though I couldn't give you a baby?"

"We can try again if you want when we're ready."

The nurse re entered the room carrying the tiniest bundle of blankets. Inside was Carla and Nick's son wrapped up warmly.

The nurse laid him into Carla's arms.

She began crying again. "I'm so so sorry little man. Mummy couldn't keep you safe."

"Carla..." Nick spoke.

"I love you so much." She whispered as she looked down at her beautiful son. He was so tiny.

She stroked his tiny cheek as she planted a kiss on his tiny forehead. "We'll never forget you beautiful baby."

"Nick I can't.." she struggled as she held out her arms and Nick gently took his son into his arms.

He looked down at how peaceful he looked. He was so angry at Frank for doing this to his wife and his son. He saw a fear fall down onto his baby's cheek. He rubbed it away gently and planted a kiss on his forehead telling him how much he loved him.

"I think we should call him Aidan." Nick suggested.

Carla began to cry even more. "Nick, I think that's beautiful."

She looked down at her son in Nick's arms again for one last time. They both gazed down at his tiny beautiful face and both stroked his tiny hands one last time.

"We'll always love you little man."