Sup guys! Sorry for the wait, but hey I believe this chapter is my best work yet. Okay well maybe not best but it is longer! Warning though; it's intense.
Haunted Dreams
Chapter 26
"I'll do that." Sweeney said taking the dirty dishes from Nellie's hand.
"It's alright I can manage." She replied to him.
"I don't want you working so hard." He said placing a hand on her stomach.
She was four months pregnant. She has no idea how she didn't realize it before. All those headaches and strange dreams, the little dizziness that would come and go. She should have seen it. "I said I can manage." She said coldly taking the dish from his hand and scrubbing it in the sink.
"I'm just trying to help Nell." She ignored him and continued scrubbing. Ever since she woke up a few days ago after she collapsed, she's been acting strange, mean even. Sweeney expected her to be happy, when she woke up and he told her that she was pregnant, she was cold, distant. And it hurt him in a way that he couldn't quite explain. And while he stood there looking at her ignore him now, he got irritated. She's been acting awfully mean to him for almost a week now, and it was just so unlike her. Where was his happy, cheery, talkative Nell at?
"What's the matter?" He asked looking at her.
She ignored him and kept her gaze on the sink. "Nothing's the matter." She finally said.
"No something is. Ever since you woke up from fainting that day you've been acting very rude to me."
"I didn't faint. I collapsed from dizziness."
"Same thing."
She slammed the clean dish on the counter with all the other ones and looked at him hands on her hips, glaring into his eyes.
"What's the matter?" He repeated.
"Nothing. I just..." She let loose a frustrated sigh and walked away from him. "I'm going to bed."
"Oh no your not!" He shouted suddenly furious and grabbed her arm. "Not until you tell me what is bothering you so badly."
"Let go of me!" She hissed.
"Make me!" He hissed back.
"Nothing is wrong, I'm fine, just tired now let go of me!"
"Well if you wouldn't work so hard-"
"I'm only four months along! I don't need to be laying in the bed all the time!" She screamed.
"I just want you to-"
"No you don't!" She screamed interrupting him. "You just want your baby to be safe, you don't care how I feel! You just want your precious angel to feel alright. Your imaginative, perfect daughter who you are so obsessed with having!" She finished her yelling episode pounding his biceps and chest in rage, until she wore herself out. She stood there hand on her head, out of breath.
Sweeney looked at her patiently. "Are you done?"
She nodded and turned to go to their bedroom.
"Your just being hormonal Nell." He said calmly as he followed her into the bedroom and shut the door.
She turned around and looked at him with anger again. "No I'm not being hormonal, I'm being serious."
"Of course you are." He stated rolling his eyes at her.
"No really I'm being serious, you are obsessed with this baby, you don't care how I feel."
He kissed her forehead. "Shush darling shush. Your just having mood swings, you'll feel better in the morning."
"Ugh! I hate you!" She screamed at him.
Nellie didn't feel much nicer in the morning as Sweeney was hoping. In fact she was meaner. Instead of shouting, she gave him the cold shoulder. Silence can sometimes hurt more than words. All day she completely ignored him. Sweeney tried everything to get her to speak to him. He didn't even go to work that day.
It got to the point where Sweeney was ignoring her as well. The more he thought about what she said the angrier he got. 'You don't care how I feel, you only care about the baby'. Okay yes, he's in love with that child growing inside of her, and yes he wants it to be a girl so bad. But is that so wrong? What's wrong with him wanting his daughter back? In fact as he recalls that was the whole reason he was ever in this situation with Nellie in the first place.
It's true he used to not even give a damn about her. He married her so that she would shut up about it, and it wasn't even a real wedding. Leading to the only reason he started having sex with her and making a family with her was so that he could get his daughter back. 'I'll make a new Johanna', were the exact words that echoed through his head. He doesn't regret having Jeramey though, he does love that little boy. And he's grown to love Nellie. But he knows why she's acting so cold and distant. She doesn't want the baby.
"Nellie we need to talk." He confronted her after dinner. They needed to work whatever this was out.
She sat on the floor playing with Jeramey in the living room. "I'm busy" was all she said, not even bothering to look up to him.
"Now." He snarled grabbing her arm and pulling her up onto her feet. "Jeramey time for bed." He said picking his son up and taking him upstairs.
When he came back down, Nellie was at the bottom of the stairs, hands on her hips waiting for him.
"What is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" He screamed at her.
Nellie ignored him and headed outside to the backyard.
"Where are you going?" He called.
"Outside, so you won't wake Jeramey up with your shouting."
He followed her to the backyard.
"Well?" She said.
"You don't want the baby do you?" He asked.
"What made you figure it out?" She asked. Her tone laced with venom.
"Look I'm sorry, but I thought you would be happy."
She said nothing, and looked down at her feet.
"I thought you loved children? Are you telling me that I was wrong?" Sweeney asked.
"No."
"Then what is the matter with you? Why have you been acting like this? If it's not hormones then what is it?"
"I already told you!" She shouted. She paced back and forth a little bit, trying to control herself. "Sweeney. I'm not saying I don't want the baby exactly. I do and I am happy. I just didn't want to be pregnant yet. You knew I wanted to wait awhile."
"It's been two years."
"I wasn't ready. But you didn't care."
"Because I'm obsessed?"
"Yes! You're obessed! All you can think about is your little girl. I'm terrified that this child will be a boy because of what'll do to me."
"Well excuse me for wanting my child back, that was taken away from me. I had happiness and it was ripped away from me, leaving me stuck with you!"
She stared at him looking as if he just took his razor and stabbed her heart a dozen times. Tears started forming in her eyes. She thought he was changing. She thought he was becoming Ben again. Someone gentle, and loving. But I guess I was wrong. She thought. He'll never be nothing but a monster. Suddenly she was filled with rage.
"Then go!"
Sweeney looked at her taken aback.
"Go! If you feel like your a prisoner by staying with me."
"No I won't leave my child." He said.
"What if it's a boy?"
"Then... Then I'll kill you."
Nellie's eyes shown with fear. He really is a monster. A blood thirsty demon, he'll never change. Not for her, not for his own children.
"You can't tell me to leave. I'm the husband and your the wife. And you'll do as I say regardless whether you like it or not."
The sun was setting and darkness was creeping toward them. This might be my last night. Nellie thought with foreshadowing. She could see the silver gleam from his waistline where the razor sat in his holster. Well she by all hell was going to insult his sexy face off before it happens.
"You may be the boss of me Mr. Todd, but you are and will always be nothing but a demon. A blood thirsty monster that Johanna herself would be afraid of. I bet Lucy was happy to see the gates of heaven after witnessing such a horror as yourself."
"And you Mrs. Lovett? Do you think your such a saint? Need I remind you who was the one who came up with all the murders and how to cover it up. You practically started it."
"YOU started it!"
"BUT YOU DIDN'T DARE STOP ME DID YOU?!" He shouted.
"And I feel pain and regret from it everyday." She said calmly. Tears falling down her face. "Please just kill me. Finish what you started that night."
"Not until that child is born."
"It'll be afraid of you as well."
"No. It won't. In fact I'll teach it to be a killer, as well as Jeramey." He looked right into her shocked, tear stained eyes. "And maybe Nellie, I could keep you around. In case I want more killers."
"Why not? You already made me feel like a sex slave."
He snarled and glared at her. That demonic voice in the back of his head telling him to kill her, to torture her. But he couldn't every other part of him was willing himself not too. As furious as he was with her right now, as hurt as her words made him feel, he still loved her. He looked at her uncertain of what to do. He wanted to hit her, just a little tap to prove him dominance.
The second it took him to pull his hand back, a dark shape came lunging at her from behind. The wolf sank it's teeth into Nellie's shoulder making her scream.
She fell to the ground where the beast prepared to go for her neck, go for the kill.
Quick as lightning a razor was stuck into the beast head. As it fell dying, a second wolf was racing toward them from the darkness of the forest.
"Nellie!" Sweeney screamed pulling her up. She had blood racing down her arm and chest. She looked into his eyes dazed and apologetic.
Sweeney clung onto her, not daring to let her out of his grasp. He went to pull his razor out of the first wolf's head. As his hand was inches away from the handle the second wolf leaped into the air. Landing between Sweeney and it's dead friend lashing madly. Sweeney pushed Nellie behind him, and kicked the beast in the jaw.
"Come on!" Nellie screamed.
She grabbed his hand and they started running towards the house.
Before they could get there a third wolf raced in blocking their path. The second wolf was still behind them. They advanced slowly, enjoying their hunt. Nellie held onto to Sweeney's shoulder with her good arm. Sweeney had his arm wrapped around her waist. He felt stern, strong. But she was trembling.
The wolves barked and growled. I am not dying like this. Sweeney thought as he looked around for an escape route. The space to the left and right was open, but they'd have to make a run for it and be fast. They both lead to the woods though where more wolves would be. Their options were pretty slim. If only he had his razor he could kill the one blocking the house. The other one would just attack then. There would have to be a sacrifice.
He looked at Nellie. He would have to attack the two wolves, they'll attack him back and Nellie would have a few seconds to run into the house, and he would go down fighting.
He tightened his grip on her waist preparing to throw her. Just like that night in the bake house. Only this time she would be thrown to safety not her death.
He looked into her eyes, she looked scared and in pain, so much pain. "I want you to know that I didn't mean anything I said tonight. I'm so sorry. And I love you so much."
"Sweeney." She looked at him, her eyes shown so much love and compassion, quickly turning to humor. "Don't tell me your giving up?"
He leaned his forehead against hers. "The lake." She whispered into his ear. He looked into her eyes once more. A silent agreement. And they both sprinted off toward the lake the wolves barking and biting centimeters away from their ankles.
They both dived into the lake. The wolves stopping at the waters edge. It seems they weren't hungry enough to swim for their dinner.
Sweeney was about to break over the waters surface but Nellie grabbed his wrist holding him under the water.
He looked at her confused, but she just shook her head. They could see the dark figures of the wolves peering down at them confused, thinking that their prey had drowned. Nellie was such a bloody genius! Eventually they turned back around and were gone.
Quietly as they could, they broke the waters edge gasping for air. "You saved us." Sweeney said. She smiled warmly, then winced from the pain. She held her arm, the water slowly turning red.
"It's always me." Nellie said with a small laugh. Even though it was joke, she was right. She's gotten the short end of the stick in a lot of dangerous situations they've faced. Sweeney felt so awful, he promised himself that he would protect her. And what was he doing tonight. Complaining about her attitude and threatening to kill her. She's right. He thought to himself. I'll never change.
They quietly swam out of the lake around to the front of their house. They got through the door and locked it. "Here sit down while I bandaged that up." Sweeney said.
He cleaned the wound and put medicine on it.
"Am I going to become a werewolf?" Nellie joked.
"I guess we'll find out."
"I'm sorry." She said.
"No, you have nothing to be sorry about. You were right. As always. I was being obsessive of my future child."
"Well who could blame you."
She leaned up and kissed him.
"Honestly, I forgot about the baby that entire time. I was only worried about you." He said, and he kissed her back.
"I love you too." Nellie replied.
See I always give you guys a happy ending don't I? :)
