ISFNE Chapter 9

Eric POV

Faith was pregnant. Faith was pregnant. Faith is pregnant. It made every bit of sense yet I couldn't get my head around it. A child. And I'd had no idea for this long. I was going to be a father. I repeated it to myself out loud as if that might somehow make it more real; it didn't. And Faith, well, no wonder she'd been so unwilling to tell me. She was terrified and as I came more and more to terms with it I realized I was terrified as well for very different reasons. Faith was still mortal, I'd held off on the life bond, the bond that would make her a fledgling and open up her to the strength and power she would need so desperately. I let my head fall into my hands in agitation. Faith was in grave danger if I couldn't find her before she gave birth. She was so set on keeping me cut off which was only draining her more and left me unable to speak to her at all except for the few periods when she would tire and reopen the connection, even then, she never responded. "You have to dream, Faith," I said under my breath. I could only hope it was sooner rather than later.

Maxwell POV

I woke up dazed as my phone buzzed on the side table, it was from the master. "Hello?" I said with a yawn rubbing at my eyes.

"Maxwell, I've got a new lead," he said sounding almost anxious.

I sat up, suddenly much more awake, and grabbed my glasses off the table along with my laptop, "What is it? My computer's waking up but I can get working on it in a moment."

"I don't know what you're going to be able to find, but it's still vital information, maybe you can find out what to do with it," he said with a sigh.

"Master?"

"Faith's pregnant."

My stunned silence apparently was answer enough for him, "Let me know if you can come up with anything. Maybe come back to the castle sometime soon with Marissa, it's getting too quiet for my liking." I heard a click as he hung up. I made an attempt to respond but couldn't seem to form the words.

"Why are you up?" Marissa asked groggily as she turned over in the bed and, registering the shock that was clearly written across my face, became concerned, "What's wrong, Max?"

"That was Eric," I said still feeling completely blindsided.

That woke her up as well, she sat up next to me, "What did he say? Do we have a way to find her?"

"We have…new information. I didn't really get to ask him though."

"What did he say?" she persisted.

"Faith's pregnant."

"She WHAT?" Marissa exclaimed, all traces of sleepiness gone, "WHAT? How does he know? Is he certain? How can that be? She's in so much danger! Why hasn't he contacted her yet?"

"Please, just…slow down," I said pinching the bridge of my nose as my mind tried to catch up with all the information I was being bombarded with, "I didn't get to ask him anything he just hung up."

"But- how are we going to find her on that kind of timeline?" she whispered, voicing the fear that was already gnawing at me.

"I have no idea."

Allison POV

Eric had finally left me alone for the past few days, not that I'd given him many opportunities to try but the ones I had he didn't take. It was highly suspicious. Regardless of the fact that I slept for enough time I was waking with less and less energy every day. It was taking a toll. The most obvious moment it had shown was when I'd nearly fainted on Simon the other day when I got up from the stool behind the counter, he'd been able to catch me, thank goodness, but he refused to stop pestering me about it.

"You need to go to the doctor," he said coming back down from upstairs and leaned against the counter where I was sitting on the aforementioned stool reading a book since business was slow in the mornings.

"Mr. Timmons, I'm fine, really," I said timidly.

"I told you, just Simon will do," he said in a measured tone.

I smiled softly but remained stubborn, "I'm not going to a doctor."

"It's too bad I'm not giving you a choice," he said. That grabbed my attention.

"What…what do you mean?" I asked, panic starting to color my tone.

"I mean I made you an appointment for tomorrow and you are going."

"I don't want to," I said trying be gentle as I refused but the waver in my voice giving away my underlying fear as I looked down at my book again, the exchange hitting a bit too close to home.

I heard him huff in frustration, "Why are you being so stubborn?" he asked, an edge coming into his voice.

What was I supposed to say? That I was terrified of what they would find? That I was scared they would realize my child was developing much too rapidly? That I was absolutely paralyzed that what was growing in me was not human and would be recognized as such? I couldn't come up with any excuse that he would accept; mine would just give him reason to send me off to the looney bin. I stayed silent.

He picked up his messenger bag from behind the counter and began walking toward the back door. "I'll be here tomorrow at eleven."

"I don't understand. You don't even like me being here; why should you care what I do?" I asked, desperately grasping at straws.

He stopped and turned around, a frown creasing his brow, "Because I would still prefer you stay alive. I think the real question is why are you so recalcitrant in accepting help in any form, even when it may save your life?" I let my gaze fall briefly. If only I could tell him. I looked back up and saw his piercing gaze still seemed to be analyzing me. He shrugged his messenger bag higher onto his shoulder, "You have to think beyond yourself and realize that there is a life in your hands beside your own, Allison," he said turning back around and walking away. "I'll see you tomorrow," he called back down the hall.

Simon POV

Good God, the girl drove me insane. Why was she so averse to something she desperately needed? She had tried to hide it for a long time but even before her fainting episode I'd seen how the life was slowly being sucked out of her. The dark circles that began appearing under her eyes, the amount of energy she had to expend to do simple tasks, it was amazing she hadn't given out earlier. Her fainting spell had been the last straw though, I wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. Something was clearly wrong and if she wasn't going to take action I was. Yet she was determined to push away the help I was offering her.

I pushed open the back door and walked over to my car to drive back to my apartment. As I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road I reflected back on her responses. What confused me to no end was that she wasn't pushing back at me, she was pushing back at the idea. She didn't resent me even though I'd been determined to resent her, if anything she seemed afraid of me, and I didn't like that. I'd given up on hating her, she was a victim not a threat, and though I was still far off from trusting her I was perturbed by the thought that I scared her. She was jumpy and wary of my every move, even when I'd merely confronted her at the counter I'd seen the fear that had flared in her eyes. And her quiet stubbornness in refusing to call me by my name, I still didn't understand that either; God, she was such a riddle.

I pulled into the parking garage and found my space, parking and getting out to walk to my apartment. I'd tried to analyze her as I left but found I still couldn't seem to place her. Whatever reason she had for her recalcitrance it wasn't purely selfish, though I left her with a warning on the off chance that it was. She was afraid of that too, but why? Why were all these things scaring her?

Allison POV

It was not my proudest moment but when eleven o'clock rolled around the next day I stayed firmly planted in my room. I'd already spent a good thirty minutes emptying my stomach that morning and generally feeling crappy; I wasn't going anywhere. Simon had other ideas. At exactly 11:05am he came directly to my room and knocked firmly on the door.

"Allison, let's go," he said flatly. I didn't respond but sat behind the locked door on my bed, legs crisscrossed.

I suddenly heard my doorknob jiggling and not even a minute later the door swung open, a put-out Simon leaning against the doorframe with a screwdriver in hand.

"Come on," he said calmly.

I felt so trapped and confused but I had nothing to hide behind. No excuses at my disposal.

"I'm scared," I squeaked out as I met his gaze then quickly looked down at my hands as tears began prickling at my eyes.

He seemed surprised at my admission momentarily then carefully walked over to sit down next to me on the bed, screwdriver still in hand. "You shouldn't be," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone, "It's really just routine, you'll be fine."

"They're going to ask a lot of questions," I said, continuing to study my hands.

"Yes?" he said somewhat confused.

"Questions I don't have answers for," I whispered looking back up at him.

Grim understanding came over his face and he turned slightly to face me and, setting down the screwdriver between us, took my hands. "Hey, you're going to be just fine okay?" he encouraged. "You've faced worse than this I'm sure of it. It's only for your good, alright?"

I took a deep breath. I could do this. After a long pause I responded. "One question," I said still looking down at our hands. Why was he holding them?

"Yes?"

"What's with the screwdriver?" I asked with a small smile.

He cracked a grin at that, "Top secret, I'm afraid," he said, "You forget, this was my room. I know all its secrets. Which boards creak, how to get the door reopened when locked, how to sneak out..."

I gave a watery laugh at that. "Okay, I'll go," I finally said standing up and letting Simon help me to the car.

Simon POV

I'd sat in the waiting room for what felt like forever before a doctor finally came out and called my name.

I got up and walked over. "Come with me, Allison is recovering but I wanted to chat with you," he said as I walked down the hall with him to one of the exam room where we sat down.

"What can I do for you?" I asked in concern. "What's she recovering from?"

"I hate to ask but who are you to her?" he asked somewhat pointedly.

"I'm-I'm just a friend, Sir," I said somewhat taken aback. Had I just said friend?

"And you are aware of her circumstances?"

"I've puzzled out a fair amount, yes. Sir, why is she recovering?"

He sighed. "She's reacting badly to the whole ordeal due to her situation," he said carefully.

"She has PTSD," I said, slowly coming to the realization. He nodded.

"Have you seen evidence of this in your interactions with her?"

"Yes, yes, I have, I feel stupid to have not recognized it sooner."

"Be patient with her, and very careful. She's in fragile condition," he said before continuing, "which leads to the next set of news. She may be carrying multiples and therefore your concern of fatigue is explained. I can't confirm until we get her in for an ultrasound though."

"Thank you, is there anything else?"

"No, we'll send her out when she's recovered completely. Thank you, Mr. Timmons."

Allison POV

The car ride back was silent and tense. I felt completely drained and despondent. The panic had come out of seemingly nowhere and had shaken me to my core and now…now I was barely able to stay awake. Simon parked behind the bookstore and insisted on walking me up the apartment stairs, obviously still concerned with my fainting episode from before. He left after I was safely in the apartment at which point I collapsed on the couch and turned on the TV determined to stay awake. Of course, that was asking too much.

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Eric was kissing me with such tenderness and passion that I knew immediately I was not in my usual nightmare. He slowly peppered kisses down my neck and even to my sternum making me shudder and try weakly to tug away. He slowly moved to straddle me and continued his attentions and letting them move south, eliciting a resigned sob from me which he quieted with another kiss. I knew where I was now, it was the night I'd given in, my night of shame. He was so insistent yet gentle and I had figured out what he was doing long ago and I was determined to not let him win. He wouldn't have my mind or my body. But as he worked me so blissfully near a climax leaving me panting beneath him I cracked, and he could see it.

"Please-" I gasped.

"What, Faith, what do you want?" he asked quietly.

"I can't…" I tried, a sob catching in my throat.

"You can, love, there's no shame in what you want," he said cajolingly.

"Please-"

"I think it's telling that you can't seem to complete your request, Faith," his voice betraying nothing but calmness, "You won't ask me to stop, yet you can't seem to let yourself be satisfied. What do you want, Faith? You know how to make this stop either way."

I weighed my options, and knew what I had to do. It was my only option if I wanted to have any control. I could barely bring myself to do it though.

"I want…you," I whispered in resignation and humiliation.

My dream changed to us in the throws of passion as he finally brought me to a climax and reached his own. And then the dream veered off course.

I was still lying in the same position with Eric sitting over me but as he bent down over me I realized I was very pregnant.

"You are mine," he purred running his hand over my belly and planting a kiss there, "And no matter what you do or tell yourself this child is mine." His eyes met mine, and this time I saw nothing of the love and tenderness from moments before. They were cruel and lustful as they took me in. Suddenly, as I looked down I realized I was holding a child. His child. Him. Comical as it sounds, it was the most terrifying thing I'd ever dreamed. The child I was holding was Eric and it was a moment of all my deepest fears realized.

"You think you can change what this child is?" he said taking it from my arms. "You are deluding yourself if you think this will not be my child. That I won't teach it the same things I was taught. That it won't be just like me."

"NO," I screamed out, as he got up and placed the child in a crib that had appeared next to the bed, "I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS YOU MONSTER!"

Eric turned on a dime, his eyes clouded with rage, "YOU don't get a say! It seems you are in need of some disciple. It will make a wonderful object lesson," he said with a calmness that spelled trouble. He fell on me without warning his moves mimicking those of Xavier, but it was Eric who was abusing me; he was doing this. I cried out as he forced himself into me mercilessly, not letting me adjust to any of the onslaught. I continued to scream as my head fell to the side and I found myself looking into the crib at the baby. The child was standing up by the bars of the crib and as I watched in horror it slowly smiled, giggled, and began to clap its hands together in glee at the scene before it. The last thing I remember was me screaming in absolute despair.

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I woke to find myself shaking all over and curled into the fetal position in that cursed room. I tried to get a grip on myself as I uncurled slowly, still shaking like a leaf. I felt my façade slipping momentarily and hastily righted it. I sat up and brought my knees to my chest, knowing without even glancing up that Eric was right in front of me.

"How much did you see?" I whispered.

"All of it," he said quietly.