If Ava had thought Eli's desire would quell once his chief task had been completed, she soon realized how mistaken that assumption would be. If anything he seemed to want her more, sometimes waking her in the middle of the night to have a romp through the sheets, awakening with his alarm to mount her again before getting ready for work, and fucking her no less than three times after arriving home each night.

It pained her to think about it, but she came every time, multiple times. Without the stimulants to help her excuse this, the very act of experiencing the pleasure he forced on her felt akin to suffering rather than ecstasy, because in the aftermath she always thought about how pathetic she was to have given in. When he wasn't driving his cock into her, she still spoke her mind and played the silent treatment as much as he allowed before his temper started to rise, but every time he put his hand on her she erupted in goosebumps that she couldn't control and her traitorous body opened for his like clockwork.

For the first several weeks after the positive pregnancy test, Eli would talk about the baby's arrival as if it was already imminent, only for her to remind him that they had no idea when the due date would be.

"I could still miscarry," she suggested once, "It's very common in the first 12 weeks, and especially without prenatal care. You don't even know if it's viable without an ultrasound." Her motive for suggesting it was simple. If she could get Eli to take her out for an OB appointment, she might be able to have a moment alone with the ultrasound technician, or just anyone who would believe her that she was under duress and intervene.

It backfired on her though.

"I'm aware. I have a private ultrasound scheduled for us next week. Someone will come here and do it in the library on Saturday. You would be around 4-6 weeks by now, so the heartbeat should be detectable."

A new worry settled in the pit of her stomach. What if the pregnancy wasn't viable, or what if it had been a false positive even though he thought those were so rare? What would happen to her then?

Each day waiting until the ultrasound dragged on even longer than the ones before she had seen that positive test. Ava felt more skittish when he was near, and during the day she was jumpier than usual, especially around the time Eli was due to return home.

He seemed to sense it and increased his efforts to appear sweet, massaging her feet after getting home and telling her how beautiful she looked, that she was already glowing. It only served to make her feel sick with worry. Bad enough that he had succeeded in making her his unwilling incubator, but it would likely be much worse if he had to come to terms with not being successful at all.

The night before the ultrasound, Ava barely spoke to him when he got back with dinner. She offered succinct, one-word responses to anything he said to her, and when he pulled her towards the stairs with him in a clear directive that it was time for their nightly ritual, she climbed the steps with her head cast down and eyes in tears.

Eli was less rough now, but Ava didn't know if that was from concern over hurting the baby or simply her lack of fighting him. Even when she did offer a scathing retort, he would sit there and take it with an eye roll or if she was really pushing it, he might warn her that she was in dangerous territory, but since he came back she had lost much of the fight that was in her. Unless she could convince him to take her out somewhere that she might escape, he had won, and it would be a permanent win if she couldn't get her body to miscarry or escape soon enough to terminate the pregnancy.

The morning of the ultrasound he woke as he usually did. One heavy leg swung over hers and pinned her down, kissing a trail from her neck to the belly button, caressing the still-flat surface like she was made of glass.

It was too early for her to feel much of anything, but even Ava was beginning to expect some change. Ever since Eli's return from up north, she hadn't experienced a single episode of nausea or vomiting. Sometimes she felt queasy, but as it usually coincided with Eli's presence or a difficult time processing her emotions, she wasn't quick to consider that a telling symptom. The only thing that felt adverse for her was being abnormally tired, and finding that she felt impossibly full even after consuming small portions.

There was still a chance, she told herself, that it might all be for naught. She may have simply missed her period because of how recently her IUD had been removed. Until she was faced with an ultrasound telling her otherwise, Ava could console herself a little longer that Eli might not have gotten his wish, and she could buy herself a little more time before her next period was due.

"I ordered breakfast to be delivered this morning," he informed her, stubble scratching her shoulder, "A celebratory brunch, so to speak." His grin was big enough for both of them, but Ava lay on her back, allowing him to roam his hands wherever they went but too lost in thought to give much response.

Eli nuzzled her neck. His fingers inched up her torso to fondle her breasts, then toyed with her nipples. He was clearly expecting a response, but other than a slight wince at how sensitive they felt, she ignored him in favor of staring at patterns in the ceiling. She was trying to think of a way she might be able to tip off the ultrasound technician who came in today. Of course, Eli had arranged for someone to come and bring their own equipment here, and no doubt he wouldn't let her out of his sight for a minute, but there was always the slightest chance that maybe he would slip. If she could just think of a reason to ask him to leave…

"I'm going to shower then head downstairs in a few minutes," he told her, still watching her for some reaction, "Breakfast should be delivered soon then I'll come up and get you." He pecked her on the cheek, rolling out of bed without sparing a thought for his nakedness.

Ava was almost alarmed at how easily he slipped away without once pressing her for sex. She lay there stock-still, afraid to jinx it by drawing attention to the fact. From the bathroom, she heard the sound of the shower running and sat up in bed. The sheet fell down from covering her breasts and she looked at the tiny rolls of her belly. There would be no return from today if the ultrasound confirmed what Eli had already accepted to be true. She would have his child growing inside of her, and the thought filled her first with a perverse thrill which then gave way to horror.

The shower stopped and she quickly lay back down, covering herself with the sheet and rolling to face his side of the bed to make it look like she had fallen back asleep.

When Eli returned she heard his feet pause in the doorway, then start again towards the bed. She felt lips graze her arm, and his body sank onto the bed behind her, holding onto her waist and snuggling close.

"I know it's not how you would have chosen this to go, Ava, but I'm so excited for today."

His hand splayed over her stomach as he spoke and she felt panicked. It was never enough for him to win, it was like he had to gloat over her and play it off too.

"I'm glad you're happy," she managed to say, and he stiffened.

"I know you're still adjusting to the idea, my love. We've got nothing but time. Just remember to keep your mouth closed today when our guest is here."

"And if I don't?"

His hand twitched over her belly button, his fingers dug into the soft skin just enough to make his point, "I'm sure you can imagine how badly that would go for you… and end for her."

Ava swallowed. So he was capable of murder? It shouldn't be shocking, given every other act of cruelty he had shown her his capacity for inflicting. Her hopes were dying by the minute, and underneath his hand, she almost felt a sense of foreboding inside of her, a warning of what she would soon hear confirmed.

He kissed her shoulder, then nipped the skin playfully, causing her to flinch.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry," Eli kissed the small red spot along her collarbone, "You just look so delicious like this. Mmm, I'll have to bring you back up here afterward so we can celebrate in my favorite way."

His erection stirred against her ass cheeks and Ava barely contained a sigh as the goosebumps ran down her back with a shiver. She was as much frustrated with herself for rising to his desire every time as she was with him for wanting her so much and so often.

Breakfast turned out to be an even more elaborate spread than she had envisioned. Eli had ordered quiche, danishes, a huge tray of fruit, breakfast tacos with bacon, potatoes and eggs, amongst other various and sundry variants.

"Eat up," he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head, "The ultrasound tech will be here soon."

Again, came nausea with his pronouncement. Ava could barely think about food and here was this enormous selection he had ordered and she could barely look at it.

It doesn't mean you're pregnant. Stress is a strong appetite suppressant. You're just grappling with everything else. The ultrasound will show nothing today, and then you can breathe easy.

The unlikeliness of her self-talk made any attempts at comforting herself pointless.

Eli tucked in with a large slice of quiche and a bowl of fruit. Ava tried to choke down some watermelon with a breakfast taco but one whiff of the eggs and her stomach burbled in a warning. Afraid of what Eli would say if she refused to eat, she tried to pick at a danish, taking pitifully small bites and almost gagging when she smelled the eggs on Eli's plate next to her.

"It's okay," he rubbed her back and pushed the offending plate away, "It's normal for food to be off-putting for a pregnant woman, especially this early."

The way he sensed her agitation and the cause of it made her feel even sicker. Every day she was trapped in here with him, she let him learn her a little better, and it gave him everything he needed to read her like a book.

She wanted to open her mouth and lob some comment to cut him down, but she was afraid she might vomit if she tried. Eli looked at his watch and smiled. "She should be here in 10 minutes or so."

Ava wanted to cry. Her fists wanted to beat that smile off his face, to hurt him for what he had done to her. She felt like screaming in his face and clawing his eyes out, but then he shot her an unsettling grin and leaned in to kiss her softly, and she closed her eyes to try and disassociate from this moment.

Not long after, while Eli was cleaning up the food and throwing her barely-touched breakfast into the trash, the doorbell rang.

Immediately, he looked over at Ava, and the warning in his eyes was clear.

"Remember," he admonished, rinsing his hands in the sink before he headed to answer, "Don't test me today, Ava."

When his back was turned she let her face crumple, just for a moment, and leaned down to press her forehead on the cold marble countertop as she let a tear fall from each eye. She could hear Eli greeting the woman, laying on all his charm so thick and offering to help her bring the equipment inside.

"Ava," he called to her, "We have a guest." The implication was clear: time to get your ass in here.

As she came around the corner, Ava saw an older woman, probably in her early 50s, standing there in scrubs, her blonde hair held back in a ponytail. The woman was beaming at Eli as he helped her by lifting the large, cumbersome machine up the front steps from where she had parked her company vehicle on the street.

"I can't believe I managed to nab such a good parking spot," she was saying until she caught sight of Ava and her eyes lit up. "This must be our mama right here," she strode towards Ava, hand outstretched, "Good morning, I'm Tiffany Howell, registered ultrasound technician."

Dumbfounded, Ava stared at her hand for a second like the concept of a handshake was foreign to her, then she looked over Tiffany's shoulder and saw Eli's glare and quickly remembered what was at stake.

"Sorry. I'm still waking up. Ava Chambers. Nice to meet you."

She gave a limp squeeze in comparison to Tiffany's iron grip, but the woman just laughed and returned to help Eli get the machine over the lip of the sill on the second threshold into the house. For a moment after they had pulled it in, Ava saw her chance. The doors were both left open to the outside, and Eli's attention was still on getting the machine where it needed to go.

With deliberately quiet steps, she tried to approach without either of them noticing. Tiffany was helping distract Eli by chattering a mile a minute as Ava inched closer. The door was almost in reach. 10 feet. 5 feet. Her hand stretched out as she almost made it there.

Eli's arm snapped out and blocked her path through the doorframe. Startled, Ava jumped back with a gasp, watching his murderous eyes stare her down.

Tiffany's head popped up from getting the ultrasound machine plugged in and working. "Everything alright?"

"Y-y-yes," Ava's hand was over her heart, feeling it hammer away as Eli stepped into the glass foyer and closed the front door first, never taking his eyes off her as he stepped back in through the second door and closed that one too. Both keypads glowed a sinister red. The sound of the door latch clicking softly made her knees weak, but the way he looked at her was even more frightening. Freedom had been so close, why hadn't she just run? Her legs suddenly felt like they might not hold her, and she thought she might faint with fear of him right now.

"Are you alright, darling?" he made his voice sound so sweet, but she could hear the undercurrent of danger in it.

Overwhelmed with everything, Ava felt herself beginning to crumple to the floor. Nausea crept back into her throat and Eli's hands caught her waist, holding her to him while it was Tiffany's turn to gasp in alarm.

"Is she okay?" The woman rushed over and Ava felt her cold fingers on her wrist checking her pulse, then her neck while Ava stared up at Eli with a glazed look in her eyes, already anticipating his punishment. More tears came, but her arms were too weak to wipe them away.

"Here," Eli scooped her up and carried her into the library, depositing her on a familiar piece of furniture, the settee from the sitting room where he typically went down on her for what felt like an eternity. At some point, he must have moved it in here, in front of the fireplace.

"Oh you poor thing," Tiffany was bending over her, the picture of concern, while over her shoulder Ava could see Eli giving her the look he always did when she had gone well past the point of testing the limits of his patience.

"Sorry," Ava mumbled, "I haven't been able to eat much."

Tiffany tutted understandingly, "I was the exact same way with my first. Your body is doing so much amazing stuff to get ready for the little guy, no need to apologize." Her weathered hands were on Ava's neck and forehead, "No fever, that's good. Just plain ol' first-trimester exhaustion," she laughed and turned to Eli, "Well Dad, maybe I should ask you the questions while we let Mom over here have a breather."

Eli chuckled at being called 'Dad' and Ava almost barfed on the spot.

"How long since her last menstrual period?"

"September 12."

Ava made a face. How would he know that?

Your app, remember?

Damn him. She had given him even more tools for this. If she had just had the forethought to lie when he asked her how long until she was due for her period—

"So we're thinking about 6 weeks along?"

"Correct," he smiled, and Ava could see Tiffany bought the whole nice dude act hook, line, and sinker. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the armrest. Might as well let him take the lead on everything and save herself the headache of trying to dance around what she could and could not say to this woman.

"Alright then. Well, since she's still fairly early along, I'll have to do the intravaginal ultrasound. Do you have a towel handy? I have a paper liner we could put down but a towel is usually more comfortable for mamas."

Eli paused, clearly thinking through the likelihood that he could make it up the stairs and back before Ava did something she shouldn't. "I think the liner will be fine."

"Okay then, just need for Mama to disrobe from the waist down and we can get started."

It was incredibly awkward to stand up in front of Eli and a stranger while that stranger pulled out a blue plastic hospital liner to set down before handing Ava a worn hospital robe.

"This is just to drape over your legs dear," she sounded distracted, already pulling the machine closer to the settee and starting to don her rubber gloves.

Ava stood there, and Eli sat in an armchair he had pulled closer, looking up at her with hooded eyes. "Darling, time to undress now."

She shot him a look and chewed her lip, turning around to show her back to them as she slid her pants and panties down to the floor. Before turning back, she reached over to grab the hospital gown and wrapped it lopsidedly around her waist.

Eli arched his eyebrow at her and Tiffany laughed when she saw what Ava had constructed.

"Oh sweetie, there's no need to feel uncomfortable. I'm sure he's seen it all before and I've quite literally seen hundreds."

I never consented to let him see any of this, lady, so shut the fuck up and put that thing in me already.

Ava laid back down on the settee and pressed her legs together to keep Eli from being able to look. Tiffany was already gloved with a small wand in hand, squirting some gelatinous substance on the tip and looking to Ava for confirmation.

"Alright, dear. I need you to lay back and spread your legs for me, that's a good girl. No, further apart. Further. Even further."

It was too much. The probe wasn't even inside her yet and Ava was already gripping the cushions with white knuckles, staring up at the ceiling to avoid Eli's eyes which had a perfect line of sight to her bare, open cunt.

"Ava, love, it's just like Tiffany said; nothing I haven't seen already. Open up for her."

She stiffened, then felt the cold lubricated end being pushed inside of her. As far as visits to the OB went, Ava was an infrequent visitor. Aside from her IUD removal she only went for her annual pap smear, and even that was uncomfortable enough. This was smaller than Eli's cock for sure, but her body felt the stiff intruder and tensed, making it almost painful as she braced her legs and tried not to panic.

Eli was suddenly next to her, slipping his hand into one of hers to squeeze and stroking the skin of her belly under her t-shirt.

"Shh, it's alright babe, I'm right here."

If they had been alone, she would have yanked her hand away from his. Instead, she lay there, letting him stroke the back of her fingers with his thumb while Tiffany cooed and pronounced them 'adorable' before venturing the probe in deeper.

"Unnh," Ava whimpered and felt Eli's grip tighten on hers. She looked at him in alarm, expecting to see him giving another warning look but his eyes were glued to the ultrasound screen, and Ava's glance couldn't help but follow.

Please be empty. Please be empty.

She shifted her hips and hissed in a low breath at how foreign the ultrasound wand felt buried deep in her. The screen was all black with a streaky-looking lopsided white triangle. In the middle was an empty black circle and nothing else. Of course, Ava had no idea what she would even be looking for to prove whether she was pregnant one way or another. She turned her head towards Tiffany and held her breath to hear what she would say.

"Well," she began, "There is your uterus. Now of course, this is very early on, so even if I don't see much, it's completely normal." Her voice trailed off as she moved the wand and Ava grimaced.

"Too much, dear? Sorry, I know these things can be really uncomfortable especially when your body is so sensitive."

Ava nodded, lips pressed together and trying not to cry. All she wanted was an answer one way or another, but this was not what she had been expecting at all, and now it was dragging on while she was forced to play happy housewife to Eli, who knelt next to her on the carpet and leaned in to kiss her.

"Hang in there, baby."

I hate you.

She wanted to scream again, she wanted to rip this thing out of her and strangle Eli with the cord, but another small swipe of the wand and she stopped writhing on the settee and froze.

The sound was faint. A wap-wap-wap-wap-wap, but it was clear.

Tiffany's eyes lit up and she pressed a little deeper until the noise was louder.

"There we go," she pronounced, turning the screen towards the two of them, "There's the fetal pole, and that's the yolk sac. That sound you hear is the fetal heartbeat."

Eli was mesmerized. He watched the screen intently, mouth open, turning his head this way and that, squeezing Ava's hand and rubbing his other one along the soft planes of her soon-to-no-longer-be-flat belly.

Tears were expected, but as the reality sank in and Ava looked at the screen with both of them, the meager wall she had managed to put up came crumbling down and she sucked in a huge breath as she began to weep.

"Oh, my dear, don't cry. It's wonderful news, wonderful! Look here, this is his heart rate. He's healthy and strong, you don't need to worry. I can already tell you're going to be wonderful parents."

That only served to make Ava sob harder. Eli's hand flew up to turn her head towards him and he buried her face in his shirt to muffle her cries. It was official now. She was carrying his baby, against her will, and now she was pinned against his chest with a stranger holding a probe even deeper in her than Eli's cock had ever been, though obviously not what came out of it.

Ava wailed harder the more she tried to suppress it. She could hear Eli telling the beleaguered technician that, "She's just overwhelmed. We've been trying to get pregnant for a long time. We were almost afraid to get our hopes up."

More lies upon lies and she couldn't refute them so it only made her sob into his shirt harder, soaking it with her tears while he pressed her there so hard she almost bit down on one of his buttons.

"Aww, I understand," Tiffany said, reaching into her medical bag to pull out a small pack of tissues. "Here you go dear, you go ahead and let it out. No shame in being so happy we cry. No shame in it at all."

It was difficult to breathe while weeping so hard. Ava couldn't even tell this poor woman the truth if she wanted to. Every time she opened her mouth it felt like she was gasping for breath from sobbing and being half-smothered into Eli's chest. Feebly, her hands reached down, trying to pull on Tiffany's wrist to remove the offending object lodged inside of her, while leaving behind one of a much different kind.

"Oh no, hang on dear, let me hold it very still for a moment and get a couple of pictures for you to hang on the fridge."

She watched from beneath Eli's arm as the screen froze a couple of times before a roll of pictures began to print out from a slot underneath the keyboard. Finally, the wand was removed and Ava managed to stop crying long enough for Eli to release her and take the pictures Tiffany offered to him.

"There," she said, leaning forward to brush Ava's tears from her cheeks and hand her the pack of tissues still sitting on her lap, "No more tears now. It's time for the two of you to celebrate. Go buy some baby things, take a nap, get all the sleep you can now," she joked, holding Ava's cheek in wrinkly hands reminiscent of her grandmother's.

A few lone sniffles eked out, replaced soon after by hiccups, which made Tiffany laugh.

"That's better sweetheart. This baby is strong, but he needs you to be calm. Keep resting and eat when you can. We should do another one of these closer to 12-16 weeks to measure and track his growth. Just reach out to us when that gets closer. I'd estimate your due date to be mid-late June. I can forward the ultrasound to your obstetrician."

"We're using a midwife," Eli interjected, and Ava gave him an incredulous look which he ignored. Tiffany was already concentrating on closing out her screen, so it went unnoticed by the only person who might have seen something amiss.

Eli picked up Ava's discarded clothes and stood, coming down to the foot of the settee and seating himself near her feet again, looking between her splayed legs and then grinning.

"We did it, babe. We made a baby." He kissed the top of her knee while Ava shot him a dour look and closed her legs. The wand had left her feeling stretched and sore, something she knew Eli would be doing shortly after Tiffany left.

His hands pried her legs apart and slipped her feet through her underwear, then her pants. She wanted to ask what the use was since he was going to rip them off of her when he enacted his punishment soon, but he pulled her to her feet and started helping Tiffany to gather and wrap the cords before they wheeled it towards the door together.

Ava stood there listlessly, watching the only chance she had of getting help out of here talk and joke with her captor like he was the nicest guy in the world.

He fooled you into believing that too, remember?

She did. It was impossible to forget because it was the only thing she could think about as she tried to reconcile the Eli she had known outside these walls with the one who had revealed himself once in.

At the door, Tiffany tried to open it first as Eli assisted in guiding the machine out.

"Oh no, it's locked."

"Apologies," Eli quickly input the code, and even from the library Ava could see the light go from red to green, "We have a pretty hefty security system living down here in the city."

Tiffany almost seemed to be suspicious, but then her eyes dawned in recognition, "Of course. Ooh, all these rapists and murderers out on the street every day, and you, with a young, beautiful mom-to-be under your protection. Can't be too careful."

Eli's self-satisfied grin was nauseating, "Exactly," he replied, flashing Ava a smile before he helped Tiffany lift the huge machine over the threshold and out the door.

"Bye!" Tiffany called out with a wave as they cleared the second door that led outside, and Ava watched the keypads blink red one after the other as Eli exited with their guest, trapping her back here to mull over how he would react when he came back.

Ava thought to run upstairs and hide. If she could avoid a direct confrontation with him after he came back she might be able to stave off his full wrath if he had time to come in and cool down first. Then again, if he came back in and she wasn't here he would likely come searching for her and be even more irate when he found her.

He can't hurt you now. You're carrying his child, remember?

The moment that statement dawned on her, relief flooded her body. Surely, she was untouchable now?

Her heart still stopped when she heard the first door opening and looked through the glass windows of the foyer to see Eli step inside, pressing a code for the second door and looking at her through the window like her mishaps were still very much on his mind.

When he came through the second door, Eli locked it behind him. Ava watched him stand there and look at her from the entry, his expression blank, and somehow that was worse than his anger from before.

It felt like a long time before he spoke.

"I know I should be mad at you, and I am," he stepped softly in her direction, both hands aloft to emphasize his words as he approached, closing the distance between them in several long steps, "But honestly, Ava, more than anything else," he paused as he stepped next to her place on the settee, "I am so extremely happy."

She looked up in alarm at hearing the crack in his voice and for once, she saw tears glittering in the corners of his eyes instead of hers. From his pocket, he produced the printout of the ultrasound pictures and knelt beside her, his lips trembling minutely, but his eyes still watery.

"I love you so much," he kissed her, and she was too stunned to do anything but lie there and take it, "You are going to be the most amazing mother," his hand rested on her womb and lifted her shirt enough for his lips to bend down and kiss the space they now knew housed a living, growing combination of them two.

Ava was so relieved not to be subject to his punishment for losing it in front of the first outside person she had seen in 6 weeks that she stroked his face gently while he kissed her all over her stomach. His lips moved up to her mouth, lingering on hers even longer than usual before he went back to her stomach. He lifted her hips as he worked her pants down to her ankles, and followed his trail even lower.