A/N: Three chapters in one day? Say what! Feel lucky now guys because my classes start up on Monday and they will become far more spaced out. Sorry in advance!

Also, I have to apologize about my abundance of typos and weird phrasing. I am using a chromebook and the grammar/spellcheck is awful on it. Sometimes, it changes my wording without me asking it to. I ask for your forgiveness and if it causes any confusion, please just let me know!

Reviews are still not working for me but please keep leaving them. I look forward to hearing your guys opinions and theories as our story progresses. Honestly, we are only about a third of the way through this! So, let me know what you think is going to happen or just how much you really do hate Nick. (Don't we all?)

Key thing to keep in mind though cause I know there are probably questions regarding this. There is a time jump of a month between Nick assaulting Kim and her sleeping with Tommy. It's not like she just jumped into the sack with him the next day. And yes, should she still be traumatized by her assault? Of course. Will it be addressed? You bet your butt. My psychology background would not allow that to happen, I can assure you! There will also be a time jump in this chapter of a month between her and Tommy doing the nasty and her present time. Hope everyone got that cleared up. :D

Enjoy! :)


September 1, 2004

Angel Grove, CA

A month passed since that day with Tommy in the theater. Each day, I've lived on pins and needles, praying that Nick doesn't find out about my mistake somehow. Each time he would come home and make a loud noise, I would have moments of pure fear until it would pass and he would be fine. It faded slightly over the course of the month, along with his physical attacks on me. He stopped projecting his anger towards me physically. He would still scream and yell at me about things but it became less and less that he would actually touch me. I also noticed that his behavior was more odd. He barely slept, instead spending all hours of the night either in the garage or out. When he was home, he'd be jittery and always looking out the windows like he thought someone was watching him. I didn't understand this. Was he worried that someone knew he was beating me? Was he waiting for someone to come beat him up because of it? I didn't dare ask but I just watched him, keeping mental notes of what he was doing.

Half way through August, Marci's mother signed custody of her over to me so that I would be able to sign her up for school. I asked Marci multiple times over the course of the summer if she was sure about living here. She said that there was no way she was leaving now. Part of me thought she was doing it so she could be there if Nick went too far. That thought made me sad because I didn't want her to have to be my protector. I knew she was still seeing Aisha and Trini at times even if she didn't tell me. I had a feeling she was reporting back to them how I was doing and what has been going on. I didn't like that but I didn't say anything to her about it. At least she had other people to talk to and to look out for her in case something did happen to me.

I haven't left the house much. My life has pretty much centered around the theater and getting things in motion for the musical. The Music Man would begin playing the last week of November and into the first week of December. It would be a two week engagement and I wanted to make sure every single seat in that theater was filled. I've been working with the company planning out the sets, doing auditions, coming up with marketing strategies, and basically building a small town right on the stage. It was a little awkward being there after having sex with Tommy right in the middle of it. I did my best not to think about it but it would creep into the back of my mind each time I was there. Then I would think about what he was doing and how much he probably hated my guts. It was probably better that way. You don't try to find the people you hate usually. Typically, one tries to forget them. I wondered if he had forgotten me.

"How do I look?" Marci asked, coming down the stairs. I looked up from the chair, seeing her standing at the bottom. Her hair was now a sea foam green, reminding me of Gumby. She had it curled, framing her face that was done with such perfect makeup, I was jealous. She was sporting a long sleeved black and white striped shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. They were ripped in both knees, something I didn't quite understand. She also had black bright purple converses on her feet, making a statement. Her backpack was on her back and she held the straps of it in her hands.

"Terrific. Are you ready for your first day of school?" I asked, standing up. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose. These nerds at Angel Grove better be on point. I'm not about to let my grades suffer."

"I assure you that there's nothing to worry about. You'll love it there. And I'm sure the walls are the same color from when I went there."

"Oh well that's terrific." She walked into the kitchen and returned a moment later, a travel mug in one hand and a bagel in the other. "Want a bite?" She held it out to me. I shook my head.

"No, thanks. My stomach is feeling a bit off today." I replied, putting a hand over my belly button.

"Again? That's like the third time this week. Girl, you better not be contagious. I don't want to catch some kind of stomach bug my first week of school." I laughed.

"I'm sure I'm not. I think it's just some indigestion or something. It always goes away after a while."

"If it doesn't, you should go get checked out. I don't want you keeling over on me now that I'm settled. I'll have to find my new manager and live with her instead."

"Your compassion holds no bounds, does it?" I asked flatly. She grinned as me, biting into her bagel.

"I try. Who knows. Maybe you're pregnant!" There was a beep outside. "Oh, there's Penelope. I gotta run. See you after school!" She jogged out the front door, heading out to the little silver car that was waiting for her at the curb. She had met a friend at work, PEnelope, who was the granddaughter of one of my old teachers, Mrs. Appleby. It was nice to see her with someone I knew and that I could trust her being with. I waved as they drove away and disappeared around the corner.

'Maybe you're pregnant!' her voice echoed in my mind. I shook my head. That couldn't be possible. We've been trying for so long to get pregnant without anything working. Besides, it's not like I've done any treatments since being back here in Angel Grove. There was no way I was pregnant. Marci was just making a joke as teenagers do.

After getting dressed, I headed out the door and walked to work. I had a long list of things I needed to get today in order to stay on schedule for the opening night. I had to order fabric, boots, wigs, and other things for our costumes that wouldn't need to be modified once auditions were done and the cast was selected. We were going to be holding them next week, a list about a mile long of people who had signed up. I was happy to see that Zack had signed up even without me telling him. I thought he would make a perfect Harold Hill with his personality. Sadly, I wouldn't be able to cast him seeing as Nick's rule still applied. It hurt that I couldn't but I still had a job to do to protect everyone.

At the theater, I found that it was bustling with activity. Sets were being built out in the parking lot while people were inside going through the script and putting them in order. We had decided yesterday what scenes we'd be using for the auditions and these needed to be sent out to all those who were trying out to ensure fairness. There was also a musical number included with the sheet music, giving them plenty of time to practice. I wasn't looking forward to hearing the same song over and over again but it had to be done to make sure we got the best people for the parts we needed. Many of our members would be trying out and they would be given first dibs on the minor roles. The leads would be harder and would need more to determine the right people to play them. It was exhausting work but I loved it just the same.

Sitting in my office, I flipped through a catalog as I tried to decide which roles of fabric to order from the warehouse in LA. I needed to make sure I got enough but also didn't break the budget. We would be reusing the fabric again for later shows so it had to be durable as well. My stomach still felt off, a queasy feeling that no amount of water or antacids that I was popping like candy would help. A wave of nausea washed over me and I had to put my head down on the desk, fear of passing out or vomiting nearby. Sweat poured down my face and neck and I took slow breaths to try to get my stomach to settle.

"Kim?" Rosey's voice asked. Slowly, I raised my head and saw her standing in the doorway. She looked at me with a face filled with concern. "Are you alright, dear? You're as white as a ghost!"

"I just felt sick to my stomach suddenly." I said, leaning back in my chair. The feeling began to fade now and I could feel the color slowly coming back to my face.

"You should go home. You are in no condition to work like this."

"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern though, Rosey." I said, giving her a small smile.

"No. You are not up for this today. Show business can wait until tomorrow. We will survive one afternoon without you here. Now go home before I call Mr. Ridley and tell him." She said sternly. Sighing, I knew there was no point in arguing with her. Her and Mr. Ridley was very close and I knew she would follow through on the threat.

"Alright but can you please lock up for me? And make sure all the lights are off? Last time, Trevor left a stage light on and it cost me $50 for a replacement." I stood up, grabbing my purse.

"Of course. Go home, Kimberly." I gave her a smile before walking passed her and out of my office. Heading down the hallway, I heard voices downstairs where everyone was working. I really didn't want to go. I liked being here and being a part of the action. I was making new friends too that Nick didn't forbid me from seeing. Probably because most of them were women, old, or gay. But Rosey was watching me from the doorway of my office so I kept walking, heading down the stairs. I waved to everyone who was working in the parlor before walking out of the door.

The sun was shining brightly today and I saw kids playing in the park with their families. The high school was starting a week earlier than the elementary school. Parents were taking full advantage of their time together, letting their kids run through the park. I watched as one couple walked hand in hand, a baby strapped to the husband's chest. The wife looked up at him and smiled, love between them.

'Maybe you're pregnant!'

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, thinking about Marci's words again. She had to be wrong. I thought, doing some math. When had I had a period last? Not that those mattered much to me anyway. The cysts on my ovaries caused them to be weird and never show up when they were supposed to. It had been that way since I was a teenager. I instantly thought about Dr. Franklin, the specialist we had seen in Florida right before we moved here. He told me that there was such a slim chance. I knew I was getting myself all worked up over nothing.

Or was I?


"Price check on register four!" A monotone voice said over the loudspeaker above my head. I glanced up, continuing to drum my fingers on the side of the sink. Outside of the bathroom, I could hear foot traffic as people headed up the small hallway to the break room for the employees. I heard some laughter as someone made a joke followed by the door closing behind them. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. This wait was going to kill me. I knew I should have gone somewhere else to do this but I needed to know as soon as possible.

On the counter in front of me sat the sink. It was a single occupant bathroom, no stalls on the toilets. Opening my eyes, I released the breath I had been holding. I eyed the pink cardboard box, one I had seen several times over the course of the last three years. My nerves were getting the best of me for no reason. Dr. Franklin's words repeated in my head, "Getting pregnant for you seems to be impossible. I'd look into your other options." I nodded, as if he was there. This was pointless. I had wasted $5 on something that would be negative. That same feeling of regret began to sink in as I thought about it. It was something I had hoped would happen over the course of the last four years. Something that I had seen countless doctors about. Dr. Franklin has only been the latest to tell me the exact same thing. Infertility with no clear reason.

Walking over, I grabbed the box and tipped it over. I glanced at my watch and saw it had been the time needed for the test to be accurate. It slid out, face down. My heart thundered in my chest. I thought back to everything that had been occurring in the last couple of months. I knew the reality of the situation but I refused to accept it as a possibility. My period was late. That was normal. But I also was more tired and had some weird cramping. Plus, my boobs felt like they were going to fall off and they were throbbing so badly. Maybe these were just period signs and I had jumped the gun.

My fingers trembled as I reached over and turned the test over. A shrill ringing from my purse caused me to jump, halting me. I opened my purse quickly, spotting my cell phone. Nick had bought me one, a way to keep tabs on me when I wasn't at home. The phone screen was lit up green and I could see Nick's name on the caller ID. I hit the answer button, bringing the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Nick." I said, stepping away from the sink.

"Where are you?" My husband's voice said in my ear. His voice was a bit choppy due to my location but I could still make out his annoyance crystal clear.

"I'm at the store. I needed to pick a few things up for dinner." I replied, biting my lip.

"This is starting to bullshit, Kim. You go to work and you come home. There's no reason to be running all over after you clock out."

"I'm sorry. We just needed milk and some other things. I'm getting ready to cash out now. Is there anything you want me to pick up?" I stepped forward, picking up the test. I turned it over in my hand.

"I just want you to get your ass home now." He snarled, hanging up the phone. I didn't flinch from his outburst. I didn't even move to take the phone from its place cradled between my shoulder and ear. My eyes were transfixed on the two pink lines that were in the window of the pregnancy test. The lines weren't even light, making me question like some months. They were as dark as could be. As positive as it could be. Shaking my head, the phone fell from its place and landed on the floor. This couldn't be true. It couldn't be happening. I was pregnant. I was finally pregnant. And I didn't even have to question who the father was.

It was Tommy's.


Sheer panic ripped through me as I walked down. In my haste, I didn't even think to buy groceries to keep with the lie. Instead, I threw the pregnancy test in my purse and hightailed out of the bathroom like my ass was on fire. What the fuck was I going to do? I was pregnant with Tommy's baby. I knew it had to be Tommy's baby as well since I hadn't been with Nick for almost two months. I had some spotting last month, a usual sign of an attempt at a period. As I thought now though, I knew I hadn't had one this month. And I was technically late if it were going to happen. I wanted to run far away from here. I thought about just hoping one a plane for Paris but I knew that it wouldn't do much. Nick would find me. He would find me anywhere. I needed to tell him that I was pregnant but I couldn't tell him it wasn't his. He would kill me, the baby, and Tommy without even a second thought. Bile rose into my throat at that thought.

I was pregnant. I was finally pregnant, something I had been dreaming about for years. And it wasn't Nick's child. Relief flooded me at the same time as the panic because I knew that it was something that would be better for the kid later on. But for now, I needed to tell Nick it was our baby. Maybe it could give me the time I needed to convince him to leave Angel Grove and find somewhere else to live away from everyone. Then, I could get away and keep everyone safe.

When I got home, I saw that his car was in the driveway. I took a deep breath before walking into the house. He wasn't in the living room, his bag on the floor by the couch. I checked the kitchen, seeing that it was also empty. I checked the clock and saw that it was quarter to three. Marci would be home in about half an hour. I needed to get this done and over with before she got home. I didn't know how he was going to react to the news and I didn't want her to be here just in case. I headed up the stairs, hearing movement in our bedroom.

"Hey, Nick. Can we talk?" I asked, walking into the bedroom. He was sitting on the bed, stuff spread around him on top of it. When I looked again, I saw they were pictures and letters. Pictures and letters that I had kept in my mementos box. I had forgotten about it after we had moved in. I thought I had hidden it well enough, under a couple of totes in my closet.

"What the fuck is this?"