The morning after Eli's return, Ava woke later than usual after having fucked him twice more before bed and falling asleep in an exhausted heap as he spooned her naked body. When she came downstairs in just her robe, she was startled to find another woman there, as well as the familiar clunky ultrasound machine she remembered from the last time.

From across the room the lady spotted Ava and smiled, "Good morning," she called, then continued with setting up the machine as Ava stood awkwardly at the foot of the stairs, looking around for Eli. She found him in the kitchen making breakfast. He turned from the stove with a frying pan in hand and set it down on a pot holder, pulling her close to kiss her on the forehead, then cheeks, lips, and neck. She giggled, letting him hug her as she remembered last night.

"I made you breakfast," he gestured to the plate of toast and bacon, then to the eggs still in the frying pan.

"Thank you," she sat down, tightening the belt of her robe over her belly and remembering the woman in the library, "Should we… first?"

Eli arched an eyebrow at her like he thought she meant something else, then understanding dawned, "No, no, she's still setting up and she came a bit early. I didn't want to wake you until it was necessary."

She nodded and accepted the fork he handed her before he brought the plate and frying pan over to her usual spot at the kitchen island, scraping the eggs from the pan into a steaming pile next to the toast.

"Thanks," she mumbled and began to eat while Eli served his own plate and sat down next to her.

"We worked up quite an appetite last night," he joked, and she felt her cheeks redden. Again, she felt the internal war between wanting to play along in order to make things easy and wanting to be spiteful to deny Eli whatever pleasure she could. It was exhausting to be so constantly torn, and yet for the moment, she allowed him to bask in the afterglow of his triumphant return, not wanting to spoil his good mood when she was currently reaping the benefits of it.

"All ready in here," they heard from the library.

The ultrasound proceeded with minimal fuss. As Eli had told her, the wand was able to go on her stomach now, and aside from the chill of the lubricant they used, there was no other discomfort, especially nothing to match that of her earlier experience.

The nurse was efficient. Within seconds, she turned the screen towards Eli and Ava, flipping on the sound and smiling as the familiar wap-wap-wap noise alerted them that the baby was alive and well. This time there were no tears, although Eli's eyes did look misty towards the end.

"Your baby is measuring around 16 weeks and 5 days," the nurse informed them, "Are you wanting to know the gender?"

"No," Eli interjected before Ava could even respond, and just like that, she felt some of the warmth between them dissipate again.

The ultrasound concluded soon after. When Eli was helping the nurse load up her equipment outside, it left Ava on the chaise to look at the printout of the ultrasound pictures. She looked up when she heard the telltale sound of the door locking, and again, she felt the animosity rise in her.

When he came back, she deliberately avoided his eyes, staring at the ream of pictures in her hands and reminding herself that this was not some fairy tale, no matter how different things were now than when she had first been entrapped here. Eli was talking but she was only half-listening as she looked around the room and remembered the first night here when he had shoved her up against that shelf and told her she wasn't going anywhere, or the time when he fucked her on the desk and she asked for him to pick up birth control on her errands and he had scoffed at the request. Now she looked down from the pictures to her belly and saw the fruition of his plans, feeling sickened anew by the realization that she had been playing right into his hands yet again. If he starved her for companionship, for meaningful friendships, long enough, then she clung to him like a lifesaver - which wasn't that his plan entirely?

"Let's go out somewhere, today," he suggested, almost like he sensed her agitation.

Caught off guard, Ava sat up and looked at him in disbelief, "Where?"

He shrugged, "Somewhere outside the city. Maybe a park, the beach, any place private that we can get some fresh air."

Her irritation with him was already waning in the face of this second lifeline he had thrown her in 24 hours. By lunchtime, they were in his car halfway to the Pacific Coast Highway. It was an unseasonably warm day for mid-November in Northern California and Eli let her put the windows down while he cranked up some classic rock.

The place he took her to was definitely secluded. When they veered off the road and Ava caught sight of the ocean again she held her breath, her hands itching to open the car door even before Eli had managed to park.

It was a small gravel parking lot they found. Ava saw the sign indicating it was free to the public and did not recognize the name. A narrow sand path that wound through tall beach grass led downhill to an opening between large, craggy rock formations to the flat expanse of sand. It was a sunny day, but here beside the vast open ocean, the wind still blew chilly. They had dressed for it with sweaters and a blanket Eli carried from the car with the fast food they had picked up along the way. Down by the water, Ava felt revived once again by the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. Once, a particularly strong gust pushed her towards Eli, who caught her with a chuckle before he spread out the blanket for her.

The beach was empty except for them. Apparently, Monday afternoons in mid-November were not a popular time for visitors here. Further down the coast Ava could see a few sea lions basking on a nearby outcropping of rocks, their slippery gray bodies unbothered by the chill of the air or water. When the food was gone and Eli leaned against her, he stroked her back gently, and she felt a flutter in her lower half.

Was that the baby? She wondered how soon she should expect it her first time. She had no idea what it would feel like. The ultrasound technician had said she might not feel kicks for several more weeks, but that she was very small so there was a good chance she would feel them sooner.

Eli lay back on the blanket and stretched out like a contented housecat, his lower belly bloated from the fried food they'd just finished.

Ava looked over her shoulder at him and saw his smile under half-lidded eyes. He reached for her, large hands pulling her to lay down next to him, letting him hold her to his chest and breathe in the smell of her hair as his hand lowered to her waist. Instead of being lewd, he rested it on the swell of her own belly pooch, and she felt her chest tighten.

At some point, they fell asleep out there. Eli kept her warm enough against the onslaught of the wind, and the weight of his body felt solid against hers. When she woke to the tickle of sand in her ears she stirred, then stretched and looked up to see Eli still fast asleep.

She sat up, thinking he would wake instantly and follow suit, but he lay there, head tilted away from the wind, lips slightly parted, and Ava watched the steady rise and fall of his chest like she was staring at a different person.

The sky was gradually darkening towards the faint pinks and purples of the oncoming evening. She scanned the beach for anyone, then looked back at him. If she was careful, right now, she could make a break for it. It was a huge risk that he might wake up, but the way he was sleeping so peacefully coupled with the roar of the nearby surf, she thought it might just muffle the sound of her leaving long enough for her to escape.

Ava's heart sped up. It wasn't too far back to the car but the keys were deep in his pocket. She knew she would never retrieve those without waking him, and once that happened it was all over for her. The irrational thought occurred to her that she might be able to strangle him if she had the element of surprise, but rationalized that his raw strength had overpowered her one too many times to make that a realistic prospect. She looked out at the vast ocean under the now gray sky. The dark water looked cold and menacing as she contemplated whether she might just run there instead, simply swim out to sea until her limbs couldn't propel her anymore until she sank to the bottom, lost to him forever.

Then she looked down at her stomach and thought of Eli's threat toward her friends. Lastly, she looked at Eli and almost jumped to see him now staring back at her, his eyes suspicious, but the hand he suddenly grasped her wrist with was gentle as he pulled her back down to him.

"Mmm, I was dreaming about you," he murmured, stealing a kiss from her numb lips. Her heart was thudding erratically as she recalled her desperate plans just moments ago, paranoid that he could somehow read her thoughts, but then he felt her body stiffen and her breath hitch, taking it for arousal.

He flipped her onto her back on the blanket, smoothing the hair from her eyes as he pinned her against the sand and hiked up her thigh to his waist, letting her feel the evidence of his dream rubbing against her through the fabric.

Ava looked up, back towards the path they had taken in case anyone might walk down at this very moment, but Eli's hand on her neck made her look back to him as he kissed her again, rutting between her legs.

"Someone might see," she murmured when she heard the clink of his belt being undone, but he scoffed at the idea, pulling her leggings and underwear down to her ankles as he unsheathed himself to his knees and slowly fit his cock inside of her again while she lay there spread-eagled on the blanket.

The feeling of his naked skin against her thighs and nowhere else was somehow erotic. From the waist up they were just normal people taking a day at the beach, but his hips drove their lower halves together and she jolted with the impact, grabbing the collar of his jacket and gasping with each thrust.

Afterward, they lay there with their clothes still half-donned until the ocean breeze made it too chilly to endure. Eli sat up first and pulled up his clothes, redoing the belt buckle before he helped her tug her own back up her now cold, shaking legs.

Shivering, she stood up and gazed longingly at the sea one more time, wishing it weren't so chilly and she could stay longer, but the warmth of the day was gone and the cold brought in by the wind on the tides was biting. Eli wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and hugged her from the side as they made their way back to the car. By the time they had loaded up and pulled back onto the Pacific Coast Highway again, overhead was a brilliant dusky sky of oranges mixed with purples as the deep indigo shades of nighttime rapidly encroached upon them.

The car's heated seats helped Ava's shivering cease as Eli drove back towards the city and she pondered the meaning of today. His hand rested on the console between them, but she pretended she didn't see it and turned towards the window, laying her hands atop her stomach in silent symbolism that she wasn't ready for that now.

"I'm still mad at you, by the way," she offered.

Eli turned the music down, "Why is that?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

His eyes were still fixed on the road, but his voice seemed more bored with resurrecting old topics rather than dangerous, which encouraged her.

"For how you acted about Lockwood Manor. For going there again without me. For blaming me for your boss finding out about the baby before you were brave enough to tell him."

The last line was a risky one, but if she was going to be forced to spend all her time with him, and under him, she should at least be able to speak her mind.

Eli was quiet as he drove. She thought maybe he was ignoring her, until he spoke.

"I'm sorry," he replied, "You're right. There were a lot of unknown factors on that last trip and I was unprepared. I shouldn't have been so harsh."

His hand reached over and caressed her baby bump, "Can you forgive me?"

Ava caught his eye briefly when he glanced away from the road to show her his sincerity. She wanted to say no because they both knew that his apology was only for the smallest of grievances he had committed against her, but it was probably the best she was going to get.

"I… forgive you for overreacting at the Manor. I'm still a long way from forgiving you for everything else."

To her dismay, he grinned, his hand still splayed possessively over the fruits of his efforts growing inside her, "As I've said, love, just give it time."

Their drive up to Lockwood Manor this time was notably less tense than the first, and certainly less tense than their return trip. Eli still kept his open hand where she could see he was waiting for her to initiate holding it, but she persisted in keeping hers over her belly, not yet ready for that emotional intimacy to become commonplace between them. She knew that if and when she started accepting it, there would be no going back.

They ate lunch in a different roadside town this time, one located in the mountains an hour or so before they reached the ocean. Ava was much hungrier this trip, and so they stopped earlier, opting for the first of three options available, a restaurant that served BBQ in what looked like a log cabin.

"You're sure you don't want to eat at the gas station or the Chinese restaurant in the strip mall?" he joked as he opened the door for her. She rolled her eyes as he guided her in.

Lunch was filling, which made her tired. Shortly after they got back on the road, she felt herself nodding off and leaned her seat back, mumbling to Eli that she just needed to rest her eyes for a few minutes.

When she woke next, it was to the sound of a large pothole under the tires, and then as much as she tried to fall back to sleep in her groggy state, the music from the speakers and the sound of the road rolling beneath the car made her sit up and smack her lips, her mouth suddenly very dry.

"Water bottles are in the back," Eli reminded her, and Ava retrieved one just as they began passing some familiar landmarks.

"This is it. This is the town we went to before," she exclaimed, looking out the window at the quaint little downtown area and the half-empty parking lot.

He smiled and nodded, turning the steering wheel with the sharp bend in the road that signaled they were less than an hour away from Lockwood Manor. Ava caught sight of the ocean before it disappeared behind the line of trees. It was hard not to remember the last time they had driven this way after a relaxing afternoon in that town that ended with Ava ready to tear her clothes and mount him in the parking lot.

She blushed as they drove on, enjoying the scenery more than she had been able to the last time, and tingling between her legs at the memory. Eli looked over at her – grinning as if he too, were recalling it.

The closer they came to the entrance to Lockwood Manor the more Ava felt her heart rate pick up. During this visit, she would need to be extra careful in what she said around their hosts. Eli might have been swayed to bring her back this time but there was no telling if she would get another chance were something to happen on this trip, especially since it was for twice the amount of time.

"Why don't you go home and visit your family for Thanksgiving?" she asked out of curiosity.

Eli pressed his lips together, hesitating to answer. She had never asked much about him or his upbringing before, too determined to avoid making him think she cared, but she realized this was her opportunity to learn more details she might be able to use to her advantage later, as he undoubtedly did every time some valuable tidbit about her life before him poured from her lips.

"Bit of a black sheep situation," he explained like he was trying to get away with revealing as little as possible.

"You're the black sheep?"

"Well, obviously."

"But you said you were the middle child, right? Don't all middle children think they're the black sheep?"

He chuckled, "There's a bit more to it than birth order. I was… difficult… growing up. Lots of discipline issues in school, plenty of trips to the principal's office, and suspensions. My father threatened to send me away to military school more than once, but my mom wouldn't let him."

Eager to get more details, Ava seized her chance, "So how did you manage to become a CEO and Benjamin Lockwood's right-hand man?"

Eli looked pleased with himself, "I enrolled in a magnet school where I specialized in science and technology, as well as learning a good deal about money management from a teacher on the side. She and I became… close, you could say."

"You slept with her?"

"Yes, for the last two years of high school. She had a husband, and children, so she was not in it for commitment, but she taught me everything she knew about sex. Her biggest kink was bondage and breeding. We often role-played scenarios where she would pretend to get pregnant. For a while I became obsessed with the idea, thinking she might leave her husband and family for me if we had a baby together. Eventually, she and her husband did decide to get pregnant again, but she and I never stopped fucking, so there was always a chance it was mine. When I graduated and we cut ties, that urge, that desire was still something I dreamed about, something she planted in my mind years before. Then when I met you, I felt those old feelings stir again. I knew if I could find a way to bring us together, I could awaken you to it too."

"By raping me until I got pregnant?"

"By awakening you to the thrills of desperate, feral, unprotected sex. It took time and training, but you've done beautifully, and soon, we'll have our own little family and a baby to bind us together forever."

Her mouth hung open to hearing him admit it all so freely. Would he have disclosed so much intimate information to her months ago if she ever displayed the inclination to ask? Or was this another mind game? Was he making up some story for her to rationalize why he was the way he was?

"Did she drug you to make you feel things for her like you did to me?" Ava asked in sudden anger, "Or was it the other way around? Did you slip a roofie into her drink for weeks too?"

"Don't insult me," he scoffed, "I never roofied you. I didn't want you unconscious, just uninhibited."

"How old were you when you first slept with her?"

Eli seemed to think for a moment, "Either 15 or 16, I can't remember."

"And how old was she?"

Again, he pondered her question, "Around 32, give or take."

"If what you're telling me is true, then she abused you. She was in a position of power and took advantage of you, a minor…"

Now it was his turn to elevate his voice just slightly in defensiveness, "I don't see it that way."

Ava crossed her arms over her belly just as the gravel drive for Lockwood Manor came into sight around another curve in the road, "You should."

Eli's foot began to press gently on the brakes, but he said nothing else to her. The stone pillar with the keypad waited for the car to inch closer and Eli rolled down the window to punch in the code.

"Beautiful weather," he effused by way of changing the subject, and Ava smelled the cool autumn breeze that wafted in while he waited for the gate to open. She couldn't argue with that, but now she was too distracted to enjoy the scenery, instead, rehashing every detail he had revealed to her just now and surmising them for sincerity. Of course, she had no way of knowing what was the truth and what was a lie. Maybe it was all another calculated attempt on his part to gain her sympathy.

The car lurched forward without warning and Ava braced herself against the door.

"Jumpy, are we?" Eli asked in a light tone, as if he hadn't just regaled her with fresh details from his troubled adolescence, each one more sordid than the last.

As they slowly rolled up the driveway and the Manor came into sight, Ava saw Maisie standing at the top of the stairs already waiting for them. A nervous bubble of excitement formed in her gut to see the girl's enthusiasm. The closer they got, the more animated she could see Maisie become, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she watched their approach.

"Remember our agreement," he admonished Ava, "Keep mum and put on a happy face if you want this to be a regular thing."

Ava's good mood soured at the reminder and she scowled, but finally she mmhmm'd her assent all the same.

Mr. Lockwood and Iris joined Maisie at the top by the time Eli parked the car in the same location as last time, reaching over to unbuckle her seat belt for her and leaning close to her ear as he did, "No funny business," he murmured with a playful nip at her earlobe.

Ava yelped softly and he pulled away, flashing a cocky smile before he exited and came around to open her door for her.

It was hard not to be cognizant over how much more she was showing in just a month between visits. Iris and Maisie's eyes widened as Eli took Ava's arm and helped her up the stairs, her belly straining against the tight cotton of her former workout shirt.

"You're glowing, my dear," Benjamin greeted her with a shake of the hand which he then held fast, laying his other hand atop, "So pleased you could join us again. I know Mills missed you dearly on his last visit alone."

Eli's possessive hand wrapped around her waist, ruining whatever warmth she might have felt in that moment.

Maisie wasted no time and flung arms around Ava first, drawing Eli's eyes up to Ava's, giving her a look as if to say, See? Everyone missed you - so keep quiet and play along for all our sake.

Iris was more subdued than the others. She stood behind Macy and nodded to both Eli and Ava, but made no move to initiate physical contact. "Welcome back, Mr. Mills, Ms. Chambers."

They were ushered inside in spite of Ava's urge to stand on the steps and soak in the cool fall day. Eli carried their luggage and led her upstairs, promising they would be back down for dinner, and ignoring Maisie's look of disappointment at not having longer to talk with them after weeks of absence.

Back in the same bedroom as last time, Ava was relieved to see everything looked exactly the same. It was a strange sort of comfort, given that she had only spent a brief amount of time here once before, but the memories in this room, and this house, overall, were demonstrably better than the majority of memories she had made thus far at Eli's.

She shrugged off her cardigan into the empty chair near the window, crossing her arms over her belly and waiting for Eli to tell her what he wanted, as he always did.

Instead of demanding she join him, he merely flopped onto the bed with a groan and linked his hands behind his head, glancing over at her with a look she couldn't decipher. Usually, he would beckon her to join him, or verbally order her to do so, but right now he seemed content to watch her standing there, facing him with her back to the window, the sunshine through the glass warming her shoulders as she did.

Ava found her feet approaching him without even being asked. Between her legs, the tingling of anticipation that had started in the car grew into an ache. Her heart sped up at the thought of sinking herself onto him right now, even without being provoked. This was her own doing – she told herself, and the sly smile he gave as her knees met the mattress and crawled over him suggested he was very pleased with this progression.

He unbuckled his pants and slid them down with his boxers as she shoved her yoga pants to her knees. It was tricky to try and fuck him without removing them completely, and he chuckled as she huffed in frustration, using his fingers gently to coax her on her back while he peeled them the rest of the way down her legs. His hands spread her thighs apart and her breath hitched, lifting her hips slightly in encouragement as he slid his tongue between them.

It had been weeks since he went down on her here, and the sight of her bump blocking the view made Ava writhe even more against the ministrations of his tongue. She gasped, loudly, at a particular flick he made against her clit, then cried out when he pressed his advantage further, holding her thighs apart with a grip so intense she knew they would bruise.

"Ah! AHH!" she moaned, forgetting where they were.

His hand suddenly released her thigh and swung up to clap over her mouth, digging two fingers between her lips to gag her as she chased her climax and groaned in frustration when he sat up quickly, leaving her pussy open and begging for relief.

He pulled her against him, hands grabbing the cheeks of her ass and lifting her to wrap her legs around him as he knelt on the bed, carefully fitting her to sheath perfectly onto his cock, which he did without delay, eliciting a long, drawn out hiss from her when he bottomed out.

Ava rode him as well as she could, but Eli's arms around her and under her did most of the work, lifting and pulling her on his dick again and again as she moaned into his neck and held on for dear life.

"Shh," he whispered when she cried out at a particularly deep thrust, "If you can't be quiet, I'll have to make you."

That threat only worsened the building tension inside her and she threw back her head, moaning loudly, defiantly, as he watched her in awe, then dropped her onto the bed and flipped her over without preamble.

Her hips were lifted up and his hand was covering her mouth when he roughly entered her again, muffling her scream as he bent over her and left a trail of teeth marks along her shoulders.

"That's it Ava, scream as loud as you want now."

It felt so good, both to give in to the urge to fuck him and to be dominated like this as she lay helpless before him, but her orgasm was not finding her and Ava was beginning to tire sooner than normal, wanting to feel ecstasy wash over her and fall asleep in his arms.

Somehow, Eli always seemed to sense what she needed. He flipped her onto her back again and proceeded to drill between her legs like a battering ram, mouth fastening to hers and swallowing her screams as he finally managed to push her over the edge of the abyss. When she went limp, he allowed himself to cum as well, spurting inside her while his wobbly arms held him over her, his waist still wrapped by her legs.

She slept after that, and Eli with her. His broad hands trailed along her arms and back until finally he drifted off next to her, his baby growing between the two of them even as they dreamt.

Dinner that night was sumptuous. Iris had prepared a beef roast with all the trimmings. Maisie made animated conversation and kept asking questions about the baby.

"Can I play with him? When he's big enough?" she asked between bites of asparagus, drawing Iris' reproachful gaze eyes for talking with her mouth full.

Eli donned his best indulgent fatherly look, "Well, we don't know that it's a 'he' yet, Maisie. We'll have to wait and see when the baby is born, but I'm sure they would love for you to play with them when they've grown a bit."

The little girl beamed at him, looking to her grandfather expectantly just as Mr. Lockwood cleared his throat.

"You know Mills, I've been thinking. The city is no place for a child to grow up. So many hazards and so little space. Wouldn't it make more sense to raise it somewhere with room to roam?"

Eli looked up at his employer, "Sir?"

"Dash it all boy, I think you know what I'm saying."

Ava looked at Eli, sitting there quietly contemplating, as she put the pieces together, "What? Us move here?"

He gave her a warning look that Maisie witnessed. Ava watched her small face fall and said nothing, looking down at her plate in silent submission.

"It's a very generous offer, sir."

"But?"

"But we are still getting into the rhythm of being a couple expecting a baby in our own home. I think it's a bit early to think about uprooting for someplace entirely new."

Ava's heart sped up at the thought of moving in here. There would be more to do, even if she would still be essentially Eli's sex slave, and there would be other people around with whom to make conversation. She could go outside, live in a house without dozens of locks and alarms between her and what freedom the outdoors afforded her.

Mr. Lockwood looked disappointed, but not shocked by the decision.

"Of course, I understand, as a young couple you will want your privacy. We would obviously respect that, but with your family on the other side of the country, Mills, and Ms. Chambers here… well, it would do well for you to have the support of a village somewhere, is all I'm saying. Having a baby can be quite overwhelming for even the most experienced."

Eli was nodding but his jaw looked tense at the implication that they might struggle more than he thought.

"Just think about it," Mr. Lockwood finished, "That's all I'm asking."

After dinner was cleared and all parties dispersed back to their rooms, Ava trudged up the stairs behind Eli, still lost in thought over Mr. Lockwood's proposal.

Back in the room, Eli retrieved his laptop without a word to her and slipped across the hall toward his office space. Alone again, she considered running a bath, running a hand over her belly, and eventually soothing herself into a light sleep.

She woke when the door clicked open and Eli reemerged, empty-handed and smiling.

"You conked out early," he mused, climbing onto the bed next to her and snuggling in close.

Ava yawned, and stretched her limbs, "More tired than I thought I was."

"Good," he tucked her hair behind her ear, "Rest now. You've had a long day." His lips brushed her forehead, and instead of eliciting disgust, she felt her heart give a gentle flutter as her heavy eyelids begged to shut again.

"Sleep," he told her, pulling the blankets up to her shoulders, "Get some rest for tomorrow."

Ava woke up to an empty bed the next morning, and most mornings after on their trip. Eli seemed to rise hours before she did and busy himself across the hall working on his laptop and making phone calls. Rather than bother him, she showered and dressed, tiptoeing down the hall and downstairs where she found Iris and Maisie eating breakfast in the kitchen.

Maisie jumped up when she saw her and ran to wrap her arms around Ava's thickening waist.

"Mr. Lockwood is still abed," Iris informed her, "Would you care to join us for breakfast?"

"Yes, please," Ava answered, her stomach rumbling audibly enough that Maisie giggled.

Together, they tucked into eggs and sausages, pancakes and toast. Orange juice and water were poured from crystal decanters in matching goblets and it all felt so posh Ava almost laughed.

"Would you like to join us for our morning walk through the gardens?" Maisie asked, looking to Iris for approval.

Ava finished chewing her food and swallowed before answering, "I would love that."

Suddenly, a low buzzer on the wall went off and Iris stood, "That'll be Mr. Lockwood," she said, "Maisie, I trust you can show Ms. Chambers the way around while I attend to your grandfather."

Maisie nodded then looked excitedly at Ava, almost bouncing in her seat to rush out the door.

When Iris had gone, the girl busied herself clearing the table immediately, shoving extra sausage and toast in a napkin she handed to Ava, 'In case we get hungry on our walk.' Before Ava could even pour herself more orange juice the decanters were taken away and placed back in the fridge, leaving the table looking pristine save for two wet rings left on the surface which Maisie quickly wiped away.

"Let's go!" she practically pulled Ava from her seat in the direction of the backdoor.

Outside in the garden flowers spilled from archways and trellises. Plants had been carefully planted in boxes and rows to weave amongst each other and fill the air with the potent smell of greenery even at the onslaught of autumn. The air was chillier than the last time they had visited, but the warmth of the sun on their backs made it bearable in their sweaters.

"Only a few more weeks before most of these go into hibernation," Maisie explained in her sweet little accent, looking back over her shoulder at Ava as she led the way down the gravel paths between the planter boxes.

As they neared the end of the garden, both turned and looked up at the hulking figure of Lockwood Manor towering above them. White clouds across a pale blue sky blocked out the brightness of the sun but Ava still had to shield her eyes to see the topmost levels in all their stone glory.

Ava looked over at Maisie who was now watching her, eyes taking in the swell of Ava's tummy and seeming to deliberate on what to say next.

"What are you going to name him?" she asked.

A pause, then Ava gave a faint smile, "You seem very convinced it's a boy."

Maisie shrugged, "I had a dream about him. He was born here, Eli said we would grow up together and I would be like his big sister." Her eyes looked away as her voice wobbled, showing Ava just how lonely she felt up here by herself.

"Hey, c'mere," she wrapped her arms around Maisie's shoulders and squeezed, "Boy or girl, it doesn't matter. I'm sure the baby will love you."

The girl smiled up at her and wiped away a lone tear with the back of her hand, "Will you move here? Please? It would make my grandpa so happy. Iris too. I'd be the happiest of all if you did."

Ava faltered on how to explain that the decision was not up to her, that none of the decisions she had made these past several months were up to her.

"We'll see," she said, "Better to convince Eli than me."

Maisie's eyes hardened in determination, "I will convince him," she stated with finality, "Your baby should be here, where he'll have a whole family, and a big sister."

That made Ava smile and hug her again, "It sounds very idyllic the way you describe it. You seem very happy here."

Their feet started to carry them slowly back in the direction of the house. Maisie looked to be deep in thought from that last statement.

"We could all be happy, together, here. I know maybe you aren't totally happy with Eli, but I hope you can be, for the baby."

Now it was Ava's turn to feel tears forming in her eyes. She looked off toward the tree line, suppressing a sigh as her hands gravitated toward her bump. For better or worse now, she was tied to him, to this house and this family, in inextricable ways. Wouldn't it suit everyone involved to move up here and make the best of it?

"I wish I had a mum and dad like you and Eli," she continued, "I wish we could all be a proper family together. I could be his sister for real, instead of just some orphan."

"Hey," Ava stopped Maisie with a hand on the shoulder, "Don't say that, okay? You're not just some orphan. You're very special – to everyone; your grandpa, Iris, Eli, and me."

Her sad, fierce expression melted a little and Maisie folded herself into Ava's arms, "I'm so glad Eli brought you here," she whispered.

Ava stroked the top of her head gently, looking up to see Eli suddenly approaching them, looking very pleased to see them bonding. He strode along in his suit as the sunlight caught the golden hues in his hair, reflecting off his glasses and Ava thought once again how handsome he was in spite of being a monster.

"How are my two favorite girls doing?" he asked jovially before he noticed Maisie was crying.

"What's this?" he asked, kneeling down in the gravel to get on her level, "I thought we were all supposed to have a great time this week?"

Maisie buried her face into Ava's shirt, half-crying, half-smiling, "It would be a great time if you lived here ALL the time."

Eli's gaze flicked up to Ava who shrugged her shoulders as if to absolve herself of being blamed for this development.

"Well, honey, it's still early to make big decisions like that, hey? Let's wait until the baby gets here and see how we go before anything gets set in stone?"

He was so good at playing the part – so skilled in pretending to care, pretending to have a soul. It unnerved Ava to see the way he played everyone like a fiddle while they were none the wiser. It made her question how many times he had managed to do the same to her.

That night after dinner he took her to bed gently, but firmly, holding her still when she tried to squirm away, forcing her to let him pleasure her long after she had ceased to need relief. If anything, the relief came when he collapsed into an exhausted heap beside her and she could rest, her naked backside nestled against his torso and his rapidly beating heart lulling her to sleep.

In the days that followed, she took more walks with Maisie, often Iris and Mr. Lockwood joined them. In the evenings after dinner, they played games with Eli present, sometimes he even participated, especially if cards or trivia were involved. During the day she napped or did art with Maisie, and spent as much time outdoors as possible. The evening of Thanksgiving they each went around the table and said something they were thankful for, even though, as Mr. Lockwood said, it was a 'corny American tradition.'

On the last night of their trip, Saturday evening, Eli took Ava downstairs late, showing her where to find the elevator which led down to the lower levels beneath the house. Clad in only her nightgown and robe, she nervously followed him, shivering from the chill of the basement levels while the elevator descended.

When they exited, a short hallway led to a white door that opened to a massive indoor swimming pool. Steam rose off the water, telling her it was heated, but she looked at Eli and reminded him she didn't have a swimsuit, to which he laughed.

"I didn't bring you all the way down here to see you in a bikini," he growled in her ear, already stripping his t-shirt and pajama pants to set them on a chair. Nearby was a large stack of folded towels, waiting for the next pool guests to use them. Eli strode naked down to the edge of the deep end and bent forward, grinning at her before he dove in.

Ava stood there awkwardly, worried someone might walk in and see them skinny dipping in the pool. Eli surfaced and beckoned her in, "The door is locked and it's virtually soundproof in here. No one is coming down anytime soon." It sounded more like a threat than a reassurance, but Ava slipped her robe down her shoulders and draped it over the chair next to Eli's. Her nightgown and underwear came next, and even with her back turned she could feel Eli's eyes devouring her from the water.

When she looked over her shoulder his face was half submerged, only his eyes and nose were above the surface, and the feral look he held for her was positively predatory.

Naked, trembling, she walked to the edge of the pool and stepped down, holding the railing for support and covering her breasts with one arm. Eli was waiting for her when she finally reached the pool floor, sinking under the surface immediately for some semblance of modesty.

"Never skinny-dipped before?" he asked disbelievingly, pulling her towards him through the water.

"Not in a long time," she admitted, feeling his hands all over her sensitive skin in the warm water; pulling her, stretching her, parting her legs to wrap them around his waist as they bobbed there near the pool's edge.

The bump of her belly between them felt larger than usual in here. They merely looked at each other, their faces tinted blue by the reflection of the water under the dim lighting. The smell of chlorine was almost overpowering in here. Water dripped from her ponytail and clung to his eyelashes. He smiled at her with those perfectly straight teeth before he kissed her, holding her body tightly against him as he pushed her against the wall of the pool and began to grind their lower halves together under the water.

Somehow, the friction was more intense than usual. The sloshing of water around them, the slipperiness of her breasts against his bare chest and his fingers struggling to find purchase on her skin all while he tried to guide his hardness inside of her. When he succeeded, she threw her head back with a moan, wrapping her legs tighter around his waist to make sure she felt every exquisite ridge of his cock gliding inside of her.

The heat of the water and the burning between her legs as he thrust between them left her head spinning. She came, first with a gasp, then a look of open-mouthed shock as he watched her face for a reaction before allowing his own euphoria to wash over him. After, he carried her out of the pool and wrapped her in towels, holding her close until she felt she could stand.

Once he managed to wrap a towel around his waist and grabbed their clothes from the chair, he ushered her back to the elevator, draping her robe around her shoulders to keep her warm until they were back in their room. He held her in bed, stroking her stomach and kissing her neck softly until she drifted off to sleep.

When they finally left the next afternoon, she gave Maisie a lingering hug goodbye, feeling Eli's gaze and the weight of her importance to the young girl heavy on her shoulders. In the car, as they pulled down the driveway, she thought again of what Maisie had said in the garden that first day:

"We could all be happy, together, here."

"I wish I had a mum and dad like you and Eli. I wish we could all be a proper family together."

"I could be his sister for real."

The car pulled up to the main road and Eli stopped to let a logging truck pass. That was when she felt it for the first time. Small, faint fluttering inside her, like nothing she had ever felt before. It was so wholly unfamiliar that she knew immediately what it was – what it must be.

Her eyes widened and she looked at Eli as if he would already know, but he was concentrating intently on the road and had not noticed a thing. Just like that, the movement was gone. But it had been real, she knew, and it would come back again, stronger than before, and more consistent, with time.

All that talk about being a family, all the time spent together, and now, this new milestone. Ava didn't want to feel the slightest bit of endearment to Eli, but as she sat there, hands across her belly, and mulled over the events of the past week, she felt a gradual shifting in her hatred, chipping away at it to leave room for something slightly less than utter revulsion. This time, when they passed the small seaside town they had stopped at weeks ago, Eli settled into his seat and left his hand open on the e console again. This time, she left her own hand next to his, felt him take it, and hold it for the rest of the drive home.