The Center (Houdini and Nurse_K)

She decided then and there that she wasn't going to be able to tell him that she had to visit him every other week. He couldn't know. She just had to make up a reason to be busy, or something. Maybe eventually she could tell him she was going to visit him again. Pretend like it was just the second time she was going. But she didn't want to think about that now. Her time with Carlos was over. She didn't have to even think about him again until Friday.

They got off of the bus together and walked towards the train station. She listened to him, but was wary. "I'd love to do that, babe. But...we both have to work. Neither one of us has much money to spare. I have a little settlement money left, but I've been putting that towards rent and trying to save some of what my job gives me. I don't think we can afford to miss work."
 
Brendan smiled at her practicality, forgetting about Carlos and the Center as much as he could for now. But Brendan had an investigative sense that was a little like a pit-bull. Once he bit into something, he wouldn't let go until he had all the answers. So, as much as he wanted to, he knew he wasn't going to be able to make this thing vanish from his mind.

"Come on baby. You have to have a little fun sometimes." He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her closer to him. "I hate to admit I've jumped the gun a little. But I may have a new interest on the horizon, financially, I mean. I'll tell you about it later. It doesn't mean I can take you on a shopping spree in New York or anything, but I did take the liberty of making some plans for us already. We can leave the Friday after next, early in the morning, and be back Sunday night. We'll each only have to miss one day of work. You don't need to chip anything in for this." He looked down at her, his big smile back. "It's a little place on a lake, only a couple hours away. The weather will be perfect for it by then."
 
Her heart froze when he gave the date. The Friday after next. That means they would be gone that Saturday...which would mean she would have to miss the visit with Carlos. That would anger him. And if she found out that she was going away with Brendan, and that's why she would miss it, he would be infuriated. He would have to deal with it, but that would mean that when she went to see him she would have to do anything he told her to to try to appease him. Even...even masturbating for him. She detested that even more than letting him anally rape her.

She had to try to see if she could finagle her way out of that weekend. "Babe...you should've asked me first." she was trying to sound happy about his plans, as he was obviously happy about them. "I had semi-plans for that Saturday. I don't want to back out if I don't have to...are you sure you can't change the date?"
 
Brendan was a little surprised that she asked him to change the plans. He'd fully expected her to be happy about it. She'd been locked up at the Center for almost two months, and her life hadn't exactly been roses since she'd gotten out. With things finally looking up between the two of them, he'd thought she'd love his surprise. "Sure, babe, I can call and see what they can do. I'm sure they'll let me change it to another weekend they still have open."

Furrowing his brow a little as he looked over at her, he started to speak, but then stopped. But then, he had to ask. "What did you have planned, anyway? Some secret tea party with the girls from work?" he teased, messing up her hair a little as they boarded the train and took their seats. Of course, she had her own life now, but he was a little surprised she had something planned which she couldn't adjust for their first trip together.
 
She giggled again as they boarded the train and sat down in their seats next to each other. "Actually, yes sort of. A girl's day kind of thing. I thought it was a good idea to try to make some friends, you know? All the ones I used to have live in the ghetto. And they probably wouldn't approve of the way I'm living my life right now. They'd probably all demand that I support my baby's daddy." she huffed at the thought of that and was once again very glad that she was out of the ghetto and never going back.

She heaved a sigh and leaned against the back of the train seat and closed her eyes. She rested her hand on her belly (without even thinking about it) and tried not to doze off. "I'm exhausted," she murmured.
 
Brendan smiled, glad that Elsa was fitting in socially in a different element than she'd been used to. He still thought it odd that she couldn't catch the next 'girl's day' and go away with her boyfriend this time, but he did like the idea. Besides, it was admirable in a way not to break existing plans. "Okay, I'll see what I can do," he said resignedly. He let her tired head fall onto his shoulder, and softly ran his fingers through her hair, letting her get as much rest as she could on the ride home.

His mind ran through his entire history with Elsa on the ride back; to all the things they'd been through. He'd never hurt her or leave her again, he thought to himself. He'd never let her sink back into the things she'd escaped. He woke her up when the ride ended, and walked her hand-in-hand the four blocks to her apartment. "So, I guess you're feeling too tired to do anything tonight?" he asked, clutching both hands in his and giving her a little peck by her front steps. "If so, I'll walk you up, and check on those lake plans once I get home."
 
She slept the whole rest of the train ride. She didn't get much rest out of it, but some. Enough that she could walk the four blocks to her apartment with him without fear of falling asleep again. She was very tired though. She was beginning to get tired a lot faster than she used to, just another obvious sign of pregnancy. She had her first pre-natal doctor's appointment the next day as well. She was going to the hospital two blocks the other direction from her apartment. She hadn't told Brendan about that either...mostly because she felt like she should go alone.

She nodded and kissed him back lightly, "Yeah babe, I'm sorry. I'm totally drained." she kept holding his hand as they went up the stairs and then as she unlocked her door. Once she was inside she stroked his cheek gently. "I love you. More than anything in the whole world,"
 
Brendan looked back at Elsa with complete love and devotion for her as he gazed into her tired eyes. "Okay, babe. I know my girl needs her rest," he said, leaning in and giving her one soft kiss on the lips, rubbing one shoulder at the same time. "I love you too, even more than what you just said," he told her with a silly smile. He turned halfway around before looking back at Elsa with a silly smile. "Don't forget, I'll go with you anytime you need support. Those breathing classes, or the ones where you sit in a yoga pose and I look into your eyes and tell you how strong and beautiful you are. Whatever you're into. I'll call you in the morning and see how you feel, maybe we can do something," he offered with a grin before heading down the steps and home.

Once he got back, he made a call to one of his better friends from the Center. Technically, they were all forbidden from talking to him socially, since he'd quietly instituted a wrongful termination suit against his former employer. But this was the one guy who he knew would talk to him. "Did you happen to see what was going on?" Brendan asked the friend once he'd explained the visit with Carlos from earlier. "Nah, I was at the other side of the building then," the friend explained. "Well, do you think you could at least put some feelers out for me?" Brendan asked. The friend agreed, and they shared some idle chat, before quickly reaching the man-maximum for that kind of talk, and hanging up. His next call was to the vacation spot, where he had to leave a message on their general voicemail explaining his situation.
 
After he left her she made herself a small dinner, not really having the will to eat much. Now she was feeling bad about lying to him. Maybe she would tell him about the doctor's appointment when he called her in the morning, but insist that he not come. She really wanted her first time at the doctor's to be by herself. So she could get a good assessment of what was going on without anyone else there to stress her out. After that she took a long, hot shower, trying to drown all of her worries and stress away with the water.

When she was through with that she changed into a nightgown (that showed her pregnant stomach terribly obviously) and climbed into her bed. She was asleep within seconds, and deeply. She slept soundly throughout the night without so much as a rustle of the bedsheets.
 
Brendan got to bed at a reasonable hour, tired from the long work week, the emotional strain of wooing Elsa all over again, and of course, the past day's events. He woke up fairly early on Sunday morning, and after having some cereal and orange juice, went out for a walk. He didn't want to call Elsa too early, and seem like a pest. She could always call him, after all, if she needed to talk. Heading into a department store not long after it opened, he browsed the maternity section, alone with two pregnant women in that part of the store. He'd already bought Elsa one nice dress. But she wouldn't be able to wear that now. He felt like she might be down on her body image, and he should get her something that was sexy, yet showed that she wasn't embarrassed to be expecting.

He finally paid and left after selecting what he thought was a wonderful dress, and went back to his apartment, unable to hold off from calling Elsa. She'd be up by now, he knew. So he put the dress on the coffee table as he dialed and laid down on the couch, waiting for Elsa to pick up.
 
Elsa roused when she heard the phone ringing. She stretched and flung her hand over to the end table and grabbed the phone. She clicked the talk button and held it up to her ear, "Hello?" she asked sleepily with a little yawn. She was positive it was Brendan so she sat up in the bed and stretched again.

(Sorry so short!)
 
"Hey, honey," Brendan said, smiling at the sound of Elsa's voice on the other end. "Are you feeling better than yesterday? I was thinking you could come over here for lunch. Maybe I'll finally make something decent for you myself."
 
"Mmmm," she murmured as he mentioned food. She was starving now after only having eaten a small dinner last night. "I feel okay right now. Still tired," she took a pause and thought about what she should say to him, "I have a doctor's appointment at 9:30. I can take the train to your place afterwards though."
 
"Oh," Brendan replied instinctively when she said she had a doctor's appointment. He thought it best not to press further. When they'd lived together, it seemed like they told each other everything. Now, however, Elsa seemed to need a little more space. Brendan thought it really shouldn't bother him, so he tried not to let it. "That sounds great, baby. Why don't you come over then, and I'll make us something."
 
She smiled when he said it was great. So he wasn't upset that she hadn't told him sooner. That was important. She didn't want him to be upset. She loved him. "Okay, I love you. Bye." and then she hung up the phone. She went around her apartment and got dressed, wearing the same yoga pants as the day before (all of her pants were getting tight) and put on a pale pink blouse. She grabbed her purse and house keys and set off to the hospital. She had to wait for a little while when she was there but once she was in, it went pretty quickly. The doctor did the first ultrasound and she got her first look at her baby. It was strange to her, to see that little thing in there that sort of looked like a baby. They couldn't tell the sex yet, and the doctor wanted to know if Elsa would like to know next time, when they could tell. She said she wasn't sure yet.

The doctor gave her a list of things she should and shouldn't eat, what vitamin supplements she should take, and the best ways for pregnant women to exercise. She thanked him and left the hospital and walked to the train. The train took ten minutes to get to Brendan's stop, and then another ten minutes to walk to his apartment complex. When she finally got there some of her energy had drained away. She knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.
 
Brendan looked through his cabinets and refrigerator when he got off the phone. It wouldn't quite be lunchtime when Elsa got there, he assumed, so he wasn't sure whether she'd want breakfast or lunch food. He didn't have much on hand, so he ran out to the supermarket, grabbing all the needed ingredients, and also a few things he'd probably need for the week. Once he got home, he fried up some bacon and cracked some eggs into a frying pan. He worked up a bacon and cheese frittata, while making some potato wedges in another pan. It was close enough to an omelette to be a decent breakfast, yet might be a filling lunch if she'd already had breakfast. Just as he was finishing up, he heard the knock at the door.

"Hey Elsa," he said excitedly once he opened the door. He stepped right out into the hallway and grabbed her hips, giving her a kiss on the lips that could best be categorized as playful. She looked a little worn out, actually, so he led her inside, and pulled up a comfortable chair so she could sit in the kitchen with him while he finished up. "How did it go, babe?" he asked as he scraped the frittata out of the pan. "I hope you're still hungry, by the way."
 
"Hi Brendan," she said cooingly to him when he opened the door. She smiled when he grabbed her hips and kissed him back, relishing the feel of his lips on hers. She curled up in the comfy chair and watched him finish making the food. It smelled absolutely divine. "I'm famished," she admitted with a little laugh, "Guess it makes sense since I'm eating for two now," she rested her head against the back of the chair and gave a little sigh.

"It went alright. Had the first ultrasound. The doctor days the baby is healthy and growing well. I'm fifteen weeks along, or almost four months. The next visit is in three weeks, and the doctor said I could find out the sex of the baby then. I donno if I want to though..."
 
Brendan laughed at what she said, organizing the food neatly onto two plates. "I hope this came out. I've been too busy to do much lately in the kitchen, so I'm sure I'm out of practice." He set one plate in front of where Elsa was to sit, and pulled up a kitchen chair right next to hers so he could sit close to her. "Yeah, I mean it's your choice, but maybe it's best not to know yet about the baby," he suggested. In the back of his mind, he knew Carlos would want to find out if it was a boy, and figured that if Elsa didn't know, she couldn't tell him. It would be some kind of small victory on Brendan's part, anyway, to deprive Carlos of something.

Just then the phone rang. He looked at the caller ID, and saw it was the vacation spot. "Oh, hold on for a sec, babe." He picked up the phone and talked to a woman for a minute or so. "Good news, Els," he said with a grin after he hung up. They said we can switch the date to the following week. Still Friday to Sunday. So hopefully, you can tell the girls you have plans," he teased, giving her a light tickle on the side. He dug into his food, nodding as he realized it wasn't too bad. "You know, Elsa, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about," he started tentatively, reaching over and giving her a little rub on the flat of her back. "I'm sure sometime we'll get a place that'll be ours. More so than my place or yours. But I'm concerned about you living alone. Until then, what do you think of staying with me again?"
 
She thought about what he said about knowing the sex of the baby. She figured he only didn't want her to know so that she couldn't tell Carlos. It would be a lot easier for her to know though, they could buy the right kind of baby stuff instead of having to wait until the last minute. If they spent the money over time it wouldn't hurt them financially, but to unload all at once would probably be bad. She began to eat the food he'd set in front of her and was glad to see that it tasted pretty good. It was obvious, though, which of them was better in the kitchen. And that was Elsa.

She smiled when she heard they could change the weekend. It would still mean she would miss a phone call with Carlos, but...that was a lot easier to handle than a visit. Her face sobered a little bit though when he began talking about her moving in with him again. She fidgeted uneasily in her chair and slowed down her eating, taking a long sip of the juice. "Why are you concerned about it? I've been doing okay so far. And if I moved in with you again...I would have to give Carlos your phone number."
 
Brendan had stopped eating for a moment, anxious to hear Elsa's response to his big question. He could tell she didn't want to do it. And the fact that it seemed to be Carlos that was preventing it made him angry. He tried to keep his cool, and took a deep breath before starting to talk. But it probably would only take one more mention of Carlos to send him over the top. "Listen, babe," he said, moving his hand from her back to her far shoulder. "I know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself. But don't you want to be together? I mean, we both know we're meant for each other. And honestly, you shouldn't try to be a superwoman. You're pregnant, and you'll need a lot of help soon."

He took a drink of orange juice, setting the glass down before continuing. "And, you know I really don't think it's a great idea to give that... that man," he decided on, avoiding the temptation to use a different choice of words. "To give that man access to you any time he wants. But if you're that worried about it, we can probably have your phone line moved to my apartment. There is one thing that I really need to know, though babe. Are you concerned about moving back here because you're not comfortable enough with me yet, or because you're afraid of Carlos?"
 
Superwoman. Was she really trying to be that? She thought she was just trying to survive. Whether Brendan or she liked it or not, Carlos was a huge part of her life now. She couldn't just shut him out like Brendan so wanted her to. Brendan wanted her to just be able to clap her hands and Carlos would be gone forever. But it didn't work like that. Not in the real world, and certainly not in the ghetto. Whether you liked someone or not, if you had a connection with them you kept that connection. It would help you later on in life somehow, or at least that was what they were taught. And Carlos wasn't going to let her get away either. He would send people after her until she gave in. She didn't have the choice Brendan seemed to think she did.

"Brendan...listen to me. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But...there's something you have to understand. Carlos and I both come from the ghetto. And...when you're in the ghetto you stay by your man no matter what. It doesn't matter if you like him or not. As a woman your baby daddy is supposed to be the most important thing in your life. That's the way Carlos sees our relationship. He's not going to let me go. I'm terrified of him, babe. And he's threatened to hurt you and I can't let him do that."
 
Brendan bristled at what Elsa said. He knew that what she'd said was true. He knew Carlos had the means to come after him, to track down Elsa and his child, and much more. But Brendan didn't want to accept it. He stood up from the table, pacing over to the refrigerator, and opening it and closing it without taking anything out. He was just trying to do what he could to keep his composure. "Listen, Elsa," he finally began, raising his voice just a little. "I love you with all my heart, too, baby. That's why I care about you. You know, this is exactly why things like this get perpetuated. Because men think they can rape some girl, and then she's his forever. Because women let it happen. So what's to stop men like Carlos?"

He walked back over to the table, and was about to sit down, but just couldn't bring himself to. He paced around the table, and leaned down on it, supporting himself with his hands pressed against it. "So you're just gonna let him claim you? Is that it? So if he gets out of jail and snaps his fingers, and says 'Come over and visit me so I can see my baby. And give me a blowjob while you're over here', are you gonna do it? Are you gonna let him get away with that?" He took a deep breath and finally sat down. He placed his hand on Elsa's knee, rubbing it softly, a little calmer, but still resolute. "And don't bring me into this. I don't want you doing an iota of anything for Carlos because of me. I can take care of myself."
 
He was beginning to upset her. The way he was saying things was like what was happening was her fault. That it was her fault that Carlos wouldn't let go of her, that he was obsessed with her. That she let him be. She didn't even look at him when he decided that he was going to make her his. That first day on the bus to work at the Center. He'd decided then that he was going to claim her, and she hadn't even noticed him. How was that her fault? She pushed his hand off of her knee and pushed her chair back from the table. She stood up and put her hand to her forehead to try to stop herself from crying.

"I think I need to go home." she said shakily, "I don't feel too well right now. And frankly, you're not helping. You're just making me feel bad about myself, and that is not what I need right now Brendan. You keep saying that you want to take care of me and to make me safe, but then you turn around and say things like that."
 
Brendan felt stabbed to the heart when he saw Elsa on the verge of tears. He cared for her enough to feel awful her anytime she was in such a state. There was something about a pregnant woman, however, which called for even more compassion. He’d meant what he said; he wouldn’t share her with Carlos, but this was probably not the best way or place to have said so. He stood up himself and inched toward Elsa, placing a hand on her back even though she obviously wasn’t crazy about him touching her at the moment.

“ Elsa,” he began, trying his best to look her in the eye. “I won’t stop you from leaving if you want. That’s how I’m different from Carlos. I respect your right to make your own decisions. But I wish you’d stay here and talk through this.” He tentatively ran his hand up her back and behind her ear, cupping the bottom of her ear delicately. “You know, in a way, me and Carlos aren’t all that different. I guess I want you for myself just like he does. But the difference is that I want you so I can make you happy first, and myself second. The difference is that I really love you. I won’t share you with another man, but I’ll help you get through this.” He let go of her and backed away. “I’m sorry I blamed you… This whole thing isn’t your fault. So... we don’t have to talk about it anymore.” He went over to the table and started clearing it, seeing that the plates were mostly empty. “Why don’t you rest here until you feel better, honey? You can curl up on the couch, and lay down in my lap. We’ll talk, or watch TV, or whatever.”
 
She flinched when he ran his hand up her back and then behind her ear. She didn't really want him to touch her right now, at all. But he seemed insistent about doing so. He always seemed to want to be touching her, which she usually loved. She loved having some kind of physical contact with him, whether it be her head on his shoulders, their feet brushing, their hands folded together, or whatever else. But now she was feeling very sensitive at the moment and his touching her wasn't exactly making her feel good at the moment.

She heaved a huge sigh and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She looked up at him for a moment and her heart melted a little bit. She loved him so much. And this was upsetting both of them. She nodded and padded over to the couch. She kicked off her shoes and flopped over onto the cushions, curling herself up into a ball.
 
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