Maggie's Nightmare

Hello everyone!

Like I said, I had Part Two partially done and I finished it faster than expected, so I went ahead and got it up.

As always, thank you to everyone who has continued to read and follow this story ... I really do appreciate it.

And, of course, I would like to send a Special Thank you to c1ndylou for commenting on the last chapter - you seriously rock! *HUGS*

Now, finally, back to our story …

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Nick's POV –

I looked down in my arms and there was Beth; her hands graspin' at my arms as I held her as still as I could next to the bed. Her fingernails tore at my skin. I still couldn't hear nothin' though, just the beatin' of my own heart; it thumped like a drum in my skull. My pulse sending a sonic boom through my head.

Was she tryin' to say somethin' to me?

"Nick …" Beth managed to squeak my name as she continued to writhe in my arms; strugglin' to breath.

Why was I holdin' on so tight? Why …?

"Please …"

There she was again. She was askin' for me to do somethin', but I didn't know what. Her blonde hair thrashed back and forth as she tried to break free of me, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how the hell I'd even gotten into the bedroom.

Then, pain. Pain in my shin. Beth had slammed the back of her heel into my shin and then threw her head back into my face. More pain. And, wetness on my mouth. It tasted like iron. It was blood that was now flowin' freely from my nose.

"You broke my nose." I calmly stated as I threw her onto the bed. I reached up and touched my nose and mouth and looked down at my fingers that were now covered in blood. My eyes felt heavy and dead; my mouth fell open. "You broke my nose …"

Beth cowered on the bed; she'd tried to roll off the other side and I screamed.

"Don't you fuckin' move, Beth! Don't you fuckin' move!"

Beth scurried to the side as I approached and crawled up onto the bed; her eyes widened with every movement I made. I reached for her legs to pull her close to me and she started to kick, but I had too tight of a hold on her.

You're not goin' anywhere. Not this time …

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Beth's POV –

Jesus Christ, he's lost it!

I looked over at Nick as he grasped his face; the blood streamin' onto mouth and chin; drippin' onto the floor. I'd hit him in the face hard with the back of my head. And, although I was scared, it almost made me smile when he said I'd broken his nose. But, I knew better; I didn't want to make him any angrier.

I was so wrong about him. How could I be so wrong?

I thought he was gonna help me and Maggie. He said he was gonna get us outta here, and now he's … he's … well, I dunno what he's gonna do, but he looks crazed. It's like he's not even "there." He started to approach me, so I scooted to the back corner of the bed; I looked towards the bedroom door to see if I could escape.

Then, he screamed at me; a loud growl. "Don't you fuckin' move, Beth! Don't you fuckin' move!"
I shuddered and wrapped my arms around my belly; instinctively protectin' my baby. I didn't move. I just sat there; starin' at him as he crawled onto the bed. I began to plead with him.

"Nick, please don't …"

"Shut up, Beth!"

He crawled closer to me; almost animal-like. I felt like I was the prey, and I was bein' stalked. I knew this wasn't good; I'd seen him like this before. It was the prison all over again, except this time Mike wasn't around to wrangle his brother in and Daryl wasn't here to make him stop.

No one was here. I was gonna have to try and help myself.

As he got closer to me he reached out for my ankles and grabbed a hold of them. I started to kick, I knew if I kicked maybe I'd catch him in the face. Hurt him again and give me some time to escape. I kicked as hard as I could, but his grip was too tight; he pulled me underneath him and he sat on my chest. He tucked my arms underneath his legs; his shins pressin' into shoulders.

The pain was excruciatin'.

"Nick! Stop! You're hurtin' me!"

He didn't say a word; he just stared back down at me wildly.

"Nick! Stop it!" I thrashed about, but it was no use. I was trapped underneath him.

"No." He coolly replied. "I love you, Beth. Why can't you see that?!"

He loved me? Why did he always have to say that?

He doesn't love me. No man that loves you would do the things he's done to me. No man that loves you would do what he's doin' right now. Why couldn't he see that?

I tried to calm down; I steadied my breathin'. I would have to rationalize with him. Get him to see what he was really doin'; get him to see he wasn't showin' me love by doin' this – he was hurtin' me.

"Nick, this isn't love."

I felt the sharp sting of his hand on my face. He slapped me so hard that my vision blurred for a moment. I yelped in pain.

"I do love you. I always have."

He started to paw at my blouse; untyin' the top lace and then one button at a time. He got four buttons down; my chest was exposed. Nick slid his finger underneath one of the straps pullin' it up and then lettin' it snap back down onto my chest.

"Ya don't know how long I've wanted to just see ya like this." He pulled my shirt to the side, exposin' my right shoulder. He traced his fingertips across my collarbone and then onto my shoulder. "I just wanted a future, ya know?"

"I get it Nick. Ya want a future. Believe me, I get it. So do I."

His eyes flashed with anger. "Then, why have you denied me? Why'd you run into Daryl's arms and not mine?"

Hearin' Daryl's name right now while I was I this vulnerable position was enough to make tears well up in my eyes.

"Because, I loved Daryl. I suppose I always had in some way and …" I paused. I didn't want to make him angry by talkin' too much about Daryl. "He saved us, me and my family, the rest of the group so many times before we met all of y'all. He saved me, when I didn't think I could go on. He was so strong. He'd looked after us, after me. Protected me …"

Nick interrupted. "Protected you! Ha! Some protector!"

"He has protected me. And, you scared me."

Nick blinked a few times; he looked shocked. "I scared ya? I never did nothin' to scare ya."

"Yes, ya did. All the time." I paused. "And, ya still do. Look at us! Look at what you're doin'. Daryl would never …"

I saw the look of hate form in his eyes; I shouldn't have gone on about Daryl.

Nick started at my top again; he reseated himself on my hips and pulled my top apart. A few of the buttons burst off the fabric.

I screamed. "Stop it!"

With my little pregnant belly exposed now, I looked down in horror as Nick started to unbuckle his belt.

"No, Nick! Please!"

My arms were still trapped underneath him, I could barely move. I tried to wiggle free, but he used his other hand to hold my chest down, which made it nearly impossible to move. I heard his zipper come down and I shut my eyes shut tight and screamed at the top of my lungs. One of his hands came down hard onto my mouth, smotherin' my screams. And, then I felt his body come down onto me; his full weight crushin' me underneath him.

My arms were free now and I began to struggle with him, bein' that he only hand one free hand; the other coverin' my mouth. He leaned all his upper body and shoulders and pressed them down hard into me; the pain was terrible. I could feel him fumblin' with the top of my pants; tryin' to pull them down. Nick was havin' an easier time of it, cause I'd had to leave my jeans unbutton and partially unzipped due to my growin' belly. He tried to slip them past my hips, but I continued to struggle. I started to punch him in the head and back, while I continued to scream into his hand.

"Stop movin'!" He yelled into my ear. "I don't wanna hurt you."

I started to cry; I couldn't help it. I was feelin' desperate. I felt hopeless and I stopped fightin'. Nick was gonna do this and there was nothin' I could do to stop him. My arms fell to the side of my face and I sobbed into his hand. For a moment he continued to fuss with my pants, tryin' to pull them down; yankin' his pants down past his hips.

I can't believe this is happenin' …

He couldn't …

He wouldn't …

But, he was. All I could do was lay there and let it happen.

I just stared at the wall to my right; noticin' the sparse décor and mirror. I could see our reflection. Nick splayed out on top of me; my tiny body underneath his. I could see he was talkin' to me; I was watchin' him in the mirror. But, it was like I was watchin' a movie or somethin'; like it wasn't me.

Then, Nick looked over and caught my gaze in the mirror. He just stared back at me; stared back at the horrific scene that was takin' place in this mirror.

There was just silence as we both watched this movie in the reflection; it was so terrible, neither of us could look away. And, then I could see Nick's face reddened and his face contorted. Nick started to cry violently.

"Jesus Christ, Beth …" Nick's sobbin' shook the bed; he looked down at me, while I continued to watch in the mirror. "I'm so sorry."

Nothin'. I felt nothin'. I had so completely checked out that I barely noticed the gentle grasp of his hand on my face as he turned my head to face forward – to face him. I looked away.

"Beth." He sobbed. "I'm so sorry." He could barely speak he was cryin' so hard. "Please look at me."

My eyes drifted over to meet his. I could see his face was red, tears streamed down his face; mixin' in with the blood that had started to dry on his nose, mouth and chin.

"Beth! I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." He looked over at us in the mirror again as he sat up, still sittin' on my hips. He looked back down at me and pulled my shirt closed over my chest and stomach and tried to button a few buttons. Nick's hands were shakin' so badly though, he was havin' a hard time. "I can't believe …"

He got off of me and sat on the edge of the bed; facin' the mirror. He sat there for a while just starin' at himself. I started to come back to myself; I tugged my jeans up and button the buttons he'd left undone. And, I watched him as he watched himself in the mirror.

"What have I become? I don't even recognize myself, when I look at myself in the mirror. All I see is a monster!" He looked over at me; I shuddered, fearin' he was gonna come after me again. "I'm sorry, Beth. It's no wonder ya don't love me. Who could love someone that is capable of this?" He started to sob; he leaned forward restin' his face in his hands. And, then he yelled. "I'm a fuckin' monster!" He quickly got up from the bed; he faced me and started to walk backwards towards the door. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

He just kept sayin' he was sorry. Over and over again. "I'm so sorry."

He looked shocked and he looked … terrified.

Why was he scared?

He's the one who did this. This is his fault. I didn't dare say a word, until he went for the door and opened it.

"I gotta get outta here. I'm sorry Beth."

I sat up in the bed and threw my legs over the side and stood up.

"What's goin' on, Nick? What's …?"

"I gotta get outta here. I almost …" He held his hand up; gesturin' for me to not take another step. "I almost … that's not me. That's not me …"

"Nick …" I cautiously approached him and all he kept doin' was apologizin' and cryin'. He sobbed so hard his entire body shook, the snot dripped from his broken nose.

"There's no hope for me anymore. I'm sorry I hurt ya Beth. I just … I just wanted this life to make sense so badly." His voice cracked. "And, I was obsessed. I thought ya could make this better, but …" He covered his face with his hands. "Ya can't. There's no makin' this better. This place is fucked. I'm fucked!"

His hands dropped to his sides. Nick looked defeated. Emotionally, spiritually, he was defeated. I wasn't scared anymore; I almost felt sorry for him. He'd turned me into somethin' in his head, but it wasn't real. And, for the first time – he realized it, I suppose.

I didn't say another word as Nick sobbed and talked to himself. Finally, he looked up at me.

"I'm fucked up, Beth." His sobbing had turned into just a steady stream of tears. "I'm so fucked up."

I nodded my head yes, but didn't reply.

"I don't wanna die alone. I'm scared I'll die alone, but I should … for what I've done."

"Nick …"

"Stop. It's okay. Please don't try to make this better." He laughed. "After everythin' I've done, I deserve whatever fate finds me. I'm tired of tryin' to fight for somethin' that isn't even real." His hand wiped some of the tears from his cheeks. "Ya never loved me." He laughed quietly. "I just wanted ya to fix this. To fix me." Nick started to walk towards the door. "But, ya can't fix me, no one can."

I slowly followed him outta the room as he walked towards the front door.

"I'm sorry I did this to you. All of this. It's my fault."

It was his fault. He was a monster. He was fucked; he wasn't wrong. But, for the first time, I could see that maybe he wasn't always this way. That he'd been different at some point in time. He'd been a man that would never have done the things he'd done. I'd been scared of him, but when he saw himself in the mirror and saw what he was doin' to me – he finally scared himself.

It was a risk, but I had to ask. I was desperate.

"Nick, please help me and Maggie get back to our family. Ya can make this right, ya can."
Nick gave me a half-hearted smile and nodded. "I don't think I can, Beth. I fucked up and you're all probably gonna die because of me."

"Please don't say that. You can help us get outta here. You can redeem yourself."

He laughed. "Redeem myself? No … I don't think I can. Not for this."

He reached for the door and before I could get another word he was gone. The door shut slowly behind him, and just like that he was gone. I walked towards the door and listened; I could hear him cryin' on the other side of the door.

He must be sittin' against the door.

I had to act fast. Although he'd been apologetic and maybe he saw the light, finally, but I wasn't gonna take any chances. I ran for Lt. James' office and locked the door behind me. I scurried over to the desk and fired up the CB. Channel seven. I called out on the radio for Lt. James.

"Beth?" I heard his familiar voice on the other end.

"James. Nick he umm … he left. Please come back. I'm all alone. Please hurry."

Lt. James didn't need any additional information. "I'll be right back. Just stay put in the office and lock the door."

"It's locked."

"I'll be there in just a couple of minutes, hang tight."

Me bein' alone in this apartment might not seem like a big deal, but it was. Lt. James had dismissed the guards. So, now the only one guardin' me was Nick. He was the only thing standin' in between me and the Governor and anyone else that might try somethin' while James was gone. Lt. James had talked to me about that and he'd been worried that some of the men might try somethin', while he was outta the house. That's why he'd personally chosin' the guards to watch me while he was away. Men he trusted. And now, here I was bein' watched by Nick. A man I vouched for. A dangerous man.

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It wasn't but a few minutes later when I heard Lt. James booming voice through the walls. He was in the hallway talkin' to Nick. I couldn't hear what they were sayin'; just that they were talkin'. Then, I heard the front door open and close and heavy footsteps came down the hallway and then knock on the office door.

"Beth, ya in there?"

"Yeah."

I quickly walked to the door and let him in. My arms flew around his chest instinctively; the fear that I'd been holdin' in for the last hour finally came out. I started to sob.

"Hey, hey there. What's goin' on? What happened?"

I looked up at him; he towered above me like a gentle giant. "Did ya talk to Nick?"

"Yeah, I did. He seemed pretty worked up. Said he fell and hit nose. Broke it."

I didn't know if I should tell him what really happened. I just wasn't sure what to do.

"Is that all he said?"

"No, he said he was upset about ya bein' here. With me. At the Fort. He said that I should find a way to get ya home."

"He did?" I quietly replied.

"Yeah. He said ya shouldn't be here in your condition. He said it was too dangerous for ya and then he got up off the floor and ran away."

I let go of him; my arms fell to my sides.

Lt. James took a step towards me and I stepped backwards. I turned and sat down in the chair closest to me.

"He said that?"

"Yeah, he did. What the hell is goin' on here? And, what condition is he talkin' bout Beth? Tell me."

I wrapped my arms around my belly, wantin' to protect my child. I didn't know if anyone should know about this baby, especially, after what Nick said about The Governor.

I looked up anxiously at James.

"Well, Beth? What's he talkin' bout?"

"I'm pregnant, James. Bout 3-4 months now." I lifted my hands up off my belly and pulled my shirt tightly across my belly to show him my little bump. "See. I'm already startin' to show."

Lt. James eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Jesus Christ, Beth." He sighed deeply and ran his hand back through his hair. "Fuck!"

He crossed his arms and it looked like he was deep in thought. Finally, he spoke. "The father?"

"Daryl's the father."

"It is dangerous for ya here. More than I thought. If the Governor finds out …"

"If he finds out, what … what would he do?"

Lt. James shook his head. "I don't wanna get into it. I …"

I interrupted. "Should I be scared?" I started to cry a bit. "What will he do?"

He walked over to me and hugged me tightly. "Don't worry bout nothin'. He ain't gonna do nothin' cause he ain't gonna find out. Okay?"

So, Nick was right. If the Governor found out about my pregnancy, me havin' Daryl's baby, he'd do somethin' awful. Nick may have been fucked up, but the Governor was a sociopath; he didn't see nothin' wrong with all this. He was the real monster in this group, and I feared him more now than ever. I feared for my baby and I cringed at the thought of what Maggie was goin' through. For the first time, I was truly afraid for us all.

He let go of me and just held onto my arms. "Listen. We got the meetin' tomorrow. I've talked with some of my men who are gonna be there. I've got a plan. All ya need to do is sit tight tomorrow and by the time I get back here, we'll have this whole thing worked out."

"Really?" Tears erupted from my eyes. "Are ya serious?"

"Yes. We're gonna take him out. It'll all be over soon."

I couldn't believe what I was hearin'; it all seemed too good to be true. Would I be in Daryl's arms this time tomorrow? My heart raced at the thought of it.

That night seemed to take forever before I decided to finally go to bed, but I wouldn't find sleep tonight. Not after everything that had happened today. I thought about seein' Daryl again. I thought about the meetin' that was gonna happen tomorrow. I wondered what plan Lt. James had for takin' down the Governor. I wondered what would happen if it didn't go as planned. What would happen if somethin' happened to Lt. James? Would I be stuck here? What sick games would the Governor have in store for me then? My mind wandered all night long until the sun began to rise. And, as my room brightened slightly, I finally found sleep. My eyes were heavy and I drifted off.

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It wasn't long before I was woken up, except this time it wasn't Lt. James – it was Lt. Meyers.

"What, what the hell?" I sat up quickly in my bed. "What're ya doin' in here? Where's James?"

A devilish grin flashed across his face. "James is already on his way to the meeting. The Governor sent me here for ya."

My eyes widened. "What do ya mean? Why?"

Lt. Meyers approached the bed, I quickly pulled the comforter up so that my entire body was covered. He reached for the comforter and ripped it outta my hands.

"Get up!" He grabbed at my feet and pulled me towards the edge of the bed. "I said get up! The Governor wants me to get ya ready. He's got somethin' he needs ya to do today."

"What do ya mean?"

"Just get the fuck outta the bed and get your clothes on. We're leavin' in five."

I stood up quickly and went to my drawers and pulled out some clothing.

"Well, don't let me stop ya, darlin'."

I scowled at him. "Please leave so I can get dressed."

He shook his head. "Nah, I promised the Governor I'd keep an eye on ya. And, I ain't about to go disobeyin' his orders. He'd have my head for it." He gestured for me to continue. "Go on then, get dressed. Ya got like three minutes now. If ya ain't dressed, I'll drag ya outta here in whatever ya got on."

What an asshole!

I turned to face away from him, at least he wouldn't see my belly or anythin' of too much interest. I slid my pajama bottoms down and quickly jumped into my jeans. My oversized t-shirt came off and I replaced it with a flowy top, one that would hide my little bump. I went into the closet and grabbed a thin sweater.

"Ain't it a little warm to be wearin' a sweater?"

"No, I'm fine."

I sat down on the bed and slipped my socks and boots on. "I'm ready."

"Good thing." He motioned for me to leave the room. "Go on."

I walked towards the front door and then noticed there were two other soldiers sittin' on the couch. They quickly got up and walked towards me; one of them on either side.

"Alright boys, let's get a move on."

The soldiers each grabbed one of my arms and escorted me outta the apartment. Down the stairs and outside, the sunlight was blindin' it was so bright.

I tried to get some answers. I was startin' to get nervous. "Where are we goin'?"

"Don't ya worry bout that. Just get in the truck." He motioned towards an armored Humvee.

One of the soldiers opened the door, but before I could get in he stopped me. He looked over at Lt. Meyers and Lt. Meyers nodded back at him.

What the hell is goin' on here?

The soldier grabbed my arms and turned me around; he held my wrists tightly.

"What? What're ya doin'?"

No one answered my question. Instead I felt the cold metal as he fastened handcuffs around my wrists. I could hear the click of each cuff as they bound my hands behind my back.

"Get in."

I was havin' a hard time gettin' in with my hands behind my back.

I mockingly replied. "I can't. I need my arms to pull myself in asshole."

Lt. Meyers' smile faded from his face and he walked up to me; his face right next to mine.

"Don't fuckin' call me that." He looked me up and down. "All ya are is a piece of ass here. That's all your good for. Fuckin' and makin' babies. Probably best ya just keep your pretty little mouth shut. If ya open it again, I'm gonna put it to better use. Ya understand me?"

I nodded and closed my mouth tightly. I wanted to scream at him and tell him off, but his threat to "put my mouth to better use" held my tongue. I knew exactly what that sick fuck meant, so I stopped talkin'. I wouldn't say another word. Lt. Meyers grabbed me and basically threw me in the back seat; I struggled to get myself upright and seated.

"See! Much better." He paused and that grin flashed across his face again. "Now keep your damn mouth shut. We gotta long ride ahead of us and I don't wanna hear any bitchin'."
Lt. Meyers got in the drivers seat, the other two filed in; one beside me the other in the passenger's seat.

I wanted to know where we were goin'. Maybe to the hospital? Maybe to see Maggie? But, he said it was a long drive. We drove through the base until we reached the large front gates. Lt. Meyers yelled up at the men on the tower and the gates slowly opened.

We were leavin'?

I had a real bad feelin' about this. At first I thought maybe Lt. Meyers was leavin' with me, takin' me like Nick had suggested. But, then I remembered him sayin' that he was doin' this on the Governor's orders. Why would the Governor want me outta the Fort, off the base?

We started drivin' and then hit the main highway. A sinkin' feelin' settle in my gut. I finally realized where we were goin'.

We were goin' to the meetin'. The Governor had ordered it, but Lt. James had known nothin' about it. I was sure of it. Cause if he had, he woulda warned me last night. Warned me this mornin'. This was somethin' the Governor had come up with all on his own and didn't bother tellin' his second in command. I wondered why he wouldn't have told Lt. James. Perhaps because he would object? Whatever the reason, it was dubious. I knew that because the Governor was one evil son of a bitch.

This couldn't be good …

END OF CHAPTER THIRTY- PART TWO

Notes

So, what did you think?

Did you all think I was so cruel as to let poor Beth get raped too? I couldn't, plus it didn't serve the plot of the story. With Nick's character, I want to show someone who is in between The Governor and Lt. James. He was once a good man, he had good intentions, but this world has corrupted him beyond recognition.

Nick is an example of how a zombie apocalypse can change a person – for the worse. But, I wanted him to at some point realize the change and finally "get it." Back at the prison and in "My Guardian" he still doesn't get it, he doesn't even know he's changed. However, it took him actually seeing himself; seeing what he was doing to Beth (as if he was an outsider looking in) to actually see what he'd become. I hope that's what you all took from it.

Where he goes from here, you'll all just have to keep reading to find out. But, you can be assured Nick Foster has been changed by his attack on Beth.

Also, I wanted to mention again, those of you that are looking to find out what's going on with Maggie, Glenn and the Governor, you're all in for a ride over the next couple of chapters. So, stay tuned!

QUESTIONS FOR MY READERS:
1. Do you think Nick's been changed for the better? Or, will he give in to the darkness that surrounds him?

2. What do you think is going on with Lt. Meyers taking Beth off base? What do you think the Governor has in store for Beth?

So, let me know what you think; like it, love it, hate it ... let me know your thoughts. If you've got a moment, please leave me a note or comment on your way out ... I'd love to hear from you all :-D

** Also, I have Chapter Thirty-One is outlined ... So, as soon as this chapter gets 20 reviews - I'll get started on the chapter and get it up as soon as I can!

To all of you that consistently review … I just want to thank you for your continued support and thoughtful comments.

Author's Note: This review challenge is really more of inspiration for me; every time I see a new one comment - it really does make me smile every time I see a new review and let's me know that you guys are all enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it :-D

Here's a Teaser Chapter Thirty-One: The meeting between the Governor and the prison group begins. Nothing is as it seems, both sides have tricks up their sleeves. It should prove to be a shocking outcome for both sides!

Thanks for staying with the story … talk to y'all soon!

xoxo,
Dahlia