The Beast Within

Chapter Ten: Comfort

It was only the first night but Nyssa already missed Oswald and Ed, there was a knock on her door "come in" she said and the door opened slightly and in walked Ecco "Jeremiah has requested you join everyone for dinner" "do I really have a choice" she gave an almost sympathetic look and stepped forward slightly "Jeremiah doesn't want you to feel like a prisoner, you are free to make your own choices here, he just didn't want you to spend your first night alone without your friends, they're all downstairs" she eyed Ecco suspiciously and the latter sighed "look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I was just following orders, I have no bad feelings toward you and was hoping we could start fresh" she extended her hand and Nyssa hesitantly shook it, Ecco smiled brightly "please, join them for dinner, I know your friends would be happy to see you" she thought for a moment then nodded her head "okay, as long as you join me" Ecco's head fell "oh, Jeremiah doesn't allow me to join meals, I eat in the kitchen" Nyssa frowned and took her hand lightly "fine, then we'll both eat in the kitchen" she pulled them downstairs to the table still holding her hand.

She walked to the table and picked up her dinner plate and started heading to the kitchen "where are you going?" Jeremiah voiced and Nyssa shrugged "the kitchen" "why?" he responded "cause, I'm eating dinner with my new friend, Ecco" Ecco smiled and Jeremiah rolled his eyes "you don't have to be nice to her" Ecco's face fell slightly and Nyssa frowned "I didn't have to come downstairs either, but she convinced me too, so where she eats is where I'll eat" he rolled his eyes and sighed "Ecco, bring your plate in here and eat with us tonight" Nyssa turned to Ecco and smiled "every night" Jeremiah huffed "Ecco, you can eat at the table with us, indefinitely" he turned back to his food "hurry, your food will get cold" Jeremiah said to Nyssa, they all sat at the table and Nyssa sat next to Ecco and sent her reassuring smiles whenever she looked worried that Jeremiah would change his mind and tell her to leave.

They heard footsteps and the door burst open, everyone looked over except Nyssa who knew who it was, he sat at the other end of the table and picked up his empty whiskey cup "hey toots, how bout a refill?" he said to Ecco, she went to stand up but Nyssa pulled her back down "he can get his own drink" Jerome looked at her annoyed, he grabbed a butter knife and threw it at her, Ecco was quick and grabbed it before it hit Nyssa "Jerome please, stop being childish, we're trying to have a nice meal" Jeremiah said unfazed and used to his brothers tantrums, he mumbled something under his breath and walked to pour himself a drink, Tris leaned over the table and whispered to Nyssa "are you okay?" she eyed Ecco and Nyssa smiled "I'm just fine, this is my new friend Ecco" Barbara waved at her and she shyly waved back "hey Ecco, what kind of movies do you guys have?" Nyssa asked facing her "we have a big selection of movies to choose from" Nyssa turned to the other girls "what do you girls say? movie night?" they all smiled and agreed and Jerome rolled his eyes.

Jeremiah gave all the girls enough pillows and blankets and they set themselves up in the living room, he gave Ecco the night off as Nyssa requested and they made and grabbed snacks for themselves, feeling bad, Nyssa left to find Jeremiah, she knocked on his study door but there was no answer, she lightly pushed the door open and walked around the room but he wasn't there, she went to leave but noticed glass on his desk, she picked up a photo frame that was shattered and looked at the picture, it was Jeremiah only with red hair and glasses and he had his arm around someone she knew only by name the billionaire prince of Gotham, Bruce Wayne.

She sat the picture down and went to leave when the study door opened "can I help you?" Jeremiah said eyeing her curiously "I was coming to look for you, but realized you weren't here" he nodded and she continued "we were wondering if you wanted to join us" he smiled slightly "I appreciate the thought, but I have work to do and.. you're bleeding" he said quickly grabbing her hand "oh.. your picture was broken and I uh, I got a little curious, I must've pricked my hand" he nodded and handed her a tissue "it's not deep, it'll be fine" he said handing her a bandaid and she smiled "thank you, sorry for barging in here" "you're carrying my niece or nephew darling, you'll find there's not much you can do to have me get mad at you" "I'll try to stay on your good side then" "I believe you will" she gave him a smile and walked out before she could he piped up "thank you for being honest with me, about what you did in here" she turned to him "it would've been awkward if I lied and was bleeding" he smiled slightly and she walked out.

She sat back on the couch and Bab's was already passed out next to Lucky who was also asleep, she scooted next to Ecco who was still awake and watching the movie "I was about to get a drink, want one?" Ecco asked standing up and Nyssa smiled and stood up "I can get my own drink" they both smiled and walked to the kitchen Ecco pulled out cocoa, whipped cream and strawberries "ooh that looks like it'll be yummy" Nyssa said sitting on the kitchen counter and Ecco smiled "want one? I promise they're good" Nyssa nodded her head quickly and Ecco grabbed out two cups, Jerome walked through the lounge room and noticed Nyssa and Ecco were missing, he stood at the kitchen door and heard their voices "that's too much, we'll be up for hours" Nyssa said watching Ecco pour the cocoa into their cups, he stayed back making sure they didn't see him, he focused his attention on Nyssa, it had only been six weeks since he last saw her, but noticed her body's physical changes, her breast were slightly swollen and perky, her stomach was a little swollen too but not enough to recognize pregnancy, people would think she had a big lunch, he trailed down to her legs and her thighs were slightly thicker, he knew you'd have to be an idiot to think she wasn't pregnant, it was obvious just on her appearance alone, he didn't get how her friends didn't notice it sooner.

He stepped into the kitchen and Nyssa paid him no mind, Ecco's phone buzzed and it was a text from Jeremiah "I'll be right back" she said and left the room, Jerome pulled out a coffee mug and looked at the coffee machine confused by all the buttons "it's the red button" Nyssa said and he clicked it hearing the machine turn on, he placed his cup on the machine and waited for it to fill his cup, he stepped over to Nyssa and she pulled her legs up so he could open the drawer and grab a teaspoon his face was close to hers and she put her legs back down when he shut the drawer, her leg brushed his hip and he moved back to the coffee machine "how are you feeling?" he broke the silence and she sighed "mentally or physically?" "both?" she took a deep breath and spoke "I'm exhausted, my back hurts, I feel so drained and on top of everything, some asshole shot me today" he looked down and sighed "I'm sorry for that, if I had known I would've-" "shot me in the stomach?" she cut him off and he looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry for that too, I just panicked" she nodded and shrugged "I don't blame you, I contemplated driving off the Gotham bridge earlier" "I'm guessing you're keeping it?" "not that your brother's giving me much of a choice, but yeah.. I've decided I am" he nodded and darted his eyes away from hers "so.. this is why you left? to run the city with the brother you hated so much?" "there were a few reasons but that was the main one" she nodded and looked down "I'm not trying to trap you, you know?" he looked to her and sighed "I don't think that, what we did was just a heat of the moment thing, neither of us were thinking clearly.. this isn't your fault and I don't blame you" she felt tears pool in her eyes and he grew uncomfortable not knowing what to do.

She wiped her tears "sorry, I've just been really emotional lately" she said crying a bit heavier and placed her face in her hands, he stepped over to her and rubbed her back slightly, he moved in front of her and she buried her face in his chest and cried he placed a hand on the back of her head and used his other hand to rub her back, he knew she needed this, he knew most of her pain was caused by him so he stood there and held her, like she needed "it's gonna be okay, doll" he said resting his chin on top of her head "I'm scared, Jerome" she said through her sobs and he sighed "I know, but you'll be okay" he didn't want to tell her that he'd be there for her cause he didn't know if he would, he hated that she was hurting, but he had never wanted kids, she knew that he most likely wasn't going to be there for her after the baby was born but she just needed him in this moment, she didn't care that he'd be gone tomorrow and probably would avoid her, she just needed him to hold her, and that's what he did, for as long as she needed.