One Shot: Ellen's Nightmare

Portia's POV

I feel something jolt next to me causing me to wake up. I turn over to see my wife sat bolt upright covered in sweat.

"Uh Baby you okay?" I say sleepily.

"Mmmm." she says before getting up out of bed and walking into the bathroom. I grab my robe and follow her. When I reach the bathroom she is leaning over the sink.

"Hey what's up?" I question her rubbing my hand down her back. When she doesn't answer I start the shower and begin to take her clothes off. I help her into the shower and shut the door behind her. As I go to leave the bathroom she starts mumbling so I walk back towards the shower to hear what she is saying.

"Headache."

"Okay I'll just go get a glass of water and some tablets." I say starting to worry about my wife. I don't think I have ever seen her like this. I head downstairs grab some water and tablets. I hear the shower shutting off as I reach the bedroom and by the time I reach my wife she is already wrapped dry into a towel. I hand over the tablets and water which she accepts.

"What happened?" I say softly too her.

"Port leave it please" she says looking up at me her eyes pleading with me not to pursue it but I can't help myself. Ellen has never not been able to tell me something before and it worries me.

Ellen's POV.

It's not that I don't want to tell her I just want to protect her in case my nightmare becomes a reality. Two day's ago I had a text from Anne asking me to meet up and 'discuss things'. I decided to go meet up with her without Portia as I didn't know what she wanted. When I got there she was a shadow of the woman I used to know. Black rings surrounded her eyes and she had cuts all over her face. Turns out her new husband had been beating her up so in order to runaway she had been making money selling herself on the street. When I turned up I was faced with a man holding a gun to her head. I had to pay the man off and then give Anne some money to live off. She promised not to tell Portia but since then I have had the recurring nightmare that she is going to come back, tell all and Portia will leave me. But I couldn't just leave her like that she once meant something to me even if she doesn't now and I'm not that kind of person. I know now I should have told Portia to begin with but I guess it's all kinda snowballed on top of me.

"Please tell me" she says her voice getting more concerned.

"LEAVE IT!" I snap a little more harshly than I intended as I walk back into the bedroom. Before I lose it completley with her I grab some clothes, change into them and walk out of the house grabbing my car keys on the way. I know she will be worried sick but I just think that this is the better option at the moment. I really don't want to lose it with her and that's the way I felt it was going. I drive aimlessly for a while before pulling up on the sidewalk. I reach for my phone and sigh to myself seeing texts and missed calls from Portia. I curl up on the seat as a tear falls down my face.

Portia's POV.

'What just happened?' I think to myself. Why would Ellen react like this. There must be something going on. My mind races round and round. I try calling and texting her but don't get any replies. After a while I stand up and start pacing the house waiting for her return. I notice that it has started to get light when I finally here the jangling of keys as the front door opens. I rush downstairs to see my wife walking through the front door. Her face is puffy like she has been crying for hours and she looks as if she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Babe" I say walking towards her but she pulls away walking past me.

"Please Portia not now" she says softly this time.

"Just tell me is it something I've done?"

"No Portia, I just I can't go into it okay?"

"Okay" I sigh relieved that it's nothing to do with me. I follow her back upstairs and she get's back into her bed clothes. I assume she is going to get back into bed before I see her emerge from the closet with the spare duvet. "hey babe come to bed please?" I beg her.

"I can't." she whispers before going to leave the room. By this point I've had enough of her evasive techniques. She's my wife for god's sake surely I should be the one she can tell!

"Ellen I've had enough. Tell me what's going on!" I exclaim standing from the bed.

"For god's sake how many times do I have to tell you I can't!" she screams walking out of the bedroom. I wait in the bedroom for a while tears streaming down my face before following her downstairs. When I get downstairs she is sat on the sofa with the duvet around her sobbing.

"Ell" I whisper to her as I slowly edge across the room fearing she is going to bolt again.

"I've messed it all up Port." she whispers.

"Hey no you haven't" I say walking over and sitting next to her on the sofa.

"You don't know what I've done."

"Well try me." I say reassuring her with my eye contact. She slowly nods lifting the duvet up so I can get closer to her and join her underneath.

"I-I got a text a few days ago off Anne." she says searching my face for any signs of panic. I keep as calm as I can which seems to encourage her to carry on. "She asked me to go meet her. But when I got there this man he-he had a gun to her head." she stops as the tears overwhelm her.

"Oh my god." I exclaim placing my arm around Ellen's back so my hand rests on her shoulder.

"Well it turns out her husband had been beating her and she'd started to sell herself to get money to leave him. And anyway this guy wanted money for her freedom so I-I gave him it Portia. And I gave her some to go start a new life. I hope you don't hate me. Please don't hate me. I just didn't know what to do." she begs me. I sigh taking everything in that she has told me. I think how lucky she was that the man didn't turn the gun on her.

"Hey come here baby it's okay." I say pulling her into me as she sobs uncontrollably. After a few minutes she calms down and pulls away from me.

"Aren't you mad?" she questions. I compose myself trying to think of the right words to say.

"Look I'm not going to lie yes I am. But not because you helped her okay? I mean god the poor woman had a gun to her head. I'd hope whoever that woman was regardless that it was your ex that you'd give the man the money. And as for helping her to move on I actually commend that you have the courage to move past what she did to you. What I am more concerned about is that you felt like you couldn't tell me this. Why Ell? Did you think i'd be mad?" I see the relief on her face but also the awkwardness as she starts to shift in her seat not knowing what to say.

"I-I just thought that as she was my ex you wouldn't be pleased and then it all kinda spiralled to the point where I couldn't go back. Until I had the nightmare last night and you woke up."

"Okay but please remember that anytime anything tell me okay? We're in this together remember? As long as you have a valid reason for something, which I think her husband beating her and this guy having a gun to her head is, i'll never be mad okay?" I say to her. She nods and I pull her towards me into a kiss.

"God Port I don't deserve you" she whispers.

"Oh Ell you more than deserve me. I love you."

"I love you too." she whispers and we curl up together on the sofa.