5.

~ "Thank you for driving me home." Ariadne said as Arthur helped her walk up the flight of stairs to reach her apartment. "I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" she asked as he carried her bag and she held onto the teddy bear he had brought her in her good arm.

Her wounded shoulder requiring a sling that was latched firmly to her body to keep her from tearing the wound.

"Not to worry." Arthur said happily as he reached the floor first and unlocked her front door.

"How's Mr. Eames?" she asked as she walked in and saw the flowers the company had sent as a get well soon gift.

"Oh, my!" she laughed as the horrible cat meowed angrily up at her.

"HR is all in an uproar over what happened." Arthur explained as he put her bag down.

"Arthur, I'm not going to sue anyone." Ariadne sighed. "I'm just happy to have my hospital bill paid. It would have really been awful if I had to pay for all of that."

"Well, don't worry. You'll also receive a paycheck for the days you miss. I think corporate even gave you a spending account at Sax to get a new dress." he told her.

"Like I would shop there." she laughed as slunk down on her twin bed.

"Can I get you some tea?" he asked as he went to her kitchen and looked at the massive collection of tea boxes that were displayed on her stove shelf.

"Zen Passion?" Arthur questioned as Ariadne gave Mr. Eames some much needed affection.

"Oh, yeah, I was feeling really daring when I bought that at this fancy gourmet store." Ariadne told him.

"How is it?" he questioned as he looked over her other tea.

"Turns out I'm not that daring." she told him.

He put a kettle on to boil and helped her take off her shoes so she could go to bed.

"These pain pills really make me sleepy." she admitted sadly.

"It's okay to go to sleep." he told her as he pushed the cat off her bed.

"Thank you so much for being there for me." she told him.

"I wanted to be there." he admitted.

There was an awkward silence as they looked at each other.

"What does your wife think about you being here with me? Taking care of me instead of her?" Ariadne asked as the kettle started to whistle.

"My wife." Arthur said with a laugh as he stood and went to pour the hot water in a cup. "My wife is out shopping, or drinking or making herself throw up. I doubt she even knows I was gone."

He instantly regretted saying it, as Ariadne looked away from him.

"I'm sorry." he sighed. "It's not right for me to unload all my problems onto you." he told her.

"Are you really going to leave her?" Ariadne asked as he gave her the cup of tea on a tray with some honey.

"Yes. My lawyer, Mr. McClain is doing the paper work right now. I'll be broke, but I'll be free." he told her as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"So, I still have my job?" she asked. "With the design team?"

"Of course." Arthur told her. "I insisted on it."

"Good." she said and sipped her tea politely.

"Ariadne, if you don't want to see me socially-" he said feeling a little foolish. She clearly was only concerned about her job.

"I was asking for you." she interrupted.

"What?"

"After the accident. I was crying for you when I thought I was going to die. I haven't felt close to anyone since my grandparents died; I don't really let people in. But I wanted you there with me. I was scared and I knew if you were there, I would be okay." she said sadly.

She looked up at him with her big eyes, fresh tears brimming there.

"Then you were there, and you were with me when I woke up, and I was okay." she said with a shrug which made her wince.

Arthur sucked in his breath.

"I think you're beautiful. I thought so the first time I saw you." he whispered as his hand finally went to her face and he felt the smoothness of her skin.

"I wanted you the moment you stepped on that elevator." he told her.

"I felt that to." she whispered as he was kissing her.

He could kiss her forever. He didn't need food or water or sleep. He could live without those things so long as his lips could meets hers, forever.

"Arthur," she said breathlessly and pushed him away.

He composed himself.

"Arthur, we-" she panted as he saw her checks blush pink.

"It's alright." he told her.

"No, it's..." she shook her head. "You're still married."

"I'm going to divorce her." he told her.

She looked at him with a perfect 'where have I heard that before?' look.

"I am. I'm going to move out." he professed.

"We can't be together till you do." she told him. "I won't be the other woman."

Arthur nodded.

"It may take time for the divorce to be final." he said.

"We have time then." she whispered.

"Ariadne, you need to know that you make me feel so happy." he said and kissed her chastely on the forehead. "All this time, I never thought I would be happy again. Then you stepped onto that elevator and it was like I was another person. I was... I was stronger, better than what I was. I suddenly wasn't afraid of anything. I want to be the man you're making me."

Ariadne smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Arthur, I can't make you into anything you don't want to be. No woman can." she said.

"Becky made me into this sad little man who had lost his will to live. She made me hate myself and my life. You make me feel like I'm capable. Like I can do anything." he told her.

She let out a long sigh.

"I think I need to get some sleep." she said at last.

"Alright. I'll let you go." he said and stood up.

He caught her smiling out of the corner of his eye.

"For now." he said and left her giggling.

~ "Just make sure she's not planning a lawsuit." John growled at his son.

Arthur rolled his eyes and couldn't escape the feeling that he was still a child in his father's eyes.

"She's not." he insisted. "She's just grateful we're paying her medical bills and paying her for the time off."

John grumbled a little.

"The surveillance tapes show the work men were careless, she could take us for everything we have." he said bitterly.

"I talked to her, she won't sue." Arthur told him assuredly.

John looked at his son as Arthur waited to be dismissed.

"So McClain tells me you've had the paper work drawn up to divorce Becky." he said at last. "That you're even going to rent an apartment and move out in a few weeks."

"Yes." Arthur told him.

"Have you told your wife this?"

"I hardly see her. She stays out late, and I've been working late every night." Arthur told him.

"A bit early in the divorce to have found another woman to spend time with." John growled.

"Another woman?"

"Office gossip." John snarled. "I've heard you've been visiting this Ariadne girl every day since the accident. That you even took her out to lunch before she got hurt.

"I'm just being a nice guy." Arthur said.

"You know Becky's lawyers can use that against you." John said. "Infidelity is not the same as it was in my day. Back when I was your age, I have my office romances, went home to your mother, and it wasn't anyone's business, not even hers."

Arthur winced. He didn't like the admission his father was never faithful to his mother.

"It's fine." he said coldly.

"I just don't want this to break you." John said.

"You don't mean to sound like you care about me." Arthur laughed.

"I care about not having you come to me for a bail out." John spat. "Don't let Becky take everything."

~ "I'm just saying that we have these amazing smart phones, capable of accessing all the information mankind has ever accumulated, and we use them to look at funny pictures of cats who want's to 'haz chezburger'." Arthur said as he feasted on take out Chinese food in his bed.

"Hey! I happen to love LOL Catz!" Ariadne laughed from her side of the conversation.

It was two weeks later and Arthur's life had gotten better. Becky was out with friends for the night, and he had taken up permanent residence in the guest room.

Ariadne was his friend and they spoke every night over the phone. She refused to be anything more until the divorce was official, which Arthur accepted.

They had lunch together every afternoon in her tiny apartment. It was what Arthur looked forward to the most out of each day.

When he got off work, he would call her and they would talk all night like a pair of teenagers. Something was so intimate about talking in bed with her all night.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow?" Arthur asked as he laid down in the bed and wished he wasn't alone.

"Oh, Mr. Eames and I are going to spend the day in bed together." Ariadne teased and he laughed as he his revelry was broken by the sounds of Becky coming home.

Laying in bed, Ariadne's voice so close to him. Knowing she was likewise in her bed, filled Arthur with a rush of euphoria that was spoiled by his soon to be ex-wife returning home.

"Arthur?" Becky called.

"I have to go." Arthur whispered to Ariadne.

"Alright." she said back.

"I'll call you later." he promised.

He had to admit, Ariadne was being very generous about this situation. It wasn't easy for her when Arthur had to suddenly hang up and act normal around Becky. His wife still not knowing he had filed for divorce.

"Arthur!" Becky called out as she laid large shopping bags on the table.

"Out for a bit of shopping I see." Arthur said moodily.

"Yes." Becky said with a happy smile. "You'll never guess."

"They had a sample sale." Arthur offered as he wondered what the credit card bill for all this would be.

"No, silly." Becky cooed and smiled at him.

Arthur didn't know what she was hinting at. They were living like roommates lately and he didn't want to venture a guess as to what was happening with her.

"I was shopping, but none of it was for me." she told him.

"Becky, I don't need anything." Arthur told her.

"Not for you either." she laughed as she pulled out a delicately wrapped box and unfolded a tiny baby jumper.

"Arthur, we're pregnant." she said happily.

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