When curled up on their couch and sharing stories of their past lives before they met each other, the conversation would occasionally stray to Arthur's family back in the US. He was happy to talk about them, but there was the overshadowing tone of regret that he didn't see them more often. Whenever Arthur would ask Ariadne about her family, her whole figure would tense up and a look of pure misery would glaze her eyes. "Let talk about something else" she would always say. Even without his pointman abilities, Arthur could tell this was a sensitive area in Ariadne's life, but since he knew absolutely nothing about it, he was not able to comfort her and offer calming words.

…

"We need to go Christmas shopping soon. Putting it off until the weekend before will be a nightmare." Arthur said as he looked over the department store advertisements in the morning paper.

Across the table, Ariadne looked up from her bowl of cereal. "That will be interesting. What would we get everyone?" she laughed.

"Well lets see, Eames….some disgustingly audacious floral shirt" Arthur chuckled.

"I think Cobb would like a few really nice photo frames. He is always out and about following those kids with a camera" she voiced, turning back to her cereal.

"There are others as well as the team though. I have to get something for my mother, and my brother. What about your family?" Arthur let the last part slip out before he realized. He looked back up to Ariadne and could instantly notice the sorrow that lines her brow.

"I don't think that will be necessary" she murmured, barely loud enough for Arthur to hear. With that she rose from her seat at the table and walked towards their bedroom to get changed for the day.

Arthur knew this wasn't something Ariadne wanted to talk about, but he could not stand that instant sadness that washed over her every time her family was mentioned. He had to find out what caused it, and then maybe he could help her get past it.

Arthur followed her into the bedroom and as she stood before her wardrobe choosing what to wear, he slid one arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Ooo, aren't you in a good mood this morning" she teased.

"Ariadne, I need to ask you something and you are probably not going to want to answer but ….."

She interrupted him. "I'll tell you anything, you know that. What's on your mind?" she asked, with a pleasant smile.

He guided her to the bed where they both sat down, arms resting on each other.

"Ari, I need you to tell me what is going on between you and your family" he said as clearly and concisely as he could yet still offering a warm and loving tone.

The colour immediately drained from Ariadne's face and she stammered for just a second. Choking on her breath, she managed to murmur Arthur's name just lightly.

"Forget it love, I should never have asked. It is none of my business"

"No." she muttered. "You have a right to know. You share everything with me, so I should with you."

He pulled her close against his torso, feeling the heat from her flushed cheeks on his shoulder.

"Well…I don't have any siblings. It was just my parents and I, and they…..well they hated me," she let out through a raspy, unconfident voice. "It was never 'I love you', or 'I'm proud of you'. Always 'You are such a horrible person!' and 'We don't want you so why don't you just leave!'. But obviously I couldn't leave. I had no money, nowhere to go, so idea of anything really. So I lived my own personal hell from the time I was 11 till when I just turned 18 and moved out." Ariadne inhaled sharply against Arthur's shoulder. He had no words for her, so he just held her close.

"My mother was always the one to tell me how stupid and unattractive I was, and how I should just leave. But my father….well he had another way of getting his point across." Ariadne's voice cracked, and Arthur felt her tears soak through his shirt.

"Ari…did he ever…..hit you?" he murmured, staring straight into her eyes. Her gaze dropped to the sheets they were sitting on, and her head nodded only just.

"Oh sweetheart, they can never hurt you again." He bundled her into his lap and held her as tightly as possible. "I'm always here for you. You never have to live that life again."

She leant into him, pressing her lips to his neck and he tenderly pushed a loose hair behind her ear. "Nothing can change your past, but I plan to always be in your future, and I love you. Remember that."

Ariadne closed her eyes and let the last few tears roll down her cheek.