It took everything she had not to lash out at their guests. They thought their words did something for her, but in reality she wanted to scoff at everything they said. They couldn't possibly understand the grief she was experiencing. Which is why she had taken refuge in her bedroom closet. It was a walk-in closet so it offered her a bit of privacy as she sat in the back, obscured by the clothes hanging in front of her. It was here that she let herself finally break down.

She cursed God and the fates. Tears streamed from her eyes as she anguished over her loss. She whimpered as she caught a whiff of his smell in the closet. Slowly she kneeled glancing around the small space before she spotted the source. It was a basket of dirty laundry that she'd thrown in here last night. She knew with her mother coming she had to make the place becoming and she also knew that her bedroom closet was one place her mother wouldn't dare to venture.

Ariadne pulled the basket towards her and lifted out the blue polo that laid on the top. She brought it up to her face and inhaled as deeply as she could before continuing to weep, her breath coming out ragged. She sagged back against the wall, unsure of how life could ever get better. How could this have happened to her? What had she done in a previous life that God thought she needed to pay this much. It was becoming hard for her to breath through her tears but she couldn't stop herself from crying.

Curling into a ball, Ariadne hugged the shirt close to her chest. Her throat hurt from her racking sobs and her eyes were sore from rubbing them. Part of her realized that if she didn't come out of the closet soon and rejoin everyone downstairs that someone would come looking for her, but she couldn't move not even if she wanted to. She couldn't stand the guilt weighing down on her shoulders. This was her fault and she knew she'd never be the same. It was as though she were broken and she doubted she'd ever be fixed again.

There was a noise just outside the bedroom door, but Ariadne ignored it. She wanted to be left alone, couldn't they understand that? Didn't they realize that it didn't matter where she was? It didn't matter if she was down with the guests or wallowing in her closet. Nothing could change the fact that he was gone and he was never going to come back. What did they expect of her? Was she supposed to put on a brave face and nod calmly every time said they were sorry for her loss? They couldn't possibly understand her loss. Their words were meaningless and she was sick of pretending otherwise.

She heard the door open but ignored the person standing in the entryway. She didn't want to talk. She didn't want to be comforted. She didn't want to hear more empty words. She didn't want to smile politely anymore. She wanted to be left alone. She wanted to wallow in her misery. She wanted to die. How could they expect anything more from her?

"Ariadne?" His voice was quiet as though he were afraid he'd startle her. She couldn't really blame him since her body was so tense it was starting to ache a little. "Ari..please come downstairs."

"Leave me alone," Her voice was quiet but there was a dangerous edge to it that caused the man to sigh.

Ariadne saw him shake his head slightly before standing, "Alright, Ariadne, I'll leave you alone for now."

He quietly closed the door behind him, but stood outside of it. He could barely stop himself from going back into the closet when he heard her continue to sob. He wanted to pull her into his arms and cradle her tightly against his chest. He knew what she was going through, but he had to be strong. He had to let her sort this out for herself. Slowly he backed away from the door and towards the entrance to the bedroom, he shoulders straightening with every step. He knew what he needed to do but he couldn't help that feel with every footstep he was losing her.

Ariadne wasn't sure how long she stayed in the closet, holding the polo to her face and inhaling deeply. She just knew it must have been awhile because the shirt was starting to smell more like her and less like him. Wiping her eyes, she placed the shirt back in the basket and stood. When she stepped into the bedroom she looked at herself in the mirror and could hardly recognize the woman who was staring back. She was a fragment of what she had been just days ago. She wasn't innocent and care-free anymore. There was far too much sadness radiating from her eyes to be considered either one of those things ever again.

Making her way to the bathroom, she turned the water on cold and began splashing it on her face. After a few moments, she turned the tap off and grabbed the hand towel that sat on her master suite bathroom sink before wiping her face. Glancing up she knew she had to fix her make-up and hair before contemplating walking back downstairs. It took only a few minutes and then she was slowly descending back into the throng of people that were usually known as her friends and family, but right now they were her enemies. They kept saying that she'd eventually move on and that she had to remember the positive.

Once she reached the bottom step, her face fell into a emotionless mask as her eyes scanned the room before landing on the blow-up photo that stood in the living room. Turning on her heel she rushed back up to the master bathroom and threw open the seat to the toilet before throwing up. She hadn't realized anyone had seen her until she felt a damp cloth on the back of her neck and a soothing hand running up and down her trembling back.

Tilting her head to the side she scowled at the man before her. "Don't any of you have the decency to leave me alone?"

He seemed taken aback by her attitude for a split second before shaking his head at her, "If you wanted decency, love, you picked the wrong bunch of people to befriend."

She scowled at him and ripped the rag from his hand before shoving him towards the entry. "Get out," She screeched in a voice she didn't even recognize. He scrambled back and held his hands up in a submissive gesture.

"Please, Ariadne, come downstairs and get some food."

"Food? You think I want food at a time like this? Get out, Eames. Get out now!" She shoved him again and when he finally stood and exited she slammed the door behind him. They seemed to understand that she didn't want to be around them after that and left her alone. She walked out into her bedroom and climbed onto her bed, hugging a pillow close to her chest as she cried herself to sleep still unsure of how she was supposed to move on with her life.

She felt the bed move later that night, but refused to open her eyes. Ariadne knew it was impossible for her to feign sleep to him, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying. She felt his hand on her face, gently brushing hair off of her wet cheek. She felt him lay down behind her and wrap his arm around her waist. She felt him pull her closer to him. She felt his breath on the back of her neck. Those were all physical feelings though. Inside, she was numb to what she used to feel when he did those things.

Ariadne laid in his arms for hours, not sleeping. She knew he wasn't sleeping either, but she still refused to acknowledge him and when he finally drifted off to sleep she pulled away from him before climbing out of the bed. She walked out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the last door on the left. Pushing it open she stood in the entrance way almost afraid to enter.

Running her hand along the wall, she felt for the light switch before flipping it to illuminate the room. Blue wallpaper with dinosaurs decorated the walls. Two mahogany dressers were on opposite sides and a bed was in the middle of them. There were toys littering the floors and paints still thrown about on the plastic desk in the corner. Walking into the room, Ariadne didn't cry, she merely sank down onto the bed and curled up into a ball. She stared at the wall until light began to show through the windows. Then she stood and began her morning routine, starting with a shower.


A.N. Let me know what you think of the story and trust me this is just the beginning. All will be revealed in the next chapter.