A/N: Yes, yes, I promise I'm still working on Christmas with Auggie! So please don't kill me, lol. I just had to get this written, haha. I'm notoriously AWFUL at short stories, so I'm not sure one-shots will be any better, but this was just itching to be written, and I needed an itty-bitty break from Annie and Auggie. And I adore Joan and Arthur, too. :)
PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review… I have a few other ideas for one-shots in the future, but if they're going to be awful, I really want to know how to fix them, lol. So please let me know what you think of this! And I'm sorry if Joan and Arthur are too soft… it just seems like they're more relate-able when they're with each other, trying to figure out their love.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
The Gift
Joan Campbell slowly descended the steps of her eerily quiet home. It was Christmas morning. Christmas was supposed to be a cheerful time, wasn't it? Yet, Christmas in the Campbell household seemed to be abysmally depressing this Christmas morning. No nephews or nieces, no laughter, no presents under the tree she had single-handedly decorated, no big Christmas meal planned, no family, no laughter.
Most depressing of all, no husband. Her headache began pounding with the cadence of a bongo drum at the thought of that.
Lovely.
Arthur had never come home last night. Not that it surprised her. After the leak had escalated, they had promised that they would fight it together. She had even thought their marriage had a chance, a few weeks ago.
That was laughable.
They had tried—she, more than he, it seemed—but over the past couple weeks, he had become distant. She barely saw him, and, even at work, he rarely talked to her. He always relayed news through Jai or Auggie, or, now that Conrad was back, Conrad. What had happened? Hadn't Arthur promised he still loved her?
None of that mattered. Arthur hadn't come home that night. Again. She had known things were bad, but was it too much to hope that her husband would come home to her on Christmas Eve? Maybe she should consider the big fat "D" word again. Arthur's actions had proved that his intentions were elsewhere. Her mother had always said "Actions speak louder than words, Joey."
Then, she ached with remembrance of her mother. No one had called her Joey except for Margot Sommers. She had died three years ago, but Joan still missed her like she had just left.
She closed her eyes against the truth and the pain assaulting her as she rounded the corner. She thought she would have a heart attack at the sight of dozens of presents piled underneath her pitiful Christmas tree.
Presents?
Who had broken into her home? To leave presents? On Christmas Eve?
She tiptoed over to the Christmas tree. All the labels to each present listed her name on them.
She heard a familiar creaking of the floorboards, and turned to look. Arthur?
He offered her an apologetic smile. "Hey, babe," he whispered, and she didn't know if she should cry or pummel him.
"Did you—" Her hoarse voice caught in her throat. "Did you bring these?"
He cocked her a smile she remembered from the old days—the days while their marriage had still been blissful. Then he nodded towards the presents, indicating she should open them.
Hesitantly, she reached for a small box. She shook it, curious. Something clunked around the box. A book? She pealed back the paper, and lifted the lid.
The Scarlet Pimpernel. By Baroness Orczy. How had he known that she had lost the copy her mother had given her in high school? It had always been her favorite novel, and it meant even more, coming from her mother. This copy would never replace her mother's, but it was a beautiful copy, nonetheless.
She glanced up at Arthur, uncharacteristic tears filling her eyes. "Arthur?"
He came to sit next to her, handing her another package. "Open this one," he said, and she accepted it from him.
A pair of rabbit fur-lined gloves. They were beautiful.
She opened present after present, as Arthur handed them to her. An umbrella that she'd been needing. A movie she'd mentioned to her secretary, Maren, that she'd wanted to see. A pair of shoes. An exquisite evening gown. A silver bracelet. A stuffed bunny rabbit.
Despite her rough exterior at work, she hadn't been able to give up her bunny collection that her little sister had begun for her. A stuffed bunny from Arthur, today…
Tears filled her eyes once again, and Arthur turned to look at her. Concern filled his eyes as he reached out to tilt her chin up. "Hey," he said, tender worry filling his tone, and it was her undoing. Arthur? Kind, tender, and loving? After all this time? She was wise enough to know that most men had major faults. What if his secrecy was about this, though? What if he had been spending his time searching for the perfect bunny, rather than the perfect mistress?
He tugged her into his arms. "Hey, what's the matter?" he asked as her tears dripped onto his tee shirt.
"Is—is this what you were doing? For the past few weeks?" she asked.
He rubbed her back soothingly. "Yeah, babe. I wanted to surprise you. I know we still are having problems, but I wanted to surprise you with a good Christmas this year. Just you and me. Hmm?"
She wiped her tears as she looked at him. "There were better ways of doing it than acting like you'd already found the new Mrs. Campbell," she said.
He reached out and cupped her cheek, brushing away her trail of tears. "Yeah, well, you're too smart. I'm sorry I freaked you out. Can you please open the rest of your presents?"
She laughed a little and turned around, picking up the next present. As she started pulling the paper away, she leaned up against his chest. She couldn't believe how incredibly right it felt to be with him again. They used to be a powerhouse at the agency, the dynamic duo everyone talked about. Why couldn't they still be?
As she pulled open the box, she discovered a beautiful white cardigan sweater. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "I know how you're always shivering over there in the DPD. I figured it was time I did something about it," he said, planting a kiss on the crown of her head.
She smiled as she tilted her head back, meeting his gaze. "Thank you, Arthur," she said softly. "For everything."
A soft smile lit up his face before he brushed his lips against hers. "Welcome," he murmured.
She turned her attention to the last present. It was a small box. She pried the paper off curiously and pulled the lid off the box. Inside was a plastic toy ring, like something you would find as the treasure in a cereal box. She turned to look at him. "Marry me?" he whispered. "Again? Joan, we've had our ups and downs, but I don't ever want to have to live without you."
Her eyes blurred with her tears. "But I didn't get you anything," she whispered.
He brushed away her tears and reached down, brushing a soft kiss against her lips. "Joan, baby, just say yes, and that's the only Christmas present I'll ever need."
She threw herself into his arms. "Yes! Yes! A million times, yes." Her words hitched in her throat. "I love you, Arthur."
"I love you, too," he whispered.
"Missed you," she said. His arms tightened around her shoulders. Missed you, too.
That was all the answer she needed.
A/N: Is it crazy that I can see Arthur giving Joan a toy ring to endear himself to her? lol. I can just see this happening between them so much. I hope it came across okay! Please review and let me know what you think!