~ Part X ~

~ Resolutions ~

1.

~ Mal took her last breath giving birth to a baby boy that had most likely died in the womb days before. The doctor had told them the toxic shock was most likely what took her life.

The epic tragedy of their combined loss was too much for Cobb to absorb.

Ariadne noted he had taken to wandering around his now empty house. As if looking for his wife to appear. That maybe she was just in another room and not gone forever.
Arthur had stepped in and arranged everything. Much the same way Eames took over after the Empress sank. The tactful and artful businessman coming out as Cobb was useless these days. It was a very private and small funeral. Only the close family was invited as they laid Mal to rest with the child.

~ After the service, Arthur drove them home.

"I thought we had more time." Cobb whispered to Ariadne.

She jumped at the sound of his voice. Cobb hadn't spoken much since that awful evening where he was forced to watch Mal bleed to death as Arthur left for the doctor and Ariadne and Maura did all they could to save her.

Memories of delivering a stillborn baby, cold and lifeless, and all that blood that wouldn't stop.

"She was still young. I just thought we had more time." Cobb whispered again.

"I'm so sorry." she said and tried to hold his hand.

Cobb brushed her off.

"I can't... I can't go back into that house knowing she isn't there. There was so much of our lives we had to live still. It isn't fair." he said.

"Cobb, I know what you're feeling. When Arthur..." she looked up at her convenient husband and saw his eyes dart to her from the rear-view mirror. "When I thought he was gone, I felt lost. It took me a long time to accept he was gone. It hurt me, remember?"

Cobb blinked out tears and nodded.

She could feel Arthur's eyes on her. Her late husband glaring at her from the rear view mirror as he drove home.

~ Arthur and Ariadne were overly polite to one another for the rest of the evening.

"Thank you." she whispered as he helped her clean up the little sitting room and they did the small domestic chores to help Cobb.

"I'm staying over tonight." he announced as Cobb left for bed right away and the house was still.

"You can stay in the guest room." Ariadne told him as they took the tea trays into the kitchen.

"No, I'll be staying with you." he told her.

"You most certainly will not, sir." she told him bitterly.

"Yes, I will."

"Just because Mal has left us-"

"Mal passing proves one thing, that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. We've wasted enough time fighting and being angry with each other already. I'm sorry... for everything." Arthur told her sincerely. "I'm sorry I forced you to feel pain. I wasn't well for a long time, but that is no excuse. I should have understood how you must have felt. Thinking I was dead."

"I can't forgive you for it, Arthur." she whispered.

"I understand that. Can we move on? Can we try to be happy together?" he asked. "We were happy once."

She wanted to shake her head. Wanted to tell him to leave and not come back. Perhaps if Mal hadn't died, if there was not such a heavy weight of sadness and stillness in the house, she would have banished him from her life. But the specter of death made her remember how short their lives were. How indeed, there were no promises of tomorrow.

Her handsome, convenient husband looked at her imploringly.

"Arthur, come to bed." she capitulated.

~ "This changes nothing." she scolded him as the couple readied for sleep. Her convenient husband looking happy as he waited for his bride to come to him in the bed they would share. His lean body making room for her in her next to him.

He only gave her a smile as she slipped off her robe and stood before him in her night dress.

"I think I've missed this the most." he admitted as she folded the blankets over her and felt his large hands run over her stomach possessively. His nose in her hair and his lips on her neck.

"We're just going to sleep, Arthur." she told him stubbornly.

"I'm not tired." he said in a happy voice.

"Well, I am. It's been a long day."

"I know what will make me tired." he offered as she felt his large feet run over her own. A boyish grin spreading on his face.

"Sleeping in the guest room?" she teased in an sweet voice.

He gave her a grin before leaning over and stealing a kiss. She felt her blood spark hotly at the contact. Her pulse snapping faster and her body waking up and wanting attention.

"Arthur." she scolded as she felt his hands run over her undergarment and her legs part slightly.

"I've missed you." he whispered. "I've missed my wife. We can have a big wedding if you want. Or we can go to the court house like before. I just need my wife back. I need my daughter back." he said as he moved dangerously over her.

His body suddenly heavy at it trapped her under him.

"Wait." she panted as she tried to move away.

"For what?" he asked as he was kissing her and she could feel her body start to heat up with excitement for him.

"Arthur, I never said I would marry you." she whispered as she felt her hips rocking in time with his.

"You will marry me. I'm your husband." he told her. "I'm a better man with you as my wife."

She felt herself weaken as the comfort, the familiarity of his body made her relax and enjoy all he had to give her. Her body remembered this. Remembered this man and the way he would touch her. Her skin felt electric as his hands moved over her and she wanted to be naked with him. Wanted that contact she thought was lost to her forever.

His hands exploring her body as she wrapped her legs around his slender waist.

"Take your gown off." he commanded and she complied without a second thought. Her body exposed to the night air as his lips burned her flesh from her neck and finally landed on her breasts where, she gasped at the sharp pain of him sucking her nipples.

Her back arched instinctively as his lips angrily pulled at the tender flesh.

"God, I've missed you." he panted as he moved her panties off and left her ready for his explorations.

His lips returning to her breasts and she fought the urge to say 'Eames' as he abused her just the way her former lover was so fond of.

'Why do men love breasts so much?' she wondered as her convenient husband made the sensitive nipples become hard and pointed. 'What's the fascination?'

She felt Arthur's fingers dive between her legs and she took in a sharp breath. He was grinding his fingers into her. Preparing her for when he would have her. He had always done this, always touched her delicate flesh before mounting her. Her body responding perfectly with his as she felt his thumb graze over the crest of her desire and her hips bucked slightly.

"Say you'll marry me." he ordered as he was making her breasts sensitive. "Say yes."

"Yes." she moaned as his large hands stimulated her between the legs. Her own release emanate as he stopped what he was doing, shed himself of clothing and took her.

~ It was like the first time. Her body excited and alert like he was a new lover, not her husband at all.

Arthur was grinning shamelessly as her mouth greedily sucked up and down his enlarged member.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he managed to groan as she laced her lips around his head and slowly, slowly, slowly worked her way down.

He let out a loud groan that made her want to laugh. The power she had over him was wonderful. No wonder men were so fond of taking things in bed. She was making him feel things against his will right now and it was empowering.

"The library at Blue Rivers has a book called the Kamasutra." she told him as her hands took over from her mouth.

"I think I've heard about that." Arthur said and sharply gasped as she tormented him further.

Ariadne felt a wave of guilt at lying to him. It wasn't exactly lying. The book could be in the library and not in Eames' night stand where her lover had shown her pictures and careful instructions they used every night.

That she had practiced this on her lover many times to disable him for her own needs.

There was no reason to feel guilt with Arthur about being with Eames. She thought he was dead. She should felt guilt towards Fredrick. He was still her husband at the time. Yet, she didn't feel guilty. Didn't feel ashamed to have been with Eames while Fredrick was alive. Now, with Arthur back, everything had changed.

"We'll have to get a copy." he gasped as he gently shooed her away from her sucking and made her straddle him.

Ariadne was careful as she eased her slightly body onto his ridged member. Surprised she was able to take all of him inside her.

Arthur watched himself go into her with fascination before making her ride him.

"I'll take care of you." he whispered as her inner wall immediately contracted hard on him. "You and the children. I'll do whatever you want as far as running the factories."

He was panting now as she bounced and allowed him to look at her naked body in motion.

"I just... I need you to be my wife again." he breathed.

His hands wandered possessively up to her breasts and she jumped slightly. The contact to intense, and she made him put his hands on her hips instead.

Her breasts and nipples were sensitive. Sensitive and slightly larger.

She pushed the memory aside, but it came roaring back stronger than ever. The memory of when she first knew Olivia was coming. With Olivia, her breasts were the first indicator. Before she had even missed a cycle, her nipples has become so sensitive, she could barely stand it.

'It can't be. Not after Arthur and I had tried so hard. I can't have fallen pregnant by Eames.' she thought.