20.
~ Arthur tried to enjoy the party. It was another elegant reception in the ball room to celebrate the fifteen couples that had successfully conceived and made it past the first six months.
The elders had an elaborate ceremony to give their blessings to the mothers and soon to be babies. Each mother-to-be was congratulated and praised as the fathers-to-be were largely ignored and only given handshakes from other men.
The men and women rarely spoke to one another and the couples who were expecting ignored each other completely. The taboo of being around each other after conception was something they were raised to avoid.
Arthur was forced to come to this party by his father.
"We have our Mr. Eames on the case." Richard had said when Arthur protested. "He's the best man for this kind of work."
"Ariadne won't be there." Arthur insisted. "This is for the mothers-to-be, It's a blessing ceremony."
"You conceived a child with this girl. You have done your part and you are worthy in the eyes of the elders. Her running away, probably to get an abortion, is no failing on you, son." Richard had said.
His father's words held no comfort for him as he sipped non-alcoholic champagne in the ball room by himself. His black tuxedo was crisp and perfect as the other party goers were likewise dressed well.
Arthur looked like the odd man out among hie peers. He had no one here who he shared a connection with. The other men, fathers-to-be, would steal little glances at the girls who were proudly showing. Pleased smiles would come to their faces at seeing that they had accomplished their duty and proven their place in the group. The mothers were content with the secret knowledge of women who would be mothers. A thing men could never understand.
Arthur had no one to steal glances at. Misery was his only company.
"My, my, Arthur. Don't we look lonely?" a voice came to him. Arthur turned to see Wendy. A very pretty young woman his father had been pushing him to be with next time. Wendy was pregnant with her second now, and she had given birth to her first with little trouble. She and her sisters were exactly what the Demeter wanted in mothers. Healthy, smart and knew their role and responsibility.
"Where is this outsider girl? What was her name?" Wendy asked as she ran a hand over her ripe belly. Teasing Arthur with the fact that Ariadne was absent.
"I've come alone tonight." Arthur told her and looked away. He tried to focus his attention on something, anything, else.
"Yes, I heard about her. Ariadne, was it? Well, such a dreadful thing can only be expected from an outsider. I'm sure she's had it 'take care of'." Wendy sighed sadly. "That's what they do, isn't it? Outsiders? They don't respect the sacred promise of motherhood let alone the father. Don't understand the connection. They only see a burden. You know, it's never felt like a burden to me." she added.
"How nice for you." Arthur said grimly.
"You mustn't blame yourself. You did you part. More than adequately, I'm sure." Wendy told him.
"Humm." Arthur said and pretended not to care.
"When this one is born, and the elders pronounce me ready again, I hope you'll keep me in mind. I think we would do very well together." she told him.
Arthur didn't look at her.
"I think after all this sadness, you deserve a little happiness." Wendy told him. "You deserve a child, properly born to a woman who understands these things."
Arthur wasn't listening, his father had come into the room and looked out of breath.
"Excuse me." he said and left Wendy.
"Arthur." Richard said in a harassed whisper. "It's Eames, he's found Ariadne and is bringing her back now."
Arthur felt his heart jump, and followed his father out of the ball room.
"Is she alright?" the younger man asked. So many months she was gone, anything could have happened to her.
"He says she'll be fine." Richard said.
"Is she still pregnant?" Arthur asked. He felt himself shake as he worried the answer would be 'no'.
"She is." Richard said. "But I need to tell you something first."
"What?"
"She was in an accident. That's how he was able to find her." Richard said calmly as they rode the elevator down to the parking garage.
"What kind of an accident?" Arthur barked.
"She's going to be fine and the baby is going to be fine." Richard said calmly. "But she was hit by a cab crossing the street. Eames picked her up from the hospital."
"What?" Arthur almost shouted as the lift came to a halt in the parking garage.
"She is alright." Richard assured his only child. "Just a few cuts and bruises. They did a sonogram at the hospital and the baby's heartbeat is strong."
"I need to see her."
"You need to stay calm, Arthur. She didn't want to come back at all. Eames called me and told me Dom Cobb helped her escape." Richard said.
~ Ariadne sat in the passenger side of Eames' car.
"Are we going to live here?" Eames asked as he pushed a wheelchair to her side of the car. Tempting her to get out.
There were not locks on the car's doors, he could have gotten her out if he wanted to, but he seemed to respect the fact that she didn't want to leave the car. A feeling of safety was there. In the car, she could hold onto the delusion of leaving the Demeter. Leaving the car meant that she was truly back in the Demeter. The guards from the lobby were standing off to the side; trying not to glare at her.
"Don't mind them. They just want to make sure you don't beat me up." Eames teased.
"I want to." she said meekly and kept her seat-belt on.
"Arthur is coming down to see you." Eames said soberly.
"You lied to me." Ariadne accused.
"I never lied."
"You said you were a federal agent. That you could help me. I trusted you."
"I am a federal agent." he told her. "I'm also a son of the Demeter. My mother and father took me away when I was very young. I grew up in England and never felt like that was my home. I found my way back to this place when I was a teenager. I belong here, and your child belongs here to."
"My child belongs with me." she growled.
"I know... I know you must feel that way. It's normal for a a girl like you to feel attached." Eames said soothingly.
"Mr. Eames?" came a deep voice.
Ariadne gasped as she recognized the voice and saw Arthur in the parking garage.
"Arthur." Eames said and stood up.
"Wait, don't!" Ariadne hissed as part of her still wanted to trust Eames. Still thought he might protect her.
"She'll be fine. Richard told you about the accident?" Eames said casually.
"Yes." Arthur said coldly as he eyed Ariadne in the car.
She instinctively clutched her belly. Her hands trying desperately to protect her child.
"Doctors advise her to rest for a few days. She's a little sore from the accident." Eames went on as he handed Arthur her file from the hospital. "She doesn't seem to want to leave the car just yet."
Both men looked at Ariadne who stubbornly stayed in the car.
"I wouldn't try and force her, she's been though a lot." Eames said gently.
"Thank you, Mr. Eames." Arthur said in that detached way of his.
Eames nodded and walked over to Ariadne. Her window was down a crack for air and she glared at him.
"You are better off here, darling." he said softly. "I'm sorry you don't feel the same way."
"You're a bastard." she snarled.
Eames shrugged.
"We're all bastards at the Demeter." he said as walked away.
~ Ariadne felt her pulse race to the point it was painful as Arthur walked over to her and sat in the wheelchair. They had the car door and window separating them, but he was still closer that she liked.
She felt real sense of fear prick at her as she looked away.
Arthur was looking over her hospital chart.
"You were hit by a cab?" he asked softly.
"I'm fine." she said stubbornly.
"You were lucky. I'll have Yuseff give you a check up once you're back in the apartment." Arthur told her.
Ariadne took a deep breath. Yuseff was still there. That means he wasn't blamed for her disappearance.
"Are you going to stay in the car all night?" Arthur asked.
"Yes. Go away." she told him.
"I've been very worried about you. You vanished into thin air and we didn't know if you were alive or dead." he said soothingly.
"I told you I'm fine."
She didn't look at him as he read.
"Doctor said the heartbeat is strong, that's good." Arthur said. "You were very lucky the cab didn't kill the both of you."
His brow furrowed into a scowl.
"Boy?" he breathed.
He looked at her, his face in shock as she looked away.
"We're having a boy?" he asked in a whisper.
"We are not having anything." she snapped at him. "This is my child."
"I have a contract that would disagree." Arthur told her curtly.
"I never took your money." she hissed. "Contract is void if I don't accept payment."
"Cashing the check is irrelevant." Arthur said dryly as he closed her chart.
Ariadne realized she had to pee and shifted uncomfortably.
"You also broke the confidentiality when you spoke to Eames about the Demeter." Arthur told her.
"I thought Eames was a member of your cult." she said.
"At the time you told him about us, you thought he was a federal agent." Arthur said. "He is with the FBI, we find it's good to have members in government. Helps to keep us from gaining too much attention. Still, we were not prepared for you. Or Mr. Cobb." Arthur said.
She wouldn't rise. Wouldn't say a word about Cobb. He had helped her when no one else would and she would not betray him.
"I have to go to the bathroom." she said and let out a sigh.
"Alright." Arthur said and stood up out of her wheelchair. "I'll take you back to your apartment. We've kept it up in case you came back."
"I'm not going there." she told him.
"Where then? Homeless shelter? Where would you go that we can't find you?" Arthur asked.
She shook her head in hopeless furry as tears swam in her eyes. It was true. She had a little money for gas back to Canada. She couldn't leave however. They would track her and find Cobb, Miles and the children.
"I'm not going back to that apartment." she told him resolutely.
"Alright." he said. "We can go to my apartment."
"No." she told him.
"I don't think Mr. Eames will want you to stay in his car forever." Arthur said casually.
He let out a long sigh as she felt ready to cry from frustration.
"You look nice." she said as she let out a choked back sob.
Instantly, with one fluid motion, he handed her a white, silk handkerchief from his lapel. A peace offering, a reminder that he was a gentleman.
She took it gratefully and tried to hide her shameful tears.
"Why are you so dressed up?" she cried as she doubted she had ever see him look nicer, and hated herself for thinking he was handsome.
"It's for a reception ball. All the expectant mothers were given the blessings of the elders tonight and were honored at a party after the ceremony." he told her.
She nodded and tried to clean her face free of tears.
"Not the kind of thing outsiders would be invited to." she said bitterly.
"You would have come with me tonight." Arthur told her easily. "You left, so I had to go alone."
"Well, you look very nice." she said carefully as she was sure she looked horrible in comparison. She wasn't exactly dressed and ready to stand next to him right now.
She had to do a double take as she caught Arthur grinning at her. He was still seated in the wheelchair Eames had brought for her. His hand covering his mouth so she wouldn't see the smile he was trying to hide. But his eyes revealed he was trying very hard not to laugh.
"I think you look wonderful." he said.
She let out a long sigh. They both realized her crying fit was over and he stood and opened the car door for her.
"Let's go back to my place." he said and she took his hand.