Neverlandspirit: They really do, don't they? Haha if you were irritated with Eames last chapter, wait until the end of this one. Yay Ender and Arthur though, I agree. Lauraa-x: When I read your "happy ever after (I wish)" part, I did so in the tune of Into the Woods hahaha. Anyways...And you're right. Seeing Arthur's grief has kind of forced Ender into the neutral territory. Him and Chloe have got to be the Switzerland in the matter. I do think Ari greatly cares about the kids' opinion but ultimately, they could still have Arthur in their lives without he and Ariadne getting back together so the marriage thing is more her feelings and preference. I think. L: I think they'll be able to persuade her into letting them spend more time with him. She feels guilty about it anyway. Bookwormgirl: Hahahahah, I understand though. Yeah Eames, should've at least escorted her, chaperones or not, am I right? I know they're so awkward around each other. Almost like high school, it's funny. Thanks! ThePenguinApocalypse: Aw, thanks! Here's an update buddy! nObody: Oh no! Here's some fuel for your brain. I'm working to get the next chapter out a little sooner too so cross your fingers!

Extra thanks to ThePenguinApocalypse for favoriting and following the story and also favoriting me! :0) :0)

xxxxxxx

Chapter 26: Technicalities, Mr. Eames

Chloe sashayed down the aisle, barely skimming over the selections in favor of remembering her ballet solo from summer camp. It was when she landed from a leap that her eye focused on a vase of bright yellow. "What about sunflowers?" She called to her big brother who was several feet back contemplating calla lilies. He sauntered down while she spout out reasons to get them, "They're bright and cheery. They'll make her smile." Then she started singing, lord help him. They couldn't take her anywhere. "You are my sunfloweeeer, my only sunfloweeeeer," grabbing Ender's hands, she forced him into a waltz, "You make me ha-PPYYYYYYYYYY..."

"It's 'sunshine' not 'sunflower'," he corrected, bemused.

She retorted as she twirled herself with his arm, "It's called a pun, Booger Boy."

Ender rolled her in to him, "No, in this instance it's just called the wrong word," then rolled her out forcefully; making her spin down the aisle a long ways to keep her balance. She stopped in front of an array of white flowers and the ones she liked were puffy and dainty looking. "What about a bunch of these?" Again, Ender moved down the aisle to study what she picked out. "No."

"You don't like any of my suggestions," she half pouted, her arms crossing over her chest.

Well yeah, that was true. Because she wasn't picking out flowers cognitively. She was doing the equivalent of 'close your eyes and point to one' and that just wouldn't do. They were trying to accomplish something here. He explained why her most recent choice was silly because he was sure she didn't realize, "He can't get Mom a bouquet of Baby's Breath; that's filler flower."

Chloe shrugged, "But they're pretty."

And Ender deadpanned, "They're weeds. Not exactly romantic."

"Ewwww," the little girl's face scrunched up as she teased, "what do you know about romance?"

The boy defensively crossed his arms and glared at her,"Do you want Mom and Dad back together or not?"

Yes she did. So Chloe retreated by form of defeated sigh and let her eyes wander back to the coolers of flowers. There were hundreds and hundreds, how could they pick the right one? Hand on one of the handles she slumped to the side, "This is a lot of pressure..."

Ender was busy scrolling down his phone intently. "Ok, this website says that white flowers symbolize..." he squinted, having to zoom in to see the answer on the graph, "remembrance and new beginnings."

"White," Chloe repeated, "Got it!" Now that she had something specific to look for it'd be easier. Meanwhile, Arthur breezed through the shop door and peered over the shelves for his son's head (his daughter's would be too short to spot). Ender (and presumably) Chloe were in the back so he weaved his way there. "Alright. Parking meter's paid for an hour so we can take our time. See anything?"

The girl had both face and hands pressed to the glass for 'optimum viewing' she reasoned but it couldn't have been sanitary. Never mind the smudges she'd leave. Arthur ordered, "Chloe, off the coolers, please. You'll catch a communicable disease." She hopped off obediently and skipped to give him a hug around the waist—as if she hadn't seen him in ages when his parking job took less than two minutes. "We need something white!" Then she whispered to him (loudly so it was pointless) because of another customer strolling by. "So Mommy will take you back."

Startled by the outright declaration, Arthur's quizzical stare switched from Chloe to Ender and back again. Proud of herself, Chloe grinned at her big brother who returned nothing but an irritated eyebrow raise. Geeze, Chloe...they'd talked about this. Dad was hesitant and embarrassed. He wanted Mom to take him back but he was clueless about how (and quite frankly scared) to go about it because...and here was the kicker...Mom didn't show any desire to have him there much less back in there lives. But only because she was too stubborn (and probably scared too) to show it. So it was up to Ender and Chloe to discreetly drop hints here and there to build their parents confidence in each other so someone would make a move. But they were supposed to be sneaky about it. "If we were in the Parent Trap, we'd fail, you know that right?"

Chloe sighed exasperatedly and let go of their father, turning around to look at the shelves behind them. Arthur recovered well enough to act as if nothing had been said about it. He casually pointed to a nearby cooler door with an array of bright voluminous flowers inside. "How about carnations? They're her favorite."

Ender didn't even look up from his phone, "Maybe we should go with red roses though. They're the symbol of love," he then held his phone in Arthur's face so he could read it for himself, "that's kind of perfect right?" Dad could pretend he didn't want to win Mom back over but he couldn't deny he loved her, so the boy thought it the perfect trap and smirked.

"Guys, these are get well flowers," reminded the Point Man, lowering Ender's arm (and phone) away from his head.

"Right," nodded the boy agreeably. Before making air quotations with his fingers.

Arthur peered at him. "From the three of us."

"Gotcha," winked Ender and Arthur felt like he was going to throw something. Chloe manifested from behind him on his other side holding a heart-shaped box of candies, another rectangular one filled with chocolate covered cherries (Mommy could eat a million of those) and a white teddy bear half Chloe's size. "I think you should get Mommy these too. She ignored Arthur shaking his head at her and pushed her selections into his arms, "Oh and a balloon!" She pointed to a display further to the front of the shop. "Hold on!"

Just then, a nice, soft spoken man with a green apron stepped up to the Talesco boys, gesturing at Arthur's full arms, "Can I help you?"

"A dozen red roses, please—" Ender jumped in.

"Make those white carnations," remedied the father.

But Ender got the last word as the florist stepped into the back room, "One of each!" He addressed Arthur's bewildered gape. "Chloe and I need something for her too. We'll do the white."

Yes, they were his children but they were backing him into a corner and he didn't appreciate it. They were kids...of course they wanted their parents back together, few kids don't. And it was sweet they were trying to help but it didn't feel like helping. It felt like Eames' teasing used to back before Arthur and Ariadne started dating. Like they were intent on making a fool out of him in front of her even though he knew that wasn't possibly the case. They didn't know what transpired between their parents in Ari's room a couple days ago. Ariadne made it clear she didn't want to hear anything of that nature from him. He couldn't very well walk in like Cupid on steroids. Arthur shoved Chloe's items back onto the shelves (not even caring if they were in the right spot ). "I'm not walking in there like it's Valentine's Day."

His son was genuinely confused by that. He tilted his head, "Why not?"

"It's not appropriate," Arthur fixed Ender a stern stare that said his decision on all the extraneous was final and bout-faced to head to the front counter. Ender checked to make sure Chloe was still ogling different balloon choices over her head and followed his Dad, making an argument. "Of course it's appropriate. It's kind of predictable, actually."

"No, it's too much. We're going with something simple." The florist was still in the back gathering their order. Just to give him something determined to do, Arthur rifled through the small cards, "One white bouquet from all three of us." He pulled out a blue one with a daisy printed along the bottom and a 'Get Well Soon' along the top.

As Arthur reached for the pen in his pocket, however, Ender slid the card to the side and placed a white one with an ornate red border and a cursive 'For My Love' in the center. "Don't you want to impress her? You're like the King of Grand Gestures."

The man didn't notice the card switch until the tip of his pen touched the paper. He flashed his son a look, scribbled an X over the whole thing and pushed it to the side with his original choice. "Roses won't impress her. If anything they'll offend."

"They won't. She'll love them," the boy contended, still. Leaning his hip against the counter, he watched helplessly as Arthur filtered through the display of cards again (skipping all the meaningful ones, at that). "Dad, just get the roses. Stop being a scared-y cat."

"She doesn't want that kind of attention from me."

Dear God...Dad picked up a baby yellow one with a smiley face in the corner...Ender grimaced as if it was physically painful to watch his dad choose something so...platonic. "You don't know that."

"I do. And I'm not embarrassing myself," Arthur chided. He would add 'again' but best leave his son unaware.

Didn't want to embarrass himself? He might want to try not giving her a card that looked like a preschooler drew it. Not being able to stand it, the boy quickly intervened and switched the travesty with a card he'd been eyeing. One that could be considered a compromise. It was white with a simple outline in gold and 'All The Best' across the top. "She loves you."

"Except she's marrying your Uncle Eames," It came out gritted and bitter. But honestly, Arthur didn't realize he'd voiced it aloud. Not until Ender's face filled with shock, "What?" His eyes darted around aimlessly in attempts to latch on to something that made sense. But when he couldn't find anything to ease his raging thoughts, he stared at the card his Dad was scrawling on and shook his head profusely, "No she's not...she wouldn't."

Arthur set his pen down and sighed. "Oh God..." rubbing his forehead. Disappointed in himself for letting it slip and to their son no less, "don't say a word to your sister. We're not supposed to know yet; no one is. Just keep quiet about it until she decides to make the announcement."

"If no one's supposed to know, though, then how do you?" Ender's eyebrows furrowed, "Is that what you talked about that night?"

The Point Man shook his head, "I saw a memory down in the dream of her telling Natalie her decision," he finished signing his name and labored to fake a polite smile at the florist in his return.

"A memory." Ender started, "But that means it was before the crash." For Ender that held so much more hope than Arthur could find in it. "Before you came back—When she thought she'd never see you again. Dad, you have to—"

"No, Ender. I'm not—" Arthur got angry and practically growled his denial. He caught himself and forced himself to smooth out his tone and be calm, "I can't—" The man was rapidly getting emotional and going downhill. He glanced at the florist sheepishly (though his jaw was locked) and hurriedly pulled out his wallet to hand to his son, "You and your sister finish up. I'll wait in the car." He plowed out of there.

Left to make the decision, Ender decided it'd be better to find a middle ground between Arthur and his and his sister's ideas. As he was reading what Arthur wrote on the card (before allowing the florist to stick it in the arrangement), Chloe skipped over. Several heart balloons in tow. "Where'd Daddy go?"

Ironic that the balloon Ender saw first, was losing air and sagging lower than the rest. He frowned, "Put those back."

xxxxxx

Shannon and Gerard decided to stay in London at least until Ariadne was out of the hospital. For all intents and purposes, she was in the clear. No risk of falling back into coma and so sign of going back down hill. She was on the up and up. Upon Ariadne's request, they didn't come and stay all day like they had been. Everyone came and went. Eames was her first visitor this morning. He sat in a chair pulled close to her bedside. Ariadne covered his hand with hers and squinted apologetically, "I was harsh. I should've thanked you not berated you." Eames stayed away and gave Ariadne space in the few days following their fight, choosing to keep updated on her rapid progress through Shannon and Gerard. She called him the night before and asked him to come see her. After having time to mull over her initial reactions—at everyone. Her parents, Eames, Arthur, even the way she treated Ender's efforts to get her to talk to his father—she realized she was rash and said some things that were abrasive (bordering on cruelty). To be fair, when she thought about it, they'd all been through way more and way worse than she had. Sure, the crash was not fun but she immediately blacked out. And all that seemed to happen was she spent (what felt like) ten minutes at a carnival with the kids (in her mind) and then woke up to all this chaos. Everyone else was conscious for the past six months and had to live each day of them thinking she was dying. If the positions were reversed with any one of them, Ariadne didn't think she would've been able to stand it. She would've made some rash and stupid decisions in the heat of the moment too. So she resolved to take it easy on everyone.

"I deserved it," Eames shrugged. He shouldn't have let Arthur have the last word and allow Ender under. Ariadne entrusted Eames with her children's safety. Arthur or no Arthur. He should've done everything he could to prevent it instead of giving in. Letting his love and need for her cloud his judgment and make him lenient in his duties. He'd been kicking himself in the arse about it.

The Architect argued back, "You didn't. You do nothing but take care of us. You didn't do it purposefully. I know you didn't go: 'this is exactly opposite of what Ariadne would want so yeah, let's do it.'"

"Do you forgive me?" he asked, turning his hand under hers so he could rub her fingers with his thumb.

She tilted her head, "If you forgive me..."

The Forger offered a gentle smile and weaved their hands together, "Always," he leaned in to press his full lips to her cheek. To nuzzle his nose in her ear. Something Ariadne didn't stop but not something she was yearning for.

"Mommy!" Chloe's voice sailed happily into the room with her as she skidded in. Ariadne jumped and glanced at the door in time to regrettably realize Ender and Arthur were right on the little girl's heels. Whereas Eames, smiled lazily and turned his head towards them (not caring at all if they'd seen), Ariadne was mortified. She slipped her hand out of Eames' grip and used it to rub her neck awkwardly. Cheerily grinning at her children and hoping if her smile was big enough, Eames' display of affections would go unnoticed. "Good morning!" The mother opened her arms just in time for Chloe to hop into them and pepper the side of her face with cuddly kisses. "I've missed you!" Ariadne laughed and returned the sentiment even though it'd been less than twenty four hours since they visited. And less than two since they talked on the phone. Chloe didn't so much as flinch a muscle her uncle's direction. On the contrary, she turned and snuggled further into place at Ariadne's side, her head just under Ariadne's chin, and tossed, "Morning Uncle Eames," into the air like it was a football aimed nowhere.

"Morning, Princess."

Chloe made sure her legs lined up with her mother's and copied the way hers were crossed, "Daddy took us all to breakfast and after lunch he's gonna take me and Booger to that place where you can make your own chocolate covered pretzels," her hands measured the space in front of them as she imagined the delicacy, "The big ones."

"Wow, that's sounds exciting," exclaimed the Architect as her firstborn kissed the top of her head. He then offered, "Could you eat one? I can make you one and save it for when you graduate to solids."

"I'd love that."

First, Ender grinned and leant his upper body onto the hospital bed. Next, he glanced over his shoulder to look for his dad and found him lingering in the doorway. Taking initiative to make them acknowledge each other, the boy got and dragged Arthur inside the room. Literally pulled him by his wrists and pointed out the vase in his hands. "Do you like the flowers?"

Arthur and Ariadne met eyes for a brief second before her gaze fell down to the arrangement of carnations. In the same instant, Arthur cut his gaze to the table by her bed and the vase of roses sitting there. Fresh. Red. A dozen of them. And a card which read (in chicken scratch): All my love, Will.

"They're your favorite!" Chloe felt the need to proudly mention. Ariadne nodded, "Yes there are, aren't they?" taking them from Ender who'd taken them from Arthur. The woman took a generous whiff, "And they're beautiful, thank you."

"Dad helped us pick them out," added the teenager pointedly. Tugging the Point's arm to make him look back at his mother so he could see that her smile didn't falter with the new information.

Sure enough, when Arthur tentatively moved his eyes her direction she was still smiling sweetly, "Thank you too."

"Yes what a sweet gesture." Eames came round the bed and cut between the two before Arthur could say 'your welcome' or express anything back. "I'll put them in the windowsill for you, Love." Chloe was oblivious (and honestly didn't care either way) as Eames took the vase from Ariadne and carried it to the back of the room. She was occupying herself by aimlessly studying Ariadne's hospital bracelet. But Ender...Ender knew it was some territorial crap on his uncle's part and it ruffled his feathers. "You're out of water too," mentioned the Forger. Making a show of taking care of her, no doubt. He pecked her cheek, "I'm going to get the nurse." He patted Arthur's shoulder on the way out though a look at the set in his jaw showed that he'd rather bite the Point Man.

Once he was gone, Ender grabbed the gaudy display of roses and sap, marched across the room and switched them with the carnations they brought. Ariadne didn't see the significance so she raised her eyebrows at him to which he (bitterly) commented, "Sorry. Blood trumps water." Ariadne chuckled at that. But when he added, "And husband—ex or not—trumps stupid infatuation," her face turned scarlet and she scolded, "Ender."

xxxxxxx

That was the first of many awkward encounters between Ariadne and Arthur. But the next one of note didn't occur until a week later. When they found themselves completely alone again. A little more comfortable about entering the room when the door was open, Arthur freely walked in, expecting his children to be somewhere inside waiting to be picked up for dinner. Ariadne's parents' daily visit took place severely early that day so they were back at the house. No, when Arthur barged in, it was just Ariadne. By her lonesome. Watching the cooking channel. "Oh, is Eames not back with the kids yet?" The Englishman took them to lunch and a movie, professing it'd been too long since they had quality time (well, in a setting that wasn't wrought with anxiety and impending doom). Father and son were pretty sure it only had to do with the copious amounts of time Arthur was spending with the kids and Eames need to match it. Still, the Point urged his son to go along and act normal and polite. For Ari and Chloe's sake if not for his Uncle's.

The man awkwardly grabbed for the door handle again and muttered, "Sorry."

"You can stay..." she shrugged. Ariadne had plenty of time to mull over the situation cooped up in that boring, dismal, room. (They tried to liven it up with the flowers, some balloons and Chloe's drawings but being stuck there was still depressing). The fact of the matter was that Arthur was now in their lives again and the children wanted him to stay in their lives. Ariadne could understand; if her parents separated, she would want to keep contact with both of them no matter their personal issues with each other. She wasn't going to refuse the three of them time together, absolutely not. He was their father thus he had rights. They were going to have to start living and cooperating and handling each other as any other divorced couple with children would. He'd have them some of the time, she'd have them some of the time...but they were going to see each other. Maybe not all the time, every day, or anything. But at least once or twice a year. Or if he decided to move to London (she didn't know if he even could. If he was still working, he might not think it safe) then they'd see each other at least every few weeks. Or maybe every weekend. For Ender and Chloe, Ariadne wanted to try to be less tense and awkward around him. It'd be nice for the children if they could be friends again or even just a semblance of.

"Won't your physical therapy start soon?" It was on her schedule for every day at three-thirty and she'd made a request that no one visit within that time frame because she felt embarrassed about struggling with her muscles. You know, Ariadne, she refused to look weak or pitiful even if circumstances made it very understandable if she was.

"No I had it early today. I'm done."

Arthur checked his watch and then accepted her offer to stay. Pulled a chair closer to her bed by its arms, "How are you feeling?"

"Better and better," her head bobbed from side to side, eyes stuck to the tv because it was easier, "I walked across the room for the first time today—with help but not much—so I'm officially mobile."

The man raised his eyebrows, "You've progressed fast."

"They said if I keep going like this, I could be discharged middle of next week so I do my exercises non-stop. Besides having nothing else to do...I'm ready to go home."

"I can imagine," chuckled he. And then as always, his 'protect Ariadne' instincts went off when she flinched and hissed. When her chin dropped to her chest and her eyes squeezed shut in pain, he jumped to the edge of his seat. Hands out, every fiber and tendon in him poised to be of assistance the second it was called for, "What is it? Are you ok?" She couldn't answer for the pain but she eventually relaxed and opened her eyes. Collecting herself with a deep breath. Arthur forced himself to scoot back into his seat again and ask casually, "Sore?"

Reaching across for her cup of water, she answered, "My calves get so tight after PT. They cramp off and on."

The man was already up and halfway to the door when he questioned, "Want me to find a heating pad for them?"

"I asked for one...they don't have any available." As Arthur pivoted at the doorway she could guess his next plan of action was to go out and buy one himself. But she had it covered and hastily added, "I think Eames is going to pick one up somewhere on their way back."

"Would you—" he was interrupted by another one of her Charlie Horses. He couldn't stand Ariadne being in misery so when the cramp settled back down again he proposed, "Do you need me to rub them while you wait? I know how uncomfortable it can be..." When Ariadne looked at him, however, he thought about recanting, "Or if it'd make you feel awkward, forget I asked."

"I don't think it'd be awkward. For me." The only thing Ariadne was concerned with at the moment was dealing with agonizing cramps in her calf not Arthur touching her again. "Would it be weird for you?"

"I wouldn't have offered."

"Could you, then?" squinted the woman, sheepishly, "You're good at it."

Arthur pointed to the mattress, "Do you mind if I sit on the bed?" Her response was to shake her head. He got up and scooted to the edge so that he was sitting perpendicular to her, her feet hitting at his knees. He rolled the bottom of her blanket up and saw that her feet were double their normal size, "Ari, your swelling."

She wasn't surprised, it was also a normal side effect from her non-stop exercising. "Happens."

"We've got to get them down." Stretching over, he pressed the nurse's button. "Excuse me, could I have two frozen water bottles? Stat?" He elevated her feet by lifting them and resting them on his thighs.
"I'll rub them while we wait."

When he first looked at her feet all he noticed was the size. When he looked down at them again he realized she was wearing brightly colored toe socks with rainbow stripes and different smiley faces on each toe. He snorted to which she feigned upset, "Don't laugh at my socks."

Arthur cleared his throat and apologized with a smirk, "Sorry," then began to apply light compression on her ankles, stretching the skin up to relieve the pressure. He nodded in the direction of the tv behind him, "So what were you watching?"

"Cooking show," She regarded it too. Commenting, "I can't stomach real food yet but I sure love to look at it."

"Is this the one where they get an ingredient and have to make a meal based off of it," he inquired following a glance over his shoulder at it. She included: "Against a timer and two other chefs. It's pretty engrossing stuff. I think their secret ingredient is asparagus."

The Point joked, "Your lucky day."

"Right?" Ariadne loved asparagus. Like loved. Almost as much as chocolate but not quite. They watched the tv program in comfortable silence until the commercial break when he switched feet. Instead of putting it down, he had her slightly scoot forward so he could keep the foot raised on his thigh. It'd already visibly reduced size but he wanted to keep it on that track. "Ok I'm going to keep your foot elevated while I work on the other."

She wasn't sure if it gave Arthur deja vu (most likely) but it sure gave it to her. Sitting on the bed watching something about food while Arthur rubbed her feet. The only thing missing was a child in her stomach. It was one of the happier memories from their marriage. Sure, having feet about to burst open was not happy but the contentment she'd felt with him at that time was. When the corner of her lips turned up, it was more to herself, "Remember my feet when I was pregnant with Ender?"

He paused for a second. A quick one. So quick Ariadne barely caught it. Then he raised his eyebrows, "How could I forget? It was way worse than this. Your feet got bigger than your belly."

"They were not that big!" scoffed the Architect. She would've playfully slapped his shoulder had he been close enough or had she felt like putting forth the exertion to bend over and stretch that far.

Arthur nodded teasingly, "They were pretty big..." smirked up at her, "like Hobbit feet."

"Thanks," she shot him a glare that lacked any true anger.

"Adorable, hairless and with neon orange nail polish but Hobbit feet nonetheless."

"They felt like they were going to explode," she commented, big eyes.

Arthur concurred, "Looked it too." The first time her feet swelled up during the pregnancy, Arthur had never seen anything like it. They looked like someone had blown up a medical glove. He read plenty of articles on pregnancy and remedies for different side effects so he was technically prepared. And yet when it happened he wasn't ready. It freaked him out. He tried to take her to the emergency room but Ariadne insisted she'd be fine if she laid down with them up for a bit. She wasn't about to go in for something she deemed too silly. Arthur was like that the entire pregnancy. Every little thing was a huge deal for him—because the doctor made him paranoid when he said Ariadne would most likely have complications because of her small frame. "I remember being so worried about you." When he thought about it, all that worry came flooding back in retrospect.

"Me too," she half-laughed. Looking back for Ariadne, it was comical. Because it was her body things were happening to, she had a better idea of what she could handle, what was her pregnancy norm, and issues of that nature. But because Arthur was a whole separate entity and didn't know what was a health emergency and what just made her uncomfortable, he was constantly on worse edge than she was. Ariadne compared him to a Sim on the video game when one of the other Sims went into labor. The flailing and pointing and utter chaotic meltdown? Very close. "Never mind not letting me stand in front of the microwave, you moved the thing to your office. You wouldn't take me to restaurants that even offered fish on the menu. And I think I still have leftover prenatal vitamins coming out the yin yang because you bought so many."

"I was being cautious," defended Arthur with an upward stroke under her big toe.

"Overly cautious."

"Well, I'm sorry for being an anal first time father."

She tapped his leg with her free foot and amended. He was dramatic during her pregnancy but it was very very sweet. It melted her more than it annoyed her. "You were helpful. You were..." she smirked, "You were very you. It was cute."

They eased back into silence so Ariadne could hear while the judges onscreen tasted and critiqued each each chef's dish. Arthur twisted his upper body to watch what he could while alternating a light squeeze on each foot. He was thinking it—no intention to ask for real—but it slipped, "Did your feet swell with Chloe?"

Ariadne swallowed. It was a bit of a sore subject. Not her pregnancy with Chloe, of course...the whole Arthur not being there part. Or the whole Arthur not having a clue about it part. And especially the part where it was mostly her fault he didn't know about the baby girl. The Architect tried to play it off. Make the conversation about it just as normal as the conversation about Ender's nine months in her belly was. "Not as bad. But the heartburn...it was terrible. I lived off of ginger and Tums."

"I wish I was there," murmured the man, staring intently at the ball of her right foot. Ariadne assumed he was muttering to himself and didn't mean for her to hear it. Or maybe he did. Maybe he said it to make her feel guiltier about it than she did. Regret it more than she already did. But even when angry to the point of bashing a hole into the wall, Arthur was never intentionally cruel towards her so it had to be that it slipped without him realizing.

She would've said 'Me too' but it would've pointed the slip out to him. It would've been a segue into discussing the elephant in the room: That Arthur was still in love with her. And that, truthfully, she never fell out of love with him. And she was afraid that conversation of the present would dredge up too much of the painful past. And claw at definitions and decisions for the future. Involving them, involving Eames, involving splitting time with the kids between the two parents and then they might argue. And she'd be tempted to take him back—and that couldn't happen. She couldn't let that happen for personal reasons never mind having Eames in her ear. Or her heartbreak in her ear. Or Arthur's teary gaze of selfless devotion in front of her face—then she might do something foolishly self-torturing like kiss him...and if she started kissing him, would she be able to stop? That would create a huge hot mess for her to have to deal with and she wasn't ready for all that—any of that— yet. Because once shit started to go down it was going to be a whirlwind of injury, ramming into each party on every side and she refused to get into it before she'd recovered physically enough to march herself away and hole up alone somewhere for privacy to think clearly.

While she was having the great debate in her head, she hadn't noticed the nurse came in and brought the requested frozen bottles. Only when she felt chill through her sock as Arthur pressed one to her foot, was she pulled out of her thoughts. "Put these under the arches." Wow. The cold felt so nice. She could already feel her feet shrinking back to normal. With that, Arthur started on her left calf muscle—the one that seized up the most for some reason. He started just under the bend of her knee where it was most tense. Ariadne admitted she felt instantaneous relief. She would not admit whether that had to do with the mere fact that Arthur was touching her again.

The Point Man struggled not to read too much into what was happening between them...It was completely innocent. She was in pain and needed relief. Arthur was helping her out. It didn't mean anything and absolutely nothing would come from it. The Point Man was aware of all this. But even still, it's impossible to touch the love of your life without feeling something. It's impossible to keep the adoration and reverence from showing through in the way your hands ghost across them.

Ariadne could definitely feel it; the tenderness in the circle of his thumb was unmistakable. It was difficult for her, too, not to sense some sort of intimacy. Despite both of their efforts to remain neutral the tension in the air was thick enough to need a chainsaw whack through it. That's what made Ariadne emphasize the need for them to reclaim a platonic relationship. "I want us to be friends again."

Arthur's eyes cut up to hers strategically, "I agree." No chance in hell they could ever be 'just friends' again. But if she wanted him to pretend for a few days, he'd do his best to try. They couldn't do this forever. They'd have to talk about what happened nine years ago eventually but for now...Any excuse he had to make or character he had to play to keep spending time with her like today, he was willing.

"We're probably going to be seeing quite a bit of each other now because of the kids. We can't keep dodging each other or avoiding eye contact or acting insurmountably awkward when we have to be in the same room." She explained further. Both of them knew the angle she was playing. She realized his feelings were percolating and was letting him down the easy, logical, way. "For Ender and Chloe's sake, we've got to do better at getting along around them." As an afterthought, she quickly added, "But without giving them false hope, too."

"We can handle it. No problem," he nodded. Refusing to look at her in case she saw the dejection on his face, "For Ender and Chloe." He wanted off the subject. He wanted back on generic ground. He wanted to talk about the cooking show or her socks or anything but friendship so he inquired about the massage in a tone of medical concern. "I'm not pressing too hard am I? Am I making it worse?"

"No. You're being lovely. You've been handling it really well and dealing with me and everything very kindly." Clearly, Ariadne misunderstood the context, "It's just...on one hand the kids get over-excited and on the other Eames gets extremely put off about the littlest interactions between us and they all start to think that—"

Arthur deadpanned, "I meant your leg." Secretly pissed off about the mention of Eames and the allusion that it mattered what he thought was going on between Arthur and Ariadne. He couldn't help expounding, "Am I pressing your leg too hard?"

Her cheeks colored, "Oh. No; It feels really good. Thank you."

"We're back!" In paraded the children, displaying her new heating pad, "Look what we brought!"

The mother brightened, "Ooh la la." She labored to pull at the tabs of the box before sheepishly handing it to Arthur to open. Eames, who entered the room last, was eyeing Arthur up and down with a huge level of suspicion. "Doing alright?" he asked, pointedly looking at her iced feet propped up on the Point's legs and kissing her head.

Ariadne nodded, "My legs were cramping again so Arthur offered to rub them out for me."

Ender noticed his Uncle's understanding smile looked more like an unsavory grimace. Chloe was lying half on the bed and half off, chin in hands, watching Arthur pry open the box and pull the pad from a package of plastic. "Oh. Arthur," Eames started and pulled his phone from his pocket, "I got an email from one of the blokes we hired to escort chemicals in to Yusuf. He's complaining that we ripped off his pay." Arthur responded with a distracted furrow of eyebrows, "What?"

Eames shook his phone, "I tried to reason but I don't have the copy of his contract to show him. You mind stepping in the hallway with me?"

"Of course," the Point gently maneuvered Ariadne's feet so he could slip from under them and handing the heating pad to his son with the instruction to, "Get that set up."

xxxxxxx

Arthur closed the door behind him so Ari, Ender and Chloe wouldn't have to listen to a bunch of irritating business hassles. "Who is it? Is it Marcus? Because he was a giant pain in the ass from the beginning—"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the Forger bit harshly, his arms folding over his chest. "We weren't supposed to meet here until four thirty. I'm early because Ari needed the heating pad and I wanted to get it to her quickly. Why are you here so early?"

Turning his head warily, Arthur squinted, "This has nothing to do with an email, does it?"

"You wanted me out of the way all day so you could sneak in here and try to worm your way back into her good graces," accused the blonde.

"You're the one who wanted to take Ender and Chloe out for the day and wouldn't take no for an answer. Don't act like that was part of some mastermind plan of mine. And I've only been here maybe thirty minutes."

Eames sneered (trying to keep his voice low so the others couldn't hear through the walls), "Still. I don't like you being alone with her."

Arthur retorted facetiously, "I don't particularly care for you being alone with her either but tough shit that's something we both have to deal with." He then leaned in and grit through his teeth, "Get off your high horse. She was hurting, I wasn't about to sit and watch her be miserable so I helped. Stop acting possessive; Ariadne is not something to claim ownership of. She is a person with her own agency and she asked me to."

"Because your manipulative. She feels she has to." Eames pushed Arthur out of his face, "You make her feel guilty for things she has no reason to feel guilt over. She thinks she needs to make some sort of amends with you for the children. Because she owes it to you for leaving your shit pile of a marriage. You influence her unfairly—"

The Point Man scoffed. Mocked Eames with the humor he found in that, "Manipulated by me? Influenced by me? Ariadne is not that impressionable. If you're going to claim to love her, you should really give her more credit."

Ignoring that bit, the Forger demanded, "I don't want you touching her anymore. Especially if there's no one else in the room."

"We're adults. We don't need to be chaperoned. You act like you've forgotten she and I have made two babies together." Arthur took a second to breathe in and bask in the glow of Eames' jealousy and loathing over the reminder. "Besides. I don't think she's given you the authority to dictate that kind of thing for her."

"She chose me, Arthur." The whispered words sounded like a hiss. "Remember the dream? She decided to marry me. She's now, technically, my fiancee."

Whereas Eames' eyes widened, Arthur's eyes narrowed, "Not yet. She hasn't spoken with you about it. There is no ring on her finger. As a matter of fact, our marriage still hasn't been legally dissolved. If you want to talk technicalities, Mr. Eames, she is technically still my wife."

"If you do anything to keep us apart," growled the Englishman, face getting red, the vein in his neck sticking out, "If you refuse to even give us the opportunity, I swear to God, I'll—"

Arthur pursed his lips, "You know I won't do that. You know me better. You know everything is about her happiness. I would never officially divorce her or annul our marriage for you...but if Ari asked me? If that's what she wanted, you know I would give it to her."

"Well start preparing for it. Because I promise you, she's going to ask."

To all the nurse's and passersby for the next moment, it looked like Arthur and Eames were having an intense staring contest. Both of the stances were rigid and their fists clenched tight. Finally, Arthur fabricated a smile (that wasn't cheery or friendly in the slightest), "Are we done here? I promised Ender and Chloe we'd try to make the last fountain show at the museum."

xxxxxxx
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Next chapter Ari goes home! (and her and Eames have a fight. Any guesses about what? Mwuahahah)