35.
~ "So what do you think?" Arthur asked after Rose went to bed that evening.
"What do I think... about what?" she asked feeling worn out.
"About the commissioner wanting me in his cabinet. It's a major promotion for me." he told her.
"I thought you were being promoted to chief." she told him as she stacked the clean dishes and showed Arthur the still horribly marred frying pan.
"I know, I'll get you a new one." he promised hastily. "The commissioner's cabinet is a bigger promotion than chief. They still want me to go to school and everything. They're giving me credit for taking down Eames and Saito."
"But you didn't." Ariadne sighed.
"Not exactly, but they don't see it that way." Arthur told her.
"What did they say when you told them we weren't really married?" she asked.
Arthur said nothing as she put Rose's dolls into the toy box. She striated back up and looked at Arthur.
"They kept saying you were my husband. Rose calls you daddy now. It's all a lie, Arthur." she said softly.
"Doesn't have to be a lie anymore, Ariadne." he told her. "You know... you know I love you."
"I don't know that." she said. "I know you love your job. I know you love Rose."
"Well now you know I love you. What's to stop us from getting hitched?" he asked hopefully. "Eames is out of the picture. He's taking the heat for everything. You're a free woman, why not get married?" he asked.
She let out a long sigh and finally stopped cleaning long enough to look at him.
"Arthur, I appreciate everything you've done for us. I think I might have lost Rose if you-" she started.
"No." Arthur snapped. "You're not giving me this 'We need to be on our own'... crap."
"We're not your family, Arthur. Rose is getting too confused about who you are to her."
"Maybe I want to be her father. Ever think about that?" he barked. "Maybe she calls me daddy now because she wants to."
"She calls you daddy because she's five and doesn't know any better! She calls you daddy because you encouraged her!" Ariadne said harshly.
"She calls me daddy because I'm the only man in your life who treats you well." Arthur argued.
Ariadne shook her head and refused to look at him.
"Look, I was thinking of just taking the money Eames left me, and maybe going back to Philadelphia with Rose. That money will go a long way to help my family till things get better." she said at last.
She saw Arthur's eyes widen in fear.
"I don't want you to leave." he told her. "I love you, I need you. I've always cared about you."
"I know you care." she whispered.
"So stay." he insisted.
She didn't move as he stepped closer to her. His fingers catching hold of hers. Pulling her to him.
"Arthur." she whispered.
"It's the life, isn't it?" he asked at last. "You don't want to be the wife of a cop. I get that; I really do."
"I don't want to be the widow of a cop." she said sadly.
"That won't happen." Arthur said carelessly.
"You'll be investigating cops who were bribed by Saito. That means they will come after you; after me and Rose." she said logically.
"You think I can't protect you?"
Ariadne gave him a cruel laugh.
"Oh yes, Arthur. You've protected us so well from people who want to hurt us." she said bitterly.
"Alright, fine!" he barked. "I can try for a position with Hoover and his men in Washington. I'm the golden boy right now; I'm sure I can go anywhere."
"I think Rose and I would be better off with my parents." Ariadne whispered sadly.
He looked on the verge of saying something, and remained silent.
"Look, it's been a long day." he said at last. "Let's just go to bed and we can talk about it more in the morning." he offered.
She nodded and followed him into what was becoming their room. The city street lights casting in enough illumination to undress by as Arthur started kissing her. His large hands moving up her dress and undoing buttons, one by one.
"I was so worried. So worried I lost you." he breathed into her lips as he kissed her.
She flinched away from him when his hands reached her breasts.
"I want to leave my dress on." she told him as her arms were blocking him from her chest.
"Why?" he asked as his hands were busy maneuvering up her dress to her underwear.
"I just- I want to leave my dress on." she said as his mouth moved up her ear and tickled her neck.
"I want to be with you." he whispered hotly in her ear. "After all that's happened."
"I know, but I want to leave my dress on." she told him.
Arthur was in too much of a rush to care if she kept her body somewhat covered. He had missed her too much, was too afraid of her leaving him to pursue why she refused to be completely naked with him.
He reasoned it had to do with the stress from her kidnapping, their disagreement out their future together. So many other things that would need to be addressed soon.
~ In the morning, Ariadne was up before he was. Preparing breakfast for them as if nothing had happened.
"Can we go to the park today, daddy?" Rose asked.
"Not today. I have to go to work." Arthur said as he noticed Ariadne looking a little tired. "I want you to keep out of you mother's way. She's very tired, alright?"
Rose nodded as he only had coffee and noticed Ariadne didn't eat anything.
"You're not eating?" he questioned as she left them to make the beds.
"Not hungry." she called back.
"Mamma's been sick every morning." Rose informed him.
"She has?" Arthur asked keeping an eye in the clock and not really listening to the child.
"Rose, how would like to move to Washington D.C one day?" he asked.
"No." Rose said stubbornly.
"Why not?" Arthur asked as he shrugged on his coat and got ready to leave.
"I like it here." she told him.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because this is where we live." she told him just in time for Ariadne to hear.
"This is where we live. You're right, Rosie." he said and kissed the little girl on the top of the head.
"Have a good day." Ariadne said and kissed him lightly, and distractedly, on the cheek.
"I'll be home early." he promised.
"No need, we'll be fine." she told him.
"Maybe we can go shopping for a ring later today?" he asked as he headed out the door.
"Maybe." she offered lamely.
~ The commissioner's office was a hub of wild activity that stopped as soon as Arthur came into the offices. All eyes were on him as Commissioner Williams shook his hand.
"So glad to see you again, Darling." he said. "Come with me."
He guided Arthur to a vault like series of offices in the basement.
"Saito was a clean businessman on paper, but we now believed he was running half the illegal bars in the city. Eames was his favorite because he brought in the most profit. It's been a real shake up for the organization to lose both Eames and Saito in one night. Not to mention their lawyers. They're scrambling now, it's like turning on the lights and seeing the roaches scatter." he laughed.
"We're you wanting me to work in your officers, sir?" Arthur asked.
"Of course. Prohibition is just an excuse to arrest these men. This time next year, the whole city will be wet. We've just elected a democratic Governor and he will win the white house in November. But in the mean time, we've still got organized crime, street gangs, all of that to contend with." Williams explained as he took Arthur to the major crimes investigation unit.
"This department is strictly on the hush, Darling." he said. "I want you to lend your expertize to these men-"
"Sir, about my expertize." Arthur sighed. "I didn't break up Saito's organization. If Mr. Eames' hadn't killed those men, we never would have linked him to anything. Saito would still be running things."
"You think I don't know that?" The commissioner said with a knowing laugh. "You're right, it's dumb luck that got you here, but it's a promotion just the same."
"Sir, my family is worried investigating dirty cops will get me killed. Will get them killed." Arthur said feebly.
"Look, Darling." Williams sighed. "I had a long talk with Mayer. I know about your girlfriend and her kid, so stop pretending she's your wife. I'm a family man myself and I know they are in danger all the time. I doesn't excuse me from doing my job and putting the bad people away. There will always be people you care about. I'm giving you the chance for real advancement today. Maybe someday, you'll be in my chair. If you don't want the job, say the word and I'll put you in a typing pool or something. Nice and safe, no late hours. You'll be home by dinner time."
Arthur bristled at the insinuation that he should be typing with the ladies in the office and nodded as the Commissioner showed him to major crimes.
~ It promised to be interesting and never ending work. Case after case of gang related murders had been closed when they were linked to Saito and his network of criminals.
"So far, we've raided ten speakeasies and arrested five of the Saito's lieutenants." Detective Wallace was telling Arthur as they cataloged files of mob hits over the past year.
"We can close a lot of these now that all of his men are singing like canaries. All thanks to you." he added.
Arthur couldn't help but feel a little heroic as the other men in the unit kept telling him how he cleaned up New York in just just one night.
"I'm not so sure about this promotion. I was hoping to get married soon and she's not too happy about this life." Arthur sighed as Detective Wallace showed him the cold case room.
"Well, it's not easy." Wallace laughed. "But marry the girl anyway if she'll have you. This is a hell of a promotion."
"I was thinking of going to Washington. Might be easier for us." Arthur reasoned.
"Hoover and his boys?" Wallace said with a grin. "Sounds pretty sweet. We've worked with them before."
~ Arthur should have know it was all too good to last. Should have listened to that little voice of doubt in his head that said it wouldn't last. It would never last.
He had stopped on his way home, bought Ariadne flowers and a new frying pan. He had bought Rose a little stuffed bear and happily went home to tell his girls about his promotion.
He should have known they were gone forever when he entered the apartment and found it cold, and empty. A weeks worth of casseroles in the fridge so he wouldn't starve. The laundry done so he would have something to wear.
A note on the radio thanking him for everything he had done.
Arthur sat for a long time on Aunt Helen's lumpy sofa and watched the snow fall.
Thinking of starting on a new story called: "An Inconvenient Husband" kind of a "what if" sequel to "the Convenient Wife" what do you think?