Anyone less worthy

One Year Later...

~ The Forger was sitting in a park. Waiting. He appearance was easy. No one thought anything of him as they passed him. Just a casual father watching his kids play among the dozens of other children.

The other kids were screaming, shouting, laughing and crying. A distinctive noise all their own. He watched Ariadne take Catherine out of one of the baby swings and carry her back to the bench he was sitting on.

"I think she's worn out." Ariadne said with a smile. Eames laughed.

"She plays hard." He commented. She nodded.

"Well, hopefully she can have a good nap and I can get some work done tonight." She sighed as she put the baby back into her stroller. The Forger looked the Architect over. She looked wonderful. She had let her dark hair grow out more. Her figure was fuller, but in a pleasing way. Her face had a natural glow about it. She looked happy.

"New York suits you." He commented as she sat down next to him.

"How have you been, Eames?" She asked him. He nodded.

"Good. Spending my time with a lovely lady I met at the Victoria Secret shop." He said with a mischievous smile. "I had to really work at it to. Pretend I had a girlfriend to by all those knickers for. Then, pretend I broke up with her." Eames rolled his eyes over the sheer exasperation of it. Ariadne laughed.

"Dating is difficult." She said. The Forger cast her a look.

"How are you and Arthur doing, Love?" He asked. She nodded and smiled. A wide smile. A blush.

"Were good. Happy." She said honestly. "Were living in Brooklyn. You saw the pictures I sent to you?" He nodded.
"Oh yes. Beautiful town home." He told her. Remembering the photo's of a lovely comfortable looking home she had emailed him. A wonderful home for the three of them. Clean and tastefully decorated. Every inch of it spoke of a happy family that lived in it's walls.

"We were hoping you would come visit for Christmas." She said sadly. "We have a guest room all ready for you." Eames shook his head.

"I know. I had a job. Couldn't manage it. I'm sorry." He apologized, looking back at the kids playing.

'He would be six now.'

"How is your job?" He asked. She nodded.

"Really good." She admitted truthfully. "I take her with me in the mornings, I can spend my lunch hour with her. Arthur picks us up, and we go home. Same boring routine. But it's nice. I'm glad I was able to get that transfer."

"You got lucky." He said with a smile. She nodded.
"I'm sure Saito buying the company had nothing to do with it." She told him with a raised eyebrow. Eames chuckled.

"I'm sure." He said.

"Eames, I don't know how to begin to thank you. For being there for me the way you were." She said The Forger only nodded. "I never could have survived it without you."

For a long time, they said nothing. They watched the kids playing.

"So your happy? With Arthur I mean?" He asked. She looked back at him.

"Yes." She told him. "He takes such good care of Catherine. He's just over the moon for her." She smiled softly to herself. "He loves me. He really does. He wants to get married." Eames nodded. Not taking his eyes off a little blond boy, about six years old.

He had lied about seeing a woman who worked in a shop. Never told Ariadne he had sold the narrow house in Knotting Hill. It had been too lonely to come home to a house without her and the baby in it. He hated seeing that empty nursery. He had been traveling a lot the past year. Keeping up with his lost 'almost family' by email alone. Lying to them about how he was alright. Looking at the baby pictures Ariadne would send. Seeing Catherine grown up. She looked more like her mother these days.

Eames pretended for all the world to be normal. Happy. It was necessary for her happiness. Her happiness was worth it.

"I'm glad." Eames said softly. Lost in his own thoughts. "I always knew Arthur was a good man. I always knew he would take care of the both of you. He's very honorable, and I know he loves you." He suddenly thought of a merry and sincere thing to say.

"I could not have parted with the two of you, to anyone less worthy."* Eames said with a forced smile. Ariadne let a few tears fall from her eyes as she leaned over and kissed the Forger's temple. He smiled and turned his head towards the contact. Missing it.

Then, just like that, she and the baby were gone. They had walked back to their home. A home he would never visit despite the constant invitations from her and Arthur. He would not attend their wedding he knew would happen. He didn't want to see her a the beautiful, happy bride he knew she would be. It was too painful. Eames refocused his attention on the children playing.

'He would be six now.'

~End~

I know, I know. SAD. Like I said, the story wanted to become this. I started this, thinking I would write some mindless fucking. But this story didn't want to be just about that.

I will post up another erotic fan-fic soon. I promised one of my followers I would. Maybe an erotica about A&E. Most assuredly more A&A. But this is how this story ends.

Thank you all so much for reading my work. I think it's safe to say I won my little competition with my friend.

*I totally ripped off that line from "Pride & Prejudice" Lizzy's Father says that to her when Darcy asks for her hand in marriage. But it's a good line. One I feel Eames, as a Brit, would say.