11.

~ Arthur's decision to buy this home had been fortuitous. For a long time Ariadne had wondered how it would ever be filled. The big rooms seemed empty and museum like when it was just the two of them. Almost creepy at night. Now, they wondered if they might need to get a bigger place.

~ Edwina had moved form New York to Paris. With Arthur running his father's business from abroad, he needed the help she provided. The Point Man hated the time that managing a large company took away from his family and his chosen work in dream extraction. He mostly sent a proxy but it still required hours of work. Most of which Edwina capably managed.

The nervous young spinster felt safe in the city living with them. She elected one of the servants rooms and made her nest there. Her neat little office right next door. This was more convent to Arthur and Ariadne. To always have another pair of helping hands.

~ Darcy was coloring. Her new favorite hobby. The Architect sat on the sofa as she happily gazed at the child. The little girl had blossomed these past few months. Her smile so much easier now to coax out of her. She had lost her front teeth, giving her and wonderful little grin.

"Who are you drawing now, Darcy?" Ariadne asked as she kept her feet elevated on the coffee table.

"Phillipa and James." Darcy said. Her voice and inflections just like the Architect. Despite her natural mother being Becky, the child was oddly enough starting to resemble Ariadne.

"Did you have fun with them today?" the Architect asked running a hand affectionately over her own large belly.

Darcy looked up at her and nodded. Her gray eyes bright and happy. Looking like Ariadne when she smiled.

A flutter of a kick made it self know in Ariadne's belly. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Darcy! The baby's kicking again." Ariadne said in an over excited way that got the child's attention. Darcy was fascinated by the whole aspect of there being a person inside of the Architect. She swept her curly blond hair aside and placed her ear to Ariadne's belly.

"Feel him?" Ariadne asked. Darcy giggled.
"Does it hurt when he kicks?" She asked. Keeping her ear to the Architects abdomen.
"No." Ariadne said contentedly. Her fingers running over the child's hair. Smoothing out the endless tangles.

The front door slammed and Arthur was home. Darcy sat up and peered over the Architect to see him.

"Papa!" She cried out.

Arthur and Ariadne had pondered long and hard over what would be best for the child to call them. They were not her blood parents and felt it would be wrong to force the little girl to call them so. Arthur was her half brother, but the idea of Darcy calling him by his first name would have caused people to speculate about them.

In the end, the decision had been Darcy's. While playing with other children in the park, she noticed what they called there own parents. There was a Papa and a Mama. The two always went together. Everyone else had this stead fast pair, she believed that Arthur and Ariadne's were hers. The couple did not dispute it. It seemed to fit. Especially now that they were going to have their own baby. Eventually, they would explain to Darcy the truth. About who she really was and why she no longer lived with her natural mother and who her real father was.
"Hello Darcy." Arthur said happily looking over 'his girls'. Ariadne was smiling pleasantly as she held the little girl on her lap.

The Point Man's ice like heart melted at the sight of them. This contented life he had now. How easy it was sometimes. How simple.

He came and sat beside his wife. Giving her a soft kiss before looking at his baby sister and chuckling.

"Who's in there Darcy?" He asked as her ear was still pressed to Ariadne's ever growing belly.

"I don't know." Darcy said with a giggle.

Her laugh was exactly like his.

"Someone." She told him finally. Her sweet smile coming back out. Showing off her two missing front teeth.

"Well, when is someone gonna come out?" Arthur asked. Playing along. His arms wrapped protectively around his wife's shoulders.
"I don't know." Darcy said with her infectious grin. "Soon." She finally decided.
"Will it be a boy or a girl?" Ariadne asked. Her bet with Arthur on the gender they wanted kept secret.

"James wants the baby to be a boy like him." Darcy told him.

"Oh?" Arthur said. An eyebrow raised.

"Yes. He says Phillipa and I are mean to him. But he bothers us all the time." Darcy said defensively.

Ariadne tried to repress a smile. Tried not to let Arthur see. She felt the baby was going to be a boy but refused to giver her husband the satisfaction of knowing she was carrying his son.

He would have been too proud. Too pleased. As a wife, she couldn't let him be that happy.

For her part. Ariadne was proud to be pregnant with his child. Her love for him was so strong. She felt her heart race whenever she saw him, and she felt very pleased to be having his child. Guarding his legacy within her.

Her body had finally relaxed with Darcy around. Falling easily into motherhood had allowed her womb to open fully and become rich with new life.

The young family was away form the haunts and specters of the past. They were starting new.

"Cobb and the kids will be over later for dinner." Ariadne said as her husband helped her up.

"That's nice." He said.

"Eddie to." She added

"Fair enough." Arthur said. Darcy going back to her coloring.

"So are Eames and Sadie." She said finally. Arthur looked like he had just been told Christmas was canceled.

"Do we have to have them here?" He asked. "They always fight and she smells like a whore house." He complied. His voice like a petulant child.

"Arthur, language." Ariadne scolded. Casting a look at Darcy. Still coloring. She held her heavy belly close and continued.

"Sadie rang me up today. She says she and Eames have news." the Architect told him.

My Baby,

Your a father now. You know the intense, instant love of seeing your child come into this world. It's so wonderful and unconditional. No one can understand it unless, they have children of their own.

I remember when you were born. I thought your little face was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I believed no mother ever loved her baby more then I did.

You were such a good baby to. You and I had this instant agreement. We understood that I would always be there.

I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep to our bargain. But I know, I am certain, that you will be and exceptional father. Even as a child yourself I felt it would be a waste for you not to be a father. My great sorrow is not being there to see my beautiful grandchildren.

Children and grandchildren are so natural. A gift. They are the promise that our life will endure after our own death.

Guard that gift with your life. Protect them and be a better father then yours was.

Teach your children all that I have taught you. Tell them about me. That way my own life will endure.

All my love forever,

Mother

~ End ~

I think there is nothing more sexy then a man who is a good parent to a child. Especially a child that needs him or is particularly helpless. It's easy to love your own kids, but to care for a child like Darcy and with the history, it's a hard thing.

I actually have friends who had trouble conceiving and adopted, only to get pregnant a few months later. It is a real thing.

I have an idea to continue with the mistress of the maze series I've got going. People really responded well to the Red Queen. But I'm not sure what I'll do yet.