18.

~ Six months later ~

~ "I just don't understand." Mrs. Willows said fitfully. Arthur was trying to redo the tie around his father's neck. The older man smiling happily at his son. Blissfully unaware of what was happening.
"What's to understand, mother?" Arthur sighed. He was growing tired of these arguments with her. They were like going around in a large circle. An argument with no end.

"Why don't you just marry Miss. Stevens? Then, Everleigh could have a mother, her son could have a decent father and the two of you wouldn't be living in… well, in sin." his mother hissed.

"It's not like that, mother." Arthur sighed. "Miss. Stevens is taking care of Everleigh."

"I know what that really means." Mrs. Willows said spitefully. "I don't want you to get that poor girl in trouble. She's had it hard enough in life. You should marry her and make her an honest woman."

Arthur sighed heavily.

~ Everleigh wasn't used to wearing such fancy dresses.

"It's only for a little while." Ariadne assured her. "It doesn't take long for our pictures to be made and then your grandmother will be happy."

"It itches." Everleigh complained.

"When we get home, you can change into your play clothes again."

"It's too many ruffles." the girl added.

"Well, you look very pretty." Ariadne told her.

Everleigh had to agree. She wasn't used to her hair looking so shiny and being curled so neatly in ringlets with a large pink bow in the back.

"You look pretty to, Miss. Stevens." Everleigh told her.

She admired the way her new nanny dressed for the great event of having her picture taken. She was in a soft blue dress with delicate lace brushing over the bodice and sleeves.
"Thank you, Everleigh." Ariadne smiled. "But once we're home, I'll change into something more practical as well."

"Will you marry papa in that dress?" the girl asked.

She smiled at the look of surprise on her nanny's face.

"Why do you thin your papa and I are getting married?" Ariadne asked.

Everleigh shrugged.

"Grandma wan't you to. Grandma always gets her way." the girl explained.

"Well, grandma isn't getting her way this time." Ariadne laughed.

"So you don't want to marry papa?" Everleigh asked sadly.
"I didn't say that, dear." Ariadne said. "Marriage isn't something to enter into lightly. When you're older, you'll understand."

~ Ariadne took longer to get Wesley ready for the picture. Her son was dressed in a little suit that the baby hated more than Everleigh hated her dress.

"Give him to me." Arthur commanded sharply when her son refused to be stuffed into his little dinner jacket.

Wesley stopped crying the instant Arthur picked him up. His poor mother no longer strong enough to hold such a large boy these days.
"Arthur is very god with the boy." Mrs. Willows whispered in her ear.

Ariadne felt her eyes roll. Not this again.

The photographer was setting up a simple background to take the different family pictures and Wesley was allowing Arthur to dress him without argument.

"I'm only saying this because I care." Mrs. Willows went on. "You've been so good for him and Everleigh. I can see my son has affection for you. There is no earthly reason why you shouldn't marry him."
"Mrs. Willows, I'm not looking to get married." Ariadne told the older lady for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Your son needs a father and Everleigh needs a mother." Mrs. Willows whispered desperately. "It would make us all so happy if I could call you my daughter."

Ariadne looked at the older woman and smiled. Mrs. Willows had taken the news of Ariadne's son far better than Arthur's daughter. She had been entirely on Ariadne's side in the matter. Insisting that it wasn't her fault, that she was a victim and that the best thing for everyone was for Arthur to marry her as soon as possible. It was an idea she refused to let go of.

Ariadne and Arthur had not even told his mother all the vastly details of Wesley's conception and never planned to.

"Mrs. Willows, Arthur and I are not like that. He's my employer." Ariadne said as they watched Arthur bounce Wesley in his arms. Everleigh looking bitterly at the interaction between her beloved papa and a potential rival.

The girl liked Wesley well enough. She liked helping Ariadne take care of the baby, but refused to share her father love with any other child.

"Things change." Mrs. Willows whispered. "I've seen you with him. How you look at each other. You make him very happy."

"Alright, Miss. Lets have you and the boy." The photographer shouted impatiently.

Ariadne left Mrs. Willows and took the little chair in front of the back drop. Arthur quickly placed Wesley in her lap now that the baby was happy again.
"Brave face, darling." he whispered. "I told you it would be fun watching mother squirm."

"It's still not every nice." she whispered back to him. "When should we tell them?"

"When the game gets boring." he offered and shrugged.

She was smiling wide when the photographer snapped her picture with Wesley.

"Mr. Willows, now you and your family." the photographer said.

Ariadne made to move herself out of frame.

"Wait! Miss Stevens and Wesley should stay, don't you think, Arthur?" Mrs. Willows cried helplessly as Arthur positioned his father behind him. The photographer brought in another chair for him to sit in and Everleigh was quick to jump on her father's lap. Happy to be his child in the picture.

"Mrs. Willows, I'm not family." Ariadne said and she and Arthur exchanged little grins that his mother didn't see.

"Nonsense." Mrs. Willows huffed and stood beside her husband. "You stay right there, dear."

The photographer, tired of taking pictures of the whole of New York, went back under the black hood.

"Hold still for ten seconds!" he ordered.

~ END ~

I've decided that this will be my last "Inception" story.

I've been writing A&A fic for a long time now. Four years and over 90 stories! WOW! I think I've done everything I can with these characters.

I will keep writing, but I've got a new story and new fan fiction I hope all of you will love.

Thank you so much to all my readers.

Add me to your Arthur Alerts to see what I do next. I promise not to disappoint.

Leah.