Closed Where It All Begins

[Ainslee Maxwell]

~Love can only end in indifference. If it ends in hate, it hasn't ended.~
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Her both hands shook as she held the pregnancy test stick from days earlier. She wasn't sure if it was accurate that first time she did it at work, she bought a couple more to be sure and now she held the last test she did that ended up being positive. Of course, she was in denial but going for a second eye was her last hope and that ended her having to make a decision she didn't think would happen as long as she lived. But it did. Ainslee placed the test stick back beside her bathroom sink and grabbed her phone from her bag. An email from 2 days ago pop up when she opened her phone. An OB-GYN contacting her about the result of her visit. Her eyes closed, tightly, thinking when she open them the word POSITIVE will change into NEGATIVE. Ainslee held her ground, she didn't want to cry again. The woman was out of tears, she wanted it, she wanted to have a baby of her own but why in this kind of situation?

With the test stick, her phone and bag. The brunette came out of the bathroom and into their bedroom, luggage after luggage on the floor, she decided it was good for everyone to go separately. Ainslee was set to go back in New Zealand, she had made the media go crazy with her story and her publicly stating that she will divorce her husband from unknown happenings. Of course, it wasn't Arnaud's fault. It wasn't him. She was too selfish to see what was going on and all she wanted was a better family, a complete one. Gracefully, Ainslee sat on the foot of the bed, beside her was a manila folder containing their divorce papers. She left half of her money and the house to Arnaud. It also states the grounds of the divorce and everything that matters. Ainslee waited, this was the first weekend her husband would come home early and everything will just go down to disappointment.

Title by Hunter Hayes (Feat. Lady Antebellum)/Quote by Robert Brault​

 

[Arnaud Cormac]

It had been a busy few weeks for the Scotsman with a mass murderer freely roaming the streets of London. It had been five days ago since the last murder and still, they weren't any closer to catching the prick. He and his Chief were inspecting a couple of leads but so far they didn't seem to be leading them anywhere. Arnaud sighed when he stood in front of the front door and hesitated for a moment whether he should go in or tell Ainslee that very unexpectedly it would be another late night again. While the promotion to Detective Inspector had been more than welcome, that way he felt as if he was earning at least a bit in their household, it came with a lot more responsibilities and complications. One of those complications being that he was now so busy at work that he barely had any time left for his wife. No. He promised her that he would come home early this weekend so they could spend a little more time together. Still, if only he could return to work and continue to find a lead... He shut the door behind him as he stepped in and threw his coat over the coatrack. ''Ains, I'm home!'' Arnaud exclaimed just in case she was upstairs.

 

[Ainslee Maxwell]

Once she heard her husband's voice calling for her, Ainslee stood from the bed. Her slimbody caught by the mirror in front of the bed, the woman touched her belly. Regret, her mind was thinking about it. Does she feel it? Grabbing the manila folder and the test stick, Ainslee came down with a bitter sweet smile toward her husband. "Hey, love." The woman said softly and kissed him on the cheek. Letting someone down gently was as hard as sending last warnings to offenders. "Umm, I need to tell you something." And with that, Ainslee felt her stomach churn and was trying to held the urge to throw up.

To mask her urge, the brunette went onto the living room and placed the test stick first before the manila folder on the coffee table. Ainslee stood on the side for Arnaud to see what's on top. "I'm pregnant." She simply said. Her hands became clammy after, nervous because she needed to tell him more.

 

[Arnaud Cormac]

He smiled at Ainslee as she came walking down the stairs and kissed her back. It had been too long ago since they last spend some time together but he was going to work on that. Arnaud was about to take off his shoes when she told him that she needed to tell him something. Bend over, the man looked up at her and nodded, following her into the living room as she walked away from him. ''Is everything alright, love?'' he asked her, his hands in his pockets while he looked at her with curiosity in his eyes.

He blinked a couple of times whilst trying to comprehend what she just told him. He didn't think that... he had either been at work most nights or too tired for that lately. But then again there was that one weekend... ''Are you really?'' the man asked. He walked toward the coffee table and picked up the pregnancy test to see it for himself. Last time she was pregnant it hadn't ended too well for them so naturally, Arnaud was a little wary about all of this. His frown turned into a smile while looking down at the stick. ''That's... That's great news, isn't it?'' he said, looking back up at her and smiling widely.

 

[Ainslee Maxwell]

Ainslee almost can't contain the sadness she felt when she informed Arnaud her news. The Ministry Employee nodded her head when he asked her to confirm. At that moment she can't hide her tears anymore and put both her hands up her lips. It was like she was covering her mouth, to stop her from telling him the truth but then it would be lying. It wouldn't be fair for Arnaud. "It's not yours. The baby is ..." Ainslee can't. She can't continue as her sobbing worsen but she tried anyways to explain. "The baby is someone else. I made a mistake." The brunette continued as she held his arms. Ainslee promisedto herself that whatever Arnaud decide she will accept and nothing more. "I'm so sorry." Looking in his eyes, she look for something.

 

[Arnaud Cormac]

Arnaud stopped smiling once he noticed that she had started to cry and frowned once again. He knew that she must be very relieved and happy that she was pregnant for a second time, but to have her burst into tears like this wasn't something he expected her to do. He was about to take a step forward and hug his wife when she told him something that made him come to a halt. ''What do you mean?'' It confused him, of course it was his who else's would it be? Before Arnaud could ask her that, she confirmed that it wasn't his. He did not want to believe it but the tears and look in her eyes told him enough to know that she wasn't lying about this. He stepped away from Ainslee, his own eyes beginning to get watery as well. He clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his hair. She had to be joking, right? Was this her way of letting him know that he was working too much? ''Whose is it then?'' he asked, anger in his voice. He could hardly imagine Ainslee having an affair behind his back, they loved each other, didn't they?

 

[Ainslee Maxwell]

Ainslee panicked from the inside as Arnaud stepped away from her. Her hands grasping his arms slipped slowly. Wiping her tears, she wanted to take out her wand and obliviate him. Taking out the memories of her, the years they were together. Ainslee didn't think it through, she loved him but his loved for his job was more important to him than his family. She made a mistake but is it a mistake to be happy? "It doesn't matter who it was. It was done. A living thing is inside me and it will stay that way." She said, her tone flat. Ainslee smiled bitterly while wiping the rest of the tears away from her cheeks.

The woman picked up the manila folder from the coffee table and handed it to her husband. "It's not fair for you to suffer. I took the blame as it should be. Divorce papers, you just have to sign it and you'll be free of me." She stepped forward, her hands shaking as she held the folder.

 

[Arnaud Cormac]

''Jesus Christ,'' Arnaud scoffed, shaking his head in disbelieve. ''What do you mean, 'it doesn't matter' it matters to me, Ainslee. You're supposed to be my wife, remember?'' he said, holding up the hand on which he was wearing their wedding ring. How in God's name had this happened?

Arnaud watched as she picked up a folder from the table and took it from her when she handed it to him. He opened the folder to see what was in it when she revealed it do be divorce papers. He was stunned for a moment. First, she tells him the news that she's pregnant only to reveal seconds later that it's not his, and now she wants to divorce him as well? What kind of bullsh!t is this?! ''You've got to be f#cking joking me, Ainslee. Really, divorce papers? So what, first you f#ck someone else behind my back and then you decide that you're done with me?'' He ran his hand through his hair once more, turning away from her to think for a moment. Surely he should have seen this coming, right? Did it have to do with the fact that his job required him to spend more time at the station than at home? If so, she should have just told him that, he would've spent more time with her at home! In his anger, Arnaud kicked one of the chairs around the coffee table out of his way and passed Ainslee into the kitchen. He threw the folder onto the worktop and turned back towards her, jaws clenched tightly. ''I'm not going to sign anything until you tell me whose it is.''

 

[Ainslee Maxwell]

His anger was pouring out, she had never seen him this angry before but then again, nothing upset him before. Every memory with her was a happy one except this. When he took the paper and found out about what's in it, that's when fear broke out in her entire body. Ainslee didn't want to end the marriage but what could she do when there's a child coming into this world and he's not the father. He wouldn't treat it like his own.

The woman jumped when Arnaud kicked the chair, she was scared. For the past week she was stressed about this that her doctor told her to relax because the baby was like before. And this happening wasn't helping at all. She felt the wind pass her as her husband walked in the kitchen, the papers touching a hard surface echoed throughout the room. Ainslee closed her eyes and sigh when she heard the words she expected him to say. "I met him when me and my sister Louise went out for the night. You were in your one of those late nights. I was stuck here at home." The brunette explained while she slowly went to seat at the couch, her behind to Arnaud.

"We had a one night, after that I thought that was it ... But I didn't know he works for the Ministry of Magic in New Zealand as well. It just escalated." Her tears started to role again but she wiped them up. "I didn't decide that I was done with you. Trust me ... I almost did something despicable but I stopped myself because I love you and I love this kid." Ainslee stood from the couch she was sitting on. A dark spot stamped freshly on the brown coloured linen. She hide her surprised face from Arnaud and continued. "If I give you his name ... What would you do?" For her there was no point. He would sign it either way.

 

[Arnaud Cormac]

He didn't care where she had met this bloke, he only wanted to know the man's name. Why in God's name would he care about the man she had an affair with behind his back? And, of course, she was blaming him for all of this. Him and his late nights at work. It was always his fault. And why was it always his fault that he was late? Didn't she know that all he wanted to do was to contribute equally as much as she did in this household? It wasn't his fault that she and her family were practically richer than the Queen and his weren't. Did she think that he liked to be at work this much? He only wanted London to be safer for their future children. Resisting the urge to kick something else, Arnaud continued to listen to her. ''How many times did you see him after that night?'' he asked. Perhaps they could still fix this if it had just been that one time. Oh, she loved him, did she? Well, she certainly found an odd way to tell him that. ''Look just... Just do me a favour and tell me his name, alright? I want to know whether or not I know him too.''

 

[Ainslee Maxwell]

"A few. I was with him on New Years eve." Ainslee simply said. Tears weren't option anymore as the battle for their divorce go on. She made a mistake, she wanted him to be free of her because she didn't want him to suffer from humiliation. But Arnaud kept pushing for his name and for some reason he would do something stupid. Ainslee hesitated, gripping the back of the couch. If she loose this baby again, what's the reason for her divorce? "Lancelot ... Lancelot Blackfyre." There, she gave him out, now what? He'll deprived the kid of kids in her a father? "I'm not blaming you for my mistake. I'm just selfish that I was thinking about myself more than you." Was it a mistake though to be happy? Maybe it was when you find it with someone else? "I'm so -" She groaned after a few words. Her pain was like a deja vu, was it repeating again? Ainslee took deep breaths calming herself.

 

[Arnaud Cormac]

He snorted when Ainslee finally told him the name of the man she had had an affair with. What kind of stupid name was that? Lancelot Blackfyre. Did his parents read too much A Song of Ice and Fire lore? He didn't think that he knew the man behind the name, but Arnaud couldn't stop himself from laughing at the thought of someone called Lancelot Blackfyre being the one she cheated on him with. He turned away from the woman to pick up the folder with the divorce papers, ignoring her groans of pain. This felt like a backstabbing betrayal after years of having her back against everyone who questioned her decisions in life, and so he just couldn't bring himself to care any longer. He rummaged in his pockets for a pen, and once he found one, took the divorce papers out of the folder to sign everywhere his signature was required to be on. ''I need a drink.'' And with that, the detective inspector walked out of the kitchen and the living room and into the hallway to grab his coat. He needed to be alone with his thoughts for a while.

 

[Ainslee Maxwell]

She bit her lip, she didn't want to cry over this again. But once he found out who it was, Ainslee heard a scoff. He didn't knew Lance but he would have if he stayed in the Ministry as an obliviator. The brunette held her stomach as pain surge once more. She held on not to cry or made a noise. A rattle of a pen squiggling a surface echoed in a quiet room. That was it, it ended in tears and anger and pointing at each others flaws. Ainslee broke down once Arnaud was out of the house and she needed assistance. Would have he accepted the kid if she hide it from him? Maybe but the guilt would always be there. With a swish of her wand once she summoned it, Ainslee apparated to St. Mungo's fearing for the worst.

The End​