8 Family Dinner

The four of them sat crossed-legged on the cold stone in a circle around the cauldron in the common room. Metal bowls steamed on their laps, as the scent of alfredo sauce filled the room.

"Thank you for the meal Chels," Arthur said, after emptying two full bowls, "You make a mean shrimp alfredo!"

"Anytime. I should be the one thanking you!" Chelsea said with a smile, "If it weren't for you, we'd be eating mystery sludge for every meal."

"There's no need to thank me. I only wish I could do more," he said, gesturing to the room, "I will get you out of here. I promise."

"No offense Arthur, buddy, but as thankful as I am for your help, I don't think your plan will work," Sam said. "We're Shunned. If we leave this place, the government will find us and when they do, they won't bring us back here."

Arthur nodded. "I'm well aware of what happens to runaway Shunned. I will not let that happen to you. I'm working on something… I just need some time. A month or two at most,"

"Arthur, what you do is enough!" Chelsea said, "You already risk your reputation by helping us, I will not have you risking your life too."

"Nonsense," he said, pointing to Mya who was huddled up in her blanket and deeply asleep, "I'd give my life for her freedom in an instant. Yours too. There is no price I wouldn't pay to see you two out of this place. Anything for family. That being said, you needn't worry. My life is not in danger."

Chelsea moved towards Arthur and gave him an affectionate hug, tears streaming down her round face. "Mya isn't the only gift Damien left me. Because of him, I now have a brother. Thank you, Arthur,"

He nodded and kissed her forehead, "Love you too sis,"

"So, how's business?" Sam asked as Chelsea settled back up beside him.

Be nice Arthur, he thought. Be nice. "Well… buddy, business is good. I'm back in the field now,"

"Back in the field? As in investigating?" His one-time friend asked. "Thought you were retired."

"Yup. Completely unretired,"

"About damn time," Chelsea said with a wide grin on her face.

"And here I thought I was about to get another lecture about risking my life,"

"Arthur I've known you for twenty years, and the happiest I ever saw you was when you were out there. Solving crime, and taking down criminals," she said. "Some people are born for a job. That's you, Arthur. You were born to be a detective, and you're a damn good one."

"Understatement of the century," Sam snorted, "you're the greatest detective alive man."

Arthur was taken aback by Sam's compliment. He'd always figured the hate between them was mutual, but he now realized that was not the case. Sam did not hate him, he had just been playing defense on Arthur's attacks. "I wouldn't say the greatest,"

"You're far too modest, friend," Sam said.

You're no friend… Not any longer, he thought, barely resisting the urge to say it out loud.

"Well, I for one am glad to see you back out there. I can already see it in your eyes, Arthur. You're happier this way. Just watch your back okay? I'll be praying for you," she said.

He nodded. "It means a lot to have your support, Chels. So... how's writing going for you Sam?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that,"

"You want to talk to me about writing?" Arthur chuckled at the thought, "unless you need help writing case reports or shareholder reports, I'm not the right guy you should be talking to."

"Well no… I don't want to talk to you about the act of writing. Instead, I want to talk to you about the subject of my next book…"

"I don't follow?"

"I want to write a book about you. Your story. Past, present, future. Everything you've been through. The ups and downs of your career. There's a ton of material out there on you, but this is your chance to tell your story. Your perspective. Your truth,"

I can't believe the fucking audacity on this guy, he thought, He actually thinks ill give this to him?. Over the last five years, Arthur had received similar offers from some of the world's most renowned authors. He had rejected them all, and now the man he hates most in the world was asking for the same. By this point, Arthur was fuming. He let out a loud sigh. "I'll consider it,"

Sam nodded, seemingly understanding Arthur would never give the rights of the book to him. He stood up and walked over to a sleeping Mya, and pulled the blanket she had kicked away in her sleep, back over her. "Sweet dreams, daddy's little angel,"

"You son of a bitch! She has a father, and he's not you!" Arthur said, jumping to his feet.

"And he's dead, jackass. Shunned us all to hell with him too," Sam said.

"I don't care. You are NOT her father. You're nothing but a snake in the grass,"

"Snake in the grass? Oh, get over yourself..."

"You were a brother to him, Sam. A brother TO me. Instead of sticking by him, you were in Chelsea's bed. His body was not even cold when you took advantage of his wife. A grieving woman and her child. And now what? Do you want to take away fatherhood from him too? Have you no shame?"

"Listen here asshole. You don't get to come to my house and talk to me about my family. I'll beat the livin-"

"ENOUGH!" Chelsea bellowed. "The both of you!"

"Mommy, what's with all the yelling?" Mya said, sitting up from her blanket, and rubbing a sleepy eye.

"Nothing munchkin. Uncle was just leaving," Arthur said, storming out of the apartment.

"Arthur wait," Chelsea said.

Arthur stopped in the hallway and turned around to face her. "I'm sorry Chels, but I just hate that guy and what he did to you,"

"What he did to me? Do you think I'm someone weak who needs saving? He didn't do anything to me, I let him. I'm very capable of making my own choices, thank you very much," Chelsea said, and then she sighed. "Arthur for Hermes's sake he was my salvation! At first, I thought the same as you. That he was using me, taking advantage of my grief. But I didn't care. I just needed to forget about your brother, and about what HE did to me. Do you know what the worst thing about being Shunned is? It isn't losing all my possessions. It isn't about losing my friends, my job, my home, or my dignity. My own mother won't even talk to me…

"You see all of that I could live with. But the worst thing about being Shunned is looking into my daughter's eyes every morning and knowing that she is destined to live her life here, with no future. She could never have a daughter of her own. She'll never fall in love, and she will never live to see her dreams come true. I considered poisoning her once, did you know that? Ending a life of misery seemed mercy to her… Do you know how far gone you have to be to consider killing your own child? That's the legacy Damien left her… So yes, I slept with his best friend. I figured he wanted to use me, so why not use him too? You must think I'm a cold bitch."

"Chelsea I don't think t-"

"-No Arthur, let me finish. A little part of me did it to spite Damien. It was supposed to be a temporary fling. To my surprise, Sam stuck around. He grieved your brother more than I did. He was strong for Mya when I couldn't be, and because of that, I fell in love with him. He helped me put together the pieces of my shattered soul. He was there for me when Damien couldn't be. When you couldn't be," she said with tears in her eyes. "So if you're going to hate him for that, then you'd better hate me too because I love him and I will be by his side until death."

Arthur stood there stunned. He was left speechless, and he was unaware of how deeply Chelsea cared for Sam. No words formed in his throat, and no thoughts came to him as he took it all in.

"Sam was all in from the beginning. It's one thing to visit the Shunned, even date one. But to marry one? That's a death sentence. No children. No possessions. No career. He gave up everything for Mya and me "

"Still, he should've never gone into your bed. It'll never be the same between me and him, not like it was,"

"Look, I'm not asking you to go back to being best friends with him, all I'm asking is for you to give him the respect he deserves. You said you'd do anything for your family. Well, Arthur, he's my family. And that makes him your family too,"

"You're right... I overreacted back there. I will be more respectful in the future, you have my word. Your husband is my family… by default."

"I know this is tough for you Arthur, but I need you two to play nice,"

"No, seriously, you won't hear a peep from me," he said, contemplatively.

Make him your ally… Maybe then she'll let Mya visit her real father.

"I'll even make an effort to repair our relationship. Sam can have the book. I turned down every major nonfiction author in the solar system, but your husband can tell my story. Tell him to be at my office tomorrow morning. Seven sharp."

Her hazel eyes lit up. "You're serious aren't you?"

Arthur nodded.

"Thank you. This is going to mean everything for him" she said, as the tears streamed down her cheek once more."

"Anything for you, Chelsea. Anything for family."