#Sophie's parents kind of adopted Charles as the younger uncle that comes to dinner on Sundays | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cristinablackthornkingson · 6 years ago

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Shadowhunters Short Story #39. When Ariadne Fairchild (Née Bridgestock) finds herself in a scary situation she goes to the one person she can trust, Anna Lightwood.

It is a beautiful, warm spring morning in 1908 and just as Anna Lightwood is getting ready to go to The Institute to train her little brother Alexander, she hears a knock on the door. Furrowing her brow in confusion, Anna makes her way to the front door, wondering who on earth could be visiting her at this early hour.

When she opens the door Anna almost stumbles back in shock when she sees who is standing in front of her.

“Hello Anna.” Ariadne Bridgestock quietly says, smiling weakly at her old friend.

“A-Ariadne, w-what are you doing here?” Anna stammers in a tone of confusion. She hadn’t really seen Ariadne in years, since they were 17. She had seen her around of course, she was married to Anna’s cousin Charles Fairchild, but she hadn’t spoken to her since they were teenagers, not because she was angry or held a grudge against her but because they were both so different now, Ariadne was married and trying to start a family, Anna was still happily single, living on her own and wooing all the beautiful ladies in London. Perhaps Ariadne had changed her mind about staying in the closet and had told her family about her attraction to women and had left Charles.

“I.... may I come in?” Ariadne quietly asks, begging Anna with her amber eyes.

“Y-yes... yes of course.” Anna says, stepping back and holding the door open for Ariadne. She would send a fire message to her Aunt Tessa and Uncle Will in The Institute and ask them to let Alexander know she wouldn’t be able to train with him today, she would promise to train with him tomorrow, she hated disappointing her little brother, who she simply could never say no to.

As Ariadne settles onto the sofa in Anna’s living room, Anna quickly scribbles her message to her Aunt and Uncle and sends it to The Institute.

“I don’t wish to sound rude or un-pleased to see you Ariadne, but what are you doing here?” Anna asks in a curious tone, taking a seat on an armchair across from Ariadne.

“I... well I just.... I need to talk to someone and I had been thinking about our brief relationship and how it was one of the happiest times of my life and I... just found myself on your doorstep, I will go if you do not want me here, I would understand.” Ariadne quietly explains, looking down at her clasped hands in her lap.

“No I do not want you to leave, if you want to talk me then you certainly can.” Anna softly says.

“Anna I am so sorry for breaking your heart when we were younger, I realize now it was a bit insensitive of me to ask you to be with me behind Charles’ back, I know you are loyal and kind and would never wish to hurt him like that, I understand that now, I never wanted to hurt you Anna, I loved you but I... you understand why I could not be with you? Why I had to agree to marry Charles?” Ariadne asks in a tight tone, close to tears. This was such a difficult subject for her. Her life with Charles was not unhappy, he was very kind and sweet and loving to her, and ever so gentle and caring when they made love, but still Ariadne could never be fully satisfied with her life, though she very much wanted children she was tired of lying on her back, her eyes screwed shut, wincing in pain as Charles made love to her, as gentle as he was it was still absolutely awful for her, and she had decided that she never wanted to do it again after she became pregnant, she would tell Charles pregnancy was difficult and painful for her and she did not want to go through it more than once, they could adopt if they wanted more children, she just couldn’t bear to make love to him anymore.

“Of course I do, I am so lucky to have such wonderful and accepting parents who love me for me, I know everyone is not that lucky and I understand why you are afraid you will be one of the unlucky ones, you don’t need to apologize, you were only doing what you thought was best, we were young and stupid and I did stupid things too, if you are happy then I am happy for you.” Anna softly says, reaching over to grasp Ariadne’s hand in hers.

“Charles is wonderful, he is sweet and loving and gentle, he never makes me feel pressured into doing anything I do not want to do, on our wedding night I-I couldn’t bear the idea of being with him in that way, or any man and he was so sweet and understanding, he didn’t make me feel guilty or anything, he helped me change out of my dress and then he read to me until I feel asleep, the next morning he brought me breakfast in bed and was so kind, of course he thought I was scarred because it would be my first time, not because I am not attracted to men.” Ariadne says in a teary tone, tears rolling down her face.

“I am glad he treats you well, you deserve someone who loves you and treats you well.” Anna gently says.

“A few months ago... Charles and I started trying for a baby, you know how much I want to be a mother, more than anything I have ever wanted. Charles was and is so sweet and gentle but I still hate it Anna, I hate it so much, it hurts so much every single time and I never get any pleasure out of it. A few weeks ago I woke up feeling really sick, worse than I have ever felt before, I ended up throwing up all day, I couldn’t keep anything down, lately my sense of smell has been really strong and everything makes me sick, I missed my period last week, so I went to The Silent Brothers today, Brother Zachariah told me I’m almost 2 months pregnant.” Ariadne quietly explains, the tears continuing to roll down her face.

“I thought you wanted children.” Anna quietly says.

“I-I do but now that it is actually happening I am beyond terrified Anna, you hear all these horror stories about pregnancy. Charlotte was telling me about her pregnancies with Charles, Matthew and their sisters and she told me how she was so sick with Matthew and in so much pain all the time, and then she told me about her miscarriage and how she almost died too, and she told me about how Matilda almost died before she was born, too, the cord got tangled around her neck. I am so scared I’ll have a horrible pregnancy or loose my baby or die when I give birth and even if the whole pregnancy goes well I have no idea how to raise a child, I know nothing about children, Charles has 3 younger siblings and countless younger cousins, he has so much experience with children, whereas I have never even held a baby.” Anna’s heart breaks as she listens to Ariadne confess all her fears, she could not imagine what she is going through, she would be terrified too if she were pregnant.

“Oh Ariadne, I understand why you are so frightened but I promise you that not every pregnancy and birth is complicated, I don’t remember when my mother was pregnant with Chris, I was only 3, but I do remember when she was pregnant with Alex, I really don’t think I have ever seen her so happy. She had a little bit of sickness but not much and she said her labor with Alex was the easiest she ever had, she says she barely felt a thing and before she knew it he was out and perfectly healthy, my Aunt Tessa had a really smooth, easy pregnancy with Jamie, my Aunt Sophie had two smooth, healthy pregnancies too, Thomas was born early but he ended up being fine. You don’t need lots of experience with children to be a good mother, I know you will love your child more than anything and give them the best life anyone could ask for, you will be a fantastic mother Ariadne, Charlotte will help and so will your mama, and you’ll have Charles to help you with the baby.” Anna softly explains.

“But there is no guarantee I will have a smooth easy pregnancy.” Ariadne sniffles, wiping at her tears.

“No but there is no guarantee that you won’t, either. When mama was pregnant with Alex, she had weekly check ups from The Silent Brothers, because she was a bit older which meant that there was more of a risk of Alex not being healthy, you can have weekly check ups with The Silent Brothers too and they will be able to tell straight away if something is wrong with you or the baby and then the chances of fixing it are a lot higher.”

“Really? I can? I-I thought that was only for older women or women who have had complicated pregnancies in the past.” Ariadne says.

“No not at all, Uncle Jem will be happy to check up on you and your baby every week, that’s what Silent Brothers are for, they’re healers.” Anna explains.

“Your Uncle is a Silent Brother? I thought my family was unique!” Ariadne says in a light tone. Anna grins at her and says

“Oh that’s not the worst, my grandfather was a worm.”

“Oh? Why? What did he do?” Ariadne asks in a curious tone.

“No I mean literally, he was literally a giant worm, he contracted demon pox and turned into a giant, blood hungry demonic worm.” Anna says, smiling widely and remembering back to when she and Chris were little and would beg their parents to tell them the story of when papa’s papa had turned into a giant worm.

“Demon Pox is real?” Ariadne asks in an amused tone. Anna laughs and nods.

“My Uncle Will was obsessed with it when he was younger, for some reason, still is really, so you can imagine his delight when he found out it was real.” Ariadne laughs and gently squeezes Anna’s hand.

“You are a good friend Anna.” She lightly says. Anna smiles softly at her and says

“I am glad you think so, do you feel better now?”

“Yes actually, I do, I really needed a good laugh, thank you.” Ariadne says in an appreciative tone.

“My pleasure, it’s what friends are for, and I would very much like us to be friends.” Anna says. Ariadne smiles widely and says

“I would too. You shall have to come over sometime and have dinner with Charles and I, and you will have to help me with the baby’s nursery and picking out her clothes and such.” Ariadne says in a tone of excitement.

“That sounds lovely, send me a fire message once you have talked to Charles and let me know when I can come for dinner, and then you two will have to come here for dinner, not that I am much of a cook but I do make a mean roast dinner.” Anna lightly says.

“I would love that, thank you for listening to me today, I appreciate it.” Ariadne says, rising from the sofa.

“Anytime, see you soon, yes?” Anna asks, as she and Ariadne embrace.

“Of course, very soon.” Ariadne replies, as they make their way toward the front door.

When Ariadne arrives home, she is surprised to find Charles in the drawing room with a book in his lap. She had thought he would still be at work, he usually works very long, late hours.

When Charles hears footsteps enter the room, he looks up from his book and grins widely at his wife.

“Hello beautiful.” Charles softly says, as Ariadne sits down beside him.

“Hello to you too, what are you doing home?” Ariadne asks in an inquisitive tone.

“Work was not very busy for once, there wasn’t much for me to do today so I decided to come home and spend some time with you, where have you been?” Charles lightly asks.

“I was seeing The Silent Brothers.” Charles’ eyes widen and he sits up straight.

“What did they say?” He asks in a hopeful tone. Ariadne grins, takes his left hand in hers and presses it to her stomach.

“I’m pregnant.” She quietly says, smiling widely at him. Charles’ face lights up in delight and tears start to form in his eyes.

“Are you sure?” He quietly asks.

“I’m sure.” Charles laughs in delight and pulls Ariadne into him, hugging her tightly, the tears now rolling down his face. He was going to be a father! He could not be more thrilled! A sweet little baby that looked just like Ariadne, the thought of it was exhilarating.

“I love you.” Charles quietly says, pressing a kiss to Ariadne’s forehead. “Both of you.”

“We love you too.”

Ariadne is beyond relieved when by the time she is 3 months pregnant, her sickness seemingly disappears and she has had no complications at all. Throughout her pregnancy Charles becomes extremely protective of Ariadne, he barely lets her lift a finger and is even worse than Will for summoning The Silent Brothers over every little thing.

Anna and Ariadne grow even closer during her pregnancy, Anna often comes around to their home for dinner and they will often go to hers for dinner too. Charles is very happy that Ariadne is so happy and has made such a good friend, he had always worried about her as she always seemed a bit sad and lonely.

When Ariadne was 6 months pregnant she asked Anna to be with her when she gave birth. At first Anna was reluctant, she didn’t want to see Ariadne in so much pain but in the end she agreed, wanting to do whatever she could to make her friend more comfortable.

Ariadne and Charles chose not to find out if they were having a boy or a girl, but decided to come up with one boys name and one girls name. They had almost immediately settled on a boy’s name, Benjamin Henry Fairchild, but they simply could not settle on a girl’s name. For a while they considered Charlotte, after Charles’ mother, but it didn’t feel right at all so they were back to square one. Currently Ariadne is nine months pregnant and they still have not come up with a name for a girl. Right now she is sitting on the couch with her legs in Charles’ lap, both of them looking through books of baby names.

“Charles, what about Pearl?” Ariadne softly asks. she had seen the name a few times and had always thought it was a lovely name, but she was not sure if it was the right fit for her daughter, but she was constantly pulled back to it and couldn’t get it out of her mind.

“It’s beautiful, I really like it, Pearl Fairchild, it sounds lovely.” Charles softly says. He places a hand on Ariadne’s swollen stomach, where he can feel the baby kicking. “Hello Pearl, do you like that name sweetheart? Do you want to be called Pearl?” Instantly the baby starts kicking like never before. Charles and Ariadne look at each other, wide eyed in shock.

“I think she likes it, if she is a girl.” Ariadne says.

“So it would seem, what about a middle name?” Charles asks. Without even thinking, Ariadne says

“Anna.” Charles raises an eyebrow at her and says

“Anna? After my cousin?” Ariadne lightly shrugs and says

“It can be if you like, I just like the name Anna.” Charles nods thoughtfully and says

“Pearl Anna Fairchild, yes I like it!”

“Charles.. I think it’s time.” Ariadne suddenly says in a strained tone, clutching her stomach tightly. Charles’ eyes widen in shock and he leaps from the couch and dashes off to summon The Silent Brothers.

When Brother Zachariah arrives 10 minutes later, he confirms that Ariadne is in labor. Charles helps her up to the infirmary and contacts Anna, his mother and Ariadne’s mother and father, his mother would tell his father, brother and sisters and everyone else so he wouldn’t have to worry about contacting them.

When Ariadne’s parents receive Charles’ message, they write back telling him they are out of town on business but will try and get back as soon as they can.

Anna and Charlotte soon arrive and immediately go into Ariadne, while Matthew and Henry wait outside with Charles, while Matilda and Ruby, who are only 2 and 3 months old, are with Sophie and Gideon.

Ariadne’s labor is long and painful and nothing seems to relieve the pain. Brother Zachariah had given her countless pain killing runes but they did nothing and Ariadne felt absolutely everything. She was so desperate to have her baby that when the time came to push, she did not care one bit that everyone in the room could see everything, she just wanted this baby out.

She had been pushing for hours now, but this baby seemingly just did not want to budge.

“I can’t do this anymore.” Ariadne weakly says, as a contraction passes and she leans back into the pillows.

“Of course you can.” Charlotte softly says, brushing her daughter-in-law’s hair back from her face.

“I can’t, this baby just will not come out.” Ariadne says in a tight tone, close to tears.

Ariadne I understand you are exhausted and in a great deal of pain but I promise you this baby is coming soon, I understand how difficult it is for you but you cannot give up, your baby needs you, it will not be long now. Brother Zachariah calmly tells her. Just then Ariadne is gripped with another intense contraction. She groans in pain and starts pushing again, grasping Anna’s hand tightly.

“You’re so strong Ari, you can do this.” Anna softly says, giving her fiend’s hand an encouraging squeeze.

I can see the baby’s head Ariadne, you are almost there. Brother Zachariah tells her, giving her a tiny bit of hope.

Ten minutes later, Ariadne feels a weight lift from her which is closely followed by the low cry of a baby.

“Oh is my baby okay?” Ariadne asks in a breathless tone, straining to get a glimpse of her child.

Yes everything is perfectly healthy and well, you have a daughter, congratulations. Brother Zachariah tells her, carefully passing the baby to her.

“Oh a girl, oh my little Pearly, hello baby girl, you are so perfect.” Ariadne coos in a tearful tone, holding her baby close and gazing at her beautiful ,perfect little face. She a perfect mixture of her and Charles. She has dark skin like Ariadne, her bone structure and mouth shape, while she has Charles’ eye shape and nose shape as well as his hair color, though Pearl’s is a few shades darker.

“Oh Ariadne she is absolutely beautiful, you did so well, well done sweetheart.” Charlotte softly says, smiling softly down at her granddaughter, her first grandchild.

“I am so proud of you.” Anna quietly says, bending to kiss Ariadne’s cheek.

A few minutes later, as Charlotte and Anna are tidying away the bloody sheets and towels, Charles comes in to meet his daughter.

“We have a daughter Charles, a girl.” Ariadne says in a tone of delight, smiling up at Charles, who grins back at her.

“Our beautiful Pearl Anna Fairchild.” He softly says. When Anna hears the baby’s middle name, she freezes.

“A-anna? Her middle name is Anna?” Anna asks, straining to control her tone.

“Yes, Ariadne suggested it, I hope you do not mind.” Charles says.

“I... no of course not, excuse me Aunty Lottie, I-I have a bit of a headache, I need to lie down.” Anna quietly says, quickly making her way from the room, hoping nobody saw the tears rolling down her face.

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