Content Warning: this chapter contains depictions of sexual trauma. Viewers proceed at own discretion.

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I woke up the next morning with a massive hangover. I turned over and found Arson was asleep on his stomach, not a stitch of clothes on him. I looked under the covers and saw that I, too, had no clothes on. We must have had some awesome sex last night. I looked at the clock and gasped.
"Oh shit! Arson! Arson, wake up!" I yelled, smacking his butt. "We're late for work!"
"Huh?" he said groggily.
"Get up! Hurry!" I yelled, jumping over him and heading to the closet to get my clothes on after I got some underwear on.
"Jane, calm down. It's Sunday... We don't have work." He mumbled, snuggling back into the covers. "Stop being so crazy..."
I looked at him and dropped my skirt on the floor, walking back over to the bed. I laid down beside Arson and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me over. I snuggled next to him and he laid his head on my shoulder.
"Besides, were you really going to go to work without showering?" he asked softly.
I blushed a little at that hygiene faux pas and he fell asleep against my shoulder.
A couple hours later, I woke to someone knocking on the door downstairs. I opened my eyes, Arson still snuggled in the crook of my neck, and I rolled over him to get on the floor. I misjudged my momentum and fell onto the floor instead.
"You okay?" Arson asked, not looking at me.
"Fine... Someone's at the door." I growled, rubbing my knee.
"Don't forget you're naked..." he mumbled.
I made a face at him and wrapped a robe around myself, walking out to go to the door. It was obviously someone we knew or they would have left already.
I opened the door to find Liam at the door.
"Liam? What can I help you with?"
"Oh, Jane... Is Arson in?"
"He's in bed." I said, tying the tie around me tighter.
"Is he alright?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah... He's just tired from a uh... late night tromping I guess."
Liam grinned. "Oh, I see. Hence the robe at one in the afternoon."
I stuck my tongue out at him and I invited him in.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked as I shut the door.
"We were supposed to be watching the playoffs today over at Andrew's house and since Arson doesn't know where he lives I told him I'd come pick him up and take him there."
"Okay. I'll go get him. He's going to have to shower and everything though."
"That's alright. It doesn't start until 3:00."
"Right. Um, make yourself at home. There's beer in the fridge and coke too if you want."
"You let him drink?" he asked with a small frown.
"If you look in the fridge you'll see how I regulate." I said with a smile.
He gave me a confused look as I headed to the bedroom.

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"Arson, baby, you need to wake up. Liam's here."
"Huh?"
"He said you were going to Andrew's house for the playoffs?"
"Oh shit!" he yelled, jumping up and scrambling around. "Where's my clothes?"
"Arson..." I said with a smile. He looked at me, his hair disheveled. "You weren't planning on going out without showering, were you?"
I twirled the belt in my hand and he smiled.
"After you..."
I smirked and headed toward the bathroom.
After we showered, we both came out of the bedroom, Liam still sitting on the couch.
"Hey, you ready?" he asked when he saw us descending.
"Yeah. Will you be alright by yourself?" Arson asked.
"I'll be fine. Got your inhaler?"
"Jane, I can't do that in front of the guys."
"If you get overexcited and start having an attack then you'll wish you had it. I sure as hell ain't going to bring it to you."
Arson sighed and grabbed the inhaler that was on the end table, shoving it in his pocket. He knew I was right about his excitement.
"Liam, you look after him."
"Will do, ma'am. Let's go."
"Bye." Arson said, kissing me on the lips.

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I was working on a case about three days afterward when I got a call from my assistant... Who happened to be my sister-in-law. Stupid Henry decided he wanted to stay here instead of going back home where he belongs.
"Mrs. Channing? There's a Mr. Channing here to see you?"
I looked up from my desk and saw Nieba smile brightly at Arson and direct him into my office. I stood up as he opened the door and Nieba watched from her desk, her green eyes looking extra sparkly.
"Arson, what brings you here?"
"I need to tell you something. Are we unable to be heard in here?"
"Uh, yes... What's going on?"
"Um... you remember a couple days ago you woke up with a massive headache like a hangover and we were naked?"
"Yes."
"Well... I have a confession to make about that night... You see... um..."
I walked around the desk to put my hand on his arm but he pulled away.
"I did something that no husband should do to his wife." He said slowly.
I made a face and leaned on my desk.
"And that would be?"
"I had sex with you... but without your consent..."
"What do you mean?"
"That beer you drank had a roofie in it. I drugged you, Jane, and then I had sex with you. I wanted a child and I wanted it then. I don't know what I was thinking when it all happened but I feel so horrible about it and-"
"Get out."
"Jane?"
"Get out of my office. We'll speak of this later. You don't know what you've just done... OUT!" I yelled, pointing him to the door.
He nodded and left as I gained my balance on the desk and wobbled over to the couch. How could he do that to me? How come he didn't trust me to give him what he wanted? Why did he do that?! I began to cry when I heard a knock on the door and saw that it was Nieba. She opened the door and sat next to me.
"What happened?" she asked, taking my hand.
"Arson technically raped me."
"He can't rape you if he's your husband."
"Rape is a sexual assault without consent. He drugged me, Nieba, and then had sex with me without me knowing about it. I mean, I figured that out since we woke up naked the next morning, but I didn't remember it. I..."
"But if you were under the influence of the drugs, you might have said he could have sex with you. I'm not saying what he did is acceptable, but think about it, Jane. You love Arson to death and would do anything to please him. Under any influence, whether by drugs or by alcohol, you knew you wanted to please him. You probably did comply with him and can't remember."
"But he drugged me, Nieba..."
"I know. His methods were wrong but he obviously regrets it or he wouldn't have even told you."
"I feel as if he doesn't trust me enough to do what I say I'm going to do. A week and a half, Nieba, a week and a half and I would have been able to make a difference... Now he's gotten himself into something he will never understand."
"That is his consequence. Unlike most victims of the date-rape drug, he will be the one to pay the price instead of you."
"That's just it, though... I don't want him to pay this price."
Nieba nodded, and pushed my hair behind my ear.
"Hopefully everything will go well with you both. Let me get back to work before I get fired. Just work through today and confront him at home."
I nodded and we went back to work. I had client that day but I was so out of it I think I just signed myself on a parking ticket misunderstanding. What was waiting for me when I got home?

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I walked into the house to find the house was dark. I went into the living room and saw Arson sitting on the sofa, just waiting for me. I breathed in and flicked the light on, him not moving at all.
"Arson?" I said.
He turned to me and his eyes were red from tears he must have shed. I knew he had cried because his inhaler was tightly gripped in his hand.
"Can you please tell me why you thought it would be best to drug me into having sex with you for a baby? I've screwed you so many times on my own consent and yet you thought you had to force me to make a baby with you? Do you not trust me, Arson? Did you think I would go behind your back and continue taking the pills when you told me you were craving a family? You know that I would do anything for you! I would jump in front of a bullet in order to save you! Why did you think I had to be drugged for you to do this?! Tell me, Arson!"
Arson stood up and put his inhaler on the coffee table and walked over to me. I stepped back from him but he only stared at me sadly.
"There is nothing in this world that I want more than to see you grow with child and to see your features in our baby and watch it grow. Not that it was your fault, but I had been denied your body for almost seven years and then when I did have you, the one thing I craved you wanted to wait. Because I love you, I waited with you. But my dream seemed like it would never come true.
"I was looking in the medicine cabinet for the rest of your pills to throw in the trash when I came across an old prescription bottle from when I was younger. There was a flap on the label that said that it wasn't a prescription. I don't know where my mind was but I found myself throwing one in your beer and then doing what I did. I know what I did is unforgivable but I promise you, Jane, that I will never do anything like this again. I feel so horrible and fiendish, dirty even. I feel like the scum of the earth and you have every right to divorce me for it."
I glared at him but I knew that I couldn't divorce him. I loved him -despite this that he did- too much and for what could come was going to have to have us together.
"I'm not going to divorce you, Arson." Relief washed over Arson but I put my finger up. "But I don't forgive you. This was an invasion of privacy and the law has an act against marital rape. Of course, I'm not going to do anything because you're my husband and all, but it will be hard to trust you now. I don't want to have sex for a long time... I don't."
"I understand... I'm sorry, Cappadocia..."
"I can't forgive you but I accept the apology enough... You're sleeping on the couch for a while. I'm going to bed."
I headed up the stairs but turned back.
"And Arson?" He walked out of the living room to look at me. "Whatever happens now, just remember that you caused it."
Arson nodded a little and I sighed, going to our room. If only you had waited just a little longer...

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there is such a thing called marital rape. it means the same thing as rape, having sex with someone who had not given consent or is a in a position that makes it unable for them to give consent. being drugged, unconscious, or even previous off handed comments IS NOT consent. you must give consent IN THAT MOMENT. just because you are married does not give you the right to do something against your partner's wishes.