a/n: disclaimer: when i wrote this i did no know how asthma worked so...

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I gaped at him, hoping I misheard him.
"I think I need to clean out my ears. Did you just say you wanted a divorce?"
"Yes, I did."
I wanted to cry, beg on my knees for him to reconsider, but I held myself together and just crossed my arms.
"And what for, pray tell?"
"You're a lawyer, you should know I don't have to have a good reason to do so."
"You're a first class dick, you know that? I had every right to divorce you when you raped me and I didn't because I love you and now you're going to divorce me because of what you've done?! That's idiotic and soooo low!"
"I can't look at you anymore-"
"Bullshit, Arson. You act like you're the one who's emotionally scarred or something. I'm the one that was violated! Now you're going to make me the bad guy in all of this? I was trying to protect our family and I was trying to protect you! But you had to go and think with your other brain and destroyed that. You know what? What the frack ever. Do what you want. Get out."
"Why? It's my house-"
"That I pay for. It comes out of my account."
"When did-"
"I changed it a long time ago in case something happened with your job."
"What do you mean?"
"Arson, I'm not stupid. I know that you sometimes go drink with friends. I trusted that you wouldn't go over your limit but I knew that there was a possibility, a high possibility, that one day you would get drunk again and possibly say something or do something to lose your job. I didn't want to lose this house, so I switched the account."
"But how?"
I pointed to myself. "Alien, duh. I have technology that makes your shit look like a typewriter."
"Now you're saying you're better than me?"
"In a way, I am. In technology, that is. I only learn what I want to learn. I learned law because that's what I wanted to learn. I let you deal with math because that's your thing."
"So you were making fun of me all my life?" he asked, hurt and anger in his voice.
"No. Stop turning it all back on me. You are a prodigy, even in Maclara terms and so I let you be what you wanted to be. But that's not the point. IF you're going to divorce me then get out."
"While I'm with child?!" he cried.
"Oh my god! Stop being so wishy-washy!!! Are you happy about the baby or not? Do you want a divorce or not? I'm trying to do what you want here and everything is being thrown back at me like I'm some big bad bitch. It's your decision, Arson, do whatever you want."
I turned back to the stove and continued cooking, trying not to let the tears that were brimming my eyes overflow into the food. I hear Arson leave the room and the door to our room slam. I finished the food and turned the eye off, getting a plate. I debated getting a plate out for him but I saw him come out of the room, pulling his suitcase with him.
"I'm going to Liam's. I'll get the papers to you soon."
I just watched him in horror and pain as he rolled his suitcase out the door. I heard the door slam to his car and he drove off. It took me a minute to realize that he really wasn't coming back and I finally crumbled to the floor.

****************

After Arson left me, I fell into a deep depression. I sat at home and wondered if he was alright, if the baby was okay, if he was eating properly. It had been a week since he told me he was leaving and even though I hated him for putting the blame all on me, I knew some of it was my fault. If only I wasn't what I was... if only I had gotten the injection earlier...
I heard a knock on my door and got up slowly, pulling the legs of my sweatpants down. I opened the door without looking in the hole and was surprised to find Liam standing on my doorstep.
"Liam? Wh-what are you doing here?"
"May I come in?"
"If you want..." I said, holding the door open.
He smiled a little and walked in, looking around.
"The place is a mess; I haven't really had cleaning on my mind."
"I didn't think you would..."
"Did Arson forget something?"
"In my opinion he did." He looked at me, his brown eyes looking into mine. "He forgot you."
"Ha, that's a laugh." I said somberly. "But seriously..."
"No, I think Arson made a mistake by leaving you. You did nothing wrong. In my opinion, not telling him you're an alien was what kept you marriage going. You are right in that if you had told him, there would have been problems. And because what he did to you was not gentlemanly at all."
"Well, getting him pregnant wasn't very human of me was it?" I said with a frown.
"No, it wasn't. But it's his fault. Like you said, if he had just trusted you then everything, I believe, would be fine. I just came to tell you that I think Arson is being a complete douche and I wanted to say that I will go against my practice and inform you on anything you need to know about him and the baby for the future."
I was a little surprised at Liam's willingness to include me.
"Um... thanks... But why?"
"I just told you. Arson isn't in his right mind. You've done nothing wrong here except be an alien (but that's not even your fault). He's making a big mistake... Do you love him?"
"I will always love him. I've never loved anyone else."
"Then listen to what I'm going to say and if you really want to, you can win him back."
"Win him back?" I said, confused but happy at the same time.
"It'll take time; it's not some weird ass scheme." He said quickly.
"Um... okay?"
"He'll give you the divorce papers soon. Just put the signing off. He'll have already signed all the spots he needs to but if you keep putting it off, then he'll come to his senses. You're the only woman that Arson has ever loved and until he realizes he's made a mistake..."
"Thanks, Liam, but please leave... Not right now with all of this. I don't want hope when things seem bleak. I want to get over this fiasco and continue living. Just... Just call me when he is in his third trimester because things will be complicated if you don't. I'll see you around."
Liam sighed but nodded and left the house. I already knew I could win Arson back if I wanted to but after everything that has happened over the years of our relationship, I don't think Arson will ever return to me. Besides, I had already decided not to sign the divorce papers anyway.
My hope was that after a while he would forget about this little spat and accidentally come home and we'd make up. That was my hope anyway.

****************

I was finally stable enough to not let my emotions get a hold of me at work and was working on a case when Nieba came over the intercom.
"Mrs. Channing?"
"Yes?"
"You have a client waiting for you."
"Send them in."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Um... yes. It's my job you know."
I gave a funny look to the phone and then a realized why she had asked that question. The "client" was Arson and I set my jaw as he walked into the office.
"Ms. Keppler."
"Shut the frack up. What do you want?"
"I came to give you the divorce papers and the key."
"Key?"
"To the house... Considering it is now in your name... without my permission." He said, sliding the papers on my desk and placing the lone key on top of them. He gave a small smile and I looked at his stomach. It was showing now and my hand twitched to touch it but I didn't realize I was staring.
"Quit it." I looked up. "It's uncomfortable."
"Sorry... Um... Are you okay?"
"I keep peeing a lot and suddenly I adore sushi and calamari but other than that, I'm okay... It's getting complicated to use the bathroom normally." He said with a frown.
I nodded and put my hand on the papers.
"I'll see about getting these papers to you."
"I need them by next month."
"Yeah..."
He left and I picked up the papers. I looked at them for a little bit and sighed, sticking them in my junk drawer for later.

**********************

"If it's any consolation, I didn't think he was right for you anyway. OUCH!"
Nieba growled at Hendryk as she went to smack him again.
"That's not something that you say to your heartbroken sister you buffoon." She snarled.
"Well, I mean..."
"Hendryk, just shut up and let her talk." She turned to me and took my hands in hers. "I know you love him but there are only two choices that you have now: you can wait forever or sign these papers."
"They say if you love something then you'll let it go but I feel that if I sign these papers, Arson won't get the proper treatment for the baby."
"Liam said he would keep in contact with you, right?" Kristen asked, sipping her tea. I nodded. "Then I trust Liam."
"Are you saying that because you've had your eye on him since forever?" I said with a small smile.
Kristen grinned but shook her head. "No. This is because I trust Liam. He's a good friend but he knows Arson well, more than you. He grew up with the Channings so he would know them better than any of us. He's never lied to us before..."
"That's true."
"There's another problem that I didn't want to burden you with but I thought I should let you know now." Henry said.
"Now, Henry?" Nieba asked.
"Now is as good a time as any." He said, getting up and leaving.
He came back with an envelope and handed it to me.
"I was supposed to give this to you when I saw you last but because you were getting married at the time, I put it up. But I think now is as good as any to show you."
I took the envelope from him and narrowed my eyes at the address.
"What is this?"
"This is the letter indicating that your mate accepts you. You know the system on Maclara..."
"Are you suggesting that I be with this guy?" I growled.
"No. But you know that since they haven't heard from you that he is required to look for you. If he comes here and he sees that you are not married, he has the right to take you back to Maclara and wed you there."
I gave a cruel smile then, ripping the envelope. Henry gaped at me as well as everyone else.
"What? I'm still married." I said, holding up my hand with the ring on it. "Besides... if I just accidentally misplace the papers, then I'm still married."
Kristen smiled and drank her tea.
"Ooh, Jane, you're going to be a world of trouble..." she sang. "But I enjoy a good show. Let's see who wins."
I nodded, folding the divorce papers and sticking them in my purse. I won't give up on us, Arson. I won't... I got up to head home when I felt something else in my purse. I pulled it out and found Arson's inhaler. I shrugged and threw it back in my purse since I knew he took his others already. It's not like he'd miss one.