DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INCEPTION.

This was a one-shot I've been wanting to do for a while. I hope you enjoy!

Arthur sat in his garden chair, debating himself.

He had always wanted some normal aspect in his life. Now he had more than he ever could have wanted. A wife that he loved more than anything, a beautiful house and children he would kill for. The only thing that bother him was that he wasn't all too confident with his ability to be a food father.

Ariadne was a brilliant mother. Arthur always admired how she picked up parenting so easily. Arthur always showed the most loving affection for his children, but he wondered what they thought about him. Sure, he was a great Point Man, but you can't exactly develop colour coded files on how to raise your kids. He felt like he had yet to prove his ability as a dad. He let his head fall into his hands as he exhaled.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

His head snapped up. His eyes glazed over the garden for the source of the voice, but he couldn't see either of his children.

"Daddy!"

He stood up and looked around again. He certainly heard a voice. A small, distressed call to be more specific. He quickly grew concerned at the absence of his children.

Within a few seconds, a small boy around the age of 3 ran up to the Point Man and wrapped his arm around one of his legs. Arthur placed a hand on the boy's head.

"Thomas, what's wrong?"

The small boy stared up at him with brown eyes, and quickly started tugging on his trouser leg.

"Daddy! Come quick! Sam is stuck!" he cried, tugging on the fabric.

Arthur stiffened. "Where is she?"

Arthur quickly followed the small boy further to the back of the garden. Thomas ran and pointed to a tree (one that Arthur often wanted to take down for this exact reason: the safety of his children). Arthur ran to the bottom and swallowed.

Yes, it was a tall tree. And at the top was his 5 year old daughter, clinging to one of the branches.

"Samantha!" Arthur called. "Are you ok?"

The little girl whimpered and clung tighter to the branch. "Daddy!"

Arthur's heart clenched at the sound of his daughter's distress. He quickly placed a foot on the lowest branch and heaved himself up.

"It's alright, Daddy's coming!"

He quickly started climbing up the tree. He grew more frantic at the thought of what would happen if she fell…

Arthur quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind and focused on getting to his child.

"Daddy! Quickly!" Samantha sobbed, wishing she hadn't bragged to Thomas so much about how high she could climb.

The sound of his daughter's cry made Arthur climb faster. He ignored the sounds of scratching and the idea of stains getting on his perfectly clean shirt. The only thing that was important to him right now was getting to his daughter.

Arthur stared down at the perfect newborn. His breath hitched in his throat as it inhaled it's first breath and let out a loud cry. He clung to Ariadne's arm but he could not rip his eyes away from his new baby for one second. Soon, the newborn was handed to Ariadne in a bundle of pink. Ariadne smiled.

"She's pretty loud isn't she?" the doctor asked, smiling.

Arthur froze. "…She? I have a daughter?"

"Yes we do," Ariadne sighed, placing her hand on his cheek. "Here."

She handed the small baby up to Arthur, who grasped the tiny person in his arms. He stared down at her, and looked into her tiny brown eyes.

"My daughter," he whispered. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her new forehead. "What are we calling her?" he asked, glancing over at Ariadne.

"Hmm…" Ariadne felt her eyes closing from exhaustion. "You pick…"

Arthur smiled as she fell asleep, then turned his attention back to his new baby girl, who was now staring up at him widely.

"I'm your Daddy," he grinned. "…And I'll always look after you…Samantha."

"Daddy's coming! Hold on sweetheart!"

Arthur felt himself growing more and more anxious. He pulled himself up on another branch and hovered for a moment, gathering his breath. Another yelp from his baby sent him up again, pulling himself up. He looked down and realised how high up he was. Samantha must be a good climber he thought proudly.

"Daddy, I'm gonna fall!"

Arthur swallowed. "No you're not. You're going to be fine sweetie!"

He scrambled up the last few branches to where his little girl was clinging on. He exhaled and wrapped her tiny body in his arms.

"Daddy's here," he sighed. The little girl clung tightly around her father's neck. Arthur lifted himself up onto the branch and wrapped his arms around her body, breathing out into her dark hair.

"Please don't be mad!" she cried. "I was just playing, but I couldn't get down!"

"It's ok sweetie, I'm not mad," he whispered, stroking her brown locks.

Arthur sighed and grasped his baby boy's tiny hands.

"Please wake up. Please," he whispered.

The past hour had been traumatic to say the least. As soon as he was born, Arthur was enraged that he couldn't hold his son. There was an array of wires, demands and doctors, causing Ariadne to panic.

Arthur followed them around the hospital. His heart broke as he stared down at his baby son, who was sleeping peacefully, despite the wires going into his arms. It reminded Arthur of dream-sharing.

"Please Thomas. Wake up for Daddy," he begged quietly.

At that moment, the tiny boy opened his eyes and stared up at his father. Arthur blinked.

"Thomas?"

The baby softly cooed, and Arthur allowed his face to break into a huge smile. He wrapped his hand tighter around the smaller hand.

"Hi baby."

Arthur jumped from the lowest branch to the soft ground, still clutching a frightened Samantha in his arms. Even when they were both on solid ground, he still carried her tightly.

He looked down at Thomas, who was staring wide eyed at the scene before him. Arthur gently grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him closer.

"Good boy Thomas," he praised. "You did a good thing coming to get me."

The boy stared up at him, grinning widely. "Thanks Daddy." Arthur used his one free arm to lift him up.

As Arthur stood in his garden, holding both of his children, just after finishing their newest adventure, he smiled to himself.

Maybe he was a good father.

He shook his head. No, he wasn't a good father.

He was a great father.