This is the sequel/prequel-or a supplement to Living. Its more on the pregnancy because there wasn't much in the first. Well, here it goes.

Moments

Arthur sat down in the expensive silk chair.

"This is nice."

"I have some important things to say. I'd like it if you're comfortable."

What was that supposed to mean?, Arthur thought. But he got distracted by the posh restaurant decor.

"Arthur..."

"Hmmm?"

"We've been dating for a couple a years now..."

"Yes?"

"And when people are together for a while they tend to...you know-Aren't you warm? I'm warm. Don't they have an air conditioner?"

Arthur glanced at the air conditioner behind him and gave Eames a suspicious face.

Eames ignored it. "Arthur we've been together for awhile," Eames started again, "and so I think its about time to-"

He didn't have to finish the sentence. Arthur had imagined this moment many times. He knew Eames very well and it could only be expected. Eames was a forger, always changing, shifting. When he was much younger that was okay. He'd been living in the fast track too. But now he had fallen into the too familiar track of normality. He figured it would only be so long before Eames would say the words.

He had known Arthur for too long. He had gotten bored of him. He was letting him go.

"You don't have to say it. I know."

His words through Eames in for a loop. "You do? How'd you-"

"If you're interested in seeing other people..."

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Because..." Arthur paused for a moment, gathering himself, then he continued his sentence. "You're trying to break up with me."

"What?...oh shit." 'He smoothed his hair back with his sweaty palms, frustrated with himself. This wasn't going the way he planned. He started again once more.

"I'm not breaking up with you. I-Arthur you have to understand that I-"

The point man had enough. He wanted to make things easier for himself and get this over with quickly. He didn't want to be here anymore. He needed to get away from here.

"If you're not breaking up with me, then what are you doing?"

"Arthur-"

His face grew red in anger. Did Eames find it funny to play around with him like this?

"If you think that'd I would be so stupid not to realize-"

"Marry me."

That shut him up.

After a few moments that to Eames seemed to have last forever, Arthur broke the silence with "What?"

He had said it. There was no second-guessing, no going back now. "I'm asking you to marry me. I didn't think you'd want me to, but if you want me to go down on one knee-"

"Don't."

Eames smiled. "I figured as much. You don't have to answer right now, but-"

"Yes."

Eames stared at Arthur dumbly, not registering the words.

Now Arthur was grinning. "Yes, I'll marry you."

"Oh. That's good. God, I really fucked this one up didn't I? For once I planned to-"

"It's okay," Arthur said while taking a sip of his Chardonnay. "It was perfect."

Arthur looked at the small red sneakers. "These are nice, Ariadne. Thank you."

Adriane smiled cheerfully. Eames opened a blue package-Cobb's gift. "Oh...Cobb...you out did yourself." Cobb had bought the cradle Arthur had put on the list.

"You said you needed it."

Arthur murmured approvingly. Investigating the cradle, he gave Yusuf's baby shower gift to Eames to open.

The forger held the small glass bottle and looked at the chemist inquisitively.

"Sedative. For the baby. If he's crying too much. Don't worry. It won't harm him, it only lasts for a couple of hours, and there is only enough for one emergency."

He and Arthur shared a glance. "Thank you, Yusuf."

But they weren't going to use it. It sounded sort of illegal.

They had finished all the gifts for the baby shower Adriane insisted they have...except for Saito. Though there wasn't anything in the room, they knew he had one. He wouldn't be Saito if he didn't.

"So Saito," Eames asked, "Where's your gift?"

Saito gave him a look like he had just started to pay attention. "Mine? It's outside."

The crew was presently examining Saito's handiwork. An Audi R-8.

The phrase "Holy shit", were all Yusuf and Eames could muster.

"That wasn't on the list," said Cobb matter-of-factedly. "We were supposed to get things from the list."

"Saito we talked about this!" Ariadne fumed. "You were supposed to bring a SMALL gift for the BABY."

Saito gave her an innocent look. "I did. Its just a car. Now the baby has transportation."

"You do know he won't be able to drive for the next sixteen years," Arthur pointed out.

Saito shrugged.

"Sure, Christopher won't be" Eames said, gazing the Audi over. "But I can."

"Yusuf called," Arthur told Eames as the forger entered the living room. "He said-oh fuck."

"He said what?"

"He said-oh God we're late! Damnit!"

"Still not getting you."

"Seriously Eames? We're late for those pregnancy classes Adriane signed us up for!"

Eames looked at his watch. "Oh. There are twenty minutes left. We might be too late..."

"Get the car."

Eames sighed. He was hoping he wouldn't say that.

"So what did Yusuf call about?" Eames asked, fastening his seatbelt.

"Drive now. Talk later."

He was too big to fit in anything he owned. He threw a shirt out of the closet in frustration.

"Doesn't fit?"

"No."

"Want to try on the clothes Ariadne got you?"

"Only on my death bed." Those clothes were too horrible for Arthur to even describe.

Eames didn't say anything. Arthur would wear them when got desperate enough.

"How can you eat that?," Arthur said, looking at the cereal that he swore was just a bag of sugar.

"You have pistachio icecream, I have Choco Chocolatey Choc Puffs."

"Still gross."

"I love you too."

"Put this in."

Eames looked at the bag. Spinach. More vegetables. He inwardly groaned. "Will we be vegetarian again for dinner? Wait. Will we be vegan? Or maybe if we really lose our minds, we can get our supper from basking the sunlight like a fucking daffodil."

"You know I have to be on a diet for the baby."

"That isn't stopping you from getting that ice cream!"

"I'm tired and achy all day long. I need to treat myself sometimes."

"Well I do too!"

"You're not the one whose pregnant here."

"No. But I'm the one who has to deal with you all day..."

"Excuse me? You-oh." Arthur stopped mid rant and put his hand on his belly.

"What's wrong? Did the baby-" Eames was interrupted mid sentence as Arthur put took Eames hand to put it on his stomach.

"Oh."

"Isn't that amazing?" Christopher had stopped kicking, but the sensation lingered on his fingertips.

Eames nodded, still caught up in wonder of the moment. He was so awestruck he didn't notice when Arthur put artichokes in the cart.

Arthur dropped his water. "Get the suitcase."

Eames eyes widened. "Are you?"

"Going into labor?" Arthur clutched his stomach. "Yes."

"..."

"Eames?"

"Yes?"

"Suitcase."

"Oh right. Sorry! Where'd I put it? Oh god-"

"By the door. Stay calm."

"ARGHHH!"Arthur hollered. He was sweaty. He was in pain. He needed this baby cut out of him now. He squeezed Eames' hand tighter.

Eames winced. After the doctor got done with Arthur, he might have to look at his hand. "Relax, Arthur. Keep breathing like the nurse told you. Remember what you said? About being calm?"

Arthur, with great difficulty, hoisted himself up to stare Eames down.

"Shut up!"

"He's all cleaned up. You guys can hold him now. Call me if you need anything." The nurse left the baby in Arthur's arms and exited the room.

Arthur took a good look at the baby-his son. "He looks a lot like you," he told Eames, who was currently sitting in the chair beside him. "He's got your eyes."

Eames softly stroked Christopher's pudgy cheek. "You're right," he answered. "But he has your ears."

"I know, my elf ears. But they look good on him though. Can't imagine anyone else pulling them off better."

"Legolas?"

Arthur smirked. "Well, any actual humans. Do you want to hold him?"

Eames nodded. In a few moments Christopher was in his arms. Eames marveled at the pink squished up face, the tiny fingers, the little eyelashes. He was...wonderful.

He turned to give him back to Arthur, but he was already fast asleep. He'd had a long day.

"Thank you,"he said, barely noticing how broken the words came out. He held Christopher a little tighter. "Thank you Arthur."

"He won't stop crying..." Arthur was tired. And it was late.

Eames groaned. "I'm surprised he hasn't choked up his lungs yet. You know we still have Yusuf's-"

"No."

"Just saying," Eames explained. "Wasn't actually thinking about it."

Though he was.

As a extra loud wail came from Christopher's room, Eames grumbled into his pillow. "I'm buying ear plugs tomorrow."

Eames was reading a newspaper while Christopher was playing on the floor. When he put the newspaper down to take a sip of his coffee, he saw Christopher standing along the couch. This was normal. He'd been doing that for weeks now. But then, with a great deal of effort, Christopher was sliding, not leaning, using the couch to support himself. This was a new development.

"Arthur!" Eames hollered. "Come quick!"

Arthur came rushing out of the office. He hoped that what ever Eames called him for was important. "I hope this is importan-"

Christopher was walking. Well to be fair, more like waddling. He moved past the couch, standing on his own.

"Come here Christopher!" Arthur said, his workload forgotten.

Hearing his father, Christopher started to teeter his direction. But after a few steps, his behind quickly collided with the hardwood floor. It was rather loud smack, and Christopher began to cry.

Eames picked him up, trying to sooth him with whispered words, and Arthur went to find Christopher's favorite toy.

They'd both remember this day forever.

"Its been awhile..." Eames coyly told Arthur when Christopher was out of earshot.

Arthur smiled seductively, "You're right. Maybe..."

"Tonight we can..."

"Just be home early." Arthur huskily whispered into his ears.

When he negotiated like that how could Eames possibly not?

He'd finished negotiations on his next job quickly, though effectively. Or perhaps he did rush through them a bit. But it wasn't normal that opportunities such as these came up. Christopher was practically glued to Arthur and it was hard to get his husband alone.

As he drove to their home while he walked down the hall, he imagined how Arthur would look, spread out on his bed, a lascivious look in his eyes. With notable eagerness, he opened their bedroom door.

"Arthur I'm..."

Arthur was spread out on the bed all right-but he was snoring too.

'Not today', he mumbled bitterly. When Arthur snoring got rather loud, he noticed how the bed covers had slipped off the point man. He silently moved towards the side of the bed and returned the blanket to Arthur's shoulders.

He looked...peaceful. Arthur had been working a lot lately. But at it seemed that right now he was getting some well deserved sleep-something his body told him as he let out a deep yawn, he needed to get to.

Eames crawled into the bed, wrapped his arms around his husband, and promptly joined him in slumber.

Perhaps, Eames thought faintly as his mind went dark, they'd try again another day.

"Darling! NO!" Arthur had never reacted so fast.

But it was too late. The new white rug he bought was now covered in yellow liquid. The Labrador whimpered.

Christopher smiled at his father apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

Though it almost killed him to say it, with some effort he got the words out. "Its...okay."

Christopher woke up in the middle of the night. It was happening again for the second day in the row. A thunderstorm.

He wanted to cry, but he was going to be a big boy. Next time the lightning flashed by his window, he'd count the seconds to the thunder like Daddy told him. He'd feel safer then. Mommy told him he couldn't be struck by lightning where they lived. There were taller things the lightning could hit, and that lightning striking people is already rare.

I won't be struck by lightning. I won't be struck by lightning. I won't be struck by-He ducked under his covers. The thunder had been especially loud this time.

He wanted to be a big boy and go back to sleep, but he couldn't. His lip trembled, and Christopher started to cry. He was so disappointed in himself.

"What's wrong Christopher?" said Arthur sleepily, entering Christopher's room.

He'd been heard.

"Is it the lightning again? Did you remember what we-"

Christopher tried to stop the tears from coming but he was too scared. "I did but-"

"You're still afraid?"

Christopher could only nod.

"Here. Come on."

Christopher followed his father into his parent's bedroom.

"Can't sleep?" Eames yawned. Arthur nodded. Eames lifted up the blanket so that Arthur and Christopher could get under it.

Knowing he was safe now, Christopher went to sleep.

Eames was drained. Working did that to him often. When he was by himself, his work was his best friend. With a husband and a son, he couldn't devote the same level of commitment. He wanted to see them again. He'd been gone for too long.

As he passed through immigration, he couldn't help but think of Cobb. He hadn't understood what it meant then, but now it was different. He didn't think he could live with the idea he may never see his kids again. He would never be able to deal with losing someone like Mal. If he lost Arthur...he knew he'd lose himself, in a maze more intricate than anything Ariadne could come up with.

"Daddy!" There they were, waiting for him at the baggage claim.

Christopher ran into his arms.

"You're back," Christopher said.

"I'm back," he whispered into his ear.

I enjoyed writing this. Thanks for reading.