Note: Here's the next chapter. I'm hoping to keep up with weekly updates but I won't make any promises. I've got about 5 or 6 chapters done so we're good for awhile. The chapter is crammed full of stuff happening and sets up the story much better than the first one did. I'm trying to keep the characters in character so let me know how I did.

Chapter Two: The Bonds of Family and Friends

Four days later and Cobb had not thought once about his encounter with the business man. He was sitting in the living room with a basket of laundry in front of him. The TV was on the news but the volume was turned down low so he could instead listen to the sounds of Phillipa and James playing in the yard. Their voices drifted in through the open doors.

He glanced up at the television briefly and turned his attention to the clean unfolded clothes. After only a second his eyes shot back to the screen. He snatched up the remote and turned the volume up. A familiar girl with wavy brown hair and brownish eyes filled the screen. And now with the volume turned up Cobb could hear Ariadne's voice.

"I'm so excited to be here at the opening of the museum. The structure its self is just as amazing as the artwork that is filling it."

"You must be proud to be one of the few students that helped your mentor design the building. He is quite the architect." A woman's voice off screen said.

"Yes definitely. Professor Miles is a wonderful teacher. We learn so much from him."

The camera moved to a boy about Ariadne's age. He was asked similar questions and Cobb's mind wandered back to the last time he had seen the young architect. It was as he was leaving the airport in LA. She was trying to get a taxi with little success. She looked over, and when their eyes made contact she gave him a tired but accomplished smile and she went back to her task.

Since then he had not seen her. She had sent a letter to him through Miles about three months after the inception. A time span Arthur had designated as safe to regain contact with one another. She also sent birthday cards on both Phillipa's and James' birthdays. He did not recall telling her when they were but figured she had simply asked Miles.

He looked back up at the TV when he heard his father-in-law's name.

"We were recently informed that your professor is not going to be here at the opening of the museum. Can you tell us why?" The camera had zoomed out and now three college students, Ariadne among them, were all on screen.

Ariadne answered and the concern in her voice made it clear she was very fond of Miles. "We were told he was unable to attend because of a medical emergency."

Cobb immediately knew something was wrong. He had talked to his mother-in-law that morning, not even two hours ago; she would have said something about a medical emergency. He looked down at the pants he was folding. The jeans he had been wearing the day Mr. Grey had shown up at his door. He could see a crumpled white card peeking out the front pocket.

"Do you know if he will be joining you before the end of the week?" The woman asked.

"We were not informed of how long he would be absent." Ariadne replied.

"Well that is unfortunate but we are lucky to have the students who worked on the building design with him here. They will be at the grand opening of the museum and answering questions for tour groups till the end of the week."

Cobb was up and moving towards the phone before he could hear anymore of the news report. He took the rumpled and faded card from the pocket of his pants and tossed them aside. He had to squint to make out the handwritten numbers on the back of the card but he managed and soon there was ringing coming through the phone. He quickly glanced out the door to make sure the kids were occupied. They were.

The phone clicked and Jonathan Grey's voice greeted him calmly. "Mr. Cobb I assume this is you."

"What have you done with Miles?" Cobb demanded. His grip on the phone was so intense his knuckles were turning white.

"Your father-in-law is fine." He replied and he sounded amused. Cobb had a sudden urge to throw something. "He will remain fine as long as you agree to help me."

"Why do I have to be the one that helps you? There are other extractors." Cobb did not want to plead with the man but he was desperate.

"Other extractors, yes, but according to some very reliable research you were the only one to have successfully completed inception."

Cobb sighed. This man wanted inception; something he swore he would never attempt again. "There must be someone else you can use."

"You are the best Mr. Cobb and I will settle for nothing less." He paused. "And you will help me if you care anything for your father-in-law's safety."

Cobb was trying to think but so much was pounding on his head the only thing he could do was stare. He stared out the window. Phillipa was running away from James who was chasing her with a bug. Any other time he would have laughed but he could not even smile. Grey was waiting patiently on the other end of the line. He had no intention of hanging up until Cobb answered him.

"Okay, I'll take the job." He could not not take the job. If this man was willing to go after his family whose to say his children were not in danger. "I'll need to know the details as soon as possible."

"I'm on my lunch break right now if you have the time."

"Now is fine." Cobb agreed. The two talked briefly and after hanging up with Grey, Cobb pulled open a drawer of the desk the phone sat on. The drawer was full of letters, cards and envelopes and it took him a minute to dig out the one he was looking for. An envelope addressed to James. It had held a birthday card and a sticky note. The note had a cell phone number written on it. He picked up the phone again and dialed. After a moment a familiar voice picked up.

"Hello?"

"Arthur, I need your help" He paused for a second before adding. "It's urgent."

Cobb didn't have very many friends in the business; one typically had acquaintances and temporary colleagues. If you needed their assistance they would ask when, where, why, and how much will I be paid. Arthur he considered a friend. He only ever asked when and where and he would be there within the next twenty-four hours.

Eight months since a job together and it was no different. Arthur was there by nine o'clock the next morning. Cobb heard the knock on the door from the kitchen and Phillipa bolted out of her chair yelling "I'll get it," before he could even turn around.

When he reached the hallway Phillipa had pulled a footstool up to the door and was attempting to see through the peephole. She hopped down, pulled open the door and very loudly stated, "You're not Grandma."

Arthur smiled and kneeled down to Phillipa's height. "No, no I'm not. I'm Arthur."

"You have the same name as the man in the story daddy told me." She said with an excited look spreading across her face.

"Arthur is a friend of mine Phillipa." Cobb said. "Grandma will be here in a little while, why don't you go finish your breakfast."

"Okay." The little girl ran back up the hallway, her long blonde hair swinging behind her.

"Dom, you've been telling them stories about going into dreams?" Arthur's tone implied that maybe that wasn't really the best idea.

"Very watered down versions," he defended. Arthur nodded.

"So would you like to start by giving me the details for this job or do you want to tell me why you accepted a job when you said you weren't coming back."

"I don't have a choice."

"Why does that always seem to be the case with you?" He was shaking his head.

"Jonathan Grey is holding Miles hostage." Arthur's eyes widened, that was definitely not what we was expecting. "He told me Miles will be fine but only if I agree to do this job."

Arthur was silent for a moment; clearly he was trying to digest the information. "I know that Grey is…not someone people want to cross but kidnapping, Dom are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay," he paused, "okay what exactly is the job?"

"It's not extraction but it's not exactly inception." Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you've heard of Michael Stanton. He's selling off a large multi-million dollar company that's under his control. He's narrowed it down to two companies and Grey wants to tip the scales in his favor. It should be easier than inception because the idea of selling the company to them is already in his mind."

"But so is selling it to another."

"We just have to go in and make him think that Grey's company is the better choice."

"We're not going to be able to do this alone." Arthur pointed out.

"Do you think you can track down Eames and Yusuf?" Cobb didn't want to work with anyone else. Those two would understand and except the particular circumstances. He was only doing this for Miles and in no way was returning to the business.

"We will still need an architect." Cobb started back down the hall motioning for Arthur to follow. They entered the kitchen; James and Phillipa had vacated to the living room after finishing their breakfast. Lying on the table was a folded news paper. Cobb picked it up and handed it to him.

It was open to an article about a museum opening downtown. Apparently it was quite the architectural feat and beneath a picture of the building itself was three pictures, each of a student that helped their mentor design the building. The farthest to the left was the picture of their architect.

An hour and a half later Arthur had made some phone calls and was now sitting in the living room as James and Phillipa told him their life stories. They seemed fascinated by the fact that Arthur had met them before and they could not remember it. Cobb was watching from the doorway until finally he heard someone let themselves in. He turned to see his mother-in-law enter. She was wheeling a small suitcase behind her and looked worried and tired.

"Dom." She said. She pulled her suitcase fully through the door and closed it gently so not to draw the attention of the children. "So you're leaving again?"

"I don't want to but I have to."

"Does this have to do with Stephen?" She asked. He had called her after he had called Arthur. All he had said was that he needed her to watch the kids for awhile. He hadn't said anything about her ex-husband being in possible danger; it didn't seem appropriate over the phone. "I haven't heard from him."

Cobb could only nod. He and Mal's mother had never been on the best of terms with each other but she accepted his job eventually. She had to; it was her husband that taught him how to do what he did. After Mal began to lose her mind though Cobb couldn't blame her for any anger she felt towards him or Miles.

"Just do what you have to do to bring him back safely." She surprised him. She didn't sound accusatory; wasn't making this out to be his fault. "Don't worry about the children I'll watch them as long as you need me too."

"Thank you." He said. "And don't worry Miles is safe and I'll make sure he stays that way." She tried to force a smile but couldn't. "Phillipa, James come see who's finally here." The kids came running into the hall and their grandmother truly did smile.

"Grandma!" Phillipa shouted as she backed away from the hug she just received. "We were talking to Arthur and he was telling us about all the places he's been. But he says him and daddy have to go somewhere for a while but they'll be back and until then you're going to stay with us."

"Well Arthur is very right now go give your dad a big hug because he has to leave right away." She told the two and they both threw their arms around their father's waist. He hadn't been looking forward to this moment. He finally thought he wasn't going to be separated from his kids and now he was being pulled away from them again. He knelt down to them and wrapped them in a tight hug. "You both need to behave for grandma while I'm gone okay."

"Okay." They chorused as they struggled to get out of their father's hold.

"I love you both and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Love you too." Both children leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Phillipa released him and ran over to Arthur.

"It was very nice to meet you Mr. Arthur." Arthur couldn't stop himself from smiling at the girl. "It was very nice to meet you too, Phillipa." He rubbed her head gently did the same to James and turned to Cobb.

"You ready to go?"

So there is chapter two. I hope you all enjoyed it. Look forward to seeing Ariadne in the next chapter. And you will also see a shift in whose perspective the story is being seen from as the story continues.

Thanks for reading and please review