Perception – Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All characters, settings and original plots are the property of Christopher Nolan. The author is in no way associated with this story. No copyright infringement in intended.

A/N: Once again I have to say thank you to all my reviewers... you are all much too kind. I hope to get one more chapter written before I leave on Sunday. Thank you again and enjoy the chapter.

She's smart, he thought to himself as he watched his reflection straightened his already straight tie. Smart, witty and beautiful. No, not beautiful... stunning. Yes, Ariadne was breathtakingly stunning. She was also his co-worker. A co-worker in what was proving to be a very dangerous profession.

"What are you doing Arthur?" he muttered aloud to himself. "What have you gotten yourself into?" Arthur knew the consequences of the line he was about the cross. He saw firsthand what the results could be. A man he called his friend, torn to a million pieces by the loss of a love he can never replace. He watched Cobb become a shadow of what he once was. Arthur knew there was something wrong, something not quite right with him. He could read it in Dom's eyes; something in limbo had broken him. He knew now that it wasn't something, but someone. Cobb had become lost and helpless. No one could save Mal from her decent into madness, but he just couldn't accept that. Cobb loved her more than life itself, but in the end that love wasn't enough to save her.

There were times, just for a moment, when Arthur wondered if Mal's death did save her. Perhaps it saved her from a life of doubt, forever plagued by the gnawing notion that nothing was real. Was that really a life that anyone deserved?

He sighed, pushing his hands deep into his pockets. He was never one to indulge in personal fantasies. Life as a point man left no room for such pleasures. Things had to be clear, concise, and orderly or people died. There was no room for emotion. Feelings only got in the way of the mission. This philosophy had served him well professionally, but not personally. Arthur was lonely. Deep down he feared he would never find the balance he longed for. To love his job and a woman equally. To give all to both and sacrifice nothing for either. Realising love involved a level of emotionally commitment that scared him, he settled for loving his job. He loved it and was damn good at it. Things were clear, concise and orderly. Then Ariadne walked into his life.

She was a breath of fresh air in the staleness that had become his life. At first he could ignore the gentle stirring he felt in his heart. Arthur had become very adept at burying his emotions deep down inside. Clear, concise and orderly. Then he saw her mind, he felt her dreams and everything came undone. You would never have known by looking at him. He always remained professional and detached. Some would describe him as cold, but that's only because they didn't truly know him. Few did. He was content with that notion, being unknown. Now life had spun around and around and he now found himself wanting to be known. Not by everyone. Only by her.

What had started as a stirring was now an insistent hum he could no longer ignore. Like a song that you can't stop from playing over and over again in your mind. Every time she walked into the room, the hum got louder. For one brief moment he became lost in the sensation and he let his heart do the guiding. In that moment he kissed her. He regretted it immediately. Not because he didn't like it. On the contrary it had rocked his world. That one, brief touch on the lips had changed everything. Now she was all he could think about. His heart had been thawed and there was no going back.

"I'm so screwed," he muttered once again, flopping down the bed in a huff. Just as he was pondering whether to cancel their dinner date with some lame headache excuse the phone in his room rang.

He eyes snapped open, quickly finding the shrilling object that disturbed his thoughts. No one knew he was here, except her.

"Hello?" he answered with a hint of scepticism and hesitation seeping through.

"How's my favourite point man?" The voice was as familiar as his own. Cobb had found him.

"Don't you mean, your only point man?" he replied back, his voice thick with sarcasm. "How did you find me?"

"Do you really have to ask that?"

"I guess not," he sighed. Cobb was the best at what he did. If it were possible to perform extraction as a one-man show, Cobb would be that man. He was an architect, point man and master planner all rolled into one. "How is the family?"

"Simply perfect. I had forgotten how much I loved being a father. It's good to be back. Like finding your favourite old pair of jeans... not that you own anything that could be considered old."

Arthur smiled as he heard his friend laugh. It had been much too long since Cobb felt anything but remorse and guilt. Ariadne was right, Cobb was truly free.

"I'm glad for you Dom. After everything that's happened, I'm happy that you've found some semblance of peace."

"Yeah, it's good to be content. Might never be truly happy again, but I can settle for content."

"Content is good," Arthur agreed. Perhaps he could settle for content too.

"So how are things? I called earlier, but you were out. Shopping for new suits?"

"I'm perfectly happy with my wardrobe as it is," he sighed. "But if you must know I was with Ariadne. We met up at the hotel bar."

"That would have been my next guess. You've really taken a liking to our little architect haven't you?"

Arthur didn't know how to answer that. Deflect or truth? In the end he opted for truth. "I have."

"That serious huh?"

"I had hoped not," he sighed yet again. "Emotions are messy, especially in our line of work, but I can't seem to stop this Dom. I'm..."

"Scared?"

"Can you blame me? After watching what happened with you and Mal... how do you avoid that?" The pause that followed lasted a little too long for Arthur's liking. Maybe he shouldn't have asked. Maybe it was too soon.

"You avoid it by not doing what I did. I pushed too hard Arthur. I pushed me, I pushed her, I pushed the boundaries and in the end... well she fell."

"I'm sorry," Arthur replied with genuine remorse, "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no... don't be sorry. I'm glad you asked. I've never talked about it before. No one really knows what happened. Well no one did before Ariadne. Arthur, what happened between Mal and I could have been avoided. It isn't inevitable. You just need to be careful."

"But how do you know when you've crossed the line? How do you know when you've pushed too far?"

"I can't answer that for you. All I can tell you is the deeper you push the harder it is to get out. Then you find yourself sinking and not caring. If I could do it all over again I would, but you and I both know that can never happen."

"What would you change?" Arthur had to know. If there was any hope at all, he had to try.

"Leave your dreams at work. Live your lives in the real-world. Under no circumstances should the two of you enter into dream state for recreational purposes. Training... fine. Jobs... fine. Pleasure... well that's where things get fucked up."

"Is it really that easy?"

"Do you want it bad enough?"

In the end that was the question. Did he want it bad enough?