AN: Thanks, as always, to the amazingly lovely myparamour, for helping me improving my work, and congrats for her baby niece Mya!
To any other reader out there, thank you for your appreciation, and also I would love some sort of feedback, either as a review or a much more discreet personal message, anything! :)
Chapter Four
After the meeting with Eames the previous night, Alex actually fell asleep as soon as she got into bed, right after a quick shower. She got up a few minutes past eight, feeling genuinely in a great mood for once, and decided to take a nice bubble bath before walking downstairs. The citrus scented gel was just perfect, it gave her skin a smooth touch and a fresh aroma, and after drying her body and hair, and putting on some plain cotton bra and pants, she walked towards the clothes rack. She picked up slim jeans, a white tank top and a green plaid shirt, that she rolled the sleeves up to her elbows. Some military style ankle boots, her hair loose in waves and light makeup and she was ready to go, just like any normal young woman would do.
Arthur was outside, as usual, and she greeted him with a smile, as she grabbed the morning journal and a cup of coffee. She sat on her default chair and read the journal, while sipping occasionally on the cup, as Arthur stood across her reading something out of his smartphone.
Although her eyes ran through the tittles, Alex couldn't focus on any news, her mind wondering on what had happened the previous night. And what exactly had happened? She wasn't sure, but she felt like she'd just let go and actually enjoyed something since she had lost Sean. Maybe she could enjoy herself more often, hang out with her friends, and have fun for a while, since the days of Division were long gone. She was no longer one secret operative, she was a free young woman, smart enough and with the right resources to make something out of her life. Maybe after this mission she would take control of Zetrov's, and use it to do good.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a warm hand on her shoulders, and as she looked back Owen was looking back at her, with a playful smile spread on his face "Morning Alex, are you done with that?" He said, pointing at the paper, fully aware she wasn't even reading it. She smiled back and handled it to him, grabbing a bagel and filled it with scrambled eggs and bacon. She was so absorbed in that delicious high-calories breakfast that Birkhoff had to talk louder this time to capture her attention.
"Alex, are you listening to me? Geez, what's up with her today?"
"I'm just enjoying my breakfast" she replied "I'm in a good mood today, don't ruin it"
Arthur's phone rang and he immediately got up and walked away, and Birkhoff continued scrutinizing her "Alex in a good mood? That's something I've never thought I'd see in my life time…"
She shot him an annoyed glare, something that made Owen laugh "Don't push her Seymour"
"I'm glad to see our night activities took a rather delightful effect on you, darling, you look stunning" Alex eyes widened at Eames, who was not staring at her as he sat in front of her, teasing her with his stupid grin and playful tone as he now addressed her clueless friends, mocking her own words "It was not a date"
Alex was about to talk back at him when Arthur and Cobb came back to the table, the young man speaking to the rest of the group "Ariadne's plane arrives in half an hour, and Yusuf's twenty minutes after. I'm on my way to the airport to pick them up"
"We need to work quickly, we only have five hours before we put the plan on motion" Dom replied, as he sat at the top of the table and grabbed his own breakfast, now speaking directly to Alex "If you want we can go under a last time before the job"
Eames quickly interrupted "If you don't mind mate, I can handle this one. It is better if Alex gets familiarized with my work before the job."
Dom looked at Alex and she nodded back at him "Just make sure you two are careful"
#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#
Alex was not a paradisiac beach at sunset, a beautiful scenario; the warm breeze caressed her face as she observed the horizon, painted orange and red-ish. She looked over her shoulder; Eames was sat at the sand with his arms wrapping his knees, as he looked right back at her, his dark-grey eyes concentrated deeply in her face "Nice move Eames" she commented dryly, sitting by his side as he shot her one ravishing smile "What now?"
"I think it is better for us to wait for that little boyfriend of yours" he paused, looking straight ahead, his grey eyes sharp and focus on the sea "How do you take care of that matter?" After her first encounter with the Thom Projection, Cobb took her under again and revealed to her he had once the same problem with his deceased wife, Mal, and the way to get rid of her in his dreams was by shooting her down. After a while of doing it as a routine, Cobb didn't feel so bad about it and her projection fade away, to never return. So he advised Alex to do the same to the boy, it might be hard at first but she'd get used to it, and sooner she'd get used to it the sooner they'd disappear.
"A bullet in the head" Alex continued observing the sunset, never once looked back at him, and they stood for a while in silence.
"Who was he?" Eames asked, as curiosity got the best of him
"Thom's a friend" How could Alex explained Eames who Thom was, and what she'd done to him? Thom was her only friend inside Division for a while, but when he found out she was the mole he didn't even hesitated for a second, he wanted to bring her down at any cost, and unfortunately he got shot during the rustle for the weapon he held "I shot him" his death gave her the perfect coverage, being Thom implicated as the mole, buying her more time inside Division "He's dead because of me"
Eames didn't insist, and she silently thanked him for that.
Suddenly a car stopped with a loud gridding of rubber on the sidewalk stone, making both of them straightened up at the same time, but Alex stood motionless as she saw not only Thom exiting the car but also Sean. Her chest tightened and she could feel some stubborn tears forming in her eyes, as her entire body froze. Eames was saying something she couldn't understand, as she failed to react. Sean shot the first row, and Eames pulled her down, shielding her from the shooting, taking abruptly the gun off her hands and shooting back at them. Both the projections stood back, behind the car doors, what gave Eames the opportunity to held Alex by her arm and push her away from the beach, hiding behind a parked car.
Eames and the projections shot one another, bullet's coming and going until one that came too close and Eames got hit in his arm. He sat back down at Alex's side, holding his arm as the wound started to bleed all over his dark-grey suit jacket. She got up, but instead of a handgun she had a machine-gun, which she immediately started shooting as she walked towards their opponents, destroying the car and killing the projections quickly.
"Hmm, are you alright love?" Eames was now walking towards her as he spoke hesitantly. She had her eyes closed and her jaw tightened, and as he waited for any indication of her condition she slightly opened her mouth to speak and a few tears fell from her big blue eyes that were now glaring at his. She wiped off the tears and spoke, a sad low humming coming out of her full lips.
"They're just projections, right?"
He stood quietly; he actually didn't know what to say. Those two men were memories of her past, and those memories brought her unimaginable pain "You are confined only by the walls you build yourself" he was now right in front of her, only a step back. "You need to learn to let go" he then took off his dark-grey suit-jacket and rolled up the sleeve from the dark-blue shirt, leaving the wound exposed. Alex handled him her weapon and took off her plaid shirt and ripped off a piece of fabric, covering his bullet wound with it. Eames raised an eyebrow as he observed the gun in his hand and looked back at her.
"If we're dreaming, we might as well dream big" she added, as she finished a last knot. She could feel his glare falling upon her tank top cleavage, so she tied the knot with a little more strength that she usually would use, making him flinch and growl. He chuckled, a soft smile placed in his plump lips, and she smiled back at him.
"I'm beginning to think we're a lot alike, you and I." he said, with a grin playing in his lips, as he backed off and sat at the sidewalk, and she sat by his side "Okay, we better get back to our lesson… Let's see… I'm a forger…"
#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#
It was much more enjoyable to wake up as the PASIV timer went off, instead of waking up scared half to death with the feeling of someone wiping you out of this world, Alex thought, as she lazily opened her eyes. She got up slowly and observed as Eames rubbed his arm where he got shot, and as he felt her gaze on him he chuckled "It's not real, but still hurts as hell"
A female voice spoke from the door, and as Alex turned her head she noticed a small brunette with big brown eyes smiling widely as she walked towards Eames. He smiled back at her as he embraced her and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, the girl's face turning red a second after.
"Ah, salut, ma chére, comme sa va?" the girl simply giggle at his greeting, and he set his arm on his shoulder, turning her to face Alex, his face tender as he spoke "Ari, let me introduce you to my lovely friend Alex. And Alex, this adorable little woman is Ariadne…" he clean his throat and spoke lower, discontent written all over his tone "Arthur's beau"
Ariadne rolled her eyes as she kindly pushed him off and extended her hand towards Alex "Eames, behave. Alex, very nice to meet you, Arthur told me a few things about you"
Alex shook her hand softly and smiled back at the addicting smiling girl "Not all bad things, I hope"
"Oh, not at all, he's actually very excited to work with your team!"
"Are you joining us as well?" Alex asked, as both join the group
"No, not this time, I'm just here for support"
Cobb waved Alex to approach "Alex, this is Yusuf, our chemist"
Alex greeted the nice Indian man with a shake of hands and a smile, but she felt uncomfortable as there wasn't actually anything to talk about with him, and she wasn't a big chit-chatter. She excused herself politely and walked towards Ariadne, who was now indoors in the kitchen, placing the take-out food in separate trays, absent minded of her presence.
"Can I help?" Alex asked kindly, and she smiled as the girl jumped surprised and smile back to her. "Oh I'm sorry, didn't mean to startle you!"
"No, it's fine, I was just thinking…" Ariadne stopped, instead of finishing her sentence she grabbed two trays and walked outside.
Needless to say more, Alex already knew what she was worried about. It was, after all, a dangerous mission, and Cobb had told her they'd be using the same drug they had used in the Fisher's job, a powerful drug that kept them from wakening prior to the completion of the job, but if they died in the dream they would not wake up, they would be left in a permanent coma, lost in limbo. Last time Ariadne brought Cobb back, but this time she wouldn't be there with them, and so she must be worried sick.
Alex grabbed the other two trays and followed her, placing the incredible good smelling trays filled with steaks with pepper sauce, white rice and salad in the table and sitting back in her place.
"We need to get over the plan one more time" Cobb spoke in his naturally calm tone, but in response the group replied with grunts and groans and dissimulated laughs, as they throw his way the beer bottles metal caps, and Cobb looked back at them with an offended expression.
"Ugh, come on dude, we've been over the plan a thousand times, give up already, it doesn't get any better than that!" Birkhoff cried out loud annoyed, as he brought the bottle up and drank a sip.
"Can we just forget about work for now and enjoy the meal, please?" Alex asked sighting, and Arthur picked up his bottle and nodded to her, smiling as the rest of the group did the same.
"I cheer to that!"
AN: Hope you'd enjoyed chapter three, hopefully I'll update soon and please, share your thoughts on this, pretty please!