Authors Note:

I am going to apologize now for two things. 1. Not posting yesterday and 2. The grammar/spelling mistakes you may find in this ( and the different format for the spacing; the lines were not working for some reason).

My computer is not letting me save this document properly, and so, I cannot save anything. Trust me. I learned the hard way.

I have already written this entire chapter twice, because I thought that my computer had been saving it.

Anyway, please help calm my nerves by reviewing. This chapter was seriously hell to get up.

Chapter 8

Cobb took a deep breath in. He was standing directly in front of Arthur's apartment door. Something was stopping him from knocking. He didn't know exactly what it was but it was a powerful emotion.

It was lurking in the pit of his stomach, pulling on his heart strings. What if the answers he got, weren't the ones that he was hoping for? He took another breath in, ran a quick hand through his hair and knocked.

A few moments passed by and no one had answered the door. Cobb war starting to get reckless. He knew that at least one of them had to be home.

"Cobb, what are you doing here?" Arthur asked while opening the door. Dom could hear the worry in his voice. What the hell was going on?

Dom walked into the apartment, while taking out Ariadne's cell phone from his pocket. "She left this at my-" and then he stopped talking. He saw something so unexpected, that his mouth fell open.

Ariadne was sleeping connected to the Dream Device, headphones around her ears.

He placed her cell phone back into his pocket and Arthur closed the door behind them.

"What is she doing?" Dom asked Arthur, while staring at Ariadne's dreaming figure.

"She is dreaming, Cobb. I am monitoring her." Arthur spoke the sentence lightly.

"And why is that exactly?" Cobb sat down next to the sleeping Ariadne on the couch.

Arthur walked over to them and stated "Because she asked me to." He said it bluntly. It didn't matter to him what anyone thought.

"Is she alright?" Cobb asked, slightly afraid for her. He knew what monitoring dreams meant and it definitely was not a positive thing. It was something done to see how long someone could sleep without waking up. Without being killed in their dream. After Mal had died, Cobb had asked Arthur to do the same for him. But why was Ariadne in need of this?

Arthur watched as Dom fixed a loose strand of Ariadne's hair by tucking it over her ear. He smiled at his friend. "I think so. She said that she's been having nightmares lately, that's all."

Cobb sighed. There was a feeling inside him that was telling him that this was all his fault again. Because he had brought her into this world and showed her just how wonderful and cruel it actually was.

Arthur cleared his throat "I'm actually glad your here. I need to call Saito about our next arrangement. Do you think you could watch her for a few minutes?"

Dom just nodded and continued to stare at Ariadne's dreaming figure. He could tell that she was having a good dream this time. She was smiling. It relieved Cobb, just a tad.

"Sure. Take your time." Dom spoke it softly, knowing that Arthur had already left the room.

He bit down on his bottom lip wondering if Arthur was lying to him. Maybe Ariadne was in her dream world, creating a dream layer for their next extraction. But no. She wouldn't do that. Would she? He had to find out. He was going in.

(SPACE)

Cobb was walking in a large hall. It was painted in an off white and yellow color. The hall was very long and there were doors all the way until the end of it. He turned to his right, seeing the number '1' written in charcoal on the wooden door.

He reached for the handle and pushed through it. Well, she had done this to him... he had to return the favor.

What he saw, surprised him. It was a large beach, crowded by many people.

Their were families and couples laying down on the sand, stretched across watching the evening sunset. He walked slowly through the sand, careful not to cause any imbalance in her dream world.

And when he reached the centre of the beach, he saw Ariadne swimming in the water. She was giggling as she shouted "Well, it seems that you've lost." She smiled again, dipping her entire body in the water.

For a second, Cobb thought that he was talking to him. She was looking at him, well, at the are that he was standing in anyway. But then, he saw someone emerge from the water. He couldn't tell who it was, they were swimming too far away.

Cobb thought about going into the water. Swimming up to them. But he stopped himself when she saw her kissing the man. His eyes locked on the scene. Who the hell was she with? He couldn't make it out. And suddenly, he felt like he was falling. Arthur!

(SPACE)

Dom opened his eyes to reveal a screaming Arthur "What the hell were you thinking, Cobb?" Arthur was incredibly upset. This was Ariadne's dreams and she was in love with Cobb. Him being in her dream could be disastrous. He could have seen himself... that would been horrible.

"Did you see her?" Arthur asked him but Dom wasn't paying too much attention to the Point Man. He was trying to understand the situation he had just been in. The man that she was with...he had dark hair. Or maybe that was just because his hair was wet. But no. That would have been too much of a stretch. His hair had to be dark.

Cobb removed himself from the machine and turned to Arthur. It was him. Ariadne was in love with Arthur. Dom pushed himself off the couch and asked through a soft sigh "How long has this been going?" He didn't want to know the details, but he did want to know the truth.

Arthur's eyes widened. Oh shit. Dom had seen himself with her. Arthur didn't know what to say. Well, there was no point in lying now, was there? "For quite some time, Cobb. But its been official for a few days only."

It was official? Arthur and Ariadne? No. It just didn't make sense. He never sensed a spark between them. The kind of spark that he shared with- Cobb breathed out heavily. "Were you planning on telling me?"

Arthur shook his head. What? Was he crazy? Ariadne would have killed him. "No. I thought it would be better if, in time, Ariadne had told you herself."

Cobb looked down at the floor and then quickly back at Arthur. Inside his body, there was this constant nagging. As if he knew that it wasn't right. Her loving him. Wanting him. Arthur had never loved a woman... ever. Well, except maybe his mother.

"Tell me," Cobb started, afraid to continue "is it love?"

Arthur watched Cobb for a second. Did Ariadne love Cobb? He smiled and muttered "I think so."

Dom's breath caught in his throat. They loved each other? Arthur and Ariadne? He shook his head at the thought. He hated the fact that they were in relationship. He felt that it was completely wrong.

"Well, I think I should wake her up and let her know that you found out." Arthur moved over towards Ariadne's body and turned the music on. Her headphones blaring with the familiar song they used during their inception. "When she wakes up, I'll give you two some privacy."

"No. It would be better if you were here too." Cobb admitted.

Arthur nodded and Ariadne woke up.

She looked around the room to see Cobb's blue eyes staring at her. Oh no."This is not what it looks like." She said to Dom, as she removed herself from the machine.

"I know. Arthur told me." Cobb said, in a flat tone. In reality, his emotions were on high but he was trying to hide them by keeping himself very still.

Ariadne smiled at Cobb. This was the real him. Now if only he did to her what his projection was doing to her in dream. She blushed at the thought and made herself more comfortable on the sofa.

"Ariadne," Arthur started, very slowly. He didn't know how she was going to react. He breathed in lightly and continued "Cobb knows."

She stiffened. He knew about what? About her early departure to Paris? She didn't understand what he knew.

"Arthur asked me to watch you as he made a phone call to Saito. And I couldn't help myself. You were so happy. I needed to see what you were dreaming about, so I-" Dom stopped there. He could tell by the look on her face that she was devastated.

"I didn't mean for you to find out this way." Ariadne admitted, turning to look at Cobb beside her on the couch. Should she reach over and touch him? Should she get up and pace? She had never been put in this type of situation before.

Arthur was about to walk away but Dom raised his voice to him "Don't walk away. I want to talk about this." Arthur stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards them again, steadying his feet.

"So, tell me, How long have you felt this way?" Cobb asked her and she blushed. She really didn't think he would be this calm and serious about it. And with Arthur being there, it was making her slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm not too sure, exactly." Ariadne mumbled and then asked in a confused tone "Dom, can't we talk alone? I mean, why is Arthur even here?"

"Thank you!" Arthur exclaimed. He did not want to be there. This was supposed to be their moment and he did not want to share it with them.

"Well, he is the one your in love with." Cobb shrugged. His tongue suddenly felt bitter. The statement was like poison to him. He just didn't want to swallow it.

Arthur and Ariadne looked at each other carefully. But Ariadne was the first to declare "I'm not in love with Arthur!"

Cobb couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why was she lying? Arthur had already told him the truth. "Ari, I saw you two in the water. You didn't seem like friends to me."

"You saw him? You saw his face?" Ariadne couldn't believe it. Why was Cobb acting like he was in denial to the situation they were talking about?

"No, but I just assum-"

"You assumed that it was me?" Arthur asked, laughing loudly. Ariadne started to laugh, as well.

"So, who is he?" Cobb asked seriously, making the laughter stop in the room. He could feel his body tense as he waited.

"Dom," Ariadne closed her eyes. She didn't want him to know. But there was no escape from this situation.

Arthur was watching the situation carefully. He wasn't the expert on body language, like Eames was, but he did know a few things. Cobb was leaning into her, waiting for her answer. He was hoping for it to be him. Arthur let out a small smile. He loved her back. Now, if only he would just admit it too. But this wasn't the proper way for their feelings to be shared to one another. He had to do something. He took out his cell phone, quickly.

"The man that you saw with me was..." she paused because her cell phone started vibrating. Cobb reached into his pocket and passed Ariadne's cell to her while saying "You left it in my room this morning."

In his room? Was Arthur missing something?

Ariadne reached for the cell phone and opened the text message.

From: Arthur

To: Ariadne

Tell him that its from Eames and that its an emergency.

Ariadne read the text over and over again. She cleared her throat and shouted "I think Eames is in trouble." Cobb's eyes widened and he looked over to Arthur who had plastered on a shocked expression as well.

"Well, we should go to his hotel room then." Arthur proclaimed, grabbing his keys from the table to his right.

"I just hope he's alright." Ariadne spoke it dramatically. God, she was a bad actress. She really hoped Cobb didn't notice.

Dom got up as well, and placed an arm around her shoulder while asking "Did he say what it was about?" Ariadne completely forgot her words in that moment. She was much too focused on his arm being around her frame.

"Let's go." Arthur murmured, as they walked out the apartment. He sighed softly. Damn it.He was going to miss his favorite television show for this.

(SPACE)

Cobb was pressed up against the door to the hotel room. He was trying to hear if there was anything suspicious going on behind the closed door. He could hear screams from the other side. It sounded like Eames was in trouble.

"We better break down the door." Cobb said as lowly as possible before taking a few steps back; in order to fill up his leg muscles with enough strength to do such a feet.

Ariadne was watching Cobb carefully, as he turned to Arthur while saying "Did you bring your gun?"

Arthur shook his head.

"A weapon of some sort?" Cobb asked, getting nervous.

"Well, I do have keys." Arthur shrugged his shoulders. Cobb sighed in frustration and ran a quick hand through his hair.

"Ari, cover me." Cobb whispered to her. Ariadne nodded blissfully. She was enjoying herself. There was something about him acting this way that made him even more good looking.

Cobb ran to the door and swung his entire body at it, the door busting open. "Don't move!" Dom shouted over and over until he saw the scene before him.

Eames was with a woman. They were both half naked on his bed and in each others arms. Cobb's eyes widened and both Ariadne and Arthur tried to hold in their laughter.

"Your in danger how?" Cobb asked getting angry.

Eames was stricken. "What are you lot doing here?" He looked over at Ariadne who was nodding. Oh. Eames understood perfectly well what was going on. He knew about the tests she needed done on her.

"How the fuck do you call this an emergency?" Cobb was really upset now. He took a deep breath in and looked at the blond girl, who was tyring to cover herself up.

"Well," Eames cleared his throat before continuing "do you any of you have a condom?"

Cobb groaned loudly and bit down on his bottom lip, trying to calm his nerves. Arthur went into his wallet and took out a condom, whipping it Eames' forehead.

"That's not the first time I've been hit in the head with one of these." Eames said, chuckling.

Dom rolled his eyes and asked loudly "That was the emergency?"

"Well, its not now. But it could have been in nine months when I would have been a father!" Eames shouted loudly, playing along with the scenario.

"Okay, I think we should just leave these two alone." Ariadne chuckled.

Dom nodded. He wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Seeing someone else in such an intimate situation made him realize that he hadn't had that situation in almost a year. Wow. It had been a really long time for him. He cleared his throat and left along with Arthur and Ariadne. He needed to get back to his kids. He missed them.

(SPACE)

"Miles?" Cobb called out when he entered the house.

"Your father is in in the basement with your children." Dom's mother said in a sharp tone, while slicing carrots on the kitchen table. She took a sip of her coffee and then asked "Why do you still call him by his first name?"

"Because he likes it." Cobb responded in a calm tone. His father hated being called anything but his name. Even when he taught, he told his students to call him by his first name.

"Well, where did you disappear to this time?" She asked curiously and Dom sighed at the comment.

His mother was definitely something out of the ordinary. He thought back to the time when he had called his kids, before the inception, and she didn't even want to speak to him. She really didn't believe that he hadn't killed Mal.

"I went out to Ariadne's. She left her cell phone here, I returned it." Cobb responded, taking a seat at the table. His mother watching him from the corner of her eye.

"Well, that was awfully nice of you." She smiled as she said that and then continued "So, she lives in Paris? When is she going back home?"

There was something about the way she asked that, that made Dom flinch. He responded casually "Whenever she wants to."

He got up off the kitchen chair as his mother continued speaking "I didn't mean to be so rude this morning. I was just...shocked."

Dom nodded, not believing his mother one bit. He let out a small smile and breathed out "You can make it up to her tonight."

"Tonight?" Claudia's eyes widened.

"Yes. She is coming by to look at Phillipa's drawings."

Claudia rolled her eyes and asked frustrated "Is she staying for dinner, as well?"

Dom smiled at the question and replied in a fluent tone "You know? I'm not exactly sure." He watched his mother continue to cut the vegetables, as he continued "I think the kids would like it if she stayed." He wasn't going to lie. He wouldn't mind if she joined them too.

Claudia shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't believe that her grandchildren liked that...woman. "It won't matter to me," she lied.

"Good. I'll invite her then." Dom smiled at his mother, whose face suddenly fell pale.

(SPACE)

Dom placed the last piece of dinnerware on the dining room table. They hadn't eat at this table for almost an entire year. His hand suddenly fell to one of the knives on the table. He placed his fingers on the blade and thought of Mal.

There was one horrible night when she threatened to kill herself after dessert. The idea he had put into her mind grew like a disease. She had stood up, and had held the dessert knife in her hand while shouting "You must do this with me, Dom" and she kept repeating it and repeating it.

The children had been there as well. Scared and crying. They were so innocent. He remembered taking them to bed and trying to tell him fairy tales to try to make them feel better. And at the time, that had worked. But no one was there to tell him fairy tales. To tell him that it was going to be alright. He had felt hopeless until the day he started planning the inception.

He suddenly had something to look forward to. A new life with his children where he still would be there pushing all the horrors away with tales of hope.

"Hi." A small voice came from behind him. He turned around to see Ariadne holding a bottle of wine in her hands. She smiled and spoke lightly "Miles let me in. And well," she held out the bottle to him and continued "This is for you."

He grinned at her. And there she was. The one person who had tried to help him push all the horrors away. He took the bottle in his hands while whispering "Thank you."

Ariadne looked around the dinning table. It looked stunning. The entire room did. She bit down on her bottom lip slowly before asking "Where is Phillipa? I am really looking forward to seeing her drawings. I want to pin point the competition early."

Dom laughed. He placed the bottle of wine beside him on the floor, before responding "She may be small but she is very determined. She's going to blow you away with her designs."

"There's no doubt about that." Ariadne smiled back at him.

Suddenly, Miles' voice shouted from the hall way "Claudia, bring the children up for dinner."

Dom turned to check the table one last time. Oh crap.There was one fork missing. "Could you get that for me?" He pointed to the small table behind her that had a stand full of cutlery.

Ariadne reached for one of the forks and then turned around, holding out the fork to Dom. He took a step forward and accidentally tripped over the wine bottle he had placed beside him. As an instinct, Ariadne tried to hold him up, but she couldn't and once again, he fell straight on top of her.

Dom shook his head, chuckling, while asking "Are you okay?" And she couldn't help but laugh either.

"Oh dear God." Claudia's voice emerged into the room, waking both Dom and Ariadne stop their giggling.

James and Phillipa were on either side of their grandma, holding her hands. James laughed and shouted "I want to play wrestling too, Daddy!"

Oh god. This was the second time today that this happened to her with Dom. He helped himself up and turned to his mother and said in a steady tone "Again... not what it looks like." He turned to Ariadne, who was covering her head with her hands from embarrassment. Well, at least the wine bottle hadn't broken. That was one strong bottle.

Miles was leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets. "Thank you for bringing the wine, Ariadne."

Ariande got up off the floor and walked towards the children, they already, running into their arms giving them a big hug.

"Did you bring us something too?" Phillipa smiled up at Ariadne.

"Well, what is your favorite thing in the world after chocolate?" Ariadne bent down to her level, while chuckling.

"Strawberries?" Phillipa gasped.

Ariadne nodded and whispered "I brought Strawberry Shortcake." Phillipa and James both clapped happily.

Dom was watching the scene from afar. Every time Ari was around them, his kids were always so happy. She always knew the perfect things to say and do. In a way, she was perfect. She was the kind of boost his family needed.

"I'm allergic to strawberries" Claudia said bluntly.

Ariadne bit down on her bottom lip, not knowing what to say. She never could win with her, could she?

"Don't listen to my wife, Ariadne. She likes to be difficult." Miles said and then motioned to the table for everyone to sit down.

James and Phillipa pulled on Ariadne's hand as they both fought over who got to sit with her. In the end, Dom decided that the two kids should sit beside each other and across from himself and Ariadne so that they would stop fighting. And that left, the two grandparents to sit at either end of the table.

"I will go get the salad and appetizers." Claudia announced, getting up from the table.

Ariadne leaned forward and asked politely "May I help?"

Claudia shook her head slightly and responded, while walking away "Oh no dear. We wouldn't want to break anything, would we?"

Ariadne found herself staring down into her plate. This woman did not like her, at all. It really bothered her.

Miles broke the atmosphere by standing up and pouring the wine into the wine glasses on the table.

Dom looked over and saw Ariadne's pained expression. so he playfully knocked his elbow into her arm while saying "Listen to this." And before he continued, he turned his attention to his, "James, tell Ari what you said about her, at lunch today."

"You were talking about me, James?" Ariadne smiled.

James blushed before saying in a soft voice "Yes." Ariadne couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"He said that you looked very pretty in your dress yesterday." Dom finished for his son.

James suddenly shouting "Like Miley Cyrus!" And the entire table laughed.

"Aww... well, that is very sweet. But you know that singer that you want to be like?"

"Justin Bieber?" James awed.

"Yeah. You are going to grow up much more handsome than him." Ariadne entertained him.

"Really?" James asked proudly and Phillipa giggled at how proud her brother was of that.

Ariadne nodded. She looked over at Dom. If he grew up to look anything like his father, he would be beautiful.

"Dinner is served." Claudia announced, placing a bowl full of salad and assorted appetizers in the middle of the table.

Once Claudia sat down, Miles started "I would like to propose a toast." And everyone lifted their wine glasses, except for the two children who lifted their juice glasses.

Miles smiled at Dom and continued "Hope is something that cannot always be grasped. Not every man has the will power to grasp it. I would like to raise my glass to Dom, whose hope and love for this family is something that I, will never be able to fully grasp. Welcome home, son."

Dom smiled lightly the speech, as everyone clinked their glasses together and then took a sip.

"Go ahead, children. Help yourselves." Claudia motioned for the children to begin eating and Phillipa reached over to help herself. Seconds later, the entire table did the same.

"So tell me, Dom. What do you plan on doing for money?" Claudia asked, after taking another sip of her wine.

"I'm not exactly sure. I was thinking that I could go back into architecture. I wasn't too bad at that." Cobb swallowed his food before answering his mothers question. He turned over to Ariadne and he knew that she would be smiling at his comment.

"We'll your no Phillipa, Dom." Ariadne said with a chuckle and Dom laughed at her statement.

"Thats right," Dom apologized to his daughter "I'm sorry, Princess."

Phillipa giggled while saying "It's okay Daddy. I want to be just like Ari when I grow up." Ariadne's eyes shot straight to the little girl in front of her. That was the sweetest compliment she had ever gotten.

Claudia rolled her eyes once, "It seems to me that the children love you." Ariadne stayed silent. She didn't want to say anything that would ruin the compliment from before.

"Well, I guess they see something special in her." Dom commented, making Ariadne stare at him.

"Perhaps they do." His mother said whilst wiping the corners of her mouth with her napkin.

To break the silence, Cobb reached over the table and grabbed the bottle of red wine. He pours some into his glass and then turns over to Ariadne while asking "Would you like some more?" She nods.

"Are you even the legal age to drink? This is not France anymore." Claudia commented. Her husbands eyes flying towards her.

"Yes, I am 21." Ariadne picked up her glass while answering. This woman was starting to become intolerable. Claudia hated everything about her. Even her age.

"Dom is 35." Claudia spoke the number harshly.

Cobb tipped the wine bottle and starting pouring some in Ari's glass while saying angrily "Yes, I am 35. Why is that relevant to this conversation?" And before he had even noticed, the wine had overflowed from the glass and had fallen onto Ariadne's top. She gasped at the large stain on her shirt and winced.

Dom placed the bottle down onto the table, apologizing. Ariadne stifled a small laugh and muttered "It's alright. Don't worry about it."

"Let me get you something else to wear." Miles announced, excusing himself from the table.

Dom was chuckling and Ariadne could help but giggle as well. They gave each other a small look and realized that they were both thinking the exact same thing. Everytime she had come over, she ended up in someone elses' clothes other than her own. It was only natural for it to happen again tonight.

"Ariadne, you can come change." Miles shouted form the hallway. Ariadne excused herself and Dom watched her walk away. His eyes following her every move.

"I saw that." Claudia mumbled in an upset fashion.

Dom's eyes narrowed from confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"That look you just gave her."

"I didn't give her any look." Dom exclaimed, as if trying to persuade not his mother but himself.

"She's 21, Dom."

"Yes and I'm 35. I thought we had already settled this." Dom cracked his knuckles. If his mother said one more thing, he knew that he wouldn't be able to contol himself any longer.

"Daddy?" James asked looking up from his plate. Cobb turned to him and then his son continued "Is Ari staying the night again?"

"No." Claudia answered straight.

Dom tried to ignore his mother. "I'm not sure. But if she wants to, she's welcome." It was true. She would always be welcome in his home. She had become very close to the family.

"Dom-" Claudia started.

But before she could continue, Cobb stopped her talking by saying in a loud tone "This is my house, Mother! If she wants to stay, I say that she can stay! If she wants to build a giant bird nest on my front porch, I am the one that decides whether or not she can build it. Do you understand?"

Claudia looked down at her plate before asking in a sad tone "Have you already forgotten about your wife, Dom?" The question took him by surprise. No. Of course he hadn't.

He needed to tell her, and so he did "I could never forget her. And I will never forget her. But I have to live my life and try to be happy. Your husband has always been trying to wake me up to reality and now that I finally have woken up, I am getting bombarded by you. I don't want to be sad anymore, Mom. Mal wouldn't have wanted that for us. She would have wanted us to continue living. And no matter how much you may hate Ariadne, she is the one that opened my eyes to the real world. I will be forever grateful to her."

Claudia took in Dom's speech and whispered softly "Well. It appears that I am already too late then."

Too late? Too late for what? Dom watched his Mother for a moment. He contemplated asking her for a moment. But when Miles and Ariadne, dressed in another ones of Cobb's old shirts walked in. He held his tongue.

"It seems that an apology is in order, my dear." Claudia spoke, sincerely, as Ariadne sat down onto her seat.

Ariadne's eyes widened. Wow. What had went on while she was changing? "An apology is not necessary."

"Yes, it is." Claudia counteracted Ariadne's statement. She didn't know her son cared for this young lady as much as he did. She obviously had to be something special to him as well, not only the children.

(SPACE)

"I guess one thing is the same as it is here and Europe." Miles started, turning off the television in the living room. "The weather channel is always wrong. They said that it be storming outside. And I have yet to see a single drop of rain."

Ariadne chuckled at Miles' statement. She was sitting down on the couch, holding James in her arms as Phillipa was showing her the infamous drawngs. They were quite brilliant. Maybe she would grow up to be an architect.

Claudia leaned over the counter and watched as her grandchildren sat so comfortably beside Ariadne. She didn't think anyone could have made such a large effect in just a few days. But perhaps, she had. Even though she had apologized to Ariadne, something about her didn't sit right with Claudia. There was something that she was hiding from her son. There had to be.

"Honey, is Dom still outside?" Claudia asked her husband, who nodded.

"Why is he outside?" Ariadne asked, looking up to the couple.

"One of the car doors won't lock. He is trying to fix it."

Ariadne smiled. Cobb was alone? And needed help? Well, it seemed like the perfect time to go and try to help. "Perhaps, I'll go see what he is up to." And she kissed Phillipa on the forehead before whispering "I won't be gone for too long." And she got up and walked towards the doorway.

"Damn it." Dom said under his breath. He had tried to fix it and it was still opening.

"Can I help you with something, Mr. Cobb?" Ariadne laughed, as she closed the house door behind her.

Dom turned to Ariadne and mumbled through a short laugh "I think I got this one all by myself."

She smiled at him and joked "It doesn't look like that from over here."

Cobb pushed down the lock from the inside and shut the door again. This time slamming it. "Well, lets see. Will you do the honors?"

He showed her the car door with his hand and she walked towards it, nodding. She pulled on the lever and it opened again, causing Dom to curse and Ariadne to try to hold in her laughter.

"It's alright, Dom. I was never any good with fixing things either." Ariadne admitted, feeling brave enough to rub his shoulder for comfort.

Dom shook his head at her knowing that wasn't the truth. In a way, she had kind of fixed him. He breathed out slightly and turned to her while stating "Let's talk a quick walk."

Ariadne smiled and turned to look at his eyes. No matter the reasoning for this walk, she wanted to be on it with him. He held out his hand to point to the side walk, where they strolled, side by side.

Once they had been about twenty meters away from the house, Dom turned to Ariadne and asked "So, you still haven't told me who you were dreaming about?" Ariadne sighed, looking up at the moon and the night stars all around her. It was a truly beautiful setting. But could she tell him? She took deep breath in and responded.

Authors Note:

Cruel ending? I'm sorry. Don't be mad. I am continuing as you are probably reading this.

Please Review!