A job. He had the nerve to take up a job. Ariadne's furistic thoughts refused to diminish or even falter as she stared out the window of the lavish, all white helicopter. She couldn't bother to comment on the delirious interior and exterior decorating of Saito's personal transportation aircraft, nor did she even flinch about the thick tensioned atmosphere. She didn't want to look at either men, nor did she want them to see her. The outcome? Her body cuddled in a far corner, facing the mirror. She had angled herself so that even her knees looked out the glass window, and her brown hair framed her face from their gazes. She refused to let her emotions sweep across her face, to let him know just how deep the hurt was dwelling. Why give him the satisfaction of knowing he had accomplished what he had set out for? There was no argument that he had aimed to pain her. Why else would Arthur purposely cut down the vacation she had worked so hard to plan for them? The vacation that she had begged for him to take seriously and stay the whole way through for? What woman had to beg her husband to take a trip with her? She highly doubted anyone else had this type of problem. Heck, most men were most likely the ones trying to get their wives to spend time with them.

Embarrassment the weight of a ton hit her. He really did love his job; far more than he could love her or their soon to be growing family. For a moment, Ariadne felt sick. She wanted to get down on her knees and pray; pray that she wasn't pregnant and there wasn't a life growing inside of her that moment. She wanted to pray that she and Arthur hadn't come together to form a child out of their love. Love. It was easier off with her having to deal with the lack of it from Arthur, but she would be damned if their child ever suffered from that. No; she would never allow her baby to ever feel that.

Her heart squeezed in pain, at the thought of giving up her dream. She wanted motherhood, pregnancy, even a god damn labour. But something's were more important than her wants and needs. Arthur had proven that.

The remainder of the ride was silent, with only Saito's conversations into his phone being heard. Ariadne was thankful Arthur hadn't made an attempt to talk to her; God know she would have chucked a water bottle or two at her chiselled forehead. The transformation from helicopter to their waiting aircraft was swift and silent; just the way she wanted it.

While Saito and Arthur took seats facing one another, she resorted to a lounge in the very back, isolated from them and left to her own misery. The point man had followed her movement with a blank gaze, refusing to halt or even question her motives. He knew better, Ariadne thought. He knew she would lose her sense of sanity and probably furiously attack him. Oh, how she wanted to.

She would be lying if she said his luminescent eyes stole her breath, as she fought off the urge to get lost into them. She hated the effect he could bring out in her body; hated the way she instantly reacted to him, even when another half of her wanted to chuck the nearest solid object at him.

Groaning, and upset with herself, she resorted to her seat, wrapped the too small aircraft blanket over herself and closed her lids. Tears were easier to detain when she was conscious, but she had a weakness for setting her emotions free in her sleep. Her husband had noted that on several occasions, she had let her opinion on several matters be known while she slept. She silently prayed there were no traces of a broken heart girl while she regained some wasted energy. The last thing Ariadne wanted was to give in and become the weakest link. Arthur wouldn't get that satisfaction.

-X-

Shaky but confident, Ariadne breathed out as she stepped out of Saito's vehicle and led the way for his bodyguards hauling her luggage's. Behind her, Arthur and the Asian money-maker were whispering silently. Their topic? She couldn't care less.

"Just drop them in the bedroom." The men effortlessly lifted the rim filled suitcases and disappeared into her bedroom. They re-emerged seconds later and left with a simple nod. Sending a thank you after them, Ariadne dropped her hand bag on the kitchen table and swept her fingers through her hair. Home. She should have been happy to here; excited and eager to start a new chapter in her life. But no, it seemed her hopes and wishes were far too much to ask for. The desperate pleas of how her – their future should turn out weren't important enough to even consider making true.

Why was she so surprised.

Arthur stepped into their apartment moments later, his own suitcase dropped on the ground next to the table. His tie was in his hand, probably dismantled on the elevator ride up. With his blazer hanging off his shoulders and two buttons undone on his shirt, he was a slick opposite of his usual well put together self. Was he just as impacted by the situation as she? For a moment there was a glimpse of hope, until his phone rang and he turned to answer it.

Who was she kidding; this man had a work centered life. The only reason she fit so well in was because she tended to take her job just as seriously as he. That and they were in the same field. Ariadne could almost guarantee that if the Inception of Robert Fischer hadn't introduced them to the possibilities of a life together; Arthur would have taken no notice to her.

"Ariadne?" He called out to her, his phone conversation ended and the mobile stuffed in his jacket.

"Don't talk to me." Ariadne did hear the shakiness in her voice, though, and wondered if he noticed. Did he know the effort this took her?

"Ariadne, you've got to listen to me."

"I want you to leave me alone," she whispered.

"Ari, it's not what you think. Yes, I took the job, but it's only because I realized how important it would be. The team needs me, I couldn't bail on them"

He reached for her, trying to take her hand, but she yanked it away and curled her arms tightly around her body. "But you could bail on me," she said softly, still reeling, feeling a sense of betrayal so thick she could cut it into slices.

"No." He pleaded with her. "I thought you'd understand, you know this is a massive deal if Cobb is coming back."

"I don't care about Cobb!" Maintaining her calm structure was proving to be more difficult by the mille second. "What I can't understand is why you would go do something I specifically asked – no begged, you not to."

She heard him groan, his agony mixing with impatience. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about our future."

"Unless you were planning on being without me, with me sleeping on the couch and refusing to acknowledge your presence, I highly doubt you were planning for the future." Her voice broke and he reached for her again. Again she stepped away. "But than again, I shouldn't be surprised. You're the point man; the dream world is your life. Foolish of me to think I could hold on to your attention for even a mere 2 weeks."

"Ariadne…don't, please."He cursed and ran his hands over his brow and through his hair, still devastatingly gorgeous in the clothes he had been wearing since their lunch, his powerful body tense and sinewy. "Don't you understand I was trying to settle some cash down for when the baby arrives? I didn't want to leave you once you were pregnant."

"Don't bother pretending you care."

He froze, looking hurt by the accusation, but she didn't relent. "Please just go away."

"Ariadne, sweetheart we can get past this."

She glared at him. "You might be brilliant when it comes to book knowledge and handling illegal weapons, but you are awful at relationships."

And with that, she resorted to their bedroom, power in her steps, and slammed the door shut behind her. Her stomach twisted with nausea, his words still swirling in her mind as she dropped onto the bed. Sitting on the edge, Ariadne dropped her head in her arms and finally allowed the tears to flow. Torn between humiliation and devastating pain, she could no longer contain what was bursting inside of her.

Sinking further into her bed, she crossed her arms over her chest. Everything inside her ached. It was a wrenching sensation as if she were being ripped apart. Remnants of the first overwhelming rush of anger still lingered, but other unwanted emotions trickled through her fury. Bone –deep sadness and gaping loss the size of a black hole sucked her downward.

Her chest and throat tightened like a vise closing around her. She felt so lost. A sob escaped her throat, then another. She'd been determined not to cry in front of Arthur, but it was as if a damn broke and unleashed her tears.

Stripping off her clothes, she crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep.

A silver of dawn crept through the window the next morning, waking Ariadne. She lay in bed in a semi sleep state, wondering if Arthur was already up and drinking his coffee. He rose earlier than anyone she knew, including herself.

Her eyes still closed, she sniffed the air for the scent of coffee, but the only thing she smelled was the unfamiliar scent of lavender. She frowned to herself.

Any minute he would walk back into their room and look at her. She could pretend to be asleep for a maximum of thirty excruciating seconds, then she would open her eyes and smile, and he could lean over her and kiss her good – morning…

Ariadne sighed, waiting for the sound of his footsteps. She heard nothing and forced her eyes open even through they felt weighted down with concrete blocks.

Everything that had happened last night hit her at once. Emotions jabbed at her ruthlessly. Humiliation. Loss. Anger. Betrayal.

She pulled the sheets over her head to hide. Oh, heaven help her. What was she going to do now?

She burrowed deeper under the covers. All she wanted to do was hide. How long, some rational part of her asked. How many years would she hide?

Ariadne immediately tossed back the sheet and sat up in one swift motion. "Damn it," she said. "Damn him."

Arthur may have destroyed one of the deepest wishes in her heart, but she had other goals, other dreams. Ariadne refused to stop living.

She made a quick hassle out of brushing and showering. Throwing on her usual of dark jeans and a light top, Ariadne grabbed a black scarf and exited the room. There was no sign of where exactly Arthur had slept, and all though she didn't want to care, she found herself wondering if he had had a decent sleep or at least a comfortable space. She would have taken the couch, or even one of the guest rooms. But honestly speaking, the serenity of their bedroom had been exactly what she needed.

"Good morning." Her not on good terms husband spoke from the kitchen table. He was dressed impeccably, drowning in a custom tailored suit screamed lavish and elegant. The contrast against her all American outfit was sickening.

Not bothering to answer him, she reached to start some coffee than halted her movement. There no opportunity to take chances; she had to watch herself and what went in her mouth. She still prayed she wasn't pregnant, but if there was a chance that she was, she wouldn't risk it with unnecessary food and drinks.

"I made you breakfast." Arthur spoke again from his spot. Slowly turning, Ariadne faced the table and took in the sight before her. Two glasses, each with their respective fruits, filled fully stood next to a plate full of deliciously scrambled eggs. Crispy toast and mouth watering bacon decorated another plate while a fruit bowl lay on its on to the side.

Without even acknowledge it, her stomach rumbled and Ariadne's feet moved over without her consent. Hunger, desperation and the need for energy fuelled together to cause her dig in desperately. She didn't have to look at him to know Arthur was amused. She could pretty much feel his smug smile rubbing off on her. The idiot.

"I have to go and meet with the rest of the team. Promise me we'll talk when I get home." The plea in his tone was undeniable.

"I'm going to need the directions to the location, unless we're using the usual warehouse."

He didn't answer her, nor did he look at her. Instead, he found sudden interest in the wood that had been used to make their mahogany table. Face down and a clenched jaw, he made no move to glance up at her until she so loudly cleared her throat.

"You won't be needed for this assignment."

Ariadne raised a groomed eyebrow at him, as if questioning the words that fell from his lips. "Excuse me?"

"You can sit this one out." He gave a forced smile. "Lucky you."

"Why isn't an architect needed? I supposed that with how big of a deal you've made this out to be, that you would need someone to do the creating and designing. "
He let out a deep breath, obviously frustrated and agitated with the situation. Where had his patience gone? "There's a chance you'll be pregnant. I don't want to risk anything happening to you. It's better if you leave this to us."

If she had been angry yesterday, she was livid now. "You purposely signed me out of the project? You're all of a sudden making decisions for me now?"

"Ariadne, please be sensible. The dream world isn't exactly an idea location for a pregnant woman. I need to confirm your safety at all times and I can't do that when you're involved in a situation this large."

She was on her feet in an instance. "You might have made the decision to end our vacation and rob me of those memories but I'll be damned if you start controlling every other aspect of my life." She could swear she was breathing steam. "I would have believed this excuse if you hadn't bailed on me during our trip, because than it would have been easy to believe you cared and loved me. But now? Now I'm doubting why the hell you're even with me."

She didn't stick around to see the hurt in his face; nor did she see his trembling hands as they gripped the table. Leaving the breakfast he had prepared forgotten, Ariadne gripped a jacket and stormed out of their home. The streets of Paris were suddenly a dangerous place, not even the cool breeze could contain the heat swimming inside of her. It was safer this way; if she stayed in his presence, there was a high chance she would have said something to completely damage their relationship.

Too bad she wasn't aware she already had.


Author's Note: Hi! It's been a while, hasn't it? I apologize for the extremely long delay in this chapter. I was away in Europe, than started school, fell in love with and became addicted to Tumblr/twitter and than lastly bought the Inception DVD. That last point brought my inspiration back. Thank you guys for continuing to review and leaving me sweet messages. It feels so good to be back here and I can happily say the updates won't be as wide in between as this last one has. I'm excited with where this story is going. Are you guys? Who are you more sympathetic for? Arthur or Ariadne? Can't wait to hear your thoughts! Much love. x.x.x.

Reviews are love. There can never been too much.