Author's notes: Yes, I'm still alive (hooray for that!). I hope I don't need to add a 'so here's what happened last time...', since my last update was an 'unintentional' year ago. My original desire for this chapter was supposed to be twice as long, but you guys deserve to read what I have so far. I will add the rest of this chapter to the next one. So, sit back and enjoy. I hope it satisfies your hunger and that you won't hunt me down in your frustrations!

Oh, and the poll result is out. I will incorporate your winning vote to the following chapter (without jumping the shark, of course).

… and into the fire.

Holding hands, Arthur and Ariadne politely excused themselves from the reception that was gradually getting rowdier with every passing minute. Jack was thanking Arthur for his attendance, while Nancy was at her newly-wed husband's side, giving Ariadne a knowing look.

'Don't forget to return the favour now.'

'What do you mean?' questioned Ariadne.

Nancy pulled Ariadne to one side. Arthur was reluctant to let go of Ariadne's hand. 'Your wedding of course! Don't you dare skip out on our invitation.'

'Oh, what? No - Arthur and I are… we're working things out. We barely - I mean - Let's just say that a wedding is not being considered at the moment.'

'I met Jack just six months ago. I spent the last two preparing for this wedding. Why wait for the inevitable?' Nancy sidled back into Jack's arm again. 'We're having honeymoon travelling around the States.'

'Yes, perhaps we could even see you there, in New York?' asked Jack.

'Perhaps you might. Congratulations, and enjoy your trip,' said Arthur, before interlacing his hands with Ariadne again and they exited the growing crowd of well wishers.

The elevator made that loud familiar ding and opened to admit the pair. As it closed, Ariadne quipped, 'you still get the floor though.'

'I wasn't suggesting otherwise,' replied Arthur.

Ariadne was actually too happy in Arthur's company that she didn't even bother to blush.

As they entered the seventh floor, Arthur was distracted by dull thuds that were coming from the stairwell. 'Drunken guests?' suggested Ariadne.

'Probably from the wedding… Here, I'd probably check on the rest of the team - and to make sure security knows about the amount of alcohol that's being consumed,' said Arthur, giving Ariadne the swipe card for the suite and nodded towards the stairs.

'I'll go with you.'

'Stay, or I won't be sleeping on the floor tonight,' smirked Arthur.

Ariadne was about to retort that there was plenty of space on the king size bed, but thought about how Eames might interpret that. 'Fine. Just don't get into any trouble…'

Arthur looked affronted. Ariadne smiled at his reaction, and took the swipe card from him. Arthur didn't leave for the stairwell until he saw Ariadne enter the room and closed the door behind her with a click.

He couldn't believe his luck. Arthur had found that something, well, someone - actually worth quitting the whole extraction business for. Admittedly, the money was good, but the only reason he's gone this far was his loyalty to Cobb. But now, Cobb has his kids to go to; he no longer needs the job. And now it seems, nor do you.

A bullet from a silencer clanged into a metal handlebar of the stairway, grabbing Arthur's attention in time for him to see Cobb struggling with a man in a black suit a couple of floors below. He ran down the next couple of levels, and only just avoided another stray bullet before wrestling the gun out of a dark grey suited man's grasp. Eames managed to subdue him, while Yusuf took possession of the silencer. Arthur came to Cobb's aide, and the man was easily out-matched.

'I recognize you… you're the extractors that went MIA! Should've stayed in hiding - Cobol has a lot of questions for you.'

'Probably about how best to kill us- which, by the way, is what we're contemplating for you if you don't talk. How did you track me here?' said Cobb to the struggling Cobol man. 'You really want to make this difficult for yourself?'

'We weren't tracking you,' said the grey-suited man.

'Go on,' said Eames threateningly.

'Shut up! You want to get -' Cobb tightened his grip on the captive's throat. The man gurgled, and then fell silent.

The grey-suited man continued to confess. 'We were trying to track down Alexander Blackwell, another employee that went rogue. That's all we know.'

'No, that's all you were told. How much did they pay you?' asked Arthur.

'Can't be that much, considering you're not very good,' interjected Eames.

'No, he's here. Blackwell is definitely here. We were notified after he was ID'd entering the Hotel, heading up the lifts - level seven,' said the black-suited man. 'Look, either way, if we do not locate and obtain him, Cobol will kill us. We don't care who you are - we get the job done, we're out.'

'There's never an out. Not if you're in this deep with Cobol,' said Cobb wisely, 'I would know.'

'Shit. Did you say level seven?' quipped Arthur, turning to confront the black-suited man in Cobb's headlock. 'How good is your intel?'

'They're good. It was a positive ID. Please, if we knew -,' started the man, but Arthur interrupted him. 'I know where Alex is. He's in room 704. With Ariadne.'

When Ariadne had opened the suite, everything seemed normal, almost surreal.

I'm going to New York. Legitimate job. Arthur. It can't be true. What am I going to do now?

After leaning against the hotel door for what felt like hours, letting the decisions she have made tonight sink in, Ariadne decided to start with the basics. She ran to the bathroom to find her toothbrush. She found Alex instead. 'Hey, sis.'

'Alex?' said a shocked Ariadne. 'How did you get here? You're supposed to be -'

'Supposed to be locked away? Well, I'm here aren't I? Let's go home.'

Something in Ariadne snapped. Seeing that Alex had yet to see the consequences of his actions - he was now beyond help. 'Home? HOME? You want to go home? What are you crazy? After everything that you've done to me, our parents, and my friends?' screamed Ariadne. She whipped around and ran to the door, only to be restrained by her brother. 'Let me go! HELP!'

'I just want us to be a whole family again! If you insist on travelling, I'll go with you! Mum and dad won't mind. They love us!' said Alex matter-of-factly, now ramming Ariadne against the wall to prevent her thrashing about. 'Just hear me out.'

'We would have been a whole, intact family if you didn't pull that stunt! Pretending to kill one self? Hey, if you want someone to blame, look at yourself first!'

Alex stared down at his sister, and his arm slackened. 'I'm trying to make things right. Won't you let me?' Ariadne took advantage of her weakened hold to wrestle free and made it to the door just as there was a knock outside.

'Arthur!' assumed Ariadne, as she pulled the door open.

Cobb tied up both of Cobol's men, improvising by using his tie and Arthur's. 'You owe me a new one,' said Cobb to Arthur, but his point-man was already running up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Eames and Yusuf followed, taking with them all of the weapons that their captives just moments ago, carried. Cobb quickly took the chance to call Saito. 'Bring back-up!' was all he said.

The seventh floor was quiet in comparison to the reception of level one, but room 704 was emitting some low voices that Cobb couldn't actually understand. The rest of the team caught up to Arthur at the door; and with the nod from Cobb, Arthur knocked on his own room, hoping he wasn't too late in saving Ariadne.

'Why hello there,' said the man at the door. Using the gun, he waved Ariadne back into the hotel suite. 'Alex, you didn't tell us you were with such a pretty creature. In fact, you didn't tell us much at all. Instead, we had to track you here, to this lavish hotel. Too bad I'll have to leave such a stain on this establishment. Get it? A blood stain?' said the man, as he leered at Ariadne, invoking some involuntarily laughs from his three henchmen. Ariadne couldn't believe she might actually have found herself in another situation with an assailant more unbalanced than Alex himself.

The henchmen to Ariadne's far left raised his gun at Alex, and Ariadne knew that once these people killed Alex, she was next. Ariadne seriously doubted they will make her death fast and painless; the maniacal leader was not trying to hide his roaming eyes, and Arthur was nowhere near close enough to help. One must stall for time. 'Wait! Who are you, and what is it that you guys want? Maybe we can work out some kind of a compromise?'

'What, Alex hasn't told you about us? I'm offended!' smiled the leader as he sauntered up to Ariadne. 'My name is Roman, and I'm here to end a deal with Alex. That cannot be compromised. But you on the other hand…'

'Roman. If you hurt her -'

'You'll what, hrmm?' mocked Roman, as he spinned around to face Alex. 'As you can see, you are outnumbered, and I have another two heading this way, so why don't you let the girl talk. I want to see what she has to offer that will save her from this situation we all know how it'll end.' Roman's toned of voice changed from light sarcasm to menacing as he pulled out a gun of his own and placed it gently to Ariadne's temple. 'Whatever it is you wanted to barter for your life, I can take by force, then I'll kill you anyway so, why don't you be a good little girl and quit stalling my time,' whispered Roman into Ariadne's ear. 'I promise I'll be nice.'

The silence that followed was broken by a quick knock on the door.

'That'll be my back-up. But it looks like we don't need it. Willis, tell them to wait outside. You too, Poole. Gardner, you can stay with our friend Alex here. You two can watch,' said Roman, and he smiled down at Ariadne. ' And I'm sure it'll be quite a show.'

Post Scripts: So, how do you think the dream team is going to pull this off? If you're lucky (and if I focus!), the ETA of the next chapter is approx. 1 week, and while I don't rely on the # of reviews that I get, I do appreciate all that I do receive, so once again, thanks. (Don't forget that the results of the poll is on my profile page.) -Lyn