Sorry sorry sorry long time no write...christmas, exams, all these excuses I know :) So yeah I was going to end it in this chapter but it was going on and on and I decided to make the final chapter (11) entirely devoted to the dramatic scene between Ari, Arthur and a certain devilish fiend...

Enjoy xx

"7518." George murmured in a strained voice.

"Really?" I was so astonished I missed a beat. couldn't believe I was that good at persuasion. And I didn't even have to seduce him. Result! I threw my arms around George and felt him stiffen in surprise. Then I realised how unprofessional I was being and stepped back.

"Thank you so much!"

George looked extremely embarrassed. "When do I get my money?"

"Oh, I'll deliver it when Lucas is locked behind bars. Then you'll have all the freedom you want!" I smiled excitedly and turned my attention to the door, reaching for the keypad.

"Behind bars?" I heard a murmur behind me.

I turned, frowning. "Of course, do you think Lucas would put this ridiculous keypad on his study door if there wasn't incriminating evidence behind it?" I didn't understand why George was so confused. Perhaps he was a bit slow.

"So...you're going to hand him over to the cops?"

"Yessss?" I drew the word out slowly. "What did you think I would do? You thought I was a mafia like spy or something? I laughed, but inside my stomach was writhing nervously, wondering where this was going.

He blushed, confirming my belief. "But then he'll know I've helped you. He'll kill me."

I scoffed. "He won't kill you. A man like Lucas Ford isn't capable of murder, he's too-"

"He will. He killed the last two. When they found out about his wives."

"What?"

"The last two servants before me, one for each of his previous wives. They knew too much, so he killed them. Everyone warned me about the rumours, but I was foolish enough to ignore them because I needed the money badly. And now I can't get out, he'll come after me in suspicion."

"His wives." I said numbly.

"Yes, they say he had them killed because he thought they were cheating on him. You must know how paranoid he his. You can't leave me to his mercy!" HIs voice rose hysterically.

"George, George." I said soothingly. "He'll be behind bars, he won't be able to get you."

"No no! He has people everywhere, he'll find a way to get to me, I know he will." Tear were glistening in his eyes now. I stared at him dubiously, Lucas didn't show to have any sort of 'people' in our research, Arthur would have made sure to find out before sending me in. I got lost in thoughts of Arthur for a moment, I couldn't believe what a fool I'd been. Small, choked sobs brought me back to earth, and I realised George's composure had finally broken. I hastened over to George to pat him timidly.

"George. I'm sorry but...I don't know what to do. Lucas can't be allowed to stay free, he's an evil man, you know that yourself. At least you'll be free of him, right? And we can help protect you, send you anywhere you want." I hoped I'd got through to him, I knew I had to bring Lucas down. Not just for my own personal vengeance of course. That would be completely unprofessional.

George stayed quiet for a moment. I felt a small glimmer of hope.

"No."

The glimmer faded.

"Huh?"

"No." George lifted his head, and I saw a disturbing gleam in his eyes. "The only way to protect me and still get rid of him is to kill him."

Shocked, I stared at the old, seemingly innocent old man. "What did you say to me?"

George looked at me defensively. "It's the quickest way. You need hard evidence to put a clever man like him behind bars, whilst killing him will be easier."

I couldn't believe he was being so matter of fact. "No way. I don't do murder. If you don't like it, you'll just have to deal with it!" I turned to the keypad and resolutely put the first to digits in before a strangled "No!" pierced the air. Whipping round, I was just in time to see George come towards me with a hastily grabbed ornament off the hall table, and I did the most sensible thing I could think of. Get the hell out of there.

Every turn felt like I was being taken deep into a never ending labyrinth. By the time I found the stairs I was pouring sweat and my breaths were great rattling gasps. If I was tired, no doubt George would be flat out by now. Perhaps he'd had a heart attack. I decided I didn't care, though I felt a small pang at that bitchy thought. Staggering down the stairs, I threw open the front door and pelted down the drive, out of the gate, before realising I had no mobile due to it being left in the house behind me, which I refused to enter again, and therefore no way of getting home.

I closed my eyes and sank to the floor, wondering how everything had become so messed up. Was it me? Probably. I wasn't sure how long I stayed consumed in my miserable thoughts, it felt like hours, but an impatient honk snapped me out of my daze. Fluttering open my eyes, headlights blurred my vision and I squinted, trying to see who was in the car. Was it Lucas? Oh God, if it was I was probably dead. George's words about his wife stabbed me again and again, and my heart thumped pitifully as I took a few cowardly steps backwards.

"Oi! You going to get in or what?" A head stuck out of the window in impatience.

My breath flew out in a gasp. I had never been so happy to hear Eames' voice before.

"Eames! How...how did you know I was here?"

"Because I knew you would eventually listen to my advice and your own reason and do the right thing. Choosing love over work, right?"

I smiled, giving him that. "So right. And I'm probably going to hate myself for saying this but...thank you Eames. You made everything so clear. I was selfish and stupid and I knew I loved Arthur so much, but I needed your blunt attitude to remind me of that." Small tears trickled down my cheeks, causing Eames to roll his eyes before sticking his head back in the car. I saw him briefly turn round and mutter something, and I realised someone must be in the car with him, but couldn't see due to these stupid headlights.

"Hey!" I called. "Any chance of letting me see anytime soon?"

Eames put his head back out. "Sorry." He dimmed the lights, just as the back door opened. I saw Eames' face clearly grinning in the front seat in my peripheral vision, but my eyes couldn't move from the guy staring back at me with a sexy smile and a hand in his pocket.

Arthur.

"He attacked you! That bastard actually attacked you. Where's my baseball bat? I'm gonna kill him I swear, that George is right-"

I shook my head in rebuke and let Eames rant on, turning to look at Arthur who wore the same expression. I was snuggled up against him at the warehouse, telling the story to Cobb, Eames and Yusif. Arthurs' fists had clenched when I blurted out the attack, but I couldn't really leave it out so I admitted it at the end and predictably, Eames had reacted badly. I knew Arthur was seething, but was much more quiet about it than Eames. He would see it as his fault, and it would come back to haunt him later. Reaching over, I slipped my hand into his comfortingly and gave him a stern gaze, and his guilty smile confirmed that I knew what he was feeling.

"I'm gonna tear his head off and shove it up his-"

"Ok Eames! I know you're angry, we all are, Ariadne more than most I'm sure-"

"Damn right." I muttered, whilst Arthur grinned.

"-But we can't let our personal feelings get in the way of this. He's still a mark, a job."

"Is he?" Yusif butt in unusually. "I mean, after all this, do we really want Ari back in his hands? And will he even want to see her again?"

We paused for a minute.

"True." Cobb countered. "He will be wondering why Ari wants to see him again, and not to mention be consumed with anger, hate and guilt. I'm not sending you back in anyway Ari - no matter what you say." He added, seeing my face. Dammit. I really wanted another shot at him. Or I'd settle for punching Lucas. Either would be satisfactory.

"So...what do we do?" Arthur said quietly.

There was another pause. One which I pondered over my recent feelings over this job and the butterfly effect of it on my life. I couldn't let it have another chance at ruining it.

"Nothing." I said simply. "We do nothing. It didn't work out. So, we leave it."

Cobb looked at me carefully. "You're sure you're ok with that? Walking away with no revenge? Hell, I don't want you anywhere near him, or any of my team, but if you want to see him brought down I'll make sure it happens."

I sighed, longing for that option. But I didn't want it as bad as I wanted a peaceful life with Arthur. I looked at him, smiling as I felt those pulses of excitement and happiness within. "I'm sure." I breathed, still looking at Arthur, who looked relieved.

"I still say kill him." Eames muttered.

"Ari...are you sure you don't want to continue with this? What Lucas did, well, I'd pretty much like to kill him with Eames." Arthur was walking me home like a gentleman, his hand warm in mine, and I couldn't have been happier.

I touched Arthur's face. "Of course. I just want to forget about him and go back to the important things in my life. Like you."

He smiled that glorious smile and tightened his hand in mine. We walked on in comfortable silence for a while, both lost in thoughts, until Arthur exclaimed suddenly.

"Wait! You said George gave you the combination for the keypad."

I shrugged uncomfortably. "Yeah. So?"

"So...we could break in and get in there easily."

"Right, like we could get through all that security. And the fact there is a screwed up, sort of loyal servant wandering around along with a murderer is no problem for you?"

Arthur blinked. "A murderer?"

Crap! I bit my lip in annoyance as I remembered not telling that part of the story. I knew why. Arthur would definitely want revenge then and I just wanted him to let it go. Deciding to lie, seeing as it was in my profession, I swept my hair back like it was no big deal.

"Well, practically, he could have cracked my head open with that blow on the head he gave me. Basically murderer material right there!" I tittered nervously and looked away towards my approaching front door, wondering if I could possibly leg it without being totally suspicious.

"Ari. You do know that I always know when you're lying, don't you?" Arthur sounded amused.

Sighing, I turned back and looked into his eyes hesitantly. "Ok. I didn't tell you because George was acting a tad hysterical and I thought he was making it up, but he said Lucas murdered his wives because he thought they were cheating on him." I blurted out matter of factly.

"What?" He stopped dead. "There was never any evidence of that in the research. Why didn't I know that?" Arthur looked at me sharply. "You kept this quiet because?"

"Because I knew you would never stop wanting to get revenge, when I want you here, safe with me, and you'd hate yourself that you didn't know about his oh so delightful murderous side and you let me hang around with him for months because that's what you do Arthur, you beat yourself up when there is no need."

His eyes filled with sorrow. "Of course I would. I do. Even without the murder, he was still an awful person, and I let you put yourself in danger when I should've known what he was capable of. No, it's true." He insisted, as I opened my mouth in protest. "And you could've been his next victim." We both winced.

I stepped towards him and gently took his hand again. "That's my point Arthur, there was what could've been and what happened. So let's be thankful for what happened and enjoy our relationship. Please?"

Arthur looked into my eyes silently for a while, and seemed to read the distress there. "Anything for you."

My face broke into a relieved smile. Arthur grinned too, and then stepped closer to nuzzle my ear. "But just in case, what's the keypad combination?" He whispered.

"Arthur!" I tried to pull out of the embrace but he tightened his arms around me and began to tickle me relentlessly.

"Nooooo! Please, I'm really ticklish!"

Arthur laughed. "I know, why do you think I'm doing it? Come on, you may as well give it up, we could pass it onto the company who hired us and they will send someone else to get in there somehow. Then you keep me safe, and get your revenge. So, come on, spill!"

"Never!" I shouted, tears trickling down my cheeks in laughter. Arthur tutted, shaking his head, and tackled me to the ground, pinning me down. We both fell about laughing (literally), until we were breathless, and Arthur rolled over to gaze at me.

"By the way, I love you Ari."

Looking up at the glittering stars, the moment seemed so perfect as I tore my eyes from them and looked at something much more beautiful, much closer, and mine.

"I love you too." I moved in and we kissed under the stars, in our own blissful paradise...

But sometimes things are too good to last.

"Well well well," A figure said snidely, stepping out of the shadows. "Isn't this a cozy scene?" The evening turned cold, as did my heart.

Cold as the metal of the gun gleaming in the figure's hand.

Cold as death.