A/N: It's already the longest story I've ever written and we're still far away from the end! It feels slightly strange:) All always thanks for those who reviewed/allerted/favorited.
There's a problem hanging in the air. At first sight everything is as good as it can.
They performed the first inception successfully; they got a call from Fisher four day after their job with congratulations.
Yet, there's a problem.
The air is almost thick because of all the tension: even though the first from four planned inceptions is a pure success the other ones won't be so easy.
No matter how hard everybody in the team try, it's impossible to find out anything about one of their next marks. Even Arthur with all his accesses to the most mysterious and illegal sources of information can't pick up the pieces.
The woman, Caroline White, is an enigma.
Of course, they have all this basic information Fisher gave them, but that's definitely not enough even to perform Extraction, yet alone Inception.
The whole team focuses on finding anything about her and even Eames misses at first the strange tension between Arthur and Ariadne.
They don't show themselves too much physical affection in public, but that's nothing strange and it doesn't bother Eames at all. It's perfectly the way Arthur is and Ariadne also isn't the type to shag shamelessly in front of other people.
Yet, something in Ariadne's behavior at last catches Eames's eyes.
She acts like she's constantly afraid of something. Something clearly connected with Arthur.
As soon as Eames realizes that, he sees more things: worried looks sent toward Arthur when he's not looking. A slight tremble of hand, when they go under, trying to design a maze for White.
He's almost not surprised at all, when he meets her sitting alone in the living room at 2 am.
She's crumpled on the couch, nestling to the pillow.
"Ariadne.", Eames says as soft as he can, but it makes her jump slightly.
She looks at him, her eyes red and swollen. She is so fragile and vulnerable that it hurts Eames deeply. He sits beside her and gently takes her small hand in his. There's anger in him, ready to blow and he forces it down, desperate to discover what lays behind Ariadne's strange behavior.
"What's wrong?, he asks quietly. "Tell me.", he adds seeing that she avoids looking at him. "Did Arthur do something?", he presses.
That finally tears Ariadne from her strange state.
"No!", she protest fervently. "It's not him. It's me."
"You?", Eames scans her face for explanation of any sort and sees there're tears forming in her eyes.
"He's covered with scars.", she says quietly. "And every time I see them I can't stop thinking that I can lose him so easily, within seconds. I want to be with him every day, every hour and…", she stops herself, suddenly alarmed.
Eames glances at her with question in his grey eyes, but she relaxes slightly. "I thought I heard steps.", she explains. " I don't want to worry him.", she continues. "But Arthur can easily notices every detail, so I sort of run away, I guess."
Eames sighs heavily, rubbing gently her tiny hand. "You should talk about it with Arthur."
Ariadne takes her hand from his warm grip. "It doesn't change anything.", she says flatly. "There's no promise which could calm down my fears."
"Maybe not.", Eames agrees. "But you should remember Arthur doesn't gives promises he can't fulfill."
Ariadne raises her head and looks at him with frown. Before she speaks Eames grabs her firmly and helps standing up.
"And now you're coming back to bed, no complains.", he commands.
When Ariadne comes back to the bed Arthur stifles the urge to embrace her and makes some stupid promise. He was aware that there's something wrong with her for last couple of days and when he woke up in empty bed he immediately started looking for her.
Seeing her with Eames, sitting on the couch together made him a little jealous, even if only for a second. As soon as he heard her words, the jealousness disappeared; all this things Ariadne said made him feel confused and unsure.
Now he's laying on their bed, Ariadne crumpled beside him, her breath slightly uneven as because of stifles crying and he hates himself.
For being the reason Ariadne's crying and feeling scared.
For letting Cobb hire this petite architect.
And mostly for falling in love with her.
He shifts his position and feels Ariadne stir as well. Within seconds they're so close to each other that clasping her would be the easiest thing on the world.
Yet, he doesn't do that.
Ariadne lays still, feeling the heat Arthur's body is radiating. It surprised her at first, she remembers that clearly: how man so cold could produce such warmth?
But the feeling of him beside her was something that reassured her.
Now it scares her; because she knows how easily this reassurance could be taken from her.
It's not that Ariadne doesn't believe in Arthur's ability to take care of himself.
The point is that she knows how eagerly he can give himself away in order to protect someone else.
It came to her in sudden realization, when she picked up all the pieces: why Arthur wanted to drive with Cobol men just after Inception. Why he didn't want to be with her at first. And how he managed to wake up without the kick after Coyle Job.
Ariadne knows that death in Dream world doesn't have any physical effects. It doesn't change the fact that it's not easy to used to being killed, or, in the worst case, killing himself.
She's also very well aware of the fact Arthur hates dying in Dreams; there's always this tiniest moment of stillness in him after being killed.
Yet, he willingly sacrifices himself in Dreams. The possibility that he'll do the same thing in real world is horribly high.
And in the most possible script he's dying for her.
Eames scans the surroundings carefully. He and Arthur are sitting in the car, parked outside of the beauty parlour, where Caroline White is having her hair dyed. One of the security guys, who Eames learned to doesn't pay attention to, is sitting in the car parked next to their.
It's not safe to follow your future mark, especially in person, but don't have the choice; they desperately need to find out more about her and observing her is their only chance.
"She could have some sort of fight training.", Eames notices, flipping through the notes he's done earlier.
Arthur doesn't react, staring idly into the space in front of the space.
"I said that she could have a fight training.", Eames repeats impatiently and waves one sheet of papers in front of Arthur's face. It works: Arthur looks at him with clear disbelief in his brown eyes.
"Ariadne?", he asks with curiosity. "No way."
Eames rolls his eyes, wondering if he should start laughing or rather crying. Torn between this options he chooses to simply stay calm.
"No, not Ariadne. White, our next mark, remember?"
Arthur rubs his temple, as always when he's confused and unsure of himself. Eames waits in silence, he knows that every word of encouragement in Arthur' case could only destroy the moment.
"It feels terribly to be the reason of her unhappiness.", he says eventually, which causes Eames to choke on his own saliva.
"Bloody hell!", he exclaims in horror. "Sorry to say so, but your stupidity in situation, when emotions are considered will make some day die. You're NOT the reason of Ariadne's unhappiness. She's lost: circumstances forces her to swim in deep water, while she should still splashing in the paddling pool!"
Arthur raises one eyebrow. "Your ability to create impressive metaphors is well-known to me.", he notices coldly. "But Ariadne's crying because of me."
"Arthur!", Eames snaps in irritation. "You heard our talk from the night before, so don't say such bullshits. She needs you right now, she'll shatter into pieces without you, so put away all your doubts and help her."
Arthur doesn't get the chance to protest, as White comes out with new-dyed hair.
They're short and shockingly red, lose freely on her cheeks. She touches them up with one hurry gesture.
According to information Fisher gave them she's almost forty five, but she is the type of woman, who looks the same in the age of thirty and fifty.
She's slim, almost skinny, sharp and vigilant.
She would be a problem even they have more information about her.
Under current circumstances she's the worst possible mark, they could think of.
Arthur starts the engine and slowly joins another cars driving on the street. It's not a hard task for him: both he and Eames are well-trained in following without being seen, so his mind is free.
Expectedly all he can focus on right now is Ariadne.
Her beautiful, huge eyes, now filled with fear, he can picture them in his mind within seconds. The soft voice of her, usually so sure, now full of doubts. Her body, so lean and warm, now distant and reluctant.
I need to speak her, he realizes and in this second he feels that suddenly somebody grabs the steering wheel and turns it rapidly.
"Fuck you!", Eames yells. "Focus on the bloody road!"
Arthur blinks and realizes that if not Eames's reflex they would crush with a lorry.
"Just keep driving until the first car park.", Eames commands sternly and Arthur quietly obeys. They stops a couple of meters further, the car driven by security guy beside them.
"Get out of the car.", Eames voice is filled with anger.
They changes their seats and Arthur spends the rest of the day in relatively silence, only answering at Eames's rare question.
He feels torn apart.
Love and responsibility.
It was always responsibility what went first, in his entire life.
Now he broke this rule and effects of that are eating him alive.
"You're right.", he says when Eames's parking in front of the villa.
Eames glances at him crossly. "In what exactly?"
"I'm stupid.", Arthur answers with sigh, which seems to finally tear Eames from his anger. He shakes his head and pats Arthur's shoulder lightly indicating toward Ariadne, who sits on the garden chair.
She raises her head, when Arthur comes closer. There's a tiny smile on her face, but it doesn't entirely reaches her eyes. Arthur hesitates for a second, before sitting on the grass beside her and putting his head on her knees. It feels strangely comfortable, despite of the strangeness of this position.
Ariadne starts to laugh and then leans down and kisses his temple.
The weight on her knees makes her feel lighter. She takes deep breath, which tackles Arthur's cheek. He raises his head and looks intently into her eyes.
"When all this ends, I'll buy you a ring much more beautiful than the one you need to wear in restaurant.", he says softly, but with a firm tone.
Ariadne gently brushes his cheek with her soft fingers. "Is that a promise?", she whispers, barely audibly.
The way he kisses her tells her everything.
So she kisses him back, with all her force and passion.
"Shouldn't we concentrate on one person in one time?", Ariadne asks reluctantly, eying suspiciously a horses standing in front of her.
"We are concentrating, Ariadne.", Arthur answers patiently. "But it's already decided that in our next job the first level will consist horses, you know that perfectly."
Ariadne tilts her head, not taking her eyes away from the horse.
"I know, I know.", she snaps in answer. "I know it's the only place both our marks are meeting with each other every week. But I still don't understand why I have to ride it.", she gestures at looking perfectly harmless horses.
"You needed to see stud's buildings, that's the main reason, why we're here. The second one is that we probably need to ride a horse on this first level.", Arthur explains calmly, the hint of smile in his eyes. "And after performing inception on White there won't be time for horse riding lessons."
Ariadne looks around, finally taking her eyes from horses. "Who will teach us anyway?", she enquires.
Arthur smirks. "Not us. You."
Ariadne frowns with disbelief. "Don't say you know how to ride it!"
Arthur laughs openly. There's a hint of guilt inside him; Cobb, Eames and Yusuf are working at White job right now. Yet, he knows nobody will complain: both Ariadne and him needed a little break.
"It's not that hard, nothing to be afraid of.", he reassures Ariadne, who looks with horror at him.
"I'm not scared.", she protest fervently and comes closer to horses. Arthur follows her immediately.
"This one is for you.", he says. "Let me help you get on it."
Ariadne obeys with smile.
Cobb is tapping his fingers on the table top, while reading through the notes all of them made about Caroline White. Eventually, he closes the laptop with unnecessary force. Eames grimaces at that.
"It's not enough!", Cobb blows with frustration. "It wouldn't be possible even to extract anything from her, yet alone incept her!"
Eames rolls his eyes and says nothing. Cobb is furious since they started working on White and nothing can calm him down.
"And you still don't have anybody to forge, do you?", Dom asks angrily.
"In fact there's somebody.", Eames livens up. "Her hairdresser. It's risky, but that's the only person."
Eames's words visibly calm down Cobb.
"You need any more time to observe him?"
Eames shrugs. "Nope, I've already know everything."
It stops Dom. "So we need to put this beauty parlor as the second level.", he decides quickly.
Ariadne, with a little help of Cobb, already built all three levels; they're as neutral as is possible, but under this new circumstances they have to change their plans.
"Call Ariadne, we need to start building this new level right now.", Cobb says hurriedly and grabs his sketchbook from the table.
Eames picks up the phone with sigh.
It's strangely hard to spoil Ariadne and Arthur their happy moments.
