Disclaimer: I don't own Inception or its characters. I only own Sadie, Landon, Ashton and Nate.


Chapter 12: Go Dark

It was 10pm sharp and Sadie was at the docks with Eames and Ariadne waiting for Nate. Sadie already knew ahead of time that Nate was not going to be coming alone. She hadn't told either Eames or Ariadne that, though. It was all a part of the plan. She had to continue making Nate believe he was the one in control of everything. The big reveal would be so much more worth it then.

In a situation like this Sadie could only trust herself, which is the reason why she never told anyone else about the plan to begin with. So far, the plan was a success. No one who shouldn't suspect something expected anything. She had played them all well, and even though she felt a hint of guilt she knew when it was all said and done it wouldn't be for nothing.

Sadie looked around to see if Nate was coming yet. When she saw that he wasn't she turned to face Eames and Ariadne. She wasn't going to tell them everything now, but she wanted to let them know not to get in her way. In a way, they were only there to keep Nate from realizing that there was a whole different plan in action.

"When he gets here, I don't want either of you to do anything."

"You're insane, Sadie," Ariadne protested shaking her head. "I'm not just standing back and doing nothing."

"What could you possibly do?" Sadie asked in a harsher tone than she meant. "I didn't mean it like that," she corrected herself instantly.

"Ariadne's right. We're not just going to stand back and let you give yourself up to Nate," Eames agreed taking a step closer to Sadie.

Sadie smiled rather mischievously. "Who ever said I was really going to give myself up to him?" she asked catching both Ariadne and Eames off guard.

"What are you talk..."

Sadie wasn't sure which one was asking the question because she was focusing on the sound of trucks pulling up behind her. Apparently, Nate decided that then was a good time to show up. Sadie turned to look behind her in the blink of an eye. Of course, he'd bring back up. She had called it from the very beginning and she was right as always. Nate could be quite predictable at times.

"I see you made it on time," Nate said getting out of the passenger seat of the first truck.

"Of course. You're in charge remember," Sadie said feeling sick just saying the words, even if she didn't really mean it, and was just playing him like a fiddle.

Nate smirked a devilish smirk. "Glad you finally know your place."

Sadie couldn't stop from rolling her eyes even if she had tried to. "Where's Arthur?"

"He's around," Nate answered simply slowly walking towards her a bit almost as if he was a predator and she was his prey.

Sadie took a step back. "Keep your distance, Nate. I want to see him before this goes any farther, " she demanded.

"I thought you already proved that you knew who was calling the shots," Nate said tsking at her.

Sadie glared at him, wishing that a glare could kill. If it could, then he'd have been dead a very long time ago. "You really think it's that easy?" Sadie asked.

Nate shook his head. "I suppose not. You're use to having control over your life. I'm sure it's hard realizing that now you don't and you never will again."

"So, that's how it's gonna be then, Nate? I'm gonna become your "slave" once we trade?" Sadie asked allowing him to believe he was in control just a little while longer.

The more she gave him the so called "power," the more she'd love it when she took his power and shoved it right up his...well, right in his face.

"No, not at all. After a while, you'll learn to except it and you'll fall into life with me like we were never apart at all."

Sadie was already over all of this. Screw playing along anymore. She'd just have to enjoy shoving his "power" in his face however it'd be now. "Show me, Arthur, so we can get this over with already," Sadie demanded.

"I should scold you for taking control, but I always did love how fiesty you are when you want to be," Nate smiled a sadistic smile before gesturing to someone in the second truck.

And, I should call you a dumbass for actually thinking you're in control, was what Sadie wanted to say back to him. But, it wasn't the right time to say such a thing. not just yet.

Sadie's breath suddenly caught in her throat when she saw Arthur for the first time in months. Considering the situation they were in it wasn't the best predicament, but she still couldn't stop the small smile that found it's way onto her face through all of the disgust and anger. Regardless of how bruised and battered he was it was a pretty relieving moment to see that he was still alive.

Sadie looked from Arthur to Nate and opened her mouth to say something.

"You first, Sadie," Nate said not giving her a chance to say anything already knowing what she was going to ask him next.

Sadie shook her head. "No, him first."

"I figured you'd be stubborn as such," Nate told her rolling his eyes.

"Yep, that's me," Sadie said taking a single step forward. "Stubborn Sadie."

"You've got that right," Nate agreed. "Now come on we don't have all night."

"Him, first," Sadie said sternly glaring at Nate.

Nate sighed a frustrated sigh. "Is this how it's gonna be, Sadie? I had hoped it wouldn't be like this."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you think it was actually going to be that easy?" Sadie asked mimicking what he had said to her the first time they'd seen each other again only days ago."

"Sadie," Nate said in a warning tone.

"Nate," Sadie spat back in the same tone refusing to back down.

"So, this is how it's going to be, then?"

"Sure is," Sadie took one more small step and then looked back at Ariadne and Eames. "Don't do anything. Just let me handle this," she told them.

Both opened their mouths to protest.

Sadie shook her head and said again, "Don't do anything." Then so they can hear but no one else can she whispered, "I've got a plan. Just trust me."

"Sadie watch out!" Ariadne exclaimed suddenly.

"Bring her to me," she heard Nate say.

Sadie turned back around quickly only to be taken off guard and grabbed by both arms by two guys that Nate had sent forward to get her.

Out of her peripheral vision Sadie saw Eames move forward and she turned her head to look at him just as he froze. Sadie saw the sudden look of fear in Ariadne's eyes and turned back to Nate and saw two other guys with their guns pointed at Ariadne and Eames. Well, this was getting more out of hand than Sadie had expected. But, not entirely.

"One move and you both die," Nate said warningly then looked back at Sadie. "Now bring her to me."

Sadie tried to wiggle her way out of the guys' grips as they started walking towards Nate pulling her with them. "Get your hands off me!" she hissed continuing to wiggle as much as she could.

"Now, now, Sadie. I call the shots remember," Nate said tauntingly.

And, that was all Sadie could take. It was time to put the pretending aside and show who was really in charge. Sadie laughed suddenly and while still moving in the grips of the guys on each of her arms said, "Yeah, actually, about that..."

Nate looked at her inquisitively.

Sadie stopped laughing just as quickly as she had started and said seriously, "There's only one problem, Nate."

Nate raised an eyebrow and asked, "And, what's that?"

Sadie smirked evilly. "You're not in control of this. I am," Sadie answered. "I've always been in control," she informed him after a moment of taking in the confused look on his face.

Nate questioned dumbfounded, "What?"

Sadie laughed again and basked in how shocked he is by the revelation. Instead of answering him she exclaimed as loud as she could, "Now!"

Almost instantly, the man on her left screamed out in agony and fell down hard to the ground, hands going straight to his stomach as a gunshot rung out throughout the night time air. Sadie used the other guys shock to her advantage and stomped as hard as she could on his foot, elbowing him in the face when he bent down moaning in pain. Sadie reached forward quickly and grabbed the gun out of his hands pointing it at him just in case he tried to stand back up and do something back to her.

"Hand Arthur over now," Sadie demanded in a level tone.

Nate looked shocked like he couldn't believe what was happening. He was probably trying to figure out how everything had turned on him so quickly. "Sadie..." he started.

Sadie cut him off hissing, "Now, Nate!" Angrily, Sadie kicked the guy in front of her in the face, "Lights out jackass!" knocking him out and then turned the gun on Nate "Before you get shot next!" she threatened.

Nate suddenly pushed Arthur forward.

Sadie steadily held the gun, aiming it at Nate as Eames moved forward to get Arthur, who was bruised all over and judging by how he was stumbling was still slightly drugged. "Sucks to be on the receiving end of evil itself doesn't it?" Sadie asked Nate still pointing the gun at him.

"Plan was a success," a voice said coming up beside her.

"I haven't been this happy about shooting someone in a while now," another voice said coming up on the other side of her.

"You remember my brothers, Ashton and Landon, don't you Nate?" Sadie asked him loving the scared, cowardly expression that was now on his face.

"What do you want us to do with that one, Sadie?" Landon asked.

Sadie smirked rather evilly at Nate. "Do you remember how all of this started Nate? You know back in Paris when we first met. You remember why we met in the first place?" Sadie asked him.

"To find out where your dad is," he answered realizing he had no other choice but to answer.

Sadie thought his answer through a bit and questioned in confusion, "Wait a second. Two years just to find out the location?"

"And, to find out more about why your dad stole the program," Nate admitted to her.

"Why would that have anything to do with me? What the hell is this program?" Sadie asked finding herself now suddenly left with more questions than answers.

Nate said nothing.

"Nate, what the hell is the program about?" Sadie asked again.

Nate angrily spat, "Find out yourself!"

That didn't settle very well with Sadie. "Fine," she said looking at her brothers. "Nate wants to know where dad is so badly...willing to waste two years of my life...take him to daddy," she told them.

Ashton nodded. "Will do baby sis."

Finally gaining the courage to speak again, Nate asked, "How'd you know?" He didn't have to be anymore specific for Sadie to know what he was referring to.

Sadie put the gun down by her side after making sure the safety was on and smiled at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Landon chose then to speak up with a smirk on his face, "I did some research."

"Can we move this along, please?" Ariadne asked, making her presence known. "We need to get Arthur to the hospital."

"Oh, of course," Sadie said handing the gun in her hand to Ashton. "You got this?" she asked turning to Landon.

Landon nodded. "You go do what you need to do."

"Yeah, leave the clean up to us," Ashton said.

"Thank you both," she smiled at each of them.

In unison they replied, "Anytime, sis."

~Unbroken~

After a hospital visit full of lies, lies, more lies, and paying a few doctors and nurses off they were all back at Arthur's hotel room. He wasn't 100% and against what he insisted they had talked him into laying low and playing it easy for a few days. He needed time to heal without the possibilities of adding insult to injury. Currently, he was drowsy and out on pain killers.

"I am higher than the sky right now!" Sadie exclaimed cheerfully, stretching out on the bed next to Arthur, more than happy to put Nate and his bullshit behind her. Whatever her dad decided to do to him was all his business now.

"Sadie, what was that all about?" Ariadne asked her sitting in one of the hotel chairs by the window while Eames sat in the other one.

Sadie shrugged nonchalantly and looked at her. "It's you two getting Arthur back and me finally getting to live the rest of my life Nate free!"

Ariadne is shocked and ignored Sadie's answer. "So, you played us in your own way, then?" Ariadne asked trying to make sense of the events from earlier.

Sadie shook her head. "No, well...I guess in a way...but, not really. I didn't come up with this plan until I found out Nate took Arthur and he told me why. I realized that as long as he's around things like this are very possibly going to continue to happen, so my brothers and I came up with a plan."

"When you showed up crying at my hotel room..." Eames spoke.

"They were fake tears...for the most part anyways," Sadie admitted.

"We were just a part of your own evil plan from that moment on?" Eames guessed.

Sadie answered with a hint of guilt in her voice. There was no point in lying about it now. "Just about."

After a few moments of silence Sadie spoke again and apologized, "I'm sorry I played you all. I really am. It's not like it was completely intentional. Well, okay, it kind of was. But, it wasn't to hurt you or anything. I really wasn't thinking much then about whether it would or wouldn't. When the plan came to me I just went with it."

"Why didn't you clue us in on it?" Eames asked her leaning forward resting his arms on his knees.

"Well, I just figured that some things are better kept within the family. And, I also still didn't trust you much anymore," Sadie told him.

"I'm family!" Ariadne exclaimed, sitting up in the chair, slightly hurt by Sadie's comment.

Sadie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you are family. But, not to my dad. You're family on my mom's side, so it's not exactly the same."

"Yeah, I guess so," Ariadne said leaning back comfortably in the chair back into her previous position.

"Do you want to know why I really did it?" Sadie asked sitting up and crossing her legs Indian style.

"Of course," Ariadne wasted no time answering.

"He was going to kill you all, anyways, unless I came up with my own plan. So, that's what I did," Sadie confessed.

"What do you mean he was going to kill us, anyways?" Arthur asked, obviously awake now.

Sadie looked over her shoulder and Arthur and smiled. "Feeling any better?"

"Slightly," he answered. "Now, please, answer mine."

Sadie nodded and went on. "You remember when you killed the three guys that kidnapped me?" she asked looking from Arthur to Eames and then back to Arthur.

"How could we not?" Eames answered first with his own question.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Arthur asked a curious expression on his face.

Sadie gave it a moment before she answered. "Well, one of the guys that you killed was Nate's dad."

"How ironic," Ariadne cut in.

"Yeah, I know," Sadie said looking at her and then back to Arthur. "As it turns out he kidnapped you in order to lure Eames to him and to get back at me because he blames everything on me and because he's mad that I left him and went with Arthur."

"Of course, he did."

"Figures."

"Not surprising."

Sadie wasn't sure who replied which.

"So, let's just call ourselves even with all of this that happened," Sadie suggested breaking the silence that had taken over after she had dropped that bombshell on them. "You let this go and I'll continue to do my best and move on from the fact that you performed Inception on me. After all, after this I guess I can honestly say that I now understand the mind set you three were in when we were in Paris."

Ariadne and Eames looked at each other and then back at Sadie. "Fair enough," they both said.

"But, only because I'd rather not start another fight or something," Ariadne replied.

"And, because we can see where you're coming from," Eames added.

"Also, because I'm not really sure what's going on at the moment," Arthur said.

~Unbroken~

It was a little while later and Arthur had fallen asleep again. Ariadne decided that she had to go pack since she was heading back to Paris tomorrow. And, Eames had decided to go to the hotel bar since it was his last night in Miami. So, that only left Sadie.

"Are you coming Sadie?" Ariadne asked turning her head back to look at her.

Sadie looked over at Arthur's sleeping form and shook her head looking back at Ariadne and Eames standing at the door. "No, I'm gonna stay here," she answered.

"Alright, call me tomorrow," Ariadne smiled at her.

Sadie nodded. "I will."

Sadie could see the slight hurt in Eames' eyes when he and Ariadne left and tried to push it to the back of her mind. Right now she just needed to focus mainly on being there for Arthur. No matter how hard it was to try and forget the pained look in his eyes. She had definitely screwed up doing what she had done, but there was nothing she could do about it now.


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