Thank you to my reviewers! Kamarooka: he is. I'm sorry. =( At least he'll pay for it. Lauraa-x: Hahaha awesome, that's the response I was hoping for. Yes, you're analysis of Dom and Ari is near perfect. I know…HIS BEST FRIEND. Karma dude. You're right though, something will indeed happen. Whether she runs back to him or not is speculation. Lol. Cinematherapy: Yay, thank you! I was trying to contrast the two relationships through Ari. And yeah, it's freakin Leonardo Dicaprio. Can't fault Ari for falling for that. Neverland: Thanks Neverland! I love hearing from you! True, true. I'm a diehard Art/Ari…I really am…so we'll see how it goes. CoffeeFilters: No problemo. Hahahaha I love these responses to Dom. Dom's sweet but lets get real. We all love Art. Hahahaha even as a jerk. L: I agree with you completely! Thanks for updating.whatshername76: Wooo! Account! Thanks and about 5 or 6 chapters left. Anon: True true. Amelia-Rose: Nah I understand. No need to apologize for life hahah. Thanks!

Thank you to my story alerts and favorites! And author alerts! Fixing to go out of town and in a hurry to leave but I promise I'll add your names to the next chappie!

Chapter 28: I Choose You

Talk about tense. Walking on eggshells, sleeping on a bed of nails. Arthur was the first one there as usual. The lack of sleep from the night before didn't affect his impeccable timeliness. His lip scabbed over overnight and the morning brought greenish purple bruises to the surface. Luckily, despite Cobb's perfect angle, his nose wasn't broken. But bruised all down the right side into part of his cheek. And without a hint of one the night before, a bruise sprung up above his left eyebrow. Arthur had to dope himself up to get ready to face this day. He took muscle relaxers and an anxiety pill to keep in a workable mode. So he'd neither start trouble nor make a blubbering fool of himself again. The first time the door scraped it was Eames trudging in. Butterfly bandaid across his beet red nose from Arthur's elbow. Turns out it split the skin. The Englishman glared at him like he was annoyed but oddly enough dropped an extra coffee off at his desk. Yusuf came in next but hurriedly—he forgot to take the sedative out of the freezer to thaw last night. That was going to set the drills back two hours.

It could only be one of two people the next time someone bustled in. And yet it was both. Dom (sporting a black eye) held the door open for Ariadne to pass through, then took her coat and hung the both of theirs up. Arthur observed numbly until her eyes cut to his then he buried his head in his laptop and put the earphones in. Eames, Dom and Ari kept a significant distance away from Arthur as they worked and waited for Yusuf's compound to be useable. But since his headphones were in, they didn't feel the awkward need to be silent. They conversed normally as he didn't pay attention.
xxxxxxx

The plan for the day was drilling Yusuf's maze over and over. For this job he would have to be another gunman so both Arthur and the Forger could be on the second level. Chairs scraped and scratched as they were drug over into a circle. That was the first time Yusuf saw and I mean really got a good look at the other three men. Bruised and cut up like they'd been through a bar brawl to be rivaled by none. He was out of the loop…poor (or lucky) guy didn't know Ariadne's secret had been found out or that her fiancé was actually Dom or that the old best friends nearly killed each other in the hallway the night before. He was two floors up sleeping peacefully (and forgetting about that damn sedative that needed thawing). The Chemist's jaw dropped to the ground but before he could move his mouth and ask, "What the hell happened to you three?" Eames made a cut motion at his neck and shook his head. Cobb informed the Architect while they situated their seats next to one another. "Go ahead and do his level for him so he can see what it should look like and you can point out specifics in between."

She nodded at Dom, "So my dream?"

"Yeah."

"Ok," she replied to the Extractor but carefully watched Arthur. He handed her needle with his head bowed and a hard swallow. His eyes flitted halfway up like they wanted to look at her (it hurt when he did and it hurt when he didn't) but they stopped and he quietly and respectfully handed Dom his, then Eames, then put in his own.

"Eames, surprise us with some forgeries." Each sat and started uncoiling their iv's. The Englishman saluted at Cobb to signify he heard and then Dom addressed the Point. They were doing their best to work through it during work-hours but nerves were strained to say the least. He wouldn't look at Arthur either. Neither wanted to acknowledge that their friendship was swirling down the drain, "Art, you don't actually have to come under for this one."

Arthur for the most part ignored him during his reply but inquired of Ariadne, "I'd like to admire the scape, actually, if I could?" Or she thought he was addressing her. Still no eyes but his head inclined in her direction and darted around her feet waiting for an answer. Ariadne looked at Cobb warily first. When her fiancé mouthed that it was up to her, she then shrugged. "Sure." Today had been stroppy for her as well despite him being amiable. The Architect wished she could've said it was annoying for the sake of it simply being annoying but it was irritating because it pulled at the little desire in the back of her head to forgive him when she knew that in reality they were a long way from that.
xxxxxxx

Arthur was content to be left on his own in the dreamscape. With everyone off somewhere in the maze, the stillness had a balming effect on him. There was a chance he would exacerbate himself there in her mind but he found it to be soothing. Walking along the small town square, he passed by a bank and suddenly grew an itching curiosity. He figured her mind would use the play on the words: Memory Bank and create something to that effect. Had she rid of their good memories together? Did she remember them? Were they replaced with memories of her and Dom? Was there anyway their engagement was a ploy? Not what it seemed? It was tricky not to set off her subconscious suspicion. If any security saw him going back where he wasn't welcome, the dream would start to shift, the projections would have a cow and the Team would know he'd been up to something.

So the Point Man casually deposited money into an account and then strolled into the bathroom—where he took out the air vent and slithered through the ducts to the safety deposit box room. Locked and sealed tight. Each box had a person, place, event or a combination written in large letters on the front. After looking to the entrance first, he scanned for the box of himself and then for the heck of it, looked for Dom's. Arthur's looked worn. Its paint was chipping off, the corner was bent. The files inside with little cards of dates and descriptions were folded and torn. The cards' information nearly rubbed off from the use. She must've visited the memories of him a lot. Following his instinct, he walked down the aisles and around the corner where he saw an elevator and stepped inside. What did he want to know first? The Point set the boxes down and rifled through his. He pulled a random one from the back and slipped it into the slot he supposed it went in above the numbered buttons. The contraption whizzed down and over and knocked the Point man into the side of the box from the force. It stopped in her backyard back home. Until his eyes adjusted to the pitch black he felt his way around. Through the iron gate, onto the Bourgeois dock by the lonely lake. Was this that night he watched her from the window? He shot his head around to see but there was no one up there. Then again, she hadn't known had she? So she wouldn't have remembered him there. Like the projection was a deer that could be easily spooked, he tip toed around her and sat at the edge. Ariadne was in her pj's, laying on her stomach, her left hand under her head and right hand dipped in the water elbow deep, swirling around despondently. Sniffling, whispering a sad tune, "Oh dream maker, you heart breaker. Wherever you're going, I'm going your way. Two drifters off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see. We're after the same rainbow's end, it's just around the bend. My huckleberry friend, moon river and me…" It was the song a dream-dashed Audrey Hepburn lilted in Breakfast at Tiffany's; the movie they played on the AMC network a million times in New York. The one she watched every night as she fell asleep because she didn't even have the will to change the channel—but Arthur wouldn't know that. Soft pats scuffled down the dock and the next time Arthur looked up, Shannon was there. Getting down to sit cross-legged with her daughter and put her head in her lap. Ariadne silenced and steeled up not wanting (she never wanted) to look hurt or weak in front of her mom. She was the strongest of all the Bourgeois' after all. Shannon began smoothing Ariadne's hair, "He doesn't deserve you." Ariadne broke like a dam. The Point Man watched shamefacedly as the Architect's face crumbled and she began weeping. Shannon shook her head, rubbing up and down her daughter's arm comfortingly, "Whoever he is, baby, he doesn't deserve you."

"Mom," she croaked, "I don't know what to do. I've never hurt this bad." Her wet arm pulled out of the water and covered over her ears and head. Her mom asserted, "You're going to be ok. You don't need him."

Ariadne curled into herself, her fingers clawing into her hair at the same time, "Yes I do."

What had Arthur done? He scrabbled to stand and get away from the scene. Afraid of it. Back in the elevator he kicked his box aside and grabbed for the one of the Extractor. There were two section dividers: Friend and Lover. Well, he wanted to know when that changed. So he pulled the first card out of the Lover's side and held on to the bars as the elevator whirred up and up and up then stopped in a dimly lit hotel room. Arthur gave it a second before he pulled back the cage door and stepped into the scene. Afraid of this one too.

He followed the sound of whimpering and discovered Ariadne sitting against her headboard in the dark with a note in her hands, crying because of him. Arthur cursed himself. Wanted to alter history, climb into bed next to her and kiss her sweetly until he made her whole again. A soft rapping against the door interrupted her. The light flickered on (revealing her in one of Arthur's old military t-shirts that she stole their last night in Germany and her favorite pj pants) and she quickly folded and stashed the note under the phonebook on the bedside table, while furiously wiping her eyes with her arms. "Pull yourself together, dumbass," she harshly demanded of herself and then hopped out of bed and hurried to the door. Arthur followed behind and stepped just inside the bathroom to watch her open the door. Preceding that, she looked out the eyehole and then frantically took the bottom of his shirt and rubbed at her eyelids when she noticed who it was. The door swung wide. "Cobb?"

Arthur peeked around the frame of the bathroom door and over her shoulder. The Extractor stood in his dress pants on the bottom but a UCLA Bruins t-shirt on the top, "I brought Chinese, cookie dough, and Pitch Perfect," the bag of food and dvd case were held up for proof.

Her voice was nasally from the tears but she teased, "When did you become a teenage girl?"

"Hey," defended the man, unashamed, "it was in the Redbox for cheap and it's a Momedy,"

"A momedy?"

He sighed and explained it like a common known term, "A musical and a comedy?"

Arthur couldn't see Ariadne's face but her head shook, "I don't think they call it that."

"Well, regardless, it should make you feel better. The only other one available was The Strangers. I didn't think a gory true story about serial killers who graphically slice up a family would cheer you up."

Ariadne let her head rest against the door, "Actually, at this point, it might."

"Good." Cobb grinned down at her, "I got it too."
xxxxxxx

Since her memory obviously didn't retain the entirety of either of the movies, the memory morphed around them. The clock magically ticked to past midnight and the two projections of Ariadne and Cobb seemed to teleport to the edge of her bed. The Chinese food appeared half eaten and strewn around and the end credits rolled with suspenseful music. Dom scooted off the edge to put the dvd back in its case and out of nowhere Ariadne started crying again. Her elbows dropped to her knees and her head between her arms. She was fine two seconds before. Like any man (none of them know how to handle tears), The Extractor scrambled to put the dvd away and walked back to stand in front of her. "You ok?"

Shaking her head, she lamented, "What's wrong with me?"

"It's normal to feel like this after a break up." Dom didn't know what else to do but pull out the cookie dough and hold it out whether she could see it or not. Her fingers raked down her face when she looked up and after he saw her glance and wince at the dessert, he set it back down. Ariadne complained, "No I mean what's wrong with me, Cobb? Why aren't I good enough?"

Dom sputtered for words and encouragement, "Nothing's wrong with you. It's just Arthur's nature to push people away when he feels too close." Then he brought up the part that befuddled everyone Arthur had ever known when they learned of his attachment to her at first, "He's never let anyone in as far as you got. You should consider yourself special."

"Not special enough," She sneered and angrily wiped away the water with the bottom of Arthur's shirt again.

"Yes you are." The blonde averred. "We all knew you were special the first day of Inception. You're brilliant, you're fearless," He counted the traits on his fingers, "you're strong and opinionated and," sweetly, he tucked one of her hairs behind her ear, "beautiful…"

The Architect was having none of the compliments. His hand was slapped away, "It's like I was a disappointment once he discovered enough about me."

"Arthur's an idiot, ok?" He held his arms in the air. Arthur had to agree with him. He hadn't thought Ariadne had felt as strongly as he, especially by the way she took his proposal to break up in stride. Obviously, he hadn't really thought about how his decision would affect her. He was a moron and a coward and just wanted out before she could own him. (Even though she already did). "I don't know a man who wouldn't want you." Cobb softened and pressed his hands on either side of her as she sat on the foot of the bed. Ariadne raised her chin, when Arthur looked in the mirror above the desk, he saw that her face was filled with trepidation. She wanted to believe the Extractor's words but doubted them. To make her feel better, to comfort her, with no intentions whatsoever, Dom turned his head and kissed her cheek like a brother would.

Arthur had expected that Cobb made the first move. That he pounced on Ariadne while she was vulnerable and lonely. No all his friend had done was feed her with kind words and genuine thoughtfulness. He came to pay a debt to a friend. To help a once-student feel better about herself. Arthur could read Cobb and knew in that moment that he had no ulterior motive. It was Ariadne who turned her head against his as he pulled away. The Point Man neared the edge of the bedroom and peered into the mirror again. Her eyes were downcast and calculating. Ariadne studied Cobb with pure curiosity (the wonder of what she might do showed on the blonde's face). The girl squinted and clutched the neck of his shirt concurrently then pulled his mouth to hers. Arthur furrowed his eyebrows and almost took a step to alter the memory. But there was nothing he could do to change the past and all it would do was alert the projections. The Point Man watched her face as she ended the kiss. With one of her eyebrows raised, they watched Cobb's reaction together it seemed. Now, Arthur came around the corner and kept to the shadows along the wall to get a better view of his friend's face. Dom's brow knitted faintly and his eyes ran from hers downward to her feet dangling between them. Worried. Confused. Ashamed.

He liked it.

Ari appeared to pick up on it too, "Dom…?" Instead of half of her face, The Point Man could see the entirety of it in the mirror now. The one she addressed ventured a look back up, uncomfortable. You could tell on her face that the idea of being wanted again was swirling around and latching onto her brain. She just wanted to be wanted. Arthur immobilized when she looked back at him. Eyes wide, blood cold. Until he realized she wasn't looking back at him, she was looking back at the bedside table where the note was tucked away. A split-second of hurt crossed over her visage. A hurt so guttural it made Arthur's gut wrench at being the cause. Then she gritted. An angry fire lit up in Ariadne's eyes and she whipped to Cobb, moving to stand on her knees on the bed, "Quick, give me a kiss." The sleeve of Dom's shirt was snatched and he was yanked into a kiss again (their invisible witness despised him for going willingly). The Architect deepened it while the Extractor's hands went to her hips. To Dom's credit, he put his hands there to push her back and put a stop to it. His head turned and looked randomly to the window over the in-room air conditioning unit. "Ariadne…you're heartbroken." He knew this was a rebound thing. This was desperation of a lonely soul.

"So?" She challenged. Yeah, the girl knew it was. She didn't give a shit. Ariadne was fed up with feeling unworthy and undesirable. Arthur stared in horror as his ex took the corners of his t-shirt, drew it over her head and tossed it to the floor. Again, to be fair, when the Extractor glimpsed and saw her, he awkwardly averted his eyes. (But with a blush, the Point took note. Dom freaking liked it.) "Arthur is my best friend. I can't do this to him."

"Arthur doesn't care!" Ariadne spat at the man in front of her with more bitterness than she probably realized. "I saw him with another woman already. He doesn't care about me…" The tears came again. Tears of hate mixed with tears of despair. Arthur tried to tell her that she had it all wrong up in real time. That woman was part of a cover for his recon job. The client required it. Arthur in no way moved on. Dom melted when she breathed, all misty eyed, "He never cared…"

"I care." Cobb kissed her again. And again. And again. "I care about you, Ariadne." And again. Ariadne only cried harder the more he kissed her, "Arthur doesn't care…" she rasped and everything in the Point Man burst. What had he done to her? What came over him to have hurt her so carelessly? He truly was like the twisted Beast wasn't he?

Dom laid her back and continued to pepper her with reassuring pecks as he threw his shirt off and moved her up to the pillows. "I do." Arthur closed his eyes and covered his ears as things grew heated but the memory morphed again before the worst he could've seen. The Point opened his eyes back to see them asleep. Both wrapped in sheets. Ariadne faced the outside and Cobb faced her back.

Cautiously, The Point dared to tip toe to the bedside table and pull out the note. What was on it? It was creased from being unfolded and folded numerous times and had droplets of dried and salty water: Had to go down to the post office. Didn't run out on you, I promise. Last night was the best night of my life. Order us lunch from room service. I'll be back around one. I love you, A. He remembered writing that. The night they first said 'I love you' and the night they first made love. Arthur remembered vividly: having to tear himself from her warmth, giddily writing the note and reluctantly slipping out the door. He recalled barely being able to focus on what he doing at the office, only that he wanted to hurry up and get back to her. Arthur deserved this for throwing that away, especially when he was so certainly and ardently enamored by her. The projection of Ariadne stirred and Arthur scrabbled to re-fold it and return it to his hiding place. He'd just stepped back into the shadows when her eyes drifted open.

For a good minute she registered what happened. And then sat up with the sheet pressed to her chest to look at Dom. He was still peacefully unconscious. Afraid to wake him by taking the sheet she covered her top half and slid out of bed. The Architect's feet landed on the shirt she had previously worn—Arthur's old army t-shirt. Ariadne swallowed but padded around to the foot of the bed and scrounged for Cobb's t-shirt to slip on. It was coincidence that Arthur ran his hand through his hair when Ariadne did. She sipped some water and walked back to her side of the bed. She didn't get in right away—she paused in front of the bedside table and pulled the slip of paper out again. Arthur imitated her: As she sat on the floor against the side of the bed with her knees up, Arthur slid to sit with his back against the wall and his knees to his chest, facing her. Sat just across from her. The tiny note spread open again and her eyes raced across it. As soon as she finished, they squeezed close and she began to silently hiccup, trying to keep more tears at bay. Ariadne met her hands at the top of the paper in the middle and twisted them different ways. But they stopped after a tiny rip, unsure of themselves. "Come on just do it," Ariadne reprimanded herself. Brown eyes shot open and met Arthur's. She was looking at what she saw as a blank wall….but Arthur felt like her saddened gaze was boring into him and appealing to his guilt. "He doesn't love you," she reminded herself, "that won't change the more you read this." The note was torn down a quarter of the way hesitantly but forced any way when Cobb snored in his sleep and startled her. The Architect hid the note by her leg and turned to look up and make sure the Extractor was still asleep. Ultimately she gave up, refolded the partly torn note and stuck it between the pages of the phonebook. Ariadne crawled into bed and, sighing, took Dom's arm and wrapped it around her.

Arthur rammed his head back into the wall. The memory reset to her by herself at her headboard crying and a knock on the door. Numbly, the Point maneuvered back into the elevator and unsystematically chose another card from the Lover side.
xxxxxxx

Peculiarly, the card he picked had what he believed to be a quote on it instead of a destination or date: "Life That's Good." Interested but nervous, he stuck it into the slot and rode the winding tunnels to…a replica of Cobb's living room. The back of the couch and Ariadne's head greeted him. Arthur walked up to the couch but was interceded by the projection version (or memory version) of Dom. The blonde sat on the couch next to her and handed her a mug of something at the same time he pecked her cheek, "I'm sorry. The kids don't understand that sort of thing. They didn't realize that asking you questions about him would—"

"No, it's fine." The Architect sipped from the top, "I've been here a month, he was bound to come up sooner or later."

"Ari…?" Philippa called in a worried tone. After Ariadne's reaction to her onslaught of questions of whether her and Uncle Arthur were still in love and if they were going to get married and if she could be the flower girl, she was afraid of offending her. When Ariadne had started choking up and Dom rushed in to hush the kids, the little girl started crying herself because she thought she really hurt her dear Ariadne's feelings and ran to her room. Dom went into Philippa's bedroom with James and explained to them that they had broken up (first, what breaking up was) and please not do that again. Of course, Arthur didn't see all that. He only saw two concerned little blondes emerge from the hallway. The taller one, holding a little boombox. When the adults on the couch (and the one behind) looked over at them and Ariadne set her mug down on the coffee table, Philippa dropped what she was holding and ran and jumped into Ariadne's lap with her arms around her neck. James followed and leapt beside her, hugging her arm. "I'm so sorry!"

The Architect promised "No sweetie, it's ok."

"I'll never talk about him again. I hate Uncle Arthur!"

"Me too!" James concurred with a firm nod.

That made sense to the Point Man now. The two children had been slightly more than stand-offish to him when he came to town and met them for dinner six months ago. Pippa glared at him. James was excited to see him and chattered without grudge until his sister irritatedly bumped him in intervals and reminded him of something in his ear. And then James tried his best to keep to himself. Cobb apologized for them and (now Arthur knew he lied when he) said he didn't know why they were being like that. Ariadne's projection brought him back to the moment in form of a sigh, "Don't hate your Uncle Arthur. He's a great uncle and he cares about you. Don't be mean to him because we fought." Her request definitely puzzled them because their faces scrunched up and looked at each other. Ariadne smiled tightlipped and excused herself to bed.

Arthur followed the projection up into Cobb's guest bedroom. Time automatically passed to well past 2 am and Ariadne was lying in the bed sniveling and staring at the note. (Which had been torn in two now. But the parts were kept together with tape like she regretted it.) The door to the left side of him (the real entrance to the guest room) slowly opened. It was Philippa again. "Ari?" The one called to looked up startled and was quick to stuff the paper in her pillow, "Pip," her hands ran over her face and she sat up, "What are you doing up?"

The little girl walked a little further in and rubbed her sleepy eyes, "I had to go to the bathroom and I heard you being sad." Ariadne's brows raised and her mouth slightly opened. Arthur recognized it as her signature look when she didn't know what to say. She settled for a halfhearted, "Sorry." Philippa took it upon herself to climb up onto the bed, crawl over the Architect's legs and get under the covers next to Ariadne. "You know I love you, right?" Her voice was even squeakier when tired. The brown haired one smiled, "Yes." Philippa nodded definitively, "James does too. And we'll never stop, I promise." Arthur caught the falter in Ariadne's smile, the gulp. "Thank you, Pip." From there, the little girl wrapped her arms around Ariadne's waist and rested her head on the older girl's stomach. She began softly singing a sugary little song she decided would cheer Ariadne up with a yawn or two in between. "Sometimes I'm hard on me when dreams don't come easy. I wanna look back and say I did all that I could. At the end of the day, lord I pray, I have a life that's good." The little girl's small hand rubbed circles atop Ariadne's, "Two arms around me, heaven to ground me and a family that'll always call me home. Four wheels to get there, enough love to share and a sweet, sweet, sweet song. At the end of the day, lord I pray, I have a life that's goo—"

"Philippa? Is that you?" Cobb crept in. He shook his head, "It's past 2; you should be in your own bed. You have school in the morning." He apologized to Ariadne who swore that she didn't mind. The Extractor kissed her before carrying Pippa out and Arthur followed him through the door. The Extractor and Philippa disappeared though and Arthur found himself in the elevator staring emptily between his and Cobb's boxes. It only seemed fair he keep to his own and he desperately needed to find a positive memory related to him so he rifled through the Berlin subsection, picked a random card and left the Cobb's house behind for the depths he resided in.

Their suite. Their bedroom. Ariadne peacefully sleeping all alo—all alone. No doubt Arthur was up late working. Choosing work over her early on. He wasn't allowed the time to investigate the surroundings and find himself because the Architect stirred awake and rolled over to bury her nose in a person who wasn't there. He watched, tentatively, hoping that Ariadne wasn't too aggravated with past him. To his great relief, she showed no sign. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock which he now noticed read 4:15 am, rolled out of bed and padded to the living area. The actual Arthur hurriedly pulled back the gates of the elevator and trailed behind. "Arthur, are you coming to b—" she stopped, looking quizzically at his empty desk. Both of their eyes slid over to projection Arthur passed out on the couch, laptop in lap. He thought she'd be upset with him. Typical Arthur, rather sleep sitting up at his computer than in bed next to her but she snorted to herself and tiptoed closer. "Arthur?" she whispered, "Arrrrrrthur…" He had no recollection of this night, honestly. When she got close enough, she craned her neck to see what he was typing on the computer and it looked like he was out mid-sentence. Ever so carefully, Ariadne plucked the device from his lap and set it on the coffee table; she made sure to save his work before tilting the screen closed. Next, she took the phone next to him on the couch and walked over to his desk to put it on the charger. The Arthur watching felt as if it were a movie. Not remembering it, he was seeing it for the first time. Ariadne slowly picked his feet off the ground and lugged him around so he could lay down, hushed chuckling still, "You really are out, aren't you?" The Point Man witnessed, amazed, as she lovingly took his shoes and the jacket draped over the back of the couch and went near the front door with them. Not only did she line his black loafers up next to the brown just so (as he would) she hung his jacket up in the closet so it wouldn't wrinkle. If that didn't touch him, what she did next most certainly did. Ariadne knelt on the ground by the couch and gently loosened his tie, "You're such a workaholic…" the hair that'd uncrusted and fallen into his eyes was smoothed back just as gently if not more, "But I love you, so that's that." As the real Arthur began tearing up, Ariadne waved her hand in front of the memory Arthur's face. Finally giving up, she twisted around and turned off the blinking tv, "Good talk." She pressed a kiss to his forehead, turned out the lights and crept back into bed with an ironic smile on her face.

He didn't know whether to feel better or worse. So he distractedly traipsed back to hunt another memory down. This time he picked a card with his eyes closed… Bad idea. He ended up on an airplane with all sound snuffed into silence. He didn't see himself anywhere so he stared confused. Ariadne was curled up into a window seat, blinking at the horizon line behind JFK. A man in a suit and jet black hair filed into her aisle, "Architect?" The woman's eyes brightened with hope and shot to her neighbor. But it wasn't the Point Man, he hadn't followed her on the plane to patch up their relationship. It was some random business mogul. The guy pointed to the sketch pad in her lap filled with doodles of a certain hotel. A certain bench, "Are you an architect?" Her face fell monumentally and Arthur could see the wheels in the man's head looking for where he went wrong. "In my dreams…" she made a noise that was a pitiful excuse for a laugh. The man politely smiled, "Well you're very good," and hid himself behind his phone screen. Ariadne covered her face with her hands and leant into the side of the plane trying not to let the false alarm make her cry. Arthur ripped the card out of its socket and angrily switched to Dom's. Wanting to her happy again.

The Day Things Changed: was a card the Point was specifically interested in. When did Ariadne decide she wanted Dom? He was back in the Cobbs' guest bedroom looking at Ariadne laying upside down with her head hanging off the bed, that same damn note crumpled in her hand. The blanket he bought her in Berlin draped across her from the waist down. Red rimmed, puffy eyes. The kids were nowhere to be found; must've been at a school. Arthur hears music come on the home PA system and Dom appeared in her doorway with a towel wrapped around his head and leant against the doorway, "I can show you the world….shining, shimmering, splendid…" It wasn't speculation, it was hard fact that Cobb was doing his best to cheer her up and only had a selection of children's cd's in the house to serenade with. He strolled in and bent to put their heads level, "Tell me princess, now, when did you last let your heart," and dramatically ran from the room with his hands trailing back, Deciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide…."
Ariadne's interest was only piqued (and mostly due to the makeshift turban he donned). The woman rolled over, kicked out of the blanket and padded to the doorway to watch him half enthused and still clutching Arthur's note. Of course the Point stepped out of the elevator and shadowed. By the time she made it there, Dom was waiting against the wall and ready to bestow upon her head a paper crown and lift her up by her waist over his head to put her in the hallway, "Over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride. A whole new world…" The Extractor dragged her to the landing by the stairs and gestured to the level below as amazed as if it were an actual kingdom. When she wasn't as responsive as he would've hoped he slipped the note from her hand and pocketed it, "…No one to tell us no. Or where to go. Or say we're only dreaming," he may not have sounded as musically trained as the man on the soundtrack and maybe his acting was sub par…but his intent wholly revolved around lifting her spirits. The eagerness yet softness in his bright blue eyes, the gentle hold of her elbow…those were the things that made Ariadne forget for a string of seconds and live completely in the present. Those were the things that made her smirk and start to come out of the fog. Start to play along even if her characterization was soft and uncommitted compared to his, " A whole new world. A dazzling place I never knew." She didn't see a kingdom when she looked down over the railing only toys all over the place and a worn in sofa set. Her imagination had been killed, her belief in fairy tales more than crushed. "But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear," she shrugged at him. Dom stepped down on step and turned to hold his hand out to her hesitantly, she slipped hers in, "Now I'm in a whole new world with you—" With her hand in his, Dom determinedly took off down the stairs, pulling her behind him. The urgency and near fatal foot slip made her laugh nervously. He left her at the bottom (expected her to follow) running around the living room with his arms making airplane motions. Dom turned to see her standing still at the bottom, eyebrows raised. Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling. He raced back and grabbed her waist as Arthur made it to the bottom step and spun her around in circles. And that….that caused true laughter. As the Extractor ran to the kitchen like a little boy, this time she followed. She rounded the island and jumped on top of the bar stool, "A whole new wooooorld!" "Don't you dare close your eyes," the blonde theatrically rushed to her and pressed his hands into the counter top behind her. He rubbed off on her, Arthur could tell. A real smile spread across her face, a real light shone through her eyes and she was truly in a whole other world. The Point Man was forgotten. She saw clouds and genies and magic carpets. Dom pulled her off the counter, weaved their hands and pulled her through the kitchen, through the living room, down the hallway and into Philippa's room. All the while, she looked behind her exaggeratedly (it felt like she was performing and making fun of the Point because her eyes were right on him, "I can't go back to where I used to be…Every turn a surprise," her eyes were whipped back to Dom's while he spun them around both arms outstretched gaining speed. Ariadne's melody trailed into excited shrieks and squeals over Cobb's "With new horizons to pursue" as he spun them faster and faster. They eventually stopped and dizzily but daintily sashayed around the room, "I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare," and across the hall into James' room where Dom pulled the rug from his bed to in front of his lego city for he and the Architect to sit on. They looked down among the lego buildings in fake wonder. Pointing at the things to each other, pretending they were in the air high above it. "—For you and me…" as the song tapered down it looked as though they were both leaning in for a kiss but Dom looked to the ground and pointed out some bank of blocks so Ariadne rested her head on his shoulder. They sat there a very long time without words.

The Architect was the first to speak and she shyly admitted, "You make me really happy, Cobb."

"I'm glad." He picked at his sock. The towel started to come undone on its own and hung limply out of shape.

"Do…I make you…happy?" fell out of her mouth choppy and timid.

Dom's wheels were turning. The Point knew that look. Knew what the worry lines on his head meant. Both men knew where she was taking it. But the Extractor allowed an honest answer of himself, "Yeah." His head shook and a small smile formed, "Very happy actually; it's nice having you here. And your pancakes are to die for."

The woman lifted her head off of him charging the air with tension of some sort as she looked at the Extractor intently, "Dom…there's something here. Don't you feel it?" Again, Arthur had hated Cobb because he was sure his friend had coaxed Ariadne into getting over Arthur and getting into himself. But it was Ariadne pushing this. Ariadne was making all the moves and poor Dom couldn't break free of her spell. In truth, Arthur couldn't blame him; he'd been victim of those same eyes, that same innocent but kittenish expression.

"I won't lie and say I haven't developed alarming feelings for you since you've been here but—" he sighed then resolved to meet her eyes. Determined and set on his answer, "I don't want to be the rebound guy."

"You're not."

He gave her the 'come on now' look with a tilted head, "Typically the first person you see after a breakup is the rebound."

Pulling her knees up to her chest she informed lackadaisically, "Then Gavin was my rebound."

"Gavin?" Dom didn't know the man so he was thoroughly confused. Arthur had the same question however.

"That chemist from the job I did in Rome." Embarrassed, cheeks tinted pink, she squinted and confessed, "After I visited home I may have met up with him in Italy and screwed around for a few weeks…" Of course Clarisse slipped in that she'd been to Italy but after the way Gavin acted when she broke up with him, Arthur figured she was too smart to go back to that. But then again, it was a glimmer of hope. If she was capable of rekindling with Gavin maybe Arthur still had a chance.

"That…" Cobb's hand ran through his hair, "doesn't necessarily make me feel better…"

That fire of hers that everyone loved burst out then. Filled with conviction, she set to put Dom in his place and convince him of…something. "I know the difference in what I'm feeling, Dom. It's not desperation with you. I'm not seeking attention or needing release."

"Maybe. But you're still not over Arthur." A little more disappointed than he would've liked, he gazed at her, "Look, I would very much like to be with you but I want for you to be completely happy again—without a man—first. I want you to be able to say his name without the underlying shaky tone of hurt in your voice. To hear about him without getting that look in your eyes. To be able to look at this note," he pulled it out of his pants pocket and returned it to its owner, "and not cry." His face fell further when Ariadne regarded the paper delicately; her eyes immediately watering and then furrowing. Mad at herself for being so affected still. "And when you can, after we've made you whole again," Dom cupped her cheek sweetly and promised, "if you still want me I'll be right here. Ready to love you." Ariadne understood his reasoning, his request. And it made her admire and care for him all the more. The fact that he was willing to put her needs before both of their wants was touching. He wouldn't dare take advantage even if she wanted him to. And he wouldn't encroach on Arthur's chance to get her back—to force her into getting over him—unless she decided to of her own volition. He was simply there to make her happy. And he did. Ariadne quietly agreed with a tight lipped smile and a light thank you kiss on his cheek. The blonde stood up and announced he would make them lunch and left her there when she declined his offer to pull her up.

Then it was just her (and real Arthur) sitting alone in James' room. A paper crown on her head. A lego city at her feet. Her face set in fortitude, the love note was unfolded and read over. The hiccups were swallowed before they could make noise, the breaths were forced into an even rhythm. "Ari! Do you want cheddar or American?" and the moisture was blinked away before it could build up. Ariadne had read it through and successfully kept herself from crying. A tiny victorious smile bloomed and she got up off the ground, sauntering out into the hallway, "Surprise me!"

When Arthur explored out and into the living room, it was a different day. The many memories were morphing together somehow. Philippa's Teen Beach Movie music was blaring through the speakers and the entire family was singing and grooving to it. They all wore sunglasses (Pippa's were shaped like blue stars and Ariadne's were purple hearts), Cobb was (probably) forced into a pink boa while Philippa paraded around in a green one. James had on a cowboy hat and Ariadne a crown and they looked happy, like a family, dancing to kiddish music. Arthur crossed the room—squinting like they were the sun and were blinding him—to the front door.

On the other side of it was a grocery store aisle. The Point grabbed a basket and got as close to Ariadne as he could. She was staring at the garlic powder hard, finally closing her eyes. Dom was two feet away looking at some taco seasoning and noticed the set in her jaw. He had a few guesses on what it was. Arthur backed up when Dom slid behind her (in jazz fashion) and hugged her waist, "Don't you dare close your eyes…" The corner of Ariadne's lips tugged up while he hummed in her ear and scratched the nape of her neck with his stubble. The Cobb family learned after much trial and error that music was a healing for Ariadne. When she got in that rut they sang. Or they danced. They immersed her in a world that made her laugh and forget and each time it was a little easier. "Hold your breath is gets better," she was slung by her waist in circles and started laughing while Cobb carried the tune, "A whole new worrrrrld" On accident, her feet ran into a shelf and knocked off a bunch of spaghetti sauce cans. The Extractor set her down instantly and they shared an 'uh oh' glance like two little kids. They abandoned their cart of groceries and backed slowly at first to the edge of the aisle then bolted.

Arthur ran behind and followed.

There was a long hallway with doors to rooms on either side all the way down. With that Disney duet playing out of them. Some of them were her quietly whispering it to herself on the bathroom floor or under the covers, some of them were the kids loud belting and family jam sessions, some of them were booming from the car, many of them were her and Cobb humming it while cooking together or clapping the beat of it while walking on the street, or him coyly crooning it while pulling her into the bedroom and her hushing him so he wouldn't wake up the kids. Getting sicker the more he realized how close of a relationship his best friend and Ariadne had…how much of a heartbreak Arthur had been and how much of a saving grace the Cobbs were…the more he saw what his dumb logical side had rashly given up…Arthur sprinted down the hallway to the island of an elevator at the end of it and shut himself inside. He checked his watch. He probably had time for one more…did he want to see any more?

The green monster in him certainly did. He wanted to see Cobb propose. He wanted to see if there had been any second thought for her. Arthur sifted through, pulled the card free, and jammed it in.

It was the Cobb's living room again. And judging from the date on the card…this day was not but a couple before Arthur had visited them for dinner. They had really deliberately made an effort of keeping it from him. Since Dom and Miles insisted they were really busy and should only meet in the city one night to catch up…and Ariadne had obviously stayed home since apparently she'd been living there after her visit home. This time, the Architect was in the kitchen pulling out plates. Six…Arthur counted. So Miles and Penelope were over. "Guys! It's ready! Let's eat!" No one made a peep back at her except James. He scurried down the stairs, "Ari! Ari, do you wanna hear your song?"

"No. I haven't really needed to lately, huh?" She answered giving him a strange once-over. The little boy was in dress pants, a black button up (undone at the top), and a blazer. He looked just like his daddy. She raised her eyebrows and looked at the top of the stairs for signs of the rest of the party. James tugged on her arm and dragged her to the couch. "We found another one. We're gonna put on a show for you before we eat." The Architect couldn't get a word in before he skipped over to the big stereo and played another song. (Sounded like from the same artist.) The words started right away and James began to lip synch and disco. Arthur couldn't help but join Ariadne in laughter at his cuteness. The very first words of a lifelong love letter! From the back waistband of his pants, James pulled out a big 'W' and danced around with it. No one else appeared well into the first chorus…but the small boy held his own: Tell the world that we finally got it all right! I choooooose you. I will become yours and you will become miiine. I choooose you. I choooose—James ran up, grabbed her shoulders and kissed her left cheek, You!

He slid on his knees to the side in true baseball fashion and finally another person showed up. Philippa struck a pose at the top of the stairs dressed just like Ariadne. A long sleeved red shirt and a grey tank over it, a yellow bandana and jeans. Well she wouldn't Pippa if she didn't add a boa to the outfit. The girl skipped down and did a cute ballet combination she learned through her assigned verse with a big cheesy smile like she was performing onstage. Ariadne giggled at her. She stopped suddenly and dramatically and held her fist in front of her mouth like it was a microphone. She held her hand out to gesture to Ariadne, My whole heart will be yours forever. This is a beautiful start to a lifelong love letter! Just as her brother did, Philippa pulled out a big letter 'M' and twirled around with it. Tell the world that we finally got it all right! I chooooooose you. I will become yours and you will become miiine. I chooooose you. I chooooose— The littler girl pranced to the Architect and bestowed a sweet kiss on her right cheek, You! Then Philippa sashayed out of the middle.

Miles popped out of the study and did a cute little tango across the room, mouthing a sentence of the bridge with a wink of Ariadne. As soon as he was on the other side, Penelope did a jig across from the foyer singing the other half. Ariadne didn't notice but Arthur did—Cobb making his way down the stairs behind the commotion. What she watched was the two children (dressed like her and Cobb, mind you) run into the middle to each other to hold hands and mouth, I get to be the other half of you. And then part in the middle to reveal Dom in a suit with the purple heart sunglasses on. Ariadne belly laughed while he stepped and snapped and jokingly lip synched his allotted chorus, Tell the world that we finally got it all right! I choooose you… the Extractor weaved their hands together and pulled her off the couch to make her dance with them all. I will become yours and you will become miiine. I choooooose you. I choooose— instead of pecking her on one of her cheeks, he went to place a sweet one on her lips, you…I choooooose— James ran to stand on the far right, Philippa on the far left and Miles and Penelope in the middle. The little boy unfolded his 'W' to reveal that it said 'Will'. 'You' came from behind Miles' back, 'Marry' from behind Penelope's and Pippa unfolded her 'U' to reveal 'Us?'. "YOU." Cobb left Ariadne standing and kneeled so she could read it.

Here, Arthur powerwalked to the side of the couch to fully see her reaction. None of the projections reacted to him. Ariadne's hand flew to clap over her open mouth in shock. Dom stayed kneeled but held his hands up surrender-like, "I know it's sudden…and fast…but Ari, you're already so much a part of this family that a piece of paper will only make it official. There is never a grey sky when you're here with us. You saved me from limbo, from my guilt…and though I know you're strong enough to do it on your own—if you ever need saving yourself, I'm here. I know you may not be as in love with me as you were with Arthur." The Point started at his name and looked for a spark or anything in her eyes. Only a swallow—could that mean something? "I can understand that. And I can live with it. Because I love you and with me that won't change. So what do you say?" Behind him, Arthur heard Philippa jumping in anticipation and Penelope calming her.

Ariadne let her hand fall from her mouth and whispered, "Yes." Affirmatively.

"Yes?" Cobb was to his feet, palms resting on her elbows.

It was so soft that Arthur stepped in closer to hear her, "I know I can't ever replace Mal for any of you. I wouldn't try. I wouldn't want to. But as much as you love me, I promise I love you that much back. You asked if I needed saving but you already have. I'm happy again. Just looking at you…it makes me happy. So if you're offering me the opportunity to feel this needed and wanted and adored and happy with your family for the rest of my life…then, Dom…" Arthur took a step back, shaking his head. He still didn't believe it. This was a trick. He didn't believe it when he heard she was engaged and when he saw her kiss Cobb and he couldn't bring himself to believe in it now. Ariadne cupped Cobb's cheek, "How could I say no?"

Cobb beamed and pulled out the velvet box. Arthur would've rather shot himself than watch his best friend slip the ring on the love of his life's finger.
xxxxxx

Turned out, he did.

Arthur woke to the ceiling of the warehouse five minutes before the timer with a start and a heavy, heavy, heart.

Xxxxxxx

Let the sun fade out to a dark sky.
Can't say I even noticed it was absent.
Cause I could live by the light in your eyes.
Tell the world that we finally got it all right.
I choose you.
I will become yours and you will become mine.
I choose you.
–I Choose You

Xxxxxxx

Okie doke…this is not going to be pretty. Ahaha. As a note: I know Arthur is a whacko right now but remember we're seeing him at his absolute worst. He's in shock and desperate and guilty on top of it all. Ariadne is marrying his freakin best friend. Not to say he's justified in any of his cowardice or selfishness but go back to the beginning chapters, to Rome and Berlin and the movie…this isn't all he is. And I've got to make him worse to make him better. The whole Beauty and the Beast theme? Arthur is definitely the Beast we first meet in that movie right now and Ariadne's forgotten all the sweet things we can go back reread, relive and remember.

Arthur's an asshole. But have faith he'll turn around and let's hope he pulls himself together soon. About 5 or 6 more chapters. See you on the other side of the next update guys!