Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.

"Go back." Ariadne's voice was taught. Arthur blinked. "Ari-"

"Go back!" she repeated. She turned to face him. "You can't leave her there. You can't. They'll kill her."

"And if we go back, they'll kill us as well." Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Cassandra is a Point, she knew the risks!"

"And so do you!" Ariadne's voice was dangerously close to tears. "You knew what could happen when Fischer took the team over. You knew what would happen and you still insisted on trying to run-"

"Oh, so this is all my fault, is it?" He glared at her, a well of anger bubbling and rising to the surface. "My fault I got beaten to a pulp, my fault that I tried to find you?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" she protested, her voice rising. "And you know it!"

"Then what did you mean, Ariadne?" Arthur's voice was as taut as wire. "Either way, someone is going to die. If not you, then me, or Cassandra. The only people who Fischer won't touch are Eames and Cobb. They've covered themselves at our expense."

He gripped the wheel. A lone car rattled past, kicking up dust. He blinked. The late afternoon sun was too strong.

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Ariadne looked at him. "Arthur, I love you, you know that. But, I don't think we should leave her there. If it weren't for her, you would never have got to me."

Arthur nodded. "I know." He swallowed. "But, Cass and I had a deal. If I saved her life, she saved mine. She works to a scheme of debt and favour, Ari. She's paid off her debt to me, and vice versa. She would say that I don't have to go back. That I have no obligation."

"Because of Columbia?" Ari's voice was small. Arthur nodded.

"Yes, Columbia." He looked at her. "And the fact that I was there when she miscarried." He bit his lip. "I don't blame her for not telling Eames, but-" he banged his hand on the steering wheel. He looked at Ariadne. "I can't leave her with them. Not with Cobb. And not with Eames."

"But Eames-"

"Eames is as two faced as the day is long." Arthur looked at Ariadne. "At the moment, he's telling me he loves her and he wants to help her - as soon as we arrive, he'll probably start beating her himself."

She looked at him. "So, we go back?"

Slowly, carefully, he nodded. "Yes. But for her. And we get her, and then we leave." Firmly, resolutely, he started the engine, trying to ignore the sickening pounding of his heart.

Cobb swallowed, and rubbed his face. Fischer walked into the room, smiling. "Well?"

"Just dont' ask me-" Cobb broke off, and looked at the younger man with loathing. "To do this again."

Fischer raised an eyebrow. "OK, fine. I'll just ask Eames to put a bullet in her skull. Problem solved."

The Extractor faced him. "Don't you dare." Walking forward, he grabbed Fischer's lapels, and pushed him against the wall. "If you do, I swear I'll kill you myself."

Fischer looked at him, unflinching. "Go ahead. Anything else you'd like me to charge you with?"

Cobb turned away. "Stop it."

"Oh, I will." Fischer brushed down his jacket. "Its very simple. You, Cassandra, and Eames help me break into the defence programme. Then, I will let you and Eames go. And you can do what you like with her."

"What about Arthur and Ariadne?"

Fischer raised an eyebrow. "Fugitives, Dom. Always on the run, looking over their shoulders. They'll never have a normal life." He smiled, sardonically. "Simply the way."

Cassandra swallowed. She was lying on the bed. After every beating, she was taken back to the bed. Her body felt as though it had been hammered.

Closing her eyes, she tried to drift into sleep. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm. "Cass," a voice whispered.

Her lips parted, but no sound emerged. She felt the trace of a finger over her mouth.

"Come on," the voice said, softly.

"Fugitives?" Cobb raised an eyebrow. "They'll get by. They will."

"Of course," Fischer replied, laconically. "Not sure how when their names are known to every police force, but still..."

"Fischer, drop it." Cobb clenched his fist. "We nearly killed Arthur, We've nearly killed Cass. We can't keep on doing this."

Fischer turned to him, his eyes chips of ice. "Be careful, Dom. One word, and you no longer have Fischer-Morrow's protection, either. Or do you want to go to jail for the murder of your late wife? It was easy for Saito to fix it, its equally easy for me to unfix it. One phone call."

Cobb sagged, visibly. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" He looked at Cobb, his face impassive. "Find Eames, and find her. We leave in 20 minutes."

"Cassandra is in no shape to be the Point." Cobb spoke through gritted teeth.

Fischer smiled again. "Really. We'll just have to ask Eames to beat some agreement into her, won't we?"

"He won't." Cobb felt himself tensing.

"He has to," Fischer said, softly. "Or I kill her."

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