Children with no faces

~ It had been a few weeks since the Team had returned to Japan. Arthur and Ariadne had taken a trip to photograph the rural country side. It was good to be back with Point Man again. Alone and safe with him, she felt herself returning to normal and forgetting the dream she shared with Braker.

The continuous rain had stopped for a few days, the sun had come out. The world was fresh and new and clean. Ariadne worked in her dark room, developing the pictures she and Arthur took from their sailing trip. In the mornings, the Team all converged for breakfast at Ariadne's apartment. James and Phillipa were happy to be with their Father and back in Japan.

"So when is the wedding?" Sybil asked. She and the Architect were in an Americanized Mall, shopping. It felt good to return to a normal "girl" activity. Ariadne shrugged and smiled.

"We haven't had much of a chance to plan." She told the Girl. "We have plenty of time."

"You and Arthur are getting pretty old." Sybil told her. Ariadne laughed. "Are you going to have the wedding here or in France?"

"I don't know."

"Can I be in it?"

"Sure."

"Sweet." Sybil said with a fist pump. Ariadne pointed at some sensible clothes.
"Were here to pick out clothes for you to return to school in." She said.
"Yeah, you have boring taste in clothes. You lived in France for crying out loud. I should have brought Eames." Sybil said looking over the plain style the Architect held out for her. Ariadne gave the girl a disgusted look.

"Oh Eames is good at picking out clothes for a 15 year old girl?" She asked.

"Yes." Sybil said as if the Architect had asked a truly stupid question.

"Well, then Eames can take you shopping." Ariadne told her. Sybil nodded.

"How long are we going to pretend that Limbo didn't affect you?" She asked. Ariadne looked up from a rack of simple blouses.

"What... what do you mean?" She asked tentatively.

"You know what I mean." Sybil asked. "Delilah's compound didn't work."

"The compound worked." Ariadne told the Girl.

Sybil waited patiently. Ariadne searched for her words. Not able to find a way to tell the Girl what had happened.

"The compound worked on me, but not Braker." She said softly. "He's immune to it now." Sybil was quite for a long time.

"My God." She breathed. The Girl was able to grasp the gravity of what happened. "All his work in extraction, plus the PASIV-4 frying his brain..." She started. Putting the pieces together.

"I think using the compound too much makes you immune to it. Like how we can't dream normal dreams if we keep doing the extractions." Ariadne explained.

"We have to tell Cobb... Delilah." Sybil said

"No, I can't." Ariadne said.

"Why not?" Sybil asked. The Girl was understanding as she meet the Architect's eyes.

"Braker and I were in Limbo... together. We... were there...We..." Ariadne tried to say. Comprehension dawned on the Girl.

"You don't remember, but Braker dose." Sybil said, finding the words.

~ Some time later, they were sitting on a quite bench in an idyllic Japanese park.

"When I was in Limbo," Sybil told the Architect "I was happy. It was never a bad place. That was reality."

Ariadne listened to the Girl. Sybil had understood. Her exposure to Limbo had been long and at a very young age.

"In Limbo, I created worlds and people, literally. It seemed natural. I was loved, it was like how I imagine Heaven would be. I grew up in Limbo, I had a husband and I had Children. I remember them so clearly. When Delilah pulled me out... I was sitting on my porch watching my Grandchildren play. I woke up from a world where I was happy, to a world where I was used and hated." Sybil finished looking at some swans on a small pond. "For a long time, it was hard to put it behind me. Even after I found my way to all of you, I still thought about... things." Sybil confided.

"What kind of things?" Ariadne whispered. Sybil sighed.

"I didn't want to live in this world anymore. This world is so harsh, and cold. I missed my husband, my family. I still feel like they are waiting for me. Waiting for me to come home. You can tell me it was a dream all day long, but..." Sybil's eyes suddenly looked very old. The Girl turned to the Architect. "You swear you don't remember?" Ariadne nodded.

"I just remember our home, our children. Nothing detailed. I don't remember their names or their faces." The Architect said truthfully. "I feel so bad about it."

"Don't be." Sybil said. "You were lost down there."

"How could I have forgotten Arthur?" She asked feeling the worse sense of betrayal come over her.

"It was Limbo." Sybil said with a shrug. "Arthur can never know."

Ariadne looked at the Girl. She didn't like hiding things from Arthur.

"I..." She started to say

"He was never in Limbo. He would never understand." Sybil told her. "In the meantime, I think we need to see Yori, get your mind checked out. This is bothering you more then your letting on." Ariadne nodded.

~ Yori maintained a simple little office in a quite and older section of the city. The Doctor listened intently to Ariadne. After talking to Sybil, it was easier for her to find her words. She didn't mention anything about Braker or that he remembered everything. She never mentioned the Children With No Faces. Yori seemed sympathetic although confused as to what was really bothering the Architect. Sybil was no help as she leafed through Japanese fashion magazines.

"Well, we can do an MRI if you like. A brief toxicology. The compound Delilah gave you was safe. I tested it myself. It should be out of your system. We can test for any cascading effects on your mind." Ariadne nodded.

The Doctor was willing to believe there was a problem with no proof.

"We should alert the Australians, Braker was in Limbo to." Yori added picking up her phone.

"No!" Ariadne almost shouted. Sybil raised her head and gave the Architect a bizarre look.

"Braker was fine." Sybil told the Doctor. "He was trained for this."

This simple explanation seemed enough for Yori. Her technicians drew blood and vitals. After several hours, Yori finally came back into the little exam room.
"I'm sorry Ariadne, we can't do an MRI." Yori told them

"Why not?" The Architect asked feeling worried.

~ A privet driver took the three women back to the Team's apartment building. It had started to rain again, the city becoming blinded by the downpour.

"To be honest," Sybil said still looking at the magazine she had stolen from the office. "I'm surprised your just now knocked up." She laughed. "I mean, you were on that stupid boat for like what, a year? It's not like there was anything else to... you know... do. You guys didn't even have a T.V." Ariadne tired to ignore the Girls crude comments.

"Are you sure the compounds won't hurt..." She started to asked Yori. Unable to ask if the Edwards extraction might have harmed the new life inside her.
"The sonogram showed a perfect six week old fetus. The PASIV affects a selective part of the brain. It has almost no effect other then sedation. It's been tested on pregnant women before and the babies were always fine." The Doctor Smiled and took Ariadne's hand "That's probably why you were so worried. Your body just sensed the pregnancy."

"Oh my God." Sybil laughed suddenly and cast a catty eye at the Architect. "You are going to be so fat for your wedding." In a way, Ariadne was almost grateful.

Sybil's behavior cast an air of normalcy. No traces at all of the serious conversations they had shared only a few hours ago. It let her know that Sybil would keep her secret. That Sybil would protect her.

"Congratulations." Yori told her, ignoring the Girl. "This is a real blessing."

~ "That was a long shopping trip." Arthur said. "Want to order in?" Ariadne had come home to find the Point Man working on the PASIV device. Their normally neat dinning table was a mess.

"That sounds nice." she said with a genuine smile.

When she saw him, a feeling of comfort surrounded her. For a moment, she forgot the curse of Limbo, the extractions, Edwards and even Braker. She smiled to herself.

"Where's Sybil?" Arthur asked looking up from his work.
"She and Eames are at his place, watching that stupid game show." Ariadne told him sitting next to him. He gave her a warm look and smiled.

"Did you have a nice day out?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yes." She said.

She had never been afraid of speaking her mind before. It was suddenly hard. Arthur had no idea that their lives were changing. She held onto this secret for a delicious few seconds before she had to tell him.

"Arthur..." He looked up from his work. Ready to listen to her. She couldn't stop now. "Umm. Were pregnant." She finished simply. He blinked.

"Are you sure?" He asked his eye dropping to her abdomen as if he could see evidence already. She nodded and smiled.

"Yori confirmed it today. I know, I know this is not the right time. With everything going on." She fumbled.

She suddenly felt tears coming down. She wasn't sad exactly. Just an emotional reaction to the day that had been so filled with complications. His hand was at the back of her head as he kissed her. His warm lips on her mouth. His kiss, gentle but firm. He pulled away with a smile.

"No, it's wonderful." He said. "It's perfect. I always told you my home was with you. Your going to make us a family." He kissed her once more on the forehead and lips. He stood up then, bringing her with him. His long arms pulled her body close to his in a secure embrace as his hand moved to her belly. He held her there, as if owning that part of her.

"When do think it happened?" He asked softly

"Counting backwards? I think it was in New York." She told him. "Our first night there." Arthur nodded.

"That night you took advantage of me?" He reminded her.

"I did not take advantage of you." She said in mock anger. She couldn't help but blush at the memory.

"I was ready to go to sleep and you had your way with me." He teased.

"I didn't do anything to you." She said justifiably. He laughed.

"Sure you didn't." He said. She giggled as Arthur maneuvered his hand under her shirt to feel the bare skin of her abdomen.

"I love you." He whispered. "Thank you." She wanted to say 'for what?' But didn't. Arthur had been an orphan in the world. No family and only a few friends. He was grateful to have her anchor him. To give him a home that was her love and now a child from that love.