A/N: Soundtrack for writing the whole chapter was "Caroline" by Wolfmother. Really, it played all along, countless time. It wasn't until later when I realized how appropriate this song's lyric are for this chapter!

A couple more reviews than last time would be nice, really. Even the shortest one make me happy:)

"Our love is all around here
She goes away just to be near"

Caroline, Wolfmother

Ariadne felt unreasonably happy. She didn't even thought pay attention to the fact that Cobb still isn't here. All what mattered was that Arthur looked undisturbed and almost happy.

She was sitting on the bed waiting for him to finish morning shower. He was still asleep when she went out earlier this morning to buy something special for breakfast. Now everything was prepared, waiting for them to sit down and feast. When bathroom door cracked Ariadne smiled broadly and frozen. Arthur pressured small towel to his arm, which was already soaked through with blood.

Ariadne gasped and rushed forward him.

"What's that?", she shouted and before Arthur could react pushed the towel away.

There was a long gash along Arthur's arm, clean and straight.

Obviously made with something sharp.

"You…", Ariadne tried to find proper words, but couldn't. "You did it to yourself?"

Arthur didn't have to answer her question; the look in his face did it for him.

"Oh my god, Arthur…", Ariadne said weakly, unable to react any other way. "Why?", she added despairingly, somewhere deep inside wishing that's just a dream, nothing more. She leaned on the wall, feeling suddenly very weak.

Arthur didn't answer on the spot. He said heavily on the bed, letting the blood from his wound drip along his arm.

"We can't be together all the time.", he answered finally. "And I… I need to know. Ari, I can't lay on you all the time!"

Unexpectedly Ariadne started to feel anger. "You need to know?", she repeated in low, dangerous tone. "You need to know, so you hurt yourself? It won't work! It won't work, cause everything is in our minds!", she stepped closer to bed, trying to find eye contact with Arthur. She forced herself to calm down.

"Arthur, please. Arthur, believe me, be with me…"

"Be with you?", he suddenly interrupted. "It's all I can do right now, isn't it?", his voice was bitter and hoarse. "But I can't Ariadne, I tried but I can't. I've never been so depend in my entire adult life and I can't, understand? I can't!", he screamed last words making Ariadne flinched.

"It makes me hate you, Ariadne.", crossed her mind, those words she almost forgot in past few days.

"You hate me. You hate me, because you have to depend on me?"

This time it was Arthur, who flinched.

"I…", but he didn't get the chance to finish; Ariadne already dashed out the room. She run down downstairs, hoping that she would reach exit before the pain inside her would break her. She opened the door hastily and frozen.

On the porch stood Cobb, wearing bewildered look on his face.

"Ariadne?", he started hesitantly, but she brushed past him run forward. Everything around her looked bleary and she didn't try to fight when suddenly somebody caught her.

"It's me.", she heard familiar voice and then everything turned black.

Eames didn't think that's the best idea to go with Cobb. On the other hand he knew that Cobb was still jetlagged so he offered giving a lift.

Now, with still a little dizzied Ariadne sitting next to him, he was extremely happy of this act of generousness. He didn't ask her any question yet and left Cobb to deal with Arthur. He parked and turned off the engine.

"Ari.", he spoke softly for the first time. "We need to take you to my apartment, sweetheart."

Ariadne nodded slightly, still looking blindly straight. She let Eames help her get off the car and climb stairs. She leaned on the wall, while Eames was unlocking the door and then allowed him lead her into flat. She felt numb and empty, unable to say or so anything at all.

She sat obediently in heavy armchair and closed her eyes. She felt like she was drifting in space with no resting point. All she wanted right now was sitting like that, not thinking, not remembering.

She felt Eames's warm hand resting on her knee, but didn't open her eyes until he spoke softly. There was concern and fear in his eyes, she could see that clearly.

"I think, it's over.", she whispered. "Arthur, I… It's all over." She could feel tears streaming on her cheeks, but it didn't give her any relief. It only made everything worse, waking her up from this strange state of complete numbness.

Eames didn't ask any further, just wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Release it, love.", he whispered softly into her ear.

He didn't flinch when she started screaming.