Chapter Seven

Strange blobs of light were floating before Ariadne's eyes. She felt herself spinning around endless space before coming crashing to the ground.

Groggily opening her eyes she saw the faces of four concerned faces peering down at her. It took her a moment to realize where she was and when she did the panic set in immediately. She sat bolt up right and four pairs of hands were quick to hold her down as if they were worried that she was about to escape.

"What's going on?" she said suddenly aware of Arthur's hand on her shoulder. His gentle face full of concern. This wasn't how she expected to meet with him and her anxiety disappeared a little. In other circumstances she may have even smiled.

"You blacked out" Cobb explained straightening up and looked back down at her his eyes just as concerned as Arthur's. "Just relax for a moment, don't get up".

Ariadne sat completely tensed up on the deck chair that they laid her on her mind was fluttering with all the possibilities. What the hell had just happened? She remembered Arthur appearing before her trying to tell her something and Cobb insisting that he wasn't there but that was it.

Her blood froze. The Seekers must have infected her too, Cobb must have been wrong. They must have implanted themselves in her subconscious and were now affecting her memory. The thought that there were foreign agents inside her head manipulating her mind was enough to drive her crazy. She let out a small, uncharacteristic shriek. All this fainting and blacking out she was quickly turning into a wreck if she weren't so afraid she'd be embarrassed.

Her vision cleared and everyone came sharply into focus. She was impressed but not surprised that Arthur remained so neat. He was impeccable as always her eyes skimmed over his suit before returning to his face. He was almost perfectly handsome. His eyes flickered towards her own and she blushed knowing that she had been caught staring.

Eames cleared his throat loudly and he and Yusef stepped away. Dom was not as observant.

"Guys can you give me and Ariadne some space please?" Cobb cleared his throat and Eames and Yusef leant back their eyes still intensely examining Ariadne as if they cold tell what was wrong with her just by looking. Arthur remained by her side. His hand still on her shoulder.

"You'll be okay Ariadne" he whispered. "It's good to see you"

"Arthur?" Cobb hinted raising an eyebrow.

Arthur reluctantly let go of Ariadne and slowly stepped away so that Cobb could crouch down beside her and talk with her privately. Ariande's eyes followed the dark haired man as he stepped away wishing that she could have greeted him more appropriately.

"Are you alright?" He asked gruffly. Ariadne knew that Cobb must have been really worried about her it took a lot for him to do the whole emotional reassurance thing.

Ariadne turned to face Cobb. "I am infected aren't I?" she said.

Cobb's face contorted with a rare uneasiness. "I can not be sure there are lots of different ways that the dream share technology can impact on you. You only blacked out that happens naturally for normal people in stressful situations".

"But I saw Arthur" Ariadne insisted and Cobb looked surprised.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened? Every little thing that you can remember?"

Ariadne recounted the details of the episode to the best of her ability but even as she spoke little fragments memories were disappearing as it all became disjointed in her head.

"I think we might need to have Yusef run some tests on you" Cobb spoke softly. "I don't want to alarm you but I think it's best to be sure. This episode doesn't sound like the same thing as Arthur's and I'm pretty positive it's not but it's still strange".

"Thanks Cobb" Ariande rolled her eyes. She was glad that the blonde man despite his intelligence hadn't become a doctor or a therapist.

Cobb helped Ariadne up from her chair and the pair of them strolled over to the others. "I think it's best that you go home for today" Cobb spoke more loudly letting the others know that it was okay to be listening in to their conversation. "Take some rest, go see some friends, catch up on your studies and come back when you're ready".

Ariadne's head was still reeling. She was surprised by Cobb although she desperately wanted to get away for a while she also wanted to know what the hell was going on. She was both eager for and scared of those tests.

"I'll take her" Arthur insisted getting up from his chair almost immediately. The chair crashed titled and crashed on the ground with a loud bang as a result of the sudden movement. Eames looked at Arthur and shook his head trying to hide his amusement.

Cobb looked at Arthur critically as if he didn't think this was such a good idea. Ariadne wasn't sure if it was either but she desperately wanted it to happen. It was like waiting for permission from her father as a teenager to go to a park with a boy she liked.

"It's probably not best for her to be alone at the moment" Arthur's usually crisp professional manner was hijacked by uncertainty for a moment.

Cobb's eyes narrowed before he nodded. "Okay, just remember you have work to do".

Arthur chuckled regaining his composure. "Sure boss" He joked.

Ariadne said an awkward goodbye to the other guys in the room before leaving with Arthur. She was still shaking trying to figure out what was going on but whatever it was Cobb seemed to think that it could wait. Still she was more than glad to have Arthur coming home with her.

"I'm sorry that this is how we have to meet again" he said once the pair of them were out on the street and walking amongst the everyday crowd who were completely oblivious to the complexities of the dreamworld.

Ariadne paused to think over his words so that meant that it was only dreams that he had come to her in, nothing more even if they felt so real.

"Yeah well Cobb doesn't really organize karaoke or movie nights does he?" Ariande tried to joke. The fact that she was so close to Arthur was almost enough to make her forget about those wretched seekers. She could feel the warmth radiating off his body and wished that she could snuggle up next to him. He was so difficult to figure out the guy could be seem so emotionless so cold but she knew there was a playful side to him as well.

"It's been busy Ariande, our business has become even more lucrative but more dangerous" Arthur sighed before a cheeky smile picked up on his face. "If it was the type of job I could send a postcard from I would".

Ariadne smiled still finding it difficult to believe that even in light of the circumstances they were having such a casual conversation. She searched Arthur's face as if trying to find something different about him something that would show that his subconscious was under attack. But of course there was nothing he looked as cool and composed as possible.

"How are your studies going? You must only have a few years left" Arthur continued.

"Yeah" Ariande looked away. "Not so good. It's just been difficult getting back into it all". She wanted to tell him that she missed their world and most of all that she missed him but that was the stuff of corny romantic comedies. Ariadne highly doubted that Arthur was the type of person who watched corny romantic comedies.

"It is difficult" Arthur agreed. "I couldn't do it, I admire you for it".

Ariadne turned to him surprised. "Really?" A hot blush crept across her face she kept her focus on the concrete path in the hope that he wouldn't notice. "I mean it's nothing compared to what you're doing".

Arthur shook his head but couldn't think of anything to say. The pair of them continued to walk back to Ariadne's flat in silence. Ariadne's swinging arm accidently brushed up against his side.

"Sorry" they both said at the same time before awkwardly smiling at one another and turning away. Ariadne wondered how much Arthur knew about the Seekers or if in fact he knew anything at all. The pair of them had very little in common as it was but they could talk about the smallest thing for hours somehow that just wasn't translating today. She glanced back at his hand wondering what he would think if she was just to reach out and grab it.

The pair of them walked in silence for a few more moments. Ariadne's eyes darted around the streets looking for any small thing that could be a means of topical conversation but she was let down by the usually inspiring streets of Paris.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Arthur asked watching her quizzically his brow furrowing with concern.

Ariadne nodded quickly. "Yes just still a bit dizzy" she smiled trying to reassure him but he had stopped staring off into the distance like a rabbit in headlights.

"Arthur?" Ariande looked at him surprised. "Arthur I said I'm fine don't worry".

But it was obvious when Arthur had forgotten about her by the way he was staring. He had frozen completely still except for his wide blinking eyes. Ariadne shook him gently starting to grow worried.

"Arthur? What is it?"

"It's Mal" Arthur muttered. Ariadne's heart stopped as she looked up to follow Arthur's gaze. She saw the tall, dark haired woman and hoped for a moment that it was just a remarkable lookalike but then Mal's cold eyes met theirs from the other side of the street.

Arthur tugged desperately on Ariadne's hand urging her to run with him. "Come on!" he hissed.