Forgive me.
I know, I know- it's been a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGG time since I've updated, and I apologize. School has just been so hectic and whatnot, I just had no time to post. BUT, the good news is, all the major projects that had kept me away from my writing are now complete, so I'll be free to update more frequently. And I PROMISE to never again take such a long time to update. Scout's honor.
Now, some things you should know about this chapter.
a) It didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. But then again, most things don't turn out the way I wanted to. So if this sucks, I'm sorry I made you wait such a long time for such a crappy chapter.
b) My lack of ability to write fight scenes is evident in this chapter. If anyone can give me tips on how to improve the fighting, PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE leave a review. Tell me what I can do better!
c)Arthur or Eames might be OOC at some points...just a warning...
So, yeah. That's about it. Hope you enjoy it, and look out for the next update!
Previously on 'We'll Be a Dream'...
As they crowded into the elevator, Arthur took a deep breath and tried to forget how Ariadne would be asking him for a quick kiss right now, before they started the mission.
He had to forget everything that had happened, at least for the next two hours. Because he was working now.
And he needed to focus.
We'll Be a Dream
Chapter Six (Part Two)
Arthur couldn't help but compare Miles' cathedral with Ariadne's. The walls were a plain gray instead of a sparkling white. This bell wasn't as big as the original. There weren't as many stained-glass windows, and the thick, dark storm clouds in the sky prevented any color from streaming through.
It wasn't that Miles wasn't a good architect, because he was perfectly competent. Arthur just preferred Ariadne's work.
But maybe he was just bias.
Cobb pulled open the heavy front doors and ushered him into the church. Arthur stepped in, careful not to meet the gaze of the few projections milling around the narthex. The point man felt his boss nudge past him, his ears barely hearing the extractor's deep voice.
"Bonaparte's kneeling in the front left pew," Cobb muttered lowly, eyes locked ahead of him. Arthur glanced into the chapel, seeing a familiar head of black hair. "Miles is already in there, waiting for me. Stay here and keep watch."
"Wait, where's Eames?"
Cobb shrugged his shoulders. "He was supposed to waiting for us by the front door. But you know Eames- he could be on the roof for all I know. Go find him, and keep him out of trouble, will you?"
Arthur sighed quietly and nodded as the other man walked into the chapel. If he hadn't entered Ariadne's dream, he would be walked beside Cobb instead of watching his retreating form. If he hadn't entered Ariadne's dream, the dreamscape would have been magnificent.
If he hadn't entered Ariadne's dream, Ariadne would be here.
Arthur shook his head, trying to refocus. He needed to stop thinking of her, or else an Ariadne projection might appear out of no where. He had told Cobb he was fine- and he was fine. The team depended on him, and he wasn't going to let them down.
Nearly all the projections were gone now- some of them had entered the chapel, while others had ventured outside. The point man walked around the narthex, checking every corner for any hidden traps or security, as well as any signs of the missing Englishman. He was on guard duty, after all. He might as well do something productive.
Arthur had just finished checking another hallway for hiding projections and was walking back to the front of the cathedral when the door on his left opened. Startled, he whipped around and instinctively delivered a swift punch to the unknown being's torso, not even pausing to see his face.
"OW! What was that for, you bloody motherfucker?"
Arthur froze in confusion. To his surprise, he saw Eames on the ground, clutching his stomach and grimacing.
"Dammit, Arthur! That hurt!"
The point man quickly helped his coworker up, bringing him to his feet. "Where the fuck had you been? Why were you in that room?"
Eames, still rubbing his abs gently, looked at the door he had just come from. "I was already in here when I entered the dream- I must have miscalculated my position." He groaned in pain, hitting a sore spot on his stomach. "Bloody hell that knocked the wind right out of me..."
"Sorry. I thought you were a projection. Why didn't you come out and meet us by the entrance?"
"I remembered what you had said about safety and didn't want to risk running into any projections this early in the mission. Thought it best to wait till the coast was clear. But I heard your footsteps in the hallway and figured it was safe."
"Well, I'm glad I've taught you at least one thing since I met you." Arthur deadpanned.
"Oh, don't worry, darling," Eames scoffed. "You've taught me plenty. For instance, I learned not to enter my girlfriend's dreams and break her projection's face from you."
A muscle in Arthur's cheek twinged and the forger instantly regretted his words "Arthur, love, I didn't mean it-"
"Cobb wanted us to keep guard." Arthur said stiffly. "We should go."
Eames opened his mouth once more to apologize, but the point man had already turned his back on him, walking briskly down the corridor. With a sigh, he decided to keep quiet and hurried to catch up with him.
"Do you know why Cobb didn't ask you to forge anyone?"
They were side by side now, walking the outside perimeter of the cathedral. The thick, dark storm clouds had lessened into gray, wispy ones, but still cast a shadow over them, and both men could feel small droplets of rain hitting the top of their heads every few seconds.
"He just told me that he thought Bonaparte would cooperate better if it was just him doing the interrogating," Eames replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Besides, pretty women aren't usually seen hanging around alters."
Arthur nodded, his eyes darting from left to right in an attempt to catch any sudden movements.
The Brit watched him, noticing the loneliness and guilt radiating from his body and felt sorry for his colleague. It was quite obvious he was missing Ariadne. His comment earlier was really uncalled for. "Darling, I really am sorry about what I said."
"I know you are, Eames." He responded quietly, still not making eye contact. "It's alright. It's my fault really- I overreacted."
"Is that why Cobb asked you to stay with me instead of accompanying him? So you wouldn't bring your emotions to the case?" Eames bit his tongue as soon as the last word left his lips. Why, why, why had he brought that up? He really was an idiot sometimes…
Thankfully, Arthur didn't seem to mind. "Yes, I would think that's the reason…" he answered coolly. "Cobb has heard about what went on yesterday, and he decided to change the case plan. Obviously, he thought it best to keep me away from Bonaparte, which is okay. It's fine...I'm fine." His voice hitched a little, but he masked it with a cough.
"Are you sure you're alright, love?" Eames asked, looking at him. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"
Arthur stopped walking and faced him for the first time. "What's there to talk about?" he asked quietly. "What's done is done. It can't be changed."
"But darling, don't you want to win her back? This is simply just a misunderstanding, after all. I'm sure she'd-" Out of the corner of his eye, Eames caught a slight movement in the distance and cut off. "Arthur...I think someone's coming…."
Slowly, Arthur turned around to see a young man standing no more than fifty feet away from him. The two extractors stilled, waiting to see what he would do.
Quick as lightning, the man pulled out a gun and fired a shot at them. Arthur jumped to the left, grabbing Eames by the collar and pulling him along. The bullet whizzed past them not a second later, and they darted back around the cathedral to hide along the wall.
"…As I was saying," Eames muttered, catching his breath. "I'm sure Ariadne would forgive you if you took the time to explain."
Arthur looked at him skeptically, but before he could respond, heavy footsteps announced the approaching projection and he whirled away from the wall to confront him. A hard blow to the neck and chest had the man wheezing in pain as the extractor wrestled the gun from his hand.
Still leaning against the cathedral, Eames turned to his right, only to spot another man running towards them. "Bloody hell…" He pushed himself of the wall and into its path, blocking Arthur from the coming attack. The projection glared at him, shooting a fist up to Eames' face, but the forger ducked just in time. Eames swung a leg up to meet his right thigh and the man fell hard, hitting the concrete floor with a thud. The Englishman got up and pounced on him, pinning the projection down with his knees. He punched the man in the face and barely heard Arthur's voice over the sound of breaking bone.
"I'm not sure Ariadne would let me." He grunted out, still fighting Projection One for the gun. Arthur grabbed the man into a headlock and squeezed, his opponent's face turning red. "You heard what she said yesterday," he continued, prying the projection's fingers off the trigger. "She won't listen to any explanations."
"Darling, she didn't mean that. Ariadne was just a little shaken, that's all. Go talk to her. I'm sure it'll work out." Eames kneed Projection Two (who, apparently, was still strong enough for a second round) in the groin. The man beneath him withered in pain and he smirked. "Are you alright over there?" He added, looking over at his colleague. "Need any assistance?"
"No, I'm fine on my own." Arthur finally stole the gun from his projection and dropped his attacker to the floor. It fell to the ground, gasping for air, before the point man delivered a swift kick to the ribs with a shiny, Italian-leather-clad foot. Eames followed suit and gripped his own projection's head, snapping his neck with a simple twist. Both projections now lay still on the floor, blood trickling from their bodies.
The forger climbed off his opponent as the gray clouds gave way to bright sunshine- Cobb's signal that the extraction had been completed. Arthur squinted in the sudden brightness and waved the stolen gun in the air. "I think we're done here. I'll shoot you first, then follow."
"Wait!" Eames exclaimed as the point man raised the gun. "Promise me you'll talk to Ariadne as soon as we wake up."
Arthur's fingers twitched over the trigger. "But, Eames-"
"No buts. You two need to sort this out, even if I have to drag your guilty arse over to her apartment. Now promise me."
Arthur groaned. "Fine, okay…I promise."
Eames smiled. "Good. You and Ariadne are too perfect for each other to let a silly little spat tear you apart. Just talk to her, and I'm sure you'll be back to wearing matching sweaters and calling each other pet names and whatever other things couples do."
The point man couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You obviously have never experienced a real relationship, Mr. Eames."
"Oh, darling," the forger smirked. "Of course I haven't."
Arthur chuckled then smiled softly. "Thanks for all the help, Eames. Really, it means a lot to me."
"Just doing my best to help keep the peace, love. That's all…" Eames gave him a toothy grin and nodded his head, signaling his coworker to go ahead and shoot.
Once he'd fallen to the ground, Arthur sighed and lifted the gun to his own head. He was a man who kept his promises, and he'd promised Eames that he would talk to Ariadne. It was now or never.
With one last breath, Arthur shut his eyes and pulled the trigger.
Leave a review and I'll love you forever...or until I update next. Cuz then you'll have to review again. XD
-MusicMakesMeWannaCRAZYDANCE