"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time." –Calvin and Hobbes
Eames- First Level, Dream State
I looked at Raj, horrorstruck. Darcy's body was limp on the ground, dead.
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" I yelled at him. The world around us melted and morphed until we were standing on the roof of a building. Darcy's body was left behind, so it was just me and Raj left.
I stood and stared at him, shaken, shocked.
"Why do you care what happened to her? She's a liar, she told you that she lied. It's all her fault you're here," Raj said furiously.
"You killed her! You sent her to Limbo!" I yelled. He looked at me like I was stupid.
"Don't you care that she lied to you?" He asked me. "Don't you care that it's her fault you're here?"
"She didn't act alone, you know that. Her and Cobb, both of them are responsible." I reminded him.
"And Cobb will get what's coming to him," Raj said, a crazy glint in his eye. He smiled suddenly. "Did you know that your little "darling" is only eighteen years old?" He asked me. I froze momentarily, doing the math. I was twenty-eight. She was eighteen. I was ten years older than that kid. Raj was grinning now.
"She's a little lick of jail-bait, isn't she, Mr. Eames?" He laughed. I was surprised by what went through my mind next. I didn't care. I didn't care that there was a whole decade between her and me. There was something about her- the maturity she possessed, the way she looked at me… The age difference wasn't important to me.
"It doesn't matter," I informed him. His eyes narrowed.
"Why doesn't this matter to you? You barely know the girl, she lied to you, she's the reason you're here- are you insane?" He asked me, his voice furious. I pondered over this fact.
"That may be the case, Mr. Raj. Or maybe, I just have strong loyalties."
"You're ridiculous." Raj snapped at me. "She doesn't deserve anyone. She ruined another person's livelihood- mine! I could have been a better thief that her or Cobb. They knew that it was true. That's why they sabotaged me like that."
"You're barking mad. I know Cobb, he wouldn't do that," I hesitated. "Darcy wouldn't either." In one swift move, he slid across the rooftop and punched me in the face.
"You don't know them like I knew them!" He yelled at me.
"You're delusional," I said, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth. "You lack the talent that Cobb and Darcy possess so you decide it's their fault that you lack it!" He glared at me.
"You have strong loyalties to Cobb. I understand you've worked with him for years. But why Darcy? Why a lying, sniveling little teenager who you barely know?" He asked quietly.
"I… I'm not sure. There's just this… connection. I know I sound like I'm mad, but I'm not. I'm not. I just want her to be safe. I want her." I found that the words were just coming out of my mouth now, I had no control over them. His face was blank for a moment, then he looked up at me, his expression detached, much like Darcy's was when she was trying to bury her emotions. I realized that this must have been a learned trait, possibly from Darcy's dad.
"I can't send you down there now, you know," Raj said, looking at me with blank, empty eyes. I looked at him, suddenly very confused.
"Wait, what?" I asked. "Wasn't that the point of having me here? As bait? As a threat to my team?" He looked at me like I was incompetent for maybe the third time in ten minutes. It was really getting old.
"I'm no cartoon villain, Mr. Eames," he said, almost laughing at me. "I don't reveal my plot when I have the upper hand." He turned away from me and before I knew what was happening, he vanished, leaving me alone on the building top. He was just going to leave me here. Darcy would be alone below. I knew she'd escaped Limbo before with Cobb, but I couldn't just leave her. So I ran to the edge of the roof, and jumped.
Darcy- Limbo
I sat cross-legged in the baobab tree, on a big, thick branch, watching the sun set. As the last sliver of the sun slipped below the horizon, I turned and looked the other way, watching the sun rise again. You see, it was my limbo. I could bend the forces of nature. Cobb had never been much interested in nature- it had always been about architecture with him. He'd never even considered that he could change these natural elements that were so concrete in real life.
I looked down at my own hands, and then let them rest in my lap. I still didn't know what expanse of time had passed in the real world since I had passed into limbo. But I did know that down here, it must have been a while- I looked to be around twenty. My Irish complexion had always prevented me from tanning in real life, but down here, I had turned a warm bronze color.
I wondered if Eames would ever arrive. The way that Raj had been looking at us, I had this feeling that he was going to send him down with me. For that reason, I had waited, instead of just killing myself upon arrival. I didn't want Eames down here by himself. He was constantly putting on this nonchalant façade, but limbo was different than real life. You couldn't "fake it 'til you make it." You had to be able to put that gun to your own head, or jump off the roof of that building. I was concerned for Eames' nerve.
I didn't think he could do it. Then he appeared on the horizon. I knew it was him. The swagger in his walk and the way he held himself with dignity and pride, even in Limbo.
"Eames!" I yelled. I stood up on the branch of my tree. He looked towards me and even from this distance, I saw his eyes widen.
"Darcy?" He yelled back. He started running towards the tree and I sat back down on the limb, my legs dangling off the edge. I was practically trembling with happiness. With great ease I slid down under the branch I was sitting on, so I was dangling by my arms, then dropped down ten feet with practiced ease.
"I thought you'd never make it," I said, my voice surprisingly soft. I hadn't intended on making our reunion so tender, but all I could think about was the last time I saw him, his warm arms wrapped around me, his gentle lips on mine, his expression- a wave of calm and bliss passing over it. He looked almost equally happy in this moment. He caught me up in a suffocating hug, my head over his shoulder, my feet leaving the ground.
"Darcy, I'm here, I'm here, darling," Eames murmured in my ear. The sensation of his breath on my face made me shiver with pleasure. I hadn't been in contact with another person in years.
"I didn't think that you were coming for me," I admitted. I was breathing heavily, only because he was practically crushing my ribcage. He finally released me, and I dropped clumsily to my feet, beaming up at him as I caught my breath.
"I'd never leave you, not to his mercy," Eames said, with surprising loyalty in his voice. I smiled and went in to hug him again. I was surprised when his hand caught my shoulder. I looked up at him. He smiled at me before leaning in to kiss me.
For me, our first kiss had been stressful. I was in a tremendous amount of pain and what had really spurred me to kiss him was the presence of Raj. I'd known that he was going to send me to limbo. I'd known that I'd be alone down there for a very long time. So I acted on impulse.
This kiss was wonderful. His hands held the sides of my face and our bodies were warm against each other. It lasted for a long time, but that didn't matter. Down here, we had all the time in the world. When we finally pulled away, he was grinning at me, his hands still holding my face, his thumbs rubbing my cheeks, as if to convince himself that I was really here.
I leaned in, and this time, I kissed him. His arms ventured around to my hips and he pulled me closer. Eventually, the kiss wore down and we ended up just hugging, his arms over my shoulders and my arms around his waist.
"It's been so long," I murmured. He just rubbed my back in circles in response. "I thought I'd have to wait for you forever down here." He took my shoulders and held me at arm's length, examining me.
"It looks like you've grown up a bit while I was gone," he observed, his eyes scouring my face.
"You can't imagine the time that's passed," I told him honestly.
"Since you were eighteen?" He asked. It was almost as if he was verifying my age. I nodded slowly.
"Yes, in the real world, I'm eighteen years old. I guess that physically down here, I'm probably twenty." I said thoughtfully. The surprise was barely evident in his face- it was overwhelmed by the happiness.
"You know I'm twenty-eight. Down here and in real life?" Eames asked. So the age thing was bothering him. I looked up at him and let my hands venture to his face. I smiled a little twisted smile.
"I've been to limbo more than once, Eames. I'm what you'd call an expert on the matter. I get in and out of here as easily as I leave other dreams." I informed him, my voice soft. "It's my sanctuary down here and-" I looked at my body. "I suppose that I'm still young physically, but in my head, I've lived so much longer. I've spent years down here before. More than anyone, I'd bet." He looked a little confused.
"So you're…"
"If you're judging by physical age up there, yes, I'm eighteen. But if you want to judge me by the time I've experienced, the life I've lived… I'm probably older than you." I said, biting my lower lip, but still smiling at him. A grin spread across his face.
"Well then, this isn't so bad, is it?" He said, leaning in towards me. It wasn't long before we were in nothing but our skin under the rising sun in Limbo.
That's when I stopped counting my years in Limbo.
I lost track of time.
The problem is that losing track of time is only one step away from losing your grip on reality.
And when you lose your grip on reality, you don't want to let go of the perfection that has become your life.
I know I didn't.
A/N: I can't tell you how sorry I am that there has been such a long break in publication! I've just gotten back from vacation, after a two-day car ride, so please forgive me! Please leave your comments or criticisms, I love hearing from my readers! Thank you!