Poker Face

Chapter Three-The Second Act

ShadowHeartofFaith

Disclaimer: I do not own Inception. Christopher Nolan does. I am not making any profit from this story. I do, however, own my OCs.

Slinging my carry-on over my shoulder, I joined the throngs of people milling away from the baggage claim to enter the terminal. Men and women were embracing, men in suits walked purposefully towards their awaiting drivers, mothers were chasing after their children. It was the same overly-emotional picture that I was greeted with every time I stepped down from a plane.

Grinding my back teeth together, I continued past the lingering sea of people that chattered away. Their voices blended into an unintelligible soundtrack akin to white noise. My old colleague stood a careful distance from the wall, his dark hair slicked back and away from his angled face, his three-piece suit was pressed and perfect against his frame, his brown eyes calculating.

He straightened up when his eyes landed on my approaching figure. "Your flight was late", he observed, taking me in briefly.

Rolling my eyes, I offered, "Hello to you too, Arthur." Brushing a few flyaway strands of dark hair away from my face, I really took a look at Arthur for the first time in over a year. "You look…happy. What brought on this new development?"

The Point Man reached forward, tugging my backpack from my grasp. "I'll explain everything when we get home, sweetheart."

I cocked a thin brow at him but played along, holding his arm as we ambled through the airport. I babbled about job placements and figures, all the while answering while Arthur called me Isabella. Someone had to have been watching or my old friend wouldn't have bothered with the almost amateur role-play and he most certainly would not have pulled out my dusty old alias. Coincidentally, the same that I had used earlier that day.

Breaking away from the crowds, he led me out to, what I assumed to be, his rental car. He placed my carry-on in the trunk before opening my door for me. "So why was your flight nearly twenty minutes late?"

"What, did I ruin your hot date or something, Arthur?" I prodded, sliding into the passenger seat. Chancing a look at his stoic face, I sighed, rolling my eyes. "The train was delayed and their was fog rolling in near Paris. I didn't realize everything fell so behind. Satisfied?"

Arthur nodded once, my door slamming shut as he circled the car to slide in behind the wheel.

"So tell me about your new-found happiness", I pressed with a smirk on my face as he started the car.

He let out a heavy breath in resignation. "It's nothing official", he began slowly. "Her name's Ariadne. She's Cobb's new Architect."

"The one from the Fischer job? Cobb told me that she's better than he ever was. Three dream levels is impressive. How old is she?"

"Twenty-two."

"Woah, Arthur. She's young."

"Not much younger than you", he defended, keeping his eyes focused ahead of him. We moved out of the busy city that was even more alive at night than during the day. The neon signs dotting the way called to me.

"I'm twenty-eight", I deadpanned, shooting him a hard look. "Hardly twenty and nearly thirty are very very different."

"What about you? Anyone new in your life?"

"Very cute, redirecting the spotlight back to me. I thought we were past these juvenile jabs at indecency in the other colleague's life."

"Apparently not. And we've got a few more minutes in traffic until we get to Cobb's. So answer the question, Aribelle."

"You've never shown interest before", I shot back, my fingers fiddling with a loose piece of my hair. A nervous habit I'd taken to as a child.

"I noticed the ring."

"It was from my previous engagement. No other man could compete", I replied softly, my eyes trailing down my arm to the shimmering rock resting coolly on my finger.

"You've been coping, then?"

"It's been over two years."

"Time isn't an object of absolution in matters of the heart."

"Because you know so much about that", I scoffed, leaning my head against the window, watching as the world around me sped past in a blur. Truth be told, coping wasn't the word I would have used. I carried his last letter to me around like an I.D., he entered my shared dreams as a projection with a mission, I had a weathered picture of the two of us folded up in my wallet. No, I wasn't past that chapter of my life but God only knew that it was over me.

That man had been, and was to this day, an actor, a conman, and a skilled liar. The truest embodiment of Loki that ever existed. And I'd fallen for his dazzling parlor tricks. "I don't know sometimes, Arthur."

The Point Man glanced sidelong at me, the glowing blue lights from the dash casting shadows across his face. "You loved him", he stated simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's normal, what you're feeling."

"I hate him but I'm not sure if I could say no if I saw him again. Do you know how that feels?" I questioned, that broken memory of his projection entering my last job only to shoot me through the head playing over and over again.

"Not the way you do", Arthur consented. "How've your jobs with Elric Damen been coming along?"

I groaned, letting my head roll back against the seat again. "Don't get me started."

Arthur chuckled, a rare sound. "That bad?"

"And worse."

The car made its last turn out of the city, passing the last of elegant shops and busy hotels and towering skyscrapers. The bright numbers on the dashboard read 10:56p.m. Arthur maneuvered the sleek black car out of the bustle of the city and along the line of coastal beauty of Los Angeles' beaches.

My excitement was rising as the architectural beauty of the Cobb's abode came into view. Finally I'd be able to work with a first-rate team again. Why Cobb needed a Gambit like me for a job, I still wasn't quite sure, but he'd assured me an excellent Forger. And though my ecstatic pleasure was thundering in my chest beside my heart, a nagging little piece of me did not want to know exactly who it was that Cobb had recruited to assist me.

The car pulled up into the vacant driveway. The pavement was decorated with colorful chalk drawings which brought a smile to my face as I exited the rental. Arthur retrieved my bag, coming to my side while my eyes took in the entirety of the house in awe. Surely it was Cobb's design. A gift to his family. "Are you coming?" the Point Man called as he neared the heavy doors.

I slammed the car door shut, jogging to catch up. Reunite with the team, eat, take a shower. Lord, I am dying for a hot shower. I stood beside Arthur, bouncing on the balls of my feet anxiously. His knuckles rapped against the wood of the door.

"Well, look who's finally back! Arthur, darling, Ariadne and I have missed you terribly."

The booming sound of a playful voice stopped my thrumming heart. I raised my head slowly, my eyes tracing over the broad figure before me appraisingly. Scuffed shoes, dark trousers, hideous print shirt, unshaven face, stormy eyes, chestnut locks slicked back. My favorite dream and most horrible nightmare.

"Eames", I breathed, blood rushing to color my cheeks.

His own jaw slackened for a moment, his mouth hanging open as he took me in. Mr. Eames, struck silent for possibly the first time in his life. "Aribelle."

A/N: As promised, a second chapter for my making you lovely readers wait. I hope you enjoy it. I know the tension is building. I hope I'm holding your interest now. Enjoy! And I must apologize again for the delay on this update.