Author's notes: Hey fellow writers and readers. Wow, my inbox was flooded with notices that people actually favourited this story, and left wonderful comments. Now I definitely can't not finish this story (though when I finish is another story all in itself). Can't thank you enough, so I will reward you with a chapter almost three times as long as the first :P

Eat your heart out.

'Ariadne. I have a surprise for you.'

She was getting some suggestions from her mentor, putting in the final touches of some of her designs for her portfolio. Graduation is a week away, and she already has three potential job offers lined up, all thanks to Professor Miles himself.

'Haven't you done enough already, Professor? I thought you weren't supposed to show favouritism.'

'It's for your graduation.'

Ariadne looked up from her sketch. 'What about it?'

'Turn up and find out.'

'I wasn't going to not turn up! It is years of my work in here, and I want to get recognized, damn it,' and she waved her thick portfolio around. Professor Miles smiled at the child's sarcastic tone and antics. 'I'll see you in a week's time?'

Tucking her portfolio away into her satchel, Ariadne smiled. 'Thanks for everything Professor,' and she meant it. It had been almost two months since she left L.A., when her degree in architecture seemed insignificant, when the Professor was there to comfort her...

'But you're here, are you not? To finish what you've started,' said Professor Miles. 'I want to see my top student graduate, move on to better things. See the world...'

Ariadne shook her head. 'I've seen the world and more, and there is nothing else!'

'You see, that is where you are wrong. Architecture is merely a platform for your talent. Once you're done here, there are other places to go, things to do, things to accomplish. For you, it's only just the beginning. Don't dwell on the pass, and you'll always have a place here should you ever need one.'

'Professor, I -'

'Never have doubts my dear Ariadne. It shows in our work. The best architectures are the confident ones, and you are, by far, holding the most potential. You shouldn't need me to remind you of that.'

She smiled at that memory, and quickly turned down the hall to reserve her graduation gown.

'Ariadne, right? Go, they called you!'

The girl to Ariadne's right nudged her. When the chairman repeated her name, she stood up to polite applause. Just don't make a fool of yourself like you just did, okay? She climbed the short platform, treading carefully around the floor-lengthed gown, and shook the hands of the chancellor from the department of Architecture. 'Congratulations,' was all he said, his eyes already averted to the next graduate in line. Well that was anti-climatic.

Ariadne followed the previous graduate to return to their seats. It wasn't until everyone has received their certificates within the department that the graduates can mingle with family and friends in the crowd. Well, that excludes you then... But something froze Ariadne's train of thoughts. Eames was enthusiastically waving at her from the middle aisle of seats, next to Professor Miles and Cobb, who seemed younger than the last time she saw him. Standing next to him in his immaculate three piece suit was Arthur. Ariadne smiled. They were here for her, and she didn't need to check on her gold bishop to know that this was reality. It felt so real.

'HEY. I have family too but I'm not holding up the line. Move it!'

It was the same girl that nudged her. Ariadne turned to see a line forming behind her. All the graduates didn't dare break their alphabetized seating arrangements and so needed Ariadne to lead them back. 'Sorry.'

'Yeah, can we go now? Everyone's staring.'

Ariadne walked with a little more bounce after she heard Eames chuckling over the commotion she'd caused. She took out her bishop. It felt right in her hand. They're really here.

They were celebrating in Miles unused office, using the Professor's work desk as an open bar. Eames waved a bottle of champagne around.

'More, anyone?'

A chorus of 'no' replied.

'I think that you had more than enough,' said Arthur, removing the rest of the drinks off the table and out of Eames reach.

'We've got business to discuss,' said Cobb.

Both the Professor and Ariadne turned to Cobb.

'You didn't mention there was a job when I asked you here.'

'There's a job offer?'

'Oh, business, business, business. Don't you ever do anything fun? Ariadne just graduated for crying out loud. Our very own architect and you want to discuss this now? Can't we do it tomorrow?' Eames interjected.

'You have a job set up for tomorrow? When were you planning to tell me this?'

'What's going to happen tomorrow?'

'Miles, it's a small job, really. I'll be back with the kids in no time. Ariadne, before you agree to anything, perhaps its better you understand what the job is first,' Cobb said, as he turned from the Professor to her.

Ariadne quickly glanced at the Professor. 'I won't do it if I don't have your approval.'

Eames and Cobb fell quiet, looking at the Professor's reaction, while Arthur focused instead on Ariadne. She gazed back at him, and he understood.

'Ariadne, I think my work here is done, in terms of guiding you. You'll do what's right. Just be careful, Dom has a tendency to attract risky jobs,' said Miles, as he turned to the other three. 'I expect that her wishes are respected in every aspect of any job that you'll lead.' He stood up, 'I think I'll retire for the night. Make sure that she gets home safe.'

'Professor... thank you.'

'I still want you to send away that portfolio of yours like you initially intended before...' Miles waved his hand around the other men in the room. 'Congrats again, Ariadne, and good night. 'Night gentlemen. Dom, don't forget to lock up?' and with that, Miles left the room, the old office door closed with a resounding click.

'Well, that was like being in a lecture.'

'Eames, shut up. Ariadne, you okay?'

Arthur reached over and touched her shoulder reassuringly. 'Come on, let's get you home.'

'Yeah, I'm fine. What happens now?'

'Nothing. We get some rest,' stated Arthur. He stood up, taking her with him towards the exit.

'Nine, sharp, tomorrow,' said Cobb.

'Yeah, and bring coffee. I feel a hangover coming.'

'I'm going to bring poison,' muttered Arthur, as he reached the door.

'Hey, I heard that,' replied Eames.

Ariadne smiled.

Arthur led her to a small black hatchback. 'This car yours?'

'Hired it for the length of our stay,' he answered, and led her to the front seat and closed the door for her. Ariadne gave him her address to her apartment, and they drove in silence.

'I'm sorry about what happened.'

Ariadne chuckled what seems like her millionth laughter today. 'Eames will always be Eames, it's not your fault.'

Arthur's face frowned. 'No, I meant that time at the airport, after we landed.'

'Oh.' She had stowed away that memory when she accepted that dream sharing was a one-off thing, and that her architecture degree, that was her life, her reality.

More silence.

'I assume you've come to rely on Miles. That's why you asked him today, if you could come and work with us?'

'Yeah... I didn't want to just leave him for a job that might not last a week, and after everything that he'd done for me too. How can I ever look at him the same way again?' said Ariadne, looking up at Arthur.

'It would feel like a betrayal,' he said, his eyes leaving the safety of the road to return eye-contact with her.

'I would say disrespectful, but yes, I do feel loyal to the Professor.'

More silence, then Ariadne turned in her seat to face Arthur, her voice slightly tainted with anger. 'You're here, now, working a case. But once that's done, you'll be gone to god knows where. I know it's not safe, considering the job but-would it be too much to ask for a little stability? I can't see the team come together just to break up again, pretending nothing happened, acting as strangers. I just... I won't.'

The car slowed down at the busy intersection, and Arthur took the chance to steal another glance at her. 'I am sorry.'

'Arthur -'

'No, you misunderstand. I should have prepped you before the flight, hell, you should have known before you'd take up the Fischer job. But you were new, and our last architect hadn't actually felt that close to the team. We thought that a clean break would make it easier for you to move on, and you did. You left for Paris and returned to class the following day.'

'Wait, how would you know that?'

'I'm always the last to leave after a job. Made sure everyone made a safe exit. You found your way back to Miles didn't you? He said you took some time to adjust but eventually settled in.'

'You've been keeping in contact with the Professor?'

'He didn't tell me much. Just enough.' Arthur gave his passenger a fleeting look, and the car once again fell into silence.

'I was worried about the team.'

Arthur took a deep breath and explained. 'The less you knew then, the better off you'd be.'

Ariadne shook her head. Always thinking about the team, about their safety. A phone call wouldn't hurt, could it?

Ariadne was about to voice her thoughts when they passed a tall building with Victorian-era architecture. 'You just missed my apartment,' Ariadne said, glancing at the driver. Arthur's face was of uttermost concentration on the road. Great. Now he's ignoring me. He suddenly took a sharp left and bypassed a red light. His manoeuvre received a barrage of honking from the opposite lane.

'Arthur, what -'

'We got a tail.'

Post Scripts: So it's Monday, and I got to go to school in like, 6 hours. I'll probably (consistantly too) update every weekend? I don't know, it depends on many things. Saw Inception for the 3rd time today. Still epic. Any ideas as to how you'll like the next chapters to head would be very grateful, though I have built the backbone of the stroyline already as a back-up, LOL.