10.

~ Ariadne woke up to James in bed with her. She had to smile at the sweet motherless little boy who had stolen into her room. She knew he had been worried about her. Missed the nice lady who took care of him day in and day out.
"James?" She whispered running her fingers over his long fair hair. His cheeks tinted pink from sleep. The little boy roused at her touch. His face still babyish and innocent.
"Are you feeling better, Ariadne?" He asked. His father's sweetness in him. She had to smile at his concern. Her body was still hurting from oversleeping.

"Yes, James." She told him. "I feel better now."

~ Arthur had stayed with her that night. Had let her cry herself out from the sheer frustration of the loss of Mr. Eames. She felt cleaned out somehow. She was still angry and sad, but the whole thing seemed very far away. The Point Man leaving her early in the morning.

~ It was Saturday. The children were happily camped out on the living room rug, watching cartoons, as Arthur and Cobb were talking in his office. The Architect had showered, and bravely made her way downstairs to see them.

"How are you doing?" Cobb asked. His voice and eyes kind and trying to be the strong yet gentle man he always was. Arthur, as normal, looked concerned and worried.
"I'm better." She said tucking back her hair. It was still damp from the hard shower and washing she had given herself. Trying to wash away everything. "I'm sorry, Cobb." She told the Extractor.

"Don't be sorry. We know you were upset about Eames." He said.
"I've been thinking." Ariadne told them. "I... was thinking... I need to move out. Be on my own."

"What? No." Arthur said automatically.
"Ariadne." Cobb said calmly. Staying rational.

"I think... I feel like I've made a mess of all our lives..." She managed to get out.

"Ariadne." Cobb said gently.
"We don't want you to leave." Arthur said.

"I think I need to leave." She whispered.
"What about James and Phillipa?" Cobb asked. "You want them to lose you along with their mother? They love you." Cobb said. "We all love you."

"I know. But it's confusing for them." Ariadne said. "None of this has been fair to any of you." She said looking at Arthur.

The Point Man's eyes were cold. Angry and hurt.

"Ariadne, please don't leave." Arthur said finally. "We... we can make this work. I promise we can. Just don't leave."

~ She had meant to go. Intended to leave that very day. But James had taken a fall in the backyard and had to be taken to the emergency room. An impressive line of stitches on his leg. Phillipa needed a ballet costume sewed back up, Cobb had to be driven home from the dentist, Arthur needed a ride to the airport and dinner had to be made. Life happened. Ariadne never got around to packing her bags.

~ She no longer went to her lovers. No even Arthur. Who asked her every once in awhile to come to him. Cobb seemed alright with the new arrangements. Content to have a happy home with the five of them. He never asked for his former lover to come back to him.

Only Arthur seemed moody and discontent about the situation.

~ It had been two weeks since the Forger's departure and the Architect was still feeling extremely exhausted. Since her two days of constant sleep, she had a hard time finding energy. Her house keeping had suffered as well as her cooking. Her whole body seemed to cry out for sleep.

She chalked it up to depression. The sadness at the loss of Eames that would eventually dissipate over time.

When her breasts stared to feel overly tender, she thought it was time for cycle to start. But the expected time came and went. Nothing. She had to search her memory for her last cycle.

Her heart racing as she realized the inevitable.

~ The children were at school. The men at work. The Architect was in her bathroom with the hastily bought pregnancy test.
"No." She said trying to understand the instructions. She was an intelligent girl. Why was it so hard for her to understand the readings of this stupid thing? Didn't they understand the mental state of the person taking this stupid test?

She looked at the test screen as a line appeared.

'Okay, one line, not pregnant?' she thought. 'Is that right? Or was that line always there?'

She pulled out the instructions again. Trying to read them despite the tears.

"Two line, positive." She whispered. She looked at the test screen. Two very dark lines staring back at her.