DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INCEPTION.

Sorry it's been a while since this story has been updated. Keep an eye out for 'Can't Be Dreamers'! Should be up within the next few days. Many thanks for reading, and as always, reviews are much appreciated.

For the large extent of dinner, Arthur decided to eat incredibly slow, much to the torture of Thomas, who was sitting at the end of the table, his foot tapping in annoyance.

Finally, he cracked. "DAD! Come on!" he cried.

"Let me finish," Arthur said, his voice teasing.

Ariadne quirked a curious eyebrow. "What were you two doing?"

"Just telling him a story."

"Uh-oh," Samantha said, rolling her eyes. "Is it a Mom and Dad story, an Uncle Cobb and Dad story, or an Uncle Eames and Dad story?"

Arthur gave her a funny look. "When do I ever tell Eames and Dad stories?" he defended, pointing his fork at her.

Samantha shrugged. "You don't, Mom does."

Arthur turned his head and gave Ariadne an annoyed look, to which Ariadne simply shrugged her shoulders and blinked. "What?"

Sighing, Arthur shook his head and looked at an egar Thomas, then to his now empty plate. "Right, I'm done. Let's go."

"Finally!" Thomas cried, half jumping from his seat. "Thanks, Mom!" he waved, before running from the room.

Arthur smiled and bent down, placing a kiss on Ariadne's head. "Thanks, Ari."

"Ew," Samantha's nose crinkled in disgust. Arthur chuckled and placed his hand on Samantha's head. She gently batted him off, before he turned and left the dining room. He found Thomas exactly where he expected, sitting on the couch, shifting and waiting for the story to continue. Arthur sat down and streched his arms above his head.

"Where were we?"

"Hospital," Thomas replied, lifting his legs onto the couch.

"Oh, right. Okay, so, we got to the hospital..."

Arthur never wanted to be scared. He knew that it wouldn't help any situation to blow everything out of proportion, and nor would it calm the other people involved. But as they drove to the hospital, he was well and truly terrified. He tried to talk to Ariadne as they drove, speaking words of reassurance and comfort as calmly as he could. Fortunately, the nearest hospital was only ten minutes away by car, and Arthur managed to make it in five. He's rushed Ariadne into the building and caught the attention of the nearest doctor.

Now, he was pacing the hallways, waiting for results. Hoping, praying that everything would be alright. He decided that calling Cobb would be the next best step.

"Hello?" The former Extractor had asked.

Arthur's breathing picked up pace."Cobb? It's me. Listen, Ari and I are at the hospital."

Cobb had picked up the strain in the younger man's voice. "Is everything alright?"

Shaking his head, Arthur began to ramble. "I don't know. Everything was fine, then Ari said that she was in pain, so I brought her here," he spoke in a rushed voice. "We're waiting for results, now."

"Do you want me to bring Samantha down?"

"No, don't. I don't want her to get upset. Just...don't say anything. Please."

"Okay. Are you alright?"

"No," Arthur breathed, his voice shaking. "I have no idea what's going on Cobb. This shouldn't be happening."

"Arthur, don't panic. Just try and get some info. The best thing you can do now is be there for Ariadne."

"You're right. I guess I'm just...worried. What if something goes wrong? What if something happens to the baby, or Ari-"

"Art, 'what if's' are not going to help you. Don't freak out until you know what's happening."

"...You're right. Look, I have to go. I'll call you later."

"Alright. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Pressing the end call button on his phone, Arthur's shoulder's fell in a heavy sigh. He quickly returned back into the room, where Ariadne was lying on the bed, hissing through her teeth at the pain.

Swallowing, Arthur sat by her beside. "Ari, listen to me," he said, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly. "You're going to be okay."

"The…baby…" She groaned, clinging onto his hand tighter.

"The baby will be fine," he assured. The brave face he had worn for her was slowly slipping, as the anxious feeling in his gut was growing by the second. "I just called Cobb. I told him not to bring Samantha down."

"Good," Ariadne breathed.

"Mr and Mrs Connolly." A voice from the door caught both Arthur and Ariadne's attention. A familiar Doctor was standing by the doorway, clipboard in hand, his face an undetectable blank expression. He walked in, and gave them both an attempt of a smile. "I'm Doctor Harper."

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, unwilling to let the conversation lead to normal pleasantries.

"It seems the baby is having some breathing problems," Harper said with a frown. "The most likely cause is that the placenta is wrapped around the neck. That'll be why you're feeling discomfort."

"Discomfort?" Ariadne growled. "It's more than a little discomfort!"

"Ari," Arthur said, attempting to calm her. "What does that mean?" he asked, his face creasing with worry.

"It means we're going to have to deliver now."

The words echoed in Arthur's head, sending both him and Ariadne into silence. They hadn't even considered the possiblity for an early delivery. That wasn't part of the plan. And with no medical expertise expanding beyond the removal of a bullet, Arthur was brought to a blank of any facts.

Quickly, he began to deny it. "What? No, that's not possible, she's at least-"

"I know it sounds strange, but it's not uncommon. Premature delivery via C-section is our main option right now."

Arthur looked down towards Ariadne, who was biting her lip. He nodded his head toward the door, silently ordering a moment alone with the doctor. When they were both out of Ariadne's earshot, Arthur turned to the older man.

"What's the other option?" he asked, his voice hushed.

Dr Harper frowned, and sighed heavily, letting his shoulders fall. "Mr Connolly, either we deliver now, or we don't deliver at all."

Arthur needed no elaboration on that. He heard those words clearly. His mind and eyes wondered over to his wife, who was gazing around the room at the shuffling nurses worriedly, her eyes wide with fear. Arthur turned his back once more. "Will she be okay? I mean, is it safe for Ariadne?"

"Don't worry, we'll take care of your wife," the man assured, giving Arthur a small smile. He walked away then, leaving Arthur in silence. No matter which professional opinion Arthur got, he still felt unsettled.

Sighing, Arthur turned and walked towards the hospital bed, and gave Ariadne a weak smile. "Ari? Are you ready?" he asked, weary of her response.

She instantly gave him a wide-eyed look. "No! Arthur-" She began shaking her head, frantic. "- We can't! We're not prepared!"

He nodded, bent down and lightly kissed her cheek. "Yes, we are. You can do this, and I'll be right here. Okay?"

Ariadne was silent for a moment, while Arthur waited patiently for her response. Finally, she nodded, her lips spread into a thin line.

They ended up in the delivery room, Ariadne's hand gripping Arthur's so tightly, that he could swear she was drawing blood. But he didn't once complain, or tell her to let go. The small green screen they had set up was preventing Arthur from seeing what they were doing, but he wasn't particularly sure he wanted to.

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I love you."

She tilted her head slightly, and gave him a small smile. "I love you, too."

"Almost there..."

Arthur and Ariadne waited silently for a confirmation. After what seemed like hours, a cry rippled throughout the room, sending a wave of shock up Arthur's spine. He looked over, his breath catching in his throat.

It was a perfect little baby. Smaller than they'd expected, but perfect none the less. The little face was scrunched up into an angry howl, causing Arthur to smile.

"Here we go. Here he is."

Arthur blinked. "He? It's...I...a boy?" he repeated.

"Sure is."

Arthur turned to Ariadne, his face a mask of astonishment.

"You were right," he stated.

Ariadne smiled. "Of course I was."

He turned, expecting to be handed his baby, but instead, his boy had disappeared from their sight. Arthur and Ariadne watched in confusion as people began hustling around them, swaddling the baby with blankets.

"Wha-" Ariadne grew silent as the little baby was soon taken from the room, her arms feeling decidedly empty. She quickly grasped the material of Arthur's shirt, her fists beginning to shake in worry.

"Where are they taking him? Where are they going with my son?" he demanded, quickly furious that neither him or his wife had been able to hold their new baby.

"Just for observation," Dr Harper calmly replied. "A few tests, just to be safe. He's a little weak, but completely fine."

"Follow him," Ariadne ordered, her eyes glued to the door.

Arthur frowned, unsure of whether he should leave his wife in this state. "Ari, I-"

"Now!" she snapped.

"Never mess with a woman who's just had a baby."

"Dad!"

"Sorry. Anyway..."

Arthur waited at the doorway of a smaller room for a moment, allowing the medical staff to do what they needed. There was nothing he could help with, so staying out of the way was his only option. He waited until the room started to clear, before he walked in and finally got another look at his newly born baby. When he caught sight, his breath caught in his throat.

He was tiny. Small needles had been placed into his arms, while a machine at the side beeped out heart rates, blood pressures. Arthur's history with needles and sedation had been far too great for him to see his son like this. He reached down and ran his thumb lightly across the little one's cheek.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm here." Reaching behind him, Arthur pulled up a chair, and sat right beside the cot. Looking at the side, he could see the name clearly written across the form.

"Sir, what's the name?" A young nurse asked from behind, a form ready in her hand.

"Oh. Um..." Arthur's brain flickered. They still hadn't agreed on a name yet. But there was one, however, that had been mentioned a few times throughout the name debating. It had stuck in Arthur's mind as one of his favourites. "...Thomas."

"Thank you." And with that, the nurse walked out of the room.

Arthur stared down, watching the baby in fascination. His little chest was moving up and down slowly, taking tiny but destinctive breaths. His eyes remained shut. Yes, Arthur had been right. He was most certainly, a Thomas.

"Open your eyes," Arthur pleaded. "Please, open your eyes."

For a while, nothing happened, until the little fingers began to open, and soft, quiet noises began to surface. Arthur watched in silence as tiny eyes began to flicker, before opening slowly to reveal sharp, dark eyes. Both sets of eyes stared at each others for several minutes, Arthur in fascination, Thomas in curiousity. Arthur's face spread into a distinctive smile, before he reached in and allowed a tiny set of hands to grasp onto his finger.

"Hello, baby."

Thomas blinked. "Wow. It was that hard?"

"Yes. But it was worth it," Arthur smiled, ruffling his son's mass of dark brown hair. "Told you, you're special."

"Dad, stop," the younger boy waved him off. When Arthur pulled his arm away, Thomas looked up at him with curosity. "Do you think you would have preferred another girl?"

Arthur shook his head. "Of course not. I'm perfectly happy with my boy."

Thomas shrugged. "Sam's not as strong as me, or as smart," he said with a dimpled grin.

"Yes, alright, let's not make your head bigger than it is," Arthur mumbled. "Now go finish your homework."

Thomas nodded and jumped from the couch, leaving his father with a moment of peace. As Arthur reached for the remote, Thomas stopped at the doorway, leaning back slightly.

"Hey Dad?"

"Hmm?"

Thomas grinned. "...'Love you."

Arthur looked up, and just caught sight of a green sweatshirt running up the stairs. He smiled to himself. "Love you too."