Homecoming
A few days later, the Team was in New York. After much debate, planing and experiments, everyone had agreed to join Cobb and Hecate on the mission to extract information from Edwards.
Arthur and Ariadne left their boat (under harbor master's care) back in Japan. They had all flown on a privet plane back to the states. It had been an uneventful flight. Yori and Shin had accompanied them. The reason being that it was to long of a flight to Japan if something went wrong and Yori (and Saito) were unwilling to leave there precious baby in the care of a nanny. Saito had set all of them (The Australian Team included) up in a hotel. He had bought out the entire floor for their privacy. Arthur had other ideas. It was a warm sunny day as he escorted Ariadne through the bustling people. All hurrying to there destinations.
"Why don't we just take a cab?" She asked
"Because this is New York," He laughed "Everyone walks."
"Where are we going?" She asked linking her arm in his.
"I thought, since I've seen your home in Paris, and Japan, as well as our home at sea... you might want to see where I live." He told her. She looked up at him in surprise.
"Arthur, We've been abroad for almost 2 years now. How have you kept an apartment up?" She asked looking suspicious. He smiled and didn't reply.
It was a magnificent building. Complete with an attentive doorman. When the couple entered the building the doorman, (an older and grandfatherly little man) clasped his hands together and produced a wide smile.
"Oh Sir!" He said. "I'm so glad to see you back. And with a friend as well. How wonderful."
"Sam." Arthur said shaking the little man's hand and smiling a comfortable smile "This is Ariadne." The Point Man put his hand on her back in pride.
"Nice to meet you." She said shaking his hand. Sam put his finger to his nose and gave her a swift wink.
"Now, I knew Arthur here when he was just a little boy. His Mother was a lovely woman." The Doorman sighed. "It was so nice to see the fine young man he grew up to be. Well, I suppose you don't want to hear this old man ramble on." He laughed trying to take Arthur's carry all. Arthur laughed and waved him away playfully. Sam patted the Point Man on the back as he escorted them both onto a waiting elevator.
"Sam, Ariadne will be on my visitors list." Arthur told him on the ride up.
"Good to hear, Sir." Sam said and Ariadne blushed. As the elevator dinged opened Arthur escorted his Lady out. The Point Man felt a gentle pull on his sleeve. He turned his attention away from The Architect to the Doorman who whispered:
"She's lovely, Sir." Arthur smiled and nodded as Sam stepped back into his elevator and closed the door. Ariadne was waiting for him to return to her. He fumbled with his rarely used keys and unlocked one of only two doors on the floor. Ariadne gasped at the inside of the apartment. It was large by any standards, let alone Manhattan. She thought briefly of her small apartment in Paris and how proud she felt to have such a nice home in a trendy neighborhood. This apartment made her's look plain and poor. The living room was modern and elegant. A smattering of antique furnishings tastefully mixed in. The kitchen was a chef's dream. A banquet could easily be prepared in it. Ariadne caught a quick glimpse down a hall to what she thought were other rooms. She couldn't find words.
"You grew up here?" She asked finally. Arthur sighed.
"I spent a lot of time away at school. After that, I joined the military. After I left the Military, I was working with Cobb on Extractions." He explained. "This was the place I called home." He said looking up at the vaulted ceilings and expensive décor.
It suddenly dawned on her. The tailored suits. The careful manners. The ability to drop everything and sail around the world with her for a year.
"Your rich." She said flatly. He chuckled.
"I'm fine." He admitted. She shook her head.
"No, fine is affording a mortgage and a car payment. You have a huge home in Manhattan that you don't even use and no real job." She said with a laugh wondering how she could be so stupid.
"My parents left me this place after they died along with an inheritance. I invest in the market. My work in extractions gives me leverage." He admitted.
"Insider trading?" She said with a raised eye brow.
"Language." He accused in a shocked tone. "We never talked about money before."
"We never talked about kids before." She said with a smile "We spent a year together and didn't talk about anything."
"Well, we were busy... with... doing...stuff." He searched for the right words and when they came to him she giggled. "What about you?" He asked. "You've never cared about finding a real job." She nodded.
"Well, my Parents left me some holdings. My Grandfather managed them very well. When he died it was all in a trust for me and my education. He wanted me to study anything I wanted anywhere I wanted." She shrugged looking out the window at an impressive view. "He left me the apartment in Paris as well as "The Monitor". I guess money was never a real issue for me." She finished almost apologetically. He nodded.
"I don't really talk about all this..." He said looking around the expansive home "Because it was never really who I am, or wanted to be." He sighed. "I think the past two years, living in Japan, Morocco, on the boat. I think of those place as my home." He came up beside her and slipped his arms around her waist. Ariadne kept looking out the window. Pretending not to be affected by the Point Man. "My home is where ever you are." He whispered in her ear. He started to kiss her ear then. Her neck. Taking her her from behind, he wrapped his arms around her, preventing her escape. She was breathing hard as the Point Man started to loosen her clothes.
"Arthur." She said softly. As if invoking his name awakened something in him, he turned her around and before she had time to react she was in his arms. He had swept her off her feet in his normal graceful movements.
"Let me show the bedroom." He said, pure lust in his eyes. She kissed him softly as she wraped her arms around his neck and allowed him to carry her down a long hallway. A hallway adorned with original artwork from post war British painters. The master suit was larger then her whole apartment in Paris. A massive oak bed with columns and canopy dominated the space and made Ariadne gasp. It was like something out of a fairy tale. She blushed softly at being so impressed at something Arthur cared nothing about. He had willing left a posh apartment in a vibrant city, to live with her on a small sailing ship visiting countries with very little luxury. A fondness for the Point Man overcame her then.
"I love you, Arthur." She whispered in his ear. He smiled at her. Then his face suddenly turned icy. He raised his head and gently put her down. She looked up at him, worried she had done something wrong. Arthur put his index finger to his lips. She nodded and found her pulse was beating rapidly. He left her standing in the middle of the bedroom. He vanished into a closet that was concealed behind a wall. The rooms were silent. She knew something was wrong. The Point Man had heard something she didn't. Then gruff noises invaded. Pounding and sounds of a struggle. Out in the hall Arthur appeared, he had a man on the floor. The Point Man held his large hands on the intruder. Ariadne felt her heart race at seeing him.
"Who are you?" Arthur said curtly. There was blood on the intruder's face. "Who sent you here? Answer me." The Point Man started gripping the intruders neck. The man gasped and struggled for breath. The man's face turned red as Arthur focused all his concentration on making the invader hurt.
"Arthur." came Ariadne's small voice. As if being broken from a spell, Arthur looked up. The sense of what he was doing flooded over him them. This was not something he wanted her to see.
"Don't look at this." Arthur said harshly. "Go into the bedroom, lock the door and call 911." He nodded at the Architect who just stood there, looking at both of them in shock. "Ariadne." Arthur said softly. His eyes were soft and kind on her. She nodded then and locked the bedroom door. Despite calling the police. She could still hear the loud sounds of fists hitting a face and Arthur's demanding who the man was.
The Police came quickly. They were kind and apologetic to what they assumed were a young couple coming home to find a robbery in progress.
"Normally we don't advocate fighting intruders." The officer said. "But after seeing what happened to your Doorman downstairs, You were right to defend yourselves."
"Sam?" Arthur asked. "What about our Doorman?"
"I'm sorry Sir, I didn't know he was a friend." The Officer said looking deeply remorseful. "The gentleman was shot in the head. He was left in the elevator. A neighbor had also called us. Why we were here so fast." The Point Man felt the wind go out of him as he watched the intruder was hauled out of his home. If only the police hadn't come. If only his Lady was not there. What shouldn't he do to this man who killed his friend.
Ariadne was still safely stashed in his bedroom. Arthur knocked softly on the door.
"Ariadne, it's me." he said in a low voice. "The police are gone." She opened the door and embraced him.
"Arthur," She breathed into his chest as he held her close to his capable body.
"I didn't want you to see that." He tried to explain
"No, it's okay." She started crying. "When I was taken... I would imagine you hurting those men just like that." Hot bitter tears were running down her face onto his dress shirt and vest. He smoothed her hair. "It was my favorite thing to do in that basement." She finished. She had told him all the details of her experience with COBAL's kidnappers. He was always assuring her that he would never allow anyone to take her again, always followed my tender lovemaking.
"Arthur," She said softly "I don't want to stay here." She said
"Okay." He said simply kissing the top of her head. "We can go." He released her and took her hand. He quickly grabbed of their two bags and handed her the worn leather carry all she always took everywhere. They had reached the door when she stopped him.
"I want to say good bye to Sam first." She said. Arthur sighed.
"Ariadne..."