Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. 50/50 doesn't either.

Adam looked up from the sink. He'd just splashed his face with cold water, trying to remove the traces of tears from his cheeks after the draining therapy session. He swallowed. Staring back at him was a grey, hollow face, with red rimmed eyes. He grimaced, and as he looked down at the shabby, shapeless hoodie he was wearing, felt his heart sink even further. No comparison to the graceful almost model-esque figure of his rival. Sighing heavily, he wiped his eyes.

Suddenly, he felt his iPhone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out. "Hello?"

"I got him." Kyle's voice contained a mix of hesitation and exhilaration. "I got him good!"

Adam felt a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach. "You got who?"

"That guy!"

Adam blinked, not wanting to hear the rest, but knowing he had to. "What did you say?"

"To stay away from her."

"Did you tell him I have cancer?"

There was a pause. Adam's heart dropped. "You didn't."

"Um, well man," Kyle said, his tone hesitant, like a child who has just destroyed a piece of his parents' property and is too afraid to own up, "I felt I had to. I mean, you're sick, and this guy just waltzes back in, and wrecks everything! You gonna stand for that?"

"I can still stand up for myself," Adam said, shortly. "I can still do that! I'm not a shadow! Not yet!"

"Jesus!" There was an undertone of anger in Kyle's voice, that made Adam wince. "I was just trying to help! Remind me not to next time!"

"Ky-" Adam suddenly realised he was talking to a dead line. Shivering, he slipped the phone back into his pocket, and began to leave the men's room. Ariadne. Kyle. Kathy. Suddenly, he felt isolated from them all, and his stomach churning, began to leave the men's room.

Ariadne bit her lip. She looked at her cell phone, silently willing it to ring. It stayed silent, taunting her. She swallowed, and looked back at her laptop.

"You ok?"

She looked up. Cobb was standing in front of her, smiling sympathetically. She nodded.

"Ari, don't be brave," Cobb said, gently. "Its a shock for us all, I mean, I- we-"

Suddenly, she couldn't help herself. A well of emotion bubbled inside her, and suddenly, tears were streaming down her cheeks. The Extractor moved round, and put an arm around her. "Hey," he said softly.

She brushed the tears away from her face. "This is so-I thought he was dead! I never thought he was coming back! And now I meet someone, who is possibly dying, and Arthur's come back and its so-"

Cobb swallowed. Pulling her close, he let her bury her face in his shoulder.

Arthur sighed, and looked at the cappuccino. It was nearly cold, and he hadn't drunk a drop of it. The meeting with the stranger had shaken him too much.

Cancer. It was an ugly word, and shouldn't be applied to a man so young. In fact, Arthur mused, it shouldn't be applied to anybody. He let the cup rotate in his hand.

He did look ill. Arthur shivered. He'd looked into that face, noticed how grey, how gaunt it was. Only a few months left. Possibly. Potentially.

He rubbed his face. Ariadne - she'd looked happy when he'd come into the apartment, interrupting them. She'd been smiling, relaxed. So had he.

And then, Arthur thought ruefully, he'd walked in. The wrecking ball straight into their cosy little world. But how could she know that he'd been taken hostage in Columbia, threatened with death? How could she know that he'd had all contact cut off with the outside world, and it had only been memories of her that had kept him going?

He couldn't blame her for assuming the worst, and moving on. He'd left abruptly, without a word. Because they had threatened to kill her.

He swallowed. He got up, and left his desk. Home. He'd go back to his apartment, pack a few things, and then go. Back to Paris. Sniff out a job. Maybe call up former contacts and see if they would join him.

Ariadne had moved on, she'd met someone who was living in fear of death. He couldn't deny them time together, no matter how much it hurt.

He straightened his suit, and began to walk out of the warehouse, his car keys jangling in his hand. As he walked out, he knew that Eames' stare was boring into his back, and he also saw Ariadne being comforted by Cobb, but there was nothing he could say.

Absolutely nothing.

Adam began to walk back, ignoring the pains in his back. It was a long walk, but he figured that the fresh air would do him good. He started down the hospital steps, and started at a brisk pace. He paused briefly on the sidewalk, and began to cross.

His mind was churning. I should call her, he told himself. I should call her and say I'm sorry for what-

Suddenly, he stopped. A car had just screeched to a halt, and, he noticed, an angry, and worried looking driver was behind the wheel.

Adam felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. The door to the driver's side opened.

"Hey!" Shouted a well dressed young man, practically getting out of the vehicle. "Why don't you-"

Adam looked at him, and blinked. Shock and shame threatened to overwhelm.

Arthur blinked. He'd nearly hit him. Nearly killed him. Shaking, he felt a sudden rush of anger. Why didn't you look where you were going? Furiously, he wrenched the door opened, preparing to give the careless pedestrian a piece of his mind.

Then he looked. And his heart lurched.

"Um, hi," the Point Man said, hesitantly.

"Hey." Adam's tone was flat. Arthur suddenly realised the other man was shivering. The air was sharp with the cold of late winter, and as he looked at him, he noticed he was frail.

"Listen," Arthur said gently. "Where are you going? I'll drive."

Adam blinked. "Are you-"

"Yes," Arthur said firmly. "Please get in. I won't take no for an answer."

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