Authors Note:

I am very sorry about the long wait for this chapter.

This is my second re-write of it because I was not satisfied with the results of my others.

Here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 12

Ariadne's eyes opened abundantly. The sunlight hitting her iris' as she widened her eye frames. She was smiling. She couldn't help but smile at the festivities of the night before. She was now in her bedroom, her mattress was the most comfortable one; Cobb had pointed that out the day before.

Her smile grew larger as she felt his arm drape over her naked front. He was still sleeping. She could feel his steady breathing on the back on her neck. She took his hand in his for a moment and wanted to laugh at the difference of sizes. His hand was gigantic compared to hers.

Seconds later, she wondered how we would feel about the fact that her hand was small compared to his. Metaphorically speaking of course, she was years younger than he was. Perhaps in Limbo something like that didn't matter but in the real world, they could face a ton of criticism.

He sighed onto her neck and wrapped his arms tightly around her, still sleeping. Ariadne smiled again. By any means, she should not be thinking of such a silly observation now. She should be enjoying the moment while it lasted. For heaven knows that Cobb was a man that was insatiable.

xxx

A few minutes later, Dom opened his eyes as well. His body was like a machine when he slept. He knew the precise time to wake up for his shower. But this morning, something was different. He was holding onto Ariadne. He kept his face expressionless as he thought about the night before. Did he enjoy last night? Yes. Of course, what man wouldn't have?

Although, something in him was telling him that the decision he made was the wrong one. She was just an innocent girl when she had met him and he had turned her entire world upside down. Maybe he shouldn't ha-

She took his left hand in his and kissed his wounded knuckles. She knew that he had awakened from the shift he had created on the bed. As she finished kissing his hand, she intertwined her fingers in his and whispered "Good morning." And there was something so sweet to Cobb about that simple gesture that made him realize that maybe there was more to Ariadne than just her age.

He kissed her neck, planting wet kisses down its side while mumbling "Good morning." She suddenly let go of his hand and turned herself around to face him. He couldn't help but let out a small smile when she felt brave enough to kiss him.

"No early bird shower, Dom?" She chuckled, a soft hand brushing up and down his resting arm.

He laughed at her question. Of all the things to ask, she decided to ask that. He lifted himself upwards and sat down on the bed beside her while starting "That all depends-"

"On?" She asked as his hand softly brushed her bare leg.

"It depends if you'll join me or not." He smirked at her and lifted her up into his arms without warning and carried her towards the exit of the room.

"It seems like your not giving me a choice." Ariadne couldn't help but smile and he just shook his head at her, deciding that they needed a new bathroom that connected to her room.

"Stand in shower or bathtub?" He asked her, examining the wall to his right.

She thought for a moment and replied "Both."

"Your a little greedy this morning-" Dom chuckled at her and then looked up at the wall again. Picturing the perfect bathroom. White walls with a marble finish, a large vanity mirror in the corner of the room.

"That's beautiful." Ariadne whispered softly as she readjusted her hands around his neck. Her eyes were glued to the the new bathroom that he had just created. It was almost perfect, except for- She pictured the flower in her mind. Her favorite flower- the blue rose.

A vase suddenly appeared on the counter top of the new room and in it were a dozen blue roses. Cobb walked into the bathroom, still holding Ariadne up in his arms as he asked "Blue roses?"

"They are my favorite." She blushed as he stared down at her. His eyes were almost the same color as the roses. In both cases, the color was gorgeous.

"I'll keep that in mind." He smiled down at her and suddenly placed her down.

He walked over to the bathtub and turned on the hot water, his mind imagining clean and precious water. He pictured a bath plug and placed in its holder and then he tested the water again with his wrist.

"No shower this morning?" She asked him. She was slightly disappointed, he could tell.

"I'm in the mood for a bath." He exclaimed, turning off the water as it hit the top of tub line.

"Oh." She sighed out softly and then continued "Well, I'll use the other shower then."

Cobb chuckled at her and walked towards her, placing his arms around her bare body as he whispered "Ariadne, I want you to join me." He kissed her then. A long and full passionate kiss.

This felt very foreign to her. Dom acting like this to her, not being afraid to kiss her or to touch her. It was going to get some getting used to. But in the end, this was Cobb. She knew that he was only acting like this because they were in Limbo. In the real world, he would never treat her as anything other than a colleague or at most, a friend.

She sighed when he lifted her up into his arms again, kissing her wildly. Once they found Saito, this was over between them. They would wake up in the real world and he would go back to his children and her to her studies. It was thoughts like these ones that made Ariadne realize that maybe she didn't want to leave Limbo... just yet anyway.

xxx

(Real Time: Present: Aircraft)

Another five minutes had passed. Another five fucking minutes. Arthur was insanely angry and worried. When he had seen that neither of them had awakened in the first dream level, he had felt as if they had both betrayed him.

Even though neither of them spoke of it, he knew that Cobb had become his best friend over the few years that they had worked together. And Ariadne, he had felt a mild connection to her. Romantic or not. He knew that she meant something to him and that if she didn't wake up, he would become terrifyingly frustrated.

Another five minutes meant another year and a half down in Limbo. It was scary how quickly time went for them and they wouldn't even feel it.

As the stewardess passed by, he ordered a shot glass of tequila. Which got a look of acknowledgement from Eames. He sighed and waited for the alcohol. Another two minutes passed by, another six months in Limbo.

(Limbo Time: Flash forward 13 years: Unknown)

"Dom, do you hear drumming?" Ariadne asked as she watched Dom splash some cool ocean water across his face.

"I'm not the only one that can hear that?" He asked, quickly standing up and letting his ears point to the direction where the drumming was coming from.

Ariadne observed the constructed dream space and searched for a housing location, or any location of the sort. Cobb took her hand in his and walked her towards the shore while saying "I heard it a while back but then it stopped. So, I didn't think I should say anything. I thought it was my mind, perhaps, playing tricks on me."

Ariadne spotted a few low rise houses in the distance, pointed and said "I don't think its our mind, Dom." He looked at the location and breathed in the hope that they had just struck.

"Let's go." Ariadne smiled and pulled on his arm, quickly getting into a running pace. But moments later, he stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Baby, don't you remember the last time we found a new site in Limbo? I don't think this is such a good idea." He took a deep breath and turned back to the housing site. The houses were beautiful but small. The were made from only brown bricks which to him, anyway, was a strange color for a village.

"What choice do we have, Dom? We have been here for such a long time. This person may have information on Saito." Ariadne's voice was firm but she was wearing a smile on her lips. She really hoped this person had information on Saito. She wanted to go back to the real world.

Ariadne sighed as she saw that Cobb was not moving. "Fine-" she started, before running off and continuing "I'll go by myself." And with that Dom stood there for a few seconds, before deciding to follow her. It was really dangerous what she was doing. They could be unfriendly, they could be-

"Come on." She shouted with a smile, not turning her head as she was almost fifty meters away from him already. "Dom. I think I see-" and a shot was fired at her, her fragile body falling to the ground.

(Limbo Time: Present: Cobb's Land)

"Come on." Ariadne said with a smile, her laugh loud and vibrant. 'If I can do it. You can too." She was holding a thread and needle in her hands and Cobb was shaking his head.

"The skin on the stomach is more flexible than that of the knuckle, Ariadne." He was hiding his hand away from her. It was his fault that this was happening. He had suggested it in the afternoon after lunch. And now it was after dinner and they were sitting on the porch of their beach house.

"I'll distract you." Ariadne promised, smiling at him. His hand had gotten worse. It had become almost bruised and the wound had become deeper. It was time for stitches.

Cobb put out his hand to her, rested it on his left thigh and she slightly moved herself towards him. "So, tell me. What do Phillipa and James want to be when they grow up?" She smiled at him, trying to distract him from the pain he was about to receive.

"Well, that changes every day. Phillipa wants to a princess and an astronaut." Dom chuckled and Ariadne laughed as well. She pushed out his skin and quickly placed the needle into the side of his wound.

He groaned at the pain and she quickly distracted him by saying "She can be the first princess of the cosmic." She smiled at him lightly and he just laughed. "And James? What about him?"

Cobb took a deep breath as she threaded his wound together but then he spoke "I'm not sure exactly. He never really told me."

"So, I guess you have a question to ask him when you back." Ariadne beamed at him, happy with the first few knots she had created.

"Yes. I guess I do." Dom agreed with her, nodded and asked "What about you?"

"What about me?" She asked slightly baffled, pushing the needle through loose skin.

He held in the pain, biting on his bottom lip as he asked "When you get back, what do you think you'll be doing?"

Ariadne sighed. She hated the question and the answer already. But she replied in a low tone anyway "I'm probably going to go back to Paris and finish up my studies."

He was disappointed in her answer and he could tell that she didn't like her own conclusion either. "You don't want to continue with extraction?" He knew that even if he went back, he would probably be looking for a job close to the field of dream sharing. It had become such a large part of his life that he knew that he would never be able to quit.

"I would like to but-" She stopped there, tying a knot with her delicate fingers.

"But what?" He stared at her with his blue eyes. He was truly interested.

"I don't think that I will be able to find another team in Paris." She sighed and used the last of the thread the tie another tight knot.

"You have your heart set on Paris, huh?" He asked, taking his newly stitched hand into his other one and rubbing it slightly. Truth be told, he was extremely saddened by the news of her wanting to go back to Paris. It made him more apprehensive in wanting to go back home.

"Not necessarily. It's just that, with your team, I wouldn't be of any use anymore." She shrugged her shoulders and looked out at the evening sun.

"What do you mean?" He asked her flatly, taking her hand into his. His hand was so large compared to hers, it almost made this serious moment humorous.

"I mean that now, you will probably be able to build. And as only an architect, I wouldn't have any other use." She brushed her fingers on his palm and he looked straight into her eyes while he contemplated what he should say to reassure her of the fact that he needed her to stay with him.

"Ariadne, you could still stay with our team." He placed a light arm around her small frame, pulling her body close to his. It felt so right for her to be against him. He couldn't imagine her leaving his side, let alone the team.

"I build, Dom." She was whispering the words but it was said harshly "There would be nothing for me to do."

He placed his chin on her shoulder and kissed the spot of empty flesh there before muttering "Then I won't build."

"What?" She turned her head towards him slowly and looked up into his eyes. "You have to build, your too good at it."

He shook his head at her and remembered the words Miles had used to describe her 'I've got somebody better'. And she truly was better than him. He smiled down at her and said softly "No, Ariadne. I'm the Extractor, I extract. Your the Architect, you build."

She couldn't believe what he was saying. Was he really going to give up such a thing, just to have her there. "But-"

"No." He shook his head at her and continued "You are far too good to be let go." And she blushed, turning her head away from him. But he stopped her and placed his lips onto hers, realizing that that the last statement he had said, definitely had a double meaning.

Authors Note:

So, I hope this chapter answered some questions. Like the roses or why they lose themselves...

Anyway, thank you so much for reading and for being patient with me.

Please Review!