The House on Knotting Hill
Eames had stayed in Paris for two weeks. He and Ariadne visited everyday. In that shot space of time he attended her graduation and she decided to keep her baby.
The Forger seemed happy about her decision. Even buying her her first baby gift.
"Oh my God Eames!" She cried out and laughed at the pink and blue package. Her graduation was only a few days ago and she had been to busy packing her apartment to think about the small life inside her.
"It's so ugly!" She giggled at the awful "to-trendy" baby pajamas printed with tacky colors and animals. Eames laughed.
"I know." He said. "But the sales girl was really cute... and..." he threw up his arms. She laughed at him as she carefully placed the jumper in a box with her own clothes. Owning just one baby item made the looming prospect of motherhood more real.
"Eames, you know I don't have to move in with you. I can get my own place." She said as he helped put her kitchen wear in a box. He said nothing.
"I mean, there will be a baby soon. You wont be able to be a swinging bachelor with a baby in your house. I would understand, if you didn't want me to move in." She finished. Giving the Forger a way out.
"Don't be silly." He said calmly. His face kind. "I have plenty of room." He sighed as he looked over her kitchen. Looking for anything he may have missed.
"Have you spoken with Arthur yet?" He asked. She had gone quite at this. Eames sighed. "You need to tell him." the Forger said. "You don't want him finding out from someone else."
"You can't tell him." Ariadne said. Her voice panicky.
"I won't." he assured her. "But these things always get out. He deserves to know."
Ariadne nodded. She wasn't ready to talk to Arthur yet. Not ready to give him some high school girl's line. Not ready to do anything but pack up her apartment.
~It was a quick trip to London. Eames had his own car that he drove to the fashionable neighborhood. Ariadne was expecting a nice flat over a shop. Something a single man would think adequate for a woman and baby. She was not expecting a handsome three story house with a privet back garden.
The Forger's house was narrow but comfortable. He wasn't lying, he did have enough space for her and the baby. A cozy front parlor room and small eat in kitchen, smartly placed on the ground floor. Tight stairs wound up to the first two bedrooms and bathroom. The top floor housed a large family room, bedroom and bathroom.
"I thought you might prefer the second floor." Eames said as he helped her bring her things in. She looked in wonder at the Forger's house.
"You and the baby would be on the same floor. Easy to get to each other." He explained. "I have the top floor. Easy to get away from me." He smiled. She looked around at the poorly decorated parlor and dirty kitchen.
"It could use a woman's touch." she said. He sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Right." He said. "Sorry about that."
~Arthur had called the Forger relentlessly. He was planing on a trip to Paris. Something was wrong. Eames kept assuring him Ariadne was fine. That he had told her to call him. Arthur felt that the Forger was hiding something. Arthur's distrustful nature was prickling him. His instincts were roused.
Why hadn't she called him? He knew she was angry at the way he had left things. But it had been almost two months now. She had not called Cobb either. Surely her anger at him was not enough to spill over to the Extractor.
Arthur took the risk of flying to France to see her. He had to see her. He had nothing to remember her by except his own memory. He had to put things right. He knew where she lived. A small apartment in a picturesque neighborhood. When he arrived at her building, he told the cab driver to leave.
He buzzed at the door and the Land Lady welcomed him inside. His French was awful and he was grateful the large bosomy woman spoke broken English.
"Oi, the American girl. So lovely." The Land Lady said holding her heavy ringed hand over her large bust.
"Which flat is hers?" He asked impatiently.
"Oh sir, no. She had moved out." The Lady said. The Point Man froze.
"Moved out?" He repeated. "Where?"
"I do not know." She said with a shrug. "That handsome boyfriend of hers came by to help her with her things."
"Boyfriend?" He repeated. His blood running cold.
"Oh yes. Charming Devil. Even if he is an English man." She said fanning herself over the memory. The memory of Mr. Eames.
Arthur left without another word. Fresh waves of anger pounding in his head.
"Eames." He growled.
~The Forger and the Architect spent their free time exploring local shops, decorating the house and nursery. Eames and Ariadne had very similar tastes in colorful, unique decorating. They would spend hours lost in the antique markets. Sometimes never buying anything. She cleaned his house and made it look like a single man never lived there. Eames protested, but only slightly.
They would spend evenings watching T.V. They pushed the two big sofa's together in the family room, making an inclusive bed for them as they watched mindless sitcoms.
Their friendship was easy and comfortable. Eames went with her to her first Doctors appointment. He waited outside where everyone assumed he was her husband and he did nothing to correct them.
Ariadne started her new job at a design firm. Not working as an architect in the traditional sense, but working in design. It was fun and reminded her of the impossible worlds she had created in the dreams. She was gifted at her work. Impressing her new boss and team. Her new job had a day care center and gave her two months maternity leave. She was looking forward to bringing her baby to work. It felt like things were falling into place.
Whatever Eames did with his free time, Ariadne did not know or ask. The Forger had his own projects. Perhaps related to dream sharing. He was always home when she got home from work. They would cook or get a take away. Life was easy.
Eames tried for a while to get her to call Arthur. His argument was that the Point Man deserved to know. That no man should be deprived of their child because of some argument. Ariadne would shut the Forger out whenever he would talk about Arthur. Eventually, Eames stopped telling her to call him.
She knew she should call the Point Man. He did deserve to know. How could she explain to him that she had gotten herself in such a condition? She would have to deal with enough, being a single parent. She didn't want to have to go through a custody trial with Arthur. It was just easier to pretend this was her baby. Alone.
~ "Arthur, I have no idea where Eames is." Cobb said. It was after midnight when the Point Man reached the Italian country side. "Your our researcher, you should know better then anyone were he would be."
"No, people don't find Eames. He finds them. He worked in counter intelligence for the M15 remember? If Eames doesn't want to be found, we won't find him." Arthur said angrily.
"Has to be a way." Cobb sighed. Arthur shook his head.
"Have we at least made any headway with COBAL?" he asked. Cobb nodded.
"I talked to Saito. He's grateful Fischer is dismantling the company. I think he will help us." The Extractor said.
"Now, you tell me something." Cobb said meeting the Point Man in the eye. "Why so concerned about Ariadne?" Arthur shook his head. Not willing to expose his sin to his best friend.
"Did you sleep with her?" Cobb asked. Figuring it out for himself.
Arthur didn't respond. Cobb sighed
"Stupid." He growled at the Point Man.
"I know." Arthur said meekly. Defeated. "I drank to much. Took her to my hotel. After...We... I... rushed her out of L.A. Without telling her why. She's thinks... she hates me now." He finished weakly. Arthur rubbed his hands over his forehead. Cobb sighed and looked at his friend.
"You did the right thing. To protect her. If she knows about COBAL, it could put her in danger." Cobb comforted him.
"Now, she's with Eames and I can't find her." Arthur said his anger coming back sharply.
"At least we know she's alright." Cobb told him. Arthur nodded. "She knows how to reach us. I'm sure that if she wanted to make contact, she will. Let's just give her time." Cobb added.
Arthur pretended to agree. Pretend to believe.
~It was at an outdoor festivity in the neighborhood, Ariadne felt the baby move for the first time. Eames was with her. As always. She had been snapping pictures of the Forger wearing a silly hat.
"That is not coming home with his by the way." She scolded him.
"Why not?" Eames asked placing the hat with its pink feathers back on the sellers cart. "You've become right boring." He accused.
"No, I have not." She countered quickly. "You can get some funnel cake if you want." She consoled him.
"Thought you said I couldn't eat like I'm 20 anymore." He said looking over at the food booths. The sweet smell of fried...everything, was intoxicating. The Forger licked his lips.
"Once wont hurt." She said with a smile. "Oh." She gasped. Her hands going to her belly. She was starting to show her condition. Her small frame made the "intruder" as Eames called it more visible then some women at her stage of pregnancy.
"What?" Eames asked worried. His hand went to her belly. A smile on her face as she felt a lovely little flutter.
"Do you feel her?" She asked him. His expression deep in concentration.
"Yes." He whispered. His eyes wide in amazement. "I do." He laughed. "Her?" He questioned.
"I think it might be a girl." She smiled as the fluttering went wild in her belly.
"Excellent." Eames said with a laugh. "I love being surrounded by beautiful women.*" he said.
~That night. Ariadne dreamed of Arthur. The recent life she felt inside her eased her anger at him. Reminded her that this was his child she was carrying.
The Point Man was in her small bedroom on Knotting Hill. His body moving with hers. His skin on her own. His breath on her.
"Arthur." She cried out softly into his neck. His hands were gentle. Kind. Lovers hands. His attentions were focused on her. He was kissing her lips, her neck, her tender breasts.
"Arthur, I'm pregnant." She whispered.
"I know." He whispered back. "How could I not know?" He asked gently. He was moving with her. Her body becoming electric and responsive to him. A powerful sensation taking control of her sex.
A rush of excitement filled her body as she jerked out of her dream. Her body covered is sweat, an insistent need between her legs. She fell back into her solitary bed, angry and frustrated.
She had been reading lots of pregnancy books and knew to expect this. Knew to expect to be very sexually charged from the rush of hormones. She had taken to satisfying herself more often then normal these days.
It was not enough.
Ariadne left her little room and climbed silently up the twisting stairs to the Forger's bedroom.
*Not a big "Sex and the City" fan. But I loved that line. What an awesome guy to say that.