Rivals
In the bathroom of the second floor, the Point Man was helping the Architect to wash her face. Wash away the tears she had shed at their reunion. His large hands were gentle and thorough as he cleaned and dried around her eyes. Ariadne was numb. She allowed him to care for her as if she were a child.
"Much better." He said with a weak smile. She gave him a small smile back. He sighed.
"Cobb and I, were doing an extraction for a firm called COBAL engineering. It's how we met Saito. We didn't accomplish the extraction. It put a price on our heads. Ours, as well as anyone who was with us. That meant Yuseff, Eames and you. COBAL's men had come after Cobb and his children that night. I had to get you out of the city. Quickly. I had to get you away from me so they would not come after you." He explained.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" She asked.
"If you knew about COBAL, it would have put you in danger." Arthur said sadly.
"Well, so what about now?" She asked.
"Now, we worked out a deal with COBAL. With Saito's help. They won't come after us." Arthur told her. "I asked Eames... to check on you. To make sure you were alright. I've been trying to reach you for awhile now. Why didn't you call me? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. Nodding to her large abdomen. Real hurt on his face. She shook her head.
"I thought that you had just made a mistake. You said you had to much to drink. I thought you never wanted to see me again. That I was just a conquest." She explained.
"No." He breathed. Kissing her softly. "I was drunk and I wasn't myself. I wasn't gentle like I wanted to be. I wanted us to make love... the right way." He apologized. "I planed to explain all of that when Cobb called. I had to get you out. I had to protect you. I was focused only on that. I never regretted our time together." he said.
"And now?" She said. Her hands going to their unborn baby. The gesture meaning only one thing.
Now..." Arthur looked down at her. His eyes locked on this new life inside her. One he was unprepared for. "I wasn't expecting this. I knew something was wrong... I just." He searched for the right thing to say. Ariadne sighed.
"It's alright." She said softly. Trying to sound brave. "I was planning on doing this alone anyway. I have a good job. I really love what I do. Daycare in the building. I have maternity leave... and I have Eames." Arthur's head snapped up at hearing the Forger's name.
"You and Eames are living together." He said bluntly. She nodded. He looked troubled. "Well, your not going to be doing this alone. We can go back to the States and have the baby there." He said matter of factually. As if the decision was already made.
"No." She said sharply. Arthur turned and looked at her. She shook her head.
"I'm having her here, in England. We already have a doctor and a birth plan in place. Didn't you hear me? I have a job I love. One that will accommodate me and the baby. I have it under control." She said. Feeling that same anger at him coming back up.
"Ariadne, I live in New York. I only travel when I work with Cobb. My real work is there. I won't be able to stay in England for a long period of time. I want to be in my child's life. You have to come back with me." His tone was authoritative. Not Arthur's voice at all. But the Point Man's.
"I don't have to do anything." Ariadne said. Her own tone even harsher then Arthur's had been. The same fearlessness resurfacing that had once stood up to Cobb and Arthur. "Everything is fine. I have it worked out."
"No, your not cutting me out!" Arthur started to yell.
"I'm not cutting you out of anything!" She shouted back. Turning to leave. He grabbed her arm. She jerked away from him. Her face a rage.
"Eames!" Ariadne shouted leaving the bathroom. The Forger was very quickly there. As if he had purposefully stayed close to the Architect.
"Hey, let's all stay calm. Right?" Eames said gently putting himself between the couple.
"Stay out of this Eames!" Arthur shouted. Eames didn't move as Ariadne stayed protected behind the Forger.
Arthur's eyes locked on his old friend. Pure hatred was there.
"So this is why she never called me? Because of you? You just wanted to play house? You want to play Daddy? Is that it?" He asked in the same angry tone he used with Cobb in the dream.
"No, Mate." Eames said calmly. Rationally. "Not at all."
"That will never happen, Eames." Arthur said meeting the Forger in the eye. The Point Man's normal composure gone. He was filled with pure hostility.
The Point Man threw a hard punch at Eames. Catching him in the face. The Forger was only phased as he took the hit. A full fight was on as the two men chased each other down the stairs over Ariadne's screams.
Eames was no light weight. He could handle himself in a fight. His own military had trained him well in hand to hand combat. Arthur was quick and nimble. With strength well concealed. But Eames had a real skill and power behind his hits. Blows he used on the Point Man. Both men were in a fair fight that looked bad enough to kill them when Ariadne let out a high unnatural scream.
Eames and Arthur stopped their assault on one another as they looked up the tight little stairs to see her clutching her stomach.
"Eames..." She gasped. "Eames, something's wrong." The Forger shook off the Point Man and raced to her.
"What is it?" He asked blood coming from his lip and ears from the fight. She shook her head. Breathing hard.
"Pain." She cried. "Sharp. It's not right." She said. Fear written on her face.
"No worries." Eames said trying to sound lighthearted. "To the hospital we go." He gently took her hands and guided her down the stairs as Arthur watched. His mind lost over what was happening.
~ "Eames, I still have over a month left." She was saying as the hospital staff was hooking her up to machines and taking vitals. She looked up at the Forger helplessly from her hospital bed.
"I know." Eames said. He was worried but could not let her see it. The petite Architect was the subject of much fussing over by the hospital staff. Several doctors and nurses were arriving in her hospital room. Eames was frightened.
'Why would a simple delivery require so many doctors? So many experts?' He thought. But he knew the answer. The pale skin of the mother to be, told him everything he needed to know. She was in very real danger.
Arthur had gone with them in the ambulance to the hospital. He had been quite and stayed out of everyone's way. A terrified look on his face. Eames had never seen Arthur look frightened. He seemed afraid to approach Ariadne's bed. The Forger wished he could comfort his old friend. But Ariadne needed him more.
Eames bravely held her hand as she started to bleed heavily. She was crying softly as a nurse hooked up an IV for the emergency surgery. The Forger put on fake smile of confidence as she started to panic over the sudden activity of preparing for surgery.
"It will be fine." He said assuredly. "They do these kinds of things everyday. They know what their doing, Love." He told her. "I heard them talking and they said the baby will be fine." He lied easily. "And I'll be right here when you get back." He leaned over and kissed her chastely on the forehead. She smiled weakly back at him before letting go of his hands.
"Sir, you have to wait here." The nurse said as they wheeled the Architect away to surgery. "You're wife will be fine." She added.
"He's not her husband, and that baby is not his." The Point Man growled.
Arthur had been forced to the lowly ranks of observer for the past few hours. Frighting, horrible hours where he watched his lover grow pale at the blood loss. Horrible stretches of time where he could feel his child slipping away from life. A terrible time when she looked to Eames for comfort and not him.
He was no longer angry at Eames or Ariadne. Seeing her start to bleed to death had cured him of that. He was ready to stand up for his family.
"Doctors will only talk to me." he informed the charge nurse. "You can go home Eames." He said coldly to the Forger.
"Not happening." Eames said casually. The two men stared each other down. The fresh bruises from their fight still written on their faces. Rather then start yet another argument, Arthur walked away. Retrieving his cell phone, he called his lawyer.
~ Hours passed. Night came. The two men waited restlessly. It was a difficult delivery. Either because of the stress of the past few months or the size of the mother to be, the little girl had been born to soon. She was small, but strong. A tiny pink bundle placed in the hospital incubator. The name "Catherine" written in Eames bold handwriting.
The Forger and Architect had chosen this name from a baby book. Eames had objected. Saying there were too many girls named Catherine or Kate in England already. But consented, it was a very pretty name.
As promised, Eames was with Ariadne when she woke up from surgery.
"How is she?" She croaked wearily. Her face drawn and worn out. Tired.
"She's fine... she's perfect. Just small. Doctors said she'll be alright." Eames said soothingly. Ariadne smiled weakly as Eames brushed back her hair.
"She's beautiful." the Forger said. Kissing her gently on the lips. "Just like her old Mum."
Ariadne had to laugh at that. Despite the pain from her surgery. Small tears of pain and joy escaping her eyes. Landing on her cheeks. Eames gently brushed them off with his warm hands before kissing her again.
~Out in front of the nursery window, Arthur watched the solitary incubator with it's tiny occupant inside. He couldn't take his eyes off her for a second. He wanted to see Ariadne, talk to her, but his feet were rooted to the ground. His daughter needed him more. A short bandy legged man in an ill fitting suit came up behind him.
"Oh... uhh... are you Arthur, by any chance?" the man asked. The Point Man turned and nodded before returning his gaze back to the incubator.
"My name is Miles, I was contacted by your lawyers." The short man said, sweating from his walk through the hospital.
"Yes." Arthur said. "I need you to start the paper work for a paternity test and custody suit." He said coldly.
"Paternity test? Certainly. Who are the parties involved?" The short man asked.
"Myself, and that baby." Arthur said pointing at the pink bundle in the incubator. "I need to prove she's mine before I can start proceedings to gain custody."