Hey guys! This chapter is a bit shorter, but the next one will be longer. I'm thinking of adding a slight Dom/Ariadne love angle in this story, and it's hinted at in this chapter. So, I hope you guys are cool with that. The story will still focus on the Arthur/Avery love story, though. Enjoy!

After regaining her sanity in the kitchen, Avery walked into the living room and sat next to Yusuf.

"So, you're a chemist?"

"Yes, I am. What exactly are you?"

"I forge, I extract, sometimes I design. I just come along for the ride and help where I'm needed. So, listen, I need your help."

"With what?"

"I need to get two people asleep for a short amount of time. Probably an hour or so."

"That should be easy enough."

"But I need them asleep so I can go into their dreams to see exactly what is in their subconscious."

"Why do you need to do this?"

"First off, I want to get into my brother's mind to see for myself how bad his Retention really is. Second, I just really want to see what's going on in Arthur's mind."

"Why do you need Arthur's mind?"

Avery was getting annoyed. "I just need to see his dreams. Now, can you do it or not?"

"I'll formulate a compound. When do you need it by?"

"Tonight, please. From what I heard, Arthur told Dom I came to visit. He will be joining us for dinner."

Dom Cobb walked up the driveway, anxious about seeing his sister. He didn't want to face telling her about how he declined from when they had last seen each other. Arthur seemed to sound neutral on the phone when Dom had heard from him. He knew Arthur had genuinely loved his sister, but he agreed with Arthur when their relationship had begun to get in the way of work.

He straightened his jacket and rang the doorbell. Ariadne answered the door, and when Cobb saw her, he smiled. She was a breath of fresh air, a light in the dim world of dream sharing. Whenever he was around her, time seemed to pass slower, the way it did when Mal was around.

Ariadne smiled. "Hello, Cobb."

"Hello, Ariadne."

"Come on in."

Cobb walked in, and looked around the house.

"You guys cleaned up this place nicely."

"It was Arthur's doing."

Avery walked out of the kitchen into the room where Dom stood. She smiled.

"It's been too long, Dom." she said as she walked to her brother and embraced him with a hug.

"It's good to see you again, Ave. What brings you back?"

"I miss the dream world too much. Now, shall we have dinner?"

The group made their way to the dining room. With the food that had been in the house, Avery was able to through together a lasagna. Arthur brought it to the table as everyone began to take their seats. Dom sat at one head of the table, and Eames sat at the other. Yusuf and Ariadne subconsciously sat next to each other, leaving the two spots on the other side of the table. Avery realized what had just happened and blatantly rolled her eyes as she sat. Ariadne mouthed "Sorry" across the table as Arthur took his spot next to Avery. The group ate in silence until Eames decided to break the ice.

"So, Avery, how are the men in LA? Do they please you the same way our dear Arthur did?"

Arthur gulped the wine he had been drinking. Dom, Ariadne, and Yusuf all sat in shock, waiting to hear a response. Avery, who was about to take a bite of food, placed her full fork on her plate and turned to face Eames.

"For your information, Eames, I haven't been dating since Arthur and I went our separate ways. So, to answer your question, no."

"What happened to you two?" Eames pressed further. "I always caught you two sneaking off in the middle of missions, and in real life come to think of it."

Arthur wiped his mouth with his napkin. "We decided to go our separate ways."

Avery looked at Arthur in disgust. "YOU decided to go YOUR own way. Our break up was anything but mutual."

"You said you wanted your dance career."

"In addition to working with you guys. I could have had the best of both worlds!"

"Leaving your own studio for multiple days at a time? THAT'S professional."

"You told me you didn't want me to become another Mal."

Dom stood up and stormed out.

"I'm going for a walk." he said.

"Shit," Avery muttered.

"What's wrong?" Eames asked.

"I had Yusuf develop me a compound that would knock him out. He'll be down in a few minutes, and the last thing I need is that happening outside."

Arthur slumped in his chair as she said this.

"What's wrong with him?" Eames asked again.

He looked at Avery's face. Her gaze shifted away from him.

"You drugged him, too?"

"Think of it as an experiment. We have an hour to get this done. Drag him into the living room. I'll meet you there."

R&R. Peace. Love. Lauren.