Everything That Is Real (Comes Around)

Part Seventeen

            Ariadne's stomach hitched when she saw Arthur driving in the opposite direction. She exchanged a glance with Eames before she picked up her cell phone and called Cobb because if there was anyone that would know where Arthur was going it would be him. If there was one person he would even say goodbye to it would be Cobb. He was the only person they kept in contact with on a regular basis. She was dialing his number before she could think twice and was chewing on the tip of her tongue each time it rang.

            “Hello, Ariadne? Is something wrong?” Cobb answered on the other end and she froze for a moment and thought about how she was going to say this without sounding like a crazy person.

            “Hey, I was wondering if you've seen Arthur at all. I knocked on his door and he didn't answer,” she lied and Eames crocked an eyebrow at her.

            “Oh, yes, I just spoke to him. He's on his way over with the information and we're going to discuss our next move. I'll call you as soon as we decide what we're doing next,” he replied and Ariadne released a breath she had not known she was holding.

            “Okay, let me know, thanks,” she said before she hung up the phone. “He said Arthur is on the way over to talk business.”

            “Probably to set up a meeting with Fischer to exchange the information. Once that folder changes hands, the job is over,” Eames replied as he parked the car and climbed out. “After that we can leave and do whatever we want. We go our separate ways and hope that the next time we see each other isn't in a cell or by coincidence alone.”

            “That’s kind of a dark way of looking at it,” Ariadne said as she closed the door behind her but he only shrugged.

            “That's the business, darling. Very rarely are there partnerships and it's even more rare that they work out.” Eames kept his eyes on her and it made her feel a little nervous.

            “Does that mean there's going to be another round of drinks as a way of saying 'goodbye' like after the Fischer job?” Ariadne asked and Eames paused.

            “No, I don't think so. This time we'll all leave without looking back,” he said.

            “Even you?” she asked and Eames blinked and gave her one of his smiles that said absolutely nothing.

            “I tried the partnership deal, love, and it just didn't work out,” he said and she knew exactly what he was talking about.

            “One day it just ended?” Ariadne asked and he nodded. The two of them walked back toward their respective hotel rooms before she reached forward and took his arm. “If I asked you to keep in touch, would you?”

            “Otherwise I'd have to keep dragging information out of Cobb like I did before,” Eames said and it made her smile that he was keeping tabs on her, on them, even though he did not need to. She wished him a good night before going into her hotel room and collapsing onto her bed. No matter if a job went perfectly or complete shit, they always left her feeling exhausted. She wanted to get some sleep but she knew that she would not be able to until she heard back from Cobb. She closed her eyes and started to drift off again, hoping that somehow sleep would find her.

            The sound of her phone ringing jolted Ariadne from a light sleep and she answered the phone with no hesitation. It was Cobb and he told her that Arthur had told him exactly what happened in the dream. It turned her stomach a little and it only got worse when he told her that the meeting was set and that she could leave now. The job was over and he was going to pass everything on to the others. For some reason that made a lump form in her throat. After a brief conversation with Cobb she hung up, not before promising to come see him before she left, and sat in complete silence. Arthur was on his way back and there was no telling where he would go after the meeting tomorrow. Without even thinking Ariadne jumped out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and knocked on Eames' door.

            “Ariadne? Shouldn't you be asleep?” he asked but she noticed that he was not undressed and did not look like he was sleeping at all.

            “I just got off the phone with Cobb,” she said and he stared at her.

            “Yes, I did too. I just booked my ticket back to London for late tomorrow. What's this about?” Eames said and she blinked.

            “Wait, you're leaving? What about Arthur and trying to keep him from doing something stupid?” Ariadne asked.

            “Do you have something in mind?”

            “Well, not exactly,” she stumbled over her words when she realized that she really had no idea either. “I don't even know where to start.” Eames watched her for what felt like a long time before he stepped out of his room and strolled down the hallway. It took her a moment before she realized that he was walking straight to Arthur's room. “He's not here though; Cobb said he was on his way and that was just a short while ago.”

            “I know; we're going to meet him in there,” he said before he pulled out another card key and opened the door.

            “How did you get a key to his room?” Ariadne asked.

            “Does that really matter?” Eames asked as he held the door open for her. She felt a little odd going into Arthur's room when she knew she was not welcome. He had made it clear the last time she was here that he did not want her in the same room as him. Even armed with this knowledge Ariadne could not deny the soaring in her heart because their track record of being alone was not that great. She was not surprised that his bags were packed and he seemed like he was ready to walk out the door at any moment. The job was over and that meant Arthur was ready to move on as well. Less than a day from now and there was a chance she would not know where he was. If Arthur wanted to, he could make sure no one ever found him again. The thought was quite terrifying. “I've found that the best way to make Arthur listen is to not give him a choice in the matter.”

            “So we're going to force him to listen,” Ariadne said as she looked around. “That didn't seem to work so well in the cab.”

            “I'll just have to add a little more force,” Eames said as he looked around. They did not say a word until there was the sound of the door opening. Eames wasted no time before he snatched Arthur by the collar, dragged him across the room and slammed him down on the bed. The motion was almost violent and Ariadne winced as Eames pinned the other man down.

            “If this is your new way of greeting me, we really need to have a serious talk,” Arthur said and she was surprised by how indifferent he sounded.

            “Flashback to the good old days?” Eames said with a wicked grin.

            “I wouldn't go that far but they were a long time ago. I can assure you that the outcome won't be the same as back then though.” It was in that moment that Ariadne realized that he had no idea she was there.

            “And here I was hoping for a repeat performance.” Eames paused before his expression went completely serious. “You're not going anywhere though, not until we get some answers out of you.”

            “We?” Arthur looked around until he saw her standing nearby. “Are you here to tag team me again?”

            “Fun idea but not quite our immediate intentions. Maybe later on we can discuss that.” Without even meaning to Ariadne felt her cheeks burn at the mere mention of what Eames was insinuating. Arthur, however, did not even flinch. “So when are you just going to tell me, tell us, what you're planning?” Something dark crossed in front of Arthur's eyes and it was something she had never seen in him before. Eames seemed stunned by it too and was about to comment on it when Arthur managed to shove him back with such force that it surprised everyone in the room. Before anyone could react the tables were turned and Arthur had Eames pinned against a wall by his shirt.

            “Here is how this is going to work: you two are going to walk out of this room without another word. You're going to get on your respective flights and you're going to go about your lives. And if we see each other again it will be on my terms. I've had enough of both of you thinking you can bully some answer out of me. I don't need to be protected, especially by the likes of you two.” Arthur's voice was dark and dangerous; this was a side of him she had never seen before. She had seen a glimpse the last time she had seen him lose control but this was different. Eames stared at him like he had just been shot before he yanked Arthur into a rough kiss. The motion made Ariadne's mouth hang open because up until that point she had not entirely believed what Eames had said about the two of them. Arthur, however, shoved the forger away and punched him, hard. A heavy silence followed as Arthur practically threw Eames out of the room and slammed the door.

            “Arthur...:” Ariadne tried to speak when she saw the swell of his shoulders. He leaned heavily against the wood and she walked forward. “Why didn't you ever tell me about you and Eames?”

            “Because it's not important. I don't remember you ever telling me about any past partners you had,” Arthur said and his voice was low. “I think it's time for you to go.”

            “I really don't want to, not yet,” she replied honestly. He watched her over his shoulder for a moment before he moved away from the door.

            “Then stay,” Arthur mumbled before he sat on his bed. He leaned against the headboard and opened his laptop. Ariadne was not sure what to do next so she next on the edge of the bed next to him. He visibly tensed but did not say anything right away. “I'm assuming Cobb called and told you what happened in the dream.”

            “He did,” she said. “I'm sorry you had to go through that.”

            “We got the job done and that's all that matters,” he said and not once did he look up from his computer.

            “Where will you go now?” Ariadne asked and he shrugged.

            “I'll go where the work takes me. Where that is I have no idea yet. We'll just have to see.” Arthur paused. “Will you go back to Rome?”

            “I don't really want to go back alone,” she confessed. “Maybe we could—”

            “That would be a bad idea,” he interrupted and if she was honest with herself she knew it was as well. Ariadne could feel the heat of his body at her back when they were this close. She was ashamed to admit that even if there was nothing left between them she still wanted to spend the night with him. She remembered what Eames had said, about how it had been physical between them and nothing more.

            “Maybe we should make this an interesting night then,” she said and he froze. “Since we might not see each other again.” Arthur sat completely still for a moment before he set his laptop aside and moved so he was sitting next to her. Ariadne honestly had no idea what to expect from him right now. Without warning Arthur leaned forward and kissed her. This was not soft and tender nor was it angry and violent; it reminded her of the many times they had kissed over the past year. His hands were on her hips and Ariadne wrapped her arms around his neck so they could fall back onto the bed. Instead Arthur pulled away and stared at her with intense eyes.

            “Do you feel anything between us right now?” he asked and her stomach sank.

            “Arthur, does it--”

            “Yes, it does, now tell me if you feel anything. And I will know if you're lying.” More than anything she wanted to ignore the singing in her heart when he was close, when they kissed, when she thought about having him in her arms. Her silence seemed answer enough for him and Ariadne knew he was making a point. That did not make it hurt any less as she moved away from him.

            “I should go,” she said. Arthur nodded and walked her to the door. What surprised her more than anything was when he kissed her forehead lightly before he closed the door. For the life of her Ariadne could not figure out whether the gesture made her feel better or worse.

***

            It was a moment of relief for Arthur when Ariadne realized on her own that what she was suggesting was a terrible idea. There was no way they could spend the night together and not have it mean something. Her coming to that realization meant that he got to avoid hurting her again and that was a relief. Both Eames and Ariadne needed to be handled in vastly different ways. The forger only understood extreme gestures so throwing him out was really the best thing. For Ariadne it was best if she walked out on her own. He clutched his die tightly before he rolled it on the end table and watched as it landed just as it was supposed to.

            It was early still but the meeting with Fischer was early and he needed to make sure he was ready. Arthur changed out of his suit and leaned heavily against the counter in his bathroom. The sooner he fell asleep the sooner the meeting would pass and everything would go in the right direction. Everyone would leave and he could as well. It was going to be liberating, he was sure of it, because partnerships in this business rarely worked. The fact that he had worked with Cobb as long as he had was nothing short of a miracle. And those six months when Cobb had had to lie low and he had worked with Eames was a perfect example of how it just did not work. No more working with the same people more than once. Arthur climbed into bed and stared at the ceiling before he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

            The alarm woke him up a little after six and he spent the next hour or so getting the last of his things together. Cobb had the folder with the information but he tucked a copy into his suit jacket just in case. Arthur swung all of his bags over his shoulder and walked down to the front desk. He checked out and did not bother to change his credit card for any of the other rooms. If they wanted to charge their room to his card he really did not care. The phone rang and he picked it up on the first ring.

            “Are you ready?” Cobb asked. His voice was low and flat and it only got like that when he was ready to do business.

            “In my car about to pull out of the parking lot,” Arthur replied.

            “Let's meet a few blocks away and walk. I don't want him to see our cars. More so mine than yours,” Cobb replied.

            “Sounds good, I'll see you soon.” The line went dead and he rolled his shoulders. Arthur started up his car before he pulled out of the hotel parking lot and into the city. Despite it being early the city was already busy and it was nearly time for the meeting when he met Cobb a few blocks away. They did not say anything as they stopped in front of the massive convention center in the middle of town. They kept their backs to each other as they surveyed the area. Fischer climbed out of a limo that had pulled to the edge of the road as he waited for them.

            “Gentlemen, good to see you,” he said. His voice was bright but his eyes were dark.

            “You were right to worry about Susana Mitchell,” Cobb said as he handed over the file. “You might want to make sure that if your father's left hand man does dirty business he covers it up better.” Fischer narrowed his eyes as he looked over the papers before he closed the file and gave them both a forced smile.

            “Well then, I'll have to find a way to deal with this. How would you like to arrange payment?” he asked and Arthur exchanged a glance with Cobb.

            “Put it all in one account and I'll take care of the rest,” Arthur said and Fischer nodded as he handed them a slip of paper with a bank account number on it.

            “I don't expect to hear from anyone about how they didn't get paid,” he said and Cobb shook his head.

            “We'll make sure it gets where it needs to.” The three of them stood in silence before Fischer extended a hand.

            “They were right; you are the best. Pleasure doing business with you both,” he said before he shook both of their hands. Without another word Fischer turned and climbed back into the limo. Cobb visibly relaxed as soon as the car pulled away.

            “We are still so lucky he didn't recognize any of us,” he said.

            “Extremely,” Arthur agreed.

            “What are you going to do with our earnings?” Cobb asked as the two of them started back down the road.

            “Hand them over to Walter so he'll keep his mouth shut,” Arthur said. “I'll drop off the information about the bodies to the police and the job will be done.” Cobb nodded but stopped when he arrived back at his car.

            “Call, at the very least, before you take off, okay?” he said and Arthur stared.

            “If that's what you want then fine,” he said and Cobb nodded. They stood for a moment before the extractor climbed into his car. Arthur watched him drive away before he got into his own car. As he drove toward the police station he started a mental countdown to when his phone was going to ring.