Authors Note:

Thank you all for your great reviews from the last chapter.

I hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter 15

"Ari," Cobb's voice went into a whisper "I think-" and he stopped and bit his tongue. Her eyes peering up into his. Cobb took a deep breath in and continued "No, that's wrong."

She removed her hands from his immediately, her expression falling flat. "That's wrong?" She asked, confused, annoyed and very heart broken.

"Yes." Cobb spoke, his voice still very low. What he had just planned to say was completely incorrect.

"So, that's it then?" She turned to Saito, his lips tight as she continued in a bitter tone "This is the reason why I got off the plane?"

She turned her head to Arthur who was scowling at Cobb. He couldn't understand his friend anymore. Every few seconds he changed his mind. He had become completely insatiable.

Dom walked up to Ariadne and was about to speak, when she uttered the phrase "You owe me $1200," with an intense amount of hatred hidden in her voice.

She was about to walk away when Dom suddenly spoke "I owe you far more than that." He was... smiling? Ariadne stared into his blue eyes as he took a few steps closer to her.

"The reason I said, 'thats wrong' is because I started with the word 'think'." He narrowed his eyes to her own, lifting a hand and sliding it down her cheek.

"Okay." Ariadne spoke the word slowly, not completely understanding what he meant.

He bent over and kissed her cheek while whispering "I owe you everything, Ari." He placed his hands on each side of her face, holding onto her lightly.

Saito and Kudo were whispering to each other, something in Japanese. But it was something about giving them privacy.

Saito pulled on Arthur's arm, who held his strength "Oh come on. This is best part." He whined as Kudo pulled him towards the flight deck.

Ariadne couldn't help but smile as Cobb mumbled "Arthur thinks my life is an episode of Gossip Girl."

Arthur's muffled voice came from behind the curtain "Actually, I think its better."

Ariadne shook her head and then mentioned "Anyway, you were saying something?"

He grinned shortly and took her small hand in his while continuing "You know, the entire way here I wasn't sure what I would say-"

"And you still don't know what to say?"

"You know me too well, Ari." He half laughed and held onto her hand tighter.

"Well, I don't know why you were saying Mal's name in your sleep last night." Ariadne let go of his hand, and crossed her arms across her chest.

"I cannot control my dreams, Ariadne." Cobb replied the words thickly. He wanted to make sure she understand exactly what he meant. "But that dream was not what you think."

"Really?" She asked, her hands falling to her sides, as her nerves riveted upward towards her head.

"We were on the beach bench together and you were yelling at me to call you, her name." He bit down on his bottom lip, as he watched her eyebrows knit.

"I would never ask you to do that." Ariadne's pupils dilated. She suddenly felt even more angry with him. Everything that Claudia had told her was right. She didn't deserve him. She deserved better.

"My subconscious was trying tell me something." Dom started but was cut off by Ariadne's voice cracking.

"That I am her replacement?"

Cobb shook his head at her, a small smile pulling on the corner of his mouth "No, baby. You could never be a replacement. You are your own person."

"Then why did you dream that?" Ariadne looked at in the eyes. She didn't feel weak anymore because of their color. All she wanted was the truth. The real truth and nothing but it.

"Because you think that about yourself." He rubbed her cheek once and continued "But you shouldn't, Ari. You are completely different from her."

"I don't think so, Dom." Ariadne broke loose from him once again. She had gotten off her plane to talk about Mal. Only her? Well then, she didn't want to talk anymore.

"Ariadne, you are the reason that I am living. I mean, literally, the reason that I am awake." Cobb spoke the words and then stared at her, waiting for a reaction.

He approached her once again and spoke "If it wasn't for you, I would be stuck in Limbo right now, my mind decreasing of its logic. But I'm here, in the real world because I was able to come back. Because of you."

He placed a chaste kiss upon her lips and whispered "Because I know that I want you." Her mind suddenly thought back to the moment he had told her that in the car. Except then, the word 'think' was in its place.

"Because I know that I need you," he spoke and she thought back to the their other memories.

"And now, I know that I'm in love with you." He smiled at her, the words falling off his tongue.

Ariadne's eyes widened and she blinked twice before asking "What did you just say?"

"He said he's in love with you!" Arthur's muffled scream echoed from the flight deck.

"Thanks, Arthur!" Cobb shouted and rolled his eyes at the same time.

"You're in love with me?" Ariadne asked, her smile widening. She couldn't believe he had admitted that to her. "And this isn't a dream?" She asked, her face suddenly going red.

"Well, even if it is..." Dom admitted through a chuckle "When you wake up, I'll tell you how I feel about you all over again."

She laughed and grabbed his head to hers, his lips crashing onto hers. He slowly slipped his tongue into her mouth and hers caressed his bottom lip.

"Well, well, it seems that I walked in at the perfect moment." Eames' voice came from the hall of the aircraft.

Dom and Ariadne stopped kissing and looked over at Eames who was holding out his cellphone "Arthur texted me. I came right by because I didn't believe him."

Saito opened the curtain and spoke through a chuckle "Well, Mr Cobb. Congratulations."

Kudo passed both Ariadne and Cobb a glass of red wine before Dom nodded his head in a 'thank you' to Saito.

"So, now that I'm here. Let's drink." Eames lifted his glass and spoke "To Ariadne for waking up my delusional friend Domenic Cobb and for making him feel something in his trousers rather than his legs."

Cobb stared at Eames with a stare full of disgust while the others laughed. "Cheers," Arthur laughed and they all took a sip of their red wine.

Kudo's glass suddenly fell onto the floor and he let out a small puff and an insult in Japanese, as he accidentally stepped on the glass. It's cracking made a familiar sound that rang in Dom's ears.

Cobb's eyes widened, memories of Mal coming back into his mind. "Dom." Ariadne spoke his name softly, grabbing onto his arm. "Are you alright?"

Cobb hesitated but when he looked down into Ariadne's eyes, he nodded once and replied "I am now." And then he kissed her once more.

(SPACE)

"Hello?" Dom asked, his voice strained from carrying Ariadne's rather large and heavy suitcase.

"You know, I could have helped you." Ariadne spoke the words through a giggle, her eyes focusing on a sweating and panting Cobb.

"It's alright. You can repay me later." He winked at her and dropped the suitcase, as they entered the hallway to his home.

"Actually, Dom, you're the one that owes me $1200." Ariadne spoke the words through a small smile, her eyebrows playfully upward. She had wasted all that money on a plane ticket that she didn't even end up using.

"Call it even?" Cobb placed an arm around her shoulders, while he asked his question.

"I don't really think that's fair." She wiggled herself out of his hold and held a playful smirk on her face, as he twirled her body back into his.

"We'll, I'll just have to repay you tonight, then." His voice came out seductively. Just like it was supposed to. There was no more holding back.

"Okay fine. When we get back from drinks with the brady bunch, I am expecting-"

He cut her off with a long kiss, his hands pulling on her body, as she relaxed into his frame.

"Dom?" she whispered, her lips falling to his clothed shoulder.

"Ariadne?" He mocked her, kissing her throat, placing wet kisses in all the corners of her neck.

"Why isn't anyone home?" She asked him, her eyes widening.

"They're probably in the back." He let out a small grin at her before taking her hand in his. "Let's go." And they walked out towards the backyard, hand in hand.

Ariadne couldn't help but hope this was reality. If it was a dream, she wasn't really sure she'd want to wake up.

(SPACE)

"James, egg salad or tuna?" Miles voice asked with a light tone.

"Ummm-" James thought for a moment, stretching himself out on the sand.

"Actually, I thought maybe we would go out for lunch today." Dom opened the glass doors as he suggested the idea to his children.

Phillipa gasped as she saw Ariadne standing next to him. "Ari?" She called out, let go of her shovel and ran over to Ariadne giving her a large hug.

Claudia's head turned towards the scene, her hand resting on her husbands, as she said in a shocked tone "Are you not supposed to be on a plane?"

Cobb picked up his daughter in his hands and replied for Ariadne "Actually, she's exactly where she is supposed to be." He let out a cool smile to Ariadne and placed Phillipa back down on the ground.

"Well," Miles couldn't help but smile. He was extremely confused as to why she was still there, but his son looked happy. That was all that mattered to him. "Are you staying until the end of summer, Ariadne?"

Ariadne kissed James on the forehead before replying "I'm not exactly sure yet."

"Help me build a sand castle." James pulled Ariadne's hand towards his already half built structure.

"I don't understand how you're here." Claudia muttered through grinding teeth, she could feel the airline receipt burning in her back pocket.

Ariadne bit down on her tongue for a moment, turned to Claudia for a moment and whispered "Your wrong."

The entire family looked over at the two with questioning faces. Cobb, for one, did not understand what Ariadne had meant by her statement.

"I'm what?" Claudia asked, getting defensive.

"What we talked about this morning, your wrong." Ariadne let out a small smile and then turned her attention back to the children, burying her hands in the sand.

Dom walked over to Ariande and sat down on the beach, beside her. "What are you two talking about?" He asked the question to his mother more than Ariadne. He could tell that it pained her to talk about it. He needed to know what it was.

"It's just between us girls, right Ariadne?" Claudia cleared her throat. She hated the fact that Ariadne was still there. She would do anything to get rid of her. Anything.

Ariadne nodded, trying to hide her real emotions. Claudia would never let them be happy, she realized.

"Well" Dom said, lifting up Ariadne's hand in his before he continued "Should we go out to celebrate?"

"Celebrate what?" Phillip asked, her mouth wide with enthusiasm.

Cobb looked over at Miles for a moment, his face washed over with a mild happiness. "Ariadne has decided to go to school here."

"Really?" James asked happily.

"Well, isn't that wonderful?" Claudia asked, her tone sarcastic to an unheard of degree."Now where the hell did you get that idea?" Her eyes peered to her son's.

Miles squeezed his wife's hand and replied with a grin "Honey, it was my idea."

Claudia's eyes locked on her husband and she muttered "We will talk about this later."

Miles smiled at his wife and answered in a mere sigh "No, we won't."

Cobb turned to Ariadne for a moment, his lips almost gracing her ear as he asked "What did you and my mother talk about?"

Ariadne looked him in the eyes and replied "Dom, it's nothing important."

His eyes narrowed for a moment, before asking "Are you alright?" He could see her smile slowly fading.

She took his hand in his and rubbed his palm gently, before whispering "Never better."

"Dom, can I speak to you in the kitchen. Please?" Claudia's voice sparked with anger. What the hell was she doing to her son? They were practically all over each other. None of it was right.

"Speak to me here." Cobb said the sentence bluntly.

"Kitchen, Dom." Claudia repeated, her eyes getting larger.

"I just spent the last hour chasing this one through an airport, I'm not leaving her side any time soon." Cobb spoke the words slowly for his mother to understand, and he wrapped his arms around Ariadne even more tightly as the statement prolonged.

"Like a movie!" Phillipa said the phrase in a shocked state before explaining "What's the movie again? I can't remember."

Ariadne smiled as Cobb replied through a chuckle "There's a lot of movies where that happens, Princess."

"And they all have happy endings?" Claudia asked, her voice stern.

"Most of them." Ariadne clarified, her hand gently rubbing Dom's fingers.

"Dom, if you don't want to speak to me in the kitchen, I just won't speak to you at all."

"Now, that would be a blessing." Miles couldn't help but say with a laugh. Claudia pulled her hand away from her husband who was still chuckling "Oh honey, just let him be happy."

Claudia turned her face to the 'couple' in front of her. She took a deep breath in and asked "Are you happy, Dom?"

He rolled his eyes at the question, kissed Ariadne's cheek and asked "What do you think, mother?"

She carefully examined Ariadne. Who was now helping James with his sandcastle again. She looked like a child next to her son. It was odd. But then something happened that changed Claudia's pathway of thought, even if just for a moment.

Cobb placed his arms around Ariadne's body and kissed her cheek. The last time she had seen something like that from him, was when he was with Mal. Her eyes squinted as she realized that maybe Cobb was moving on from his ex-wife. Maybe, just maybe, he was happy.

"Well, honey..." Miles asked, pointing to the scene in front of him before continuing "Does he look happy?"

Claudia nodded once, staring at the family in front of her, who was tickling each other. "Yes, he does."

She got up from the ground and stated in a solid tone "For now, at least." And she walked back into the house, deciding to place the sandwiches in the fridge. They were going out to lunch to celebrate, weren't they?

(SPACE)

"Now, I'm curious," Eames began, his elbows resting on the perfectly clean, golden coloured table cloth, "how can an old man like you Cobb, snag yourself such a pretty young thing like Ariadne?"

Cobb rolled his eyes, Saito laughing as his eyes went to Arthur and Ariadne dancing on the dance floor.

"What is your secret?" Eames asked, with a chuckle. His hand reaching for the tequila shot glasses in the middle of the table. They had chosen a Spanish restaurant this time. Well, actually, Saito had chosen it, since he had offered to pay- again.

"My secret is my wealth." Saito laughed loudly. His face red from the four shots of tequila, he had already engulfed.

"What can I say? I guess she sees something in me that I don't." Cobb shifted his head to the side, watching his girlfriend dance with his best friend.

"Women." Eames rolled his eyes, lifting his shot glass before saying "We can't live with them and we can't live without them." Cobb raised his own shot glass and then took a sip, while Eames and Saito drank theirs fully.

"That wasn't a full glass, Domenic." Eames noted, his eyes falling to Dom's shot glass.

"I have to get home to my children, Eames. And hopefully, not drunk." Cobb raised his eyebrows to both Saito and Eames.

"And by that, you mean-" Eames spoke through a chuckle "- that you don't want to get drunk because then you won't remember all the bloody good sex you'll be having tonight."

"Is this honestly what men talk about?' Ariadne cut in, resting her hand on Dom's shoulder, standing beside him, with a look of disgust on her face.

"Yeah, pretty much." Arthur nodded, sitting down and pouring a shot of alcohol down his throat.

"Unless your Arthur and you want to talk about 'Chuck and Blair.'" Cobb cut in, chuckling a tiny bit.

Eames patted Saito on the shoulder, almost crying with laughter at Dom's joke "And the old man does have a sense of humor."

"Ha ha." Arthur mocked Dom for a tiny bit and shifted his body, making himself comfortable in the booth.

"Dance with me?" Ariadne held out her hand to Cobb.

"Of course, baby." Dom placed his hand onto hers and let her lead him towards the dance floor.

"Already taking orders, Cobb?" Arthur asked, as the couple walked away. The table laughed.

Saito poured himself and the other two men an ounce of liquor and then asked "How long do you think its going to last?"

"Exactly 2.3 seconds." Eames whispered, gulping down the shot of alcohol and then sighing.

"I think he was talking about Cobb and Ariadne, smart ass." Arthur commented, holding the brim to his own glass.

"Them?" Eames asked, turning his head to look at the couple, kissing on the dance floor. "A long time, mate."

"I could see it." Saito commented, looking over at his menu. He was starving.

"Yeah-" Arthur smiled at the couple, who were still kissing on the dance floor, before whispering "I think Cobb finally sees it too."

Arthur smirked at the two of them, realizing that Ariadne was a blessing for Cobb. It was because of her that he was living. It was because of her that he could dream again. It was because of her that he could see his children again. It was because of her that he felt again.

In the end, no matter how many ways one could look at their relationship. It was always, because of her.

Authors Note:

This is the last chapter of this story. I really hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I will be writing a few one shots on these two, until I get an idea for another multi-chapter story.

Thank you so much!

Please Review!