Authors Note:

This idea practically fell out of my head this morning.

Most of this chapter is my version of the last scene in Limbo, from the movie. But the next chapter will be completely new.

I am planning on taking their relationship slow, so please do not expect for them to kiss any time soon. I want their romance to be real, even though they are stick in Limbo.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Her hands grabbed at his face "So, choose. Choose to be here. Choose me."

Cobb couldn't look away from his wife's eyes. They were transfixed on her as he whispered "You know what I have to do. I have to get back to our children because you left them." Mal's eyes widened slowly as he continued "Because you left us."

She barely let him speak when she spoke strongly "You're wrong." Her hands slide off of him, as she accused "You're confused. Our children are here." She turns her head and Dom watches her for a moment. "And you'd like to see their faces again, wouldn't you?"

Ariadne looks down at the ground momentarily. She was taking a deep breath, fighting the urge to shout at Mal for the torture she was causing Dom.

He whispered "Yes. But I want to see them up above, Mal."

Ariadne couldn't help but let out a small smile. He still knew what reality was.

Mal smirked and shook her head lightly, while asking "Up above?" She moved her body closer to him as she continued "Listen to yourself-" His face round and full of sorrow as he listened to his wife speak "These are our children. Watch."

In an instant, she turned her head and called out to the shadows of his children playing in the background "James! Phillipa!"

Cobb's lured his eyes away from the scene, resting his head in between his hands as he spoke "Please, those aren't my childr-"

Mal's voice interjected "You keep telling yourself that but you don't believe it."

Dom spoke bluntly this time "No-"

"And what if you're wrong? What if I'm what's real?"

Dom removed his hands from his face and closed his eyes, as she continued "You keep telling yourself what you know, but what do you believe? What do you feel?"

"Guilt-" His voice became rough, as his eyes peered away from his children."I feel guilt, Mal." Cobb shook his head and spoke again "No matter what I do-" and then he turned his head to the projection to his wife, never looking into her eyes "No matter how hopeless I am, no matter how confused- that guilt, is always there reminding me of the truth."

His head turned to her slowly, her dark eyes watching him as she asked "What truth?"

His eyes were burning into hers now. He had to say it "That the idea that caused you to question your reality, came from me."

"You planted the idea in my mind."

Ariadne's face fell pale and her lips parted "What is she talking about?"

Cobb's eyes immediately went to his left "The reason I knew inception was possible was because...I did it to her first. I did it to my own wife."

Ariadne couldn't understand and so she asked in a mere whisper "Why?"

Memories flashed in Cobb's mind as he explained "We were lost in here. I knew we needed to escape but she couldn't accept it. She had locked something away, something deep inside, a truth that she had once known, but chose to forget. She couldn't break free. So, I decided to search for it. I went deep into the recess of her mind and found that secret place. I broke in and I planted an idea. A simple little idea that would change everything. That her world wasn't real."

Dom continued, his eyes softening "And I never knew that idea would grow in her mind like a cancer. That even after you woke- that even after you came back to reality, that you continued to believe your world wasn't real. That death was the only escape."

Mal was crying now and she spoke "You infected my mind."

"I was trying to save you-"

"You betrayed me. But you can make amends. You can still keep your promise. We can still be together. Right here." She was nodding as he stared into her eyes. "In the world we built together."

Ariadne listened to them speak to each other about their love. A love that she would never fully understand. She heard Cobb agree to her wishes and she couldn't believe her ears.

She ran to the balcony and picked up Fischer and held him to her "Cobb, he's here." Her voice was strained, Dom could hear her struggle to hold him up.

Cobb kissed his wife's hand as he heard Ariadne scream in the background "It's time! You have to come now!"

Mal smiled for a moment and Cobb spoke "Take Fischer with you."

"You can't stay here to be with her." Ariadne felt like crying. He couldn't do this now. He couldn't leave her.

And what Cobb said next, surprised Ariadne's ears "I'm not. Saito is dead by now, that means he's around here somewhere. That means I have to find him."

Ariadne took a deep breath in, as he continued "I can't stay with her anywhere because she doesn't exist."

"I'm the only thing you do believe in." Mal's voice was cruel and sharp.

"I wish," Dom started, shaking his head again "I wish more than anything but I can't imagine you with all your complexity, with all your perfections, and all your imperfection." Tears started to fall from his eyes.

Ariadne bent over Fischer and asked softly "You alright?" He slightly nodded in response.

Cobb stared at his shadow of a wife and continued "Look at you, you're just a shade. Your just a shade of my real wife."

Mal's hands slowly reached over to the knife on the table, her fingers running across the blade as he spoke "You're the best that I can do but I'm sorry, you're just not good enough."

Mal picked up the knife in her hands and stabbed Cobb in the stomach, repeatedly while shouting "I am real-" and she stopped as Ariadne fired a shot into her chest.

Cobb turned around to face her, his face falling blank, as he asked "What are you doing?"

Ariadne held the gun in her hands tightly, trying to stop herself from shaking as she replied a familiar answer he had told her "Improvising."

Dom watched her kick Fisher off the balcony, and as he fell, he understood exactly what she was doing.

Ariadne pointed the gun at Mal again, she wanted to get rid of her once and for all but Dom stopped her, waving his hands as he shouted "No more! Don't!"

Ariadne moved the gun down slowly, panting hard.

"Get yourself out of here!" Cobb screamed at her, as she held herself to the pole to her right.

She held on tightly and shouted back "No, Cobb!"

Cobb bent down over his wife and held her to him and then he shouted at Ariadne "I'll look for Saito!"

She held on tightly to the pole, her head shaking at him "Let me help you!"

Dom looked down into his wife's eyes and she was shaking her head. Cobb looked back up at Ariadne and screamed through the blazing winds "Go! You'll miss the kick!"

Ariadne pulled herself towards the living room, her small body being picked up by the wind in many moments. But she held her ground and shouted back "Cobb! I won't let you lose yourself!"

She held onto the table with both her hands and Cobb watched her with strange eyes. Why the hell was she staying? Did she not trust him enough? Well, he hadn't really given her enough reason to trust him. The conclusion was reasonable.

He turned his attention back to his wife, who had tears streaming down her face. "I have to let you go."

"But you promised we would grow old together." She hissed out, her head on his lap.

Ariadne looked away from the scene. It was too intimate for her eyes, she decided.

"But we did, honey." His voice was soft and sweet as he rubbed her face with his finger "You just can't remember."

Mal's eyes slowly closed and her body suddenly fell cold.

Cobb held in his tears, as he held onto his dead wife and whispered "I love you."

Ariadne watched the horizon as it slowly became a bright blue again. The sun started to beam all around her and she smiled. She shouldn't be smiling she realized, she had missed the kick. And now she was stuck here but she had to help Cobb bring Saito back.

Once the storm cleared up. Mal's body faded away as well and the only thing that was left was the archiecture of the building and Cobb and Ariadne.

Cobb stood up and took a deep breath in while looking at Ariadne.

She stood up as well, letting her hand reach out to touch his arm "I'm sorry-" she started but he shook his head at her, and moved his head to one side.

"Let's find Saito." Cobb ordered.

Ariadne let her head nod slowly before she followed Cobb into the elevator again. She really hoped that she made the right choice. After all, Limbo could be a haunting place. A place where her dreams could become her reality.

And she turned to Cobb for a moment, her mouth turning into a small smile. No, she or Cobb would never let that happen. Limbo wasn't strong enough for them both.

Authors Note:

I hope you like my idea for the plot.

I also hope you continue reading because everything new and original is going to happen in the following chapters.

This story is dedicated to the wonderful 'whysosiriusblack45' who is an amazing artist who dedicated her Cobb/Ariande art work to me. I hope you enjoy it.

Please Review to let me know if I should continue.

Thank you.