Authors Note:

Thank you so much for waiting.

I hope it was worth the wait.

Enjoy.

Chapter 13

(Limbo Time: Flash forward 13 years: Unknown)

"No!" Dom screamed as loudly as he could. He replayed the moment in his mind a few times, his heart racing vigilantly. "Ariadne!" He shrieked her name, a sting burning the middle of his throat. He needed to get to her now.

He sprinted towards her, his knuckles tensing as he ran as quickly as he could towards the fallen body. He let out a large yelp of pain, himself falling barely a few meters away from his lover at the feel of a bullet collapsing into his upper thigh. He placed his hand on the new wound for a brief moment and then quickly looked around the bare sands.

"Show yourself!" Cobb shouted loudly, practically demanding the task to be done. He took a deep breath in and dragged himself towards Ariadne's body. She was still breathing but her eyes were slowly closing.

"Not another inch-" a young African man emerged from one of the small houses on the lands. "Or, I kill her." His accent was thick and his voice was being pulled out of a tough tongue.

"We mean no harm." Dom looked up at the man and the large gun that he was carrying.

"Dom?" Ariadne's small voice suddenly rang through his ears.

"Baby, are you alright?" He asked, his voice fragile as he looked over at her.

He started to move towards her again but the man spoke interrupted his attempt "I said not to move." He cocked his gun and pointed it Ariadne and continued "Or she dies."

"S-saito." She whispered, moving her head slightly towards him. He could see the wound right in between her shoulder blades.

"Saito?" The man's voice asked in a curious tone. "How do you know Saito?"

Cobb took a deep breath and responded, "He is a friend of ours. Please, if you have any information on him. Please tell us." Dom took the chance to move slightly closer towards Ariadne.

He pulled her up onto his lap and held her face in her hands. His pain on his upper thigh was terrible but he knew that it had to be ignored for her. She was just too important to be shut out from him at the moment.

"Why should I trust you?" The man asked, his voice tense. It was obvious that he did not have too much experience with weaponry.

"We want to help him leave." Cobb replied to the man, looking straight into his eyes.

The man's hands were shaking. He took a deep breath in and asked, "If I tell you where he is, will you help me leave as well?"

Dom nodded at the man, suddenly feeling a certain sympathy for him. The poor man didn't even know how to leave Limbo. "Of course. Just please tell us."

Ariadne took a deep breath in quickly and that caused Dom to look down at her. "Baby, you're going to be okay." He kissed her quickly on the forehead and repeated the statement to her in a mere whisper, beside her ear.

She smiled at him and shook her head while murmuring "Don't-" she paused, her body suddenly dropping temperature as she continued, "Don't lose yourself."

Small tears fell from his eyes as he watched her eyes close slowly, her breathing stopping. He took a deep breath and looked up at the man again, who had now lowered his weapon. He knew that he would see her again; in the real world where it was important.

He took a deep breath in and asked the man bitterly "Where is Saito?"

The man narrowed his eyes and pointed at the ocean behind them. "Across the waters."

"Fuck," Cobb cursed, leaning over and kissing the dead Limbo version of Ariadne on the cheek. "How the hell can I get across?"

"I have a boat." The man smiled softly at Cobb, who stared at him for a moment.

"That'll do."

xxx

(Real Time: Present: Aircraft)

Ariadne's eyes opened and she peered around the cabin without moving her head. A sleeping Dom was sitting directly to her left. She let out a breath of relief when she looked over at Fischer who seemed in deep thought. The inception must have worked.

She shifted slightly in her chair and turned around quickly to take a look at both Arthur and Eames. Eames' eyebrows rose at her and he had a large grin imprinted on his face. It was the type of grin that sent out the message 'welcome back.' She had been under for thirteen years. Thirteen goddamn years, she was glad to be back.

She looked over at Arthur for a moment and saw that he had only half a smile on his mouth. The message he was sending out was 'I'm happy you're here, but what about Cobb?' She quickly nodded her head at him discreetly and turned back around, making sure Fischer had not seen their little exchange of glances.

"Some water, Miss?" The stewardess asked her in a happy tone. Ariadne nodded and took the glass in her hands. But when she did, she saw something that almost put her through complete shock. It was her reflection.

She was a child; twenty-one again. The stewardess looked at her strangely for a moment and she apologized claiming that she was extremely thirsty. But in all truth, she was shocked at her image. She barely looked like an adult now.

She turned over to look at Cobb, her previous lover. A small tear escaped the corner of her right eye. For some reason, she just knew that the word previous was all that it was ever going to be.

xxx

(Limbo Time: Two weeks later: Cobb's Land)

"I think you were right." Dom smiled at her, placing a small kiss in the middle of her cheek, and then he looked straight at her.

"Of course I was." She smirked in his direction, her own hand falling to the crook of his back. "What was I right about?"

He chuckled at her inquiry and replied "About fate." He paused and continued, "The more I think about the notion, the more reasonable it becomes." He sighed momentarily and then placed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Stop thinking about it, Dom." She smiled at him and held her body closer to his. "Just believe it." Her smile widened at him and he couldn't help but beam back at her.

He could feel himself falling in love with her and the fact scared him. Actually, it terrified him. What in hell would happen when they were to go back to reality? Could they continue what they had started in Limbo? Or would it be too strange?

"Dom?" She asked, looking at him intently.

"Yes?"

She kissed him on the mouth for a brief second and muttered "I think it was fate that brought me to you."

"You do?" He asked her quietly and then she kissed him again, her small hands roaming his naked back. She nodded temporarily at him and when she kissed him again, the only thought that he had run through his mind was; maybe things did happen for a reason.

xxx

(Limbo Time: Flash forward 13 years: Unknown)

"I will not take you any further." The man whose name who had declared himself as Charles announced. when they were about thirty meters away from shore. "I promised not to trespass on his land anymore."

Cobb nodded once at Charles and reached out his hand to him while saying, "Remember, all you have to do is find the falling sensation or death. That's all you need." Dom took a deep breath and dived into the water, Charles watching from the deck as one of his projections conducted the wooden boat.

"Maybe I will see you one day, Mr. Cobb." Charles smiled at him as he watched Dom swim towards the shore. "I wish you the best of luck."

xxx

As Cobb swam, his wound on his upper leg was consuming his energy. He had wrapped a bandage on it quickly so that he could leave. But now he was regretting not taking any other precautions.

He remembered those many years ago when he had complained about something as silly as a knuckle wound. That was an infant compared to the pain he was now feeling when the salt poured into the wound. He took a deep breath and held himself over the water for a moment and tried to re-adjust one of the fallen bandages from underneath his pants.

The last he could remember was a wave that crashed over him.

xxx

(Limbo Time: Flash forward 13 years: Saito's Land)

He could feel that half of his body was numb and the other half was barely awake. His eyes were slowly opening and the sound of his feet being dragged was the only real connection he had to the world.

One man stood on either side of him, pulling him into a room that was colored red and covered with bright lights. The room did seem quite familiar-

He was thrown onto a chair and given a bowl of oatmeal. He took the spoon in his hand and engulfed the food in an instant reflex. He was extremely hungry; had he eaten in days? He could barely remember anything that happened recently.

"Have you come to kill me?" A low voice asked from the other end of the table.

Cobb stopped eating, in mid air, and looked up at the man. He was an old Japanese man, why did that term sound memorable to him?

"I'm waiting for someone." The man whispered, looking down at the large wooden table between them.

Dom's eyes widened gradually, as the next thought overwhelmed him. 'What if he was the one that he was waiting for?' Sudden memories hit him; the beach, the water, a young woman.

His eyes were fixated on the man in front of him as he repeated the words that came to his mind, out loud "Someone from a half remembered dream."

"Cobb?" Saito asked suddenly. "It is you." He paused and let out a small hiss before continuing, "We were young men together." Saito looked down at himself briefly and spoke "I'm an old man."

Dom's lips trembled. He was Cobb. More memories resurfaced, of a time where he was not on the beach. They were of a time where he held his children in his arms. Where he held a tall and beautiful woman with short curly hair in his arms.

He bit down on his bottom lip for a moment and murmured "Full of regret-" but then the next thought nagged him. Someone had told him not to feel regret because it was fate that handled life. Who was that someone?

"Waiting to die alone." The old man took a large breath in and stared at the table.

'Don't lose yourself.' A young woman's voice echoed in Dom's head. Ariadne was her name. He could remember her. And then he remembered how he was there.

"I've come back for you." Cobb mumbled and breathed steadily while saying, "To remind you- something." Why was he there? "Something you once knew-"

A spinning top echoed in his ears and the words fell off the tip of his tongue "That this world is not real."

"To convince me to honor our arrangement." Saito almost chuckled out, his lips moist as he licked them.

Dom almost nodded as he whispered back "To take a leap of faith-yes." Ariadne had talked to him about fate and faith. So had someone else. "Come back so we can be young men together again."

"Come back-"

xxx

Cobb's eyes opened and he had to blink a few times to get used to the difference of lighting. A smirk was present on his face for it couldn't be wiped off. He looked around the cabin and was surprised by a stewardess asking him if he wanted a hot towel.

She had them told him that they were landing in Los Angeles in about an hours worth of time. He nodded to her and took the Immigration Form in his hands before she walked away from him.

Dom held onto the plane's seat, letting the feel of it sink in. 'This was reality'. He turned his head towards his right quickly and looked over at a man dressed in a dark suit; Arthur. He let a small smile creep out of his lips as the man couldn't help but let out a chuckle in relief.

His eyes turned slowly towards the right and he eyed her; the young woman from his half-remembered dream; Ariadne. He opened his mouth for a moment, wanting to call out her name but he stopped himself remembering the fact that they weren't supposed to know each other.

All she could do was smile at him and he let himself smile back at her. She was so young again. She was back to that innocent young woman he had met only a few months back in real time. But in Limbo, they had created a life together. They had almost had children together.

He looked down once and then peered over at Saito who was staring directly at him. Saito nodded once in his direction and then turned around to make a quick call. This was it. He was finally going to make it home.

xxx

"Welcome home, Mr. Cobb." Was the next phrase that hit his ears and he couldn't help but smile at the Immigration Officer as he said "Thank you."

From the other side, Ariadne was watching him. She smiled quickly at him but she could tell that he hadn't noticed. She wanted to hold him in her arms again, like they had been doing for the past thirteen years but she could tell that now that he was in reality, he had different plans.

xxx

Domenic Cobb grabbed his suitcase quickly and walked towards the exit of the airport where the waiting area was located. As soon as the doors swung open, he saw Miles standing there with a large and very happy grin across his face.

He shook his hand and continued to smile at him while Miles whispered, "Welcome back, Dom." And then he pointed towards the exit and continued, "The car is this way."

Cobb grabbed Mile's arm and stopped him from walking by saying, "Wait." And when Miles did wait he continued, "Is there room for one more in the car?"

Miles nodded at him but his eyes were wide with confusion. "Are we waiting for Arthur?" He turned around and looked at Dom who was smiling blissfully at Ariadne, who had just emerged from the doors.

"Hold on for a moment." He placed a light hand on Miles' shoulder and put his suitcase down on the floor beside him.

"Dom?" Miles asked, his voice tense from the state of bafflement.

Cobb waited as Ariadne walked towards him, Arthur walking beside her. His eyes were wide. They weren't supposed to know each other. "What are you doing?" Arthur mouthed to him softly.

And all Dom could do was smirk at him and Ariadne's eyes brightened when she saw his blue pupils staring at her. He put out his hand towards her and she took it in his as he murmured, "My name is Domenic."

She laughed shortly at him and took his hand in hers and said "Ariadne."

"We'll, Miss Ariadne, if you need a place to stay in Los Angeles, I would be more than willing to help you." He smiled at her and let go of her hand, Arthur watching them both closely.

"On one condition." She smirked at him and whispered back "If we go out for coffee." He laughed at the request, remembering her one wish for when they got back to reality.

"I think that can be arranged." Dom smiled at her, seeing Eames walk out of the terminal on his right.

He took her small bag in his hands and walked towards Miles with her, his arm slowly draping around her small frame.

"What the hell?" Arthur couldn't help but ask in a low tone to no one in particular.

Eames' breath filled the atmosphere around him as he said, "I told you they were shagging."

Authors Note:

This is the end. I really hope you enjoyed it.

I have something new planned, which I cannot wait to start to write. It is more in the style of 'Because Of Her' than this one.

Thank you for reading!

Please Review!