Author's Note - Sorry for taking me so long to update! Hope you guys enjoy it! Please, review...

IX – Strange

"There's nothing stranger than to love someone."

Strangers, White Lies

A few days had passed since Dom had stormed into her place, scrutinizing and asking questions that she did not dare to answer. But she wasn't sure how many days, really, because time seemed to pass so smoothly when she was with him. Days were spent in her apartment with Cobb helping her with all the assignments she had left pilling around and for the first time she felt happy.

Cobb had a beautiful apartment in Paris, near the Jardin des Tuileries, which he had shared with Mal for a few years. And even though it wasn't exactly close to her place, he'd insisted on picking her up and driving her to the university every morning, after leaving his children at their grandparents'. He wanted to make sure that she didn't miss any more classes.

"Why aren't you staying at Miles'?" Ariadne had asked in one of those trips, imagining how hard it would be to stay in a place that brought up so many memories.

"Marie…" he had confessed, "She just isn't too comfortable around me yet… and I like the apartment." He finished with a genuine smile.

She had not pushed the subject. She really didn't want to bring the Mal conversation up. He wasn't pushing her either, so it was a way of thanking him.

In the meanwhile, her dreams were becoming scarcer as she spent more and more time awake.

()()()()

One afternoon, after Ariadne's classes, they found themselves wondering around the Jardin des Tuileries. As they walked side by side, their hands brushed ever so slightly… It was in moments like these that Ariadne wanted to bring the kiss they had shared into the conversation. She wanted to know if he had done it out of pity or if here had been something else. Something more…

Ariadne couldn't tell how many hours had passed when they decided to sit down on the vibrant green carpet that covered the park. They had been taking about her assignments, discussing architecture, the time when Cobb was still a student which was hard to picture for Ariadne.

"When did you get involved in dreamsharing?" She broke the silence that had fallen between the two.

Dom grinned, remembering how reckless he used to be. "Miles believed I had a vision," he explained, "I just wasn't too keen on studying and trying to put my ideas into paper."

"Really?" Ariadne couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah!" he laughed, "I was never like you… I was the kid who stood in the back of the room always protesting about what Professor Miles was saying." He paused, contemplating what to say next. "So he decided to give me the chance to be better." He turned to her, looking deeply into her eyes. "To be extraordinary…"

Ariadne avoided his piercing gaze, nodding in agreement. She knew he was giving her a silent apology. He was just trying to make her stand out and be even better than she already was. But then it was all taken away from her just as fast.

"You've mastered it, haven't you?"

She looked at him puzzled by his question.

"Lucid dreaming?" he continued.

She avoided his questioning eyes and started picking at the grass just beneath her, considering telling him some of the truth. "I'm not using Somnacin or anything like that…"

He nodded, thankful for the little information that she was giving him. "But you still control your surroundings… you're aware that you're dreaming." He threaded cautiously, so not to scare her away. "You decide when to come out…"

Ariadne inhaled deeply. She knew what he was doing but she actually needed to get some of it out because all the lies were eating at her. "It's not like I can control everything," she explained, "The projections…"

"It's your subconscious, remember?" he interrupted her, "You can't control it."

She nodded, ashamed at how weak she was when her subconscious taunted her.

"It's Mal, isn't it?" Dom decided to take a blind shot. He just needed to get to the bottom of this in order to be able to help Ariadne.

"You said you wouldn't push it." she mumbled.

"Yes, I did."

"So don't." she shot back sharply, trying to put an end to the conversation.

"I'm just trying to help…" Dom whispered tenderly, searching for her hidden gaze.

She finally looked at him with a smile that did not reach her eyes. "You already are."

They were so lost in each other's company that they didn't notice the both curious and slightly disapproving looks shown by the other park's wonderers.

()()()()

The day came when she finally met his kids. It was the first time she visited his apartment when he invited her for dinner. The house had a kind of a lofty feeling since the living room was enormous and opened up to the kitchen. The big window had a marvelous view that illuminated all the room and made the crafted ceilings stand out. It was furnished in a modern way with pieces form various well-known designers, obviously bought recently.

"It's amazing, Dom." she commented, entering the living room.

He smiled at the use of his first name. "Saito's money helped." He winked at her.

Cobb called for his kids and they came running. When she finally saw their faces she thought that they were probably the most beautiful children she had ever seen.

He introduced her as a "close friend", which made her heart flutter.

James gave her a big smile and politely shook her hand while Philippa approached her with a suspicious look. Ariadne felt like she was being scrutinized by Mal's own eyes since the girl looked so much like her mother.

"Your name…" the little girl said, "It's very strange."

The young architect could not help but chuckle relaxing a little. "I know…"

The little girl smiled back. "I like it."

Ariadne felt Dominick's hand on the small of her back. "Come… let me give you a tour."

She nodded and followed him. When they were out of earshot, Ariadne whispered, "She's really hard to read!"

"Yeah… she can be a bit intense."

Ariadne smiled. "It runs in the family, apparently."

()()()()

Ariadne's visits to the Cobb's household became a routine. Every Friday night was "drawing night with Ari" as the kids used to say. James and Philippa would compete with each other trying to impress Ariadne as Cobb stood in the corner admiring them.

"What's that?" James asked one night, narrowing his eyes as he tried to understand Ari's complex drawing.

The future architect smiled at his curiosity. "It's a maze."

Cobb turned away from the sink to look at the three of them sitting by the kitchen table.

"Wow…" the little boy whispered, amazed by Ariadne's talent.

Philippa looked suspicious, as always. "That's those things where you get lost in, right?"

Ariadne looked from Philippa to Dom and smiled tenderly at him.

Dom smiled back. "Yes, it is." he answered his daughter.

Philippa nodded, her eyes suddenly sad and pensive. It was then that Ariadne believed the little girl understood more than she had given her credit for.

"But it's easy to get out once you find someone to help you." Dominick's piercing blue eyes did not leave Ariadne's and she eventually turned away form his demanding gaze.

Philippa noticed the exchange between the two adults. "That's why mom left, right?" the little girl turned to her dad, accusingly. "She didn't have anyone to help her out."

Everything happened in a flash to Ariadne's eyes. The little girl flew from the kitchen running to her room and ignoring her father's pleas. James followed quietly.

()()()()

Ariadne stormed through the hallway just out of Dom's home. She clumsily put on her brown leather jacket and her red floral scarf, trying so hard not to cry.

Cobb strode after, leaving the door to his house opened. "Ariadne, wait!"

She spun around, her hair waving violently. "No!" she screamed with a pointed finger, not minding the scene she was making to the possible eavesdroppers form the other apartments. "No, Cobb! You have to forget about me and whatever happened between us and take care of YOUR kids. They need you!" she paused, trying to get her emotions under control. "I don't." she whispered, her voice trembling.

She did need him, even though it was hard to admit it out loud and to his face. She was irrevocably in love with Dominick Cobb and her life without him did not make sense. She felt like she couldn't breathe when he wasn't around… but she had to let him go for the sake of the children that had stayed behind. She could see the guilt in his eyes and she had to set it free so he could be happy with his kids.

"I'm here to help you…" His voice sounded more like a plea for her to let him than anything else.

"Stop saying that!" She tried to regain some control over her emotions. "That's not your job…" she whispered, "This…" A slender finger pointed at her own breaking heart, "is not your fault." She just hoped he could believe it.

Before she turned to leave, he saw the tears threatening to spill out of her hazel eyes. He felt his heart break into a million little pieces. She was slipping further away from him and now that he had gotten her back, he couldn't bear the thought of losing her again.

He needed her.