a/n: *waves* Hi guys. Originally, there were going to be 2-4 chapters between Chap 8 and this (an evening out at a jazz club with Harris and his wife while the four become actual *friends*, spending the second day with her high school best friend Minnie, a late night watching terrible movies and talking, skipping the planned activity for the last day to sleep in and cuddle), but I'm skipping straight to the pay-off. For those wondering why those chaps are gone, or why it's taken me so *expletive of choice* long to come back and finish this, see the secondary author's note at the end. Sorry if it's not all you hoped/wished for/dreamed of.

… …

Chapter 9; Together

When Ariadne stepped out of their suite and into the hall, she left her self-consciousness behind. One long stare in the mirror while wearing this dress (crimson red, fitted, strapless, just above the knees), the bracelet Arthur had given her, and 2-inch golden peep-toe heels, and she felt gorgeous. The glances she got from several of the hotel patrons she passed definitely helped, too.

As she walked out of the elevator and into the front lobby, she let all the doubt and fears and second-guessing fall away. This was who she was now. Not some awkward teen, uncomfortable in her body and intelligence. A quick peek toward the ballroom where the "prom" was being held, and she decisively shook her head.

Sierra's silly challenge was immature. And while Ariadne would love to kiss Arthur, it should be about them, not proving anything to people whose opinion she no longer cared about. Arthur was worth more than that, and Ariadne was better than that. Screw the bet, screw these idiots still stuck in high school, and screw this whole reunion.

Which was when someone tapped her shoulder before whoever it was draped something soft around her neck.

"For you, ma belle."

By the time Arthur came around to face her, she was busy running her hands across the light scarf. It was a subtle gold weave and the perfect touch to finish her outfit. "Arthur-"

He smiled, and it was sweet and open, the normal layers-on-layers of planning and thought gone. "It's not right for Ariadne to brave danger without her thread." A dropped wink at his own geeky reference left her giggling.

Then the calculation was back, albeit briefly, as he leaned in and brushed his lips against her ear, voice quiet. "I have a confession - I know about the agreement you made with Ms. Hawkins. But I want this to mean more than a silly bet."

And then he kissed her. His lips matched hers perfectly, and she felt like she was underwater, everything seemed distant and unreal. The press of his mouth was slow, insistent, and she automatically caught the front of his jacket, pulling him closer. And he responded with a slight chuckle and hands deliberately slipping around her waist, his whole body curving to meet her.

There was a chasteness to the kiss, no pushing for further intimacy, but it was the opposite of rushed, and there was ardency in the heavy brush of lips.

Finally pulling back, she opened her eyes and found his pupils blown, and his grin enormous. She didn't even think to take a moment to gloat at Sierra, who was standing behind Arthur, near the elevator, and appeared to be choking on air and rage. The only thing Ariadne cared about was the man who had just admitted he wanted her.

Helplessly, she smiled back, before twining his fingers between hers. "I'm done with this reunion. Shall we?"

He nodded and led her right out the front doors. "Let's."

Hand-in-hand, they headed out into the night. Together.

…

It was the next morning, on the plane back to France, that Arthur had wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she had willingly snuggled closer, when he asked, "I'd like to court you. Are you amenable?"

And she had laughed. "Absolutely."

(Eames baked them a cake and won the team betting pool.)

… …

…

… …

a/n2: First and foremost, this fic will never get a sequel. No, not even an epilogue/one shot/the missing chapters. Why? The same reasons it spent so long in limbo. And they are, in reverse:

3. My computer, which contained all my plot notes (including such gems as "mythology nod FTW", "friends already? bff named Minnie?", "how much champagne = too much?", "Does anyone actually *do* dance/prom at reunions? Mom says no. Roger&Scott say no. TV shows full of bs? Screw it, do it anyway.", "Holy cliches, Batman!", and the all important "ARTHUR GIVES HER SCARF!"), wigged right the flip out and I lost a metric ton of my fic ideas.

2. I jumped fandoms. (I do that. A lot.)

1. I jumped ship. This is the biggest cause for abandoning the story. A friend sent me several truly excellent Arthur/Eames fics, and my fickle heart screamed "OTP!", and I was lost.

So why did you get this then? Why not just declare this fic too badly wounded, take it out back and humanely shoot it? Well, I finally got my comp fixed and was checking through a jumpdrive for HDLMSTA notes, and came across some of the oldest scribbles for this. And I started thinking, "Wait a sec. Weren't there a bunch of people invested in this fic? Ah, crap."

That, plus minimal sleep, a long work shift, and being wired on caffeine to make it through my day, led to this.

So, voila!

tl;dr

Have some closure, I guess?

-t.h.