Hello again! I come bearing another Inception fic. Sorry to those who wanted more Star Trek. D: But I hope you all enjoy this fic!

Disclaimer: Still not mine. Go figure.


A is for Adoption

"…Arty, darling, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Arthur glances up from the paper, one hand denting the crisp newsprint and the other curled around the handle of his coffee mug. "Hmm? Sure, go ahead," he says noncommittally, eyes already flickering back to the article he was reading.

"All right, I will. Have you ever considered having children?"

It is only Arthur's iron self-control that keeps his coffee where it is—in his mouth.

When he has swallowed, he sets the paper down and looks fully up at Eames, who is standing uncomfortably in the doorway and shifting his weight slightly from foot to foot.

"I—well," Arthur begins. "It's a big decision, first of all. We're always moving, always working, and we're constantly chased down by people we've wronged."

Eames glances away. "Well, we could…we could always retire. We have enough money to live on for ten lifetimes," he says softly. "Arthur, I'm not asking you to decide now—"

But Arthur is staring off into space and no longer listening.

Eames wonders if he should go.

Arthur sighs, but there is a kind of smile playing around at the corners of his mouth. "If we—if we did adopt, would you want a boy or a girl?"

"Oh darling," Eames says with a grin that stretches across his entire face. "It doesn't matter to me. Whichever you want. Oh, darling." And he crosses the kitchen in two long strides to place soft kisses on the top of Arthur's head until the point man waves him away with fond exasperation.

A year and four moths later, they bring their daughter home.

-oooxooo-

B is for Breakfast

The pancakes sizzle happily on the griddle as Eames hums over them, apron on and spatula in hand.

"How many will you eat, Arty?" he asks over his shoulder.

Snapped out of his daze, Arthur lifts his head from his staring contest with their eighteen-month-old daughter and says distractedly, "Oh, I don't know. One or two. Just put them under a plate or something, I'll eat them eventually."

"Having problems?" the Brit chuckles as he piles the steaming pancakes onto a plate and turns to take in Arthur's ruined button-down shirt. Rolling up the sleeves has not saved it. "I told you not to wear that during breakfast."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh while you can," Arthur says. "It's your turn to feed her at lunch."And he goes back to trying to force the willful girl to eat her mashed pears.

-oooxooo-

C is for Cookies

Three years old and covered in flour, Hannah runs into the living room and climbs onto Arthur's lap. He cringes for just a moment as the flour smears onto the charcoal of his suit, but he turns a smile onto the beaming face of his daughter.

"Papa! Allons y!Come on, Papa!" She wriggles on his legs happily and tugs at his tie, hitting him in the leg with the equally flour-covered rabbit stuffed animal in her other hand. "Lucy says you should hurry up."

He laughs and brings a finger up to wipe a smear of red off of the end of her nose.

"What's this?" he asks, play-suspiciously. Hannah reaches up her own chubby finger to smear some onto Arthur's cheek. She shrieks with laughter and slides of the couch, socked feet padding and thumping back into the kitchen where Eames is singing a horribly off-tune version of "Silver Bells" as he pulls the cookie sheets out of the oven.

Arthur shakes his head and slips the red-covered finger into his mouth, then cringes.

"A little less powdered sugar in the frosting next time, okay?"

-oooxooo-

D is for Dating

"Okay, Papa, I'll be back at ten," Hannah says as she crosses to the door. Arthur glances up from his book at his sixteen-year-old daughter and nods.

"All right. Call if you need anything. You know the drill: no drinks, no drugs, no doing the deed."

She rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Yeah, d'accord, Papa," she says, and alters her course to kiss her father on the cheek before going to the door.

"Have fun," he says, and looks back down at his book.

"Okay! Bye!" she chirps, and turns the handle.

"Wait!" comes a yell from the kitchen, and this time both Hannah and Arthur roll their eyes. Eames sticks his head out of the kitchen, his mouth open incredulously. "Have fun? Have fun? Arthur, darling, really? That's all?"

"James—" Arthur starts.

"Dad—" Hannah protests, but Eames has already crossed to the door and opened it. He stares out at the boy sitting in the car parked on the driveway and crooks his finger.

"Get in here," he mouths, and the boy scrambles to obey. Soon, he is standing in the living room in front of Eames, nervously trying not to pull at the hem of his polo shirt.

"Uh, g-good evening, sirs," he stutters out, and Arthur sighs as Eames's eyes narrow.

"Good evening, Jared," Arthur says with a smile. "How is your family?"

"Oh, uh, very good, Mr…uh, Mr.—" His eyes flick to Hannah nervously, seeking the appropriate name. She is Hannah Eames-DeLacey, but her fathers have not hyphenated their own names. And the last time he met Arthur was during second grade lit circle.

"Papa, can we go?" Hannah asks, saving him. She glances over at Arthur pleadingly, trying to push Jared over to the door and out of Eames's line of fire. Jared has just caught sight of the handgun tucked into Eames's waistband.

She has almost successfully managed to shove Jared out of the house before he takes a deep breath and plants his feet.

"Mr. Eames, Mr. DeLacey, my name is Jared Bellmont. It is my intention to take your daughter out to dinner, and then to a movie. I intend to buy her popcorn with whatever unhealthy amount of butter she wants, any candy she desires, and a soda, should it be required. Then, I intend to let her pick the movie."

Eames raises an eyebrow.

"I intend to give her my coat if she gets cold, but not to try anything funny in the movie theater. I may not be all that athletic, but I'm good at academics, so if we run into any trouble I'll protect her by blinding them with science until she can get away." He pushes his glasses farther up on the bridge of his nose and breathes out slowly. "I intend to give her a really great night out, and I'll have her back by ten."

Arthur tries to hide his grin behind his hand. Eames regards Jared seriously for a moment, and then snaps a picture on his phone. "Isn't Hannah cute when she's lovestruck, darling?" he asks.

"Dad!" Hannah yells, and shoves Jared out the door. "I'll be back soon. Goodbye." She slams the door behind her.

"Have fun!" Eames yells through the wood, and then returns to the kitchen, closely followed by Arthur's laughter.


I think 'Dating' is my favorite out of these ones. How about you? More tomorrow! Please review!