This is a series that my friend and I came up with after seeing Inception for the second time last summer. Then we saw it a third time and took extensive notes.
I honestly love writing it and I hope that you guy like it too (:

This chapter is slightly anticlimactic, but I'm hoping the next one is more exciting.

OH, Disclaimer. : I don't own Inception, Arthur, Ariadne, Eames, Cobb, James, Phillipa, Mal. But I DO own: Joe, Ellen, Tom, Karen Petrelli, Arthur Petrelli SR., William Petrelli, Fancy Petrelli, Elizabeth Petrelli, Aemelia Darling, Leonardo, The Perelli Manor, and anything else that wasn't in the movie at all.

enjoy!

The doorbell rang as Cobb turned around. His eyes landed on a small silver object on the table, instead of the door which was slowly opening. As it fell to the ground, Cobb smiled. He leaned down and picked the top off the hardwood and placed it in his pocket. At last, reality was achieved.

James and Phillipa were clinging to their father's legs, with no intention of letting go. "Come in," he called down the hall, with just as much desire to hold on to his children. As the sun flooded down the hall, the silhouettes of Cobb's three best friends appeared.

Eames stood center, having clearly pushed Arthur out of the way. He was the best of his kind. Arthur was rubbing his shoulder, glaring at the back of his counterpart's head. The newest of the group was grinning at the both of them, tugging at the edge of her scarf. Making their way past the pictures and paintings on the walls, they arrived at the tip of the dark wooden table.

Clearing his throat, Cobb crouched down to his children. "Why don't you ask Grandpa where those toys I brought you are, huh guys? I need to talk to my friends." They both let his legs go, but stayed in the room. James tugged at Dom's pants.

"Daddy, who are they?" he asked, scratching his head. Phillipa nodded enthusiastically beside him.

"Well," Cobb started, slowly standing back up. "This, James and Phillipa, is your Uncle Arthur. You remember him, of cou…" He was cut off by them rushing off to hug his best friend. Arthur immediately dropped to his knees, embracing them in a hug. Ariadne watched him, surprised by the way he acted around the kids.

"And I'm your Uncle Eames. Nice to see you again. I haven't seen you, dear," he pointed to Phillipa, "since your brother was born. You were a wee girl at the time." She looked up from Arthur's arms and smiled, making no move to leave him. A simple wave was all he received. Arthur smirked at Eames, finally one-upping him.

Ariadne shrunk back against the wall, unsure of where she fit into this. She tripped over her shoelace and nearly fell to the ground trying to keep her balance. The entire room turned to her. "And, you two get to meet your Aunt Ariadne. Go on, say hi." Cobb encouraged the children to release Arthur's clean-cut vest and approach Ariadne.

"Hi."

Ariadne wasn't sure how to take this. When she had first met the team, she didn't know how they'd feel about her and never in her wildest dream did she expect to be treated as family. But now, looking at Cobb's kids, a wave of emotion hit her. Maybe if they had been two children off the street, or even someone related to her, it wouldn't have been so overwhelming, but after hearing of the lengths her friend had gone to just to be with them, she felt a closeness to these kids.

"Hey guys," Ariadne said, wondering how she was supposed to know what to say. She was suddenly jealous of Arthur and his way with them. How could someone who showed so little emotion be so good with kids?

She looked over to him, hoping for a sign of what else to say or do with Phillipa and James. Still leaning back on his expensive shoes, his eyes met hers. A smile played on his lips, the same he gave her after the kiss.

The Kiss. Ariadne cursed her self. Was it the kiss or just a kiss? No, she decided. It shouldn't even count as a kiss. It was a dream, for Pete's sake. She was overreacting. Arthur probably didn't even remember that it happened, nor cared that it did. Maybe he actually was trying to get the projections to look away from them. Figures.

But then why did it feel so real? Before she could argue with herself anymore, she looked back down. "You have very pretty…hair. You must get it from your father." Eames snorted.

"I didn't know you felt so passionate about Cobb's hair, darling," he said, laughing at the end. Arthur smiled and pushed himself off the ground. He brushed the invisible dust off his vest. Ariadne watched his forehead crinkle, his eyes light up. This was the most relaxed she had ever seen him.

"Not as much as you are," she replied with a flip of the hair. Eames rolled his eyes and muttered something about being clever.

"Hey, if you guys are thirsty or anything, go ahead and get something from the fridge, I'm sure it's stocked. I'll be right back." Ariadne was glad she didn't have to think of something else to say as Cobb took James and Phillipa's hands and lead them into the other room. After being asleep for ten hours (not to mention the long line through the airport and the drive over), she was ready for a drink. She walked into the kitchen. It was weird to be in here, in this house, for what was in actuality the first time, though she'd seen it inside Cobb's head on multiple occasions. Her hands brushed the counter tops. Every detail was exactly as it had been in limbo.

"Here, let me help you." She turned, almost running into Arthur. "I know where everything is. Anything for you, Eames?" He caught Ariadne's eye for a moment before passing her. His shoulder pushed hers, causing her to stumble. Her heart beat sped up a fraction of a second. When he looked back, smiled, and put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Oh, sorry Ariadne," was when her heart started to race.

Really, Ariadne thought. I'm twenty two. I'm past this "butterfly" stage. The last time it was even socially acceptable for her to have butterflies was when she was sixteen. She nodded, trying to catch her breath. "It's fine." Arthur made his way to the far cabinet, taking out two glasses. He gestured to the faucet or the fridge, asking milk or water. "Water's good." She managed a smile and turned around, grasping the counter. She looked down at her nails. It had been a while since she had done anything with them.

When she looked up, Eames was smirking at her. "What?" she mouthed, sensing Arthur's acute presence behind her. Eames just shook his head.

"Here's your water, Miss Ariadne," Arthur said. Her analytical mind was working in overdrive. She could feel exactly how far away from her he was. He had to nearly wrap his arm around her to put the glass on the counter. He could have easily given her the other glass, which would have had much less proximity to her. He must have had a reason to be close to her, right?

For once in her life, she could not figure him out. It frustrated her.

Eames and Arthur sat at the table, but she stayed standing. Standing helped her think. Before any more thinking could commence (other than how attractive Arthur looked right then), Cobb returned.

"We all need to talk." The air chilled considerably. He looked around. "Well, if no one else is going to start, I'd like to say that I think we all did wonderful."

Arthur began to fidget. "There were too many mistakes to call it 'wonderful', Cobb. The limbo factor, Saito being shot, Mal interrupting." He looked at his feet. "My missing information," he added quietly.

Cobb looked at Arthur for a long time. "You don't need to be so hard on anyone. Especially yourself, Arthur. We got it done, successfully and we're all alive. I'd say that's wonderful."

Thunder cracked in the previously sunny outdoors. Arthur looked outside, rubbing his neck. He never knew how to take compliments or apologies. He tried to brush them off as well as he could. This time, though, he knew it was different. Eames punched his arm.

"That was some pretty imaginative thinking there, with the anti-gravity kick." A rare compliment from Eames made Arthur look at him. Eames grinned. "Even if you did send an entire army on us, mate." He laughed. His tone had no bitter underlay and he was smiling. Eames was one to forgive, but instead of forgetting, he'd tease you about it until the day you die.

"Ariadne," Cobb said, rolling his eyes at the point man and forger. "Those mazes were fantastic. And the way you worked down in limbo was great. You were amazing." She blushed and looked at the faucet. Arthur's forehead creased and his head shifted downward again.

He coughed. "So, Cobb. You're staying here, if I'm correct." Cobb smiled, the sound of the toddlers' laughter in the other room.

"Right you are. I couldn't leave them. They are my reality, and I plan to keep it that way." His thoughts moved when he say the brief case at Arthur's feet. All three of the group were staring expectantly at him. "I'm done with dreaming. I don't need it. But I think you three should stick together. You're the best of the best. And I think you could do anything you put your mind too."

Eames and Arthur smiled and nodded, but Ariadne wasn't sure what was going through their minds. "Stick together?" she asked. All eyes were now on her. "It's just…I know we should all stay friends or something, but are there really that many jobs? Enough for us to have our own sort of business, so to speak?"

Eames laughed again. "Really, Ariadne, dear, you have no idea how serious and in demand this business is. Most people who understand it at all, let alone know how to use it appropriately are in the military. They're not pleasant folk to deal with, if you catch my drift. And as Cobb said, we're the best."

Arthur obviously agreed. "Anyone who can work together well enough to get inception done is going to be at the top." The expression on Cobb's face showed that Arthur's remark redeemed his previous one. "Even without Cobb, we can do it."

"Speaking of which, I expect to be keeping in touch with all of you, but if you wouldn't mind, I haven't seen my family in quite some time."

"Right," Eames said. "We'll be going then."

Arthur turned to Ariadne. "Want to get dinner before we head off, Ariadne? There's this great restaurant half an hour away." Ariadne put her thumb up and laughed. Eames and Cobb watched.

"Well, Arthur, dinner sounds lovely," Eames laughed, putting his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Your buy, right?"

Arthur glared at him. "Sounds great, Eames." He pushed the arm off and stood up. "Cobb it was great working with you and I'll sincerely miss you." He gave Cobb the second hug Ariadne had ever seen him give. Eames rolled his eyes, stood up as well and gave Cobb a pat on the back.

As they headed down the hall, Cobb grabbed Ariadne's arm. "Hey. I want you to know that I believe in you. So do they, but they'll never admit it, especially Arthur." He pointed at him. "You know, he's my closest friend but that doesn't make him the most expressive person in the world." Ariadne let out a laugh. "Good luck with them. Sometimes, you'll have to speak up."

"I always do."

Cobb's smile reached his eyes. "I know." With that, he patted her back one more time, and she followed the two men down the hall.