Whew! This is a long epilogue, but once I started writing it, things just kept flowing. So this is it. The last chapter of the story. Let me know what you think! I really enjoyed this one and am super happy with it. Thank you all for reading and please leave a review! :D
I don't own Inception, just the plot of this story.
Arthur and Ariadne were anxious when they went to the doctor. Ariadne was more anxious and nervous than Arthur. She really didn't want anything to go wrong this time.
Her fears were soon forgotten when the doctor confirmed that she was in fact pregnant. Even though there was still a tiny voice in the back of her mind telling her anything could happen, just knowing that there was a life inside her now made her forget all about that stupid nagging voice.
Arthur grinned widely and pulled her into a hug. Arthur was nervous, but he managed to keep a straight face. It was something he had learned to do over the many years working as a Point Man.
"We have to call everyone and tell them the news!" Ariadne eagerly looked up at Arthur. Arthur chuckled.
"Wait until we get home ok? I know you're excited." Arthur told her. She sighed, pretending to be annoyed, but she smiled at him. This really was big news.
When they told everyone the news they practically shouted with excitement. It was a close call between Eames and Philippa at being the loudest when they found out the news.
Arthur couldn't help but laugh when he heard how loud Eames got. His squeal sounded almost exactly like Philippa's. Arthur swore he'd never let Eames live it down.
Dom was visiting Miles in Paris with the kids when he got the call. His phone kept ringing as he quickly checked his pockets for his phone. Not bothering to look at the caller ID he answered.
"This is Cobb." Dom replied, glancing at James, Philippa, and Miles who were all throwing a curious look his way.
"Dom." Arthur's strained voice came from the other end.
"Arthur? Is everything alright?" Dom asked immediately concerned. Everyone else suddenly became more alert and waited for any news.
"What? Oh yes, fine. Everything's fine. Ariadne is in labor." Arthur sounded nervous and scared for the first time in his life.
"Congratulations Arthur. But if she's in labor there has to be a reason you're calling. Shouldn't your attention be on her?" Dom asked.
"Arthur!" Dom heard Ariadne's pained voice in the background.
"Hold on Ari!" Arthur called to her. It sounded like he was moving around. "Are you in Paris? We need a ride." Arthur asked, suddenly sounding tired.
"Yes, I'm five minutes away. I'll be right there." Dom answered, hanging up the phone.
"What's going on daddy?" Philippa asked, her eyes wide with fear.
"Aunt Ari is having her baby. I'm going to take her and Uncle Arthur to the hospital." Dom told her hurriedly.
"Miles, could you watch them? I'll give you a call when you can bring them to visit."
"Of course, of course. Give my love to Ariadne and Arthur for me." Miles responded, taking James and Philippa's hand. "Come on kids, let's go get ice cream."
"But I want to see Aunt Ari and the baby!" James whined.
"It's going to be a while until you get to see them. Your father will give us a call when she's ready for us."
James pouted but nodded. Philippa watched her father's retreating form with a frown.
"Arthur!" Ariadne shouted in pain. She clutched her stomach tightly, trying to will the pain away but failing.
Arthur quickly was at Ariadne's side, letting her squeeze his hand as the pain slowly subsided for the moment.
"They're getting worse." Ariadne whispered tiredly.
"I know." Arthur replied, kissing her forehead and then her hand. "Dom will be here any minute."
As if on cue, Dom knocked on the door. Arthur rushed to the door and let Arthur in.
"Let's get her into the car." Dom motioned towards Ariadne who was gasping and trying to smile at Dom. Arthur nodded and swiftly lifted her up. Ariadne wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck and let her head rest on his chest while they quickly made their way to the car.
Arthur slid into the back seat with her and allowed her to rest her head on his lap. He stroked her hair comfortingly as another sharp pain wracked her body. She whimpered and kept her death grip on Arthur's hand.
"How long has she been having contractions?" Dom asked, glancing at Arthur through the rear view mirror.
"A couple of hours." Arthur admitted. Dom sighed.
"Why did you wait so long?" Dom asked, trying not to sound frustrated.
"I wanted to wait. I didn't think things would progress so fast!" Ariadne shrieked. Dom nodded in understanding. Having a baby is scary. Mal was terrified when she went into labor with Philippa.
"Alright. Remember to breathe and try to relax." Dom told her, pushing harder on the gas pedal and speeding up.
Ariadne grunted and Arthur watched her worriedly. Ariadne tried to shoot him a small smile, but another sharp pain captured her attention. Arthur felt so helpless and he was beginning to panic. He shook his head, trying to shake any fears away and focus fully on Ariadne.
Dom's driving got them to the normally fifteen minute drive to the hospital in less than five minutes. They practically jumped out of the car before it was parked, Dom making his way to the front desk to get Ariadne signed in. Arthur carried her inside, her breathing coming in short gasps.
"Just relax. Breathe." Arthur whispered gently to her, kissing her forehead and making his way to where Dom was talking to a nurse with a wheel chair waiting for Ariadne. Arthur placed her into the wheel chair, Ariadne making a noise of protest at the loss of contact from Arthur.
"Alright, Mrs. Giordano. We'll get you settled into a room and wait it out until it's time to take you to the delivery room. Who will be joining you?"
Ariadne gasped, "My husband, Arthur and Dom, he's going to be the godfather."
"Alright ma'am. Just keep breathing." The nurse smiled sympathetically and led the three of them to Ariadne's room.
They got Ariadne changed into a hospital gown and helped her settle into the bed.
"Call if you need anything. We'll be checking up on you every hour to see if you're ready to be moved to the delivery room." The nurse politely told them before closing the door and leaving the three of them in the room.
Ariadne was breathing heavily, her body not used to this amount of pain. Arthur was pacing nervously, both Dom and Ariadne's eyes following him.
"Arthur, come here." Dom pulled Arthur out of the room, smiling softly at Ariadne as he closed the door.
"Breathe, Arthur. Just calm down and relax. You're making Ariadne nervous, heck you're making me nervous! You just need to relax and be there for her. She'll be fine. This will all be over in a few hours, but you need to be there for her, support her. You can't be looking like a nervous wreck in front of her. It will only make things harder for her." Dom sternly told Arthur. Arthur nodded blankly and ran his finger through his hair, not caring that he was messing it up.
"I know, this is all so new to me though. And seeing her in so much pain…" Arthur trailed off.
"That's part of the sacrifice she has to make. She knows it. Trust me, in the end, neither of you will care." Dom smiled. "Now go back in there with your wife, hold her hand, and be strong for her. I'm going to give Eames a call and let him know that his godchild is being born. I'll be back soon."
"Wait!" Arthur called out, but Dom had already turned the corner. Arthur sighed nervously and gained his composure before opening the door and taking his place next to Ariadne.
"How are you doing?" Arthur asked gently, taking her hand in his.
Ariadne shot him a look saying, 'Seriously? You're asking me that?'
"I've been better." Ariadne replied grumpily. She quickly shook her head. "I'm sorry. That was mean."
Arthur smiled at her understandingly. He kissed her hand and allowed her to squeeze his hand as she went through another contraction.
"Soon we'll see the little one." Arthur tried to encourage her. He was working really hard on taking her mind off the pain.
Ariadne coulnd't help herself despite the pain. She grinned widely and nodded.
Five hours had gone by and the waiting room was filled with people from the team. Dom and the kids were sitting together, waiting anxiously for any news on Ariadne and the new baby. Eames was pacing nervously and anxiously while Yusuf watched him. Saito was running late, but no one was thinking about that at the moment.
"What's taking so bloody long?" Eames finally exclaimed.
"Eames, she's having a baby. These things don't go by fast. Sit down and stop pacing. You're making us all nervous." Dom finally snapped, tired of watching Eames.
Eames grumbled and sat down. Staring at the hallway.
Saito rushed in, looking flushed. "What did I miss?" He asked.
"Nothing. They're still in there." Eames replied impatiently.
"What's wrong with you?" Saito asked, raising his eyebrows at Eames.
"Eames is just being impatient and acting like a little kid." Yusuf answered.
Saito rolled his eyes and took a seat next to Dom. The five of them waited.
Half an hour later, an extremely tired looking Arthur walked out of the delivery room. Eames jumped up instantly when he saw Arthur making his way towards them.
"Well?" Eames urged. Arthur held up his hand.
"Calm down." He whispered, smiling like an idiot.
"So is it a boy or girl?" Philippa asked excitedly.
"It's a girl." Arthur bragged, forgetting how exhausted he really was.
"What's her name?" James asked.
"We're still talking about it, but I think Ari would want to tell you guys. I'll come and get you when we're ready." Arthur replied, turning to Dom who moved to stand next to him.
"Congratulations Arthur." Dom smiled and hugged him.
"Thanks. I'm gonna head back now…" Arthur pointed his thumb over his shoulder to the room.
Everyone nodded and sat back down, waiting for more news.
Arthur walked into the room and smiled as he watched Ariadne holding their baby girl. Ariadne looked up at him and grinned. Her hair was disheveled, she was sweaty, and her face was flushed, but to Arthur she never looked more beautiful.
"Hey." Arthur said as he took a seat on the bed and looked down at the small bundle in Ariadne's arms.
"She has your hair." Ariadne told him. Gently brushing her hand over their daughter's head.
"She has your nose." Arthur smiled, gently tapping the baby's nose. The baby stirred and opened her eyes, staring in awe and wonder at her parents looking down at her.
"She definitely has your eyes." Ariadne giggled.
"We both have brown eyes." Arthur replied.
"Yes, but the shape and the way she is observing everything, that's all you." She laughed quietly. Arthur couldn't help but feel proud. This little baby was part of both of them.
"We'll just have to see who she takes after then." Arthur finally replied, never taking his eyes off of his daughter.
"We still have to come up with a name." Ariadne sighed. They hadn't agreed on any names and they were regretting not having picked out any names.
"I know." Arthur stared at his daughter, going through a list of names.
"Well are we going for exotic, or normal?" Ariadne asked. "My parents definitely weren't all for the norm…obviously."
Arthur chuckled. "Either one is fine. Do you have any names?"
"Well I really like Chloe…" Ariadne suggested.
"I liked Amadora."
"Adara is also pretty." Ariadne replied.
"I've always like Alethea." Arthur thought out loud.
"Amorette for middle name?" Ariadne asked.
"Little love…" Arthur looked at his daughter and smiled. "I like it. What about you?" Arthur leaned in and kissed his daughter's nose. She giggled and both Ariadne and Arthur laughed.
"I guess we're going for unique names then." Ariadne stated rather than asked.
Arthur chuckled. "A unique baby deserves a unique name."
"Ambrosia." Ariadne quickly said, looking at her daughter then at Arthur.
"Ambrosia." Arthur looked at the baby yawning at him and smiled. "I like it."
"Ambrosia Amorette Giordani." Ariadne whispered as she cradled her baby girl. She felt tears form in her eyes as she watched her sleeping baby. Arthur kissed the top of Ariadne's head and she looked up at him, smiling.
Arthur held out his arms and Ariadne gently placed Ambrosia in his arms. She stirred slightly, but her eyes stayed closed.
"Hey princess." Arthur whispered as he stared in awe at his beautiful baby. He stole a glance at Ariadne and couldn't help but think that he had the two most beautiful ladies in his life.
"You should go get the others, they're probably going crazy right now." Ariadne broke Arhtur out of his thoughts.
"What?" He asked, giving a sheepish look.
Ariadne giggled. "Go get the others."
"Oh right." Arthur replied, carefully handing Ambrosia to Ariadne.
"It's about time!" Eames exclaimed.
"Do you want to meet the newest member?" Arthur asked, and James and Philippa leaped up, squealing.
"Shh! You have to be quiet though, the baby will be sleeping." Dom told his kids.
"Come on." Arthur motioned for them to follow him and James and Philippa quickly ran and took Arthur's hands in their own.
The crew quietly made their way into the room. They saw Ariadne holding the small baby and instantly their eyes softened.
"Well, do I get to know my goddaughter's name?" Eames asked, finally breaking the silence.
Arthur nodded and turned to Ariadne.
"Ambrosia Amorette Giordani." Ariadne told them, a bright smile on her face. She was glowing and as everyone turned to look at Arthur, so was he.
"I wanna see!" James said, holding up his arms to be picked up.
Arthur quickly picked up James and held him over Ariadne and the baby.
"She looks like Uncle Arthur!" James happily turned to Dom as he said this. Dom smiled and Eames rolled his eyes.
"My turn!" Philippa tugged on Arthur's pants. Arthur set James down and picked up Philippa. She moved to get a closer look at the baby. She smiled and squirmed, telling Arthur she wanted down.
"She does look like Uncle Arthur!" She giggled and moved to stand next to Dom.
"Can I hold her?" Dom asked and Ariadne nodded. She handed the bundle to Dom carefully and Dom handled her with great care.
"You have some awesome parents Ambrosia." Dom quietly told her. Rocking her gently back and forth. It brought him back to when Philippa was first born. He remembered how Mal had insisted on him picking the name. Dom felt himself choke up and looked up at Arthur and Ariadne who were watching him intently.
Eames walked next to Dom and held out his arms. Arthur stood up, ready to protest, but Ariadne gently grabbed his arm.
Dom handed little Ambrosia to Eames and to everyone's surprise he knew exactly how to handle a baby.
"What? My sisters had me baby sit every once in a while." Eames explained.
"Just don't drop my daughter." Arthur said. Eames rolled his eyes.
There was a flash and everyone turned to see Yusuf with a camera, taking a picture of the scene.
"Hey! None of that!" Eames said a little too loudly causing Ambrosia to wake and begin crying.
"Here, give her to me." Ariadne held out her arms. Eames quickly handed the wailing Ambrosia to Ariadne and backed away nervously. Arthur shot him a glare before moving to Ariadne's side.
"This is why I don't like babies." Saito whispered to Yusuf who scoffed.
"I brought this for you two. I have a plane to catch. Congratulations, both of you." Saito told Arthur, trying not to shout over the loud squalling.
"Thank you." Arthur took the gift from Saito and gave him a quick hug. Saito quickly left the room, the baby's cry still going on.
James and Philippa were covering their ears, not liking the noise that the baby was making.
"Here, let me take her." Arthur finally said after five minutes of the baby crying. Ariadne quickly handed Ambrosia to him and almost instantly she stopped crying. The room stared at Arthur in shock. Eames scowled and sat down, crossing his arms.
"Well it looks like she's going to be a daddy's girl." Dom chuckled. Philippa giggled and James made a face.
Yusuf took this opportunity to take a picture of the new family. Arthur was sitting on the side of Ariadne's bed, while he was cradling Ambrosia, and Ariadne was leaning against Arthur, smiling as she watched Ambrosia.
"So much for corrupting her. She's going to be another Arthur. I can already tell." Eames mumbled. Everyone in the room laughed, including Ambrosia when she saw her dad laugh.
It really was a sight to see. A tightly knit family, that may not have been normal, but a family nonetheless. They had been through so much together, and now being gathered around the new member of the family, they had never felt closer.
And there it is! The ending! Wasn't it cute? I just couldn't help myself, I had to go all out on the cuteness for this one! Haha...hope you enjoyed and be on the lookout for oneshots and hopefully soon I will start a new story. I may do a sequel for this one, I'm not sure yet. Sometimes I like to leave things where they are. But maybe snapshots into their life as a family would be fun to do as a sequel, we'll see...I still have to think about it, because I really am satisfied with this ending. Please leave a review! It means so much to me! Thanks again for sticking with me!
Again by heart! 3
Bethany