Note: I do not own Inception and please review!

This one-shot is pretty depressing actually, but it is something that has been floating around in my brain for a while. The song "Lie to Me (Denial)" by Red really inspired this one-shot. I highly suggest everyone heads to youtube immediately and checks this song out and other songs by Red. They are an amazing band; the lead singer's voice just gives me goose bumps!

Finally, be aware that the story jumps around a little (as far as continuity is concerned). I have tried to label everything as past, present, future etc. and I've tried to give the "past" sections some semblance of a time line by saying things like: a few hours in the past, a few months in the past, several months in the past etc. If anyone is confused feel free to PM me or write your questions in a review and I will clarify things for you.

Broken Vow – One-Shot

FUTURE: THE NEXT DAY

" . . . . please leave me your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as possible . . .BEEP . . ."

Arthur ran a hand over his face, the stubble on his chin prickled his palm, but he barely noticed it as he downed another can of beer. The cool liquid quenched his thirst, but did very little to ease the ache he felt inside.

"Hey Arthur, it's Eames again. I was just concerned because it's nearly four and I still haven't heard from you all day. I'm guessing things didn't go well last night with Ariadne. I guess I'll just try your cell phone again, call me."

PRESENT

The burning in her chest worsened as she tried to control her hysterical sobbing. Her lungs couldn't seem to get enough air and she felt as though she were choking. The stream of salty tears blurred her vision and soaked her face. She reached towards the hallway wall with trembling hands to steady herself, but she knew she wouldn't make it. Her destination was simply too far away and she was too exhausted, both emotionally and physically, to push herself anymore. So, she simply fell towards the wall, allowing her bony shoulder to absorb the impact, before she twisted and slid down the wall on her back. Her small frame crumpling as it finally hit the frayed and stained carpet. She curled her knees towards her chest and hugged them tightly as she shakily tried to catch her breath and braced herself for the next barrage of hysterics that were sure to overwhelm her. She knew now that she wasn't crying over the lies and half-truths anymore, she was crying because of what she had to do. She had to end it. It was the healthiest thing for her, for both of them.

SEVERAL MONTHS IN THE PAST

"Oh Arthur! Of course I'll marry you!" Ariadne gushed and Arthur jumped up from his kneeling position so he could kiss her. The girl laughed as Arthur held and rocked her on the nearly deserted Parisian street. It was late, but Arthur had chosen to propose during their walk home, rather than at the restaurant.

They always went to the same little coffee shop on the corner by her apartment after their dinner dates, and then stopped to drink their piping hot beverages on the chipped green bench just outside the shop.

Maybe it was corny, but Arthur felt like this was their spot. That this was their quirky little relationship 'thing.' So, he had decided that this would be were he would propose to her.

"I'm so happy! I feel like I could, oh I don't know, run a marathon or something," Ariadne informed Arthur cheerfully, as the two walked arm in arm the last little stretch to Ariadne's apartment.

"A marathon, huh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The girl laughed and shook her head, while Arthur smiled. Her laugh was so carefree and there was something so innocent about it that he couldn't help but want to smile and laugh with her. No matter his mood, her laughter always contented him.

"We'll have to start on a guest list right away so that I can start deciding on a location!" Ariadne began to babble and Arthur only half-listened knowing that she was just prattling due to excitement.

A FEW HOURS IN THE PAST

"It's no good Leon. The simple fact of the matter is I need to see the lawyer again! I don't have his mannerism down yet. He's very different when he's with our mark compared to when he's with other clients," Eames explained harshly, his patience obviously wearing thin.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do! But if you knew how hard it was for me to get you in there the first time-"

Eames cut Leon off. "Just make it happen or you can bloody well get yourself another forger!" The man named Leon grumbled obscenities, but headed off to a corner of the warehouse to make the necessary calls.

"You know I hate working with Leon," Eames informed Arthur as he grabbed a rickety metal chair, flipped it around, and sat down on it next to the point man.

"So why do you continue to bring him in on jobs you're offered? You could have easily found another extractor," Arthur pointed out dryly, as he continued to type away on his laptop.

"Because he's bloody good and you know it! I dare say he might just one day be as good as Cobb, but don't you dare tell him I told you that."

Arthur smirked. "Well we aren't really that chummy, so I doubt the topic will ever come up."

"Good." Eames grunted and pushed himself out of the metal chair.

"I'll see what our architect is do-" but Eames didn't get to finish his thought, as the door to the small warehouse the team was renting was slowly being opened at that moment.

The door began squeaking and groaning its protests loudly, alerting all in the warehouse that someone was entering. Everyone turned and stiffened, readying themselves for whoever this unexpected visitor was.

"Ariadne, what a pleasant surprise!" Eames greeted as he recognized the young woman coming timidly through the door. His body relaxed now and a warm smile brightened his tired face.

"Is Arthur here . . ." she trailed off, the last word coming out in barely a whisper. The young woman's fatigued eyes widened as they landed on Arthur, who still stood stiffly behind Eames, his laptop all but forgotten. Ariadne began to shake her head in disbelief and the smile that had been on Eames' face slowly disappeared.

"Ariadne," Arthur said softly as he began to move towards the girl.

"No, you said you gave it up! You looked me right in the eye last night and said you had quit!" the girl began to shout, as her eyes welled with tears.

"Just let me explain," Arthur soothed as he moved past Eames now, slowly making his way to Ariadne.

"How can you explain this? How can anything you have to say justify your lying to me?"

"Just let me explain," Arthur began again, his voice cracking, as he tried to figure out the most delicate way to defend himself to the young woman.

"I asked you point blank last night if you were still working extraction jobs! If you were involved in any sort of subconscious espionage and you told me no!"

"I-I didn't want to lie to you, but-"

"Then why did you? How many jobs have you taken since you told me you quit? I want to know!"

PAST: LAST NIGHT

"Hey!"

"Hey, I'm in the kitchen," Ariadne called pleasantly.

"I still don't understand why you won't just move in with me. My apartment has a much better kitchen than this dingy old place," Arthur joked as he entered the small cramped kitchen area in Ariadne's apartment. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and then headed to the small kitchen table where he sat and removed his coat.

"Hey, none of that! I told you this place may be old, but it has a lot more character than your new fangled modern abode!" Ariadne waved a spoon covered in tomato sauce in Arthur's direction now, leaving a few red splotches on the floor.

"If by character you mean stained carpet and chipped walls, then yes your place is full of character."

Ariadne scoffed and clutched at her chest as though Arthur's words had wounded her. Arthur grinned and began to loosen his tie.

"So, you're awfully late," the girl finally remarked as she went back to stirring her pot of pasta sauce.

"Yeah, some things came up at the office last minute that I had to get done," Arthur explained, rolling the sleeves up on his shirt haphazardly.

"So, you've been at the office all this time?" the girl questioned carefully.

"Yeah," Arthur nodded his head.

"Because I called at 5:30 and the secretary said you'd left the building around 3:00."

"I did leave the office at three to run an errand, but I was back by 4:30," Arthur explained quickly, not even pausing. "I guess Lydia just didn't see me come back. She probably figured I had just decided to cut out early for the day."

"Arthur," Ariadne sighed.

"What?" he asked a little more harshly than he probably should have.

"Don't use that tone with me!" Ariadne snapped as she waved her dripping spoon in Arthur's direction again.

"Well, what tone shall I use Ariadne? Because I know where this is going! It's where our conversations alway seem to go every couple of weeks!" Arthur retorted, his voice getting louder as he grew more upset.

"I'm sorry, but things just don't always seem to add up Arthur!" Ariadne cried in frustration and put her spoon back in the pot of sauce. Arthur sat with his arms crossed now, an angry expression distorting his usually handsome face.

"Are you currently working on an extraction job?" Ariadne finally asked, her hands on her hips.

"No."

"Inception? Any kind of subconscious, shared dreaming job? Anything illegal at all?" she pressed further, her eyes narrowing as she analyzed the young man.

"No," he said his eyes darting to the floor.

"Look me in the face when you say that!" Ariadne cried from her position by the stove.

Arthur stood now and stalked towards the girl, sidestepping the drops of tomato sauce on the floor. He reached for her left hand and gently embraced her ring finger in his thumb and index finger, playing with the diamond ring that adorned the appendage. He then flicked his eyes to the girl's, taking a moment to just take in her image before he finally composed his reply.

"No, I am not working an extraction or inception job, or doing any kind of illegal subconscious thievery of any kind." He spoke the words firmly and the girl smiled warmly as she accepted his lie, like she always did.

A FEW HOURS IN THE PAST

"Look Ariadne," Arthur was now only feet away from the trembling girl and closing the distance swiftly, "let's just go for a walk and discuss things."

Ariadne shook her head more emphatically as she backed away from Arthur. "Part of my acceptance of your marriage proposal rested on the agreement that you would quit all of this!" The girl raised her arms wildly to indicate the dingy run-down warehouse.

"Ariadne-"

"No!" she screamed now as Arthur reached for her. "Don't touch me! I can't believe how stupid I've been!"

The girl now reached for the diamond ring on her left hand, tears beginning to pour out of her eyes. She struggled to get the ring off of her finger, backing herself towards the exit as she did so. Within moments the task was complete and the ring was off of her finger, and she threw it on the ground childishly. The expensive piece of jewellery bounced twice before rolling just past Arthur.

"It's over," she said in a barely audible whisper, before whirling around and swinging open the squeaking door and retreating out of it.

Everyone in the warehouse froze. No one dared to move or speak. Finally Eames broke the silence. "Arthur," he whispered apprehensively.

This one word, this one whispered word set Arthur off and he turned storming past Eames towards his laptop. He picked the rather expensive piece of equipment up easily and tossed it in the direction of the nearest wall, letting out an enraged cry as he did so. The laptop made a loud "clang" on impact.

However, the point man's rage was not yet abated. He reached for the shaky metal table his laptop had rested on and flipped it over and then turned sharply and kicked out at the matching chair causing it to flip over backwards.

"AHH!" he shouted again in anger.

Arthur then turned from his carnage, storming past Eames again and knelt on the floor to retrieve the discarded engagement ring. The point man then stood and walked purposefully towards the door of the warehouse.

"Arthur maybe you should wait before going after her!" Eames called as he ran forward to stop his friend. He wasn't sure exactly sure what had just transpired, but Eames was sure that in the emotional state he was in now Arthur would only add fuel to the fire. The forger reached the point man just as he was wildly swinging the door to the warehouse open. Eames grabbed Arthur by the shoulder to pull him back.

"Let go!" Arthur yelled as he turned and pushed Eames who stumbled back a step.

"In your current state of mind you're likely to only make things worse!" Eames shouted as he grabbed Arthur's right shoulder again tightly. Arthur pulled out of the forger's grip and took the steps down to the street two at a time.

"I'm going to follow him!" Eames snapped for the benefit of their other two team mates, as he hurried out the door too, not bothering to close it behind him. The other two members of the extraction team sat in stunned silence before finally packing up their own gear and heading out to take a break.

SEVERAL MONTHS IN THE PAST

"You seem distracted today," Eames commented as Arthur tinkered away on his laptop.

"I'm fine," Arthur replied not looking up from his work.

"Arthur, I read people for a living and not to mention that I know you pretty well. I can tell you have something on your mind, so why don't you just unburden yourself to me, so you can actually be of some use to the team today, hmm?" Eames asked.

Arthur chuckled now. "Fine, I might be a little distracted," he offered.

"Nothing serious I hope," Eames replied as he took a seat near the point man, crossing his legs as he did so.

"Well, kind of." Arthur noticed Eames's concerned expression so he hurriedly continued. "I plan to ask Ariadne to marry me tonight."

"What?" the forager asked his face full of surprise.

"Yeah. I finally found a legitimate job as a fact checker at this developing magazine. I figure it's the perfect time to ask her," Arthur explained his face going a little pink at the revelation.

"So, you'll really quite all this?" Eames asked as he indicated the run-down house they were currently using as a base for their latest extraction case.

"Yeah, this will be my last job," Arthur said firmly.

Eames laughed now. "Well good luck to you, but for me personally, I know reality isn't enough for me anymore."

"Yeah, well, Ariadne's my reality now and she wants to try and live the normal life. So, I figure I owe her to at least try right? I mean, we've been discussing marriage and kids and I don't want to be like Cobb, pulled away from my family because of all this."

Eames nodded his head in understanding. "Well, why don't you head out then? We obviously aren't going to get any decent work out of you for the rest of the day."

"I can finish what I'm doing-"

"No, I insist! You go freshen up so Ariadne doesn't reject you tonight!" Eames stated as he pulled Arthur from the chair he was in and began to usher him to the door.

"Okay, okay. Just lay off, at least let me collect my things!" Arthur begged.

A FEW HOURS IN THE PAST

Eames trailed Arthur, leaving a good distance between himself and the enraged point man, but Arthur seemed too lost in his thoughts to pay much attention to what was going on around him. The two winded their way through the bustling streets and the hurrying people quickly and efficiently, but it didn't take Eames long to realize that Arthur wasn't going to Ariadne's place. Although the forger had never been to the girl's Parisian apartment, he had made it his business to know her contact information, should he ever need it.

Soon it became clear to Eames that Arthur was just wandering in circles, he was obviously just blowing off steam and calming himself to face the storm that lay ahead. Satisfied that the point man wasn't going to do anything rash Eames stopped following Arthur and headed back to the warehouse.

FUTURE: THE NEXT DAY

" . . . . leave me a message . . . BEEP. . ."

" Ariadne, it's Eames. Arthur didn't ask me to call you or anything, but I just wanted to check in. Are you there? If you are can you pick up? . . ."

The architect's apartment was eerily silent. The curtains were all drawn bathing the place in an unusual darkness, as it was nearly one in the afternoon.

"Well, anyway, I just wanted to say I had no idea that you were still under the impression that Arthur wasn't doing extractions anymore. I assumed the two of you had worked out some sort of agreement. Had I known Arthur was struggling with quitting, I never would have offered him this most recent job. Anyway, I guess that's all I wanted to say. If you need someone to talk to I'm willing to listen, again it's Eames. I'll try you again later."

SEVERAL MONTHS IN THE PAST

Ariadne sighed contentedly as she wrapped her old washed-out bed sheets around her naked body.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Arthur asked he returned from the living room.

"No, I was more or less awake already," the girl replied. "Who was calling you at this hour?"

"Uh, no one. I was just checking voice mails. I had my phone off earlier, so I figured I should make sure work hadn't left me anything."

Ariadne giggled happily. "I still can't believe you're working a regular nine to five job. Arthur the fact-checker!"

Arthur climbed back into bed now and snuggled closer to the girl. "Not as exciting as the other job, but for now it will the pay the bills."

"It'll be nice to have a fresh start, don't you think? I'll be done school soon and can start looking for real work. Professor Miles has already been giving my name out to some pretty impressive people."

"That's great," Arthur replied, but his words didn't suggest he was happy for her. If anything the point man sounded distracted.

"So, you'll be done your last extraction this Saturday, right?"

"Yeah, Saturday's the big day," he said without much conviction.

"We should go out and celebrate!"

"Yeah," he said softly as he kissed the top of her head.

"What's wrong?" Ariadne asked as she twisted in the sheets to look at Arthur.

"Nothing, it's just a pretty complicated extraction is all. So, I'm a little preoccupied, just constantly running through details, you know?" Arthur cringed, although it wasn't a complete lie, it wasn't the complete truth either. He already had another extraction job lined, despite his promise not to take on any more illegal jobs.

"Well be careful! I don't need you getting hurt on your last job!" Ariadne commanded as she leaned over to kiss him.

A COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE PAST

Arthur walked until it was nearly dark. His feet hurt and were blistered, but the ache in his heart and the sick feeling in his stomach overwhelmed him so that his brain barely even registered the pain in his feet.

He had lied to Ariadne. The day he had proposed to her he had promised her he wouldn't take any more illegal jobs. He had been so proud to show her his shiny laminated parking pass and key card that would let him into the magazine office he had been hired at. He had gotten a real legitimate job as a fact-checker at a magazine. The pay was crap compared to what he could make working only a few months on an extraction job, but it was legal, and it was what they had both wanted, normality.

However, quitting cold turkey had proven to be more difficult than the point man had anticipated. The thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline rushes that came with plotting and planning the crime. It had all called to him, begging him to come back. The withdrawal had been so painful, but now he knew that that pain had been nothing compared to how he was feeling now. Why hadn't he been honest with her?

She had asked him a number of times if he was still working at the old job, but he had denied it. Embarrassed at his weakness, embarrassed at not being able to do what she had so easily done, what Cobb had done. Why hadn't he been able to just quit?

She had given him so many opportunities to come clean, to confide in her his struggles, but he hadn't done it. He had continued to try and work through his demons on his own, but now it was all for nothing. What he had seen as character building, as being strong, he could see now was weakness. He should have reached out to her. He should have told her the truth. But he hadn't and now he might very well pay the heaviest price of all for those mistakes; the loss of the woman he loved more than anything else in this world, more than even the thrill he got from extraction.

A FEW MONTHS IN THE PAST

"I just had to do a coffee run for the boss," Arthur said nonchalantly. "You know how it is, the new guy gets picked on. They make me run all kinds of errands. It'll just be until someone else gets hired, then he or she will become the new gopher."

"Are you sure Arthur?" Ariadne asked softly, looking at her hands which rested in her lap. Arthur paused the movie they had just settled down to watch.

"What do you mean am I sure?" he asked, a hint of anger in his voice, as he turned to face his fiancé.

"It's just . . . I get the feeling that you aren't always telling me the truth-"

"What? You think I'd lie to you about having to go get coffee?"

"No, I think you're trying to cover up the fact that your still doing some under the table work for some of your old contacts!" The girl's voice grew shriller with each word.

"Are we back to that again?" Arthur asked sighing, giving his head a shake.

"Arthur, do you think I don't notice when you leave the bedroom at two in the morning to go make hushed phone calls in the kitchen? I'm not stupid, I know something is going on-"

"It's for work! For my legitimate real job at the magazine! I promise you! It's just some of the writers and journalists and stuff. They write into all hours of the night sometimes to make deadlines and call me up to verify some things for them as they write. It's just the way the job works!" Arthur snapped firmly, the lies coming easily. It was frightening how easily they rolled off his tongue; he didn't even have to try very hard anymore.

"Really?" the girl asked, her eyes pleading with his now. She wanted this to be the truth, which is maybe what made it easier for him to lie to her. This was what she wanted to hear, so he was merely indulging her, he reasoned.

It wasn't like he was currently working on a full-out extraction case anyway. He was just offering a little help to some old acquaintances, who happened to be in the business of extraction. So, he wasn't exactly lying to her, he reasoned. Part of him knew that a lie was a lie no matter how you dressed it up, but part of him wanted to believe what he was telling her too.

So, he smiled affectionately at the girl, forcing as much warmth and happiness as he could to his face and words. "Of course! Why would I lie to you?" The girl smiled, her face relaxing as she bought his story.

"I'm sorry. I just . . . I guess I'm just so proud of you for quitting cold turkey like you did. I mean, you went and found a legal job all on your own, with very little prodding from me. I guess I'm just having a hard time believing it's all true."

Arthur pulled her to him now and gently kissed her, then he hugged her fiercely, willing his anxiety to dissipate.

PRESENT:

Ariadne flinched from her position on the floor as she heard the firm knocks on the door to her apartment. She knew it was Arthur and she felt nauseous at the thought of facing him. Her breathing was ragged and choppy as she tried to control her emotions. She knew she must look pathetic curled on the floor of her hallway, too feeble and weak to even make her way to her bedroom, to her bed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she heard him inserting his key into the lock. She had to stay strong. She had to end it.

She cringed at the familiar 'click' as the lock gave way. His keys jangled as he returned them to his pocket and slowly the door opened. Though she heard no sounds she knew he had opened the door and soon a light 'clunk' could be heard as he closed the door. She heard the rustle of his clothes as he walked through her entryway and came straight to the hallway. He stopped when he saw her pitiable small form curled on the carpet.

He said nothing as he stood over her. She could feel his piercing eyes on her and she simply closed her own teary eyes tightly in response. She had to stay strong.

He said nothing still, as he allowed himself to fall back towards the wall. A light 'thud' came as his back hit and he slid down to the floor. She could feel his body heat now. His seated form was so close to hers they were nearly touching, but not quite. He still said nothing. Only Ariadne's soft choked breath's filled the tense silence.

"I didn't know how to tell you that I couldn't stop," he finally whispered. "I wanted to be stronger than my addiction, but I just wasn't."

The girl slowly lifted herself on shaky arms so that she was sitting up again and leaned her body against the wall beside Arthur's. They were so close they were almost touching, but not quite. Her eyes were downcast, as were his. She knew she would lose what little composure she had over herself if she looked at him, if she looked into his eyes.

"I gave you so many opportunities to tell me. I tried to get you to talk about how you were feeling, but you shoved me out," she finally murmured softly in a choked voice that was thick with emotion.

"Each job was always going to be my last, but it never was. I don't like being weak. I didn't like that I might be weaker than you-"

"I meant what I said earlier Arthur. I can't trust you-"

He cut her off sharply, "Can you honestly just walk away from me though? From everything we've been through? I love you Ariadne!"

"A relationship without trust doesn't work," she informed him sadly, a few tears dripping onto her pants and staining them. "I knew, deep down. I know I knew you were lying to me, but I allowed myself to be coddled. I should have had the strength to confront you long ago, before I let things go this far."

"Please," he begged as he reached for her now, his hand gently turning her face towards him. Her tears were freely flowing again and her lips trembled.

"I can't," she whispered softly. Arthur's face contorted in pain as he fought the tears he could feel stinging his own eyes.

"You aren't being fair-" he began in anger, though his anger was directed more at himself than her. This was his fault and he knew it. He knew he had blown it.

"You're right. It wasn't fair of me to string you along when I knew . . . when I knew deep in my heart what you were still doing," she apologized now.

Arthur took a few deep-steadying breaths. "We can work through this. I know it's going to take time, but-"

"Arthur! Don't keep making me say it! We can't fix this! We just can't! I can't trust you!"

"Ariadne," he begged, the rest of his words choking him as he tried to keep his own tears at bay again.

"Please, you need to leave now, before I lose my nerve!" she begged as she finally struggled to her feet.

"It's not over!" Arthur said firmly as he rushed to his feet too. Ariadne turned from him, but he held her firmly by her shoulders and she didn't have the strength to pull away.

"It's not over between us," he whispered fiercely. "I know I should have confided in you before! I know that now! So, now I'm asking for your help! Please!" he pleaded. He could feel her shoulders slump and he held her even more firmly in his grasp, as he feared she might collapse.

"Go," she whispered, sounding tired and fragile as she sucked in a shaky breath. Arthur released her right shoulder as he dug into his right pant pocket. He pulled her engagement ring out and reached for her right hand pressing the piece of jewellery into the palm of her hand and closing her fingers over it.

"I love you," he whispered softly into her ear.

"Arthur," she moaned in pain.

"Can you just turn away and let me go?" His question was met with silence, but he could feel her fingers tighten on the ring he had placed in her hand. He released her small fist and silently let himself out of her apartment.

THE END

Note: Well it's the end, of the one shot anyway, but is it the end of their relationship? It is a little ambiguous, but she did keep his ring, so I'm optimistic. Not necessarily a happy ending, but I feel like it is a hopeful one.

I've wanted to write an angst sort of Arthur and Ariadne one-shot for awhile now and I would love to turn this into a real story exploring the part of their relationship before this fight and of course explore the aftermath of this fight, but school starts soon and I know I won't have time to update so I don't want to start another long story. However, if anyone else is interested in expanding this one-shot I would love to see where you would take it. Just let me know in a review or PM and of course give my one-shot some credit.