It's only when I hit the ground, It causes all the grief - For <lj site="livejournal.com" user="dre

[loadedparadox]

The job in Spain had been going well. A long term research project that meant a lot of studies, dozen of dozens of notes and Ariadne having to do and redo the work on the dream layouts. Yet it wasn't bad work. The extractor was good at his job, and the forger they brought in kept low. Even Edith was easy to work with now that she was back, safe and sound and talking explosives in her spare time. It was, no pun intended, a dream job.

So it was Arthur wasn't expecting the attack that came. He and Ariadne asleep in his bed, curled up around one another. One moment in a dead, dreamless sleep, in the next Arthur felt something. A sharp prick, a pain, and then the darkness of sleep came again.

When he came to everything had changed. The bed replaced by a thin mattress on a cold, tile floor. No carpeting, no blankets, and most disturbing of all, no Ariadne.

Sitting up, blinking against the dark. No lights, not even a seam where a door didn't quite match the floor. He didn't move, trying to hear anything. Breathing. The sound of a snore.

"Ariadne?"

He whispered her name, worried about anyone else knowing he was awake from whatever it was they'd given him.

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[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

She doesn't recall how long she was out, or how she even got there. All she knew was; she had a massive headache, and she was laying on a cold, dark floor when she finally did come to.

Trying like hell to let her eyes adjust to the darkness, she found herself, pushing slowly up onto her hands and knees, attempting to feel around for where she might be.

"Arthur!" It was a rasped out scream for help she knew that. But she didn't know what else to do. And the idea that something could have happened to him only caused her to collapse back into the ground, letting out a small sob. Knowing she honestly didn't know what to do.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

He heard movement, the sound of something, someone and then his name. That sharp sound. Her voice.

Jerking to his feet, spinning slowly as he tried to orient himself. There had to be a connection, another room perhaps. He could hear her but the sound wasn't there, wasn't in the room with her but it had to be close. She'd heard him, was alive and close.

"Ariadne, again? Please. Steady this time." He needed to orient himself, figure out which way she was from his room.

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Inhaling sharply, her sobs all together stopping, as she strained to hear what she thought she did. Arthur? Was she hearing things? Her heart started to race again, quickly scurrying along the wall, trying to pinpoint where she thought she heard the muffled sound of his voice.

"Arthur?!" Her tone a bit stronger as she yelled, rising up to her feet as she did, attempting to listen for any signs of him. "Where are you?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Holding his breath, trying not to stop himself from hearing something, anything. He needed to know if it was her, needed to hear her and know she was alive. Know it was her and not some sick game to be played with him.

And there it was again. Stronger this time, knowing it was her.

"Close! I can hear you." He moved along the wall, running his hands up and down over the rough surface. "Can you find a window? A grate?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"Oh my god!" She gasped hearing his words; quickly making her way towards where she assumed his voice was coming from. "Arthur.." Her hands running along the wall as she called out to him, attempting to gauge the area in question.

"What's going on?" She asked, more for herself then anything she suppose. Just vocalizing her thoughts more then anything. Only to pause, attempting to listen to his voice more. As if it would give away something she might need. "No window. Keep talking though." She called, letting her hand slide along the wall.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Suddenly his fingers plunged through something. Curling around the wires of a grate, giving a jerk the moment he had a hold. It didn't move. "I... I don't remember anything beyond going to bed. We may not be the only ones."

He was quiet a minute, giving another jerk. "Ariadne, try and find the grate. I think it's the air shaft."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Inhaling sharply at the noise of the adjusting metal just a few feet over, she found herself dragging her hands along the wall, making her way over to it. Only to collapse where she stood, when her foot brushed against the grate, letting her hands drag along it, as she attempted to decipher what it may look like. "Are you okay?" She asked, almost hushed but filled with a panic nonetheless.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"You're there. You're close. I can hear you." Gasping the words, trying to keep himself calm and centered. If he couldn't be that way, she wouldn't be either. He needed to ensure it all went well for Ariadne, that he fixed this because he blamed himself.

"Other than a horrendous headache and feeling like I ate sand, I'm fine. You?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine." She said attempting to bite back the fear she had. Her voice cracking nonetheless.

"I'm sorry." It came out more apologetic sounding then she maybe meant. But she honestly didn't know what to say, as she attempted to fit her fingers through the grate, trying to gauge all of it.

"I'm fine." She replied more calmly, not wanting to let her fear show. Knowing it wouldn't help any if he was worried about her. "Nothing I can't handle." She went on to state, jerking slightly on grate as if she could hopefully get it to budge.

"Any idea where we are?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

He heard that crack in her voice and it made Arthur's chest tighten. Hatred and pain both flooded through him and he wished he could fix this instantly. Yet he knew with time and patience and ingenuity, he could fix it. He just never knew if he could give her back her security.

"Don't be sorry. Shhh. You did nothing to be sorry about. We're okay," he whispered, wiggling his fingers and feeling them brush hers.

"You're strong. I'm so proud of you," he whispered, tones fierce. "I... I'm not sure yet. Just a blank room with a mattress and a grate. On your side? Anything?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Inhaling sharply at the contact. She wiggled her hands more into the grate, she to gain as much contact with him as she could. "I haven't looked yet. I.. I woke up on the floor. And well. I haven't been up long." She said, more disappointed with her self that she hadn't thought to check more of the room yet.

"Love you.." She started, only to tense up hearing talking, or more yelling outside her room, possibly more in Arthur's vicinity then hers. Or so she assumed.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Do you feel all right? Breathing clear? Anything that might be a side effect of the drug we must have been given?" He tried to think of how, when. Only one answer made sense.

"Someone had to have gassed us. Means someone on the job,' he whispered.

"Love you too," he hissed, listening to the sound. "I think they know we're awake."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her breathing became broken, as her nevers were starting to get the best of her. Letting her attention turn towards the direction of the sound, fearful of how long they had to remain in contact with each other before something (Not wanting to think of what that something could be) tore them apart.

"I'll be fine. Just groggy..I've felt worse before." She said just above a whisper, pressing herself closer to the grate as she did.

"What are we going to do?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Shhh. Baby. I'm right here. Focus on your breathing," he murmured, trying to keep his voice low, cast for her and her alone.

"You haven't been drugged before. Someone on the job..." This time his tone was tight, angry. Someone had betrayed him and he would damn well find out who.

"We're going to find out who has us, what we can do to get out, and then I'm going to make someone very sorry they did this to us. To you."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"Why...why would.." Stopping, as she knew, it was a pointless question to ask. She wouldn't fully understand it anyway, even if she would like to think otherwise.

"Just don't..Just worry about staying in once piece. That's all I ask." Her voice still hushed, as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sounds of the people just outside the door. Hating the fact at any moment, one of them could be taken from here.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"When we find out who, we'll know that," he pointed out, fingers stroking against hers as best he could.

"Oh trust me. I'll stay in one piece and fix this. Promise." He was quiet a moment, listening to the voices outside the door. "Do me the same, Ariadne. Don't get yourself hurt."