Neilcroft
11-07-09, 22:31
CLOSURE
Neil Burns (Neilcroy)
PG
This story is based on an old QUEEN OF SWORDS story "Final Dance" and
TOMB RAIDER comic issue #50 "Alpha and Omega". Enjoy and please
comment.;)
AUGUST 3, 2120
CARVER ESTATES (Formerly CROFT MANOR)
It was a clear starless night and Luna hung like a silver orb in the obsidian
sky. The figure sprinted across the exquisitely-trimmed lawn with gazelle-
like grace, reaching the masoleum in the center of the grounds. The name
CROFT was carved into the archway above the entrance and the woman,
as her voluptuous curves identified her as such, smiled as she entered
and examined the coffins and wall graves that housed her family through
the centuries. She knelt between two coffins which housed her parents'
remains and said a silent prayer for them and the other family members.
Crossing herself, the woman got up and walked over to a coffin that was
almost in the middle of the crypt. It read:
LARA AMELIA CROFT
14 FEBRUARY 1978
10 JULY 2024
DEATH IS BUT THE NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE
The woman smiled at the Harry Potter reference and that the remains in
the coffin were not those of Lady Lara Croft, but the Doppleganger who
died in her place. She knelt and pressed a hidden button at the base of
the coffin, which caused it to move, revealing a hidden passage.
"Home sweet home," the woman quipped as she entered and traveled
through the dimly lit tunnel until it reached the former trophy room-turned-
guest suite.
"I must say. It's very nicely done."
The woman found herself looking in the mirror-covered closet entrance
and the reflection showed a curvy, muscular frame encased in a black
skintight stealth suit with black fingerless gloves and black diver-like
booties as acessories, as well as the gunbelt housing twin Desert Eagles.
Her face was covered by a black full hood with sleek nightvision goggles
covering the eyeholes. As the woman walked around the room and
examined it, a sad smile curved her hidden lips as she saw a photograph
of Chase and Amanda Carver along with Hilary Winston.
"Oh, Chase. Winston."
One was a faithful family servant and surrogate father figure while the
other was a cheerful rogue who betrayed her numerous times for money,
yet knew how to reach her soul, plus there were few more loyal
partners when the chips were down, save for two other people.
"Rest in peace, you two."
She kissed the photograph and left, heading out into the Hall where she
saw decorations indicating there had been a birthday party earlier in the
evening.
"That's right," the woman said to herself. "It's Amanda's birthday today."
She saw an elderly woman sitting by the fireplace sipping tea. Her hair
was tied back in a snow-white bun and a fine layer of wrinkles decorated
an otherwise well-preserved face. Her bare arms revealed tribal-like
tattoos of long ago. Sensing another prescence, the older woman turned
to the intruder, putting on her glasses.
"Who are you?" she croaked. "What are you doing here?"
"Happy Birthday, Amanda." the voice was a familiar posh-accented alto.
"That's not possible! She's dead!"
"Well, as the American humorist Mark Twain would say," the woman
removed her hood, revealing a familiar aristocratically-featured visage
with chocolate eyes and chestnut hair set in a familiar French plait,
"reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
"NO! You're dead! You can't be real!"
Lara walked over and knelt in front of Amanda, placing her hand on the
other woman's hands.
"I'm real, Amanda. In the flesh. It's really good to see you again."
"If you're here, who's in the coffin?"
"Three guesses, and they all begin with the letter D."
Amanda's eyes widened as the answer's implications sunk in.
"That's impossible! I blasted the ***** into the eitr crap."
"I thought so too, but she showed up at the manor a few days later."
"Why didn't she kill you?" Amanda removed her hand.
"I discovered the word Natla was using to command her, but I freed her."
"You freed her?" Disbelief colored the old woman's voice.
"Yes, and she killed Natla afterwards. She told me at Alister's funeral, but
I hadn't seen her since that in a while."
"How did she end up in the coffin instead of you? How are you still alive?
More importantly, how is it you have not aged a single day?"
Lara got up and walked over to the chair opposite Amanda and noticed
a partially-devoured piece of cholcolate birthday cake on a plate with
silverwear next to her.
"Do you mind?" the Raider asked as she cut a piece.
"Take the whole damn thing," Amanda croaked. "Grand niece makes it
to sweet anyhow."
"Thanks." Lara placed a piece on the place, took a fork and took a bite.
"Anyhoo, I married Kurtis Trent, as you may know, and had twins, Richard
and Amelia."
"Your parents," Amanda croaked dryly. "I would think your obsession
with raiding tombs would prevent you from being a good mother."
"Yes. Well while I was pregnant with the twins, Kurtis and I came to an
mutual arrangememt. The first three weeks of each month, I played
Mommy Dearest and Devoted Housewife. The last week was mine to go
on digs and what not. For thirteen years, it worked beautifully."
"Did your kids ever ask you to take them with you?"
"Plenty of times and I always told them I would when they turned
sixteen."
"Raider and mother. Having your cake and eating it too," the old woman
smiled pointedly at the cake Lara was eating.
"Touche," Lara smiled, "although I always found it a silly adage. What are
you supposed to do with a cake when you bake it besides eat it? As
for Ms. Dopple, she had never been on a dig. Wouldn't you know her first
dig, the bloody plane crashes. Poor darling's neck was broken on impact
and she was instantly incinerated. I was able to pull myself from the
wreakage with broken legs and internal bleeding before passing out."
"So Dopple***** is in the crypt. Forensics identified her as you by the
dental records. Of course, since she was supposed to be you, it would
make perfect sense. So you survived the crash and blacked out."
"Right. I truly thought I was a goner. When I woke up, I found myself in
the most undescribably beautiful place I have ever seen. I have been to
Shangri-la and this puts that place to shame."
"Plus no guardians?" Amanda smiled. "Chase told me about them."
"No guardians. Nobody to tell me I couldn't leave if I wanted to. Like
Shangri-la, there was no hunger, no disease or poverty. When I pulled
myself from the wreck, not only were my legs broken, but the base of
my spine was crushed. I was literally paralyzed from the waist down. Yet,
miraculously, I was able to get up from my bed and walk across the room
to my balcony to look out."
"It is miraculous."
"Even more miraculous, nobody aged. Everyone looks young and beautiful,
even the children. Yet, there are a number of them who were literally
centuries and millenia old. You know Zinn who taught me how to fight
physically and mentally?"
"Yes. You mentioned that he tried to steal your soul to become invincible?"
"Something like that. There was an Asian woman who was like a good
version of Zinn who taught me the same thing, honing my skills and being
able to have a sense of inner peace. Well, she was born during the first
Chinese dynasty?"
"She was over seven thousand years old?!"
"Yes. It turns out the water people there drank and bathed in not only
had healing qualities, but it could also stop aging."
"The Fountain of Youth."
"Yes. When I left, I had no idea how long I had been there healing. Days.
Weeks. Months. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I had been there
TWENTY YEARS! Yet, instead of looking sixty-six, which I was at the time,
I looked twenty-six. Yet, a great sadness befell me when I got back to
America because I discovered everyone had assumed I was dead. Even
my family. I missed anniversaries, graduations from high school and
university, holidays, everything. In fact, at this point, they were grown
adults with families of their own."
"What did you do?"
"I missed my children growing up, but I was damned I would miss my
grandchildren growing up. I would pop in from time to time to check up on
them, take them when Kurtis and his new wife were out for the evening
or on holiday. In all, I was part of the family."
"How? Everyone, including me, thought you were dead."
"There was a cousin Abigail who looked a lot like me, when I was younger.
Almost to the point that we could've been twins. She lived in the Outback
as a recluse so the family only saw her once in a blue moon."
"And given you are good with accents and that she presumably never
travelled, you took on her identity."
"Exactly."
"What about Trent?"
"Well, for the longest time, I had my suspicions that he had some inkling
as to what was going on, but he never said anything. I told him everything
the night before he passed on."
"How did he take it?"
"He was upset that I deceived him, he was also happy that I was alive
and got to spend time with our children and grandchildren. It was nice to
have closure. However, some instances I wasn't so lucky."
"Your little boytoys."
"I wouldn't say that, but yeah. Alister we both know what happened.
However, during my stay in Utopia, Zip was gunned down in a drive-by
shooting in Los Angeles while Bryce died when he was blown up with his
trailer during a raid on Croft Manor."
"I'm sorry," Amanda said softly. "I know how much they meant to you."
"Thank you. When did Winston start working for you? And when did you
hook up with Mr. Carter?"
A perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised in amused curiosity.
"During the time we thought you were dead. In fact, I hooked up with
Chase while you and Trent got married. Winston came the first month or
so after your crash and the kids loved him. They loved how he would
regale them with stories about his exploits as well as yours and your
father's."
"Good old Winston. When did he pass?"
"Two days after the oldest graduated high school. One moment he was
doing his thing and the next moment it was like he shut down. He looked
so peaceful, I thought he was asleep."
"Rest in peace, Hilary Edward Winston. Thank you for your services to
my family and I. I love you."
"He was a funny old man. He would often tell how you used to use him
for target practice."
"Poor darling," Lara chuckled. "He absolutely hated it. On his sixty-first
birthday, I started a tradition where once a year, on that day, he would
get his own back."
"Bet he loved that."
"Oh, he did. I even told him to not hold back. It was his turn for revenge
and to just let me have it, which he did. It was bloody well worth the pain
to see him happy."
"I bet."
"The fact he served in India as part of the British Military, as well as being
one of the unit's top snipers, helped as well."
"I can imangine."
"I was going to say that I am shocked that you and Chase Carter hooked
up, but given you're both cut from the same cloth, I am actually not at all
surprised. I visited him before he died. It was a lovely chat and I finally
forgave him for everything, including Monaco. That, in particular, felt lovely.
I also forgave Alex for his past sins, including the prayer wheels. Closure
is such a love thing."
"It is. You said the Manor was attacked. How? Why?"
"Apparently, there was an item in my private collection that some wealthy
megalomaniac wanted so he decided to send a retrieval team to get it and
gave them orders to eliminate anyone who they thought a hinderance."
"Did they get it?"
"No. Alex told me that was one of the times he and Chase decided to loan
out the collection to different museums as a sort of memorial tour. Of
course, this was the second time they did it."
"So, your tech died for nothing. When was the first?"
"When Zip, Terry and I visited Zip's grandmother in Atlanta, Georgia. We
had a bit of a holiday in Hazzard County while the rental was being fixed.
During which, our Not-So-Dynamic-Duo, with Bryce's help, decided to loan
out the collection to an American museum for a very generous commission.
Needless to say, I was not pleased and had to punish them. Enough about
me though. What has been going on with Amanda Carter, nee Evert, the
past century or so? Last time we left you, you were in the Arctic Circle
with a wounded leg. I do regret shooting you, by the way."
"Well," Amanda smiled acidly. "Clearly, I survived, no thanks to you! A
Swedish exploration team found me and rescued me. It seems they were
looking for Helheim, though only from a historical point of view. I didn't
return until several months later. By that time, you and Trent hooked up."
Amanda went on to tell how she met Chase on a dig in Southern Vietnam
and how they managed to fall for each other during the expedition. They
then went on a few more well-paying digs and started to seriously date
after they finished up in Honduras.
"Well," Lara smiled dryly. "Thank you for curing Chase of his fixation with
me. He would never stop trying to reconnect with me."
"My pleasure. Anyway, one day we get the invite to your wedding and
we both go. About a year or so later, we get hitched in a small and
private ceremony. Not long after, Chase Junior was born. A year later,
the twins Mandy L and C.C. came next. Finally my youngest Cameron."
"Mandy L and C.C.?" Lara's eybrow again arched in amusement.
"Amanda Lara and Cordelia Chase. Yes, as in the cheerleader from 'Buffy
the Vampire Slayer'. Anyway, they became fashionista goddesses with
stores everywhere. Cameron, always talented in baseball and basketball,
signed to play for Milwaukee as a point guard. In fact, for his fairly long
career, he played for the Bucks, Magic, Clippers and Bobcats."
"How long did he play?"
"Twelve years. Made millions which he used to invest in real estate when
he retired. As for Chase, Jr., Star of Screen and Archeology. Whenever he
wasn't doing a film or a photoshoot, he'd be doing a dig. Well-paid of
course."
"Of course. Like father, like son."
"May I ask you something, Lara? Your family-children, grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, whatever. They grow up, grow old, get ill and die
while you stay the same year after year. Does this bother you at all or
does your obsession with tomb raiding prevent you from caring?"
"Interesting," Lara mused. "There are many cultures to explore and one
does not tire of it, plus I am interested in seeing how each Croft shapes
up each generation. See if there are any worthy of the name. Still, I
suppose something can be said of the adage: 'A parent should never
outlive their children'. Perhaps someday, I will find something that
counters the Fountain of Youth and I'll finally pass over and be with
everyone I love, including my parents."
"So, your children never found out you were their mother."
"Well, they both passed away at one hundred. Richard first, then Amelia
a few months later. I did let them know and explained everything. There
were harsh words and tears, but finally there was reconciliation and
closure. That was important to me. In fact, I was able to achieve closure
with those close to me. Now it's your turn."
"Mine? Really."
"Where did we go wrong? When did we stop being friends and start trying
to destroy each other?"
"Besides leaving me to drown in Bolivia?" Amanda asked sarcastically.
"Besides screwing up my chance to go to Avalon and finally shooting me
in the leg and leaving me to freeze to death in the Artic? I have no
****ing idea!"
"You were trying to attack me with the dias. As for Bolivia, I held the gate
as long as I could. When the roof caved in, I was certain you were dead.
I probably should've returned later to make sure you were still alive. As
for Avalon, why did you want to go there? Did you have family you wanted
to bring back?"
"Does it matter? Anyway, life's short and my doctor says if I survive the
next day or two, I'm fine, but he doesn't see me living through the week.
So whatever happened in the past can stay there. So, yes Lara Croft. I
am sorry for making your life hell and I forgive you."
Lara smiled as she got up and walked over to her "frenemy" and gently
embraced her. Amanda slowly and gingerly returned the embrace. Lara
gently kissed the other woman's forehead as they held the embrace for
a long time.
"Thank you, Amanda," the Raider purred, "and I forgive you as well."
The two finally let go of each other.
"Well," Amanda croaked. "I think I should be getting to bed. The family
are heavy sleepers so you can leave by the front door. Take my car as
I don't need it anymore."
Amanda gestured to the keys sitting on the table next to the cake.
"Incidentally, how did you get in?"
Lara finally finishe her piece of cake before answering.
"False bottom under the Doppleganger's coffin. There's a tunnel that leads
to my former trophy room. I have to say it's lovely."
"My grandniece is an interior designer. She came up with the layout.
"I'll be sure to look her up if I want to change anything about my home.
Goodbye, Amanda. Rest in peace and say hello to my parents and everyone
else, okay?"
"Done. Goodbye, Lara. It was good to see you again. I mean what I said
about the cake."
The two women embraced one more time and let go. Lara took her hood,
the car keys and the cake and left as Amanda tottered off to her room
where Zip's old computer area used to be. Two days later, the funeral
was held and as everyone left, a lone, leather-clad figure walked to
the coffin and lay two roses on it as the sun shone on her long chestnut
hair tied in a French plait. She knelt and, laying her hand on the coffin,
said a silent prayer before rising and crossing herself.
"Rest in peace, Amanda Evert Carter. Maybe I'll see you in the afterlife
someday."
THE END
ta-daa!:D hope we like it and please. comments are welcome and
encouraged. anyone who wants to illustrate this is welcome as well.
til next time.;)
Neil Burns (Neilcroy)
PG
This story is based on an old QUEEN OF SWORDS story "Final Dance" and
TOMB RAIDER comic issue #50 "Alpha and Omega". Enjoy and please
comment.;)
AUGUST 3, 2120
CARVER ESTATES (Formerly CROFT MANOR)
It was a clear starless night and Luna hung like a silver orb in the obsidian
sky. The figure sprinted across the exquisitely-trimmed lawn with gazelle-
like grace, reaching the masoleum in the center of the grounds. The name
CROFT was carved into the archway above the entrance and the woman,
as her voluptuous curves identified her as such, smiled as she entered
and examined the coffins and wall graves that housed her family through
the centuries. She knelt between two coffins which housed her parents'
remains and said a silent prayer for them and the other family members.
Crossing herself, the woman got up and walked over to a coffin that was
almost in the middle of the crypt. It read:
LARA AMELIA CROFT
14 FEBRUARY 1978
10 JULY 2024
DEATH IS BUT THE NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE
The woman smiled at the Harry Potter reference and that the remains in
the coffin were not those of Lady Lara Croft, but the Doppleganger who
died in her place. She knelt and pressed a hidden button at the base of
the coffin, which caused it to move, revealing a hidden passage.
"Home sweet home," the woman quipped as she entered and traveled
through the dimly lit tunnel until it reached the former trophy room-turned-
guest suite.
"I must say. It's very nicely done."
The woman found herself looking in the mirror-covered closet entrance
and the reflection showed a curvy, muscular frame encased in a black
skintight stealth suit with black fingerless gloves and black diver-like
booties as acessories, as well as the gunbelt housing twin Desert Eagles.
Her face was covered by a black full hood with sleek nightvision goggles
covering the eyeholes. As the woman walked around the room and
examined it, a sad smile curved her hidden lips as she saw a photograph
of Chase and Amanda Carver along with Hilary Winston.
"Oh, Chase. Winston."
One was a faithful family servant and surrogate father figure while the
other was a cheerful rogue who betrayed her numerous times for money,
yet knew how to reach her soul, plus there were few more loyal
partners when the chips were down, save for two other people.
"Rest in peace, you two."
She kissed the photograph and left, heading out into the Hall where she
saw decorations indicating there had been a birthday party earlier in the
evening.
"That's right," the woman said to herself. "It's Amanda's birthday today."
She saw an elderly woman sitting by the fireplace sipping tea. Her hair
was tied back in a snow-white bun and a fine layer of wrinkles decorated
an otherwise well-preserved face. Her bare arms revealed tribal-like
tattoos of long ago. Sensing another prescence, the older woman turned
to the intruder, putting on her glasses.
"Who are you?" she croaked. "What are you doing here?"
"Happy Birthday, Amanda." the voice was a familiar posh-accented alto.
"That's not possible! She's dead!"
"Well, as the American humorist Mark Twain would say," the woman
removed her hood, revealing a familiar aristocratically-featured visage
with chocolate eyes and chestnut hair set in a familiar French plait,
"reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
"NO! You're dead! You can't be real!"
Lara walked over and knelt in front of Amanda, placing her hand on the
other woman's hands.
"I'm real, Amanda. In the flesh. It's really good to see you again."
"If you're here, who's in the coffin?"
"Three guesses, and they all begin with the letter D."
Amanda's eyes widened as the answer's implications sunk in.
"That's impossible! I blasted the ***** into the eitr crap."
"I thought so too, but she showed up at the manor a few days later."
"Why didn't she kill you?" Amanda removed her hand.
"I discovered the word Natla was using to command her, but I freed her."
"You freed her?" Disbelief colored the old woman's voice.
"Yes, and she killed Natla afterwards. She told me at Alister's funeral, but
I hadn't seen her since that in a while."
"How did she end up in the coffin instead of you? How are you still alive?
More importantly, how is it you have not aged a single day?"
Lara got up and walked over to the chair opposite Amanda and noticed
a partially-devoured piece of cholcolate birthday cake on a plate with
silverwear next to her.
"Do you mind?" the Raider asked as she cut a piece.
"Take the whole damn thing," Amanda croaked. "Grand niece makes it
to sweet anyhow."
"Thanks." Lara placed a piece on the place, took a fork and took a bite.
"Anyhoo, I married Kurtis Trent, as you may know, and had twins, Richard
and Amelia."
"Your parents," Amanda croaked dryly. "I would think your obsession
with raiding tombs would prevent you from being a good mother."
"Yes. Well while I was pregnant with the twins, Kurtis and I came to an
mutual arrangememt. The first three weeks of each month, I played
Mommy Dearest and Devoted Housewife. The last week was mine to go
on digs and what not. For thirteen years, it worked beautifully."
"Did your kids ever ask you to take them with you?"
"Plenty of times and I always told them I would when they turned
sixteen."
"Raider and mother. Having your cake and eating it too," the old woman
smiled pointedly at the cake Lara was eating.
"Touche," Lara smiled, "although I always found it a silly adage. What are
you supposed to do with a cake when you bake it besides eat it? As
for Ms. Dopple, she had never been on a dig. Wouldn't you know her first
dig, the bloody plane crashes. Poor darling's neck was broken on impact
and she was instantly incinerated. I was able to pull myself from the
wreakage with broken legs and internal bleeding before passing out."
"So Dopple***** is in the crypt. Forensics identified her as you by the
dental records. Of course, since she was supposed to be you, it would
make perfect sense. So you survived the crash and blacked out."
"Right. I truly thought I was a goner. When I woke up, I found myself in
the most undescribably beautiful place I have ever seen. I have been to
Shangri-la and this puts that place to shame."
"Plus no guardians?" Amanda smiled. "Chase told me about them."
"No guardians. Nobody to tell me I couldn't leave if I wanted to. Like
Shangri-la, there was no hunger, no disease or poverty. When I pulled
myself from the wreck, not only were my legs broken, but the base of
my spine was crushed. I was literally paralyzed from the waist down. Yet,
miraculously, I was able to get up from my bed and walk across the room
to my balcony to look out."
"It is miraculous."
"Even more miraculous, nobody aged. Everyone looks young and beautiful,
even the children. Yet, there are a number of them who were literally
centuries and millenia old. You know Zinn who taught me how to fight
physically and mentally?"
"Yes. You mentioned that he tried to steal your soul to become invincible?"
"Something like that. There was an Asian woman who was like a good
version of Zinn who taught me the same thing, honing my skills and being
able to have a sense of inner peace. Well, she was born during the first
Chinese dynasty?"
"She was over seven thousand years old?!"
"Yes. It turns out the water people there drank and bathed in not only
had healing qualities, but it could also stop aging."
"The Fountain of Youth."
"Yes. When I left, I had no idea how long I had been there healing. Days.
Weeks. Months. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I had been there
TWENTY YEARS! Yet, instead of looking sixty-six, which I was at the time,
I looked twenty-six. Yet, a great sadness befell me when I got back to
America because I discovered everyone had assumed I was dead. Even
my family. I missed anniversaries, graduations from high school and
university, holidays, everything. In fact, at this point, they were grown
adults with families of their own."
"What did you do?"
"I missed my children growing up, but I was damned I would miss my
grandchildren growing up. I would pop in from time to time to check up on
them, take them when Kurtis and his new wife were out for the evening
or on holiday. In all, I was part of the family."
"How? Everyone, including me, thought you were dead."
"There was a cousin Abigail who looked a lot like me, when I was younger.
Almost to the point that we could've been twins. She lived in the Outback
as a recluse so the family only saw her once in a blue moon."
"And given you are good with accents and that she presumably never
travelled, you took on her identity."
"Exactly."
"What about Trent?"
"Well, for the longest time, I had my suspicions that he had some inkling
as to what was going on, but he never said anything. I told him everything
the night before he passed on."
"How did he take it?"
"He was upset that I deceived him, he was also happy that I was alive
and got to spend time with our children and grandchildren. It was nice to
have closure. However, some instances I wasn't so lucky."
"Your little boytoys."
"I wouldn't say that, but yeah. Alister we both know what happened.
However, during my stay in Utopia, Zip was gunned down in a drive-by
shooting in Los Angeles while Bryce died when he was blown up with his
trailer during a raid on Croft Manor."
"I'm sorry," Amanda said softly. "I know how much they meant to you."
"Thank you. When did Winston start working for you? And when did you
hook up with Mr. Carter?"
A perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised in amused curiosity.
"During the time we thought you were dead. In fact, I hooked up with
Chase while you and Trent got married. Winston came the first month or
so after your crash and the kids loved him. They loved how he would
regale them with stories about his exploits as well as yours and your
father's."
"Good old Winston. When did he pass?"
"Two days after the oldest graduated high school. One moment he was
doing his thing and the next moment it was like he shut down. He looked
so peaceful, I thought he was asleep."
"Rest in peace, Hilary Edward Winston. Thank you for your services to
my family and I. I love you."
"He was a funny old man. He would often tell how you used to use him
for target practice."
"Poor darling," Lara chuckled. "He absolutely hated it. On his sixty-first
birthday, I started a tradition where once a year, on that day, he would
get his own back."
"Bet he loved that."
"Oh, he did. I even told him to not hold back. It was his turn for revenge
and to just let me have it, which he did. It was bloody well worth the pain
to see him happy."
"I bet."
"The fact he served in India as part of the British Military, as well as being
one of the unit's top snipers, helped as well."
"I can imangine."
"I was going to say that I am shocked that you and Chase Carter hooked
up, but given you're both cut from the same cloth, I am actually not at all
surprised. I visited him before he died. It was a lovely chat and I finally
forgave him for everything, including Monaco. That, in particular, felt lovely.
I also forgave Alex for his past sins, including the prayer wheels. Closure
is such a love thing."
"It is. You said the Manor was attacked. How? Why?"
"Apparently, there was an item in my private collection that some wealthy
megalomaniac wanted so he decided to send a retrieval team to get it and
gave them orders to eliminate anyone who they thought a hinderance."
"Did they get it?"
"No. Alex told me that was one of the times he and Chase decided to loan
out the collection to different museums as a sort of memorial tour. Of
course, this was the second time they did it."
"So, your tech died for nothing. When was the first?"
"When Zip, Terry and I visited Zip's grandmother in Atlanta, Georgia. We
had a bit of a holiday in Hazzard County while the rental was being fixed.
During which, our Not-So-Dynamic-Duo, with Bryce's help, decided to loan
out the collection to an American museum for a very generous commission.
Needless to say, I was not pleased and had to punish them. Enough about
me though. What has been going on with Amanda Carter, nee Evert, the
past century or so? Last time we left you, you were in the Arctic Circle
with a wounded leg. I do regret shooting you, by the way."
"Well," Amanda smiled acidly. "Clearly, I survived, no thanks to you! A
Swedish exploration team found me and rescued me. It seems they were
looking for Helheim, though only from a historical point of view. I didn't
return until several months later. By that time, you and Trent hooked up."
Amanda went on to tell how she met Chase on a dig in Southern Vietnam
and how they managed to fall for each other during the expedition. They
then went on a few more well-paying digs and started to seriously date
after they finished up in Honduras.
"Well," Lara smiled dryly. "Thank you for curing Chase of his fixation with
me. He would never stop trying to reconnect with me."
"My pleasure. Anyway, one day we get the invite to your wedding and
we both go. About a year or so later, we get hitched in a small and
private ceremony. Not long after, Chase Junior was born. A year later,
the twins Mandy L and C.C. came next. Finally my youngest Cameron."
"Mandy L and C.C.?" Lara's eybrow again arched in amusement.
"Amanda Lara and Cordelia Chase. Yes, as in the cheerleader from 'Buffy
the Vampire Slayer'. Anyway, they became fashionista goddesses with
stores everywhere. Cameron, always talented in baseball and basketball,
signed to play for Milwaukee as a point guard. In fact, for his fairly long
career, he played for the Bucks, Magic, Clippers and Bobcats."
"How long did he play?"
"Twelve years. Made millions which he used to invest in real estate when
he retired. As for Chase, Jr., Star of Screen and Archeology. Whenever he
wasn't doing a film or a photoshoot, he'd be doing a dig. Well-paid of
course."
"Of course. Like father, like son."
"May I ask you something, Lara? Your family-children, grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, whatever. They grow up, grow old, get ill and die
while you stay the same year after year. Does this bother you at all or
does your obsession with tomb raiding prevent you from caring?"
"Interesting," Lara mused. "There are many cultures to explore and one
does not tire of it, plus I am interested in seeing how each Croft shapes
up each generation. See if there are any worthy of the name. Still, I
suppose something can be said of the adage: 'A parent should never
outlive their children'. Perhaps someday, I will find something that
counters the Fountain of Youth and I'll finally pass over and be with
everyone I love, including my parents."
"So, your children never found out you were their mother."
"Well, they both passed away at one hundred. Richard first, then Amelia
a few months later. I did let them know and explained everything. There
were harsh words and tears, but finally there was reconciliation and
closure. That was important to me. In fact, I was able to achieve closure
with those close to me. Now it's your turn."
"Mine? Really."
"Where did we go wrong? When did we stop being friends and start trying
to destroy each other?"
"Besides leaving me to drown in Bolivia?" Amanda asked sarcastically.
"Besides screwing up my chance to go to Avalon and finally shooting me
in the leg and leaving me to freeze to death in the Artic? I have no
****ing idea!"
"You were trying to attack me with the dias. As for Bolivia, I held the gate
as long as I could. When the roof caved in, I was certain you were dead.
I probably should've returned later to make sure you were still alive. As
for Avalon, why did you want to go there? Did you have family you wanted
to bring back?"
"Does it matter? Anyway, life's short and my doctor says if I survive the
next day or two, I'm fine, but he doesn't see me living through the week.
So whatever happened in the past can stay there. So, yes Lara Croft. I
am sorry for making your life hell and I forgive you."
Lara smiled as she got up and walked over to her "frenemy" and gently
embraced her. Amanda slowly and gingerly returned the embrace. Lara
gently kissed the other woman's forehead as they held the embrace for
a long time.
"Thank you, Amanda," the Raider purred, "and I forgive you as well."
The two finally let go of each other.
"Well," Amanda croaked. "I think I should be getting to bed. The family
are heavy sleepers so you can leave by the front door. Take my car as
I don't need it anymore."
Amanda gestured to the keys sitting on the table next to the cake.
"Incidentally, how did you get in?"
Lara finally finishe her piece of cake before answering.
"False bottom under the Doppleganger's coffin. There's a tunnel that leads
to my former trophy room. I have to say it's lovely."
"My grandniece is an interior designer. She came up with the layout.
"I'll be sure to look her up if I want to change anything about my home.
Goodbye, Amanda. Rest in peace and say hello to my parents and everyone
else, okay?"
"Done. Goodbye, Lara. It was good to see you again. I mean what I said
about the cake."
The two women embraced one more time and let go. Lara took her hood,
the car keys and the cake and left as Amanda tottered off to her room
where Zip's old computer area used to be. Two days later, the funeral
was held and as everyone left, a lone, leather-clad figure walked to
the coffin and lay two roses on it as the sun shone on her long chestnut
hair tied in a French plait. She knelt and, laying her hand on the coffin,
said a silent prayer before rising and crossing herself.
"Rest in peace, Amanda Evert Carter. Maybe I'll see you in the afterlife
someday."
THE END
ta-daa!:D hope we like it and please. comments are welcome and
encouraged. anyone who wants to illustrate this is welcome as well.
til next time.;)