Lara awoke. She heard something down stairs. I rustled around in the kitchen floor below her room. Then there was a clamber of pans. That sent Lara shooting out of bed and thundering down the grand staircase. She turned the corner into the grand hall of her mansion and paused at the kitchen door. She peered around the edge and saw a man standing there. He was tall and had a mob of blond hair a top his head. Lara paused and pondered what he was doing here. Then she turned the corner and walked silently into the kitchen.
"Chase Carver. What are you doing here?" She asked. The man jumped and turned towards her shyly and also tried to cover up what he was doing behind his sleek back.
"Aw, hey Lara, you gave me a fright." He said.
"Now you weren't trying to rob me again, were you?" Lara teased.
"Me, rob you? Oh, know way. You'd be committing suicide to rob you." He stuttered.
"Oh? Really? Then what are you hiding behind your back?" She taunted.
"Uh….uh….OK!!! God. I'm sorry. I was trying to get my Cambodian Idols back."
"You mean my Cambodian Idols." Lara complained sarcastically.
"I know what I mean 'Red'." He corrected.
"Ha! Come on up stairs Chase." Lara invited.
Lara and Chase slowly went up the carpeted staircase indulged in conversation. When they reached Lara's fire lit room, Chase jumped excitedly up on to Lara's flowered bed. The room was warm. Lara's bedroom fire place (The mansion had 5 fire places excluding Lara's.) shone brightly and danced in it's guilded cage. Lara broke the silence.
"Chase, why are you hear?" She choked.
"Lonely. I need someone to talk to." He breathed.
"It's three o'clock in the morning Chase." She stated.
"So?" He argued.
"Chase."
"What?"
"Take the guest room if you need to stay here." Lara offered.
"Oh. Ok." He walked from the room and gave a little skip and a hop at the door. Lara laughed and curled back up into bed and pulled the covers over her head and once more, fell asleep.
Chapter II
The Call
Lara awoke and stretched. She slid her feet over the side of the bed and touched the cold wooden floor. She jumped supriesed about how cold the floor was. She elegantly scuffed across the floor to her blue fuzzy slippers. She slid them on plus her brand new sky blue lacey bathrobe, brushed her hair and headed down the grand staircase and down to the kitchen were a pleasant smell hung in the sweet air. She walked into the light and watched an unsuspecting Hillary cooking fresh hot poorage. Lara walked past him swiftly and tapped him on the shoulder as she went by.
"Good morning Hilly." She chimed heading for the dinning room. Hillary had nearly hit his head on the stove fan above the simmering tan poorage.
"Lara, don't scare me like that." He scolded.
"Like what?" She teased.
"Do you want poorage or not?" He asked.
"Threatening always get the job done huh Hillary."
"Mrs. Croft! You knew what I meant!" He replied hotly.
"So I did." Lara chuckled.
Chase was already in the dinning room when Lara entered. He sat crossed legged and crossed armed in his trademark jeans and red flannel shirt.
"Morning Red." He said gesturing to the chair across from him Lara went and sat with him. This time it was Chase's turn to break the silence.
"Lara, do you know why I'm hear?" He asked.
"I never know why you're anywhere." Lara replied.
"Have you ever heard of ruins of Ansitria." He commented.
"Yes, aren't they just a myth? I mean another different Angkorian civilization? Were talking almost pre history." She replied.
"Not pre-history Red. This is pretty modern." He replied.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Moor like after the Angkorian civilization fell through."
"But they could have never survived." She added.
"The torment of a new god is what brought the Angkorian civilization to and end." He corrected. "In reality they could have survived. Lara were on the edge of a real discovery! This could change ancient history as we know it." He continued, "We could find out how they lived! We could see how they cooked, even what they cooked…"
"Chase," Lara interrupted. "You know I can't go off again. I mean I just got back from my last excavation." She added.
"Lara, but think of the possibilities! We could be rich!"
"Is that all that goes through your mind Mr. Carver. Just money and cheap thrills." She outraged. " Chase, you should do this for fun, get some adventure out of this, love the fulfillment of reality and experiences you can get out of this." Hillary walked din to the room with a steaming bowl of hot poorage. Lara turned in his direction and glared at him. The man swiftly turned around and went strait back into the kitchen.
"Lara, just come with me. Help out at the dig." He pleaded.
"Chase, I think you should go."
"Lara, please. I ask of you to please go with me." Lara starred at the wooden floor beneath her. As a kid she had always enjoyed starring down at them and watching the way the wood swirled in all different directions. She looked to Chase and back to the floor again. She pondered the thought of going and finally came to a dision. She looked up and starred in to Chase's deep dark green eyes.
"Chase. I'll give you a call in the morning on my dision about going to the site, but in the mean time you should really go." She finally answered. Chase dropped his head low then stood up announced his leaving turned and headed to the front door. The wooden door creaked as he opened it and he left with out a trace of him ever being there. Lara suddenly felt well alone. She thought of going to the dig site and what fun she would have. Then she thought of leaving London again, something she did not want to do so soon. She finnaly stood and walked from the kitchen, Hillary watching after her…
* * * * * *
Chase on the other hand was in quite parole. He sat on a bench in the bus station waiting for one of London's big red buses to head his way. He wanted to go home. He wanted to relax and watch one of his favorite t.v. Shows on the Tele. Most of all he wanted Lara to go with him on the dig. He didn't want to miss her phone call so he wanted to get home.
The bus turned the corner and pulled to a stop in the graffittiied bust station. The doors slid open and Chase slowly walked inside.
