AN: So I felt like doing something different from my typically Faberry fics, and with Rise of the Tomb Raider announced at E3 a while back it felt like a good idea to write something for Lara and Sam. Not halfway through the game (maybe even less than an hour into the game) I was already shipping them hard. I wanted to write something about them and I don't recall if there was a specific reason why I didn't.

But anyway I have now but I should say this fic is

1) Short (but you can tell that already)

2) Not an original idea

3) Not my forte (I'm best at writing fluff)

4) Yes, the title comes from a Lifehouse song

With that said, enjoy.

Helpless is how she feels. She sees the torch, can sense the heat radiating off of it. There are hands around her arms, holding her down and forcing her to remain on her knees. She looks up at Sam. She's terrified and Lara is too. She looks back at him, pleading with her eyes for him to stop, for him to just end this madness here and now. He isn't going to. Lara calls out Sam's name. She tells her that everything will be all right, although she's not quite certain if she's doing that for Sam's sake or for her own.

Either way, she keeps telling Sam that everything will be okay. It has to be okay, it just has to be. After everything she's gone through Lara can't lose her now. She can't lose Sam. She can't lose her best friend. She repeats her words over and over again as though they'll actually make any difference. Lara wants to believe that they will, but as she watches Mathias raise the torch above his head she knows that they won't.

He tosses the torch down, the fire slowly spreading around Sam. Seemingly with a mind of its own, the fire slowly encircles her, prolonging her demise for as long as possible. Lara apologizes to her. She wasn't strong enough, wasn't fast enough. There's nothing she can do now except watch her best friend get burned alive. She would trade places with her in a heartbeat. She would do anything to save her. The flames creep up on her and begin engulfing her lower half. She screams out in pain.

"Lara!"

"Sam!" Lara feels her heart breaking in two. "Please!" she begs. "Please don't do this!" Mathias and his people care not for her or Sam's anguish. If anything they seem to take joy in it. "Sam! No, please no. Just please!"

"Lara!"

"Sam! I'm sorry. I so sorry Sam, I'm so sorry," Lara cries.

"Lara! Wake up!" Someone gives her body a shake. Her eyes pop open. She's in her bed; home. Sam is sitting at her bedside, watching over her with concerned brown eyes. Immediately Lara leaps up and takes her into her arms.

"Sam! You're okay, you're safe." Tears stream down her face as she hugs Sam tightly.

Sam rubs soothing circles upon her back. "I am," she confirms. "It was just a nightmare, everything's okay." Lara nods her head and then buries it in the crook of Sam's neck. It's almost funny how their roles have reversed. Back on the island Lara had to be the brave one. She had to keep Sam safe and make sure that she knew that they'd get home and everything would be okay.

But now… now every night she has that dream. Every night she sees Sam get burned alive. In the mornings she wakes up in a cold sweat and the first thing she has to do is check to make sure that Sam is alive and unharmed. And even after she's assured that she is, Lara still breaks down. The nightmare has never actually gone as far as having Sam actually die, but everything up until the point that Lara wakes up is enough to destroy her.

Her heart is pounding in her chest. It's loud. But even then it's being drowned out by the sound of Sam's screams. Lara can still hear them. It's only Sam's warm embrace that reminds her that reminds her that that had all been a dream. None of it was real and Sam is okay. Her sobbing starts to lessen so she wipes away her tears as Sam continues to whisper reassurances into her ear. The soothing sound of her voice helps to calm the beating of Lara's heart.

Sam always had that kind of effect on Lara. Just her presence, the sound of her voice, her laugh, her touch; every single one those things always helped Lara feel better. She relied on Sam. She needed her and as Sam pulled back and their eyes met, Lara realized for the first time why that was so. Sam had been her best friend for the longest time. Lara cared for her very deeply. Somehow she had missed it, but somewhere along the line she had fallen in love with her as well.

A stray tears fall from her eye so Sam cups Lara's cheek and brushes it dry with her thumb. "Better?" she asks. Lara nods and before she knows what she's doing she leans forward and crashes her lips together with Sam's. She threads her fingers through her hair and she pulls Sam in close as she kisses her hard. A moan escapes her lips and at that moment Lara realizes what she's done. She immediately pulls away and scoots as far back in her bed as she can until she hits the headboard.

"Oh Sam, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." She's saying anything that she can think of make sure that Sam doesn't get mad or upset. That had been a stupid move and because of it she was going to lose her best friend anyway. But Sam doesn't look mad or upset. She looks shocked. She brings her fingertips to her lips and touches them before pulling them away and staring at them. "Sam I'm sorry. Please, can we just pretend that this never happened?" It's her only out. There's not guarantee that Sam will go along with it but its Lara's only chance to get things back to normal.

Once more their eyes meet and Sam seems to snap out of her daze. She gives Lara a once over, as though she's finally seeing the real her for the first time. Lara can't help but think that she kind of is. Sam crawls up the bed and takes Lara by the hands. Lara fights to keep her eyes open. There's no telling what Sam is going to say and Lara doesn't think she can face rejection; not after everything she's gone through, and especially not if it means losing Sam forever. The tears start to come again.

"Lara," Sam says sweetly. "Why did you kiss me?" she asks.

Lara doesn't want to answer. She doesn't want to risk ruining their friendship. She says the words anyway. "Because… because I need you. Because I love you. I love you Sam. I know you won't feel the same but please, please don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Sam assures as she pulls Lara into a hug. "And just so you know, I love you too." And with that said Sam pulls back and kisses Lara firmly on the lips.