Of Betrayals and Rivalries

by Evelyn Benton

Lara Croft and Terry Sheridan’s breakup was about more than his betrayal of Lara and his country. It was also about his rivalry with the man who has always had Lara’s heart.

Title: Of Betrayals and Rivalries
Author: Evelyn Benton
Rating: Young Adults
Date: 12/20/04 & 5/14/05
Genre: General, Drama, Romance
Fandom: Tomb Raider (Lara/Hillary)
Archive: Stellar Phenomena, LaraAndHillary dot net and fan fiction dot net; all others, please ask.
Disclaimer: Paramount and Core Design Ltd. own Tomb Raider; I own this non-profit fan fiction; no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Please note that the sequence in this story that takes place during TR2: COL is canon according to the official novelization (by Dave Stern) based on the original script for the movie. Portions of this scene (including the gun scene) come indirectly from the novel. Endless appreciation goes out to Fay for being a fabulous beta-reader and a kind shipper who generously operates Lara Croft and Terry Sheridan's break-up was about more than his betrayal of Lara and his country. It was also about his rivalry with the man who has always had Lara's heart.

"I betrayed no one, Croft!" Terry Sheridan screamed at the top of his lungs as he gestured an accusing finger in Lady Lara Croft's face. Terry had taken a huge gamble sneaking back into England again after what had happened, but he had to settle things with Lara, one way or another. This was not exactly the way he wanted to settle it, but he was unable to hold back on the issue any longer.

"I should have known that to someone as arrogant as you, your country and the woman you love aren't important! You only care about yourself, and the rest of us are here for your own bloody benefit!" Lara retaliated.

Lara was fuming. Her intense anger had frozen her body into an unnatural stillness as she stood facing Terry on the east lawn of Croft Manor. "You betrayed me, Terry . . . me," she whispered, fighting back all the anguish and pain she was feeling. She had never been emotional with Terry, at least until this moment.

Terry shook his head, a humourless smile curling at his tightly pursed lips. "I'm afraid, dear Lara, you've got that backwards." Lara's mouth dropped slightly open, and her eyes widened. "You betrayed me first and far worse."

After she finally managed to close her mouth, Lara couldn't help laughing. "I--I betrayed you?" she asked incredulously, daring him to explain what she deemed a baseless accusation.

Terry huffed, once again shaking his head. He ran a hand over his short-cropped hair. He had to decide: did he really want to go through with what he had been planning since the start of his relationship with Lara a few months prior?

"Lara," Terry began, but drifted off as he thought over his choice of words. He was not a thinking man. When it came to words, he usually spoke whatever came to mind, trusting that his charming nature would cover up his potentially crude of inappropriate comments. "Bugger it all," he muttered, deciding to go for what he was good at: the blunt, harsh truth.

His posture became straighter, taking on more of an alpha male stance, as he leaned over Lara, trying to intimidate her. "It's that damned butler, Lara."

Once again, Lara was speechless. She was no fool--she realized that it was possible, and quite realistic, for Terry to see her refusal to heed his implied order and fire Hillary as a betrayal. They had gone through this entire discussion over Hillary before, but it was usually in passing. In all honesty, Lara had never taken Terry's comments about Hillary seriously. Now, however, she wished she had somehow put a stop to this matter earlier.

Hillary, Lara's oldest and dearest friend, had taken on an immediate contempt for Terry, and the feeling was equally returned by Terry as well. The two had occasionally exchanged small snipes at one another, but Hillary had never taken Terry's bait and started an actual fight, verbal or otherwise. Hillary had been tempted many times, but he always had managed to retain his calm.

Before Lara could even formulate a response to Terry's seemingly childish and exaggerated claim, Terry said, "I may have had you in my arms, but the bastard who does your laundry has the rest of you. I won't play alternate lover to your butler."

Lara felt as if she had been slapped in the face. How could Terry say that she gave him less than her all? She and Hillary were best friends, that was true, but he was nothing more than a dear friend to her. "Terry, I care for you and you alone--"

"You never say you 'love' me," Terry interrupted, slightly calmer yet somehow more threatening.

"Terry--"

"Do you use that word with him?" he asked, his disgust evident in his face and voice.

"Terry," Lara began again, this time stopping herself under his intense, relentless gaze.

"I bet he's even watching after his precious Lara right now," Terry commented, violently waving a hand back over his shoulder to indicate the windows of the manor behind him.

Lara's eyes, slightly red and glassy from unshed tears, flickered over Terry's shoulder. Her face softened as she saw Hillary standing in an upstairs window, watching the two carefully. From such a distance, she could barely see his grim face and his set jaw as he watched over the scene below him. He was not spying--he was watching over Lara, attempting to protect her as he always had.

Terry did not have to even turn around to confirm Hillary's presence in the window. He saw the answer in Lara's face.

Terry stepped forward and clutched Lara's arms, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Hillary stepped away from the window.

Terry abruptly broke the kiss, not giving Lara the chance to do so herself. "Goodbye, Croft. It's been . . . memorable."

With that, Terry walked to his car and drove away at a dangerously fast speed, leaving Lara standing in the same place, numb and speechless as heavy tears slid out from below her lashes.

One Month Later . . .

When he awoke in the morning, Terry was shocked to find a crisp white envelope on the floor of his damp, cramped, and far from comfortable prison cell.

Terry stood, stretched casually, and took a few steps over to where the envelope lay. He picked up the envelope and lightly inhaled, hoping to smell the scent of one of his former lovers--and he was not picky over which of the many women may have written to him.

As he walked back to his cot, he studied the writing on the envelope. No return address had been given, but he knew who had sent it.

Terry,

My affection for you was never an issue. You know I cared for you deeply, more than anyone else. Now that you've betrayed your country, and me in the process, you find it necessary to turn the tables and make me feel guilty for something I never did in the first place. I did nothing wrong, nothing except caring for you. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I knew there was a reason I never said "I love you," and now I understand it. It would have been a lie, and of the two of us, I'm not the liar.

Not bothering to read the rest of the letter, Terry squeezed his hand into a fist, compressing the paper into a tight ball. Squeezing the paper ball in his hand, Terry silently acknowledged that Lara was not a liar, at least as far as she was aware when writing the letter. Maybe the whole fiasco with the butler had been over exaggerated after all. Perhaps if life somehow managed to deal Terry a good hand, he would be set free soon without having to complete his life sentence in prison. Maybe then he would reunite with Lara. He vowed that if he was ever with Lara Croft again, he would find out how she truly felt about him--if it was simply run and "affection," or if she was capable of feeling love, specifically love directed toward him. 'That's assuming the butler isn't doing her this second,' Terry thought, dryly laughing at the ridiculous notion of Lady Croft being involved with the help.

Five Years Later . . .

Lara had disappeared into the woods with Reiss and his men to go in search of Pandora's Box, and Hillary and Bryce were growing more and more concerned with every passing second. Granted, they were being held hostage and had more than enough to worry about already. They were confident, however, that Lara would be back for them in the nick of time.

Inside the copter, a guard stood with his hostages, Hillary and Bryce. "The doctor wants them kept in here for the time being. Any particular place you want 'em?" the guard asked.

The pilot had kept himself concealed, his identity known to those around him as simply the pilot. "Anywhere is fine," he said. Hillary's head jerked upward and he stared at the helmeted pilot. He knew that voice, and it was a voice he had never hoped to hear ever again. The pilot turned around in his seat and flipped up the visor on his helmet.

"Hillary," he said. "And you must be Bryce."

Hillary visibly blanched. "Sheridan."

Hillary was the emotional rock of the two, whereas Bryce liked to think of himself as the brains of the operation. Whenever Lara was on a mission, Lara did the physical work, Bryce supplied the brains to accompany her brawn, and Hillary was the emotional core of it all--stoic and responsible, yet concerned and loyal. He always supplied the appropriate mood for the moment, and he always managed to keep those around him emotionally balanced. However, at this particular moment, Bryce was afraid of Hillary losing his control.

The two did not have time to exchange their own brand of pleasantries since it was hardly the time for old rivalries to take centre stage. Terry proceeded to take out the guards while Hillary and Bryce freed themselves of their restraints.

After Terry had taken out the guards, he returned to Hillary and Bryce. No one said anything for a few moments as Hillary and Terry stared daggers at one another. Bryce began to grow extremely uneasy in the situation. He was nervous around Terry to begin with, but this was something completely different.

Bryce looked up at Hillary, and upon seeing Hillary's angry face, Bryce began to realize just how much Hillary disliked Terry. He had never seen Hillary look so angry and cold, and seeing him look that way added more concerns to his list.

Hillary was no longer the neutral party who provided silent support to Lara. Instead, Hillary was a man, and this was clearly a male rivalry that Bryce was witnessing. Hillary, and Lara, had neglected to tell him that part of the story. Bryce wondered if Lara even realized the full extent of the discontent between Hillary and Terry.

"Do you love her, butler?"

Bryce turned his head back and forth between the two men, carefully watching each nuance of their interaction.

"Just like a Scot to be insecure. What does a man like you have to fear from the help?" Hillary replied with full confidence.

Terry turned his head away and studied Bryce for a moment. Bryce felt his skin crawling under the scrutiny of the traitor, murderer, and who knows what else.

Hillary did not hesitate to continue talking. "I don't pretend that I could ever be more than a friend to Lara. After all you've done to her, I suggest you do the same. It's much easier to move on with your life when you stop thinking about what might have been," Hillary advised.

Terry still ignored him, so Hillary took a chance to toss in one last jibe. "Then again, you are the type of man who can't stand it when the woman is stronger, smarter, and far more capable. You're not man enough for Lara, and you bloody well know it." Hillary, against his better judgment, overpowered his usual level of control and smirked at his rival.

Terry's jaw stiffened, and he breathed audibly. "Do you know where she's going?"

Bryce and Hillary looked at each other.

"No," Bryce said. "We don't."

Terry studied them carefully. "What are you going to do?" Hillary asked.

Terry suddenly jabbed a pistol right up against Hillary's throat. "Worried about your precious skins? Or your precious Lara?"

Hillary remained calm. "Both, actually," he responded evenly.

"I don't blame you," Terry replied. "But you don't have anything to fear from me."

A few tense, silent moments passed.

"I'd find that easier to believe without the gun at my throat," Hillary croaked, starting to become nervous. Perhaps he had gone too far with his words to Terry. On top of that, the two were not on even ground. Hillary was unarmed and had been beaten by Reiss' guards earlier. He was no fool--he knew Terry could kill him without hesitation, but he at least wanted a fair fight.

Terry lowered the weapon.

"I don't suppose either of you can fly a helicopter?"

Hillary and Bryce were not sure how long they had been waiting for Lara to come back (or Terry to come back with Lara--whatever the case may be), but the one thing they knew for sure was that the copter was running out of fuel.

"We'll go back to the clearing," Bryce said. "We'll siphon off fuel from the other copters and we'll come back."

"In time, hopefully."

"In time," Bryce said. "Besides, don't forget Sheridan's down there, too. He'll--"

"No," Hillary snapped. "No one knows what the hell Sheridan will do."

Hillary was angry. He was angry with himself for showing weakness in front of Terry. He was angry with regards to the animosity he and Terry had between them after all these years and still to this day. His feelings for Lara were his alone, and he had never shared them with anyone--that is how it would remain until he died. At this rate, he would die sooner rather than later.

What if there was a truth to what Terry had been saying since day one, that it was Hillary's love for Lara that contributed to the deterioration of her relationship with the Scot? He knew it was nonsense, and that the reason Lara and Terry had broken up was because Lara did not love him, and she cared for him even less after he betrayed her and his country.

Still, somewhere in the back of his mind, he could not help wondering what his role was in all of this. Perhaps if--when--Lara came out of this situation alive, he would ask her.

END